Although there were rumors and even an alleged comment from singer Zack De La Rocha that RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE would finally make a new studio album this year, guitarist Tom Morello told The Pulse Of Radio that all the band has on its agenda for the rest of 2011 is an appearance at the L.A. Rising festival on July 30 in Los Angeles alongside MUSE and RISE AGAINST, among others.. "Right now there are no — you know, the band is not writing songs, the band is not in the studio. We get along famously and we all, you know, intend to do more RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE stuff in the future, but beyond sort of working out a concert this year, there's nothing else on the schedule."

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE released its last studio album, "Renegades", in 2000. The band disbanded that year and reunited in 2007, but despite playing a number of live shows has not recorded anything new.

Morello will release a new EP, "Union Town", digitally on May 17 and as a CD and vinyl album on July 19. All profits from "Union Town" will benefit The America Votes Labor Unity Fund via SaveWorkers.org. The disc consists of eight pro-union songs inspired by Morello's attendance at pro-union rallies in Madison, Wisconsin this past February.

Morello will also release his third solo album under the name THE NIGHTWATCHMAN, titled "World Wide Rebel Songs", in late summer.

Die Kanadische Folk/Extreme Metal Band TROLLBAND hat ihr Debut Album "In the Shadow of a Mountain" im Mai 2011 veröffentlichen. Aufgenommen und gemischt wurde das Album in den Humanjerky Studios In Vancouver und gemastert von Maxime Cote in den Red Well Studios in Montreal. Die Band hat das neue album jetzt HIER als Free Download online gestellt.

"In the Shadow of a Mountain" Track List:

1. Fire and Ash
2. Nidhoggr
3. Heathen Blood
4. In the Shadow of a Mountain
5. Warhellride
6. Regicide
7. The Return (Featuring Jordan Dorge)
8. We live

DJERV — the Norwegian band featuring singer Agnete Kjølsrud of ANIMAL ALPHA, drummer Erlend Gjerde of STONEGARD and WARDRUNA and guitarist Stian Kårstad of TRELLDOM — will release its self-titled debut album on June 17 in Europe (except Scandinavia where it will arrive on June 10) via Indie Recordings (except in Poland and Czech Republic, where the CD will be made available through Mystic Production).

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Madman
02. The Bowling Pin
03. Headstone
04. Gruesome Twosome
05. Only I Exist
06. Ladder To The Moon
07. Abmuse
08. Blind The Heat
09. Immortal

"Madman", the new single from DJERV, is available for free download at this location.

DJERV consist of the three core members — Agnete Kjølsrud, Stian Kårstad and Erlend Gjerde. The lineup is completed by guitarist Stamos Koliousis from MENCEA and bassist Victor Brandt from ENTOMBED, who join them for their live performances.

DJERV spent most part of the fall of 2010 working on its debut album, which is set to be released in the summer of 2011. The album was engineered by Daniel Bergstrand (IN FLAMES, MESHUGGAH) in Oslo, before the band traveled to Los Angeles to team up with Grammy Award-winning producer Matt Hyde (SLAYER, HATEBREED, MONSTER MAGNET) to work on the mix. The effort was mastered by Tom Baker at Precision Mastering, and it was written and produced in its entirety by DJERV.

"Normally it takes me like 30 seconds to figure out how to mix an album, to decide what sound I'm going for, as the inspiration of the band is so obvious to spot out. But when listening to the DJERV album, I had no obvious direction on the mix as their music is truly unique. It's absolutely awesome and it's totally different from anything else I've heard in a long, long time. Working with a singer at Agnete's level is truly rewarding and something one very rarely get to do. Her control, range and performance is stunning — not to mention the great lyrics! She is definitely one of THE best singers I've had the pleasure working with, and I really hope I get to do it again."

