North American metallers ICED EARTH have completed mixing and mastering their new album, "Plagues Of Babylon", for a January 2014 via Century Media Records.

Says ICED EARTH guitarist/mainman Jon Schaffer: "It's been a long summer, but a very productive one.

"I am very proud of my bandmates! Everyone kicked ass, and we made a really special record.

"Now it's time try to rest for a few 'minutes' before the next chapter of world touring begins.

"Best to you all! We will see our European friends on the road with our brothers in VOLBEAT, then the rest of you on the worldwide Plagues tour 2014!"

Speaking to Metal4 magazine at the Rockharz open-air festival in Germany in July, Schaffer said about the upcoming CD: "It's a bit of a different thing for us, because it's half of a concept and the other half is [standalone] tracks. Musically, I think it's just another step in the right direction. It's really heavy, it's very melodic. It has a really epic feeling. Even though there isn't, like, a monster, long epic track, the overall feel of the songs is very epic. I mean, there's no 'Dante's Inferno' or 'Gettysburg' or the 'Something Wicked' trilogy or something like that on here, but I'm really happy with it."

Songtitles set to appear on "Plagues Of Babylon" (among others):

* Plagues of Babylon* Democide* Among The Living Dead* The Resistance* If I Could See You* Peacemaker* Cthulhu* Parasite

ICED EARTH recently parted ways with drummer Brent Smedley for "personal family reasons." He has since been replaced by Raphael Saini (CHAOSWAVE).

ICED EARTH has been hitting it relentlessly, with the recent studio album, "Dystopia", being the most toured album in the band's illustrious history.

One of the many highlights of the "World Dystopia Tour", a headline show at the historic Kourion Amphitheatre in Cyprus, was recently released on Blu-ray, DVD and in many other formats under the title "Live In Ancient Kourion".

"Dystopia" was released in October 2011 via Century Media Records. The CD marked the band's recording debut with singer Stu Block (INTO ETERNITY), who joined ICED EARTH in March 2011 following the departure of Matt Barlow.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, DEF LEPPARD's recent Las Vegas extravaganza will hit the silver screen for two nights in October. NCM Fathom Events together with AEG Live and Network Live are bringing DEF LEPPARD "Viva! Hysteria" concert to over 250 theaters across the country with a full front-to-back performance of 1987's multi-platinum "Hysteria" album — along with a healthy dose of the band's greatest hits. Tickets for the screenings are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.

A clip of the "Pour Some Sugar On Me" performance from "Viva! Hysteria" can be seen below.

Frontman Joe Elliott shed some light DEF LEPPARD's recent Vegas residency at the 4,000-capacity Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, explaining, "We've been asked for many years if we'd ever play an album in its entirety, and the answer was always no because we'd be out promoting a new album. Then in March and April 2013 when we had no new music to promote, we had a chance to revisit arguably our most important album. It was an easy decision to make."

He went on to say that the stigma involved in rock musicians playing "Sin City" has long passed: "As for Vegas, it's no longer perceived as the place crooners go to die! Artists like MÖTLEY CRÜE, ELTON JOHN, GUNS N' ROSES and CHEAP TRICK have recently done residencies and rock n' roll has definitely moved in! So, there was no better place for us to take the show. It was a fantastic experience for us and for our fans."

Joe Elliott told The Pulse Of Radio that the band's humble beginnings back in England never even hinted at where they'd be today. "35 years after starting out in a little school in Sheffield, and then the next thing we're doing a residency in Vegas," he said. "It was never on the agenda back then, y'know? But being in a band more than seven or eight years wasn't either. So, at this moment in time you're just kinda making things up as you go along, because, things just keep appearing for us. Like; 'Hey — you guys fancy doing this?' 'Well, that's something we've never done.' And as soon as we can say that out loud, it's appealing for us to do it, ''cause it gets you off the treadmill."

