Joe Charupakorn from Premierguitar.com caught up with Swedish guitar hero YNGWIE MALMSTEEN recently and talked about his new album, Spellbound. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:
Premierguitar.com: What prompted the decision to play all of the instruments on Spellbound?

Malmsteen: "There was no reason why it happened this way. It just happened. I got inspired, started recording stuff, and all of a sudden it was done."

Premierguitar.com: Was the process much different on earlier releases?

Malmsteen: "It used to be like a cycle. You’d go into the studio and go through the process of writing, then rehearsing, then drums, then bass. Then when you’re done you mix it, rehearse, and then you go on tour for a year, and then you go back in and do the same thing again. Now it’s different. Even if I go some place like Russia for a gig or two, I keep putting stuff down as I get inspired. And when I hear like 15, 20, or 30— maybe in this case more like 100—things I start thinking, 'Wow, I have some really good shit here. I should seriously put this together as a record.' Most of the stuff that you hear on the record is the first time I played it."
Premierguitar.com: Wow. Is the album mostly first takes?

Malmsteen: "Yeah. I’m not the kind of person that likes to sit and do re-takes. Either it's good and you keep it or you don’t do it at all. In the studio, especially a rented studio, the spontaneity was always stifled. You sit there and think, “I better not make a [expletive] mistake.” I hated that. Having your own studio is great because you only play when you’re inspired."

Read more at Premierguitar.com.

Swedish post hardcore/metal band ADEPT will release its third album, "Silence The World", on March 22 (digital) and March 25 (physical) via Panic And Action/Soulfood in Europe. The follow-up to 2011's "Death Dealers" was once again recorded with Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman (BRING ME THE HORIZON, IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, HAMMERFALL, DARK TRANQUILITY) during September-November 2012.

ADEPT is set to co-headline a U.K. tour in April with WITH ONE LAST BREATH. The band will then hit Germany, Switzerland and Austria on the Impericon Progression Tour, joining CALLEJON, AUGUST BURNS RED and ARCHITECTS for eight shows during April, and ending the tour by performing at Loudfest in Zurich, Switzerland and at the Groezrock festival in Belgium.

ADEPT is:

Robert Ljung - Vocals
Jerry Repo - Guitar
Gustav Lithammer - Guitar
Filip Brandelius - Bass
Gabriel Hellmark - Drums

STRATOVARIUS singer Timo Kotipelto and keyboardist Jens Johansson recently took part in an interview and stripped down, piano-and-vocals performance with the German edition of Metal Hammer magazine. Check out video footage below.

STRATOVARIUS' new album, "Nemesis", will be released on February 22 via earMUSIC. The CD will be made available as a standard 11-track edition as well as 13-track special edition. A taste of the new studio album can be enjoyed with the limited-edition EP "Unbreakable", released on January 25.

STRATOVARIUS are hailed as one of the most influential and successful symphonic metal bands in the world and they have managed to establish themselves as one of the metal scene's heavy names. The new album, "Nemesis", unites all the best traits of the band's melodic, powerful, fresh and technically elaborated metal, all spiced up with an incredible sense for melody.

The album was produced and mixed by Matias Kupiainen and mastered by Mika Jussila from Finnvox studios, who has a long history with the band.

"Nemesis" has a dark and more modern sound compared to the band's last album, "Elysium". It clearly shows how much the band has matured and grown as songwriters. At the same time, the band focused all their attention and work into creating and recording "Nemesis". Singer Timo Kotipelto spent three weeks recording the vocals in a cottage in the Finnish countryside.

"Nemesis" track listing:

01. Abandon
02. Unbreakable
03. Stand My Ground
04. Halcyon Days
05. Fantasy
06. Out Of The Fog
07. Castles In The Air
08. Dragons
09. One Must Fall
10. If The Story Is Over
11. Nemesis

STRATOVARIUS in June 2012 announced the addition of drummer Rolf Pilve to the group's ranks.

Finnish epic metallers WINTERSUN have issued the following update:

"After some festival and summer show announcements, we thought we might also give you a heads up regarding [the next WINTERSUN album] 'Time II'.

"2012 was a really great year for us, the release of 'Time I' was a huge success and we did two successful tours and many sold-out shows. But we are aiming even higher and take WINTERSUN to the next level in 2013!

"We have three official webstores up and running (Europe, Finland, North America) and we hope you guys like the available items. There'll be constant updates and new products and we will also have interesting competitions and specials coming up on our pages, so be sure to check it all out.

"We are starting the mix of 'Time II' and it will be released early 2014. The album will continue where 'Time I' left, but it will be an upgrade in production; it will be equally epic, if not more. It will contain some 'fast stuff' and some guitar shredding (including seven solos), like some of you metalheads and guitar wankers have been wishing for. It will also contain some of the most beautiful music ever written that will bring a tear to your eye.

