Halmstad, Sweden-based extreme metallers SHINING will team up with MONUMENTUM for a very special 7” split between your beloved death-squadron and the Italian legends.
On the split both bands deliver never-before-released material: the split will include Shining’s bleak vision of an old BAY LAUREL song and Monumentum's interpretation of PJ HARVEY's dusky classic, The River'.

The EP will be strictly limited to three hundreds copies and will be available from the Shining Legions store. Pre-orders for the EP will start soon, with an expected release date in early November.

Updates to follow.

Canadian black metal one-man-band OV HOLLOWNESS is entering their Studio in Edmonton, Alberta to record the brand new album, The World Ends, scheduled for release on Code666 at the beginning of 2013.

Check out the album artwork, by Dehn Sora (ULVER, EPHEL DUATH), below:
The World Ends tracklisting:

'Abstraction'
'Grey'
'Hoarfrost'
'An End'
'Ov'
'The World Ends'
'Lost Resolve'
'Hollow'
'End In View'

Further details to follow. More on Ov Hollowness at this location.

The cover artwork of "Koi No Yokan", the seventh studio album from Sacramento, California's DEFTONES, can be seen below. The group worked again with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who helmed 2010's "Diamond Eyes" and has also worked on albums by RUSH and FOO FIGHTERS.

Due on November 13, "Koi No Yokan" will feature the following track listing:

01. Poltergeist
02. Romantic Dreams
03. Leathers
04. Swerve City
05. Entombed
06. Graphic Nature
07. Tempest
08. Gauze
09. Rosemary
10. Goon Squad
11. What Happened To You?

Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep, DEFTONES frontman Chino Moreno stated about the songwriting process for "Koi No Yokan", "We were coming out of a tough time, obviously, and our goal was to kind of rebuild what we created over all the years. I felt like we had to prove ourselves. We'd taken so much time between records, had some inner turmoil, and our records were starting to get pieced together versus really being created together, so for us it was a chance to get back to basics. We didn't have an idea of what sort of style we wanted. We just came in fired up and motivated to do something great. It was all very positive. We had more songs than ever, tons of ideas."

CHURCHBURN is the musical collaboration between two of the undergrounds masters of misery Dave Suzuki, best known for his mesmerizing guitar work and brutal drumming in VITAL REMAINS and Ray McCaffrey, who carved out sonic drum patterns for SIN OF ANGELS and GRIEF. The two have set out to share with the world their love of the riff, not only the heaviest but also the most haunting. Each song is crafted with the most sinister of intent. CHURCHBURN wants the listener to feel a true sense of dread as the song progresses.

"CHURCHBURN is very different from VITAL REMAINS," says Suzuki. "Ray and I wanted to do something slow and heavy...just something pummeling to the listener."

CHURCHBURN is:

Dave Suzuki – Guitar, Vocals
Ray Mccaffrey - Drums, Vocals

After nearly two years of nonstop live demolition, West Coast gore-torn death metal goliaths EXHUMED recently entered the studio to record to the follow-up to 2011's "All Guts, No Glory". The band is currently tracking drums at Trench Studio in Corona, California with John Haddad (HIRAX, ABYSMAL DAWN, INTRONAUT). Everything else will be laid down at Arcane Digital Recording in Chandler, Arizona with Ryan Butler (MISERY INDEX, LANDMINE MARATHON, PHOBIA). The as-yet-untitled longplayer is expected to offer up ten tracks of audio sickness, including "Carrion Call", "Sickened", "The Rotting" and "Coins Upon The Eyes", and will be released via Relapse Records sometime next year.

Comments vocalist/guitarist Matt Harvey of the new material: "We're super psyched to be back in the studio working on a new record. The songs we've worked up are a bit darker and more open this time around, but, of course, built on the same disgusting foundation we've been repulsing people with for years. It's a really natural progression from 'All Guts...' and it's a lot of fun to work with the lineup that's done all the touring. It feels a lot more like a 'real band' situation this time around.

"There will be periodic studio reports on our blog, if you want to stay abreast of all the excruciating details.

"We can't wait to get this thing ready to assault your ears!"

EXHUMED 2012 features the smoldering lineup of Harvey alongside bassist Rob "Body Bag" Babcock, drummer Mike Hamilton and guitarist/vocalist Bud Burke, who played bass with the band from 1999 to 2004 and recently rejoined the legion for their live rituals on this year's Summer Slaughter Tour.

In related news, EXHUMED previously announced live takeover of Japan with death metal legends CANNIBAL CORPSE will commence on October 15 in Tokyo and serve as a warm-up to the band's five-week North American Tour with NAPALM DEATH and MUNICIPAL WASTE.

APOLOKIA, Italy's "most controversial, nihilist and hateful black metal band," will release its long-awaited debut album, "Kathaarian Vortex", on February 11, 2013 via My Kingdom Music. According to a press release, the CD "represents a compendium mix of early first wave and second wave black metal with a 1992 black metal sound production, icecold and razor sharp guitar sound, inhuman cryptic and mystic vocals, ultrafast and violent drums everything overwhelmed by an outstanding, inhuman, evil geniality based on the original APOLOKIA trademark that is the true evolution of the pure black metal spirit, sound and attitude without any compromise in ideologies and musical expression. [It is] an exclusive album for the followers of the cult, for those who are nowadays disappointed by the ridicolus and politically correct music that the mass wrongly labels black metal. 'Kathaarian Vortex' is the proof that the pure black metal still exists, entirely composed by inhuman artists like APOLOKIA are."

