An eight-minute video clip in which Matias Kupiainen and Timo Kotipelto of STRATOVARIUS answer fan-submitted questions about the band's upcoming tour, their next album and much more can be seen below.

STRATOVARIUS's new DVD, "Under Flaming Winter Skies - Live In Tampere", recently entered the Music DVD chart in Finland at position No. 1.

The news of drummer Jörg Michael's departure from the Finnish melodic metallers STRATOVARIUS in September 2011 was a shock for all of the band's fans.

To say goodbye to a friend, hero and member who characterized STRATOVARIUS' sound for over a decade, the group embarked on a five-show farewell tour of Finland in November of last year.

Before coming back with a brand new studio album in 2013, STRATOVARIUS released a two-hour DVD filmed and recorded in Tampere, Finland on November 19, 2011. This is one of the very last shows the band played with Michael.

Released on June 29 via earMUSIC, "Under Flaming Winter Skies - Live In Tampere" marks the end of an era as well as a new beginning. Hits and classics like "Under Flaming Skies", "Speed Of Light" and "Hunting High And Low" as well as exclusive bonus material (30-minute documentary about the band's history, exclusive interviews with each member as well as a special comment from Jörg Michael about the reasons to leave the band) makes it a must-have for every fan and a real collector's item not to be missed.

STRATOVARIUS in June announced the addition of 24-year-old drummer Rolf Pilve to the group's ranks.

Métal Obscur recently conducted an interview with former GORGOROTH and current GOD SEED bassist King Ov Hell (real name: Tom Cato Visnes). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Métal Obscur: You took everyone by surprise earlier this year when you announced the resurrection of GOD SEED, with Gaahl back at vocals. What's the story behind this event, after all that was said and written about this project since 2009?

King Ov Hell: I don't view it like this. I have worked with Gaahl since 1999. This album is what we want to make in 2012. There have been lots of things happening in the outside world which has been sort of disturbing, but our musical work has never stopped or been affected by this. Gaahl had a little break with his retirement from metal, but we just put it on ice for a while.

Métal Obscur: Gaahl stated in a 2009 Terrorizer magazine interview that he was done with metal and its imagery. Why did he change his mind about it? Did you have to convince him?

King Ov Hell: Well, you have to adress this question to Gaahl. We never stopped working musically, but I guess neither of us would classify our new record as a metal record in sense of lifestyle or metal brotherhood. I have never viewed myself as part of any metal culture and we use metal music as a platform to express our art.

Métal Obscur: What can we expect with the first GOD SEED album? Will it sounds like GORGOROTH's late albums, or did you take a different path? If you had to describe this first record, what would you say?

King Ov Hell: Well, it's hard to describe your own music, but I wanted a different sound on this record than we had done before. It is always important to change. You cannot grow if you stagnate in common patterns. I have therefore incorporated some of my '70s influences into "I Begin". We also got new members in the band. These members have been important creating the sound which is GOD SEED. They all have a unique way of playing and able to go into musical territories without limits and narrow minded stupidity.

Métal Obscur: Did you compose "I Begin" alone, or did other members help you in the process? If so, how did they contribute?

King Ov Hell: I wrote most of the material for this record prior anyone else got involved in the process. Since the other members joined, we have functioned as a band, resulting Lust Kilman writing a song on the album and Geir Bratland doing a track. I have also worked closely with Geir on making the key arrangements on the record. Kenneth Kapstad is originally a jazz drummer and has a unique playing style. "I Begin" is the first chapter for the band. I am looking forward to work as a tight unit on the next record. I believe this to be the strongest lineup I have taken part of so far.

Métal Obscur: It's been three years now since the end of the judiciary saga surrounding GORGOROTH's name and imagery ownership. Looking back at it now, do you have any regrets, things you would have done differently, or do you still think it was the right battle to wage?

King Ov Hell: I don't think too much about this. It's part of the past.

Métal Obscur: Is OV HELL still an active project?