"We are playing some huge summer festivals in Finland and in Europe (including Tuska, Nummirock, Metalfest, Beastival, Hellfest) and for the first time going to Spain. We are also taking part in Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy) in March for the nomination of 'Metal Album Of The Year'. We know it's going to be an exciting year. It is because all of you who have supported us during the years we have been able to grow and continue to do what we love.

"Thank you for all the support!

"Stay tuned for some further exciting live news soon! We hope to see all of you on the road and during the festival season 2013!"

Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy equivalent) will be held on March 1 at Barona Areena in Espoo, Finland. WINTERSUN's "Time I" will be going up against MOKOMA ("180 Astetta"), NIGHTWISH ("Imaginaerum"), TERVEET KÄDET ("Musta Hetki"), and STAM1NA ("Nocebo").

"Time I" sold nearly 4,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States to land at position No. 109 on The Billboard 200 chart.

WINTERSUN recently headlined this year's edition of the Heidenfest tour. Support on the trek came from KORPIKLAANI, VARG, TROLLFEST and KRAMPUS.

Even though singer Maynard James Keenan told a Chilean radio station earlier in the week that TOOL will not be releasing a new album in 2013, the band's drummer Danny Carey is hopeful that TOOL's next CD could still arrive in the next few months. "Sometime this year … that's all I can say," Carey told New Zealand's The Rock FM regarding a possible release date for the record. "The sooner the better for us. We're working every day but you can never predict it, honestly. We're really excited about it, so I hope all the fans will be too."

Carey also revealed that TOOL has amassed a significant amount of live material for possible future release on CD or DVD. "We have tons of stuff recorded," he said. "I hope we do make that happen one of these days. We have lots of video stuff too, we could do a DVD or two whenever we get around to it. We're kind of trying to focus on the new thing now, so we'll go back at some point and do it."

In a separate interview with David Farrier, Carey spoke about "a big 'Lateralus'-type song" that is being pieced for TOOL's next album. "We're still — believe it or not! — still working on it," he laughed. "It's like an ever-evolving thing. It's probably going to turn into a thing that's, like, a big trilogy type of feel to it, sort of like 'Disposition' and 'Intension' and 'Triad', like on the 'Lateralus' record or something. It will probably be over a 20-minute piece when it's all finished, so it will be a good part of the record. We're dealing with it in sections, but it's coming together really well. We're having lots of fun working on it, that's for sure."

Carey also confirmed that he was the previously unidentified member of TOOL who was recently injured in a scooter crash, pushing back the band's writing and rehearsal sessions. "It's been tough lately because I cracked four ribs, broke three of them on a motorcycle the other day, so I am kinda laid up at this point," he said. "It's making it really painful to play. It's not an easy thing to do. [laughs] It was just over in the San Fernando Valley, I was just turning to go on the freeway, and I think I hit some antifreeze or oil or something, and the wheels just slipped right out from under me, and I just hit the pavement really hard. [laughs] Yeah, I'm still in one piece anyway, but I don't know how lucky I was the way I feel right now. [laughs] It's pretty painful, but some painkillers and some scotch will get you through it."

TOOL hasn't released a new album since 2006's "10,000 Days", although the group has toured intermittently since then.

Keenan and his side act PUSCIFER will release their new EP, "Donkey Punch The Night", on February 19, with some touring to follow.

"Nothin' To Lose: The Making Of Kiss (1972-1975)" will be released on August 20, 2013 via It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Written by Gene Simmons and Ken Sharp, "Nothin' To Lose: The Making Of KISS (1972-1975)" is a 544-page hardcover book that chronicles for the first time the crucial formative years of the legendary rock band KISS, culminating with the groundbreaking success of their classic 1975 album "Alive!" and the smash single "Rock And Roll All Nite", a song that nearly four decades later remains one of the band's most enduring anthems.

Drawing on more than 200 interviews, the book offers a captivating and intimate fly-on-the-wall account of their launch, charting the struggles and ultimate victories that led them to the threshold of super-stardom. Constructed as an oral history, the book includes original interviews with Paul Stanley, Gene, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss, as well as producers, engineers, management, roadies, costume and stage designers, fans, and musical contemporaries from the time, including: original manager Bill Aucoin, Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart, rock photographer Bob Gruen, promoter Ron Delsner, Ted Nugent, Dick Clark, Alice Cooper, Marshall Crenshaw, and Bob Seger, as well as members of AEROSMITH, BLACK SABBATH, RUSH, STYX, NAZARETH, SLADE, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, URIAH HEEP, MOTT THE HOOPLE, NEW YORK DOLLS, RAMONES, and THE QUATTROS, among others. The end result is an indelible and irresistible portrait of a band on the rise and the music scene they changed forever.

