JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill recently spoke to Germany's Metal Hammer magazine about the departure of the band's founding member Kenneth "K.K." Downing and the group's latest addition, 31-year-old British guitarist Richie Faulkner (LAUREN HARRIS, DIRTY DEEDS).

On Richie Faulkner:

"He was recommended to us by a mutual friend.

"For those fans who are concerned that we will no longer sound like PRIEST [without K.K.], you can put your minds at rest. Richie Faulkner is a fabulous guitarist and the perfect replacement for K.K. Downing. You will miss nothing from the show and the sound."

On K.K. Downing:

"We have done everything in our power to persuade Ken to stay in the band. He no longer had the enthusiasm to keep going."

On the forthcoming "Epitaph" farewell tour:

"We are looking forward to it. We have a great show, a great set list and a very good new guitar player. "

On whether "Epitaph" is really JUDAS PRIEST's final tour:

"I don't think these will be our last-ever performances. But there will be no more two-year tours after this. However, we still have a lot of touring ahead of us, and if anyone asks us — why shouldn't we continue playing?"

A promise for the fans:

"Rob Halford is still able to sing all the songs as before."

JUDAS PRIEST has been focusing on the forthcoming tour — doing press, photos, sorting out stage sets, special effects, and stage clothes etc. In addition, the bandmembers have started music rehearsals this week so are now poised and getting ready to roll. According to a posting on the group's official web site, "everyone is looking forward to travelling round the world again with the PRIEST machine!"

JUDAS PRIEST's "Epitaph" world tour will kick off on June 7 in Tilburg, Holland.

Downing issued a statement last month regarding his departure from the legendary heavy metal group on the eve of its farewell tour. Downing said, "It is with much regret that I will not be with you this summer. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your concerns about my health. Please rest assured that I am OK. There has been an ongoing breakdown in (the) working relationship between myself, elements of the band, and the band's management for some time. Therefore I have decided to step down rather than to tour with negative sentiments as I feel that this would be a deception to you, our cherished fans. However, I would urge you to please support the PRIEST as I have no doubt that it will be a show not to be missed."

Singer Rob Halford told French magazine Rock Hard, "K.K. leaving was his own decision, for the reasons he made public on his web site. . . K.K. has his own life to live and we can't force him to do anything he doesn't want to do."

Regarding Faulkner's addition to JUDAS PRIEST, Halford said, "K.K. can never be replaced; he's unique, and we didn't want any kind of K.K. copycat. Richie Faulkner came to Glenn's [Tipton, guitar] house to jam, and Glenn simply told me he was absolutely brilliant."

Although PRIEST plans to stop touring after this run, the band will continue to record and intends to issue a new studio album in 2012.

AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler is collaborating with actor Johnny Depp on a song.

"We've been hanging out here and there," Depp told "Extra" on Saturday (May 7). "He's someone I've admired greatly for such a long time. The idea of writing songs with him is a dream come true."

Tyler told Billboard.com last week that he and Depp have been collaborating in his "American Idol" downtime. "He asked me, he said, 'I want you to come over' — he's got a studio here in L.A. — 'and see if I'm playing 'Seasons of Wither' right.' I said, 'Y'know what, Johnny? No matter how you play it, it's gonna be right. It's a beautiful thing,'" said Tyler.

Tyler has released his first-ever U.S. solo single, called "(It) Feels So Good". The singer debuted the tune on Ryan Seacrest's radio show and will premiere the music video this Thursday night (May 12) on "American Idol", where Tyler is serving as a judge this season.

AEROSMITH is set to begin work on a new studio effort later this year, after Tyler completes his "Idol" duties. The band had a weeklong songwriting session earlier this spring in Los Angeles.

Tyler released a memoir called "Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?" last Tuesday (May 3). The book chronicles his struggles with addiction, his feelings about his family and friends, his early life and his more than 40 years with AEROSMITH.

The Daytime Emmy Awards nominations were announced today (Wednesday, May 11) and AEROSMITH singer Steven Tyler was nominated in the "Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program" category for his work as the Mad Hatter on American animated children's television series "Wonder Pets!".

The "Wonder Pets!" episode featuring Tyler, which premiered last October, pays homage to "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" as the Wonder Pets try to track down the Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts (fellow singer Idina Menzel) and Cheshire Cat (Ziggy Marley) to invite them to a special tea party.