Drummer Erlend Gjerde comments: "We tried to explore the borderlines between rock, metal and on some tracks there are more or less obvious black metal references. The overall sound is quite stripped down, groove-oriented and melodic, yet it has those cold black metal-influenced riffs accompanying the dark moods of the music . We are very happy with the way it turned out, now it's just the painful wait of hearing what everybody else thinks. Fingers crossed it go down well."

DJERV's story is short but eventful. The first demos surfaced early 2010, and two weeks later they were booked for the most important festival in Norway, the Oya festival. They went on to tour Norway in June and played several of the bigger Norwegian festivals during the summer. In August they released the "Headstone" EP which basically is their first-ever recorded demo tracks made available as people kept demanding to get to hear them not only on MySpace. The release of the "Headstone" EP generated some good press for the band several key magazines featured them as one of the bands to keep an eye out for in 2011. In addition, DIMMU BORGIR helped promote DJERV when they invited Agnete to participate on no less than three songs for their latest album, "Abrahadabra". Among them the lead track of the album, "Gateways", the video for which also features Agnete.

Fan-filmed video footage of DJERV performing on April 22, 2011 at Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway during the Inferno festival can be viewed below.

Drumhead magazine spoke to new DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Mangini about how he landed his new gig and the preparation for the recording process for the band's new album.

"I'm pinching myself," he said. "I wake up most mornings thinking about my personal playing growth and DREAM THEATER. I have a smile and it's amazing — what a great day I have when I acknowledge what is happening to me. How did I end up here? Whoa!

"Part of my joining any band, or going for any drumming position, is me just letting what is, be. I don't want to change anything that's going on. I just want to play my drums; that's it, that's what I want to do. All I'm expecting to do is to be able to have the opportunity to come up with the greatest drum stuff that I can come up with, along with respect what DREAM THEATER is already.

"What Mike Portnoy has made for DREAM THEATER — and it's not hard for me to like that — is a great thing, it's not only hectic drum stuff, it has a sound, and his sound stems from some similar influences. We both love RUSH and METALLICA, so it's feeling natural for me to do that. I want to continue to replicate that kind of a vibe, as well as to offer a new drum thing that I have been working on that is DREAM THEATER.

"As for the audition, I just walked in with a great feeling and greeted everyone, 'Hi, guys, I'm ready for this.' I was absolutely ready to go in there and not make one stinking mistake. In my mind, I had to be like that. This was important to me. I just had too much interest in these people and in this music to blow it. I was not going to blow it.

"So there I am. I play the tunes and everything is just forward-motion for me, meaning, I wasn't thinking, 'Oh my gosh, this is an audition!' It was more, 'Okay, I'm going to count here, I'm going to look at Jordan [Rudess] there playing the keyboard line, John Myung here, John Petrucci there, James LaBrie there, etc.' I was in the moment. My eyes were picking up everything they were doing. It was like I knew everything they did. For example, if John Myung played something different in 'The Spirit Carries On', I was ready. I was watching, listening and feeling everything they were doing like my life depended on it. When Jordan or John did something in a solo, I followed it. I thrived off that 'one' guitar riff I just had to catch. I would look at them and let them know that I knew what they were doing. [John Petrucci] picked up on everything.

"We were on the same page 100 percent, it seemed. They kept coming over to me and saying the nicest things, acknowledging what I was doing.

"I don't want to sound broken or needy, but I needed them to say these things. I believe we all can use acknowledgement and a dose of niceness with what we really love to do. They knew that I respected them and appreciated being there."

On the preparation for the recording process for the new DREAM THEATER album:

"John [Petrucci] sent me a demo. He didn't ask me to do anything, he just said, 'Check it out.' I grabbed it and thought, 'I'm going to get back to him quicker than he thinks I am, and I'm going to get back to him with more than he's expecting. I'm going to go the extra 17 miles.' So, I transcribed it, got into my studio and recorded it, tried stuff and just did a take. And it was okay. I listened to it and thought to let my wife hear it, and she said, 'You're holding back.' She's not a musician, but she said, 'I know you. You're holding back.' And she was absolutely right. I said, 'You know what?! I'm afraid of doing something wrong or doing too much.' Anyway, I did another take and I kind of let go. Again, because everything happened so naturally in the audition, that's what I needed to follow as a feeling: just be me. Not think too much about this, that and the other thing, and just go with what's coming out naturally. If it's not the right thing, he'll tell me."

