MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil will release his new solo album, "Tattoos & Tequila", in Europe on June 4 via Frontiers Records and in the U.S. on June 22 through Eleven Seven Music.

Neil recorded "Tattoos & Tequila" in the winter of 2009 with bassist Dana Strum and Jeff Blando (both of SLAUGHTER) and drummer Zoltan Chaney. The album includes two new songs — "Tattoos and Tequila" and "Another Bad Day", both produced by Marti Frederiksen (AEROSMITH, OZZY OSBOURNE, DEF LEPPARD) — plus a selection of classic cuts from some of the rock giants that have influenced Vince Neil throughout his musical career. The cover songs were produced by Vince and Jack Blades (DAMN YANKEES, NIGHT RANGER).

"Tattoos & Tequila" track listing:

01. Tattoos & Tequila (album version)
02. He's A Whore (CHEAP TRICK)
03. AC/DC (SWEET)
04. Nobody's Fault (AEROSMITH)
05. Another Bad Day
06. No Feelings (SEX PISTOLS)
07. Long Cool Woman (THE HOLLIES)
08. Another Piece Of Meat (SCORPIONS)
09. Who Will Stop The Rain (CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL)
10. Viva Las Vegas (ELVIS PRESLEY)
11. Bitch Is Back (ELTON JOHN)
12. Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers (ZZ TOP) *

* Bonus track available on first pressing in digipak

"On a Wicked Night", a brand new song from DANZIG, is available for streaming below. The track comes off the band's first new studio album in six years, "Deth Red Sabaoth", which is due on June 22 via evilive/The End Records. The CD is an 11-track collection penned by Danzig, and is laced with Glenn's lycanthropic growls and blues-infected wailing. Tracks, including "Black Candy" and "The Revengeful", emit a spectral glow to rival the highest points in Danzig's colossal discography. Part I of the exquisite two-part "Pyre of Souls" opens with acoustic guitar, haunting piano, Glenn's plainsong vocal, and an almost dirge-like feel; Part II explodes with electric guitars and a driving, mesmerizing cadence.

The limited deluxe-edition box set contains the following and is limited to an infernal 666 copies:

* Stunning porcelain-like urn with exclusive art on all four sides, aprox. 11 x 8"
* CD version of "Deth Red Sabaoth", housed in a beautiful gatefold digipak
* Limited-edition "On A Wicked Night" 7"
* Instant download of "Deth Red Sabaoth" available the day of release
* Autographed poster

Price: $66.66

Finnish gothic metallers ENTWINE will release their first-ever "best-of" collection, "Rough n' Stripped", on June 23 via Spinefarm Records. The compilation will be a double album, with the first disc containing original versions of the band's best material and the second disc featuring new acoustic or remixed versions of the group's lighter and mellower songs. Both CDs will also feature brand new songs as opening tracks.

Rough:

01. Save Your Sins *
02. Chameleon Halo
03. Still Remains
04. Surrender
05. Twisted
06. Frozen By The Sun
07. Bitter Sweet
08. The Pit **
09. Strife
10. Curtained Life
11. Break Me
12. New Dawn
13. Caught By Desire
14. Losing The Ground
15. Out Of You
16. Refill My Soul
17. Time Of Despair **
18. Thy Guiding Light

Stripped:

01. Another Life *
02. Lost In My Denial (stripped remix)
03. Closer (My Love) (acoustic version)
04. Everything For You (acoustic version)
05. Say Goodbye (stripped remix)
06. Until The End (acoustic version)
07. Time Of Despair (MGI remix)
08. Frozen By The Sun (stripped remix)
09. Grace (acoustic version)

* previously unreleased track
** 2010 version

Finnish gothic metallers CHARON will release their first-ever compilation album, "A-Sides, B-Sides & Suicides", on June 23. The two-disc set will include almost 40 songs and two and a half hours of music spanning the band's entire career — from its first demo tape to the most recent recordings. In addition to the album cuts, there will be outtakes, cover songs and demos.

