Billboard magazine has published a list of the top-selling hard rock and metal albums, ranked by sales data as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. (Note: Not all the albums on the list were actually released during 2010.) It is as follows:

01. Dark Horse - NICKELBACK
02. A Thousand Suns - LINKIN PARK
03. Iron Man 2 (Soundtrack) - AC/DC
04. The Oracle - GODSMACK
05. Nightmare - AVENGED SEVENFOLD
06. Asylum - DISTURBED
07. Dear Agony - BREAKING BENJAMIN
08. The Sound Of Madness - SHINEDOWN
09. Them Crooked Vultures - THEM CROOKED VULTURES
10. Valleys Of Neptune - JIMI HENDRIX
11. Night Castle - TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
12. War Is The Answer - FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
13. Life Starts Now - THREE DAYS GRACE
14. Greatest Hits - FOO FIGHTERS
15. Scream - OZZY OSBOURNE
16. Memento Mori - FLYLEAF
17. Fever - BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
18. Black Gives Way To Blue - ALICE IN CHAINS
19. Backspacer - PEARL JAM
20. Cage The Elephant - CAGE THE ELEPHANT
21. Full Circle - CREED
22. Greatest Hits - MÖTLEY CRÜE
23. Slash - SLASH
24. Diamond Eyes - DEFTONES
25. Hellbilly Deluxe 2 - ROB ZOMBIE
26. Korn III: Remember Who You Are - KORN
27. Scars & Souvenirs - THEORY OF A DEADMAN
28. The Final Frontier - IRON MAIDEN
29. Stone Temple Pilots - STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
30. Mudvayne - MUDVAYNE
31. Tri-Polar - SICK PUPPIES
32. Audio Secrecy - STONE SOUR
33. Greatest Hits - THE WHO
34. Greatest Hits - BON JOVI
35. Powerless Rise - AS I LAY DYING
36. All Hope Is Gone - SLIPKNOT
37. Year Of The Black Rainbow - COHEED AND CAMBRIA
38. Stampede - HELLYEAH
39. Chickenfoot - CHICKENFOOT
40. Swan Songs - HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD
41. Order Of The Black - BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
42. Volume 4: Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate - PUDDLE OF MUDD
43. All Night Long - BUCKCHERRY
44. For We Are Many - ALL THAT REMAINS
45. Desperate Measures - HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD
46. Miss America - SAVING ABEL
47. Custom Built - BRET MICHAELS
48. Cold Day Memory - SEVENDUST
49. World Painted Blood - SLAYER
50. Sonic Boom - KISS

Legendary Viking metal act EINHERJER has signed with Indie Recordings for the release of its comeback album, due out in the spring of 2011.

EINHERJER was one of the very first bands to use the Viking thematic and the Norse mythology in metal, and are one of the founders of this now widely acclaimed metal sub-genre. Their name also has its roots in the Norse mythology as EINHERJER is a Viking's life after death. When a Viking was slain in battle, he was brought up to Valhalla by the Valkyries to join the army of Einherjers and help the Gods in their clash against the Giants in the age of Ragnarok.

EINHERJER disbanded in 2004 after the release of its album "Blot" through Tabu Recordings. EINHERJER reformed in 2008 and a year later played the Wacken Open Air, Ragnarock and Kaltenbach festivals, along with other select dates on the Paganfest 2009 tour. EINHERJER is currently putting the finishing touches on its fifth studio album, which will be still in the spirit of the band's previous releases.

Commented EINHERJER on the signing: "Finally, after a long wait, we’re very proud to announce that we have chosen the most dedicated, enthusiastic and hard-working label to release our next albums… Indie Recordings! To work with this level of professionalism is something we've always emphasized, and Indie Recordings has shown through the years that they can deliver. This will be the start of a new chapter for us and we look into the future with great expectations and a great deal of excitement. We do it our way….we always have and always will!"

Swedish "pop/metal" band DEAD BY APRIL will release a new album, "Stronger" — featuring "some new heavier mixes of our favorite songs and a brand new demo song from the upcoming album" — on January 10, 2011.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Trapped (2010 mix)
02. Angels Of Clarity (2010 mix)
03. Stronger (2010 mix)
04. My Saviour
05. Leaves Falling
06. Love Like Blood
07. Angels Of Clarity (Shawn "Clown" Crahan remix)
08. Losing You (2010 acoustic version)
09. Promise Me (2010 acoustic version)
10. More Than Yesterday (demo version)

Guitarist Mark Reale of U.S. metal veterans RIOT recently fell down and twisted his leg bad enough to where he had to be bed-ridden for an extended period of time. After allowing time for his leg to heal, Mark flew down to San Antonio and went to work with the rest of the reunited "Thundersteel" lineup of RIOT on material for the band's next studio album. Mark has since returned to New York and will get into the studio with guitarist Mike Flyntz soon.

