NAMM International has announced the eleventh outing to find the "World's Fastest Drummer". This highly charged interactive event is a feature at this year's summer NAMM show in Nashville, Tennessee. The contest, which consists of two categories, "Fastest Hands" and "Fastest Feet", will be held each day on "World's Fastest Drummer" lobby stage at the Nashville Convention Center starting at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, July 21, with "heats" continuing through 1:00 p.m. on public day Saturday, July 23. The top ten "Fastest Hands" and top ten "Fastest Feet" will compete in a "Finals Battle" of both categories held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 23.

"World's Fastest Drummer" extreme sport drumming has been a feature on the Vans Warped Tour, Ozzfest and most major networks, including ESPN, Fox Sports, MTV, VH1, ABC, BBC, PBS and CNN. World's Fastest Drummer The Game produced well over 1.5 million plays for MTV's Addicting Games in its first 90 days.

"World's Fastest Drummer" is the official ruling and certification organization for Guinness World Records.

"'World's Fastest Drummer' as an X sport is celebrating its 10-year anniversary," says Boo McAfee, creator of "World's Fastest Drummer" extreme sport drumming. "We are totally elated to commemorate this 10-year milestone with NAMM in Nashville. This will truly be an awesome 'World's Fastest Drummer' official world finals. If you think your local coffee shop manager is a bundle of energy, wait 'till you get a load of these guys!"

Orion Books has announced that the photographic documentary compiled by official IRON MAIDEN photographer John McMurtrie entitled "On Board Flight 666" will be published in the U.K. on October 20.

John's unrestricted access has allowed him to capture exclusive images and moments both onstage and off, in over 300 photographs accompanied by his personal insights and anecdotes in more than 250 glossy pages of photographs

"On Board Flight 666" charts the extraordinary journey of IRON MAIDEN in their specially customized Boeing 757, piloted by lead singer and airline captain Bruce Dickinson. Travelling across five continents, twice around the globe to undertake two world tours, John's pictorial odyssey maps their progress from Ed Force One's historic take-off in January 2008 on the groundbreaking "Somewhere Back In Time Tour" through to 2010/11's "The Final Frontier" world tour in support of the band's fifteenth studio album to date, "The Final Frontier" (August 2010), which reached No. 1 in at least 28 countries.

With a personal foreword by Bruce Dickinson, "Onboard Flight 666" takes you up close with IRON MAIDEN as they circumnavigate the planet to play to their loyal legion of fans giving an inside look into what makes this band so special and so adventurous in their unique touring plans.

The hard back version of "On Board Flight 666" is available now to pre-order on Amazon.

Details of overseas editions will be announced when known.

Click here to download an 18-page preview of this book as a PDF file.

Reunited hardcore legends EARTH CRISIS will release their seventh album, "Neutralize The Threat", on July 12 via Century Media Records. The CD was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SHADOWS FALL, HATEBREED). The cover artwork was created by Ryan Clark and can be seen below.

Commented Ryan: "EARTH CRISIS was a seminal band for me. When I was introduced to hardcore, EARTH CRISIS was a band that seemed to stand out from the rest. Their unique blend of metal and hardcore made me an instant fan. I remember many EARTH CRISIS shows in the mid-Nineties, climbing atop the crowd, pointing at Karl [Buechner, vocals], screaming 'Street by street! Block by block!' These guys are partly responsible for what I've been doing with my life for the past 15-plus years, so when I was asked to create the artwork for their 2011 record, I naturally jumped at the chance. Not only were they absolutely great to work with, but they've still got it — 'Neutralize' is a flat-out SICK record."

"Neutralize The Threat" track listing:

01. Raise
02. Neutralize The Threat
03. Total War
04. 100-Kiloton Blast
05. Counterstrike
06. By Conscience Compelled
07. Black Talons Tear
08. Askari
09. The Eradicators
10. Raze

The song "Total War" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Italian brutal/symphonic horde FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE will release its second full-length album, "Agony", on August 9 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD's intricate cover design was handled by Marco Hasmann, who previously worked with the band on the "Mafia" and "Oracles" releases.

Commented the group: "The album cover is about the eternal struggle of mankind; we're condemned to live facing our evil side, which dwells in every one of us. We are like tied to the ground, forced in chains that can't be broken, so the man in the cover is representing all humanity and its eternal agony, knowing that it's almost impossible to liberate ourselves from the obscurity of our nature. Unless we decide to admit to ourselves who we are and face our doom, that would be the only way to free our kind and rise to an higher conscience, someday."

With only two releases, "Oracles" (2009) and the "Mafia" EP (2010), and a successful U.S. debut tour alongside SUFFOCATION and THE FACELESS under its belt, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE has already become one of the most talked about bands in the underground. Their unique blend of technical death metal with symphonic elements has quickly made them a favorite with fans and critics alike.

