A heavy metal fan from Washington, D.C. by the name of Bryan Buchanan was surprised with "the most metal birthday cake ever" this past weekend.

Bryan, who just turned 30, tells BLABBERMOUTH.NET, "It's the best cake I've ever seen, let alone received!"

Although Bryan's girlfriend, Vanessa, came up with the design, the cake was actually made by Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, Maryland.

According to a posting on the Charm City Cakes web site, the company "was started in March of 2000 when Chef Duff had tired of wandering the country and decided to settle in Baltimore. At first, Chef Duff was just making a few cakes for friends and family, but as word got out about his uncommon creations, business picked up fast. In March of 2002, Chef Duff was getting so inundated with cake orders that he decided to fling off the oppression of his day job and make cake baking his full-time gig! He quickly outgrew his home kitchen and two bakeries; in August of 2005 he bought a 6,000-square-foot cake compound in Remington. Today, Charm City Cakes has grown to a staff of eleven friends who make cakes, listen to music, and eat a lot of sushi."

Eagle Rock has set a May 25 release date for "Let It Roll - Live In Germany", a new concert DVD from VELVET REVOLVER. The disc was filmed at the Palladium in Cologne, Germany in March 2008 for the legendary German TV series "Rockpalast". The concert was near the end of the tour for their second album "Libertad" and came just a few days before the band went on hiatus following the departure of singer Scott Weiland. The set draws heavily on the "Libertad" album but also features tracks from their debut album "Contraband" and covers of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and GUNS N' ROSES tracks.

"Let It Roll - Live In Germany" track listing:

01. Let It Roll
02. She Mine
03. Do It For The Kids
04. Just Sixteen
05. Big Machine
06. American Man
07. Vasoline
08. The Last Fight
09. Interstate Love Song
10. Patience
11. She Builds Quick Machines
12. Get Out The Door
13. Fall To Pieces
14. It's So Easy
15. Set Me Free
16. Mr Brownstone
17. Sex Type Thing
18. Slither

VELVET REVOLVER reunited with Weiland for a one-off performance at the January 12 "Love You Madly: A Concert For John O'Brien" at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California. The band played a four-song set — including a cover version of the PINK FLOYD classic "Wish You Were Here" — at the event, which paid tribute to award-winning ASCAP composer John O'Brien, who was found dead in his Chicago hotel room last August.

Weiland reunited with his original band, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, just as his run with VELVET REVOLVER was coming to a close. STP has toured constantly since and recorded a new album in 2010.

VELVET REVOLVER has still not found a replacement vocalist and is more or less on hiatus, although it was revealed that the group recorded an album's worth of material with STONE SOUR and SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor.

We are overwhelmed and totally blown away by the love from our friends in Mexico City who gave us a record six sold out shows totaling over 100,000 tickets at the Sports Palace this coming August. Never in our wildest imagination did we think we would be posting this news story... TWO more shows have been added to the run!! That's right . . . eight nights in one of our favorite cities with some our craziest, most out of control fans on the planet!

The two additional shows will be July 28 and 30 and these Mexico City shows will be the world debut of our massive new stage show including elements from our entire 30 years of touring and marking the beginning of a new era in Metalli-shows... you will definitely need to see it to believe it!

Fan Club pre-sale begins Wednesday, April 18 at 11:00 AM local time and members should log in here for details on how to participate. The Banamex pre-sale begins Thursday, April 19 at 11:00 AM local time, and any remaining tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, April 20, also at 11:00 AM local.

Again, a huge thank you to all the fans in Mexico and we can't wait to see you in July!

Century Media Records will release the complete demo recordings of Swedish death metallers EVOCATION. Entitled "Evoked From Demonic Depths - The Early Years", it will feature the following tracks:

01. A Wind Has Risen
02. Through The Darkened Peril
03. The Ancient Gate
04. Desolated Spirits
05. On A Journey To Heaven
06. Where The Headstones Shine
07. Veils Were Blown
08. Spiritual Affinity
09. Outro
10. On A Journey To Heaven (rehearsal)
11. Where The Headstones Shine (rehearsal)
12. Spiritual Affinity (rehearsal)
13. Veils Were Blown (rehearsal)
14. Genesis

Video enhancements

15. The Ancient Gate (live at Gamlestaden, Gothenburg 1992)
16. Genesis (live at Gamlestaden, Gothenburg 1992)
17. Where The Headstones Shine (live at Gamlestaden, Gothenburg 1992)

Tracks 1 to 4 are taken from the "The Ancient Gate" demo, tracks 5 to 9 from the "Promo 1992" demo. Tracks 10 to 13 are previously unreleased rehearsal tracks and as a very special the band has recorded the unreleased track "Genesis", which has been written in 1992, but so far has never ever been available before (track 14). "Genesis" was recorded at IF Studios (IN FLAMES, THE HAUNTED) by producer Robert Laghi. All tracks have been mastered at Fascination Street Studio (OPETH, PARADISE LOST, ENSLAVED, GRAND MAGUS and many more). The remastering of the demo tracks was done using the original master tapes. The CD version also includes three live bootleg video enhancements as a bonus.

Besides the historical musical content, the release is packed with in-depth information on the history of EVOCATION. A foreword has been written by Anzo Sadoni (Metal Hammer), Björn-Thorsten Jaschinski (Rock Hard, Legacy) and Frank Schenk (Chaos magazine) took a deep dive into EVOCATION's history from their start in 1991 until the reunion in 2005 and on until the release of the band's highly praised third studio album "Apocalyptic". Guitarist Marko Palmén comments on every song and gives not just a glimpse but a detailed view into the writing process of the demos. All this information gets underlined by an elaborate usage of band photos, concert flyers and other visual content from the years 1991 to 1993 and the noble and balanced layout by Xaay (NILE, BEHEMOTH).

