The administrator for TYPE O NEGATIVE's official MySpace page has checked in with the following update:

"I am gathering memorial artwork of Peter for a gallery on TypeONegative.net. Please send any artwork you'd like to contribute to diana@typeonegative.net. This is only for artwork/imagery (photos of tribute tattoos are fine also). Any works like poetry, or fan photos (live shots or you with the band), can be contributed on the Facebook page or on the forum at TypeONegative.net. Thank you!"

MEMORAIN, the "super-group" formed in 1999 and founded by guitarist Ilias Papadakis - featuring Gene Hoglan (FEAR FACTORY, ex-DARK ANGEL, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD), Steve Digiorgio (SADUS, ex-DEATH, TESTAMENT), Ralph Santolla (OBITUARY, ex-DEICIDE, ICED EARTH, etc) and Chris Valagao (ZIMMERS HOLE, MECHANISM) - have announced that the track entitled ‘Circle’, off their forthcoming album Evolution, is now streaming online at their MySpace page.

Netherlands-based death metallers THANATOS check in with the following update:

"Apart from the earlier mentioned 7" split single with ASPHYX, which is now set for a late April/early May release, you can expect some more Thanatos releases this year.

First of all, Konqueror Records from Singapore will release the classick 1987 Official Live Tape, on CD! This will be a limited edition item but we will selling some of those thru our webstore.

In other news, Mechanix Records from Sweden will release Thanatos' latest album, Justified Genocide, on vinyl! Which is great news of course. Mechanix is also planning a vinyl release for Undead.Unholy.Divine, later this year - which means that all full length Thanatos albums will finally be made available on vinyl.

We will be looking into the possibilities of re-releasing the first 3 albums on vinyl/CD as well...

We're can also announce an upcoming show in Barcelona (Spain) on Saturday, June 4th, 2011. Venue will be announced shortly.

Persian metallers ANGBAND are working on a new album, and promise a "no less heavier but more melodic" album.

Bassist M.Halaji has left the band due to personal problems, and the band's new bassist is Farshad Shokuhfar. Mahyar Dean (guitars) saw his performance in a concert a few months ago and after M. Halaji left the band, invited him to join.

Late last year, Angband released their first official video, for the Visions Of The Seeker album track 'Forsaken Dreams'. Check out the video below:

Sanctuary has set a May 30 release date for the deluxe-edition reissue of BLACK SABBATH's "Born Again" album.

"Born Again" was the only album by BLACK SABBATH featuring Ian Gillan — who was at the time a solo artist and former singer for DEEP PURPLE — on vocals.

Gillan had first turned down the offer to join BLACK SABBATH but his manager later convinced him to a meeting with Iommi and the band's bass guitarist, Geezer Butler. Iommi and Butler met with Gillan at The Bear public house in Oxford and Gillan officially joined the band in February 1983.

Released in October 1983, "Born Again" was a commercial success. It was the highest-charting BLACK SABBATH album in the United Kingdom since "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and became an American Top 40 hit. Despite this, it became the first BLACK SABBATH album to not have any RIAA certification (gold or platinum) in the U.S.

"Born Again" deluxe-edition reissue track listing:

Disc 1:

01. Trashed
02. Stonehenge
03. Disturbing The Priest
04. The Dark
05. Zero The Hero
06. Digital Bitch
07. Born Again
08. Hot Line
09. Keep It Warm

Disc 2:

01. The Fallen
02. Stonehenge
03. Hot Line
04. War Pigs
05. Black Sabbath
06. The Dark
07. Zero The Hero
08. Digital Bitch
09. Iron Man
10. Smoke On The Water
11. Paranoid

Video footage of KYUSS LIVES!, the project featuring three-quarters of KYUSS — the influential American stoner rock/metal band, originally from Palm Desert, California — performing on April 2, 2011 at The Forum in Kentish Town, London, England can be viewed below.

KYUSS LIVES! recently revealed that it will record a new studio album following the band's current tour. The group features bassist Nick Oliveri, drummer Brant Bjork and singer John Garcia along with guitarist Bruno Fevery, who most recently played with Garcia in the GARCIA PLAYS KYUSS project.

