Bassist/vocalist David Vincent (MORBID ANGEL), guitarist Niclas Engelin (IN FLAMES, ENGEL) and drummer Magnus "Adde" Andreasson (HARDCORE SUPERSTAR) have joined forces in a brand new project called NERO 54/68.

Engelin is sitting out a few of IN FLAMES' shows this summer. His temporary replacement for those gigs is Patrik Jensen from THE HAUNTED.

MORBID ANGEL will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its best-selling album, "Covenant", by embarking on the "Covenant: 1993-2013" tour in November/December.

HARDCORE SUPERSTAR's new album, "C'mon Take On Me", was released in Europe on March 1 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2010's "Split Your Lip" was produced by the bandmembers themselves and mixed by Randy Staub (METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE CULT).

British heavy metal singer Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) will release a career-spanning double-disc collection, "Soundtracks Of My Life", on October 31.

The track listing is as follows:

Disc 1

01. Man Who Would Not Die
02. Ghost In The Machine
03. Stare At The Sun
04. Robot
05. Kill & Destroy
06. Silicon Messiah
07. The Brave
08. The Launch
09. King Of Metal (Remixed by Rick Plester)
10. Rainbow Fades To Black
11. Samurai
12. Blackmailer
13. Watching The Night Sky
14. Speed Of Light
15. Soundtrack Of My Life

Disc 2

16. Russian Holiday (acoustic feat. Thomas Zwijsen)
17. Clansman (acoustic feat. Thomas Zwijsen)
18. Voices From The Past
19. Tenth Dimension
20. Blood And Belief
21. 10 Seconds
22. Leap Of Faith
23. Tough As Steel (Blaze version)
24. Comfortable In Darkness
25. Living Someone Elses Life
26. The Day I Fell To Earth
27. Motherfuckers R Us
28. Wonderful Life (SINNERGOD feat. Blaze Bayley)
29. Hatred (new song)
30. Eating Children (new song)

All songs have been remastered by Rick Plester.

Says Blaze: "This double-disc set contains 30 recordings that have been very important to me in my life and 30-year career. Some of the songs included have not been widely available before. I have also had time to write two new songs with Rick Plester (former BLACK SYMPHONY guitarist). The set will come with a 28-page booklet and slipcase. Artwork is by Andreas Sandberg, who also did the artwork for 'King Of Metal'. The release date is October 31st, but pre-orders are available on August 4th."

Pre-order options:

* Silver package - £15: Album signed
* Gold package - £17: Album signed + your name in CD booklet
* Platinum package - £25: Album signed + your name in CD booklet + 40-page book "Albums Of My LIfe" + your name in book + fridge magnet + button badge + certificate

There will only be 300 copies of the platinum package available. The "Albums Of My Life" book will contain rare photos, tour dates and autobiographical account of the recordings, written by Blaze. This book is only limited to the Platinum package and will not be sold separately afterwards.

Metal Mind Productions recently released the two-CD version of Blaze Bayley's "Alive In Poland" (previously available only as part of the limited-edition "Alive In Poland" DVD) in Europe and North America.

"Alive In Poland" was recorded in Poland in April 2007 during the 21st edition of Metalmania festival in Katowice, Poland. It features a fantastic, over-one-and-a-half-hour show during which Blaze presented the best tracks from his discography, as well as select tracks from IRON MAIDEN ("Man On The Edge", "Futureal").

Bayley's latest studio album, "The King Of Metal", was released in March 2012. The CD was recorded at Fear Studio in Ravenna, Italy.

The 49-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, was the original frontman in WOLFSBANE, but left in 1994 to replace Bruce Dickinson as the lead singer of IRON MAIDEN.

Norwegian metallers SUSPERIA have released "Standalone", the first single from their upcoming album, as a free download via the band's Facebook page. The group states: "This is the first song we have recorded completely ourselves in our own studio. Mixing and mastering has been done by our drummer Tjodalv, also in our own studio."

SUSPERIA in November 2011 released a CD celebrating its 10-year anniversary as a recording artist, "We Are The Ones". According to a press release, the "mark[ed] 10 years of releases, and at the same time a nice end of a circle where Mustis (ex-DIMMU BORGIR), who participated on SUSPERIA's first demo in 1999, now return[ed] after 12 years to once again put his magical touch on new, as well as old songs. A very fruitful cooperation which now has led to some fantastic re-recordings of some very popular, classic songs, now in complete symphonic versions. A brand new song has been recorded, with a massive orchestral theme."

Fan-filmed video footage of Lita Ford's July 25 performance at Kulturbolaget (KB) in Malmö, Sweden can be seen below.

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

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 recent 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

Lita last year filmed a video for the song "Mother" in Joshua Tree, California. Directing the clip was Ford's former THE RUNAWAYS bandmate Victory Tischler-Blue, whose film "Edgeplay" was based on her tenure in the 1970s all-girl teenage rock act.

"Mother" is dedicated to Lita's estranged sons, Rocco and James (father is former NITRO singer Jim Gillette).

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.

Fan-filmed video footage of THE WINERY DOGS' July 26 concert at at Carioca Club in São Paulo, Brazil can be seen below.

THE WINERY DOGS is the power trio featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB), legendary bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, TALAS, DAVID LEE ROTH) and Richie Kotzen (MR. BIG, POISON).

THE WINERY DOGS' self-titled debut album was released in North America on July 23 via Loud & Proud Records. Issued in Japan on May 15 via Victor Entertainment, the CD was mixed by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, ADRENALINE MOB, STONE SOUR and STEEL PANTHER. Sheehan previously stated about the effort: "I'm really pleased with it. Richie sang his ass off and played amazingly unique stuff, and, of course Mike annihilated on drums. [It's a] really cool, unique record."

"In all of my years in this business, I've always been part of either a progressive band or a metal band," said Portnoy. "This is the first time I've been in an all-original band that's just a rock band in the vein of LED ZEPPELIN or VAN HALEN."

He added: "It's so refreshing to just play straight-ahead music with lots of twists. Obviously, the musicianship is great in this band, but it's very song-oriented."

Regarding how THE WINERY DOGS got its name, Portnoy said: "It was Richie's name. We had a list of about 50 names. I had about 10 that I preferred over THE WINERY DOGS, but you know, when you're in a band, you have to give and take and choose your battles, and Richie really, really loved this band name. So, you know, it was, like, 'OK.' A name is a name. If you feel that strongly about it, then go for it. So that's who we are."