Steve Mascord of Hot Metal recently conducted an interview with GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On GUNS N' ROSES' plans for the follow-up for 2008's "Chinese Democracy":

Thal: "There's been talk all the time within us about the next album and what we're going to do and when we're going to do it. But, you know, life always gets in the way. Things get in the way. It's hard to have the momentum and the focus and everything that you need. It's hard to put everything aside and do a whole album.

"Personally, I don't want to do an album. I would like to just do a song. Let's just bite off a song and get a song out there and then bite off another song and get that out there. It's easier to do.

"Look, waiting for an album to get done is just too much. I can't do it myself. If I waited to finish an album, it still wouldn't be done and the album still wouldn't be out.

"When there's so much touring and so much other stuff going on, don't try and take on 14 songs. Do a song, then another song, then another song and then figure it out from there."

On singer Axl Rose's decision to skip GUNS N' ROSES' April 2012 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame:

Thal: "Honestly, we tried to work it out with the Hall Of Fame to come up with something but they had it in their mind that it was their way or no way. So they wouldn't budge and they were just trying to force a situation that wasn't good for everybody. We wanted it to be good for everybody. So…

"A lot of people should be in there that aren't. DEEP PURPLE isn't in there. That's a fucking travesty…"

On allegations that when GUNS N' ROSES played Townsville on December 1, 2010 that Rose had been "caught" lip-syncing, with local television sneaking into the venue and filming the performance:

Thal: "I assure you, everything Axl sings is real, everything I play is real, everything I sing is real. Trust me, we fuck up enough that you know it's real."

On GUNS N' ROSES' concert tardiness:

Thal: "You know what? When you're waiting, I'm waiting too. I don't want to wait fucking three hours to get on stage. I want to give you guys a show and I want you to be happy. But, hey, it's out of my control."

On reports in India that GUNS N' ROSES bassist Tommy Stinson had lost his temper on stage during an encore performance of ROSE TATTOO's "Nice Boys (Don't Play Rock'n'Roll)" in Gurgaon in December 12:

Thal: "It wasn't that. What happened was, we did our bow and we were walking off stage and we said, 'Let's do some more.' They were already packing up the gear and shutting everything down. So they first had to fire up everything all over again and half the shit was away so we started playing with half our gear and finally it was just like, 'You know what? Fuck it.' Some shit wouldn't go on, we're re-connecting cables, so the crew was going crazy trying to get it all done and it was just another moment in the history of the band."

Bassist Anthony Buda (ex-REVOCATION) of Boston, MA-based grind/death metal act LIVING VOID, has contacted BraveWords with news that the band will soon release their full-length album, Squalor, on vinyl very soon.

Living Void will be booking tour dates in mid-May to support this release.
Squalor tracklisting:

'Labyrinthine'
'Uranium Nodules'
'Auxiliary Conspiracy'
'Metatron With Laryngitis'
'Blind Mice Mute Birds'
'The Zero Constellation'
'Third To Last Breath'
'Categorizing Woe'
'On Endless Crawlers'
'Manipulate The Phoenix'
'A Touch Of Dementia'
'Shadows Wielding'

Listen to the album at this location.

Check out some live footage of the band below:
Living Void lineup:

Kyle - Vocals
Kurt Belhumeur - Guitar
Anthony Buda - Bass/Vocals
Mike Read - Drums
More on Living Void at this location.

"Fires Of Life", the new video from the Chicagoland-based band STARKILL, can be seen below.

Featuring a unique blend of symphonic black metal, power metal, and melodic death metal, "Fires Of Life" is the title track from the group's upcoming full-length effort, which is due out April 29 in Europe and April 30 in North America via Century Media Records. The CD artwork was created by renowned metal artist Joshua Belanger and it "properly portrays the epic musical styling of the band," according to a press release.

"Fires of Life" track listing

01. Whispers Of Heresy
02. Fires Of Life
03. Sword, Spear, Blood, Fire
04. Below The Darkest Depths
05. Immortal Hunt
06. New Infernal Rebirth
07. Strength In The Shadow
08. This Is Battle; This Is Our Day
09. Withdrawn From All Humanity
10. Wash Away The Blood With Rain

The track "Sword, Spear, Blood, Fire" is available for streaming below.

STARKILL was formed at the tail end of 2008 by Parker Jameson, Spencer Weidner and Charlie Federici. The band makes no qualms about wearing their influences on their sleeves. They combine what they love — melodic death metal, shredding guitars, blasting drum beats and the epic sounds of modern film scores — and make some of the most promising metal music heard this side of the Atlantic in years.

