Fan-filmed video footage of ICED EARTH's July 10 performance at the Grove Of Anaheim in Anaheim, California can be seen below.

ICED EARTH will embark on a European tour in December with support from EVERGREY (Sweden), STEEL ENGRAVED (Germany) and DEAD SHAPE FIGURE (Finland).

To coincide with the band's North American tour with VOLBEAT and HELLYEAH, ICED EARTH released a limited tour edition of its latest album, "Dystopia". Currently available only at the merchandise stands on the tour, the two-disc "Dystopia Tour Edition" contains the original full-length album, as well as B-side covers of IRON MAIDEN's "The Trooper" and BLACK SABBATH's "Mob Rules", as well as the classic 17-minute ICED EARTH track "Dante's Inferno", re-recorded with vocalist Stu Block. The bonus disc also contains both music videos from "Dystopia" — the title track and "Anthem" — as well as a "Making Of Dystopia" studio interview with the band, and exclusive cell phone skins and desktop backgrounds.

Bassist Freddie Vidales recently left ICED EARTH and was replaced by Luke Appleton of FURY UK.

ICED EARTH's video for the song "Anthem" was filmed on December 7, 2011 at Essigfabrik in Cologne, Germany.

Produced and directed by Kosch Fabian Film, "Anthem" is the second music video from ICED EARTH's new album, "Dystopia", which sold around 6,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 67 on The Billboard 200 chart.

ICED EARTH's previous CD, "The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part II)", opened with 6,700 units in September 2008 to debut at No. 79.

ICED EARTH's 10th studio offering, "Dystopia", was released in Europe on October 17, 2011 and in the U.S. on October 18 via Century Media Records. Two bonus tracks were also recorded for inclusion on special editions of the album.

The release date of "Silverthorn", the new album from American/German/Swedish symphonic metallers KAMELOT, has been pushed back to October 26 (Germany), October 29 (rest of Europe) and October 30 (North America) via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD will mark the band's first release with new singer Tommy Karevik, the 30-year-old Swede who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of).

In a brand new interview with RockLiveBG, KAMELOT keyboardist Oliver Palotai stated about the band's new vocalist, "[Tommy] was already with us on some tour dates as a guest singer, and he was singing on one or two songs. And in the past year, we were considering which singer to take. I was strongly on Tommy's side because he made a huge impression on me. Personality. of course. is really important. and he is a little bit introverted and I like this 'Scandinavian feel' about him and he fits KAMELOT really well."

He continued, "The final decision for him was sending in vocals, lyrics and recorded melody on a ballad that I wrote which is on the album. And it was so great and impressive. We all had goosebumps and when we heard that for the first time we knew immediately that was 'it.' He wrote most of the vocal melodies in the album also."

On the topic of the upcoming CD, Palotai said, "The cover was done by Stephan Heilemann. He also did covers for EPICA and my other band, SONS OF SEASONS. He is one of my best buddies, living in the neighborhood, and in my opinion, he is one of the greatest designers in the whole world. The amount of songs is ... I think 9 or 10 without the interludes. . . It's a concept album and it has a story. In the special edition you will get a little book where the story is described. All the songs will be around the story. It will be something like [2005's] 'The Black Halo'.

Regarding how the upcoming CD compares to 2010's "Poetry For The Poisoned", Oliver said, "To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of 'Poetry For The Poisoned'. For me, 'The Black Halo' is a bit like a reference also when I produce bands in my studio. So we wanted to go back to 'The Black Halo' but also include modern elements, which we included since then. You will never hear from a band, Our new record sucks,' but this record is a real killer and brings KAMELOT back on track. It is exactly what I wanted, and I'm really happy with it. I hope the fans will like it as well."

KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood previously stated about Karevik: "We had around 800 candidates for the vacant position, among them a number of really renowned musicians, and having to reject them really wasn't easy."

In KAMELOT's search for a new singer, Youngblood found YouTube to be an amazing tool. "I listened to a clip of a studio production featuring Tommy and have to confess that his performance really amazed me," he said. "His approach to melodies and themes suits KAMELOT perfectly, and during our European shows we had plenty of opportunity to find out what a great guy he is."

Tommy first appeared as one of the guest singers on KAMELOT's very successful 2011 Pandemonium World Tour.

Youngblood on the style and content of the forthcoming KAMELOT concept album: "The new songs sound more symphonic and melodic than our last two studio recordings. The material brings to mind albums such as 'Karma' (2001) and 'The Black Halo' (2005). In addition, this will be the best production that KAMELOT have ever delivered. Because while other acts tend to opt for low-budget productions due to the difficult market situation, we have gone the opposite way: the new album will be a real statement, in terms of our compositions as well as in terms of our sound."

KAMELOT will support Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH on a North American tour in September and October.

KAMELOT's recently completed North American, South American and European tours featured guest singer Fabio Lione of RHAPSODY OF FIRE following the departure of KAMELOT's longtime frontman, Roy Khan.

Bassist Michael Anthony (CHICKENFOOT, VAN HALEN) has released the following statement regarding the passing of former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord:

"I am deeply saddened to hear of Jon Lord's passing. Growing up listening to music, Jon Lord and DEEP PURPLE had one of the biggest influences on me both vocally and musically. The first DEEP PURPLE album I listened to was 'In Rock'. The keyboards totally blew me away, and continued to do so on every one of their albums there after!! A huge piece of rock history for me is now gone.

"R.I.P., Jon. You were the best. My condolences go out to your family."

Western Massachusetts heavyweights THE ACACIA STRAIN will release their new album, "Death Is The Only Mortal", on October 9 via Rise Records. The CD is being produced by guitarist Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz at his Western Massachusetts studio.

Regarding the decision to have Laskiewicz helm the new album, vocalist Vincent Bennett previously said, "You all love DL, so it makes sense for us to go ahead and do the album this way and keep it heavy right from the source of where this all comes from."

