Norwegian psychedelic post-black metal band ENSLAVED will release its new album, "Axioma Ethica Odini", in Europe on September 27 and in North America on September 28. The CD's cover artwork was created by the Norwegian artist Truls Espedal, who has painted every ENSLAVED album cover since 2001's "Monumension".

Commented ENSLAVED bassist/vocalist Grutle Kjellson: “On every new album cover, me and [rhythm guitarist/songwriter] Ivar [Bjørnson] come up with the idea of what the cover art shall include in terms of elements, symbolism and so forth. After that, we contact Truls and tell him about our ideas for the cover art. Then we arrange a meeting where we sit down for a couple of hours making sketches. Truls also has the opportunity to come up with his own ideas of how we can transform our original ideas the best possible way. He has made a masterpiece this time as well! The cover art is simply amazing! Amazing…"

Added Espedal: "I'm always excited about working with ENSLAVED, which is the reason I feel that too much time goes by between releases — ha, ha! But once again I sat down with Ivar and Grutle, and their ideas were more complex and interesting than ever. Also, their expectations and confidence that I'm able to come up with something better than before pushes me to set the bar even higher. This time around, we set out to expand further what we have done on earlier works: mixing the figurative paintings with the 'symbolic' design even more. By doing this, I feel that we are able to convey a lot more atmosphere, story, and a visually more interesting cover throughout. Hopefully other people will think the same. Good times."

Fan-filmed video footage of Seattle progressive hard rockers QUEENSRŸCHE performing a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "Neon Knights" as a tribute to legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW) on July 17, 2010 at this year's edition of Bang Your Head!!! festival in Balingen, Germany can be viewed below.

QUEENSRŸCHE previously recorded a version of "Neon Knights" for its November 2007 collection of covers, "Take Cover", which sold 5,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 173 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Back in May, QUEENSRŸCHE released the following statement regarding the passing of Ronnie James Dio:

"Ronnie James Dio was undoubtedly one of heavy metal's greatest performers and will continue to influence the world of heavy metal forever. He was certainly a very big influence on QUEENSRŸCHE and along the way became a cherished friend too. We will all miss him greatly, but Ronnie will live on every time we raise our metal horns high! The man on the silver mountain will always be our rainbow in the dark."

Bassist Bobby Burns has left SOULFLY after seven years and four albums with the Max Cavalera-led band. He writes on his Twitter profile, "To all the fans... SOULFLY and I have decided to part ways. Stay tuned for my next projects already in the works. Thanks 4 ur support!!!"

Burns, a self-described "bass player, guitarist, songwriter and producer," also handles guitar, bass and vocal duties for the hip-hop/punk/metal band PRIMER 55.

Bobby and wife Joy welcomed their first baby, a son named Ryder Lee Burns, in February.

Burns appears on the following SOULFLY albums:

* "Prophecy" (2004)
* "Dark Ages" (2005)
* "Conquer" (2008)
* "Omen" (2010)

Metal Sickness conducted an interview with Burns before SOULFLY's June 4, 2010 concert in Toulouse, France. You can now watch the chat in three parts below.

SOULFLY's new album, "Omen", sold 6,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 73 on The Billboard 200 chart.

SOULFLY's last album, "Conquer", opened with 8,400 units back in August 2008 to land at position No. 66 on The Billboard 200 chart. This number was in line with the opening tally of the CD's predecessor, "Dark Ages", which shifted a little more than 8,000 copies during its first week of release in October 2005 to enter the chart at No. 155.

According to Forbes.com, AC/DC is the #2 Top Earning Musician Of 2010 following U2 with $114 million after finishing up a tour that grossed $2.3 million a night.

According to the report, nearly half of the artists that make up this year's list of the top-earning music acts have been around long enough that they could have appeared on the soundtrack to Back To The Future (1985).

That U2, AC/DC, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and MADONNA could collectively make an estimated $372 million between June 2009 and June 2010 - a little more than half of the $700 million that the top 10 acts in music brought in - highlights the way that the music business has changed over the last decade. Apple's iTunes aside, few young consumers have shown that they are willing to pay for music that they can easily get for free. Album sales have plummeted by more than half since 2000, taking away a lucrative earnings stream for musicians and one of the ways that artists have traditionally broken through into the mainstream.

Fan-filmed video footage of JON OLIVA'S PAIN performing a cover version of the DIO classic "Rainbow In The Dark" as a tribute to legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW) on July 17, 2010 at this year's edition of Zwarte Cross (Black Cross) festival in Lichtenvoorde, Holland can be viewed below (courtesy of "ErhanLiveMetal").

