Fan-filmed video footage of British/American grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH performing two new songs — "Analysis Paralysis" and "Quarantined" — on January 27 at the Vortex club in Siegen, Germany can be seen below.

NAPALM DEATH will release its 14th studio album (excluding the cover album "Leaders Not Followers"), "Utilitarian", on February 27 in Europe and February 28 in North America via the band's longtime partner, Century Media Records. The cover artwork (see below) perfectly fits the album's theme and was created by the Danish artist Frode Sylthe, who is also responsible for THE HAUNTED's "rEVOLVEr" artwork.

In anticipation of this release, the band has now launched an "Occupy Napalm" Facebook tab to show their support for the Occupy movement and to provide fans with the latest news about their politically-charged "Utilitarian". With downloadable Occupy-themed stencils and screensavers, plus a special video teaser for "Utilitarian" created by Mitch Harris (guitar, vocals), this Facebook tab is the place to go for everything NAPALM DEATH!

"Utilitarian" track listing

01. Circumspect
02. Errors In The Signals
03. Everyday Pox
04. Protection Racket
05. The Wolf I Feed
06. Quarantined
07. Fall On Their Swords
08. Collision Course
09. Orders Of Magnitude
10. Think Tank Trials
11. Blank Look About Face
12. Leper Colony
13. Nom De Guerre
14. Analysis Paralysis
15. Opposite Repellent
16. A Gag Reflex
17. Aim Without An Aim (bonus track)
18. Everything In Mono (bonus track)

Upon "Utilitarian"'s release, NAPALM DEATH's limited-edition "Analysis Paralysis" seen-inch EP will also be available for purchase at CM Distro in black and clear vinyl. Its B-side includes the exclusive track "Youth Offender", making this a very collectable piece for any diehard NAPALM DEATH fan.

Singer Mark "Barney" Greenway explains the album title and concept: "After some deliberation, we have decided on 'Utilitarian' as the album title. We generally try to avoid generic titles, and this seemed to have a lot of scope to it. I won't explain the full meaning of utilitarianism here because it's an ethical theory, and as ethical theories go, the depth and debate around it is quite heavy at times. It has a certain 'morality' aspect to it and that isn't something that drives me, so I also certainly have issues with it."

"So, rather than just nail that straight to the mast, of course we wanted to put our own spin on it by suggesting that those (i.e. the utilitarian in us, perhaps) who try to challenge everything, or fight against conventions, well, we go through periods of real self-doubt where we wonder if we're really making a difference. I suppose the conclusion is that, for the sake of all our freedoms, you should never stop, as even the feeling of resistance is at least a signal to those who would like to entirely control and dominate us — meaning everything from our instinctive behavior to our human entitlement to walk the earth unprovoked.

"Regarding the album overall, the final creases should be ironed out fairly soon, and immediately after that, we thought it would be good to top it off with a few U.K. dates. We've been playing one new song ('Quarantined') out on a tour of Canada and it's been well received, so we hope to perhaps throw in another one for now. Either way, we'll be bouncing off the walls again near you very soon."

††† (CROSSES) — DEFTONES frontman Chino Moreno's latest project with FAR guitarist Shaun Lopez — made its live debut last night (Tuesday, January 31) at The Glass House in Pomona, California.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. †hholyghs†
02. †his Is A †rick
03. Bermuda Locke†
04. Fron†iers
05. Prurien†
06. †elepa†hy
07. 1987
08. †
09. The Years
10. Op†ion
11. Swan Song (GIANT DRAG cover) (feat. Annie Hardy)
12. †rophy

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

††† (CROSSES) released its second EP, "††", on January 24. A song from the effort, "Prurien†", is available for streaming at RollingStone.com.

Lopez told RollingStone.com that ††† (CROSSES)'s newest song "is one of about 20 or so we've written, and the initial idea was almost metal. It ultimately morphed into something opposite of that — less aggressive, still big and resonating."

In a recent interview with ChinaShop, Moreno stated about how ††† (CROSSES) came together, "I remember I mentioned to [Shaun] one day when we were hanging out, y'know, 'We should make a record together.' It just so happened that when I moved to L.A. I ended up living a few blocks away from him. I was down here working on recording some vocals with Shaun. We just clicked. We listened to a lot of the same music. We've always worked well together. With this project in particular, I met [guitarist] Chuck over at Shaun's house. Chuck was working on some of his solo stuff. I don't know when they started working together, but they said they were working on a project together and asked if I was interested in contributing vocals. Whenever they were working, I'd just ride my bike over there. A couple different times, I was just like, 'Let me try singing on this,' and they were like, 'OK, cool.' I'd just go in and throw in a bunch of ideas. Pretty soon they got rid of the idea of getting a bunch of different singers together. We just started working on the record together. And any time I had a break, I'd just head on over there to see what was going on and stuff. This started maybe 9 months ago, and I'd been on tour for a year and a half. I'd just spend some time over at his studio when I could."

When asked if there is somebody who's a sort of designated songwriter, Chino said, "You'd have to ask these guys about that. Most of the songs were written before I came in. I just talked to them and said, y'know, 'I really like this, can I sing on it?' I know Chuck will come in with a bunch of chord progressions. He'll send me a couple chord progressions, with a really lo-fi beat going on, and you can pretty much hear the beat in there, and send it to me, sort of like, 'See what you can come up with for this.' And him and Shaun will work on laying out the rest of the music. When he gives you a copy of the music, do you pretty much get an idea of what to sing. Shaun says that when he's writing a lot of the time, he already has in mind what I'm going to sing, and will sometimes plan it around that. It almost seems like, I'm right there with it. I'm never overwhelmed, like, 'Wow, what am I going to do with this?”' It just seems pretty natural. I'll just go in and throw out melodies."

Australian melodic power metallers BLACK MAJESTY have set "Stargazer" as the title of their new album, due in May through Limb Music.

BLACK MAJESTY began recording drums back in October 2011 with Roland Grapow (MASTERPLAN, ex-HELLOWEEN) at Grapow Studios in Slovakia and has since been busy in its homeland of Australia laying down guitars and vocals.

Grapow will mix the CD in the coming months.

"Stargazer" will feature the following songtitles, among others: "The Fallen", "Edge Of The World", "The Killing Hand", "Lykan" and "Journey To The Soul".

BLACK MAJESTY has been confirmed for this year's edition of the Masters Of Rock festival in the Czech Republic alongside THIN LIZZY, EXODUS, STRATOVARIUS, EDGUY, KAMELOT, SABATON, GOTTHARD, ARCH ENEMY, WITHIN TEMPTATION, FIREWIND, BLOODBOUND and ARAKAIN, among others.

