Former DARKEST HOUR guitarist Kis Norris has officially joined STRAIGHT LINE STITCH after two fill in tours. Norris has issued the following statement

"I'm excited. It's a new avenue for me. Even though they have a new record coming out soon, I can't wait to start writing and put some solos to the catchy tunes these guys write. It'll be a challenge to accent her voice but Kanky's mind-blowing drum skills will also be the perfect mix to add some nice but faster melodic work."

The band has just released a video for the song 'Conversion' featuring Norris. Check it out below:

Louisiana Music Hall of Fame members LILLIAN AXE are proud to announce Jackson, Mississippi native Brian Jones as their new lead vocalist. Steve Blaze, lead guitarist and band founder, says, "We have spent the last six months searching for and reviewing candidates to the point of driving us crazy."

Blaze continues, "Choosing your front man is the most vital task in a band's existence, so we really took our time to make sure that the person we chose fit every category to the best of their abilities.

"Brian is a complete breath of fresh air. He is an amazing talent, as well as a fireball of enthusiasm, which has really sparked the attitudes of the rest of us."

Jones, vocalist for the bands GUNS OF ADDICTION and FULL MOON CIRCUS, as well as guitarist for Wind-Up artist PAPERCUT MASSACRE, approached Blaze for the job in September. He states, "When I initially approached Steve about the possibility of becoming the new vocalist for LILLIAN AXE, I honestly didn't know what to think and had a plethora of thoughts running amuck in my head. Having been a lifelong fan of the band and looking to Steve as a mentor for so many years, coupled with the fact that I was being asked to audition for one of my favorite bands, was a bit much to take in. I knew this was what I wanted to do and have been playing now for over 20 years, but I never would have imagined I'd be playing with LILLIAN AXE. The guys have been amazing and have taken me in quite nicely. I look forward to the many years to come and to the new music that we will be sharing with the fans.”

The AXE has commenced recording their eleventh album at Sound Landing Studios in Covington, Louisiana with the team of Steve Blaze as producer and Rob Hovey as engineer, due for a September 27 release via Love and War Records/Megaforce Records. The first track, "Take The Bullet", will be available for download on April 12.

Says Blaze, "'Take The Bullet' is a very special song for us.

"Several months ago, I received an email from Air Force Major Henry Cecil, who was stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan. He expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the dedication to the troops on our last album, 'Deep Red Shadows'. He proceeded to send me an American flag that had traveled on several helicopter missions, official patches, coins, autographs from his squadron, and even a copy of 'Deep Red Shadows' autographed by General David Petraeus himself. We were incredibly honored and humbled, and since then, I have become good friends with Major Cecil. Several weeks ago, he drove to Covington and spent two days in the studio with us as we recorded 'Take the Bullet'. I wrote this song in dedication to our troops for their heroic sacrifice for our country and their display of true brotherhood."

Air Force Major Henry Cecil says, "I've been following LILLIAN AXE since 1987 and after reading the last page of the new CD's liner notes, I immediately sent Steve an email thanking him from a long-time fan and that I was having a flag flown over Afghanistan, accompanied by the CD. I mailed the flag to Steve on 9-11-10 and included patches from the squadrons that took the flag on their missions, as well as an ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) coin to tie everything together that is in the display case for the flag. During my deployment, I had the honor to work with General Petraeus' security team and made friends with them. I asked if they could have the General sign the liner notes to say thanks to Steve and he did. Steve and I have become great friends from this and we talk on a regular basis now. He invited me to watch LILLIAN AXE record 'Take the Bullet', and I can honestly say I was speechless after watching it all come together and couldn't believe I was actually getting to watch them in the studio. It was truly an honor I will never forget."

The month of April will be a busy one for the band. "Take the Bullet" will be released for download on April 12, introducing the voice of Jones. Also, Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s new movie, "The Hit List", will feature "47 Ways to Die" as the opening song to the movie. The band will play six dates in the South to support "Deep Red Shadows" and celebrate their ten-album history.

Blaze states, "It gets more and more difficult to put together a setlist as we keep creating more and more music; however, this tour will bring new songs and new production as we start this new chapter in the history of LILLIAN AXE."

Xtreem Music has announced the signing of recently reformed U.S. death metal masters ROTTREVORE.

Over the past 16 years, a lot has happened with Chris Weber (vocals, guitar), Chris Free (bass) and Christian Easley (drums).

