"Empty Eyes And Blackened Hearts", the new Achilles Villiotis-directed video from Greek doom metallers SORROWS PATH, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "The Rough Path Of Nihilism", which is scheduled for release on October 29 via Rock It Up Records. The CD was recorded at Fragile Studios in Athens with producer Vangelis Yalamas. The artwork and photography for the album were handled by Seth Siro Anton.

SORROWS PATH is:

Stavros Giannakos: Bass
Angelos Ioannidis: Vocals
Fotis Mountouris: Drums
Kostas Salomidis: Guitar
Giannis Tziligkakis: Guitar

DRAGSTRIP, the Los Angeles-based hard rock band featuring former TANK drummer Gary "Bulldog" Taylor, has released its debut album, "A Heartbeat Away From Disaster", via Riff City Records.

DRAGSTRIP is fronted by U.K. vocalist and showman Kevan Overend, who is described in a press release as "a true rock and roll star (remember those?) in the vein of Freddie Mercury and Marc Bolan." Rounding out the band's current lineup are guitarist/vocalist Tommy Norton (formerly of SPACE AGE PLAYBOYS) and bassist Brian Dobbs.

DRAGSTRIP's influences come from "the great heritage of '70s British hard rock . . . when rock stars had no apologies and were not politically correct. Bands such as THIN LIZZY, UFO, AC/DC and, of course, LED ZEPPELIN."

"A Heartbeat Away From Disaster" track listing:

01. Thanks For The Memories
02. Saturday Night (See My Baby Jive)
03. (You're My) Main Man
04. Chase
05. Ain't Nobody
06. The Game
07. Last Goodbye
08. She's Alright
09. My Little Love
10. Sophia's Song
11. What I Need

Legendary heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio will have a monument dedicated to him in the Bulgarian Black-sea coastal town of Kavarna. The statue will be placed in the city's central park, as part of the soon-to-be built "Walk of Rock," a project approved by the City Council four years ago.

According to Radio Bulgaria, the decision to erect the monument was taken by the municipal administration, with the most active proponents being Kavarna Mayor Tzonko Tzonev as well as leading journalists, musicians and singers.

A replica of the monument was displayed during the three-day Kavarna Rock Fest in July and a plaster model of the statue has since been created, marking the final stage of the preparation for its construction.

The actual statue will be 1.5 meters in height (approximately four feet and eleven inches) and will be combined with large stones taken from the sea.

The artists behind the project are sculptors Alexander Petrov and Krasimir Krastev - Lomsky, while the painting is being handled by Ivan Stratiev.

Dio was reportedly one of the very first heavy rock icons to play Kavarna. In fact, he played in Bulgaria no less than five times and took an active part in the campaign for liberating the Bulgarian nurses held in prison in Libya for eight years.

According to Standart News, the mayor of Kavarna, Tzonko Tzonev, has managed to turn his life-long hobby — rock music — into a successful and profitable project and thus pours funds into the treasury of Kavarna Municipality. Thanks to Tzonev's efforts, some of the greatest rock musicians of all times have come and performed in the small coastal town of Kavarna.

Ronnie James Dio was one of rock's most respected and talented frontmen, renowned for his instantly recognizable vocals, lyrics and stagecraft. On May 16, 2010, Ronnie succumbed to stomach cancer at the age of 67 and the world of hard rock lost one of its greatest talents.

Frontiers Records has set a November 5 European release date for the "No Quarter" CD and "In The Flesh" DVD from Swedish heard rockers THE POODLES.

Having developed a reputation as first-class entertainers with the release of three acclaimed studio albums and over 350 shows in Europe in the past few years, not counting gold and platinum record awards in their home country, THE POODLES close the first chapter of their musical adventure and set their sails for the next step.

As a tribute to the first years on the road, THE POODLES are offering their fans a live package — including a CD and a DVD — recorded during the "Clash Of The Elements" tour in 2009.

