The self-titled debut album from CHICKENFOOT was re-released as a deluxe double-disc version on October 16. The set features live tracks recorded on the band's "Different Devil" tour this past spring while supporting its sophomore album, "Chickenfoot III".

The video for the song "Something Goes Wrong", which appears as a live bonus track on the new release, can be seen below.

"Normally, I write positive lyrics, but when Joe [Satriani, guitar] brought me the music, it was spooky," CHICKENFOOT singer Sammy Hagar tells RollingStone.com. "So, I just wrote about what I saw around me in the present and tied it into the four elements: earth, air, fire and water in what we call a solar year, or a 2,000-year cycle."

"Chickenfoot" deluxe version track listing:

Disc 1

01. Avienda Revolution
02. Soap On A Rope
03. Sexy Little Thing
04. Oh Yeah
05. Runnin Out
06. Get It Up
07. Down The Drain
08. My Kinda Girl
09. Learning To Fall
10. Turnin Left
11. Future Is The Past

Disc 2

01. Bitten By The Wolf
02. Lighten Up (live in Chicago May 12, 2012)
03. Big Foot (live in Seattle June 6, 2012)
04. Last Temptation (live in Seattle June 6, 2012)
05. Something Going Wrong (live in Boston May 16, 2012)

"III" sold 42,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's self-titled debut opened with 49,000 units back in June 2009 to debut at No. 6.

"Unrelenting Fucking Hatred", the debut album from Montreal's RAGE NUCLÉAIRE, will be released on October 19 in Europe and November 6 in North America via Season Of Mist. A 2LP vinyl edition will be available in North America, strictly limited to 300 copies.

"Unrelenting Fucking Hatred" track listing:

01. Violence Is Golden
02. Hunt With Murderworms, Sculpt With Flies
03. The Gift Of The Furnace
04. Fields Of The Crucified
05. Endziel
06. The Sorrow Children At Mourningside
07. 30 Seconds In The Killhouse
08. Unrelenting Fucking Hatred
09. The Gallows And The Black Coffin
10. The Feeding Habits Of Homo Horriblis

The song "Endziel" is now available for streaming using the SoundCloud player below (courtesy of Decibel magazine).

RAGE NUCLÉAIRE was formed by legendary vocalist Lord Worm (ex-CRYPTOPSY) and includes guitarist Dark Rage (ex-CRYPTOPSY) and bassist Alvater (ex-FROZEN SHADOWS) in its ranks. The group's influences range from early EMPEROR and IMMORTAL to ANAAL NATHRAKH and MYSTICUM.

The band issued the following statement: "If anyone had ever told us that some day we'd be signed to Season Of Mist, we'd have laughed at them. The point is, being accepted into the Season Of Mist family, along with such ungodly notables as ARCKANUM, MAYHEM and DEATHSPELL OMEGA, is like being given a Sith name — it feels great to be part of Season Of Mist's evil empire."

RAGE NUCLÉAIRE has already commenced work on its second album, tentatively titled "Annihilation Frenzy".

Quality fan-filmed video footage of ACCEPT performing the song "Pandemic" on October 13 at the South Texas Rock Fest at Sunken Garden Amphitheatre in San Antonio, Texas can be seen below.

ACCEPT's new album, "Stalingrad", sold around 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 81 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Blood Of The Nations", opened with around 2,900 units back in September 2010 to land at No. 187.

"Stalingrad" was released on April 6 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was once again helmed by British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY), who worked on the band's critically acclaimed comeback effort, "Blood Of The Nations".

Norwegian progressive extreme metal band ENSLAVED had their own 'celebration day' last night on the Norwegian TV show Trygdekontoret by covering the LED ZEPPELIN classic 'Immigrant Song'. Check out the footage (from 35:30) here.
Enslaved just released their twelfth studio album, RIITIIR, as a download, regular CD and a deluxe digi-pak edition of Riitiir including a bonus DVD featuring: The Making of Riitiir, The Band, The Studios, The Artwork.
RIITIIR debuted at #8 on the US Billboard Heatseekers chart with their highest first-week sales of 2,269 copies sold in the US. The official for the song 'Thoughts Like Hammers' can be viewed below:

STONE SOUR will release their new album, House of Gold & Bones Part 1, on October 23rd via Roadrunner Records, but you can get an advance taste of the album now with an officially authorized audio preview of 'Taciturn':
ArtistDirect.com editor-in-chief Rick Florino caught up with Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor back in July. During the interview Taylor discussed 'Taciturn', which he has been performing acoustically on the road:

"That song translates so well acoustically. When I wrote 'Taciturn', I knew it was something that could go either way. It could be a full band piece or it could be something I could play on my own. If I was going to give the people a first taste of what House Of Gold And Bones parts 1 and 2 are going to be, 'Taciturn' is a nice way to give them a cool picture of it even in a stripped-down sense. That song is essentially about trust. It's about trying to find the courage to open up to the people you care about, love, and value, knowing that they're going to be there to catch you when it all comes down. They're going to be there for you when nobody else is. It's about letting go of the anchors that hold you down in life, opening yourself up and saying, 'If you're there for me, I'll be there for you. You've just got to give me a second'."
The complete tracklisting to House of Gold & Bones Part 1 is as follows:

