Paul Reed Smith Guitars has welcomed Marty Friedman — one of the most celebrated lead guitarists of thrash metal — to the PRS family of SE signature artists. Known worldwide for his groundbreaking work with MEGADETH and CACOPHONY, Friedman's career to date includes 27 gold and platinum records and 5 Grammy awards. His new SE signature model, a black singlecut with star inlays personally chosen by Friedman, is also a force to be reckoned with.

The SE Marty Friedman features a beveled maple top with mahogany back, a 25" scale length wide fat 22 fret mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard and star inlays, PRS-designed SE locking tuners and PRS's adjustable stoptail bridge. SE humbucking treble and bass pickups with volume and tone for each pickup with a 3-way toggle switch on the upper bout gives players ultimate versatility and control.

"The PRS Marty Friedman signature model was developed over the course of recording 'Inferno' — my most 'guitar demanding' album yet. Its sound is all over that record. PRS has finally created my ultimate go-to guitar," said Friedman.

The introduction of the SE Marty Friedman comes months before the set release of Friedman's studio album "Inferno", which features what Friedman told Guitar World is "the most intense writing and playing I can do." Just as he changed the game of metal and guitar with his revered solo debut "Dragon's Kiss", Friedman's new SE signature model will raise the bar for a new generation of players.

For more information, go to this location.

Former BLACK SABBATH drummer BILL WARD is featured in a new interview with Brooklyn Vegan. An excerpt is available below:
Q: What bands excite you as the torchbearers in modern metal?

Ward: "Oh God, there are so many! Amon Amarth are progressing really well. And I've got to wave the flag for bands like SOILWORK, who are not necessarily new, but what they are doing is progressing, and they're playing so fucking well. Same with a band like DEVILDRIVER, where I'll be listening and wonder 'What are they gonna do next?' I'm blown away by those guys. Another one of my favorite bands is CELTIC FROST. I also really like TODAY IS THE DAY. And - I know it'll never happen, what with Henke's passing, but I also wish we could have a reincarnation of DISFEAR."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

View the short documentary on Ward's artwork 'We Focus. We Persevere.' Only 35 in the edition, 'We Focus. We Persevere.' is one of the most discussed pieces in his Absence of Corners Collection. In the clip below, he discusses what the piece means to him and the mindset behind the title:
Created over the last year, Ward’s collection Absence Of Corners is a highly limited release of fine art of epic size and conceptual. The collection, in its entirety is now available, along with audio commentary on each piece by Ward. Each piece can be reserved at BillWardDrumArt.com.
An extensive process from start to finish, Absence Of Corners took nearly a year to complete. Working with Los Angeles art team SceneFour, Ward utilized a sophisticated formula to create the collection’s visuals, using an array of drumsticks and rhythmic accessories that produce light, much like a painter utilizing brushes and oils. The movements featured within the captured rhythms are then studied and developed into abstract artwork that showcases a dimension not normally seen by the human eye. Each piece in this limited-edition collection is then numbered. All are signed by Ward.

Ward on the project: “When I’m working on new ideas, musically much of what’s played is guided by a visual appearance or shape. Since my early childhood, I’ve played drums in visuals as well as sound. When I write, there’s always an image, sometimes a color attached to what’s being created. I’ve never ‘listened’ to bass notes; I ‘feel’ them. The keyboard’s black notes are dark to me and represent many sad emotions. These examples are simple, natural, childlike applications that have stayed with me. When SceneFour approached me about doing this project, it sounded like an adventurous progression. I am delighted with the captured expressions from my head and my heart. Their arrival onto canvas is beautiful.”

To develop the art collection, Ward utilized the expertise of art team SceneFour. Based in Los Angeles, SceneFour specializes in working with music visionaries on the creation of fine artwork. SceneFour’s previous art collaborations have included releases with Chuck D, Bootsy Collins, Page Hamilton, and The RZA. Over the last several years, SceneFour’s focus has been on the development and publishing of rhythm on canvas collections, with Ward’s collection being the largest release to date with a total of 18 different pieces featured and ranging in size (30" x 18" to the epic 85" x 30").

Ward discusses the collection in the following video:

THE LOCAL BAND, the Finnish covers act featuring Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM), Jussi69 (THE 69 EYES), Olli Herman (RECKLESS LOVE) and Archie Kuosmanen (SANTA CRUZ), played a one-off show this past Friday, December 27 at Tavastia in Helsinki, Finland. The group's setlist consisted of 1980s "hair metal" classics, around 30 songs for which have been rehearsed, including tracks originally written and recorded by VAN HALEN, GUNS N' ROSES, POISON and MÖTLEY CRÜE.

"This is a fun break from everything that we normally do," the band's founder, Jussi69, told Ilta-Sanomat.

"We do not have any plans for the future," he added.

"Alexi and the rest of us all have other commitments of our own.

"This is a one-time-only concert. At least for now.

"For us, this is just for fun.

"This is a Christmas present for our fans."

THE LOCAL BAND's setlist was as follows:

01. Shout At The Devil (MÖTLEY CRÜE)02. Looks That Kill (MÖTLEY CRÜE)03. Yankee Rose (DAVID LEE ROTH)04. Fallen Angel (POISON)05. Slave To The Grind (SKID ROW)06. Too Young To Fall In Love (MÖTLEY CRÜE)07. Round & Round (RATT)08. Guitar battle: Alexi Laiho vs. Arttu "Archie" Kuosmanen09. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love (VAN HALEN)10. Nothin' But A Good Time (POISON)11. Wanted Dead Or Alive (BON JOVI)12. Unskinny Bop (POISON)13. Panama (VAN HALEN)14. Nightrain (GUNS N' ROSES)15. Rock And Roll All Nite (KISS)

Check out fan-filmed video footage below.

