Norwegian satanic black metal band NETTLECARRIER will release its self-titled debut album on September 21 in Europe and September 25 in North America via Indie Recordings. The cover artwork was created by artist Truls Espedal (ENSLAVED, THEATER OF TRAGEDY, DJEVEL), who has painted all of ENSLAVED's album covers since 2001.

"Nettlecarrier" track listing:

01. The Boiling Blood
02. Paa Vaare Paaler Deres Hoder
03. I Helvete Kristus Skal Forgaa
04. Naar Han Vaakner
05. Demoriel
06. Cup Of Lethe
07. Bundet Til Masten

The song "The Boiling Blood" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

NETTLECARRIER features in its ranks T. Ciekals (DJEVEL, LJÅ), Mannevond (KOLDBRANN, URGEHAL) and Dirge Rep (ORCUSTUS, GEHENNA, GORGOROTH, ENSLAVED).

NETTLECARRIER was formed in 2004 when T. Ciekals, who was a member of the band LJÅ at the time, moved to Oslo and teamed up with Mannevond from the infamous KOLDBRANN. "I had been in contact with Mannevond a few years back and we were both fans of each others bands," said Ciekals. They had a burning desire to create a black metal band that did not sound like anyone else, but with an older and more sinister sound. In late 2006, Vold joined in on drums for a short while and as a three-piece the pace increased. This resulted in the release of the seven-inch vinyl single, "To Strangle The Hero Of Heaven".

When Mannevond started Urgehal and T. Ciekals formed DJEVEL, NETTLECARRIER was put on ice for almost three years. "I left LJÅ in 2007 to focus on DJEVEL and Mannevond was busy with URGEHAL, but NETTLECARRIER wasn't dead, just buried for a while," explained Ciekals. After the DJEVEL album was released, Ciekals was finally able to focus on NETTLECARRIER again. The very talented Dirge Rep joined the band on drums in 2010 and the decision to record an album was made.

According to TMZ.com, former KORN drummer David Silveria pleaded "not guilty" earlier this week in an Orange County, California courtroom to a charge of allegedly driving under the influence.

A pretrial date has been set for September.

Silveria told TMZ.com that he had no alcohol in his system when he was arrested for DUI on March 25, claiming that he was taken into custody over a sleeping pill he took the night before.

The 39-year-old musician — who played with KORN for 13 years — said that he took a sleeping pill the night before his arrest to help him with insomnia. When he woke up the following morning, he accidentally rear-ended another car on his way to breakfast in Huntington Beach, California.

Although Silveria says he blew a 0.0 on the breathalyzer at the scene of the accident, the cops decided to arrest him for DUI after being told about the sleeping pill.

Silveria told TMZ.com at the time that he planned to take responsibility for his actions, insisting, "It was an honest mistake."

Silveria recently joined forces with ANYONE members Riz Story and Miki Black in a brand new project called INFINIKA.

David left KORN in late 2006 in order to focus on family life along with running his steak house and sushi restaurant.

Video footage of Norwegian seven-string guitarist/singer/songwriter The Commander-In-Chief's performance at this year's edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival, which was held August 9-12 at Catton Park, Derbyshire in the United Kingdom, can be seen below. Also available is an interview with The Commander-In-Chief conducted by Sophie K of Total Rock Radio.

The Commander-In-Chief's "Dropout" video was filmed last year in Milan, Italy with producer Elia Turra. This new version of the song was remixed by Sterling Winfield (PANTERA, HATEBREED, HELLYEAH) in 2011. He later went on to produce The Commander-In-Chief's debut EP, "Evolution".

"Evolution" was released digitally on February 15 via Commander Records/The Commander-In-Chief Ltd.

"Evolution" track listing:

01. Thou
02. Famous
03. Evolution
04. Let It Go

In a 2010 interview with Metal Express Radio, The Commander-In-Chief stated about her music, "I used to call it hybrid rock; the power of rock with the message of punk, and the catchiness of pop inspired by metal techniques. NOW my music has taken a more heavy direction than last year, so it's less punk and more metal."

Regarding her name, The Commander-In-Chief, she said, "I wanted a powerful artist name, since I've always been doing my own thing and still am. I do all the songwriting, guitar playing, singing and I write all the lyrics. For the first demo I made in Chicago I also made my own animated music video which generated quite a buzz on MySpace and gave me all my first fans. I also created illustrations for all my songs, mixing the music with visual arts. I don't do that anymore though, as I just don't have the time."

For more information, go to this location.

