Norwegian hard rockers AVENTYR have inked a deal with Mighty Music. The band's debut album, "Driven", will be released on January 28, 2013. The CD was recorded between January and August 2012 in the band's hometown of Førde and was mixed by Beau Hill (ALICE COOPER, EUROPE, WINGER).

In 2011 AVENTYR released the EP "Trouble" (also mixed by Beau Hill) via the U.K. label Casket Music. The EP received good reviews both at home and abroad, with one magazine describing the band as a mixture of HELLACOPTERS and BACKYARD BABIES. This led, among other things, to a five-year publishing agreement with American Michael Davenport of Expressive Artists, a full-service music supervision and management company.

"Driven" track listing:

01. Driven
02. Betrayed
03. Trouble
04. Tomorrow
05. Torpedo
06. Crazy Roads
07. Outside
08. Delirious
09. Empty Bottles
10. Wanted

Members of LAMB OF GOD, IN FLAMES and SYLOSIS joined tourmates HELLYEAH on stage last night (Saturday, December 8) Kansas City, Missouri to pay tribute to late PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott who was shot and killed by a deranged "fan" while performing in Columbus, Ohio eight years earlier.

Fan-filmed footage of the event can be seen below.

Vocalist Randy Blythe of tour headliners LAMB OF GOD commented via his Instagram account: "Tonight's show in Kansas City was an emotional one for us on this tour, especially the HELLYEAH guys. Eight years ago (December 8, 2004) a crazy man jumped onstage and killed Darrell 'Dimebag' Abbott in front of two members of HELLYEAH, one of which, of course, is his brother Vinnie Paul. This night changed EVERYTHING for those of us in metal bands — something had been taken away from us, and it wasn't just Dime. It was our care-free sorta attitude; this sort of thing just didn't happen in OUR SCENE.

"But it did, and we are all the worse for it. Things have changed, but we still are out here. Vinnie and Bobzilla are still out here rocking their balls off — they have my utmost respect for that. I don't know if I would step foot on a stage again after witnessing and going through what they did. But they are musicians — plus Dime woulda wanted it that way; you can bet your ass on that.

"The other day, Vinnie came to me and said, Hey, man, can we have a few extra moments in Kansas City to have a drink in memory of Dime?' Are you kidding me? OF COURSE. So tonight, the whole damn tour, every member of every band, got up on that stage and had a drink in his honor. It felt like family to me, in those best moments of tour when you all are there together, doing this incredible thing, as a FAMILY.

"I wish Dime coulda been there in person with us. But it's like I said tonight onstage — a mad man's bullet can take this mortal shell, but TRUE LEGENDS NEVER DIE. We keep them alive, all of us, when we come together band & audience and do this thing we all love so much.

"RIP, Dime. See ya on the other side, bro!"

Video footage of SODOM's December 1 performance at Circo Volador in Mexico City, Mexico can be seen below.

SODOM recently entered the studio with producer Waldemar Sorychta (GRIP INC., ENEMY OF THE SUN) to begin recording its new album for an early 2013 release.

SODOM's latest album, "In War And Pieces", entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 64.

SODOM in 2010 parted ways with drummer Bobby Schottkowski due to "personal and private problems between Tom and Bobby," according to a statement released by the band.

SODOM's current drummer, Markus Freiwald, previously played for the German bands DESPAIR and FLAMING ANGER and was involved with the VOODOOCULT project. In addition, he played percussion as a session musician on the MOONSPELL album "Irreligious" and is featured on the 1996 LP "Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers" by Greek extreme metallers ROTTING CHRIST.

LED ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page spoke to Guitar World for the magazine's January 2013 issue about the release of ZEPPELIN's "Celebration Day", which documents the band's 2007 concert at London, England's O2 Arena, and his future plans.

Guitar World: So why haven't there been more shows [after the O2 concert]? Is it because Robert [Plant, vocals] doesn't want to be involved?

Jimmy Page: From a concert like that, you would have thought that there might have been some sort of whisper or hint about another gig over here or over there, for maybe very, very good reasons — you know, charitable causes or whatever. Well, there wasn't. That's it. That's all I can tell you. I wouldn't expect that there would be any more concerts, really.

Guitar World: Which is sad.

Jimmy Page: Well, it is what it is, isn't it? So under those circumstances, when it was getting in three and a half years after the concert, I thought. We've got to pay some attention to this show. I've gotto look at the footage and just go in, in an objective way, with a really positive attitude of knowing that we did a really great show, and that Jason [Bonham, drums] had played marvelously. His father would have been so proud of him. And that was the way to go in and look at the O2.

Guitar World: But weren't there plans to form another band with a different singer and go on tour?

Jimmy Page: No. You see, what we did — doing all of the rehearsals — was not to play any new stuff, not to get sidetracked. After it was done, Jason, myself and John Paul Jones felt it was the right thing to do to go in and start playing new material and see how we were getting on. I thought that, really, we should play on our strengths and start working on quite a lot of music. We had a few things together, but Robert had his Alison Krauss project ["Raising Sand"] to promote. There was talk about bringing in some other singers, but that would have changed the character of what we were doing, and done it rather suddenly. There was a lot of... I won't say pressure but a lot of hinting about "this singer and that singer." And for me, it was more about, "Let's see what we can really do." But I don't think we really got a chance to do that.

Guitar World: So it would have been too early at that point?

Jimmy Page: To do what? Bring in a singer on it? Yes. I think we needed to work on the material first and all the various sorts of textures and moods that we could create. But that wasn't to be either.

Guitar World: Everybody thought you would replace Robert with another singer and go on a LED ZEPPELIN reunion tour. That is obviously a misunderstanding then.

Jimmy Page: Well, look: even If we had eventually settled on a singer, I think it would have been premature to go on our. Of course, we would have played LED ZEPPELIN material, but I would also want to be playing some really, really good new material as well, to knock people's socks off.

Guitar World: Is that ever going to happen?

Jimmy Page: I don't think so. I don't think so. I know that I certainly want to be… Let's put it this way: This time last year I intended to be actually playing by now in a live outfit. [laughs] So that will have to be postponed now into sort of next year, tail end of next year. But I definitely want to be doing that.

To order a copy of the January 2013 issue of Guitar World, go to this location.