On the beginning of this new chapter in his drumming career:

"So, how did it happen… I prayed daily and I just put my head down and said, 'I can do this. I cannot fail those who also believe that I can do this. It's for my family, extended family, friends, fellow drummer friends, endorsement companies and students that also believe that I'll make good on the gifts I've been given. And finally it's for the DREAM THEATER family for giving me the opportunity.'"

Rock history was made at Sam Ash Music as Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), Dave Ellefson (MEGADETH), Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) and Frank Bello (ANTHRAX) shared the stage for the first time ever for a once-in-a-lifetime performance clinic, the Metal Masters. The free event took place April 21 at the Cerritos, California Sam Ash location. Over 400 fans jammed the store for the free event.

Fresh from accepting the 2011 Revolver Golden Gods award for "Best Drummer", Mike Portnoy performed his first U.S. clinic in eight years and announced the show as "The most metal clinic ever!" Addressing the crowd, Portnoy proclaimed, "This is how it should be!" The enthusiastic audience could not have agreed more.

Each of the artists took turns playing solo and spoke about the role of music in their lives. After each blazing solo performance, the artists paired up for electrifying duets. The evening culminated in an all-out jam with all four rock stars performing together. They tore through MEGADETH and ANTHRAX hits, along with a medley of classic rock and metal covers, leaving fans in awe after the finale of "Am I Evil?" (originally written and recorded by DIAMOND HEAD).

Sam Ash Cerritos features a 22' x 18' sound stage with an integrated state-of-the-art sound and lighting system designed by Sam Ash's Mike Aurigemma.

Sam Ash Music is the country's leading full-line music store chain with over 45 stores. The family-owned and -operated business opened in 1924 with a small store in Brooklyn and now operates stores nationwide.

Drummer Zender has left Italian folk/power metallers ELVENKING for "personal" reasons and has been replaced by Symohn.

Commented the band: "We had a wonderful journey with Zender in these long 12 years.

"Thinking about where we started together back in the time and what we have achieved along the path, it really looks incredible. We were a bunch of kids when we started together with nothing but a dream, and now we are here.

"We cannot feel anything but proud and we are sure Zender feels exactly the same.

"Being in a band like ELVENKING it is not the easiest thing in the world, since you are not that big to live out of your passion, but you're big enough to have a lot of stress, busy days, lots of things to do and manage, long travels, flights, etc. etc.

"The split has been in total friendship and with no bad blood at all.

"Zender came to visit the band in the rehearsal room also the other day to share some words and drinks together.

"All ELVENKING members, crew and friends wish Zender all the best possible for his future and we’re sure our roads will cross again sooner or later."

Chicago-based multinational extreme act AGAINST THE PLAGUES has parted ways with guitarist Wojtek Lisicki (LOST HORIZON, LUCIFERION) and has recruited bassist Marcin "Novy" Nowak (BEHEMOTH, VADER, ROAD'S END). The band is currently recording its sophomore album as a four-piece consisting of the following musicians:

* Varyen Chylinski (FOREST OF IMPALED, DAMNATION) - Drums
* Marco Martell (MALEVOLENT CREATION, DIVINE EMPIRE) - Guitar
* Marcin "Novy" Nowak (BEHEMOTH/VADER, ROAD'S END) - Bass
* Logan Perez (VEX) - Vocals

Commented Chylinski: "I am proud to announce that one of the best bass players in death metal scene, Novy, who previously worked with BEHEMOTH and VADER, is officially a member of AGAINST THE PLAGUES. He is a great and very experienced musician who used to play in several world-class bands in the past and I am looking forward to working with him on our upcoming second album. We are very excited and full of energy like never before and I cannot wait to expose our new material to all our loyal followers!"

