Canadian metal legends ANVIL made their live debut with their new bassist Sal Italiano last night (Friday, January 27) at the Live Wire concert club in Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. March Of The Crabs
02. 666
03. School Love
04. Juggernaut Of Justice
05. Winged Assassins
06. On Fire
07. This Is Thirteen
08. Mothra
09. Thumb Hang (dedicated to RIOT's Mark Reale)
10. Swing Thing
11. Fuckin' Eh
12. Metal On Metal

Encore:

13. Forged In Fire
14. Running

Several photos taken at last night's concert can be seen below (all pictures by Bill Peters).

Sal Italiano is a member of the Long Island, New York IRON MAIDEN tribute band LIVE AFTER DEATH and original progressive metal act THE NIGHTMARE STAGE, as well as a former member of the acclaimed '80s heavy metal group CITIES.

ANVIL's longtime bassist Glenn Gyorffy (a.k.a. Glenn Five or G5) announced his departure from the band on January 16, citing creative differences.

Glenn Five joined ANVIL in 1996 and has appeared on seven of the band's albums, including "This Is Thirteen" and the group's latest release, "Juggernaut Of Justice", on which he wrote and sang the song "This Ride".

Commented Glenn: "Playing in ANVIL has given me some of the best years of my life. However, after nearly 16 years with the band, the time has come to move on and try new musical endeavors. Although ANVIL has been a great band to play in, I have been limited creatively. I have a wide taste in music and I feel that it's time to broaden my horizons."

Speaking to Metal Shock Finland about Glenn's exit and Italiano's addition to ANVIL, guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow said, "We hired an old friend to do the tour and are currently working with a new, improved bassist. There was no major issue in fixing this at all, and in fact, everything was sorted out within a few hours of Glenn departing. Glenn tried to make it difficult by leaving without proper notice, but we've been preparing for this for quite some time. This did end up for the better, as it is a huge improvement with our new guy, both musically as well as personally."

ANVIL's latest album, "Juggernaut Of Justice", was released in Europe on June 20, 2011 (three days earlier in Germany) via SPV/Steamhammer. The effort was made available as a limited-edition digipak (including two bonus tracks), double gatefold LP in blue vinyl, standard version and a digital download.

The End Records celebrated ANVIL's career with "Monument Of Metal: The Very Best Of Anvil", a 19-track career retrospective that will earn "must-own" and "must-hear" status for fans both fans new and old.

All photos below by Bill Peters

Swedish/American rockers VAINS OF JENNA have released the following statement:

"After seven years, we have amicably and mutually decided to end VAINS OF JENNA. There's no drama behind the decision. We simply feel like it is time to move on in our lives and close this chapter. It has been a truly amazing journey for us over the years and we are grateful for the opportunity to do what we've done with this band. A huge thanks to everyone involved, all of our supporters, and, of course, all of our fans from around the world. We love you."

VAINS OF JENNA singer Jesse Forte, who joined the band in 2010, recently replaced Oni Logan in LYNCH MOB, the group led by legendary former DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch.

Original VAINS OF JENNA vocalist Lizzy DeVine gave an interview to Neon Lights in December 2011 in which he revealed that he exited the group because he didn't want to move back to Sweden along with his bandmates after spending several years in California.

After recruiting Forte as the band's new singer, VAINS OF JENNA's main songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nicki Kin stated about the group's decision to carry on, "It's not in my blood to stop doing what I started. I love music, I live music, and this is what I do."

VAINS OF JENNA's first release with Forte was the "We Can Never Die" EP, which came out in 2010. A full-length album, "Reverse Tripped", followed in April 2011 via Deadline (a division of Cleopatra Records).

Fan-filmed video footage of VAINS OF JENNA's November 4, 2011 concert at Sticky Fingers in Gothenburg, Sweden can be viewed below.

Washington D.C.-based female-fronted heavy metallers A SOUND OF THUNDER will release their second full-length album, "Out Of The Darkness", on March 27 via Nightmare Records. The follow-up to last year's "Metal Renaissance" was produced by Kevin "131" Gutierrez (SHINEDOWN, WHILE HEAVEN WEPT, DECEASED) at Assembly Line Studios in Virginia. According to a press release, "the 10-track album plays like a love letter to all that is metal, encompassing traditional heavy metal, modern power metal, prog and classic rock, with timeless songs that could have been written in 1971, 1991 or 2011."

The material on "Out Of The Darkness" was composed by Josh Schwartz and the rest of A SOUND OF THUNDER, with lyrics written by Nina Osegueda and Chris Haren. Legendary RAVEN frontman John Gallagher makes an appearance on the album, performing a duet with Nina on the CD's title track.

"John Gallagher was so awesome to work with," says Nina. "I learned a lot from him in the short time we were in the studio together, and I really respect his skills and experience which shine through on this track."

"Out Of The Darkness" track listing:

01. The Day I Die
02. The Night Witch
03. Kill That Bitch
04. Murderous Horde
05. A Sound of Thunder
06. Out of the Darkness
07. Calat Alhambra
08. Fight Until the End
09. This Too Shall Pass
10. Discovery

For more information, visit www.asoundofthunderband.com.

Progressive atmospheric death metallers 7 HORNS 7 EYES will release their debut full-length album, "Throes Of Absolution", in North America on April 24 via Century Media Records. The CD, which features a guest appearance by guitarist Jeff Loomis (ex-NEVERMORE), has been many months in the making.

Commented 7 HORNS 7 EYES guitarist Aaron Smith: "7 HORNS 7 EYES has been on quite a journey since we embarked on recording this album, full of some big ups and downs — not the least of which being signed to Century Media/Basick Records, enduring a frontman change, re-recording all the album vocals, and sharing the stage with some great bands... and let me tell you — it feels amazing for us to know that we finally get to release this thing out into the world. Many of our fans have waited patiently for years for this record to drop, likely wondering at times if it ever even will, and we can't thank them enough for sticking by us. Here's to our fans and to 2012 being a great new year for 7 HORNS 7 EYES! See you on the road!"