"Kathaarian Vortex" track listing:

01. Consolamentum
02. Post Kristus Daemonolatry
03. In Figuram Baphometis
04. Order of the Nine
05. Malignant Asphyxiation
06. Kathaarian Vortex
07. Signum Satani
08. Coil of Nihilism
09. Pure Imperial Darkness MMXII

Swedish "art rockers" CULT OF LUNA will release their first studio album in five years, "Vertikal", in early 2013. The CD is said to be thematically influenced by the film "Metropolis", a hypnotic backdrop of machinery and repetition.

Commented the band: "Before we started writing, we were keen to find a theme that in a very direct way could be shown through the music, and we hope to have achieved this. We developed clear structures — very linear, refusing to over complicate the writing process.

"We realize fans have been waiting for what seems like an age for us to return to the live arena properly, but we were not keen on playing shows before we had the new material ready. There have been changes, and we wanted to come back on our own terms with something completely new. It is very important for us to transpose the idea of a new album into the live setting, to not tread water, and to include the fans in what we’ve been working on; you will be hearing this very soon."

CULT OF LUNA will launch a European headlining tour on January 17 in Hamburg, Germany.

Jan. 17 - Hamburg, Knust
Jan. 18 - Luxembourg, Kulturfabrik
Jan. 19 - Glasgow, Ivory Blacks
Jan. 20 - Sheffield, Corporation
Jan. 21 - Wolverhampton, Slade Rooms
Jan. 22 - London, The Garage
Jan. 24 - Paris, Le Divan Du Monde
Jan. 25 - Vannes, L'Echonova
Jan. 26 - Bordeaux, Le Krakatoa
Jan. 27 - Bilbao, Sonora
Jan. 28 - Lisbon, Paradise Garage
Jan. 29 - Porto, Hard Club
Jan. 30 - Madrid, Caracol
Jan. 31 - Barcelona, Razzmatazz 3
Feb. 01 - Beaumont, Le Tremplin
Feb. 02 - Karlsruhe, Stadtmitte

Festival appearances:

Apr. 20 - Tilburg, Roadburn Festival
May 03 - Wroclaw, Asymmetry Festival

Tickets for all headlining shows will go on sale on Monday, October 8.

CULT OF LUNA released a hardback book/audiobook called "Eviga Riket" on February 23, 2010 via C.O.L Press. According to the band, the book is "a short story covering the life and times of Mr. Holger Nilsson, the full story behind the 'Eternal Kingdom' [CULT OF LUNA's latest album] theme. The book will be bilingual, written in Swedish and translated into English. The narrated versions of this short story is accompanied by newly written CULT OF LUNA pieces and soundscapes."

CULT OF LUNA's DVD, "Fire Was Born", was released in April 2009 via Earache Records). Along with an epic live show recorded on July 1, 2008 at Scala in London, England, the disc — which was mixed, edited and designed by the band — features footage of mainman Johannes Persson and Anders Teglund (keyboards) answering questions from fans all around the world and the videos for "The Watchtower", "Leave Me Here" and "Back To Chapel Town".

Danish death metallers CORPUS MORTALE have inked a deal with Deepsend Records. The band's third album, "FleshCraft", will be released later this fall. The CD was recorded at Tue Madsen's Antfarm studio (VADER, KATAKLYSM, MOONSPELL, ILLDISPOSED) and at Antfarm's former location — now known as JBO Sound studios — with producer Jacob Olsen (PANZERCHRIST, CROCELL).

The follow-up to 2007's "A New Species of Deviant", "FleshCraft" "will come to be known as a defining statement of Danish death metal," according to a press release. "The year's best death metal album is also amongst the best from Denmark ever. The perfect death metal recording, Martin Rosendahl's trademark bellow (last heard on THE CLEANSING's 'Poisoned Legacy') and their musicianship that's second to none. 'FleshCraft' is an excellently composed monster, exemplifying everything that Danish death metal has been known for and finally accomplished by CORPUS MORTALE."

A promotional video for the track "Love Lies Bleeding" can be seen below.

"A NewSpecies Of Deviant" was released in September 2007 via Neurotic Records. The CD featured the artwork of the label's in-house artist Joel Sta.

Norwegian grindcore metallers BEATEN TO DEATH, who feature in their ranks members of INSENSE, SHE SAID DESTROY and TSJUDER, will release their first official live DVD on October 26 via Mas-Kina Recordings.

Entitled "At Rockefeller", the DVD will include footage of the band's performance at Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo, Norway on June 17, 2012, as the support act for KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. The setlist sees the band playing all the songs from their acclaimed debut album, "Xes And Strokes", as well as new tracks that will appear on their forthcoming second effort. According to the band, the DVD will include the entire show, unedited and uncut, so that fans can experience the raw energy of BEATEN TO DEATH's live performance.

Commented guitarist Tommy Hjelm: "The only rule we have is that we're not going to follow the set trends. So the idea to make a live album came up and we figured, why not? Record the whole thing from beginning to end, without brushing out all the mistakes? Why not? With new songs not yet released? Why not? And really! Why not? We are so tired of the perfect-pitch, soulless stuff that overruns the market these days. This is the exact opposite of that. It's gritty, dirty, it follows no metronome, it hides no evidence and it abides by no rules. The mixing should reflect that, and I think it does."

