"Strix Maledictae In Aeternum", the new album from the Italian symphonic black metal band OPERA IX, will be released on January 24, 2012 in Europe and February 28, 2012 in North America via Agonia Records. The CD, which is described in a press release as "a great opera dedicated to the dark ages of medieval witchcraft," was recorded at the Occultum studios, owned by the OPERA IX guitarist Ossian, and was mastered at the Necromorbus Studio in Alvik, Sweden. The artwork was created by Kris Verwimp.

Bassist Lars Lindén of Swedish thrashers CARNAL FORGE has issued the following update:

"Since all the members have chosen to drop off CARNAL FORGE due to different reasons to work on new projects, CARNAL FORGE will take a pause and the band will be put on ice for an unspecified time.

"I don't know if there will ever be another CARNAL FORGE album or if we'll play live again. I sure do hope so and I will work for it, but only the future will tell.

"The material of 20 songs, that I over the last year have written for CARNAL FORGE's seventh album, will now be put a into a new thrash metal project called DELERIUM. Working album title for the debut is 'Friendly Fire'. Album cover and songtitles are set, but to be revealed later on. At the moment I'm recording pre-production versions of all of the new songs in my home studio.

"It's great fun to be back on my main instrument, guitar, again."

MOTÖRHEAD took part in an interview and live performance on this past Tuesday night's (November 22) edition of the "Die Harald Schmidt Show" (English: "The Harald Schmidt Show"), the German late-night talk show hosted by comedian Harald Schmidt on the German television network Sat.1. You can now watch video footage of the band's appearance by following the links below.

ENGEL — the Gothenburg, Sweden-based quintet featuring guitarists Marcus Sunesson (THE CROWN) and Niclas Engelin (PASSENGER, ex-GARDENIAN, IN FLAMES), vocalist Mangan Klavborn, drummer Jimmy Olausson (ex-MARIONETTE) and bassist Steve Drennan (LOCUS) — will enter Antfarm studios in Aabyhøj, Denmark next week to begin recording its third album, "Blood Of Saints", for a spring 2012 release. According to the group, the new CD "is going to be a good mixture between both [previous ENGEL efforts] 'Threnody' [2010] and 'Absolute Design' [2007], but with some new angles as well! If you liked 'Threnody', you will LOVE 'Blood Of Saints'!"

ENGEL played two shows with
The band recently recorded two songs with Hellmans Drengar. One of the tracks, "In Darkness", was released as a single.

"Threnody" was released in Europe on November 8, 2010 and in the U.S. on January 11, 2011 via Season Of Mist. The CD was issued in Japan on April 20, 2010 via Avex.

ENGEL recorded "Threnody" at PUK studio in Gjerlev, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, HIMSA, SICK OF IT ALL).

The band was previously signed to SPV Records which issued ENGEL's debut album, "Absolute Design", in 2007.

On November 24th, 1991, Freddie’s struggle against AIDS ended when he passed away just over 24 hours after he had publicly announced he had the disease. Musicians and fans from all over the world paid their highest respects as the passing of rock’s most innovative, flamboyant ambassador signified the end of an era at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium on April 20, 1992 which gave birth to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, the AIDS charity set up in Freddie’s memory by the remaining members of Queen and Freddie’s Executor, Jim Beach.

Agence France Press, the third largest news agency in the world, have syndicated this piece worldwide today having consulted with Queen Productions Ltd.

***

Queen still reigns 20 years on from Mercury's death

By Robin Millard

LONDON — Freddie Mercury died 20 years ago on Thursday but his star has only burned brighter in the two decades since, with Queen and their larger-than-life frontman as popular as ever.

The British rockers, marking their 40th anniversary this year, are among the world's biggest-selling artists ever -- with most of their sales coming in the 20 years since Mercury died.

Queen's guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor are busier than ever and Mercury's songs such as "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Don't Stop Me Now" still endure as classics.

The Independent on Sunday newspaper said the singer's death "seemed a mere hiccup in his career".

In the years since, Mercury's stock has risen, with a new generation of artists citing Queen among their influences, including Lady Gaga, Robbie Williams, Foo Fighters and Muse.

Mercury, 45, died at his London home on November 24, 1991. He had been diagnosed HIV positive several years earlier and died of bronchial pneumonia, brought on by AIDS.

