Persian death metal band ARSAMES will release a four-song EP, called Persian Death Metal Tribute To Warriors Of Metal, later this summer.

The album includes tracks from AMON AMARTH, KREATOR, CARCASS and SEPULTURA.

The tracklisting:

'Phobia' (Kreator cover)
'Roots' (Sepultura cover)
'Polarized' (Carcass cover)
'The Pursuit Of Vikings' (Amon Amarth cover)
'Testament Of The King' (remix)

Following the turbulent and successful release of Road Salt One in the year 2010 (with numerous chart entries, Russian train bombs, an appearance at the huge Swedish Melodifestivalen as well as highly controversial video clips), not to mention the touring activities in its support which climaxed this year with shows in India, South America, and last month's triumphant appearance at France's Hellfest, PAIN OF SALVATION can now finally reveal that the Road Salt Two album is scheduled for a October 11th, 2011 release date in North America via InsideOut Music. The European release date is set for September 26th.

Dutch progressive metallers TEXTURES have set "Dualism" as the title of their fourth album, due in in Europe, South America, Australia and Asia on September 23 and in North America on September 27 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Split Second Sound Studio in Amsterdam and was produced by TEXTURES guitar player Jochem Jacobs, who helmed all of the band's previous albums. The first single, "Reaching Home", will be released on August 19 through all major download sites.

The "Dualism" cover artwork was designed by former TEXTURES frontman Eric Kalsbeek and the band's bass player Remko Tielemans.

Commented Eric: "The guys asked me to co-create the artwork together with Remko, for good old times' sake. Of course I said yes! I might not be in the band anymore, but I'm still involved in some ways. We're still pretty close, you know. It was a challenge; it had to be 'different' but still TEXTURES-like. Hope you like it!"

"Dualism" track listing:

01. Arms Of The Sea
02. Black Horses Stampede
03. Reaching Home
04. Sanguine Draws The Oath
05. Consonant Hemispheres
06. Burning The Midnight Oil
07. Singularity
08. Minor Earth, Major Skies
09. Stoic Resignation
10. Foreclosure
11. Sketches From A Motionless Statue

From years of relentless touring, Los Angeles thrashers WARBRINGER have become known as one of the hardest-working bands in metal, as well as a ferocious live act — and they bring all of that raw aggression into the creation of their third album, "Worlds Torn Asunder", scheduled for a September 27 release via Century Media Records.

"Worlds Torn Asunder" was produced and mixed by Steve Evetts (SUICIDE SILENCE, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SYMPHONY X), and features artwork by Dan Seagrave, who designed WARBRINGER's previous album cover (in addition to art for bands such as ENTOMBED, SUFFOCATION and MORBID ANGEL).

Commented WARBRINGER vocalist John Kevill: "The concept behind 'Worlds Torn Asunder' was the decline of our existing world at the hands of the human race. The artwork depicts the world literally being torn and we wanted to include the setting in the cosmos along with a darker 'higher' force lurking behind the shadows. We had worked with Dan Seagrave before on 'Waking Into Nightmares' and were very comfortable with the way he expressed himself. He's been the artist for many bands we love and are inspired by."

The album's first single, "Living Weapon", will be released in the coming weeks.

"Worlds Torn Asunder" track listing:

01. Living Weapon
02. Shattered Like Glass
03. Wake Up...Destroy
04. Future Ages Gone
05. Savagery
06. Treacherous Tongue
07. Echoes From The Void
08. Enemies of the State
09. Behind the Veils of Night (instrumental)
10. Demonic Ecstasy

"Restless", a brand new song from the Norwegian progressive/avant-garde metal band LEPROUS, can be streamed on the group's Facebook page (note: you must "like" the band in order to hear the track). The cut comes off the group's new album, "Bilateral", which was skillfully mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street studios (OPETH, PAIN OF SALVATION, DEVIN TOWNSEND, SYMPHONY X) in Sweden.

e on August 22 in Europe and August 23, in North America via InsideOut Music, "Bilateral" "is set to musically redefine what it means to be progressive rock and/or metal, both for the devotees of the genre and the metal fans looking on from a safe distance," according to a press release.

