Formed simply as a metamorphosis of cult speed metal act ZNÖWHITE, Chicago's CYCLONE TEMPLE stormed back onto the thrash metal scene with their Combat Records debut album, "I Hate Therefore I Am", and the future was finally looking extremely prosperous for the band. Unfortunately, as with far too many bands back then, they were unable to fully capitalize on the growing momentum because of personal struggles within their ranks and then the sudden closing of Combat Records.

When Sony Records closed the doors at Combat, this left CYCLONE TEMPLE without a label, but instead of calling it quits, the band regrouped and soldiered on. They continued combining elements of thrash metal, groove and even reggae into a style that was misunderstood and too far ahead of its time back in the early '90s.

"Building Errors In The Machine" and "My Friend Lonely", two formerly independent and diverse releases, are collected in a deluxe edition reissue with remastered audio and new essay by editor-in-chief of AOL Music's Noisecreep, Carlos Ramirez.

"My Friend Lonely" (deluxe edition) CD/digital track listing:

01. Hate Makes Hate
02. Down The Drain
03. My Friend Lonely
04. Me, Myself & I
05. Drug Of The Masses
06. Comfortably Superficial
07. Killing Floor
08. Time Heals All
09. The Law Of Relativity

Bonus Tracks

"Building Errors In The Machine" EP

10. Hate Makes Hate
11. Me, Myself & I
12. Down The Drain
13. Killing Floor
14. Drug Of The Masses

"My Friend Lonely" will be released on May 8.

French metallers DARKNESS DYNAMITE are currently working on the follow-up to 2009's "The Astonishing Fury Of Mankind" for a late 2012 release. The instrumental parts for the new CD were recorded at Electrik Box Studio in Lille, France with Olive t'Servrancx while the vocals were laid down in Los Angeles. The mixing and mastering duties will once again be handled by Remyboy (MATS & MORGANS, DEMIANS, SYN, RODRIGUE) at AhddenTeam Studio in Lille.

DARKNESS DYNAMITE was formed in January 2007 and recorded its first EP, "Through The Ashes Of The Wolves", in June of that same year. After selling out the first pressing of the EP, DARKNESS DYNAMITE decided to take things a step further and started the composition of its first album. As the writing process unfolded, a few artistic feuds begin to arise between the band and their former singer, who was later asked to leave the group. Armed with a replacement frontman in Junior Rodriguez, the band's music started flowing again, only even stronger, as clear lines are drawn and the artistic direction becomes more defined.

According to a press release, DARKNESS DYNAMITE "combines heavy guitars, massive grooves and an intuitive sense for great harmonies and melodies to turn them into fantastic metal songs! [The band] integrates all of the modern metal flavours but takes inspiration from '80s metal with references such as METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, PANTERA and SEPULTURA. Their new vocal signature opens them a brand new horizon: heavy metal, rock, power metal… METAL!"

CANDLEBOX is set to hit the road this spring in support of its first studio album in nearly four years, "Love Stories & Other Musings". The first leg, covering 22 cities, launches on April 7 in Pensacola, Florida.

Produced by Ken Andrews (PETE YORN, A PERFECT CIRCLE, TENACIOUS D, BECK), "Love Stories & Other Musings" features nine new tracks and five bonus tracks, re-recordings of some of the band's biggest hits, including "Far Behind" and "Cover Me".

The enthusiasm for this new record is not just reserved for the fans, "Years ago I read something that changed the way I look at EVERYTHING! It struck so deeply that I have never forgotten it. It simply stated, 'without music, life would be a mistake,'" says CANDLEBOX lead vocalist and co-founder Kevin Martin. "I've never forgotten it, even when I was struggling to find a song or a melody it kept me searching and frankly I could not imagine my life without it [music]. This record for me is no mistake, it is our music and our love for what a great gift we have been given. 'Love Stories & Other Musings' is a new direction for us and I couldn't be happier to share it with our fans."

"I haven't felt this way about a release from CANDLEBOX since our first record. The feeling for this record is both refreshing and stimulating," adds guitarist Peter Klett. "I can't be more excited to release this music to the fans who have been with us for so long."