BEATEN TO DEATH's setlist for the Rockfeller show was as follows:

01. Intro
02. Pointless Testament
03. Winston Churchill
04. On Running
05. Vinni Butterfly
06. Soulless Alarm
07. Krepsekamp
08. 3-2-1, It's On
09. Obliteration Of Nekromantheon
10. Cat Olympics
11. A Word To The Wise
12. Groundhog Day
13. Xes And Strokes
14. Erik Og Skrik

The "3-2-1, It's On" performance clip, taken from the "At Rockefeller" DVD, can be seen below.

In addition, an audio version of "At Rockefeller" will also available for download via Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, WiMP, etc.

BEATEN TO DEATH is working on its as-yet-untitled second album, due later this year.

On the topic of the musical direction of the new CD, bassist Mika Martinussen said: "We already have, like, 15 songs, but the next album will probably be more or less just as short and intense as the last one. It looks like the songs will be more varied on this release than on 'Xes', with weird ideas, stronger elements of other genres than grind/death metal, more melodic stuff, arrangements that are both simpler and more complex."

German pagan metallers ADORNED BROOD will release their seventh album, "Kuningaz", on November 23 via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded at the Kohlekeller Studio in Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany with producer Kai Stahlenberg. Guest musicians on the album include Mario Pontigo, Moritz "Mo" Stübing (ALL WILL KNOW) and Florian "Blutaxt" Tamm (BLACK UNICORN). The cover artwork for the CD was created by Kris Verwimp (ABSU, MELECHESH, SUIDAKRA).

The second trailer for "Kuningaz" can be seen below.

ADORNED BROOD's latest album, "Hammerfeste", was released in October 2010 via Black Bards Entertainment.

Southern California's HEARTIST recently inked a deal with Roadrunner Records. The band's self-produced, six-song EP, "Nothing You Didn't Deserve", will be available via iTunes on October 22.

A track from the EP, "Rhinestone", is now available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.

"The band formed in early 2011," said HEARTIST vocalist Bryce Beckley. "It started with our two guitarists, Tim and John. They had come from another band that had recently broken up, and they decided to give it another shot, and they found me; I had recently left my band as well. I went over there and auditioned for them — they seemed to really like it, so we started writing together. We originally were going to do a couple of demos, but the more stuff we wrote, we were just like, let's shoot for a whole EP. We had Matt, our drummer, who at the time was playing with NORMA JEAN, track for us. Matt ended up leaving NORMA JEAN later on, after a little convincing by us. We picked up our bassist very late last year to complete the lineup."

Regarding HEARTIST's sound, Beckley said, "When we first joined together, we had a collective goal that we didn't want to get stuck in a specific scene; get locked in to where we could only play heavy shows and that kind of thing. We deliberately wrote our EP so that it was kind of a transitional sound, in between heavy rock and hardcore music, with breakdowns and stuff. And we did it that way so that if we made a transition in either direction, it wouldn't be super surprising to fans. Currently we're demoing out for a full-length, and we're going for a much heavier, dark rock sound."

HEARTIST is:

Bryce Beckley - Vocals
Jonathan Gaytan - Guitar/Vocals
Tim Koch - Guitar
Matt Marquez - Drums
Evan Ranallo - Bass

Perth Western, Australia-based hard rockers BABYJANE have unveiled the cover artwork of their forthcoming sophomore album, "Make It Sick". The CD's title track, which features a guest appearance by John Corabi, former lead singer of MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE SCREAM and UNION, was recorded with legendary producer Michael Wagener's (METALLICA, SKID ROW, OZZY OSBOURNE) Wireworld Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

"She's Just A Liar", the first single from "Make It Sick", can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

BABYJANE has thus far released one album, "Are You Listening?", which was mixed by Wagener in 2010.

BABYJANE is:

Andy Smith - Vocals, Guitar
John Gerasolo - Lead Guitars
Paul Judge - Bass, Vocals
Nik Kats - Drums

German deathcore act WAR FROM A HARLOTS MOUTH will releasr its new album, "Voyeur", on October 19 in Europe and November 6 in North America via Season Of Mist.

"Voyeur" will be released as CD digipak (limited to first pressing), LP with digital download card, CD jewel case and t-shirt. The limited-edition digipak includes two bonus tracks and the LP includes one bonus cut.

"Voyeur" track listing:

01. Origin
02. Vertigo
03. H(a)unted
04. Terrifier
05. Of Fear And Total Control
06. Temple
07. The Black Lodge
08. Beyond Life And Death
09. To The Villains
10. Krycek
11. Scopophobia
12. Catacombæ
13. Epiphany
14. Dolph Lundgren (limited-edition bonus track)
15. To The Villains (demo version) (limited-edition bonus track)

The official lyric video for the first single from the album, "Scopophobia", can be seen below.

WAR FROM A HARLOTS MOUTH's third album, "MMX", was released in the fall of 2010 through Lifeforce Records.

Around two weeks ago the members of RHAPSODY lived one of the most dramatic moments of their career and they finally want to reveal to everybody the difficult moment they had to face because of what recently happened to their guitar player DOMINIQUE LEURQUIN.

