ROSE TATTOO's Angry Anderson joined GUNS N' ROSES on stage in Brisbane, Australia last night (Wednesday, March 20) to perform the ROSE TATTOO classic "Nice Boys". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

The 1978 song was covered by GUNS N' ROSES on their 1988 "Lies" album.

ROSE TATTOO replaced THE ANGELS as the support act on the GUNS N’ ROSES Australian tour after Doc Neeson was diagnosed with brain tumor.

GUNS N' ROSES has just finished touring Australia with ZZ TOP.

ROSE TATTOO originally supported GUNS N' ROSES on the Australian leg of their "Use Your Illusion" tour.

BLACK STAR RIDERS — the new band formed by THIN LIZZY alumni Ricky Warwick (vocals), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) with new addition Jimmy DeGrasso (ALICE COOPER, MEGADETH, DAVID LEE ROTH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) on drums — will release its debut album, "All Hell Breaks Loose", via Nuclear Blast Entertainment on the following dates:

* May 21 – Japan
* May 22 - Sweden
* May 24 - Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Norway
* May 27 - U.K., France, BeNeLux, Poland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Greece
* May 28 - U.S., Canada, Italy, South America

The album will be preceded by a first single, "Bound For Glory". Set for release on Friday, March 22, the song can now be streamed below.

About the single, Warwick states: "'Bound For Glory' — a song for the lost but never lonely, walking tall in the face of everyday adversary. Everyone has a story to tell. Revolution begins in the mirror!!!" Gorham adds: "When it came time to pick one of these songs as a single, we had a really hard time. There are so many really great tracks here and everyone had their favorites. But in the end, we all agreed that 'Bound For Glory' is the perfect choice and represents what BLACK STAR RIDERS is all about."

About the origin of the album title, Warwick said: "I was watching a documentary about World War II bombers and saw the name painted on the side of one of the aircraft. The name just resonated with me and it seem to encapsulate the turmoil that we, as a society, are currently experiencing. The past few years have been such a wild ride and now with the release of the album, it sounded like a bad-ass album title that summed up what BLACK STAR RIDERS is all about."

"All Hell Breaks Loose" was recorded and mixed by producer Kevin Shirley (LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, RUSH) at his The Cave studios in Malibu, California. Mastering duties were handled by Bob Ludwig (JIMI HENDRIX, RUSH, KISS, LED ZEPPELIN) at Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, Maine.

"All Hell Breaks Loose" track listing:

01. All Hell Breaks Loose
02. Bound For Glory
03. Kingdom Of The Lost
04. Bloodshot
05. Kissin’ The Ground
06. Hey Judas
07. Hoodoo Voodoo
08. Valley Of The Stones
09. Someday Salvation
10. Before The War
11. Blues Ain't So Bad

The album will be released as a standard CD and also as a special-edition digipak featuring a bonus track, "Right To Be Wrong", and a "making-of" DVD.

A 24-minute collection of video reports featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "All Hell Breaks Loose" can be seen below.

In October 2012, THIN LIZZY announced that they would not be recording new material under the THIN LIZZY monicker. The last incarnation of the band — Gorham, Brian Downey, Wharton, Warwick, Johnson and Mendoza — would be looking to form a new project.

According to a press release, Brian Downey decided to not become involved with BLACK STAR RIDERS because he didn't want to commit to the touring cycle a new album would entail and Darren Wharton wanted to concentrate on DARE and other music and film projects.

"Brian and Darren just don't want to be on the road 150 days a year. anti that's completely understandable," Warwick tells Classic Rock magazine. "But we do. We work very well together, and there's no better man than Jimmy to gel it together. This is a kick-ass band."

The BLACK STAR RIDERS album will feature material the band wrote while touring as THIN LIZZY and the sound retains that classic feel but is very much its own as well. The BLACK STAR RIDERS record is the next step in the evolution of the THIN LIZZY story.

"There's no way it could sound like THIN LIZZY with [late THIN LIZZY frontman] Phil [Lynott]," Gorham tells Classic Rock. But Johnson disagreees. "I think Scott is too dose to it," he says. "Ricky or I would bring in a song idea, and as soon as Scott starts playing on it, it sounds like THIN LIZZY, whether Scott realizes it or not. Everybody who's heard the new music says it has that dassic THIN LIZZY vibe. No, it can't sound like the original band. But that classic LIZZY vibe is absolutely there."

"I'm not gonna pull any punches here," says Warwick. "It sounds like classic THIN LIZZY brought up to date. l've been singing Phil's songs every night for two years, and although it sounds a bit crass because the man's not here, I feel like I've had these lessons from getting so deep into his work. Phil's songwriting, his lyrics, his phrasing, his pitching, his delivery — it's genius. And that's really helped me as a writer."

It was Warwick who named the new band BLACK STAR RIDERS, after an outlaw gang in the 1993 western movie "Tombstone". As Johnson tells Classic Rock: "Scott said from the very beginning that we did not want a name that was specifically related to THIN LIZZY, because this band has to stand on its own."

"Way To Be", the new video from former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes, can be seen below. The song comes off his new solo album, "Nothing To Lose", which was released independently at the end of last year. The CD is now available through Artisthead Music. Holmes composed, performed, and produced the music and vocals, and teamed up with former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor to perform on and engineer the effort.

"Nothing To Lose" track listing:

01. Nothing To Lose
02. Loser
03. They All Lie And Cheat
04. All Fucked Up
05. Jazz Song
06. Way To Be
07. Down In The Hole
08. Heartbeat
09. Mormon Moron
10. A-Flat Minor

In a December 2012 interview, Holmes discussed the "Nothing To Lose" CD, exclaiming, "It's not going to be on Capitol Records!" and flipping the camera the bird. He also spoke about his controversial video for the song "They All Lie And Cheat" which has gotten nearly 100,000 views in the last four months. "It came out better than I hoped it would," he said. "I wanted it to be real bad. It was done really cheap. In the last ten years, I haven't had too much money to do an elaborate bunch of bullshit."