After signing to their new label AudioNest, CANDLEBOX are carving their own role in today's modern music scene, thanks to the support of their loyal fans. They have spent much of the past five years playing Stateside and abroad for troops and appearing at festivals on multiple continents.

"Love Stories & Other Musings" will be released on April 3. The official lyric video for the CD's first single, "Believe In It", can be seen below.

KISS performed two songs — "Detroit Rock City" and "Calling Dr. Love" — on last night's (Tuesday, March 20) episode of ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (which actually aired early this morning). Video footage of their appearance can be seen below.

KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE held a press conference yesterday (Tuesday, March 20) at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California to officially announce details of their co-headlining 2012 North American summer tour, simply dubbed "The Tour". The trek — which will see KISS closing the show each night — will kick off on July 20 in Bristow, Virginia and will run through September 23 in Hartford, Connecticut. The Live Nation-promoted tour will go on sale beginning Friday, March 23 at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com. The KISS Army fan club pre-sales begin Wednesday, March 21 at 10 a.m.

KISS has completed recording its new album, "Monster", for a summer release. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "It's A Long Way Down", "Back To The Stone Age", "Shout Mercy", "Out Of This World", "Wall Of Sound" and "Hell Or Hallelujah".

"Wake Initiated Lucid Dream", the new Yves Gaillard-directed video from French metallers W.I.L.D., can be seen below. The song comes off the band's third full-length album, "Agony Of Indecision", which was released earlier this month via Klonosphere/Season Of Mist.

Originally called WILD KARNIVOR, W.I.L.D. formed in 2000, but due to some lineup changes, it was only in 2006 that the band recorded its debut album, "Embryon". A follow-up effort, "Aeternum Vale", came out in 2003. After signing with French label Klonosphere in 2011, the band issued "Agony Of Indecision".

A powerful live act, W.I.L.D. has shared the stage with such high-profile bands as NO RETURN, TEXTURES, DAGOBA, THE OCEAN and IMMOLATION.

For more information, visit www.wildkarnivor.com.

WILD ZOMBIE BLAST GUIDE, the German thrashcore band featuring members of THE NEW BLACK, SALTATIO MORTIS and CONSFEARACY, will made its self-titled debut album available as a free download on April 4 via Bandcamp. "Wild Zombie Blast Guide" is also available as a physical CD (digipack, including an exclusive vinyl-optic disc) at the group's webshop at a low price.

"Wild Zombie Blast Guide" track listing:

01. Shut Up (03:48)
02. Dark Sun (03:08)
03. The Harder You Fall (04:04)
04. Doubletap (03:52)
05. Momentum (04:03)
06. Blood War (04:00)
07. Evolving In Illusions (03:15)
08. Wrong Turn (03:22)
09. Kill The Brain (02:34)
10. Probing Eyes (03:46)

According to a new tweet from STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor, "construction" on the band's new album began yesterday. He added, "It's gonna be a motherfucking MONSTER."

Taylor previously said that STONE SOUR's follow-up to 2010's "Audio Secrecy" would probably be recorded in Iowa with producer David Bottrill, who has previously worked with TOOL, MUSE and Peter Gabriel, among others.

"I am looking forward to basically becoming a mad scientist in the studio and creating an album that no one wants us to make," Taylor told ARTISTdirect. "I pretty much got permission to do whatever I wanted, which means that I'm essentially going against the grain in an age where people are fucking trying to simply put out singles. We're looking to do a double concept album and really make it destructive."

He added, "Picture [PINK FLOYD's] 'The Wall' meets [ALICE IN CHAINS'] 'Dirt' on steroids, and that will give you a taste of what I'm shooting for right now. The stuff we have right now is nuclear. It's pretty much going to go all the way. It's dark as shit. There's so much balls out rock on it as well as some good headpunchers and some really cool fucking dark pieces. I'm really excited about it."

Taylor said about the storyline for the next STONE SOUR record, "It's basically the story of a man who's trying to figure it out. He can't figure out if he's happier when he's miserable, or if he's miserable about not being happy. It's almost like a mid-life crisis in a way. He's young enough that he knows that there's still a lot of life to live, but he's old enough to realize that he can't be hung up on the romance of teenage depression and youthful aggression."