Anthony Morgan of Metal Forces recently conducted an interview with keyboardist Richard West of British progressive metallers THRESHOLD. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the late vocalist Andrew "Mac" McDermott leaving THRESHOLD in 2007:

Richard: "We were just about to go on tour to support 'Dead Reckoning' [2007] when when our old singer Andrew McDermott sent us a message to say he wasn't coming. It was the day before he was supposed to come over and rehearse with us in Germany, and I think we had maybe five to six days until our first show. It was a really big surprise. He didn't even explain why; he just said in a message that he had to get on with his life, which was weird because we thought THRESHOLD really was a big part of his life. We were quite surprised, because he had made it very clear that he was really excited about the new album and everything we were doing. We were totally surprised, and really shell shocked."

On former vocalist Damian Wilson returning to THRESHOLD:

Richard: "We didn't want to cancel shows, because that's just not a good thing to do. Fans buy tickets, book flights, and book hotels. We did talk very briefly at the time about having vocalist auditions, but we didn't have very long. Over the years we've had three singers, which is ludicrous for any band. Your dream is that you have the same line-up for your whole career, so the fact that we've managed to still keep our fanbase is quite fortunate. The thought of having a fourth singer… We thought that would just be a bit of a joke really for a band. We might as well have just called ourselves a project or something, so we really thought that it had to be Damian or Glynn [Morgan, vocalist on 1994's 'Psychedelicatessen']. It was so obvious to go back to one of those two. Luckily, I had been working with Damian about a week before in the studio on another project, and he had spoken about THRESHOLD. He said to me, 'I really miss the band. If there's ever an opportunity, I'd love to have another shot'. A week later he got a phone call [laughs], and he came back in. He was the hero of the hour, and we did the shows. After that he then did a tour, and some more shows. With every show we did, he just became more and more part of the band. There was never a day where we said 'We don't have a singer again'. Slowly he made his way back in I think. To be honest it was down to timing though; Damian was here and he was ready, and he was available. We didn't actually have a way of getting hold of Glynn at the time, so it was a pretty easy decision. If it was another month it might've been Glynn who came back."

On latest album "March Of Progress":

Richard: "It goes back a long way back, back to 'Psychedelicatessen' [1994], the second album. With the first album 'Wounded Land' [1993], it was all written by the three founding guys, Karl Groom, Jon Jeary, and Nick Midson. With the second album suddenly I was writing and the new singer Glynn Morgan was writing, and it really changed the flavor. I think that's why Jon Jeary called it 'Psychedelicatessen', because it was like a delicatessen. You can go in there and choose all of these different flavours, and it feels a little bit like that with 'March Of Progress'. It just opens up the perspective a bit. There's a little bit more diversity in there, but that said I think it's a very coherent record. It doesn't sound like a compilation; it does sound like one body of work."

On his keyboard/piano work:

Richard: "I have a big love of piano in rock just because not many people do it, and when you can do it in a way that works I love it. Not the old honky tonk kind of piano, but just atmospheric riffs and that kind of thing. I've done a bit more of that than usual. Songs like 'Colophon', for example, have quite a bit of piano, and 'Staring At The Sun'. I really enjoy getting that to work, and also I'm a big fan of those old, big Gary Numan sounds from the late '70s and early '80s. I've never really gone there so much in the past, but I'm going there more now. I think 'Hang on… that's the stuff I love, so let's try it out'."

On many progressive metal bands arguably attempting to emulate DREAM THEATER:

Richard: "I remember in the 90s when DREAM THEATER first got big. Loads of bands started and they only had one influence, and you could tell it was DREAM THEATER. If you're a musician and you've only got one influence, then you're stuck aren't you? That's what you're gonna sound like. If you're a musician who has 20-30 influences and you just let them all be a small part of what you do, then you're gonna create something new. I think that's what we've always tried to do with THRESHOLD. I think that's one of the reasons we sound a bit different than other prog metal too, because we're British. Pretty much all of our influences are British. I know prog metal isn't specifically a British thing, but I think what we do is though because that's where we come from."

On late vocalist Andrew "Mac" McDermott, who passed away last year:

Richard: "He was a phenomenal singer, and in equal parts phenomenal and infuriating I would say. I think it's pretty well documented he had a pretty serious drinking habit, and you can imagine that that causes all sorts of difficulties and problems. Whether it was in the studio or onstage, you just never quite knew what you were gonna get. Some days he'd be quite brilliant, and then the next day he couldn't remember anything. Alcoholism is a terrible thing, and as far as I'm aware that's eventually what killed him."

On the reissue of THRESHOLD's past albums:

Richard: "They're just a practical thing, really. We've moved to Nuclear Blast. All those old albums were released through InsideOut Music and those contracts have now expired, so those albums are no longer available. That's obviously a silly thing to do if you're a band, so we needed them reissued. Nuclear Blast have taken on the job, and have released the Definitive Edition series. Obviously from Nuclear Blast's point of view, they wanted to make them as appealing as possible. We've crammed them full with as many bonus tracks as you can fit on a CD, so they really are definitive and good value for money. The mastering's been tweaked a little bit, so they sound slightly better in some cases and hopefully they really are the definitive editions."

Read the entire interview at this location.

ENEMY OF THE SUN, the German band featuring guitarist Waldemar Sorychta — former member of GRIP INC./DESPAIR and producer for such bands as LACUNA COIL and MOONSPELL — has announced the addition of bassist Reina Schauff to the group's ranks.

Schauff is no stranger to the ENEMY camp as he hails from the band‘s homebase of Dortmund, Germany.

Commented Sorychta: "Reina brings fresh impulses to the band! We have known him for a long time, and he has always been a part of ENEMY OF THE SUN, having touring with us on several occasions.“

Added Reina: "I am really excited to join this wonderful band. The new album will be killer and definitely the best in band history yet. I can't wait to get my feet on stage with those guys!"

ENEMY OF THE SUN is currently holed up in the studio working on its third album for an early 2013 release.

"Caedium", the second album from from ENEMY OF THE SUN, was released in North America on June 22, 2010 via The End Records and in Europe on May 28, 2010 through Massacre Records.