“Some days ago my girlfriend Nadia received a phone call from Laurence, the wife of Dominique. I understood from Nadia’s tears that something terrible just happened…” says LUCA TURILLI. And adds: “A river of blood and then the dramatic run to the hospital with Dominique almost dying for all the blood he shed. Three hours of surgery and the risk to lose the left hand definitely. I could simply not believe it…”

Dominique injured himself with a circular saw while working at home. One wrong movement and the saw reached the center of his hand. After the complicated surgery and everyone around thinking it will be difficult for Dominique to play his beloved instrument once again, the doctors spent some more optimistic words to describe the situation, speaking about a long period of rehabilitation and some major problems eventually related to the thumb only. Therefore it seems there will be again the possibility for Dominique to play a guitar, and maybe sooner than what can be expected. What is needed is a lot of strength and mind power but everybody knows what represents the music for Dominique and so there is no doubt he will do miracles in this sense.

All the members of RHAPSODY were just shocked for all what happened and of course the last days were not that easy for anyone of them, for the stress due to the tragic fact and for the problems related with the tour preparation. Right in relation with the upcoming tour, an important decision was taken: the one of not replacing Dominique with another guitar player but instead, as Luca arranged all the RHAPSODY songs for two guitars, to simply add Dominique’s parts on the backing tracks at lower volume. Mixed on the right side, as if he would be there.

The bass player PATRICE GUERS states: “Dominique for us is more than friend. He is a real brother and everybody knows how important was for him this first tour as official member of RHAPSODY. It is just not possible to replace him and we won’t do it! When Luca communicated this to Dominique, he almost shed some tears for the happiness, so much he appreciated this decision…”. The new drummer ALEX LANDENBURG adds: “No matter if it will take six months or one year to have Dominique back with us on stage. What is sure is that we’ll wait for him as he is a fundamental member of our band. Surely won’t be the same to go on stage without him!”. The singer ALESSANDRO CONTI goes on: “Every show of this tour will be dedicated to our brother. I know Dominique since some months only but I can tell you that I already love him for his talent and for being a man of great value”.

LT’S RHAPSODY want to add that, due to the recent events and despite all the other band plans won’t be changed, the release of the new cinematic ballad FANTASIA GOTICA will be postponed after the tour. The new video of CLASH OF THE TITANS in its WALIKING DEAD REMIX version, instead, should be released next week as planned. In any case it is a matter of days.

In the meantime, the countdown for the ASCENDING TO INFINITY CINEMATIC TOUR started. RHAPSODY, FREEDOM CALL, ORDEN OGAN and VEXILLUM are waiting for you, all around Europe, ready to offer a show full of surprises, unique and memorable. See you soon!
IMPORTANT: LT’S RHAPSODY will extend the European leg of their tour in other countries in 2013!

A teaser for the song "Kashmir" from LED ZEPPELIN's "Celebration Day", which documents the band's 2007 concert at London, England's O2 Arena, can be seen below.

The film will make its U.S. debut at the historic Ziegfeld Theater in New York's theater district on October 9. Prior to the premiere, founding members John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant will be joined by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham, for a press conference at New York's Museum of Modern Art.

"Celebration Day" will then have its U.K. premiere at London's legendary Hammersmith Apollo on October 12. Jones, Page, and Plant will also be attendance for this special event and a limited number of tickets will be made available to fans for £20.

Premieres for the film will follow in Berlin on October 15, where Jones is confirmed to attend, and Tokyo on October 16, which will have Page in attendance.

LED ZEPPELIN took the stage at London's O2 Arena on December 10, 2007 to headline a tribute concert for dear friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. What followed was a two-hour-plus tour de force of the band's signature blues-infused rock 'n' roll that instantly became part of the legend of LED ZEPPELIN. Although 20 million people applied for tickets, the band's first headline show in 27 years was seen only by the 18,000 ticket holders who were fortunate enough to have secured seats through the worldwide lottery.

The film of "Celebration Day" will see a worldwide theatrical release by Omniverse Vision on 1,500 screens in over 40 territories on October 17. Tickets for the public screenings are available now via LedZeppelin.com.

"Celebration Day" will then be available in multiple video and audio formats on November 19 from Swan Song/Atlantic Records. Available for pre-order now, the details on all configurations of "Celebration Day" are listed below.

* Standard Editions – 1-DVD/2-CD set and 1-Blu-ray/2-CD set
* Deluxe Editions – 2-DVD/2-CD set and 1-Blu-ray/1-DVD/2-CD set featuring exclusive bonus video content including the Shepperton rehearsals, and BBC news footage.
* Music Only CD Edition – 2-CD set
* Music Only Blu-ray Audio Edition – Blu-ray Audio release featuring high-resolution 48K 24 bit PCM stereo and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound audio only, no video
* Vinyl Edition – 3 LPs, 180-gram, audiophile quality vinyl (Available December 11)
* Digital Edition – Audio will be available at all digital retail outlets

A "Celebration Day" widget is available below.

LED ZEPPELIN met with the press on September 21 in London to launch "Celebration Day". The band was adamant about not addressing any reunion rumors — despite the fact that they were promoting a film of their last reunion. When asked if the band would be performing together again, Jimmy Page told a reporter: "Let me ask you a question. Have you seen the film? Did you enjoy it? Then we've done our job, haven't we?" When asked if ZEPPELIN would "do it again," Plant cracked: "With you?"

