Guitarist Sven Atle Kopperud (a.k.a. Silenoz) of Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR and the death metal supergroup INSIDIOUS DISEASE was interviewed by Inferno TV at this year's Inferno metal festival, which was held April 16-19 in Oslo, Norway. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about his upcoming musical projects, Silenoz said: "Of course we're always writing music for the new DIMMU album. And I have written most of the music, finished, for the next INSIDIOUS DISEASE album. So there's a lot of stuff going on. Time flies by, and before you know it, it's, like, four years since we released the last DIMMU album. Usually we take a couple of years between each release, but now it's [taken longer and] two more [years have gone by]. But we haven't rushed, really, because we'd rather take our time and make an album that we can fully appreciate and stand behind."

DIMMU BORGIR's follow-up to 2010's "Abrahadabra" is tentatively due in early 2015 via Nuclear Blast Records.

DIMMU BORGIR's most recent touring lineup included Geir Bratland (APOPTYGMA BERZERK, THE KOVENANT) on keyboards and Terje Andersen (a.k.a. Cyrus; SUSPERIA) on bass.

"Abrahadabra", the ninth album from DIMMU BORGIR, was released in Germany on September 24, 2010, in the rest of Europe on September 27, 2010, and it was made available in North America on October 12, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Fan-filmed video footage of IRON MAIDEN's May 31 headlning appearance at the FortaRock festival in Goffertpark, Nijmegen, The Netherlands can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Moonchild 02. Can I Play With Madness 03. The Prisoner 04. 2 Minutes To Midnight 05. Revelations 06. The Trooper 07. The Number Of The Beast 08. Phantom Of The Opera09. Run To The Hills 10. Wasted Years 11. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son 12. Wrathchild 13. Fear Of The Dark 14. Iron Maiden

Encore:

15. Aces High 16. The Evil That Men Do 17. Sanctuary

IRON MAIDEN's current "Maiden England" tour is based on the 1988 set list from the "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" trek.

Said IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson: "We have tweaked the 'Maiden England' set list a bit to make it more representative of our whole '80s era and to give the fans something a bit different, especially as this will be the last of our three tours with an historical perspective."

IRON MAIDEN in August 2013 landed at position No. 1 on Billboard.com's "Hot Tours" list of top-grossing tours with $8.5 million in ticket sales from six performances on their summer tour of Europe. The shows were attended by a total of 121,280 fans, including a two-night, sold-out stand on August 3-4, 2013 at the O2 Arena in Lonon, England, where the band played to 27,000 fans. With totals added from last summer's Europe dates, overall ticket sales from the tour topped $42 million from 45 reported concerts.

Fan-filmed video footage of Swedish occult rockers GHOST performing on May 31 at the FortaRock festival in Goffertpark, Nijmegen, The Netherlands can be seen below.

A Nameless Ghoul from GHOST told Kaaos TV on May 28 about the band's plans for a new studio album: "The songs are done, demo-wise. We know what it's going to sound like, what it's gonna look like, what it's gonna feel like, but we are yet to record it. We'll do that in the fall, probably in October or November sometime. So as for now, we've got most of the work done as far as the songs go. And the whole visual idea of the album…"

Regarding the musical direction of the new GHOST material, he said: "As much as we took a different step from the first album to the second, we'll do the same now. There's a bit of everything in there. We are inspired from so many different things, so it's a blend of everything we want to sound like and what we like. But it's taking it one step further than we already did, so…. It's not necessarily… I wouldn't say it will be a copy of the two previous albums. We try to evolve all the time. Otherwise we wouldn't have fun, and hence there's no reason doing it. It's about having fun."

GHOST was honored in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal" category at the Swedish Grammis awards (Swedish Grammy equivalent), which was held on February 19 at Cirkus in Stockholm. The bands were all nominated for their most recent releases, all of which came out during 2013. GHOST was also honored with the P3 Guld award (for "Infestissumam") from Swedish radio station P3 in the "Best Rock/Metal Album Of The Year" category. The winners were announced on January 18 during a live awards ceremony broadcast from the Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden.

GHOST's sophomore album, "Infestissumam", sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 28 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The CD topped the official chart in the group's home country after selling nearly five times as many copies as the No. 2 album, MISS LI's "Wolves".

GHOST was forced to modify its name in the U.S. to GHOST B.C. for "legal reasons."

Quality fan-filmed video footage of CALIFORNIA BREED's May 31 performance at Gramercy Theatre in New York City can be seen below.

CALIFORNIA BREED is the new band built around the foundation of legendary vocalist-bassist Glenn Hughes, drummer extraordinaire Jason Bonham and 23-year-old newcomer guitarist-singer-songwriter Andrew Watt.

The group's self-titled debut album sold around 4,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 78 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"California Breed" was recorded at producer Dave Cobb's Nashville studio and features equal co-writing credits among the three-man lineup. "It's proper rock," Hughes told Classic Rock magazine, "but at the same time it's very now. Andrew is as influenced by Mick Ronson as he is Jimmy Page." "This kid is amazing," says Bonham. "The first time we met I thought he looked like the white Jimi Hendrix. And he plays in the studio like he's on stage!"

Glenn Hughes, 'The Voice Of Rock', is a true original, a legendary icon whose credits include DEEP PURPLE and guesting with everyone from BLACK SABBATH to EARTH, WIND & FIRE — up to his most recent collaboration in rock supergroup BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION. No other rock musician has carved such a distinctive style blending the finest elements of hard rock, soul and funk. That astonishing voice is Hughes' calling card.

The legacy of LED ZEPPELIN lives on in Jason Bonham, British drummer and son of ZEP's legendary John Bonham. He has inherited the best of his father's skills while mastering his own distinctive and dynamic technique. Jason has followed his own distinctive path over the years, fronting his own successful outfits like BONHAM, and playing with LED ZEPPELIN, FOREIGNER, HEART and, most recently, movie composer Hans Zimmer.

Andrew Watt is a soulful singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose high-energy aggressive style and creative spirit are synonymous with New York City.

Hughes says: "I live in the moment, it's all about NOW. CALIFORNIA BREED is exactly where I live, breathe and where my freak flag flies."

"California Breed" track listing:

01. The Way02. Sweet Tea03. Chemical Rain04. Midnight Oil05. All Falls Down06. The Grey07. Days They Come08. Spit You Out09. Strong10. Invisible11. Scars12. Breathe13. Solo*

* Deluxe Edition includes "Solo" bonus track and a DVD including 2 video clips ("The Way" and "Sweet Tea"), plus documentary

When BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION disbanded, Hughes and Bonham had a strong desire to keep playing together. Their only challenge was finding a new guitarist worthy of their musicality. Easier said than done for these stars who between them have worked with some of the greatest guitarists in history — including Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page and Joe Bonamassa, to name just a few. Then fate took a hand in things when Glenn's friend Julian Lennon introduced him to the astounding talents of a New York City hotshot guitarist named Andrew Watt. "Literally, the first day me and Andrew got together we wrote two songs," recalls Glenn. "One was 'Chemical Rain' and the other was 'Solo', both of which are now on the finished album. I was so moved by the music, I said, 'We've got to record this!' That's when I called Jason."

