Esoteric, experimental artisan’s LOCRIAN have entered the studio to begin recording their Relapse Records full-length debut. The as-of-yet-titled album is being recorded by Greg Norman (PELICAN, RUSSIAN CIRCLES, SERENA MANEESH) at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago, IL. The album will then be mastered by Jason Ward at Chicago Mastering Service.
A two-part concept album inspired by the band’s love for prog-rock progenitors GENESIS, YES and KING CRIMSON, this is sure to be the group’s most ambitious recordings to date.

Multi-instrumentalist Andre Foisy commented on the new material: “This is our most concise album yet. Our statements developed quickly compared to many of our other releases. We're all really into prog rock and we made this a concept album in musical and lyrical themes. Musically, side A ends in a trilogy of songs and side B ends in a quadrilogy. Each of these two tracks mirror each other in places. In addition to some musical themes that pop up in different places in the album, there are also some musical themes that harken back to our older catalog.”

Tentative track titles include 'A Visitation From The Wrath Of Heaven', 'Exiting The Hall Of Vapor and Light' and 'Panorama Of Mirror'. A spring 2013 release via Relapse is expected with more details to be announced shortly.

More on Locrian at this location.

Iconic hardcore/punk band BAD BRAINS will release its new album, "Into The Future", on November 20 via Megaforce. The CD features the classic lineup of H.R. , Darryl Jenifer, Dr. Know and Earl Hudson.

American artist Shepard Fairey, a lifelong fan of BAD BRAINS, designed the cover artwork for "Into The Future". Check it out below. Also available is an audio stream of the CD's title track.

"'Into The Future' is the purest BAD BRAINS recording since the ROIR cassette," says bassist Darryl Jenifer, referring to the early-'80s sound and energy that defined the band. "This self-produced record shines with a true sense of freedom and musical experimentation, with blends of soulful backgrounds meshed with blistering hardcore and metal riffs, with classic dub."

While searching for something epic and different, the band decided to self-produce the album and capture that spirit only the group itself could find. Included on the album is a remix of "Peace Be Unto Thee", a tribute to longtime fan, friend and producer Adam Yauch (BEASTIE BOYS), who marked the BAD BRAINS' return to form by producing their previous album, "Build A Nation".

The BAD BRAINS helped define American punk and hardcore music. Considered to be the holy grail of punk rock, they are one of the definitive American punk groups who garner the same respect as SEX PISTOLS, BLACK FLAG, RAMONES and THE CLASH.

German power metallers GAMMA RAY will release "Skeletons & Majesties Live" on double CD, Blu-ray and DVD on November 30. The set will feature footage of the band's April 29, 2011 performance at the legendary Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland.

A one-minute video clip in which GAMMA RAY bassist Dirk Schlächter checks out the artwork for the upcoming release can be seen below.

"Skeletons & Majesties Live" has a playing time of two hours and is a tour de force through the band's history so far, including lots of hits and classics, but also tracks which were undeservedly under-represented to date.

"The EP, 'Skeletons & Majesties', is practically a continuation of our 'Skeletons In The Closet' concept, in other words: new versions of songs which didn't receive the attention they deserve, as well as unplugged versions of some of our classics," says Kai Hansen, the band's vocalist, guitarist and founder. In terms of "Skeletons & Majesties Live", this means a thoroughly haunting show, from the dynamic openers "Anywhere In The Galaxy" and "Men, Martians And Machines" to the furioso finale, "Future World".

Speaking of "Future World", to accompany the Hansen-penned HELLOWEEN classic on stage, GAMMA RAY enlisted the services of HELLOWEEN's long-standing frontman Michael Kiske. In addition, Kiske can be heard and seen on "Time To Break Free" and "A While In Dreamland".

The double CD will consist of a total of 18 songs (plus intro and interlude); DVD and Blu-ray will feature six additional bonus tracks with alternative versions of "The Spirit", "Wings Of Destiny", "Farewell", "Gamma Ray", "Time To Break Free" and "Insurrection", all recorded the previous day at the Zeche in Bochum.

The release of "Skeletons & Majesties Live" will mark the beginning of an eventful 2013 for GAMMA RAY: after Hansen stayed true to his word and spent 2012 concentrating mainly on his second band, UNISONIC, he and his three colleagues Henjo Richter (guitar), Dirk Schlächter (bass) and new addition Michael Ehré (the FIREWIND/LOVE.MIGHT.KILL drummer has replaced Daniel Zimmermann, who left the GAMMA RAY fold on friendly terms) are now focusing exclusively on GAMMA RAY again. A co-headlining tour with HELLOWEEN has been scheduled for February 2013 and will also mark the arrival of a new GAMMA RAY studio recording.

