GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna tells Dave Wedge of BostonHerald.comthat the band is heading back to the studio in January to mix a live disc and record a handful of cover songs that Erna says "inspired us along the way." A spring tour with fellow Massachusetts rockers STAIND also is on tap.

Erna's December 16 solo performance at The Wilbur Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts will be professionally filmed for an upcoming 3D DVD release. The concert is also slated to air on Palladia, a cable music channel that ran a documentary about the making of his solo album "Avalon".

Regarding his past solo performances in support of "Avalon", Erna said, "Just like any other tour, it took us a week or a week and a half to get into a groove ... and polish the fluidity of the performance. But it came together because all the musicians in this band are so talented. ... It felt really like it grew internally for us, and externally for the audience it was smoother.”

He added, "It was very refreshing to see people get it. It really translated to people. Every night, there were people in the audience with tissues, wiping tears from their face. Other times, it was more of an uplifting vibe, and it was powerful and showed the power of music and what it can do when it’s presented the proper way."

Released in September 2010, "Avalon" features flutes, cellos, hand drums and other exotic instrumentation, along with female vocals. Erna has emphasized that it is "not a rock record."

Swedish death metallers DEMONICAL have announced a new drummer and guitar player.

Commented the band: "We have hereby officially parted ways with drummer Ronnie Bergerståhl and replaced him with Fredrik Widigs. Fredrik has been our stand-in drummer during the past autumn, hence making him the obvious choice for the throne and full time position. Besides that, we are also thrilled to announce that our session live-guitarist Pablo Magallanes has become an official member of DEMONICAL.

"We want to thank Ronnie for all the years in the band and wish him the best for the future! We welcome Fredrik and Pablo into DEMONICAL, with this new and strong we are more than ready for 2012 and everything it will bring."

Added Bergerståhl: "As most of you know by now, I decided to sit out the DEMONICAL tour which took place in October/November. I thought about it for months before the tour started and in my heart I basically decided already then to quit the band. However, I gave it some time but now I have taken the last final decision: I will quit DEMONICAL! The main reason is that it is getting harder and harder to combine two touring bands like DEMONICAL and GRAVE — to give them equal priority — and as DEMONICAL will be doing a shitload of festivals and shows in 2012 and GRAVE will release a new album (with extended touring to follow) it will be impossible.

"There is absolutely no hard feelings between me and the guys in DEMONICAL; we will still be doing lots of Hadderajjan together after this, hehe!

"I'm really excited to see who's going to take my place in the band but I know that they won't settle for anything or anyone but the best!”

Stated Fredrik Widigs: "It’s a great privilege for me to be a part of DEMONICAL and after the much successful Eastern Death Infernal Tour 2011, I'm very eager to continue to spread the Swedish death metal darkness. The march for victory has only begun!"

According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, a man who embezzled more than $287,000 from WHITESNAKE founder David Coverdale and his wife, Cindy, was sentenced to six months in jail.

Eric Hosmer, 44, was reportedly hired as a groundskeeper by Coverdale and his family, who own multiple properties in in Incline Village in North Lake Tahoe, Nevada. According to the police, Hosmer was submitting fradulent invoices to Coverdale's accounting firm for payment.

Washoe Judge Patrick Flanagan ordered Hosmer to probation for two counts of felony theft and ordered he pay restitution of more than $69,000.

Coverdale called Hosmer a "deceiver, liar and a thief."

A Washoe County Sheriff press release announcing Hosmer's arrest back in March 2011 can be found at this location (PDF file).

Pictured below: Eric Hosmer (police photo)

Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen was recently honored by Sharpie — a manufacturer of writing instruments (mainly marker pens) whose products are sold in over 20 countries.

Sharpie president Ben J. Gadbois (pictured below with Yngwie), who did the honors, had this to say: "I have followed Yngwie since high school and am a huge fan."

He added, "It was fantastic to meet one of the greatest guitar players of all time and talk about music and several of our common interests. It was also an honor to present Yngwie with his own personalized Sharpies. It means a lot that he chooses our markers to sign autographs. He's definitely made an indelible mark on music, and in some small way, we hope Sharpie has helped him make a lasting impressions with his fans."

