HOLLYWOOD MONSTERS, the hard rock band featuring Tim Bogert (VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS), Don Airey (DEEP PURPLE, WHITESNAKE, MICHAEL SCHENKER), Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL), has inked a deal with Mausoleum Records. The group's new album, "Big Trouble", will be released on May 23. The song "Move On", taken from "Big Trouble", can be streamed using the Soundcloud player below.

"Big Trouble" track listing:

01. Another Day In Grey - Pt. 102. Move On03. Big Trouble04. The Only Way05. The Cage06. The Ocean07. Oh Boy!08. Underground09. Village Of The Damned10. Song For A Fool11. Fuck You All (bonus track)

HOLLYWOOD MONSTERS is:

* Steph Honde - Vocals, Guitars, Piano, Bass* Paul Di'Anno - Vocals (track 11)* Denis Baruta - Guitars (tracks 5, 9 & 11)* Tim Bogert - Bass (tracks 1, 2 & 10)* Olivier Brossard - Bass (track 11)* Vinny Appice - Drums (all tracks except 7, 10 & 11)* Don Airey - Hammond B3 (track 2)* Emmanuel Lamic - Drums (tracks 10 & 11)* Laetitia Gondran - Drums (track 7)

HOLLYWOOD MONSTERS is the brainchild of vocalist, guitarist, composer Stéphane "Steph" Honde, a French expatriate who's been living in California since 2012.

Honde first became noticed when fronting MAMOOTH, subsequently garnering a well-deserved reputation as a guitar virtuoso when playing in CAFÉ BERTRAND, a French rock group he joined in 2004. The band toured, playing humongous stadiums such as the Stade de France, with an audience capacity in excess of 80.000 — performing with classic rock giants AC/DC and DEEP PURPLE, the latter for whom they opened on thirty-six dates across Europe in November 2006, and another 12 in March of 2007. Honde recorded two albums with CAFÉ BERTRAND — both critically acclaimed and commercially successful — "Les Airs Empruntés" (2005) and "L'Art Délicat du Rock'N'Roll" (2008), before leaving the band in 2011. Honde then embarked on a length tour with former IRON MAIDEN vocalist Paul Di'Anno before absconding to California. Once in Los Angeles, Stéphane Honde befriended Tim Bogert, coaxed him out of retirment and convinced Bogert to play on his debut album… and voilà, HOLLYWOOD MONSTERS was born.

AC/DC may have enlisted Stevie Young, the nephew of guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young, to take Malcolm's place in the band as they gear up to record their 16th studio album. According to The Pulse Of Radio, an AC/DC fan named Jeff Lorenz posted a photo that he took of the band in Vancouver, where they are recording, saying that Stevie was visible in the picture. Another fan tweeted back, "Ok so there we have it. Welcome #StevieYoung to @AC_DC – all the best guys, do it for Mal!" The photo was later removed.

Stevie Young played with AC/DC once before during a 1988 tour, while Malcolm stepped out to deal with his dependency on alcohol.

Legend has it that Stevie resembled his uncle closely enough that many fans reportedly didn’t even know Malcolm had left the tour.

AC/DC confirmed widespread reports last month that Malcolm was stepping down due to an undisclosed illness, with some outlets reporting that he suffered a stroke.

The legendary Australian act stated that it will "continue to make music," and began recording sessions with producer Brendan O'Brien last week. Plans for a 40th anniversary tour remain unclear.

DOWN played the brand new song "Conjure" live for the first time ever this past Saturday, May 3 at The Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

