Austrian blackened death metal outfit BELPHEGOR will enter Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida on May 29 with producer Erik Rutan (HATE ETERNAL, MORBID ANGEL, CANNIBAL CORPSE) to begin recording its as-yet-untitled new album for a January 2013 release via Nuclear Blast Records. The recording sessions and the mixing/mastering process will be completed by mid-October.

Commented bassist Serpenth: "All right, a new chapter. These are the last days before we hit the Mana studios in Florida. We're all set. The nine sound collages are faster and more aggressive than on the previous album, 'Blood Magick Necromance'."

Added guitarist/vocalist Helmuth Lehner: "The last rehearsals turned out fantastic. We get every arrangement to its highest audial potential. Added alot of new haunting and compelling structures/ rhythm parts and tritones intervals: tones that were forbidden by the damn church in middle ages. We're on fire. Expect more shredding, more magick, more of everything."

Rutan previously stated about the upcoming CD: "I am very excited to be recording and mixing the new BELPHEGOR album at Mana. After many discussions with Helmuth and hearing some clips of new material, I know that the band is very focused and determined on making a harmoniously evil extreme masterpiece. We shall make one beast of an album that the fans have come to expect from BELPHEGOR!"

Several photos from the rehearsal sessions can be found at this location.

BELPHEGOR's last album, "Blood Magick Necromance", was released in January 2011 in Europe and February 2011 in the U.S. via Nuclear Blast Records. The album was produced by Peter Tägtgren (IMMORTAL, CELTIC FROST, HYPOCRISY, DIMMU BORGIR) at his Abyss Studios in Pärlby, Sweden and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren.

"Shadow Drift", the new video from the Copenhagen, Denmark-based industrial metal band THE INTERBEING, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Alexander Hørup, who spent years working closely with the Danish music video director Casper Balslev on videos for THE FLOOR IS MADE OF LAVA, DUNÉ and MARINA & THE DIAMONDS, among others. The team behind the video also includes one of Denmark's the best music video editors, Jens Høll, who has edited videos for some of the biggest Danish bands, including KASHMIR, L.O.C and CARPARK NORTH.

Commented THE INTERBEING lead singer Dara Toibin: "We chose the song 'Shadow Drift' because it shows a slightly different side of the band compared with the rest of our album. The atmosphere is more melancholic and the lyrics are based on a surreal world, where the one's shadow is a separate individual who the main character tries to merge with. In the video, the black liquid symbolizes the persons' shadows, and during the video the liquid covers each personality more and more. The little boy with the rabbit mask is partly inspired by the psychological thriller 'Donnie Darko' from 2001 and he represents the characters' 'alternative self.' His role is very essential for the development of the video. We all think the whole process has been awesome and fascinating. From the very beginning we were on the same level with Alexander. It was a very ambitious project which succeeded to a full extent, and we are extremely happy with the result."

"Shadow Drift" comes off THE INTERBEING's debut album, "Edge Of The Obscure", which was released last year through Mighty Music. According to a press release, the CD "clearly underlines THE INTERBEING to be a well-defined and visionary band. The record contains a low tuned and polyrhythmic soundscape with melodic elements and bleak electronic ambience. Tight, aggressive, melodic and atmospheric are the key concepts. The sound co-exists with the lyrics which revolve around a fictional inner being. The listener follows this creature through dystopian and distinct worlds and the record ends with the creature reaching the edge."

"Edge Of The Obscure" track listing:

01. Elusive Atmosphere
02. Pulse within the Paradox
03. Tongue of the Soiled
04. Face Deletion
05. Fields of Grey
06. Shadow Drift
07. Swallowing White Light
08. In the Transcendence
09. Celestial Flames
10. Rhesus Artificial
11. Ledge of Oblivion

THE INTERBEING was formed in 2006 and released one demo, "Perceptual Confusion", two years later.

MASSACRE RECORDS sind stolz die Pagan Metal Pioniere ADORNED BROOD bei begrüßen zu dürfen! Als die Band 1993 gegründet wurde, waren ADORNED BROOD lediglich ein paar junge Metalheads, die Metal liebten und ihren ganz eigenen Sound entwickeln wollten, indem sie extremen Metal mit Folk-Elementen, wie der Flöte, verbanden. Mittlerweile jedoch kann die Band auf stattliche sieben Studioalben zurückblicken, darunter unter anderem "Asgard", "Heldentat", "Noor" und das aktuelle Album "Hammerfeste".

Auch wenn es in der Vergangenheit zu personellen Veränderungen innerhalb der Band kam, ließen sich ADORNED BROOD nie unterkriegen und blieben sich bis heute treu. Neben Auftritten bei diversen Festivals, u.a. dem Wacken Open Air und dem Summer Breeze, spielten sie unzählige Konzerte. Darunter u.a. als Support für Bands wie Subway To Sally, TYR, Alestorm, Turisas oder Korpiklaani.

