"It's Not Because Of You", a brand new song from Swedish doom metal kings WITCHCRAFT, is available for streaming via the band's Facebook profile. The track 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.

"It's Not Because Of You" 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

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."

Recorded 100% pro-tools and digital free at Stockholm's UpandRunning studios with producer Tom Hakava and using only vintage amplification, WITCHCRAFT's latest album, "The Alchemist", showcases a group of musicians at ease with their playing and songwriting. Addictive melodies flow simultaneously with catchy, heavy riffs, while maintaining a relaxed and laid back feel throughout. Among its many highlights, the album features the standout songs "Walk Between the Lines" and "Hey Doctor" as well as the record's plat du jour, the three-part progressive rock odyssey of the title track "The Alchemist".

Fan-filmed video footage of former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis and his solo band performing two brand new songs — one of which is titled "Speak Of Nothing" — on July 28 at Tomcats West in Fort Worth, Texas can be seen below.

Loomis entered the studio in June to record three new tracks. Joe Nurre (SHADED ENMITY), who plays guitar with Loomis in Jeff's solo band, laid down the vocals for the songs.

"After we got off our last tour with PERIPHERY and PROTEST THE HERO, Jeff and I got to talking about how it would be cool to do some heavier, death metal-type stuff with some more aggresive vocals," Joe said. "So Jeff and I [decided to hit] the studio with producer/engineer Aaron Smith (7 HORNS 7 EYES), who also recorded and mixed Jeff's latest record, 'Plains Of Oblivion'."

Loomis is currently taking part in a North American tour with THE CONTORTIONIST. The trek kicked off on July 14 in Indianapolis, Indiana and will run through August 3. Support on the trek is coming from CHIMP SPANNER and 7 HORNS 7 EYES.

Loomis and his solo band recently part in a 24-date, coast-to-coast U.S. tour with PROTEST THE HERO, PERIPHERY, THE SAFETY FIRE and TODAY I CAUGHT THE PLAGUE.

Jeff was accompanied on the stage by the following musicians:

* Joe Nurre (SHADED ENMITY) - Guitar
* Gregory Macklin (SYSTEM DIVIDE, ORDINANCE) - Bass
* Anup Sastry (INTERVALS, SKYHARBOR) - Drums

Loomis's second solo album, "Plains Of Oblivion", sold 2,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 179 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at No. 2 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.

"Plains Of Oblivion" was released on April 10 in North America (one day earlier in Europe) via Century Media Records. The CD was produced by Aaron Smith (7 HORNS 7 EYES) and features cover artwork by Colin Marks of Rain Song Design, who has previously worked with ALL SHALL PERISH, THE END and XERATH.

Vocalist/guitarist Michael Poulsen of Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT dressed up as ICED EARTH guitarist/mainman Jon Schaffer before joining ICED EARTH on stage on July 19 at Rams Head Live in Baltimore, Maryland to perform IE's classic theme song "Iced Earth". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below. (Note: Poulsen enters the stage at around the 2:50 mark.)

VOLBEAT and ICED EARTH recently finished touring North America as part of a three-band package also featuring HELLYEAH.

In a September 2011 interview with Aux Portes Du Métal, ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer was asked what new groups he finds interesting. "VOLBEAT is a really cool band," Schaffer replied. "I wish I had discovered them earlier… But they're really excellent. It's really fresh and inspiring to see a band that has so many different influences and still make their own thing. Michael and I are actually good friends now, we met at the Graspop [Metal Meeting] festival [in Belgium]. We had a blast, drank a bottle of whisky each that night. This guy has followed ICED EARTH since the beginning. He told me this story how the day our first album came out, he just had enough money to go the store by bus, buy the CD and go back home. He's a great guy, and his music is really cool… This band is getting bigger and bigger and they totally deserve it."

Poulsen and Schaffer revealed several months ago that they are planning to collaborate on an as-yet-undisclosed new project. No further details are currently available.

The four members of METALLICA held a press conference yesterday afternoon (Saturday, July 28) prior ot the opening show of their eight-concert run at Palacio de los Deportes (Sports Palace) in Mexico City, Mexico. You can watch video footage of the question-and-answer session below. A few excerpts follow.

On why METALLICA chose to debut its new stage show in Mexico City:

Lars Ulrich (drums): "We have had a longstanding love affair with all things Mexico, starting back in '93 when we came down here and played five shows at the place we're playing tonight, which resulted in the 'Binge & Purge' box set, which was fantastic. We came back in '99 and played at Foro Sol and did another three nights at Foro Sol a couple of years ago. So when we wanted to do the world premiere of this crazy new show, which is the first new show that we've done since we did 'Death Magnetic' four years ago, we couldn't think of a better place to do it than right here in Mexico City. And obviously, also, we have so many friends here, so many fans, a lot of people who come from Latin America and from a lot of different places. So we figured parking ourselves in Mexico City for a couple of weeks and playing all these shows and premiering this stage and kind of getting the Mexican fans to be part of the initiation of this new stage, we couldn't think of a cooler place to do [it in]. And this whole thing, obviously, as some of you know, is the beginning of the METALLICA 3D movie project, and so that's kind of what we're gonna be spending the next six weeks on. So that culminates up in Vancouver at the end of August, where we're gonna be shooting a movie and playing the last couple of concerts."

