Heimataerde burst onto the dark electro scene with the club smashing single Ich Hab die Nacht Getraeumet and the debut album Gotteskrieger. With Its sinister blend of massive electro and unusual instruments like bagpipes and cymbals, Heimataerde garnered massive attention from fans and reviewers alike. At loss for a fitting description of Heimataerde‘s music, the press invented the term medieval-electro. However, the world of the crusades as envisioned by the project has nothing to do with the atmosphere of jesters and merry medieval fairs. Heimataerde summons a pantheon of undead, templars and fanatics, the skeletal armies marching in Breughel's "The Triumph of Death", and histories dark warriors, committing any crime that they think suitable to further their aims. Ashlar von Megalon is the narrator who leads us through this hellish scenario. He has assigned himself the role of the eternal wanderer on a quest for answers and a hidden truth.

The new album, Unwesen, will raise a dark world of the forgotten avenger, following the trail of suppressed guilt and half-forgotten crimes rising to the surface with a vengeance. Unwesen is a further step of musical development for Heimataerde, expanding the atmosphere of its self-created genre.

Released on Metropolis and Infacted Recordings and available October 26th, 2010.
01. Unwesen
02. Gottesgrieger
03. Niemals mehr
04. Gloria et Morte
05. Dark Dance
06. Der Erste
07. Des Spielmanns Lied
08. Stille
09. Maarat an Numan
10. Wie ein Tier
11. Die Buerde
12. Gottgleich
13. Malitia Angelica
14. Psalm 115

According to Contactmusic.com, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist SLASH has revealed there were times when he was so inebriated it was difficult for him to perform properly.

Slash - who battled drink and drug addictions for a number of years - revealed while his ability to play was often affected by his vices, he never used drugs for musical inspiration.

He explained: "I would be lying if I didn't say that there had been nights where I had been too inebriated in some way, shape or form to really play effectively, but I made sure that I was together way more often than not.

"I wasn't on a chemical exploration with my music. Drugs were never something that I used to get inspired musically, which was great. I knew a lot of people growing up who did that and I think I learned a lot from watching their pitfalls."

The VELVET REVOLVER guitarist admitted there were periods in his Guns N' Roses career when he thought he'd be lucky to be alive in a year's time - but insists the prospect didn't worry him.

He told Q magazine: "If someone would ask me, 'What are you going to be doing next year?' I'd say, 'If I'm alive next year that'd be fucking good', you know? For a long time I pushed myself up against the edge because that was sort of how I rolled, right? just thought it was fun. Maybe if somebody had looked at me from a psychological and emotional point of view I don't know what they would have come up with. As far as I was concerned I was having a blast."

RUSH drum legend Neil Peart has updated the News, Weather And Sports page on his official website with August's massive blog. An excerpt reads:

"Since at least 2004, during the Thirtieth Anniversary tour I wrote about in Roadshow, I have been talking about a theme for a book, and even chipping away at it (mostly in my head, but partly in these stories). I referred to that imaginary book as Roadcraft: How To Work The World, and the aim was to assemble a set of rules for travelers that deliberately paralleled rules about living, working, making music—metaphors, like.

However, the more I continued to think about that goal, the more I realized it was not a book you could just sit down and write—it would have to accumulate, like experience, a journey, a life, and (indulge me here), a drum solo. In the flow of rhythm, dominant patterns arise and gather gravity over time, and suggest parallels that can be further developed and expressed—variations on a theme.

It has become obvious to me that my ambitions for Roadcraft represent the project of a lifetime, really, to be gathered and shared along the way. And in any case, those observations would certainly demand more than one book—more than one lifetime. But, what the hey—I figure I’ll just start trying to nail down any principles I can, for as long as I can, then pass the project down to the next generation of travelers..."

New progressive metal outfit CORELLIA from San Diego, CA have issued the following band update:

"Greetings! We present to you (finally) the song'"Glass Faces' featuring our vocalist Ryan Devlin, the completion of our quest for a second guitar player, a little news about the band's current state, and the road ahead.

