"Hero" and "The One", two brand new songs from PURE SWEET HELL, the metal band featuring former NEVERMORE drummer Van Williams, are available for streaming on the group's official web site. The tracks come off PURE SWEET HELL's sophomore album, "Spitting At The Stars", which is slated for a late 2011 release. The CD, which is currently being mastered, features guitar solos from some of heavy metal's top shredders, including Glen Drover (EIDOLON, MEGADETH), Steve Smyth (NEVERMORE, TESTAMENT, FORBIDDEN), Chris Amott (ARCH ENEMY; on "The One"), Jeff Loomis (NEVERMORE) and Attila Vörös (LEANDER, NEVERMORE). John Winters (HATEFIST), who contributed in the production/engineering of the record, got a chance to lay down a solo on the song as well.

METALLICA has released the following statement:

"We arrived in Delhi on Friday very excited and ready to play our first show ever in India at the F1 Rocks concert. However, immediately at the end of our afternoon press conference at a hotel near the venue, we were notified that there was a serious question as to whether the show could proceed with regard to the safety of the concert audience. And our first and foremost concern is always for the safety of you, the fans.

"Once we, along with DNA, the promoters of the show, determined that there was a failure of a security barricade in front of the stage that could not be adequately repaired, the promoter reluctantly announced the postponement of the show until Saturday. Unfortunately, on such short notice the promoters were unable to secure a permit for a show on Saturday. Therefore, DNA announced that we would not be able to play in Delhi. Within the next 24 hours a notification will be issued by DNA regarding the process for full refunds.

"We are deeply disappointed with this news as we were looking forward to our first experience in India as much as you guys were. Keep watching here for updates [on the official METALLICA web site] as additional details are determined and confirmed."

According to NDTV, crowds started lining up at about 3 p.m.today, with 25,000 fans having purchased tickets to tonight's concert. Several announcements were reportedly made throughout the afternoon requesting people to move back because the barrier in front of the stage was giving way. The crowd got increasingly more restive with every such announcement, objecting and booing.

After the announcement that the concert had been canceled, angry fans tried to damage equipment near the stage; some tried to set fire to banners near the stage. Others hurled plastic 10-litre bottles of water onto the stage.

Gurgaon police chief hit out at organizers saying they should have told the administration about postponing the show. "They have to explain why they canceled it," he told reporters, soon after it was announced that the concert was postponed. "They have not told anything to us," he said.

METALLICA is scheduled to perform in Bangalore on Sunday.

German power metallers GRAVE DIGGER have extended their contract with Napalm Records.

Commented the band: "After releasing two very successful CDs and our 'The Clans Are Still Marching' DVD, we are happy to share the good news with our fans: YES, we will continue! Over the past three years, a business cooperation turned into a friendship which can hardly be found in today’s music industry.

"Napalm is a small and hard-working team that is as effective and productive as a company of 70 people. Always reachable and competent, they work with their artists individually. These are the strengths of Napalm, and that is why we have signed a deal for three more records under the Napalm banner.

"Long live rock 'n' roll — long live Napalm and GRAVE DIGGER."

Added Max Riedler, Managing Director of Napalm Records: "Chris Boltendahl and the members of GRAVE DIGGER are an exception in the music business. They are always professional, reliable and furthermore, they find words of appreciation for Napalm. That’s when the hard work turns into joy! We motivate each other and face new challenges as a team. Thanks for your trust; we look forward to the new songs!"

Reformed Minneapolis, Minnesota-based hard-rock/industrial act AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE entered Studio D in Cleveland, Ohio this past Monday, October 24 with producers Don Dibiase and Thom Hazaert to begin recording its first new material since 2005's "The Feeding". The result of the 24-hour marathon session was a new studio track "Sugars of Someday" and a "live" EP including three new AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE tracks: "Sand", "Set Yourself on Fire", "Writhe" and a cover of the PATTI SMITH classic "Rock And Roll Nigger".

Commented AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE bassist Chad Hanks: "Don and Thom gave us the opportunity to jump into the studio on our day off, and we thought it would be agreat chance to give something back to our fans.

