DARKTHRONE began in the late '80s as a thrash/death metal act and progressed through technical death/doom metal experimentation to become legends of the black metal world and one of the original leading bands of the Norwegian scene, as well as inspiring a whole generation of metal bands.

"A Blaze In The Northern Sky", DARKTHRONE's second album, was originally released in 1992 and was without question the blueprint release for the black metal scene, spearheading the evolution of the early second wave movement in Norway and beyond. It was hailed on release as an album of true scene-shifting greatness, following their more death metal-centered debut, "Soulside Journey".

The album saw a whole new blacker than black DARKTHRONE, new names, new cold and stripped down sound and highly visual black and white artwork. Fenriz claimed at the time, "This is the new DARKTHRONE. The old DARKTHRONE is dead." So great was the hunger and need for DARKTHRONE that it meant absolutely nothing to critics and fans alike that the band hardly ventured out to play live. On the contrary, this only added to the mystique of the band, and saw them, in the eyes of the fans as very much "keeping it real" with their completely uncompromising approach.

Due on November 5 via Peaceville, this special edition of "A Blaze In The Northern Sky" marks 20 years since the album's original release, and contains an additional CD featuring Fenriz talking about his memories and recollections of the album's construction as the music plays in the background. This edition is also presented in digibook format with extra liner notes from Fenriz and Nocturno Culto, plus rare and previously unseen images. Also contains video interview with Nocturno and Fenriz from 2003.

Disc 1

01. Kathaarian Life Code
02. In The Shadow Of The Horns
03. Paragon Belial
04. Where The Cold Winds Blow
05. A Blaze In The Northern Sky
06. The Pagan Winter

* Video interview with Nocturno and Fenriz

Disc 2

* Same as above tracks, but with commentary from Fenriz

For more information, go to this location.

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on "Silverthorn", the new album from American/German/Swedish symphonic metallers KAMELOT, can be streamed at Amazon.com. Due on October 30 in North America, October 26 in Germany and October 29 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV, the CD will mark the band's first release with new singer Tommy Karevik, the 30-year-old Swede who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of).

KAMELOT recently filmed a video for the song "Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)", in Belgrade, Serbia with director Ivan Colic, who has previously worked with MOONSPELL, SOILWORK, HAMMERFALL, TYPE O NEGATIVE and SYMPHONY X, among others. The clip, which features guest appearances by Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE) and Alissa White-Gluz (THE AGONIST), is expected to make its online debut in a few weeks. Alissa's cameo was filmed by Von Wong Photography at Studio Newreel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

In a recent interview with the Kamelot France web site, KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood stated about "Sacrimony", "We have a lot of strong songs on the album, but this one was the first one that we wanted to play [during this summer's European tour]. Ironically, it was one the last song we wrote the music for. I remember sitting with [KAMELOT keyboardist] Oliver [Palotai] in Stuttgart and I had to leave the next day for Florida. I said, 'Let's make one more song, something fast and uptempo.' That was the genesis for 'Sacrimony'. Later, [new KAMELOT singer] Tommy [Karevik] laid down a killer vocal melody and it was pretty much like on the demo. Later, we invited Elize Ryd [KAMELOT touring backing vocalist] to sing on that song."

"Silverthorn" track listing:

01. Manus Dei
02. Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)
03. Ashes To Ashes
04. Torn
05. Song For Jolee
06. Veritas
07. My Confession
08. Silverthorn
09. Falling Like The Fahrenheit
10. Solitaire
11. Prodigal Son
12. Continuum

The "Silverthorn" LP and limited edition will have one version of the cover artwork, while the standard version of "Silverthorn" will have a different but equally exquisite version. The standard version is presented as an Ecolbook. The limited edition contains the Ecolbook, a bonus CD with nearly 60 minutes of music, a 44-page book and an exclusive poster. The double LP version is a gatefold on colored vinyl and includes the CD.

Tommy first appeared as one of the guest singers on KAMELOT's very successful 2011 Pandemonium World Tour.

"Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)" performance (September 12 at Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia):

A two-camera edit of WHITECHAPEL's September 27 performance at Ace of Spades in Sacramento, California can be seen below (courtesy of Rock Hard Live).

The new self-titled fourth album from WHITECHAPEL sold around 9,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 47 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "A New Era Of Corruption", opened with around 10,600 units back in June 2010 to land at No. 43.

"Whitechapel" was released on June 19 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was engineered and mixed by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DEVILDRIVER), who also handled production duties alongside the band. The artwork was created by Aaron Marsh of Forefathers Group with art direction provided by WHITECHAPEL.

Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach played his first show with Los Angeles-based guitarist Jeff George last night (Friday, September 28) at Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

George, who has previously played with ASKING ALEXANDRIA's lead vocalist Danny Worsnop, joined Bach's band as the replacement for Nick Sterling, who left the group in early August due to a contractual dispute over a live television broadcast.

Sterling played guitar, and co-wrote many of the songs, on Bach's latest album, "Kicking & Screaming".

Bach used several guest guitarists at some of his recent shows, including Jinxx (BLACK VEIL BRIDES) and Brent Woods (WILDSIDE, VINCE NEIL).