Queen's lead singer is remembered for his captivating live performances, spellbinding vocals and enduring hits including "We Are The Champions", "Killer Queen", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love".

The jukebox musical "We Will Rock You", launched in 2002, still plays to a packed house in London and has been staged around the world from Australia to South Africa, Japan, Europe and Las Vegas.

With interest still high, a film about Mercury, starring Borat creator Sacha Baron Cohen, is in the pipeline, focusing on the years leading up to Queen's stellar performance at the Live Aid concert in 1985.

"Even though physically he is not here, his presence seems more potent than ever," May wrote in a blog marking Mercury's 65th birthday in September.

"He will always epitomise the perfect frontman -- the consummate channel of communication between a band and an audience.

"He devoured life. He celebrated every minute. And, like a great comet, he left a luminous trail which will sparkle for many a generation to come."

In a statement on November 23, 1991, Mercury confirmed from his death bed that he had AIDS.

Within 24 hours he had fallen into a coma and passed away, having handled his illness in private and never complained of his suffering.

As one of the highest-profile victims of AIDS, his death brought greater awareness of the virus and helped remove the stigma from a disease now ravaging southern Africa.

In a 1987 interview, Mercury told journalist David Wigg he had no fears of becoming a lonely, rich 70-year-old.

"I've lived a full life and if I'm dead tomorrow, I don't give a damn. I really have done it all," he said.

Born Farrokh Bulsara on September 5, 1946 to a Parsi Indian family living on the East African spice island of Zanzibar and educated at an English-style boarding school in India, the shy teenager arrived in London when his family fled the 1964 Zanzibar revolution.

The classic image of Mercury is him in his 1986 touring costume, moustachioed and with one fist raised to the sky, a pose captured in the statue of him in Montreux on the Swiss shores of Lake Geneva.

When they felt able, his three bandmates painstakingly produced full tracks from scraps of vocals an ailing Mercury had recorded there in 1991, in precious hours when he could muster the strength.

Once he could no longer record, Mercury decided to come off his medication.

The subsequent album, "Made In Heaven", released in 1995, is one of Queen's best sellers.

Facing up to life without Mercury was tough.

May plunged into severe depression, having also lost his father and his marriage and contemplated suicide.

Like May, Taylor produced two solo albums in the 1990s, but despite their efforts to move on from Queen, they learned to embrace their legacy.

Bassist John Deacon retired in 1997 and has vanished from the public eye, though May and Taylor have his blessing to carry on.

Launching the rock theatrical "We Will Rock You" in 2002 was a gamble that paid off, breathing new life into Queen's music by allowing fans to enjoy their hits played live.

More than 13 million people have seen it worldwide, including 5.5 million at London's Dominion Theatre.

A sequel is planned, using songs not in the existing musical, though the original keeps packing out theatres.

Queen went back on the road again in 2005 when they joined forces with former Free singer Paul Rodgers.

Their collaboration spawned giant arena tours plus a studio album "The Cosmos Rocks" (2008) before Rodgers returned to his solo career.

One outdoor show in Kharkiv -- Queen's first in Ukraine -- played to 350,000 people, highlighting the enduring support for the band.

KISS' official web site, KissOnline.com, has been updated with the following message:

"Twenty years ago today, our friend Eric Carr passed away after losing his battle with cancer. Over the eleven years Eric spent with KISS, he played over 800 concerts to millions of fans around the world, and he brought joy to and touched the lives of so many people. Here are some thoughts and memories that the band would like to share."

Paul Stanley (guitar, vocals): "At a time when KISS was in the midst of upheaval and turmoil, Eric brought calm and an optimism that refocused our priorities so we could move forward. I can't overstate his contribution to our rebirth. His dedication to his music was only matched by his dedication to his fans. He was a kind soul who couldn't say an unkind word about anyone and I think of him all the time."

Eric Singer (drums): "Eric Carr was a beloved member of KISS for eleven years. His drumming was as powerful as his love and devotion for the fans and remains in the hearts of many to this day..."

