SUIDAKRA frontman/founder Arkadius Antonik has issued the following update:

"Working on the last tw songs for the upcoming SuidAkrA album. All the other songs are finished now (instrumental + vocals). Can't wait to enter the studio in January!"
As previously reported, long time bassist Marcus Riewaldt has announced his departure from SuidAkrA. He has issued the following statement:

"After more than 250 shows and 10 years being in the band, I feel that now time has come to change my priorities a bit and see what else life has to offer for me. No hard feelings involved; it's just that I cannot motivate myself for another writing-rehearsing-recording-promoting-touring cycle and that I'm really annoyed by some of the music business mechanisms that one has to deal with in order to continue this beautiful and exciting, but at the same time very time and energy-consuming hobby. I wish Suidakra much luck and success for the future — it would all be well deserved!"

The band has secured a replacement bassist in Tim Siebrecht, who was a stand-in guitar player for SuidAkrA on several occasions in recent years.

SuidAkrA recently released their first video diary from their second trip this year to India where they played with KREATOR at the Bangalore Open Air on June 16th. Watch the clip below:

Marshall Amplification's 50th anniversary event, 50 Years Of Loud took place at Wembley Arena in London, England yesterday (Saturday, September 22nd).
According to Jukebox:Metal, the event featured the following setlist:

Jaz Lochrie, Chris George, Brian Tichy, Adam Wakeman
'Instrumental Jam'

Corey Taylor, Billy Duffy, Jaz Lochrie, Chris George, Brian Tichy
'Lil' Devil' by THE CULT
'Love Removal Machine' by The Cult

Tim "Ripper" Owens, Doug Aldrich, Jaz Lochrie, Chris George, Brian Tichy, Adam Wakeman
'Heaven And Hell' by BLACK SABBATH
'Slide It In' by WHITESNAKE

Tim "Ripper" Owens, Doug Aldrich, Nicko McBrain, Jaz Lochrie, Chris George
'Flight of Icarus' by IRON MAIDEN
'Living After Midnight' by JUDAS PRIEST (with Corey Taylor and Nick Bowcott)

Paul Gilbert, Mike Portnoy, Eli Gilbert, Jaz Lochrie
'Cheap Sunglasses' by ZZ TOP
'Manic Depression' by JIMI HENDRIX
'Rocky Mountain Way' by JOE WALSH

Corey Taylor, Phil Campbell, Jaz Lochrie, Brian Tichy
'Still In Love With You' by THIN LIZZY (with Tyler Campbell)
'Ace of Spades' by MOTÖRHEAD (with Kerry King)

Kerry King, Nick Bowcott, Jaz Lochrie, Brian Tichy
'Mouth For War' by PANTERA (with Corey Taylor)
'Hell Bent For Leather' by JUDAS PRIEST (with Tim "Ripper" Owens)

Zakk Wylde, Kerry King, Jaz Lochrie, Brian Tichy
'Fairies Wear Boots' by BLACK SABBATH

Zakk Wylde, Nick Bowcott, Jaz Lochrie, Brian Tichy
'Into The Void' by BLACK SABBATH
'Stillborn' by BLACK LABEL SOCIETY

Yngwie Malmsteen, Jaz Lochrie, Chris George, Brian Tichy, Adam Wakeman
'Baroque And Roll'
'Evil Eye'
Guitar solo
'Far Beyond The Sun'

Joe Satriani, Jaz Lochrie, Chris George, Brian Tichy
'Satch Boogie'
'Always With Me, Always With You'

Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, Nicko McBrain, Jaz Lochrie, Chris George
'Goin' Down' by FREDDIE KING

Glenn Hughes, Søren Andersen, Brian Tichy, Adam Wakeman
'Black Country 'by BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION
'Soul Mover'
'Mr. Big' by FREE (with Andy Fraser)
'Mistreated' by DEEP PURPLE
'Rock Me Baby' by B.B. KING (with Yngwie Malmsteen)

Glenn Hughes, Tim "Ripper" Owens, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Phil Campbell, Paul Gilbert, Doug Aldrich, Soren Andersen, Nick McBrain, Jaz Lochrie, Chris George, Brian Tichy, Adam Wakeman
'Smoke On The Water' by DEEP PURPLE

More fan-filmed video from the event can be viewed below:

Indian horror metal band ALBATROSS have recorded the classic JUDAS PRIEST song ‘Night Crawler’. The song is from the legendary British metal band’s Painkiller album, released in 1990. The track has been released for free streaming below. The track has been recorded, mixed and mastered by Sahil ‘Demonstealer’ Makhija at Demonic Studios in Mumbai.
Bassist Dr. Hex says: "We’ve kept the basic essence of the song as it is, as one does not meddle with the mighty Priest. While we’ve downtuned the guitars, and added one solo (or two) here and there, the structure of the song remains the same. I had the opportunity to catch Judas Priest on their farewell tour in Singapore and it remains the best show I’ve ever attended. In a way, this is almost like our farewell present to them. Us in the heavy metal community and in particular Albatross, owe so much to Priest- from the high pitched vocals, to the twin guitar leads, to thundering drums, to borderline horror themes. We also bought some new guitars recently, so this was the perfect outlet to try them out."