"The high point for us as a band is any time we go on stage," says guitar player Henrik Bergqvist. "This may sound like somewhat of a cliché, but it is no less true. It doesn't matter if we play a crowd of 10,000 people at Graspop or in front of a handful on a rainy November Monday in Copenhagen, those are the moments we relish and live for. We've had so many special moments on stage over the past couple of years that it seems impossible to single even a few of them out. Having said this, some special moments can certainly be seen on the live DVD and heard on the live CD."

"We are very proud of how the live CD and live DVD turned out and we feel that they really shows what the band is like on stage," continues Bergqvist. "Being able to watch a DVD of your favorite band is great and there are a few really nice ones out there, but the connection that takes place between the band and the crowd during live shows cannot be formatted to the screen. You can catch a glimpse of it, but to experience a band live will always be different from listening to or viewing a recording of that band. Have a look and see for yourselves, though!"

Aptly titled "In The Flesh", the DVD is an in-depth look at THE POODLES, featuring interviews with all bandmembers, behind-the stage footage and promotional clips for the "Clash Of The Elements" album. The live CD, plus the previously unreleased song "Lullaby For Jimmy" as a CD exclusive, shows that behind the look and the words there is a solid band playing great music!

Henrik concludes: "The future plans for THE POODLES is closely connected to the band's cooperation with Frontiers Records. The band expects to play for an ever-expanding audience as a result of it and take the mission of heavy metal to virgin lands. We want to see our beloved fans again on the road and make new friends too. The future is bright for us, and that's good because we already wear shades!"

"No Quarter" CD track listing:

01. Too Much Of Everything
02. Caroline
03. Seven Seas
04. Metal Will Stand Tall
05. Like No Tomorrow
06. One Out Of Ten
07. Lullaby For Jimmy
08. Drum Solo
09. Echoes From The Past
10. Thunderball
11. I Rule The Night
12. Night Of Passion
13. Flesh & Blood
14. Line Of Fire

"In The Flesh" DVD table of contents:

* Movie: Introduction
* Stockholm, Party & Fun
* About The Poodles
* Metal Standing Tall
* The Director & Crew
* Being On Top
* Jakob
* Henrik
* Pontus
* Kicken
* The First Five Rows
* Tribute To The Fans
* End Credits

Concert:

* Too Much Of Everything
* Caroline
* Seven Seas
* Metal Will Stand Tall
* Like No Tomorrow
* One Out Of Ten
* Echoes From The Past
* Thunderball
* I Rule The Night
* Night Of Passion
* Flesh & Blood
* Line Of Fire

Extras:

* Like No Tomorrow (Video)
* I Rule The Night (Video)
* In The Flesh (Video)
* Warrior (The Movie Trailer)
* Majestic Film And Metal Warriors

The DVD will be released in NTSC region free format with screen 16:9 and mix in 2.0. There will also be a limited release of a luxury packaging including the "No Quarter" CD and "In The Flesh" DVD as a luxury digipak edition.

Swedish technical death metallers SPAWN OF POSSESSION have parted ways with vocalist Matthew Chalk (PSYCROPTIC) and have been rejoined by Dennis Röndum.

Commented the band: "Yes, Dennis is back in the band, where he belongs.

"We would like to thank Chalky for the time he was a part of the band, He helped us bring SPAWN OF POSSESSION back to life for a moment and without him we could not have done the Australian tour. So we are thankful for everything he did for us and wish him the best of luck."

Added Dennis: "I've been quite disconnected from the band for a long time now so when [Jonas] Bryssling [guitar] got in touch with me, it felt kind of surreal. But nonetheless amazing when he started to describe his visions for the next SPAWN OF POSSESSION record and that he wanted me to handle the vocals for it. Now, mind you, it's been over four years of silence between us and we parted on a somewhat bad note, but that's in the past. The focus is now on the new material, which Bryssling has invited me to get involved with and after listening to the temp tracks, all I can say is that I'm in for a serious ride.