"GAMMY RAY will have top priority in 2013," comments Hansen, "and 'Skeletons & Majesties Live' is the perfect harbinger of this!"

"Skeletons & Majesties Live" track listing:

01. Anywhere In The Galaxy
02. Men, Martians And Machines
03. The Spirit
04. Wings Of Destiny
05. Farewell
06. Gamma Ray
07. Money
08. Time To Break Free (w/ Michael Kiske)
09. Rebellion In Dreamland (acoustic)
10. Send Me A Sign (acoustic)
11. Dethrone Tyranny
12. Watcher In The Sky
13. Hold Your Ground
14. A While In Dreamland (w/ Michael Kiske)
15. Rise
16. Brothers
17. Insurrection
18. Future World (w/ Michael Kiske)

Legendary rockers KISS performed their new single, "Hell Or Hallelujah", and their classic song "Rock And Roll All Nite" on today's (Thursday, October 11) edition of ABC's "Good Morning America". You can now watch video footage of their appearance below.

"Hell Or Hallelujah" comes off KISS' 20th studio album, "Monster", which is likely to sell between 60,000 and 65,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on October 9 via Universal Music Enterprises.

KISS' previous CD, "Sonic Boom", opened with 108,000 units back in October 2009 to land at position No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart. This marked the band's highest-charting LP ever.

KISS has notched eight Top 10 albums, according to Billboard.com. Its previous highest-charting set was 1998's "Psycho Circus", which debuted and peaked at No. 3 with 110,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The group's other high-charting sets include 1975's "Alive!" (No. 9), 1977's "Love Gun" (No. 4) and 1992's "Revenge" (No. 6).

Described in a press release as a "12-track, straight-ahead rock 'n' roll album," "Monster" features collaborations among all four members — including co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons and longtime members guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer — in an album that shows the band at the top of its game.

Fan-filmed video footage of Lita Ford's October 4 concert at The Canyon in Agoura Hills, California can be seen below.

Lita recently filmed a video for the song "Mother" in Joshua Tree, California. Directing the clip is Ford's former THE RUNAWAYS bandmate Victory Tischler-Blue, whose film "Edgeplay" was based on her tenure in the 1970s all-girl teenage rock act.

Said Ford: "[Vicky's] got a lot of photographs of me and my children, a lot of the necessary elements to create this video."

Photos from the "Mother" video shoot can be found at this location.

"Mother", which is dedicated to Lita's estranged sons, Rocco and James (father is former NITRO singer Jim Gillette), comes off her new album, "Living Like A Runaway", out now on SPV/Steamhammer. "I wrote this song for [my sons]," Lita recently told the Deciblog. "I wrote this song to tell them how much I love them and to tell them that I didn't mean for this to happen [for Lita to be forced to live apart from her kids following her divorce from Gillette. — Ed.] and that it's not my fault. I didn't do this to them, although they think I did. I miss them, I love them. They're my life."

"It was hard to write," she told Examiner.com. "It was hard to record. It's hard to listen to. I find myself skipping over it sometimes, depending on how much makeup I have on that day. If I'm all made up, I'm like, 'Oh, can't cry right now!' I've done interviews where big, grown men tell me they've come away from it in tears. That's huge. That's what I wanted — for people to feel my pain. But it is a great song."

"Living Like A Runaway" was released on June 19 in North America. The effort was made available in four configurations: a double LP, limited-edition CD, standard CD and digital download. The artwork for the album was created by famed rock photographer Mark Weiss.

Lita's current touring band consists of the following musicians:

Lita Ford - Guitar, Vocals
Mitch Perry - Guitar
Marty O'Brien - Bass
Scot Coogan - Drums

Columbus, Ohio's LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES will release a deluxe edition of its 2011 breakthrough full-length album, "When We Don't Exist", on November 20 via Rise Records. The new edition of the CD features two new songs, one of which, "Learn Your Place", can be streamed in the official lyric video below. The track will be available for purchase on iTunes starting October 16.

LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES' cover of fun.'s smash hit "Some Nights" will also be featured on "Punk Goes Pop Volume 5", due out on November 5 on Fearless Records.

