A two-minute video clip of MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman talking about his new song "Wicked Panacea", which is a collaboration with the flamenco/metal acoustic guitar duo RODRIGO Y GABRIELA, can be seen below. The track is taken from Friedman's new solo album, "Inferno", which will be released in late May via Prosthetic Records (except in Japan, where the album will be made available through Universal Music).

"Inferno" 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 CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho, SKYHARBOR mastermind Keshav Dhar and 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.

"Inferno" track listing:

01. Inferno02. Resin03. Wicked Panacea (feat. Rodrigo y Gabriela)04. Steroidhead (feat. Keshav Dhar)05. I Can't Relax (feat. Danko Jones)06. Meat Hook (feat. Jørgen Munkeby)07. Hyper Doom08. Sociopaths (feat. David Davidson)09. Lycanthrope (feat. Alexi Laiho & Danko Jones)10. Undertow11. Horrors (co-written by Jason Becker)12. Inferno (reprise)

"Inferno" release dates:

North America: May 27UK: May 26Rest of Europe: May 23Japan: May 21

"I'm extremely proud of the work I've done with CACOPHONY and MEGADETH, but I was never interested in stopping there," Friedman said. "'Inferno' is the album that fans of my work with those two bands have always wanted me to make. I've finally made it, and completely on my own maniacal terms."

He added: "On the guests' songs, each would write a song from scratch, and then I would arrange it and add my parts to it," Friedman said. "That way, we were both invested in it, and it’s a little bit of a deeper experience than just banging out a guest solo."

"I wanted to create a new landmark to which my future music will be compared," Friedman said. "That idea of just going completely balls-out — knowing what the full potential of my music and my playing could possibly be, and actually making it a reality — was what drove me through the whole process."


"Sociopaths" lyric video:


"Meat Hook" audio stream:


"Inferno" video:


"Steroidhead" song audio stream:

METALLICA performed a four-song acoustic set on May 12 at the 10th anniversary MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. This year's honorees were BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne and Village Studios owner and CEO Jeff Greenberg. Also performing were Keb'Mo and Slash, the latter of whom joined Ozzy and his touring band onstage.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. I Just Want To Celebrate (RARE EARTH cover)02. When A Blind Man Cries (DEEP PURPLE cover)03. In My Life (THE BEATLES cover)04. Diary Of A Madman (OZZY OSBOURNE cover)

Multi-camera video footage of METALLICA's performance — featuring professionally recorded audio from LiveMetallica.com — can be seen below.

METALLICA's James Hetfield got sober in 2001 and was honored by MusiCares himself in 2006. He told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that it wasn't until his wife literally threw him out of the house that he realized he needed to get help. "It started off for the kids, then it became more for me, and eventually, you know, the band came in and saw me there and it was for the band as well, but I knew that I had to get healthy or else everything would go away," he said. "And it did. But it took hitting a bottom to do that. So I'm extremely grateful for my wife for pushing hard like she did."

METALLICA said in a statement, "We are so proud to be a part of the tenth annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert . . . It's no secret that Ozzy has been a major presence throughout our entire lives and we are so humbled and honored to be with Ozzy for this special evening."

Ozzy was honored with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his dedication and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund and his commitment to helping other addicts with the addiction recovery process.

Greenberg received the From The Heart Award for his unconditional friendship and dedication to the mission and goals of the organization.

The awards was presented by talk show host Craig Ferguson and EAGLES guitarist Joe Walsh.

All proceeds benefit the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment regardless of their financial situation.

Guitarist John Norum of Swedish hard rockers EUROPE will release his very first instructional DVD later this year exclusively through Norum's official web site, JohnNorum.se.

A one-minute teaser for the DVD can be seen below.

In a 2010 interview, Norum stated about how he came to be such a well-respected musician: "I think you're born to do it. I've always believed that. You can't force it. Technically, you can be great and learn every scale in the book. Some people can play all night, but still not have heart and soul in their playing."

He continued: "It might sound a little bit harsh for me to say this, but it runs so far back in my family. My mom was playing guitar, my uncles all play, all my cousins are in bands — it goes way back. I think I just have it in my genes. It's just something that happens when I play. I start sweating like crazy and I can feel every note through my body. It's just a feel thing. Some people put on funny faces for posing or whatever but when I do it, I can't help it, it just happens by itself… When I go into a solo, I'm gone, away in a different dimension, a different place. It's a wonderful feeling. I'm not thinking that I have to move more, or pose more. [laughs] I leave that to the singer. The most important thing to me is to focus on the guitar playing.

"I'm not Angus Young — sometimes I'm stuck in one place — but I enjoy it more than the posing. I'm a goner when I go into lead break. [laughs]"

For the record: today's version of EUROPE is identical to the classic "The Final Countdown" lineup: Joey Tempest (vocals), John Norum (guitar), John Levén (bass), Mic Michaeli (keyboards) and Ian Haugland (drums).

EUROPE's latest album, "Bag Of Bones", was released in Europe on April 27, 2012 via earMusic/Edel. The CD, which features a guest appearance by blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), was produced by Kevin Shirley, who has previously worked with IRON MAIDEN, Joe Bonamassa, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, BLACK STONE CHERRY and JOURNEY, among others.

The official trailer for "Hardcore Lives", the ninth studio album from New York hardcore veterans MADBALL, can be seen below. Due 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 official lyric video for the song "DNA" can be seen below.

MADBALL has embarked on the fifth installment of the band's renowned Rebellion tour with BIOHAZARD, DEVIL IN ME, WISDOM IN CHAINS and FINAL PRAYER.

FOZZY singer and WWE wrestling superstar Chris Jericho has told LA Rock of the Jacksonville, North Carolina radio station Rock 105.5 (see video below) that the band's sixth studio album, "Do You Wanna Start A War?", will be released in North America on July 22 via Century Media Records.

FOZZY released a new single, "Lights Go Out", on April 29 across all digital platforms. The release coincided with the track's impact at Active Rock radio, and was the first single from the band's upcoming CD.

