"Trip The Darkness", the new single from the Italian rock/metal act LACUNA COIL, can be streamed on the band's official Facebook page. It is also available in the YouTube clip below. The song will appear on the band's new album, "Dark Adrenaline", which will be released on January 24 via Century Media Records.

"Dark Adrenaline" track listing:

01. Trip The Darkness
02. Against You
03. Kill the Light
04. Give Me Something More
05. Upsidedown
06. End of Time
07. I Don't Believe in Tomorrow
08. Intoxicated
09. The Army Inside
10. Losing My Religion
11. Fire
12. My Spirit

Björn "Speed" Strid (vocals; SOILWORK) and Sean Dailey (vocals; THE BETTER DEATH) have been added to the list of musicians who will contribute to "Volume 1", the debut album from STAR MONARCHY, the new project launched by bassist Ray Riendeau (HALFORD, JAMES LABRIE). The release will feature songs written by Ray and some collaborations with other artists. It will be recorded by an ongoing cast of players/singers in various metal genres. Also scheduled to appear on "Volume 1" are Rody Walker (vocals; PROTEST THE HERO), Travis Orbin (drums; ex-PERIPHERY, SKY EATS AIRPLANE), Francesco Artusato (guitar; ALL SHALL PERISH), Dan Tompkins (vocals; TESSERACT), Peter Wildoer (drums; DARKANE, JAMES LABRIE) and Danny Handler (drums; THE BETTER DEATH).

The musical collaboration between Lou Reed and METALLICA, "Lulu", will be released on November 1 in North America via Warner Bros. Records and one day earlier (October 31) in the rest of the world through Universal Music. The CD was co-produced by Reed, METALLICA, Hal Willner — who has produced albums for Reed, Marianne Faithfull, and Laurie Anderson, among others — and Greg Fidelman. Fidelman also mixed the record.

"Lulu" final track listing:

01. Brandenburg Gate (4:19)
02. The View (5:17)
03. Pumping Blood (7:24)
04. Mistress Dread (6:52)
05. Iced Honey (4:36)
06. Cheat On Me (11:26)
07. Frustration (8:33)
08. Little Dog (8:01)
09. Dragon (11:08)
10. Junior Dad (19:28)

"Little Dog" lyrics:

Little dog who can’t get in
Moaning at the bed side
Moaning from each limb

Little dog who can’t get in
Can only cry but
Can not swim

Pony legs, little trot
Little dog has to wait a lot

The bigger dog has got his spot
And elbowed him away

Listen to him barking
Listen to him call
Little dog don’t have much at all

A puny body and a tiny dick
A little dog can make you sick

If you got the money you can go to the top
The female dog don’t care what you got
As long as you can raise that
Little doggie face to a cold hearted pussy
You could have a taste

A taste of what the big dog got
A taste of what the big dog got
The little dog with the one hundred dollar spot
Can run his tongue over the hot in trot
Hot in trot
Run his tongue over the hot in trot

Money can do anything
Money can do anything
Money can do anything
Tell me what you want

My small dog, he want what I got

Wants to run his tongue over my hot spot

Pathetic little dog

Pathetic little dog
The little man follows his nose
Counts his fingers and his toes
He still got those
Pathetic little dog
Pathetic little dog
Following his nose
But it needs my money to buy

I’m an up while you’re a down
I am an up while you’re a down
The spring and the will follow me around
While you sniff your shit in the wind
Sniff your shit in the wind
Money can do anything
Money can do anything
Tell me what it is you want
Just tell me what it is you want
I’m an up while you’re a down
The spring and the will follow me around

Tell me what it is you want
Tell me what it is you want

You sniff your shit in the wind
Follow me around

Pathetic little dog
Pathetic little dog
Pathetic little dog

Afterlife", a brand new song from the Dutch female-fronted rock/metal outfit NEMESEA, can be streamed on the band's Facebook page. The track comes off the group's third album, "The Quiet Resistance", which will be released via Napalm Records on the following dates:

* Spain, Finland, Sweden: November 17
* Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy: November 18
* Rest Of Europe: November 21
* USA, Canada: November 22

"The Quiet Resistance" was produced and mixed by Joost van den Broek, who has previously played with AFTER FOREVER, AYREON, SUN CAGED and VANDENBERG.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. The Quiet Resistance
02. Caught In The Middle
03. Afterlife
04. Whenever
05. If You Could
06. High Enough
07. Say
08. It's Over
09. I Live
10. Stay With Me
11. Rush
12. Release Me
13. 2012
14. Allein (bonus track)

A video teaser for "The Quiet Resistance" can be seen below.