A teaser trailer for "Throes Of Absolution" can be seen below..

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Divine Amnesty
02. Phumis: The Falsehood of Affliction
03. The Hill Difficulty
04. Cycle of Self
05. Delusions
06. A Finite Grasp of Infinite Disillusion
07. Vindicator
08. The Winnowing
09. Regeneration

7 HORNS 7 EYES previously released a digital single, entitled "Convalescence", which can be purchased on iTunes. In addition to the title track, the single also features two tracks from "Throes Of Absolution" ("Vindicator", "The Winnowing").

Guitarist Michael Amott of Swedish/German extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY will be featured in an upcoming issue of the Eternal Descent comic. The issue will be available for pre-order from April 2012.

Llexi Leon, creator of the multimedia concept Eternal Descent, recruits ESP artists for cameo appearances in the Eternal Descent comic, which is inspired by a host of iconic metal musicians. The initial launch issue was released on March 31, 2010 with subsequent issues released every few months, spotlighting GOD FORBID guitarist Doc Coyle in issue 2, Gus G. of FIREWIND and OZZY OSBOURNE in issue 3, Wayne Static of STATIC-X in issue 4 and Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel of ATREYU in issue 5.

In a recent interview with Molten magazine, Amott stated about his collaboration with Eternal Descent, "I never thought I'd get to do it [but] I'm excited!" Regarding what fans can expect from his character, Michael said, "[Eternal Descent] sent me a list of questions and asked whether [I] wanted to be the bad guy or the good guy and I said the bad guy, of course!"

The front cover of Molten magazine, which features an exclusive image preview of the upcoming ARCH ENEMY-insired issue of Eternal Descent, can be seen below.

Swedish dark rockers KATATONIA have issued the following update:

"It's been a busy time lately and the hard work has finally paid off. We have now thirteen songs in the bag, and hey, that means the recording of our new album can and shall begin. We're starting with the drums on Monday and we'll be once again work together with David Castillo (who engineered and mixed 'Night Is The New Day'), so even though we always strive to improve our productions, it should sound sweet that it's the same team putting this one together, just throw in some new gear, gadgets and toys with that! The recordings as well as the mix will be divided between Ghostward and our own HQ over the next month and we'll keep you posted on the progress.

"So, what does the material sound like? Well, you got the lush textures, the moody melodies, the heavy parts, the progressive touches, the mellow bits and so on... Is it metal? Is it rock? Is it alternative? Is it singer/songwriter? Actually at times it feels like we're exploring territories where KATATONIA would be an orphan in the land of 'genres.' We can't tell where and to whom we belong and the goal is that it doesn't even matter, because before and above any genre there's first an acceptance level of music being good, or being bad. KATATONIA might be bad people, but we create good music. Amen.

"We also hooked up again with keyboard maestro extraordinaire Frank Default and regardless of the internet speculations, he's not to 'blame' for the increased use of electronics since the last album. That part has been called for as we simply feel that it has grown to fill a hole in our sound inside, or alongside, the classic formation of instruments. In our world, we allow mellotrones, Hammonds, rhodes and strings to integrate with loops, distortion and filters to manifest in the katatonic maelstrom. It's our time to marry contemporary with vintage. Here's our ninth album to be delivered!"

KATATONIA played four shows in Scandinavia in December, hitting the capital cites of Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki and, of course, the band's hometown of Stockholm. The concerts, which were part of the 20th-anniversary "Last Fair Day Gone Night Tour 2011", saw the band perform two sets. The first set consisted of a performance of the entire "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" album front to back. The second set was a mixture of carefully picked songs from the band's extensive catalogue.

KATATONIA's May 6, 2011 concert at Koko in London, England was professionally filmed/recorded for a future DVD release.

KATATONIA released special editions of the critically acclaimed albums "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" and "Night Is The New Day" on April 25. The 10th-anniversary edition "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" was presented in deluxe mediabook packaging, as a two-disc edition containing tracks from the now hard-to-find singles "Teargas" and "Tonight's Music". The reissue of 2009's "Night Is The New Day" includes bonus tracks from the "The Longest Year" EP. Both titles were presented with newly updated cover artwork courtesy of original artist Travis Smith.

Guitar virtuoso and singer/songwriter Richie Kotzen (formerly of POISON and MR. BIG) took part in a question-and-answer session and acoustic performance at the Korg booth at the 2012 NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show, a massive music-products convention whcih took place January 19-22 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. You can now watch video footage of his appearance below.

Kotzen on Wednesday (Jannuary 25) commented on the rumors that he has been tapped by Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB) and Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG) to be the guitarist/vocalist of their new project following the recent departure of John Sykes (WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER, THIN LIZZY).

Said Kotzen in a post on his Facebook page: "I wanted to address the recent rumor about the project with Billy, Mike, and I... Although we did throw some ideas around, neither of us decided to make any public announcements, so today's Internet buzz was a surprise. I will say I am a fan of both Mike and Billy. I'm sure a collaboration would produce some interesting results."

Although Portnoy and Sykes demoed a dozen or so songs at a Los Angeles studio last year, their vastly different work ethics and conflicting schedules were solely to blame for the dissolution of their collaboration. Portnoy explained on Twitter, "Sad but true... I tried my best to make it work... Me and [Billy Sheehan] couldn't wait around any longer... [Billy] and I are moving on and have already begun work with another guitarist/vocalist, keeping the original 'power trio' concept."

Former MEGADETH guitarist Jeff Young has joined forces with acclaimed 26-year-old female extreme metal drummer Lux Drummerette (SACRED STORM, NEKROMANTIX) in an as-yet-unnamed new project.