King Ov Hell: It's not an active project. I am too busy with my other activities right now, but you never know what the future brings.

Read the entire interview from Métal Obscur.

Swiss modern melodic death metallers DREAMSHADE will release their sophomore album, "The Gift Of Life", on January 25, 2013 via Spinefarm. The CD was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen.

Two songs from the album — "Sandcastles" and "Photographs" — can be streamed below. Also available is behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the "Photographs" video.

Says they band: "The idea behind the song 'Photographs' is very simple. It is about all those childhood friends who now disappeared from your life. You used to be close friends, but time passed and now you can barely recognize each other... or you pretend not to. You cross each other and you just look away: nobody is strong enough to say hi.

"We wanted to insert this concept in a song because it's something people live every day. It's a feeling you just can't ignore.

"We went to Wroclaw (Poland) to shoot the video with Grupa13 (an awesome local video company who did videos for BEHEMOTH, DECAPITATED, KREATOR, SONATA ARCTICA and many other cool artists) and they definitely did a great job! The location they found was perfect, they are real professionals and turned out to be also good fellas! We really had a great time. Another video for the upcoming album has been shot with them and we're sure it is going to be ridiculously awesome."

DREAMSHADE parted ways with singer Iko Castelli last November due to musical differences and replaced him with Kevin Cali (ROOTS OF DEATH).

DREAMSHADE's debut album, "What Silence Hides", came out in March 2011. A press release previously described the CD as "sit[ting] loosely under the 'melodic death metal' banner, a genre that continues to be developed by [DREAMSHADE's] [then-]labelmates CHILDREN OF BODOM. [But] DREAMSHADE succeed in bringing modern elements to the traditions of the music — the result being a fresh blend of melodic death and progressive metal."

DREAMSHADE is:

Kevin Calì - Vocals
Fernando "Fella" Di Cicco - Guitar, Vocals
Rocco Ghielmini - Guitar
Ivan Moccia – Bass
Serafino "Sera" Chiommino - Drums

"A.men", the new video from the Belgian grindcore act LENG TCH'E, can be seen below. The live footage was shot at the Obscene Extreme festival in the Czech Republic, filmed by 2guys1tv and edited by Nicolas M.

"A.men" comes off LENG TCH'E's latest album, "Hypomanic", which was released in Europe in May 2010 and in North America in June 2010 via Season Of Mist. The CD was recorded at Parlour Studio in Kettering, United Kingdom with producer Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, DIMMU BORGIR, EVILE).

LENG TCH'E last year parted ways with drummer Tony Van den Eynde and replaced him with Olivier Coppens.

LENG TCH'E in 2008 parted ways with vocalist Boris Cornelissen and replaced him with Serge Kasongo from southern Belgian band ACKROS.

Two new video clips featuring more behind-the-scenes footage from ALTER BRIDGE and CREED guitarist Mark Tremonti's current solo tour can be seen below.

VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen made his first appearance as part of Tremonti's solo band last month at a show in Rhode Island. This marks the first time Wolfgang has played with anyone outside of his father Eddie, his uncle Alex and singer David Lee Roth.

Wolfgang Van Halen is replacing Tremonti's bandmate from CREED and ALTER BRIDGE, Brian Marshall, who is sitting out the Tremonti trek for undisclosed personal reasons. The other members of Tremonti's touring band include Eric Friedman on guitar and Garrett Whitlock on drums.

Tremonti is on the road behind his debut solo album, "All I Was", which came out this past July.

On Saturday, October 6, NONPOINT took part in an acoustic performance and interview at the studios of the 92.7 WQLZ rock radio station in Springfield, Illinois. Video footage of their appearance can be seen below.

NONPOINT's self-titled album will be released on October 9 via Razor & Tie. The CD was produced/mixed by Grammy-nominated producer Johnny K (DISTURBED, STAIND, MEGADETH) and features additional production and mixing from Brian Virtue (30 SECONDS TO MARS, CHEVELLE).