ROTTREVORE was on a hiatus for almost 15 years (December 1995 - December 2010). The band's unreleased tracks, of which there are 10, were preserved by Weber and four of them will now be re-recorded. According to a press release, "They have the old-school chainsaw guitar rhythms, which they are known for, but also a more technical and of course heavy approach to ensure that they keep the heart of ROTTREVORE alive."

Over the years Chris Weber had pursued instrumental solo projects, Chris Free had played bass for a few bands (very technical ones, to say the least), and Christian Easley had started his own band in 1999, PULSEPHERION, which lasted until 2005.

ROTTREVORE has now reformed and has been pushing itself to the limit to still bring you the some of the heaviest music ever made. Through musical progression and the likeness to chainsaw guitars, distorted bass, guttural vocals and thunderous drums, they are now working on releasing their first four-song mini-CD since 1993, entitled "Blind Sided Attack". The recording — featuring the songs "Hung by the Eye Sockets", "Defy Majority", "Overcome With Hate" and the title track "Blind Sided Attack" — will be handled later this month by Erik Rutan at his Mana Recording Studio in St. Petersburg, Florida. A late summer/early fall release is expected.

The reunited ROTTREVORE will make its live debut on July 16 at the "A Day Of Death" festival on Saturday, July 16 at Club Infinity in Williamsville, New York.

METALLICA's official web site has been updated with the following message:

"It might seem like things have been a little quiet at METALLICA HQ, but not so! While 'Big Four' shows are being confirmed and the studio prepped for recording, the hard-working web crew has been hunkered down building a brand new web site for all things 'TALLICA, and we are just about ready to unveil it to you!

"On March 28, a new and expanded version of Metallica.com will be launched. What do we mean by expanded? Well, we're folding all three of our sites (Metallica.com, MetClub.com, MetOnTour.com) into one to ensure that everyone has easy access to the touring and fan club sections along with newly organized fun facts and details about every album, video, song, tour date, band member and event... in general way more stuff about us than you ever wanted to know! We also dug into the web archives and added the full Mission: METALLICA gallery of photos and videos and of course all the usual stuff is still there — wallpapers, videos, timelines, photo galleries, message boards, and more.

"For those of you who like variety, you will still be able to 'skin' the site with graphics from your favorite MET albums and other art and photos... they've all been re-designed and updated!

"You will notice some changes over the next ten days while we do the final preparations for the big move, most notably that the MetStore (including fan club registration) will be closed starting at noon on Monday, March 21. All the websites will be unavailable for a few days starting March 25 until we come back online with the new site on March 28. Never fear, though, you can follow our progress and get any important news updates on Twitter, Facebook and the message boards.

"We've had a blast combing through the archives and pulling it all together and thank you in advance for your patience while we move. See you in a few days with a new look!!"

METALLICA is scheduled to enter the studio in May to begin recording a yet-to-be-revealed new project, which guitarist Kirk Hammett described to RollingStone.com as "more a recording project than a bona fide METALLICA album."

The band has also scheduled several more "Big Four" tour dates, including one in Indio, California on April 23.

Guitarist John Petrucci of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER has issued the following update:

"First I'd like to say that my love and support goes out to all of our friends in Japan as they work through the tragic events of the past week. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your families. I know that the strength of the Japanese people will prevail.

"As for the new DREAM THEATER album, it is going incredibly well and I can't wait for everyone to hear it! We are in the tracking process and working hard as well as just having so much fun.

"I appreciate everyone's patience regarding the announcement (or lack thereof!) of DREAM THEATER's new drummer. I know it has been very frustrating to have to wait for the news. Believe me, we are bursting at the seams to tell everyone and rest assured that our decision will not disappoint on any level!

"As for info and details on the new album, anything such as the title, song names, running times, artwork, direction etc, will be posted on the official DREAM THEATER and Roadrunner sites once the album is complete and we begin to prepare for its release.

"Looks like the start of our next world tour is lining up nicely as well. It's always great to be over in Europe during the summer playing out doors and seeing all of our friends again.

"In the meantime, I'm just shedding, lifting and buried deep in the making of the new album. My beautiful Music Man's and Boogies are raging and there are many notes flying around the studio!

"I hope everyone is well. Thank you so much as always for being such amazingly supportive friends and fans!"

