DEMONICA — the new project featuring MERCYFUL FATE guitarist Hank Shermann — made its "official" live debut on August 6, 2010 at Lakei in Helmond, The Netherlands. The band also played a "secret" show the night before in Copenhegen, Denmark.

Video footage of both performances can be viewed below. More clips from the Helmond concert are available at this location.

DEMONICA recently inked a North American deal with Giddy Up! Records. The band's debut album, "Demonstrous", was released domestically on June 8.

"Demonstrous" was released in Europe on February 26 via Massacre Records. The CD, which was made available in Japan on February 17, was recorded in the Bay Area, the Rocky Mountains and Copenhagen (Denmark), and was mixed at Flatline Audio in Denver, Colorado with Dave Otero (CEPHALIC CARNAGE, MARTRIDEN, COBALT).

"Demonstrous" track listing:

01. Demon Class
02. Ghost Hunt
03. My Tongue
04. Luscious Damned
05. Below Zero
06. Alien Six
07. Palace Of Glass
08. Fast And Furious
09. Summoned
10. Astronomica

DEMONICA is:

Hank Shermann (MERCYFUL FATE) - Guitar
Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN) - Guitar
Klaus "Hyr" Hansen (BATTALION, TRAUMA CENTER) - Vocals
Mark Hernandez (FORBIDDEN, HEATHEN, DEFIANCE, VIO-LENCE) – Drums
Marc Grabowski (CORRUPTION) - Bass

Iconic singer Greg Graffin of groundbreaking West Coast punk rock band BAD RELIGION will release his new book, "Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science and Bad Religion in a World Without God", co-authored with science journalist Steve Olson, on September 28. The book will coincide with the release of BAD RELIGION's new album, "The Dissent of Man". "Anarchy Evolution" is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Borders.com and bundled with "The Dissent of Man" at BadReligionStore.com. Additionally, a limited number of special signed, first editions of "Anarchy Evolution" are available for pre-order at AnarchyEvolution.com until September 28 when Graffin will kick off his book tour in New York City.

"I've always had a problem with authority." - Greg Graffin ("Anarchy Evolution")

This is how most of the world knows Greg Graffin, the rebellious lead singer of the legendary punk band BAD RELIGION. What few people know is that Graffin also received a PhD from Cornell University and teaches evolution at UCLA.

Co-written with Olson, "Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science, and Bad Religion in a World Without God" (It Books) weds Graffin's experiences in punk culture and the academic world, and explores the deep connection between art, religion, and science.

As an adolescent growing up when "drugs, sex, and trouble could be had on any given night," Graffin discovered that the study of evolution provided a framework through which he could make sense of the world. In this provocative and personal book, Graffin describes his own coming of age as an artist, as well as the formation of his naturalist worldview on questions involving God, science, and human meaning.

While the battle between religion and science is often displayed in the starkest of terms, "Anarchy Evolution" provides fresh and nuanced insights into the long-standing debate about atheism and the human condition. It is a book for anyone who has ever wondered if God really exists.

Greg Graffin, born in Madison, Wisconsin, obtained his Ph.D. at Cornell University in zoology, and his master's degree at UCLA in geology. Graffin was the recipient of the Bryan Patterson prize from the Society of Vertebrate Paleontologists and also received the Harvard Cultural Humanism award. He has served as lecturer in life science and in paleontology at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Guitarist Olof Mörck of Swedish power metallers DRAGONLAND has issued the following update:

"There has passed some time since we published a demo teaser track for all of you to hear, and first of all; the reactions up 'till this day have been nothing short of amazing; thank you for your continued support! Much water have flown under the proverbial bridge since then, and thusly I figured it was time to issue an update about the comings and goings inside the DRAGONLAND camp!

"We have been hard at work with the new material since around uploading the demo song, and the last five months or so we have kicked things into overdrive. A majority of the new album stands completed, and as 'Shadows' indicated, it is a glorious return to our roots from at least a lyrical side.