THE ACACIA STRAIN in April released a new song, "Servant In The Place Of Truth", via iTunes and Amazon.

Having recently signed a new deal with Rise, the band wanted to put out something new in between labels for fans to enjoy.

THE ACACIA STRAIN's latest CD, "Wormwood", sold around 6,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 67 on The Billboard 200 chart.

THE ACACIA STRAIN's previous effort, "Continent", opened with 5,600 units to land at No. 107.

THE ACACIA STRAIN released its first live album, "The Most Known Unknown", in June 2011 via Prosthetic Records.

An audio snippet of "Lethean", a brand new song from the Swedish dark rock band KATATONIA, can be streamed in the teaser video for the band's "Dead Ends Of Europe" headlining tour. Check it out below. The track comes off the group's forthcoming album, "Dead End Kings", which is scheduled for release on August 28 (one day earlier internationally) via Peaceville Records. The CD, which will feature a guest appearance by Norwegian singer Silje Wergeland (THE GATHERING), was recorded over a two-month period at Stockholm's Ghost Ward studios and the band's new, as-yet-unnamed headquarters. David Castillo returned to "twiddle the knobs," while band co-founders Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström and Jonas Renkse handled the rest of the production duties.

"Dead End Kings" track listing (not final running order)

01. The Parting
02. Hypnone
03. Undo You
04. The Racing Heart
05. Buildings
06. Leech
07. The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here (with Silje Wergeland)
08. First Prayer
09. Ambitions
10. Lethean
11. Dead Letters

Commented Renkse: "'Dead End Kings' is about the corridors of our mind from where there is no return. Be a king or queen in your own right in these hallways, even at the dead end. Carry your burden with pride. That's what we are doing, twenty years and counting. Kings, because we believe in what we are creating, in our own disturbing faith."

Added Anders: "This album has doors revolving into many different genres of music but remain disguised within the KATATONIA trademark. We have walked the fine line between attempting not to repeat ourselves but also not to distance us away from what people know and love. We're now ready to hand over the evidence and whatever the direction this has taken is now for you to decide. We're confident the creativity and passion on this album is something that will be echoing even beyond the dead end."

"Our seal of identity is on here for sure," Nyström told Decibel magazine. "We haven't gone and changed our sound, but we've further explored some different angles of good music, and that's what we need to do to keep the focus. It might not be so obvious to some, but to others it will be a bigger deal. So, sure, a few surprises and a few songs going off territory are in there, but overall this album is a natural follow-up to [2009's] 'Night Is The New Day', and that is what we wanted to do."

In a recent interview with Loud TV, Nyström stated about the overall musical direction of the band's new CD, "It sounds definitely like KATATONIA; it's a KATATONIA album — solely KATATONIA album. The difference this time is that we maybe even pushed the differences even further. If you compare some of the songs, they could be almost in difference categories of genres, but the interesting thing here is that we have managed with our sound and the production and our performances to make it sound like it's not that far apart; it sounds like it's the same band. But if we would give the songs to some other band, it would sound very, very different. So I'm really happy with that. It was a big challenge. Like, for instance, you could have a song that is going totally off into this singer-songwriter territory, and you could have another song that goes into one of the most aggressive, heavy songs we've ever done, but when I listen to those both songs back to back, I can hear it's the same band doing [them]."

When asked if the new KATATONIA album is the kind of record that will take several airings to really register with the listener, Nyström said, "Yes. It might be even more like that this time [than in the past], probably, which is a good thing. I was nervous in the beginning and a little bit insecure with how we were gonna pull this album off and what people were gonna think and everything, but now I have this total calm about it; I am totally positive and confident that we have made the album that we needed to do and also what people expect from us. It might take a few listenings to get into the whole thing, but that will stay longer in your listening collection — you will not get tired of it in the first place; I am totally sure of it."

On the topic of the lyrical themes cover on the new KATATONIA album, Nyström said, "The lyrics are, actually, a mixture of trying to be as direct and easy as possible but also remaining a very cryptic feel at the same time, which is a very cool paradox. We're not trying to make it too complicated, but it might be… I mean, the words aren't too complicated, but the meaning of the songs is encrypted. And that we are very eager to see how people will react to and how they will define the meanings of these lyrics. 'Cause they're easy to read, easy to access, but the meaning itself might not be that easy [to decipher]."

"Lethean" audio snippet:

Audio samples of the tracks "Cold Embrace", "Man Kills Mankind" and "Throne Of Thorns" from Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT can be streamed below. All three tracks will be featured on the band'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.

In a recent interview with Decibel magazine, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy stated about the title track, "'Dark Roots Of Earth' is kind of a play on the band we have together, just like a metaphor, like TESTAMENT is a tree and all of us in this group are really embedded in the planet, in the earth, the environment and our surroundings. It was kind of a play on that." Regarding "Rise Up", he said, "[That's] more of a war song, like you're preparing yourself for war, going into battle."

The "Native Blood" clip was shot last month. Guitarist Eric Peterson told Greece's Rock Overdose webzine that the clip was going to be filmed "on an Indian reservation." He added, "It's about people who were oppressed in life. We haven't done [a video] in a while, so we're kind of excited about that."

TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy previously stated about "Native Blood", "[It's] basically a song about my Native heritage. 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."

"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)

German symphonic metallers XANDRIA have parted ways with bassist Nils Middelhauve.

Nils, who joined the band in 2004 just after the release of XANDRIA's second studio album, "Ravenheart", made the decision to leave the band primarily for personal reasons.

"It gradually became obvious that some points of view vastly grew apart, concluding in Nils' determination to not continue in XANDRIA anymore," the band said in a statement. "Especially since all members are friends first and foremost, any more compromises had been even more hurtful."

The remaining members of XANDRIA are sad about Nils' decision but are respectful of his choice.

XANDRIA is currently seeking a new bassist. If the band is unable to secure a replacement for Middelhauve in the coming weeks, he will step in and play any previously scheduled shows until a new bassist has been found.