The theatrical showings will be followed by a companion DVD, Blu-ray and live album that Elliott tells Billboard.com will chronicle "the whole shebang" — not only the "Hysteria" set but all of the other songs DEF LEPPARD played over the two nights the show was filmed.

"VIVA! Hysteria - Live at the Joint, Las Vegas" will be made available on CD, Blu-ray disc, DVD Video, and digital download in October at your favorite music retailer.

* North America: October 22* Germany, Austria, Switzerland: October 18* Rest Of Europe & Oceania: October 21* Japan: October 9

"Kill The Elite", a brand new song from Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based death metallers KATAKLYSM, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The song comes off the band's new album, "Waiting For The End To Come", which will be released on October 29 in North America via Nuclear Blast. The artwork by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, HATEBREED) will be featured on the deluxe digipak and LP versions of the effort. The previously released cover by Peter Sallai (SABATON) will be featured on the standard jewel case and limited edition cassette tape versions.

"This other version of the new art made by Eliran Kantor represents a more iconic and epic approach,” commented Iacono. "A man representing all of humanity, shaking the foundation of existence and ultimately beginning the process of destruction. The main foundation is depicted here as the famous KATAKLYSM 'tribal sun' logo. It does not represent the end of KATAKLYSM by any means; more the beginning of a new era after the end of a certain existence."

The follow-up to 2010's "Heaven's Venom", "Waiting For The End To Come" was recorded by KATAKLYSM guitarist Jean-François Dagenais, who has previously worked with MALEVOLENT CREATION, MISERY INDEX and DESPISED ICON, among others, and mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUFFOCATION, HATEBREED, ARSIS).

As previously reported, KATAKLYSM has recruited ex-NEURAXIS drummer Oli Beaudoin to sit behind the kit during the recording sessions for "Waiting For The End To Come". Beaudoin is also playing all of KATAKLYSM's currenty announced shows. Drummer Max Duhamel announced on April 8 that he was taking a break from KATAKLYSM to deal with issues related to alcohol abuse.

KATAKLYSM will embark on a European headlining tour in January 2014. Support on the trek will come from KRISIUN and FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE.

MOTÖRHEAD's 21st studio album, "Aftershock", will be released as a an official Classic Rock collectors fanpack that features the new LP in full plus a 132-page magazine that forms the "ultimate sleevenotes" to the new release, with extensive and exclusive interviews with Lemmy, Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell.

Pre-order your copy now at this location (official on-sale date is October 21).

Inside is everything you need to know about "Aftershock" and the world of MOTÖRHEAD in 2013: inside the making of album, new features covering all eras of the band's career from 1975 to 2013, and tons of previously unseen pictures.

Fanpack edition includes:

* New album "Aftershock"* 132-page magazine* Giant double-sided poster* Exclusive MOTÖRHEAD car sticker

Plus, if your order is placed before 12:00 (GMT) on Monday, September 23, your 100% official collector's fanpack will come with an exclusive personalized poster featuring your name.

"Aftershock" track listing:

01. Heartbreaker02. Coup De Grace03. Lost Woman Blues04. End Of Time05. Do You Believe06. Death Machine07. Dust And Glass08. Going To Mexico09. Silence When You Speak To Me10. Crying Shame11. Queen Of The Damned12. Knife13. Keep Your Powder Dry14. Paralyzed

Check out the cover artwork below.

If you want to pre-order the fanpack but do not want your name to be included on the poster, you must email [email protected]
/* */
before 12 p.m. on September 20 to tell them that you do not want your name to be included in the Classic Rock Presents Motörhead: Aftershock fanpack poster.

The follow-up to 2010's "The Wörld Is Yours", "Aftershock" was recorded at Maple Sound Studios in Santa Ana, California with longtime producer Cameron Webb.

MOTÖRHEAD canceled a handful of shows on its European festival tour last month after the band's frontman, Lemmy Kilmister, suffered a haematoma (where blood collects outside of a blood vessel). The news of Lemmy's latest medical issue followed reports that he was also recently fitted with a defibrillator because of heart problems.

