NME TV recently conducted an interview with legendary rocker Alice Cooper. You can now watch the chat below.

When asked for his thoughts on "Lulu", METALLICA's collaborative album with former THE VELVET UNDERGROUND frontman Lou Reed, Alice said, "It's such an odd combination that I really wanna hear it, because I love Lou Reed and I love METALLICA. I would like to have been a fly on the wall when somebody said, 'Why doesn't Lou Reed and METALLICA get together and make an album?' 'Cause I would have gone, 'What?' It's like Iggy Pop making a record with ABBA. You're sitting there going, 'Where's the connection here?' [Laughs] So I really wanna hear it. Lou Reed's lyrics are as dark as can be. And METALLICA is this gigantic, steroid metal band. How does this gel? I can't wait to hear it."

THE 11TH HOUR — the doom metal project led by Ed Warby (drums, guitar, bass, vocals, programming; GOREFEST, DEMIURG, HAIL OF BULLETS) — will release its second album, "Lacrima Mortis", on January 27, 2012 via Napalm Records.

According to a press release, "the seven tracks on 'Lacrima Mortis' are a dark collection of stories revolving around death, sorrow, and painful loss. Warby stays true to his chosen path of somber themes cloaked in funeral garb. Heavy and monumental riffs unite with melancholic piano arrangements to create a strong hypnotic vibe. The lyrics use both personal experiences, as well as fictitious accounts, to weave a funerary wreath ornamentally laid atop the music.

"Warby did not only compose all the tracks, but he also played all the instruments on this album. He took on the production and about half of the vocals, while Pim Blankenstein (OFFICIUM TRISTE) was responsible for the growls.

"'Lacrima Mortis' provides a window to the dying soul. It is a confident and thorough doom album that reveals the morbid complexities inherent in the world of human emotion and thus, will appeal to more than just fans of the genre."

"Lacrima Mortis" track listing:

01. We All Die Alone
02. Rain on Me
03. The Death of Life
04. Tears of the Bereaved
05. Reunion Illusion
06. Nothing but Pain
07. Bury Me

Commented Warby: "'Lacrima Mortis' is another glimpse into the darker side of my musical persona: a thick slab of epic doom metal dealing with the subject of death and its repercussions. I've worked on it feverishly for the past year and to my mind it surpasses 2009's 'Burden Of Grief' in every way. I hope you'll agree!"

Professionally filmed video footage of MEGADETH's November 12, 2011 concert at the Maquinaria Festival in Santiago, Chile can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Trust
02. Wake Up Dead
03. Hangar 18
04. Angry Again
05. A Tout Le Monde
06. Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
07. Head Crusher
08. Public Enemy No. 1
09. Sweating Bullets
10. Symphony of Destruction
11. Peace Sells

Encore:

12. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

Seattle progressive rockers QUEENSRŸCHE played their classic 1988 album "Operation: Mindcrime" in its entirety on ShipRocked 2011, the music and lifestyle cruise which set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 14 to the tip of Mexico and its popular stretch of gorgeous Caribbean water known for scuba diving, shopping and bars aplenty, and returned five days later. Performing Pamela Moore's parts in her seminal role as Sister Mary was Maria Brink of IN THIS MOMENT.

The special performance of "Operation: Mindcrime", covering all fifteen songs from the album, including such fan favorites as "Revolution Calling", "Operation: Mindcrime", "I Don't Believe In Love" and the closing track "Eyes Of A Stranger", was in addition to a greatest-hits performance that took place on another night of the cruise.

Maria Brink stated about joining QUEENSRŸCHE for the ten-minute song, "Suite Sister Mary". "I [was] so excited and grateful for this amazing opportunity to sing with QUEENSRŸCHE on the ShipRocked cruise! All of us in [IN THIS MOMENT] are huge QUEENSRŸCHE fans, and Geoff Tate is one of the best lead singers in the business. Getting to sing 'Suite Sister Mary' off the original 'Mindcrime' album is a huge honor."