'Gone Sovereign'
'Absolute Zero'
'A Rumor Of Skin'
'The Travellers Part 1'
'Tired'
'RU486'
'My Name Is Allen'
'Taciturn'
'Influence Of A Drowsy God'
'The Travellers Part 2'
'Last Of The Real'

The video for the album track, 'Gone Sovereign', can now be seen below:

UK-based experimental progressive metal troupe XERATH have released a new music video, for the song 'Machine Insurgency', directed and produced by David Kenny of Shash Media and shot at Three Mills Studios in East London. The song is featured on Xerath's sophomore release, II, out now on Candlelight Records.

The concept and art direction for the video was the brain child of Sammm Agnew and involves a deathly carbon ooze consuming a hoard of beautiful women who are then surrendered into the Abyss. As viscous membrane surrounds them, they succumb willingly to the power of the Machine.

Check out the new video below:
Xerath bassist Christopher Clark states: "We wanted something dark and visually different. We already knew we were on to something special working with Sammm Agnew and David Kenny, who both also worked on our previous video for 'Reform Pt.
III'. We fully trusted both of their abilities and let them go wild to produce something never seen before. The result is a perfect blend of chaos and beauty."

More on Xerath at this location.

Canadian death metallers AUROCH will release their first full-length album From Forgotten Worlds on October 26th via Polish label Hellthrasher Productions. The album was released digitally on August 8th.

The band is now streaming their latest single 'Fleshless Ascension (Paths Of Dawn)' below.

Vocalist/guitarist Seb Montesi commented: "We're proud to release this next track, which will be the last track before streaming the full record. We've now revealed the first three tracks of the record. The initiation is complete - skin yourself!"

From Forgotten Worlds tracklisting:

'From Forgotten Worlds'
'Fleshless Ascension (Paths of Dawn)'
'Slaves To A Flame Undying'
'Dregs Of Sanity'
'Talisman For Total Temporal Collapse'
'Terra Akeldama'
'Bloodborne Conspiracy'
'Tundra Moon'

Auroch recently announced they will be performing the following shows in British Columbia and Alberta:

October
26 - Rickshaw Theatre - Vancouver, BC (with Tyrants Blood, Archspire, Galgamex + more)

November
10 - Logan's Pub - Victoria, BC (with Dire Omen, Burialkult, Acolytes ov Impurity )

April
6 - Torment in Fire Metal Fest II @ The New Black Centre for Music and Art - Calgary, AB
Two previously released tracks off the new album are streaming below:

'Slaves To A Flame Undying'

'From Forgotten Worlds'
Check out BraveWords.com scribe Greg Pratt's Auroch feature at this location. Pratt's review of From Forgotten Worlds can be found here.

MDD Records has announced the signing of blackened viking thrashers ASENBLUT.
A press release states: These guys raised some hell with lots of energetic live performances and their debut, Aufbruch, which made quite a bit furore in the underground and beyond!

Asenblut - This stands for merciless aggression, frantic guitars, thundering drums and emotional melodies all merged under the banner of blackened thrash metal. The infernal vocals, characterized as sinister screams and brutal growls and even goosepump giving whispers are usually given in German. The musical roots of the band reach deep into classic heavy metal and unite the elements with more modern styles like black and viking metal.
In the three years since their debut Aufbruch, the band got inspiration and feedback during a lot of gigs in clubs and at larger festivals. Those diverse responses and impressions where carried into the bladeforge and hammered under critical ears and eyes to new song material.

The result of this journey now stands in 11 multifacetted songs. More than 50 minutes of soundsteel where forged. Sometimes fantastic, sometimes realistic, but always suitable to slay dragons and save maidens!

Stay tuned for this upcoming, earthshattering release.

More on Asenblut at this location.

PHAZE I, the project featuring brothers David and Franck Potvin (both LYZANXIA, ONEWAY MIRROR) and long time friend Dirk Verbeuren (SCARVE, SOILWORK), are set to pulverize with a new album.
The band recorded the album between 2011 and 2012. Dirk Verbeuren recorded the sick drums in his own Die Crawling Studio. The rest of the album was recorded, mixed and mastered at the Dome Studio by David and Franck Potvin.

The artwork, created once again by Alain Trehard, will be unveiled soon, and the band will be announcing a release date shortly.
Check out Phaze I on Facebook at this location.

Doom metal trio CASTLE have completed their newest music video, for 'Storm Below The Mountain', a track from their new album, Blacklands. The video, which can be viewed below, was filmed in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada earlier this year.

The band stated, "We had the opportunity to shoot the video in a very old cellar, complete with bats flying overhead. It was the perfect atmosphere, and thankfully, nobody needed shots afterwards."

'Storm Below The Mountain', which was directed by Jaan Slimberg of Pistoltrixx, features lead vocals from guitarist Mat Davis rather than bassist Elizabeth Blackwell, who sings the majority of Castle's songs.

