"Chuzhoi" (English translation: Stranger), a brand new song from KYPCK ("Kursk" in the western alphabet) — the Russian-singing Finnish doom metal band featuring former SENTENCED guitarist Sami Lopakka (a.k.a. S.S. Lopakka) — can be streamed below. The track comes off the group's sophomore album, which is named after the Russian word for "lower" (pronounced "nizhe"), due on February 9 via Yellow House Recordings.

"Lower" track listing (English translations; all original titles are in Russian):

01. Gifarus
02. After
03. The Alley Of Stalin
04. Stranger
05. Felitsa
06. Rupture
07. Burlaks On The Volga
08. Brothel
09. Comrades
10. Death Waltz

The Revolution TV recently conducted an interview with former KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. You can now watch the chat in two parts below.

Welch said in a new interview with the Christian And Missionary Alliance in Buffalo, Minnesota that he has "no desire" to ever rejoin the band he left six years ago. Welch exited KORN in February 2005 after announcing that he had been saved by Jesus Christ and was devoting his life and music to Christianity. He has subsequently issued two books and a solo album.

When asked if he would ever consider opening as a solo artist for KORN, Welch told the Missionary Alliance, "It just sounds weird to me, 'cause we haven't spoken or hung out in a room together — except me and the bass player did, but the rest of the guys, no. But would I ever do it? I wouldn't go back to KORN, 'cause that's going backwards. I'm not gonna do that, and I don't want to, I have no desire to. But opening? It would have to be meant to be. I wouldn't just go."

Rumors circulated last year that Welch was rejoining the band, although they were denied by the group.

Singer Jonathan Davis told The Pulse Of Radio that it was Welch's approach to his beliefs that he had problems with. "I remember going in, walking into our studio. He went to go pick up his stuff and he wrote a note on one of the roadcases saying that he loves us and 'if you're ever ready to come over to my side, I'll teach you how not to be a slave to money' and all this stuff," he said. "It's just all this preachy stuff that I don't want to hear. I always have a problem with people trying to push their beliefs on me."

Welch said in a May 2009 interview with Noisecreep that he was happy with his decision to leave the group, although he added, "If I ever felt God lead me back to KORN for some reason, I'd go."

German metallers REBELLION, who recently parted ways with Uwe Lulis (guitar), Gerd Lücking (drums) and Simone Wenzel (guitar), have issued the followign update:

"After three members left the band last December, now a replacement for ex-guitarist Uwe Lulis has been found! The new [axeman] is Oliver Geibig [pictured below], who already produced the album 'Born A Rebel' for the band and has been playing for years along with [bassist] Tomi Göttlich in the hard rock band THE MAGIC OF RADIO and SCHLAMMBEIN.

"Currently, REBELLION are looking for a further guitarist and a drummer to complete the lineup once again."

According to the Fakt.pl web site, Adam "Nergal" Darski, the 33-year-old leukemia-stricken guitarist/vocalist of the Polish extreme metal act BEHEMOTH, has been readmitted to the hematology division of Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne (UCK) in Gdansk because he developed an infection six weeks after he underwent a bone marrow transplant procedure.

"The patient was taken to hospital again because he did not care proper care of himself," Dr. Maria Bieniaszewska, assistant professor in the Department of Hematology, was quoted as saying.

It is not presently clear if the infection will affect Nergal's adoption of the bone marrow transplant and how long he will have to remain in hospital. In his condition, when the immune system is weakened, such infections could even be life-threatening.

According to Marrow.org, most infections happen in the first 100 days after a transplant, but they remain a risk as long as the patient's immune system is weak.

According to People.com, POISON singer Bret Michaels suffered a massive drop in blood pressure four days after he underwent successful surgery to repair a hole in his heart — a condition he's had since birth, but only recently discovered. Tests showed the problem was not due to the surgery, but to dehydration and exhaustion, possibly as a result of his diabetes.

"Bret suffered no setbacks and is fine. It's always good for patients to be evaluated when they're not feeling well," Dr. Mansour Assar, an interventional cardiologist, told People.com.

Dutch singer Anneke Van Giersbergen (AGUA DE ANNIQUE, ex-THE GATHERING) has entered Ultrasound Studios in Braga, Portugal with producer Daniel Cardoso to begin recording her new album for a tentative late 2011/early 2012 release. A single will precede the full-length effort just before the summer.

Commented Anneke: "Last October Daniel went to see ANATHEMA in Paris. He's also a friend of the band. I was a guest on that tour and we met after the show (small world: both of us have worked with ULVER's Kristoffer Rygg, by the way). I spoke with him about my ideas for a new album and it turned out we shared a lot of the same views.