Young stated about his collaboration with Lux, "I'm over the band concept. It's a dinosaur... put a fork in it. We're approaching this as a duo incoporating loops, DJs, soundscapes and assorted players per song/show/tour as needed. We sound full enough, we don't need much else."

Lux's signature drumming combines heavy metal double-bass with complex rhythms and dynamics, all while playing in stilettos. She also has the creative mind to incorporate elements of progressive and experimental rock rhythms. Music Connection magazine describes her drumming as "unique, off kilter, Keith Moon-inspired."

When asked in a 2010 interview with The Metal Pit if it's true that she plays in stiletto heels, Lux replied, "Of course! When I first started playing I was wearing regular shoes, and as I started getting into my high school years, I think I was drumming in sandals. And then I started drumming barefoot, and after a while I was getting sick of that and started leaving my shoes on again except by then I was wearing cute little pumps, and as I grew older, the heels on my shoes would get taller. And that's how that all started. I just started leaving my heels on. Plus it looks super cool and super bad astronaut." She added, "I never practice in heels, but when I'm on stage and play that first show in a while with SACRED STORM, my shin muscles are killing me after the first song or two with consistent double bass! [laughs] After that, it starts to feel okay and the next show isn't that bad."

Jeff's entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording and touring in support of the band's 1988 platinum-selling album "So Far, So Good...So What!"

Video footage of STATIC-X frontman Wayne Static performing the band's song "Cannibal" during his solo performance at Dean Guitars' third annual NAMM Jam on January 20 at The Grove Of Anaheim in Anaheim, California can be seen below.

Wayne Static's debut solo album, "Pighammer", sold 4,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 97 on The Billboard 200 chart.

STATIC-X's last CD, "Cult Of Static", opened with 19,000 units back in March 2009 to land at No. 16.

The band's's previous album, "Cannibal", registered a first-week tally of more than 30,000 copies back in April 2007 to enter the chart at No. 36. This represented a slight drop from the 35,000 copies sold by the band's "Start a War" LP, which came out in June 2005 and debuted at No. 29.

In a 2011 interview with Revolver magazine, Static stated about "Pighammer", "I've wanted to do a solo album since 2000 when I was writing songs for the 'Machine' record," Wayne said. "Even in those early years of STATIC-X, there was a pattern emerging where I would spend all my free time writing songs for STATIC-X and the other guys in the band spent their free time working on their other projects. I was a bit jealous that they had time to do more than one thing, but, being the band's main songwriter, I knew that if I were to do a solo album, I would have to put STATIC-X on hold, and it wasn't until recently that I've been willing to do that. After the 2009 'Cult Of Static' touring cycle ended, I felt that, as a band, STATIC-X had accomplished everything we set out to accomplish, and now I could finally take the time to do my own thing and make a record that is completely my vision without compromising for anyone or anything."

When asked what he wanted to do differently with his solo project than what he has done with STATIC-X, Wayne said, "Mainly, I didn't want to compromise. Don't get me wrong: I love the great times I had with STATIC-X, but sometimes the writing/recording process was frustrating for me. I would spend months by myself writing and recording demos, then hand them over to the band, then we would rehearse for weeks during which time everyone changed parts and added their own ideas. By the end of the process, I always felt some of my original vision and passion was lost. This time I wrote and recorded everything on my own, playing all the instruments myself, and did not compromise with anyone."

The official lyric video for the song "Build Me Up, Break Me Down" from progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER can be seen below. The track comes off the band's new album, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", which sold 36,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 8. The band's previous CD, 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", opened with 40,000 units to land at No. 6. This was roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by its predecessor, "Systematic Chaos", which shifted 36,000 copies in 2007 to enter the chart at No. 19. 2005's "Octavarium" premiered with 27,000 copies to debut at No. 36.

DREAM THEATER is among the nominees for the 54th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on Sunday, February 12 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Commented the band: "2011 has been quite an amazing year for us. We watched 'A Dramatic Turn Of Events' — our eleventh studio album — enter the Top Ten in 14 countries around the world, including the U.S. And now we land our first-ever Grammy nomination [for the song 'On The Backs Of Angels' in the 'Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance' category]. It's the icing on the cake — we're honored and thrilled, no doubt about it. It took us a while to receive this Grammy attention — and we've done it on our own terms musically, so it feels particularly sweet.

"What keeps you going as a musician is the love and support from the fans — they are always there for us on this crazy adventure. So we give them a big shout-out as we celebrate our Grammy nomination.

"See you all on the road… and let's all keep dreaming big."

Grammy Awards will be held on "Grammy Sunday" and once again will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Regina, Saskatchewan-based Canadian extreme progressive metallers INTO ETERNITY have posted the second teaser containing studio and rehearsal footage of their new song "Fukushima". The track was written about the Fukushima Daiichi, Japan nuclear disaster, a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. You can now watch the one-and-a-half-minute clip below.

INTO ETERNITY has recruited Amanda Kiernan of the Edmonton, Alberta-based metal band THE ORDER OF CHAOS as their new touring singer.

States Amanda: "This is a wonderful opportunity for me that I couldn't pass up. I look forward to this experience. However, THE ORDER OF CHAOS will remain my number one priority."

INTO ETERNITY vocalist Stu Block was recently recruited by power metal giants ICED EARTH, with whom he recorded the band's latest CD, "Dystopia".

As previously reported, Canadian label War On Music Records will issue several albums by INTO ETERNITY for the first time ever on vinyl. "Dead Or Dreaming" (2001), "Buried In Oblivion" (2004) and "Scattering Of The Ashes" (2006) will be made available, each as a limited LP release, starting in early spring 2012.

INTO ETERNITY's signature sound has often been described as a hybrid of latter-day DEATH and CONTROL DENIED, combined with the technical stylings of DREAM THEATER.