STARKILL is:

Parker Jameson: Lead Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards, Orchestral Programming
Spencer Weidner: Drums
Charlie Federici: Guitar
Mike Buetsch: Bass

Czech death metallers HEAVING EARTH, who toured throughout Europe alongside IMMOLATION and MARDUK last year, have released their two song EP, Redemption Ablaze, for free download via their Bandcamp site here.
The material, recorded in August 2012, is a follow-up to band's 2010 debut album, Diabolic Prophecies. Expect nearly 12 minutes of discordant death metal punishment of high qualities and skill. The band is scheduled to record their new album later this year, due out on Lavadome Productions.

Redemption Ablaze is also available on CD format from Lavadome Productions and comes free with any order made at the Lavadome store, here.

Nihilistic Holocaust has also released the material as a split tape with Australia's death metal act ALTARS. It can be purchased here.

Redemption Ablaze by Heaving Earth

"Live In Tokyo", the new CD+DVD from PSMS, the new supergroup featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), bassist Billy Sheehan (STEVE VAI, DAVID LEE ROTH), guitarist Tony MacAlpine (neo classical-metal style, STEVE VAI) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, PLANET X, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), will be released in Japan on March 20 via Victor Entertainment.

"Live In Tokyo" features PSMS's November 14, 2012 concert at Zepp Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. The DVD features two-channel stereo sound plus 5.1 Surround. The DVD disc is encoded for region 2 (Japan, Europe, and Middle East), and no subtitles are included.

Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine and Sherinian played an all-instrumental set consisting of material from each of their solo records and their previous collaborations as well as classic instrumental covers and extended solo spots.

The setlist for the Tokyo concert was as follows:

01. A Change of Seasons: I The Crimson Sunrise (DREAM THEATER song)
02. Acid Rain (LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT song)
03. The Stranger (TONY MACALPINE song)
04. Stratus (BILLY COBHAM song)
05. Atlantis, Part 1: Apocalypse 1470 B.C. (DEREK SHERINIAN song)
06. Guitar Solo
07. Been Here Before (DEREK SHERINIAN song)
08. Birds of Prey (Billy's Boogie) (TONY MACALPINE song)
09. Bass Solo
10. The Farandole (TALAS song)
11. The Pump (JEFF BECK song)
12. Drum Solo
13. Nightmare Cinema (DEREK SHERINIAN song)
14. Hell's Kitchen (DREAM THEATER song)
15. Keyboard Solo
16. Lines in the Sand (DREAM THEATER song) (abridged)

Encore:

17. Shy Boy (TALAS song) (Billy Sheehan on lead vocals)

In a recent interview with Prog Sphere, Portnoy stated about the new band, "It's a blast. I love Derek; he's a fun guy. I still stand by the fact that I'm not sure if he was ever right for DREAM THEATER. But, that doesn't mean I don't love the guy as a player and person. I really do — I love being with him and I love playing with him and I'm glad to be able to work with him again. And, you know, it's a cool project because obviously it's very much… I think of everything I'm doing it's the most like DREAM THEATER or it's more even like LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, probably. But you know, it's just me being able to play that kind of music with some amazing musicians. Not only Derek, but, obviously, Billy Sheehan's a dear friend and I've got two different things going with Billy at the moment, and I love working with him; he's one of my favorite bass players of all time. And Tony MacAlpine is an amazing guitar player, so I'm honored to be playing with him as well. It's a great, great lineup and we have a DVD that's gonna come out soon from when we played together back in January and then we have this run of shows coming up in the fall.

Asked if he is going to create some original music with that band, Portnoy replied, "There's no plans for it, but obviously, we are gonna spend months together playing every day, so I'm sure it will inevitably be discussed, and who knows?! I think it could be very, very cool. So, you know, we'll see. I'm sure we'll talk about it."

Portnoy formed the lineup to perfom at two drum events at the NAMM show in January 2012. Due to overwhelming response, that band has decided to take their show on the road.

"I knew when assembling this lineup that it would be a magical musical experience that would be a blast for us as well as the fans! I can't wait to play again with these tremendous musicians and share the experience with you all at these special shows!" said Portnoy.

Fan-filmed video footage of Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine and Sherinian performing on October 27, 2012 at Milk in Moscow, Russia during the band's European tour can be seen below.

POISON singer Bret Michaels will release his new solo album, "Good Songs & Great Friends", on March 26 via Poor Boy Records. The effort brings together the friends that Michaels has made along the way with some of the songs that have shaped all of that success. Featuring collaborations with artists from a variety of genres and generations, this album contains a live duet with Jimmy Buffett ("Margaritaville"), a cover of "Sweet Home Alabama" with Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke and Peter Keys from LYNYRD SKYNYRD playing on the track, new versions of some of POISON's biggest hits, including the highly anticipated remake of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with Loretta Lynn. Musical greats such as Joe Perry of AEROSMITH, Michael Anthony of VAN HALEN/CHICKENFOOT, Leslie West of MOUNTAIN, Ace Frehley of KISS/FREHLEY'S COMET appear on this record, just to name a few.

