ENTOMBED frontman Lars Göran "LG" Petrov joined CONVERGE on stage last night (Friday, December 7) at Hornstull Strand in Stockholm, Sweden to perform the ENTOMBED classic "Wolverine Blues". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

ENTOMBED has been "checking out some studios" for recording of their new album, according to a posting on the band's Facebook page.

ENTOMBED guitarist Alex Hellid recently underwent "a major operation which thankfully went very well," according to a posting on the band's Facebook page. He is now "looking forward" to continuing to work with the new ENTOMBED CD, which is expected sometime next year.

CONVERGE's new album, "All We Love We Leave Behind", sold 6,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 69 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on October 9, the effort was made available in a deluxe package that includes a 48-page, full-color hardcover, clothbound book with original art created by singer Jacob Bannon via Epitaph (vinyl on Deathwish).

Video footage of QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate's December 7 solo concert at Club LA in Destin, Florida can be seen below. Also available is footage of the pre-show soundcheck.

Tate's second solo album, "Kings & Thieves", sold 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD arrived in stores on November 6 via InsideOut Music.

In a recent interview with ARTISTdirect.com, Tate stated about his vision for "Kings & Thieves", "Typically, when I make a record, I have an idea of what I want to try to accomplish. I go about making that happen by making lists. I'm a list maker. I jot down all of these ideas I've got and I form those ideas into an outline. Then, I start using it as a punch list to take care of all these details I'd like to do. I knew I wanted to make a really solid rock record. I didn't want to stray too far into other musical endeavors. I wanted to keep it more rock-oriented with traditional rock instruments. I also knew that I wanted it to be more of a live record where all of the musicians get in a room and actually play together. A lot of it was recorded and written at the same time. That was very fun, and I've never done that before. It has an effect that makes the music seem more immediate and raw rather than being a polished, rehearsed-into-the-ground record, which I've done throughout most of my career. Making this record was a different process for me, and I made it very quickly. It flowed from the moment I started until the time I was done with it. It only took about six months to make. By comparison, QUEENSRŸCHE records have taken years to make."

Asked if there is any connection to his first solo record, Tate said, "Well, it has been a long time. It's been a long time coming too. They're two really different records to me. On that first solo record, I really wanted to stretch outside of the QUEENSRŸCHE box and do everything I could never do. I wanted to explore my influences in my writing. That first album has R&B influences, which I'm very into. It's got classical and electronica influences, but it doesn't have a lot of rock. "Kings & Thieves" is really a rock record. I focused on that aspect."

Soundcheck:

Chad Gray (HELLYEAH, MUDVAYNE), Tim Lambesis (AS I LAY DYING) and Eddie Hermida (ALL SHALL PERISH) are the first confirmed guest singers who will perform with the surviving members of SUICIDE SILENCE at a special show on December 21 at the Fox theater in Pomona, California as a tribute to their late singer, Mitch Lucker, who died November 1, after sustaining injuries in a motorcycle crash in Huntington Beach on Halloween night. All proceeds from the event will go towards the education of Mitch's five-year-old daughter, Kenadee Lucker. The concert announcement was made on November 24 during the sixth annual California Metalfest at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, California.

Official multi-camera video footage of the announcement can be seen below.

Speaking to the audience, SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Mark Heylmun said, "We fucking lost our brother; I'm sure you all know that. We all miss him more than anything in the fucking world."

He continued, "I think something that is really important to us is that we consider SUICIDE SILENCE a family — as far as the band goes, as far as any crew member we've ever had, anybody that has ever worked for us, and the fans… Everyone is family; and that is the greatest thing that's ever happened to us and we are so grateful to be a part of this.

"This is the most difficult thing we've ever had to deal with. I really don't know where to start. We're just dealing with it day by day, and I hope everybody else is dealing with it. It's just unreal to have to be up here right now talking about this.

"We wanna say thank you all so much for donating to Kenadee's education fund.

"If there was anything that Mitch gave a fuck about in the world besides SUICIDE SILENCE, it would obviously be his daughter; he cared more about her than anything in the fucking world. We're here and we're gonna make sure that she's taken care of, and that's what we have to do. And we thank you guys for donating all the money you have.

"Everybody's been asking what we're gonna do as a band. We're putting together a show. It's gonna be at Fox Theater on December 21. Just kind of the best event, the best show that you could possibly imagine. Obviously, Mitch is not gonna be there. We're gonna have a different singer every single song. We're gonna put the best show that we possibly can together. It's already in the works. Tickets go on sale [on Tuesday, December 4]. Hopefully everybody can make it out. It's gonna be really fucking special. And all the money that is going towards the show is going to Kenadee's educational fund. So it's going to a good cause and Mitch would really appreciate it and we'd really appreciate it. So thank you, guys, very much."

A funeral service for Mitch Lucker was held on November 8. The ceremony was attended by family and friends, including SUICIDE SILENCE bassist Dan Kenny, who tweeted afterwards, "Had to bury my brother today, he looked peaceful when I saw him. It was very hard but it was needed! To the fans just know Mitch loved yall"

SUICIDE SILENCE has launched a memorial fund to provide assistance to Lucker's family. Those who donate $20 or more will receive a commemorative t-shirt.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Lucker struck a light pole near the intersection of Main and 13th streets and was thrown from his 2013 Harley Davidson. The motorcycle continued sliding south on Main Street and struck a northbound 2007 Nissan Titan pickup.

Lucker, who was treated at the scene by paramedics, died shortly after 6 a.m. at UC Irvine Medical Center.

Fan-filmed video footage of NAPALM DEATH's entire December 2 performance at Grand Central in Miami, Florida can be seen below.

NAPALM DEATH has just completed a North American co-headlining tour with MUNICIPAL WASTE. The five-week trek also featured EXHUMED as support, plus VEKTOR, DAYGLO ABORTIONS, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT and SPEEDWOLF on select dates. During the tour, NAPALM DEATH sold t-shirts designed by artist Sean Taggart (CRUMBSUCKERS, AGNOSTIC FRONT).