On METALLICA's plans to enter the studio in September to start putting ideas together for the follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic":

James Hetfield (guitar, vocals): "I've been itching to write for a long time — all of us have — so there's lots of ideas. There's been lots of little things that have kind of jumped up and gotten in the way of writing. So we're pretty excited to get writing again. It could go very quick, it could take a long time; we have no idea. That's the beauty of the artform."

Robert Trujillo (bass): "[There are] lots of riffs to jam on, and that's pretty exciting for us. But, like James said, there are a lot of little walls and barriers we've gotta get through, and then we'll be writing like crazy."

On whether METALLICA's collaboration with Lou Reed ("Lulu"), which was recorded in only 10 days, will affect the writing and recording process for the band's next album:

James Hetfield: "I think everything we do affects the next thing somehow. We don't know how that will show up. That is another way of writing. And I think it gave us confidence that we can go in and trust a little more of the moment. There's another side of this that is complete obsessive and perfectionist. So finding a balance is key to doing a METALLICA record."

On how Hollywood has been treating Lars Ulrich following his recent forays into acting — first in the 2010 Russell Brand comedy "Get Him To The Greek" and then again earlier this year in the HBO drama "Hemingway & Gellhorn":

Lars Ulrich: "I think those are two isolated situations. I've always been incredibly interested in film. I've always been incredibly interest in the creative process, whether it's film or music or painting or sculpture or writing, so being around creative people is always fascinating. So when there people call up and say, 'Come and do this for three days,' or 'Come and do this for a couple of weeks,' it kind of perks up my interest. I think the word 'career' is certainly not applicable. I don't have an agent, I don't have anybody. I can tell you that in the wake of the 'Hemingway' movie, [which] was premiered about two months ago, I've gotten this many phone calls [showing a zero sign, using his index finger and thumb] — zero. So there you go; this may be the end of it. But I'm always interested in just different creative outlets and experiences, and as long as they sort of fit in and don't get in the way of anything METALLICA. But film has always been my passion and when I'm not with my family or with METALLICA, I park myself in the film world and I see film and I read about film and I study film. It's always been kind of my great escape. Those were two interesting experiences, but it's not anything that I'm pursuing in relation to a career or any bullshit like that. If I was ever gonna be involved in film, I would probably be more interested in writing or maybe producing. Acting — sitting around in a trailer for eight hours a day for you to get called — it's not exactly my dream gig. But I think writing or producing would be interesting at some point. But acting is not a huge thing."

Part 1:

According to CDJapan.co.jp, Universal Music has set an August 31 European and September 3 Japanese release date for "The Singles Collection", a box set containing 48 songs from 14 of DIO's classic singles in replicas of the original release and a DVD featuring 12 music videos,. It comes with a reprint of a U.K. tour poster and DIO family tree (subject to change) and it also includes a 32-page complete discography of the Vertigo years.

The 14 CDs are:

* Holy Diver
* Rainbow In The Dark
* The Last In Line
* We Rock
* Mystery (inc. UK tour poster)
* Rock N Roll Children
* Hungry For Heaven
* Dio Live
* King Of Rock N Roll
* I Could Have Been A Dreamer
* All The Fools Sailed Away
* Intermission
* The Dio EP (inc. DIO family tree)
* Jesus Mary And The Holy Ghost

As previously reported, a new DIO compilation album, "The Very Beast Of Dio Vol. 2", will be released later in the year. The 17-song set will include three bonus tracks, two of which are new and have never been made available on a full DIO CD before. The cover artwork for the set was created by Marc Sasso, who previously worked on DIO's "Killing The Dragon" and "Master Of The Moon" albums.

The original "The Very Beast Of Dio" compilation was officially certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 11, 2009 for shipments in the United States in excess of 500,000 copies.

Issued in October 2000, "The Very Beast Of Dio" was the second greatest-hits collection CD — and the first to be released in the U.S. — from the Ronnie James Dio-fronted band.

Finland's Soundi magazine has posted a short video message from guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho of Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM recorded yesterday (Sunday, July 29) in Tampere, Finland. Check it out below.

Said Alexi: "We're gonna start working on new stuff, new material next week. [There's] gonna be a lot of practicing, hopefully, and definitely a lot of good stuff coming out. The new album should be out next year — early next year — so hopefully you guys can be patient enough for it to come out."

