ASSAILANT, the Umeå, Sweden-based band featuring guitarist Oscar Norberg ("little brother" of Emil of PERSUADER/SAVAGE CIRCUS fame and Nils Norberg of NOCTURNAL RITES), has split with Dockyard 1, the label that issued the group's first two albums — "Wicked Dream" (2008) and "Nemesis Within" (2006).

Commented the band: "We, ASSAILANT, have decided to leave Dockyard 1 just because we feel that we would benefit from either looking for a new label or starting a new. Right now we will continue working on our third album and see what the future holds."

The first three songs from ASSAILANT's forthcoming third album — "My Hate Remains", "Shades Of Grey" and "The End" — will be posted on the group's MySpace page on Sunday, January 3.

Finnish "dark progressive" metal band IKUINEN KAAMOS will release its new album, "Fall Of Icons", on March 5, 2010 via Maddening Media.

A song from the CD, "Indoctrination Of The Lost", is available for streaming using the ReverbNation widget below.

According to a press release, "IKUINEN KAAMOS embed dismal melancholy in their songs of epic grandeur, spiralling the listener to a timeless sphere of emotions."

IKUINEN KAAMOS is:

Risto Herranen - Vocals
Juhani Mikkonen - Guitars
Jarno Ruuskanen - Guitars
J-P Räisänen - Drums
Lauri Saari - Bass

IKUINEN KAAMOS' latest EP, "Closure", is available for streaming below.

"Closure" EP track listing:

01. Closure
02. Your Gallows
03. The Absence

SYSTEM DIVIDE, the extreme modern metal act featuring Sven De Caluwé (ABORTED) and Miri Milman (ex-DISTORTED) on vocals, Cole Martinez (ex-YEARS OF FIRE, ANTENORA) and Joseph Spiller (ex-THE BINARY CODE) on guitars, Andrew Lenthe (ANTENORA) on bass, and Mike Heller (MALIGNANCY) on drums, has entered Conquistador studios in Cleveland, Ohio to begin recording its full-length debut, "The Conscious Sedation", for a June 2010 release via Metal Blade Records. The band states, "Expect the album to have 11-12 tunes of heavy extreme metal madness with blazing guitar leads, crazy kick patterns, blasts, grooves and melodies along with our own brand of extreme and clean vocals."

SYSTEM DIVIDE has already completed a video for the song "The Apex Doctrine" off the band's current EP, which will also be on the band's full-length debut. Check out a trailer for the new video below and be sure to head over to SYSTEM DIVIDE's MySpace page to listen to the tracks "The Apex Doctrine" and "(n)Ether". Stay tuned for more information including when and where the video for "The Apex Doctrine" will premiere, track listing and release date of the band's debut full-length album, "The Conscious Sedation", and tour dates.

SYSTEM DIVIDE's "The Collapse" EP was produced and engineered by guitarist Cole Martinez and was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (ABORTED, MERCENARY, RAUNCHY, HATESPHERE, VOLBEAT).

"The Apex Doctrine" video was filmed in New York with director Kevin Custer (HATEBREED, TESTAMENT, DYING FETUS, SUFFOCATION).

According to a press release, SYSTEM DIVIDE "unites a myriad of sounds, going from STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, SOILWORK, LACUNA COIL, DIMMU BORGIR, CHIMAIRA to even MORBID ANGEL. Prepare for the unexpected!"

Founded in summer 2008, SYSTEM DIVIDE set out to revolutionize the conventions of the over-saturated melodic death metal genre, proving that extreme metal can have more depth than blast beats, while female vocals do not have to conform to the precepts of the "goth" genre. In mixing many styles, "The Collapse" breaks all the rules of extreme metal and is a landmark release for the young band.

As opposed to interjecting simple, predictable clean choruses into contrived song structures, SYSTEM DIVIDE unites serene female vocals and extreme vocals driven by lyrical themes that confront and seek to break everyday themes of disillusionment, societal materialism, and individual apathy. Musically, the band delivers myriad styles of riffing and grooves, while augmenting the entrancing soundscapes with hard-hitting drums and intricate bass lines. These elements together define the unique, spell binding, hypnotic sound of SYSTEM DIVIDE.

In order to achieve this complex calculus of sounds on "The Collapse", Cole Martinez handled tracking duties at Conquistador. Artwork for "The Collapse" was completed by Colin Marks (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, ABORTED, NEVERMORE).