"Conjure" comes off DOWN's new EP, "Down IV - Part Two", which will be released on May 13 via Down Records/ADA Music. Tracked at Nodferatu's Lair — iconic vocalist Philip H. Anselmo's home studio — and produced by Michael Thompson, Anselmo and DOWN, the new EP is the eagerly anticipated sequel to "Down IV - Part One". The new offering from DOWN is packed with the quintet's signature gargantuan riffs, swamp blues leads, crashing drums and hypnotic howls, upholding a certain tradition that countless fans celebrate, expanding their own musical mythos as they leave its pillars intact and untouched. In support of the upcoming record, DOWN has taked its renowned live show on the road this spring, joining BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and DEVIL YOU KNOW on a North American tour. The tour, which also includes DOWN headlining shows and festival appearances, began at Iron City in Birmingham, Alabama on May 2, and will end at Rocklahoma in Pryor, Oklahoma on May 25. The run also includes an appearance on May 24 at Emo's in Austin at the "Rock the Heart" concert, a benefit for the late Mike Scaccia's (RIGOR MORTIS, MINISTRY) "Heart Rock" foundation, with the goal of raising awareness about heart disease. When Anselmo, Pepper Keenan, Jimmy Bower, Pat Bruders, and Bobby Landgraf retreated to Nodferatu's Lair at Anselmo's Lousiana home in the fall of 2013, things had changed a bit. For the first time in the band's storied career, Kirk Windstein wouldn't be handling guitar duties alongside Keenan. Instead, longtime "family" member, stage manager, and HONKY guitarist Landgraf took the reins. "He was immediately at home," affirms Anselmo. "Bobby had always been that guy in case of anything. Knowing his personality, he really locked in with what we do and took it to heart. He made himself belong. Honestly, the first day he came down he contributed a very strong riff to a key song. There's that Southern element, which is imperative. I also catch a real old heavy metal vibe from this record. I can't stress this enough. He took it all on, and he did a fucking awesome job." Keenan adds, "Even with the lineup differences, it's interesting how the songs still sound very DOWN. Bobby and I have always locked in. It's not just physically either, but mentally as well. We see eye-to-eye, and he's been watching for a long time." "It was a big deal for me," beams Landgraf. "I drove ten hours up from Texas that first day, cracked a beer, and plugged in. We jumped right into the room, and I played this part. They all smiled. That was the moment for me. I'm a longtime fan, and I knew we were friends, but being a part of the writing and working towards something together was just incredible. As a guitar player, one of my goals was to be in a group like this. I want to make everyone proud." The fans will undoubtedly take pride in this collection as well. Making good on DOWN's promise of a series of EPs, the second installment sees a pronounced progression amongst the individuals themselves as well. "We wanted to back up our word as far as releasing these EPs," Anselmo goes on. "Everybody was fixated on that. This is the shortest period of time between our releases, and every one stepped it up and upped his game. Keenan, Bower, Bruders and Landgraf all contributed some excellent riffs. Having all of this fresh input makes for a different listen and a new perspective on what DOWN should and does sound like. All of that yields a unique record off the bat." For the future, DOWN's sights are set on endless touring. Landgraf made his formal stage debut when the band headlined Anselmo's first annual Housecore Horror Film Festival in front of a packed audience of the faithful in October 2013. Now, it's just about bringing that inimitable sound everywhere possible. "Down IV - Part Two" track listing:

01. Steeple02. We Knew Him Well03. Hogshead/Dogshead04. Conjure05. Sufferer's Years06. Bacchanalia

Fan-filmed video footage of STRYPER's May 2 performance at the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan, Italy can be seen below.

STRYPER's new album, "No More Hell To Pay", sold around 9,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Second Coming", a collection of re-recorded versions of STRYPER's classic songs, opened with around 4,400 units back in April to land at No. 117.

STRYPER's covers album, 2011's "The Covering", registered a first-week tally of around 4,600 copies to enter the chart at No. 175.

The band's previous collection of new material, 2009's "Murder By Pride", premiered with 5,900 copies to debut at No. 73.

"No More Hell To Pay" was released on November 5, 2013 in North America via Frontiers Records. The effort was made available in two formats — standard CD and deluxe digipak featuring exclusive video content. Produced by STRYPER guitarist/vocalist Michael Sweet himself, the set features some of STRYPER's strongest and heaviest material ever.

"No More Hell To Pay" includes STRYPER's cover version of "Jesus Is Just Alright", a gospel song written by Arthur Reid Reynolds.

A 31-minute compilation of clips of former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman's May 3 performance at the Stockholm Rocks festival at Tyrol in Stockholm, Sweden can be seen below.

Friedman's new solo album, "Inferno", 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 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.

"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."

Reunited thrash metal pioneers DARK ANGEL performed live for the second time last night (Sunday, May 4) at the Neurotic Deathfest at Poppodium 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands. 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.

The official video for "Thank You For The Demon", the title track of the new album from Swedish rockers MUSTASCH, can be seen below. Released on January 15 via Gain Music Entertainment, the CD was produced by MUSTASCH, Rikard Löfgren and Gustav Ydenius and was recorded at Leon Music in Karlstad.

