Frontiers Records will release ROYAL HUNT's 11th studio album, "Show Me How To Live", on November 29 in North America and December 2 in Europe.

ROYAL HUNT was recently rejoined by D.C. Cooper, the American singer that performed on the band's two most successful releases in the '90s: "Moving Target" and the concept album "Paradox". "We started chatting on Skype from time to time and that's how the idea of doing on a mini-tour came about," says ROYAL HUNT founder, songwriter and keyboards player André Andersen. "After playing some shows we realized that the chemistry was still there and we decided to continue… recording a new album — first..."

"Show Me How to Live" is described in a press release as "highly melodic with rich, lush arrangements and stellar production" and certain to "please the fans of neoclassical yet progressive music."

"The new songs are continuing right from where we left it in the first place, [and] so far it sounds great," says Andersen. "It will have some qualities of our previous albums, 'Moving Target', and 'Paradox', but you can certainly expect some cool updates and new twists!"

The follow-up 2010's "X" is being recorded at NorthPoint studio in Copenhahen and will be mixed at RoastingHouse Studios in Malmö, Sweden. The mastering duites will be handled by Jan Eliasson at AudioPlanet in Copenhagen.

"Show Me How To Live" track listing:

01. Introduction
02. One More Day
03. Another Man Down
04. An Empty Shell
05. Hard Rain's Coming
06. Half Past Loneliness
07. Show Me How To Live
08. Angel's Gone

As a companion to the new album, Frontiers Records will also release on the same day a ROYAL HUNT double DVD entitled "Future Coming From The Past". This double package serves as a celebration of the return of singer D.C. Cooper to the line-up, and makes finally widely available two very rare items which were only released in Japan back in the day. The first DVD is entitled "1996" and was recorded live in Japan just after the release of the band's "Moving Target" album. "1996" is an excellent summary of ROYAL HUNT's career up to that point. The band offers a great mix of songs from their first three studio albums. The band was in top form for this show, with D.C. leading the way. The second DVD, "Paradox - Closing the Chapter", was recorded in 1998 and marked the end of the original D.C. Cooper era for ROYAL HUNT. It is essentially a complete live performance of the band's amazing studio album "Paradox", their most successful album to date. It is a very solid performance and D.C. delivers the goods, while the band's playing is superb. To complete the package is a 50-minute documentary which shares stories of life in a rock band.

ROYAL HUNT's current lineup:

André Andersen - Keyboards
D.C. Cooper - Vocals
Allan Sørensen - Drums
Andreas Passmark - Bass
Jonas Larsen - Guitars

ROYAL HUNT's last album, "X", was released in Europe on June 7, 2010 via Scarlet Records. The CD, which featured the vocals of Mark Boals (ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN'S RISING FORCE, BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB, RING OF FIRE), came out in Japan and Southeast Asia on January 21, 2010 through Marquee/Avalon.

Singer John West joined ROYAL HUNT in 1999 during the recording of the "Fear" album and he worked with the band up until its "Royal Hunt 2006" live CD/DVD.

Fans of dramatic, symphonic Euro metal have something to look forward to when the cold, dark, dreary winter sets in. Finnish/Swedish superstars NIGHTWISH will release their new album, "Imaginaerum", in North America on January 10, 2012 via Roadrunner Records and it will serve as a welcome beckon of warmth and light in an otherwise dark season! The album is the band's first since 2007's "Dark Passion Play", which was then-new singer Anette Olzon's debut.

The band examined its catalog when sitting down to write what would become "Imaginaerum". The songs for the album were written between 2008 and 2010, after the "Dark Passion Play" tour cycle ended.

At that point, NIGHTWISH knew they wanted to do something different, new and unique, which is exceptional for a band whose career has been defined by words like different, new and unique!

The band consciously wanted to do something so big, crossover, detailed, innovative and, well, "nuts," that it would leave the band, and hopefully the people experiencing it, completely awestruck. It would be a situation where fans and/or critics would either love it or hate it, but they'd be left awestruck nonetheless. That's when the band realized another dimension, namely video, was necessary for the project.

Instead of a concept album, the band set the album to a film.

"The original idea I had was to film 13 short stories related to the songs with a connected storyline, shot by Stobe Harju," keyboardist/songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said. It was Harju's idea to turn the 13 stories and visions into more of a connected cinematic piece — essentially, a film. It would have a clear plot, script, dialogue and real actors in an ambitious effort to create something wholly unique.The film was shot in September of this year.