"I was excited from the start," says Jason, "because apart from locking in as a rhythm section, Glenn and I had started writing together in BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, and we wanted to continue that." "There was such energy in the room the first time we all played together, me and Glenn didn't even have to talk about it," says Jason. "He was so exited to be playing, though, it was infectious! He was just on stage! No going through the motions, kicking the chair over, everything! I was like, you know what, this kid is a free spirit. It was cool, we all just clicked straight away." "Nothing though has gotten into my blood like CALIFORNIA BREED," says Glenn. "I feel the same way," says Jason. "I feel like a kid again starting out." Recording with Dave Cobb at the producer's own studio in Nashville, added all the finishing touches, says Glenn. "I'd gotten into Dave's work via the RIVAL SONS, who I know and really love. But Dave has done a lot of great stuff. That whole Nashville trip which Dave is a part of. Well, me and Jason don't want to sound like anyone else, we already sound like ourselves, but we felt we needed some fresh energy — and Dave absolutely brought it." At Cobb's insistence, every vocal was recorded live as the band was playing. "Totally the reverse of what I'm used to," says Glenn. "But I went into that aggressive rock soulfulness and everything down to the whispers, it was all done live! I enjoyed myself so much, just going for it." For what is on paper a three-piece, the sheer range of sounds and melodies you get from CALIFORNIA BREED are breathtaking. "I'm the oddball of the group but I'm the thing that makes us different from any other classic rock band. I grew up loving grunge music," explains Andrew. "But my father always played me THE WHO and THE BEATLES and LED ZEPPELIN. I always felt like I was in the wrong generation. I used to make rock music on my own and I'd play all the instruments because I could never find anyone my age that really got it the way I heard it. Then I got to play with Jason and Glenn and I haven't picked up anything but a guitar since!" "What we've got here is a kid who isn't a hammer-on, virtuoso," says Glenn, "but a whole new entity. This kid grew up listening to Mick Ronson on Bowie's records, as well as Jimmy Page in LED ZEPPELIN. He has a completely different take. And it's fresh and bold and so exciting. It just gets into your blood."

Russia has a special meaning for Udo Dirkschneider and his band U.D.O. They were one of the very first international artists to tour the huge country of Russia — and their fans are still very thankful until this day. So recording a live DVD on September 28, 2013 at the Arena Hall in Moscow to highlight the "Steelhammer" tour was an opportunity the band didn’t want to miss. It is the first live release of U.D.O.'s new lineup (with a Russian bandmember) which easily convinced fans and critics alike on recent festivals and headlining gigs.

The band put together an exceptional setlist, including many classics that haven't been played for a long time, fan favorites and tracks from "Steelhammer".

Released on May 23, "Steelhammer - Live From Moscow" was made available as DVD/2-CD, Bluray/2-CD and triple-vinyl in Russian national colors (tricolor).

"Steelhammer - Live From Moscow" track listing:

01. Intro02. Steelhammer03. King Of Mean04. Future Land05. Cry Of A Nation06. Trip To Nowhere07. They Want War08. Never Cross My Way09. Stranger10. Stay True11. In the Darkness12. Azrael13. No Limits14. Mean Machine15. Burning Heat16. Metal Machine17. Devil's Bite18. Go Back To Hell19. Timebomb20. Holy21. Metal Heart

Bonus content of the DVD/Blu-ray:

* Behind The Scenes* Russia Travel Documentary* Trainride In Russia

The "Go Back To Hell" performance clip from "Steelhammer - Live From Moscow" can be seen below.

U.D.O.'s latest album, "Steelhammer", was released on May 24, 2013 via AFM Records. The CD was produced by Dirkschneider and Fitty Wienhold.

U.D.O. in 2012 announced the addition of guitarist Andrey Smirnov to the group's ranks. He replaced Stefan Kaufmann, who left the group for health reasons.

Stefan will continue to work with U.D.O. behind the scenes and produce other bands at his Roxx studio.

Kaufmann was the drummer for ACCEPT on nine albums but was forced to give up drumming towards the end of the band's initial run due to health problems.

Stefan joined U.D.O. as a guitar player in 1996, following ACCEPT's second breakup, and has recorded nine albums with them.

"Live In Sofia", the most recent DVD+CD and Blu-ray+CD from U.D.O., entered the Music DVD chart in Finland at position No. 1 and in Germany at No. 4.

"Live In Sofia" contains footage of U.D.O.'s November 16, 2011 concert at Hristo Botev Hall in Sofia, Bulgaria.

A video clip of legendary rocker Sammy Hagar (CHICKENFOOT, VAN HALEN, MONTROSE) and Vic Johnson (longtime guitarist of WABORITAS, Hagar's backup band) rehearsing an acoustic version of the song "Halfway To Memphis", originally off SAMMY HAGAR AND THE WABOS' 2006 album "Livin' It Up!", can be seen below.

Hagar will release "Light Roast", a collection of acoustic versions of some of his best-known songs, later in the year via his web site. In a video greeting to his fans, dubbed "Redheads", Hagar said that he will not embark on an acoustic tour support of the CD, although he hopes to add an acoustic segment to his concerts in the future.

Regarding the recording process for "Light Roast", Hagar said: "It was just me and Vic live in the studio with no overdubs. Just two guitars, sometimes one guitar, sometimes just one voice, sometimes two voices."

Hagar added: "I started to learn how to sing like that. I have the hardest time singing without a whole band behind me, but I learned how to do it and it really helped me. It will make me a better singer."

The idea for "Light Roast" was spurred by Hagar's preparation for the first annual "Acoustic-4-A-Cure" concert, which was held on May 15 at the Fillmore in San Francisco, California. The event benefitted the Pediatric Cancer Program at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, and featured solo sets, duets and jam sessions.

Sammy Hagar's first-ever rock collaborations album, "Sammy Hagar And Friends", sold around 15,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on September 24, 2013 via Frontiers

Hagar enlisted three legendary musicians — Toby Keith, Mickey Hart and Taj Mahal — to round out the final three tracks on "Sammy Hagar And Friends". The effort was preceded by the CD's first single and video for the high-voltage track "Knockdown Dragout" featuring Kid Rock, Joe Satriani and Denny Carmassi.

After months of blood, sweat and tears from Dutch symphonic metallers WITHIN TEMPTATION, the band's new album, "Hydra", is now on the road. While the group is on tour, singer Sharon den Adel is keeping a video diary of the trek that shows you what happens during and in between shows, and what it's like for the band to bring "Hydra" to the stage and see people respond to the new songs for the first time.

The tenth episode of the diary, in which Sharon looks back on the shows so far and she unveils what sentence she created with all of the dragons on the road, can be seen below.

WITHIN TEMPTATION's new album, "Hydra", sold around 15,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 16 on The Billboard 200 chart.

WITHIN TEMPTATION's previous CD, "Unforgiving", opened with 12,000 units back in March 2011 to land at No. 50.