"Nonpoint" features 12 of the most raw and real songs of their 15-year career with unique, uncompromising, and undeniable hard rock on their self-titled ninth studio album and first for Razor & Tie. Weathering lineup changes, label shifts, and other trials and tribulations, founding members Elias Soriano (vocals) and Robb Rivera (drums) regrouped with fresh blood — Dave Lizzio (guitar), Adam Wolosyzn (bass), and Rasheed Thomas (guitar) — and captured pure fire this time around.

Soriano explains the new album, "We wanted this record to be a punch in the face. There was a lot of stuff I wanted to artistically vent about. It's a fresh start for us. We felt like having a self-titled record says it all. We hit the reset button, and there's life again. You can hear it musically. We're not going anywhere."

"This album is the beginning of a brand new chapter in the world of NONPOINT... rejuvenated and full of positivity," adds Rivera. "Elias has written his most personal lyrics yet that shows the signs of endurance this band has had in our 15-year career."

The band opened up the floodgates to the new album by unleashing one of its heaviest tracks, "I Said It", as a free download on their web site this summer and the fans responded with overwhelming enthusiasm, welcoming the onslaught. The first official single, "Left For You", is for sale now on iTunes.

"Nonpoint" track listing:

01. Lights, Camera, Action
02. The Way I See Things
03. I Said It
04. Left For You
05. International Crisis
06. Another Mistake
07. That Day
08. Pandora's Box
09. Go Time
10. Independence Day
11. Temper
12. Ashes

SHAPE OF DESPAIR’s back catalogue will be released via Aftermath Music. 2000’s Angels Of Distress will be released in November and 2001’s Shades Of… will be out in December.

The albums will be released with new and improved artworks. Both of these are strictly limited to 250 copies. Preorders will go online on October 20th.



Angels Of Distress tracklisting:

‘Fallen’
‘Angels Of Distress’
‘Quiet These Paintings Are’
...To Live For My Death...’
‘Night's Dew’



Shades Of… tracklisting:

‘...In The Mist’
‘Woundheir’
‘Shadowed Dreams’
‘Down Into The Stream’
‘Sylvan-Night’

Dutch metallers DEVIOUS have announced the digital release of their newest album Wolfhagen via their Bandcamp page for free or pay what you want pricing.

The last few copies of the limited edition, hand numbered metal case can be ordered there as well (not for free).

The album was mixed and mastered earlier this month by Jörg Uken at Soundlodge, Rauderfehn in Germany.

Artwork for Wolfhagen can be seen below:



Tracklisting is as follows:

‘One Man Horde’
‘Sinner Of Greed’
'Wolfhagen’
‘Her Divine’
‘Afterlife’
‘Respiration of Fear 2012’
‘Respiration Of Fear’

The track ‘One Man Horde’ can be heard below:

Romanian female-fronted metal band MAGICA will release its sixth album, "Center Of The Great Unknown", on October 12 via AFM Records. The CD's cover artwork was created by Claudio Bergamin and can be seen below. The album is based on "The Diary Of Admiral" by R.E. Byrd, "Godess Of Atvatabar" by W. Bradshaw, "Beasts, Man And Gods" by F.A.Ossendowsky and a few more authors and adventurers.

According to a press release, "Fans can look forward to a diverse and powerful album, again very much effected by Ana's [Mladinovici] outstanding vocals and the guitar work of Bogdan Costea."

"Center Of The Great Unknown" track listing:

01. Center Of The Great Unknown
02. Masterspell
03. King Of The World
04. Open
05. The Earth Is Young?
06. Step Into The Night
07. No Horizon
08. One Angry Gaia
09. Mark Of Cain
10. Under The Auroras
11. Daca 2012 (bonus track)

A two-and-a-half-minute trailer for "Center Of The Great Unknown" can be seen below.

MAGICA's fifth album, "Dark Diary", was released in May 2010 via AFM Records.

