NME reports that ELTON JOHN is confirmed to appear on the new QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE album.

The unlikely collaboration was revealed by FOO FIGHTERS frontman DAVE GROHL, who is also appearing on the forthcoming album, when he interviewed Sir Elton as part of his week covering chat show host Chelsea Lately on her late night talk show last night (February 6th).
During the interview, Grohl told the audience that "Recently, Elton and I recorded something together. Something that people wouldn't imagine the two of us doing together," before Elton revealed that it was a new song for the upcoming Queens Of The Stone Age album.

Revealing details of the recording session, Elton added: "I was in Vegas and I flew back to LA and Engelbert Humperdinck had written me a very sweet letter and asked me to sing a duet with him. He is part of my history and I couldn't say no so I went and recorded a song with him. Then I drove three blocks and went from Engelbert to Queens Of The Stone Age, which was a bit of a mindfuck."

Grohl, interjecting, said: "I remember you (Elton) walking in and him being, like, (lethargically) 'Have you got a ballad for me?' and we were just like, 'no, we do not have a ballad for you.'" Talking specifically about recording the song, Elton added: "After three hours we got it and he (Grohl) drummed on every take and every take was amazing. He's built like a brick shithouse when he drums."

Other guests confirmed to appear on the band's new album include Trent Reznor from NINE INCH NAILS, Mark Lanegan, Nick Oliveri and Jake Shears of SCISSOR SISTERS.

Watch Dave Grohl interview Elton John on TV:

Frontiers Records recently signed STRYPER to a multi-album deal. The first release due out will be a new re-recorded collection; Second Coming will hit streets on March 22nd in Europe and March 26th in North America. It is now available for pre-order via Amazon using the widget at the bottom of the page.

The first single - a new studio cut 'Bleeding From Inside Out' - will be released on February 25th. Stay tuned for details.
The album features sixteen tracks, including new recordings of fourteen songs from the band’s early years as well as two brand new songs recorded especially for Second Coming, and is produced by Stryper frontman Michael Sweet.

Second Coming tracklisting:

'Loud N’ Clear'
'Loving You'
'Soldiers Under Command'
'Makes Me Wanna Sing'
'First Love'
'The Rock That Makes Me Roll'
'Reach Out'
'Surrender'
'To Hell With The Devil'
'Calling On You'
'Free'
'The Way'
'Sing Along Song'
'More Than A Man'
Bleeding From Inside Out' (new song)
'Blackened' (new song)

Listen to an audio sample of 'Soldiers Under Command' here, and a sample of 'The Rock That Makes Me Roll' at this location.

Sweet recently commented, “We're really excited about this record. The re-recorded songs are sounding awesome… better than the originals in many ways! One word to describe the record? Heavier. We've hooked up with some great people - we've got new management, a great album, a great label. We just feel like everything is coming together, and hopefully some big things are to follow."

Stryper is one of the top Christian rock bands of all time. Comprised of the original line-up of Michael Sweet (vocals/guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Tim Gaines (bass), and Robert Sweet (drums), Stryper has been rocking since 1984, and is responsible for such '80s metal classic albums as Soldiers Under Command, To Hell With The Devil, In God We Trust and such MTV hit singles/videos as 'Calling On You', 'Free', and 'Honestly'.
After a sabbatical for much of the 1990's, Stryper returned strong in the early 21st century. To date, the band has sold upwards of 8 million records worldwide and is a Dove Award-winner and Grammy nominee. Stryper is the first band to have two songs in MTV’s Top 10 simultaneously.

The band's schedule is currently as follows:

February
16 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Teatro Flores
17 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Carioca Club

March
16-20 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Monsters of Rock Cruise

CHIMAIRA has entered the studio to begin recording its new album for a tentative summer release via eOne Music. The follow-up to 2011's "The Age Of Hell" is expected to include the track "I Despise", which the band debuted during the 13th annual Chimaira Christmas concert on December 29, 2012 at Cleveland, Ohio's House Of Blues. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of Brian DiMaria from Jamestown, New York).

In a recent interview with Metal Insider, CHIMAIRA frontman Mark Hunter stated about the progress of the songwriting session for the new CD: "We have twelve demos written and we've actually gone into the studio and demoed it professionally instead of just a standard computer/Pro Tools kind of thing," he said. "We're getting ready to enter the studio in February and make a new album."

He added: "2011 sucked. [laughs] This year's been all about rebuilding and we got a chance to do overseas. Our first show with the new line-up was at Soundwave in Australia in front of 10,000 people. It was really nice to have to go through such a terrible year and just kind of stand on top of a mountain and go, 'Wow, OK, we got out of it, and we're here, we got a band, we sound great, and we can move forward.' So this year has been restructuring the entire business from the ground up, realigning ourselves with new teams; be it management, agent, merchandise companies, everything from the whole ground up. In my opinion, the only way to move forward was to rebuild the whole thing from the bottom up.

"We want to come out with an album that not only captures the essence of what the fans have grown to know over the years, but we want to do something not only for the scene that's special, but for musicians out there, too. The musicianship in this band now is definitely on the next level. Everyone's pretty much a virtuoso at their instrument. Some of the stuff Emil [Werstler, guitar] was writing yesterday on this new song, I'm watching him play and I'm like, 'There are only going to be about a handful of people that'll able to play this!' [laughs] I'm imagining like a kid getting home, getting our new record and maybe they have the guitar, and they go sit down and try play along to it. And it's going to take them a very long time. [laughs]

"We couldn't be happier moving forward. It sucks that we had to go through hell — no pun intended — to get to where we are now. But I think all of us, coming from lessons of life, lessons of bands, lessons of the industry, we've lived and learned and now we have something completely different to prove."