Two new songs are included on the CD — the wildly popular ode to social media "The App Song" and "You Know You Want It". The single, "Get Your Rock On", released at the beginning of 2012, makes its album debut featuring Phil Collen of DEF LEPPARD/MANRAZE and Sal Costa of MY DARKEST DAYS.

The genre-bending album features 17 songs, and in addition to the artists mentioned above, also includes guest appearances by Miley Cyrus, Hugh McDonald (BON JOVI), Bobby Capps (.38 SPECIAL), Scot Coogan (LITA FORD), THE SHEILDS BROTHERS, and more.

"Good Songs & Great Friends" track listing:

01. Nothin' But A Good Time
02. Get Your Rock On
03. Sweet Home Alabama
04. The App Song
05. Margaritaville
06. Every Rose Has Its Thorn
07. You Know You Want It
08. Unskinny Bop
09. Nothing To Lose
10. Raine
11. Driven (Rock Mix)
12. Fallen
13. What I Got
14. Talk Dirty To Me
15. Go That Far (Hybrid Mix)
16. Party Rock Band
17. Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Country Version)

The new version of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" can be streamed below.

The song "You Know You Want It" is available at MySpace.

In an interview with Gimme Noise, Bret stated about his upcoming CD, "I'm really proud of what we've done with it. It's really not just a Bret Michaels album. I had so many other talented artists come in and support that it's really a 'Bret Michaels And Friends' album. There's a staggering amount of talent on this album. . . It's been such a fun project for me and I'm excited to share it with the fans."

According to TMZ.com, Marilyn Manson was suffering from the flu when he collapsed and vomited onstage near the end of his set in concert in Saskatchewan, Canada this past Wednesday night (Feb. 6). The singer was apparently "feeling like crap" all day, but still wanted to go on with the show. After hitting the stage, Manson started feeling worse and vomited several times before collapsing in the middle of the song "Beautiful People". He fell backward onto the stage, at which point members of his road crew came out to carry him off. The 44-year-old rocker — whose real name is Brian Hugh Warner — decided not to go a hospital, choosing instead to rest up in his hotel room.

Newly released close-up video footage of Manson collapsing onstage can be seen below.

Manson and his band are scheduled to perform tonight (Friday, February 8) in Calgary.

The group's North American tour with the BUTCHER BABIES will wrap on February 23 in Las Vegas.

VERA MESMER, the Los Angeles-based alternative rock band featuring ex-COAL CHAMBER bassist Nadja Peulen and former REVEILLE guitarist Chris Turner (a.k.a. Christopher Mesmer), is making its previously unreleased single, 'Down The Hole", available for free download via Bandcamp.

"Down The Hole" was co-written by Turner and Peulen, continuing the Bonnie-and-Clyde-esque, love-versus-hate theme found on their debut EP, "Orphans".

VERA MESMER has won over audiences with its enigmatic-yet-powerful live shows, having shared stages with WALKING PAPERS, STOLEN BABIES, ORGY, JULIEN K and STEEL PANTHER.

"Orphans" was produced by Turner, mixed by Sean Beavan (MARILYN MANSON, NINE INCH NAILS) and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (SEPULTURA, HALFORD). The CD tells the story of how Chris and Nadja met and takes the listeners on their mystical journey.

VERA MESMER is currently working on a follow-up EP, tentatively due out this spring.

VERA MESMER's video for the song "Back From The Dead", which was shot in January 2011 by Vicente and Fernando Cordero of Industrialism Films, has been viewed more than 30,000 times on YouTube.

The band's five-track debut EP, "The Gypsy Magician" (which doesn't feature Peulen), came out in 2007.

Down the hole by Vera Mesmer

The official lyric video for "Do Me A Favor", the new single from STONE SOUR, can be seen below. The song is the first single from "House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2", the second part of the band's two-album series, "House of Gold & Bones", which will be released on April 9 via Roadrunner Records. The albums were recorded at Sound Farm Studios just outside of the band's native Des Moines, Iowa with producer David Bottrill (TOOL, MUSE) at the helm.

"Do Me A Favor", will be available digitally on February 12. The video for the track will be directed by Phil Mucci, whose video for HIGH ON FIRE's "Fertile Green" was named best video of 2012 by Revolver. Singer Corey Taylor gave The Pulse Of Radio a preview of what to expect from the song. "It's quite aggressive, and actually the label asked me if I would go in and tame stuff down and I was like, 'No.' I'm not doing that," he said. "This is going out the way it is and I'm not gonna touch it up. I'm not gonna have people looking for a song that doesn't exist. This is the way it is on the album, that's the way it's going to be when we put it out to radio."