XANDRIA's new album, "Neverworld's End", was released in North America on March 6 via Napalm Records.

XANDRIA in December 2010 announced the addition of Manuela Kraller to the group's ranks.

XANDRIA performed several concerts in 2009 with the band's former frontwoman, Lisa Middelhauve, filling in.

XANDRIA in February 2011 parted ways with its singer of one year, Kerstin Bischof. The group stated at the time, "Due to occupational and private reasons, [Kerstin] wants to concentrate on her non-musical career in the future and cannot support XANDRIA the way it would be necessary."

Bischof joined XANDRIA in February 2009 as the replacement for Middelhauve, who left the band in May 2008 for "personal reasons."

The influential and legendary British hard rock band TYGERS OF PAN TANG will release a brand new album, "Ambush", on September 24, celebrating a landmark year in the band's history.

"Ambush" features 11 tracks of handsomely crafted melodic rock, recorded and produced by Chris Tsangarides who produced the band's historic "Wild Cat" and "Spellbound" albums in 1980 and 1981, respectively. Those early efforts were critically acclaimed and similarly revered by fans, as was the TYGERS' most recent LP, "Animal Instinct".

With a truly impressive piece of coverart by Rodney Matthews who originally worked with the band on the iconic "Crazy Nights" album cover and with audio mastering by Ian Cooper ("Wild Cat" and "Spellbound" albums), some three decades on, the TYGERS have assembled a team which understands and lives up to their heritage.

"Ambush" track listing:

01. Keeping Me Alive
02. These Eyes
03. One Of A Kind
04. Rock & Roll Dream
05. She
06. Man On Fire
07. Play To Win
08. Burning Desire
09. Hey Suzie
10. Mr. Indispensable
11. Speed

Fans can get a free MP3 download of "Speed" and also watch a trailer video at the Rocksector Records web site. They can also find details of how to pre-order the album from August 1, including an option for a special limited edition fanpack.

TYGERS OF PAN TANG is:

Robb Weir - Guitar
Jacopo Meille - Vocals
Dean Robertson - Guitar
Gavin Gray - Bass
Craig Ellis - Drums/Percussion

Finnish horror metallers DIRGE ETERNAL, who feature former TURISAS bassist Hannes Horma on guitar, have announced the addition of drummer Markus Ojanperä to the group's ranks.

Commented the band: "We had a really tight competition between two great drummers, but Markus just convinced us all in the last audition. Only one and a half weeks with us, including two rehearsals, and he already nailed all the song in our set. He's really committed to this and DIRGE ETERNAL is really looking forward to working with Markus. Our first stop will be Suisto-Klubi and after that we will start rehearsing some new songs..."

DIRGE ETERNAL recently completed work on the "Under The Spell" EP at Sound Supreme Studio in Hämeenlinna, Finland. In addition to playing lead guitar on the CD, Horma served as engineer and producer during the sessions.

"Under The Spell"'s release was celebrated with a performance on May 5 at Escape in Riihimäki, Finland.

DIRGE ETERNAL's second music video, "The Slaughterhouse", was premiered on May 4 at the Biorex movie theater in Hämeenlinnna.

SYLENCER, the Chicago-based act featuring Markus Johansson (lead guitar, lead vocals) and Johnny Rox (bass), has released a trailer for its upcoming debut album, "A Lethal Dose Of Truth". The CD features guest appearances by some of hard rock and heavy metal's brightest stars, including Jordan Rudess (DREAM THEATER), Rob Caggiano (ANTHRAX, THE DAMNED THINGS), Brendon Small (DETHKLOK), Andy La Rocque (KING DIAMOND), Gene Hoglan (DETHKLOK), and nearly a dozen others.

Due on September 4, "A Lethal Dose Of Truth" will be released in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland via dPulse Recordings/Ovrtone Music Group, Inc., with the band making the CD available in the rest of the world independently via their newly formed record label, Sylencer Records, Inc.

The trailer, which features segments from all sixteen songs appearing on the debut, includes performances from all four drummers appearing on the album: Kevin Talley, Gene Hoglan, Sean Reinert, and Marco Minnemann. Other guest performance clips are included in the trailer as well.

Talley recently joined SYLENCER as an "official member." (Talley appears on thirteen of the sixteen tracks on the album.)

Launching with the album trailer, is the announcement of the debut album's pre-sale, which is available directly from the band at this location. Pre-ordering the album in either a digital or physical/digital format includes an immediate download of four of the album's sixteen songs, and enters you to win a Gibson USA Explorer that was used in the making of the album.

Comments Johansson: "The past six years have been a relentless pursuit to reach this point, and we are extremely proud to have completed this album entirely on our own. It has been a long and sometimes wild journey, with more ups and downs than we would've liked, but here we are, still standing. Working with all of the guest musicians on this record has been more than an amazing experience, and we are honored to have had them lend their talents to our debut album. To have accomplished this without a label, without financial backing; as two musicians with one collective goal, is beyond surreal and a dream come true."

SYLENCER is:

* Markus Johansson - Lead Guitar/Lead Vocals
* Johnny Rox - Bass
* Kevin Talley (DAATH, CHIMAIRA, DYING FETUS) - Drums

Guest Appearances:

* Gene Hoglan - Drums (SYL, DETHKLOK, ZIMMERS HOLE, DEATH, DARK ANGEL)
* Brendon Small (DETHKLOK/METALOCALYPSE) - Lead Guitar
* Andy La Rocque (KING DIAMOND, DEATH) - Lead Guitar
* Michael Angelo Batio (NITRO) - Lead Guitar
* Roland Grapow (HELLOWEEN, MASTERPLAN) - Lead Guitar
* The Heathen (ZIMMERS HOLE) - Vocals
* Emil Werstler (DAATH) - Lead Guitar
* Rob Caggiano (ANTHRAX) - Lead Guitar
* "Metal" Mike Chlasciak (ROB HALFORD, SEBASTIAN BACH, PAINMUSEUM) - Lead Guitar
* Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, DEATH, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH) - Bass
* Sean Reinert (CYNIC, AEON SPOKE, DEATH) - Drums
* Jordan Rudess (DREAM THEATER, LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT) - Keyboards
* Steve Smyth (FORBIDDEN, TESTAMENT, NEVERMORE) - Lead Guitar
* Christian Lasegue (JAG PANZER) - Lead Guitar
* Marco Minnemann (NECROPHAGIST, PAUL GILBERT, KREATOR) – Drums
* Larry Tarnowski (ICED EARTH) - Lead Guitar

For more information, visit www.sylencermusic.com.