NAPALM DEATH's latest album, "Utilitarian", sold around 2,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD debuted at No. 14 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

NAPALM DEATH's previous album, 2009's "Time Waits For No Slave", opened with around 1,800 units to land at No. 19 on the Heatseekers chart.

"Utilitarian" was released on February 27 in Europe and February 28 in North America via the band's longtime partner, Century Media Records. The cover artwork perfectly fits the album's theme and was created by the Danish artist Frode Sylthe, who is also responsible for THE HAUNTED's "rEVOLVEr" artwork.

The third annual Kiss Kruise is confirmed for October 28 - November 1, 2013 on board The Norwegian Pearl sailing from Miami, Florida to Key West, Florida and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.

Register online for the Kiss Kruise III presale at this location.

A two-and-a-half-minute video recap of this year's edition of the Kiss Kruise can be seen below.

The second Kiss Kruise set sail October 31 - November 4, 2012 from Miami, Florida to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas onboard the Norwegian Pearl.

In an interview with Wallace Immen of AvidCruiser.com, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons stated about the first-ever Kiss Kruise (which was held in October 2011), "The Kiss Kruise is a chance for all of us — the band and the fans — to have a ball. Just let your hair down and not worry about it at all. KISS has always been about breaking the rules. We've never liked that moat — the stage — separating the band from the fans. So whenever we do a show, we try to take the action right to your face. A cruise will let the fans get up close. We try to take it inside you, we want you to smell it and taste it and feel it."

When asked if the fans were going to get to interact with the band on the cruise, Gene said, "We're going to have a deck up top to ourselves and we will certainly want to bring up fans. It may to a little difficult to get down to the lower levels and hang out a lot, because you've got 3,000 people on board, who are basically going to shred you to pieces. It's all appreciated, of course, and I say all this with tongue in cheek — I don't mean my tongue in your cheek, but you know what I mean. The real idea of this cruise is to have fun. Everything about KISS is over the top. Everything about it is meant to really make every day we have above ground a fun day."

Fan-filmed video footage of POSSESSED's performance on Barge To Hell — the world's most extreme metal cruise, which sailed Monday, December 3, 2012 from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas and returned to the real world on Friday, December 7 — can be seen below.

POSSESSED 2012 is:

* Jeff Becerra - Vocals
* Emilio Marquez (SADISTIC INTENT) - Drums
* Robert Cardenas (AGENT STEEL, COFFIN TEXTS) - Bass
* Kelly McLauchlin (DIABOLIC, UNHOLY GHOST, PESSIMIST) - Guitar
* Daniel Gonzalez (NAILSHITTER, OCCISAS) - Guitar

In a recent interview with MetalTitans.com, McLauchlin stated about POSSESSED's plans for a new studio album, "We have music and basic song structures for three songs written so far. We want to take our time and craft songs which will definitely sound like classic POSSESSED. The plan is to record an EP/demo, which we will shop to labels, and then do the full-length. No word on any release date, as we are still in writing mode. We are holding off playing any shows until the end of the year. I expect we will enter the studio sometime early 2013."

Regarding the songwriting process for the new material, McLauchlin said, "Well, so far we have been writing the music together as a band, between me, our other guitarist Daniel, and drummer Emilio. So far, it has been that Dan or I will have some song ideas and riffs, maybe an intro riff, and then we work with the drummer for the song structures and arrangements. We all contribute ideas when it comes to tweaking the riffs, and try different things before an idea is finalized. We are taking our time with it, and are actually re-working some of the songs now. I am working on some new riffs now, which are very much within the traditional POSSESSED feel and style, with a modern/updated twist!! Die-hard POSSESSED fans will not be disappointed!!"

Becerra previously stated about POSSESSED's current lineup: "I am quite happy with this new lineup and truly respect every member in the band now. It just makes everything so much easier and worthwhile whenever everyone is as into the music as I am. Also the professionalism and dedication is unwavering. These guys came in with guns blazing and knew the songs so well that even the first time around they were playing them almost perfectly."

In the October 2008 issue of Guitar World magazine, Becerra talked candidly about the 1989 shooting that left him paralyzed from the chest down, his battle with drugs and alcohol, the early days of the Bay Area thrash metal scene and his future as a wheelchair-bound frontman for the death metal legends.

Regarding the robbery that left him paralyzed, Becerra said: "The first bullet went into my chest about six inches above the nipple, went through the lung and stuck on the inside of my spine. I put my hand up as I was going down, and the second bullet clipped the top of my ring finger off. But at least it didn't hit me in the head. So I was on the ground, and the first guy put the gun to my head and pulled the trigger, and the gun jammed — luckily for me, some criminals don't know how to clean their automatic weapons."

30 years after his departure from KROKUS, guitarist Mandy Meyer has now officially returned.

Founder Chris Von Rohr and Fernando Von Arb are thrilled to have him back in the fold. Fernando says: "Now the KROKUS family is complete again."

Meyer replaced original KROKUS guitarist Tommy Kiefer for the remainder of 1980's "Metal Rendez-Vous" tour and 1981's "Hardware" tour and witnessed the growing popularity of KROKUS worldwide, including the band's first U.S. tour. Those two albums sold millions of copies around the world.

Mandy left KROKUS and moved at the tender age of 22 years old to Los Angeles to pursue his musical dreams. And it worked out pretty good, as time would tell.

In the mid-Nineties, Mandy moved back to Switzerland and joined GOTTHARD, another successful Swiss band. In 2004 he left that band and concentrated on his solo career. Between 2005 and 2007, he toured with KROKUS in support of the "Hellraiser" album, which he recorded and contributed to.

In 2009, Meyer joined forces with vocalist Michael Kiske (ex-HELLOWEEN) with Dennis Ward (bass) and Kosta Zafiriou (drums) of Germany's PINK CREAM 69 in UNISONIC.

Towards the end of 2011, Chris Von Rohr approached Mandy and asked him whether he would be game to play a couple of shows in Japan. Mandy recalls: "I agreed in a New York minute". The concerts proved to be totally successful. "And we got along great, it was as if time stood still," he adds.

