MINDGRINDER, the Norwegian extreme metal band featuring André "Cosmocrator" Søgnen (THE WRETCHED END, SCUM) on bass/vocals, has released its third album, "Prop Agenda". The CD was recorded and mixed at Akkerhaugen Lydstudio (EMPEROR, WINDIR, MYRKSKOG) and the band's own facility, Barnsville. Mastering was done at Andy La Roque's (KING DIAMOND) Sonic Train in Varberg, Sweden. The cover art was handled by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, HATEBREED, SIGH).

"Prop Agenda" contains MINDGRINDER's cover version of the EMPEROR classic "I Am The Black Wizards" featuring a guest appearance by SPOONFUL OF BLUES bass player Jens Haugen, father of ZYKLON/EMPEROR guitarist Samoth (real name: Tomas Haugen).

"Prop Agenda" track listing:

01. W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G. (04:12)02. Bow To Theocracy (04:27)03. Deja Vu (05:02)04. Come Shine (04:12)05. Collective Decay (06:22)06. The Decipherer (05:07)07. Do What Thou Wilt (04:09)08. Beyond P.S.R. (04:12)09. I Am the Black Wizards (EMPEROR cover) (06:41)

The "W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G." video can be seen below.

MINDGRINDER's sophomore album, "Riot Detonator", was released in May 2005 via Nocturnal Art Productions. Cosmocrator described the songs on the CD at the time as "extreme, brutal and intense, based on the strongest material from the first album, but taking it even further in all ways. The expression is way more dynamic, raw and complete this time!"

MINDGRINDER issued its debut album, "MindTech", in April 2004 through Nocturnal Art Productions.

KAYSER, the Swedish band featuring former SPIRITUAL BEGGARS frontman Spice and ex-THE MUSHROOM RIVER BAND drummer Bob Ruben, has signed a long-term deal with Listenable Records. The group's new album, entitled "Read Your Enemy", is scheduled for an early 2014 release.

KAYSER is working with Sinemax Productions on a video for an as-yet-undisclosed track.

KAYSER saw the first ray of light in early June 2004 when Spice, Mattias Svensson (also of THE DEFACED), Bob Ruben and Fredrik Finnander decided to join forces to create a pure metal band. The band's sound is fully immersed in true original heavy/thrash metal genre with emphasis on the muscular songwriting: hammering blistering and catchy riffs one after another, delivering the goods through scorching witty arrangements with fluid virtuosity. Focus always lies on the song, easily identifiable through the supreme vocals by Spice, though the emotional and musical expressions stretch from heavy introvert pounding to pure hate driven ferocity.

"No boundaries and no limits... and that goes for everything," the members stated initially to set the aim straight. As for comparisons, it might be best described as a mutation of BLACK SABBATH, MEGADETH and SLAYER with dips from different good bowls of classic and modern metal.

Popular for its incendiary shows, KAYSER enforces the pillars of metal with absolute authority.

KAYSER became a much-talked-about live act among the metal fans, rampaging cities across Europe with bands like VOLBEAT and more.

KAYSER is:

Spice (ex-SPIRITUAL BEGGARS) - Vocals Swaney - GuitarsJokke - GuitarsBiff - BassBob Ruben - DrumsSimon Mårtensson - Organ, Rhodes, Mellotron (session musician)

Viking thrash metal band THE HORDE has entered The Dungeon Of Doom studio with producer Drew Webster to record its second full-length album, "Destroyer... Slayer of Men", for a 2014 release via Abyss Records. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Usurper Berzerker", "Conquering Of The Firewyrm" and "Behold In Despair". The effort will also contain "a special track at the end for fans of our first CD," according to guitarist Tim. A rough mix of the track "Pray Hater" from "Destroyer... Slayer of Men" can be heard below. THE HORDE's latest album, "Thy Blackened Reign", was released in 2011 on StormSpell Records.

Formed in 2006, THE HORDE hails from Rock Island, Illinois. The band has shared the stage with the likes of EXODUS, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, JOB FOR A COWBOY, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, SOILENT GREEN, SKELETONWITCH and THE RED CHORD.

TRONOS is the name of a project featuring Shane Embury (NAPALM DEATH) and producer Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, EVILE) alongside a slew of guest musicians, including drummer Dirk Verbeuren (SOILWORK), bassists Billy Gould (FAITH NO MORE) and Troy Sanders (MASTODON), and singer Silje Wergeland (THE GATHERING). The project, in which Embury and Russell both handle guitars, is currently seeking another singer "in the style of" Jaz Coleman (KILLING JOKE) to contribute most of the lead vocals on its forthcoming debut CD.

Speaking to Metal Hammer editor Alexander Milas for the "Metal Hammer" radio show on TeamRock Radio (hear audio below), Russ stated about how TRONOS came about: "[Shane and I] been talking for years about doing a project, because we love CELTIC FROST. And then when TRIPTYKON [featuring CELTIC FROST singer, guitarist, and main songwriter Tom Gabriel Fischer, a.k.a. Tom Gabriel Warrior] came along, we were just, like, 'Ah, my God! This is fantastic! We need to do something like this.' But also crossed with… We have a great love of all things ambient and 'floaty,' like the COCTEAU TWINS. As much reverb and chorus and delay as you can put on a guitar as possible and make the most ethereal, floaty, beautiful sounds. [So we were, like], 'How can we combine those two things together?' So, for the past, I guess, around eighteen months, we've been coming up with ideas. We call it riff tennis — we have a guitar and we pass it backward and forwards. 'OK, your go. My go. Your go. My go.' I've gotta say he does hog the guitar than I do, because he's a riff machine, as it takes me a little bit more to come up with stuff. But it was really easy; it came together so simple."

On November 7 at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, California, the Geoff Tate-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE acoustically performed the entire setlist that was played by the original band during their 1992 "MTV Unplugged" show. They also played other QUEENSRŸCHE hits and favorites.

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

"MTV Unplugged" setlist was as follows:

01. I Will Remember02. The Killing Words03. Della Brown 04. Silent Lucidity 05. Scarborough Fair/Canticle (SIMON & GARFUNKEL cover) 06. The Lady Wore Black 07. Anybody Listening? 08. Rockin' In The Free World (NEIL YOUNG cover)

Tate's QUEENSRŸCHE now features Tate along with guitarist Kelly Gray (QUEENSRŸCHE 1998-2001), keyboardist Randy Gane and the band's latest additions, guitarist Robert Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, HURRICANE) and drummer Simon Wright (AC/DC, DIO, RHINO BUCKET).

"Frequency Unknown", the new album from the Geoff Tate-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE, sold around 5,500 copies in its first week of release in the United States to land at position No. 82 on The Billboard 200 chart. Issued on April 23, the CD was produced by Jason Slater at a studio in Northern California.

