Kaaos TV conducted an interview with MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee on May 21 at Hard Rock Café in Helsinki, Finland. You can now watch the chat below.

MOTÖRHEAD canceled a handful of shows on its European festival tour in August 2013 after the band's frontman, Lemmy, suffered a haematoma (where blood collects outside of a blood vessel). The news of Lemmy's latest medical issue followed reports that he was also fitted with a defibrillator because of heart problems. The band also postponed a European headlining tour which was scheduled to kick off in November.

Asked how Lemmy is doing now, Mikkey said: "It's much, much better. He's been good for awhile. He's working hard on his health. We just did three weeks in the U.S. He's up and about. It's more to get going again. It's for the whole band. We've never been off eight months. But Lemmy's much better, and he played great when we did this U.S. leg, so I really hope that he can stay healthy. And he looks good, so that's all I can say. And he's working very, very hard on it, too, so all the best."

MOTÖRHEAD's 21st studio album, "Aftershock", sold 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 22 on The Billboard 200 chart.

MOTÖRHEAD's previous CD, 2011's "The Wörld Is Yours", opened with 7,000 units to enter the chart at No. 94. The band's 2008 effort, "Motörizer", premiered with 6,400 copies to debut at No. 82, while 2006's "Kiss Of Death" registered a first-week tally of 3,500.

"Aftershock" was recorded at NRG Studios in North Hollywood, California and is described in a press release as "a true leveler, a crushing confirmation of everything MOTÖRHEAD stands for, marching from the dust storm to deliver 14 belting statements which see MOTÖRHEAD in perhaps their best writing form for years."

QUEEN guitarist Brian May has confirmed that the band will release a new album later this year featuring previously unreleased songs sung by late QUEEN frontman Freddie Mercury.

May and QUEEN drummer Roger Taylor recently put finishing touches on some of Mercury's 1983 demos with Michael Jackson. In addition to that, the other "lost" Mercury tracks in the QUEEN vaults include collaborations with David Bowie, Andy Gibb, and Rod Stewart.

Speaking to BBC Wales on May 23, May said (hear audio below): "We found a few more tracks with Freddie singing and all of us playing, and they are quite beautiful. So people will be hearing this work towards the end of the year. We are gonna put out an album which probably is called 'Queen Forever'. And it's a compilation, but it will have this new material which nobody in the world has ever heard. I think people will really enjoy it."

Asked to describe the unreleased tracks featuring Mercury, May said: "Most of it comes from the '80s when we were in full flight. So it's is quite emotional. It is the big, big ballads and the big, big epic sound. It wouldn't have been if we hadn't have done this restoration job. We had to start from scratch, because we only had scraps. But knowing how it would have happened if we had finished it, I can sit there and make it happen with modern technology. And we have Pro Tools these days; and you can do almost anything in Pro Tools."

QUEEN will return to North America for a 24-date arena tour with "American Idol" finalist Adam Lambert once again fronting the band. The 2014 dates begin on June 19 at Chicago's United Center and wind down on July 28 at Toronto, Ontario's Air Canada Centre.

Canadian rockers KILLER DWARFS were involved in a serious crash following their performance at the Rocklahoma festival this past weekend. The accident took place just before 2:00 Monday afternoon (May 26) near a construction zone along interstate 70 in Indiana when the band's pickup truck — driven by KILLER DWARFS bassist Johnny Fenton — pulling a box trailer failed to slow or stop and hit a vehicle and another pickup truck. The second truck then hit a SUV.

KILLER DWARFS vocalist Russ Graham was airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for head injuries while Fenton, drummer Darrell Millar and guitarist Gerry Finn are at a hotel with some cuts and bruises.

A video report from WTHI TV can be seen below.

KILLER DWARFS was formed in Toronto in 1981 and continues to rock, showing no signs of slowing down. From its first single, the anthem "Keep The Spirit Alive", to its 2013 album "STaRT @ oNe", the band's timeline includes extensive MTV airplay, recording for major labels, racking up a few Juno nominations and playing some of the largest venues throughout the world.

SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor says fans "will lose their minds" when they hear the band's long-awaited new studio album, tentatively due before the end of the year via Roadrunner Records.

Speaking to Kristyn Clark of Pop Culture Madness on the red carpet of last week's "Monster Energy Roast On The Range With Corey Taylor" event in Columbus, Ohio, Corey said about his plans for the rest of 2014: "The rest of the summer is just finishing up a certain album [referring to SLIPKNOT's new CD]. And that's about it, really. I've got a handful of shows that I'm doing with STONE SOUR in July, and then everything is SLIPKNOT."

Pressed about the direction of the new SLIPKNOT material, Taylor said: "I will say that, at the moment, right now, it feels like a great mesh of [2001's] 'Iowa' and [2004's] 'Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)'. You've got the gorgeous melodies and the artistic direction of 'Vol. 3' and then you've got the absolute brutality of 'Iowa'. And I think people are gonna lose their minds when they hear it."

Taylor said in an interview with Front Row Live Entertainment on May 12 that the band's first album in six years is "coming along," adding, "I actually left the studio to come right down here. So it's a matter of time, trust me. It's gonna be rad . . . Everything is going exactly how it needs to go. So it's gonna be really awesome." Even though SLIPKNOT's last album, "All Hope Is Gone", came out in 2008, Taylor said, "The good thing is we've always been writing, so there's a ton of stuff that we're pretty stoked on. It's exactly what you want it to be."

SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he has high hopes for the band's next album. "That record is going to be, I predict, one of the most serious things that we will have ever comprehended that we've ever done in our life," he said. "And we pretty much say that on every record, but I really feel that when the time comes, what will be on hand is going to be something almost unimaginable."

The new SLIPKNOT album will be the band's first since the 2010 death of bassist Paul Gray and the late 2013 dismissal of drummer Joey Jordison.

The band is rumored to have recruited drummer Jay Weinberg to play on the new album. Weinberg is the son of Max Weinberg, longtime BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND drummer.

Chicago-based guitarist Rob Scallon, who became an Internet sensation earlier in the month when he released a video for his ukulele cover version of SLAYER's "War Ensemble", has returned with yet another unconventional rendition of a classic SLAYER song, this time with his banjo take on "Raining Blood". Check it out below.

Written by Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King for SLAYER's 1986 studio album "Reign In Blood", "Raining Blood" is one of only three tracks on the LP that is longer than three minutes, having a running time of four minutes and seventeen seconds. The song closes out "Reign In Blood" with a minute of rain sound effects.

Eccentric singer, songwriter and pianist Tori Amos covered "Raining Blood" on her 2001 album "Strange Little Girls". SLAYER guitarist Kerry King later admitted that he thought the singer's version of the track was odd. "It took me a minute and a half to find a spot in the song where I knew where she was," he said. "It's so weird. If she had never told us, we would have never known. You could have played it for us and we'd have been like, 'What's that?' Like a minute and a half through I heard a line and was like, 'I know where she's at!'"

