Eagle Rock will release a limited-edition run of Slash deluxe packages in Europe on December 3.

The package features the "Made In Stoke 24/07/11" DVD, a single CD edit of the same show, the "Apocalyptic Love" studio album, and the previously unreleased DVD of "Live From New York" — all packaged inside the cover of a 60 page hardback book filled with stunning photographs, many of them previously unseen.

Although this is being released in the European market only, a small quantity of imports will be made available at SlashOnline.com as well while supplies last.

Pre-orders for this set will begin next week in Europe at all major retailers. Check your local retailers for updates.

The full track listing is as follows:

Disc One: "Made In Stoke 24/07/11" DVD

01. Been There Lately
02. Nightrain
03. Ghost
04. Mean Bone
05. Back From Cali
06. Rocket Queen
07. Civil War
08. Nothing To Say
09. Starlight
10. Promise
11. Doctor Alibi
12. Speed Parade
13. Watch This
14. Beggars & Hangers On
15. Patience
16. Godfather Solo
17. Sweet Child O' Mine
18. Slither
19. By The Sword
20. Mr Brownstone
21. Paradise City

Bonus Features: Interviews with Slash, Myles Kennedy and Uncle Ian

Disc Two: "Made In Stoke 24/07/11" CD

01. Been There Lately
02. Ghost
03. Mean Bone
04. Back From Cali
05. Starlight
06. Promise
07. Doctor Alibi
08. Speed Parade
09. Watch This
10. Patience
11. Sweet Child O'Mine
12. Slither
13. By The Sword
14. Paradise City

Disc Three: "Apocalyptic Love" CD

01. Apocalyptic Love
02. One Last Thrill
03. Standing In the Sun
04. You're A Lie
05. No More Heroes
06. Halo
07. We Will Roam
08. Anastasia
09. Not For Me
10. Bad Rain
11. Hard & Fast
12. Far And Away
13. Shots Fired

Disc Four: "Live From New York" DVD

01. Mean Bone
02. Dirty Little Thing
03. Nightrain
04. One Last Thrill
05. Back From Cali
06. Ghost
07. Standing In The Sun
08. Rocket Queen
09. Doctor Alibi
10. Speed Parade
11. Apocalyptic Love
12. Watch This
13. Starlight
14. Just Like Anything
15. Halo
16. You're A Lie
17. Sweet Child O' Mine
18. Slither
19. By The Sword
20. Paradise City

THE CULT will release a "prequel" to accompany the band's latest album, "Choice Of Weapon". The digital-only release "Weapon Of Choice" reveals the songs at a stage of development that will be of interest to THE CULT's fans and followers. "Weapon Of Choice" is a document of a work in progress and offers a unique opportunity to hear THE CULT's process. The material has not been previously released, and will be available exclusively on iTunes for two months only beginning October 16.

"These songs were turned over and over, forged in long rehearsals and writing sessions, and emanated from challenges both personal and professional," said lead vocalist Ian Astbury.

The ten tracks that comprise "Weapon Of Choice" were recorded when THE CULT returned to the studio in 2011 with producer Chris Goss. The songs were conceived in New York, Los Angeles, the California desert and the band's Witch Mountain studio.

"We put our guts into this; Goss was able to create an environment where the songs were born through playing and turning over lyrics, through hard work and intense sessions," added Astbury. "These songs have an integrity and rawness of their own. In many ways it's a different album to the one we released and reveals the foundations of 'Choice Of Weapon'. We were able to close the doors and begin to explore spaces we had not been in for a while."

"Weapon Of Choice" track listing:

01. Aurora
02. Blackie
03. The Bones
04. Decado
05. Elemental
06. Gibraltar
07. Twisted And Bleeding
08. Militant
09. Supreme
10. Lucifer

My Kingdom Music announce the return of Itay's LORD AGHEROS, and "one of the most incredible, complex and amazing releases ever heard".
Demiurgo, with its two indivisible souls, is a wonderful atmospheric piece of music that fits in well with these dark times. Musically it is a perfect balance between the obscure and extreme black metal elements overwhelmed with atmospheric and ambient parts, so to represent in sounds the real essence of this decadent era. With the strength of the sound of SUMMONING, with the film score influences of ULVER, through classical music and theatrical opera elements, Lord Agheros, as a modern Demiurgo, succeed to mould a colossal atmospheric extreme metal soundtrack giving life with the soul of his music, the listeners’ unique universe!

By the end of Demiurgo you have learned to expect the unexpected. Lord Agheros is ready to take you on this delirant journey through his most tormented soul on November 26th. The album will be released with a deluxe digipack edition.
Demiurgo tracklisting:

Chapter I:
'Prologue'
'Eris'
'Styx'
'Thanatos'
'Moros'
'Nemesi'
'Lyssa'
'Letum'
'Erebo'

Chapter II:
'Nyx'
'Oizys'
'Emera'
'Geras'
'Lysimele'
'Ker'
'Apate'
'Etere'

Don't be afraid of the dark, be the dark and listen to this magnificent soundtrack of the Apocalypse. Check out the official trailer below:
More on Lord Agheros at this location.

Frank Tosi, the driving force behind New York's DESDEMON, has resurrected his band METADOX after the demise of DESDEMON and announced an open call for a vocalist.
Originally established in 2001, METADOX rose quickly in the New York metal circles after signing with Metal Mayhem Music. The band, which opened for such respected artists as DRAGONFORCE, KAMELOT and MOONSPELL, imploded prematurely during its studio recording sessions in 2006.

