Dayton, Ohio Christian metalcore band THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA will release its new album, "Dead Throne", in the U.S. on September 13 via Ferret Music and one day earlier internationally through Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2009's critically acclaimed "With Roots Above and Branches Below" was recorded at Zing Studios in Massachusetts with producer Adam Dutkiewicz (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, TIMES OF GRACE). Additional synth/key production was handled by Joey Sturgis (who has worked on all of the THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA records so far) with further assistance on the vocal production by Jeremy McKinnon (A DAY TO REMEMBER).

"Dead Throne" track listing:

01. Dead Throne
02. Untidaled
03. Mammoth
04. Vengeance
05. R.I.T.
06. My Questions
07. Kansas
08. Born To Lose
09. Forever Decay
10. Chicago
11. Constance
12. Pretenders
13. Hold Fast

"Bollywood Jam", the new video from ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO, the experimental band led by TESTAMENT/ex-SAVATAGE guitarist Alex Skolnick, can be seen at GuitarWorld.com. The song comes off the group's fourth album, "Veritas" (Latin for"Truth"), which was released in March via the innovative jazz label Palmetto Records. The 11-track album contains nine original compositions, a cover of METALLICA's "Fade To Black" and a bonus remix of the song "Bollywood Jam" by Jay Sustain and Nik Chinboukas. The record was produced by Alex Skolnick and recorded at Spin Recording Studios in Long Island City, New York.

Commented Skolnick: "The idea for the 'Bollywood Jam' video came about after I witnessed a live performance by a great Brooklyn-based bellydancer, Kazja, in a tiny club. Feeling that more people need to be aware of this beautiful art form, I immediately recruited her and two other girls, Tava and Erica, to appear in the video as female bellydancing doppelgangers of Matt, Nathan and myself, respectively.

"Along the way, I had the idea to place us in a confrontational rehearsal situation similar to 'Walk This Way' by RUN-D.M.C./ AEROSMITH. A good friend of mine, former MTV producer Kevin Mackall, loved the idea and volunteered to bring it to life with the highest quality.

"Kevin and his production team did a brilliant job capturing the energy of the song, the beauty of the dancers and the feel of the original 'Walk This Way' video."

Arizona-based death/thrash metallers SARGON, whose current lineup includes ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION and SOLSTICE drummer Alex Marquez, have inked a deal with the old-school/extreme metal label Old Cemetery Records for the physical release of the band's debut album. "In Contempt". Due on September 23, the effort will coincide with a CD-release show in Phoenix, the details of which will be announced very soon.

In other news, SARGON has announced the addition of ex-DEATH/MONSTROSITY bassist Kelly Conlon to the group's ranks. The band states, "It's an absolute honor to be playing with Kelly, for his experience, professionalism, killer bass playing, and on-stage madness are a great fit for SARGON and are sure to crush some skulls live."

Century Media and its associated labels — InsideOutMusic, Superballmusic and People Like You — have decided to pull their repertoire from streaming music service Spotify in an attempt "to protect the interests of their artists."

The U.S. version of Spotify, which gives its users access to all the songs in its cloud to organize into playlists and listen to as they please, has reportedly attracted 1.4 million registered users so far in spite of its current invite-only status. Of those users, roughly 175,000 are said to be "paying users." In Europe, where Spotify has been available in seven countries since its launch in 2008, the company currently has around 1.6 million paying users, according to published reports.

According to the an infographic on the Information Is Beautiful web site, which visualizes the different monetization methods available to artists and how profitable they are, if you are a solo musician, at $0.00029 per play on Spotify, you will have to receive 4,053,110 plays per month to earn the U.S. minimum wage of $1,160.

In a statement released earlier today, Century Media explained its position by saying, "While everyone at the label group believes in the ever-changing possibilities of new technology and new ways of bringing music to the fans, Century Media is also of the opinion that Spotify in its present shape and form isn't the way forward. The income streams to the artists are affected massively and therefore that accelerates the downward spiral, which eventually will lead to artists not being able to record music the way it should be recorded. Ultimately, in some cases, it will completely kill a lot of smaller bands that are already struggling to make ends meet. At the same time, Century Media also believes that Spotify is a great tool to discover new music and is in the process of reintroducing their bands to Spotify by way of putting up samplers of the artists. This way, fans can still discover the great music released by the label.