The rapidly emerging metalcore act recently wrapped a series of dates with THE WORD ALIVE and has toured with the likes of D.R.U.G.S., TEXAS IN JULY, HIT THE LIGHTS and SPARKS THE RESCUE. Starting October 16, the band will join labelmates and headliner MISS MAY I on The AP Tour Fall 2012 along with THE GHOST INSIDE, THE AMITY AFFLICTION and GLASS CLOUD. The trek runs through November 24.

"When We Don't Exist" deluxe edition track listing:

01. Learn Your Place (new song)
02. Shapeshifter (new song)
03. The Worst In Me
04. GNF
05. No Hope
06. You Won't Be Missed
07. Faithless Living
08. Your Existence
09. Trophy Child
10. My Own Grave
11. Something to Live For
12. Real Talk
13. Praise Feeder

LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES is:

Chris Roetter - Vocals
Aaron Evans - Bass
Zach Huston - Guitar
Eli Ford – Guitar

STONE SOUR's video for the song "Gone Sovereign" can be seen below. The clip was filmed on September 26 in the band's hometown of Des Moines, Iowa with director Paul R. Brown, who has previously worked with SLIPKNOT, MÖTLEY CRÜE, KORN, GODSMACK and AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

"Gone Sovereign" comes off "House Of Gold And Bones - Part 1", the first half of STONE SOUR's upcoming two-disc concept album, which arrives on October 23. The second half will come out next year, probably in May.

Singer Corey Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio that the project has turned out even better than he had hoped. "It's some of the best work we've ever done," he said. "Song-wise, guitar-wise, performance-wise, I mean, everything. It's so good. It's come out so much better than I thought it was going to. It's surpassed all of our expectations. It's really, really good."

Speaking to Rolling Stone about the making of the project, Taylor said, "Even with the time constraints we had, we basically recorded two albums in the time it takes to record one. So we were doing double-duty every day. I was tracking two songs vocally a day just to keep us on a deadline and it really pushed us to strive for excellence."

The singer also said that the band wanted to "really try and go for (a) natural vibe on this without using a ton of samples and really try to differentiate us from everybody else out there . . . we wanted to really capture a unique sound."

"House of Gold & Bones - Part 1" track listing:

01. Gone Sovereign
02. Absolute Zero
03. A Rumor Of Skin
04. The Travellers Part 1
05. Tired
06. RU486
07. My Name Is Allen
08. Taciturn
09. Influence Of A Drowsy God
10. The Travellers Part 2
11. Last Of The Real

STONE SOUR has tapped Johny Chow as its live bassist for the band's upcoming tour behind "House Of Gold And Bones". Chow has formerly played with metal acts SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY and FIREBALL MINISTRY, and replaces Shawn Economaki, who bowed out of the band earlier this year for personal reasons.

The group tapped Rachel Bolan of SKID ROW to play bass on the album itself, and Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio how that came together. "I'm well-documented being a huge SKID ROW fan. I can't remember who brought the name up, but I immediately was like, 'Dude, absolutely.' We knew somebody who had his number, so I called him and within 24 hours he was basically getting ready to do it. And he's just one of the coolest dudes on the planet and he schooled it. People are going to be very impressed by the bass playing."

Guitarist Josh Rand told Metalshrine about Bolan's involvement in the album, "It was a great experience. He's a phenomenal writer on top of being a phenomenal bass player and he brought this style into it that we felt had been lacking. Instead of following the guitars, he actually plays bass and it elevated all of the songs to a whole new level."

Bolan was unable to join STONE SOUR on tour because of his previous commitments to SKID ROW.

STONE SOUR will play a couple of festival dates in South America in early November before heading overseas later this fall for a European tour.

"Tortured Tone", the new video from PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION, the project featuring IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith and SIKTH frontman Mikee Goodman, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "Awoken Broken", which was released in the U.S. on April 17 and in Europe on February 27 through Spinefarm Records. The CD was produced by Adrian and Mikee, and mixed by Simon Hanhart, whose previous credits include everyone from TIN MACHINE to SAXON. The album features 12 tracks top to tail, and it will be available on digipak CD, digital download and double colored vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

"Awoken Broken" track listing:

