"Betray My Heart", the new video from U.K. symphonic metallers PYTHIA — who feature in their ranks the classically trained soprano Emily Alice Ovenden — can be seen below. The clip was filmed at the majestic St. John's of Hackney at the end of summer; a fitting baptism by fire for new bassist Mark Harrington who has fitted in to the lineup like a wandering bard, finally finding his way home. The song comes off the band's long-awaited second album, "The Serpent's Curse", which will be released on February 27 via Golden Axe.

Former members of Finnish bands OVERSTRAIND and TARPITORCHESTRA have joined forces with ex-REQUIEM drummer Jari Huttunen and vocalist Iiro Rantahalvari in a brand new thrash/groove metal act called TORA.

TORA recently finished recording its first promotional EP, "New Anatomy", and is currently seeking a suitable label to release the effort. A music video for the song "Icon" was also filmed.

TORA is:

Iiro Rantahalvari - Vocals
Kimmo Angervaniva - Guitar
Matti Honkala - Guitar
Jari Huttunen - Drums
Samu Niemelä - Bass

On December 13, Patrick Prince of Powerline conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Powerline: As far as spirituality in the lyrics, as a born-again Christian, the less challenging creative road would have been to write songs like STRYPER. But you do a pretty good job at being provocative.

Mustaine: Music is something that we listen to give us a change in our mood, to help us get out of a bad mood or continue to perpetuate a good mood. And I think if you put on music and someone's condemning you and making you sad or making you cry … that ain't my gig. Somebody else can give that. You know, I like listening to stuff that's sentimental and emotional and stuff, too, but I don't want to be the guy who does that. I'm good at beating my guitar until it throws up and I think people got a good look at that this weekend when I went up and played with METALLICA again. That was really fun. I know a lot of people were really surprised because they never saw me play with the band.

Powerline: It must have been a great feeling going up there onstage again with them.

Mustaine: I had some mood swings. There was some ups and downs and stuff. And, you know, got excited, and kind of got impatient, "Let's go. I'm okay. Well, lets go!" and this kind of thing and that's just the artist in me. I'm just squirrely like that.

Powerline: Playing some of those old METALLICA songs — did you have favorites or are there still favorites now?

Mustaine: You know, it felt fun to play them. I wish I would have had a little bit more opportunity to get prepared with the band. You know, because I'm a perfectionist. I would have liked to have had my sound just so and make sure when I did the solos they would jump up the volume and stuff like that that I'm used to, but we were at a club and playing at a club and playing like a club band. It was fun to take off all the rules and regulations and stuff and kind of shoot from the hip.

Powerline: I was surprised you didn't play "The Four Horsemen".

Mustaine: I think there's a reason for that. I think I know why we didn't play that song but I'm not going to go out on a limb on it. I think one of the things was because we recorded "Mechanix" and they recorded the other way, there's not really a need to do that. There were several other songs that were really important — like "Jump in the Fire" was the first song I brought those guys. And "Phantom Lord" and "Metal Militia" were songs that I brought to them, too, and the only other song was "Mechanix", which later changed to "The Four Horsemen". And the rest of those songs were written by James [Hetfield] or by Hugh Tanner or Lloyd Grant and that's why those guys were there... and a little weird for me, too, you know, standing on stage. I thought it was cool to be just with METALLICA, but Ron McGovney's up there and Lloyd Grant's up there. I was kind of like, "Alright, well, I'll bite the bullet. I'll be cool. This is not so terrible." I got up there and, you know what?! I didn't even notice them. I was having so much fun they weren't even there.

Powerline: Well, you mentioned mood swings. You should have had flashbacks with McGovney…

Mustaine: Actually, you know what?! I didn't even see him the whole time I was up there. It was cool that he was there. He was pretty nervous, too. Ron's a good guy. I was locked into Lars' [Ulrich] playing and James' playing. Me and James, we were like the the Toxic Twins back when we played together and we were a very very dangerous duo. And for a moment I think I stirred some of those old feelings up. I saw one of the videos and it looked like he was having fun. I know I was having fun. I had a smile that I went to bed with.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor has slammed actress Lindsay Lohan's 10-page nude pictorial in Playboy magazine, claiming that she looks "like a series of toll booths."