"I have spent the last years drawing up concepts and polishing details about the story, but in general I can say that it will dark fantasy with quite a genuine touch! Classical mythology and literature such as 'The Odyssey', 'The Aenid', Shakespearian drama and the epic 'Gilgamesh' stands as main influences, and lends depth and credibility to the story.

"I know there are a multitude of metal fans who love the fantasy concept but are outright embarrassed with how the medium is usually transferred into the metal context; clichéd and without any finesse or depth. This album and its lyrics is a deliberate attempt to speak to these individuals — and anyone else willing to share the journey.

"Musically, this album sure does not stray backwards, quite the opposite. More bombastic, orchestral and progressive is how I would like to describe the material, and we have gone far to ensure the music accompanies the epic described within the lyrics.

"I would also like to share some of the song titles that will appear on the new album: 'The Tempest', 'A Stranger I Know', 'The Shadow Of The Mithril Mountains', 'A Thousand Towers White'.

"Expect momentous sonical vistas from phantasic worlds when this journey starts in 2011!"

The German edition of the Metal Hammer magazine celebrated the second edition of its annual awards at this year's Wacken Open Air festival, which was held August 5-7 in Wacken, Germany. The winner in each category was chosen via an online vote, a musicians' jury, and the Metal Hammer staff. Some of the winning artists were presented with their awards at the festival's main stage, while others sent video messages expressing their gratitude for the honor.

The complete list of winners:

* Best Album: RAMMSTEIN - "Liebe ist Für alle da"
* Best Debut: STEEL PANTHER - "Feel The Steel"
* Best German Band: BLIND GUARDIAN
* Best International: MOTÖRHEAD
* Best Live Act: IRON MAIDEN
* God Of Riffs: Kerry King (SLAYER)
* Legend: Ronnie James Dio
* Maximum Metal: ANVIL and DORO
* Metal Anthem: BEHEMOTH - "Ov Fire And The Void"
* Up and Coming: ELUVEITIE

Video messages from the following musicians and artist representatives are available at this location:

* Wendy Dio on behalf of Ronnie James Dio
* Kerry King (SLAYER)
* Lemmy (MOTÖRHEAD)
* Orion (BEHEMOTH)
* STEEL PANTHER

Hard-hitting Danish four-piece THE BURNING will release its third album, "Hail The Horde", in Europe on October 22 via Massacre Records. The CD was produced by Jacob Bredahl (HATESPHERE, PURIFIED IN BLOOD), while the drum recordings and mastering were handled by Tue Madsen (SUICIDE SILENCE, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, SICK OF IT ALL). The album features guest vocals by Scott and Bjørn Jensen (DAWN OF DEMISE) and Søren "Nico" Adamsen (ARTILLERY).

"Hail The Horde" track listing:

01. Godless
02. Bait The Hook
03. Nihilist Life
04. Flames Be Your Friend
05. Inverted Cross Syndrome
06. Wolf Moon (feat. Søren "Nico" Adamsen)
07. Hail The Horde (feat. Scott and Bjørn Jensen)
08. Swing The Pendulum
09. Turn Or Burn
10. Metamorphosis
11. Baptized In Bong Water
12. Disownment

Commented THE BURNING frontman Johnny Haven: "We knew that we wanted the Jensen brothers to guest on one of the more rock-oriented songs on the album. And the title track has a simple 'in-your-face' riff that sounds like MÖTLEY CRÜE played on 33 rpm with Grave's guitar sound and their deep growls were a perfect match for that song.

"'Wolf Moon' is the closest thing a band like ours will ever come to a ballad, and Nico's voice goes really well with the DANZIG-inspired chorus. This is also the first THE BURNING song to ever feature acoustic guitar."

New Jerseys pirate thrash metal maniacs SWASHBUCKLE will release their new album, "Crime Always Pays…", on September 10 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Commented singer Patrick Henry (a.k.a. Admiral Nobeard): "'Crime Always Pays...' is our heaviest and fastest record to date. It'll tear your head off of your neck and shove a pegleg in your eye-sockets.

"We're proud to have Nuclear Blast release this malicious metal madness, and we're sure you'll all be pleased with the shennanigans that are about to ensue.

