Five lucky fans will get something extra in their copies of TOOL's forthcoming commemorative edition of the "Opiate" EP.

Dubbed the "Seal of Xatanitos," the five certificates will be placed randomly amidst the 5,000 copies of the collectible reissue. The prize will only be disclosed to each of the five winners.

The 21st-anniversary edition is limited to 5,000 copies and features art direction by guitarist Adam Jones, illustrations by legendary artist Adi Granov and design packaging by Mackie Osborne, who has collaborated with TOOL on many albums, including "10,000 Days", "Lateralus" and "Salival" as well as posters and merchandise.

The 5,000 copies will be broken down into five variations (each 1,000 pieces) with each set featuring a slight alteration of the exterior graphics and included bonus items which include a new stereoscopic image for fans to use with their glasses from the "10,000 Days" packaging.

The packages will only be available via TOOL's web site on March 26, with the band setting aside a small number of packages (200 of each variation) for Toolarmy members. Toolarmy members will be able to purchase on March 22 via Toolarmy.com.

Jones recently spoke to Revolver about the deluxe reissue of "Opiate", telling the magazine, "What I want is to go to the store and buy something and go, 'Damn, I got more than my money's worth.' I want something where you can tell a lot of time went into it."

Jones has always been deeply involved in TOOL's artwork and visuals, telling The Pulse Of Radio a while back that his interest started long before the band. "I've always been into art and drawing and sculpting, and I did makeup effects for a long time, and it's always been a big part of my life," he said. "And Maynard too, and, you know, the other band members — you know, when I met those guys, they were all doing something kind of creative, and I think that's why it clicks."

As for revisiting the music on "Opiate", Jones said, "It's kind of like a time machine. It takes you back to that time and what you were thinking. Creatively speaking, there's always room for improvement . . . but overall I like it. It's something I'm very proud of."

DARKHAUS, the intercontinental modern rock outfit consisting of five men from four representative countries (Scotland, USA, Germany, Austria), has inked a deal with Steamhammer/SPV. The band's debut album will be released in the fall 2013 via Oblivion/Steamhammer.

DARKHAUS maestro Rupert Keplinger is a multi-platinum songwriter/composer who is best known for his collaborations with top-selling artists EISBRECHER, STEPHAN WEIDNER, OOMPH!, Peter Maffay and others.

DARKHAUS co-creator Gary Meskil — who is also the founder of legendary U.S. hardcore/metal band PRO-PAIN — describes the group's sound as "stylistically versatile, dark and emotional, but with much light to be found at the end of the proverbial tunnel."

The five architects of DARKHAUS combine their best efforts to present an ambitious and diverse plethora of songs which combine the urgency of true rock 'n' roll, the epic moments which define great acts, and those "catchy hooks and melodies" like those which have been delivered straight to your ears via radio stations around the world throughout modern time.

DARKHAUS is designed for fans of emotionally inspired songwriting which has the power to move one's body, mind, and soul.

Says Meskil: "I've always wanted to make music like this some day which is totally different from what I'm usually known for. Aside from punk and hardcore, I grew up with bands like THE CURE, SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES, BAUHAUS and DEPECHE MODE — and those left a mark on me. With DARKHAUS, I can finally make it happen!"

Adds SPV A&R Gero Herrde: "Not only has every single member of DARKHAUS already proven their musical capabilities and skills — it's the mixture of characters combined with the ambition to produce music that is totally opposed to what they did earlier. Oblivion/Steamhammer (SPV) is the perfect home for this. We're glad to be able to work this."

DARKHAUS is:

Kenny Hanlon - Vocals
Rupert Keplinger - Guitar, Synth
Marshall Stephens - Guitar
Gary Meskil - Bass
Paul Keller - Drums

Pictured below (from left to right): Marshall Stephens, Gero Herrde (A&R, SPV GmbH), Kenny Hanlon, Rupert Keplinger, Gary Meskil, Paul Keller

According to the Los Angeles Times, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne recently sold one of their Los Angeles-area homes for $11.5 million. According to Realtor.com, the six-bedroom, 10-bath, 11,000-square-foot mansion sits on a hill in the middle of a two-and-a-quarter acre property in the popular celebrity enclave of Hidden Hills. The house features a completely redesigned interior, mountain and city views, a gym, a library, a pool, maid's quarters and other luxury amenities.

The property came on the market in 2011 at $12.999 million and was also listed for lease at $50,000 a month. Ozzy and Sharon paid $12,388,500 for the estate in 2007.

Check out photos of the property in the YouTube clip below.

In April 2011, the Osbournes also put a Malibu beach house on the market for $10 million.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, that 4,500-square-foot, three-story oceanfront residence had five bedrooms and five bathrooms, along with a library, office, hot tub, walk-in closets and a backyard with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

The couple bought the Malibu house in 2003 for $5.1 million and first placed it on the market in 2006 for $14 million.

Veteran death metallers ACHERON will hit the studio in Cleveland, Ohio in April to begin recording their new album, "Kult Des Hasses", for a late 2013 release via Listenable Records. It is now official that guitarist Ricktor Ravensbruck (WOLFPACK 44, ELECTRIC HELLFIRE CLUB, WOLFEN SOCIETY) will be a special guest to add some of his lead guitar work to the CD.

Comments ACEHERON founder Vincent Crowley: "Our guitarist Art Taylor is fucking amazing and could easily do all the lead work, but we all agreed that having a second lead player on the album would help to mix things up and have more of a guitar-duo style on some of the songs. Kyle and I have worked with Ricktor before in WOLFEN SOCIETY and knew he would be a perfect person for the job."

"Kult Des Hasses" track listing:

01. Daemonum Lux
02. Satan Holds Dominion
03. Raptured To Divine Perversion
04. Jesus Wept
05. Thy Father Suicide
06. Misanthropic Race
07. Whores And Harlots
08. Asphyxiation (Hands Of God)
09. Concubina Do Diabo
10. Devil’s Black Blood

The two-song 2012 demo that got ACHERON signed to Listenable Records can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The tracks "Satan Holds Dominion" and "Asphyxiation (Hands of God)" were recorded with the following lineup:

Vincent Crowley - Vocals, Bass
Kyle Severn - Drums
Max Otworth - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Shuan Cothron - Guitar

The infamous underground legends have been a cult band for over two decades and have released a number of recordings throughout their existence.