"Frequency Unknown" is packaged with bonus tracks — four QUEENSRŸCHE classics, newly recorded, including the smash hit single "Silent Lucidity". Guest musicians on the CD include K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST), Chris Poland (MEGADETH), Ty Tabor (KING'S X), Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS), Lita Ford, Brad Gillis (NIGHT RANGER), Dave Meniketti (Y&T) and Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN).

U.S. power/heavy metal veterans ATTACKER will be in the recording studio next weekend laying down a cover version of the RIOT classic "Fire Down Under" that will appear on the Keep It True festival tribute album, to be released at the 2014 edition of the festival. The band states: "We are also working on something fun for everyone that we think people will dig as well as getting to work on new material for the next ATTACKER release."

ATTACKER's fifth album, "Giants Of Canaan", was released in February via Metal On Metal Records. The CD was recorded at Katalomi Studios in Jersey City, New Jersey and engineered and mixed by Pat "Taps" Guden and drummer Michael Sabatini. The effort was mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music (SEPULTURA, SUFFOCATION, UNEARTH) in New Windsor, New York.

The "Giants Of Canaan" cover art was painted by Jowita Kaminska-Peruzzi (who has previously worked on covers from ATTACKER, EXODUS, WITCHBURNER, FORSAKEN, MELIAH RAGE, MANILLA ROAD, DECEASED, ARKHAM WITCH and others).

Francois Biber of The Feedback Society recently conducted an interview with SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On rejoining SLAYER:

Bostaph: "Being away from the band for as long as I have been made me miss playing this music and being with the guys again… It's like coming home."

On the death of SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman:

Bostaph: "Jeff was a brother and his personality and his energy are missed, there's no doubt about that. It's different with him not being around, for sure, but Gary [Holt] is doing a great job and it's still SLAYER, the way Jeff wanted it."

On whether any of Jeff's musical ideas will make it to SLAYER's next album:

Bostaph: "Kerry [King, SLAYER guitarist] and I haven't worked up of any of Jeff's songs yet and I don't know how that's going to work yet. The idea is to look at the songs Jeff has. I don't know what's going to happen with them yet. It's a matter of sitting down and working with them. Bottom line is, Jeff was such a strong songwriter, if we can't finish something he's written, if we can't finish it, well, it might be something that has to wait."

On SLAYER's unwavering brutality:

Bostaph: "When you're a fan of music and metal and you fall in love with a band, that has purity to it. Then if they compromise that purity or stain it somehow, it's not a very good feeling as a fan, and this band is very in touch with that because we're fans of heavy metal as well. SLAYER never compromises. They do what they love to do and it's a really hard thing for any band to maintain for an entire career and it's one of the reasons why they're so respected and loved by their fans."

Read the entire interview at The Feedback Society.

Fan-filmed video footage of CARCASS' November 8 performance at 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands as the support act for AMON AMARTH can be seen below.

CARCASS' new album, "Surgical Steel", sold around 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 41 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on September 16 in the U.K., September 13 in the rest of Europe and September 17 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was produced by Colin Richardson (FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) and mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ACCEPT, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY).

Joining guitarist Bill Steer and bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker in CARCASS' current incarnation are new drummer Dan Wilding (ABORTED, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED) and guitarist Ben Ash (PIG IRON, DESOLATION, LIQUEFIED SKELETON).

In a recent interview with Chile's Radio Futuro, Walker stated about the new CARCASS CD: "We think we've made a good album, so it's gonna be very interesting when people get to hear the record. We can't wait to see what people think."

He continued: "It sounds like CARCASS. Even the drumming sounds like CARCASS. Everything about it… I think it's gonna shock people, how good it is. I think it's got all the elements that people like, yet it still sounds fresh. So that's all I can say, really, 'cause we don't really sound like any other band, and the fact that after 17 years, we wrote music and it still sounds like CARCASS, I think it's good."

Regarding the direction of the new CARCASS album, Walker previously stated: "We've taken stylistic cues from all the albums because it's in our blood, but it's no rehash or mess of ideas. I think it sounds almost like the missing link between the third and forth albums but with some groove in there. I've jokingly christened some parts 'trad blast' and some 'death sleaze'… don't think for a minute this is just some nostalgic throwback album — we're setting up another 17 years of ideas for other bands to copy and clean up on. [laughs]"

"Nightmare Vortex", the debut album from German death metallers SLAUGHTERDAY, will be released on December 6 via FDA Rekotz on CD, LP and digital formats. The follow-up to "Cosmic Horror" limited cassette demo features "insane cosmic death metal that falls somewhere between AUTOPSY's 'Mental Funeral' and HYPOCRISY's 'Penetralia'," according to a press release. "Featuring stunning guitar melodies, fat bass lines, hellish vocals and annihilating drums, the movements from speeding ferocity to crawling crush are the stuff of traumatic audio terror." The artwork was created by Mark Cooper. "Nightmare Vortex" track listing:

01. Unearthly Evocation02. Nightmare Vortex03. Addicted To The Grave04. Cosmic Horror05. Morbid Shroud Of Sickness06. Cult Of The Dreaming Dead07. Obsessed With The Undead08. Cryptic Desolation09. The Ghoul (PENTAGRAM cover) (LP bonus track)

Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA took part in a live performance and interview on the November 5 edition of the Brazilian TV program "Paulo Miklos Show", which airs on Mix TV. Video footage of their appearance can be seen below.

"Paulo Miklos Show" is hosted by Paulo Miklos, singer and guitarist of TITÃS, considered the biggest rock band in Brazil. The song "Policia", which SEPULTURA has been performing live for more than two decades, originally appeared on the classic album "Cabeça Dinossauro" from TITÃS.

SEPULTURA's new album, "The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart", sold around 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

SEPULTURA's previous CD, 2011's "Kairos", opened with around 2,500 units.

"A-Lex", SEPULTURA's first LP to be recorded without either of the founding Cavalera brothers (Max and Igor; on guitar/vocals and drums, respectively), registered a first-week tally of around 1,600 back in January 2009.

"The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart" was released on October 29 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Although it was inspired by Fritz Lang's classic 1927 movie "Metropolis", "The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart" is not a concept album or a soundtrack like its precedessors "Dante XXI" (based on "The Divine Comedy") and "A-Lex" (based on "A Clockwork Orange").

"The Mediator Between The Head And Hands Must Be The Heart" was tracked over a 40-day period at producer Ross Robinson's (KORN, LIMP BIZKIT, SLIPKNOT) studio in Venice, California and was mixed and mastered by co-producer Steve Evetts, who previously worked with SEPULTURA on the "Nation" (2001), "Revolusongs" (2002) and "Roorback" (2003) albums, in addition to having collaborated with Ross on a number of other projects in the past.

Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers DELAIN performed a brand new song, "My Masquerade", at their special show, also dubbed "My Masquerade", on Friday, November 8 at Patronaat in Haarlem, The Netherlands. The evening featured never-before performed songs, special versions of other tracks, special effects, special guests and a lot of surprises. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

DELAIN earlier in the year released a special album, "Interlude", via Napalm Records. The effort was described in in a press release as "a fantastic blend of brand-new songs, special versions and mixes of popular DELAIN tracks, covers, and the beautiful single 'Are You Done With Me'. Thanks to the new mix, the well-known anthem shines with a new-found splendor. The album includes a special DVD featuring exclusive live footage and clips from the band's career. 'Interlude' is not only a must for loyal DELAIN fans, but also for those who have not experienced the music by DELAIN so far. It is the perfect introduction to the world of DELAIN and the starting point to an emotional and bombastic journey!"

DELAIN's third full-length studio album, "We Are The Others", was released in North America via the New Jersey-based top-tier progressive metal label Sensory Records. CNR Entertainment handled the release in The Netherlands and Roadrunner Records issued the CD in the rest of Europe.

Fan-filmed video mix of TWILIGHT OF THE GODS' November 2 performance at the Damnation Festival at Leeds University Union in Leeds, United Kingdom can be seen below.

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS' debut album, "Fire On The Mountain", was released on September 27 in Europe and October 1 in North America via Season Of Mist.

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS is: Alan Averill (PRIMORDIAL, DEAD SOVEREIGN, BLOOD REVOLT) on vocals, Nick Barker (ex-CRADLE OF FILTH, ex-DIMMU BORGIR, ex-TESTAMENT, ex-EXODUS) on drums, guitarists Rune Eriksen (AURA NOIR, ex-AVA INFERI, ex-MAYHEM) and Patrik Lindgren (THYRFING), and Frode Glesnes (EINHERJER) on bass.

"Fire On The Mountain" track listing:

01. Destiny Forged In Blood02. Children Of Cain03. Fire On The Mountain (1683)04. Preacher Man05. Sword Of Damocles06. The End Of History07. At Dawn We Ride

The effort was made available as a CD digipack and a limited-edition LP via the Season Of Mist e-shop.

In a recent interview with Metal Hammer magazine, Averill stated about "Fire On The Mountain": "We grew up with and through most of our reference points. This is just what just came out when we play. We didn't need to go, 'We need to write songs that sound like MANOWAR,' but we all love MANOWAR. There's a fine line to walk between pastiche, parody and putting of the old gonzoid heavy metal charm into it, but not being too self-knowing in that sense."

Asked if it was weird to switch over to singing classic metal lyrics, and finding out how he related to those lyrics, Averill said: "Definitely. The thing is that it's full of the gonzoid heavy metal idioms — the swords and the steel and the blood and the fire. It was a difficult balance to find, to strike between being full of a certain glory and beauty and charm of old heavy metal, without it being too wink-wink, nod-nod, self-parody, but really genuinely meaning it because that's what we all love, and treating it with the sort of kid gloves and respect that it deserves."

He continued: "But yeah, it was difficult trying to find a different voice, another kind of lyric but at the same time, if you take, say, the title track, 'Fire On The Mountain', that's my Dio tribute and it sounds like a RAINBOW songtitle. But yeah, the song is about the siege of Vienna by the Ottoman empire in 1683 where King Leopold I and the Holy Roman See defeated the Turks, and those, I think, had a lot to do with saving the European culture and the Enlightenment and all sorts of stuff. So if you were to actually look at it, you'd go, 'Actually, there's something being said here, but it's written in heavy metal vernacular, which was handed down to us from IRON MAIDEN and whoever. But it's a challenge, for sure, and it's also a challenge to write a chorus that people could sing. You're sitting there for the first time thinking, actually, how could I write this in such a way for people at a show or at a festival to get behind it, you know? It's just a traditional, hard-rock structure, which is a breath of fresh air for all of us, because we've all, for the past 20 years, been playing extreme music and darker music to some degree, so it's a bit like something fresh for all of us, despite the fact that it's all old."

Video footage of Lita Ford's entire November 7 concert at Brick By Brick in San Diego, California can be seen in two parts below.

Ford has recruited Bobby Rock (VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, NELSON) to sit behind the kit for her shows in Australia, Europe and the U.S., as well as the Monsters Of Rock cruise in the Bahamas.

Lita's touring drummer for much of 2012 was Scot Coogan, who has previously played with BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION, ACE FREHLEY and LYNCH MOB.

Lita's current touring lineup:

* Lita Ford - Guitar, Vocals * Mitch Perry (MSG, ASIA, EDGAR WINTER) – Guitar* Bobby Rock (VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, NELSON) – Drums* Marty O'Brien (WE ARE THE FALLEN, TOMMY LEE, STATIC-X, DISTURBED) - Bass

Ford released a new live album, "The Bitch Is Back...Live", on November 5 in North America, on October 25 in Germany and on October 28 in the rest of Europe through SPV/Steamhammer. The disc features a recording of Lita's October 2012 performance at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California.

The album was released as a digipak with a special booklet including fan photos and download.

"The Bitch Is Back...Live" track listing:

01. The Bitch Is Back02. Hungry03. Relentless04. Living Like A Runaway05. Devil In My Head06. Back To The Cave07. Can't Catch Me08. Out For Blood09. Dancing On The Edge10. Hate11. Close My Eyes Forever12. Kiss Me Deadly Ford's latest album, "Living Like A Runaway", was released on June 19, 2012 in North America. The effort was made available in four configurations: a double LP, limited-edition CD, standard CD and digital download. The artwork for the album was created by famed rock photographer Mark Weiss.

Behind-the-scenes and performance footage from KAMELOT's November 3 concert in Cologne, Germany during the band's current European tour can be seen below.

KAMELOT keyboardist Oliver Palotai sat out the band's recent North American tour so he could stay home with longtime girlfriend Simone Simons, (EPICA singer) as they awaited the birth of their first child. Filling in for him was Coen Janssen of EPICA.

KAMELOT's latest album, "Silverthorn", sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 79 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Poetry For The Poisoned", opened with around 6,100 units in September 2010 to enter the chart at No. 74.

"Silverthorn" was released on October 30, 2012 in North America, October 26, 2012 in Germany and October 29, 2012 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD marks the band's first release with Tommy Karevik, the Swedish vocalist who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of).

In a 2012 interview with Loudwire, KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood stated about what Karevik brings to the band: "I think when we knew we had to bring in a new person on vocals, we wanted the opportunity to grow the band, not just to maintain the band or survive. We wanted to look at this as an opportunity to make the band bigger, [and] I think with Tommy we can do that. Not only is he an exceptional singer, he's a great songwriter and he's way ahead of what I thought he would be in terms of being a frontman. People who come out to shows will see that this guy is a force to be reckoned with. I can't imagine a better choice, honestly. In the beginning, when this whole thing started, we were a little unsure of what the future might be, but now we're really excited about it."