After going through many great auditions for the guitar position, we have concluded that Ryan Borrell is our guy, both musically and within the personal dynamics of the band. We are very excited to have him and confident that his contributions to our music will benefit us. In discovering our final member comes the opportunity to play shows, something we have all been eager to do. As we complete vocals for the instrumental songs that have been posted, we will begin preparing for some live performances so hopefully all you local people can catch us soon enough.

Also, we have started our own website (Corellia.com) where we are hosting tabs for our songs on guitar, bass, and drums.

We appreciate all the support we've received thus far and we hope y'all enjoy the vocals!"

Head to this location to preview 'Glass Faces'.

Candlelight Records has confirmed October 26 as the North American release date for The Isolationist, the new album from KRIEG. Recorded at Volume Studios in Chicago, the nearly hour-long album will challenge the listener with its primitive yet complex sound. It is Krieg's sixth full-length recording, and the first since 2006’s Blue Miasma.

Working with producer Sanford Parker (NACHTMYSTIUM, PELICAN, YAKUZA), The Isolationist finds Krieg further experimenting with sound. The rage and dissonance fans have come to expect from the New Jersey band emerges even more frenzied making the journey through this album far more intense than on previous efforts. Vocalist Imperial admits, "The Isolationist presents Krieg at it's most evolved yet primal state thus far in fifteen years of causing problems for people's hearing. It is my ugliest and most personal child, going deep into the darkest places in my own history on earth. I'm a fucked up wreck, and this record shows that."

The Isolationist features performances from guitarist Joseph Van Fossen (NOCTUARY), bassist Wrest (LEVIATHAN), and drummer Chris Grigg (WOE). "It was an intense process, considering everyone only had a few days in and out due to their own hellish schedules. I was fortunate to work with dedicated artists who each brought their own identity to the project and a good understanding behind the meaning of the record."

The Isolationist tracklisting:

'No Future'
'Photographs From An Asylum'
'All Paths To God'
'Ambergeist'
'Depakote'
'Religion III'
'Blue Of Noon'
'Decaying Inhalations'
'An The Stars Fell On'
'Remission'
'Dead Windows

Guitarist Stéphan Forté of French neo-classical metallers ADAGIO is in the studio recording guitars for his first instrumental solo album entitled "The Shadows Compendium". Due before the end of the year, the CD will feature guest appearances by Phil Campbell (MOTÖRHEAD), Jeff Loomis (NEVERMORE), Derek Taylor and Rusty Cooley, among others. Photograph/graphic designer Perrine Perez Fuentes, who previously worked with ADAGIO on the reissue of the band's live album "A Band In Upperworld", will be in charge of the artwork and photos for Forté's solo effort. Kevin Codfert will lay down all keyboard and piano parts and will handle the mixing and recording duties.

According to a press release, "The Shadows Compendium" will feature nine songs, which are describe as "really heavy and very dark and shred-oriented."

Commented Stéphan: " I am in the middle of the guitar recordings at the moment, [and] so far it's going great!

"I already received Derek's guest solo, which is, of course, absolutely insane — lots of shred and twisted harmonies — and I will soon be receiving Jeff, Rusty and Phil's solos.

"I am very honored to have such talented friends participating to my album and I'm, of course, more than impatient to hear their incredible stuff.

"Some other prestigious guests will be announced soon."

ADAGIO recruited Swedish vocalist Mats Levén (KRUX, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, THERION, TREAT) to sing for the band during its recent European tour as the support act for KAMELOT following the departure of Finnish frontman Christian Palin.

"Archangels In Black", the latest album from ADAGIO, was released in February 2009 via Listenable Records. The cover artwork was created by Guilherme Sevens and the CD was mastered at the Cutting Room in Sweden with Björn Engelmann (RAMMSTEIN, MESHUGGAH).

"Archangels In Black" was the first — and last — CD to feature Palin.

Palin was previously a member of the Swedish/Finnish bands ESSENCE OF SORROW and RANDOM EYES.

Danish melodic progressive power metal band ANUBIS GATE entered the studio this past Friday to begin recording its new album for a late 2010 release.