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian has released the following statement:

"I know there's been a lot of rhetoric out there regarding upcoming ANTHRAX shows, 'Big Four' [with METALLICA, MEGADETH and SLAYER] and otherwise.

"I've been debating on whether or not to make a public statement about this as it really pertains to my personal life and I generally like to keep that personal. Because this is affecting my band life, I feel like you, my friends, deserve to hear from me personally.

"I will be playing the 'Big Four' show April 23 in Indio, California as well as the shows in Manila, Bangkok, and Japan that will follow the Indio show.

"I won't be playing the shows scheduled from July 2-16 in Europe and the U.K. My wife Pearl [Aday]and I are expecting our first child and she is due literally the day of the 'Big Four' Sonisphere show in France.

"This decision to miss these shows was a deeply personal one. I co-founded this band July 18, 1981 and for almost thirty years, I have been there for everything we've ever done. I have never been faced with anything that would make me even question being there for anything ANTHRAX-related. Becoming a father is the biggest, best thing that's ever happened to me and it made the decision relatively easy. My priority is with my wife and the birth of our first child.

"As soon as I was faced with this decision, I knew, as Freddie Mercury so eloquently said, 'The show must go on.'

"I started thinking about guitar players I knew, guys that I am a fan of, guys that I respect, guys that headbang like Angus was watching them, guys that I listen to and who I thought had the spirit to enable the show to go on.

"This wasn't a hard decision at all. I asked the rest of the band what they thought, and we were on the same page.

"We chose Andreas [Kisser from SEPULTURA] because we feel he can do the gig better than anyone. He has the fire, the attitude, and the crushing right hand to do the gig. I've played with Andreas at the Roadrunner 25th-anniversary show, and I've gotten up and played with SEPULTURA and we are kindred spirits. We both play every show like we're going to jail the next day, like it's the last show we'll ever play. He has what it takes and he has the experience and history to fucking bring it and make these ANTHRAX shows something special. I can't wait to see and hear it for myself!!

"This year will bring our tenth ANTHRAX studio record featuring the return of the one and only Joey Belladonna. We're hard at work finishing it and I can say that from the tracks I have heard, it is going to tear your fucking heads off. I'm looking forward to getting back on the road with the band that is now better than we've ever been, and seeing all your sick faces and banging heads."

ANTHRAX shows with Scott Ian on guitar:

Apr. 23 - Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA ("Big Four" show)
Apr. 30 - Pulp Summer Slam Festival, Manilla, Philippines
May 02 - AP Parking, Esplanade, Ratchada, Bangkok, Thailand
May 05 - O-East, Tokyo, Japan
May 06 - O-East, Tokyo, Japan
May 07 - Diamond Hall, Nagoya, Japan
May 09 - Big Cat, Osaka, Japan

ANTHRAX shows with Andreas Kisser on guitar:

Jul. 02 - Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany ("Big Four" show)
Jul. 03 - Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden ("Big Four" show)
Jul. 05 - Komplex AG, Zurich, Switzerland
Jul. 06 - Fiera Open Air Arena, Milan, Italy ("Big Four" show)
Jul. 08 - Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth, UK
Jul. 09 - Sonisphere Festival, Amneville, France
Jul. 11 - Garage, Saarbrucken, Germany
Jul. 12 - Vega Musikkenshus, Copenhagen, Denmark
Jul. 14 - Slottsfjell Festival, Tonsberg, Norway
Jul. 15 - Dour Festival, Dour, Belgium
Jul. 16 - Zwarte Cross Festival, Lichtenvoorde, Netherlands

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper spoke to Billboard.com about "Welcome 2 My Nightmare", a sequel to his 1975 concept album "Welcome to My Nightmare" — his first "solo" release after the break-up of the original Alice Cooper band.

"I had an idea to do a part two to (2008's) 'Along Came a Spider'," Cooper says. "I came to Bob with it, and he listened and goes, 'Eh. I would be more excited if 'Along Came a Spider' was a No. 1 record.' He wasn't really into it. Then we started talking about 'Welcome to My Nightmare''s 35th anniversary or something like that, and he said, 'What if Alice had another nightmare?' All I was trying to do was get Bob to say, 'Yeah, I want to produce the album,' so we found a place where both of us really felt comfortable, and that was doing 'Nightmare 2'."

"Welcome 2 My Nightmare" features the original "Nightmare" tandem of Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner, with Vince Gill guesting on a track called "Runaway Train". In addition, surviving Cooper band members Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway and Neal Smith appear on the song "When Hell Comes Home".