American/German/Swedish symphonic metallers KAMELOT have set "Silverthorn" as the title of their new album, due on September 25 (one day earlier internationally) via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD will mark the band's first release with new singer Tommy Karevik, the 30-year-old Swede who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of).

In a brand new interview with RockLiveBG, KAMELOT keyboardist Oliver Palotai stated about the band's new vocalist, "[Tommy] was already with us on some tour dates as a guest singer, and he was singing on one or two songs. And in the past year, we were considering which singer to take. I was strongly on Tommy's side because he made a huge impression on me. Personality. of course. is really important. and he is a little bit introverted and I like this 'Scandinavian feel' about him and he fits KAMELOT really well."

He continued, "The final decision for him was sending in vocals, lyrics and recorded melody on a ballad that I wrote which is on the album. And it was so great and impressive. We all had goosebumps and when we heard that for the first time we knew immediately that was 'it.' He wrote most of the vocal melodies in the album also."

On the topic of the upcoming CD, Palotai said, "The cover was done by Stephan Heilemann. He also did covers for EPICA and my other band, SONS OF SEASONS. He is one of my best buddies, living in the neighborhood, and in my opinion, he is one of the greatest designers in the whole world. The amount of songs is ... I think 9 or 10 without the interludes. . . It's a concept album and it has a story. In the special edition you will get a little book where the story is described. All the songs will be around the story. It will be something like [2005's] 'The Black Halo'.

Regarding how the upcoming CD compares to 2010's "Poetry For The Poisoned", Oliver said, "To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of 'Poetry For The Poisoned'. For me, 'The Black Halo' is a bit like a reference also when I produce bands in my studio. So we wanted to go back to 'The Black Halo' but also include modern elements, which we included since then. You will never hear from a band, Our new record sucks,' but this record is a real killer and brings KAMELOT back on track. It is exactly what I wanted, and I'm really happy with it. I hope the fans will like it as well."

KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood previously stated about Karevik: "We had around 800 candidates for the vacant position, among them a number of really renowned musicians, and having to reject them really wasn't easy."

In KAMELOT's search for a new singer, Youngblood found YouTube to be an amazing tool. "I listened to a clip of a studio production featuring Tommy and have to confess that his performance really amazed me," he said. "His approach to melodies and themes suits KAMELOT perfectly, and during our European shows we had plenty of opportunity to find out what a great guy he is."

Tommy first appeared as one of the guest singers on KAMELOT's very successful 2011 Pandemonium World Tour.

Youngblood on the style and content of the forthcoming KAMELOT concept album: "The new songs sound more symphonic and melodic than our last two studio recordings. The material brings to mind albums such as 'Karma' (2001) and 'The Black Halo' (2005). In addition, this will be the best production that KAMELOT have ever delivered. Because while other acts tend to opt for low-budget productions due to the difficult market situation, we have gone the opposite way: the new album will be a real statement, in terms of our compositions as well as in terms of our sound."

KAMELOT will support Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH on a North American tour in September and October.

KAMELOT's recently completed North American, South American and European tours featured guest singer Fabio Lione of RHAPSODY OF FIRE following the departure of KAMELOT's longtime frontman, Roy Khan.

"Time I", the long-awaited new CD from Finland's WINTERSUN, will now be released on October 12 via Nuclear Blast Records.

To celebrate the release, WINTERSUN will play two special shows in Finland. The first concert will take place on Octber 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).

Commented WINTERSUN: "We're excited to start the 'Time' world tour from our home country with two shows in October! These two special album-release shows will be our first club gigs in Finland since 2006 and the first time ever 'Time I' songs will be heard live! The show attendees will also be the first ones to have a chance to get a signed copy of the new album.

"During the rest of the summer, we'll be rehearsing the new material and working on a new enhanced live show as well as doing some promo and preparing bonus material for the album. Right after the Finnish gigs, we'll continue on to Heidenfest tour in Central Europe and after that... Well, more shows will be announced soon. Stay tuned and hope to see you at the gigs!"

According to WINTERSUN mainman Jari Mäenpää, there are several reasons why the band's new effort, "Time" is being released as two seprate 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

The second "Time I" trailer can be seen below.

"Time II" will be releaed 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.

Trailer #2:

A four-and-a-half-minute teaser for "Antithetical", the third full-length album from Portuguese extreme progressive metallers MALEVOLENCE, is available below below. The follow-up to 1999's "Martyrialized" was written and produced by Carlos Cariano, recorded by Paulo Pereira at 20m2sea Studio (Portugal), and mixed and mastered at Woodshed Studio (Germany) by V. Santura (TRIPTYKON, OBSCURA, PESTILENCE).

"Antithetical" features the lineup that recorded "Martyrialized", including core members Carlos Cariano (vocals, guitar), Aires Pereira (bass), Fred Noel (guitar), Paulo Pereira (keyboards) alongside session drummer extraordinaire Dirk Verbeuren (SOILWORK, THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, JEFF LOOMIS).

The main theme of "Antithetical" illustrates a razor-sharp concept inspired from Ancient Greek Etymology (1580s, from Gk. Antithetikos) that reflects the diametrical opposition to a number of propositions consisting in the revelation of a divergent thought. Pertaining to "Antithetical", the Anti (against) + Thesis (position), as a figure of speech (mainly used by the authors of the Baroque period; style of the epoch known as the art of conflict) acknowledge opposition towards the relative thesis expressed.