"The Winery Dogs" track listing:

CD:

01. Elevate
02. Desire
03. We Are One
04. I'm No Angel
05. The Other Side
06. You Saved Me
07. Not Hopeless
08. One More Time
09. Damaged
10. Six Feet Deeper
11. Criminal
12. The Dying
13. Regret

DVD (limited edition, only available in Japan):

01. Elevate
02. Desire
03. I'm No Angel

THE WINERY DOGS will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Wednesday, August 14 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with THE WINERY DOGS by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). The show will be streamed on the "Rockline" web site for two weeks beginning the afternoon after the live broadcast.

THE WINERY DOGS will take part in a in-store performance and signing session on Tuesday, August 6 at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, New Jersey.

For more information, visit www.vvinyl.com.

Fan-filmed video footage of Dutch female-fronted metallers THE CHARM THE FURY performing on July 26 at the Zwarte Cross festival in Lichtenvoorde, The Netherlands can be seen below.

THE CHARM THE FURY's new album, "A Shade Of My Former Self", will be released on September 17 in North America via Pavement Entertainment and on September 16 in the rest of the world through Listenable Records.

"A Shade Of My Former Self" track listing:

01. The Unveiling
02. A Testament
03. Carte Blanche
04. A Shade Of My Former Self
05. The Enemy (feat. Jamie Graham)
06. Colorblind (feat. Daniël de Jongh)
07. In The Wake Of Pride
08. Living Saints
09. Heartless, Breathless
10. Virtue Of Leadership
11. A New State Of Mind
12. Deliverance

THE CHARM THE FURY's debut CD, "The Social Meltdown", saw a frenzy of hype surround the band, with extensive coverage across national radio, including BBC Radio One, and in Europe's acclaimed music magazines such as Metal Hammer and Kerrang!

THE CHARM THE FURY graced stages with the likes of I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN, OH SLEEPER and TEXTURES during 2012 and put on a memorable performance at Groezrock festival that raised the bar and offered a greater platform to reach new fans.

The female-fronted quintet not only offers something creatively different with its female screamer but a collection of high-energy monstrous anthems that have hooked the industry with full effect.

Says vocalist Caroline Westendorp: "It is so exciting to see how fast the band has grown in such a short space of time. Reactions have been so positive and it is great to welcome the two labels on board and make the next release a real big deal across seas. You can expect some cool surprises in the new record and we cannot wait to show the fans what we have in store for them."

THE CHARM THE FURY is:

Caroline Westendorp - Vocals
Mathijs Parent - Guitar
Rolf Perdok - Guitar
Lucas Arnoldussen - Bass
Mathijs Tieken - Drums

KORN will release its 11th studio album, titled "The Paradigm Shift", on October 1. The disc is the first to feature original guitarist Brian "Head" Welch since 2003's "Take A Look In The Mirror".

"The Paradigm Shift" track listing:

01. Prey For Me
02. Love & Meth
03. What We Do
04. Spike In My Veins
05. Mass Hysteria
06. Paranoid And Aroused
07. Never Never
08. Punishment Time
09. Lullaby For A Sadist
10. Victimized
11. It's All Wrong
12. Wish I Wasn’t Born Today (bonus track on deluxe edition)
13. Tell Me What You Want (bonus track on deluxe edition)

The cover artwork for "The Paradigm Shift" can be seen below.

Welch told The Pulse Of Radio how it felt to get back in the studio and record with the band again. "You know, all this stuff came in the perfect time and I knew it was meant to be because it was so smooth, everything fell into place, and then when we started writing, everything started falling into place better," he said. "So it was just so awesome, dude, and even from when we started writing to this day right now, there's been nothing, no negative anything at all."

Welch told Rolling Stone that the new album has "the old KORN vibe, but with a new twist . . . The end product is a really good mix of old KORN mixed with some new elements. It's got a fresh new KORN 2013 sound."

Singer Jonathan Davis said that having Welch back in the band was "really good for morale. It was just fun being in the studio with his goofy ass again."

Welch, who left in 2005 after he converted to Christianity, added, "Everything changed with these guys — everything is more positive."

Davis made the surprise revelation that he got into the studio later than the rest of the group because he was dealing with personal issues. He explained, "My boy got diabetes and I had come off medication for my depression, and that fucked me up . . . I'd been on it for three years and the doctor told me you gotta get off this, it's bad for you."

Davis took drastic action to get off his medication, saying, "I went to this county rehab. I was like, 'I don't want to do this shit ever again.' So I went into the most ghetto, fucked-up place I could find and I'm barely coming out of it now."

The new disc follows up 2011's "The Path Of Totality", which found the band experimenting with dubstep in its music.

ALICE IN CHAINS has released "Voices", the third single from new album "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here".

USA Today is premiering the song’s radio edit, which can be heard below.

"Voices" follows the album's first two singles, "Hollow" and "Stone", both of which rocketed to No. 1 on both the Active and Mainstream Rock Charts and whose companion videos have amassed over 3 million YouTube views combined.

ALICE IN CHAINS' fifth studio album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here", sold 62,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart. The disc follows up 2009's "Black Gives Way To Blue", which was the group's first all-new collection of material in 14 years. That CD opened with 126,000 units back in October 2009 to debut at No. 5.

ALICE IN CHAINS was last in the Top Two with its self-titled 1995 set, which debuted at No. 1 on that year's November 25 chart, according to Billboard.com. It would be their final studio release with singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002.

"The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" is ALICE IN CHAINS' second album with William DuVall on vocals.

DuVall began touring with the group in 2006, four years after the death of Layne Staley from a drug overdose.

ALICE IN CHAINS began working on the new disc in 2011, but the sessions for the album were delayed when guitarist Jerry Cantrell had to undergo shoulder surgery.

ALICE IN CHAINS will co-headline the fourth annual Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival with JANE'S ADDICTION, kicking off on August 9 in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Fan-filmed video footage of NIGHTWISH's July 20 performance at the Sotkamon Syke festivalat Sokos Hotel Vuokatin in Vuokatti, Finland, can be seen below.

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen has known the band's current touring vocalist, Dutch singer Floor Jansen, for more than 10 years already, having previously toured with her former band, AFTER FOREVER.

Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of the past five years, Anette Olzon.

Asked about the reasons for Olzon's sudden exit from the group, Tuomas told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine: "I'm sure it came as a shock to everybody. We came out with a statement [regarding the split], which pretty much says it all. It still is a private matter, and that's all we wanna say about it, like, ever. It was an amicable divorce, so to say, and made in good spirit, and we are just looking to the future. There really is no reason to go back into all the details and all that. I mean, this is not politics, this is a rock band."