Commented vocalist/producer Jacob Hansen: "Morten [Sørensen] started off by laying down some of the heaviest and best drums I have ever heard him do, so I'm confident that the new album will have a pretty strong rhythm section! Furthermore, it was great to hear the new songs slowly come to life, which they always do when we track drums to the demo vocals, guitars and keys. It suddenly starts to make sense.

"The songs seem a bit darker to me, and I like that...

"For the gear freaks out there, we tracked drums on a Yamaha Maple Custom Definitive kit with 10, 12, 14 and 16" toms, 20" kick and Mapex Black Panther Maple snare. It sounded fantastic."

Seattle progressive rockers QUEENSRŸCHE have partnered with Capitol/EMI for the September 14 release of an expanded 20th-anniversary edition of the band's triple platinum-certified breakout album "Empire". The new 2CD and digital packages both include the remastered album, featuring six hit singles, including the #1 smash "Silent Lucidity", as well as 13 bonus tracks, among them 10 previously unreleased live performances recorded in 1990 at London's Hammersmith Odeon. The 2CD package is presented in a lift-top box with five postcards, a fold-out poster and a booklet featuring rare photos from the band's personal archive.

After building a devoted fan base with album and EP releases throughout the 1980s, including 1988's critically acclaimed "Operation: Mindcrime", QUEENSRŸCHE broke into the mainstream across North America and abroad with the 1990 release of "Empire". In the U.S., the album peaked at #7 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and its hit ballad "Silent Lucidity" quickly became a heavy rotation staple at rock radio and on MTV, topping Billboard's Modern Rock singles chart and earning QUEENSRŸCHE the coveted MTV Viewers Choice Award for the song's music video. "Empire" also made the U.K.'s Top 10, and the album's international success led to QUEENSRŸCHE's 18-month headlining "Building Empires" world tour, the band's longest trek to date.

"Empire" also features the Billboard Top 10 Modern Rock hits "Jet City Woman" and "Another Rainy Night", the Top 20 single "Anybody Listening?", and the Top 30 singles "Best I Can" and "Empire". In addition to the aforementioned live recordings, "Empire (20th Anniversary Edition)"'s bonus tracks include "Last Time in Paris" from the "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane" soundtrack, "Dirty Lil' Secret" and the band's cover of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "Scarborough Fair".

Since forming in Bellevue, Washington in 1981, QUEENSRŸCHE has sold more than 20 million albums around the world. The band continues to tour and record; "American Soldier" was released last year.

The track listing is as follows:

Disc 1 (original CD remastered with bonus tracks from 2003 reissue):

01. Best I Can
02. The Thin Line
03. Jet City Woman
04. Della Brown
05. Another Rainy Night (Without You)
06. Empire
07. Resistance
08. Silent Lucidity
09. Hand On Heart
10. One And Only
11. Anybody Listening?

Bonus tracks:

12. Last Time In Paris
13. Scarborough Fair
14. Dirty Lil Secret

Disc 2 (live tracks recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon, London on November 15, 1990):

01. Resistance
02. Walk In The Shadows
03. Best I Can
04. The Thin Line
05. Jet City Woman
06. Empire
07. Roads To Madness
08. Take Hold Of The Flame
09. Silent Lucidity
10. Hand On Heart

Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and political activist Serj Tankian has postponed the street date of his new solo album, entitled "Imperfect Harmonies", in order to package the recording in the same tree-free paper he has used for his previous release, "Elect the Dead". The eco-friendly paper was not available to create the packaging for "Imperfect Harmonies" in time to make the previously announced street date of September 7.

Serjical Strike/Reprise Records will now release "Imperfect Harmonies" on September 21, 2010. The album is the second solo released from the SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman, following up his critically acclaimed 2007 solo debut, "Elect the Dead". As with "Elect the Dead", Tankian produced "Imperfect Harmonies" himself at his home studio in Los Angeles.

Guitarist/vocalist Adam "Nergal" Darski of Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH, who was reportedly rushed to the Gdansk Medical University Hospital over the weekend to receive treatment for an undisclosed illness, has released the following English-language statement regarding his condition:

"I'd like to announce that BEHEMOTH won't be able to tour for the forseeable future.