Frontiers Records released TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON's sophomore album, "Angels Of The Apocalypse", on May 16 in Europe and May 20 in North America.

The official lyric video for the song "The Paradise Lost" can be seen below.

The story: It is 2020 A.D - The Elements send 4 Angels to observe mankind and its actions in the last century. There are 4 Angels, but still they are One. Fire, Wind, Earth and Water are their names. With the Elements they observe in unimaginable sadness and anger the primitive events that take place in the last 150 years as they have the ability to go back and forth in time. As they give their final warning, Mankind sees unimaginable destruction that shakes its core foundations. Pandora's Box is opened and the forces of Nature are unleashed. Is this the prelude for Judgement Day...

Following the release of the debut album "The Land of New Hope", the "Metal Opera" was met with critical and fan acclaim, entering the national album charts in seven European countries, including a Top 10 entry in Tolkki's home country, Finland. In August 2013, Tolkki flew to Greece to seek the right inspiration for the follow-up album and upon his return he managed to develop a sound that is even more grandiose and symphonic and yet heavier and darker in direction as compared to the debut album.

"In August 2012, I planned to release a Metal Opera that had to be a trilogy," says Tolkki.

"I am following a specific storyboard in a musical format and this time the musical direction is heavier and darker than the previous AVALON. This was deliberate since the Apocalyptic scenes described in the lyrics demanded that".

As for the players on the album, Tolkki finally managed to reunite the legendary STRATOVARIUS "Dreamspace" lineup, calling Antti Ikonen and Tuomo Lassila to play keyboards and drums respectively. "It was really nice and brought good vibes and freshness to the album," says Timo. "Definitely the right move."

The amazing cast of vocalists appearing this time includes NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen — who takes care of the lead vocals on the first single, "Design The Century" — along with Simone Simons (EPICA), Fabio Lione (RHAPSODY OF FIRE), David DeFeis (VIRGIN STEELE), Zachary Stevens (ex-SAVATAGE, CIRCLE II CIRCLE), plus Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE) — who appears again after contributing to the first album — and the stunning Chilean singer Caterina Nix, who is working on her debut album, which is also produced by Tolkki.

"Some songs were written with a specific singer in mind, while for some others I decided based on the knowledge that I had on how he or she would perform," says Tolkki.

"I am particularly happy of how this record sounds especially two songs, 'You'll Bleed Forever' and the 10-minute title track, are among my favorite ever."

Once again the stunning artwork is provided by the French artist Stanis W. Decker and the first pressing of the physical edition will be available in a glossy digipak.

"Angels Of The Apocalypse" final track listing:

01. Song For Eden02. Jerusalem Is Falling03. Design The Century04. Rise Of The 4th Reich05. Stargate Atlantis06. You'll Bleed Forever07. The Paradise Lost08. Neon Sirens09. High Above Of Me10. Angels Of The Apocalypse11. Garden Of Eden Musicians:

* Timo Tolkki: guitars, bass and keyboards* Tuomo Lassila: drums* Antti Ikonen: keyboards* Nicholas Jeudy: orchestration* Floor Jansen, Simone Simons, Fabio Lione, David DeFeis, Zachary Stevens, Elize Ryd, Caterina Nix: vocals

The official video for the CD's first single, "Design The Century", can be seen below. The clip, which features NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen on lead vocals, was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others.

New Jersey thrash metal veterans OVERKILL will release their new album, "White Devil Armory", in July in North America via eOne Music and in Europe through Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was tracked at Gear Recording and was mixed by Greg Reely, who also worked on 2012's "The Electric Age".

The limited-edition box-set version of "White Devil Armory" includes a digipack CD, a leather belt and buckle plus a certificate of authenticity. It is available for pre-order from Nuclear Blast.

"White Devil Armory" track listing:

01. Freedom Rings 02. Where There's Smoke...03. Pig04. Amorist05. Down To The Bone06. Bitter Pill07. King Of The Rat Bastards 08. Another Day To Die09. It's All Yours10. In The Name

The cover artwork for "White Devil Armory" can be seen below.

Speaking to Steppin' Out magazine, OVERKILL vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth stated about "White Devil Armory": "The new record has a blend of what we've done over the past half decade. I'm noticing it's a more punchy heavy metal record with more dimension than the last record had. Where is it going to end up on the food chain? I really don't know. But my feeling is it's an eclectic collection of moments from us. 'The Electric Age' came across, to me, as kind of a two-dimensional thrash record. This one is punchy but has a whole different bunch of ways to go and things to hear on it."

OVERKILL released a very special limited tour edition of "The Electric Age" in Europe on April 19, 2013 via Nuclear Blast Records. The limited 2CD tour edition included the regular album as well as a four additional live tracks on a bonus CD, recorded at The Metro in Sidney, Australia on September 25, 2010.

"The Electric Age" sold 6,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 77 on The Billboard 200 chart.

CIVIL WAR — the Swedish metal band featuring former SABATON members Rikard Sundén (guitar), Daniel Mullback (drums), Daniel Mÿhr (keyboards) and Oskar Montelius (guitar) alongside singer Patrik Johansson (ASTRAL DOORS, LION'S SHARE) and bassist Stefan "Pizza" Eriksson (VOLTURYON) — has announced the addition of guitarist Peturs Granar to the group's ranks.

Comments CIVIL WAR: "Petrus has been a friend and working closely with the band since [CIVIL WAR's debut album] 'The Killer Angels' with demos, arrangements etc. He is a very talented guitarist and good with arrangements. Petrus also worked as a backline tech for the band since last November. It feels just natural to offer him a place with the band as he's been our 'seventh member' all along. We look forward to have him in our band of brothers and he will add another dimension to our live sound and push the boundaries for what we can do with pretty much everything both on album and what we can make out of it as a live band."

CIVIL WAR is currently recording its second album for a late 2014 release via Napalm Records.

"The Killer Angels" was certified gold in Sweden by the International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry for sales in excess of 20,000 copies.

(Note: The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry [IFPI] in Sweden has revised the sales requirements for albums to reach gold status in the country twice in the last 11 years — from the pre-2002 level of 40,000 to the current 20,000.)

"The Killer Angels" was distributed in Sweden via the June 2013 issue of Sweden Rock Magazine and each copy of the magazine containing the CD was counted towards the certification; the album was also sold separately.

The members of CIVIL WAR were presented with their gold plaques before headlining the Metal War festival in Budapest, Hungary. Commented the band: "Selling 20,000-plus in our home country is something none of us could ever imagine when getting into the sessions leading up to the album. Even though we felt we made a solid record, getting these numbers was still something we couldn't predict upon our wildest imagination." CIVIL WAR's debut EP was released on November 13, 2012 via Despotz Records.

Borrowing its name from the novel by Michael Shaara about the Battle of Gettysburg, "The Killer Angels" was recorded by Jonas Kjellgren at Studio Myhrer (which is actually the bed and living room of keyboard player Daniel Myhr), Black Lounge Studio and Peter Tägtgren's The Abyss in Pärlby, Sweden. Artwork comes courtesy of Polish artist Lukasz Jaszak.