In an interview with UGO, Oliveri was asked how the idea for KYUSS LIVES! came about. "MONDO GENERATOR was on tour — we went to Europe and did a festival in France called Hellfest, and John Garcia and the guitar player, Bruno Fevery, were playing a version of KYUSS called GARCIA PLAYS KYUSS, and he was going out," he replied. "He hadn't toured for a bit and wanted to go out and do some KYUSS stuff. They were headlining one of the side stages, and Brant Bjork's band was playing, and MONDO GENERATOR was playing on the same day. John asked us to come up and play some songs with him, so me and Brant up and did it, and it felt really great. It was great to play those old tunes — we hadn't thought about them for a long time. I think Brant being the first drummer that I ever interacted with as a musician — I played in their bedrooms playing these songs — kind of just felt normal and natural. I got a call from him when I came home, saying, 'Hey man, do you want to do some more shows?' And I said, 'Yeah man, that sounds cool. Let's do it.' So that's how it started — John was doing it and it was getting good response from people that never got a chance to see any version of KYUSS at all. We didn't realize there were so many people that wanted to see it, so it's been a pleasant surprise and it's been a lot of fun."

Regarding why KYUSS guitarist and founding member Josh Homme is not involved in the reunion, Garcia told Rock Sound, "I have nothing bad to say about Josh — he's extremely intelligent, very smart, a great guitar player, great songwriter, a great vocalist — he is a bad-ass, there is no question, and I love him dearly but he is busy with his own thing. He has THEM CROOKED VULTURES, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, he's a father, a businessman and even if we asked him to do it, I don't think he'd say yes, so I don't want to set myself up for a big fat no which is 99.9 percent what he would say."

In honor of the hugely-anticipated "Big Four" festival in Indio, California on April 23, Revolver magazine has put out the "Big Four" special collector's issue, chronicling the history of thrash metal's most legendary bands. The magazine is on newsstands now, as well as available online online here. While making the issue, Revolver talked to some of the "Big Four"'s most heralded musicians about their favorite songs from the other bands. In the latest installment, MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine tells the magazine about his favorite SLAYER song.

"I just started recently getting into SLAYER's music because I was pretty much at odds with those guys for so long. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to hang out over the years, much to my loss. I'd have to say probably my favorite SLAYER song is the one that they close with, 'Angel Of Death' [off 1986's 'Reign In Blood']. Yeah, I love the killer double-kick part at the end of that one."

San Francisco Bay Area metallers SKINLAB entered Different Fur Studios last week to begin recording an EP, "Fleshwounds... Under The Influence", containing one new song and covers versions of five underground metal classics. The group's bassist/vocalist Steev Esquivel states, "We're paying tribute to five of our biggest influences and bands that weve always looked up to.

"Fleshwounds... Under The Influence" will include the following covers:

* NAILBOMB - Wasting Away
* ACID BATH - Paegan Love Song
* CROWBAR - Planets Collide
* LEVEL - Push
* MACHINE HEAD - Ten Ton Hammer

Added Esquivel: "[We are] really stoked about this project. It's a great way to introduce [new SKINLAB guitarist] Provo [Provenzano, ex-RIKETS] and have something new out before [the end of] 2012, which we're hoping to have a new album out then."

SKINLAB's last album, "The Scars Between Us", was released on September 15, 2009 via Stand And Deliver Records.

Renowned Scottish singer Doogie White, who has worked with such bands as RAINBOW, CORNERSTONE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, MIDNIGHT BLUE and PRAYING MANTIS and TANK, will be a special guest on PARADISE INC.'s debut album, entitled "Time". Doogie will duet with German singer Carsten "Lizard" Schulz (EVIDENCE ONE, MIDNITE CLUB, ex-DOMAIN) on the song "Not In Paradise', which closes the CD.

PARADISE INC., featuring Brazilian musicians Rick A. (bass), Allan Juliano (drums), Marcos Peres and De Grigo (guitars), along with singer Carsten "Lizard" Schulz, is putting finishing the touches on the album, which is currently being mixed by Scottish composer and producer Paul Logue (EDEN'S CURSE, CRY HAVOC, DAVID READMAN).

"Time" features the Italian keyboard player Alessandro Del Vecchio, who has worked with GLENN HUGHES, EDGE OF FOREVER, EDEN'S CURSE, TIME MACHINE and MOONSTONE PROJECT.

