"Beast", the fifth album from Santa Monica, California metallers DEVILDRIVER, can be streamed in its entirety on the band's MySpace page. Due on February 22 via Roadrunner Records, the CD was recorded at Sonic Ranch studios in Tornillo, Texas with producer Mark Lewis (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, ALL THAT REMAINS) and was mixed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY) at his Backstage studio in Derbyshire, England. The band recorded 14 songs during the "Beast" sessions, with 12 tracks making the standard version of the CD and all 14 songs appearing on the special edition.

"Beast" special edition track listing:

01. Dead To Rights (4:53)
02. Bring The Fight (To The Floor) (3:33)
03. Hardened (5:46)
04. Shitlist (4:04)
05. Talons Out (Teeth Sharpened) (4:20)
06. You Make Me Sick (5:18)
07. Coldblooded (4:06)
08. Blur (4:58)
09. The Blame Game (4:00)
10. Black Soul Choir (16 HORSEPOWER cover) (5:07)
11. Crowns Of Creation (4:55)
12. Lend Myself To The Night (4:01)

Bonus tracks:

13. Lost
14. Fortune Favors The Brave
15. Grinfucked (live)

"Deathstar Rising", the sixth album from Finnish dark metal masters BEFORE THE DAWN, is available for streaming in its entirety at this location. The CD is scheduled for release on February 25 via Nuclear Blast Records.

"Deathstar Rising" track listing:

01. The First Snow
02. Winter Within
03. Deathstar
04. Remembrance
05. Unbroken
06. Judgement
07. The Wake
08. Sanctuary
09. Butterfly Effect
10. Wraith
11. Infinity (from first demo 1998) *
12. My Room (acoustic) *
13. Unbreakable (live) *
14. The Black (live) *

* European bonus tracks

"Bizarro World", the new album from Germany's DEADLOCK, can be streamed in its entirety at Metal-Hammer.de. Due on February 28 in Europe and March 16 in the U.S. via Lifeforce Records, the CD was recorded at Slaughter's Palace studio and was once again produced and engineered by the band's musical mastermind and guitar/sound wizard Sebastian Reichl.

"Bizarro World" track listing:

01. Virus Jones
02. State Of Decay
03. Falling Skywards
04. Earthlings
05. You Left Me Dead
06. Brutal Romance
07. Alienation
08. Renegade
09. Htrae
10. Bizarro World
11. Paranoia Extravaganza

BLINDEAD, the brainchild of ex-BEHEMOTH guitarist Mateusz "Havoc" Smierzchalski, will release its third album, "Affliction XXIX II MXMVI", in April via Mystic Production. The band's "most complex and melodic" effort to date contains seven original songs and is said to be a concept album telling the story of an autistic girl.

"Affliction XXIX II MXMVI" track listing:

01. Self-Consciouness Is Desire And
02. After 38 Weeks
03. My New Playground Bacame
04. Dark And Gray
05. So It Feels Like Misunderstanding When
06. All My Hopes And Dreams Turn In To
07. Affliction XXVII II MMIX

MIDNATTSOL — the German-Norwegian band featuring vocalist Carmen Elise Espenaes (the younger sister of LEAVES' EYES singer Liv Kristine) — will release its third album, "The Metamorphosis Melody", on March 25. The CD was recorded at Studio E (THE VISION BLEAK, LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE, SECRETS OF THE MOON) with producer Markus Stock. The group states, "In addition to 11 brand new songs with almost an hour playtime, we have made a limited edition for you as well, this time with both a bonus DVD and a bonus track, sung by [guitarist] Daniel Droste."

A trailer for "The Metamorphosis Melody", along with the CD's cover artwork, can be seen below.

Ex-THIN LIZZY/MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Brian Robertson took some time out to reflect and remember former bandmate and friend Gary Moore, who passed away earlier this week.