As previously reported, Holmes will appear at this spring's edition of the Chiller Theatre toy, model and film expo in Parsippany, New Jersey. The three-day event will take place April 26-28 at Sheraton Parsippany.

For more information, visit www.chillertheatre.com.

Italian avant-garde progressive band RADIANCE is now streaming their full-length debut album Undying Diabolyca on Bandcamp. The album is available on digital download and CD via My Kingdom Music.
Check out an album preview below:
Undying Diabolica tracklisting:
'Towards Doom'
'Another Way'
'Behind The Light'
'Storm'
'Reasonance'
'Whirl's Criterion'
'Le Poison à la Mode'
'Undying Diabolyca'
'Pulse Of Awakening'

More info on Facebook.

Finnish old-school death metallers DEATHMARCHED have released a new music video ‘Go War’ taken from their full-length debut album Spearhead Of Iron. The album was released December 7th 2012 by Violent Journey Records.
Check out the video below:
Spearhead Or Iron features the following tracks:
‘Eve Of The Battle’ (Intro)
‘Go War’
‘Open Fire!’
'Death Master’
‘In The Gory Fields Of Death’
‘Iron Coffins’
‘Sonderkommando III’
‘Massmurderer’
‘Sniper’
‘The Witch Of Horror’
‘Deathmarched’

For more info visit Facebook.

Spain’s BLEED THE MAN has released a new video for the song ‘Save Your Soul’, taken from their new album Ashes From The Past, which was released on March 12th via Coroner Records.
Check out the clip below:
Ashes From The Past tracklisting:
'Save Your Soul'
'Human Nature'
'Still Have Time'
'Another Human Fault'
'The Most Precious Gift'
'The Follower'
'Walk Through My End'
'Mind Prison'
'Automatic Thoughts'
'Face To Face'
'Obscurity Is My Name'
'Confront The Truth'

A trailer for the album can be seen below:
More on Bleed The Man on Facebook.

The official lyric video for the song "The Liquid Everything" from German melodic death metallers HARASAI can be seen below. The track comes off the band's second album, "Psychotic Kingdom", which will be released on April 26 via Quality Steel Records. The CD was recorded and mixed by ORDEN OGAN's Sebastian Levermann. Mastering duties were handled by Dennis Koehne (CALIBAN, TIAMAT, LACUNA COIL). The cover art and layout were created by the up-and-coming graphic artist Sebastian Wagner.

"Psychotic Kingdom" track listing:

01. Resist To Rebuild
02. The Liquid Everything
03. Three Kings
04. The Art Of The Sun
05. Skywards We Fly
06. Heretic Souls
07. Psychotic Kingdom
08. Dying Race Domain
09. In Circles Forever
10. Reflections

"Resist To Rebuild" features solo guitar by Jens "Shredmaster JB" Basten (NIGHT IN GALES, GLORYFUL).

Commented lead-vocalist Martin Wittsieker: "'Psychotic Kingdom' is following the path of our first album in order to add much more intensity and feeling to both the songs and the overall atmosphere. You will find lots of very dark and sad tunes and also some of the most brutal riffs and beats we've ever written. It's just like a 50-minute-long demon ride dancing in range of all imaginable human emotions!"

Hailing from Altenessen, which is said to be "Germany's capital of metal," the youngsters in HARASAI present a sound no one would expect of a Teutonian metal band: progressive melodic death metal.

With their highly acclaimed debut album, 2010's "The I-Conception" (produced by Dan Swanö), the band already built up a strong worldwide following. The release was followed by countless shows and festival appearances inside and outside of Germany with such acts as DARK TRANQUILLITY, ENTOMBED, SODOM, ICED EARTH, INSOMNIUM and GHOST BRIGADE.

HARASAI is:

Martin Wittsieker - Vocals
Yannick Becker - Guitar
Arne Laßen - Bass, Voice, Piano
Nicolas Becker - Drums
Patrick Wassenberg - Guitar

"Meridiem", the long-awaited new EP from reactivated Greek progressive metallers WASTEFALL, will be released on April 12. You will be able to purchase it via iTunes, Amazon MP3, Deezer, Google Play, Xbox Music and many other digital stores. You will also be able to obtain a copy through the official WASTEFALL site, which is going to be launched very soon. Limited physical copies will be available sometime after the digital release.

"Meridiem" EP track listing:

01. Recycle The Elite
02. Hearts In The Gutter
03. Vulturnus
04. The Poetics Of Flight
05. Revolution Jar

WASTEFALL will film a video for the song "Hearts In The Gutter" on March 23-24 with the LensOrama visual team. The final clip will make its online debut on April 12.

WASTEFALL will kick off the "To The South" Greek tour on April 19 in Kalamata.

WASTEFALL recently amicably parted ways with keyboardist Christos Kyrkilis. The group stated: "Since Domenik [Papaemmanouil, guitar/vocals] is more than efficient, he is going to take charge the keyboards concerning the studio recordings. It's better for the chemistry of the band to remain as a quartet."

Since drummer Kostis Papalexopoulos is still in exile in London, WASTEFALL recruited Konstantinos Galimis (AGNOSIA, ex-RAVENCULT) as his replacement.

WASTEFALL's third album, "Self Exile", was released in 2006 via Sensory Records. The CD was mixed and mastered by Tommy Hansen (HELLOWEEN, TNT, JORN LANDE) at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark.

Fan-filmed video footage of the Todd La Torre-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE performing on March 5 at Diamond Joe Casino in Dubuque, Iowa can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Queen Of The Reich
02. Speak
03. Walk In The Shadows
04. The Whisper
05. En Force
06. Child Of Fire
07. Warning
08. The Needle Lies
09. Prophecy
10. Roads To Madness
11. I Don't Believe In Love
12. My Empty Room
13. Eyes Of A Stranger

Encore:

14. Take Hold Of The Flame
15. Jet City Woman
16. Silent Lucidity
17. Empire

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."

