CHICKENFOOT's sophomore album, "Chickenfoot III", is available for streaming in its entirety at AOL Music. Due on September 27 via eOne Music in North America, "Chickenfoot III" was produced by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, METALLICA) and is the much-anticipated follow-up album to the successful eponymous debut of a rock band packed with successful veterans — guitar hero Joe Satriani, drummer Chad Smith, former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony and frontman Sammy Hagar.

"I am very proud of the new album," says lead singer Hagar.

"We're calling the album 'Chickenfoot III' because it's so good, the songs are so tight, it's like we jumped right past having to make a second record." He adds, "We've established a real trust, Joe and I, we truly bring out the best in one another, and that spreads to the whole band."

"Chickenfoot III" features 10 tracks with so many moments of epiphany that one can barely take them all in on first listen. Colossal, stadium-shaking riffs abound on earth-movers such as "Alright, Alright", "Last Temptation", "Bigfoot" and "Lighten Up".

Tradition meets innovation on the Nashville pop-tinged "Different Devil", the Delta-blues flavored "Something Going Wrong" and the aching rock ballad "Come Closer".

METALLICA's special acoustic performance of the song "Disposable Heroes" — recorded in October 2007 at the 21st annual Bridge School Benefit at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California — will be included on Warner Bros. Records' compilation CD and DVD sets of Neil Young's fabled benefit concerts for the Bridge School for children with severe speech and physical impairments.

Due on October 24, "The Bridge School Concerts - 25th Anniversary Edition" will feature additional contributions from THE WHO, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, PAUL MCCARTNEY, R.E.M., PEARL JAM, ELTON JOHN and many more.

Check out a trailer featuring some of the musical highlights below.

METALLICA took part in the Bridge School Benefit concerts twice — in 1997 and in 2007.

The Bridge School, which was co-founded by Young's wife Pegi, works to help people with physical and speech impairments through alternate methods of communication, including music therapy. Each year, Young, who has two handicapped sons, gathers a cross-section of performers to perform acoustically to benefit the school.

STORM CORROSION, the much-anticipated collaboration project between OPETH's Mikael Åkerfeldt and PORCUPINE TREE's Steven Wilson, has completed work on its self-titled debut album for an April 2012 release through an as-yet-undicslosed record label.

In a fall 2010 interview with the U.K. branch of Roadrunner Records, Wilson stated about STORM CORROSION, "It's nice to know that what [Mikael and I] always suspected was that when we actually got together [and began collaborating on songs], it was gonna be quite easy. It was also in the back of your mind, thinking, 'Maybe it won't work.' Maybe it [was] just built up so much [in my head before we started writing material], and it was so easy. So easy. And the music was so crazy and so inspiring to both of us. So I think that was good to feel, like, 'It's gonna work.'"

Regarding the similarities and differences between PORCUPINE TREE and OPETH and how they play into STORM CORROSION, Wilson said, "The funny thing is that the music we're making together is actually nothing like either of us made before. Because I think we both had this idea of this kind of music that we knew we couldn't get our bands to play, but that we both kind of understood where we were coming from. 'Cause we have this kind of passion [for] very experimental, obscure records, almost orchestral in their scope. And we wanted to make a record like that for a long time."

He continued, "It's a long way from metal and it's a long way from anything that, I think, Mikael has ever done, including the 'Damnation' record [from OPETH].

"I think a lot of people thought, 'Oh, it's gonna be like 'Damnation'.' It's not; it's a long way from that, too. And it's actually a long way from anything I've done; [it's] possibly closer to aspects of things I've done, but really quite distinct from anything I've ever [released]. [It's] very orchestral, lots of strings, lots of guitars and vocals, too. Lots of very long songs that kind of go in different directions that you don't necessarily expect them to go in — almost theatrical in a way. And we both kind of admitted to ourselves that there are a lot of fans out there that are probably gonna hate it. But we're doing it for us."

