Here are the official tasters from Imaginaerum! "Even Amazon was so enthusiastic about the album, that they had to share these samples without asking us... If you want to experience the true impact of the album, we recommend that you do something else and not listen to THESE. With lots of respect; Nightwish" And if you want to sing along to the new single "Storytime", but can't quite make out the words, we also have the solution now. Here is the Storytime video with lyrics! Click HERE!

Metal legends BLACK SABBATH will headline a number of Europe's premier festivals in 2012.

After announcing their reunion on 11.11.11, these worldwide appearances are one of the most anticipated music events of 2012. Kicking off on Friday May 18 in Moscow at Olimpski, the tour will bring Black Sabbath to the masses at: Download Festival (UK), Azkena Rock Festival (Spain), Hellfest (France), Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium) and Gods of Metal (Italy). However, that's only the beginning of the group's global tour which will take the band around the world including countries the band has never played before and others they have not visited in more than three decades.

The four original members of Black Sabbath - guitarist Tony Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward - are currently recording their first studio album in 33 years with legendary producer Rick Rubin (METALLICA, SLAYER) for release worldwide on Vertigo Records, and Vertigo/Universal Republic Records in the US in the fall 2012.

Revered music and spoken word artist, HENRY ROLLINS, has said that “Black Sabbath’s music is ultimate bone-powderizing gear. Any band worth their weight in napalm wishes they had written ‘War Pigs.’ The critics never got it, but the fans did and still do, and the music has not lost any thunder with time but in fact resonates more loudly…Hail the mighty Black Sabbath now and forever.”

Music fans across Europe are in for a night of epic proportions from the Grammy-winning, Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductees on this very historic return.

Black Sabbath’s confirmed European tour dates are below:

May
18 - Moscow, Russia - Olimpiski
20 - St. Petersburg, Russia - New Arena
23 - Helsinki, Finland - Hartwall Arena
25 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stadium
29 - Bergen, Norway - Bergen Calling Festival
31 - Oslo, Norway - Spektrum

June
2 - Malmo, Sweden - Malmo Stadium
4 - Dortmund, Germany - Westfalenhalle
10 - Donnington, UK - Download Festival
12 - Rotterdam, Holland - Ahoy
15 - Bilbao, Spain - Azkena Rock Festival
17 - Nantes, France - Hellfest
19 - Paris, France - Bercy
22 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting
24 - Milan, Italy - Gods of Metal

group to return to the studio to begin work on the follow-up to 2008's "Chinese Democracy".

"We haven't really talked a lot about that," Reed said. "There's a lot we've recorded, a lot of material back when we started working on 'Chinese Democracy', so there's a quite a bit of unreleased stuff that would be really cool to finish and put out." He added, "everyone has great ideas and songs and stuff, so we're always sort of bouncing stuff off each other. I'm recording stuff all the time; I'll record something and say, 'Hey, this might be cool' and play it for everybody and just kind of go from there. I think eventually something's got to give, and then it's gonna come out."

Reed called the current incarnation of the band "the best version of GUNS N' ROSES that I've ever been in." He added, "I think everyone is just super-talented, and it's just great chemistry. Everyone is a lot of fun to be around and a lot of fun to play with, so to me it's definitely the best lineup we've had."

GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose's first broadcast interview in years aired on Friday night (November 11) via VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show", which devoted its full hour to the interview and the preparations for it. The talk took place at 5:30 a.m. following GUNS' performance on October 29 in Miami. The show was just the second on the band's current U.S. tour and began, in customary GUNS fashion, two hours past the scheduled starting time.

The GUNS N' ROSES tour next stops in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Thursday (November 17). Reed gave The Pulse Of Radio his assessment of how it's going. "It seems to be getting better, as they should, you know, when the band starts to get into a groove, and people have been into it," he said. " It's a long show, so, you know, a lot of people have to go to work in the morning and stuff, don't want to stick around for the whole thing, but for the most part it's been going great."