Shawn Perry of VintageRock.com recently conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

VintageRock.com: Earlier this year, you released an album, "Frequency Unknown", which I believe was the first album of yours under the QUEENSRŸCHE name without the members of the other QUEENSRŸCHE. And I read that there were some issues early on with the mix, which were later resolved. But overall, were you pleased with that record? I've been listening to it and it sounds really good to me.

Tate: Yeah, yeah, [I'm] very pleased with it. It was a really fun record to make. I had a lot of help making it, you know, a lot of different people coming in and contributing their performances for the record. That was really, really fun. I loved doing that. I'm a collaborator; I love collaborating with people. I had a lot of great players come in and do their spin to the song, which was really, really fun.

VintageRock.com: Are you preparing a follow-up to the album?

Tate: Yeah, we're working on a new record now. I'm about … I don't really know where I'm at with it. I'm in bulk writing mode where I write every day and put ideas down in a rough form and typically I'll go back after a few months of doing that and see what I have and then piece together an album out of good ideas that I've got recorded.

VintageRock.com: As I'm sure you're aware, the other QUEENSRŸCHE released a record this year. I don't suppose you heard that or listened to it at all, did you?

Tate: No, but I heard they released one.

VintageRock.com: It gets a little confusing with there being two QUEENSRŸCHEs and I did read in a recent interview with you where you discussed the issue of who gets to keep the name, and that whole issue will be resolved next year. Is that correct?

Tate: Yeah. We have a court date that was set for November that recently got pushed back to January. So that's when our actual court date will happen, is at the end of January.

VintageRock.com: Why is it important to you to keep that name?

Tate: Well for me, it's my life's work. It's…what you hear when you listen to a QUEENSRŸCHE record is my ideas. My hopes, my dreams, my fears, my fantasies — all the stuff that is me is in those records and those songs. I've worked tirelessly over the years to protect the name, to bring value to the name, and I just can't give it up. It's me. It's who I am.

VintageRock.com: Do you have any sentiment for the other guys — do you miss playing with them at all? Or are you just kind of moving forward and you're digging playing with new guys? What's your feeling on that?

Tate: Oh, I'm really interested in playing with the guys I'm playing with now. They're all really fantastic musicians and we have a generally good time when were on the road. It's a bunch of personalities that really work well together. And I'm just digging it. It's a happy scene.

VintageRock.com: That's the important thing, right?

Tate: Yeah, it is. It's no fun to go to work and not get along with the people that you're working with. It's much better if you're hanging out with people for days on end and hours on end to be able to laugh and have a good time and enjoy life.

Read the entire interview at VintageRock.com.

Mark Kadzielawa of Illinois Entertainer recently conducted an interview with UFO drummer Andy Parker. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Illinois Entertainer: Since guitarist Vinnie Moore joined UFO in 2003, there's been a stability in the band. You're releasing an album every two years, and are very visible on the road. How did the dynamics change within the band since he's joined?

Andy Parker: I wasn't in the band when he joined; I didn't come back until 2005. The last thing I did with UFO was the "Walk On Water" album, which was in 1994, and that was a great experience. I loved the album, but I didn't feel the band was stable enough for me to risk touring with them. I had other things going in my life. The thing about Vinnie is that he's a great guitar player, but he's a great stand-up guy. He's got kids. And if he says he's gonna go something, he goes ahead and does it. You can rely on him. If you go on tour with him, you pretty much know you're gonna finish the tour. And so many other people rely on you to pull through. It's not just the audience, but there's crew, the managers, the agents. With Vinnie, it's never been a problem, he does his thing, and he's a great player.

Illinois Entertainer: UFO enjoys a very special relationship with Chicago audiences. What memories do you have from you very first appearance in the Windy City?

Andy Parker: I think the first time we played in Chicago was at the Aragon Ballroom. We were opening the show, and it was T.REX and KISS. T.REX in the middle and KISS headlined. That's a crazy bill, but it was a great show. KISS were really nice, even though they scared the crap out of me. Gene Simmons is, like, 9 feet tall, and I didn't really know much about KISS until that time. They were very nice guys, and very welcoming. There was a real nice feel backstage, and it was a great gig. It was first of many great shows in Chicago.

Illinois Entertainer: Many fans, myself included, miss bassist Pete Way in the band. His charisma was simply one of a kind. Pete left UFO back in 2008 due to illness and substance abuse. Now there are reports circulating that he's sorted himself out. Is there a chance to see Pete again in UFO?

Andy Parker: It's a difficult thing. Pete has been doing things. He's actually done a solo album recently. But what we need from Pete, and what he feels he can do, are two different things. When we parted company in 2008, he was sick, he had liver problems, and had serious substance-abuse problems. I for one would like nothing better than to see Pete clean up his act and come back. And if he did, and he proved it to Phil that he's really serious about it, there will be a place for him in the band. And I miss him. How could you not miss him? He's like a brother to me. And I do hear good things about Pete, but there is always two sides to every coin. The band is so good right now, and it's nice to know that we're gonna go out and play, and there's not gonna be any problems.

Read the entire interview at Illinois Entertainer.

2013 has been a big year for Tyler, Texas metallers FIT FOR A KING. The buzzed-about band released its Solid State Records debut, "Creation/Destruction", in March and in so doing, delivered the biggest first-week sales of any debut release in Solid State history — a huge feat given the storied careers of labelmates such as UNDEROATH, DEMON HUNTER and AUGUST BURNS RED.

Only eight months later, the band has another treat for longtime fans: a completely re-recorded version of their debut album, 2011's "Descendants" — the very release that caused Solid State to take notice of the band in the first place.

"When we tracked 'Descendants' originally, we were a local band with an extremely limited budget and the songs just didn't turn out exactly how we wanted them to," says vocalist Ryan Kirby. "So with this re-release we set out, with the help of Solid State, to completely re-do 'Descendants', exactly the way we envisioned it.

"For old fans, we believe the adjustments we made and the production quality will make it like a new release. For new listeners, it will help them hear the progression we made from 'Descendants' to 'Creation/Destruction'. Plus adding a new song to the mix never hurts!"

The completely overhauled release features guest appearances by MEMPHIS MAY FIRE's Matty Mullins and IVORYLINE's Jeremy Gray but, most importantly to eager FIT FOR A KING fans — a brand-new track entitled "Keep Me Alive".

Following several years of relentless DIY touring and the well-received, original indie release of "Descendents", FIT FOR A KING is reaping the benefits of its hard work. The hotly tipped metalcore band has been elbowing its way onto the national scene as a full-time touring outfit, cultivating fans at an alarming clip with a crushingly heavy, artful take on the genre. With the newly revamped "Descendents" in the pipeline, FIT FOR A KING is looking to continue to build upon its impressive surge.