"There are certain songs where we let some of the themes from (the original) 'Nightmare' slip in," Cooper tells Billboard.com. "All of a sudden you'll hear the little piano part from 'Steven' or from 'The Awakening'. I wanted (the albums) to be married together. I think we even make reference to a couple of characters from the original (album)."

Following the cancellation of both IRON MAIDEN Tokyo shows due to recent events in Japan, the British heavy metal legends will be donating the proceeds from sales of the Japanese event shirt available from the official IRON MAIDEN shop (i.e. the shirt without tour dates on) to a charity assisting victims of the earthquake. The band plans to do the same with the stock of event shirts currently in Tokyo, which were due to be sold onsite at the Tokyo venue (i.e. the shirt with tour dates on). Details will follow as soon as possible as to where these will be available from. The charity MAIDEN will be coordinating sales of both events shirts through is the Japanese Red Cross.

In other news, members of IN FLAMES as well as legendary guitarists Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker have all issued separate statements expressing their thoughts and condolences to the Japanese people following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that shook Japan early Friday morning and left more than four thousand killed and many more missing.

Joe Satriani: "You can help Japan deal with earthquake/tsunami by donating through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)."

IN FLAMES: "Our hearts and prayers go out to all of the people of Japan. The effects of the earthquake and tsunami have been chilling to witness. There are several organizations out there that are making an effort to help everyone like the Red Cross, Salvation Army. Beware of the scam sites out there preying on your heartfelt generosity. If you are able to, please donate what you can to make a difference to all those affected. Every bit will help!"

Michael Schenker: "My heart goes out to everyone affected by the tragedy in Japan. As someone with an incredible fondness for the people of Japan, who have been some of my biggest supporters, I wish everyone the best in getting through these trying times. God be with all of you."

Swedish metallers SABATON have issued the following update:

"Unfortunately, our drummer, Daniel Mullback, had to leave the current tour due to problems with his knees. But... The show must go on, and this Swedish War Machine cannot be stopped that easy... We stole NIGHTMARE's drummer Kevin [Foley], did some rehearsals during the day and were able to do the whole show yesterday.

"For the last shows we have recruited our old friend Robert Bäck from Falun to handle the drums.

"With less than 24 hours to learn a complete SABATON show, we want to dedicate a huge thanks to Kevin who saved the day!"

SABATON recently recruited DRAGONFORCE bassist Frédéric Leclercq to play guitar on the band's current European tour. He is filling in for regular SABATON guitarist Rikard Sundén, who "has decided to multiply himself and will have his first kid at this time," according to a statement released by the band.

The group added, "Of course, it's the highest wish of SABATON to tour with all six members, but this time Rikard wanted to pass and to ensure that the fans that come to these shows will get a good show we wanted to bring in a person with both great musical talent as well as a great stage act together with a chemistry that we know fits in SABATON. We are sure that Frédéric is that person. This is, of course, a temporary situation, Frédéric is still a full member of DRAGONFORCE and Rikard is still the guitar player of SABATON. For the American tour that starts in April, Rikard will be on stage again, ready to rock and a hopefully a bit richer in life."

The reunited original lineup of U.K. rockers THE DARKNESS will perform at this year's edition of the Download festival, set to take place June 10-12, 2011 at Donington Park in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. This appearance will mark the band's first festival appearance since splitting up in 2006.

THE DARKNESS will appear as special guests to headliners DEF LEPPARD on the opening night of the Download festival.

"The idea of playing Download terrifies us," frontman Justin Hawkins said. "We played in an early slot on the main stage in 2003 and we were frightened then. It's reassuring to know that nothing has changed.

"On a serious note, it's the most rockest of festivals and the perfect place for us to begin the next phase of our journey," he continued.

Prior to this event, THE DARKNESS — Justin Hawkins, Dan Hawkins, Frankie Poullain and Ed Graham — will be locked in an East Anglian studio working on tracks that will in time become the band's third album.

THE DARKNESS' first album, "Permission To Land", was released in 2003, hitting the No. 1 spot in the U.K. chart and winning "MasterCard British Album" at the 2004 Brit Awards (along with "Best British Group" and "British Rock Act").