Commented MALEVOLENCE singer/guitarist/songwriter Carlos Cariano: "'Antithetical' is loaded with intoxicatingly corrosive contrasts whilst the album represents pure rebellion, a pure nonconformist extension towards the current situation of the globe, an upheaval towards the current language that has no force of expression and no meaning, due to the predictability of words and counterfeit actions that have become commonplace worldwide. Inner strength and living values nowadays are negatively base underneath relative truths and we are expressing ourselves precisely antithetically whilst insisting on critical thinking."

A press release states: "Music and lyrics are far beyond the average practice and 'Antithetical' is a very unnatural progressive slab of extreme sonic amalgamation creating parallelisms to simplify extremes whilst apprehending both the positive and the negative perspectives of existence, in order to erect with the synthesis that transcends both.

"As hope is antithetical to despair, the contrasts established within the album serve in effect to give tension to the broad-spectrum body of work consisting of seven songs.

"'Antithetical' includes the most epic material (longest song clocking at 9:27), plus the heaviest proportional songwriting ever accomplished on the eighteenth year of existence of the collective.

"Exploring experimental yet instrumental mind bending extreme metal structures, the album is a pure heavy mammoth demonstration on extreme progressive metal territory."

The very striking illustrative piece was produced by the design bureau Kkstructures. "By portraying the central album conceptual theme fueled by the art of conflict, Kkstructures, in straight involvement with the band, twisted an eye-catching visual parallelism dissecting the antithetical contrasts between the positive and negative extremes," according to a press release. "Transcending the opposites by mode of individual revelation (summon insurgence) whilst erecting a differing perspective throughout exorcising thesis, the visual mind bending design brings forth in the process the social global context trivialization invoking an upheaval synthesis. The fire combustion epitomizes the universal purification (in need) as an unrelenting way of forward critical thinking."

Professionally filmed video footage of ADRENALINE MOB's June 23 performance at the Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium can be seen below.

ADRENALINE MOB features in its ranks drummer Mike Portnoy (formerly of DREAM THEATER), bassist John Moyer (also of DISTURBED), vocalist Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X) and guitarist Mike Orlando (SONIC STOMP, TRED).

ADRENALINE MOB's "Indifferent" video was filmed in March in the desert in California and throughout Los Angeles with director Scott Hansen, who has previously worked with A DAY TO REMEMBER, UNEARTH and WILLIE NELSON, among others.

"Indifferent" comes off ADRENALINE MOB's debut album, "Omertá", which sold around 6,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 70 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released in Europe on March 19 in Europe via Century Media Records and in the U.S. on March 13 through the newly formed Elm City Music in conjunction with EMI Label Services.

The 11-song effort — which was produced by ADRENALINE MOB and mixed by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked on ANTHRAX's "Worship Music" and STEEL PANTHER's "Balls Out" — includes a blistering reinterpretation of DURAN DURAN's classic "Come Undone" featuring guest vocals by Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM.

SEPULTURA frontman Derrick Green makes a guest appearance on the debut album from German thrashers DUST BOLT. Entitled "Violent Demolition", the CD will be released on July 27 via Napalm Records.

According to a press release, DUST BOLT "demonstrate with their debut album that they are hungry, bursting with energy and highly explosive! The love for Bay Area trash metal is evident in the songs of the German quartet, but the use of modern elements gives their sound a highly unique character. The songs are aggressive, furious and reminiscent of old classics by the likes of KREATOR, SLAYER and TESTAMENT.

"DUST BOLT was able to win over nobody less than SEPULTURA's Derrick Green to participate on the track 'Deviance' for the perfect finishing touch! Andrei Bouzikov (MUNICIPAL WASTE) provides the fitting artwork to the excellent debut album."

"Violent Demolition" track listing below:

01. Opulence Contaminated
02. Violent Abolition
03. March Thru Pain
04. Shattered By Reality
05. Toxic Attack
06. Into Madness
07. When Thy Shall Come – Oblivion
08. Pleasure On Illusion
09. Deviance (feat. Derrick Green)

The "Violent Abolition" video can be seen below.

Following their recent movie debut with the title song for the action-western "El Gringo", MANOWAR have confirmed their next soundtrack project, "Soldiers", starring action icon Jean Claude Van Damme.

Van Damme, who is Sylvester Stallone's co-star as an arch villain in "Expendables 2", said about the collaboration, "I met with Joey DeMaio and explained my vision for the entire soundtrack. He will be writing original score as well as bringing MANOWAR songs to the movie."

Produced by Hollywood veteran and long-term Van Damme collaborator, action specialist Moshe Diamant ('The Black Dahlia", "Hard Target", "Sudden Death"), "Soldiers" follows Van Damme on an action-packed quest for righteousness, retribution and resurrection.

"Joey DeMaio has the musical ability to write fighting hymns, soulful ballads and deeply emotional scores," said producer Moshe Diamant.

"We've always had a passion for movies, especially those that celebrate the values that matter for us: righteousness, honor, bravery. Contributing musically to such stories, and working with some of the greatest action heroes in cinema history is an honor and a pleasure. We are ready to deliver a powerful soundtrack to this really great movie," said Joey DeMaio.

"Soldiers" is scheduled for release in the spring of 2013.

MANOWAR recently premiered its twelfth studio album, "The Lord Of Steel". The CD is currently available as a limited Hammer edition in collaboration with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine. An entirely different version of "The Lord Of Steel", loaded with surprises, will be released into international retail in September as CD, vinyl and as a digital album.

MANOWAR will kick off "The Lord Of Steel" world tour with first shows in October across Europe.

Photo below (left to right): Jean-Claude Van Damme, Joey DeMaio, Moshe Diamant

Audio samples of the tracks "Rise Up","Dark Roots Of Earth" and "A Day In The Death" from Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT can be streamed below. All three tracks will be featured on the band'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.