Pure Steel Records from Germany has just released the sixth album from the Japanese black metal band SABBAT, entitled "Charisma" — the English version of the legendary "Karisma" LP, which was previously unavailable on CD. In addition to brand new artwork (created by Chris Moyen, who has previously worked with such acts as SLAYER, BEHERIT, DESASTER and BLASPHEMY) and three exclusive tracks, the package includes a bonus disc with the "25 Years Of Black Fire - A Tribute To Sabbat" compilation.

The package is limited to 1,000 copies and was produced, compiled and mastered by Bart Gabriel, editor-in-chief of Poland's Hard Rocker magazine.

"25 Years Of Black Fire - A Tribute To Sabbat" (cover) compilation track listing:

01. SABBAT (Japan) - "Black Fire" (original version)
02. BATALLION (Chile) - "Mion's Hill"
03. DEATHHAMMER (Norway) - "Black Metal Vulcano"
04. GUERRA TOTAL (Brazil) - "Hellfire"
05. HOLY DEATH (Poland) - "Flower's Red"
06. KORGULL THE EXTERMINATOR (Spain) - "Satan Bless You"
07. LABATUT (Brazil) - "Kamikaze Bomber"
08. MORDANT (Sweden) - "Rage Of Mountains"
09. SERPENT SAINTS (Denmark) - "Darkness And Evil"
10. STIGMA (Holland) - "Bird Of Ill Omen"
11. SUPERCHRIST (USA) - "Black Magical Circle Of Witches"
12. METALUCIFER (Japan) - "Bloody Countess (Japanese Version)"

Swedish glam-rock band CRASHDIET has set "Generation Wild" as the title of its third album, due late March via Gain Records. The 10-song CD was helmed by RamPac, the production and songwriting team formed by Johan Ramström and Patrik Magnusson, in Gröndal, Sweden and is currently being mixed by Tobias Lindell. The title track will hit Swedish radio stations in January. Other songtitles set to appear on the album include "Native Nature", "Chemical", "Rebel" and "Down With The Dust".

Commented guitarist Martin Sweet: "This album is definitely a return to the sound and feel of [CRASHDIET's debut alum] 'Rest in Sleaze'."

CRASHDIET earlier in the year announced the addition of Simon "Simme" Cruz from the Stockholm act JAILBAIT as the group's new lead singer. A new demo track, "Caught In Despair", featuring the band's latest addition is available for streaming below.

CRASHDIET parted ways with its last vocalist, the Finland-based H. Olliver Twisted, in July 2008. "We need a singer who can commit 100%, which unfortunately Olli couldn't live up to," the group stated at the time. "He, as many know about, has another band in Finland and we couldn't settle for sharing our time. We want to go further than any band has done before and we can't afford to spend time just waiting. We need to function as a full unit, all the time!"

CRASHDIET's sophomore album, "The Unattractive Revolution", entered the Swedish chart at position No. 11 back in October 2007. The CD was mixed in the United States by Kevin Churko.

"The Unattractive Revolution" features a guest appearance on two tracks by MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars, who flew into Stockholm, Sweden in June 2007 to help CRASHDIET write some of the material.

H. Olliver Twisted joined CRASHDIET as the replacement for David Hellman (a.k.a. Dave Lepard), who committed suicide in January 2006.

Melbourne, Australia's dark rockers THE ETERNAL entered 301 Studios in Byron Bay on December 4 with acclaimed producer and multi-platinum recording artist Jeff Martin (THE AMARDA, THE TEA PARTY) to begin recording their fourth full-length album, "Under A New Sun", tentatively due in early 2010. Songtitles set to appear on the follow-up to last year's "Kartika"include "Control", "Under A New Sun", "A Thousand Shades of You", "Collapse" and "Cast In Stone".

Commented the band: "We are at the final stages of the recording process. All the music and most of the mixing is done.

"We will head back to 301 with Jeff Martin at the start of Febuary to track vocals and add the final touches to the mix.

"The sound has to be the best we have produced to date, so at the moment we are feeling quite proud of this one.

"We have no plans for the release date at this stage as we would like to take our time and shop this album around, but expect to be hearing it in 2010."

Marilyn Manson's insurance coverage will pay $175,000 to settle a lawsuit brought against him by a former member of his band, but all of the money will go to the plaintiff's attorney, a lawyer for the goth rocker said today.