MAGICA is:

Ana Mladinovici - Vocals
Bogdan Costea - Guitar
Emy Burcea - Guitar
Tiberiu Dutu - Bass
Sebastian Natas - Drums

"Center Of The Great Unknown" trailer:

"The Sightless", the new video from LAETHORA, the Swedish death/grind band featuring DARK TRANQUILLITY guitarist Niklas Sundin, can be seen below. The song comes off the group's second album, "The Light In Which We All Burn", which came out in May 2010 via The End Records.

The video was created by Sundin, who comments: "Releasing the first promo video two years after an album is out is a bit unorthodox, but some things are worth waiting for.

"I started working on the 'The Sightless' clip a long time ago, and the original plan was to have it ready by the time 'The Light In Which We All Burn' was released in May 2010. However, for various reasons, the project got postponed, and it wasn't until recently that I found time to put the finishing touches together.

"So — we're very pleased to finally present this visual counterpart to what's probably the most bleak and dystopian song on the album. Enjoy!"

Mastered by Peter In de Betou (DARK FUNERAL, MESHUGGAH, HYPOCRISY), "The Light In Which We All Burn" is an epic thirteen-track album taking into account all of the members' eclectic tastes in music, featuring violent and powerful death/grind metal performed with intense passion and ferocity.

From the opening calm-before-the-storm beginning of "Ekpyrosis" to the thrashing rage of "World Deluge" and the open-chord ecstasy of "Humanae", the album truly shines in its diversity and dedication. The instrumentation is flawlessly executed with an organic and vibrant approach far from today's sterile extreme metal delivery.

LAETHORA's debut album, "March of the Parasite", was released in February 2007 via The End Records.

According to a press release, the band — which also features THE PROVENANCE members Joakim Rosén (guitar), Jonnie Täll (bass) and Joel Lindell (drums) — plays "aggressive music firmly rooted in the death/grind tradition, yet challenging and innovative."

Young US band SPACE VACATION has signed a worldwide deal with PURE STEEL RECORDS. The band from San Francisco plays fantatsic US Metal with NWoBHM-influences. The release of the new album "Heart Attack" is planned for the 1st quarter 2013. More news and details will follow in the next weeks. Scott Shapiro states: "Space Vacation is excited to announce that they have decided to sign a worldwide distribution and labeldeal with Pure Steel Records. This is a great opportunity for the band to gain exposure around the globe and bring our brand of old school heavy metal to the masses. It is great to have a chance to work with a label who actually gets what we are trying to do! Thanks so much to Andreas and everyone at Pure Steel Records for bringing us one step closer to our goal of making heads bang around the world."

A short audio clip of MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio talking about the song "Manowarriors" from the band's twelfth studio album, "The Lord Of Steel", can be streamed below.

The retail edition of "The Lord Of Steel", originally scheduled for September 28, will now hit the stores on October 19 on CD, limited-edition picture vinyl and as digital album.

"The Lord Of Steel" was made available earlier this summer as a limited-edition pre-release as the "Hammer Edition" in collaboration with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine.

The retail edition of "The Lord Of Steel" will feature different mixes and mastering, an additional song, spectacular new art by fantasy artist Ken Kelly, and other surprises.

"MANOWAR have always dared to do things differently. You have to look at these two versions like a movie that comes out in alternate versions; a director's cut or alternate endings or stories even told from different perspectives," explained Joey DeMaio. "For those of you who enjoyed the first taste of 'The Lord Of Steel', meaning the Metal Hammer version, I can tell you that the forthcoming 'The Lord Of Steel' release on Magic Circle Entertainment will be even more unique and yes, more brutal," he continued.

Described by the press as "a brutal and unstoppable force of molten metal" and "flawlessly heavy," "The Lord Of Steel" is a raw-to-the-bone production, merging vintage elements with the trademark sound MANOWAR have developed over the years.

"When you have to make room for literally hundreds of other instruments such as orchestras, choirs, marching armies on 'Gods Of War', for example, you have to create sonic space for that. The fewer instruments you have the louder they can be individually. As an artist you want to give your audience new experiences. This is not 'elevator music.' This is an album that hits you hard right between the eyes and does not let up," said Joey DeMaio.