The movie is based on the album and its 13 tracks, honoring the original ideas, but having evolved radically from the initial plan. Holopainen said, "Still, it was important from the very beginning that the album would work as its own individual piece of art, as well. It is a thematic album about life itself, about imagination, love, goodness and beauty, with a touch of darkness and melancholy, which are strongly included in all of those things mentioned."

The band will have but a small part in the film. A 2012 premiere date is being eyed.

"Imaginaerum" track listing (note that track 12 is broken down into four parts):

01. Taikatalvi
02. Storytime
03. Ghost River
04. Slow, Love, Slow
05. I Want My Tears Back
06. Scaretale
07. Arabesque
08. Turn Loose the Mermaids
09. Rest Calm
10. The Crow, the Owl and the Dove
11. Last Ride of the Day
12. Song Of Myself
Song 1: From A Dusty Bookshelf
Song 2: All That Great Heart Lying Still
Song 3: Piano Black
Song 4: Love
13. Imaginaerum

"Imaginaerum" will be released in Finland on Wednesday, November 30 and the rest of Europe on Friday, December 2 via Nuclear Blast Records.

A track-by-track breakdown of the album by Tuomas Holopainen can be found at Metalhammer.co.uk.

Regarding the "Imaginaerum" cover artwork, which can be seen below, Holopainen said, "Originally, this was supposed to be the centerfold image of the album, but once I and some mates saw the final image, we immediately knew that the hunt for the actual cover artwork was over. I believe this is Toxic Angel's finest piece of work yet, capturing the deepest essence of what 'Imaginaerum' is all about. The power of imagination and places of wordless wonders, magic and awe, of longing and the surreal.

"I emphasized from the start that not a single living thing should be seen in the picture, and Toxic was able to create that sublime but desolate, 'all this waiting for you, and you only' feeling.

"All you need is the courage to enter."

NIGHTWISH's new single, "Storytime", will be released in Europe on Friday, November 11 via Nuclear Blast Records.

On the topic of the musical direction of the forthcoming album, NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon wrote on her official blog, "I think it's a great and varied CD. The feelings in it are great and there are a lot of elements in it, so I am sure it will have many different favorite songs for the listeners since the songs are so different in styles and sound. [2007's] 'Dark Passion Play' is a great album and this one, too, so I don't know yet which one I like more, but, of course, for me personally, this one feels better to do since the songs are more adjusted to my voice and my style."

NIGHTWISH will kick off the "Imaginaerum" world tour in Los Angeles. The very first show of the trek will take place at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California on Saturday, January 21. This will be the biggest NIGHTWISH show production ever on North American soil and strictly a one-off — there will be no U.S. tour until later in 2012.

"Carbon-Based Anatomy", a new song from the progressive rock/metal band CYNIC, is available for streaming using the audio player below. It can also be downloaded at this location. The track is the title cut of the group's new EP, which will be released on November 11 in Europe and November 15 in North America via Season Of Mist. Unlike last year's "Re-Traced", this new EP consists exclusively of brand new material.

"Carbon-Based Anatomy" track listing:

01. Amidst The Coals
02. Carbon-Based Anatomy
03. Bija!
04. Box Up My Bones
05. Elves Beam Out
06. Hieroglyph

"Carbon-Based Anatomy" audio stream:

Swedish metallers STEELWING will release their second album, "Zone Of Alienation", in Janaury 2012 via NoiseArt Records. The CD was helmed by producer Rikard Löfgren, who had previously worked with DEATHSTARS, MAMAKIN, ENFORCER and VOMITORY, among others.

Commented STEELWING: "The recording sessions at Leon Music with Rikard Löfgren were a blast! Everyone worked really hard to pull it off with a tight deadline but Rikard really understood the STEELWING sound and used his ear for melodies to bring out the best in our songwriting. The results speak for themselves and the progression of the band since our debut is obvious."

According to a press release, "Zone Of Alienation" is a semi-concept album set in a not-so-distant future where the remnants of mankind have fled into outer space. Following the eradication of the Earth after religious wars have gone nuclear, they set out to find new worlds to colonize.

The "Zone Of Alienation" cover artwork was created by Dimitar Nikolov and is an eerie depiction of heavily armed space pioneers setting foot on a hostile planet.

"Zone of Alienation" track listing:

01. 2097 A.D.
02. Solar Wind Riders
03. Full Speed Ahead!
04. Breathless
05. Tokkotai (Wind of Fury)
06. Zone of Alienation
07. The Running Man
08. They Came From The Skies
09. Lunacy Rising

The album will be made available as a limited-edition digipack with a bonus track.