Released on November 22, 2010 via Malmsteen's own Rising Force Records, Yngwie's latest album, "Relentless", contains more than 60 minutes of brand new material and showcases the guitar great at his best with the signature virtuosity and mind-blowing technical speed for which he has come to be known. "Relentless" also features striking vocals from Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH), who first collaborated with Malmsteen on "Perpetual Flame" (Malmsteen's first album for the Rising Force Records label).

Of the new album, Malmsteen commented, "The album title really says it all. The drive to surpass my own accomplishments can best be described with one word — relentless. After all these years of composing and playing music, I still am passionate about pushing myself to the limit — to the highest, most demanding level of playing possible."

Frontiers Records has announced the signing of TRIXTER for the worldwide release of the band's reunion album in the spring of 2012.

Formed in Paramus, New Jersey in 1984, TRIXTER's self-titled debut album attained gold status (reaching #28 on The Billboard 200 in 1990), and spawned three minor hit singles: "Surrender" (#72), "One In A Million" (#75), and "Give It To Me Good" (#65). Despite the fact that none of the singles made the Top 40 or garnered much radio airplay, the videos for all three tunes were in heavy rotation on MTV (especially "Give It To Me Good", which was #1 on the channel for several weeks). A follow-up effort, "Hear", came out in 1992, but failed to reach the same commercial heights. The band recorded an album of cover songs, "Undercovers", in 1994, which garnered little commercial success, and TRIXTER broke up shortly after its release.

TRIXTER announced the reunion of its original lineup in 2007 and has since played a number of shows, including the Rocklahoma festival in 2008.

Comments TRIXTER guitarist Steve Brown: "The band has been playing together for the last four years, so making a new record is the next logical step. We are all very excited.

"The new CD will be entitled 'New Audio Machine' and is a classic style melodic hard rock album. All the sounds people have loved about TRIXTER will be there... Great songs, big guitar riffs, catchy vocals and a huge bottom end. A total big rock production!!!"

TRIXTER's current lineup features Pete Loran on lead vocals and guitar, Steve Brown on lead guitar, P.J. Farley on bass and Gus Scott on drums.

"We take pride in the fact that we are one of the few bands of our genre that have all original members," says Brown.

With an arsenal of great new songs and a catalogue of two successful releases, TRIXTER is looking forward to bringing its songs to the live stage. "We are hoping to land a support slot on one of the major summer tours," says Brown. "And we finally hope to play our first European tour as well."

New classic rock outfit SNAKECHARMER was finally introduced to the industry on December 5 with an intimate launch party, where selected members of the press listened to an exquisite four tracks appetizer, equally split between unforgettable WHITESNAKE classics and SNAKECHARMER's own unreleased work. A special guest appearance with URIAH HEEP at London's Shepherds Bush Empire completed the launch on December 8, introducing the band to the general public. Among the party's attendees were leading journalists from the BBC, Classic Rock magazine and Planet Rock, as well as cast and musical directors from West End rock shows. They were treated to a playback of newly recorded versions of "Fool For Your Lovin'" and "Here I Go Again" and given an exclusive preview of newly penned tracks "Smoking Gun" and "Turn Of The Screw". The two new songs were not performed at the Shepherds Bush Empire show, where a well-received selection of WHITESNAKE hits was greeted with a very enthusiastic, goose-bump-inducing sing-along.

GOD SEED's "Live At Wacken" DVD and CD will be released on January 27 in Europe and January 31 in North America via Indie Recordings.

The number of tracks on the "Live At Wacken" DVD was recently reduced to nine from the previously announced 13.

GOD SEED was the Norwegian band featuring former GORGOROTH members King (bass; real name: Tom Cato Visnes) and Gaahl (vocals; real name: Kristian Espedal).

"Live At Wacken" will include footage of the group's infamous live show from the 2008 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany where they performed on the main stage in front of 75,000 screaming fans.

