PILGRIM, the three-piece doom metal band from Rhode Island, has inked a deal with Poison Tongue Records, the label of vocalist Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill of Irish pagan metal masters PRIMORDIAL. PILGRIM's debut album, "Misery Wizard", will be released in Europe on January 30, 2012 through Poison Tongue's distribution deal with Metal Blade Records.

Comments PILGRIM: "Working with Alan was an honor and a pleasure. He invested a lot of his personal time and energy into making this record happen, despite us being separated by an ocean. He's a wealth of knowledge regarding metal music and its industry, a perfect mentor for a band of young musicians like ourselves."

"Misery Wizard" track listing:

01. Astaroth
02. Misery Wizard
03. Quest
04. Masters of the Sky
05. Adventurer
06. Forsaken Man

PILGRIM is:

The Wizard - Guitar, Vocals
Count Elric The Soothsayer - Bass
Krolg, The Slayer Of Man - Drums

"Of Love And Death", the second full-length album from CROM — the German "epic metal" band led by former DARK FORTRESS guitarist Walter "Crom" Grosse — will be released on November 25 via Pure Steel Records. The follow-up to 2008's "Vengeance" was produced by Grosse himself, and engineered by Victor Bullok (a.k.a. V. Santura) at the latter's At The Crypt Studios.

The recording lineup for "Of Love And Death" consisted of Crom on vocals, guitar, bass and choirs, Seraph (DARK FORTRESS, NONEUCLID, REVAMP) on drums and V. Santura (DARK FORTRESS, TRIPTYKON, ex-CELTIC FROST) on additional guitar and choirs. Artwork for the album was once again created by the noted artist Kris Verwimp, an old friend and collaborator of Grosse's. Longtime CROM fans may recognize two tracks on the new album; "My Destiny" first appeared on the now much-sought-after 2004 demo, while "The Fallen Beauty" featured on the EP of the same name, but both have been re-recorded for "Of Love And Death".

"Of Love And Death" track listing:

01. Reason to Live
02. Lifetime - The Fallen Beauty Part II
03. Just One Blink
04. The Oceans Wide
05. My Song For All The Broken Hearts
06. My Destiny
07. This Dying World
08. Eternal Dreaming
09. The Fallen Beauty 2010 (bonus track)

BLACKFINGER, the new project featuring ex-TROUBLE vocalist Eric Wagner, has released its first single, "All The Leaves Are Brown", via Dark Star Records. The track was produced by Vincent Wojno (MACHINE HEAD, KREATOR, TROUBLE), who is currently mixing BLACKFINGER's full-length debut, to be made available in 2012.

BLACKFINGER is:

Eric Wagner - Vocals
Doug Hakes - Guitar
Rico Bianchi - Guitar
Ben Smith - Bass
Larry Piatz - Drums

A promotional video for "All The Leaves Are Brown", which can be purchased via Amazon and iTunes, is available below.

Polish female-fronted traditional heavy metal act CRYSTAL VIPER will enter MP Studio in Poland in December with producer Bart Gabriel (JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR, LONEWOLF, SABBAT) and sound engineer Mariusz Pietka to begin recording its fourth album, "Crimen Excepta". The concept effort about holy inquisition, black magic and witches, where fiction will be mixed with historical facts, will be released on April 27, 2012, via AFM Records.

Legendary guitarist Slash (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER) recently completed the first recording session for his upcoming solo album at Barefoot Recording in Hollywood, California with producer Eric Valentine (QUEENS OF STONE AGE, THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS). Joining Slash in the studio were the members of his touring band: vocalist Myles Kennedy (ALTER BRIDGE), rhythm guitarist Bobby Schneck, bassist Todd Kerns (SIN CITY SINNERS, formerly of AGE OF ELECTRIC), and drummer Brent Fitz (formerly of THEORY OF A DEADMAN).

In a brand new update on his Facebook page, Slash writes, "OK, 13 [more] songs ready to record. Three already done. Two more to finish writing before December. 12 on the record, six bonus tracks. Woohoo!"