Commented INTO ETERNITY singer/guitarist Tim Roth: "The new songs are coming along quite well and we'll have two new songs finished and mixed in the upcoming weeks. So far five songs have been recorded (30 minutes) and we are looking forward to get working on the next batch of new INTO ETERNITY songs.

"2012 also brings some great news for vinyl-loving fans. Century Media contacted us about releasing our albums on vinyl. It has always been a dream of ours to have our collection put out on vinyl. Thanks to Charley at War On Music Records for finally making this dream a reality. I know a lot of fans have asked us over the years for vinyl, so this is really great news!"

INTO ETERNITY is among the confirmed bands for the 11th edition of the Manitoba Metalfest, set to take place February 24-25 at The Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Watch www.waronmusic.com for details and pre-orders for the the upcoming vinyl releases.

INTO ETERNITY last year released its first new material since 2008 in the form of a new song called "Sandstorm". The track, which is available on iTunes and Bandcamp, features guest death vocals by Rob Doherty and marks the recording debut of Newbury, who was previously known in the western Canadian metal scene as a member of Edmonton, Alberta-based group DEATH TOLL RISING.

"Sandstorm" was written the day the USA took out Osama Bin Laden, and is inspired by the events that transpired.

INTO ETERNITY's last album, "The Incurable Tragedy", came out in 2008 via Century Media.

Teaser #2:

According to a post on BRING ME THE HORIZON's Facebook page, the British metalcore act will commence the songwriting sessions for its next studio album in late February.

BRING ME THE HORIZON's third full-length CD, "There Is A Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret", sold 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 17 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD also entered the official chart in the U.K. at position No. 13.

The team at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden (where BRING ME THE HORIZON recorded 2008's "Suicide Season") was again at the helm of the recording, this time bringing in electronic and programming authority KC Blitz to assist with the instrumental aspects of the album. The CD also includes appearances from various special guests, including Josh Franceschi of YOU ME AT SIX (on "Fuck"). Also featured on the album are Josh Scogin of THE CHARIOT (on "The Fox And The Wolf"), Sonny Moore (a.k.a. Skrillex) with electronica contributions and Canadian electro-pop starlet Lights (on "Crucify Me" and "Don't Go").

"Alligator Blood" video:

Former HANOI ROCKS singer Michael Monroe has been named "Vuoden Turkulainen" ("Person Of The Year") in his hometown of Turku, Finland. He writes on his Facebook page, "A million thanks to everyone who voted for me!"

Monroe relocated to Turku, the former capital of Finland, in February 2000 after having had more than enough of troublesome country life. Having grown up and lived all his life in the city, he found himself quite comfortable once again living in the middle of a city, not too small and not too big, in a very special and private flat he was blessed with.

As previously reported, Monroe was honored with the "Rock Album Of The Year" (for "Sensory Overdrive") and "Band Of The Year" awards at this year's Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy equivalent), which was held on Friday, January 20 at Barona Areena in Espoo, Finland.

A four-and-a-half-minute CNN video report on this year's installment of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise — which set sail Monday, January 23 aboard the Royal Caribbean Majesty Of The Seas from Miami, Florida to George Town, Cayman Islands and will return to the real world today (Friday, January 27) — can be seen velow. The segment features interview clips with crew members, fans and members of the heavy metal media and contains performance footage of a couple of the participating bands, including NIGHTWISH and ALESTORM.

CNN's Percy von Lipinski reports: "I'm on board of 70000 tons of metal, Heavy Metal that is. Heavy metal is actually part of a very wide range of music that can utilize much more than typically loud guitars and drums. I saw everything from bagpipes to harps. This concert though took place on a cruise ship and without having to worry about disturbing the neighbours you can rest assured ear plugs were in high demand."

Participating artists:

ALESTORM
AMORPHIS
ANNIHILATOR
ATHEIST
CANDLEMASS
CANNIBAL CORPSE
CHANNEL ZERO
CHILDREN OF BODOM
CORONER
DARK FUNERAL
DIAMOND PLATE
EDGUY
ELUVEITIE
EXCITER
GOD DETHRONED
GRAVE DIGGER
HAMMERFALL
IN EXTREMO
KAMELOT
KATAKLYSM
MASSACRE
MEGORA
MOONSORROW
MY DYING BRIDE
NIGHTWISH
OVERKILL
PENTAGRAM
PESTILENCE
PRETTY MAIDS
RIOT
SAMAEL
SAPIENCY
STRATOVARIUS
SUFFOCATION
TANKARD
THERION
TRISTANIA
VENOM
VICIOUS RUMORS
VIRGIN STEELE
WHIPLASH

For more information, visit www.70000tons.com.

MPIRE OF EVIL (formerly PRIMEVIL) — the band he formed in 2010 with fellow ex-VENOM members Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar) and Tony "The Demolition Man" Dolan (bass, vocals) — will release its full-length debut, "Hell To The Holy", on March 26 via Scarlet Records. The CD boasts 10 brand-new tracks displaying the band's infectious and groovy heavy metal assault, conveying Mantas' thunderous riffs, a huge rhythm section and Dolan's abrasive vocals into a monstrous musical holocaust which will appeal to both old-school and modern metal fans.

Produced by Mantas himself and featuring stunning cover artwork by Gyula Havancsák (ANNIHILATOR, DESTRUCTION, GRAVE DIGGER), "Hell To The Holy" is without any doubts a "must have" album for 2012.

A North American tour with British thrash legends ONSLAUGHT has already been confirmed but many more dates will follow soon.

Despite having played on the album, drummer Antony "Antton" Lant (ex-VENOM) has since left the band for personal reasons but a replacement for the tour will be announced soon.