Regarding whether there is a chance that Floor will become the official new NIGHTWISH lead singer, Tuomas said: "The way that we have decided is that we're gonna continue with her until the end of the festival season in 2013 — just have fun, just do the shows the best we can. I mean, the atmosphere in the band is so good at the moment, [we want to] just enjoy this what we have right now. They try not to think about NIGHTWISH at all for a few months. Everybody take a little vacation. And we already have the rehearsal place for the next album booked in 2014 — from July to September. So that's how far we have planned. But when we do the last festival show next August, after that, it's gonna be total nothing for a few months. So I would say everything is possible, but that's really not the thing that we want to be thinking about right now, because there's absolutely no reason to."

Nuclear Blast Records has announced the signing of the up-and-coming blues rock outfit BLUES PILLS!

Without any support from neither labels nor booking agencies, multicultural rising stars BLUES PILLS have toured relentlessly, released much-sought-after underground EP "Bliss" and thus became the most talked about band in the scene.

Mashing the sounds of legendary rock and soul pioneers such as Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, the original FLEETWOOD MAC and LED ZEPPELIN while incorporating their own, distinctive marks, BLUES PILLS put back excitement into rock music.

The band consists of Swedish singer Elin Larsson, whose unique voice captures the listeners' ears with as much soul, blues and rock as if she'd invented the whole thing, 18-year-old French guitarist Dorian Sorriaux, who brings a whole new set of power and freshness to the table and U.S. American stepbrothers Zack Anderson (bass) and Cory Berry (drums) as the driving rhythmic force behind the overall experience called BLUES PILLS.

Watch out for BLUES PILLS concerts near you this August before the band returns to Europe alongside labelmates ORCHID and SCORPION CHILD.

A new EP is in the early stages of completion.

Commented the band: "It is with bliss that we announce signing with Nuclear Blast Records. It's a dream come true in the literal sense of the words.

"Since we started the band we have always casually made jokes about one day getting signed to Nuclear Blast, though truthfully we never thought it would happen. So be careful what you wish for, people, it might just come true!"

Added Nuclear Blast A&R Jaap Wagemaker: "Nuclear Blast is very stoked to announce that we have been able to sign one of the hottest '70s rock bands of this moment… BLUES PILLS!! The band already impressed a lot of people with their shows at this years Roadburn and Desertfest, which made them one of the most-talked-about bands in this style of music these days!

"We already had been following the band since the release of their EP and when met with the band after we saw them play an amazing show, we soon found out that we were all on the same wavelength about how to bring the band to the next level!

"BLUES PILLS is a band of four very young musicians whose music is very much rooted in the end of the '60s and the '70s! Although them all being very young, they really know how to write great songs and the vocals of Elin, who sounds like a mixture between Adele and Janis Joplin, top it all!!

"Needless to say, we are extremely proud that such a very talented and young band has joined the Nuclear family!

"We will soon release an EP and be sure that you will not miss them on tour with ORCHID and SCORPION CHILD!!"

More fan-filmed video footage of Finnish female-fronted metallers BATTLE BEAST performing at the Sotkamon Syke festival, which was held July 19-20 at Sokos Hotel Vuokatin in Vuokatti, Finland, can be seen below.

The self-titled sophomore album from BATTLE BEAST entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 5. Released in Europe on May 17 via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was produced and mixed by the band at JKB Studios in Helsinki and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios. The cover artwork was created by Claudio Bergamin (HALFORD, ARJEN A. LUCASSEN, MAGICA).

BATTLE BEAST last fall parted ways with lead singer Nitte Vänskä and replaced her with Noora Louhimo.

BATTLE BEAST's debut album, "Steel" — which was originally released in Finland in 2011 via Hype Records — was made available internationally on January 27, 2012 through Nuclear Blast Records.

Indian death metallers REPTILIAN DEATH, the side project of DEMONIC RESURRECTION frontman Demonstealer, have inked a deal with the California-based record label Old School Metal Records. REPTILIAN DEATH's new album, "The Dawn Of Consummation And Emergence", will be released on October 10.

Commented Demonstealer: "I'm really happy and grateful to sign up with Old School Metal. I've known Patrick (Old School Metal Records CEO) for a while now and he's very passionate about the music and I couldn't have asked for a better label to release the album on. The album released a while back in India and now finally our fans overseas can get their hands on a copy. We should also be working on some dates to tour Europe in early 2014."

REPTILIAN DEATH spent its first 12 years making sporadic live appearances and changing lineups fairly often. During that time, it had an almost humorous disposition, writing little spoof metal epics like "5 Easy Ways To Murder Someone" and "Nursery Rhymes For Satan's Children" while balancing a handful of serious tracks which eventually found themselves on their 2004 debut, "Total Annihilation". In 2006, the band's direction took a turn for the serious with the release of their EP "Intestinal Feast" on the "Defaced And Split" album, which also featured EXHUMATION, WARFACE and NARSIL.

Shortly after the release, the band returned to the shadows until resurfacing in early 2013. The band exploded on the scene completely metamorphosed into brand new beast. Fronted by Vinay Venkatesh (BHAYNAK MAUT), dressed in priestly robes with his face painted half black and half white and backed by a band of masked members, REPTILIAN DEATH has moved out of the shadows and into the forefront of the global metal community.

Reunited METAL CHURCH — Ronny Munroe on vocals, Kurdt Vanderhoof and Rick Van Zandt on guitars, Steve Unger on bass, and Jeff Plate on drums — has inked a deal with Rat Pak Records. The band's tenth studio album, "Generation Nothing", will be released in the early fall via Kurdt's label Body Of Work Recordings in conjunction with Rat Pak.

According to Vanderhoof, "Generation Nothing" — which was recorded at Kurdt's English Channel studio in Washingtion — marks a "return to [METAL CHURCH's] classic metal sound. It has elements of the first album and 'The Dark', but still embraces the new sound of the band without chasing the past."

Munroe said in a recent interview with Metal Assault that the new METAL CHURCH effort would contain material that is "very reminiscent of the old days with some stuff that's very 'now.'" He added: "There's a bit of… I'm not going to say 'prog' because it's not, but there's a couple of elements in there that are a little bit progressive. For the most part, out of this batch of songs, they really sound more reminiscent of the early days than anything we've done before with this lineup. This excites me very much, and I think the fans are really going to dig it."