A clip of Doogie White talking about PARADISE INC. can be viewed below.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN wants to know which songs you most want to hear when the reunited band hits the road later this spring. As a reward for telling SYSTEM your Top 6 setlist requests, one winner from each tour city will win a pair of tickets to his/her local show. They will also win a setlist from the show they attended, signed by all four members of the group. Click here for more information.

Participating shows:

May 10 - Edmonton, AB @ Canada Rexall Place
May 12 - Vancouver, BC @ Canada Rogers Arena
May 13 - Seattle, WA, USA @ Key Arena
May 15 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
May 18 - Denver, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
May 19 - Albuquerque, NM @ Hard Rock Casino presents The Pavilion
May 21 - San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
May 22 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl
May 24 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
May 25 - Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
June 04 - Nürnberg, Germany @ Rock in Park
June 05 - Nürburgring, Germany @ Rock am Ring
June 06 - Paris, France @ Omnisports de Bercy
June 08 - Paris, France @ Omnisports de Bercy
June 09 - Interlaken, Switzerland @ Greenfield Festival
June 11 - Castle Donington, UK @ Download Festival
June 13 - Nickelsdorf, Austria @ Novarock
June 15 - Berlin, Germany @ Wulheide
June 17 - Gothenburg, Sweden @ Meltdown Festival
June 19 - Seinajoki, Finland @ Provinssirock
June 21 - Moscow, Russia @ Olympisky

The contest will close on April 28 at 11:59:59 EDT.

The vocal recording sessions for the new NIGHTWISH album, "Imaginarium", finally began on April 4 after being postponed for a few weeks in order to allow the band's singer, Anette Olzon, a longer recovery period after she suffered broken ribs in a fall. According to the band's keyboardist and main composer Tuomas Holopainen, "seven songs [are] done so far. [Anette] hasn't quite cured from her broken ribs yet, but fortunately it doesn't affect her singing at all. She's never sounded better."

AC/DC "Live At River Plate", a definitive live concert DVD documenting AC/DC's massive "Black Ice" world tour, will be available for purchase on Tuesday, May 10. Shot in December 2009, "Live At River Plate" marks AC/DC's triumphant return to Buenos Aires where nearly 200,000 fans, over three sold-out shows, welcomed the band back after a 13-year absence from Argentina. This stunning live footage of AC/DC underscores what Argentina's Pagina 12 newspaper reported by saying "no one is on the same level when it comes to pure and clear rock 'n' roll." Directed by David Mallet and produced by Rocky Oldham, "Live At River Plate" was shot with 32 cameras entirely in HD. The set features 19 songs (110 minutes) as well as behind-the-scenes footage of this massive production coming together among the excitement of anxious fans (see below for full track listing).

AC/DC "Live At River Plate" will be available on DVD, Blu-ray and limited-edition collector's edition with exclusive t-shirt. Additionally the DVD contains a bonus feature titled "The Fan, The Roadie, The Guitar Tech & The Meat," containing interviews with AC/DC, their crew and fans among the excitement of the shows and the city of Buenos Aires.

AC/DC "Live At River Plate" track listing:

01. Rock N Roll Train
02. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be
03. Back In Black
04. Big Jack
05. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
06. Shot Down In Flames
07. Thunderstruck
08. Black Ice
09. The Jack
10. Hells Bells
11. Shoot To Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. You Shook Me All Night Long
15. T.N.T.
16. Whole Lotta Rosie
17. Let There Be Rock
18. Highway To Hell
19. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

Bonus features:

* The Fan, The Roadie, The Guitar Tech & The Meat
* AC/DC Tour Animation

Check out another trailer below.

According to OnSight.co.uk, after workflow planning for the three-day, 20-camera shoot, it was up to On Sight to make sure everything went smoothly. Axis Films took care of all HD cameras (including 15 REDs) as well as the production equipment. Axis Films also supplied DITs to manage all of the digital rushes produced during the three sold-out shows.

The seamless production was completed by the HD Lab who provided conform, online, mastering and deliverable services for Serpent Productions, who regularly work with some of the world's best-known artists.