Commented LEPROUS vocalist/keyboardist Einar Solberg: "'Restless' represents 'Bilateral' in many ways. It's complex, but at the same time catchy and plain. Even though it's one of the shortest songs on the album, I feel it's flavored with all the things that make LEPROUS special. It has the catchy chorus, it has the groove, it has progish feel and last but not least it has the heaviness."

LEPROUS tapped surrealistic American artist Jeff Jordan to create the artwork for "Bilateral". Solberg said: "Jeff Jordan is probably best known from his work with THE MARS VOLTA, and his paintings are highly rated all over the world. [Spanish designer] Ritxi Ostariz did the artwork for our previous album 'Tall Poppy Syndrome' (released 2009 through Sensory Records) and, of course, we want him to be part of this new album. Ritxi, too, is a critically acclaimed designer, and in our opinion one of the very best in his field."

"Storm Seeker", the debut album from Norway's ICS VORTEX, the project led by the former DIMMU BORGIR and current BORKNAGAR member, will be released on August 22 in Europe and August 23 in North America via Century Media Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. The Blackmobile
02. Odin's Tree
03. Skoal!
04. Dogsmacked
05. Aces
06. Windward
07. When Shuffled Off
08. Oil In Water
09. Storm Seeker
10. Flaskeskipper
11. The Sub Mariner

Danish extreme metallers CORPUS MORTALE check in with the following update:

“This will be the last studio update until we're ready to announce that the whole thing is completed.

The rhythm guitars was done in mid-June, and we immediately proceeded with the vocals... the lead guitar and bass guitar has been recorded simultaneously and now where very close to having everything on disc. We're hoping to be 100% through this weekend.

The mixing hasn't been planned yet but with a little luck we can do it in the following weeks thus the album with be ready for shopping in August.

August has been our deadline from the start and it's really nice that it seems we'll make it.

The title is found but we'll hold on to that for a little longer...”

The band's new album, produced by Jacob Olsen (PANZERCHRIST), will be released in late 2011.

ANOTHER ANIMAL — the band featuring GODSMACK members Tony Rombola on guitar, Robbie Merrill on bass and Shannon Larkin on drums — is preparing to release a new single, "Fall Of Rome". The track was mixed by Dave Fortman (MUDVAYNE, EVANESCENCE), who produced the latest album from GODSMACK, "The Oracle".

ANOTHER ANIMAL also includes original GODSMACK guitarist Lee Richards and former UGLY KID JOE frontman Whitfield Crane. Larkin told The Pulse of Radio that he personally wanted to bring Crane into the band to repay him for giving Larkin a job with UGLY KID JOE during the peak of that band's success. "He took me out of one of the darkest places in my life, when I was ready to just quit the music business," he said. "Well, Whit was in his own dark place, so I got to call him and say, 'Dude, guess what? I have this side project, so I'm offering you a chance now to be back on a major label and get your voice on the radio again. I was able to return a favor that was life-changing for me."

ANOTHER ANIMAL's self-titled debut album came out in October 2007 and was supported by a tour with ALTER BRIDGE.

MOTÖRHEAD's legendary frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister tells Billboard.com that he has recorded 10 songs for a solo album he's been working on for the past seven years. Guests so far include Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS, ex-NIRVANA), REVEREND HORTON HEAT, THE DAMNED and SKEW SISKIN, and Lemmy is hoping to finish it soon for possible release in 2012. "It's good. It goes all kinds of directions," he says. "It's either very inconsistent or very eclectic, depending how you look at it."

In a 2004 interview with Metal Maniacs magazine, Lemmy stated about his solo CD, " I've got two [songs recorded] with SKEW SISKIN [reportedly titled 'Stand Upon The Mountain' and 'Don't Matter To Me' — Ed.], which are fucking great! And I've got two with the REVEREND HORTON HEAT, some good psycho-metal-billy! I've got a track from Dave Grohl that I'm still sorting out and two tracks from THE DAMNED [including a cover of THE DAMNED's 'Neat Neat Neat']. That's with Dave and The Captain! Some good stuff."