"Although my presence has been lacking in the scene I've been busy writing and recording with my new band. It's still all under wraps but hopefully I'll be able to share it with you in a not-too-distant future. With that said, I'm really excited to be back in the SPAWN OF POSSESSION camp and I can't wait to join the others to complete what I believe will be a masterpiece of unparalleled proportions."

British death metal band IGNOMINIOUS INCARCERATION has decided to change its name to THE SOULLESS. The group, which hails from Bath, England, has just finished writing its sophomore album, the follow-up to 2009's "Of Winter Born".

Commented the group: "The band started in the pits of hell that was Sam's basement. We were just playing heavy music and having fun.

"When we decided on the name IGNOMINIOUS INCARCERATION, we never anticipated the level we would get to. Had we known, I'm sure we would have chosen a simpler name.

"The band started to get gigs and we started to take the band way more seriously as we discovered how much fun we could have.

"We did our first tour with TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED and this was when we were first approached by Earache Records. This was a real turning point for the band and we realised we could make something of it. We debated changing the name whilst recording 'Of Winter Born', but chose to stick with it. We don't regret doing this as it is what represented the band at the time.

"Over the last couple of years since 'Of Winter Born', we have matured as people as well as a band. When we came to write the second album, we decided we wanted to do something different from the last one. Not a huge alteration in style, but more a progression of what we enjoy most and feel we can write the best. This then led to the discussion of our name. Obviously the name is very long and hard to pronounce. As a band, you're trying to promote yourselves and get your music to the people. We wanted a new name which was easy to remember and say, and to get ourselves out there. With the change in music, we thought it was a perfect opportunity to change our name as well. This almost 're-launching' of the band has given us new life and we are so motivated towards the new project.

"As for the name-choosing itself, this was no easy task! As we were changing the name, we had to be 100% happy with it this time. We found it really hard to find a name bang-on-the-money. In the end, we wrote down thousands of names and set ourselves a deadline to pick the best one. We all liked 'THE SOULLESS,' which was in fact a working title for a new song.

"We feel the name has a dark, edgy feel to it, but is not instantly recognisable as metal and it's easy to say! We feel this represents us a lot better, as well as our new music.

"We have a lot of plans for THE SOULLESS; the new album is written and we will be going into the studio very soon. Everything we do in the next few months will be filmed so we can keep you updated. We did a pre-production demo track, which we are going to put online soon to show you a glimpse of the new material we have been talking about. When we finish in the studio, we will be recording our first official video. We are really excited to get back on the road again as the newly evolved band, THE SOULLESS."

Reactivated late '80s/early '90s technical-thrash metallers BELIEVER recently entered the studio to begin recording their new album for a tentative early 2011 release. Guitarist/vocalist Kurt Bachman writes in an online posting, "The recording is going well for and the guitars, bass, drums are complete. We're working on vocals, keys and leads to finish this up over the next several weeks.

"Must say that we're excited about this one and hope you are also.

"Once we get a definitive release date we will let you know, but it will most likely be in the spring of 2011.

"We're hoping that this one is less pirated also so we can continue to do this for years to come."

Liverpool, UK-based LEAFBLADE, the side-project of guitarist/singer Danny Cavanagh from ANATHEMA, have issued the following update:

"It's been a while since the last update, but now the autumn is here, and its time to move forward once again.

First of all, let's start by introducing our new member Kevin Murphy as our new bass player. This is a very skilled bassplayer that will add alot to the Leafblade sound.

For the new album, it is currently being mixed in Devon, and the results should be ready shortly. We don't know yet what regards a releasedate, but we will keep you posted.

The album totally rocks, and has a production that really compliments the music."

WE ARE THE FALLEN — the group formed by EVANESCENCE co-founder Ben Moody (guitar) and other former members (LeCompt and Gray) along with "American Idol" powerhouse vocalist Carly Smithson and bassist Marty O'Brien (DISTURBED, KELLY CLARKSON, STATIC-X, METHODS OF MAYHEM,TOMMY LEE) — will release a new single, "Tear The World Down", in October.