CREED and ALTER BRIDGE guitarist Mark Tremonti has revealed the cover artwork of his upcoming debut solo album, "All I Was", tentatively due late spring/early summer. Check it out below.

Working songtitles set to appear on the CD:

* All I Was
* Brains
* So You're Afraid
* You Waste Your Time
* Decay
* New Way Out
* Leave It Alone
* Wish You Well
* Don't Claim
* Proof
* Gone
* All That I Got
* Giving Up
* Doesn't Matter

Tremonti handles all lead vocals on the CD, with additional contributions from Eric Friedman (backing vocals, guitar, bass) and Garrett Whitlock (drums)

Tremonti recently said that his upcoming solo album will be heavier than both CREED and ALTER BRIDGE — and contain even more lead guitar solos than he does with either group. Speaking with ARTISTdirect, Tremonti explained, "It's a dynamic record. It's probably heavier than either CREED or ALTER BRIDGE, but it's still melody-driven. Most of the stuff is more up-tempo and heavy-riffing though. I had to write eleven solos for this record so it took me a long time. There's lots of soloing."

With regards to his vocal performance on the CD, Tremonti told IHeartGuitarBlog.com, "It's the first time I've ever sang on a record, so it was a good challenge for me. . . I've always been a songwriter, so I've sung while I was playing, but I write in my falsetto, so I'm hitting very high notes and all over the place, but I've always had a low range, so for my solo stuff I tune it way down. Y'know, I just never had the confidence before. I think the more I've sang over the years, the more I've developed the confidence in my voice, and I'm finally ready to do it on my own. But it's a whole different world."

"Banesår", a brand new song from the Bergen, Norway-based "hardcore punk sludge metal" band LAKEI, can be streamed below. The track comes off the group's debut album, "Konspirasjoner", which will be released on April 20 via Indie Recordings.

An Indie Recordings press release describes LAKEI's sound in the following way: "Paranoid apocalyptic premonitions. Nuclear war. Massive environmental destruction and corrupt world leaders. Lakei from Bergen, Norway dwell in an angst filled and aggressive dimension; a world in collapse where oppressors feast on the gagged carcass of man. Dystopian nightmares materialize through a straggling offensive of towering bass lines, distorted barb wire guitar attacks and twisted, crass vocals. Imagine AMEBIX and AXEGRINDER dismembering NEUROSIS on an altar of early black metal, wrapped in shadowy post-hardcore, and you might get the gist of it."

"Konspirasjoner" track listing:

01. Domsavsigelse
02. Sarkofag
03. Budbringer
04. Despot
05. Aldri Temmes
06. Ansikter
07. Konspirasjoner
08. Banesår
09. Lakei

Sweden's MISERATION — the collaboration between SCAR SYMMETRY vocalist Christian Älvestam and Jani Stefanovic (ESSENCE OF SORROW, DIVINEFIRE) — has announced the addition of bassist Christian Lundgren to the group's ranks. The band states, "Lundgren has been a friend of Christian for a long time and they have played together in several bands throughout the years. Next to MISERATION, they're currently both a part of QUEST OF AIDANCE as well."

MISERATION is currently recording its third album for a tentative early summer release via Lifeforce Records.

MISERATION's "Dreamdecipher" video can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Markus Rytilahti of Ekman & Winroth.

"Dreamdecipher" comes off MISERATION's sophomore album, "The Mirroring Shadow", which was released in November 2009 via Lifeforce Records. The follow-up to "Your Demons - Their Angels" was recorded at Panic Room studios with producer Tomas "Plec" Johansson.

MISERATION previously described "The Mirroring Shadow" as "a step up, intensity- and aggression-wise," and "more technical than its predecessor." The band added, "This progression both came and felt very natural to us, once the new material started to take shape. Sound-wise, producer Tomas 'Plec' Johansson has really outdone himself on this one, giving the music a productional enviroment to die for! Crushingly pounding, yet crystal clear!"