"House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2" track listing:

01. Red City
02. Black John
03. Sadist
04. Peckinpah
05. Stalemate
06. Gravesend
07. '82
08. The Uncanny Valley
09. Blue Smoke
10. Do Me A Favor
11. The Conflagration
12. The House Of Gold & Bones

When asked by ThisIsNotAScene what fans can expect from the second part of "House Of Gold & Bones", Taylor said: "Part 2 is much darker [than the first part], if I'm honest. Aside from it being a completely different album, it feels more like a soundtrack to a movie in a lot of ways, man. It's really thematic. There are themes from part 1 that reveal themselves and that come again, musically. There's actually stuff from part 2 that you'll hear that's on part 1 and you'll be like, 'Fucking hell!'"

He continued: "We essentially recorded these, and this is where technology is now, so you could have these in a playlist on your iTunes and play them top to fucking bottom and really get that experience while you read both parts. So it's some of our darkest music, our most intricate and complex music, some of the best fucking lyrics I've ever written, to be honest. Even writing from a narrative like that, it was so challenging. Plus, it's got some of our best songs on it.

"You guys think part one's good? Fuck off. 'Do Me A Favor' alone is going to kick the shit out of people and that's going to be the first single, which comes out in January, that's going to be the first taste that people get of part 2, and people aren't going to know what to do."

"House Of Gold & Bones - Part 1" came out last fall.

Music is just one of the mediums used to tell the "House of Gold & Bones" story, and Taylor recently revealed details of the new project with Dark Horse Comics of the same name, which follows, and expands on, the story contained within the albums. With stunning covers from Jason Shawn Alexander (Empty Zone, Batman, Abe Sapien), this four-issue limited series marks Taylor's debut in the comics genre. The first issue of the series will be out on April 17.

STONE SOUR is on tour in North America through February 17, and will return in March for the Road To The Golden Gods tour, which will run through May 2.

Taylor recently told Billboard.com recently that the group is planning a world tour in 2014 during which they will spend two nights in each city and perform both halves of its "House Of Gold & Bones" double album in their entirety.

James Wood of GuitarWorld.com recently conducted an interview with former KORN guitarist and current LOVE & DEATH frontman Brian "Head" Welch. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

GuitarWorld.com: How did LOVE & DEATH get started?

Welch: When I left KORN, I did a solo record, which was very personal and experimental. I hired a few guys and went on the road, and a few of them have stayed with me over the years. We've all become good friends. LOVE & DEATH is really a group effort that shows you what can happen when you let other people in to distribute their gifts on a project.

GuitarWorld.com: You were able to reach the pinnacle of success and the rock-star dream with KORN.

Welch: True. But if you have all of that and you're still empty inside, what does it matter? It all means nothing. Everywhere we went, we were able to take whatever we wanted; getting the free alcohol and sometimes free drugs. Wherever we went, there were no laws, and it was killing us. You can call it "fun" — that is, until you realize it's tearing you down, and it tore all of us down.

GuitarWorld.com: Do you have any regrets?

Welch: Never. Everything is meant to be in life, and I love the person I've become. I'm still growing into the person I really want to be in the future. Now that I've found myself, it means a lot. I know it's a gift.

GuitarWorld.com: You were recently asked to perform on stage with KORN again. What was it like performing with them as the "new" Brian?

Welch: It was exciting. I appreciated just being there, but for different reasons. I could also breathe easier, because I'm so much healthier now.

GuitarWorld.com: What brings you fulfillment?

Welch: My spiritual life and raising my daughter and steering her in the right direction. I also know that the music itself is a gift that I have to give.

Read the entire interview from GuitarWorld.com.

"The Abandoning" video:

During THE ACACIA STRAIN's tenure with Prosthetic Records, the band released four acclaimed studio albums — two of which, 2008's "Continent" and 2010's "Wormwood", cracked the Billboard chart — as well as a Top 10 live DVD. To commemorate the end of an era, Prosthetic has assembled "Money For Nothing", a compilation of rarities, B-sides and previously unheard tracks by the band. The six-track release, out February 19, will be made available as a specially-priced digital EP and a limited-edition digipak which can be pre-ordered now.

The track listing for "Money For Nothing" — the cover art for which appears above — is as follows:

01. Money For Nothing (previously unreleased original song from "The Dead Walk" sessions)
02. Brown Noise (2006) (alternate "Dead Walk"-era version of the "3750" song)
03. Global Warning (previously a "Continent" LP-only bonus track)
04. Stay Puft (previously a "Continent" LP-only bonus track)
05. The Hills Have Eyes (2009) (alternate "Pentagon.3" version of the "Wormwood" song)
06. Terminated (2009) (alternate "Pentagon.3" version of the "Wormwood" song)

The official lyric video for the title track can be seen below.

