Danish thrashers ESSENCE have landed a deal with NoiseArt Records. The band was awarded the deal as part of a contest launched by the Austrian management and booking company Rock The Nation. This unique competition was presented and promoted by several leading European metal magazines, including Noizeletter, Metalnews.de, Stormbringer.at and Rock Hard Italy.

The Rock The Nation Award was launched in 2009 and has resulted in record and booking deals for STEELWING, SUICIDAL ANGELS (2009), SKULL FIST (2010), KRAMPUS and NEXUS INFERIS (2011).

ESSENCE has already shared stage with such acts as IN FLAMES, ENTOMBED and VADER nas has played the Roskilde (Denmark) and Vagos Open Air (Portugal) festivals, among others.

The new ESSENCE album, which was recorded, engineered and produced by Swedish mastermind Peter Tägtgren (PAIN, HYPOCRISY, IMMORTAL, CHILDREN OF BODOM, DIMMU BORGIR) at his Abyss Studio, will be out in early 2013.

Commented ESSENCE: "We are extremely proud and honored to have been chosen as winners of the Rock The Nation Award! In our eyes, Rock The Nation and NoiseArt Records are the best in the business and for several years we dreamed of becoming a part of their rosters. They treat their bands brilliantly and are highly professional in their work — everything we value in our partners. Though an immense honor has been given to us, we know that the hard work has only just begun and we will treat this award and co-operation with respect and humbleness. We send our heaviest of devil horns to all the great bands who was nominated!"

Chicago's epic doom metal act EARTHEN GRAVE have parted ways with longtime drummer Scott Davidson. Davidson played on the group's 2009 "Dismal Times" debut EP and recently released full-length album, "Earthen Grave".

The band issued a collective statement this week: "We wish Scott all the best with his many other projects including his long time running Chicago's Rebel Radio, his SABBATH/DIO tribute band HEAVEN & HELL CHICAGO and all his future endeavors."

EARTHEN GRAVE is currently auditioning drummers for Davidson's replacement.

In the meantime, EARTHEN GRAVE will perform a special semi-acoustic show at The Iron Ward in Cleveland this Saturday, October 20, featuring Rachel Barton Pine, Ron Holzner, Mark Weiner, Tony Spillman, Jason Muxlow and Hannah Barton. The band has also confirmed a headlining gig at the Double Door in Chicago on November 30.

EARTHEN GRAVE was founded in 2008 by guitarist Jason Muxlow (THE LIVING FIELDS, WINTERING) bassist Ron Holzner (formerly of TROUBLE, DEBRIS INC., PLACE OF SKULLS), and drummer Scott Davidson (ex-STONEHENGE, Rebel Radio). The trio recruited vocalist Mark Weiner (TRIFOG), guitarist Tony Spillman (SPILLAGE), and renowned classical violinist Rachel Barton Pine who performs on extended range electric flying V violin. In late April of this year, EARTHEN GRAVE released its mammoth first album titled "Earthen Grave". Produced by Ron Holzner, and released via his own Claude & Elmo Music, this layered opus showcases the range and diversity of the band's epic and commanding material.

PALMS, the musical collaboration between DEFTONES vocalist Chino Moreno and former members of ISIS (Aaron Harris, Clifford Meyer and Jeff Caxide), will release its debut album in the spring of 2013 via Mike Patton's (FAITH NO MORE) Ipecac label.

In an interview conducted in April, Harris stated about the band's musical direction, "Clifford, Jeff and I started PALMS a little over a year ago out of a desire to continue making music together after ISIS ended. Chino joined shortly after and our sound took shape from there. We've worked really hard on this first release and are excited for people to hear it. It's nice to be back behind the drum kit, and with this lineup."

Moreno stated about his involvement in the project, "Being a huge ISIS fan, I've always dug the moods these dudes convey with their sound. I am excited to combine my sense of creativity with theirs and to have fun doing so."