According to a press release, "The Quiet Resistance" "offers a more mature, modern, and contemporary approach than that found on NEMESEA's two previous efforts. Although the band continues to stay true to its characteristic style, they do not shy away from including new elements and details to refresh their sound. The guitars and Manda Ophuis' outstanding vocals continue to be the driving force behind NEMESEA. Manda perfectly understands which web of emotion to weave for each particular track and how to make use of her fantastic vocal lines to breathe life into the lyrics. With extremely appealing songs like 'Afterlife', 'Caught In The Middle', or the beautiful ballad 'If You Could', the alternative rock quintet have several surefire hits from the get-go. NEMESEA's 'The Quiet Resistance' offers intense and soulful alternative rock complete with a subtle breath of gothic and loudly demands the attention the band undoubtedly deserves."

NEMESEA recently parted ways with drummer Steven Bouma and replaced him with Frank Van Der Star.

NEMESEA recorded its July 2 and July 3, 2009 concerts at P3 in Purmerend, Holland for a live album, "Pure: Live @ P3", which was released in September 2009. The shows were unique in the sense that the audience was able to hear the band perform live in Surround Sound 7.0 as part of an innovative project that was conducted in co-operation with students from the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU).

NEMESEA's second album, "In Control", was produced by Tony Platt (AC/DC, BOB MARLEY) and Ronald Prent (RAMMSTEIN) and was released in June 2007.

NEMESEA is:

Manda Ophuis - Vocals
Hendrik Jan de Jong - Guitar
Sonny Onderwater - Bass
Frank Van Der Star - Drums
Lasse Dellbrügge - Keyboards

Legendary Swedish doomsters CANDLEMASS have inked a deal with Napalm Records. The band is currently working on material for its farewell album, which is tentatively scheduled for a spring 2012 release.

Commented CANDLEMASS in a statement: "Now it is official, Swedish doom 'meisters' CANDLEMASS have signed with Austrian Napalm Records for their 11th and last studio album. The band is very happy and excited about this and are looking forward to work with such a great and growing label as Napalm, home of cool bands like MONSTER MAGNET, KARMA TO BURN and ISOLE."

CANDLEMASS celebrated its 25-year anniversary by performing an extra-long, two-and-a-half-hour set at Debaser Medis in Stockholm on December 18, 2010. The band's classic debut album, "Epicus Doomicus Metalicus", was played in its entirety for the first time with the original singer Johan Längqvist.

In conjunction with Rise Above Records, Metal Blade will release the double-disc live album "Anniversary" from U.K. mainstays and international cult act CATHEDRAL on November 21. According to a press release, "Anniversary" captures CATHEDRAL in all their raw and live glory and marks the first official live album to be ever released by the doom metal legends. Recorded live in London, 2010, Disc 1 features "Forest Of Equilibrium" in its entirety, delivered impeccably by the original lineup of Lee Dorrian on vocals, Garry Jennings and Adam Lehan on guitar, Mark Griffiths on bass and Mike Smail on drums. Disc 2 is a greatest-hits set courtesy of the long-lasting lineup featuring Leo Smee (bass) and Brian Dixon (drums) alongside Dorrian and Jennings.

Commented Dorrian on the band's first-ever live album and the impending final live show: "The release of 'Anniversary' is both exciting and sad for us. Exciting, as it is the first-ever official CATHEDRAL live album, recorded at our 20th-anniversary show on December 3rd in London last year, where we reunited with our original lineup and performed the entirety of or debut album, 'Forest Of Equilibrium', for the first (and last) time ever. Sad, because December the 3rd this year will be the night we perform our last show ever, before calling it a day as a live band. So more than anything, we would like to dedicate 'Anniversary' to everyone who has followed and supported CATHEDRAL over the years. Your support really means and has meant the world to us. Thanks and stay heavy!"

