"Dirt Wizard", the new Whitey McConnaughy-directed video from the Portland-based stoner rock band RED FANG, can be seen below. The song comes off the group's latest album, "Murder The Mountains", which was recorded with THE DECEMBERISTS' Chris Funk and was mixed by three-time Grammy Award winner Vance Powell (THE WHITE STRIPES, THE RACONTEURS).

RED FANG is completing work on a documentary that was shot by the band's resident director Whitey McConnaghy. Whitey followed the band while they were on the road in Europe with Relapse labelmates BLACK TUSK. This short film is being sponsored by Converse and will be released soon.

RED FANG performed as part of the inaugural Orion Music + More Festival curated by METALLICA on June 23 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Danish/American hard rockers ROYAL HUNT will release a 20-anniversary special-edition "best-of" CD/DVD set with bonus material. The package will consist of three CDs and one DVD, including the best ROYAL songs from all 11 albums a brand new track plus three newly recorded acoustic versions of three additional cuts and a DVD containing all the promotional video clips shot by the band during their long ride.

Release dates:

Europe (Frontiers): November 23
USA (Frontiers): January 22
Japan/Southeast Asia (Marquee/Avalon): November 21

CD 1:

01. Flight
02. Kingdom Dark
03. Stranded
04. Clown In The Mirror
05. Wasted Time
06. Epilogue
07. Time
08. Far Away
09. 1348
10. River Of Pain
11. Tearing Down The World
12. Message To God

CD 2:

01. Cold City Lights
02. Follow Me
03. Surrender
04. The Mission
05. Can't Let Go
06. Paper Blood
07. Season's Change
08. The First Rock
09. Tears Of The Sun
10. The Well
11. Shadowman
12. Hard Rain's Coming
13. Half Past Loneliness

CD 3:

01. Save Me (new song)
02. One By One (unplugged)
03. Bodyguard (unplugged)
04. Restless (unplugged)
05. Bad Luck
06. Double Conversion
07. U-Turn
08. Sixth Sense
09. Day Is Dawning

DVD

01. Land Of Broken Hearts
02. Day In Day Out
03. Clown In The Mirror
04. Far Away
05. Last Goodbye
06. Stay Down
07. River Of Pain
08. Tearing Down The World
09. Martial Arts
10. Third Stage
11. Wasted Time
12. Message To God

ROYAL HUNT's 11th studio album, "Show Me How To Live", was released on November 29, 2011 in North America and December 2, 2011 in Europe via Frontiers Records. The follow-up 2010's "X" was recorded at NorthPoint studio in Copenhahen and will be mixed at RoastingHouse Studios in Malmö, Sweden. The mastering duites were handled by Jan Eliasson at AudioPlanet in Copenhagen.

In 2011, ROYAL HUNT was rejoined by D.C. Cooper, the American singer that performed on the band's two most successful releases in the '90s: "Moving Target" and the concept album "Paradox".

"Show Me How to Live" was described in a press release as "highly melodic with rich, lush arrangements and stellar production" and certain to "please the fans of neoclassical yet progressive music."

According to MusicTAP, Mercury Records will reissue a Super Deluxe CD/BD version of RUSH's classic 1976 album "2112" on December 18. The set is expected to contain a 5.1 version of the album.

"2112" was included in the "Sector 1" box set release last year, but no 5.1 edition of the album was made available.

A unique blend of classic rock and synthesizers that made RUSH a sensation both in Canada and the United States, "2112" is one of two RUSH albums listed in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" (the other being "Moving Pictures"). In 2006, a poll of Planet Rock listeners picked "2112" as the definitive RUSH album. In 2012, the album came in at No. 2 on Rolling Stone's list for "Your Favorite Prog Rock Albums of All Time," as voted for in a reader's poll, being one of three RUSH albums included on the list (the others being "Moving Pictures" and "Hemispheres").