For their twelfth studio album, MANOWAR have tapped into the world of action heroes and their stories, writing their first song specifically for a Hollywood movie, "El Gringo", and another one, "Expendable", inspired by Sylvester Stallone's action movie franchise "The Expendables". The band has meanwhile confirmed their next movie project, "Soldiers", for "The Expendables 2" star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

From the furious title track and the pumping "Black List", to the power ballad "Righteous Glory" and the Ennio Morricone homage "El Gringo" — "The Lord Of Steel" is full of surprises.

"The Lord Of Steel" (retail edition) will be mixed and mastered by longtime collaborators, mixing engineer Ronald Prent and two-time Grammy-award-winning mastering engineer Darcy Proper.

Coinciding with the release of the album, MANOWAR will kick off "The Lord Of Steel" world tour, with first shows in October and November, in Europe and the United States.

DeMaio was interviewed on the September 28 edition of Eddie Trunk's "Friday Night Rocks" radio show on New York's Q104.3 FM. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Greek extreme metal veterans ROTTING CHRIST are putting the finishing touches on their new album for an early 2013 release via Season Of Mist. The band spent more than four months at Deva Soundz studios in Athens crafting what it says "may be its darkest and more mystical and occult outcome ever."

ROTTING CHRIST's latest album, "Aealo", came out in March 2010. The CD was recorded at Lunatach Studios in Katerini, Greece and featured guest appearances by Greek-American vocalist Diamanda Galas and PRIMORDIAL frontman Alan A. Nemtheanga.

"Aealo" sold around 400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 144 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.

According to a press release, "Aealo" delved deeper than ever before into ROTTING CHRIST's Greek roots. Frontman Sakis Tolis explained: "'Aealo' is the transcription of an ancient Greek word into the Latin alphabet. It means thrashing, catastrophe or destruction and reflects the musicaland lyrical content of the album.

"The concept of 'Aealo' deals with the feelings of a warrior during a battle, therefore the album's title bears this sense of anger, fear and grief."

Fan-filmed video footage of former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach performing with SIN CITY SINNERS on September 26 at Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada can be seen below.

SIN CITY SINNERS earlier in the year announced its newest addition, actor/musician Zach Throne. Zach joins original SINNERS Todd Kerns (SLASH), Brent Muscat (FASTER PUSSYCAT) and Rob Cournoyer (RAGING SLAB).

SIN CITY SINNERS released its third album, "A Sinners' Christmas" late last year. It was recorded, mixed and mastered at Hit Track Studios in Las Vegas and produced by Brent Muscat and Tom Parham, and executive-produced by Jason Green.

In 2010, SIN CITY SINNERS released two CDs of original music, "Exile on Fremont Street" and the all-acoustic "Broken Record". The SINNERS' music video, "Goin' To Vegas", received the 32nd annual Telly Award and the track "Numb" was nominated for an AVN award for "Best Original Song".

Swedish metallers REVENGIA have completed work on their new album, "Lake Of Fire", for an early 2013 release. The CD was mastered at Bohus Sound Studios by Dragan Tanaskovic.

The band previously described its new songs as "heavy, fast, doomy and melodic, just as usual in REVENGIA-land!"

"Lake Of Fire" track listing:

01. Free From Sin
02. His Will
03. Lake Of Fire
04. The Day I Die
05. Alone
06. Purest Of Emotions
07. Sin For Sale
08. Asylum
09. Bloodline
10. Termination By The Hand Of Creation
11. The Galleon
12. The One (bonus track on first pressing)

The cover artwork can be seen below.

REVENGIA recently announced the addition of touring guitarist Andreas Stolt (NASCENCY) to the group's ranks.

Andreas will make his live debut with REVENGIA on November 3 at Sparbankshallen in Varberg, Sweden.