"Physical sales are dropping drastically in all countries where Spotify is active. Artists are depending on their income from selling music and it is our job to support them to do so. Since the artists need to sell their music to continue their creativity, Spotify is a problem for them. This is about survival, nothing less, and it is time that fans and consumers realize that for artists it is essential to sell music to keep their heads above water.

"Obviously, it is ultimately up to the music fan and consumer how they access their music, whether it is buying, streaming or stealing. There needs to be awareness, though, that how you will consume your music has direct consequences for the artists, who we are all trying to support."

Earache Records has teamed up with popular music streaming service Spotify to give rockers and metalheads instant access to a huge library of killer tunes, all of which are completely free to listen to.

Earache's entire music catalog is available now on Spotify, featuring over 3,500 tracks from some of the most legendary names in rock and metal, including such classic acts as AT THE GATES, CARCASS, MORBID ANGEL, DEICIDE and NAPALM DEATH, along with the latest releases from some of the hottest new bands such as EVILE, RIVAL SONS, WORMROT and many more.

To listen to the entire Earache music catalogue, just head to this location (Spotify account required)

HARMANIC das Cover Artwork zu ihrem Debüt Longplayer "Chronicles of Devastation", der am 1. Oktober 2011 via Terrasound Records erscheinen wird.

Sänger Prabhin Velankanny hat zum Cover folgenden Begleittext mitgeliefert:

"Wir haben uns überlegt, wie wir die Grundstimmung des Albums grafisch festhalten könnten. Es gibt in thematischer Hinsicht einen vagen, roten Faden, der durch den Albumtitel "Chronicles of Devastation" gut zusammengefasst wird. Genau wie unsere Texte zwar einen roten Faden bzw. eine konkrete Form haben, aber trotzdem viel Platz für Interpretation und Reflexion lassen, so sollte auch das Artwork sein. In erster Linie sieht man dieses epische, gewaltige Bild, dass ganz eindeutig eine bestimmte Szenerie zeigt und natürlich kann bereits das alleine einem gefallen oder zumindest ausreichen. Doch wenn sich jemand mit dem "Wieso?" beschäftigen möchte und genauer hinsieht, wenn jemand wirklich mehr Einblick haben möchte und sich mit den Texten, der grafischen Darstellung und der Musik beschäftigen will, dann soll diese Mühe nicht unbelohnt bleiben. Harmanic möchten auf so vielen Ebenen wie möglich unterhalten und berühren."

"Vitaly S. Alexius, ein Kanadier mit russischen Wurzeln, ist mir bereits vor mehreren Jahren auf deviantart.com aufgefallen. Wir haben bereits 2009, als wir unsere EP "Forsaken Soil" aufgenommen haben, zu ihm Kontakt geknüpft. Wir waren begeistert von seinen Artworks, seiner Vision und seinem Können. Er war genau der richtige für unser grafisches Konzept!"

"This was one of the most detailed and most complex paintings I've undertaken, spanning many hours in shooting references for the people within the hand and drawing them. It was a lot of fun working on this cover. I'd like to thank Chico, Meeshka, Azim and Cedez for helping me with this painting."
Vitaly S. Alexius - www.svitart.com

as französische Black Metal-Kollektiv von GLORIOR BELLI freut sich, die erste Single 'Secret Ride To Rebellion' ihres neuen Werkes The Great Southern Darkness vorstellen zu dürfen! Erscheinen wird die Scheibe in Europa am 23./26. September auf Metal Blade Records. So brutal klang diese Band noch nie!

Sänger Gitarrist Julien über den Song: "'Secret Ride To Rebellion' begins furiously with the right mix of blackened tremolos, catchy melodies and wicked words. Then slowly, the track reaches a frenzy point over the last minutes of dark incantations. Sorry pal, you've just been exposed to the black light and there's no return from there!"