"Evoked From Demonic Depths - The Early Years" will be released as CD with 32-page booklet and an O-card as well as on deluxe 2LP (180g vinyls, gatefold sleeve, printed inner sleeves) and as digital download.

The album will be released on the following dates:

* Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway: Friday, June 22
* Spain, Italy: Tuesday, June 26
* Sweden, Finland, Hungary: Wednesday, June 27
* Rest Of Europe: Monday, June 25
* Australia, New Zealand: Friday, June 29

EVOCATION recently entered IF Studios, the IN FLAMES-owned facility in Gothenburg, Sweden, with producer Roberto Laghi (IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR) to begin recording its fourth album for a late 2012 release via the band's new label home, Century Media Records.

EVOCATION's third album, "Apocalyptic", was released on October 29, 2010 via Cyclone Empire Records.

AEROSMITH drummer Joey Kramer, a coffee-lovin' Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer introduces Rockin' & Roastin', an organic, fair trade, custom-roasted coffee.

Now you can get yourself a taste of the rock-star life with Kramer's new blends available in four different roasts. From regular to decaf, medium to dark, Ethiopian to Guatemalan, Rockin' & Roastin' has got the brew for you! Order yours today at RockinAndRoastin.com.

Other musicians who previously rolled out their own lines of coffee include Rob Zombie, Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) and Dave Mustaine (MEGADETH).

"Torn Apart", the new video from Swedish metallers AVATAR, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's fourth full-length album, "Black Waltz", which was released on February 14 via eOne Music. The CD was produced by Tobias Lindell (EUROPE, MUSTASCH, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR) and includes songs from a limited-edition EP that was released in Sweden at the end of October 2011.

Commented AVATAR lead singer Johannes Eckerström: "If all violence was as in professional wrestling, I would get involved in way more fights. Hulk Hogan was one of my first heroes and made me want to spend my life doing insane things and be applauded for it. Backyard wrestling is not exactly a household expression here in Sweden, but on my street we went insane. I could pull off an awesome suplex by the age of nine. Standing on that tiny stage while our audience threw each other through tables was a rush and pretty much the best form of mosh pit I've ever experienced. They made it look awesome and the context we put it in made it truly epic. We're not really supposed to afford making a music video this cool, but once again we've proven what's possible when you realize your potential and make the most you possibly can of it. When life gives you lemonade, punch life in the face."

"Black Waltz" track listing:

01. Let Us Die
02. Torn Apart
03. Ready For The Ride
04. In Napalm
05. Black Waltz
06. Blod
07. Let It Burn
08. One Touch
09. Paint Me Red
10. Smells Like A Freakshow
11. Use Your Tongue

The "Black Waltz" clip, which was directed by Johan Carlén and shot in Sweden's largest amusement park, features an appearance by the world-famous American circus sideshow Hellzapoppin.

AVATAR's third, self-titled album was released in 2010.

AVATAR is:

Johannes Eckerström - Vocals
John Alfredsson - Drums
Jonas Jarlsby - Guitars
Simon Andersson - Guitars
Henrik Sandelin - Bass

The Rave Live will stream KITTIE's April 17 concert from The Rave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.They will be joined by BLACKGUARD, BONDED BY BLOOD and CANDY MACHINE GUNS.

The webcast is scheduled for Tuesday, April 17 at 9 p.m. Eastern / 8 p.m. Central / 6 p.m. Pacific and will be available free of charge. This performance will be streamed live and will be available for viewing at TheRaveLive.com.

KITTIE recently parted ways with bassist Ivy Vujic and was rejoined by Trish Doan. Doan was previously with the band from 2005 to 2007, appearing on the band's 2007 release "Funeral For Yesterday".

KITTIE's new album, "I've Failed You", sold 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 178 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, "In The Black", opened with around 3,400 units back in 2009 to land at No. 132.

KITTIE's fourth album, "Funeral for Yesterday", registered a first-week tally of 9,000 in February 2007 to enter the chart at No. 101.

"I've Failed You" was released on August 30, 2011 via eOne Music. The CD was recorded at Beach Road Studios in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. The band once again worked with producer Siegfried "Siggy" Meier, who helmed KITTIE's last CD, 2009's "In The Black".

San Diego, California metallers AS I LAY DYING have enlisted Bill Stevenson to produce their next album. Stevenson has played drums for both the DESCENDENTS and BLACK FLAG and is one of the most highly renowned producers in rock. His production credits include work on records by RISE AGAINST, NOFX, PROPAGANDHI, THE CASUALTIES, ANTI-FLAG and many more.

AS I LAY DYING will enter the studio in May to begin recording its new CD for a late 2012 release via Metal Blade Records.

AS I LAY DYING's last release, "Decas", celebrated the band's accomplishments by offering three brand new songs, cover songs that paid homage to just a few of the bands that have influenced AS I LAY DYING, and remixes by Innerpartysystem, Benjamin Weinman (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), Kelly "Carnage" Cairns (AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE, WAR OF AGES), and Big Chocolate (ASKING ALEXANDRIA, IWRESTLEDABEARONCE, SUICIDE SILENCE).

AS I LAY DYING's most recent collection of original material, 2010's "The Powerless Rise", sold 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart. This was roughly in line with the first-week tally of "An Ocean Between Us", which premiered with 39,500 copies back in August 2007.