He continued, "On a more serious note, a friend, a bother, Randy Blythe from LAMB OF GOD is still in jail in Prague. So I just wanna send a shout-out to Randy right now and just say I love you, brother. I can't even imagine what you're going through right now, but I know you'll make it. And I hope to see you soon."

CHILDREN OF BODOM was forced to cancel several shows earlier this month — including those in Oslo, Norway and Malmö, Sweden — after Laiho was rushed to the hospital with extreme stomach pain.

After spending a week and a half receiving treatment in Oslo, Alexi was released from the hospital and the band performed at this year's Ilosaarirock festival, which was held July 13-15 in Joensuu, Finland.

CHILDREN OF BODOM recently inked a worldwide deal (excluding Japan) with Nuclear Blast Records.

Swedish thrashers DARKANE have entered the studio to begin recording their sixth album for an erly 2013 release. The band's drummer, Peter Wildoer, states, "The drums are done and we're tracking guitars, bass and vocals right now.

"We're documenting the whole process once again as a video diary and now we want the DARKANE fans to ask questions what they want to know. . . Could be anything about the recording process, songwriting, gear stuff or perhaps what member in the band can do most push-ups... YOU ask the questions!"

If you have a question for DARKANE, you can post it in the comments section of the band's official Facebook page.

The first photo of the new lineup of DARKANE — featuring returning vocalist Lawrence Mackrory — can be seen below.

Vocalist Jens Broman left DARKANE in August 2011 due to "personal issues." He explained in a statement, "At the moment my life is in a phase where I'm unable to find inspiration for new adventures with DARKANE and therefore it's best for me to pass on the mic."

Mackrory sang on DARKANE's debut album, "Rusted Angel" (1999), and made a guest appearance on the song "Chaos vs. Order" on the band's 2002 effort "Expanding Senses".

"Demonic Art", the fifth album from DARKANE, debuted at No. 104 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.

"Demonic Art" was released in North America in February 2009 via Nuclear Blast Records. The North America version of the CD, which came out in Europe on October 24, 2008 via Massacre Records, contains a bonus track and a bonus DVD.

"X", the tenth studio album from Helsinki, Finland-based gothic metallers THE 69 EYES, will be released in Europe on September 28 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was mixed by Stefan Boman (THE HELLACOPTERS, BULLET) and is described by the band's lead singer Jyrki69 as THE 69 EYES' "most melodic-yet-melancholic" release to date. He added, "This is the best THE 69 EYES album ever done!"

"X" track listing:

01. Love Runs Away
02. Tonight
03. Black
04. If You Love Me The Morning After
05. Red
06. I Love The Darkness In You
07. Borderline
08. I'm Ready
09. I know What You Did Last Summer
10. When A Love Comes To An End

Bonus DVD

* Red (video)
* Made In Sweden – Stockholm & THE 69 EYES (documentary)

THE 69 EYES filmed a video for the song "Red" earlier this month with Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others. The band also revealed the cover art for the "Red" single, which will be released via iTunes on August 10.

Regarding the album title, Jyrki69 said, "We've never really celebrated anything, not that we've been playing 20 years or so (vampires don't count decades). Thus this time we thought to celebrate a bit: the new album is entitled as tenth in Roman numbers, it'll be called 'X'."

On the topc of the "X" cover artwork, Jyrki69 said, "The cover is pure goth 'n' roll: a psychedelic mirror image of old wild animal bones with our X-tagram projected over all. It's good, evil, magic and voodoo all together! Something to stare at when tripping on the album."

To coincide with the new album release, THE 69 EYES will also launch its own vampire-style red wine, simply called as "Red," which will mainly be distributed in Sweden and Finland.

"Native Blood", the new video from San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT, can be seen below.

TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy collaborated with seasoned director Mike Sloat to put together a video that universal in message while bringing the spotlight to Billy's Native American heritage — The Pomo Indians.

The performance portion of the clip was shot on the Billy Ranch in Hopland, California, where the flames were huge and the temperatures were high.

The "Native Blood" video is about the growth a Native American youth throughout the years. When faced with hatred, racism, bullying, and harassment, he uses nature's sanctuary to recharge and meditate on the lessons he learned from his grandfather to handle these very tough situations in a way to honor and dignify himself and his people.

Billy previously stated about "Native Blood", "It's almost like a protest song, that the Native Americans have a voice that needs to be heard — that's the chorus of the song."

"Native Blood" comes off TESTAMENT's new album, "Dark Roots Of Earth", which will be released in North America on July 31 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was produced, mixed and mastered by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE, ACCEPT, EXODUS). Special bonus tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered by Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS, TED NUGENT, NIGHT RANGER) at his Trident Studios. The cover artwork for the effort (see below) was painted by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with ATHEIST, SIGH, ANACRUSIS and GWAR, among others.