CHIMAIRA's current lineup is as follows:

Mark Hunter - Vocals
Matt Szlachta (DIRGE WITHIN) - Guitar
Jeremy Creamer (DAATH) - Bass
Emil Werstler (DAATH) - Guitar
Sean Zatorsky (DAATH) - Keyboards
Austin D'Amond (BLEED THE SKY, THE ELITE) - Drums

"The Age Of Hell" sold more than 7,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 54 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "The Infection", opened with 15,000 units back in April 2009 to land at No. 30. This figure was roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by CHIMAIRA's 2007 album, "Resurrection", which shifted 16,000 copies to enter the chart at No. 42.

"The Age Of Hell" was released in the U.S. on August 16, 2011 via eOne Music; in Germany on August 26; and in the United Kingdom, Australia and the rest of Europe on August 29 through Long Branch Records.

German extreme metallers DEATH OF DESIRE, whose recording lineup includes MAYHEM drummer Hellhammer (a.k.a. Jan Axel Blomberg), have changed their name to DYNASTY OF DARKNESS for legal reasons. The band currently seeking a suitable label to release its debut album, "Empire Of Pain".

Commented DYNASTY OF DARKNESS founding member Morbid: "After four years of hard work and countless studios, we've finally managed to finish our album. The reasons for the delay go from legal problems with studios and band members, to illness, rehab and life getting in the way, but all through the hardships we've come victorious and completed this masterpiece of an album that will no doubly be a memorable piece in metal history."

DYNASTY OF DARKNESS was born in Bruchsal, Germany in 2008. First recordings and video footage were recorded in an abandoned military complex from the Second World War which used to be the Bundesnachrichtendienst Zentrale or the Secret Service for the Nazis. The compositions were created behind machine-gun-dented bulletproof doors and rusted barbwire cells creating an unmatchable atmosphere of obscure, cold and eerie material which was used for their first demos.

In 2009, the band recruited Hellhammer as their official session drummer, who recorded all of the drum tracks for their debut full-length album, "Empire Of Pain", at the Mølla Studio in Norway, where bands such as ARCTURUS, ULVER, MAYHEM, ROTTING CHRIST, AURA NOIR have recorded. Later on, Attila Csihar (MAYHEM) was invited as a guest singer and recorded an obscure track under his VOID OF VOICES project; in 2010 the band summoned Amund "Pzy-Clone" Svensson (THE KOVENANT) to work on full orchestrations and symphonies on the album, adding an element of epic majestic darkness to the music. The album was produced by Morbid and recorded and mixed by Steve Tucker (MORBID ANGEL) and Charles Logic. For the completion of the CD, more than six studios were used in two different continents and four different countries. Songtitles set to appear on the album include "Frozen", "Diuum Dues", "The Scribe Of The Gods" and "My Nightmare".

According to TMZ.com, former KORN drummer David Silveria pleaded guilty to a charge of allegedly driving under the influence. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the hit-and-run charge in connection with the March 2012 incident in which the 40-year-old musician — who played with KORN for 13 years — rear-ended another car on his way to breakfast in Huntington Beach, California.

Silveria was sentenced to three years of informal probation, a three-month first offender program, and he must attend a M.A.D.D. victim impact panel.

Silveria told TMZ.com that he had no alcohol in his system when he was arrested for DUI on March 25, 2012, claiming that he was taken into custody over a sleeping pill he took the night before. Hr said that he took a sleeping pill the night before his arrest to help him with insomnia. When he woke up the following morning, he accidentally rear-ended the other car.

Although Silveria says he blew a 0.0 on the breathalyzer at the scene of the accident, the cops decided to arrest him for DUI after being told about the sleeping pill.

Silveria told TMZ.com at the time that he planned to take responsibility for his actions, insisting, "It was an honest mistake."

Silveria last year joined forces with ANYONE members Riz Story and Miki Black in a brand new project called INFINIKA.

David left KORN in late 2006 in order to focus on family life along with running his steak house and sushi restaurant.

It’s not easy for “underground” bands to release DVDs. Without major labels behind them who have money to invest in their roster, it’s pretty much a dream for the majority of bands, no matter how much demand there is from fans who are weary of trying to watch their favourite bands on YouTube, at the mercy of the vagaries of their internet connections and with poor sound quality.

So Danish black metallers BLODARV have taken matters into their own hands, and released a DVD themselves, but in a format that self-financing would permit - DVD-r.
Titled A Doorway Between Worlds Chapter 1, the DVD contains videos for tracks from Blodarv's albums Soulcollector, Linaria Amlech, Civitas Diaboli and the newly released Gâst, as well as a live recording from their show at Club Brutal, in Aarhus Denmark, filmed in December of last year. The DVD will be available exclusively through the band’s webshop at this location.

Videos featured on the A Doorway Between Worlds Chapter 1, which is DVD player and PC compatible and is limited to 666 hand-numbered copies, as follows:

'A Snowy Night In November' (Music Video)
'I Blaek Og Blod' (Music Video)
'Blood red Rocks' (Live Video)
'Empty Fucking Life' (Music Video)
'Civitas Diaboli' (Music Video)
'Heksen Nitiria Amlech' (Music Video)
'Those Who Speaks In Minds' (Slide with Live Pics)
'Langt Vaek Fra Livet' (Slide with Live Pics)
Commenting on the decision to release a DVD in this format, frontman and founder Hugin said: “The question we were most frequently asked during 2012 was if we ever intended to release all our official videos, which normally reside on YouTube, as a physical DVD. We wanted to start this year by making a little special “something” for our loyal fans and with that in mind we gathered together eight of our most popular underground videos, and made the DVD-r A Doorway Between Worlds Chapter 1, so that everyone has a chance to enjoy it on their DVD player with CD quality sound, on a proper sized screen and without having to wait for any annoying buffering or deal with bad internet connection, which affect many of our fans in different parts of the world.”
More information about Blodarv can be found on the band’s Facebook page at this location.

