PALMS, the Los Angeles-based band featuring three former members of ISIS with DEFTONES' frontman Chino Moreno, premiered the outfit's first music video, for the song "Future Warrior". Check it out below. The five-minute clip, directed by Jon Mancinetti, perfectly encapsulates the visual elements that have accompanied the PALMS debut album's release: a breezy Southern California landscape with rugged mountains and swaying palm trees. PALMS released its self-titled debut album in June, with Spin describing "Palms" as "the slow-orbiting-rocket float of 'Oceanic'-era ISIS painted in soft colors, now with the gushing, soaring melodies that would work on an older sibling's mixtape next to CURE, ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN, US, or DEPECHE MODE" and Revolver proclaiming the album a "dreamy, swooning… masterpiece." The quartet played its first live shows in July, with four headlining dates on the West Coast followed by a performance at the Hollywood Bowl, as SYSTEM OF A DOWN's hand-picked openers. PALMS came together following the demise of ISIS, with Jeff Caxide (bass), Aaron Harris, (drums) and Clifford Meyer (keyboards/guitar) electing to continue playing music together. "After a little time Jeff, Cliff, and I decided that it was insane that we all still lived here in Los Angeles and weren't playing together," Harris says. "It just sort of happened naturally, probably because we have been playing together for so long, and things started to come together. But we didn't want to be instrumental: We wanted vocals. We just weren't exactly sure who that would be at first." The band, knowing that Moreno had been a fan of ISIS, thought he would be a great fit and he agreed. "A chance to work with the guys from ISIS sounded like a lot of fun," Moreno says, "I've always been into the atmospheric sounds they had created with that project and felt my sense of melody would meld well with theirs."

On September 26, Chad Tyson of the 98.7 The Gater radio station in West Palm Beach, Florida conducted an interview with legendary rocker Alice Cooper. You can now listen to the chat below.

Cooper has just completed work on a covers album featuring songs that were originally written and recorded by THE DOORS, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and THE WHO, members of the so-called "Hollywood vampires" of the early and mid-'70s. A spring 2014 release is expected.

"We're really happy, all of us, everyone involved in the covers because it's pretty much what we wanted to do," Cooper told RollingStone.com earlier in the year. "We specified a certain time period and said, 'Let's stay within that. Let's not move it around too much.' We don't want to be doing cover songs from the 80s and 90s when the Hollywood vampires kind of thing was more '73, '74, '75."

Back in March, Cooper said about the upcoming CD: "We do a thing in our show, which is a tribute to Hollywood Vampires, my drinking club. And it was Keith Moon, John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Micky Dolenz — a very eclectic bunch of drunks. Half of them are dead, so we do four songs in the show in tribute to them. We do 'Break On Through', 'Revolution', 'My Generation' and Jimi Hendrix's 'Foxey Lady'. I just kind of said, 'We've never done a covers album, let's think about that.'"

Asked what some of the wish-list songs are, Cooper said: "I would keep it right to about '73, '74. I don't want to just go anywhere. I want to keep it right in that sort of drunk era, so it's specific. I would say 'Break On Through', that's a really good rock track there. The other ones, think of it — Harry Nilsson, there's a lot of good stuff there that could be rocked out. I think of songs as being clay. Take a song like 'Jump Into the Fire' and take that to a harder level, and that'll work."

Just in time for Halloween — the first-ever all--metal tribute to the King Of Pop, Michael Jackson, will be released, featuring an all-star lineup that will raise the dead!

"Thriller – A Metal Tribute To Michael Jackson" features outstanding performances by Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT), Danny Worsnop (ASKING ALEXANDRIA), Elias Soriano (NONPOINT), Lajon Witherspoon (SEVENDUST), Phil Campbell (MOTÖRHEAD), Doug Pinnick (KING'S X), Chris Jericho (FOZZY) and more!

With the amps turned up to 11 and guitars tuned low, get ready to hear the darker side of such favorites as "Billie Jean", "Beat It", "Rock With You", "Black Or White" and more!