Slash has written on Twitter that he has "started the demo process" for his third solo album, even though it's been less than year since his sophomore effort, "Apocalyptic Love", arrived. Slash posted, "[There is] lots of material to work up. It's going [to] be good."

Slash recently wrote that ALTER BRIDGE fans could rest assured that singer Myles Kennedy would record their new album before getting back together with Slash, saying, "AB fans have no cause for worry. They will soon release a new CD and tour this year. I will catch Myles on the flip side."

Kennedy divides his time between ALTER BRIDGE, who are working on their fourth studio set, and Slash, for whom he fronts Slash's touring and recording group MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS.

Slash, Kennedy and THE CONSPIRATORS have recently completed nearly a year's worth of touring behind "Apocalyptic Love".

Slash has been keeping himself busy by creating his own version of the theme song to the "Angry Birds" video game as well as appearing as a character in the game. He's also confirmed his participation in the "Band Fuse: Rock Legends" video game. Slash has also composed the score for "Nothing To Fear", the first movie from his Slasher Films production company, which went into production last year but has yet to be released.

The official video for the track "Lonely Planet", which was co-written by BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi and was recently chosen as Armenia's entry into the Eurovision Song Contest, can be seen below.

Iommi wrote the music and Vardan Zadoyan penned the lyrics for the track, which will be performed by the band DORIANS at the Eurovision final on May 16 in Malmö, Sweden. Each year member countries submit songs to be performed live on television and radio and then votes are cast to determine the most popular track in the competition.

Iommi recently told Birmingham Mail that he was surprised when the Armenians chose "Lonely Planet" — a song he wrote more than five years ago — as their Eurovision contender.

"I was as shocked as anybody when they came knocking," he said. "They got in touch with me because of the charity work we've been doing out there, building a new music school to replace one wrecked by an earthquake. They asked if I'd got any spare songs. Well, I write loads of songs and they just get put away. They lie on a shelf because either they're not suitable for SABBATH or for another project, and never see the light of day. I searched out 'Lonely Planet' — it’s a bit of a power ballad — and sent it off. I was surprised when it made the shortlist and gobsmacked when the people of Armenia voted for it. With a little luck, who knows, it might win."

Iommi and DEEP PURPLE/ex-BLACK SABBATH singer Ian Gillan have spent a lot of time in Armenia, fallen in love with the country and the people and have dedicated a lot of work to a nation still shocked after the earthquake that struck Armenia on December 7, 1988.

MARAGOLD, the new band featuring guitarist Greg Howe alongside Meghan Krauss (vocals), Kevin Vecchione (bass) and Gianluca Palmieri (drums), released a new single, "Evergreen Is Golder", on March 15. You can exclusively purchase the song at the iTunes Store as well as Google Play and Amazon. A video for the track can be viewed below.

"Evergreen Is Golder" was written by Howe, Vecchione and Al Howe and was produced by Greg Howe. The song comes off MARAGOLD's self-titled debut album, which is due out in April.

"It's an exciting, inspiring thing," Howe told GuitarWorld.com about MARAGOLD last summer. "This project is like a 360 back to where I came from. It was great going through the whole instrumental/fusion process. It allowed me to learn a lot and really build my musical vocabulary. But at the same time, this project gives me the opportunity to reach as many people as possible. Plus it's a lot of fun to play rhythm guitar again and be able to smile at the audience."

For more information, visit www.maragoldband.com.

As an active musician for nearly thirty years, Howe, 49, has released eight studio albums in addition to collaborating with a wide variety of artists.

In 2011, Howe toured Italy and Israel with drummer Dennis Chambers and bassist Stu Hamm. In November of that year, Michael Jackson's second posthumous album, "Immortal", featured Howe's playing on "Dancing Machine" and "Beat It".

On March 19, ADRENALINE MOB vocalist Russell Allen (also of SYMPHONY X) and guitarist Mike Orlando performed a special acoustic set for Tampa Bay, Florida radio station 98 Rock at the RP Funding Performance Theater. Check out footage of the songs "Come Undone", "Angel Sky", "All On The Line" and "Indifferent" below.

ADRENALINE MOB released "Covertá", an eight-track EP featuring cover versions of some of the group's favorite songs, on March 12. Longtime fans of drummer Mike Portnoy are aware of the multiple cover CDs he has released with DREAM THEATER and with Neal Morse. "Covertá" is the first CD of covers recorded by ADRENALINE MOB.

"Covertá" track listing:

01. High Wire (BADLANDS)
02. Stand Up And Shout (DIO)
03. Break on Through (THE DOORS)
04. Romeo Delight (VAN HALEN)
05. Barracuda (HEART)
06. Kill The King (RAINBOW)
07. The Lemon Song (LED ZEPPELIN)
08. The Mob Rules (BLACK SABBATH)

"Omertá" sold around 6,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 70 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released in Europe on March 19, 2012 in Europe via Century Media Records and in the U.S. on March 13, 2012 through the newly formed Elm City Music in conjunction with EMI Label Services.

The 11-song effort — which was produced by ADRENALINE MOB and mixed by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked on ANTHRAX's "Worship Music" and STEEL PANTHER's "Balls Out" — includes a blistering reinterpretation of DURAN DURAN's classic "Come Undone" featuring guest vocals by Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM.

U.K. rockers THE QUIREBOYS are working on a brand new studio album for an early June release via Off Yer Rocka Recordings. The as-yet-untitled CD is being produced and mixed by the legendary Chris Tsangarides (JUDAS PRIEST, GARY MOORE, THIN LIZZY), who promises a modern sound with old-school values.

In January 2013, THE QUIREBOYS appointed marketing and festival guru Jonni Davis as their new manager and their new record deal.