"Hydra" was released in North America on February 4 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment, the new U.S. partnership between Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger and former Roadrunner Records A&R chief Monte Conner. The album was made available in several luxury formats. The cover artwork was created by Romano Molenaar ("X-Men", "Batman", "The Unforgiving").

The digital premium album, complete with digi-booklet, was made available on iTunes and includes 18 audio tracks and a music video. The digital premium album features bonus "Evolution Versions" of four new songs, which contain audio commentary from guitarist Robert Westerholt and singer Sharon Den Adel and give you unique access to the development of the songs, their lyrical inspiration and the sound of the initial demos and vocals.

In a recent interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, WITHIN TEMPTATION vocalist Sharon Den Adel stated about the songwriting process for "Hydra"": "A lot of bands were inspired by the '80s at the time we were writing 'The Unforgiving' album. There was a lot of music based on the '80s coming out and it had a lot of '80s flavors. With this new album, even though we're only a few years further up the road, you can feel that music has changed again. Music is not inspired on the '80s, but more like there are different influences in the music again. Music's always organic, and you feel things are changing comfortably."

She added: "When people asked us after 'The Unforgiving', 'Are you gonna make another 'Unforgiving' album?" we said, 'Of course.' Because we were really full of it in a positive way. We really like the album a lot and still do like it a lot but we really feel there's an '80s feel to the songs. When we started writing this album, again we felt like we were already knowing we were gonna go a different direction also."

Video footage of SACRED REICH's May 29 performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below.

SACRED REICH bassist/vocalist Phil Rind posted a message on the band's Facebook page last October letting fans know that they should not expect a new studio album from the group. "I can confidently say we have no plans to record, no songs to record and no idea what SACRED REICH even would sound like [right now]," he wrote. "We appreciate the fact that any of you even care about hearing a new record.

"We thank each and every one of you for supporting and continuing to support the band. We think it's amazing that after 25 years, and 16 years since a new record anyone still remembers who we are. So we thank you.

"Enjoy the old records. That's what we can offer you. If we ever change our minds, you will be the first to know."

SACRED REICH's "Live At Wacken" DVD+CD package was released in North America in November 2012 through Metal Blade. The set contains professionally filmed and recorded footage of the band's August 4, 2007 performance at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany in front of 60,000 heavy metal fans.

In an interview with MetalRecusants.com, Rind was asked why the band hasn't made a new studio album after reuniting for sporadic live shows eight years ago. "Our lives are different now," he said. "I mean, it's funny… Our old drummer Dave's [McClain] in MACHINE HEAD and they're touring and doing great; they're very successful. And I said [to the other guys in SACRED REICH recently], I wouldn't even wanna [get back into a full recording and touring cycle]. I wouldn't wanna be gone from my family. I have four kids. As much as I like this, as much as I appreciate the fans, what's important — the family or playing live music? I mean, really?! What's important — being a dad to my kids? My kids need their dad more than the fans need a new SACRED REICH record. And that's really the bottom line. It's a choice. We have a choice to make. What do you wanna do? You have kids now. What are you gonna do — blow it off or are you gonna be their dad? The world will be a better place if I'm [my kids'] dad."

The remastered edition of SACRED REICH's classic 1992 album "Independent" was released as a digipack and jewelbox on March 15, 2010 via Displeased Records. The first 2,500 copies contain a free SACRED REICH patch.

Displeased Records' reissue of SACRED REICH's classic album "The American Way" came out in February 2009. With upgraded layout, to-the-point remastering plus unreleased pre-production demo bonus tracks and a video clip, this new and improved CD reissue is an essential addition to every thrash metal collection.

"The American Way" was made available in a limited digipak version and standard jewel case version. The first 2,500 copies came with a free logo patch.

Los Angeles theatrical rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES have set October 28 as the release date for their fourth album. The group began pre-production for the follow-up to the band's third CD, last year's "Wretched And Divine: The Story Of The Wild Ones", in March with producer Bob Rock, whose resume includes albums by METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE CULT and many others. BLACK VEIL BRIDES singer Andy Biersack hinted to The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that the new album may be another concept disc like "Wretched And Divine". "I think we're gonna go in a bit of a darker, heavier direction on the next one," he said. "We've got some concepts. I don't think we're gonna do a sequel or a follow-up to this story, but we've kind of got a new story that we're working on and I think we wanna follow that concept record route at least one more album."

"Wretched And Divine: The Story Of The Wild Ones" came out in January 2013 and featured the Top 15 rock radio single "In The End".

BLACK VEIL BRIDES was originally formed in Cincinnati in 2006.

The group issued two EPs on their own before moving to Los Angeles in 2009.

The band's debut album, "We Stitch These Wounds", came out in summer 2010, followed by "Set The World On Fire" in 2011.

Biersack has launched a side project called ANDY BLACK, which he described as a "fun and artistic way for me to try something that musically I wouldn't want to force into BLACK VEIL BRIDES." In an interview with Kerrang! magazine, Biersack explained how the "dark wave" project came into being, saying, "My whole life, I've loved '80s synth and goth rock like THE SISTERS OF MERCY and DEPECHE MODE. My biggest love has always been the music BLACK VEIL BRIDES make, but that doesn't mean I don't listen to or enjoy other things."



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Post by Black Veil Brides.

Candlelight Records has announced the worldwide signing of thrash/punk crossover icons ENGLISH DOGS. The band's new album, "The Thing With Two Heads", will be released on July 8 (one day earlier internationally). Clocking in at 42-minutes, it is the first newly recorded material by the group in over two decades.

Back in February, ENGLISH DOGS drummer/founding member Pinch called the nearly completed album "an angry bastard of a record." Featuring Pinch with vocalist Adie Bailey and guitarist Gizz Butt, the CD is a direct result of the successful 2012 North American tour. Decibel magazine interviewed the band just prior to the trek and questioned how the band felt about the supporting lineup — TOXIC HOLOCAUST, THE CASUALTIES and HAVOK — all heavily influenced by their music. Gizz noted: "You never know if anything you do will be considered important, and even if you have all the self-belief in the world, you cannot say if anyone will like it or not.

"It's amazing that we touched so many great bands. It means that occasionally what you do, when you take that gamble and step out for two or three years to make and promote an album, that you did the right thing." Reanimated on their return home from the 14-date tour, ideas started to circulate with snippets committed to tape on both sides of the Atlantic. Pinch shares: "We got back together because we felt like we had unfinished business.

"Tons of people ended up turning up to the gigs. We started to think maybe we are worth a fuck after all. We started writing and recording and it clicked immediately."