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT will release "Contain Us", a special tribute box set for its epic quadrology ("Ki", "Addicted", "Deconstruction" and "Ghost") on November 29 in North America. "Contain Us" was designed and created by Man Alive's Tom Bejgrowicz (who also conceived the classic and must-have MISFITS "Coffin" box-set) and is the ultimate collection for every diehard Devin fan. Pre-orders are now exclusively available at CM Distro. The standard box-set is priced at $80.00 while the hand-numbered box with the 10" and a lithograph drawn and autographed by Devin is $100.

Check out pictures of the box set below.

"Contain Us" track-listing:

DVDs

DVD 1

* Tuska Open Air Metal Festival, 2010
* "Coast" promo video
* "Bend It Like Bender" promo video
* "Supercrush" promo video
* "Juular" promo video
* NAMM 2011 show

DVD 2 (Data disc with audio/video files)

* NAMM 2011 show (audio files)
* Audio commentary for all four albums
* Live in the USA, 2010 (audio files)

01. Supercrush
02. Kingdom
03. Truth
04. Om
05. By Your Command

* "Bend It Like Bender" song stems for remixing
* "Juular" song stems for remixing
* Poopynuggeteer's YouTube video clips
* Deep Thoughts videos

CDs

"Ki:

01. A Monday
02. Coast
03. Disruptr
04. Gato
05. Terminal
06. Heaven Send
07. Ain't Never Gonna Win...
08. Winter
09. Trainfire
10. Lady Helen
11. Ki
12. Quiet Riot
13. Demon League

"Addicted"

01. Addicted
02. Universe in a Ball
03. Bend It Like Bender
04. Supercrush!
05. Hyperdrive!
06. Resolve!
07. Ih-Ah!
08. The Way Home!
09. Numbered
10. Awake!!

"Deconstruction" (remastered)

01. Praise The Lowered
02. Stand
03. Juular
04. Planet Of The Apes
05. Sumeria
06. The Might Masturbator
07. Pandemic
08. Deconstruction
09. Poltergeist

"Ghost" (remastered)

01. Fly
02. Heart Baby
03. Feather
04. Kawaii
05. Ghost
06. Blackberry
07. Monsoon
08. Dark Matters
09. Texada
10. Seams
11. Infinite Ocean
12. As You Were

Official bonus tracks from all four albums:

01. Synchronicity Freaks
02. Om-2011
03. Catwalk (Fucker rework)
04. Juno
05. Ho Krll
06. Radial Highway
07. Watch You
08. Traestorz
09. Sticks And Stones

Demos from each album plus various unused/unreleased songs:

01. Coast (demo)
02. Disruptr (demo)
03. Gato Negro (demo)
04. Addicted (demo)
05. Numbered (demo)
06. Timmy (Awake! Demo)
07. Stand (demo)
08. Juular (demo)
09. Brown Man (demo)
10. Pandemic (demo)
11. Madd At My Dadd (demo)
12. Flies (Fly demo)
13. Call Management (demo)
14. Freedom (Kawaii demo)
15. Two Turntables And A Mike St-Jean (Kitchen Aid mix)

Limited Edition 10" (500 made, available in deluxe-set only)

A. Dinosaurs
B. A Ziltoidian Rapture

"Contain Us" official specs:

* A 12" x 12", 64-page, perfect bound book featuring a charcoal linen hardcover with ink-less debossing of the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT logo on the front and applicable titling on the spine.

* Housed in an uncoated, charcoal linen, hardcover slipcase — presented with a photographic portrait of Devin inset on the front and ink-less embossing of applicable titling on the spine.

* Contains the following: the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT albums: "Ki", "Addicted", "Ghost" and "Deconstruction" plus two bonus DVDs and CDs. The DVDs have one featuring live performances and all the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT promotional videos while the other has audio commentary for all four albums, live audio tracks, song stems for remixing and more. One of the audio CDs features all the bonus tracks from the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT sessions with the other having the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT session demos. "Ghost" and "Deconstruction" were both remastered just for this set.

* The four DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT albums will be housed within the front cover's pastedown while the four unreleased discs will be in the back's.

* The interior features acid free, linen-embossed charcoal end papers and museum-quality, dull text and cover stock throughout.

* The center of the book will feature a double gatefold printed on cover stock and comprised of the four album covers.

* A clean, crisp, classic-yet-modern design featuring color and black-and-white imagery throughout. Materials include Devin and the band's personal archives, photography from around the world, and any InsideOut/Devin-related photoshoots from the period.