With multiple festival appearances, the Monsters Of Rock cruise, a European headline tour and three planned releases, things are ramping up in a manner that will put THE QUIREBOYS back where they belong… on the global playing field.

THE QUIREBOYS' current lineup includes original frontman Spike Gray and guitarist Guy Griffin alongside Paul Guerin (guitar), Dave Boyce (bass), Keith Weir (keyboards) and Matt Goom (drums).

Former IRON MAIDEN and current WOLFSBANE frontman Blaze Bayley will celebrate his 30th anniversary as singer with the release of a "best-of" album in November. According to Blaze, the collection "will feature songs from previous albums that will be remastered by Rick Plester" and will be supported by a tour in 2014. Blaze will also continue to write his next heavy metal album which he plans to release in 2015.

Blaze released a collaborative acoustic EP with Belgium-based classical guitarist Thomas Zwijsen, "Russian Holiday" on February 5. The effort features four re-arranged songs from previous albums and one brand new song written by Bayley and Zwijsen.

"Russian Holiday" includes a "full classical guitar arrangement" of the IRON MAIDEN song "Sign Of The Cross", which the duo performed on their 2012 U.K. acoustic tour.

Bayley's latest studio album, "The King Of Metal", was released in March 2012. The CD was recorded at Fear Studio in Ravenna, Italy.

The 49-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, was the original frontman in WOLFSBANE, but left in 1994 to replace Bruce Dickinson as the lead singer of IRON MAIDEN.

Professionally filmed video footage of Bayley's November 7, 2012 performance at the Citadel festival in Lviv, Ukraine can be seen below.

BEYOND FEAR, the new band featuring former JUDAS PRIEST and ICED EARTH frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens, is working on its long-awaited sophomore album. Owens has thus far laid down vocals on three songs at Empire Studios in Cleveland, Ohio for the CD, which he says will be "a bit heavier" than BEYOND FEAR's 2006 self-titled debut album.

BEYOND FEAR's current lineup is as follows:

* Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, DIO DISCIPLES) - Vocals
* John Comprix (RINGWORM, LAW OF DESTRUCTION) - Guitar
* Matt Sorg (RINGWORM) - Guitar
* Eric Elkins (CRYPTKICKER, ALL YOU FEAR) - Drums
* Ed Stephens - Bass

The recording sessions for BEYOND FEAR's new album are being funded entirely by Owens, who is seeking a new label home for the effort following the band's split with Steamhammer/SPV.

In a 2006 interview with About.com Metal Metal, Owens stated about the formation of BEYOND FEAR: "[The other members] are local guys, friends of mine. We've always played and jammed together. [Former BEYOND FEAR] bass player [Dennis Hayes] was in WINTERS BANE with me, so we go back a ways. John, the guitar player, and I go back a ways, too. We knew each other and I knew it was the perfect fit for us."

He added: "I started writing songs a few years [before the release of the debut album]. Not everything was written together. I probably wrote six or seven songs myself and then got together with John and we wrote the other ones. I'm not sure even when the first one was written. I'd write a song and then seven months later write another one whenever I had the time to sit down. It was an odd writing process, and I think that's what gives the [first CD] so much substance and so many layers to it because it was written at different times."

"Trash All Over You", the new video from Finnish thrashers LOST SOCIETY, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "Fast Loud Death", which was released on March 15 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Sonic Pump Studios (FINNTROLL, SONATA ARCTICA, OMNIUM GATHERUM) in Helsinki, Finland with producer Nino Laurenne (AMORPHIS, ENSIFERUM, LORDI) and it features cover artwork by Ed Repka (MEGADETH, DEATH, SANCTUARY, VENOM).

Comments LOST SOCIETY vocalist/guitarist Samy Elbanna: "Many people have asked us why we misspelled the song title ['Trash All Over You']. We always give the same answer: It's not about the thrash genre, but depicts how the whole world is collapsing on you. All the problems in the world seem to pile up and you get trashed all over. The song carries the feeling of being mad at everything and everyone at the same time — it's something we all can relate to."

Regarding the album artwork, Elbanna said: "When we heard that the one and only Ed Repka would be responsible for the album art, we were thrilled, as he created some of the most killer album covers of all times! The result looks absolutely amazing and truly captures the album's theme — a bus full of crazy people who blew it up big time!"

Added Repka: "This was a lot of work but a fun project, since both the band and the label were great to work with and very receptive to my input. LOST SOCIETY's comical concept of their tour bus leaving a town destroyed was cool, but to make it even more crazy, I added the pop-culture 'monster in car' aspect, giving the whole image a distinct, aggressive presence. Another tongue-in-cheek metal masterpiece is born!"

"Fast Loud Death" is available as a limited digipak, deluxe digital download via iTunes and black vinyl in gatefold, all of them including two bonus tracks. Moreover, a limited digipak plus a t-shirt bundle as well as a limited blue-transparent 2LP in gatefold are exclusively available via the Nuclear Blast mail order.

"Fast Loud Death" track listing:

01. N.W.L.
02. Trash All Over You
03. E.A.G.
04. KILL (Those Who Oppose Me)
05. Bitch, Out' My Way
06. Fast Loud Death
07. Lead Through The Head
08. Diary Of A Thrashman
09. Toxic Avenger
10. This Is Me
11. Braindead Metalhead
12. Piss Out My Ass
13. Fatal Anoxia

Bonus tracks:

14. Escape From Delirium
15. I Stole Your Love (KISS cover song)

Founded in early 2010 by thrash/speed metal enthusiast Samy Elbanna in the Finnish town of Jyväskylä, LOST SOCIETY played a number of gigs around Finland before taking part in the world-renowned GBOB (Global Battle Of the Bands). After winning the preliminary round in their hometown, they were invited to the finals held in Helsinki, where they prevailed over 13 other contestants. The grand finals of GBOB 2012 took place at The Scala in London on December 9, 2012 and featured 18 bands from all over the world, including LOST SOCIETY.