Performance:

"Ghosts House", a brand new song from Swedish doom metal kings WITCHCRAFT, is available for streaming via the band's Facebook profile. The track comes off WITCHCRAFT's fourth album, "Legend", which will be released on September 21 via the band's new label home, Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2007's "The Alchemist" was recorded with renowned producer Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios (KREATOR, OPETH, AMON AMARTH, PARADISE LOST, KATATONIA) in Örebro, Sweden. The CD marks the recording debut of the band's new members Simon Solomon (guitar), Tom Jondelius (guitar) and Oscar Johansson (drums). Going forward, WITCHCRAFT leader Magnus Pelander will focus on his unique vocals without playing guitar anymore.

"Legend" track listing:

01. Deconstruction
02. Flag Of Fate
03. It's Not Because Of You
04. An Alternative To Freedom
05. Ghosts House
06. White Light Suicide
07. Democracy
08. Dystopia
09. Dead End

Limited digipack + LP bonus track:

10. By Your Definition

"It's Not Because Of You" will be released digitally via iTunes as well as on limited seven-inch vinyl on Friday, August 17. The single will also include a special non-album cut called "Take Me With You When You Die". The vinyl version will be issued in at least three different-color versions — black, copper and green — and made available via Nuclear Blast mailorder only.

Commented Pelander: "A friend of mine had an idea about a cover for 'Legend'. I developed the idea and gave it back to my friend who then passed it on to another friend who happened to be a designer. The designer then pushed it in a new direction. The result is already legendary."

Added bass player Ola Henriksson: "The album cover is meant to reflect the music and I think it does that with its heavy, dark and clean design."

WITCHCRAFT, who formed in 2000 in tribute to band heroes Roky Erickson and Bobby Liebling (PENTAGRAM), create heavy, blues-based rock augmented with touches of psychedelica and late '60s pop flourishes. The quartet's first-class songs reference the darker side of hard rock while remaining surprisingly accessible. Flying largely under the radar of the popular music landscape previously, WITCHCRAFT is a hallowed name in underground circles and has found itself championed by a diverse cross-section of distinguished music adherents including American actor Elijah Wood, who publicly called the band "amazing," and DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo, who in 2009 proudly proclaimed WITCHCRAFT as his "new favorite band."

Canadian death metallers AUROCH have inked a deal with the Polish label Hellthrasher Productions for the release of the band's new album, "From Forgotten Worlds". The CD, which will be made available in October, features cover artwork by Danille Gauvin and boasts the following track listing:

01. From Forgotten Worlds
02. Fleshless Ascension (Paths Of Dawn)
03. Slaves To A Flame Undying
04. Dregs Of Sanity
05. Talisman For Total Temporal Collapse
06. Terra Akeldama
07. Bloodborne Conspiracy
08. Tundra Moon

The song "Slaves to a Flame Undying", which features a guest appearance by S.H. of MITOCHONDRION, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

French death/thrash metallers DEAD COWBOY'S SLUTS will release their debut album, "The Hand Of Death", on September 19 via M&O Music.

A trailer for the CD can be seen below.

"The Hand Of Death" track listing:

01. B.T.K.
02. Asylum Breakout
03. I Will Hunt You Down
04. Lusk
05. Must Be Broken
06. Criminal
07. Purify By Fire
08. This Hate
09. Gates Of Perdition
10. Skull Crusher
11. Life, Death, And Its Painful Intervening Period
12. The Hand Of Death Pt. 1
13. The Hand Of Death Pt. 2
14. Backdraft

According to a press release, DEAD COWBOY'S SLUTS is "a metal band that contrasts clearly with the current scene with their simple and effective music directly issued from the great period of the '90s. They prove it with their first album, in which their heavy riffs have not finished to make us headbang."

DEAD COWBOY'S SLUTS is:

Leclerc Benjamin - Vocals
Leclerc Mathieu - Guitar
Plathey Pierre - Guitar
Djinadou Morgan - Bass
Thiebault Guillaume - Drums

Andrew Cutler of the Rapid City Journal spoke to legendary guitarist Slash ahead of the VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES axeman's appearance at the Sturgis motorcycle rally.

"I just think Sturgis is a great event," Slash said. "I remember being excited to do it with VELVET REVOLVER [in 2007], and finally getting there. It was my first time there. Now I'm really looking forward to it, because VELVET REVOLVER with [lead singer] Scott [Weiland] was always like a hit-or-miss proposition. Whereas with this one coming up, I know it definitely is going to be a monster gig. It's going to be great to be in that environment."