Taylor has been on a solo tour for the past few weeks, combining acoustic performances with audience interaction and readings from his book "Seven Deadly Sins".

During a recent stop on the trek, Taylor said (see video below), "If anyone hasn't seen the Lindsey Lohan Playboy shots yet, save your fucking money. She looks like a series of toll booths. She looks like somebody has fucking tossed their fucking change into it, and you're just like… ugh. I didn't know you could airbrush that much — I've gotta be honest — because her body is, like, it's okay, but her face but her face is, like, [gives look of disgust]. It's like somebody opened the Ark Of The Covenant at the end of [the] 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' [movie], you know what I'm saying?! That one dude who's just melting like a motherfucker. He's like [extends face with his mouth wide open]. Boo [gives one thumb down]."

In a 2007 interview, Taylor has blasted the media for devoting coverage to troubled stars, including Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. The singer claimed that he was fed up with the publicity given to the likes of "pig" Spears.

Taylor said, "[Britney is] a pig and needs to give it up.

"People have this fascination with mediocrity and gross displays of bullshit. It's everywhere. People are intrigued by popular people, but that shit is so precarious it can be gone tomorrow.

"The fact that the public are mesmerized by Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and all these miserable people makes me laugh, because those celebrities are more miserable than the people reading about them for escapism."

Taylor recently raised eyebrows on his solo tour by calling STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland a "lazy piece of shit " at one stop and bashing legendary producer Rick Rubin (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SLAYER, AUDIOSLAVE, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, METALLICA) — with whom he worked on SLIPKNOT's 2004 album, "Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)" — as "overrated" and "overpaid" at another, saying he'd never work with Rubin again "as long as I fucking live."

The singer will tour Australia and North America with SLIPKNOT next year, and also plans to head into the studio with STONE SOUR.

Michael Poulsen of Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT joined ICED EARTH on stage on December 3, 2011 at Amager Bio in Copenhagen, Denmark to perform the classic ICED EARTH song "Watching Over Me".

A video message from Poulsen and ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer recorded shortly after the concert can be seen below. Also available is fan-filmed video footage of Michael's appearance at the gig.

In a September 2011 interview with Aux Portes Du Métal, Schaffer was asked what new groups he finds interesting. "VOLBEAT is a really cool band," Schaffer replied. "I wish I had discovered them earlier… But they're really excellent. It's really fresh and inspiring to see a band that has so many different influences and still make their own thing. Michael and I are actually good friends now, we met at the Graspop [Metal Meeting] festival [in Belgium]. We had a blast, drank a bottle of whisky each that night. This guy has followed ICED EARTH since the beginning. He told me this story how the day our first album came out, he just had enough money to go the store by bus, buy the CD and go back home. He's a great guy, and his music is really cool… This band is getting bigger and bigger and they totally deserve it."

Japan's SIGH will release its ninth album, "In Somniphobia", in March 2012 via Candlelight Records. According to a press release, the CD is "by far more musically varied" compared to the [band's] last two albums. Put heavy metal, classical music, jazz, Indian traditional music, Stockhausen, and Xenakis into a cauldron of hell and stir it, you'll get 'In Somniphobia'. It is a pure sonic nightmare that lasts more than an hour. . . It is not easy to describe its direction, but probably one can say that it is something between 'Imaginary Sonicscape', 'Hail Horror Hail' and 'Gallows Gallery', or rather, simply a nightmarish version of 'Imaginary Sonicscape'."

"In Somniphobia" track listing:

01. Purgatorium
02. The Transfiguration Fear
Lucid Nightmares
03 i) Opening Theme: Lucid Nightmare
04 ii) Somniphobia
05 iii) L'excommunication a Minuit
06 iv) Amnesia
07 v) Far Beneath the In-Between
08 vi) Amongst the Phantoms of Abandoned Tumbrils
09 vii) Ending Theme: Continuum
10. Fall to the Thrall
11. Equale
i) Prelude
ii) Fugato
iii) Coda

Lauren Wise of the Phoenix New Times recently conducted an interview with drummer Jordan Mancino of San Diego metallers AS I LAY DYING. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Phoenix New Times: On the ["Decas"] album, you guys cover JUDAS PRIEST's "Electric Eye" and "Hellion", SLAYER's ultimate metal anthem "War Ensemble", and DESCENDANTS' "Coffee Mug". How did you choose the covers?