"Thriller – A Metal Tribute To Michael Jackson" features appearances by the following musicians:

* Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT)* Danny Worsnop (ASKING ALEXANDRIA)* Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG)* Angelo Moore (FISHBONE)* Doug Aldrich (WHITESNAKE, DIO)* Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, DIO)* Lajon Witherspoon (SEVENDUST)* Bruce Kulick (KISS)* Tony Franklin (THE FIRM)* Priya Panda (DIEMONDS)* Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES)* Corey Glover (LIVING COLOUR)* Phil Campbell (MOTÖRHEAD)* Elias Soriano (NONPOINT)* Doug Pinnick (KING'S X)* Chris Jericho (FOZZY)* Paul Di'Anno (IRON MAIDEN)* Craig Goldy (DIO)* Lonnie Jordan (WAR)

Track listing:

01. Thriller - Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT)02. Man In The Mirror - Danny Worsnop (ASKING ALEXANDRIA) & Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG)03. The Way You Make Me Feel - Angelo Moore (FISHBONE), Doug Aldrich (WHITESNAKE), & Rudy Sarzo (QUEENSRŸCHE)04. Black Or White - Lajon Witherspoon (SEVENDUST), Bruce Kulick (ex-KISS), & Tony Franklin (THE FIRM)05. Beat It - Priya Panda (DIEMONDS) & Ron Bumblefoot Thal (GUNS N' ROSES)06. Billy Jean - Corey Glover (LIVING COLOUR) & Phil Campbell (MOTÖRHEAD)07. Shake Your Body (DOWN TO THE GROUND) - Elias Soriano (NONPOINT)08. Rock With You - Doug Pinnick (KING'S X)09. Dirty Diana - Chris Jericho (FOZZY)10. Bad - Paul Di'Anno (ex-IRON MAIDEN) & Craig Goldy (DIO)11. They Don't Care About Us - ICARUS WITCH12. Never Can Say Goodbye - Lonnie Jordan (WAR)13. Smooth Criminal - ALIEN ANT FARM

"We're All Stocked Up In Here", the third song from DEEP ARCHITECTURE, the new "musical collaboration" between former THE HAUNTED drummer Per Møller Jensen and Danish musician Carsten Lender, can be streamed at this location.

Per Møller Jensen quit THE HAUNTED in October 2012. He explained in a statement: "This decision has been underway for a long time and cannot be attributed to [former THE HAUNTED frontman Peter] Dolving's departure [in early 2012].

"My penchant for music, creating — as in digging deep — and practicing has never been at a higher peak than now. When you throw musical differences between members in with that, I started feeling unfulfilled. This is not pointing fingers at anybody, but rather just seeing, accepting and acting on that fact."

THE HAUNTED recently returned to the spotlight after almost a year without public activity and restructuring behind closed doors, following a major switch of lineups around fall of 2012. Joining bassist Jonas Björler and guitarist Patrik Jensen in the band's current incarnation are Ola Englund (guitar; SIX FEET UNDER, FEARED), Marco Aro (vocals; THE RESISTANCE, FACE DOWN) and Adrian Erlandsson (drums; AT THE GATES, PARADISE LOST).

img alt='STREAM OF PASSION Performs New Songs In Apeldoorn (Video)' class='attachment-large' height='469' src='http://assets1.blabbermouth.net/media/streamofpassionband2012.jpg' width='593'>

Dutch/Mexican symphonic/progressive metallers STREAM OF PASSION performed three new songs — "Earthquake", "The Curse" and "Secrets" — during their September 27 concert at Gigant in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

STREAM OF PASSION recently raised more than 43,000 euros in a crowdfunding campaign for their forthcoming fourth studio album, tentatively due in 2014.

The band's last CD, "Darker Days", was released in North America in July 2011 via Napalm Records. The effort was recorded at Sandlane Recording Facilities in Rijen, Holland.

In an interview with Sea Of Tranquility, STREAM OF PASSION singer Marcela Bovio stated about "Darker Days", "The drive behind this album has to expand our musical horizons and incorporate new influences and ideas into our writing. We also wanted to go for a more organic sound; instead of layering all instruments on top of each other we tried to give each instrument its own moment in the songs. So make the heavy, guitar riff parts entirely about the guitars; and on the soft parts let the piano, the strings and the vocals take over."

She added, "I think we made a huge step from 'Embrace The Storm' to 'The Flame Within'. On 'Embrace The Storm', Arjen Lucassen (who was still in the band back then) had the absolute lead on songwriting, with me doing the vocal lines and melodies. For 'The Flame Within', I had to face the challenge of writing songs from scratch, instead of writing on top of what someone else already had done; so in a lot of ways our second album was also our first. Now with 'Darker Days', we've taken our 'real' second step as a band. And I think it was clear from the start that our goal was to keep refining our sound, to keep incorporating unique qualities to the music."