Slash's second album, "Apocalyptic Love", came out in May and the ex-GUNS axeman has been on the road consistently with his band, MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.

The group will head to Australia and New Zealand this month, but will return for a fall headlining North American tour that will begin on September 4 in San Diego and wind down on October 3 in Los Angeles.

"[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."

Reactivated classic early '80s metal band OBSESSION will release its long-awaited new album, "Order Of Chaos", on October 3 in Europe and October 9 in North America through Inner Wound Recordings. The CD will be made available in Japan on September 19 through Spiritual Beast.

In a recent interview, OBSESSION vocalist Michael Vescera described "Order of Chaos" as "a cross between 'Carnival Of Lies' [2006] and the early OBSESSION stuff." He added, "I think it's geared more towards the older sound, the straight-tforward metal like the 'Marshall Law' album [1984], but you can hear some of the 'Carnival' sound in there, too."

"Order of Chaos" track listing:

01. Order Of Chaos
02. Twist Of The Knife
03. Forbidden Desire
04. When The Smoke Clears
05. License To Kill
06. Wages Of Sin
07. Cold Day In Hell
08. Act Of God
09. Mercy Killing
10. Dark Shadows

The Japanese edition of the album will feature the exclusive bonus track "The Damned".

A five-and-a-half-minute teaser featuring audio samples of the songs that will appear on "Order of Chaos" is available below.

The group's current lineup is as follows:

Michael Vescera - Vocals
John Bruno - Guitar
Scott Boland - Guitar
Chris McCarvill - Bass
BJ Zampa – Drums

"Carnival of Lies" was re-released through Mausoleum Records on February 12, 2008. This reissue featured new artwork and the bonus tracks "Panic In The Streets" (previously only available on the Avalon release in Japan) and "Judas". The album's title track featured Swedish guitar sensation Robert Marcello (DANGER DANGER, IRONHORSE) and Boston based neo-classical shred-god Joe Stump (REIGN OF TERROR).

OBSESSION gained success in the late '80s with the release of a four-song EP, 1984's "Marshall Law" (Metal Blade Records), two LPs (1986's "Scarred For Life" and 1987's "Methods Of Madness", both for Enigma/Capitol Records), and an MTV "Headbanger's Ball"-aired video for "For the Love of Money", from "Methods of Madness".

OBSESSION's original lineup featured Michael and Jay along with Bruce Vitale, Art Maco (guitar, retired) and Matt Karagus (bass, retired).

"Sunrise In Hell", the new video from French power metallers NIGHTMARE, can be seen below. The clip was helmed by French producer Stéphane Gilbart of Nightframe Media Visions and produced and edited by Richard Conord. The band's new guitar player, Matt Asselberghs, stars in the video, which features additional appearances by French models Sonia Zina and Lady Akasha.

"Sunrise In Hell" comes off NIGHTMARE's new album, "The Burden Of God", which was released in May through AFM Records. The CD was laid down at the Peek studios in the south of France with producer Patrick Liotard.

"The Burden Of God" track listing:

01. Gateways To The Void
02. Sunrise In Hell
03. The Burden Of God
04. Crimson Empire
05. Children Of The Nation
06. The Preacher
07. Shattered Hearts
08. The Doomsday Prediction
09. The Dominion Gate (Part III)
10. Final Outcome
11. Afterlife (bonus track)

"One Night Of Insurrection", the first-ever live DVD/CD from NIGHTMARE, was released in February 2011 via AFM Records. The set was filmed/recorded in Grenoble, France and contains NIGHTMARE's special 30th-anniversary show, including guest appearances by the band's former members. Also included us footage of NIGHTMARE's performance at Summerblast in Israel.

"Insurrection", the seventh album from NIGHTMARE, was released on September 11, 2009 via Germany's AFM Records.

Official Metallica.com footage of METALLICA's pre-show tuning-room jam and "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" performance on August 4 at the fifth concert of the band's eight-date run at Palacio de los Deportes (Sports Palace) in Mexico City can be seen below.

METALLICA's setlist for August 4 concert:

01. Creeping Death
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Fuel
04. Ride The Lightning
05. One
06. Cyanide
07. The Memory Remains
08. Leper Messiah
09. Sad But True
10. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
11. ...And Justice For All
12. Fade To Black
13. Master Of Puppets
14. Fight Fire With Fire
15. Nothing Else Matters
16. Enter Sandman

Encore:

17. Stone Cold Crazy
18. Seek & Destroy

Two members of METALLICA's road crew caught fire during each of the first five Mexico concerts, as the two stagehands were seen struggling with a malfunctioning pyro launcher during "Enter Sandman" when both were suddenly engulfed in flame. As James Hetfield called for the band to stop playing, other crew members doused the men with fire extinguishers and took them off the stage in stretchers, with the band resuming its show a few minutes later.