"I don't wanna bore you with details here, but I'm sick and am receiving some serious medical treatment. It's gonna take another few weeks or more for full recovery, and so we have been forced to cancel all the BEHEMOTH shows in August, planned dates in Russia and Baltic States for September and October and our American tour in November.

"I know how much it sucks, but health comes first.

"I can assure all of you that when we return, I'll be stronger than death, and we'll reschedule every tour as soon as logistics allow.

"I feel good and strong, my mind is focused, I've got my loving woman by my side, my band mates, friends (never thought there are so many, haha), management, agents and label people are giving me massive support. I can't ask for more but a little patience now.

"The fact that we won't be touring for the next few months doesn't mean we'll hibernate. BEHEMOTH will be active on several other levels.

"In upcoming days you can expect the premiere of our newest video, 'Alas, Lord Is Upon Me', which is by far the sickest fuckin' thing we've ever done! 'Evangelia Heretika' DVD is coming out as scheduled in November this year. Also, check out our webstore that opens for international markets in upcoming weeks.

"This is it for now. Stay tuned!"

Hidden from light in the depths and chambers of mysticism and woe until now, the I Am EP from now-defunct Swedish occult black metal force ARMAGEDDA is upon us.

The special offering contains four never-before-released tracks including the song 'I Am', which was previously performed during the Marching Towards Christian Extermination Tour in 2002.

Raw, consuming northern black metal full of snarling melodies and raspy vocal elegies of death; a true black iron fist in the face of humanity and light. The EP clearly ties the bonds between the raw, grisly early works of The Final War Approaching and Only True Believers and their Ond Spiritism: Diaefvulens Skalder swansong.

For Armagedda diehards and devout listeners of raw Swedish black metal. Hail the Northern Destroyers of faith and life!

"Occult audial essence" would be a term to use when describing the tunes of Armagedda. For those who probably care less about feeling, we already have a known term: "black metal."

This Swedish duo, originally known as VOKERMORD, started out in the early days of the millennium, 1999 - 2000. Through the years, the band released three full-length albums and a handful of demos and EPs. These monuments are among the purest representations of true Scandinavian black metal and now stand on their own solid ground. Armagedda released their third album in 2004, before leaving this world in anger. Members went to play in such bands as LIK, WHIRLING and LONNDOM.

I Am tracklisting

'Den Skrivna Eskatologin'
'De Vanhelgade'
'I Am'
'Cold Eon'

I Am will be released via Eisenwald / Nordvis in Europe on August 6th, and in North America on September 6th.

an Parry's (CONSORTIUM PROJECT, ex-ELEGY) MySpace page has been updated with the following:

"The new Consortium Project 5 Species CD mix is almost ready and the ANI LOZANOVA CD - both albums produced simultaneously by Ian Parry.

The International debut album from Bulgarian female rock vocalist Ani Lozanova, produced by Ian, has just been mixed at Bazement Studios, where Ian is presently working on the finshing touches of the Consortium Project 5 Species mix.

After 15 months writing and recording with various artist around the world, Ian just finished recording the final guitars for C 5 with Stephan Lill from VANDEN PLAS, who appeared on previous Consortium Project albums.

Now, together with Marcus Teske from Bazement Studios in Germany, Ian concludes the final charter of his epic rock Metal concept - Consortium Project 5, Species. The album should be released sometime in early 2011, with live shows to follow."

As previously reported, footage of Ian Parry performing with INFINITY OVERTURE at the 2009 release party for their Kingdom Of Utopia album, can be seen online at this location.

Infinity Overture are a symphonic power metal band founded in Denmark in 2005 by guitarist Niels Vejlyt who set about writing compositions of great intensity and beauty. To ensure the music is accessible for all rock fans Niels set about crafting songs that are home to memorable verses and choruses, and these were then fused with more traditional epic metal arrangements and symphonic elements. The music of the bands debut, Kingdom Of Utopia, is big and explosive in places with insane guitar solos, yet balanced by subtle melodic breaks and big harmonies.

