Dutch symphonic black metal act CARACH ANGREN has inked a deal with the French record label Season Of Mist.

Commented the band: "We are very proud to be on Season Of Mist's roster! This covenant will enable us to release more hauntings upon the world in the years to come. Furthermore we want to thank everyone (crew, friends, fans) for supporting us over the years, especially Phil [of] Maddening Media who put us on the map!

"A new horrific concept album is being written this autumn and recordings will start in less than two weeks. We promise you it will be darker and more epic than ever before!"

According to the French SCORPIONS fan club Crazyscorps, SCORPIONS will release "Get Your Sting & Blackout" on CD and Blu-ray this coming Friday, October 14 with exclusive distribution in Europe via the electronics and home appliances retailer Media Markt. Both the CD and Blu-ray contain a recording of the band's April 15, 2011 concert in Saarbrücken, Germany as part of SCORPIONS' ongoing farewell tour. The band performed its greatest hits, including "Wind Of Change", "Blackout", "Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Still Loving You", and "Send Me An Angel".

SCORPIONS' setlist for the Saarbrücken concert was as follows:

01. Sting In The Tail
02. Make It Real
03. Bad Boys Running Wild
04. The Zoo
05. Coast To Coast
06. Loving You Sunday Morning
07. The Best Is Yet To Come
08. Send Me An Angel
09. Holiday
10. Raised On Rock
11. Tease Me Please Me
12. Dynamite
13. Kottak Attack
14. Blackout
15. Six String Sting
16. Big City Nights

Encore:

17. Still Loving You
18. Wind Of Change
19. Rock You Like A Hurricane
20. When The Smoke Is Going Down

Swedish progressive metal band ANDROMEDA will release its new album, "Manifest Tyranny", on November 25 in Europe via Inner Wound Recordings and November 21 in North America through Nightmare Records. The effort will be made available as a regular CD version, in digital formats, as well as a very exclusive wooden box edition, strictly limited to 400 copies worldwide. A digital single for the track "Lies 'R' Us" will be released on October 28.

"Manifest Tyranny" track listing;

01. Preemptive Strike
02. Lies 'R' Us
03. Stay Unaware
04. Survival Of The Richest
05. False Flag
06. Chosen By God
07. Asylum
08. Play Dead
09. Go Back To Sleep
10. Antidote

According to Tempo Interactive, at least 1,500 tickets were sold to a MÖTLEY CRÜE concert in Jakarta, Indonesia that was never officially confirmed by the band. Each ticket cost IDR 350,000 (approximately $39).

An article appeared in The Jakarta Globe on September 21 announcing that MÖTLEY CRÜE would play its first-ever how in Indonesia on October 8 at Pantai Karnival in Ancol, North Jakarta. Within 24 hours, the band issued a press release insisting that it never made any agreements for a show at Pantai Karnival in Jakarta or anywhere else in the country. The group also advised its fans to be wary of any vendors advertising ticket sales.

Dedi Supriadi, one of the ticket buyers from Salemba Tegalan, East Jakarta, told Tempo Interactive, "We only believed the concert was going to be held because we've been to many concerts before."

Dedi said he purchased the ticket from PT Multi Live Mandiri in Bulungan, South Jakarta, on August 25. However, Dedi became suspicious when he checked the official Twitter account of the band and asked about their concert plan in Indonesia. "They replied through Twitter that there is no concert in Indonesia," Dedi said.

MÖTLEY CRÜE has just completed a tour of Australia and Japan.

The band wrapped one of summer's biggest rock tours as headliners and honorees for the Sunset Strip Music Festival (SSMF) live on Sunset Boulevard on August 20.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's summer trek landed the group on the Billboard "Hot Tours" chart six times since the tour launch, marking it as one of the legendary rock group's most successful tours to date. The 48-city trek tour — which launched on June 24 and wrapped in August — was one of the summer's highest grossing, packing amphitheaters and arenas all summer long, drawing half a million fans.

Athens, Georgia-based melodic metallers THEOCRACY will release their new album, "As The World Bleeds", on November 25 in Europe via Ulterium Records and on November 21 in North America through Nightmare Records. The effort will also be released as a double gatefold vinyl edition, strictly limited to 500 copies worldwide.