The Wacken performance was a reconstruction of GORGOROTH's controversial "Black Mass" show from Krakow in 2004 filmed in a TV studio in Kraków, Poland. The concert featured sheep heads on stakes, "crucified" nude models, satanic symbols, and eighty liters of sheep's blood. The band came under fire for violating Polish anti-blasphemy laws as well as Polish animal-rights laws, resulting in a police investigation with allegations of religious offence and cruelty to animals. The band went free of all charges and at Wacken 2008 they recreated this now-legendary show in all its glory.

This spectacular show is made available as a live CD, including the film of the entire show on DVD. The album is only available in a deluxe digipack edition and holds liner notes from the band about the process of recreating this special show.

"Live At Wacken" features session players Nick Barker (drums) and Ice Dale (guitar) alongside King and Gaahl.

"Live At Wacken" track listing:

CD

01. Procreating Satan
02. Forces Of Satan Storms
03. Teethgrinding
04. Carving A Giant
05. Sign Of An Open Eye
06. Wound Upon Wound
07. God Seed
08. Of Ice And Movement
09. Prosperity And Beauty

DVD

01. Procreating Satan
02. Forces Of Satan Storms
03. Teethgrinding
04. Carving A Giant
05. Sign Of An Open Eye
06. Wound Upon Wound
07. God Seed
08. Of Ice And Movement
09. Prosperity And Beauty

GOD SEED came to life after Gaahl and King lost a court battle in early 2009 against guitarist Infernus (real name: Roger Tiegs) over the rights to the GORGOROTH band name.

Commented King: "GOD SEED represents a more spiritual side to us than what GORGOROTH did. GOD SEED represents the will to grow; the will to be the super man, so to speak. I think it's a suitable name for what we will represent in the future. I am also aware of the fact that we use the word 'God' in the name. It will challenge the weak minded in the respect that we in the past used the word Satan a lot, but it's all about the same thing. The God within man, and the God within nature. I never believed in a Christian force named Satan. I believe in the God within man."

Gaahl left GOD SEED in 2009 because he chose to retire from metal music.

Former members of Finnish bands OVERSTRAIND and TARPITORCHESTRA have joined forces with ex-REQUIEM drummer Jari Huttunen and vocalist Iiro Rantahalvari in a brand new thrash/groove metal act called TORA.

TORA recently finished recording its first promotional EP, "New Anatomy", and is currently seeking a suitable label to release the effort. A music video for the song "Icon" was also filmed.

TORA is:

Iiro Rantahalvari - Vocals
Kimmo Angervaniva - Guitar
Matti Honkala - Guitar
Jari Huttunen - Drums
Samu Niemelä - Bass

On December 13, Patrick Prince of Powerline conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Powerline: As far as spirituality in the lyrics, as a born-again Christian, the less challenging creative road would have been to write songs like STRYPER. But you do a pretty good job at being provocative.

Mustaine: Music is something that we listen to give us a change in our mood, to help us get out of a bad mood or continue to perpetuate a good mood. And I think if you put on music and someone's condemning you and making you sad or making you cry … that ain't my gig. Somebody else can give that. You know, I like listening to stuff that's sentimental and emotional and stuff, too, but I don't want to be the guy who does that. I'm good at beating my guitar until it throws up and I think people got a good look at that this weekend when I went up and played with METALLICA again. That was really fun. I know a lot of people were really surprised because they never saw me play with the band.

Powerline: It must have been a great feeling going up there onstage again with them.

Mustaine: I had some mood swings. There was some ups and downs and stuff. And, you know, got excited, and kind of got impatient, "Let's go. I'm okay. Well, lets go!" and this kind of thing and that's just the artist in me. I'm just squirrely like that.

Powerline: Playing some of those old METALLICA songs — did you have favorites or are there still favorites now?

Mustaine: You know, it felt fun to play them. I wish I would have had a little bit more opportunity to get prepared with the band. You know, because I'm a perfectionist. I would have liked to have had my sound just so and make sure when I did the solos they would jump up the volume and stuff like that that I'm used to, but we were at a club and playing at a club and playing like a club band. It was fun to take off all the rules and regulations and stuff and kind of shoot from the hip.