"When I got home after that tour, Daniel had sent me a demo without vocals. I totally loved it and it sounded a lot like the material I was already working on: upbeat rock, combined with electronic sounds and a touch of dark melancholy. That same night I wrote a vocal melody and lyrics to the song and within a week we were working together.

"We've written and completed demos for about five songs already.

"I'm planning to release a single with a bit of extra material before the summer.

"I'm so excited for you guys to hear the new stuff!!! It will be a lot more multi-layered than most of my recent music. Yes, I'm ready to start a new chapter, stay tuned!"

Swedish progressive rock band WOLVERINE will release its new studio album, "Communication Lost", on May 23 in Europe via Candlelight Records. The CD was recorded at various locations in Sweden between February and August 2010. It was mixed by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark in July/August 2010 and mastered by Eroc at Eroc's Mastering Ranch in Germany in December 2010/January 2011.

"Communication Lost", which was produced by the band, features 11 tracks and has a running time of approximately 70 minutes:

01. Downfall
02. Into The Great Nothing
03. Poison Ivy
04. Your Favourite War
05. Embrace
06. Pulse
07. What Remains
08. In Memory Of Me
09. In The Quiet Of Dawn
10. Communication Lost
11. A Beginning

Keyboardist Coen Janssen of Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers EPICA and his wife, Linda, welcomed their first child, a baby daughter named Cato Dianne, on January 28.

Commented Janssen: "We are the luckiest people in the world right now! It is the most incredible feeling there is to have a baby and to hold her in your arms for the first time!!

"I really want to thank all the fans for their kind words and wishes for Cato; it means the world to us!"

Italian death metallers HOUR OF PENANCE have inked a deal with Prosthetic Records. The band commented, "This is a very important opportunity for HOUR OF PENANCE and a big reward for almost 10 years of activity of this band.

"We're very proud to be part of the Prosthetic Records family and we're eager to start working with such a great label. A new label, a new lineup and, of course, a new album which is obviously in the works and will be recorded soon...

"Expect a new HOUR OF PENANCE album this year and of course be prepared! We will tour as much as we can in 2011!"

Guitarist Rich Walker of the U.K. epic doom band SOLSTICE has issued the following update:

"After our first couple of shows, Paul Britton has decided that he will end his tenure as the vocalist for SOLSTICE. We're all very sad to lose him, and it's not a reflection of the quality of Paul's voice or his incredible ability as a frontman.

"As we get older, we all lose our hearing to a certain degree, and even more so for people like Paul and myself who have had decades of Marshall abuse, and it's this that has caused the problem. Studio work with SOLSTICE is not a problem for him, but the live environment where things can be hit or miss in terms of quality of sound onstage is. Paul's pitching had suffered on these first couple of gigs, and we felt we were all struggling."

Added Paul: "It's with sadness that I'm out of the new SOLSTICE project. After two gigs it's clear that my voice isn't fitting in. There's no 'in fighting,' no 'musical differences,' just common sense. I don't feel 100 percent and it's not fair on the band to continue trying to blag my way though the hearing and pitching problems I'm having on stage.

"I know that Rich Walker and I will remain friends and I'm sure we'll work together again at some point this year. Until then I going to get stuck into the solo album that up till now has only had 50 percent of my attention.

"I hope SOLSTICE fans around the world understand the decision that's been made and I can only apologize for the European dates getting cancelled because of it."

The band added, "As Paul says, we intend to collaborate in the summer and make a racket togther, but this time I think it will be more on Paul's home ground where we all know he can excel and hold his own.

SOLSTICE is currently searching for a new full-time vocalist. All applicants should have the following qualities:

* Powerful and unique voice
* Stage presence, and the ability to talk to an audience
* A love of the loud and heavy
* A black sense of humour
* Be willing to travel in the U.K. and Europe for shows
* Be willing to get a round in
* Be over 30 years of age.

From the team that brought you "We Wish You A Metal Xmas" comes "SIN-atra", heavy metal's tribute to the genius of Frank Sinatra. Twelve songs made famous by Ol' Blue Eyes are given a radical and individual new treatment from some of the finest voices in rock including members of ANTHRAX, TWISTED SISTER, DEEP PURPLE, QUEENSRŸCHE, MR. BIG, WARRANT, NONPOINT, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, KING'S X and CHEAP TRICK with the backing of a superb band led by guitarist Bob Kulick (KISS, MEAT LOAF). The songs are known to everyone but you've never heard them quite like this before!