"As The World Bleeds" track listing;

01. I Am
02. The Master Storyteller
03. Nailed
04. Hide in the Fairytale
05. The Gift of Music
06. 30 Pieces of Silver
07. Drown
08. Altar to the Unknown God
09. Light of the World
10. As the World Bleeds

The legends of the Sunset Strip, STEEL PANTHER, are getting ready to release their sophomore album, "Balls Out", via Universal Republic Records. The CD will be released on November 1 and will continue the raucous tradition of the band's 2009 debut, "Feel The Steel". The latest album features 14 soon to be classics such as "Just Like Tiger Woods", "Gold Digging Whore" and "Weenie Ride". The album also features cameos by Dane Cook on the album opener "In The Future" and NICKELBACK frontman Chad Kroeger and EXTREME axeman Nuno Bettencourt show up on an instant classic "It Won't Suck Itself". "Balls Out" was produced by Grammy-nominated producer/mixer Jay Ruston who produced the band's "Feel The Steel" debut and is known for his work with ANTHRAX, MEAT LOAF, THE DONNAS and MORRISSEY, to name a few.

The first single from "Balls Out" is "17 Girls In A Row" and is now available on iTunes. The song showcases the band's ability to write memorable hooks while mixing them with their signature style lyrics like "I banged 17 girls in a grocery store and never lost my erection." With its driving opening drum beat and infectious guitar riff, "17 Girls In A Row" will be sure to heat up rock airwaves and give it a much-needed kick in the balls — no pun intended.

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

Razor & Tie has announced the signing of two-time Grammy-nominated metal act SHADOWS FALL to a multi-album, North American deal. The band entered Zing Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts to begin recording its new album for a spring release. The group's seventh official studio record sees them reuniting with longtime friend, producer/engineer and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE/TIMES OF GRACE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz. Adam D., who has previously helmed the boards on albums by ALL THAT REMAINS, AS I LAY DYING, UNEARTH, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and EVERY TIME I DIE, is also intimately involved in the writing of the new SHADOWS FALL material.

REVERENCE, the new power metal band featuring vocalist Todd Michael Hall (JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR, HARLET), guitarist Bryan Holland (TOKYO BLADE, ARREST), drummer Steve "Dr. Killdrums" Wacholz (SAVATAGE, CRIMSON GLORY), bassist Frank Saparti (TOKYO BLADE, OVERLOADED, MINDCANDY), and lead guitarist Pete Rossi, will enter Metro 37 studio in Detroit in mid-November to finish recording its debut full-length album for an early 2012 release via Razar Ice Records (with distribution throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia). The CD will be mixed and mastered at Sight 16 studios in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Sid Garcia at the helm. Working songtitles set to appear on the album include "Too Late", "Vengeance Is Mine", "Gatekeeper", "Revolution Rising", "Monster", "Lost Generation" and "Phantom Road".

Reactivated legendary 1980s Finnish/Swedish heavy metal band OZ will release its new album, "Burning Leather", on November 18 via AFM Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Dominator
02. Searchlights
03. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
04. Fire In The Brain
05. Seasons In The Darkness
06. Turn The Cross Upside Down
07. Burning Leather
08. Gambler
09. Enter Stadium
10. Total Metal
11. Third Warning

"Dreams Lie Down And Die", a brand new song from renowned Scottish singer Doogie White, who has worked with such bands as RAINBOW, CORNERSTONE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, MIDNIGHT BLUE and PRAYING MANTIS and TANK, can be streamed in the SoundCloud player below. The track comes off Doogie's solo album, "As Yet Untitled", which is scheduled for release on October 24 in Europe via Metal Mind Productions and November 7 in the U.S. through MVD.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

British progressive metallers THRESHOLD are currently at Thin Ice Studios (DRAGONFORCE, PENDRAGON) in Surrey, England to record their ninth studio album.

The band have finished pre-production and are now tracking drums. "We've got about 75 minutes of music at the moment so there's plenty to do" said keyboard player Richard West, who is producing the album alongside guitarist Karl Groom. "I'm very pleased with the way this album is coming together" commented Groom. "It is particularly good to see contributions in writing from more band members."

The new album sees the return of original Threshold vocalist Damian Wilson (HEADSPACE, STAR ONE) who rejoined the band in 2007 following the departure of Andrew 'Mac' McDermott who sadly passed away on August 3rd.

"Fire And Brimstone", a brand new song from Swedish power metallers DRAGONLAND, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track comes off the band's new album, "Under The Grey Banner", which will be released 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.

Frontiers Records will release ROYAL HUNT's 11th studio album, "Show Me How To Live", on November 29 in North America and December 2 in Europe.

ROYAL HUNT was recently rejoined by D.C. Cooper, the American singer that performed on the band's two most successful releases in the '90s: "Moving Target" and the concept album "Paradox". "We started chatting on Skype from time to time and that's how the idea of doing on a mini-tour came about," says ROYAL HUNT founder, songwriter and keyboards player André Andersen. "After playing some shows we realized that the chemistry was still there and we decided to continue… recording a new album — first..."