"Death Is The Only Mortal", the latest album from THE ACACIA STRAIN, sold 8,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 50 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on October 9, 2012 via Rise Records, the CD was produced by guitarist Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz at his Western Massachusetts studio.

THE ACACIA STRAIN's previous CD, "Wormwood" (2010), opened with around 6,300 units to debut at No. 67.

The band's 2008 CD, "Continent", registered a first-week tally of 5,600 copies to enter the chart at No. 107.

The second trailer for "The Living Infinite", the ninth studio album and first dual-disc release from Swedish metallers SOILWORK, can be seen below. Check out what singer Björn "Speed" Strid has to say about the production process and the CD's artwork.

"The Living Infinite" will be unleashed on February 27 in Asia (via license to Marquee Records), in Europe on March 1, and in North America on March 5 through Nuclear Blast Records. Produced by Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH, BLOODBATH), the CD features artwork by MNEMIC's Mircea Eftemie Gabrie.

"The Living Infinite" features Justin Sullivan — lead singer of the English band NEW MODEL ARMY — as a guest vocalist on the track "The Windswept Mercy" and also marks the recording debut of longtime SOILWORK touring guitarist David Andersson (also of THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA).

SOILWORK's world tour launches with a 55-show headlining trek through the U.S. and Canada this March. Support will come from JEFF LOOMIS, BLACKGUARD, THE BROWNING and WRETCHED.

"The Living Infinite" track listing:

CD 1

01. Spectrum Of Eternity
02. Memories Confined
03. This Momentary Bliss
04. Tongue
05. The Living Infinite I
06. Let The First Wave Rise
07. Vesta
08. Realm Of The Wasted
09. The Windswept Mercy
10. Whispers And Lights

CD 2

01. Entering Aeons
02. Long Live The Misanthrope
03. Drowning With Silence
04. Antidotes In Passing
05. Leech
06. The Living Infinite II
07. Loyal Shadow
08. Rise Above The Sentiment
09. Parasite Blues
10. Owls Predict, Oracles Stand Guard

Trailer #2:

Video footage of French progressive metallers GOJIRA performing the song "Flying Whales" on January 28 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona can be seen below.

GOJIRA and the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT are currently taking part in a North American tour.

The trek, which was announced during Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, also includes support from THE ATLAS MOTH.

GOJIRA's fifth album, "L'Enfant Sauvage", sold almost 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "The Way Of All Flesh", opened with 4,200 units back in 2008 to land at No. 138.

"L'Enfant Sauvage" entered the official chart in France at position No. 7 (No. 17 on the digital chart).

"L'Enfant Sauvage" (which translates to "The Wild Child") features 11 tracks of mind-bending, thunderous metal. The CD was recorded at Spin Recording Studios in Long Island City, New York with co-producer Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD).

Frontiers Records has announced the signing of Swedish melodic rock newcomers STATE OF SALAZAR. The band was formed in 2010 by five students from the Malmö Academy of Music who wanted to play rock music made for the big arenas. The band's singer and songwriter, Marcus Nygren, began thinking of the concept of having a band like STATE OF SALAZAR in 2009 when he wrote a couple of songs that did not fit his metal band 8-POINT ROSE.

STATE OF SALAZAR released its debut EP, "Lost My Way", in the summer of 2012, it spread fast in magazines and blogs and created a flood of praise. The Swedish quintet has received a lot of positive critique from all over the world during a very short period of time. Considering bands such as TOTO, QUEEN, JOURNEY, SURVIVOR and especially Bill Conti and Vince DiCola have influenced them, STATE OF SALAZAR have a lot to prove. But they handle all this pressure with their honor intact and their heads held high.

"I think this is an amazing opportunity for us in STATE OF SALAZAR and I can't think of a better record company for us to sign with," says guitar player Johan Thuresson. "I remember when Marcus and I had conversations about the bands future a couple of years ago and that we thought that Frontiers would really be a great place to wind up." Singer Marcus Nygren adds: "To be able to release our first full-length album with Frontiers is simply a dream coming true. I can't wait for you all to hear these great new songs we're working on. You don't want to miss this one when it hits the stores!"

One of the bonus tracks from the EP, "I Believe In You", will be re-recorded from scratch and also included in the debut album, which has a working title of "All The Way". You can check the original version in the YouTube clip below.