Sänger und Bassist Frost, Schlagzeuger Mischa, die Gitarristen Thorsten und Jan, Keyboarder Niklas und Flötistin Anne arbeiten derzeit an neuem Material für ihr achtes Album, das im Herbst 2012 erscheinen soll. Die Band kommentiert: "Wir freuen uns auf eine fruchtbare Zusammenarbeit mit einem traditionsreichen Label, welches uns viel Vertrauen schenkt und uns bestmöglich unterstützt. Außerdem ist es uns eine Ehre, das Label mit namhaften Künstlern wie Eisregen, Legion of the Damned und Wolfchant zu teilen!"

ADORNED BROOD und ihre Labelkollegen CORONATUS werden beim diesjährigen Gothic Festival #1, dem WGT (Wave Gotik Treffen), auftreten das in an diesem Wochenende stattfindet!

PEARL JAM's Mike McCready reunited with ex-SCREAMING TREES drummer Barrett Martin during a benefit concert this past Wednesday (May 23) at Seattle's Showbox Theatre to perform MAD SEASON's single "River Of Deceit". They were joined on stage by vocalist Jeff Rouse (DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED) and bassist Rick Friel. Video footage of the performance can be seen below.

McCready recently told Kentucky radio station WFPK that MAD SEASON, the Seattle supergroup that featured him, late ALICE IN CHAINS singer Layne Staley and members of the SCREAMING TREES, could be making a semi-return later this year. McCready said that he plans to reissue the group's one album, 1995's "Above", as well as a live record, and added that there is unreleased material in the vault that he would like to complete and release.

Asked about the unreleased music, McCready said, "We were trying to do another record, but it just didn't work, Layne went off and did ALICE IN CHAINS and then he died. So, what happened was, I had to change the band name to DISINFORMATION. From the DISINFORMATION sessions there are probably twelve songs, and out of that, probably eight that are pretty great. They need to be edited, but they're all music, so we're trying to find singers that are up to the caliber of Layne to do justice to it."

McCready added that he hopes to have the singers in place soon and get the material into the hands of fans before the end of the year.

MAD SEASON officially dissolved in 1999 following the death of bassist John Baker Saunders. Staley died three years later in 2002.

MAD SEASON's sole album, "Above", was certified gold for sales of half a million copies and yielded two Top 20 modern rock singles, "River Of Deceit" and "I Don't Know Anything".

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich has a role in the HBO film "Hemingway & Gellhorn", which is scheduled to premiere on Monday, May 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. After appearing as himself in the 2004 documentary "Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster" and the 2010 comedy "Get Him To The Greek", Ulrich plays an actual character in this film, which is a fictionalized account of the relationship between author Ernest Hemingway and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn. The couple are played by Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman, while Ulrich portrays Dutch documentarian Joris Ivens.

Ulrich told USA Today that while he enjoys appearing in movies, he's not interested in pursuing a full-fledged acting career.

"I don't have big acting career aspirations, but I love dabbling in different processes," he said. "I wasn't chasing this, but I couldn't say no."

He added, "I took it very seriously. I studied the difference between how a Dutch person would say things in English and the way I would as a Dane. Most people couldn't tell the difference, but I can. And it needed to be right."

Ulrich said that he enjoyed his acting foray, but feels more at home with his first love.

"In a movie, you are a tool serving the director's vision, and that's as it should be. But in the world of music, I get to help make the decisions," he said.

METALLICA is also getting into the movie business on its own, producing its own 3D film to be directed by Nimród Antal, best known for the movie "Predators".

The movie, which will be some sort of combination of concert footage and storyline, will begin shooting this August and is tentatively scheduled to arrive in theatres in the summer of 2013.

Photos of Ulrich on the "Hemingway & Gellhorn" set can be seen at Zimbio.com.

Former NIGHTWISH vocalist Tarja Turunen had her March 30 and March 31 performances at Teatro El Círculo in Rosario, Argentina professionally filmed for her upcoming concert DVD, "Act I", tentatively due before the end of the year. Each of the two shows featured a different setlist with the exception of five songs, including three tracks from Tarja's time with her previous band ("Nemo", "The Phantom Of The Opera" and "Over The Hills And Far Away").

In other news, Tarja is in pre-production for her third solo album, which is expected to be released sometime next year. She says, "I have 25 songs where to choose the best ones for the album. Some of the musicians are already working on them with me."

Turunen's latest project, HARUS, in December released a CD/DVD/Blu-ray, entitled "In Concert - Live At Sibelius Hall".