This blend of melodic metal and the symphonic orchestra, was strong enough to make vocalist Ian Parry join the band and it was his vision that provided not only all the lyrics but the story concept on which the album is based.

Kingdom Of Utopia was mixed by Sascha Paeth and Miro, the production team responsible for albums by RHAPSODY OF FIRE, KAMELOT and ANGRA (amongst others) in conjunction with Niels Vejlyt.

Tracklisting:

'Millenia'
'The Great Believers'
'Warrior King'
'Wonderland'
'Temples Of Doom'
'Kingdom Of Utopia'
'Queen Of Hearts'
'Oceans Of Time'
'Sacred Fire'
'War Cry'

Band lineup:

Ian Parry - Male Lead Vocals
Lene Petersen - Female Lead Vocals
Anne Karine Prip - Female Lead Vocals
Niels Vejlyt - Guitar
Kyle Honea - Bass
Mads Damgaard - Bass
Mads Volf – Drums

AVANTASIA, the project led by EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet, will embark on a four-tour in December 2010. In addition, AVANTASIA has been confirmed for next year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, which takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany.

"It's gonna be a once-in-a-lifetime affair!" said Sammet when the all-star project first set off on a world tour a few years ago. And although it seemed impossible to bring the project onto the stage after an extensive preparatory time, AVANTASIA headlined some of the biggest summer festivals in 2008. To this day, many fans recall the AVANTASIA live shows as magical, once-in-a-lifetime concert experiences.

Commented Sammet: "There has always been the desire to do it again, but, of course, there is always a risk. It requires a huge amount of time and energy; there are no figures based on experience, because I don't know anybody who has taken an all-star metal opera on the road to play indoor venues. The stage production is abnormally expensive and you must not forget the many people who are involved and who come from different parts of the world. It requires a good timing.

"At some point we sat together and checked if and how we could possibly do it once again and we soon found out that December 2010 would be the right period to do a real tour.

"I admit that four weeks [is] not really a long time frame, but it's better to do a short tour than no tour at all. And if we hadn't taken that chance, it would have never happened because we will come with a lot of musicians and vocalists and it's a nightmare to mind all our individual schedules with our main bands."

Unlike AVANTASIA's festival tour of 2008, the band's upcoming dates will be full-fledged headlining performances, with the group performing longer sets than has been the case in the past.

"It was great to play Wacken and Sweden Rock Festival, but playing a festival you only have so much time," explained Sammet. "You play ten songs and people have a party and everybody's got fun. But doing our own tour, we can really create an atmosphere, we can play a lot longer and take people on a journey through the history of AVANTASIA. We can actually take people to the world of AVANTASIA itself.

"Fans can expect a bombastic concert experience.

"Many so-called 'metal operas' have been released on albums recently, but AVANTASIA will bring it on stage and take fans around the globe with them.

"You can't compare a normal band to what we are going to do. If all your favourite singers appear on one stage at the same night to take you on a musical journey, then this isn't just great, it's über-great!"

NECRONAUT, the solo project of former DISMEMBER/CARNAGE drummer Fred Estby, will release its self-titled album on October 18 release via Regain Records. The cover artwork for the CD (see below) was designed by Chat Zar, who was reponsible for creating the prosthetic effects for such movies as "The Ring", "Planet of the Apes" and "Darkman".

"Necronaut" track listing (including guest musicians for each track):

01. Crimson Fields

Chris Reifert (speech)

02. Twilight At The Trenches

* Andreas "Drette" Axelson (vocals)

03. In Dark Tribute

* Hellbutcher (vocals)
* Tyrant (lead guitar)

04. Soulside Serpents

* Janne "J.B." Christofferson (vocals)
* Robert "Strings" Dahlqvist (lead guitar)
* Robert Pehrsson (lead guitar)

05. Infecting Madness

* Chris Reifert (vocals)
* Ulf "Uffe" Cederlund (lead guitar)

06. After The Void

* Joakim Nilsson (vocals)
* David Blomqvist (lead guitar)

07. The Lie In Which The Truth Is Buried

* Fred Estby (vocals)
* Nicke Andersson (lead guitar)