Chris Von Rohr, along with vocalist Marc Storace, recently laid down bass and vocal tracks at London, England's Abbey Road Studios for the band's 17th album, "Dirty Dynamite". Sound engineer for the recording sessions is again Dennis Ward, who also recorded the band's last album, "Hoodoo".

Von Rohr promises: "The new songs sound like dirty dynamite: pure, dirty, in-your-face hard rock with a touch of blues."

Adds Storace: "We've been taking the time it needs writing for our next rock album and we guarantee that it definitely will contain no fillers!"

KROKUS 2012 is:

Marc Storace - Vocals
Chris Von Rohr - bass
Fernando Von Arb - Lead Guitar
Mark Kohler - Rhythm Guitar
Mandy Meyer - Guitar

Tuomas Holopainen, keyboardist and main songwriter of the Finnish symphonic metal band NIGHTWISH, has issued the following update:

"It was back in 1999, during the 'Oceanborn' tour, that I remember first having the idea of writing a 'soundtrack' to my all-time favorite piece of Disney comic, 'The Life And Times Of Scrooge McDuck', by Don Rosa, the apparent heir of the almighty Carl Barks. This book has had such an overwhelming effect on me throughout these years, and finally I have the means and the time to make that dream a reality.

"It all started with a story called 'Last Sled To Dawson', which was published in a Finnish Donald Duck magazine in the late '80s. It instantly became one of my favorite Scrooge/Donald stories and also introduced Mr. Don Rosa to my Disney universe. This story is not part of the actual 'Life And Times' opus, though, but 'a companion story,' set in between the chapters #8 and #9. Then when the massive 12-chapter piece was released in mid-'90s, I was completely and utterly hooked. It was similar to reading 'The Lord Of The Rings' as an 8-year-old, or seeing 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' for the first time. Adventure, fun and the strangely familiar feeling of home.

"With Scrooge, there was also a much deeper level hidden between the stories and the gags.

"This is a book about life itself. What an unfathomable privilege it is, what are the things that truly matter during our existence. It's about the immense beauty of the world and its possibilities seen through the eyes of a very relentless, honest and complex character. It's about love and family, gain and loss, darkness and rebirth.

"And on top of that, well, it's just your good old-fashioned storytelling fun!

"I have been twiddling around with certain themes for some months now and have an idea for five songs, but I will start working on this project 24/7 after the Australian leg of the tour, in February 2013. The demo recordings are scheduled for May 2013, just before the festival season starts and we're off with NIGHTWISH again. The actual recordings then start in August-September and should be finished by the end of the year, making a release during the first half of 2014 a possibility.

"Mr. Pip Williams has agreed to do the orchestral and choral arrangements and we will use pretty much the same London session musicians as we did on 'Imaginaerum'. Troy Donockley will bring Scrooge's Scottish origins to life with his pipes and whistles, and there will also be a few more guest musicians and singers involved.

"This journey is very, very dear and personal to me and I'm honored to have Mr. Rosa's approval on the project. It'll be a beautiful storytime, once again!"

FourPoints Television, producers of "The Aviators", one of PBS' most-watched television reality docuseries, has announced it has signed Vince Neil, lead singer of the infamous rock band MÖTLEY CRÜE, to head up a new reality series based on his exploits as a newly-certified pilot. The series, "Vince Neil Escapes", will follow Neil in his dream to finalize his pilot's license, for which flight training occurred on-camera during Season three of the popular PBS aviation program. In the process Vince and an entourage head for the skies in a series of flights to glamorous party destinations.

Episodes will accompany Neil and his bombshell entrepreneur girlfriend, his semi-famous rocker manager, and his soft-spoken female mentor and flight instructor, as they embark on various whirlwind flights across North America and the Caribbean, enjoying rock-star level treatment along the way. Throughout the season, Vince battles FAA regulations to earn the right to fly on his own (due to a long history of DUI convictions, including one fatal collision), working with a quirky medical practitioner... and accordion player.

Yet Neil's more enduring challenge is to strike a balance between his hard-partying nature and the unique sobriety and focus required to fulfill his dream of being a full-fledged pilot. Neil's flight instructor and "angel on the shoulder" warns that the only variable between Vince enjoying a casual flight and dying in a fiery disaster is Vince himself.

"We get to see a developing side of Vince that lifts the series above the typical celebrity reality fare," said Anthony Nalli, producer and creator of "Vince Neil Escapes" as well as a long-time pilot and host of "The Aviators". "He's faced with some choices that could have life-and-death consequences, and is called upon to summon a serious side that many 'Vince haters' doubt even exists. It's a classic battle of temptation that we all face — only on an rock star scale."

"I'm thrilled to be part of the series. It's a great ride," said Neil. "We do a lot of crazy partying in our travels, for sure, but what I've learned from this experience goes way past that. Flying has always been a huge dream for me, but the reality of learning something this disciplined has had a life-altering effect. It's taken time for it to sink in, but I've definitely gone through some unexpected changes."

Viewers can observe Vince's push-pull relationship with his unlikely new confidant and flight instructor (the only non-celebrity in the group, suddenly immersed in a VIP party scene), and how Vince's existing relationships with his put-upon manager and ambitious girlfriend are each influenced by his latest adventures in aviation.

British melodic metallers CODE OF SILENCE, who are fronted by Brazilian vocalist Gus Monsanto (REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE, ADAGIO, SYMBOLICA, LORD OF MUSHROOMS), have signed with Mausoleum Records and Rubicon Music.

Produced by Paul Logue (EDEN'S CURSE) and mixed and mastered by Italian producer Alessandro Del Vecchio (EDEN'S CURSE, HARDLINE, LIONVILLE) CODE OF SILENCE's full-length debut, "Dark Skies Over Babylon", is described in a press release as "a grandiose thematic album based upon the tales of the legendary Knights Templar during the period of the Crusades." The CD is scheduled for release on January 23 in Japan, February 25 in Europe and April 9 in North America.

CODE OF SILENCE filmed a promotional video for their first single, "Sky Is Falling Down", in early December in Glasgow with Mycho Films. The clip will make its online debut in the spring.