Fan-filmed video footage of Slash's October 20 conceert at Zenith in Paris, France can be seen below.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Halo
02. Nightrain (GUNS N' ROSES song)
03. Ghost
04. Standing In The Sun
05. Back From Cali
06. Been There Lately (SLASH'S SNAKEPIT song)
07. Mr. Brownstone (GUNS N' ROSES song)
08. Rocket Queen (GUNS N' ROSES song)
09. Bad Rain
10. Far and Away
11. We're All Gonna Die (Todd Kerns on vocals)
12. Out Ta Get Me (GUNS N' ROSES song) (Todd Kerns on vocals)
13. No More Heroes
14. Starlight
15. Blues Jam (with "Only Women Bleed" by Alice Cooper intro)
16. Anastasia
17. You're a Lie
18. Sweet Child O' Mine (GUNS N' ROSES song)
19. Slither (VELVET REVOLVER song)

Encore:

20. Fall to Pieces (VELVET REVOLVER song)
21. Paradise City (GUNS N' ROSES song)

Slash's second solo album, "Apocalyptic Love", came out in May and was recently certified gold in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales in excess of 35,000 copies.

"[The album has] been really well received and I was really pleased with the record in the first place; it's great," Slash said. "You never know what exactly is going to happen and I never have any what you'd call expectations, but once it's out there and people sort of dig it for the right reasons, it's always a good feeling."

Slash recently revealed that he and singer Myles Kennedy have already begun working on music for the guitarist's next album, to be recorded sometime next year.

"We are working on material, gathering ideas for another [record] at this point," Slash told Rapid City Journal. "We are sort of like in those early stages where I'm just recording different guitar ideas and I turn Myles on to it. He's thinking about his stuff and what he's going to do with it and so on."

"Forevermore", a new demo track from SUNBURST, the Greek progressive-melodic metal band featuring guitarist Gus Drax (BIOMECHANICAL, PARADOX, BLACK FATE), vocalist Vasilis Georgiou (INNOSENSE, BLACK FATE), drummer Kostas Milonas (BLACKLEGS, N.U.R.V., G.K GROUP) and bassist Vasilis Liakos (INNOSENSE, BLACK FATE), can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

SUNBURST was formed in 2010 and is currently working on its debut album.

The band's "Beyond The Darkest Sun" video, which can be seen below, was produced and directed by Bob Katsionis and PVG.

"Forevermore" demo track:

Alan Sculley of the Toledo Free Press recently spoke to Rob Zombie about the progress of the recording sessions for Rob's new album, tentatively due in early 2013.

"It seems to happen every couple of years or every 10 years or every five years or whatever, you have a moment when it all comes together," Zombie said. "Not that the other records are bad, but not every record can be like the most inspired event in your life. But for some reason, this one feels like it is. The songwriting, the sound of it, the vibe, the production — it's special."

According to Zombie, fans can expect an album that touches quite a few musical bases.

"It's stylistically sort of a little bit of everything," Zombie said. "Fans of my really old stuff will love it because there's a certain aspect of it that's very reminiscent of that. But it also is very looking to the future. It's hard to describe music to somebody if they haven't heard it, but I feel like it's the best of all of the things I've done. I've finally found a perfect match between the old stuff I did and the new stuff. That's the way it sounds to me anyway."

The new ROB ZOMBIE album is being produced by Bob Marlette, who has previously worked with everyone from BLACK SABBATH and ALICE COOPER to WILSON PHILLIPS and LYNYRD SKYNYRD.

The singer released a collection of remixes of various ZOMBIE tracks on August 7 called "Mondo Sex Head". The remixes feature some of the hottest names in the growing electronic dance music scene, along with contributions from Jonathan Davis of KORN and Chino Moreno of DEFTONES.

MOTÖRHEAD will enter the studio in January with longtime producer Cameron Webb to begin recording its next album for a mid-2013 release. "We'll go into the rehearsal room about a month before the album and just band stuff out," MOTÖRHEAD mainman Lemmy Kilmister tells Billboard.com.

In a recent interview with Artisan News, MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee stated about the band's plans for a new CD, "We have a lot of songs done already. It's not finished. We're gonna keep writing and we'll record it next year, and it will come out next year."

MOTÖRHEAD released "The Wörld Is Ours – Vol 2: Anyplace Crazy As Anywhere Else" in Germany on September 21, three days later in the rest of Europe and October 9 in North America via UDR/EMI. The follow-up to 2011's "The Wörld Is Ours – Vol 1: Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" features the band's 2011 Wacken Open Air headline appearance as well as highlights from Sonisphere (United Kingdom) and Rock In Rio (Brazil) shows.

MOTÖRHEAD's latest album, "The Wörld Is Yours", sold 7,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 94 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous effort, "Motörizer", premiered with 6,400 units back in 2008 to debut at No. 82, while 2006's "Kiss Of Death" registered a first-week tally of 3,500.