REVENGIA's last album, "Eraser", was released in Japan on November 21, 2007 via Soundholic Records.

The band in 2007 split with ARCH ENEMY drummer Daniel Erlandsson due to scheduling conflicts. He has since been replaced by Conny Pettersson (ANATA, TRENDKILL, ETERNAL LIES).

Legendary hard rock singer Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, TALISMAN, JOURNEY) joined KAMELOT on stage this past Friday, October 5 at The Grove Of Anaheim in Anaheim, California to perform the song "Ghost Opera". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

KAMELOT's new album, "Silverthorn", will be released on October 30 in North America, October 26 in Germany and October 29 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD will mark the band's first release with singer Tommy Karevik, the 30-year-old Swede who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of).

KAMELOT recently filmed a video for the song "Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)", in Belgrade, Serbia with director Ivan Colic, who has previously worked with MOONSPELL, SOILWORK, HAMMERFALL, TYPE O NEGATIVE and SYMPHONY X, among others. The clip, which features guest appearances by Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE) and Alissa White-Gluz (THE AGONIST), is expected to make its online debut in a few weeks. Alissa's cameo was filmed by Von Wong Photography at Studio Newreel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Dutch singer Floor Jansen (REVAMP, ex-AFTER FOREVER) made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington.

Jansen is handling lead-vocal duties on NIGHTWISH's current North American tour after the group parted ways with Anette Olzon at the end of September.

In a new blog post on her official web site at FloorJansen.com, Floor writes, "I am writing to you from our backstage in a venue called The Grove in Anaheim. I will go back to where I left you at the last blog, in San Francisco.

"In my last words, I was hoping to see something of the city. There was no time for this for me, though. Fully consumed by all the new things, saving all my energy for the show. My cold was nasty as well, so I focused on the show, and the show only!

"It was a great one!!! The venue was beautiful and gave the magical NIGHTWISH show and extra glance with its theatrical look.

"This was the third show and for me things were getting easier (even though I did miss some words here and there :-) The fun in the backstage was superb as well, just a great and magical night all the way through!!!

"We had a day off after this one and we spend it in L.A. We had a great BBQ with our dear promoter John and some of the guys had some energy left to go to the famous Rainbow Bar. I went back to my hotel room for a nice long sleep to fight the cold and to get all my reserves back to go for the next round of three shows!

"Today we are in Anaheim, right next to Disneyland! We took a taxi to Disney Downtown and enjoyed the sun, the stores and the 'world within a world' there for a little while.

"Right now I'll be preparing myself for a second meet-and-greet and, of course, the show tonight! I look forward to it!!!"

Olzon joined NIGHTWISH in 2007 as the replacement for Tarja Turunen after the latter was fired in 2005.

Reunited Swedish melodic death metallers ETERNAL OATH, who recently reunited after a five-year absence, will enter From Fear And Loathing studios in Stockholm in December with producer Jocke Skog to begin recording their fourth album for an early 2013 release.

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

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

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

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

Chicago heavy rockers SOIL have tapped Phoenix-based musician Mitch Gable (ECHOES THE FALL) as their new touring drummer.

Commented SOIL singer Ryan McCombs: "Our hope since Tim [King, bass], Adam [Zadel, guitar] and myself got back together was to keep the drummer position a revolving door. Mitch Gable is currently scheduled to do the U.K./Europe run, as well as he is also the drummer that did the last run with (HED)P.E. with us. [He's a] really good drummer and good guy to have on the road."

In a recent interview with Jake Serd and Ken Kirby of 94.9 K-Rock, McCombsspoke about SOIL's future plans, including the release of a new studio album, which is tentatively scheduled for next year. Several songs have already been written for te effort, which the singer says will "pick up where [2004's] 'Redefine' left off. I love the material that we're writing, and that's the feeling that I get from it," he said. "At the same time, ['Redefine' came out] seven years ago, so I'm sure there's gonna be some change."