Both digital singles can only, for now, be bought directly here, from the Avalanche Store -buy Both releases will be available through iTunes, Amazon, Emusic, etc over the coming days / weeks. iTunes will be fairly immediate, whilst Emusic, most likely, will take longer.... JESU 'Christmas EP' . The first digital only single / EP from jesu, with a possibility of very limited vinyl and CD editions in early 2011. Written, recorded and mixed by Justin K Broadrick alone in Nov / Dec 2010, during the writing and demoing of the forthcoming jesu LP for Caldo Verde. Inspired by the onset of the Christmas period and the emotions and feelings of nostalgia, joy and sadness that the period often evokes. 'Christmas' is then remixed and reinterpreted by two JKB projects - PALE SKETCHER, and a fifteen minute epic remix from FINAL:

1. Christmas 8:45
2. PALE SKETCHER Christmas Remix 5:33
3. FINAL Christmas Remix 14.11

FINAL 'My Body is a Dying Machine EP': Digital only single / EP from FINAL. Recorded and mixed by JKB from 2007 - 2010. This EP compiles studio versions of tracks FINAL has played live often around UK & Europe, but never recorded and committed them to a release. This EP displays some of the more melodic based FINAL material from the last few years, that until now, has been unreleased:

1. Gravity 6:26
2. My Body Is A Dying Machine 5:26
3. Black Dollars 7:29
4. A Slight Return 5:32
5. My Body Is A Dying Machine [Live] 5:58

CHILDREN OF BODOM, the hard partying Finnish heavy metal band that features frontman and modern-day guitar hero Alexi Laiho, will release its new album, "Relentless Reckless Forever", on March 8, 2011 via Universal Music. Recorded in Finland's Petrax Studios with famed rock producer Matt Hyde (SLAYER, MONSTER MAGNET), the CD is the seventh studio album of COB's illustrious career and the first new record from the band since 2008's "Blooddrunk", which debuted at #22 on The Billboard 200 chart and scored the quintet its third consecutive No. 1 debut in Finland.

"Relentless Reckless Forever" track listing:

01. Not My Funeral
02. Shovel Knockout
03. Roundtrip to Hell and Back
04. Pussyfoot Miss Suicide
05. Relentless Reckless Forever
06. Ugly
07. Cry of the Nihilist
08. Was It Worth It?
09. Northpole Throwdown
10. Party All the Time (EDDIE MURPHY cover)

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

"Hey, everyone. Wanted to quickly let you all know what's been happening lately.

"I know that the big question is 'Who is the new DREAM THEATER drummer?' I also realize that some people are getting frustrated waiting for the news.

"Well, auditions went great and we do have someone but we are spending some time getting everything in order before making an official announcement. Let me just say that we are all incredibly excited about our choice and just bursting at the seams to let the world know!

"The Long Island Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony was a lot of fun and truly an incredible honor. DREAM THEATER is so thankful to the board to be recognized in that way.

"I've been demoing tunes for my next solo record at my home as well as writing and cataloguing riffs and ideas for the new DREAM THEATER album. We'll be in the studio come January which is already just around the corner. Can't wait!

"Been working on and developing a few new signature products which will be released soon. Stay tuned for details. Also, I've recorded a few demo videos for some of the gear companies I endorse which should be available to view soon. The one for the Zoom Q3HD is already up [see below].

"Besides that, just practicing, lifting and taking care of the family.

"Life is great.

"I hope this message finds everyone well and again, thanks so much for the tremendous support."

DREAM THEATER will co-headline

French brutal death metallers BENIGHTED have inked a deal with Season of Mist. The band's as-yet-untitled sixth album is tentatively due on April 18, 2011. The follow-up to 2007's "Icon" was recorded at Kohlekeller Studios in Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany and features guest vocals from ABORTED's Sven de Caluwé and Mike Majewski of DEVOURMENT.

Commented the group: "BENIGHTED is back from the psychiatric hospital and is very proud to announce the signing with Season of Mist for the new album — 12 tracks mixing brutality and groove, a new concept album telling the story of a schizophrenic and the abysses of his delirium about Josef Fritz in his own cave."

"Icon" was released in October 2007 via Osmose Productions. The CD was recorded, mixed and mastered at Kohlekeller Studios and featured a guest appearance by Jagger from DISBELIEF. The artwork was created by Phlegeton (MORTICIAN, AVULSED).

Minneapolis-based symphonic metallers ECHOTERRA have issued the following update:

"We have just completed recording and mixing all of the keyboards for our next album. We are currently working on drums and once those are done, we will record the bass and guitars.

We are very close on deciding on a title and we will let you all know in the very near future. We expect the album to be completed by early spring and are targeting a release date of early summer 2011.