In a recent interview with Decibel magazine, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy stated about the title track, "'Dark Roots Of Earth' is kind of a play on the band we have together, just like a metaphor, like TESTAMENT is a tree and all of us in this group are really embedded in the planet, in the earth, the environment and our surroundings. It was kind of a play on that." Regarding "Rise Up", he said, "[That's] more of a war song, like you're preparing yourself for war, going into battle."

The "Native Blood" clip was shot last month. Guitarist Eric Peterson told Greece's Rock Overdose webzine that the clip was going to be filmed "on an Indian reservation." He added, "It's about people who were oppressed in life. We haven't done [a video] in a while, so we're kind of excited about that."

TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy previously stated about "Native Blood", "[It's] basically a song about my Native heritage. 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."

"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)

Video footage of Las Vegas rockers OTHERWISE performing an acoustic version of the song "Soldiers" at the studios of Rock 104.5, "Reno's Rock Station," can be seen below.

OTHERWISE's debut album, "True Love Never Dies", sold around 4,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 123 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position 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.

"True Love Never Dies" was released on May 8 via Century Media Records. The CD was recorded with producer Jay Baumgardner (BUSH, LINKIN PARK, PAPA ROACH, INCUBUS) at NRG Studios in North Hollywood, California.

OTHERWISE's "Soldiers" single became the first song by an unsigned artist to ever occupy the No. 1 spot on the SiriusXM satellite radio's Octane channel.

"'For the Warriors who fight and die... so the rest of us may fight to Live.' This quote, which preludes the video itself, is a direct dedication to the brave men and women who serve in the United States military," says OTHERWISE vocalist Adrian Patrick of the "Soldiers" video. "Their service allows our country's citizens to pursue their individual ideas of happiness... this song and video celebrate the beauty that is America. 'Soldiers' is an anthem for everyone living on the front-lines of life; every soldier is human, and we're all human... we are all fighting for something."

OTHERWISE features brothers Adrian and Ryan Patrick (guitars/vocals) alongside Flavio Ivan (bass/vocals), Corky Gainsford (drums/vocals) and Vassilios Metropoulos (guitar/vocals).

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/otherwiseofficial.

Vocalist Tobias Sammet of German melodic metallers EDGUY slipped off the stage this past Saturday, July 14 during the fifth song of the band's performance at the Bang Your Head!!!festival in Balingen, Germany. While the rest of the band continued to play, Tobias fell into the photographers' pit, hit the concrete ground and sustained a number of injuries: a fracture of the nose, a severe hip contusion, a severe rib contusion and several abrasions and cuts. Despite the fact that Tobias was in severe pain, EDGUY performed its full set, which went on for another hour.

Fan-filmed video footage of the incident in question can be seen below. (Note: Sammet's fall occurs around the 1:17 mark.)

Commented Tobias:"Thanks for your kind wishes. I am alright. I do not have a clue how it happened. The stage wasn't damp, my shoes were alright, I do not have to mention that I was completely sober as this must have been obvious to everyone. I have no clue how it happened. I just fell and suddenly there was blood and a little pain, which got worse song by song. I didn't know you can squeeze so much blood out of such a little nose (well, it‘s not exactly little at this point...). The doctor just said the nose will be fine in a few weeks. Anyway, there was too much adrenaline to stop the show. The fans were so great, it just felt wrong to stop the show, so we decided to just go on and have the doctors repair me afterwards. I am okay now, looking terrible and hurting, but who cares... I‘ll be fine. Thank you for your wishes and for making the show a great show, despite the little incident."

EDGUY's new album, "Age Of The Joker", sold around 1,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD debuted at No. 21 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.

EDGUY's previous CD, "Tinnitus Sanctus", opened with 600 units back in February 2009 to land at No. 88 on the Top New Artist Albums chart.

"Age Of The Joker" was released in Europe on August 29, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Peppermint Park studio (SCORPIONS, PHIL COLLINS) in Hannover, which was previously described by the group as "a recording temple with a tremendously great-sounding room." The album features 11 songs with a total running time of over one hour. The limited-edition digipack contains a bonus disc with six additional songs.

A six-minute clip of guitarist/vocalist Joseph Duplantier and drummer Mario Duplantier of French progressive metallers GOJIRA talking about several music videos "you wouldn't expect GOJIRA to like" can be seen below.

GOJIRA's fifth album, "L'Enfant Sauvage", 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 will release a new DVD/Blu-ray, "The Flesh Alive", in the U.S. on July 31 via Mascot. The set will be made available in the following formats:

* 2-DVD+CD
* Blu-ray+CD with free poster

The three-disc "The Flesh Alive" chronicles the making of GOJIRA's 2008 album, "The Way Of All Flesh", and the touring activity that followed the CD's release.

Official Metallica.com footage of METALLICA's meet-and-greet, pre-show tuning-room jam and "My Friend Of Misery" performance on May 8 at Ušce in Belgrade, Serbia can be viewed below.

METALLICA performed its top-selling 1991 LP, "Metallica", a.k.a. "the black album," in its entirety at the Belgrade concert. As they have done on all the shows on their recent European tour, the band played the LP backwards, starting with closing number "The Struggle Within" and ending with "Enter Sandman".

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hit The Lights
02. Master Of Puppets
03. The Shortest Straw
04. For Whom The Bell Tolls
05. Battery
06. The Struggle Within
07. My Friend Of Misery
08. The God That Failed
09. Of Wolf & Man
10. Nothing Else Matters
11. Through The Never
12. Don't Tread On Me
13. Wherever I May Roam
14. The Unforgiven
15. Holier Than Thou
16. Sad But True
17. Enter Sandman

Encore:

18. Fuel
19. One
20. Seek & Destroy

One of the most intriguing and mysterious projects on METALLICA's upcoming schedule is the band's 3D movie, which begins filming later this summer and will mix concert footage with a storyline. Drummer Lars Ulrich spoke with Rolling Stone about the project for the magazine's METALLICA cover story, saying, "This has been circling for two years. It's time to life-size it, get it out of our minds and on the screen. And if it's done right, it can be sensational. You're not watching METALLICA onstage. You're onstage with METALLICA. In IMAX, James Hetfield is 38 feet tall, snotting on you, spitting on you. It's 2,000 decibels. If there is an earthquake outside, you wouldn't notice."