* A permanently attached, purple fabric linen bookmark.

* This edition is limited to 5000 copies worldwide

* 500 individually-numbered, limited edition copies that include two exclusive items: A. An autographed lithographic print featuring original artwork by Devin drawn exclusively for this edition, and B. A 10" piece of vinyl featuring two exclusive tracks, "Rapture" and "Dinosaurs". Note: 250 copies of the record will be pressed on black vinyl while the other 250 are on white.

The German branch of Nuclear Blast Records recently revealed the details of a number of different formats of NIGHTWISH's upcoming album, "Imaginaerum", and the "Storytime" single.

* "Imaginaerum" mailorder edition: limited and numbered to 1000 copies, the boxset includes the double digipak, the one-track-single "Rest Calm" in its demo version featuring Marco Hietala on vocals and the exclusive "Imaginaerum" mirror.

* "Imaginaerum" two-CD digipack featuring instrumental version of the album as bonus CD.

* "Imaginaerum" marbled vinyl: Strictly limited to 250 marbled 180g double gatefold LPs including a DIN A2 poster.

* "Storytime" CD single featuring "Storytime" (radio edit), "Storytime" (album version), "Storytime" (instrumental version).

* "Storytime" single on clear, white and dark blue vinyl: Strictly limited to 250 lush 10-inch gatefold mini albums. Featuring "Storytime" (radio edit), "Storytime" (album version), "Storytime" (instrumental version).

A video trailer showing the various configurations of "Imaginaerum" can be seen below.

"Imaginaerum" is due in North America on January 10, 2012 via Roadrunner Records. The CD is the band's first since 2007's "Dark Passion Play", which was then-new singer Anette Olzon's debut.

"Sounds Of A Playground Fading", the tenth album from Swedish metallers IN FLAMES, has been certified gold in the group's home country for sales in excess of 20,000 copies.

Note: The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in Sweden has revised the sales requirements for albums to reach gold status in the country twice in the last seven years — from the pre-2002 level of 40,000 to the current 20,000.

The members of IN FLAMES were presented with "Playground" gold awards prior to their November 18, 2011 concert at Hovet in Stockholm. The awards were handed out by Razzia Records, which released the album in Sweden.

Former CATAMENIA members Ari Nissilä and Toni Kansanoja have joined forces with Lauri Tuohimaa (CHARON, EMBRAZE), Teemu Hautamäki (CHARON, NAPOLEON SKULLFUKK) and Jussi Ontero (BURNING POINT, GHOST MACHINERY, STARGAZERY) in a brand new Oulu, Finland-based metal band called DEVILSENT.

According to a press release, "This five-piece chaos machine rose revolutions in the engine after a few rehearsals and spontaneously, the shape of sound got its own soul and style. The outfit of the guys is a fresh ejection out of the grey mass, taking bearings from denied and unspoken desires, wishes and dreads, which hide in people's minds. This theme will guide their live shows in the future and will be unforgettable.

"DEVILSENT's music is a unique combination of killer guitar riffs, strict drumbeats, heavy basslines and variable vocals with choruses, which dig into the mind and stay there!"

DEVILSENT is:

* Ari Nissilä (CATAMENIA) - Guitar, Vocals
* Lauri Tuohimaa (CHARON, EMBRAZE) - Guitar, Vocals
* Toni Kansanoja (CATAMENIA, BURNING POINT) - Guitar, Vocals
* Teemu Hautamäki (CHARON, NAPOLEON SKULLFUKK) - Bass, Backing Vocals
* Jussi Ontero (BURNING POINT, GHOST MACHINERY, STARGAZERY) - Drums, Keyboards

GUNS N' ROSES singer and sole original member Axl Rose taped an hour-long interview with VH1's "That Metal Show" following the band's show in Miami on October 29, the second of its newly launched U.S. tour. The talk will air on Friday, November 11 as part of VH1 Classic's "National Metal Day" and will also include a live performance of "Live And Let Die" from the Florida concert.

Several new preview video clips of the interview can be seen below.