This will mark the full length debut of our new singer Melissa Ferlaak and those of you familiar with our In Your Eyes EP, know as well as us that she will deliver a phenomenal performance on the album.

Musically, the album will be a little more diverse than the last one; we will have a nice mix of melodic songs, fast and heavy songs, as well as epic ones full of huge orchestral arrangements.

Once the album is completed, we will do some live shows in the U.S. and then we will do some dates in Europe during the fall highlighted by our performance at Metal Female Voices Festival in Belgium."

Echoterra recently posted footage of Jonah Weingarten (keyboards, PYRAMAZE) and Melissa Ferlaak (vocals, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS) performing their track 'To Live Again' during rehearsals. Check out the footage below.

The original recording is available on The Law Of One album, released on September 15th, 2009 via Blinding Force Recordings.

Danish metallers AS WE FIGHT have issued the following update:

"We have been hard at work this weekend with the pre-production for four songs, which will end up in the EBOLA collaboration. All the instruments have been tracked, and Esse will be busy with vocals for the next week or so. We'll make sure to give you a little something something of the tracks shortly!"

Throughout the past ten years As We Fight and THE PSYKE PROJECT have put Denmark on the map with their energetic hardcore metal. Both bands are born from the same scene, share the same love for music and both are driven by the hard work of running a band. It has been a total of seven albums, hundreds of concerts and international acclaim from critics and fans.




Now it is time for the Danish enfant terrible of metal to come together and jointly release a two x EP in the form of a full length split release.

This type of release has not been seen before on the Danish metal scene, thus becoming the first of its kind in Denmark from two such established bands. The release will also be the beginning of close collaboration in connection with future concerts.

The project will function under the name EBOLA, which from this date will function as a platform for news, interviews, videoteasers, studioreports, contests, tourplans, photos etc..

Both bands heralds new musical directions and a European release is set to March 21st, 2011.

TOXIC HOLOCAUST has entered Dexters Lab in Milford, Connecticut with TOXIC HOLOCAUST/KINGDOM OF SORROW drummer and engineer Nick Bellmore (HATEBREED, PHANTOMS, FULL BLOWN CHAOS) to begin recording its new album for a late spring release via Relapse Records.

TOXIC HOLOCAUST frontman Joel Grind recently checked in from the studio with the following update: "We are on Day 4 of recording the new record. Everything is coming together quickly and smoothly. Drums are finished and we have started on guitar tracks.

"I'm excited for people to hear this new stuff. It's not going to alienate old fans, by any means, but I think it might attract some new ones. It's definitely a step up from what we've done, and this time around we've increased the evil tenfold. The lyrics on this record are a little darker, including lots of occult themes as well as real-life shit that is stranger than fiction could ever be."

ABYSMALIA, the Finnish modern thrash/progressive metal project formed by Jouni Koskela (CLOCK PARADOX, NOME, LIQUORWORKS), is currently writing material for its fourth album, tentatively titled "Amid Adversities". Whereas previous CDs were solely written by Koskela, the songwriting on "Amid Adversities" will feature contributions from Antti Jylhä and Marko Nikula.

Commented the band: "We are hoping to finish songwriting in January, so that we can rehearse couple of months and start recording around February-March 2011 for a summer release. Some tracks are already finished, [including] 'Scarred In Subliminal Slumber' and 'Endeavours Inane', and the band aims, as usual, for a seven-piece conceptual album clocking a bit over half an hour of audial chaos.

"The material that has been put together thus far is more accessible than our previous works. Not necessarily as straightforward or focused as [ABYSMALIA's second album, 2009's] 'Quid Humanum Est' was, but definitely easier on the listener than [2010's] 'Replenish Entirety'. This, however, does not mean a decrease in aggression — quite the contrary."

Canadian epic black metal band ECLIPSE ETERNAL has finished recording its new album for a tentative early 2011 release. The group states, "It seems to have taken forever, but we're satisfied with everything and will soon enter the mixing phase. As of now, Glen [Drover; ex-MEGADETH/KING DIAMOND guitarist] is doing some preliminary editing, and then in the New Year we will get down to actually mixing everything."

ECLIPSE ETERNAL's most recent album, "Ubermensch: Evolution Beyond The Species", was mixed in Sweden by Fredrik Nordström (DIMMU BORGIR, ZYKLON, OLD MAN'S CHILD). The CD is available through The End Records distribution.

The vinyl picture disc, limited-edition version of "Battle Hymns 2011", the "reinterpretation" of MANOWAR's debut album, 1982's "Battle Hymns", can be personalized with your name and autographed by the band. Available for a whopping $199.95, it includes a numbered certificate of authenticity. According to a posting on MANOWAR's official webstore, The Kingdom Of Steel, if you pre-order now, you will also get the digital download immediately "for free," with a 16-page PDF booklet.