Twelve tracks spanning the band's 14-year career can be heard on the band’s SoundCloud player below:

< param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">< embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="305" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F542914" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">< /object> BLODARV by BLODARV

The video for 'A Snowy Night In November' can be seen below:

German epic pagan metallers WOLFCHANT's follow-up to 2011's Call Of The Black Winds is called Embraced By Fire, and will be released on March 1st via NoiseArt Records. The album will include their legendary album, Bloody Tales Of Disgraced Lands, as a bonus CD. Check out a new near ten-minute preview below:
About the album, the band comments: "Embraced By Fire is the most elaborate and detailed album in our band history so far! We've made sure to create catchy and interesting song structures and to deploy a multifarious instrumentation. Andre Hofmann of Forte Fortissimo studio supplied a very forceful and clear sound, which fits perfectly to the new songs."
Embraced By Fire tracklisting:
'Devouring Flames'
'Embraced By Fire'
'Element'
'Turning Into Red'
'Einsame Wacht'
'Autumns Breath'
'Freier Geist'
' Winter's Triumph'

The album's title track is streaming below:
Wolfchant will be taking part in Paganfest Europe along with ALESTORM, ARKONA, EX DEO, THYRFING and BORNHOLM.

Check out the official trailer below:
Paganfest dates:

February
28 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage

March
1 - Wuerzburg, Germany - Posthalle *
2 - Essen, Germany - Weststadthalle *
3 - Eindhoven, Netherlands 0- Effenaar
4 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn
5 - Solothurn, Kofmehl
6 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
7 - Berlin, Germany - K17
8 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser *
9 - Munich, Germany - Backstage *
10 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle *

* VARG and KALMAH added as a special guests at the extended shows.

For more details visit Paganfest.eu.

Death metal powerhouse DYING FETUS performed at DNA Lounge in San Francisco, California on December 9th, 2012 as part of their The Blood Of Power Tour. Capital Chaos has uploaded multi-cam footage from the show, which can be seen below:
Dying Fetus recently released their new video, for the song 'Second Skin'. Directed by Jakob Arevarn, the video shows the mental and physical collapse of a child molester/murderer. As he descends into the depths of his own diseased mind, his body begins falling apart. Ultimately, he is faced with a creature that looks like something out of a Guillermo Del Toro film, and that’s when things get really insane. The video can be seen below courtesy of Bloody-Disgusting.com:
HATEBREED are on tour in support of their new studio album, The Divinity Of Purpose. The tour launched on January 26th in Flint, MI and runs through February 17th in Amityville, NY.

Also on the tour are special guests and label mates, SHADOWS FALL along with support acts Dying Fetus and THE CONTORTIONIST. For tour dates and ticket info visit Hatebreed.com

German metallers TERVINGI, , the new band around ex-LYFTHRASYR guitarist Johann Frey, are about to release their first album. The epic Gotensaga deals in 11 songs with the story of the westgoths, which are also called Tervingi. The band plays catchy metal somewhere between death and heavy metal, which is a a guarantee for great entertainment.

You can get a first impression of the the album with this video trailer:
Gotensaga was mixed in Studio E "Klangschmiede" by Markus Stock (THE VISION BLEAK), mastered in Finnvox Studio Helsinki (NIGHTWISH, SENTENCED) by Mika Jussila and will be available on March 22nd, in CD format with an 8-page booklet, 24-page story book and metal box case, and mp3 download edition.

The album artwork can be seen below:
Tracklisting:

'Aufbruch zur groben Wanderung'
'Der Goten Eid'
'Die Seherin'
'Töchter schnellen Wassers'
'Der Hörner Ruf'
'Reka'
'Der Abschied'
'Alewars Schmiede'
'Witirichs Recken'
'Stadt aus Asche'
'Epilog'
Band lineup:

Johann Frey - Lead, Rhythm Guitars and Vocals
Aria Keramati Noori - Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Todd Goldfinger - Bass Guitar
Tomasz "Nefastus" Janiszewski - Drums
Julian Pešek - Keyboards

More on Tervingi at this location.

Drummer MIKE PORTNOY (ADRENALINE MOB, ex-DREAM THEATER) has released the Live Momentum Drum Cam DVD from NEAL MORSE's US Momentum Tour. It was recorded live October 11th, 2012 at the High Line Ballroom in New York. Go to this location to order.

A trailer is available below:
The tracklist is as follows:

'Momentum'
'Weathering Sky'
'Author of Confusion'
'The Distance to the Sun'

Testimony Suite:
-'Sleeping Jesus'
- 'Price of the Power of the Air'
- 'The Promise'
- 'Wasted Life'

'Thoughts Part 5'
'The Conflict'

Question Mark Suite:
- 'The Temple of the Living God'
- 'Another World'
- 'Entrance'
- 'Inside His Presence'

'Fly High'
'World Without End'
'Sing it High'
'King Jesus'

Audio options include Full Band and Isolated Drums.

Portnoy recently checked in with the following update:

"Last week while at NAMM, I gathered signatures on a cymbal for a charity auction tba soon. I was lucky enough to gather signatures from so many of my gracious friends from IRON MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH, VAN HALEN, GUNS N ROSES, DEEP PURPLE, ANTHRAX, SLAYER, MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, LAMB OF GOD, ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN, QUEENSRYCHE, WHITESNAKE, OZZY, SCORPIONS, THE CULT and more! This is one HELL of a souvenir!! Details coming soon..."

'90s-styled death metallers REVEL IN FLESH have revealed that their second album will be entitled Manifested Darkness and it will be released through their label FDA Rekotz on April 12th (CD/download) and April 26th (vinyl). Check out the cover artwork created by Juanjo Castellano below:
Manifested Darkness was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö (ex-EDGE OF SANITY, BLOODBATH, NIGHTINGALE) at his Unisound Studios.

The band are planning a special Manifested Darkness release show in April. More news to follow.



For more details visit Facebook.

