A preview of the official cover artwork for MANOWAR's new studio album, "The Lord Of Steel", can be seen below.

"The Lord Of Steel" will be released into worldwide retail on September 28 (dates may vary from territory to territory), following a limited-edition pre-release as the "Hammer Edition" in collaboration with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine.

The retail edition of "The Lord Of Steel" will feature different mixes and mastering, an additional song, spectacular new art by fantasy artist Ken Kelly, and other surprises. The album will be available as CD, limited-edition vinyl and digital album.

"MANOWAR have always dared to do things differently. You have to look at these two versions like a movie that comes out in alternate versions; a director's cut or alternate endings or stories even told from different perspectives," explained bassist Joey DeMaio. "For those of you who enjoyed the first taste of 'The Lord Of Steel', meaning the Metal Hammer version, I can tell you that the forthcoming 'The Lord Of Steel' release on Magic Circle Entertainment will be even more unique and yes, more brutal," he continued.

Described by the press as "a brutal and unstoppable force of molten metal" and "flawlessly heavy," "The Lord Of Steel" is a raw-to-the-bone production, merging vintage elements with the trademark sound MANOWAR have developed over the years.
"When you have to make room for literally hundreds of other instruments such as orchestras, choirs, marching armies on 'Gods Of War', for example, you have to create sonic space for that. The fewer instruments you have the louder they can be individually. As an artist you want to give your audience new experiences. This is not 'elevator music.' This is an album that hits you hard right between the eyes and does not let up," said Joey DeMaio.

For their twelfth studio album, MANOWAR have tapped into the world of action heroes and their stories, writing their first song specifically for a Hollywood movie, "El Gringo", and another one, "Expendable", inspired by Sylvester Stallone's action movie franchise "The Expendables". The band has meanwhile confirmed their next movie project, "Soldiers", for "The Expendables 2" star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

From the furious title track and the pumping "Black List", to the power ballad "Righteous Glory" and the Ennio Morricone homage "El Gringo" — "The Lord Of Steel" is full of surprises.

"The Lord Of Steel" (retail edition) will be mixed and mastered by longtime collaborators, mixing engineer Ronald Prent and two-time Grammy-award-winning mastering engineer Darcy Proper.

Coinciding with the release of the album, MANOWAR will kick off "The Lord Of Steel" world tour, with first shows in October and November, in Europe and the United States.

The first trailer for "Spiritual Genocide", the forthcoming 30th-anniversary album from German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION, can be seen below. The two-minute clip features a preview of the new song "Cyanide".

DESTRUCTION is currently in Gernhart Studios in Troisdorf, Germany with engineer Martin Buchwalter recording "Spiritual Genocide", for a November release via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD, which will be mixed by Andy Classen, feature 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 — will reunite for one song.

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.

Belgian symphonic black metallers SAILLE have issued the following update:

"Jonathan Vanderwal, former frontman of SAILLE, has rejoined the band, be it as guitarist this time. He replaces Yves Callaert, who left SAILLE recently. Jonathan took care of the guitars on both 'Irreversible Decay' and the soon-to-be-released successor. It was therefore an obvious choice. Be prepared!"

SAILLE's new album is due out in January 2013 via Code666 Records. The CD is being recorded at Shumcot Studios in Aartrijke, Belgium with producer Reinier Schenk (GORATH, FLESHMOULD).

Commented SAILLE keyboard player Dries Gaerdelen: "When creating our new album, I did research on and was inspired by several ancient destruction rituals. The new songs are therefore darker, faster, more aggressive and create a feeling of unease. The lyrics, written by frontman Dennie Grondelaers, explore the history of those death rites. With the drums being recorded a while ago, we’ve all got a 'recording state of mind' and have a feeling we're creating more than just songs. We're looking forward to unleashing our creations on the audience, both on CD and live!"

The artwork for the new SAILLE CD will be created by Polish digital landscape artist Michal Karcz who also developed the band's previous artwork. Mastering will be done by Tom Kvålsvoll, who has worked with 1349, DIMMU BORGIR and KEEP OF KALESSIN.