Tommy Thayer (guitar): "Eric Carr was a special person and a friend. He would always go out of his way to be friendly and say something nice. I remember the band was mixing 'Hot In The Shade' back in 1989 at Cherokee Studios in L.A. 'Hot In The Shade' was a mish-mash of sorts and everyone was throwing in their two cents on the mix — you know, 'Turn up the guitars, turn up the bass...' I was listening and remember saying to the engineer, 'Where's the drums?' At the end of the night, Eric quietly pulled me aside and said, 'Thanks for mentioning the drums.' He appreciated that... A good guy."

Gene Simmons (bass, vocals): "I never knew anyone more humble in my life. Eric Carr was a kind soul who never said anything bad about anybody. He was also a double threat on drums, and vocals. I miss him."

IRON MAIDEN frontman and pilot Bruce Dickinson has vowed to resurrect a UK airline which has gone into administration.

Bruce Dickinson, IRON MAIDEN singer and airline pilot, will be doing more rather than less in the aviation industry following the closure of Astraeus Airlines with whom he was a Boeing 757 captain.

Gatwick-based Astraeus went into administration on Monday, November 21 — and by coincidence Dickinson was captain on the very last flight, operated on behalf of BMI, from Jeddah to Manchester.

Bruce Dickinson said: "I'm amused that the less well informed seem to be portraying me as having to resort to busking on the streets following the closure of Astraeus. The more astute members of my circle are aware there's rather more going on in my world.

"Firstly, I'm already working on a plan to try to save Astraeus, or at least create a new business with new jobs for my friends and former colleagues at Astraeus. This is a serious plan involving people who are very good at their jobs.

"Frankly, now Astraeus has been relieved of the business model imposed upon it by Icelandic owners, who, to be honest, perhaps did not fully appreciate the way the key commercial aviation markets operated, I see the potential for a viable operation should acquisition of the company prove achievable. There is no reason why the original business model, which established Astraeus as possibly the best and most successful organisation in its sector, cannot be resurrected to the benefit of former employees and airline partners and clients alike.

"Secondly, I am also involved in a project which could mean the creation of as many as 1,500 jobs in aerospace in South Wales. That could be a very good news story.

"Thirdly, I'm a long way into the development of a flight training company — Real World Aviation — which will be perfectly placed to help address the aviation industry's perennial challenge: producing new and qualified pilots. For some reason, even in difficult economic times, there is still a shortage of qualified commercial pilots

"I'm extremely upbeat about these opportunities, particularly the potential for a revival, in some form, of Astraeus. The removal of Icelandic ownership from the mix has removed a huge burden and barrier to the redevelopment potential. The enthusiasm is also fuelled by the deluge of messages I received from the second I switched on my phone after landing the last Astraeus flight on Monday, and, of course, the interest of a number of prospective investors.

"I will be back at the controls of a commercial airliner before I am very much older — but I may also be at the controls of the company that operates that airliner, and others like it."

Dickinson flew IRON MAIDEN, its 60-member crew and 12 tons of equipment around the world on the band's own customized Boeing 757, Ed Force One.

According to Reuters, Jimi Hendrix was named the greatest guitar player in history by Rolling Stone magazine in a list compiled by a panel of music experts and top guitar players.

"Jimi Hendrix exploded our idea of what rock music could be: He manipulated the guitar, the whammy bar, the studio and the stage," said RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Tom Morello in the magazine, citing Hendrix's "Purple Haze" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" as key tracks.

The panel of experts recruited to vote for their favorite guitar players included musicians such as Morello, METALLICA's Kirk Hammett, ALICE IN CHAINS' Jerry Cantrell, the SMASHING PUMPKINS' Billy Corgan, MÖTLEY CRÜE's Mick Mars, PEARL JAM's Mike McCready and MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine. McCready called Eddie Van Halen "a master of riffs" and Joe Perry praised Jimmy Page's "vision of how to transcend the stereotypes of what the guitar can do."

Below is a list of some of the hard rockers in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

01. Jimi Hendrix
03. Jimmy Page (LED ZEPPELIN)
08. Eddie Van Halen (VAN HALEN)
24. Angus Young (AC/DC)
25. Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH)
36. Randy Rhoads (OZZY OSBOURNE)
40. Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE)
65. Slash (GUNS N' ROSES)
73. Kurt Cobain (NIRVANA)
87. James Hetfield (METALLICA)
92. "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (PANTERA)

At last, the definitive MASTODON merchandise item that brings the band's latest album, "The Hunter", to life is available and ready for holiday purchase now! "The Hunter" mask is 100 percent hand-made, painted and assembled. These custom masks are made from a thick plastic and were made locally in the Los Angeles area by a special-effects company. They are limited and hand-numbered on the inside, very comfortable to wear and by no means subtle.