AS I LAY DYING will take part in the fifth annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, the world's largest touring heavy music festival. The main stage will be the strongest ever with the headlining slot occupied by Grammy Award winners SLIPKNOT. Next up will be the legendary metal acts SLAYER and MOTÖRHEAD. The main stage will also spotlight a ferocious mix of today's best artists in a rotation, including THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and ASKING ALEXANDRIA. The festival will kick off on June 30 in San Bernardino, California.

German alcoholic thrashers TANKARD have set "A Girl Called Cerveza" as the title of their 30th-anniversary album, due at the end of July via the band's new label home, Nuclear Blast Records. The CD is currently being recorded at Studio 23 in Frankfurt with producer Michael Mainx (ONKELZ, DER W, DISBELIEF, D-A-D).

The second part of the "A Girl Called Cerveza" album cover can be seen below (hidden behind beer cans).

TANKARD's fourteenth studio album, "Vol(l)ume 14", was released on December 17, 2010 via AFM Records. The limited-edition digipak version of the album includes a bonus DVD containing footage of TANKARD's performance at the 2009 edition of the Headbangers Open Air festival, which took place July 23-25, 2009 in in Brande-Hörnerkirchen, Germany.

LINKIN PARK has announced a June 26 release date for their new album, "Living Things" (Machine Shop Recordings/Warner Bros.) The CD is co-produced by Rick Rubin (ADELE, METALLICA) and LINKIN PARK vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Shinoda, who co-produced LINKIN PARK's last two albums. Rolling Stone magazine says, "The material is the band's most powerful since its megahit 2000 debut."

The first single from the new album, "Burn It Down", premiered today on radio, and is now available through iTunes. Starting later today, fans can pre-order "Living Things" from the band's web site and will receive an immediate download of the single. All orders come with a monthly subscription to receive eight new "Living Things" remixes.

The band also announced that it will be co-headlining the 2012 Honda Civic Tour with INCUBUS, along with support from MUTEMATH. The tour will kick off August 11 in Bristow, Virginia at Jiffy Lube Live. Tickets begin going on sale to the general public the weekend of April 27, but anyone who pre-orders the album at LinkinPark.com will gain access beginning on April 24 to buy tickets for the tour. Fans will also be able to buy LP Underground fan club memberships at a discounted rate, and earn the right to buy tickets first, get early access to the venues, and be eligible for meet and greets with the band.

Since 2001, Honda Civic Tour has provided music fans with an amazing concert experience at a great value — offering various ticket prices, so there's something for everyone.

"LINKIN PARK and INCUBUS fans have grown up together," said Chester Bennington of LINKIN PARK. "We're looking forward to bringing them all together for a great night of music." Brandon Boyd from INCUBUS adds, "We're going to have a blast on this tour, and I know the fans will too."

Continuing a Civic Tour tradition, fans will have an opportunity to check out LINKIN PARK's customized and autographed Honda Civic Si Coupe and Honda CBR250R motorcycle — which will be displayed at every tour stop.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, LINKIN PARK singer Chester Bennington recently appeared to have admitted that the band went too far with the experimental, heavily electronic sound of its last album, "A Thousand Suns". Speaking with Kerrang! magazine about the band's forthcoming CD, Bennington said, "With this album, we've incorporated a lot of guitar work with big choruses and the heavier electronic stuff to give it that really big wall of sound feeling without getting too metal. This will be more familiar to people than 'A Thousand Suns' was, where we were like 'Fuck it, we're just going to go bonkers."

"A Thousand Suns" polarized the band's fans, while not selling nearly as many copies as the group's previous three multi-platinum studio efforts.

Shinoda told The Pulse Of Radio at the time that LINKIN PARK were glad they went in a new direction. "I think we were just at a point where were hearing out things out there in the music world, a lot of stuff that was kind of boring us," he said. "The music that we were writing that sounded like something that LINKIN PARK would do was kind of boring us. And we wanted to really challenge ourselves to try something that felt fresh and exciting."

Bennington also told Kerrang!, "Over the previous two records, we were trying hard to break out of the nu-metal box that we'd found ourselves in. It's very easy to characterize us as that based on (first two albums) 'Hybrid Theory' and 'Meteora', but we knew there was more to us than that . . . I feel like we've found a place where we've become comfortable in our skin."

Bennington also revealed that the band would stay away from the political themes it tackled on "A Thousand Suns", writing more this time "about relationships."

Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based extreme metallers KATAKLYSM will release a multidisc DVD, "The Iron Will: 20 Years Determined", on June 19 via Nuclear Blast. The set will depict the ups and downs of the band's long, turbulent career, as well as footage of KATAKLYSM's performance at last year's Summer Breeze festival, which took place August 18-20, 2011 in Dinkelsbühl, Germany. The cover art for the release was created by artist Colin Marks (ORIGIN, EXODUS, NEVERMORE) and can be viewed below.

Commented KATAKLYSM frontman Maurizio Iacono: "Director Tommy Jones has really captured the band's story and magic on this thing. I'm super-excited; this DVD will turn many heads. Our fans will be proud. Most of all, I got memories immortalized of a beautiful story. If we don't earn the respect with this, then the ones not giving it are in the wrong biz."

The third trailer for "The Iron Will: 20 Years Determined" can be seen below.

KATAKLYSM recently recorded the single "The Iron Will" in Montreal, Canada with guitarist/producer Jean-François Dagenais. It was mixed Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, BEHEMOTH, MNEMIC) in Denmark and will be made available with a video clip on iTunes one month before the release of "The Iron Will: 20 Years Determined".