"Descendants" (re-recorded version) track listing:

01. II Diluvio02. Ancient Waters03. Buried04. Parallels (feat. Jeremy Gray)05. The Architect (feat. Matty Mullins)06. Descendants07. Hollow Eyes08. The Roots Within09. Messenger, Messenger10. Transcend11. Unchanging12. Keep Me Alive

CAGE THE GODS, a sensational new British rock band that fuses together rock 'n' roll culture from the four corners of the U.K., is about to take North America by storm. In a thunderously blues-inspired fashion, laced with soaring Celtic rock vocals, all of which creates something powerful, something unerringly familiar yet instantly gripping, CAGE THE GODS spent most of 2012 writing and producing its debut album and forthcoming debut EP titled "Favourite Sin", due out November 25 via The End Records. Citing stalwart names such as AC/DC, BON JOVI and GUNS N' ROSES as key influences, the Irish-Scots-English-Welsh quartet, which features Peter Comerford on lead vocals, Jam (guitar), Colin Jones (drums) and Mitch Witham (bass), has garnered great early support from highly regarded publications such as Classic Rock magazine, which upon profiling the band in a full-page article in their September issue offered the sanguine sentiment "these British rockers could be huge." The "Favourite Sin" EP is backed with "From The Start", "Wake Up", and an acoustic version of "Sacrifice".

Commented on the underlying theme of "Favourite Sin", the group had this to say: "We all have that one thing... that taboo... that guilty pleasure... the forbidden fruit that we know probably isn't good for us, but is just too goddamn enticing to ignore! Well, 'Favourite Sin' is about leading the innocent down that path... showing them the hidden bliss within their darkest guilty secret!" The new video for "Favourite Sin", directed by U.K. rock and glamour model photographer Nigel Crane who is widely known for photographing some of today's biggest musical acts along with producer Angus Cowan, is a stunning performance while showing the dark temptations that can effect the most pure of heart.

Having recently supported HEAVEN'S BASEMENT and TRACER, CAGE THE GODS is currently on tour in the U.K. supporting THE ANSWER before embarking on some end-of-year headline shows followed by touring North America in early 2014. Lead singer Peter Comerford says: "We are incredibly excited about bringing our rock n roll to the USA, the home of great rock music. Our sound and approach has been heavily influenced by some of the great U.S. rock acts and we hope that we can deliver an equally compelling show that U.S. fans will love!" "Favourite Sin" EP track listing

01. Favourite Sin02. From the Start03. Wake Up04. Sacrifice (acoustic)

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-based metallers 3 INCHES OF BLOOD have been on tour with DEATH ANGEL and are now set to release an exclusive seven-inch vinyl series called "Live At Mushroom". The band recorded all the songs live and captured the set on video.

The video for the song "Look Out (Live At Mushroom)" can now be seen below.

3 INCHES OF BLOOD's latest album, "Long Live Heavy Metal", was released on March 27, 2012 via Century Media Records.

For "Long Live Heavy Metal", 3 INCHES OF BLOOD reunited with producer and engineer Terry "Sho" Murray (CITY OF FIRE, EXHIBITIONISTS), who worked with the band on their seven-inch single, "Anthems For The Victorious". 3 INCHES OF BLOOD teamed up with Kim Thiessen to perfect their artistic vision for the album, which was released as a digipack and when opened, lays out similar to that of a book.

Professionally filmed video footage of reactivated British occult metal legends HELL performing a new song, "Darkhangel", at this year's Bloodstock Open Air festival can be seen below.

"Darkhangel" comes off HELL's second full-length album, "Curse And Chapter", which will be released on November 22 via Nuclear Blast Records. The track listing for the CD is as follows: CD:

01. Gehennae Incendiis02. The Age Of Nefarious03. The Disposer Supreme04. Darkhangel05. Harbinger Of Death06. End Ov Days07. Deathsquad08. Something Wicked This Way Comes09. Faith Will Fall10. Land Of The Living Dead11. Deliver Us From Evil12. A Vespertine Legacy DVD:

Derby Assembly Rooms

01. Let Battle Commence02. Something Wicked This Way Comes03. Plague And Fyre04. The Devil’s Deadly Weapon05. Save Us From Those Who Would Save Us

Bloodstock Open Air

06. Darkhangel07. The Quest08. Blasphemy And The Master Commented HELL's Kev Bower (guitar, keyboards, vocals): "The artwork for 'Curse And Chapter' is once again the result of our collaboration with artist Dan Goldsworthy and photographer Nigel Crane, who we first worked with on the 'Human Remains' album cover in 2011.

"The digipak for this is one of the most complex pieces of CD/DVD packaging ever attempted by Nuclear Blast, and the concept for this was dreamed up by myself and Andy Sneap [guitar] whilst staggering back from the local pub late one night, after a 'heavy creativity session.' It was inspired by the rise in spiritualism in England during the 19th century, during which time séances and attempts to communicate with the dead became commonplace — along with the establishment of numerous secret cults and aristocratic organizations who would meet in secret, attempting to raise spirits and reach 'the other side.' We also wished to explore the phenomenon known as 'post-mortem photography.'

"Because photography was very costly at the time, the only time ordinary families could justify the expense was after the subject was already dead. We became gripped by these macabre Victorian images of deceased family members and children being posed alongside their living families, often being supported in a standing position by equally macabre mechanical devices designed specifically for this gruesome purpose. The other major issue with spirit communication is that you never know who (or what) will 'come through' — and it was common for malevolent entities to create havoc in the séance room.

"Dan's done a superb job of rendering our dark imaginings into reality, using his vision and skill to generate an entire art platform based around the existence of such a secret aristocratic spiritual cult. The cover image shows the cult's symbol, and his manipulation of the additional photography shows a set of disturbing images which could easily have been shot at the turn of the century in some dark, dangerous English country house, during an exchange with the dead which should not happen."

After disbanding in 1987, HELL was reincarnated in 2011, with Andy Sneap (guitar) and David Bower (vocals) joining original members Kev Bower (guitar, keyboards), Tony Speakman (bass) and Tim Bowler (drums). "Human Remains" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 46.

Cited as a huge indirect influence, and as one of the true founding fathers of occult metal, HELL formed in 1982 from the carcasses of U.K. metal bands RACE AGAINST TIME and PARALEX, whose "White Lightning" EP was listed by METALLICA as a favorite, and which was subsequently included on the Lars Ulrich, Geoff Barton "NWOBHM '79 Revisited" sampler album.

Despite over five years of constant touring, the band was cruelly overlooked by the '80s music press, who just didn't get it. HELL were too different, too extreme, too musically intelligent and far too thought-provoking for all but the most enlightened to understand them. The final crushing blow came when their long-awaited 1986 album deal with Mausoleum collapsed as the label went bankrupt, followed by the tragic suicide of singer/guitarist Dave Halliday in 1987. The remaining members drew a line in the sand and stopped playing overnight.

"Hell To The Heavens", the new video from LEAVES' EYES — the German/Norwegian band formed by ex-THEATRE OF TRAGEDY singer Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull and members of ATROCITY — can be seen below. The song comes off LEAVES' EYES' new album, "Symphonies Of The Night", which will be released on November 13 in Spain, Sweden and Norway; November 15 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland and Benelux; November 18 in the rest of Europe; and on November 26 in North America via Napalm Records. The effort was produced by Liv's husband, ATROCITY singer and LEAVES' EYES co-vocalist Alexander Krull, at his Mastersound Studio in Germany. The cover artwork was created by Heile (a.k.a. Stefan Heilemann).