When asked about GUNS N' ROSES' continual stage tardiness, with long waits for Axl just as much a definite at a the band's concert as hearing "Paradise City" or "Welcome To The Jungle", Rose said, "Well, [I'm] not complaining or [saying this] to be a wuss or whatever, but a lot of times, the day of show, for some reason, [that's when] things start going wrong. People are making mistakes — you're making mistakes, they're making mistakes — and nobody even knows why. It's like things that you go, 'Well, I should know this.' It's like everybody gets hit by A.D.D. or whatever. And so, you're trying to sort through that, and get yourself in the right headspace and physical, whatever, that you've got to work through… It's more like sports and having to play the big game. I think we're doing better as far as that goes [nowadays]."

He continued, "A lot of this goes way, way back, though, to 1991 when we were super-late going on stage. And that really more has to do with I should not have been on tour. I only went on tour because of three reasons. My manager had booked a tour without authorization — he just booked a tour — and then I'm gonna be sued for it. He was also telling me that if [then-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] Slash dies of [a] heroin [overdose], or whatever, it's my fault. And Slash pushing me. I should not have agreed to that tour, but I didn't know how to get out of it after it was booked. And the only thing that started cutting down the late times was when I realized it was really being hard on the crew. The band didn't care about me, so my head wasn't about them. The public, like I said, it was a different kind of violent crowd; it was a back-and-forth thing whether they wanted you to succeed or tear you apart. But the big thing was that the crew was having trouble, that was really supportive of me, and they weren't getting enough sleep. And I didn't want anybody getting hurt. And once that happened, I started getting myself… figuring out a way to get there sooner. But it was also about trying to get the album done, get the album out. There was a lot to what was going on there. And then, I lived right behind my school and I couldn't make it to the class in grade school. I had a job at the grocery store down the street and I'm running down the street with wet hair, trying to tie my tie, and a sandwich in one hand."

Rose was reportedly asked during the session about the band's possible induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, the chances of hearing new music, the current GUNS lineup and more.

Rose also announced that LOADED, the band led by former GUNS bassist Duff McKagan, will open some shows on the current road trip.

GUNS N' ROSES reportedly did not hit the stage until midnight in Miami, keeping fans waiting for two hours after openers BUCKCHERRY finished their set. GUNS finished their show at three in the morning and the interview took place at approximately 5:30 a.m.

The reclusive, eccentric Rose has not given a m

On February 24, 2012 (February 28 in North America), Season of Mist will release a compilation of remixed tracks from MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Illud Divinum Insanus". Far from being just revamped versions of the seminal extreme metal band's newest songs, this collection will present the work of 39 artists from the electro / industrial, techno and club scene.

"Illud Divinum Insanus – The Remixes" track listing:

CD 1:

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

CD 2:

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

Digital Download Card:

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

Chris Vrenna, the Grammy-Award-winning musician and producer who was most recently the drummer/keyboardist for MARILYN MANSON, has left the band to focus on his growing film and video game scoring, production career and DJ outings as well as work on the forthcoming 2012 TWEAKER release.

"I'm incredibly proud of the work I did with MANSON and look forward to the release of [the new MARILYN MANSON album] 'Born Villain'. I wish my brothers well, but with the recording largely completed, I felt it was time to return to other facets of my career, which involves production work, film scoring, and future musical collaborations," explained Vrenna.

"In Finite Live", the new DVD from the veteran Christian metal act LIVING SACRIFICE, will be released on December 9. The disc features professionally filmed and recorded multi-camera footage of the band's concert in Pomona, California. Bonus features on the DVD includes behind-the-scenes mini-documentaries from the making of the two music videos for the band's 2010 "comeback" album, "The Infinite Order", as well as six more tracks from another live show in the group's original home area of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Live at The Glass House:

01. Bloodwork
02. Imminent War
03. Death Machine
04. Local Vengeance Killing
05. Flatline
06. Rules of Engagement
07. In Christ
08. Symbiotic
09. Reborn Empowered
10. Reject

Live in Little Rock:

11. Nietzsche's Madness
12. They Were One
13. Hand of the Dead
14. Symbiotic
15. Local Vengeance Killing
16. Bloodwork

Jeffrey Easton of Metal Exiles recently conducted an interview with former KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metal Exiles: It has been three years since "Save Me From Myself" came out. Did you want to take your time with the next record or did you let the books take their course?

Brian: We have been doing a lot of touring, getting my chops up as a frontman, which is what we have been focusing on. Plus, I have had some legal issues I have had to work through as well, so now it is time for something new.