Between 2003 and 2006, THE DARKNESS was honore

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-based metallers 3 INCHES OF BLOOD were honored in the "Metal Artist/Group Of The Year" category at the 11th annual Canadian Independent Music Awards, known as The Indies. Presented in association with Astral Radio and XM Satellite Radio, the awards were handed out on Saturday, March 12 at the Canadian Ballroom in the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada as part of the Canadian Music Week.

Commented 3 INCHES OF BLOOD vocalist Cam Pipes: "We'd like to thank all our fans for voting for us. As a metal band, it's nice to be recognized on a national scale. Congrats also to our friends in CANCER BATS who also picked up an Indie award the same night. Both bands winning sets up our upcoming tour together with a little extra notoriety."

The Indies acknowledge, promote and honour the achievements of Canadian and international independent artists in the independent music sector. The Indies are an initiative of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Music & The Arts (C.A.A.M.A.).

The eligibility period for all awards categories ran from September 1, 2009 through December 1, 2010. Nominees must have been active during the eligibility period and are based on the performance of the group or artist either on record or in live performances.

Metal Artist/Group Of The Year nominees were as follows:

* 3 INCHES OF BLOOD (Century Media)
* ANNIHILATOR (Neverland/Earache)
* BISON B.C. (Metal Blade)
* KATAKLYSM (Nuclear Blast)
* STRIKER (Iron Kodex)

PEARL JAM bassist Jeff Ament tells Billboard.com that the band has written 25 songs for a new album, to be recorded later this year. "April will be the time where we get together and learn to play all these demos and figure out which 12-15 of them float to the top," he said. According to Ament, the group has been focused on putting together reissues of its second and third albums, 1993's "Vs." and 1994's "Vitalogy", and working on a Cameron Crowde-directed documentary and book celebrating its 20th anniversary as a band.

PEARL JAM frontman Eddie Vedder is planning to release a solo album later this year. A new Vedder song called "Longing To Belong" popped up on a New York radio station on Monday (March 14) and it is reportedly from a new solo effort by Vedder, tentatively titled "Uke Songs", that may arrive in June. Vedder's previous solo album was not an official one, but the soundtrack to the 2007 movie "Into The Wild", for which he composed and performed nine new tracks.

Ament told The Pulse Of Radio that the way PEARL JAM has worked from the start leaves room for its members to do their own things as well. "I think the main thing is we wanted to be able to stretch out, and when I look at Ed and kind of what he's been able to do in terms of, like, you know, he's got his solo thing, and how he's pushed himself as a musician and creatively, you know, it makes me so proud of like, you know, how we were from the very beginning — how we wanted to be a band that could really dip our toes into a lot of different styles and dynamics," he said.

The first summer music festival ever put together by PEARL JAM itself will take place somewhere in the middle of the country this summer and feature a number of bands, along with PEARL JAM headlining both nights.

Brazilian progressive power metal band ALMAH — the side project of ANGRA members Edu Falaschi (vocals) and Felipe Andreoli (bass) — will enter Norcal Studios in São Paulo on May 2 to record its long-awaited third album. The follow-up to 2008's "Fragile Equality" will be released in September.

Commented Falaschi: "I'm very happy with ALMAH's comeback in 2011, first of all, because this third CD should consolidade ALMAH as a band once and for all!!! This album will show you a mature band and it will define the individuality and language of our sound, which is the most important thing! I'm very exctited to launch it soon!"

ALMAH's sophomore album, "Fragile Equality", was released in October 2008 via AFM Records.

LOVE.MIGHT.KILL, the new German/Italian melodic metal band led by drummer Michael Ehré (FIREWIND, ULI JON ROTH, METALIUM), has inked a deal with Massacre Records. The group's debut album, "Brace For Impact", is scheduled for release on June 17.

Commented Ehré: "We are very happy and proud to announce our partnership with Massacre Records. Since I joined METALIUM ten years ago I'm working with them and now we're proud to be a part of the Massacre family with LOVE.MIGHT.KILL!"

Eicca Toppinen of the Finnish rock cello quartet APOCALYPTICA has explained to The Pulse Of Radio why the band was forced to pull the vocals of SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith off their current single, "Not Strong Enough". Toppinen said that the whole thing was a case of record company politics. "When we were speaking with Brent and SHINEDOWN about the collaboration, we checked their schedule," he said. "It was like, 'Okay, they will be over with their album.' Nobody expected that they will release seven singles from one album ('The Sound Of Madness'). They were still going on radio in the fall with their own singles, and then the record company was like, 'Okay, but you can't go out with the Brent version of 'Not Strong Enough'. And then we started to think about, 'Okay, what shall we do? We have a great song in our hands, but we are not allowed to deliver it to radio.'"