Asked about whether FOZZY's new album will feature any special guests, Jericho told the Boise, Idaho radio station 100.3 The X Rocks: "I mean, we always have a guest or two on every record, because… It's interesting when you see… You listen to Top 40 radio — every radio when I drive my kids to school, we listen to it — and you'll always hear Jay-Z plus Beyonce, or featuring Beyonce, or Rihanna featuring Lil Jon. And we thought, why don't we do more of that in rock and roll? I man, that's what we did. The last record, we had 'Sandpaper' with M. Shadows [AVENGED SEVENFOLD] and we had 'She's My Addiction' with Phil Campbell of MOTÖRHEAD. So this record we have one collaboration — a song called 'Tonight' with Michael Starr from STEEL PANTHER, who we toured with in Australia; a great singer. And we like that vibe. Musicians like jamming with other musicians; it's kind of what we do."

Regarding FOZZY's musical uproach on "Do You Wanna Start A War?", Jericho said: "We wanted to do something a little different. We love, obviously, AVENGED SEVENFOLD or FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, we love IRON MAIDEN, we love OZZY [OSBOURNE]. But we also love PINK FLOYD and LED ZEPPELIN and QUEEN and U2 and THE BEATLES, bands that would always broaden their horizons, but still sound… the core of the band's sound was still there, but they would different things. And when we were listening to a lot of songs on rock radio, we felt that they fit a certain pattern. We wanted to do something that was different from that, and that's what 'Lights Go Out' kind of came from that mindset. So it is a different type of tune, but we wanted to do that and shake things up and take a chance. You know, when you do something like that, sometimes your hardcore fans will go, 'Well, this isn't what we've heard before,' but they'll eventually like it. And you do this to appeal to new fans, and that's what we're getting from 'Lights Go Out', who'd never heard FOZZY before, who'd never listened to FOZZY. 'Man, you guys rock! This song is amazing!' That's what you want…. This is a song that you can hear in a strip club, you can hear it in a dance club, you can hear it in next to a SLAYER song. It's kind of got all things to all people. 'Cause all that matters with music and a good song is the melody and the hook. And this has a great hook; you could catch 'Jaws' with this hook, that's how big it is. But it's dark, it grooves, it's sexy, it's sleek, and the chicks dig it, which is the most important thing. 'Cause when the chicks like something, that means the guys will follow."

FOZZY's last album, "Sin And Bones", sold around 3,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 143 on the Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 1 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Todd Owens of Capital Chaos TV conducted an interview with Karl Sanders of South Carolina-based extreme technical death metallers NILE on May 5 at Slim's in San Francisco, California. You can now watch the chat below.

In a recent interview with the Syracuse Music Examiner, Sanders stated about NILE's plans for a new CD: "Actually we are writing songs for the next record. We took a break to do this [current North American] tour. We have a new record in the works and we are excited for it, yeah! It's what we live for!

Regarding NILE's last album, 2012's "At The Gate Of Sethu", Karl said: "It's a NILE record. It's brutal death metal and has exotic elements and deals with lyrics derived from ancient Egyptian histories, mythologies and so forth. That part's the same. The approach we had on that record is it's a very surgically clean record, a precise capture of the musicianship. I think that is really where the focus was; we wanted to capture as cleanly as possible what we were actually playing and present in that simple kind of light to people. Simple, honest — this is how we play. No fancy production."

Asked for his thoughts about the Internet and how it has affected bands, fans, and musicianship, Karl said: "The Internet has changed the entire music business. For those of us that were around before the age of the Internet, it's a completely different world. None of the old rules apply anymore; it's change-and-adapt or die. A lot of people have to change their way of thinking or the way to make a dollar to make a living and keep going. There are no more CD sales. There are some, and it's getting harder to make a living on tour with the rising cost of touring. Everything goes up except the amount of money that we get paid."

Interview:


Performance:

GUNS N' ROSES lead singer Axl Rose has dimissed as "bullshit" a report posted at RadarOnline.com which claimed that the band was about to break up. The article in question quoted "a source close to the band" as saying that Rose will call it a day after the group finishes up its Las Vegas residency at the Hard Rock Hotel, which began on May 21 and ends on June 7. The source explained, "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."

Several hours after the RadarOnline.com story appeared online, GUNS N' ROSES responded by posting a photo of Axl with the message "I'm Not Going Anywhere" and the caption: "GNR fans sure have a Radar for BS! Love you all!"

Sources have told The Pulse Of Radio that Axl has previously indicated to members of the current GUNS N' ROSES lineup his desire to stop touring, only to change his mind and book dates.

Keyboardist Dizzy Reed, a 20-year veteran of the group, told The Pulse Of Radio that unpredictability has always been part of the band. "The volatility is definitely still there, especially for me, because I've seen a lot," he said. "It keeps you on your toes for sure. I just show up every night as prepared as possible to do my job, and anything else that happens is out of my control. There's really no way to truly deal with that."

Rose is the only remaining member of the original band that first launched in 1985, with lead guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan, drummer Steven Adler and rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin having all left over the years.

The current lineup includes Reed, bassist Tommy Stinson, Frank Ferrer on drums, Chris Pittman on keyboards and guitarists Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and DJ Ashba.

The band has only released one album of all-new studio material in the past 23 years, 2008's "Chinese Democracy". The disc took 13 years to make and was only a modest seller, moving just around half a million copies.



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Post by Guns N' Roses.

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".

Due on May 23, "Steelhammer - Live From Moscow" will be 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 "Metal Machine" 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.

Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen and acclaimed drummer Mike Terrana (TARJA, AXEL RUDI PELL, RAGE, YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN, MASTERPLAN) will release the classic-rock crossover live project "Beauty & The Beat" on May 30 via earMUSIC. The effort includes interpretations of classic music pieces ranging from Bach to Mozart to Rossini as well as rock classics from QUEEN, LED ZEPPELIN and Turunen.

A performance clip of the song "Witch-Hunt" — taken from "Beauty & The Beat" — can be seen below.

"Beauty & The Beat" is something very different from your ordinary rock show, let alone your ordinary classic concert. It's music played in an unorthodox manner; it's the performance of a wide range of classical pieces and rock songs together with an orchestra and choir.

Originally planned as a one-time event — the first performance was already held in 2011 — the show was too successful with fans and critics to simply never happen again. In spring 2013, Turunen and Terrana again toured throughout the world, from Poland to Russia to Mexico.