"SIN-atra" track listing:

01. New York, New York (Devin Townsend)
02. I've Got You Under My Skin (Glenn Hughes)
03. Summerwind (Geoff Tate)
04. It Was A Very Good Year (Dee Snider)
05. Witchcraft (Tim "Ripper" Owens)
06. Fly Me To The Moon (Robin Zander)
07. Lady Is A Tramp (Eric Martin)
08. I've Got The World On A String (Doug Pinnick)
09. Love And Marriage (Elias Soriano)
10. Strangers In The Night (Joey Belladonna)
11. High Hopes (Franky Perez)
12. That's Life (Jani Lane)

"Adrift", the new video from the Brazilian power metal opera project SOULSPELL, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's second full-length album, which came out last October via Inner Wound Recordings/Ulterium Records. The CD featured guest appearances by Jon Oliva (SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, JON OLIVA'S PAIN), Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH), Zak Stevens (CIRCLE II CIRCLE, SAVATAGE), Roland Grapow (MASTERPLAN, HELLOWEEN) and Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE).

The third and last chapter in funeral doom band COLOSSEUM's history shall be released in Finland on March 9 and in the rest of the world on March 25. The CD is being made available in honor of the memory of band's frontman Juhani Palomäki, who was found dead last year, only a few weeks after the recordings for the CD were completed.

Commented the surviving members of COLOSSEUM: "We have lost a brilliant musician and a true friend, who will be greatly missed not only by us, but by his loved ones and countless people all around the world who have been touched by his art."

"Chapter 3: Parasomnia" was recorded on April 2010, and was mixed and mastered during the autumn and winter of 2010. Containing five lengthy epics and contributions from a number of session musicians, the album marks the end of COLOSSEUM as a band, bringing the listener the whole scale of darkness in funeral doom as extreme as it gets.

"Chapter 3: Parasomnia" track listing:

01. Dilapidation and Death
02. Questioning Existence
03. Passage To Eternity
04. On The Strand Of Nightmares
05. Parasomnia

This message was posted on LES DISCRETS Facebook page:

"The recording session is finished, and we have done all that big amount of work in time! Remains the mix, that will be done later, distance and time are needed to make it well!By lack of time, we haven't listened to the whole album so I am anxiously waiting for tomorrow to listen to everything, with all vocals and music!!
Fingers crossed that all songs together work well".

DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED — the band led by VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan — will release its new album, "The Taking", on April 19 via Eagle Rock Entertainment. The CD was recorded at a Seattle-area studio with veteran rock producer Terry Date (SOUNDGARDEN, PANTERA, DEFTONES). Two tracks from "The Taking", both available on all digital service providers, are already making a splash with the public. Anthemic rocker "We Win" was played during the World Series and riled up football fans for McKagan's hometown Seattle Seahawks. "Fight On" draws inspiration from our military veterans, and proceeds from these downloads go exclusively to the Puget Sound Healthcare System.

"The Taking" cover artwork can be viewed below. Also available are audio streams of three songs from the CD — "Cocaine", "We Win" and "Dead Skin".

"The Taking" track listing:

01. Lords Of Abaddon
02. Executioner's Song
03. Dead Skin
04. We Win
05. Easier Lying
06. She's An Anchor
07. Wrecking Ball
08. King Of The World
09. Cocaine
10. Your Name
11. Follow Me To Hell

Regarding the band's split with Century Media Records, which released one EP (2008's "Wasted Heart") and one full-length album (2009's "Sick") from DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED, guitarist Mike Squires told the Oregon Music News, "A lot of things happened there. We felt that we made a great album and we had a good relationship with them. In the end things just didn't work out. Collectively, we missed the mark on a number of things and the record didn't get a fair shot. We thought that 'Sick' could have done very well, but it didn't get a shot. There were just so many missed opportunities. With the release of 'The Taking' I think people will get some awareness and go back and give 'Sick' a look."

A trailer for the upcoming feature-length film about Duff McKagan and LOADED can be viewed below. The movie is based on "The Taking" and is being helmed by Seattle filmmaker and documentarian Jamie Burton Chamberlin.

Eagle Rock Entertainment will re-release DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED's 2009 album "Sick" in May. This special reissue of the CD also packs a bonus DVD, featuring 11 tracks from a live set at The Garage in Glasgow filmed in December 2008.

Danish tabloid newspaper Ekstra Bladet conducted an interview with METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich last month at the band's headquarters in San Rafael, California. A few excerpts from the chat follow below. (Note: All original Danish-language quotes were translated into English by BLABBERMOUTH.NET.)