Fly your MASTODON pride boldly in the face of "The Hunter" for $39.99 while they last.

Genk, Belgium-based female-fronted metallers NIGHTQUEEN have inked a deal with Massacre Records. The band's full-length debut, "For Queen And Metal", is scheduled for release on February 24, 2012.

A promotional video for the song "Lady Fantasy", which is set to appear on "For Queen And Metal", can be seen below.

NIGHTQUEEN was formed in late 2004 by guitarist and main songwriter Rex Zeco. The formula was simple: strong guitar riffs, upgraded with the modern metal beats and a melodic melody with catchy tunes that are stuck in the head for a long time.

Following the news earlier this week that Astraeus Airlines has sadly now ceased operations, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson has disclosed he is currently working on a number of new aviation-related projects, some of which may involve his former Astraeus colleagues. One of his new ventures, which you will already be familiar with, is the upcoming Bruce Air Flight 666 Experience in the Boeing 737 Simulator.

Bruce's commitment to his aviation career remains as passionate as ever, and he wanted to reassure all MAIDEN fans that this includes the continuation of the Bruce Air fan club trips and more touring with Ed Force One at some point in the future.

Comments Bruce: "The good news is that Ed Force One will fly again, and we have time to prepare so there should be no problems the next time we need her. In the meantime, I'll get on with the business of flying until MAIDEN are out on the road again!"

STONE SOUR and SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor played the fourth show of his solo tour this past Friday night (November 18) at Trees in Dallas, Texas. Called "An Evening With Corey Taylor", the concerts feature Taylor doing both spoken-word and acoustic performances, along with question-and-answer sessions with the audience.

When asked by an audience member about his experience working with legendary producer Rick Rubin (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SLAYER, AUDIOSLAVE, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, METALLICA) on SLIPKNOT's 2004 album, "Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)", Corey said (see video below), "That's a dangerous, dangerous question. . . Now, there are some people who would love for me to just be [politically correct] and toe the party line, which is, basically, [to say] 'You know, working with Rick Rubin was a very enriching experience. He is truly a great mind. . .' Let me give you the fucking truth of it. Rick Rubin showed up for 45 minutes a week. Yeah. Rick Rubin would then, during that 45 minutes, lay on a couch, have a mic brought in next to his face so he wouldn't have to fucking move. I swear to God. And then he would be, like, 'Play it for me.' The engineer would play it. And he had shades on the whole time. Never mind the fact that there is no sun in the room — it's all dark. You just look like an asshole at that point. And he would just stroke his huge beard and try and get as much food out of it as he could. And he would go, 'Play it again.' And then he'd be, like, 'Stop! Do that over.' And he had an assistant who was seven feet tall. He had that disease where you can't grow hair on your body, so he was just bald. He looked like Mr. Clean's neurotic cousin. But he basically ran Rick Rubin's life — like, he was just fucking on it, on it, on it, on it. About half way through our precious 45 minutes, he would bring in this plate of shit. I assume it was food. It was bluish green. It smelled like someone had just plunged a fucking toilet somewhere. And he would eat it as fast as he could — just get it in there, all over himself. Which is, when you're working, so wonderful to look at . . . I will say this: I respect what Rick Rubin has done, I respect the work that he has done in the past to get to where he is now. But… this is a huge but… this is a J.Lo-sized 'but...' I will say this: The Rick Rubin of today is a thin, thin, thin shadow of the Rick Rubin that he was. He is overrated, he is overpaid, and I will never work with him again as long as I fucking live."

In a 2008 interview with Revolver magazine, SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn Crahan stated about working with Rick Rubin, "'Vol. 3' was all about rebuilding friendships and since we were rebuilding, it was reall easy to rebuild the innovation of our music. Listen to that fucking record. It's spiritual. Rick Rubin's the oracle. He sat us down with each other. I heard things from the other members I don't care to repeat. I gained a couple of friends. I might have created a couple of enemies. We all agreed we were going to get on a plateau of communication and that's what we did."