Swedish melodic metallers HAMMERFALL will release a concert DVD+2CD and Blu-ray+2CD, "Gates Of Dalhalla", on November 30 via Nuclear Blast. The set will feature the band's extraordinary 135-minute 15th-anniversary show that took place on July 28 on the historic open-air stage Dalhalla, built in an old quarry near the small Swedish village Rättvik. The footage was captured by Swedish director Patric Ullaeus of the Revolver Film Company AB, who has previously worked with IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, EUROPE and LACUNA COIL, among many others.

Commented HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak: "The set contained 26 tracks and lasted two hours and 15 minutes, by far the longest and most comprehensive gig of our entire career! We played songs from every album and then some. There were lots of guests and pyros, and we had 80 Marshall cabinets and the big shield with the HF logo carved out in the middle hanging brought out of storage, all set in an extremely unique venue. You really have to see it to understand. This concert really captured the essence of HAMMERFALL live in 2012 very well!"

Special guests during the concert included original HAMMERFALL members Jesper Strömblad (IN FLAMES) and Mikael Stanne (DARK TRANQUILLITY), as well as ex-HAMMERFALL guitarist Stefan Elmgren.

Added Oscar: "Everything concerning this release is special: the venue, the occasion, the setlist, the guests. If you are going to celebrate something, do it properly, and this is exactly what we have done. HAMMERFALL with extra everything, 100% live, 0% bullshit."

The setlist for the concert was as follows:

01. Patient Zero
02. Heeding The Call
03. Any Means Necessary
04. B.Y.H.
05. Riders Of The Storm
06. Let's Get It On
07. Crimson Thunder
08. Renegade
09. Blood Bound (special guest: Stefan Elmgren)
10. Last Man Standing (special guest: Stefan Elmgren)
11. Fury Of The Wild (special guest: Stefan Elmgren)
12. Drum Solo: Anders Johansson
13. Always Will Be
14. Dia De Los Muertos
15. Steel Meets Steel (special guest: Mikael Stanne)
16. Threshold
17. The Dragon Lies Bleeding (special guest: Jesper Strömblad)
18. Let The Hammer Fall
19. När Vindarna Viskar Mitt Namn (special guest: Roger Pontare)
20. Something For The Ages
21. The Templar Flame
22. Oh Fortuna (special guest: Team Cans)
23. Glory To The Brave (special guest: Team Cans)
24. One More Time (special guest: Team Cans)
25. Hammerfall
26. Hearts On Fire (featuring all special guests)

A second "Gates Of Dalhalla" "preview teaser" can be seen below.

The members of HAMMERFALL announced in March that they were take an extended break immediately following their festival appearances this summer.

"It has been an unbelievable first 15 years, to say the least," said guitarist Oscar Dronjak, "and now we are taking a pause to ensure that we have another 15 years ahead of us."

There will be no HAMMERFALL activities in 2013, but the band promises to return strong the following year. "The plan is to use the year off to recharge our batteries and come back more vital than ever with a new album in 2014," explained singer Joacim Cans.

HAMMERFALL's new album, "Infected", sold around 1,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD debuted at No. 16 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.

HAMMERFALL's previous CD, "No Sacrifice, No Victory", opened with 1,400 units to land at No. 38 on the Top New Artist Albums chart.

"Infected" entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 2 (right behind LADY GAGA!). The CD was released in Europe in May 2011 and was made available in North America in June via Nuclear Blast Records. Laying down the foundation themselves in their own studio in Sweden, the members of HAMMERFALL then traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to finish it up with acclaimed producer James Michael (MÖTLEY CRÜE, SCORPIONS, MEAT LOAF). He also mixed the album, giving it a decisive updated edge without losing any of the essence of the band's sound.

HAMMERFALL was among the five final nominees that competed for the "Best Hard Rock/Metal" honor at the Swedish Grammis awards (Swedish Grammy equivalent), which was held February 14, 2012 at Kungliga Operan in Stockholm.

British metalcore act BRING ME THE HORIZON has set "Sempiternal" as the title of its fourth album, due in early 2013 via RCA. The follow-up to 2010's "There Is A Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret" was recorded at Angelic Studio in Banbury, Oxfordshire with producer Terry Date, who has previously worked with such acts as DEFTONES, PANTERA, SOUNDGARDEN and PRONG.