Asked by Italian web radio Linearock.it in a June 2012 interview what the reason is for the frequent lineup changes in his solo band, Bach said, "It's a very easy answer. It's all to do with finance. If you get paid a certain amount of money, you can't pay to play… If I tell a guy in my band, 'This is what we're getting. We all have to split it.' Some guys will be like, 'Fuck that!' And I'm like, 'You know what?! Bye!' [laughs] 'Cause it's a business. When you see me change bandmembers, it's usually a business decision."

KAMELOT backing singers Elize Ryd (also of AMARANTHE) and Alissa White-Gluz (also of THE AGONIST) filled in for NIGHTWISH vocalist Anette Olzon last night (Friday, September 28) at the Ogden Theatre in Denver, Colorado after Olzon was taken ill and had to be hospitalized.

Commented NIGHTWISH: "We were in hell [yesterday]. Vocalist in a hospital. Show about to be canceled... But nobody gave up an inch. With the help from the ladies Elize and Alissa from KAMELOT, we actually managed to pull of a relaxed and great show! The crowd doing the mass karaoke with the band playing was absolutely amazing. We were humbled and grateful at the same time. This is unity and help from friends and fans.

Fan-filmed video footage of last night's concert can be seen below.

"Anette is already recovering, thanks to the medical staff and whatever powers there exists. The shows will go on.

"We give our greatest respect to Alissa, Elize and the crowd in Ogden Theatre, Denver. You rule!!!"

NIGHTWISH's long-awaited "Imaginaerum" film — based on the band's album of the same name — will be released theatrically in Finland on November 23.

The movie will have its premiere on November 10 at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland, where the audience will be treated to both a full-scale NIGHTWISH concert and the first-ever public screening of the movie.

Eagerly anticipated around the world, "Imaginaerum" creates a musical fantasy world in the vein of David Lynch, Neil Gaiman, and Cirque du Soleil. The movie is an innovative mixture of story-telling and music, an extraordinary tale of the power of imagination… and what's ultimately important in life.

Shot and post-produced in Canada, the movie was directed by Stobe Harju and produced by Solar Films, and features appearances by all NIGHTWISH members. The screenplay is based on a wild vision that Tuomas Holopainen, the mastermind of the band, devised after the album "Dark Passion Play" came out in 2007.

The official soundtrack of the movie, "Imaginaerum By Nightwish: The Score", will be released on the day before the premiere — Friday, November 9. The album features 13 grandiose, unreleased re-interpretations of "Imaginaerum" tracks by Petri Alanko.

The "Imaginaerum" album was released in the U.S. on January 10 via Roadrunner Records.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of MORBID ANGEL's September 28 headlining performance at The Trocadero in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

MORBID ANGEL has just kicked off a month-long North American tour with support from Sweden's DARK FUNERAL and GRAVE. The headlining run, the band's first in six and half years, runs through October 21 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Said MORBID ANGEL frontman David Vincent about the group's setlist: "We are playing many songs [on this tour] from 'Altars Of Madness' and 'Covenant'. We have put together a setlist that highlights the diversity of the first four classic MORBID ANGEL albums in a way that celebrates the paradigm shifting creativity that has defined extreme music for decades."

MORBID ANGEL recently announced that it will also play a set of "all-time classic songs" on its upcoming European tour with KREATOR, NILE and FUELED BY FIRE, which kicks off on November 1 in Antwerp, Belgium.

On February 24 (February 28 in North America), Season of Mist released a compilation of remixed tracks from MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Illud Divinum Insanus". Far from being just revamped versions of the seminal extreme metal band's newest songs, this collection presents the work of 39 artists from the electro / industrial, techno and club scene.

MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", sold around 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 141. The effort marks MORBID ANGEL's first CD to feature bassist/vocalist David Vincent since 1995's "Domination".

"Bleeding Out", the new video from British metallers SACRED MOTHER TONGUE, can be seen below. The clip was filmed on September 10 at the O2 Academy in Islington, London at the band's b>"A Light Shines" EP launch show.

"A Light Shines" was released on September 3 via EMI Label Services. This is the band's debut release on EMI Label Services and precedes SACRED MOTHER TONGUE's second album, "Out Of The Darkness", which will be made available early next year.

"A Light Shines" is a defining moment for SACRED MOTHER TONGUE, their stake in the sand as one the most exciting bands in British metal. Opening with the powerhouse chorus and heavy-as-hell guitars of "Evolve/Become" and followed by the thumping darkness of "Seven", it's instantly apparent that SACRED MOTHER TONGUE has made a quantum leap on from its well-received debut album, "Ruin Of Man", in 2009, from which they reinterpret "A Final Idea" as an acoustic number on this EP.

And now, SACRED MOTHER TONGUE in 2012 is channelling the melodic power of METALLICA, the dark demons of ALICE IN CHAINS and the visceral intensity of MACHINE HEAD to create a vital update of all these influences coupled with a whole heap of skyscraping ambition.

"A Light Shines" EP track listing:

01. Evolve/Become
02. Bleeding Out
03. Seven
04. The City Is Crying (live from China)

SACRED MOTHER TONGUE's stunning sonic arsenal features the bruised power of vocalist Darrin South and guitarist Andy James, whose six-string skills have gained him worldwide acclaim both from his peers and on YouTube, where his guitar tutorials now have over 4 million views.

Completed by Josh Gurner on bass, famed for his stage-diving antics while still shredding the fretboard, and drummer Lee Newell, who is also the rhythmic powerhouse behind FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM's live performances, SACRED MOTHER TONGUE are renewed, revitalized and ready to take on the planet.