Brian spoke about the recording process of the THIN LIZZY "Nightlife" album and his refusal to re-record Gary's solos:

"When I first joined THIN LIZZY and we recorded the 'Nightlife' album, there was this track that we had to do, a song called 'Still In Love With You'. As it was time to record the guitar solos I refused to replace Gary's original solos. They were the best solos I'd ever heard at that point and I wouldn't let anyone talk me into changing that!"

Robertson reflected on just one of his memorable Gary Moore stories:

"In the early days with LIZZY, we did a tour of Europe with COLOSSEUM II, which was the band Gary was in at the time, and we did a gig in Arnhem, Holland. Gary came round my room at the hotel after the show with a crate of brandy. Needless to say, we had a great time and we ended up hosing each other down with the fire hoses in the hallway. Unfortunately, the fire alarm went off and the whole hotel had to be evacuated. It was a very cheap hotel and it had lots of senior citizens living there, so all of these people had help each other out of the hotel in the middle of the night while Gazza and I stayed in the room and tried to hide. We ended up in the nick for that prank, but it was quickly sorted by our managements."

Brian Robertson is set to release his first solo album, "Diamonds And Dirt", on April 5 in North America via SPV/Steamhammer.

Swedish progressive/experimental metallers THERION now been immortalized in a boardgame!

Commented mainman Christofer Johnsson: "Paulo Vallerga from the famous game developer Scribabs approached the band at the show in Milano last year with this great idea of making a fantasy boardgame based upon the stage characters mixed with mythology, and we instantly thought it was the coolest thing we've heard in ages and loved the idea! The name of the game is '011' and you will find me [and the rest of THERION] appearing as even more fantastic characters than we are in reality!"

Go to the Scribabs webpage for a description of the game and more pictures.

U.K. rockers THUNDER, who split nearly two years ago, will release a live CD, "Live - Rough & Ready", on March 1. The album will be made available in a double gatefold four-CD digipack exclusively via the band's official web site. THUNDER will also reunite for a one-off appearance at the High Voltage Festival at Victoria Park, London on Sunday, July 24.

"Live - Rough & Ready" features THUNDER recorded at two shows during the "The Magnificent Seventh" tour in 2005. It's called "Rough & Ready", to contrast the difference in audio quality between the two shows (one was recorded straight off the mixing desk, the other is a proper multi-track recording). While the audio quality varies, the band's performance does not… Several songs from "The Magnificent Seventh" CD made their live debut on this tour, and two of them ("Monkey See Monkey Do" and "The Gods Of Love") were seldom played afterwards, though listening to them on here, it's hard to understand why.

This does not mean that THUNDER are getting back together, and there are no plans to record or release any new material. Luke Morley and Chris Childs have stressed that whilst they're both looking forward to playing a THUNDER show, their commitment to THE UNION and the new album release (later this year) is undiminished. Harry James is about to go on tour with MAGNUM and other ex-THUNDER bandmembers' (Danny Bowes and Ben Matthews) other activities will also remain unchanged.

Danny says: "I can't lie, I've missed singing and being in the band more than I thought I would over the past couple of years, so when High Voltage called last week, I was keen to explore it. We're still releasing the new 'Rough & Ready' live album, but there's no plan to do any other recording going forwards. It will be great to play again, and we're really excited."

Luke says: "I thoroughly enjoyed playing at the inaugural High Voltage last year with THE UNION, so I'm really looking forward to getting together with the rest of the boys for a one-off reunion (no pun intended). Fortunately it fitted in nicely with everything else we're doing so in the end it was difficult to say no. I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun."

"Live - Rough & Ready" details:

CD 1 and 2 - Rough

Recorded live straight off the mixing desk at Club Citta, Kawasaki, Japan on July 3, 2005. Ben sprinkled some magic fairy dust reverb during mastering, but there are no overdubs, no mix tweaks, nothing. It's a bootleg in all but name, that's why the audience is so quiet.