Davis comments, "There are many sides to Castle; this is just another one of them."
Castle just kicked off an extensive North American tour with fellow female-fronted doom metallers WITCH MOUNTAIN. Dates can be found below:

October
17 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge 19 - St. Paul - Turf Club
21 - Madison, WI - High Noon
22 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle
23 - Cleveland, OH - Now That’s Class
24 - Rochester, NY - Bug Jar
25 - Toronto, ON - Wreck Room
26 - Hamilton, ON - Corktown Pub
27 - Ottawa, ON - Café Dekcuf
28 - Montreal, PQ - Katacombes
29 - Burlington, VT - Nectars
30 - Boston, MA - Great Scott
31 - New Haven, CT - BAR

November
2 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus
3 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s
4 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter
5 - Asheville, NC - Static Age Records
6 - Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
8 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree
9 - New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jack’s
10 - Austin, TX - Red 7
12 - Phoenix, AZ - Yucca Tap
13 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
14 - Fullerton, CA - Slidebar (with IDES OF GEMINI)
15 - Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst Atrium
16 - San Francisco, CA - Parkside
17 - Arcata, CA - Alibi
18 - Portland, OR - Ash St Saloon (with LORD DYING)

In the footage below, GWAR sends off Undercover with a bone-shaking performance of KANSAS' 1976 smash hit, 'Carry On Wayward Son':
It was a little less than a year ago that the world was rocked by the passing of Flattus Maximus, back to the cosmos from whence he came. And since that day fans of GWAR have wondered how the mighty overlords of GWAR would deal with the void it left within the band. GWAR responded the only way they knew how-by soldiering on-and continued to play as a four-piece. But from the very beginning of that phase, the quest began to find the new Scumdog that was in every way as magnificent as his predecessor.

Recently, the members of GWARinformed their legions of followers, and even more so their many enemies, that once again the band is whole, with the proclamation that long-lost cousin of Flattus, Pustulus Maximus, has officially joined the band in the position of lead guitarist, and will join with the group on their upcoming Fate Or Chaos tour.
Pustulus offered his first words to the press with the following, "At this point I have nothing to say to the press, even though I am talking to you. I will let my guitar speak for itself. But let me add that I am blood-sworn to honor the legacy of the great Flattus and indeed the whole Maximus tribe. I didn't come here to fuck around. HAIL FLATTUS!"

But how did all of this come to pass? It was easy to get a quote from GWAR lead singer, Oderus Urungus: "Naturally we were devastated by the passing of Flattus. But we turned that grief into rage and set about the task of finding a new guitar player. The first thing we did was sound the mighty Horn of Hate, and alert all Scumdogs, scattered across the galaxy as they are, as to what had occurred. What people didn't know about Flattus was that was is part of a huge tribe of brutish warriors, The Maximus Clan. They are at the core of any Scumdog Legion worth its blood! Planet Maximus is just crawling with them!"

Oderus farted, blowing a hole in the wall, and continued: "Many of the tribe had fought and even played in bands with Flattus, and we began to get messages from across the stars. The Scumdogs were coming! Coming to Earth to lay tracks on our new album, and pay tribute to the mighty Flattus. Soon the War-Barges of Maximus tribe members began to appear in Earth's orbit...and land outside our great temple! Bubonis, Infectitcus, Fartacus, and many more-all have participated in the creation of the songs that shall be on our new album, which will be out sometime next year. But it was not until the hulking form of Pustulus appeared at the studio door, bloody guitar in hand, that we knew we had our new member. Here was a being that was supposedly born with a guitar in his fist, which of course resulted in the death of his beloved mother, whose body he immediately devoured. If anyone can replace our beloved comrade, it is this foul creature. Because he can fucking shred."

Little else is known about this being, other than that he has a skin condition where his face and feet are covered in painful pustules that can only be soothed by the application of savage metal, spoiled elephant semen or oral sex. Pustulus is also rumored to be half-deaf, which leads him to yell at everyone, which he does often, because he is convinced everyone in the band is ignoring him when actually he just can't hear what they are saying. It is not known whether he crashed his Scumship into Antarctica or wandered up from the depths of GWAR's Antarctic fortress - all that is known is that he is here, now, and is ready to rock.

GWAR tour dates:
October (with DevilDriver, Cancer Bats and Legacy Of Disorder)
18 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
19 - Ybor City, FL - The Ritz Ybor
20 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
22 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
24 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
25 - Austin, TX - Emo's
26 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
27 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
31 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall

November (with DevilDriver, Cancer Bats and Legacy Of Disorder)
1 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
2 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee
3 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
4 - West Hollywood, CA - House of Blues
5 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
6 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
8 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
9 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
10 - Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market
11 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
12 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theater
14 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Events Centre
15 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall Ballroom
16 - Saskatoon, SK - Odeon Events Centre
17 - Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick Center
18 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
20 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
21 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
23 - Detroit, MI - Harpo's
24 - Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
26 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Smalls Theater

December (with KEPONE, IRON REAGAN)
20 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
21 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva

Keep up with GWAR at this location.