Commented Tosi: "METADOX deserved a lot more than what was afforded at the time. I'm a little older now, I have more knowledge, contacts, and I'm a much better musician now. As much as I will always love and cherish the good points of what DESDEMON became, I know METADOX will be much more appealing to a broader spectrum of metal fans."

METADOX is currently holding vocalist auditions globally. Interested parties should have the passion and the vocal range similar to the singers from JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, ICED EARTH, KING DIAMOND, HUNTRESS, SLAYER and FIREWIND.

Added Tosi: "We are looking for someone who is seasoned, dedicated, have similar interests, able to front a band, and write quality lyrics."

All vocalist submissions should be sent to Frank Tosi at: Auditions@MetadoxMetal.com.

Norwegian black metallers CREST OF DARKNESS have announced a change in lineup that sees the departure of Kjell Arne Hubred after seven years with the band, and the arrival of DJEVELKULT guitarist Jan Fredrik Solheim to replace him.

"It's sad to be saying goodbye to Kjell Arne after all this time," said founder and frontman Ingar Amlien, "but he has a young family and with CREST OF DARKNESS intending to work harder than ever, it was too difficult for him to devote the amount of time to the band that would be needed, and that's something we understand. We've been very lucky in finding Jan Fredrik to replace him. He's young, talented, highly motivated and has plenty of ambition. We've rehearsed with him several times and it was obvious that he knew CREST OF DARKNESS' music long before he joined us. With the release of our new album imminent, he has brought a renewed sense of enthusiasm and purpose to the band, and as far as I'm concerned we're sounding better and stronger than ever."

Formed in the mid-Nineties by Amlien, CREST OF DARKNESS is a totally different beast from his former band CONCEPTION, which at that time was at the peak of its popularity. Whilst CONCEPTION tended towards the progressive side of power metal, CREST OF DARKNESS allowed Amlien to indulge his passion for sonic brutality and his interest in vampirism and Satanic ideology, both of which are reflected in the band's lyrics.

Aside from Amlien on bass and vocals and Solheim on guitar, CREST OF DARKNESS'current lineup includes Rebo on guitars and Kjetil Hektoen on drums.

Having so far released five full-length albums, the band is set to release its sixth, titled "In The Presence Of Death", shortly on My Kingdom Music shortly.

MASTODON guitarist Brent Hinds is gearing up for the release of his sophomore album with side-project WEST END MOTEL. Due October 30 on Warner Bros. Records, "Only Time Can Tell" is the highly-anticipated follow-up to Hinds' acclaimed 2011 debut, "Don't Shiver, You're A Winner" which SPIN dubbed "a welcome departure from MASTODON's thrashy, progged-out fare...sounds like Tom Waits and Tim Burton co-hosting the creepiest vaudeville show ever," and Pitchfork lauded for its "playfulness and off-the-cuff amiability."

Rolling Stone is streaming the album's first single "Burn It Down", praising its "brightly shout-out-loud vocals, warm and soulful textures, swooning funk melodies and a breezy beat that's downright feel-good music."

WEST END MOTEL began in 1993 under a bridge in Atlanta, where Hinds first met longtime friend Tom Cheshire. Describing themselves as a "conglomerate of losers, poets and hobo-sexuals," the pair write acoustic-guitar driven songs enriched with horns and keys, with the end result sounding like Nick Cave fronting GOGOL BORDELLO. The project pre-dates MASTODON and offers an important glimpse into Hinds' musical influences.

"I grew up listening to Chet Atkins play guitar, and I grew up listening to Brian Setzer play guitar," explains Hinds. "Jimmy Bryant, Speedy West, all these country-chicken-pickin'-flying-'round-the-guitar-neck guitar players. I got really inspired by it. I'm from way down in the country. It was pretty common to have the interests I had when I was that age. MTV had some hair metal on there, but I was more interested in this rockabilly vibe. STRAY CATS were really big at the time, in the '80s. It was epic."
"Only Time Can Tell" track listing:

01. Burn It Down
02. El Myr
03. Witch Is Dead
04. If I Only Had Tomorrow (Second Chances)
05. Forgiveness
06. Only Time Can Tell
07. Valentine
08. Bite

"Hey, Cruel World...", the new video from shock rocker MARILYN MANSON, can be seen below. The clip features up-close footage of the band in a stunning black-and-white live montage from from Milan to Brixton to Los Angeles on Manson's 2012 international tour. The video was produced with music video and documentary director Tim Mattia, who creates unique films for AmpRockTV — a series of films from innovative artists such as MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE and KORN.

"I first met Manson in March of this year when he took part in the series 'The Words' for AmpRockTV," says Mattia. "It was amazing to work with such an iconic artist, so when he asked me to film some live shows with him, I obviously said yes.

"We shot over four nights in the U.K., Italy and America, capturing what I think is one of the world's most exciting live performers at his best."

Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie will kick off their "Twins Of Evil" tour tonight, co-headlining the first day of the Desert Uprising festival in Phoenix, Arizona. Expect defiant rock 'n' roll showmanship in the form of these unholy rollers — arguably the most exciting rock tour this year. Debauchery, theatrics, and a full-on assault on all the senses await fans as part of a mammoth U.S. and 10-country European tour.