A spokesperson for the promoter said the stunt was "all part of the show," and in fact METALLICA has staged this type of "accident" before during its 1997 tour, on which the show ended with the stage seemingly collapsing around the band as one crew member caught fire and another dangled upside down from the fallen lighting rig. The effect was caught on the band's "Cunning Stunts" DVD.

The show on July 28 marked the debut of a new 140-foot-by-50-foot stage that features "colossal components and striking visual elements spanning METALLICA's entire 30-year career," meaning that the "accident" stunt could be back for an encore.

At a press conference before the show, frontman James Hetfield said that the band was focused on "staying alive" while performing alongside the "dangerous elements" of the new production, with bassist Robert Trujillo adding, "Like James said, it's very dangerous — we've got stuff flying every which way."

A post in the "Tour Journal" section of METALLICA's official web site related that "shit really hit the fan (during 'Enter Sandman' with) loud bangs, random fireworks, falling towers, falling spot light guy, falling scaffolding, guy was caught on fire . . . then a complete blackout."

METALLICA played the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco this past weekend and is scheduled to perform two shows in late August in Vancouver, which will be filmed for the band's upcoming 3D movie.

Canadian metallers KOBRA AND THE LOTUS performed an acoustic set at this year's edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival, which was held August 9-12 at Catton Park, Derbyshire in the United Kingdom.

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance — which included KOBRA AND THE LOTUS's renditions of the DIO classics "Rainbow In The Dark" and "Holy Diver" — can be seen below.

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS released its new album in the U.K. on August 6. The CD's first single, "Forever One", preceded the full-length effort on May 28.

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS last year inked a deal with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons' revived Simmons Records label via a partnership with Universal Music Canada. Simmons confirmed the signing on his Twitter profile, calling KOBRA AND THE LOTUS "real metal."

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS' debut album, "Out Of The Pit", produced by Kevin Shirley, was launched in March 2010. In the following 16 months, the band performed 168 gigs, across five countries, including seven festival stages. The second album was produced by Kevin Churko (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, OZZY OSBOURNE), along with Julius "Juice" Butty. A video for the song "Welcome To My Funeral" points to an undisputed evolution in the band; the music is stronger, meaner and heavier.

"Touring for 'Out Of The Pit' had a huge influence on us in terms of realizing which direction we wanted the new music to take," says singer Brittany Paige. "We really wanted to create new music that would portray the large amount of energy we put forward in a live performance."

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS is:

Brittany Paige - Vocals
Jasio Kulakowski - Guitar
Griffin Kissack - Drums
Peter Dimov - Bass
Timothy Vega - Guitar

Reunited '80s cult metal outfit SANCTUARY — which features in its ranks NEVERMORE frontman Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard — performed a brand new song called "I Am Low" on Saturday, August 11 at at this year's edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival at Catton Park, Derbyshire in the United Kingdom. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

In an interview with Rock My Monkey TV, Dane stated about SANCTUARY's future plans, "We're gonna do a new record. We've got a lot of new songs written and we're working on a deal with Century Media; it's kind of an imminent thing. I've been with that label since 1995, so I know the people that work there, I trust them, and I have a very good working relationship with them, so it makes the most sense for me right now. And for the rest of the guys, too. So we'll see. Nothing's ever written in stone, but it looks like that's what's gonna happen."

Regarding how SANCTUARY's reformation came about, Dane said, "[SANCTUARY guitarist Lenny Rutledge and I] always talked to each other, but never really been friends again. And when the whole thing came about, that we were actually friends again, that's when we started talking more about doing it. And it definitely wasn't because NEVERMORE was imploding... which it was, at that point . . . We all just started talking with each other again. That was kind of the groundwork for it. And then we started saying, 'Well, gosh, let's make music again.' And my god! Lenny is writing some stuff that is so friggin great! Obviously, he's been bottling this up for years, because he really hasn't been doing anything... Well, he's had bands here and there. But he's really writing some great stuff that's really inspiring me, and making me fall in love with music again, with the creative process... everything that revolves around that. Really inspiring me to write really evil lyrics."