Disc One - "Back to the Forest"

01. Picture Of Beauty And Innocence (0:47)
02. Comiserating The Celebration (of Life) (11:13)
03. Ebony Tears (8:07)
04. Serpent Eve (8:38)
05. Soul Sacrifice (3:18)
06. Funeral Request (10:10)
07. Equilibrium (6:23)
08. Reaching Happiness Touching Pain (10:52)

Disc Two - "Bleak Winter"

01. Funeral Of Dreams (9:17)
02. Enter The Worms (6:46)
03. Upon Azrael's Wings (5:13)
04. Midnight Mountain (4:51)
05. Cosmic Funeral (6:17)
06. Carnival Bizarre (11:06)
07. Night Of The Seagulls (9:06)
08. Corpsecycle (5:51)
09. Ride (6:30)
10. The Last Spire Pt. 1 (Entrance) (3:44)
11. Vampire Sun (4:37)
12. Hopkins (7:53)

Following the release of "Evinta" earlier this year, in which the band marked 20 years of existence with a release of symphonic compositions re-imagining past MY DYING BRIDE themes, the U.K. doom legends now present their latest chapter in the form of new EP, "The Barghest O' Whitby", to be released November 7 through Peaceville Records on CD and limited vinyl.

This single track, 25-minute epic represents the epitome of poetic grace and funeral soundscapes from one of gothic doom's most celebrated acts. With a masterful blend of pounding guitar riffs and sombre atmospheric passages, MY DYING BRIDE embarks on a chilling journey through superstition and folklore.

A mini-site for "The Barghest O' Whitby", containing release information, audio samples, plus a special video teaser trailer and more, has been launched at this location.

KILL RITUAL, the new band featuring former members of IMAGIKA, DARK ANGEL and ELDRITCH, has finished mixing its debut album, "The Serpentine Ritual", at KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque's's Sonic Train Studio in Varberg, Sweden. La Rocque also plays a guest guitar solo on the track "Coat Of Blood". Guitarist Steve Rice engineered the CD, which was tracked at Fang Studios in San Mateo, California and Fossil Studios in San Jose, California.

Legendary U.S. metal band RIOT will release its new album, "Immortal Soul", which will be released on October 21 in Japan via Marquee/Avalon; October 26 in Scandinavia; October 28 in Germany; Austria and Switzerland; October 31 in the rest of Europe; and November 22 in the U.S. and Canada through Steamhammer/SPV. The effort will be available as a limited digipack with two bonus tracks, double gatefold LP (colored blue vinyl) and regular jewel case.

"Immortal Soul" sees Tony Moore, Mark Reale, Don Van Stavern and Bobby Jarzombek — the lineup responsible for the band's hugely acclaimed "Thundersteel" (1988) and "The Privilege Of Power" (1990) albums — reunited once more, together with Mike Flyntz who as the additional live guitarist helped bring these two acclaimed albums to life on stage.

RIOT is justifiably proud of its upcoming release. As bassist Don Van Stavern says, "'Immortal Soul' picks up where 'Thundersteel' left off, 20 years later! It has the same intensity, creativeness and passion that we put into our music. It's another ballbuster and I can't wait to unleash it on the masses."

Guitarist Mike Flyntz is equally enthusiastic. "I have been performing the songs from the 'Thundersteel' era for over 21 years," he says. "It has been an honor to write and record 'Immortal Soul' with Tony, Don, Bobby, and Mark. I am very proud of my contribution to this record and also very proud to play along with such inspirational musicians. I hope everyone enjoys this album as much as I do."

Drummer Bobby Jarzombek says, "'Immortal Soul' is a special record for me because in all the years that I've been playing and recording various projects, I've never been completely involved in any other CD from the very first day of writing to the very last day of mixing. I'm really looking forward to the live shows, and including some new 'Immortal Soul' songs into the set along with the RIOT classics!"