Hört euch 'Secret Ride To Rebellion' auf der offiziellen Landing Page, auf welcher die Platte auch vorbestellt werden kann, an: http://www.metalblade.com/gloriorbelli/

The Great Southern Darkness besteht aus elf Songs, die die besten Elemente von GLORIOR BELLI auf verdrehte, mutige und einzigartige Weise wiedergeben: Äußerst gewalttätig und schnell, gleichzeitig aber auch dunkel und versumpft dank der gebotenen Americana/Stoner/Blues-Einflüsse, die die Band auszeichnen.

GLORIOR BELLI wurden im Dezember 2002 von den temperamentvollen Vorstädten von Paris ausgespuckt. Was als berüchtigtes Duo startete, wandelte sich bald in ein wütendes Biest, das jedem den Weg außerhalb des Einflussbereiches des Demiurgs zeigen sollte.

Die textlichen Inhalte wurden mit der Zeit immer tiefgründiger - mit einer verstärkten Neigung zum Rebellentum. Heute hat sich die Band durch ihre außergewöhnliche Mixtur aus Desert Rock und brutalen, bedrohlichen, doomigen Black Metal schon einen guten Ruf in der extremen Musikgemeinde erarbeiten können. Aber man sollte gar nicht erst versuchen, das einzugrenzen, was nicht erfasst werden will, denn dies ist der größte Fluch des kosmischen Schemas…

Tracklist The Great Southern Darkness
1. Dark Gnosis
2. Secret Ride To Rebellion
3. They Call Me Black Devil
4. Negative Incarnate
5. Bring Down The Cosmic Scheme
6. The Great Southern Darkness
7. The Foolhardy Venturer
8. Per Nox Regna
9. The Science Of Shifting
10. Chaos Manifested

According to The Sun Chronicle, former COHEED AND CAMBRIA bassist Michael Todd has been indicted by a Bristol County grand jury for allegedly robbing narcotics from a local pharmacy hours before a concert in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

Todd, 30, faces charges of armed robbery and possession of narcotic painkillers related to the holdup a Walgreens in Attleboro, Massachusetts.

He faces arraignment Sept. 8 in Fall River Superior Court, Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter, said Tuesday.

Todd was arrested for armed robbery on July 10 shortly before the band's performance at the Comcast Center as the support act for SOUNDGARDEN. Todd allegedly walked into the Walgreens and threatened to blow up the store with what was apparently a fake bomb unless he was given OxyContin. Todd made off with six bottles of the pain pill before police tracked the cab he escaped in. He was arrested outside Comcast Center and officially charged with armed robbery and unlawful possession of prescription narcotics.

Todd previously left COHEED AND CAMBRIA in 2006 in order to seek treatment for heroin addiction. After a stint in rehab, he returned to the group in 2007.

Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA performed at this year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival on Saturday, August 6 in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. The concert, which was broadcast live on German TV station ZDFkultur, can now be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Intro / Arise
02. Refuse/Resist
03. Kairos
04. Just One Fix (MINISTRY cover)
05. Convicted In Life
06. Choke
07. What I Do!
08. Relentless
09. Troops Of Doom
10. Territory
11. Inner Self
12. Ratamahatta
13. Roots Bloody Roots

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was interviewed yesterday (Tuesday, August 9) by Cindy Scull of the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas radio station 97.1 The Eagle Rocks. You can now listen to the 10-minute chat at this location. A couple of excerpts follow below.

On why guitarist Marty Friedman won't return to MEGADETH:

Mustaine: "Well, first off, he's not welcome. I mean, it's not that he's not welcome, it's just that there's no position for him. And Marty's not as good as Chris [Broderick, current MEGADETH guitarist] is, second off. And Marty wanted to be a pop guitar player. He left to join a girl in a band in Japan. . . [The MEGADETH lineup featuring Friedman and drummer Nick Menza] wasn't the most important lineup anyways. The lineup that we have right now has achieved more than those guys ever did. If you think about it, the groundwork, the building the band back up from nothing… Marty and Nick got in the band when the band was already huge."

