Minneapolis, MN-based dark metallers COLD COLOURS will release their self-titled CD via Sleaszy Rider Records on May 31st. A release party/show for the album is planned for June15th at Station 4, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Cold Colours tracklisting:

'Orifice'
'Disgust'
'The Process Of Dying'
'This Devotion'
'Suffering God'
'A Loss Of Faith'
'Of Sand And Tears'
'Silent Speech'
'Cold Colours' (ROTTING CHRIST cover)

Cold Colours' fourth album was recorded at 14:59 Studios in Minneapolis by Will Maravelas and Zach Leteurneau and mastered by the legendary Dan Swanö (ex-EDGE OF SANITY, BLOODBATH, NIGHTINGALE) at Unisound in Sweden.

"The new album finds Cold Colour bringing back the dark and doomy roots after many years," according to mainman Brian J. Huebner.

Stream the album below:

Cold Colours by Cold Colours

More on Cold Colours at this location.

Italy's MESMERIZE has released another song from their 25th anniversary album, Paintropy, due out this month via Punishment 18 Records. Check out
'Monkey In Sunday Best' below:
Paintropy features the following tracklisting:

'It Happened Tomorrow'
'2.0.3.6.'
'A Desperate Way Out'
'Monkey In Sunday Best'
'Midnight Oil / Within Without'
'One Door Away'
'Paintropy'
'Shadows At The Edge Of Perception'
'Mrs. Judas'
'You Know I Know'
'Masterplan'
'Promises' (THE CRANBERRIES cover)

The official lyric video for the song '2.0.3.6.' can be viewed below:
"Paintropy is a word that combines the concepts of Pain and Entropy" - says guitarist Piero Paravidino, "and it refers to a chaotic and painful state of mind, coming from the aggregation of negative events or emotions. In turn, this state can cause a reaction of total inertia or the exact opposite, unleashing a downright furious transformation. These concepts will be depicted both in the songs and in the graphics of the album."

On April 10th, Swedish/Danish sextet AMARANTHE performed in Milan, Italy at the Alcatrazz. Fan-filmed video from the show is available below:
The band's 2013 tour schedule is currently as follows:

April
26 - Arctica Club - Saint Petersburg, Russia
27 - Moscow Hall - Moscow, Russia

May
14 - Club Quattro - Tokyo, Japan
15 - Club Quattro - Tokyo, Japan
17 - Club Quattro - Osaka, Japan
24 - Bandit Boat 15 - Stockholm, Sweden

June
7 - Sweden Rock - Solvesborg, Sweden
15 - Nova Rock - Nickelsdorf, Austria
29 - Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessel, Belgium
30 - Tuska Open Air - Helsinki, Finland

July
6 - Metaltown - Gothenburg, Sweden

August
3 - Kuopio Rockcock - Kuopio, Finland
9 - ARTmania Festival - Sibiu, Romania
10 - Getaway Rock Festival - Gävle, Sweden
24 - Falkenbergs Rockfest - Falkenberg, Sweden

Amaranthe released their new album The Nexus in North America on March 26th. The album has hit #1 on the iTunes metal charts in the US.
The Nexus was recorded, mixed and mastered once again by Jacob Hansen in Ribe, Denmark. The tracklisting is as follows:

'Afterlife'
'Invincible'
'The Nexus'
'Theory Of Everything'
'Stardust'
'Burn With Me'
'Mechanical Illusion'
'Razorblade'
'Future On Hold'
'Electroheart'
'Transhuman'
'Infinity'

'The Nexus' single is available on iTunes and the video (directed by Patric Ullaeus ) can be seen below:

To celebrate their first anniversary, Deathbound Records has announced the signing of their fifth act: AVOIDANT. Their crushing new EP Involution will be released digitally on April 23rd and will include their new single 'The Betrayal'.
Avoidant was formed in Lima, Peru in the winter of 2010 by musicians Daniel Ramón Ibárcena Mollyk and Giancarlo Melgar Novoa.

The band is currently hard at work promoting their newest opus Involution. The recording sessions took place last February and incorporated a seven-string guitar and the addition of new bassist Cesar Rios. The result introduced fans to new elements such as: post-hardcore, death core and progressive metal. " Involution" will be released digitally worldwide on April 23rd through Deathbound Records. This digital edition includes the previously unreleased track 'The Betrayal'.
Involution tracklisting:

'Witness'
'Enslaved'
'Interlude'
'Human'
'Animals'
'Archetype'
Bonus Tracks
'The Betrayal'

Band members:
Giancarlo Melgar - vocals
Daniel R. Ibárcena - lead guitar/vocals
Giomar Carrasco Salazar - guitar/vocals
Daniel Y. Ibárcena - drums/vocals
Cesar Rios - bass

For more details visit Avoidant on Facebook.

Portuguese dark metallers HEAVENWOOD have parted ways with longtime guitarist Bruno Silva and have replaced him with Vítor Carvalho, DEMON DAGGER's axeman and guitar-virtuoso (pictured below). Vítor Carvalho will make his live debut with the band next Saturday, April 20th in Benavente. In this very special show that will take place at SIBE B Lounge Live Club, also Daniel Cardoso, who recorded the drums on the Redemption (2008) and Abyss Masterpiece (2011) albums and played with the band during this period will take care again of the drums.

Besides the mentioned show next Saturday, the 20th April at SIDE B Lounge Live Club (Benavente), HEAVENWOOD have announced also 2 more live dates across Portugal:

April
27 - SWR Barroselas Metalfest - Barroselas, Portugal

May
4 - Mercado Negro - Aveiro, Portugal
More shows to be announced soon.

Heavenwood are currently writing and rehearsing material for its fifth album, The Tarot Of The Bohemians - Part. 1, to be released later this year beginning 2014.

The band’s fourth full length CD, Abyss Masterpiece, came out in 2011 via France’s Listenable Records.

In related news, the band is streaming in its entirety the new pre-production (not final version) track called 'Strength' below:
The new album is inspired by Papus aka Gerard Encausse (July 13, 1865 - October 25, 1916), the Spanish-born French physician and hypnotist who popularized occultism and founded the modern Martinist Order.

Multinational metallers RAVEN LORD are seeking a bass player. Players who think can fit the bill, have gear and have the time for festivals and tour in October should contact the management immediately at promo@rockngrowl.com.
Raven Lord's summer show dates in support of their debut album Descent To The Underworld are as follows.

June
22 - Mine Metalfest 2013 - Tongeren, Belgium
28 - P3 - Purmerend, Netherlands
29 - The Mix - Uithoorn, Netherlands

On April 15, SOUNDGARDEN's Chris Cornell and Ben Shepherd took part in a private acoustic session for the listeners of the Phoenix, Arizona radio station 98 KUPD. Video footage of their appearance can be seen below. Check out photos at 98kupd.com.

SOUNDGARDEN released the music video on January 29 for "By Crooked Steps", the second single from the quartet's new album, "King Animal".

The "By Crooked Steps" clip was directed by FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl, who submitted a treatment for the video on his own initiative after hearing the song.

"King Animal" came out last November and was SOUNDGARDEN's first set of all-new material in 16 years.

SOUNDGARDEN reunited in 2010 after a 13-year break, releasing a retrospective collection called "Telephantasm" and a concert album titled "Live On I-5".