It was previously reported that guitarist Jim Voxx of SKEW SISKIN, who own Berlin's Monongo studios, was producing/recording and mixing two of the songs for the project. A full horn section was recorded, a saxophone player, a blues piano player and a lot more.

Legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) was joined by guest singer Fergie (a.k.a. Stacy Ann Ferguson) during his July 10, 2011 appearance at the Oxegen Festival in Naas, Ireland.

Slash's setlist was as follows:

01. Ghost
02. Mean Bone (SLASH'S SNAKEPIT song)
03. Sucker Train Blues (VELVET REVOLVER song)
04. Back From Cali
05. Nightrain (GUNS N' ROSES song)
06. Mr. Brownstone (GUNS N' ROSES song)
07. My Michelle (GUNS N' ROSES song)
08. Beautiful Dangerous (with Fergie)
09. Barracuda (HEART cover) (with Fergie)
10. Sweet Child O' Mine (GUNS N' ROSES song)
11. Slither (VELVET REVOLVER song)

Encore:

12. Paradise City (GUNS N' ROSES song)

Neurot Recordings has announced the signing of Belgian sorcerers AMENRA.

A perfect fit to Neurot's already organically soulful and cerebrally crushing roster, AMENRA's newly completed fourth full-length album, "Mass V", will be released in the coming months, with a confirmed street date and more details to be brought forth shortly.

AMENRA have pulverized audiences abroad since the turn of the 21st century via an arsenal of split and mini-releases, as well as three full-length albums to date. They have proven themselves in the live setting as well, having toured with the likes of NEUROSIS, CONVERGE, PELICAN, STARKWEATHER, BATTLEFIELDS and countless others, and via notable performances at massive festivals, including Roadburn, Eurosonic and more.

Stated AMENRA in a collective statement about signing with Neurot: "Since day one, and for a decade now, we found ourselves in a cold and lonely place. Until our paths crossed with the Neurot family. A warm embrace. We believe now we have found a place we can call our own, and with great pride. We sincerely see this as the opportunity for us to prove to the world that our being here on Earth, In time, will not go unnoticed, but will be well spent. 'Mass V'. We will make it mean something, always and everywhere."

Neurot Recordings founder and NEUROSIS guitarist/vocalist Steve Von Till also made an official statement on the label's choice to bring AMENRA into the Neurot family. "For us in NEUROSIS and Neurot Recordings life has always been a quest searching for something deeper, something more meaningful, something that moves one to feel something real in a world full of soul killing triviality," he said. "AMENRA is deep, and real, and moving, and incredibly inspiring. Their family is dedicated and like-minded in a way that we relate to completely. Kindred spirits. Their musical and visual aesthetic is pure and runs through everything they do, their music, their words, their graphics, their visuals, and print media. That unspoken spiritual core that we seek, weaves throughout their being. It is with great honor that we welcome them to our home, and to our label. There are few in our tribe in this world, and we are definitely stronger when we are together. I am eagerly awaiting the sonically induced spirit quest that will be 'Mass V' at the Church of Ra."

In related news, AMENRA will support NEUROSIS once again on several live dates in Germany, Austria and France over the coming week, for the first time with the two artists now as official labelmates. Stated the band on the upcoming performances: "Our second tour with NEUROSIS. A restless heart. An unpredictable force of nature. NEUROSIS broke down walls and used those stones to build a path that now AMENRA is able to walk. Without them we might not even have existed at all. Who knows. The recognition we get might be more substantial to us than breath, a light that fills the dark chambers of our hearts, until it will be gone. I expect and wish the shows to be out of this vvorld. We will try and guide the sparks, stoking and tending the flames, where NEUROSIS will set the bonfire alight. And each night, together, we will build that pyre. It will always be a godsgift and honor. for us to share stages with them. And travel with them, in silence. In everything we give thanks."

Anglo-Chilean thrash masters CRIMINAL will release their seventh studio album, the first since the departure of guitarist/founding member Rodrigo Contreras and the subsequent addition of Basque guitar wizard Olmo Cascallar, on August 19 via Massacre Records.