SAILLE’s debut album, "Irreversible Decay", was released in March 2011 via Code666 Records.

Professionally filmed video footage of SABATON's June 6 performance at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden can be seen below.

SABATON's new album, "Carolus Rex", was released on May 22 via Nuclear Blast Records. The lyrics for the CD, which was made available in both English and Swedish, deal with the Swedish Empire (referring to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721).

The band previously stated about "Carolus Rex": "For the first time ever we have had an expert to help us out with the theme, the well-known Swedish historian Bengt Liljegren. We have also added some extra time in the studio to find the absolute right sound on 'Carolus Rex', and our producer, Peter Tägtgren, says that this album will mark a brand new standard for how a heavy metal album should sound like!"

Liljegren's published works include acclaimed biographies of Adolf Hitler and Karl XII. He also appeared in the popular Swedish TV series "Boston Tea Party".

SABATON recently parted ways with guitarists Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén, drummer Daniel Mulback and keyboardist Daniel Mÿhr. The band's new touring lineup is as follows:

Joakim Brodén - Vocals
Pär Sundström - Bass
Chris Rörland (NOCTURNAL RITES) - Guitar
Thobbe Englund (WINTERLONG, RAUBTIER) - Guitar
Robban Bäck (BALTIMOORE, PREY) - Drums

"Leather Lord", the new video from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada metallers 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's new album, "Long Live Heavy Metal", which was released on March 27 via Century Media Records.

For "Long Live Heavy Metal", 3 INCHES OF BLOOD reunited with producer and engineer Terry "Sho" Murray (CITY OF FIRE, EXHIBITIONISTS), who worked with the band on their seven-inch single, "Anthems For The Victorious".

3 INCHES OF BLOOD teamed up with Kim Thiessen to perfect their artistic vision for the album, which was released as a digipack and when opened, lays out similar to that of a book.

"Long Live Heavy Metal" track listing:

01. Metal Woman
02. My Sword Will Not Sleep
03. Leather Lord
04. Chief And The Blade
05. Dark Messenger
06. Look Out
07. 4000 Torches
08. Leave It On The Ice
09. Die For Gold (Upon The Boiling Sea IV)
10. Storming Juno
11. Men Of Fortune
12. One For The Ditch

3 INCHES OF BLOOD recently recruited Byron Stroud (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, FEAR FACTORY) as its new bassist.

Stroud and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD have been working together on a variety of things, and Stroud is beyond pleased to shift his involvement to a creative level.

Earlier in the year, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD took part in the "Metal Alliance Tour 2012" alongside DEVILDRIVER, THE FACELESS, DYING FETUS, JOB FOR A COWBOY, IMPENDING DOOM and WRETCHED.

American/German/Swedish symphonic metallers KAMELOT made their Costa Rican live debut last night (Thursday, September 6) at Club Peppers. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

KAMELOT's new album, "Silverthorn", will be released 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."

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.

KAMELOT will support Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH on a North American tour in September and October.

LIVE-HELL RETURNS: „HELLISH ROCK PART II“ FROM MARCH 2013!

Who doesn’t remember the crazy “Hellish Rock Tour” in 2007/2008? HELLOWEEN and their Very Special Guests GAMMA RAY played 95 shows in 34 countries and left ecstatic metal fans in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America in their wake! Those who didn’t have the chance to be there, can now breathe in deeply and make the ‘Remake’ twice as unforgettable! The conditions are right: Booking wires are running red-hot for the “Hellish Rock Tour Part II”, which will start in March 2013 in Europe and go around the globe, once again featuring GAMMA RAY. Watch out for the full-on ‘Metal Ax Made in Germany’ and you can start betting on what kind of awesome final Weikath, Deris, Grosskopf & co. together with Hansen have come up with this time!

Michael Weikath: “The atmosphere on stage and backstage was very special last time, we will be repeating the party and are looking forward to the tour already!” ... and his former companion Kai Hansen adds: “‘The Hellish Rock Tour’ definitely was a highlight of our band’s history, we’ll absolutely go wild once again!”

