QUEENSRŸCHE have posted the following message in the wake of legendary metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio's passing:

"Ronnie James Dio was undoubtedly one of heavy metal's greatest performers and will continue to influence the world of heavy metal forever. He was certainly a very big influence on Queensryche and along the way became a cherished friend too. We will all miss him greatly, but Ronnie will live on every time we raise our metal horns high! The man on the silver mountain will always be our rainbow in the dark."

Ronnie James Dio (BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, RAINBOW, ELF) who lost his battle with stomach cancer on May 16th at 7:45 AM Pacific Time at the age of 67.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx has released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"Ronnie was one of the kindest souls I have ever met and his talent was beyond inspirational to so many of us. I still have this image of him standing on stage in front of 100,000 belting out 'Man on the Silver Mountain' and remember the shivers it sent up my spine. He will be missed by all of us.

Vocalist Stu Block of Canadian extreme progressive metallers INTO ETERNITY has released the following message regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"I'm still taking in the fact that we have lost yet ANOTHER timeless metal musician.

"R.I.P., Ronnie James Dio. A life that was lived to the fullest and also influenced thousands and thousands of musicians. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

"Cancer is a battle for many people these days; the world is losing many talented,loving and wonderful people. Do what you can to prevent and/or help find a cure.

"Stay healthy, my friends!"

Swedish heavy metallers WOLF have released the following message regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"We are very sad this day. We have lost THE greatest, most powerful and biggest voice in hard rock and metal. For WOLF, Ronnie James Dio, was/is a great inspiration and we will always keep his voice alive listening to his music. We all met him on several occations and he was always very nice and took the time to chat about music and the world.

"You will be sadly missed. May your music live on and on forever."

SMASHING PUMPKINS mainman Billy Corgan has posted the following message regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio. I only got to meet him once and I can honestly say he was the nicest person I have ever met in music.

"Ronnie was a true gentleman, and obviously one of the best rock singers there will ever be. What a sad loss today.

Germany's SPV/Steamhammer Records has released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"It is with deepest sadness that we mourn the loss of a true legend, an amazing man, and one of the best rock/metal voices ever. The entire staff at SPV offers our deepest condolences to Ronnie James Dio's friends and family. He was truly one the best artists we ever had the pleasure of working with, and the memories that we have of him and his music will live on in our hearts forever."

German folk metallers MIDNATTSOL, featuring Norwegian vocalist Carmen Elise Espenaes, have

"Hi Folks,

After we have spent lots of time in our new rehearsal room during the last month, the time has come – we will enter the studio!

We can justly claim that we have never worked so intensively on our material and also the work with our new guitarist Alex was like a rejuvenation for us. Thus we are extremely looking forward to record the songs now!

As we had been very satisfied with the recordings of Nordlys at Studio E, we have decided for the third album not only to let the recordings do by such an experienced producer as Markus Stock from Studio E (THE VISION BLEAK, LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE, SECRETS OF THE MOON) but also the mixing and mastering.

The best news is however: the recordings will already begin May 24th 2010 and with a short interruption we will be in the studio until July. Of course we will keep you informed about further information regarding the new album and the release date."

Former METAL CHURCH singer Ronny Munroe has posted the following message regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"The reason I stepped out from behind the kit was Ronnie James Dio's voice. There will never be another one like it; from soothingly melodic to downright gritty, he was and still is the inspiration for myself and millions of other singers around the world.
"He may be gone but his legacy remains, and what a stellar one it is...

"R.I.P, Ronnie, and thank you!"

New Orleans sludge overlords EYEHATEGOD played their coveted first two full-length albums — "In The Name Of Suffering" and "Take As Needed For Pain" — in their entirety on Friday, May 7 at Emo's in Austin, Texas.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed below

EYEHATEGOD will kick off its long-anticipated U.S. tour alongside psychedelic black metallers NACHTMYSTIUM (June 4-15) and a rotating roster of other killer openers on June 3 at Blackbooth in Orlando, Florida and wind down with two special shows at the Empty Bottle in Chicago, Illinois. Tickets are on sale now. Special limited VIP packages will be available on select dates, including South Carolina, Kentucky and Maryland as well as Michigan and North Carolina (both recent additions).