In the same article, SLIPKNOT guitarist Jim Root was quoted as saying about Rubin, "Rick was really attentive to what we needed as a band. He knew I was going through major anxiety. I got a knock on my bedroom door one day, and his assistant came up and he had this herbal drop that you put on your tongue to mellow out. A lot of the guys in the band say Rick was unavailable. And yeah, he takes on a lot of projects at one time, but he also does things that are beneficial. He would listen to what we'd done, then have us retrack things that needed work. He's kind of like Big Brother up on the hill. Even though he wasn't there physically every day, he was. That's my favorite record we've done."

Also speaking to Revolver, Corey said, "I wouldn't know what it's like to work with Rick Rubin. I only saw him about four times. Rick Rubin is a nice man. He's done a lot of good for a lot of people. He didn't do anything for me. I'm not happy with the vocals on that record. There were a lot of takes that I thought were much better than the ones they fuckin' used and I wasn't asked about a lot of shit. It sounds amazing; the songs are great. But we were being charged horrendous amounts of money. And for me, if you're going to produce something, you're fucking there. I don't care who you are."

Matthew Wilkening of Ultimate Classic Rock recently conducted an interview with vocalist Rob Halford of British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Ultimate Classic Rock: Is it true you've got a bunch of songs done for your next album?

Halford: We do, yeah! Glenn [Tipton, guitar] and I started to write in the early part of January this year. We just went to it from the heart really, there was no specific agenda or idea, as opposed to what we had to do with "Nostradamus", which was very focused and a real anchor of a project. This one has just been some straight-forward, classic British heavy metal. Some of it feels a bit like "Painkiller", some of it feels like "Sad Wings Of Destiny", some like "British Steel". We didn't do much research, we didn't bother checking some of our previous releases, we didn't do any homework, we just sat down and played, you know? Glenn came up with riffs and I came up with vocal melodies. There was no outside influence or interference in the writing sessions. We just started the day, plugged in some amps, got the mic up and made the metal that way. It's a very pure record, in that respect.

Ultimate Classic Rock: Were you surprised the response to your "American Idol" appearance was so positive?

Halford: Nothing surprises us now. That's not to slight the importance of "American Idol". I think what I'm trying to say, it's just that, when you've been in and seen and done as much as we have in JUDAS PRIEST, and we say that with tremendous gratitude, not with cynicism… you know. It was really special to be invited to that great show — and we call it a great show, because the essence of it is really important — it's just a nice, big strong way to introduce new vocal talent to America. To be there for James Durbin and to be there for heavy metal, in 30-million-plus American homes that night, was tremendously exciting. Whatever we do, there may have been some people who said, "Aww, why is my PRIEST on that chump show 'American Idol'?" Well, it ain't a chump show, it's a very important music show, and for the first time ever, heavy metal was in the mix.

Ultimate Classic Rock: Hopefully some young, impressionable kids were watching..

Halford: Well, yeah, that's exactly why we jumped in with both feet! James is spreading the message, James is hardcore metal maniac. This is a great way for a lot of people who didn't know about metal to see PRIEST and see this new talent James rocking out and delivering the goods.

Ultimate Classic Rock: You recently did a 30th anniversary "British Steel" tour. Any such plans next year for "Screaming For Vengeance"?

Halford: The thing is, of course, there was a period where PRIEST was literally making a brand new record every year — I don't know how we did that! It was amazing. We'd come off a big world tour, catch our breath and go straight into the studio and keep, you know, making new music, that's how it was in those days. So now, it seems like anniversary after anniversary is coming up. In all honesty, we would love do it. But (laughs) in practical real world, it's not possible. That's not to say we might not do something like that in the future, but "British Steel" was very important for JUDAS PRIEST, and probably for heavy metal, to an extent. There were songs on that record that crossed over and went into people's lives through rock and roll radio for the first time ever.

Frontiers Records has announced the signing of DOKKEN for the worldwide release of the band's forthcoming studio album in the spring of 2012.

The cooperation between Frontiers and DOKKEN started with the European release of the group's "Lightning Strikes Again" CD in 2007. The album marked a return to DOKKEN's signature style with melodic hooklines and blazing guitar riffs that epitomized the band's sound on such records as "Tooth And Nail", "Under Lock And Key", "Back For The Attack" and "Dysfunctional".