Scott McLennan of Australia's Rip It Up recently conducted an interview with legendary BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On going vegan in 2012:

Ozzy: "I tried it, but I didn't last more than a week or two. I'm eating more meat now than ever! The only meat I haven't touched is the horse they're eating over here. I'll eat anything..."

"I'll tell you what I really missed — meat! How can the guy who bit the head off several creatures suddenly turn full circle and now live on vegetables? That doesn't sound right. I was Satan last week, now I'm on some fucking do-it-yourself gardening experience. These days I'm on a very low-carb, high-protein diet and I've dropped 30 pounds and I exercise like a freak. I'm 65 this year. God only knows how I got that far — I should have been dead a thousand times."

On working with producer Rick Rubin on BLACK SABBATH's first studio album with Ozzy since 1978's "Never Say Die!":

Ozzy: "Every time I've seen him for the past 15 or 20 years, Rick Rubin's always said to me that if SABBATH ever got back together, he wanted to produce us. Before we went into the studio, people were telling us that he's always got five things going on at the same time, so he'll be in there one day and then you won't see him for three weeks. All I can say is that whenever I was in the studio, he was there. Rick Rubin is the producer and he knows what he's doing. If this is anywhere near as successful as the Adele album [Rubin co-produced], I'll be happy!"

On the possibility of Rubin sorting out an Ozzy-and-Adele collaboration:

Ozzy: "I'd die a happy man, I think she's fucking great. She's not fucking botox-faced, she's a normal, healthy girl who speaks in her native accent."

On BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi's lymphoma diagnosis:

Ozzy: "Tony's fine, but he can only go out on the road for six weeks at a time as he has to have infusions or some shit for his immune system. I was amazed that during his chemotherapy he was still writing songs. My heart goes out to him, because when Sharon [Ozzy's wife/manager] had cancer a few years back, she was so sick from chemotherapy she could barely get out of bed. It's like having a football kick to the nuts. The chemotherapy is worse than the cancer — Sharon was like [the possessed child Regan in] 'The Exorcist', having seizures all the time. Tony is doing really well, though."

On never forgetting his poverty-stricken West Midlands upbringing:

Ozzy: "You're not going to believe it, but if I'm passing I frequently go back to my old house and sit on the doorstep for half an hour in the middle of the night. I'll be going from Liverpool down the M6 and I'll pull off in Aston for the memories. I can remember sitting on that step when I was a kid wondering what I'd be when I was a man. It's all Pakistanis living there now."

Read more from Rip It Up.

Niclas Müller-Hansen of Sweden's Metalshrine recently conducted an interview with frontwoman Lzzy Hale and guitarist Joe Hottinger of Pennsylvanian rockers HALESTORM. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metalshrine: Well, I gotta ask you about the Grammy.

Lzzy: [laughs] The craziest thing ever to happen. [laughs]

Metalshrine: When you were up there and then went backstage, did you go, "Ah, I should've said that!"?

Lzzy: Oh, of course. We left out people. We didn't think we were gonna win at all. We didn't prepare anything because we just didn't think we had a shot. Not because we're not confident, it's just… Look who we're up against! IRON MAIDEN and freaking LAMB OF GOD and MEGADETH and MARILYN MANSON and ANTHRAX. We were thinking, "They're either gonna give respect to the classic guys or they're gonna give it to LAMB OF GOD because A, they got a shitload of press this year and they're freaking awesome! We were just like "We're happy to be here!" [laughs] When they called our name, it was, like, "What?"

Joe: It was complete chaos. It was great.

Lzzy: Yeah, it was chaos.

Metalshrine: A thing like this, will it help you, career-wise, in any way?

Lzzy: Definitely. It's already opened a lot of doors. Us rock people are such hypocrites, like, "We don't even pay attention to the Grammys." And we didn't even pay attention, so when we got nominated, that was a complete surprise too, but then once you're nominated, it's, like, "Wooohooo!"

Joe: It's a great press moment and we got tons of press and that's always good and that alone is worth it. I don't really know what happens in the long run because of it, but we'll always get that attached to our name, I guess, which is cool.

Lzzy: It's an honor because we've been a band for 16 years now, and it's crazy to have all that hard work be recognized. I think a lot of people now know who we are because of it too.

Joe: For some people it makes us legitimate in their eyes, for whatever reason, and for others it makes us chumps, whatever. [laughs]

Metalshrine: Does it in any way put any pressure on you? I'm thinking about your bext album and so on.

Joe: No. We didn't write this record aiming for that and I think as long as we follow what gets us excited musically, then whatever happens happen.

Lzzy: It's almost like if we start thinking about that, then that's gonna be the problem. Then we're gonna be thinking way too much in the studio and that's never good. You gotta take your brain out of it.

Metalshrine: What are your plans for the next six months or so?

Lzzy: Lots of touring.

Joe: We just finished a covers EP and we literally went to the Grammys in the middle of recording it. It's just a bunch of cool cover songs. Then we come back here to Europe in March and then the States in April and May and I don't know after that. We've got some festivals booked this summer.

Lzzy: As far as the eye can see… [laughs]

Metalshrine: What songs are on the EP?

Joe: We haven't really told anyone yet.

Metalshrine: OK. A lot of '80s metal?

Joe: There is some of that, yeah.

Metalshrine: Is it stuff you listened to growing up?

Lzzy: Yeah. I had a bit of a dated catalog in my player, thanks to my parents. That's always fun for me and then there's a few unexpected ones. A few things that I didn't think we'd pull off, but I think we did. We'll find out. It's not mixed yet.

Metalshrine: How many songs are there?

Lzzy: We recorded seven.

Joe: There will be at least six on there and one might be for another record.

Metalshrine: When is it coming out?

Lzzy: The next couple of months. Probably summer.

Metalshrine: Are you staying true to the originals or giving them the HALESTORM vibe?

Lzzy: We're definitely building each one in our own way. Sometimes that's hard, but we learned a lot as musicians by doing that. You can take the "Oh, is this a good song?" thing out of it because it's already a proven song, so you just have fun and experiment.