SOUNDGARDEN will kick off their second leg of its North American tour in May.

Heavy metal legends ACCEPT had their April 12 concert at Teatro Caupolicán in Santiago, Chile professionally filmed for their forthcoming DVD.

"We haven't done many live DVDs in our career, as most people know, so this is gonna be a very special occasion for us," ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann told Chile's Radio Futuro a few days prior to the concert. "And we chose that city, or that country, because your fans are some of the best in the world and we wanted the best possible audience."

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hung, Drawn And Quartered
02. Hellfire
03. Restless And Wild
04. Losers And Winners
05. Stalingrad
06. Breaker
07. Bucket Full Of Hate
08. Monsterman
09. Shadow Soldiers
10. Amamos La Vida
11. Guitar Solo (Wolf Hoffmann)
12. Neon Nights
13. Bulletproof
14. Aiming High
15. Princess Of The Dawn
16. Up To The Limit
17. No Shelter
18. Pandemic
19. Fast As A Shark

Encore:

20. Metal Heart
21. Teutonic Terror
22. Balls To The Wall

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

During the Radio Futuro interview, 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."

Speaking to Sweden's Metalshrine last November, Wolf stated about the band's plans to release a concert DVD: "A lot of fans are asking for it and they feel that ACCEPT is so strong now and they've seen us live. They think, 'They're on fire! Where can I get proper recorded DVD from?' We've already recorded some shows and it's actually quite challenging. Everybody's doing these live DVDs at festivals, because that's the easiest thing because the cameras are already there... I think it's almost a discrepancy, because at the live show, you really have to focus on the audience at that moment and you've got to play the greatest hits and maybe two or three songs from the new one, where on a DVD, I always wanna see more obscure songs that might not work so well at the concert while you're there. I'm always thinking, 'Wouldn't it be better if we had a sort of a special occasion where we recorded some stuff that we don't normally play live?' I'm not sure. I haven't debated that all the way through to the end, but I always think, 'If we just record a show, maybe that's not enough? Maybe we should have a special event where we just set aside for filming and look at it that way.'"

"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".

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST celebrate their 40th anniversary as recording artists this year with the release of the live concert "Epitaph". A unique live career retrospective, "Epitaph" will be made available on Blu-ray and separate DVD on May 28 through Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. This release precedes a new studio album by JUDAS PRIEST which the band are working on now.

The official trailer for "Epitaph" can be seen below.

JUDAS PRIEST's current lineup comprises lead singer Rob Halford, lead guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis.

Heavy metal historians will regard "Epitaph" as the most far-reaching live concert recording in the band's career. The set revisits the climactic closing date of the 50-week "Epitaph" world tour, captured live at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo on May 26, 2012. Adding to the drama is the fact that this was JUDAS PRIEST's final large-scale world tour ever.

"Epitaph"'s 23 tracks represent at least one song from every one of the band's 14 studio albums, from 1974's "Rocka Rolla" ("Never Satisfied") to 2008's "Nostradamus" ("Prophecy"). In the special case of "British Steel", four songs are featured: "Rapid Fire", "Metal Gods", "Breaking The Law" and perennial set closer "Living After Midnight". Others exempted from the one-song-quota are the LPs which appeared before and after "British Steel". The first of these is 1979's "Hell Bent For Leather" (U.K. title: "Killing Machine") which lends the title song as well as "The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)". The other LP is 1982's "Screaming For Vengeance", source of "The Hellion", "Electric Eye" and "You've Got Another Thing Coming".

"They have epitomized the genre with their Harley riding frontman, rapid-fire guitar assaults, and spectacular stage shows," wrote journalist Bryan Reesman in his liner notes for 2004's leather-bound, metal-spiked "Metalogy" box set. "Influential, innovative, and exuberant in expression," he wrote, "they are the true Metal Gods who have been as unwavering in their desire to expand the boundaries of their music as they have been in crossing international borders to deliver it to their disciples.

"Unabashedly committed to their cause, and unrepentant in proclaiming themselves a true heavy metal band even when others have shied away from the term, Judas Priest have forever been defenders of the faith."

"Epitaph" track listing

01. Battle Hymn (L)
02. Rapid Fire (F)
03. Metal Gods (F)
04. Heading Out To The Highway (G)
05. Judas Rising (M)
06. Starbreaker (C)
07. Victim Of Changes (B)
08. Never Satisfied (A)
09. Diamonds And Rust (C)
10. Prophecy (N)
11. Night Crawler (L)
12. Turbo Lover (J)
13. Beyond The Realms Of Death (D)
14. The Sentinel (I)
15. Blood Red Skies (K)
16. The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown) (E)
17. Breaking The Law (F)
18. Painkiller (L)
19. The Hellion (H)
20. Electric Eye (H)
21. Hell Bent For Leather (E)
22. You've Got Another Thing Coming (H)
23. Living After Midnight (F)

Album index:

A - from "Rocka Rolla (originally issued 1974, on Gull Records)
B - from "Sad Wings Of Destiny (originally issued 1976, on Gull Records)
C - from "Sin After Sin (originally issued 1977, on Columbia Records)
D - from "Stained Class (originally issued 1978, on Columbia)
E - from "Hell Bent For Leather (originally issued 1979, on Columbia; aka Killing Machine in UK)
F - from "British Steel (originally issued 1980, on Columbia)
G - from "Point Of Entry (originally issued 1981, on Columbia)
H - from "Screaming For Vengeance (originally issued 1982, on Columbia)
I - from "Defenders Of the Faith (originally issued 1984, on Columbia)
J - from "Turbo (originally issued 1986, on Columbia)
K - from "Ram It Down (originally issued 1988, on Columbia)
L - from "Painkiller (originally issued 1990, on Columbia)
M - from "Angel Of Retribution (originally issued 2005, on Epic Records)
N - from "Nostradamus (originally issued 2008, on Epic)

PRIEST's forthcoming album will mark the recording and songwriting debut of the band's new guitarist, Richie Faulkner, who replaced co-founder K.K. Downing in 2011.

Asked what fans can fans expect from the group's next CD, JUDAS PRIEST lead singer Rob Halford said in an August 2012 interview, "We've already got a strong cross-section of ideas, some of them complete, some of them in bits and pieces. It's shaping up to be quite intense, in terms of the riffage and the strength of certain tracks. Much like every time you try and talk about music, it's practically impossible to capture it. You can only point it in the direction of where things are shaping up, and it's just glorious. If I try to pinpoint it, there are elements of 'British Steel' and there elements of 'Painkiller' in terms of the vibe. We've got a really solid record coming together slowly in a strong metal way that will make all of our PRIEST fans around the world very happy and content. At least I hope it does."

Regarding a possible release date for the new PRIEST album, Halford said, "I'm not really sure. It'll be ready when it's ready. We're not under the same clock as we used to be. I remember in the '80s we were banging out a record almost every year, and that was on top of putting in a world tour. We have the luxury now, if you want to call it that, of taking our time. And that's just because that's the way it is. We're just as eager to get this done as ever, but we do it at a slower pace. It's that British thing, you know? [laughs] It's that monarchy thing. Let's look forward to that moment for another PRIEST record for everyone to bang their heads to."