He continues: "'The Thing With Two Heads' is the missing link between 'To The Ends Of The Earth' and 'Forward Into Battle'. It's classic ENGLISH DOGS punk metal. It doesn't sound like anyone else, because it wasn't inspired by anyone else." Formed in 1981, ENGLISH DOGS was at the core of a new wave of English punk. A more aggressive and desperate sound was a critical characteristic of this new hybrid, a sound that would help inspire America's still-developing thrash scene. Alongside labelmates GBH and DISCHARGE, the band would release several recordings for Clay Records. "Mad Punx & English Dogs" and its follow-up, "Invasion Of The Porky Men", hit and maintained lengthy U.K. indie charts positions. "Forward Into Battle" (1985, Rot Records), and "Where Legend Began" (1987, Under One Flag/Music For Nations) would continue to see the band's international profile rise. An American tour in 1986 would see sold-out performances in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Baltimore, New York, Chicago and more. The band would go their separate ways by year's end. "The Thing With Two Heads" was recorded by producer Dean Pansy. The album's complete track listing is as follows:

01. Turn Away From The Light02. Freak Boy03. Gorgonized04. Hate Song05. Ghost Note06. Up From The Depths07. The Thing Will Arise08. Planet of the Living Dead09. Royal Flying Corpse10. Rectify11. Down With The Underdogs

Megaforce Records will release GRINDER BLUES' self-titled debut album on August 19. The powerhouse trio teams KING'S X legend Doug Pinnick with two gritty, hard-rocking (and Emmy-winning) roots music MVPs, Jabo Bihlman on guitar and vocals and Scot "Little" Bihlman on drums, percussion and vocals.

"Grinder Blues" is like a shot of adrenaline to the heart of the genre. Its 10 original, high-voltage songs sizzle with daredevil virtuosity and rock with unrestrained energy, blasting a sound minted in the urban canyons of Chicago and the swamps of rural Louisiana during the 1950s into the present thanks to rumbling guitars, freight train rhythms and Pinnick's virtuoso licks and elegantly gritty rock 'n' soul voice.

"The idea for the music was to stay away from the clichés and rock out," Doug explains. "If we felt like we were heading into any songs that seemed like standard blues lyrically or musically, we made it a point to veer in the opposite direction."

"Doug was particularly enthusiastic about moving into the blues; it's a whole new direction for him," says Scot, who, like his brother Jabo, is a longstanding fan of Doug's work.

"A heavy, twisted take on the blues is something we all felt Doug was born to do. He's the most soulful vocalist, a blues singer, really," adds Jabo. "Even with KING'S X and his other projects, it's always Doug's soulful, thundering vocals that push the music over the top."

Produced by Miles Fulwider and Barry Mork, with mixing by Miles, Barry and Doug, "Grinder Blues" was written collaboratively by the band. Pinnick aimed to keep the music "simple and fun," while exploring new directions. The lyrics are traditional, an homage to the old blues heroes who came before them. Recorded almost entirely in a drop-C tuning, the band "wanted the sound to be unique and heavy, like nothing anyone had ever heard in the blues vein," says Jabo.

"The whole production angle we took was to push some boundaries sonically and musically that one associates with 'the blues' or 'rock n' roll,'" says Fulwider. "We set out to pull and push typical blues 'axioms' to see what we could come up with on the other side."

GRINDER BLUES will be on tour in 2014.

Pete Evick, who plays guitar for POISON singer Bret Michaels' solo band, has released the following statement:

"This is a message I never imagined I'd have to post.

"Tonight [Thursday, May 29] in Manchester, New Hampshire, three songs into [Michaels' solo] set, Bret had me sing a song as he rushed off stage.

"In the nine years I've stood next to him, I've never seen a look like the one on his face as if I was a complete stranger.

"One of the crew returned instantly to notify me that Bret's blood sugar was extremely low. He returned to the stage only to announce that he could not continue.

"As you all know, [Bret] is a health fanatic and fiercely monitors his blood sugar. He basically had to be dragged off the stage in his sickest of conditions.

"When I rushed to the bus, he could barely speak, but begged me to apologize to the fans and seemed only concerned for them.

"As of now, he is with paramedics being evaluated.

"We will keep you posted throughout the evening."

In recent years, Michaels, who has known about his type 1 diabetes since he was six years old, has undergone an emergency appendectomy, heart surgery and suffered brain hemorrhaging.

"From the cradle to the grave — and I mean this as sincere as I can say this — you either make a choice that you are living, or you're dying," Bret told "Oprah's Lifeclass" about his biggest life lesson. "It's all in the way you look at it."

In a 2010 interview with Diabetes Forecast magazine, Michaels discussed his health struggles and the everyday challenges of living with diabetes and explained how he has taken control of his health after years of a rock-and-roll lifestyle.

"Life is not perfect, but it's how you roll with it," said Michaels. "I have been knocked down professionally and even worse medically, but I am a kicker and a fighter — mental attitude is what it's all about."

Bret also spoke about how his recent health challenges have changed the way he tours. "I absolutely have an itinerary of where the really good hospitals are, just in case I have another hemorrhage or heart problems," he said. "I am really focused on what to do if something happens to us, not just me, but my band and my crew. But the shows I am playing are as fun and as wild and as upbeat as ever. Everything else is life as usual, on the road."

METALLICA played the "…And Justice For All" song "Frayed Ends Of Sanity" live in its entirety for the first time earlier tonight (Wednesday, May 28) at the Sonisphere festival in Helsinki, Finland. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

METALLICA's setlist for the Helsinki concert:

01. Battery02. Master Of Puppets03. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) 04. Ride The Lightning05. The Unforgiven06. Lords Of Summer07. ...And Justice For All08. Sad But True09. Fade To Black10. Orion11. One12. For Whom The Bell Tolls13. Blackened14. Nothing Else Matters15. Enter SandmanEncore:

16. The Frayed Ends Of Sanity17. Whiskey In The Jar18. Seek & Destroy

For years, METALLICA had teased "Frayed Ends Of Sanity" in a variety of ways throughout the set, but quickly abandoned it, veering sharply into something else.

METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo told CraveOnline.com last year that "Frayed Ends Of Sanity" was band's "the most challenging" song to learn on bass.

"We're going to have sit down and spin that one around for an hour or two," METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told the Delaware County Daily Times earlier in the month of "Frayed", which, prior to tonight, had remained the only song over nine albums that the band had never performed live in its entirety. "We carry a rehearsal room with us wherever we go. Give us an hour and we can learn any song in our catalog. We like to make the setlist real wacky and change it up as much as possible, but in 2014 the fans are picking the songs."

METALLICA recently completed a South American tour where the band played a nearly all-request set, with 17 songs chosen online by fans prior to each gig and the last slot filled by the new track "Lords Of Summer".

That song is also featured in the setlist for the band's European festival run, on which it is repeating the "by request" format.

"It certainly gives me butterflies in the stomach in a good way, and I think it should be a lot of fun for the fans," Ulrich said after announcing "Metallica By Request" last year. "This at least puts a stop to the whining about the set list because it's basically the fans that are picking it."

METALLICA's "by request" show in South America featured such non-rarities as "Master Of Puppets", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", "Battery", "Fade To Black", "One" and "Enter Sandman".

"To be totally honest with you, sometimes I wish they would vote on some of the really obscure songs. We love playing crazy stuff," Ulrich told Delaware County Daily Times.

METALLICA spent some time this spring working on material for the follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic", but the band's 10th studio album is not expected out until 2015.