"Hey, Cruel World..." comes off MARILYN MANSON's new album, "Born Villain", which sold 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on May 1 via Cooking Vinyl and Manson's own label Hell, Etc.

The second trailer for "Spiritual Genocide", the 30th-anniversary album from German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION, can be seen below. Due 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)

Commented DESTRUCTION vocalist/bassist Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer: "For this anniversary album we did a really great job. Our new drummer, Vaaver [real name: Wawrzyniec Dramowicz; INDUKTI, ex-UNSUN], opens up new possibilities of course.

"On this album there are no limits.

"So fast, brutal and yet groovy we haven't ever sounded, probably!

"Also the guest musicians are very special this time: with Gerre and Tom Angelripper, our old friends and companions, are with us, the original 'Mad Butcher'/'Release From Agony' lineup is doing one song and with Ol Drake, we got the hottest young thrash guitarist for a few solos on the album!

"Germany's best extreme metal producer Andy Classen will take care for the brutal and raw production!

"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!

"Also the 'Mad Butcher' returns to the cover.

"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.

"Ice & Fire", the new video from German metallers MOB RULES, can be seen below. The clip was filmed with director Ronald Matthes (Roax Media), who previously worked with such bands as AVANTASIA, PRETTY MAIDS and ICED EARTH.

Commented MOB RULES: "We decided to use 'Ice & Fire', an atmospheric track, for the video and the clip will very much reflect a special mood. That's why we were filming outside, on a huge green field. But this bucolic ambience [is] not really in the focus in the end."

"Ice & Fire" comes off MOB RULES' seventh album, "Cannibal Nation", which will be released on October 19 via AFM Records. According to a press release, the CD "is a varied, hook-oriented and energetic record. By building their own studio, a whole lot of new possibilities opened to the band. So the Dwelling Mound studio of guitarist Sven Lüdke became the place for MOB RULES to compose their new material. The result: every song on 'Cannibal Nation' appears sophisticated and right on point. From the prog metal-influenced opening track 'Close My Eyes' to the following 'Lost' with its strong hookline, the first single 'Ice & Fire' (inspired by the story of the abducted Colombian politician Íngrid Betancourt), which features atmospheric orchestral parts by Michael 'Miro' Rodenberg (AVANTASIA), to 'Scream For The Sun' (lyrically dealing with the first ascent of Mount Everest) and the album's final song 'Sunrise', every track was arranged with passion and reason. With 'Tele Box Fool' also a song whose lyrics criticize today's dull TV/media culture, can be found on the album."

"Cannibal Nation" track listing:

01. Close My Eyes
02. Lost
03. Tele Box Fool
04. Ice And Fire
05. Soldiers Of Fortune
06. The Sirens
07. Scream For The Sun (May 29th 1953)
08. Cannibal Nation
09. Sunrise
10. Children Of The Flames (live in Atlanta) (digipak bonus track)

MOB RULES will celebrate the release of "Cannibal Nation" with a live release party on October 20 in their hometown of Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

MOB RULES in 2010 parted ways with longtime keyboardist Sascha Onnen and replaced him with Jan Christian Halfbrodt.

MOB RULES is:

Klaus Dirks - Vocals
Matthias Mineur - Guitar
Sven Lüdke - Guitar
Jan Christian Halfbrodt - Keyboards
Markus Brinkmann - Bass
Nikolas Fritz – Drums

MOB RULES's latest album, "Radical Peace", was released in November 2009 via AFM Records.

FINSTERFORST, the nature-loving warriors hailing from the German Black Forest, will release their fourth album, "Rastlos" ("Restless"), on November 23 via Napalm Records.

The five mighty and overlong songs present themselves as a sweeping diversity of melodies and moods. FINSTERFORST combines melancholic folklore, untamed black metal fury with majestic soundscapes, thus giving the songs a hypnotic dynamic. This particular effect is strengthened by the sophisticated and fitting use of authentic instruments like the accordion or a full horn section. The great vocal work add to this result and range from grim vocals to proud choirs. All these ingredients make "Rastlos" an intensive adventure, just like wandering through the enthralled and mystical places of the Black Forest.

"Rastlos" track listing:

01. Nichts als Asche
02. Fremd
03. Am Scheideweg (instrumental)
04. Stirbt Zuletzt
05. Ein Lichtschein
06. Rast (instrumental)
07. Flammenrausch

"Hell Praiser", the new video from the Lancaster, Pennsylvania quintet THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE, can be seen below. The clip was directed by David Brodsky of Brooklyn's MyGoodEye Music Visuals, who has previously worked with PAPA ROACH, HELLYEAH, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, GOATWHORE, MUNICIPAL WASTE and SUFFOCATION, among others.

"Hell Praiser" comes off THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE's third album, "Dead Years", which was released in Europe on September 24 via Lifeforce Records. The CD was made available in North America one day later through eOne Music.

According to a press release, "troubled, heavy and emotive songs in between metal and melodic hardcore . . . is exactly what you can expect from 'Dead Years', but this time singer Ricky is truly pissed and you can hear that! [THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE] combines agile catchiness, striking technical ability and a good amount of metalcore ingredients along with dense rock grooves." Produced by Andreas Magnusson (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, HASTE THE DAY), "Dead Years" "consists of ten hymns exploring the fields of metal, hardcore and rock in their own way. The quintet does not think too much. The guys just play what feels right and follow their gut instinct. This is the way THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE succeeds."