Powerline: I was surprised you didn't play "The Four Horsemen".

Mustaine: I think there's a reason for that. I think I know why we didn't play that song but I'm not going to go out on a limb on it. I think one of the things was because we recorded "Mechanix" and they recorded the other way, there's not really a need to do that. There were several other songs that were really important — like "Jump in the Fire" was the first song I brought those guys. And "Phantom Lord" and "Metal Militia" were songs that I brought to them, too, and the only other song was "Mechanix", which later changed to "The Four Horsemen". And the rest of those songs were written by James [Hetfield] or by Hugh Tanner or Lloyd Grant and that's why those guys were there... and a little weird for me, too, you know, standing on stage. I thought it was cool to be just with METALLICA, but Ron McGovney's up there and Lloyd Grant's up there. I was kind of like, "Alright, well, I'll bite the bullet. I'll be cool. This is not so terrible." I got up there and, you know what?! I didn't even notice them. I was having so much fun they weren't even there.

Powerline: Well, you mentioned mood swings. You should have had flashbacks with McGovney…

Mustaine: Actually, you know what?! I didn't even see him the whole time I was up there. It was cool that he was there. He was pretty nervous, too. Ron's a good guy. I was locked into Lars' [Ulrich] playing and James' playing. Me and James, we were like the the Toxic Twins back when we played together and we were a very very dangerous duo. And for a moment I think I stirred some of those old feelings up. I saw one of the videos and it looked like he was having fun. I know I was having fun. I had a smile that I went to bed with.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor has slammed actress Lindsay Lohan's 10-page nude pictorial in Playboy magazine, claiming that she looks "like a series of toll booths."

Taylor has been on a solo tour for the past few weeks, combining acoustic performances with audience interaction and readings from his book "Seven Deadly Sins".

During a recent stop on the trek, Taylor said (see video below), "If anyone hasn't seen the Lindsey Lohan Playboy shots yet, save your fucking money. She looks like a series of toll booths. She looks like somebody has fucking tossed their fucking change into it, and you're just like… ugh. I didn't know you could airbrush that much — I've gotta be honest — because her body is, like, it's okay, but her face but her face is, like, [gives look of disgust]. It's like somebody opened the Ark Of The Covenant at the end of [the] 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' [movie], you know what I'm saying?! That one dude who's just melting like a motherfucker. He's like [extends face with his mouth wide open]. Boo [gives one thumb down]."

In a 2007 interview, Taylor has blasted the media for devoting coverage to troubled stars, including Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. The singer claimed that he was fed up with the publicity given to the likes of "pig" Spears.

Taylor said, "[Britney is] a pig and needs to give it up.

"People have this fascination with mediocrity and gross displays of bullshit. It's everywhere. People are intrigued by popular people, but that shit is so precarious it can be gone tomorrow.

"The fact that the public are mesmerized by Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and all these miserable people makes me laugh, because those celebrities are more miserable than the people reading about them for escapism."

Taylor recently raised eyebrows on his solo tour by calling STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland a "lazy piece of shit " at one stop and bashing legendary producer Rick Rubin (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SLAYER, AUDIOSLAVE, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, METALLICA) — with whom he worked on SLIPKNOT's 2004 album, "Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)" — as "overrated" and "overpaid" at another, saying he'd never work with Rubin again "as long as I fucking live."

The singer will tour Australia and North America with SLIPKNOT next year, and also plans to head into the studio with STONE SOUR.

Michael Poulsen of Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT joined ICED EARTH on stage on December 3, 2011 at Amager Bio in Copenhagen, Denmark to perform the classic ICED EARTH song "Watching Over Me".

A video message from Poulsen and ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer recorded shortly after the concert can be seen below. Also available is fan-filmed video footage of Michael's appearance at the gig.