Ulrich explained that the sheer power of presenting a METALLICA concert that way forced the group to add more to the movie, saying, "You can't do that for 100 minutes. It loses its appeal. There is another element in there — intimate, small, a story that takes place over the same trajectory as the concert. The question is, 'Where do they weave in and out of each other?'"

METALLICA is financing the project itself and has hired "Predators" director Nimród Antal to get behind the camera. Antal will film the band's August 24 concert in Vancouver, Canada for use in the movie.

The show will feature a brand new 140-foot-by-50-foot stage that will include what a post at the band's web site called "colossal components and striking visual elements spanning METALLICA's entire 30-year career."

The infamous New York City street punks THE CASUALTIES will release their new album, "Resistance", on September 25 via Season Of Mist. The effort will be available on CD, limited-edition LP (with bonus track and download card) and limited-edition digibox, including the CD with a bonus track, bandana, bottle opener and patch.

"Resistance" was recorded at Planet Z Studios in Massachusetts with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (MUNICIPAL WASTE, MADBALL, HATEBREED).

THE CASUALTIES are currently on the road co-headlining the "Tonight We Unite!" tour alongside the NEKROMANTIX. The tour also includes DOWN BY LAW, LOWER CLASS BRATS, and more.

THE CASUALTIES (Jorge Herrera - lead vocals, Rick Lopez - bass/vocals, Jake Kolatis - guitar/vocals, Meggers - drums) combine influences from the classic punk sound of GBH, THE EXPLOITED, ENGLISH DOGS, DISCHARGE and UK SUBS with modern extreme sounds and a thrash/crossover edge.

THE CASUALTIES have released five acclaimed records on Side One Dummy, and toured to almost every corner of the globe in clubs and on festivals alongside giants like BAD RELIGION, GWAR, HATEBREED, FLOGGING MOLLY, MUNICIPAL WASTE, TSOL, AGNOSTIC FRONT and more.

Former DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (pictured below) has released the following statement regarding the passing of former PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord:

"Jon was not only a great musician, he was my favorite dinner companion.

"We are all deeply saddened. We knew he was sick but the word was that he was recovering and doing much better. This news came as a complete shock.

"Without Jon there would be no DEEP PURPLE. He lives on in our hearts and memories."

Jon Lord died on Monday (July 16) at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked primarily in the classical field.

Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.

Video footage of a BIOHAZARD fan apparently losing consciousness after stagediving during the band's July 15 concert in Kosice, Slovakia can be seen below. (Note: The incident in question occurs around the 2:10 mark.)

After noticing the passed out fan on the floor of the venue, BIOHAZARD guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei immediately stopped the show and called for the crowd to move forward so that the fan could receive assistance. He told the audience over the PA system, "If you're gonna jump off stage, you've gotta catch each other. We're fucking brothers, we're fucking sisters. One fucking scene. I don't want anybody to get hurt."

According to reports from other people attending the concert, the fan in question did not sustain any serious injuries and he regained consciousness a short time later.

As previously reported, LAMB OF GOD vocalist Randy Blythe was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 27 and is facing manslaughter charges in connection with a 2010 Prague concert at which he allegedly shoved a local fan off the stage. The man, who is said to have stormed the stage three times during the show, reportedly suffered a brain hemorrhage that resulted in his death nearly a month later.

A number of other rockers have come to Randy's defense, with many of them citing the 2004 shooting death onstage of PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott as the reason why musicians are so defensive nowadays about fans invading the stage.

DISTURBED drummer Mike Wengren told The Pulse Of Radio not along after Dimebag was shot that his death had cast a shadow over live performing. "I think one of the most scariest things is, you go up onstage, and there's this energy transfer between the band and the crowd, and you almost feel invincible. You feel very empowered. Never in a million years would anyone ever think something like that was even possible, and I think it just caught everyone off guard. It's pretty scary."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael simply tweeted, "Everything changed on December 8, 2004. #stayoffthestage #FreeRandyBlythe," while ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian wrote, "It's complete and utter bullshit for him to be treated like a criminal for something he didn't do. Now fans can see firsthand why there's no stage diving anymore. Especially in the post-Darrell world we live in . . . Of course it's sad that this person died, it's a tragedy, but it's not Randy's fault."

The Czech Republic was unified with Slovakia until 1993 as Czechoslovakia. Since the separation, the Czech Republic has undergone major economic and social reforms as part of its efforts to achieve EU membership. This became a reality in 2004 when the Czech Republic joined the European Union along with nine other countries.

DEEP PURPLE guitarist Steve Morse (pictured below) has released the following statement regarding the passing of former DEEP PURPLE/WHITESNAKE keyboardist Jon Lord:

"Jon just died. I'm shocked and don't know what to do, so I'm going to try to tell you a little about Jon.

"Jon was the powerhouse keyboard player that brought rock and classical directly together many times. The first was his timeless organ solo on 'Highway Star'. The next was his 'Concerto For Band And Orchestra'. I was able to perform with the whole band as it was played at Albert Hall before we toured extensively with it. Just weeks ago, I was able to play on a studio recording of Jon's concerto and share some heartfelt thoughts and words with him.

"Jon was the guy that would stop us from giving up on an idea in songwriting because it wasn't immediately obvious. I remember him encouraging me in the studio to keep doing what I was doing as I played around with an idea that I was intrigued with. After writing something as amazing as his concerto, he still had the imagination to hear ideas on top of anything I suggested. He always had a regal, gentlemanly manner. Like any of us, he could get annoyed, but he would only show it with his wry and dry wit. Mostly, he was upbeat and a pleasure for anybody to be around. His humor was right up my alley, with us exchanging ridiculous thoughts like, 'If Brenda Lee married Tommy Lee, her new name would be Brenda Lee...' Or having him finish the tune when an announcement at an airport would start with several musical notes to get your attention.

