Symphonic power prog metallers INFINITA SYMPHONIA have inked a deal with Scarlet Records. The band's debut album, "A Mind's Chronicle", will be released in June. A representation of the human mind that emphasizes the role of personal decisions in our own journey of life, the CD features special guest appearances by Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and Fabio Lione (RHAPSODY OF FIRE, VISION DIVINE). It was recorded and mixed at Outer Sound Studios in Rome, Italy, by Giuseppe Orlando (NOVEMBRE) and mastered at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland, by Mika Jussila (NIGHTWISH, SONATA ARCTICA, STRATOVARIUS, EDGUY). The beautiful cover artwork was handled by Nerve Design (NILE, THRESHOLD, LEGION OF THE DAMNED, VISION DIVINE, EXILIA).

In a recent interview with Planet Rock, legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES revealed that his new solo album will be released next spring.

Another record has been mooted for some time but this is the first time that Slash has talked about the schedule for its release.

Although ALTER BRIDGE vocalist Myles Kennedy sang just two tracks on Slash's self-titled solo debut, Slash recently confirmed that Myles will sing everything on the guitarist's next solo effort.

Speaking to Nicky Horne, he revealed, "Myles and I have been writing all throughout the tour so we've got a lot of material, and at this point we're probably gonna start a little bit of pre-production in June and then do the tour in July. In September we're going to [do more] pre-production and the album is slated to come out in March or April."

In a recent interview with The Pulse Of Radio, Kennedy said about the fact that Slash would like him to handle the lead vocals on the guitarist's next CD, "It's very flattering. I think there's kind of a cool thing we got going. We really enjoy working with each other. I know they're auditioning singers now for VELVET REVOLVER, so I don't know if they find the right guy if that'll affect things timing-wise. I'm not really sure. But the plan right now is that yeah, we'll do a record together down the road."

Slash's debut disc came out last year and featured a different singer on each track, including Chris Cornell, Ozzy Osbourne, M. Shadows and others.

The new lineup of the Cleveland, Ohio metal band CHIMAIRA made its live debut this past Wednesday, May 25 at The Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan.

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be viewed below.

CHIMAIRA 2011 is:

Mark Hunter - Vocals
Rob Arnold - Guitar
Matt DeVries - Guitar
Emil Werstler (DAATH) - Bass
Sean Zatorsky (DAATH) - Keyboards/Samples
Austin D'Amond (BLEED THE SKY, THE ELITE) – Drums

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach recently entered a Los Angeles studio with his new, young, virtuosic guitarist Nick Sterling, drummer Bobby Jarzombek and producer Bob Marlette (BLACK SABBATH, SHINEDOWN, ATREYU, FILTER) to record Bach's next CD, tentatively due this fall via the Italian label Frontiers Records.

"We are DONE mixing the new CD," Bach writes on his Facebook page. "The last song we just completed was 'Awake', which a lot of you know. The melody from Nick Sterling in the chorus is so incredible; tender, heart-wrenching, builds into an emotional crescendo that is so beautiful and heavy to me.

"After much attention to detail from producer Bob Marlette, Nick, and myself, we now have the 'magic mix' of this track that literally makes me want to rip the skin off my chest it sounds so good.

"Next up we master the CD and vinyl versions of the record at Precision Sound in L.A.

"Like my last CD, Tom Baker will master the record, because he did such a perfect job mastering 'Angel Down'.

"Get ready to rock, mothertruckers! In stores this September!"

Former IRON MAIDEN and current WOLFSBANE frontman Blaze Bayley and his solo band played a "secret" warm-up show on May 12, 2011 at De Verlichte Geest in Roeselare, Belgium to prepare for their upcoming festival appearances. Check out video footage of the performance below.

Blaze's band at the show consisted of the following musicians:

Blaze Bayley: Vocals
Steve Deleu (GWYLLION, DOUBLE DIAMOND, FIREFORCE): Guitar
Nick Meganck (NATIVE INSTINCT): Bass
Dave Andrews: Guitar
Claudio Tirincanti: Drums

Darryl Sterdan of the QMI Agency recently conducted an interview with legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

QMI Agency: What would you go back and change about the albums [1980's "Blizzard Of Ozz" and 1981's "Diary Of A Madman"] if you could?

