Back On Black — the company which specializes in vinyl reissues of classic metal albums and is dedicated to providing top-quality releases for record collectors and metal fans worldwide — will reissue the solo catalog from Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, STEVE VAI, LAMB OF GOD, DARKEST HOUR, GWAR) on 180-gram colored vinyl. Each release features a gatefold cover and different colored vinyl for each package.

The titles being reissued:

* DEVIN TOWNSEND - "Infinity"
* DEVIN TOWNSEND - "Physicist"
* ZILTOID - "Ziltoid the Omniscient"
* DEVIN TOWNSEND - "Accelerated Evolution"
* DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND - "Synchestra"
* DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT - "Ki"
* DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT - "Addicited"

British thrashers ONSLAUGHT have tapped acclaimed Danish producer Jacob Hansen (RAUNCHY, MERCENARY, VOLBEAT, HEAVEN SHALL BURN) to helm the recording nad mixing sessions for the band's new studio album, tentatively due before the end of the year. The CD will be recorded and mixed at Hansen Studio in Ribe, Denmark starting on August 16.

Commented ONSLAUGHT guitarist Nige Rockett: "We're so stoked to be working with Jacob Hansen on the new album.

"Jacob has done some stunning work in the past, [and] his production skills are really gonna suit the style of the new album. His mixes are so heavy and lively, which is exactly what we are looking for. It'll be real cool to capture the live energy of the band in these recordings.

"Steve [Grice, drums] and Sy [Keeler, vocals] are leaving for the studio immediately after our appearance at [U.K.'s] Bloodstock Festival, where we should be, if all goes to plan, debuting a track entitled 'Born For War', taken from the new album… It's a violent beast — very fast and heavy, with lots of twists and turns."

Added Jacob Hansen: "This is one of the more exciting productions this year for me!

"Since [ONSLAUGHT's] very first albums ('Power From Hell' and 'The Force'), which made quite an impression on me back in my teenage years, I've loved this dark and heavy band.

"Working with these guys is gonna be awesome!"

Former ANTHRAX and current BLACKGATES singer Dan Nelson has uploaded several songs that were recorded with a lineup of musicians that includes members of LIFE OF AGONY and ARSIS.

The tracks that are currently available for streaming are as follows:

* "Burden's Crown"
* "Troll"
* "You"
* "Task At Hand"
* "New Damnation"
* "New Found Noose"

Says Nelson: "This is not a band, but a bunch of songs written with some friends that we recorded in my garage studio."

Recording lineup:

* Dan Nelson (BLACKGATES, ex-ANTHRAX) - Vocals/Bass
* Joey Z. (LIFE OF AGONY) - Guitars/Drum Programming
* James Malone (ARSIS) - Guitars/Drum Programming
* Crock LaRock (AUNT HILDEGARD) - Drums

LINKIN PARK released "The Catalyst", the first single from its upcoming album "A Thousand Suns", worldwide on Monday (August 2). The song has a very different sound from previous LINKIN PARK tracks and guitarist Brad Delson told The Pulse of Radio that it sets the tone for the rest of the record. "'A Thousand Suns' is definitely a diverse and eclectic record, and at the same time it has a cohesive sound. And we did think that 'The Catalyst' would be a good first representation of the album. It's very different from anything we've done before, and it's just a journey."

Guitarist Andreas Kisser of Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA was recently interviewed by Miss Bomb of Phoenix Radio's "The Bombshell Rock Show". The chat will air on Thursday, August 5 and Thursday, August 12 at 9 p.m. U.K. time at www.phoenixradio.co.uk.

Currently promoting the 2009 album "A-Lex", which is based around the 1962 novel "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess, SEPULTURA has commenced the songwriting process for the follow-up effort for release in 2011 via the band's new label, Nuclear Blast Records.

"It's always a challenge to write something, you know, and we are in this moment now because we are preparing a new album," Kisser stated during the interview.

Miss Bomb: "Yes, that's right. For next year?"

Andreas: "That's right, and it is the first time we are writing material on the road, you know?!"

Miss Bomb: "Oh, is it, really?"

Andreas: "Well, we are managing to have the technology like [a] laptop, and it's like a small portable studio that we can do like basic ideas, you know, and once we go back to Brazil at the end of August, we can start actually playing around with all those ideas and be prepared to go into the studio at the end of the year."