Norwegian metallers DUNDERBEIST have released the first single for their upcoming Songs From The Buried album, for the track 'Father Serpent'. Get it now at iTunes.
Songs Of The Buried is out on November 16th in Norway and November 20th throughout Europe via Indie Recordings. Check out a new export from the studio below:
Tracklisting for Songs Of The Buried is as follows:
‘.:Y:.’
‘Father Serpent’
‘Acheron’
‘Enter Exile’
‘The Hidden Ones’
‘Songs Of The Buried’
‘Centuries’
‘Four Of The Seven’
‘Forcefed Boar's Head’
‘Mongrel’
The band recently revealed the new music video for 'More Me' from the new album. Check it out below:
More on Dunderbeist on Facebook.

SOMETHING UNTO NOTHING (S.U.N.), the band featuring the whiskey-soaked voice of Sass Jordan, a Canadian icon and Juno Award winner, alongside music partner, renowned drummer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brian Tichy, known for his tours of duty with BILLY IDOL, FOREIGNER, OZZY OSBOURNE and currently WHITESNAKE, has inked a deal with Robo Records (a division of Waterfront Ent. Group). S.U.N.'s first single, "I'm The One", is impacting radio throughout October, with the full CD release due later in the fall.

Previously working together is what brought Jordan and Tichy together in collaboration of the new music. "I had played drums on Sass's 'Rats' record," explains Tichy. "I knew she was one of the best rock singers going. So after many years, we reconnected and tried a bit of writing together." Both felt that in order to write the best, trend-free music they could, they needed to get away. They chose the mountains of Canyon Country and in an old, deserted shack S.U.N. was born. "We didn't realize where we going when we started out," says Jordan. "As we continued the songwriting path from 'Burned' to 'Mobile Again' to 'Nomad' and on ... The whole thing started to take shape in the form of a '70s odyssey, a time travel trajectory."

Completing the band that drives this music home is Michael Devin (WHITESNAKE, JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE, KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD) on bass and Tommy Stewart (GODSMACK, LO PRO, EVERCLEAR, FUEL) on drums.

"We are completely thrilled and ready to rock," says Rob Christie, president of Robo Records. "Sass Jordan is one of the great rock vocalists around, and a heck of a songwriter to boot! Brian Tichy and gang are seasoned pros, capable of complete face-melting rock grooves and hooks. I'm so excited to share this new album with the world."

For more information on S.U.N. and the upcoming album release or to get a free MP3, go to this location.

The long-awaited Ellipsis release is now available under it’s new name JOSEPH MICHAEL - The Ellipsis Sessions. The album contains fourteen songs that were created by the now defunct band ELLIPSIS that were fronted by WHITE WIZZARD singer Joseph Michael.

The record includes the previously released Ellipsis version of LYNYRD SKYNYRD's 'Tuesday’s Gone' as well as a cover of NEIL DIAMONDs 'I Am I Said'.

Joseph Michael comments: "These recordings are a representation of what that (Ellipsis) band was all about and paints a nice but sometimes dark picture of where is was in my life. I really enjoyed creating this with the guys and it was time to just release it.”

The record contains performances by Frank Avalon Jr. (son of FRANKIE AVALON), Dino Papanicalaou (CRAZY HORSE, VICIOUS FISH), Peter Matsuoka and Tony Shibumi.
Check out the audio clip for 'Haunted' below:

Joseph Michael is currently in preproduction with White Wizzard on their third full length record, The Devil's Cut (working title), will be released early 2013.

"Todos Somos Humanos", a brand new song from England's ANAAL NATHRAKH, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below (courtesy of Decibel magazine). The track comes off the band's new album, "Vanitas", which will be released on November 6 via Candlelight Records. Produced by Mick Kenney (BLEEDING THROUGH, INGESTED), the CD carries the band's signature and regarded union of black metal and grindcore.

ANAAL NATHRAKH's seventh album, "Vanitas" "sounds like someone showing you what the end of the world is like via the medium of a thousand hammers soaked in acid," says vocalist Dave Hunt. Digging into the record particulars, he notes, "It's more articulate and focused than any album before it in way of composition and recording technique. We worked hard and we're convinced it has paid off."

Since its inception in 1999, ANAAL NATHRAKH has gained a reputation for embodying the audio essence of pure evil. Various collaborations with the likes of Sethlans Teitan (WATAIN), Shane Embury and Danny Herrera (NAPALM DEATH), and others, have placed the band high on media as well metal fans "must-seek-out" list. This alongside countless placements in "Best Album Of The Month/Year" awards, ANAAL NATHRAKH's status as one of the leading lights in extreme metal is undeniable.

ANAAL NATHRAKH will tour Canada for the first time just as "Vanitas" is released. Beginning in Montreal on November 7, the tour will end in Sherbrooke on November 18.