LOST SOCIETY is:

Samy Elbanna - Vocals, Guitar
Arttu Lesonen - Guitar
Mirko Lehtinen - Bass
Ossi Paananen - Drums

"Månelyst", the new video from Norwegian rockers KVELERTAK, can be seen below. Directed by Fredrik Hana, the clip captures the director's adoration for horror films which was only amplified by KVELERTAK's blistering riffs.

"Månelyst" comes off KVELERTAK's sophomore album, "Meir" (which means "more" in English), which will be released on March 26 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was produced by CONVERGE's Kurt Ballou and features cover artwork by John Dyer Baizley.

"It is both catchy and heavy; we're pushing our limits in both ends of that spectre. It's very varied and there are a lot of surprises in store. I mean, it's unlike anything I myself have heard before, so we even managed to surprise ourselves," said lead singer Erlend Hjelvik.

"Meir"'s first single, "Bruane Brenn", had early critical acclaim from several tastemaker outlets including Stereogum, which raved, "It's a total blast of riffs, adrenaline, football chants, and guitar solos, and in its four minutes, you get five decades of rock 'n' roll, compressed into one massive speedball hit."

KVELERTAK's euphorically-received self-titled 2011 debut was iTunes 2011's U.S. Metal Breakthrough Artist of The Year. Pitchfork described their sound as having "monolithic walls of adrenal-gland-strangling sound" while LA Weekly named frontman Erland Hjelvik #2 on their list of top ten metal frontmen (and women) under 30.

Overseas the band has racked up numerous accolades. KVELERTAK was called "the best Norwegian debut of all time" by Norwegian rock authority Asbjørn Slettemark, named "Best Debut Album" by Metal Hammer Germany, "Best New Artist" and "Best Rock Album" at the Spellemannprisen (Norway's Grammy equivalent) and has received countless additional critical acclaim from Metal Hammer U.K. and Kerrang! who called them "the most exciting new band on the planet."

From storming 2011's SXSW festival to being personally invited by MASTODON to support them in Bergen, Norway, to Dave Grohl presenting them with their first gold discs at a sold-out show at Telenor Arena, Norway's largest indoor venue, KVELERTAK, or "chokehold" in English, are only getting started.

KVELERTAK is Erlend Hjelvik (vocals), Vidar Landa (guitars), Bjarte Lund Rolland (guitars), Maciek Ofstad (guitars), Marvin Nygaard (bass) and Kjetil Gjermundrød (drums).

"Meir" track listing:

01. Åpenbaring
02. Spring Fra Livet
03. Trepan
04. Bruane Brenn
05. Evig Vandrar
06. Snilepisk
07. Månelyst
08. Nekrokosmos
09. Undertro
10. Tordenbrak
11. Kvelertak

"Terrorscope", the new video from Irish thrashers GAMA BOMB, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's fourth album, "The Terror Tapes", which will be released on April 19 in Europe and May 7 the U.S. via AFM Records. The cover for the follow-up to 2009's "Tales From The Grave In Space" was illustrated by veteran movie poster artist Graham Humphreys, who created pieces for classics "A Nightmare On Elm Street" and "Evil Dead".

"We grew up in terror of VHS covers painted by Graham, but we never knew his name," says GAMA BOMB vocalist Philly Byrne. "We found him, had the audacity to chat to him, and now it's a dream come true to work together and to see the astounding work he's done for us.

"The cover shows a man being consumed by a giant, living tape machine. It's got the feeling of a grubby old 1980s video sleeve, I think. It ties in perfectly with our obsession with old technology and mad horror imagery. It's the best album cover we've ever had. Everyone else's album art sucks because of this."

"The Terror Tapes" will be preceded by a single for the track "Terrorscope", available both as a completely free download on March 26, with a vinyl release following in April.

"It was really important to us to give people some music for nothing," says Byrne. "It's how we get our music and we want people to know we're cool with them doing that, as long as they support us. Support comes from a lot of different places, not just the front pocket."

"The Terror Tapes" track listing:

01. The Wrong Stuff
02. Legend of Speed
03. Backwards Bible
04. Beverly Hills Robocop
05. Smoke The Blow With Willem Dafoe
06. We Started The Fire
07. Terrorscope
08. The Cannibals Are In The Streets - All Flesh Must Be Eaten
09. Shitting Yourself To Live
10. Matrioshka Brain
11. Metal Idiot
12. Wrecking Ball

Regarding the musical direction of "The Terror Tapes", Byrne, says: "I think this album's really going to shock people. We're not afraid to write brash, outrageous songs that will make people stand up and shout. There are some straight-up classics on this album and we can't wait for everyone to hear it."

He adds: "It's been a long road to bring 'The Terror Tapes' to life. I had throat surgery, Domo [Dixon, guitar] had a tendon injury, we changed our lineup, we recorded without a label, did it all the hard way. We worked hard and got through and made a great album which we're proud to be releasing with such great guys as AFM, who really believe in what we're doing. We've spent long enough in the shadows; now we’re ready to re-emerge."

"Tales From The Grave In Space" was given away as a free download via Rapidshare with GAMA BOMB's then-label Earache Records.

Belgian grindcore act LENG TCH'E has completed pre-production for the follow-up to 2010's "Hypomanic" at Hearse Studio in Heule, Belgium. Recordings will commence next month, with mixing planned for July at a soon-to-be-disclosed studio. The new CD will contain 14 songs and is slated for a September release.

Check out photos from the studio at this location.

2012 marked the tenth anniversary of the release of LENG TCH'E's debut album, "Death By A Thousand Cuts".

"Hypomanic" was released in Europe in May 2010 and in North America in June 2010 via Season Of Mist. The CD was recorded at Parlour Studio in Kettering, United Kingdom with producer Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, DIMMU BORGIR, EVILE).

LENG TCH'E in 2011 parted ways with drummer Tony Van den Eynde and replaced him with Olivier Coppens.

The band's "A.men" video can be seen below. The live footage was shot at the Obscene Extreme festival in the Czech Republic, filmed by 2guys1tv and edited by Nicolas M.