Thrash hard, mosh fast, and leave a decaying corpse swingin' from the noose!"

"Crime Always Pays…" track listing:

01. Slowly Wept The Sea
02. We Are The Storm
03. This Round's On YOU!
04. Powder Keg
05. Where Victory Is Penned
06. Of Hooks And Hornswogglers
07. A Time Of Wooden Ships & Iron Men
08. Crime Always Pays
09. Raw Doggin' At The Raw Bar
10. The Gallow's Pole Dancer
11. Legacy's Allure
12. At The Bottom Of A Glass
13. To Steal A Life
14. You Bring The Cannon, We'll Bring The Balls
15. Surf-N-Turf (For Piratical Girth)
16. Rope's End

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine tells RollingStone.com that he hasn't ruled out the possibility of a tour featuring the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — headliners METALLICA alongside MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX. "If the opportunity came up again, we would all go for it," says Mustaine, who was was booted from METALLICA in 1983 due to his excessive drug and alcohol use. "I think it would even be cool if it was just us and METALLICA. It was fun for us, great for our career, and great for all the fans because at the end of that night, when I went up and hugged James [Hetfield, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist], and I heard how loud that cheer was versus any other time we were playing — that was the [moment] you dream about when you're a kid. The big show — the biggest show you'll ever do."

Mustaine released his long-awaited autobiography, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir" (formerly "Hello Me... Meet The Real Me"), in the U.S. on August 3 via HarperCollins's It Books imprint (focusing on pop culture, sports, style and content derived from the Internet). The U.K. edition, "Mustaine: A Life In Metal", will hit bookstores in the U.K. on September 30.

"Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir" was co-written by New York Times journalist Joe Layden who also authored "The Last Great Fight" about what is considered by many to be the biggest upset in the history of boxing: James "Buster" Douglas' tenth-round knockout win over Mike Tyson in 1990.

North Carlina metallers VANISHER have inked a deal with Tribunal Records. The band's full-length debut, "The History Of Saints", will be released on September 14.

VANISHER may a new band to most, but only in name as within their ranks veterans from BLOODJINN (Pluto Records) and GLASS CASKET (Century Media/Abacus Recordings) reside and they are confidently leading the new pack of metal bands surfacing in North Carolina. While not bearing much resemblance to their former bands, VANISHER has set out to carve a new path and capture audiences with its futuristic metal brand. VANISHER combines an old-school thrash/death metal mentality with an absolutely modern melodic fluency allowing it to succeed in shattering all stylistic barriers. "The History Of Saints" is well rounded in all things relevant in metal today (production/songwriting/artwork) and quickly establishes VANISHER as a band that everyone should keep their eyes and ears on.

The physical release of "The History Of Saints" contains an eight-track bonus CD not available on the digital release.

"The History Of Saints" track listing:

01. Born To Breed
02. I Am Failure
03. The Architect
04. A Wolf In The Fold
05. Oceans
06. Liaisons
07. State Of Adversity
08. Frustrated Static
09. The History Of Saints
10. Cave Dweller
11. Pure Diesel
12. Conviction Cell

Bonus CD:

01. Kings
02. The Road
03. Spiraling Downwards
04. Into The Sands
05. The Staredown
06. Feverish Crimes
07. New Brand Of Justice
08. Reaction

According to a posting on the BLACK SABBATH fan site Black-Sabbath.com, Tony Iommi's Iommi SG guitar (see photo below) was stolen at the tribute show HEAVEN & HELL performed on July 24 at the High Voltage festival at Victoria Park in London, England.

If you have any information or leads regarding the guitar's whereabouts, contact Iommi's webmaster. A reward is being offered for the instrument's return.

Surviving HEAVEN & HELL members Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice played a very special tribute to their fallen bandmate, Ronnie James Dio at the High Voltage festival. The musicians were joined by legendary former DEEP PURPLE and BLACK SABBATH man Glenn Hughes and Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande, who sings for power metallers MASTERPLAN and has just released his own tribute to Ronnie.