"Vanitas" track listing:

01. The Blood-Dimmed Tide
02. Forging Towards The Sunset
03. To Spite The Face
04. Todos Somos Humanos
05. In Coelo Quies, Tout Finis Ici Bas
06. You Can't Save Me, So Stop Fucking Trying
07. Make Glorious The Embrace Of Saturn
08. Feeding The Beast
09. Of Fire, And Fucking Pigs
10. A Metaphor For The Dead

"Todos Somos Humanos" audio stream:

German power metallers PARAGON will release their tenth album, "Force Of Destruction", via Napalm Records on the following dates:

October 19 - Germany, Austria, Switzerland
October 24 - Spain, Finland, Sweden, U.K.
October 26 - Benelux
October 29 - Rest of Europe
November 6 - USA, Canada

The CD was produced by Piet Sielck (GAMMA RAY, BLIND GUARDIAN, IRON SAVIOUR) at Powerhouse in Hamburg. Guest vocals on the bonus version of the song "Blood & Iron" were laid down by Kai Hansen (GAMMA RAY, UNISONIC) and Sielck. The cover artwork was once again created by Dirk Illing (SCORPIONS, RUNNING WILD), while the photos were handled by Stefan Malzkorn (GAMMA RAY, SAXON) and the cover layout was overseen by Claudia von Bihl (Auburn Records, ACCEPT, ANVIL).

PARAGON bassist Jan Bünning previously stated about "Force Of Destruction", "Piet Sielck has done an awesome job. To me, it sounds like a heavier and more 'life' version of 'Revenge' mixed with the guitar sound of 'Law Of The Blade'. Just perfect!

"Our guitar player Wolle [Wolfgang Tewes] wrote a album full of PARAGON classics and our 'newbie' Jan Bertram shredded a whole bunch of great lead guitar parts. And Buschi [Andreas Babuschkin; vocals] seems to be like wine — he's getting better and better and has delievered the best performance he has ever done."

The track listing for "Force Of Destruction" is as follows:

01. Last Day On Earth (intro)
02. Iron Will
03. Tornado
04. Gods Of Thunder
05. Bulletstorm
06. Blood & Iron
07. Blades Of Hell
08. Dynasty
09. Rising From The Black
10. Demon's Lair
11. Secrecy

A five-and-a-half-minute YouTube clip featuring audio samples of all the tracks that will appear on "Force Of Destruction" is available below.

Jan Betram previously played with PARAGON's drummer, Chris Gripp.

PARAGON 2012 is:

Andreas Babuschkin - Vocals
Wolfgang Tewes - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jan Bertram - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jan Bünning - Bass, Backing Vocals
Chris Gripp - Drums, Backing Vocals

PARAGON's last album, "Screenslaves", was released in November 2008 via Massacre Records. The CD was produced by Uwe Lullis (ex-GRAVE DIGGER, REBELLION) at Black Solaris Studio in Frankfurt.

Bünning quit PARAGON after the recording of 2007's "Forgotten Prophecies" because of "musical differences" but rejoined the band in 2009.

Hells Headbangers has set a January 22, 2013 North/South American release date for VOMITOR's third album, "The Escalation". Invictus Productions will make the CD available in Europe.

A press release states: "Done bleeding the priest, after drinking the devil's poison, VOMITOR increase the nuclear heat with 'The Escalation'! Legends in the diehard metal underground, these Aussie hooligans return with their barbaric, ancient metal of death: thermonuclear riffing, divebombing solos, vocal vomit, and chaotic crunch that's quintessentially and uniquely VOMITOR!"

To celebrate its highly anticipated return, VOMITOR will embark on its first-ever American tour in December, playing six exclusive dates in the following citites (venue details to be confirmed):

Dec. 05 - Philadelphia, PA
Dec. 06 - Baltimore, MD
Dec. 07 - Richmond, VA
Dec. 08 - Pittsburgh, PA
Dec. 09 - Cleveland, OH
Dec. 10 - Brooklyn, NY

American cult NEGATIVE PLANE will also appear on the trek, dubbed the "Bleeding America" tour.

Early copies of the CD and LP version of "The Escalation" will be for sale at all dates of the tour.

An exclusive pre-release stream of "The Escalation" is available below.

"The Escalation" track listing:

01. Pits Of Nightmare/Pitch Black
02. Prayer Of Nightmare
03. Salem Witches Grave
04. Hellburst To Fight
05. The Escalation
06. Metal Or Die
07. Horrors Of Black Earth

Guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho of Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM was interviewed by News 9 prior to the band's headlining appearance at The Great Indian Octoberfest in Bangalore, India on October 14. You can now watch the report below.

CHILDREN OF BODOM recently inked a Japanese record deal with Marquee Inc. The label will release the band's new album in late spring/early summer 2013. The CD will be made available in other parts of the world via the band's new label home, Nuclear Blast Records. The group's drummer, Jaska Raatikainen, recently wrote on his Facebook page, "We have some songs ready and I must say that they really sound great — very inspiring, dark and also little 'black' [metal]-ish. We have been joking about [CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist/vocalist] Alexi [Laiho], that one day he will come to rehearsals with corpsepaint :-) ! So dark the songs have been."