KATAKLYSM's "At The Edge Of The World" video was filmed on March 20, 2011 at the band's hometown show at Club Soda. This concert also marked the end of the group's "Spread the Venom" European/North American tour. The video was helmed by director Tommy Jones (DEATH ANGEL, SOILWORK), who is also working with KATAKLYSM on "The Iron Will: 20 Years Determined".

KATAKLYSM's latest album, "Heaven's Venom", sold around 2,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 8 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.

KATAKLYSM's previous CD, "Prevail", opened with 2,250 units back in June 2008.

"Heaven's Venom" was produced by Jean-Francois Dagenais and was mixed by Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, MNEMIC, DARK TRANQUILLITY).

Drummer Blas Elias (SLAUGHTER) on and bassist Chris Kael (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) joined SIN CITY SINNERS on stage last night (Sunday, April 15) at Las Vegas, Nevada's Ovation (inside Green Valley Ranch Resort) to perform a cover version of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "You've Got Another Thing Comin'". Video footage of the performance can be seen below.

SIN CITY SINNERS recently announced its newest addition, actor/musician Zach Throne. Zach joins original SINNERS Todd Kerns (SLASH), Brent Muscat (FASTER PUSSYCAT) and Rob Cournoyer (RAGING SLAB).

As a musician, Zach has recorded, performed and/or toured with Susanna Hoffs of THE BANGLES, Jerry Cantrell of ALICE IN CHAINS, ANTHRAX, BARENAKED LADIES, Lemmy from MOTÖRHEAD, CHEAP TRICK, Meat Loaf and Jamie Walters. As a session vocalist for television and film, Zach has performed on many commercial jingles as well as sung the Greg Brady vocals for the films "The Brady Bunch Movie" and "A Very Brady Sequel". He also sang the theme song for the ABC television series "Grace Under Fire". As an actor, Zach starred in the Fox television series "The Heights", and performed on the show's hit song, "How Do You Talk To An Angel?", which reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart in 1992. Other acting credits include "Beverly Hills 90210", "Party Of Five", "ER", and "CSI". He is the voice for the online video game sensations "Bejeweled" and "Bejeweled Blitz".

SIN CITY SINNERS released its third album, "A Sinners' Christmas" late last year. It was recorded, mixed and mastered at Hit Track Studios in Las Vegas and produced by Brent Muscat and Tom Parham, and executive-produced by Jason Green.

In 2010, SIN CITY SINNERS released two CDs of original music, "Exile on Fremont Street" and the all-acoustic "Broken Record". The SINNERS' music video, "Goin' To Vegas", received the 32nd annual Telly Award and the track "Numb" was nominated for an AVN award for "Best Original Song".

Toronto, Ontario, Canada's WARMACHINE has announced the addition of drummer Darren Smith (HAREM SCAREM) to the group's ranks. Smith joins the band as the replacement for Dave Langguth (NELLY FURTADO, RIK EMMETT, GILBY CLARKE), who was in WARMACHINE for less than a year.

WARMACHINE's next live appearance will take place on May 31 at The Rockpile in Etobicoke, Ontario.

WARMACHINE filmed a video for the song "Moving On" in December with director/producer Jeff Hazin of Obsolete Talko Productions.

"Moving On" comes off WARMACHINE's latest album, "Left For Dead", which was released in July 2011 via JMD Records. The CD was once again produced by Murray Daigle and was recorded in Canada.

WARMACHINE's "Raw in the Hammer" DVD contains footage from the band's January 20, 2007 concert at The Underground in Hamilton, a documentary on the band's history, behind-the-scenes footage and more.

WARMACHINE's debut album, "The Beginning of the End", was released in 2006 in North America via Nightmare Records.

"The Beginning of the End" features a guest appearance on three tracks ("Betrayed", "Empty" and "Taunted Souls") by MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson.

For more information, visit www.warmachineonline.com.

Masters of Sumerian black/thrash metal MELECHESH will be joined by session bass player Scorpios of the American black metal band CRIMSON MOON.

Scorpios has been residing in Germany for several years and will be arriving in Amsterdam on Tuesday for intensive rehearsal sessions. His first show will be April 20 at Dubai's Holy Noise metal event. This will mark MELECHESH's second performance in Dubai, having first played there in 2009 at the Sand Storm festival.

MELECHESH will release a digital EP called "Mystics Of The Pillar II" on April 27 in Europe and May 1 in the U.S. via Nuclear Blast Records.

The EP will contain the following tracks:

01. Mystics Of The Pillar (Alternate Ending)
02. Sacred Geometry (Instrumental)
03. The Epigenesis (Instrumental)

Commented MELECHESH mainman Ashmedi: "We recorded two different ending version of 'Mystics Of The Pillar' — this one changes tempo and picks up steam. Why? Because we felt like it; a song with two different endings is not too common in this day and age. Last minute we chose one to be included on the album, thus the second version was not mixed and mastered 'till a much later date. We also decided to release a couple of instrumental versions to our songs, namely 'The Epigenesis' title track, which is a 12-13 minute epic, and 'Sacred Geometry'. Both are multi-faceted and work perfect just as instrumental works. We actually have an instrumental version of the entire album mixed and mastered so enjoy these couple of tracks."

"The Epigenesis" was recorded in the recently built Babajim Studios in Istanbul, Turkey and was mixed by Reuben de Lautour and mastered by Pieter Snapper.

The "The Epigenesis" cover art was created by the U.K.-based renowned occult artist John Coulthart, who had already collaborated with MELECHESH in the past.