"Flying Fortress", the new video from the San Diego, California metal band CAGE, can be seen at this location. The clip depicts the historic recount of the crucial attack by the allies on the ball-bearing plant in Schweinfurt, Germany on August 17, 1943. The song refers to the B17 bomber which was known for its amazing ability to take incredible amounts of damage and stay airborne. The attack, although costly in lives, proved to be a major turning point in World War 2 by crippling the Germans' ability to manufacture the Messerschmitt fighter plane that provides air cover for the ground war.

The "Flying Fortress" video was previously released only to pre-order purchasers of the "Ultimate Viking" edition package of the new CAGE album, "Supremacy Of Steel".

Cult U.S. death metallers EXMORTIS have inked a deal with Xtreem Music for the release of a new EP and a full-length album.

Due on December 20, the mini-CD, titled "Resurrection... Book of the Dead", was recorded by Brian Werking during September/ October 2011 at Shockwerks Audio in Tampa, Florida. It was then mixed and mastered by Javier Fernández at Room 101 Studios in Guadalajara, Spain in October/ November.

A press release from Xtreem Music states: "If you remember EXMORTIS from the early days of death metal, then you will enjoy this classic recording set in modern times. The extreme brutality it presents is undoubtedly some of their best work to date and will again engrave itself with a strong hold in the death metal underground where they plan to stay.

"EXMORTIS was originally inspired by such bands as DESTRUCTION, KREATOR, SLAYER, POSSESSED and the list goes on. If it's old, then that's what EXMORTIS represents. Even to this day EXMORTIS is and will always be an underground sensation."

"Resurrection... Book Of The Dead" track listing:

01. Creation (intro)
02. Book Of The Dead
03. The Slaughter Begins
04. And There Was Pain
05. Deep Red
06. Parade Of Chanting Ancients

The cover artwork for this CD was created by Eric Rot Engelmann and was colorized by Tinamarie Linares.

"The Slaughter Begins" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

SIN CITY SINNERS — which features Todd Kerns (SLASH, AGE OF ELECTRIC), Brent Muscat (FASTER PUSSYCAT), Rob Cournoyer (RAGING SLAB) and Michael Ellis — has just released its third album, "A Sinners' Christmas". The CD features guest appearances by Frank Dimino (ANGEL), Jizzy Pearl (L.A. GUNS, RATT, LOVE/HATE), George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB, SOULS OF WE), Slim Jim Phantom (HEADCAT, THE STRAY CATS), Louie Merlino (BEGGARS & THIEVES), Jimmy Crespo (AEROSMITH), Pete Loran (TRIXTER), Ron Keel (KEEL) and Sammy Serious (THE ZEROS). It was recorded, mixed and mastered at Hit Track Studios in Las Vegas and produced by Brent Muscat and Tom Parham, and executive-produced by Jason Green.

Norway's EL CACO will release its new album, "Hatred, Love And Diagrams", on January 27, 2012 in Europe and January 31, 2012 in North America via Indie Recordings.

"Hatred, Love And Diagrams" track listing:

01. After I'm Gone
02. Hatred
03. Autopsy
04. Equivalence
05. Go Forward
06. Confessions
07. Sixty To Zero
08. Skeleton
09. She Said
10. Disconnect

Abyss Records has announced the signing of Sweden's CARNIVORE. The band will enter the studio in December to record its full-length debut for a 2012 release.

A limited-edition version of the band's previously released "Faces Of Death" EP will be made available early next year.

CARNIVORE was formed in 2010 when a former project of three of the members, called BEYOND HELL, underwent major lineup changes and decided to make a new start. The band played several local shows during 2010 and in 2011 recorded a three-song EP called "Faces Of Death".

According to a press release, "CARNIVORE's musical style is based on old-school elements with a modern and progressive touch, as well as an philosophical and occult lyrical element."

CARNIVORE is:

Daniel Ocic Sundberg - Vocals
Tobias Pettersson - Guitar
Jonas Davidsson - Guitar
Cedrik Petersson - Bass
Marcus Nieminen - Drums

"Necropolis", the new video from American melodic metallers KAMELOT, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "Poetry For The Poisoned", which sold around 6,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was released in North America on September 14, 2010 via the group's own label, Kamelot Media Group (KMG Recordings), and in Europe on September 10 through earMUSIC/Edel. Marquee/Avalon Records made the CD available in Japan.