"A-Sides, B-Sides & Suicides" track listing:

CD1:

01. The Cure
02. Ride On Tears
03. Religious / Delicious
04. Craving
05. In Trust Of No One
06. Four Seasons Rush
07. Sorrowbringer
08. Little Angel
09. Failed
10. Breeze
11. Bitter Joy
12. Christina Bleeds
13. Colder
14. House Of The Silent
15. Sister Misery
16. As We Die
17. Morrow (edit)
18. Worthless
19. Sorrowsong

CD2:

01. Intro
02. Divine
03. Built For My Ghosts
04. The King Is Dead
05. Give Nothing
06. Frail I Stand
07. Re-collected
08. Sun King
09. Decline
10. Absolution True
11. Psyche Sunset / Access To Necropolis
12. Maleficium
13. Tempestars
14. Nocturne
15. Omega Vortex
16. Kheimos
17. Nightwing
18. Aureole
19. Pilgrim

An eight-minute preview clip for "Wanderer On The Edge Of Time", the new album from the legendary German progressive thrash outfit MEKONG DELTA, is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. Due on June 10 via AAARRG Records, the CD features the following track listing:

01. Intro - Concert Guitar
02. Ouverture
03. "A Certain Fool" ( Le Fou ) / Movement 1
04. Interlude 1 - Group
05. "The 5th Element" (Le Bateleur) / Movement 2
06. Interlude 2 - Group
07. "The Apocalypt - World In Shards" ( La Maison Dieu ) / Movement 3
08. Interlude 3 - Concert Guitar
09. "King With Broken Crown" (Le Diable) / Movement 4
10. Intermezzo (Instrumental) / Movement 5
11. Interlude 4 - Group
12. "Affection" (L' Amoureux) / Movement 6
13. Interlude 5 - Group
14. "Mistaken Truth" (Le Hérétique) / Movement 7
15. Finale

B
on Jovi opened the New Meadowlands stadium in New Jersey on Wednesday night (May. 26) for the first of four concerts there, introducing 55,000 fans to the future Super Bowl venue and treating them to more than two hours of hit songs spanning the group's entire career.

The show was the kick-off party for the venue, which dwarfs the now mostly demolished Giant's Stadium yards away in both size and scale. For Bon Jovi, it was yet another opportunity to play to a hometown crowd on a massive scale.

"To be at this place is every kid's wildest dream," said the band's leader and namesake Jon Bon Jovi in an interview with Billboard.com the day before the show as he surveyed the empty stadium from its highest peak. "To be in a band is every kid's wildest dream. To be in a band that makes a record is every kid's wildest dream. To be in a band that gets to a level that surpasses your heroes - its beyond comprehension."

"Southside or Bruce. Sinatra or Count Basie," he reflected. "Or anyone else that came out of here, set a high bar, a standard for our little state that has stood the test of time. I'm happy to be part of that patchwork."

This week's three New Meadowlands shows (the band will return to the venue again in July) mark the beginning of the latest leg of Bon Jovi's two year "The Circle World Tour" which includes a multi-night run at the 02 Arena in London, the Rock In Rio Festival in Madrid, Soldier Field in Chicago and other stadiums through North America this summer.

The set was heavy on the hits - including an encore of "Dry County," "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "Living on a Prayer." The band also closed the main set with a anthemic cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

The New Meadowlands is not the first New Jersey venue that Bon Jovi has unlocked -- in 2007, the band did a 10-night run to open the Prudential Center in nearby Newark. But as Jon Bon Jovi prepared to play a seven song rehearsal in front of several hundred fans the night before the opening gig, he remained relaxed.

"If this were U2 or the Stones they would have been here for a month," he laughed. "I walk in the day before and count off four. That's the way it goes around here, always."

According to U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine, two major concerts are being planned to celebrate the life of the late Ronnie James Dio.

