British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH will release their tenth studio album, "The Manticore & Other Horrors", in North America on October 30 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Commented the band's infamous frontman, Dani "Filth" Davey, "This is our 10th commandment in metal. We have diversified and kept alive the spirit of this band and breathed it into something that I can proudly say, slays like an absolute motherfucker. The Manticore is coming… Long live the filth!"

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

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

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

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

CRADLE OF FILTH will spread its darkness upon European lands with a tour throughout November and December.

CRADLE OF FILTH is:

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

Laibach are set to release "An Introduction To... Laibach / Reproduction Prohibited", on November 6th, 2012, following their recent Nazi pastiche "Iron Sky OST" record. Opening with their interpretation of Mute's first release, The Normal's "Warm Leatherette" (here translated as "Warme Lederhaut") Laibach premiered the track at the Short Circuit presents Mute festival, Roundhouse in May 2011.

The 15-track release showcases the band's unique take on the cover version as a concept. The complete list of covers is below. Note that the cover art of the release was painted by member(s) of the group in 1981 as the interpretation of the famous Rene Magritte work, "Not to be Reproduced", from 1937.

Tracklisting:

WARME LEDERHAUT – cover of The Normal’s Warm Leatherette
BALLAD OF A THIN MAN – cover of Bob Dylan
GERMANIA – Version of German national anthem, from the album Volk
ANGLIA – Version of British national anthem, from the album Volk
MAMA LEONE – originally recorded by schlager legend Drafi Deutscher, made famous by Bino
B MASHINA – remixed version featured on Iron Sky OST, written by Tomi Meglic (Siddharta)
BRUDERSCHAFT – Laibach composition, from Trans Slovenia Express Vol. 2
GOD IS GOD – by Juno Reactor, originally inspired by Life Is Life, from Jesus Christ Superstars
FINAL COUNTDOWN – classic Laibach cover, originally recorded by Europe
ALLE GEGEN ALLE – originally recorded by labelmates DAF
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE – originally recorded by The Beatles
GET BACK – originally recorded by The Beatles
LEBEN HEISST LEBEN – cover of Opus’ Live Is Life, from Opus Dei
GEBURT EINER NATION – cover of Queen’s One Vision, from Opus Dei 1987
OPUS DEI – cover of Opus’ Live is Life
This release is the newest in the "An Introduction To..." series which aims at giving a 'revealing introduction' to the world of Mute.

Los Angeles-based metal quartet ALL HAIL THE YETI will release its self-titled debut album in North America on August 28 via AFM Records.

Uniting elements of sludge metal, hardcore and groove-laden hard rock, ALL HAIL THE YETI unify these influences into their own diverse, modern style which is delivered in a way to make people move.

ALL HAIL THE YETI's self-titled debut album captures the act's most crushing tunes to date, with over a solid hour of energized thunderous riffage. The band has documented the creation of the album as well as the band's overall whiskey-soaked, fight-fueled, locked-cocked-and-ready-to-rock approach, liberated through a killer new trailer viewable below.

Featuring well-known tattoo artist Connor Garritty of Timeless Tattoos in L.A., ALL HAIL THE YETI have forged their own path through what they see as a desolate Hollywood music scene, the hard-working unit dead-set against burning out like so many bands from the same town and scene have over the past few decades of heavy music. Coinciding with their 2010-released "Trees On Fire With Songs Of Blood" EP, the band broke into the local scene with a surge of shows which led them to support slots for major national acts including TIMES OF GRACE, SOULFLY, FEAR FACTORY, SUICIDE SILENCE and more. With no record deal in place at the time, last year AHTY took it upon themselves to get things moving and entered the studio with producers Tommy Decker and Mike Sarkisyan to record their self-titled, debut LP. Upon its completion, the album received attention from several labels, and after some talks with AFM about the direction and goals of the band, happily took the deal the label offered them for the release of "All Hail The Yeti".

"All Hail The Yeti Track" Listing:

01. Deep Creek
02. When The Sky Falls
03. Suicide Woods
04. The Weak and Wounded (Prelude to Flames)
05. After The Great Fire
06. Bloodguilt
07. The Art Of Mourning
08. I Am Wendigod
09. Axe Murder Hollow
10. Ruby Ridge (Every Knee Shall Bow)
11. Judas Cradle

The song "The Art Of Mourning" can now be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Swedish death metallers EVOCATION will release their fourth studio album, "Illusions Of Grandeur", in Europe on September 24 via Century Media Records. The CD includes "ten tracks of supreme Swedish death metal, a perfect mélange of Stockholm rawness and Gothenburg epics," according to a press release.