"If Not Here, Where?", a brand new song from Finnish metallers AMORAL, can be streamed below. The track comes off the band's upcoming album "Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows", which will be released in early 2014.

"'Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows' is a concept album, and 'If Not Here, Where?' sits right in the middle of the album and the story, marking a turning point in the protagonist's journey," says Ben Varon, guitarist and main songwriter of AMORAL.

"We wanted the first taster to really represent the whole album. Also, 'If Not Here, Where?' being such a massive chunk of music, almost like two songs in one, it will take some time for listeners to digest it all, and hopefully this track will keep people occupied until we leak out another song."

AMORAL's fifth album, "Beneath", entered the official chart in Finland at position No. 30. Released on October 26, 2011, the CD came equipped with a stunning 18-page poster booklet (made by Spanish artist Marta Nael), expanding the cover artwork into all its glory.

AMORAL is:

Ari Koivunen (RASKASTA JOULUA) - VocalsBen Varon (GREASE HELMET) - GuitarMasi Hukari - GuitarPekka Johansson - BassJuhana Karlsson (SHEAR) - Drums

Multi-camera, fan-filmed video footage of CARCASS' entire September 25 performance at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, New York can be seen below. The footage was filmed by Frank Huang and Frank Godla, and edited by Pit Full Of Shit.

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]"

British heavy metal legends SAXON produce a series of alternative takes on classic favorites to herald a worthy new entry to the Saxonian Institute of Metal.

There is always feral beauty in a raging beast…and with "Unplugged And Strung Up", SAXON's selection of unique, fresh and adventurous interpretations of material previously heard only with raw heavy metal thunder, the point is triumphantly underscored.

Due on November 18, "Unplugged And Strung Up" reveals layers and pieces previously dormant in many of the 14 classic SAXON songs chosen for this makeover, thanks to some ear-catching new arrangements and mixes. Recorded, mixed and mastered with Andy Sneap in Derbyshire, U.K. earlier this year, "Unplugged And Strung Up" contains re-evaluated, re-worked and re-energized versions of "The Eagle Has Landed" and "Crusader" by introducing orchestral dynamics to offer added dimension. "Frozen Rainbow", from the band's 1979 debut, gets a stunning acoustic reprisal which transports it into a power ballad to be proud of, while "Red Star Falling" soars and sweeps the emotions with its orchestrally arranged dovetail.

As if this reinvention wasn't enough, SAXON superfans and collectors can purchase a digipak version of the release which will include 2002's storming set of full-volume, pedal-to-the-metal re-recorded hits "Heavy Metal Thunder". Featuring staple SAXON stormers such as "Motorcycle Man", "Strong Arm Of The Law" and "Dallas 1pm", it is a quintessential part of any collection.

The standard single CD of "Unplugged And Strung Up" will come in a jewel case, and a double-vinyl gatefold sleeve version of the release will also be available. The digipack will be a two-disc version of the release featuring the bonus disc "Heavy Metal Thunder", and there will be a digital release of the same.

"Unplugged and Strung Up" track listing:

01. Stallions Of The Highway (remix)02. Crusader (orchestral version)03. Battle Cry04. The Eagle Has Landed (orchestral version)05. Red Star Falling (orchestral version)06. Broken Heroes (orchestral version)07. Call To Arms (orchestral version)08. Militia Guard09. Forever Free (re-recorded version)10. Just Let Me Rock (re-recorded version)11. Frozen Rainbow (acoustic version)12. Iron Wheels (live acoustic version)13. Requiem (acoustic version)14. Coming Home (acoustic version)

"Heavy Metal Thunder" track listing:

01. Heavy Metal Thunder02. Strong Arm Of The Law03. Power & The Glory04. And The Bands Played On05. Crusader06. Dallas 1pm07. Princess Of The Night08. Wheels Of Steel09. 747 (Strangers In The Night)10. Motorcycle Man11. Never Surrender12. Denim & Leather13. Backs To The Wall

Check out the cover artwork below.

Omaha, Nebraska based hard rockers EMPHATIC will release their new album, "Another Life", on October 22 through Epochal Artists Records. The band enlisted the help of drummer John Tempesta (THE CULT, ex-WHITE ZOMBIE, TESTAMENT, EXODUS) to lay down drum tracks for the CD, which "is filled with gigantic hooks, powerful melodies and is an inspiring triumph over adversity," according to a press release. The album is the group's first to feature new frontman Toryn Green, who was previously the singer of FUEL and the touring vocalist for Finnish cello rock band APOCALYPTICA.