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Fan-filmed video footage of MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine addressing the crowd at the band's October 14 concert at the second and final day of Bacardi NH7 Weekender's Delhi chapter in India can be seen below.

"I have to tell you something," Mustaine can be heard saying in the clip. "There's a huge difference between this audience and the audience in America. The difference between this audience and the audience in America is I know that in America people are spoiled. Over here in India, I know how hard it is for people to come over here and tour for you. and I know how much of a sacrifice it is for you to pay for a ticket to come and see a band. And I am so grateful for you coming here tonight. I've gotta tell you, we feel so privileged to play for you tonight. It's such an honor for us to play for you guys."

In an interview with Hindustan Times conducted prior to the gig, MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover said, "We will be playing songs from the new album that we've released, but we also play the classics and the songs our fans love."

"We haven't ever played in New Delhi before and whenever we travel to a new place, we like to go out and explore it a little. We're very excited about going to New Delhi and playing a great concert," he added.

The 20th-anniversary edition of MEGADETH's 1992 double platinum-certified "Countdown To Extinction" album will be released on November 6 via Capitol/EMI.

After wrapping up their "TH1RT3EN World Tour" this fall, MEGADETH will perform the acclaimed album in its entirety on their "Countdown To Extinction 20th Anniversary Tour" this November and December.

The Indian edition of Rolling Stone magazine recently conducted an interview with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Rolling Stone India: The last few years have been pretty exciting, especially the "Big Four" tour starting with Sonisphere. I remember [SLAYER drummer] Dave [Lombardo] telling me in 2010 that the last time SLAYER played with METALLICA was way back in the early Eighties in Orange County when both [Dave] Mustaine and [Ron] McGovney were in that band. So, Kerry, how was the experience of that "Big Four" tour?

Kerry: You know, it's funny. About METALLICA, the funny thing about the two bands is that we never really talk. Not because we are at odds with each other. Simply because we were in completely different circles. When we were touring, they were home. When they were touring, we were home. So aside from a couple of shows early on in Orange County like you said, we played maybe five shows in 25 years at random festivals. So it was really cool making that connection. I thought going into that, the whole "Big Four" idea was to get these bands together. What I was left with was a great opportunity and a great memory of my own.

Rolling Stone India: 2013 is going to be the 30th anniversary of [debut album] "Show No Mercy". Do you ever sit down, look back and say, "Wow, we've been around for three decades"?

Kerry: Absolutely! In the beginning, I never assumed we'd be around 30 years. We got lucky. Our first record went out when me and [guitarist and founding member] Jeff [Hanneman] were 19, Dave was 18, I think [bassist and vocalist] Tom [Araya] was 22. So we were lucky enough to get an early start. And at that time, we got into music to get beer and chicks. And luckily, somebody found us and we got to make a career of it. I think for a lot of bands, their first record is their shot at getting famous. Their second record — they gotta repeat that.

Read more from RollingStoneIndia.com.

Svart Records has announced November 30th as the release date for OPIUM WARLORDS' We Meditate Under The Pussy In The Sky. Featuring ex-REVEREND BIZARRE mainman Sami Albert Hynninen, Opium Warlords' We Meditate Under The Pussy In The Sky is the band's highly anticipated second album, and first for SVART. Tracklisting and cover (also attached) to follow below.
After three years of mental purgatory and dwelling in the sewers of the netherworld, Opium Warlords return to life. We Meditate Under The Pussy In The Sky is a daring and demanding glimpse of one person’s private hell/heaven, but because of its un-belonging quality, it also deals with the layers of human life that we all share: the primal elements that are the same in all of us.

Instead of being bound to one tradition or context, this music is global in a pure and un-degenerated sense of the word, and is meant to be heard by everyone – beyond all the scenes, groups, and genres – who has sensitivity, courage, and willingness to open up their hearts and souls and to literally gaze at and (to be precise) to become one with extreme light and darkness. It is an invitation to worlds inside the artist, but also the listener himself/herself.