He added, "The one thing we didn't wanna do is get together and do a prog-metal supergroup, which would have been so easy to do — and kind of expected, in a way. And, you know, we might do that anyway one day. But this time around, we thought, 'Let's just do this [kind of] record.'

"Some people will love it and some people will not, and that's OK, because, in a way, I don't think we wanted to just give what was expected, and we're certainly not doing that."

On the topic of the recording process for STORM CORROSION and whether Steven and Mikael are self-producing the new project, Wilson said, "It's great, because in many respects, Mikael is the closest I know to someone who is... How do I put this? He's the equivalent of me in his band. He's like the captain of the ship and we kind of understand each other — all the frustrations of being in that position, all the stresses and pressures of being in that situation — so because of that, there's no ego thing at all — yet! [Laughs] But we're both kind of control freaks, in a way, so that's kind of a strange situation to be, where you're working with someone where you don't feel any of those issues and you have that complete trust. So we're just like... [I go], 'Here, you have the guitar. Do something amazing.' And he does. And then I'm like, 'Oh, I've got an idea for that,' and I do some keyboard thing. And he's like, 'That's amazing! I love that.' And so it's really... It sounds like we're kind of blowing each other the whole time... [Laughs] But it's just so much fun. And that's the important thing — I think it's fun. Because there's no ego and there's no pressure. Because people don't know what to expect."

He continued, "We've kind of already resigned ourselves to the fact that we're gonna do something that people are gonna hate, anyway. I mean, I'm exaggerating... I'm sure a lot of people are gonna dig it. But people are gonna be surprised by it.

"We're not giving people what they expect, so there's little pressure, really — there's very little pressure. It's just literally swapping instruments and I'm kind of recording it on my own system."

Although former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy was initially supposed to be part of the project, it now appears that he will no longer be involved.

"To be honest, there's just no room for drums on what we've done so far," Åkerfeldt told Classic Rock magazine last year. "I called Mike up, and he was cool about it. He's got so much going on anyway, and I'm sure we will work together in the future."

EXODUS, HEATHEN, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT and SKINLAB are among the bands who played at a concert in celebration of EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt and Lisa Perticone's upcoming wedding. The event took place this past Saturday, September 24 at Avalon in Santa Clara, California, and featured additional appearances by RELENTLESS REVOLUTIONARIES (a.k.a. DEATH ANGEL), MIDNIGHT CHASER, SEVERED FIFTH, ANGERHEAD, MAD AT SAM, DEADLANDS, ANTI-MORTEM and COFFIN HUNTER. Making a surprise appearance with EXODUS during the concert was the band's former guitarist Rick Hunolt, who left the group in 2005 in order to focus on his family life.

Video footage of the some of the "Holty Matrimony" performances can be seen below.

Holt has two daughters from previous relationships. Perticone has a teenage daughter. The two are currently residing in Pinole, California.

Holt has spent the last few months filling in for SLAYER founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman who in January contracted necrotizing fasciitis, likely caused by a spider bite, and has been undergoing surgeries, skin grafts and intense rehab since.

EXODUS's latest album, "Exhibit B: The Human Condition", was released in North America on May 18, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The official lyric video for "Dead But Dreaming", a brand new song from the San Diego-based deathcore band CARNIFEX, can be seen below. The track comes off the group's new album, "Until I Feel Nothing", which will be released on October 25 via Victory Records. Produced by Tim Lambesis (AS I LAY DYING), the follow-up to 2010's "Hell Chose Me" "captures an in-your-face extremity that drips with malice and ferocity, solidifying the effort as the most anticipated album of the year," according to a press release. The cover artwork was created by famed comic book illustrator Menton3 (Silent Hill, Monocyte) and can be seen below.

Universal International Japan has confirmed a November 16th release date for the Deluxe Edition of DIO's legend 1984 sophomore effort, The Last In Line. The reissue release features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD players) and cardboard sleeve jacket.