Jordan: The JUDAS PRIEST song was Phil's [Sgrosso, guitarist] idea, which was ultimately supported by the band. We are all fans of JUDAS PRIEST and felt we could put a tasteful twist on the original while keeping it respectful to the original recording. The SLAYER cover came up as a covered single for a video game soundtrack. We thought it turned out so well that we would put it on "Decas". Plus, SLAYER is one of our many influences, so we thought it was fitting to pay our respect with cover of one of their greatest songs. The DESCENDANTS cover came up, since we most of us grew listening to them and other punk bands. We also liked the lightheartedness of the song and the fact it was only 30-seconds long.

Phoenix New Times: How do you think AS I LAY DYING's sound has evolved over 10 years and five albums?

Jordan: Well, when you listen to the albums back to back the evolution of our sound is fairly clear, that is we are always trying to get heavier and heavier while writing better songs. I think with "Frail Words Collapse" and "Shadows Are Security", we concentrated more on the melodic side of our sound, and "An Ocean Between Us" and "The Powerless Rise" we focused more on the trashier side and layering side of our sound. I certainly plan and hope to continue to evolve as songwriters and musicians.

Phoenix New Times: What's the one message you think AS I LAY DYING's music brings to society?

Jordan: I think there's easily more than one message to society brought by our band, but all of those messages provoke some sort of thought. People need to think a little more and question the norm.

Phoenix New Times: I know that statements have been made in prior interviews that Christian views come across often in the lyrics. Do you guys keep Christian values in your actual lifestyles?

Jordan: Definitely. That's not to say we are perfect by any means. We all make mistakes, but we try to learn from them. I think the most important thing for us is personal and spiritual growth.

Phoenix New Times: What else can fans expect from you guys within the next couple years? Another full-length album? More touring?

Jordan: They can expect both in 2012. We are heading in to the studio around springtime and plan to start the touring once we've finished the record.

MURDER CONSTRUCT, the Los Angeles, California-based band featuring Travis Ryan (CATTLE DECAPITATION) on vocals, Leon del Muerte (EXHUMED, PHOBIA, IMPALED) on guitar and vocals, Kevin Fetus (FETUS EATERS, WATCH ME BURN) on guitar, Danny Walker (INTRONAUT, EXHUMED, UPHILL BATTLE) on drums, and Caleb Schneider (BAD ACID TRIP) on bass, has entered the studio to begin work on its full-length debut full-length for a mid-2012 release via Relapse Records. The as-yet-untitled follow-up to the group's acclaimed self-titled EP is being tracked at Architeuthis Sound with engineer Sean Vahle and at Trench Studios with John Haddad (ABYSMAL DAWN, EXHUMED, INTRONAUT). The mastering duties will be handled by Dan Randall (TOXIC HOLOCAUST, IMPALED, MAGRUDERGRIND) at Mammoth Sound.

Commented MURDER CONSTRUCT's Leon del Muerte: "I'm not even sure we thought we'd ever finally get around to doing this shit. Over the last couple of years, we've managed to piece together 12 shivarees to the blast beat. We decided to invite some of our friends over to help with the shenanigans, too! Overall, should be a big, fat, noisy fucking mess that picks up where the EP left off."

According to The Canadian Press, "Vincent Goes To Hell: An Alice Cooper Doc Opera", the upcoming documentary about the shock rocker's evolution from preacher's son to superstardom, is among five English-language and three French-language projects that are getting funds through the Theatrical Documentary Program from Telefilm Canada and the Rogers Group Of Funds.

Telefilm says the funds will support production or post-production work on the projects.