BLACK MAJESTY's last album, "In Your Honour", was released in Europe in May 2010 via Limb Music. The CD was produced by Grapow at his Grapow Studios in Slovakia. Dirk Illing (SCORPIONS, WIZARD) once again handled the album's artwork, which continues the theme of the band's past works.

Fan-filmed video footage of AMARANTHE's January 26 concert at Klubi in Tampere, Finland can be seen below.

AMARANTHE's self-titled debut album was released in Europe on April 13, 2011 via Spinefarm Records.

AMARANTHE's Elize Ryd was selected to fill the female singer spot on KAMELOT's recent European, South American and North American tours.

Elize previously performed with KAMELOT on the 2010 "Summer Pandemonium Tour" and the band's European trek in April/May 2010.

AMARANTHE is:

* Olof Mörck (NIGHTRAGE, DRAGONLAND) - Guitar, Keyboards
* Jake E (ex-DREAM EVIL, DREAMLAND) - Clean Vocals
* Andy Solveström (WITHIN Y, EVILDOER, CIPHER SYSTEM) - Screams
* Morten Lowe Sorensen (THE ARCANE ORDER, SUBMISSION) - Drums
* Johan Andreassen (ex-ENGEL) - Bass
* Elize Ryd - Female Vocals

AMARANTHE's "Amaranthine" video was once again helmed by director Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others.

Swedish death metallers PUTERAEON have entered RZA Mobile Recording to begin recording their sophomore album, "Cult Cthulhu", for a May release via the German label Cyclone Empire. The 11-song follow-up to last year's "The Esoteric Order" is being tracked with sound engineer Kristian "Risza" Isaksson (EVERGREY, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, PSYCORE, RECLUSION, NOTRE DAME) and will once again be mixed by KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque at his Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden.

A 10-minute video clip in which the PUTERAEON members answer fan-submitted questions can be seen below. Also included is a pre-production recording of the band's new song "Children Of Dagon".

Coming from the Gothenburg area, PUTERAEON caused quite a bit of a stir with its three demo CDs, "Fascination For Mutilation", "The Requiem" and "The Extraordinary Work Of Herbert West".

PUTERAEON was spawned in 2008 by mainman Jonas Lindblood (TAETRE, THORIUM), who states the following: "I started doing some riffs that took me back to my roots in death metal, the glorious early '90s!"

In addition to Jonas (vocals, guitar), PUTERAEON features Anders Malmström (NOMINON, PROPHANITY, IMMEMORIAL, INVERTED) on drums, Daniel Vandija (13ITCH) on bass and Rune Foss on second guitar.

VAN HALEN played an hour-long set Wednesday night (February 1) at a private media showcase at Henson Studios in Hollywood, California. The performance — which served as a launch party for the band's new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth", as well as a warm-up show for their American tour that commences in Louisville, Kentucky on February 18 — included renditions of VAN HALEN classics "You Really Got Me", "Runnin' With The Devil", "Unchained" and "Dance The Night Away", along with three three new cuts: the first single, "Tattoo", "The Trouble With Never" and "She's The Woman".

A review of the concert can be found at the Los Angeles Times web site.

Check out photos from Getty Images.

Early video footage of the performance can be seen below.

VAN HALEN lead singer David Lee Roth recently spoke with the Los Angeles Times about the making of "A Different Kind Of Truth". In a new interview, Roth admitted that the band has gone back into its archives to find previously unreleased material upon which to build the record. He explained, "It's material that Eddie [Van Halen, guitar] and I generated, literally, in 1975, 1976 and 1977. Usually fellas in our weight division will kind of gamely — or ironically, wink, wink — try to hail back to it (but) keep a safe, mature distance from it."

"A Different Kind Of Truth" is due out February 7 and is Roth's first album with the band in 28 years.

On the current condition of Eddie, who has been in and out of rehab over the years, lost a third of his tongue to cancer and had a hip replacement, Roth said, "He's doing really well. He's lucid, he's sober, he's playing. You know, I don't know if Ed has ever felt good. There's a thin line between rage and great work. He really never enjoyed his fame or success, and that might be part of what compels him."

Roth also commented on the band members' turbulent past history, saying, "We accused each other of betrayal and thievery and lies and treachery, and it was all true. We were all guilty. Dig up the past, and it's going to get all over everybody. And, man, do we have a past..."

A 43-minute audio tribute to late RIOT guitarist Mark Reale, which was broadcast during the January 29 edition of DJ Will's show on KNAC.COM, can now be streamed in the Vimeo clip below.

Reale died on January 25 in a San Antonio hospital due to complications of Crohn's disease — an ailment he had battled for most of his life. He was 56 years old.

Reale had reportedly been in a coma for two weeks after suffering a subarachnoid hemorrhage on January 11.

Mark is survived by his father, Anthony Reale, and was preceded in death by his mother, Frances Reale.

Mark spent most of his life working and performing while enduring almost constant pain and the side effects of treatment for Crohn's disease. He was in Texas bravely attempting to practice for the shows, but was felled by a severe onset of Crohn's symptoms, leaving him in the Intensive Care Unit at an undisclosed facility. Mark was struggling with these symptoms throughout the production of RIOT's new album, "Immortal Soul", and guitarist Mike Flyntz recorded a major portion of the guitars on the LP with Mark's creative direction while Reale was unable to perform.

Video footage of Canadian metal legends ANVIL performing the song "Swing Thing" on January 31 at Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

New ANVIL bassist Sal Italiano was interviewed on this past weekend's edition of the "Maximum Threshold" show. When asked about landing the ANVIL gig, Italiano said, "We've been friends for a really long time. Back in the day, we used to play this club L'Amour in Brooklyn, and I was in a band called CITIES with A.J. Pero from TWISTED SISTER. Whenever ANVIL would come down, we would wind up opening. . . So this was an easy transition. I didn't get a lot of time to [prepare]. I mean, they called me up New Year's Eve and they said, 'Tour starts. Can you be up here on the 19th?' And I was on my way to California on the 19th, so I actually went there the weekend before. So I narrowed that window even more to learn the material. I knew a lot of it [already]; it was just a matter of rehearsing it. . . I didn't wanna hit the stage and there be a difference. I wanted it to still be an ANVIL show. It was really important to me that I did them their show. Because these guys have been doing it, and I didn't wanna come up here and be half prepared and make the band look bad. So I kind of guaranteed that I would get my act together when we played."

Regarding whether this is just a temporary collaboration or whether he will turn out to be a perment member of ANVIL, Sal said, "Whatever [ANVIL's Steve 'Lips' Kudlow and Robb Reiner] decide. I'm just taking it a day at a time. Right now I'm here to do the American shows, and they mentioned a couple of festivals that are over the summer, so I'll probably get to do those. But after that, whatever they decide to do. They may want somebody local. I'm from out of New York, and if they wanna gel with a bass player and start writing the next record, they may want somebody that's local. If we can work something out… We'll see."