LENG TCH'E in 2008 split with vocalist Boris Cornelissen and replaced him with Serge Kasongo from southern Belgian band ACKROS.

On March 19, MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio was interviewed on the Russian TV channel ETB (Ekburg TV). You can now watch video footage of his appearance below.

MANOWAR has just completed the second leg of "The Lord Of Steel World Tour" with shows in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.

Leg 2 of this tour continued with a power-filled set, including songs from the brand new studio album, "The Lord Of Steel", and many other classic MANOWAR hymns.

"The Lord Of Steel" is now available in stores and on iTunes and was first celebrated live during Leg 1 of "The Lord Of Steel World Tour" in Spain, France, Holland, Germany, Czech Republic and Russia.

"This tour has been fantastic so far. The audience was wild and crazy. We can't wait to unleash 'The Lord Of Steel' to more countries!" said DeMaio.

A photo gallery showing some highlights of Leg 1 of the tour can be seen here.

Finnish metallers BATTLE BEAST — who last fall parted ways with lead singer Nitte Vänskä and replaced her with Noora Louhimo — will release their second, self-titled full-length album on May 17 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was produced and mixed by the band at JKB Studios in Helsinki and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios. The cover artwork was created by Claudio Bergamin (HALFORD, ARJEN A. LUCASSEN, MAGICA) and can be seen below.

A one-minute video clip in which BATTLE BEAST lead guitarist and vocalist Anton Kabanen shares his thoughts on the artwork can be seen below.

"Battle Beast" track listing:

01. Let It Roar
02. Out Of Control
03. Out On The Streets
04. Neuromancer
05. Raven
06. Into The Heart Of Danger
07. Machine Revolution
08. Golden Age
09. Kingdom
10. Over The Top
11. Fight, Kill, Die
12. Black Ninja
13. Rain Man
14. Shutdown (bonus track)

BATTLE BEAST recently toured Europe as the support act for SONATA ARCTICA.

Fan-filmed video footage of the band's November 4, 2012 concert in Berlin, Germany can be seen below.

Regarding Vänskä's departure from the band, BATTLE BEAST previously said: "On August 19th, Nitte sent the rest of the band an e-mail stating that she was leaving the band, effective immediately. As the reason for her leaving, she cited her will to focus on her family life. As this happened without any prior notice, the rest us were slightly disappointed. But what's done is done, and we're thrilled to announce the new BATTLE BEAST vocalist with a voice and character to take the band to heights of glory."

According to a press release, Louhimo "is already experienced in performing some of the most demanding rock songs in existence and is now ready to take her big step into the metal world. With lungs of leather and a voice to order gods with, Noora possesses all the requirements to deliver the kind of power needed for performing BATTLE BEAST's music.

BATTLE BEAST's debut album, "Steel" — which was originally released in Finland in 2011 via Hype Records — was made available internationally on January 27, 2012 through Nuclear Blast Records.

Formed in 2008, BATTLE BEAST won the Wacken Open Air Metal Battle contest in Finland last year, enabling the band to perform at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany and represent its home country in the international Metal Battle finals. The group beat out 26 other acts from all around the world, which led to a record deal with the world's biggest independent heavy metal label.

"Lights Out", the new video from REBELLIOUS SPIRIT — a quartet from Southern Germany and a promising new hard rock band consisting of members that are between 17 and 20 years of age — can be seen below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "Gamble Shot", which will be released on June 24 in Europe and July 2 in the U.S. via Steamhammer/SPV. The effort, due out as a digipak with three bonus videos, jewel case and download, was recorded at the Cubeaudio Studios in Göttingen between September 2011 and February 2012. The final mix and the final mastering were completed in July 2012.

"We are delighted about this trend-setting signing which allows us to support — along with our renowned acts — a promising young band," comments Steamhammer/SPV label manager Olly Hahn. "Not only are these guys extremely likeable and brilliant musicians, they are also surprisingly mature composers."

REBELLIOUS SPIRIT's founder members, the brothers Jannik (17, vocals/guitar) and Jens Fischer (20, bass/vocals), are thrilled to have a label home like Steamhammer/SPV. "Naturally, it’s a great honor for us to be signed by a renowned record company such as Steamhammer/SPV who have a long tradition in rock music," they say. "Plus we get on really well with Olly Hahn and his team at a human level so we are now busy working on our future plans."

Formed in the summer of 2010, REBELLIOUS SPIRIT's lineup is completed by Silvio Bizer (18, drums) and Corvin Domhardt (18, guitar/vocals). After a number of trial concerts, autumn 2010 saw them record their demo CD, "Heart Of Swabia", featuring three original songs and three cover versions. In the meantime, the band has played more than 40 gigs, and has supported RECKLESS LOVE, KISSIN' DYNAMITE and PUSSY SISSTER in Holland, Flensburg, Cologne and Munich.

A number of festival appearances are currently being scheduled for the summer, followed by a support tour in the fall.

Says Fischer: "We can hardly wait for 'Gamble Shot' to arrive at the stores at last so that we can present our new material to a larger audience."

Dutch progressive/technical metallers TEXTURES have announced the addition of guitarist Joe Tal (pictured below; ILLUCINOMA) to the group's ranks.

Guitarist Jochem Jacobs left TEXTURES in Janury in order to focus on his career as a record producer. He will stay involved with with the band behind the scenes and will continue producing TEXTURES albums.

Comments Tal: "I am really super excited about this. It was a lot of fun doing the audition and jamming with the guys. It feels great to say I'm a part of the group now and I can't wait to actually get started."

Adds the band: "It was a big setback for us to see Jochem leave TEXTURES. Jochem was a driving force behind the band from of the beginning and helped the band get to where it is right now. But Joe gives us more than enough reasons to continue our journey with loads of new ideas and riffs. His diversity, personality, musical taste, the background of the band and, of course, his great technique were the reasons why we chose Joe to become our new guitarist. This makes us want to play shows and write new music even more than we already did!!"