Photo courtesy of Metallica.com

"Precious Metal", the video for the title track of the new album from HOUSE OF LORDS, can be seen below. The CD was released in Febraury via Frontiers Records.

"Precious Metal" is HOUSE OF LORDS' ninth studio album, following up the critically acclaimed "Big Money". This brand new release, recorded and produced by the band's singer and mastermind James Christian, again has a stellar sound, with solid and baroque songwriting mixed with unique melodic sensibilities and amazing musical skills.

Musically, "Precious Metal" shows a return to the roots of the band's sound. James Christian, as usual, sings his heart out and he sounds better than ever on these new songs. Guitarist Jimi Bell shines with heavy, but melodic riffs throughout the album, with Chris McCarville and B.J. Zampa bringing a solid and powerful rhythm foundation to the HOUSE OF LORDS sound.

In James Christian's words: "When we started to write this record, we knew after the first song that we were on to something special. The energy level was off the charts for all of us. Jimi Bell came out swinging and B.J. and Chris were just crushing it.

"Recording this album was very easy as the songs already had arrangements that were complete.

"'Precious Metal' is a testament to years of being a band that loves what they do and has so much more to offer in the years to come."

HOUSE OF LORDS debuted in 1989 with the release of the self-titled album, a monumental arena hard rock release which showcased the soaring vocals of James Christian and instrumental capabilities of the band (which featured ex-ANGEL and GIUFFRIA member Gregg Giuffria, along with such luminaries as Lanny Cordola, Chuck Wright and Ken Mary), reminiscent of such frontrunners as WHITESNAKE, DEEP PURPLE and VAN HALEN, immediately brought the band to the attention of the media and fans. After another two albums released until 2002, HOUSE OF LORDS went into hibernation until the original lineup came back together in 2000, releasing of the controversial "Power And The Myth" an album which featured a sound leaning more towards progressive hard rock with '70s rock influences.

After a short European tour, singer James Christian decided to go back to the trademark arena rock sound of HOUSE OF LORDS, putting together a new lineup. Since 2006, the band has a stable lineup featuring Jimi Bell on guitars, B.J. Zampa on drums and Chris McCarvill on bass which has been delivering impressive shows and fine releases such as "World Upside Down", "Come to My Kingdom", "Cartesian Dreams" and the recent "Big Money".

"Precious Metal" track listing:

01. Battle02. I'm Breakin' Free03. Epic04. Live Every Day (Like Its The Last)05. Permission To Die06. Precious Metal07. Swimmin' With The Sharks08. Raw09. Enemy Mine10. Action11. Turn Back The Tide12. You Might Just Save My Life

A 23-minute video recap of KORN's participation in this year's Soundwave festival, which took place in February and March in Australia, can be seen below.

KORN's eleventh studio album, "The Paradigm Shift" (Prospect Park), sold 46,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 8 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on October 8, 2013 via Prospect Park.

"The Paradigm Shift" is the first KORN disc to feature guitarist Brian "Head" Welch since 2003's "Take A Look In The Mirror" and follows up 2011's dubstep experiment, "The Path Of Totality".

Welch told Rolling Stone that the new album has "the old KORN vibe, but with a new twist . . . The end product is a really good mix of old KORN mixed with some new elements. It's got a fresh new KORN 2013 sound."

Welch left KORN in 2005 after he converted to Christianity and got off drugs. He rejoined them for a handful of live performances in 2012 before officially becoming part of the lineup again in early 2013.

"Walk With Knowledge Wisely", the new video from New Orleans sludge metal veterans CROWBAR, can be seen below. Directed by Mike Holderbeast (DOWN, EYEHATEGOD), this is the first of two clip fans can expect to see from the band's new album, "Symmetry In Black", which came out this week.

"For this video, we decided to let the music do the talking," said CROWBAR guitarist/vocalist Kirk Windstein,

"Working with Mike was a breeze and a pleasure. He has filmed many of our live shows and he is a true professional."

Windstein added about the track: "'Walk With Knowledge Wisely' is the perfect opener for 'Symmetry In Black'. It has every element of the CROWBAR sound and is like an anvil to the face. It's CROWBAR at its finest."

"Symmetry In Black" came out in North America on May 27 via Entertainment One Music. The CD, which was made available in Europe on May 26 through Century Media Records, was produced by CROWBAR guitarist/vocalist Kirk Windstein and Duane Simoneaux and was mixed by Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA).

"Symmetry In Black" track listing:

01. Walk With Knowledge Wisely02. Symmetry In White03. The Taste Of Dying04. Reflection Of Deceit05. Ageless Decay06. Amaranthine07. The Foreboding08. Shaman Of Belief09. Teach The Blind To See10. A Wealth Of Empathy11. Symbolic Suicide12. The Piety Of Self-Loathing

The release of "Symmetry In Black" coincides with the 25th anniversary of the CROWBAR's inception. Windstein said: "CROWBAR is my heart and soul. The music is a part of me that I am extremely proud of.

"It's an amazing feeling to be putting all of my energy and focus into something that I created 25 years ago!

"We are extremely excited to release our 10th full length and to bring the riffs to as many people as possible on tour." Windstein exited DOWN in September 2013 in order to focus "100%" on CROWBAR. He was replaced in DOWN by the band's longtime stage manager and HONKY founding guitarist Bobby Landgraf.

CROWBAR last year announced the addition of bassist Jeff Golden to the group's ranks.

Jeff is from Bolton, Connecticut, but currently resides in Estero, Florida.

CROWBAR is:

Kirk Windstein (Guitar, Vocals)Matt Brunson (Guitar)Tommy Buckley (Drums)Jeff Golden (Bass)

A previously unreleased LED ZEPPELIN instrumental track called "La La" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The song, which was recorded in 1969, will appear on the forthcoming deluxe edition of "Led Zeppelin II".

LED ZEPPELIN recorded the track, which remains unfinished and appears as a rough mix on the reissue, with the rest of the LP but never made it available until now.

Coming on June 3 will be deluxe editions of LED ZEPPELIN's first three albums: "Led Zeppelin", "Led Zeppelin II" and "Led Zeppelin III". The launch of the reissue program, which is being led by guitarist Jimmy Page, includes the band opening "its vaults to share dozens of unheard studio and live recordings, with each album featuring a second disc of companion audio comprised entirely of unreleased music related to that album."

The albums are being issued in six different versions — the Super Deluxe Box; Deluxe Edition; Deluxe Edition Vinyl; Single CD; Original Album Vinyl; and Digital Download.

"When these things were originally done, they were done for vinyl," Page explained on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon". "And then they were remastered about 20 years ago for the CD market. But now there's a re-emerging vinyl market, CD, digital online — so the whole lot of these original albums has been remastered for all of those different media, if you like." He continued: "I thought, 'Other people have done this — other people have remastered their catalog, so let's see what we can do to make it, like, really special.'"