Produced by EMPHATIC guitarist Justin McCain and co-produced by Ryan Greene at Validus Recording Studios in Los Angeles, "Another Life" showcases EMPHATIC's newfound sense of maturity and creative firepower as they belt out a powerful dose of hard rock. Rejuvenated creatively, the band is now firing on all cylinders with a lineup that matches the intensity of their songs.

The lyric video for the CD's debut single, "Remember Me", can be seen below.

EMPHATIC is best known for its major label debut album, "Damage", which produced the hit single "Bounce", and landed on the Billboard Heatseekers chart at position No. 9. The CD was produced by Howard Benson (THREE DAYS GRACE, HALESTORM), and featured A PERFECT CIRCLE's Josh Freese playing drums on the record. From there, the band went on to take part in the Carnival Of Madness tour alongside hard rock heavyweights THEORY OF A DEADMAN, ALTER BRIDGE, BLACK STONE CHERRY and ADELITAS WAY.

Relapse Records has announced the signing of New York City avant-garde, technical death metal quartet PYRRHON (pronounced "peer-on"). The band's sophomore album, "The Mother Of Virtues', will be released in early 2014.

Formed in 2008, PYRRHON released one EP ("Fever Kingdoms", 2010) and one LP ("An Excellent Servant But a Terrible Master", 2011) via The Path Less Traveled Records and Selfmadegod Records, respectively.

A nightmarish blend of clanging death metal with surreal psychedelic elements, jazz rhythms, and delirious storytelling, "The Mother Of Virtues" was tracked and mixed by Ryan Jones (TODAY IS THE DAY, MUTILATION RITES, WETNURSE) at Saint Vitus Bar and The Sound City in Brooklyn in May and June 2013. The record was then mastered by Colin Marston (KRALLICE, GORGUTS) at The Thousand Caves Studios in Brooklyn in August 2013.

Vocalist Doug Moore commented on the signing: "When I was 15, I bought a copy of Relapse's 'Contaminated 5.0' sampler CD. Through it, I encountered SUFFOCATION, NEUROSIS, PIG DESTROYER, HUMAN REMAINS, and countless other great bands for the first time.

"We are thrilled and honored to work with a label whose output has done so much to drive metal forward, and which has meant so much to all four of us over the years."

PYRRHON quickly became known for its mind-bending live show, playing with such notable acts as MISERY INDEX, HATE ETERNAL, ORIGIN, TOMBS, LITURGY, CANNABIS CORPSE, BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS and INTER ARMA.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan has revealed via Twitter that he has "started working" on a covers album. He added: "[It] should be good practice for the eventual SYSTEM OF A DOWN album sometime in the future."

At the conclusion of SYSTEM OF A DOWN's July 29 concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, Dolmayan announced that the band would release a new studio album prior to the group's next appearance in Los Angeles.

The following day, SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian, shot down reports that the band is making plans to make a new studio album, telling fans in a Reddit Ask Me Anything session: "We really appreciate [the fact that the fans want a new studio album from us], but we have to make a record when we think it's time, not anyone else," Serj said.

"No, that is not true [that we have made plans to begin work on a new album]," he added. "A quick scan of press online will show that we have not yet agreed on a timetable for another record due to its time commitments."

Tankian also addressed the series of statements that were posted in May on SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian's Facebook page in which Shavo directly blamed Serj for the band's continued lack of new music, saying that the vocalist was holding the group back.

"Shavo's comments have been redacted by the author," Serj said. "The truth is above in my first answer."

He continued: "I am not opposed to making a SYSTEM record at all. It just has to be the right time for us all in the band."

Tankian recently released two albums through his Serjical Strike Records. "Orca", Tankian's first true symphony, arrived on June 25, while July 23 saw the release of a collaborative jazz-inspired disc called "Jazz-iz Christ".

SYSTEM OF A DOWN toured Europe throughout the month of August.

Tankian launched a series of solo orchestral tour dates on September 19 in Kiev, Ukraine.

"Youniverse", the third album from Italian modern thrashers SAWTHIS, will be released on September 30 via Bakerteam Records. The follow-up to 2010's "Egod" sounds "more thrash-oriented and is a concept album based on the theme of multiple personality disorder," according to a press release. The CD, which features a very special guest appearance by Rob Cavestany of DEATH ANGEL, was once again recorded at Potemkin Studios with producer Paolo Ojetti (INFERNAL POETRY).