"Zone of Alienation" release dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, France: January 6
Sweden: January 10
Rest Of Europe: January 27

STEELWING will embark on a tour in January with their fellow Swedes GRAND MAGUS and BULLET.

Commented STEELWING: "We are absolutely stoked to hit the road again after the recordings of our second album, and we couldn't ask for a better lineup for this tour — it's gonna be a true heavy metal assault on the senses! We will, of course, play some of the classics from our first album but we'll also play a couple of new songs for all you metal marauders to raise your fists and scream along to!"

"See No Future", the new video from the Italian dark metal outfit GRAVEWORM, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's new album, "Fragments Of Death", which is scheduled for release on October 21 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Diabolical Figures" was recorded in July at the Dream Sound Studios in Munich, Germany and was mastered by Jan Vacik. According to a press release, "The songs are about the death in its thousand faces, which is also reflected in the album title and cover art. Musically, the album can be seen as a mixture of the best of the last four records, with some old-school roots and definitive darker than its predecessors."

"Fragments Of Death" track listing:

01. Insomnia
02. Only Death In Our Wake
03. Absence Of Faith
04. Living Nightmare
05. The World Will Die In Flames
06. Anxiety
07. See No Future
08. The Prophecy
09. Remembrance
10. Old Forgotten Song
11. Where Angels Do Not Fly

Bonus track:

12. Awake

Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH played their first show in over a year this past Saturday, October 8 in Poznan, Poland. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski, who was diagnosed with leukemia in August 2010, stated: "Magick is back, my friends! We have our first 'rebirth’ shows under our belt, moreover, both Poznan and Gdansk were totally sold out and crowd's reactions went beyond anyone's expectations!

"We have a special guest, Krzysztof Azarewicz introducing the band on stage; thanx mate! You are a true friend!

"BEHEMOTH would like to thank every person that came down and shown their support. It can’t be underrated. We have few more shows to go… and then we're gonna take a deep breath before striking back the European stages in February.

"This is the ultimate manifest and our unconquerable will! Join us!"

German death metallers LAY DOWN ROTTEN are recording their sixth album, "Mask Of Malice", at Desert Inn Studios in Germany for a February 2012 release via Metal Blade Records. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Deathchain", "…And Out Come The Wolves", "Hades Resurrected" and "Swallow The Bitterness".

Comments the band: "We are almost done recording our sixth album. We recorded at the Desert Inn Studio where we also worked on the last five albums. The new album will be called 'Mask Of Malice' and it features ten killer tracks that combine the raw dynamics of the typical LAY DOWN ROTTEN sound with the bittersweet melodies of death metal hymns you wanna bang your head to!"

LAY DOWN ROTTEN is:

Jost Kleinert - Vocals
Nils Förster - Guitar
Daniel Seifert - Guitar
Uwe Kilian - Bass
Timo Claas - Drums

THE RESISTANCE, the new Sweden-based metal band featuring former members of IN FLAMES, THE HAUNTED and GRAVE, made its live debut this past Saturday, October 8 at Club Distortion in Stockholm, Sweden. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed below.

THE RESISTANCE's lineup is as follows:

* Marco Aro (FACE DOWN, ex-THE HAUNTED) - Vocals
* Jesper Strömblad (ex-IN FLAMES, DIMENSION ZERO) - Guitar
* Glenn Ljungström (ex-IN FLAMES, DIMENSION ZERO) - Guitar
* Alex Losbäck Holstad (ex-DESPITE, DECAMERON, CARDINAL SIN) - Bass
* Chris Barkensjö (CARNAL FORGE, GODSIC, ex-GRAVE) - Drums

Strömblad quit IN FLAMES in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

Nuclear Blast Germany have unveiled a number of formats for NIGHTWISH's upcoming album Imaginaerum and their 'Storytime' single as detailed below:

Imaginaerum Mail Order Edition: limited and numbered to 1000 copies, the boxset includes the double digipak, the one-track-single 'Rest Calm' in its demo version featuring Marco Hietala on vocals and the exclusive Imaginaerum mirror:

Imaginaerum Two-CD digi pack featuring instrumental version of the album as bonus CD:

Imaginaerum Marbled Vinyl: Strictly limited to 250 marbled 180g double gatefold LPs incl. a DIN A2 poster:

'Storytime' CD Single featuring 'Storytime' (radio edit), 'Storytime' (album version), 'Storytime' (instrumental version):

'Storytime' Single Clear, White and Dark Blue Vinyl: Strictly limited to 250 lush 10" gatefold mini albums. Featuring 'Storytime' (radio edit), 'Storytime' (album version), 'Storytime' (instrumental version):

Legendary hard rock singer Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, TALISMAN, JOURNEY) has issued the following update:

"I am contently at the halfway stages of my completing new solo album, 'Damage Control'! I am two vocals away from wrapping up 14 new masterpieces for you…

"It's been over three years since I completed 'Beautiful Mess', which was a departure from what fans expected. Well, I can tell you this new album has what you want and more! I combined the best of my first two solo albums with Frontiers Records and also tapped into the spirits of TALISMAN, SOUL SIRKUS and then some on 'Damage Control'. I have recruited my solo bandmates, new and old, to co-write with me as well as Joel Hoekstra of NIGHT RANGER and Jamie Borger of TALISMAN/TREAT to write and play with me on this. The tracks are amazing and I am sure will please all Jeff Scott Soto fans alike.

"Look for 'Damage Control' to drop in March 2012 with Frontiers Records followed by a full European/South America/possible U.S. tour...

"And oh, by the way — shameless plug — we'll be starting a new W.E.T. album [featuring Soto, guitarist/songwriter Erik Martensson (ECLIPSE) and keyboardist Robert Sall (WORK OF ART)] in a few months…

"Busy times but nothing less than you'd expect from me."

Bassist Rudy Sarzo (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, ex-OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE, DIO), drummer A.J. Pero (TWISTED SISTER) and guitarist Mike Orlando (ADRENALINE MOB) have joined forces in a brand new project called TRED. An album's worth of material is currently in the works for a tentative January 2012 release.

The identity of TRED's frontman — who is said to be a well-known singer in the Rob Halford vein — will be revealed later this week.

TRED's musical direction is described as "go-for-the-throat, straight-ahead rock."

Commented Orlando: "15 tracks so far are in pre-production and we will announce the vocalist very shortly!

"A.J., Rudy and myself are real excited about launching this new lineup and it will definetely have tons of energy, great playing and some kick-ass hard rock!

"It will be an honor to be part of this new band, as it is an honor to be part of ADRENALINE MOB as well! Should be an exciting 2012!"

Norwegian metallers SUSPERIA will release a CD celebrating their 10-year anniversary as a recording artist, "We Are The Ones", on November 11. According to a press release, "This album marks 10 years of releases, and at the same time a nice end of a circle where Mustis (ex-DIMMU BORGIR), who participated on SUSPERIA's first demo in 1999, now returns after 12 years to once again put his magical touch on new, as well as old songs. A very fruitful cooperation which now has led to some fantastic re-recordings of some very popular, classic songs, now in complete symphonic versions. A brand new song has been recorded, with a massive orchestral theme. The contribution to this year's Eurovision Song Contest is of course featured. And to round up a celebratory album of this magnitude the right way, here it is finally, the entire infamous demo recording from 1999; 'Illusions Of Evil'! Remastered and officially released for the very first time. Øyvind 'Mustis' Mustaparta has been a guest musician in the band for a period of six months, and the result of this junction is finally ready. Really just a huge celebration of the longtime brotherhood of the band, and an even bigger thank you to the devoted fans worldwide. What contributes to making this album so special now is the fact that SUSPERIA, in their 12-year existence, have had the same lineup of members, without exception. This is very rare, and quite special not only in the metal genre, but in the whole music industry in general. Especially within bands consisting of five or more members. This will also be vocalist Athera's first release with SUSPERIA since the near-fatal heart attack in March 2009, and the subsuquent open-heart surgery."

Legendary actor William Shatner will release his new space-themed concept album entitled "Seeking Major Tom" on October 11 via the Los Angeles-based label Cleopatra Records. Comprised of 19 "interpretations" of classic intergalactic rock anthems, the release features guest appearances by Ritchie Blackmore (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE), Ian Paice (DEEP PURPLE), Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE), Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE, ROD STEWART, OZZY OSBOURNE), Mike Inez (ALICE IN CHAINS) and Michael Schenker (MSG, UFO, SCORPIONS).

You can now stream "Seeking Major Tom" in its entirety at this location.

Of Wylde, Shatner previously said, "He's fantastic! I'm energized." Wylde was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Shatner and added, "He's super cool, we had an awesome time working together."