If you do not wish to spend $200 on the "autographed" version of the picture disc, the standard edition can be yours for "only" $49.95. This item can also be pre-ordered and includes the immediate "free" digital download as well as the 16-page PDF booklet. Shipping on both items is expected to begin around December 20.

Prosthetic Records will release HOLY GRAIL's "Crisis In Utopia" and THE FUNERAL PYRE's "Vultures At Dawn" on vinyl for the first time on February 1, 2011.

HOLY GRAIL's acclaimed debut album, produced by Danny Lohner (NINE INCH NAILS, A PERFECT CIRCLE), will be available on black wax, with a limited run of 100 clear pieces. The band, which has recently toured with AMON AMARTH and EXODUS, is currently on the road with BLIND GUARDIAN, and will be back on the road early in the new year alongside ELUVEITIE and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD.

The vinyl release of THE FUNERAL PYRE's fourth album, hailed as "pure kvlt grimness" by Decibel, is limited to 500 copies. It will be pressed on 180-gram black vinyl and will include a gatefold poster featuring artwork by Justin Bartlett (TRAP THEM, WATAIN, GORGOROTH). The group kicks off a brief West Coast run tonight and will be announcing a full U.S. tour in the coming weeks.

As previously reported, MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx' SIXX: A.M. will record an album to be released in conjunction with Sixx's new book, This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx, with songs inspired by the bassist's photographs.

About the new album, Sixx spoke with the Artisan News recently: "Sixx: A.M. is an interesting band, we don't really have a sound, we have a complete open palate to what we want to do. This album feels like vintage QUEEN, a lot of '70s influence. There's some of the darker elements off of The Heroin Diaries; very dark lyrics with a positive message."

AOL's Noisecreep recently conducted an interview with legendary heavy metal bassist Geezer Butler (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Noisecreep: The show [for HEAVEN & HELL's "Neon Nights" DVD] was filmed on July 30, 2009. How long after that did Ronnie [James Dio] become ill?

Geezer: He started really going downhill in September, towards the end of the U.S. part of the tour. The U.S. tour was supposed to have two parts. We did the first four weeks, then Tony [Iommi, guitar] had something happen to his hand and he had to have an operation immediately. So we had to postpone the second part of the tour so Tony could have his hand looked at. And Ronnie's stomach problems got worse and worse. He was going to do a DIO tour in Europe and he was rehearsing for that, but his stomach kept getting worse. Then he went to the doctor and the doctor didn't say anything about it at first. He just gave him some constipation medicine and said he was severely constipated. And then he went to a specialist and they told him it was stomach cancer.

Noisecreep: Had Ronnie been exhibiting signs of stomach cancer?

Geezer: He'd been having stomach aches, but everyone gets flu or food poisoning when you're on tour. You're in front of 10,000 people, and 2,000 might have the flu. There are all these germs around, so you always get something when you're on tour. And Ronnie was getting these stomach pains. One night he'd be alright and the next night he'd be doubled up in pain. The last week of the American tour he was in agony. I'll always remember he came out for the very last gig and we said, "Look, Ronnie, if you're that ill, we'll just blow the gig." And he said, "No, I'm not gonna blow the gig." And he was literally doubled up in pain. And he just made himself go on. He totally refused to cancel the show. So he went on and we thought, "Oh, God, what's gonna happen?" None of us ever thought cancer, we just thought it was a severe stomach bug. And then at this time last year, just after Halloween he went in and got the report it was cancer. It was just one of those things you don't expect to happen.

Noisecreep: There have been reports about another BLACK SABBATH tour with Ozzy Osbourne. Is that going to happen in 2011?

Geezer: I have no idea what's happening with that. It's not going to happen next year. Ozzy's on tour with his own band for the next year or whatever. The idea of doing another SABBATH tour always comes up. It's just something that's always talked about and there if we want to do it. It's sort of really early days, though. I'm sure Ozzy will say yes and no every week for the next year while he's on tour. It's one thing to want to do something like that just before you go out to tour a record. You say, "Oh yeah, I'm gonna tour for the next five years." And then six weeks into it, you can't wait to get home. So we'll just see how he feels when he finishes his Ozzy Osbourne tour.

Noisecreep: Will there be any posthumous HEAVEN & HELL releases featuring Ronnie?

Geezer: No. There is no more stuff. That's it. We've never had leftover material ever. That's how we got back together when they wanted to put out [a greatest hits record of BLACK SABBATH's] Dio years. They wanted some extra tracks to put on it, and we didn't have any because whatever we do we put out. That's why we got together to do the three extra tracks on the compilation. And it went so well, we went from there and toured and did another album. We were having a great time. We never imagined that we wouldn't have the chance to do more.