Swedish extreme metallers SHINING will release an EP of cover songs with a choice of material that will come as a surprise to many of the band's fans. The four-track EP, titled "Lots of Girls Gonna Get Hurt", includes tracks from KATATONIA, KENT, IMPERIET and POETS OF THE FALL, and is due for release on Spinefarm Records on May 16.

While KATATONIA is an internationally recognised name, KENT and Thåström's IMPERIET are relatively unknown outside of Sweden, where they are two of the country's biggest names, and POETS OF THE FALL is a Finnish band with a substantial following in their own country. Cover art is by Pauline Greefhorst.

Commenting on the decision to release an EP of covers, as well as on the choice of material, SHINING's frontman and founder Niklas Kvarforth had this to say: "In no way should this EP be seen as a new direction for SHINING, and it is absolutely no indication of what you can expect from our upcoming eighth album. Like most musicians neither myself, nor the rest of the band, restrict ourselves to listening to only one genre of music. We all have eclectic tastes, and finding ourselves with some spare time in the studio, we recorded a total of six covers, and decided to release four of them. This EP simply represents some of the artists and music that we like. We know that those fans of SHINING who limit themselves to a narrow musical spectrum will hate the album, but that really is of no concern to us."

SHINING's as-yet-untitled eighth full-length album will be released in the fall.

A trailer for "Tragic Idol", the new album from British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST, can be seen below. Due on April 24 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records, the CD was recorded in part at The Chapel studios in Lincolnshire, England and features cover art by by Parisian designer Valnoir, who has previously worked with MORBID ANGEL, LAIBACH, ULVER and WATAIN, among others.

"Tragic Idol" track listing:

01. Solitary One (04:08)
02. Crucify (04:08)
03. Fear Of Impending Hell (05:25)
04. Honesty In Death (04:08)
05. Theories From Another World (05:02)
06. In This We Dwell (03:55)
07. To The Darkness (05:09)
08. Tragic Idol (04:35)
09. Worth Fighting For (04:12)
10. The Glorious End (05:23)

In addition to the standard CD, "Tragic Idol" will be made available in the following formats:

* 180-gram gatefold LP (black vinyl)

* Limited 2-CD box set including:
- Alternative cover artwork in matte/glossy print on the box
- CD Digipak, coated in silver foil, imprinted with glossy varnish
- Extended 24-page booklet, imprinted with glossy varnish and special Pantone gold color
- Bonus CD including one brand new studio track "Ending Through Changes" and the SPEAR OF DESTINY cover version "Never Take Me Alive"

* Strictly limited deluxe box set (box with a golden foil print)

* EMP edition (200 copies) including:
- Limited 2-CD box set
- Gatefold LP (gold colored vinyl)
- 7-Inch (gold colored vinyl)
- PARADISE LOST army cap
- A1 "Tragic Idol" poster
- Tragic Idol slipmat
- Hand-numbered certificate of authenticity

* Amazon edition (GER 400 copies & FR 200 copies) including:
- Limited 2-CD Box Set
- Gatefold LP (White Colored Vinyl)
- 7-inch (White Colored Vinyl)
- Paradise Lost Army Cap
- A1 Tragic Idol poster
- "Tragic Idol" slipmat
- Hand-numbered certificate of authenticity

* Nuclear Blast edition (400 copies) including:
- Limited 2CD box set
- Gatefold LP (dark-blue-colored vinyl)
- 7-inch (dark-blue-colored vinyl)
- PARADISE LOST army cap
- A1 "Tragic Idol" poster
- "Tragic Idol" slipmat
- Hand-numbered certificate of authenticity

Band edition (250 copies) including:
- Strictly limited 2CD box set
- Gatefold LP (dark sand marbled colored vinyl)
- 7-inch (dark sand marbled colored vinyl)
- PARADISE LOST Army Cap
- A1 "Tragic Idol" poster
- "Tragic Idol" slipmat
- Hand-numbered certificate of authenticity

A track from "Tragic Idol" entitled "Crucify" can be streamed below. Singer Nick Holmes stated about the song, "My father always used to say that typical life stresses were crucifying him. I always thought it was such a dramatic way of stating that. He was just uncomfortable with a situation that would soon be remedied. I also refer to an actual person as a literal crucifixion at the end. The words 'for eternity you’re my sentence' is my favorite line on the whole album."

PARADISE LOST's new video, "Honesty In Death", can be seen below. The clip was filmed in the United Kingdom with director Matt Green, who previously helmed the "Cathedrals Of Dread" video for Mackintosh's death metal side project VALLENFYRE.

Commented guitarist Greg Mackintosh: "We are very excited about the premiere of our 'Honesty In Death' video. In my opinion, it is the best video we have ever done. Matt Green, who I had previously worked with on the VALLENFYRE 'Cathedrals Of Dread' video, directed it. He did such a great job with VALLENFYRE that we knew he would be able to do something really special for PARADISE LOST. The result is a very powerful, but very grim short film with brief cameos by the band, that is sure to resonate with people who see it."

"Here Now", the new 11 Frames-produced video from Swedish hard rockers OUTSHINE, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's new album, "Addiction", which will be released on June 6 via Rambo Music, a division of Gain Music Entertainment (which is distributed and partly owned by Sony Music). The CD was recorded last fall at Grand Recordings studio in Gothenburg, Sweden with producers Svein Jensen (M.A.N, SISTER SIN, HIDE THE KNIVES, TROUBLEMAKERS, DEVILICIOUS) and Jimmy Norberg (OUTSHINE guitarist) and was mastered by Göran Finnberg (MESHUGGAH, OPETH, THE HAUNTED, IN FLAMES).