"Dark Roots Of Earth" jewel case CD track listing:

01. Rise Up
02. Native Blood
03. Dark Roots Of Earth
04. True American Hate
05. A Day In The Death
06. Cold Embrace
07. Man Kills Mankind
08. Throne Of Thorns
09. Last Stand For Independence

"Dark Roots Of Earth" CD/DVD track listing:

01. Rise Up
02. Native Blood
03. Dark Roots Of Earth
04. True American Hate
05. A Day In The Death
06. Cold Embrace
07. Man Kills Mankind
08. Throne Of Thorns
09. Last Stand For Independence

Bonus:

10. Dragon Attack (QUEEN cover)
11. Animal Magnetism (SCORPIONS cover)
12. Powerslave (IRON MAIDEN cover)
13. Throne Of Thornes (extended version)
+ Bonus DVD

"Dark Roots Of Earth" vinyl track listing:

Side A:

01. Rise Up
02. Native Blood
03. Dark Roots Of Earth

Side B:

04. True American Hate
05. A Day In The Death
06. Cold Embrace

Side C:

07. Man Kills Mankind
08. Throne Of Thorns
09. Last Stand For Independence

Side D (Bonus):

10. Dragon Attack (QUEEN cover)
11. Animal Magnetism (SCORPIONS cover)
12. Powerslave (IRON MAIDEN cover)

"Native Blood" video:

According to RevolverMag.com, LIMP BIZKIT is working in Miami with producer DetaiL on its forthcoming seventh album, the band's first for its new label home, Cash Money, Lil Wayne's longtime record company.

"We're going two different directions right now," guitarist Wes Borland tells RevolverMag.com about the musical direction of the new LIMP BIZKIT material. "One direction is very heavy like our last album, 'Gold Cobra', but with me pushing the riffs further than they were before. But we're also working on hip-hop club tracks that have guitar and Fred [Durst, vocals] on them. We're coming from two very different places on this and right now they're starting to cross over into each other, which is exciting. We don't want to make 'Gold Cobra II'."

Regarding the songwriting process for the upcoming LIMP BIZKIT CD, Borland tells RevolverMag.com, "We've had a lot of little scattered sessions and we're firing out ideas into the darkness and seeing what sticks and what starts to form and become something new. I've gotten really intense about writing snappy, complicated riffs that have a lot of dive bomb-type whammy bar push-and-pull suction sound in them. It's too soon to tell where we're going with it all. We're not at the point where everything flows or makes sense, but we'll know when we get there."

LIMP BIZKIT is scheduled to embark on a major U.S. tour in October with Borland's side project BLACK LIGHT BURNS opening the show.

LIMP BIZKIT last year parted ways with Interscope, the label that released all of the band's records thus far through its subsidiaries Flip, Geffen and Suretone Records.

"Gold Cobra" was LIMP BIZKIT's first CD to feature the original lineup of Durst, Borland, Sam Rivers (bass), John Otto (drums), and DJ Lethal since 2000's "Chocolate Starfish And Hot Dog Flavored Water". DJ Lethal has since been fired from the group for personal reasons.

JANETSHAREROXYGINA (a.k.a. JSRG), the newly formed group featuring three former members of the platinum-selling all-female '80s band VIXEN — singer Janet Gardner, drummer Roxy Petrucci and bassist Share Ross, along with guitarist Gina Stile, who was the guitarist on VIXEN's "Tangerine" album — made its unofficial live debut last night (Saturday, July 28), performing a three-song "surprise" set at Club Loaded at Ollie's Point/Revolution in Amityville, New York. Fan-filmed video footage of their appearance can be seen below.

Commented Gardner, "It feels so good to be reunited with Roxy and Share. And when we started jammin' some old VIXEN songs with Gina, we knew this was right."

Share Ross added, "With hits like 'Edge Of A Broken Heart', 'Cryin'', 'How Much Love', 'Not a Minute Too Soon', 'Love is a Killer' and 'Rev It Up' emblazoned upon our souls, we knew it was time to resurrect our sound. We want to give the fans what they want."

In 1987, "Edge Of A Broken Heart" climbed the Billboard chart to the Top Ten and VIXEN had hit after hit. EMI suddenly had the only platinum-selling all-female rock band of its time on their roster.

Dubbed "MTV Darlings", the hits kept coming with "Cryin'", "How Much Love", "Love Is A Killer" and "Not a Minute Too Soon". The band earned credibility as they opened up for superstars, including OZZY OSBOURNE, DEEP PURPLE, SCORPIONS and BON JOVI, to name a few. A live performance on the "Arsenio Hall" television show sealed their credibility with the fact that these girls could play.

JSRG will play a select number of casinos, festivals and showcase dates in 2013 and perform all the VIXEN hits along with new songs from their as-yet-unreleased EP. The debut gig will take place at the kick-off party as well as on board the Monsters Of Rock Cruise on March 16-20, 2013 sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida bound for CoCoCay and Freeport, Bahamas.