In a September 2011 interview with Aux Portes Du Métal, Schaffer was asked what new groups he finds interesting. "VOLBEAT is a really cool band," Schaffer replied. "I wish I had discovered them earlier… But they're really excellent. It's really fresh and inspiring to see a band that has so many different influences and still make their own thing. Michael and I are actually good friends now, we met at the Graspop [Metal Meeting] festival [in Belgium]. We had a blast, drank a bottle of whisky each that night. This guy has followed ICED EARTH since the beginning. He told me this story how the day our first album came out, he just had enough money to go the store by bus, buy the CD and go back home. He's a great guy, and his music is really cool… This band is getting bigger and bigger and they totally deserve it."

Japan's SIGH will release its ninth album, "In Somniphobia", in March 2012 via Candlelight Records. According to a press release, the CD is "by far more musically varied" compared to the [band's] last two albums. Put heavy metal, classical music, jazz, Indian traditional music, Stockhausen, and Xenakis into a cauldron of hell and stir it, you'll get 'In Somniphobia'. It is a pure sonic nightmare that lasts more than an hour. . . It is not easy to describe its direction, but probably one can say that it is something between 'Imaginary Sonicscape', 'Hail Horror Hail' and 'Gallows Gallery', or rather, simply a nightmarish version of 'Imaginary Sonicscape'."

"In Somniphobia" track listing:

01. Purgatorium
02. The Transfiguration Fear
Lucid Nightmares
03 i) Opening Theme: Lucid Nightmare
04 ii) Somniphobia
05 iii) L'excommunication a Minuit
06 iv) Amnesia
07 v) Far Beneath the In-Between
08 vi) Amongst the Phantoms of Abandoned Tumbrils
09 vii) Ending Theme: Continuum
10. Fall to the Thrall
11. Equale
i) Prelude
ii) Fugato
iii) Coda

Lauren Wise of the Phoenix New Times recently conducted an interview with drummer Jordan Mancino of San Diego metallers AS I LAY DYING. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Phoenix New Times: On the ["Decas"] album, you guys cover JUDAS PRIEST's "Electric Eye" and "Hellion", SLAYER's ultimate metal anthem "War Ensemble", and DESCENDANTS' "Coffee Mug". How did you choose the covers?

Jordan: The JUDAS PRIEST song was Phil's [Sgrosso, guitarist] idea, which was ultimately supported by the band. We are all fans of JUDAS PRIEST and felt we could put a tasteful twist on the original while keeping it respectful to the original recording. The SLAYER cover came up as a covered single for a video game soundtrack. We thought it turned out so well that we would put it on "Decas". Plus, SLAYER is one of our many influences, so we thought it was fitting to pay our respect with cover of one of their greatest songs. The DESCENDANTS cover came up, since we most of us grew listening to them and other punk bands. We also liked the lightheartedness of the song and the fact it was only 30-seconds long.

Phoenix New Times: How do you think AS I LAY DYING's sound has evolved over 10 years and five albums?

Jordan: Well, when you listen to the albums back to back the evolution of our sound is fairly clear, that is we are always trying to get heavier and heavier while writing better songs. I think with "Frail Words Collapse" and "Shadows Are Security", we concentrated more on the melodic side of our sound, and "An Ocean Between Us" and "The Powerless Rise" we focused more on the trashier side and layering side of our sound. I certainly plan and hope to continue to evolve as songwriters and musicians.

Phoenix New Times: What's the one message you think AS I LAY DYING's music brings to society?

Jordan: I think there's easily more than one message to society brought by our band, but all of those messages provoke some sort of thought. People need to think a little more and question the norm.

Phoenix New Times: I know that statements have been made in prior interviews that Christian views come across often in the lyrics. Do you guys keep Christian values in your actual lifestyles?

Jordan: Definitely. That's not to say we are perfect by any means. We all make mistakes, but we try to learn from them. I think the most important thing for us is personal and spiritual growth.

Phoenix New Times: What else can fans expect from you guys within the next couple years? Another full-length album? More touring?

Jordan: They can expect both in 2012. We are heading in to the studio around springtime and plan to start the touring once we've finished the record.