The music of "Beauty & The Beat" ranges from immortal classic pieces by Bach, Strauss and Mozart to Rossini, but doesn’t neglect pure rock music like songs from LED ZEPPELIN, QUEEN as well as Tarja's own pieces. All combined with orchestra and choir with more than 100 musicians on stage, an enormous sound, energetic drums and Tarja's angelic voice Tarja and Mike complement each other musically. Whereas Mike bangs his drums with rock attitude, Tarja shines with her crystal clear voice and incredible stage presence; all lulled with the warm, full sound of an orchestra.

Turunen explains: "The idea of having a symphonic orchestra, choir and Mr. Terrana on drums was originally mine.

"Mike has done a recording with drums over classical pieces that I think it is great. I immediately imagined it performed live on a stage with a real orchestra as a part of a bigger concept.

"I believe this kind of combination of instruments, particularly playing mainly classical music, is very unique.

"I have been making collaborations with orchestras before and I could foresee a great outcome.

"Our main goal with these kind of concerts is that the younger audience experiences the beauty and power of a symphonic orchestra and choir. Hopefully it will serve as an introduction to classical music for some of our fans."

Terrana jokingly adds: "It's obvious that I provide the beat and Tarja provides the beauty."

CD track listing:

CD1

* Mike - Concert For Violin & Oboe (Bach)* Tarja - Blute Nur (Bach)* Tarja - Zueignung - Op. 10, No. 1 (Strauss)* Mike - Barber of Seville (Rossini)* Mike - New World Symphony (Dvorák)* Tarja - Song To The Moon (Dvorák)* Tarja - Vilja Lied (Lehár)* Tarja - O mio babbino caro (Puccini)* Mike - Can-can (Offenbach)* Tarja - I Feel Pretty (Leonard Bernstein)* Mike - William Tell Overture (Rossini)* Tarja - Mein Herr Marquis (Strauss)* Mike - Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart)

CD2

* Tarja - You Take My Breath Away (Queen)* Tarja & Mike - The Reign (Tarja)* Tarja & Mike - Witch-hunt (Tarja)* Tarja & Mike - Led Zeppelin Medley* Tarja & Mike - Swanheart (Nightwish)* Mike & Tarja - Fly Me To The Moon (Frank Sinatra)* Tarja & Mike - Into The Sun (Tarja)* Tarja & Mike - I Walk Alone (Tarja)

DVD/Blu-ray track listing:

First Part

* Orchestra - Carmen Overture* Mike - Concert For Violin & Oboe (Bach)* Tarja - Blute Nur (Bach)* Tarja - Zueignung - Op. 10, No. 1 (Strauss)* Mike - Barber of Seville (Rossini)* Mike - New World Symphony (Dvorák)* Tarja - Song To The Moon (Dvorák)* Tarja - Vilja Lied (Lehár)* Tarja - O mio babbino caro (Puccini)* Tarja & Mike - The Reign (Tarja)

Second Part

* Tarja - You Take My Breath Away (Queen)* Tarja & Mike - Witch-hunt (Tarja)* Tarja & Mike - Led Zeppelin Medley* Tarja & Mike – Swanheart (Nightwish)* Mike - Can-can (Offenbach)* Tarja - Mein Herr Marquis (Strauss)* Mike & Tarja - Fly Me To The Moon (Frank Sinatra)* Tarja & Mike - Into The Sun (Tarja)

Encore

* Mike - William Tell Overture (Rossini)* Tarja - I Feel Pretty (Leonard Bernstein)* Mike - Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart)* Tarja & Mike - I Walk Alone (Tarja)

* Bonus material* Photo Gallery

For more information, visit tarja-beautyandthebeat.com.

Veteran rock bassist Randy Coven, who toured and recorded with such virtuosos as Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai, died on May 20. He was 54 years old. The cause of death has not yet been revealed.

In an interview with Bass Inside magazine, Randy stated about how he started playing the instrument: "Bass started for me when I opened my ears up to really listening to music as a musician wannabee. I know this might sound stupid, but I was listening to a BEATLES song a million years ago and I heard the bass in the mix. I then realized Paul McCartney was the bass player of THE BEATLES, and he was playing the bass with a lot of movement using a style similar to the left hand of a piano player. I started by listening to [Jimi] Hendrix, CREAM, LED ZEPPELIN, THE WHO and MOUNTAIN. So my first real influences moving in the direction I was heading were bassists who could improvise. Jack Bruce, Felix Papalardi, John Paul Jones, Billy Cox and the man, John Entwistle. All these guys were playing with amazing guitar players and I couldn't help noticing how they would express themselves, especially Hendrix.

"Anyway, one day one of my friends came over and said, 'You've got to hear this.' He put on 'Return To Forever' and I heard Stanley Clarke for the first time. I knew then that what I wanted to do on bass was possible. I knew that I would be able to lay down some solid playing that included expressing my bass as a solo instrument.

"The next big influence that came along was Jeff Berlin. Jeff was actually a neighbor of mine, his younger brother Ross used to beat me up.

"One day I was sitting in my room desperately trying to learn 'Vulcan Worlds' by Stanley Clarke. My room had a door that opened into the backyard. Jeff was walking by and must have heard me trying to play this thing. He probably felt sorry for me, so he came in and took the time to really show me how this riff was played as well as writing it out on music paper. I couldn't believe it! He also said he knew and had played with Stanley Clarke. I was blown away. This incident changed my life forever. I decided to go to Berklee to really learn music, especially because I couldn't read music, and it took me the rest of the summer to learn the damn thing."

According to his biography on the PHIL BRODIE BAND web site, Randy had just finished a busy schedule with Lesley West when he received a phone call from Yngwie Malmsteen asking him if he could he could learn his show in two weeks to do a world tour. He also asked Randy other very important questions like: "Do you drink beer?" "Do you play with a pick?" "And do you play a Fender bass?" To which Randy answered, "Yes," "Yes" and "Yes."

Randy has always maintained, "If you have five fingers, why play with one pick?" He couldn't understand why a bass player would want to play with one pick. "If you play with your fingers, you have five picks," he would say.