The gigs — dubbed Ronnie James Dio "Stand Up And Shout" Memorial Concerts — will take place in London and Los Angeles in the fall.

Although no official details have yet been revealed, there is speculation that the shows will feature the surviving members of HEAVEN & HELL — Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice — with JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford filling in for Dio on vocals. However, it should be stressed that this information has not yet been corroborated by an official source and should be treated as a rumor only.

Finnish "fantasy metal" band BATTLELORE has issued the following update:

"We will begin the recordings of our next album in early June at Sound Supreme Studios (Finland) with Janne Saksa, who will engineer and produce the album. The legendary Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, BLOODBATH) will do the mixing and hopefully, we'll get the whole battle package out in early fall of 2010. Stylistically, we have turned back to the old-school style of songs with grinding drums and fast guitars! This will also be our first concept album and the songs will relate the story of Tolkien's tragic hero Túrin Turambar."

Dutch death metallers SEVERE TORTURE will release their fifth full-length album, "Slaughtered", on June 29 (one day earlier internationally) via Season of Mist. The CD was recorded at Split Second Sound Studios in Amsterdam with producer Jochem Jacobs.

"Slaughtered" track listing:

01. Grave Condition (MP3 download)
02. Unholy Misconception
03. Deride Jesus
04. Defective Fornication
05. Slaughtered
06. Feeding On Cadavers
07. Inferior Divinity
08. Incarnation of Impurity
09. To Relieve The Mortal Flesh Of Pain
10. Swallowing Decay

Florida death metallers SIX FEET UNDER have released the following statement via their MySpace page:

"Didn't 'we' all think this 'President' was supposed to be more aware and was going to do more to rebuild our great country, and help pull us all out of the hole we are in? Looks like he's putting us all in a bigger hole by not taking action and doing something about stopping the oil leak that is destroying the Gulf Of Mexico and destroying our country.

"Please, if you drive... boycott the fuck out of BP [British Petroleum]! Do not buy their fuel. They can stop the oil leak. They are a greedy, evil company that doesn't care about any of us, or this planet. We can do something by taking money out of their pocket, by not buying their product.

"BP is killing the Gulf Coast states, killing our environment, killing this country. This is an act of terrorism.

"Obama does not stand behind this country, he stands behind oil, just like all the rest.

"Boycott BP oil.

"Fuck you, Obama."

Canadian death metallers KATAKLYSM have completed the recording process for their new album, "Heaven's Venom", for an August 24 release (one day earlier internationally) via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2008's "Prevail" was produced by KATAKLYSM guitarist Jean-Francois Dagenais (MALEVOLENT CREATION, MISERY INDEX) and is currently being mixed by Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, MNEMIC, DARK TRANQUILLITY).

"It's done!" exclaimed Dagenais. "The recording for our new album, 'Heaven's Venom', is complete. Everything you wish for in a KATAKLYSM album is here and some unexpected musical adventures as well. Everyone here has given 150% of themselves!

"As KATAKLYSM turns twenty next year, we want to be remembered as the band who never gave up and faced the odds. This explosive slab of metal will lead scene for future conquests and not be forgotten ever. The music, the vocals and the production are all top notch. The mix is the hands of Tue Madsen as we speak and we have full confidence in him. He did a wonderful job on our 'In The Arms of Devastation' album so be prepared!

"'Heaven's Venom' will be out August 20th in Europe and August 24th in America and the band will be promoting the new album with Ozzfest and dates with DEVILDRIVER this August/September."

Tentative songtitles set to appear on "Heaven's Venom" include "Soul Made of Shrapnel", "Blind Savior", "Hail the Renegade" and "Push the Venom".

Former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord performed at the Nidarosdomen cathedral in Norway along with The Lord Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Torodd Wigum, on Sunday evening, May 23. Lord was joined by Martin Axenrot and Martin Mendez of OPETH, with Steve Balsamo, who played and sang the role of Jesus in the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Nathalie Lorichs (OPETH's "Coil") did the female vocals.