"Akelarre" was recorded at HVR Recording Studios in Suffolk, U.K. and features the following track listing:

01. Order From Chaos
02. Resistance Is Futile
03. The Ghost We Summoned
04. Akelarre
05. State Of Siege
06. Tyrannicide
07. Feel The Void
08. The Power Of The Dog
09. Vows Of Silence
10. La Santa Muerte

MURDERDOLLS frontman Wednesday 13 will release his new solo album, "Calling All Corpses", on October 11.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Blood Fades To Black
02. I Wanna Be Cremated
03. Ghoul Of My Dreams
04. One Knife Stand
05. Calling All Corpses
06. Miss Morgue
07. Silver Bullets
08. Bad At Being Human
09. London After Midnight
10. Candle For The Devil
11. We All Die
12. Something Wicked This Way Comes
13. Blood Fades To Black (Reprise)

San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans TESTAMENT have set "The Dark Roots Of Earth" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in October via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD is currently being recorded with British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with MEGADETH, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE and MACHINE HEAD, among others.

Due to a "serious injury," drummer Paul Bostaph was unable to take part in the new CD recordings but will rejoin TESTAMENT for future touring activities. Playing drums on the follow-up to 2008's "The Formation Of Damnation" is Gene "The Atomic Clock" Hoglan (ex-DARK ANGEL, ex-STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, FEAR FACTORY, DETHKLOK), with LAMB OF GOD's Chris Adler set to make a special guest appearance on a couple of bonus tracks.

SADUS drummer Jon Allen sat behind the kit for TESTAMENT when the band performed in the place of IN FLAMES at the first two shows of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival — on Saturday, July 9 in San Bernardino, California and on Sunday, July 10 in Mountain View, California.

"Metal Zone" host Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone conducted an interview with TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy at the second show of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival on July 10 in Mountain View, California. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow.

On TESTAMENT's rotating-drummer situation:

Chuck: "Paul Bostaph is injured right now, so he couldn't do the record. We kind of put the record off a little while waiting for Paul. We found out he was not gonna be ready, so we brought on Gene Hoglan. Gene Hoglan came in and crushed, killed the drums in about a week. And Gene, of course, couldn't do [the Mayhem] shows, so we have Jon Allen performing today with us from SADUS."

On how Jon Allen (SADUS) came to do the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival shows with TESTAMENT:

Chuck: "When Paul was hurt, Jon came in the studio and was working with us to write some of the stuff. And he's been in TESTAMENT before, so he knows the songs. He was there, his drums were [set up], so we were, 'OK, you're playing the shows.'"

On whether Paul Bostaph will be ready to tour South America with TESTAMENT in August:

Chuck: "He's not gonna be able to make that, so Jon Allen is gonna do South America, and then after that, there's nothing really set in stone yet, so we're kind of waiting. Hopefully he's ready to go after South America."

On how "The Dark Roots Of Earth" compares to 2008's "The Formation Of Damnation":

Chuck: "Alex [Skolnick, guitar] and everybody really contributed to the writing of this [album], so it's really, really a true TESTAMENT record. With the other one, Alex just touched it, played some solos and it really felt good, 'cause we structured the songs for him. But this one, everybody really contributed, so…"

On TESTAMENT's upcoming tour in support of "The Dark Roots Of Earth":

Chuck: "We plan to tour. It's gonna be October/November. I think it's OK to say, it's gonna be [with] ANTHRAX, DEATH ANGEL and OVERKILL. So that'll be in America. That'll be probably a five- or six-week tour in America. It would be good to have [the new TESTAMENT] record out [to coincide] with that [tour]. But if [it doesn't come out in time], we'll have something out we'll be promoting with that tour."

On how LAMB OF GOD's Chris Adler came to play the drums on two of the tracks on "The Dark Roots Of Earth":

Chuck: "When we knew that Paul wasn't gonna make it, [we were like], 'OK, we have to find drummers to do the record.' And all these names came up. It was just weird because that day Chris and Gene both kind of got back to us. So we were like, 'Why not? Let's just have them both do it.' Gene was already planning to come up and do most of it. So we just said, 'Let's just stick with Chris doing two songs.' He was already set up doing the [new] LAMB OF GOD record in New York. So we sent him the tracks out there and he just learned them and did them while he was set up for LAMB OF GOD."