Page told the press that he was thrilled with Jason Bonham's performance filling in for his late father, John Bonham, saying, "Jason was absolutely monumental. From the very first rehearsal right through to the O2." Plant added: "It was appropriate and it was wonderful and also his vigor was so fantastic too. He drove us, y'know? It was peculiar and strange at times, but at the same time it was very rewarding for all of us."

Plant went on to talk about the band's relationship these days: "We don't see each other too often, but we've just spent about an hour together. . .and no sooner we start talking, than some little innuendo creeps in. It's just what happens when you've spent a lot of time together."

When asked why it took five years for the 2007 reunion concert to see the light of day, John Paul Jones joked: "Five years is like five minutes in ZEPPELIN time."

"Kashmir" traser:

"Strike", the new video from German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR, can be seen below. The clip is a recap of the "Unbreakable" tour and festival season.

PRIMAL FEAR's latest album, "Unbreakable", sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 44 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.

Released on January 24, 2012 in the U.S. via Frontiers Records, "Unbreakable" was tracked in part at House Of Music studios in Winterbach, Germany with producer/bassist Mat Sinner and engineer Achim Köhler (EDGUY, MASTERPLAN).

According to a press release, "Unbreakable" "combines the skills of the strongest PRIMAL FEAR lineup ever with a well-balanced 'back-to-the-roots" vibe and an ambitious learning process during their longest tour so far. Classic and ultra-fresh PRIMAL FEAR riff-rockers like 'Strike', 'Give 'Em Hell' or the high-speed track 'And There Was Silence' will hit the bulls-eye, like the rhythm paced metal anthem, first single and new video clip 'Bad Guys Wear Black'. Less experiments, more rock! But there will be a nine-minute epic journey with a lot prog approach named 'Where Angels Die', a classic wonderful ballad 'Born Again' and the melodic power bomb 'Metal Nation'."

"Unbreakable" track listing:

01. Unbreakable (Part 1)
02. Strike
03. Give 'Em Hell
04. Bad Guys Wear Black
05. And There Was Silence
06. Metal Nation
07. Where Angels Die
08. Unbreakable (Part 2)
09. Marching Again
10. Born Again
11. Blaze Of Glory
12. Conviction
13. Night Of The Jumps (Bonus Track)*
14. Bad Guys Wear Black (Video)*

* Only available in the first pressing in digipak

"Just A Beautiful Day", the new video from Canadian rockers DANKO JONES, can be seen below. The black-and-white performance clip was shot by The Diamond Brothers, who previously worked with the band on past videos as well as the recent documentary, "Bring On The Mountain".

"We did so much with the last record in terms of stars and storyline and it was a big to-do that I think the only natural thing to do was to take it back," the band's frontman and namesake told Loudwire. "If we tried to follow up on what we did for the last record with all the celebrities and stuff, we'd just become like that band that has all the famous people in their videos — more famous than them. So it was good to just take it a step back. It's cool. I definitely like it."

"Just A Beautiful Day" comes off DANKO JONES' new album, "Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue", which will be released in North America on October 9.

Over the course of six full-length albums, DANKO JONES has forged a singular sound that draws equally from the blues, '60s garage, '70s hard rock, '80s hardcore, punky power-pop, Scandinavian metal, and classic stand-up comedy records without ever being fully defined by any of those sources. But while built from the same rudiments, each DANKO JONES record possesses a distinct sonic identity. "Born A Lion" (2002) brought the boogie and sledgehammer soul; "We Sweat Blood" (2003) was, by contrast, more anxious and aggro. "Sleep Is The Enemy" (2006) wielded the sharpest hooks. "Never Too Loud" (2008) was as slick as "Below The Belt" (2010) was stripped-down. But, compared to all that's come before, "Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue" is, hands down, the most emotional and, as a result, the most epic DANKO JONES album to date.

Now, don't be scared off by those E-words — there's not a children's choir, orchestra or piano ballad to be found within a 500-mile radius of this album. But what you hear on "Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue" is the DANKO JONES ideal blown up to skyscraping proportions, resulting in 13 tracks that are bolder, brasher, and brawnier than anything they've attempted before. The album is produced in full by their longtime partner in crime Matt DeMatteo and was mixed by Mike Fraser, known for his work with AC/DC, AEROSMITH, FRANZ FERDINAND and ELVIS COSTELLO, to name a few. It is also the first album recorded with "new" drummer Atom Willard — the sixth person in DANKO JONES history to hold the "drummer" title, but the first to stand on equal creative footing with Danko and his longtime foil, bassist John "JC" Calabrese. The man's résumé speaks for itself: Not only was Willard the driving percussive force behind Danko's all-time favorite San Diegan garage-punk armada ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT, he's also been keeping time for the multi-platinum likes of THE OFFSPRING, SOCIAL DISTORTION and ANGELS & AIRWAVES, so he knows how to drum his way around a massive tune.

The new DANKO JONES album follows the June release of "Bring On The Mountain" — a two-disc DVD featuring a 90-minute documentary, a short film, exclusive live clips from around the world and all the music videos they have ever done. A lengthy European tour scheduled for October/November was announced during spring. Tour dates in Canada, U.S. and Australia will be announced soon, with more European touring and a busy festival summer in 2013 also on the horizon.

"Born To Break Your Heart", the new video from Finnish "merry metallers" RECKLESS LOVE, can be seen below. The track comes off the band's new eight-song mini-album, which was released on October 1 via Spinefarm Records.