MISERATION's debut album, "Your Demons, Their Angels", was released in September 2008.

MISERATION is:

Christian Älvestam - Vocals
Marcus "Skägget" Bertilsson - Guitar
Jani Stefanovic - Guitar
Oscar Nilsson - Drums
Christian Lundgren - Bass

Los Angeles-based instrumental progressive metal trio POLARIZATION has inked a deal with Mediaskare Records. The band's debut album, "Chasing The Light", will be released in the spring.

The brainchild of guitarist and songwriter Prashant Mathias, POLARIZATION came together a year and a half ago when Mathias moved here from his native India to attend Musicians Institute in Los Angeles. "It's a big step for the band and for me personally," he states. "I came here two years ago as a scholarship student for MI. I've already achieved the first of many goals by signing a record deal with a label I respect — especially [because they have] bands like VOLUMES and EXOTIC ANIMAL PETTING ZOO."

POLARIZATION's lineup is rounded out by drummer and fellow MI student Tom Asvold, a Swedish transplant, as well as bassist Steve Hilson. They've carved a name and niche for themselves with a heady mix of progressive musical ideas, straightforward metal riffs, free jazz and pulsing electronica that has coalesced into a sound that is uniquely their own.

To date, POLARIZATION has shared stages with ANIMALS AS LEADERS, FAIR TO MIDLAND and PRONG, among others. They will play next on Thursday, March 22 alongside PRONG, BLACK TUSK, IT'S CASUAL and EARLY MAN.

"H.I.V." (Heretic Infected Voracious), the new video from Italian technical death metallers GORY BLISTER, can be seen below. The clip was directed and filmed by Positivecrew (Francesco Faicchia and Massimo Graglia). The song, which describes the human race as a "cancer on the planet that houses it," comes off the band's long-awaited new album, "Earth-Sick", which will be released on April 23 via Bakerteam Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Graveyard Of Angels" contains ten brand-new technical and brutal death metal tracks in the signature style that has always identified the band over the past 20 years. The CD also features NILE frontman Karl Sanders who guests on two tracks, including "Soul-Borne Maladies", which can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

"Earth-Sick" track listing:

01. The Breeding (intro)
02. EarthSick
03. Plague And Pray
04. Decanted Embryos
05. Dominant GenEthics
06. H.I.V.
07. World Damnatomy
08. Soul-Bourne Maladies
09. Serpent Verse
10. Voices From The Sea

Commented GORY BLISTER guitarist Raff: "This new album is probably the best we've ever done. It displays the raw energy we always put into our shows but also the passion that drives us through good and hard times.

"Death metal is not about money, nor about fashion; it's a way of life that requires no compromises. We do this because we believe in it and we want to keep the flame high. Our fans are going to love 'Earth-Sick'!"

GORY BLISTER released its last album, "Graveyard Of Angels", via Mascot Records.

"H.I.V." lyrics:

Fluid as blood, uncoiled like a stream
Of venomous thoughts
Silent and vicious
The species seeps within
Impure, horrific
Evil, sick-sick-sick septic
The viscera degenerate eternally
Twisted hordes flowing through the flesh
Spilled into the red flux of the veins
Crushing all defense
Affliction, contagion, disease
Deviant, human beliefs
We are the cancer, we are the race
Heretic, infected, voracious
We are superior, we are the Faith
Heretic, infected, voracious
Firm and relentless
Civilization falls
Impure, horrific
Evil, sick-sick-sick septic
The planet degenerates eternally
Chemicals spread into the ground
Spilled into the pure flux of the streams
Released in the air
Oblivion, contagion, decay
Deviant, human beliefs
We are the cancer, we are the race
Heretic, infected, voracious
We are superior, we are the Faith
Heretic, infected, voracious
Slithering to extinction
Slightly to perdition

ROB ZOMBIE/ex-MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5 will record a guest appearance on the forthcoming debut album from ADLER, the new band led by former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler. The session is scheduled to take place tomorrow (Wednesday, March 21) at a studio in Los Angeles.

