Sleaze Roxx' Ruben Mosqueda has issued a new interview with bassist extraordinaire MARCO MENDOZA (WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER, THIN LIZZY). The following is an excerpt:

Q: Your musical resume is outstanding - you played with John Sykes and Blue Murder, then you followed him to Thin Lizzy and you worked with David Coverdale and Whitesnake. How uncomfortable was it for you having had a foot in both the Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy camps, seeing as the falling out between Coverdale and Sykes has been well documented.

A: "Yeah I think you hit the nail on the head, it was uncomfortable. I have since resolved my issues with John. I'm a bass player, it's not only my livelihood but my passion and my trade. If you can believe this, I received a call from David Coverdale who was looking for a bass player. He offered to fly me up to his house to see if we clicked and we hit it off. During the time that I was with David we talked about maybe him reuniting with John Sykes. I'll take credit for them talking again years after their falling out. I did the same with Tommy Aldridge. For whatever reason things didn't work out and John didn't return. It would have been great to have John back in Whitesnake but it didn't work. In my opinion that would have been the right move.

My time in Whitesnake was a great time, I loved every second of it. Going back to my time with John Sykes we did a great live album that wasn't well received for whatever reason. I'm a guy that if I make mistakes or have issues with somebody I like to resolve them. The truth is life is too short, bury the hatchet if you will, and move on. I like to keep my sanity, resentments are not good period. I was a little disappointed that John and David weren't able to forgive and more forward, but they make their own choices. I haven't spoke to David Coverdale since I left Whitesnake. I talk to John Sykes, our paths have crossed and we live in the same town."

Rocker-turned-filmmaker Rob Zombie has rolled out his very own line of coffee. His first two blends — French Roast Organic and Peru Organic — are available in 1 lb. bags for $13.99 each (plus shipping and handling) at this location.

"What can I say? I fucking love coffee," Zombie told AOL's Noisecreep. "I started drinking this magic drink when I was a little kid and never stopped. So that's the reason I now have my own Hellbilly brew; 24/7, cranked on black gold! Hell yeah, let's go!"

Rob Zombie French Roast Organic Whole Bean Coffee description: "Our deepest and darkest roasted coffee. This 100% Certified Organic, Fair Trade Certified French Roast offering has a surprising characteristic that you'll notice when you purchase whole beans — a hint of speckle. This is because we artistically blend our French Roast with a moderate percentage of different roasts, producing a complex taste profile that no other French-style coffee has in existence. Savor the deepness."

Rob Zombie Peru Organic Whole Bean Coffee description: "From the tall peaks of the Andes to the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin, Peruvian coffees are as distinct as their birthplace. Featuring 100% Certified Organic, Fair Trade Certified beans, this incredible single-origin coffee supports the battle against social and environmental challenges. Medium-bodied with a tangy fruit finish, our lively Peru has been hand-crafted to realize its complete flavor potential."

Rock artists GREAT WHITE with special guest vocalist Jani Lane (ex-WARRANT) will perform New Year's Eve (December 31) in the Woodlands Ballroom at the Fortune Bay Resort Casino in the Minnesota family vacation resort Lake Vermilion Resort from 10 p.m. to midnight. This will be a free show but you must be 18 to attend

Lane has been singing with GREAT WHITE for the past few months, filling in for the band's longtime lead vocalist, Jack Russell, who is recuperating from surgery.

"It's been fantastic," Lane told Timberjay. "I've been friends with Jack for decades and I told him I'd be happy to fill in for him."

Regarding his approach to singing someone else's material for the first time, Lane said, "I wanted to stay true to how Jack sings. I didn't realize how hard that would be." Lane said he had to train himself to sing at a higher pitch than usual. "I asked him why he sings so high all the time," Jani said.

As for his newfound bandmates, Lane said, "The guys in GREAT WHITE have been really pleasant to work with. They're very professional. For them, it's all about sounding good for the fans and coming home and taking care of business."

Legendary hard rock singer Joe Lynn Turner (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) is slated to appear on Russia's most popular New Year's Eve television broadcast: Channel One's "Olivier". According to Russian music journalist Tatiana Mikhailova, the word "Olivier" in Russian culture is the name of the popular salad dish traditionally served on New Year's Eve. The television show itself is reportedly a "salad" mix of interviews and entertainment. Mikhailova reports that Sting, Elton John and ROXETTE are other musicians scheduled to be shown on this broadcast. Although Joe did not perform at the show's taping, he was interviewed for the program.