JON OLIVA'S PAIN's fourth album, "Festival", was released in North America on April 12. The CD, which was issued in Europe on February 19 via AFM Records, entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 87.

JON OLIVA'S PAIN will take part in a live-DVD concert filming at the 013 in Tilburg, Holland on October 15. Tentatively due in early 2011, the disc will be the first official live DVD release with Jon Oliva handling all the vocal duties. It promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime show featuring an assault of SAVATAGE classics and the four JON OLIVA'S PAIN CDs.

HALFORD, the band fronted by JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford, played its first show in more than seven years last night (Saturday, July 17) at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, California.

The group's setlist was as follows:

01. Silent Screams
02. Made Of Metal
03. Resurrection
04. Made In Hell
05. Never Again
06. Drop Out
07. Golgotha
08. Heart Of A Lion
09. Never Satisfied
10. I Am Alive
11. Saviour

Encore:

12. Crystal
13. Rock The World Forever

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be viewed below.

Prior to the San Francisco show, HALFORD's last gig took place on June 6, 2003 in Anaheim, California.

HALFORD released a new single, "The Mower", on June 25 via HalfordMusic.com. The track is the first single from HALFORD's new album, "Halford IV - Made Of Metal", which will be released in October.

HALFORD's last album, "Halford III - Winter Songs", sold 1,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 26 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Halford III - Winter Songs" was Rob's first solo release in more than seven years, and it included a collection of new Halford-penned tracks plus traditional holiday favorites presented with original arrangements by HALFORD (Rob Halford on vocals, Roy Z. on guitar, Metal Mike Chlasciak on guitar, Mike Davis on bass and Bobby Jarzombek on drums).

Metal God Records and Rob Halford recently announced plans to release "Halford - Live In Anaheim Original 2CD Soundtrack", "Halford Crucible - Remixed & Remastered" and "Halford - Live In Anaheim" DVD, a 5.1, 23-song, two-plus-hour film documenting Rob Halford's 2002-2003 solo release ("Crucible") and tour.

Armed with metal's most diverse band of the decade, "Halford - Live In Anaheim" is an intimate, in-your-face, solo performance featuring HALFORD, FIGHT and JUDAS PRIEST classics: "Golgotha", "The Heretic", "Sun", "Into The Pit", "Light Comes Out Of Black", "Painkiller", "Rapid Fire", "Never Satisfied", and more. Also featured are bonus live tracks from HALFORD's Tokyo, Japan performances February 2003.

On July 19, Candlelight Records will release a box set from the now-defunct Norwegian extreme metal act ZYKLON, entitled "The Storm Manifesto", featuring all three of the group's full-length albums plus bonus material.

Founded in 1998, it was evident from the start that ZYKLON was to be more than just a "side project" for the then-EMPEROR guitarist and drummer. Teaming with Destructhor (also of MYRKSKOG), the trio's rehearsals ignited a spark that would put them on the fast track. Enter England's Candlelight Records. Already home to EMPEROR, Candlelight was the best and obvious first choice for the band and its recording future.

"The Storm Manifesto" track listing:

Disc 1 - "World ov Worms":

01. Hammer Revelation
02. Deduced To Overkill
03. Chaos Deathcult
04. Storm Detonation
05. Zycloned
06. Terrordome
07. Worm World
08. Transcendental War - The Battle Between Gods
09. Dominate (bonus)
10. Worm World (video)
11. Transcendal War - Battle Between Gods (video)

Disc 2 - "Aeon":

01. Psyklon Aeon
02. Core Solution
03. Two Thousand Years
04. No Names Above The Names
05. The Prophetic Method
06. Specimen Eruption
07. Electric Current
08. An Eclectic Manner
09. Pull the Plug (bonus)
10. Core Solution (video)
11. Psyklon Aeon (video)

Disc 3 - "Disintegrate":

01. In Hindsight
02. Disintegrate
03. Ways of the World
04. Subversive Faith
05. A Cold Grave
06. Vile Ritual
07. Underdog
08. Wrenched
09. Vulture
10. Skinned and Endangered
11. Wrenched (video)
12. Underdog (video)

Keyboardist/mainman Tuomas Holopainen of Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH has issued the following update:

"Almost exactly four years ago we gathered into an idyllic place in the small village of Sävi to rehearse and arrange what would later be called 'Dark Passion Play'. It was such glorious and inspiring times that we decided to do something similar with the upcoming NIGHTWISH album called ...........