Commented KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood: "With this video, we gave [director] Owe [Lingvall of Village Road Film] free rein to create something unique and visually stunning. Him and his team did a fantastic job! Here you have 'Necropolis'!"

KAMELOT's recently completed North American, South American and European tours featured guest singer Fabio Lione of RHAPSODY OF FIRE following the departure of KAMELOT's longtime frontman, Roy Khan.

KAMELOT is now busy working on new songs and continuing to review audition videos from potential new singes.

"We are getting real close to making a choice," states KAMELOT bassist Sean Tibbetts.

"There are some amazingly talented singers out there.

"We are taking our time on this.

"The vocals for the new album will be done last, like always. So there is no rush to make the decision now."

In October 2011, Valley reporter Grace Bailey conducted an interview with former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing at his home at Astbury Hall in Shropshire, England. You can now watch the entire 16-minute chat below.

Downing, who recently shot down as "inaccurate" reports that he left JUDAS PRIEST because he chose to concentrate on running the 18- and nine-hole golf courses on his property, stated about his surprise departure from the group, "This is the first year that I haven't been out there with the band for a lot of years… more years than I can care to remember. It's coming up to about 40, I think, so… It's been a long, good career."

He continued, "I've been very fortunate, really, to have been able to have achieved all of my goals. And it's a great life, actually, going through life doing the thing that you always wanted to do as a youngster. I think that's one of the fantastic rewards and also, obviously, meeting a lot of people.

"It was a set of circumstances that led me to not go out [on the road with JUDAS PRIEST] this year. I was kind of geared up for it, but there was a multitude of reasons. It pretty much came down to an unsettlement on my part with working relationships.

"It's like anything else. If anybody out there is thinking it's hard to live with one woman, they should try to live with four guys and hold it together. [Laughs] It gets to be like that, but obviously, with certain things, I just wasn't completely happy with the way things were, with the way it was, [and I just felt like] it was probably best if I stepped down, and I did."

When asked if he feels happier now that he made the decision to quit the band, Downing said, "I wish things could have been different, so I could have continued. Obviously, 'cause of the passion [I had for the band]. In the [late] Sixties, I was very instrumental in creating JUDAS PRIEST, and it was a hard bullet to bite. But I thought that if this is gonna be the way that it's gonna be, then perhaps it's time to step down.

"It was a massive consideration," he added. "Obviously, the fans, who I love, and many of them have become very good friends. But I just hoped that they would appreciate that I couldn't continue with the way that I felt inside for reasons which I'll… I mean, certain reasons I will never, ever disclose.

"I have been extremely fortunate to have been able to do so many shows and tours and records, and come out of it healthy and well. But I haven't really spoken to anyone about the inner details [behind my departure from JUDAS PRIEST], really."

Regarding how he feels not being involved in the music industry anymore, Downing said, "I was wondering how I was gonna take it, but I do do stuff — go to concerts, and I'm actually helping a young band from my neck of the woods. They're called HOSTILE and I produced their record. But there's lots to do, really. I have been functioning here [at Astbury Hall] as a golf facility for a couple of years anyway, and everything is fine. I could leave home if I wanted do. But since I'm here, I do what I can when I can as best as I can. Because having Astbury, it's pretty exciting to see it coming along."

Downing, who is a founding member of the British heavy metal legends and was part of the group since 1969, announced his retirement from PRIEST in April. He has since been replaced by Richie Faulkner, most recently guitarist in the backing band for Lauren Harris (daughter of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris).

Spinefarm Records has announced the 2012 edition of the Spinefeast At Sea cruise.

The traditional SpineFeast indoor festival will once again be held aboard a ship! The cruise takes place at Tallink Baltic Princess from January 19th to January 20th, 2012. The cruise embarks from Helsinki on Thursday, January 19th at 6:30 PM and returns to Helsinki Port on January 20th at 4:30 PM.