An audio sample of the song "A Greater Foundation" from San Diego, California metallers AS I LAY DYING, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below. The track is the first single from the band's sixth album, "Awakened", which will be released on September 25 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was produced by Bill Stevenson, who has played drums for both the DESCENDENTS and BLACK FLAG and is one of the most highly renowned producers in rock. His production credits include work on records by RISE AGAINST, NOFX, PROPAGANDHI, THE CASUALTIES, ANTI-FLAG and many more. The album was mixed by Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT).

The cover artwork for "Awakened" was created by Metastazis with Tiffanie Uldry and can be seen below.

AS I LAY DYING recently completed a video for "A Greater Foundation" with director Drew Russ (A DAY TO REMEMBER, FALLING IN REVERSE) and producer Robby Starbuck. The performance-based clip was shot on location in Los Angeles.

"We were all impressed with Drew's ability to capture the intensity of live band performances in his videos, and 'A Greater Foundation' is no exception," explained AS I LAY DYING bassist Josh Gilbert. "Drew's technique, along with the all-day participation of some of our diehard fans in Los Angeles, definitely accentuated the energy of the song and makes for an exciting and dynamic video. We can't wait to unveil it!"

AS I LAY DYING is preparing to launch a European tour with TRIVIUM, CALIBAN and UPON A BURNING BODY before returning to the U.S. in November for a nationwide tour.

"A Greater Foundation" audio sample:

SEVENDUST has entered Architekt Music studios in Butler, New Jersey with engineer Mike Ferretti to begin recording its ninth album for an early 2013 release.

A one-minute clip from the first day of the recording sessions 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 has already completed recording its debut disc, "Human", to be released September 18 on Connolly's own Yaya Papu LLC label.

After grabbing the attention of critics and fans alike with their brutally inventive 2011 tour de force "Celestial Completion", metal adventurers BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE return with "I Am", an album that may prove to be their biggest surprise yet when it drops September 18 on longtime label Solid State Records.

Armed with what Metal Hammer called "massive songs, massive ideas and a massive array of instruments," the Atlanta, Georgia outfit has forged a cottage industry out of defying musical expectations, pushing heavy music to its breaking point with horns, Middle Eastern sitar, choirs of sopranos and bone-crushingly heavy riffage. Suffice it to say — with four full-length albums under their belt, the now-veteran act has truly mastered the art of throwing curveballs.

The band's fifth full-length effort, "I Am" is baffling first and foremost because it's not meant to be baffling. As guitarist, mastermind and band nucleus Seth Hecox explains, the album is less about reinventing heavy music than it is reinventing BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE. That's not to say listeners won't find the band doing its usual mind-warping and genre-bending, but the point of this album wasn't to transcend the artform of metal music, it was to master it.

"'I Am' is 100% headbanging riffs," Hecox says. "Gone are the sitars and horns of 'Celestial Completion'. Instead, we've crafted an album full of the heaviest and most technical songs we've ever written."

But hearing is believing, and thus Hecox and the ARCHETYPE boys are inviting fans to sample the new track "The Time Bender". The catch? Listeners will have to settle for only a taste at first, but can unlock the remainder of the song by spreading the word for others to listen.

"'The Time Bender' is a microcosm of the new album because it displays elements of what BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE has done in the past as well as elements of what the BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE sound is becoming," says Hecox. "In that sense, it's a perfect bridge between people's past enjoyment of BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE's catalog and people's excitement over the new material. We've been playing the song live this whole summer so lots of ears have already heard a simplified version of this song and feedback has been spectacular. It's encouraging to know that so many people stand behind what we do and willingly follow us in each step of our musical evolution."

Recorded with producer Shane Frisby (BURY YOUR DEAD, THE GHOST INSIDE), "I Am", as the title suggests, is also a statement of an album that puts a new stamp on who BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE is and what it stands for following an inter-band shakeup — one that cleared the path for Hecox to assemble a true dream team of musicians around him.

"I Am" track listing:

01. The Ocean Walker
02. The Time Bender
03. The Eyes Of The Storm
04. The Sky Bearer
05. The Machine Killer
06. The War Ender
07. The Weapon Breaker
08. The Planet Maker
09. The Sun Eater
10. I Am

A trailer for "I Am" can be seen below.