CHILDREN OF BODOM will make its triumphant return to North America this February. The band has announced a six-week major market headlining tour that will kick off on February 14 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada and hit 32 markets across the U.S. and Canada before wrapping with a two-night stand at New York City's Irving Plaza on March 28 and March 29. The tour will feature support from folk metal heroes TÝR and represents CHILDREN OF BODOM's first Stateside headlining run since the release of the band's new LP, "Halo Of Blood".

A representative for Musicmetric, an entertainment forecasting startup that analyzes BitTorrent and social media data, has refuted a widespread report that British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN used the company's analytics to plan its tours.

A December 20 article on the CiteWorld tech blog claimed that MAIDEN analyzed BitTorrent data to plan a concert tour in South America, implying that Musicmetric directly advised the band to on how to map out the countries where its music is most popular.

Musicmetric's head of PR, Andrew Teacher, has since issued a statement saying that the company never worked directly with IRON MAIDEN and that the CiteWorld article referenced above is "sadly not substantiated." According to the updated CiteWorld post, the Musicmetric analysis "was carried out without the band's participation or knowledge... [with] no confirmation that the band ever saw or used it."

Musicmetric's full statement about CiteWorld's original article:

"We never stated or implied that IRON MAIDEN had used our analytics to plan its tours.

"[On November 29] The Guardian correctly published Musicmetric data showing the band's BitTorrent and social engagement after the band was named one of the UK's fastest growing companies a London Stock Exchange report. They were far older than many newer names in the report and we wanted to see why MAIDEN were in there. The data provided an interesting insight, showing just how many fans they'd added through intense touring across emerging markets and highlighting via BitTorrent data precisely where they were popular.

"This is precisely how Musicmetric's analytics are used by artist managers and labels: to see where their artists are popular and what drives that popularity.

"However, the CiteWorld story is sadly not substantiated. It is a follow-up of a Guardian piece and it misrepresents our position by stating that the success was down to use of analytics, which we simply never said nor implied.

"Musicmetric never said IRON MAIDEN had used its data to plan a tour — we simply said where the band was popular and stated that BitTorrent data generally, could be useful to see precisely where an act is popular."

Candi Spitz, the wife of former ANTHRAX guitarist Dan Spitz, says that she will not press charges against her husband for allegedly assaulting her Christmas morning.

The 50-year-old musician was arrested at he couple's home in Lake Worth, Florida when Candi's mother called 911 to report he was trying to choke his wife.

"I'm not planning on pursuing this in court," Candi, 38, tells GossipExtra.com. "This was a big misunderstanding. My mom should've never called 911."

She adds: "[Dan and I] were separated for a week last year, and Christmas Eve was the first anniversary.

"The stress level at home has been astronomical. Our children are both autistic and Dan may have early onset Parkinson's Disease.

"We were all drinking wine, and he just snapped."

According to Candi, the confrontation happened when her husband started packing her bags, and she stood in his way.

"No matter what's in the police report," Candi says, "he never hit me or tried to harm me. He did shove me, and unfortunately I bruised my shoulder.

"But come on: He's 5 feet tall and 100 pounds all wet. And I kick box. He could never harm me if he tried."

Spitz spent the night in jail and was released early Thursday afternoon.

The couple, along with their 7-year-old twins, was spotted at Zoo Miami this afternoon, according to GossipExtra.com.

Dan Spitz is a born-again Christian and Messianic Jew and in interviews has frequently cited his faith as an influential component to his life.

Spitz took part in the reunion of ANTHRAX's classic lineup in 2005 and 2006 but left the band after ANTHRAX's most recent split with singer Joey Belladonna.

Reformed Swedish hard rockers SKINTRADE have inked a deal with AOR Heaven Records for the release of their comeback album, "Refueled". Due in February 2014, the CD was mixed by Oscar Ammer, frontman and songwriter of STEREOLITH, at Echobox Studio in Stockholm and will include the songs "Liar", "Been To The Bottom", "Close My Eyes" and "Dynamo Sequence", among others.

According to SKINTRADE, the band's new album represents "everything they stood for in the past, and exactly where they are musically at the present."

"Our focus always was and always will be on the songwriting and the ferocious riffs and grooves to match," says the group.

Video footage of SKINTRADE performing acoustic versions of the new songs "Been To The Bottom" and "Close My Eyes" can be seen below.

SKINTRADE's "best-of" album, "Past And Present", was released in March 2012 via Universal Music. The CD includes three new songs and 12 classics.

SKINTRADE was formed in 1992 by Matti Alfonzetti (vocals), George Bravo (guitar, backing vocals), Stefan Bergström (guitar, backing vocals), Hakan Calmroth (bass) and Håkan Persson (drums, backing vocals). The group's self-titled debut was released in 1993 and received overwhelmingly positive respnse from both media and audience. The singles "Sick As A Dog" and "One By One" were played frequently on the radio and their videos spun on MTV's "Headbangers Ball". The same year, SKINTRADE was honored with a Zeppelin award for "Best Hard Rock Album" and was nominated for a Swedish Grammis (Grammy equivalent) in the category of "Best Video." The follow-up CD, "Roach Powder", came out in 1995 with Thomas Skogsberg as a producer (ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER). The videos for the singles "Snap Goes Your Mind" and "Flies" were played regularly on MTV.

Between 1993 and 1995, SKINTRADE embarked on several tours of Europe and played at some of Sweden's and Europe's biggest festivals such as Sweden Rock, Hultsfred, Dala Rock, Dynamo Open Air (Holland) and Rock Am Ring (Germany). SKINTRADE also supported the Danish band D-A-D on their European tour in 1995. One of their last and most memorable gigs took place in late 1995 with the Irish band THERAPY? during a live radio show in Amsterdam, Netherlands. SKINTRADE disbanded shortly thereafter.

The idea for the SKINTRADE members to collaborate again came about as they got more and more requests from fans asking them to make new music. During the first rehearsal in May 2011, it became obvious that the band's chemistry was very much intact.