"Hell To The Holy" track listing:

01. Hellspawn
02. Metal Messiah
03. Waking Up Dead
04. Hell To The Holy
05. Snake Pit
06. All Hail
07. Devil
08. Shockwave
09. The 8th Gate
10. M-pire (Prelude)

MPIRE OF EVIL released its debut mini-album, "Creatures Of The Black", on October 21, 2011 via Scarlet Records. The CD features cover versions of four songs that influenced the members of M-PIRE OF EVIL ("Exciter" by JUDAS PRIEST, "God Of Thunder" by KISS, "Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be" by AC/DC and "Motörhead" by MOTÖRHEAD), plus two new songs, "Hellspawn" and "Reptile", which are available for streaming on the group's Facebook page.

In a 2010 interview with Metality, Dolan stated about the formation of M-PIRE OF EVIL,"Well, I think it came about as Mantas and Antton who were both doing separate music projects (DRYLL and DEF-CON-ONE) came together in DRYLL. Mantas needed a drummer and Antton offered his services. People kept wondering what it would be like if Mantas and Antton played with me and it was kind of, 'Oh, yeah that would be fun perhaps,' but then DRYLL played a show and performed the VENOM track 'Black Metal' [with Antton] and that was kind of it. People started saying I had to come in and play, too. So I got a phone call and had a few chats with Mantas and that was that; we decided we'd see if it worked. It does, very well, but then again myself and Mantas have always been friends and played well together. The addition of a drummer as good as Antton was something too cool to pass up! [M-PIRE OF EVIL] is old school, I guess, melodic, heavy, powerful. [As to how MPIRE OF EVIL is] different from VENOM, [I'm] not sure. We will inevitably be compared, as we are all ex-VENOM [members] and, of course, Mantas was the main songwriter for VENOM, so... But I feel we are more like classic metal. MOTÖRHEAD, BLACK SABBATH.... PRIEST and VENOM."

A 90-second sample of "China Town", a brand new song from VAN HALEN, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track comes off the band's new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth", which will arrive on February 7 via Interscope.

"A Different Kind Of Truth" track listing:

01. Tattoo
02. She's The Woman
03. You And Your Blues
04. China Town
05. Blood And Fire
06. Bullethead
07. As Is
08. Honeybabysweetiedoll
09. The Trouble With Never
10. Outta Space
11. Stay Frosty
12. Big River
13. Beats Workin'

The deluxe-edition version of "A Different Kind Of Truth" will contain a bonus DVD featuring four brand new acoustic-performance videos titled "The Downtown Sessions" including the songs "Panama", "You And Your Blues", "You Really Got Me" and "Beautiful Girls".

A 90-second excerpt of another VAN HALEN song called "Blood And Fire" was posted online earlier this week, and it turns out that the track is yet another reworking of an older, more obscure track. A recording has been found on YouTube of an instrumental called "Ripley" that dates back to 1984 and was heard on the soundtrack of a movie called "The Wild Life" which starred the late Chris Penn and was written by Cameron Crowe, who went on to direct "Jerry Maguire" and other films.

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen wrote a score for the movie, but only one song called "Donut City" was issued on the soundtrack. The rest of Eddie's music can be heard throughout the film.

"Blood And Fire" is taken from "A Different Kind Of Truth", which is VAN HALEN's first album in 13 years and first with original singer David Lee Roth since 1984. It's the fourth track from the disc that's confirmed to have its roots in older material.

First single "Tattoo" is based on an unreleased 1977 track called "Down In Flames", while "She's The Woman" was first recorded on a 1976 demo. Another tune called "Bullethead" also dates back to the group's early days.

VAN HALEN kicks off a North American tour on February 18 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Reunited Dutch death metallers CENTURIAN will enter the We Are (Music) Junkies studio in Eindhoven on April 27 with producer/sound engineer Jo Peeters (ABORTED, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, SEVERE TORTURE) and Ralph Timmermans (MINDPARK) to begin recording their third full-length album, "Contra Rationem". The band's first studio release in 11 years wil be made available later in the year via Listenable Records.

Songtitles set to appear on the CD:

* Judas Among Twelve
* Adversus
* The Will Of The Torch
* Thou Shallt Bleed For The Lord Thy God
* Antinomian
* Feast Of The Cross

Commented guitarist Rob Oorthuis, CENTURIAN's founding member and writer/composer, "The new record should appeal anyone who is prepared to die for his stands. Believe nothing, dare all!!! 333."

Video footage of CENTURIAN rehearsing the new song "Judas Among Twelve" can be seen below.

Oorthuis previously stated about CENTURIAN's new material and decision to reform, "The new songs are more CENTURIAN-esque than they are NOX songs. The chemistry among the bandmembers, musically and technically, leans on an approach we had back in the CENTURIAN days. Because of this I coined the idea about changing back the name."

CENTURIAN is:

Niels Adams - Vocals
Rob Oorthuis - Guitars
Patrick Boleij - Bass
Seth Van De Loo - Drums

CENTURIAN's last album, "Liber Zarzax", was released in 2001 via Listenable Records.

Austrian symphonic metallers VISIONS OF ATLANTIS have set "Ethera" as the title of their fifth album, due later in the year via Napalm Records. The CD is currently being recorded at Artesonika Studios in Pordenone (near Venice), Italy.

Regarding the new album title, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS said, "'Ethera' is a word mix out of 'ether' as the quintessence of this band, the energy between the five band members, the fifth album and 'era,' leading VISIONS OF ATLANTIS to some new and interesting musical and lyrical shores while still remaining typically VISIONS OF ATLANTIS!"

Fabio D'Amore (SERENITY) and Ivan Moni Bidin, who is also a master at the mixing desk, are producing this latest work.

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS' "Maria Magdelena" EP was released last October.

The band's October 23, 2011 performance at the Metal Female Voices Fest at Oktoberhallen in Wieze, Belgium professionally filmed for an upcoming DVD.