Sal Italiano interviewed on "Maximum Threshold" (audio):

Fan-filmed video footage of ANTHRAX's January 27 concert at Murat Egyptian Room in Indianapolis, Indiana can be seen below. The performance was notable because it marked ANTHRAX's first-ever appearance without both Scott Ian (guitar) and Charlie Benante (drums).

ANTHRAX's setlist for the Indianapolis concert:

01. Earth On Hell
02. Fight 'Em Till You Can't
03. Caught In A Mosh
04. Antisocial (TRUST cover)
05. The Devil You Know (with DEATH ANGEL's Rob Cavestany)
06. Indians (with DEATH ANGEL's Ted Aguilar)
07. In The End (with DEATH ANGEL's Rob Cavestany)
08. Got The Time (JOE JACKSON cover) (with Ted Aguilar)
09. Medusa (with DEATH ANGEL's Ted Aguilar)

Encore:

10. Madhouse (with DEATH ANGEL's Rob Cavestany)
11. Metal Thrashing Mad
12. I Am The Law

On Wednesday, January 25, Ian contracted a bad viral infection that caused him to be hospitalized near his home in Los Angeles. He was put though a battery of tests, and received fluids intravenously. While he was allowed to go home to await the test results, ER doctors told him he could not fly for at least 24 hours; consequently Ian missed Thursday's show in Kansas City and Friday's Indianapolis concert. He rejoined the band in Fort Wayne on Saturday.

ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante is taking a short leave from the band's concert tour to be with his mother who is terminally ill. Immediately following Thursday's show Kansas City, Benante flew to New York to join his family at his mother's bedside.

In Ian's absence, guitarists from TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL have stepped in to play his parts on various songs; starting with Friday's show in Indianapolis, TESTAMENT's drummer Gene Hoglan is filling in for Benante.

"We didn't want to cancel any of the concerts, we didn't want to let anyone down," said ANTHRAX's Rob Caggiano, "so we decided to figure out a way to keep the show on the road. We're so grateful to the guys in TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL for stepping up."

MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson last fall became one of 100 students in the distance education program at the Concordia Seminary in Clayton, Missouri. Classes include "Lutheran Distinctions," "Preaching I & II," "Introduction to Worship" and "Scripture and Faith."

Speaking to Darryl Sterdan of the QMI Agency, Ellefon stated about his decision to try to become an ordained Lutheran pastor, "I don't see me standing up there in a white robe doing sacraments and preaching and all that. I'm doing this distance-education stuff to learn some new things. To open my eyes and ears to some different walks in this life is inspiring to me. At 25, I took a different turn in my life and got off all the dope and booze and cleaned my life up. That was almost 22 years ago. I've been married almost 18 years. I've got teenage kids. My life is pretty wholesome. Which is the funny thing about it. People tend to think heavy metal guys just constantly earn it and burn it. And my experience with the hardest-edge metal guys is that we're gentle giants when we get off the stage. We leave it all on the stage, which is how it should be.”

When asked if studying to become a pastor is kind of at odds with playing "the devil's music," Ellefson replied, "Well, the thing of it is, we don't play the devil's music. On (1986's) 'Peace Sells ... But Who's Buying?' there were some songs about seances and things like that. But they weren't written because we did them. Certainly I didn't do them. You can write a song about anything ...and those songs weren't about Satan. They were about questioning things. People that thought it was just about Satan just didn't want to do any homework and went, 'If it's different, then it must be wrong and therefore it's the devil's work.' That's about as closed-minded as you could be."

On the topic of whether he feels an obligation to intervene when he sees other musicians and young people on the wrong path, Ellefson said, "My attitude is that you suit up, you show up and you behave accordingly. And you let, for lack of a better term, God's spirit pass through you. People will see that. If they want to inquire, they know where to go. If someone ain't asking, you don't need to be telling. But if they start asking, that's an opportunity to share what your life was like. The testimony-based approach comes from a place where it's genuine. And I think most ears will hear that a lot better than if you're just standing at the airport beating them over the head with a Bible as they come through the door."

Read the entire interview from QMI Agency.

Ellefson recently started MEGALife Ministry, a Christian-based ministry focused on serving all people in their development of faith. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, the ministry is designed to help engage the needs of both churched and un-churched individuals and families worldwide.

Through the endowment of MEGALife's music ministries, personal testimonies and captivating multi-media, it offers a dynamic center for developing a faith in Jesus Christ, especially to those who are new to Christianity or seeking a new church home.

One of the finest British rock acts to have enjoyed worldwide success over the last few decades, THE CULT has wrapped up recording "Choice Of Weapon", the group's first studio album in five years. The album is set for a May 22 U.S. release on the band's new label Cooking Vinyl, and its 10 tracks reveal the band at its rawest and most visceral, encapsulating cinematic visions and themes of love, revolt, and redemption. Fans can get an early taste of the album by logging onto the band's web site, www.thecult.us, where the track "Lucifer" is now available as a free download.

"Choice Of Weapon" is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2007 release "Born Into This" that the U.K.'s Mojo magazine called "a wholehearted, utopian and irrefutably exciting record." Longtime THE CULT collaborator and producer Bob Rock (METALLICA, BUSH), who produced one of THE CULT's most successful albums, the platinum-certified "Sonic Temple", put the finishing touches on the foundations that were laid by co-producer Chris Goss (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, U.N.K.L.E., MASTERS OF REALITY).

The album was written by Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy, recorded in New York City, Los Angeles, the California high desert, and the band's Witch Mountain studio between July and December 2011. The new release features founding members Astbury on vocals and Duffy on guitars, with drummer John Tempesta and bassist Chris Wyse. "We have had the opportunity to work with two of the most influential and talented producers in the world today," said Astbury. "They pushed us beyond our comfort zone, and helped us craft 'Choice Of Weapon'."

"Choice Of Weapon" is aimed at the heart of THE CULT's loyal following. It reflects the current discontent and destruction of our eco systems, the search for individual meaning against a tide of rampant materialism, narcissism and disconnected lives. "We went deeper . . . we worked a bit harder on this record. We have great fans and they deserve our best," added Duffy, "and I feel this is as strong as any album we have ever released.

"Choice Of Weapon" track listing:

01. Honey From A Knife
02. Elemental Light
03. For The Animals
04. Life>Death
05. The Wolf
06. Amnesia
07. Lucifer
08. Wilderness Now
09. A Pale Horse
101. This Night In The City Forever

THE CULT is working on film and graphic elements to accompany the album's release, and plans are being confirmed for the band's 2012 world tour.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor spoke to Artisan News about his collaboration with Dave Grohl on the FOO FIGHTERS frontman and ex-NIRVANA drummer's upcoming documentary about the studio where NIRVANA recorded its landmark album "Nevermind".