The "Here Now" single is being released today (Monday, April 16) via iTunes and Spotify.

Commented Norberg: "The album, written as an album, is more direct, straightforward and has a dark and melodic touch to it. The album has been written and recorded under great stress and agony, with two member changes, broken relationships, broken down studio work and economy crisis making it tough and time-consuming.... but in the end it turned out great. It think your hear it in the sound, the vibe and the lyrics. A perfect set-up for a dark, melancholy, powerful OUTSHINE album!"

OUTSHINE is:

Erlend Jegstad - Vocals
Jimmy Norberg - Guitar
Fredrik Kretz - Drums
Reine Svensson - Bass

Ex-GUNS N' ROSES drummer Matt Sorum says that he feels "truly blessed beyond [his] wildest dreams" to have been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame alongside his former GN'R bandmates.

After being inducted by GREEN DAY's Billie Joe Armstrong last night (Saturday, April 14) in Cleveland, Ohio, Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler and Sorum gave short speeches. They then proceeded to perform three "Appetite For Destruction" songs with ALTER BRIDGE's Myles Kennedy handling lead vocals. He sang "Mr. Brownstone", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City", with "Use Your Illusion"-era member Sorum sitting behind the drum kit on "Brownstone" and the man he replaced in GN'R, Adler, pounding the skins for the other two songs.

In a series of tweets from yesterday and today, Sorum wrote, "From today forward, I will not be commenting on GUNS N' ROSES. Or making any remarks about the future.

"Thank you to all the fans.

"The legacy continues without my commentary.

"Feel truly blessed today beyond my wildest dreams.

"I was a kid that just loved rock and roll and never new I would see this. Honored and emotional to the core.

"Eternally grateful to Steven Adler for sharing the stage with me. Proud of how far he has come to get to get to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. Congrats, my friend. Your music is a piece of rock and roll history.

"Let's honor the music and its legacy. This is for how great it was to be in a band with a bunch of pirates!!!! AXL!!!!! AXL!!!!! AXL!!!!

"I said I wouldn't comment to the press. I will do whatever I choose on my Twitter. Have already been offered 25 press things today and have turned them all down."

Eric Greif, the former manager of DEATH and president of Perseverance Holdings Ltd., which manages Chuck Schuldiner's (DEATH, CONTROL DENIED) legacy, was interviewed at the DEATH/Schuldiner portion of the Golden Gods: The History Of Heavy Metal exhibition, which opened on April 11 at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, California. You can watch the chat below. Through rare artifacts from iconic metal bands and interactive experiences, the exhibit teaches visitors about the origins of heavy metal, its many subgenres, the bands that made heavy metal famous and offers a look into the controversy that has surrounded the genre for the past four decades.

Launching on the same day as the Revolver Golden Gods award show taking place next door at Club Nokia at L.A. Live, this is the first major museum exhibition to explore heavy metal in America, and the genre's impact across the globe. Visitors can enjoy a wide-array of items, including:

* Handwritten lyrics and sketches from MOTÖRHEAD's Lemmy Kilmister;
* Several wardrobe pieces, from acts like BLACK SABBATH and GWAR;
* Stage props from bands such as Alice Cooper, IRON MAIDEN, SLAYER and more;
* An interactive "scream booth," designed to introduce metal vocal technique;
* Several famous guitars including Chuck Schuldiner's (DEATH) B.C. Rich Stealth;
* Concert posters, tour books and fan memorabilia

Exhibit runs until February 2013.

Chuck died on December 13, 2001 after a battle with pontine glioma, a rare type of brain tumor.

For more information, go to this location.

Former GUNS N' ROSES members Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler, Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke performed three "Appetite For Destruction" songs with Myles Kennedy at the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony last night (Saturday, April 14) in Cleveland, Ohio. Kennedy, who handles lead vocals in Slash's solo band and ALTER BRIDGE, sang "Mr. Brownstone", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City", with "Use Your Illusion"-era member Sorum sitting behind the drum kit on "Brownstone" and the man he replaced in GN'R, Adler, pounding the skins for the other two songs.

Video footage of the performance can be seen below.

"I am overwhelmed," McKagan said of the honor. He also addressed singer Axl Rose's absence during his acceptance speech, saying, "I don't know if it matters who's here tonight because it's about the music that band created."

Slash said, "We have new fans who have never seen the original lineup and they're pulling for us."

Adler quoted QUEEN's "We Are the Champions": "You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it, and I thank you all."

Comedian Chris Rock, during his introductory speech for GN'R's fellow inductees RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, stated about Axl Rose towards the end of the night, "A lot of people are disappointed that Axl Rose isn't here. But let's face it, even if he was going to be here, he still wouldn't be here yet."

GREEN DAY's Billie Joe Armstrong delivered the induction speech for GN'R, saying, "The first time I saw GUNS N' ROSES on MTV, I thought, 'One of these guys could end up dead or in jail,'" He raved about "Appetite For Destruction", calling it "the best debut album in the history of rock and roll."

Here's Armstrong's speech in its entirety:

"The first time I saw GUNS N' ROSES on MTV, I thought, 'One of these guys could end up dead or in jail.'

"The opening riff for 'Welcome To The Jungle' is a descending trip into the underworld of Los Angeles. This ride was not about parties, glamour or power ballads. It was about the seedy underworld of misfits, drug addicts, paranoia, sex, violence, love and anger in the cracks of Hollywood. It was a breath of fresh air.

"Needless to say, I bought the record.