The "Illusions Of Grandeur" title track can now be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Cover artist Xaay, who previously worked with EVOCATION on the "Apocalyptic" album, has proven to be the best choice for the job, delivering a dark and desolate yet beautiful piece of art for the new album.

"Illusions Of Grandeur" was recorded at IF Studios (IN FLAMES, THE HAUNTED) and Evocation Studios with producer Roberto Laghi (IN FLAMES) and mixed at IF Studios by Laghi. It was mastered at Bohus Sound Studios by Dragan Tanaskovic.

As a very special guest, Johan Hegg of AMON AMARTH laid down vocals on the song "Into Submission".

"Illusions Of Grandeur" will be released on CD, limited-edition digipak CD (including three studio bonus tracks) and on LP (including a big-size poster of the album artwork).

"Illusions Of Grandeur" track listing:

01. Illusions Of Grandeur
02. Well Of Despair
03. Divide And Conquer
04. Perception Of Reality
05. Metus Odium
06. I’ll Be Your Suicide
07. Crimson Skies
08. Into Submission
09. The Seven Faces Of God
10. Final Disclosure
11. Shades Of Shame (digipak bonus track)
12. Dark Day Dawn (digipak bonus track)
13. Dead Without A Trace (digipak bonus track)

EVOCATION's third album, "Apocalyptic", was released on October 29, 2010 via Cyclone Empire Records.

MÖTLEY CRÜE/SIXX: A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx has slammed MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine for implying during a concert that Barack Obama was somehow responsible for recent mass shootings in Colorado and Wisconsin.

While performing with MEGADETH on August 7 in Singapore, Mustaine told the crowd, "Back in my country, my president is trying to pass a gun ban. So he's staging all of these murders, like the Fast And Furious thing down at the border and Aurora, Colorado, all the people that were killed there. And now the beautiful people at the Sikh temple."

He continued: "I don't know where I'm gonna live if America keeps going the way it's going because it looks like it's turning into Nazi America."

Earlier today, Sixx took to his Facebook page to post a link to a Los Angeles Times article about Mustaine's rant and to include the following comment: "Dave Mustaine is a fucking asshole. I can't even imagine how deep this cuts the victims' families of these shootings. He owes every family an apology as well as our great country."

He then addressed Mustaine directly, writing, "Hey, Dave, if you think America is turning into 'Nazi America,' as you are quoted saying... Then move the fuck out…"

Video footage of the unboxing of the mediabook version of "Act I", the first-ever live solo album from former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen, can be seen below. The effort will be unleashed to North American fans on September 4 in 2-CD, 2-DVD and Blu-ray format via the Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records, in conjunction with Hamburg, Germany-based earMUSIC.

The first-ever live audio/video offering from the former NIGHTWISH soprano, "Act I" is a mammoth undertaking recorded and filmed with 10 HD cameras at the breathtaking Teatro El Círculo in Rosario, Argentina in March 2012. With an elaborate track listing of solo tunes, NIGHTWISH classics and various covers, including a rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom Of The Opera", Gary Moore's "Over The Hills And Far Away", WHITESNAKE's "Still Of The Night" and a variety of video extras, "Act I" provides a full-fledged bill of fare to every diehard Tarja fan.

Comments Turunen of the offering: "Those two nights in Rosario were a huge emotional drive to me personally," adding that she was many times "ready to burst into tears."

"Act I" track listing:

CD 1

01. Anteroom Of Death
02. My Little Phoenix
03. Dark Star
04. Naiad
05. Falling Awake
06. I Walk Alone
07. Little Lies
08. Into The Sun (previously unreleased)
09. Nemo (NIGHWISH)
10. Never Enough (previously unreleased)
11. Still Of The Night (WHITESNAKE)
12. In For A Kill

CD 2

01. Boy And The Ghost
02. Lost Northern Star
03. Ciaran's Well
04. Tired Of Being Alone (written with Schiller)
05. Where Were You Last Night / Heaven Is A Place On Earth / Livin' On A Prayer (Medley)
06. Underneath
07. Oasis / The Archive Of Lost Dreams
08. Crimson Deep
09. The Phantom Of The Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
10. Die Alive
11. Until My Last Breath
12. Over The Hills And Far Away (Gary Moore)