"Since we first announced HEAD CHARGE was active again, there has been such an amazing outpouring from fans for new material, that when this came up, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to give everyone a taste of where AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE is at musically in 2011."

The band plans to release the material as a free digital EP later this year.

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE is in the middle of a 10-date U.S. tour, dubbed "Tourette". A list of upcoming shows can be found at this location.

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE 2011 is:

Cameron Heacock - Vocals
Chad Hanks - Bass
Justin Fowler - Keyboards, Backing vocals
Karma Singh Cheema - Guitar
Christopher Emery - Drums

Italian metallers 5 STAR GRAVE have inked deal with Massacre Records for the release of their new album, "Drugstore Hell". The CD, which is due in early 2012, worldwide release, was mixed and mastered by Tobias Lindell (EUROPE, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, CRASHDIET) at Bohus Sound studios in Kungälv, Sweden.

"Drugstore Hell" features 11 new tracks that have been described by the band as "a natural evolution of what we did on our previous album 'Corpse Breed Syndrome'. There's a little bit of everything in this record: thrash metal, punk rock, industrial, hardcore, without forgetting the usual abrasive vocals and gruesome-slutty lyrics. Obviously, production-wise, this is a huge step forward if compared to everything else we have done so far."

Lindell stated about the record: "Italy's best new up and coming metal band! Raging vocals and guitars make this an excellent album"

"Drugstore Hell" final track listing:

01. Terminal Bedroom
02. Death Put A Smile On My Face
03. Love Affair With The Beast
04. Daddy
05. Death Times Eleven
06. No Devil Lived On
07. Dead Girls Don't Say No
08. Boy A
09. If
10. When The Lights Go Out
11. Lemmings

"Circle Of Lies", the new video from SERIOUS, the five-piece band featuring Jan Bijlsma, a founding member of legendary Dutch rockers VENGEANCE, can be seen below. The track comes off SERIOUS' debut album, "Rising", which is currently being mixed by Oscar Holleman (WITHIN TEMPTATION, AYREON, GOREFEST, MY FAVORITE SCAR) for an early 2012 release.

According to a press release, SERIOUS' "combination of rough-edged double barrel guitar-parts and a strong sense for melody in the vocals all adds up to the unique sound: fierce yet gentle; raw but polished. Their songs can be characterized as a mixture of the lyrical spheres of 30 SECONDS TO MARS, the emotional load of LINKIN PARK and the modern rock sound of CREED without copying any of these bands nor going into comparison. The energetic and entertaining live show is meant to be an open door to a broader audience attracting 'rockers and ravers' alike, aiming to create a long-lasting friendship."

SERIOUS is:

Jonathan Hoevertsz - Vocals
Nick Polman - Guitars
Vincent Zaalberg - Guitars
Jan Bijlsma - Bass
Robert Spaninks - Drums

Swiss hard rock veterans KROKUS have sold more than 13 million albums worldwide and toured all over the world, and although one of their biggest hits is called "Tokyo Nights", they had never played Japan until now. That changed last Saturday, when KROKUS performed in front of 37,000 Japanese fans at Loud Park, the largest festival in Japan, just outside of Tokyo.

"Japan was out of this world, simply unbelievable!" reports bassist and producer Chris Von Rohr. Upon arrival in Tokyo, the band was greeted by their greatest Japanese fan, who had waited for decades to have his KROKUS album collection signed by the band. "It was touching. He said this was the happiest day in his life", adds singer Marc Storace. And while strolling the streets of Tokyo, Switzerland's #1 rock export was asked for autographs by a great number of female fans. "We communicated with hand signs, because besides 'sushi' and 'sayonara,' we did not understand much", jokes Chris Von Rohr before adding, "Throughout the nuclear catastrophe of Fukushima and thereafter they kept smiling, that really impressed us."

During the concert, the Japanese fans sang along right from the start. Chris Von Rohr says, "It was absolutely awesome! Promoter Creativeman wants us back in Japan as soon as possible."

RAMMSTEIN's long-awaited retrospective release, "Made In Germany 1995 - 2011", will be available on December 6 through Universal Germany's marketing and distribution deal in the U.S. with Vagrant Records.