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS' fourth album, "Delta", was released in North America on March 15, 2011 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded Dreamscape Studios in Munich, Germany and marks the debut of the group's new singer, Maxi Nil, who joined the group in 2009.

Guitarist Hank Shermann (MERCYFUL FATE) made his live debut with Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT last night (Thursday, January 26) at the opening show of this year's Gigantour at the Susquahana Bank Arena, in Camden, New Jersey. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Shermann most recently shared the stage with METALLICA at one of four intimate shows which took place at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of METALLICA's 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only.

"It's a true honor getting to work with Hank, whose guitar work has inspired all three bandmembers long before VOLBEAT was formed," VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen said in a statement. "I'm very thankful that Hank has the time to join us on Gigantour in his busy schedule."

The multi-artist Gigantour bill — with metal heavyweights MOTÖRHEAD, VOLBEAT and LACUNA COIL all personally picked by Dave Mustaine of headliners MEGADETH — will wrap on February 28 in Denver, Colorado.

VOLBEAT recently parted ways with guitarist Thomas Bredahl, who had been a member of the band since 2006.

VOLBEAT last year released "Live From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven" via Vertigo/Universal on double DVD, Blu-ray, limited double DVD + audio CD, CD, digital download and VOD. The set includes footage from VOLBEAT's sold-out show in front of 10,000 fervent fans at the Forum in Copenhagen, to the House of Blues in Anaheim, California and the Rock Am Ring show in Germany. It's VOLBEAT conquering performance territory Stateside and across Europe, showing fans that the band is just as comfortable, charged and throttled in front of an audience as intimate as 1,100 or as vast as 80,000.

It's universally agreed amongst headbangers that MOTÖRHEAD is responsible for some of the greatest all-time hard rock/heavy metal songs ("Ace of Spades", "Overkill", etc.) and albums ("Ace of Spades", "No Sleep 'til Hammersmith", etc.) — not to mention featuring one of rock's all-time great characters in their ranks, Lemmy Kilmister. As a result, MOTÖRHEAD fans are always on the hunt for uncommon and rare items to complete their collection. And now, the group is offering a true treat for their fans, known as "The Motör-Bag".

Available online via www.merchdirect.com/Motorhead, "The Motör-Bag" is limited to 4,000 copies worldwide, and is packed with exclusive items that you will not find anywhere else. Housed in a MOTÖRHEAD messenger bag, inside you will find two double vinyl LPs of stunning MOTÖRHEAD performances (in their entirety), recorded in New York and Manchester — that can only be found in "The Motör-Bag" package. Additionally, a laminate pass is included, and a piece of "The Wörld Is Yours" 2010/2011 stage backdrop, mounted and numbered.

Once the 4,000 copies are sold out, this one-of-a-kind MOTÖRHEAD set will be gone, so order the ultimate live Motör-experience package NOW!

The Wörld Is Ours…

Manchester Apollo, Manchester, UK, Nov. 16, 2010

Side A

01. We Are Motörhead
02. Stay Clean
03. Be My Baby
04. Get Back In Line
05. Rock Out

Side B

01. Metropolis
02. Over the Top
03. One Night Stand
04. The Thousand Names of God
05. I Got Mine

Side C

01. I Know How to Die
02. The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
03. In the Name of Tragedy
04. Just 'Cos You Got the Power

Side D

01. Going to Brazil
02. Killed by Death (with Nina C. Alice)
03. Ace of Spades
04. Born to Raise Hell (with Michael Monroe)
05. Overkill

The Wörld Is Ours…

Best Buy Theater, New York, USA, Feb. 28th, 2011

Side A

01. We Are Motörhead
02. Stay Clean
03. Get Back In Line
04. Metropolis
05. Over The Top

Side B

01. One Night Stand
02. Rock Out
03. The Thousand Names Of God
04. I Got Mine

Side C

01. I Know How To Die
02. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
03. In The Name Of Tragedy
04. Just Cos You Got The Power

Side D

01. Going To Brazil
02. Killed By Death (feat Doro and Todd Youth)
03. Ace Of Spades
04. Overkill

Legendary San Francisco Bay Area gore grind act AUTOPSY will release its new collection, "All Tomorrow's Funerals", on February 28 via Peaceville Records. This monstrous 22-track effort contains all of AUTOPSY's EPs remastered by the bandmembers themselves, as well as new cuts. Everything from "Retribution For The Dead" to the now-sold-out "The Tomb Within" will be presented on CD and DLP with all original artworks, liner notes from the band and new cover art from renowned artist Matt Cavotta.

"All Tomorrow's Funerals" track listing:

01. All Tomorrow’s Funerals (new track)
02. Broken People (new track)
03. Mauled To Death (new track)
04. Maggot Holes (new track)
05. The Tomb Within
06. My Corpse Shall Rise
07. Seven Skulls
08. Human Genocide
09. Mutant Village
10. Horrific Obsession
11. Feast of the Graveworm
12. Funereality
13. Fiend For Blood
14. Keeper Of Decay
15. Squeal Like A Pig
16. Ravenous Freaks
17. A Different Kind of Mindfuck
18. Dead Hole
19. Retribution For The Dead
20. Destined To Fester
21. In The Grip of Winter
22. Sign of the Corpse

Commented the band: "[The] few new tracks for 'All Tomorrow's Funerals' came out brutal and heavy as hell. Along with the newly written songs, we did a revamped version of 'Mauled To Death', which is the very last of the old songs that needed a proper album quality recording. This album will also contain all four EPs, all of which are out of print, as well as a compilation track from 1991, so the grand total is 22 tracks. It's something we've wanted to do for quite awhile, getting all the loose chunks together in one place rather than having them split up and added on as bonus tracks here and there. Everything has been painstakingly remastered with the band's guidance and sounds better and more crushing than ever. And don't worry, we didn't get carried away and ruin anything! Combine all that with killer new cover art from Matt Cavotta and we've got one hell of release."