DVD 1

01. If You Believe
02. Anteroom Of Death
03. My Little Phoenix
04. Dark Star
05. Naiad
06. Falling Awake
07. I Walk Alone
08. Orpheus Hallucination / Orpheus In The Underworld
09. Little Lies (band jam)
10. Little Lies
11. Into The Sun (previously unreleased)
12. Nemo
13. Rivers Of Lust
14. Minor Heaven
15. Montañas De Silencio
16. Sing For Me
17. I Feel Immortal
18. Never Enough (previously unreleased)
19. In For A Kill
20. Toccata And Fugue D-minor (BWV 565) (Johann Sebastian Bach)
21. The Phantom Of The Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
22. Die Alive
23. Until My Last Breath
24. Over The Hills And Far Away (Gary Moore)

DVD 2

01. Boy And The Ghost
02. Lost Northern Star
03. Ciaran's Well
04. Tired Of Being Alone (written with Schiller)
05. Where Were You Last Night / Heaven Is A Place On Earth / Livin' On A Prayer (Medley)
06. Underneath
07. The Reign
08. Oasis/The Archive Of Lost Dreams
09. Still Of The Night (WHITESNAKE)

Blu-ray track listing is the same as DVD 1 and 2.

A teaser trailer for "Act I" can be seen below.

In other news, Tarja is in pre-production for her third solo album, which is expected to be released sometime next year. She says, "I have 25 songs where to choose the best ones for the album. Some of the musicians are already working on them with me."

Tarja's sophomore solo album, "What Lies Beneath", sold around 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 24 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.

"What Lies Beneath" was released in North America on September 14, 2010 via The End Records.

Unboxing "Act I" mediabook:

Finnish love metallers HIM will release a greatest-hits album, "XX - Two Decades Of Love Metal", on October 29 via Sony Music in Finland. The set will include the band's new cover version of the song "Strange World", originally recorded in the 1990s by Kevin Grivois a.k.a. Ké.

The "Strange World" video and digital single is tentatively due on September 21.

H.I.M. is scheduled to enter the studio in September to begin recording its new album for an early 2013 release. The band will also bring back the Helldone Festival at club Tavastia in Helsinki, where they will perform for four nights in a row.

"XX - Two Decades Of Love Metal" TRACK LISTING:

01. Strange World (KÉ cover)
02. Join Me In Death
03. Heartkiller
04. Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly
05. The Kiss Of Dawn (radio edit)
06. The Funeral Of Hearts (radio edit)
07. Right Here In My Arms (radio edit)
08. Pretending
09. Buried Alive By Love (radio edit)
10. Gone With The Sin
11. Your Sweet Six Six Six
12. The Sacrament (radio edit)
13. Wicked Game (CHRIS ISAAK cover)
14. Killing Loneliness
15. Bleed Well (radio edit)
16. In Joy And Sorrow (radio edit)
17. Poison Girl
18. Scared To Death
19. When Love And Death Embrace (radio edit)
20. Heartache Every Moment

In March of last year, HIM parted ways with Sire/Warner Music following a six-year partnership that produced three albums. HIM frontman Ville Valo told Kerrang! magazine in February, "The thing with Warner is really a kind of a familiar story. When we signed with [the label], there were lots of people there who really loved the band, loved what we were doing; people who worked hard for us and who really had our best interests at heart. And now, of course, all of those people have left the company. So instead we had a bunch of people that we didn't know, who didn't know us, and who we felt didn't really understand what we are about and how to best represent us. All of a sudden, it felt like we didn't have a home anymore. It was time for us to move on."

HIM's discography on Sire includes the 2005 album "Dark Light", which was certified gold in the U.S. for sales in excess of 500,000 copies. Follow-up releases "Venus Doom" (2007) and "Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice" charted both in the U.S. and Europe.

"Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice" sold 26,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 25 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Singer Geoff Tate's (QUEENSRŸCHE) official Facebook page has been updated with the following message under the heading "Queensrÿche Starring Geoff Tate The Original Voice":

"This fall, Geoff Tate electric band will be releasing his new solo metal album on InsideOut Music, which features such labelmates as KING'S X, FATES WARNING, PAIN OF SALVATION and DREAM THEATER's frontman James LaBrie, and many others! Geoff Tate solo tour dates with ALICE COOPER beginning in November.

"Watch for the announcement of the upcoming 2013 QUEENSRŸCHE anniversary tour featuring an all-star lineup, starring Geoff Tate, the longtime creative and driving force behind the band, whose vocals can be heard on every QUEENSRŸCHE song ever released!"