Commented RECKLESS LOVE frontman Olli Herman: "We are all so excited about this release. As old-school '80s metal fans, we wanted to put together something we were dying to get from our own idols, in the fashion of GUNS N' ROSES' 'Lies' (which was like a gift from heaven for us as kids); a sort of bonus item designed to reveal more of the whole band and its foundations. So, instead of just releasing 'Born To Break Your Heart' as a straight single, we've thrown in some kick-ass live tracks, plus a couple of bad-ass acoustic cuts and more, to give a special treat to our fans. To top it all off, we've got a great new mix of the title track by the legendary Tim Palmer himself."

The full track listing is as follows:

01. Born To Break Your Heart (Tim Palmer mix)
02. Beautiful Bomb (live)
03. On The Radio (live)
04. Hot (live)
05. Push (outtake from "Animal Attraction")
06. Animal Attraction (unplugged)
07. The Boys Are Back In Town (unplugged)
08. One More Time (unplugged)

RECKLESS LOVE's second album, "Animal Attraction", was released in October 2011 in Finland via Universal Music.

RECKLESS LOVE plays exceptionally good rock n' roll. With its rousing and joyful attitude, the band offers a true alternative for today's rock scene where everything seems too dull, dark and serious. RECKLESS LOVE's formula is simple; big hard rock just for the fun of it!

The band was founded in 2001 and started to gradually gain underground reputation as an energetic live act. Eight years of small scale touring, two lineup changes and four demos later the band finally took its current form and found its own recognizable sound.

"Days Of The New", the new video from ALMAH — the Brazilian metal band led by former ANGRA singer Eduardo "Edu" Falaschi — can be seen below. The clip was recorded by Valter Reis and Gildasio Chagas from DV Produções, and edited and produced by Alex Milesi, who previously worked with ALMAH on the "Trace Of Trait" and "Late Night In '85" videos.

ALMAH's third studio album, "Motion", was released in Europe in October 2011 via AFM Records. The CD was recorded in May-June 2011 at Norcal Studios in São Paulo, Brazil and was mixed and mastered in July at Split Second Sound Studios in Amsterdam, Netherlands by Jochem Jacobs (TEXTURES).

ALMAH recently played several shows in Brazil with session bassist Raphael Dafras.

BONZ, the new group led by original STUCK MOJO vocalist Bonz, has posted three songs from its upcoming CD.The tracks "Sour Diesel", "Bad News" and "Take it Personal" reflect where Bonz and his bandmates are, both musically and personally, at this time. "These tunes are full of my heart, soul, and personal experience, yo," says Bonz. "Listen to the lyrics, and feel the vibe of each song."

BONZ's debut EP was recorded at Virtuo Sound Studios in Kennesaw, Georgia. The effort was engineered by Josh Hack, and co-produced by the band and Josh. "We've come up with a sound that we believe combines sounds and feelings of both the past and present," stated guitarist Curt Taylor. "There is just groove and heaviness dripping off these tunes."

BONZ's "The Mouth Of Mojo" tour launched on August 16 in Atlanta, Georgia and will take the band around the U.S. and Europe in the coming months.

After years of speculation, and many rumors, regarding his musical career, Bonz is back on the scene with a new band and new music that is sure to excite fans and impress critics.

After creating the first few demos, Bonz and his bandmates knew that something really new and invigorating was in store, and the music reflects that feeling. This is a "new" Bonz, with all of the flair and attitude that only he can bring, as part of a band that delivers the goods night in and night out, reiterating that the "Mouth Of Mojo" is indeed back in fine form.

Bonz in 2010 collaborated with former SOULFLY bassist Bobby Burns in the KILLER IN THE WORKPLACE project.

For more information, visit the BONZ Facebook page.

Canadian prog-rock pioneers The Tea Party had sold over two million records worldwide before the band took an indefinite hiatus in 2005. Over the course of the next five years their reputation and notoriety as a top-notch live rock trio built up until demand for performances convinced the band to reunite in 2011 whereupon their appearance at festivals in Canada and Australia fueled fan demand for a live album and DVD, something the band never released previously.

Recorded on their 2012 Australian tour the recordings showcases a band bursting with renewed energy while delivering a greatest hits audio / video release that every Tea Party fan will insist be part of their music collection.

The album and concert video is the first release to contain all of the hits including fan favorites like 'Save Me', 'Sister Awake' , 'The River', 'Heaven Coming Down' and 'Temptation' in one place. The Tea Party has perfected the art of mixing rock and world music infusion from blues and progressive rock to Indian and Middle Eastern influences.

For more info and audio samples visit this location.

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Richard Fortus has joined forces with Norwegian musician Lásse Kvernmo in a new project called SÁIVU.

It all started in 2008 when Kvernmo, who was studying in the U.S. at the time, sent Fortus some demo recordings via the GUNS N' ROSES homepage. It didn't take long for him to get an answer.

"I fell for his songs," says Fortus. "Right then and there I decided that I wanted to be a part of this. He's got some really unique and amazing rock songs."

The American guitarist, who has been a member of GUNS N' ROSES since 2002, took a break from his main gig to visit Tromsø, northern Norway, where he and Kvernmo spent the days writing new material.