"Into The Night", the new video from Finnish "love" metallers HIM, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Stefan Lindfors, who also directed the band's classic, award-winning video "Funeral Of Hearts" and the recent "Tears On Tape" clip.

"Into The Night" comes off HIM's latest album, "Tears On Tape", which sold 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart.

HIM's previous CD, 2010's "Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice", opened with 26,000 units to land at No. 25.

The band's 2007 effort, "Venus Doom", registered a first-week tally of 38,000 to enter the chart at No. 12.

"Tears On Tape" was released on April 30 via Razor & Tie in North America and on April 29 through DoubleCross (Cooking Vinyl's specialist rock imprint) in the U.K. and Ireland. The "love metal" act's eighth official album was recorded at Helsinki's Finnvox Studios with longtime producer Hiili Hiilesmaa (APOCALYPTICA, AMORPHIS, MOONSPELL) and was mixed in London, England by Tim Palmer, who previously helmed 2005's "Dark Light" and 2007's "Venus Doom".

HIM's current lineup is Ville Valo (vocals), Mikko "Linde" Lindström (guitar), Mikko "Migé" Paananen (bass), Janne "Burton" Puurtinen (keyboards), and Mika "Gas" Karppinen (drums). The band is managed by Seppo Vesterinen at Hinterland, Inc. and represented for U.S. touring by Justin Hirschman/AGI.

After having completed the Avantasia world tour Tobias and Felix are about to get back to the rehearsal studio with Edguy to work on the band‘s 10th studio album. Asked about a possible release date Tobias says on behalf of the band: “We‘re done whenever we‘re done, but realistially we hope to release it in April or May. We‘ll see what material we have and then we‘ll go from there and take our time to come up with what‘s hopefully gonna be the greatest Heavy Metal record in the history of mankind.“

The band‘s previous album Age Of The Joker was released in August 2011 and reached the following chart positions:

Germany #3
Czech Republic #10
Sweden #10
Switzerland #13
UK (Rock-Charts) #14
Finland #15
Norway #26Austria #30
Spain #44
France #63
Japan #74
Italy #79

HIGH ON FIRE's North American tour kicks off November 10 in Atlanta at The Masquerade and runs through mid-December, wrapping up in Los Angeles on December 12. Norwegian rockers KVELERTAK will open all dates. DOOMRIDERS (November 10 to November 23), PACK OF WOLVES (November 27) and WINDHAND (November 29 to December 12) will each be featured as the evening opener on different legs of the tour.

To promote the upcoming trek, HIGH ON FIRE will release a new single, "Slave The Hive", on October 16, marking the first new music from the California metal champions since the spring 2012 release of "De Vermis Mysteriis". A limited-edition seven-inch single will be available at all tour dates with a video for the song to be released simultaneously.

"De Vermis Mysteriis" sold around 7,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 63 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on April 3, 2012 via eOne Music, the CD was recorded in Salem, Massachusetts' GodCity Studios with producer and CONVERGE guitarist Kurt Ballou. The 10-song effort — touted as "direct, eye-opening and powerfully supernatural" — was the band's sixth studio recording and the follow-up to 2010's "Snakes For The Divine" which debuted at No. 62 on The Billboard 200 chart and has been called "wonderful" by The New York Times and "an exhilarating rush" by the Chicago Tribune.

Fan-filmed video footage of VENOM's August 31 performance at the Masters@Rock festival in Torhout, Belgium can be seen below.

VENOM is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on its new album for an early 2014 release via Spinefarm Records.

Commented VENOM drummer Danny "Danté" Needham: "The new songs are sounding amazing; the whole album has a great feel.

"I'd say the strength of this band comes from our determination to create great music, and that comes from forward thinking, new ideas and fresh challenges."