Tate will support ALICE COOPER on the following Canadian dates:

Nov. 07 - Calgary, AB - Southern Jubilee
Nov. 08 - Saskatoon, SK - TCU Place
Nov. 09 - Moose Jaw, SK - Mosaic Place
Nov. 11 - Medicine Hat, AB - Medicine Hat Arena
Nov. 13 - Dawson Creek, BC - Encana Events Center
Nov. 14 - Edmonton, AB - Northern Jubilee
Nov. 16 - Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Tate's personal web site, GeoffTate.com, was recently upgraded with a new banner that reads "Geoff Tate: The Voice Of QUEENSRŸCHE." He is also billed on the web site for booking agency Monterey International as "QUEENSRŸCHE Starring Geoff Tate: The Original Voice." The band's lineup isn't listed.

Guitarist Michael Wilton, drummer Scott Rockenfield, bassist Eddie Jackson and Parker Lundgren (guitar) announced on June 20 that they were parting ways with Geoff Tate and recruiting La Torre of CRIMSON GLORY as his replacement.

Wilton, Jackson and Rockenfield defeated Tate's motion for a preliminary injunction on July 13 that would have kept them from touring and operating under the band name,

Tate and his wife, Susan, QUEENSRŸCHE's former manager, filed a lawsuit against Geoff's ex-bandmates on June 22 in King County Superior Court over whether he should be awarded the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being dismissed from the group in June. Their complaint states Rockenfield, Wilton and Jackson wrongfully fired the singer and are tarnishing the group's brand by attempting to move forward without him.

If the case goes to trial, the date is set for November 18, 2013.

In the meantime, Wilton, Jackson and Rockenfield, along with Lundgren and La Torre have launched a new web site at QueensrycheOfficial.com.

The new QUEENSRŸCHE lineup made its official live debut as the headliner of the last day of this year's Halfway Jam, which took place July 26-28 in Royalton, Minnesota.

Lundgren was briefly married to Geoff's stepdaughter Miranda; they have since divorced.

Christa Titus of Billboard.com recently conducted an interview with the new QUEENSRŸCHE lineup — featuring singer Todd La Torre as the replacement for Geoff Tate — alongside Michael Wilton (guitar), Eddie Jackson (bass), Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Parker Lundgren (guitar). An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Billboard.com: What progress are you making with the demos you're doing?

Rockenfield: It's going well. We've been writing for the last couple months. It's all so fresh to us, even just our relationship with Todd being in the band. It's kind of a whirlwind. I think our heads every day are kind of spinning with everything that we're dealing with. Some of it's good and some of it's bad that you gotta deal with, and you know all the stuff that we're going through.

Wilton: Each one of us has hard drives full of material that was never used for whatever reasons . . . We all wanna write these songs together. We all want to be in the room, use the best ability of everybody and make these songs a band signature, [where] we play it before we burn it on a computer. You gotta play it together. We wanna bring that essence back like we used to do in Scott's basement that we used to call the Dungeon [where the band rehearsed in its early days]. That's where the magic happens.
Jackson: It also prepares yourself even more so for right before you start recording these songs.

Rockenfield: What we're going to try to do is get back to our face-to-face interactive roots and write songs and pull from our history, and look what we are excited about and do that. The cool thing is, Todd, joining and doing this with us now, is helping us do that, because he's excited about that direction and likes do that as well. The plan is, soon enough down the road, we'll be able to give some news about what's happening, get in the studio in the next coming months. We don't have any timeline for that yet, but that's the plan [to] be able to go out and support some of that next year.

Billboard.com: Are Todd and Parker helping you with songwriting?

Jackson: Absolutely. Everyone's contributing. Just sharing ideas and, like Scotty was saying, we don't really have an exact studio date or time, but hoping to get in the studio here within the next month or so.

Wilton: That's fun for me to actually work with Parker so he's not actually just being told what to do. The guy has a lot of creative elements that are untapped, and obviously in playing some of [former guitarist] Chris [DeGarmo's] parts he's really learned and he's really upping his game. It's exciting for him and me to kind of bring these elements that he's never done before and really hone in, like Scott said, on the past of guitar double solos and experimenting with sounds.

Billboard.com: Clearly, as expressed by all the commentary online, there are a lot of fans that support you, but there are also fans who feel there is no way you can go on without Geoff.

Rockenfield: We can't go out and try to convince the fans. The only way we can do that or to show them what is available for them as QUEENSRŸCHE, we're just gonna go out and do it and they can come out and experience what we're gonna do. Our fans have been family. There's a lot of people in our camp for 30 years that have been with us for a long time and we're quite close to a lot of them, and it is affecting them, once again, kind of like a divorce, where they don't know what to do. They don't know what side to take. It hasn't been the easiest thing. But there's a lot of them that have been understanding of it and they get it, and they're gonna make a decision about what they wanna do or how they wanna judge their opinion based upon their own personal thing, and that's totally cool.