Former WHITESNAKE guitarist Bernie Marsden will release his new solo album, "Shine", on August 18 via Provogue as a double-LP, CD and digital download.

At a rough guesstimate, Marsden's name appears on a hundred albums — maybe more. In addition to a long-running solo career, the Buckinghamshire-born guitarist has been a recording musician since the early 1970s via membership of such groups as WHITESNAKE, UFO, WILD TURKEY, BABE RUTH, PAICE ASHTON & LORD, COZY POWELL’S HAMMER, ALASKA, M3 and many more. Though there’s a tendency to pigeonhole him as a blues-rock guitarist, each of Marsden's acts had its own individual flavor.

Although Marsden was wary of flooding the credits with too many special guests, "Shine" does feature some extremely well-known names, from Joe Bonamassa to WHITESNAKE singer David Coverdale and the DEEP PURPLE duo of Ian Paice (drums) and Don Airey (keyboards). Jimmy Copley of Jeff Beck fame behind the kit and Mark Feltham of NINE BELOW ZERO also supplies some breathtaking harmonica playing.

Marsden previously said the style of the album will harken back to the WHITESNAKE "Ready An' Willing" era: "Kind of gone retro, but with a 2012-2013 sound, if you know what I mean," he said. "A young guy's producing it, and I’m very pleased for them to do it, because they bring a lot to the table. I just write the songs and play guitar, which is nice."

"Shine" track listing:

01. Linin' Track
02. Wedding Day
03. Walk Away
04. Kinda Wish She Would
05. Ladyfriend
06. Trouble
07. Who Do We Think We Are?
08. Bad Blood
09. Shine
10. Dragonfly
11. You Better Run
12. Hoxie Rollin' Time
13. NW8

Check out a trailer for the CD below.

Marsden joined WHITESNAKE on stage in Manchester, England in May 2013 to play "Fool For Your Loving" and "Here I Go Again".

Asked in a 2012 interview with Geeks Of Doom what he thought of his songs being re-recorded by later lineups of WHITESNAKE, Marsden said: "I thought 'Here I Go Again' was fabulous because for me it was such a long time after I had written the song that I could listen to WHITESNAKE in that period as if I was listening to JOURNEY or FOREIGNER: it was just another band who were really good. But they were an American band by then [who] just happened to have the same name and the same singer and guy I worked with. 'Fool For Your Lovin'', when they re-recorded that I felt it lacked some of the heart and soul of what the song was all about and I know that David [Coverdale, WHITESNAKE frontman] has more or less said the same thing in interviews over the years. I think Steve Vai is a wonderful guitar player and he did a very good Steve Vai job on that track, but I didn't think it had the heart of what the song was all about. So you win some, you lose some. But having said that it sold about three-and-a half, four, five million [copies], so I can't complain too much! [laughs] It continues to do well to this day."

Regarding whether there are any unresolved issues between him and Coverdale, Marsden said: "Certainly not between David and I. We're as close now as I think we ever were which I never thought, up until a couple of years ago, I would have said in an interview. He's completely upfront with me, straight with me and if he wants me to do something he calls himself, he doesn't have people call me and we chat on the phone. I was feeling lonesome in Euston station a couple of months ago and I looked at my phone and I thought… 'I'll call him up.' So I left him a message and I just sang, 'Sitting in the railway station, waiting for my destination,' because I didn't think he was in. He called me back within about ten minutes: 'What the hell are you doing in Euston station?' he says. 'It's one o'clock in the morning! I'll talk to you until your train goes.' I appreciate that because I think it's nice for men of a certain age who have done quite a bit in their lives together to be as close as they can as older men. That sounds a bit profound, doesn't it?! But I really do believe that. I'm very happy whenever I've been onstage with him again. That, to me, is a tremendous bonus and I love every minute of it and just to be able to phone each other up and just say, 'Hey, how you doing, mate?' that's as important to me. For me, it closes the circle. Or opens a friendship that I thought may have been gone."

Fan-filmed video footage of SLAYER's May 17 performance at the Rock On The Range festival at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio can be seen below.

SLAYER surprised the capacity crowd at last month's Revolver Golden Gods awards in Los Angeles with an unannounced performance, kicking off the show with a three-song set that included the global premiere of "Implode", the band's first new studio recording in five years. Recorded in April at Henson Studios in Los Angeles and produced by Terry Date and co-produced by Greg Fidelman, "Implode" was made available as a free download as a "thank you” to the band's fans for their continued support.

Later this year, the two-time Grammy-winning SLAYER will begin recording a new album, tentatively set for an early 2015 release. The album will make SLAYER history as it will be released on Nuclear Blast Records through the band's own label imprint, closing out a 28-year relationship with Rick Rubin and American Recordings. No name for the imprint has been decided on yet. "Rick has played a huge role in our career, we've made some great albums with him,” said SLAYER's Tom Araya. "But today is a new day, record companies don't play the kind of role they once did, and we really like the idea of going out on our own, connecting directly with our fans, and Nuclear Blast is fired up about taking on that challenge with us." All future recordings on the band's label imprint will be released worldwide exclusively through Nuclear Blast. "I was a teenage rebel when 'Show No Mercy' came out," said Markus Staiger, owner of Nuclear Blast, "and I identified with that record. It was the most extreme, aggressive thing at the time. They were then and still are the most brutal metal band on the planet! I really cannot express how proud I am that we are able to work with SLAYER to join the Nuclear Blast family. We are ready for that next record and, I'm sure it will go into metal history!" Added Nuclear Blast label manager Gerardo Martinez, "The prospect of helping SLAYER take a leading role in the creative process surrounding their releases, projects and other cross-promotional opportunities is the ultimate honor for me, a metalhead who grew up in Los Angeles listening to SLAYER. Nowhere in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that Nuclear Blast would be making history alongside one of the best bands in metal.” SLAYER will spend the next few months on the road touring major North American and European festivals as well as headlining dates, sharing the stages with METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN and more, but is expected to be back in the studio in the fall to record the rest of the new album.

Joining bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King during the sessions for SLAYER's new album are returning drummer Paul Bostaph, who replaced Dave Lombardo last year, and guitarist Gary Holt (also of EXODUS), who has been filling in for late SLAYER axeman Jeff Hanneman on tour for the past four years.

Bostaph was SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the band — the gold-certified "Divine Intervention" (1994), the 1996 punk covers album "Undisputed Attitude", "Diabolus In Musica" (1998), "God Hates Us All" (2001) that received a Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance", as well as the DVD "War At The Warfield" (2001), also certified gold. In addition to SLAYER, Bostaph has been a member of FORBIDDEN, EXODUS, SYSTEMATIC and TESTAMENT.

Original SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo sat out the band's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other members of the group. Filling in for him was Jon Dette (TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX).