The Super Deluxe Box set of each LED ZEPPELIN album features:

* Remastered album on CD in vinyl replica sleeve.* Companion audio on CD in a new sleeve and on 180-gram vinyl ("Led Zeppelin" features a previously unreleased October 1969 concert from Paris; "II" and "III" feature previously unreleased studio outtakes).* Remastered album on 180-gram vinyl in a sleeve replicating the first pressing.* High-def audio download card of all content at 96kHz/24 bit (Live tracks are 48kHz/24bit).* Hard-bound, 70-plus-page book filled with rare and previously unseen photos and memorabilia.* High-quality print of the original album cover, the first 30,000 of which will be individually numbered.* "Led Zeppelin" will also include a replica of the band's original Atlantic press kit.

The band wrote and recorded nearly all of "Led Zeppelin II" while touring relentlessly to support its debut album. Incredibly, the album was released just seven months after "Led Zeppelin" in October of 1969. "Led Zeppelin II" features some of the band's most beloved tracks including "Ramble On" and "Heartbreaker" as well as "Whole Lotta Love", considered by many to be one of the greatest rock 'n' roll songs of all time. The album is certified diamond by the RIAA with sales of over 12 million copies.

The "Led Zeppelin II" companion audio gives fans the first peek into the band's recording sessions, with alternate mixes of five songs from the album, backing tracks to "Thank You" and "Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)", and the previously unreleased track "La La".

According to Tanjug, part of the proceeds from IRON MAIDEN's June 17 concert in Belgrade, Serbia will go towards rebuilding the country after it was ravaged by its worst floods in over a century.

Earlier this month, the worst floods in 120 years swept through Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia, killing at least 50 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless or trying to repair the damage to their homes.

IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris said in a statement that he believes Serbia "will come out stronger after the disaster the recent floods."

The band's current "Maiden England" tour is based on the 1988 set list from the "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" trek.

Said IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson: "We have tweaked the 'Maiden England' set list a bit to make it more representative of our whole '80s era and to give the fans something a bit different, especially as this will be the last of our three tours with an historical perspective."

IRON MAIDEN in August 2013 landed at position No. 1 on Billboard.com's "Hot Tours" list of top-grossing tours with $8.5 million in ticket sales from six performances on their summer tour of Europe. The shows were attended by a total of 121,280 fans, including a two-night, sold-out stand on August 3-4, 2013 at the O2 Arena in Lonon, England, where the band played to 27,000 fans. With totals added from last summer's Europe dates, overall ticket sales from the tour topped $42 million from 45 reported concerts.

While on the road on his first European solo tour, guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in the metal and rock universe for his work as leader of his own group FIREWIND and also as member of Ozzy Osbourne's band, takes you inside his tour bus and shows you around... or at least he tries to! Check out the three-minute clip below.

Gus G.'s debut solo album, "I Am The Fire", entered the official chart in Greece at position No. 27. The CD sold around 700 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

"I Am The Fire" track listing:

01. My Will Be Done (featuring Mats Levén)02. Blame It On Me (featuring Mats Levén)03. I Am The Fire (featuring Devour The Day)04. Vengeance (featuring David Ellefson)05. Long Way Down (featuring Alexia Rodriguez)06. Just Can't Let Go (featuring Jacob Bunton)07. Terrified (featuring Billy Sheehan)08. Eyes Wide Open (featuring Mats Levén)09. Redemption (featuring Michael Starr)10. Summer Days (featuring Jeff Scott Soto)11. Dreamkeeper (featuring Tom S. Englund)12. End Of The Line (featuring Mats Levén)

The cover artwork was designed by Gustavo Sazes (ARCH ENEMY, KAMELOT, DREAM EVIL).

Gus handles all guitar, bass and keyboards on "I Am The Fire", and is joined by a roster of friends and guests that help bring his vision to fruition: drummers Jeff Friedl (A PERFECT CIRCLE, PUSCIFER, DEVO) and Daniel Erlandsson (ARCH ENEMY), bassists David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH) and Marty O'Brien (TOMMY LEE, WE ARE THE FALLEN, LITA FORD), and vocalists Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS, ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, THERION), Blake Allison (DEVOUR THE DAY), Michael Starr (STEEL PANTHER), Alexia Rodriguez (EYES SET TO KILL), Tom S. Englund (EVERGREY), Jacob Bunton (ADLER) and Jeff Scott Soto (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, TALISMAN, ex-JOURNEY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN). "I Am The Fire" was mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR, STEEL PANTHER) and was recorded between Los Angeles and Gus' home country of Greece through the latter half of 2013. A few of the album's tracks include "Eyes Wide Open", "Redemption", "End Of The Line" and "Blame It On Me". The album showcases a well-balanced mix of active rock, classic hard rock, traditional metal and guitar-driven instrumentals, taking listeners on a diverse journey and opening doors to Gus G.'s soulful playing.

Gus G. has had an amazing rise within the worldwide rock and metal scenes and has amassed an impressive body of work, both in studio and touring. He emerged as an up-and-coming talent with the groups DREAM EVIL (Sweden), MYSTIC PROPHECY (Germany) and NIGHTRAGE (Greece), but it is his work with his own band FIREWIND (who have released seven studio albums and two live releases) and as a member of Ozzy Osbourne's band that have helped him emerge as one of the world's top metal and rock guitarists. His work on Ozzy's "Scream" album led to a Grammy nomination in 2010, and his list of accolades includes Guitar Player magazine's "Best Metal Guitarist," the "Dimebag Darrell Shredder" award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, and Metal Hammer Greece "Best Guitarist" on four separate occasions.

California heavy rockers HIGH ON FIRE have begun work on their new, as-yet-untitled studio album. The trio — guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike, drummer Des Kensel and bassist Jeff Matz — has convened for strategic writing sessions in both New Orleans, Lousiana and Oakland, California, with early reports indicating the band's new material to be both "epic" and "sonically huge." A winter 2015 tentative release via eOne is expected.

"Des, Jeff and I are really getting creative and writing a hell of a new record," states Pike. "It's a crazy project and I can't really explain what it's all about just yet, but we've been writing a lot of crazy intense material that will up the ante, and bring things to another level." "Everyone is asking what the new HIGH ON FIRE music sounds like," adds Kensel. "Chew on some mescaline and listen to side B of SABBATH's 'Master Of Reality' backwards at 78 RPM and it might give you an idea."

In addition to constructing the new album, HIGH ON FIRE has announced a handful of U.S. live dates as well as an Australian headlining tour and a European headlining trek. Australian tour will launch on July 16 in Brisbane and the European jaunt will kick off on July 23 in Germany and run through August 9 in London, England. Prior to the out-of-country dates, HIGH ON FIRE will undertake a Chicago-area residency that will begin on May 29 in Rock Island, Illinois. The band will then gig as one of the headliners of the Do-Division Street Fest on May 30 before back-to-back headlining shows at Chi-Town's Empty Bottle on May 31 and June 1.