On his rekindled friendship with his former bandmates, METALLICA's Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield:

Mustaine: "I've talked to Lars and James about me and David [Ellefson, MEGADETH bassist] doing a supergroup record with Lars and James. Well, James never said 'no,' but it's still kind of out there in the air. I'm gonna keep hammering on him. It's on my bucket list."

In a 2009 interview with U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine, Hetfield was asked if he was glad to see Mustaine out of METALLICA prior to the recording of the band's debut album, 1983's "Kill 'Em All". "I don't know if 'glad' is the right word, but it was necessary," he replied. "There would have been myself, Lars and [Dave] all trying to drive and it would have been this triangulated mess. It's obvious that he had the same drive as us — he went on to do great things in MEGADETH. The way things are now, the character dynamics, Lars and I are one half of the scale with Rob [Trujillo, METALLICA bassist] and Kirk [Hammett, METALLICA guitarist] on the other. They're great idea people but very good at being okay with someone else driving. It does take that, I think. They're very un-ego-driven and Lars and I are the other way, it seems. That's what I've been told. [Laughs] So back then Dave had to go."

Sweden's biggest rock radio station Rockklassiker 106.7 has published a list of the Top 666 songs of all time, as voted by the station's listeners. Fans voted in an online poll, submitting their top six tracks of all time, which was then built into a total top 666.

AC/DC and KISS had the most entries in the top 666 — 28 and 23, respectively — with METALLICA appearing 21 times, including twice in the Top 10. GUNS N' ROSES had 18 and IRON MAIDEN had 14, with DEEP PURPLE coming in with 11 and BLACK SABBATH following closely behind with 10.

Top 10 songs of all time as voted by the listeners of Rockklassiker 106.7:

01. DEEP PURPLE – "Smoke On The Water"
02. METALLICA - "Enter Sandman"
03. GUNS N' ROSES - "November Rain"
04. AC/DC - "Back In Black"
05. METALLICA - "Nothing Else Matters"
06. IRON MAIDEN - "Run To The Hills"
07. KISS - "Lick It Up"
08. AEROSMITH - "Janie's Got A Gun"
09. JIMI HENDRIX - "Foxy Lady"
10. QUEEN - "Bohemian Rhapsody"

"Hell Over Sofia - 20 Years Of Chaos And Confusion", the new DVD from Swedish extreme metallers HYPOCRISY, will be released on October 14 via Nuclear Blast. The disc will contain footage of the band's February 27, 2010 concert at the Blue Box club in Sofia, Bulgaria. Guitarist Mikael Hedlund states, "It was a show that had everything! The crowd was helping us doing one of our best shows ever in our history and it was recorded with several cameras. The DVD will also contain a one-and-a-half-hour documentary that will show you our 20 years of chaos and confusion."

He adds, "We would like to give our fans the true story of the past and give them all the details what have happened on our journey over all these years. There are secrets that never have been told plus pictures and clips that never have been shown. This DVD will give you the full cover of HYPOCRISY!"

A report on the DVD shoot can be found at Tangra Mega Rock. Photos are available at this location.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Valley Of The Damned
02. Hang Him High
03. Fractured Millennium
04. Adjusting The Sun
05. Eraser
06. Pleasures of Molestation / Osculum Obscenum / Penetralia
07. Apocalypse / The Fourth Dimension
08. Killing Art
09. A Coming Race
10. Let The Knife Do The Talking
11. Weed Out The Weak
12. Fire In The Sky

Encore:

13. The Final Chapter
14. Warpath

Encore 2:

15. Roswell 47

Eternal Image, Inc., a public company engaged in the design, manufacturing and marketing of officially licensed, brand-name memorial products, today announced that the first of its official KISS cremation urns is now available for purchase.

KISS is famous for its explosive live performances and outrageous rock and roll style. In their forty year career, the band has achieved record-breaking tours, album sales in excess of 100 million, a huge "KISS Army" fan base, and the most memorable look in all of rock history.

"We call this particular KISS urn our 'Monument' model," said Donna Shatter, VP of operations for the company. "This urn offers fans a unique expression of their passion for the legendary rock band. It features full-color images of the band members and the KISS flame logo — all displayed against a striking black metallic finish."