JSRG is not to be confused with the current version of VIXEN, which consists of founding member Jan Kuehnemund (guitar) alongside Jenna Sanz-Agero (vocals), Lynn Louise Lowrey (bass), and Kat Kraft (drums).

VIXEN's original members Gardner, Kuehnemund, Pedersen and Petrucci appeared together on VH1's "Bands Reunited" in October 2004 to reminisce about their start on L.A.'s Sunset Strip and their rise to fame in the late 1980s, before the onset of grunge in the early 1990s displaced metal at the top of the charts. They also took part in a short performance for the program.

JSRG performing live on July 28, 2012 in Amityville, New York:

BLEEDING THROUGH was forced to cancel last night's (Saturday, July 28) concert at the House Of Blues in San Diego, California with DEMON HUNTER and CANCER BATS after singer Brandan Schieppati underwent emergency orthodontic surgery.

Commented the band: "Symptoms started to appear [on Friday] and put him in a no-choice position [Saturday] morning. [We] can assure you from the many messages he has sent the band saying 'I am so sorry' he would do it if he could. We all apologize for any trouble this could have caused and appreciate your support."

BLEEDING THROUGH's new album, "The Great Fire", was released on January 31 via Rise Records. The band's guitarist, Dave Nassie, described the CD in a recent interview as "a mix of everything. It has a strong, classic SLAYER element to it — because, you know, who doesn't like that? That's something as a band that we all like. It has a heavy black metal and thrash influence in it. This record is an example of what BLEEDING THROUGH like to do. We follow each other. Nobody really picked a direction and said, 'Hey, we want to sound like this.' Brandan came in with a bunch of really aggressive songs, [Guitarist] Brian [Leppke] had a bunch of aggressive songs. My songs kind of lightened it up a little bit, because we started listening back and realized that there were like 15 songs that were just pissed with no break in it at all. [laughs]"

Video footage of Belgium-based classical guitarist Thomas Zwijsen and British heavy metal singer Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) playing an acoustic version of the IRON MAIDEN classic "The Trooper" on Saturday, July 28 at Bannermans in Weston, England can be seen below.

Zwijsen who has recorded an acoustic IRON MAIDEN tribute album called "Nylon Maiden", has joined forces with Bayley for an acoustic tour. Thomas previously said, "We will play [the BLAZE BAYLEY song 'Soundtrack Of My Life'] along with some other Blaze songs, some WOLFSBANE songs, many IRON MAIDEN songs and, of course, some of my 'Nylon Maiden' arrangements."

Bayley contributed his vocals to a cover version of IRON MAIDEN's "The Clansman" for the "Nylon Maiden" album.

Zwijsen is one of the musicians who backed Bayley on Blaze's most recent European "The King Of Metal" tour.

Bayley's new studio album, "The King Of Metal", was released in March. The CD was recorded at Fear Studio in Ravenna, Italy.

The 49-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, was the original frontman in WOLFSBANE, but left in 1994 to replace Bruce Dickinson as the lead singer of IRON MAIDEN.

"Ressecution", a brand new song from DAVID SHANKLE GROUP, the progressive power metal band founded by former MANOWAR guitarist David "The Shred Demon" Shankle, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

David was a member of MANOWAR from 1988 to 1994, playing on the epic album "The Triumph Of Steel" and co-writing "Master Of The Wind", "The Burning", "Ride The Dragon" and "Demon's Whip". David left in 1994, after countless sold-out tours all over the world, and attended Roosevelt Music University in Chicago to improve his jazz and classical guitar skills.

DAVID SHANKLE GROUP vocalist Warren Halvarson is a Chicago native who began his singing career in the mid-1980s while fronting a band called CRYSTAL AXE. Warren is one of the most respected and talented vocalists in the Chicago metal scene today. His range, power, clarity and dynamic stage presence are well known to legions of fans.

On bass is Mike Dooley, who grew up and lived entire life in or near the southwest side of Chicago. Currently the frontman for SLAYER tribute act HELL AWAITS, he was recruited this past May to dominate the art of shred with the DAVID SHANKLE GROUP.

DAVID SHANKLE GROUP drummer Gabriel Anthony is a true force in the music industry. Gabriel was so good that at the age of 17, he was already performing in clubs all over the Chicago area.

DSG's debut album, "Ashes To Ashes", was released in 2003 on Magic Circle Music. A sophomore effort, "Hellborn", followed in 2007.

DAVID SHANKLE GROUP is currently in the studio working on new songs for its third CD. David states, "This new album is guaranteed to melt your face."

Fan-filmed video footage of LYNCH MOB July 28 performance at this year's Halfway Jam in Royalton, Minnesota can be seen below.

Rat Pak Records has set an August 7 release date for LYNCH MOB's new four-song EP, "Sound Mountain Sessions".