A two-minute audio sample of "Sky Is Falling Down" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

Alongside the experienced Monsanto, CODE OF SILENCE features young virtuoso guitarist Ben Randall (POWER QUEST) who turned heads when he won "The Most Promising Young Guitarist" award at the 2008 inaugural Guitar Idol competition in London at just 17 years old. With a field of over 750 international entrants, Randall wowed judges who praised "his level of technical virtuosity at such a young age, coupled with a level of phrasing beyond his years," a hallmark of his playing throughout the CODE OF SILENCE debut. The rest of CODE OF SILENCE consists of keyboardist Scott McLean (FALLOCH, CONCEPT OF TIME), drummer John Clelland (THE CROWS, THE JACK, KARMA, THE TROUBLESHOOTERS), and bassist and band leader James Murray.

"Dark Skies Over Babylon" track listing:

01. Omertà
02. Bitter Sweet Paradise
03. Sky Is Falling Down
04. Tame The Tempest
05. Dark Skies Over Babylon
06. Seventh Seal
07. Witches Of November
08. Black Abyss
09. Knights Of The Crimson Cross
10. Midnight Cathedral (Veritas)
11. Here To Heaven

The cover artwork for SEVENDUST's ninth album, "Black Out The Sun", can be seen below. Due on March 26, 2013 via the band's 7Bros. Records label (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group), the CD's first single, "Decay", will be sent to radio and available for download at online retail outlets January 22, 2013. The effort was recorded at Architekt Music studios in Butler, New Jersey with engineer Mike Ferretti.

"The craziest thing about this record is finishing it in about a month," guitarist John Connolly told Revolver magazine. "We haven't done that since our debut album [1997's self-titled effort]. This is one of the fastest records we've ever made, but also one of the strongest — working off instinct mostly."

According to Connolly, SEVENDUST's forthcoming CD finds the band exploring "a darker vibe," but "there's still plenty of melody," he added. "The record fits right in with 'Animosity' [2002], 'Alpha' [2007], and our self-titled album. Lots of heavy stuff and some more mellow, moody songs as well It's a nice balance of what makes for the SEVENDUST sound."

Songtitles set to appear on the 12-track CD, which was produced by the bandmembers themselves, include "Mountain" and "Murder Bar". The latter was reportedly inspired by a Butler, New Jersey bar across from the hotel where SEVENDUST was staying while recording the new CD. Rumor had it the place was popular with many of New Jersey's murderers.

"It's a basic SEVENDUST record," guitarist Clint Lowery recently told "Source Of The Sound With Wendy Campbell". "There's nothing, like, too completely different than anything we've done before. It's got a darker vibe to it. We've got a good amount of the programming element in there. It's a lot of what we do — it's heavy and it's got its melodic element in it. So if you're a SEVENDUST fan, it's more along the lines of the second and third records we did — it's kind of like that. It's got a couple of throwback vibes to it. 'Animosity' and 'Home' [1999], if I can put those two records together, it would [sound similar to the new CD]."

SEVENDUST and LACUNA COIL will join forces for a U.S. tour in early 2013. The bands will head out on a 17-date run throughout the month of February. The trek kicks off on February 2 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

DEATHRONIC, the Paris, France-based one-man symphonic black death metal project created by Amine Andalous, will release its debut album, "Duality Chaos", on January 28, 2013 via Mighty Music.

According to a press release, "DEATHRONIC is experimenting with a sound that combines several influences such as electronic music, oriental, doom and old-school heavy metal."

In late 2011, DEATHRONIC entered The Parlour Recording Studios in Kettering, U.K. and began tracking "Duality Chaos" with Neil Haynes as engineer. The vocals were recorded in March 2012 at the Audio Sound Art Studio in Berlin and engineered by Laurentx Etxemendi (GOJIRA). The CD was mixed and mastered in April 2012 by Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman (DIMMU BORGIR, AT THE GATES, OPETH, IN FLAMES). The artwork was created by Seth Siro Anton (SEPTICFLESH, PARADISE LOST, MOONSPELL).

The main concept behind "Duality Chaos" is human violence, a theme which is very present both in the lyrics and on the album's artwork.

SOLILOQUIUM, the Swedish death/doom act featuring Stefan Nordström and Jonas Bergkvist from DESOLATOR (currently signed to Hellthrasher Productions) and ENDING QUEST, is hard work on its second demo, "The Concept Of Escape". According to the group, the recording "is musically ready. Time to solve the others parts like mixing, mastering, album cover and such."

"The Concept Of Escape" will include three brand new tracks: "Crossroads", "Remnants Of Dying Dreams" and "Nighttime Revelations". It will also mark the recording debut of drummer Mortuz, who is also a member of the black metal act MIST OF MISERY.

SOLILOQUIUM's debut demo, "When Silence Grows Venomous", was released as a free download in mid-2012.

GENERATION KILL, the band featuring EXODUS frontman Rob Dukes, is back in the studio working on its second full-length album. The group is in talks with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUICIDE SILENCE, ALL THAT REMAINS, SHADOWS FALL, SOULFLY) to produce the CD and promises two things with this album — it will be different and it will be heavy.

Regarding the musical direction of the new effort, Rob Moschetti (bass) and Jason Velez (lead guitar) explained that they basically wanted to "stick to the direction of there is no direction, we want to be artists, people forget that music is art and we want to deliver something that makes people think and want to go back and listen again and again."

GENERATION KILL's new CD is due in 2013 via Season Of Mist. Zeuss "has a guiding hand in all the songs the band has written" for the upcoming CD so far, according to Dukes.

GENERATION KILL's debut album, "Red White And Blood", was released in September 2011. The CD was recorded at J. Rod Production Studios in New City, New York (where the vocal tracks for EXODUS' "Let There Be Blood" and OVERKILL's "Ironbound" were previously laid down).