"We're really excited to start working with such a renowned and professional label [as Nuclear Blast]," commented guitarist/vocalist Tommaso Riccardi. "It's a great chance for the band to express itself in the best way, counting on this kind of support. For us it's like a brand new start. We surely can improve our work, touring much more and finally reaching every continent as we always wanted to do. Many tours are already planned or on the way to being organized. We'll start with North America and Europe and then Asia/Oceania, South Africa and maybe in Central/South America. We can't wait to hit U.S. again this July-August with the 'Summer Slaughter Tour' 2011. It's an honor for us to be on this tour and a great opportunity to play live some new tunes!"

Sweden Rock TV conducted an interview with members of STEELHEART at this year's edition of the Sweden Rock Festival, which was held June 8-11, 2011 in Sölvesborg in southern Sweden. You can now watch the chat below.

When asked if fans can expect to hear some brand new material from STEELHERT in the not-too-distant future, vocalist Miljenko "Mili" Matijevic replied, "We just [released a cover version of the LED ZEPPELIN classic] 'Black Dog'. It's on Steelheart.com; just go download it for free. And we’re gonna do another song; we're gonna release it as a single again. We're gonna do it to the full-length album for February. So February, we have a brand new album coming out, world tour, the whole thing. We're back, baby!"

Finnish metallers GHOST BRIGADE will release their third album, "Until Fear No Longer Defines Us", on August 19 in Europe and August 23 in North America via Season Of Mist.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. In The Woods
02. Clawmaster
03. Chamber
04. Traces Of Liberty
05. Divine Act Of Lunacy
06. Grain
07. Breakwater
08. Cult Of Decay
09. Torn
10. Soulcarvers

"Until Fear No Longer Defines Us" will be released as a CD digipak limited to the first pressing, a double gatefold coloured vinyl with digital download card, and a collector's box with CD digipak, regular or unisex t-shirt, leather bracelet, postcard hand-signed by all band members and metal button badges. All of the above is available for pre-order from Season of Mist's e-shop.

"That Fire", the new video from the Miami hard rock quartet BLACK TIDE, can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Paul R. Brown (STONE SOUR, SLIPKNOT, MÖTLEY CRÜE, KORN, GODSMACK, AVENGED SEVENFOLD) in Los Angeles and features a live performance of the song, while lead singer Gabriel Garcia deceives his future bride with her bridesmaids. "It's for the dudes that have girlfriends on the side," explains bassist Zakk Sandler.

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal is preparing to release the sixth in a series of singles being made available digitally this year, an original song entitled "Cat Fight". The track, which will arrive on Thursday, June 23, features a guest appearance by one of Thal's "all-time favorite vocalists," Mark Tornillo of ACCEPT.

Commented Ron: "This was a fun song to make!! Very happy Dennis [Leeflang; drums] and I had the music done and invited Mark to sing on it. I've always been a huge fan of his, from his band TT QUICK I'd follow as a teenager to now as singer of ACCEPT. While touring, he sent me ideas for lyrics, came to the studio while home for a few days between legs of the tour, hung out and blasted out killer vocals. Then, the song art... had an idea for a vintage movie poster vibe, and put a message on Facebook and Twitter inviting people to take photos for the song art. Photos started comin' in, and the winning pic jumped out."

A PERFECT CIRCLE guitarist Billy Howerdel says that the band is close to finishing up a new song which it will play on the band's upcoming summer North American tour. As for whether the yet-to-be-titled track will lead to a full album's worth of material, Howerdel told The Pulse Of Radio that he doesn't see a full-length record happening. "I like records," he said. "I still like records. I have great memories of having anticipation of hearing a whole album and ingesting it slowly and drinking it all in. To me, I have desires of making a record, but it just doesn't seem like people are interested. It just seems that everyone likes to digest things much quicker and have less patience."

A PERFECT CIRCLE will tour North America for the first time in six years this summer. The tour kicks off next Wednesday (June 29) in Portland, Oregon.

The reissue of GENERAL SURGERY’s 1991 debut EP, Necrology, is currently streaming in its entirety at this location.

The long-out-print EP has been completely remastered by Scott Hull and repackaged with three previously unreleased bonus tracks. The Necrology reissue saw its North American release this past Tuesday, June 21st, on CD and digitally. Additional release information can be found here, as well as at iTunes.

DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED — the band led by VELVET REVOLVER /ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan — performed at this year's Hellfest on June 19, 2011 in Clisson, France.

The group's setlist was as follows:

01. Executioner's Song
02. We Win
03. Dead Skin
04. Dark Days
05. Seattlehead
06. Sick
07. Follow Me to Hell
08. Your Name
09. Lords of Abbadon
10. Attitude (MISFITS cover)
11. It's So Easy (GUNS N' ROSES cover)

Swedish black metallers DARK FUNERAL have been rejoined by drummer Nils Fjallstrom (a.k.a. Dominator) i

Commented Nils: "After a short break of focusing on other aspects of my life, it's a great privilege for me to announce my return to DARK FUNERAL. The time off has fueled my inspiration and urge to get back behind the kit and annihilate. It's an honor to play alongside my fellow brothers again. May DARK FUNERAL rise to Dominate once more."

Added guitarist Lord Ahriman: "It feels absolutely killer to be working with Dominator again. He's not only an amazing drummer, but also a very good friend. And I'm glad he's back in the band. A massive welcome back brother! Now, let's together set the world ablaze and conquer the universe once and for all!"