Ozzy: Nothing! I wouldn't change anything. Why would I want to change them? They were perfectly good the way they were.

QMI Agency: But you did replace the original bass and drum tracks in 2002 during a royalty dispute with the musicians. These versions restore the original performances. Do you regret changing them?

Ozzy: My wife's my manager. I don't handle any of the business. I wasn't a fan of replacing the original things, but that was purely a business decision to get people off our backs. I didn't want to do it, but they forced my hand, you know. But really, that's a question you should ask my wife. I'm just happy we could go back and use the original parts.

QMI Agency: It seems every time one member of BLACK SABBATH mentions a reunion, another one shoots it down. Do you think it will ever happen?

Ozzy: I haven't got a clue. If they want to call me, they can call me. I never say never. If it works, fine. If it don't, I'll move on. It ain't the end of the world. I ain't gonna get a box of Kleenex and cry my eyes out for the rest of my life.

QMI Agency: Why is it so hard for you four to agree?

Ozzy: Well, we're not kids anymore. I don't wanna bullshit them and I don't want them to bullshit me. Why should I go back to that and be unhappy when I'm happy right now? I mean, I would love to do a great album with BLACK SABBATH. I would love to get the credit we so roundly deserve. At the same time, the pressure would be really intense. I could go tomorrow and make an album with them, but it wouldn't necessarily be something I would be proud of.

Steve Baltin of the newly launched online version of Creem magazine recently conducted an interview with AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Creem: What are your hopes for AEROSMITH musically?

Perry: We always did our songs as vehicles to play live. I think you can hear bits and pieces of it from my last solo record, the way we used to. I hope on the next AEROSMITH record I hope we can try some of that the way it used to be a long time ago. Part of it is also just sticking to the roots, the basic roots, which is rock 'n' roll, that's how we started.

Creem: Have you been writing for this record?

Perry: I don't really look at things like, "Oh, it's record time." I'm always writing and stuff. And I was talking to Rick Rubin, who said, "Make a cassette of all the bands you first heard who turned you on, who when you first heard made you go, 'This is it, this is the path, this is where I want to go.' Fill it up with all those songs and listen to them." Sure enough it puts you back in that head space and you start forgetting about Eddie Van Halen's lighting speed, unbelievable guitar playing, Sid Vicious' bleeding nose, disco, alternative music, or what's all the hubbub about.

Creem: How has the break helped you?

Perry: The recent break from AEROSMITH has been good because I was able to get away from the daily grind. The last five years I have had three knee surgeries, two of which were replacement, all on my right knee. During the time the band was on break from canceled or postponed shows it allowed me time to work on and put out two solo CDs. I finished a solo CD, got the JOE PERRY PROJECT back on the road, and toured with MÖTLEY CRÜE and BAD COMPANY in the U.K. Plus I did my own headline tour. So this break comes at a perfect time for me to recharge and get some perspective on things. I am looking forward to the new AEROSMITH CD and touring after its release so all of our fans can hear our new music.

Swedish progressive metallers OPETH will release their tenth album, "Heritage", on September 20 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was produced by OPETH vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt and was recorded earlier this year at Atlantis studios (formerly Metronome studios) in Stockholm. Mixing duties were handled by Steven Wilson (PORCUPINE TREE) and Åkerfeldt. Longtime collaborator Travis Smith also worked with Åkerfeldt to create, design and execute the album's artwork.

"Heritage" will be released in several configurations that will certainly incite the interest of OPETH's legion of fans, known for their passion for collecting and collectibles. The album will be released as a standard version; as a special edition loaded with extras; as a box set exclusive to the Roadrunner and the band's own official Omerch webstore; and as a double LP. There is something for every OPETH fan, thanks to this variety of options.

Commented Åkerfeldt, "It will be our 10th album/observation. I dig it; we all do. In fact, it feels like I've been building up to write for and participate on an album like this since I was 19."