Sorychta previously stated about the band, "I call ENEMY OF THE SUN my family because in a family you have to feel comfortable. If not, it's not a good family. ENEMY is a good one. It's the way I wake up and feel the excitement about this band. It's the way I go to bed and want to stay awake because of this band. Music without limits, pure power saved in every note, deepest emotions bound in tones, burning pleasure in each single tune."

According to Classic Rock magazine, British hard rock legends DEEP PURPLE will release their 19th studio album in April 2013. The CD, which was produced by Bob Ezrin (KISS, PINK FLOYD, PETER GABRIEL, ALICE COOPER, KANSAS) in Nashville, Tennessee, will contain 13 tracks, including "Out Of Hand", "Hell To Pay", "Weirdistan", "Uncommon Man" and "Above And Beyond". The latter song references the band's late keyboard player, Jon Lord, in the lyric "Souls having touched are forever entwined."

Regarding the album title, Gillan offered the following cryptic comment to Classic Rock: "There's a big question mark over the name at the moment. And possibly an exclamation mark as well. You can read what you like into what I've just said. All will become clear — as mud — later on. That's all I'm allowed to say. The question mark and the exclamation mark might get you intrigued."

DEEP PURPLE's 18th studio album, "Rapture of the Deep", was released in November 2005. It was the fourth studio CD from DEEP PURPLE since guitarist Steve Morse joined the band in 1994. It was also the second album to feature veteran keyboardist Don Airey.

"Rapture of the Deep" was produced by Mike Bradford, who also worked on the band's previous release, 2003's "Bananas".

MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has posted a four-minute video clip featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the band's December 7 concert at Fox Theater in Pomona. Check it out below.

According to Ellefson, the Pomona show was professionally filmed for possible future release.

The 20th-anniversary edition of MEGADETH's 1992 double platinum-certified "Countdown To Extinction" album was released on November 6 via Capitol/EMI.

Presented in a 2CD lift-top box and digitally, "Countdown To Extinction"'s new commemorative edition pairs the remastered original album with a 1992 concert, recorded live at San Francisco's Cow Palace, which has never before been released in its entirety. The concert audio has been newly remixed for this release. The physical and digital versions both include a booklet with a new liner notes essay by music journalist Kory Grow, and the 2CD box also contains a 24" x 36" poster and four collectible postcards.

MEGADETH is currently performing the acclaimed album in its entirety on the band's "Countdown To Extinction 20th Anniversary Tour".

ENTOMBED frontman Lars Göran "LG" Petrov joined CONVERGE on stage last night (Friday, December 7) at Hornstull Strand in Stockholm, Sweden to perform the ENTOMBED classic "Wolverine Blues". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

ENTOMBED has been "checking out some studios" for recording of their new album, according to a posting on the band's Facebook page.

ENTOMBED guitarist Alex Hellid recently underwent "a major operation which thankfully went very well," according to a posting on the band's Facebook page. He is now "looking forward" to continuing to work with the new ENTOMBED CD, which is expected sometime next year.

CONVERGE's new album, "All We Love We Leave Behind", sold 6,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 69 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on October 9, the effort was made available in a deluxe package that includes a 48-page, full-color hardcover, clothbound book with original art created by singer Jacob Bannon via Epitaph (vinyl on Deathwish).

Video footage of QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate's December 7 solo concert at Club LA in Destin, Florida can be seen below. Also available is footage of the pre-show soundcheck.

Tate's second solo album, "Kings & Thieves", sold 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD arrived in stores on November 6 via InsideOut Music.

In a recent interview with ARTISTdirect.com, Tate stated about his vision for "Kings & Thieves", "Typically, when I make a record, I have an idea of what I want to try to accomplish. I go about making that happen by making lists. I'm a list maker. I jot down all of these ideas I've got and I form those ideas into an outline. Then, I start using it as a punch list to take care of all these details I'd like to do. I knew I wanted to make a really solid rock record. I didn't want to stray too far into other musical endeavors. I wanted to keep it more rock-oriented with traditional rock instruments. I also knew that I wanted it to be more of a live record where all of the musicians get in a room and actually play together. A lot of it was recorded and written at the same time. That was very fun, and I've never done that before. It has an effect that makes the music seem more immediate and raw rather than being a polished, rehearsed-into-the-ground record, which I've done throughout most of my career. Making this record was a different process for me, and I made it very quickly. It flowed from the moment I started until the time I was done with it. It only took about six months to make. By comparison, QUEENSRŸCHE records have taken years to make."

Asked if there is any connection to his first solo record, Tate said, "Well, it has been a long time. It's been a long time coming too. They're two really different records to me. On that first solo record, I really wanted to stretch outside of the QUEENSRŸCHE box and do everything I could never do. I wanted to explore my influences in my writing. That first album has R&B influences, which I'm very into. It's got classical and electronica influences, but it doesn't have a lot of rock. "Kings & Thieves" is really a rock record. I focused on that aspect."

Soundcheck:

Chad Gray (HELLYEAH, MUDVAYNE), Tim Lambesis (AS I LAY DYING) and Eddie Hermida (ALL SHALL PERISH) are the first confirmed guest singers who will perform with the surviving members of SUICIDE SILENCE at a special show on December 21 at the Fox theater in Pomona, California as a tribute to their late singer, Mitch Lucker, who died November 1, after sustaining injuries in a motorcycle crash in Huntington Beach on Halloween night. All proceeds from the event will go towards the education of Mitch's five-year-old daughter, Kenadee Lucker. The concert announcement was made on November 24 during the sixth annual California Metalfest at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, California.

Official multi-camera video footage of the announcement can be seen below.

Speaking to the audience, SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Mark Heylmun said, "We fucking lost our brother; I'm sure you all know that. We all miss him more than anything in the fucking world."

He continued, "I think something that is really important to us is that we consider SUICIDE SILENCE a family — as far as the band goes, as far as any crew member we've ever had, anybody that has ever worked for us, and the fans… Everyone is family; and that is the greatest thing that's ever happened to us and we are so grateful to be a part of this.

"This is the most difficult thing we've ever had to deal with. I really don't know where to start. We're just dealing with it day by day, and I hope everybody else is dealing with it. It's just unreal to have to be up here right now talking about this.

"We wanna say thank you all so much for donating to Kenadee's education fund.

"If there was anything that Mitch gave a fuck about in the world besides SUICIDE SILENCE, it would obviously be his daughter; he cared more about her than anything in the fucking world. We're here and we're gonna make sure that she's taken care of, and that's what we have to do. And we thank you guys for donating all the money you have.