Yngwie's material is complicated and Randy was ripping through the fast riffs with his fingers with no problem, but it was a totally different thing with the pick. However over the next two weeks, he had learnt all 40 tracks from the set lists — with a pick. When Randy flew to Florida to join Yngwie, Yngwie sat him down with a beer and said, "You're a finger player, right?" Randy had been busted. Then he said, "Let's hear you play this riff with your fingers." The riff was some awesome 32nd note passage. Yngwie said: "I thought only Billy Sheehan could do that! Right. You play with your fingers." So Randy did.

Finnish female-fronted symphonic metal band AMBERIAN DAWN will release its new album, "Magic Forest", on July 8 (one day earlier internationally) via Napalm Records.

Audio samples of all the songs that are set to appear on the CD can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Says AMBERIAN DAWN songwriter Tuomas Seppälä: "I'm very glad about this new deal with Napalm Records. I'm sure that our cooperation will be successful and enjoyable. This label showed interest in us at the very beginning of our career so I feel very comfortable working with this great label today! Together with our booking agency/management Twisted Talent Concerts, we're surely going to make something happen here.

"New album, 'Magic Forest', is AMBERIAN DAWN's first studio album with singer Capri. Now with her I've been able to fullfill some of my early dreams with musical styles and this new style is really big, fresh and naturally flowing. New sound is more keyboard-driven and the vocal lines have some strong influence of 1980s. But since this is AMBERIAN DAWN, there's, of course, also some fast songs included and some really serious guitar and keyboard shredding too. Mr. Jens Johansson of STRATOVARIUS once again contributed some really awesome playing in form of one keyboard solo. Thank you, Jens, you've been supporting us so many years now. This is also first time on AMBERIAN DAWN's history when we had an actual production team put together.

"Thank you, Mikko P. Mustonen and Capri, for your awesome support and work. We really have an extraordinary good production team here.

"We had so much fun in doing this album and you can really sense and hear the relaxed atmosphere we had on the process.”

"Magic Forest" track listing:

01. Cherish My Memory 02. Dance Of Life 03. Magic Forest04. Agonizing Night 05. Warning06. Son Of Rainbow 07. I'm Still Here08. Memorial09. Endless Silence 10. Green-Eyed

AMBERIAN DAWN released a compilation album of songs that originally appeared on their first four albums — "Circus Black" (2012), "End Of Eden" (2010), "The Clouds Of Northland Thunder" (2009) and "River Of Tuoni" (2008) — to showcase new singer Päivi "Capri" Virkkunen after the departure of Heidi Parviainen. "Re-Evolution" was made available on June 14, 2013 in Finland, distributed by Suomen Musiikki.

"Re-Evolution" was mixed by Mikko Mustonen and mastered by Henkka Niemisto at Chartmakers.

AMBERIAN DAWN parted ways with vocalist Heidi Parviainen in November 2012. Her final appearance with the band was at the Metal Female Voices Fest at the end of October 2012 in Belgium.

Nic and Big J of the Boise, Idaho radio station 100.3 The X Rocks conducted an interview with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde at this year's Rock On The Range festival, which was held May 16-18 at the Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. You can now watch the chat below.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's new studio album, "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican", sold around 26,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 5 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous studio CD, "Order Of The Black", opened with around 33,000 units to enter the chart at No. 4.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's 2006 album, "Shot to Hell", registered a first-week tally of 32,000 to land at No. 21. This was less than the 45,000 copies shifted by BLS's "Mafia" (Artemis) back in March 2005 to debut at No. 15.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "The Song Remains Not The Same" opened with around 12,000 copies to land at No. 41. Released on May 10, 2011 via Entertainment One Music, the offering featured unplugged versions of material from BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Order Of The Black" album as well as additional material recorded during the "Order Of The Black" sessions. "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican" was released in Europe on April 7 via Mascot Label Group and one day later in North America through eOne Music.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY recently amicably parted ways with longtime guitarist Nick Catanese and replaced him with Dario Lorina (LIZZY BORDEN).

Interview:


Performance:

KISS performed with "American Idol" finalist Caleb Johnson earlier tonight (Wednesday, May 21) as he battled it out with Jena Irene on the Season 13 finale of the show. The program also saw Jena hitting the stage with PARAMORE.

The 23-year-old Johnson beat out 17-year-old Irene, who is from the Detroit area, to be named "American Idol" and win a record contract.

Johnson swapped lines with KISS frontman Paul Stanley on "Love Gun" and then sang backup on "Shout It Out Loud". Afterwards, host Ryan Seacrest brought Johnson's brother, Houston — sporting Paul Stanley "Starchild" makeup — to the stage to the meet the band.

In addition to performing with KISS, Johnson sang "Dream On" by AEROSMITH, "Maybe I'm Amazed" by PAUL MCCARTNEY and his single "As Long As You Love Me".

After learning on last week's show that he was going to be performing with KISS, which is said to be one of his biggest musical influences, Caleb got so excited he jumped into the arms of his "little" brother, who's got several inches on him, according to USA Today.

KISS' latest appearance on "American Idol" was not the first time the band has played on the annual reality show and singing competition. KISS previously performed its classic songs "Detroit Rock City" and "Rock And Roll All Nite" on the 2009 season finale of "American Idol". They were introduced by finalist Adam Lambert, who sang the KISS classic "Beth" prior to the band taking the stage (with Adam joining in).

Fan-filmed video footage of MAYHEM's May 18 performance at Effenaar in Eindhoven, The Netherlands can be seen below.

MAYHEM will release its fifth full-length album, "Esoteric Warfare", on May 23 via Season Of Mist. The effort, in its various formats, including a limited vinyl collector's box, is available for pre-order on the Season Of Mist e-shop. The stunning cover was created by Polish artist and architect Zbigniew M. Bielak and can be seen below.

MAYHEM's follow-up to 2007's "Ordo Ad Chao" was mixed at Mølla Studio in Gjerstad, Norway.

"Esoteric Warfare" track listing:

01. Watcher02. Psywar03. Trinity04. Pandaemon05. Mylab06. VI.Sec.07. Throne Of Time08. Corpse Of Care09. Posthuman10. Aion Suntalia

MAYHEM has gone through many lineup changes due to various circumstances. Therefore, even the loss of guitarist Blasphemer, who decided to focus on his other band AVA INFERI in 2008, did not stop the band. Activities mainly revolved around live shows, until the right balance was found again with the recruitment of Morten "Teloch" Iversen. The guitarist had already made a name for himself with NIDINGR, which is highly regarded amongst black metal enthusiasts yet remained mostly an underground phenomenon.