Åkerfeldt went a little deeper and described the music contained within "Heritage", saying, "It's quite intense at times in some 'old' murky way, and quite beautiful and stark at times, if I may say so myself.

"It's obvious I'm going to say nice things about it since I wrote, basically, the whole piece, but I guess it will raise a few eyebrows and it certainly is an acquired taste.

"I think you'll need a slightly deeper understanding of our music as a whole to be able to appreciate this record.

"I've realized my influences for this album are so diverse that I can't really say what it sounds like.

"If I can compare it to any other band, it would have to be OPETH, but it's different from the stuff we've done before.

"I've listened a lot to ALICE COOPER for the last year, yet I can't say it sounds like 'No More Mr. Nice Guy'.

"I hope you'll like it once you hear it."

"Heritage" track listing:

01. Heritage
02. The Devil's Orchard
03. I Feel The Dark
04. Slither
05. Nepenthe
06. Haxprocess
07. Famine
08. The Lines In My Hand
09. Folklore
10. Marrow Of The Earth

For the first time on CD, on May 31, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release ZZ TOP Live in Germany 1980. This 16-song Texas manifesto features guitarist Billy F Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and bassist Dusty Hill, in an onstage explosion of barrelhouse jump blues and boogie.

The Grugahalle in Essen was rockin’ on that night in 1980. ZZ Top, touring in support of 1979’s Deguello, is totally energized on nine of Deguello’s tracks, complemented by fan favorites from Tres Hombres (1973) and Fandango (1975), as well as righteous roots-reverent covers of ELMORE JAMES and ELVIS PRESLEY. (The concert was filmed for German television’s popular Rockpalast program and released on DVD as Double Down Live in 2009.)

Live in Germany 1980 tracklisting:
'El Deguello'
'I Thank You'
'Waitin’ For the Bus'
'Jesus Just Left Chicago'
'Precious And Grace'
'Manic Mechanic'
'Lowdown In The Street'
'Heard It On The X'
'Fool For Your Stockings'
'Cheap Sunglasses'
'Arrested For Driving While Blind'
'Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers'
'La Grange / Sloppy Drunk / Bar-B-Q'
'Dust My Broom'
'Jailhouse Rock'
'Tush'

New Jersey death metal band DISMA have completed work on their debut album, entitled Towards The Megalith.

Featuring legendary death metal vocalist Craig Pillard (ex-INCANTATION, DISCIPLES OF MOCKERY), guitarists Darl Kahan (FUNEBRARUM, CITIZEN'S ARREST) and Bill Venner (ex-Incantation), bassist Randi Stokes, and drummer Shawn Eldridge (Funebrarum), with their debut album (which follows the band's much lauded and now out of print The Vault Of Membros demo), Disma have created a doomy and twisted atmospheric death metal monolith that will forge new ground in the death metal underground, while at the same time upholding the old-school death metal spirit.

To be released July 19th via Profound Lore Records, tracklisting for Towards The Megalith is as follows:

'Chaos Apparition'
'Chasm Of Oceanus'
'Spectral Domination'
'Vault Of Membros'
'Purulent Quest'
'Lost In The Burial Fog'
'Of A Past Forlorn'
'Towards The Megaltih'

A new Rolling Stone magazine audio interview with pop superstar Lady Gaga in which she describes the experience of attending IRON MAIDEN's April 17, 2011 concert in Tampa, Florida can be streamed below.