According to a press release, "Sound Mountain Sessions" is a straight-forward, gritty, well-polished American hard rock offering that truly captures the magic of the genre. It's got bite, it's got soul, and lyrically, Oni Logan holds nothing back on this one! The effort was recorded in the traditional "old-school" way, with the bandmembers having locked themselves into Sound Mountain Studios for a week straight and putting their ideas in the capable engineering hands of Chris "The Wizard" Collier. With nothing more than the desert rats as their audience, a steady intake of ramen noodles, and their passion for rock and roll, the band gave birth to "Sound Mountain Sessions", an EP that rivals their previous work from the early years. Another fantastic element about these new songs is the addition of bassist Robbie Crane, who brings solid grooves and melodic backing vocals to each track (a little known fact: Robbie was actually the very first bass player of LYNCH MOB!). George Lynch does what George Lynch has always done best in this amazing release — he plugs in his guitar and then taps into the universal energy that only the elite guitar gods have access to....and delivers the goods. You are not looking for another "Wicked Sensation", you are looking for "Sound Mountain Sessions", a powerful EP that introduces you to the next chapter / best chapter yet, of these legendary rockers.

"Sound Mountain Sessions" track listing:

01. Slow Drag
02. World Of Chance
03. City Of Freedom
04. Sucka

Click here for audio commercial and exclusive pre-order bundles.

LYNCH MOB shot a video for the song "Slow Drag" on June 29 in Houston, Texas with renowned film producer W. Ross Wells of Zen Film. While in Houston, the band was also filmed for an upcoming episode of "Live From Sugar Hill", a rare all-acoustic performance shot at Sugar Hill Studios by Grammy producer Dan Workman and Zen Film. "Live From Sugar Hill" is sponsored by Vitamin Water/Coca Cola, and will air sometime in mid-August.

LYNCH MOB has tapped Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE) as its new touring drummer for the upcoming summer shows in support of the band's new release.

LYNCH MOB 2012 is:

Oni Logan - vocals
George Lynch - guitar
Robbie Crane - bass
Brian Tichy - drums

British metalcore act BRING ME THE HORIZON has inked a deal with RCA. The band is currently writing material for its fourth album for a 2013 release.

BRING ME THE HORIZON will play its only U.K. show of the year at the Alexandra Palace in London on November 10 as the co-headliners of the Vans Warped Tour with LOSTPROPHETS.

BRING ME THE HORIZON's third full-length CD, "There Is A Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret", sold 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 17 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD also entered the official chart in the U.K. at position No. 13. The team at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden (where BRING ME THE HORIZON recorded 2008's "Suicide Season") was again at the helm of the recording, this time bringing in electronic and programming authority KC Blitz to assist with the instrumental aspects of the album.

"Alligator Blood" video:

According to WSBT.com, a television station in South Bend, Indiana, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante and his wife were arrested Friday (July 27) for domestic battery in front of a child.

Arrest records indicate the pair were picked up at the Hilton Garden Inn in Elkhart, Indiana, and both were released from Elkhart County Jail on Saturday (July 28).

For more details, visit the web site of the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department.

Benante and his wife Sandra had their first child, Mia Charley Benante, in 2006.

Charlie and ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello (who is Benante's nephew) missed several shows on ANTHRAX's North American tour in February in order to spend time with Charlie's mother, who was terminally ill. On February 4, Benante informed fans via his official web site that his mother passed away.

More recently, Benante was forced to miss a number of shows on this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival while he was recovering from a minor hand injury. Filling in for him is SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner.

In February 2011, Charlie took his then-five-year-old daughter to a Lady Gaga concert at the United Center in Charlie's hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Benante said afterwards, "Gaga gave ANTHRAX a big shout-out tonight. She treated my daughter like a little queen and proved again that she is a metalhead at heart!"

Video footage of KISS's acoustic performance during the meet-and-greet portion of the band's show on Friday, July 27 at the Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida as part of "The Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE can be seen below.

KISS will release its 20th studio album, "Monster", on October 16 through Universal Music Enterprises. Described in a press release as a "12-track, straight-ahead rock 'n' roll album," the CD features collaborations among all four members — including co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons and longtime members guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer — in an album that shows the band at the top of its game.

"Monster" is the group's first studio album since the band's 2009 smash success, "Sonic Boom", and was also produced by Paul Stanley with Greg Collins at Conway Studios in Hollywood, California, and The Nook in Studio City, California.

"Monster" represents KISS' nod to the music that first inspired them to pick up their guitars and flame-throwers and don makeup to entertain millions. The group goes back to their own beginnings with THE WHO-like "Freak", while Gene lives up to the title track's declaration on the raucous rock of "Back To The Stone Age" and the bludgeoning "The Devil is Me". Even guitarist Thayer takes a turn on his own with "Outta This World". a tribute to his KISS "spaceman" character, while drummer Singer provides the vocals (and the back story) for the arena anthem "All For The Love Of Rock & Roll".