Before Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California closed its doors as a commercial studio in May 2011, it was used by a number of legendary musicians, including FLEETWOOD MAC, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton and NINE INCH NAILS. The studios on Cabrito Road off the 405 freeway have been refurbished and are now rented out to producers, though the Skeeter family still owns and manages the place.

Grohl has been vocal about his appreciation for the role the studio has played in furthering his career and has reportedly acquired the 1970s Neve sound board that served many artists, telling a member of the Skeeter family, "Thank you so much for the opportunity to own the board. I wouldn’t even have the computer I’m sending you this e-mail on if it wasn’t for this board."

Sandy Skeeter told the Daily News last September, "I think there were a few other things that went into the ['Nevermind'] record beside the board, like [NIRVANA's] songwriting and their playing and production. But he's just the right person to have the board."

Earlier this month, Grohl opened up about the upcoming film in an issue of Rolling Stone magazine, saying, "When Sound City closed last year, it was a very sad day. That place was like a church. The list of people that recorded there reads like a virtual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame... We recorded 'Nevermind' there back in 1991."

He continued, "That funky old place had the best drum room in world. The drum sound at the beginning of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' — that's Sound City.

"I decided to make a film about that feeling you get when you put five guys in a room, hit 'record' and the hair on the back of your neck stands up."

He added, "Expect some epic jam sessions."

Artisan News caught up with Taylor earlier in the month at the first-ever Rock & Roll Roast at The Grove in Anaheim, California and asked him about the experience of working with Grohl (see video below).

"[Dave is] doing a documentary about the legendary board from Sound City that everybody and their mom recorded on — everybody from 'Nevermind' to, actually, [SLIPKNOT's] 'Iowa'," Corey said. "And he's slowly but surely gotten all these people together to make music on that board again. And he called me. He was like, 'Would you like to do a tune?' I was like, 'Are you serious? I'm on a plane right now.' And it's really cool, because it's me, Dave and Rick Nielsen [CHEAP TRICK] on one tune. And I'm like, 'Ahh…. Excuse me?!' It's just a huge check mark on my bucket list, let's put it that way. And I'm really ecstatic. It's a really good tune."

Other musicians that are expected to take part in the documentary include RATT's Stephen Pearcy and Warren DeMartini, as well as REO SPEEDWAGON frontman Kevin Cronin.

OUTLOUD, the international rock band featuring Bob Katsionis (FIREWIND), Chandler Mogel (ex-TALON) and Mark Cross (ex-FIREWIND, HELLOWEEN), will release a new six-song EP, "More Catastrophe", at the end of March. The effort will contain three brand new songs plus the previously released Christmas single "Last Days Of December", a Flamenco version of the song "Falling Rain" and a piano-and-vocals version of the track "We Run". The EP will be available at OUTLOUD's upcoming shows in Greece, as well as in stores and digitally across Europe via AOR Heaven.

Commented OUTLOUD vocalist Chandler Mogel: "We wanted to give the fans a little something extra this time around. These songs pick up where the last album left off and at the same time serve as a road sign as to where we're going. Hopefully this will hold everyone over until the third album is ready, which we're currently starting work on."

"More Catastrophe" also will also be available via the band's official web site.

"More Catastrophe" track listing:

01. Saints On Fire
02. Cross The Line
03. Mr. Long Gone
04. Last Days Of December
05. Falling Rain (flamenco version)
06. We Run (for piano and vocals)

"Cross The Line" (edit) audio sample:

Legendary MOUNTAIN guitarist Leslie West returned to the stage last night for the first time since undergoing an emergency leg amputation last year. West played at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City as part of a tour with Uli Jon Roth. Check out fan-filmed video footage of the concert below.

According to JamBands.com, West — who performed while sitting in a wheelchair — opened his set with "People Get Ready" but was forced to pause halfway through the song due to his overwhelming emotions. The crowd responded with a standing ovation.

West's leg was removed last late June just above the knee due to complications from diabetes. "I cried a couple fuckin' times," he told Billboard.com. "You still feel the nerves and stuff like that. I had to make a decision — lose my leg or lose my life. What are you gonna do? But I'll tell you, it's a good thing it wasn't one of my arms. Then I'd be really fucked."

Bassist Nalley Påhlsson has left reunited Swedish hard rockers TREAT for "personal reasons." He says in a statement, "I will now focus more on the band THERION and my own band that hopefully will see the light of day with an album out in 2013 that I will record with other great names from the rock-music business."

Twenty-five years after the release of their sensational debut album, "Scratch And Bite", and eighteen years since their last self-titled studio album saw the light of day, TREAT returned with a brand new CD, "Coup De Grace", in March 2010.

According to a press release, "Coup de Grace" was a collection of songs that is so much more than just kick-ass, sing-along rock 'n' roll songs. They are more a sort of mini-autobiographies from five grown men reflecting on life.

"This album is a statement of who we are today," explainsed guitarist Anders Wikström. "We're older… yeah, perhaps even wiser. We look at our lives and the world around us in a different way. I wanted to reflect that in our lyrics. I mean, we're all fathers and we raise our kids in a world that's in a turmoil. There's a lot of pressures, fears and tough expectations."

"We got back together in 2006 because we all missed playing together. We released a compilation album and did a tour, but we weren't sure what to do next. In 2008 we all felt that we had an album to do," continued Wikström. "I started demoing songs and in May 2009 we were ready to hit the studio."

Fan-filmed video footage of TREAT performing the song "Skies Of Mongolia" (taken from "Coup De Grace") in Italy in May 2010 can be seen below.

German hard rock outfit HARD RIOT has inked a deal with Pitch Black Records. The band's debut album, "Living On A Fast Lane", will be released on April 10.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Get Ready
02. Hellfire Rock
03. Don't Need You
04. No Surrender
05. Tears In The Rain
06. Turn On The Lights
07. Nothing But You
08. Take Me Down
09. Hard Way Down
10. Black Widow
11. Rock 'N' Roll Outlaw

Formed in 2006 in the city of Heilbronn, Germany, HARD RIOT consists of four young friends who share the same passion — hard-rockin' music. Their powerful stage presence and performance has landed them with numerous live shows over the past few years and many devoted fans. In 2009 HARD RIOT released a self-financed five-track EP ("The Hidden Truth") and in 2011 they entered Maranis Studios in Backnang, Germany, relying on the excellent skills of producer Vagelis Maranis who oversaw the entire recording and production of their debut album.