"'Appetite For Destruction' is the best debut record in the history of rock and roll. [wild applause] You could name a few others if you want, but tonight? GUNS N' ROSES owns that crown, for sure. Every song hits hard on all emotional levels. It takes you on a trip through the seedy underworld of Los Angeles in brutal sequence: 'Welcome To The Jungle', 'It's So Easy', 'Nighttrain', 'Out Ta Get Me', 'Mr. Brownstone', 'Paradise City', 'My Michelle', 'Think About You', 'Sweet Child O' Mine', 'You're Crazy', 'Anything Goes' and 'Rocket Queen'.

"Jamming in a sweaty hole in the wall, writing songs on pizza boxes and bar napkins, looking for a free drink and a place to crash, and they did it for the love of playing loud-ass rock and roll music. The thing that set them apart from everyone else is guts, heart and soul. And most importantly, they told the truth and painted a picture of the mad world that they lived in.

"I fucking hated power ballads. I hated jock party anthems. As a young musician, I craved something more.

"'Appetite For Destruction' delivered. Ultimately, they became the biggest and best rock and roll band and that was off one album.

"After that, GUNS N' ROSES delivered with 'GN'R Lies' — half live album and half an acoustic record. Most people think acoustic records might show off the more sensitive side of a rock musician.

"[Laughing] It's not sensitive. But this record made them come across as outlaws and they never lost their edge for one second.

"(At that point, an audience member shouted, 'I used to love her!,' to which Armstrong responded by finishing the chorus, "But I had to kill her!').

"The song 'Patience' is an eternal ballad about love and anxiety as if the character was trying to talk himself off the edge of a 20-story building. There's also the humor of 'I Used To Love Her But...'

"[Here, he let the audience finish the line 'I had to kill her!']

"Who knows if that's humor?

"As they say, every joke has its truth.

"And 'One In A Million', that's when the shit hit the fan. It basically told the story of an ignorant farm boy that moved to a diverse unknown city and that's all I will say about that...

"And then they delivered not one, but two albums. 'Use Your Illusion I' and 'Use Your Illusion II', the new GN'R records that had fans literally crashing the record stores to hear what GUNS had come up with next. These records showed off a wide range of rock anthems — 'Right Next Door To Hell', 'You Could Be Mine' to grand piano ballads like 'November Rain' and 'Don't Cry', then taking the listener into unknown head trips that maybe a serial killer could understand?

"This era of the band took them to new global heights, touring arenas and stadiums, big-ass expensive videos and public pretties, outcry, meltdowns, controversy and playing in countries that Duff can't even remember being in.

All the ingredients of a great rock and roll band.

"Steven Adler, your drumming (wild applause) on 'Appetite For Destruction' was perfect. It was like the perfect combination between slamming hard rock songs and laying into a great groove. It's fucking unbelievable, man. Great.

"Matt Sorum. You took over seamlessly and you brought in, um [Armstrong pauses] What did you bring in? You brought in new dynamics and power and your first gig was Rock In Rio. Welcome to the band!

"Dizzy Reed, you play a mean keyboard. Keep up with the good job.

"Duff McKagan. The Seattle transplant punk rock kid. You're like Johnny Thunders with a bass. The bass line to 'Sweet Child O' Mine' is so good, you can sing along to it. And you got a great family over here, all proud of you and (expletive). And you were in a band called THE FARTS.

"Izzy Stradlin. Wherever you are, I hope you can hear me right now. You're probably driving an RV across Egypt right now. You're like the Miles Davis of rock and roll. The way you played and weaved with Slash was an effortless craft. You've got that Ronnie Wood mojo, I'll tell you right now.

"Gilby Clarke. I love you. Where are you? Gilby Clarke. He's out there somewhere.

"Slash. [loud applause] While every guitar geek in L.A. was riding on the coattails of Eddie Van Halen, you took a totally different approach. You bridged the gap between Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Joe Perry and you brought it into your own modern era.

"I can immediately identify your leads and riffs because you embodied them. Your guitar playing is an extension of your heart and soul. To see you without a guitar and a top hat is just plain weird.

"You know, originally, they wanted us to play GUNS N' ROSES songs. GREEN DAY. Play GUNS N' ROSES songs. So I've got a 13-year-old son that's learning how to play guitar from YouTube. And so he's playing like STROKES songs and he's getting really good at it. And they asked us to play and I thought, 'Well, I could learn how to play 'Paradise City' from YouTube, yeah, because my son's doing it.'

"And there was this 12-year-old kid on YouTube playing 'Paradise City' better... He was a better guitar player than I could possibly ever be. And I just thought to myself, 'Guys, we are not going to play... there's no way we could do this justice — it's impossible.'

"So thanks for making me look bad in front of my 13-year-old son, Slash.

"And let's see, who am I missing?

"[Crowd boos at the first reference to Axl Rose, who refused to show up.]

"You know... No, shut the fuck up. Shut up. Shut up. This man's a bad-ass fucking singer. One of the best frontmen to ever touch a microphone. Your lyrics are heartfelt, passionate, angry.... And you tell the truth, no matter what the cost.

Your vocal range goes from a quiet whisper to a powerhouse until you're screaming bloody murder. [Sings] And you're fucking crazy.

"Most singers are crazy. I can vouch for that right now. But you know, being in a band, is a very complex thing. You go through eras and chapters of your life. Most people don't go through any eras or chapters. They just sit around and watch TV and do the same thing over and over again every single day. But being in a band, your eras and your chapters are your albums. That's your craft. You can name that time of your life. That's an era of your life right there. You talk about where you were at when you wrote this song. You talk about where you recorded it. You talk about the first time that you ever played it. This is your life. This is our lives. This is what we do.