TEXTURES's latest CD, "Dualism", was released on September 23, 2011 in Europe, South America, Asia and Australia and September 27 in North America. The CD was recorded at Split Second Sound Studio in Amsterdam and was produced by Jacobs. The cover artwork was designed by former TEXTURES frontman Eric Kalsbeek and the band's bass player Remko Tielemans.

Although he's quick to note that he doesn't pay too much attention to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian got a bit more passionate when talking to Radio.com about a band that has been ignored by the voters.

"A lot people have a problem with KISS," Ian said. "KISS is just as important as AEROSMITH and LED ZEPPELIN.

"The people who vote on these kinds of things — I don't know who these people are — I think they're the kind of people who never, ever liked KISS.

"If you like ALICE COOPER, you should like KISS. But a lot of people didn't take them seriously as a songwriting entity. I feel like they're never gonna let KISS in, which is pretty fucking lame when you consider what they've accomplished."

He continued: "I was reading an interview with someone from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and he said that one of the main criteria to be considered into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is what influence have they had on music? KISS has influenced bands that are already in the Hall Of Fame! They're one of the most influential bands of the last forty years!"

British rock legends DEEP PURPLE were denied entry to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year — losing out to pop and rap acts DONNA SUMMER and PUBLIC ENEMY.

"How many people started playing guitar because of the riff to 'Smoke On The Water?'" Ian asked Radio.com. "You can pinpoint that riff as the starting point to more guitar players than any other song in the history of rock. So it's just amazing to me that a band like DEEP PURPLE isn't in."

Ian added: "Nothing against my friends in METALLICA, but even if you asked them… When METALLICA were inducted [into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2009], James [Hetfield] name checked a bunch of bands from the stage, saying maybe you should put these bands in as well."

U.K. death metal punks THE ROTTED have released a video for their latest single, "Rotted Fucking Earth". Check it out below.

In another move to keep things in the family, the whole thing was self-funded and released on THE ROTTED's own Anarchogram Industries label, with the video being directed by vocalist Ben McCrow's brother, Tom McCrow, and the audio being produced by Joe Thompson at Sonic Forge Music in Cardiff, a great studio co-owned by long time friend of the band Mic Hourinhan (DESECRATION, ONSLAUGHT, ex-EXTREME NOISE TERROR).

Says the band: "The track itself is about throw away culture and the acceleration of just about everything in modern society. We decided that in a world of eight-string guitars, 12-string basses and drumkits from hell 'shredding' in weird scat-jazz time signatures that we wanted a stripped down song with lots of shouting, and where the verse and chorus are the same chords. It's the most knuckle-dragging, drunken-swaggering, punk-rocking song we've ever written."

THE ROTTED's second album, "Ad Nauseam", was released in 2011 to high critical acclaim from reviewers and listeners alike. The CD featured 11 tracks of fast, aggressive, honest and in-your-face punk-infused death metal sure to strike a chord with fans of NAPALM DEATH, ENTOMBED, EXTREME NOISE TERROR, MOTÖRHEAD and DISCHARGE. Since then, THE ROTTED has also released a seven-inch vinyl single, "Apathy In The UK", through Hammerheart Records.

Legendary guitarist Joe Satriani will release his 14th studio album, "Unstoppable Momentum", on May 7 through Epic Records. The CD was recorded at Skywalker Sound in the Bay Area and produced by Satriani and Mike Fraser (AC/DC). The album features an amazing array of talented players, including Vinnie Colauita (STING, JEFF BECK) on drums, Chris Chaney (JANE'S ADDICTION) on bass and Mike Keneally (DETHKLOK) on keyboards.

Fans are encouraged to pre-order "Unstoppable Momentum" via Sony Music and Satriani's own website store. When pre-ordering through the Epic Records store, fans will be given the chance to bundle new signed copies of the album with exclusive t-shirts and guitar straps. At Satriani.com, fans will receive an exclusive, never-before-seen art book featuring years of drawings, doodles and sketches that Satriani has done over the years.

"Some of my drawings have made their way on to guitars, straps and picks, LP and CD booklets, t-shirts, hats, keychains, etc…and even my live stage productions," explains Satriani. "This book represents my first effort to finally compile my oddly drawn friends into one place, a wildly colorful portfolio of sorts. A collection of drawings meant to inspire and entertain."

After returning from the South American G3 tour last October, Satriani got down to writing new music over the next two months. As he recalls, "A very prolific and cathartic two months followed resulting in a bundle of new music I was very excited to get recorded!"

Eleven songs were selected to record, all "heading in different directions and touching on a variety of musical influences." With that in mind, Satriani decided to assemble a new studio band. "The idea was to crank up the energy level of the sessions, and allow for more individual expression of the material from each player. The chemistry with Mike, Chris and Vinnie was fantastic and we blazed through all of the tracks with everyone laying down amazing performances."

For two decades, Satriani has traveled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star "G3" guitar extravaganza. His studio and live recordings have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. His side project, CHICKENFOOT, featuring former VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar, former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony, and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' drummer Chad Smith saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debuted at No. 9. In late 2010, music sensation Nicki Minaj sampled the classic Satriani track "Always With Me Always With You" in her song "Right Through Me" from her multi-platinum debut album. In 2011, Satriani recreated his national anthem performance for the opening day of the Oakland A's historic 2002 season in the Brad Pitt movie "Moneyball".

"Unstoppable Momentum" track listing:

01. Unstoppable Momentum
02. Can't Go Back
03. Lies And Truths
04. Three Sheets To The Wind
05. I'll Put A Stone On Your Cairn
06. A Door Into Summer
07. Shine On American Dreamer
08. Jumpin' In
09. Jumpin' Out
10. The Weight Of The World
11. A Celebration

British rock legends DEEP PURPLE were denied entry to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year — losing out to such artists as American pop singer-songwriter Randy Newman and R&B singer Donna Summer.

The members of PURPLE, who will release a new album titled "Now What?!" on April 30 in North America via earMUSIC, say it is no big loss.

"I don't think the band really care, actually," keyboardist Don Airey tells The Straits Times. "It'd be nice but there's been no 'awwwww', no disappointment."