In the summer and autumn of 2011, SKINTRADE recorded four new songs at Sound Trade Studios with their old friend and partner Ronny Lahti, engineer and producer who previously worked with the band on all the recordings in the '90s.

SKINTRADE 2013 is:

Matti Alfonzetti - Vocals, GuitarStefan Bergström - Guitar, Backing VocalsHåkan Calmroth - BassHåkan Persson - Drums, Backing Vocals



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Post by Skintrade.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, CHEVELLE stepped away from the spotlight for most of the past year, but the band is getting back to business in 2014. The Chicago-based trio is in the studio now working on its seventh album and has posted a brief video of frontman Pete Loeffler figuring out a new riff on his guitar while producer Joe Barresi comments in the background. Previous posts have included further looks inside the studio as well as a glimpse of the old school Studer A800 tape machine the band intends to record on, indicating that they're taking the analog route this time.

CHEVELLE's last all-new studio effort, "Hats Off To The Bull", arrived in 2011. It featured the No. 1 rock hit "Face To The Floor".

CHEVELLE's next album will be its last for Sony Music, and Loeffler told The Pulse Of Radio he's not sure how the band will proceed after that. "You know, in a perfect world, we'd like to just do it all on our own," he said. "I think that's what every band probably, after five or six records, probably wants to do. I mean, you want more control — I mean, I do. Hey, I'd love to put out my own music. If that can be possible, we would probably do it."

Last December, CHEVELLE released "Stray Arrows: A Collection Of Favorites", a 12-track set featuring all 11 of the band's Top 10 rock/alternative singles, including "Jars", "Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)", "The Red", "I Get It", "Face To The Floor", "Send The Pain Below" and more.

ONE MACHINE, the brainchild of acclaimed guitarist/songwriter Steve Smyth (TESTAMENT, NEVERMORE, FORBIDDEN, DRAGONLORD, VICIOUS RUMORS), will release its debut album, "The Distortion Of Lies And The Overdriven Truth", on February 18, 2014 via Scarlet Records. The CD was recorded and produced by Steve Smyth and was mixed by Roy Z (JUDAS PRIEST, BRUCE DICKINSON, HALFORD). It was mastered by Alan Douches (3 INCHES OF BLOOD, FIREWIND, SEPULTURA) at West West Side Music, with artwork created by Niklas Sundin from Cabin Fever Media (DARK TRANQUILLITY, ARCH ENEMY), complemented with photography from Anthony Dubois (MESHUGGAH, MNEMIC).

The song "One Machine" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

ONE MACHINE is an international metal band with classic and modern influences, featuring members carefully selected by Smyth: Mikkel Sandager (MERCENARY) on vocals, Jamie Hunt (BIOMECHANICAL) sharing guitar duties, rounded out by a powerhouse rhythm section with Tomas "O'Beast" Koefoed (MNEMIC) on bass guitar and Michele Sanna on drums (although former drummer Raphael Saini of Italian progressive metallers CHAOSWAVE played on the album).

Smyth had often given thought to leading his own band throughout his distinguished career as a member of bands including TESTAMENT, NEVERMORE and FORBIDDEN, among others. He had written a number of songs, but the challenge of finding the right members to bring them to life remained. He found a more than capable shredding second guitarist in Jamie Hunt, and the two began collaborating on the material Smyth had.

"Jamie's playing complements mine extremely well, and we hit it off perfectly when we got together to work on the songs," says Smyth. A vocalist was found in the form of original MERCENARY singer Mikkel Sandager. He fit the kind of singer Smyth was looking for, with his versatile ability to sing in different ways, and his readiness to be pushed into new musical territories.

"When our former bands toured together, I got to witness night after night, exactly what Mikkel could do; deliver a solid performance with an incredible range, as well as multiple characters in his voice," says Steve. "He's perfect for this band!"

Smyth, Hunt and Sandager then set about refining and shaping Smyth's original material.

In 2012, Koefoed came on board, adding his distinctive sound to the tracks.

"Tomas is without a doubt one of the most solid bassists I've encountered in some time," says Smyth. "He literally added an entirely new dimension to these songs that would not have been possible to be achieved without him."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, the town of Hoquiam, Washington will declare April 10, 2014 as Nirvana Day. Hoquiam's mayor, Jack Durney, reportedly spoke on the legendary rock group, saying, "They bring great honor, I think as I say, to our entire community. And I think that it's good Kurt Cobain lived in Hoquiam for a little while, but he and Krist Novoselic are part of our community, and I think it's good to honor our sons and their great accomplishments." As previously reported, NIRVANA will also be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. They will be honored alongside KISS, Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens and several others.

The Rock Hall induction ceremony will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on April 10 — the same day NIRVANA is set to receive their day in Hoquiam.

Both events will take place five days following the 20th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death.

Dallas Toler-Wade, guitarist/vocalist of the death metal band NILE, has launched a new project called NARCOTIC WASTELAND.

NARCOTIC WASTELAND's debut album will be released mid-January 2014 and will be made available via the band's web site as well as iTunes, Spotify and Amazon.

NARCOTIC WASTELAND started as a side project Dallas had been working on for the past few years when he was not touring or in the writing/studio mode with NILE. "The more songs I completed for NARCOTIC WASTELAND, the more I wanted to put a full band lineup together," he explained.

Dallas asked longtime friend Edwin Rhone (lead guitar, vocals) if he was interested in joining the new group. They both had played in metal bands together in the early-to-mid 1990s. Edwin later recommended Chris Dupre for bass and vocals.

Dallas stated: "Chris came in and not only knew his parts, but owned them with lots of attitude. So the only thing left was finding a drummer. After trying out several drummers from all over the States over two years, my bandmate in NILE, George Kollias, recommended Erik Schultek. Erik did not only nail the material, but fit very well to the style and sound of the music."