"So again we are here in the deepest countryside of Finland beginning to create a follower for 'Dark Passion Play'. It's just us guys for now; Anette [Olzon, vocals] will join the camp a bit later.

"We arrived yesterday and the reunion was celebrated with some water-skiing, bbq and Quilmes. I foresee the same trinity taking place more or less on a daily basis.

"We just got the equipment and PA set up with the help of our legendary engineer/co-producer TeeCee Kinnunen and probably will start working with the songs in a couple of days.

"This campsite is so amazing we'll let that sauna of a rehearsal room wait in silence for a while, and just concentrate on chilling out and catching up. And raising the official NIGHTWISH camp flag high into the pole.

"I have 12 songs completed now, but am still working with some lyrics.

"It's been an immensely fruitful songwriting process, as well as very consuming and ponderous. But I feel more satisfied with the stuff than ever before. Don't know if it's a good sign or bad.

"To me, the album sounds like a rollercoaster ride in a theme park designed by Neil Gaiman, Tim Burton and Salvador Dali. That's the best way I can put it at this point.

"Like before, we will record a demo once the songs are arranged, to listen to and to perfect the material, and to give to Mr. Pip Williams so he can start with the orchestration process.

"The actual enter-the-studio-date is set for October 15th. Again, the London orchestra and choir will be there, as well as Mr. Troy Donockley playing a slightly bigger part this time. And loads of new elements 'n' twists we haven't tried before!"

Check out the first pictures from NIGHTWISH's 2010 summer camp at this location.

NIGHTWISH manager Ewo Pohjola of King Foo Entertainment Ltd told Finland's MTV3 that singer Anette Olzon's surprise revelation that she is expecting her second child (with rumored boyfriend, bassist Johan Husgafvel of the Swedish metal band PAIN) will not affect the band's plan to begin recording its new studio album.

In an interview with the Finnish web site Rytmi.com, Olzon stated about NIGHTWISH's current recording plans, "I do have to go as soon as possible to Finland for rehearsals with the [NIGHTWISH] boys after I have delivered my child and then we'll stay there for a couple of weeks working with the new songs. After that the album will start to be recorded but since we always record all the instruments, orchestra and choirs before I go in and do my vocals, I don't have any big pressure to do anything in the fall. I will, of course, go and visit the recordings when it feels OK to do so, but otherwise my recordings aren't gonna be happening until 2011."

Regarding how she will handle touring with NIGHTWISH while tending to a newborn child at home, Olzon said, "It will work out just fine.

"We have all decided that the last world tour was to intense in the planning and we will take it a bit easier this time. Planning is everything, and I have a great father to my baby who will take care of her/him when the day comes and I also have a nanny who can come with me if that is needed at some points.

"I don't stress over these things 'cause I know everything is gonna be just fine.

"The last tour was so hard and still it worked out with my son being at home."

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 shows until the release of the band's next studio album.

m Internet zu surfen lohnt sich also doch, entgegen aller Meinungen! Denn dabei kann man allerlei Kurioses entdecken - und interessantes. Als ich das hier gefunden habe, habe ich wirklich einfach nur "Hä?" gedacht, mich aber gleichzeitig wie ein kleines Kind gefreut. Die neuerdings schlechten, aber früher göttlichen Power Metaller EDGUY bringen mit Nuclear Blast Records ein Boxset in DVD-Format heraus, auf der zwei göttergleiche Scheiben der Band vertreten sind: "The Savage Poetry" und "Mandrake". Plus Bonussongs. Und das Cover erst: Da fällt der alte Edguy-Fan in Ohnmacht, so geil ist das. Die Tracklist dieses Oberhammers sieht folgendermaßen aus:

* CD 1:

* Hallowed
* Misguiding Your Life
* Key To My Fate
* Sands Of Time
* Sacred Hell
* Eyes Of The Tyrant
* Frozen Candle
* Roses To No One
* Power And Majesty
* Bonus track: Key To My Fate (original recording)
* Bonus track: Hallowed (original recording)
*
* CD 2:

* Tears Of A Mandrake
* Golden Dawn
* Jerusalem
* All The Clowns
* Nailed To The Wheel
* The Pharaoh
* Wash Away The Poison
* Fallen Angels
* Painting On The Wall
* Save Us Now
* The Devil & The Savant
* Bonus track: Tears Of A Mandrake (live)
* Bonus track: Painting On The Wall (live)
*
* CD 3:

* Painting On The Wall (edit version)
* Golden Dawn (album version)
* Wings Of A Dream (version 2001)
* Painting On The Wall
* Tears Of A Mandrake (single edit)
* For A Trace Of Life
* But Here I Am
* La Marche Des Gendarmes
* Walk On Fighting (live)
* Wake Up The King (live)
* All The Clowns (video)
* The Headless Game (video)

Frontiers Records wird das neue FIRST SIGNAL Album am 27. August 2010 in Europa veröffentlichen außerdem ist der HAREM SCAREM Sänger Harry Hess zu FIRST SIGNAL zurückgekehrt und jetzt wurde das neue Video zum Song "This City" online gestellt.