He continued, "A lot of fans I ran into on the road just in the past few weeks made comments that they felt like, you had [2001's] 'Scars' and you had 'Redefine' and then really… I'm not dissing anything. The [other SOIL] guys, I think, put out two really good albums [with another singer] after I left. But it's just the way… Usually, when people listen to music, it's kind of the voice that catches people's ears. I'm not putting myself up on [a pedestal] by saying that, but at the same time, it's just kind of the reality of the business. So people were saying how it was kind of like those next two DROWNING POOL albums [with me on vocals] were… that was the follow-up to the first two SOIL records as far as that vocal sound. And I think this [new SOIL CD] is just gonna be the next one in line.

"I love the material we're doing and it's feeling good. I hope the people that loved 'Scars' and 'Redefine' see that natural progression."

SOIL will hit the road with FOZZY on a nine-date U.K. tour launching November 27 in Stoke, England and wrapping up December 6 in Brighton, England. The trek marks both bands' first return to the United Kingdom since highly successful appearances at this year's Download festival. The tour will also feature the U.K.'s own BREED 77.

SOIL released its first-ever DVD, entitled "Re-LIVE-Ing The Scars", on May 8 via Bieler Bros. Records. The two-disc set, which was recorded live on October 14, 2011 at Electric Ballroom in London, England, contains an audio CD version of the same concert. Also included is over one hour of backstage and behind-the-scenes bonus footage and photos.

SOIL's recording lineup for "Re-LIVE-Ing The Scars" consisted of founding members Ryan McCombs (vocals; ex-DROWNING POOL), Tim King (bass) and Adam Zadel (guitar) alongside former STAIND drummer Jon Wysocki.

Photo below courtesy of Mitch Gable's Facebook page

METALLICA have issued another free download from LiveMetallica.com, this time the show from Middletown, NY on June 17th, 1994 during the Summer Shit tour. Go to this location to download.
The tracklist is as follows:

'Master Of Puppets'
'Wherever I May Roam'
'Harvester Of Sorrow'
- Kirk Solo #1 -
'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)'
'The God That Failed'
'Kill/Ride Medley'
'For Whom The Bell Tolls'
'Disposable Heroes'
'Seek & Destroy'
- Kirk Solo #2 -
'Nothing Else Matters'
'Creeping Death'
- Jason Solo -
'Fade To Black'
'Whiplash'
'Sad But True'
'One'
'Enter Sandman'

Award-winning Nimród Antal (Predators, Vacancy) will direct Metallica's forthcoming 3D film and Charlotte Huggins (Journey To The Center Of The Earth, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) will produce. The film due next summer will feature narrative and concert starring the "five" members of Metallica: James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo, and the fans.

As the band previously explained, this will not just be a straight ahead concert film, but more like Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains the Same, where the live footage is intercut with dramatic pieces, or as Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone, "75 percent concert, 25 percent other stuff."
Metallica's setlist featured:
'Creeping Death'
'For Whom the Bell Tolls'
'Fuel'
'Ride the Lightning'
'One'
'Cyanide'
'The Memory Remains'
'Wherever I May Roam'
'Sad But True'
'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)'
' . . . And Justice for All'
'Fade to Black'
'Master of Puppets'
'Battery'
'Nothing Else Matters'
'Enter Sandman'
'Hit the Lights'
'Seek & Destroy'

YVRShoots has posted a number of photos of a riot scene that was filmed recently in Vancouver, BC for the film.

According to the site, "The heavy metal band already performed the concert part in Rogers Arena for three nights in a row. Now they’re doing the movie part all over downtown in overnight shoots in Arch Alley near Victory Square, a couple of Burrard intersections and now on Dunsmuir near the Burrard station. Last night’s riot had 400 extras as rioters and riot police, things on fire and riders on horses."

New Mexico thrash metallers ULTIMATUM have completed recording four brand new tracks that will be included on the band's 20th-anniversary release entitled "Heart of Metal - 20 Years Of Ultimatum". The remainder of the CD will consists of a selection of tracks that encompass the band's back catalog as suggested and voted on by their fans.