"I went to see IRON MAIDEN the other night, and I actually watched the show from a box," Lady Gaga can be heard saying in the clip. "And we were laughing as we walked — it was me and my two best friends… as we were walking into the box, we had a bunch of drinks, we were all going, 'This is so not metal, to be in a box.' [laughs] So we watched most of the show from the box and then we were gonna go meet the band. And we went down during 'The Number Of The Beast'. And when we got there, I grabbed Lady Starlight and I said, 'Let's go,' and we just booked it into the center of the crowd. And we were dancing and singing and everyone was just so into it. And it was one of the first times I've been able to just be at a rock concert in a long time . . . People did recognize me, but it was so kind and warm and awesome. I mean, IRON MAIDEN is all about, 'We don't care who our fans are. We love everybody.' . . . I guess what I'm trying to say is the devotion of the fans moving in unison, pumping their fists, watching the show, when I see that, I see the paradigm for my future and the relationship I want to have with my fans. IRON MAIDEN's never had a hit song, and they tour stadiums around the world, and their fans live, breathe and die for MAIDEN, and that is my dream. That is my dream. And not only that, but when we got into the crowd, there was no pretension… I'm a pop singer — I didn't know what it would be like in a crowd of a MAIDEN [fans]; everybody was hugging me, high-fiving, fistpumps in the air… 'Oh, it's so cool you're at MAIDEN.' Jumping and dancing… I mean, it was like absolute no judgment, no prejudice, freedom and love for music. It doesn't matter who you are; you don't need to know anything about music to love it. And it was just so… It was just awesome… MAIDEN changed my life."

Japanese rockers DIR EN GREY will release their eighth studio album, "Dum Spiro Spero", on August 9. According to a press release, the band's deep, extensive and unique perspective is once again set to break boundaries, with their uncategorizable mix of music which will undoubtedly secure tremendous support from the hardcore fans, as well as gaining recognition from heavy rock fans, guitar enthusiasts and Western-music-obsessed music fans."

DIR EN GREY guitarist Kaoru describes "Dum Spiro Spero" as "more savage, and from a deeper world which is completely different from any of our past works."

"Dum Spiro Spero" features 14 tracks, including "Hageshisa To, Kono Mune No Naka De Karamitsuita Shakunetsu No Yami" (featured on "Saw 3D" soundtrack), "Lotus" and "Different Sense".

Texas-based progressive rockers FAIR TO MIDLAND's new album, Arrows & Anchors, has been set for a July 11th release in Europe (July 12th in North America), in a digipak edition with bonus track limited to the first pressing.

You can now download the song 'Amarillo Sleeps On My Pillow' for free here. Listen to the track below:



Arrows & Anchors tracklisting:

'Heavens To Murgatroyd'
'Whiskey And Ritalin'
'Musical Chairs'
'Uh-Oh'
'Amarillo Sleeps On My Pillow'
'A Loophole In Limbo'
'Typhoid Mary Sends Her Best'
'Short Haired Tornado'
'The Upset At Bailey Bridge'
'Rikki Tikki Tavi'
'Golden Parachutes'
'Bright Bulbs And Sharp Tools'
'Coppertank Island'
'Three Foolproof Ways To Buy The Farm'
'The Greener Grass'
'Pour The Coal To 'Er' (digipak bonus track)

REO SPEEDWAGON will release of a 30th Anniversary Edition of their legendary Hi Infidelity album (1980), on June 28th via Epic Records/Legacy

The 2CD set features a remaster of the album on CD1, and nine previously unreleased live studio demos on CD2.

CD1:
'Don’t Let Him Go'
'Keep On Loving You'
'Follow Your Heart'
'In Your Letter'
'Take It On The Run'
'Tough Guys'
'Out Of Season'
'Shakin’ It Loose'
'Someone Tonight'
'I Wish You Were There'

CD2 (Demos):
'Someone Tonight'
'Tough Guys'
'In Your Letter'
'Follow My Heart'
'Take It On The Run'
'Don’t Let Him Go'
'Keep On Loving You'
'Shakin’ It Loose' (instrumental)
'I Wish You Were There'

American black metallers NIGHTBRINGER have been added to Season of Mist's Underground Activists roster.

The band have issued the following statement: "Nightbringer is very enthusiastic about our collaboration with Season of Mist. It is an honor to be on such a label alongside some of metal's most legendary acts. We feel that Hierophany Of The Open Grave is easily our most powerful offering yet and we are pleased to know it will have the level of representation that Season of Mist is known for."

Nightbringer's third album is entitled Hierophany Of The Open Grave, and will hit the stores on August 19th in Europe, September 13th in North America.

June 13th is the European release date for the Copenhagen five-piece SCARRED BY BEAUTYs debut album, Sutra. In advance the band now releases the official video for 'Indika', taken from the upcoming album.