HARD RIOT is Michael Gildner on vocals, Andreas Rockrohr on guitar, Mario Kleindienst on bass and Carmine Jaucci on drums. Their influences include AC/DC, METALLICA and the SCORPIONS.

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

"Illud Divinum Insanus – The Remixes" track listing:

CD 1:

* LAIBACH - "I Am Morbid" (Wall Of Morbid Mix)
* CEVIN KEY/HIWATT MARSHALL - "Omnidead"
* BRAIN LEISURE - "Too Extreme" (Black Symphony Edition)
* THE TOXIC AVENGER - "10 More Dead"
* MALAKWA - "I Am Morbid"
* SYNAPSCAPE - "Too Extreme"
* PUNISH YOURSELF VS. SONIC AREA - "Destructos Vs The Earth" (Doomsdaymarchmix)
* HIV+ - "Too Extreme"
* MICROPOINT - "I Am Morbid"
* JOHN LORD FONDA - "Too Extreme" (Metallyzer Remix)
* EVIL ACTIVITIES - "Radikult"
* MIXHELL - "Too Extreme"
* BLACK LUNG - "I Am Morbid"
* MONDKOPF - "Radikult"
* XYTRAS - "Existo Vulgoré"
* TOXIC ENGINE - "I Am Morbid"

CD 2:

* AHNST ANDERS - "I Am Morbid"
* NACHTMAHR - "Destructos Vs. The Earth"
* TIM SKOLD - "Profundis / Mea Culpa"
* BLACK STROBE - "10 More Dead"
* CHRIS POHL - "Too Extreme"
* PROJECT PITCHFORK - "Destructos Vs. The Earth"
* TREPONEM PAL - "10 More Dead"
* SCOTT BROWN - "I Am Morbid"
* FIXHEAD - "Radikult"
* DJ RUFFNECK - "I Am Morbid"
* IGORRR - "Remixou Morbidou"
* TAMTRUM - "I Am Morbid"
* TEK-ONE - "10 More Dead"
* ADRIAN - "I Am Morbid"
* THE HORRORIST - "Existo Vulgoré"

Digital Download Card:

* COMBICHRIST - "Destructos Vs. The Earth"
* CHRYSALIDE - "Nevermore"
* ASCHE - "Destructos Vs. The Earth"
* SYLVGHEIST MAELSTROM - "10 More Dead " (Deconstructed)
* DEAD SEXY INC. - "I Am Morbid"
* ROGER ROTOR - "Radikult"
* THE PROCESSUS - "I Am Morbid"
* MULK - "Existo Vulgoré"

JOHN LORD FONDA's "Too Extreme" (Metallyzer Remix) is available for streaming at this location.

The second trailer for the release can be seen below.

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

MORBID ANGEL's previous album, "Heretic", opened with around 3,900 units back in October 2003. That CD has shifted more than 30,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Illud Divinum Insanus" was released on June 7 (one day earlier internationally) via Season of Mist. The cover artwork was designed by Gustavo Sazes.

When asked in a recent interview with Finland's Kaaos TV how the material from "Illud Divinum Insanus", has been going over live, David Vincent said, "[The fans] love it live. A few people, maybe some of the songs on the record are a bit too extreme for them, but by and large it's a great record. It's doing really well. A lot of excitement. We're happy to play all these songs live. Obviously, [in] the set we also include a lot of the other classics. This way everyone will have a chance to hear a lot of the different songs that they wanna hear."

Regarding whether he and his bandmates expected to get such a mixed reaction to "Illud Divinum Insanus" during the making of the CD, Vincent said, "Well, the only thing we do is make music and we're creative. We don't think about these things so much. We do what we do. My work is done, other than we perform. But the studio is done. We made a record that broke down a lot of boundaries and included some stuff that was never included before. But we've always done these kind of things. It should be no surprise to anyone that we always do crazy things, 'cause we are crazy."

Anathema will return in April with Weather Systems, their brand new studio album.

Weather Systems is the follow-up to 2010’s We're Here Because We're Here. That album featured prominently in numerous end-of-year polls and the producer, Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), has described it as 'definitely among the best albums I’ve ever had the pleasure to work on.'

The bar for Weather Systems has been set pretty high then but Daniel is certain that the album will exceed these lofty expectations, ‘it feels like we are at a creative peak right now, and this album reflects that. Everything from the production to the writing to the performances are a step up from our last album.’

He continues, ‘This is not background music for parties. The music is written to deeply move the listener, to uplift or take the listener to the coldest depths of the soul.’


The intertwining melodic structures of these profoundly beautiful songs are intensely powerful, yet simple. These are songs that will transport the listener closer to the heart of life, that is to say, to the heart of themselves.

It is also an album of polarity. The play of opposites; light and shade, birth and death, love and fear. The simple truths of life and loss, hope and strength and darker internal themes are all explored here.

The album was recorded in Liverpool, North Wales and Oslo, each place significant to Anathema past, present and future. The record was produced and mastered by 5 times Norwegian Grammy nominated Christer-André Cederberg (Animal Alpha, In the Woods..., Drawn), who Daniel has described as ‘a revelation. His calmness and brilliance has helped to bring about the greatest inter-band chemistry that Anathema have experienced together in their career.’

This album will please fans who call for more of Lee Douglas’s vocals, as her role within Anathema’s brand of alternative, melodic rock has matured to become an integral energy. In this way and more, Weather Systems is the sound of a band finding their voice and growing in stature, moving further along their artistic path with a truly stunning musical vision.

Their best ever work? ‘Not yet’ says Daniel, but he does believe that with Weather Systems they have surpassed previous glories; ‘we are pleased and proud of the record and we feel that, alongside the best moments of WHBWH, this record contains our very best work so far in what is becoming a long career.’

Weather Systems will be available on Kscope from April 16th 2012.

Vocalist Oni Logan has reportedly rejoined LYNCH MOB and will sing on the band's upcoming album and tour.

Former DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch revealed at last month's NAMM show that he had tapped VAINS OF JENNA frontman Jesse Forte to handle the lead vocals for LYNCH MOB for the foreseeable future.

A short time later, the members of VAINS OF JENNA — who had relocated back to their native Sweden after spending several years in Los Angeles — announced that they were calling it quits.

Forte, who was born in Arkansas but moved to the West Coast at a very young age, has now revealed that he is no longer working with Lynch and will instead move on with a new project.

Says Forte, "I actually won't be working with George on LYNCH MOB. He informed me over the phone that he and Oni have reconciled and have decided to continue on. I wish them the best. Stay tuned for my next project."

Lynch and Logan reformed LYNCH MOB in 2008 and released a comeback album, "Smoke And Mirrors", the following year, but had a falling out in July of 2010 when Logan failed to show up for Houston, Texas gig. "Oni let the band and our fans down," Lynch stated at the time. "He quit the band at 5:30 a.m. before our 7:30 a.m. scheduled flight. He left us high and dry and did not fulfill his commitment. We are saddened and disappointed — but as a band, we are committed to honoring our obligations."