An EPICA fan asked his girlfriend to marry him during the Dutch band's concert last night (Wednesday, September 26) at Teatro Caupolicán in Santiago, Chile.

After performing the song "Sancta Terra", EPICA guitarist/vocalist Mark Jansen told the audience that something special was about to happen, and he called a fan from the audience named Roberto Castillo to come on the stage. "Well, I think you have something important to say," said Jansen and handed the microphone to Roberto. Castillo explained to the crowd that he met a woman at a previous EPICA show, and she later became "the love of my life," he said. He then invited his girlfriend, Cynthia Oyarzún, to come on the stage. After embracing her and kissing her, he got down on his knees and asked her in English: "Will you marry me?" Oyarzún answered in the affirmative and the entire audience, along with the band, cheered the happy couple. Even EPICA singer Simone Simons, who was watching the proceeding from backstage, came out with tears in her eyes to congratulate the couple and wish them "love, luck and a lot of sex."

Video footage of the marriage proposal can be seen below.

According to a posting on late DEEP PURLE keyboardist Jon Lord's official web site, Jon's family has been informed that someone has been selling unofficial T-shirts at gigs and online regarding Jon's passing.

They would like to make it very clear that this has nothing to do with the family or DEEP PURPLE, and they are upset that anyone should profit from this tacky endeavour — unless the money is given to charity, which seems very unlikely.

They ask that you respect their feelings and not encourage this behavior.

Jon Lord died on July 16 at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked primarily in the classical field.

Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.

Hi-Rez Studios, independent developer of AAA free-to-play online games and MANOWAR, the band known worldwide for mythology-themed lyrics and an epic heavy metal sound, today confirmed their collaboration around the game Smite. A new Smite video was released featuring god vs. god gameplay footage set to the popular MANOWAR song "The Sons Of Odin".

"MANOWAR has a rich history in fantasy and mythology," said Hi-Rez Chief Operating Officer Todd Harris. "We shared our vision for Smite and decided to start with 'The Sons Of Odin' track with more music to come, including original compositions by Joey DeMaio and MANOWAR."

The online game Smite began closed beta testing in June and has already surpassed 500,000 player downloads within the first three months.

MANOWAR, the world record holder for both loudest and longest live heavy metal performances, has sold over nine million records to date and boasts a passionate fan-base known as the "Army Of The Immortals" and "Manowarriors."

"We are very excited about this collaboration," said MANOWAR founder and bassist, composer and producer Joey DeMaio. "Metal fans and gamers have a lot in common and Smite in particular totally connects with our music. We are looking forward to uniting Smite gamers and Manowarriors all over the world."

The game Smite is currently in Beta and will release in the first quarter of 2013. Within Smite, players choose from a selection of gods, join session-based 5-versus-5 arena combat, and use custom powers and team tactics against other players and minions. Smite is free-to-play and is a digital download for the PC. Players interested in joining the Smite closed beta can register for an invitation at www.smitegame.com.

Legendary Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM have apparently entered a studio in Budapest, Hungary to begin recording their new album for an early 2013 release.

The band, which made several festival appearances in Europe this past summer, is scheduled to play a special club show in Budapest on October 5.

Asked if MAYHEM has begun working on material for the follow-up to 2007's "Ordo Ad Chao", the band's bassist, Jørn Stubberud (a.k.a. Necrobutcher) told Total Rock Radio in August, "I think that we are not a traditional band in that matter, that we make an album every year and then do a tour with that. 'Cause we don't feel it's necessary to do that — we do an album when we feel like doing an album. It's true — all the guys have some other projects also; like Hellhammer [drums] has ARCTURUS, Attila [Csihar, vocals] has VOID OV VOICES and SUNN O))). It takes time to come up with some good stuff, and we don't wanna rush anything. But we are now, actually, working on some new stuff. It's very hard to say [when the next CD will be released], but we are currently working on some new material and we have a plan to do something that will kick us in the ass a little bit. It's too long a story to go into that [right now]. . . We're waiting for the right inspiration, but having a blast in the meantime, too — travelling around the world and playing."

MAYHEM was honored in the "Metal" category at the 36th annual Spellemann awards (the Norwegian equivalent to the Grammy Awards) for "Ordo Ad Chao".

"Ordo Ad Chao" entered the Norwegian album chart at position No. 12, the band's highest position ever.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows joined FOZZY on stage last night (Thursday, September 27) at the Roxy in West Hollywood, California to perform the song "Sandpaper". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Check out a photo from CNC Photos.

Shadows previously appeared on the studio version of "Sandpaper", which is featured on FOZZY's new album, "Sin And Bones".

Asked how the Shadows collaboration came about, FOZZY singer Chris Jericho told LocalBozo.com: "Shad's a friend of mine and when I was recording the vocals, I wasn't really feeling the one part: 'a cat scratch whiplash / a witch hunt in black.' So I thought it'd be cool to have somebody else do it, like a calm response. So I called Matt and asked him if he'd be interested. I knew they were off and he was at home, so he's like, 'Send me the song and I'll see what I think.' I sent it to him and he really dug it. He was a fan of ours from before anyways — he liked a bunch of our songs. He thought that 'Sandpaper' was one of the catchiest choruses that we'd ever done and so he kind of took it and laid down the part like I asked him to and then he also rearranged the song a bit — gave it a little bit of a different arrangement, streamlined it, made it a little bit more compact, and in my opinion made it a better song. So not only did he sing what I asked him to, he also put his own spin on it and really went above and beyond to create this amazing song that's just been doing huge for us since it came out. So it was cool. It was cool on a professional standpoint, on a creative standpoint, and on a friendship standpoint to have him involved."