"Show Me How to Live" is described in a press release as "highly melodic with rich, lush arrangements and stellar production" and certain to "please the fans of neoclassical yet progressive music."

"The new songs are continuing right from where we left it in the first place, [and] so far it sounds great," says Andersen. "It will have some qualities of our previous albums, 'Moving Target', and 'Paradox', but you can certainly expect some cool updates and new twists!"

The follow-up 2010's "X" is being recorded at NorthPoint studio in Copenhahen and will be mixed at RoastingHouse Studios in Malmö, Sweden. The mastering duites will be handled by Jan Eliasson at AudioPlanet in Copenhagen.

"Show Me How To Live" track listing:

01. Introduction
02. One More Day
03. Another Man Down
04. An Empty Shell
05. Hard Rain's Coming
06. Half Past Loneliness
07. Show Me How To Live
08. Angel's Gone

As a companion to the new album, Frontiers Records will also release on the same day a ROYAL HUNT double DVD entitled "Future Coming From The Past". This double package serves as a celebration of the return of singer D.C. Cooper to the line-up, and makes finally widely available two very rare items which were only released in Japan back in the day. The first DVD is entitled "1996" and was recorded live in Japan just after the release of the band's "Moving Target" album. "1996" is an excellent summary of ROYAL HUNT's career up to that point. The band offers a great mix of songs from their first three studio albums. The band was in top form for this show, with D.C. leading the way. The second DVD, "Paradox - Closing the Chapter", was recorded in 1998 and marked the end of the original D.C. Cooper era for ROYAL HUNT. It is essentially a complete live performance of the band's amazing studio album "Paradox", their most successful album to date. It is a very solid performance and D.C. delivers the goods, while the band's playing is superb. To complete the package is a 50-minute documentary which shares stories of life in a rock band.

ROYAL HUNT's current lineup:

André Andersen - Keyboards
D.C. Cooper - Vocals
Allan Sørensen - Drums
Andreas Passmark - Bass
Jonas Larsen - Guitars

ROYAL HUNT's last album, "X", was released in Europe on June 7, 2010 via Scarlet Records. The CD, which featured the vocals of Mark Boals (ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN'S RISING FORCE, BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB, RING OF FIRE), came out in Japan and Southeast Asia on January 21, 2010 through Marquee/Avalon.

Singer John West joined ROYAL HUNT in 1999 during the recording of the "Fear" album and he worked with the band up until its "Royal Hunt 2006" live CD/DVD.

Fans of dramatic, symphonic Euro metal have something to look forward to when the cold, dark, dreary winter sets in. Finnish/Swedish superstars NIGHTWISH will release their new album, "Imaginaerum", in North America on January 10, 2012 via Roadrunner Records and it will serve as a welcome beckon of warmth and light in an otherwise dark season! The album is the band's first since 2007's "Dark Passion Play", which was then-new singer Anette Olzon's debut.

The band examined its catalog when sitting down to write what would become "Imaginaerum". The songs for the album were written between 2008 and 2010, after the "Dark Passion Play" tour cycle ended.

At that point, NIGHTWISH knew they wanted to do something different, new and unique, which is exceptional for a band whose career has been defined by words like different, new and unique!

The band consciously wanted to do something so big, crossover, detailed, innovative and, well, "nuts," that it would leave the band, and hopefully the people experiencing it, completely awestruck. It would be a situation where fans and/or critics would either love it or hate it, but they'd be left awestruck nonetheless. That's when the band realized another dimension, namely video, was necessary for the project.

Instead of a concept album, the band set the album to a film.

"The original idea I had was to film 13 short stories related to the songs with a connected storyline, shot by Stobe Harju," keyboardist/songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said. It was Harju's idea to turn the 13 stories and visions into more of a connected cinematic piece — essentially, a film. It would have a clear plot, script, dialogue and real actors in an ambitious effort to create something wholly unique.The film was shot in September of this year.

The movie is based on the album and its 13 tracks, honoring the original ideas, but having evolved radically from the initial plan. Holopainen said, "Still, it was important from the very beginning that the album would work as its own individual piece of art, as well. It is a thematic album about life itself, about imagination, love, goodness and beauty, with a touch of darkness and melancholy, which are strongly included in all of those things mentioned."

The band will have but a small part in the film. A 2012 premiere date is being eyed.