The performing band roster has been tuned to perfection for the occasion. This will be a 20 hour metal mayhem cruise.

Performing at SpineFeast 2012: DRAGONFORCE, SWALLOW THE SUN, VIIKATE, SHINING, AMARANTHE, BOB MALMSTRÖM, PROFANE OMEN.

Cruise tickets are sold at Matka-Vekka, phone: +358-20 120 4000. Ticket prices start at 64 euro / person / cabin type B4 (+ 12 euro service fee per reservation, no service fee on bookings made through the Matka-Vekka website).

Please note: the age limit for the cruise is 20 years.

Please be advised that since this cruise travels from Helsinki to Tallinn, you might need a visa for Estonia to attend the cruise. Please check whether you need a visa before booking. Be sure to reserve your tickes NOW!

Schedules, artists, prices and the ship are subject to change without notice.

Montreal-based metallers have posted the following update online:

“We are getting closer to the release date; Lookout for a brand new track next week on the release date (November 29th). It features a special guest appearance from another one of the greats. And now...

Here we go again with a new track, new to most but old to some. ‘Nothing’ is a song taken from CROWBAR's Broken Glass album (released in 1996). To be quite frank, back then the only Crowbar songs I knew (like most) were Existence is Punishment and their all-time classic All I had I gave. Sometime after Down II (2002), slower music started to be more appealing. Crowbar's music was mostly about weight be it musically or lyrically. Something that I related to while trying to find a sound for what would become Vengeful. We wouldn't sound like we do today without bands such as Crowbar and NEUROSIS. This is a tribute to the former. I took upon myself the responsibility of handling the main vocals on our rendition of the track. A rather difficult task since Mr. Windstein is the boss when it comes to guttural-meets-melodies... None Heavier.”

Massacre Records has announced the signing of Germany's DAVIDIAN.

Those who attended the Summer Breeze Open Air in Germany this year may already know Davidian. They were one of the New Blood Award finalists who opened the festival in the party tent.

The band from the Stuttgart area has played a lot of shows in the past years, some of them with bands such as: HEAVEN SHALL BURN, WHITECHAPEL, MILKING THE GOATMACHINE and HATEBREED.

Davidian have already released two albums: Abuse Of Power (2003, self-produced) and Hear Their Cries (2008, Limited Access Records), which was produced by Andy Classen.

In 2010 their new shouter Tobias Brasch joined the band and in May they have entered the Antfarm Studios in Aarhus, Denmark, to produce their upcoming third album with Tue Madsen.

El primer sencillo: "Pensando en ti" es nuestra particular versión del ya famoso y melancólico tema de Kansas "Dust in the Wind".
Además se incluyen dos temas nuevos y algunas rarezas.

Libreto interior con las letras de todos los temas y fotografías realizadas por nuestra amiga Carmen Molina.

El doble CD verá la luz el 13 de diciembre.

Para Mägo de Oz es algo muy especial, y nos complace compartir con vosotros esta recopilación de temas muy íntimos y momentos de nuestra vida.

Desde nuestros corazones... Salud, Rock, y Muuuuuchas Gracias Cabrones !!!

According to Night Elves Forest, Finland's TO/DIE/FOR have completed work on their new album, Samsara. Cover art is available below followed by the tracklist.

'Kissing The Flames'
'Damned Rapture'
'Cry For Love'
'Death Comes In March'
'Folie á Deux'
'Hail Of Bullets'
'Love's A Sickness'
'Raving Hearts'
'Oblivion:Vision'
'Someday Somewhere Somehow'

The album will be released in Europe on December 14th, in the US and Canada on January 17th, and in Mexico on January 19th-

KING DIAMOND bassist Hal Patino has donated his trademark skeleton pants, skeleton shirt, top hat and cream Warwick bass to the Danish Rock Museum, which will open in 2014 in the newly developed creative urban area, Musicon, situated next to the Roskilde Festival site in Roskilde.

Patino used the cream Warwick bass to record everything he has done since 2000, including the upcoming album from his son, 20-year-old Danish rock singer Maryann Cotton (born Jackie Patino).