Read the entire interview at Billboard.com.

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield spoke to the Mexican radio station Ibero 90.9 last month prior to the band's eight-night run at Palacio de los Deportes (Sports Palace) in Mexico City. You can watch the chat below.

"To play anywhere in the world for eight shows is unbelievable," Hetfield said. "I don't think we could do it anywhere else. Mexico City stepped up, and every [concert] we put on sale, there was another one [that was added] and another and it kept going. It was crazy! We probably could have kept going, as the passion here is unbelievable."

METALLICA's July 28 show in Mexico City marked the debut of a new 140-foot-by-50-foot stage that features "colossal components and striking visual elements spanning METALLICA's entire 30-year career."

"The stage that we're doing — the kind of the 'best-of' stage — is pretty dangerous and pretty unpredictable," Hetfield said. "There's a lot of things that can go wrong. [laughs] Pyro and fire and things falling and… I don't wanna give away too much, but there's a lot going on. A lot. So every show will be different of these eight, I think, just because of the fact that things will be working differently. We haven't really rehearsed a lot on this stage — maybe a week, production rehearsals — so it's gonna be crazy. It's gonna be a lot of fun."

A nine-minute montage of the "best effects" in METALLICA's new stage show — captured during the July 28 opening gig of the band's eight-night run in Mexico City — can be seen below. A post at the group's web site said, "What an amazing first show with the new mind blowing stage. During 'Puppetz', lighted crosses came up from the stage, 'Battery' saw pyro and coffins, then we had Nothing. 'Enter Sandman' was up next, and that's when shit really hit the fan! Loud bangs, random fireworks, falling towers, falling spot light guy, falling scaffolding, guy was caught on fire, then a complete blackout."

Video footage taken at the gig initially made it seem as if a malfunctioning pyro launcher caused two road crew members to be engulfed in flames during the song "Enter Sandman".

The show was stopped and the men carried out on stretchers, after which METALLICA resumed playing. A spokesperson for the promoter said it was "all part of the show."

METALLICA performed at the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco this past weekend and is scheduled to play two shows in late August in Vancouver, which will be filmed for the band's upcoming 3D movie.

Interview:

According to Vintage Vinyl News, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's third album is schedule for release on October 30.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION is the English-American rock band featuring the talents of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, TRAPEZE, BLACK SABBATH), blues rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN), and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER).

"With this next album, I've had the luxury of being able to write for six months," Hughes recently told GuitarWorld.com. "With the first album I had six weeks, and the second one was about four months. But I've had a lot more time to write this one. If you look at Joe's schedule, he doesn't even have time to wipe his nose. I've been left as the keeper of the keys to write these albums."

In a recent interview with Artisan News, Hughes stated about BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's musical evolution, "We just did two albums back to back, both successful records. And our live DVD is out now.

"We're really, really happy with the progress of where we're going musically. So we're sort of on course now."

Regarding the sound of the forthcoming BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION CD, Hughes said, "It's kind of a continuation… There's gonna be some darker stuff on there, because the lyrics I'm writing are kind of dark. There may be some moments of drama in there — I like drama in the music. So the songs I have ready are definitely a continuation of [the first and the second albums]."

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION released its first concert DVD, "Live Over Europe", on October 24, 2011 (Blu-ray followed on November 15) on the J&R Adventures imprint. The two-DVD live set was filmed with 14 HD cameras and 5.1 Surround Sound during the band's debut tour in the summer of 2011. Over three nights, playing to packed venues in the German cities of Hamburg, Munich and Berlin, the 18-song set list (17 originals and one cover) hits on both of BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's albums — 2010's debut and 2011's sophomore release "2".

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION initially came to fruition when producer Kevin Shirley saw Hughes and Bonamassa join forces on stage in Los Angeles in November 2009 for an explosive performance at Guitar Center's King of the Blues event. Shirley then recruited Bonham and Sherinian for the project, which is named after the industrial area in the British Midlands where both Hughes and Bonham were born and raised.

MANOWAR's new studio album, "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, 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.

Finnish epic metallers WINTERSUN will release their long-awaited new album, "Time I", on October 12 via Nuclear Blast Records. The cover artwork for the CD was created by Cameron Gray and can be seen below.

Commented the band "We searched many options who could actually make the cover for 'Time I'. Cameron's way of creating art was just something that stood out immediately and we feel it suited best for Jari's [Mäenpää, WINTERSUN mastermind] vision as a cover for 'Time I'. We are really happy for the result and hopefully this collaboration continues in the future releases as well!"