Regarding the sound of SANCTUARY's upcoming studio album, tentatively titled "The Year The Sun Died", Dane said, "This record is not going to sound like the other two. It might sound very similar to the second one ('Into The Mirror Black'). It's definitely not going to sound like the first one, because we're all a little bit older and I can't come up with a c-clamp for a scrotum and a helium tank . . . It's not going to sound like the old ones... it's 2011. It's still gonna be that good, I think, and there's gonna be high-pitched screaming. I'm making sure of that. With NEVERMORE, high-pitched screaming was never really called for. You know, with SANCTUARY... of course it is."

SANCTUARY last year tapped Brad Hull (FORCED ENTRY) to play second guitar for the band.

Hull and Shannon Sharp, one of the moderators at Metalguitarist.org, were the top picks for the SANCTUARY second-guitarist position. Brad, having previously toured with SANCTUARY, was given the opportunity to play the dates in Atlanta (ProgPower USA XII festival) and Greece.

Hull has spent the last few years playing the role of "James Hetfield" in the METALLICA tribute band BLISTERED EARTH, which plays "classic songs ranging from 1983's 'Kill 'Em All' to 1991's self-titled 'Metallica'."

SANCTUARY's current touring lineup:

Warrel Dane - Vocals
Lenny Rutledge - Guitar
Brad Hull - Guitars
Jim Sheppard - Bass
Dave Budbill – Drums

Former THE HAUNTED frontman Peter Dolving has launched a new "touring entity" which will perform songs from all of his past and present projects, including MARY BEATS JANE, THE HAUNTED, ZEN MONKEY and BRINGTHEWARHOME.

Dubbed HOUSE OF DOLVING, the new band — which will be "up and rolling by November," according to the singer — will consist of the following musicians:

* Peter Dolving (THE HAUNTED, MARY BEATS JANE) - Vocals
* Johan Reivén (LOK, IN A PIGS EYE, THÅSTRÖM) - Bass
* Peter Asp (BOMBUS, MARY BEATS JANE, STILLBORN, IS 9) - Drums
* Thomas Brandt (LOK) – Guitar

Regarding the HOUSE OF DOLVING band name, Dolving said, "[It] sounds kinda cheesy and pretentious. But I like it. And it the only way that can offer a way to explain/present what the hell I/we are doing."

He added, "When you see HOUSE OF DOLVING on the bill, that means you can expect some of the best and coolest live musicians performing with me, and sometimes without me, playing really fucking good music."

Previously a vocalist for MARY BEATS JANE, Dolving joined THE HAUNTED in 1997 and sang in their debut self-titled album. In 1998, he left the group to concentrate on a band called ZEN MONKEY but returned in 2003 following the departure of Marco Aro (the vocalist which took over Dolving's spot after Peter's 1998 exit). He has since appeared on the studio albums "Revolver" (2004), "The Dead Eye" (2006), "Versus" (2008) and "Unseen" (2011).

Slash was joined by his former GUNS N' ROSES bandmate Gilby Clarke on stage on Friday, August 10 at the Buffalo Chip Campground during this year's Sturgis motorcycle rally for a performance of the GN'R classic "Paradise City". You can watch fan-filmed video footage of Gilby's appearance below.

Slash, who previously played in Sturgis with VELVET REVOLVER in 2007, told the Rapid City Journal that was happy to be coming back to the Black Hills.

"I just think Sturgis is a great event," he said a few days prior to his concert. "I remember being excited to do it with VELVET REVOLVER, and finally getting there. It was my first time there. Now I'm really looking forward to it, because VELVET REVOLVER with [lead singer] Scott [Weiland] was always like a hit-or-miss proposition. Whereas with this one coming up, I know it definitely is going to be a monster gig. It's going to be great to be in that environment."

Clarke joined GUNS N' ROSES in November 1991, replacing Izzy Stradlin, who quit the band in the middle of a 28-month world tour. He toured extensively with the band on their "Use Your Illusion" tour between 1991 and 1993 and appeared on the GUNS N' ROSES covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?", "Live Era: '87-'93" and "Greatest Hits".

Shortly before GUNS N' ROSES recorded a cover of THE ROLLING STONES' "Sympathy for the Devil" for the film "Interview with the Vampire", Clarke was replaced by lead singer Axl Rose's longtime friend Paul Tobias.

"Down Through The Ages", a brand new song from Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track comes off the band's new album, "A War You Can Not Win", which is due in September via Razor & Tie/Prosthetic. The CD sees the band reunited with longtime producer Adam Dutkiewicz (THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, AS I LAY DYING, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE). The record is the culmination of an intense writing period for the group that began shortly after their 18-month tour in support of "For We Are Many".