"Thank You For The Demon" track listing:

01. Feared And Hated 02. Thank You For The Demon 03. From Euphoria To Dystopia 04. The Mauler 05. Borderline 06. All My Life 07. Lowlife Highlights08. I Hate To Dance09. Don't Want To Be Who I Am

MUSTASCH's last album, "Sounds Like Hell, Looks Like Heaven", was made available in North America in February 2013 via Metalville Records.

MUSTASCH in 2011 parted ways with drummer Danne McKenzie due to personal differences and replaced him with Jejo Perkovic (INFINITE MASS, CANDLEMASS, BEAR QUARTET).

In early 2011, MUSTASCH celebrated its 10th anniversary with the release of "The New Sound Of The True Best", a compilation album featuring re-recorded versions of some of the band's best songs along with a new track, "Angels Share". That album will also receive a North American release on February 26 via Metalville.

A couple weeks ago, MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX: A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx said Sebastian Bach should not allow himself to be referred to as "former SKID ROW singer" and suggested that Bach drop the SKID ROW tag and just go by his own name. Sixx explained (hear audio below), "I mean, at this point, dude, you've been out of SKID ROW long than SKID ROW was even alive. Like, let it go!"

VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner caught up with Sebastian, who jokingly responded to what Nikki had to say. "I actually just [let go of the 'former SKID ROW singer' tag] this morning, I dropped it, so now I feel amazing," Sebastian said. "I just feel myself better as a human, 'cause I made the decision after I read him tell me that I should do that, 'cause I was wondering what to do and then I read that and I was, like, 'Oh, now I know!' I can't believe it took me so long. As soon as I read that interview, I was, like, 'Man, what would I do without somebody else telling me what I should do?' Because I was waiting for somebody to tell me what to do with my life and now, oh, thank… now I'm okay. Now I feel great." After Bach revealed in a a three-word tweet to a fan on August 29, 2013 that he was asked to join MÖTLEY CRÜE more than two decades ago, Sixx quickly retorted that Bach's version of events never happened. Sebastian then took to his Facebook page to describe in some detail the circumstances behind his being asked to join the CRÜE, which included taking part in a full day's rehearsal with the band and a slew of phone calls between various managers, agents and label executives. "I was driven to rehearsal by Tommy Lee, and I spent a full day singing the MÖTLEY CRÜE set with the band MÖTLEY CRÜE," Bach wrote. "I remember the songs that Nikki asked me to sing that day. I remember the whole road crew's ecstatic reaction to us jamming together all day. And I remember Nikki's very generous, kind offer, at the end of our rehearsal, for me to join the band MÖTLEY CRÜE. I remember his exact words that he said to me in front of his whole road crew, Tommy and Mick [Mars] as well. It's not every day that your hero asks you to join his band."

Bach didn't reveal the full details of what went down that day, promising his Facebook followers that he "will tell the complete story of Nikki offering me to join MÖTLEY CRÜE in my upcoming book, which will be arriving on bookshelves soon."

He added: "I am not simply 'making this up'… I am not a liar. I am working on my book right now and I look forward to you all reading it. I plan on my book having even more information in it than one of my tweets does."

On September 13, 2013, Nikki tweeted what appeared to be a short response to Bach's online rant: "Someone needs attention to try and sell some books." He then added: "I always liked the term 'washed up.'"

According to DesMoinesRegister.com, the doctor who treated Paul Gray (pictured) in the days before the SLIPKNOT bassist's 2010 death was acquitted of seven counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Daniel Baldi was accused of causing the deaths of Gray and eight others with his careless prescription habits.

Jurors deliberated for two days before decided in favor of Daniel Baldi, whose lawyer contended that none of the patients in question died from overdoses of drugs the doctor prescribed.

Paul's widow, Brenna Gray, testified on April 22 in Baldi's trial and said that Paul's final weeks were a "blur of extreme drug abuse," which neither his doctor nor his bandmates would help his wife confront. Brenna testified on the stand that Baldi continued to prescribe Xanax for Paul despite knowing that the musician was a drug addict, saying, "I just wasn't really sure why he was on it, why he needed it along with the medication he was taking for addiction."

Baldi's lawyer cross-examined Brenna, asking her if she was aware that her husband overdosed on the painkillers fentanyl and morphine, neither of which Baldi ever prescribed to him.

Brenna also testified that she tried reaching out to some of Paul's bandmates in SLIPKNOT just days prior to the bassist's death but that none of them wanted to get involved. She revealed, "One was playing golf two minutes away from our house but couldn't come. Nobody else cared, nobody was involved. They told me it was my problem."

SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio back at the one-year anniversary of Gray's death how he felt about the loss of his friend and bandmate. "I just miss him, you know," he said. "I miss him so much sometimes that it doesn't feel like he's gone, and there are times when I'm thinking and he's in my train of thought and I have to stop myself and go, 'Oh, God, he's not here.' But you know, I mean, there's not a day that goes by that I don't miss him. I mean, not even as far as the band goes — I wish that he was there to watch his daughter grow."

Brenna revealed in a 2011 interview with Revolver that her husband had agreed to get help for his drug problem just one day before he died on May 24, 2010.

Paul was found dead in a hotel room in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa, where he and SLIPKNOT were based. He was 38 years old. He left behind his widow and a daughter, October, who was born three months after his death.

After a lengthy hiatus, SLIPKNOT resumed touring in 2011, with Donnie Steele playing bass live. The band recently entered a studio to begin recording its first album without Gray.

Acclaimed drummer Bobby Jarzombek (FATES WARNING, SEBASTIAN BACH, HALFORD) has posted the following message earlier today (Wednesday, April 30) on his Facebook page:

"Well, this kind of sucks....! Not to scare y'all, but I'm in the hospital and need to stay here overnight. My left knee started hurting a bit when I was in Europe with FATES WARNING last week. The pain continued after I got back home to San Antonio (along with a slight fever). I was thinking the fever was due to working outside in the record heat weather here in San Antonio. Anyway, this continued until late last night when the pain spread halfway down my leg. My wife Carol and I went to the hospital. Turns out I have cellulitis. So I'm stuck here with antibiotics in my veins, and they'll look at it tomorrow to determine if it needs to be cut and drained. If so, no drumming for a week!"

Jarzombek recently spent time on the road with FATES WARNING in support of "Darkness In A Different Light", the group's first new studio album in nearly a decade and the first to feature Jarzombek on drums. The North American leg of the tour kicked off on November 15, 2013 at Mojoe's in Joliet, Illinois.

Best known for his 12-year tenure with the HALFORD band, featuring legendary JUDAS PRIEST vocalist Rob Halford, Bobby Jarzombek is also currently the drummer for progressive metal pioneers FATES WARNING, long-running New York City metal institution RIOT, and former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach. Making his recording debut with JUGGERNAUT on "Baptism Under Fire" in 1986, the San Antonio, Texas native has also toured and recorded with SPASTIC INK, CED EARTH, DEMONS & WIZARDS, ROB ROCK, JOHN WEST and PAINMUSEUM, among others.

The Pulse Of Radio reports that a woman who has launched a Facebook campaign to have Ozzy Osbourne knighted has already gotten more than 4,000 of the 5,000 signatures she has aimed for, according to the Birmingham Mail. 45-year-old Helen Maidiotis' site, The Knighthood Of Ozz, has already gotten the endorsement of the BLACK SABBATH singer's daughter Kelly, who tweeted, "This really needs to happen."

Maidiotis originally wanted all four original members of the group to receive a knighthood, but when told that was unlikely, she settled on Ozzy.

She explained, "Our campaign has reached Buckingham Palace, as a friend of mine had sent off letters explaining about our battle for Ozzy's knighthood — and they have replied positively."Maidiotis added that she is hoping to reach 5,000 signatures in time for SABBATH's performance in London's Hyde Park on July 4. She said that she intends to "see this right through to the end, whatever the outcome."

Ozzy is one of England's most recognizable figures as well as one of the country's most popular and long-lasting rock singers. He and BLACK SABBATH arguably invented the sound of modern heavy metal and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006.

Ozzy had a tough early life in the industrial city of Birmingham and used to think growing up poor was the cause of all his family's problems. "I grew up in a poor part of Birmingham, in a place called Aston, and I used to sit there thinking, 'Wouldn't it great if this happened...' and 'Wouldn't it be great if my dad won the lottery...'" he told The Pulse Of Radio. "I thought all the family hardship was caused over lack of money, you know. And that's not the case."

After years as a solo act with occasional SABBATH reunion tours, Ozzy and the band made their first studio album together in 35 years in 2013. Titled "13", it was the band's first chart-topper in the U.S. and first in the U.K. since 1971.

The group recently wrapped up a short North American run last week in Los Angeles.