"Olivier" is recorded a few days before New Year's Eve and also shown on January 7 (Russian Christmas).

In mid-December, Turner was summoned to appear as a member of the "jury" on "Fashion Verdict", one of Russia's most widely viewed daytime television shows, with one of the largest audience of women viewers. It's a fashion makeover show with goals that are similar to the American TV show "Style Court" and USA cable TV programs "What Not To Wear" (The Learning Channel) or "How Do I Look?" (Style network). Joe gave advice to the woman "on trial."

To view the entire show, with Joe's remarks in English, go to this location. (Note: Joe is introduced approximately 26 minutes into the show.)

Turner's recent solo tour of Russia was a huge success. He played over 15 dates, including several in Siberia. The singer states, "Siberia was an amazing mix of Chinese, Japanese and Russian fans. They loved the music so much they were singing along to many of the songs!"

Joe is humbled by his multi-dimensional celebrity status in Russia and all of Eastern Europe. He explains, "This area is like the Wild West of the East! There is so much uncharted territory and I have enjoyed every minute of playing to these loyal audiences who still appreciate pure, classic rock. Yet I still cannot wrap myself around the fact that I am considered a major celebrity here. I am just doing my job... making music, singing, giving my 'all' on tour."

The Russian infatuation with Turner probably began in the late 1980s when he played several sold out shows in Leningrad and Moscow as a member of guitarist YNGWIE MALMSTEEN'S RISING FORCE. The singer helped the guitar virtuoso reach a wider audience with the album "Odyssey" and album/video/DVD "Live In Leningrad". The Russians did not forget and later embraced Turner when he toured the country with Glenn Hughes and the HUGHES TURNER PROJECT. Many other appearances followed, including numerous solo shows and a command performance for President Dmitry Medvedev, other major government officials and Russian oil company executives at a private concert in Moscow.

Turner has many exciting projects in the works for 2011 and will announce more news in January.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE guitarist Dean Fertita told Billboard.com on Wednesday (December 29) that the band will begin recording its sixth studio album in January. The disc is the band's first since 2007's "Era Vulgaris" and follows an extended break during which frontman Josh Homme recorded and toured in THEM CROOKED VULTURES with Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones.

Fertita told The Pulse Of Radio that all the members of QUEENS are looking forward to getting back to work on what he thinks will be a very collaborative album. "Things are going really good," he said. "Everybody seems excited and ready to go. We've got so many ideas started already that I guess we'll kind of see what turns out to be everybody's favorite. I think all of us really feel like we've found our space in it and can contribute to it."

The QUEENS did play some European festival dates this past summer.

WOODS OF YPRES frontman / founder David Gold has confirmed March 14th as the worldwide release date for W4: The Green Album via Earache Records. The album was originally released independently on December 15th, 2009.

Gold recently issued a schedule for the band's activities in the first half of 2011, as follows:



-- January / February in Toronto = writing, rehearsals and DVD editing.
-- March = W4: The Green Album will be released worldwide on Earache Records. Warm-up tour in Canada.
-- April = more writing and rehearsals.
-- May = full time touring begins, everywhere.

Nine years later, 2011 is The Year Of The Woods.

SAMMY HAGAR (CHICKENFOOT, ex-VAN HALEN) has issued the following update:

"What an amazing year this has been! Let's review, Chickenfoot in Cabo and Tahoe, AEROSMITH this summer, and a very very memorable Birthday Bash. Were the Wabos rockin' or what? Thanks to all of you for coming to this endless party.

As this year comes to a close I realize how many great great things I'm already looking forward to next year. I am buzzed about my book coming out in March, I worked on it all of last year but I have really worked on it for my whole life - if you can call that work. And we are trying hard on getting the new movie finished up so I can share it with all of you ASAP.

So many great things and all in the first few months of the year!

Oh yeah, I also want to raise a lot of money for kids this year and have a couple of crazy ideas on how to do it, with your help of course. Would any of you like to come to San Francisco and go into my studio and produce a record with me and the Wabos? Just asking.....

I'm raising a glass to all of you right now, I hope you have a fantastic New Year.

And here's a special thanks to all you designated drivers."

