Finnish multi-instrumentalist Aleksi Sihvonen (NORTHER, MEDICATED, ex-IMPERANON) has launched a brand new project called ASXX. According to a posting on the band's Facebook page, "The idea behind ASXX is simple: A piece of music is composed. Then a drummer who was chosen to play that particular song lays down the drum tracks and Aleksi does the rest. That's it."

ASXX's first three songs — "Corroded", "Hidden" and "Escape" — can be streamed below.

French metallers LONEWOLF have inked a deal with Napalm Records. The band's new album, "Army Of The Damned", in March 2012. In addition, LONEWOLF's classic longplayer "The Dark Crusade" will be re-released the very same month.

Commented the band: "The WOLF has joined the pack! We're proud and grateful to join forces with Napalm Records to release our new album, 'Army Of The Damned'. Our metal crusade continues. See you on tour! Hellbent on metal!"

Abyss Records has announced the signing of Sweden's CARNIVORE. The band will enter the studio in December to record its full-length debut for a 2012 release.

A limited-edition version of the band's previously released "Faces Of Death" EP will be made available early next year.

CARNIVORE was formed in 2010 when a former project of three of the members, called BEYOND HELL, underwent major lineup changes and decided to make a new start. The band played several local shows during 2010 and in 2011 recorded a three-song EP called "Faces Of Death".

According to a press release, "CARNIVORE's musical style is based on old-school elements with a modern and progressive touch, as well as an philosophical and occult lyrical element."

CARNIVORE is:

Daniel Ocic Sundberg - Vocals
Tobias Pettersson - Guitar
Jonas Davidsson - Guitar
Cedrik Petersson - Bass
Marcus Nieminen - Drums

This message was posted in AETERNUS official Facebook page: «Preparing some songs for Vgandr so he can put basslines on them. Working on Intros and melodies there. Working on vocals, arrange vocals. Practice/Play guitar (Need my endurance back). Look for places where I might need to alter some riffs or endings in the songs. Work on 1 or 2 leads. Phobos is coming over later to set tempos for all the songs. (He won't get to play as fast as he wants in some songs, no...Me and Specter broke almost every tendon last practice following that clowns speed in a song. Haha!».

"Necropolis", the new video from American melodic metallers KAMELOT, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "Poetry For The Poisoned", which sold around 6,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was released in North America on September 14, 2010 via the group's own label, Kamelot Media Group (KMG Recordings), and in Europe on September 10 through earMUSIC/Edel. Marquee/Avalon Records made the CD available in Japan.

Commented KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood: "With this video, we gave [director] Owe [Lingvall of Village Road Film] free rein to create something unique and visually stunning. Him and his team did a fantastic job! Here you have 'Necropolis'!"

KAMELOT's recently completed North American, South American and European tours featured guest singer Fabio Lione of RHAPSODY OF FIRE following the departure of KAMELOT's longtime frontman, Roy Khan.

KAMELOT is now busy working on new songs and continuing to review audition videos from potential new singes.

"We are getting real close to making a choice," states KAMELOT bassist Sean Tibbetts.

"There are some amazingly talented singers out there.

"We are taking our time on this.

"The vocals for the new album will be done last, like always. So there is no rush to make the decision now."

In October 2011, Valley reporter Grace Bailey conducted an interview with former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing at his home at Astbury Hall in Shropshire, England. You can now watch the entire 16-minute chat below.

Downing, who recently shot down as "inaccurate" reports that he left JUDAS PRIEST because he chose to concentrate on running the 18- and nine-hole golf courses on his property, stated about his surprise departure from the group, "This is the first year that I haven't been out there with the band for a lot of years… more years than I can care to remember. It's coming up to about 40, I think, so… It's been a long, good career."

He continued, "I've been very fortunate, really, to have been able to have achieved all of my goals. And it's a great life, actually, going through life doing the thing that you always wanted to do as a youngster. I think that's one of the fantastic rewards and also, obviously, meeting a lot of people.

"It was a set of circumstances that led me to not go out [on the road with JUDAS PRIEST] this year. I was kind of geared up for it, but there was a multitude of reasons. It pretty much came down to an unsettlement on my part with working relationships.