"What a blast! It's something I've wanted to do forever and to get a chance to do this is just another dream come true, another feather in the cap!" Tyler said in a statement about the special.

"Wonder Pets!" follows the adventures of three classroom pets — Linny the Guinea Pig, Ming-Ming Duckling, and Turtle Tuck — who travel around the globe helping to rescue animals who need their help.

The third in a series of webisodes featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "Sounds Of A Playground Fading", the tenth album from Swedish metallers IN FLAMES, can be viewed below.

"Sounds Of A Playground Fading" will be released via Century Media Records on the following dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway: Friday, June 17
Finland, Hungary: Wednesday, June 22
Spain, Italy: Tuesday, June 21
Rest Of Europe: Monday, June 20
North America: Tuesday, June 21
Australia, New Zealand: Friday, June 24

The album will be made available in the following formats in Europe:

* CD Jewelcase
* Special-edition CD+DVD (eight-panel digipak with pop-up feature + recording "Sounds Of A Playground Fading" DVD)
* Limited deluxe box set CD+DVD (eight-panel pop-up digipak and 32-page deluxe booklet + recording "Sounds Of A Playground Fading" DVD, black textile belt with white print and silver buckle with black IN FLAMES logo, set of 3 buttons, 1 jigsaw puzzle, 6 postcards) * 2-LP gatefold, 180gr vinyl
* Digital download

According to CBC News, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson will pilot some Icelandic Express flights in the jet the British rock band used for touring. The discount airline is leasing Ed Force One — the customized Boeing 757 used by IRON MAIDEN to transport the band, its 60-member crew and 12 tons of equipment as they tour the world — and some flights will be piloted by Dickinson, who also happens to be a commercial pilot.

According to Haaretz.com, British hard rock legends DEEP PURPLE took a stand against other musicians who cancel their concerts in Israel due to politics, saying artists should not take sides in political conflicts, with drummer Ian Paice calling these musicians "real wimps."

The band spoke at a press conference Wednesday ahead of two concerts it is scheduled to perform in Caesarea on Saturday and Sunday. This visit is DEEP PURPLE's third Israeli tour. The last time they visited was in 2008, when they played four concerts to full crowds of cheering fans.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson and guitarist Angus Young slammed the creation of instant pop stars through reality shows like "American Idol" in an interview with the Associated Press, with Johnson saying, "There's only one way to do it. You get on the stage, you learn your trade and you get out and play in front of people. You serve your apprenticeship just like anybody else." He added, "The shortcut way leads to tears at the end of the day. It's all hype. And it's not fair on the kids to make them famous one week and then nobodies the next. It's just not right."

Johnson recalled that he began his career singing in British clubs for perhaps 30 people, and that he took buses to get to his gigs.

Young jokingly asked if AEROSMITH vocalist Steven Tyler was "hanging people or something" in his current gig as an "American Idol" judge.

Young and Johnson were interviewed at the London premiere of their new concert DVD, "Live At River Plate", which arrived on Tuesday (May 10).

The two-and-a-half-minute "Fallen Heroes" tribute video which was shown at the third annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards — held on April 20 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California — can be viewed below. The clip remembers many of hard rock and metal's most dearly departed, including Ronnie James Dio, SLIPKNOT's Paul Gray, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's The Rev, TYPE O NEGATIVE's Peter Steele and ALICE IN CHAINS' Mike Starr.

Highlights from the Revolver Golden Gods Awards will be broadcast on VH1 Classic on Saturday, May 28. Revolver will release a special Golden Gods issue of the magazine on May 24. The Golden Gods issue will include exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and interviews.

AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler has released his first-ever solo song, called "(It) Feels So Good". The singer debuted the tune on Ryan Seacrest's radio show and will premiere the music video this Thursday night (May 12) on "American Idol", where Tyler is serving as a judge this season. Tyler told The Pulse Of Radio why he thought the time was right to strike out with a solo number. "I just wanted to do something on my own that I didn't have to filter anything through the band," he said. "I could be my own critic, you know, I could be my own worst enemy on this. Just wanted to see what I could do, you know, with my own song. God knows [AEROSMITH guitarist] Joe Perry did it enough times. It's just fun."