"Dead Years" track listing:

01. Hell Praiser
02. Power Hawk
03. In Wolves
04. Americans
05. Hate The Ones You Love
06. You Own No One But You
07. A Damn Moment
08. Gaunt And Fierce
09. Kill'em With Guidance
10. Hard Branch To Snap

THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE's new CD is the band's first release since "Haunt What's Left", produced by Josh Wilbur and LAMB OF GOD's own Chris Adler in 2010.

Having originally released its debut record, "Monuments", in 2007 the band has not slowed down since. With a few dozen tours under their belt with bands like WE CAME AS ROMANS, PERIPHERY and BORN OF OSIRIS, the band is hardly new to the hands-on approach. Things like giving lessons while on tour and actively taking a role in their day to day is what sets THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE apart.

THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE is: Rick Armellino (vocals), Jack Esbenshade (guitar), Matthew Marcellus (bass, vocals) and Rodney Phillips (guitar, vocals).

DOWN's video for the song "Witchtripper" can be seen below. The clip was filmed at the end of August.

"Witchtripper" comes off DOWN's new EP, "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP", which sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Down IV Part I - The Purple EP", DOWN's first in a series of four EPs to be released over the next few years (with a year between EPs), each touching on a different aspect of the band's sound, came out on September 18. It will be followed by the second collection of songs early next year, around the time of a planned U.S. tour. EPs three and four are scheduled for later in 2013.

"Down IV Part I - The Purple EP" heralds the sound of DOWN going back to its roots, with influences from BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS and WITCHFINDER GENERAL.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Levitation
02. Witchtripper
03. Open Coffins
04. The Curse Is A Lie
05. This Work Is Timeless
06. Misfortune Teller

Lyrically, the EP goes beyond just personal experiences, and explores themes that include the faith of mankind, the imperfection of mankind and cultural belief systems.

"DOWN gives me the platform to be poetic and paint imagery with lyrics," said vocalist Philip Anselmo. "That's the approach I took. They complement the music and create an ominous feeling. Ultimately, when people consume the words, it's always their interpretation that matters. I could be image-conscious though when I wrote. It's not so gut level or street. The darker shit is some of my favorite."

METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton passed away on September 27th in a tour bus accident. The band has posted the following message paying tribute their fallen comrade:

"While you're remembering Cliff on the 26th anniversary of his passing, give a listen to this free download from the Ride the Lightning tour here."
The download was recorded on November 22nd, 1984 at Le Riff in Toulouse, France. It features the follwing tracks:

'The Four Horsemen'
- Cliff solo -
'For Whom The Bell Tolls'
'No Remorse'
'The Call of Ktulu'
'Seek & Destroy'
'Whiplash'
'Creeping Death'
- Kirk solo
'Metal Militia'

Fans should note there are tape cuts on 'Creeping Death' and Cliff's solo.

Burton, tragically passed away on September 27th, 1986 when Metallica's tour bus over-turned in rural southern Sweden. He was 24 years old.

Cliff Burton was also associated with the bands TRAUMA and AGENTS OF MISFORTUNE before joining Metallica. Burton was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame with Metallica on April 4, 2009.

TRILLIUM vocalist Amanda Somerville has posted the following sad news:

"With tremendous sadness, I mourn the passing away of an amazing friend, colleague and bandmate, Simon Oberender. This tragic loss causes us great pain. Simonovsky, you are and ever shall be sorely missed."
Oberender was a part of Trillium's live line-up this past spring for the band's European tour supporting DELAIN with HALCYON WAY. He was due to hit the road with Trillium again this fall supporting MAGNUM in the UK.

According to Somerville the tour will go ahead as planned. Dates are as follows:

November
18 - Bristol, UK - O2 Academy
20 - Liverpool, UK - O2 Academy
21 - Glasgow, UK - Garage
22 - Newcastle, UK - O2 Academy
23 - Holmfirth, UK - Picturedrome
24 - Manchester, UK - Ritz
25 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
27 - Leamington, UK - Leamington Assembly
28 - Southampton, UK - The Brook
29 - London, UK O2 - Academy Islington
30 - Pontypridd, UK - Muni Arts Centre

December
1 - Wolverhampton, UK - The Wulfrun
2 - Norwich, UK - Waterfront

Check out Oberender performing with Trillium at the band's first ever UK show at the HMV Institute in Birmingham on May 12th. below:

The new video for ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA’s classic song, ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ – featured on forthcoming LP Mr. Blue Sky – The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra, out October 8th in Europe, October 5th in Germany and October 9th in North America on Frontiers Records – has premiered online. An animated trip in Technicolor with JEFF LYNNE at the helm, watch the video below:
Jeff Lynne, one of rock’s most iconic figures, is returning to make some new waves and shed a little electric light. The creative force of Electric Light Orchestra and the singularly accomplished singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer will release two albums on the above mentioned dates via Frontiers: the solo disc Long Wave, a heartfelt and vivid tribute to some of the very songs that originally inspired him, and Mr. Blue Sky–The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra.

For the latter album, the British artist has artfully revisited and re-recorded - at his home studio in Los Angeles - the greatest hits of Electric Light Orchestra, actually improving on some of the most classic and beloved recordings ever.
The release of Long Wave and Mr. Blue Sky – The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra mark the 40th anniversary of ELO. Lynne’s legacy will further be celebrated with releases in 2013 including ELO Live! plus expanded reissues of the ELO’s 2001 album Zoom and Lynne's first solo album in 1990, Armchair Theater.