"Everybody's been asking what we're gonna do as a band. We're putting together a show. It's gonna be at Fox Theater on December 21. Just kind of the best event, the best show that you could possibly imagine. Obviously, Mitch is not gonna be there. We're gonna have a different singer every single song. We're gonna put the best show that we possibly can together. It's already in the works. Tickets go on sale [on Tuesday, December 4]. Hopefully everybody can make it out. It's gonna be really fucking special. And all the money that is going towards the show is going to Kenadee's educational fund. So it's going to a good cause and Mitch would really appreciate it and we'd really appreciate it. So thank you, guys, very much."

A funeral service for Mitch Lucker was held on November 8. The ceremony was attended by family and friends, including SUICIDE SILENCE bassist Dan Kenny, who tweeted afterwards, "Had to bury my brother today, he looked peaceful when I saw him. It was very hard but it was needed! To the fans just know Mitch loved yall"

SUICIDE SILENCE has launched a memorial fund to provide assistance to Lucker's family. Those who donate $20 or more will receive a commemorative t-shirt.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Lucker struck a light pole near the intersection of Main and 13th streets and was thrown from his 2013 Harley Davidson. The motorcycle continued sliding south on Main Street and struck a northbound 2007 Nissan Titan pickup.

Lucker, who was treated at the scene by paramedics, died shortly after 6 a.m. at UC Irvine Medical Center.

Fan-filmed video footage of NAPALM DEATH's entire December 2 performance at Grand Central in Miami, Florida can be seen below.

NAPALM DEATH has just completed a North American co-headlining tour with MUNICIPAL WASTE. The five-week trek also featured EXHUMED as support, plus VEKTOR, DAYGLO ABORTIONS, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT and SPEEDWOLF on select dates. During the tour, NAPALM DEATH sold t-shirts designed by artist Sean Taggart (CRUMBSUCKERS, AGNOSTIC FRONT).

NAPALM DEATH's latest album, "Utilitarian", sold around 2,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD debuted at No. 14 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

NAPALM DEATH's previous album, 2009's "Time Waits For No Slave", opened with around 1,800 units to land at No. 19 on the Heatseekers chart.

"Utilitarian" was released on February 27 in Europe and February 28 in North America via the band's longtime partner, Century Media Records. The cover artwork perfectly fits the album's theme and was created by the Danish artist Frode Sylthe, who is also responsible for THE HAUNTED's "rEVOLVEr" artwork.

The third annual Kiss Kruise is confirmed for October 28 - November 1, 2013 on board The Norwegian Pearl sailing from Miami, Florida to Key West, Florida and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.

Register online for the Kiss Kruise III presale at this location.

A two-and-a-half-minute video recap of this year's edition of the Kiss Kruise can be seen below.

The second Kiss Kruise set sail October 31 - November 4, 2012 from Miami, Florida to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas onboard the Norwegian Pearl.

In an interview with Wallace Immen of AvidCruiser.com, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons stated about the first-ever Kiss Kruise (which was held in October 2011), "The Kiss Kruise is a chance for all of us — the band and the fans — to have a ball. Just let your hair down and not worry about it at all. KISS has always been about breaking the rules. We've never liked that moat — the stage — separating the band from the fans. So whenever we do a show, we try to take the action right to your face. A cruise will let the fans get up close. We try to take it inside you, we want you to smell it and taste it and feel it."

When asked if the fans were going to get to interact with the band on the cruise, Gene said, "We're going to have a deck up top to ourselves and we will certainly want to bring up fans. It may to a little difficult to get down to the lower levels and hang out a lot, because you've got 3,000 people on board, who are basically going to shred you to pieces. It's all appreciated, of course, and I say all this with tongue in cheek — I don't mean my tongue in your cheek, but you know what I mean. The real idea of this cruise is to have fun. Everything about KISS is over the top. Everything about it is meant to really make every day we have above ground a fun day."

Fan-filmed video footage of POSSESSED's performance on Barge To Hell — the world's most extreme metal cruise, which sailed Monday, December 3, 2012 from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas and returned to the real world on Friday, December 7 — can be seen below.

POSSESSED 2012 is:

* Jeff Becerra - Vocals
* Emilio Marquez (SADISTIC INTENT) - Drums
* Robert Cardenas (AGENT STEEL, COFFIN TEXTS) - Bass
* Kelly McLauchlin (DIABOLIC, UNHOLY GHOST, PESSIMIST) - Guitar
* Daniel Gonzalez (NAILSHITTER, OCCISAS) - Guitar

In a recent interview with MetalTitans.com, McLauchlin stated about POSSESSED's plans for a new studio album, "We have music and basic song structures for three songs written so far. We want to take our time and craft songs which will definitely sound like classic POSSESSED. The plan is to record an EP/demo, which we will shop to labels, and then do the full-length. No word on any release date, as we are still in writing mode. We are holding off playing any shows until the end of the year. I expect we will enter the studio sometime early 2013."

Regarding the songwriting process for the new material, McLauchlin said, "Well, so far we have been writing the music together as a band, between me, our other guitarist Daniel, and drummer Emilio. So far, it has been that Dan or I will have some song ideas and riffs, maybe an intro riff, and then we work with the drummer for the song structures and arrangements. We all contribute ideas when it comes to tweaking the riffs, and try different things before an idea is finalized. We are taking our time with it, and are actually re-working some of the songs now. I am working on some new riffs now, which are very much within the traditional POSSESSED feel and style, with a modern/updated twist!! Die-hard POSSESSED fans will not be disappointed!!"

Becerra previously stated about POSSESSED's current lineup: "I am quite happy with this new lineup and truly respect every member in the band now. It just makes everything so much easier and worthwhile whenever everyone is as into the music as I am. Also the professionalism and dedication is unwavering. These guys came in with guns blazing and knew the songs so well that even the first time around they were playing them almost perfectly."

In the October 2008 issue of Guitar World magazine, Becerra talked candidly about the 1989 shooting that left him paralyzed from the chest down, his battle with drugs and alcohol, the early days of the Bay Area thrash metal scene and his future as a wheelchair-bound frontman for the death metal legends.