"So far we have written 10 songs in only eight weeks," says singer Don Dokken. "Usually we spend a year or more on our music. I can't explain why this time it came so fast; it just happened. So far the music is very uptempo and heavy. Of course we know our fans like the classic DOKKEN sound and this is where our new music is headed. It's been a band of brothers doing what we love: 'music.'"

DOKKEN plans to finish the new album recordings by the end of February and go out on the road in June.

"In a perfect world, we would like to release the new album before the summer and then play the festivals in Europe. Then hopefully we can jump on a package tour in the U.S.," says Don Dokken. "We want to give everyone a great CD that will keep all music fans 'rokkin'' during these troubled times!"

DOKKEN's current lineup consists of Don Dokken on lead vocals, Jon Levin on guitar, Sean McNabb on bass and Mick Brown on drums.

DOKKEN's greatest-hits package, "Greatest Hits 2" — a collection of all-new versions of tracks such as "Dream Warriors", "Breaking the Chains" and "Just Got Lucky", paired two new songs and two covers (including a version of "Lies", originally recorded by THE KNICKERBOCKERS, available on the Japanese version of the CD only) — was released in Japan on April 21, 2010 via King Records and in the U.S. on Cleopatra's Deadline Records imprint.
DOKKEN's latest album "Lightning Strikes Again", was released in the U.S. on May 13, 2008 via Rhino Records. and definite return" to the band's classic sound, according to a press release.

In addition to the regular European version of "Lightning Strikes Again", Frontiers released a special limited edition of the CD on April 11, 2008 in a glossy slipcase. The limited-edition version included an exclusive bonus track for Europe, entitled "Sunset Superstar".

Swedish death metal juggernaut THE FORSAKEN has signed a European deal with the German label Massacre Records. The band's fourth album is tentatively due in the spring. The CD, which will be mixed at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden, will feature the same trademark THE FORSAKEN sound and hellish groove established on previous releases ("Manifest Of Hate" [2001], "Arts Of Desolation" [2002] and "Traces Of The Past" [2003], all of which were released worldwide via Century Media Records), as well as showcased during European road work with such bands as NILE, THE HAUNTED, GRAVE, SOILWORK and CALIBAN.

THE FORSAKEN's current lineup consists of almost all original members, the latest addition being guitarist Calle Fäldt (ex-DERANGED, FEARED CREATION), who replaces Stefan Holm. A full-time member since winter of 2010, Calle is a perfectly adjusted wheel in the machinery of THE FORSAKEN, fitting perfectly both in his string execution and in the band's chemistry.

Atlanta's NORMA JEAN is hitting the road one last time this year with the headlining "Pizza Riot 2011" U.S. tour. The trek will kick off on November 29 in Savannah, Geogia and will make stops nationwide before concluding in Asheville, North Carolina on December 18. The December run will be the last time fans can see NORMA JEAN in the U.S. for some time. The band will hit the studio to record its sixth full-length album before taking off on a European tour with THE CHARIOT in February 2012 — the first time the bands will tour Europe and Russia together.

NORMA JEAN is currently writing material for the follow-up to 2010's critically acclaimed "Meridional" and will begin recording the effort in January with producer Jeremy Griffith.

"After making 'Meridional', we really didn't know what we were going to do next. It's hard to imagine that after coming out of so much work and thought being poured into something, but we're starting to see this new record take shape and all I can say right now is it's going to be nasty," said NORMA JEAN lead vocalist Cory Brandan. "If anything, 'Meridional' ended up inspiring us to continue moving forward and doing what we love to do. We also moved our writing space out of Atlanta this time for a new atmosphere where I live in Arkansas. We isolated ourselves a lot more and spent a lot of time together. We're really excited and are having a blast."

The metal juggernaut known as HELLYEAH — featuring Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN), Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE), Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE) and Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN) — has tapped Jeremy Parker (GODSMACK, EVANESCENCE) to mix the band's third album for an early 2012 release. The CD was recorded at Abbott's home in Arlington, Texas, where he has a studio set up.