CHILDREN OF BODOM released a photo book, "Roadkill", on August 8 via Hatecrew.com. The first 666 copies are numbered and personally signed by the band.

Photography for "Roadkill" started in 2007. It includes exclusive material of life on the road, shows, promo shoots, recording sessions, album cover production and the worldwide "hate crew," as the band's fans are affectionately known. The book also contains comments and diary entries by the band and the photographer, Jussi Hyttinen of FLC415.

CHILDREN OF BODOM's most recent release was "Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)" , a very special CD+DVD career retrospective in celebration of the band's 15th anniversary.

Interview:

Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen will release his new album, "Spell Bound", on December 5.

Acclaimed heavy metal singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (BEYOND FEAR, ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH), who has been fronting Yngwie's band both live and in the studio since February 2008, was unable to join Malmsteen at the Getaway Rock in July due to scheduling conflicts with Tim's official Ronnie James Dio tribute band DIO DISCIPLES. Handling most of the lead vocals during Yngwie's set at the Getaway Rock Festival was bassist Ralph Ciavolino.

Released on November 22, 2010 via Malmsteen's own Rising Force Records, Yngwie's most recent album, "Relentless", features striking vocals from Owens, who first collaborated with Malmsteen on "Perpetual Flame" (Malmsteen's first album for the Rising Force Records label).

Of the latest CD, Malmsteen said, "The album title really says it all. The drive to surpass my own accomplishments can best be described with one word — relentless. After all these years of composing and playing music, I still am passionate about pushing myself to the limit — to the highest, most demanding level of playing possible."

Yngwie is working on his autobiography. Described as "the only real and true story written by Malmsteen himself," "Relentless", will be released in early 2013. Yngwie has also launched an instructional web site, RelentlessShred.com.

English progressive metallers AEON ZEN will release their new album, "Enigma", on January 22, 2013 via Nightmare Records. Produced, mixed and mastered by Rich Hinks, the CD is described in a press release as "an ambitiously creative and powerful concept album featuring nine continuous tracks showing the strengths of the band, as well as two bonus tracks."

On working with Nightmare Records, AEON ZEN'screator Rich Hinks said: "Nightmare Records is without a doubt one of the strongest labels for progressive music and we're delighted to be working with them. AEON ZEN released our last two albums independently and this is a great step for us."

AEON ZEN is:

Rich Hinks - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Andi Kravljaca - Vocals
Matt Shepherd - Guitar
Shaz - Keyboards
Steve Burton - Drums

"Enigma" features guest vocals by:

* Nate Loosemore (LOST IN THOUGHT)
* Atle Pettersen (ABOVE SYMMETRY)
* Jonny Tatum (EUMERIA)

"Fire At Will", a brand new song from the Swedish tech metal supergroup NONEXIST, featuring former ARCH ENEMY and current HEARSE vocalist Johan Liiva and ANDROMEDA/SKYFIRE guitarist Johan Reinholdz, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below (courtesy of Metal Injection). The track comes off NONEXIST's new digital-only full-length album, entitled "From My Cold Dead Hands", which will be released on November 2 via Pivotal Rockordings. The CD was recorded at Multipass Studios and will feature nine blistering new tracks, to be accompanied by cover songs that Pivotal will make available for free on YouTube.

Commented Reinholdz: "I'm really excited about unleashing the second assault of NONEXIST! Even though 'Deus Deceptor' came out ten years ago, NONEXIST never died. It has always been alive in my heart and I've written songs for it every now and then. Because I love it, I love this kind of music which I grew up with. A couple of years ago, the NONEXIST songwriting became more frequent and I came up with the title — 'From My Cold Dead Hands' — and I started to focus on getting the album done. I also began dabbling with cover songs, something I've never really done before but it's great fun! Some of these song choices might surprise you — but they're all done NONEXIST style! I then asked Johan Liiva if he wanted to join NONEXIST again was pleased when he said yes. He is one the great singers in extreme metal and I'm proud to work with him again!"

Added Liiva: "It's been like 10 years now since the debut came out. I actually had this 'fantasy' ever since to make a sequel. For various reasons (like for example 'life,' haha) it took us all this time to finally get there. Thankfully, Johan and I stayed in touch every now and then… and now *kazaam!* — the time has come! Filled to the brim with new and fresh ideas — as well as retro ones, for sure! Let's hope you people out there who digged and asked for another one appreciates this new one. Hailz and salutes — it's time… metal to the very bone!"

NONEXIST's debut full-length record, "Deus Deceptor", was released in 2002 via Century Media/New Hawen Records and the lineup at the time included Liiva, Reinholdz and DEFLESHED/DARK FUNERAL drummer Matte Modin. The CD was produced by Tommy Tägtgren and Reinholdz at Abyss Studios and featured a musical direction described as a cross between early ARCH ENEMY and CARCASS (circa "Heartwork").