NARCOTIC WASTELAND is:

Dallas Toler-Wade - Guitar/VocalsEdwin Rhone - Guitar/VocalsChris Dupre - Bass/VocalsErik Schultek - Drums

A video teaser for the forthcoming debut album, "Tattooed Woman", from MIRACLE MASTER, the German/Danish hard rock band formed out of the ashes of PUMP, can be seen below. The clip was created by Dominic Pencz of Pencz Art and Krone Camera Edit.

"Tattooed Woman" will be released in the spring via Golden Core Records/ZYX Music. The CD was recorded at Studio 22 in Germany and was produced, mixed and mastered by MIRACLE MASTER and Axel Heckert (BRAINSTORM, SYMPHORCE).

MIRACLE MASTER recently signed a worldwide management contract with Germany’s RockNGrowl Management.

MIRACLE MASTER is:

* Oliver Weers (OLIVER WEERS BAND) - Vocals* Aki Reissmann (ex-PUMP, DOWNSPIRIT) - Guitar* Selly Bernhardt (ex-PUMP, TALES OF SORROW) - Guitar* Andy Minich (ex-PUMP, UNFROYND) - Drums* Michael Vetter (ex-PUMP, CHINCHILLA) - Bass

Video footage of Virginia hardcore thrashbangers IRON REAGAN, who feature within their crossover ranks Tony Foresta (MUNICIPAL WASTE), LandPhil Hall (MUNICIPAL WASTE, CANNABIS CORPSE), Ryan Parrish (ex-DARKEST HOUR), Mark Bronzino (MAMMOTH GRINDER, ANS) and Rob Skotis (HELLBEAR), performing on December 20 at The Talent Farm in Pembroke Pines, Florida can be seen below.

IRON REAGAN's vinyl-only split 12-inch with California's favorite gore-sworn death metal deviants EXHUMED will be released on January 7, 2014 via Tankcrimes. A profane union of spirits, the split offers up eight unrepentant tracks that spout more unexpurgated fury than a pack of wild badgers. Writes Invisible Oranges: "IRON REAGAN rocked some worlds earlier this year with their pissed off whirlwind of a debut full-length, 'Worse Than Dead'. That album, with songs that average around a minute-thirty and nail the punk and hardcore divide with a thrashy attitude, thematically resurrects the spirits of Cold War-era fears to take on today's politically charged topics like gun control and reproductive rights... Foresta's voice is certainly a defining characteristic in IRON REAGAN, but this isn't MUNICIPAL WASTE 2.0."

A performance clip of the song "Metropolis Pt. 1", taken from "Dream Theater: Live At Luna Park", the new concert film from progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER, can be seen below.

"Dream Theater: Live At Luna Park" sold around 6,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 1 on the Top Music Videos chart.

"Dream Theater: Live At Luna Park" came out on November 5 via Eagle Rock Entertainment on 2DVD, Blu-ray, visual digital formats and a deluxe edition. The deluxe edition is an 11.5-inch square 60-page hardback photobook containing the Blu-ray, 2 DVDs and 3 CDs presenting all the key physical formats in one release; the CDs are only available in this deluxe edition. These releases boast the 160 minute main show — accompanied by a wealth of bonus material — and feature many of the band's classic tracks, including "Metropolis Pt. 1", "The Silent Man", "Pull Me Under", "The Root Of All Evil", "The Test That Stumped Them All", "The Spirit Carries On" and the recent "On The Backs Of Angels".

DREAM THEATER began their mammoth "A Dramatic Tour Of Events" world trek in July 2011 with the final leg in South America taking place in August 2012. It was here at the Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that they decided to film the two nights that make up this DVD release. The "Live At Luna Park" band lineup for this show is James LaBrie (vocals); John Petrucci (guitar); Jordan Rudess (keyboards); John Myung (bass); and Mike Mangini (drums). This was DREAM THEATER's first tour and album with their new drummer and all the tracks from that album, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", are included in either the main show or the bonus performances.

The bonus features offer live versions of six great tracks: "These Walls"; "Build Me Up, Break Me Down"; "Caught In A Web"; "Wait For Sleep"; "Far From Heaven"; and "Pull Me Under". Also on "Live At Luna Park" is a documentary, the trailer for the cinema release of the film, a "behind-the-scenes" feature and the cartoon intro that ran on big screens prior to the band taking to the stage in Buenos Aires. The Blu-ray additionally features six multi-angle options on "Outcry".

According to The Globe And Mail, a reissue of RUSH's 1974 debut album to celebrate the LP's 40th anniversary will be made available next year. The source of the information is Universal Music Canada's VP of catalog marketing Ivar Hamilton, who says the members of RUSH are "very involved" in the process of putting the package together.

No other details regarding the reissue are currently available, but it will likely include a remaster of the album, and new and expanded liner notes.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, RUSH's 20th studio album, "Clockwork Angels", will be adapted into a comic book next spring. The six-issue series will be published by independent company Boom! Studios beginning in March 2014. The 2012 concept album was already the basis of a novel by science fiction writer Kevin J. Anderson, who worked closely with RUSH drummer and lyricist Neil Peart to develop the storyline. Anderson will also be writing the comic book series. He promised that the comics will contain snippets of lyrics and other hidden references to earlier RUSH albums, saying, "We think RUSH fans are attentive and intelligent. It just gives them the extra thrill of seeing that this isn't just a straightforward story. There's a lot of interconnected things, too.”

Peart said about the idea of expanding upon the album's concept, "Kevin and I had talked for years about combining a novel and an album in some fashion, but I guess the idea had to grow up as Kevin and I did — gaining maturity and confidence in our own separate crafts, while gaining the life experience necessary to give the story its scale and depth."

The coming-of-age story is about a naive youngster in a turn-of-the-century world of airborne steam liners, pirates, carnivals, alchemists and wind-up contraptionsRUSH recently released a new live DVD titled "Clockwork Angels Tour". The band was filmed and recorded last November at a Dallas concert for the project.