Smith's vocal track remains on the version found on the group's latest album, "7th Symphony", while the radio version and video features vocals from HOOBASTANK's Doug Robb.

"7th Symphony" also features guest vocals from FLYLEAF singer Lacey Mosley and BUSH's Gavin Rossdale, in addition to Smith.

APOCALYPTICA launched a U.S. tour earlier this month after it was postponed last fall due to band member Perttu Kivilaakso falling ill. The group next performs on Thursday night (March 17) in Sayreville, New Jersey.

ALL THAT REMAINS singer Phil Labonte became part of a huge news story earlier this week when he appeared on both CNN and on the web site of the Wall Street Journal to recount living through Friday's (March 11) catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Shortly after arriving back home in the U.S., Labonte, who had never been in an earthquake before, told HardDrive Radio that the band was on edge until the minute they left Japan. "Until we left, there was little aftershocks and it just kind of felt constant and, like, you were always like, 'Do I feel shaking?'" he said. "If there was a truck that went by and you were standing there, you'd think for a second, 'Oh, was that the earth shaking?' because a truck went by, or whatever, you know. It almost messes with your head. I sat with a glass of water half-full on my desk so I could watch, you know, see if it was really shaking. It was weird."

The quake, which measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, and subsequent tsunami have combined to leave thousands dead, a large swath of the country without power, housing or supplies, and two nuclear reactors in danger of meltdown.

ALL THAT REMAINS was performing in Tokyo the night of the quake. Damage in that city was minimal, but far worse in the northern part of the country.

Nevertheless, Labonte wrote on the website of the Wall Street Journal that "you could see skyscrapers swaying back and forth." He added, "I know that I, as well as millions of other people affected by this disaster, will never forget how it felt during and for days after."

Other music artists, ranging from LINKIN PARK to LADY GAGA to AEROSMITH, have expressed concern or started efforts to raise money for relief efforts in the parts of Japan devastated by the disaster.

Icelandic death metallers BENEATH are putting the finishing touches on their new album, "Enslaved By Fear". The CD will contain nine songs and will be mixed by Daniel Bergstrand (MESHUGGAH, BEHEMOTH, IN FLAMES, DARK FUNERAL). The artwork will be created by Raymond Swanland (DEEDS OF FLESH, PSYCROPTIC).

According to a press release, BENEATH mixes "furious speed and technicality with song structures and melodies, resulting in a distinctively Icelandic brand of extreme metal. Not afraid to draw influences from other genres, BENEATH infuses old-school vibe into modern death metal while creating soundtracks to their apocalyptic and anti-religious lyrical content."

BENEATH's debut EP, "Hollow Empty Void", was released in February 2010 via Mordbrann Musikk. The CD was recorded, mixed and mastered by guitarist Johann Ingi Sigurdsson at Fossland Studio in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland.

BENEATH is:

Gisli Sigmundsson - Vocals
Johann Ingi Sigurdsson - Guitar
Unnar Sigurdsson - Guitar
Gisli Runar Gudmundsson - Bass
Ragnar Sverrisson - Drums

NIGHTWISH mainman Tuomas Holopainen has issued the following studio update:

"Petrax Studio, March 2011

A week or so ago I felt the Curse of the Mummy was cast upon us. The vocal recordings were set to begin on Monday, March 7th but Anette (Olzon; vocals) fell at her home just a few days before that and broke her rib. Thinking positive, luckily just that, from the sound of it it could've been much worse. So now she just needs to rest and heal well before we continue, the new vocal recording date set to the beginning of April. We'll take our time and do nothing half-way at this point.

So we called Marco to enter the studio for a couple of days before he left for winter holidays with his family. We figured we need to make the best of the booked studio time anyway. The first thing he told me on Tuesday was that he'd slipped on his front porch and hurt his rib, not sure if he'll be able to sing. At the same time Mikko (Karmila, the recording engineer) was lying in bed, sick to the core.

On Wednesday Marco was still hurting, Anette hadn't improved at all, Mikko was still sick in bed and Tero (Kinnunen, the other recording engineer) was run over by a horse and a cart (!)