Lord ended Sunday's concert by dedicating the 2004 track "The Sun Will Shine Again" to the legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio. The show also included a rousing version of the DEEP PURPLE classic "Child in Time" complete with a children's choir.

Video footage of the performance can be viewed below.

Jon Lord has just released a new classical CD, "To Notice Such Things", which had its Scandinavian premiere at this past weekend's event.

The lineup for the performance was as follows:

* Jon Lord - Piano/Organ
* Steve Balsamo - Vocals (Jesus Christ Superstar)
* Nathalie Lorichs - Vocals (Opeth, female singer on the track "Coil")
* Karina Hanssen - Choir
* Martin Axenrot - Drums (Opeth)
* Martin Mendez - Bass (Opeth)
* Magnus Johansen - Keyboards (V Before U)
* Lord Chamber Orchestra conducted by Torodd Wigum
* The Choir Children of Time conducted by Elen Cath Furunes

Veteran power metallers KALEDON will release their new album, Legend Of The Fogotten Reign: Chapter VI - The Last Night On The Battlefield, on June 23rd in Japan via Disk Heaven / Rubicon Music.

The album is expected in July elsewhere via the band's new deal with Scarlet Records.

The Japanese edition of Legend Of The Forgotten Reign: Chapter VI - The Last Night On The Battlefield, the sixth installment of the saga started in 2002, will be a double CD version. The second disc will contain Kaledon's X Anniversary Live concert.

Legend Of The Forgotten Reign: Chapter VI - The Last Night On The Battlefield tracklisting:

'The Way To Home'
'Last Days'
'Power In Me'
'Coming Back To Our Land'
'Sorumoth' (featuring OPERATION GENOCIDE's Maeror on screams and growls)
'Surprise Impact'
'Black Clouds'
'Demons Away'
'May The Dragon Be With You'

Japanese edition bonus live CD:
Intro - 'The Calling'
'Shadow Of Azrael'
'A New Man'
'The End Of The Green Power'
'Greatest Heart'
'Undead Again'
Drum Solo
'Wounded Friend'
'Spirit Of The Dragon'
'God Says Yes'
'The God Beyond The Man'
'We Will Rock You'
'Clash Of The Titans'
'Revenge'
'Return To Kaledon'
'In Search Of Kaledon'
Outro

Audio samples of three songs from b>"True Sound Of The Underground", the sophomore album from the Swedish female-fronted heavy rock band SISTER SIN, can be streamed below. The CD, which will be released in North America on June 22 via Victory Records and in Europe on July 23 through Metal Heaven Records, was produced by Henrik Edenhed (DEAD BY APRIL, ROBYN, LAMBRETTA, TEDDYBEARS, CHRISTIAN WALTZ, THE SOUNDS) in Stockholm at Studio 301 and Cosmos Studios.

"True Sound Of The Underground" track listing:

01. Sound Of The Underground
02. Nailbiter
03. The Devil I Know
04. 24/7
05. Built To Last
06. Heading For Hell
07. Outrage
08. I Stand Alone
09. Better Than Them
10. Times Aren't A-Changing
11. Beat 'Em Down

BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward has released the following statement regarding the passing of SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray:

"My wife and I would like to send our heartfelt condolences to Paul Gray's family and friends. Our condolences also extend to each member of SLIPKNOT. We wish everyone who knew Paul love, tolerance and eventual peace of mind.

"Paul played in an incredible band. He was an incredible bass player. His death is another big loss for metal music, but his spirit and his love will forever ascend and teach.

"Thanks for the music, Paul."