Brazilian thrash/progressive metallers DYNAHEAD have revealed the artwork for their upcoming third album, entitled Chordata I. The artwork, designed by Chris Panatier, can be seen below:
Chordata I is the first of a two-part conceptual piece based on biological evolution. Two songs will become available in the
next few weeks. Chordata I and all its predecessors, YOUniverse (2011) and Antigen (2009) were recorded, mixed and mastered by Caio Duarte at his BroadBand Studio in Brazil.

The Brazilian digipak version will be released on MSMetal Records/Voice Music, and the digital version will be out on February 14th via
Digmetalworld Records in North America, licensing to other territories are currently being discussed.

Singer/Producer Caio Duarte commented: "Dynahead is known for producing all of its own material, the band stays proudly away from commercial pressures or passing trends by valuing aesthetically richness and musical dynamics, the band collected an outstanding reputation with critics, rare even among signed bands."

Chordata I is part of two albums and both parts are scheduled, the first one on March 11th, and Chordata II in 2014.
Chordata I tracklisting:

'Abiogenesis'
'Bred Patterns'
'Collective Skin'
'Dawn Mirrored In Me'
'Echoes Of The Waves'
'Foster'
'Growing In Veins'
'Hallowed Engine'
'Inevitable'

Dynahead is:

Caio Duarte - Vocals
Diogo Mafra - Guitars
Pablo Vilela - Guitars
Diego Teixeira - Bass

More on Dynahead at this location.

Scandinavian black metallers THORNGOTH will release their fourth album, Schwarz-Karg-Kalt, in March via Folter Records. The album artwork can be seen below:
Schwarz-Karg-Kalt tracklisting:

'Schwarz-Karg-Kalt'
'Im toten Feld der Wirklichkeit'
'Umkehr der Kräfte'
'Todesschrei der Materie'
'Leblos Totgestein'
'Aggressor'
'Lavaplanet'
'Das Licht stirbt'
'Alles ist erstarrt'

A first taste of the album is now available. 'Im Toten Feld der Wirklichkeit' is streaming below:
Thorngoth lineup:

Akhorahil: Vocals
Sorath: Rhythm and Lead Guitars
Vulgrim: Rhythm and Lead Guitars
Corpse: Bass
Grond: Battery
More on Thorngoth at this location.

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions will release the out-of-print debut album from DRUID LORD, entitled Hymns For The Wicked, on CD format with bonus tracks on February 26th.
A description reads: Official digipack reissue printed on reverse board with miniposter and includes two bonus tracks! Originally released on Halloween 2010, Hymns For The Wicked wasn't just another debut album: first and foremost, it signed the brilliant return to form of some of Florida's most seasoned veterans, back to where they belong that is the dirty swamp of extreme metal the 80's way. Death, thrash, doom... Hell, having take part in such seminal acts as EQUINOX, ACHERON, INCUBUS or DIABOLIC, Steve Spillers (drums), Pete Slate (lead guitar) and Tony Blakk (bass and vocals) surely know about them all hence Druid Lord that works as a kind of combination of all.

Owing a large debt to the mighty CELTIC FROST, but also to doom lords such as CANDLEMASS and the very early doom/death scene - the intro alone of 'Witchfinder' would have made PARADISE LOST circa the Lost Paradise period proud - and akin to what ACID WITCH achieved on their debut, Hymns For The Wicked is an old-school record that isn't nevertheless stuck in the past just for the sake of it. No, Druid Lord have just to shave off the crap and take the genre back to its natural source. No gimmick, no female vocals, no modern production, just filthy and dirty doom with a death-metal edge, played with conviction, gutso and conviction.

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions states: "Initially recorded as a trio (the band has since been joined by Ben Ross on rhythm guitar), this debut has lost none of its impact and HPGD is damn proud to team up with Doomentia to make this intense piece of dooooom available to the public again, sick! Limited edition so don't miss out on this essential album!"
Tracklisting:

'Chamber Of Ghastly Horror'
'Witchfinder'
'Castle Of Count Sadist'
'Awaken By The Dead'
'Baron Blood'
'Eerie Ways'
'Gorgon Witch'
'Circling Of Vultures'
'Druid Death Cult' (bonus track)
'Curse Of The Skull' (bonus track)

'Witchfinder' is streaming below:
You can pre-order your copy for only $10, including shipping, at this location.

Budapest, Hungary-based death metal act KILL WITH HATE will see their debut album, Voices Of Obliteration, released worldwide by PRC Music on April 16th on CD.
Kill With Hate delivers a crushing mid 1990's American-influenced death metal with an astonishing crystal clean production. Fast, groovy and very heavy, Kill With Hate is musically similar to old CANNIBAL CORPSE, old DYING FETUS and sometime ABORTED... No millions of notes per minute here, just real songs, played by great musicians having a great time delivering the goods.

Check out the video for 'The Beast Within' below:
Pre-order Voices Of Obliteration at this location.
Kill With Hate lineup:

Krisztián Gyémánt - Vocals
Ákos Olt - Guitar
Márton Hartvig - Guitar
Bence Turcsák - Drums
Patrik Pornói - Bass, Backing vocals

More on Kill With Hate at this location.

Swedish melodic death metallers ETERNAL OATH, who recently reunited after a five-year absence, have set "Ghostlands" as the title of their fourth album, tentatively due in April/May. The CD was recorded at Fear And Loathing studios in Stockholm with producer Jocke Skog and will contain 10 tracks and a bonus track on the digipack edition.

Songtitles set to appear on the album:

* Bleeding Sympathy
* Fields Of Dreams
* Sunborn
* Entangled In Time
* Remnants Of Yesterday
* Stolen Innocence
* Ghostlands
* Tears Of Faith
* The Cross I Bear
* A Hymn For The Fallen

The new ETERNAL OATH lineup features four founding members — Peter Nagy-Eklof (ex-MÖRK GRYNING) and Petri Tarvainen on guitar, Ted Jonsson on drums and Joni Mäensivu on vocals — along with Mika Kajanen (GODPHOBIA) on bass and Johan Adler (DEVAN) on keyboards.