Phobos and Deimos, Fear and Dread, are the moons of Mars, The God of War. Imagine what kind of cosmic music might vibrate from there to our Earth? Even if not perhaps "entertainment" per se, it may open up gateways to a different kind of luxuries of leisure, relaxation, and self-consciousness, if you just allow it to access your life.

We Meditate Under The Pussy In The Sky tracklisting:

'Sxi-Meru'
'Slippy'
'Lament For The Builders Of Khara Khoto'
'This Wind Is A Gift From A Distant Friend'
'Satan Knew My Secret Heart'

It can't have escaped the attention of any keen fan or observer of the black metal scene that, following a few years of relative inactivity, iconic Norwegians CARPATHIAN FOREST have this year once again begun performing live and have already announced some festival appearances for 2013.

Rumors as to why the band had gone to ground, and indeed, if there was even any band left at all, have been rife. Now, however, an official statement issued by founder Nattefrost, has succinctly made clear the reasons for CARPATHIAN FOREST's absence from the scene and has once and for all laid to rest any speculation about the band's future. Quoting the title of the band's fifth album, the frontman candidly stated: "I have more or less been off the road and caught in a downward spiral for nearly a decade. Now clean and rehabilitated, I have been living in Telemark for more than a year — a family man and father. And once again I am working on music. Communication and chemistry within CARPATHIAN FOREST have never been better so 'Fuck You All!!!'"

The lineup, which remains unchanged from when the band was active, consists of of Nattefrost on vocals, Tchort and BloodPervertor on guitars, Vrangsinn on bass and Kobro on drums, and the members have been regularly rehearsing together not just for the live appearances, but also in preparation for recording new material, of which there is plenty, according to Nattefrost. The band has also just signed with the U.K.-based Mythology Agency for all European appearances, and anyone wishing to book the band should contact mark@mythology-live.com. Booking outside of Europe will continue to be handled by the band's management for the time being, and enquiries should be sent to patriciathomas@btinternet.com.

Confirmed festival appearances for 2013 for CARPATHIAN FOREST include the Ragnarok, Kings Of Black Metal, Party.San and Throne Fest, as well as the Maryland Deathfest, which will be band's first-ever show in the USA. Further live announcements are expected shortly.

Maria Voutyriadou and Dimitris Kontogeorgakos of Metal Kaoz recently conducted an interview with KREATOR mastermind Mille Petrozza, who talked about the new album, the US tour and the possibility to tour the US again with SODOM and DESTRUCTION. An excerpt follows:

Q: First, the obvious question; how is the US tour so far?

A: "Great, we have a lot of fun, the shows are all packed, we are getting along with ACCEPT quite well, so it’s an amazing tour for us; I have to say this is one of the most successful tour we had in the US."

Q: So, was it your decision to tour with Accept, or it was the label’s idea?

A: "In fact, Accept's manager suggested this tour to us and we thought about it and all of a sudden became a reality."

Q: To tell you the truth we were expecting to see Kreator on a different billing since last time we spoke to Mike from Destruction he told us that they were thinking of touring the US along with Sodom and Kreator. So, did you have any discussions about this matter?

A: "We have been talking about this all the time! We have been having this discussion since the last time we were in Greece along with Sodom and Destruction about getting that tour in the US. But this never happened and you wanna know why?"

Q: Of course…

A: "There are certain people who don’t want to tour. Schmier wants to tour, we want to tour but Tom from Sodom does not. And as you can understand we can only do this tour with the three bands onboard because otherwise it would not be the same. So, without Sodom this will never happen and I am really sorry to say this."

You can read the entire interview at this location.

Mille Petrozza recently unveiled the Jackson Mille Petrozza Signature Model, which is now available in Europe.
In the clip below, Petrozza gives the lowdown on his sig model.
For more details, visit Jackson Guitars.