The first output of HARUS features traditional and emotional music from Finland presented together with more international repertoire.

Tarja's sophomore solo album, "What Lies Beneath", sold around 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 24 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.

"What Lies Beneath" was released in North America on September 14, 2010 via The End Records.

KREATOR and MORBID ANGEL will join forces for a European tour with support from NILE and FUELED BY FIRE.

The dates are as follows:

Nov. 01 - BE - Antwerp, Trix
Nov. 02 - DE - Giessen, Hessenhalle
Nov. 03 - DE - Geiselwind, Music Hall
Nov. 04 - NL - Eindhoven, Effenaar
Nov. 05 - FR - Rennes, L´Etage
Nov. 06 - FR - Paris, Bataclan
Nov. 22 - HU - Budapest, Club 202
Nov. 23 - AT - Wien, Arena
Nov. 28 - SK - Bratislava
Nov. 30 - DE - Leipzig, Hellraiser
Dec. 10 - SE - Stockholm, Lilla Arenan
Dec. 11 - SE - Gothenburg, Traedgarn
Dec. 12 - DK - Copenhagen, Amager Bio
Dec. 13 - DK - Aarhus, Voxhall
Dec. 14 - DE - Hamburg, Große Freiheit 36
Dec. 15 - DE - Stuttgart, LKA Longhorn
Dec. 16 - NL - Leeuwarden, Schaaf
Dec. 19 - DE - Saarbrücken, Garage
Dec. 20 - DE - Hannover, Capitol
Dec. 21 - DE - München, Backstage
Dec. 22 - DE - Oberhausen, Turbinenhalle

KREATOR's new album, "Phantom Antichrist", will be released on June 1 in Europe and June 5 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with renowned producer Jens Bogren (OPETH, KATATONIA, SOILWORK, DEVIN TOWNSEND, AMON AMARTH).

On February 24 (February 28 in North America), Season of Mist released a compilation of remixed tracks from MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Illud Divinum Insanus". Far from being just revamped versions of the seminal extreme metal band's newest songs, this collection presents the work of 39 artists from the electro / industrial, techno and club scene.

MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", sold around 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 141. The effort marks MORBID ANGEL's first CD to feature bassist/vocalist David Vincent since 1995's "Domination".

Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL will release a new digital single, "Fire", in Europe on June 18. In addition to the album version of the title cut, the single will include the track "Dark Adrenaline".

LACUNA COIL has just completed its "Dark Legacy" North American tour. The band's only headlining run in the United States in 2012 featured a set of more than two hours, with material spanning all of LACUNA COIL's albums.

LACUNA COIL's new album, "Dark Adrenaline", sold around 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, "Shallow Life", opened with 21,000 units back April 2009 to land at No. 16.

LACUNA COIL's 2006 album, "Karmacode", premiered with 34,000 copies back in April 2006 to enter the chart at No. 28. It has since sold more than 200,000 units in the U.S.

The band's 2002 album, "Comalies", has shifted more than 300,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Norwegian metallers PURIFIED IN BLOOD will release their new album, "Flight Of A Dying Sun", in Europe on June 15 via Indie Recordings. The cover artwork was created by Jondix Mahashakti and can be seen below.

A new single, "Storm Of Blood", has jus tbeen released and can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

"This is the missing link between 'Reaper Of Souls' and 'Under Black Skies'," says PURIFIED IN BLOOD singer Hallgeir S. Enoksen.

PURIFIED IN BLOOD's new album was recorded with Jacob Bredahl, who previously worked with band on 2006's "Reaper Of Souls", a CD known for its rawness and intensity.

This time around, PURIFIED IN BLOOD's second singer Glenn Reaper was not involved in the recording process and Hallgeir faced a new challenge being the band's sole vocalist — a challenge he stepped up to for the past one and a half year with no problems whatsoever. His voice range has developed a lot the past year singing alone and he takes on the task "with no remorse, no repent."

"Flight Of A Dying Sun" features guest appearances by Glenn Reaper on the power anthem "Iron Hands"; Erlend Hjelvik (KVELERTAK) on "Mot Grav"; Kjetil Møster (DATAROCK, ULTRALYD, MØSTER) on saxophone, Ådne Sæverud on organ and Jens Borge (SKADNE KREK) on double bass. Last but certainly not least they have Siberian throat singer Albert Kuvezin on board to start the whole album with his voice of war.