Added VENOM bassist/vocalist Conrad "Cronos" Lant: "I believe this is VENOM at its best. The songwriting keeps getting better, and the live shows are tighter and heavier than ever.

"It's clear to me now that all of the lineup changes this band has been through over the years has been an inspiring journey to find the right band of warriors.

"VENOM continue to keep growing stronger and unstoppable".

VENOM's latest studio album, "Fallen Angels", was released in November 2011 via Spinefarm Records. Featuring 13 recordings produced by Cronos, the follow-up to 2008's "Hell" release saw the trio (completed by guitarist Stuart "Rage" Dixon) adopting a style highly redolent of classic early VENOM with modern studio technology employed only to increase the general level of nastiness.

Guitarist Ben Varon of Finnish metallers AMORAL has issued the following update:

"The [new AMORAL] album is ready! Recorded, mixed, mixed some more, mastered, tweaked, mastered some more, done!

"We've had the album in our hands for a couple of weeks now, and let me just say it sounds GOOD. Been playing it through everything from studio monitors to ipod headphones, car stereos to huge club PA systems, and I could not be happier with the end result. This thing sounds huge! Janne Saksa and Svante Forsbäck have once again done a stellar job with the mixing and mastering. Can't wait to get it out for all of you to have a listen and let us know what you think of it.

"Right now we're working on... well, pretty much all the things that need to be worked on after the music is in the can. The album artwork is almost done, and from what I've seen, it's going to be beautiful! Our longtime friend Aki Siltala is hard at work getting it perfect as we speak. Aki is the man responsible for the 'Decrowning' and 'Reptile Ride' artwork, as well as the legendary (!?)AMORAL skull logo, so it's good to have him involved yet again.

"Other stuff to keep us busy while waiting for all the business hassle and record label stuff to be worked out for the release: location scouting and brainstorming with Valtteri 'Wally Balls' Hirvonen for the next photo shoot, arguing about which songs to include in future setlists (we now have six albums to choose songs from, making it harder and harder) and then actually practicing them (both the new songs — which are a bitch to play by the way — and the old songs we haven't touched in years).

"No release date has yet been set, but we're aiming for an end-of-the-year release.

"The promised first taste of new music is coming soon, so hang on tight and watch this space!"

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

(Thanks: Fireangel of Night Elves)

JohngysBeat.com has uploaded video footage of '80s hard rock queen Lita Ford performing an impromptu version of her hit song "Close My Eyes Forever" with a fan during the most recent Days Of The Dead horror convention, which was held in early July in Indianapolis, Indiana. Check out the clip below.

Lita last year revealed that "Close My Eyes Forever" came about by accident during a night of drinking and getting stoned when she was being managed by Ozzy Osbourne's wife, Sharon. She recalled to Metal Underground: "'Close My Eyes Forever' was a mistake. It was just me and Ozzy and Sharon hanging about in the recording studio. They showed up one day and had a housewarming present for me: a life-size duplicate of Koko, the gorilla from the San Diego Zoo. It was freaking huge — I had to strap it in the front seat of my jeep to get it home. Ozzy stayed, Sharon got bored and left, and me and Ozzy had a couple of drinks and we were jamming. We started singing, messing about and we wrote 'Close My Eyes Forever'. Next thing I knew the sun was coming up. I looked at him and went, 'Uh-oh, we're in trouble.' Sharon had been waiting all night. We were a long way from where Ozzy had to go. He said, 'Can you drive me home?' I said, 'No, I can't.' We were stoned out of our minds. He got into a cab and I strapped Koko into my jeep and drove home — just barely made it. And then we had this hit song."

Lita Ford has set "The Bitch Is Back... Live" as the title of her new live album, due on October 28 via SPV/Steamhammer.

Lita's latest solo album, "Living Like A Runaway", was released on June 19, 2012 in North America via SPV/Steamhammer. 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.