FOZZY recently filmed an "Evil Dead"-inspired video for "Sandpaper", which has yet to be released. Jericho told Loudwire about the clip, "It kind of started from that and then we said, 'What if we do a whole 'Evil Dead'-type homage?' And then we found this bad-ass cabin in the woods in Atlanta, and just everything kind of fell together from there. We found, right by the cabin, there was a civil war burial ground, and there was this creepy bridge that was near it, and the cabin couldn't have been more perfect for what we were looking for."

"Sin And Bones", sold around 3,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 143 on the Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 1 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.

FOZZY's previous album, 2010's "Chasing The Grail", opened with around 2,200 units to enter the Heatseekers chart at No. 6.

"Sin And Bones" was released on August 14 (one day earlier internationally) via the group's new label, Century Media Records.

The new lineup of SCARS ON BROADWAY, the project led by SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian, made its live debut this past Saturday, September 22 at the Epicenter festival at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, California.

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance — which included the first-ever airing of four new songs — can be seen below.

SCARS ON BROADWAY 2012 is:

* Daron Malakian - Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar
* Danny Shamoun - Keyboards, Percussion
* Dominic Cifarelli - Bass Guitar
* Jules Pampena - Drums, Percussion

SCARS ON BROADWAY's lineup previously included SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan.

Earlier this year, SCARS ON BROADWAY released a 43-second audio clip of a new song, "Guns Are Loaded", to be included on the band's forthcoming sophomore album.

In October 2008, Malakian announced via SCARS ON BROADWAY's web site that the band's headlining tour — which included an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" — was being canceled, with no plans of rescheduling. Malakian cited his lack of enthusiasm and "his heart not being into touring" as the chief reasons behind the decision to call off the trek. "The music of SCARS will live on, but now is a time when aspects of my life need to be tended to," he said in a statement.

SCARS ON BROADWAY sold just under 24,000 copies of its self-titled debut album in the United States during its first week of release to debut at position No. 17 on The Billboard 200 chart. This number represented roughly 36 percent of the 66,000 opening tally registered by "Elect the Dead", the debut solo effort from SYSTEM OF A DOWN lead singer Serj Tankian, which came out in the fall of 2007 through the Warner Music Group.

Los Angeles-based guitarist Jeff George (pictured below), who has previously played with ASKING ALEXANDRIA's lead vocalist Danny Worsnop, has joined the solo band of former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach.

George will make his live debut with Bach tonight (Friday, September 28) at Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

In early August, Bach parted ways with guitarist Nick Sterling, who played on the singer's latest solo album, "Kicking & Screaming", due to a contractual dispute over a live television broadcast.

Bach used several guest guitarists at some of his recent shows, including Jinxx (BLACK VEIL BRIDES) and Brent Woods (WILDSIDE, VINCE NEIL).

Asked by Italian web radio Linearock.it in a June 2012 interview what the reason is for the frequent lineup changes in his solo band, Bach said, "It's a very easy answer. It's all to do with finance. If you get paid a certain amount of money, you can't pay to play… If I tell a guy in my band, 'This is what we're getting. We all have to split it.' Some guys will be like, 'Fuck that!' And I'm like, 'You know what?! Bye!' [laughs] 'Cause it's a business. When you see me change bandmembers, it's usually a business decision."

The director of LED ZEPPELIN's forthcoming concert film "Celebration Day" — which chronicles the band's 2007 one-off reunion concert —has shot down rumors that the band will reform.

According to Contact Music, filmmaker Dick Carruthers, who directed the movie, has said that talk of the band reuniting detracts from the project – and he also claimed that there hasn't been any discussion about any further reunion shows.

"I do think the whole will-they-won't-they go on tour thing preoccupies far too much of the media's attention. This really isn't about that," he said.

Asked if there had been any talk about another reunion since he filmed the 2007 show, he replied, "Let's put it this way, it hasn't happened in the last five years since the reunion show."

LED ZEPPELIN met with the press on Friday (September 21) in London to launch "Celebration Day". The band — Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones — was adamant about not addressing any reunion rumors — despite the fact that they were promoting a film of their last reunion. When asked if the band would be performing together again, Jimmy Page told a reporter: "Let me ask you a question. Have you seen the film? Did you enjoy it? Then we've done our job, haven't we?" When asked if ZEPPELIN would "do it again," Plant cracked: "With you?"

Page told the press that he was thrilled with Jason Bonham's performance filling in for his late father, John Bonham, saying, "Jason was absolutely monumental. From the very first rehearsal right through to the O2." Plant added: "It was appropriate and it was wonderful and also his vigor was so fantastic too. He drove us, y'know? It was peculiar and strange at times, but at the same time it was very rewarding for all of us."

Plant went on to talk about the band's relationship these days: "We don't see each other too often, but we've just spent about an hour together. . .and no sooner we start talking, than some little innuendo creeps in. It's just what happens when you've spent a lot of time together."