CD 3 and 4 - Ready

Recorded using the Thunder Mobile at Shepherds Bush Empire, London, U.K. on March 10, 2005. Mixed and mastered by Ben at Chez Bez Studios, London. Once again, there are no overdubs, no fix-ups etc.

CD1 - Rough

01. Loser
02. Amy's On The Run
03. Higher Ground
04. I'm Dreaming Again
05. Monkey See Monkey Do
06. You Can't Keep A Good Man Down
07. Don't Wait For Me
08. The Gods Of Love
09. River Of Pain

CD2 - Rough

01. Until My Dying Day
02. Fade Into The Sun
03. I Love You More Than Rock'n'Roll
04. She's So Fine
05. Low Life In High Places
06. Dirty Love
07. A Better Man
08. Pinball Wizard

CD3 - Ready

01. Loser
02. Amy's On The Run
03. Higher Ground
04. I'm Dreaming Again
05. Monkey See Monkey Do
06. You Can't Keep A Good Man Down
07. Don't Wait For Me
08. The Gods Of Love
09. Stand Up

CD4 - Ready

01. Love Walked In
02. Fade Into the Sun
03. I Love You More Than Rock 'n' Roll
04. Backstreet Symphony
05. A Better Man
06. Dirty Love

Formed in 1989, THUNDER released its debut album, "Backstreet Symphony", in 1990, and followed it up with "Laughing On Judgement Day", both of which were certified gold in the U.K.

Chicago, Illinois-based thrashers DIAMOND PLATE have entered RAX Trax studios in the band's hometown with producer Neil Kernon (JUDAS PRIEST, DEICIDE, NEVERMORE, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD) to begin recording their debut album, "Generation Why?", for a spring release via Earache Records.

"Working with Neil has been incredible," says DIAMOND PLATE guitarist Konrad Kuplec.

"Our plan is simple: bring together great songs, playing, and production with an insane amount of energy.

"We want to focus on capturing a vibe on this album that hasn't been felt in metal in a long time.

"People will be amazed at how much improvement and strength there will be on this debut."

By incorporating elements of extreme metal, hardcore and other outside interests, DIAMOND PLATE aims to make a solid thrash album that is proudly modern, yet can stand the test of time. Neil Kernon, no stranger to making records that were hallmarks of aggression, is helping to shape "Generation Why?" into just that.

"I am very excited to be working with DIAMOND PLATE," Kernon says. "We're all ready to make a killer album. This is going to be a blast!"

DIAMOND PLATE is a young, dynamic band which has taken the Midwest metal scene by storm and now have its eyes set on global domination. Formed in 2008, this high-energy act has already earned high honors from respected outlets such as Terrorizer magazine, which named DIAMOND PLATE as one of the best unsigned bands in the very year that the band first got together.

According to Straits Times, IRON MAIDEN fans have slammed the organizers of the band's February 15, 2011 concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium for what was allegedly a poorly organized queueing system at the venue.

Fans who bought $181 free-standing tickets said the queue outdoor was fine until it started raining heavily at about 4 p.m. The crowd, which had swelled to about 100, started breaking off from the queue to take cover. When the rain stopped, the venue staff made the crowd form a new queue, regardless of their original positions.

"Blunt Force Trauma", the title track of the sophomore album from CAVALERA CONSPIRACY — the project featuring former SEPULTURA members Max (guitar, vocals) and Igor Cavalera (drums) — is available for streaming below. The CD will be released on March 28 not only as a standard CD but also as an "awesome" CD/DVD package.

"Blunt Force Trauma" was once again tracked with Logan Mader (ex-MACHINE HEAD/SOULFLY guitarist), who co-produced the LP with Max. Logan also mixed the follow-up to the band's debut album, "Inflikted", which has sold less than 45,000 copies in the United States since its March 2008 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The brothers Cavalera co-founded SEPULTURA, the Brazilian metal band that redefined and established the genre outside of the U.S. and Europe. After Max exited the band, there was a rift between himself and his brother, one that was eventually repaired through the redemptive power of music. Some time had passed and Max and Igor were unable to resist the musical pull in their magnetic fields and their musical collaboration was renewed. The duo are back for round two with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's lineup is filled out by guitarist Marc Rizzo, who plays with Max in SOULFLY, and bassist Johnny Chow.