Reunited thrash metal pioneers DARK ANGEL performed their first U.S. show on May 23 at Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

DARK ANGEL guitarist Jim Durkin commented on the band's new logo and 2014 return: "I can't tell you how happy I am about the return of DARK ANGEL in 2014. These are a great bunch of guys and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"We went back to our roots and got Ed Repka involved in the redesign of the classic logo.

"DARK fuckin ANGEL have been working very hard on the music, I cannot wait to bring this monster back to the fans."

DARK ANGEL reformed for a limited number of appearances in 2014 in the U.S. and select festivals in Europe.

The confirmed lineup for these rare and unique, select 2014 shows is:

* Gene Hoglan (drums)* Eric Meyer (guitar)* Jim Durkin (guitar)* Ron Rinehart (vocals)* Michael Gonzalez (bass)

During an appearance on the September 8, 2013 edition of the "Heavy Metal Mayhem" radio show, Hoglan spoke about the DARK ANGEL reunion, saying: "The most important thing for, I think, any of us, and especially me, and I know a couple of the other guys that are involved that the legacy of the band is very important. And if the band has attained some of kind of underground legendary status over the years, then if we do wanna return, a lot of people have great expecations of us, we'd better exceed those expectations.

"Like Ron Rinehart said, the definition of 'good' is 'not bad.' [laughs] We don't wanna come out and even be great; we wanna be No. 1. And that's a very heartening attitude.

"If some of the people that might wanna get involved with this… You've gotta do it for the right reasons. This is for the fans. And we're gonna come out and disappoint the fans, don't do it. If we're gonna come out and make the fans go, 'Yes, I expected something great and I got godly.' Then there's a reason for doing it."

DARK ANGEL released two albums with Don Doty on vocals — 1984's "We Have Arrived" and 1986's "Darkness Descends" — before he exited the group and was replaced by Ron Rinehart (after a brief stint with Jim Drabos in 1987). The band issued two more studio LPs — 1989's "Leave Scars" and 1991's "Time Does Not Heal" — before calling it quits in 1992. Rinehart, Hoglan and Meyer reassembled DARK ANGEL more than a decade ago but were forced to abandon their reunion plans after health issues reportedly put an end to Rinehart's singing career.

"Walk The Plank", the new video from veteran New Jersey thrashers WHIPLASH, can be seen at this location. The clip was shot on May 25, 2013 at the Del Putas Fest ("Festival Of Whores") at the Teatro al Aire Libre Carlos Vieco amphitheater in Medellin, Colombia. Filmed and edited by Medellin videographer Juan Molina, of Juanchope Studios, it features concert footage and a montage of scenes from the event.

"Walk The Plank" is a re-recording of the song that originally appeared on WHIPLASH's 1987 album "Ticket To Mayhem". Produced by Tony Portaro, the new version of the track was laid down by guitarist and vocalist Portaro, bassist Dank DeLong and drummer Dan Foord, and mixed and mastered by Kostadin "Mozart" Kamcev at Mozart Studio in Clifton, New Jersey.

According to Portaro, "The majority of the WHIPLASH followers of today were not even born in 1984 when WHIPLASH began. Considering today's production technology and the continued interest that some of our older material still generates, Dan, Dank and I decided to re-record and release a few of the thrash classics that we regularly perform at our live shows." Foord agreed with the approach WHIPLASH took in the studio, saying: "Great to re-record drums to a classic thrash tune. Straight to tape the way it should be done." DeLong noted, "Recording with Tony and Dan is like an amazing adventure. That combined with Kosta's knowledge and state of the art implements of destruction, it is an honor to put my spin on classic WHIPLASH tunes."

WHIPLASH plans to make the re-recordings available on CD in the near future.

Another WHIPLASH classic from "Ticket To Mayhem", "The Burning Of Atlanta", is the soundtrack on the opening sequence of the 2014 Sundance film "Hellion", written and directed by Kat Candler. Starring "Breaking Bad" actor Aaron Paul and actress/musician Juliette Lewis ("Natural Born Killers", JULIETTE AND THE LICKS) this heavy metal-themed drama centers around the extreme sport of motocross.

"Hellion" will receive a U.S. theatrical release on June 13 and will be available on VOD and iTunes.

You can watch the opening scene of "Hellion" featuring "The Burning Of Atlanta" below.

GUNS N' ROSES kicked off its second Las Vegas residency, "No Trickery! An Evening Of Destruction", on Wednesday, May 21 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

There are seven shows remaining in the residency: May 25, 28, 30 and 31 and June 4, 6 and 7.

GUNS N' ROSES' first Vegas residency, Appetite For Democracy, took place in the fall of 2012 and saw the band performing an electrifying show featuring a setlist created exclusively for The Joint.

"If some is good, more is better!" Bobby Reynolds, vice president of booking for AEG Live Las Vegas, told USA Today. "That's our take on welcoming back GUNS N' ROSES to The Joint.

"Our first residency with GN'R was fantastic in every way imaginable. The band and the fans loved the venue, and the business was great for everyone else involved. We want all of the GUNS N' ROSES fans across the globe to come see what one of the iconic rock 'n' roll bands can do when they have the best venue in the world to do it in, in a city made to party. We are gearing up for another epic residency."

Chas Smith, vice president of entertainment for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, added: "We are really looking forward to having one of the true American rock 'n' roll bands back and performing at The Joint. Every time we have GUNS N' ROSES play in The Joint, it just keeps getting better.

"What more can I say than it's a great honor to have one of the most iconic rock 'n' roll bands in the world coming back to rock The Joint for nine more shows! We are all excited about this next run."

To buy tickets, visit the Hard Rock Hotel box office or charge by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX.

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.

"Guitar Universe 2014" tourmates Marty Friedman (MEGADETH) and Gus G. (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND) were joined by Herman Li (DRAGONFORCE) on stage this past Wednesday (May 21) at O2 Academy Islington, London, England to play a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "Symptom Of The Universe". Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Friedman's new solo album, "Inferno", will be released on May 27 via Prosthetic Records. Th CD was recorded primarily in Los Angeles with engineer Chris Rakestraw (DANZIG, CHILDREN OF BODOM) and mixed by Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH) — features what Friedman recently told Guitar World is "the most intense writing and playing I can do." The album also includes notable guest appearances by several artists influenced by Friedman, including flamenco/metal acoustic guitar duo RODRIGO Y GABRIELA, CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho, SKYHARBOR mastermind Keshav Dhar and REVOCATION guitar whiz David Davidson, as well as Friedman's first songwriting collaboration with Jason Becker since the pair played together in CACOPHONY, the pioneering duo of guitar mayhem.

In addition, "Inferno" breaks all genre rules and creates new ones with an exhilarating and musically daring mash-up with Jørgen Munkeby of the acclaimed "blackjazz" act SHINING, as well as two tracks featuring vocals by rock guru Danko Jones. Overall, "Inferno" is by fa Friedman's most thrilling and adventurous effort to date.

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. 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.

Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY recently took part in an acoustic performance and interview at the studios of the Albany rock station Q103. Check out footage of their appearance below.