Commented ALL THAT REMAINS singer Phil Labonte: "We really busted our asses and tried to do some new stuff (like we always do) and we're really happy about what came out of it. Some of it is pretty different and is REALLY gonna blow you guys away. Some of it is gonna sound just like what you expect from ALL THAT REMAINS. And I'm sure all of it is gonna make the Internet have a conniption fit!"

Dutkiewicz previously helmed ALL THAT REMAINS' last album, 2010's "For We Are Many", as well as 2004's "This Darkened Heart" and 2006's "The Fall of Ideals".

"For We Are Many" sold 29,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The band's previous CD, "Overcome", opened with just under 29,000 units in September 2008 to enter The Billboard 200 chart at No. 16.

Former THE HAUNTED frontman Peter Dolving has posted a lengthy statement on his Facebook page in which he attempts to explain his reasons for leaving the band in February of this year. He writes in part, "I left THE HAUNTED back early this spring because I had fucking had it with dysfunctional bullshit.

"The day the Björlers [guitarist Anders Björler and bassist Jonas Björler] decided to tell tell us about the AT THE GATES 'farewell tour' (the farewell tour now on its third year), we were releasing and promoting 'Versus'.

"They told us that they would only do 14 shows. They are still touring....

"They have really cashed in to the fullest. Good for them. It's good to have money in a capitalist world.

"[Guitarist Patrik] Jensen is the one who saw clearly what was up.

"The moment they told us, his response was, 'You know this is going to kill THE HAUNTED.' The twins were both extremely defensive about it, and now we know why. They were lying out their ass.

"Jensen ain't no dumb-ass. He made another WITCHERY record, toured like a sonofabitch with his project and got a degree in the meantime.

"Good for him.

"It's good to have a degree in a capitalist world.

"I caught on slower, but I figured it was fucking ridiculously slow that making 'Unseen' took 2 years. I must have written 40 fucking songs for that record. Every time I presented something, it wasn't 'played well enough to really hear what's going on' or 'it's not THE HAUNTED.' Jonas presented some amazing ideas. But there was no heart.

"I am not a very cheerfulful person. I prefer working to hanging out. Because I love my work more than I love people. I don't lie or pretend it's any other way. But anyone who knows me will testify that I am not a lying, unloyal, uncaring, indifferent fucking prick whose emotional incapacities render me void of treating people respectfully.

"Rock and roll for me is about love, hate, life and how we live it. It's vivid, aware, right here. Indifference and shutting each other off is the diametric opposite. Watching your back because you care more about your pension plan than your fellow travellers, avoiding confrontations because one is lazy and a coward, etc., is just not fucking cutting it.

"They broke my fucking heart."

Read Dolving's entire statement at this location.

Previously a vocalist for MARY BEATS JANE, Dolving joined THE HAUNTED in 1997 and sang in their debut self-titled album. In 1998, he left the group to concentrate on a band called ZEN-MONKEY but returned in 2003 following the departure of Marco Aro (the vocalist which took over Dolving's spot after Peter's 1998 exit). He has since appeared on the studio albums "Revolver" (2004), "The Dead Eye" (2006), "Versus" (2008) and "Unseen" (2011).

THE HAUNTED's seventh studio CD, "Unseen", sold around 1,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The effort landed at position No. 33 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.

"Unseen" was released on March 29, 2011 via Century Media Records. The CD was once again recorded with longtime producer Tue Madsen (MOONSPELL, DARK TRANQUILLITY, GOREFEST, SICK OF IT ALL) at his Antfarm Studio in Århus, Denmark.

Taking a detour from his main job as lead guitarist for JOURNEY, the multi-talented Neal Schon has put the finishing touches on his latest solo album, "The Calling", to be released on October 23 via Frontiers Records. Produced by and featuring Schon on all guitars and bass, "The Calling" reunites Schon with former JOURNEY bandmate Steve Smith, who lends his virtuoso drum talents to all 12 tracks on the new album.

Schon set up shop at Berkeley's famed Fantasy Studios during a break from JOURNEY's busy touring schedule and recorded the album, completely from scratch, in just four days. After overdubbing multiple guitar and bass parts, Schon recruited two keyboard masters to flesh out the music. Igor Len, an accomplished classical, jazz and film composer who had previously collaborated with Schon, is featured on acoustic piano throughout "The Calling" album.