Ozzy will be honored by the MusiCares MAP Fund at the organization's 10th annual benefit concert, to take place on May 12 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.

Nearly two years after QUEENSRŸCHE fired Geoff Tate, the singer and his former bandmates announced that QUEENSRŸCHE members Eddie Jackson (bass), Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Michael Wilton (guitar) will keep the group's name.

According to the agreement, Jackson, Rockenfield and Wilton along with recent QUEENSRŸCHE members, Todd La Torre and Parker Lundgren, will now be the sole entity recording and touring as QUEENSRŸCHE, performing selections from their entire musical catalog that spans over 30 years of material. Original QUEENSRŸCHE lead singer Geoff Tate will continue to record, perform and pursue a variety of other creative endeavors and, as part of the agreement, will have the exclusive rights to perform "Operation: Mindcrime I" and "II" in their entirety as a unique performance.

The QUEENSRŸCHE corporate assets will be evenly divided among Wilton, Jackson, Rockenfield and Tate.

Speaking to Billboard.com's Christa Titus, Tate said about the settlement: "I'm very happy that it's over and done and we can all move on with our lives.

"We've been trying to work something out for months and months and months, and it's like any kind of lawsuit, it's just slow going. But finally I think the realization that going to court over the whole thing was going to be a huge nightmare and huge financial mess for everybody that [we] really started to look at it more seriously and realistically."

Regarding the fact that he will have the exclusive rights to perform "Operation: Mindcrime I" and "II" in their entirety, Tate said: "It's pretty similar to the PINK FLOYD settlement where one group got the name and Roger Waters got 'The Wall'. It's very similar to that. I retain 'Operation: Mindcrime' and everything revolving around that, and they got the name, so it's a win-win for everybody."

Asked what he is going to be doing musically going forward, Tate said: "I can't really give any details now. I'll be announcing some information over the summer what my future plans are going to be. Right now I'm concentrating a show I've got in rehearsals for now in Seattle. I've got five shows doing my Rock In Vaudeville show and when that's done, the last of the QUEENSRŸCHE dates."

He added: "I think just, I'm ready to move on and do something different. And this is a great launching point to do that from, and I'm really looking forward to it."

Read more from Billboard.com.

Alan Daly of Dublin Concerts conducted an interview with guitarist Mike Spreitzer of California metallers DEVILDRIVER when the band played in Dublin, Ireland on April 8. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Dublin Concerts: "Winter Kills" has already been out eight months, and you guys seem to be on an eighteen-month-to-two-year album release cycle. So have you looked forward to the next album?

Mike: We've already started writing for it. I know [John] Boecklin [drums] has a bunch of songs. I haven't really had a lot of time to write, because I just moved into a new house and I've been building a studio in my garage to replace the studio that I have in my parents' house, which I have outgrown, and that's where we've been doing all the pre-production. I can't even feel creative in that studio, I've been in there for so long. So I'm getting all my stuff out of there. I've been building this studio in my new house. I've been working on it for almost a year, in between tours, and it should be done in July. We have July and August off, so I'm going to spend all that time writing for the next record. Boecklin's already got probably, like, somewhere between three and five songs written, and a tentative date for recording of November/December, which means the record will probably be out some time next summer.

Dublin Concerts: I've seen it reported that you as a band feel that "Winter Kills" is your best album to date. Do you feel under pressure to better that?

Mike: I've never really felt pressured. The only thing I kind of feel pressure about is not repeating ourselves too much, and hashing out the same type of record that we've done before. You know, I see things from a different perspective than our fans do, but there's a different vibe for every record for me. It always seems to come very organically for us. I just sit down and write. I don't really think about trying to do this or that or have a direction I want to go. To some extent, I do. Now that we've done the song "Sail" [AWOLNATION cover], I think that kind of opened up some doors for me, where I can have more atmospheric tones, meshed with brutal guitars at the same time. Whereas before, I kind of strayed away from that. I didn't know if DEVILDRIVER fans would be into something like that, but they obviously do. "Sail" has gotten a great response. You know, it's not our song, but we added a lot of elements to that.

Dublin Concerts: And what about a live album? It's been mentioned that you've considered it. And there was the bonus DVD with "Winter Kills", which had some live tracks…

Mike: I've been hearing about a live record from our management and record companies since day one.

Dublin Concerts: Are they the ones who get to make the call or does the band have the final say?