An unknown singer by the name of Chris Romero was recruited for the first two shows of that tour, while Chaz West of BONHAM handled the vocal duties on the rest of the dates.

In a January 2010 interview with PureGrainAudio.com, Oni stated about his return to LYNCH MOB, "I never thought it would happen, honestly. I am glad that it did happen, and now that it has, it is like going back in time and visiting an old friend and kind of just picking up where we left off. This is such a natural thing for me and George. Our chemistry is great, he does the music and I do the lyrics and what you have is 'Smoke And Mirrors'."

When asked how he prepares for the physical demands of a tour, Oni said, "Well, we try to do some different things as opposed to years ago when we were younger. We are pretty level-headed guys and I think we have a way of dealing with touring, for sure. I try to stay fit as much as I can. Obviously, when you are out on the road, you do not get to eat quite as well and you are pretty much sleep-deprived at times. It is all a matter of trying to find ways to keep yourself happy and sane. It is a pretty crazy rock and roll world out there, you know. Fans come out to have a good time, which is great, but there are a lot of things that come along with that as well. We try to keep level-headed and press on, because it is all about the music and nothing else."

OLIVER DAWSON SAXON, the British heavy metal band featuring founding SAXON members Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson, will release its long-awaited album, "Motorbiker", on February 27 via Angel Air Records. The CD was described by Dawson in a recent interview as "what me and Graham do best . . . a hard rock album, maybe metal . . . in that classic SAXON tradition."

"Motorbiker" track listing:

01. Chemical Romance
02. Motorbiker
03. Whippin Boy
04. No Way Out
05. Just Another Suicide
06. Sinternet
07. Ghost
08. Nevada Beach
09. Screaming Eagles
10. World’s Gone Crazy
11. Hell In Helsinki
12. Nursery Crimes

After spending a few years battling with Biff Byford and Paul Quinn over the SAXON name, Oliver and Dawson reached a settlement in 2003 with the members of the original band SAXON over the usage of the name and logos belonging to the original partnership.

OLIVER DAWSON SAXON, consisting of Oliver and Dawson, acknowledged that the band featuring Byford and Quinn will continue to be known as "SAXON", and have use of the logo. In return Byford and Quinn acknowledged that OLIVER DAWSON SAXON has a legitimate use of the name in that form.

In a January 2011 interview with the "Talking Metal" podcast, Graham Oliver revealed that he was writing a book called "Saxon, Drugs, And Rock 'N' Roll: The Real Spinal Tap", which will include a foreword by Harry Shearer (whose character in SPINAL TAP was based on SAXON member Steve Dawson).

Speaking to SouthYorkshireTimes.co.uk, Graham said about the upcoming book, "It promises to be a who's who of the metal scene of the late '70s/early 80s. It's taking a lot of writing and getting quotes off people — like Lemmy from MOTÖRHEAD and Ozzy Osbourne."

He added, "My biggest memory of the Hollywood gig we played with METALLICA was that Ozzy Osbourne was in our dressing room. It was just after his 'Blizzard of Ozz' guitarist Randy Rhoads had died and he was inconsolable. We were trying to give him some support, but you just felt helpless and we had to psych ourselves up to go onstage for what was one of our biggest U.S. gigs at the time. I remember spending all night in our dressing room with Ozzy and Sharon when he supported SAXON on one of our European tours and Randy borrowed my Gibson Flying V guitar for his performance. We had jammed together for hours earlier playing Jimi Hendrix stuff. I'll never part with that guitar."

Formed in the late '90s, OLIVER DAWSON SAXON previously recorded and released an album called "Re-Landed", which got a limited release on a local label before being reissued via Angel Air as "Re-Landed..Plus".

The video for "Nothin's Gonna Stop Us", the first new song in six years from reunited British rockers THE DARKNESS, can be seen below.

"Nothin's Gonna Stop Us" was recorded and produced by the band and Nick Brine in Norfolk, England and mixed in Austin, Texas by Chris "Frenchie Smith". The video for the song was created by artist Thom Lessner and director Ted Passon. As a "thank you" for all who've supported the band with sold-out tours on both sides of the Atlantic, an MP3 of the song will be available for free. The song as well as the video will be available on the band's official site, www.theactualdarkness.com.

THE DARKNESS will kick off its first North American tour since 2004 to a sold-out crowd in Toronto tonight. The tour will wrap on February 25 in Seattle. The trek will feature all the guitar mastery and wild pyrotechnics that THE DARKNESS shows have become well-known for. The group will perform music from 2003 album "Permission To Land", including favorites "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" and "Get Your Hands Off My Woman"; 2005's "One-Way Ticket To Hell And Back" with "One Way Ticket" and "Is It Just Me?"; as well as several new songs off their forthcoming yet-to-be-titled third album. This marks the band's first return to the States since their 2004 tour supporting "Permission To Land".

THE DARKNESS made its U.K. live comeback in June 2011 in front of just 200 people at the Norwich Waterfront.

THE DARKNESS' first album, "Permission To Land", was released in 2003, hitting the No. 1 spot in the U.K. chart and winning "MasterCard British Album" at the 2004 Brit Awards (along with "Best British Group" and "British Rock Act").

Between 2003 and 2006, THE DARKNESS was honored with many awards and accolades; along with three Brit Awards, the band won an Ivor Novello in 2004 for "Songwriters Of The Year", four Kerrang! Awards, two Metal Hammer Awards, an MTV Europe Music Award and even an Elle Style Award in 2004 for "Most Stylish Band".

The self-titled debut album from UNISONIC — the band featuring former HELLOWEEN vocalist Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen (GAMMA RAY, ex-HELLOWEEN) alongside Dennis Ward (bass) and Kosta Zafiriou (drums) of Germany's PINK CREAM 69 and Swiss guitarist Mandy Meyer (who has previously played with ASIA, GOTTHARD and KROKUS) — will be released on March 30 (nine days earlier in Japan) via earMUSIC/Edel. The effort will be made available in the following configurations:

Europe & rest of the world:

* CD jewel case
* CD limited edition Mediabook format with and extended booklet plus bonus track
* Vinyl and CD package limited edition

Japan:

*CD jewel case
* CD limited-edition digipack plus bonus track (exclusive for Japan)

The cover artwork, which was created by graphic artist Martin Häusler (MEAT LOAF, GOTTHARD, HELLOWEEN, MOTÖRHEAD), can be seen below.

UNISONIC's video for the song "Unisonic" can be seen below. According to a press release, the clip, which was directed by Häusler, "shows a powerful band performance at a magnificent ballroom in Heidelberg, Germany."