"Blunt Force Trauma" CD/DVD track listing:

CD:

01. Warlord
02. Torture
03. Lynch Mob
04. Killing Inside
05. Thrasher
06. I Speak Hate
07. Target
08. Genghis Khan
09. Burn Waco
10. Rasputin
11. Blunt Force Trauma
12. Psychosomatic *
13. Jihad Joe *
14. Electric Funeral *

* Bonus tracks

DVD - Live at Les Eurockéennes Festival, Belfort, France - July 5, 2008 (except *):

01. Inflikted
02. Sanctuary
03. Territory
04. Terrorize
05. The Doom Of All Fires
06. Inner Self/Nevertrust
07. Arise/Dead Embryonic Cells
08. Desperate Cry/Propaganda
09. Wasting Away
10. Black Ark
11. Holiday In Cambodia/Biotech Is Godzilla
12. Hearts Of Darkness
13. Refuse/Resist
14. Troops Of Doom
15. Must Kill
16. Roots Bloody Roots
17. Sanctuary (music video) *

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY will support IRON MAIDEN on Saturday, March 26 at the Morumbi in São Paulo, Brazil.

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY made its Brazilian live debut on October 11, 2010 at the SWU Music and Arts Festival at the Maeda Farm in Itú (about 43.5 miles away from São Paulo).

Two months before the release of "Blunt Force Trauma", CAVALERA CONSPIRACY performed a unique worldwide pre-release show on February 5 in Barcelona, Spain at the legendary Razzmatazz venue.

Exactly 20 years after the filming of the classic SEPULTURA DVD "Under Siege -Live In Barcelona", Max and Igor came back to the same venue to kick start their new album cycle. The first video single was recorded live and media from all over Europe came to Barcelona to meet the band.

Check out photos of the concert from MetalSymphony.com.

SLIPKNOT, IN FLAMES, MASTODON, OPETH, SONATA ARCTICA and STAM1NA are the first confirmed bands for the Finnish installment of the Sonisphere festival, set to take place July 2, 2011 at Kalasatama in Helsinki.

For more information, go to this location.

A severe thunderstorm hit Sonisphere festival in Pori, Finland last August. Strong gusts of freak wind damaged the stages and knocked down tents and fences. Around 40 people were injured, two of them seriously, and received treatment in hospital. The second stage was damaged beyond repair and to guarantee the safety of the audience, artists and crew the authorities closed the stage. The storm damaged MÖTLEY CRÜE's equipment, forcing the band's show to be cancelled. IGGY POP did play, performing an acoustic four-track set on the main stage, while the Sonisphere crew worked hard behind the scenes to dry everything out and make repairs to damage across the site.

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

"If you've been following along, you know that the 'Big Four' of ANTHRAX, MEGADETH, SLAYER and 'TALLICA already have two shows scheduled in Europe in July... well, the party is expanding! We're here today to tell you about and addition to the European vacation with a show in Gelsenkirchen, Germany at the Veltins Arena on July 2, 2011.

"Tickets go on sale on Saturday, February 19 at 9:00 a.m. local time at Eventim.de. MetClub members should check MetClub.com for more details on a special pre-sale for Clubbers only.

"Yes, that headline said 'shows' with an 's.' Keep watching here for a couple more announcements in the coming weeks."

Courtney Devores of The Charlotte Observer recently conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Slash (VELVER REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Charlotte Observer: For so long you were the guy behind the guitar, the hat or hair. Has social media let more of your personality or sense of humor out?