"Made In Germany 1995 - 2011" will be available in three different editions:

* Standard Edition: CD Digipak - Best of Album

* Special Edition: 2-CD Digipak - Best of Album and Best of Remixes

* Super Deluxe Edition: 2-CD (Best of Album and Best of Remixes) as well as 3 DVDs (including the full RAMMSTEIN video catalog, all previously available "Making of" and 8 unreleased "Making of" videos) packaged in a steel box complete with a 240-page booklet. Limited to 1200 copies in the U.S.

All songs and videos on "Made In Germany 1995 - 2011" have been remastered for this release.

José Andrea y Mägo de Oz, de común acuerdo y de forma amistosa, hemos decidido romper nuestra relación artística y dar por finalizada una etapa en la que hemos podido disfrutar de una de las voces más mágicas de los últimos 15 años en el Rock español.

Tanto José Andrea como el resto de la banda hemos pensado que él se merece despedirse de vosotros de la mejor forma que sabe hacer: regalándonos su voz en estos últimos conciertos.

Por tanto, confirmamos en esta, nuestra web oficial, que tanto la gira americana como las fechas previstas en España serán sus últimos conciertos antes de dejar la banda.

Desde aquí queremos desearle toda la suerte del mundo en su futura vida profesional y personal lejos del camino de baldosas amarillas. Gracias por dejarte la piel y la voz durante todos estos años.

Siempre serás un Mägo !

"We must be over the rainbow..."

- Mägo de Oz -

Cleveland, Ohio metallers CHIMAIRA performed in San Antonio, Texas last night (Thursday, October 27) without their frontman, Mark Hunter, after he was allegedly arrested for marijuana possession in El Paso, Texas.

CHIMAIRA keyboardist Sean Zatorsky handled the vocal duties at last night's concert, just as he did on October 11 in Baltimore, Maryland when Hunter came down with a severe stomach flu.

Writing on his Twitter account late last night, Hunter addressed his absence from the San Antonio show by saying, "Out of the clink. Didn't drop the soap. . . I deeply apologize to the fans of San Antonio. I was detained at the same spot they got [country singer] Willie [Nelson for marijuana possession]. You know I will make it up to you."

CHIMAIRA's new album, "The Age Of Hell", sold more than 7,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 54 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "The Infection", opened with 15,000 units back in April 2009 to land at No. 30. This figure was roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by CHIMAIRA's 2007 album, "Resurrection", which shifted 16,000 copies to enter the chart at No. 42.

"The Age Of Hell" was released in the U.S. on August 16 via eOne Music; in Germany on August 26; and in the United Kingdom, Australia and the rest of Europe on August 29 through Long Branch Records.

"Doki Doki Morning", the first video from BABYMETAL, a heavy metal offshoot of the Japanese pop idol group SAKURA GAKUIN that performs a distinctly Japanese mix of schoolgirl J-pop and death metal, can be seen below.

Formed in 2010, BABYMETAL's "Doki Doki Morning" song was included on the album "Sakura Gakuin 2010 message~". A follow-up track, "Ijime, Dame, Zettai", was premiered during a SAKURA GAKUIN in July and was aired again at the Tokyo Idol festival in August. It quickly created a buzz due to its mix of melodic speed metal, sensational lyrics around the theme of "Ijime" and the band's performance, which incorporates the "Wall Of Death."

ICED EARTH's video for the song "Dystopia" can be seen below. The track is the title cut of the band's new album, which has registered the following first-week chart positions:

Germany: #23
Austria: #51
Switzerland: #53
United States: #67
Holland: #85
Belgium: #96
U.K. (Rock Chart): #18

"Dystopia" sold around 6,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

Artisan News recently spoke to members of METALLICA and legendary former VELVET UNDERGROUND frontman Lou Reed about their musical collaboration, "Lulu". Check out the clip below.

"Lulu" will be released on November 1 in North America via Warner Bros. Records and one day earlier (October 31) in the rest of the world through Universal Music. The CD was co-produced by Reed, METALLICA, Hal Willner — who has produced albums for Reed, Marianne Faithfull, and Laurie Anderson, among others — and Greg Fidelman. Fidelman also mixed the record.

"Lulu" finds METALLICA playing behind lyrics written and sung by Reed that are based on a pair of early 20th century German Expressionist plays.