Disc 1:
'We Rock'
'Last in Line'
'Breathless'
'I Speed at Night'
'One Night in the City'
'Evil Eyes'
'Mystery'
'Eat Your Heart Out'
'Egypt (The Chains Are On)'

Disc 2:
'Stand Up And Shout' (Live B-Side)
'Straight Through The Heart' (Live B-Side)
'Eat Your Heart Out' (Live)
'Don’t Talk To Strangers' (Live)
'Holy Diver' (Live B-Side)
'Rainbow In The Dark' (Live B-Side)
'One Night In The City' (Live Pinkpop Festival)
'We Rock' (Live Pinkpop Festival)
'Holy Diver' (Live Pinkpop Festival)
'Stargazer' (Live Pinkpop Festival)
'Heaven And Hell' (Live Pinkpop Festival)
'Rainbow In The Dark' (Live Pinkpop Festival)
'Don't Talk To Strangers' (Live Pinkpop Festival)

Germany's ATLANTEAN KODEX has been hard writing its as-yet-untitled sophomore full-length album. The follow-up to the band's heralded debut, "The Golden Bough", is "one of the most anticipated albums for fans of grand, epic and pure heavy metal," according to a press release.

Commented guitarist Manuel Trummer: "The new album is slowly starting to take shape. So far we have around 30 minutes of all new, unreleased material. There won't be any demo songs or older songs from previous releases on the album. Regarding the general direction, you can expect the same sound and atmosphere as on 'The Golden Bough'. There won't be any change in style whatsoever. The stuff we have written so far ranges from nice headbanging up-tempo anthems to some of the slowest and most epic stuff we have done... it's safe to say that our key coordinates still are 'Into Glory Ride'-era MANOWAR, Viking-era BATHORY, arcane '80s U.S. metal served with a healthy dose of NWOBHM, folk and '70s vibes. All regressive, all ATLANTEAN KODEX."

ATLANTEAN KODEX's new album is scheduled for release sometime in late 2012 or early 2013.

"The Golden Bough", released by Italy's Cruz Del Sur Music in 2010, took fans of the most epic classic, power and doom metal by surprise, reaping incredible acclaim from critics and publications of all caliber and from diehard fans of pure heavy metal worldwide, and closing out the year on countless year-end lists.

ATLANTEAN KODEX is:

Markus Becker - Vocals, Speculative Archeology
Michael Koch - Lead Guitar, Cryptozoology
Florian Kreuzer - Bass Guitar, Ur-Theology
Manuel Trummer - Guitar, Experimental Theosophy
Mario Weiß - Battery, Gnosticism

NIGHWISH have been filming their upcoming Imaginaerum film in Montreal, Quebec. Singer Anette Olzon checks in below:

"It's been such long and hard days filled with movie shoots and promo photo shoots that I haven't had any time or energy to write but now we are all done and I fly home tonight. On Wednesday we started to shoot a scene that involves quite a lot of different things and all day was filled with action for us. It was really fun but also tiring and we were sooo tired when going to bed that night. I have had to be first on set every morning which means to leave the hotel at 5.30-5.55 so very early mornings. We shot some more on thursday but it was much easier that day and that was good since I was so tired all day. Guess the jet-lag hit me that day. Yesterday we went to the shoots to get our hair and make-up done before heading out in the city to take promo photos all day. It went really well and we were very fast and efficient in every location. And the guys looked so good all of them. When we came back in the evening we ate and checked all the photos and we all felt very pleased seeing the result. This week have been stressful, a little crazy, nervous and full of new people and new things to learn but most of all it has been wonderful and I leave Montreal feeling happy and relaxed and now I so long to see the movie when its done and I am sure it will be nothing but amazing. Everyone here working with it are pure professionals and seeing this big 'machinery' work have made me full of respect for the movie business and its hard workers. When I am back home I will publish photos from this week for you all to see. Enjoy this saturday and au revoir Montreal!"