"It's like anything else. If anybody out there is thinking it's hard to live with one woman, they should try to live with four guys and hold it together. [Laughs] It gets to be like that, but obviously, with certain things, I just wasn't completely happy with the way things were, with the way it was, [and I just felt like] it was probably best if I stepped down, and I did."

When asked if he feels happier now that he made the decision to quit the band, Downing said, "I wish things could have been different, so I could have continued. Obviously, 'cause of the passion [I had for the band]. In the [late] Sixties, I was very instrumental in creating JUDAS PRIEST, and it was a hard bullet to bite. But I thought that if this is gonna be the way that it's gonna be, then perhaps it's time to step down.

"It was a massive consideration," he added. "Obviously, the fans, who I love, and many of them have become very good friends. But I just hoped that they would appreciate that I couldn't continue with the way that I felt inside for reasons which I'll… I mean, certain reasons I will never, ever disclose.

"I have been extremely fortunate to have been able to do so many shows and tours and records, and come out of it healthy and well. But I haven't really spoken to anyone about the inner details [behind my departure from JUDAS PRIEST], really."

Regarding how he feels not being involved in the music industry anymore, Downing said, "I was wondering how I was gonna take it, but I do do stuff — go to concerts, and I'm actually helping a young band from my neck of the woods. They're called HOSTILE and I produced their record. But there's lots to do, really. I have been functioning here [at Astbury Hall] as a golf facility for a couple of years anyway, and everything is fine. I could leave home if I wanted do. But since I'm here, I do what I can when I can as best as I can. Because having Astbury, it's pretty exciting to see it coming along."

Downing, who is a founding member of the British heavy metal legends and was part of the group since 1969, announced his retirement from PRIEST in April. He has since been replaced by Richie Faulkner, most recently guitarist in the backing band for Lauren Harris (daughter of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris).

Spinefarm Records has announced the 2012 edition of the Spinefeast At Sea cruise.

The traditional SpineFeast indoor festival will once again be held aboard a ship! The cruise takes place at Tallink Baltic Princess from January 19th to January 20th, 2012. The cruise embarks from Helsinki on Thursday, January 19th at 6:30 PM and returns to Helsinki Port on January 20th at 4:30 PM.

The performing band roster has been tuned to perfection for the occasion. This will be a 20 hour metal mayhem cruise.

Performing at SpineFeast 2012: DRAGONFORCE, SWALLOW THE SUN, VIIKATE, SHINING, AMARANTHE, BOB MALMSTRÖM, PROFANE OMEN.

Cruise tickets are sold at Matka-Vekka, phone: +358-20 120 4000. Ticket prices start at 64 euro / person / cabin type B4 (+ 12 euro service fee per reservation, no service fee on bookings made through the Matka-Vekka website).

Please note: the age limit for the cruise is 20 years.

Please be advised that since this cruise travels from Helsinki to Tallinn, you might need a visa for Estonia to attend the cruise. Please check whether you need a visa before booking. Be sure to reserve your tickes NOW!

Schedules, artists, prices and the ship are subject to change without notice.

Norway's NEKROMANTHEON is releasing their new album Rise, Vulcan Spectre 13th of January in Europe and January 17th in North America. This is the band second full length album, but it is the first album released trough Indie Recordings who they signed with earlier this fall.

According to a press release, "their second full-length is even faster, filthier, and more evil than ever! With Rise, Vulcan Spectre, Nekromantheon have truly summoned the ancient Greek gods of havoc, and will let nothing stand in the way of this unholy blood offering. Worship the beast!"

Montreal-based metallers have posted the following update online:

“We are getting closer to the release date; Lookout for a brand new track next week on the release date (November 29th). It features a special guest appearance from another one of the greats. And now...