British heavy metal veterans JUDAS PRIEST have released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"We are filled with great sadness at the terrible news about our friend Ronnie James Dio.

"Our condolences and love go to Wendy [Dio, Ronnie's wife/manager] and Ronnie's family.

"Ronnie was a wonderful man and will be sorely missed."

DANGEROUS NEW MACHINE, the new band featuring former/current members of STEREOMUD, FOZZY and STUCK MOJO, will release its full-length debut, Set The World On Fire, on May 25 via the TuneCore digital music distribution service. The CD was produced by the band and and Rusty T. Cobb (AVRIL LAVIGNE, BOWLING FOR SOUP, SEVENDUST).

A brand new song entitled, 'Better Days' is available now for free at this location.

Pre-order Set The World On Fire and receive a limited Autographed CD booklet with purchase! For more information visit this location.

Set The World On Fire tracklisting

'Shut Up'
'Burn'
'Bullet Proof Hero'
'Let's Talk About Sex'
'Feel Alive Again'
'My Sins'
'I Wish'
'Life Gets In The Way'
'What's Your Name'
'Skeletons'
'Better Days'
'[bonus track]'

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian has posted the following message regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"Rest in peace, Ronnie James Dio. Horns at half mast. Such a huge loss...

"So many memories of Ronnie. Toured together many times. He always had a kind word and a smile and he LOVED the Yankees.

"In 2004 on the DIO/ANTHRAX tour I would get the Yankee score every inning for Ronnie while he was on stage. He was so into it.

"Saw BLACK SABBATH on the 'Black & Blue' tour at Madison Square Garden [in New York City] in 1980. First row center.

"Ronnie was king of the world. Top 3 shows of all time."

Drummer Mike Portnoy of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER has posted the following message regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"Rest in peace, Ronnie James Dio... one of the greatest of all time.

"Looks like Dime [late PANTERA guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott], Randy [Rhoads; late OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist], Cliff [Burton; late METALLICA bassist] and Bonzo [late LED ZEPPELIN drummer John Bonham] just scored the ultimate singer.

"This is one of the saddest days in metal ever."

Guitarist Ralph Santolla (OBITUARY, DEICIDE, DEATH, ICED EARTH) has released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"There's not a person in metal today that doesn't owe something to Ronnie James Dio. I had the honor to meet him once, and to see him perform many times, including on [1980's] 'Black and Blue' tour [featuring BLACK SABBATH and BLUE ÖYSTER CULT]. He seemed to treat everyone he encountered as an equal, but few are his equals.

"I'll be featuring his music with RAINBOW, DIO and SABBATH on this week's 'The Santollicas' [the new Bogota, Colombia-based radio show hosted by guitarist Santolla and his wife, Svetlana].

"Rest in peace, and God bless you."

Swedish melodic masters LION'S SHARE have released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"Our hearts are broken; our mentor and friend Ronnie James Dio has left us. This is a very sad day in our lives.

"When LION'S SHARE did the Monsters Of The Millennium tour (LION'S SHARE, DIO, MOTÖRHEAD and MANOWAR) [in 1999], Ronnie was very supportive and helped us a lot.

"We will dedicate our upcoming shows to Ronnie by playing one or two of his songs.

"Our thoughts go to his family in this difficult time.

"Ronnie, you are our favorite singer of all time. We love you!

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has posted the following message regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"Crying right now in remembrance of my hero and friend, Ronnie James Dio.

"Dio died this morning and he was a major, major part of my life. I got to do shows with him and work with him and I loved Dio my whole life.

"Thanks so much.

"The world has lost one of the best.

"Your last album was your best. Of course."

MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover has posted the following message regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"I am at an absolute loss right now upon hearing that Ronnie has passed away. I had the pleasure of touring both Canada and America in 2007 when MEGADETH toured with HEAVEN & HELL (BLACK SABBATH in my eyes) and I swear to you he is one of the nicest human beings I have ever met, period. Many a night on that tour, Glen [Drover, then-MEGADETH guitarist] and myself would have amazing conversations with Ronnie about his career, etc. fully knowing he had probably told these stories 10,000 times to people and yet he answered every question I had with a big smile. I can recall so many times making eye contact with Glen sharing the exact same thought: 'Dude, I can't believe we are hanging with RONNIE JAMES DIO!!!!!'

"If you are lucky enough in your lifetime to actually meet one of your idols (let alone tour with them) and they turn out to be even nicer than you could have envisioned, that is something you would truly treasure. Lucky for me, I will cherish those memories forever."

Guitarist/songwriter Nicolas van Dyk of the Los Angeles-based progressive metal band REDEMPTION has released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"I lost a musical hero today, and the news has hit me harder than I thought it would.

"Ronnie James Dio was one of the first concerts I saw, and 'Holy Diver' one of the first records I bought once I started liking this thing called 'heavy metal.' Over the years, I have seen him perform more than anyone else (with the exception of my friends in DREAM THEATER, given our tour together!) and the past several times I've seen him with BLACK SABBATH have been truly phenomenal.

"I was hoping that Ronnie would be able to perform a guest vocal on a future REDEMPTION CD, and the vocal line I had in mind for him was an expression of triumph over cancer. Obviously, this takes on a horrible irony now. And given my own diagnosis, obviously I'm particularly attuned to what Ronnie endured.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to Ronnie's family and friends. The world of heavy metal has lost its voice.

"Rest in peace, Ronnie."

TWISTED SISTER has released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"The members of TWISTED SISTER, along with millions of metal fans around the world, mourn the death of our friend Ronnie James Dio. Ronnie not only was a giant in the worldwide metal scene, but he was also one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. Beginning in 1983 when we first toured with Ronnie in Canada, and continuing over the last seven years when we played dozens of festivals around the world, Ronnie was one of the most supportive and gracious members of the music community.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Wendy and Ronnie's family."

Original JUDAS PRIEST singer Al Atkins, who currently fronts a band called HOLY RAGE, has released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"Ye, the incredible has happened. The world today lost one of the greatest vocalists on the planet.

"Al and the band would like to pass on their condolences to Wendy [Dio, Ronnie's wife/manager] and the rest of the Dio clan. Ronnie's music will live on forever.

"Rest in peace, Ronnie. God bless."

Vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) has released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"It is a very sad day today... I have lost a very dear friend.

"Ronnie was a true leader of heavy metal... an icon and a visionary... There will never be another like him.

"Ronnie gave me wisdom, and showed me great compassion when he was in ELF, all those years ago, when we were on tour together in my time in DEEP PURPLE. He was a beautiful soul, kind, considerate and a wonderful teacher.

"Some day I'll be bringing your microphone up there with me, and we'll sing a song, and share a Vindaloo together...

"I'll miss, you mate."

"Hollow Prophecy", a brand new song from the British death/grind band TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED, is available for streaming on the group's MySpace page. The track comes off TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED's third album, "Degenerate", which is scheduled for a May 24 European release via Metal Blade Records (Rising Records in the U.K.). The cover artwork was created by Collin Marks (WHITECHAPEL, ABORTED, SUICIDE SILENCE) and can be viewed below.

Commented the band: "Most of you will know of Collin's work and we feel he has done a great job and captured the image we want for the record.

"We have been working closely with Collin on the whole artwork theme and the whole thing from front to back is a great piece of work."

"Degenerate" track listing is as follows:

01. A Vision Showing Nothing
02. De-Breed
03. Hollow Prophecy
04. Dead Vein
05. Dethrone
06. A Sterile Existence
07. The Soulful Dead
08. Until Kingdom Come

Bonus track:

09. Whited Sepulcher

Wendy Dio, wife/manager of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW), has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45 a.m. [on Sunday] 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes before he peacefully passed away.

"Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all.

"We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us.

"Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss.

"Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."