"Flight Of A Dying Sun" track listing:

01. The Absolute
02. Storm Of Blood
03. Mot Grav
04. Iron Hands
05. Mind Is Fire
06. Escape To Solace
07. Void
08. Flight Of A Dying Sun

"No Friendly Neighbour", the new video from PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION, the project featuring IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith and SIKTH frontman Mikee Goodman, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "Awoken Broken", which was released in the U.S. on April 17 and in Europe onFebruayr 27 through Spinefarm Records. The CD was produced by Adrian and Mikee, and mixed by Simon Hanhart, whose previous credits include everyone from TIN MACHINE to SAXON. The album features 12 tracks top to tail, and it will be available on digipak CD, digital download and double colored vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

"Awoken Broken" track listing:

01. No Friendly Neighbour (4:53)
02. No Place Like Home (3:06)
03. I See Lights (4:59)
04. Bright As A Fire (6:21)
05. Savage World (3:38)
06. Tortured Tone (5:08)
07. White Sheet Robes (5:16)
08. As Tears Come Falling From The Sky (0:47)
09. Awoken Broken (4:58)
10. Search For Bliss (4:13)
11. Snake Ladders (4:43)
12. Mirror and the Moon (5:04)

An audio interview with Smith and Goodman about "Awoken Broken" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

The brainchild of Adrian Smith and Mikee Goodman, U.K. musicians with different stories to tell, PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION is a fresh new project that manages to be both reassuring and unexpected at one and the same time…

On the one side, there's Adrian, a key member of the IRON MAIDEN setup, a band he first joined back in 1980; and since that time, MAIDEN has gone on to become one of the biggest hard rock bands the world has seen, playing to vast and staunchly committed crowds all over the world, opening exciting new doors in parts of the globe many people will never even have heard of! Their last studio album, "The Final Frontier", hit the No 1 slot in over 28 countries!

With MAIDEN's reputation having been forged through their ability to blend well-crafted vocal and guitar melodies with the sheer brute force of prime heavy metal, it will surely come as no surprise that the debut PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION album, "Awoken Broken", delivers fully on both fronts, but with an extra nod to the underground, the alternative and the downright edgy — an aspect of the music that is enhanced from start to finish by the presence of one-time SIKTH frontman / lyric-writer/spoken-word maestro, Mikee Goodman.

With SIKTH now universally lauded as one of the major inspirations of the new "Djent" movement, it's perfect timing for Mikee to return to the music scene in full force, following that band's decision to take a break after their second "Death Of A Dead Day" album back in 2006; Mikee's unique vocal approach — an arresting, signature blend of spoken word plus a wide variety of vocal tones (some dark and disturbing, others that owe a debt to the world of animation) — was very much a part of what made SIKTH stand out from the chasing pack, and fans will be delighted to know that his key vocal mannerisms have been both retained and honed for PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION, in a form tightly bound to the structure of the songs themselves.

Yes, there are spoken-word elements, and yes, there are more extreme vocal moments peppered throughout the tracks, but generally speaking, this is a more mature and experienced Mikee, showcasing a strong, melodic voice plus an impressive vocal range, using the more "adventurous" end of his repertoire as a way of providing contrast and effect.

In essence, PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION is the meeting of different minds, different mentalities and different musical backgrounds, but the end result is very much a cohesive, self-produced whole… albeit one that reflects the individual talents of the musicians involved: Adrian provides the guitars, the bass and the advanced song-writing skills — the sense of drama, of light and shade, of music designed to stir the senses, all of them.

Right from the start, it's been very much a labor of love…

Adrian: "It was great working at my own pace and in my own studio with no time constraints. I think during the making of this album I went around the world twice with MAIDEN, working on the project in between. In the process, it allowed for a bit more of an experimental approach."

Meanwhile, Mikee goes head to head with this renowned player as a full writing & production partner, adding new (sometimes surprising, often experimental) layers to the tracks, and ensuring that the music glistens with an inherent contemporary sheen.

Mikee: "Adrian inspired me in many ways. I learnt the importance and the power of choruses in songs. Adrian also gave me a lot more belief in myself melodically. I think we pulled each other out of our comfort zones, creating something fresh and exciting along the way. We co-produced the album together, and the whole recording process was very relaxed — no deadlines, just honing the songs naturally as we recorded them, a new experience for both of us."

In addition to the PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION pair, there are backing vocals on three of the tracks (delivered by Tarin Kerry, discovered by Mikee while he was acting as producer for a band she was in), viola on the bulk of the songs (provided by Abi Fry of BAT FOR LASHES), plus original SIKTH member Dan "Loord" Foord on drums.

The track "I See Lights" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION was originally scheduled to play a "one-off, under-the-radar" gig on January 15, 2011 at the Wycombe Bucks Student Union, but the gig ended up being canceled after it was inadvertently advertised via the Internet.

"Afterlife", the new video from the Los Angeles-based rock trio SMILE EMPTY SOUL, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's new album, "3's", which was released on May 22 via eOne Music.