The official lyric video for the song "Victims Of The Cave" from Western Massachusetts metallers THE ACACIA STRAIN can be seen below. The track comes off the band's new album, "Death Is The Only Mortal", which will be released on October 9 via Rise Records. The CD was produced by guitarist Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz at his Western Massachusetts studio.

"Death Is The Only Mortal" track listing:

01. Doomblade
02. Our Lady Of Perpetual Sorrow
03. Go To Sleep
04. Brain Death
05. The Mouth Of The River
06. Dust And The Helix
07. Victims Of The Cave
08. Time And Death And God
09. The Chambered Nautilus
10. House Of Abandon

The cover artwork can be seen below.

Regarding the decision to have Laskiewicz helm the new album, vocalist Vincent Bennett previously said, "You all love DL, so it makes sense for us to go ahead and do the album this way and keep it heavy right from the source of where this all comes from."

THE ACACIA STRAIN in April released a new song, "Servant In The Place Of Truth", via iTunes and Amazon.

Having recently signed a new deal with Rise, the band wanted to put out something new in between labels for fans to enjoy.

THE ACACIA STRAIN's latest CD, "Wormwood", sold around 6,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 67 on The Billboard 200 chart.

THE ACACIA STRAIN's previous effort, "Continent", opened with 5,600 units to land at No. 107.

THE ACACIA STRAIN released its first live album, "The Most Known Unknown", in June 2011 via Prosthetic Records.

"No Computation", a brand new song from Hungarian "progressive-grunge metallers" ANGERTEA, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track, which features guest guitar harmonies played by Bill Gould (FAITH NO MORE), comes off the band's fourth full-length album, "Nr. 4: Songs Exhaled", due on September 17 via the Norwegian label Smash Fabric Records. The CD was mixed by producer Gábor Vári and features an additional guest appearances by Tibor Rákos of the Hungarian progressive band ECLIPSE, who sang some lines in "Meeting Satan On The Way To Personal Desertification".

The cover artwork for "Nr. 4: Songs Exhaled" was drawn by ANGERTEA singer Gergo and was edited by Anna Pukánszky.

"Nr. 4: Songs Exhaled" features the following tracks:

01. No Computation (feat. Bill Gould)
02. Demons Surfaced
03. V.
04. In Light Air
05. Decay
06. Lions' Region
07. A For Afrodita
08. Akråm
09. Meeting Satan On The Way To Personal Desertification (feat. Tibor Rákos)
10. Distance Of You

ANGERTEA previously stated about the forthcoming effort, "Compared to our previous recordings, this one is gonna include shorter and maybe more 'understandable' songs."

ANGERTEA previously released three full-length albums — "Lélekvágy" (2001), "Rushing Towards the Hateline" (2006) and "Twenty-Eight Ways to Bleed" (2009) — and an EP that was mixed by Neil Kernon (NILE, NEVERMORE, CANNIBAL CORPSE).

ANGERTEA is:

Mihály Gergely - Vocals/Guitar
Peralta Miguel - Bass
Bárkai László - Drums

"The British Invasion", the new concert DVD from Angeles glam-metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER, will be released in Australia and New Zealand on September 28 and in the rest of the world on October 22.

Shot in 2010 at a sold-out show in London, England's famed Brixton Academy, "The British Invasion" brings back the '80s in full force with a blistering set of their greatest hits. This DVD includes such favorite songs as "Asian Hooker", "Death To All But Metal" and "Community Property". The DVD was directed by Daniel E. Catullo III, who has previously worked with RUSH, CREED, GODSMACK, SMASHING PUMPKINS, CHICKENFOOT and ALTER BRIDGE and includes a hysterical behind-the-scenes documentary that is a must-see!

"The British Invasion" track listing:

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. Guitar Solo
09. Asian Hooker
10. Turn Out The Lights
11. Girl From Oklahoma
12. We Want Pussy
13. Community Property
14. The Shocker
15. Death To All But Metal

The third "The British Invasion" video teaser — focusing on bassist Lexxi Foxx — can be seen below.