"Youniverse" track listing:

01. The Logical Color 02. The Waking Up 03. The Voice Falls On Me 04. The Disturbed (feat. Rob Cavestany from DEATH ANGEL) 05. The Crowded Room 06. The Indeleble 07. The Impure Soul 08. The Spotlight 09. The Mad 10. The Switch 11. The Walking

The song "The Waking Up" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

SAWTHIS earlier in the year parted ways with guitarist Andrea Giordano due to musical differences. He has since been replaced by Janos Murri (ex-RESURRECTURIS, DARKSIDE, DEMOLITION), who has already performed with the band on two European tours.

"Egod" was released in May 2010 via Scarlet Records.

In November and December of 2012, MEGADETH blazed hot on the band's "Countdown To Extinction 20th Anniversary Tour", ripping through their entire double platinum 1992 album from start to finish before performing other classics from their recorded catalog. Recorded and filmed at Los Angeles' Fox Theatre last December, "Countdown to Extinction: Live" is a definitive document of the acclaimed, sold-out tour.

In addition to MEGADETH's blistering performance of the entire "Countdown To Extinction" album, including the essential "Symphony Of Destruction", "Foreclosure Of A Dream", "Sweating Bullets" and "Skin O' My Teeth", "Countdown to Extinction: Live" features all of the other MEGADETH classics the band performed at the epic concert, including "Holy Wars" and "Hangar 18" from 1990's "Rust In Peace", "Peace Sells" from the band's influential, platinum-certified 1986 album "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?", and "Trust" from 1997's platinum certified "Cryptic Writings".

On September 24, "Countdown To Extinction: Live" was released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray via Capitol.

"Countdown To Extinction: Live" track listing:

01. Intro 02. Architecture Of Aggression 03. Ashes In Your Mouth 04. Captive Honour 05. Countdown To Extinction 06. Foreclosure Of A Dream 07. Hangar 18 08. High Speed Dirt 09. Holy Wars 10. Peace Sells 11. Psychotron 12. Public Enemy 13. She Wolf 14. Skin O' My Teeth 15. Sweating Bullets 16. Symphony Of Destruction 17. This Was My Life 18. Trust 19. Outro

A performance clip of the song "Countdown To Extinction" is available below.

Video footage of QUIET RIOT's first uplugged/acoustic performance, which took place last night (Thursday, September 26) in Jensen Beach, Florida can be seen below. Photos are available at GaterRocks.com.

QUIET RIOT in March 2012 recruited Scott Vokoun as its new lead singer.

The band played several shows in early February 2012 with ex-MONTROSE vocalist Keith St. John following the departure of Mark Huff.

QUIET RIOT's current touring lineup is as follows:

Scott Vokoun - VocalsFrankie Banali - DrumsChuck Wright - BassAlex Grossi - Guitar

QUIET RIOT singer Kevin DuBrow died in November 2007 of an accidental cocaine overdose. He was 52 years old.

QUIET RIOT was perhaps best known for its 1983 cover of "Cum On Feel The Noize". The song, featuring DuBrow's powerful, gravelly voice, appeared on the band's album "Metal Health" — which was the first by a metal band to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

"Cum On Feel the Noize":



"Mama Weer All Crazee Now":

FU MANCHU guitarist/vocalist Bob Balch and drummer Scott Reeder have joined forces with former KYUSS bassist Scott Thomas Reeder in SUN & SAIL CLUB. Their debut album, "Mannequin", will be released in early November via Satin Records.

The first in a series of video clips featuring footage from the "Mannequin" studio sessions can be seen below.

Said Balch: "In between FU MANCHU tours, I was writing all this material that was really frantic and dark. Lots of notes and strange chords.

"A lot of times I would go interview a guitar player for my site PlayThisRiff.com and come back inspired and full of ideas. Just to make Scott Reeder laugh I would send him a file to play drums on.

"Well, anybody who has seen FU MANCHU live knows Reeder is a monster behind the kit. So I would try to throw him some curveballs to trip him up. No such luck. Every riff I sent him he nailed. After a while, there was an album's worth of stuff.

"I really wanted Scott Thomas Reeder to play bass on it. I love the work he has done in his recording studio too, so I figured that if we recorded stuff there, hopefully he'd dig it and play on it.