"I think we put more thought into this album cover than ever before. There's a ton of symbolism going on, and the whole package this time really means a lot to us," says guitarst and lead singer Sean Danielson.

He continues, "'3's' is the best record we've made. It's more musical and mature, yet still has the 'SMILE' sound that our fans are looking for."

"3's" track listing:

01. Carve
02. Ugly
03. Warning
04. Sleep Deprivation
05. Hiding Place
06. Let Go
07. Basement
08. Afterlife
09. Greatest Hits and Medleys
10. Hard Biter
11. Wrecking Ball
12. Not Alike

Formed in 1998, SMILE EMPTY SOUL has certainly seen the inside of the music business. With a Top 10 hit single, "Bottom Of A Bottle", countless tours and a gold-certified album under their belts, the band shows no signs of stopping now.

SMILE EMPTY SOUL is:

Sean Danielsen (lead vocals, guitar)
Ryan Martin (bass)
Jake Kilmer (drums, backing vocals)

STRATOVARIUS sind eindeutig eine der erfolgreichsten Metalbands aus Finnland. Bekannt wurden sie vor allem durch ihren eindrucksvollen Powermetal, aber auch durch ihre eingeschworene Fangemeide und intensiven Liveperformances. "Under Flaming Winter Skies - Live In Tampere" kombiniert nun das Beste von STRATOVARIUS in einem Paket. Seit ihrer Bandgründung 1982 veröffentlichte STRATOVARIUS 14 genreprägende Alben.

Großer Teil des markanten Sounds war das Schlagzeugspiel von Jörg Michael, der seit 1995 nicht aus der Band wegzudenken ist. Nachdem der Drummer 2011 seinen Ausstieg aus der Band aus persönlichen Gründen bekannt gab, ging die Band im Herbst 2011 auf große Tournee, um Jörg Michael mit einem gehörigen Knall zu verabschieden. Dieses einmalige und emotionale Konzerterlebnis ist nun exklusiv auf Doppel-CD, DVD sowie Blu-ray erhältlich.Das fast zweistündige Konzert wurde am 19. November 2011 in der Pakkahuone Halle in Tampere, Finland aufgenommen und glänzt mit einer imposanten Setlist, gespickt mit Klassikern wie "Under Flaming Skies", "Speed Of Light" und "Hunting High And Low". Als exklusives Bonusmaterial enthält die DVD eine halbstündige Dokumentation, die die Bandgeschichte von damals bis heute aufrollt und einen intimen Einblick hinter die Kulissen einer der erfolgreichsten Metalbands weltweit gibt. In ehrlichen Interviews stehen alle Bandmitglieder Rede und Antwort und auch Jörg Michaels Beweggründe für den Ausstieg kommen zur Sprache.

Die hochwertig, jeweils anders gestalteten Booklets der 2CD, DVD und Blu-ray sind mit raren Bildern sowie einem Interview mit Jörg Michael, in dem dieser seine Zeit bei Stratovarius Revue passieren lässt, gespickt. Die einwandfreie Sound- und Bildqualität runden das Paket ab. "Under Flaming Winter Skies - Live In Tampere" feiert noch einmal die großartige Ära mit Jörg Michael. Aber keine Angst! 2013 werden Stratovarius fulminant mit einem neuen Studioalbum zurückkehren.

"Under Flaming Winter Skies - Live In Tampere" kommt als 2CD, DVD und Blue Ray am 29. Juni 2012 via earMUSIC / Edel in den Handel.

"Devil's Paradise", the new video from reunited hard rockers UGLY KID JOE, can be seen below. The clip was filmed a video in early April in Lake Tahoe, Nevada with Mike and Dave Hatchett of Standard Films.

"Devil's Paradise" comes off UGLY KID JOE's new six-song EP, "Stairway To Hell", which will be released digitally on June 5 and physically on July 9.

"Stairway To Hell" heralds UGLY KID JOE's return, containing songs spanning the full repertoire of influences which made UGLY KID JOE one of the prime soundtracks for young snowboarders, surfers, keggers and characters worldwide. Whether it's "Devil’s Paradise", with it's hypnotic riffery and hook line, grooving and grinding its hips seductively, the melodic power-fueled darkness of "No One Survives" or the irrepressibly memorable chug-and-chorus of "I'm Alright" it's clear that UGLY KID JOE have everything they started with plus fatter chops and a (frankly) superior curve on songwriting.

UGLY KID JOE released three full-length albums and toured extensively throughout the 1990s before disbanding in 1997.