When asked why it took five years for the 2007 reunion concert to see the light of day, John Paul Jones joked: "Five years is like five minutes in ZEPPELIN time."

Jason Bonham told The Pulse Of Radio that following the ZEPPELIN reunion show, he was astounded by the accolades and support he received from fans. "It was just a little bit hard to comprehend," he said. "The next day, when the press was so unanimous of 'the greatest return that could ever be,' that's when it kind of got very emotional for me. That was hard, to suddenly. . . .'wow, I did it.' And watching the clips back on YouTube, I'm amazed I pulled it off."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian and RISE AGAINST singer Tom McIlrath have written and recorded a song together called "We Are The 99 Percent" that is streaming at RollingStone.com and available as a free download at Tankian and Morello's Axis Of Justice web site. Morello called the track "our gift" to the Occupy movement, which recently commemorated its one-year anniversary and which Morello has been a constant supporter of during that time.

Morello explained, "I wanted to do a huge riff-rock anthem. It would feel like the excitement of the global Occupy Wall Street movement."

In addition to the three musicians, the song also features field recordings of Occupy protesters in downtown Manhattan's Zuccotti Park and Liberty Square.

Morello feels that the Occupy movement has brought attention to "the horrific economic inequality that plagues the planet" and "grotesque global poverty and the growing inequality in our country."

Listen to "We Are The 99 Percent" below.

Eagle Rock will release a limited-edition run of Slash deluxe packages in Europe on December 3.

The package features the "Made In Stoke 24/07/11" DVD, a single CD edit of the same show, the "Apocalyptic Love" studio album, and the previously unreleased DVD of "Live From New York" — all packaged inside the cover of a 60 page hardback book filled with stunning photographs, many of them previously unseen.

Although this is being released in the European market only, a small quantity of imports will be made available at SlashOnline.com as well while supplies last.

Pre-orders for this set will begin next week in Europe at all major retailers. Check your local retailers for updates.

The full track listing is as follows:

Disc One: "Made In Stoke 24/07/11" DVD

01. Been There Lately
02. Nightrain
03. Ghost
04. Mean Bone
05. Back From Cali
06. Rocket Queen
07. Civil War
08. Nothing To Say
09. Starlight
10. Promise
11. Doctor Alibi
12. Speed Parade
13. Watch This
14. Beggars & Hangers On
15. Patience
16. Godfather Solo
17. Sweet Child O' Mine
18. Slither
19. By The Sword
20. Mr Brownstone
21. Paradise City

Bonus Features: Interviews with Slash, Myles Kennedy and Uncle Ian

Disc Two: "Made In Stoke 24/07/11" CD

01. Been There Lately
02. Ghost
03. Mean Bone
04. Back From Cali
05. Starlight
06. Promise
07. Doctor Alibi
08. Speed Parade
09. Watch This
10. Patience
11. Sweet Child O'Mine
12. Slither
13. By The Sword
14. Paradise City

Disc Three: "Apocalyptic Love" CD

01. Apocalyptic Love
02. One Last Thrill
03. Standing In the Sun
04. You're A Lie
05. No More Heroes
06. Halo
07. We Will Roam
08. Anastasia
09. Not For Me
10. Bad Rain
11. Hard & Fast
12. Far And Away
13. Shots Fired

Disc Four: "Live From New York" DVD

01. Mean Bone
02. Dirty Little Thing
03. Nightrain
04. One Last Thrill
05. Back From Cali
06. Ghost
07. Standing In The Sun
08. Rocket Queen
09. Doctor Alibi
10. Speed Parade
11. Apocalyptic Love
12. Watch This
13. Starlight
14. Just Like Anything
15. Halo
16. You're A Lie
17. Sweet Child O' Mine
18. Slither
19. By The Sword
20. Paradise City

THE CULT will release a "prequel" to accompany the band's latest album, "Choice Of Weapon". The digital-only release "Weapon Of Choice" reveals the songs at a stage of development that will be of interest to THE CULT's fans and followers. "Weapon Of Choice" is a document of a work in progress and offers a unique opportunity to hear THE CULT's process. The material has not been previously released, and will be available exclusively on iTunes for two months only beginning October 16.

"These songs were turned over and over, forged in long rehearsals and writing sessions, and emanated from challenges both personal and professional," said lead vocalist Ian Astbury.

The ten tracks that comprise "Weapon Of Choice" were recorded when THE CULT returned to the studio in 2011 with producer Chris Goss. The songs were conceived in New York, Los Angeles, the California desert and the band's Witch Mountain studio.

"We put our guts into this; Goss was able to create an environment where the songs were born through playing and turning over lyrics, through hard work and intense sessions," added Astbury. "These songs have an integrity and rawness of their own. In many ways it's a different album to the one we released and reveals the foundations of 'Choice Of Weapon'. We were able to close the doors and begin to explore spaces we had not been in for a while."

"Weapon Of Choice" track listing:

01. Aurora
02. Blackie
03. The Bones
04. Decado
05. Elemental
06. Gibraltar
07. Twisted And Bleeding
08. Militant
09. Supreme
10. Lucifer

My Kingdom Music announce the return of Itay's LORD AGHEROS, and "one of the most incredible, complex and amazing releases ever heard".
Demiurgo, with its two indivisible souls, is a wonderful atmospheric piece of music that fits in well with these dark times. Musically it is a perfect balance between the obscure and extreme black metal elements overwhelmed with atmospheric and ambient parts, so to represent in sounds the real essence of this decadent era. With the strength of the sound of SUMMONING, with the film score influences of ULVER, through classical music and theatrical opera elements, Lord Agheros, as a modern Demiurgo, succeed to mould a colossal atmospheric extreme metal soundtrack giving life with the soul of his music, the listeners’ unique universe!