"Symphonies Of The Night" track listing:

01. Hell To The Heavens02. Fading Earth03. Maid Of Lorraine04. Galswintha05. Symphony Of The Night06. Saint Cecelia07. Hymn To The Lone Sands08. Angel And The Ghost09. Éléonore De Provence10. Nightshade11. Ophelia12. Eileen's Ardency (bonus track)*13. One Caress (bonus track)**

* feat. Carmen Elise Espenæs (MIDNATTSOL, SAVN)** DEPECHE MODE cover

Says LEAVES' EYES: "We couldn't be more proud of the final result.

"Expect this album to be the heaviest and most epic LEAVES' EYES experience to date: it will haunt you, even in your dreams."

Liv previously stated about the upcoming LEAVES' EYES CD : "We have taken a great inspirational step since the production of 'Meredead', both sound-wise and vocal-wise.

"It has been such a pleasure evolving in my singing techniques and knowledge and I thank my band members for giving me an inspirational kick when I needed to gain momentum behind the microphone.

"'Symphonies Of The Night' is hauntingly dream-like and heavy to the core!"

"The Great War", the new video from the Dutch/German metal band GODSCUM, can be seen below. The song is the title track of the group's debut EP, which will be released as a digital download on November 11 via RVPrecords.

The members of GODSCUM came together write the kind of material "they play best: metal music, the important common ground," according to the band's official bio. "Think aggressive, modern, old school, shred, groove, military, industrial, atmospheric, and bring all these elements together."

GODSCUM is:

Marcel Coenen (SUN CAGED, FORM, SPEEDICA, LEMUR VOICE, FIFTH) - GuitarJochen Fünders (HOLY MOSES, REECE) - BassSteven Tolkamp (TERRY BOGUS, FAKE NO MORE) - VocalsTwan Bakker (DREADLOCK PUSSY, SONS OF THE RAIN, CIRCUS MAYHEM) - Drums

Superskum.com conducted an interview with Jonas Renkse (vocals) of Swedish dark rockers KATATONIA when the band played at the Summit Music Hall in Denver, Colorado on October 4. You can now watch the chat below. Also available is performance footage of the Denver concert.

KATATONIA's North American tour, "Uncrowned & Vertikal Tour", with CULT OF LUNA plus special guests INTRONAUT and TESSERACT, commenced on September 23 in Boston, Massachusetts.

"Dethroned And Uncrowned" is KATATONIA's debut album on Kscope (sister label of Peaceville), home to ANATHEMA, AMPLIFIER, STEVEN WILSON and most recently, WISDOM OF CROWDS, the new project from Bruce Soord of THE PINEAPPLE THIEF and KATATONIA's very own Jonas Renkse. "Dethroned And Uncrowned" was released on September 10 in North America to celebrate Kscope's fifth anniversary.

The album was funded by a successful PledgeMusic campaign that helped make the recording possible.

Anders Nyström (guitar/vocals) commented, "The synopsis is simple and album title [doesn't] lie; the drums [were] dethroned and the distorted rhythm guitars [were] uncrowned! Instead, we place[d] the emphasis on the many layers of ambience, with the melodies staying central and the vocal harmonies representing the heart of the album. "Think of the album like a person's face in the hands of a surgeon, whose appearance is gonna change, but it's still the same person behind that face and we guess an important factor, in this case, would be that the surgeon itself is obviously KATATONIA, not a stranger! If there's one album in our repertoire that's suited for a thing like this, it's 'Dead End Kings'."

KATATONIA is currently supporting PARADISE LOST on the "Tragic Illusion" 25th-anniversary tour alongside LACUNA COIL.

Concurrently, also celebrating their own 10th anniversary for their masterful sixth album "Viva Emptiness", KATATONIA is performing the album in its entirety each night to make these shows even more special.

Interview:

Fan-filmed video footage of former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno's November 7 performance at Le Moulin in Marseilles, France with the IRON MAIDEN tribute band COVERSLAVE can be seen below.

Nashville-based Mind's I Entertainment recently reached an agreement to represent the former IRON MAIDEN vocalist in the U.S. and Canada. Included are plans for a U.S. and Canadian tour.

"I'm a big fan of Paul's and I hated to hear his tour was canceled," stated Mark Warner, Mind's I Entertainment owner. "I hated it so much, I decided to do something about it. Paul is a great musician, a great guy and one of the great metal voices of our time. I won't let fans be disappointed by poor decisions made by others." Initial plans are for Paul Di'Anno's tour to kick off in Nashville in late January 2014, covering the U.S., then into Canada by late February. Additionally, Paul will be making a substantial number of personal appearances, interviews and surprise performances with other musicians while on tour. Di'Anno completed his first North American tour in early 2010, 17 years after he was deported following a prison term for guns and drug offenses.

On August 27, 2011, Di'Anno played his first show since serving time in a U.K. prison after he falsely collected U.K. government benefits by claiming he suffered nerve damage to his back that prevented him from working.

Due to a number of health issues, including a knee problem which will require surgery soon, Di'Anno announced in July 2012 that he would stop touring in 2013.

Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN before being fired and replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.

Professionally filmed video footage of DOWN's May 31, 2013 performance at the House Of Blues in New Orleans, Louisiana can be seen below. The footage was shot by Mike Holderbeast and the Cement Level crew.

Guitarist Kirk Windstein recently left DOWN and was replaced by Bobby Landgraf, the band's former guitar tech who was previously in GAHDZILLA MOTOR COMPANY, a 1990s outfit also featuring Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, WATCHTOWER), and HONKY.

"I couldn't feel more blessed," Landgraf, 48, said in an interview. "Phil could've gotten anyone to play guitar, but I've been jamming with them during soundchecks, so they know we can play together."

"It's really a dream come true," added Landgraf. "It's what you're working for all those years."

In a recent interview with the "Devil Horns" podcast, Windstein stated about his decision to leave DOWN: "My life's changed a lot in the last year. With being married, I wanna concentrate a lot more on my family first and foremost. And DOWN, with us getting older and Philip's voice and now DOWN has to take a fairly amount of days off in order for Phil to rest his voice properly, which is totally, absolutely understandable and well respected. It's just, for me, I like to go out 15 shows in a row and get it done. With DOWN, a lot of the [touring], especially internationally, is fly dates and things like that and there's so many days off. And really, for me, to be blunt, on those off days, man… I mean, show days are great, I have a responsibility, of course I love every second being on stage, but on those off days, I have absolutely nothing to do and it just ends up turning into drinking too goddamn much and wanting to not be there… The guys could see I was kind of not really getting into it, they could see me on the off days hitting the sauce harder than I should have been — no doubt about it."