Regarding the circumstances that led to METAL CHURCH's breakup in 2009, Ronny said: "Well, in a nutshell, without going into a huge and long story here, it was certain aspects of things that had continued to happen to the band throughout its career. Not having the proper management and the proper people in place that were handling us. You know, we ended up taking some shows we shouldn't have taken and that just led to where Kurdt was really getting fed up and then we all kind of got that way. Basically, we figured before we end up disbanding because of other reasons such as maybe starting to fight with one another or whatnot, we decided to go ahead and end it then. We all ended up friends and we wanted to keep it that way. So I won't go into specifics, but we all know what the music industry is like now compared to what it was like back then. We just didn't have the right people in our camp."

Asked what the band is going to do differently this time around to avoid falling into the same trap, Ronny said: "This time around we're going to release this next record on Kurdt's label. Basically, Kurdt and the band and whatnot are taking a lot more control of the situation. Yes, maybe the downloading thing is even worse than 2009, but also on the other hand, if you know what you're doing and you use the Internet correctly, you can actually have success. Kurdt's been doing that with his prog band PRESTO BALLET and whatnot. In this day and age, the time is right to go and try something on your own. If it doesn't work, you can always end up going out and searching for a label or something. We're going to take a shot at it and see what happens and I think we're probably going to have some decent success."

BLACK SABBATH kicked off its 20-date North American tour last night (Thursday, July 25) at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands (a suburb of Houston), Texas.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. War Pigs
02. Into The Void
03. Under The Sun
04. Snowblind
05. Age Of Reason
06. Black Sabbath
07. Behind The Wall Of Sleep
08. N.I.B.
09. End Of The Beginning
10. Fairies Wear Boots
11. Methademic
12. Rat Salad/Drum Solo
13. Iron Man
14. God Is Dead?
15. Dirty Women
16. Children Of The Grave
17. Paranoid

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

After 35 years, three original members of BLACK SABBATH released a new disc on June 11 called "13". The first SABBATH record since 1978's "Never Say Die!" to feature singer Ozzy Osbourne, along with guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler, it's their second attempt at new music together after a previous effort failed in 2001.

The new disc does not feature founding drummer Bill Ward, who has sat out the reunion over contractual issues.

Brad Wilk of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE played drums on the while Ozzy's solo drummer Tommy Clufetos is behind the kit for live work.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS broadcasted their last summer concert Thusday night (July 25) live from the House Of Blues in Las Vegas via EVNTLIVE. EVNTLIVE is the online concert venue that captures the excitement and shared experiences of live concert viewing with a global audience.

Check out professionally filmed footage of the show below.

"We are thrilled to offer online access to one of the greatest musicians of all time, Slash, while giving fans from around the world an up close, personal and completely immersive experience," said David Carrico, co-founder and chief marketing officer, EVNTLIVE. "EVNTLIVE is transforming how we experience concerts individually and with others, while getting right into the act wherever you are."

Slash and his bandmates MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS — Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass) and Frank Sidoris (guitar) — are currently wrapping a world tour for their critically acclaimed album "Apocalyptic Love", which earned Slash his two first-ever No. 1 rock radio hits: "You're A Lie" and "Standing In The Sun". The album's third single, "Anastasia", has cracked the Top 10 at Modern and Active Rock and Top 5 at Mainsteam Rock. The album was produced by Eric Valentine, who did the same honors for Slash's first, self-titled solo disc, and all the songs on "Apocalyptic Love" were written together by Slash and Myles Kennedy.

This fall, Slash will release "Nothing Left To Fear", the first-ever motion picture he has co-produced from Slasher Films, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer's production company. "Nothing Left To Fear" will have a limited release in select theaters nationwide on Friday, October 4 and arrive on Blu-ray Combo-Pack, DVD, and On Demand Tuesday, October 8. "Nothing Left To Fear: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" will also be released on October 4, exclusively at PledgeMusic.com/slash, the same day the film opens in select theaters. Written and produced by Slash and Nick O'Toole, the soundtrack includes the film score plus two original songs: "Nothing Left To Fear", which features vocalist Myles Kennedy, and the instrumental "Welcome To Stull". When fans pledge and pre-order the album through PledgeMusic.com/slash, they will gain access to one-of-a-kind experiences with Slash, as well as merchandise for the film, access to interviews, song streams, first looks at film art, clips and more.

The official lyric video for the song "Always" from Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE can be seen below. The track comes off the band's fifth studio album, "Disarm The Descent", which sold around 48,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on April 2 via Roadrunner Records.

"Disarm The Descent" is KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's first album with original singer Jesse Leach at the vocal helm since 2002's now-classic, genre-defining "Alive or Just Breathing". Leach returned to the band in January 2012 after a decade-long absence. The artwork for the new CD was created by bassist Mike D'Antonio.

In a recent interview with ARTISTdirect, Leach stated about "Disarm The Descent": "Mike D'Antonio thought up the title 'Disarm The Descent' even before I started writing. He approached me with a concept. Initially, it was 'Disarming The Descent'. After some discussion with him, I said, 'Let's just shorten it up.' I thought it was a great title. We talked about it a bit, and I wrote that at the top of the page and began writing notes from there. It's kind of a concept record."

He added: "[The title is] a creative way of saying 'redemption' or rising again. You're in a state of your life where you're approaching rock bottom and you find a way to pick yourself up again before you hit the floor."

Asked about his lyrical approach on "Disarm The Descent", Leach said: "This album is very different from anything I've written. That comes from trying to develop as a write over the year. I have a project called THE EMPIRE SHALL FALL. The last EP we put out was a total concept record where I wrote a short story and we made an album about it. It's broken down into three parts, and we finished one of the three. It's a continuing story that will tell a story from start to finish, word for word. I thought it was a cool idea because I'd never written that way. I mixed that idea with my own introspective and cathartic lyrics I did with TIMES OF GRACE. It's a culmination of the writing I've done over the years. I wanted to find a way to blend it all together. Vocally, I'm trying to come up with different sounds of my voice and mix the screaming and yelling. I made an effort to push myself with the writing and vocals."

"Pandemic Schizophrenia", the new video from reformed U.K. crossover metallers ONE MINUTE SILENCE, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Abel Fernandez of Toxicvision Films and was created with footage uploaded under the Creative Commons license.

"Pandemic Schizophrenia" comes off ONE MINUTE SILENCE's new EP, "Fragmented Armageddon", which was released on June 17.

Consisting of three brand new tracks, an acoustic rendition and two remixes, the effort serves as an exciting taster of the impending musical onslaught vocalist Brian "Yap" Barry, guitarist Massimo "Massy" Fiocco, bassist Glen Diani and new drummer Martin Davies are creating.