Regarding the robbery that left him paralyzed, Becerra said: "The first bullet went into my chest about six inches above the nipple, went through the lung and stuck on the inside of my spine. I put my hand up as I was going down, and the second bullet clipped the top of my ring finger off. But at least it didn't hit me in the head. So I was on the ground, and the first guy put the gun to my head and pulled the trigger, and the gun jammed — luckily for me, some criminals don't know how to clean their automatic weapons."

30 years after his departure from KROKUS, guitarist Mandy Meyer has now officially returned.

Founder Chris Von Rohr and Fernando Von Arb are thrilled to have him back in the fold. Fernando says: "Now the KROKUS family is complete again."

Meyer replaced original KROKUS guitarist Tommy Kiefer for the remainder of 1980's "Metal Rendez-Vous" tour and 1981's "Hardware" tour and witnessed the growing popularity of KROKUS worldwide, including the band's first U.S. tour. Those two albums sold millions of copies around the world.

Mandy left KROKUS and moved at the tender age of 22 years old to Los Angeles to pursue his musical dreams. And it worked out pretty good, as time would tell.

In the mid-Nineties, Mandy moved back to Switzerland and joined GOTTHARD, another successful Swiss band. In 2004 he left that band and concentrated on his solo career. Between 2005 and 2007, he toured with KROKUS in support of the "Hellraiser" album, which he recorded and contributed to.

In 2009, Meyer joined forces with vocalist Michael Kiske (ex-HELLOWEEN) with Dennis Ward (bass) and Kosta Zafiriou (drums) of Germany's PINK CREAM 69 in UNISONIC.

Towards the end of 2011, Chris Von Rohr approached Mandy and asked him whether he would be game to play a couple of shows in Japan. Mandy recalls: "I agreed in a New York minute". The concerts proved to be totally successful. "And we got along great, it was as if time stood still," he adds.

Chris Von Rohr, along with vocalist Marc Storace, recently laid down bass and vocal tracks at London, England's Abbey Road Studios for the band's 17th album, "Dirty Dynamite". Sound engineer for the recording sessions is again Dennis Ward, who also recorded the band's last album, "Hoodoo".

Von Rohr promises: "The new songs sound like dirty dynamite: pure, dirty, in-your-face hard rock with a touch of blues."

Adds Storace: "We've been taking the time it needs writing for our next rock album and we guarantee that it definitely will contain no fillers!"

KROKUS 2012 is:

Marc Storace - Vocals
Chris Von Rohr - bass
Fernando Von Arb - Lead Guitar
Mark Kohler - Rhythm Guitar
Mandy Meyer - Guitar

Tuomas Holopainen, keyboardist and main songwriter of the Finnish symphonic metal band NIGHTWISH, has issued the following update:

"It was back in 1999, during the 'Oceanborn' tour, that I remember first having the idea of writing a 'soundtrack' to my all-time favorite piece of Disney comic, 'The Life And Times Of Scrooge McDuck', by Don Rosa, the apparent heir of the almighty Carl Barks. This book has had such an overwhelming effect on me throughout these years, and finally I have the means and the time to make that dream a reality.

"It all started with a story called 'Last Sled To Dawson', which was published in a Finnish Donald Duck magazine in the late '80s. It instantly became one of my favorite Scrooge/Donald stories and also introduced Mr. Don Rosa to my Disney universe. This story is not part of the actual 'Life And Times' opus, though, but 'a companion story,' set in between the chapters #8 and #9. Then when the massive 12-chapter piece was released in mid-'90s, I was completely and utterly hooked. It was similar to reading 'The Lord Of The Rings' as an 8-year-old, or seeing 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' for the first time. Adventure, fun and the strangely familiar feeling of home.

"With Scrooge, there was also a much deeper level hidden between the stories and the gags.

"This is a book about life itself. What an unfathomable privilege it is, what are the things that truly matter during our existence. It's about the immense beauty of the world and its possibilities seen through the eyes of a very relentless, honest and complex character. It's about love and family, gain and loss, darkness and rebirth.

"And on top of that, well, it's just your good old-fashioned storytelling fun!

"I have been twiddling around with certain themes for some months now and have an idea for five songs, but I will start working on this project 24/7 after the Australian leg of the tour, in February 2013. The demo recordings are scheduled for May 2013, just before the festival season starts and we're off with NIGHTWISH again. The actual recordings then start in August-September and should be finished by the end of the year, making a release during the first half of 2014 a possibility.

"Mr. Pip Williams has agreed to do the orchestral and choral arrangements and we will use pretty much the same London session musicians as we did on 'Imaginaerum'. Troy Donockley will bring Scrooge's Scottish origins to life with his pipes and whistles, and there will also be a few more guest musicians and singers involved.

"This journey is very, very dear and personal to me and I'm honored to have Mr. Rosa's approval on the project. It'll be a beautiful storytime, once again!"

FourPoints Television, producers of "The Aviators", one of PBS' most-watched television reality docuseries, has announced it has signed Vince Neil, lead singer of the infamous rock band MÖTLEY CRÜE, to head up a new reality series based on his exploits as a newly-certified pilot. The series, "Vince Neil Escapes", will follow Neil in his dream to finalize his pilot's license, for which flight training occurred on-camera during Season three of the popular PBS aviation program. In the process Vince and an entourage head for the skies in a series of flights to glamorous party destinations.

Episodes will accompany Neil and his bombshell entrepreneur girlfriend, his semi-famous rocker manager, and his soft-spoken female mentor and flight instructor, as they embark on various whirlwind flights across North America and the Caribbean, enjoying rock-star level treatment along the way. Throughout the season, Vince battles FAA regulations to earn the right to fly on his own (due to a long history of DUI convictions, including one fatal collision), working with a quirky medical practitioner... and accordion player.

Yet Neil's more enduring challenge is to strike a balance between his hard-partying nature and the unique sobriety and focus required to fulfill his dream of being a full-fledged pilot. Neil's flight instructor and "angel on the shoulder" warns that the only variable between Vince enjoying a casual flight and dying in a fiery disaster is Vince himself.

"We get to see a developing side of Vince that lifts the series above the typical celebrity reality fare," said Anthony Nalli, producer and creator of "Vince Neil Escapes" as well as a long-time pilot and host of "The Aviators". "He's faced with some choices that could have life-and-death consequences, and is called upon to summon a serious side that many 'Vince haters' doubt even exists. It's a classic battle of temptation that we all face — only on an rock star scale."