Metal Exiles: I have seen your live show and it seemed to me you are perfectly suited for it. How did you adapt to being a frontman after spending so long as a guitarist in KORN?

Brian: Just continuing to do it every night so I can gain some comfort. Some nights I can get into it, but other nights I feel weird.

Metal Exiles: "Save Me From Myself" is a very caustic record. Do you think it cleansed you of your demons or is the next album still exploring your pre-saved years?

Brian: The new record is stuff I am going through now. I am trying to get the best song, but it does have to be real to me. I cannot write a song just to sell it because I cannot make money from music anymore now anyway. "Paralyzed" talks about a lot of pain like emotional depression, which is not all the time, but I do feel a lot of pain, so I like to talk about it.

Metal Exiles: Emotionally, where did "Paralyzed" come from?

Brian: It's about life being filled with lawsuits, and like I said in my last book, "Stronger", dealing with depression and trying to lead this new life I am living. I am doing it but it is a struggle but it is not the drugs anymore, it's just life.

Metal Exiles: With your legal issues, why are people continuing to come after you?

Brian: I try to do good, and I try to help people, but when you try to do something good, it seems like things follow you just to take you down and discourage you. I think that is what is happening to me. I believe in the karma of if you do good things, that good things will happen to you, but sometimes when you do good, bad will chase you down. I have made some bad decisions, as well as getting into some bad partnerships that I should not have. I am glad that I went through it, because it got rid of my fear of circumstances. I found out because of that I can get through anything, and with God's help, I can get through any battle.

Metal Exiles: "Paralyzed" is very heavy, can we expect more of that when the next album drops? Is this the direction you are heading in?

Brian: I think it will be a little of both — heavy, with some awesome melodic songs as well. I cannot leave it slow; it has to be heavy as well. There is a song that I am working on called "Stronger"; it starts slow and it builds to this very intense structure.

Metal Exiles: You said that the first album was lacking in riffs, but I thought it was heavy. What do you think was missing?

Brian: The heavy riffs, like the middle section of "Paralyzed"; I did not do a lot of stuff like that on it. It was good for what it was but I have grown a lot since then and I know what works for me live vocally and a lot of those songs are hard for me to do live. I think on this album we are at a new level with guitar riffs.

According to Mail Online, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson may have to return to music full-time after Astraeus Airlines, where he has worked for years as a senior pilot, was due to be placed into administration and had been ordered to cease operations with immediate effect.

Astraeus, which leases aircraft and cabin crew to airlines, has blamed "lower-than-expected levels of business" during the summer a lack of contracts for winter 2011-2012, and "some extremely bad luck with a number of technical issues," for the failure.

The company's chief executive, Hugh Parry, praised the team of pilots and behind-the-scenes staff who had worked for the airline. He said, "We battled hard to save Astraeus, but lower-than-expected levels of business during the summer of 2011, a lack of contracts for winter 2011-2012, and some extremely bad luck with a number of technical issues mean that we have no option but to cease all operations and put Astraeus Airlines in the hands of the administrators.

"Every effort has been made to ensure that any passengers affected already have or will be able to complete their journey.

"It is small comfort to those affected and impacted, I realise, but Astraeus comprised a fantastic team who did a fantastic job – quite possibly the best team in their aviation business sector."

Order the ultimate live Motör-Experience MOTÖRHEAD package now at this location. The Motör-Bag is packed with exclusive items that you will not find anywhere else.

In addition to the carrying bag, inside are two double vinyl LPs of stunning MOTÖRHEAD performances in their entirety recorded in New York and Manchester that can only be found in the Motör-Bag package, plus a unique crew t-shirt and laminate pass, and no fan will want to miss out on owning a piece of "The Wörld Is Yours" 2010/2011 stage backdrop, mounted and numbered. If that isn’t enough — the deluxe version includes the digipack (DVD + CD) of "The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 1 - Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" and a double vinyl LP recorded live in Santiago, Chile.

For more information, go to this location.

"The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 1 - Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" came out on November 14 via Motörhead Music / UDR / EMI.

"The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 1 - Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" gives you the complete set from the band's supreme performance in Chile at the Teatro Caupolican in Santiago on April 9, 2011, shot by Banger Films and Sam Dunn ("Iron Maiden Flight 666", "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage"). The DVD continues with some tasty morsels from New York's Best Buy Theater and the Manchester Apollo.

Frontiers Records has announced the signing of BEYOND THE BRIDGE, a new progressive metal band from Germany. The group's debut album, "The Old Man And The Spirit", will be released on January 20, 2012 in Europe and January 24 in North America.

According to a press release, "The Old Man And The Spirit" is an ambitious concept album dealing with the polarity of human sensuousness and superhuman awareness. Two main characters interpret the music on this theatrical and challenging record: "The Spirit", who is the personification of all wisdom and awareness that is unachievable to mankind but that lacks of the ability to feel, and her opponent "The Old Man": a bon vivant who has lived through all highs and lows of human sensations. These two characters are interpreted by the two band singers: a female, Dilenya Mar, and a male, Herbie Langhans.

But the operatic and cinematic setting of the album was put together by the two bands' masterminds: guitar player Peter Degenfeld and the classically trained ivory tinkler Christopher Tarnow.

"From the beginning it was our intention to do an album presenting one big piece of music," says Degenfeld. "One of the very first things that came about were the two characters together with the basic content of the story. Basically, before the notes were written, we knew what each song had to sound and feel like and what the lyrics had to say. With these restrictions we started the songwriting process. In the end writing songs under these self-imposed limits turned out to be just great."

While "The Old Man And The Spirit" is undoubtedly a demanding musical statement, BEYOND THE BRIDGE is determined to make its steps to bring its music on tour. "We put a lot of effort into the goal of creating the studio sound on stage and we have already rearranged some parts to make them more suitable for live performances," explains Degenfeld.

BEYOND THE BRIDGE's lineup is rounded up by Dominik Stotzem on bass, Fabian Maier on drums and Simon Oberender on keyboards and guitar. Simon also took care of the album production at the famed Gate Studios (owned by the famed producer Sascha Paeth, who mastered the album).

While at first listen the album will easily appeal to the progressive rock/metal audience, thanks to the virtuosity displayed in the playing and the compositional design, the album can be easily enjoyed by all who are looking for songs that can excite the listeners.

"The music is touching. It will even touch you in a different way each time you listen to the album," concludes Peter Degenfeld. "The lyrics are inspiring and ambiguous. This encourages to dig deeper into the spiritual journey of the "Old Man."

"The Old Man And The Spirit" track listing:

01. The Call
02. The Apparition
03. Triumph Of Irreality
04. The Spring Of It All
05. World Of Wonders
06. The Primal Demand
07. Doorway To Salvation
08. The Struggle
09. The Difference Is Human
10. Where The Earth And Sky Meet
11. All A Man Can Do

The first photo of the four members of VAN HALEN and their new partners at the Interscope label can be seen below.

Why did VAN HALEN back out of a deal with Columbia Records and sign with Interscope at the last minute? According to The Hollywood Reporter, singer David Lee Roth was the deciding factor. Roth, who has separate management, legal representation and accountants from the rest of the group, apparently wanted to sign with a label based on the West Coast. A source said, "He was never on board (with Columbia). It was as complicated as anyone would imagine, when one side says black, the other says white. The label was pretty skeptical that things would work out."

In stepped Interscope and its parent company Universal Music "at the 11th hour." While Columbia's main operation is located in New York, Interscope is based in Los Angeles and presented the band with "a global plan that included extensive marketing, merchandising, touring and, of course, recordings."

The rest of VAN HALEN — guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen and bassist Wolfgang Van Halen — wanted to keep Roth happy as well. He rejoined the group in 2007 after 23 years apart.

The deal was finalized this week and marks the first time VAN HALEN 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.

Although it's been strongly hinted that the group will make a "special announcement" on November 30 at the Grammy Awards nominations concert, a source told Rolling Stone magazine that the band's appearance was not happening. Reps for the Grammy Awards have not commented.

Captured at an undisclosed venue in Los Angeles, are (left to right) Alex Van Halen; Wolfgang Van Halen; Eddie Van Halen; Jimmy Iovine, Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M Records; Irving Azoff, Executive Chairman of Live Nation Entertainment and Chairman and CEO of the Front Line Management Group; Steve Berman, Vice Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M Records; David Lee Roth; and Jim Urie, President and CEO, Universal Music Group Distribution.