There was three more weeks of studio time left and I was alone sipping some Shiraz by the studio's mixing console trying to come up with a counter - spell to put the poor mummy's soul to rest.

Now, a week later things are looking much brighter. Marco was actually able to sing a couple of tracks thanks to Mr. Burana, Tero hurt his pride worse than his body, Mikko is back from the dead, and I just heard Anette was able to go outside for the first time in two weeks. Wonderful news! I also got all my keyboard, piano & hammond - parts recorded, we got majority of the soundscapes a'la Mr. Jussi Tegelman put in place and Mikko already started the editing process. So no studio time wasted after all.

Now it's all about waiting for Anette to get well, getting Marco to record the rest of his vocals, and flying Troy over to record his pipes and show us some of his legendary magic.

In the meanwhile, a beautiful springtime to everyone. I'll write more soon."

On May 31, music fans will have their first taste of reissues from rock icon OZZY OSBOURNE's catalog of work with the releases of two albums which form the cornerstone of Ozzy Osbourne's career as a solo artist: "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman" (Epic Records/Legacy Recordings). Long revered by rock fans around the world, these two albums created a template for hard rock in the 1980s and beyond as they were marked by the ground-breaking and historic union of Ozzy and the late guitar hero Randy Rhoads. These definitive versions of 1980's "Blizzard of Ozz" (with previously unreleased bonus tracks) and 1981's "Diary of a Madman" are available individually on vinyl or CD, or together in a deluxe collector's box. All versions were restored and remastered from the original analog sources by George Marino.

The 30th-anniversary edition of "Blizzard of Ozz" CD includes the original album in its entirety, restored and remastered for this edition, with bonus tracks, while the new legacy edition of "Diary of a Madman" includes the original album in its entirety, restored and remastered for this edition, with a bonus second CD of previously unreleased live performances featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads with rhythm section Rudy Sarzo (bass) and Tommy Aldridge (drums). A single-disc version of the remastered "Diary of a Madman" will also be available.

For serious fans and collectors, the limited edition 30th-anniversary deluxe boxed set houses the restored and remastered vinyl and CD editions of "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman", the "Ozzy Live" compact disc. Beyond the music, the box set is highlighted by a variety of exclusives including an expansive 100-page coffee table book, a two-sided wall-size poster, a precise and detailed full-size replica of Ozzy's iconic gold cross that he has worn for 30 years, and "Thirty Years After The Blizzard" DVD.

This new "Thirty Years After The Blizzard" DVD chronicles Ozzy's years with Randy Rhoads features previously unseen footage of Ozzy and Randy filmed in 1981 and 1982; it incorporates rare archival photos and films; along with new and revelatory interviews with Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Lemmy (MOTÖRHEAD), Steve Vai, Nikki Sixx, Rob Halford, Zakk Wylde, Bill Ward and more. The DVD also contains over 70 minutes of additional rare live performances and interviews; included is the premiere of more than 30 minutes of newly-discovered never-bootlegged footage of Ozzy and Randy from the "Blizzard of Ozz" tour shot from the front of the stage at New York's fabled Palladium on May 2, 1981. This new feature is a must-see for aficionados of Ozzy's epic release "Blizzard of Ozz" and its pivotal effect on rock and roll history.

"Blizzard Of Ozz" (30th Anniversary Expanded Edition)

01. I Don't Know (5:13)
02. Crazy Train (4:51)
03. Goodbye To Romance (5:33)
04. Dee (0:49)
05. Suicide Solution (4:17)
06. Mr. Crowley (5:02)
07. No Bone Movies (3:52)
08. Revelation (Mother Earth) (6:08)
09. Steal Away (The Night) (3:28)

Bonus tracks

10. You Looking At Me, Looking At You (Non-LP B-Side, Previously Unreleased in the U.S.) (4:15)
11. Goodbye To Romance (2010 Guitar & Vocal Mix, Previously Unreleased) (5:42)
12. RR (Previously Unreleased – Randy Rhoads guitar solo) (1:13)

"Diary Of A Madman" (Legacy Edition)

Disc 1:

01. Over The Mountain (4:31)
02. Flying High Again (4:44)
03. You Can't Kill Rock And Roll (6:59)
04. Believer (5:15)
05. Little Dolls (5:39)
06. Tonight (5:50)
07. S.A.T.O. (4:07)
08. Diary Of A Madman (6:14)