Toronto rockers DANKO JONES have been tapped to support GUNS N' ROSES for five shows in Europe, reprising their role from the Canadian leg of the Chinese Democracy tour back in January. The dates are as follows:

May
31 - Bergen, Norway - Vestlandshallen

June
2 - Oslo, Norway - Spectrum
6 - St Peteresburg, Russia - New Arena
8 - Moscow, Russia - Olympiski
14 - Ålborg, Denmark - Gigantium

ALICE COOPER has begun working on a new album to be produced by Bob Ezrin as part of a new joint venture with Bigger Picture Group. Ezrin has a rich history of hugely successful collaborations with Alice including such groundbreaking albums as Billion Dollar Babies, Welcome To My Nightmare, School’s Out and Love It To Death and has, in the past, been described by Alice as “our George Martin.”

Ezrin is a partner in Bigger Picture Group, a Nashville based company that has been instrumental in contributing to the success of numerous artists including country music sensation Zac Brown Band, remarked, “I am delighted to be back in business with Alice Cooper and Shep Gordon’s Alive Enterprises and our whole company is over the moon about this collaboration. This is not a record deal but rather a partnership that involves virtually all aspects of Alice’s ever-expanding universe. And it’s a reunion with the first artist I ever produced and the first great manager I ever worked with. I couldn’t be happier.”

Bigger Picture will contribute to strategy, staging, special products, theatrical projects as well as the production, promotion and distribution of future Alice Cooper releases. The company will utilize its distribution agreement with Warner Music Group when the new Alice Cooper album, projected for release early next year, and other recorded product launches. A tour themed to tie in with the album, the concept of which is being kept under wraps for the moment, is being planned in support of the release.

Ezrin’s career has seen him work with some of the most enduring names in music including PINK FLOYD, KISS, Peter Gabriel, JANE’S ADDICTION, Lou Reed, DEFTONES and scores of others but traces its earliest successes to his association with Alice Cooper, the band and the man.

Alice Cooper remarked, “It feels great to be working with Bob again and the entire Bigger Picture team have been tremendously supportive. Lightning has struck more than once in the past with Bob’s involvement so we feel great that we’re onto something really electrifying now that we’re together again. The album we’re crafting is, in some ways, a ‘shriekquel’ to what’s gone before and there’s no better guy to oversee things than Bob.”

Shep Gordon, whose Alive Enterprises has managed Alice Cooper since his professional debut called the deal with Bigger Picture “a paradigm for the modern music business.” He commented, “We’re working with Bob not just on a brilliant new Alice Cooper album but in building upon the great strides Alice’s career has taken recently.” He cited Nights With Alice Cooper, the internationally syndicated daily radio show that Alice hosts over a network syndicated through United Stations, The Gruesome Twosome tour that has seen Alice Cooper and acolyte ROB ZOMBIE share bills throughout North America as well as an upcoming Alice Cooper arena tour. He also noted that “The Coop” would be headlining a string of festival dates this summer in France, Germany, Belgium, the UK, and Scandinavia. “Awareness and appreciation for Alice is at an all-time high these days,” he remarked. "Bigger Picture is getting in not on the ground floor but as the elevator is zooming to the top and they’re efforts will, doubtless make this a much faster ride.”

Reactivated death metallers DESULTORY have recently completed work their new album, entitled "Counting Our Scars". The band recorded, mixed and mastered the effort with Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, UNANIMATED, DESTRÖYER 666) in Alvik, Sweden. Work is also currently underway on the new album's cover artwork and layout. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Counting Our Scars", "In A Cage", "Counting Our Scars", "Ready To Bleed", "This Broken Halo" and "Uneven Numbers".

The band commented: "What gets inside always stays inside. This music once shaped us and the marks it left will forever keep itching. DESULTORY never died, it just went down deep below and beneath the surface it slowly kept growing. Throughout the years, there are many of you out there who never stopped waiting, asking the same question over and over. Now when we finally meet again, 'Counting Our Scars' feels like liberation, the bleeding is over. This album is for all of us who never stopped waiting."

Oslo, Norway-based metallers DEAD TROOPER — who feature in their ranks members of 1349, GRIMFIST and ZEROZONIC — have released three studio video updates from the recording of their as-yet-untitled new EP. The forthcoming CD will be the band's first to feature Jon-Erik Bokn (ZEROZONIC) on drums and Tor R. Stavenes (1349) on bass.