Here we go again with a new track, new to most but old to some. ‘Nothing’ is a song taken from CROWBAR's Broken Glass album (released in 1996). To be quite frank, back then the only Crowbar songs I knew (like most) were Existence is Punishment and their all-time classic All I had I gave. Sometime after Down II (2002), slower music started to be more appealing. Crowbar's music was mostly about weight be it musically or lyrically. Something that I related to while trying to find a sound for what would become Vengeful. We wouldn't sound like we do today without bands such as Crowbar and NEUROSIS. This is a tribute to the former. I took upon myself the responsibility of handling the main vocals on our rendition of the track. A rather difficult task since Mr. Windstein is the boss when it comes to guttural-meets-melodies... None Heavier.”

Guitarist Sander Gommans (TRILLIUM, HDK, ex-AFTER FOREVER) has checked in with the following update:

"In 2009 I released my first solo album called HDK - System Overload. I remixed the song 'Breakdown' quite a while ago for a possible movie soundtrack, but it's never too late to put it on YouTube, I guessn :-) Working hard on the new album...playing some tracks with the Hughes & Kettner Coreblade amp as we speak. It's a BEAST!"

HDK also featured vocalist Amanda Somerville (TRILLIUM, AVANTASIA). Check out the remix of 'Breakdown' below:

Massacre Records has announced the signing of Germany's DAVIDIAN.

Those who attended the Summer Breeze Open Air in Germany this year may already know Davidian. They were one of the New Blood Award finalists who opened the festival in the party tent.

The band from the Stuttgart area has played a lot of shows in the past years, some of them with bands such as: HEAVEN SHALL BURN, WHITECHAPEL, MILKING THE GOATMACHINE and HATEBREED.

Davidian have already released two albums: Abuse Of Power (2003, self-produced) and Hear Their Cries (2008, Limited Access Records), which was produced by Andy Classen.

In 2010 their new shouter Tobias Brasch joined the band and in May they have entered the Antfarm Studios in Aarhus, Denmark, to produce their upcoming third album with Tue Madsen.

El primer sencillo: "Pensando en ti" es nuestra particular versión del ya famoso y melancólico tema de Kansas "Dust in the Wind".
Además se incluyen dos temas nuevos y algunas rarezas.

Libreto interior con las letras de todos los temas y fotografías realizadas por nuestra amiga Carmen Molina.

El doble CD verá la luz el 13 de diciembre.

Para Mägo de Oz es algo muy especial, y nos complace compartir con vosotros esta recopilación de temas muy íntimos y momentos de nuestra vida.

Desde nuestros corazones... Salud, Rock, y Muuuuuchas Gracias Cabrones !!!

According to Night Elves Forest, Finland's TO/DIE/FOR have completed work on their new album, Samsara. Cover art is available below followed by the tracklist.

'Kissing The Flames'
'Damned Rapture'
'Cry For Love'
'Death Comes In March'
'Folie á Deux'
'Hail Of Bullets'
'Love's A Sickness'
'Raving Hearts'
'Oblivion:Vision'
'Someday Somewhere Somehow'

The album will be released in Europe on December 14th, in the US and Canada on January 17th, and in Mexico on January 19th-

KING DIAMOND bassist Hal Patino has donated his trademark skeleton pants, skeleton shirt, top hat and cream Warwick bass to the Danish Rock Museum, which will open in 2014 in the newly developed creative urban area, Musicon, situated next to the Roskilde Festival site in Roskilde.

Patino used the cream Warwick bass to record everything he has done since 2000, including the upcoming album from his son, 20-year-old Danish rock singer Maryann Cotton (born Jackie Patino).

Hal's clothes and bass will be displayed in glass cases where visitors will be able to view the items and listen to an audio track on headphones highlighting the musician's 35-year career.

When the Danish Rock Museum opens, you will be able to see, hear and feel the history of Danish popular music — told in an international perspective.

In the Studio you can record your own version of your favorite hit. On Stage you will be able to perform in front of a cheering virtual audience from Roskilde's Orange Stage. And in the "Roots Of Rock Music," you are invited to dive into the Museum's collection and explore the history of rock music.

Niclas Müller-Hansen of Sweden's Metalshrine conducted an interview with bassist Paolo Gregoletto of Florida metallers TRIVIUM when the band played in Stockholm on November 18, 2011 with IN FLAMES. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Metalshrine: Have you listened to [the METALLICA and Lou Reed collaboration] "Lulu"?