The video for "(It) Feels So Good" was shot on April 25 with the Norwegian-born, Los Angeles-based director and photographer Ray Kay (real name: Reinert K. Olsen) and is described by an observer as "everything you would expect to get from a classic AEROSMITH video. Without giving too much away, think: pure, classic Steven Tyler in all of his rock star glory."

AEROSMITH is set to begin work on a new studio effort later this year, after Tyler completes his "Idol" duties. The band had a weeklong songwriting session earlier this spring in Los Angeles.

Tyler released a memoir called "Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?" last Tuesday (May 3). The book chronicles his struggles with addiction, his feelings about his family and friends, his early life and his more than 40 years with AEROSMITH.

Norwegian musician and composer Andreas Nergård has spent the past year writing material for a metal musical entitled "Memorial For A Wish". The musical is currently being recorded at the Trondheim Studio in Trondheim, Norway with producer Conor Patrick for release as two separate albums ("Act 1" and "Act 2") during 2011-2012. A promo EP entitled "In The Beginning" will be released on May 30 containing three tracks from the musical, with special guest appearances by Ralf Scheepers (PRIMAL FEAR, GAMMA RAY), Tony Mills (TNT, SHY), Mike Vescera (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, LOUDNESS).

The story of "Memorial For A Wish" is set in Dublin, Ireland, in 1890: A young man by the name of Peter O'Donnell is arrested and wrongfully accused of a burglary which he did not commit. After a short trial, he is sentenced to prison for twenty years. In desperation he is forced to leave his pregnant wife behind and live in solitude behind the prison walls. Twenty long years pass by and Peter is released from jail, only to find out that his beloved wife died many years ago while giving birth to their daughter. The friends he once had turn their backs on him and let him face the grief all alone. This eventually tears him apart. As the sorrow and despair become too much to handle, he ends up committing suicide.

"Memorial For A Wish" recording lineup:

* Ralf Scheepers (PRIMAL FEAR, GAMMA RAY)
* Tony Mills (TNT, SHY)
* Mike Vescera (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, LOUDNESS)
* Åge Sten Nilsen (WIG WAM)
* Göran Edman (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOHN NORUM)
* Helge Engelke (FAIR WARNING)
* David Reece (BANGALORE CHOIR, ACCEPT)

More singers will be confirmed during May and June.

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman is auctioning a Jackson guitar he used in the studio and on the road with the band in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with all proceeds going to the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust and ALS Therapy Development Institute.

Commented Friedman: "This guitar was the first Jackson I ever owned. It was the first really good guitar I ever had. I bought it in Hawaii while I was in the band HAWAII. It was tiger-striped black and white at the time. I did several HAWAII recordings and concerts with it. At one time it had a flamethrower on the headstock. I recorded most of CACOPHONY's 'Speed Metal Symphony' [1987] with this guitar if not the entire album, as I don't remember playing any other guitar while recording that album. I did ALL of 'Dragon's Kiss' [Friedman's 1988 solo album] with this guitar. When I joined MEGADETH, I had it painted black and recorded 'Rust in Peace' [1990] with it. On 'Rust In Peace' I used only two guitars, this one and one other Jackson. I also used this to record 'Countdown To Extinction'. This was my #2 touring guitar for most of my MEGADETH years, so in MEGADETH alone this axe must have at least 1000 shows under its belt. The guitar has been maintained by the top luthiers in the world. When I quit MEGADETH, I retired this guitar so it has been in its case in a climate-controlled lockup since then. I look forward to the new history you will create with this cool guitar."

Jason Becker, a onetime guitar prodigy first known as part of the metal duo CACOPHONY, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, aka Lou Gehrig's Disease) at age 20, shortly after joining David Lee Roth's band for the gold-selling 1991 album "A Little Ain't Enough". Although the disease robbed him of his ability to play guitar — and eventually left him both paralyzed and unable to speak — Becker continues to compose music with the help of computers, collaborators, and a system of communication using eye movements that was devised by his father Gary.

Even after his once prodigious axe skills left him, Jason's music continued to earn the respect of his peers. Joe Satriani called 2001's "Perspectives" — Jason's first recorded work after losing his motor functions (originally self-released in 1996) — "a triumphantly powerful and beautiful album." Fellow virtuosos joined the chorus of praise, including Steve Vai, who said, "Jason has discovered a brilliant source of inspiration within himself. His deep soul searching has resulted in a body of music that reveals courage and insight and is deeply moving."