GENERATION KILL is:

Rob Dukes - Vocals
Rob Moschetti - Bass/Backing Vocals
Jason Trenczer - Lead Guitar
Jason Velez - Lead Guitar
James DeMaria - Drums

Norwegian rock band AUDREY HORNE will release its fourth studio album, "Youngblood", via Napalm Records on the following dates:

Norway: January 25, 2013
Sweden, Finland, Espania: January 30, 2013
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux: February 1, 2013
Rest Of Europe: February 4, 2013
USA, Canada: February 5, 2013

According to a press release, "Youngblood" follows in "the ancient tradition of honest and true handmade music, a fresh enthusiasm and new energetic sound. 'Redemption Blues', 'Youngblood' or 'Show And Tell' not only live up to the numerous AUDREY HORNE classics, but turn into irresistible tunes with catchy refrains right from the start that will stay with you for a long time."

AUDREY HORNE will present "Youngblood" live on stage with live shows in Oslo (with STONE SOUR on December 18 and with BLACK DEBBATH on January 25). In March 2013, AUDREY HORNE will play Germany and Prague, Czech Republic with LONG DISTANCE CALLING and SÓLSTAFIR.

AUDREY HORNE was formed in 2002, taking its name from Sherilyn Fenn's character in the cult TV series "Twin Peaks". Although some of the band's members play or have previously played in black metal bands like ENSLAVED and GORGOROTH, AUDREY HORNE's music is far removed from the black metal genre, and can be described as heavy and melodic hard rock, similar to bands like FAITH NO MORE, ALICE IN CHAINS and A PERFECT CIRCLE.

Columbus, Ohio metallers LEGION have inked a worldwide deal with eOne/Good Fight Music. The band's new album will be released in the spring.

Commented LEGION guitarist Alex Heiberger: "Over the last year and a half or so, we have been hard at work writing and looking for the perfect label to help us release our new material. When we were told that eOne/Good Fight was interested in us, we could not have been more stoked. There are so many bands on the label that have influenced us since the beginning and it is an honor to now be a part of a great label."

LEGION is currently gearing up for the End Of The World Tour as the support act for JOB FOR A COWBOY.

Gaining exposure through their own DIY touring and performances at the New England Metal And Hardcore Festival, LEGION has come a long way in a short amount of time. The video for "Perverse Icon" has offered YouTube users a glimpse at just what LEGION is capable of achieving on stage. Tracks like "Disclosure Of Sin" and "Righteous Dictation" are emblematic of LEGION's skillful precision when it comes to balancing aggressive metallic destruction with trippy groove.

LEGION is:

Michael Guilford (vocals)
Chris Dragics (guitar)
Alex Heiberger (guitar)
Mason Prince (bass)
Jake Rodriguez (drums)

Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, has issued an official response to the petition that was created by a LAMB OF GOD fan from Brandenburg, Kentucky in an online forum on the White House web site for the government to help the band's frontman, Randy Blythe, who is facing manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic. (A petition needs 25,000 signatures in 30 days to get attention; the Blythe petition had 29,000 signatures, 4,000 more than necessary.)

Posner's full statement reads as follows:

"We appreciate your inquiry about the case of D. Randall Blythe, who was released from detention in the Czech Republic on August 3, 2012, and returned to the United States shortly thereafter. Mr. Blythe has publicly stated his intention to return to the Czech Republic to face trial for the alleged manslaughter of a Czech man at a concert in 2010. He recently told MTV, 'It's the correct thing for me to do ... this poor young man's family deserves some answers.' Pending Mr. Blythe's trial, we cannot discuss the details of his case. We are closely monitoring the progress of his trial.

"The Department Of State noted in its 2011 Human Rights Report that in the Czech Republic, 'The laws provide for the right to a fair trial, and the independent judiciary generally enforced this right.' We expect that the Czech government will make all efforts to ensure a fair, transparent, and timely trial for Mr. Blythe, and guarantee full protection of his legal rights under Czech law and his welfare.

"If you would like to know more about what the Department of State does for U.S. citizens overseas, please visit our website at Travel.State.Gov. General information on U.S. human rights policy is available at HumanRights.gov."

A Czech state attorney filed criminal charges against Blythe on November 30 related to the death of a fan in Prague two years ago, the attorney's office spokeswoman Štepánka Zenklová told the Czech News Agency (CTK). The Prague City Court has three months to set the trial date or return the case to the police and state attorney for further investigation.

Blythe is facing the possibility of conviction and a long-term jail sentence after a 2010 incident in which a fan attending a LAMB OF GOD show died almost a month later, allegedly from injuries sustained when he was thrown off the stage. Blythe's predicament has galvanized the heavy rock community, with artists across the hard rock genre pledging their support.

Shortly after being released from the Pankrác prison in Prague in early August, Blythe sat down with Mark Holmberg of WTVR-TV — the CBS television affiliate based in Richmond, Virginia — to discuss his 37-day stay at the notorious Czech Republic penitentiary (see video below).

Asked about his vow to go back to Prague if there is a trial, Randy said, "I feel ethically responsible to go back there and face this charge. [The victim's] family right now is in a lot of pain, and they deserve some answers. To lose a child is the worst possible thing a human can go through, I think .. I want my name cleared. I have to go around the world and tour, you know. That's what I do. I'm not going to hide here. I'm an innocent man. I'm going to go to court and see what happens."

Regarding what the "worst-case scenario" is if he returns to Prague for a trial, Blythe told Metal Hammer magazine, "Ten years with no time off for good behavior. For my particular charge — we're saying manslaughter, but it's assault in the fourth degree with intent, resulting in the death of this young man — the sentence for that is five to 10 years with no time off. So the worst-case scenario is that get out when I'm 51, 52 years old. It's not something I really try to dwell on too much, because it's scary. I don't want to go to prison, I don't want that to happen, but the fact of the matter is it could happen. I will deal with it as it comes, that's all! can do. If you have one foot in the past and one foot in the future, you're pissing on the present. And right now, all! have is the present so I prepare myself the best I can. My band is behind me and my family's behind me and we're gonna do our best to prove my innocence. But worrying about a nebulous uncertain future, or being super-bummed out that l went to prison for 37 days does me no good."