UNISONIC released its debut EP, "Ignition" on January 27 via earMUSIC/Edel. The effort includes the track "Unisonic" plus one demo song and a cover version of the HELLOWEEN classic "I Want Out", recorded live on October 15 at last year's edition of the Loud Park festival at Saitama Super Arena, a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Saitama City, Japan.

After the addition of Hansen to the group's lineup in early 2011, UNISONIC continued the songwriting process for its debut release, incorporating Kai's talent for writing great anthemic rock songs into its existing material. The recordings for the album started at end of September at ICP studios in Brussels, Belgium.

UNISONIC's music is very versatile and shows a broad approach to heavy rock without sacrificing the power and strong, catchy melodies that characterized the bandmembers' previous projects.

Commented Kiske: "It feels great to finally bring the band to the studio and record the songs we've been working on. We took our time to grow as a band, but it was definitely worth it and we are very proud of the result."

Added bassist/producer Ward: "We have a bunch of very strong songs and can't wait until people can hear them. Everyone in the band is now looking even more positive into the future."

Regarding Hansen's addition to UNISONIC, Kiske previously said, "After so many years of abstinence, I had a lot of fun doing my first live shows with UNISONIC in summer 2010, so I agreed to do the short world tour with AVANTASIA. It was a great experience to be on stage with all those great artists, but with Kai it was something different: We instantly felt the magic again and had a lot of fun together on and off stage. We both realized that we want to be together in band again. He was interested in the open musical concept of UNISONIC and finally asked me if he can join the band. I talked to my bandmates and they all felt great about it. His talent as a guitarist and songwriter is an enrichment for the band and we are looking forward to his contribution for the music of UNISONIC."

Kai Hansen's position in GAMMA RAY will be unaffected by his involvement with UNISONIC.

UNISONIC is:

Michael Kiske (vocals)
Mandy Meyer (guitar)
Kai Hansen (guitar)
Dennis Ward (bass)
Kosta Zafiriou (drums)

Having split with HELLOWEEN in late 1993, Kiske participated in various projects and released several solo albums but had not been part of a real group effort until now.

While collaborating with Ward and Zafiriou on the PLACE VENDOME project five years ago, Kiske found two musical soulmates. They ended up recording two PLACE VENDOME albums before deciding to join forces in a new brand new band. Ward, who had previously produced a record for KROKUS, suggested Meyer as the perfect addition to the group in the vacant guitarist slot.

Kiske, one of the finest and most unique voices in contemporary rock music, explains his motivation of becoming a part of a band again: "Since the PLACE VENDOME productions I was impressed by Dennis Ward's skills as a songwriter and producer. We were occasionally fooling around since then via email that we should do more together in the future, so the idea came up to do a new band. I was generally getting a bit tired of doing everything on my own for so many years, so it just felt like the right thing to do now."

British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST will release their new album, "Tragic Idol", on April 24 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records. The CDwas recorded in part at The Chapel studios in Lincolnshire, England and features cover art by by Parisian designer Valnoir, who has previously worked with MORBID ANGEL, LAIBACH, ULVER and WATAIN, among others.

Commented guitarist Gregor Mackintosh: "The [new CD was] again produced by Jens Bogren and is influenced by classic doom metal and classic metal. I would say it is more melodic than the last record whilst retaining the heaviness. There are lots of guitar solos and melodies. The album will contain such track titles as 'Honesty in Death', 'Theories from Another World', 'In this We Dwell' and the title track, 'Tragic Idol'."

In other news, PARADISE LOST will embark on a U.K. headlining tour this April. To celebrate the event, PARADISE LOST will have a very limited number of VIP tickets available (10 per show) which you can purchase online from the band's web site.

Commented singer Nick Holmes: "This is a pretty extensive U.K. tour for us. I'm speechless and excited. It's nice to know there's a WH Smith in every town we play"

The dates are as follows:

April 16 - Cardiff, England - Great Hall 2
April 17 - Southampton, England - The Brook
April 18 - Folkestone, England - Quarterhouse
April 19 - Colchester, England - Arts Centre
April 20 - Stoke, England - Sugarmill
April 22 - York, England - The Duchess
April 23 - Glasgow, Scotland - King Tuts
April 24 - Sheffield, England - Corporation
April 25 - Wolverhampton, England - Slade Rooms
April 26 - Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
April 27 - Manchester, England - Club Academy
April 29 - London, England - Scala
April 30 - Norwich, England - Waterfront

PARADISE LOST's last full-length effort, "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us", came out in October 2009.

The band recently released the "Draconian Times MMXI" DVD via Century Media.

Sony Music reissued PARADISE LOST's seminal 1995 album "Draconian Times" through the "Legacy" series; featuring the entire digitally remastered album, including a 5.1 Dolby Surround mix in a brand-new collector's edition digipak box set, so fans could hear the album like never before. Along with this release, the band performed "Draconian Times" live at a series of seven exclusive gigs this past spring in Utrecht, Bochum, London, Paris, Athens, and Thessaloniki.

"Draconian Times MMXI" features the London show at The Forum on April 1, 2011, a documentary from the whole tour filmed by the band's bass player Steve Edmondson, interviews about the history of "Draconian Times" with producer Simon Efemey, Nick Holmes (vocals), Greg Mackintosh (guitar), Aaron Aedy (guitar), Steve Edmondson (bass) and Andy Farrow (manager since 1990) and the two promo videos from PARADISE LOST's latest album, "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us".

METALLICA, SLIPKNOT, IN FLAMES, MESHUGGAH, ARCH ENEMY, DIMMU BORGIR, HIM, CHILDREN OF BODOM and SARCOFAGUS are among the artists whose music is featured in "Out Of The Darkness", the new spectacular from Australia's "premiere metal ballet company" Brutal Ballet, which combines classical ballet with heavy metal.

Brutal Ballet founder, choreographer and dancer Bridie Mayfield's unique performance style, bringing the separate sides of the dark beauty of ballet and metal together has been previously described as "a captivating visual extravaganza that would titilate an audience regardless of musical accompaniment... music and ballet comparing and contrasting with remarkable sophistication."

"Out Of The Darkness" is a journey through the various genres of metal, from the dark and brutal to the classic and melodic, featuring music from some of the best metal bands in the world.

"Out Of The Darkness" will make its European debut on February 7 at Sello Sali in Espoo, Finland.

Mayfield last year wowed audiences in the U.S. when she opened the Heavy Metal Film Festival in Los Angeles, performing classical ballet to a song by FEAR FACTORY (see video below).

According to Gothic Beauty magazine, Mayfield came up with the inspiration to dance classical ballet to heavy metal music from her love of metal and her experience from Ballet Deviare, which is New York's premier heavy metal ballet company.