Hal's clothes and bass will be displayed in glass cases where visitors will be able to view the items and listen to an audio track on headphones highlighting the musician's 35-year career.

When the Danish Rock Museum opens, you will be able to see, hear and feel the history of Danish popular music — told in an international perspective.

In the Studio you can record your own version of your favorite hit. On Stage you will be able to perform in front of a cheering virtual audience from Roskilde's Orange Stage. And in the "Roots Of Rock Music," you are invited to dive into the Museum's collection and explore the history of rock music.

Niclas Müller-Hansen of Sweden's Metalshrine conducted an interview with bassist Paolo Gregoletto of Florida metallers TRIVIUM when the band played in Stockholm on November 18, 2011 with IN FLAMES. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Metalshrine: Have you listened to [the METALLICA and Lou Reed collaboration] "Lulu"?

Paolo Gregoletto: Oh yeah! (laughs)

Metalshrine: What do you think of it?

Paolo Gregoletto: Eehhh, it's really weird.

Metalshrine: Do you understand it?

Paolo Gregoletto: If anyone thinks they understand it, they're on drugs. It's a weird album, man! We listened to it… When the hell did we listen to it? Oh, on the last tour. We did a show in Tampa and a couple of us drove back to Orlando for the night because we were playing there the next day and we listened to most of it. We were just like, "What the fuck is this?" It's so weird. I saw some videos of it live and I don't know, man. If those dudes are happy doing that, then more power to them, because they're still my favorite band, but it's really weird and I think everyone thinks that, too.

Metalshrine: Probably. It's pretty funny that METALLICA fans in general, hate it, but magazines like Mojo and Uncut are giving it rave reviews, like 4 out of 5 and so on.

Paolo Gregoletto: I feel that that's why they were making this album, whether they say it is or not, but I feel it's kind of to make those kind of magazines… I guess, what's the right word? Like metal's kind of the outcast and everyone looks at us like a second-class genre and it's like trying to make those people respect you more. I couldn't give a shit if those magazines would review our albums ever! I would never do an album like that to make them like us. It's so weird.

Metalshrine: I can understand why they're doing it. They've got millions of dollars and they can do whatever they want and they need something to get them out of bed.

Paolo Gregoletto: I've got a good thing to counter that. So does IRON MAIDEN. They've got millions of dollars and when they get out of bed, they play metal and they still pack arenas and they seem like they're having a good time. (laughs) I can understand that they do that and as an artist myself, I definitely don't wanna be constrained to one thing, but I also don't wanna make a non-metal record with TRIVIUM. We've established that we're a metal band and our fans love us for that But METALLICA even said that "a lot of people aren't gonna get it, but we wanna do it." and you gotta respect that they do what they wanna do. And hey, they're playing the "black album" this summer! Every time they do [something questionable], they do something cool. They made "St. Anger" and then they did "Death Magnetic" and it was like, "Alright, they've still got it." They do some interesting things sometimes. They're one of the best live bands by far.

Several TYPE O NEGATIVE fans launched a Facebook group called "Peter's Tree" dedicated to planting a tree at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York in honor of the the band's late frontman Peter Steele. And this past Monday (November 21), the oak tree dedicated to Steele was planted.

Steele, who died last year, was a nature lover. In fact, the towering frontman actually worked for the Parks Department as a supervisor before TYPE O NEGATIVE's touring and recording commitments forced him to quit the day job in order to pursue a career as a full-time musician.

Commented TYPE O NEGATIVE drummer Johnny Kelly: "[The oak tree planting is] something that's been a long time in the making. A lot of fans took it upon themselves to do something special for Peter. It is something that is in the true spirit of what Peter was about and who he was. This Peter truly would've appreciated."

Steele passed away on April 14, 2010 from heart failure. He was 48 years old.

"Going through a midlife crisis and having many things change very quickly made me realize my mortality," he told Decibel magazine in 2007. "And when you start to think about death, you start to think about what's after it. And then you start hoping there is a God. For me, it's a frightening thought to go nowhere. I also can't believe that people like Stalin and Hitler are gonna go to the same place as Mother Teresa."