In a recent interview with Spinner.com, Canadian documentarian Sam Dunn of Banger Films ("Metal: A Headbangers Journey", "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage") stated about the Cooper documentary, "We know Alice through various projects that we've done," he said. "We interviewed Alice for 'Headbanger's Journey'. He's also featured pretty prominently in two episodes of [the new groundbreaking documentary series] 'Metal Evolution', both in [the] Shock Rock and Early Metal U.S. [episodes]. He's a pretty fascinating character, who has been through a lot in his life. He's one of those musicians that maybe he hasn't had a hit in a long time, but everyone knows who Alice Cooper is because of his influence on pop culture and the big songs he had in the '70s. . . We're in the early stages of telling the story of his career. We're probably going to focus in on his early years up to his comeback in the '80s. We're exploring a different stylist approach with this film. It won't be talking heads; it's going to be more of an archival and animated journey through his career. He's such a rich visual artist, it makes so much sense to try and do it in a different way. I think we're just a little bit sick of doing talking head interviews, to be honest [laughs], after doing 300 of them for 'Metal Evolution'. So it's really the story of Alice's career from the '60s right up to the '80s and everything he went through — the ups and the downs, battles with alcoholism, being raised in a Christian family, rebelling against that but then coming back to faith later in his career, and moving from town to town, and trying to find his place."

The Alice Cooper documentary is tentatively scheduled to premiere at the TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in September 2012.

Alice Cooper's new album, "Welcome 2 My Nightmare", sold 18,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 22 on The Billboard 200 chart. Cooper's previous CD, 2008's "Along Came A Spider", opened with just under 10,000 copies to land at No. 53.

Recorded with longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin, who produced the original multi-platinum "Welcome To My Nightmare" album in 1975, "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" picks up right where they left off, with Alice trapped in his own warped mind.

That original album is an all-time rock classic that spawned a worldwide theatrical tour and pioneering U.S. TV special and cemented Alice Cooper as a visionary trailblazer whose influence persists today in rock, metal, pop, punk, theater, television, film and much more.

GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell has released the following statement:

"To all my friends:

Just wanted to announce that I will be coming back with my band, GREAT WHITE, and a BRAND NEW lineup.

"My new bandmates are some of the most incredible musicians I have ever had the privilege to play with: Matthew Johnson, former guitarist for GREAT WHITE; Derrick Pontier, former drummer for GREAT WHITE; Dario Seixas, former bassist for FIREHOUSE and the Stephen Pearcy band; and Robby Lochner, former guitarist for Rob Halford's band and Cherie Currie.

"I am very excited about this new beginning.

"I am feeling better than ever, despite any rumors you may hear to the contrary.

"Unfortunately, and as confusing as it will be, my former bandmates and their manager have decided to continue to tour next year under the name I created, GREAT WHITE. I will be touring under the name GREAT WHITE FEATURING JACK RUSSELL to try avoid any confusion.

"So now the true fans will know the difference.

"I will be announcing tour dates as soon as they become available.

"Our first performance will be at the pre-NAMM Jam on January 14, 2012. Only shows advertised as GREAT WHITE FEATURING JACK RUSSELL will include myself on vocals.

"I have missed all of you terribly and look forward to seeing you all on the road. You have no idea how much your love and devotion has meant to me during what has been one of the hardest periods of my life.

"Happy holidays! Much peace and love to you and your families. Have a blessed New Year.

"Yours, as always, Jack Russell, founder and lead vocalist, GREAT WHITE

"P.S.: JACK IS BACK!!!!!!!!"

IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson, JETHRO TULL frontman Ian Anderson and Justin Hayward of the MOODY BLUES performed for the first time together under the name Canterbury Rocks At Christmas, on Saturday, December 10th at the Canterbury Cathedral Nave in Kent, England in support of The Canterbury Gift, which raises funds for the ongoing renovation work on the cathedral.

The Canterbury Cathedral Appeal was launched to protect and enhance Canterbury Cathedral's future as a religious, heritage and cultural centre. Every five years the cathedral carries out a major structural review. The last so-called Quinquennial made it very clear that a combination of centuries of weathering, pollution and constant use had taken its toll on the building and there were some serious problems at Canterbury Cathedral that needed urgent action.

Much of the cathedral's stonework is damaged and crumbling, the roofs are leaking and much of the stained glass is badly corroded. It is thought that if action is not taken now, the rate of decay and damage being inflicted on the building will increase dramatically with potentially disastrous results, including closure of large sections of the cathedral in order to guarantee the safety of the million plus worshippers, pilgrims and tourists who visit the cathedral every year.

