Jon Gillooly of the Marietta Daily Journal recently conducted an interview with legendary rocker Alice Cooper. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Marietta Daily Journal: Are you still on a high from having the band inducted into the Rock And Rock Hall Of Fame?

Cooper: 2011 was a big year for me. Getting in the Hall Of Fame, having "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" out, I did a movie with Johnny Depp in London, "Dark Shadows", and the tour. It's really been a full year, so I'm ready for six months off. The Hall Of Fame thing was definitely one of those things that you never quite realize. You think, well, it's going to happen eventually, but who knows when? We got on the ballot the first time, that was our first nomination, and went in on the first ballot. So it was really cool.

Marietta Daily Journal: You're 63. What is the secret to surviving as a rock star for as long as you have?

Cooper: It's all on the songwriting. All the bands that are still here from the '60s had hits on the radio that were really good songs. I try to tell young bands that all the time. I go, look, your image is important, your stage production is important, but if you don't have the songs, you don't have anything. You have to have the cake before you can put the icing on it. And songwriting is everything. We had 14 Top 40 hits. If you don't have those songs, I don't know how far you can go.

Marietta Daily Journal: What is the difference between performing now compared to your twenties and thirties?

Cooper: For one thing, I'm a better singer now, and I've got more energy. I'm actually in better shape now than I was when I was 30. When I was 30, I was drinking a bottle of whiskey a day. I haven't had a drink in 30 years, so at 63 I do five shows a week that are an hour and 45 minutes long and we start in fourth gear. This show is 26 songs that are 90 percent hard-rock songs, so I never stop on stage. I'm in better shape now than I've ever been.

Marietta Daily Journal: Would you say your fans are different from back in the day to now?

Cooper: The crazy thing about classic rock is that music has not changed at all in 45 years. If you go listen to the FOO FIGHTERS or THE WHITE STRIPES, they're all '70s bands. You could take the FOO FIGHTERS and put them in 1974, and they would fit right in. Musically, nothing has changed. Technologically, how we make records, how we sell records, how we listen to records, that's entirely different. I feel sorry if I were a young band right now. I don't know how you make any money with records. It's just almost impossible. So I tell young bands if I were you, I would be the best live band in your state. That's what you got to go for, because they can't take that away from you. The recording part, though, I just don't see how anyone can make money.

Read the entire interview from the Marietta Daily Journal.

Sheffield, UK-based act CRIMES OF PASSION have signed with DR2 Records for the release of their second album, To Die For.

The album, produced by Charlie Bauerfiend (HAMMERFALL, HELLOWEEN, BLIND GUARDIAN), will be released across Europe in February 2012.

It also features guest vocals from Biff Byford (SAXON), and Andi Deris (Helloween). The European artwork has been created by Hugh Gilmour, famous for album covers for WHITESNAKE and IRON MAIDEN, among others. Check it out below:

Bay Area progressive metal act IN VIRTUE have revealed the cover artwork and tracklisting for their upcoming apocalyptic concept album, Embrace The Horror, due out January 1st, 2012.

Embrace The Horror tracklisting:

'Suspense Of Disbelief'
'Twin Species: The Virtuous And The Vengeful'
'Witch Hunt'
'In Service To His Madness'
'Alea Lacta Est'
'The Essence Of Unreason'
'Foresworn II – Parabola'
'Cataclysmic Shock'
'Dead Black Eyes'
'Afterture (Requiem For Planet Earth)'

Guitarist/vocalist/composer Trey Xavier says of the album: "It's been a lot of hard work for us as an independent band to create the kind of huge, sprawling epic sound we wanted without a huge label budget, but in the end it allowed us to make the exact album we wanted, and we are beholden to nobody. It has the scope and grandeur we were trying to capture on our first EP but with the refinements of time and experience. We really nailed the sound we were going for this time, with a lot of really interesting and freaky twists. The music is terrifying, in both lyrical concept and performance. Each song is a different possible apocalypse scenario - a biblical sized flood, the earth exploding from the core, a zombie pandemic, etc."