DEAD TROOPER's latest album, "Cynicist", was released late last year in digital format and is now also available as a physical CD. The effort featured guest appearances by Frediablo (GRIMFIST, NECROPHAGIA), Ole Walaunet (GRIMFIST, THE BATTALION, DERIDE) and the female vocals of Helene Larsen.

DEAD TROOPER's new lineup made its live debut on June 12, 2009 at Musikkflekken in Sandvika, Norway.

DEAD TROOPER is:

Morten Müller (GRIMFIST, 1349 [session]) - Lead Vocals and Guitar
Birger Larsen (GRIMFST, GROTESQUE HYSTERECTOMY) - Guitar and Vocals
Tor Stavnes (1349, PANTHEON I, DEN SAAKALDTE) - Bass and Vocals
Jon-Eirik Bokn (ZEROZONIC) - Drums

The Big Four: METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX are bringing their historic European tour to the global stage with a concert shown via satellite in High-Definition (HD) in Cineplex Entertainment theatres across the country. These four legendary acts broke out of the underground thrash movement in the 1980's to dominate the metal world, selling millions of records and packing arenas across the globe. Despite huge demand, these musical giants have never shared the same stage until now. The legendary concert from the tour's stop at the Sonisphere Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria will air on Tuesday, June 22nd at more than 65 Cineplex theatres in Canada.

Advance tickets are available beginning Friday, May 28th online at Cineplex.com/events as well as at participating theatre box offices. General admission is $18.00.

In December 2009, the bands announced that they would be joining forces to take part in the traveling Sonisphere Festival for only seven shows across Europe. Now, this one-time only event from the Sofia show makes it possible for fans far and wide to participate in what otherwise is a very limited run of dates. The HD concert presentation will memorialize the event and the impact will be amplified globally with the cinema screenings, making the dreams of fans around the world over become a reality.

Lars Ulrich of Metallica says of this historic announcement, "Who would have thought that more than 25 years after its inception, thrash metal's Big Four would not only still be around, be more popular than ever, playing shows together at stadiums all over Europe, and on top of that, coming to a movie theatre near you in High Definition (for better or worse??!!). Bring it on!"

Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian says "Damn, as if this Big Four tour wasn't exciting enough now we get to be on the big screen worldwide! Metal at the movies, two big horns up! It is unbelievably gratifying that this means so much to the metal community around the globe. Get your tix, grab some popcorn and get ready to bang your head!"

Declares Slayer's Kerry King, "I can't believe someone didn't make this happen 15 years ago! The fans finally get what they want. I think it's awesome!"

Says Megadeth's Dave Mustaine, "The magnitude of this event hasn't really sunk in yet, and I am thrilled to know that people around the planet will be able to walk into a movie theatre and experience the greatest line up of heavy metal in the history of the world!"

"Cineplex Entertainment is pleased to bring this historic event to our guests across the country," said Pat Marshall, Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations, Cineplex Entertainment. "For one night only, fans can gather together at Cineplex theatres to experience a rock concert louder and harder than ever before, making you feel like you are head-banging with the crowd in Sofia, Bulgaria."

Canadian extreme metallers KATAKLYSM have been forced to cancel their appearance at this year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, set to take place August 5-7, 2010 in Wacken, Germany.

Commented the band: "Unfortunately because of our extremely tight schedule between the new [KATAKLYSM] album, EX DEO's [the side project of KATAKLYSM frontman Maurizio Iacono] European tour, Heavy MTL open air and Ozzfest all jammed together this summer, we just can't make the trip to Wacken this year. The organizers have been kind enough to rebook us for the next Wacken in 2011… of course, if the world still exists, so we apologize to all you maniacs that wanted to see us destroy Wacken this year…you'll have to wait 'till next year!"