08. Returning To Kill The Light

* Erik Danielsson (vocals)
* Janne "J.B." Christofferson (lead guitar)

09. Tower Of Death

* Nicke Andersson (vocals)

10. Rise Of The Sentinel

* Tomas Lindberg (vocals)
* David Blomqvist (lead guitar)

Complete list of guest musicians:

* Hellbutcher (NIFELHEIM)
* Tyrant (NIFELHEIM, DAGGER)
* Andreas "Drette" Axelson (TORMENTED, ex-EDGE OF SANITY)
* Chris Reifert (AUTOPSY, ex-ABSCESS)
* Ulf "Uffe" Cederlund (DISFEAR, ex-ENTOMBED)
* Janne "J.B." Christofferson (GRAND MAGUS)
* Tomas Lindberg (DISFEAR, AT THE GATES, THE GREAT DECEIVER)
* Nicke Andersson (DEATH BREATH)
* Joakim Nilsson (GRAVEYARD)
* David Blomqvist (DISMEMBER, SHREDS OF DEATH)
* Erik Danielsson (WATAIN)
* Robert Pehrsson (DEATH BREATH, DUNDERTÅGET)
* Robert "Strings" Dahlqvist (DUNDERTÅGET)

Y&T bassist Phil Kennemeore has checked in with the following update:

"To all of my dear friends and fans around the world and on the forum, up to now you haven't heard much information (other than about my extreme back pain) because there really hasn't been much until now. I hated leaving you all in the dark but I didn't want to say anything until there was something conclusive to say. We do have a lot more information now. The number one thing you need to know is that I have cancer. It wasn't absolutely formally diagnosed until yesterday.

With the bad news I also got the good news that along with surgery and treatments, I will be back rockin' and rollin'. I'll be getting a hip replacement as well as back surgery, which means I'll also be more agile. The doctor said that this is treatable and I'll be walking out of this place and I'll be able to go on the road and do everything I need to do to continue my rock 'n' roll life, in due time.

I wanted to thank everyone for your well wishes. I've been sitting here in the hospital reading all of the things that you've all posted online, and I want you to know it means so very much to me to see how much I am loved, supported, and missed. I can really feel the love as I'm reading. I love reading your posts on the web site forum, and, in fact, I need to hear it. From here on out, whatever thoughts and feelings you have, please know that I wish that I could personally respond to each and every one of you, but I'm not able to right now.

Brad--thank God for Brad! I'm so grateful that he stepped in to help keep Y&T on tour, bringing Facemelter to the people while I was ordered to the hospital. Right now I think he's the best guy on earth!

I'll be released from the hospital within three-to-four weeks, continuing treatment, and at some point, I'll be returning to the road. Keep the love and good vibes flowing. Do me a favor and go out and see the band now--Y&T is kicking serious ass--and I'll be back rocking with you all soon."

Vocalist Ralf Scheepers of German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR was interviewed on the August 6, 2010 edition of the "Metalzone" radio show (web site) with Kostas Purevil Kyriakakis and Helena Mihailidou. During the chat, Scheepers revealed that his upcoming solo album will include two cover versions — "Saints Of Rock" from Scheepers' pre-PRIMAL FEAR band TYRAN PACE and "Before The Dawn' from JUDAS PRIEST. "'Saints Of Rock' is gonna be, of course, a little bit more modern than it was [when the original version was recorded] in 1986," he explained. "I mean, right now we have much more possibilities to make songs sound a little bit more modern, starting with the drum sound and the bass sounds — having a much more distorted sound." He added, "I think 'Before The Dawn' pretty much is a [straight] cover — [there's] just a little more orchestral things going on, I have more strings in the song compared to the JUDAS PRIEST [original]. Back then there wasn't much strings going on. I think they even have a piano [in the original version], which I don't have. I have strings and I have this atmosphere stuff going on. Vocal-wise, I just added a harmony at the last bridge before last chorus, I added a harmony which is not on the original, but that's the basic difference."