Regarding SEPULTURA's new record deal with the Nuclear Blast label after spending many years with Roadrunner, and more recently, Steamhammer/SPV, Andreas said, "We are really excited. It's a label that's been around for so long and very metal. [Laughs]"

Miss Bomb: "Yes, I was going to say, is that any kind of reflection on what the new album is going to sound like, because you have been on Roadrunner and things in the past and it's not quite as heavy as the bands that are coming from Nuclear Blast?"

Andreas: "Hmmm, not really, I think it's something that it doesn't have to do with the type of label we're on. It's more about the concept we have in our minds and the musical ideas that we want to try and experiment, but, of course, we are a metal band, and having that kind of support and that vibe of course talking to people from inside the label and having that little bit of a feeling, that very true metal feeling, of course, will influence us in some respect. But, basically, it's the concept we choose to work on."

Bassist Karin Axelsson of the Swedish/British modern metallers SONIC SYNDICATE was reportedly "seriously injured" during the filming of the band's new video, "Turn It Up". According to a press release, the incident occurred while the group was shooting a scene where the members of SONIC SYNDICATE were being murdered with a guitar by a "sexy girl." Although the scene was intended to be staged, Karin actually got hit in the head with the instrument, causing a laceration as well as a brain concussion.

At the moment, it is not clear if Karin will be able to hit the stage with SONIC SYNDICATE for their next scheduled concert on Sunday, August 7.

A picture of the incident aftermath taken with the cell phone of SONIC SYNDICATE guitarist Roger Sjunesson can be viewed below.

Commented Sjunesson: "Those scenes [were supposed to among] the many highlights in our new video [and] I definitely wanted to take a pic of it. So I did when it was Karin's turn to get 'killed.'

"What started as a joke soon became bitter reality. It looked so real when she got hit that we were close to applauding, but we soon realized she got hit for real. We then got pretty shocked and scared. Karin moved quite slowly and there was blood everywhere — her own and fake blood. It was really, really scary!

"We are now pretty much sedated she did not take any irreversible damage of this and hope she'll be fine again soon!"

Added Axelsson: "Wow! That was one weird experience. What should [have been] a fake kill for a fun video clip nearly turned into a snuff movie.

"I did not know what was going on. I thought I'd be lying there and then someone would shout 'Cut!'

"When I got hit, I was surprised and shocked at the same time. But I guess my boys were more scared than I was, haha…

"As of now, I still got some serious headache, which sucks and I really don't know if am gonna be able to play that next show with the band 'cuz I am feeling dizzy all the time — but [you can rest assured that] I will try everything in my power to make it happen!"

Washington D.C. metallers DARKEST HOUR have tapped SOILWORK guitarist Peter Wichers to produce their next album, tentatively due in early 2011 via eOne Music. The DARKEST HOUR bandmembers put a lot of time and thought into choosing the right producer for this record and they're convinced they've found one.

"We're really excited about working with Peter on this album," says DARKEST HOUR drummer Ryan Parish. "It's going to be amazing collaborating with such an inventive and unique guitarist/musician to produce and document what we feel is the most emotional and melodic DARKEST HOUR album to date."

"Peter is someone we've admired and very much respected as a musician and producer for quite some time," adds DARKEST HOUR frontman John Henry. "Being a pioneer of the Swedish metal sound, (which has so greatly influenced our band) we hope to refine all of those classic elements with him and incorporate new methods to improve our songwriting."

This time around, the DARKEST HOUR songs were composed a bit differently than was the case in the past. Guitarist and founding member 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, who has previously helmed such acclaimed albums as ALL THAT REMAINS' "The Fall of Ideals" and SOILWORK's latest effort, "The Panic Broadcast", states, "I am very exited to work alongside the DARKEST HOURS guys, and I know from hearing some of their new material that it will be a killer [record]."

LED ZEPPELIN singer Robert Plant and BAND OF JOY — a new version of his pre-LED ZEPPELIN group which also featured the late John Bonham — played a headlining show at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed at this location. A couple of the clip are available below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Down to the Sea
02. Angel Dance (LOS LOBOS cover)
03. House of Cards
04. Please Read The Letter
05. Misty Mountain Hop (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
06. Somewhere Trouble Don't Go (Buddy Miller on vocals)
07. Rich Woman
08. Twelve Gates to the City / Wade in the Water / In My Time of Dying
09. Tangerine (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
10. Satisfied Mind (Darryl Scott on vocals)
11. Move on Up in Glory
12. Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down
13. Give Me Central 209 (LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS cover)
14. Silver Rider (LOW cover)
15. In the Mood
16. Houses of the Holy (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
17. Over The Hills And Far Away (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
18. Tall Cool One
19. Gallows Pole (LED ZEPPELIN cover)

Encore:

20. Harm's Swift Way
21. Thank You (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
22. Rock & Roll (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
23. And We Bid You Goodnight

Hard-hitting Danish four-piece THE BURNING will release its third album, "Hail The Horde", in Europe on October 22 via Massacre Records. The CD was produced by Jacob Bredahl (HATESPHERE, PURIFIED IN BLOOD), while the drum recordings and mastering were handled by Tue Madsen (SUICIDE SILENCE, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, SICK OF IT ALL).