"I've never been so confident about an album," BRING ME THE HORIZON frontman Oli Sykes tells Kerrang! magazine. "It makes our last record just sound shit. We're doing stuff we could never dreamed of doing before."

BRING ME THE HORIZON will play its only U.K. show of the year at the Alexandra Palace in London on November 10 as the co-headliners of the Vans Warped Tour with LOSTPROPHETS.

"There Is A Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret" sold 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 17 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD also entered the official chart in the U.K. at position No. 13.

"Panophobia", the new video from Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based female-fronted melodic death metallers THE AGONIST, can be seen below. Featuring behind-the-scenes and live footage from THE AGONIST's performance at Heavy MTL 2012, the clip was directed by Ben McKinnon of Five Knights Productions.

THE AGONIST will play a few shows in Asia this November in support of its third album, "Prisoners". The CD debuted at No. 19 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.

"Prisoners", was released on June 4 in Europe and June 5 in North America via Century Media Records. The CD was produced by Christian Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY) and mixed by Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, DARK TRANQUILLITY, SUICIDE SILENCE) and it "picks right up where 2009's 'Lullabies For The Dormant Mind' left off, with soaring melodies over complex metal passages that fans of thinking-man's metal can appreciate," according to a press release.

In regards to the album artwork, singer Alissa White-Gluz stated: "We wanted to really include a chaotic visual to reflect the chaotic sound of the band, but we also wanted to show that the lyrics on this album are a lot more introverted…The human face was left non-descript on purpose — it doesn't belong to any particular person, but we could call him the Lonely Solipsist."

New York hardcore/metal veterans BIOHAZARD have begun writing and demoing material for the follow-up to this year's "Reborn In Defiance".

A photo of BIOHAZARD frontman Scott Roberts "layin' some bad-ass vocals" in the studio can be seen below.

"Reborn In Defiance" was released in Europe on January 20 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Not only is "Reborn In Defiance" BIOHAZARD's first original lineup album in 18 years, but it also marks the last album recorded by the band before the departure of bassist and co-vocalist Evan Seinfeld. The effort remains a testament to the four founding members (Billy Graziadei, Bobby Hambel, Evan Seinfeld and Danny Schuler) and their unique chemistry.

Seinfeld left the band in June 2011 after the band's new CD was completed and was replaced by Roberts, who played on the band's 2005 "Means To An End" album and has been part of the BIOHAZARD extended family since.

Southern California traditional metallers HOLY GRAIL will release their sophomore album, "Ride The Void", in Europe on January 18, 2013 via Nuclear Blast Records and in North America on January 22, 2013 through Prosthetic Records. The effort will be made available as a limited CD version including a bonus track, a black 2LP version and a strictly limited clear 2LP version.

The follow-up to 2010's "Crisis In Utopia", "Ride The Void" was recorded with producer Matt Hyde (SLAYER, HATEBREED, CHILDREN OF BODOM) throughout the year, working around national tours with DRAGONFORCE and VALIENT THORR. The cover artwork was created by famous American digital matte artist Dylan Cole, who is well-known for his work on movies like "The Lord Of The Rings", "Avatar" and "Daredevil".

"Ride The Void" track listing:

01. Archeus
02. Bestia Triumphans
03. Dark Passenger
04. Bleeding Stone
05. Ride The Void
06. Too Decayed To Wait
07. Crosswinds
08. Take It To The Grave
09. Sleep Of Virtue
10. Silence The Scream
11. The Great Artifice
12. Wake Me When It's Over
13. Rains Of Sorrow
14. Can't Hide The Wolf (bonus track)

The official lyric video for "Dark Passenger" can be seen below. The artwork for the single was designed by Sam Turner (3 INCHES OF BLOOD), who also did the art for the band's 2011 holiday EP "Seasons Bleedings". The seven-inch edition also includes an unreleased B-side, "Go Down Swinging", which will not appear on "Ride The Void".

Fan-filmed video footage of VOIVOD's October 22 performance at Le Korigan in Luynes, France can be seen below.

A new VOIVOD track, "Mechanical Mind", was released on October 9 (one day earlier internationally) as a digital single and a limited-edition seven-inch single-sided vinyl with a skull etching by VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin on the B-side. The song comes off VOIVOD's new album, "Target Earth", which will be released on January 22, 2013 (one day earlier internationally) via VOIVOD's own company, Iron Gang Factory, and Century Media.