"Since I was small I always made up dances to music I loved, so when I started getting into metal it was no different to me," she said. "When I heard about Ballet Deviare in New York, I realized dancing to metal was accepted by metal fans and knew I had to either join them or start something myself, and I knew someone else wasn't going to start a metal ballet company here. I managed to pull together enough dancers to start trying out some of the choreography."

Vocalist Brandan Schieppati of Orange County, California's BLEEDING THROUGH has shared his feelings on the current state of the underground music industry, saying that "playing hardcore and metal is not a career move" and that none of the up-and-coming bands will ever become "rich" through making this kind of music.

In an interview with AOL's Noisecreep to promote BLEEDING THROUGH's just-released new CD, "The Great Fire", Schieppati revealed, "There's a track on the new album called 'Goodbye To Death' which is about how bands, record labels, and management companies, pat themselves on the back before they even really accomplish anything."

He continued, "When BLEEDING THROUGH first starting doing this, you would hear people gloat about stuff like selling 400,000 albums, or selling out huge venues, but it's so different now. Now you'll hear bands say, 'We made it! We sold $700 in merch tonight!' It's a joke.

"I think people are too busy celebrating the short term, rather than the long term — and that's [disconcerting]. I've never wanted to be in a band that had a few fantastic years and then went away. We've definitely had years that were better than others. It's never been the kind of thing where we would break up as soon as we stopped drawing 1000 people at our shows. We've always done this to please ourselves, and not as some delusion of grandeur."

He added, "I hear about bands dropping out of high school because someone told them they had to do that so they can tour full time and become rich. It's scary. This stuff — hardcore, metal, punk — it has a short shelf life. So you're going to throw your education away so someone else can make money off of you? It's just wrong.

"No one is buying records anymore. So these newer bands need to know that there won't be another METALLICA. Those level bands are just not going to pop up anymore. You have to play this kind of music because you love it. Playing hardcore and metal is not a career move."

BLEEDING THROUGH's 2010 self-titled CD sold around 3,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 143 on The Billboard 200 chart.

BLEEDING THROUGH's 2008 effort, "Declaration", opened with 6,000 units to land at No. 101.

According to the Birmingham Post, Philip Parkin of the Birmingham City Council has written a letter of recommendation urging city officials in Birmingham, England create a "Black Sabbath Day" to highlight the legendary rock band's contribution to music.

The "Destination Birmingham" document said: "BLACK SABBATH's reunion and their agreement to headline Download Festival in June is an opportunity we should not miss.

"Early discussions are taking place about how best the city should celebrate this and the council should be supporting any celebrations."

"The report is saying that BLACK SABBATH reforming is significant, BLACK SABBATH are huge and metal is huge," Parkin said. "Given this, it is us saying to the council that we need to celebrate the fact these people come from Birmingham and there could be various ways we could do it."

Organizers of England's Download festival said earlier in the month that BLACK SABBATH still intends to perform at the event, scheduled for June 8-10, despite guitarist Tony Iommi's cancer diagnosis.

SABBATH was reportedly also slated to play at this April's Coachella festival in California, but pulled out of that show one day before its lineup was announced when Iommi's illness was revealed.

Download organizer Andy Copping said, "I've been told that BLACK SABBATH are going to be playing Download. I don't want people to worry unduly about that, we should all just send our thoughts and best wishes to Tony Iommi."

Other acts on the bill include METALLICA, SOUNDGARDEN, THE PRODIGY, ANTHRAX, LAMB OF GOD, UGLY KID JOE and more.

Iommi's bandmate in SABBATH and HEAVEN & HELL, legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio, died of stomach cancer in May 2010 at the age of 67.

According to the Los Angeles Times, guitarist-songwriter Billy Howerdel (A PERFECT CIRCLE, ASHES DIVIDE) has put his Studio City house on the market at $1.799 million.

The property, which Howerdel bought in 2008 for $1.685 million, features 10-foot ceilings, formal dining and living rooms, three fireplaces, five en suite bedrooms and a powder room in its 4,000 square feet. Outdoor features include a kitchen with granite counters and barbecue, a patio misting system, a fireplace, a swimming pool and a spa.

A PERFECT CIRCLE toured North America for the first time in six years last summer. These were the band's first live dates since a mini-tour they did in the fall of 2010, in which they played each of their three studio albums over the course of three nights in five cities.

The 2010-2011 lineup of A PERFECT CIRCLE included singer Maynard James Keenan, Howerdel, drummer Josh Freese, former SMASHING PUMPKINS guitarist James Iha and bassist Matt McJunkins.

A PERFECT CIRCLE currently does not have a record deal.

Reformed Swedish hard rockers SKINTRADE will release a "best-of" album on March 21 via Universal Music. The CD will include three new songs and 12 classics.

SKINTRADE was formed in 1992 by Matti Alfonzetti (vocals), George Bravo (guitar, backing vocals), Stefan Bergström (guitar, backing vocals), Hakan Calmroth (bass) and Håkan Persson (drums, backing vocals). The group's self-titled debut was released in 1993 and received overwhelmingly positive respnse from both media and audience. The singles "Sick As A Dog" and "One By One" were played frequently on the radio and their videos spun on MTV's "Headbangers Ball". The same year, SKINTRADE was honored with a Zeppelin award for "Best Hard Rock Album" and was nominated for a Swedish Grammis (Grammy equivalent) in the category of "Best Video." The follow-up CD, "Roach Powder", came out in 1995 with Thomas Skogsberg as a producer (ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER). The videos for the singles "Snap Goes Your Mind" and "Flies" were played regularly on MTV.

Between 1993 and 1995, SKINTRADE embarked on several tours of Europe and played at some of Sweden's and Europe's biggest festivals such as Sweden Rock, Hultsfred, Dala Rock, Dynamo Open Air (Holland) and Rock Am Ring (Germany). SKINTRADE also supported the Danish band D-A-D on their European tour in 1995. One of their last and most memorable gigs took place in late 1995 with the Irish band THERAPY? during a live radio show in Amsterdam, Netherlands. SKINTRADE disbanded shortly thereafter.

The idea for the SKINTRADE members to collaborate again came about as they got more and more requests from fans asking them to make new music. During the first rehearsal in May 2011, it became obvious that the band's chemistry was very much intact.

In the summer and autumn of 2011, SKINTRADE recorded four new songs at Sound Trade Studios with their old friend and partner Ronny Lahti, engineer and producer who previously worked with the band on all the recordings in the '90s.

SKINTRADE 2012 is:

Matti Alfonzetti - Vocals, Guitar
Stefan Bergström - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Håkan Calmroth - Bass
Håkan Persson - Drums, Backing Vocals