STEEL PANTHER's sophomore album, "Balls Out", sold nearly 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 40 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on November 1, 2011 via Universal Republic Records, the follow-up to 2009's "Feel The Steel" contains 14 soon-to-be classics such as "Just Like Tiger Woods", "Gold Digging Whore" and "Weenie Ride". The album also features cameos by Dane Cook on the album opener "In The Future" and NICKELBACK frontman Chad Kroeger and EXTREME axeman Nuno Bettencourt show up on an instant classic "It Won't Suck Itself". "Balls Out" was produced by Grammy-nominated producer/mixer Jay Ruston who produced the band's "Feel The Steel" debut and is known for his work with ANTHRAX, MEAT LOAF, THE DONNAS and MORRISSEY, to name a few.

Teaser #3 - Lexxi Foxx:

In a brand new interview with SeymourDuncan.com, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was asked how he feels the music industry has changed with the wide adaption of the Internet. "I'm a purist and I don't want to seem like I don't care about young people and creativity and doing cool things," he replied.

He continued, "I gotta tell you, there are certain things that the digital world has made so that very inferior players can get away with sounding like they are good. The problem with that is not that the record doesn't sound good and is enjoyable, it's when you go to watch them live. They sound really fabulous on record because they are using Pro Tools, this whole digital world that cradles them, and the listener is thinking, 'Wow, these guys are really wonderful.'

"The economy right now makes it hard to make ends meet and you go spend $40 or $50 for a ticket — if you're taking a date then a hundred — and parking, gas, food, beverages, programs if they have them and any kind of merch or t-shirts. You're looking at maybe $100 to $200, maybe even $300 if you're taking somebody.

"We are fortunate because we can back it up live and we have super-loyal fans.

"We have been blessed with being able to write catchy songs and be able to innovate a guitar style — that helps a little bit too.

"We have always tried to keep the price down with the tickets. It's the same approach with our merch, tickets, guitars any products that I stand behind we try and take that into consideration.

"I may have had a great life and I may have been overpaid and underworked, but I am not punishing the fans and being a really hard-ass about stuff. So I try and pass that gratitude onto them by not gouging them with prices.

"The good thing that I like about the Internet is it makes it real easy to deliver your product to your fans at an affordable price. There is piracy and people who steal. They don't realize it is intellectual material and it is the same thing as food. Giving something to get, that's the deal — if you get something and the person doesn't get anything in return, that is either a gift or you are stealing it. Myself, I think the dude who created Napster probably ruined hundreds of thousands of people's lives because of that peer-to-peer file transferring, but if he hadn't done it, there are plenty of smart people out there who would have. It's human nature."

We regret to inform you that Sime (guitars) is leaving Eluveitie.
Sime was thinking about this since quite a long time already and finally decided to take this step. He will set about some new goals in his life – both, vocational and familial – which will make it impossible for him to play in a touring band.


(live photo of Sime by Audrey Dujardin; more pics you can find here: audrey.dujardin.photography )

Sime was part of Eluveitie for 8 years now, part of our little, crazy family – and we will dearly miss him. But at the same time we’re thankful for the awesome time we spent together.
We wish him and his family all the best for his personal and vocational future!

Here you go with Sime’s personal statement:
„A couple of months ago I informed my band mates, that I’ll leave Eluveitie in September 2012 for familial reasons. It was a very tough call, it was difficult to make this decision – in a way the band is part of the family too, after all.
I will dearly miss Eluveitie. But fortunately the world (or rather Switzerland) is small: I will still play the upcoming shows in Solothurn’s Kofmehl and the Eluveitie & Friends festival with full commitment!
I wish the band all the best and accident-free upcoming tours!

We’d like to make you aware of two special shows:
Sime will share the stage with us as special guest on the 20th of September in the Kofmehl (Solothurn, CH) and on the 29th of December in the Eulachhalle (Eluveitie & Friends festival, Winterthur, CH)! Don’t miss it!
At the same time it’s about time to introduce you to the man who will follow in Sime’s footsteps!
His name is Rafael Salzmann and he will play the upcoming tours with us as a live session guitarist.