AC/DC singer Brian Johnson said in a recent interview that the band has no immediate plans following the set's release, explaining, "We just want to have a rest, because we were on the road for two years. We played in front of five million people, and we deserve a rest."

Footage from AC/DC's Buenos Aires concerts was previously used in the video for the band's classic album cut "Shoot To Thrill", which served as the first single from AC/DC's "Iron Man 2" soundtrack (featuring catalog material from the mid-1970s onwards). The video also incorporated exclusive footage from "Iron Man 2".

The Buenos Aires concerts were part of AC/DC's highly acclaimed "Black Ice World Tour", the second-highest-grossing world tour of 2009, according to concert industry trade publication Pollstar.

American technical death metal innovators ORIGIN will release their new album, "Entity", on June 7 in North America and June 10 in Europe via Nuclear Blast Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Expulsion Of Fury
02. Purgatory
03. Conceiving Death
04. Swarm
05. Saliga
06. The Descent
07. Fornever
08. Committed
09. Banishing Illusion
10. Consequence Of Solution
11. Evolution Of Extinction

Bonus track:

12. You Fail!

Singapore grindcore trio WORMROT has released the official video for the track "Erased Existence", taken from the band's new album, "Dirge". Partially filmed during a live show at The Blvd in Los Angeles, California, the clip was directed by Dave Vorhes (WHITE WIZZARD, BONDED BY BLOOD), who also filmed the band's recently released video for "Spot A Pathetic".

Commented WORMROT vocalist Arif: "'Erased Existence' is about diminishing human violence retardation.

"We filmed this video at Scion festival in L.A. the other week where, in the whole history of WORMROT, we had the biggest circle pit we've ever had — and really early on in the day!"

"Dirge" will be released in North America on May 3 and in Europe on May 23. The album features 25 tracks of insane grindcore and will be available on CD, as well as limited-edition colored vinyl LP with two bonus tracks.

The colored vinyl will be available in the following quantities and colors:

* 100 - Black & White Splatter
* 200 - Yellow
* 300 - Red & White Splatter
* 300 - Red
* 600 - Black

Norwegian "Balkan metallers" TROLLFEST will release their new album, "En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral", on April 29 via NoiseArt Records. The CD will be made available as a limited-edition digipak with a bonus track. The title "En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral" can be roughly translated to "A Quest For The Holy Grail", and is a play on the word "quest" in both the accepted sense and in the sense of the Norwegian word "kvesting," which refers to the crushing of the crusaders — which is something the Trolls are doing throughout the album.

"En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral" track listing:

01. Die Verdammte Hungersnot
02. Karve
03. Die Berüchtiges Bande
04. Gjetord
05. Der Sündenbock Gegalte
06. Korstog
07. Undermålere
08. Jevnes med Jorden
09. En gammel Trollsti
10. Epilog (digipak bonus track)

The first two in a series of weekly trailers leading up to the release of the album can be viewed below.

"My Heart Escapes", a brand new song from Stockholm, Sweden's BLINDSIDE, can be streamed at this location. The track comes off the band's long-awaited new album, "With Shivering Hearts We Wait", which will receive an "underground release" on May 6, with a "worldwide release" to follow on June 7. The CD was produced by Howard Benson, Mike Plotnikoff and BLINDSIDE and was recorded at Bay 7 studios in Valley Village, California and Stockholm, Sweden.

"Emptiness Crushes My Soul", the new video from veteran French metallers LOUDBLAST, can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Mickael Bernadat and features former French porn star Nina Roberts.

"Emptiness Crushes My Soul" comes off LOUDBLAST's new album, "Frozen Moments Between Life And Death", which will be released on April 18 via XIII Bis Records. The CD will be available in Germany, Austria, Benelux, Switzerland, Spain, U.K. and Ireland.

"Frozen Moments Between Life And Death" was recorded over a five-week period and was mixed by producer Peter Tägtgren at Abyss Studio in Pärlby, Sweden.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Frozen Moments Between Life And Death
02. Neverending 'Blast
03. Emptiness Crushes My Soul
04. Cold Blooded Kind
05. Towards Oneness
06. Nosce Te Ipsum
07. The Bitter Seed
08. Hazardous Magic
09. To Bury An Empire

Former DIO members Rudy Sarzo (bass), Simon Wright (drums), Craig Goldy (guitar) and Scott Warren (keyboards) will join forces with singers Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) and Toby Jepson (LITTLE ANGELS, GUN) to play a number of shows in Europe under the name DIO DISCIPLES.