Commented the band: "This is by far the most uncompromising, raw and natural sounding album we have ever done. You can actually tell that it is people playing; we left in small mistakes, and we didn't drum replace or any of that stuff. And the whole thing sounds like you are in the rehearsel room with cabinets and smoking speakers in front of you.

"For the first time ever we wrote more songs than we needed for the album, and out of the 17 we wrote, the 11-12 best are going on the album.

"Musically the backbone is heavily inspired by mid-Nineties groove metal, mixed with heavy, dirty rock choruses and crossover thrash. Not unlike the albums released by bands like PANTERA, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SEPULTURA and HELMET during the mid-Nineties."

Medford, Oregon's KTVL.com reports: A van carrying nine members of two California-based "death metal" bands lost control crashed on Interstate 5 in Central Point when the driver fell asleep, killing one passenger and injuring two others just after 5:30 a.m. Monday.

Photos of crash scene:

* Photo#1
* Photo#2
* Photo#3
* Photo#4
* Photo#5
* Photo#6
* Photo#7

Oregon State Police say the van, pulling a trailer, was the two bands to California when it crashed in the southbound lane between the Central Point and Blackwell Road exits.

OSP didn't release the names of the band and van occupants. But KTVL.com has confirmed the van was transporting the two bands EARLY GRAVES, of San Francisco, and THE FUNERAL PYRE, of La Habra, Calif., a Los Angeles suburb. THE FUNERAL PYRE's MySpace page described their music as "melodic black/death metal."

(NOTE: According to unconfirmed online reports, the passenger who was killed in the accident was EARLY GRAVES singer Mahk Daniels.)

Classic Swedish heavy metal veterans OVERDRIVE have finished recording their new album and are currently mixing the effort at Studio Underground in Västerås, Sweden with Pelle Saether (STEEL ATTACK, AXENSTAR, GRAND DESIGN, INSANIA). The band states, "It sounds KILLER, we think!"

Songtitles set to appear on the album include:

* Thriller
* Cold Blood Chaser
* Angelmaker
* Wavebreaker
* Run Out
* On With The Action
* It's Not As Easy As It Seems
* Signs All Over
* Mother Earth
* Brand New Sinner
* In Gut We Trust
* See The Light
* I Know There's Something Going On (cover)

OVERDRIVE's seventh LP will be mixed by Pelle Saether (STEEL ATTACK, AXENSTAR, GRAND DESIGN, INSANIA) in July.

Commented guitarist Janne Stark: "Musically this album is true to the '80s way of heavy metal, bringing in influences from the classic metal era of bands like ACCEPT and JUDAS PRIEST with no modern elements whatsoever. Not that we've ever been modern. I know all bands say it, but we do sincerely feel this will be our strongest album ever."

The lineup is still Per "PerilOz" Karlsson on vocals, Janne Stark and Kjell Jacobsson on guitars, Kenth Ericsson on bass and Kenta Svensson on drums.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2010, OVERDRIVE will appear at several festivals in Scandinavia, such as Muskelrock in Alvesta, Hasslöfestivalen in Karlskrona and Metal Warning in Helsinki.

Spanish gothic symphonic metallers FOREVER SLAVE are working on material for their third studio album, tentatively due in early 2011. Singer Lady Angellyca's sister, Lady Darkness, is collaborating on the lyrics for the CD, which will mark the band's first release since 2008's "Tales For Bad Girls" (Armageddon Music/Wacken Records).

Lady Darkness previously handled the keyboards and backing vocals for FOREVER SLAVE during 2001 and 2002.

Norwegian metallers MANIFEST will release their third album, "Written In Blood", in Norway on October 11 via their own record label, Violent Media.

Violent Media has inked a distribution deal with Norway's top metal distributor Indie Distribution for this CD.

Commented the band, "For the first few months we'll concentrate on giving the album a decent release in Norway, and when we feel the timing is right we'll release the album in the rest of Europe as well."