He added: "It was kind of a mutual thing — no hard feelings or anything whatsoever like that. There's absolutely zero drama, zero gossip that I know of, at least from my side. I doubt there's any from their side. I've spoken to the guys. In fact, Bobby Landgraf from HONKY, that's taking my spot, is a very good friend of mine; he teched for me for awhile and he's been teching for Pepper [Keenan, DOWN guitarist]. I spoke to him the other day and he can use my rig that I used with DOWN for [DOWN's appearance at the Housecore Horror Film Festival] coming up, and he's actually gonna come and me and him are gonna jam a little bit on some tunes. He's got a few questions. He's an amazing guitar player, but it's hard to get every little lick down of somebody else's stuff, so he asked me if I could pop by and jam with him a bit. I said, 'Absolutely.' Anything I could do to help out would be great."

DOWN entered Anselmo's New Orleans studio, Nodferatu's Lair, on October 7 to begin recording a new EP that is tentatively due in early 2014.

"Neptune Rising", a brand new song from MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below. The track comes off MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK's new album, "Bridge The Gap", which will be released on December 2.

MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK features legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker alongside vocalist Doogie White, guitarist/keyboardist Wayne Findlay, bassist Francis Buchholz and drummer Herman Rarebell. The CD marks the first time Schenker and fellow ex-SCORPIONS members Buchholz and Rarebell have appeared on the same album since the classic 1979 SCORPIONS LP "Lovedrive".

Says Schenker about "Neptune Rising": "'Neptune Rising' is a song I wrote in the studio. It's about Wayne Findlay. He reminds me of a Neptune with his crazy hair and beard. One day I had this vision of seeing him with the Trident coming out of the ocean. Wayne loves water and the undersea world. So, I suggested that we design a guitar that looks like a Trident. The guitar is almost completed and will be called Trident and will be seen on our next tour."

"Bridge The Gap" is described in a press release as "an album of 13 hard-hitting, adrenalin-fueled melodic rock'n'roll songs that showcase Shenker's distinctive and explosive guitar playing."

Scottish vocalist Doogie White, who co-wrote the album with Schenker, soars across every song, and stamps his enthusiastic personality with every note and phrase. Wayne Findlay adds another dimension to the dynamic, classic Schenker sound with his Dean seven-string guitar and keyboard orchestrations.

"Bridge The Gap" is a thunderous, explosive collection of brand new songs steeped in shades of dark and light. Musically and lyrically, the new album shows a re-energized guitarist at the top of his game, surrounded by top drawer musicians.

The album was recorded from January to March 2013 at Kidroom Studios, Germany and was produced by Michael Schenker and Michael Voss, and engineered by Voss.

"Michael and I had talked about recording an album together after the tour of 2012," says Doogie White. "We never spoke about it again until January 2013 when he sent me seven ideas he had been working on.

"Last October, I started writing the music for the new album," adds Schenker. "I sent material to Doogie in the New Year and he started writing melodies and lyrics. I laid down some arrangements at Michael Voss's studio. There was a lot of energy flying about during the recording process. I had the same drive making this album as I had when I was 16. I wanted it fast, heavy and melodic. It felt like bridging the gap from my teenage and 'Lovedrive' years to what I am doing now. I'm back to where I was a long time ago and I love it."

"Never having really written with Michael before, apart from 'When The Devil Knows You're Dead' (from 2011's 'Temple Of Rock' album), I didn't know how flexible he would be writing wise," recalls Doogie." I laid down some vocal tracks as ideas and when Michael heard them. we were off and running. Within two weeks we were in the studio laying down tracks."

Schenker admits that when he wrote this album, he tried to get a balance between songs that are heavy, fast and melodic, complimented by his signature guitar solos.

"I wanted to combine the old with the new," he says. "That's why the album's called 'Bridge The Gap'. With Wayne playing seven-string guitar we created some low, heavy modern sounds. Since I play and experiment on a regular basis, I always have some new, fresh sparks to share when I record a new album. I am inspired from within. It's infinite like a kaleidoscope."

"As former members of the SCORPIONS, Herman, Francis and I have been out of the loop of rock'n'roll for quite a while. Getting together for the first time since the 'Lovedrive' album is an incredible jump. We're connecting the past with the present. We're bridging the gap."

Schenker remains philosophical about the name of the new album. He believes the name reflects what is going on in the fast-moving world around him.

"Everything that is currently going on in this world is showing that people are desperate for change," he says. "We need to bridge the gap of poverty. There are too many innocent people getting killed in terrorist attacks. We need to leave all of this chaos behind us. We have to be strong. We have to continue moving forward, working together in a balanced way."

Schenker is amazed how melodic the new album turned out, but he still insists the songs still feature a bit of darkness as well.

"I came up with the name of the album, before I even started writing. When Doogie started writing the lyrics to the new songs he had something to go by. I guess 'Bridges Burned' is a new song that is something of a word play on 'Bridge The Gap'. I love this song. Doogie's singing is excellent on this."

"'Horizons' is a really powerful and exciting track from the new album," says Schenker. "I love the energy and Doogie's great vocal lines."

"'Neptune Rising' is a song I wrote in the studio. It's about Wayne Findlay. He reminds me of a Neptune with his crazy hair and beard. One day I had this vision of seeing him with the Trident coming out of the ocean. Wayne loves water and the undersea world. So, I suggested that we design a guitar that looks like a Trident. The guitar is almost completed and will be called Trident and will be seen on our next tour."

"'Because You Lied' is completely of the wall. I love everything about it. I had a real blast playing the guitar solo. In general, on the new album I have injected each song with a new wave of lead guitar playing. It had a lot of fun making the entire album. Francis and Herman — the original SCORPIONS rhythm section of 'Rock You Like A Hurricane' seriously rock on the new album."

"Bridge The Gap" track listing:

01. Neptune Rising02. Where The Wild Winds Blow03. Horizons04. Lord Of The Lost And Lonely05. Rock'n'roll Symphony06. To Live For The King07. Land Of Thunder08. Temple Of The Holy09. Shine On10. Bridges We Have Burned11. Because You Lied12. Black Moon Rising13. Dance For The Piper14. Faith (bonus track; featuring lead vocals by Don Dokken)

"The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land", the new Ricardo Werdesheim-directed video from Israeli metallers BETZEFER, can be seen below. The song is the titel track of the band's third studio album, which will be released on November 25 (three days earlier in Germany) via Steamhammer/SPV. The effort will be made available as a CD (the first pressing will contain a DVD with videos and many other features) and LP. The LP, which will come in a gatefold sleeve and on colored 180-gram vinyl, will contain an exclusive bonus track, a cover version of THE BEATLES' "Helter Skelter".