Toronto Sun correspondent Mark Daniell recently caught up with MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine to discuss his new autobiography, Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir. An excerpt from the article is available below:

Throughout the 346-page book, he candidly takes readers inside his troubled childhood, repeated visits to rehab and an almost career-ending ailment before becoming a born-again Christian in 2002.

"There's some stuff in there I wish wasn't, but it's really necessary to paint the picture so people can see that I'm a survivor."

He's watched musicians come and go – in its various incarnations Megadeth has had close to two dozen members in almost 25 years – and his marriage almost went up in smoke.

It's when a compressed nerve in his left arm almost ruined his ability to play the guitar in the early 2000s that he turned his life around.

Mustaine credits religion and his newly sober lifestyle with helping Megadeth stay relevant to a new generation of metal fans. But he sometimes thinks '80s rockers might have an unfair advantage.

"When it comes down to doing solos, new guys don't do them because they aren't any good. There is a whole generation of nu-metal guitarists who don't play solos because they don't know how to.

"There's nothing new that's made me go 'Wow,' like the first AC/DC record I ever heard. I know that people felt that way when they first heard METALLICA and Megadeth. We changed the world. People listened to us and said, 'Who's this band? Who's that on guitar?'"

Along with SLAYER and ANTHRAX, Metallica and Megadeth performed at the Big Four metal concerts in Europe last month and Mustaine has high hopes the tour will come to North America.

Proof, he says, that there's no more bad blood.

MetalSucks recently conducted an interview with guitarist Woody Weatherman of the reunited "Animosity"-era lineup of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

MetalSucks: With this reunion, has Pepper [Keenan, guitar/vocals] left the band?

Woody: No. It's kind of a weird way it came about. It was Pepper that stirred everybody's bones back into motion. He had brought us up, doing some things in Europe this summer. Then with [Reed] Mullin [drums] coming back in, being the original guy or whatever, that kind of fell through. Our cages had been rattled. Mullin came out of the shadows, so we kept on going with it. When the time is right, when Pepper is willing and everybody else is willing, we'll probably do more four-piece stuff later on. Bu this just seems like it's got some interest now, and we're rolling with it.

MetalSucks: Is it a matter of Pepper being busy?

Woody: He's busy. DOWN's got some stuff going on. He's expressed interest. And whenever we do this thing, whenever it's out our blood… We got stirred from the slumber, and we didn't want to go back to sleep.

MetalSucks: Pepper just had a kid, right?

Woody: He did. He's got a little girl, and I've got a little boy. He's a year and a half old. She's four or five months old, something like that. It's eating up a lot of his time at the moment. He's probably changing a diaper right now.

MetalSucks: Pepper's definitely not split with you guys? You're not done — you're just…

Woody: I hope not. That's not the way that we've talked. I think he agrees with Mike [Dean, bass/vocals] and Reed and myself. We've never shut the door on anything. I think it'd be cool to do this and then later go back and do another four-piece record. And last time I talked to Pepper, he kind of felt that way, too. So we'll see if that holds true in the months to come. I think it probably will. I think we've got another one of those C.O.C. records in us too.

MetalSucks: What does the new material sound like — more "Animosity"?

Woody: It's faster. We've got about five or six songs we've been working on. It's pretty cool. Definitely not the same thing we've been doing over the last three or four records. It's probably reverting back to a little more old-school style. I wouldn't say it sounds [like "Animosity"], but it's leaning that way. [And] it's not like "Albatross" or anything.

MetalSucks: Is the band still attached to a label?

Woody: No, we're not. We're free and clear, man. We're not hooked up with anybody. We can do whatever the hell we want.

MetalSucks: Do you think you'll do an entire album?

Woody: Our goal is to not play a million shows. We're recording. We're gonna do it.

MetalSucks: The CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - BLIND band [which features "Blind"-era CORROSION OF CONFORMITY singer Karl Agell and Mullin and plays the entire LP during its live performances] — was that a sanctioned project?

Woody: I'm really kinda having no comment on it. Reed claims that it's just something he did for the fun of it. It's kind of a weird deal. I think it would have been better if they'd have just called it "BLIND." They did their last little thing, and now that we're geared back up, doing some real shit, we're not going to fiddle with that any more.