Finnish metallers KALMAH will enter the studio in January to begin recording their seventh album for a spring 2013 release. According to the band, "There are now six new KALMAH masterpieces in rehearsal rotation and there is more to come." The cover artwork for the CD will be created by Juha Vuorma, who worked on the first three KALMAH albums as well as releases from USURPER, METUJA, DEATHMARCHED and ALTARS OF DESTRUCTION.

At the end of September, KALMAH filmed the video for the title track of the new album.

Behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot can be seen below.

Keyboardist Marco Sneck left KALMAH last summer after seven years and three albums with the band.

KALMAH's sixth album, "12 Gauge", entered the official chart in the Finland at position No. 15. The CD was recorded between June and August 2009 at Tico Tico studio in Kemi, Finland and was mastered at the Cutting Room in Sweden.

To continue the year-long celebration of the 20th-anniversary edition of PANTERA's "Vulgar Display Of Power", Rhino has announced the first-ever vinyl release of the band's "Walk" EP. The six-track collection will be available on red and black swirled vinyl as a limited edition of 2,500 copies on November 6 for a suggested retail price of $16.98. The vinyl will be available exclusively at Hastings and FYE stores, as well as a few additional music retailers.

In May, the "Walk" EP was made available for the first time in the U.S. at all digital retail outlets for a suggested list price of $3.99. Previously released in Japan in 1993, the six-track EP includes two "Cervical" remixes of "Walk" by J.G. Thirlwell and "Biomechanical" remixes of both "Fucking Hostile" and "By Demons Be Driven" by Justin K. Broadrick of the band GODFLESH. The EP is rounded out by live versions of two tracks from PANTERA's previous album "Cowboys From Hell", the title track and "Heresy", recorded live in Moscow at the Monsters Of Rock in 1991.

"Walk" EP track listing:

01. Walk (Cervical Edit)
02. Fucking Hostile (Biomechanical Mix)
03. By Demons Be Driven (Biomechanical Mix)
04. Walk (Cervical Dub Extended)
05. Cowboys From Hell (Live)
06. Heresy (Live)

February 25 marked the 20-year anniversary for PANTERA's "Vulgar Display Of Power", a landmark album widely acknowledged as one of metal's most enduring and influential masterworks. Recorded by singer Philip Anselmo, guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, bassist Rex Brown and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, the album has been certified double platinum by the RIAA and features several of the group's most iconic songs including "Walk", "Mouth For War", "This Love" and "Fucking Hostile".

To celebrate, Rhino channeled the album's relentless blitzkrieg of musical aggression onto a two-disc Deluxe Edition. The CD includes the original album remastered and "Piss", a recently discovered unreleased track from the recording sessions. The DVD contains an unreleased live performance filmed in Italy in September of 1992 plus the three official music videos from the album.

German thrash metal veterans ASSASSIN will release their first-ever DVD, "Chaos And Live Shots", in Germany on November 23 and in the rest of Europe on November 26 via SPV/Steamhammer. The set contains two DVDs in a digipak and 40-page booklet plus exclusive voucher to enter the competition for a Fernandes Tremor Bass guitar.

"Chaos And Live Shots" contains footage of ASSASSIN's March 2010 performance in Osaka, Japan at the True Thrash Fest filmed with eight cameras. The set also features "bizarre anecdotes and wild film sequences," including words from "Uncle Tom" Angelripper (SODOM), as well as members of VIOLENT FORCE and DEATHROW, original ASSASSIN drummer Psycho Danger (the name says it all!), the band's first manager, and various ex-bassists. And in between, there are lots of hard-as-nail thrash metal tracks courtesy of ASSASSIN.

Directed and produced by Julius Krenz (WDR TV), "Chaos And Live Shots" is a good three hours long, presenting a number of the most important ASSASSIN songs from the past 25 years and documenting the ordinary madness of an extraordinary band.