BLACK STONE CHERRY's fourth album, "Magic Mountain", sold around 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 22 on The Billboard 200 chart. This number is in line with the first-week performance of BLACK STONE CHERRY's last CD, "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea", which shifted 13,000 units back in June 2011 to land at No. 29.

"Magic Mountain" was released in North America on May 6 (one day earlier internationally) via Roadrunner Records.

The "Me And Mary Jane" video was directed by Mason Dixon in Nashville, Tennessee.

"We wanted to make a cool, interesting, and dangerous video… all the while keeping it sexy and rock 'n' roll," BLACK STONE CHERRY frontman Chris Robertson told Billboard.com.

The clip has "a ton of vibe and we're sure people will want to watch it over and over again," added Robertson. "I mean, if you're gonna do a video in today's world, why not go for it."

BLACK STONE CHERRY's previous albums, 2008's "Folklore And Superstition" and 2011's "Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea", both topped the U.K. Rock Albums chart on their release and have since racked up silver sales certification status from the BPI (British Phonographic Industry).

Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach has clarified his recent comments about Facebook "likes" and how they relate to album sales, claiming that he "never complained about fans not buying" his latest album.

Speaking to 14-year-old radio host Miles "The Shoe" Schuman earlier this month, Bach stated about the fact that his new solo CD, "Give 'Em Hell", sold around 4,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 72 on The Billboard 200 chart: "I can't complain, because [2011's] 'Kicking & Screaming' came in at No. 72 on the Top 200, and 'Give 'Em Hell' came in at No. 71, so I'm not in a position to complain, but I have to say this, I have go to say the following statement. I have over 800,000 people that like my Facebook page, that read every word I write on my Facebook page — over 800,000 — and yesterday, it said… You know how it has next to the amount of people on the page, it says how many people are talking about the page? 75,000 or 80,000 people are talking about it. I would like to thank the 5,000 out of the 800,000 that got my record, and I would like to ask the other 795,000 people, 'Why are you on my page? Are you there to look at the pictures? Is that why you're there? 'Cause that's simple. If that's what you want, I'll put some pictures up, or whatever.' But I have no clue, when it says 800,000 people and 70,000 people today are talking about this, what are you talking about? What? Like, what are you talking about? [Laughs] I don't get it. Like, what? What? What? 'Oh, he's got a new record out. I've loved him for years. I'm not gonna buy that.' [Laughs] I don't get it. I don't understand. I don't get it. I don't know why you're on my page. Like, for what? Why? What? [Laughs] I totally don't get it."

He added: "[The fact that rock albums don't sell a lot of copies nowadays is] way beyond me, bro. Country music fans go out and buy the CD. Rappers go out and buy the CD. Justin Bieber fans go out and get the CD. I've got 800,000 people on my page, and 795,000 of them don't get it. [Laughs] Thanks! Killer! Thank you! I appreciate that. Thank you, rock and rollers.

"It's up to the music fans. It's, like, you read rockers [complaining about how], 'Oh, rock is dying,' and everything. Yeah, you're killing it. Unless you're down at Best Buy buying your favorite band's new album, don't talk about rock being dead, because you're the one murdering it. Country music is alive and well, rap music is kicking ass. So I don't know what to say."

In a brand new interview with Media Mikes, Bach was asked to elaborate on his comments regarding Facebook likes and how they relate to album sales. He said: "When you are doing interviews, it can be similar to walking in a minefield. You never know what people are going to respond to or make a big deal out of."

He continued: "I was never talking about my album. I was talking about how the number of 'likes' you have on your Facebook is really a meaningless number.

"I'm not really sure what Facebook totally is, as it's not very meaningful to my career. [Laughs]

"I never complained about fans not buying my record, but I was more wondering why they were on my page."

"All My Friends Are Dead" video:


"Taking Back Tomorrow" lyric video:


"Give 'Em Hell" EPK:


"Temptation" video:

Eccentric singer, songwriter and pianist Tori Amos played a cover version of the METALLICA classic "Nothing Else Matters" on May 14 in Nottingham, England. Video footage of this rare performance can be seen at this location.

Amos made headlines in 2011 when she told Spinner.com that she wasn't surprised when she learned that wrestling superstar Mick Foley was a fan of her music, claiming that the emotion in her songs is more powerful than anything the heaviest of metal bands can churn out.

Amos said, "Sometimes you don't know how music affects people. I embrace that because I don't think that just because I talk about emotional stuff that it's not motherfucker stuff. I'll stand next to the hardest fucking heavy metal band on any stage in the world and take them down, alone, by myself. Gauntlet laid down, see who steps up. See who steps up!"

She continued, "I'll take them down at 48. And they know I will. Because emotion has power that the metal guys know is just you can't touch it. Insanity can't touch the soul. It's going to win every fucking time."

Amos covered SLAYER's classic song "Raining Blood" on her 2001 album "Strange Little Girls". SLAYER guitarist Kerry King later admitted that he thought the singer's version of the track was odd. "It took me a minute and a half to find a spot in the song where I knew where she was," he said. "It's so weird. If she had never told us, we would have never known. You could have played it for us and we'd have been like, 'What's that?' Like a minute and a half through I heard a line and was like, 'I know where she's at!'"

The original version of "Nothing Else Matters" was released as the fourth single from METALLICA's fifth, self-titled album, which came out in 1991. The song reached position No. 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart as well as top-ten positions on many European charts.

"Nothing Else Matters" was featured as a playable track in the music video game Guitar Hero: Metallica and has been covered over forty times by a host of different artists, including STAIND, Macy Gray, Shakira, Bif Naked, DIE KRUPPS, REV THEORY and APOCALYPTICA.

Reunited Swiss technical thrash metal masters CORONER have announced the addition of drummer Diego Rapacchietti to the group's ranks. The band says in a statement: "Diego is an accomplished and innovative drummer. He has played in bands PAGANINI, VENTURIA, 69 CHAMBERS, and many more. Diego also has extensive experience as a studio drummer for various projects."

Rapacchietti will make his live debut with CORONER on May 29 at Salzhaus in Winterthur, Switzerland. He will then join his new bandmates on their first Australian tour ever, set to kick off on June 5 in Melbourne.

Drummer Marky Edelmann (a.k.a. Marquis Marky) left CORONER in February, explaining in a statement that "it was clear from the start that I didn't want to record another album. I love the sound of CORONER, but for me, it's the moment to explore new sounds without the weight of the past on my shoulders."

Filmmakers Bruno Amstutz and Lukas Ruettimann last year released a teaser for the upcoming documentary about CORONER. Due later this year, the film will feature interviews with Tom G. Warrior and Martin Ain (CELTIC FROST), Max Cavalera (SEPULTURA, SOULFLY), Franz Treichler (YOUNG GODS), Chris von Rohr (KROKUS), Chris Glanzmann (ELUVEITIE), Stephan Eicher and more.