In regards to the cover: "It's a picture of the first person to look up and see that the world is about to come to an end. Everyone else is going about their business, but he is stopped dead in the middle of the street, bottom falling out of all he knows."

The band is currently seeking distribution, and the album will be released independently.

A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH, the new band featuring Brooklyn, New York native Sal Abruscato — who played drums on three TYPE O NEGATIVE albums ("Slow, Deep & Hard", "Origin Of The Feces", "Bloody Kisses"), as well as four LIFE OF AGONY releases ("River Runs Red", "Ugly", "River Runs Again", "Broken Valley") — on guitar and vocals, has released the following statement:

"Due to conflicting schedules with BIOHAZARD, Bobby Hambel is unable to tour any further with A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH. We wish Bobby and BIOHAZARD all the great success they deserve on their upcoming release in January 2012. Eddie Heedles has been chosen as the new replacement for Bobby. Eddie is a shredding guitarist who has worked with the likes of Corey Glover (LIVING COLOUR), T.M. Stevens, Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR), SEKOND SKYN and THE WHITE CHOCOLATE EXPERIENCE. We are excited to get back on the road and do what we do best see you soon."

A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH earlier in the year inked a worldwide recording deal with Steamhammer/SPV for the release of the group's debut album, "And Hell Will Follow Me".

A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH made its live debut on February 20, 2011 at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey as the support act for MONSTER MAGNET and SEVENTH VOID.

Abruscato previously stated about A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH's debut CD, "This is my first album where I composed and play all instruments, including vocals. Along with co-producer/guitarist Matt Brown (SEVENTH VOID), we have accomplished a very fresh sound and it includes guest appearances by Bobby Hambel, Keith Caputo (LIFE OF AGONY) and Ulrich Krieger (LOU REED).

"It is the darkest music I have ever written and recorded in my life, back to my sinister roots and I believe the fans will learn a completely different side of me."

For more information, visit www.apalehorsenameddeath.com.

As previously announced, Metal Mind Productions will release a brand new DVD by legendary British band PENDRAGON. The live DVD entitled Out Of Order Comes Chaos, will be available in March 2012. It contains a show recorded in Katowice during the Polish leg of the tour promoting the band’s most recent album Passion. For the first time in their career, live material will be released also on a Blu-ray.

Vocalist Nick Barrett commented: "We've tried to do material that we haven't played very much before, particularly in Poland, and for the DVD we've changed the set drastically so that people don't buy the new DVD and it's just got the same songs as the last one.”

‘Passion’
‘Back in the Spotlight’
‘Ghosts’
‘Not of this World’
‘Comatose’
‘If I Were the Wind’
‘Freakshow’
‘Empathy’
‘This Green and Pleasant Land’
‘Shane’
‘Feeding Frenzy’
‘Nostradamus’
‘Last Man on Earth’
‘Indigo’
‘Prayer’
‘Paintbox’

Bonus video:
Interview with Nick Barrett
Some of the Order
Some of the Chaos

Also includes:
Biography
Discography
Photo gallery

Lion Music's CONSORTIUM PROJECT special edition reissues series continue on January 27th, 2012 with the powerful second movement Consortium Project II - Continuum In Extremis. Consisting primarily of 11 progressive melodic power metal tracks, including a inspirational rock ballad with additional two bonus tracks in demo versions of 'Intrusions Of Madness' and 'Poetic Justice', both discovered in the Consortium Project archives.

This second movement in the five part story sees lead vocalist and band mastermind Ian Parry (ELEGY, CRYSTAL TEARS) base his fictional concept story on many of the present day issues and created a theoretical idea of a world run by a new singular female species called NOEFEMS.

Ian Parry comments: “I was flicking through pages in the Oxford English dictionary and it suddenly dawned on me, that the word feMALE is derived from the masculine word MALE, and apart from the word FEMININE, women do not have a word purely of feminine origin to describe their own singular gender”, and thus the idea was born.”