"Heart Of Metal - 20 Years Of Ultimatum" track listing:

01. Blood On A Thousand Hills (4:02)
02. Scattered (Body Parts) (3:58)
03. Hook Line & Sinker (5:50)
04. Rip 'N' Tear (4:02)
05. Heart Of Metal (remix) (4:40)
06. Locked In Chains (remix) (3:12)
07. Mortal Stomp (2008) (5:32)
08. Blink (2007) (remix) (2:43)
09. Deathwish (5:51)
10. One For All (5:24)
11. Into The Pit (3:08)
12. Temple Of The Spirit (3:20)
13. Crash Course (5:33)
14. Never (4:03)
15. Puppet Of Destruction (4:19)
16. Gutterbox (5:02)
17. Darkest Void (3:59)
18. Symphonic Extremities (4:31)

The cover artwork was created by David Besanson and can be seen below.

"Heart of Metal - 20 Years Of Ultimatum" will also be released in a limited-edition Ultimatum 20th Anniversary Roxx Boxx. Packaged in a deluxe foil-stamped box and limited to 100 hand-numbered copies, it will include:

1. "Heart Of Metal - 20 Years Of Ultimatum" CD (The new CD with exclusive new tracks from ULTIMATUM. Includes a 12-page, full-color booklet.)

2. "Before The Pit" (exclusive Roxx Boxx CD with alternative takes and demo versions of songs from "Into the Pit")

3. "Puppet Of Destruction" (Remastered & Expanded) (the first 15 Roxx Boxx sets will contain a bonus two-disc version with the "Fatal Delay" demo)

4. "Ultimatum Live at Extreme Mardi Gras" and "Live At Up From The Ashes III" and the video clip for "Heart Of Metal" compiled on one specially made DVD

5. Limited-edition Roxx Signature Series guitar pick #5 featuring Robert Guttierez of ULTIMATUM

6. Woven ULTIMATUM patch

7. Four exclusive Roxx Boxx inserts, personally autographed by the individual bandmembers

For more information, visit www.roxxproductions.com.

Austrian symphonic power metallers DRAGONY have released the following update:

“Today we have a very important news update for you. As you know, our five year anniversary show together with FREEDOM CALL and lots of special guests is coming up on November 2nd at the Aera in Vienna, Austria.

However, five years is a long time, and sometimes changes happen. And thus we have to inform you today that unfortunately, Daniel Stockinger (guitarist) and Georg Lorenz (keyboardist) will, due to personal decisions, no longer be a part of Dragony in the future. We wish Daniel and Georg all the best for their future endeavours both in and outside music, and thank them for their contributions to the band, without which Dragony would not be what it is today. For those of you who are interested, Daniel will be working together with a new project called DAEDRIC TALES (power metal in the Elder Scrolls universe), which we would like to bring to your attention.

The show on November 2nd will take place as scheduled, as we have invited numerous guests and musicians who will help us out and support us for this show.

For us, however, this change also meant that we had to look for suitable successors on guitars and keyboards. We have been hunting high and low, and we are lucky to be able to present the new guitarist of Dragony already today.

Henceforth, Mr. Simon Saito will support us on guitars! Simon’s enthusiasm and effort during our first few rehearsals these past few weeks quickly convinced us that he would be the right man for the job, and we are thrilled to have him with us. Simon will already support us on guitars at the show on November 2nd. Promotional pictures will follow shortly. Welcome aboard, Saito-san!

Meanwhile, our quest for a new keyboard player will continue, as we are currently scouting several candidates. However, we are still open for suggestions, so if you are a keyboard player/composer and interested in joining Dragony, feel free to contact us at office@dragony.net and submit your application. We will gladly take a look at every candidate.

Our other guests for the show with Freedom Call will be announced on these sites in the next couple of days, so stay tuned! Tickets for the show are still available on office@dragony.net and OETicket.com! We're looking forward to seeing you all!”