Billboard has unveiled their Top Billboard 200 Year-End top-selling albums across all genres, ranked by sales data as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The hard rock/metal inclusions on the list are as follows:

#65 - Iron Man 2 (Soundtrack) - AC/DC
#71 - The Oracle - GODSMACK
#76 - Nightmare - AVENGED SEVENFOLD
#81 - Asylum - DISTURBED
#88 - The Circle - BON JOVI
#106 - Journey's Greatest Hits - JOURNEY
#111 - Them Crooked Vultures - THEMN CROOKED VULTURES
#124 - Valleys Of Neptune - JIMI HENDRIX
#134 - Night Castle - TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
#152 - War Is The Answer - FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
#154 - Scream - OZZY OSBOURNE
#165 - Greatest Hits - GUNS N' ROSES
#168 - Fever - BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
#174 - Black Gives Way To Blue - ALICE IN CHAINS
#187 - Guitar Heaven: The Greatest ... SANTANA

Fan-filmed video footage of the reunited original lineup of one of the most influential hardcore punk/metal bands, BIOHAZARD, performing the song "Shades Of Grey" live on December 16, 2010 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City can be viewed below.

BIOHAZARD recently inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Records for the world outside North America. The group's tenth studio album is scheduled for an early 2011 release. The follow-up to 2005's "Means To An End" is being produced by Toby Wright, who has previously worked with KORN, SLAYER, MÖTLEY CRÜE, KISS, FEAR FACTORY, IN FLAMES, STONE SOUR and OZZY OSBOURNE, among others. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Decay", "Screaming For Change" and "Vengeance Is Mine", the latter of which the band debuted during its 2009 European tour (see video below).

BIOHAZARD's new album marks the first time the four original members — Evan Seinfeld (vocals, bass), Billy Graziadei (guitar, vocals), Danny Schuler (drums) and Bobby Hambel (guitar) — have recorded together since 1994's breakthrough CD "State Of The World Address".

States Schuler: "Finally, we are in the studio recording our first record together with the original lineup since 1994! 16 years! Feels like a lifetime since we last did this together, and the experience has been amazing. We've recorded over an hour of music, and we are extremely excited and grateful to be able to share it all with you." Seinfeld says the new album will contain "bone-crushing riffs fused with dark melodies and uncompromising lyrics rapped at you like Only BIOHAZARD can deliver… the danger is back." Wright adds, "This is the BEST hardcore band in the world, and this is going to be a kick-ass record that proves that is a fact."

In a recent interview with AOL's Noisecreep, Seinfeld stated about BIOHAZARD's new material, "The music is the best we've ever written. I'm nervous, because it's almost too good."

According to Seinfeld, BIOHAZARD's forthcoming album is more "introspective" than the band's previous efforts. "We're hardened guys who seen a lot and have been growing toward self-actualization," Seinfeld told Noisecreep. "The song 'Decay' is about the environment. We will always address politics, inner struggles and dysfunction. And while this is not a brand new subject, it's still a new look."

In an interview with Gun Shy Assassin, Seinfeld described the new BIOHAZARD material as "big, nasty, metal and hardcore" with "melody and hooks, which we've never had before," and promised that the new stuff was heavy, with "moments that feel like 'Urban Discipline' [1991] or 'State of the World Address' [1994]." He said it was "pissed off and thrashy and there are a lot of those intense old-school moments."

BIOHAZARD last year finished a 22-month reunion world tour where the band played 100-plus shows on five continents.

Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH entered the studio in October to begin recording the follow-up to 2007's "Dark Passion Play". According to the band, "Emppu [Vuorinen] is nearly done with his guitar recordings, having done four comp tracks to all the songs plus half of all the leads. (The solos and acoustics are best left to record AFTER the orchestral and choir sessions). Marco [Hietala, bass/vocals] is also finished with his bass recordings so now we basically just wait for [arranger] Pip [Williams] and Tuomas [Holopainen, keyboards] to get the orchestral arrangements sorted out for the London sessions in February."

Check out new photos from the studio at this location.

Regarding the musical direction of the forthcoming album, NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon recently 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. '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."

The pre-production sessions for the new NIGHTWISH CD took place in "the deepest countryside of Finland," where most of the band spent several weeks finalizing the song arrangements and recording their instrumental parts.

NIGHTWISH played a special homecoming show in September 2009 at the sold-out, 11,000-capacity Hartwall Arena in Helsinki to mark the end of the band's colossal "Dark Passion Play" two-year world tour.