Stephen Bier (better known by the stage names Pogo and Madonna Wayne Gacy), who was seeking more than $20 million, alleged in his lawsuit that Manson was using band money to buy items ranging from Nazi memorabilia to a $150,000 engagement ring for his now ex-wife Dita Von Teese. Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, countersued Bier for failing to perform his recording, touring and promotional duties during his tenure in the band.

Manson's lawyer, Howard E. King, said Bier will not get any proceeds and that the settlement check will be made payable to Bier's lead attorney to cover the costs of the latter's investment in the case. King maintains the lawsuit never should have been filed. "After being dismissed from the band, Bier could have focused on resurrecting or attempting to pursue a music career," King said. "Instead, he devoted the last several years to complaining about Manson's alleged spending habits and extravagant behavior to anyone who would listen."

"The resolution of the bitterly fought case with Bier receiving nothing for his spurious claims is a complete vindication of Manson," the attorney said.

SLIPKNOT, SOULFLY, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, DRAGONFORCE and TRIVIUM members are among the Roadrunner recording artists whose favorite albums of the the '00s (and accompanying comments) can be found at this location. Also available are picks from various Roadrunner employees, interns, band managers and other industry insiders. A few select top 10 lists are available below.

Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR):

* RAY LAMONTAGNE - Trouble
* GREEN DAY - American Idiot
* FOO FIGHTERS - In Your Honor
* STEEL PANTHER - Feel the Steel
* METALLICA - Death Magnetic
* AUDIOSLAVE - Audioslave
* ALICE IN CHAINS - Black Gives Way to Blue
* ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES - Love Their Country
* AMEN - Amen
* QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - Lullabies to Paralyze

Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY):

* DEFTONES - White Pony
* THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN - Calculating Infinity
* PRONG - Power of the Damager
* THROWDOWN - Vendetta
* DUB TRIO - Dub Trio
* CATTLE DECAPITATION - The Harvest Floor
* INCITE - The Slaughter
* MAJOR LAZER - Major Lazer
* "Slumdog Millionaire" Soundtrack
* MEGADETH - Endgame

Frédéric Leclercq (DRAGONFORCE):

* EXTOL - The Blueprint Dives
* NEVERMORE - Dead Heart in a Dead World
* ALLAN HOLDSWORTH - All Night Wrong
* DISTURBED - Ten Thousand Fists
* ALICE COOPER - The Eyes of Alice Cooper
* GEHENNA - WW
* SHINING - V: Halmstad
* SYMPHONY X - The Odyssey
* DIMMU BORGIR - Death Cult Armageddon
* GUNS N' ROSES - Chinese Democracy

Joel Stroetzel (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE)

* NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS - No More Shall We Part
* RYAN ADAMS - Demolition
* HIM - Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights
* JOSEPH ARTHUR - Our Shadows Will Remain
* ROB DICKINSON - Fresh Wine For the Horses
* NEVERMORE - Dead Heart in a Dead World
* SOILWORK - Natural Born Chaos
* RAY LAMONTAGNE - Gossip in the Grain
* ARCH ENEMY - Wages of Sin
* HALFORD - Resurrection

Matt Heafy (TRIVIUM):

* MUSE - Absolution
* IN FLAMES - Reroute To Remain
* KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - Alive Or Just Breathing
* DEPECHE MODE - Sounds Of The Universe
* COLDPLAY - Viva La Vida
* MACHINE HEAD - Through The Ashes Of Empires
* MUSE - The Resistance
Various Artists - The 50 Most Essential Pieces Of Classical Music
* MARTYR - Warp Zone
* TRIVIUM - Ascendancy

Paolo Gregoletto (TRIVIUM):

* KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - Alive or Just Breathing
* SOILWORK - Natural Born Chaos
* LAMB OF GOD - As the Palaces Burn
* KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - End of Heartache
* MACHINE HEAD - Through the Ashes of Empires
* IRON MAIDEN - Brave New World
* HATEBREED - Perseverance
* MUSE - Absolution
* LADY GAGA - The Fame
* AVENGED SEVENFOLD - Waking the Fallen

Baltimore, Maryland's MISERY INDEX will enter Wright Way Studios (DYING FETUS, SLIPKNOT, MOS DEF) this Saturday (January 2) with engineer Steve Wright to begin recording its new album, tentatively titled "Heirs To Thievery", for a May 2010 release via Relapse Records. According to the band, "all day Saturday will be set aside for tweaking drums sounds, and then we start tracking drums on Sunday. . . The recording will take place from January 2 to final mixing on January 28."