"I'm thrilled to be part of the series. It's a great ride," said Neil. "We do a lot of crazy partying in our travels, for sure, but what I've learned from this experience goes way past that. Flying has always been a huge dream for me, but the reality of learning something this disciplined has had a life-altering effect. It's taken time for it to sink in, but I've definitely gone through some unexpected changes."

Viewers can observe Vince's push-pull relationship with his unlikely new confidant and flight instructor (the only non-celebrity in the group, suddenly immersed in a VIP party scene), and how Vince's existing relationships with his put-upon manager and ambitious girlfriend are each influenced by his latest adventures in aviation.

British melodic metallers CODE OF SILENCE, who are fronted by Brazilian vocalist Gus Monsanto (REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE, ADAGIO, SYMBOLICA, LORD OF MUSHROOMS), have signed with Mausoleum Records and Rubicon Music.

Produced by Paul Logue (EDEN'S CURSE) and mixed and mastered by Italian producer Alessandro Del Vecchio (EDEN'S CURSE, HARDLINE, LIONVILLE) CODE OF SILENCE's full-length debut, "Dark Skies Over Babylon", is described in a press release as "a grandiose thematic album based upon the tales of the legendary Knights Templar during the period of the Crusades." The CD is scheduled for release on January 23 in Japan, February 25 in Europe and April 9 in North America.

CODE OF SILENCE filmed a promotional video for their first single, "Sky Is Falling Down", in early December in Glasgow with Mycho Films. The clip will make its online debut in the spring.

A two-minute audio sample of "Sky Is Falling Down" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

Alongside the experienced Monsanto, CODE OF SILENCE features young virtuoso guitarist Ben Randall (POWER QUEST) who turned heads when he won "The Most Promising Young Guitarist" award at the 2008 inaugural Guitar Idol competition in London at just 17 years old. With a field of over 750 international entrants, Randall wowed judges who praised "his level of technical virtuosity at such a young age, coupled with a level of phrasing beyond his years," a hallmark of his playing throughout the CODE OF SILENCE debut. The rest of CODE OF SILENCE consists of keyboardist Scott McLean (FALLOCH, CONCEPT OF TIME), drummer John Clelland (THE CROWS, THE JACK, KARMA, THE TROUBLESHOOTERS), and bassist and band leader James Murray.

"Dark Skies Over Babylon" track listing:

01. Omertà
02. Bitter Sweet Paradise
03. Sky Is Falling Down
04. Tame The Tempest
05. Dark Skies Over Babylon
06. Seventh Seal
07. Witches Of November
08. Black Abyss
09. Knights Of The Crimson Cross
10. Midnight Cathedral (Veritas)
11. Here To Heaven

The cover artwork for SEVENDUST's ninth album, "Black Out The Sun", can be seen below. Due on March 26, 2013 via the band's 7Bros. Records label (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group), the CD's first single, "Decay", will be sent to radio and available for download at online retail outlets January 22, 2013. The effort was recorded at Architekt Music studios in Butler, New Jersey with engineer Mike Ferretti.

"The craziest thing about this record is finishing it in about a month," guitarist John Connolly told Revolver magazine. "We haven't done that since our debut album [1997's self-titled effort]. This is one of the fastest records we've ever made, but also one of the strongest — working off instinct mostly."

According to Connolly, SEVENDUST's forthcoming CD finds the band exploring "a darker vibe," but "there's still plenty of melody," he added. "The record fits right in with 'Animosity' [2002], 'Alpha' [2007], and our self-titled album. Lots of heavy stuff and some more mellow, moody songs as well It's a nice balance of what makes for the SEVENDUST sound."

Songtitles set to appear on the 12-track CD, which was produced by the bandmembers themselves, include "Mountain" and "Murder Bar". The latter was reportedly inspired by a Butler, New Jersey bar across from the hotel where SEVENDUST was staying while recording the new CD. Rumor had it the place was popular with many of New Jersey's murderers.

"It's a basic SEVENDUST record," guitarist Clint Lowery recently told "Source Of The Sound With Wendy Campbell". "There's nothing, like, too completely different than anything we've done before. It's got a darker vibe to it. We've got a good amount of the programming element in there. It's a lot of what we do — it's heavy and it's got its melodic element in it. So if you're a SEVENDUST fan, it's more along the lines of the second and third records we did — it's kind of like that. It's got a couple of throwback vibes to it. 'Animosity' and 'Home' [1999], if I can put those two records together, it would [sound similar to the new CD]."

SEVENDUST and LACUNA COIL will join forces for a U.S. tour in early 2013. The bands will head out on a 17-date run throughout the month of February. The trek kicks off on February 2 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

DEATHRONIC, the Paris, France-based one-man symphonic black death metal project created by Amine Andalous, will release its debut album, "Duality Chaos", on January 28, 2013 via Mighty Music.

According to a press release, "DEATHRONIC is experimenting with a sound that combines several influences such as electronic music, oriental, doom and old-school heavy metal."

In late 2011, DEATHRONIC entered The Parlour Recording Studios in Kettering, U.K. and began tracking "Duality Chaos" with Neil Haynes as engineer. The vocals were recorded in March 2012 at the Audio Sound Art Studio in Berlin and engineered by Laurentx Etxemendi (GOJIRA). The CD was mixed and mastered in April 2012 by Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman (DIMMU BORGIR, AT THE GATES, OPETH, IN FLAMES). The artwork was created by Seth Siro Anton (SEPTICFLESH, PARADISE LOST, MOONSPELL).

The main concept behind "Duality Chaos" is human violence, a theme which is very present both in the lyrics and on the album's artwork.

SOLILOQUIUM, the Swedish death/doom act featuring Stefan Nordström and Jonas Bergkvist from DESOLATOR (currently signed to Hellthrasher Productions) and ENDING QUEST, is hard work on its second demo, "The Concept Of Escape". According to the group, the recording "is musically ready. Time to solve the others parts like mixing, mastering, album cover and such."

"The Concept Of Escape" will include three brand new tracks: "Crossroads", "Remnants Of Dying Dreams" and "Nighttime Revelations". It will also mark the recording debut of drummer Mortuz, who is also a member of the black metal act MIST OF MISERY.