"Written In Blood" was recorded in MANIFEST's hometown of Trondheim and produced by Knut "Fug" Prytz (KEEP OF KALESSIN, NECROPHAGIA, BLOODTHORN).

01. Tonnie Von Adelaine
02. They'll Have To Carry Me Home
03. Food For Flies
04. The Worst Is Yet To Come
05. Pitch Black Inside
06. A .45 To Pay The Rent
07. Lullaby (Bedtime For Bastards)
08. Letter From The Grave
09. Irreversible
10. Savage
11. Written In Blood

Veteran German thrashers SODOM have set "In War And Pieces" as the title of their new album, due on November 22, 2010 via SPV/Steamhammer. The CD is being produced by Waldemar Sorychta, who has previously worked with TIAMAT, MOONSPELL, LACUNA COIL and SENTENCED, among many others. SODOM bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such recently stated about the group's new material, "There has never been a SODOM album which is so wide-ranged, as powerful and as typically SODOM as this one."

NME TV and Sonisphere TV conducted separate interviews with SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor at the U.K. edition of the Sonisphere festival, which is being held July 30 - August 1 at Knebworth Park. Watch the footage below.

When asked about what the future holds for SLIPKNOT following the recent passing of the band's bassist, Paul Gray, Taylor said, "It's really soon, it's really too son to tell. I mean, we're all still kind of dealing with it. I've just now kind of started talking about it. Obviously, he was honored the other night at the Kerrang! Awards with the ['Services To Metal'] award, which I thought was great, because he really was... I mean, not only was he just such a big part of my life, but he was the spirit of SLIPKNOT; he wrote most of the music. Not a lot of people know that, so I've really been trying to get the word out about him and give him the recognition that he deserves.

"As far the future [of SLIPKNOT is concerned], like I said, it's really soon to tell. None of us can even fathom what to do yet. But as soon as we do, the world will be the first to know. It's not that we don't want to, it's just like, how do you do what makes sense when such a big piece of that puzzle is gone?

"To me, I'm kind of fortunate that I have STONE SOUR to concentrate on. And I've been able to work some stuff out. Plus, me and my wife have been taking care of [Paul's] family right now.

"But, I mean, we'll just have to wait and see."

SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison, who's out touring with ROB ZOMBIE, has confirmed that SLIPKNOT will continue making music despite Gray's death. While SLIPKNOT is only in the very earliest stages of planning its next record, Jordison told The Pulse of Radio they've already decided they will not recruit a new bassist. "There will be no other bass players besides Jim [Root, guitarist], Mick [Thomson, guitarist] and me, more than likely," he said. "Everyone actually kind of plays guitar in the band, so I think we're all gonna play bass on the record. We're not gonna have anyone come in. But live, we'll deal with that when it comes."

Gray's body was found on May 24 in a suburban hotel room outside Des Moines, Iowa. A medical examiner ruled that the 38-year-old died of an accidental overdose of morphine and a synthetic form of morphine.

German melodic metallers SYMPHORCE, who feature in their ranks guitarist Cédric "Cede" Dupont and singer Andy B. Franck (BRAINSTORM), have issued the following update:

"The [new SYMPHORCE] album recordings have been finished, the whole thing is mixed and mastered and what can we say? It sounds FUCKING AWESOME!

"There's no doubt that the small break we had turned out to be good for us, and we'll be back with the best SYMPHORCE record for sure. It's what we believe at least.

"We will come up with some more news very soon; exact release date, album title, artwork, and so on.

"We're absolutely excited, and so will you be when the album's out, we're pretty damn sure about that!"

SYMPHORCE's new album will be released before the end of the year via AFM Records.

MARILLION have posted a trailer for their new DVD, Out Of Season. Check it out below.





"The DVD features over 6 hours of music, recorded over three nights at the Marillion Weekend 2009.

-- Disc 1 features the whole of the 1989 album Seasons End plus 5 tracks from 2008's Happiness Is The Road.

-- Disc 2 includes all the songs from the Saturday night set counting down the years from 2008 - 1981. The audio from this night is also available on the Racket Records CD Tumbling Down The Years.

-- Disc 3 features all the long songs from the Sunday night 'Shortest Setlist in The World'. The audio from this night is also available on the Racket Records CD Size Matters.

Filmed with 16 Cameras by the makers of Somewhere In London, this DVD is the definitive Marillion Live experience. 47 songs spanning Marillion's 30 year career brought to you in a visually stunning format with uncompressed Stereo & DTS audio.

The three separate DVD's are presented in a deluxe box set with a slip case & photo booklet. Available to buy at www.marillion.com."