To celebrate the "Time I" release, WINTERSUN will play two special shows in Finland. The first concert will take place on Octber 12 at Lutakko in Jyväskylä and the second on October 13 at Nosturi in Helsinki. Support at the shows will come from THAUROROD (Lutakko and Nosturi) and MEDICATED (Nosturi).

Commented WINTERSUN: "We're excited to start the 'Time' world tour from our home country with two shows in October! These two special album-release shows will be our first club gigs in Finland since 2006 and the first time ever 'Time I' songs will be heard live! The show attendees will also be the first ones to have a chance to get a signed copy of the new album.

"During the rest of the summer, we'll be rehearsing the new material and working on a new enhanced live show as well as doing some promo and preparing bonus material for the album. Right after the Finnish gigs, we'll continue on to Heidenfest tour in Central Europe and after that... Well, more shows will be announced soon. Stay tuned and hope to see you at the gigs!"

According to WINTERSUN mainman Jari Mäenpää, there are several reasons why the band's new effort, "Time" is being released as two seprate albums, titled "Time I" and "Time II". He says:

* "All the 80 minutes of material won't fit on a regular CD and we didn't want to cut anything out.
* "We want you to be able to hear new material sooner and not wait any longer and we want to go on tour sooner.
* "The music is very full and complex, so listening this kind of 'hard listening (not easy listening)' material straight for 80 minutes is a bit too much (even for me).
* "Both albums will be approximately. nice 40 min epic packages of fireworks.
* "We like the idea of releasing two albums within one year, so the band will stay more visible longer, which is important in these 'modern times.' No more years of silence for us!"

"Time I" track listing:

01. When Time Fades Away
02. Sons Of Winter And Stars
I) Rain Of Stars
II) Surrounded By Darkness
III) Journey Inside A Dream
IV) Sons of Winter And Stars
03. Land Of Snow And Sorrow
04. Darkness And Frost
05. Time

"Time II" will be released in 2013.

WINTERSUN will headline this year's edition of the Heidenfest tour, set to take place in October. Support on the trek will come from KORPIKLAANI, VARG, TROLLFEST and KRAMPUS.

WINTERSUN's debut CD was released in September 2004 through Nuclear Blast Records.

MAIDEN UNITED, the all-acoustic IRON MAIDEN tribute project featuring Damian Wilson (THRESHOLD, HEADSPACE) and Ruud Jolie (WITHIN TEMPTATION), will release its new album, "Across The Seventh Sea", on September 28 on CD, iTunes and limited-edition black-and-blue transparent vinyl.

"Across The Seventh Sea" track listing:

01. Seven Deadly Sins
02. Only The Good Die Young
03. 2 Minutes To Midnight
04. Prowler
05. Flash Of The Blade
06. Children Of The Damned
07. Infinite Dreams
08. 22 Acacia Avenue
09. The Evil That Men Do
10. Wasted Years

Newly released audio samples of the songs "Only The Good Die Young" and "Prowler" can be streamed below.

Perttu Kivilaakso of APOCALYPTICA plays cello on the songs "The Evil That Men Do" and "Infinite Dreams".

Commented Jolie: "We are all very excited about Perttu playing the cello on two songs of the new album. His great playing adds a very nice color to our sound."

The cover artwork for the CD was once again created by Blacklake, who also worked with MAIDEN UNITED on their first studio album, "Mind The Acoustic Pieces".

MAIDEN UNITED's debut album, "Mind The Acoustic Pieces" (2010), was described as "an acoustic re-imagining of the entire classic IRON MAIDEN album "Piece Of Mind" with new arrangements."

Contributing artists:

* Damian Wilson (THRESHOLD, HEADSPACE): Vocals
* Ruud Jolie (WITHIN TEMPTATION): Guitar
* Joey Bruers (UP THE IRONS): Bass
* Marco Kuypers (CLOUDMACHINE): Piano
* Mike Coolen (WITHIN TEMPTATION): Drums

For more information, go to www.MaidenuniteD.com.

Savannah, Georgia-based quartet BARONESS was involved in a road accident yesterday morning (Wednesday, August 15) in England when the band's tour bus reportedly plummeted for 30 feet over a viaduct after going through a security barrier during heavy rain. Nine people, including the four members of the group, were sent to the hospital, two of them with serious injuries. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.

All previously scheduled BARONESS shows have been postponed until further notice.