By the end of Demiurgo you have learned to expect the unexpected. Lord Agheros is ready to take you on this delirant journey through his most tormented soul on November 26th. The album will be released with a deluxe digipack edition.
Demiurgo tracklisting:

Chapter I:
'Prologue'
'Eris'
'Styx'
'Thanatos'
'Moros'
'Nemesi'
'Lyssa'
'Letum'
'Erebo'

Chapter II:
'Nyx'
'Oizys'
'Emera'
'Geras'
'Lysimele'
'Ker'
'Apate'
'Etere'

Don't be afraid of the dark, be the dark and listen to this magnificent soundtrack of the Apocalypse. Check out the official trailer below:
More on Lord Agheros at this location.

Frank Tosi, the driving force behind New York's DESDEMON, has resurrected his band METADOX after the demise of DESDEMON and announced an open call for a vocalist.
Originally established in 2001, METADOX rose quickly in the New York metal circles after signing with Metal Mayhem Music. The band, which opened for such respected artists as DRAGONFORCE, KAMELOT and MOONSPELL, imploded prematurely during its studio recording sessions in 2006.

Commented Tosi: "METADOX deserved a lot more than what was afforded at the time. I'm a little older now, I have more knowledge, contacts, and I'm a much better musician now. As much as I will always love and cherish the good points of what DESDEMON became, I know METADOX will be much more appealing to a broader spectrum of metal fans."

METADOX is currently holding vocalist auditions globally. Interested parties should have the passion and the vocal range similar to the singers from JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, ICED EARTH, KING DIAMOND, HUNTRESS, SLAYER and FIREWIND.

Added Tosi: "We are looking for someone who is seasoned, dedicated, have similar interests, able to front a band, and write quality lyrics."

All vocalist submissions should be sent to Frank Tosi at: Auditions@MetadoxMetal.com.

Norwegian black metallers CREST OF DARKNESS have announced a change in lineup that sees the departure of Kjell Arne Hubred after seven years with the band, and the arrival of DJEVELKULT guitarist Jan Fredrik Solheim to replace him.

"It's sad to be saying goodbye to Kjell Arne after all this time," said founder and frontman Ingar Amlien, "but he has a young family and with CREST OF DARKNESS intending to work harder than ever, it was too difficult for him to devote the amount of time to the band that would be needed, and that's something we understand. We've been very lucky in finding Jan Fredrik to replace him. He's young, talented, highly motivated and has plenty of ambition. We've rehearsed with him several times and it was obvious that he knew CREST OF DARKNESS' music long before he joined us. With the release of our new album imminent, he has brought a renewed sense of enthusiasm and purpose to the band, and as far as I'm concerned we're sounding better and stronger than ever."

Formed in the mid-Nineties by Amlien, CREST OF DARKNESS is a totally different beast from his former band CONCEPTION, which at that time was at the peak of its popularity. Whilst CONCEPTION tended towards the progressive side of power metal, CREST OF DARKNESS allowed Amlien to indulge his passion for sonic brutality and his interest in vampirism and Satanic ideology, both of which are reflected in the band's lyrics.

Aside from Amlien on bass and vocals and Solheim on guitar, CREST OF DARKNESS'current lineup includes Rebo on guitars and Kjetil Hektoen on drums.

Having so far released five full-length albums, the band is set to release its sixth, titled "In The Presence Of Death", shortly on My Kingdom Music shortly.

MASTODON guitarist Brent Hinds is gearing up for the release of his sophomore album with side-project WEST END MOTEL. Due October 30 on Warner Bros. Records, "Only Time Can Tell" is the highly-anticipated follow-up to Hinds' acclaimed 2011 debut, "Don't Shiver, You're A Winner" which SPIN dubbed "a welcome departure from MASTODON's thrashy, progged-out fare...sounds like Tom Waits and Tim Burton co-hosting the creepiest vaudeville show ever," and Pitchfork lauded for its "playfulness and off-the-cuff amiability."

Rolling Stone is streaming the album's first single "Burn It Down", praising its "brightly shout-out-loud vocals, warm and soulful textures, swooning funk melodies and a breezy beat that's downright feel-good music."

WEST END MOTEL began in 1993 under a bridge in Atlanta, where Hinds first met longtime friend Tom Cheshire. Describing themselves as a "conglomerate of losers, poets and hobo-sexuals," the pair write acoustic-guitar driven songs enriched with horns and keys, with the end result sounding like Nick Cave fronting GOGOL BORDELLO. The project pre-dates MASTODON and offers an important glimpse into Hinds' musical influences.