Das Warten auf ein neues Werk von Draconian findet diesen Sommer ein Ende, denn mit "A Rose for the Apocalypse" veröffentlicht die schwedische Formation ihr nunmehr viertes Album. Das Ensemble um die beiden Ausnahmevokalisten Anders Jacobsson und Lisa Johansson
untermauert mit den neuen Songs einmal mehr ihren Ausnahmestatus in der Düsterszene. Schon die Eröffnungsnummer "The Drowning Age" entschädigt für die lange Wartezeit und bündelt die Kräfte die Band mehr als konsequent. Massive Gitarrenwände, tonnenschweres
Drumming, melancholische Melodien, tiefe Growls und wundervoller weiblicher Gesang sind Bestandteile dieser düsteren Symbiose von Gothic Metal und Doom. Auch die Texte folgen der dunklen musikalischen Marschrichtung.

Titel wie "The Last Hour Of Ancient Sunlight" oder "Dead World Assembly" sprechen eine deutliche Sprache und gewähren einen tiefen Einblick in
die Innenwelt der besungenen Protagonisten. Aufgenommen wurde "A Rose for the Apocalypse" in den renommierten Fascination Street Studios (Katatonia, Opeth, Paradise Lost) unter der Regie von Jens Bogren, der die neuen Stücke in voller Pracht erschallen lässt. Mit ihrem neuen
Album liefern Draconian einen hypnotischen Soundtrack zur Apokalypse - nie zuvor hat der Weltuntergang so gut geklungen!

"A Rose for the Apocalypse" Track List:

01. The Drowning Age 7:18
02. The Last Hour Ancient Sunlight 5:26
03. End Of The Rope 6:34
04. Elysian Night 7:52
05. Deadlight 6:32
06. Dead World Assembly 5:52
07. A Phantom Dissonance 5:39
08. The Quiet Storm 6:37
09. The Death Of Hours 7:48
10. Wall Of Sighs 5:14

According to The Pulse Of Radio, AC/DC's classic concert film "Let There Be Rock" arrives at last on DVD and Blu-ray on June 7, and a special collector's edition of the set is being made available in a limited run of just 90,000 copies. This edition comes in a collectible steel case, includes keepsake premium items and contains over an hour of newly added bonus features, documentaries and interviews with artists like DEF LEPPARD's Rick Allen, Matt Sorum of GUNS N' ROSES, Scott Ian from ANTHRAX, Billy Corgan of the SMASHING PUMPKINS, MOTÖRHEAD's Lemmy Kilmister and more.

The movie documents lead singer Bon Scott's final filmed live show with AC/DC, including 13 tracks such as "Whole Lotta Rosie", "High Voltage", "Highway To Hell" and the title song. The concert took place just two months before Scott's death in February 1980.

Shot at the Pavilion De Paris in December 1979, the movie was released in France a year after it was filmed but delayed in the U.S. until even later.

The tragic death of Bon Scott, AC/DC's flamboyant frontman, in early 1980 sent shockwaves throughout the rock music community. At the time no one could imagine a 1979 Paris concert would be the last filmed live concert of the hallowed singer's career but he left the stage that night with the rest of the band leaving it all out there as he had done so many times before for millions of fans. Now for the first time ever on Blu-ray and DVD, Warner Home Video (WHV) is getting set to celebrate one of the greatest performers and legendary rock bands of all-time by releasing AC/DC "Let There Be Rock" to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the theatrical release. This legendary concert film showcases the power and precision the group brought to the stage that night during the Australian hard rock band's "Highway To Hell" tour.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Live Wire
02. Shot Down in Flames
03. Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
04. Sin City
05. Walk All over You
06. Bad Boy Boogie
07. The Jack
08. Highway to Hell
09. Girls Got Rhythm
10. High Voltage
11. Whole Lotta Rosie
12. Rocker
13. Let There Be Rock