Dutch prog-power metallers ROYAL HUNT's new album will be titled Show Me How To Live and will contain these following tracks:
'One More Day'
'Another Man Down'
'An Empty Shell'
'Half Past Loneliness'
'Hard Rain's Coming'
'Show Me How To Live'
'Angel´s Gone'

Norway's TRAIL OF TEARS has finished recording its as-yet-untitled seventh album at Sound Suite Studio in Marseille, France with producer Terje Refsnes.

Commented the band: "Cathrine [Paulsen] came through the extreme schedule with flying colours, putting the finishing vocals on the end result and delivered a performance for the history books!

"Mixing is currently underway, as is the process of finding a label to release this monster.

"We believe that we have created something extraordinary and can't wait to share it with you all. Never before has a recording process involved so much blood, sweat and tears!

"So here we are, proud as hell and eager to put this baby on the streets!

"Stay tuned for more info soon and in the meantime, remember to check out the touring schedule, we'll be visiting China, Holland and Belgium in the next two months so come out and let's party!"

Austrian symphonic metallers VISIONS OF ATLANTIS will have their October 23 performance at the Metal Female Voices Fest at Oktoberhallen in Wieze, Belgium professionally filmed for an upcoming DVD.

Commented the band: "We highly recommend a visit at this great festival to everyone as it`s not just only a very special feeling performing there but also everything around when being there as a fan is something quite unique within the whole metal scene. We always love to be there and as this year's appearance will be the most special one in our entire career we're even more excited about it and full of energy to crush the hall! So hope to see you all there and be part of our very first DVD production!"

A commercial for "Skin In The Game", the new EP from veteran Canadian hard rockers HELIX, can be viewed below.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. The William Tell Overture
02. Skin In The Game
03. The Bitch Is A Bullet
04. Angelina
05. Champagne Communist

Swedish death metallers SOULDRAINER will be releasing their new album, Heaven's Gate, via ViciSolum Productions on November 25th.

The album was recorded at Empire Studio, Frösön, Sweden and was produced, mixed and mastered my Marcus Edvardsson. The mixing and mastering was done by Ronnie Björnström at Sweden's EAP Garageland Studios.

Heaven's Gate tracklisting:
'The Quest'
'Fed By Fire'
'Low'
'Alien Terror'
'Hung On The Wall'
'The God Delusion'
'Gate Guard'
'The Legacy'
'Remember Me'
'Dying For Your Sick Belief'
'Goodbye Farewell'
'Heaven's Gate'
'Tools Of Torture El Parador' (bonus)

Helsinki-based progressive metallers ADAMANTRA have parted ways with lead vocalist Tuomas Nieminen.

Commented bassist/leader Jukka Hoffrén: "Although feeling a bit blue now, we intend to look forward.

"This decision has not been easy, but we feel it to be the right one nonetheless.

"Since day one, Tuomas has trodden a long road with us — now our paths separate for a fresh start.

"Tuomas is up there with the very best of Finland's heavy metal vocalists, and we wish him nothing but the best in life and his musical journey. We are now hoping to swiftly discover a new vocalist, in order to wrap up the upcoming album."

ADAMANTRA's debut album, "Revival", was released in 2009 and received considerable acclaim from the progressive metal audience and critics alike.

The band is currently working on its next CD at Pathos Music Studio with producer Mikko P. Mustonen.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of their "Resisting Success" album, reunited '80s/'90s metallers HADES have announced their only European show of 2012: Saturday, July 28 at the Headbangers Open Air festival in Brande-Hoernerkirchen Germany. HADES will perform songs from its first two LPs, "Resisting Success" and "If At First You Don't Succeed". A warm-up show will likely take place in New Jersey several days prior to the band's Headbangers Open Air appearance.

HADES' lineup for these shows will feature Alan Tecchio on vocals, Dan Lorenzo and Ed Fuhrman on guitars, Tom Coombs on drums and former NON-FICTION bassist Kevin Bolembach.

Commented Lorenzo: "We all love [former HADES guitarist] Scott [LePage], but being that he lives in Texas it just makes it harder from a logistical standpoint. Ed hasn't played with HADES since 2002 but he's ready to go."