The recording of the EP was made possible by the unending support of ONE MINUTE SILENCE fans through PledgeMusic.

The hiatus saw the band’s members explore many musical styles in various projects, ranging from folk to electronica and jazz to beat poetry, and they have been inspired by a wealth of new influences along the way. Bringing their fresh ideas and new perspectives together, they have created the next generation ONE MINUTE SILENCE that is still fuelled by the raging fire for which they are famous.

Says Yap: "Initially I wasn't sure if the energy and punch that we had would still be there, but when we got in the rehearsal room together, there was no denying it — in fact it's stronger than it ever was."

"Fragmented Armageddon" track listing:

01. Fruit From The Lie
02. Pandemic Schizophrenia
03. You So Much As Move
04. Fruit From The Lie (Ben Hurd remix)
05. You So Much As Move (remix)
06. Early Morning (acoustic)

ONE MINUTE SILENCE has written 10 new tracks towards a new album which they hope to record this year for release in 2014, with live dates to follow.

MASTERPLAN guitarist Roland Grapow (ex-HELLOWEEN) is featured in a new interview with MetalMeltdown.com. Check out the audio here. An excerpt from the transcript is available below:

Feelings on YNGWIE MALMSTEEN's recent work: "I'm sometimes a bit frustrated to see my old friend, my old idol, which I'm not even hearing his music anymore, but his productions are getting worse and worse. I shouldn't talk about it - I see him tomorrow, by the way, on Saturday. We're playing after him (at Bang Your Head). But I would love to mix his album, something like that. It's not about money, it's just I want that he's sounding good again, you know."

How his taste in music has evolved over time: "I think that I was very into it because in the '80s and '90s it was still this kind of guitar hero thing, PAUL GILBERT and all these crazy RACER X guitar sounds and harmonies. I really liked it at that time, but now I'm not even impressed anymore. I can't even listen to it anymore. It's too boring for me. For me, it's about the song, the sound, you know. I'm more impressed about ZAKK WYLDE or JOHN SYKES and BRIAN MAY. MICHAEL SCHENKER still and ULI JON ROTH are my favorite guitar players, to be honest. And I love EDDIE VAN HALEN - this kind of energy you get out of your instrument. It's not about scales and playing fast all the time. It's not important for me."

Future of the new Masterplan lineup: "When you have like JORN LANDE, when somebody's complaining and always thinking he knows everything better, and there's no passion, no heart in it, it's just about something is negative all the time for him, that's not working. And I think now we have a lineup, I can say I don't have to tell them, 'But you have do this or that. You have to stay longer than 5 years' or something. I think we're pushing it in a way playing live now, and everything seems to be natural. You can't plan everything, but I think it looks pretty good that we're staying long together. And I'm looking forward for the next album, to be honest, because then, songwriting will start from the beginning with all the members."

Masterplan released their new album, Novum Initium, on May 21st via AFM Records on CD, limited digipak and limited vinyl. Novum Initium is the band's follow-up to their 2010 release, Time To Be King.
Novum Initium tracklisting:

'Per Aspera Ad Astra'
'The Game'
'Keep Your Dream Alive'
'Black Night Of Magic'
'Betrayal'
'No Escape'
'Pray On My Soul'
'Earth Is Going Down'
'Return From Avalon'
'Through Your Eyes'
'Novum Initium'
'1492' (digipak bonus track)
'Fear The Silence' (digipak bonus track)

The band have released their official video for the album track 'Keep Your Dream Alive':
Check out an album audio teaser below:
'The Game' lyric video:
The artwork for the limited digipak edition can be seen below:
Joining mainstay guitarist Roland Grapow (ex-HELLOWEEN) in Masterplan's lineup are vocalist Rick Altzi (AT VANCE, SANDALINAS, THUNDERSTONE), who replaces Jorn Lande, new drummer Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka (CRADLE OF FILTH), bassist Jari Kainulainen (ex-STRATOVARIUS, SYMPHONIA) and keybordist Axel Mackenrott.
More on Masterplan at this location.

Fan-filmed video footage of THE WINERY DOGS' July 24 concert at Teatro Rival Petrobrás in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil can be seen below.

THE WINERY DOGS is the power trio featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB), legendary bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, TALAS, DAVID LEE ROTH) and Richie Kotzen (MR. BIG, POISON).

THE WINERY DOGS' self-titled debut album was released in North America on July 23 via Loud & Proud Records. Issued in Japan on May 15 via Victor Entertainment, the CD was mixed by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, ADRENALINE MOB, STONE SOUR and STEEL PANTHER. Sheehan previously stated about the effort: "I'm really pleased with it. Richie sang his ass off and played amazingly unique stuff, and, of course Mike annihilated on drums. [It's a] really cool, unique record."

"In all of my years in this business, I've always been part of either a progressive band or a metal band," said Portnoy. "This is the first time I've been in an all-original band that's just a rock band in the vein of LED ZEPPELIN or VAN HALEN."

He added: "It's so refreshing to just play straight-ahead music with lots of twists. Obviously, the musicianship is great in this band, but it's very song-oriented."

Regarding how THE WINERY DOGS got its name, Portnoy said: "It was Richie's name. We had a list of about 50 names. I had about 10 that I preferred over THE WINERY DOGS, but you know, when you're in a band, you have to give and take and choose your battles, and Richie really, really loved this band name. So, you know, it was, like, 'OK.' A name is a name. If you feel that strongly about it, then go for it. So that's who we are."

"The Winery Dogs" track listing:

CD:

01. Elevate
02. Desire
03. We Are One
04. I'm No Angel
05. The Other Side
06. You Saved Me
07. Not Hopeless
08. One More Time
09. Damaged
10. Six Feet Deeper
11. Criminal
12. The Dying
13. Regret

DVD (limited edition, only available in Japan):

01. Elevate
02. Desire
03. I'm No Angel

THE WINERY DOGS will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Wednesday, August 14 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with THE WINERY DOGS by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). The show will be streamed on the "Rockline" web site for two weeks beginning the afternoon after the live broadcast.

THE WINERY DOGS will take part in a in-store performance and signing session on Tuesday, August 6 at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, New Jersey.

For more information, visit www.vvinyl.com.

Former AFTER FOREVER frontwoman and current NIGHTWISH touring singer Floor Jansen will release the second album from her REVAMP project, "Wild Card", in Europe on August 23 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at SandLane Studio in Rijen, The Netherlands with Joost van den Broek (ex-AFTER FOREVER) and will feature guest choir parts by Marcela Bovio (STREAM OF PASSION) and Daniël de Jongh (TEXTURES).

"Wild Card" track listing:

01. The Anatomy Of A Nervous Breakdown: On The Sideline
02. The Anatomy Of A Nervous Breakdown: The Limbic System
03. Wild Card
04. Precibus
05. Nothing
06. The Anatomy Of A Nervous Breakdown: Neurasthenia
07. Distorted Lullabies
08. Amendatory
09. I Can Become
10. Misery's No Crime
11. Wolf and Dog
12. Sins (bonus track)

The CD features additional guest appearances by Mark Jansen (EPICA), Johan van Stratum (STREAM OF PASSION) and Devin Townsend.

The fourth trailer for "Wild Card" about the album's recording process can be seen below.

The opening track, "The Anatomy Of A Nervous Breakdown: On The Sideline", was released as a digital iTunes single on July 19.

Regarding the album title, Jansen states: "This album became the most aggressive album I've ever made and in the lyrics I tell a lot about my personal experiences of the last years. This resulted into some heavy stories and some open-hearted 'screams' I needed out of my system. It matches the violence of the music in a great way; we wrote as a great team! But not one sentence or word can really cover the contents of this album. Its variety in all its ingredients makes it almost impossible.

"A wild card is an unpredictable and unforeseeable factor. You don't know what you're getting, or when. That's this album! It's 100% REVAMP and it's your wild card!"

The "Wild Card" cover artwork was created by Richard Stark of NI Concept And Design. Jansen explains: "I am the queen of hearts on it, who is a wild card herself. You see a 'nice' and a 'nasty' queen. The nasty one has a cracked lip, cuts in her face and a bleeding heart in her hand. The other queen looks nice even though queens of hearts never truly are...

"Again, what is it you're going to get? In that respect it visualizes the music, from aggressive and nasty to melodic and pretty. This theme has been important to me personally throughout my career and also in this album I played with it to the max. I used my voice in so many different ways now! The music invited me to do this.

"I am super proud of the amazing guitar riffs, the versatile and groovy but mega tight drums and the keyboard sounds and arrangements that bring something new to the table.

"We hope you like our wild card!"

REVAMP recently announced the addition of bassist Henk Vonk to the group's ranks. He replaces Jaap Melman, who left REVAMP before the band entered the studio to begin recording its second album. The CD was eventually completed with the help of STREAM OF PASSION bassist Johan van Stratum, who filled in on short notice and "did an amazing job to record and edit the bass parts," according to a press release.

Floor previously stated about the making of "Wild Card": "Never before in my career I faced a situation like the one we were in with this album. It was a huge challenge because of several reasons. My sickness caused a major break between the first album and tours, plus the writing of the first ideas for the second album and the actual finalization of those songs and the album. And right at the moment we started to pick everything back up after I was sick, I joined NIGHTWISH. Like a winter and a summer storm, they bring unexpected things, some nasty ones and some amazingly wonderful!

"Also the recording of this album was unlike any I did before because I was on tour with NIGHTWISH most of the time. Guided by Joost van den Broek, the talented musicians of REVAMP recorded all the instruments, and when I came back to The Netherlands, I stepped into the studio to find a rough diamond. A shiny dark crystal: ready for my vocals. That was magical! The singing went smoother than ever before. The lyrics are like a roadmap through our storms and through my personal detours and horrors.

"With pride we can announce our partner in crime from the first album will again join forces with us! Metal and rock giant Nuclear Blast will again make sure REVAMP's new album reaches YOUR music collection wherever you are on this metal-loving planet!!!

"Nuclear Blast knows about storms and their metal heart beats like ours. I am very exited they will release this album! The team is so good and with such great people I have no doubts our cooperation will again be fantastic."

REVAMP's self-titled debut album was released in Europe on May 28, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington.

Jansen handled lead-vocal duties on NIGHTWISH's recent North American, South American, Australian and U.K. tours after the group parted ways with Anette Olzon at the end of September 2012.

"Wild Card" album trailer #4:

AEROSMITH's latest concert film, "Rock For The Rising Sun", was released via Eagle Rock Entertainment on July 23. The group's connection with Japan began in 1977, when the band first played to capacity crowds in the Far East. And as evidenced by "Rock For The Rising Sun", the band-fan bond remains strong to this day. The director behind the release, Casey Patrick Tebo, is well-versed in not only his 'SMITH (he directed their music video for "Legendary Child"), but has also worked with such renowned acts as MÖTLEY CRÜE, JUDAS PRIEST, STEVIE NICKS, LADY ANTEBELLUM, THE AVETT BROTHERS, and RUN-DMC, among countless others.

Tebo first began working with AEROSMITH in 2006, when Steven Tyler and Tebo met through a colleague, and the singer invited the up-and-coming director (who was in film school at the time) to shoot a few of the band's shows — for just the band's personal viewing. Soon after, the band was so impressed with Tebo's work that they hired him to start directing their live shows.

Fast forward to 2011, and AEROSMITH was hard at work on their 15th studio album, "Music From Another Dimension!", but took a break from recording to play shows in Latin America and Japan. Sadly, the Japanese dates occurred not long after tragedy struck the region, as the country experienced a massive earthquake, a monstrous tsunami, and the subsequent meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Despite warnings about possibly being exposed to radiation, AEROSMITH and crew, including Tebo, braved the risks and followed through with their visit to Japan. "I shot all this stuff and interviewed all these fans, and realized there is a love affair between AEROSMITH and the Japanese fans that was like nothing I'd ever seen," states Tebo. "It was almost like AEROSMITH was there helping people heal."

What Tebo was able to create is a film that not only captures AEROSMITH at their rocking best, but also, shows the group's human side away from the spotlight. "I captured all this stuff, and when I got home to the States, I was like, 'I know I can make something of this, I'm just going to start putting something together,'" states Tebo. "While Steven and Joe were in L.A., making an album with Jack Douglas, I rented out a theater, and emailed Steven and Joe, saying, 'I need you guys to come to this theater. I've got to show you something.' I played them the whole movie, and when the movie was over, Joe stood up, walked over to me, hugged me, and was like, 'That was f-ing amazing, unbelievable.' And Steven was really emotional as well."

Tebo is confident that "Rock For The Rising Sun" matches up well to AEROSMITH's earlier classic home video releases. "There was a part of me — as a fan — loving these guys and seeing them live, that said, 'Man, I would love other people to see this as well,'" he says. Soon, fans will get to experience the legendary AEROSMITH through the revealing lens of Casey Patrick Tebo.