Now his first compositional work with MAYHEM is unveiled and demonstrates how perfectly Teloch has captured the essence and spirit of the Norwegian legend by clearly linking the band back to its roots, while at the same time taking a step forward into the spearhead position of the genre instead of dwelling in nostalgia.

"Esoteric Warfare" is finally ready to be unleashed. This full-scale assault of total dark savagery of freezing riffs and Attila Csihar's inhumane vocals is entirely based on a concept dealing with the esoteric experimentations of the nuclear powers during the cold war. The album proves once again and beyond doubt that MAYHEM are the Alpha and the Omega of black metal!

MAYHEM is:

Attila Csihar: VocalsTeloch: GuitarNecrobutcher: BassHellhammer: DrumsCharles Hedger: Guitar (live)

Vidz-R-Us.com has uploaded quality footage of MUSHROOMHEAD's March 15 performance at Agora Theatre & Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio. Check it out below.

MUSHROOMHEAD's eighth studio album, "The Righteous & The Butterfly", sold around 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 20 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, 2010's "Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children", opened with over 11,000 units to land at No. 44.

MUSHROOMHEAD's 2006 effort, "Savior Sorrow", registered a first-week tally of 17,000 copies to enter the chart at No. 50.

"The Righteous & The Butterfly" was released on May 13 via Megaforce Records. Recorded in Cleveland with longtime co-producer Bill Korecky, the CD consists of 14 tracks, ranging from songs about survival and balance ("Devils Be Damned", "Qwerty", "Son Of 7") to emotionally charged anthems ("For Your Pleasure", "Worlds Collide") to a riff-heavy rendition of Adele's No. 1 hit "Rumor Has It".

MUSHROOMHEAD is comprised of drummers Skinny, Robert Diablo and Stitch; vocalists J Mann, Jeffery Nothing and Waylon; guitarist Church; keyboardist Schmotz; and bassist Dr. F.

The album's title, "The Righteous & The Butterfly", is a dedication to original guitarist J.J. Righteous and the band's former photographer (and drummer Steve "Skinny" Felton's wife) Vanessa Solowiow, who both passed away too soon.

"J.J. was a key member of our band," says Skinny. "He played on the first three records and Vanessa was our photographer and the mother of my children. They were both huge pieces of MUSHROOMHEAD and this record is dedicated to them."

"The Righteous & The Butterfly" marks the return of vocalist J Mann and the debut of new guitarist Church and bassist Dr. F.

"This album damn near wrote itself," proclaims Skinny. "With J Mann's return, this album is a fresh twist on a familiar vibe. It's also the first album with Church and Dr. F. They brought in fresh blood while keeping the integrity of the band's sound and vision intact.

"This is the 20th year of MUSHROOMHEAD and this album is us getting back to our roots."

MUSHROOMHEAD will be touring extensively in 2014 to support the effort.

"Talk Shit, Get Shot", the new video from BODY COUNT, the metal band fronted by hip-hop legend, actor and director Ice-T, can be seen below. The clip was filmed on April 6 at The Morgan in Brooklyn, New York with director Frankie Nasso, who has previously worked with EMMURE and ASKING ALEXANDRIA, among others.

"Talk Shit, Get Shot" is the first single from BODY COUNT's new album, "Manslaughter", which will be released on June 10 via Sumerian.

In a recent interview with Flama's D-Stroy of "Left Unattended", Ice-T stated about "Manslaughter": "People have been asking me to do some music, and I haven't really been inspired to do hip hop for a while, 'cause hip hop kind of got really pop to me. But my band always wants to play, so we decided to do an album. We got signed to Sumerian Records. We finished the album. It's called 'Manslaughter'. We shot the [first] video. We did the album cover. It'll be out June 10. And it's brutal. It's brutal."

"Manslaughter" track listing:

01. Talk Shit, Get Shot02. Pray For Death03. 99 Problems BC04. Back To Rehab05. Manslaughter06. Get A Job07. Institutionalized 201408. Pop Bubble09. Enter The Dark Side10. Bitch In The Pit11. Black Voodoo Sex12. Wanna Be A Gangsta13. I Will Always Love You

BODY COUNT's current lineup includes guitarist Juan Garcia (a.k.a. Juan Of The Dead; AGENT STEEL, EVILDEAD), who made his live debut with the group in November 2013 at the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas. The band's set included first-time airings of new songs "Talk Shit, Get Shot" and the "Manslaughter" title track.

BODY COUNT 2014 is:

Ice-T - VocalsErnie C - Lead GuitarJuan Of The Dead - Rhythm GuitarVincent Price - BassIll Will - DrumsSean E Sean - Backup Vocals/Sampler

BODY COUNT will take part in this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, which kicks off on July 5 in San Bernardino, California.

BODY COUNT's last album, "Murder 4 Hire", came out in 2006 via Escapi Music. Lyrically, the songs ranged from political ("The End Game"), personal ("You Don't Know Me [Pain]"), and religious ("The Passion Of The Christ"), to obsession ("In My Head"), armegeddon ("Dirty Bomb"), hate ("Lies") and relationships. A eulogy for fallen band member D-Roc was also included ("D Rocs [RIP]") as was a hilarious take on deep south rednecks ("Down In The Bayou"). The CD closed with "Mr. C's Theme", a show-stopping hard-rock instrumental.

The official video for the song "The Others" from METAL CHURCH frontman Ronny Munroe can be seen below. The track, which features guest appearances by Dave Rude (TESLA) and Pamela Moore (QUEENSRŸCHE's "Sister Mary"), is taken from Munroe's third solo album, "Electric Wake", which will be released on June 24 via Rat Pak Records. Additional guest musicians on the CD include George Lynch (KXM, LYNCH MOB, ex-DOKKEN), Paul Kleff (ex-FIREWOLFE), and more.

Produced by Bruce Bouillet and mixed by Jon Wyman, "Electric Wake" "truly captures all the magic of the classic metal genre," according to a press release. "I wanted to create something that was totally new, but at the same time allow all my influences to shine through," states Ronny. "I put two years into the writing process of this album, but when it came time to start recording, I threw everything out the window and just went with my gut and it worked out better than I could have imagined."