AUTOPSY is currently working on all new material for its next album, due out late 2012/early 2013. The band states, "We can definitely promise more of what you would expect from AUTOPSY. There will be no compromise and no holding back. If you want 100% pure death metal brutality, you will certainly get it."

"Macabre Eternal", the first full-length album from AUTOPSY since 1995's "Shitfun", sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 67 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.

"Macabre Eternal" was recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California and includes AUTOPSY's first 10-plus minute song "Sadistic Gratification".

AUTOPSY had previously decided to make an official comeback after working together on two songs for the special 20th-anniversary edition of debut album, "Severed Survival", in late 2008; the band having originally split before the release of its fourth album, "Shitfun", in 1995. A five-song EP, "The Tomb Within", came out last September and saw the original trio of Chris Reifert, Danny Coralles and Eric Cutler joined on bass by Joe Trevisano (ex-ABSCESS).

According to a posting on RATT singer Stephen Pearcy's Facebook page, the band is continuing to write material for its new album, tentatively due this summer. Before then, "there could be a few surprise shows," he says.

"Infestation", the first studio record in 11 years from RATT, sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 30 on the Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on April 20, 2010 via Loud & Proud.

"Infestation" was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette (CHEVELLE, ALTER BRIDGE) at his Virginia studio, marking the first time the band has recorded outside of Los Angeles. The album is full of attitude and of reflection, cycling through a range of emotions. There are party anthems that RATT are known for alongside more contemplative, thoughtful tunes.

West Virginia metallers BYZANTINE have officially reformed almost four years to the day since their last album, "Oblivion Beckons", was released.

The group's 2012 lineup is as follows:

Chris Ojeda: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Tony Rohrbough: Lead Guitar
Michael Cromer: Bass
Matt Wolfe: Drums

Commented Ojeda: "We've all kept in contact through the past few years and have worked on each other's projects as well. With our guitarist Tony moving back to West Virginia from North Carolina, we decided it would be a perfect opportunity to hang out again and jam. Before we knew it, we were tossing around riffs and song ideas and realized we had what seemed to be the foundation for a pretty kick-ass BYZANTINE album."

Since BYZANTINE is no longer tied to any record company, the band has decided to finance the recording of its fourth CD independently. The group will record most of the music themselves alongside engineer/producer and GIZMACHI guitarist Jason Hannon of 7 Over 8 Studios. Vocal tracking will be handled by BYZANTINE's longtime engineer Aaron Fisher at 101 Studios. Ojeda states that no time frame has been set for the release and no show dates have been scheduled. He says, "We are not focusing on playing live just yet. We all still live pretty far away from each other and have family and career obligations to meet. Our focus right now is to put together a real nice collection of songs that we and our fans can be proud of. Doing it on a smaller budget will be a little harder but it will be fun to take our time and be able to be creative on our own terms."

In the meantime, BYZANTINE has decided to enlist the help of Kickstarter.com for the financing of the album.

Kickstarter, the world's largest funding platform for creative projects, will allow the fans of BYZANTINE to help back the release of their new album through donations. Donations will be set up on a tier program and each tier will have incentives packages such as signed CDs, backstage passes, official sheet music and early digital downloads, etc.

Information on how to help BYZANTINE finance their new album can be found at this location.

Former KORN drummer David Silveria has joined forces with ANYONE members Riz Story and Miki Black in a brand new project called INFINIKA.

The group, whose lineup is completed by former TRAK 13 bassist Cory Tarallo, has just released a six-and-a-half-minute promotional clip featuring music from the upcoming release "Echoes And Traces". Check it out below.

INFINIKA is:

Riz Story (ANYONE): Lead Vocals, Guitars
Miki Black (ANYONE): Guitar, Keyboards
Cory Tarallo (TRAK 13): Bass
David Silveria (KORN): Drums

Silveria left KORN in late 2006 and was reportedly focusing on family life along with running his steak house and sushi restaurant. In December 2009, David reportedly changed his steak house into the rock and sports-themed bar Silvera's Rockbar and is no longer 50 percent owner of his sushi restaurant, having agreed to sell his half of ownership over to his ex-wife after a year-long court battle.

During a 2010 interview, KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer stated that David "has sold or gave away all his drums. I heard he doesn't even own a drumstick anymore."

Riverside, California-based Christian death metallers IMPENDING DOOM will release their fourth full-length album, "Baptized In Filth", on March 13. The CD was produced by Andreas Magnusson (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, THE FAMINE) and was mixed by Machine, who has previously worked with LAMB OF GOD, SUICIDE SILENCE and DEMON HUNTER, among others.

The cover artwork for "Baptized in Flith" can be seen below. Bassist David Sittig states, "'Baptized In Filth' represents the mindless indulgance and self-worship in the vile world we live in. This album is meant to scare the hell out of you!"

The official lyric video for the new IMPENDING DOOM song "For The Wicked" can be seen below.

IMPENDING DOOM will take part in the Metal Alliance Tour 2012 alongside DEVILDRIVER, THE FACELESS, DYING FETUS, JOB FOR A COWBOY and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD.

IMPENDING DOOM is Brook Reeves on vocals, Cory Johnson on guitar, David Sittig on bass and Brandon "B-Town" Trahan on drums.

IMPENDING DOOM's third full-length album, "There Will Be Violence", was released on July 20, 2010 via Facedown Records.

Swedish industrial goth metal band DEATHSTARS will once again support RAMMSTEIN on their upcoming European tour.

Commented DEATHSTARS: "We're thrilled to be given the opportunity to join RAMMSTEIN again for the second leg of their tour. The last run was amazing and this one will as well be filled with darkness!"