Neil Peart and Kevin J. Anderson have been friends for more than 25 years.

(Thanks: RushIsABand.com)

MY ACUMEN, the new band featuring former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Matt Snell alongside guitarists Lamont Edgar (MAYA HYENA, SON OF SANFORD) and Andy Nixon (EYES ON FIRE), singer Mike Gerdts and drummer Tim Hassemer, has made its debut five-song EP available for streaming and download at MyAcumenMusic.com.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Burn02. Fireflies03. In The End04. Straight Jacket Memories05. Scars Of Broken Dreams

Speaking to Hollywood Music Magazine, Snell stated about the new project's debut release: "We decided that in the spirit of the season that we would do a free download of our first EP.

"What we have done is taken the first five songs we have; we are giving them away because we want people to hear the music.

"There's way too much emphasis from bands trying to make money and personally I don't believe in Kickstarter programs and asking people for money to make a record for you.

"We made a record and we like what we did with it: some songs to find a direction and these songs are our best attempt at being radio friendly, but the newer stuff that we are writing now are definitely more technical and definitely less arranged in the radio format.

"It was fun to write those first songs. We really like what we have so far and we are not going to stray too far from it, but we have some very talented players in this band. And with me my favorite bands are [PINK] FLOYD and OPETH and old [BLACK] SABBATH and stuff like that… Bands like INTRONAUT, which is one of my favorite bands, and MASTODON, so we're going to start experimenting and back to what I used to play when I enjoyed playing. When it was fun."

Regarding what is next for MY ACUMEN, Snell said: "We are currently wrapping up a whole another set of songs, working on the more experimental stuff and having fun with it. And I'm an engineer, and have been for years, so it's nice to get back to create new sounds and find new sounds which haven't been used, or at least haven't been overused. Focusing less on monetary reward and focus on personal reward by creating songs that you want to listen to.

"Our end goal is to write a complete album that you can listen to front to back and that hasn't happened for a long time. Not for me, anyway. That happened for me when I was a young child, which was the end of that era, and I think that needs to come back.

"We are trying to make a good record and that is our total focus. We want to make a good record."

Quality video footage of EXODUS performing the song "Bonded By Blood" on December 20 at Slim's in San Francisco, California can be seen below (courtesy of Rock Hard Live).

EXODUS mainman and current SLAYER touring guitarist Gary Holt told Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone about his plans for a new EXODUS studio album: "I'm heavily in riff mode [right now]. It's always hard to gauge where a record's going right away, but you kind of get a feel for where you're headed mentally, and right now it's really fast. It's ridiculous.

"I wanna make sure that the [next EXODUS] album is as good as it needs to be, and knowing I am going to be on a tight time frame, it does tend to stress me out quite a bit. But I think I write well under stress… I hate the pressure. But I do what I gotta do. We all do. So we'll make it happen."

EXODUS recently completed a European tour of 17 cities, with stops in Barcelona, Dublin, London and more. Although SLAYER tapped the talents of Gary Holt for their European tour, Holt performed at select EXODUS dates. When Holt was not performing with EXODUS, HEATHEN guitarist Kragen Lum was filling in on guitar.

EXODUS' latest album, "Exhibit B: The Human Condition", was released in North America on May 18, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The CD sold around 4,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 114 on The Billboard 200 chart.

EXODUS' previous album, "The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A", opened with 3,600 units back in October 2007.

Veteran Swedish hard rockers 220 VOLT entered the studio on December 19 to begin recording their as-yet-untitled new album for a May 2014 release. So far, six songs have been laid down, and another batch will be tracked in mid-January.

220 VOLT earlier in the year announced the addition of singer Anders Engberg (THERION, LION'S SHARE) to the group's ranks. The band's current line is completed by founding members Thomas Drevin and Mats Karlsson on guitar, returning drummer Peter Hermansson and Mike Krusenberg on bass.

220 VOLT described its new songs as "as classic hard rock/metal — a bit harder than before, but still melodic."

Sony/BMG reissued 220 VOLT's first five albums ("220 Volt", "Power Games", "Mind Over Muscle", "Young And Wild" and "Eye To Eye") digitally with some bonus tracks added on to the "Power Games" and "Eye To Eye" LPs. They are now available on iTunes, Spotify and similar platforms.

2013 marks the 30th anniversary of 220 VOLT's self-titled first LP and the 25th anniversary of their landmark effort, "Eye To Eye". The band released short stories on their Facebook page about the recordings of each of their albums. They're posted in chronological order and take us album by album up to date.

Ex-NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon has slammed her former bandmates, claiming that she had "no say" during her time with the band and insisting she was fired from the group shortly after announcing that she was pregnant with her third child.

Olzon, who will release her debut solo album, "Shine", in February, gave an extensive interview to Finland's largest women's weekly magazine, Me Naiset, in which she spoke about the circumstances that led to her split with NIGHTWISH. A few excerpts from the chat follow below (translated from Finnish).

On how her experience may be similar to what former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen went through years earlier:

"It would be interesting to [speak] with Tarja and talk about our experiences [while we were members of the band]."

"What happened to Tarja happened to me — I was fired."

On splitting with NIGHTWISH after coming down with a stomach flu and becoming hospitalized in September 2012 during the band's North American tour:

"No one from the band visited me while I was in the hospital."

"I suggested we cancel shows until I was well enough to return to the road but the boys didn't want to even consider that. [Former AFTER FOREVER and current REVAMP singer] Floor Jansen had replaced me before I had recovered."

On the emotions she went through — first shock, then anger and sorrow — after her departure from NIGHTWISH, which she compared to a divorce:

"I wondered what I had done wrong to deserve this. I was also, of course, worried that I wouldn't be able to support my family."