"Heirs To Thievery" tentative track listing:

01. Embracing Extinction
02. Fed To The Wolves
03. The Carrion Call
04. Heirs To Thievery
05. Spectator
06. The Seventh Cavalry
07. Illuminaught
08. Plague Of Objects
09. You Lose
10. Sleeping Giants

The band will also record a bonus song for the Japanese edition of the album.

GOD FORBID guitarist/vocalist Doc Coyle has issued the following statement regarding the passing of AVENGED SEVENFOLD drummer James "The Rev" Sullivan:

"I just wanted to send our deepest condolences on behalf of GOD FORBID to AVENGED SEVENFOLD and Jimmy's family and close friends after news of his passing.

"GOD FORBID got to know Jimmy and the rest of the band when we took A7X out on tour in 2002 when they were a brand new band, and they've continued to treat us with warmth and respect over the years since their meteoric rise.

"This is a a true tragedy, and he will be missed greatly."

SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray has issued the following update:

"It's been a while since I posted a blog, I have been really busy writing for a few projects that I will update you with soon. What I am writing this blog about is, I am going to a daddy!

"I found out this weekend that my wife Brenna is pregnant and I am the happiest man on the face of the earth, literally! I will keep everyone updated as things progress! This has been the best Christmas I have ever had!

"I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and I look forward to the new year! I will be at NAMM this year, so if you are going I will see you there! Come say hello! Also I would would really appreciate it if all of you would stop sending me Facebook friend requests. I have designated that page for strictly friends and family, and by friends I mean people I am very close to on a daily basis! Please don't take it personal; I have my MySpace for all of you and I do my best to write back but sometimes it gets overwhelming and I get a lot of really dumb messages that I just refuse to reply to. So please do not waste my time and your time by sending me messages like, 'Hey dude, what's up?' And thank you for respecting my privacy on Facebook!

"Hope all is well and thanks again for everyone making 2009 a great year for SLIPKNOT. We couldn't have done it without you!

"I have a lot of cool things coming up I will share with you soon! So be sure to check back for more updates!"

Virginia-based technical melodic death metallers ARSIS have posted another new song, "Forced To Rock", on their MySpace profile. The track comes off the band's new album, "Starve For The Devil", which is scheduled for release in North America on February 9, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Commented guitarist/vocalist James Malone: "How can I better the world? This is the question that I asked myself when writing 'Forced To Rock'. I eventually came to the conclusion that the death metal world needed an anthem. Sure, it may not be the cure for cancer, but it is fun and fun is something that I feel is lacking in a lot of the music out there today. It's music, it's not saving lives; there is no reason to be serious 100% of the time. Tongue in cheek or foot in mouth; I am probably not the proper authority to comment on the matter."

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman will release a new singe, "Kiba", on January 27, 2010 via Avex. According to CDJapan.co.jp, the limited-edition single, which is a collaboration with Andrew W.K., will include a sticker and a bonus DVD with promotional footage. A regular version of the single without the DVD will also be available.

A video for the track can now be viewed below.

In a recent chat with the webmaster of his official web site, Friedman answered a couple of questions about the upcoming single.

Q: You have been talking about this collaboration with Andrew W.K. literally for years now, and it's finally for real.

Friedman: I could not be happier about it. He is by far my favorite USA rock artist and I think we have made the ultimate mixture of our styles. The day I heard his first album, I said, "Some day I'm definitely gonna work with that dude." Since then he guested on two of my TV shows over here, and I joined him on stage at his Tokyo concert a couple years back. We got along instantly. But who wouldn't like the guy? He is about the friendliest, most positive and cooperative musician out there.

Q: What is the single about and how did it happen?

Friedman: The song is called "Kiba", which means "fang." It came about when I was offered the opportunity to write the song that you will hear if you win the highest award on the most anticipated new Pachinko machine in Japan, "Souten no Ken". In Japan this is likely the avenue which exposes music to the greatest number of people as this game will be displayed in every Pachinko center in the entire country. Andrew really went way beyond the call of duty perfecting his Japanese pronunciation to the point where locals don't even know that it is a foreigner singing. It is truly an amazing vocal performance.

Q: When I heard the song, I felt like it's totally Marty and at the same time it's totally Andrew. It actually doesn't sound like anyone could have done it other than you two guys.