The cover artwork for "Electric Wake" was created by Rainer Kalwitz and can be seen below.

"Electric Wake" track listing:

01. Burning Time02. Ghosts 03. Electric Wake04. Turn To Stone05. My Shadow06. Not You Not Me07. Pray08. Ritual Damage09. Sleepless Mountain10. The Others11. United

Bonus tracks

12. Tainted Nation13. Total Eclipse (IRON MAIDEN cover)

Speaking to the Auburn Reporter last year, Munroe stated about his musical upbringing: "I wanted to be a rock star from a very, very young age. I just had a love for music in general from a young age, as a baby."

Munroe said he decided to become a singer after being exposed to legendary metal frontman Ronnie James Dio's vocals on the RAINBOW song "Man On The Silver Mountain". "I heard it on KISW and took off my headphones, ran downstairs and called the station asking, 'Who is that singing?'" he said.

Ronny also spoke about how he landed the METAL CHURCH gig, telling the Auburn Reporter. "I originally tried out for Kurdt's [Vanderhoof, guitar] solo band, VANDERHOOF," he said. "But of course, my being a huge METAL CHURCH fan like everyone else, I was like 'Dude, how about METAL CHURCH? Why don't we do METAL CHURCH?' A couple of weeks later, Kurdt called me and said, 'OK, you want to do METAL CHURCH, let's do it.'"

"I thought that it was going to just be handed to me, but it took many years until I made it in 2003 when I got the gig in METAL CHURCH," he said. "I truly believe everything does happen for a reason, and it took me awhile to get where I wanted to be."

Although METAL CHURCH called it quits after "This Present Wasteland", the band reformed in 2012, this time with Munroe, Vanderhoof, Steve Unger on bass, drummer Jeff Plate and second guitarist Rick Van Zandt.

"METAL CHURCH is my main focus and will be for years to come, and my solo project," Munroe said. "So those are my main focuses. Will I do other projects? Yes, because I need to do that to survive. But I'm not searching any longer to be in a big name band. I'm home."

"Every time that I go up there, even now that we're back together, I do my job," he said. "I put my own stamp on the songs, but I also pay as much respect to [previous METAL CHURCH singers] Dave [Wayne, who died in 2004] and Mike [Howe] and the way they sang the original songs. There are always signature parts that the fans want to hear. So I do that, but I also put a little bit of me in there."

"I'm lucky to be doing what I'm doing and lucky there are people out there that like what I'm doing," he said. "There are people who don't. I'll never live down the David or Mike thing, but that's just how it is. Anybody coming into an established band and replacing somebody, you're never going to get rid of that. That's part of the band's history. So I really don't want that to go away. I'm a fan of the band and the first record too. And then I ended up becoming the singer."

Rising Moon Productions has released the first trailer for the upcoming documentary film "Soaring Highs And Brutal Lows: The Voices Of Women In Metal", produced and directed by Mark Harwood. The film explores the experiences of female metal vocalists and combines interview, concert and archival footage to highlight the growth in popularity of this music internationally, contrasted with its relative obscurity in North America. Featured interviews include Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH, REVAMP), Doro Pesch (DORO, WARLOCK), Simone Simons (EPICA), Charlotte Wessels (DELAIN) and Anneke van Giersbergen (THE GATHERING). A late 2014 release is expected.

Rising Moon Productions was founded by creative producers with extensive backgrounds in both interactive and traditional media.

For more information, visit www.womeninmetaldoc.com.

ROB ZOMBIE and ex-MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5 (real name: John William Lowery) will digitally release a new solo single, "This Is My Rifle", on June 17. The track is taken from his his upcoming album, "Careful With That Axe", to be made available later in the year through 60 Cycle Hum.

With rapid-fire, machine-gun riffs, anthemic sweeps and John 5's blistering-fast six-string assaults, "This Is My Rifle" is the first single from John 5's new CD and features Rodger Carter on drums and Matt Bissonette on bass.

The "This Is My Rifle" artwork includes a photo by Ray Gutierrez of StrangeBeautifulArt, who previously took the pictures for John 5's "The Art Of Malice" album

In a recent interview with Loudwire, John 5 stated about the "Careful With That Axe" album: "It's just crazy, man. 'Careful With That Axe' and all the songtitles are related around axe murders and stuff, so it all comes around and makes sense."

Speaking to Metal Obsession, John 5 said about his forthcoming CD: "If people liked my earlier work, you're going to be really excited about it. It's really intense. It's, like, when you listen to it, it's, like, 'What just happened?', which is one of the songtitles. It's really exciting. I can't wait for people to hear it."

In a September 2013 interview with Artisan News, John 5 stated about his next effort: "I've got Elton John's bass player doing stuff. I mean, I have a bunch of guest stars on this one, so it's gonna be really good."

Regarding how his upcoming album will be different from his last effort, 2012's "God Told Me To", John 5 said: "The last one was half acoustic, half electric and I always like to change it up, so this one, I'm just gonna have a bunch of guest stars. So I'm gonna start asking my friends for favors and all this stuff. 'Hey, come on in. I watched your house and I let your dog out that one time, so come play on my record.' So I'm gonna start my long list of people to come and play. I think it's fun."

He continued: "These albums are a lot of fun. I just do 'em for the love of guitar and to inspire a couple of people on the way… I just really enjoy doing that. It's great. It was one of the smartest things I've ever done. Right when I left MANSON, I was, like, 'OK, so I guess I'll finally make my instrumental record.' And it did really well, and I'm on my sixth one. And I don't do them for money or anything — I just do them for the love of the guitar — and I think the audience really can see that. I'll do something like a Chet Atkins song and then some crazy death metal-type song. So it's a very wide range of music; there's no format and there's no rules."

MEGADETH has canceled immediate tour plans as bassist David Ellefson and his family mourn the loss of his brother, who passed away on May 19 in Minneapolis, Minnesota after battling cancer. A private family funeral service will be held.

Says MEGADETH in a statement: "The band sends their deepest condolences and prayers to David during this time and ask that the fans please do the same."