Stated guitarist Chaq Mol: "Finally, a missing brother is back from his walkabout. And the search for a drummer is officially over. Once again we have the honor to play with the best drummer ever. Welcome back, Dominator, my brother!"

Fan-filmed video footage of JUDAS PRIEST's June 20, 2011 performance at Le Zénith in Paris, France can be seen below.

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) (first half acoustic)
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 (taped intro) / Electric Eye

Encore 2:

20. Hell Bent for Leather
21. You've Got Another Thing Comin' (with Richie Faulkner guitar solo)

Encore 3:

22. Living After Midnight

Fan-filmed video footage of CINDERELLA's June 20, 2011 performance at Klubben/Fryshuset in Stockholm, Sweden can be viewed below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Once Around the Ride
02. Shake Me
03. Heartbreak Station
04. Somebody Save Me
05. Night Songs
06. The More Things Change
07. Coming Home
08. Second Wind
09. Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)
10. Nobody's Fool
11. Gypsy Road

Encore:

12. Long Cold Winter
13. Shelter Me

"The Sighting Is A Portent Of Doom", the new video from the Dutch symphonic black metal act CARACH ANGREN, can be viewed below. The clip was shot over a period of about six months by CARACH ANGREN and Erik Wijnands of Negakinu Photography at different locations. The band states, "The dedication and creative view of Erik Wijnands, combined with everything that CARACH ANGREN represents, materialized into those few minutes of footage you now see before you. Take this for what it is: a glimpse into the haunting rituals of CARACH ANGREN, a new chapter for the band and a promise of things to come!"

Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD have entered the studio with producer Josh Wilbur to begin recording their new album for a tentative late 2011 release.

Click here to watch a live stream of LAMB OF GOD's Chris Adler tracking drums for the band's new CD for the next week. He states, "If at first you don't hear anything, the audio is tied into the soundboard so you'll only have audio when I'm playing or we are talking."

PRESTO BALLET, the progressive rock band featuring former METAL CHURCH members Kurdt Vanderhoof (guitar) and Ronny Munroe (vocals), will release a new EP, "Love What You've Done With The Place", on Saturday, July 2. It will be available for download on iTunes and other major online sites, but if you want a CD that includes a bonus track, it will only be available on the group's official web site.

"Love What You've Done With The Place" track listing:

01. King Of The Stars
02. The Clock
03. A Distant Heart
04. Deep Dark Blue
05. Looking Glass
06. The Faith Healer (THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND cover) (bonus track; only available on CD)

In other news, PRESTO BALLET has parted ways with drummer Jeffrey McCormack. Bassist Bobby Ferkovich says, "[Jeffrey] is unfortunately going through some rough times right now and felt couldn't commit enough of his time and effort to us. Although he was only with us a short time, Jeffrey is one of my dearest friends and I'm sad to see him go."

Finnish record label Spinefarm Records will celebrate its 20th anniversary by organizing a "summer camp" in July where members of various bands signed to the company — including those from SHINING, MOONSORROW, SWALLOW THE SUN, FINNTROLL, MEDEA and ENSIFERUM — will collaborate with each other in creating and recording new songs. The resulting album, tentatively titled "Spinefarm Allstars", will be released before the end of the year.

According to Kerrang! magazine, RISE TO REMAIN — the up-and-coming London, England metalcore outfit featuring singer Austin Dickinson, the son of IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson — will release its debut album, "City Of Vultures", on September 5 via EMI. The 12-track effort was recorded last year at Tree House Studios in Chesterfield with producers Carl Bown (FIGHTSTAR, TRIVIUM) and Colin Richardson (SLIPKNOT, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, MACHINE HEAD).

"We're ecstatic now the album is complete," says Dickinson. "That's the only way to describe it; this album has been our focus for so long. I want this album to take the band to major new levels."

Progressive metallers FATES WARNING will play a handful of shows in Europe this summer, including a support slot at DREAM THEATER's August 2 concert at Terra Vibe in Athens, Greece.

Commented guitarist Jim Matheos: "We're looking forward to playing in Europe again this summer, particularly Headbangers Open Air in Germany and, of course, returning to Greece for shows in Athens and Larissa. These will most likely be our last shows before beginning work on a new FATES WARNING [album] for 2012, so we hope to see a lot of you there."

DARK FOREST has inked a deal with Cruz del Sur Music for the release of the band's second full-length album, "Dawn Of Infinity". The group entered the studio on June 18 to begin recording the CD, which will be made available in the fall.

A young band based out of Birmingham, England, DARK FOREST has been knocking skulls around for a few years now, after the release of its self-titled debut album on Eyes Like Snow Records in January 2009. Their traditional take on heavy metal is as British-sounding as some of the best NWOBHM bands, reinterpreted with a modern production's punch able to make them stand out alone.

If your heart has a soft spot for IRON MAIDEN, ANGEL WITCH, ISEN TORR or early DEEP PURPLE, DARK FOREST boasts the kind of fist-pumping old-school classic metal to make your day.