A demo version of a new ETERNAL OATH song called "Sunborn" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

ETERNAL OATH's third full-length album, "Wither", came out in March 2005 via Black Lodge Records. The follow-up to 2001's "Righteous" was recorded at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg and was mastered at Polar studios in Stockholm.

ETERNAL OATH in 2006 released its first two albums on one CD. The set, entitled "Re-Released Hatred", included the band's debut mini-CD, "So Silent" (1996), as well as its follow-up, "Through the Eyes of Hatred" (1998), both of which have been hard to come by for several years. In addition, it featured a bonus track: a "mind-blowing" cover of AT THE GATES' "The Fevered Circle". All tracks were re-mastered with greatly enhanced sound and the CD also included a completely new, re-designed booklet.

Joe Charupakorn from Premierguitar.com caught up with Swedish guitar hero YNGWIE MALMSTEEN recently and talked about his new album, Spellbound. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:
Premierguitar.com: What prompted the decision to play all of the instruments on Spellbound?

Malmsteen: "There was no reason why it happened this way. It just happened. I got inspired, started recording stuff, and all of a sudden it was done."

Premierguitar.com: Was the process much different on earlier releases?

Malmsteen: "It used to be like a cycle. You’d go into the studio and go through the process of writing, then rehearsing, then drums, then bass. Then when you’re done you mix it, rehearse, and then you go on tour for a year, and then you go back in and do the same thing again. Now it’s different. Even if I go some place like Russia for a gig or two, I keep putting stuff down as I get inspired. And when I hear like 15, 20, or 30— maybe in this case more like 100—things I start thinking, 'Wow, I have some really good shit here. I should seriously put this together as a record.' Most of the stuff that you hear on the record is the first time I played it."
Premierguitar.com: Wow. Is the album mostly first takes?

Malmsteen: "Yeah. I’m not the kind of person that likes to sit and do re-takes. Either it's good and you keep it or you don’t do it at all. In the studio, especially a rented studio, the spontaneity was always stifled. You sit there and think, “I better not make a [expletive] mistake.” I hated that. Having your own studio is great because you only play when you’re inspired."

Read more at Premierguitar.com.

Swedish post hardcore/metal band ADEPT will release its third album, "Silence The World", on March 22 (digital) and March 25 (physical) via Panic And Action/Soulfood in Europe. The follow-up to 2011's "Death Dealers" was once again recorded with Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman (BRING ME THE HORIZON, IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, HAMMERFALL, DARK TRANQUILITY) during September-November 2012.

ADEPT is set to co-headline a U.K. tour in April with WITH ONE LAST BREATH. The band will then hit Germany, Switzerland and Austria on the Impericon Progression Tour, joining CALLEJON, AUGUST BURNS RED and ARCHITECTS for eight shows during April, and ending the tour by performing at Loudfest in Zurich, Switzerland and at the Groezrock festival in Belgium.

ADEPT is:

Robert Ljung - Vocals
Jerry Repo - Guitar
Gustav Lithammer - Guitar
Filip Brandelius - Bass
Gabriel Hellmark - Drums

STRATOVARIUS singer Timo Kotipelto and keyboardist Jens Johansson recently took part in an interview and stripped down, piano-and-vocals performance with the German edition of Metal Hammer magazine. Check out video footage below.

STRATOVARIUS' new album, "Nemesis", will be released on February 22 via earMUSIC. The CD will be made available as a standard 11-track edition as well as 13-track special edition. A taste of the new studio album can be enjoyed with the limited-edition EP "Unbreakable", released on January 25.

STRATOVARIUS are hailed as one of the most influential and successful symphonic metal bands in the world and they have managed to establish themselves as one of the metal scene's heavy names. The new album, "Nemesis", unites all the best traits of the band's melodic, powerful, fresh and technically elaborated metal, all spiced up with an incredible sense for melody.

The album was produced and mixed by Matias Kupiainen and mastered by Mika Jussila from Finnvox studios, who has a long history with the band.

"Nemesis" has a dark and more modern sound compared to the band's last album, "Elysium". It clearly shows how much the band has matured and grown as songwriters. At the same time, the band focused all their attention and work into creating and recording "Nemesis". Singer Timo Kotipelto spent three weeks recording the vocals in a cottage in the Finnish countryside.

"Nemesis" track listing:

01. Abandon
02. Unbreakable
03. Stand My Ground
04. Halcyon Days
05. Fantasy
06. Out Of The Fog
07. Castles In The Air
08. Dragons
09. One Must Fall
10. If The Story Is Over
11. Nemesis

STRATOVARIUS in June 2012 announced the addition of drummer Rolf Pilve to the group's ranks.

Finnish epic metallers WINTERSUN have issued the following update:

"After some festival and summer show announcements, we thought we might also give you a heads up regarding [the next WINTERSUN album] 'Time II'.

"2012 was a really great year for us, the release of 'Time I' was a huge success and we did two successful tours and many sold-out shows. But we are aiming even higher and take WINTERSUN to the next level in 2013!

"We have three official webstores up and running (Europe, Finland, North America) and we hope you guys like the available items. There'll be constant updates and new products and we will also have interesting competitions and specials coming up on our pages, so be sure to check it all out.

"We are starting the mix of 'Time II' and it will be released early 2014. The album will continue where 'Time I' left, but it will be an upgrade in production; it will be equally epic, if not more. It will contain some 'fast stuff' and some guitar shredding (including seven solos), like some of you metalheads and guitar wankers have been wishing for. It will also contain some of the most beautiful music ever written that will bring a tear to your eye.

"We are playing some huge summer festivals in Finland and in Europe (including Tuska, Nummirock, Metalfest, Beastival, Hellfest) and for the first time going to Spain. We are also taking part in Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy) in March for the nomination of 'Metal Album Of The Year'. We know it's going to be an exciting year. It is because all of you who have supported us during the years we have been able to grow and continue to do what we love.