"The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land" CD track listing:

01. Tropical02. The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land03. Killing The Fuss04. Cash05. Yuppie Six Feet Underground06. Copkiller07. Sledgehammer08. The Medic09. Milk10. Suicide Hotline Pt. 111. Suicide Hotline Pt. 212. Cannibal13. I Hate14. Can You Hear Me Now?

"The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land" LP track listing:

Side A

01. Tropical02. The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land03. Killing The Fuss04. Cash05. Yuppie Six Feet Underground06. Copkiller07. Sledgehammer08. The Medic

Side B

01. Milk02. Suicide Hotline Pt. 103. Suicide Hotline Pt. 204. Cannibal05. I Hate06. Can You Hear Me Now?07. Helter Skelter (THE BEATLES cover)

Bonus DVD:

* Video for "The Devil Went Down To the Holy Land"* Video for "Sledgehammer"* Complete live show "10 Fuckin' Years Live" (recorded in Tel-Aviv in 2008)

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King was interviewed on the November 1-3 edition of Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below. A transcript of the question-and-answer session follows.

To see a full list of stations carrying the program and when it airs, go to FullMetalJackieRadio.com.

Full Metal Jackie: SLAYER, of course, has the North American headlining tour [coming up at the end of October], the band's first in two years. It runs through the end of November. You guys have been touring all summer [in Europe] with Paul [Bostaph, drums] and, of course, Gary Holt [guitar, also of EXODUS]. At what point over the last five months did you know that this lineup of the band was ready to go into the studio, or work on new music?

King: Well, realistically, as soon as Paul got with us, I started teaching him new stuff, because I've got probably thirteen, fourteen songs [written for the next record]. So when we didn't have any touring schedule that we had to learn stuff for, I was, like, "Well, let's take this time to get your and my chops up together to work on this new stuff so when the time comes, we'll already have 90 percent of the work under our belt."

Full Metal Jackie: Kerry, metal fans around the world were terribly saddened by the death of Jeff Hanneman. Will his style and what he brought to the band continue to influence SLAYER's legacy even after he's gone?

King: I think so, because, I mean, when you play guitar opposite somebody — Jeff with myself or myself with Jeff — I think our styles infused a bit. I think in some of the things I write, I think people are gonna say, "Wow, that sounds like Jeff would have wrote it," and stuff he would have wrote, had he written anymore, people would have said, "Man, that sounds like something Kerry wrote." But, you know, we've been together so long that we kind of infused ourselves into each other. I think it's going to be business as usual going forward, [but] just one member less, which sucks for everybody.

Full Metal Jackie: This is the first full-blown SLAYER headline tour in quite a few years. What are you looking forward to the most about it?

King: Yeah, this is the first one in at least six or seven years. Every time we've come through the States, it's either been on [Rockstar Energy Drink] Mayhem [Festival] or on SLAYER / [MARILYN] MANSON tours or SLAYER / MEGADETH tours, so we might have maxed out [with our time on stage] at an hour and five [minutes], an hour and ten [minutes], but on this one, we get to play an hour and thirty [minutes], an hour and thirty-five [minutes], which we haven't been able to do in the States in a very long time. I enjoy doing full headline sets, because if you're the actual last person playing, most people spent their money to come see you. So I wanna be able to give them something they're gona remember for the first time in quite a while.

Full Metal Jackie: What can we expect from the setlist from the rest of the tour? Will you be debuting any new music prior to releasing it?

King: No new music. I think it's far better that people know our music before they come to see it, because it's either so intricate or so fast that you can't really wrap your head around it. It's just not conducive to good fan-band experience. I mean, I know there's YouTube and [performance footage of any new music] would be up the day after we play it, but I also believe that people should have the recorded version, where everything sounds how you want it to sound, and then when they see it live, they know what to expect.

Full Metal Jackie: I've got to say, I agree with you when it comes to hearing new music for the first time. I don't know if live is the best way to hear it first. I like to get to know the music first before I see it the live setting.

King: Yeah, there's too many variables live for my taste. I think the song would be performed well. I think it would come off well, but if any mic goes down or somebody breaks a string… There's too many variables in a live scenario to hear something for the first time, I think.

Full Metal Jackie: Going back to the summer, I know you guys did a lot of touring overseas these last few months. That first show without Jeff after he passed must have been hard.

King: It's hard. It would have been a lot harder if it was with somebody we hadn't played with. Gary's been with us for two and a half years, so it was as easy for us as I think it could have been. In the face of tragedy, let alone adversity. I mean, you're in the face of tragedy. We're gonna have to deal with that for the foreseeable future, if not the rest of time — as long as there's a band. To lose somebody and still be a prominent band and still move forward is kind of unheard of. People leave bands and people move on and do something else, but to have somebody that's been a songwriting member of your band for the better part of thirty years, and he's not there anymore, that's a little bit different. I'm sure we're gonna be learning how to deal with it for a couple of years to come.

Full Metal Jackie: Did you ever question the future of the band?

King: I haven't. I'm one of the people that was always of the opinion that if me or Tom [Araya, bass/vocals] or Jeff wasn't in the band, then it probably shouldn't be [called] SLAYER. But I was always thinking if somebody quit rather than if somebody died. It's a little different for me, because now, I've got my songwriting partner taken away from me; it's not like he left. And I'm still in a place where I've gotta work. And I don't want a new job; I like my job. [laughs]

Full Metal Jackie: We touched on working on some new music. Anything you can tell us about a timeline or what we can expect or when?

King: My personal timeline, which never makes any sense, is to go in and start [recording the new album] in January; that's what I'm hoping to accomplish. Paul and myself have worked on stuff to the point where so much of it is 80-90 percent polished. We're looking to be so well schooled in the new music that when we actually do go in, hopefully it takes less time to record. But that being said, we're looking at January. Hopefully having a quick recording cycle, because I've already got seven songs done lyrically, which is unheard of for me. So hopefully it makes everything go quicker. I would love to have a record out in May. Before all the summer [festivals], be it in Europe or U.S., whatever.

Interview (audio):

"Wrath", the new video from Californian rockers BUCKCHERRY, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's sixth studio album, "Confessions", which sold 18,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 20 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was produced by guitarist Keith Nelson and Marti Frederiksen (AEROSMITH, OZZY OSBOURNE) and features eclectic CD artwork by graffiti artist Ewok.

"Confessions" is a loose concept album that revolves around the notion of the seven deadly sins and is inspired by events in singer Josh Todd's childhood.

Todd has helped co-write a short film that will expand upon the record's themes. It's not clear yet how the film will be distributed.

Todd said that "Confessions" is "definitely a heavier, musically, record than we've ever had, and more melodic. It's quintessential BUCKCHERRY at the end of the day."

BUCKCHERRY announced last month that it had parted ways with its longtime bassist Jimmy Ashurst.

A new BUCKCHERRY compilation, "The Best Of Buckcherry", came out on October 29 via Eleven Seven Music.

The liner notes for "The Best Of Buckcherry" were written by renowed by radio personality and "That Metal Show" co-host Eddie Trunk.