Ian Anderson spoke of the importance of supporting Canterbury Cathedral recently: "If our generation and the future generations don't do it, then it will be lost," he said. "There is a real parallel regarding the preservation of our great buildings, and the greater sense of conserving our world. We need a huge change of thinking about the stewardship of our planet and all it contains, both natural and man-made. Canterbury Cathedral is a place for life today. But it is also a place for the future and, whether you are a Christian or not, it is a place which should remain forever close to our hearts."

IRON MAIDEN vocalist Bruce Dickinson, who is a licensed commercial pilot, has set up a state-of the-art Boeing 737 flight simulator at London's Heathrow Airport and is holding training sessions for members of the Iron Maiden Fan Club.

Footage from some of this month's training sessions can now be seen below.

In a press release that was issued last month, Bruce commented, "I can't wait to sit in the simulator with fans and share the buzz of what it is really like to fly a modern passenger jet such as Flight 666 and all the challenges that entails."

Bruce Dickinson has a huge passion for flying — so much so that he is a commercial airline captain and a talented originator — devising an ingenious method of converting a Boeing 757 to allow him, the band, their crew and tons of equipment to tour three times around the world in their customised plane "Ed Force One", call sign "Flight 666".

Not content with just entertaining fans on the ground, Bruce then instigated a series of highly acclaimed "Bruce Air Flight 666" excursions, filling the plane with fans and personally flying them to and from various IRON MAIDEN concerts around Europe.

Dickinson told CNN.com in a 2007 interview, "Aviation's been kicking around my family for as long as I can remember; my uncle was in the RAF. But I always thought I was too stupid. I was useless at maths and majored in history at university, so I thought history majors don't become pilots, let alone rock stars. And then our drummer learned to fly so I said if a drummer can learn to fly then anyone can."

He added, "I never dreamed I would end up flying an airliner. I ended up flying IRON MAIDEN around on tour in a little eight-seat, pressurized, twin-engine plane. Basically we were flying round all the world's major airports, flew across the Atlantic and back, which was quite an adventure. At the end I thought I really want to fly something bigger, but I can't afford it — I can't buy my own 707. If I'm going to do that I have to get a job."

"The Living End", the new video from AVA INFERI, the Portugal-based band whose lineup includes Norwegian guitarist Rune Eriksen (a.k.a. ex-MAYHEM guitarist/songwriter Blasphemer), can be viewed below.

Commented the group: "This clip is our own homage to '50s horror cinema, and what we feel is a fitting visual to accompany both the content of the song, and also to a certain extent, the aesthetics of AVA INFERI.

"This video was brought to you in part by the visionary Mr. Costin Chioreanu (ABSU, GRAVE, ULVER), who also brought to life the pagan imagery of 'Majesty' not so long ago."

METALLICA's official web site has been updated with the following message:

"Last week we celebrated our 30th anniversary together with fan-club members from around the world by playing four nights at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco . . . It was quite the bash each and every night!

"If you were able to join us at any or all of the parties, thanks for coming out to hang with us. And whether or not you were there, you may have heard that we added some unreleased tracks from the 'Death Magnetic' sessions to the set list — one 'new' song each night as part of the shenanigans on stage.

"This week, we’re releasing those four tracks through iTunes exclusively in North America and on iTunes and additional digital retailers in other parts of the world as the 'Beyond Magnetic' EP. All four studio versions of these songs were sent to Met Club members for free immediately following their live debut on stage at the Fillmore and tomorrow they will be available to everyone via the magic of digital downloading. They are the rough mixes, unfinished to their original degree of mixing from March of 2008, and those of you with very keen senses of sound might recognize bits and pieces from the 'Mission Metallica' videos posted in the summer of 2008.

"Thanks again to everyone who visited us in San Francisco. As Lars [Ulrich, drums] mentioned at the end of the last show, we'll be back here in January with an announcement about a special interactive fan event in June of 2012 . . . we may ask you to do a little traveling again!"

"Beyond Magnetic" track listing:

01. Hate Train
02. Just A Bullet Away
03. Hell And Back
04. Rebel Of Babylon

Finnish dark metallers SOULFALLEN will release their third album, "The Promise Of Hell", on January 18, 2012 via the band's own label, Grave New Music, with distribution from Inverse Records/Supersounds (Finland), Plastic Head (U.K.), Bertus (Holland), Sound Pollution (Sweden), Disk Union (Japan), The End Records (USA), Rebeat (Austria), Non Stop (Switzerland), and LSP/MetalZone (Belgium). The cover artwork was created by Maija Ranka and can be seen below.