Special features include:

* Loud, Locked & Loaded: The Rites of Rock: Seasoned rockers, actors and journalists recollect their rite of passage as early witnesses to the raw, bone rattling rock of AC/DC.
* AC/DC: The Bedrock of Riff: No one has mastered the basic DNA of riff rock as successfully as AC/DC. Explore Angus and Malcolm Young's telepathic groove and the four-on-the-floor swing of Mark Rudd.
* Angus Young: A True Guitar Monster: Angus Young's transformation from diminutive schoolboy to raging rock monster electrifies the masses. Find out what makes this time bomb tick.
* Bon Scott: The Pirate of Rock 'n' Roll: Bon Scott was the ringleader of the AC/DC circus, balancing his screaming sexuality with a rakish charm. Get a glimpse into the life of a classic rock 'n' roll pirate.
* AC/DC: A Rock Solid Legacy: From bar band to arena rock, AC/DC stuck to their guns and shot their way to the top. Fellow rockers and journalists chart AC/DC's ascent into the pantheon of rock Gods in rock 'n' roll history.
* BD Playlist: your favorite songs in your favorite order
* 32-page tribute book by rock journalist Anthony Bozza (author of "Why AC/DC Matters"
* Exclusive souvenir guitar pick
* Collector card set featuring concert photos

AOL's Noisecreep recently conducted an interview with bassist/vocalist David Vincent of Florida-based extreme metal veterans MORBID ANGEL. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the band's new album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", which marks the group's first release to feature Vincent since 1995's "Domination":

"It's awesome, absolutely awesome. I just want the damn thing out, but it's hurry up and wait. That's the story of the business. I wish it was out immediately. We are doing special packaging for it, and that doesn't help my anxiety of wanting to get it out."

"We have grown out of the moniker of death metal. We call ourselves extreme music," he said. "There are too many boxes to put it in — so many descriptors! We play extreme music and it encompasses everything from incredibly fast and articulate fretboard gymnastics to the sickest, most moaning of riffs, to the usual things we do. We take it for a twist."

"We made a masterpiece. I am going to call it that. There is not one bad track on this record. Of course I am going to say that, but I don't normally say such things. It is very unique and very diverse. We didn't go through the normal channels with production, so it's that's much more special because of the decisions we made."

On how his time away from the band affected his contributions to the new album:

"The cool thing is the more time you spend on the planet, the more tricks you learn. I try and apply everything I learn to the music. I go out of my way to live a full and rich and interesting life, and those experiences add to your personality, which is what makes your art. This album is full of personality."

SUN CAGED haben Ihre neues und drittes Album mit dem Titel "The Lotus Effect" bereits 2010 fertiggestellt. "The Lotus Effect" ist das erste Album mit dem neuen Bassisten Daniel Kohn und kommt bei uns am 16. Juni 2011 Lion Music in den Handel. Das Label hat jetzt die Track List und das Cover Artwork veröffentlicht.

"The Lotus Effect" Track List:

01. Seamripper (& The Blanket Statement). 8:13
02. Tip-Toe the Fault-Line. 6:57
03. Ashes To Ear. 5:18
04. Shades of Hades. 5:43
05. Reductio ad Absurdum. 6:18
06. On Again / Off Again. 7:25
07. Lotus. 6:17
08. Pareidolized (The Ocean in the Shell). 10:00
09. Parasol. 1:43
10. Wave the Banner. 1:41
11. Fish Afraid of Drowning. 2:14
12. Moebius Knot. 2:26
13. Full Circle. 1:55
14. Let it Wash Away (The Lotus Effect). 5:49

Pulverised Records has announced the signing of the Singaporean black death warmachine known as IMPIETY for the release of the band's eighth studio album.