Rafael is a gifted musician and very skilled guitar player and he also already has been working together with Anna in the Soundfarm Studios. Now we’re looking forward a lot to rock the stages together with him!

On a related note, Päde will have to take a short leave for personal reasons as well and will rejoin our tour with Sabaton in the beginning of October. In the meantime, there’s still 7 of us left to kick some ass all over Europe!

cheers
Eluveitie

SLIPKNOT has released a statement about the involuntary manslaughter charges brought against a Des Moines, Iowa, doctor yesterday (Wednesday, September 5) in connection with the death of the band's bassist, Paul Gray (pictured below). Physician Daniel Baldi is accused of prescribing large amounts of narcotic painkillers to patients who later died of overdoses, including Gray.

SLIPKNOT's statement in its entirety:

"As the loss of our brother Paul Gray is still very fresh for us in the SLIPKNOT family, this new development has us all in a state of anger and sadness. The fact that this person took advantage of our brother's illness while he was in a position to help others has outraged everyone in our family. We can only hope that justice will be served so this can NEVER happen to anyone else ever again! Our thoughts go out to the families of the other victims. We plan to cooperate as much as we possibly can to ensure this tragedy is never repeated, and to make sure this man pays for what he has done."

According to charging documents released at the doctor's court hearing yesterday, Baldi is believed to have unintentionally caused the death of Paul Gray by writing "high-dose prescription narcotics to a known drug addict" starting on December 27, 2005.

The doctor's lawyer, Guy Cook, told DesMoinesRegister.com his client plans to vigorously fight the charges.

"It is unprecedented to turn unfortunate deaths or medical results into a crime against a doctor," the lawyer said. "Unexpected deaths can occur in severe, chronic pain patients, unrelated to medical treatment. This is especially true with patients who are drug addicts or drug abusers."

Gray passed away more than two years ago from an accidental overdose of drugs, leaving behind his wife Brenna and daughter October.

Brenna Gray revealed in a 2011 interview with Revolver that her husband had agreed to get help for his drug problem just one day before he died on May 24, 2010. Brenna, who said she had dealt with Paul's drug issues several times over the years, explained, "I realized what was going on when I found things at home — then he passed away that Sunday. So I really had no time to make a move. On the Saturday I said, 'Hey, we need to do something. We need to fix this.' He agreed. He was getting ready to go out on tour with (side project) HAIL! and he said, 'I'll go get help after this tour.' But I said, 'You're not going.' I called his manager and told him to cancel. But I think it was a little too late."

Paul was found dead in a hotel room in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa, where he and SLIPKNOT were based. He was 38 years old.

Brenna said she didn't know what led her husband to drugs, but thinks it had something to do with his childhood. She revealed that his father, who committed suicide, was also a drug addict, adding, "I never pushed him to talk about it because it was such a burden to him.."

The young widow also said she was shocked by some of the public reaction to Paul's death, saying, "If he could have controlled (his addiction), he would have. He wanted to be done with it. But it's a life-long disease — even if he stayed clean for the rest of his life he'd still have had the disease."

Progressive rock/metal band CYNIC is working on material for a new full-length album for a tentative early 2013 release.

Commented the group: "There's so much music flowing we'd rather follow each inspiration to its conclusion rather than artificially stop once we have a CD's worth of songs and record; like writing from the inside out. Though the songs are taking shape, we're still exploring this new space, letting the music decide and guide us. We are at its mercy."

In a February 2012 interview with Ireland's Molten magazine, CYNIC guitarist/vocalist Paul Masvidal stated about the musical direction of the band's new material, "It's almost like, I don't know how to explain it, but if I had to put it in a box it's more sci-fi, futuristic and alien but at the same time very song-driven. It's kind of like, to me, coming into CYNIC's body more. It feels very modern and at the same time it just feels really cool. I'm big in the space. It's definitely new. It's not like anything we've done before. It's a new color, a new space. I think people will really take note of even the guitar stuff. I'm really shifting gears, I'm trying things in a different way and the way stuff is played. It's a new space for CYNIC, for sure. It definitely sounds like us, except completely new."