Slash: I don't know. I don't really have an idea as to what I'm supposed to be from any kind of real perspective. People develop their own idea. The cool thing about Twitter or Facebook was it's given me a chance to reach out to anybody who is interested as opposed to having to issue press releases.... or leaking stuff out to reliable sources. It puts you more in control of your own promotion or just to be more square with fans in general.

The Charlotte Observer: When did you realize Myles [Kennedy] was the [right singer] for [your solo] tour?

Slash: When he came in and did the second (song) I thought this is the only guy that could handle all this material...stuff from the solo record and GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER. Myles was just so capable. We didn't have any prior relationship. He happened to be on a break (from ALTER BRIDGE). He accepted. At that point I only had two weeks to rehearse with a band and only a week of that I could spend with Myles.

The Charlotte Observer: Your experience with notorious singers is well known. Is personality something you consider?

Slash: Beggars can't be choosers. The first most important thing is to find individuals who are musically capable and then you have to take into account whatever their personality is.... It's something you need to accept within reason if they play the way you want them to play. A lot of musicians are crazy and that's what makes them great musicians.

The Charlotte Observer: Where does VELVET REVOLVER stand on finding a new singer?

Slash: There was truth to the rumor that we were looking at Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR), but then I left for tour. So there's nothing being done at the moment. No decision.

"Monuments Desecration", the new video from Slovenian chaos-black metallers BLEEDING FIST, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's forthcoming mini-CD, "Devil's Ferox", which is scheduled for release on May 31 via Moribund. The CD will contain five brand-new songs, including a tribute track to the legendary DEATH SS, and will also feature an enhanced portion with videos for "Invocation Into Devil's Flesh" and the EP's title track.

BLEEDING FIST has released two critically acclaimed records on Moribund: last year's "Macabrum Bestia Ex Abyssus" mini-CD (from which "Invocation Into Devil's Flesh" is taken) and the 2009 debut album "Bestial Kruzifix666ion".

"Dominator", the new video from the reactivated legendary 1980s Finnish heavy metal band OZ, can be viewed below. The song was recorded at Park studio in Stockholm, Sweden with producer Nicke Andersson (a former member of ENTOMBED and HELLACOPTERS). The clip was directed by Amir Chamdin, a member of the Swedish hip hop band INFINITE MASS who has previously directed videos for THE CARDIGANS and HELLACOPTERS, among others.

"Dominator" comes off OZ's new album, tentatively titled "Greatezt Blitz", which is due later in the year. The CD will reportedly contain both new songs and re-recordings of OZ classics. Other songtitles set to appear on the LP include "Seasons In The Dark" and "Signs From The Dead".

OZ's current lineup includes two new guitarists — Costello Hautamäki and Markku Petander — alongside the classic trio of Ape De Martini (real name: Tapani Hämäläinen), Jay C. Blade (real name: Jukka Lewis) and Mark Ruffneck (real name: Pekka Mark). Costello Hautamäki was previously involved with HANOI ROCKS circa the "Twelve Shots On The Rocks" album (2002) and he has also played with the Finnish band POPEDA. Markku Petander is also a former member of POPEDA, as well as YÖ — which also happens to be Jay C. Blade's other band.

OZ 2011 is:

Ape De Martini (Tapani Hämäläinen) - Lead Vocals
Jay C. Blade (Jukka Lewis) - Bass, Vocals
Mark Ruffneck (Pekka Mark) - Drums
Markku Petander - Guitar
Costello Hautamäki - Guitar

OZ is best known in the metal underground for its 1983 "Fire In The Brain" album and the classic "Turn The Cross Upside Down" single (a song that was subsequently covered by the band STORMWARRIOR). It has also come to light that BATHORY mastermind Quorthon was responsible for designing the cover art for both "Fire In The Brain" and "Turn The Cross Upside Down".