01. No Friendly Neighbour (4:53)
02. No Place Like Home (3:06)
03. I See Lights (4:59)
04. Bright As A Fire (6:21)
05. Savage World (3:38)
06. Tortured Tone (5:08)
07. White Sheet Robes (5:16)
08. As Tears Come Falling From The Sky (0:47)
09. Awoken Broken (4:58)
10. Search For Bliss (4:13)
11. Snake Ladders (4:43)
12. Mirror and the Moon (5:04)

The brainchild of Adrian Smith and Mikee Goodman, U.K. musicians with different stories to tell, PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION is a fresh new project that manages to be both reassuring and unexpected at one and the same time…

On the one side, there's Adrian, a key member of the IRON MAIDEN setup, a band he first joined back in 1980; and since that time, MAIDEN has gone on to become one of the biggest hard rock bands the world has seen, playing to vast and staunchly committed crowds all over the world, opening exciting new doors in parts of the globe many people will never even have heard of! Their last studio album, "The Final Frontier", hit the No 1 slot in over 28 countries!

With MAIDEN's reputation having been forged through their ability to blend well-crafted vocal and guitar melodies with the sheer brute force of prime heavy metal, it will surely come as no surprise that the debut PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION album, "Awoken Broken", delivers fully on both fronts, but with an extra nod to the underground, the alternative and the downright edgy — an aspect of the music that is enhanced from start to finish by the presence of one-time SIKTH frontman / lyric-writer/spoken-word maestro, Mikee Goodman.

With SIKTH now universally lauded as one of the major inspirations of the new "Djent" movement, it's perfect timing for Mikee to return to the music scene in full force, following that band's decision to take a break after their second "Death Of A Dead Day" album back in 2006; Mikee's unique vocal approach — an arresting, signature blend of spoken word plus a wide variety of vocal tones (some dark and disturbing, others that owe a debt to the world of animation) — was very much a part of what made SIKTH stand out from the chasing pack, and fans will be delighted to know that his key vocal mannerisms have been both retained and honed for PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION, in a form tightly bound to the structure of the songs themselves.

Yes, there are spoken-word elements, and yes, there are more extreme vocal moments peppered throughout the tracks, but generally speaking, this is a more mature and experienced Mikee, showcasing a strong, melodic voice plus an impressive vocal range, using the more "adventurous" end of his repertoire as a way of providing contrast and effect.

In essence, PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION is the meeting of different minds, different mentalities and different musical backgrounds, but the end result is very much a cohesive, self-produced whole… albeit one that reflects the individual talents of the musicians involved: Adrian provides the guitars, the bass and the advanced song-writing skills — the sense of drama, of light and shade, of music designed to stir the senses, all of them.

Right from the start, it's been very much a labor of love…

Adrian: "It was great working at my own pace and in my own studio with no time constraints. I think during the making of this album I went around the world twice with MAIDEN, working on the project in between. In the process, it allowed for a bit more of an experimental approach."

Meanwhile, Mikee goes head to head with this renowned player as a full writing & production partner, adding new (sometimes surprising, often experimental) layers to the tracks, and ensuring that the music glistens with an inherent contemporary sheen.

Mikee: "Adrian inspired me in many ways. I learnt the importance and the power of choruses in songs. Adrian also gave me a lot more belief in myself melodically. I think we pulled each other out of our comfort zones, creating something fresh and exciting along the way. We co-produced the album together, and the whole recording process was very relaxed — no deadlines, just honing the songs naturally as we recorded them, a new experience for both of us."

In addition to the PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION pair, there are backing vocals on three of the tracks (delivered by Tarin Kerry, discovered by Mikee while he was acting as producer for a band she was in), viola on the bulk of the songs (provided by Abi Fry of BAT FOR LASHES), plus original SIKTH member Dan "Loord" Foord on drums.

"Hearts Of Cold", a brand new song from Swedish female-fronted heavy rockers SISTER SIN, can be streamed below (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep). The track comes off the band's third album, "Now And Forever", which will be released on October 23 via Victory Records. The CD was recorded at Standstraight Studios in Stockholm with producer Chris Snyder and was mixed by Cameron Webb (MOTÖRHEAD, SOCIAL DISTORTION, DANZIG).

"Now And Forever" track listing:

01. MMXII
02. End Of The Line
03. Fight Song
04. In It For Life
05. Hearts Of Cold
06. The Chosen Few
07. Hang 'Em High
08. I'm Not You
09. Running Low
10. Shades Of Black
11. Morning After

The official lyric video for "End Of The Line" can be seen below. The track was released on August 7 via all digital platforms worldwide.