In a November 2011 interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Halford stated about PRIEST's plans for the upcoming CD, "Glenn and I started to write in the early part of January [of 2011]. We just went to it from the heart really, there was no specific agenda or idea, as opposed to what we had to do with 'Nostradamus', which was very focused and a real anchor of a project. This one has just been some straight-forward, classic British heavy metal. Some of it feels a bit like 'Painkiller', some of it feels like 'Sad Wings Of Destiny', some like 'British Steel'. We didn't do much research, we didn't bother checking some of our previous releases, we didn't do any homework, we just sat down and played, you know? Glenn came up with riffs and I came up with vocal melodies. There was no outside influence or interference in the writing sessions. We just started the day, plugged in some amps, got the mic up and made the metal that way. It's a very pure record, in that respect."

Ozzy Osbourne has admitted to a year-and-a-half-long alcohol and drug relapse but has denied that he is planning to divorce his wife of 31 years, Sharon.

After a report surfaced in the British tabloid The Sun claiming that the BLACK SABBATH singer and his wife/manager are living apart and haven't seen each other in weeks, a spokesman for Sharon released a statement claiming that Ozzy and his wife "were still together."

The spokesman added: "They’ve both got huge work commitments. She is at the hotel for work and he is starting his BLACK SABBATH tour.

"Of course they row, but they are still together. Sharon and Ozzy have spent long periods of time apart before when she was working in the U.K. The marriage is not on the rocks."

In a statement posted earlier tonight on his Facebook page, Ozzy said: "For the last year and a half, I have been drinking and taking drugs. I was in a very dark place and was an asshole to the people I love most, my family. However, I am happy to say that I am now 44 days sober.

"Just to set the record straight, Sharon and I are not divorcing. I’m just trying to be a better person.

"I would like to apologize to Sharon, my family, my friends and my bandmates for my insane behavior during this period… and my fans.

"God bless, Ozzy."

In a 2011 interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Osbourne — whose struggles with addiction have been widely reported and acknowledged throughout his career — was asked if moderation was something he could achieve. "I can‘t drink and I can't do drugs," he replied. "I mean, I live in California and I could get a bag of mild marijuana from the doctor, but who I am fucking kidding? I'd start out with a mild bag of marijuana and I'd end up with a fucking bag of crack. My mind runs away with the fantasy because one drink, or one joint, or one whatever doesn't apply to me but my head still thinks it does. I will think about it and my head runs away with the thought."

Asked why it was different now after he has tried to stay off drugs so many times before, Ozzy said: "I got fed up with quitting. The first thing I stopped was tobacco, and don't ask me how I did that. I have been in nearly every rehab around. I have been in rehab with heroin users and they say, 'I can put the smack down but I can't give up tobacco.' I put it down first. My voice would crack in concert and I felt like a soccer player kicking the fucking wall when he was not in the game. To be honest with you, I was not having a good time. I would make all of these grandiose statements about how I was Mr. Sober, now. In the National Enquirer, the following day, you would see me on the floor in a bog covered in piss. There is a lot more help these days than there used to be. It is a lot more openly spoken about then when I was a kid. My folks didn't say, 'He's got a drinking problem.' You just didn't talk about it. My drinking problem was that I couldn't get e-fucking-nough. If I knew, and I honestly thought to myself, that I could drink moderately, then I would, but I know I can't. I never ever did, I never ever will and I don't want to."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach was recently interviewed on "The Classic Metal Show", which is heard live on Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. EST at TheClassicMetalShow.com. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

On whether he feels his latest solo album, "Kicking & Screaming", got enough credit from the rock community and the fans:

Bach: "Yeah. To be on the Billboard chart again is enough credit for me. I like being on the chart. It's cool that I can put out an album that competes on the charts in this day and age. I'm not trying to remind anybody of the past; that's the opposite of what I'm trying to do. I never was doing that. I don't understand the nostalgia factor of rock and roll fans at all. When SKID ROW came out in 1989, we weren't singing songs that were 20 years old, we were singing songs that we just wrote. That's what I'm doing today; that's what I was doing then. So I don't get that whole idea at all."

On whether, if he had his way, he would be able to do tours without playing any SKID ROW material:

Bach: "Well, what would I play? The OZZY OSBOURNE material? Like, that's my material; that's what I do. That's like saying to Vince Neil when he plays his solo shows, would he wanna not do MÖTLEY CRÜE material. I didn't invent the music industry. I put out records and then I do concerts and I play my songs, like every other singer."

On whether his friendship with his former SKID ROW bandmates has been repaired since he was photographed last October hanging out with SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo at a DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED concert:

Bach: "I have nothing against any of the members of SKID ROW. I have talked to Snake and Scotti [Hill, guitar] and Rob [Affuso, drums] in recent years and I have nothing against them. I have not spoken to the bass player [Rachel Bolan] in about 16 or 17 years. I don't know how it's possible to be mad at somebody for something that happened 17 years ago. Everybody is different and people are different. I, myself, if I was ever mad at the bass player 17 years ago, I don't remember what it was about. [laughs] Let me repeat that: 17 years. That's a long time. So if somebody put a gun to my head and said, 'Why are you mad at the bass player from SKID ROW?' I would not be able to tell them, because it was 17 years ago. [laughs]"

On what he thinks about former PANTERA members Philip Anselmo and Vinnie Paul Abbott not being on speaking terms more than eight years since the band's guitarist (and Vinnie Paul's brother), "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, was killed on stage while performing with DAMAGEPLAN:

Bach: "I'm not in a position to comment on other bands' situations, but without being trite or insensitive, nobody in SKID ROW died, or there was no tragedy that befell us; all five of us are still alive and healthy. So I don't even think you can compare that situation. I mean, those guys have real tragedy that happened to them. Our tragedy was that 'Subhuman Race' sold two million copies, and that wasn't as much as the album before. Like, 'Wow! Oh, that's horrible!' [laughs] There was nothing, really, that bad that we went through that I can remember. Again, I wanna repeat: we're talking about 17 years ago. So it's really a long time ago."

Interview (audio):

Former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER members Matt Sorum and Slash performed at Shred Kids' Cancer's Shredfest charity event on Saturday, April 13 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. Watch video footage of the performance below. Photos and more video clips are available at Heavy Metal Hill.

Shred Kids' Cancer was started in 2009 by Teagan Stedman, who was then a 10-year-old boy. Stedman says, "Shred Kids' Cancer is a charity that lets kids try and do something for these other kids who are suffering. It's a way to make the kids who have cancer know that we are here for them and show them we care and give them strength."

While there are many non-profit organizations that raise money for cancer research, Shred Kids' Cancer offers a unique opportunity for kids to actively help their peers battling cancer.

Kids are involved in many ways: They are involved behind the scenes in the corporate world (kids on the board of directors), kids run bone marrow drives, create and update the web site, social media sites, create flyers, create mobile apps, hold and run board meetings, write letters and power point presentations, spread the word with media, meet with business owners, present and speak to other community-based charities (like City Year LA, Boys Team Charity, Hermosa Beach Woman's Club), try and get celebrities to participate, obtain auction items, help run the events and finally with kid participants involved in providing the entertainment for the events.

For more information, visit www.shredkidscancer.org.

Drummer David McGraw of San Diego-based deathgrind masters CATTLE DECAPITATION was forced to undergo surgery earlier today (Monday, April 15) in Germany for "the gnarliest abscess" under his arm pit. However, he managed to recover in time to play tonight's show in Berlin as part of the band's European tour with CRYPTOPSY.