"First Signal" Final Track List:

01. This City
02. When You Believe
03. Part Of Me
04. Crazy
05. Goodbye To The Old Times
06. First Signal
07. Feels Like Love
08. Into The Night: When November Falls
09. Yesterday Rain
10. Naked Desire

According to Billboard magazine's Boxscore data reported for the issues of November 28, 2009 through June 19, 2010, AC/DC's "Black Ice" tour has been a commanding presence around the world in stadiums and arenas worldwide since launching last year. For the period covered, AC/DC added $118 million in gross and more than 1 million in attendance to last year's respective totals of $135 million and 1.6 million. "Black Ice" has clearly tapped into a demand for AC/DC, resulting from the band's eight-year absence from touring, and takes its place as one of the band's most successful tours.

At #2 is BON JOVI — with just 35 shows in, the tour has rung up $52 million in gross and more than a half-million in attendance.

The TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA ranked third with more than $47 million.

METALLICA finished fourth among all touring acts in 2009 and extends the run with another $40 million in grosses so far this year. "In 2010, METALLICA has been taking their explosive, high-energy show to every corner of the world," says Adam Kornfeld, the band's longtime agent at Artists Group International. "METALLICA are clearly demonstrating world dominance on this tour by drawing huge numbers everywhere they play."

As reported on Thursday, a 62-year-old woman driving a car hit AEROSMITH lead guitarist Joe Perry as he rode his 2009 Ducati Monster 696 in his native Massachusetts. Perry was treated at a hospital for minor injuries. Both drivers were travelling at a low speed and the woman was cited for following too closely according to police.

"Just found out my dad is ok and already back home," his son Tony Perry wrote on his Twitter page. "He was hit from behind on the motorcycle and the lady was not going very fast. Also my brother Aaron was on his bike at the scene of the accident. He is also ok and was not hit by the car."

Ben Stanley from Stuff.co.nz is reporting:

Police were called after a heavy metal fan threatened Hamilton cinema staff with a walking stick when they cancelled a screening of a concert due to technical difficulties.

More than 30 heavy metal fans were turned away at the door of the screening of The Big Four at event Cinemas Chartwell on Thursday night.

The four-hour film featuring performances from heavy metal heavyweights METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH AND ANTHRAX was cancelled due to technical issues the cinema encountered with the "downloading" of the film.

One frustrated fan threatened staff with a walking stick, but was later calmed down by police.

Around 130 fans bought tickets for the screening. Cinema staff were able to contact around three-quarters of them before the scheduled 8pm screening, but about 30 turned up.

Hamilton metal fan Jono Scott was one of those who felt "nothing else mattered" when told at the cinema entrance that the screening would not continue.

"There was a lot of bogans there getting all fired up," he said.

"Everyone was [drinking] before it, so they were pretty gutted."

Robert Plant played his first show with BAND OF JOY — a new version of his pre-LED ZEPPELIN group which also featured the late John Bonham — on July 13 at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee.

The new lineup of BAND OF JOY includes: Patty Griffin on vocals; Darrell Scott on multiple instruments and vocals; Byron House on bass and vocals; Marco Giovino on drums, percussion and vocals; and co-producer Buddy Miller on guitar and vocals.

A review of the concert can be found on RobertPlant.com.

The setlist for the show was as follows:

01. Down To The Sea
02. Angel Dance (new song)
03. Please Read The Letter
04. House of Cards (new song)
05. Misty Mountain Hop
06. MonkeyAdditional (new song)
07. Twelve Gates to the City / Wade in the Water / In My Time of Dying
08. Rich Woman
09. Gone, Gone, Gone Done Moved On
10. All The King's Horses
11. Nobody's Fault But Mine
12. Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down (new song)
13. Central Two-0-Nine (new song)
14. Houses Of The Holy
15. Tall Cool One
16. Harm's Swift Way (new song)
17. Gallows Pole

Encore:

18. Thank You
19. Rock & Roll
20. And We Bid You Goodnight