Last night (September 21st), W.A.S.P. kicked off their 30 Years of Thunder anniversary Tour in London at The Forum.

The biggest spectacle W.A.S.P. have ever created, the two-hour show consisted of three parts. A one hour set contain songs from the first four albums. The second set will be a 25 minute shortened version of The Crimson Idol complete with the movie accompaniment. A third consisted of material from the new studio album, older material and everything in between. The show featured multiple video screens, pyrotechnics, and elements from the early W.A.S.P. shows and Blackie’s moving microphone stand Elvis.
According to Setlist.fm, the band performed the following songs:

'The Heretic (The Lost Child)' / 'The Torture Never Stops'
The Real Me
'L.O.V.E. Machine
'Crazy
'Wild Child
'Hellion' / 'I Don't Need No Doctor' / 'Scream Until You Like It'
'Sleeping (In The Fire)' / 'Forever Free'
'The Headless Children'
'I Wanna Be Somebody'

The Crimson Idol set
'The Titanic Overture'
'The Crimson Idol Medley'
'The Idol'
'The Great Misconceptions of Me'

Encore:

Intermission
(Spinal Tap Heavy Metal Memoires commercial)
Drum Solo
'Widowmaker'
'Take Me Up'
'Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In The New Morgue)'

Encore 2:
'Blind In Texas'
30 Years of Thunder tour dates:

September
22 – Edinburgh, UK - HMV Picture House
23 – Newcastle, UK - Academy
24 – Belfast, Ireland - Ulster Hall
25 – Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street
27 – Manchester, UK - Hmv Ritz
28 – Leeds, UK - Academy
29 – Nottingham, UK - Rock City
30 – Norwich, UK - Waterfront

October
1 – Wolverhampton, UK - Wolfrun Hall
3 – Cardif, Wales - The Great Hall
4 – Bristol, UK – Academy
6 – Varberg, Sweden - Arenan
10 – Hässleholm, Sweden - Qpoolen
11 – Trollhätan, Sweden - Älvhögsborg
12 – Sundsvall, Sweden - Spegelsalen, Stadshuset
13 – Örebrö, Sweden - Kongress
14 – Eskilstuna, Sweden - Lokomotivet
16 - Tallin, Estonia - Rock Cafe
17 - Helsinki, Finland - The Circus
18 - Tampere, Finland - Tampere Hall
19 - Turku, Finland - Logomo
20 - SeinaJoki, Finland - Rytmikorjaamo
21 - Lulea, Sweden - Kulturenshus
23 – Bo, Norway – Kroa
24 – Oslo, Norway – Rockefeller
25 - Huskvarna, Sweden - Teaterladan
26 - Stockholm, Sweden - Rockklassiker Krysningen
27 - Karlstad, Sweden - Nojesfabriken
30 - Köln, Germany - Live Music Hall
31 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche

November
2 – Tilburg, The Netherlands - 0 13
3 – Antwerp, Belgium -Trix
4 – Lille, France - Le Splendid
5 – Paris, France - Le Bataclan
6 – Toulouse, France - Bikini
10 – Lisbon, Portugal - Campo Pequeno
14 - St. Etienne, France - Le Fil
15 – Strasbourg, France - La Laite
17 - Stuttgart, Germany - Lka Longhorn
19 - Linz, Austria - Posthof
20 - Treviso, Italy - New Age
21 - Bologna,Italy - Estragon
23 - Athens, Greece - Fuzz Club
24 - Thessalonki, Greece - Mylos Apotheke Club
25 - Istanbul, Turkey - Kucukciftlik Park
27 - Budapest, Hungary - Club 202

December
3 - Neu Isenburg, Germany - Hugenottenhalle
5 - Osnabrück, Germany - Rosenhof
6 - Memingen, Germany - Kaminwerk

Canadian-based heavy metal band ELDEROTH released their self-titled new album on September 15th.

Singer, songwriter and composer Collin McGee commented on the new album: "This album was years in the planning and over a year in the making. We hope that our fans will enjoy the work we have put into this new release. This album is for all our fans across the world.”