Long Wave powerfully celebrates the music of a time when Lynne's lifelong passion for music began, evoking an era back when old standards were just giving way to rock & roll. He somehow makes pre-rock standards like 'Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered', 'Smile' and 'Love Is A Many Splendored Many Thing' - along with a few of his favorite gems from the Sixties such as the first single 'Mercy, Mercy', 'Let It Rock' and 'So Sad' - his own with these loving versions. Lynne's deeply felt and musically brilliant one-man-band takes add up to an inspired love letter to music itself - and an exquisite reflection of the way songs grace and change our lives.

“I call this new album Long Wave because all of the songs I sing on it are the ones heard on Long Wave radio when I was a kid growing up in Birmingham, England,” Lynne explains. “These songs take me back to that feeling of freedom in those days and summon up the feeling of first hearing those powerful waves of music coming in on my old crystal set. My dad also had the radio on all the time, so some of these songs have been stuck in my head for 50 years. You can only imagine how great it felt to finally get them out of my head after all these years.”

Mr. Blue Sky–The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra is a powerful testament to Lynne's enduring artistry and his singular desire to get things right once and for all. Featuring such classics as 'Evil Woman', 'Don’t Bring Me Down', 'Livin’ Thing' and 'Mr, Blue Sky', the result is, in effect, a kind of showdown between Jeff Lynne today and his extremely illustrious past, and thanks to improved technology and recording artistry, Lynne somehow comes out on top again. It’s a fresh chance to hear these extraordinary songs sounding sharper and clearer than the old versions.

“There was a big reason I wanted to re-record these ELO songs,” says Lynne. “When I listen to the old versions they don’t sound the way I thought they did when I first wrote and recorded them. I wanted to use the experience I’ve gained producing records ever since and have a completely new try at them. I’m not saying the old versions aren’t good; I like them very much. We were doing our best, but experience and technology also play a big a big part, and these new ones sound much more solid and tight.”

The album includes a never-before-heard bonus track, 'The Point Of No Return', and a very special version of '10538 Overture' that’s a nod to ELO’s 40th anniversary.

The songs that Jeff Lynne wrote and sang - and the recordings that he so expertly arranged and produced for ELO - have endured beautifully and are perhaps even more beloved today than they were back in the 70s and 80s. By any standard whatsoever, ELO is one of the most remarkable success stories in rock history. Consider just the facts: ELO has sold over 50 million records worldwide, and continues to be a remarkably popular catalog. Between 1972 and 1986, Lynne wrote and produced 26 Top Forty hits in the United Kingdom, and 20 Top Forty hits in the United States, including 20 Top Twenty smashes in the UK and 15 Top Twenty smashes in the U.S. Even more remarkably, the ELO catalog continues to have tremendous impact, as demonstrated powerfully when the compilation All Over The World: The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra was released in 2005 and became a Top Ten album in a number of international markets including England.

Outside of the success of ELO, Lynne has led a remarkable career that has found him taking the lessons learned leading ELO and using them to help produce and collaborate with many of the greatest musical artists of all time, including a number of Lynne's all-time heroes including Roy Orbison, Del Shannon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and remarkably, even the Beatles themselves, as well as contemporaries like Tom Petty and Joe Walsh, whose new album Analog Man Lynne recently helped produce. Together with Harrison, Orbison, Petty and Bob Dylan, Lynne was, of course, a member of the Grammy award-winning Traveling Wilburys - a super group like no other.

“I’ve been in love with music since I was probably just five years old,” says Lynne. I was made for music then - and I still am today.”
Here are the track listings for Long Wave and Mr. Blue Sky–The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra:
Long Wave

'She'
'If I Loved You'
'So Sad'
'Mercy, Mercy'
'Running Scared'
'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered'
'Smile'
'At Last'
'Love Is A Many Splendored Thing'
'Let It Rock'
'Beyond The Sea'
Mr. Blue Sky–The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra

'Mr. Blue Sky'
'Evil Woman'
'Strange Magic'
'Don’t Bring Me Down'
'Turn To Stone'
'Showdown'
'Telephone Line'
'Livin’ Thing'
'Do Ya'
'Can’t Get It Out Of My Head'
'10538 Overture'
'The Point Of No Return'

"Explosia", the new video from French progressive metallers GOJIRA, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's fifth album, "L'Enfant Sauvage", which sold almost 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "The Way Of All Flesh", opened with 4,200 units back in 2008 to land at No. 138.

"L'Enfant Sauvage" entered the official chart in France at position No. 7 (No. 17 on the digital chart).

"L'Enfant Sauvage" (which translates to "The Wild Child") features 11 tracks of mind-bending, thunderous metal. The CD was recorded at Spin Recording Studios in Long Island City, New York with co-producer Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD).

A special collector's package of "L'Enfant Sauvage" features two bonus tracks and a double-colored vinyl version of the record, along with an exclusive t-shirt.

GOJIRA was originally scheduled to take part in a North American tour co-headlined by LAMB OF GOD and DETHKLOK, but that trek was canceled due to the recent incarceration of LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe in the Czech Republic.

GOJIRA's

"Mechanical Mind", a brand new song from Canadian metal innovators VOIVOD, is available for streaming at Pitchfork.com. The track will be released on October 9 (one day earlier internationally) as a digital single and a limited-edition seven-inch single-sided vinyl with a skull etching by VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin on the B-side.