"It's hard to give anecdotes that convey an ease that somebody could give you, but he sure had that ability.

"We all love people that will pay attention to our kids, and years ago he charmed my (then) 5-year-old son Kevin with a Donald Duck imitation even while he was being hurried to get out of the dressing room and go to the green room for after show greetings.

"Jon retired from the endless DEEP PURPLE tour schedule, but continued to do appearances with original material and performances of his concerto. I knew he missed the band he helped start, but at the same time couldn't stand the relentless travel. From time to time, we would see him on tour, and he would sit in with us. The last time we played, less than a year ago, at the Sunflower Jam at Royal Albert Hall, he had just come offstage from performing with Rick Wakeman. Later I talked with him and his wife about how strange it felt to look around at the keyboards and not see him there at Albert Hall. We promised to do something together. Soon thereafter, we all learned of his battle with pancreatic cancer. I kept hearing hopeful, positive reports that they might be making progress, but this sudden death caught me totally unaware. I thought we would meet and do a recording project in the future when he recovered from the chemotherapy. Well, we sort of did, but I had to record it and send it to him, as we were in different countries.

"If you have friends, family, especially kids, don't ever miss a chance to do or say something special.... or simply appreciate the fact that they are there. One day, they won't be."

Jon Lord died yesterday (Monday, July 16) in a U.K. hospital at the age of 71. He suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism at the London Clinic after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jon was "surrounded by his loving family," a message on his official web site said.

In addition to DEEP PURPLE, Lord played in WHITESNAKE — the band led by ex-PURPLE singer David Coverdale — from 1978 to 1984, having appeared on the albums "Trouble", "Lovehunter", "Ready An' Willing", "Come An' Get It", "Saints & Sinners" and "Slide It In".

Jon Lord is survived by his wife Vickie and two daughters — Amy and Sara.

DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover (pictured below) has released the following statement regarding the passing of former PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord:

"It’s unthinkable that Jon is gone. My thoughts are for his wife Vicky and all his children and family at this sad moment in their lives. I wish them all strength. A great sadness and sense of loss hangs over me. Not only has the music world lost a fantastic musician but a gentleman of the finest order. He was a giant in my life, a great friend, a fellow traveler, a teacher, not only of music, but of life. I am devastated at his passing."

Jon Lord died on Monday (July 16) at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked primarily in the classical field.

Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.

According to the Czech news site iDNES.cz, a Prague Municipal Court dismissed on Monday (July 16) the Prague State Attorney's Office complaint against LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe's release on bail. However, the court increased Blythe's bail from $200,000 — which has already been paid — to $400,000, which is said to be equivalent to twice Randy's annual income.

The Prague Monitor previously reported that district court judge Petr Fassati said that even after the latest ruling, a Prague attorney could still be allowed to again comment on bail.

Blythe was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 27 and is facing manslaughter charges in connection with a 2010 Prague concert at which he allegedly shoved a local fan off the stage. The man, who is said to have stormed the stage three times during the show, reportedly suffered a brain hemorrhage that resulted in his death nearly a month later.

Martin Holub, a lawyer at Šafra & Partners, told The Prague Post if bail is revoked, Blythe could be kept in prison for up to six months.

"The authorities will be concerned about him leaving the country and then having to begin extradition proceedings," Holub said. "If, however, the appeal court confirms the decision of the previous court, Randy Blythe should be released on the day that decision is made."

Jonathan Crane, a reporter from the Prague Post, told WTVR-TV that a legal expert believes the Blythe's defense team should have quite a strong case. "Even if Randy was responsible for the alleged attack, the expert said that who is to say that he wasn't accidentally kicked or trodden on or left without help by fans below the stage," Crane said.

The U.S. Embassy in Prague on last week released a very brief statement regarding Blythe: "The U.S. Embassy provides standard consular services to American citizens in need of assistance. We cannot discuss specific cases due to privacy concerns."

BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi has released the following statement regarding the passing of former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord:

"I was so shocked and saddened to hear the news of Jon's passing.

"Jon was not only a magnificent keyboard player and musician but a wonderful human being and a true gentleman. I'm honored to have had the opportunity to play together with him.

"We've lost a true legend but his music will live on in all of our hearts.

"My deepest thoughts go out to his family.

"R.I.P., Jon, my friend."

Jon Lord died on Monday (July 16) at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked primarily in the classical field.

Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.

DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan (pictured below) spoke to the U.K. digital radio station Planet Rock yesterday (Monday, July 16) about the passing of former DEEP PURPLE/WHITESNAKE keyboardist Jon Lord. You can listen to a snippet of the chat using the SoundCloud player below.

"He was just an amazing character and, I suppose, the godfather of DEEP PURPLE, and we all looked up to him with tremendous admiration," Ian said. "If there was such a thing as a typical English gentleman in rock music, then it was Jon Lord. We've all been touched by Jon one way or another — anyone who's involved in music, not only the fans, but also behind the scenes. We all know Jon for the inspiration and the incredible talent that he was. I could speak for hours about what he's given us. We shall carry his memory forward and his music, of course."

Jon Lord died yesterday (Monday, July 16) in a U.K. hospital at the age of 71. He suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism at the London Clinic after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jon was "surrounded by his loving family," a message on his official web site said.

In addition to DEEP PURPLE, Lord played in WHITESNAKE — the band led by ex-PURPLE singer David Coverdale — from 1978 to 1984, having appeared on the albums "Trouble", "Lovehunter", "Ready An' Willing", "Come An' Get It", "Saints & Sinners" and "Slide It In".

Jon Lord is survived by his wife Vickie and two daughters — Amy and Sara.