Tracklisting is as follows:
‘Cursed’
‘Fallen’
‘Forgotten’
‘In The Rain’
‘The Mirror Of My Silence’
‘Stars Within Shadows’
‘The Winds Of A Withering Soul’
‘The Night’

For more info on Elderoth visit their website.

Polish metallers SARATAN are streaming the track ‘Mastema’, off their forthcoming album Martya Xwar. The track can be heard below:
Martya Xwar will be released worldwide on November 23rd.

According to a press release: "Martya Xwar is about forty minutes of apocalyptic death - thrash metal, full of oriental and classical ornaments. Ethnic music, occultism and orchestrations are the main focus on this album."

Martya Xwar was recorded over the course of five months in five recording studios in Poland and Germany - it was mixed and mastered by V. Santura (TRIPTYKON, DARK FORTRESS, CELTIC FROST) at Woodshed Studio.

Cover design and artwork are created by Micha? "Xaay" Loranc (Nile, Kamelot). Check it out below:
Saratan, together with Red Pig Productions, have begun work on a new video for the track 'Ba'al Zevuv' off Martya Xwar.
The video should be released later this autumn 2012, but a "making of" photo documentary by Bandphoto.pl will be available earlier.

For more info visit this location.

Los Angeles’ female-fronted progressive metal band ECHOES OF ETERNITY have released the following update:

“We are planning to record a five song EP and have it released in early 2013. It will include two killer cover songs and three new songs. In mid-2013 we plan to begin playing select regional shows.

In late 2013 we hope to have a full length LP recorded.

The new songs so far sound amazing and we are really excited for you all to hear them!”

Marshall Amplication's 50th anniversary event, 50 Years Of Loud took place at Wembley Arena in London, England on Saturday, September 22nd. Artists who performed on the night included KERRY KING, MIKE PORTNOY, ANDY FRASER, DOUG ALDRICH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BRIAN TICHY, PHIL CAMPBELL, TIM RIPPER OWENS, ZAKK WYLDE, BILLY DUFFY, JOE SATRIANI, PAUL GILBERT, COREY TAYLOR, NICKO MCBRAIN and GLENN HUGHES.

The first batch of fan-filmed video from the event has surfaced online and can be viewed below. Stay tuned for more.

OBSOLETE MANKIND is a new Canadian death metal band featuring former members of NEURAXIS, ATHERETIC, VENGEFUL and BORBORYGME. The band's influences combine old-school death metal with grindcore. The band has already written 10 songs for an as of yet untitled debut album set to be recorded in early 2013 and intends to hit the stage as soon as possible.
Obsolete Mankind is:

Yan Thiel - guitars (ex-NEURAXIS, TORN WITHIN - pictured above)
Samuel Dufour - guitars (PHOBOCOSM, TOWARDS DARKNESS, TORN WITHIN, ex-VENGEFUL)
Jean-Sébastien Gagnon - drums (PHOBOCOSM, ex-ATHERETIC, ex-VENGEFUL)
Marie-Hélène Landry - vocals (ex-BORBORYGME, ex-VOCIFERATION)
Jean-Philippe Sigouin - bass (PAROXYSM)

Geoff Tate, the legendary QUEENSRŸCHE frontman and one of the most acclaimed vocalists in the history of hard rock and heavy metal, will release his second solo album, "Kings & Thieves", on November 6 via InsideOut Music.

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on the CD can be streamed at Amazon.de.

"My goal with this record was to make a solid rock album," says Tate. "I wanted it to be an album that I could play live that would be both satisfying and fun, because, as a singer, you need to create a show that has a lot of dynamics to it and takes people on a ride."

Tate previously told AnthologySD.com about the musical direction of his forthcoming CD, "Well, it's very different from my last one, for sure. It's a new bunch of people I've been working with to write and record it, so that changes things. When you're working with different people, it really changes the record. This one is really hard rock. The last one was really all over the place with different styles of music and everything, but this one really keeps with the hard rock style. It does it in kind of a different way — more of my way or what I would envision. I guess it's experimental in some ways, while in others it's very traditional. What I tried to do was take traditional rock instrumentation and apply it in kind of a different song structure."

"Kings & Thieves" track listing:

01. She Slipped Away
02. Take A Bullet
03. In The Dirt
04. Say U Luv It
05. The Way I Roll
06. Tomorrow
07. Evil
08. Dark Money
09. These Glory Days
10. Change
11. Waiting

The cover artwork for the album can be seen below.

Tate released his first solo CD in 2002 on Sanctuary Records. Self-titled, the LP was a huge departure from the work he had previously done with QUEENSRŸCHE.