Canadian heavy metallers CAULDRON have announced the addition of drummer Myles Deck to the group's ranks.

Myles spent much of his life living and playing in bands in Halifax, Nova Scotia, including blackened thrashers HELLACAUST, as well as fronting a Detroit-style punk rock outfit called MYLES DECK AND THE FUZZ. He replaces CAULDRON's former drummer, Chris Steve.

The drums for the band's new album, "Tomorrow's Lost", were recorded by Chris Rites (CRYSTAL CASTLES).

Commented CAULDRON bassist and vocalist Jason Decay: "Rather than just grab the next available drummer, we wanted to take our time this time and make sure we found the right guy, which we're pleased to announce is Myles Deck. Myles moved halfway across the country from Moncton, New Brunswick, which shows his dedication. He's also into a lot of the same bands as us and understands our vision and goals. He's also tall so we won't have to prop him up on a stool for band photos! We wish Chris Steve all the best with his new band OLD JAMES (heavy SKYNYRD), and would like to thank Chris Rites for helping us out again with the new record."

Added Myles Deck: "I was vacationing in Moncton, New Brunswick, catching some rays on the shore of the Petitcodiac when I got 'the call.' I love the kind of music that makes you wanna bang your head or thrust your hips. I'd seen CAULDRON a handful of times and they made me wanna do both. So I sold most of my belongings and moved up to Toronto to play drums for this great band. I'm absolutely chuffed to be playing with CAULDRON and look forward to spending many gruelling hours in the van and studio together."

"Tomorrow's Lost" was recorded in Parkdale, Toronto with producer Jameson Elliott, who also recorded the band's 2010 album, "Burning Fortune". The artwork for the album was created by Todd Kowalski (SACRIFICE, PROPAGANDHI).

Schon seit Monaten rumort es im deutschen Underground, dass in den windigen Gassen Berlins etwas ganz Besonderes heran wächst. Für die einen sind KAMIKAZE KINGS die deutsche Antwort auf Steel Panther, andere halten sie für eine räudige Mischung aus Peter Pan Speedrock und Mötley Crüe! Angeführt von Sänger Elmo Kamikaze, einer Kreuzung aus „The Rock“ und „Rob Halford“, sind KAMIKAZE KINGS eine der seltenen Bands, die man nur einmal kurz wahrnehmen muss, um sie nie wieder zu vergessen!

Am 31. August ist es dann endlich soweit! Über Limited Access Records erscheint das heiß ersehnte KAMIKAZE KINGS Debüt "The Law". Dieses wurde vom Heavy Rock Spezialisten Dirk Faehling (Motörhead, Skew Siskin, Jingo De Lunch) im Berliner Audio Ego Studio produziert und beinhaltet 14 Songs, die das gesamte Spektrum des harten Rock ’n’ Roll ausleben. Vom krachenden Opener „Burn Baby Burn“ über die Fighter-Hymne „Boys ‘n‘ Men“ oder den Partykracher „Just Dance“ bis zum doomigen „Bible Black“ – es ist für jeden der passende Song dabei. Besonders der Titeltrack „I Am The Law“ bringt das Ethos von KAMIKAZE KINGS auf den Punkt: Leben und kämpfen für die Musik! Einer für alle, alle für einen!

"The Law" Track List:

01. Burn Baby Burn
02. I Am The Law
03. Boys ’n’ Men
04. All In Vain
05. Bible Black
06. Boneshaker Boogie
07. Just Dance
08. In The Name Of Tragedy
09. Too Late
10. Saturday Night Hero
11. Give It To Me
12. In For The Kill
13. Hard Times
14. Shadows

Rock ‘n‘ Roll und Heavy Metal sind für Sänger Elmo, Gitarrist Randy, Bassist Kev und Schlagwerker Rais daher keineswegs nur eine Leidenschaft, sondern vielmehr Religion und Heimat zugleich. KAMIKAZE KINGS haben seit ihrer Gründung 2009 einige stürmische Zeiten erlebt, die andere Bands nicht unbeschadet überstanden hätten. „The Law“ hat in dieser Hinsicht einen langen Werdegang hinter sich. So hungerte die Band, um die Aufnahmen bezahlen zu können. Trotzdem oder gerade deswegen verströmen alle Songs des Albums eine Power, Direktheit und Unmittelbarkeit, die unverkennbar ist. Aber nicht nur im Hinblick auf ihre musikalische Finesse bieten KAMIKAZE KINGS den höchsten Faktor an adrenalingeladenem Entertainment. Als pure Manifestation aus Leder, Schweiß und Nieten, mit einer gehörigen Portion Glamour-Wrestling-Mania, legen sie jeden Club und jedes Festival in Schutt und Asche. Doch auch auf der Leinwand wissen die vier Berliner, was es heißt, kontrovers und nonkonform zu Werke zu gehen.