"Mechanical Mind" comes off VOIVOD's new album, "Target Earth", which will be released on January 22, 2013 (one day earlier internationally) via VOIVOD's own company, Iron Gang Factory, and Century Media.

Commented VOIVOD: "Our goal has been to find a partner for Iron Gang Factory to help get new VOIVOD music to the world and Century Media, we are proud to say, is the right company to do so globally. We can't wait to release tour and promote 'Target Earth'."

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

VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin recently unveiled the band's new logo which will be used on the upcoming CD. Check it out below.

Several photos from the recording sessions can be found on the band's Facebook page.

According to a posting on the page, fans can "expect something in the vein of 'Nothingface' with some elements from the other albums. It will be a classic VOIVOD album."

Regarding what the new VOIVOD songs sound like, Mongrain said in a recent interview, "As a VOIVOD fan since I am 12 years old and early rise of VOIVOD in late '80s and everything, I think… I'm in conflict of interest right now. [Laughs] I like the old stuff as much as the new stuff, so I think it's a blend of everything. It's really a team work and Blacky [Jean-Yves Thériault] is back on the 'blower bass' — he's got the original sound — and we're having a blast jamming, improvising and writing. I think it's working pretty good."

On the topic of the lyrical themes covered in the new VOIVOD tracks, singer Denis "Snake" Bélanger said, "The song we played [on the recent European tour] ['Kaleidos'] is about conspiracy involving drugs and the FBI… [Laughs] It's hard to describe because we're kind of early in the process. There's another song called 'Target Earth', which is more like a spacy, conspiracy, controlling the information around the world. The main thing is the 'war' of information. You know, somebody Osama Bin Laden is dead, someone [else] says he's not… It gets to a point where everybody has his own story and nobody is sure what the truth is. There's people above everything controlling the information."

In an interview with Exclaim.ca, Away stated about VOIVOD's forthcoming studio album, "It's more in the progressive metal vein, so it's reminiscent of the 'Dimension Hatröss' era."

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

VOIVOD will embark on a European headlining tour in October. They will also play several shows in Spain as the support act for ARCH ENEMY.

Fan-filmed video footage of VOIVOD performing the title track of their forthcoming album, "Target Earth", on June 29 at Zone Portuaire de Chicoutimi in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada can be seen below.

VOIVOD 2012 is:

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

"Time I", the -awaited new album from Finnish epic metallers WINTERSUN, will be released via Nuclear Blast Records on the following dates:

October 19: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Norway
October 23: Italy
October 24: Sweden
October 22: North America, Rest Of Europe

During the listening session for "Time I" at the Nuclear Blast headquarters in Donzdorf, Germany on July 28, Jari Mäenpää was interviewed by BLEEDING RED frontman Timo Joos, who asked the WINTERSUN mastermind fan questions that had been collected via the official Nuclear Blast Europe Facebook page. Watch the third part of the Nuclear Blast Facebook fan interview below.

To celebrate the "Time I" release, WINTERSUN will play two special shows in Finland. The first concert will take place on October 12 at Lutakko in Jyväskylä and the second on October 13 at Nosturi in Helsinki. Support at the shows will come from THAUROROD (Lutakko and Nosturi) and MEDICATED (Nosturi).

According to WINTERSUN mainman Jari Mäenpää, there are several reasons why the band's new effort, "Time" is being released as two separate albums, titled "Time I" and "Time II". He says:

* "All the 80 minutes of material won't fit on a regular CD and we didn't want to cut anything out.
* "We want you to be able to hear new material sooner and not wait any longer and we want to go on tour sooner.
* "The music is very full and complex, so listening this kind of 'hard listening (not easy listening)' material straight for 80 minutes is a bit too much (even for me).
* "Both albums will be approximately. nice 40 min epic packages of fireworks.
* "We like the idea of releasing two albums within one year, so the band will stay more visible longer, which is important in these 'modern times.' No more years of silence for us!"

"Time I" track listing:

01. When Time Fades Away
02. Sons Of Winter And Stars
I) Rain Of Stars
II) Surrounded By Darkness
III) Journey Inside A Dream
IV) Sons of Winter And Stars
03. Land Of Snow And Sorrow
04. Darkness And Frost
05. Time

"Time II" will be released in 2013.

WINTERSUN will headline this year's edition of the Heidenfest tour, set to take place in October. Support on the trek will come from KORPIKLAANI, VARG, TROLLFEST and KRAMPUS.

WINTERSUN's debut CD was released in September 2004 through Nuclear Blast Records.

ALICE COOPER wants to know what songs the fans want to hear live. Submit a song via Alice's Facebook page here that he hasn't played in a long time, or maybe one he has never played. Or submit song's you can't live without. Now's your chance to weigh in!
Alice Cooper's seven-night UK Night Of Fear Tour this year will also feature special guests LOADED and UGLY KID JOE. Tour dates include:

October
24 - Cardiff, UK - Motorpoint Arena
25 - Wolverhampton, UK - Civic Hall
27 - Bournemouth, UK - International Centre
28 - London, UK - Wembley Arena
30 - Nottingham, UK - Royal Concert Hall
31 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Usher Hall

November
1 - Sheffield, UK - City Hall

Canada's black/death destroyers WEAPON will release their new album, Embers And Revelations, on October 9th via Relapse Records. A new lyric video, for the track 'Crepuscular Swamp, Unhinged Swine', can be see below:
Weapon recently released their third in-studio blog. The new episode focuses on recording guitars for the new album. Watch the video below:
The album artwork for Embers And Revelations was created by Benjamin Vierling, and can be seen below:



Check out an album teaser below:

Weapon, PRAYING MANTIS, STAMPEDE, GASKIN, KRUSHER JOULE and AGINCOURT will play the Denim And Leather NWOBHM Festival 2012, which will take place in Wolverhampton, UK, at Slade Rooms on Saturday September 29th.