"[Sanctuary weren't really a record company. Sanctuary was a money-making machine and they went out of business very quickly," Tate told Oregon Music News earlier this year. "I'm glad to be done with that, actually."

Tate, who was fired from QUEENSRŸCHE in June after fronting the group for three decades, recently sought to prevent his former bandmates from touring and operating under the QUEENSRŸCHE name without him. While ruling against Tate, the presiding judge determined that there was no legal hurdle in Tate also using the name with an all-new lineup of musicians. "I don't see any reason that Mr. Tate can't have the benefit, if he gets other members, of whatever name he uses of using the brand," Superior Court Judge Carol A. Schapira said during the July 13 court hearing. "I think [doing that would be] inherently confusing, although I'm sure the market can get these things sorted out," she added.

On September 2, Tate announced that he was launching his own version of QUEENSRŸCHE with RATT drummer Bobby Blotzer, former QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE and WHITESNAKE bassist Rudy Sarzo and former MEGADETH and KING DIAMOND guitarist Glen Drover. Also on board in the new group are returning QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Kelly Gray — who played with the band from 1998 until 2001 and also produced several of their albums — and keyboardist Randy Gane, who has toured and recorded with QUEENSRŸCHE and Geoff's solo group in the past.

Fan-filmed video footage of Tate's June 7 solo performance at Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California can be seen below.

In a brand new interview with DelmarvaNow.com, POISON frontman Bret Michaels was asked if the fact that classic hard-rock bands like VAN HALEN and KISS seem to be spending more time in the studio working on new material than in recent years means that fans can also expect a new POISON studio album in the not-too-distant future. "Never say never," Bret replied. "We have no concrete plans for a new album at the moment, but the POISON guys are like family to me." He added, "I've been out all summer with them on the 'Rock Of Ages' tour [with DEF LEPPARD] and you never know what can happen."

The last POISON album was 2007's covers set "Poison'd!", while the band's last collection of new, original music was 2002's "Hollyweird".

To celebrate POISON's 25th anniversary, 35 of the multi-platinum band's top hits and fan favorites were gathered for "Double Dose Of Poison: Ultimate Hits", a career-spanning 2CD and digital collection which was released in May 2011 by Capitol/EMI.

MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has posted a four-and-a-half-minute clip featuring footage of the band's September 21 performance at Arena VFG in Guadalajara, Mexico. Check it out below.

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.

Presented in a 2CD lift-top box and digitally, "Countdown To Extinction"'s new commemorative edition pairs the remastered original album with a 1992 concert, recorded live at San Francisco's Cow Palace, which has never before been released in its entirety. The concert audio has been newly remixed for this release. The physical and digital versions both include a booklet with a new liner notes essay by music journalist Kory Grow, and the 2CD box also contains a 24" x 36" poster and four collectible postcards.

German death metallers FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING will release their fifth album, "The Art Of Coming Apart", on November 30 via Cyclone Empire. According to the band, the CD "will contain eight brutal Swedish death metal songs and two instrumentals." The group adds, "The songs sound awesome after being mixed in Soundtunnel Studio by Ingo Maier and mastered by Dan Swanö."

"The Art Of Coming Apart" track listing:

01. The Art Of Coming Apart
02. Barren And Bleak
03. Four Winters
04. Hours Of Suffering
05. Memorial Stone
06. A Silence Dressed In Black
07. Sundown (instrumental)
08. Trapping The Unseen
09. Seasons Of Tranquillity
10. Fathomless (Epilogue)

FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING's fourth album, "The Everhaunting Past / Chapter IV - A Splendid Retrospection", came out in October 2009 via Cyclone Empire. The CD's cover artwork was once again created by Sascha Ehrich.

FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING in 2009 announced the addition of bassist Christopher Körtgen (SMILODON, CHAOS HD) to the group's ranks.

The band's third album, "Sterling Black Icon", was released in March 2006 via Metal Blade.

All 75,000 tickets to next year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival have been sold — a little more than a month after being made available. This marks the eighth time in a row that Wacken Open Air is sold out and it is the event's fastest sellout ever.

The next Wacken Open Air will take place August 1-3, 2013 in Wacken, Germany.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

AMORPHIS
ANTHRAX
ARCH ENEMY
ASP
BOB WAYNE
CANDLEMASS
DEEP PURPLE
DIE KASSIERER
DORO
ESKIMO CALLBOY
HAGGARD
HATE SQUAD
IHSAHN
LEPROUS
NIGHTWISH
RAGE
RAMMSTEIN
SABATON
SCOTT IAN (ANTHRAX) (spoken word)
SOILWORK
SONATA ARCTICA
SUBWAY TO SALLY

Wacken Open Air was first held in 1990 as a small event for local German bands. By 1998 the event had become the major festival on the European metal calendar and has included over 70 bands from all over Europe, North America and Australia.