"Steven and Joe once taught me a great lesson in life, it’s called 'Dare to Suck' — it means, if you don't have the balls to just go and do something, then you'll never know what great thing you might have missed out on. This movie was my 'Dare to Suck' moment."

Tebo is currently in pre-production on his first narrative feature film, and has since directed other large-scale television productions, most recently CMT's "Crossroads".

"Rock For The Rising Sun" track listing:

01. Draw The Line
02. Love In An Elevator
03. Livin' On The Edge
04. Hangman Jury
05. No More No More
06. Mama Kin
07. Monkey On My Back
08. Toys In The Attic
09. Sweet Emotion
10. Boogie Man
11. Rats In The Cellar
12. Movin' Out
13. Last Child
14. S.O.S. (Too Bad)
15. Walk This Way
16. Train Kept A Rollin' (credits)

The "Love In An Elevator" performance clip, taken from the "Rock For The Rising Sun" DVD, can be seen below.

Scottish extreme metal maniacs MAN MUST DIE have inked a deal with Lifeforce Records for the worldwide release (excluding the U.K.) of their next album. The band is currently at Valvetone studios putting the finishing touches on the CD, which is expected to arrive in late October.

MAN MUST DIE are an extreme metal band hailing from Glasgow, Scotland. Formed in 2002 and originally born of the founding members' desire to push their music to new levels of intensity and brutality, the band's dedication to their craft has since manifested itself in a rich touring history, sharing stages with such acts as EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD and DECAPITATED.

MAN MUST DIE has released three full-length studio albums thus far: 2004's "...Start Killing" (Retribute Records), "The Human Condition" (2007, Relapse Records) and "No Tolerance For Imperfection" (2009, Relapse Records). Their music manages to incorporate the heaviest elements of extreme metal whilst retaining an attuned sense of melody, confidently shifting from epic, uplifting passages to pure sickness. Augmented by a keen compositional flair and furious, socially aware vocals, MAN MUST DIE is a highly focused musical force.

MAN MUST DIE is:

Joe McGlynn - Vocals
Alan McFarland - Guitar
Dan Firth - Bass
James Burke - Drums

According to The Pulse Of Radio, singer Paul Rodgers is currently fronting BAD COMPANY on its 40th anniversary tour co-headlining tour with LYNYRD SKYNYRD but he's still finding the time to get the ball rolling on two new albums. One of the new albums will be a cover of some soul classics while the other will be of new material.

Rodgers explained, "I've just been down to Memphis and recorded some soul tracks at the Royal Studio with Al Green's band . . . It was fantastic. Talk about organic, we just put track after track down without hardly any rehearsal at all and it was just so cool." He's hoping to release the project later this year.

As for the new material, Rodgers explained, "I'm working with a friend of mine called Perry Margouleff on writing songs and recording a new album . . . And he has an analog studio, speaking of the old school of doing things, and we're going to be putting an album together." He hopes to release the second project next year.

In the past, Rodgers shared his opinion on what's going on around the world. He said: : "I'd like to see us look after the world, because it's really the garden that we live in. We have the intelligence and the ability to do so — we're just not choosing to do so. We're choosing to make a quick buck. Money is our God. It would be nice is there was a bit more emphasis on the spiritual aspect of things, because we're all going to die! [laughs]"

Rodgers has dual citizenship in Canada and Great Britain.

Rolling Stone ranked him at No. 55 on its list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Rodgers, who was dubbed "The Voice," hasn't released any solo material since 2010's "Live At The Hammersmith Apollo 2009".

Swedish metal veterans ENTOMBED recently teamed up with PledgeMusic to launch a reissue campaign for some of their albums.

Says the band: "We know many of you have pledged already for the Threeman deluxe edition 2CD and gatefold vinyl of [1997's] 'To Ride, Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth' without even knowing what the track list of bonus material would be. So today we can announce what we have found and what we intend to put on the bonus disc. We still have to choose two live tracks and maybe you can help us decide which live versions from tracks on the album you would like us to include.

"Originally the album was released in three versions:

1. Regular CD (1 disc) with just the album.
2. Digipak double with a bonus disc of 4 covers
3. Double vinyl gatefold with 6 covers on the bonus disc.

"As you can see we still have to decide which two live tracks to add to the reissue."

Disc 1: This will be the original album (remastered)

01. To Ride Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth
02. Like This With The Devil
03. Lights Out
04. Wound
05. They
06. Somewhat Peculiar
07. DCLXVI
08. Parasight
09. Damn Deal Done
10. Put Me Out
11. Just As Sad
12. Boats
13. Uffe’s Horrorshow
14. Wreckage

Disc 2: The bonus disc

01. To Ride, Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth (1994 demo)
02. Like This With The Devil (1994 demo)
03. Just As Sad (1994 demo)
04. Put Me Out (1994 demo)
05. Kick Out The Jams (MC5 cover)
06. Tear It Loose (TWISTED SISTER cover)
07. 21st Century Schizoid Man (KING CRIMSON cover)
08. Bursting Out (VENOM cover)
09. Satan (THE DWARVES cover)
10. Under The Sun (BLACK SABBATH cover)
11. Lost (JERRY’S KIDS cover)
12. The Ballad Of Hollis Brown (BOB DYLAN cover)
+ Two live tracks

Check out ENTOMBED's cover version of KING CRIMSON's "21st Century Schizoid Man" using the audio player below.

Speaking to PledgeMusic, ENTOMBED guitarist Alex Hellid stated: "We've been waiting to reissue these albums for a very long time and, yes, it has definitely been something of a journey to get to this point!

"We started thinking about this project and how to do it about 10 years ago, when our license agreement with then label partner Music For Nations ended, longing for the day we could make sure all our albums would be available again properly.

"In 2007, we actively started to talk to possible partners. It looked like we were going to begin rereleasing stuff in 2008. Never thought it would take this long but was determined to find the right way to do it.

"PledgeMusic was worth the wait and a perfect first step in our quest to reintroduce ENTOMBED to old and new ears exactly like we want to, and tell our story. I'm personally very pleased, to say the least, and glad we waited for some 'new roads' to be built."

Asked if anything surprised him as he went back through the older material, Hellid said: "Yes, I am surprised every day now as I find more and more things I haven't heard or seen in a long time and, in some cases, had forgotten about or didn't even know existed. I've started to rediscover the 'To Ride…' album, for example, and realize how much cool stuff is actually on there, remembering what we went through and what we were thinking at the time. [I am] very much look forward to doing that with that with rest of the albums too and sharing those memories and thoughts."

For more details and to download ENTOMBED's cover version of KING DIAMOND's "Welcome Home", go to this location.

Threeman Recordings, which is owned and run by members of ENTOMBED, recently launched a new collaboration with Ninetone Records. The first release under this arrangement was a single for the re-recorded version of the song "Amok" from ENTOMBED's 2007 album, "Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments", produced by Patrik Frisk (CORRODED).

"Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments" was released in the U.S. on July 31, 2007 via Candlelight/Threeman Recordings. The 10-song effort marked the group's first release with drummer Olle Dahlstedt (ALPHA SAFARI, ex-MISERY LOVES CO.), who replaced Peter Stjärnvind in 2006. Mastering duties were handled by Soren Elofsson at Cosmos Mastering in Stockholm, Sweden.

"Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments" entered the Swedish national chart at position No. 3. This was the highest chart position in the band's career.

The current lineup of ENTOMBED features Victor Brandt (TOTALT JÄVLA MÖRKER, AEON, SATYRICON) and second guitarist Nico Elgstrand (who previously played bass for the group).

ENTOMBED's cover version of KING CRIMSON's "21st Century Schizoid Man" (audio):

ADRENALINE MOB members Russell Allen (vocals; also of SYMPHONY X) and Mike Orlando (guitar) are writing material for their sophomore album, tentatively due in early 2014. Orlando states: "Pre-production for the new ADRENALINE MOB album is going phenomenal. Myself and Russell have written one hell of an album and are a handful of tracks away from completion! We're hoping to start tracking in a few weeks. We'll be giving tons of studio updates and insight into the tracking of the new ADRENALINE MOB album! Stay tuned everyone for the next chapter in the MOB family... we guarantee it's gonna rock!"

ADRENALINE MOB last month parted ways with drummer Mike Portnoy (FLYING COLORS, THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD) due to "scheduling conflicts." A replacement drummer has not yet been announced.

In a recent interview with Brazil's "Wikimetal", Allen stated about Portnoy's departure from ADRENALINE MOB: "Of course we knew about it before he made it public. He's been, obviously, real busy with THE WINERY DOGS, which is his next band that he's doing. The truth of it is we wanna keep working, we wanna keep doing ADRENALINE MOB and we don't wanna wait around for Mike to have the time [to put into ADRENALINE MOB]. And he doesn't know when he will have the time again, so that's really what's going down. Mike Portnoy was asked to be in the band by myself. Me and Orlando had already written all the material, so [ADRENALINE MOB's debut album] 'Omertá' was completely finished before Mike joined the act. And it's a bummer, but he's got his sights on other things, and he's not gonna stick around. So we wish him the best of luck, but the MOB's gotta go on."

ADRENALINE MOB's most recent touring and recording lineup also included DISTURBED bassist John Moyer

ADRENALINE MOB released "Covertá", an eight-track EP featuring cover versions of some of the group's favorite songs, on March 12.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based thrash/death band THE CATALYST has parted ways with singer Matt McGachy (CRYPTOPSY) and has replaced him with Jeff Linstead (ex-ABSOLVE). The split with McGachy was amicable, and both parties wish each other well.

Bassist Mike Marino comments: "We are very happy to have Jeff on board. His vocals are a great complement to our sound and give us a raw aggression with melodic sensibility which is what we were seeking."

Linstead will step into studio almost immediately to track the vocals for THE CATALYST's sophomore effort, due out later this fall. The album is being produced by Chris Donaldson (THE AGONIST, CRYPTOPSY).

THE CATALYST has also announced a hometown pre-launch show at Foufounes Electriques on August 23.

FIREWIND and OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. (real name: Kostas Karamitroudis) joined Los Angeles glam-metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER on stage this past Monday, July 22 at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California to perform the OZZY classic "Crazy Train". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below. Photos are available at this location.

STEEL PANTHER recently spent time in the studio putting the finishing touches on its third full-length album at a studio in Sherman Oaks, California with producer Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR, MEATLOAF) for a fall release.

Speaking to the South Bend Tribune, STEEL PANTHER drummer Stix Zadinia (real name: Darren Leader) stated about the band's as-yet-untitled new CD: "If you liked [2009's] 'Feel The Steel' and [2011's] 'Balls Out', you will love this record. It is more heavy metal songs that are hooky and great and fun and make you want to rock and make you want to have a good time and party. Also, there is a lot of riffage on this album that I think anybody who has ever questioned this band — 'Oh, those guys wear spandex and it is 2000-whatever' — these songs are going to put all of that to rest."

Regarding naysayers that say STEEL PANTHER is a joke-metal band, Zadinia said: "Listen to our record and tell us that our songs aren't better than most of the bands out there. How funny is that? At the end of the day, it comes down to the songs. I think our songs — without sounding egotistical — I think our songs are great. When you hear the hooks in our songs, you hear the playing and you hear the vocals, you throw that up against any band in any era, and I think it stands up."

"Balls Out" sold nearly 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 40 on The Billboard 200 chart.

CORRECTIONS HOUSE — Mike IX Williams (EYEHATEGOD), Scott Kelly (NEUROSIS), Bruce Lamont (YAKUZA), Sanford Parker (MINSK) and their minister of propaganda, Seward Fairbury — will release its debut full-length on October 29 via Neurot Recordings. Titled "Last City Zero", the eight-track, near-50-minute offering was produced by Sanford Parker at Electrical Audio, Soma Studios, 60 Psycho Hum and Nodferatu's Lair and delivers a wholly cerebral, impossible-to-pinpoint kaleidoscopic synthesis of mechanical decomposition, atmospheric abnormalities, and poetic putrefaction.

"Last City Zero" track listing:

01. Serve or Survive
02. Bullets and Graves
03. Party Leg and Three Fingers
04. Run Through the Night
05. Dirt Poor and Mentally Ill
06. Hallows of the Stream
07. Last City Zero
08. Drapes Hung by Jesus

A mysterious cooperative of lost souls, forged unwittingly by the impetuous forces of nature and altered states of consciousness, CORRECTIONS HOUSE is without control of their destiny. Boundless in their genre voyage, CORRECTIONS HOUSE embrace the unkind, the diseased, the forgotten, the morose, their lush anti-soundscrapes and shadowy verses — at once beautifully hideous, graceful and terrifying — a manifestation of societal ruin and psychological decay. The transformation of time and space; death begetting life and veils being torn; an imposing dissonance too penetrating to dismiss… CORRECTIONS HOUSE systematically create and destroy through audio disease and transcendent musical deconstruction. All things in all ways. There is nothing else.