NIGHTWISH is not expected to play any more concerts until the release of the band's next studio album.

"Messerschmitt", the new video from CALM HATCHERY, the Polish death metal quintet featuring past and present members of DEAD INFECTION and TEHACE, can be viewed below. The song comes off the group's second album, "Sacrilege Of Humanity", which was released on December 20 via Selfmadegod Records. The cover artwork was designed by Mentalporn (DEATHSTARS, BEHEMOTH) and can be viewed below.

According to a press release, "Sacrilege Of Humanity" is "technical, brutal death metal inspired by such genre leaders as NILE, MORBID ANGEL, DECAPITATED and IMMOLATION." The CD was recorded at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland with Wieslawscy Bros. (BEHEMOTH, VADER, HATE).

"Sacrilege Of Humanity" track listing:

01. Rattlesnake's Dream
02. Sea Of Truth
03. Messerschmitt
04. We Are The Universe
05. Mirror Giants
06. Hymn Of The Forgotten
07. Them
08. Lost In The Sands
09. Those Who Were
10. Shine For The Chosen One
11. The Blood Of Stalingrad

CALM HATCHERY's debut album, "El Alamein", came out in 2006.

Peter Spilles hat erste Infos zu den anstehenden Aktivitäten von PROJECT PITCHFORK verkündet, denn 2011 werden die Hamburger Electro-Pioniere ihr 20-jähriges Bestehen feiern. Und deswegen haben sie sich für ihre langjährigen und neuen Fans etwas ganz besonderes ausgedacht.

Wie der Mastermind verriet, wird es eine Best Of-CD geben, die die Highlights aus zwei Dekaden in remasterten Versionen bietet. Selbstverständlich sind aber auch brandneue Songs in der Pipeline, die auf dem nächsten Studioalbum zu hören sein werden, das ebenfalls 2011 kommt. Und gegen Ende des Jahres wird es on top noch eine DVD geben, die ältere und mittlerweile nicht mehr erhältliche Konzertaufnahmen beinhaltet und um diverse Bonustracks erweitert wird. Damit sollte die Vorfreude bei den Fans doch um einiges gesteigert sein.

January 4, 2011 will mark the 25th anniversary of the passing of THIN LIZZY's Phil Lynott. Australian heavy metallers PEGAZUS would like to contribute to keep the memory of this legendary rocker alive. Therefore they have decided that on January 4 their song "Ballad Of A Thin Man" will be available or free download at this location. The track comes off PEGAZUS' album "The Headless Horseman", which was released in 2002 through Nuclear Blast Records.

"The music in 'Ballad Of A Thin Man' is meant to capture the typical LIZZY attitude with the riffs and twin guitar harmonies and the lyrics were simply created into an original story made from THIN LIZZY's song titles and some of Phil's cool song characters like Johnny The Fox and Jimmy The Weed.

"The very first demo version of this song was actually sent to Ms. Philomena Lynott back in 2000 and the response I personally got back in letter was ever so praiseful for the song, even suggesting that, 'If Philip were alive he would love it, too.' Put simply, I was so happy and over the moon.

"Anyway, the song wasn't meant to be released as a PEGAZUS song but our record label at the time insisted strongly that it be included on our band's studio album that we were also recording at that time, so it was released officially on our album 'The Headless Horseman' in 2002.

"So many years have passed since and so many requests still to hear the song have surfaced again, so we have decided that seeing that it is a special moment ahead this coming 4th January 2011, it's the 25th anniversary of Philip's passing and a celebration of his life.

"We would love to share this special tribute song of ours with all fans of Philip Lynott, THIN LIZZY and just rock fans in general with this absolute free download of 'Ballad Of A Thin Man'.

"Enjoy the tune, rock hard and remember to raise a glass in memory of Philip, 'The Emerald Isle's Rocking Renegade!'"

PEGAZUS' as-yet-untitled new studio album is tentatively due in the spring. The CD will include "11 brand new classic heavy metal songs" with original singer Justin Fleming back on vocals.

Spanish thrashers DESECRATION, from Viladecans (Barcelona), have just revealed the artwork and tracklist of their first work Lords Of Misery, due out January 11th from the band's website in jewel case and also in digital format from the main web stores.

Lords Of Misery artwork has been created by Cesar Valladares and the photographic work has been done by Leandro García.