Wacken Open Air is usually held at the beginning of August and lasts three days, during which the festival-goers camp on several large camping grounds surrounding the actual festival area. The 70 or more bands perform across four separate stages over the course of the event.

Wacken Open Air, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009, was honored with a Live Entertainment Award in 2008 in the "Festival Of The Year" category. This award recognizes distinguished achievements in live entertainment and is given out by Live Entertainment Award (LEA) committee.

Hells Headbangers has announced the release of a new DENOUNCEMENT PYRE seven-inch EP titled "Darkness Manifest" in the lead-up to the Australian black/death metal band's forthcoming second album, "Almighty Arcanum". This EP will act as a preview of what is to come with the next full-length and will feature one album track plus an additional song that is exclusive to this release. Both cuts were recorded during different sessions to those for the album, so they are unique to this release and will be released in a limited pressing that will be available soon.

Commented DENOUNCEMENT PYRE: "'Darkness Manifest' should be considered as more of a pathway to, rather than a direct preview of, what can be expected with the next full-length. The title track ['Darkness Manifest'] has been re-recorded during the album recording sessions, so we offer it here as a raw and unhinged version that will provide some insight into the newer material and the direction we are heading. Meanwhile, the B-side ['Eleven Gates'] is the most obscure track that we have ever recorded with DENOUNCEMENT PYRE and one we felt worthy of inclusion for this release. Before we plunge with full force into the 'Almighty Arcanum', we must set the tone with 'Darkness Manifest'. Beware the shadows…more to be revealed soon!"

The recording sessions for "Almighty Arcanum" are now complete and the tracks were recently mastered at Endarker Studios in Sweden. The follow-up to 2010's "World Cremation" is scheduled for release on CD and LP in January 2013, again through Hells Headbangers.

Swedish goregrind legends GENERAL SURGERY will release a brand new seven-inch EP, "Like An Ever Flying Limb", on November 6 via Relapse Records. The limited-edition EP contains five new tracks and was recorded in October 2011 at Audiogrind Studio in the band's hometown of Stockholm.

Commented GENERAL SURGERY's Dr. Carlsson: "These five splatter-dripping tunes are designed to deeply disturb all mere mortals, be it the poor departed in the bowels of the morgue or some unfortunate soul catching us playing live during the festival season.Please hold on to life and limb."

"Like An Ever Flying Limb" track listing:

01. Like An Ever Flying Limb
02. Ejected Viscous Mucus
03. Seizures
04. Rhythmic Epidermal Clamor
05. Dark Cyanotic Hypostasis

The "Like An Ever Flying Limb" title track is available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.

Earlier this year saw the release of "A Collection of Depravation", a compilation of 30 GENERAL SURGERY choice cuts digitally remastered by PIG DESTROYER's Scott Hull.

GENERAL SURGERY plans to enter the studio in the new future to record its long-awaited third full-length album.

"97% Static", the new video from U.K. progressive tech metallers MONUMENTS, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Stuart Birchall of Numinous Pictures.

Commented the band: "After sleeping through a hundred million centuries, we have finally opened our eyes on a sumptuous planet, sparkling with color, beautiful with life. It's time to save ourselves! It's thrilling to be alive at a time when humanity is pushing against the limits of understanding. Even better, we may eventually discover that there are no limits."

"97% Static" comes off MONUMENTS' long-awaited debut album, "Gnosis", which will be released in North America on September 25 through Century Media Records.

"Gnosis" was originally supposed to be released last year via Basick Records. MONUMENTS has since split with the U.K.-based label, which issued the band's debut EP, "We Are The Foundation", in 2010.

MONUMENTS recently recruited singer Matt Rose after they went through a long, grinding, and global search for a new frontman. "We have found the perfect guy right here in our own back yard, we couldn't be happier with the work Matt has done so far," said MONUMENTS guitarist John Browne.

For the past several months, Rose has been working with the band to make this a monster of an album. Rose entered Fortress Studios in May with Dan Weller (SIKTH) for final vocal production and recording.

MONUMENTS is:

John Browne - Guitar
Olly Steele - Guitar
Adam Swan - Bass
Mike Malyan - Drums
Matt Rose - Vocals

HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS — the brand new project featuring NINE INCH NAILS mainman Trent Reznor and his wife Mariqueen Maandig (ex-WEST INDIAN GIRL) along with frequent NIN collaborator Atticus Ross and NIN's longtime graphic designer Rob Sheridan — has inked a deal with Columbia Records for the release of a new EP and full-length album.

HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS' second EP, "An Omen EP", will be made available on November 13 and will contain six songs, some of which will also appear on the upcoming LP, to be issued early next year.

"Regarding our decision to sign with Columbia," Treznor noted in his Facebook announcement, "we've really spent a long time thinking about things and it makes sense for a lot of reasons, including a chance to work with our old friend Mark Williams. There's a much more granular and rambling answer I could give (and likely will in an interview someplace), but it really comes down to us experimenting and trying new things to see what best serves our needs. Complete independent releasing has its great points but also comes with shortcomings."

HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS released a self-titled EP in 2010, and covered BRYAN FERRY's "Is Your Love Strong Enough?" for the soundtrack to "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" (scored by Reznor and Ross).

"An Omen EP" unconfirmed track listing:

01. Keep It Together
02. Ice Age
03. On The Wing
04. The Sleep Of Reason Produces Monsters
05. The Loop Closes
06. Speaking In Tongues

Fan-filmed video footage of SKID ROW's July 12 performance at the Rock USA festival in Oshkosh, Wisconsin can be seen below.

SKID ROW's latest CD, "Revolutions Per Minute", was released on October 24, 2006 via SPV Records.

The band' bassist Rachel Bolan previously told Times-Standard.com about SKID ROW's forthcoming sixth album, "I think the next record, as far as what [guitarist Dave] Snake [Sabo] and I are writing, is going back to what people would expect from SKID ROW. We're looking forward to it."

SKID ROW in 2010 parted ways with drummer Dave Gara and replaced him with Atlanta native Rob Hammersmith.

Rob spent many years touring and recording with Atlanta-based rockers ROCKETS TO RUIN and has performed with GUNFIRE 76, the band featuring MURDERDOLLS frontman Wednesday 13.

Finnish death metallers TORTURE KILLER will enter the studio in January 2013 to begin recording their next album for a tentative March/April release. The band states, "We've taken our time with it and … the new tunes are strong. Really strong."

TORTURE KILLER released a three-song EP entitled "I Chose Death" in March via Dynamic Arts Records. It contained two new tracks and a cover version of DEMIGOD's "Succumb To Dark" song from the "Unholy Domain" demo tape. The cover artwork was created by Mark Riddick.

"I Chose Death" marked the recording debut of TORTURE KILLER's new singer, Pessi Haltsonen (RETALIATORY MEASURES), who is described by his new bandmates as "a perfect fit" and "a human powerhouse."

TORTURE KILLER's third album, "Sewers" came out in 2009 via Dynamic Arts Records.

The band's sophomore CD, "Swarm!", was released by Metal Blade Records and featured legendary death metal vocalist Chris Barnes from CANNIBAL CORPSE and SIX FEET UNDER.

TORTURE KILLER 2012 is (left to right in photo below):

Tuomo Latvala - Drums
Kim Torniainen - Bass
Pessi Haltsonen - Vocals
Tuomas Karppinen - Guitar
Jari Laine - Guitar

"I Chose Death" audio stream:

Roxx Records has announced the signing of Italian thrashers BOARDERS. The band's sophomore album, "R- Existence", will be released as a limited-edition CD and digital download on December 11.

While BOARDERS had briefly offered "R- Existence" as a free digital-only download to their fanbase, it is now being remastered to include five additional bonus tracks (three brand new songs and two previously unreleased demos) and be made available CD for the very first time.

A band that can trace its history back to the late eighties, BOARDERS presents a unique melding of the aggressive thrash and melodic metal that draws extensively from the musical trends of that era. And nowhere is that more evident than on the material from the group's debut, "The World Hates Me", which came out in 2009.

"R-Existence" marks a return to form of that melding of thrash and metal, with songs certain to garner the attention of those into MEGADETH, METALLICA and old-school DELIVERANCE. As a matter of fact, BOARDERS once gained notoriety in Italy as a MEGADETH tribute band; hence, the inclusion of the old MEGADETH song "In My Darkest Hour" on their debut release.

Bill Bafford of Roxx Records had this to say about the signing: "We are very excited to be working with BOARDERS on this release. We have been becoming more and more focused on the thrash scene as the label expands and BOARDERS is an excellent addition to our roster."

Go to www.roxxproductions.com for full release details.

French symphonic gothic ensemble WHYZDOM will release its sophomore album, "Blind?", on October 30 via Scarlet Records. According to a press release, the band "blends intricate orchestral parts (including all the subtleties of strings, winds, brass, classical percussions, piano, harp, etc.) and a real choir with the power of heavy metal. Through a coherence that hides the inherent complexity of this genre, Elvyne Lorient's passionate melodies immediately stick into your mind, conveying pure emotions right from the very first note she sings.