Earlier today, BARONESS's publicist, Monica Seide of Speakeasy PR & Marketing, released the following update regarding the musicians' medical condition:

"The band members of BARONESS and their crew are recovering from injuries sustained after their tour bus crashed outside of Bath, England early on Wednesday morning.

"John Baizley [rhythm guitar, lead vocals] has broken his left arm and left leg. Allen Blickle [drums] and Matt Maggioni [bass] each suffered fractured vertebrae. All three remain in the hospital as of this writing. Pete Adams [lead guitar, vocals] has been treated and released from the hospital.

"Three of the five crew members who were on the bus have also been treated and released. One member is still undergoing testing. The driver of the bus remains in critical condition.

"Please stay tuned for further updates. Thank you for all the support during this extremely difficult time."

A two-minute BBC News video report on yesterday's road accident can be seen below.

BARONESS played at The Fleece in Bristol Tuesday night. They were on their way to Southampton when the accident happened.

The band released its new album, "Yellow & Green", last month via Relapse Records.

Vocalist Mark Hunter of Cleveland, Ohio metallers CHIMAIRA has released the following statement:

"The last few years have been bizarre, to say the least.

"CHIMAIRA went through an insane amount of changes that would have killed 99% of the bands out there, and all things considered, probably should have killed us, too.

"Since 2009, we've switched labels, management companies, booking agents, merchandisers, and unfortunately, band members.

"Like many bands, we were tested in order to survive an ever-changing industry. There were various suggestions implemented to try and improve our situation; some methods worked, some not so much. Regardless, we all had different ideas and life goals that ultimately led to where we are today.

"For over a year, we've been working incessantly to assemble a solid team that would represent CHIMAIRA moving forward, all the while rebuilding the entire infrastructure. With the music industry being in a transitional period, it was imperative to align ourselves with the right people.

"Thankfully, a new balance has been found and goals have been met. Though the past few years have been difficult (with actual blood, sweat, and tears), today I'm excited to announce that the machine is running stronger than ever.

"I want to thank all of our dedicated fans for understanding that every change made was to keep CHIMAIRA alive. A harrowing journey, the humility that accompanied each step of the path is a blessing, and your loyalty speaks volumes that will not go unrecognized.

"I fully understand the vastness that is the flip side of the coin and empathize with the fact there are a few upset fans disappointed in the changes that happened.

"The question (or scoff) I encounter regarding the lineup change is why I decided to keep the name CHIMAIRA despite losing key members. It's quite understandable as I'm the first person this riotous situation perplexed.

"It's unchallenging to say that after the guys split that my commitment to move forward with the name was for ego, or I'm holding on too long, call me Axl Rose, etc… while all of that is somewhat accurate (and innocuous), I hope you get the logical explanation as well, and discern the passion behind the motivation.

"First, it's not as straightforward as changing a band name. When I learned of Matt [DeVries, guitar] and Rob's [Arnold, guitar] decision to leave the group, there were five months of announced tours on the agenda, there were contracts with my name on it — and there are still contracts with my name on it.

"Record labels had invested over six figures into 'The Age Of Hell', which at the time had not been released. Closing out in the middle of a cycle is a complex scenario. Family members, crew, and beyond needed the wheels to spin in order to pay bills. Like many decisions, this was an intricate conundrum and needed to be respected with careful thought. I couldn't walk away from that type of responsibility, nor was I about to disappoint our fans any further.

"After securing the new lineup, I had no idea how the tours or the future would work out. There was no crystal ball to establish a fan reaction toward the new look and feel. What would the chemistry be like on the bus? There was a healthy amount of pressure on all of us and it was imperative to stay focused.

"After spending a few months with Emil [Werstler, guitar], Austin [D'Amond, drums], Jeremy [Creamer, bass], Matt [Szlachta, guitar], and recent winner of the best beard in metal, Sean [Zatorsky, keyboards], our mission became clear, and everyone involved realized CHIMAIRA was more relevant than previously imagined. Numbers went up across the board and are continuing to do so.

"The audience seemed genuinely stoked and accepting, and we felt tight as a unit. One awesome aspect of the tour was meeting skeptical fans that walked in thinking the night would suck; then watching those same fans leave with a feeling that it might have been the best show they'd seen. The most fulfilling feeling was the sound of the name CHIMAIRA chanted.

"The band was named, and is still named 'CHIMAIRA' to represent a hybrid style of heavy metal. The Chimera is a mythological creature comprised of several different animals forming into one unique monster. In modern terms, it can be defined as follows: 'Biology: an organism containing a mixture of genetically different tissues, formed by processes such as fusion of early embryos, grafting, or mutation: the sleeplike goat chimera.