On how her marriage to her now-ex-husband suffered as a result of the pressure she felt during NIGHTWISH's heavy touring schedule after she joined the band:

"[Travelling between shows] in Brazil and Argentina was scary. People were pulling my cheeks, grabbing and pulling my hair. It was causing so much anxiety that I had panic attacks."

"I was stressed out over my personal life while we were on tour, but I didn't want to take it out on the band. I believe the boys saw I was falling apart, but I didn't get much support from them."

"Emotionally, the toughest part was that the boys decided everything for me. I had no say. If Tuomas [Holopainen, NIGHTWISH keyboardist/mainman] decided that we would go to Africa, off we went."

On how the finances in NIGHTWISH were split (Anette claims the four men in NIGHTWISH controlled millions of euros in revenue through their company Scene Nation, which she wanted to be an employee of, but she had to start her own company, Momma Anka AB, instead. She also claims her company had a loss of 72,800 euros in 2010. During the same period, Scene Nation had a profit of 351,000 euros):

"The concert salaries and royalties were divided evenly, but other income went directly to the men.

"Running a company alone was expensive. I had to borrow money from the boys to start it up."

On not being bitter about how things ended with NIGHTWISH and unresolved feelings she has from the split with the band:

"I've often thought about calling Tuomas to get some closure.

"I don't think this is over yet."

On leading a normal family life in Helsingborg, Sweden and readying her first solo album:

"Only now I can say I am happy.

"Bad experiences have a meaning too.

"I am no longer that overly self-conscious girl who tries to please others and pretend that everything is always right."

In response to Olzon's Me Naiset interview, the members of NIGHTWISH released a statement (translated from Finnish) via their official web site in which they disputed many of the claims made by their former singer, insisting that the article was "full of twisted truths and defamation."

NIGHTWISH's statement reads as follows:

"Welcome to the laundry room...

"The interview of our former vocalist Anette in Me Naiset magazine is full of twisted truths and defamation. This 'one woman vs. the Neanderthals' scenario is an easy to way to take advantage of our media history.

"The split with Anette wasn't because of pregnancy or illness. We discovered her personality didn't fit this work community, and was even detrimental to it.

"These claims we can invalidate right away:

"Claim: Moments [before being fired], Anette had told Tuomas Holopainen of her pregnancy

"Truth: Anette told of her pregnancy to the whole band already a week earlier in Montreal. Everyone was congratulative, and Anette herself offered an option of hiring a replacement vocalist if she can't manage everything, which was already agreed on. Later she took back her decision, and the difficulties really started. Fear of losing money and position seemed obvious.

"Claim: The boys of the band decided everything for me

"Truth: Neither Tuomas nor any other of the boys of the band can singlehandedly decide where we take off to and when. There have been discussions inside the band and support of people on a personal level. Also Anette. Managers and promoters discuss about possible concerts, record releases, etc., and wishes of all the band members have been taken into account. All these details have been negotiated with Anette and her manager. We have the e-mails.

"To keep the touring life bearable, it's reasonable and right to make things comfortable on a personal level. Based on these discussions, Anette was given liberties from interviews and fan meetings. She and her family got an own tour bus and driver in both Europe and America. The expenses were paid by the organization, not Anette or her company. Others of the band didn't use similar benefits.

"Claim: Other income went directly to the men

"Truth: Anette and her company has been paid a fifth of everything that was done during her time and with her. We have no reason to lie, because this cake has provided enough slices for us all. The finances of the band have always been handled openly, honestly and evenhandedly. The books exist. How individual members spend their share is up to their own responsibility.

"We neither want to nor intend to comment this more now.

"Doing the laundry is tiring. Remember to help your ladies with that occasionally."

Sweden’s EVOCATION has announced the addition of Simon Exner as the new guitar player of the band. The band has released the following:

“The time has come to reveal the identity of the new guitar player of Evocation – please welcome Simon Exner! Simon is previously known for his amazing guitar work in the Swedish death metal outfit AS YOU DROWN (Metal Blade Records). Evocation is extremely proud to add such a raw and pure talent who has lived and breathed death metal since he was spawned. Simon and all the guys from AYD have been close friends of Evocation since the reunion in 2005 and Simon has also worked for Evocation as crew and studio engineer.

So for Evocation it was an easy and obvious choice since his guitar playing is brilliant and the chemistry between him and the rest of the band has always been great. Also just to make clear, Simon will also continue working with AYD as usual. As we already revealed last week, Simon and Marko are already working on the fifth Evocation full length album. More updates on the new material will follow shortly so stay tuned. In the meantime also show some support for our friends in As You Drown!”
Exner comments: “I've been a close friend with the band ever since Tales From The Tomb, following them on shows and also working with them on the tracking of their latest release, Excised And Anatomised. When Marko approached me regarding the open spot as guitarist in Evocation, I didn't hesitate one second. We work great together in the studio and the new tracks written so far for the next album are truly KILLER!

I can't wait to play some great Evocation songs live and meet all of you awesome people! See ya soon!"

For more info visit Facebook.

The Vegas strip had nothing on the Sunset Strip when it came to rock 'n' roll, and a new multi-media show is bringing that experience to the stage in a special sneak preview. LET IT RAWK will debut in the Chrome Showroom at Santa Fe Station and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, January 18 at 9 p.m. PST. LET IT RAWK is a loud, colorful, energetic and interactive experience of the hair metal era on L.A.'s Sunset Strip. The showroom and stage will be infused with the sights and energy of a legendary rock club. Performed by guys who were there, shaping the scene, the show's playlist includes the greatest hits from the '80s and early '90s. From WARRANT to MÖTLEY CRÜE, the best anthems will be performed in all the glory of the day. And hits from the LET IT RAWK bands' careers are highlights. The LET IT RAWK band is the real deal. It's fronted by BLACK 'N BLUE and ex-WARRANT vocalist Jaime St. James. Guitarist Oz Fox is in the platinum-selling Christian glam rock band STRYPER. DOKKEN's Sean McNabb has played bass for other Kings of The Sunset Strip, including GREAT WHITE and QUIET RIOT. Drummer Brent Fitz from SLASH AND THE CONSPIRATORS will be slamming the skins. Brent has also played for Vince Neil and Alice Cooper. The band will also feature floating members, such as Eddie Ojeda from TWISTED SISTER and BULLETBOYS' original drummer Jimmy D'Anda. The anchor of the band is LET IT RAWK's creator and producer Stacey Blades. Stacey's ten years with L.A. GUNS cemented him as a must-watch guitar player, and his final record with the band, "Hollywood Forever", earned him critical acclaim for his exceptional fretwork. He left the band last year to pursue his other projects, including LET IT RAWK.