"The album title not only refers to the blindness of people towards what's happening around them, but also to the fact that we, as humans, often deliberately choose to be blind in many uncomfortable circumstances, which eventually lead us on the wrong path of life."

A trailer for the album can be seen below.

"Blind?" was produced by Vynce Leff, recorded and mixed in Paris at Powermania Studio and mastered by Mathieu Gillon and Vynce Leff at 120dB Studio. The stunning artwork is a collaboration between X-Nihilo Design, Les Créations Vultus and Florent Cuaz.

The song "The Lighthouse", taken from "Blind?", can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

WHYZDOM's debut album, "From The Brink Of Infinity", was released in September 2009 via Ascendance Records.

Fan-filmed video footage of Tim "Ripper" Owens' (DIO DISCIPLES, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) September 7 performance at Kubox in Kuurne, Belgium can be seen below. Also available is footage of the following night's concert at De Pit in Terneuzen, The Netherlands.

Released in May 2009, Owens' first solo album, "Play My Game", landed at position No. 66 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. The CD was released via SPV/Steamhammer. The offering consists of around a dozen brand-new tracks that Owens composed himself or together with renowned friends, such as Bob Kulick, Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), Mike Callahan (ex-EARSHOT) and John Comprix (BEYOND FEAR, RINGWORM).

Owens is without doubt among the most important metal vocalists of the past ten years. When he succeeded Rob Halford, joining JUDAS PRIEST in May 1996, the press rubbed their eyes, surprised as well as impressed: Owens had previously been a fairly unknown quantity to international music journalists and only a few new of him from the band WINTERS BANE, but he recorded his first PRIEST album, the Grammy-nominated "Jugulator" (1997) with more aplomb than even insiders had expected. Following successful tours with the British metal legends, the strong studio recording "Demolition" (2001), and the live recordings, "Meltdown - 98 Live" (1998) and "Live In London" (2003), and the movie "Rock Star" that was loosely based on Tim's experience with JUDAS PRIEST, Halford's return put an end to Owens' stint with JUDAS PRIEST. More or less immediately, he was enlisted by Jon Schaffer to team up with ICED EARTH and sang on "The Glorious Burden" in spring 2004. Three years later, Owens followed suit with the ICED EARTH album "Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Pt. I)", which succeeded the self-titled highly praised debut by his own band BEYOND FEAR. Spring 2008 saw Owens move on to join one of the world's best guitar players Yngwie Malmsteen, debuting with a sensational vocal performance on "Perpetual Flame".

LED ZEPPELIN's surviving members took part in a press event earlier today (Friday, September 21) to promote "Celebration Day", the film capturing the band's 2007 reunion show at London's O2 Arena that will premiere in theaters around the world next month. Singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones all were on hand to meet with the media, and also attend a screening of the movie. Video footage of the entire 35-minute question-and-answer session can be seen below.

On their current relationship:

Plant: "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."

On why it has taken five years for the concert film to be released:

Jones: "Five years is like five minutes in ZEPPELIN time. I'm surprised we got it out so quickly."

On the contribution of drummer Jason Bonham, who took the place of his late father John at the concert:

Page: "Jason was absolutely monumental in his performance and his playing. From the very first rehearsal right through to the 02. He was incredibly. His spirit and his enthusiasm and his knowledge of what made ZEPPELIN tick musically. It was just really wonderful to be able to work with him in that amount of time, as far as I felt, to do a proper full set, and really communicate musically with him. It was really good. Nobody else could have done it."

Plant: "We'd played with him before, at his wedding. Sadly, he decided to go to bed during the reception, and because I was a friend of the family from way back, I was the one that had to go up to his room and get him to get out of bed. Then he played with us."

"Celebration Day" will see a worldwide theatrical release by Omniverse Vision on 1,500 screens in over 40 territories on October 17. The theatrical screenings will follow premieres in London, Los Angeles, New York, and other major cities. "Celebration Day" will then be available in multiple video and audio formats on November 19 from Swan Song/Atlantic Records. Specific product details will be announced soon.

On December 10, 2007, LED ZEPPELIN took the stage at London's O2 Arena to headline a tribute concert for dear friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. What followed was a two-hour-plus tour de force of the band's signature blues-infused rock 'n' roll that instantly became part of the legend of LED ZEPPELIN.

Founding members John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were joined by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham, to perform 16 songs from their celebrated catalogue including landmark tracks "Whole Lotta Love", "Rock And Roll", "Kashmir" and "Stairway To Heaven".