Original BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler are working with producer Rick Rubin on their first recording project together in 34 years. According to Metal Injection, 15 songs have been written for the CD, with 12 making the final cut and the additional three serving as bonus tracks for different special editions. The band has one songtitle confirmed: "God Is Dead".

Apparently, Iommi completed all 15 guitar tracks during the band's sessions in England earlier this year, and judging by the way most bands record, that would mean drums are done as well. Ozzy and Geezer are working to complete the tracks in five song increments, with the first five being worked on currently at Shangri La Studios in Malibu, California. Ozzy is tracking vocals, with Butler writing all the lyrics.

As for Iommi, Ozzy told SiriusXM Liquid Metal DJ Jose Mangin that he spoke to the guitarist recently and he is in good spirits and recovery is coming along very well from his cancer scare earlier this year.

Iommi, Osbourne and Butler discussed their new album in a video interview posted at NME.com. Osbourne dropped a clue about the set's title, hinting, "Next year, 2013, is a good clue to what we're going to call the album."

As for how Rubin influenced the band's approach to writing together again, Butler explained, "He sat us down, put the first album on and said 'listen to this', imagine it's 1969, you've just done that, what would you do next?"

Iommi added, "It's taken on the flavor of the old stuff in the way we put things together, but with a different look on it."

The project suffered a blow earlier this year when Iommi was diagnosed with cancer, although he said that playing the warm-up show in Birmingham, was a boost to his spirits. "It was great," he said. "Going through what I've gone through over the past year has been like living in a different world — being onstage and to get that (reaction from the fans) is just fantastic, it really boosts you up."

BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward announced earlier this year that he was declining to join his former bandmates for its scheduled 2012 dates, as well as the recording of a new album, due to a contractual dispute.

He also allegedly had his lawyers direct SABBATH to remove him from photos of the band posted at the official BLACK SABBATH web site "so as to not give the public the wrong impression about his involvement in the current BLACK SABBATH lineup," according to a statement issued by the band's publicist.

Geezer Butler issued a lengthy retort at his own web site, writing that Ward "hadn't told any one of us he was having contractual problems, and frankly those things are worked out between our representatives, and never between the four of us let alone in public."

Butler added that the band did not expect to make a lot of money from its Download appearance and planned to donate the proceeds from the Birmingham gig, saying, "Apparently, this wasn't acceptable to Bill's representatives, they wanted an amount that was so unrealistic that it seemed to have been a joke."

In addition to Download, the members of SABBATH played at Lollapalooza in early August in Chicago, their only U.S. gig. The rest of the scheduled SABBATH tour dates were played by Ozzy and billed as "Ozzy & Friends."

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, who was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with his bandmates in 2009, told Artisan News that he was a bit turned off given that the Hall has overlooked so many other great rock bands, including DEEP PURPLE, who is among 15 finalists for induction into the Rock Hall's Class Of 2013.

"I've been lobbying for DEEP PURPLE for a long, long time," he said (see video below).

"Ritchie Blackmore and DEEP PURPLE have amazing songs."

He added, "If BLACK SABBATH can be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, DEEP PURPLE definitely belongs in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. 'Cause they had great songs, great musicianship, they had an impact, and they're a huge influence on the heavy metal community as a whole. So I definitely think that they belong in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

For the first time, the public gets to vote alongside the artists, historians and music industry insiders of the Rock Hall voting body. From now until December 5, fans can vote on RollingStone.com for the nominees they'd like to see inducted. The top five acts will comprise a "fan's ballot" that will count as one of the more than 600 ballots that determine the Class Of 2013. The results will be announced in mid-December.

The April 18, 2013 event is set for Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, marking the first time the ceremony will be held in the city since 1993. HBO will tape the show for broadcast at a later date.

Artists are considered for inclusion in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first recording.

Speaking to VintageRock.com, DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan recently stated about the possibility of one day being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, "You've got to take this with great respect. We don't have anything like that where we come from, over in Europe or anywhere else. It's an American thing. It's so completely different. In America, you're great and really do support and show appreciation for your artists, musicians, film stars, whatever it may be. And you give them visible signs in accolades and all that sort of thing. And you cheer and…you're very supportive. It's the completely opposite in the U.K. They want to kill you. [laughs] The moment you get up to any form of success, they just want to wipe you out and deride you. It's part of the culture. At the same time, we've just focused on the music."

He added, "I honestly can't tell you whether or not we should be there or not. It could be because of the fragmented nature of the band that they wouldn't know how to deal with it.

"To us, with the greatest respect, it doesn't mean a lot although it's rather like an award in the U.K., if I were to get one. I probably wouldn't accept it. But then again, after a week of thinking about it, I would accept it because it would be on behalf on the family and friends and everyone who supports the band and who's looked after us after all these years. It's kind of a recognition of everyone. But whether we deserve it, I don't know. I always get embarrassed talking about this stuff."

Former PURPLE member Glenn Hughes recently said of the Hall Of Fame: "We know the people in charge and we know how they think. It's become like a joke in a way. Gene Simmons [KISS] will talk to me about it, and go on a rant and all, and he is exactly right. But I'm not gonna hold my breath. DEEP PURPLE, KISS, YES and especially RUSH should obviously all be in."