The Monument model KISS urn is eight inches tall. The company plans to release three additional urn models later this year.

STRYPER frontman and accomplished solo artist Michael Sweet announced his departure from legendary rock band BOSTON today in order to devote his full attention to his longstanding role as the lead vocalist and lead guitarist for rock outfit STRYPER — a band he co-founded in 1983. Sweet joined BOSTON in 2008, sharing lead vocals and playing guitar on a headlining tour of North America, performing the band's classic hits like "More than a Feeling", "Peace of Mind", "Amanda" and "Don't Look Back".

Following the BOSTON tour, STRYPER released the 2009 studio album, "Murder by Pride" (featuring a cover of BOSTON's "Peace of Mind"), which led to a yearlong world tour with all of the original members. In 2010, STRYPER released "The Covering", and another world tour recently concluded. STRYPER is currently in the studio working on an untitled release for 2011, with tour dates already announced for this fall.

"My focus and my loyalty lies with STRYPER, the band that I've committed almost thirty years of my life to," says Sweet. "The guys in STRYPER are my brothers and I'm excited about our future together. The music of BOSTON helped shape who I am as an artist, and the opportunity to be a part of their musical legacy is overwhelming. It's been an honor to share the stage with them, and a bigger honor to call them my friends."

In addition to the increasing demands for STRYPER, Sweet has been spending some of his time off the road in Nashville, writing with A-list songwriters such as Blair Daly (RASCAL FLATTS, UNCLE KRACKER, LYNYRD SKYNYRD), Luke Laird (CARRIE UNDERWOOD, BLAKE SHELTON, TIM MCGRAW), Britton Cameron (STEEL MAGNOLIA, LONESTAR, EDEN'S EDGE) and others.

After a triumphant tour with JOURNEY that saw FOREIGNER play to tens of thousands of new fans and earn great critical acclaim, FOREIGNER announces the release of a brand new album, "Acoustique".

FOREIGNER first saw success throughout the world with their groundbreaking debut album that featured chart hits such as "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold As Ice", and scored multiplatinum sales and a world tour. The band went on to sell over 70 million albums, driven by some of the most important songs in the classic rock era. "I Want To Know What Love Is" was a worldwide number one hit and "Waiting For A Girl Like You" is in the Top 50 of Billboard magazine's "All Time Greatest Pop Songs." The rocking side of FOREIGNER was always key to their success, and songs like "Hot Blooded", "Dirty White Boy", "Urgent" and "Juke Box Hero" took the band to new levels.

"Acoustique" will be released on Edel's international rock label, earMUSIC, on September 23. It takes a fresh look at some of FOREIGNER hits and offers some unique surprises. The stripped down version of these great songs shows FOREIGNER in an entirely new light, and the release will be supported by unplugged tour dates and multiple television appearances. FOREIGNER inject new life into all their hits, pay tribute to Elvis Presley with a unique recording of "That's All Right" and throw in a couple of previously unreleased tracks. "The Flame Still Burns" was co-written by Mick Jones for 1998 cult rock movie "Still Crazy", where it was performed by Jimmy Nail. Mick won the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for that song. The album features a brand new song, "Save Me", which was co-written with Mick Jones' stepdaughter and well-known DJ and musician, Samantha Ronson.

"Acoustique" will also be available in a special limited-edition box set that includes a DVD and a CD of brand new full rock versions of FOREIGNER's greatest hits by the current line-up. The DVD features a full-length live concert in high definition that was recorded in Chicago earlier this year and some bonus features that include one of FOREIGNER's first acoustic performances at Schloss Kronberg in Frankfurt that inspired the making of the "Acoustique" CD.

"Acoustique" features Mick Jones on guitars and vocals; Kelly Hansen, lead vocals and percussion; Jeff Pilson, guitars and vocals and Tom Gimbel, guitars, saxophone and vocals. The quartet is joined by Michael Bluestein on keyboards and vocals, and Mark Schulman on drums for the rock recordings of the hits and the DVD.