He writes in an online posting: "Berlin! You rule! I had the gnarliest abscess under my arm pit, and you took care of me for only 50 [euros]. I had a full-on surgery, general anesthesia, private recovery room, everything, and I'm not even from here, just another foreigner on tour coming through town. I was treated like if I was at a private clinic. I had enough time to let the drugs wear off and made it to perform at the show tonight. I didn't get to see any of the sights, but instead I experienced something way more meaningful to me... seriously, thank you!"

CATTLE DECAPITATION's latest album, "Monolith Of Inhumanity", sold around 2,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 6 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Released on May 8, 2012, "Monolith Of Inhumanity" was produced by Dave Otero of Denver's Flatline Audio and sees the band exploring innovative new techniques in songwriting without abandoning their signature formula of confrontational audio wreckage and self-loathing lyrical content.

The new lineup of reactivated British extreme metal legends CARCASS performed this past Saturday, April 13 at The Metal Fest at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile. Joining guitarist Bill Steer and bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker at the gig were new drummer Dan Wilding (ABORTED, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED) and guitarist Ben Ash (PIG IRON, DESOLATION, LIQUEFIED SKELETON).

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

CARCASS recently recruited Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ACCEPT, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY) to mix their comeback album, "Surgical Steel", after the CD's producer, Colin Richardson (FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE), quit the project two weeks into the mixing process. During last month's concert at the Underworld in London, Walker claimed that Richardson walked away from the mix in order to work on the new TRIVIUM album.

CARCASS' first studio LP in 17 years, "Surgical Steel" is due in late 2013 via an as-yet-undetermined record label. The band's first studio outing since 1996's "Swansong" will feature guest vocals from original sticksman Ken Owen.

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

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

Guitarist Michael Amott and drummer Daniel Erlandsson, who have been touring with CARCASS since the band's reunion was announced in 2007, are no longer involved with the group due to scheduling conflicts with their main band, ARCH ENEMY.

Rock Meeting conducted an interview with former WHITE LION singer Mike Tramp after his March 19 solo performance at Rocher de Palmer in Bordeaux, France. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about the possibility of a WHITE LION reunion with the band's original guitarist, Vito Bratta, Tramp said: "The thing that has been difficult is that when you always have to answer a question that [Vito] should be [answering]. And the thing is that the answer is no. Because he is not gonna get back up on stage and play music. Number two, I don't want to do WHITE LION no more. I didn't wanna do WHITE LION after the band broke up, because the sound of WHITE LION represents who Mike Tramp was at that time. Even though I am out now playing some acoustic versions of WHITE LION songs, it's different [because] I'm a completely different person. I would not say 'no' if Vito called me up and [wanted to] do a project or something like [Jimmy] Page and [Robert] Plant and they do something different. But the second you call it WHITE LION, you want Mike Tramp to sound like he was in 1987, and I can't be like that… We have our times. There are some artists who don't understand that; they keep trying to be the same. But you do change as you grow older."

Tramp will release new solo album, "Cobblestone Street", in North America on May 7 via Deadline Music, a subsidiary of Cleopatra Records. The effort will be made available in Europe on April 8 via Target Records in the following formats: CD, limited digipack CD (with two bonus tracks), LP and digitally.

"Cobblestone Street" is a departure from the sound that most people would expect from a singer that has been around since WHITE LION crashed on to the hard rock scene in the '80s. Rock fans have gotten to know Mike Tramp as a legit rock singer and frontman that looked like he was born to be just that. Therefore many might find it surprising that Tramp's roots and musical upbringing lie deeply buried in folk music.

Heavily influenced by fellow Danish artists with acoustic guitars and international stars like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, Tramp says that all of his songs through 35 years on the music stage, have always come from sitting with the old faithful acoustic guitar playing and singing. That WHITE LION songs like "When the Children Cry", "Broken Heart" and "Wait", and FREAK OF NATURE's "Rescue Me" later have ended up as epic rock classics is just a question of arranging them in that way with the band in the rehearsal room, but all songs have always been fit to play around the campfire or in the back of a shady bar.

Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH entered Hertz studio in Bialystok, Poland at the end of February to begin recording their next album for a late 2013 release via Nuclear Blast in Europe and Metal Blade in North America.

Commented BEHEMOTH guitarist/vocalist Adam "Nergal" Darski: "Every piece of art is born in pain…and so is ours.

"We've spent last couple of months on pre-production and tracking down the songs in Hertz studio. We are producing the album collectively with help of Wieslawscy brothers and Daniel Bergstrand.

"We are driven by a mystery… exploring territories that have been unknown to us up until now. It feels exciting and very refreshing to redefine our style and yet make a strong fuckin' statement. Wait and hear…"

Speaking to Metal Storm last December, BEHEMOTH bassist Orion (real name: Tomasz Wróblewski) stated about the band's plans for the new CD: "We have scheduled the studio for the end of February. If everything goes as planned, the album will be done in the summer and we plan on releasing it in the fall of 2013."

He added: "The last recording session — I don't even remember how many studios were involved… Like, six or seven, and lots of sound engineers as well; that's just the way we work. This time we will probably do most of the work in Hertz Studio, but we might do some stuff in other places as well. Plus we are still talking about mixing of the album and that's going to be probably somewhere else other than Poland."

In an interview with Rock N Roll Industries conducted aboard Barge To Hell — the world's most extreme metal cruise — which sailed on December 3, 2012 from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas and returned to the real world on December 7, 2012, Darski stated about the songwriting sessions for BEHEMOTH's next album: "I'm really thinking about my record. I'm dreaming my record, I'm eating my record, I'm shitting my record… I mean, everything just comes to the same thing: this artistic release that's gonna take place in the fall next year. That's the plan. We already made a rough plan. We should be entering the studio in late February. We're demoing stuff now. It's actually a rehearsal studio. So this is a thing we've never done before: we get into the studio, we set up the equipment, and we just play. And we record stuff. So it's very creative. It's new and it's different energy, too. I mean, we still use our rehearsal room, but it's good to change the environment. And then in January and February, we decided to move to Warsaw to work on the record. It should be very stimulating; this change of rooms and change of cities, it can be very stimulating. But we've got plenty of stuff written already; I'm guessing 30 or 40 minutes of music is done. But I keep on writing. I'm so hyped and I'm so into delivering new stuff. I have this thought: every time I come up with a new theme or a new song idea, I think it's actually better than the one before. So I hope that this process stops at a certain point and I'm, like, 'OK, over. This is it. We're working on this bunch of songs and that's it.' Because this way I can go on forever."

In an April 2012 interview with Metal Blast, Nergal offered more information about BEHEMOTH's mindset going into the next album. "We want to take our time and not rush ourselves in any way," he said. "It looks like it might be the most important album in our career. I want to make the most honest record and I won't be bending to anyone's rules or expectations, including [BEHEMOTH's record labels] Metal Blade or Nuclear Blast. Every next BEHEMOTH album is a surprise and is never the same. . . We don't want to stress ourselves because the music business and the direction it takes is not as I would like it to be. That means we will be going against the current again and just do as we will and please. Whatever we do is going to be BEHEMOTH, 100%. It is the state of our will and nobody can deny it. I can tell you that we aren't going to come out with a reggae or country album; it's going to be BEHEMOTH, it's going to be extreme. But don't be surprised if people listened to it and said, 'Fuck, they did it. It's so amazing.' [laughs] That's what I like to say when I listen to my own music. I love to surprise myself. I hate things that are predictable. I want to surprise myself and surprise other people, as well. . . Don't get me wrong, I am a huge AC/DC fan and I expect AC/DC to be AC/DC, but don't expect BEHEMOTH to put out another 'The Apostasy', 'Demigod' or 'Evangelion' album, because that will not happen."