Friedman: You could say that, for sure. No one wanted to do anything experimental. Actually, both of us do tons of different and sometimes surprising things. As you know, I'm way into ballads and straight-up pure pop, but musically I'm most known for intense guitar playing, like on "Loudspeaker". That's cool, too. Andrew's latest album has lots of unique styles and dark, modern arrangements but he is most known for powerful, uplifting, party anthems. These are just facts. So even though both of us like to disregard any boundaries and go over the top into new territory, for better or worse, this time we made a real effort to do what we are most known for. I mean, it's a Andrew W.K. and Marty Friedman record — you shouldn't have to worry that it is a collection of gorilla mating calls.

Q: Ha! You never know with either of you guys. Will this be available outside of Japan?

Friedman: On the single, there is another version of "Kiba" sung in English, so the option is there but it is not the top priority now. There is also an instrumental tune on the single called "Battle Scars".

Zakk Wylde has revealed the following timetable for BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's activities over the course of the coming months:

January-February: New CD Recording
March: Mixing
April: Promotional Activities
May: Tour Rehearsals
June: New Album Release

Zakk's new recording studio was built by Zack Fagan of Under The Wire, a Studio City, California-based company which specializes in the installation of commercial and private recording studios and post-production complexes.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Skullage" DVD package sold 5,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 1 on the Top Music Videos chart. Released April 21 in three different configurations — CD, DVD and CD/DVD — this collection features the best of Zakk Wylde & Co. This massive greatest hits package is chock-full of live material, music videos, interviews, and a vivid cross-section of brutal and introspective tracks, from amped-up blazers like "Fire It Up" and "Suicide Messiah" to raw power ballads like "In This River" and "Spoke In The Wheel".

According to The Pulse of Radio, songs by DISTURBED, KORN, LIMP BIZKIT and others all made a list of the worst songs of the past decade, as compiled by New York-based alternative weekly newspaper The Village Voice. The number one track was "Big Yellow Taxi" by COUNTING CROWS with Vanessa Carlton, followed closely by LIMP BIZKIT frontman Fred Durst's remix of "What's Goin' On" by Artists Against AIDS Worldwide.

BLUE OCTOBER was the highest-charting alternative act on the list, hitting No. 4 with "Jump Rope", while LIMP BIZKIT, KORN, DISTURBED and NICKELBACK all made the Top 25. The list's compilers called the 2000s a "vile, contemptible decade marked by commerce over reason," adding that the decade was "filled with some of the most despicable examples of music inflicted on the world's hearing persons."

The 50 Worst Songs of the '00s: The Complete List

50. brokeNCYDE, "Bree Bree"
49. LL Cool J feat. Jennifer Lopez, "Control Myself"
48. The Moldy Peaches, "Who's Got The Crack"
47. Akon, "Sorry, Blame It On Me"
46. Dynamite Hack, "Boyz-N-The-Hood"
45. James Blunt, "You're Beautiful"
44. Aaron Carter, "America A O"
43. Basshunter, "Please Don't Go"
42. 3 Doors Down, "Kryptonite"
41. Vanessa Hudgens, "Sneakernight"
40. Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and the Wu-Tang Clan, "For Heaven's Sake 2000"
39. Aubrey O'Day feat. Roscoe Umali, "Never Fallin'"
38. Say Anything, "Got Your Money"
37. Satellite Party feat. Jim Morrison, "Woman In The Window"
36. Lady Sovereign, "Food Play"
35. Hampton The Hamster, "The Hampsterdance Song"
34. Happy Mondays, "Jelly Bean"
33. Heidi Montag, "Higher"
32. Smash Mouth, "I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)"
31. 50 Cent, "Amusement Park"
30. Swizz Beatz with Ja Rule and Metallica, "We Did It Again"
29. John Mayer, "Your Body Is A Wonderland"
28. Xiu Xiu, "Support Our Troops OH (Black Angels OH)"
27. Kelly Osbourne and Ozzy Osbourne, "Changes"
26. Beastie Boys, "In A World Gone Mad"
25. Weezer, "Heart Songs"
24. Gummibar, "I Am Your Gummy Bear (The Gummy Bear Song)"
23. Santana feat. Chad Kroeger, "Into The Night"
22. The Notorious B.I.G. ft. Bob Marley, "Hold Ya Head"
21. Crazy Frog, "Last Christmas"
20. Gym Class Heroes, "Taxi Driver"
19. Nickelback, "Something In Your Mouth"
18. Toby Keith, "Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American)"
17. Simple Plan, "Perfect"
16. William Hung, "O Come All Ye Faithful"
15. Hinder, "Born To Be Wild"
14. Korn, "Ya'll Want A Single?"
13. Sugababes Vs. Girls Aloud, "Walk This Way"
12. Disturbed, "Land of Confusion"
11. Darryl Worley, "Have You Forgotten?"
10. Fieldy's Dreams, "Baby Hugh Hef"
9. Ashlee Simpson, "La La"
8. Limp Bizkit and Johnny Rzeznik, "Wish You Were Here"
7. Nicole Scherzinger, "Puakenikeni"
6. Hot Action Cop, "Fever For The Flava"
5. Alvin & The Chipmunks, "Get Munk'd"
4. Blue October, "Jump Rope"
3. Tila Tequila, "I Love U"
2. Artists Against AIDS Worldwide, "What's Goin' On (Fred Durst's Reality Check Mix)"
1. Counting Crows ft. Vanessa Carlton, "Big Yellow Taxi"