Minneapolis, Minnesota-based vocalist Melissa Ferlaak (VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, ECHOTERRA) has released two new songs through her ReverbNation page. The tracks "In The Pines" and "When Morning Comes" are being made available to jumpstart a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for a full-length album and music video, to be released for free next year. Guitars and arrangements are provided by Will Maravelas (WE ARE LEGION), drums by Aaron Lanik (WE ARE LEGION) and bass by Christopher Quinn (AESMA DAEVA). The quartet will continue to work together and decide on an official project name later this year.

"In The Pines" is a death metal cover of the famous LEADBELLY song, made popular by NIRVANA's cover in the 1990s. "When Morning Comes" is an original work by Maravelas and Ferlaak.

Melissa holds a Bachelor's degree in Music from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a Master's degree in vocal performance from New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's long-talked-about "Unblackened" DVD, which was previously scheduled to be filmed in late August at The Mayan in Los Angeles, California, will now be shot in January, the band's mainman Zakk Wylde told Backstage Live Magazine. The set is expected to contain stripped-down versions of some of the band's most popular cuts. "We're gonna do the whole thing with a four-piece string section, a pedal steel guy, and I'm gonna have some of my musician buddies sit in on some of the songs and stuff like that," Wylde said a few months ago. "We're gonna have two solid weeks of rehearsal and then we're gonna knock this thing out. [It will be an] acoustic/electric type of thing. Kinda like how the Christmas record is or like how we did 'The Song Remains Not The Same' where you've got an acoustic and then you can put a rippin' solo something. So I'll still have the Marshalls going with the acoustic stuff. It'd be almost kinda like if PINK FLOYD was doing an unplugged thing and they did 'Comfortably Numb' but Dave [Gilmour] will be sitting down but he'll still rip that solo out. It'll still be electric and then we’ll have the string section behind it and the whole band and it'll be killer."

He added in a separate interview conducted earlier this year. "We're still trying to figure out what songs we want to put in there. I'm looking at the records right now. Mind you, we don't have as bad of a problem as THE ROLLING STONES, but we're trying to figure out which songs we want to put in there."

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "The Song Remains Not The Same" sold around 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 41 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on May 10, 2011 via Entertainment One Music, the offering featured unplugged versions of material from BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's latest album, "Order Of The Black", as well as additional material recorded during the "Order Of The Black" sessions. "The Song Remains Not The Same" was conceived, created and compiled by Wylde himself and the title is, of course, a nod to one of Wylde's favorite bands, LED ZEPPELIN.

"Order Of The Black" was released in North America in August 2010 via E1 Music. The CD featured four unique covers designed by Zakk Wylde himself — one for each territory: North America, Europe, Asia and Australia/New Zealand.

"Frost On Her Pillow", the new video from British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's tenth studio album, "The Manticore And Other Horrors", which will be released in North America on October 30 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. The Unveiling Of O
02. The Abhorrent
03. For Your Vulgar Delectation
04. Illicitus
05. Manticore
06. Frost On Her Pillow
07. Huge Onyx Wings Behind Despair
08. Pallid Reflection
09. Siding With The Titans
10. Succumb To This
11. Nightmares Of An Ether Drinker
12. Death, The Great Adventure (deluxe edition digipak)
13. Sinfonia (deluxe edition digipak)

A mini-site for "The Manticore And Other Horrors" has been launched, featuring album audio, information, gallery, desktop downloads, plus a chance to download the track "For Your Vulgar Delectation" for free.

Recorded in eight weeks at both Springvale and Grindstone studios (where it was also mixed by Scott Atkins), Suffolk, "The Manticore And Other Horrors" is a testament to the longevity of the 'FILTH, as not only does it reek of CRADLE's (feared or revered) brand of delicious metal vamperotica, but this thoroughly modern album places the band firmly in fresh killing fields anew.