The group, which has a winding history that spans over two decades, is a champion of the underworld having released a host of crushing albums that consistently push the boundaries of extreme.

Commented founding bassist/vocalist Shyaithan of the signing: "The best of IMPIETY has yet to come! Writing the upcoming storm serves as a greater challenge to myself and all previous endeavors. One thing definitely to expect is that this new full-length album will hammer you ten times harder than all previous revelations. Blood and Chaos shall dominate but Lightning Death will be its ultimate crowning glory!”

Added Pulverised Records A&R manager Calvin Chiang: "IMPIETY, with their vibrant history as the first band to put Singapore on the extreme metal map, has grown rapidly in recent years with a fearsome reputation of being a no-holds-barred ferocious live act. And now it has come full circle; this formidable co-operation for the upcoming new full-length opus will prove once again that IMPIETY is truly at the top of their game, sitting proud and high at the blackened elite throne of blasphemy. Asian and Arrogant!"

NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon recently completed tracking all the vocal parts for the band's new album, "Imaginarium" at Finnvox studios in Pitäjänmäki, Helsinki, Finland.

Olzon was forced to delay the start of her recording sessions for "Imaginarium" because she needed a longer recovery period after she suffered broken ribs in a fall. The band's keyboardist and main composer Tuomas Holopainen wrote on NIGHTWISH's official web site, "[Anette] hasn't quite cured from her broken ribs yet, but fortunately it doesn't affect her singing at all. She's never sounded better."

Olzon has posted several short vocal warm-up clips from the Finnvox sessions. Check them out below.

NIGHTWISH is not only putting finishing touches to its new album, "Imaginarium", but also planning a movie of the same name. If all goes well, the CD will be released in early 2012, to be followed by the movie at some point further down the line. The first single off the album as well as the trailer for the film should arrive well before the end of 2011.

For the movie, NIGHTWISH has teamed up with director Stober Harju's production team and Solar Films.

NIGHTWISH will kick off the "Imaginarium" 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.

S.O.S., the new band featuring current and former members of TERROR, HATEBREED, AGNOSTIC FRONT and TRAPPED UNDER ICE, will release its debut EP, "I Owe You Nothing", on June 21 in Europe via Good Fight Entertainment. The CD was recorded over several New York winter days with Dean Baltulonis, a producer and engineer who has been involved with some of the genre's most iconic recordings. The result is "a concise, tried-and-true, no-frills hardcore EP," according to a press release.

S.O.S. is:

Scott Vogel (TERROR) - Vocals
Chris Beattie (HATEBREED) - Bass
Matt Henderson (AGNOSTIC FRONT, MADBALL) - Guitar
Nick Jett (TERROR) - Drums
Sam Trapkin (TRAPPED UNDER ICE) - Guitar

"I Owe You Nothing" track listing:

01. Decontrol (intro)
02. Keep Me Outside
03. Part Of The Disease
04. The Hard Truth
05. I Owe You Nothing
06. Never A Brother
07. Choking On Dust

There will also be a vinyl version through Reaper Records.

"Nowhere To Run", a brand new song from TOXIC HOLOCAUST, can be streamed on the band's Facebook page. The track comes off the group's long-awaited new album, "Conjure And Command", which will be released in North America on July 19 (one day earlier internationally) via Relapse Records. The effort will be made available on multiple formats, including digital, CD, 12-inch vinyl, as part of a deluxe double LP package, and a limited-edition deluxe CD and DVD set that includes a full TOXIC HOLOCAUST live set.

The CD is available for pre-order at this location, with additional pre-order options and images of deluxe packaging to be posted shortly.

TOXIC HOLOCAUST recorded "Conjure And Command" at Dexters Lab Recording in Milford, Connecticut with TOXIC HOLOCAUST/KINGDOM OF SORROW drummer and engineer Nick Bellmore (HATEBREED, PHANTOMS).