U.S. progressive/power metallers HEIR APPARENT will release the "Live At The Riviera - 1988" DVD in March 2010. According to the band, "This recently discovered 1988 video footage is the only complete HEIR APPARENT concert with this legendary lineup. Recorded on March 27, 1988, this 12-song concert features the band testing new material between the recording of the two-track 'Triad' demo and the recording of the 'One Small Voice' album later that year."

"Live At The Riviera - 1988" features unique pre-production versions of the following songs:

* Crossing the Border
* Just Imagine
* Two Hearts
* Young Forever
* Tomorrow Night
* Alone Again
* Cry For Rome
* The Fifth Season
* The Sound of Silence
* Another Candle
* Keeper of the Reign
* We, The People

The lineup on the DVD is as follows:

Steve Benito - Vocals
Terry Gorle - Guitar
Derek Peace - Bass
Ray Schwartz - Drums
Mike Jackson - Keyboards

On September 25, the KISS Alive 35 tour kicked off in North America in Detroit, Michigan. Each of KISS' 42 shows was exclusively recorded by Concert Online and made available to purchase as a USB leather wristband with a KISS metal buckle or an instant live CD set, consisting of two CDs in a collector's box.

Concert Online is now offering a two-CD collection of remixed and remastered versions of "only the very best live performances of all KISS Alive 35 klassic hits." The result: The two-CD "Best Of KISS Alive 35" set — filled to the brim with 27 smashing live audio tracks recorded in 21 locations!

Ranging from genuine "KISS Alive!" klassics such as "Deuce", "Strutter" and "Rock and Roll All Nite", covering the all-time rock hymns "Detroit Rock City" or "Shout It Out Loud", up to their latest single, "Modern Day Delilah" and anthems such as "Lick It Up", this KISS Alive 35 two-CD set has it all.

"Best Of KISS Alive 35" track listing:

01. Deuce - Live in Greenville (10-17-09)
02. Strutter - Live in Philadelphia (10-12-09)
03. Got to Chose - Live in Hampton (10-16-09)
04. Hotter Than Hell - Live in Little Rock (10-29-09)
05. Fire House - Live in Winnipeg (11-09-09)
06. Nothin' To Loose - Live in Cleveland (09-28-09)
07. C'mon And Love Me - Live in Oshawa (10-07-09)
08. Parasite - Live in Boston (10-05-09)
09. She incl. Guitar Solo - Live in Cleveland (09-28-09)
10. Watchin' You - Live in Uncasville (10-03-09)
11. 100,000 Years incl. Drum Solo - Live in Minneapolis (11-07-09)
12. Black Diamond - Live in Oakland (11-22-09)
13. Cold Gin - Live in Detroit (09-25-09)
14. Rock And Roll All Nite - Live in Greenville (10-17-09)
15. Let Me Go Rock'N'Roll - Live in Anaheim (11-24-09)
16. Detroit Rock City - Live in Detroit (09-25-09)
17. King Of The Night Time World - Live in Uncasville (10-03-09)
18. Love Gun - Live in Atlanta (10-26-09)
19. Calling Dr. Love - Live in Birmingham (10-24-09)
20. Shock Me - Live in Fresno (11-21-09)
21. I Stole Your Love - Live in Montreal (10-01-09)
22. Shout It Out Loud - Live in Portland (11-17-09)
23. Modern Day Delilah - Live in Los Angeles (11-25-09)
24. I Love It Loud - Live in Hampton (10-16-09)
25. Lick It Up - Live in Pensacola (10-19-09)
26. Do You Love Me - Live in Seattle (11-15-09)
27. Say Yeah - Live in Atlanta (10-26-09)

FINNTROLL frontman Mathias Lillmåns has launched a new death metal project called DECOMPOSTER. The band recently completed work on its first demo, "Futile", and is currently streaming the song "The Composter" on its MySpace page.