"But sometimes, you gotta look back at the old chapters if you want to move forward. And the reason why you have to look backwards, is to know where you fucking come from.

"Ladies and gentlemen, GUNS N' ROSES!"

Clarke played guitar with GN'R in the 1990s but was not inducted.

Some 7,000 fans packed Public Auditorium for the sold-out event.

Check out photos:

* Wire Image - Inside
* Wire Image - Show
* Wire Image - Arrivals
* Wire Image – Press Room
* Film Magic - Show
* Film Magic - Press Room
* Getty Images - Show
* Getty Images - Press Room
* Getty Images - Arrivals

Before he suffered a heart attack and underwent an emergency operation in late March, Jerry Gaskill, drummer for legendary rockers KING'S X, was busy demoing material for his upcoming solo album with Nashville-based songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist D.A. Karkos.

In a new online posting, Karkos writes about Gaskill's upcoming CD, "As of now, we have 11 killer songs that we believe will be some of Jerry's (and my) best work to date. And when the time comes, we plan on having some very special guest musicians/friends lend some of their talents to the record as well. Needless to say (but I'm saying it anyway), we are very excited about all of this!

"And to quote Jerry, speaking of his recent heart attack and recovery from his public thank you video: 'This is a really bad situation that I think has turned into a really good situation.' There is no doubt in our minds that we we'll see evidence of this truth on this record."

In 2005, Karkos was guitarist and backing vocalist for Gaskill's well-received solo performances on the East Coast and became songwriting foil and producer afterward. He helped Jerry write and arrange the song "Julie", which appeared on KING'S X's fifteenth album.

The Karkos/Gaskill partnership will bear further creative fruit in a 2012 album on EMMJAM Records.

EX DEO, the Ancient Roman-themed arsenal fronted by KATAKLYSM singer Maurizio Iacono, has completed work on its sophomore album, "Caligvla", for an August 31 release via Austria's Napalm Records. The CD was mixed by KATAKLYSM guitarist Jean-François Dagenais, who has previously worked with MALEVOLENT CREATION, MISERY INDEX and DESPISED ICON, among others. The artwork and layout for the album will be handled by SEPTICFLESH's Seth Siro Anton.

Commented the band: "Eight months in the making and we are sure we have a classic album in our hands, producer JF Dagenais has done a fabulous and great production, all guests appearances are massive, the gods are pleased. Expect the artwork to be unveiled very soon and also a new teaser trailer. Where all have failed in the past... EX DEO will succeed, Roma caput mundi!! Epic Roman-inspired metal!!"

EX DEO debuted a brand new song "I, Caligvla", on April 1 at Club Soda in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as part of the "Paganfest America Part III" tour with TURISAS, ALESTORM, ARKONA and HUNTRESS. Video footage of the performance can be seen below.

In addition to the previously announced guest appearances by ALL SHALL PERISH guitarist Francesco Artusato and TRISTANIA singer Mariangela Demurtas, "Caligvla" will feature contributions from SEPTICFLESH's Seth Siro Anton and GRAVEWORM's Stefano Fiori. Every invited guest on the album is of Roman or Greek descent.

"Caligvla" track listing:

01. I, Caligvla
02. The Tiberius Cliff (Exile To Capri)
03. Per Oculos Aquila
04. Pollice Verso (Damnatio Ad Bestia)
05. Divide Et Impera
06. Burned To Serve As Nocturnal Light
07. Teutuborg (Ambush Of Varus)
08. Along The Appian Way
09. Once Were Romans
10. Evocatio: The Temple Of Castor & Pollux

The "Caligvla" cover artwork can be seen below.

EX DEO recently canceled its participation in the "Paganfest America Part III" tour due to delays in the production of "Caligvla". The band still performed with Paganfest on April 1 in Montreal at Club Soda and April 2 in Toronto at The Opera House.

EX DEO last year completed a North American tour with NILE, PSYCROPTIC and KEEP OF KALESSIN.

"Romulus", the debut album from EX DEO, landed at position No. 90 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.

Legendary rock band RUSH will herald the release of its new album, "Clockwork Angels", with a new single, "Headlong Flight", landing at rock radio on April 19.

The cover artwork for the single can be seen below.

RUSH's first new collection of original material in over five years and their first studio release via Anthem/Roadrunner Records, "Clockwork Angels" will be released on June 12.

The recording of "Clockwork Angels" began in April 2010 with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES) — who also collaborated with the band on their last studio album, 2007's "Snakes & Arrows". RUSH co-produced both records. The first two songs, "Caravan" and "BU2B", were completed during that first session at Nashville's Blackbird studios and performed nightly during the wildly successful Time Machine Tour, which ran from June 2010 to June 2011. Work on "Clockwork Angels" resumed in the fall of 2011 at Revolution Recording in Toronto after the tour's finale, with additional strings (arranged by David Campbell) recorded at Hollywood's Ocean Way Studios earlier this year. Lyrically, "Clockwork Angels" chronicles a young man's quest across a lavish and colorful world of steampunk and alchemy as he attempts to follow his dreams. The story features lost cities, pirates, anarchists, an exotic carnival, and a rigid Watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life. The novelization of "Clockwork Angels" is being written by science fiction writer Kevin J. Anderson in collaboration with RUSH drummer and lyricist Neil Peart.

"Clockwork Angels" track listing:

01. Caravan
02. BU2B
03. Clockwork Angels
04. The Anarchist
05. Carnies
06. Halo Effect
07. Seven Cities Of Gold
08. The Wreckers
09. Headlong Flight
10. BU2B2
11. Wish Them Well
12. The Garden