Various pre-order options for "Now And Forever" can be found at VictoryRecords.com.

For more information, visit www.sistersin.com.

"Hearts Of Cold" audio stream (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep):

British power metal mercenaries TANK — featuring Mick Tucker and Cliff Evans on guitar alongside ex-RAINBOW/YNGWIE MALMSTEEN frontman Doogie White and ex-BRUCE DICKINSON bassist Chris Dale and former HELLOWEEN drummer Mark Cross — will release a new DVD, "War Machine Live", on November 12 in Europe via Metal Mind Productions and December 11 in the USA through MVD. The set will feature live performances filmed on March 9, 2012 at Stodola in Warsaw, Poland and August 10, 2011 at Metal Hammer Festival in Katowice, Poland, plus band interviews, on-the-road footage and the promotional video for "War Nation", the title track of the band's most recent studio album.

You can now watch the "War Nation" clip below.

Commented Evans: "This is our first official live DVD release so we wanted to make sure it would appeal to all TANK fans, old and new. With such an extensive back catalog to choose from, we think we've selected some real gems that all fans of real British metal will enjoy. We've captured the raw energy that TANK is known for in a performance that features classic tracks such as 'This Means War', 'Power Of The Hunter' and 'Honour And Blood' plus new fan favourites 'Judgement Day' and 'Phoenix Rising'. Also featured is a live version of the new song 'Don't Dream In The Dark' from our latest album, 'War Nation'."

"War Machine Live" track listing:

01. This Means War
02. Judgement Day
03. Echoes Of A Distant Battle
04. Phoenix Rising
05. Feast Of The Devil
06. Honour And Blood
07. Great Expectations
08. T.W.D.A.M.O.
09. Don't Dream In The Dark
10. Power Of The Hunter
11. (He Fell In Love With A) Stormtrooper
12. The War Drags Ever On

Bonus video:

* "War Nation" video
* Interview with Mick Tucker, Cliff Evans and Doogie White
* Live at Metal Hammer Festival 2011
* At the Studio / On the Road

Extras:

* Photo gallery
* Biography
* Discography
* Desktop images

The band plans to promote the DVD on a tour in Europe in December.

Commented Evans: "It's been a while since our last shows earlier this year in Scandinavia and Poland, so we're looking forward to hitting the road again and making some noise. We'll be adding songs from our new album, 'War Nation', to the set plus a couple from 'War Machine' plus all the old classics. The tour will be announced in the coming weeks."

"War Nation" was released on June 5 via MVD (one day earlier in Europe through Metal Mind Productions). The follow-up to 2010's "War Machine" was helmed by new hotshot producer Phil Kinman at his west London studios.

Video footage of Michael Schenker's October 4 performance at The Rodeo Club in San Jose, California can be seen below (courtesy of Bay Area Backstage).

Vocalist David Van Landing is fronting Michael Schenker's band on the current North American tour, which kicked off on October 3 in Modesto, California. David has stepped in for Robin McAuley, who was originally slated to take part in the trek after recently reuniting with Schenker for their first full tour together in almost 20 years.

Van Landing, who has previously done three tours with MSG and had a short stint with CRIMSON GLORY, said prior to the start of the trek: "I am just looking forward to getting out on the road again with the boys and seeing all my old friends and hopefully meet some new ones!!"

In addition to Schenker and Van Landing, the lineup for the tour includes Pete Holmes on drums, Wayne Findlay on guitar and Elliott Rubinson on bass.

Schenker's latest album, "Temple Of Rock", was released in Europe on September 23, 2011 and in North America on October 11, 2011 on CD and LP through Schenker's own Inakustik label via MVD Entertainment Group.

Dutch singer Floor Jansen (REVAMP, ex-AFTER FOREVER) made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington.

Jansen is handling lead-vocal duties on NIGHTWISH's current North American tour after the group parted ways with Anette Olzon at the end of September.

In a new blog post on her official web site at FloorJansen.com, Floor writes, "A big hello from Oklahoma City! Another backstage moment, and actually again, I am writing right before the meet-and-greet we'll have today!

"I left you in Anaheim. We had a nice meet-and-greet there.

"So wonderful to see people really welcome me into the band! We do one every night now and it's great for me to meet loyal NIGHTWISH fans who are happy to see me and thank me for stepping in. I feel loved!!!

"Also behind the scenes I meet the most wonderful people!