Paolo Gregoletto: Oh yeah! (laughs)

Metalshrine: What do you think of it?

Paolo Gregoletto: Eehhh, it's really weird.

Metalshrine: Do you understand it?

Paolo Gregoletto: If anyone thinks they understand it, they're on drugs. It's a weird album, man! We listened to it… When the hell did we listen to it? Oh, on the last tour. We did a show in Tampa and a couple of us drove back to Orlando for the night because we were playing there the next day and we listened to most of it. We were just like, "What the fuck is this?" It's so weird. I saw some videos of it live and I don't know, man. If those dudes are happy doing that, then more power to them, because they're still my favorite band, but it's really weird and I think everyone thinks that, too.

Metalshrine: Probably. It's pretty funny that METALLICA fans in general, hate it, but magazines like Mojo and Uncut are giving it rave reviews, like 4 out of 5 and so on.

Paolo Gregoletto: I feel that that's why they were making this album, whether they say it is or not, but I feel it's kind of to make those kind of magazines… I guess, what's the right word? Like metal's kind of the outcast and everyone looks at us like a second-class genre and it's like trying to make those people respect you more. I couldn't give a shit if those magazines would review our albums ever! I would never do an album like that to make them like us. It's so weird.

Metalshrine: I can understand why they're doing it. They've got millions of dollars and they can do whatever they want and they need something to get them out of bed.

Paolo Gregoletto: I've got a good thing to counter that. So does IRON MAIDEN. They've got millions of dollars and when they get out of bed, they play metal and they still pack arenas and they seem like they're having a good time. (laughs) I can understand that they do that and as an artist myself, I definitely don't wanna be constrained to one thing, but I also don't wanna make a non-metal record with TRIVIUM. We've established that we're a metal band and our fans love us for that But METALLICA even said that "a lot of people aren't gonna get it, but we wanna do it." and you gotta respect that they do what they wanna do. And hey, they're playing the "black album" this summer! Every time they do [something questionable], they do something cool. They made "St. Anger" and then they did "Death Magnetic" and it was like, "Alright, they've still got it." They do some interesting things sometimes. They're one of the best live bands by far.

Several TYPE O NEGATIVE fans launched a Facebook group called "Peter's Tree" dedicated to planting a tree at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York in honor of the the band's late frontman Peter Steele. And this past Monday (November 21), the oak tree dedicated to Steele was planted.

Steele, who died last year, was a nature lover. In fact, the towering frontman actually worked for the Parks Department as a supervisor before TYPE O NEGATIVE's touring and recording commitments forced him to quit the day job in order to pursue a career as a full-time musician.

Commented TYPE O NEGATIVE drummer Johnny Kelly: "[The oak tree planting is] something that's been a long time in the making. A lot of fans took it upon themselves to do something special for Peter. It is something that is in the true spirit of what Peter was about and who he was. This Peter truly would've appreciated."

Steele passed away on April 14, 2010 from heart failure. He was 48 years old.

"Going through a midlife crisis and having many things change very quickly made me realize my mortality," he told Decibel magazine in 2007. "And when you start to think about death, you start to think about what's after it. And then you start hoping there is a God. For me, it's a frightening thought to go nowhere. I also can't believe that people like Stalin and Hitler are gonna go to the same place as Mother Teresa."

U.K.'s Rhythm magazine recently conducted an interview with METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Rhythm: Going back to the "Garage Days" EP — didn't you start playing "Run To The Hills"?

Ulrich: "We've always been around English people. In those years all our tour managers, our minders, our crew guys were all Brits and so there was always a very strong sense of English cynicism and sarcasm and a bit of twisted humour. We all incredible MAIDEN fans, obviously, and I don't think METALLICA would be where METALLICA is today if it wasn't for IRON MAIDEN, not only paving the way but also for just inspiring me in 1981 to form a band. We were sitting there recording the 'Garage' thing in L.A. and it was a pretty loosey-goosey set of sessions and one day we started going into 'Run To The Hills' which is one of those things that anybody could attempt at any time.