Friedman added, "To call Jason a genius is an understatement. He doesn't cater to trend, target audiences, marketing gimmicks or anything like that. He plays out the emotions from his heart and makes real music that is a salute to the human spirit. Jason is a prodigy and on 'Perspectives' he realizes his miraculous potential."

SCELESTUS (pronounced sha-less-tus), the new project featuring former MUSHROOMHEAD frontman Jason Popson (a.k.a. J Mann), current MUSHROOMHEAD drummer Steve "Skinny" Felton, and ex-THE AUTUMN OFFERING guitarist Tommy Church, has just released its self-titled EP via Filthy Hands/Megaforce. A full-length album will follow in the fall.

The story of SCELESTUS can be traced back to the '90s when an encounter in a rundown rehearsal facility resulted in J Mann joining MUSHROOMHEAD. J Mann and Skinny subsequently collaborated on such other projects as (216), 10,000 CADILLACS, and CROSSFADER, as well as the independent record label SMDC.

"I had found a musical soulmate," says J Mann. "We were family. Over the course of a decade, we literally achieved our dreams and goals, and we did it together."

Although J Mann amicably left MUSHROOMHEAD in 2004, gossip had led to confusion and misunderstanding between Felton and the singer. "Tragically, it took the loss of MUSHROOMHEAD's founding guitar player John 'J.J. Righteous' Sekula in October of 2010 for us to not only face each other but face ourselves as well," J Mann admits. "We hugged, we cried, we laughed and we gave a fitting send-off to a fallen comrade in front of 2,200 people at the Agora Theatre. We also vowed to work together again. Immediately."

A few months later, in February of 2011, J Mann and Skinny followed up on that vow. "[Skinny] called and said he had a free week, and this badass guitar named Tommy Church from North Carolina was in town, did I wanna jam?" says J Mann. "We decided to do it like back in the day; for fun, no egos, no over-analyzing, throw-and-go and get-it-out." And in four days, the trio did just that, producing a solid four tracks that now stand as the debut self-titled release from SCELESTUS.

"I stand by it because it came from the heart," J Mann states. “It's honest, and that seems to have become a rare commodity.”

Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based Christian metalcore quintet AUGUST BURNS RED will release its fourth album, "Leveler", on June 21 via Sollid State Records. The effort will be available in both regular and deluxe editions — a first for the band.

Commented guitarist JB Brubaker: "For the bonus tracks on the deluxe editions, we were able to collaborate with some close friends and amazing musicians. Our friends in the post rock band BELLS did an amazing job reworking our song 'Pangaea' and making it into something completely different. It sounds absolutely huge and we love it. Our close friend, Zach Veilleux, a virtuoso piano player, shredded a piano rendition of our song 'Boys of Fall'. Dustin and I recorded an acoustic version of our song 'Internal Cannon' with some mariachi flare and a ridiculous guitar solo courtesy of Jason Suecof. Finally, we threw in one of the original midi tracks from the 'Leveler' writing process to give everyone an idea of how our songs sound before they get recorded. It's pure 1988 Nintendo bliss."

While AUGUST BURNS RED has never succumbed to the artistic trends in metal album covers, "Leveler" represents an even larger departure than fans have seen on the band's previous albums. The artwork, created by artist Jordan Crane, brings a striking comic book flair that the band wanted the artwork to encompass.

"What we were going for with the cover was an image of a house that had been destroyed by a natural disaster," says Brubaker. "The cover depicts a house that has been leveled by something like a hurricane. You can see the trees in the background are bent sideways from enduring strong winds. There are a bunch of chickens in the foreground who have come out of hiding to continue on with their daily activities. The chickens represent the calm after the storm. They represent life and the promise of a new day. The art has a real indie-rock vibe to it, which I like because while we're obviously not an indie band, we're not a typical metal band either."

For "Leveler", AUGUST BURNS RED re-teamed with producer Jason Suecof, the man behind the board on the band's previous CD, 2009's "Constellations", which landed at No. 24 on The Billboard 200 and sold more than 90,000 copies. The result is an album that pushes the band's sonic boundaries in every direction, yet emerges as an unquestionably heavier album than its predecessor.