Mike: If we really wanted to do it, I think they would be on board to do it. I don't think there's really much point to do it from an economical standpoint. But there are songs out there, that bands have put out live, that I like much better live. There's a couple of BEHEMOTH songs that, because of production in the early days was so bad, and I'm sure they'll agree with me, that some of their older songs, I can't listen to the recorded version. I'd rather listen to the live version. "Creeping Death" on "Live Shit: Binge & Purge" by METALLICA is way better than it is on "Ride The Lightning". Also [PANTERA's] Domination" at Monsters Of Rock in Russia, way back in the day. That's another example. I would like to do it, but there's no concrete plans for anything like that right now.

Dublin Concerts: How do you even make a living from metal music these days? Like you mentioned, downloading has killed off physical album sales to a large extent.

Mike: It's about touring and merchandise. And when I'm at home, I also produce, mix and master bands. And I sold some songs to a music library that were just sitting on my computer doing nothing. I had a friend sing on them. It's kind of cool; I see them pop up on TV every now and then. I was watching one of my favorite shows, "Dexter", a couple of years ago, and they don't tell me where my music goes, but one of my songs came up, and I was, like, "That's a cool song. Wait a minute, that's MY song!". And the singer is big into wrestling, WWE or whatever it's called, and he and his wife see his songs pop up on that from time to time. I think "Good, I'll be getting a check in the mail!" [Laughs]. It's not much, but it helps.

Read the entire interview at Dublin Concerts.

A fan reportedly died after the crowd failed to catch him when he dove from the stage during MISS MAY I's concert last night (Saturday, May 3) at The Studio at Webster Hall in New York City. The fan, who is believed to be named Alberto, suffered major head injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital where he died.

MISS MAY I has posted the following message to Facebook: "Hey everyone, we are aware of the incident that occurred at Webster Hall last night and will be posting a statement shortly. However, we are awaiting further information regarding the situation before we are able to make a full statement."

During a May 2010 LAMB OF GOD show in the Czech Republic, 19-year-old concertgoer Daniel Nosek sustained a head injury that allegedly led to the fan's death. LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe was charged with manslaughter in the case, but was eventually acquitted.

Regarding the practice of stage diving, the presiding judge in the Blythe case stated "ninety percent of the audience" must have known that jumping off the stage was prohibited at the venue, as a barrier was in place and concert security had successfully prevented fans from hopping the barricade during the show. The judge also noted that Blythe's hand gestures calling for a round of applause could have been misunderstood as an invitation for fans to come up onto the stage.

A number of rockers came to Randy's defense, with many of them citing the 2004 shooting death onstage of PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott as the reason why musicians are so defensive nowadays about fans invading the stage.

DISTURBED singer David Draiman said: "The only thing [Randy] is guilty of [is being involved in] a horrible accident. Someone comes up on stage, they get thrown back into the pit. [I've] done it a hundred times myself. The fault should be in the hands of the venue security who were supposed to ensure that no one got up there. It's a dangerous thing to try."

Draiman's bandmate and drummer Mike Wengren told The Pulse Of Radio not along after Dimebag was shot that his death had cast a shadow over live performing. "I think one of the most scariest things is, you go up onstage, and there's this energy transfer between the band and the crowd, and you almost feel invincible. You feel very empowered. Never in a million years would anyone ever think something like that was even possible, and I think it just caught everyone off guard. It's pretty scary."



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Post by Miss May I.

The first photos of the reunited original lineup of ROCK GODDESS — the female power trio from the days of NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) featuring sisters Jody and Julie Turner along with bassist Tracey Lamb — have been released. The pictures, which can be seen on this page, were taken on April 27 after a live set rehearsal.

ROCK GODDESS is rehearsing in the U.K. to record a new album with the provisional title "Unfinished Business". Lamb says the new material "is sounding mega and awesome" and adds that playing the band's classic songs feels "weird but wonderful."

ROCK GODDESS was formed in 1977 in Wandsworth South London by Jody Turner (guitar and vocals) and Julie Turner (drums) when they were thirteen and nine years old, respectively. They recruited school friend Tracey Lamb on bass guitar.

ROCK GODDESS first rose to the nation's awareness when they were first featured in Kerrang! No. 5 in 1981 in the "Armed And Ready" section as one of the bands to watch out for. After recording a four-track demo tape and an appearance at the Reading Festival in 1982, sharing a bill with IRON MAIDEN, plus regular shows at the Marquee club, the band landed a contract with the A&M label. They recorded their eponymous debut album with producer Vic Maile in 1983 and hit the lower end of the charts. A follow-up album, "Hell Hath No Fury", arrived a year later, by which time Lamb had left the band to form SHE and later to join GIRLSCHOOL.