The setlist was as follows (vocalist for each track listed in parenthesis):

01. The Mob Rules (Jorn Lande)
02. I (Jorn Lande)
03. Country Girl (Glenn Hughes)
04. Children Of The Sea (Glenn Hughes)
05. Turn Up The Night (Jorn Lande)
06. Voodoo (Jorn Lande)
07. Bible Black (Glenn Hughes)
08. Falling Off The Edge Of The World (Glenn Hughes)
09. Die Young (Jorn Lande)
10. Heaven And Hell (Jorn Lande, Glenn Hughes)
11. Neon Knights (Jorn Lande, Glenn Hughes, Philip Anselmo)

Check out a professional photo gallery from Express & Star.

Proceeds from this performance will go to the Ronnie James Dio "Stand Up And Shout" Cancer Fund.

BLIND GUARDIAN's tenth studio album, "At The Edge Of Time", has entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 2 — the band's strongest chart showing ever in its home country.

Commented vocalist Hansi Kürsch: "Unbelievable. With each new record we get closer to the top and I am quite happy that quality still counts.

"'At The Edge Of Time' is a milestone in our history and I am proud that so many people share this opinion. Our fans are the best!"

"At The Edge Of Time" is now available for pre-order in the U.S. on iTunes. Sale pricing runs from August 10 to August 23.

METAL WARRIORS, the MANOWAR tribute band featuring members of TERÄSBETONI and ANTHRIEL, played its second concert last Saturday, August 7, at Dante's Highlight in Helsinki.

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be viewed at this location. A couple of the clips are available below.

METAL WARRIORS made its live debut at the Sauna Open Air metal festival in Tampere in June 2010.

METAL WARRIORS is:

J. Ahola (TERÄSBETONI, NORTHERN KINGS) - Vocals, Bass
Jari Kuokkanen (TERÄSBETONI, ANTHRIEL) - Drums
Jussi Ojanen - Guitar
Antti Hakulinen (ANTHRIEL) - Keyboards

Next month's issue of Metal Hammer magazine will include a very special BLACK SABBATH tribute CD featuring cover versions of SABBATH classics performed by such artists as CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, AMON AMARTH, APOCALYPTICA and TURISAS. Each track was recorded especially for Metal Hammer and won't be available elsewhere.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. TURISAS - "Supernaut"
02. ABSOLUTE POWER - "Hole In The Sky"
03. CAVALERA CONSPIRACY - "Electric Funeral"
04. AMON AMARTH - "Children Of The Grave"
05. APOCALYPTICA - "Spiral Architect"
06. KARMA TO BURN - "Never Say Die"
07. ORANGE GOBLIN - "Symptom Of The Universe"
08. TURBOWOLF - "The Wizard"
09. TED MAUL - "Killing Yourself To Live"

Bonus tracks:

10. MOURNING TIDE - "We The Creeple"
11. SPIRYTUS - "Bullet Ride"
12. WHAT THE NIGHT BRINGS - "Sewn Shut"
13. DEMAGOGUE - "Encounter"
14. THE BENDAL INTERLUDE - "Cat Spats"
15. RAVENFACE - "The Resurrection"

The magazine will go on sale in the U.K. on August 25.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD performed live for the first time since the death last December of drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan this past Sunday (July 25), when the band played at the Heavy MTL festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (See video footage of the performance below.) Behind the drum kit was DREAM THEATER's Mike Portnoy, who made his live debut with the group after doing the drum parts on their newly released album, "Nightmare".

AVENGED frontman M. Shadows told The Pulse of Radio what it was like for the band to play live again after their tragedy. "Collectively we were all very, very nervous to get back up there onstage, but there were so many signs that referenced The Rev, you know, just kids with signs that said 'Rest in peace, Rev' and had things written on them," he said. "You know, it was really awesome to see all the kids just so supportive. I mean, kids were just genuinely excited that we were getting back onstage and I think it was a really huge triumph for the band and for them to get us back out there and to feel like we're moving on at this point."