Three brand new songs from Danish war merchants PANZERCHRIST — "King Tiger", "Ode To A Cluster Bomb" and "Prevail" — are available for streaming using the ReverbNation TuneWidget below (click on the "Songs" tab). All three tracks will appear on the band's new album, "Regiment Ragnarok", which is scheduled for release on April 18 via Listenable Records.

PANZERCHRIST was formed in 1994 as a result of Michael Enevoldsen wanting to make more hard-hitting music than he played with his previous band, ILLDISPOSED.

PANZERCHRIST's most recent full-length album, "Batallion Beast", was released in 2006 through Neurotic Records. The CD was recorded at Smart 'n Hard studios with Jakob Bredahl and at Zigsound with Ziggy, who also mixed the album. The drums on the CD were laid down by Reno Kiilerich (DIMMU BORGIR, VILE, DEW-SCENTED).

FOZZY frontman and WWE wrestling superstar Chris Jericho talked about his new book, "Undisputed", and rumors that he is being considered for the lead-singer position in VELVET REVOLVER during an appearance yesterday (Wednesday, February 16) on WPIX-TV's "Morning News" in New York. Watch the segment below.

The eagerly awaited follow-up to the New York Times bestselling "A Lion's Tale", "Undisputed" documents Chris Jericho's meteoric rise to wrestling glory in the WWE.

"A Lion's Tale" gave readers a portrait of Jericho as a young man. Fighting his way through Mexico, rinky-dink leagues and a battery of thieving, sleazy promoters/managers, the book ended with the author's WWE debut. Never one to leave his fans hanging, as demonstrated by his recent return to wrestling glory, Jericho now tells the story of life in the big leagues. But "making it" in the premier wrestling league in the world comes with its own set of obstacles and hard lessons. Jericho, in his witty, hilarious, and surprisingly endearing manner, lays it all out: the good, the bad, and the spandex.

Developers of the post-apocalyptic massively multiplayer online game (MMO) Fallen Earth today announced a partnership with Nuclear Blast Records, the world's largest independent heavy-metal record label. With plans to incorporate several of the label's popular tracks into the game, developers have alerted players that life in the wasteland is about to get a little more metal.

In the next month, developers plan to uncover a brand new underground bunker bar in game, introducing Nuclear Blast Radio and featuring hit tracks from several of the label's artists, including MESHUGGAH, SOILWORK and TESTAMENT.

"We listen to so much of Nuclear Blast's music at the office," said Senior Game Designer for Fallen Earth, Marie Croall. "This is an awesome opportunity to share our favorite music with our players."

According to developers, artists and tracks featured on Nuclear Blast Radio will cycle out periodically, offering a new variety for listeners.

Nuclear Blast USA's Label Manager Gerardo Martínez comments on the partnership: "The music and gaming worlds are natural allies. Luckily, we're working with game developers who know quality music. Get ready to hear the sounds of Fallen Earth on tour busses across the country!"

By means of the new partnership, several upcoming promotions and artist querstion-and-answer sessions have been planned for Fallen Earth.

Formed in 2003, Fallen Earth, LLC is a special purpose entity born out of Icarus Studios dedicated to the production of the independently produced and published massively multiplayer online game (MMO) unlike any other, Fallen Earth. Set in the Grand Canyon in 2156 and mixing first-person shooter-style action with role-playing game design, Fallen Earth allows players to explore a post-apocalyptic world through crafting, trading, and scavenging. Fallen Earth is rated "M" for "Mature" by the ESRB.

Guitar virtuoso Joe Stump (HOLYHELL, REIGN OF TERROR) has posted the following message regarding the passing of former THIN LIZZY guitarist, noted session player, and blues rock icon Gary Moore:

"I'm deeply saddened about the tragic death of one of my all-time heroes, Gary Moore.

"Gary had a tremendous impact and influence on my playing. He's someone I've been listening to since the early '80s, and still listen to on a regular basis to this day. To me, he combined all of the elements that make hard rock guitar great — killer technique, great emotionally drenched melodic playing, and a massive tone in his hands.