"The gig's the thing with this band, the next concert. That's what it's all about and we're looking forward to Singapore.

"Newman's fantastic but he's not really a rock act, is he? Neither is Donna Summer, although she made one of the greatest records I've ever heard. If you're going to have a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, let's have some rock and rollers in there."

He added, laughing: "There was a kind of ripple of excitement, like 'Oh, we've been nominated!'. Then [lead singer] Ian [Gillan] said, 'Don't worry, we won't get in'."

Gillan echoed those sentiments, telling AOL's Noisecreep: "I fought against, all my life, becoming institutionalized. So it really does not affect me. But on the other hand, my family and friends and everyone that has stuck with us all these years, it means something to them. They love that recognition.

"To analyze it, and I'll try not to sound cocky or anything, I will say it as respectfully as I can, it's sort of like the Oscars and Grammys and the other awards like that — in the States, just like it is in England, and other places — these awards and honors are usually not decided by the fans, but by a cartel of influential people. These are the same people that decided THE MONKEES were America's answer to THE BEATLES. [laughs]

"So I'm not too concerned about it. Maybe it will happen one day, bit if not, my diary is full and I'm very happy. It hasn't affected our career but it does concern the fans — that's who I feel for."

Outaouais Rock has announced the complete line-up for the eighth edition of the Amnesia Rockfest, now the biggest rock festival in Quebec. The festival will kick off with a series of indoor shows June 10-16 at the Montebello marina in the Outaouais region. Main outdoor festivities take place June 14 and June 15.

Among the headlining bands are the popular Chicago rock group RISE AGAINST, the legendary Californian punk rock bands THE OFFSPRING and SOCIAL DISTORTION, the provocative kings of rock ALICE COOPER and MARILYN MANSON, and the always outstanding alternative metal band DEFTONES. These bands will play alongside the likes of the previously announced RANCID and LAMB OF GOD as well as PENNYWISE (back together with the band's original signer), DROPKICK MURPHYS, ANTHRAX, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, LAGWAGON, TRANSPLANTS (with Travis Barker of BLINK-182), THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES (playing in Quebec after a 16-year absence), MILLENCOLIN and many others.

In addition to a significant enhancement of the three existing stages, Rockfest will introduce two new “international” stages that will focus on cult favorites and rare bands. Taking to these stages include the reunion of BLACK FLAG, which will play under the name FLAG, BAD BRAINS (after an 18 year absence in Quebec), SCREECHING WEASEL (after a 30-year absence in Quebec) SICK OF IT ALL, BIOHAZARD, DISCHARGE, SUBHUMANS UK, MAD CADDIES and many others.

Rotating with the main stage, the "Québécois" stage will host the pillars of Quebec's alternative music scene. Several of these now-defunct bands are reuniting solely for the Amnesia Rockfest: GROOVY AARDVARK, MEN O STEEL, ROLLER STARTER, CRYPTOPSY (with the band's original frontman Lord Worm), GHOULUNATICS, ARSENIQ33, CAPITAINE RÉVOLTE and VULGAR DELI. Also scheduled to reunite are: GRIMSKUNK, MONONC' SERGE, KATAKLYSM, MATT SMASHERS OF PLANET SMASHERS, OBEY THE BRAVE and a punk karaoke at the end of the night as well as many others.

Finally, the emerging stage will offer the best of local and international bands. Many surprises and secrets await festival attendees. In total, over 150 bands will take to the stages during the event.

It cannot be left unsaid that camping zones and festival grounds will be expanding the week leading up to festival as will indoor show venues (the lineup for indoor shows will be released in the upcoming weeks). There will be numerous activities taking place over the course of the event including rides, a rock and roll museum, a haunted house, buskers and fire spitters to enhance the carnivalesque and festive atmosphere.

Weekend passports are now available exclusively with advanced ticket sales in limited quantity on the Rockfest Facebook page. Tickets for general admission will go on sale Saturday at noon at www.pnrockfest.com, in Amnesia stores and on the Admission network. Passports are available at the affordable price of 79$ + taxes and service fees, which comes out to 0.53$ a band! With the already generated enthusiasm and this year's solid lineup, the team thinks that for the first time in its history, the festival will be sold out!

MORBID ANGEL frontman David Vincent will make his screen debut in in director Thomas Mignone's upcoming film inspired by the extraordinary life of Vanessa Del Rio — the legendary Latina adult film star in New York's infamous Times Square during the '70s and 80s.

Described by Michael Rooker, lead actor of "The Walking Dead", as "Boogie Nights" meets "Taxi Driver", the film is written and directed by Mignone, best known for his previous feature film "On The Doll" and also directing award-winning music videos.

SOULFLY's Max Cavalera has signed on to work on music for the film and Glenn Danzig has agreed to appear in the film as a violent thug.

To preserve the creative vision of the film project, it is currently featured on Indiegogo, the new buzzworthy crowd-funding platform.

Vincent has generously donated five of his signature-series "Demonator" electric bass guitars as items for the "Authentic Prop" contribution perk with 100% of the donations going towards funding. These guitars are custom designed by Dean Guitars for David Vincent and are exclusive collector's items. Each will be numbered and signed by both David Vincent and Vanessa del Rio.

Description of the Vanessa Del Rio film project by the filmmakers: "The criminal element that rose from the thriving adult shop area created some of the highest crime statistics New York City had ever seen. Our story takes place against this tumultuous backdrop."

"The Vanessa Del Rio Film Project" is not a documentary but a feature film based on the life of a character named Vanessa Del Rio.

Niclas Müller-Hansen of Sweden's Metalshrine recently conducted an interview with vocalist Biff Byford of British heavy metal legends SAXON. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metalshrine: Did you produce [the new SAXON album, "Sacrifice"] and Andy Sneap mixed it?

Biff: Yeah, I produced it myself and Andy mixed it. It's a vindication of my production.

Metalshrine: Right. It was never the plan for Andy to produce it?