Joe: A lot of it we didn't really rehearse or work out before we went into the studio, so we're kinda just winging it in there and just with Lzzy singing it, it kinda gets the HALESTORM vibe anyway. It's been fun.

Lzzy: On top of that, we didn't change the lyrics and I'm singing about a girl. [laughs]

Metalshrine: Have you started thinking about your next album?

Lzzy: Yeah, we've begun writing. What for, who knows and when we'll do it, I don't know. We're gonna squeeze the life out of this record. We're on our third single and we've got a few more.

Joe: We're like collecting right now. Collecting riffs and songtitles. It's hard to finish songs when you're on the road. Some of it will work out on the next tour. I've ordered some gear to make a little portable writing station. Once the tour is over, it's just like "Bam!", you start writing your ass off, and that's when you take everything you've collected over the last few months and finish it off. There's no aim in the writing, like the third record is gonna be like "this."

Read the entire interview from Metalshrine.

NASHVILLE PUSSY bassist Karen Cuda has released the following statement:

"Today feels a bit surreal as I officially announce my resignation from NASHVILLE PUSSY. Over the last eight years I've invested much blood, sweat, and tears in to the band. It's been an extraordinarily difficult decision for me to make, but I feel it's time for me to move on and explore the next chapter of rock 'n' roll and my life. I am sincerely and wholeheartedly grateful for the experiences, the stages, the amazing albums we've made, the globetrotting, the laughter, the tears, the parties, and most of all, the fans, that I've had the pleasure of sharing with NASHVILLE PUSSY. Thanks to all for the amazing opportunity! I will forever cherish it. Rest assured, I will continue rocking, so keep your ears peeled! Best of luck to NASHVILLE PUSSY as they also move on into their next chapter."

As a member of NASHVILLE PUSSY, Cuda's thundering bass lines appeared on three albums: "Get Some" (2005), "From Hell To Texas" (2009) and 2012's re-release of "From Hell To Texas", which included many additional live tracks. She also appeared on the live DVD "Live In Hollywood" (2008). Prior to her role in NASHVILLE PUSSY, she was a founding member of the now retired Denver, Colorado power pop trio HEMI CUDA. She appeared as bassist, co-writer, and co-vocalist on both albums by the band, "Classics For Lovers" (2004) and "Thick Riffs & Tasty Licks" (2006), which she also co-produced.

Photo credit: Sean Hartgrove

InsideOut Music has announced the signing of SOUND OF CONTACT to a worldwide deal. The brainchild of Simon Collins (son of legendary musician Phil Collins) and keyboardist/co-producer Dave Kerzner, the band will release its debut album, "Dimensionaut", on May 28 in North America.

SOUND OF CONTACT marks the beginning of a new chapter for Collins. After ten years as a solo artist, his dream of being in a band has come to fruition with the help of Kerzner, Matt Dorsey, Kelly Nordstrom and Hannah Stobart (WISHING TREE), and a debut record mixed by Nick Davis (GENESIS, XTC, MARILLION).

On the signing to InsideOut, Collins comments: "I'm really excited about working with InsideOut Music and Century Media in what I feel will be a long and successful relationship between my new band SOUND OF CONTACT and a label that truly loves music and gets what we're doing."

InsideOut Music label head Thomas Waber adds: "I am extremely pleased about this new partnership with SOUND OF CONTACT and we are really looking forward to working on their amazing debut album!"

Check out the trailer for the album below.

In advance of the album's release, SOUND OF CONTACT will begin a stint with legendary prog band SPOCK'S BEARD and labelmates BEARDFISH as part of the InsideOut Music 20th-Anniversary Tour, a premier event that will see the band taking their music to Europe for the first time. The lineup for these shows will feature Collins, Kerzner and Matt Dorsey joined by John Wesley (PORCUPINE TREE, FISH) and Jonathan Schang (DISTRICT 97). Prior to this tour, the band will be featured as part of the Marillion Weekend in Montreal, Canada performing on March 24. This will mark the beginning of what is sure to be an incredibly exciting and eventful year for the band.

On March 22, the single "Sleepwalking" from EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA project will be available as a digital download, featuring a duet between Tobias and female vocalist Cloudy Yang. A video for the song was filmed in a magical forest in Germany on a snowy winter's night. Check out photos from the video shoot below.

Comments Tobias: "It was far below freezing. And there we were, standing in the snow storm for hours, walking through a haunted forest. It felt a bit like 'Sleepy Hollow' meets 'Brothers Grimm', but the pictures that came out were really great and compensated for the torture."

About the song itself, Tobias says: "'Sleepwalking' is the most enchanting pop song I've ever written. Yes, it's a pop song, and I am the first to admit it. I love stuff like A-HA, CUTTING CREW, ENYA and SARAH BRIGHTMAN.

"You know, the whole album is a journey.

"Someone said that 'The Mystery Of Time' is the most adventurous AVANTASIA album to date. What makes AVANTASIA what it is is its diversity. We have five double-bass songs, two big epics, a beautiful flamboyantly orchestrated ballad, and monumental mid-tempo groovy stuff with big choirs.

"AVANTASIA has always been defined by its diversity and mingling of styles. It is an epic metal record and there are so many different things to be discovered, you have to give the album at least ten listens to discover half of what's going on.

"'Sleepwalking' are four wonderful minutes out of 60 minutes, but there is not one song on the album that can represent AVANTASIA on its own, it's the full 60 minutes you have to pay attention to, to grasp the magic of this piece!"

"The Mystery Of Time" will be released on March 30. The effort will be made available as a regular CD, limited-edition vinyl and limited-edition hardcover book with a 28-page booklet containing ten regular songs and two bonus tracks ("The Cross And You", "Death Is Just A Feeling"). The cover artwork was hand-painted by world acclaimed British fantasy artist Rodney Matthews. Among Rodney's most famous artworks are not only album covers for rock legends such as MAGNUM, THIN LIZZY, ASIA and NAZARETH, he has also designed the characters for the TV series "Lavender Castle" and created the covers for novels by British fantasy author Michael Moorcock and many more.