Commented the band: "Recently we asked fans to guess which song would be our next single by submitting their own cover artwork for that song. The winner is Kelly Tobias from Cincinnati, Ohio. Not only did Kelly guess the correct song, but she also submitted this great cover art [see below]."

"Tear The World Down" is the title track of WE ARE THE FALLEN's debut album, which was made available on May 11 via Universal Republic Records. The CD sold 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 33 on The Billboard 200 chart.

In a new interview with online portal De Re, FORBIDDEN / ex-NEVERMORE guitarist Steve Smyth is asked about his future plans. The following is his response:

"Well, Forbidden has a new album coming out on October 22nd in Europe, October 25th the rest of the world, and we're heading out on a North American tour starting November 4th at Jaxx in Springfield, Virgina, and going straight on from there until mid-December. Then my signature guitar from BC Rich will debut at Winter NAMM 2011, which I am really looking forward to finally having this guitar see the light of day! It's been 2 years in the making, and it's ready now.

Soewhere in between this, we will be recording the follow-up album to my instrumental band's debut, THE ESSENESS PROJECT, and also shopping for a deal and a drummer for my new UK-based metal band, featuring myself, vocalist Mikkel Sandager (ex-MERCENARY), Jamie Hunt and Jon Collins (ex-BIOMECHANICAL) on guitar and bass. Band to be named, so stay tuned!"

UK rockers PURE REASON REVOLUTION's third album, Hammer And Anvil, will be released in Germany / Austria / Switzerland on October 15th, and throughout Europe on October 18th via Superball Music / EMI as a standard jewel case and as a limited digipak + bonus DVD featuring a live concert in London 2010.




To give you an idea what to expect on the upcoming album, you can download 'Black Mourning', a free and previously unreleased new track now. To download 'Black Mourning' for free before the official album release, all you have to do is to visit this location and post on your Twitter or Facebook profile, that you downloaded PRRs new song. Just click on Download and follow the instructions.

One of the most recognized and respected drummers in the music world, CARL PALMER, has spent his career elevating the possibilities of rhythmic execution and creativity. His massive drumming prowess has been heard in such acts as ASIA, EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER, and THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN.

On October 19th, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release his new live album, Working Live – Volume 3: Featuring Pictures At An Exhibition.

Working Live – Volume 3 is the third installment in a series where Palmer, with his own band, reinvents his previous bands’ work.

“As with Working Live Volume 1 and 2, the idea with this record was to capture my own band arrangements of these classic and rock anthems originally recorded with ELP,” says Palmer. “We never attempted to recreate those legendary recordings by ELP, but, rather, to reinvent them into something completely different, with my own band, which is guitar-driven.”

Rounded out by bassist Stuart Clayton and guitarist Paul Bielatowicz, Carl Palmer’s trio revisits some well-known numbers, like 'Peter Gunn', 'Nutrocker', and 'Pictures At An Exhibition'. Palmer and his players infuse these tunes with flowing musical diversity, ranging from jazzy improvisation, soaring stylized guitar leads, funk bass lines, classical melodies, and hard rock shredding, completed with Palmer rounding out the final song with a dynamic drum solo. Working Live – Volume 3 goes beyond the title of “live album” – this is a listening experience.

Carl Palmer and his current trio, which features Bielatowicz on guitar and Simon Fitzpatrick on bass, will hit the road this October for a North American tour. His work has also been showcased on the recently released Pictures At An Exhibition: Special Edition DVD (July 27th, 2010) and Live at Montreux 1997 Blu-ray (June 22nd) via Eagle Rock Entertainment.