Commented Vinnie Paul: "Havin' a blast workin' with Jeremy Parker! These mixes are crushing and I'm back to my trademark drum sound!! Heavy slammin' grooves!"

The next chapter in Relapse's DEATH reissue campaign is Vivus!, a deluxe 2CD collection compiling two separate Death concerts.

Each recorded in 1998, Disc One features the band at the height of their prowess tearing the roof off of the infamous Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles while Disc Two is a brilliant recording of the band on the festival stage at Dynamo Open Air.

Vivus! is set for a February 28th North American release date, March 2nd in the Benelux / Germany, and March 5th in the UK and rest of Europe. Vivus! follows the recent Relapse Records reissues of Individual Though Patterns, The Sound of Perseverance and Human. Like those reissues, this collection will contain extensive liner notes from Death insiders and never-before-seen photos of the band.

Pre-order options and additional release information to follow.

Vivus! tracklisting:

Disc 1 - Live In L.A. – 1998

'The Philosopher'
'Spirit Crusher'
'Trapped In A Corner'
'Scavenger Of Human Sorrow'
'Crystal Mountain'
'Flesh And The Power It Holds'
'Zero Tolerance'
'Zombie Ritual'
'Suicide Machine'
'Together As One'
'Empty Words'
'Symbolic'
'Pull The Plug'

Disc 2 - Live In Eindhoven – 1998

'The Philosopher'
'Trapped in a Corner'
'Crystal Mountain'
'Suicide Machine'
'Together As One'
'Zero Tolerance'
'Lack Of Comprehension'
'Flesh and the Power It Holds'
'Flattening of Emotions'
'Spirit Crusher'
'Pull the Plug'

cclaimed progressive extreme metal all-stars BLOTTED SCIENCE — featuring guitarist/mastermind Ron Jarzombek (WATCHTOWER, TERRESTRIAL EXILED, SPASTIC INK), bassist Alex Webster (CANNIBAL CORPSE, HATE ETERNAL), and drummer Hannes Grossmann (OBSCURA, TERRESTRIAL EXILED) — have posted the "Ingesting Blattaria" visual companion piece, the third in a series of four "scored" videos in conjuction with their newly released "The Animation Of Entomology" EP.

Commented Jarzombek: "With everyone sitting down to eat their Thanksgiving turkey tomorrow, I can't think of anything better to go with the stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, and pumpkin pie than... a swarm of roaches! Gobble, gobble!"

"The Animation Of Entomology", which was released in the U.S. on October 4 via Jarzombek's EclecticElectric label, will be made available in Europe on November 28 through Basick Records. The cover art was created by Atlanta, Georgia-based artist Richard Morley of Morley Arts and can be seen below.

Described as "a cross between CANNIBAL CORPSE, SPASTIC INK, and a Bugs Bunny cartoon," "The Animation Of Entomology" takes Jarzombek's fascination with animated cartoons and creepy crawlies to a whole new level. Having experimented with writing complex pieces of music to sync up with movie sequences in the past with his previous outfit SPASTIC INK, the concept has now been applied to BLOTTED SCIENCE over the course of seven songs and a total of 24 minutes of music.

Heavy music innovators PRONG have entered the studio with producer Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SYMPHONY X, SEPULTURA, HATEBREED) to begin recording their new album for an early 2012 release via Long Branch Records/SPV.

"[Steve] understands PRONG in a way no other producer we've ever worked with has," says PRONG guitarist/vocalist Tommy Victor.

"We have a lot of history and have always evolved as a band. The goal for all of us was to take all of that and make a definitive PRONG album."

In other news, PRONG is featured in Decibel magazine's "Thrash Metal Hall Of Fame" special issue in an article detailing the making of 1990's benchmark album "Beg To Differ".

Founded in 1986, PRONG is considered to be a pioneer of the American post-hardcore and post-metal scenes whose influence is still being felt today.

In an October 2009 interview with Target Audience, Victor stated about the songwriting process for PRONG's next album, "The earlier batch was not like 'Power of the Damager' material. Just to be more general, it was more of a reach towards the 'Rude Awakening' or KILLING JOKE-type material. Then I came up with a couple of, like, you know, brutal thrash ideas and then some other ideas for, uh, total riff rock — like not like modern. I think they sort of go back into the 'Cleansing' era where it was based on GODFLESH or something and then I'll have too see…I've started attacking the riffs again and seem to be in that vein of BLACK SABBATH-oriented or more than we've done. I think it's gonna be cool eventually. It's just like getting the right ideas finding out where we're out going and like throwin' 'em all together and taking a look at it."