Upcoming DEATHSTARS tour dates:

Supporting RAMMSTEIN

Feb. 03 - Hannover, Germany - TUI Arena
Feb. 06 - Kaunas, Lithuania - Zalgiris Arena
Feb. 07 - Riga, Latvia - Arena (Latvia)
Feb. 10 - Moscow, Russia - Sport Complex Olympiski
Feb. 11 - Moscow, Russia - Sport Complex Olympiski
Feb. 13 - St. Petersburg, Russia - Sport Concert Complex
Feb. 15 - Helsinki, Finland - Hartwall Arena
Feb. 17 - Stockholm, Sweden - Ericsson Globe Arena
Feb. 19 - Oslo, Norway - Vallhall
Feb. 21 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Forum
Feb. 22 - Herning, Denmark - Jyske Bank Boxen
Feb. 24 - London, UK - O2 Arena
Feb. 25 - Birmingham, UK - LG Arena
Feb. 27 - Dublin, Ireland -The O2
Feb. 29 - Newcastle, UK - Metro Arena
Mar. 01 - Manchester, UK - Men Arena
Mar. 02 - Nottingham, UK - Capital FM Arena
Mar. 04 - Rotterdam, The Netherlands - Ahoy
Mar. 06 - Paris, France - Bercy
Mar. 07 - Paris, France - Bercy
Mar. 08 - Antwerp, Belgium - Sportpalais

Headlining

Feb. 18 - Karlstad, Sweden - Nöjesfabriken
Feb. 28 - Glasgow, Scotland - Cathouse Saint Barthelemy
Mar. 03 - Southampton, UK - The Cellar
Mar. 09 - Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie
Mar. 10 - Köln, Germany - Luxor
Mar. 12 - München, Germany - Halle / Backstage Club
Mar. 13 - Budapest, Hungary - Dürer-Kert
Mar. 14 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
Mar. 15 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Gala Hala
Mar. 16 - Pinarella Di Cervia, Italy - Rock Planet
Mar. 17 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
Mar. 18 - Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg - Rockhal
Mar. 20 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo
Mar. 21 - Berlin, Germany - Postbahnhof
Mar. 22 - Warzaw, Poland - Progresja

"Metal", the latest video from DEATHSTARS, can be seen below. The song is one of two new tracks featured on the group's best-of compilation, "The Greatest Hits On Earth", which was released physically and digitally on November 4 via Nuclear Blast. Both new songs showcase the musical direction of the next DEATHSTARS CD.

DEATHSTARS recently announced the addition of drummer Vice (a.k.a. Oscar Leander of CRESCENDOLLS) to the group's ranks.

Commented Vice: "I'm really excited to be a part of DEATHSTARS and I really feel that my drumming complements DEATHSTARS music in a perfect way."

Added DEATHSTARS guitarist, songwriter and producer Emil "Nightmare Industries" Nödtveidt: "With this addition to our band our recordings and live shows will deliver more energy than ever before. We are really pumped up about the future!"

LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia joined MEGADETH on stage last night (Thursday, January 26) at the opening show of this year's Gigantour at the Susquahana Bank Arena, in Camden, New Jersey to perform the MEGADETH song "A Tout Le Monde".

Fan-filmed video footage of her appearance can be seen below.

MEGADETH's setlist for last night's concert was as follows:

01. Trust
02. Wake Up Dead
03. Hangar 18
04. Sweating Bullets
05. Angry Again
06. Poison Was The Cure
07. Dawn Patrol
08. Public Enemy #1
09. Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
10. Guns, Drugs & Money
11. A Tout Le Monde
12. Symphony Of Destruction
13. Holy Wars…Punishment Due

"A Tout Le Monde", which originally appeared on MEGADETH's 1994 CD "Youthanasia", created controversy in September 2006 because the song was cited in an online post by Dawson College killer Kimveer Gill as one of his favorites before his Montreal shooting spree. MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine contends that he wanted to give the song a second shot at success, as the original video for it had been banned by MTV, and most radio stations followed suit. The track ended up featuring Cristina Scabbia after "the first singer didn't work out," Mustaine told Straight.com. "The second one didn't work, and the third one was Lisa Marie Presley. She was on the way to the airport, and we had to call and say, 'Sorry, we changed our minds.' I would have loved to have heard what Lisa Marie Presley would have done, but because of the demographics of the LACUNA COIL fan base, and Cristina's reign in the heavy-metal business, it was the right thing to do."

In a 2008 interview Cristina stated about her collaboration with MEGADETH, "[Dave Mustaine] actually asked me to be part of this duet, and I was really surprised about it because 'A Tout Le Monde' is a song that I've always loved, even if it's not like the new [version] because [the original song] [was released on] the album 'Youthanasia'. It was a big surprise for me to get this invitation — I was really honored to be part of it. And seriously, when I heard the final result, I was awesomely surprised 'cause I think that the two voices are fitting incredibly [well together]. I think that the version of 'A Tout le Monde' 2007 has a stronger attitude. If the original version was for the mellow mood, this one is way more rock, way more powerful. I totally love it. I was surprised myself, and I think that a lot of people will be pleasantly surprised. It was recorded, like an hour from Birgmingham [England]. So I flew in and recorded my parts with Andy Sneap [producer]. He's [Andy] an amazing guy — super professional — and the atmosphere in the studio was so relaxed. It was like a family vibe, and I think that's the most amazing thing when you have to work. You can work and still smile, you know, and be relaxed. I tracked the entire song because we weren't really sure what we had to do, so we just wanted to be totally sure, so we recorded all the parts that Dave sung with some improvisation with it, double vocals. We basically made anything possible, so they could pick up whatever they wanted to."

"A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free)" appeared on MEGADETH's 2007 album "United Abominations", which was released via Roadrunner Records.