"I grew up listening to Chet Atkins play guitar, and I grew up listening to Brian Setzer play guitar," explains Hinds. "Jimmy Bryant, Speedy West, all these country-chicken-pickin'-flying-'round-the-guitar-neck guitar players. I got really inspired by it. I'm from way down in the country. It was pretty common to have the interests I had when I was that age. MTV had some hair metal on there, but I was more interested in this rockabilly vibe. STRAY CATS were really big at the time, in the '80s. It was epic."
"Only Time Can Tell" track listing:

01. Burn It Down
02. El Myr
03. Witch Is Dead
04. If I Only Had Tomorrow (Second Chances)
05. Forgiveness
06. Only Time Can Tell
07. Valentine
08. Bite

"Hey, Cruel World...", the new video from shock rocker MARILYN MANSON, can be seen below. The clip features up-close footage of the band in a stunning black-and-white live montage from from Milan to Brixton to Los Angeles on Manson's 2012 international tour. The video was produced with music video and documentary director Tim Mattia, who creates unique films for AmpRockTV — a series of films from innovative artists such as MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE and KORN.

"I first met Manson in March of this year when he took part in the series 'The Words' for AmpRockTV," says Mattia. "It was amazing to work with such an iconic artist, so when he asked me to film some live shows with him, I obviously said yes.

"We shot over four nights in the U.K., Italy and America, capturing what I think is one of the world's most exciting live performers at his best."

Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie will kick off their "Twins Of Evil" tour tonight, co-headlining the first day of the Desert Uprising festival in Phoenix, Arizona. Expect defiant rock 'n' roll showmanship in the form of these unholy rollers — arguably the most exciting rock tour this year. Debauchery, theatrics, and a full-on assault on all the senses await fans as part of a mammoth U.S. and 10-country European tour.

"Hey, Cruel World..." comes off MARILYN MANSON's new album, "Born Villain", which sold 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on May 1 via Cooking Vinyl and Manson's own label Hell, Etc.

The second trailer for "Spiritual Genocide", the 30th-anniversary album from German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION, can be seen below. Due on November 23 via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was recorded at Gernhart Studios in Troisdorf, Germany with engineer Martin Buchwalter and was mixed by Andy Classen. The album features guest appearances by Thomas "Angelripper" Such (SODOM), Andreas "Gerre" Geremia (TANKARD) and Ol Drake (EVILE). In addition, the "Mad Butcher"/"Release From Agony" lineup of DESTRUCTION — featuring guitarist Harry Wilkens and drummer Oliver Kaiser — reunited for one song.

"Spiritual Genocide" track listing:

01. Exordium
02. Cyanide
03. Spiritual Genocide
04. Renegades
05. City Of Doom
06. No Signs Of Repentance
07. To Dust You Will Decay
08. Legacy Of The Past (feat. Andreas "Gerre" Geremia, Thomas "Angelripper" Such)
09. Carnivore
10. Riot Squad
11. Under Violent Sledge

Limited-Edition Digipack Bonus Tracks:

12. Princess Of The Night
13. Carnivore (feat. Harry Wilkens, Oliver Kaiser)

Commented DESTRUCTION vocalist/bassist Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer: "For this anniversary album we did a really great job. Our new drummer, Vaaver [real name: Wawrzyniec Dramowicz; INDUKTI, ex-UNSUN], opens up new possibilities of course.

"On this album there are no limits.

"So fast, brutal and yet groovy we haven't ever sounded, probably!

"Also the guest musicians are very special this time: with Gerre and Tom Angelripper, our old friends and companions, are with us, the original 'Mad Butcher'/'Release From Agony' lineup is doing one song and with Ol Drake, we got the hottest young thrash guitarist for a few solos on the album!

"Germany's best extreme metal producer Andy Classen will take care for the brutal and raw production!

"The album will destroy even more than [2011's] 'Day Of Reckoning': fast riffs, double bass attacks and brutal groovy songs, I think this time we found the 100% right mix!

"Also the 'Mad Butcher' returns to the cover.

"Cool artworks are very important for us. For the new thrash thunderstorm, our artist Gyula created a real hammer again! The artwork makes clear immediately where to go — FULL THROTTLE — as it has to be."

Inspired by IRON MAIDEN, MERCYFUL FATE, MOTÖRHEAD and VENOM, DESTRUCTION was formed as KNIGHT OF DEMON in 1982. The band's original lineup included vocalist and bassist Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer, drummer Tommy Sandmann, and guitarist Mike Sifringer. They soon changed their name to DESTRUCTION and released a demo titled "Bestial Invasion Of Hell" in 1984.

"Ice & Fire", the new video from German metallers MOB RULES, can be seen below. The clip was filmed with director Ronald Matthes (Roax Media), who previously worked with such bands as AVANTASIA, PRETTY MAIDS and ICED EARTH.

Commented MOB RULES: "We decided to use 'Ice & Fire', an atmospheric track, for the video and the clip will very much reflect a special mood. That's why we were filming outside, on a huge green field. But this bucolic ambience [is] not really in the focus in the end."

"Ice & Fire" comes off MOB RULES' seventh album, "Cannibal Nation", which will be released on October 19 via AFM Records. According to a press release, the CD "is a varied, hook-oriented and energetic record. By building their own studio, a whole lot of new possibilities opened to the band. So the Dwelling Mound studio of guitarist Sven Lüdke became the place for MOB RULES to compose their new material. The result: every song on 'Cannibal Nation' appears sophisticated and right on point. From the prog metal-influenced opening track 'Close My Eyes' to the following 'Lost' with its strong hookline, the first single 'Ice & Fire' (inspired by the story of the abducted Colombian politician Íngrid Betancourt), which features atmospheric orchestral parts by Michael 'Miro' Rodenberg (AVANTASIA), to 'Scream For The Sun' (lyrically dealing with the first ascent of Mount Everest) and the album's final song 'Sunrise', every track was arranged with passion and reason. With 'Tele Box Fool' also a song whose lyrics criticize today's dull TV/media culture, can be found on the album."