Because of Sarzo's commitment to BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, James Lomenzo (MEGADETH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, WHITE LION) will join the band for the European dates until Rudy becomes available.

DIO DISCIPLES tour dates:

June 08 - Moscow, Russia - A2 Club
June 09 - St. Petersburg, Russia - Kosmonayt
June 10 - Tampere, Finland - Sauna Open Air
June 11 - East Midlands, UK - Download Festival
June 12 - Newcastle, UK - Academy
June 14 - Glasgow, Scotland - Garage
June 15 - Wolverhampton, UK - Sleigh Rooms
June 16 - Manchester, UK - Academy 2
June 17 - London, UK - Islington Academy
June 19 - Uden, Netherlands - De Pul
June 20 - Aschafensburg, Germany - Colos Saal
June 21 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
June 22 - Berlin, Germany - C Club
June 24 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting
June 25 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
June 27 - Vienna, Austria - Szene Wien
June 28 - Lucerne, Switzerland - Konzerthaus Schuur

Brazilian female-fronted metallers SHADOWSIDE will release their third album, "Inner Monster Out", on June 7 via SHP Records. The CD was produced, mixed and mastered at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden by Fredrik Nordström, who has previously worked with AT THE GATES, IN FLAMES, DARK TRANQUILLITY, ARCH ENEMY, SOILWORK and BRING ME THE HORIZON, among others. It features guest vocals from Björn "Speed" Strid (SOILWORK), Mikael Stanne (DARK TRANQUILLITY), and Niklas Isfeldt (DREAM EVIL).

"Inner Monster Out" track listing:

01. Gag Order
02. Angel with Horns
03. Habitchual
04. In the Name of Love
05. Inner Monster Out (feat. Björn "Speed" Strid, Mikael Stanne, Niklas Isfeldt)
06. I'm Your Mind
07. My Disrupted Reality
08. A Smile Upon Death
09. Whatever Our Fortune
10. A.D.D.
11. Waste of Life

JANE'S ADDICTION yesterday (April 7) gave its fans the chance to be the first to hear music from "The Great Escape Artist", the band's first new studio album in eight years.

The group's singer Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro and drummer Stephen Perkins are giving away a free download of the final mix of "End To The Lies" exclusively at their web site, www.janesaddiction.com.

"The Great Escape Artist" will be released this August on Capitol Records (exact date to be announced).

An early, unfinished version of "End To The Lies" leaked on March 30 in Chile when Farrell made an appearance on the "La Ley D Rock" program on the Chilean radio station Radio Futuro, after which the song became an instant viral sensation.

JANE'S ADDICTION was in Chile as one of the headliners of the inaugural Lollapalooza Chile, which took place last weekend (April 2-3) in Santiago's O'Higgins Park.

For "The Great Escape Artist", JANE'S ADDICTION is working with producer Rich Costey (MUSE, FRANZ FERDINAND, INTERPOL), with TV ON THE RADIO's Dave Sitek on the team. Sitek, best known for his production work on TV ON THE RADIO, YEAH YEAH YEAHS and THE FOALS, is writing, programming, and playing bass on the album. The band, with Chris Cheney on bass, will be touring throughout 2011.

American metallers KAMELOT kicked off their South American tour last night (Thursday, April 7) at Teatro Teletón in Santiago, Chile. Simone Simons (EPICA) and Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE) made guest appearances during the show, which marked KAMELOT's first-ever performance with singer Fabio Lione (RHAPSODY OF FIRE).

KAMELOT's setlist was follows:

01. Rule The World
02. Ghost Opera
03. The Great Pandemonium
04. The Human Stain
05. Center Of The Universe
06. Nights Of Arabia
07. A Sailorman's Hymn
08. When The Lights Are Down
09. Soul Society
10. Keyboard Solo
11. Hunter's Season
12. Eden Echo
13. Necropolis
14. The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)
15. Drum Solo
16. Forever

Encore:

17. Bass Solo
18. Karma
19. Don't You Cry
20. March of Mephisto

On May 26 in Europe and June 14 in the USA, Scarlet Records will release a special edition of BULLDOZER's 2009 album "Unexpected Fate", including four bonus tracks ("Minkions", "Micro V.I.P.", "Willfull Death" and the "IX/Desert" medley) recorded live at Rock Hard Festival 2010 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, where the band annihilated the audience with its notoriously electrifying performance. "Unexpected Fate Special Edition" will be made available in a captivating digipack CD format.