ROB ZOMBIE and ex-MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5 (real name: John William Lowery) recently spoke to Artisan News (see video report below) about his forthcoming solo album, an all-star affair which is tentatively due in 2014.

"Rob Zombie is obviously my priority, and everything I do is just when he's doing a movie or something like that," he said. "And you know, I never play live with anyone else, I never tour, 'cause I never wanna confuse anyone. I'm just a writer. So as soon as they see a credit — 'Oh, John 5 wrote on this Ricky Martin song,' or whatever like that — then that will… So it doesn't really get in the way. But I love doing my instrumental records and people really enjoy 'em, so I'm always working on those. I'm working on one right now. I've got Elton John's bass player doing stuff. I mean, I have a bunch of guest stars on this one, so it's gonna be really good."

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

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

Norwegian black metallers EMPEROR will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their "In The Nightside Eclipse" album by making a number of festival appearances next year. In addition to performing at Germany's Wacken Open Air, the band will headline the 2014 edition of the the Bloodstock Open Air festival, set to take place next August at Catton Hall, Walton-On-Trent, West Midlands, United Kingdom. EMPEROR members Ihsahn (real name: Vegard Sverre Tveitan) and Samoth (real name: Tomas Haugen) will be joined by Bård Guldvik "Faust" Eithun on drums, and they will perform the CD in its entirety. There will be no new studio album or a worldwide tour — only a few exclusive festival appearances next year to mark the celebration of this landmark release.

Speaking with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, lhsahn explained how this new reunion came to pass. "Me and Samoth were talking and the 20th anniversary of '…Eclipse' came up," he said.

"It's no secret that I've been reluctant to do the reunion stuff, because I want to be clear on my priorities as a solo artist.

"People ask us for EMPEROR shows all the time, and as a fan I can relate to that sort of nostalgia, but I'm much more involved in my current work. But now that I feel I've established a more solid foundation for my solo stuff, it was easier for me to appreciate the thought of celebrating this album that was such an important starting point for us."

Ihsahn's fifth solo album, "Das Seelenbrechen", will be released in North America on October 21 via Candlelight Records. The CD is described in a press release as "a bold and adventurous recording that is a musical contrast to the progressive shades and saxophone augmentations of the EMPEROR vocalist/guitarist's previous two albums (2009's 'After' and 2011's 'Eremita'). The album is every bit as dark and destructive as the artist's previous work but is far more disorientating and disturbing than anything he has attempted in his past."

"In the beginning of my solo career, I created more of a barrier between EMPEROR and my solo work," Ihsahn told Metal Hammer. "But over the last few albums, I've been able to tap into more and more of that old black metal feeling. It's such a fundamental part of my creative self. Even if the arrangements and form of my music are very different these days, I feel the source in its pure form is very much the same as when I first started out."

He added: "When EMPEROR play at [the festivals around the world] next year, I want to be able to tap into that and perform those old songs with the same conviction and authenticity as before."

The news of EMPEROR's appearance at Wacken Open Air was announced on August 2 at this year's edition of the festival at a press conference which was attended by Ihsahn and Samoth.

EMPEROR released its swansong, "Prometheus - The Discipline Of Fire And Demise", in September 2001. It was an epic and progressive metal album that once and for all marked EMPEROR as one of the most adventurous and gifted black metal bands of all times. In September 2005, EMPEROR surprised all with an unannounced appearance in Oslo. Following the three-song performance, the band announced additional concerts that would include a visit to America; marking the second trip to the States in the band's legendary career. Fans flocked to New York City and Los Angeles to witness the sold-out performances. In 2007, additional shows would see the band return to the U.S. for a repeat performance in New York City, a stop in Chicago, and what would be their final American performance in Los Angeles.