U.S. "fantasy" metal band LORENGUARD will release its debut album, "Eve Of Corruption: The Days Of Astasia, Part 1", on November 29 through the group's web siteas well as via CD Baby, Amazon, iTunes, and other major online retailers.

Co-founded by guitarist Christopher Cruz (ex-DEMIRICOUS), LORENGUARD is an ambitious multimedia project that has been in the works for the past seven years. Conceived to be a conceptual band that writes story-driven music, LORENGUARD bases its songs on the literary work of the band's drummer, Brady Sadler. Their debut album is an entirely independent release, produced and funded without any support from a record label.

"Eve Of Corruption" is based on a novel of the same name, which will be released in early 2012. All ten songs on the album are chronologically based on the events and characters of the novel.

"Eve Of Corruption" track listing:

01. Eve of Corruption
02. Upon the Burning Isles
03. Greenstone
04. Black Sails and Phoenix Flames
05. Secrets of the Spire
i. Behind Silver Walls
ii. Myriad's Pact
iii. Flight of the Luminary
06. Wrath Divine
07. Dragonsbane
08. The Prince and the Pariah
09. Embrace
10. Hands of Chaos

LORENGUARD was loosely formed in 2004 by Cruz, Brady Sadler, and bassist Adam Sadler. The band released an early EP, entitled "Of Tales to Come", in 2005 with Rob Stith (vocals). However, Stith was replaced by Robb Graves (ex-WINTERFELL) in 2007. Since then, the band's lineup has been as follows:

Fan-filmed video footage of Devin Townsend's special "Ghost" performance on Sunday, November 13 at Union Chapel in Islington, North London, England can be seen below. Joining Devin on stage at the concert was flutist and composer Kat Epple, who has released 24 music albums internationally, and performs live original music featuring flutes with her various ensembles. Epple has won 8 Emmy Awards and was nominated for a Grammy.

The American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) proudly presented the 2010 Songwriting Award in recognition of the hit track "Bad Company" to Paul Rodgers. The award was given out in London recently and was accepted by Rodgers' son, musician Steve Rodgers. Paul was unable to attend the event as he was in New York where he was performing two nights at the Beacon Theatre as Joe Bonamassa's special guest.

"Bad Company" hit the top of the chart in the U.S. last year when Las Vegas-based metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recorded and released their version.

Swedish dark rockers KATATONIA have issued the following update:

"With highly successful performances in Luxembourg, Germany, Holland, France, England and the United States done earlier this year, we will close 2011 this December by performing four last extra shows in Scandinavia hitting the capital cites Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki and, of course our hometown Stockholm.

"KATATONIA will again perform two sets at each show; the first set will see us play the front to back of 'Last Fair Deal Gone Down' — the album that put KATATONIA firmly on the musical map and coincidentally also celebrates 10 years since its release. The second set will consist of a mixed set of carefully picked songs from our extensive catalogue. In its entirety, this evening with KATATONIA will be well over two and a half hours of live music.

"The December 12th show at Göta Källare in our hometown of Stockholm will be made extra special by having ENTER THE HUNT opening up the show, but also by the appearance of four very special guests: longtime former bandmates and brothers Fredrik and Mattias Norrman will take on their old bass and guitar duties on selected songs. Also confirmed is the one and only Mr. Guillaume Le Huche (a.k.a. Israphel Wing), known for being the band's bass guitarist on their very first studio album, 'Dance Of December Souls', back in 1993. And the last special guest to be announced is Krister Linder, who's flying over from New York City and taking on vocal duties next to Jonas Renkse to depart the night's performance…"

Founding member and guitar player Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström comments: "Hosting and featuring old members, guests and friends together on the same evening for the purpose of celebrating our 20th year anniversary is not only awesomely killer, but it's also guaranteed to be a one time event only and never to happen again. To be honest, I'm just as excited as you are to be part of it and let the circle complete itself in our hometown where it started!"

To complete the fan experience, KATATONIA is offering a limited number of VIP ticket packages for each show which will include a laminated VIP pass exclusive to the show, access to sound check, a meet-and-greet with KATATONIA, a t-shirt exclusive to that particular show, a special tour program and a tour poster, among other items. All the goods will be included in a specially made KATATONIA embroidered messenger bag. The VIP laminate will also allow early access to venues so that VIPs can get the best seats in the house and avoid waiting in line.