"Leveler" track listing:

01. Empire
02. Internal Cannon
03. Divisions
04. Cutting the Ties
05. Pangaea
06. Carpe Diem
07. 740 Nights
08. Salt & Light
09. Poor Millionaire
10. 1/16/2011
11. Boys of Fall
12. Leveler

Bonus tracks for deluxe edition:

13. Internal Cannon (acoustic)
14. Pangaea (performed by BELLS)
15. Boys of Fall (performed by Zachary Veilleux)
16. Empire (midi)

British vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva — who has toured and/or recorded with CRADLE OF FILTH, THERION, MORTIIS and ANGTORIA — has inked a three-album deal with Listenable Records. Her new solo CD, "The Corruption Of Mercy", will be released in Europe on June 20. She states, "[I am] so happy with it and does piss over the last album!" The cover art for the album was created by CRADLE OF FILTH artist Matt Lombard and will come in a slipcase due to its slightly "dark/close-to-the-mark" nature.

"The Corruption Of Mercy" track listing:

01 No Paragon Of Virtue
02 The World Won't Hold Your Hand
03 A Matter Of Convenience
04 Silence Please
05 Zombie
06 Pretty With Effects
07 What Lies Before You
08 Sirens
09 The Eyes That Lie
10 The Corruption Of Mercy

Former NIGHTWISH frontwoman Tarja Turunen performed a duet with Jyrki 69 from THE 69 EYES during the "Idols Tekee Hyvää" live TV broadcast on the Finnish channel MTV3 on Easter Sunday, April 24. The proceeds of the event, which brought the popular American format "Idol Gives Back" to Finland for the first time, were being directed to education projects for children and teenagers in poverty-stricken countries such as Haiti and Cambodia.

Vocalist Maurice Swinkels of Dutch thrashers LEGION OF THE DAMNED has issued the following update:

"After guitarist Richard Ebisch quit the band around three weeks ago, we have not been sitting still. The day after Richard's departure, I already had in mind to call guitarist Twan van Geel. I've known him for more than 10 years already and I knew he would be the perfect replacement. I called Twan that evening to tell him the situation in LEGION OF THE DAMNED and asked him if he would be interested in a meeting with Harold, Erik and me. It didn't really took long before he called me back and said he would be looking forward to it.

"After we invited Twan and spoke to him about the ins and outs of LEGION OF THE DAMNED, one week later we met up in our rehearsal room playing 'Son Of The Jackal', 'Cult Of The Dead' and 'Death's Head March' that he already prepared at home, it truly felt as if the band is complete again. The next day Harold, Erik and me had another meeting with the three of us and decided to take Twan van Geel as a permanent guitar player.

"Since the departure of Richard, I had no intentions to cancel any of our shows therefore we welcome Twan van Geel and we are very happy with his arrival.

"Although it's sad Richard left the band, we were not planning on finding a second Richard; Twan is a different person with different opinions and other inspirations, which I think will only turn out positive in the musical direction of LEGION OF THE DAMNED. We also want to thank every other person who emailed us for auditions or were able to help us out, we appreciate their input. Thank you!"

Added Twan: "It was really a surprise when Maurice called me. We have known each other for some years, but he has never called me on the phone before, so I knew that whatever he was about to tell me had a special meaning, I knew that he would not call me about the weather, of course.

"Asking me to be their new guitar player struck me as a bomb, LEGION OF THE DAMNED has become a band that no one can deny or go around it, of course. Therefore it didn't really take me a long time before I decided to take the shot and meet the rest of the gang."

"Being able to play in LEGION OF THE DAMNED is an offer I can't refuse, being able to finally play with the big boys, so to speak!

"Richard has been part of LEGION OF THE DAMNED since the very beginning and together with Maurice, Harold and Erik, he made what LEGION OF THE DAMNED is today. Replacing Richard won't be an easy task, that's for sure, but nevertheless and humble as well as honored I am to replace his spot and complete the band again and ready to strike with full force."

"Darkness In The Light", in Europe on July 4 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded at Zing Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts with producer (and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist) Adam Dutkiewicz. Sitting in on drums during the sessions was Justin Foley of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE/BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED. The effort was mixed by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, TRIVIUM) from Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida.