LAMB OF GOD's manager, Larry Mazer, confirmed in a statement earlier this week that Blythe will defend himself in the case. "We believe that Randy responded professionally to the numerous amount of fans rushing the stage that day, a number of them captured on videos that have been posted on the internet," Mazer said. "We have testimony from the venue operator that acknowledges lax security and an improper barricade being used that evening. Numerous testimonies from fans also were contradictory as to the actions of the multiple fans that tried to access the stage."

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's deathcore thrashers CHARIOTS OF THE GODS will release their new full-length album, "Tides Of War", on January 29, 2013. Produced by award-winning producer/engineer/mixer Glen Robinson, who has worked with RAMONES, AC/DC, GWAR, ANNIHILATOR and VOIVOD, the CD delivers 14 epic, crushing tracks to follow up their well received 2010 debut EP, "Reverence", which the band promoted by performing extensively in Quebec and Ontario, sharing the stage with such bands as MISFITS, VOIVOD, DESPISED ICON, KATAKLYSM and MISERY INDEX.

"We can't begin to describe how proud we are to finally share our musical creations with the world. So much has gone into it and we were lucky enough to work with incredible people such as our producer Glen Robinson and Aleksi Sihvonen (NORTHER)," comments vocalist Renaud Jobin. "Our sweat and manly tears gave this full-length album a more authentic and mature sound that will hopefully, rip your face off and leave you breathless."

"Tides Of War" track listing:

01. Overture
02. Seventh Weapon
03. Blind Assassin
04. Ambrosian Wings
05. Tides of War
06. Revillusion (1905)
07. Snow Falls On The White River (1914)
08. Severing The Bloodline (1917)
09. Collapse of An Empire
10. Red Skies
11. Nebula
12. Starborn
13. Unbound (feat. Aleksi Sihvonen)
14. Annihilation of The Gods

Rhode Island's THY WILL BE DONE invited a fan onstage to play the song "Subversion Of The Sleep" with them on November 17 at the Scout Bar on the Houston, Texas date of the "Party To The Apocalypse" tour. Thomas Ebers, who happened to also be a guitar player in one of the local opening acts, had casually mentioned he knew the song on guitar to the band. They asked him to leave his gear near the stage until their set because they wanted him to join them.

Audience-filmed footage of the performance can be seen below.

THY WILL BE DONE's new EP, "Temple", was produced and engineered by the band, mixed by acclaimed metal producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris at Planet Z and is the inaugural release on the band's own Eye.On Lion Recordings with INgrooves Fontana handling worldwide distribution.

Eye.On Lion Recordings is a DIY-style record label designed to release new music, merchandise, as well as other media from THY WILL BE DONE. The first single, "You, The Apathy Divine", was officially released through iTunes on June 26 following the band's performance at the Orion Music + More festival, for which they were hand-picked by the festival curators METALLICA.

"Temple" is THY WILL BE DONE's third release following 2009's "In Ancient Of Days" and the 2007 debut, "Was And Is To Come". The "Temple" EP shows the band expanding on their sound that both peers and press have already described as defying metal sub-genres.

Pennsylvania rockers HALESTORM and their song "Love Bites (So Do I)" have been nominated in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category at the 55th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on Sunday, February 10, 2013 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. They will be going up against ANTHRAX, MEGADETH, MARILYN MANSON, IRON MAIDEN and LAMB OF GOD in the category.

Speaking to Loudwire, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale stated about the Grammy nomination: "It's crazy, it means a lot considering the rock/metal performance category — it's kind of like a personal victory for the four of us. The performance of our live shows, that's what we love most. It's really neat, we're extremely humbled by it, we had no idea. In fact, I wasn't even paying attention [laughs] to the nominees for the past couple years — that doesn't happen to bands like us!"

She added, "I never expected it but it's really cool though — we actually found out in the middle of a show, so I got to announce it onstage and the crowd went crazy. I'm just so happy about it, it's very cool. It's just one of those things that you never expect to happen. You think about it when you're a little kid: 'Oh it would be cool to get a Grammy,' and then it happens and you're like, 'Wow, who screwed up?' [laughs]"

The nominees in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category are as follows:

ANTHRAX - "I'm Alive"
Track from: "Worship Music"
(Megaforce)

HALESTORM - "Love Bites (So Do I)"
Track from: "The Strange Case Of..."
(Atlantic)

IRON MAIDEN - "Blood Brothers"
Track from: "En Vivo!"
(Ume)

LAMB OF GOD - "Ghost Walking"
Track from: "Resolution"
(Epic)

MARILYN MANSON – "No Reflection"
Track from: "Born Villain"
(Cooking Vinyl)

MEGADETH - "Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)"
Track from: "TH1RT3EN"
(Roadrunner)

This year's Grammy Awards process registered more than 17,000 submissions over a 12-month eligibility period, October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012. Grammy ballots for the final round of voting will be mailed on Wednesday, December 19 to the voting members of The Recording Academy. They are due back to the accounting firm of Deloitte by Wednesday, January 16, when they will be tabulated and the results kept secret until the 55th Grammy broadcast.

The 55th annual Grammy Awards are produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer and Louis J. Horvitz is director.

Alone Records has announced the signing of Belgium's BLIKSEM. The band's debut album, "Face The Evil", will be released on February 25, 2013 (three days earlier in Germany). Combining blistering tandem guitars, thrashing drums, pounding bass and furious vocals, the resulting eight songs not only explore themes including revenge, oppression and madness but also celebrate the timeless glory of metal. Mastering was done by Herbrand Larsen (ENSLAVED) at the Earshot Studio in Bergen, Norway.

Lightning is one of the most spectacular displays in nature. Bolt temperatures hotter than the sun. Shockwaves radiating out in all directions. In Dutch, this deadly natural phenomenon is called "bliksem." A fitting name for an electrifying five-piece thrash band from Antwerp.

In late 2008, their quest to find a singer on par with Chuck Billy or Dave Mustaine took an unexpected and brilliant turn with the arrival of Peggy Meeussen. Her commanding razor-edged vocals are reminiscent of the late Dawn Crosby (DÉTENTE, FEAR OF GOD) and Nicole Lee (ZNÖWHITE), slicing through the existing legions of goth or guttural female-fronted bands.