"Sometimes those harmonies could be a bit tricky for a few of the guitar guys and I think a few of them were slightly off-whack. There may have been a couple of people who thought that we were taking the piss, but obviously it was meant as a tribute in our own perverse METALLICA way having been around basically nothing but English people for the better part of the previous five years. I'm sure no ill will was taken. About a year later, I think it was right when we finished the 'Justice' album, I had been in New York mastering the album and MAIDEN were playing at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, it was probably July of '88. I went out and went to the gig. Obviously at that time, whenever you went anywhere you were pretty lubed up and continued to be as lubed up as possible. I was standing behind Nicko [McBrain], they were doing the 'Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son' tour, and I was watching him, hanging out. I think 'Run To The Hills' was the first encore and he handed me the sticks and pointed. I was like, 'Huh?' I crawled up the stairs and I remember hearing Bruce [Dickinson] introduce me, then I started playing 'Run To The Hills' in front of 20,000 people. I may have gotten just about as far as I did on the METALLICA version that came out. The whole thing was a complete clusterfuck and I don't even think we got through the first verse. Note to self, don't play drums in public when drinking! We gave it our best shot but I don't think we even made it to the first chorus."

Rhythm: Ever talked drums with Nicko?

Ulrich: "That's not my bag so much. I'm more interested in how they function as people than how they tune their snare drums so when I'm around other drummers that inspire me I'm more interested in who they are and what makes them tick, bigger picture stuff than what their secret snare tuning is. I don't think I have that relationship with a lot of other drummers, it doesn't do that much for me, that type of stuff. I can barely tune my own snare drum! Being around creative people is inspiring to me and I love to try to understand what their inspirations are. I'm very interested in musical lineage and history. I'll sit and talk with Nicko about when he did that with TRUST or when he did this with so-and-so. Every time I've even looked at his drum kit, it's so overwhelming and frightening. He's got one of the biggest set ups in rock'n'roll — I try to be a little more low-profile — but I've never done any of the technical wizardry stuff with them."

Rhythm: You and Nicko are both very animated on stage

Ulrich: "I have spotted that, yes. It's the feeling, you get up on stage in front of 20,000 people and it goes to another level. Nicko was always great and obviously still is great because he has personality and there is an approachability about him. People really felt that he was enjoying himself and there was something slightly nutty about him but never Keith Moon level, it was never scary. He just really enjoyed what he was doing. I've always really enjoyed playing. People talk to me about, 'Why do you stick your tongue out while you're playing?' I don't have an answer for that, it just happens. I'm the one that has to sit and look at the pictures, I know it looks ridiculous, it just happens. I turn into this little gremlin. There is no cosmic thought or premeditated thing."

Former EUROPE guitarist Kee Marcello and his manager, TMS Management, are currently "negotiating with a lot of major world famous acts" for the first-ever KeeFest, set to take place June 28-30, 2012 on the Åby racetrack in Mölndal, Sweden, right outside Gothenburg. According to TMS, "It goes without saying that Kee Marcello will be performing — not only with Kee Marcello band, but also with some of his former bands.

"As it has, the location of KeeFest is ideal: Gothenburg is located just 316 km from Copenhagen, 294 km from Oslo, 468 km from Stockholm and 270 km from Malmö.

"Besides Scandinavia, the whole continent is litterally around the corner; Germany is only 500 km away. With only a few hours by car, train or boat we reach over 40 million people.

"The huge audience capacity of Åby racetrack is creating some amazing scenarios: the blues/jazz/folk/acoustic stage (double the size of Ullevi football stadium); the main stage (four times the size of Ullevi football stadium!)."

Greek heavy/progressive metallers NEED have released a new video, for the song 'Inbetween', taken from their second album, Siamese God. Siamese God was re-released through Germany's SAOL Music in September.

'Inbetween' is the second video off of Siamese God, after the video for the song 'War/ning'. The video was directed by Need's guitarist, Ravaya, and features well knowned Greek actresses Maria Skoula and Alkistis Poulopoulou.