"The Mystery Of Time" will feature guest appearances by Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), Michael Kiske (UNISONIC, HELLOWEEN), SAXON frontman Biff Byford, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick, drummer Russell Gilbrook of URIAH HEEP, AYREON mastermind Arjen Lucassen (also ex-BODINE, VENGEANCE), Ronnie Atkins of Danish hard rock veterans PRETTY MAIDS and MR. BIG frontman Eric Martin.

The new AVANTASIA CD was recorded in part at VOX Klangstudio in Bendestorf, Germany with producer Sascha Paeth (KAMELOT, EDGUY, EPICA, RHAPSODY).

"The Mystery Of Time" track listing:

01. Spectres
02. The Watchmakers' Dream
03. Black Orchid
04. Where Clock Hands Freeze
05. Sleepwalking
06. Savior In The Clockwork
07. Invoke The Machine
08. What's Left Of Me
09. Dweller In A Dream
10. The Great Mystery

Immediately after the release of "The Mystery Of Time", a metal opera based on a story written by Sammet, the band will embark on a full-fledged indoor tour, during which the band and special guests will bring the epic undertaking to the stage.

Since the performances will embrace all the different eras and history of AVANTASIA, these shows will feature an extended playing time and the entire evening will be dedicated to AVANTASIA with no support acts.

Tobias originally wanted to put AVANTASIA to rest after the release of the "The Flying Opera - Around The World In 20 Days" concert DVD in April 2011, but he has since had a change of heart.

STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok has joined NEWSTED, the new band led by former METALLICA, VOIVOD and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM bassist Jason Newsted.

NEWSTED will release its full-length debut this summer, around the time of the group's appearance at this year's Download festival in June.

"It was obvious from the word go that Mike is one of us," says Jason. "Professional, focused, happy and grateful to be able to make our beautiful noise together!"

"I loved the old-school vibe of [NEWSTED's] 'Metal' EP, and when we got together to jam, it really felt great," adds Mushok.

"STAIND is taking a break for a while, so when Jason asked if I was interested in joining them to record an album and play on the upcoming tour, it was perfect timing. All I could say was, 'Hell yeah! I'm totally down for this.'"

NEWSTED is:

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

A photo of the current NEWSTED lineup can be seen below.

NEWSTED will make a number of European festival appearances in June:

Jun. 05 - Impact (Second Day) - Warsaw, Poland
Jun. 07 - Sweden Rock Festival - Sölvesborg, Sweden
Jun. 16 - Download (3rd Day/Pepsi Max Stage) - Castle Donington, UK
Jun. 21 - Seerock - Graz, Austria
Jun. 26 - Hegyalja Fesztival - Tokaj, Hungary
Jun. 29 - Rock The Beach - Helsinki, Finland
Jun. 30 - Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessel, Belgium

"Metal", the debut EP from NEWSTED, 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.

"Metal" was released on January 8 exclusively via iTunes. The EP was made available as a physical CD on January 15.

"Metal" contains the following tracks:

* Soldierhead
* Godsnake
* King Of The Underdogs
* Skyscraper

"Soldierhead", the first video from NEWSTED, can be seen below. Directed by Leon Melas, the clip was filmed on December 15, 2012 in an abandoned factory in California.

Five lucky fans will get something extra in their copies of TOOL's forthcoming commemorative edition of the "Opiate" EP.

Dubbed the "Seal of Xatanitos," the five certificates will be placed randomly amidst the 5,000 copies of the collectible reissue. The prize will only be disclosed to each of the five winners.

The 21st-anniversary edition is limited to 5,000 copies and features art direction by guitarist Adam Jones, illustrations by legendary artist Adi Granov and design packaging by Mackie Osborne, who has collaborated with TOOL on many albums, including "10,000 Days", "Lateralus" and "Salival" as well as posters and merchandise.

The 5,000 copies will be broken down into five variations (each 1,000 pieces) with each set featuring a slight alteration of the exterior graphics and included bonus items which include a new stereoscopic image for fans to use with their glasses from the "10,000 Days" packaging.

The packages will only be available via TOOL's web site on March 26, with the band setting aside a small number of packages (200 of each variation) for Toolarmy members. Toolarmy members will be able to purchase on March 22 via Toolarmy.com.

Jones recently spoke to Revolver about the deluxe reissue of "Opiate", telling the magazine, "What I want is to go to the store and buy something and go, 'Damn, I got more than my money's worth.' I want something where you can tell a lot of time went into it."

Jones has always been deeply involved in TOOL's artwork and visuals, telling The Pulse Of Radio a while back that his interest started long before the band. "I've always been into art and drawing and sculpting, and I did makeup effects for a long time, and it's always been a big part of my life," he said. "And Maynard too, and, you know, the other band members — you know, when I met those guys, they were all doing something kind of creative, and I think that's why it clicks."

As for revisiting the music on "Opiate", Jones said, "It's kind of like a time machine. It takes you back to that time and what you were thinking. Creatively speaking, there's always room for improvement . . . but overall I like it. It's something I'm very proud of."

DARKHAUS, the intercontinental modern rock outfit consisting of five men from four representative countries (Scotland, USA, Germany, Austria), has inked a deal with Steamhammer/SPV. The band's debut album will be released in the fall 2013 via Oblivion/Steamhammer.

DARKHAUS maestro Rupert Keplinger is a multi-platinum songwriter/composer who is best known for his collaborations with top-selling artists EISBRECHER, STEPHAN WEIDNER, OOMPH!, Peter Maffay and others.

DARKHAUS co-creator Gary Meskil — who is also the founder of legendary U.S. hardcore/metal band PRO-PAIN — describes the group's sound as "stylistically versatile, dark and emotional, but with much light to be found at the end of the proverbial tunnel."