Strengthened by the renewed legacy of original members AC Wild and Andy Panigada, BULLDOZER released its long-awaited comeback album "Unexpected Fate" in 2009, after signing a worldwide deal with Scarlet Records. The CD was a huge success among all the real thrash metal purists around the globe: fast and furious as never before, with a lethal dosage of heavy riffs and disturbing vocals, plenty of attitude, an intriguing lyrical concept and special guest appearances by renowned musicians Jennifer Batten and Billy Sheehan.

It was 25 years ago last month that METALLICA released its epic third studio album, "Master Of Puppets". The disc came out on March 3, 1986 and was produced by Flemming Rasmussen, who also produced 1984's "Ride The Lightning" and 1988's "...And Justice For All" for the band. In an interview with AOL's Noisecreep, Rasmussen was asked how he first got in touch with METALLICA. "They contacted me after they heard the production I did on RAINBOW's 'Difficult To Cure' album," he replied. "They really liked the sound I got on that record, so they reached out to me. The success of 'Ride The Lightning' made it really easy to continue our collaboration for the next couple of albums."

"I actually didn't hear METALLICA until we started making the 'Ride The Lightning' album," he admitted. "The band played 'Kill 'Em All' for me because we were checking out some of the sounds on the record. To be honest, I wasn't impressed with the sound of it, and their playing. But I was blown away by their energy on the album, and that overshadowed their actual performances."

"Master Of Puppets" was the last album to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a tour bus crash in September 1986 and was replaced by Jason Newsted. Rasmussen said about Burton,"It was such a pleasure working with him. I loved his improvising. His solo parts on the instrumental track, 'Orion', were fantastic!"

On how prepared METALLICA was before entering the studio:

"The band made a really good demo of the entire album before we started recording, so everything was planned. Actually, they always demoed everything before we entered the studio."

On whether there was any partying going on during the recording sessions:

"We actually didn't party in the studio. We were all pretty professional during the recording of those albums."

On his favorite songs on "Master Of Puppets":

"If I had to pick my favorite songs on the album, I would go with 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)', 'Battery' and the title track."

On whether there is anything he would change on "Master of Puppets":

"I listen to it on and off, and there's nothing I would change. It is a masterpiece for its time, and should be left as it is."

"Master Of Puppets" was METALLICA's first gold album, for sales of more than half a million copies. Many songs from the disc, including "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", "Battery", "Leper Messiah" and the title track are still part of the band's live set to this day.

THE ANSWER, the award-winning Irish rockers whose emotive music and fearsome live reputation have won them a dedicated international following, will release their first DVD/CD package on May 23 via Spinefarm Records, with whom the band have now signed a worldwide deal.

Titled "412 Days Of Rock 'N' Roll", this two-disc set contains a host of special features, including an hour-long documentary detailing the band's 118 shows as special guests to AC/DC on their "Black Ice" world tour — a tour (2008/2009) that took in over three million fans in 30 different countries.

As the title implies, this extensive run of shows — in stadiums ranging from ten to 90,000 — saw THE ANSWER on the road for a full 412 days, a non-stop period of activity taking in as many headline shows as they could play, two nights at New York's famous Madison Square Garden, TV appearances including the "David Letterman" show, radio sessions and press interviews as could be reasonably fitted in…

Says THE ANSWER frontman Cormac Neeson: "In the course of that year, we got to see the world, whether it was cruising the length and breadth of America and Canada, racing through border controls between Belgrade and Athens in order to make the gig on time, or squeezing in a whistle stop tour of Japan whilst on our Easter break. The sights, the sounds and the people we encountered along the way blew our minds! We truly had to throw caution to the wind and let ourselves be thrown up and spun around by the joyous momentum of it all…"