"[It was] something we could sink our teeth into," said METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield. "I could take off my lyricist and singer hat and concentrate on the music part. So we sat together — Lars and I — and listened to the stuff that [Lou] had sent that was very potent lyrics with some soundscapes behind it for atmosphere. And [we thought] what would we do? What can we add to this to make it as potent and make it better, take it to another level, make it rock, and make it heavy? So we just sat there with an acoustic and kind of just let it take us wherever it needed to go. It was a blank canvas. It was a great gift, 'cause we hadn't really had something like that. We're always starting from scratch, from little tapes here and there. There was a body of work already there, and we got to stamp 'TALLICA on it."

Three classic albums from Canadian metal legends ANVIL — "Strength Of Steel" (1987), "Pound For Pound" (1988) and "Worth The Weight" (1991) — will be made available in Europe through SPV/Steamhammer as high-class digipak re-releases with new booklets, including liner notes from Steve "Lips" Kudlow (guitar, vocals) and Robb Reiner (drums). There will also be gatefold LP versions with colored vinyl and printed innersleeves. This will mark the first time "Worth The Weight" will have beenreleased on vinyl.

Release dates:

* Germany, Austria, Switzerland: November 25
* Rest of Europe: November 28

"Strength Of Steel" track listing:

Digipak:

01. Strength Of Steel
02. Concrete Jungle
03. 9-2-5
04. I Dreamed It Was The End Of The World
05. Flight Of The Bumble Beast
06. Cut Loose
07. Mad Dog
08. Straight Between The Eyes
09. Wild Eyes
10. Kiss Of Death
11. Paper General

LP, colored red vinyl, printed innersleeves:

Side 1

01. Strength Of Steel
02. Concrete Jungle
03. 9-2-5
04. I Dreamed It Was The End Of The World
05. Flight Of The Bumble Beast
06. Cut Loose

Side 2

01. Mad Dog
02. Straight Between The Eyes
03. Wild Eyes
04. Kiss Of Death
05. Paper General

"Pound For Pound" track listing:

Digipak:

01. Blood On The Ice
02. Corporate Preacher
03. Toe Jam
04. Safe Sex
05. Where Does All The Money Go
06. Brain Burn
07. Senile King
08. Machine Gun
09. Fire In The Night
10. Cramps

LP, colored green vinyl, printed innersleeves:

Side 1

01. Blood On The Ice
02. Corporate Preacher
03. Toe Jam
04. Safe Sex

Side 2

01. Where Does All The Money Go
02. Brain Burn
03. Senile King
04. Machine Gun
05. Fire In The Night
06. Cramps

"Worth The Weight" track listing:

Digipak:

01. Infanticide
02. On The Way To Hell
03. Bushpig
04. Embalmer
05. Pow Wow
06. Sins Of The Flesh
07. A.Z. #85
08. Sadness / Love Me When I'm Dead

LP, colored orange vinyl, printed innersleeves:

Side 1

01. Infanticide
02. On The Way To Hell
03. Bushpig
04. Embalmer

Side 2

01. Pow Wow
02. Sins Of The Flesh
03. A.Z. #85
04. Sadness / Love Me When I'm Dead

The End Records will celebrate 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.

Um das 35-jährige Bühnenjubiläum von MOTÖRHEAD gebührend zu feiern, werden Motörhead Music / UDR / EMI am 18.November 2011 eine aufwendig gestaltete DVD Edition namens "The Wörld Is Ours Vol 1 – Everything Further Than Everyplace Else" auf den Markt schmeißen. Jetzt gibt es einen DVD Trailer und den kompletten Song "Killed By Death" zu bestaunen.

Gemixt hat Langzeit-Produzent Cameron Webb und "The Wörld Is Ours Vol 1" bietet von klassischem MOTÖRHEAD Stuff a la 'Overkill', 'Ace Of Spades' oder 'Killed By Death' auch so Perlen wie Liveversione von 'Over The Top' bzw. neueren Stuff wie 'I Know How To Die. Der Hauptteil besteht aus einem Livemitschnitt aus dem Teatro Caupolican in Chile’ welcher vno Banger Films und Sam Dunn (Iron Maiden Flight 666, Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage) produziert wurde. Darüberehinaus gibt es die Band live in New York’s Best Buy Theater und im Apollo in Manchester.