In his memoir, "My Life With Deth", David Ellefson wrote about his early family life, "I loved the farm [where I was raised, about six miles north of Jackson, Minnesota], but I didn’t love farming quite so much, so my brother, Eliot, was always the one who was going to take it over from my father when the time came. He showed an aptitude for farming from a very young age. When I started getting into music at eleven or twelve, Eliot was focusing on being disciplined and working around the farm."

MEGADETH latest album, 2013's "Super Collider", sold 29,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart. "TH1RT3EN" opened with 42,000 units back in November 2011 to enter the chart at No. 11. The band's 2009 CD, "Endgame", premiered with 45,000 copies to debut at No. 9. This was slightly less than the 54,000 first-week tally registered by 2007's "United Abominations", which entered the chart at No. 8. 2004's "The System Has Failed" premiered with 46,000 copies (No. 18) while 2001's "The World Needs A Hero" moved 61,000 units in its first week (No. 16).

Fan-filmed video footage of QUIET RIOT's May 17 concert at Light Club in Hermosillo, Mexico can be seen below.

QUIET RIOT's new lineup — featuring vocalist Jizzy Pearl (LOVE/HATE, L.A. GUNS, ADLER'S APPETITE, RATT) — made its live debut on New Year's Eve (December 31, 2013) at Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort in Flagstaff, Arizona.

"I knew that resurrecting QUIET RIOT [after the 2007 death of QUIET RIOT singer Kevin DuBrow] was going to be a major challenge and undertaking," QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali told the Cleveland Scene. "You simply don't replace a singer and personality like Kevin DuBrow because he was the complete package, the real deal and my best friend. I never set out to replace Kevin, I set out to continue the band in his memory. We tried to work with Mark Huff on vocals and he just wasn't right for the band. We tried it with Scott Vokoun on vocals and in the end he also just wasn't a fit, and we parted company amicably. It's not just about singing, performing, work ethic, priorities, perception and personality, it is about all of those things and so much more. If I am guilty of anything, I am guilty of trying to get it right for QUIET RIOT."

Regarding Pearl's addition to the band, Banali said: "We've all known Jizzy for many years and toured together but in separate bands. Kevin was quite fond of Jizzy and thought he was a good singer and very intelligent. Jizzy made sense because he has the range and timbre to handle the QUIET RIOT material while still bringing his own sound and style to QUIET RIOT, which I welcome with open arms. He's also a pro, which makes it easy to work with; he knows the drill of being in and working in a band."

Banali also spoke about QUIET RIOT's upcoming album, which will contain six new studio tracks with Jizzy Pearl on vocals and four live tracks from 2007 with Kevin DuBrow, which are from the last professionally recorded live shows DuBrow and QUIET RIOT played.

"One of the things that Kevin and I always strived for was to continue to create new QUIET RIOT music even when rock music had ceased to be popular because of the change in music and tastes in the '90s and then with the decline of the industry itself with all the piracy and illegal downloads," Banali said. "That is still my mindset."

He continued: "The new QUIET RIOT CD is made up of six new studio recorded compositions and four live tracks from the last recorded performance with the late great Kevin DuBrow. The studio tracks include new vocalist Jizzy Pearl, Alex Grossi on guitar and Chuck Wright, who plays bass on two of the six tracks. I invited my longtime friend and QUIET RIOT alumni Rudy Sarzo to play bass on two tracks and bassist and friend Tony Franklin who played bass on the 2006 QUIET RIOT release 'Rehab'."

The following are some of GUNS N' ROSES' recent South American concert attendances/grosses, as reported by Billboard magazine:

Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSESVenue: HSBC ArenaCity/State: Rio de Janeiro, BrazilDate: March 20, 2014Gross Sales: $963,193Attendance/Capacity: 10,425 / 12,928Ticket Prices: $238.53, $87.16

Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSESVenue: Esplanada do MineiraoCity/State: Belo Horizonte, BrazilDate: March 22, 2014Gross Sales: $1,404,427Attendance/Capacity: 16,342 / 25,000Ticket Prices: $183.49, $50.46

Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSESVenue: Ginasio Nilson NelsonCity/State: Brasilia, BrazilDate: March 25, 2014Gross Sales: $848,744Attendance/Capacity: 10,843 / 12,000Ticket Prices: $128.44, $45.87

Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSESVenue: Arena AnhembiCity/State: Sao Paulo, BrazilDate: March 28, 2014Gross Sales: $2,090,395Attendance/Capacity: 18,000 / 35,000Ticket Prices: $266.06, $123.85

Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSESVenue: Estadio Durival Britto e SilvaCity/State: Curitiba, BrazilDate: March 30, 2014Gross Sales: $1,271,180Attendance/Capacity: 11,180 / 20,000Ticket Prices: $275.23, $100.92

Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSESVenue: Devassa On StageCity/State: Florianopolis, BrazilDate: April 1, 2014Gross Sales: $1,021,262Attendance/Capacity: 9,902 / 11,100Ticket Prices: $146.79, $100.92

Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSESVenue: Pavilhao da FIERGSCity/State: Porto Alegre, BrazilDate: April 3, 2014Gross Sales: $1,198,083Attendance/Capacity: 12,197 / 12,197Ticket Prices: $220.18, $59.63

Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSESVenue: Estadio de Ferrocarril OesteCity/State: Buenos Aires, ArgentinaDate: April 6, 2014Gross Sales: $1,161,415Attendance/Capacity: 16,525 / 24,659Ticket Prices: $125, $37.50

Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSESVenue: Jockey ClubCity/State: Asuncion, ParaguayDate: April 9, 2014Gross Sales: $646,323Attendance/Capacity: 11,232 / 30,000Ticket Prices: $207.57, $36.90

Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSESVenue: Estadio Hernando SilesCity/State: La Paz, BoliviaDate: April 12, 2014Gross Sales: $643,560Attendance/Capacity: 12,000 / 30,000Ticket Prices: $256.65, $35.93

Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSESVenue: Chevrolet HallCity/State: Recife, BrazilDate: April 15, 2014Gross Sales: $1,180,640Attendance/Capacity: 10,630 / 12,000Ticket Prices: $642.20, $55.05

Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSESVenue: Centro de Eventos do CearaCity/State: Fortaleza, BrazilDate: April 17, 2014Gross Sales: $1,264,417Attendance/Capacity: 14,570 / 15,000Ticket Prices: $458.72, $41.28

Ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan returned to the band for five shows in South America last month to fill in for Tommy Stinson, who was playing reunion dates with THE REPLACEMENTS.