VIP and general-admission tickets are now on sale at this location.

"Winter Wonderland", the new video from STONE TEMPLE PILOTS/ex-VELVET REVOLVER singer Scott Weiland, can be seen below. The song comes off his Christmas album, "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year", which was released on October 24 via Rhino Records. According to a press release, the CD covers "a variety of styles including big band swing, orchestrated ballads, reggae, bossa nova and more, all delivered with surprising ease by Scott Weiland."

For those about to rock, Sony brings you AC/DC Pinball Rocks! Take the stage and bask in the colored lights, roaring guitars, and thundering drums of AC/DC.

The app is designed for both iPhone and iPad and is available from the Apple App Store for $2.99.

The game includes classic AC/DC hits, original voice recordings from vocalist Brian Johnson, guitar-shredding mini-games and a hyper-realistic pinball environment featuring AC/DC's most iconic set pieces. Ring Hell's bells, fire a cannonball salute, flick the switch to power up the power station, and take a ride with Rosie — all in dazzling HD. Let there be rock!

Features include:

* Hyper-realistic physics engine
* Extreme detail and original artwork
* Multiple camera angles: including 3D-perspective, full table and smart cam
* Horizontal and vertical gameplay
* Multi-ball
* Featuring classic AC/DC music, including "Highway To Hell", "Thunderstruck", "Whole Lotta Rosie" and more fan favorites
* Original voiceovers from AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson
* Rhythm mini-games

According to DailyMail.co.uk, British Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) Louise Mensch revealed that she is lobbying for a knighthood for former LED ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page, who is one of her husband's former clients.

Louise is married to Peter Mensch — a co-owner of Q Prime, a talent management company that handles the careers of such artists as METALLICA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SHANIA TWAIN and JOSH GROBAN.

Louise Mensch wrote of her campaign to turn Page into Sir Jimmy on Twitter. "I've proposed Jimmy Page. Waiting to see if that finds favour with Honours Directorate. I hope so," she said. However, she denied that her husband's past role as his manager had any influence, saying, "Clearly there is nobody more worthy of a knighthood and I am glad to say I have gathered support from every major record label in the U.K."

Relapse Records has announced the signing of California anarcho-grinders LIBERTEER. The band's debut album, "Better To Die on Your Feet Than Live On Your Knees", will be released on January 31, 2012.

The creation of Matthew Widener (CRETIN, CITIZEN), LIBERTEER is a manifestation of total anarchy, driven by an incendiary lyrical message designed to burn the system down!

Commented Widener: "My thoughts on politics slowly changed over the past six years. In CITIZEN I had a sense of outrage about our government, but because it still supported the idea of state, it doesn't make much sense to me now. I've come to embrace the ideas of anarchy.

"The old band name, CITIZEN, represents a system of exclusion and nationalism, things I can't stand now, so I had to rename the band and change a lot of things.

"I think the good things about the music are still there — the thematic, major-key riffs, the d-beats and blasts — but the message is now pure.

"The album is one long song, with a handful of the coolest riffs reappearing as leitmotifs, like a pissed off opera made of blasts and d-beats. It's utterly relentless. Plus, there's a training montage at the halfway point."

Das neue IRON MASK Album „Black As Death“ erscheint am 16. Dezember via AFM Records. Neben der CD Version wird auch eine auf 500 Stück Limitierte Vinyl Auflage erhältlich sein. Die 2 LP im Klappcover enthält einen speziellen Bonus Track: „March Of The Slaves“.

Bandleader und Gitarrist Dushan Petrossi dazu:
„Bei jeder neuen Veröffentlichung fragen mich Fans nach einer Vinyl-Auflage. Ich bin froh, dass wir diesem Wunsch mit „Black As Death“ nun zum ersten Mal nachkommen können. Das Coverartwork hat uns total umgehauen, und es wird im Vinylformat sicher großartig zur Geltung kommen. Das erhöht unsere eigene Vorfreude auf den Release sogar nochmals.“

Tracklist “Black As Death”:

01. From Light Into The Dark
02. Black As Death
03. Broken Hero
04. Feel The Fire
05. Genghis Khan
06. God Punishes, I Kill
07. Rebel Kid
08. Blizzard Of Doom
09. The Absence
10. Magic Sky Requiem
11. Nosferatu
12. When All Braves Fall

Evil Strikes In Silence (CD & Vinyl Bonustrack)
March Of The Slaves (Vinyl Bonustrack)

Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT will release "Live From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven" in Europe on November 25 via Vertigo/Universal on double DVD, Blu-ray, limited double DVD + audio CD, CD, digital download and VOD.

With engines revving, VOLBEAT takes "Live From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven" into overdrive and jacks up their musical ride with footage from their sold-out show in front of 10,000 fervent fans at the Forum in Copenhagen, to the House of Blues in Anaheim, California and the Rock Am Ring show in Germany. It's VOLBEAT conquering performance territory Stateside and across Europe, showing fans that the band is just as comfortable, charged and throttled in front of an audience as intimate as 1,100 or as vast as 80,000.

Filmed on 11 cameras, leaving no musical stone unturned, this is as close to a backstage pass as you can get. And joined by such musical greats as Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of ANTHRAX/THE DAMNED THINGS, Michael Denner (MERCYFUL FATE), Mille Petrozza (KREATOR), Jacob Øelund, and L.G. Petrov (ENTOMBED), viewers also witness VOLBEAT in a rock and metal Hall Of Fame.

DVD 1

Live at Forum in Copenhagen, Denmark:

01. Intro
02. The Mirror And The Ripper
03. Maybellene I Hofteholder
04. Hallelujah Goat
05. 16 Dollars
06. Heaven Nor Hell
07. Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood
08. Who They Are
09. Evelyn
10. Mary Ann's Place
11. Sad Man's Tongue
12. We
13. 7 Shots
14. Pool Of Booze, Booze, Booza/BOA
15. A Warrior's Call
16. The Garden's Tale
17. Fallen
18. Thanks
19. The Human Instrument

DVD 2

Live at House Of Blues in Anaheim, California:

01. A Moment Forever / Hallelujah Goat
02. Radio Girl
03. Angelfuck
04. Mr. & Mrs. Ness
05. Still Counting
06. Pool Of Booze, Booze, Booza/BOA
07. I Only Wanna Be With You

Live at Rock am Ring in Nürburgring, Germany:

01. Sad Man's Tongue
02. Mary Ann's Place
03. Still Counting

* Beyond The Scenes [Behind the Scenes]

CD

01. Intro
02. The Mirror And The Ripper
03. Maybellene I Hofteholder
04. 16 Dollars
05. Heaven Nor Hell
06. Who They Are
07. Evelyn
08. Sad Man's Tongue
09. 7 Shots
10. Pool Of Booze, Booze, Booza/BOA
11. A Warrior's Call
12. The Garden's Tale
13. Fallen
14. Thanks
15. The Human Instrument
16. Angelfuck
17. Still Counting
18. I Only Wanna Be With You

Late October Lisa announced to her fellow bandmembers she’d decided to leave Draconian starting as soon as possible. It had been on the table for some time.

It’s with sadness we state this message. Lisa has, since her appearance on the Draconian demo “Dark Oceans We Cry”, continued to astonish and melt thousands of people’s hearts over the years with her emotional vocal. The addition of Lisa is what helped us to get our long awaited record contract. We are very aware what she has meant to our band and the legacy she’s left us with.
We are further sorry about all fans that never got the chance to see this line-up of Draconian; a line-up that made Draconian what it is today. This bad news will however NOT mean the end for us. The band is determined to enter a new era of productivity and artistic expression.

Lisa’s appearance with Draconian at the 9th edition of Metal Female Voices in Belgium became her last show with the band. It’s a worthy end of an almost 10 year calling and a beginning of something new for Draconian.

Our profoundest appreciation and gratitude to our friend Lisa Johansson for these years working together. We wish her and her family the best possible for the future.

Underneath, read Lisa’s good bye letter

/Draconian


“It’s hard for me to write this; something I have thought about for a long time. I have argued with myself back and forth but have finally come to the conclusion to leave Draconian.

So why? One of the reasons are that since I had my son I feel I don’t want to, for emotional reasons, go away on longer trips to perform. I count the hours until I’m back again. Another reason is that I have a demanding job six days a week, and this leads to, along with having a child to care for, that I have difficulties finding passion and energy to engage myself in Draconian to the extent I should.

It’s actually with a heavy heart I sit and write this. I don’t want to give up either my fans or the guys in Draconian, but I feel I have to prioritize my family.
I don’t need a sobbing and weepy farewell with the members of Draconian. I will keep meeting them, but it’s the thought of you who are listening to all our songs and all you whom I’ve met on our shows which is the hardest to let go of. To all of you I want to say Thank You! I will carry all the memories with me and all of you in my heart always. And a part of me will always be ‘Lisa in Draconian’. “

/Lisa Johansson
14.11.2011

SOEN — the project featuring Swedish drummer Martin Lopez (ex-OPETH, AMON AMARTH), bassist Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, TESTAMENT, DEATH, ICED EARTH), vocalist Joel Ekelöf (WILLOWTREE), and guitarist Kim Platbarzdis — has inked a deal with Spinefarm Records. The band's debut album, "Cognitive", will be released in February 2012. The CD is being mixed by the Grammy Award-winning Canadian producer David Bottrill, who has previously worked with PETER GABRIEL, TOOL, SMASHING PUMPKINS and MUSE.

Frontiers Records has set a January 24, 2012 North American release date (four days earlier in Europe) for the long-awaited new MOLLO/MARTIN album, entitled "The Third Cage".

Dario Mollo and Tony Martin first got together when the Italian guitar player/produced and composer needed the right singer after the put together a new set of songs in the late '90s. The former BLACK SABBATH frontman's involvement came about on a suggestion from producer Kit Woolven (UFO, THIN LIZZY) with whom Mollo had been working during his CROSSBONES years. Martin wrote lyrics and melodies for the amazing tracks that Dario had already assembled, and thus THE CAGE was born.

THE CAGE's first album, released independently in 1999, gained a great success among the hard rock fans and the critics and Dario started finally to make himself a reputation over the international markets. This debut was later followed by an equally acclaimed second album in 2002.

Mollo has been very busy since then, releasing one more album with the VOODOO HILL project with Glenn Hughes. He then toured Europe with Graham Bonnet and Don Airey. After Don became a permanent DEEP PURPLE member, Dario and Graham Bonnet formed ELEKTRIC ZOO, touring Europe again, performing songs from RAINBOW, ALCATRAZZ, VOODOO HILL and THE CAGE. In 2008 Dario released an album with the more alt-rock Italian band NOIZE MACHINE, before getting again to work on a new set of hard-rocking songs for a new record with Martin.

"As usual, we are 50/50 partners," explains Mollo. "I write all the music and Tony then contributes with the melodies and lyrics. We also try together different structures of the tracks and we rearrange them to better fit the vocal parts. Then I go ahead and take care of the entire production of the album, tracking, mixing and mastering."

The songwriting, the sound and the video production of this new project are absolutely stunning and show the great skills that Mollo has developed in the past few years. All hard rock lovers should simply not miss this record which bravely melts several influences in a cutting edge release. "There are much better songs, performances and production on this album, plus we will finally bring this project live out there: we have a lot of great songs to perform to our loyal fans, we look forward to meet them," concludes Mollo.

"The Third Cage" track listing:

01. Wicked World
02. Cirque Du Freak
03. Oh My Soul
04. One Of The Few
05. Still In Love With You
06. Can't Stay Here
07. Wardance
08. Don't Know What It Is About You
09. Blind Fury
10. Violet Moon
11. Wicked World (videoclip)