Grammy Award-winning special guest Jan Hammer (Jeff Beck, MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA, "Miami Vice" soundtrack) recorded Moog synthesizer solos on two tracks — "Fifty Six" and "Tumbleweeds". Recently, Schon teamed up with Dan Barnett ("Journey: Live In Manila") to produce the video for the first single and title track from "The Calling".

While celebrating the release of "The Calling", Schon will be back on the road with JOURNEY as the band's 2012 tour kicked off July 21 in Southern California and is scheduled to run through December, with most dates featuring special guests PAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO and LOVERBOY.

"The Calling" track listing:

01. The Calling
02. Carnival Jazz
03. Six String Waltz
04. Irish Field
05. Back Smash
06. Fifty Six
07. True Emotion
08. Tumbleweeds
09. Primal Surge
10. Blue Rainbow Sky
11. Transonic Funk
12. Song Of The Wind II

Check out audio samples at www.schonmusic.com.

The previously announced first annual Mayhem Festival Cruise — which was scheduled to set sail on Friday, December 7, 2012 from the Port of Miami, Florida and travels to the Bahamas, returning to the mainland on Monday, December 10 — has been canceled.

The event's organizers have released the following statement:

"Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have been forced to cancel the Mayhem Festival Cruise.

"If you purchased a cruise package, you will be automatically refunded to the credit card you used to purchase. If you used a prepaid card or gift card to purchase the cruise, please contact Rose Tours for your refund (215-663-8800). If you used a credit or debit card, you will see the credit within the next 2 to 3 weeks. We are also offering anyone who purchased a cruise ticket a lifetime complimentary pass to the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival summer tour. You will still receive your cruise refund in addition to the lifetime pass to the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour. This pass is valid on any tour date beginning in 2013. Details on getting these lifetime passes will be announced shortly.

"We apologize for the cancelation."

Mayhem Festival Cruise promised to offer fans a chance to experience a blistering 90-minute set from each one of six killer heavy metal bands — LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, ANTHRAX, HATEBREED, SUICIDE SILENCE and KINGDOM OF SORROW — as well as additional showcase sets from Century Media, Metal Blade Records, Roadrunner Records and Sumerian Records artists, including GOJIRA, PERIPHERY, BORN OF OSIRIS, BATTLECROSS, OTHERWISE, GIRL ON FIRE, ANTI MORTEM, and GYSPYHAWK. Mayhem veterans JDevil (Jonathan Davis of KORN) and DJ Starscream (Sid of SLIPKNOT) were also slated to perform full DJ sets each night.

For more information, visit www.MayhemCruise.com.

Ephrata, Pennsylvania-based quintet TEXAS IN JULY will release its third, self-titled full-length album on October 9 via Equal Vision Records. The CD was recorded at The Machine Shop Studios in Belleville, New Jersey with producer Will Putney (FOR TODAY, CHIODOS). A single, "Bed Of Nails", will precede the full-length effort on September 11 via digital retailers such as iTunes and Amazon.com.

"This track is collectively one of our favorite songs that we have ever written as a band," explains TEXAS IN JULY lyricist/bassist Ben Witkowski. "For the most part, 'Bed Of Nails' was written in the studio. It came together so smoothly and, surprisingly, pretty early on in writing/recording process and quickly became a favored track. We think of it as our hybrid song — it has many contrasting musical parts, as well as a heavy hitting vocal chant near the tail of the song. I really think people are going to be pleased to hear this song. I would love to see this track become our next 'Hook Line And Sinner'. It's very memorable, and feels like the perfect track to be released as the first listen for the upcoming record."

The new album features several guest artists: drummer Matt Greiner of AUGUST BURNS RED, vocalist Dave Stephens of WE CAME AS ROMANS, and vocalist Chadwick Johnson of HUNDREDTH.

"Texas In July" track listing:

01. Initiate
02. Cry Wolf
03. Shallow Point
04. Without A Head (ft. Chadwick Johnson)
05. Bed Of Nails
06. Repressed Memories
07. C4 (ft. Dave Stephens)
08. Crux Lust
09. Paranoia
10. Black Magic
11. Cloudy Minds (ft. Matt Greiner)

TEXAS IN JULY's Equal Vision Records debut, "One Reality", was released in April 2011. The album premiered at No. 3 on the Billboard New Artist/Heatseekers Chart and also placed on the Billboard 200, Rock, Independent, and Hard Rock charts. TEXAS IN JULY has been on the road non-stop for the past year, including three European headliners, massive tours with the likes of AUGUST BURNS RED, WE CAME AS ROMANS, FOR TODAY, SILVERSTEIN and NORMA JEAN, and performances at renowned music festivals around the world such as New England Metal And Hardcore Festival, Graspop Metal Meeting, Summerfest, Cornerstone Festival and The Bamboozle.