Lords Of Misery tracklist features five tracks recorded at the Moontower Studios of Rubí (Barcelona) produced by Javier Félez and two additional tracks self recorded for the band at their own home-studio.

Lords Of Misery tracklist:

'Prelude To Depravity'
'Molestation'
'Lords Of Misery'
'Mass Immolation'
'Die Young (BLACXK SABBATH cover)
'Face Your Fear'
'Menthal Anesthesia'

Hungarian experimental-grunge-metalheads ANGERTEA have contacted BraveWords.com with the following update:

"Angertea's new EP, Distrust, is going to be out in January, 2011! The three songs are going to debut in three weeks, one after the other, on different metal web portals.

On the fourth week of January, the new video for 'Streams' will be out.

The songs in order are the following:

'Frog In The Oven
'Distrust' (featuring Scott Reeder - KYUSS, UNIDA, GOATSNAKE)
'Streams (featuring Attila Voros - NEVERMORE)

The album was recorded and produced by Gábor Vári (DYSTOPIA, SALVUS, BABY BONE, REAL LIES) and mastered by Alan Douches (SEPULTURA, MASTODON, etc.). The EP cover artwork can be seen above, and a new promo picture can be seen below.

According to FoxNews.com, concertgoers sick of ballooning ticket prices should have some extra pocket change to rattle with their rock 'n' roll in the new year.

2010 was tough for the concert business as high prices kept many fans at home. Promoters now say they plan to make shows more affordable in 2011. But they'll also try to sell more T-shirts and other merchandise to make up for lost revenue.

Heading into last summer, usually the busiest time of the year, prices were set too high despite the sluggish economy. Managers and promoters believed fans would keep paying for the one or two concerts they see on average each year.

Instead, many stayed home and dozens of shows were canceled. Lots of venues filled seats with fire-sale prices.

Now, rather than charge lots early and offer discounts later, some promoters say they'll offer cheaper tickets from the start, partly because they know fans will spend as much as usual on beer and swag when they arrive.

ZZ TOP, for one, expects to set prices below the 2010 average of $55. Some tickets will go for as little as $10.

"It's time to give the value back," said Carl Stubner, manager of the long-bearded rock band from Texas. "We'll find other ways to make money."

Read more here.

Original JUDAS PRIEST singer Al Atkins has commented on the band's recent announcement that it will head out on its farewell world tour beginning in 2011. The group intends to hit all major cities across the globe as they sign off on a career that has lasted for nearly 40 years. The "Epitaph" tour will launch on June 9, 2011 at the Sweden Rock Festival and hit a number of European festivals throughout the summer, with more dates yet to be confirmed.

Stated Atkins: "News coming in from the JUDAS PRIEST camp is that they will be doing a farewell tour next year in 2011, which will be a sad event for thousands of their fans worldwide.

"It was forty years ago when I first formed [JUDAS PRIEST] alongside [then-]18-year-old K.K. Downing [guitar] and Ian Hill [bass] — doesn't time fly past you when you're not looking? — and after four years fronting them, I left, to be replaced by Rob [Halford]. I have watched them grow into the metal gods that they are and can honestly say they deserve everything they have achieved over this time and they will leave us a legacy of great memories and brilliant metal anthems. I wish them all the luck with their 'Epitaph' farewell tour."

Atkins is the co-writer of several PRIEST songs which are included on the band's first two albums, "Rocka Rolla" and "Sad Wings of Destiny", both of which eventually went gold. Atkins co-penned the heavy metal classic "Victim of Changes", which was a combination of Rob Halford's song "Red Light Lady" and Atkins' own "Whiskey Woman". He also co-wrote "Winter", "Never Satisfied", "Dreamer Deceiver" and "Caviar and Meths".

In 1989 Atkins released his debut solo album, "Judgement Day", to great acclaim. But it was "Heavy Thoughts" and "Victim of Changes" (the latter being his collaborative album with ex-JUDAS PRIEST drummer Dave Holland) that brought him strong sales and critical acclaim around the world.

JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill penned the foreword to Al Atkins's autobiography, titled "Dawn of the Metal Gods: My Life in Judas Priest and Heavy Metal". The book, which was written with Neil Daniels — a freelance rock writer and heavy metal fan who befriended Atkins during the writing of Neil's book "The Story Of Judas Priest: Defenders Of The Faith" (Omnibus Press) — was released last year via Iron Pages.