"The project started with the thought, that a music video can become something unique, and doesn't have to be three minutes of a band performing on a cool location. We teamed up with Jawbreaker Productions, and gave Casper (Director) complete artistic freedom to come up with a concept. We only had these guidelines for him; different, colorful and provocative. We wanted a video as far away from the usual metal performance video as possible, a video where the visual art form was allowed to bloom. We think that we've succeeded, and we ended up with a video that’s fragile and delicate, but also powerful and semi erotic."

Michigan black metal act WINTERUS has announced its permanent updated lineup.

After the recent departure of guitarist Nathan Barnes and drummer Cody McCoy, guitarist Les Paul and drummer Kollin Perpignani have been added to the mix, along with bassist Donovan Bates, to round out the Winterus lineup.

Vocalist Christopher Erich Neu comments: “As bands grow, you find people that really get what you are trying to do. Things are only getting tighter.”

New bassist Donovan Bates further comments: "We all have the same mind set, the same mission, the same goal.”

RAM, the traditional Gothenburg, Sweden-based heavy metal band featuring drummer Morgan Pettersson (ex-B-THONG), has set "Death" as the title of its third album, tentatively due this fall via an as-yet-undetermined record label. The CD was recorded at Welfare Sounds Studios in the group's hometown and was mastered by Dragan Tanaskovic at Bohus Sound.

"Death" track listing:

01. Death...
02. ...Comes From The Mouth Beyond
03. I Am The End
04. Release Me
05. Defiant
06. Frozen
07. Under The Scythe
08. Hypnos
09. Flame Of The Tyrants
10. 1 7 7 1

U.K. modern metallers MALEFICE will release their third full-length album, "Awaken The Tides", in the U.K. on July 18, in the rest of Europe on July 15, and in North America on August 2 via Metal Blade Records. The 10-song effort was recorded at The Face studios in Reading with drums laid down at Fortress Studios in London. All tracks were mixed and mastered by Justin Hill.

Commented MALEFICE frontman Dale Butler: "And so the time has finally come, we've been locked away for six months working on this record, a release that's going to take your fucking head off. We promised something different, a bigger production, and a slightly different look on the genre. We've found our sound and it's going to bring a whole new level to our live show, something we all felt was missing. We've come back a new band, confident and more of a unit than we've ever been. This is our next step; make sure you're around to see it!"

"Awaken The Tides" track listing:

01. Awaken The Tides
02. Delirium
03. Dead in the Water
04. Minutes
05. Baying For Blood
06. Blessed/Cursed
07. The Day the Sky Fell
08. Out Numbered Out Gunned
09. Flood of Red
10. The Haunting

Several webisodes featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the recording sessions for the new album can be viewed below.

In other news, MALEFICE has announced an intimate hometown warm-up show prior to the band's appearance at the Download festival. They'll play Sub89 in Reading on Wednesday, June 8.

Taylor, Michigan's I AM ABOMINATION will release a brand new digital EP, "Passion Of The Heist", on July 19. The EP is being released by Good Fight Music, the same label that released I AM ABOMINATION's first critically acclaimed full-length album, "To Our Forefathers". A new track from the digital EP will be released via the band's official Facebook page on June 8.

Described by the band as a concept album, "Passion Of The Heist" was produced, written, engineered, mixed and mastered by guitarist Nick Sampson at his studio in New Boston, Michigan. All lyrics on the EP were written by Brandon Good.

The band plans on releasing new information about the concept of the EP with the release of the new single.

"Passion Of The Heist" includes a guest appearance by ATTACK ATTACK's Caleb Shomo on the track "Ascension".

"We've had such an amazing time putting hard work into this album, and we can't wait for people to hear it," states vocalist Phil Druyor. Sampson adds, "This is the first time we've ever sat down to write an album with no outside opinion, and it turned out awesome."

"Passion Of The Heist" track listing:

01. Vivification
02. Abduction
03. Examination
04. Transformation
05. Ascension (feat. Caleb Shomo of ATTACK ATTACK)
06. Invasion