On October 2, the first single from SÁIVU, "Goodbye", was released as a preview of what's to come on the project's debut album, "Iron Curtain". The recordings were done in Los Angeles with producer Ben Grosse (MARILYN MANSON, DEPECHE MODE, MADONNA). Drummer Will Hunt (EVANESCENCE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and guitarist Geno Lenardo (FILTER, CHEVELLE) also appear on the CD.

"Sáivu" is a word from Sami mythology. Sáivu is considered to be a place where the dead forefathers reside — a place where everything is bigger, more beautiful and better than the world of the living.

Despite Kvernmo's Sami roots, SÁIVU's songs are sung entirely in English.

"In order to reach a larger audience, I couldn't sing in my native language," explained Kvernmo. "Had I done that, only 30,000 people would have understood what I had to say."

Kvernmo and Fortus have already performed some of their material live in July 2010 at the Midnattsrocken festival in Norway.

For more information, visit www.saivumusic.com.

Legendary guitarist Slash performed the song "Standing In The Sun"Conan O'Brien's nighttime talk show on TBS, "Conan". Video footage of the performance can be seen below.

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."

"Cyanide", a brand new song from German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION, can be streamed on the band's Facebook page. The track comes off the band's 30th-anniversary album "Spiritual Genocide", which will be released on November 23 via Nuclear Blast Records,. The CD was recorded at Gernhart Studios in Troisdorf, Germany with engineer Martin Buchwalter and was mixed by Andy Classen. The album features guest appearances by Thomas "Angelripper" Such (SODOM), Andreas "Gerre" Geremia (TANKARD) and Ol Drake (EVILE). In addition, the "Mad Butcher"/"Release From Agony" lineup of DESTRUCTION — featuring guitarist Harry Wilkens and drummer Oliver Kaiser — reunited for one song.

"Spiritual Genocide" track listing:

01. Exordium
02. Cyanide
03. Spiritual Genocide
04. Renegades
05. City Of Doom
06. No Signs Of Repentance
07. To Dust You Will Decay
08. Legacy Of The Past (feat. Andreas "Gerre" Geremia, Thomas "Angelripper" Such)
09. Carnivore
10. Riot Squad
11. Under Violent Sledge

Limited-Edition Digipack Bonus Tracks:

12. Princess Of The Night
13. Carnivore (feat. Harry Wilkens, Oliver Kaiser)

DESTRUCTION vocalist/bassist Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer previously stated about the band's new CD, "So fast, brutal and yet groovy we haven't ever sounded, probably! The album will destroy even more than [2011's] 'Day Of Reckoning': fast riffs, double bass attacks and brutal groovy songs, I think this time we found the 100% right mix!"

He added, "Cool artworks are very important for us. For the new thrash thunderstorm, our artist Gyula created a real hammer again! The artwork makes clear immediately where to go — FULL THROTTLE — as it has to be."

Inspired by IRON MAIDEN, MERCYFUL FATE, MOTÖRHEAD and VENOM, DESTRUCTION was formed as KNIGHT OF DEMON in 1982. The band's original lineup included vocalist and bassist Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer, drummer Tommy Sandmann, and guitarist Mike Sifringer. They soon changed their name to DESTRUCTION and released a demo titled "Bestial Invasion Of Hell" in 1984.

An audio snippet of "A Rumor Of Skin", a brand new song from STONE SOUR, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below. The track is taken from "House Of Gold And Bones - Part 1", the first half of STONE SOUR's upcoming two-disc concept album. The first CD arrives on October 23, while the second half will come out next year, probably in May. Singer Corey Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio that the project has turned out even better than he had hoped. "It's some of the best work we've ever done," he said. "Song-wise, guitar-wise, performance-wise, I mean, everything. It's so good. It's come out so much better than I thought it was going to. It's surpassed all of our expectations. It's really, really good."

Speaking to Rolling Stone about the making of the project, Taylor said, "Even with the time constraints we had, we basically recorded two albums in the time it takes to record one. So we were doing double-duty every day. I was tracking two songs vocally a day just to keep us on a deadline and it really pushed us to strive for excellence."

The singer also said that the band wanted to "really try and go for (a) natural vibe on this without using a ton of samples and really try to differentiate us from everybody else out there . . . we wanted to really capture a unique sound."

"House of Gold & Bones - Part 1" track listing:

01. Gone Sovereign
02. Absolute Zero
03. A Rumor Of Skin
04. The Travellers Part 1
05. Tired
06. RU486
07. My Name Is Allen
08. Taciturn
09. Influence Of A Drowsy God
10. The Travellers Part 2
11. Last Of The Real

STONE SOUR has tapped Johny Chow as its live bassist for the band's upcoming tour behind "House Of Gold And Bones". Chow has formerly played with metal acts SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY and FIREBALL MINISTRY, and replaces Shawn Economaki, who bowed out of the band earlier this year for personal reasons.

The group tapped Rachel Bolan of SKID ROW to play bass on the album itself, and Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio how that came together. "I'm well-documented being a huge SKID ROW fan. I can't remember who brought the name up, but I immediately was like, 'Dude, absolutely.' We knew somebody who had his number, so I called him and within 24 hours he was basically getting ready to do it. And he's just one of the coolest dudes on the planet and he schooled it. People are going to be very impressed by the bass playing."

Guitarist Josh Rand told Metalshrine about Bolan's involvement in the album, "It was a great experience. He's a phenomenal writer on top of being a phenomenal bass player and he brought this style into it that we felt had been lacking. Instead of following the guitars, he actually plays bass and it elevated all of the songs to a whole new level."