TEXAS IN JULY is comprised of Alex Good, Adam Gray, Ben Witkowski, Christian Royer and Chris Davis.

To the relief of family and friends, KILLING JOKE frontman Jaz Coleman appeared yesterday (Sunday, August 12) from his retreat in the Western Sahara bemused by all the fuss of his disappearance. "I've been finishing my book and writing the score for my new project, 'The Nirvana Symphonic'. [laughs] What's all the fuss about then?"

Coleman had apparently been living a nomadic existence for the last month in the desert in order to concentrate on finishing his two current projects.

"Nirvana" will likely become a TV show and a concert in Seattle in 2013 and the book and an exclusive Coleman album will be packaged together and available for order as early as next week.

International media picked up on the story last month, sending it global, from the press release announced by the band on the KILLING JOKE official Facebook page questioning his whereabouts. Fans from around the world have been more than proactive in their opinions — from random sightings in Christchurch New Zealand, to past recollections of his elusive behaviors in Iceland.

Coleman also commented on a Facebook post, since deleted, where someone claiming to be the singer announced that KILLING JOKE was canceling a tour with THE CULT and THE MISSION. "Their songs suck!" the post said. Coleman claims he never wrote the message and says it was the work of an "impersonator." Still, Coleman says, it now "looks like this has caused a right ding dong and … it's impossible to continue this tour under the circumstances". In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Coleman wished both "THE CULT and THE MISSION the best of luck on the tour, and to find out who has been impersonating him."

Sacramento, California-based experimental post-hardcore outfit A LOT LIKE BIRDS has inked a deal with Equal Vision Records.

Whether they're swinging from the rafters, climbing up venue walls, joining in on spontaneous mid-set crowd surfs, launching guitars 25 feet in the air, or simply focusing on the music, the dynamic six-piece band is quickly becoming known for their roaring live sets filled with in-your-face intensity. Standing at the forefront of their bold performances are dual vocalists Cory Lockwood and Kurt Travis, who seamlessly intertwine, layer and harmonize, while interchanging singing, screaming and spoken-word duties. Guiding the melodies along with the alternating of intricate riffs and airy, ambient wails are guitarists Michael Franzino and Ben Wiacek, as well as the flowing rhythms of bassist Michael "Butter" Littlefield and drummer Joe Arrington.

In fall 2011, A LOT LIKE BIRDS released "Conversation Piece", the band's sophomore effort and first release with the current six-piece lineup. The eleven-track album was recorded at Interlace Audio Recording Studio in Portland, Oregon with producer Kris Crummet (CLOSURE IN MOSCOW, FEAR BEFORE, DANCE GAVIN DANCE). "Conversation Piece" features poetically delivered and emotionally driven lyrics powered by compelling dual vocals, with an emphasis on solid song structure and storytelling.

"Written word shaped me more definitively than any other interest in my life," says Lockwood. "I've been writing creatively my entire life without any real direction, outside of obsessively discovering new stories inside of myself and dragging them out. Music gave me a way to combine story and emotion and poetry with another love — performance."

He added, "When Travis and I met...we instantly bonded with each other and started to test each other's role and how best to complement each other musically. It didn't take too long for us to finish each other's lyrics if we were struggling with something or figure out a cohesive call-and-response section or harmony. And best of all, we decided not to separate each other into different corners of the musical ring. He screams at times and I sing at times. There's such an amazing amount of room for us to create together, as long as we ignore the standard limitations of a duo like that."

A LOT LIKE BIRDS' constant musical evolution and entrancing live shows, combined with their down-to-earth personalities, proved to be just the right fit for Equal Vision Records.

"Signing to Equal Vision used to just be a daydream for most of us," explains Lockwood. "When we were growing up and still playing in previous bands, Equal Vision was putting out CDs by incredible artists that we admire, like BEAR VS SHARK, THE FALL OF TROY and CIRCA SURVIVE."

"We are all very happy about it...there honestly couldn't be a better home for us and what we want to do," Franzino adds. "It means the world to be on EVR and we can't wait to see what comes of it."

The band will soon begin the writing process for its debut Equal Vision release, with tentative plan to enter the studio in early 2013.