EUROPE's 30th-anniversary performance at this year's edition of the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden was the band's only Swedish concert of 2013 and the stage show was one of the greatest, if not the greatest of the band's entire career. The setlist was specially composed from EUROPE's entire nine-album discography, including their cult debut "Europe" (1983), multi-million-seller "The Final Countdown" (1986) and their most recent outing, "Bag Of Bones" (2012), which has now reached gold status in Sweden. The performance was also professionally filmed and recorded for release on double CD, DVD and Blu-ray, to be made available on October 16 in Scandinavia via Gain, in the rest of Europe through Edel, and in Japan via JVC.

"Live At Sweden Rock - 30th Anniversary Show" contains live renditions of 28 songs, including cover versions of THIN LIZZY's "Jailbreak" (featuring a guest appearance by THIN LIZZY's Scott Gorham) and UFO's "Lights Out" (featuring ex-UFO guitarist Michael Schenker).

"Live At Sweden Rock - 30th Anniversary Show" track listing:

01. Riches To Rags02. Firebox03. Not Supposed To Sing The Blues04. Scream Of Anger05. Superstitious06. No Stone Unturned07. New Love In Town08. In The Future To Come09. Paradize Bay10. Girl From Lebanon11. Prisoners In Paradise12. Always The Pretenders13. Drink And A Smile14. Open Your Heart15. Love Is Not The Enemy16. Sign Of The Times17. Start From The Dark18. Wings Of Tomorrow19. Carrie20. Jailbreak (feat. Scott Gorham)21. Seven Doors Hotel22. Drum Solo23. The Beast24. Let The Good Times Rock25. Lights Out (feat. Michael Schenker)26. Rock The Night27. Last Look At Eden28. Final Countdown

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

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

2014 will mark the 20th anniversary of "The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh", the historic debut album from British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH on Cacophonous Records. The band states: "To honor this momentous occasion, we are planning a whole smorgasbord of exciting stuff, including the first-ever CRADLE OF FILTH comic, the release of a career-spanning double disc best-of (more on this including the chance to vote online for your choice of tracks to feature later this week) and, of course, the subsequent touring."

The story for CRADLE OF FILTH's upcoming adult comic book was scripted by the comic writer Kurt Amacker (with assistance from the band's singer, Dani Filth). Several artists are in the process of mocking up some example pages for the prospective publishers. Dani previously stated about the project: "I am very excited about this venture, as it promises to be a very adult story woven straight from the CRADLE OF FILTH universe, featuring a liberated Oscar Wilde, the Demoness Lilith, nefarious sexual magickal practices and an errant Suffolk Lord who is in the unenviable process of being charged under 19th-century blasphemy laws, discovering himself engaged in a nightmarish occult netherworld."

CRADLE OF FILTH's tenth studio album, "The Manticore And Other Horrors", sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 96 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous full-length effort, "Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa", opened with 5,800 units in November 2010 to land at No. 99.

This coming Friday, September 6, Swedish progressive metallers OPETH will set sail on Melloboat 2013, a two-day cruise between Stockholm, Sweden and Riga, Latvia featuring performances by a number of progressive cult bands and heavy hitters, including Morgan Ågren (featuring a guest appearance by Devin Townsend), SAGA (Sweden), CRESSIDA, ICECROSS, TRETTIOÅRIGA KRIGET, ÄNGLAGÅRD, PANTA REI 2.0 and BADGE. The cruise will mark OPETH's very last show in support of the band's latest album, "Heritage", which came out in 2011. The group will spend the remaining months of 2013 putting the finishing touches on the writing and recording process for its next studio effort, which will be released sometime next spring.

According to OPETH frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt, four songs have already been written for the upcoming CD and three others are in various states of completion.

"We've been looking at [tracking the next album at] Rockfield Studios in Wales where QUEEN recorded 'Bohemian Rhapsody', but we haven't made a decision yet," Åkerfeldt tells the Swedish newspaper Expressen. "But it will be an expensive album. There's a lot going on, lots of string arrangements that we haven't had in the past."

Will it be heavier or softer than "Heritage"?