"I have been diligently working on this project since last March, and am super stoked to be sharing the stage with such awesome guys and talented musicians," said Blades. "The show will be playing a few times a month here in Vegas and then be doing casino shows nationally. See you out there!"

LET IT RAWK debuts in the Chrome Showroom at Santa Fe Station and Casino, 4949 North Rancho Drive, Las Vegas, on Saturday, January 18 at 9 p.m. PST. General admission tickets are $21. VIP meet-and-greet upgrades will be available soon. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com.

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen has revealed to Billboard.com that the band is planning a "Viva Pyromania" residency in Las Vegas at the end of 2014.

DEF LEPPARD's breakthrough 1983 album, "Pyromania", was certified at the RIAA's (Recording Industry Association of America) diamond level (10 million copies shipped) in 2004. Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, "Pyromania" benefited greatly from MTV's relentless airing of the album's first two singles, "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages".

The birth of MTV would definitely aid in fueling the success of DEF LEPPARD's third album, which lit the fuse for the pop metal bands so successful throughout the remainder of the decade, but as Elliott reveals to "In The Studio" host Redbeard, it was a challenge throughout the recording sessions to ignite those soon-to-be anthemic songs.

"About halfway through the 'Pyromania' album, I first noticed that it was getting difficult to create something that was as good as the top-notch artists," he said. "We weren't that little band from Sheffield anymore, we had to be better and bigger than BOSTON, FOREIGNER… you name it."

In an online post, Elliott commented on "Pyromania"'s 30th anniversary: "Wow... I can't believe it's 30 years since 'Pyromania' came out! It had been a labor of love to make (little did we know in comparison to 'Hysteria', it was a piece of cake!). Multiple studios in London, one guitarist out, one guitarist in, equipment breakdowns, tapes turning transparent because of the thousands of times they were rewound and fast forwarded for multiple overdubs, but we found our sound on this record with the help of a great producer in Mutt Lange, the new studio technology that we eagerly embraced (unlike many of our peers) and an incredible enthusiasm to 'make a record no one else had ever made. Whether we did or didn't isn't important. What is, is that we had made the record WE wanted to make, it had been percolating in our DNA for six years! We finally sounded like the 'us' we wanted to be!!!"

DEF LEPPARD's first Las Vegas residency at the Hard Rock Hotel this past spring saw the band playing its classic album "Hysteria" in full each night.

DEF LEPPARD "Pyromania" "In The Studio" interview (audio):

Since releasing their full-length self-titled debut album back in 2009, the members of the Connecticut-based prog-rock quintet MILE MARKER ZERO have been hard at work writing and recording new music planned for release in 2014.

Led by vocalist Dave Alley, John Tuohy (guitars), Mark Focarile (keyboards), Tim Rykoski (bass) and Doug Alley (drums), Mile Marker Zero have shared the stage with some stalwart names such as Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, ADRENALINE MOB, THE WINERY DOGS), Geoff Tate (QUEENSRŸCHE), PORCUPINE TREE, PERIPHERY, THE DISCO BISCUITS, SPOCK’S BEARD, and SCALE THE SUMMIT to name a few.
"The past couple years have been interesting for us as a band. We have all gone through so much in our personal lives and it's present in our new material,” says vocalist Dave Alley. “It's been exciting to take a step back and look at our sound and writing from an objective point of view. I feel we are finally coming into our own as songwriters. The material we have been creating recently is something really special and something we think fans of the band/genre will appreciate. Our forthcoming material showcases the juxtaposition of our heavier instrumentation and our more classic sound in the keyboards and vocals.”

As part of a series of cover/rewrite mashups released earlier this year, Mile Marker Zero took to combining JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE’s 'Blue Ocean Floor' with PINK FLOYD’s 'Comfortably Numb'. Check out the cleverly arranged rendition below:
Alley adds, “With our cover series online, we experimented mashing aggressive guitars and drums with poppy and pleasing vocal tracks. This started heavily influencing our new material and the way we look at composition. However, when it's all said and done the core of our writing has been "the song". We have always worked hard to write a great song that has individuality amongst the crowd. This time around it has only become more obvious that we are a band that take pride in writing tunes that are not only fun for us to play, but are really memorable and impactful to our audience. We are very excited for everything coming in 2014 and look forward to getting out and playing for everyone, everywhere."

The group is set to kick the new year off with a string of northeast dates beginning on January 10th at Le Grand Fromage in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

January
10 - Le Grand Fromage - Atlantic City, NJ
11 - The Rusty Nail - Ardmore, PA
28 - Tammany Hall - New York, NY

February
22 - Legendary Dobbs - Philadelphia, PA

In related news, the band will be giving a special holiday acoustic performance on December 27th, at The Outer Space located in Hamden, CT. For more info, visit this location.

More on Mile Marker Zero at Facebook.

According to Torrentfreak.com, IRON MAIDEN has taken a more positive approach to online pirates. Instead of hunting them down for lawsuits, the band is using file-sharing data to plan their tour locations, and not without success.

iron-maidenOver the past several years numerous studies have shown that on average file-sharers spend more money on legal purchases, including concert tickets and merchandise.