Founding member and guitarist Mark Reale, who has been RIOT's guiding force since the band released "Rock City" over thirty years ago, is quick to pay tribute to vocalist Tony Moore's input. "To me, the close collaboration with each of our vocalists has always been the decisive aspect in any RIOT release," he says. "That's why it was absolutely inspiring for me at the studio that Tony directly took up many of my ideas and translated them brilliantly, or contributed his own suggestions from which our songs benefited greatly. He is simply the perfect RIOT frontman!"

And as Tony Moore himself points out, "It's been nearly a quarter of a century since the five of us assembled in New York to create 'Thundersteel' and 'The Privilege Of Power', and the music world couldn't be more different. The Internet led us not only to discover that those albums had taken a special place in the history of metal, but also put us back in touch — and the result is 'Immortal Soul', an album that is 100 percent true to the legacy of those 1980s recordings. It's also packed with evidence of how we've all grown and changed as artists. It was recorded in five studios, in three different cities, and it's absolutely a product of the most important changes in the recording industry over the last 20 years. We're looking forward to sharing the details with our fans and friends around the world, along with the music. Enjoy!"

"Immortal Soul" track listing:

01. Riot
02. Still Your Man
03. Crawling
04. Wings Are For Angels
05. Fall Before Me
06. Sins Of The Father
07. Majestica
08. Immortal Soul
09. Insanity
10. Whiskey Man
11. Believe
12. Echoes
13. Johnny's Back (live recording; digipack bonus track) *
14. Metal Soldiers (live recording; digipack bonus track) *

* Recorded live at the Sweden Rock Festival on June 6, 2009 in Sölvesborg, Sweden

"Still Your Man" is available for streaming using the SoundCloud player below.

The artwork was created by the band's vocalist Tony Moore and can be seen below.

"Still Your Man" audio stream:

Eagle Vision has set a November 8 release date for "From The Bars To The Stars", a five-disc DVD box set from TWISTED SISTER featuring three decades of live performances. The set comes with instant fan collectibles for the crazed SMF TWISTED SISTER fan. Includes the exclusive "Twisted Xmas: Live in Las Vegas" DVD, along with four other TWISTED SISTER DVDs ("Live At Wacken", "Live At Reading", and "Double Live", which includes "North Stage '82", as well as "NY Steel '01"), this box set also includes souvenirs including a TWISTED SISTER Christmas ornament, official NY Steel backstage pass, classic 2 ½-inch TWISTED SISTER pin, and a reproduction of the first ever SMF fan club letter.

Disc 1

01. What You Don't Know (Sure Can Hurt You)
02. The Kids Are Back
03. Stay Hungry
04. Destroyer
05. Like A Knife In The Back
06. Under The Blade
07. You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll
08. The Fire Still Burns
09. Shoot 'Em Down
10. We're Not Gonna Take It
11. The Price
12. Burn In Hell
13. I Wanna Rock
14. S.M.F.

Disc 2

01. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
02. White Christmas
03. Shoot 'Em Down
04. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
05. You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll
06. Deck The Halls
07. The Price
08. Come All Ye Faithful
09. Burn In Hell
10. Silver Bells
11. I'll Be Home For Christmas
12. I Wanna Rock
13. 12 Days Of Christmas
14. We're Not Gonna Take It

Disc 3

01. What You Don't Know (Sure Can Hurt You)
02. Destroyer
03. Tear It Loose
04. Bad Boys (Of Rock 'N' Roll)
05. Lady's Boy
06. Leader Of The Pack
07. Under The Blade
08. Shoot 'Em Down
09. Sin After Sin
10. I'll Never Grow Up, Now
11. You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll
12. You Know I Cry
13. It's Only Rock 'N' Roll
14. Rock 'N' Roll Saviors

Disc 4

01. What You Don't Know (Sure Can Hurt You)
02. The Kids Are Back
03. Stay Hungry
04. Burn In Hell
05. You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll
06. Under The Blade
07. Shoot 'Em Down
08. Come Back
09. You Know I Cry
10. I Wanna Rock
11. We're Not Gonna Take It
12. The Price
13. S.M.F.