"'A DNA molecule with sequences derived from two or more different organisms, formed by laboratory manipulation.'

"That sounds like us.

"I hope that puts an end to some of the confusion.

"Will the new music sound like the old albums? None of our albums sound the same, but there are always familiarities. The five new CHIMAIRA songs I'm listening to sound like the band you love, without question.

"Old-school fans can be excited about the fact that we brought back the seven strings on a couple jams, and the thrash era can be excited for some of the most technical riffing yet. Like the ethereal, electronic, heavy-as-fuck stoner sludge of the last two? It's there. We have every intention of preserving the quality you expect from this band, while at the same time raising the bar to unreachable heights. It's a powerful time.

"Thanks again to everyone that continues to stick by our side through thick and thin. Now that everything is worked out behind the scenes and the business fun again, it's time to go back and concentrate on what's integral. The music. We plan to make an incredible album.

"The Age Of Hell is over."

GWAR frontman Oderus Urungus has slammed MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine for implying during a concert that Barack Obama was somehow responsible for recent mass shootings in Colorado and Wisconsin.

While performing with MEGADETH on August 7 in Singapore, Mustaine told the crowd, "Back in my country, my president is trying to pass a gun ban. So he's staging all of these murders, like the Fast And Furious thing down at the border and Aurora, Colorado, all the people that were killed there. And now the beautiful people at the Sikh temple."

He continued: "I don't know where I'm gonna live if America keeps going the way it's going because it looks like it's turning into Nazi America."

Earlier today (Thursday, August 16), Oderus took to his Twitter account to say, "I don't need to berate Dave Mustaine to make him look like an asshole. He does fine just by opening his mouth. To say something as ignorant and insensitive as Obama 'staged' the recent U.S. mass shootings you would have to be… ME! I just can't think of anything more ignorant or insensitive right of the top of my head…"

This is not the first time Oderus has had hash words for Mustaine. During a March 28, 2012 interview with Turbo from RSU Radio and the Metal Meltdown, the GWAR frontman noted that both he and Mustaine have been in the press a lot lately. "Yeah, but see, the difference between Dave Mustaine and Oderus is that Dave Mustaine, every time he opens his mouth, he makes a fucking idiot out of himself," Oderus said. "You know what?! Keep your mouth fucking shut, Dave Mustaine. Play your fucking guitar, all right?! Maybe keep it to the lyrics of 'Peace Sells'. Anything else… We don't wanna fucking hear about how Obama was born in Africa and how Rick Santorum is your man; he hates fucking heavy metal. Shut the fuck up, Dave Mustaine. Shut the fuck up, you God, cock-s***ing f****t."

Mustaine in March made headlines when he told Canadian television and radio personality George Stroumboulopoulos that he is certain that President Obama "was born somewhere else than America."

"I have a lot of questions about [Obama], but certainly not where he was born," Mustaine said. "I know he was born somewhere else than America."

When Stroumboulopoulos pointed out that this school of thought made the musician part of the so-called "birther" movement, Mustaine countered, "I'm not calling a question to it, I just, you know, it's a point. How come he was invisible until he became whatever he was in Illinois?"

Stroumboulopoulos tried to further challenge Mustaine on his claims, causing the MEGADETH frontman to attempt to change the subject.

"I don't want to talk about my president," Mustaine said, before going on to admit that he was going to "have to do some more homework on where Obama came from."

KITTIE members Morgan Lander (guitar, vocals) and Mercedes Lander (drums) are collaborating with as-yet-undisclosed musicians on a new "supergroup." Mercedes took to KITTIE's official Twitter account earlier today (Thursday, August 16) to reveal, "[I] wrote two new songs for [Morgan] and I's secret supergroup project today. You will be punched in the face!"

KITTIE will release a best-of compilation, "Not So… Safe", on September 11 via eOne Music. The collection will feature tracks from the band's records "Spit" (1999), "Oracle" (2001), "Safe" (2002), "In The Black" (2009) and "I've Failed You" (2011).

KITTIE's new album, "I've Failed You", sold 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 178 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, "In The Black", opened with around 3,400 units back in 2009 to land at No. 132.

KITTIE's fourth album, "Funeral for Yesterday", registered a first-week tally of 9,000 in February 2007 to enter the chart at No. 101.

"I've Failed You" was released on August 30, 2011 via eOne Music. The CD was recorded at Beach Road Studios in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. The band once again worked with producer Siegfried "Siggy" Meier, who helmed KITTIE's last CD, 2009's "In The Black".