McKagan joined GUNS 'N ROSES onstage for the first time in 17 years at an October 2010 concert in London. He also performed with the current version of GUNS in December 2011 at shows in Vancouver and Seattle. All three appearances were for a few songs, not full gigs.

Last month's South American shows marked the first time Duff has played full concerts with the band since his departure in 1994.

"Ringer", a brand new song from reformed U.K. industrial metal pioneers GODFLESH, can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below (courtesy of Pitchfork). The track is taken from the band's new EP, "Decline & Fall", which will be released on June 26 in the U.S. via GODFLESH frontman Justin K. Broadrick's Avalanche Recordings. The Japanese version of the EP will include two bonus songs.

"Decline & Fall" track listing:

01. Ringer 02. Dogbite 03. Playing With Fire 04. Decline & Fall + 2 Japan-only bonus tracks

GODFLESH released its first new recording in over 12 years through Decibel magazine's Flexi Series. A cover of the track "F.O.D. (Fuck of Death)" by legendary death thrashers SLAUGHTER (Canada) was included in the subscriber version of the magazine's November 2013 issue.

In an interview with the French radio station Le 106, Justin K. Broadrick stated about the band's forthcoming album — which is tentatively titled "A World Lit Only By Fire" and due in September— "It will be [musically] similar to the first two or three [GODFLESH albums]. I just think, like we're playing these shows, we feel very pure about we're doing and honoring the initial intentions with what we originally set out to do. Which, I think, like most bands and musicians and all the rest of it, by the time you get on to your fourth album, it's somewhat of a dilution going on to what you initially tried to achieve. It will definitely sound aggressive and it probably won't sound like any of the other records we've made, but it will have the minimalism of the first few records."

Added GODFLESH bassist G.C. Green: "It won't sound like the first two record; it will be more the spirit… When you make records over the years, you change as people, you change as musicians, you progress, you develop and you take other styles on, but I think, having had a break from it and come back to it, it seems that we've gone straight back into what the essence of it was originally, and that's why it feels good."

Continued Justin: "It's getting straight back to the core of what this is all about. And I think having a break from it has probably even more inspired… It's like refocusing and obviously, we're somewhat older and wiser. It's gonna be a really interesting record. It's extremely minimal and very, very brutal — a fairly unforgiving record, really, I think."

Earlier this week, AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler joined two street performers in Lithuania for a rendition of his band's hit "Crazy". Check out video footage below (courtesy of Zmones.lt).

AEROSMITH kicked off its European tour on May 17 at at Stadium Lokomotiv in Sofia, Bulgaria.

AEROSMITH was foced to cancel the May 14 concert at the İstanbul Technical University (İTÜ) Stadium in İstanbul after Turkey declared a three-day mourning for the victims of the coal mine disaster in Soma.

As previously reported, tickets for AEROSMITH and Slash's upcoming summer trek, dubbed the "Let Rock Rule" tour, are among the most expensive of the season. According to The Street, the average ticket price for the road trip is a whopping $275.85. The most expensive show on the trek comes in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, with an average price of $385.24 — nearly 40 percent above the tour average. The "Let Rock Rule" tour kicks off on Thursday, July 10 at Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre in Wantagh, New York.

The bill will also stop in cities like Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta, Las Vegas and others before coming to a close on September 12 in Canada.

AEROSMITH released its first set of all-original material in 11 years, "Music From Another Dimension!", in 2012, and toured for much of the year after its release.

The "uncut" version of "Surrender To No One", the comeback album from the reformed CHASTAIN — featuring Leather Leone on vocals — is out now on digital format on Leviathan Records worldwide. Hellion Records will release the "Uncut" edition on CD format in Europe and South America.

Comments CHASTAIN guitarist and leader David T. Chastain: "As a producer and record company owner, it is my job to put together a CD with the best chance of commercial success. However, as a musician/songwriter, I want to hear the music as it was written and recorded. Therefore 'Uncut' is the original version of the CD before the producer (David T. Chastain) got hold of it! Actually, both versions have their good points. More guitar solos are on this version as well as two of the songs are drastically different. Plus I usually edit out things that 99% of the listeners would never notice, such as guitar string noise, amp hum, and other things that drive me crazy. We will leave it to the fans to tell us which they like best!"

"Surrender To No One" track listing:

01. Stand And Fight02. Call Of The Wild03. Deep Down In The Darkness04. Freedom Within05. I Am Sin06. Rise Up07. Evil Awaits Us08. Fear My Wrath09. Save Me Tonight10. Surrender To No One11. Bleed Through Me

Also back in the saddle is original bassist Mike Skimmerhorn. The drum tracks for the CD were recorded by Stian Kristoffersen (PAGAN'S MIND, FIREWIND) since original drummer Fred Coury is still busy touring with CINDERELLA and other projects.

The Leather-fronted version of CHASTAIN recorded five CDs in the mid-to-late 1980s: 1985's "Mystery Of Illusion", 1986's "Ruler Of The Wasteland", 1987's "The 7th Of Never", 1988's "The Voice Of The Cult" and 1990's "For Those Who Dare". After the "For Those Who Dare" tour, David and Leather amicably went their separate ways but kept in touch over the years.

Leather in 2012 released the debut album from her SLEDGE LEATHER project, "Imagine Me Alive". The CD was inspired in 2010 when Leather called Sandy Sledge to collaborate on the Ronnie James Dio track "Egypt" for a demo tribute recording. Due to the overwhelming response for more material, SLEDGE LEATHER was born and was confirmed for Germany's Keep It True festival in April 2011.

Leviathan Records in 2010 released "The Reign of Leather", a collection of CHASTAIN tracks Leather had a hand in writing during her glory days with the band. Leviathan also reissued two of the classic CHASTAIN CDs with Leather: "The 7th of Never" and "The Voice Of The Cult". Both were digitally remastered and are in their original unedited versions.



"Evil Awaits Us" video:


"Rise Up" lyric video:


"Freedom Within" audio stream:


"Deep Down In The Darkness" audio stream: