Reunited METAL CHURCH — Ronny Munroe on vocals, Kurdt Vanderhoof and Rick Van Zandt on guitars, Steve Unger on bass, and Jeff Plate on drums — recently entered Vanderhoof's English Channel studio in Washingtion to begin work on its comeback album for a late 2013 release via Kurdt's label Body Of Work Recordings. The band writes on Facebook: "OK, the new album has been recorded and now the mixing process begins!! This could be the best MC record of the METAL CHURCH MK3 era!! Woohooo!!"

Munroe said in a recent interview with Metal Assault that the new METAL CHURCH CD 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."

Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON are putting the finishing touches on their ninth, self-titled studio album for a September release.

Comments SATYRICON frontman Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven: "I'm about to start my last day in the studio! I had my first February 2nd, so it has been a while, you could say.

"I know I might have to a day of recalls (minor adjustments) and there is mastering too, but this is pretty much it.

"Today the record will be complete.

"Throughout the mix, I have redone a couple of vocal things that needed it and I had some keyboard and piano ideas that I have added.

"It is funny how it takes longer when you try and balance a mix without doing much to the sound.

"I am very proud and I sincerely hope you will like it."

Check put photos from the studio at this location.

"Satyricon" will feature a guest appearance by Sivert Høyem, the Norwegian singer best known as the vocalist of the rock band MADRUGADA.

Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep at this year's Inferno festival, Satyr stated about SATYRICON's upcoming album: "To me, it sounds very authentic, it's organic-sounding. And in this digital age where music is mostly played through computers, a lot of that analog vibe gets lost in translation when you play music through medias like that, but I still wanna do it because there's nothing quite like it. To me, it just makes everything sound the way it's supposed to sound — it's dynamical; the music is alive, it's not overly compressed, the levels are not pushed. So, musically speaking, it's a very atmospheric record… This record is full of life. There are a lot of surprises here, but I think it's gonna be a record that's gonna help the black metal movement perhaps find a new way for the future."

SATYRICON has always pushed boundaries and never conformed to what was "expected". That mindset continues to this day, as they awill take part in a very special, exclusive show on September 8 at Oslo's Norwegian National Opera House, where they will perform together with Norway's 55-strong National Opera Chorus.

The special event is part of the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, and fans of both SATYRICON and the National Opera Chorus can look forward to a very unique and exciting evening, which coincides with the worldwide release of SATYRICON's new CDtitled.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry along with long-estranged FOREIGNER co-founders Mick Jones and Lou Gramm, were inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame last night (Thursday, June 13) at Manhattan's Marriott Marquis Hotel. Both Jones and Gramm, who parted ways in 2003 when Gramm quit the band, have suffered from health problems over recent years, with Gramm surviving a brain tumor and Jones recently undergoing open-heart surgery. Gramm, who still performs and is a born-again Christian, was replaced by current lead singer Kelly Hansen in 2005. FOREIGNER was inducted by Billy Joel, and Jones and Gramm reunited to perform "Juke Box Hero" and "I Want To Know What Love Is" to a massive standing ovation.

Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were inducted by NICKLEBACK's Chad Kroeger and Ryan Peake, who performed "Sweet Emotion" before doing the honors. Afterwards, the "Toxic Twins" took the stage for an event-stealing rendition of "Walk This Way".

Check out video footage from the event below.

Lou Gramm told The Pulse Of Radio that he was pleasantly surprised that there even was a Songwriters Hall Of Fame. "I had no I. . . Y'know, there's the Grammys, there's the American Music Awards. . . The Songwriters Hall Of Fame awards is a little bit underplayed — you don't hear about it very much. I don't know if it's even televised. When my management told me that Mick and I were nominated, I said, 'What is it? What is that award, y'know?' So, when it was explained to me, I obviously realized it was a great honor."

Mick Jones told The Pulse Of Radio that the Hall Of Fame honor has brought him and Lou Gramm back into a good place again. "Y'know, just having talked to Lou a few times in the last weeks; what I'm glad about is that we're talking," he said. "And there is a basis for more understanding. Y'know, we were talking the other day about our kids, kids that — I haven't seen two of Lou's kids, because they were born pretty much the year that we broke up. [laughs] And I'm looking forward to that. And he was asking about all of my children — y'know, they all grew up, they were on the road, the kids, y'know, we used to have. . . it was a family thing. And just hearing his voice again, it was very emotional, y'know?"

The Pulse Of Radio asked Steven Tyler how a band like AEROSMITH — which has lasted 40 years in the spotlight — can hope to revitalize itself every time out. "Maybe in the new songs," he said. "In writing new songs, you always come up with a new you. I think you should. You can always do another 'Dude Looks Like A Lady', another 'Dream On' — we always tap into something new."

Joe Perry told The Pulse Of Radio that no matter what goes on with AEROSMITH, there's a bond between him and Steven Tyler that is almost unbreakable. "We've been together for so long that in my heart, it's never more than six inches away from Steven's, ever," he said. "Even though we may not talk for a short amount of time or a long amount of time, we've been partners, friends for so long, I always have a feeling deep inside that we're always gonna be together. And that's what makes AEROSMITH as strong as it is."

"Oscuridad", the new video from the South Carolina female-fronted technical death metal band YOUR CHANCE TO DIE, can be seen below. The song comes off the group's sophomore full-length album, "The American Dream", which has just been released via Red Cord Records. The record is now available on iTunes.

According to a press release, "The American Dream" captures the listener with its heavy yet darkly ambient tracks, bringing a new dimension to the band's already polished sound.

In 2011, YOUR CHANCE TO DIE released ts first album, "Suscitacio Somnus", through Red Cord. The CD, which was recorded and produced by Jamie King (BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, THE HUMAN ABSTRACT, FOR TODAY), received very strong reviews and topped iTunes and FYE lists as the "best-selling metal album" in its first week.

YOUR CHANCE TO DIE has completed three national tours, as well as a successful trek in Central America and two tours in Mexico. In support of the new album, 2013 will bring another national tour, a Central/South America tour, and a European tour.

YOUR CHANCE TO DIE is:

Missi Avila - Vocals
Chase Crouch - Guitar
Coca Avila - Guitar
Thomas White - Drums

Boston black metal manglers INFERA BRUO have announced the imminent release of their sophomore album, entitled "Desolation Unknown". This mind-melting collection of vicious extreme metal prophecies will be available on CD and digital formats on July 1, and in keeping with the band's fierce independent streak, will be handled by the culprits themselves.

INFERA BRUO formed in late 2009 when and feature the considerable talents of past and current members of TRAP THEM, PILLORY, VIRULENCE, and more; members Germanicus, Adroth, Neutrino and Galen have cut their teeth on everything from '70s art punk and post rock to progressive jazz-infused grindcore, epic black metal, and technical death metal, and their schizophrenic skill sets rear their ugly heads in their latest project's multi-faceted approach to extremity. Fans of ENSLAVED, ANAAL NATHRAKH, BLUT AUS NORD and early OPETH, take note!

INFERA BRUO released a self-titled album in 2011 that was recorded at Massachusetts' Studio G by Galen and mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music. The record was a blend of dark melodies, atmosphere and electronics and was well-received by media outlets. The band played numerous live shows in the New England area in support of the release, then hit the studio once more at the dawn of 2012 to record a follow-up. The album was once again recorded and mixed by Galen and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Engineering.

"Desolate Unknown" continues the musical path of the self-titled release while foraging into new territories of sound.

By popular demand, Prosthetic Records will soon issue gatefold double-LP editions of the two albums that rocketed the French progressive tech-death quartet GOJIRA from the European underground to international stardom. "From Mars To Sirius" and "The Way Of All Flesh" — two of the most acclaimed metal releases of the past decade — will be released on vinyl on August 27. Pre-orders are available now.

Originally issued overseas in 2005, "From Mars To Sirius" — released by Prosthetic in 2006, and never before available on LP in North America — was the Western Hemisphere's formal introduction to GOJIRA. One of MetalSucks' Top 10 "best metal albums of the 21st Century so far," the album was supported by U.S. tours with the likes of LAMB OF GOD, CHILDREN OF BODOM, MACHINE HEAD, BEHEMOTH and AMON AMARTH. The gatefold 2LP set will be available in three 180-gram variants: "Eco-Green" (600 copies), "Mars Red" (200 copies) and "Sea Blue" (200 copies), the latter two of which are mail-order exclusives.

Engineered, mixed and mastered by Logan Mader (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, DEVILDRIVER, FEAR FACTORY), follow-up "The Way Of All Flesh" (2008) cemented GOJIRA's status as one of metal's most important acts. The band's first release to crack The Billboard 200, the album — which features a guest appearance by LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe — was supported by tours with the likes of IN FLAMES and ALL THAT REMAINS, in addition to a month touring North American arenas with METALLICA. The gatefold 2LP set marks the first time in three years that the album will be available on vinyl, and it will be offered in two new variants: 180-gram clear (500 copies), and a mail-order exclusive, standard-weight blue/white split vinyl (500 copies).

Finnish "battle metal" warriors TURISAS will release their new album, "Turisas2013", on August 26 in Europe and on September 3 in North America. The CD was once again produced by vocalist Mathias Nygård and the majority of the album was recorded by Nygård and guitarist Jussi Wickström in a remote house outside of Helsinki that served as the "Turisas2013" command center and headquarters. Additional recordings were done in three other studios: the drums at Atomic Spa Studio and orchestral recordings at 5 by 5 Studio, both in Helsinki. A lot of vocals and numerous additional acoustic elements were laid down at Sound Supreme Studio in Hämeenlinna where TURISAS also recorded "The Varangian Way" and "Stand Up And Fight".

With "Turisas2013", TURISAS deliberately aimed for a more organic sound.

Comments Nygård: "When it comes to the production, it's just the opposite of the polished and massive 'Stand Up And Fight'. It's raw and dry and in your face, but still maintaining that TURISAS largeness.

"People attest us that we are a great live band, and we wanted the album to be based more around that than orchestral massiveness. It's our most varied record to date and even if some of the songs sound very different, I think the common thread is that every single one has a lot of energy to it."

The mix and mastering was done by London-based producer Jaime Gomez Arellano, who previously worked with GHOST, PRIMODIAL and ULVER, just to name a few.

TURISAS will make select European festival appearances during the summer and will promote "Turisas2013" by embarking on an extensive European tour.

Entertainment Daily News has uploaded a six-and-a-half-minute clip featuring video highlights of this year's Kerrang! Awards, which was held last night (Thursday, June 13) at London, England's Troxy Club. Check it out below.

IRON MAIDEN picked up the "Inspiration Award" inspiration award for the band's pioneering role in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement, which emerged in the late 1970s.

Other winners at the event included BLACK VEIL BRIDES who walked away with the "Best Live Band" award, and BRING ME THE HORIZON, who were named "Best British Band."

SLAYER members Kerry King (guitar) and Tom Araya (bass, vocals) were on hand to accept the "Kerrang! Legend Award" in what was their first U.K. appearance since the death of founding SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

Kerrang! magazine editor James McMahon said: "What a night. What a night. People lost shoes. People lost phones. More so, people lost dignity. I can't think of any better way the 20th Relentless Kerrang! Awards could have been celebrated. There's been so many reasons to be excited about being a rock fan already this year. I'm genuinely fearful what mayhem the 2014 Awards will bring."

2013 Kerrang! Awards winner list:

* Best British Newcomer: LOWER THAN ATLANTIS
* Best International Newcomer: OF MICE & MEN
* Best Single: FALL OUT BOY - "The Phoenix"
* Best Album: BIFFY CLYRO - "Opposites
* Hall Of Fame: PANTERA
* Kerrang! Inspiration Award: IRON MAIDEN
* Best Male: Ben Bruce (ASKING ALEXANDRIA)
* Best Female: Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM)
* Best Live Band: BLACK VEIL BRIDES
* Relentless Award: YOUNG GUNS
* Best Video: PIERCE THE VEIL - "King For A Day" (feat. Kellin Quinn)
* Best International Band: ALL TIME LOW
* Kerrang! Icon Award: VENOM
* Best British Band: BRING ME THE HORIZON
* Tweeter Of The Year: Gerard Way (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE)
* Kerrang! Legend Award: SLAYER
* Service To Rock: QUEEN
* Best Event: YOU ME AT SIX: "The Final Night Of Sin"
* Best Festival: Download

May 22, 2013 was the 200th anniversary of the birth of the composer Richard Wagner. The Berlin choreographer, award-winning dancer and artistic director of the Berlin State School of Ballet Gregor Seyffert (best dancer in the world, winner of the German dance award) is staging an exceptional cross-genre spectacle with a combination of dance, artistry, object theatre, audiovisual media and a live concert that will enable audiences to experience the oeuvre of Richard Wagner. The focus is not on individual works or dramas but on visual presentation of the unique life and work of Richard Wagner, presented on stage in this form for the very first time.

To stage the theme and Wagner's biography in a contemporary way, Gregor Seyffert wants to create new musical highlights by bringing today's popular rock music together with compositions by Richard Wagner. A contemporary equivalent is created by the compositions of the Finnish cello-rock band APOCALYPTICA, which with its unmistakable sound provides a bridge to modern popular music. Both the influence of Wagner's musical legacy as well as the exemplary innovativeness which links Richard Wagner and APOCALYPTICA today will be made tangible.

A magical universe of mythical figures and acoustic worlds is created, which with the help of today's visual genres of circus, dance and media technology symbolize Wagner's pioneering role and the boundlessness of his creative work. Mobile and moveable objects give the performance the same visual dimensions and force as the standards that Wagner's music itself set.

The world premiere of "Wagner Reloaded - Apocalyptica Meets Wagner" will take place on July 5 at the Arena in Leipzig, Germany.

For more information, visit Wagner-Show.de.

A 20-minute video tribute to late MINISTRY and RIGOR MORTIS guitarist Mike Scaccia which was shown at his birthday tribute show this past Friday, June 14 at Trees in Dallas, Texas can be seen below. The event, which raised nearly $15,000 to to help Scaccia's family survive their heartbreaking loss, featured performances from GOATWHORE, THE SCACCIANATORS (a tribute to RIGOR MORTIS), HAMMER WITCH (reunion), ROTTING CORPSE and WARBEAST.

Scaccia died on December 22, 2012 while performing with RIGOR MORTIS at The Rail Club in Fort Worth, Texas at RIGOR MORTIS and WARBEAST singer Bruce Corbitt's 50th-birthday celebration.

Scaccia, who is also known for his work with REVOLTING COCKS, died of a sudden heart attack brought on by a heart disease (official cause of death: atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease), according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's office. Officials ruled it a natural death. He was 47 years old.

Mike is survived by his wife Jenny Rowen Scaccia, with whom he has two toddlers, and daughters Sarah Scaccia and Taarna Scaccia Hopkins.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of KING DIAMOND's June 15 performance at the Copenhell festival at Refshaleøen in Copenhagen, Denmark can be seen below.

KING DIAMOND in December signed a new three-album worldwide deal with Metal Blade Records.

After a six-year touring hiatus, KING DIAMOND triumphantly returned to the stage in 2012 for European festivals Hellfest and Sweden Rock.

King, 56, whose real name is Kim Bendix Petersen, underwent open-heart triple-bypass surgery in November 2010. He has since completed his cardiac rehabilitation program and has stopped smoking entirely, changed his diet and is getting regular exercise.

In a February 2013 interview with Metal Sucks, King Diamond stated: "I had to change my diet and become a nutritional expert, eat much better food. I stopped smoking; haven't had a drag. [My wife] Livia quit, too. We walk at least five days a week.

"I felt the benefits during two shows we did [last year]. My voice is now clearer than when I started singing. It was like always driving a used car and suddenly you have enough money to buy a new car. It felt brand new! That's how my voice feels.

"I breathe different now than I used to. In the past [when we played live], it would been like [makes a gasping noise]. Now I go off stage and start talking to close friends…. I feel like I used to live in a house with ten windows and now I have twenty windows in the house. There's so much I can see and I pay more attention to what I do see.

"My philosophy hasn't changed but I don't take anything for granted."

King Diamond made his long-anticipated return to the stage with his MERCYFUL FATE bandmates Hank Shermann, Timi Hansen and Michael Denner on December 7, 2011 at the second of four intimate shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of METALLICA's week-long celebration of its 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only.

KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the track "Never Ending Hill" off the group's latest album, "Give Me Your Soul … Please".

"Give Me Your Soul ... Please" entered the Swedish national chart at position No. 28. The CD also landed at No. 58 on the Danish chart (the second highest new entry on the chart behind VELVET REVOLVER).

"Give Me Your Soul ... Please" sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 174 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of DOWN's June 15 performance at the Copenhell festival at Refshaleøen in Copenhagen, Denmark can be seen below.

DOWN's latest EP, "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP", was released on purple vinyl on February 26.

"Down IV Part I" sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Down IV Part I - The Purple EP", DOWN's first in a series of four EPs to be released over the next few years (with a year between EPs), each touching on a different aspect of the band's sound, came out on September 18, 2012.

"Down IV Part I - The Purple EP" heralds the sound of DOWN going back to its roots, with influences from BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS and WITCHFINDER GENERAL.

Swedish old-school death metallers DESOLATOR will release their debut full-length album, "Unearthly Monument", on June 30 via Hellthrasher Productions. According to a press release, the CD consists of 12 tracks (including re-recorded versions of some of the band's earlier songs as well as several brand new pieces), presenting a new, individual take on the glory days of ENTOMBED, GRAVE and DISMEMBER.

"Unearthly Monument" was mixed and mastered by Nikos G. at Hellish Music Productions and features the following track listing:

01. Thy Flesh Consumed
02. Desolated
03. Gravefeast
04. Mass Human Pyre
05. Infernal Gathering
06. Feeding Frenzy
07. The Triumph Of Death
08. Bludgeoned, Beaten And Berated
09. Second Killing Of Christ
10. Impaled
11. Age Of Annihilation
12. Antimortem Autopsy

The official lyric video for the song "Infernal Gathering" can be seen below.

DESOLATOR was founded in 2009 in Stockholm by Joakim, Jonas and Mille. In 2011 the band shared a split CD with Greece's RESURGENCY.

California thrash metal veterans SLAYER were honored with the "Kerrang! Legend Award" at this year's Kerrang! Awards, which was held last night (Thursday, June 13) at London, England's Troxy Club. The award was accepted by SLAYER guitarist Kerry King, who gave a short speech, saying: "Before SLAYER, I would go to the mom-and-pop stores — that's what we had back then; we didn't have the Internet — and I got one of the, probably first five Kerrang!s ever, and I still have it today."

He continued: "In a day of dying magazines, Kerrang! still exists. I've got all those ones from way back when, I've got all the ones SLAYER was in. And that's pretty cool; you can't really say that anymore.

"But anyway, thanks to Kerrang! again.

"SLAYER is alive and strong, and we will see you on the road."

Video highlights from last night's event, including Kerry's speech, can be seen below.

Asked what it's like being honored with the "Kerrang! Legend Award" without founding SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who passed away last month, King told Entertainment Daily News: "Coming to something like this wasn't really his spiel; he wasn't an awards-show kind of guy. He wanted to be the quiet guy doing his thing at the hotel. But, you know, he's gonna be in everybody's thoughts for a long time. It's unfortunate you can't keep unfortunate things from happening. But, you know, we're gonna carry on, and he'll be there in spirit."

It was announced on May 30 by SLAYER's Tom Araya (bass, vocals) and Kerry King (guitar) that Paul Bostaph would be behind the drum kit for the first leg of the band's 2013 international tour. EXODUS' Gary Holt is continuing to fill in for fallen guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who died on May 2 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver.

Bostaph was SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the band — the gold-certified "Divine Intervention" (1994), the 1996 punk covers album "Undisputed Attitude", "Diabolus In Musica" (1998), "God Hates Us All" (2001) that received a Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance", as well as the DVD "War At The Warfield" (2001), also certified gold. In addition to SLAYER, Bostaph has been a member of FORBIDDEN, EXODUS, SYSTEMATIC and TESTAMENT.

Original SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo sat out the band's recent Australian tour due to a contract dispute with the other members of the group. Filling in for him was Jon Dette (TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX).

German death metallers SPHERON have posted a video teaser for their forthcoming debut album, "Ecstasy Of God", due out on July 5 through Apostasy Records. This challenging and absorbing CD was produced together with Christoph Brandes at the Iguana Studios (NECROPHAGIST, DEADBORN, IMPERIUM DEKADENZ). The breathtaking cover artwork was painted by no other than the famous artist Eliran Kantor who has already worked with bands like TESTAMENT, HATEBREED, SODOM and ATHEIST.

SPHERON is a five-man death metal combo hailing from Ludwigshafen, South Germany. The band's first demo was recorded in the fall of 2008. An EP, "To Dissect Paper", followed in July 2010.

SPHERON is:

Daniel Spoor - Vocals
Tobias Alter - Lead Guitar
Mark Walther - Rhythm Guitar
Matthias Minor - Bass
Tobias Blach – Drums

According to Classic Rock magazine, WHITESNAKE frontman David Coverdale wants to personally apologize to Robert Plant for the "ugly things" he said about the LED ZEPPELIN singer nearly two decades ago.

Plant and Coverdale famously traded verbal jabs after the former DEEP PURPLE vocalist teamed up with LED ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page for the short-lived 1993 COVERDALE-PAGE album and tour,

In interviews at the time, Plant openly expressed his disdain for the WHITESNAKE singer, referring to him as "David Cover-version." Coverdale was equally vitriolic in his response, saying about the LED ZEPPELIN frontman, "There's certainly no love lost between myself and Robert… I wouldn't send him cat food if he was starving."

During an interview set to be broadcast next Wednesday (June 19) on TeamRock Radio's "Classic Rock Magazine Show", Coverdale offered an olive branch to Plant.

"My last words to Jimmy in London were: 'I'd love to buy Robert a drink,'" Coverdale told "Classic Rock Magazine Show" host Nicky Horne. "I said, 'When you speak to him, offer my sincere regrets for any negative things I've ever said, which were mostly defensive.'"

Coverdale continued: "I hold him [Plant] in the highest esteem as a human being, and as an artist, and I really would like to, you know, sit down, buy him a drink, shake hands and say: 'I'm really sorry," you know, "Can we be friends again?'

“[Out of] my love and respect for Jimmy, I know he'll pass that on to Robert — and Robert might go and tell him to [expletive] himself, who knows, but I don't hold any animosity, just disappointment in myself that I took the bait and ran with some ugly things. Because it's not appropriate for somebody I respect so much."

Listen to Coverdale's comments below.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine says that he may join forces with former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted on stage on the upcoming Gigantour to perform a classic METALLICA song Mustaine co-wrote during his short tenure with the band.

Addressing his followers on Twitter, Mustaine wrote: "If I play a song I wrote in @Metallica w/@JasonCNewsted, which should it be?"

Mustaine then listed the following METALLICA tracks for fans to choose from:

* Ride The Lightning
* The Call Of Ktulu
* Metal Militia
* Phantom Lord
* Jump In The Fire
* The Four Horsemen

Newsted, who quit METALLICA in February 2001, is the frontman of a new band, simply called NEWSTED, which was recently this year's edition of Gigantour, the critically acclaimed package festival founded in 2005 by Mustaine.

Mustaine, who was one of the original members of METALLICA, was fired from the band by drummer Lars Ulrich in 1983. He was replaced by Kirk Hammett and went on to form MEGADETH and achieve worldwide success on his own.

In a recent interview with SkullsNBones.com, Newsted said: "There is a chance that Mustaine and I will bust out some old METALLICA that he was a part of [on the upcoming Gigantour]… There is a chance. It has been talked about. Whatever happens for sure, I don't know [laughs], but I'm willing to throw down 'Phantom Lord'. Actually, whatever he calls out, I'm gonna throw down."

Quality fan-filmed video footage of NEWSTED — the new band led by former METALLICA, VOIVOD and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM bassist Jason Newsted — performing on June 15 at the Copenhell festival at Refshaleøen in Copenhagen, Denmark can be seen below.

NEWSTED's full-length debut, "Heavy Metal Music", will be released on August 6 in North America via Chophouse Records/Collective Sounds and August 5 in Europe through Spinefarm Records. Jason told Billboard.com the 11-song album will be very similar to the band's debut EP, "Metal", which sold around 6,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 62 on The Billboard 200 chart. "The EP was always intended to be the primer, a sampler of what was to come on the LP," he said. "It's all metal all the time. It's not all fast, but it is all heavy."

"Heavy Metal Music" track listing:

01. Heroic Dose
02. Soldierhead
03. ...As The Crow Flies
04. Ampossible
05. Long Time Dead
06. Above All
07. King Of The Underdogs
08. Nocturnus
09. Twisted Tail Of The Comet
10. Kindevillusion
11. Futureality

NEWSTED has been confirmed for this year's edition of Gigantour, the critically acclaimed package festival founded in 2005 by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. Also scheduled to appear on the bill are headliners MEGADETH, along with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, DEVICE, HELLYEAH and DEATH DIVISION.

NEWSTED kicked off its first-ever U.S. tour on April 19 at Red House in Walnut Creek, California. The 14-date trek concluded on May 23 in Asbury Park, New Jersey and has led into a number of European festival appearances for the band, which is rounded out by STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok, drummer Jesus Mendez Jr. and guitarist Jessie Farnsworth.

NEWSTED is:

Jason Newsted - Bass, Lead Vocals
Jesus Mendez Jr. (THE NAPOLEON BLOWNAPARTS) - Drums
Jessie Farnsworth - Guitar, Backing Voice
Mike Mushok (STAIND) – Guitar

Quality fan-filmed video footage of reformed heavy metal legends ACCEPT performing their classic song "Fast As A Shark" on June 15 at the Copenhell festival at Refshaleøen in Copenhagen, Denmark can be seen below.

ACCEPT's April 12 concert at Teatro Caupolicán in Santiago, Chile was professionally filmed for the band's forthcoming DVD.

During a recent interview with Radio Futuro, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann revealed that ACCEPT is planning to enter the studio soon to begin work on the follow-up to 2012's "Stalingrad". "We're currently gathering material," he said. "We're writing stuff actively, so give us a few more months, and hopefully, by the end of the year, we 'll have enough material to actually start working on a new studio album. But it won't be long. I can't guarantee when exactly it's gonna be happening, but we wanna definitely go back to the studio as soon as we can."

"Stalingrad" sold around 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 81 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Blood Of The Nations", opened with around 2,900 units back in September 2010 to land at No. 187.

"Stalingrad" was released on April 6, 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was once again helmed by British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY), who worked on the band's critically acclaimed comeback effort, "Blood Of The Nations".

Swedish death metal veterans GRAVE will release a new EP, "Morbid Ascent", later in the year.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Venial Sin
02. Morbid Ascent
03. Possessed (SATYRICON cover)
04. Epos (from "Endless Procession Of Souls"; "Risen From The Tomb" edit version)

Says the band: "This will melt your face off in brutality and extremity."

GRAVE's tenth studio album, "Endless Procession Of Souls", was released on August 27, 2012 in Europe via Century Media Records. The cover artwork for the CD was once again created by Costin Chioreanu, who also worked with GRAVE on the previous two studio albums. In addition to designing the cover artwork, Costin was responsible for some of the extra art for the inside of the CD booklet and the vinyl.

"Endless Procession Of Souls" was recorded at GRAVE's own Studio Soulless and was previously described by GRAVE guitarist/vocalist Ola Lindgren as "a mix of our latest two releases with some more old-school, groovy 'Soulless' parts."

GRAVE in 2011 parted ways with its guitarist of three years, Magnus Martinsson.

GRAVE's current lineup is as follows:

Ola Lindgren - Guitar/Vocals
Mika Lagrén - Guitar
Ronnie Bergerstål - Drums
Tobias Cristiansson - Bass

Metal Injection's five-minute video recap of METALLICA's sophomore Orion Music + More festival can be seen below.

Last weekend's (June 8-9) event moved from Atlantic City to Detroit in what Billboard called a "smooth transition" for a "successful second year." According to The Pulse Of Radio, METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo said on the ground at the festival that he was eager to bring the show back to Detroit in 2014. "We've got to come back here, you know," he said. "This is a great place. This city needs it. The weekend has been a blast and I can't wait 'til next year. I've already got ideas for next year, so we're looking forward to it."

As previously reported, METALLICA played a surprise set on Saturday afternoon under the name DEHAAN, playing their entire 1983 debut disc "Kill 'Em All" from front to back.

The band's headlining set on Sunday night, which closed out the festival, featured rarities like "Carpe Diem, Baby", "I Disappear" and "Disposable Heroes" alongside the band's more traditional hits and live favorites.

The members of METALLICA were also spotted hanging out at their personal lifestyle exhibits, with James Hetfield seen at his custom car display, Trujillo overseeing the skateboarding at the Vans Vert Ramp, and drummer Lars Ulrich premiering a clip from the upcoming movie "Metallica Through The Never" alongside director Nimród Antal.

The Metallica Museum displayed the bass that Cliff Burton played at his final concert before his 1986 death in a Swedish bus crash, as well as other instruments, stage props and vintage concert flyers.

Robert Trujillo played two other sets during the course of the weekend, first with a reunion of funk-rockers INFECTIOUS GROOVES and then with his own TRUJILLO TRIO.

Spokesperson Charlie Walker of promoter C3 Presents said that around 20,000 attended the first day, with possibly more showing up on Sunday. As for whether Orion will return to Detroit next year, he replied, "We'll go through this one, wrap it up, see what the feedback is . . . Then we'll sit down and try to get a grip on what to do next."

A total of 37 groups, including the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, DEFTONES, SILVERSUN PICKUPS, RISE AGAINST and BASSNECTAR, performed on Orion's five stages.

THE JOY FORMIDABLE was unable to perform their show after arriving late in Detroit due to travel issues.

James Hetfield personally introduced the SILVERSUN PICKUPS and watched their set from the side of the stage.

Cliff Burton's father Ray was in attendance for METALLICA's surprise "Kill 'Em All" performance on Saturday.

Detroit native Bob Seger was rumored to be showing up to sing his classic "Turn The Page" with METALLICA. Although the band played the song, Seger was a no-show.

Fan-filmed video footage of KING DIAMOND's entire May 29 concert at Hala Sportowa in Warsaw, Poland can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. The Candle
02. Welcome Home
03. At The Graves
04. Up From The Grave
05. Voodoo
06. Dreams
07. Sleepless Nights
08. Drum Solo (by Matt Thompson)
09. Shapes Of Black
10. Come To The Sabbath (MERCYFUL FATE song)
11. Eye Of The Witch

Encore:

12. The Family Ghost
13. Evil (MERCYFUL FATE song)

Encore 2:

14. Black Horsemen

KING DIAMOND in December signed a new three-album worldwide deal with Metal Blade Records.

Commented the band's vocalist and namesake: "This is gonna be awesome! Another perfect piece of the puzzle. We have the full backup of Metal Blade, and there's an understanding between us that goes much, much deeper than before.

"Our new business setup will noticeably benefit the fans in so many ways. You must have already noticed some of all the cool new stuff that is happening. Now we can't wait to get out there and start touring again!"

After a six-year touring hiatus, KING DIAMOND triumphantly returned to the stage in 2012 for European festivals Hellfest and Sweden Rock.

King, 56, underwent open-heart triple-bypass surgery in November 2010. He has since completed his cardiac rehabilitation program and has stopped smoking entirely, changed his diet and is getting regular exercise.

King Diamond made his long-anticipated return to the stage with his MERCYFUL FATE bandmates Hank Shermann, Timi Hansen and Michael Denner on December 7, 2011 at the second of four intimate shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of METALLICA's week-long celebration of its 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only.

KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the track "Never Ending Hill" off the group's latest album, "Give Me Your Soul … Please".

"Give Me Your Soul ... Please" entered the Swedish national chart at position No. 28. The CD also landed at No. 58 on the Danish chart (the second highest new entry on the chart behind VELVET REVOLVER).

"Give Me Your Soul ... Please" sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 174 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Canadian band CROMLECH will release its debut album, "Ave Mortis", in September via My Graveyard Productions.

Formed in 2011 in Toronto, CROMLECH "presents a dark gloomy epic/doom sound" which "is the antithesis to all that is trivial and banal in heavy metal," according to a press release. "Thunderous drumming, extended dual guitar melodies and songcrafting on a truly epic scale sets CROMLECH apart in a genre plagued by generic rock clichés and fashion conscious trendsters."

"Ave Mortis" track listing:

01. Ave Mortis
02. For A Red Dawn
03. Honor
04. To See Them Driven Before You
05. Of The Eagle And The Trident
06. Lend Me Your Steel
07. Amongst The Tombs
08. Shadow And Flame

Swedish deathgrind behemoths QUEST OF AIDANCE, featuring members of SCAR SYMMETRY, UNMOORED, TORCHBEARER and INCAPACITY, will release their debut album, "Misanthropic Propaganda", in North America on July 23 via Pulverised Records.

Belching out fourteen tracks of exceptional grinding, where both lyrics and artwork are based on the classic '80s sci-fi TV-series "V", the group's first full-length effort is a major evolution prior to their previous two EPs.

A music video for the album track "Anyx" can be seen below.

QUEST OF AIDANCE is:

Daniel "Daaz" Valström - Vocals
Christian Älvestam - Guitar, Vocals
Christian Lundgren - Bass
Oscar Nilsson - Drums (session)
Johan Randén - Lead Guitar (session)

IRON MAIDEN kicked off its headlining performance at Download festival earlier tonight (Saturday, June 15) with a Spitfire flypast. The classic World War II fighter plane reportedly crossed the skies at Donington Park in Leicestershire, United Kingdom three times before the British heavy metal legends opened their show with "Moonchild", a song from their 1988 album "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son". Check out video footage below.

"We're absolutely over the moon to be headlining Donington again," IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson said last September. "The idea of returning exactly 25 years later with a show inspired by that same 1988 'Seventh Son' tour was too good an opportunity to be missed! And, thanks to modern technology, we've been able to update and improve on the original production."

He continued: "We will be bringing a huge new lightshow, stage set, various incarnations of Eddie, plenty of pyro and all kinds of other exciting stuff for the fans. And, of course, treating the fans to lots of their favorite songs from that period!

"We've had many great times at Donington and there is always a wonderful mix of bands and a really wild crowd who love their metal, all of which makes for a memorable show and fantastic party atmosphere!"

This was IRON MAIDEN's fifth time at the festival, which was known as Monsters Of Rock in its earlier incarnation. They last performed in 2007, on a bill that also included LINKIN PARK, SLAYER and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE.

Dickinson, a commercial airline pilot and established aviation entrepreneur, last year teamed with Joe McBryan and the staff of Buffalo Airways, who star in History Television reality-TV show "Ice Pilots NWT", for an episode in which he flew a World War II–era plane to Yellowknife in Canada. The flight was even covered by a couple of journalists who were enthusiastically covering it live on Twitter.

"Death From Below", the new video from the Swiss grind faction MUMAKIL, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's third album, "Flies Will Starve", which will be released via Relapse on CD, LP and digitally on June 25 in North America, preceded by its release June 21 in Germany/Benelux/Finland and June 24 in the U.K. and abroad. The clip matches the immaculately captured yet crushing audio direct from the album to brutal live footage of the band performing the album's whirlwind opening track, filmed by Schlep at L'Usine, located in the band’s hometown of Geneva, Switzerland, with a legion of the town's finest grindfreaks going berserk in the pit.