"Imaginaerum" track listing (note that track 12 is broken down into four parts):

01. Taikatalvi
02. Storytime
03. Ghost River
04. Slow, Love, Slow
05. I Want My Tears Back
06. Scaretale
07. Arabesque
08. Turn Loose the Mermaids
09. Rest Calm
10. The Crow, the Owl and the Dove
11. Last Ride of the Day
12. Song Of Myself
Song 1: From A Dusty Bookshelf
Song 2: All That Great Heart Lying Still
Song 3: Piano Black
Song 4: Love
13. Imaginaerum

"Imaginaerum" will be released in Finland on Wednesday, November 30 and the rest of Europe on Friday, December 2 via Nuclear Blast Records.

A track-by-track breakdown of the album by Tuomas Holopainen can be found at Metalhammer.co.uk.

Regarding the "Imaginaerum" cover artwork, which can be seen below, Holopainen said, "Originally, this was supposed to be the centerfold image of the album, but once I and some mates saw the final image, we immediately knew that the hunt for the actual cover artwork was over. I believe this is Toxic Angel's finest piece of work yet, capturing the deepest essence of what 'Imaginaerum' is all about. The power of imagination and places of wordless wonders, magic and awe, of longing and the surreal.

"I emphasized from the start that not a single living thing should be seen in the picture, and Toxic was able to create that sublime but desolate, 'all this waiting for you, and you only' feeling.

"All you need is the courage to enter."

NIGHTWISH's new single, "Storytime", will be released in Europe on Friday, November 11 via Nuclear Blast Records.

On the topic of the musical direction of the forthcoming album, NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon wrote on her official blog, "I think it's a great and varied CD. The feelings in it are great and there are a lot of elements in it, so I am sure it will have many different favorite songs for the listeners since the songs are so different in styles and sound. [2007's] 'Dark Passion Play' is a great album and this one, too, so I don't know yet which one I like more, but, of course, for me personally, this one feels better to do since the songs are more adjusted to my voice and my style."

NIGHTWISH will kick off the "Imaginaerum" world tour in Los Angeles. The very first show of the trek will take place at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California on Saturday, January 21. This will be the biggest NIGHTWISH show production ever on North American soil and strictly a one-off — there will be no U.S. tour until later in 2012.

"Carbon-Based Anatomy", a new song from the progressive rock/metal band CYNIC, is available for streaming using the audio player below. It can also be downloaded at this location. The track is the title cut of the group's new EP, which will be released on November 11 in Europe and November 15 in North America via Season Of Mist. Unlike last year's "Re-Traced", this new EP consists exclusively of brand new material.

"Carbon-Based Anatomy" track listing:

01. Amidst The Coals
02. Carbon-Based Anatomy
03. Bija!
04. Box Up My Bones
05. Elves Beam Out
06. Hieroglyph

"Carbon-Based Anatomy" audio stream:

Swedish metallers STEELWING will release their second album, "Zone Of Alienation", in Janaury 2012 via NoiseArt Records. The CD was helmed by producer Rikard Löfgren, who had previously worked with DEATHSTARS, MAMAKIN, ENFORCER and VOMITORY, among others.

Commented STEELWING: "The recording sessions at Leon Music with Rikard Löfgren were a blast! Everyone worked really hard to pull it off with a tight deadline but Rikard really understood the STEELWING sound and used his ear for melodies to bring out the best in our songwriting. The results speak for themselves and the progression of the band since our debut is obvious."

According to a press release, "Zone Of Alienation" is a semi-concept album set in a not-so-distant future where the remnants of mankind have fled into outer space. Following the eradication of the Earth after religious wars have gone nuclear, they set out to find new worlds to colonize.

The "Zone Of Alienation" cover artwork was created by Dimitar Nikolov and is an eerie depiction of heavily armed space pioneers setting foot on a hostile planet.

"Zone of Alienation" track listing:

01. 2097 A.D.
02. Solar Wind Riders
03. Full Speed Ahead!
04. Breathless
05. Tokkotai (Wind of Fury)
06. Zone of Alienation
07. The Running Man
08. They Came From The Skies
09. Lunacy Rising

The album will be made available as a limited-edition digipack with a bonus track.

"Zone of Alienation" release dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, France: January 6
Sweden: January 10
Rest Of Europe: January 27

STEELWING will embark on a tour in January with their fellow Swedes GRAND MAGUS and BULLET.

Commented STEELWING: "We are absolutely stoked to hit the road again after the recordings of our second album, and we couldn't ask for a better lineup for this tour — it's gonna be a true heavy metal assault on the senses! We will, of course, play some of the classics from our first album but we'll also play a couple of new songs for all you metal marauders to raise your fists and scream along to!"