UGLY KID JOE 2012 is:

Whitfield Crane - vocals
Klaus Eichstadt - guitar
Dave Fortman - guitar
Cordell Crockett - bass
Shannon Larkin - drums

According to USA Today, METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo is financing a movie about the late Grammy-winning jazz bass virtuoso Jaco Pastorius. Tentatively titled "Jaco", the documentary is being directed by Stephen Kijak, who helmed 2010's "Stones In Exile", the 2010 film about the recording of the 1972 THE ROLLING STONES album "Exile On Main St."

"Jaco was my hero growing up," Trujillo tells USA Today. "Hearing him was like hearing Eddie Van Halen doing 'Eruption' for the first time: You thought, 'What instrument is that?' I loved jazz fusion and branched out from there. But Jaco had an edge that far exceeded his jazz persona. He was funk, he was rock, he was soul. And his whole attitude was punk."

Trujillo added, "The film for me is from the heart."

Pastorius, who was bipolar and had wrestled with substance abuse, died in 1987 at age 35 following a violent altercation at a Fort Lauderdale bar.

"Jaco" will feature commentaries from Sting, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Flea, Carlos Santana and director Mike Figgis, among others.

Photo courtesy of Metallica.com

"You Better Not Love Me", the new video from L.A. GUNS — featuring Phil Lewis, Steve Riley, Stacey Blades and Scotty Griffin — can be seen below. The song comes off L.A. GUNS' new album, "Hollywood Forever", which is scheduled for release on June 5 via via Cleopatra Records. The CD was recorded with legendary producer, and old friend, Andy Johns, who has previously worked with LED ZEPPELIN, THE ROLLING STONES, CINDERELLA and VAN HALEN, and who collaborated with L.A. GUNS on their last three albums. A CD and vinyl release, as well as bonus tracks available only on iTunes, is planned. A nine-month world tour following the release is also in the works.

L.A. GUNS spent a few days in Los Angeles shooting three videos to support the record. Videos for "Requiem (Hollywood Forever)" and "Aranga Nigre" were also filmed. Videographer Jack Foster was behind the lens for the shoot at the legendary Circus Disco in Hollywood. With an LED logo in the background, the band meshed theatrics with its expected rock energy on the big stage. Later, additional scenes were filmed in L.A.'s colorful Little Mexico and the landmark Hollywood Forever cemetery. Stacey Blades said, "It was a blast hammin' it up in a big venue and stage for the cameras." He added, "We are so excited about the new album coming out and videos to boot. 2012 is the year of L.A.GUNS!"

"Hollywood Forever" track listing:

01. Hollywood Forever
02. You Better Not Love Me
03. Sweet Mystery
04. Eel Pie
05. Burn
06. Requiem (Hollywood Forever)
07. I Won't Play
08. Vine St. Shimmy
09. Arana Negra (originally recorded by THE BICICLETAS)
10. Gonna Take You Down
11. Queenie
12. Underneath The Sun
13. Venus Bomb
14. Dirty Black Night
15. Rattlesnake

Phil Lewis' L.A. GUNS is not to be confused with the Tracii Guns-led version of the group, which is also continuing to record and perform under the L.A. GUNS moniker.

To celebrate the summer of "Rock Of Ages", DEF LEPPARD has recorded new versions of "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Rock Of Ages". The songs will be available worldwide on iTunes, Amazon, and all other digital music retailers June 4.

The official cover artwork for the two singles can be seen below.

The soundtrack to the upcoming film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical "Rock Of Ages", which showcases popular rock songs from the '70s and '80s, features the cast — Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russell Brand and Julianne Hough — singing some of the greatest hits of the "hair-band" era.

Due to be released June 5 — ten days before the film hits theatres — "Rock Of Ages: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" includes Cruise's renditions of DEF LEPPARD's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and GUNS N' ROSES' "Paradise City".

DEF LEPPARD will make a return to the United States this June with a massive summer tour which will include fellow rockers POISON and LITA FORD.

DEF LEPPARD's influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum albums — including two of the best-selling albums of all time, "Pyromania" and "Hysteria". Most recently, the band released their first live album, "Mirror Ball: Live & More" last summer, which rose to the Top 20 on The Billboard 200 chart. The album captures the group's legendary concert experience, bringing together live versions of classic LEPPARD hits such as "Rock Of Ages", "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Foolin'".

With 100 million records sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, DEF LEPPARD — Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums) — continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the sound for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group's spectacular live shows, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, have become synonymous with their name. For the past thirty years the band's concerts have become must-see events and have quickly made them an institution in the touring industry, as they continue to sell out arenas worldwide.

Official Metallica.com footage of METALLICA's pre-show tuning-room jam and "Nothing Else Matters" performance at the May 14 show of the band's European tour at Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy can be viewed below.