Disc 5

01. What You Don't Know (Sure Can Hurt You)
02. Sin After Sin
03. Bad Boys (Of Rock 'N' Roll)
04. Destroyer
05. Shoot 'Em Down
06. Tear It Loose
07. Under The Blade
08. It's Only Rock 'N' Roll

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST kicked off the North American leg of their "Epitaph" farewell tour last night (Wednesday, October 12) at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas (with support from THIN LIZZY and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY).

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Rapid Fire
02. Metal Gods
03. Heading Out To The Highway
04. Judas Rising
05. Starbreaker
06. Victim Of Changes
07. Never Satisfied
08. Diamonds & Rust (JOAN BAEZ cover)
09. Dawn Of Creation
10. Prophecy
11. Night Crawler
12. Turbo Lover
13. Beyond The Realms Of Death
14. The Sentinel
15. Blood Red Skies
16. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
17. Breaking The Law
18. Painkiller

Encore:

19. The Hellion
20. Electric Eye
21. Hell Bent For Leather
22. You've Got Another Thing Comin'

Encore 2:

23. Living After Midnight

The first-ever Kiss Kruise launched in style yesterday afternoon from Miami, Florida with a non-makeup unplugged KISS sail-away concert. Over 2500 Kiss Army members became inaugural members of the Kiss Navy.

According to Kiss Asylum, the live and unplugged non-makeup set aboard the Kiss Kruise featured a mix of KISS classics, songs that haven't been dusted off in a few years, and attempts at extreme rarities:

01. Hotter Than Hell
02. Calling Dr. Love
03. Sure Know Something
04. Christine Sixteen
05. Do You Love Me?
06. Shandi
07. I Love It Loud
08. Forever
09. See You Tonite
10. Black Diamond
11. Hard Luck Woman (Paul Stanley lead vocals)
12. Beth (Eric Singer lead vocals)
13. Every Time I Look At You
14. Just A Boy / I / Mr. Blackwell (partial songs performed as an Elder medley)
15. Anything For My Baby / Two Timer (songs attempted, then aborted)
16. C'Mon And Love Me

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS/ex-VELVET REVOLVER singer Scott Weiland will release a Christmas album, "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year", 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."

"The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" track listing:

01. The Christmas Song (3:16)
02. I'll Be Home For Christmas (3:05)
03. White Christmas (2:23)
04. Silent Night (3:00)
05. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (2:20)
06. What Child Is This? (3:20)
07. Winter Wonderland (2:15)
08. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (2:35)
09. Happy Christmas And Many More (3:16)
10. O Holy Night (4:11)

Check out audio samples of all the tracks at Amazon.com.

According to The Peterborough Examiner, all charges against former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach were dropped Tuesday morning (October 11) in a Peterborough, Ontario, Canada court at the request of the Crown, citing no reasonable prospect of conviction.

Bach was charged assault, possession of marijuana and mischief on November 15, 2010 after he allegedly bit the hand of a bartender trying to throw him out of Riley's Olde Towne Pub in Peterborough.

A surveillance video posted on TMZ.com showed the singer smashing his wine glass on the ground morning and walking towards the entrance of the establishment after he was asked to the leave the bar due to his allegedly rowdy behavior.

A staff member reported Bach bit him on the hand while he was trying to restrain Bach until police arrived.

Bach was in Peterborough dealing with the estate of his father who passed away.

Bach's lawyer, Jim Hauraney, told The Peterborough Examiner parts of the tape, including the scuffle with Riley's owner Jim Kakouros, were inconclusive.

He said Bach would be making a $700 donation to a city charity to account for the broke wine glass.

Kakouros told The Peterborough Examiner he was never told that the charges would be withdrawn, and learned about the decision via the paper's web site Tuesday afternoon.

"I was more surprised that that's how the process worked," he said.

A Chex Television report on Bach's arrest can be viewed below.

SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan has confirmed that the band has plans to record another studio album.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor has been ambivalent about doing a new studio album following the death in May 2010 of the group's bassist, Paul Gray, although Crahan and drummer Joey Jordison have been much more confident about the band recording again.

SLIPKNOT completed a European festival run this past summer, which marked the band's first live gigs since Gray's passing.

Asked by U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine about the band's future plans, Crahan replied, "There's plans [to make another record] but that's a way off. No one will push it, because it's going to be a big one. It'll be closer to 'Iowa', but it'll be sadder and crazier. And really thought provoking, it could even be conceptual."

He continued, "We're still taking some time to reflect on our brother [Gray]. Everybody needs to be collecting thoughts so they can get it out and no one has really had time to collect thoughts yet. But we're the fucking 'KNOT. And when we come out, you'll know your band is done."

Speaking about the prospect of recording a new SLIPKNOT CD, Taylor told Kerrang! magazine in August, "It's still too soon. At least that's how I feel. I'm not ready to make a SLIPKNOT album. I think there will be a day when we do. But for me, doing it now wouldn't make sense.

"You can't do a three-week tour then jump into the studio, especially after something like this. It makes more sense to do a few more tours and reconnect as a band first.

"If we jumped right in, it wouldn't be about the absence. It would be about the rest of us. We were the nine, but there's a piece missing. We should allow people to pay their respects before we come out with new music. We should do this right."

Jordison told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that he thinks the band's next album could be its most intense. "We're a family, and losing a family member sucks," he said. "But you can't help that, but you need to move on and I think that what we're gonna do might be the most powerful thing that we've ever created."

According to the Corpus Christi Caller Times, young pastor Jason Houlihan and his friend David Pallotti introduced a metalcore worship format at St John's United Methodist Church in Corpus Christi, Texas to offer a different perspective of the church scene where everyone can feel welcome.

Thy Kingdom Come is the name of the service and also the band that performs Christian metalcore — a mixture of heavy metal music with Christian lyrics — at St. John's United Methodist Church every Sunday.

Palotti, 21, said, "We go to a lot of Christian metal shows and we saw all those people who didn't go to church because they were judges. That's not what church is supposed to be."

Since it launched three years ago, the metal service has attracted a conjuration aged between 16 and 26. Houlihan said, "It's been a way to connect with people who wouldn't otherwise come to church." Afterwards he invites anyone with any concerns about their lives to wait behind and chat. "We'll just hash it out. We might not always agree, but we respect each other," he said.

Metal God Records and Rob Halford have just released a new 5.1 Surround Sound, multi-camera, HD live-concert film, "Halford Live At Saitama Super Arena". The "Halford Live At Saitama Super Arena Original Soundtrack" CD will follow on November 21.

"Halford Live At Saitama Super Arena" features Rob Halford on vocals, Roy Z. on guitar, "Metal" Mike Chlasciak on guitars, Mike Davis on bass and Bobby Jarzombek on drums. It contains fifteen 5.1 Surround Sound audio recordings spanning The Metal God's HALFORD, FIGHT and JUDAS PRIEST catalog.

HALFORD's first high-definition, 5.1 Surround Sound audio production, the "Halford Live At Saitama Super Arena" Blu-ray release features exclusive footage with Rob Halford commentary.

"Halford Live At Saitama Super Arena" track listing:

01. Resurrection
02. Made In Hell
03. Locked And Loaded
04. Drop Out
05. Made Of Metal
06. Undisputed
07. Nailed To The Gun
08. Golgotha
09. Fire And Ice
10. Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)
11. Diamonds And Rust
12. Jawbreaker
13. Cyber World
14. Like There’s No Tomorrow
15. Thunder And Lightning

The "Resurrection" performance from the "Halford Live At Saitama Super Arena" DVD can be seen below.