Originally part of the road crew for fellow countrymen CELTIC FROST, CORONER went on to become one of the most progressive extreme metal acts of the Eighties. The connection between the Zurich band and CELTIC FROST was so strong, in fact, that CELTIC FROST frontman Tom G. Warrior offered to handle vocals for the emerging band's demo. Warrior and CORONER entered Switzerland's Magnetix studio on October 10, 1985, and nine days later they walked out with the impressive four-song 1986 release, "Death Cult".

A week after announcing his departure from WHITESNAKE, guitarist Doug Aldrich has released a new statement explaining the reasons behind his decision to leave the group as well as offering a glimpse into his musical future.

Said Doug: "As there is still some question regarding my situation with WHITESNAKE, I want to officially clear the air.

"I can confirm that on May 7th, I made the insanely difficult decision to leave the WHITESNAKE band.

"At that time, although not contractually bound, I moved forward with David [Coverdale, WHITESNAKE singer and leader] starting pre-production for an upcoming WHITESNAKE project. Coinciding with my with the start of that project, I also had several recording and live commitments, so I needed a more flexible schedule to conclude these before going full force as normal. Unfortunately, my schedule was not workable.

"As usual, the results between me and David were extremely positive and fun, so that made the decision even harder.

"I treasured my 11-plus years in the band. Two studio records, two DVDs, three live records and roughly 30 Coverdale/Aldrich songs! Killer...

"The privilege of being an ambassador for WHITESNAKE is a responsibility I took very seriously.

"David started the band 35 years ago with high integrity. It was an honor to maintain that standard while I was in. And now, like lots of great things, it has come to an end.

"I want to thank the great WHITESNAKE band. Reb [Beach, guitar], Michael [Devin, bass], Tommy [Aldridge, drums], Big Foot [Brian] Tichy, Rudy [Sarzo], Marco [Mendoza], Uriah [Duffy], Timothy [Drury] and the Fraz [Chris Frazier] for the good times, great shows and records always kicking major ass over these years. The opportunity travel the world together with such amazing musicians in so many countries was just unreal.

"For me, this is a new beginning and area of my musical future. I'll definitely be moving forward working on new music, recording and touring and will have a bit more time to pursue some offers that I never had time to fit in before. A fresh start, new ideas, and another chance to push myself as a musician.

"Thank you, brother DC, for the great times and for allowing me space to put my heart and soul into the history of your great band."

Aldrich played on the last two WHITESNAKE studio albums, 2008's "Good To Be Bad" and 2011's "Forevermore", and appeared on several live releases, including last year's "Made In Japan" and "Made In Britain/The World Records".

Asked in a 2013 interview with Classic Rock Revisited how he has been able to stay in WHITESNAKE so long considering how "tough on guitar players" David has been throughout the years, Doug said: "Honestly, I think he really cares about how hard I work and how much I care about his musical vision. I might make a mistake and overstep my bounds, now and then, but David knows I am only doing it because I really care. I think that is a part of it. My style fits in with him, as well. Reb [Beach, WHITESNAKE's other guitarist] and I really work well together for WHITESNAKE as well.

Doug added: "I think for me, [Coverdale] is at the point to where he does not need to prove anything to anybody, but he still wants to move forward, anyway. I love that. At the same time, I'm going, 'Let's try this!' I am not pushing him, but I am enthusiastic about our music. I love the guy and he is one of a kind and I have a lot of respect for the fact that he is still going for it. I love being in WHITESNAKE and David knows it. By the same token, if David said to me that he wanted to go back to any one of the past guitar players, I would absolutely respect that and I would be appreciative of everything that we've done together."

Regarding how he came to join WHITESNAKE, Doug said: "When David first contacted me about doing WHITESNAKE, I had heard he was going to reform the version of WHITESNAKE with John Sykes. I said, 'David, there is no reason for you to talk to me if you're thinking of getting back with Sykes. I have my own thing to offer and I am not going to be in a band with him.' David said,'No, no, no, I want you.' So I thought, 'Yes!' 'Okay, cool. Let's talk.'

"There was a period, in 2003, where he said that he might do something with previous members and he wondered if I would consider being a part of it. At the time, I said no because I hadn't put my mark on WHITESNAKE yet. It wouldn't have felt right to me at that early time. Now we have 30-plus songs together and I'm very proud of them. Now we jam with past members all the time and its fun. I am humble and inspired working with David and very thankful for our relationship."

Aldrich has spent the past few months performing with Raiding The Rock Vault — dubbed "the ultimate classic rock concert experience" — which plays the LVH Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas four or five times a week. Boasting the ultimate set list, the show takes audiences on a magical musical journey, traversing the genre's history from the '60s through the '80s.

Raiding The Rock Vault features classic anthems from THE ROLLING STONES, THE WHO, THE DOORS, LED ZEPPELIN, JIMI HENDRIX, THE EAGLES, QUEEN, VAN HALEN, AC/DC, JOURNEY, FREE, BRYAN ADAMS, SUPERTRAMP, TOTO, DEEP PURPLE, and more.

Swedish / American / Canadian metallers ARCH ENEMY played their first show with new singer Alissa White-Gluz, former vocalist of Canadian extreme metallers THE AGONIST, last night (Friday, May 23) at Turbohalle in Bucharest, Romania. Angela Gossow, who joined ARCH ENEMY in 2000 and made her debut on the now classic "Wages Of Sin" (2001), has stepped down as frontwoman and will focus on management, while Alissa takes her place.

Fan-filmed video footage of the Bucharest concert can be seen below.

ARCH ENEMY, new album, "War Eternal" will be released in North America on June 10 via Century Media Records.

"War Eternal" track listing:

01. Tempore Nihil Sanat (Prelude In F Minor)02. Never Forgive, Never Forget03. War Eternal04. As The Pages Burn05. No More Regrets 06. You Will Know My Name07. Graveyard Of Dreams08. Stolen Life09. Time Is Black10. On And On11. Avalanche12. Down To Nothing13. Not Long For This World

The cover artwork was created by Costin Chioreanu.

The "War Eternal" video was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others.

In a recent interview with Turk Gitar, ARCH ENEMY guitarist Michael Amott stated about Angela's exit from ARCH ENEMY: "It was a sudden change for the fans; we know that. But, of course, these kind of big steps in life don't come easily, and I believe this was a gradual thing that kept growing in Angela's mind for some time.

"We had decided to take 2013 off from the road and any sort of band activity. The only thing we were doing was writing music and also there always the plan to go into the studio and record at the end of 2013. As the scheduled recording time got closer, Angela informed us last year that she would definitely be stepping down from her position in the band.

"To be honest, it was not such a huge surprise to the rest of us, as there were a lot of conversations of that nature leading up to that point. I made the changes in the band that were necessary for ARCH ENEMY to continue and keep the music alive."

Regarding Alissa's more versatile vocal approach compared to that of Gossow, Amott said: "Alissa has many different vocal styles that she can do very well… She is much more versatile in that aspect than Angela. But for ARCH ENEMY, we are sticking with the aggressive vocal style that we are known for.