"I remember hearing 'White Knuckles' on a metal radio show almost 30 years ago and being blown away.

"I love both his power blues-era material as well as his '80s-period hard rock and metal stuff.

"I learned every solo on 'Corridors Of Power', 'Victims Of The Future', and 'We Want Moore', as well as many other solos from a bunch of his other recordings.

"I will have some type of Gary Moore tribute style track on my upcoming solo record.

"A more recent example of Gary's influence on my playing would be the track 'The Beacon' on 'Virtuostic Vendetta'.

"It is just a tremendous loss for the music and guitar community."

Three-camera video footage of Joe Stump shredding the axe at a guitar showcase at Sam Ash in Cincinnati, Ohio in June 2010 can be viewed below.

Earlier this week, Justin M. Norton of Hellbound.ca conducted an interview with SAINT VITUS frontman Scott "Wino" Weinrich. Wino discussed his upcoming acoustic album "Adrift"; his relationship with SHRINEBUILDER bandmate Scott Kelly and SAINT VITUS' recording plans. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Hellbound.ca: Have you always wanted to work on a primarily acoustic album?

Wino: I didn't really think about it until a little while ago. I'd been over to Germany and I was playing guitar one day and someone asked me if I had ever considered an acoustic record. It was a few years ago but I wasn't feeling it and I just wasn't interested. There were a strange set of circumstances that led me to playing acoustic live for the first time. It was pretty bad. I decided if I was going to do it I was going to do it right so I sat down and just wrote a few acoustic songs. After that I felt a little more confident. Then I did "Punctuated Equilibrium" and our bass player died unexpectedly. That's when I started to warm up for gigs with the acoustic and it felt good.

Hellbound.ca: You are bandmates with Scott Kelly in SHRINEBUILDER and are touring with him playing acoustic music. Scott's done two acoustic albums — did you talk to him when you started working on this material?

Wino: I did. I asked him about a lot of stuff. He's a good guy to go to for advice. He's been doing this for a while. We played the songs we're doing together for the first time last night and I think it's going to be really cool.

Hellbound.ca: What's the difference after a career playing with SAINT VITUS and THE OBSESSED? Does playing acoustic make you feel more exposed? Or is it a bigger challenge?

Wino: Both, actually. You don't have a big wall of sound behind you. It's you and your instrument. It's a challenge but I like a challenge. Recording "Adrift" was much harder than I though it would be. I thought it would be a breeze, but it ended up being a real learning experience.

Hellbound.ca: The '90s were a tough decade for you. What do you make of the fact that it's 2011 and you are hitting a creative peak as an artist and your old bands are finally getting the attention they deserve?

Wino: I'm pretty stunned, to be honest with you. I never thought this would happen, especially with "Adrift". I never in a million years thought we'd be talking about SAINT VITUS now but here we are on the move again. It's all looking pretty good, and it's unusual. But it's OK with me. When I turned 50, I realized it was time to loosen up. I decided not to worry as much and realized I'd be OK if I had a few beers. I had an attitude change. I'm not as uptight anymore.

Hellbound.ca: VITUS has been touring a lot .. are you working on new songs?

Wino: We're already doing new material. I wrote the lyrics to a song we played live on our last European tour. It went over really well. We're getting together to work on an album in June or July. We're going to go to (drummer) Henry's (Vasquez) house and record.

Hellbound.ca: I imagine it will be interesting recording with those guys… it's been a while since you've been in the studio together.

Wino: I think it's going to be easier because the older you get the more times you've done it. I've been at this for a long time now and I'll be ready to do my part.

Hellbound.ca: Why does VITUS continue to resonate?

Wino: Because it comes from the gut. The music has that low tone and it hits you in those emotional places. I've always tried to make the lyrics just as interesting as the music. It's always been a little bit dark but I'm not drawn to the happy stuff. I like music that grabs you by the balls.