SOLILOQUIUM's debut demo, "When Silence Grows Venomous", was released as a free download in mid-2012.

GENERATION KILL, the band featuring EXODUS frontman Rob Dukes, is back in the studio working on its second full-length album. The group is in talks with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUICIDE SILENCE, ALL THAT REMAINS, SHADOWS FALL, SOULFLY) to produce the CD and promises two things with this album — it will be different and it will be heavy.

Regarding the musical direction of the new effort, Rob Moschetti (bass) and Jason Velez (lead guitar) explained that they basically wanted to "stick to the direction of there is no direction, we want to be artists, people forget that music is art and we want to deliver something that makes people think and want to go back and listen again and again."

GENERATION KILL's new CD is due in 2013 via Season Of Mist. Zeuss "has a guiding hand in all the songs the band has written" for the upcoming CD so far, according to Dukes.

GENERATION KILL's debut album, "Red White And Blood", was released in September 2011. The CD was recorded at J. Rod Production Studios in New City, New York (where the vocal tracks for EXODUS' "Let There Be Blood" and OVERKILL's "Ironbound" were previously laid down).

GENERATION KILL is:

Rob Dukes - Vocals
Rob Moschetti - Bass/Backing Vocals
Jason Trenczer - Lead Guitar
Jason Velez - Lead Guitar
James DeMaria - Drums

Norwegian rock band AUDREY HORNE will release its fourth studio album, "Youngblood", via Napalm Records on the following dates:

Norway: January 25, 2013
Sweden, Finland, Espania: January 30, 2013
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux: February 1, 2013
Rest Of Europe: February 4, 2013
USA, Canada: February 5, 2013

According to a press release, "Youngblood" follows in "the ancient tradition of honest and true handmade music, a fresh enthusiasm and new energetic sound. 'Redemption Blues', 'Youngblood' or 'Show And Tell' not only live up to the numerous AUDREY HORNE classics, but turn into irresistible tunes with catchy refrains right from the start that will stay with you for a long time."

AUDREY HORNE will present "Youngblood" live on stage with live shows in Oslo (with STONE SOUR on December 18 and with BLACK DEBBATH on January 25). In March 2013, AUDREY HORNE will play Germany and Prague, Czech Republic with LONG DISTANCE CALLING and SÓLSTAFIR.

AUDREY HORNE was formed in 2002, taking its name from Sherilyn Fenn's character in the cult TV series "Twin Peaks". Although some of the band's members play or have previously played in black metal bands like ENSLAVED and GORGOROTH, AUDREY HORNE's music is far removed from the black metal genre, and can be described as heavy and melodic hard rock, similar to bands like FAITH NO MORE, ALICE IN CHAINS and A PERFECT CIRCLE.

Columbus, Ohio metallers LEGION have inked a worldwide deal with eOne/Good Fight Music. The band's new album will be released in the spring.

Commented LEGION guitarist Alex Heiberger: "Over the last year and a half or so, we have been hard at work writing and looking for the perfect label to help us release our new material. When we were told that eOne/Good Fight was interested in us, we could not have been more stoked. There are so many bands on the label that have influenced us since the beginning and it is an honor to now be a part of a great label."

LEGION is currently gearing up for the End Of The World Tour as the support act for JOB FOR A COWBOY.

Gaining exposure through their own DIY touring and performances at the New England Metal And Hardcore Festival, LEGION has come a long way in a short amount of time. The video for "Perverse Icon" has offered YouTube users a glimpse at just what LEGION is capable of achieving on stage. Tracks like "Disclosure Of Sin" and "Righteous Dictation" are emblematic of LEGION's skillful precision when it comes to balancing aggressive metallic destruction with trippy groove.

LEGION is:

Michael Guilford (vocals)
Chris Dragics (guitar)
Alex Heiberger (guitar)
Mason Prince (bass)
Jake Rodriguez (drums)

Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, has issued an official response to the petition that was created by a LAMB OF GOD fan from Brandenburg, Kentucky in an online forum on the White House web site for the government to help the band's frontman, Randy Blythe, who is facing manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic. (A petition needs 25,000 signatures in 30 days to get attention; the Blythe petition had 29,000 signatures, 4,000 more than necessary.)

Posner's full statement reads as follows:

"We appreciate your inquiry about the case of D. Randall Blythe, who was released from detention in the Czech Republic on August 3, 2012, and returned to the United States shortly thereafter. Mr. Blythe has publicly stated his intention to return to the Czech Republic to face trial for the alleged manslaughter of a Czech man at a concert in 2010. He recently told MTV, 'It's the correct thing for me to do ... this poor young man's family deserves some answers.' Pending Mr. Blythe's trial, we cannot discuss the details of his case. We are closely monitoring the progress of his trial.

"The Department Of State noted in its 2011 Human Rights Report that in the Czech Republic, 'The laws provide for the right to a fair trial, and the independent judiciary generally enforced this right.' We expect that the Czech government will make all efforts to ensure a fair, transparent, and timely trial for Mr. Blythe, and guarantee full protection of his legal rights under Czech law and his welfare.

"If you would like to know more about what the Department of State does for U.S. citizens overseas, please visit our website at Travel.State.Gov. General information on U.S. human rights policy is available at HumanRights.gov."

A Czech state attorney filed criminal charges against Blythe on November 30 related to the death of a fan in Prague two years ago, the attorney's office spokeswoman Štepánka Zenklová told the Czech News Agency (CTK). The Prague City Court has three months to set the trial date or return the case to the police and state attorney for further investigation.

Blythe is facing the possibility of conviction and a long-term jail sentence after a 2010 incident in which a fan attending a LAMB OF GOD show died almost a month later, allegedly from injuries sustained when he was thrown off the stage. Blythe's predicament has galvanized the heavy rock community, with artists across the hard rock genre pledging their support.

Shortly after being released from the Pankrác prison in Prague in early August, Blythe sat down with Mark Holmberg of WTVR-TV — the CBS television affiliate based in Richmond, Virginia — to discuss his 37-day stay at the notorious Czech Republic penitentiary (see video below).