BLIKSEM quickly established a strong live reputation playing dozens of youth centers and local metal and rock festivals around Belgium and soon moved up to bigger stages.

In 2010, the band recorded its first EP, which got rave reviews in numerous magazines/e-zines such as Germany's Rock Hard, Aardschok, Lords Of Metal, France's Rock Hard and Rock Tribune as well as alternative-oriented press. Critics praised the quality thrash and some went as far to declare BLIKSEM the best thing to happen to the genre in years.

In 2011, BLIKSEM expanded its horizon, playing shows in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, along with a fiercely convincing performance at Slovenia's Metalcamp festival.

The band went on to play Holland's Paaspop, which featured fellow heavy acts like HELL, ENSLAVED and ACCEPT as well as Dutch chart-toppers, and the renowned Eindhoven Metal Meeting (with EXODUS, HEATHEN, IMMORTAL and other metal greats). The momentum continued, and BLIKSEM was asked to support CHANNEL ZERO, ANGEL WITCH, VANDERBUYST and PRONG. Meanwhile, BLIKSEM created a buzz in the leading alternative media in the Benelux, including 3voor12/VPRO and Kindamuzik.nl, which called them one of the bands to watch in 2012-2013.

The BLIKSEM song "Insanity's Curse", taken from the "Face The Evil" album, can be streamed below.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of DEEP PURPLE's December 6 concert at Zénith in Toulouse, France can be seen below.

According to the DEEP PURPLE fan site The Highway Star, the band's bassist, Roger Glover, revealed in an interview with the Itar-Tass Russian news agency that DEEP PURPLE has completed work on 14 songs for a new studio album with producer Bob Ezrin (KISS, PINK FLOYD, PETER GABRIEL, ALICE COOPER, KANSAS), with 11 or 12 tracks set to appear on the final CD. A tentative February 2013 release for the as-yet-untitled effort is expected.

DEEP PURPLE's 18th studio album, "Rapture of the Deep", was released in November 2005. It was the fourth studio CD from DEEP PURPLE since guitarist Steve Morse joined the band in 1994. It was also the second album to feature veteran keyboardist Don Airey.

"Rapture of the Deep" was produced by Mike Bradford, who also worked on the band's previous release, 2003's "Bananas".

Cleopatra Records is sad to pass on the news that HAWKWIND guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton has passed at the too-young age of 61. Huw had been bravely battling cancer for the past several years and died peacefully at home in England with his devoted wife Marion by his side.

A self-taught guitarist with mind-bending scope and range, Llloyd-Langton joined HAWKWIND in 1970 and immediately made his mark by contributing his unique guitar stylings on the band's groundbreaking self-titled debut album. The album is considered historic in that it was one of the first space-rock albums to be released.

Shortly thereafter, Huw left the band to embark on his own musical journey but he continued to be an integral part of the HAWKWIND sound as both the occasional band member and frequent collaborator with his HAWKWIND mates on numerous occasions as the years unfolded. He was on-board for the albums "Live Seventy Nine", "Levitation", "Sonic Attack", "Church Of Hawkwind", "Choose Your Masques", "The Chronicle Of The Black Sword", "The Xenon Codex" and this year's "Onward".

Huw also toured with Leo Sayer in the 1970s and was a founding member of the acclaimed U.K. hard rock band WIDOWMAKER, which released two well-received albums in 1976 and '77. He was adept at playing all styles of music — from hard rock to classical to blues — performing in the various genres with seamless ease and jaw-dropping talent.

In a statement, founding HAWKWIND bandmate Nik Turner said, "He was a lovely guy and a great, great guitarist. I'm really sad that he's gone. Everybody who knew Huw liked him; he touched a great many people with his playing. I will miss him."

Huw was and will always be a much-loved member of the Cleopatra Records family. He had been a significant part of a number of Cleopatra projects including working with KINKS legend Dave Davies on a track for THE BLACK KEYS tribute album "Black on Blues", and with Joe Elliott, Rick Wakeman and Carmine Appice on "Who Are You", an all-star tribute to THE WHO. His innovative guitar work was featured on the "Space Rock Invasion" DVD taken from the 2011 "Space Rock Invasion" tour on which Huw participated, as he opened to critical applause for NEKTAR and BRAINTICKET.

Cleopatra is preparing to release Huw's "Rare & Unreleased" anthology in January, which will now be an amazing posthumous tribute to his work including never-before-heard solo acoustic recordings of songs later recorded by HAWKWIND along with tracks from Huw's solo band.

California rockers BUCKCHERRY will release "Gluttony", the first single from their forthcoming sixth studio album, "Confessions", on December 11 via iTunes. The track is now available for streaming at TheRockStation99x.com.

As previously reported, BUCKCHERRY will join KID ROCK as special guests on the upcoming "Rebel Soul" tour beginning February 2 in Kansas City, Missouri.

"Confessions" will be BUCKCHERRY's first domestic release with new label Century Media Records. The CD is due in early 2013 on Century Media in the United States and via Eleven Seven Music in other parts of the world.

"Confessions" is an album based on the seven deadly sins, and is part of a larger vision that includes a film written by Josh Todd, who based the album's lyrics on his childhood and transformation into adulthood.

Asked about the reports that "Confessions" is a "concept" album, Nelson told PopCultureMadness.com, "Basically, it kind of started off as a concept record and then evolved away from that, so I wouldn't really call it a concept record right now. But it definitely has a theme to the record. And the record, it evolved into Josh writing a screenplay, basically, loosely based on some events of his life. So the story of the record goes with the film and the film goes with the record and they really work together. It tells a story."

He added, "The whole idea was to, basically, make the record stand alone on its own and the film stand alone on its own, but they could both come together and work really well together. And same thing with the songs — there isn't anything on the record that is so weird that you wouldn't understand it unless you saw the movie. So the record really needs to stand on its own, like every other record we've made."

Todd told an Oklahoma radio station about the "Confessions" screenplay, "It's based around the seven sins and true events that happened in my life as well, when I was younger."