"Maybe a little bit heavier," Mikael says. "Not death metal heavy, but hard rock/heavy metal heavy. There's also lots of progressive elements and acoustic guitars, but also more sinister-sounding riffs."

Who's producing?

"I am," Mikael says. "I love the way DIO's 'Holy Diver' sounds, this early-'80s sound where you can still hear the '70s, but the production is heavier. Right now I'm into having a similar production that isn't retro but it still sounds like real instruments and it's heavier than 'Heritage'."

"Heritage" sold 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous studio CD, 2008's "Watershed", opened with more than 19,000 units to land at No. 23.

Frontiers Records will release the much-anticipated third album from PLACE VENDOME, "Thunder In The Distance", on November 1 in Europe and November 5 in North America.

PLACE VENDOME is the melodic rock project featuring UNISONIC and former HELLOWEEN singer Michael Kiske on all lead vocals and production from Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69).

PLACE VENDOME started in 2004 whenKiske, following a self-imposed exile from the rock and metal scene which lasted a few years after his departure from HELLOWEEN and solo career, accepted an offer in 2004 to be part of a melodic rock-oriented concept put together by Frontiers Records president Serafino Perugino.

The resulting PLACE VENDOME debut album brought Kiske back to a more straight-ahead rock sound, still very accessible and melodic and far from the heavy metal stereotypes of blood, violence and hate which Kiske never had anything to do with. He collaborated for the first time with PINK CREAM 69's Dennis Ward, Kosta Zafiriou and Uwe Reitenauer with Gunther Werno (VANDEN PLAS) on keyboards. In a quite ironic twist of fate, Michael found himself to work with members of PINK CREAM 69 when that band's original singer, Andi Deris, took his place in HELLOWEEN after Kiske left.

The very favorable acceptance of the first PLACE VENDOME album planted the seeds for a second recording entitled "Streets Of Fire", which was produced during 2008. The concept was slightly changed, with some outside writers such as Robert Säll (WORK OF ART), Ronny Milianowicz (SAINT DEAMON) and Torsti Spoof (LEVERAGE) handling the bulk of the songwriting, with Dennis Ward still handling the recording and production sessions.

Following his stint with the band UNISONIC, Kiske decided to go back once again to the PLACE VENDOME concept with more melodic rock-oriented songs which — once again — have been selected by Perugino from outside writers, including Magnus Karlsson (PRIMAL FEAR), Timo Tolkki (ex-STRATOVARIUS), Alessandro Del Vecchio (HARDLINE), Roberto Tiranti and Andrea Cantarelli (LABYRINTH, A PERFECT DAY), Tommy Denander (RADIOACTIVE), Sören Kronqvist (SUNSTORM, ISSA), and Brett Jones.

"I am having a very open mind in terms of music anyway, and the PLACE VENDOME vibe is a pretty different approach than UNISONIC," says Kiske. "I like many tracks off the PLACE VENDOME albums, but especially 'Guardian Angel', 'Streets Of Fire', 'I Will Be Waiting', 'Set Me Free' from the previous albums or now 'Maybe Tomorrow'. For me, the vocals are the most important part of a song, of course."

Ward once again produced and mixed the whole affair with such musicians as Dirk Bruineberg (CONSORTIUM PROJECT), Gunter Werno (VANDEN PLAS) and Uwe Reitenauer (PINK CREAM 69) completing the lineup.

"Thunder In The Distance" track listing:

01. Talk To Me02. Power Of Music03. Broken Wings04. Lost In Paradise05. It Can't Rain Forever06. Fragile Ground07. Hold Your Love08. Never Too Late09. Heaven Lost10. My Heart Is Dying11. Breakout12. Maybe Tomorrow13. Thunder In The Distance

PLACE VENDOME is:

Michael Kiske - Lead Vocals Dennis Ward - Bass, Vocals, Rhythm GuitarDirk Bruineberg - DrumsGunter Werno - KeyboardsUwe Reitenauer - Lead Guitar