On when the band plans on returning to the studio to begin work on the follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic":

"There's a really good vibe in the band at the moment. In the past, we would be fed up with METALLICA whenever we returned home after a gigantic world tour, but this time it's different. Therefore it won't be that long before we start working on a new album. I think that we'll probably already get the creative process going in March or April and go into the studio. We really want to get back to METALLICA quickly because we are enjoying it so much right now."

On how the relationship between the METALLICA bandmembers has changed over the years:

"It helps our relationships that we've all got families and children and they all get along with each other. We really fucking like each other at the moment. There were a few years when things were really bad. We never really got to talk to each other; we would just grab a bottle of vodka and go out looking for girls. That meant that we weren't sharing our feelings with each other. Today we talk a lot about our children and our families. And the fact that we have something to talk about other than tonight's setlist is or if someone made a mistake during yesterday's show makes a big difference. In the last five or six years, we've found out where our limits are and we've made some rules regarding METALLICA. That's been necessary in order to make sure the entire thing doesn't collapse. For instance, we have a rule that we cannot be on the road for more than two weeks at a time during the school year and we make sure that we spend two weeks at home before going back on tour. That prevents us from burning out and falling into the trap that you can sometimes fall into when you are tired and worn out."

On playing 215 concerts in 45 countries in support of "Death Magnetic":

"Of course it's still hard to play that many shows, but the older you get, the less you take success for granted. It's beginning to dawn on us that what we have together is very special and that we're not gonna live forever. It's awesome that a bunch if semi-old farts like us can still travel around the world and thousands of people wanna share that experience with us."

On the 30th anniversary of his meeting with METALLICA frontman James Hetfield and the band's formation:

"It's been totally awesome. When I look back, what I'm most proud of is that we've actually survived, that we've lived through the last 30 years and come out of it relatively unscathed and that we are now able to function as a unit, as people and as fathers. We found solutions to the problems that we've had instead of letting internal squabbles destroy the band, which, for instance, happened to our friends in GUNS N' ROSES."

On whether Danish fans can expect to see METALLICA again anytime soon:

"The tour schedule hasn't been finalized yet, but as of right now, there are no plans to play Denmark. But let's see what happens. We usually come around every two or three years and our friends from the Roskilde festival also call us every now and then and ask us to play. If it doesn't happen this year, we will play in Denmark in 2012."

Keyboardist/songwriter Tuomas Holopainen of Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH has issued the following update:

"In the excitement of Yuletide magic I wrote there would be secrets revealed at the end of January.

"There are big things happening within and around the NIGHTWISH camp but the Big Boys and Bosses just sent me an ultimatum to keep my mouth shut for a couple more months, or I would wake up with a horse's head in my bed.

"I truly am very sorry about needing to keep future plans and sights still in secrecy. The purpose is not to annoy anybody or cause a carefully planned hype over the matter. Due to the changes in the schedule, things will be revealed later during the spring.

"The recordings [for the new NIGHTWISH album] continue.

"I'm off to E-Major Studios next weekend to put together all the files for the orchestral and choir sessions in London. I'm in daily contact with Mr. Pip Williams, going over the arrangements and new ideas for the songs. The demos he has sent me sound simply otherworldly! Beautiful, twisted, tribal and cinematic stuff. And with a theme album coming up, the mood changes seem to be more present than ever before.

"Yup, it still is the Burton-Gaiman-Dali — amusement park we are about to enter.

"More coming up once the mobsters grant me permission."

"Your Everyday Disaster", a brand new song from Washington D.C.-based metallers DARKEST HOUR, can be streamed at ArtistDirect.com. The track comes off the band's new album, "The Human Romance", which will be released in Europe on March 7 via Century Media Records and in North America on February 22 through eOne Music. The CD was recorded at a North Carolina studio with producer (and SOILWORK guitarist) Peter Wichers.

This time around, the DARKEST HOUR songs were composed a bit differently than was the case in the past. Guitarist Mike Schleibaum explains, "We have been working on these tunes ever since we left the studio last April.

"'The Eternal Return' was written during a very dark, bleak time for the band and I think that record matches that in both tone and character. Our vision was for it to be an in-your-face, no-frills aggressive assault. The new material shares in that aggression and pushes DARKEST HOUR beyond the unknown."

Wichers previously helmed such acclaimed albums as ALL THAT REMAINS' "The Fall of Ideals" and SOILWORK's latest effort, "The Panic Broadcast".

"The Human Romance" track listing:

01. Terra Nocturnus
02. The World Engulfed In Flames
03. Savor The Kill
04. Man And Swine
05. Love As A Weapon
06. Your Everyday Disaster
07. Violent By Nature
08. Purgatory
09. Severed Separates
10. Wound
11. Terra Solaris
12. Beyond The Life You Know