Dustin Schoof of The Express-Times recently conducted an interview with KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On still being the "new guy" in KISS — despite having worked with the band for more than two decades:

"I've been so much involved with KISS and (singer/guitarist) Paul (Stanley) and (singer/bassist) Gene (Simmons) so many years, we're talking 25 years, there's a repertoire there already. For me to start as the new lead guitarist was actually a kind of natural, easy transition because we knew each other so well. It wasn't like there was a learning curve there."

On donning the "Spaceman" regalia after Ace Frehley's departure — a decision which was met with backlash by some longtime KISS fans:

"The biggest step was replacing one of the great guitar players of our time who has influenced so many people. Those are big shoes to fill. The biggest challenge walking into that situation and succeeding was that good things take time. Getting in there and trying to fill the role he played and play the parts as well or even try and do it better ... it slowly becomes a little more me and just being the Spaceman, it's been quite a process. There have been so many amazing fans who have been so supportive and honest about letting me know I'm doing a great job and to keep it up."

On the progress of the recording sessions for the follow-up to 2009's "Sonic Boom":

"It's going phenomenally. We've been in the studio for several weeks. We've cut eight songs already. I've heard Paul and Gene. This is definitely some of the best stuff KISS has ever recorded."

"The idea [with 'Sonic Boom'] was to create a classic KISS record going back to the roots of the early records and really try and capture that vibe. I think we did and then some. I slowly wanted to put a little Tommy Thayer in there. I think on this record, we're taking it to the next step.

"We're spending a lot of time making sure it sounds like a great KISS record."

On the inaugural Kiss Kruise, which will set sail in October and feature a full-blown KISS performance as well as acoustic renditions of the band's biggest hits:

"The battle plan is exactly the same: pummel and deafen and blow it up. We're not going to sink the ship, but we're going to do some devastation ... This will be a great and very unique experience for the consummate KISS fan."

On being in a band and performing with his heroes:

"[Performing with the for the first time] was kind of an out-of-body experience. It's something I might have dreamed about, you almost have to pinch yourself remind to you that it's really happening. The enormity of a band like KISS, to be suddenly in that position, is a once-in-a-lifetime (opportunity). I never imagined it would have happened, especially to someone like me, who grew up a fan of theirs ... it's an unbelievable experience."

Fan-filmed video footage of SLAYER's July 12, 2011 performance at Effenaar in Eindhoven, Netherlands can be viewed below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. World Painted Blood
02. Hate Worldwide
03. War Ensemble
04. Postmortem
05. Temptation
06. Dittohead
07. Stain of Mind
08. Disciple
09. Bloodline
10. Dead Skin Mask
11. Hallowed Point
12. The Antichrist
13. Americon
14. Payback
15. Spirit in Black
16. Mandatory Suicide
17. Chemical Warfare
18. Ghosts of War
19. Silent Scream
20. Seasons in the Abyss
21. Snuff

Encore:

22. South of Heaven
23. Raining Blood
24. Black Magic
25. Angel of Death

A 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 — has garnered a bevy of buzz and rumors that the band is setting straight today with the official announcement of the album title, full track listing, release date and more: "Chickenfoot III" (not "IV" as previously implied), produced by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, METALLICA), is set for worldwide release on September 26 by earMUSIC/Edel and from eOne Music in North America in a special 3D designed package. The album's lead single, "Bigfoot", is set for release on August 2.

"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". "Come Closer" marks a dramatic twist in that singer Hagar wrote the words first and guitarist Joe Satriani composed the music to suit the lyrics. Elsewhere, CHICKENFOOT tackles issues such as mortality in "Up Next" and the world's economy in "Three and a Half Letters" on hard-as-nails cuts that rock the body while filling one's senses.

"Chickenfoot III" track listing:

01. Last Temptation
02. Alright, Alright
03. Different Devil
04. Up Next
05. Lighten Up
06. Come Closer
07. Three and a Half Letters
08. Bigfoot
09. Dubai Blues
10. Something Going Wrong