"Target Earth" was recorded in January at Pierre Rémillard's (OBLIVEON, CRYPTOPSY, KRISIUN, MISERY INDEX) Wild Studio in a small town called St-Zénon in Quebec, Canada. The follow-up to 2009's "Infini" will contain the band's first music to be written with new guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain (MARTYR) following the passing of original axeman Denis "Piggy" D'Amour in 2005.

VOIVOD debuted the "Target Earth" title track during their April 12 concert at the Roadburn festival at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland.

VOIVOD 2012 is:

Denis "Snake" Bélanger - Vocals
Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain - Guitar
Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault - Bass
Michel "Away" Langevin - Drums

YEARS OF COLD, the El Paso, Texas-based band featuring ex-PISSING RAZORS guitarists Mat Lynch and Cesar Soto, alongside vocalist Dewey Bragg (KILL DEVIL HILL, ex-PISSING RAZORS), has released audio samples of the songs that appear on the group's self-titled EP, which will be released on October 30 via iTunes through YEARS OF COLD's own HeavenPoint label.

"Years Of Cold" was produced by Justin Leeah (MINISTRY, CANNIBAL CORPSE, DEVILDRIVER) at DownTown Sound And Vision Lab in El Paso and Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, Texas.

According to Soto, "Years Of Cold" is "unique, driven and [is] sure to crush!"

YEARS OF COLD has been hard at work filming performance footage for its new video, "The Ghost Behind", at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, Texas with DoubleScope Films at the helm. The clip is expected to make its online debut in early November

Finnish modern metallers NO SIGN OF LIFE have inked with Mighty Music. The band's second album, "Embrace Your Demons", will be released on December 3.

According to a press release, "NO SIGN OF LIFE is one of the most exciting modern metal bands out there and even though they musically are rooted in the metal genre, the band draws on influences and elements from all over the music field."

Rising from the small town of Laukaa in Finland, NO SIGN OF LIFE has celebrated victories and final ranks in most of the top band competitions in Finland, sold thousands of pieces of their demo CDs and even got one of their demos distributed in Japan. In 2010 they released the debut album, "Chaotic Type of Normality", which was followed by a lot of touring.

"Embrace Your Demons" is not a concept album. It is an album full of stories about inner demons and point of views that should be spoken about. The band has finally found the perfect balance between the epic melodies and the earthshaking rage they always have had in them, and also the space for everything else.

NO SIGN OF LIFE's music has always included various different elements that are not usually heard in metal music. Those elements, all tied up with powerful groove, is the factor that makes NSOL a completely unique group.

"Embrace Your Demons" track listing:

01. Ghost
02. Walls Melt Down
03. Nothing To Say
04. Enemies Of Choice
05. Behind The Scenes
06. Sympathetic
07. Embrace Your Demons
08. Meaning Of Life
09. The Wounds Of Nature
10. Light At The End Of The Tunnel

The video for the song "Meaning Of Life" can be seen below.

Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA were presented with gold plaques for their seventh studio album, "Stones Grow Her Name", on September 25 at Tavastia in Helsinki, Finland. Check out a photo below.

"Stones Grow Her Name" was certified gold in Finland for sales in excess of 10,000 copies. Released in Europe on May 18 and in North America on May 22 via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was recorded in several studios all over Finland, mixed at Sonic Pump Studios by Mikko Karmila and mastered at Chartmakers by Svante Forsbäck. The effort was released as a limited-edition digipak, standard jewel case, vinyl and download.

Commented SONATA ARCTICA keyboard player Henrik "Henkka" Klingenberg: "This is our ninth gold disc from Finland.

"Although it's not our first album to go gold in Finland, it always feels just as amazing that so many fans appreciate what we do.

"On behalf of the whole band, I'd like to thank you all who bought the album and thus helped us out.

"Our 'Stones Grow Her Name' world tour is well underway and I look forward to seeing you at the shows on the upcoming European and American tours as well as the places we'll hit next year."

"Stones Grow Her Name" sold around 2,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 9 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.

"Stones Grow Her Name" track listing:

01. Only The Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)
02. Shitload Of Money
03. Losing My Insanity
04. Somewhere Close To You
05. I Have A Right
06. Alone In Heaven
07. The Day
08. Cinderblox
09. Don't Be Mean
10. Wildfire II
11. Wildfire III

Danish power metallers RIPE, who feature in their ranks current ARTILLERY singer Michael Bastholm Dahl, will release their second album, "The Eloquence Of Silence", on November 26 via Mighty Music.