This formidable and awe inspiring story, incorporates many issues and topics, which were in the media at the time of original release in 2001 such as the discovery of the Human Genome, Global Warming (the Kyoto agreement), the issue of human cloning and also the hysteria we've seen around Reality TV programmes. All these relevant points have been pieced together with real historical facts. The creation is a fictional world going out of control, which is saved by women (Neofems), who prevent man from destroying the planet. Their realization is a new peaceful world enclosed in a Biosphere, where Man (now referred to as Monomales), have no part of this new order.

The strength of Consortium Project II lay not only in Ian’s unique lyrical concept and story telling skill, but is also in the incredible performances and co-written songs by some of the world’s best sympho-progressive metal guitarists in Stephan Lill (VANDEN PLAS), Patrick Rondat (Elegy) and Thomas Youngblood (KAMELOT), who enhance the atmosphere of this cleverly written concept album.

Ian Parry who produced and personally coordinated the production duties for Consortium II recorded the album in various studios throughout Europe and the US. Continuum In Extremis was mixed by ex-VICTORY guitarist/producer Tommy Newton (HELLOWEEN, Elegy, Kamelot, ARK) at his Area 51 studios in Germany.

The tracklisting:

'Continuum (In Extremis)'
'Asylum Seekers'
'The Catalyst'
'Intrusions Of Madness'
'(Momentary) Lapse Of Reason'
'Mirror Image'
'Sentiment In Sanctuary'
'What You Sow, You Reap'
'Asphyxia'
'Collide-O-Scope (When Past And Present Collide)'
'Poetic Justice'
'Intrusions Of Madness' (bonus demo)
'Poetic Justice' (bonus demo)

JON OLIVA'S PAIN drummer/producer Chris Kinder has checked in with the following update:

"Jon and I are getting together again later next week to continue working on new music and to finalize some really important stuff. Have a great holiday everyone, and check back here on January 1st, 2012 for a late, great Christmas present. You'll be glad you did!

Wishing all of you, our great supporters, the very best life has to offer this holiday season and 2012. Thanks for everything."

Cheers,
Chris

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions will release the debut album from Philadelphia extreme death metal destroyers FISTHAMMER, entitled Devour All You See, on CD format on January 24th, 2012.

Hailing from the outskirts of Killadelphia, Fisthammer play extreme yet melodic technical death metal that destroys. Devour All You See is the intense debut album from these devastating warriors of metal, full of brutality, passion and conviction. Apocalyptic lyrical themes complement the musical atmosphere, resulting in a grim barrage of despair with mind blistering riffs, intense blast beats, ripping solos and fierce vocals... killer!

'Intro'
'Razor Waves'
'Aten: Fear The Obliteration Of Earth'
'Kull The Conqueror'
'Bullet Rape'
'Berzerkers'
'Doom Of The Gods'
'Harvest'
'Zombocalypse'
'Cross The Lines In Blood'
'The Resurrection Of Bastet The Devourer'

A "party" to celebrate the life of David Gold — a founding member of the Ontario, Canada-based black and doom metal band WOODS OF YPRES — will take place on December 28 in his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie. According to his sister Marie, "a formal service" for David will be held the first week of January, once holidays are over. She added, "It's been really amazing to see how David has positively influenced people all over this world; it truly warms my heart."

David was killed last Wednesday afternoon (December 21) in a car accident near Barrie, Ontario. He was 31 years old.

According to Ontario Provincial Police, the accident — which involved a vehicle and a pedestrian — occurred at 1:30 p.m. on Highway 400 north of Highway 89.

The police shut down the northbound lanes at Highway 89 and traffic was diverted from the scene as OPP highway safety investigators collected evidence.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

The accident occurred just hours after Gold texted his mother in Sault Ste. Marie that he was on his way home, according to Local2.ca.

There were no other injuries.

WOODS OF YPRES' new album, "Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light", will be released in 2012 via Earache Records. The CD was recorded with producer Siegfried Meier (KITTIE) at Beach Road Studios in Ontario, Canada, and was mixed by John Fryer (NINE INCH NAILS, PARADISE LOST).

Earache Records set up a memorial page on its web site after learning of Gold's death.