There will be a meet and greet with all the bands.

Doors open at 4PM and tickets are priced at £15 in advance and £17.50 at the door - available on the web site and from the venue box office.

For more info visit the festival website.

Weapon will be touring in November, supporting Chicago-based black metal outfit NACHTMYSTIUM on their Dawn Over The Ruins Of America tour, with additional support from JARBOE (featuring Baleyyg).

November
4 - Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Fest
6 - Tempe, AZ - Rocky Point
8 - Fullerton, CA - Slidebar (Free Show)
9 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
10 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
11 - Seattle, WA - Highline
12 - Boise, ID - Venue
14 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
16 - St Paul, MN - Station-4
18 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
19 - New York, NY - Saint Vitus
21 - Chicago, IL - Ultra Lounge

Canadian thrash band HERO'S LAST RITE have released their video for the track, 'I Am Atomic'. The video was shot in Fredericton, New Brunswick with director Tim Rayne and marks the band’s first official music video. Watch below:
HLR set two shows in New Brunswick to debut their video, Friday in Moncton and Saturday in Fredericton. Due to technical issues the video could not be shown in the Moncton venue; however the band rigged up a mini-showing of the video in the back of their tour van in the parking lot. Fredericton's showing, with a jam packed venue, went off without a hitch. Response to the video from fans has been outstanding.

Hero's Last Rite are currently writing and recording for the follow up to the debut release, Inevitable Is The End.
Hero's Last Rite is:

Steve McDonald - Vocals
Tim Gorman - Guitar
Mike Davidson - Guitar
Dan Rogers - Drums
Paul Vidal - Bass

More on Hero's Last Rite at this location.

'Death Of Me', a brand new song from German heavy rockers PUMP, featuring ex-BRAINSTORM singer Marcus Jürgens, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below. The track comes off the band’s new album, Waiting For The Rapture, which will be released later this year.
Pump are currently in the studio with Axel Heckert at Studio 22 (Brainstorm, SYMPHORCE), hard at work to mix and mastering the band’s fourth album, Waiting For The Rapture'.
The group, which recently signed a worldwide management deal with Germany’s Rock N Growl Management, consists of the following musicians: Marcus Jürgens – Vocals (Brainstorm, KASHMYR), Marcel “Selly” Bernhardt – Guitars (TALES OF SORROW, UNFROYND), Michael Vetter – Bass (WATCH ME BLEED, CHINCHILLA, OUTRAGE, Unfroynd), Axel “Aki” Reissmann – Guitars (DOWNSPIRIT, HAZY SHADE), Andreas Minich – Drums (Unfroynd).
Pup is a band with a solid foundation and real rock n' roll blood runnin’ down their veins. Five guys who where only born to do one thing, rock the world! So get ready to rock! Welcome to the world of Pump.

More on Pump at this location.

STEEL PANTHER will release their first-ever DVD, British Invasion, on October 22nd. Recorded with 16 cameras in pristine HD over a two-year period, British Invasion chronicles Steel Panther’s legendary live show.
Beginning in March 2010 at the sold-out Brixton Academy in London, England during their highly successful Feel The Steel tour, the DVD feaures some of the band’s most memorable hits including 'Asian Hooker', 'Community Property', 'The Shocker', and 'Stripper Girl' in a way never seen before. Included in the package is a laugh out loud documentary that follows the band backstage and on their tour that is not to be missed. The Deluxe Box set includes 2 DVDs - one with the full show and one with the documentary, deleted scenes and five songs from Download Festival 2012. The packaging also includes a 16-page color book. The DVD will also be available in Blu-Ray at the same time.

The sixth British Invasion teaser — this one focusing on vocalist Michael Starr — can be seen below, in addidtion to all of the previously issued teasers as well as the official trailer:

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME have released their new video, for The Parallax II: Future Sequence album track, 'Astral Body'. The clip, directed by Wes Richardson, can be seen below:
BTBAM recently confirmed a fall tour spanning Japan, Australia and New Zealand with the kick-off date on November 8th in Osaka, Japan.

The announcement comes as the Charlotte, North Carolina band are in the midst of a North American tour, co-headlining Summer Slaughter with a handful of headlining dates later this month. Between The Buried And Me follow the US dates with an extensive European tour, which begins on October 1st in Reading.

The band's live itinerary can be found at this location.

BTBAM recently revealed the tracklisting for their upcoming full-length album, The Parallax II: Future Sequence. The new album, which clocks in at approximately 72 minutes, will be released October 9th and features artwork from Charlotte, North Carolina artist and designer Chandler Owen.
The Parallax II: Future Sequence was recorded at The Basement Studios in Winston-Salem, NC with longtime friend of the band and producer Jamie King. Jamie engineered, mixed and mastered The Parallax II: Future Sequence, which makes this the sixth release Jamie and BTBAM have worked together on.