Todd, however, shot down the idea of playing the lead role in the film, although he did say that the band will appear somewhere in it.

He added, "I think (the film is) gonna be a real treat for people who love this band and people who are just discovering BUCKCHERRY for the first time."

As for "Confessions", Todd said that the new disc is "definitely a heavier, musically, record than we've ever had, and more melodic. It's pretty intense, but everybody's gonna love it. It's quintessential BUCKCHERRY at the end of the day."

Video footage of NEKROFEIST — the Australian groove/thrash metal outfit whose frontman, Dave Tinelt, was briefly a member of thrash veterans MORTAL SIN — performing a cover version of DAMAGEPLAN's "Breathing New Life" on November 24 at "The Sydney Dime Show" in Sydney, Australia can be seen below.

NEKROFEIST recently release its debut album, "Without Reserve Or Regret". The CD was recorded with producer Darren "jENK" Jenkins.

Tinelt is renowned for his broad, powerful, stentorian-like vocal abilities. Whether smooth and clean or throaty and aggressive, Dave has an incredible depth and tone to his voice, and is proud to present these varied qualities in the forefront of NEKROFEIST's music. For his lyrics, Dave draws on very personal life experiences, which lends NEKROFEIST's music an honesty and raw integrity seldom found in today's scene.

NEKROFEIST's debut EP was released in 2010. The CD was recorded at Gadigal Studios with producer Ash Manning (TOURETTES) and engineer Lachlan Mitchell (NAXZUL, HENRY'S ANGER).

NEKROFEIST is:

Dave Tinelt - Vocals
Rob Giles - Bass
Paul Gilroy - Drums
Damon Bishop - Guitar

Former METALLICA, VOIVOD and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM bassist Jason Newsted has posted the following message on his Facebook page:

"I want y'all to know that I am ultra-proud of my time in [METALLICA]... I am thankful for the wonderful experiences of our 15 years together and I will always be open to jammin' with the boys... I am very happy in my life now! I have a new band that bears my own name, we're just finishing our first record, I'm feeling strong again playing bass and singing lead vocals and you all wiil be hearing it in one month's time!!!! New year, new band, new life!! Bless you all and I can't wait to share my music with everyone!! I'm entrusting all of my friends to help me get the word out!!! Jason's back!"

In a recent interview with Eddie Trunk's "Friday Night Rocks" radio show on New York's Q104.3 FM, Newsted stated about his plans to release original music via his newly launched official web site, NewstedHeavyMetal.com, "It'll be called Newsted Heavy Metal Music. Whatever it ends up being — if it's five songs, 20 songs, 50 songs… I don't even know what the heck I'm gonna do. I have so much music from over the years. I have a bunch of new stuff, I have so many mixes of projects with people — new players, young players, old-school players like myself — so I'm just trying to figure out exactly what I wanna unleash on everybody first. That's kind of what it's coming down to — the timing of things and how I wanna hit people with it, and which stuff [to release first]."

Asked how he plans to release his music, Jason said, "I see a couple of the old avenues still being there that will always be there in the purest form — making the vinyl and everybody having the special-edition vinyl to be able to read the lyrics, stuff like you and I loved the most, that's the closest to us that's the most endearing and the most personal. So that's always gonna be there and I never wanna dismiss that, so that will be percentage of it for the fans that really dig the real American kick-ass guitar music … And then the newest avenues that I'm just really now learning about as I expose myself to all this stuff… I saw a piece of one of ['That Metal Show' espisodes on VH1 Classic] and somebody talked about DOWN and some other bands doing four tracks at a time in EP form every few months, letting people have some fresh metal. I think that's a pretty good concept, a pretty good formula — I'm hip to that, [and] I'd like to warm up to that. Since it is new territory for me, I'm really open to that idea; I think it's a good way to spread stuff."

Newsted married his longtime girlfriend Nicole Leigh Smith in October.

In his acceptance speech at METALLICA's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in April 2009, Jason thanked Nicole — whom he referred to as "the love of my life" — for "standing by me through the last seven years of challenges and adventures."

Jacob Grant of Capital Chaos TV conducted an interview with bassist Jukka Koskinen of Finnish epic metallers WINTERSUN before the band's November 30 performance at the Oakland Metro Operahouse in Oakland, California as part of a North American tour with ELUVEITIE and VARG. You can now watch the chat below. Also available is footage of WINTERSUN's Oakland show.

WINTERSUN's long-awaited new album, "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.

According to Mäenpää, there are several reasons why the band's new effort, "Time" is being released as two separate albums, titled "Time I" and "Time II". He says:

* "All the 80 minutes of material won't fit on a regular CD and we didn't want to cut anything out.
* "We want you to be able to hear new material sooner and not wait any longer and we want to go on tour sooner.
* "The music is very full and complex, so listening this kind of 'hard listening (not easy listening)' material straight for 80 minutes is a bit too much (even for me).
* "Both albums will be approximately. nice 40 min epic packages of fireworks.
* "We like the idea of releasing two albums within one year, so the band will stay more visible longer, which is important in these 'modern times.' No more years of silence for us!"

"Time II" will be released in 2013.

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

WINTERSUN's debut CD was released in September 2004 through Nuclear Blast Records.

Interview:

German death metallers DAMNATION DEFACED have made their new EP, "Slaughter Race", available for free download via their official web site. The effort, which was recorded, mixed and mastered by Kai Reidenbach (OUT OF MIND), contains "four brand new tracks which will blast your ears!" according to a press release. "It comes with groove, is brutal, straight but still has its unique melodies." The cover artwork was created by Jonathan Stenger (CRIPPER, DRONE, HATRED, Wacken Open Air, 70000 Tons Of Metal).

The EP's opening track, "Warlord", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

For collectors, "Slaughter Race" is available as a numbered box, limited to only 250 copies. It can be ordered directly from the band.

DAMNATION DEFACED is:

Philipp Bischoff - Vocals
Lutz Gudehus - Guitars
Mathias Opitz - Bass
Lucas Katzmann - Drums

The band's debut album, "Beyond The Pale", came out in 2010.