Commented SOULFALLEN frontman Kai Leikola: "The new album will be the final part of a trilogy, the closing of a chapter. It will bear the trademark sound of SOULFALLEN with some new flavors directly from the ever-burning kitchens of Hell. The story will continue where 'Grave New World' left off: at the burial of the world. Something has gone terribly wrong and life has united with death in a way never seen before. Humanity is not allowed rest but trapped in a Hell where even death cannot save those already dead."

A video for the song "Scars Aligned" was filmed this past fall and will make its online debut next month to coincide with the album's release. The clip features a guest vocal appearance by Annika Jalkanen.

EVANESCENCE performed at this year's Nobel Peace Prize concert this past Sunday, Decemebr 11 in Oslo, Norway at the Oslo Spektrum. The concert was held a day after the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, whose honorees include President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and women's right activist Leymah Gbowee, both of whom are from Liberia, and democracy activist Tawakkul Karman of Yemen. EVANESCENCE joined a number of other accomplished performing artists, including singer-songwriter David Gray, vocalist Jill Scott, country duo SUGARLAND and Matthew Morrison from "Glee". The concert was broadcast globally in up to 130 countries, including those in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, South, Central and North America. The event was also streamed live on CNN International.

"Far Too Long", another brand new song from the progressive/power metal act KATAGORY V, can be streamed using the ReverbNation TuneWidget below. The track will appear on the band's upcoming fifth album, "Resurrect The Insurgence", to be released in 2012.

Commented KATAGORY V bassist Dustin Mitchell: "We know it has been rather quiet in the KATAGORY V camp, and many have been wondering when the new album will be released, but rest assured we are still fighting the good fight, and the new album will be delivered in good time. However, it has been difficult to nail down a release date in the current state of the industry with the constant changes abound. Nevertheless, we are still alive!

"A few months back we uploaded a new song from the upcoming album, 'Resurrect The Insurgence', which was completed earlier this year with the help of producer Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69, ANGRA, PRIMAL FEAR), and felt it was time to throw out another musical morsel from the new album out there for everyone to test drive.

"Lyrically, 'Far Too Long' is about the ending of a very long relationship with someone, the ripple effect that it causes, the expectations from those around you, and the changes that need to be overcome. This song was written four years ago, and only recently, became self-prophesying for myself, which I found to be rather ironic.

"Musically, this song is a very straight ahead, very melancholy track with a bit of an AOR approach. Dennis and I joked that this would be our radio hit if such a thing existed for the band, or in general these days, as it is by far the most accessible song on the album. It has many of the classic KATAGORY V progressive trademarks with the phrasings and structures, however, with a lot more emphasis on melody and hook. Once again, our influences are very apparent here in this song and we are very proud of how this turned out. It musically and emotionally compliments the lyrical content.

"We picked this next song to show the fans another side of the band, as well as the more melodic direction we are taking with the new album. We feel that the production and performance of this song highlights the album as a whole."

"Resurrect The Insurgence" is the first KATAGORY V album to be recorded, produced, and engineered by Mitchell, who is the sole remaining original member in the band.

To honor Chuck Schuldiner's (DEATH, CONTROL DENIED) legacy as a death metal pioneer, an inimitable vocalist and one of the best guitarists to thoughtfully shred the six-string on the 10th anniversary of his death, Lars Gotrich of NPR's "All Songs Considered" blog asked eleven metal musicians to pick their favorite DEATH song, and write what it and Schuldiner has meant to them. For Paul Masvidal (CYNIC), Gene Hoglan (FEAR FACTORY) and Richard Christy (CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED) — all former members of DEATH (and there have been a lot) — it's telling that all three chose songs from 1991's watershed album, "Human". In the modern metal scene, younger musicians like Arthur von Nagel (CORMORANT), Elizabeth Schall (DREAMING DEAD) and John Dyer Baizley (BARONESS) all grew up with the legend of DEATH and have taken its heavy lessons to heart.

Read the article in its entirety at NPR.org.