The Parallax II: Future Sequence tracklisting:

'Goodbye To Everything'
'Astral Body'
'Lay Your Ghosts to Rest'
'Autumn'
'Extremophile Elite'
'Parallax'
'The Black Box'
'Telos'
'Bloom'
'Melting City'
'Silent Flight Parliament'
'Goodbye To Everything' - Reprise

Listen to 'Telos', streaming below:
Regarding the concept of The Parallax II: Future Sequence, the new full-length album picks up where the 2011 EP, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues, left off. "The two main characters of the story take on a journey through space and time with the unenviable task of having to cure the flaws of humanity by any means necessary. While the EP served mostly as an introduction to the characters, Future Sequence contains the action of the story. The lyrics are written in the stream of consciousness style, which really helps to capture the perspective and emotion of the characters. We really enjoyed the challenge of writing this record, and I think we were all pleasantly surprised with how well the music and lyrics jived with one another. I couldn't be happier with how Future Sequence turned out," comments guitarist Paul Waggoner.

Vocalist and keyboardist Tommy Rogers adds his thoughts on the musical direction of The Parallax II: Future Sequence. "This album is Between The Buried And Me on steroids. I feel like we have created an album that perfectly mirrors the band we've been trying to create since day one. An album that has sounds that will stimulate many genres and music fans alike. A conceptual journey that takes the listener to worlds that seem familiar and worlds that make you scratch your head. From start to finish this is music we want to create, not music we think people want us to create. We create songs that keep us (and hopefully you) excited about heavy music. Keep listening… something new will be there each time. Enjoy the music… we enjoyed writing it."

The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues is a three-song strong, 30-minute tour de force of modern heavy music. Produced and engineered by the Grammy award–winning David Bottrill with BTBAM, the record soared to #54 on the Billboard Top 200 chart in its first week of release while landing the #5 spot on the Hard Music chart, and #8 on the Independent Albums chart in its first week of release. The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues also debuted in Canada charting at #62 on the Top 200 Current chart, #6 on the Hard chart, and #14 on the Independent chart.

Fan-filmed video footage of ACCEPT's September 26 performance at Avalon in Los Angeles, California as part of the North American "Teutonic Terror Attack" tour with KREATOR 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".

Video footage of John Corabi — former lead singer of MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE SCREAM and UNION — and his solo band performing the song "If I Had A Dime" from his "Unplugged" CD on August 18 at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan can be seen below. The clip was shot and edited by Scott Nolen.

Corabi's band consists of the following musicians:

John Corabi (lead vocals, guitar)
D A Karkos (guitar, vocals)
Topher Nolen (bass, vocals)
Cheney Brannon (drums, vocals)

Corabi recently released a limited-edition two-song CD sampler at this location. The disc features John's last live performance with THE SCREAM singing "Father, Mother, Son" as well as the track "If I Never Get To Say Goodbye..." from the unplugged CD.

Corabi's acoustic album will include "old songs, new songs and just a sample of things to come." Tentatively due in early 2013 (fall 2012 in Europe), the set will contain two versions of the MÖTLEY CRÜE's song "Hooligan's Holiday" — a stripped-back acoustic version and a more elaborate but still acoustic-based band arrangement — as well as a version of the CRÜE's "Loveshine" and even a song by Corabi's first band, ANGORA, which was originally produced by Steve Vai.

Corabi originally joined CRÜE in 1992 as the replacement for the group's original singer, Vince Neil, who was fired due to personal differences. With Corabi on vocals, MÖTLEY CRÜE released one critically acclaimed full-length CD, which ended up being a commercial failure in the wake of grunge despite a Top-Ten placing on the album chart. When Neil returned to the fold in 1997, Corabi was left on his own and formed the band UNION with ex-KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

For a list of upcoming John Corabi tour dates, visit www.johncorabi.com.

Finnish melodic death metallers OMNIUM GATHERUM have announced the addition of bassist Erkki Silvennoinen to the group's ranks.

Commented the band: "We're glad to finally make it official and announce that OMNIUM GATHERUM is a real six-piece troop again — we welcome Erkki Silvennoinen as a new bass player to OMNIUM GATHERUM. Erkki is a die-hard pro dude with a warm nice attitude, just the way we like it, and we know him well from sharing same stages than us since almost ten years ago. He used to play in AMORAL as well as in Finnish 'Idols' winner Ari Koivunen's band back in the day. At the moment he is also playing in awesome brutal tech death metal band DE LIRIUM'S ORDER."

Added Erkki:"I'm very excited to join OMNIUM GATHERUM. I already know most of the guys from way back when I was playing warm-up gigs for them. I have seen them grow and evolve into the tight unit they are today and hire Jukka as their frontman, who also happens to be one of my best friends. It's an honor to get to play with such talented musicians. The previous bass players have left some big shoes to fill... I hope they fit."

OMNIUM GATHERUM is currently mixing its as-yet-untitled new album with Dan Swanö for a February 26, 2013 release (one day earlier internationally) via Lifeforce Records.

OMNIUM GATHERUM's fifth album, "New World Shadows" (2011), entered the official chart in Finland at position No. 5. This marked the highest chart entry in the group's history, having previously landed at No. 24 with 2008's "The Redshift" and No. 31 with 2007's "Stuck Here On Snakes Way".