"We played 'Higher Than Hope' [see video below] after I met the mother and sister of the man whom this song is about. They came to the show in Anaheim and when they were also there the day after in San Diego, we played it for them. Emotional roller coaster, but so beautiful!

"Music is emotion and to be able to sing these songs live is just something special. I can't put this into words, really…

"My cold is almost gone and hasn't been bothering me when I sing anymore. I can now belt out the notes and vary in dynamics and vocal styles. The songs scream for that! It feels so good!

"This is picture [see below] taken at the meet-and-greet in the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City."

The official lyric video for "Tempest", the new single from Sacramento, California's DEFTONES, can be seen below. The track, which was released digitally on Tuesday (October 9), comes off the band's seventh studio album, "Koi No Yokan". The group worked again with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who helmed 2010's "Diamond Eyes" and has also worked on albums by RUSH and FOO FIGHTERS.

DEFTONES has tapped Christopher Mills (MODEST MOUSE, INTERPOL) to direct the video for "Tempest". The clip will make its online debut during the coming weeks.

Due on November 13, "Koi No Yokan" will feature the following track listing:

01. Swerve City
02. Romantic Dreams
03. Leathers
04. Poltergeist
05. Entombed
06. Graphic Nature
07. Tempest
08. Gauze
09. Rosemary
10. Goon Squad
11. What Happened To You?

Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep, DEFTONES frontman Chino Moreno stated about the songwriting process for "Koi No Yokan", "We were coming out of a tough time, obviously, and our goal was to kind of rebuild what we created over all the years. I felt like we had to prove ourselves. We'd taken so much time between records, had some inner turmoil, and our records were starting to get pieced together versus really being created together, so for us it was a chance to get back to basics. We didn't have an idea of what sort of style we wanted. We just came in fired up and motivated to do something great. It was all very positive. We had more songs than ever, tons of ideas."

Video footage of former Marty Friedman's October 10 performance at de Boerderij in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands 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.

earMUSIC has set an October 19 release date for "Blackoustic", the first-ever acoustic album by Finnish heavy metal singer Timo Kotipelto (STRATOVARIUS, CAIN'S OFFERING, KOTIPELTO) and guitarist Jani Liimatainen (CAIN'S OFFERING, ex-SONATA ARCTICA). The duo has been working together and playing acoustic shows for a while, and the idea of recording an acoustic album came from the fans.

Audio samples of the entire CD are available at Record Shop X.

Comments Kotipelto: "The fans were recording our shows with their cell phones and the've been telling us that we should make an album, so they could have better quality recordings of the songs to listen at home. At first, we were just joking about it, but after a while we thought, 'Why not? As far as we know, not many people have done it before, at least not within the heavier music genre. Our initial idea was to make a self-financed album with a relatively small pressing and then just maybe sell them at our shows."

But instead of making it a "fan-club release," the duo has opted to work with the label earMUSIC/Edel, which also releases STRATOVARIUS's work since the album "Polaris".

Most of the songs were chosen from the duo's live setlist, including familiar STRATOVARIUS covers like "Black Diamond" and "Hunting High and Low", but also songs like "Serenity" and "Sleep Well" from Kotipelto's solo albums have been given the new acoustic treatment; proving that behind great heavy metal song, there's very often a stunning melody "screaming" to come out. Furthermore, the album includes beautiful cover versions of PETE TOWNSHEND's "Behind Blue Eyes" and DEEP PURPLE's classic "Perfect Strangers".

"Blackoustic" also features a brand new composition, "Where My Rainbow Ends", written by Jani Liimatainen, who says: "I remembered a song I wrote last winter. Originally it was an instrumental track, but after listening back to it I thought that the melody would work very well with vocals. We re-arranged the song into our acoustic format and — as a slave of habit — I wrote the lyrics for it the night before our last day of recording. It turned out surprisingly beautiful and delicate."
"Jani's new song is a beautiful ballad," adds Kotipelto. "We have quite a few ballads on this album, as even the more rock oriented songs tend to sound more ballad-esque when performed by a duo."

"Blackoustic" was recorded at Kotipelto's cottage at Lappajärvi and mixed and mastered by the STRATOVARIUS guitarist / studio wizard Matias Kupiainen.

The duo will also hit the road in Finland in support of the album, although the first show was on the sea, performing at the Radio Rock cruise on the Baltic Princess on September 8.