"When I started the band in 1995, I had the idea to make the most heavy melodic band of all time, combining elements of extreme death metal heaviness and thrash speed alongside traditional heavy metal and hard rock influences with the harmonies, melodies and solos. We are very much staying true to these roots of the band on 'War Eternal'."

Speaking to Metal Underground, Alissa had the following to say about "War Eternal": "The circumstances surrounding the creation of this album, writing the lyrics and recording it, I'm just happy to have it finally come out. I think people are going to like it. The production quality is amazing! I always wanted an album that would sound this full. I'm a really big fan of this album, myself. Even if I weren't in the band and ARCH ENEMY put out this album, I would pick it up and say it's great. I'm really excited."

On the topic of the new album title, Alissa said: "This album ended up being a lot more personal than maybe some of my previous or Michael's previous lyrics. In the past, a topic like war or a political or global issue was what we normally wrote about. We were writing in two different bands, but we happen to have similar topics in our writing. Then when we were writing for this album, we had a collection of lyrics for this album, but we found that we were actually writing on similar things. Fighting the ongoing war in your day-to-day life, everybody has their battle going on that nobody else knows about. And then there are song titles like 'Never Forgive, Never Forget' and on and on, I think it ties in very nicely. It wasn't something we planned out, but that is the way it turned out, so it worked out really nicely. I think we really saw eye to eye and were experiencing similar things in our lives, so we ended up writing about the same topics even though we have different styles of writing lyrics."

Former PANTERA members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) joined BLACK LABEL SOCIETY on stage last night (Friday, May 23) at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas to perform a cover of the PANTERA classic "I'm Broken". Fan-filmed video footage of their appearance can be seen below (courtesy of Zach Rose).

During an interview with Matt Pinfield of Fanpass at last weekend's Rock On The Range festival in Columbus, Ohio, Anselmo — who currently fronts DOWN — was once again asked about the possibility of a PANTERA reunion with Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) filling in for the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott on guitar.

"I think the situation would have to be correct," Anselmo began before Pinfield interjected that Zakk would be the perfect guy to step in for Dimebag. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. No doubt," Philip agreed. Anselmo continued: "We [DOWN] are on tour with fucking BLACK LABEL SOCIETY right now, and don't ever underestimate the power of conversation between Zakk and I. And I know Rex is a smart man. But at the end of the day, there would have to be a meeting at a table — or without a table — between Rex, Vince [former PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott] and I, and there would have to be a bigtime understanding between the two of us [Vinnie and Philip] before anything happens at all. Otherwise I think… There is a great percentage of me that says, 'This generation deserves it. Let's do it.' And then there's a reservation in me that says, 'You know what, man? Legacies get passed down. This, that, the other. Maybe we should leave it alone and just let it be part of lore and the history and whatnot.'"

Later in the interview, Anselmo once again spoke about a hypothetical PANTERA reunion, telling Pinfield, "If there was ever a proper presentation, like, OK, PANTERA is back together, Zakk's on guitar, that would be a massive feeling. That would be outrageous. And I would go to war. I would be in the best shape possible."

After Pinfield pointed out to Anselmo that he remembered seeing the singer backstage during PANTERA's prime years working out in preparation for the live show, Philip said: "I had boxing coaches and all that shit with me. But, you know, after I injured my back, things got really vulnerable for me. And that was a very bad feeling for me. I felt like Superman one time and then, cut in half. Whatever, man. Hey, you get dealt the fucking card you get, and you play it. And I lost a bunch of rounds. But I think the reason why we're sitting here today having this conversation, I might have won a couple too."

During a September 2013 interview with Artisan News, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde was asked about the possibility of a hypothetical PANTERA reunion with him filling in for Dimebag on guitar. "It'd be up to Vinnie, Phil and Rex — they're the guys that make everything happen," he said. "So if they were all gonna do it and honor Dimebag and [if they said to me], 'Zakk, would you wanna honor Dime and do Dime's parts?' Of course, I was a pallbearer for him — I laid him to rest — so, of course, I'd say, it would be a beautiful way to honor him and stuff like that. And to celebrate all things PANTERA and what they achieved. 'Cause they changed the game, as far as extreme metal goes. I mean, they're the kings of it. But it's up to the fellows. Then it would just be me woodsheddin' 25-8, learning all of Dime's parts, you know what I mean?! Yeah, but like I said, as far as I'm concerned, it would just be honoring Dime. Like with the Yankees, you honor… everybody's wearing Thurman Munson's '15' for that day, just because we're honoring Thurman's greatness. So it's the same thing, man."

Asked about the likelihood of a PANTERA "reunion" with Wylde filling in for Dimebag, Vinnie Paul told the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas radio station 97.1 The Eagle Rocks in March 2012: "I spent two hours with Zakk, sitting down — a really great talk about… [Zakk] calls [Dimebag] 'the old man.' I mean, [Zakk] and my brother were so tight. If [a PANTERA reformation] ever were to happen, [Zakk] would be the guy [to step in for Dimebag]. But I honestly think, out of respect for my brother, we should just leave the 14 amazing years PANTERA had be. We're all happy doing our own thing. We have to continue living and do other things."

Dimebag's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney in 2011 called on Vinnie and Anselmo to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag, who was shot and killed by a crazed gunman while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at a Columbus, Ohio rock club in December 2004.

Vinnie, who is Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo have not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie indirectly blamed Philip for Dimebag's death, suggesting that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

Legendary actor Christopher Lee, who has starred in almost 300 movies, including "The Lord Of The Rings", "Star Wars", "The Man With The Golden Gun", "Dracula", "The Wicker Man" and most recently "The Hobbit", will release a new digital EP, "Metal Knight", on May 26. It features the songs "I, Don Quixote", "The Impossible Dream", "The Toreador March" and "My Way (Radio Edit)". Also included are extended versions of the songs.

Check out audio samples at this location.

Back in December, Lee's heavy metal take on the classic "Jingle Bells", appropriately titled "Jingle Hell", entered the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart at No. 22. The song formed part of the single release "A Heavy Metal Christmas Too". B-side included the song "My Way", which Lee certainly did "his way."

In May 2013, at 91 years old, Sir Christopher became the oldest heavy metal performer in history by releasing the concept album "Charlemagne: The Omens Of Death".

Christopher Lee was already the oldest heavy metal performer and now becomes the oldest living performer to enter the music charts. The record was previously held by Tony Bennett, who was 85 when he recorded "Body And Soul" with Amy Winehouse in March 2011.

Sir Christopher, who was born on May 27, 1922, was 91 years and 6 months old when he recorded "Jingle Hell".

Lee is known to younger generations for playing Saruman in "The Lord Of The Rings" and "The Hobbit". He also starred as the villainous Count Dooku in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy. Older generations will remember him for his iconic portrayals of Dracula, Scaramaga in "The Man With The Golden Gun" and Lord Summerisle in "The Wicker Man".