BEHEMOTH's ninth full-length studio album, "Evangelion", sold 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 56 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released in the U.S. in August 2009 through Metal Blade, the CD was mixed at Miloco Studios in London, England by Colin Richardson, who has previously worked with MACHINE HEAD, SLIPKNOT, NAPALM DEATH and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, among many others.

Fan-filmed video footage of the Todd La Torre-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE performing on April 14 at the Power Prog & Metal Fest at Lotto Mons Expo in Mons, Belgium can be seen below.

QUEENSRŸCHE has inked a deal with Century Media Records for the release of the band's new studio album. Due on June 11, the CD marks the debut release from the lineup comprised of La Torre (vocals; ex-CRIMSON GLORY), Michael Wilton (guitar), Parker Lundgren (guitar), Eddie Jackson (bass) and Scott Rockenfield (drums). The drums for the album were recorded at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, Washington with producer James "Jimbo" Barton — the man who engineered and mixed the band's classic 1988 LP, "Operation: Mindcrime", and its 1990 follow-up, "Empire", and co-produced 1994's "Promised Land". The rest of the music and vocals were laid down at several different facilities on the West Coast.

In a recent interview with Metal Assault, QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield stated about QUEENSRŸCHE's renewed collaboration with Barton: "It's a great thing — we're really excited about it, he's really excited about it. We've wanted to work with him for a while, but for whatever reason, we just hadn't gone there yet. This is a great time for us to do that, though. We all discussed who we wanted to do the record with, and he was one of the first names that came up. It was easy for us to pick up the phone and call him. It was like our relationship picked up right where it left off, so it's gonna be a lot of fun. He's a very creative guy that did some great records with us in the past. I think that's one of the most important things when it comes to why we want to work with him."

Asked if fans will see a return to the progressive metal sound QUEENSRŸCHE had in the '80s, Scott said: "What we're trying to do, and what has been really interesting since Todd has jumped into the band, we're trying to revisit the old QUEENSRŸCHE catalog — stuff off of the EP and "The Warning". That's always been a part of what we are, so yeah, definitely! I think in my opinion, we're really revisiting that vibe of why that music was special back then for us. There will be a modern flair to it, though, just because we're in the modern age. The fun thing about Jimbo being a part of it is that he can help tie together the two sides. He does come from our past and some of the great records and some of the great sounds that we're known for, but he's also living in the modern age and doing some interesting things as well. I think it's going to be a really great QUEENSRŸCHE record. People are going to go, 'Wow, that's QUEENSRŸCHE! That sounds just like what we've known them to be, and what we would expect them to now be.' That's what I think peple will get out of it."

"Resurrect Me", the new album from female vocalist Pamela Moore, who is best known for her performance as Sister Mary on QUEENSRŸCHE's 1988 epic release "Operation: Mindcrime" and 2006's sequel "Operation: Mindcrime II", will be released on May 14 via Rat Pak Records.

"Resurrect Me" is described in a press release as "an album written in timeless fashion that explores a creative landscape missed by the music industry. [It] is a masterpiece in collaborative effort showcasing powerful, yet intimate vocal imagery, paired with monstrous power metal grooves, and uncompromising musicianship. The album explores the compelling, the infectious and the dramatic. It connects with the listener on a personal level from the first listen."

"Resurrect Me" is collaboration between Moore and Michael Posch, one of Chicago's favorite power metal guitar players who made noise as a founding member of Century Media artists RADAKKA, and was hand-picked by Moore while living in Chicago. While doing shows with the Pamela Moore band, discussions about the direction of Pamela's next work were tossed about. As discussions continued, so many of the traits and concepts were so purely engrained in Posch's own style, it seemed a divine movement was at hand. Early demo work showed a collective vision and energy that was impossible to ignore.

Even after deciding to return to Seattle as a permanent base, and what seemed to be the end of a chapter, Moore requested to continue focus work with Posch, in hopes of letting the addictive collection of songs continue to develop. Both were reluctant to close the book on the collective focus that was manifesting. Magic was being made and something pushed the pair onward. The album survived location changes, loss of financial support due to the economic times, personal highs and lows, and sheer distance… to finally overcome... and achieve a polish, and brightness, that goes beyond any hardship endured in the crafting … and the character that was built thru the labor, is deeply present in the recordings.

"Resurrect Me" represents a power metal album that will ring in your head for days after listening. Song after song take you down paths of atmospheric, dark, but passionate and blood pumping metal. It's sure to satisfy Moore's QUEENSRŸCHE contingent of fans, but this moves beyond.. into a level of energy all its own. It even boasts a heavyweight guest list, including a solo from shred royalty Jeff Loomis (ex-NEVERMORE) and a duet with master vocalist Ralf Scheepers (PRIMAL FEAR, GAMMA RAY).

"Resurrect Me" track listing:

01. Acquiescent
02. Melt Into You
03. Paranoia
04. We Are Damaged
05. Resurrect Me
06. The Sky Is Falling
07. Awakening
08. Breaking Down
09. Desperate By Design
10. Wide Awake (Phoenix Rising)

For pre-order bundles and sound samples, go to this location.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based death metallers KATAKLYSM have recruited ex-NEURAXIS drummer Oli Beaudoin (pictured below) to sit behind the kit during the recording sessions for their new album, "Waiting For The End To Come". Beaudoin will also play all of KATAKLYSM's currenty announced shows starting on June 30 in Costa Rica.

"Oli played with KATAKLYSM before on the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise last year and he did a phenomenal show," commented KATAKLYSM guitarist Jean-François Dagenais. "He is extremely talented , focused and ready to do the job needed. Some of you might be familiar with him from his work with NEURAXIS and session work with KEEP OF KALESSIN and BELPHEGOR. We are very happy to have him on board and he comes with a thumbs-up approval from Max as well. We have one hell of a ride in store for you with this new album, so let it begin."

Max Duhamel announced on April 8 that he was taking a break from KATAKLYSM to deal with issues related to alcohol abuse.

KATAKLYSM has set "Waiting For The End To Come" as the title of its new album, tentatively due in late 2013/early 2014 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2010's "Heaven's Venom" will be recorded by KATAKLYSM guitarist Jean-François Dagenais, who has previously worked with MALEVOLENT CREATION, MISERY INDEX and DESPISED ICON, among others, and mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUFFOCATION, HATEBREED, ARSIS).

KATAKLYSM's multidisc DVD, "The Iron Will: 20 Years Determined", entered the German chart at position No. 98. The set depicts the ups and downs of KATAKLYSM's long, turbulent career, as well as footage of the band's performance at last year's Summer Breeze festival, which took place August 18-20, 2011 in Dinkelsbühl, Germany. The cover art for the release was created by artist Colin Marks (ORIGIN, EXODUS, NEVERMORE).