"Darkness In The Light" track listing:

01. Watch It Burn (4:06)
02. Ruination Of The Lost (3:35)
03. Shadows Of The Light (3:45)
04. Eyes Of Black (3:53)
05. Last Wish (3:06)
06. Arise The War Cry (3:55)
07. Equinox (2:58)
08. Coming Of The Dark (3:07)
09. The Fallen (3:35)
10. Overcome (3:11)
11. Disillusion (3:37)

Commented UNEARTH vocalist Trevor Phipps: "'Darkness In The Light' is without a doubt some of the heaviest, most dynamic and memorable tunes we've ever written. The disc is littered with the shred 'n' stomp-filled songs our fans would expect from us, as well as some added vocal hooks, guitar melodies, guitar solos and some different paths taken in style and structure.

"We knew we had to continue to separate ourselves from the pack and to cement our place in the heavy metal world as one of the leaders and not as one of the many followers that seem to hop on the trend wagon and give up so easily when the going gets hard. We are here to stay and collectively we couldn't be any more fired up to play these songs around the world for our fans new and old."

The first single, the instantly pummeling "Eyes Of Black", is currently streaming in the YouTube clip below. Phipps said of the track, "We chose 'Eyes Of Black' to be the first song heard out of the gate as we feel it represents the 'UNEARTH sound' and style perfectly and it's simply a hard-hitting, catchy-as-hell song. The lyrics are also in line with many of the albums darker lyrical themes. I'm not speaking for all of the band, but this is my personal favorite on the album and I can't wait to get out there and play it live!"

Several pre-order deals for "Darkness In The Light" are available. Packages include:

* CD: $9.99
* CD + T-Shirt: $19.99
* CD + Unearth Beer Bong: $20.99
* CD + T-Shirt + Unearth Beer Bong: $29.99

For more information, visit www.darknessinthelightalbum.com.

Regarding the band's decision to work with Foley on the new CD, UNEARTH previously said in a statement, "Foley was an obvious choice for this album for many reasons, but mainly because of his abilities and knowledge of heavy music as well as his longtime friendship with the band. A decade-plus of friendship has made this an easy transition for the band, Foley and our producer/engineer Adam."

UNEARTH last fall parted ways with drummer Derek Kerswill due to "creative differences." The band stated at the time, "The differences between Kerswill and the band started off as subtle, but became increasingly obvious over the past few months and it was time for both parties to go their separate ways."

UNEARTH recruited drummer Branden Morgan of MISERY SIGNALS to sit behind the kit for the band's European dates as part of last year's Persistence Tour.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN kicked off its reunion tour with a headlining performance last night (Tuesday, May 10) in front of 14,000 fans at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Support at the gig came from GOGOL BORDELLO.

According to the Edmonton Journal, "[SYSTEM OF A DOWN's] stage was sparse, adorned with rows of adjustable spotlights and a cloth backdrop that projected the band's logos and, during the slower songs, some mountains. At the band's feet were their trademark oriental rugs.

"This was as much a dress rehearsal as it was a kickoff, and at first, the cobwebs were obvious. The band came out with a powerful sound, instantly comfortable with their old catalogue of bangers and ballads. But they had little physical presence, seeming static and rigid — at odds with their unflinchingly intense sound."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN's setlist was as follows:

01. Prison Song
02. B.Y.O.B.
03. Know
04. Needles
05. Deer Dance
06. Attack
07. Radio/Video
08. Hypnotize
09. Question!
10. Suggestions
11. Psycho
12. Chop Suey!
13. Lonely Day
14. Soldier Side - Intro
15. Soldier Side
16. Kill Rock 'n Roll
17. Lost in Hollywood
18. Forest
19. Science
20. Holy Mountains
21. Aerials
22. Tentative
23. Cigaro
24. Suite-Pee
25. War?
26. Toxicity
27. P.L.U.C.K.
28. Sartarabad
29. Sugar

"Warschau 2: Headhunter Halfmoon", a brand new song from Swedish black metallers MARDUK, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track comes off the band's new EP, "Iron Dawn", which will be released in North America on the same day as the group's appearance at the Maryland Deathfest on May 27 (May 30 in the rest of the world via Regain Records). So the first chance to get your hands on the EP will be during the festival and the band's upcoming "7 Bowls Of Wrath" tour (taking place late May/early June).