On November 16, Season Of Mist will re-release WATAIN's complete full-length back catalog on vinyl in a strictly limited collector's box.

This collector’s box is made of solid beech wood with real leather, containing a WATAIN logo imprint on the lid. The box includes all four albums ("Rabid Death's Curse", "Casus Luciferi", "Sworn To The Dark" and "Lawless Darkness") in deluxe, gatefold, double-LP editions with download cards.

Each album has been painstakingly remastered to keep the original spirit of intent, and comes in a different vinyl color exclusive to this box set: "Rabid Death's Curse" - solid grey with black and white splatters, "Casus Luciferi" - solid grey, "Sworn To The Dark" - transparent red, "Lawless Darkness" - transparent clear. The box set includes four hand-crafted silkscreen prints that assemble together as a poster. This exclusive box is limited to 1,000 units worldwide and available for pre-order now. Additionally, the remastered albums will be released separately in limited black vinyl editions.

A trailer for the documentary featured on the CD+DVD special edition of "A Map Of All Our Failures", the new album from U.K. doom metallers MY DYING BRIDE, can be seen below. Joining the album songs is the exclusive bonus track "My Faults Are Your Reward", plus a special DVD featuring a full-length documentary on the band, as each member defines what it is like to be part of such an established act as MY DYING BRIDE, from their early beginnings and ambitions, to recollections of life and experiences on the road for the titans of metal.

"A Map Of All Our Failures" was released on October 15 in Europe and October 16 in the U.S. via Peaceville Records on CD, double vinyl and special-edition CD+DVD. The effort was recorded and mixed at Futureworks Studios in Manchester, England with the band's longtime production partner Rob "Mags" Magoolagan at the helm.

According to a press release, "a step up from 2009's 'For Lies I Sire' — which set and subsequently met new heights of expectation placed upon the legendary Yorkshire doom troupe — 'A Map Of All Our Failures' is a further voyage into the darkest depths of humanity, religion, folklore, love and death. MY DYING BRIDE's distinctively sumptuous dual-guitar melodies effortlessly flood into juggernaut doom metal riffs, with the vocals of Aaron Stainthorpe weaving a rich tapestry of tragic tales into the accompanying soundscapes. 'A Map Of All Our Failures' is perhaps best and most effectively summarized by guitarist Andrew Craighan, who describes the album as 'a controlled demolition of all your hopes.'"

"A Map Of All Our Failures" track listing:

01. Kneel Till Doomsday
02. The Poorest Waltz
03. A Tapestry Scorned
04. Like A Perpetual Funeral
05. A Map Of All Our Failures
06. Hail Odysseus
07. Within The Presence Of Absence
08. Abandoned As Christ

MY DYING BRIDE recently launched a mini-site for "A Map Of All Our Failures", featuring album info, audio, video, downloads and more.

MY DYING BRIDE will embark on a European tour in December in support of the new album. The band will also make an appearance at the U.K.'s esteemed Damnation Festival in November, at which Peaceville will be a proud sponsor to coincide with the label's 25th anniversary.

The third annual Vegas Rocks! Magazine Music Awards 2012 rocked the Joint on August 26 at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Vegas Rocks! Magazine celebrated its eighth anniversary in a big way as the rock 'n' roll royal red carpet was rolled out for some of the biggest stars in the music business.

Many national artists were honored at the event, including Sammy Hagar (CHICKENFOOT, VAN HALEN), David Coverdale (WHITESNAKE) and Michael Schenker (UFO, SCORPIONS), Geoff Tate (QUEENSRŸCHE), Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, HELLYEAH) and Levi Benton (MISS MAY I). Also in attendance presenting/performing were Michael Anthony (CHICKENFOOT, VAN HALEN), John 5 (MARILYN MANSON, ROB ZOMBIE), Eddie Trunk (VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show"), Kip Winger (WINGER), Mark Kendall ( GREAT WHITE), Blas Elias (SLAUGHTER), Nick Oshiro (STATIC-X), Marq Torien (BULLETBOYS), Ron Jeremy, SIN CITY SINNERS, Ron Keel (KEEL), and many others.

Sammy Hagar was honored with the prestigious "Voice Of Rock" award for the evening; David Coverdale was honored with the "Lifetime Achievement In Rock N' Roll" award; Michael Schenker received the "Rock Guitar Legend" award; Geoff Tate received the "Voice In Progressive Heavy Metal" award. Vinnie Paul received the "Drum Legend Icon" award; and Levi Benton received the "Male Metal Star Of Tomorrow" award. Sammy Hagar also took the stage to perform a tribute for Ronnie Montrose and led the all-star celebrity performance for the grand finale for the evening.

Vegas Rocks! Magazine Awards was hosted by the "publishing queen of rock and roll," Sally Steele.

The official Vegas Rocks! Magazine Awards highlights "reel" can be seen below.

For more information, go to www.vegasrocks.com.