In addition to Steven, ADLER features Lonny Paul (ADLER'S APPETITE) on guitar and Jacob Bunton (LYNAM, MARS ELECTRIC) on vocals/guitar. The group has completed eight songs for its debut album, which is being recorded in Los Angeles with producers Jeff Pilson (former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER/TOOTH AND NAIL bassist) and Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, ADRENALINE MOB).

"I love the music that we're creating!" states Adler. "I haven't been this excited about my band since the GN'R days. Jacob is exactly the singer I have been searching for. He has an amazing range and is a great writer and frontman. Lonny is an amazing guitarist and songwriter and the vibe is amazing!" He added, "I'm so excited for everyone to hear this record!"

Also scheduled to appear on ADLER's debut CD is legendary VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash.

Steven spent the past several years touring and recording with ADLER'S APPETITE, which played original material alongside cover versions of songs from GUNS' classic debut album, "Appetite For Destruction".

In 2010, Adler collaborated with Slash on the latter's self-titled debut solo album. He appeared on the track "Baby Can't Drive", along with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS bassist Flea, Alice Cooper and Nicole Scherzinger. The song was featured on an expanded edition of the album released by Classic Rock magazine.

Adler, Slash, bassist Duff McKagan, singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin will all be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next month in Cleveland, along with later GUNS N' ROSES members, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and drummer Matt Sorum.

Former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis has released a guitar playthrough video for the track "Requiem For The Living" from his forthcoming second solo album, "Plains Of Oblivion". Check it out below.

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

"Plains Of Oblivion" track listing:

01. Mercurial (feat. Marty Friedman)
02. The Ultimatum (feat. Tony MacAlpine)
03. Escape Velocity
04. Tragedy And Harmony (feat. Christine Rhoades)
05. Requiem For The Living (feat. Attila Voros)
06. Continuum Drift (feat. Chris Poland)
07. Surrender (feat. Ihsahn)
08. Chosen Time (feat. Christine Rhoades)
09. Rapture
10. Sibylline Origin

"Surrender" audio stream:

According to the MTV News, actor Johnny Depp and shock rocker Marilyn Manson recorded a cover of Carly Simon's 1972 hit "You're So Vain" for the singer's upcoming eighth studio album, "Born Villain", which is due out on May 1. Depp reportedly played both the lead guitar and drums on the track, while Manson handled the vocal duties.

Speaking about the collaboration, Manson told MTV News that the duo decided on doing "a cover of a song which we thought was ironic for each other." He added, "[Johnny] played drums and lead guitar, and I played guitar and sang. It's a bonus track on my new record and the video will probably be us looking at each other in a mirror."

Depp and Manson first collaborated in 2001 when Manson contributed the song "The Nobodies" to Depp's Jack the Ripper movie "From Hell".

Marilyn Manson's new single, "No Reflection", was premiered on March 7 on the Los Angeles radio station KROQ and can be streamed below.

Manson's U.S. theater tour is scheduled to kick off April 27.

The singer last September unveiled a new music video for the song "Born Villain" directed by actor Shia LaBeouf.

French black metallers HELL MILITIA have inked a deal with Season Of Mist. The band will release its third album in late 2012 via Season Of Mist's Underground Activist division.

Commented the group: "HELL MILITIA are really enthusiastic about that new signing with Season Of Mist. We join many of our comrades and have known some of the Season Of Mist guys for quite a long time so it had to happen someday. There has been a lot of work on the new album, and it was composed in a very special way, far from everything, and even now we are still hard at work on the mix. We can't wait to have the final result in our fucking hands, for sure the sickest opus of HELL MILITIA."

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich has shown up in a new trailer for the upcoming HBO film "Hemingway & Gellhorn". 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.

The original HBO Films production is scheduled to premiere on May 28.

Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio that while he enjoys appearing in movies, he's not interested in pursuing a full-fledged acting career. "The acting thing is not something that I'm chasing," he said. "The couple, three, four things I've done are all people that have come to me and asked me if I wanted to partake. I'm certainly interested in film, I'm passionate about film, but I can't tell you that it's something that I'm chasing, and I don't have any sort of aspirations about being some next-level actor or anything like that."

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.