HIGH ON FIRE released the first official live recordings of its career with the two-volume set "Spitting Fire Live", which has been hailed as "high-volume intensity" by the Austin Chronicle, "hot as the infernos" by Pitchfork and a "documentation of the band's undiminished ferocity onstage" by the SF Weekly. Recorded over a two-evening New York City headlining stint at both Bowery Ballroom and Brooklyn's Music Hall Of Williamsburg, "Spitting Fire Live" showcases HIGH ON FIRE at its incendiary best, containing songs from each of the band's critically acclaimed studio albums including 2012's "De Vermis Mysteriis".

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach is one of the contestants in ABC's new competition series, "Sing Your Face Off". Actor John Barrowman ("Torchwood", "Arrow") will host the show, which will feature five celebrity contestants taking on the identity of an iconic music performer each week.

ABC will launch "Sing Your Face Off" on Saturday, May 31 from 9 to 11 p.m. Two all-new episodes will air back to back in that two-hour time period each week. The show is described as a talent variety competition where celebrities are transformed and trained to perform as a legendary musical icon. Over the course of the series, five personalities — Bach, basketball star Landry Fields, comedian Jon Lovitz, singer China Anne McClain ("A.N.T. Farm") and actress Lisa Rinna ("Days of Our Lives") — will take on the identity of an iconic music performer. Debbie Gibson and Darrell Hammond are the primary judges, and scheduled guest judges including David Allen Grier, RuPaul, Carnie Wilson, Richard Simmons, Tom Arnold and Carmen Electra.

"From the hours in the makeup chair to the days spent with choreographers and vocal coaches, each show will feature the complete transformation — not just physical — the celebrities will embody everything about the assigned icon — their walk, their talk, and their distinguishing mannerisms leading up to the live performance in front of the studio audience," according to production notes. "Viewers will get the chance to see each of the celebrities portray multiple musical performers during the series — such as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Pavarotti, Pitbull, Britney Spears, and Tina Turner, to name a few."

Enterianment Weekly has posted a video clip of Bach as he is transformed into MAROON 5's Adam Levine, singing "Moves Like Jagger". Check it out at this location.

"Sing Your Face Off" is produced by Endemol USA with Georgie Hurford-Jones ("America's Got Talent") as executive producer.

JOURNEY vocalist Arnel Pineda (pictured) says that the door is open for the band's former lead singer Steve Perry to rejoin group, saying that "it's [Steve's] righteous place" and explaining that he wants to see Perry and his JOURNEY bandmates "happy together."

Although the pipes were a bit rusty, Perry thrilled audience members on Sunday night (May 25) during a surprise appearance within the encore set of alterative rockers EELS in Saint Paul, Minnesota. According to The Pulse Of Radio, Perry — whose rumored return to JOURNEY has been the cause of rock gossip and band denials for several years — joined in on the EELS' song "It's A Motherfucker", which Perry had previously included on his iTunes celebrity playlist. Following that, Perry and the band launched into two JOURNEY classics — 1981's "Escape" power ballad "Open Arms" and 1979's "Departure" album standout "Lovin,' Touchin', Squeezin'".

After a JOURNEY fan tweeted a link to a video of Perry's performance to Pineda, Arnel responded: "He should come back. His voice is still there. [I] missed that voice." The fan continued the conversation, writing: "It will be cool if [Steve would] come to one of your shows and just come up and sing with you guys. That will definitely be epic." Arnel then wrote: "He can take over too. It's his righteous place anyway. [I] wanna see them happy together." When the fan praised Arnel for being so "modest" and "humble," Pineda replied: "We are all but transits in this world. Borrowed time is all we have. We do what we can while it's in our favor."

After announcing in April that he was recording a solo album, Arnel said: I'd be more than happy to give way. As long as they need me, I will be there. I'm never gonna quit on them."

On Tuesday (May 27), he tweeted: "Let me be clear. I took JOURNEY's leap of faith 'coz they generously gave it to me. Yet I'll never be addicted to fame."

Pineda was previously rumored to be leaving JOURNEY back in February, citing the demands that the band's touring schedule places on his family. However, he shot down those reports, saying in a statement: "I am as happy to be in JOURNEY today as I was when I first joined the group. Next to my family in Manila, JOURNEY is my family. When I'm not working, I spend time at home with my wife and kids, and my foundation. Now, I am busy preparing for our tour with STEVE MILLER BAND and TOWER OF POWER. I wish whoever is making up these lies would put their time to good use and stop spreading these false stories."

Perry told The Pulse Of Radio that the passage of time only further solidified his opinion of how incredible JOURNEY was during its heyday. "What a great band we once were," he said. "What a great band. I think the older I get, the more I'm able to look back at the forest now, 'cause I certainly walked out of the trees. I think everybody was just following their heart and their nose and following that lead. Just doing what we do. We're a band. We record, we rock, we instinctually reach for what we believe's a good idea — and argue about stuff, agree, disagree and move forward. And we were just crankin'."

Powerhouse Norwegian singer Jorn Lande (MASTERPLAN, ARK) has contributed lead vocals to the song "Lightbringer", which is featured in League Of Legends, a multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games.

Comments Lande: "I have been working closely with music producer Christian Linke of Riot Games in L.A., on a project called PENTAKILL, which is basically a heavy rock band within the League Of Legends concept.

"PENTAKILL is the Valoran continents' most famous (and possibly only) rock band. Its members consist of champions from the game.

"It's very exciting to be a part of this new development in the gaming industry and a fabulous opportunity to be able to reach out to millions of people worldwide in just a blink of an eye.

"It has been a great experience working with the productive and dedicated people of Riot Games, and I am truly proud to be a part of this!"

"Lightbringer" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Riot describes PENTAKILL as a "passion project created by a number of musicians within Riot as well as some professional rockers."

PENTAKILL's full album, "Smite And Ignite", will be available for free download on June 3 via the PENTAKILL web site.

Jorn Lande's strong and diverse voice and solid songwriting skills have now become legendary in the hard rock world. In a career spanning over close to 40 album releases, as frontman for ARK and MASTERPLAN, in addition to featuring on spectacular projects such as NOSTRADAMUS "The Rock Opera", BEYOND TWILIGHT "The Devil's Hall of Fame", Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA and AYREON.

2010 was a significant year in Jorn's career. Besides releasing a tribute album to his hero Ronnie James Dio, Jorn was invited to perform, alongside Glenn Hughes, with HEAVEN & HELL at their final concert, which was held in July 2010 at the High Voltage festival in Victoria Park, London, England.

Marilyn Manson has been cast in FX's hit show "Sons Of Anarchy" as Ron Tully, a white supremacist prison shot-caller who Jax uses to expand his power base.

Marilyn Manson is known, by most, for selling millions of records, being a successful writer, painter, performer and provocateur. He has also made many cameos in films and television.

With the creation of a new album and while launching a world tour, he grabbed the attention of "Sons Of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter.

"'Sons' has been such a big part of my life, as well as my father's," said Manson. "So I was determined to make him proud by being involved in what will probably be remembered as the most amazing piece of television cinema. After all, the very heart of 'Sons Of Anarchy' is about that relationship. So, now all I need is a motorcycle."