METALLICA performed its top-selling 1991 LP, "Metallica", a.k.a. "the black album," in its entirety at the Udine concert. As they have done on all the shows on their current 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. Fuel
04. For Whom The Bell Tolls
05. Hell And Back
06. The Struggle Within
07. My Friend Of Misery
08. The God That Failed
09. Of Wolf And 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
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18. Battery
19. One
20. Seek And Destroy

Photos are available on the Musica Metal web site.

Asked whose idea it was for METALLICA to play the "black" album in reverse on the current tour, the band's drummer, Lars Ulrich, told Rolling Stone magazine, "If you like the idea, it was mine. If you don't, it was James' [Hetfield, guitar/vocals]. For better or worse, I'm the setlist guy. This is all subject to change if it doesn't work. But the idea of starting off with the lesser-known songs buried down there and ending up with 'Sad But True' and 'Enter Sandman' seems like a winner. You finish with the money shot, which is the first song."

On the topic of the "black" album's shift away from sped metal to shorter, simpler songs, which set the tone for the rest of METALLICA's career, Lars said, "I'm a big believer that the records all thread together. That straighter, four-on-the-floor thing was present on earlier records, in 'Harvester Of Sorrow' and 'Ride The Lightning'. But we went all-out because there was nowhere else to go. Where do you go after 'Dyer's Eve'? You can't get faster. You can't get more pissed off than Hetfield barking at his parents. That was the end of the Eighties for us."

He continued, "We played a show with AEROSMITH in the summer of 1990, right at the time we started writing the 'black' album. I remember sitting under the grandstand with [co-manager] Cliff Burnstein. He said, 'The MISFITS are a huge part of your influence — 'Last Caress' is a minute and a half long, [THE ROLLING STONES'] 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' is part of who you are. You just haven't released it yet.'

"I went back to San Francisco and there was a riff on Kirk's [Hammett, guitar] on tape [hums the 'Enter Sandman' lick]. The whole thing is just that riff. 'Enter Sandman' was the blueprint. The rest of the record appeared over two months."

METALLICA will play the complete "black album" at its own Orion Music + More festival, scheduled for June 23-24 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. METALLICA is headlining both days and will perform its entire 1984 album "Ride The Lightning" for the first time ever on the other day of the festival.

"Metallica" in 2009 surpassed SHANIA TWAIN's 1997 record, "Come On Over", as the best-selling CD of the SoundScan era. To date, the black album has sold 15,776,000 copies in the United States.

Although METALLICA had scored their first radio and video airplay with their previous effort, 1988's "...And Justice For All", the black album was the band's biggest commercial breakthrough, producing five singles and making them into one of the most popular rock bands in the world.

EspyRock recently conducted an interview with GUNS N' ROSES keyboardist Dizzy Reed. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

EspyRock: I want to congratulate you on being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Dizzy Reed: Thank you.

EspyRock: How does it feel to be inducted as a member of GUNS N' ROSES and to see your name in there now?

Dizzy Reed: Well, it wasn't without controversy, as you know, but the whole concept was an honor. It came and went, and it is there, but right now the [current European] tour is the most important thing. I've just been focussing on that and believe me, it takes a bit of preparation for me to get ready to come out and do this. It has been quite a hectic few weeks with that and the tour leading up to when we got on the plane to head out.

EspyRock: I hope you don't mind me asking but considering the honor you were receiving, why didn't you attend the ceremony? Was that due to tour preparations or did you not feel the circumstances were right due to the controversy?

Dizzy Reed: Well, you know, Axl [Rose, vocals] decided not to go because he felt that it wasn't right, and I stand by him. The reasons he gave made sense to me and I agreed with him, so I chose not to go as well.

EspyRock: When you look at it all, the Hall Of Fame induction really just caused more damage than it did good, because while GUNS N' ROSES have always been under fire, it just ignited a new wave of hatred and abuse.

Dizzy Reed: Well, like you said "congratulations," we're in the Hall Of Fame, man, and that's cool. That's all there is to it now, time for people to move on.

EspyRock: Your induction represents what you have achieved throughout your career with the band, which now stands at twenty two years. Do you feel as if your role has changed over the years, especially as you're the second longest standing member next to Axl?

Dizzy Reed: You know, I don't think it has changed a whole heck of a lot, to be honest. [laughs] I just try to add, and I always have, what I can to the music in the studio and to the performance when we are performing live. I think, if anything, I've been given a little more freedom over the years because I've become a better performer. I've been given a little more freedom to do things that I wouldn't have in the past. In the past, it was, "You're not going to play on this song," and that was many, many, many years ago, but now things are different a little bit. Like I said, the most important thing is that I just try to add what I can to make the songs better. In the studio, I just try whatever I can, throw some ideas around and just see what sticks to the wall, but it's all about making the songs better. Live, it is kind of a similar process, but I kind of know what is going to work and what is not going to work. I try not to have any redundancy of sound or tone or anything and visually for the people who are there to see the show.