CD: Acoustique - The Classics Unplugged

01. Long, Long Way From Home
02. Cold As Ice
03. The Flame Still Burns (brand new song!)
04. Double Vision
05. Fool For You Anyway
06. Say You Will
07. Starrider
08. Waiting For A Girl Like You
09. Feels Like The First Time
10. Juke Box Hero
11. That's All Right
12. Save Me (brand new song! electric version)
13. I Want To Know What Love Is (electric version)
14. When It Comes To Love (electric version)

Limited-edition box set:

CD1: Acoustique - The Classics Unplugged

01. Long, Long Way From Home
02. Cold As Ice
03. The Flame Still Burns (brand new song!)
04. Double Vision
05. Fool For You Anyway
06. Say You Will
07. Starrider
08. Waiting For A Girl Like You
09. Feels Like The First Time
10. Juke Box Hero
11. That's All Right

CD 2: Juke Box Heroes - Brand New Rock Recordings Of Foreigner's Greatest Hits

01. Save Me (brand new song!)
02. Feels Like The First Time
03. Cold As Ice
04. Long, Long Way From Home
05. Hot Blooded
06. Double Vision
07. Head Games
08. Dirty White Boy
09. Urgent
10. Waiting For A Girl Like You
11. I Want To Know What Love Is
12. Juke Box Hero

DVD: Live In Chicago 2011 85 min. show filmed in HD + bonus material

01. Double Vision
02. Head Games
03. Cold As Ice
04. Waiting For A Girl Like You
05. When It Comes To Love
06. Blue Morning, Blue Day
07. Dirty White Boy
08. Starrider
09. Feels Like The First Time
10. Urgent
11. I Want To Know What Love Is
12. Hot Blooded
13. Juke Box Hero

Relapse Records has announced the signing of the blackened death metal juggernaut WEAPON.

WEAPON (Vetis Monarch: guitars and vocals, Kha Tumos: bass, Apostle VIII: guitar, The Disciple: drums) previously released two full-length albums, including the acclaimed "From The Devil’s Tomb" (2010).

WEAPON is currently writing the follow-up to "From The Devil’s Tomb" which promises to be a more vicious strain of the group's all-out-evil blackened death.

Vetis Monarch commented on the recent signing and upcoming album: "WEAPON is ready to take over the world, and our signing with a legendary label like Relapse Records is a key element in achieving that goal.

"We are in the process of writing the follow-up album to 'From The Devil's Tomb', and all our supporters can rest assured that the new material is a direct continuation of the sinister and violent music we have delivered thus far."

WEAPON has confirmed a handful of western Canada tour dates for later this month alongside TOXIC HOLOCAUST and HOLY GRAIL. The band will also perform at this year's Rites of Darkness Festival in early December in San Antonio, Texas

Reactivated seminal technical metal pioneers ATHEIST have canceled their previously announced European tour which was scheduled to take place this month.

Commented the band: "Unfortunately, ATHEIST drummer Steve Flynn was forced to remain in the U.S. for an unavoidable personal commitment. This happened at the very last minute and has been communicated to you all as quickly as possible. Several options were entertained — fill-in drummer, shifting dates and others. However, on such short notice, these proved to be impossible. The band wishes to express its most heartfelt apologies for this happening. ATHEIST will do whatever it can to make it up to the fans and promoters who have worked so hard to support the band for these 25 years."

The cover artwork for former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman's new solo album, "Tokyo Jukebox 2", can be seen below. The track listing for the effort is available at this location.

Stated Marty: "[The cover shot] was NOT Photoshopped — I had to put that kabuki makeup on again!! Made me really appreciate what KISS did thousands of times; a MAJOR pain in the ass!! Serious props to all the people who made it work; it was quite a task matching the [original] 'Tokyo Jukebox' cover.

"Tokyo Jukebox 2" will be released on September 14 via Avex in Japan. The CD picks up where Friedman's 2009 effort, "Tokyo Jukebox", left off, with even more adventurous arrangements of his favorite Japanese songs. Recorded at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles, the album features Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL) on drums.