After their contract with A&M expired in 1987, ROCK GODDESS' already recorded (in 1985) third album, titled "Young And Free", was released only in France. The effort saw the band taking on a more commercial sound.

ROCK GODDESS' career was cut short by financial and contractual problems, which forced them to disband shortly thereafter.

ROCK GODDESS did briefly reform in 2009 and was due to play Hard Rock Hell festival in Prestatyn, and was also booked to perform at the Headbangers Open Air festival in Germany the following summer, but split before they had a chance to appear at either event.

In March 2013, it was announced that the original ROCK GODDESS lineup of Jody Turner, Julie Turner and Tracey Lamb had reunited and would start recording a new album.

Slash and his backing band, MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, have finished mxing the third album to be released under the Slash solo banner. A total of 17 songs, including one instrumental, were laid down for the follow-up to 2012's "Apocalyptic Love", which will be mastered next weekend. Slash tweeted earlier tonight: "Artwork is set. Will announce the title soon. Can't wait to unleash it!"

Slash recently with the U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine about his third solo album. He remarked, "All I can tell you is that it's a really fucking great record. I'm very proud of it, but I don't want to get into, 'Oh, dude, it's epic,' or 'It's the heaviest thing ever.' It's very rock and roll, and, as always, it's very diverse in feel, and I'm just super, super proud of everything that we collectively put into making the thing. It's just going to be a bitchin' record." Slash added that he and his band have grown a lot together during the making of the new CD, saying, "The band has become so synergetic. I showed the music to the guys, and what they wrote flowed immediately. I was really amazed at how, from the second we started pre-production up 'till now, the record just flowed. It's rare that it happens like that."

The new album is tentatively due out in September. Slash released his first self-titled solo effort in 2010.

The legendary guitarist employed a different vocalist on each track of his first album, before settling on ALTER BRIDGE member Kennedy for both touring and eventually recording.

"Apocalyptic Love" earned Slash his two first-ever No. 1 U.S. rock radio hits with "You're A Lie" and "Standing In The Sun". The record's third single, "Anastasia", cracked the Top 10 at both Modern and Active Rock.

Slash and AEROSMITH will team up for a U.S. tour this summer.




Mix is finished on the new record! Mastering next weekend. Artwork is set. Will announce the title soon. Can't wait to unleash it! iiii]; )'

— Slash (@Slash) May 4, 2014

Swedish metallers THE DUSKFALL will travel to Finland tomorrow to begin laying down the drums for their fifth album. The band states: "We will return to the classic grounds of Tico-Tico studios. Last time [we were] there was 18 years ago for the recordings of 'A Bloodred Path'."

According to a press release, THE DUSKFALL's forthcoming CD will contain "11 tracks of old-school, melodic metal,"and will be made available through pledges from the band's die-hard fans.

THE DUSKFALL's current lineup includes former ENGEL singer Magnus Klavborn.

The first instrumental teaser for THE DUSKFALL's upcoming album is available below. The band states: "[It was] recorded in our rehersal room, so nothing is how it will sound later. We just wanted to share what we have in store for you guys."

THE DUSKFALL 2014 is:

Magnus Klavborn - Vocals Mikael Sandorf - GuitarRonny Edlund - GuitarKim Bjäle - BassFredrik Andersson – Drums

THE DUSKFALL's fourth album, "The Dying Wonders of the World", was released in the U.S. in August 2008 via Locomotive Records. The CD, which came out in Europe in October 2007 via Massacre, was recorded at Uppsala, Sweden's Dugout Studios (drums, vocals and the mix) by Daniel Bergstrand (IN FLAMES, DEFLESHED, DARK FUNERAL, BEHEMOTH, SOILWORK) and Promile Studios (guitars and bass) by Michael Hahne. It was mastered by Achim Köhler at Indiscreet Audio in Germany.



Sell your beats online at ReverbNation.com

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

In the eighth episode of the diary, you finally see what Sharon was so upset about at the end of last week's video; Sharon joins a musician on the street; guitarist Ruud Jolie celebrates his birthday; there are more parties on the bus, and you get to see more backstage footage.

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

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

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

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

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

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