"412 Days Of Rock 'N' Roll" also features all of the band's promo clips (nine in all — including the clip for new single "Rock 'N' Roll Outlaw"), footage of selected live tracks, both from the "Black Ice" shows in Houston and Dallas and from a sold-out homecoming headliner at the Ulster Hall In Belfast, plus the audio versions of the aforementioned songs; and as a way of bringing things bang up to date, the package — a luxury format boasting band sleeve-notes, previously unseen behind-the-scenes photos plus a 24-page booklet — is rounded off with the video for new single "Rock 'N' Roll Outlaw" (a rousing version of the ROSE TATTOO classic) plus the previously unreleased demo recording "Fooled Me".

The "Rock 'N' Roll Outlaw" video skillfully mixes highlights from the "412 Days…" documentary with footage from the original ROSE TATTOO clip (1978), and TATTOO frontman Angry Anderson has recently spoken out about this new rendition of his band's signature song. "It's sacred ground for us," he reflects, "but hearing THE ANSWER play it brought a lump to my throat… not only a killer version but they make it their own… well done, lads, you do us proud!"

In support of Record Store Day on April 16, "Rock 'N' Roll Outlaw" and "Fooled Me" will be available as a limited-edition seven-inch-only single on Spinefarm, and the band will be visiting record stores in Belfast and Dublin, both to sign copies of the seven-inch and to play short acoustic sets; the four have confirmed an appearance at Head Records in Belfast in the morning with the acoustic set at 1 p.m., then they'll be stopping off at Tower Records in Dublin in the late afternoon and playing again at 6 p.m.

The following month, on Wednesday, May 18, THE ANSWER will play a special one-off show at the Borderline in London; a launch event for the "412 Days…" package, this will also see the Downpatrick rockers — now 10 years in the saddle — showcasing new songs from their forthcoming third studio album, produced by the Grammy-nominated Chris "Frenchie" Smith (THE DATSUNS, YOUNG HEART ATTACK) and currently being mixed by Chris Sheldon (FOO FIGHTERS, FEEDER). An autumn release is being planned, preceded by festival appearances in the summer.

"We've got a lot of plans," concludes Neeson, "and we can't wait to get back on the road. We've got 17 brand new songs ready to go and we're fuckin' loving it! Rehearsals are so exciting, piecing together different set lists with the old and the new material. When it properly kicks off, that'll be us on the road for the next two years!"

MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee told the Artisan News Service that he would love to one day work with pop superstar Lady Gaga — and not just because she is one of the biggest artists in the world.

"I totally get it, man," he said. "And depending on what she's influenced by, I can tell — because I see her rocking MÖTLEY CRÜE shirts, so she's definitely a rocker, and she obviously, stylistically, with her music, she's very talented; she plays crazy piano and sings her ass off. She likes the modern dance and club shit, so she's basically throwing it all in there, and that's what I'm into, and that's what I'm doing — essentially throwing it all in there, from electro to fucking metal; I like it all. There's a girl I would love to do something with one day, man; it'd be really cool. We would probably come up with some sick shit."

A short video clip of Tommy Lee talking to the Artisan News Service about Lady Gaga can be viewed below.

Vocalist Mark Hunter of Cleveland, Ohio metallers CHIMAIRA has commented on the departure of the band's keyboardist/programmer Chris Spicuzza. Writing on the group's official forum, Hunter said, "All hail Spicuzza. [It's] good to see the love you guys express for him. The feelings are mutual.

"As we know, this news sucks… Hopefully this cheers you up a little

"There are definitely samples, keys, electronics, and all sorts of other wizardry on [the upcoming CHIMAIRA album].

"We've spent the past 12 years creating the atmospheric side of CHIMAIRA, and we can't imagine listening to us without those cool bits either.

"Each album brought new noises and a vibe to accompany that particular record. Nothing has changed in that regard.

"This has always been an evolution.

"While it may seem like the end of days, we see this as another chapter.

"CHIMAIRA developed our sound together with Chris, and although he is gone, his spirit, class, and the foundation he helped lay, will always remain.

"You know us. we don't drive our cars looking through the rearview mirror. Never have, never will.

"Keep the glasses half full, amigos. it makes for a much more interesting ride…. and we're just getting started."