KATAKLYSM's latest album, "Heaven's Venom", sold around 2,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 8 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Philip Anselmo, legendary frontman of PANTERA and DOWN, will release his career-first solo album, "Walk Through Exits Only", on July 16 via his own Housecore Records (MRI/Megaforce). "Walk Through Exits Only" will be available digitally, on CD and on vinyl.
Produced by Anselmo and Michael Thompson, and recorded over the past couple of years at Philip's New Orleans studio, Nodferatu's Lair, with his band THE ILLEGALS — guitarist Marzi Montazeri (ex-SUPERJOINT RITUAL) and drummer José Manuel Gonzales (WARBEAST) — "Walk Through Exits Only" is abrasive, aggressive, anthemic and 100% Anselmo. The album's eight songs are as unstrained as it gets, from "Battalion Of Zero" to "Usurper's Bastard Rant", to the album's title track that goes against the grain and right through the exits. Brash, brutal guitars cut through punishing percussion as Anselmo screams with uncompromising ferocity and uncontainable fire.

"It wasn't about doing a paint-by-numbers thrash or heavy metal record," Anselmo explained about the project. "It's an angry album that only I could do. I don't see anybody else out there screaming about the same shit I'm screaming about. On this album, there isn't any wordplay, there isn't any hidden message, it's all right there in front of you."

In a recent interview with U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine, Anselmo was asked what prompted him to make a solo CD now. "I am a lover of all sorts of music but really my heart is ... really I love extreme music, underground music, whether it be grindcore, death metal, thrash, black metal, [or whatever other] subgenre, and I find beauty in a lot of this stuff," he replied.

"I wanted to do an extreme record that didn't necessarily fit in any of those aforementioned categories, really, but it's metal. It's very tough for me to describe, man. I really wanted to do an extreme record again. I did it out of pure, fucking need — need — and love. I just needed to do it for myself."

Anselmo said that he chose to release the CD under his own name because "if I was to name it something, to me, it may be tough on the fans, or people, that might be interested in hearing what I'm doing, just to buy into a whole new band, where in all truth, I'm very, very, what's the word, just very guarded and I wrote every fucking goddamn note of it and that's just how its going to fucking be."

He added, "I don't want another all-star band, I don 't want another supergroup, if you will, I don't want it to be misconstrued, and this is something I can take as a solo artist, as a free agent, I can take this wherever I want to go. If I want to make the next record a completely different style, yet still extreme in its own right, I can do that … So it's gonna be up to y'all to figure it out: it's really not my place to say it's death metal or it's extreme thrash or black metal, I'm not gonna put it in a category. It is extreme, though, in its own right. Anything that was completely traditional, I would stop it and fuck with it a little, make sure it wasn't so paint-by-numbers, because that's the last thing I wanna do, and as a matter of fact, I believe that's what people will be expecting."

On the topic of his lyrical approach on "Walk Through Exits Only", Anselmo said, "[It's] very real, very honest, very close to the sleeve, close to the heart, close to the fingertips, close to everyday life, and maybe [about] periods of my life that I've gone through. People that have heard the record have said it is the angriest record that they've heard in a very, very long time. And I have to agree with them — it is an angry, angry album. It is just a statement of my condition a lotta times. Daily I still deal with heaps of chronic pain, if you will, whether it be my knee, my hip, the shoulder sockets, the elbow, the fucking back — you name it, man. I've busted everything, man, so there is a frustration there that you can't necessarily get across in DOWN, so it does have an angry edge to it and really, truth be told, the name of the record could be 'Songs From The Bedroom Of Philip Anselmo'; it's not a pretty place. [laughs] [It's] not as sexy as it sounds'l [It's a] fucking, raging fucking place where I can simmer and boil over in private."

Audio samples of the songs "Conflict" and "Family, 'Friends,' And Associates" from Anselmo can be streamed at Amazon.com. Both tracks appear on "War Of The Gargantuas", the new split album featuring Anselmo and Texas thrashers WARBEAST, which was released on January 8 via Philip's Housecore Records. This album served as the first release of any solo work by Anselmo during the span of his nearly 30-year legacy.

Anselmo and THE ILLEGALS will support the new album with a major North American tour planned for this summer. Anselmo, who is up for "Best Vocalist" at this year's Revolver Golden Gods awards, will make a special appearance at that event.

British doom metal outfit SOLSTICE will enter an undisclosed studio in Huddersfield, Yorkshire at the end of April to begin recording its first new material since 1998's "New Dark Age" album. Tracks set to be laid down include "I Am The Hunter", "Fortress England" and "Death's Crown Is Victory".

Video footage of SOLSTICE performing the song "Death's Crown Is Victory" during rehearsal can be seen below.

SOLSTICE released only two albums and one EP before going their separate ways more than a decade ago.

Formed in the early 1990s by vocalist Simon Matravers, the band included guitarists Richard M. Walker and John Piras, bassist Lee "Chaz" Netherwood, and drummer Lennaert Roomer. According to AllMusic, the group introduced its particularly sorrowful style via its 1994 debut album, "Lamentations" (Candlelight). The "Halcyon" EP (featuring guitarist Gian Pyres, later of CRADLE OF FILTH) followed in 1995, after which SOLSTICE experienced numerous business-related and internal difficulties. By the time "New Dark Age" was released, the band featured only two original members (Walker and Netherwood) alongside vocalist Morris Ingram, guitarist Hamish Hamilton Glencross and drummer Rick Budby.

SKID ROW's new EP, "United World Rebellion - Chapter One", is available for streaming in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below. Released in North America on April 16 via MRI, the effort is the first in a series of EPs that the reincarnated band — Dave "Snake" Sabo (guitar), Rachel Bolan (bass), Scotti Hill (guitar), Johnny Solinger (vocals) and Rob Hammersmith (drums) — plans to release in the near future.

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" reignites the youthful energy and blistering sound that SKID ROW is recognized for around the world. "That sound and energy is what resonates with people and knocks them on their ass," says Hammersmith. "We had a lot of great ideas to work with, so we're all really excited about this new music."

SKID ROW's rebellious tunes hit the big time in the late 1980s. However, after several Top Ten singles, gold and multi-platinum sales, No. 1 Billboard-charting tracks and more, the band split in 1996. In 2000, to the delight of fans everywhere, SKID ROW reformed and returned to the stage to open for KISS. They then released two new musical offerings in the form of 2003's "ThickSkin" and 2006's "Revolutions Per Minute" with new singer Johnny Solinger out front. Seven years later, the band is back again with new music, ready to take over in the new age of heavy metal.

"When we put the band back together, we needed to reintroduce SKID ROW as relevant without relying too much on past success," explains Bolan. "We sunk our heart and soul into it, letting people know we weren't doing it for lack of nothing better to do."

For the new EP series, Bolan and Sabo tapped again into the potent songwriting collaboration that built SKID ROW. Sabo says they were eagerly up to the challenge. "We seem to be at our best when we're faced with adversity. It's us against the world again — and by us I mean the band and the fans who stick with us and carry the SKID ROW torch without fail."

"The idea [of releasing EPs] really appealed to me," adds Bolan, "Especially with the constantly changing musical climate. I like the idea of a steady flow of new music, as opposed to releasing a full-length album then riding it for the next two years."