Read the entire interview from EspyRock.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Marilyn Manson has the lead role in a short film called "Wrong Cops", which premiered earlier this month as part of the festivities at the Cannes Film Festival in France. The movie was directed by Quentin Dupieux, whose full-length 2011 feature "Rubber" was a surreal tale about an intelligent tire that murders people. His latest movie, "Wrong", debuted last January at the Sundance Film Festival.

Manson, who recently performed with actor Johnny Depp at the Revolver Golden Gods awards in Los Angeles, told The Pulse Of Radio about his part in "Wrong Cops" and other upcoming projects, "I play a street hustler with braces on my teeth, which was an interesting, fun experience (laughs). I'm working on something with Johnny. Working on something with my friend Eli Roth also. And I'm basically just on a roll of having a good time at being bad and I just want to continue doing it."

You can watch the 13-minute "Wrong Cops" film below.

Manson has previously had roles in movies such as "Jawbreaker" — with then-fiance Rose McGowan — "Party Monster" and "Lost Highway".

Manson and Depp recently teamed up to record a new version of Carly Simon's classic song "You're So Vain". The track was included on Manson's upcoming album "Born Villain", which came out on May 1.

Legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) and his solo band — Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bassz) — broadcasted their sold-out concert this past Tuesday (May 22) from Irving Plaza in New York City exclusively on the new Livestream. You can now watch clips from the show below.

The group's setlist was as follows:

01. Mean Bone (SLASH'S SNAKEPIT song)
02. Dirty Little Thing (VELVET REVOLVER song)
03. Nightrain (GUNS N' ROSES song)
04. One Last Thrill
05. Back From Cali
06. Ghost
07. Standing in the Sun
08. Rocket Queen (GUNS N' ROSES song)
09. Doctor Alibi
10. Speed Parade (SLASH'S SNAKEPIT song)
11. Apocalyptic Love
12. Watch This
13. Starlight
14. Just Like Anything (SLASH'S SNAKEPIT song)
15. Halo
16. You're a Lie
17. Sweet Child O' Mine (GUNS N' ROSES song)
18. Slither (VELVET REVOLVER song)

Encore:

19. By the Sword
20. Paradise City (GUNS N' ROSES song)

Slash's second solo album, "Apocalyptic Love", is likely to sell between 30,000 and 35,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on May 22 via Slash's own label Dik Hayd International distributed through EMI.

Slash's self-titled debut album scored the highest new entry on The Billboard 200 chart in April 2010, with first-week U.S. sales of around 60,000 copies.

In the U.K., "Apocalyptic Love" was released on May 21 in exclusive Classic Rock Fan Pack form — providing a unique collectable package containing the studio album with bonus tracks alongside a specially created magazine with unseen behind-the-scenes content put together by Classic Rock. The Fan Pack format also comes with free gifts, including a pin badge and artwork poster and is available to buy via more than 2000 retail outlets on newsstands nationally as well as the traditional high street and online music retailers. Roadrunner Records simultaneously released the record digitally. The standard physical release of the Slash album will follow through Roadrunner Records on June 18.

Drummer Jeff "Oly" Olson has quit THE SKULL, the band he formed with fellow original member of Chicago doom legends TROUBLE, vocalist Eric Wagner, and the band's longtime bassist, Ron Holzner. Jeff says in a statement, "Upon much thought, and effective immediately, I will not be participating with THE SKULL. I've decided to wait for a real TROUBLE reunion with original members or not play TROUBLE's music at all. I can not comment further at this time. My apologies to those who have been disappointed."

THE SKULL earlier in the year recruited guitarists Lothar Keller and Michael Carpenter of the Chicago, Illinois-based progressive power metallers SACRED DAWN.

Wagner, Olson and original TROUBLE bassist Sean McAllister shared the stage for the first time since 1986 during Olson's RETRO GRAVE set on June 18, 2011 at the Days Of The Doomed Fest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

TROUBLE formed in 1979 and released several classic albums like "Trouble", "Manic Frustration" and "Plastic Green Head".

Eric was one of the guest singers on Dave Grohl's (NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS) heavy metal side project PROBOT, whose 2004 album featured heavy metal vocalists from the '80s and '90s. Wagner also makes a guest appearance in the forthcoming horror film "Jezebeth" (written and directed by Damien Dante of Satania 6 Films), to be released on Blu-ray in early 2012.

Eric Wagner left TROUBLE in April 2008, citing his disdain for the touring life as the main reason for his departure.