The new album features the following tracklisting:

'Peter Gunn'
'Romeo And Juliet'
'Pictures At An Exhibition'
'Bitches Crystal'
'Nutrocker'
'In A Moroccan Market'

"Shameful Metaphors", the new video from the Chicago-based trio CHEVELLE, can be viewed below. The clip was shot and directed by Frankie Nasso (MUDVAYNE, ALL THAT REMAINS, HELLYEAH) at the Dallas, Texas stop of this year's Carnival Of Madness tour. The band played the song only once and performed it to perfection. The video is beautifully shot and Nasso once again exhibits his pure talent as a music video director.

Commented CHEVELLE drummer Sam Loeffler, "We really wanted the fans to be a part of this new video, and we were really excited that everyone came down to the show and had a blast with us. This video shows us in our rawest form and it truly comes out during our performances and this video captures that."

British vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva — who has toured and/or recorded with CRADLE OF FILTH, THERION, MORTIIS and ANGTORIA — will make a guest appearance on one track from the forthcoming CREATION'S TEARS album, "Methods To End It All". The CD, which features a guest appearance by former PARADISE LOST drummer Lee Morris, will be released on October 4 on the Cure For Poison label.

Commented CREATION'S TEARS frontman Brian Eddie Reynolds: "Despite me being a huge fan of CRADLE OF FILTH's 'Dusk And Her Embrace' and a couple of other CRADLE albums, there was a certain quality to Sarah's voice; a warmth and innocence that I just hadn't picked up on in her role as backing singer with the band. I really only first noticed her vocals on the excellent ANGTORIA album 'God Has A Plan For Us All' and I knew she'd be an ideal choice for the female vocal parts on the track 'Creation's Tears'. I think she has really surpassed herself and I rate this as one of her best vocal performances of her entire career."

Sarah Jezebel Deva, who has also appeared on albums by THERION, MORTIIS and THE GATHERING released her solo debut, "Sign Of Sublime" in 2010 and is set to embark on an imminent European tour.

When asked if Sarah Jezebel Deva was a "real" diva, Reynolds carefully mused, "Well (like the rest of us) she had her moments (now I'm dead)!

"She enjoyed the CREATION'S TEARS track and wanted to sing on it but she was also extremely busy with her own personal matters and her debut solo album around the time of the 'Methods To End It All' recording sessions. I didn't have complete certainty that her CREATION'S TEARS appearance would actually happen until the day of the recording session. I can only imagine the pressure she was under and I would have completely understood if she hadn't appeared.

"I think that after a career with CRADLE OF FILTH who spend so much time in the limelight, Sarah had a lot to prove with her solo material and that had to be her primary focus.

"I'm glad it all came together. I'd rate her performance on the CREATION'S TEARS debut as being Sarah Jezebel Deva at her absolute best!"

ALICE COOPER guitarist KERI KELLI has issued the following update:

"Hello Hellions,

All is great here in KK land as the approaching Coop/ROB ZOMBIE tour production will commence at the Universal/Gibson Amphitheater on September 30th in Los Angeles, CA. Also very cool news of the new Cooper Live In London DVD release next week as well... Alright!

One-on-one guitar lessons are still being offered for people of ANY level, daily in the cities the tour performances will be. If interested please check KeriKelli.com for more info.

Merch, Merch, Merch...

Oh you all know I love the merch. I have some new KK 'Bars' t-shirts and hoodies available in the KK Store, with sizes now up to 2XL.
In addition, NEW Aces & Ales (the BEST craft beer bar in Vegas!) t-shirts from the legendary Stone Brewery Domination event, KK 'OC Skate Decks' and 'Saints Of The Underground' autographed CD's. Please stop by the KK merch area to see whats new.




Currently I'm in Moscow, Russia with my good friend and Cooper alumni Ryan Roxie, doing a special Jam this Saturday, September 25th at the Moto-Invasion 2010 Bike-Fest. Yes, I realize its quite a trek for most of you, but if you happen to be in the area please come on down and have a great time.

Gibson.com has been counting down their Top 50 Guitar Solos of All Time compiled by a panel of "rock and roll experts which included Gibson editorial staff and writers, some of their favorite musicians and, most importantly, their fans."