Formed in 2001 in Copenhagen, RIPE's style "has always been powerful heavy metal and it has never changed!" according to a press release.

The band's debut album, "A Moment Of Forever" (2010), featured guest appearances by Michael Denner (MERCYFUL FATE, FORCE OF EVIL) and Billy Cross (BOB DYLAN).

"The Eloquence Of Silence" track listing:

01. Fade To Rise (3:28)
02. Riddle In The Dark (3:52)
03. Candle And The Sun (3:37)
04. Dreamwalker (3:50)
05. A Part Apart (2:47)
06. Bloodlust (3:13)
07. Saint Of The Scar (3:40)
08. Xenophobe In Hiding (3:29)
09. Porcelain Goddess (3:16)
10. Song For A Shadow (3:47)
11. Above Inside (3:12)
12. Ghost Of A Rose (3:44)

The song "Fade To Rise" is available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.

"The Abandoning", a brand new song from LOVE & DEATH, the band led by former KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track comes off the group's debut album, "Between Here & Lost", which will be released on November 20 via Tooth & Nail Records. Recorded in Nashville with producer Jasen Rauch (RED, BREAKING BENJAMIN) and mixed by Paul Pavao, Ben Grosse (MARILYN MANSON, DISTURBED) and Jim Monti (KORN), the CD consists of 11 tracks, ranging from songs about personal struggle and triumph ("Chemicals", "My Disaster", "Paralyzed") to emotionally charged anthems ("Fading Away", "Watching The Bottom Fall") to a riff-heavy rendition of DEVO's 1980 hit "Whip It".

LOVE & DEATH is comprised of Welch, lead guitarist JR Bareis, bassist Michael Valentine, and drummer Dan Johnson.

Like the album title suggests, "Between Here & Lost" captures the honesty of light and darkness, beauty and tragedy, good and evil, delivered by a band with intense passion and commitment to the message of its music.

"This record was birthed from trials, tribulations, pain, suffering, anxiety, depression, and drama," states Welch. "However, we came out on top and the end result is a very real, raw and honest record. We are so stoked for people to hear it! From our opening song, 'The Abandoning', to our cover of DEVO's 'Whip it', to our collaboration with Mattie Montgomery from FOR TODAY on 'I W8 4 U', It's an exciting piece of art and the listener will feel the different range of emotions with the lyrics and melodies of each song."

"Between Here & Lost" track listing:

01. The Abandoning
02. Whip It
03. Watching The Bottom Fall
04. By The Way...
05. Meltdown
06. My Disaster
07. I W8 4 U (featuring Mattie Montgomery)
08. Fading Away
09. Paralyzed
10. Chemicals
11. Bruises

LOVE & DEATH formed when Welch decided to have open auditions on YouTube in 2009. "I picked the guys and then had a jam session in Phoenix," says Welch. "Over the last couple of years, there have been a few lineup changes as we went through normal growing pains. The current band has been together and touring for a while now and they are a big part of the new music and the future of LOVE & DEATH."

LOVE & DEATH will be touring extensively in 2013 to support the effort.

"The Abandoning" audio stream:

"Unto The Sun", the new video from the Sothern California prorgressive metal band ELITIST, can be seen below. The clip was directed, filmed, lit, edited and colored by Justin Steeley of Steeley Entertainment.

"Unto The Sun" comes off ELITIST's debut album, "Reshape Reason", which was released on September 25 via The Anti Campaign.

According to the band's official bio, ELITIST's "goal [is] to create music that will appease both musicians and non-musicians with smart songwriting and a main lyrical theme of having strength to keep pushing forward."

Helmed by producer Dan Braunstein (VOLUMES, BERMUDA), "Reshape Reason" "explores free-thinking ideals, showcases new singer Chris Balay and kicks aside programmed drums to make room for sticksman Ben Kazenoff."

"Reshape Reason" track listing:

01. Unto The Sun
02. Square And Compass
03. Time Stands Still
04. Reshape Reason
05. Equinox
06. Life Lost (feat. Garrison Lee)
07. Transmutation
08. Sacred Geometry
09. Lucid Dream
10. Trace The Sky

A snippet of the demo version of the new track "Sin City" from Swedish glam rockers CRASHDÏET can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The clip was filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada.