"Blackoustic" track listing:

01. Sleep Well
02. Out In The Fields
03. Black Diamond
04. My Selene
05. Behind Blue Eyes
06. Hunting High And Low
07. Where My Rainbow Ends
08. Speed Of Light
09. Perfect Strangers
10. Coming Home
11. Serenity
12. Rainbow Eyes
13. Karjalan Kunnailla

The official trailer for "Blackoustic" can be seen below.

To celebrate the 50th webcast of CBS Interactive's award-winning live webcast concert series "Live On Letterman", KISS brought its spectacular, larger-than-life extravaganza of music to the world famous Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. The 48-minute concert was webcast live and is now available on demand on CBS.com.

KISS, in all its bombastic and unstoppable glory, performed fan favorites from their treasure-trove of hits along with "Hell Or Hallelujah", from their new album, "Monster", which came out October 9.

Having already broken box office records set by THE BEATLES and Elvis Presley, KISS celebrates their 40th anniversary in 2013 with more than 28 U.S. gold albums, the most gold records for any American rock band, with 40 million sales in the U.S. and a total exceeding 100 million worldwide. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, with longtime members guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, return stronger than ever with their new album.

The "Live On Letterman" franchise, which has surpassed 130 million views to date on CBS.com and VEVO, marks its 50th webcast with KISS' performance. Past performances have included some of the most established bands and musicians across the globe, from its first event which featured PEARL JAM to Paul McCartney on the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater, FOO FIGHTERS, Katy Perry, COLDPLAY, Adele and more, all staged in an intimate and dynamic setting for worldwide followers to enjoy.

KISS' "Live On Letterman" webcast preceded their appearance on the "Late Show With David Letterman", which was broadcast that same evening, Wednesday, October 10 (11:35 p.m.-12:37 a.m., ET/PT) on the CBS television network. Video footage of that performance can be seen below.

Metal Sickness conducted an interview with SOULFLY mainman Max Cavalera on September 30 at Metalfest at Le Bikini in Toulouse, France. You can now watch the chat below.

SOULFLY's eighth album, "Enslaved", sold 5,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 82 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Omen", opened with 6,000 units in June 2010 to land at No. 73.

"Enslaved" was released on March 13 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at TallCat Studios in Phoenix, Arizona and was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, the seasoned knob twiddler behind some of the most notable bands in metal today, such as SHADOWS FALL, HATEBREED, THE RED CHORD and more.

SOULFLY's current lineup features drummer David Kinkade (BORKNAGAR, ARSIS, MALEVOLENT CREATION), Max and guitar dynamo Marc Rizzo, with STATIC-X's Tony Campos taking up the bass.

Interview:

SEVENDUST has completed recording its ninth album for an early 2013 release. The CD was recorded at Architekt Music studios in Butler, New Jersey with engineer Mike Ferretti.

A photo of the team that worked on the new album can be seen below.

SEVENDUST's latest CD, "Cold Day Memory", sold around 27,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous effort, "Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow", opened with 25,000 units back in April 2008 to land at position No. 19.

"Cold Day Memory" was released on April 20, 2010 on the band's own 7Bros. Records, through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group. The CD — produced by Grammy Award winner Johnny K (DISTURBED, STAIND, 3 DOORS DOWN, PLAIN WHITE T'S) — was the group's first new album with its original lineup back together with Lowery's return after his departure in 2003.

CALL ME NO ONE — the new project featuring Lowery and SEVENDUST drummer Morgan Rose — released its debut album, "Last Parade", on June 5. The CD's first single, "Biggest Fan", was made available to purchase on iTunes on April 24.

SEVENDUST guitarist John Connolly and bassist Vince Hornsby also recently launched a new project, joining forces with CREED/ALTER BRIDGE drummer Scott Phillips in a new outfit called PROJECTED.

PROJECTED's debut disc, "Human", was released on September 18 via Connolly's own Yaya Papu LLC label.

After a successful summer touring season that saw London, England-based metallers NEONFLY play some of Europe's biggest metal festivals, including Download (U.K.), Masters Of Rock (Czech Republic) and Galapagai (Lithuania), the band will support British melodic rock legends MAGNUM on their forthcoming European tour (see list of dates on the poster below).

NEONFLY cites MAGNUM as one of its key influences, so to tour alongside them is a source of much pride and excitement in the NEONFLY camp.