Detroit-raised Gumball bad boy Xzibit has teamed up with leading female-fronted metal band WITHIN TEMPTATION for their latest single "And We Run".

Surprised? Has L.A.-based rap legend Xzibit become a metal-studded head banger?! See for yourself in the band's brand new video for the song, directed by Tim Smit. Shot recently in Amsterdam, Xzibit spent a whole day wired up, running, jumping, and even breaking down walls with his bare hands for his spectacular role.

The collaboration between WITHIN TEMPTATION and Xzibit is without doubt one of the most talked about metal songs of the year.

When news first broke of the very unexpected pairing, die-hard WITHIN TEMPTATION fans across the globe revolted, leaving thousands of comments in online forums, concerned that their favorite band had made a terrible musical decision.

However, as soon as the band's new album, "Hydra", album was released, and those fans could hear the much debated song, the record crashed into the Top Ten in every major market, and brought with it, a storm of applause for "And We Run". Performing the song live turned a sold out Wembley Arena crowd into a swirling maelstrom during their current "Hydra" world tour. It is this overwhelming response which has led the band to choose "And We Run" as their next single to be released May 27 as a six-track EP bundle including alternative and dance mixes of "And We Run" plus the unreleased demo tracks "Living On Fire", "Keep On Breathing" and "One Of These Days".

Xzibit comments: "When I heard about the enquiry from WITHIN TEMPTATION to do a track together and Googled them, I was surprised to say the least. Once I had spoken to the band and heard the song, though, it all made total sense and it was fun to discover new ground outside of our genres!"



Adds WITHIN TEMPTATION guitarist and songwriter Robert Westerholt: "Xzibit is amazing.

"'And We Run' song is about how you've got to live your life now. He's rapping at full force on this song, it's really heavy." Singer Sharon Den Adel says: "Xzibit brings a new element to our music that we've never had before! It's a new crossover and we love it!"

"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.

In Europe, "Hydra" debuted at No. 1 in The Netherlands and the Czech Republic. It also secured the No. 2 position in Switzerland and Finland, No. 4 in Germany, #6 in the U.K. — the band's highest chart entry in that territory to date — and #9 in France.

"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.

"Hydra" digital premium album track listing:

01. Let Us Burn02. Dangerous (feat. Howard Jones)03. And We Run (feat. Xzibit04. Paradise (What About Us?) (feat. Tarja)05. Edge Of The World06. Silver Moonlight07. Covered By Roses08. Dog Days09. Tell Me Why10. Whole World Is Watching (feat. Dave Pirner)11. Radioactive (originally performed by IMAGINE DRAGONS)12. Summertime Sadness (originally performed by Lana del Ray)13. Let Her Go (originally performed by PASSENGER)14. Dirty Dancer (originally performed by Enrique Iglesias)15. And We Run (evolution track)16. Silver Moonlight (evolution track)17. Covered By Roses (evolution track)18. Tell Me Why (evolution track)19. Paradise (What About Us?) (feat. Tarja) music video (exclusive to iTunes premium version)

UNISONIC, the band featuring former HELLOWEEN vocalist Michael Kiske and guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen alongside guitarist Mandy Meyer (ASIA, GOTTHARD and KROKUS), bassist Dennis Ward and drummer Kosta Zafiriou (both of Germany's PINK CREAM 69), will release a new EP, "For The Kingdom", on May 23 via earMUSIC/Edel. Produced by Ward, the EP contains the fast album track "For The Kingdom", the exclusive song "You Come Undone" (only available on this release) plus four previously unreleased live cuts: "Unisonic", "Never Too Late", "Star Rider" and "Souls Alive", all recorded at the 2012 edition of the Masters Of Rock festival in Czech Republic. The EP cover artwork was created by graphic artist Martin Hausler, who previously worked with UNISONIC on the band's debut album cover design.

"For The Kingdom" will be available on CD, strictly limited 12-inch vinyl and as a digital download.

The track listing is as follows:

01. For The Kingdom02. You Come Undone (EP exclusive track)03. Unisonic (live 2012; EP exclusive track)04. Never Too Late (live 2012; EP exclusive track)05. Star Rider (live 2012; EP exclusive track)06. Souls Alive (live 2012; EP exclusive track)

The official lyric video for the song "For The Kingdom" can be seen below.

UNISONIC's self-titled debut studio album was released in North America on May 22, 2012 via Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records. "Unisonic" was recorded at ICP Studios in Brussels, Belgium. The CD — which features 11 tracks, plus a bonus live version of HELLOWEEN classic "I Want Out", only available on the domestic edition, and cover art by Martin Häusler (MEAT LOAF, GOTTHARD, HELLOWEEN, MOTÖRHEAD) — marked the first full-length musical union between Kiske and Hansen in 23 years. UNISONIC released its debut EP, "Ignition" on January 27, 2012 via earMUSIC/Edel. The effort included the track "Unisonic" plus one demo song and a cover version of the HELLOWEEN classic "I Want Out", recorded live on October 15, 2011 at the Loud Park festival at Saitama Super Arena, a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Saitama City, Japan.

Hansen's position in GAMMA RAY is unaffected by his involvement with UNISONIC.

UNISONIC is:

Michael Kiske (vocals)Mandy Meyer (guitar)Kai Hansen (guitar)Dennis Ward (bass)Kosta Zafiriou (drums)

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON will release their sixth album, "Once More 'Round The Sun", on June 24 via Reprise Records. The follow-up to 2011's "The Hunter" was recorded in Nashville with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, who is known for his work with RUSH, DEFTONES, FOO FIGHTERS and ALICE IN CHAINS.

An audio snippet of the song "Chimes At Midnight" can be streamed below.

Also available on June 24 will be a stunning deluxe 2LP vinyl edition of "Once More 'Round The Sun". This limited edition will include two discs pressed onto 180-gram black vinyl housed in a quadruple gatefold vinyl jacket featuring artwork by Skinner, plus a CD of the complete album. The package will include four exclusive lithographs derived from the album artwork.

Those who preorder the deluxe vinyl edition will be entitled to bonus digital content: An instant download of "High Road", plus another album track delivered digitally prior to street date, and a download of the entire album delivered digitally on street date.

"Once More 'Round The Sun" track listing:

01. Tread Lightly02. The Motherload03. High Road04. Once More 'Round The Sun05. Chimes At Midnight06. Asleep In The Deep07. Feast Your Eyes08. Aunt Lisa09. Ember City10. Halloween11. Diamond In The Witch House (feat. Scott Kelly of NEUROSIS)

A three-minute video video featuring renowned Oakland-based artist Skinner, whose work graces the cover of "Once More 'Round The Sun", can be seen below. The short film showcases a conversation between MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor and Skinner about the genesis of the ideas that would eventually become the cover art. Skinner talks about his longtime appreciation of MASTODON's music that would later inspire his creation of these lurid and iconic images.

MASTODON will film a video for the song "High Road" on Saturday, May 24 in the Los Angeles area.