Independent musicians, graphic artists, and a computer graphics demogroup have collaborated on a grand scale multimedia tribute to Mike Portnoy, in celebration of over a quarter of a century of highly influential musicianship. Mike Portnoy's early investment into the Internet, as well as his relationship with the global fan base, created a fad-transcending musical community that continues to grow past the post quarter century mark.

Mike Portnoy has always possessed a strong commitment to bringing a diverse lineup of "under the radar" support bands on the road. These tours introduced hundreds of thousands to some truly genre-defining music, and inspired a new generation with music that would have otherwise remained outside the public view. "Mike, over the years, has fueled an online community with tireless energy and effort, of which it has been a pleasure to be a part of. Members of the community feel that paying some of that energy forward is the least they could do to show their appreciation," says compilation producer Anthony Morse.

The multimedia tribute appears in the form of a free three disc digital album, interviews, and some stunning music videos graphically generated by the legendary Greek demogroup Andromeda Software Development.

"Honor Thy Drummer: A Tribute to Mike Portnoy" contains three digital discs, two new, and a bonus 2009 retrospective disc featuring choice selections from the previous digital release "MPF 2009". "Honor Thy Drummer" features a diverse range of styles and approaches, drawing inspiration from Mr. Portnoy's award-winning approach to music, created by acts inspired by his musical influence. The resulting music seamlessly crosses many musical boundaries weaving from heavy time-spanning progressive metal to concise folk.
The "Honor Thy Drummer" multimedia collection is available for free download at www.spaceprog.com. It contains the digital album in MP3 format, a digital PDF booklet featuring photos, lyrics, and bios of the contributing artists. Two of three interviews with contributing artists RELOCATOR, IN PROGRESS, and S.A. ADAMS are included, and shed light on their collaborations with progressive metal superstars Derek Sherinian, Mark Zonder, and Mike Portnoy himself, all of whom play on the artists' tracks featured in "Honor Thy Drummer". The third interview will be released in January.

The scope of this endeavor reaches across the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and the American continent. This project, fueled by the hard work and dedication of all of the participants, resulted in a quality work free to the world, and without the complications of revenue generation. The collection is, simply put, a high quality independent project available freely to all that desire the audio/visual experience.

The webmaster of JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing's official web site recently conducted an interview with Downing about the 20th anniversary of PRIEST's classsic "Painkiller" album. The question-and-answer session follows below.

Q: Your album "Painkiller" just passed the 20-year mark. Let's go back in time when you finished the "Ram It Down" tour. You had a triumphant decade. Did you have any thoughts about how to begin the 1990s?

K.K. Downing: No, I don't think so. I think as musicians/songwriters it's always a case of not being sure of what will happen until you get your teeth into the songwriting and seeing what comes out, then depending on what does, the precedent is set for everything else.
Q: Again, like in 1980, the world was going through a lot of turbulence, especially the eastern blog, do you think that had any effect on your songwriting?

K.K. Downing: No, not as I recall, but we were certainly very happy that things were changing and the world was becoming a bigger place not just for us but for every band.

Q: You were obviously looking for a new drummer after Dave [Holland] had announced he'd leave. Did you have a clear view on what kind of drummer you were looking for?

K.K. Downing: Yes, I think we may have had, because we kind of fancied having someone with great double-kicks ability again, like Simon (Philips) and Les (Binks).

Q: So you found powerhouse drummer Scott Travis. Did he audition like everyone else? Did he already have the beats for "Painkiller"?

K.K. Downing: Yes, he did audition like everyone else. Whether or not he had the beats, he certainly could play what we wanted him to.

Q: When writing songs, was your goal to produce PRIEST's heaviest album (that far)?

K.K. Downing: Not initially, but as the album started to grow we enjoyed the energy that we were creating. Now that we had Scott, we were sure going to see what he had in the tank.

Q: You had a wonderful time (1979-1988) with "Colonel" Tom Allom. How did you come to choose your old buddy ("Sad Wings", 1976) Chris Tsangarides to produce "Painkiller"?

K.K. Downing: I am not totally sure, but Tom may have been involved with other things and it seemed a nice idea to meet up and work with Chris again.

Q: Can you remember what was the difference between these producers? Was Tom more "inside the band" whereas Chris maybe as an "outsider" saw new possibilities?