"Nightmare", AVENGED SEVENFOLD's fifth album, arrived in stores on Tuesday (July 27). It follows up the band's self-titled 2007 effort.

The record could debut at No. 1 on next week's Billboard album chart if sales projections are right.

Portnoy is committed to playing on all the group's 2010 tour dates.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will co-headline this summer's inaugural Uproar Festival tour with DISTURBED and STONE SOUR, beginning on August 17 in Minneapolis.

AVENGED frontman M. Shadows tells The Pulse of Radio some more about playing with Portnoy. "Mike is so full of life," he said. "He's such a great guy. You know, he's the leader of DREAM THEATER, so I think it's fun for him to get to sit back and, like, you know, he just gets to play the drums and not worry about things and he's having a good time with it. And then it's a new adventure for us and, you know, that's what it's gonna be. It's never gonna be the same and we're not trying to make it the same. We're just trying to do the best we can and Mike's doing a hell of a job and we're really excited about that."

VIRUS, the Norwegian band featuring Carl-Michael Eide (a.k.a. Czral; VED BUENS ENDE) and Einar "Esso" Sjursø (BEYOND DAWN), has issued the following update:

"VIRUS have parted ways with Season Of Mist and will take care of the release of our third album ourselves. We are just about to start mixing the album and are looking at a late (preferrably November) 2010 release. However, since we no longer have a label contributing to the studio costs (Season Of Mist covered some, but not all, of the studio costs of [2008's] 'The Black Flux'), we have decided to let you, our fans be 'a part' of completing this album.

"As of now, you can pre-order the upcoming album, 'The Agent That Shapes The Desert', on vinyl, CD and as a special 'fan package,' including a CD, a signed and handnumbered LP, a limited EP and a t-shirt.

"We have not set a release date in stone yet, due to the simple fact that it all depends on economy. The more preorders we get, the quicker we will be able to complete and print the album.

"This release will be a co-release between Virulent Music (our own label) and Duplicate Records (Einz' label) which will help with distribution and promotion. This means we basically do everything ourselves, with only some studio support from a few trust funds. We basically have to cover everything else (additional studio time, mastering, printing and promoting the album) ourselves.

"Thus, we hope as many of you will grab this opportunity to become our 'benefactors,' so to speak, and order the CD, the vinyl or the special package.

"Trust us, this is the album of our careers.

"Thanks for your support!"

Vocalist Steve Lee of Swiss hard rockers GOTTHARD has released the following statement:

"I want to inform you that I have been involved in a horrible car crash in Italy on Saturday, August 7 while I was on my way home from a little vacation. A car crashed into us on the motorway near Firenze, and it involved six other cars. As cars were slowing down, the person in the car behind us didn't notice that, and crashed into our car. Despite the accident, I want you all to know that I am OK. I guess I must have a 'rock-loving' guardian angel."

GOTTHARD's latest album, "Need To Believe", was certified platinum in the band's home country for sales in excess of 30,000 copies.

Former STATIC-X and current PRONG bassist Tony Campos has posted the following update on his MySpace page:

"Ever since September of last year, when Wayne Static [STATIC-X guitarist/vocalist] told me our partnership was done, I've been busy trying to line up new projects to work on. I'm happy to say, there's a lot of good things on the table.

"Since October of last year, I have been playing bass with PRONG. After two tours with SOULFLY and one tour with FEAR FACTORY, we have been writing new material and hope to record a new album in the next few months. Hopefully, we'll have it out early next year. I've also been working with a local, up-and-coming metal band called ATTIKA 7. We've been doing some local shows around L.A., and will be doing some shows in England next month, as well as four West Coast dates of the Uproar tour.

"Check out the band on Attika7.com.

"The latest thing I've signed on for is to voice a character in a new web comic called Church Of One. My good friend, Tabitha Stevens, will also voice one of the characters as well. It will be featured on DarkBrain.com. Check out the site. There's some really cool shit on there.

"I want to thank all the fans and all my sponsors for their continued support. I look forward to seeing you all out on the road. After a show, you'll usually find me by the bar. Come say what's-up and have a drink with me."