They have just unveiled the Top 10 as follows:

10. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' - QUEEN (Brian May)
9. 'Johnny B. Goode' - CHUCK BERRY
8. 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' - THE BEATLES (Eric Clapton)
7. 'Layla' - DEREK AND THE DOMINOS (Eric Clapton, Duane Allman)
6. 'Free Bird' - LYNYRD SKYNYRD (Gary Rossington, Allen Collins)
5. 'Comfortably Numb' - PINK FLOYD (David Gilmour)
4. 'Hotel California' - EAGLES (Don Felder, Joe Walsh)
3. 'All Along The Watchtower' - THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
2. 'Eruption' - VAN HALEN (Eddie Van Halen)
1. 'Stairway To Heaven' - LED ZEPPELIN (Jimmy Page)

British rockers FM will round-off a very successful year with three more regional shows in October; a return to London O2 Academy Islington on December 1st and an appearance on the Main Stage at Hard Rock Hell IV in Prestatyn on December 3rd. All this and the release of a new 9-track mini-album as well.




Released via Riff City Records, the City Limits EP will no doubt please fans old and new. Lead track 'Bring Back Yesterday' (from this year's Metropolis album) has been playlisted on BBC Radio 2, receiving plays on the Chris Evans and Steve Wright shows amongst others. Also included on the mini-album are 5 tracks from Metrolpolis recorded live at FM shows this summer. Fans will be champing at the bit to hear brand new song 'Start It Up' and a breathtaking new acoustic version of 'That Girl' (originally released on the band's début album Indiscreet and still one of their most popular songs, regularly included in their live set).

The mini-album concludes with one of DJ Juppy's (drummer Pete Jupp) tour de force extended mixes of lead track 'Bring Back Yesterday'.

City Limits EP is released on October 11th and will be available to download from all good internet retailers. The CD may be purchased from the FM webshop at this location from October 11th. Those wishing to get their hands on a copy prior to the general release date can do so as the EP will be sold at the band's forthcoming October UK live shows.

City Limits EP tracklisting:

'Bring Back Yesterday' (Radio Edit)
'Start It Up'
'That Girl' (Acoustic Version 2010)
'Wildside' (Live)
'Hollow' (Live)
'Metropolis' (Live
'Over You' (Live)
'Flamingo Road' (Live)
'Bring Back Yesterday' (City Limits Extended Mix)

September 20th sees the release of The Embodiment Of Darkness And Light the debut album from Australian progressive death metal act AEON OF HORUS through Harvest Moon Records.

Tracklisting:
'3C321'
'Conquering the Speed of Light'
'The Embodiment_ Part One - Of Dark'
'The Embodiment_ Part Two - And Light'
'The Pillars'
'Arrogantly Opposing Reality'
'Icon'
'Heru-Ra-Ha'
'As the Earth Shatters (Part One)'
'As the Earth Shatters (Part Two) '

The new album release by award winning THRESHOLD drummer, Johanne James with his latest project KYRBGRINDER is described as a "rockin’ funky, riffy metal groove along with a keen sense of melody and an engaging appeal," according to a press release.

Cold War Technology will be Kyrbgrinder's second release due out October 11th via Kyrbgrinder Records, distributed by Code 7/Plastic Head.

CRS Drummer Of The Year award winner Johanne James, is no stranger to the limelight, having played a variety of venues from small stages to major festivals around the world, treading the boards alongside the likes of DREAM THEATER, PSYCHOTIC WALTZ, BREED 77, HAWKWIND, PAIN OF SALVATION and SKINDRED. Kyrbgrinder have made successful appearances at a number of festivals, most recently the trio have rocked the main stage at Cambridge Rock Festival.




Johanne will be well known to many as the ‘engine room’ of Threshold, who are considered one of the leading lights of the progressive metal genre and in Kyrbgrinder he is joined by Alberto ‘Albi Flaibani’ and Tom Caris to complete the threesome.