Professionally filmed footage of Fuhrman performing with HADES can be viewed below.

Bassist Jason Blachowicz (a.k.a. Jay Black) of Florida-based death metal veterans MALEVOLENT CREATION has launched a new project called MURDER SUICIDE. According to a press release, the group plays "old-school style death metal" and "bring[s] out that ol' late-80s-to-early-90s vibe with some straight-forward, balls-to-the-wall, groovy, heavy, pure headbangin' death metal savagely well executed with no remorse, achieving punishing results."

MURDER SUICIDE is:

* Jay Black (MALEVOLENT CREATION, DIVINE EMPIRE) - Bass
* Gus Rios (MALEVOLENT CREATION, UPON INFLICTION) – Drums
* Mike Dickson (MASTICATOR) - Guitar
* Dean Corpse (CYST) - Vocals

MURDER SUICIDE is in the process of writing and recording its first demo, with five songs already in progress, Blachowicz states, "This is gonna be really cool, man. The collection of riffs and the vibe we have going is great and all four of us are excited about creating something curiously new and really HEAVY to enjoy!"

Bassist Janne Jarvis has left veteran rockers WARRIOR SOUL. He explains in a statement, "After three years and some great shows, it's time to move on. My commitments with HATE GALLERY [in which Janne plays bass and sings. — Ed.] have made it impossible to carry on. I also have another very exciting project which will reveal itself in the coming months."

He added, "Kory [Clarke, WARRIOR SOUL mainman] and I go back a long way and it's good to leave on a high note and I'm proud of the album we made together. I wish him all the best."

HATE GALLERY's second album, "Viva La Resistance", will be released on November 21, with live shows to be announced.

The band will perform at Dom in Helsinki, Finland on October 21, followed by an appearance in Tampere, Finland the next day.

The "Viva La Resistance" title track can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

DEVIL'S TRAIN, the new band featuring MYSTIC PROPHECY mainman/producer R.D. Liapakis, STRATOVARIUS drummer Jörg Michael, guitarist Lakis Ragazas, and SYMFONIA/ex-STRATOVARIUS bassist Jari Kainulainen, has inked a deal with earMUSIC/Edel. The group's self-titled debut album was recorded at Prophecy and Music Factory studios with the production team of Liapakis and Christian Schmid. A February 17, 2012 release is expected.

DEVIL'S TRAIN is a project Liapakis had been working on with Greek guitarist Lakis Ragazas for a year and as soon as Michael heard it, he asked to become part of it as the group's drummer.

Commented Liapakis: "I am rock and roll down to my veins and I always had diverse influences in my music, a great part of which are expressed in the music I write with MYSTIC PROPHECY. However, the style of music I have been preparing for DEVIL'S TRAIN with Lakis Ragazas isn't the style that would fit MYSTIC PROPHECY and this is why I decided to initiate a side band. Luckily, other people with whom I have common musical background share my vice for rock 'n' roll and Jörg, as I found out when we toured together [in] January [2010], is one of them."

New York-based rock/metal/gothic band HOLYHELL has announced the addition veteran John Macaluso to the group's ranks.

HOLYHELL and Macaluso first played together in March 2011, with performances in sold-out shows in Worcester, Massachusetts and Cleveland, Ohio.

"The energy was so amazing, you can hear it effortlessly in the performances," said HOLYHELL front woman and songwriter Maria Breon. "We want to share this experience with our fans! Join us on Facebook — and on the road!"

Macaluso has been the recording and touring drummer for world-renowned acts such as YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ARK, JAMES LABRIE, TNT, RIOT, POWERMAD, STARBREAKER, CHRIS CAFFERY and KRS-ONE.

"Playing with 'Mac' has been a revelation and a pleasure for the whole band. He's a monster drummer with impeccable timing and a strong sense for the music," said musical director Francisco Palomo.

"Johnny Mac is a perfect fit for HOLYHELL. The band sounds killer!" adds Joe Stump.

HOLYHELL has earned high