North American syndicated rock radio show "In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands" celebrates the 25th anniversary of one of the best-selling hard rock albums in history, WHITESNAKE's "1987".

After eight studio albums in 10 years, WHITESNAKE had managed to keep hard rock relevant, in an everchanging '80s rock market in the U.K., while America had yet to fully embrace the band. Bandleader/singer/songwriter David Coverdale was sidelined with a potentially careerending chronic sinus infection midway through this project. Coverdale reveals to show producer and host Redbeard just how serious his health scare was. "He (the doctor) put a small flashlight into my mouth... and said, 'This is the worst sinus infection I've ever seen, I'm surprised you could even talk.' I came back and prepared for surgery and a 50 percent chance I would never be able to perform again."
Three million dollars in debt and having just recovered from throat surgery, Coverdale put it all on the line.

"We shot three videos in two weeks, 'Still Of The Night', 'Here I Go Again', 'Is This Love', and things just went nuts."

"In The Studio" is syndicated on over 50 radio stations throughout North America.

The WHITESNAKE "In The Studio" program will air the week of March 19.

To stream this interview online, go to this location.

A two-minute trailer for "Crypts Of The Unrotten", the sophomore album from German death metallers DAWN OF DISEASE, can be seen below. Due on April 27 via NoiseArt Records, the CD was once again recorded at Soundlodge Studio in Rhauderfehn, Germany with producer Jörg Uken (GOD DETHRONED, DEW-SCENTED, SINISTER).

Commented the band: "After recording our debut album in Soundlodge, it was clear to us to go there again, since we had been very happy with how it turned out the first time. Jörg is a great guy and this time we had much more time to record and all than last time."

The "Crypts Of The Unrotten" concept was based on the eerie Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Sicily, which were constructed after the death of Silvestro of Gubbio, a famous 16th century monk. Four long limestone corridors underneath the Capuchin Church hold about 8,000 mummies, lying in repose or hung from hooks by their necks and feet and wearing their best clothes.

"Our guitar player Lukas 'dug up' the topic and the atmosphere as well as the stories around all those 'crypts' have both fascinated and influenced us as a band," DAWN OF DISEASE said. "It's the main theme of the album and also refers to it unmistakable in the album title."

"Crypts Of The Unrotten" track listing:

01. Descent Into Another World (intro)
02. Alone With The Dead
03. Knife Vs Flesh
04. The Unrotten
05. Skinless And Impaled
06. Enter The Gates
07. Calcined Bones
08. Catacombs
09. Final Resurrection
10. Devouring Obscurity
11. But Death Goes On
12. Soulless Shape (bonus track)

A snippet of the track "Alone With The Dead" can be streamed below.

DAWN OF DISEASE's debut album, "Legends Of Brutality", came out last April via NoiseArt.

DAWN OF DISEASE is:

Tomasz Wisniewski - Vocals
Lukas Kerk - Guitar
Oliver Kirchner - Guitar
Michael Wächter - Bass
Mathias Blässe - Drums

Bulgarian radio show "Tangra Metal Shock" recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Rock 'N' Rolf of reunited German metal legends RUNNING WILD. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

RUNNING WILD will release its brand new album, "Shadowmaker", in Germany on April 20, in the rest of Europe on April 23 and in the U.S./Canada on April 24 via SPV/Steamhammer. The effort will be released as a limited first edition in a black jewel case with silver printing and slipcase plus a 40-minute bonus DVD with a "making-of" documentary and a track-by-track commentary by RUNNING WILD mainman Rock 'N' Rolf. The double gatefold LP will come with printed innersleeves and clear vinyl. There also will be a boxset limited to 1,000 copies worldwide. It contains 2 LPs, the black jewel case with the DVD, a poster, a sticker, a postcard and a 30-page book in LP size about the history of the band.

The cover of "Shadowmaker" is the most unusual in the history of the band, but when you listen to the title track and read the lyrics, you will understand the meaning of it. It was created by Rock 'N' Rolf and Jens Reinhold (EVERGREY, FREEDOM CALL, VIRGIN STEELE), who will also handle artwork for all configurations.