CRASHDÏET has completed recording its new album at Kingside Studios outside Stockholm with producer Otto Wellton. The CD, which has not yet been mixed, is tentatively scheduled for release in January 2013.

The new CRASHDÏET CD can be preordered at this location.

CRASHDÏET has been touring quite a bit in the last two and a half years, opening up for such bands as MÖTLEY CRÜE, OZZY OSBOURNE, MICHAEL MONROE and WEDNESDAY 13, and traveling everywhere from Australia to USA to Brazil.

CRASHDÏET performed a new song "Anarchy" for the first time on June 7 when they played at Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki, Finland as the support act for MÖTLEY CRÜE.

The band's third CD, "Generation Wild", was recently released on vinyl. This gatefold LP features the new bonus track "Hollywood Teaze" as well as updated artwork.

"Generation Wild" entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 3.

CRASHDÏET in 2009 announced the addition of Simon "Simme" Cruz from the Stockholm act JAILBAIT as the group's new lead singer.

The band parted ways with its previous vocalist, the Finland-based H. Olliver Twisted, in July 2008.

New song "Sin City" (demo version):

The latest episode of Whitesnake TV, in which WHITESNAKE frontman David Coverdale answers video questions from his fans about his life, music and career, can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Albania's Top Channel web site, Coverdale was asked what fans can expect from the band in the near future. "I am always reticent to discuss in detail what we're planning as I still enjoy 'surprises.'"

He continued, "In this day and age, with global technology and overwhelming social media, it is getting harder and harder to keep anything secret until they are ready to be presented. We host a very interactive global web site with Whitesnake.com and I answer people's questions as much as I can without giving too much away."

"We are very, very active this year behind the scenes. Many exciting things in the pipeline. Two projects I can tell you about are related to completing the 'Forevermore' project. An in-concert DVD from last year's tour and also a double live CD featuring different shows. It's shaping up very well indeed and I think a lot of people will enjoy re-living the concert experience they had with us in 2011. We have also started Whitesnake TV, which is off to a fantastic start and seems to be making a lot of people happy."

Asked if WHITESNAKE will tour next year, Coverdale said, "There are plans to start in Europe in May, I heard, but as yet there is nothing concrete. But, of course, we hope to be out there again. We have too much fun with audiences to stay at home for too long!"

Regarding whether all his plans involve WHITESNAKE, or if fans can expect any other collaborations or solo projects, Coverdale said, "WHITESNAKE is my priority and at this time I have no other plans to collaborate with other artists. But, you know rock and roll… Everything can change with a phone call."

Part 3:

British metalcore act ASKING ALEXANDRIA is putting the finishing touches on its third album with renowned producer Joey Sturgis (THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, EMMURE) for an early 2013 release via Sumerian Records. Guitarist Ben Bruce tells Billboard.com that the follow-up to 2011's "Reckless & Relentless" will contain 13-15 songs, six of which will be "radio-friendly" while the rest will be "our usual balls-to-the-wall kind of stuff."

"We spent a long time honing in on song structures and writing techniques and stuff like that, but there are still heavy songs on the record," Bruce says. "We're not just going to throw that away and kick our original fan base in the teeth by getting rid of all that. There will still be a lot of riffing and screaming. But we feel like we did find a happy medium between being heavy and then being light enough to be on radio, but still keeping the balls in the song."

Most of the new CD was recorded at Sturgis' studio in Indiana, with the vocals and strings and choir parts having been laid down at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California. "On the last one a lot of that extra stuff was all fake; we did it on computer," Bruce says. "This time we wanted to be more organic, so we got a live orchestra conducted by the brilliant Stevie Black (ALICE IN CHAINS, AVENGED SEVENFOLD) and did all the strings. Then we got a live church gospel choir to come into the studio for a few days to sing over a few tracks. It really sounds special."

ASKING ALEXANDRIA's remix record, "Stepped Up And Scratched", came out in November 2011.

ASKING ALEXANDRIA is:

Danny Worsnop - Vocals
Ben Bruce - Guitar
Cameron Liddell - Guitar
Sam Bettley - Bass
James Cassells - Drums

Californian rockers PAPA ROACH performed for a worldwide live stream and took questions from fans earlier today (Tuesday, October 23) via YouTube (see video below), marking the first time the band played live since vocalist Jacoby Shaddix underwent surgery last month to remove nodes from his vocal cords. Shaddix's condition forced him to stop singing and led his band to drop off this past summer's Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival tour.