"The Manticore And Other Horrors" itself possesses an altogether new atmosphere for the band, incorporating a heavier, faster NWOBBM punk vibe that is both current and cruel, blended with ornate orchestration and the quirky immediateness of 2000's "Midian" opus.

The album's title can be likened to a bestiary, a collection of stories on monsters - personal demons, Chimeras, literary fiends and world-enslaving entities to blame but a few. "Manticore", the ravening title track, is a song about a beautiful mythological horror that comes to be feared as the disfigurehead of foreign occupation in the Indian provinces.

The songs "Illicitus" and "Pallid Reflection" bear the sweet ingredients of vampirism and lycanthropy; the wicked "For Your Vulgar Delectation" and "Frost On Her Pillow" are woven perversely into grim fairy tales, whilst classic, monumental tracks like "The Abhorrent And Siding With The Titans" both extol tentacular Lovecraftian values.

CRADLE OF FILTH is:

Dani Filth - Vocals
Paul Allender - Guitar
James McIlroy - Guitar
David Pybus - Bass
Martin Skaroupka - Drums

"Frost On Her Pillow" video:

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach joined DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED — the band led by VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan — on stage this past Tuesday, October 16 at The Viper Room in West Hollywood, California to perform the GUNS N' ROSES classic "Patience". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Bach, who was among the early names rumored to be taking Scott Weiland's place in VELVET REVOLVER, told "The Buckethead Show" in a May 2008 interview that his close friendship with GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose — who sang on three tracks on Bach's 2007 solo album, "Angel Down" — and a focus on his own music would making joining VELVET REVOLVER "awkward" at best. "I've talked to Slash [VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] recently," Sebastian revealed. "I think it'd be really awkward for me to join that band. Number one, my new record, 'Angel Down', I like it more than VELVET REVOLVER records. That's just being totally honest. I love GUNS N' ROSES material, but I've got my own old songs — SKID ROW — so for me, it would all depend on music. I wouldn't just join the band just to join the band. If we came up with some incredible new songs, then maybe I'd think about it, but honestly, I'm very close friends with Axl, and he sings three songs on my new record. Axl's been so nice to me — he's helped me out my whole career. In SKID ROW he helped us out, and in my solo band he brought me around the world, and then sang three songs on my new CD, which is pretty mind-blowing. I don't know… It's a cut-throat business, but Axl's been so nice to me, I don't think I would feel comfortable just joining VELVET REVOLVER and singing his songs every night. So I don't think that's gonna happen."

Video footage of Marty Friedman's October 12 performance at Underworld in London, England during the "Guitar Universe 2012" European tour with Israel's Yossi Sassi (ORPHANED LAND) and France's Stéphan Forté (ADAGIO) can be seen below.

After reissuing three acclaimed recent studio albums by Friedman over the summer, Prosthetic Records is excited to now introduce North American audiences to the former MEGADETH and CACOPHONY axeman's two "Tokyo Jukebox" albums. Released in Japan in 2009 and 2011, respectively, "Tokyo Jukebox" and "Tokyo Jukebox 2" — the ninth and eleventh chapters in Friedman's influential solo discography — will make their U.S. debuts on November 20 as a limited-edition, specially priced 2CD release featuring artwork exclusive to this pressing and new liner notes by Friedman himself. The double album is now available for pre-order.

Soon after leaving MEGADETH following a 10-year run in which the iconic band sold some 10 million albums worldwide, Friedman — perhaps the most revered lead guitarist in thrash metal history — moved to Japan, where over the past decade he became a household name. Between his solo releases and collaborations with Japanese stars, he has played on and written numerous Top 10 hits (including two No. 1s); he has also made hundreds of appearances on mainstream Japanese television and performed at legendary venues such as Budokan and the Tokyo Dome.