Another country, another town, another place and a sold-out crowd roars their approval. The greatest road warriors in rock once again prepare to bleed their sweat all over another stage. Lemmy steps up to the mike…

“WE ARE MOTÖRHEAD ...… AND WE PLAY ROCK'N'ROLL !”

Back On Black, which specializes in vinyl editions of classic metal albums and is dedicated to providing top-quality releases for record collectors and metal fans worldwide, has reissued the first six albums from BLACK LABEL SOCIETY on 180-gram heavyweight vinyl, packaged in deluxe gatefold sleeves. The first 1,000 copies of each title is being made available on limited-edition colored vinyl.

Featured titles:

* "Sonic Brew" (1999)
* "Stronger Than Death" (2000)
* "1919 Eternal" (2002)
* "The Blessed Hellride" (2003)
* "Hangover Music Vol. VI" (2004)
* "Mafia" (2005)

Legendary Florida death metal behemoths OBITUARY will embark on a short East Coast run of dates this November alongside DENIAL FIEND. The trek will commence on November 12 in Tampa, Florida and run through to November 20 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Commented OBITUARY guitarist Trevor Peres: "We are gonna rip out some old songs that we haven't played in ages during these shows!"

DENIAL FIEND's Terry Butler — who will be pulling double duty on this tour as a stand-in bassist for OBITUARY — had this to say about the upcoming jaunt: "First off we would like to thank OBITUARY for asking us to be part of their 'East Coast Possession Tour'; very cool indeed. We are very excited to finally playing some shows with the new lineup. Hope to see all you FIENDS at the shows crushing and tearing it up!!"

OBITUARY is currently writing material for the follow-up to the "Darkest Day" full-length CD, released in 2009 via Candlelight Records. "Our goal is to be in the studio by January or February and to release the album in May or June of 2012," said Peres. "Of course, the album will be followed up by a ton of tour dates. We will start out in Europe with the summer festival circuit, followed by a proper European tour package and then do a full North American tour in the fall of 2012."

In other news, OBITUARY is working on a new web site that will allow fans a more interactive experience. "We'll be able to have more direct, real-time communications with our fans through our web site utilizing audio, video, chat rooms, etc." Peres said. "We're working on making these features function on our website, but as soon as we are ready to go live we will make an announcement."

OBITUARY "East Coast Possession Tour" dates with DENIAL FIEND:

Nov. 12 - The Brass Mug - Tampa, FL
Nov. 14 - Sirens - St. Augustine, FL
Nov. 15 - C Level - Panama City, FL
Nov. 17 - Championship Sports Bar & Grill - Trenton, NJ
Nov. 18 - 42nd Street Rock House - Greensburg (Pittsburgh), PA
Nov. 19 - Santos Party House - New York, NY
Nov. 20 - The Casbah/Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Nov. 21 - The Archive Gallery - Atlanta, GA

AEROSMITH will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its iconic 1976 album, "Rocks", with a special edition release, due out in Japan on November 23. The release will coincide with AEROSMITH's fall tour through Japan, kicking off Tuesday, November 22 in Kanazawa.

"Rocks" 35th-anniversary deluxe edition will include:

* "Rocks" Japan-edition CD (jewel case with a replica of a golden spine onsert for Japanese LP sleeve)
* The first Japan tour program replica (28 pages)
* The first Japan tour poster replica (Nippon Budokan version)
* The first Japan tour ticket replica (from the first show at Gunma Sport Center)
* Japanese 7" singles' artwork replicas ("Home Tonight" / "Back In The Saddle" / "Last Child")
* Four postcards of photos from the "Rocks" era

All housed in a clear, plastic case

The raw and raucous "Rocks" is the fourth album by AEROSMITH, originally released on May 3, 1976. The LP — which featured such stand-out tracks like "Back In The Saddle", "Rats In The Cellar", "Sick As A Dog" and "Nobody's Fault" — peaked at No. 3 in the U.S., No. 14 in Canada and No. 46 in Sweden.