Shaddix told The Pulse Of Radio that pulling out of that tour and going straight into surgery was probably the smartest thing he could have done. "Best decision I ever made," he said. "You know, it was a tough decision, but best decision. Went in and got the surgery — I was freaking out. I remember I was going into surgery, I'm like, tear rolling down my face, like, 'God, please guide this surgeon's hands,' cause, you know, I mean, shit could go bad real quick."

Shaddix told Loudwire, "I couldn't talk at all so that sucked. It was the longest silence of my life since I was born; I just wanted to talk so bad."

Even before his vocal problems started, Shaddix admitted in several new interviews that he came close to committing suicide earlier in the year as he struggled with both marital problems and falling off the wagon.

The latest PAPA ROACH album, "The Connection", sold 22,000 copies in its first week of release to debut at No. 17 on the Billboard album chart.

PAPA ROACH will follow the YouTube performance with a tour across Europe, beginning in Russia in early November.

LA-based extreme prog metal bashers ANA KEFR have issued the following announcement:
"Our Fall US national tour has unfortunately fallen through. The matter is out of our hands, we are truly disappointed that we won't be hitting the road to bring our music to our fans throughout the United States. Rather than push back the tour for an early spring national tour instead, we've decided to complete what booking arrangements have already been made so that we can go into hibernation to focus on the absolutely massive amount of new music we have been writing this past year (now clocking in at just under 14 hours of new material!!). The period of The Burial Tree has been a fruitful one, and we have but two remaining shows until we're going to lay it to rest:

October 31st at the Becker Amphitheater at California State University of Fullerton - this show is all ages, free, and will be the final time we will be performing The Burial Tree (II) in its entirety, from beginning to end!

November 24th at the N. O. S. event center in San Bernardino, California for the California Metalfest featuring a ton of big bands such as KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, DILLINGERS ESCAPE PLAN and more.

Be sure to catch one of these final two shows, it will be quite some time before we re-emerge!"

In addition, Ana Kefr frontman Rhiis Lopez contributed guest choral and death vocals to the forthcoming debut full-length album from epic black metal band XANTHOCROID. The album, titled Blessed He With Boils, will be released on December 21st. You can have a free taste of it now by clicking this link and downloading their new single 'In Putris Stagnum'. This free downloadable track features guest choral and death vocals from Lopez.

Ana Kefr's latest album, The Burial Tree (II), was produced and mixed by Ana Kefr and David Franklin, engineered by David Franklin. The official tracklisting is as follows:

'Ash-Shahid'
'Emago'
'Monody'
'In The House Of Distorted Mirrors'
'Thaumatrope'
'Bathos And The Iconoclast'
'The Zephirus Circus'
'Jeremiad'
'Apoptosis'
'Parasites'
'Paedophilanthrope'
'Fragment'
'The Blackening'
'The Collector'

The cover art ("The Watcher") was created by Dutch artist Bianca Van Der Werf. Check it out below:

Check out the band's website at this location.

Swedish rockers HEX have inked a deal with logic(il)logic The band's self-titled debut album is scheduled for release this winter.

HEX was formed in October 2011 by Jonas Hygren on vocals, Jerker Johansson on bass guitars, Micke Backelin (ex-LORD BELIAL) on drums and Jörgen Svärd on lead guitar. In March 2012, the lineup was changed a bit, with Jerker taking over rhythm guitar and the bass duties being handed over to a new recruit called Timo Hagström.

According to a press release, HEX's musical direction is "some kind of mix of metal, hard rock with a little touch of industrial elements in the forms of samples and keyboards."

One of the songs from the upcoming album, "Voodoo Girl", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

HEX is:

Jonas Hygren - Vocals
Jerker Johansson - Guitars
Jörgen Svärd - Guitars
Micke Backelin - Drums
Timo Hagström - Bass

Bridgeway Entertainment has announced the signing of the Nevada hardcore outfit UNDER CITIES. The band is currently writing material for its new album, to be recorded in early 2013.

BridgeWay Entertainment is the development division of Red Cord Records that is committed to rising, aspiring, spirit-filled artists.

Commented Red Cord owner Joey Matthews: "We are very excited to be working with such an awesome, spirit-filled, hardcore-based ministry and group of guys. UNDER CITIES has an intensity and a drive that we were immediately drawn to, not only in their traditional/melodic hardcore-based roots, but also in the fire that they have for being a band that is also a ministry."