"I remember after the first take we walked into the control room and Reeder said, 'I had an idea!' He asked to play on it and I almost crapped myself. I don't think I've ever said 'Yes!' faster.

"His bass lines are insane. Lots of drop-A stuff which is probably pretty hard on bass. He nailed it too!

"Once the bass tracks were in place, we needed vocals.

"I had lyrics and melodies in my head. A lot of the vocal parts were four-part harmonies. Crazy stuff. So I laid down vocals on the home demos using a vocoder and a guitar.

"I thought if I could get an unmixed album with vocoder vocals together, I could start sending it out to singers that I liked to see if they had any interest. I went back into Scott Thomas Reeder's studio to lay down the vocoder parts as a guide for singers. I did the track 'Gang Justice' first and Reeder turned around and said, 'That's how the vocals will stay. It's inane.' He asked, 'Do you have stuff for every song using the vocoder?' I did. So we went to work. The only song I didn't have vocals for Reeder sang. It's named 'I'm Not Upside Down'.

"Overall, this record is heavy and dark. It's inspired by DEVO, VOIVOD, KRAFTWORK, TORCHE, SLAYER and much as it's inspired by ASWAD, JOE PASS and WES MONTGOMERY. The riffs are heavy and the vocoder vocals are full of harmonies.

"I wanted a super-heavy groove that would support angelic vocal harmonies. I think we achieved that.

Added Scott Thomas Reeder: "Yeah, Bob from FU MANCHU came into The Sanctuary do some recording with the other Scott Reeder — the drummer from FU MANCHU. I was stoked — been wanting to meet that guy for years! So they knocked out some crazy tracks all in a day — jaw- droppingly great stuff. I didn't know if it was supposed to just be drums and guitar... so I asked later on, 'Who's playing bass on this stuff?' They hadn't decided yet, but Bob was gonna come back and put some bass tracks down later. I suggested that maybe I take a stab at it, and they were down! It's really crazy stuff, the most challenging material I've done since I was in THE OBSESSED. I got through most of it — there were a few 'guide tracks' in there that I asked Bob to put down that were flawless — I ended up leaving those in. Spent just a few more days with Bob coming back to the ranch to add some textures with his arsenal of effects.

"I was kinda bummed when we wrapped on tracking! It was a blast working with these guys, and I'm glad the the other Reeder is a great guy and a monster drummer — can't wait for the confusion that is sure to come from having both of us on this thing."

Said Scott Reeder: About two years ago, Bob and I started trading riffs and beats back and forth via the wonders of modern technology. Sometimes he would be sending me three different things in one file and I would just throw up a 57 as an overhead and record my whole kit and send it back. Or I might have a beat and say, 'Hey, play something to this.' 'Whites Of Your Eyes' started that way. It was much faster and I was just warming up around the kit and got inspired to get it down. Then we got together and just slowed down the tempo and he added new parts.

"We agreed that most of the stuff needed not to be super picked apart and scrutinized. It was more of a 'first-thought-best-thought' approach. And whatever made us just laugh and go, 'Yeah, that's super weird. It's gotta be that way!!'

"It all springs from Bob's riffs; he can play anything, but he plays it the way you want to hear it!! As always, that's the most fun stuff to play to. I think that shows up in recording. It's fun to listen to.

"We blasted through 10 songs of basics in four hours. We were just having a great time, so we just knocked it out!! And to have that great bass playing of Scott's in there, I could not imagine it sounding heavier but, of course, he just blew me away."

Continued Balch: "In the end, we had J. Robbins (CLUTCH, THE SWORD, THE HIDDEN HAND) mix the record. I loved his work and I'm a big fan of the band he played bass in GOVERNMENT ISSUE. He mixed THE HIDDEN HAND's 'Mother, Teacher, Destroyer', which is one of my favorite-sounding records. I wanted to get a heavy sound like that, but I also wanted a DEVO 'Duty Now For The Future' or RUSH 'Moving Pictures' vibe. I think that those ingredients play off the vocoder really well.

"I've never even met J. Robbins. It's funny, I don't even know what he looks like. We spoke on the phone about the approach I wanted and then I sent the tunes to the East Coast to have him work on it. He did an insane job and was a total pleasure to work with.

"We picked Dan Coutant at Sun Room Audio to master the record. He has worked with CLUTCH and COLISEUM in the past. We saw eye to eye immediately."

Fan-filmed video footage of MÖTLEY CRÜE's September 22 concert in Las Vegas as part of the band's second residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino can be seen below.