Formed in 2002, WOODS OF YPRES has earned critical acclaim for its ever-evolving, envelope-pushing mix of blackened doom metal. Most often compared to bands such as AGALLOCH and TYPE O NEGATIVE, WOODS OF YPRES toes a thin line between the catchy, the artistic and the extreme to create an unmistakable signature sound.

WOODS OF YPRES' recently released single, the now-ominously-titled "Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

VAN HALEN has released a video trailer confirming that it will tour later in the year, with the first tickets set to go on sale on January 10. The two-minute clip (see below) — which was shot on November 14 at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California — apparently features visuals of the VAN HALEN bandmembers performing a brand new song (from the yet-to-be-released track's official video) set to the audio of several David Lee Roth-era VAN HALEN classics.

VAN HALEN's new record deal with Interscope was finalized last month and marks the first time the band has recorded away from Warner Bros. Records, which signed the group in 1977.

The new VAN HALEN album, its first with Roth since "1984" was released on the last day of 1983, will reportedly come out in 2012, possibly in February.

ALTER BRIDGE guitarist Mark Tremonti recently said in an interview that he had gotten an opportunity to hear new VAN HALEN music through his friendship with bassist Wolfgang Van Halen (guitarist Eddie Van Halen's son), saying it sounded like "vintage VAN HALEN."

Producer Ross Hogarth spoke with Ultimate-Guitar.com about the work he did on the project, saying, "The whole VAN HALEN record has been recorded and we're all excited. I'm really stoked about it, as it is the original band, Eddie and Alex with Wolf playing bass, and David Lee Roth singing, it's the killing side of VAN HALEN at the top of their game again with Diamond Dave, and the band on fire."

VAN HALEN reunited with Roth in 2007 for a successful year-long reunion tour — minus original bassist Michael Anthony, who now plays with ex-VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar in CHICKENFOOT.

Video footage of ANOTHER ANIMAL — the side project started by GODSMACK members Tony Rombola on guitar, Robbie Merrill on bass and Shannon Larkin on drums — performing on the ShipRocked 2011 "music and lifestyle cruise" last month can be seen below.

ShipRocked 2011 set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 14 to the tip of Mexico and its popular stretch of gorgeous Caribbean water known for scuba diving, shopping and bars aplenty, and returned five days later.

Although ANOTHER ANIMAL's 2007 debut album failed to interest the public, the group, which also features original GODSMACK guitarist Lee Richards and ex-UGLY KID JOE singer Whitfield Crane, recently released a new song called "Fall Of Rome". Larkin told the Naples News that if the single takes off, a new album could be in the works.

The Pulse Of Radio asked Larkin last year if he thought there would ever be a second ANOTHER ANIMAL outing. "I'm not sure about the ANOTHER ANIMAL project," he said. "You know, we love the record still, we had a Top 10 hit at rock radio and we had a great, great time doing it. But for whatever reasons, the people didn't go out and buy the record so, you know, the label wasn't like, 'You guys got to get back to the studio and make another record!' So it's still out there, and if everybody goes out and buys that record, we'll make another one."

Larkin told Naples News that "Fall Of Rome" is "a heavy, charged track about the recent overthrowing of lame leaders and governments by the ones with the real power: the people. Egypt, Tunisia and now Libya are repeating history before the eyes of the world stage, and this song is like an oppressed person talking directly to an unjust dictator saying enough!"

The drummer added, "If the song does well enough at radio, we will tour in the fall and make a new record as well."

Quality video footage of U.D.O.'s December 10 concert in Memmingen, Germany can be seen below.

U.D.O.'s November 16 perormance at Hristo Botev Hall in Sofia, Bulgaria was professionally filmed for the band's next official live DVD, due in 2012.

Commented the group: "The audience was absolutely fantastic and forced us to play for nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes. More than 2,000 fans welcomed back us after 7 years and pushed everybody over his personal limit. Sofia was absolutely great and we will never forget this show. To make sure all the fans can participate of this great event, we will do everything to release the DVD/CD/Blu-ray as soon as possible."