"Cannibal Nation" track listing:

01. Close My Eyes
02. Lost
03. Tele Box Fool
04. Ice And Fire
05. Soldiers Of Fortune
06. The Sirens
07. Scream For The Sun (May 29th 1953)
08. Cannibal Nation
09. Sunrise
10. Children Of The Flames (live in Atlanta) (digipak bonus track)

MOB RULES will celebrate the release of "Cannibal Nation" with a live release party on October 20 in their hometown of Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

MOB RULES in 2010 parted ways with longtime keyboardist Sascha Onnen and replaced him with Jan Christian Halfbrodt.

MOB RULES is:

Klaus Dirks - Vocals
Matthias Mineur - Guitar
Sven Lüdke - Guitar
Jan Christian Halfbrodt - Keyboards
Markus Brinkmann - Bass
Nikolas Fritz – Drums

MOB RULES's latest album, "Radical Peace", was released in November 2009 via AFM Records.

FINSTERFORST, the nature-loving warriors hailing from the German Black Forest, will release their fourth album, "Rastlos" ("Restless"), on November 23 via Napalm Records.

The five mighty and overlong songs present themselves as a sweeping diversity of melodies and moods. FINSTERFORST combines melancholic folklore, untamed black metal fury with majestic soundscapes, thus giving the songs a hypnotic dynamic. This particular effect is strengthened by the sophisticated and fitting use of authentic instruments like the accordion or a full horn section. The great vocal work add to this result and range from grim vocals to proud choirs. All these ingredients make "Rastlos" an intensive adventure, just like wandering through the enthralled and mystical places of the Black Forest.

"Rastlos" track listing:

01. Nichts als Asche
02. Fremd
03. Am Scheideweg (instrumental)
04. Stirbt Zuletzt
05. Ein Lichtschein
06. Rast (instrumental)
07. Flammenrausch

"Hell Praiser", the new video from the Lancaster, Pennsylvania quintet THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE, can be seen below. The clip was directed by David Brodsky of Brooklyn's MyGoodEye Music Visuals, who has previously worked with PAPA ROACH, HELLYEAH, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, GOATWHORE, MUNICIPAL WASTE and SUFFOCATION, among others.

"Hell Praiser" comes off THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE's third album, "Dead Years", which was released in Europe on September 24 via Lifeforce Records. The CD was made available in North America one day later through eOne Music.

According to a press release, "troubled, heavy and emotive songs in between metal and melodic hardcore . . . is exactly what you can expect from 'Dead Years', but this time singer Ricky is truly pissed and you can hear that! [THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE] combines agile catchiness, striking technical ability and a good amount of metalcore ingredients along with dense rock grooves." Produced by Andreas Magnusson (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, HASTE THE DAY), "Dead Years" "consists of ten hymns exploring the fields of metal, hardcore and rock in their own way. The quintet does not think too much. The guys just play what feels right and follow their gut instinct. This is the way THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE succeeds."

"Dead Years" track listing:

01. Hell Praiser
02. Power Hawk
03. In Wolves
04. Americans
05. Hate The Ones You Love
06. You Own No One But You
07. A Damn Moment
08. Gaunt And Fierce
09. Kill'em With Guidance
10. Hard Branch To Snap

THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE's new CD is the band's first release since "Haunt What's Left", produced by Josh Wilbur and LAMB OF GOD's own Chris Adler in 2010.

Having originally released its debut record, "Monuments", in 2007 the band has not slowed down since. With a few dozen tours under their belt with bands like WE CAME AS ROMANS, PERIPHERY and BORN OF OSIRIS, the band is hardly new to the hands-on approach. Things like giving lessons while on tour and actively taking a role in their day to day is what sets THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE apart.

THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE is: Rick Armellino (vocals), Jack Esbenshade (guitar), Matthew Marcellus (bass, vocals) and Rodney Phillips (guitar, vocals).

DOWN's video for the song "Witchtripper" can be seen below. The clip was filmed at the end of August.

"Witchtripper" comes off DOWN's new EP, "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP", which sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Down IV Part I - The Purple EP", DOWN's first in a series of four EPs to be released over the next few years (with a year between EPs), each touching on a different aspect of the band's sound, came out on September 18. It will be followed by the second collection of songs early next year, around the time of a planned U.S. tour. EPs three and four are scheduled for later in 2013.

"Down IV Part I - The Purple EP" heralds the sound of DOWN going back to its roots, with influences from BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS and WITCHFINDER GENERAL.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Levitation
02. Witchtripper
03. Open Coffins
04. The Curse Is A Lie
05. This Work Is Timeless
06. Misfortune Teller

Lyrically, the EP goes beyond just personal experiences, and explores themes that include the faith of mankind, the imperfection of mankind and cultural belief systems.

"DOWN gives me the platform to be poetic and paint imagery with lyrics," said vocalist Philip Anselmo. "That's the approach I took. They complement the music and create an ominous feeling. Ultimately, when people consume the words, it's always their interpretation that matters. I could be image-conscious though when I wrote. It's not so gut level or street. The darker shit is some of my favorite."