Bolan was unable to join STONE SOUR on tour because of his previous commitments to SKID ROW.

STONE SOUR will play a couple of festival dates in South America in early November before heading overseas later this fall for a European tour.

"A Rumor Of Skin" audio snippet:

Dutch symphonic rockers EPICA are featured on the Acoustic Dance Sessions compilation album, which will be released today (October 5th). A number of artists from different genres recorded exclusive acoustic cover versions of popular dance hits for this compilation album. Epica recorded a cover version of Alexis Jordan's 'Happiness'.

Check out the full audio clip below:
Acoustic Dance Sessions can be purchased through iTunes here.

As previosly reported, Epica recently took part in a very special recording session, and a video was made for the upcoming Dutch NTR TV show, Niks Te Gek, in which mentally disabled persons can make their dreams come true. Ruurd Woltring's biggest wish was to record one of his songs with Epica, so the band took his music and lyrics, re-arranged it into an Epica song and invited him into the studio.

The new single, entitled 'Forevermore', is now available via iTunes here.
The whole episode of Niks Te Gek with Ruurd Woltring and Epica was broadcast in the Netherlands on September 16th on the Dutch TV channel Nederland 2.

Check out the video below:

Polish extreme metallers HATE have completed work on their their new album, "Solarflesh", for an early 2013 release via Napalm Records. The follow-up to 2010's "Erebos" was recorded at Sound Division Studio in Warsaw with Filip "Heinrich" Halucha (VESANIA, DECAPITATED) and Arek "Malta" Malczewski (BEHEMOTH's sound guy). The CD was mixed at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland with producers Slawek and Wojtek Wieslawski (DECAPITATED, VADER).

Commented HATE guitarist/vocalist Adam "ATF Sinner" Buszko: "We have just done mixes and mastering on the new material; our first album for Napalm.

"I believe 'Solarflesh' is the most insane and haunting record we've done thus far. It's nothing but pure darkness… We're extremely satisfied with this 61-minute monster (12 songs) that we've put to life. Now we're working on a documentary about creation of 'Solarflesh', its ideological sides, the band's history, touring etc. It's going to be much more than just a studio report. We want it to be an in-depth interview revealing some unknown facts, hidden meanings etc. I'm sure people will find it interesting."

Buszko previously stated about "Solarflesh": "On this album we definitely explore new territories and push the boundaries of this beautiful and sick genre to its absolute limits! The material contains 12 collages. Most of them are insanely fast (270 bpm). Others are groovy, trance-like mantras that seem to haunt you forever. They all have rich background of samples and other elements that make them sound multidimensional. We also have several dark, ambient compositions that seem like complete avantgarde. I've been working on them with Michal Staczkun, the guy who did excellent job on our previous album, 'Erebos'. We are also working on a few songs with Androniki Skoula, a singer from Greece, known for her involvement in the band CHAOSTAR, as well as collaboration with SEPTICFLESH and ROTTING CHRIST. She's adding some 'Hellenic' flair to the songs that makes them even more elaborate."

Check out photos from the studio at this location.

On October 30, Eagle Rock Entertainment will deliver an early holiday treat, with the release of TWISTED SISTER's "A Twisted Xmas - Live In Las Vegas" on DVD, CD, and Digital Video/Audio.

Previously available only on DVD, as part of the 2011 "Bars To The Stars" five-DVD box set, "A Twisted Xmas" features the classic tracks "I Wanna Rock" and "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" alongside such Christmas favorites as "White Christmas", "Deck The Halls", "12 Days Of Christmas", and many more. "O Come, All Ye Faithful" gets a very special TWISTED treatment, with a music bed of "We're Not Gonna Take It". This is the kind of Christmas spirit that only TWISTED SISTER can unleash, produced, as always, by TWISTED SISTER bassist extraordinaire Mark "The Animal" Mendoza.

Vocalist Dee Snider (or Snider Claus, taking the stage in Santa's suit), guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda, bassist Mark Mendoza, and drummer A.J. Pero took the merriment on the road in 2006, following the release of their holiday album "A Twisted Christmas". This tinsel-trimmed, heavy metal holiday extravaganza, filmed in Las Vegas, has also become an annual tradition in New York City.

"The TWISTED SISTER 'Live In Las Vegas' performance was the realization of all that the show could be," states French. "It brought together all the elements which made the 'Twisted Christmas' album such a huge success combining the unique transformation of some of the world's greatest Christmas classics done in pure heavy metal style with extraordinary visuals. The energy of the live performance on the recording reflects our own shock and awe as we, the band, watched our dreams unfold. It really was A December to Remember."

"A Twisted Xmas - Live In Las Vegas" track listing:

01. Intro *
02. Have Yourself A Merry Christmas
03. White Christmas
04. Shoot 'Em Down
05. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
06. You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll
07. Deck The Halls
08. The Price
09. Come All Ye Faithful
10. Burn In Hell
11. Drum Solo *
12. Silver Bells
13. I'll Be Home For Christmas
14. Satan Claus! *
15. I Wanna Rock
16. 12 Days Of Christmas
17. We're Not Gonna Take It

* not on CD

"The Price" performance from the "A Twisted Xmas - Live In Las Vegas" DVD can be seen below.