K.K. Downing: Both Tom and Chris are, to my mind, great rock and metal producers, but as I said, it was just in our minds to see what we could do with someone else.

Q: How were the recording sessions in France at Miraval Studios? A lot of red wine was consumed, I believe?

K.K. Downing: Yes, Miraval was great. It actually was a vineyard, so there was plenty of good wine on tap, but as a studio, it was cut off from everything else so there were very limited distractions — which, to be honest, is a good thing.

Q: The guitar sound on "Painkiler" is pretty much top notch. Was it easy to find the required adjustments, to discover the sound?

K.K. Downing: I believe that we just took our regular rigs with us, so it may have been just a good room or good mic pre-amps. Also of course, it could have been the guys in the control room or a combination of everything.

Q: The album has quite tricky guitar work. Iis there something you would like to underline here?

K.K. Downing: No, except that I wanted to pick up where I left off with songs like "Blood Red Skies", be experimenting with more scales, and really tightening up my alternate picking.

Q: The Reno trial came to an end in summer 1990. Did that have any effect on the album?

K.K. Downing: No. The album was done and we were waiting to go on tour. It was all very frustrating.

Q: Do you remember the first show on that tour at the Foundations Forum in Los Angeles? A bit different start, to say the least?

K.K. Downing: I think I do, if it's the one I am thinking of. It was a great gig.

Q: The "Painkiller" stage set was phenomenal, a real statement in conjuction of the album theme. The support bands were among the hardest as well: MEGADETH and TESTAMENT, and later PANTERA and ANNIHILATOR. Any anecdotes you would like to share here?

K.K. Downing: Yes! A very enjoyable tour and memories. I speak of it quite often. In fact, I was just telling some friends yesterday how we went sightseeing in Rome with PANTERA to the Coliseum and places like that. We had many laughs together on that tour. I can never forget that Dime (R.I.P.) used to go busking in the streets. I saw a piece of film once with him doing that; it was so funny. In fact, I will check if I can find it on YouTube; it's a must-see. There was so much talent in PANTERA and ANNIHILATOR and they were so humble. It must have been very tough for them and all of their crews to share one bus. They used to crack us up so much when they would form a queue outside our dressing rooms in the hope that we would spot them some beers, which, of course, we always did. Happy days!

Q: PRIEST has now announced the "Epitaph" tour, so is it time for "One Shot At Glory"? Can we expect that one live during 2011?

K.K. Downing: I am not sure, but if it had been called "Last Shot At Glory", I am sure that it would be there.

German metallers AXXIS have set "20 Years Of Axxis" as the title of their first-ever DVD, due in early 2011. The footage for the disc was filmed at the band's December 13, 2009 20th-anniversary show at Zeche in Bochum, Germany and it will feature 33 songs spanning AXXIS's entire career. Also included are guest appearances by Rolf Stahlhofen (ex-SÖHNE MANNHEIMS), Kosta Zafirou (PINK CREAM 69), The Obel (comedian), Walter Pietsch (ex-AXXIS), Kuno Niemeyer (ex-AXXIS), Dirk Brand and Thomas "Harry" Weinkauf (SAT1 TV police officer), Wolfgang Funk (who previously worked in the marketing department of EMI; founder of GUN Records), Bob Arnz (former EMI A&R manager, now manager of Lafee) and Rolf Hanekamp (producer of "Kingdom Of The Night" and "Axxis II").

"20 Years Of Axxis" will be released through AXXIS's own label, Phonotraxx. Vocalist Bernhard Weiß explains, "If we don't try it ourselves, we will miss the boat.

"Since the release of 'Time Machine' this idea has been in our heads, but to be honest we never had the courage to do it.

"AFM is a great record company with a well-functioning infrastructure, and for us it's hard to bear the risk itself now. But with this DVD and our label, Phonotraxx, we want to know if we can be more independent in the future and if we will be able to do this.

"Around the world it's a crystal-clear trend of a many artists to move toward independence. Therefore I hope our fans support us and buy our first DVD directly from us!"

Legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) has just released "iTunes Session", a six-song collection recorded exclusively for iTunes. The effort, which features ALTER BRIDGE singer Myles Kennedy, contains the following tracks:

01. Back to Cali
02. Communication Breakdown (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
03. Fall to Pieces
04. Rocket Queen
05. Starlight
06. Sucker Train Blues

You can purchase the EP at this location.