There is no mistaking that STATE OF SALAZAR delivers "feel-good" music, and it is no wonder, since one of the biggest influences is "training montage" music from the "Rocky IV" movie. This is just one of many reasons why they actually stand out from many of the other bands in the same genre. STATE OF SALAZAR is not a retro band, or a walk down memory lane. They write songs and play music that strives forward and not backwards. Their songwriting, arranging and instrumental performance show that this is a band that wants to develop and contribute to the melodic rock genre.

STATE OF SALAZAR's debut album is scheduled for release later this year.

IN-GRAVED, the new band led by guitarist Victor Griffin (ex-PENTAGRAM, PLACE OF SKULLS), will release their self-titled debut album in Europe and the UK on Friday, March 22nd via Finnish label Svart Records, and in North America on Tuesday, March 26th via Veritas Records.

The tracklisting for the CD is as follows:
'Digital Critic'
'What If...'
'Late For An Early Grave'
'Fading Flower'
'Thorn In The Flesh'
'Teacher'
'Love Song For The Dying'
'Never Surrender'

The debut self-tilted album was produced by Travis Wyrick (Place Of Skulls) and Victor Griffin. The album was recorded at Lakeside Studios in Knoxville,Tennessee and engineered by Travis Wyrick and Mike Dearing (Place Of Skulls) with cover art by Richard Schouten (Place Of Skulls, MASSACRE).
As previously reported, original drummer of doom-metal legends TROUBLE, Jeff "Oly" Olson, will play the Hammond organ on the forthcoming debut album and will also feature drummer Pete Campbell (60 WATT SHAMAN, Place Of Skulls), bassists Guy Pinhas (THE OBSESSED, ACID KING, GOATSNAKE), Ron Holzner (Trouble, EARTHEN GRAVE, DEBRIS INC.), Greg Turley (Pentagram), Marty Swaney (DEATH ROW, Pentagram), and Dan Lively (SWEET CICADA), as well as keyboardist Mike Puleo (ORODRUIN).

In-Graved will perform at the Roadburn festival on Saturday, April 20th in Tilburg, Holland. More tour dates will be announced soon.
IN-GRAVED touring lineup:

- Victor Griffin (DEATH ROW, PENTAGRAM, PLACE OF SKULLS) - guitar/vocals
- Pete Campbell (60 WATT SHAMAN, PLACE OF SKULLS) - drums
- Guy Pinhas (THE OBSESSED, ACID KING, GOATSNAKE) - bass
- Jeff "Oly" Olson (TROUBLE, RETRO GRAVE) - keys

More on In-Graved at this location.

New Jersey-based thrash 'n' roll heathens HAMMER FIGHT have completed work on their full-length debut, entitled "Chug Of War". The follow-up to the band's 2011 self-titled EP was recorded by Bobby Torres at The Machine Shop in Belleville, New Jersey. A release date for the effort has not yet been announced.

"Chug Of War" features new HAMMER FIGHT guitarist Ryan Blackman, who stepped in to replace Rob Guidotti after his departure last fall. Artwork for "Chug Of War" came from a collaboration between HAMMER FIGHT bassist/vocalist Drew Murphy and Buz Hasson, tattoo artist and co-creator of the comic book "The Living Corpse".

HAMMER FIGHT's cover version of IRON MAIDEN's "Be Quick Or Be Dead" can be streamed using the StereoKiller.com widget below. New material from "Chug Of War" will be posted on Monday, February 11.

On April 4, HAMMER FIGHT will kick off its spring 2013 tour, which will take the band out of their native New Jersey and across the Midwest for a string of dates before hooking up with California skate thrash legends PSYCHOSOMATIC for one of the most liver-damaging and ear-splitting packages of 2013.

HAMMER FIGHT is:

Drew Murphy - Bass, Vocals
Ryan Blackman - Guitar
Todd Stern - Guitar
Justin Spaeth - Drums

The Associated Press is reporting:

The structure is simple, the guitar riffs basic, the lyrics at best inane, but the Troggs' 'Wild Thing' remains a garage rock classic more than 45 years after its release made The Troggs and lead singer Reg Presley international stars.
Presley, whose raunchy, suggestive voice powers this paean to teenage lust, died Monday after a year-long struggle with lung cancer that had forced him and the band into reluctant retirement, his agent Keith Altham announced on Facebook late Monday night. He was 71.

"My dear old pal Reg Presley of The Troggs died today," he said, calling Presley "one very real person in a sometimes very unreal world." He said the singer had suffered a number of strokes recently and died at his home in Andover (70 miles west of London) surrounded by his family and friends.

'Wild Thing', written by American songwriter Chip Taylor, was originally recorded by JORDAN CHRISTOPHER & THE WILD ONES in 1965, and quickly forgotten. It took the Troggs' cover a year later to make it a classic.

Read more at The Associated Press.