"Thank you for all the support!

"Stay tuned for some further exciting live news soon! We hope to see all of you on the road and during the festival season 2013!"

Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy equivalent) will be held on March 1 at Barona Areena in Espoo, Finland. WINTERSUN's "Time I" will be going up against MOKOMA ("180 Astetta"), NIGHTWISH ("Imaginaerum"), TERVEET KÄDET ("Musta Hetki"), and STAM1NA ("Nocebo").

"Time I" sold nearly 4,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States to land at position No. 109 on The Billboard 200 chart.

WINTERSUN recently headlined this year's edition of the Heidenfest tour. Support on the trek came from KORPIKLAANI, VARG, TROLLFEST and KRAMPUS.

Even though singer Maynard James Keenan told a Chilean radio station earlier in the week that TOOL will not be releasing a new album in 2013, the band's drummer Danny Carey is hopeful that TOOL's next CD could still arrive in the next few months. "Sometime this year … that's all I can say," Carey told New Zealand's The Rock FM regarding a possible release date for the record. "The sooner the better for us. We're working every day but you can never predict it, honestly. We're really excited about it, so I hope all the fans will be too."

Carey also revealed that TOOL has amassed a significant amount of live material for possible future release on CD or DVD. "We have tons of stuff recorded," he said. "I hope we do make that happen one of these days. We have lots of video stuff too, we could do a DVD or two whenever we get around to it. We're kind of trying to focus on the new thing now, so we'll go back at some point and do it."

In a separate interview with David Farrier, Carey spoke about "a big 'Lateralus'-type song" that is being pieced for TOOL's next album. "We're still — believe it or not! — still working on it," he laughed. "It's like an ever-evolving thing. It's probably going to turn into a thing that's, like, a big trilogy type of feel to it, sort of like 'Disposition' and 'Intension' and 'Triad', like on the 'Lateralus' record or something. It will probably be over a 20-minute piece when it's all finished, so it will be a good part of the record. We're dealing with it in sections, but it's coming together really well. We're having lots of fun working on it, that's for sure."

Carey also confirmed that he was the previously unidentified member of TOOL who was recently injured in a scooter crash, pushing back the band's writing and rehearsal sessions. "It's been tough lately because I cracked four ribs, broke three of them on a motorcycle the other day, so I am kinda laid up at this point," he said. "It's making it really painful to play. It's not an easy thing to do. [laughs] It was just over in the San Fernando Valley, I was just turning to go on the freeway, and I think I hit some antifreeze or oil or something, and the wheels just slipped right out from under me, and I just hit the pavement really hard. [laughs] Yeah, I'm still in one piece anyway, but I don't know how lucky I was the way I feel right now. [laughs] It's pretty painful, but some painkillers and some scotch will get you through it."

TOOL hasn't released a new album since 2006's "10,000 Days", although the group has toured intermittently since then.

Keenan and his side act PUSCIFER will release their new EP, "Donkey Punch The Night", on February 19, with some touring to follow.

"Nothin' To Lose: The Making Of Kiss (1972-1975)" will be released on August 20, 2013 via It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Written by Gene Simmons and Ken Sharp, "Nothin' To Lose: The Making Of KISS (1972-1975)" is a 544-page hardcover book that chronicles for the first time the crucial formative years of the legendary rock band KISS, culminating with the groundbreaking success of their classic 1975 album "Alive!" and the smash single "Rock And Roll All Nite", a song that nearly four decades later remains one of the band's most enduring anthems.

Drawing on more than 200 interviews, the book offers a captivating and intimate fly-on-the-wall account of their launch, charting the struggles and ultimate victories that led them to the threshold of super-stardom. Constructed as an oral history, the book includes original interviews with Paul Stanley, Gene, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss, as well as producers, engineers, management, roadies, costume and stage designers, fans, and musical contemporaries from the time, including: original manager Bill Aucoin, Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart, rock photographer Bob Gruen, promoter Ron Delsner, Ted Nugent, Dick Clark, Alice Cooper, Marshall Crenshaw, and Bob Seger, as well as members of AEROSMITH, BLACK SABBATH, RUSH, STYX, NAZARETH, SLADE, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, URIAH HEEP, MOTT THE HOOPLE, NEW YORK DOLLS, RAMONES, and THE QUATTROS, among others. The end result is an indelible and irresistible portrait of a band on the rise and the music scene they changed forever.

Steve Mascord of Hot Metal recently conducted an interview with GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On GUNS N' ROSES' plans for the follow-up for 2008's "Chinese Democracy":

Thal: "There's been talk all the time within us about the next album and what we're going to do and when we're going to do it. But, you know, life always gets in the way. Things get in the way. It's hard to have the momentum and the focus and everything that you need. It's hard to put everything aside and do a whole album.

"Personally, I don't want to do an album. I would like to just do a song. Let's just bite off a song and get a song out there and then bite off another song and get that out there. It's easier to do.

"Look, waiting for an album to get done is just too much. I can't do it myself. If I waited to finish an album, it still wouldn't be done and the album still wouldn't be out.

"When there's so much touring and so much other stuff going on, don't try and take on 14 songs. Do a song, then another song, then another song and then figure it out from there."

On singer Axl Rose's decision to skip GUNS N' ROSES' April 2012 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame:

Thal: "Honestly, we tried to work it out with the Hall Of Fame to come up with something but they had it in their mind that it was their way or no way. So they wouldn't budge and they were just trying to force a situation that wasn't good for everybody. We wanted it to be good for everybody. So…

"A lot of people should be in there that aren't. DEEP PURPLE isn't in there. That's a fucking travesty…"

On allegations that when GUNS N' ROSES played Townsville on December 1, 2010 that Rose had been "caught" lip-syncing, with local television sneaking into the venue and filming the performance:

Thal: "I assure you, everything Axl sings is real, everything I play is real, everything I sing is real. Trust me, we fuck up enough that you know it's real."