Although 20 million people applied for tickets, the band's first headline show in 27 years was seen only by the 18,000 ticket holders who were fortunate enough to have secured seats through the worldwide lottery.

The Sunset Strip's hottest export STEEL PANTHER is looking to further its quest for worldwide domination with the release of its first-ever DVD, "British Invasion", via Guitar Anarchy Studios. Rumored for release multiple times in the U.S. in 2010 and 2011, the DVD finally sees the light of day stateside on October 22, 2012.

Recorded with 16 cameras in pristine HD over a two-year period, the DVD chronicles STEEL PANTHER's legendary live show that the band has come to be known for. Beginning in March 2010 at the band's sold-out concert at Brixton Academy in London during their highly successful "Feel The Steel" tour, the DVD feaures some of the group's most memorable hits, including "Asian Hooker", "Community Property", "The Shocker" and "Stripper Girl", in a way never seen before. Included in the package is a laugh-out-loud documentary that follows the band backstage and on their tour that is not to be missed. The deluxe box set includes two DVDs — one with the full show and one with the documentary — deleted scenes and five songs from Download Festival 2012. The packaging also includes a 16-page color book. The DVD will also be available in Blu-ray at the same time.

"British Invasion" was directed and produced by award-winning director Daniel E. Catullo III (RUSH, NICKELBACK, GODSMACK) and was mixed by Jay Ruston, who worked with the band on both of their previous records. An official DVD web site has been set up specifically for the DVD release, SteelPantherDVD.com, with a pre-order starting today as well. Fans who pre-order the DVD on the DVD site will receive a limited-edition signed poster of the band for free. New videos will be released every week up until release day to give the fans a sneak peek at the DVD and updated information will be posted on the official DVD site.

STEEL PANTHER is currently gearing up for their second world tour of 2012. The 25-plus-city trek kicks off in Auckland, New Zealand on October 2 and runs through mid-November and makes stops in major markets all over Europe and Australia, including Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Manchester, Paris, Zurich and Bristol, before wrapping up in London on November 15.

STEEL PANTHER was, for a long time, rock's best-kept secret: a cult legend on the L.A. scene. But in recent years due to the success of their albums (both debuted at #1 on the Billboard Comedy Album Charts) and live shows, the band has enjoyed huge acclaim from fans and peers alike. At sold-out shows in Hollywood and Las Vegas, STEEL PANTHER has been joined on stage by rock and roll icons such as Steven Tyler of AEROSMITH, Paul Stanley of KISS, Corey Taylor of SLIPKNOT, Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, and Chester Bennington of LINKIN PARK.

"British Invasion" track listing:

Main DVD

01. Eyes Of A Panther
02. Eatin' Ain't Cheatin'
03. Fat Girl
04. Hair Solo
05. Party All Day
06. Hell's On Fire
07. Stripper Girl
08. Asian Hooker
09. Turn Out The Lights
10. Girl From Oklahoma
11. We Want Pussy
12. Community Property
13. The Shocker
14. Death To All But Metal

Bonus Disc

* 40-minute documentary
* Deleted scenes
* Download Festival 2012
* "Supersonic Sex Machine" video
* "Community Property" video
* "Just Like Tiger Woods" video
* "17 Girls In A Row" video
* "Death To All But Metal" video (featuring Corey Taylor)

The fifth "British Invasion" teaser — this one focusing on STEEL PANTHER guitarist Satchel (real name Russ Parrish; ex-FIGHT) — can be seen below.

Teaser #5 - Satchel:

A snippet of the demo version of the new track "Change The World" from Swedish glam rockers CRASHDÏET can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The clip was filmed in New York City.

CRASHDÏET recently spent time at Kingside Studios outside Stockholm, Sweden with producer Otto Wellton recording the follow-up to 2010's "Generation Wild" album for a tentative January 2013 release.

The new CD can be preordered at this location.

CRASHDÏET has been touring quite a bit in the last two and a half years, opening up for such bands as MÖTLEY CRÜE, OZZY OSBOURNE, MICHAEL MONROE and WEDNESDAY 13, and traveling everywhere from Australia to USA to Brazil.

CRASHDÏET performed a new song "Anarchy" for the first time on June 7 when they played at Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki, Finland as the support act for MÖTLEY CRÜE.

The band's third CD, "Generation Wild", was recently released on vinyl. This gatefold LP features the new bonus track "Hollywood Teaze" as well as updated artwork.

"Generation Wild" entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 3.

CRASHDÏET in 2009 announced the addition of Simon "Simme" Cruz from the Stockholm act JAILBAIT as the group's new lead singer.

The band parted ways with its previous vocalist, the Finland-based H. Olliver Twisted, in July 2008.