The five architects of DARKHAUS combine their best efforts to present an ambitious and diverse plethora of songs which combine the urgency of true rock 'n' roll, the epic moments which define great acts, and those "catchy hooks and melodies" like those which have been delivered straight to your ears via radio stations around the world throughout modern time.

DARKHAUS is designed for fans of emotionally inspired songwriting which has the power to move one's body, mind, and soul.

Says Meskil: "I've always wanted to make music like this some day which is totally different from what I'm usually known for. Aside from punk and hardcore, I grew up with bands like THE CURE, SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES, BAUHAUS and DEPECHE MODE — and those left a mark on me. With DARKHAUS, I can finally make it happen!"

Adds SPV A&R Gero Herrde: "Not only has every single member of DARKHAUS already proven their musical capabilities and skills — it's the mixture of characters combined with the ambition to produce music that is totally opposed to what they did earlier. Oblivion/Steamhammer (SPV) is the perfect home for this. We're glad to be able to work this."

DARKHAUS is:

Kenny Hanlon - Vocals
Rupert Keplinger - Guitar, Synth
Marshall Stephens - Guitar
Gary Meskil - Bass
Paul Keller - Drums

Pictured below (from left to right): Marshall Stephens, Gero Herrde (A&R, SPV GmbH), Kenny Hanlon, Rupert Keplinger, Gary Meskil, Paul Keller

According to the Los Angeles Times, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne recently sold one of their Los Angeles-area homes for $11.5 million. According to Realtor.com, the six-bedroom, 10-bath, 11,000-square-foot mansion sits on a hill in the middle of a two-and-a-quarter acre property in the popular celebrity enclave of Hidden Hills. The house features a completely redesigned interior, mountain and city views, a gym, a library, a pool, maid's quarters and other luxury amenities.

The property came on the market in 2011 at $12.999 million and was also listed for lease at $50,000 a month. Ozzy and Sharon paid $12,388,500 for the estate in 2007.

Check out photos of the property in the YouTube clip below.

In April 2011, the Osbournes also put a Malibu beach house on the market for $10 million.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, that 4,500-square-foot, three-story oceanfront residence had five bedrooms and five bathrooms, along with a library, office, hot tub, walk-in closets and a backyard with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

The couple bought the Malibu house in 2003 for $5.1 million and first placed it on the market in 2006 for $14 million.

Veteran death metallers ACHERON will hit the studio in Cleveland, Ohio in April to begin recording their new album, "Kult Des Hasses", for a late 2013 release via Listenable Records. It is now official that guitarist Ricktor Ravensbruck (WOLFPACK 44, ELECTRIC HELLFIRE CLUB, WOLFEN SOCIETY) will be a special guest to add some of his lead guitar work to the CD.

Comments ACEHERON founder Vincent Crowley: "Our guitarist Art Taylor is fucking amazing and could easily do all the lead work, but we all agreed that having a second lead player on the album would help to mix things up and have more of a guitar-duo style on some of the songs. Kyle and I have worked with Ricktor before in WOLFEN SOCIETY and knew he would be a perfect person for the job."

"Kult Des Hasses" track listing:

01. Daemonum Lux
02. Satan Holds Dominion
03. Raptured To Divine Perversion
04. Jesus Wept
05. Thy Father Suicide
06. Misanthropic Race
07. Whores And Harlots
08. Asphyxiation (Hands Of God)
09. Concubina Do Diabo
10. Devil’s Black Blood

The two-song 2012 demo that got ACHERON signed to Listenable Records can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The tracks "Satan Holds Dominion" and "Asphyxiation (Hands of God)" were recorded with the following lineup:

Vincent Crowley - Vocals, Bass
Kyle Severn - Drums
Max Otworth - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Shuan Cothron - Guitar

The infamous underground legends have been a cult band for over two decades and have released a number of recordings throughout their existence.

Slash has written on Twitter that he has "started the demo process" for his third solo album, even though it's been less than year since his sophomore effort, "Apocalyptic Love", arrived. Slash posted, "[There is] lots of material to work up. It's going [to] be good."

Slash recently wrote that ALTER BRIDGE fans could rest assured that singer Myles Kennedy would record their new album before getting back together with Slash, saying, "AB fans have no cause for worry. They will soon release a new CD and tour this year. I will catch Myles on the flip side."

Kennedy divides his time between ALTER BRIDGE, who are working on their fourth studio set, and Slash, for whom he fronts Slash's touring and recording group MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS.

Slash, Kennedy and THE CONSPIRATORS have recently completed nearly a year's worth of touring behind "Apocalyptic Love".

Slash has been keeping himself busy by creating his own version of the theme song to the "Angry Birds" video game as well as appearing as a character in the game. He's also confirmed his participation in the "Band Fuse: Rock Legends" video game. Slash has also composed the score for "Nothing To Fear", the first movie from his Slasher Films production company, which went into production last year but has yet to be released.

The official video for the track "Lonely Planet", which was co-written by BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi and was recently chosen as Armenia's entry into the Eurovision Song Contest, can be seen below.

Iommi wrote the music and Vardan Zadoyan penned the lyrics for the track, which will be performed by the band DORIANS at the Eurovision final on May 16 in Malmö, Sweden. Each year member countries submit songs to be performed live on television and radio and then votes are cast to determine the most popular track in the competition.

Iommi recently told Birmingham Mail that he was surprised when the Armenians chose "Lonely Planet" — a song he wrote more than five years ago — as their Eurovision contender.

"I was as shocked as anybody when they came knocking," he said. "They got in touch with me because of the charity work we've been doing out there, building a new music school to replace one wrecked by an earthquake. They asked if I'd got any spare songs. Well, I write loads of songs and they just get put away. They lie on a shelf because either they're not suitable for SABBATH or for another project, and never see the light of day. I searched out 'Lonely Planet' — it’s a bit of a power ballad — and sent it off. I was surprised when it made the shortlist and gobsmacked when the people of Armenia voted for it. With a little luck, who knows, it might win."