Disc 2:

Ozzy Live (recorded on the "Blizzard of Ozz" tour)

01. I Don't Know
02. Crazy Train
03. Believer
04. Mr. Crowley
05. Flying High Again
06. Revelation (Mother Earth)
07. Steal Away (The Night)
08. Suicide Solution
09. Iron Man
10. Children Of The Grave
11. Paranoid

"Diary of a Madman"/"Blizzard of Ozz" 30th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set

Box Set Includes:

* "Blizzard Of Ozz" (30th Anniversary Expanded Edition)
* "Diary Of A Madman" (Legacy Edition)
* "Blizzard Of Ozz" (180-gram LP — original album only)
* "Diary Of A Madman" (180-gram LP — original album only)

DVD — contains "Thirty Years After The Blizzard" documentary — and additional rare and unreleased performances and interviews.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN frontman Greg Puciato is collaborating with Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SEPULTURA) on "an album of thrash brutality," according to a recent Facebook posting from the singer. Puciato took to Twitter yesterday to further tease the project, writing, "Just came back from [Cavalera's home base of] Phoenix. Max Cav and myself are both in possession of fifteen songs that nobody else has. Dark."

In a recent interview with Sweden's Metalshrine, Max stated about his collaboration with Puciato, "It's really in the beginning right now. Greg loves NAILBOMB and he's trying to get me to do a NAILBOMB kind of project. He's saying we can do something very similar to NAILBOMB where the both of us sing, like me and Alex [Newport of FUDGE TUNNEL did in NAILBOMB] and what we had and it will be what me and Greg have. We're gonna share the vocals and I think the drummer from MARS VOLTA might be the drummer and the bass player from CONVERGE might be playing bass and we're looking for a guitar player right now. But it's gonna be like a project, not a band like CAVALERA CONSPIRACY or SOULFLY. It's gonna be just a one-off album, something heavy to put out there. Something that me and Greg like to do. I had a great experience with him working on 'Rise Of The Fallen' [song from the latest SOULFLY album] and we became good friends and he started calling me about this 'NAILBOMB part 2' idea and I couldn't say no. I just thought it would be great and I'm really looking forward to it. I'd like to do as much music as possible, so he came with a new project for me."

Puciato joined SOULFLY on stage at the 14th annual "D-Low Memorial" on August 28, 2010 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona to perform the song "Rise Of The Fallen". Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed below.

Norwegian stoner rock combo LONELY KAMEL has inked a deal with Napalm Records. The quartet from Oslo is dedicated wholeheartedly to riffs and grooves. Fans of the genre may look forward to yet another deep and aromatic drag of pure stoner rock goodness.

Commented the band: "We are really stoked and happy for the opportunity to work with one of the biggest record labels of the independent scene and to be part of the label's impressive roster. We think this will help reach the next level.

"From being a one-man operation over 15 years ago, and having been able to expand during the difficult times in this industry shows their seriousness and ability.

"We have high expectations and are really looking forward to be part of the Napalm family, as well as to deliver some beautiful albums. Blues, grooves and a bottle of booze..."

LONELY KAMEL released its self-titled debut in December2008 on Little Bird Records and Kozmik Artifactz. A follow-up effort, "Blues For The Dead", was made available in October 2010 on Transubstans Records and Kozmik Artifactz.

THE DEVASTATED, the Southern California-based band featuring former members of IMPENDING DOOM and OBLIGE, has inked a deal with Century Media Records. The band is currently in the studio with young producer Chris Eck recording its debut album for a summer release. The CD will be mixed later this month with Daniel Castleman at Lambesis Studios in San Diego, California.

Commented THE DEVASTATED: "We are proud to announce our signing to Century Media Records. The backing and tremendous sense of family is that of which we have always hoped for in a label. We knew almost immediately that this was the perfect fit. We can't wait to release the record and get out on the road."

To get a taste of what THE DEVASTATED is all about, head over to the band's official Facebook page to hear a rough version of the song "Pseudo Smile Campaign".

THE DEVASTATED will hit the road with SUICIDE SILENCE as part of the "Black Dynamite Tour". Additional support will come from I DECLARE WAR.

SUICIDE SILENCE frontman Mitch Lucker had the following to say about THE DEVASTATED: "THE DEVASTATED is the heaviest thing to hit the Earth since the asteroids that killed off the dinosaurs."