Earlier this year, NEONFLY released their first-ever video for the song "A Gift To Remember", produced by the bandmembers themselves. The track comes off the group's critically acclaimed debut album, "Outshine The Sun", which came out last year via Rising Records.

NEONFLY is currently writing, demoing material and selecting a producer for its forthcoming sophomore album, which the band plans to record in early 2013. Guitarist/composer Frederick Thunder says: "We look forward to seeing you on the road. It's going to be quite a ride!"

Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH have launched their own signature wine

Says the band about the Australian red: "You can now get your own AMON AMARTH Shiraz red wine! A must at any classy dinner party or as a gift to the wino friend! Drink irresponsibly!"

To order the AMON AMARTH wine, visit EMP.de.

In the past few years, other hard rock acts like MOTÖRHEAD, AC/DC, SLAYER and KISS have all launched their own wines.

Video footage of SPIRALARMS, the San Francisco Bay Area-based heavy rock band featuring Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN, ex-MANMADEGOD) on guitar, Tim Narducci (ex-SYSTEMATIC) on vocals, Chris "Cornbread" Lombardo on bass, Brad Barth on keyboards, Anthony Traslavina on rhythm guitar and Ron Redeen (THE ESSENESS PROJECT) on drums, performing on October 4 at The Rodeo Club in San Jose, California as the support act for Michael Schenker can be seen below

SPIRALARMS' sophomore album, "Freedom", will be released later this year.

SPIRALARMS released its full-length debut, "Highest Society", in June 2010 through Luxury Buzz, the label started by Narducci and Barth, in association with Apache Productions.

SPIRALARMS rose from the ashes of millennial bands SYSTEMATIC, FORBIDDEN and MANMADE GOD.

Friends since the age of 15, Narducci and Locicero bonded over their love of heavy metal and hard rock music. Looking back at that time period, Craig said, "[We were] probably the youngest kids in the East Bay metal scene that were drinking beer out in the parking lot after seeing bands like TESTAMENT and EXODUS play."

Although the two remained friends throughout the years, they both went their separate ways and started bands of their own.

After years of playing with their respective groups, the two friends contacted each other and decided it was time to start playing music together again, and in 2004 SPIRALARMS was born.

SPIRALARMS is:

Tim Narducci - Vocals/Guitar
Craig Locicero - Guitar
Anthony Traslavina - Guitar
Chris "Cornbread" Lombardo - Bass/Vocals
Brad Barth - Keyboards
Ron Redeen - Drums

Seattle NWOBHM style metallers ZERO DOWN have released the video for their track ‘Battle At The Battle Of The Bands’, taken from the band’s latest album Looking To Start A Riot.

Directed by Jeff Ferrell, it includes Mischa Kianne (WITCHBURN) in the lead role of leading her pack of headbangers to destroy the competition.

Watch the video below:
Looking To Start A Riot was released in 2011 independently.
Tracklisting is as follows:

‘Dead To Life’
‘Year Of The Rat’
‘The Vulture’
‘Broken’
‘Last Days Of The Crow’
‘Knockout Brigade’
‘Sweet Revenge’
‘Snake Eyes’
‘Battle At The Battle Of The Bands’

Southern Minnesota-based metallers ENEMY X - which features in it's ranks former VIO-LENCE frontman Jerry Birr on bass - are streaming all tracks from their new album, The Ends Of The Earth, at this location.
Describing themselves, the band states: "We are a metal band with a unique blend of driving rhythm grooves, melodic harmony guitar leads and powerful yet articulate vocals."
Enemy X lineup:

Chris Neal - Vocals
Chris Miller - Guitar
Chris Lynch - Guitar
Jerry Birr - Bass
Derrick Marttila - Drums

More on Enemy X at this location.

Spanish death grinders GRUESOME STUFF RELISH recently signed with Germany's FDA Rekotz. A new album from the veteran trio, entitled Sempiternal Death Grind, will be released January 25th, 2013 on CD, vinyl LP and digital formats.
Tracklisting:

'A Date With Fulci'
'Desecrated'
'Deadlicious Feast'
'S.O.S.'
'They Are The Plague'
'End Is Near'
'They Follow Your Scent'
'Became A Zombie'
'Gruesome Stuff Relish'
'Sex Drugs & Grind'
'In Death We Breath'
'Scratching The Violet Velvet'
If you're in the neighborhood, catch Gruesome Stuff Relish at the Bloodshed Festival in Holland this coming weekend. For details visit this location.

More on Gruesome Stuff Relish at this location.