CYNIC's latest EP, "Carbon-Based Anatomy", was released in November via Season Of Mist. The CD artwork was designed by the great Robert Venosa, the artist behind the covers of CYNIC's previous releases "Focus", "Traced in Air" and "Re-Traced".

All bass parts on "Carbon-Based Anatomy" were recorded by one-time CYNIC bassist Sean Malone.

CYNIC was joined by Brandon Giffin on bass and Max Phelps on guitar and vocals during the group's recent North American and European tours in support of "Carbon-Based Anatomy".

The film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical "Rock Of Ages" — with an all-star cast including Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand — will be released on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download on October 9.

The main extra with the Blu-ray set is the extended cut of the film, which will feature an extra 13 minutes of footage. There will also be a segment called "So It Started In A Bar" that discusses the creation of the stage musical that led to the film.

"Rock Of Ages" Blu-ray special features:

* "Legends of The Sunset Strip" - Rock stars DEF LEPPARD, POISON, WHITESNAKE, FOREIGNER, TWISTED SISTER, BON JOVI and many more relive the music and vibe of the extraordinary Sunset Strip.

* "Defining a Decade" - Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Russell Brand, Tom Cruise, Mary J. Blidge, Catherine Zeta-Jones, director Adam Shankman and others to show us inside the world of the late '80s!

* The '80s Look - a look at the flawlessly researched and spellbinding look of rock and roll in the '80s.

* It's All About The Moves - Adam Shankman and Mia Michaels show us the choreography and the moves.

* The Sunset Strip - Recreate the Hollywood sign and the Sunset Strip of the '80s.

* The Tease - How to hair. '80s style.

* Raising The Bar - A look at the historical significance of the real "Sunset Strip" clubs in the '80s and how they shaped the design of the "Bourbon Room" in the movie.

* Connection to the Music - the cast talk about their personal connection with the music of "Rock Of Ages".

* "So It Started In A Bar" - the story behind the creation of the five-time Tony-nominated, Broadway phenomenon "Rock Of Ages".

* "Any Way You Want It" – Music Featurette

"Rock Of Ages" earned an abysmal $15.1 million in its opening weekend this past June from 3,470 theaters for a per-screen average of $4,340. The film has only grossed $38.5 million domestically, according to Rotten Tomatoes, making it highly unlikely that it will match its reported $75 million production budget

Tom Cruise stars in "Rock Of Ages" as Stacee Jaxx, an aging musician whose glory days are long past. The movie is a love story told through the music of PAT BENATAR, BON JOVI, JOURNEY, POISON, TWISTED SISTER and other artists from the 1980s.

The soundtrack to the film adaptation of "Rock Of Ages", which features the cast — Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russell Brand and Julianne Hough — singing some of the greatest hits of the "hair-band" era, sold 18,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at opposition No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart. The original cast production of the stage show peaked at No. 118 in 2009.

Video footage of original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley's entire September 2 performance at Pennysaver Amphitheater in Brookhaven, New York can be seen below.

Frehley's book, "No Regrets: A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir", landed at position No. 10 on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best sellers list. The book, which is described as a look back at Ace's "life of sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll," arrived on November 1 via Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

"No Regrets", which was published under Gallery's VH1 Books imprint, was co-written by New York Times journalist Joe Layden who also authored "The Last Great Fight" about what is considered by many to be the biggest upset in the history of boxing: James "Buster" Douglas' tenth-round knockout win over Mike Tyson in 1990.

Frehley performed with KISS from its inception in 1973 until his first departure in 1982 before rejoining KISS in 1996 for a very successful reunion tour. Frehley's second stint lasted until 2002 as Ace went back to being a solo artist again, but the stories and memories still remain from touring in one of rock and roll's most successful acts of all time.

Ace's latest album, "Anomaly", sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Released on September 15, 2009 via Ace's own Bronx Born Records, with Rocket Science providing a full label service platform in the U.S., "Anomaly" was produced and recorded in Westchester County, New York between 2007 and 2009 and was mixed in Los Angeles.