Since 2004, the destructive MUMAKIL has infiltrated the grind circuit with a blasting whirlwind approach, through an arsenal of demos and D.I.Y. releases, splits with the likes of BLOCKHEADS, THIRD DEGREE and MISERY INDEX, and two previous LPs, the latter of which, "Behold The Failure", was also released via Relapse in 2009 following their split seven-inch single with INHUME on the label's cult Slimewave seven-inch series in 2007. Touring across Europe, Cuba and beyond has also helped fuel the fires in the engines of this death machine, also taking them to festivals including several installments of Obscene Extreme and more.

Recorded by the bandmembers themselves at Terrier 5 Studio in Geneva, MUMAKIL's first album in four years, "Flies Will Starve" will devastate listeners with twenty-four tracks of precision grindcore teetering on the edge of insanity in the vein of BIRDFLESH, MISERY INDEX, ANTIGAMA and KILL THE CLIENT. The oppressive percussion only lets up to build-up to the next blinding blast, the strings jackhammering forth the band's most death-influenced riffing yet and of course the razorchoked vocal bloodbath is nothing short of nauseatingly awesome.

"Flies Will Starve" track listing:

01. Death From Below
02. Dawn Of Slugs
03. War Therapist
04. Fucktards Parade
05. Built Of Lies
06. Shit Reminders
07. Designed To Fail
08. Get Exorcised
09. Fresh Meat For The Grinder
10. Repudiate
11. Army Of Freaks
12. Hailing Regression
13. Cockroaches
14. Wrong Turn
15. Let The World Burn
16. Piss Off (Part 2)
17. Waste By Definition
18. Unfair For Whom?
19. Bring Them To Ruin
20. Begging For The Obvious
21. Redline
22. Blind Disciples
23. Betrayer
24. Behind The Mask

"No Rest", the new video from the Finnish death-thrash metal band CORPSET, can be seen below. The song is the title track of the group's second album, which will be released in September via Violent Journey Records. The clip was directed by Matti Kuusniemi of the Findie moviegroup Trash Video. The fast-paced and unique video gives viewers a glimpse of the band’s live energy and aggression, but also serves as a strong statement against information flood of the modern society and depicts how we are becoming the slaves of technology.

A press release states: "Already in their first album [2010's 'Ruins'], the band tastefully combined modern elements with more old-school underground sounds and finished the package with some serious aggression and twisted melodies. Now with the second album, 'No Rest', the band sounds even tighter after cutting out all the slack."

CORPSET is:

Antti Murtonen - vocals
Jari Kelloniemi - guitar
Jami Heikkala - guitar
Timo Hanhijoki - drums
Arto Tissari - bass

Finnish metallers KALMAH will release their new studio album, "Seventh Swamphony", on June 17 via Spinefarm Records. The follow-up to 2010's "12 Gauge" was recorded at Tico-Tico Studios in Kemi, Finland, and was mixed and mastered at Fascination Street studios in Örebro, Sweden by Jens Bogren (OPETH, SOILWORK, PARADISE LOST). The new CD will feature cover artwork by Juha Vuorma, who worked on the first three KALMAH albums as well as releases from USURPER, METUJA, DEATHMARCHED and ALTARS OF DESTRUCTION. The CD's first single, "Seventh Swamphony", was released digitally on May 6.

After 15 years together, with six full-length albums under their collective belt, 2013 sees the Finnish musicians delivering album No. 7 — an eight-track release showcasing this Oulu outfit's trademark frantic, yet melodic death metal style, tempered here by a newfound "epic mournfulness."

Commented KALMAH lead guitarist Antti Kokko: "This album marks a milestone in our careers. We have a new keyboard player, which has given a fresh edge to the music, and we are, of course, very satisfied with the new material. That is why we wanted to give the songs the best possible chance without compromise; we feel very lucky and privileged to have worked with Jens Bogren."

"Seventh Swamphony" track listing:

01. Seventh Swamphony
02. Deadfall
03. Pikemaster
04. Hollo
05. Windlake Tale
06. Wolves on the Throne
07. Black Marten's Trace
08. The Trapper

The entire album can now be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below (courtesy of Revolver magazine).

The official video for the title track, "Seventh Swamphony", can be seen below. The clip was directed by Jukka Vidgren.

Keyboardist Marco Sneck left KALMAH in 2011 after seven years and three albums with the band.

KALMAH's sixth album, "12 Gauge", entered the official chart in the Finland at position No. 15.

RIGHTEOUS PIGS, the long-defunct punk/death metal band featuring current NAPALM DEATH guitarist Mitch Harris, reformed for an exclusive U.S. appearance at this year's Maryland Deathfest, which took place May 23-26 Baltimore. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

RIGHTEOUS PIGS' lineup for the show was almost the same as the one that recorded the band's second album, "Stress Related" (1990): Harris, vocalist Joe Caper, bassist Stephen Chiatovich and new addition, drummer Alex Marquez (MALEVOLENT CREATION, DEMOLITION HAMMER).

Harris left RIGHTEOUS PIGS in 1989 after recording two LPs to join NAPALM DEATH.

Rehearsal: