Californian rockers RATT have released the following statement:

"RATT have been forced to cancel their upcoming European tour dates. Vocalist Stephen Pearcy will be undergoing urgent hernia surgery this week. The band regrets missing the European dates on the heels of the release of their first album in 11 years, 'Infestation', which enjoyed a high chart debut in European territories.

"RATT shares this disappointment with all their European fans who planned to attend the shows at Sweden Rock, Sauna Open Air festival, U.K. Download, Hellfest, Graspop and Gods of Metal as well as their other dates. The band is looking into rescheduling as many of the shows as possible.

"Pearcy's doctors anticipate a full recovery in time for RATT's North American touring schedule, which includes a run with the SCORPIONS, beginning in July and running through September."

"Storm The Fucking Kastle", the new video from DIAMONDSNAKE — the hard rock band featuring Moby , whose solo music spans the genres of ambient, techno, punk, house and electronic, alongside comedian/musician Dave Hill (VALLEY LODGE), Phil Costello (SATANICIDE, VALLEY LODGE) and Tomato (THE SOUND OF URCHIN) — can be viewed below.

"Combining such disparate influences as rock, hard rock, metal, and heavy metal, New York City's DIAMONDSNAKE was borne out of a shared love for entering a small, dark, and musty room, plugging into a few amps, and playing as loud as possible for a seriously long time," reads the band's official bio.

In a "journal" post on his web site, Moby explained that DIAMONDSNAKE was formed after a conversation he had with Costello in January. Later the duo enlisted Hill and Tomato.

DIAMONDSNAKE entered Headgear studios in Brooklyn in April with engineer Scott Norton and recorded a total of 15 songs, seven of which can be streamed on the band's Facebook and MySpace pages.

"From the molten riffage of 'We Wanna Love You' to the relentless pop attack of 'What the World Needs Now is Rock', from the crushing lament of 'Wrong Woman to Love' to the heartrending majesty of 'Lady of the Morning' and beyond, the men of DIAMONDSNAKE somehow managed to address every topic and emotion worthy of honoring through song," according to the band's bio. "Love, lust, good women, bad women, the power of rock, and predatory sea creatures they are all here, celebrated in words and music by DIAMONDSNAKE."

California-based Christian death metallers IMPENDING DOOM will release their third full-length album, "There Will Be Violence", on July 20 via Facedown Records. The CD was recorded at Lambesis Studios with Daniel Castleman (AS I LAY DYING, WINDS OF PLAGUE, WAR OF AGES) and it features guest appearances by Tim Lambesis of AS I LAY DYING and Vincent Bennett of THE ACACIA STRAIN.

"There Will Be Violence" track listing:

01. Hell Breaks Loose (1:15)
02. There Will Be Violence (3:05)
03. Orphans (3:55) (feat. Tim Lambesis)
04. Peace Illusion (3:11)
05. The Great Fear (4:38) (feat. Vincent Bennett)
06. Walking Through Fire (2:47)
07. Love Has Risen (4:43)
08. The Son Is Mine (3:33)
09. Children of Wrath (3:15)
10. Sweating Blood (3:47)

Total Playtime: 34:09

The song "The Great Fear" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

The band will be touring this summer as part of the annual "Thrash and Burn" tour.

IMPENDING DOOM recently parted ways with guitarist Manny Contreras and drummer Isaac Bueno. Replacing Bueno behind the kit is Brandon Trahan, who previously played with MIRROR OF DEAD FACES.

IMPENDING DOOM's last album, "The Serpent Servant", sold 4,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 144 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at No. 3 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has posted the following message on Twitlonger.com, a related Twitter site where one can post messages longer than 140 characters:

"Yes! The update I've been waiting to write! Management tells me a MAJOR label has come to the table with the [financial backing] to make our next CD! This is great news. I can't tell u who it is yet, but the label wants to get going NOW on the new CD! We have six songs for sure that will be on it! Three or four more and we're good to go. Nick [Sterling, guitar] is comin' out next week to write and record and show me how to work Pro Tools! Then Sweden and Norway, then NEW CD!! Looking forward to layin' the new tunes on ya!"

Bach's current solo band includes guitarists Nick Sterling and Johnny Chromatic, drummer Bobby Jarzombek and bassist Rob DeLuca.

Bach supported GUNS N' ROSES on their recently completed South American and Canadian tours.

Sebastian last year collaborated with HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta on several tracks for Bach's new solo album, with Nick and Charlie Bellmore of the Connecticut band PHANTOMS assisting during the pre-production process. The singer has also written material with John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON).

Bach is best known for selling 20 million albums as the former lead singer of SKID ROW. He has gone on to star on Broadway and television, including five seasons on CW's "Gilmore Girls", as well as hit shows on VH1, MTV and CMT. Bach's most recent studio project was "Angel Down", his first solo album since 1999. The record features 14 songs with a guest appearance by GUNS N' ROSES front man Axl Rose on three cuts, including a blistering version of AEROSMITH's "Back In The Saddle".

Los Angeles-based metallers THE HUMAN ABSTRACT will enter The Machine Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey later this month with William Putney (LAMB OF GOD, SUICIDE SILENCE) to begin work on their new album, tentatively due this fall via Hopeless Records.

"These new songs are among the most difficult THE HUMAN ABSTRACT songs to play, but at the same time are more satisfying," says guitarist Dean Herrera. "Past songs sometimes felt more like exercises, these feel more well-rounded, with moments that are really fun to play."

THE HUMAN ABSTRACT recently announced a lineup change, with the addition of frontman and vocalist Travis Richter, formerly of FROM FIRST TO LAST and THE COLOR OF VIOLENCE. The band also welcomed back original guitarist/songwriter A.J. Minette, who led the way in the songwriting department for the new record.

"Without a doubt, this album has allowed me to step up not only as a bass player but as a musician," states bassist Henry Selva. "We're stronger than ever before. I am super pumped for all our fans old and new to hear it."

THE HUMAN ABSTRACT's sophomore full-length album, "Midheaven", came out in August 2008 via Hopeless Records.

Although the initial sessions for "Midheaven" were helmed by veteran producer Toby Wright (METALLICA, SLAYER, ALICE IN CHAINS, SOULFLY, FEAR FACTORY), the CD was completed with a different producer and Wright's name was "wiped off all credits," according to drummer Brett Powell.

THE HUMAN ABSTRACT's Hopeless Records debut, "Nocturne", was released in August 2006.

"God Demise", the new video from Cincinnati, Ohio's ROSE FUNERAL, can be viewed below. The clip was filmed with up-and-coming director Justin Beasley. The song comes off the band's full-length debut, "The Resting Sonata", which was released in January 2009 via Metal Blade Records.

ROSE FUNERAL spent much of 2008-2010 touring the U.S. and Canada with such acts as NILE, CRYPTOPSY, IMMOLATION, KRISIUN, and many more. The band is currently writing new music for the follow-up to "The Resting Sonata", tentatively due in the summer of 2011.

According to the band's official bio, ROSE FUNERAL's sound is "comparable to [that] of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, AT THE GATES, and PRAYER FOR CLEANSING," featuring "fast-paced riffs, bone-crushing breakdowns, and in-your-face melodies."

ROSE FUNERAL released a demo titled "Buried Beneath the Blood" in March 2006, followed by the band's second EP, "Crucify.Kill.Rot", in August of that same year.

"Degradation Machine", a brand new song from reunited California metallers DÉTENTE — featuring original members Dennis Butler (drums), Caleb Quinn (guitar) and Steve Hochheiser (bass) alongside new vocalist Tiina Teal — can be streamed on the band's MySpace page. The track comes off the group's new album, "Decline", which was released today (Tuesday, June 8) in the U.S. via the band's own Cognitive label with MVD Audio distribution. MusicBuyMail.eu will handle distribution for the CD in Europe, where "Decline" arrived on May 21.

"Decline" was recorded with engineer Bill Metoyer, who has previously worked with SLAYER, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, D.R.I. and SACRED REICH, among others.

"Decline" track listing:

01. In God We Trust
02. Predator
03. Kill Rush
04. Degradation Machine
05. Decline
06. Genocide
07. This Is Not Freedom
08. Ashes

Japanese metal legends LOUDNESS' new album King Of Pain was released in Japan on May 19th. Six audio clips are available below along with a video for the title track. The album features the recording debut of new drummer Masayuki Suzuki. He replaces original drummer Munetaka Higuchi, who passed away on November 30th, 2008 following a long battle with liver cancer. Check them out below.

The album tracklist is as follows:

'Requiem'
'The King Of Pain'
'Power Of Death'
'Death Machine'
'Doodlebug'
'Rule The World'
'Straight Out Of Our Soul'
'Where Am I Going?'
'Emma'
'Naraka'
'Doctor From Hell'
'Hell Fire'
'#666'
'Never Comes'

David E. Gehlke of Blistering.com recently conducted an interview with guitarist Gary Holt of San Francisco Bay Area thrashers EXODUS. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Blistering.com: I saw you on the recent MEGADETH tour and the set was loaded with songs from "Bonded By Blood", but is the temptation there to start putting in more recent songs?

Holt: Toward the end we started putting in newer songs in the set because we were bored. Not like playing the old songs is boring. At first, we just joined in with the spirit of the tour with TESTAMENT playing "The Legacy" in its entirety and MEGADETH with the 20th anniversary of "Rust In Peace", but we said "Fuck it." Let's put "Iconoclasm" in the set. It goes over great live. The new stuff goes over every bit as well as the old stuff. Toward the end, it was predominantly older songs, but we started to spice it up a bit.

Blistering.com: Onto "Exhibit B". It's still early to decide, but which one is better: "Exhibit A" or "Exhibit B"?

Holt: That's hard to say, because I love "Exhibit A". I think they're both very different. "Exhibit A" is a little more progressive; "Exhibit B" has more of that earlier edge to it. Right now, I'm chomping at the bit to play some of the new stuff live. Right now, I'm leaning toward "Exhibit B", it's a more complete album front-to-back. Then again, I think every new album is. And that's always the goal — to top your last album. We don't go to the studio and say, "Let's make an album that's almost as good as the last one." [laughs].

Blistering.com: Another cool thing about the new album is that you've tacked on some melodies in the opening track and "Downfall".

Holt: They really didn't come from anywhere. Everything we do is an organic process. I write the same way I wrote when I did "Bonded By Blood". I don't home-record this shit, but I record so I don't forget shit [laughs]. I'm trying to avoid that nightmare of writing a killer riff and coming back a few hours later and it's never the same riff again. A lot of the earlier stuff in the band had melody, but I think a lot of now has to do with the time spent with Lee [Altus, guitar]. We do more duel-guitar stuff live.

Blistering.com: I know we talked about you and Lee doing a lot of twin-guitar stuff, but if you can, compare Lee with Rick [Hunolt, ex-guitarist].

Holt: Rick was a giant, a giant as a musician. He's a phenomenal keyboardist, amazing on funk bass. You should see the guy! Lee is an amazing lead guitarist and has come into his own, like nobody's business on the new album. With Lee, what comes through live is that he's a phenomenal rhythm guitar player where Rick wasn't. Lee's a lot more accurate. The mix live is not favored to one guitar to the left [where Holt stands] like it used to be. There's more balance, so it's a wall of thunder. Rick was so awesome, just a madman onstage. He's one of the best lead guitarists ever — he just ripped at the stuff. I used to watch him play and go, "Man, that's so good."

The 36th installment of the "Shockwaves Skull Sessions" podcast features original RAINBOW/ELF bassist Craig Gruber and returning guest and former RAINBOW bassist Bob Daisley joining host Bob Nalbandian for a very special tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio. Both Bob and Craig share some great stories and memories about Ronnie as they discuss the golden days of ELF and RAINBOW throughout the decade of the '70s and also Craig's involvement with BLACK SABBATH in 1979 during the writing of the "Heaven And Hell" record.

Florida-based death metallers MALEVOLENT CREATION have been rejoined by original bassist Jason Blachowicz. Blachowicz initially left on good terms to further his tattoo career, but the death metal sickness still runs deep in his veins!

"Been in hiding, working in tattoo shops for quite some time now but my gut has been aching to do one of the things that I do best... spreading malevolence across the globe with my brothers in metal," Blachowicz said in a statement. "The evil in my blood has motivated me to dust the cobwebs off of my bass and commit to performing blasphemy and anger upon mine and everyone else's ears once again. This is also for one of my inspirations, Peter Steele, and for all of the loyal MALEVOLENT CREATION fans who have been supporting us for 23 fucking years!

"Our 11th album, 'Invidious Dominion', is going to rip the weak and feeble to shreds!"

Legendary Swedish guitarist YNGWIE MALMSTEEN will release the "Raw Live" DVD on June 29. According to a press release, the set "provides an unprecedented and unique look at the rise of a guitar god. Spanning from 1981 through 1999 and encompassing extremely rare footage of Yngwie's early years in Sweden, this video displays the infancy of Yngwie's prodigious skills well prior to his first worldwide album and travels through Yngwie's masterful career, including his masterful performances from his first solo albums, 'Rising Force', 'Marching Out', and 'Trilogy'. Also included in this unique video are never-released behind-the-scenes footage of Yngwie and newly shot personal touches of Yngwie which open up the viewer to a side of the guitar maestro which is rarely seen by the public."

Former MANOWAR guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman has released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"Sunday, May 16th was a very sad day indeed for the music world. We lost Ronnie Dio, a great singer, songwriter performer and human being!

"First, my deepest sympathies to Wendy [Dio's wife/manager] and his family.

"He was always the sweetest person you could ever want to meet! Surely one of the greatest singers of all time!

"My Dio story goes back to 1980 when I was in a band called SHAKIN' STREET. We were supporting BLACK SABBATH in the U.K. and North America. Two dates into the tour in England, I'm backstage and over comes Ronnie James Dio introduces himself to me!!! Believe that, wow! He started telling me he was a fan of my last band, THE DICTATORS, and he knew everything about us, CBGBs, and the New York rock scene. I couldn't believe it! But the thing was he was so gracious, classy and downright cool! Then he proceeds to tell me about this guy that was travelling with their genius technician Dawk Stillwell. His name was Joey DeMaio [MANOWAR] and he plays bass like you never heard and that I should meet him. Well, right after the conversation, he introduces me to Joey and I guess the rest is metal history!

"Ronnie, R.I.P. brother."

Three decades after recording their first incendiary songs as teenagers reared in the budding hardcore scene in Los Angeles, BAD RELIGION are marking their 30-year anniversary with a new record, filled with both the free thinking ire that has fueled the band from the very beginning, and a certain introspection that comes only from long-lived experience.

"While we're celebrating our 30th anniversary as a band this year it's also a time when Greg [Graffin, vocals] and I have embarked on new creative pursuits which have informed our songwriting process. I'm a new parent again and Greg a new author having just completed his first book, 'Anarchy Evolution'," says guitarist Brett Gurewitz. "So the songs are a distillation of where we've been and who we are now...a natural evolution of creativity."

Working again with producer Joe Barresi (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, TOOL), BAD RELIGION entered the studio armed with 16 songs that are filled with deeply personal experiences, cautionary tales and a developing worldview, spanning the gauntlet from their signature high energy punk rock to a more introspective melodic sound.

"We wouldn't embark on this new creative endeavor, Brett wouldn't have embarked on parenthood, I wouldn't have embarked on writing a book, if we hadn't reached a place in our lives where we felt the confidence that we had something to offer and that's what these songs represent," adds Graffin. "They represent a new found confidence that things are starting to make sense to us."

"Being a new parent has colored my whole world," continues Gurewitz. "As a result I've written songs that at least for me, are somewhat less angsty and more introspective and vulnerable. The experience has emboldened me to take some creative risks as a songwriter that I've not allowed myself to take before."

Risks that nevertheless have already been embraced by the band's passionate fans, as evidenced by the overwhelming response to two new songs, "Resist Stance" and "Won't Somebody". The songs were debuted during a series of live shows celebrating BAD RELIGION's anniversary, recorded and given away as part of a free digital album, "30 Years Live", as a thank-you to their fans for their support over the last three decades. Rabid fans immediately lit up blogs and message boards with raves about the new material and excitement over the new record, which will be out this fall. In the meantime, BAD RELIGION continue to tour the world, bringing their amazing live show to more new countries and playing more shows with each passing year.

Three-time Grammy nominees STONE SOUR have announced a September 7 release date for their much-buzzed-about new album, "Audio Secrecy". "It's probably the best thing I've done in a long time," lead singer Corey Taylor recently told MTV News. "We recorded 18 songs — and knowing that every tune not only has its own identity but is damn good, I'm very, very proud of that."

The band is giving fans a sneak preview of the album by offering a limited-time download of a new song titled "Mission Statement". Says Taylor, "In this day and age, it's important to be strong enough to know who you are. This song is not only a rallying cry for us, but it says everything about what this album means to us. This is just the beginning."

"Mission Statement" will be available for 48 hours only beginning this Thursday, June 10 at 11 a.m. EST. The track can be downloaded at www.stonesour.com.

The album's first commercial single will be "Say You'll Haunt Me", which ships to modern rock and rock radio on Tuesday, July 6.

STONE SOUR (Taylor, guitarists James Root and Josh Rand, bassist Shawn Economaki and drummer Roy Mayorga) and producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, ALICE IN CHAINS, DEFTONES) recorded "Audio Secrecy" at Blackbird Studios in Nashville during the destructive storms and devastating floods that hit the historic heart of Music City.

"Recording during the flood was crazy," says Taylor. "Luckily the studio and the band weren't affected too greatly. The studio was untouched and the neighborhood we were living in just missed being flooded. But a lot of the areas around us were decimated. Whole houses were submerged and for a week, the roads in and out of Old Hickory were completely covered with water. I've been getting the word out to people to contact Nashville Flood Relief if they would like to donate money to help the people of Nashville. Also, they can contact the Gibson Foundation to do the same. We were lucky, but so many people were not. I hope can pull together and do what we can for Nashville."

While making the album, STONE SOUR has been taping webisodes covering the recording process and answering fan questions. They can be viewed at www.stonesour.com.

The quintet will be previewing select songs from the album during this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival. The 36-date tour launches August 17 in Minneapolis, MN and will visit arenas and amphitheatres across North America before wrapping October 4 in Madison, WI.

"Audio Secrecy" is the follow-up to the gold-certified "Come What(ever) May", which was also produced by Raskulinecz and debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart and spawned three radio hits, including the No. 1 smash hit single "Through Glass", "Sillyworld" and "Made of Scars". STONE SOUR's self-titled debut, also certified gold, spawned the band's first breakthrough hit "Bother", which was spotlighted on "Spider-Man" soundtrack.

STONE SOUR debuted two brand new songs — "Mission Statement" and "The Bitter End" — during the band's June 7, 2010 concert at Columbia in Berlin, Germany.

"The Illusion", the new video from Swedish metallers STEELWING (formerly SCAVENGER), can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "Lord Of The Wasteland", which was released in Europe on April 30 via Noise Art Records, a division of Rock The Nation. The CD was recorded at Deep Blue Studios with producer Nicko DiMarino. The album artwork was created by Ed Repka.

"Lord Of The Wasteland" track listing:

01. Enter The Wasteland
02. Headhunter
03. Roadkill (...Or Be Killed)
04. Sentinel Hill
05. The Illusion
06. The Nightwatcher
07. Under The Scavenger Sun
08. Point of Singularity
09. Clash of the Two Tribes

EVEMASTER — the Finnish "dark metal" band which features in its ranks BATTLELORE's Tomi Mykkänen — will release its new album, "III", on June 9 via Supernova Records, a division of Bonnier Amigo.

A new teaser clip for the CD can be viewed below.

"III" track listing:

01. Enter
02. New Age Dawns
03. Humanimals
04. Losing Ground
05. The Great Unrest
06. Sweet Poison
07. Harvester of Souls
08. Fevered Dreams
09. Absolution

"Wake Up The Sun", a brand new song from the Indiana-based Christian metalcore band HASTE THE DAY, is available for streaming on the group's MySpace page. The track comes off HASTE THE DAY's new album, "Attack of the Wolf King", which will be released on June 29 via longtime label Solid State Records. According to a press release, the CD shows a band who are already amongst the metalcore elite reaching frenzied new heights for what, nine years into their existence, could be their career-defining album. Recorded in Richmond with veteran producer Andreas Magnusson (THE BLACK DHALIA MURDER, OH SLEEPER), "Attack Of The Wolf King" marks the next chapter for HASTE THE DAY, whose impressive resume includes more than a quarter million albums sold and legions of fans worldwide.

"Attack of the Wolf King" track listing:

01. Wake Up The Sun
02. Dog Like Vultures
03. The Quiet, Deadly Ticking
04. Travesty
05. Merit For Sadness
06. The Un-Manifest
07. The Place Where Most Deny
08. White as Snow
09. Crush Resistance
10. Walk With a Crooked Spine
11. My Name Is Darkness

Special-edition bonus tracks:

12. Meet Me Half Way (BLACK EYED PEAS cover)
13. Blue 42 (Live in Auckland, New Zealand)
14. Pressure The Hinges (Live in Capetown, South Africa)

One of the most remarkable talents to rise out of the NWOBHM, DIAMOND HEAD's legacy still ranks among the most influential of the genre, with both MEGADETH and METALLICA citing the group's influence on them.

Indeed, DIAMOND HEAD's "Am I Evil?" has been a staple of METALLICA's live shows for many years. Sounds magazine's metal editor Geoff Barton once remarked that "there are more good riffs in your average single DIAMOND HEAD song than there are in the first four BLACK SABBATH albums." Such lavish praise had been sparked by the band's unassuming, independently recorded first album (later commonly referred to as the "White Album" or "Lightning To The Nations"), which by all rights should have been just the first step on the road to a legendary career.

DIAMOND HEAD were formed in Stourbridge, England in 1976 by schoolmates Brian Tatler and Duncan Scott. They quickly recruited Sean Harris and a few months later Colin Kimberley. Having already received euphoric responses to their first album, DIAMOND HEAD were quickly signed by MCA and a lengthy tour ensued. They were soon back in the studio to record a second album, "Borrowed Time", and, by the time they split in 1983, a third, "Canterbury", had been recorded.

This double CD of BBC recordings combines the band's "In Session" and "In Concert" recordings on one CD for the first time. The set culminates in the Milton Keynes Bowl show, the night they opened for METALLICA in 1993 and includes their Reading Festival set from 1982, described by the band as "the peak of their career… as good as it got."

Liner notes are provided by DIAMOND HEAD's very own Brian Tatler. The release is set for August 2 via Universal.

The track listing:

Disc 1:

Friday Rock Show (October 29, 1980):

01. Borrowed Time
02. Don't You Ever Leave
03. Sweet And Innocent
04. Lightning To The Nations

Reading Festival (August 27, 1982):

01. Am I Evil?
02. In The Heat Of The Night
03. Borrowed Time
04. Don't You Ever Leave
05. Sucking My Love
06. Play It Loud

Disc 2:

Paris Theatre (November 6, 1982):

01. Borrowed Time
02. Heat Of The Night
03. Sucking My Love
04. To Heaven From Hell
05. Play It Loud

Milton Keynes (September 3, 1993):

01. Am I Evil?
02. Dust
03. Truckin'
04. To The Devil His Due
05. Sucking My Love
06. Run
07. To Heaven From Hell
08. Helpless

Reformed Greek metallers NIGHTFALL — featuring frontman and lyricist Efthimis Karadimas alongside Evan Hensley on guitar, Stathis Kassios on keyboards and Jörg Uken on drums — have tapped Travis Smith to create the artwork for their new album, "Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants", due in late 2010 via Metal Blade Records.

Commented the group: "The band has already discussed and shared views with Travis and the outcome is expected to be unique and powerful, reflecting the epic tones and the raw anger of music through the deliberating range of elements Mr. Smith uses in his highly artistic works. His style and his perception is unique; promoting art with art is the key point here and makes us all feel great about it!"

"Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants" is being recorded at various places, including Soundlodge in Germany, where the bulk of the sessions are taking place. It is being produced by Karadimas and Uken (who has previously worked with GOD DETHRONED, DEW-SCENTED and SINISTER). According to a press release, Jörg's "experience behind the recording desk and his soul in recording both as the new drummer of the band is a great plus for the whole production and for everybody truly into metal drumming the… old classic metal way!"

"Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants" will contain 12 tracks for a running time of 43 minutes.

Legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne has become a health columnist for The Sunday Times.

"When The Sunday Times magazine asked me to be its new health-advice columnist — Dr. Ozzy, as I'll be known from now on — I thought they were taking the piss, to be honest with you.”

"But then I thought about it for a while, and it makes perfect sense: I've seen literally thousands of doctors over my lifetime, and spent well over £1m on them, to the point where I sometimes think I know more about being a doctor than doctors do.

"If people can learn from my stupid mistakes without having to repeat any of them, or if they can take some comfort from the crazy things my family has been through over the years, or if just hearing me talk about colonoscopies makes them less embarrassed about getting tested for colon cancer, that's more than enough for me.

"Dr. Ozzy" will answer readers' questions in his weekly column.

"By all accounts, I'm a medical miracle," Osbourne said. "When I die, I should donate my body to the Natural History Museum.

"It's all very well going on a bender for a couple of days — but mine went on for 40 years. At one point, I was knocking back four bottles of cognac a day, blacking out, coming to again, and carrying on.

"While filming 'The Osbournes', I was shoving 42 types of prescription medication down my neck, morning, noon and night — and that was before all the dope I was smoking in my 'safe' room, away from the cameras. Meanwhile, I used to get through cigars like they were cigarettes."

German epic metal band CROM has completed work on its new album, "Of Love and Death". The follow-up to 2008's critically acclaimed "Vengeance" was produced by CROM mainman and former DARK FORTRESS guitarist Walter "Crom" Grosse, and engineered by Victor Bullok at the latter's At The Crypt Studios. The lineup on the CD comprises Crom on vocals, guitar, bass and choirs; Seraph (DARK FORTRESS, NONEUCLID, REVAMP) on drums; and V. Santura (DARK FORTRESS, TRIPTYCON, CELTIC FROST) on additional guitar and choirs. Artwork for the album will once again be by the noted artist Kris Verwimp, a long-time friend of Grosse's.

Two tracks from the new album can be heard on the band's MySpace page.

While "Vengeance" dealt with love and loss in the heroic settings of legendary kings and warriors, "Of Love and Death" still features Grosse's soaring vocals and epic melodies, but this time the same themes are dealt with on a much more personal and intimate level.

"'Vengeance' was the album that really defined CROM's sound in terms of melody and vocals," explains Grosse, "and I was always drawn to the subject of the doomed hero, weary and disillusioned with fighting, but knowing that he has to go on until his death, because it's the honourable thing to do. However, many people interpreted that album as being either 'pagan' or 'viking,' which was never my intention musically. CROM's music is very definitely 'crom' and hopefully the new album will not have to have such a narrow definition attached to it."

"Of Love and Death" includes a completely re-arranged and re-recorded version of "The Fallen Beauty" a song that has become something of a signature for CROM, and is included as a bonus track on the nine-track album.

A label is currently being sought for the release of "Of Love and Death", and a live lineup is being put together after a hiatus in live performances.

"Of Love and Death" track listing:

01. Reason to Live
02. Lifetime - The Fallen Beauty Part II
03. Just One Blink
04. The Oceans Wide
05. My Song For All The Broken Hearts
06. My Destiny
07. This Dying World
08. Eternal Dreaming
09. The Fallen Beauty 2010 (bonus track)

According to a new online post by singer Silje Wergeland of Dutch/Norwegian rockers THE GATHERING, the band will spend the summer making a new studio album. "We already have around seven songs we are working on and we are all super-enthusiastic about them," she writes. "We are in a very creative place at the moment; ideas are flowing!"

She adds, "We found a new place we will do pre-production of the new songs. Very cool and relaxing place.

"It is really fun for me this time to be part of this song-making process from the beginning.

"A few days ago Frank [Boeijen, keyboards] and me sat down with a brand new song we ended up really happy about.

"Today I am off to work in the studio with René [Rutten, guitar] on some other new songs.

"I can't tell you much about the direction of the songs, but I can say it is going really well! And one more thing: THE GATHERING never stops surprising."

Japanese metal legends LOUDNESS have released a video for the title track of their new album, King Of Pain, featuring the debut of new drummer Masayuki Suzuki. He replaces original drummer Munetaka Higuchi, who passed away on November 30th, 2008 following a long battle with liver cancer. Check it out below.

King Of Pain will be featured on Metal Express Radio's 30 minute Daily Album Premiere show this Thursday, June 10th, offering the fans a listen to some of the new songs. Tune in here at 6:00 and 18:00 CET (midnight and noon EST).