U.D.O.'s setlist for the Sofia concert was as follows:

01. Rev-Raptor
02. Dominator
03. Thunderball
04. Leatherhead
05. Independence Day
06. Screaming For A Love Bite (ACCEPT cover)
07. Heart Of Gold
08. Vendetta
09. Princess Of The Dawn (ACCEPT cover)
10. I Give As Good As I Get
11. Guitar Solo
12. Neon Nights (ACCEPT cover)
13. Break The Rules
14. Man And Machine
15. Drum Solo
16. Living On A Frontline
17. Up To The Limit (ACCEPT cover)
18. Two Faced Woman
19. Metal Heart (ACCEPT cover)

Encore:

20. The Bogeyman
21. I'm A Rebel (ACCEPT cover)

Encore 2:

22. Balls To The Wall (ACCEPT cover)
23. Burning (ACCEPT cover)

U.D.O.'s latest album, "Rev-Raptor", was released on May 20 via AFM Records. The recordings for the CD took place between June 2010 and February 2011 at Roxx studios (owned by U.D.O. guitarist and ex-ACCEPT drummer Stefan Kaufmann) in Pulheim, Germany. The effort was mastered by Manfred Melchior at MM Sound Digital studios in Steinhagen, Germany. The album's cover artwork is once again a comic-like motif: but the "Dominator" character is this time "a lot more effectual and colorful," according to a press release.

U.D.O. is:

Udo Dirkschneider - Lead Vocals
Stefan Kaufmann - Guitar, Vocals
Igor Gianola - Guitar
Fitty Wienhold - Bass, Vocals
Francesco Jovino - Drums

Metal Kaoz' Maria Voutyriadou and Dimitris Kontogeorgakos recently interviewed Erlend Hjelvik, singer of Norwegian metallers KVELERTAK, who revealed some details about the band's upcoming new album. An excerpt follows:

Q: I just have to ask; what about the next album: is there any type of pressure for this? Do you feel that you have to compete with yourselves?

A: "We really don’t think like that. The way we see it is that the most important thing is that we like the album first and then people can take it or leave it. We have already made two new songs and hopefully we will record the new album sometime next year. Or I’d should better say we will try it to have it ready next year (laughs)."

Norwegian metallers DUNDERBEIST is releasing their new album, Black Arts & Crooked Tails, on February 10th in Europe and the 14th in North America.

According to a press release, Black Arts & Crooked Tails "consists of ten hard and heavy cut-the-crap tracks and it shows the whole spectra in what this band manage to pull off and show off as their own brand of Norwegian metal with a bucket of rock in it."

Legendary rhythm & blues/gospel/jazz/rock singer ETTA JAMES covers the GUNS N' ROSES classic 'Welcome To The Jungle' on her new album, The Dreamer, which was released on November 8th, 2011. Check out the full audio clip below:

James has been recording since 1954. She boasts 28 studio albums and 58 singles. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Grammy Hall of Fame in both 1999 and 2008. On December 16th, 2011, it was announced that James was terminally ill with cancer.

Brazilian power progressive metallers SUPREMA have released their brand new video, 'Nightmare', a song from the upcoming debut album, Traumatic Scenes.

It’s the first video in the band’s history and it is inspired by the works of famous Belgian artist René Magritte. The clip can be seen below:

Traumatic Scenes is a conceptual album. Following this story, the fans will travel between the real and supernatural world passing through various phases of the human mind life. At the moment the band is finalizing the production of the CD in Barulho Estudio, São Paulo.

Also, this week SupreMa confirmed the new drummer, Rafael Rosa (ex-ANDRE MATOS, ANCESTRAL), the replacement of Helmut Quacken who worked at the drum parts for Traumatic Scenes.

According to the guitarist Douglas Jen: “Rafael Rosa is the most full-fledged drummer that I have ever played with! Besides his incredible talent, he is a very well organized and dedicated person. Rafael recorded drums for the famous album of Andre Matos band, Time To Be Free. Since the very first rehearsals with him everything has been calm and clear, and simply fantastic. Our chemistry appeared with the first cords and I’m totally sure that he will surprise all our fans in the forthcoming tour that will start in February 2012!”

Traumatic Scenes is planned to be released in the first half of 2012. The cover artwork and track list will be revealed soon.