Biff: No, no, never. It was me producing. Andy's a great mix engineer anyway, and I know he works a bit more with ACCEPT, but not with SAXON. He might produce the next album. Who knows? Nothing's carved in stone. I just wanted to do it myself this time. I've co-produced a lot of albums and I just wanted to do it myself.

Metalshrine: I read that you were kind of thinking of perhaps doing a solo album. Is that a serious idea?

Biff: Well, it's just me thinking of what to do next, really. It depends on the rest of the guys. We're gonna be touring pretty hard this year and we worked really hard on the album last year. I don't want to sort of drag the band into another album really quickly so… You know, I'm always working, so it's no big deal for me to write ten songs and if they will end up on the next SAXON album or on some other project, I don't know.

Metalshrine: You also said that you kinda wanted to get that "747" and "Wheels Of Steel" kinda sound?

Biff: Well, I just suggested that that's maybe the type of songs I would go to write on. Not really a sound, but a song style, because we've become quite heavy in the last ten or twelve years, so it might be nice to go back and be more melodic rock.

Metalshrine: I was thinking that bands like KISS and VAN HALEN have both gone for more of that vintage sound. Is that something you'd consider?

Biff: Probably not. [laughs] I like writing music, not rehashing old stuff. We do re-record stuff, but that's mostly for fun really and for fans. For our fans to listen to our songs in different formats, really. With this album, I wanted to bring the power of our sound. I didn't want the album to be overproduced in terms of slick harmonies and choirs and keyboards. I wanted it to be an intense SAXON experience. A couple of songs are more thrashy rock — you know what I mean? — like "Motorcycle Man" and "To Hell And Back Again". More sort of thrashy music, really.

Metalshrine: My first thought after listening to it was that it's really heavy.

Biff: Yeah and I brought back a live element to the album and live we're very heavy. There's no ballad on this album either. We don't really have a relaxing track, if you know what I mean. On the last album, we had a couple of slow songs on there, but this one there's no real let-up. It's just full-on.

Metalshrine: After all these years and all the albums, you're voice is still pretty amazing live. Other singers who's been doing it for just as long are struggling with their voices. How do you keep your voice in shape?

Biff: I don't really. To tell you the truth, I don't really keep it in shape. For a start, I don't drink spirits because that can really burn your throat. If I get shitfaced and I tend to go shitfaced on wine or something like that… and I stopped smoking some 20-odd years ago and I don't really do anything. I'm just aware of that I have a voice and I suppose that helps.

Read the entire interview from Metalshrine.

"Sacrifice" (song) video:

Legendary grindcore outfit NAPALM DEATH's collaboration with ceramic artist Keith Harrison in a one-off performance, which was scheduled for March 22 at the renowned Victoria And Albert Museum (V&A) in London, England, has been canceled.

"It is with regret that we have taken the decision to cancel the one-off NAPALM DEATH performance in collaboration with our ceramic artist in residence Keith Harrison on Friday, 22 March," reads a statement from the organizers. "This was due to take place in the Europe Galleries, which are currently being refurbished, and a further safety inspection has revealed concerns that the high level of decibels generated by the performance would damage the historic fabric of the building.

"The V&A is committed to an exciting programme of exhibitions and events, but the safety of our visitors and building remains our priority at all times."

Keith Harrison (pictured below), V&A ceramics resident, previously stated about the event: "My interest in NAPALM DEATH started in the late '80s when as a teenager in Birmingham I would listen to John Peel's evening radio show when they would appear out of nowhere in jaw-dropping fashion, sometimes for no more than a few seconds.

"The raw, uncompromising energy of NAPALM DEATH will be used to activate a set of three specially created ceramic sound systems based on the group of vivid blue and yellow tiled tower blocks on the Bustleholm Mill estate, West Bromwich where I was born.

"I wanted to invite NAPALM DEATH to collaborate with me for this live performance at the Museum for the last of a series of Disruptions I have worked on throughout my residency."

Tim Louie of The Aquarian Weekly recently conducted an interview with former PANTERA/DOWN and current KILL DEVIL HILL bassist Rex Brown. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Aquarian Weekly: Was there some sort of catalyst to make you want to write a sort of tell-all book about PANTERA ["Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera"]?

Rex: I just wanted it to be in first person and to speak my truth. Ya know, I was sitting in the cheap seats just like the rest of the guys. Only four of us know what went on with that book, and as you get on through the book, you'll understand where it all will lead. If you just started reading the book, you're only scratching the surface.

The Aquarian Weekly: You mentioned how your life changed once you hit rock stardom. When was it that it really hit you that you were a certified rock star?

Rex: I don't know. You get money flying in front ways and back, and it was always not necessarily for the money, but just the critical acclaim of what you'd really worked your tail off for. It took us six years before we were even with a major label. We were turned down 28 times from different labels and stuff like that we couldn't get arrested. The point being that once you do start selling a lot of records and people recognize you and you've reached that point of… I wouldn't call it stardom because I'm not into the fame, I'm just into the jam.

The Aquarian Weekly: There was actually something funny that I read, where you mentioned that you, [late PANTERA guitarist] Dime ["Dimebag" Darrell Abbott] and [former PANTERA drummer and Dimebag's brother] Vinnie [Paul Abbott] got a strip club, and while you and Dime hung back, Vinnie would walk in with all of these bodyguards.

Rex: Yeah, well when you read the book, you will understand his persona and his way of going about things, and I'm not trying to hack Vinnie at all, I have a lot of empathy for him, but in the long run, the guy carries a lot of hatred with him that it's not right. Ya know? I understand about his brother, and well, he was my brother also, but I don't carry around this terrible vendetta against people.

The Aquarian Weekly: Did you find it therapeutic to write this book and to finally get a lot of shit off your chest?

Rex: Absolutely! It was cathartic for sure. Reliving all of those memories and stuff like that, it really made me go back and think, "Fuck, man! I wish Dime were still on this planet because God knows what would've happened." Unfortunately, he's not. I always envisioned that we would somehow try to get back together, but it was not meant to be, I guess.

Read the entire interview from The Aquarian Weekly.