EASY ACTION, the Swedish cult band that launched the careers of Zinny Zan (SHOTGUN MESSIAH) and Kee Marcello (EUROPE), will release the cult film "Blood Tracks" on DVD for the first time on September 12. Shot back in 1983 by director Mats-Helge Olsson ("Ninja Mission") the horror classic heavily features the band EASY ACTION facing their brutal destiny on the blood-stained mountain hills of Sweden. They manage to play a song or two as well. However, it is the special features on the DVD that is the real treat for fans of EASY ACTION and '80s glam rock!

Special features:

* "A Hot Summer Night" - The complete TV special with EASY ACTION recorded live in Stockholm in 1983. All the classic songs performed live plus rare shots of the band in private. Restored from the original tapes and NEVER before released.
* "We Go Rocking" - The original video shot 1983 in London. Restored from the original tapes and never before released.
* Brand new interviews with Zinny Zan and Alex Tyrone (a.k.a. Peo Thyrén), made by music journalist Stefan Malmqvist, telling the story about making the film back in 1983. (26 minutes)
* Illustrated discography
* Original trailer
* Gallery
* Easter egg

BONUS CD:

* The first 1000 copies comes with the re-make of "We Go Rocking" that the reunited EASY ACTION recorded in 2008. The song was the official song for the Speedway Grand Prix, and the CD single also features the brand new song "Jack Is Back".

Former METAL CHURCH/LILLIAN AXE singer Ronny Munroe has joined FIREWOLFE.

FIREWOLFE's current lineup is completed by guitarists Paul Kleff and Nick Layton, and drummer Jay Schellen (HURRICANE, ASIA)

Commented Ronny: "I've waited quite a while to share some exciting news with everybody, but the time has come for me to finally spill the beans!

"I have been working closely with Paul and Nick of the band FIREWOLFE for a couple months now... I've taken over lead vocal duties and the song writing process has been going very well!! I have to say, if you like classic metal, you are going to dig this stuff. It's also one of the reasons [my] new [solo] video is taking longer than anticipated."

Singer David Fefolt left FIREWOLFE earlier in the year to pursue a career in the Christian music genre.

FIREWOLFE's debut album was previously described as "a turbine-powered, twin guitar, screaming eargasm" with overtones of DIO, IRON MAIDEN, SCORPIONS, and JUDAS PRIEST.

For more information, visit FIREWOLFE's official web site.

Candlelight Records has set a November 6 North American release date for "Vanitas", the new album from England's ANAAL NATHRAKH. Produced by Mick Kenney (BLEEDING THROUGH, INGESTED), the CD carries the band's signature and regarded union of black metal and grindcore.

ANAAL NATHRAKH's seventh album, "Vanitas" "sounds like someone showing you what the end of the world is like via the medium of a thousand hammers soaked in acid," says vocalist Dave Hunt. Digging into the record particulars, he notes, "It's more articulate and focused than any album before it in way of composition and recording technique. We worked hard and we're convinced it has paid off."

Since its inception in 1999, ANAAL NATHRAKH has gained a reputation for embodying the audio essence of pure evil. Various collaborations with the likes of Sethlans Teitan (WATAIN), Shane Embury and Danny Herrera (NAPALM DEATH), and others, have placed the band high on media as well metal fans "must-seek-out" list. This alongside countless placements in "Best Album Of The Month/Year" awards, ANAAL NATHRAKH's status as one of the leading lights in extreme metal is undeniable.

ANAAL NATHRAKH will tour Canada for the first time just as "Vanitas" is released. Beginning in Montreal on November 7, the tour will end in Sherbrooke on November 18.

"Vanitas" track listing:

01. The Blood-Dimmed Tide
02. Forging Towards The Sunset
03. To Spite The Face
04. Todos Somos Humanos
05. In Coelo Quies, Tout Finis Ici Bas
06. You Can't Save Me, So Stop Fucking Trying
07. Make Glorious The Embrace Of Saturn
08. Feeding The Beast
09. Of Fire, And Fucking Pigs
10. A Metaphor For The Dead

A trailer featuring audio snippet from the album is available below.