And although striving to reintroduce themselves and try something different, these boys are still strong in their roots. They got older, but SKID ROW never really grew up. "United World Rebellion" is still the youth gone wild, their musical spark still burning gasoline.

"I will always be that 16-year-old kid in front of the mirror, pretending to be Ace Frehley or Michael Schenker," admits Sabo. "It's still about writing a great song with your friend, praying it connects with someone. That has never left me. That willfulness will always exist, and there's so much left to say!"

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" track listing:

01. Kings Of Demolition
02. Let's Go
03. This Is Killing Me
04. Get Up
05. Stiches

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" will be released in Europe at the end of May via Germany's UDR Music. The European version of the EP will include two bonus tracks, both of them cover tunes. "I won't say what they are," guitarist Scotti Hill told Eyes From The Mosh Pit. "One of them you'll know very well and one of them you may have to go back into the archives… [It's] a little more obscure. But it's really cool."

"One-Way Mirror", the new video from ONE-WAY MIRROR — the French band featuring Guillaume Bideau (MNEMIC) and David and Franck Potvin (LYZANXIA, PHAZE I) — can be seen below. The 3D animated clip was directed by Cyril Taussat of Blinn Studio and was inspired by the Guitar Hero avatars combined with retro GTA style. The song comes off the group's sophomore album, "Destructive By Nature", which was released on April 16, 2012. The cover artwork was once again designed by plastic arts master Alain Tréhard at the Maria Hell Studio in La Rochelle, France. According to a press release, "Alain was inspired by the title of the album to create this unstructured masterpiece."

ONE-WAY MIRROR previously stated about the album, "Even though they composed these latest bombtracks in the similar vein of their first album, ONE-WAY MIRROR was able to nurture the fresh and perfectly controlled combination of violence and pure melodies with catchy components.

"This album is not unlike shrapnel as it will embed itself in your system upon explosion. Some songs will make the fans bang their heads while others will simply decimate them altogether.

"The band’s goal will remain playing the very music they want to listen to. No constraints, no limits or barriers and no rules apply. The musicians of ONE-WAY MIRROR agree that the motivation to compose and to record a metal album is pure pleasure before any other consideration.

"David Potvin and Guillaume Bideau [produced] the album and . . . the sound is extremely powerful, natural and modern."

ONE-WAY MIRROR's self-titled debut album was released in June 2008 via Metal Blade Records.

ONE-WAY MIRROR is:

Guillaume Bideau (MNEMIC) - Vocals
David Potvin (LYZANXIA, PHAZE I) – Lead Guitar
Franck Potvin (LYZANXIA, PHAZE I) – Rhythm Guitar
Clément Rouxel (T.A.N.K) - Drums
Vincent Perdicaro (GENERAL LEE) - Bass

IN THIS MOMENT's May 21 concert in Madison, Wisconsin will be professionally filmed for the band's first-ever DVD. The group states: "We are planning some special surprises to make this a one-of-a-kind event. We see you, our dedicated fans at every show and now is your chance to be involved in something extra special that will be a part of our history forever. If you live in or around Madison, get your tickets now before they sell out! If you don't live nearby, get to Madison and come be a part of our first live DVD!!"

IN THIS MOMENT's fourth album, "Blood", has sold around 142,000 copies in the United States since its August 2012 release. The CD was once again produced by Kevin Churko, who has previously worked with OZZY OSBOURNE and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, among others.

IN THIS MOMENT began work on the new album just a few months following the departures of drummer Jeff Fabb and guitarist Blake Bunzel, who left the band in 2011 in order to join the backing group of "American Idol" finalist James Durbin. Fabb and Bunzel have since been replaced by Tom Hane (THYATEIRA) and Randy Weitzel (FLATLINE, 3/13, AMERICAN MASSACRE), respectively.

"Blood" was released in December as a double-disc set through Hot Topic. The special package contained the full original "Blood" album on one disc, and a second disc that featured a cover of the NINE INCH NAILS classic "Closer", as well as four additional new remixes of songs on "Blood":

* "Blood (Sluggo Remix)"
* "Adrenalize (Mr. Kane Remix)"
* "Whore (Nikka Bling Remix)"
* "The Blood Legion (Mitch Marlow Remix)"

Deadline Music/Cleopatra Records will release "Frequency Unknown", the new album from the Geoff Tate-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE, on April 23. The CD, which was produced by Jason Slater at a studio in Northern California, is now available for streaming in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below.

Deadline Music/Cleopatra Records recently released "Cold", the new single from the Geoff Tate-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE, via iTunes. The track, which was mixed by Anthony Focx (NEWSTED, AEROSMITH, NIGHT RANGER, TED NUGENT), will also be released as a special limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single with a newly recorded version of the QUEENSRŸCHE classic "Silent Lucidity" — mixed by Jürgen Engler (DORO, DIE KRUPPS) — on the B-side.

Asked about the decision to remix "Frequency Unknown" shortly before the album's release, Tate told "The Continental Breakfast With James & Raina": "We were a little rushed on the mixing end of it, so after listening to it back, we're having some of the songs remixed now before the album comes out. But that's typical with records — you have to have them in on time. So sometimes you compromise in areas. Luckily, with this situation, we get to go back and correct some areas in the sound where we thought it was kind of lacking. So that's fine. I've done that on… gosh… probably three quarters of the records I've ever made. It's no new thing, but it's a luxury when you get to fix it."

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

"Frequency Unknown" track listing:

01. When Lightning Strikes
02. Running Backwards
03. Fallen
04. Life Without You
05. In The Hands Of God
06. Cold
07. The Weight Of The World
08. Slave
09. Dare
10. Everything

Bonus tracks: (2013 versions)

11. Silent Lucidity
12. Empire
13. Jet City Woman
14. I Don t Believe In Love

Although a lineup for Tate's QUEENSRŸCHE was originally announced in the fall of 2012, things have changed. The band now features Tate along with bassist Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, DIO, WHITESNAKE, QUIET RIOT), guitarist Kelly Gray (QUEENSRŸCHE 1998-2001), keyboardist Randy Gane and new additions, guitarist Robert Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, HURRICANE) and drummer Simon Wright (AC/DC, DIO, RHINO BUCKET).

BODY COUNT, the metal band fronted by legendary rapper Ice-T, will enter the studio in May to begin recording its new album, due later in the year via Sumerian Records.

In September 2009, BODY COUNT made an appearance at the Vans Warped Tour 15th-anniversary party at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. The group played a 20-minute set, covered SLAYER, talked a ton of trash and closed with their controversial classic "Cop Killer". Also on the bill were NOFX, KATY PERRY, PENNYWISE, BAD RELIGION and RISE AGAINST.

BODY COUNT's last album, "Murder 4 Hire", came out in 2006 via Escapi Music. Lyrically, the songs ranged from political ("The End Game"), personal ("You Don't Know Me [Pain]"), and religious ("The Passion Of The Christ"), to obsession ("In My Head"), armegeddon ("Dirty Bomb"), hate ("Lies") and relationships. A eulogy for fallen band member D-Roc was also included ("D Rocs [RIP]") as was a hilarious take on deep south rednecks ("Down In The Bayou"). The CD closed with "Mr. C's Theme", a show-stopping hard-rock instrumental.