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman joined Taiwanese metallers CHTHONIC on stage earlier today (Sunday, July 29) at the Fuji Rock Festival at Naeba Ski Resort in Yuzawa-machi, Niigata, Japan.

Commented the band: "It was a unbelievably great experience in Fuji Rock! Heaviest band in Fuji Rock ever! CHTHONIC with special guests, Marty Friedman, Musashi, and Shin Ichikawa."

Added Friedman: "Today at Fuji Rock, yes, that is the ultimate K-1 fighter Musashi in there, he joined the band on a song in Taiwanese!! Incredible...Then I played on their final song, 'Quell The Souls In Sing Ling Temple', which is one of my favorite songs of theirs, totally dramatic theme, I loved playing it!"

A photo of Friedman on stage with CHTHONIC can be seen below. Also available is professionally filmed video footage of the CHTHONIC performance.

CHTHONIC's sixth full-length effort, "Takasago Army", was released in North America last September via Spinefarm Records. Produced by Rickard Bengtsson (ARCH ENEMY, NEMESIS) at Sweet Spot Studios in Halmstad, Sweden, this 10-track outing completes a trilogy of CHTHONIC releases, telling a story that binds together the band's "Seediq Bale" and "Mirror Of Retribution" albums, released in 2007 and 2009, respectively.

Friedman will embark on the "Guitar Universe 2012" European tour in October. Support on the trek will come from Israel's Yossi Sassi (ORPHANED LAND) and France's Stéphan Forté (ADAGIO).

As previously reported, three recent albums by Marty Friedman — whose groundbreaking work with MEGADETH and CACOPHONY continues to receive international acclaim to this day — will be released in North America by Prosthetic Records on August 14.

The new QUEENSRŸCHE made its official live debut as the headliner of the last day of this year's Halfway Jam, which took place July 26-28 in Royalton, Minnesota. Also appearing on the bill at the three-day event were ENUFF Z'NUFF, LYNCH MOB, STRYPER, BANG TANGO, TRIXTER, JACKYL, BLACKFOOT, MOLLY HATCHET and .38 SPECIAL.

QUEENSRŸCHE's setlist was as follows:

01. Queen Of The Reich
02. Speak
03. Neue Regel
04. Walk In The Shadows
05. En Force
06. I Don't Believe In Love
07. Child Of Fire
08. The Whisper
09. Warning
10. Spreading The Disease
11. The Needle Lies
12. Prophecy
13. Take Hold Of The Flame
14. My Empty Room
15. Eyes Of A Stranger
16. Empire
--------------
17. Wrathchild (IRON MAIDEN cover)
18. Jet City Woman
19. Roads To Madness

Video footage of QUEENSRŸCHE's performance can be seen below.

QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton (guitar), Eddie Jackson (bass), Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Parker Lundgren (guitar) announced on June 20 that they were parting ways with singer Geoff Tate and recruiting powerhouse vocalist Todd La Torre of CRIMSON GLORY as his replacement. The new QUEENSRŸCHE lineup previously played two shows in their home city of Seattle under the name RISING WEST.

Wilton, Jackson and Rockenfield defeated Tate's motion for a preliminary injunction on July 13 that would have kept them from touring and operating under the band name,

Tate and his wife, Susan, QUEENSRŸCHE's former manager, filed a lawsuit against Geoff's ex-bandmates on June 22 in King County Superior Court over whether he should be awarded the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being dismissed from the group in June. Their complaint states Rockenfield, Wilton and Jackson wrongfully fired the singer and are tarnishing the group's brand by attempting to move forward without him.

If the case goes to trial, the date is set for November 18, 2013.

In the meantime, Wilton, Jackson and Rockenfield, along with Lundgren and La Torre have launched a new web site at QueensrycheOfficial.com.

Lundgren was briefly married to Geoff's stepdaughter Miranda; they have since divorced.

"Ministry Front man Al Jourgensen collapsed on-stage during the live Ministry performance and was rushed to hospital via ambulance where he was examined by numerous physicians and diagnosed to have had a full-system collapse due to extreme dehydration and heat exhaustion intensified by the lack of ventilation on stage at the venue. Doctors confirm via blood tests conducted that Jourgensen’s alcohol blood levels were well below normal and no narcotics were found in his system. As a result, Ministry has cancelled today’s appearance at the L’Etaples France Rock en Stock Festival in order to allow Mr. Jourgensen a few days rest to recuperate and receive additional medical attention in Switzerland. Jourgensen fully intends to complete the remaining shows on the Ministry DeFiBriLlaTouR European leg."

Jourgensen extends his most sincere apologies to his devoted Parisian fans who displayed so much love, respect and concern for him before and after the Ministry show. Says Jourgensen: “I will make it up to you, somehow. I love Paris, I love the Parisian people. I’m so sorry …but, shit happens and the shit hit the fan for me last night.”