The fall shows, dubbed "Evening In Hell", are an all-new production and the band is pushing its own envelope once again. The production was designed exclusively for The Joint in partnership with AEG Live and sees the band performing in front of just 4,000 people per show max, a far cry from the arenas MÖTLEY CRÜE is accustomed to playing.

"There is no show like this. There never has been, and there never will be," MÖTLEY CRÜE lead singer Vince Neil told Robin Leach of the Las Vegas Sun. "You've seen video fire from other rock acts on tour, but never the real thing."

Vince continued: "It's more than any rock group has ever produced or attempted. It really is entering the depths of hell. There's fire all around and fire coming down from above.

“There's no question this is the most dangerous theatrics ever created and far more than anything we expected. But, hey, this is Vegas, and we do bigger, bolder, badder, sleazier here better than any other place on Earth.

"We have the best fire tech experts in the world. This is so over the top, the only thing cool is what we do! Basically, we're setting everything on fire in a way that's never been done before."

Vince also spoke about the challenge of singing nonstop for 90 minutes. "I don't get one break," he told the Las Vegas Sun. "We start with a song from when we began 30 years ago. We've reached back over the years to old hits to match up with new hits. It's a difficult setlist for me vocally — 'Too Young To Fall In Love' is no easy song to perform."

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for "Symphony Of Sin", the fourth studio album from multinational melodic metallers EDEN'S CURSE, can be seen below.

"Symphony Of Sin" will be released on October 4 via AFM Records. Produced by Paul Logue and mixed and mastered by the group's longtime engineer, PINK CREAM 69 and UNISONIC bassist Dennis Ward, the CD is the first EDEN'S CURSE release with new Serbian vocalist Nikola Mijic (ALOGIA, DREYELANDS) and Welsh keyboard wizard and POWER QUEST mainman Steve Williams.

The cover artwork for "Symphony Of Sin" was once again created again by Thomas Ewerhard (EDGUY, AVANTASIA, JORN) and marks the return of a familar face in "Eve," who previously graced EDEN'S CURSE's debut album cover.

"Symphony Of Sin" track listing:

01. Symphony Of Sin02. Break The Silence03. Evil & Divine04. Unbreakable05. Fallen From Grace06. Losing My Faith07. Rock Bottom08. Great Unknown09. Turn The Page10. Sign Of The Cross11. Wings To Fly12. Devil In Disguise13. Where Is The Love?

The "Evil & Divine" video can be seen below. The clip was shot on location at the famous St. Andrews in the Square location in Glasgow under the direction of Ryan Priddy and his team at Independent Element.

Hailing from Senta, in the North of Serbia, Nikola is a vastly experienced singer despite his tender years. For the past ten years, he has been fronting Serbian outfit ALOGIA and more recently Hungarian prog rockers DREYELANDS, who released their debut album on Lion Music in 2010. In 2008, he also featured heavily on the prog rock project album "Expedition Delta".

Said Nikola: "I'm really honored to be part of the metal journey of EDEN'S CURSE with their new upcoming album that is coming out on 4th October and I'm looking forward to rock with you guys!"

Added EDEN'S CURSE drummer Pete Newdeck: "For me, when I heard a lot of the auditions, Nik's was the one that stood out. It stood out mainly because of its originality. His voice was strong, it was soulful and he had something different to offer. That's really why I championed him, because I think he could offer something different, change the face of the band and possibly help this band move forward."

Stated EDEN'S CURSE bassist Paul Logue: "When Nik sent his audition of 'Evil & Divine', that's when we really began to sit up and take notice and say that this guy was something special. He is the complete package."

Guitarist Thorsten Koehne enthused: "He's just an amazing talent, one of the most amazing singers I've seen in recent times. He's just so versatile in what he can do and he just fits the band perfect because with EDEN'S CURSE, we're very diverse, as far as the music, so there's not just one particular style that we are doing. So we were really looking for a singer that could keep up with that and have a range in his vocals. Nikola is just perfect because he can do so many things, from blues to metal stuff and everything in between."

Williams, a former member of DRAGONFORCE, commented: "It was a real thrill to be asked by Paul and the boys to get involved in EDEN'S CURSE. I've been a fan for a long time, I've known the guys a while and it's great to be here getting myself right cursed, I can tell you."