The most logical explanation for this finding is that “pirates” are more engaged than those who don’t share, and that they complement their legal purchases with unauthorized downloads.
This means that unauthorized file-sharers are in fact the music industry’s best customers. So, instead of hunting down these pirates for lawsuits, it may be more rewarding to play for them.

The English heavy metal band Iron Maiden is doing just that. The veteran musicians use the services of music analytics company Musicmetric which allows them to see where their albums are most pirated.

“If you know what drives engagement you can maximize the value of your fan base. Artists could say ‘we’re getting pirated here, let’s do something about it’, or ‘we’re popular here, let’s play a show’,” Gregory Mead, CEO and co-founder of Musicmetric told Cite.

Instead of suing these unauthorized file-sharers, the band used the information as input for its tours, and not without success.

Read more at Torrentfreak.com.

West Virginia-based metallers DOFKA have released the officiallydic video for their new single 'Pain And Sorrow' below:
'Pain And Sorrow', backed with 'Johnny's Back' (RIOT tribute) is available for free download at this location.
The first new Dofka track in three years, 'Pain And Sorrow' features the vocal talents of Matt Bizilia (ICARUS WITCH, HABITUAL SIN). The classic riff based song structure and soaring vocals are meant to pay homage to the great melodic metal of the early 80's, like ACCEPT and LOUDNESS.

'Johnny's Back' is a tribute to another 80's metal band, Riot. Former Dofka singer Chet Miller contributed his talents to this raging thrash track, and Icarus Witch guitarist Quinn Lucas joined in on the fun, adding his ripping guitar sound to the track! The track was originally released as a tribute to Riot guitarist Mark Reale, who passed away in January of 2012.

Listen below:

Pain and Sorrow by Dofka

Chicago's ION VEIN "are very happy to tell you that tracking for the new record is finally complete (insert fanfare and Blackhawks goal horn) and everything is now in the hands of masterful producer Neil 'The Chief' Kernon to begin mixing. We don't have an exact timetable for the release yet but we're hopeful that it will hit the streets late spring... and yes, for all of you that have been asking, it will indeed be out in CD format as well as digital and will contain the six songs from the IV v1.0 and IV v2.0 digi-releases."
"As a little Christmas/Holiday treat and token of our appreciation to all of you wonderful friends out there, we've decided to finally make the song, 'Seemless', off of the IV v2.0 release available to stream in full for a limited time; check it out here.

As the year draws to a close, we'd like to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you that continue to support us and to be patient as we continue to work hard to get new music out to you. We're excited at what lies ahead in 2014 with the release of the new album, more shows, hopefully some touring, and more opportunities to get out and see you guys."

Cincinnati, Ohio metallers COME THE DAWN have signed with Sumerian Records. Their debut album is due for release sometime in 2014 and the band is planning a tour in support of the album next year as well.
In anticipation of the debut album, the Come The Dawn has released a lyric video for ‘Worlds Collide (As It Ends Tonight)’:
Come The Dawn is:

Marcus Barber – vocals
Samuel Morelock – guitar
John Bobinger – guitar/vocals
Josh Sexton – drums

For more info visit Facebook.

It has become a tradition during December that a varying group of Finnish metal musicians take part in the RASKASTA JOULUA (Heavy Christmas) tour and this year the band released their self-titled album which as gone platinum (20,000 units) in their homeland!
Raskasta Joulua features the following star-studded line-up!

‘Enkelikello’ - Antti Railio (CELESTY)
‘Heinillä’ härkien kaukalon - Ville Tuomi and Kimmo Blom (STRATOVARIUS)
‘Mielenrauhaa’ Jarkko Ahola (TERÄSBETONI) and Pasi Rantanen (THUNDERSTONE)
‘Pieni Rumpali’ - JP Leppäluoto (HARMAJA, ex-NORTH KINGS, CHARON), Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH, TAROT), Tony Kakko (SONATA ARCTICA), Jarkko Ahola (Teräsbetoni, Northern Kings)
‘Tonttu’ - JP Leppäluoto
‘Arkihuolesi Kaikki Heitä’ - Antony Parviainen (ex-MACHINE MEN)
‘Julen är här’ - Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE), Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica)
‘Sylvian Joululaulu’ (Antony Parviainen)
‘Nisse-Polkka’ - Ville Tuomi (LENINGRAD COWBOYS, ex-AMORPHIS), Ilja Jalkanen (KIUAS)
‘Valkea Joulu 2013’ - Jarkko Ahola, Pasi Rantanen (THUNDERSTONE)
‘Jouluksi Kotiin’ - Tony Kakko
‘Me Käymme Joulun Viettohon’ - Tommi Salmela (Tarot), Ilja Jalkanen
‘Varpunen Jouluaamuna’ - Marco Hietala
The ensemble will also be hitting the road in Europe starting November 15th.

For more info and tour dates visit Facebook.

ANATHEMA has finished the first session of the new album they are recording. The band checked in with the following:

“So… The first session of the new Anathema album recording is complete, and it has been enjoyable and productive. Norway is a good place to work, we have the right team around us and it's all sounding spectacular.
There are nine or ten songs on the record, and so far it's impossible to pick out the very best. There are a pretty wide range of styles and genres on the album and we believe very much in these new songs.

There is a break now for Christmas and we will get back together in the New Year and finish what we started.

Good wishes

Anathema.”

For more info visit Facebook.

On March 3rd, Hammerheart Records will issue HADES’ Alone Walkyng on vinyl. This release features their demo from 1993 on side A with side B etched, limited to 500 copies.
This Norwegian black metal band has a pinch of BATHORY and was recorded at Grieghallen (BURZUM, EMPEROR, MAYHEM).

Alone Walkying tracklisting:

‘Unholy Congregation’
‘Hecate (Queen Of Hades)’
‘Alone Walkyng’