Asked about his vow to go back to Prague if there is a trial, Randy said, "I feel ethically responsible to go back there and face this charge. [The victim's] family right now is in a lot of pain, and they deserve some answers. To lose a child is the worst possible thing a human can go through, I think .. I want my name cleared. I have to go around the world and tour, you know. That's what I do. I'm not going to hide here. I'm an innocent man. I'm going to go to court and see what happens."

Regarding what the "worst-case scenario" is if he returns to Prague for a trial, Blythe told Metal Hammer magazine, "Ten years with no time off for good behavior. For my particular charge — we're saying manslaughter, but it's assault in the fourth degree with intent, resulting in the death of this young man — the sentence for that is five to 10 years with no time off. So the worst-case scenario is that get out when I'm 51, 52 years old. It's not something I really try to dwell on too much, because it's scary. I don't want to go to prison, I don't want that to happen, but the fact of the matter is it could happen. I will deal with it as it comes, that's all! can do. If you have one foot in the past and one foot in the future, you're pissing on the present. And right now, all! have is the present so I prepare myself the best I can. My band is behind me and my family's behind me and we're gonna do our best to prove my innocence. But worrying about a nebulous uncertain future, or being super-bummed out that l went to prison for 37 days does me no good."

LAMB OF GOD's manager, Larry Mazer, confirmed in a statement earlier this week that Blythe will defend himself in the case. "We believe that Randy responded professionally to the numerous amount of fans rushing the stage that day, a number of them captured on videos that have been posted on the internet," Mazer said. "We have testimony from the venue operator that acknowledges lax security and an improper barricade being used that evening. Numerous testimonies from fans also were contradictory as to the actions of the multiple fans that tried to access the stage."

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's deathcore thrashers CHARIOTS OF THE GODS will release their new full-length album, "Tides Of War", on January 29, 2013. Produced by award-winning producer/engineer/mixer Glen Robinson, who has worked with RAMONES, AC/DC, GWAR, ANNIHILATOR and VOIVOD, the CD delivers 14 epic, crushing tracks to follow up their well received 2010 debut EP, "Reverence", which the band promoted by performing extensively in Quebec and Ontario, sharing the stage with such bands as MISFITS, VOIVOD, DESPISED ICON, KATAKLYSM and MISERY INDEX.

"We can't begin to describe how proud we are to finally share our musical creations with the world. So much has gone into it and we were lucky enough to work with incredible people such as our producer Glen Robinson and Aleksi Sihvonen (NORTHER)," comments vocalist Renaud Jobin. "Our sweat and manly tears gave this full-length album a more authentic and mature sound that will hopefully, rip your face off and leave you breathless."

"Tides Of War" track listing:

01. Overture
02. Seventh Weapon
03. Blind Assassin
04. Ambrosian Wings
05. Tides of War
06. Revillusion (1905)
07. Snow Falls On The White River (1914)
08. Severing The Bloodline (1917)
09. Collapse of An Empire
10. Red Skies
11. Nebula
12. Starborn
13. Unbound (feat. Aleksi Sihvonen)
14. Annihilation of The Gods

Rhode Island's THY WILL BE DONE invited a fan onstage to play the song "Subversion Of The Sleep" with them on November 17 at the Scout Bar on the Houston, Texas date of the "Party To The Apocalypse" tour. Thomas Ebers, who happened to also be a guitar player in one of the local opening acts, had casually mentioned he knew the song on guitar to the band. They asked him to leave his gear near the stage until their set because they wanted him to join them.

Audience-filmed footage of the performance can be seen below.

THY WILL BE DONE's new EP, "Temple", was produced and engineered by the band, mixed by acclaimed metal producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris at Planet Z and is the inaugural release on the band's own Eye.On Lion Recordings with INgrooves Fontana handling worldwide distribution.

Eye.On Lion Recordings is a DIY-style record label designed to release new music, merchandise, as well as other media from THY WILL BE DONE. The first single, "You, The Apathy Divine", was officially released through iTunes on June 26 following the band's performance at the Orion Music + More festival, for which they were hand-picked by the festival curators METALLICA.

"Temple" is THY WILL BE DONE's third release following 2009's "In Ancient Of Days" and the 2007 debut, "Was And Is To Come". The "Temple" EP shows the band expanding on their sound that both peers and press have already described as defying metal sub-genres.

Pennsylvania rockers HALESTORM and their song "Love Bites (So Do I)" have been nominated in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category at the 55th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on Sunday, February 10, 2013 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. They will be going up against ANTHRAX, MEGADETH, MARILYN MANSON, IRON MAIDEN and LAMB OF GOD in the category.

Speaking to Loudwire, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale stated about the Grammy nomination: "It's crazy, it means a lot considering the rock/metal performance category — it's kind of like a personal victory for the four of us. The performance of our live shows, that's what we love most. It's really neat, we're extremely humbled by it, we had no idea. In fact, I wasn't even paying attention [laughs] to the nominees for the past couple years — that doesn't happen to bands like us!"

She added, "I never expected it but it's really cool though — we actually found out in the middle of a show, so I got to announce it onstage and the crowd went crazy. I'm just so happy about it, it's very cool. It's just one of those things that you never expect to happen. You think about it when you're a little kid: 'Oh it would be cool to get a Grammy,' and then it happens and you're like, 'Wow, who screwed up?' [laughs]"

The nominees in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category are as follows:

ANTHRAX - "I'm Alive"
Track from: "Worship Music"
(Megaforce)

HALESTORM - "Love Bites (So Do I)"
Track from: "The Strange Case Of..."
(Atlantic)

IRON MAIDEN - "Blood Brothers"
Track from: "En Vivo!"
(Ume)

LAMB OF GOD - "Ghost Walking"
Track from: "Resolution"
(Epic)

MARILYN MANSON – "No Reflection"
Track from: "Born Villain"
(Cooking Vinyl)

MEGADETH - "Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)"
Track from: "TH1RT3EN"
(Roadrunner)

This year's Grammy Awards process registered more than 17,000 submissions over a 12-month eligibility period, October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012. Grammy ballots for the final round of voting will be mailed on Wednesday, December 19 to the voting members of The Recording Academy. They are due back to the accounting firm of Deloitte by Wednesday, January 16, when they will be tabulated and the results kept secret until the 55th Grammy broadcast.

The 55th annual Grammy Awards are produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer and Louis J. Horvitz is director.