DECOMPOSTER is:

Mathias Lillmåns (FINNTROLL) - Vocals/Bass
Samuli Ponsimaa - Guitar
Mika Aaltonen - Guitar
Rainer Tuomikanto - Drums

U.S. progressive power metal band ARMORY has entered Mystic Star Studio in Townsend, Massachusetts to begin recording its second album, "Empyrean Realms", for a mid-to-late 2010 release. Compared to the group's debut album, "The Dawn Of Enlightenment", the new CD will have "more dynamic composing and arranging, with more colorful melodies, headbanging riffs, and progressive elements," according to the band. "The lyrics are also more articulate, centering on the themes of metaphysics, cosmology, and the power of human will."

ARMORY has posted a video compilation of the drum and guitar tracking to give fans a sneak preview of what the upcoming album has in store. Check out the clip below.

In other new, ARMORY will appear on two tribute albums, due early 2010. A cover of the song "Where The Rain Grows" will be featured on "HelloRay - A tribute to Helloween & Gamma Ray", to be released through Epicus Records. The band's version of the song "Love Is Pain" will appear on "By The Gods: A Noble Tribute To Virgin Steele". Both tracks have been posted on ARMORY's MySpace page.

The readers of Aftonbladet, the biggest newspaper in Sweden and Scandinavia, have named IN FLAMES' "Come Clarity" the best Swedish album of the past decade. The LP received 26 percent of all votes.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN's "Magic" was voted the best album of the past decade by a foreign artist.

Released in February 2006, "Come Clarity" (Ferret) sold just under 24,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 58 on The Billboard 200 chart. This was more than double the first-week tally registered by the group's previous CD, "Soundtrack To Your Escape" (released in April 2004 via Nuclear Blast), which entered the chart at No. 145 (with sales of just under 11,000).

"Come Clarity" first-week chart positions:

Sweden: #1
Finland: #1
Germany: #6
Norway: #16
Austria: #27
Denmark: #52
U.S.: #58
U.K.: #67

Finnish melodic metallers STRATOVARIUS have issued the following update:

"We're still in the middle of the 'Polaris' world tour, but we do have a bit of news.

"The European summer festivals earlier this year were nice and relaxing as always, and then we embarked on a long three-month leg which covered the Far East, North and South America, and Finland. One highlight was Beijing, a place none of us in the band had played or visited before.

"After a break for the holidays, the caravan will roll on in 2010, and we will do a long tour of Europe in January and February.

"We have some more good news: we just confirmed to play Wacken [Open Air festival] in August 2010, which is always great fun. It's the biggest metal festival in the world, and has a great crowd, but also since there are so many bands there, you can always reconnect with many old friends backstage and in the VIP bar. This gig will mark the end of the 'Polaris' would tour, which spanned four continents with close to a hundred gigs. We have also confirmed an appearance on the '70,000 Tons Of Metal' Caribbean cruise in late January 2011.

"We saved the best piece of good news for last: next year we will start work on a new full-length record, the follow-up to 2009's 'Polaris'."

"Polaris" landed at position No. 57 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.

"Polaris" entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 2. The album also debuted on the German Media Control chart at No. 55.

German gothic metallers CREMATORY will release their new album, "Infinity", in February 2010. The CD will include one song with German-language lyrics and a special cover version of DEPECHE MODE's "Black Celebration".

"Infinity" track listing:

01. Infinity (4:52)
02. Sense Of Time (5:46)
03. Out Of Mind (3:21)
04. Black Celebration (DEPECHE MODE cover) (4:56)
05. Never Look Back (4:11)
06. Broken Halo (4:19)
07. Where Are You Now (5:02)
08. A Story About... (4:52)
09. No One Knows (4:28)
10. Auf Der Flucht (4:35)