Added Logue: "I've known Steve for a while, and when Ale left, he recommended we look at Steve. It was very easy choice for us, as we were already good friends and with POWER QUEST calling it a day, it was a perfect time in both our careers to join forces. Steve is a smashing player and one of life's true gentlemen. He is an utter joy to have on board and I am genuinely excited to see what we can produce together in the years to come as I am a big fan of his songwriting."

Video footage of the unboxing of the limited-edition box-set version of the new, self-titled album from progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER can be seen below.

Product Description

* Exclusive artwork by Hugh Syme

Custom Box Set Holds:

* Custom 2GB Majesty symbol USB stick containing:- Isolated stems of "Behind The Veil"- "Take This For The Pain (Mike Mangini Audition Improv Jam)" — 30-minute documentary.* Exclusive 7" of "The Bigger Picture" on clear vinyl, wrapped and sealed with a custom wax seal. * Gel-skin iDots of Majesty symbol for iPhone. * 2-disc embossed deluxe edition digi with bonus disc of 5.1 audio mix + expanded packaging. * 180-gram 2-LP embossed gatefold vinyl with high quality FLAC files of full album.

Bundle Includes:

* Limited-edition collector's box set* Digital album* Digital FLAC album

The limited-edition box-set version of "Dream Theater" is available for $99.99 from the Roadrunner Records webstore.

"Dream Theater" is likely to sell between 30,000 and 35,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on September 24 via Roadrunner

DREAM THEATER's previous CD, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", opened with 36,000 units to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 8. The band's 2009 effort, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", premiered with 40,000 copies to land at No. 6. This was roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by its predecessor, "Systematic Chaos", which shifted 36,000 copies in 2007 to enter the chart at No. 19. 2005's "Octavarium" premiered with 27,000 copies to debut at No. 36.

Speaking to Ultimate-Guitar.com, guitarist John Petrucci stated about "Dream Theater": "I think it's building on [what we did on the "A Dramatic Turn of Events" album], but taking it to the next level. One of the things I really wanted to do on 'A Dramatic Turn of Events' was to create something that was sonically very rich and high-def and powerful and I think we accomplished that. But on this album, I wanted to take that even further…. [I wanted to] get more cinematic with it and more earthy and aggressive and bigger. I wanted a bigger, more forward in-your-face kind of sound. I think that kind of dictated the sounds we went for while we were writing and recording and then ultimately how it was mixed. So yeah, it was kind of building on that, but taking it to the next level. You always need to progress and to try and do something different and kind of have a little bit different take on it and a different perspective. But hopefully make it better as you go."

The nine-track disc was recorded at Cove City Studio in Glen Cove, Long Island, with Petrucci producing and Richard Chycki engineering and mixing. It's the band's second album with drummer Mike Mangini, and the first one on which he was a part of the writing process from Day One.

In January, Petrucci said of Mangini's work: "When people hear the drumming on this album, they're gonna be pretty freaked out. On the last album, he did a great job, but he wasn't there for the writing process and he was interpreting drum parts that I had programmed. Even though he used his creativity, of course, to change them up and do his thing, I feel like now he's just Mike Mangini unleashed. It's all him. It's all his creativity, all his decisions and ideas and man, the guy's an animal."

"Dream Theater" track listing:

01. False Awakening SuiteI. Sleep ParalysisII. Night TerrorsIII. Lucid Dream02. The Enemy Inside03. The Looking Glass04. Enigma Machine05. The Bigger Picture06. Behind The Veil07. Surrender To Reason08. Along For The Ride09. Illumination TheoryI. Paradoxe de la Lumière NoireII. Live, Die, KillIII. The Embracing CircleIV. The Pursuit of TruthV. Surrender, Trust & Passion

"Dream Theater" was made available in a wide range of distinctive versions, including standard and special edition CDs, 180-gram double LP, and a limited-edition box set.

The video for the song "The Enemy Inside" was directed by Bill Fishman (RAMONES, STEVE RAY VAUGHAN). The strictly conceptual clip deals with the torment of a soldier who's struggling with reintegrating into his life back home due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Regarding the song's lyrics, Petrucci told Billboard.com: "At the time that we were in the studio working on the [new DREAM THEATER] album and I was writing lyrics, the Boston Marathon bombings happened. There was a lot of discussion of terrorism and PTSD as if affects people who witness traumatic events like terrorism, so it was just very on my mind. It linked very well with the mood of the song, and as we started to get into it, I watched some documentaries and things like that. I was like, 'This is really something that needs to be written about.'"