Fan-filmed video footage of Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW) and Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL) performing LED ZEPPELIN, VAN HALEN and SKID ROW classics on April 5 at The Viper Room in West Hollywood, California can be seen below.

Bach and Stevens are collaborating on material for Sebastian's next solo album. According to the singer, Stevens "has come up with one track so far that will definitely be on my next record. It is a kick-ass cool rock 'n' roll song that I guarantee will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Just how I like it."

Bach's brand new CD/DVD package, "ABachalypse Now", was released in North America on March 26 via Frontiers Records. The "ABachalypse Now" Ultimate CD/DVD Edition includes never-before-seen footage from last year's Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Dessel, Belgium, the full never-before-seen Hellfest set from France and the fully-remixed and remastered Nokia show from Los Angeles (originally broadcast on AXS TV), as well as bonus music videos. The DVD contains a running time of nearly 160 minutes. "ABachalypse Now" was made available in two configurations: the Ultimate CD/DVD Edition (2 CDs + DVD) and a standalone DVD.

Fan-filmed video footage of SKID ROW's April 15 performance in Prague, Czech Republic can be seen below.

SKID ROW's new EP, "United World Rebellion - Chapter One", will be released in Europe at the end of May via Germany's UDR Music. The European version of the EP will include two bonus tracks, both of them cover tunes. "I won't say what they are," Scotti told Eyes From The Mosh Pit. "One of them you'll know very well and one of them you may have to go back into the archives… [It's] a little more obscure. But it's really cool."

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" is being made available in North America on April 16 via MRI. The effort is the first in a series of EPs that the reincarnated band —Dave "Snake" Sabo (guitar), Rachel Bolan (bass), Scotti Hill (guitar), Johnny Solinger (vocals) and Rob Hammersmith (drums) — plans to release in the near future.

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" reignites the youthful energy and blistering sound that SKID ROW is recognized for around the world. "That sound and energy is what resonates with people and knocks them on their ass," says Hammersmith. "We had a lot of great ideas to work with, so we're all really excited about this new music."

SKID ROW's rebellious tunes hit the big time in the late 1980s. However, after several Top Ten singles, gold and multi-platinum sales, No. 1 Billboard-charting tracks and more, the band split in 1996. In 2000, to the delight of fans everywhere, SKID ROW reformed and returned to the stage to open for KISS. They then released two new musical offerings in the form of 2003's "ThickSkin" and 2006's "Revolutions Per Minute" with new singer Johnny Solinger out front. Seven years later, the band is back again with new music, ready to take over in the new age of heavy metal.

"When we put the band back together, we needed to reintroduce SKID ROW as relevant without relying too much on past success," explains Bolan. "We sunk our heart and soul into it, letting people know we weren't doing it for lack of nothing better to do."

For the new EP series, Bolan and Sabo tapped again into the potent songwriting collaboration that built SKID ROW. Sabo says they were eagerly up to the challenge. "We seem to be at our best when we're faced with adversity. It's us against the world again — and by us I mean the band and the fans who stick with us and carry the SKID ROW torch without fail."

"The idea [of releasing EPs] really appealed to me," adds Bolan, "Especially with the constantly changing musical climate. I like the idea of a steady flow of new music, as opposed to releasing a full-length album then riding it for the next two years."

And although striving to reintroduce themselves and try something different, these boys are still strong in their roots. They got older, but SKID ROW never really grew up. "United World Rebellion" is still the youth gone wild, their musical spark still burning gasoline.

"I will always be that 16-year-old kid in front of the mirror, pretending to be Ace Frehley or Michael Schenker," admits Sabo. "It's still about writing a great song with your friend, praying it connects with someone. That has never left me. That willfulness will always exist, and there's so much left to say!"

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" track listing:

01. Kings Of Demolition
02. Let's Go
03. This Is Killing Me
04. Get Up
05. Stiches

Progressive rockers URIAH HEEP will be rejoined by an old friend for a limited run of dates in May 2013 when they tour The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. John Lawton, who was lead vocalist between 1976 and 1979, will reunite with the group to cover for Bernie Shaw, who requires some time off for a routine medical procedure. John had already been confirmed to perform as a one-off guest at an outdoor amphitheatre HEEP show in Spain on July 12. This show at San Javier will now feature both singers and will serve as an occasion for the band to thank John. As the shows will be recorded for official bootlegs, it promises to be a real treat for the fans. The sets will be skewed to songs reflecting John's original tenure with the band, a celebration of classic 1970s URIAH HEEP. this will be a unique chance to catch such a nostalgic performance, fronted by an ex-URIAH HEEP legend, always a friend of the band, who has returned while Bernie Shaw recuperates.

URIAH HEEP guitarist Mick Box has answered several questions regarding the return of John Lawton.

Q: Would you like to say a few words about John Lawton deputizing for Bernie?

Mick: I am delighted to welcome back my old mate to the band. With Bernie off duty for a short while, John was the most obvious choice. Having worked with John on a recent feature film called "Love.net", I knew that his pipes were in great shape, and that he would also be accepted readily by the HEEP fans. All credit to John, though, as once he had heard of the problem and was asked, he re-arranged a lot of his schedule to fit in with ours, which was really cool!

Q: What is the set structure likely to be?

Mick: To be honest, it will probably be a nostalgic set, drawn from the '70s, featuring the Byron and Lawton period. It would be unfair to ask John to start learning songs from the last studio recordings, as they have Bernie's trademark vocals all over them. This will make it an extra-special concert for the fans in that regard.

Q: Can you share a special memory of John from the late Seventies?

Mick: One of my abiding memories is HEEP playing "Wise Man" on "Top Of The Pops". If ever there was a song which did not give a hint of the band's hard rock background, this was it, and I was worried that we would be accused of selling out to commercialism. I needn't have worried, as John sang it so powerfully that he not only made the song his, hard rock fans loved it, too!

Q: And a message to the fans.

Mick: This will be a special set of dates with John, as we will be playing some classic songs in this nostalgic set, that may never be repeated.. We hope to see you all there to enjoy this historic HEEP moment.

In true HEEP style, the gig schedule is as busy as ever. The "Nail On The Head" tour has already seen the band perform 10 acclaimed shows across the U.K. and the band will have performed across much of Europe by the time they take the Download stage — helping to kick things off in style with an appearance on the opening date, June 14.

Originally founded by Mick Box in 1969, URIAH HEEP is truly one of the pivotal classic acts that helped define the rock sound and an era. Part of the fabled "Big Four" alongside LED ZEPPELIN, BLACK SABBATH and DEEP PURPLE, the HEEP story still has a long way to go. With classic songs like "Lady In Black", "Gypsy", "Easy Livin'" and "Stealin'" full of ambition, sophisticated writing, memorable tunes and, of course, the vocals — the five-part harmonies were a clear influence on the operatics of QUEEN.

URIAH HEEP was the first Western rock band to perform in Russia, they have headlined at stadiums worldwide: truly they've ensured their place at rock's top table. With Mick Box always at the helm, URIAH HEEP tours all over the world and is one of music's most exciting and reliable live acts.

In a more-than-40-year career, URIAH HEEP has released 23 studio albums and sold more than 40 million units; the most recent release was 2011's "Into The Wild".

While the band is thrilled to welcome back an old friend in John Lawton, the HEEP story rolls on, and more new music is to come soon.