German metallers IRON SAVIOR, who feature in their ranks guitarist/vocalist/producer Piet Sielck (URIAH HEEP, BLIND GUARDIAN, SAXON), will release their new album, "The Landing", on November 18 via AFM Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Descending
02. The Savior
03. Starlight
04. March Of Doom
05. Heavy Metal Never Dies
06. Moment In Time
07. Hall Of The Heroes
08. R. U. Ready
09. Faster Than All
10. Before The Pain
11. No Guts No Glory

The cover artwork for "Under The Grey Banner", the new album from Swedish power metallers DRAGONLAND, can be seen below. Due on November 18 via AFM Records, the third part of the "Dragonland Chronicles" trilogy features musical actor Fred Johanson in the role of the antagonist, with all three singers from AMARANTHE — Elize Ryd, Jake E and Andy Solveström — also making appearances.

DRAGONLAND's fifth album was recorded at several different studios, with Jacob Hansen adding his magic touch to the mix at Hansen studios in Ribe, Denmark. Twelve songs were recorded during the sessions, and the music itself is based on a deep and emotional story, picking up where the band's second album, "Holy War", left off nine years ago.

"Under The Grey Banner" track listing:

01. Ilmarion
02. Shadow Of The Mithril Mountains
03. The Tempest
04. A Thousand Towers White
05. Fire And Brimstone
06. The Black Mare
07. Lady Of Goldenwood
08. Dûrnir's Forge
09. The Trials Of Mount Farnor
10. Throne Of Bones
11. Under The Grey Banner
12. Ivory Shores

The Greek edition of Rock Hard magazine conducted an interview with guitarists Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell of Chicago doom legends TROUBLE prior to the band's October 8, 2011 concert at Fuzz in Athens, Greece. You can now watch the chat below.

TROUBLE is currently putting the finishing touches on its ninth album for a tentative February 2012 release. The as-yet-untitled CD is being helmed by Bill Metoyer, who has produced albums from SLAYER, D.R.I., SACRED REICH and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, among others, and has worked with TROUBLE in the past. Also involved in the recording process is TROUBLE's longtime engineer Larry Burns, who is entrusted with capturing the band's signature sound not only behind the studio console helm but at the group's live shows.

TROUBLE's forthcoming effort will consist of a minimum of 10 songs that not only showcase the band's legendary heavy guitar riffs that have gained the group a legion of loyal fans but a new creative edge.

"The band is really excited about this record," stated TROUBLE guitarist/co-founder Rick Wartell. "We wanted to make the consummate TROUBLE studio album that also incorporates all of the innovative elements that having new talent offers us."

One of those new key elements is the addition of the new singer Kory Clarke (of WARRIOR SOUL) as this will be his first studio album with TROUBLE. Wartell continued, "Kory is an incredibly talented and dynamic singer. He's a great addition to the band as he brings a high level of professionalism, which has positively affected the creative process. Working in a no-limitation environment is great."

TROUBLE is utilizing the limitless technical advantages that exist today, conducting most of its songwriting collaboration virtually as Clarke currently resides in Berlin, Germany (where he recently opened a bar). "Bruce [Franklin] and I record our guitars separately and then would send those tracks to Kory who would in return, send us his vocals," said Wartell. "As we share a collective vision for the album, this hasn’t hampered our progress in any way." Also adding their talents to the band's vision for the album are bassist Shane Pasqualla and drummer Mark Lira, both of whom are making their recording debut with TROUBLE.

The recording of the new TROUBLE album is taking place at the band's own studio, Warburn.

"One of the luxuries of recording in your studio is that you're not under any time constraints," said Wartell. "We can work on our own schedule which allows us to focus on the creative process."

ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante and bassist Frank Bello recently answered a number of sex- and relationship-related questions for the visitors of the Nerve.com web site. A couple of excerpts follow below.

Q: I'm dating a guy who's awesome in almost every way, but he hates metal. You should see his face when I put on "Live After Death" in the car. How seriously should I take this?

Charlie Benante: At a certain point, it's going to reach a point where you will say these words: "What do we have in common?"And music is always such a big thing because it takes up a good part of your life, whether it's listening to it or going to shows. If he can't hang with that, he's not the right person for you.

Frank Bello: I don't know if you guys are compatible. Metal is life, isn't it?

Q: That is often held to be true.