"Tokyo Jukebox" and "Tokyo Jukebox 2" feature energetic instrumental covers of Japanese pop (J-Pop) songs that can be enjoyed by anyone with a sweet tooth for melody, and capture Friedman's passion for the music of his adopted home country — although, as he warns in the liner notes for this release, "I took the liberty of destroying and reconstructing them my own way." In the below video (which has been posted at Prosthetic's newly-launched Friedman mini-site, where additional "Tokyo Jukebox"-related videos will be unveiled in the coming weeks), Friedman further describes the collection, calling it some of the heaviest and best work of his career.

Featuring Jeremy Colson (STEVE VAI, BILLY IDOL) on drums, "Tokyo Jukebox" features reconstructed covers of J-Pop and J-Rock hits selected by readers of Japan's top entertainment magazine. "Tokyo Jukebox 2", meanwhile, was recorded in Los Angeles at The Village (AEROSMITH, KISS), and features guest performances by Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL) and Keshav Dhar (SKYHARBOR). The albums feature tracks originally performed by acclaimed Japanese acts such as MR. CHILDREN, SMAP, PERFUME and MAXIMUM THE HORMONE.

Deron Miller (WORLD UNDER BLOOD, ex-CKY) has launched a project on popular fundraising site Kickstarter to help support the recording of his upcoming solo album.

The CD will mark his return to rock music following his departure from CKY earlier this year.

In addition to the album, the project will include a feature-length documentary following the recording process in Los Angeles, California, to be directed by U.K. filmmaker Phil Bowman.

The Kickstarter project page features an as-yet-untitled demo of one of the songs due to appear on the CD.

Former MASTERY drummer Kevan Roy has joined RED LAMB, the band led by former ANTHRAX guitarist Dan Spitz.

A short introductory video can be seen below.

RED LAMB's self-titled debut album was released in February via iTunes. The 12-song effort was co-produced by Dave Mustaine (MEGADETH) and Spitz and is described in a press release as "explosive hard rock, pop punk, alternative rock, with a taste of thrash." The CD was mixed by Grammy-nominated producer Johnny K (DISTURBED, 3 DOORS DOWN, DROWNING POOL, MEGADETH) and it features cover artwork by John Lorenzi, who worked on the last three MEGADETH studio albums — 2007's "United Abominations", 2009's "Endgame" and 2011's "TH1RT3EN" — as well as the band's 2007 box set, "Warchest". Grammy Award winner Chris Vrenna (NINE INCH NAILS, MARILYN MANSON) handled all synths and additional programming on the entire CD.

RED LAMB features Spitz (lead guitar, guitar, bass guitar, programming, background vocals, engineering, co-producer) and Don Chaffin (vocals and video productions).

"Red Lamb" track listing:

01. Watchman
02. The Cage
03. Get Up
04. Runaway Train
05. Angels Of War
06. Puzzle Box
07. Keep Pushing Me
08. Warpaint
09. One Shell (In The Chamber)
10. Standby Passenger
11. Temptation
12. Don't Threaten To Love Me

"The Cage" video can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Metal Insider, Spitz stated about Mustaine's involvement with RED LAMB, "Dave heard what used to be my project [DEUXMONKEY] before RED LAMB and we were just cruising into the studio in one of his crazy cars, I think it was an Aston Martin or something. And he just fell in love with the music, and as a friend offered, 'Can I take this from you and kind of help?' At that point in time, I was wearing 50 hats, so it became quite difficult. It was just a blessing for Dave to say, 'Yeah, absolutely!' and that's where we started. His credit is he's a co-producer; we worked together on taking that material that was already recorded. All the music was done by me and recorded and we edited the music and moved verses and choruses around, shortening songs and got rid of the seven-minute solo if there was one. [laughs] . . . Dave worked with Donnie consistently day in day out on all the vocals. . . And previous to that, via electronic means, meaning e-mail and so forth, me and Dave took all the lyrics that I had written for the CD and we dissected those the same way we dissected the music. And Dave co-wrote every song on the album with me as far as the lyrics go and so that's his role in it. He's the co-writer on every song. So it's a wonderful collaboration."