Iommi and DEEP PURPLE/ex-BLACK SABBATH singer Ian Gillan have spent a lot of time in Armenia, fallen in love with the country and the people and have dedicated a lot of work to a nation still shocked after the earthquake that struck Armenia on December 7, 1988.

MARAGOLD, the new band featuring guitarist Greg Howe alongside Meghan Krauss (vocals), Kevin Vecchione (bass) and Gianluca Palmieri (drums), released a new single, "Evergreen Is Golder", on March 15. You can exclusively purchase the song at the iTunes Store as well as Google Play and Amazon. A video for the track can be viewed below.

"Evergreen Is Golder" was written by Howe, Vecchione and Al Howe and was produced by Greg Howe. The song comes off MARAGOLD's self-titled debut album, which is due out in April.

"It's an exciting, inspiring thing," Howe told GuitarWorld.com about MARAGOLD last summer. "This project is like a 360 back to where I came from. It was great going through the whole instrumental/fusion process. It allowed me to learn a lot and really build my musical vocabulary. But at the same time, this project gives me the opportunity to reach as many people as possible. Plus it's a lot of fun to play rhythm guitar again and be able to smile at the audience."

For more information, visit www.maragoldband.com.

As an active musician for nearly thirty years, Howe, 49, has released eight studio albums in addition to collaborating with a wide variety of artists.

In 2011, Howe toured Italy and Israel with drummer Dennis Chambers and bassist Stu Hamm. In November of that year, Michael Jackson's second posthumous album, "Immortal", featured Howe's playing on "Dancing Machine" and "Beat It".

On March 19, ADRENALINE MOB vocalist Russell Allen (also of SYMPHONY X) and guitarist Mike Orlando performed a special acoustic set for Tampa Bay, Florida radio station 98 Rock at the RP Funding Performance Theater. Check out footage of the songs "Come Undone", "Angel Sky", "All On The Line" and "Indifferent" below.

ADRENALINE MOB released "Covertá", an eight-track EP featuring cover versions of some of the group's favorite songs, on March 12. Longtime fans of drummer Mike Portnoy are aware of the multiple cover CDs he has released with DREAM THEATER and with Neal Morse. "Covertá" is the first CD of covers recorded by ADRENALINE MOB.

"Covertá" track listing:

01. High Wire (BADLANDS)
02. Stand Up And Shout (DIO)
03. Break on Through (THE DOORS)
04. Romeo Delight (VAN HALEN)
05. Barracuda (HEART)
06. Kill The King (RAINBOW)
07. The Lemon Song (LED ZEPPELIN)
08. The Mob Rules (BLACK SABBATH)

"Omertá" sold around 6,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 70 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released in Europe on March 19, 2012 in Europe via Century Media Records and in the U.S. on March 13, 2012 through the newly formed Elm City Music in conjunction with EMI Label Services.

The 11-song effort — which was produced by ADRENALINE MOB and mixed by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked on ANTHRAX's "Worship Music" and STEEL PANTHER's "Balls Out" — includes a blistering reinterpretation of DURAN DURAN's classic "Come Undone" featuring guest vocals by Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM.

U.K. rockers THE QUIREBOYS are working on a brand new studio album for an early June release via Off Yer Rocka Recordings. The as-yet-untitled CD is being produced and mixed by the legendary Chris Tsangarides (JUDAS PRIEST, GARY MOORE, THIN LIZZY), who promises a modern sound with old-school values.

In January 2013, THE QUIREBOYS appointed marketing and festival guru Jonni Davis as their new manager and their new record deal.

With multiple festival appearances, the Monsters Of Rock cruise, a European headline tour and three planned releases, things are ramping up in a manner that will put THE QUIREBOYS back where they belong… on the global playing field.

THE QUIREBOYS' current lineup includes original frontman Spike Gray and guitarist Guy Griffin alongside Paul Guerin (guitar), Dave Boyce (bass), Keith Weir (keyboards) and Matt Goom (drums).

Former IRON MAIDEN and current WOLFSBANE frontman Blaze Bayley will celebrate his 30th anniversary as singer with the release of a "best-of" album in November. According to Blaze, the collection "will feature songs from previous albums that will be remastered by Rick Plester" and will be supported by a tour in 2014. Blaze will also continue to write his next heavy metal album which he plans to release in 2015.

Blaze released a collaborative acoustic EP with Belgium-based classical guitarist Thomas Zwijsen, "Russian Holiday" on February 5. The effort features four re-arranged songs from previous albums and one brand new song written by Bayley and Zwijsen.

"Russian Holiday" includes a "full classical guitar arrangement" of the IRON MAIDEN song "Sign Of The Cross", which the duo performed on their 2012 U.K. acoustic tour.

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

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

Professionally filmed video footage of Bayley's November 7, 2012 performance at the Citadel festival in Lviv, Ukraine can be seen below.

BEYOND FEAR, the new band featuring former JUDAS PRIEST and ICED EARTH frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens, is working on its long-awaited sophomore album. Owens has thus far laid down vocals on three songs at Empire Studios in Cleveland, Ohio for the CD, which he says will be "a bit heavier" than BEYOND FEAR's 2006 self-titled debut album.

BEYOND FEAR's current lineup is as follows:

* Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, DIO DISCIPLES) - Vocals
* John Comprix (RINGWORM, LAW OF DESTRUCTION) - Guitar
* Matt Sorg (RINGWORM) - Guitar
* Eric Elkins (CRYPTKICKER, ALL YOU FEAR) - Drums
* Ed Stephens - Bass

The recording sessions for BEYOND FEAR's new album are being funded entirely by Owens, who is seeking a new label home for the effort following the band's split with Steamhammer/SPV.

In a 2006 interview with About.com Metal Metal, Owens stated about the formation of BEYOND FEAR: "[The other members] are local guys, friends of mine. We've always played and jammed together. [Former BEYOND FEAR] bass player [Dennis Hayes] was in WINTERS BANE with me, so we go back a ways. John, the guitar player, and I go back a ways, too. We knew each other and I knew it was the perfect fit for us."