Black Jewel Case + DVD track listing:

CD

01. Piece Of The Action (4:25)
02. Riding On The Tide (4:18)
03. I Am Who I Am (4:51)
04. Black Shadow (5:13)
05. Locomotive (4:35)
06. Me & The Boys (5:00)
07. Shadowmaker (4:25)
08. Sailing Fire (4:14)
09. Into The Black (4:57)
10. Dracula (7:29)

DVD

* Making of "Shadowmaker"
* Track-by-track commentary by Rock 'N' Rolf

Length: approximately 40 min

LP track listing:

LP 1

Side 1

01. Piece Of The Action (4:25)
02. Riding On The Tide (4:18)
03. I Am Who I Am (4:51)

Side 2

01. Black Shadow (5:13)
02. Locomotive (4:35)
03. Me & The Boys (5:00)

LP 2

Side 1

01. Shadowmaker (4:25)
02. Sailing Fire (4:14)
03. Into The Black (4:57)

Side 2

01. Dracula (7:29)

Box Set:

* 2 LPs, clear vinyl
* Black jewel case including DVD
* Poster
* Postcard
* Sticker
* 30 page book in LP size about the history of the band plus photos
* 35 x 35 cm
* Hard cardboard material with top

An audio sample of the song "Riding On The Tide" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

Swedish hard rockers FATAL SMILE will release their new album, "21st Century Freaks", on May 7 via FS Records/GMR Music Group. The CD was produced by Mr. Y, engineered/recorded by Philty and mixed by the two of them together. The mastering duties were handled by Mats "Limpan" Lindfors at Cutting Room Studios.

"21st Century Freaks" track listing:

01. Welcome To The Freakshow
02. Nailed To The Wall
03. Raisning Hell In Heaven
04. Judgement Day
05. Broken Heart
06. My Private Hell
07. Scarecrow
08. Innocent
09. Break This Chains
10. Take It To The Limit
11. For The Last In Line

After playing 350 shows internationally during their "World Domination Tour" with such bands as DIO, W.A.S.P., QUEENSRŸCHE, DORO and LORDI in support of their last album, "World Domination", FATAL SMILE spent over a year writing and recording songs for the follow-up effort. Entitled "21st Century Freaks", the new CD was recorded in the tour buses, hotel rooms and studios all over the world before eleven songs were singled out and re-recorded during 2011.

Ten top names tried out for the mixing job, all mixing the song planned as the second single of the album. The band put together a jury of friends to pick out their favorite mix, which turned out to be mix No. 5, not knowing it was mixed by FATAL SMILE's own drummer Philty and guitarist Mr. Y!

According to a press release, "this time [the bandmembers] have done everything on their own to make it the ultimate FATAL SMILE album, from recording and engineering to producing and mixing the album and the result is massive, with 'in-your-face' songs and a 'larger-than-life' sound!"

The first single & video, "Welcome To The Freakshow", will be released in Europe in April. The video was directed by Owe Lingwall, who has previously worked with KAMELOT, MESHUGGAH and THE RASMUS, among others.

A trailer for "Welcome To The Freakshow" can be seen below.

FATAL SMILE is:

Mr. Y - Guitar
Blade - Vocals
Alx - Bass
Philty - Drums

Photo credit: Tallee Savage / www.savagebeauty.se

According to a posting on KISS' official web site, KissOnline.com, KISS will release a "Kiss Monster" book this summer. The band's guitarist, Tommy Thayer, met with the team from the U.K.'s First Light Publishers yesterday (Monday, March 19) to review full-size proofs from the giant book. More information will be made available soon.

KISS has completed recording its new album, "Monster", for a summer release. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "It's A Long Way Down", "Back To The Stone Age", "Shout Mercy", "Out Of This World", "Wall Of Sound" and "Hell Or Hallelujah".

"I wasn't interested in making an album unless I was in charge and no one agreed to it half-heartedly," KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley told Classic Rock magazine. "The band's all there, all the time, and we cut the tracks all facing each other in the same room. Chemistry and camaraderie, that's essential. That's what made [2009's] 'Sonic Boom' so great, and this album is thunderously better."