On GUNS N' ROSES' concert tardiness:

Thal: "You know what? When you're waiting, I'm waiting too. I don't want to wait fucking three hours to get on stage. I want to give you guys a show and I want you to be happy. But, hey, it's out of my control."

On reports in India that GUNS N' ROSES bassist Tommy Stinson had lost his temper on stage during an encore performance of ROSE TATTOO's "Nice Boys (Don't Play Rock'n'Roll)" in Gurgaon in December 12:

Thal: "It wasn't that. What happened was, we did our bow and we were walking off stage and we said, 'Let's do some more.' They were already packing up the gear and shutting everything down. So they first had to fire up everything all over again and half the shit was away so we started playing with half our gear and finally it was just like, 'You know what? Fuck it.' Some shit wouldn't go on, we're re-connecting cables, so the crew was going crazy trying to get it all done and it was just another moment in the history of the band."

Bassist Anthony Buda (ex-REVOCATION) of Boston, MA-based grind/death metal act LIVING VOID, has contacted BraveWords with news that the band will soon release their full-length album, Squalor, on vinyl very soon.

Living Void will be booking tour dates in mid-May to support this release.
Squalor tracklisting:

'Labyrinthine'
'Uranium Nodules'
'Auxiliary Conspiracy'
'Metatron With Laryngitis'
'Blind Mice Mute Birds'
'The Zero Constellation'
'Third To Last Breath'
'Categorizing Woe'
'On Endless Crawlers'
'Manipulate The Phoenix'
'A Touch Of Dementia'
'Shadows Wielding'

Listen to the album at this location.

Check out some live footage of the band below:
Living Void lineup:

Kyle - Vocals
Kurt Belhumeur - Guitar
Anthony Buda - Bass/Vocals
Mike Read - Drums
More on Living Void at this location.

"Fires Of Life", the new video from the Chicagoland-based band STARKILL, can be seen below.

Featuring a unique blend of symphonic black metal, power metal, and melodic death metal, "Fires Of Life" is the title track from the group's upcoming full-length effort, which is due out April 29 in Europe and April 30 in North America via Century Media Records. The CD artwork was created by renowned metal artist Joshua Belanger and it "properly portrays the epic musical styling of the band," according to a press release.

"Fires of Life" track listing

01. Whispers Of Heresy
02. Fires Of Life
03. Sword, Spear, Blood, Fire
04. Below The Darkest Depths
05. Immortal Hunt
06. New Infernal Rebirth
07. Strength In The Shadow
08. This Is Battle; This Is Our Day
09. Withdrawn From All Humanity
10. Wash Away The Blood With Rain

The track "Sword, Spear, Blood, Fire" is available for streaming below.

STARKILL was formed at the tail end of 2008 by Parker Jameson, Spencer Weidner and Charlie Federici. The band makes no qualms about wearing their influences on their sleeves. They combine what they love — melodic death metal, shredding guitars, blasting drum beats and the epic sounds of modern film scores — and make some of the most promising metal music heard this side of the Atlantic in years.

STARKILL is:

Parker Jameson: Lead Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards, Orchestral Programming
Spencer Weidner: Drums
Charlie Federici: Guitar
Mike Buetsch: Bass

Czech death metallers HEAVING EARTH, who toured throughout Europe alongside IMMOLATION and MARDUK last year, have released their two song EP, Redemption Ablaze, for free download via their Bandcamp site here.
The material, recorded in August 2012, is a follow-up to band's 2010 debut album, Diabolic Prophecies. Expect nearly 12 minutes of discordant death metal punishment of high qualities and skill. The band is scheduled to record their new album later this year, due out on Lavadome Productions.

Redemption Ablaze is also available on CD format from Lavadome Productions and comes free with any order made at the Lavadome store, here.

Nihilistic Holocaust has also released the material as a split tape with Australia's death metal act ALTARS. It can be purchased here.

Redemption Ablaze by Heaving Earth

"Live In Tokyo", the new CD+DVD from PSMS, the new supergroup featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), bassist Billy Sheehan (STEVE VAI, DAVID LEE ROTH), guitarist Tony MacAlpine (neo classical-metal style, STEVE VAI) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, PLANET X, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), will be released in Japan on March 20 via Victor Entertainment.

"Live In Tokyo" features PSMS's November 14, 2012 concert at Zepp Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. The DVD features two-channel stereo sound plus 5.1 Surround. The DVD disc is encoded for region 2 (Japan, Europe, and Middle East), and no subtitles are included.

Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine and Sherinian played an all-instrumental set consisting of material from each of their solo records and their previous collaborations as well as classic instrumental covers and extended solo spots.

The setlist for the Tokyo concert was as follows:

01. A Change of Seasons: I The Crimson Sunrise (DREAM THEATER song)
02. Acid Rain (LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT song)
03. The Stranger (TONY MACALPINE song)
04. Stratus (BILLY COBHAM song)
05. Atlantis, Part 1: Apocalypse 1470 B.C. (DEREK SHERINIAN song)
06. Guitar Solo
07. Been Here Before (DEREK SHERINIAN song)
08. Birds of Prey (Billy's Boogie) (TONY MACALPINE song)
09. Bass Solo
10. The Farandole (TALAS song)
11. The Pump (JEFF BECK song)
12. Drum Solo
13. Nightmare Cinema (DEREK SHERINIAN song)
14. Hell's Kitchen (DREAM THEATER song)
15. Keyboard Solo
16. Lines in the Sand (DREAM THEATER song) (abridged)

Encore:

17. Shy Boy (TALAS song) (Billy Sheehan on lead vocals)

In a recent interview with Prog Sphere, Portnoy stated about the new band, "It's a blast. I love Derek; he's a fun guy. I still stand by the fact that I'm not sure if he was ever right for DREAM THEATER. But, that doesn't mean I don't love the guy as a player and person. I really do — I love being with him and I love playing with him and I'm glad to be able to work with him again. And, you know, it's a cool project because obviously it's very much… I think of everything I'm doing it's the most like DREAM THEATER or it's more even like LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, probably. But you know, it's just me being able to play that kind of music with some amazing musicians. Not only Derek, but, obviously, Billy Sheehan's a dear friend and I've got two different things going with Billy at the moment, and I love working with him; he's one of my favorite bass players of all time. And Tony MacAlpine is an amazing guitar player, so I'm honored to be playing with him as well. It's a great, great lineup and we have a DVD that's gonna come out soon from when we played together back in January and then we have this run of shows coming up in the fall.