He added: "I started writing songs a few years [before the release of the debut album]. Not everything was written together. I probably wrote six or seven songs myself and then got together with John and we wrote the other ones. I'm not sure even when the first one was written. I'd write a song and then seven months later write another one whenever I had the time to sit down. It was an odd writing process, and I think that's what gives the [first CD] so much substance and so many layers to it because it was written at different times."

"Trash All Over You", the new video from Finnish thrashers LOST SOCIETY, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "Fast Loud Death", which was released on March 15 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Sonic Pump Studios (FINNTROLL, SONATA ARCTICA, OMNIUM GATHERUM) in Helsinki, Finland with producer Nino Laurenne (AMORPHIS, ENSIFERUM, LORDI) and it features cover artwork by Ed Repka (MEGADETH, DEATH, SANCTUARY, VENOM).

Comments LOST SOCIETY vocalist/guitarist Samy Elbanna: "Many people have asked us why we misspelled the song title ['Trash All Over You']. We always give the same answer: It's not about the thrash genre, but depicts how the whole world is collapsing on you. All the problems in the world seem to pile up and you get trashed all over. The song carries the feeling of being mad at everything and everyone at the same time — it's something we all can relate to."

Regarding the album artwork, Elbanna said: "When we heard that the one and only Ed Repka would be responsible for the album art, we were thrilled, as he created some of the most killer album covers of all times! The result looks absolutely amazing and truly captures the album's theme — a bus full of crazy people who blew it up big time!"

Added Repka: "This was a lot of work but a fun project, since both the band and the label were great to work with and very receptive to my input. LOST SOCIETY's comical concept of their tour bus leaving a town destroyed was cool, but to make it even more crazy, I added the pop-culture 'monster in car' aspect, giving the whole image a distinct, aggressive presence. Another tongue-in-cheek metal masterpiece is born!"

"Fast Loud Death" is available as a limited digipak, deluxe digital download via iTunes and black vinyl in gatefold, all of them including two bonus tracks. Moreover, a limited digipak plus a t-shirt bundle as well as a limited blue-transparent 2LP in gatefold are exclusively available via the Nuclear Blast mail order.

"Fast Loud Death" track listing:

01. N.W.L.
02. Trash All Over You
03. E.A.G.
04. KILL (Those Who Oppose Me)
05. Bitch, Out' My Way
06. Fast Loud Death
07. Lead Through The Head
08. Diary Of A Thrashman
09. Toxic Avenger
10. This Is Me
11. Braindead Metalhead
12. Piss Out My Ass
13. Fatal Anoxia

Bonus tracks:

14. Escape From Delirium
15. I Stole Your Love (KISS cover song)

Founded in early 2010 by thrash/speed metal enthusiast Samy Elbanna in the Finnish town of Jyväskylä, LOST SOCIETY played a number of gigs around Finland before taking part in the world-renowned GBOB (Global Battle Of the Bands). After winning the preliminary round in their hometown, they were invited to the finals held in Helsinki, where they prevailed over 13 other contestants. The grand finals of GBOB 2012 took place at The Scala in London on December 9, 2012 and featured 18 bands from all over the world, including LOST SOCIETY.

LOST SOCIETY is:

Samy Elbanna - Vocals, Guitar
Arttu Lesonen - Guitar
Mirko Lehtinen - Bass
Ossi Paananen - Drums

"Månelyst", the new video from Norwegian rockers KVELERTAK, can be seen below. Directed by Fredrik Hana, the clip captures the director's adoration for horror films which was only amplified by KVELERTAK's blistering riffs.

"Månelyst" comes off KVELERTAK's sophomore album, "Meir" (which means "more" in English), which will be released on March 26 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was produced by CONVERGE's Kurt Ballou and features cover artwork by John Dyer Baizley.

"It is both catchy and heavy; we're pushing our limits in both ends of that spectre. It's very varied and there are a lot of surprises in store. I mean, it's unlike anything I myself have heard before, so we even managed to surprise ourselves," said lead singer Erlend Hjelvik.

"Meir"'s first single, "Bruane Brenn", had early critical acclaim from several tastemaker outlets including Stereogum, which raved, "It's a total blast of riffs, adrenaline, football chants, and guitar solos, and in its four minutes, you get five decades of rock 'n' roll, compressed into one massive speedball hit."

KVELERTAK's euphorically-received self-titled 2011 debut was iTunes 2011's U.S. Metal Breakthrough Artist of The Year. Pitchfork described their sound as having "monolithic walls of adrenal-gland-strangling sound" while LA Weekly named frontman Erland Hjelvik #2 on their list of top ten metal frontmen (and women) under 30.

Overseas the band has racked up numerous accolades. KVELERTAK was called "the best Norwegian debut of all time" by Norwegian rock authority Asbjørn Slettemark, named "Best Debut Album" by Metal Hammer Germany, "Best New Artist" and "Best Rock Album" at the Spellemannprisen (Norway's Grammy equivalent) and has received countless additional critical acclaim from Metal Hammer U.K. and Kerrang! who called them "the most exciting new band on the planet."

From storming 2011's SXSW festival to being personally invited by MASTODON to support them in Bergen, Norway, to Dave Grohl presenting them with their first gold discs at a sold-out show at Telenor Arena, Norway's largest indoor venue, KVELERTAK, or "chokehold" in English, are only getting started.

KVELERTAK is Erlend Hjelvik (vocals), Vidar Landa (guitars), Bjarte Lund Rolland (guitars), Maciek Ofstad (guitars), Marvin Nygaard (bass) and Kjetil Gjermundrød (drums).

"Meir" track listing:

01. Åpenbaring
02. Spring Fra Livet
03. Trepan
04. Bruane Brenn
05. Evig Vandrar
06. Snilepisk
07. Månelyst
08. Nekrokosmos
09. Undertro
10. Tordenbrak
11. Kvelertak