He added, "It's all about songs. I mean, PRONG is a songwriting band, ya know? That's why it takes so long, because we just don't go in and have this formula of patterns and, ya know, or just record some really heavy stuff and scream all over it; I have to figure out a lyrical concept and a lyrical line and the lyrics. And I gotta do all that and then, of course, solos and there's a lot on me on the whole thing, unfortunately."

PRONG's last release was "Power Of The Damn Mixxxer", the remix counterpart to the band's 2007 album "Power of The Damager". Victor previously stated about the collection, "We are really excited about this remix compilation of 'Power Of The Damager' material. We feel the LP was overlooked and in some cases ignored. But the added elements provided by the great remixers, producers, and deejays infused with all the tracks make 'Power Of The Damn Mixxxer' an interesting yet enjoyable listening experience."

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-based metallers 3 INCHES OF BLOOD are preparing to enter Vogville Studios and Profile Studios in the band's hometown with engineer and producer Terry "Sho" Murray to begin recording their fifth full-length album for a 2012 release via Century Media Records.

Commented guitarist Shane Clark: "We're in pre-production mode here in East Van and we're writing our next blood-soaked metal masterpiece!! We are keeping true metal alive, so fuck trends brothers and sisters!! Stay metal!!! You will hear from us very soon!!"

Murray previously worked on 3 INCHES OF BLOOD's latest seven-inch single, "Anthems For The Victorious", which came out this past spring.

Starting this Tuesday, November 22, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH fans will be able to get the brand new cover art for the band's current album, "American Capitalist". It features an illustration of the group's ubiquitous "mascot," Knucklehead, over the backdrop of Times Square in New York City.

"We are the people's band, and a lot of fans really liked this alternative artwork we had on the tour posters," explains guitarist Zoltan Bathory. "So many times we heard, 'THAT should be the album coverm' so we figured we'd make it happen. If you like the original cover, that's cool, too — I guess the original will be somewhat of a limited item from now on, so there you go."

The new Knucklehead illustration will only replace the regular edition album version of "American Capitalist", while the deluxe edition artwork will remain the same.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently released the second single from "American Capitalist", "Remember Everything", which is rapidly shooting up the Active Rock chart.

MUDVAYNE guitarist Greg Tribbett has confirmed via Twitter that the band is currently on hiatus while he and singer Chad Gray "are concentrating on HELLYEAH," their band with drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN), guitarist Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE) and bassist Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN). According to Greg, HELLYEAH will be on the road for "the next two years" in support of its forthcoming third album, which is due in early 2012.

It's been almost two years since MUDVAYNE released its self-titled fifth album and little has been heard about the band since then. But in a late 2010 interview with the music blog Warwick, bassist Ryan Martinie discussed the group almost entirely in the past tense. When asked about the quartet's musical evolution, Martinie said, "I think that what we did is valuable. It's become a cog in the wheel of music in some sort of way. We are a piece of musical history now . . . We were always just responding to our environment. I always saw the band to be important as an aspect of my life, as something that was supposed to take us places that are positive, and in that sense everything that happened with the band has happened for a reason."

Martinie also hinted that he was working on his own musical project, but said, "Nothing is really solidified in terms of who I'm working with. But yes, of course, I will share it with the world when the time comes and it's something relevant that I'm happy with."

MUDVAYNE did not tour behind its fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.

Swedish death metal veterans UNLEASHED have finished recording their 11th full-length album for a spring 2012 release via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD is being produced by UNLEASHED guitarist Fredrik Folkare at his Chrome Studios in Sweden.

Commented bassist/vocalist Johnny Hedlund: "We are now ready with most of the recording; final vocals was done last week and we are very satisfied so far. We will now spend some real time on mixing this and creating a crushing sound.

"Anders [Schultz, drums] just asked me if this might be the fastest unleashed album to date. I'm not sure, but it's likely close anyhow."

UNLEASHED's most recent CD, "As Yggdrasil Trembles", sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 85 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.