Asked if he is going to create some original music with that band, Portnoy replied, "There's no plans for it, but obviously, we are gonna spend months together playing every day, so I'm sure it will inevitably be discussed, and who knows?! I think it could be very, very cool. So, you know, we'll see. I'm sure we'll talk about it."

Portnoy formed the lineup to perfom at two drum events at the NAMM show in January 2012. Due to overwhelming response, that band has decided to take their show on the road.

"I knew when assembling this lineup that it would be a magical musical experience that would be a blast for us as well as the fans! I can't wait to play again with these tremendous musicians and share the experience with you all at these special shows!" said Portnoy.

Fan-filmed video footage of Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine and Sherinian performing on October 27, 2012 at Milk in Moscow, Russia during the band's European tour can be seen below.

POISON singer Bret Michaels will release his new solo album, "Good Songs & Great Friends", on March 26 via Poor Boy Records. The effort brings together the friends that Michaels has made along the way with some of the songs that have shaped all of that success. Featuring collaborations with artists from a variety of genres and generations, this album contains a live duet with Jimmy Buffett ("Margaritaville"), a cover of "Sweet Home Alabama" with Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke and Peter Keys from LYNYRD SKYNYRD playing on the track, new versions of some of POISON's biggest hits, including the highly anticipated remake of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with Loretta Lynn. Musical greats such as Joe Perry of AEROSMITH, Michael Anthony of VAN HALEN/CHICKENFOOT, Leslie West of MOUNTAIN, Ace Frehley of KISS/FREHLEY'S COMET appear on this record, just to name a few.

Two new songs are included on the CD — the wildly popular ode to social media "The App Song" and "You Know You Want It". The single, "Get Your Rock On", released at the beginning of 2012, makes its album debut featuring Phil Collen of DEF LEPPARD/MANRAZE and Sal Costa of MY DARKEST DAYS.

The genre-bending album features 17 songs, and in addition to the artists mentioned above, also includes guest appearances by Miley Cyrus, Hugh McDonald (BON JOVI), Bobby Capps (.38 SPECIAL), Scot Coogan (LITA FORD), THE SHEILDS BROTHERS, and more.

"Good Songs & Great Friends" track listing:

01. Nothin' But A Good Time
02. Get Your Rock On
03. Sweet Home Alabama
04. The App Song
05. Margaritaville
06. Every Rose Has Its Thorn
07. You Know You Want It
08. Unskinny Bop
09. Nothing To Lose
10. Raine
11. Driven (Rock Mix)
12. Fallen
13. What I Got
14. Talk Dirty To Me
15. Go That Far (Hybrid Mix)
16. Party Rock Band
17. Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Country Version)

The new version of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" can be streamed below.

The song "You Know You Want It" is available at MySpace.

In an interview with Gimme Noise, Bret stated about his upcoming CD, "I'm really proud of what we've done with it. It's really not just a Bret Michaels album. I had so many other talented artists come in and support that it's really a 'Bret Michaels And Friends' album. There's a staggering amount of talent on this album. . . It's been such a fun project for me and I'm excited to share it with the fans."

According to TMZ.com, Marilyn Manson was suffering from the flu when he collapsed and vomited onstage near the end of his set in concert in Saskatchewan, Canada this past Wednesday night (Feb. 6). The singer was apparently "feeling like crap" all day, but still wanted to go on with the show. After hitting the stage, Manson started feeling worse and vomited several times before collapsing in the middle of the song "Beautiful People". He fell backward onto the stage, at which point members of his road crew came out to carry him off. The 44-year-old rocker — whose real name is Brian Hugh Warner — decided not to go a hospital, choosing instead to rest up in his hotel room.

Newly released close-up video footage of Manson collapsing onstage can be seen below.

Manson and his band are scheduled to perform tonight (Friday, February 8) in Calgary.

The group's North American tour with the BUTCHER BABIES will wrap on February 23 in Las Vegas.

VERA MESMER, the Los Angeles-based alternative rock band featuring ex-COAL CHAMBER bassist Nadja Peulen and former REVEILLE guitarist Chris Turner (a.k.a. Christopher Mesmer), is making its previously unreleased single, 'Down The Hole", available for free download via Bandcamp.

"Down The Hole" was co-written by Turner and Peulen, continuing the Bonnie-and-Clyde-esque, love-versus-hate theme found on their debut EP, "Orphans".

VERA MESMER has won over audiences with its enigmatic-yet-powerful live shows, having shared stages with WALKING PAPERS, STOLEN BABIES, ORGY, JULIEN K and STEEL PANTHER.

"Orphans" was produced by Turner, mixed by Sean Beavan (MARILYN MANSON, NINE INCH NAILS) and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (SEPULTURA, HALFORD). The CD tells the story of how Chris and Nadja met and takes the listeners on their mystical journey.

VERA MESMER is currently working on a follow-up EP, tentatively due out this spring.

VERA MESMER's video for the song "Back From The Dead", which was shot in January 2011 by Vicente and Fernando Cordero of Industrialism Films, has been viewed more than 30,000 times on YouTube.

The band's five-track debut EP, "The Gypsy Magician" (which doesn't feature Peulen), came out in 2007.

Down the hole by Vera Mesmer