Frank Bello: Yeah, so, for me, my wife likes metal, but she doesn't live on metal, you know? It can work, but it's got to be a compromise. If you can have other things in common, that can work, but if the other things aren't working, that's telling you something.

Q: There's this girl I really like, but once we got in the sack, the sex turned out to be awful. What should I do?

Charlie Benante: There are so many different answers to that. One answer is give her money for cab fare and see her on her way. But if you really like the girl...

Frank Bello: Watch some porn! Honestly — you want to know the truth? If she's really bad, porn can help her learn. If you can learn some good moves, why not?

Q: We're visiting my boyfriend's parents for a week. What are some ground rules we should set for having sex in their house?

Charlie Benante: Bring your own locks. Install sensors so that if someone comes down the hallway a light goes on in the room.

Frank Bello: You've got to be really quiet. No moaning. It's going to be fun, but get ready to bite that pillow. Have some respect, and don't be screaming, because then you will get busted. It's definitely going to be fun if you know how to do it.

Charlie Benante: Also, you can try to send the parents on their way somewhere — get them to go out to dinner.

Q: Back in the day, what was the best way to sleep with a member of ANTHRAX?

Charlie Benante: Bring comic books. [laughs] Yeah, that and a six pack of Sapporo.

Frank Bello: Show up? No, actually, I was never a stud boy, but everybody had their fun. Show your brain, really. Show that you're more than just a bod, because bodies are everywhere. I mean, we were never really a stud band anyway. We were a metal band! A girl would have to just be herself, quite honestly, and not be somebody she's not, and not come on too heavy. It always had to be a little more than the obvious. But, you know, thems were the early days. They are far away. It's all about the metal now.

Q: Do you have any good hookup stories from back in the day?

Frank Bello: Well, everybody had their fun in the '80s. There was some crazy stuff. Our crew loved us, because for the most part the band really wouldn't go crazy with that kind of stuff, so the crew would partake in a lot of it. From what I've heard, there are some volumes of... pictures, if you know what I mean.

Charlie Benante: We did like to take care of the crew. They were hard-working.

Guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn of San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD has posted the following message on the band's official web site:

"[20 years ago today] at 'Day On The Green' #19, featuring METALLICA, QUEENSRŸCHE, FAITH NO MORE, SOUNDGARDEN, I started MACHINE HEAD.

"Well, sort of... it was more of a figurative thought as I didn't have a band yet, but after watching / being blown away by METALLICA for the umpteenth time, I decided that I was going to start a side project, as I was unhappy in my then-band VIO-LENCE. Later that night backstage (or maybe while METALLICA was still playing and we were watching from the stage-right backstage bleachers?) I turned to my friend, partner-in-crime and long time VIO-LENCE fan Adam Duce, and said I was going to start a then-unnamed side project and asked if he would like to play bass. He eagerly agreed.

"I had two songs written by then, the heavily GODFLESH-inspired 'Death Church' and 'Blood For Blood', both songs that I had already brought to VIO-LENCE, but they were not interested in jamming either of them. VIO-LENCE had gone through numerous label changes, were unsigned again, thrash was dead, and the vibe in the band at the time was that the new tunes were going to take a more heavy rock/grunge approach, which seemed a bit crazy to me. Though I wasn't thrilled with our new direction, I said I would stay on, and though no one seemed happy about me doing it, starting a side project seemed fairly reasonable considering our circumstances.

"Four months later following a (thoroughly documented) AM/PM gas station brawl after an UNJUST/DEFTONES show (with DEFTONES opening) at the Omni in Oakland, I quit VIO-LENCE and focused on MACHINE HEAD full-time. But that was still four months away, and for now, it was just a thought, an idea, a dream, that metal could be taken to a different, heavier place.

"Did I think that 20 years later MACHINE HEAD would be a Top 25, Top 10 or Top 5 charting band throughout the world? Hell no.

"Did I think MACHINE HEAD would even be going 20 years later? God no!

"Did I think that we could become one of the best American metal bands on the planet? Yes.

"20 years ago on this very day (October 12, 1991), MACHINE HEAD was born.

"Happy birthday, MACHINE HEAD."