Manson has appeared in a handful of movies and TV shows before, most recently on the Showtime series "Californication" — where he played himself — and the Sundance Channel program "Wrong Cops".

He spent most of last year touring behind his 2012 album, "Born Villain".

GUNS N' ROSES will release "Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live From The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" on July 1 via Universal Music Enterprises. The show was filmed on November 21, 2012 during the "Appetite For Democracy" tour in celebration of twenty-five years of "Appetite For Destruction" and four years of "Chinese Democracy".

"Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live From The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" will be available in North America on Blu-ray, featuring the complete concert film in both 3D and 2D plus an interactive 3D photo gallery, and standard DVD featuring the 2D version of the film. Both releases are mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound and feature bonus interviews with the band. The GN'R Appetite For Democracy Official App (iOS/Android) brings the concert experience to a new level by connecting GN'R directly with their fans, allowing fans to connect with each other via social media, buy exclusive merchandise, check tour/cinema dates for the movie, preview digital tracks of the film; and purchase or stream via VOD the digital long form concert.

Produced by Rock Fuel Media's Barry Summers, "Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live From The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" is the first official GUNS N' ROSES live concert film since 1992's "Use Your Illusion" concert video.

"Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live From The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" track listing:

01. Chinese Democracy02. Welcome To The Jungle 03. It's So Easy 04. Mr. Brownstone 05. Estranged06. Rocket Queen07. Live and Let Die08. This I Love09. Better10. Motivation (Tommy Stinson song) 11. Catcher In The Rye 12. Street Of Dreams13. You Could Be Mine14. Sweet Child O' Mine15. Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 (PINK FLOYD cover) 16. November Rain17. Objectify (Bumblefoot song) 18. Don't Cry19. Civil War 20. The Seeker (THE WHO cover) 21. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (BOB DYLAN cover) 22. Nightrain 23. Don't Let It Bring You Down (NEIL YOUNG cover) 24. Used To Love Her 25. Patience 26. Paradise City

GUNS N' ROSES lineup:

* W. Axl Rose - lead vocals, piano * Dizzy Reed - keyboards, piano * Chris Pitman - keyboards, backing vocals, tambourine * Tommy Stinson - bass, backing vocals, lead vocals on 'Motivation' * Richard Fortus - rhythm guitar, lead guitar, acoustic guitar * Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal - lead guitar, lead vocals on 'Objectify' * Frank Ferrer - drums, tambourine * DJ Ashba - lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals

As previously reported, GUNS N' ROSES frontman and sole original member Axl Rose has denied rumors that he is breaking up the band and considering retirement. Responding to a report at RadarOnline.com in which anonymous sources claimed that the group was finished, Rose posted a message at the band's Facebook page which read, "I'm not going anywhere . . . GNR fans sure have a Radar for BS! Love you all!" Meanwhile, another source claiming to be close to the Rose camp dismissed the report as "bullshit," adding that the members of the band had merely been notified that their calendars would be clear for the immediate future so that they could do other things.

The RadarOnline.com report had suggested that the band would call it a day after finishing up its current Las Vegas residency at the Hard Rock Hotel, which ends on June 7.

The source for RadarOnline.com said, "Band members have been told their calendars are free following Vegas. Axl is considering retiring and it’s done. Band members and support staff were surprised when told the news and are actively looking for work."

Some of the current members of the GUNS lineup have spoken in the past year about recording a new album, but that is highly unlikely. The sole all-new GUNS N' ROSES album in 23 years, "Chinese Democracy", arrived in November 2008 to mixed reviews and disappointing sales.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Dexter Holland, lead singer of THE OFFSPRING, is being sued by Cessna over payments he owes on a private jet he tried to buy from the aircraft company. In a lawsuit obtained by TMZ.com, Cessna says Holland owes them $782,422.16.

Cessna claims Dexter financed a plane in 2007 but had trouble making payments. The company allowed him to sell the plane privately and give them the funds from the sale, but also made him put up two other planes as collateral. They gave him until 2017 to pay the balance that he owed, but Cessna says he hasn't made a payment in a year.

The aircraft company wants the two other planes or the amount Dexter owes.

THE OFFSPRING is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its iconic album "Smash" by playing the LP in its entirety on tour in Europe this May, June and early July before finishing out the summer with U.S. "Smash" dates.

This August, Epitaph will commemorate the anniversary with a special 20th-anniversary edition of "Smash". "Smash" has sold over six million copies in the United States alone. Having shifted 11 million copies worldwide, it is the best-selling independent-label album of all time.

"Hardcore Lives", the ninth studio album from New York hardcore veterans MADBALL, will be released on June 27 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was tracked and engineered by UNEARTH guitarist Ken Susi and mixed and mastered by longtime collaborator Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, AGNOSTIC FRONT, SOULFLY, TERROR, WHITECHAPEL). Official promo photos were taken by LAMB OF GOD's very own Randall D. Blythe.

Commented MADBALL frontman Freddy Cricien: "I shouted 'Hardcore Lives' on MADBALL's first release, 'Ball Of Destruction'. I was twelve then. It wasn't pre-planned or written down... It was an ad-lib that I just threw out there and we kept it!

"Back then, there was no choice, really, not the way we were recording — two-track live at Don Fury's... NYHC style!

"I feel the sentiment behind the expression still holds true today, maybe even more so. Hence the reason we finally chose to use it as a title. Sure, it's about waving the flag for our genre/culture, etc.

"I've always felt that 'we as a scene' had to scream just a lil louder... to be heard! That said, 'Hardcore Lives', at least to us, is not just about a cool 'catchphrase,' it's about that rebellious spirit that doesn't give in... in life, music, whatever. It's about growing, evolving, and maintaining your integrity in the process. It's about family, overcoming adversity, and respect. All the things that matter inside and outside of the music realm. It's for everyone and anyone with an open mind and heart."

"Hardcore Lives" will be available as limited-edition digipak and on black vinyl, both including two additional bonus tracks: "The Beast", which also appeared on 2012's EP "Rebellion", and "Spit On Your Grave", from 1994's landmark release "Set It Off". Both tracks have been exclusively re-recorded for the inclusion on "Hardcore Lives". The album will also include guest appearances by some of hardcore's most notable singers: Scott Vogel (TERROR), Toby Morse (H20) and Candace Puopolo (formerly Kucsulain, WALLS OF JERICHO).

"Hardcore Lives" track listing:

01. Intro02. Hardcore Lives03. The Balance04. Doc Marten Stomp05. DNA06. True School (feat. Scott Vogel)07. The Here And Now08. Nothing To Me09. My Armor (feat. Toby Morse)10. Beacon Of Light11. Born Strong (feat. Candace Puopolo)12. Spirit13. Mi Palabra14. NBNC15. For The Judged

Bonus tracks:

16. The Beast17. Spit On Your Grave 2014

The song "Doc Marten Stomp" can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below (courtesy of BrooklynVegan.com).

MADBALL recently took part in the fifth installment of the band's renowned Rebellion tour with BIOHAZARD, DEVIL IN ME, WISDOM IN CHAINS and FINAL PRAYER.