SCARS ON BROADWAY — the collaboration between SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan — returned to the live stage last night (Sunday, May 2) after a 17-month absence to play a headlining show at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California. The band debuted a new song, reportedly entitled "Talkin' Shit", and was joined for one track — "Cute Machines" — by SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian.

An audio sample of "Outrage", a brand new song from the Swedish female-fronted heavy rock band SISTER SIN, can be streamed at this location. The track comes off the group's sophomore album, "True Sound Of The Underground", which is scheduled for release on June 8 via Victory Records in North America and on July 23 through Metal Heaven Records in Europe. The CD was produced by Henrik Edenhed (DEAD BY APRIL, ROBYN, LAMBRETTA, TEDDYBEARS, CHRISTIAN WALTZ, THE SOUNDS) in Stockholm at Studio 301 and Cosmos Studios.

"True Sound Of The Underground" track listing:

01. Sound Of The Underground
02. Nailbiter
03. The Devil I Know
04. 24/7
05. Built To Last
06. Heading For Hell
07. Outrage
08. I Stand Alone
09. Better Than Them
10. Times Aren't A-Changing
11. Beat 'Em Down

Whether making memorable moments, pushing the envelope with explicit imagery, cinematic technology, or just telling the gripping tale of well-thought-out storylines, music videos have always been a beacon of expression, which is why we took a look at the killer videos in Roadrunner’s long history to find ten of our most unforgettable. You’ve seen our universal choices for numbers 10 – 6, and now as we reveal our top 5, we get some insight from our Head of Video Promotions/ veteran employee Elias Chios as well as our artists on the cinematic excellence, groundbreaking creativity and overall bad-ass entertainment of these music videos. From the viral strength of DragonForce’s Sam Totman chugging a beer while Herman Li shreds, through Killswitch Engage’s Adam. D. playing a fair maiden, to Slipknot destroying a house in Iowa, we give you the finale of our worldwide-staff-approved Greatest Music Videos.


#5 DragonForce - "Through the Fire and the Flames"
This explosive performance-based video was directed by Julain Reich and while cited by Elias Chios as simply “Classic!” no one can explain it better than DragonForce guitarist Herman Li: “I remember we flew to Germany to make this video and it was really exciting, as it was to be the first DragonForce music video. In fact, none of us had been in a music video before. The concept behind it was to capture the DragonForce live energy as much as possible. Since it was our first video, it was pretty low budget, but we worked our ass off with the director to get the energy of the band and the song across as much as possible. After filming for over 12 hours, it was time to do the solos. Somehow we left it last and I have no idea why we did that. Sam and I were feeling really tired then, so Sam decided to crack open the beer, as if drinking was gonna wake him up! Right in the middle of filming my second solo, I suddenly heard the director shouting ‘Yes, this is awesome. Sam! Keep drinking, don’t stop!’ You can see in the final video that was exactly what happened in the moment; it wasn’t acted out. Despite the low budget, I really like how it was able to introduce the band’s unique music style further around the world and gave the viewer a glimpse of DragonForce’s explosive energy. The feedback on the ‘Through the Fire and Flames’ video has been absolutely incredible world-wide. It has over 27 million views on just one of the many YouTube posts out there! We never expected to be in the top 10 list and we are really stoked to be in the top 5! Thanks, see you on tour in 2011!” Watch it below and for more from DragonForce and Inhuman Rampage, go right here!





#4 Stone Sour - "Through Glass"
A reactionary song to the big business of star-search type TV shows, Stone Sour’s “Through Glass” has been described by Corey Taylor as a “very angry song” to which he questions the sincerity of the music generated by those mediums. To further get the point across, the band enlisted renowned director Tony Petrossian to construct a video that plays on the concept of reality and focus on the plasticity of entertainment. Our music video authority Elias Chios explains, “This is one of my personal all time favorite Roadrunner videos. The visual trickery, you will see momentarily (if you haven’t already) involves freezing a moving image and exposing the still in one seamless motion. Imagine this… say CC DeVille is hanging out at your house party having a cocktail and all of a sudden he becomes a standup cardboard cutout and you can pick him up put him under your arm and and place him in your kitchen so you have a buddy while cooking up a grilled cheese with bacon.. yeah, it’s like that. Just fantastic, memorable eye candy. I won’t ever get sick of this one. This track really took Stone Sour to new heights and cemented them as a legit rock powerhouse.” Watch it below and for more from Stone Sour and Come What(ever) May, go right here.





#3 Nickelback - "Rockstar"
Featuring endless cameos from celebrities of all walks of fame as well as regular joes from all over the world, the video for Nickelback’s “Rockstar” doesn’t even feature the band themselves until the very last frame. A playful take on the global wish to be a rockstar, this video captivates all who watch it -- if not only to see who will show up singing along onscreen next! As our videos expert Elias Chios puts it, “This song is something every music lover can relate to, no matter the genre -- and the video for it highlights that to a T. Who hasn’t wished they were a rockstar or at least be able to live that rockstar life? Please, you know you have. People from all walks of life have; that’s what makes this video so great. It took a long time to make and yes, the crew travelled the globe to film it. It’s got something [ed. note: or somebody!] for everyone!” Watch it below and for more from Nickelback and All the Right Reasons go right here.






#2 Killswitch Engage - "Holy Diver"
Covering Dio is no easy task, and not only did Killswitch Engage nail the classic track, but the jokesters made a video equally as memorable in acting out a Medieval Times-worthy storyline. In full costume. Says Chios, “A killer rendition of a classic tune with a hilarious twist. Hands down the funniest video not only Killswitch ever made, but ROADRUNNER. When you take a metal band that in their videos have been quite serious up to a certain point, then throw everyone for a loop and deliver a comedy… We all know KsE have a comedic side to them, but this was just a killer over-the-top way to bring that out.” Bassist Mike D. sheds some light on the making of the video, explaining, “Adam picked out the characters for the Holy Diver shoot beforehand. I was the heroic "Knight" (because I am short and the most non-hero like member of the band), Joel was the "Evil Wizard" (because he just looks like one), Justin was the "King" (because of his powerful red beard), Howard was the "Blacksmith" (for obvious reasons), and Adam picked himself as the "Princess" (go figure). I remember pulling up at the video shoot for Holy Diver at 5:30AM in the morning in beautiful Cali vineyard country. I was dressed in my rubber "armor" and XXXL sweats and shooting by 6AM. It was a fun day until the summer heat kicked in around 11AM and the temp climbed up to 98 degrees (sun stroke was not far behind). Since the knight was the main character, I was shooting constantly, I remember feeling bad for the rest of the guys since they had to stay in costume all day although they only had a few shots to do. We wrapped my part at 2AM the next day… it was a long and tiring shoot, but our best video to date, hands down.”





#1 Slipknot - "Duality"
Filmed on location at a fan’s house in Des Moines, Iowa, our number one video “Duality” shows the masked 9 of Slipknot ultimately playing a house party. But with director Tony Petrossian’s touch, and the help of a rowdy crowd, the aggressive nature of the song takes over in a destructive fury -- resulting in MASS damages to the house (which have since been re-paid!) Giving more insight is our video authority Elias Chios, who says, “#1 and rightfully so! This is the best video Slipknot ever made, in my humble opinion. It captures everything they are about: The art, the violence, the insanity, the frantic energy from which everything is born and of course the loyalty and gratitude to their fans, the maggots. How much fun it must have been to completely destroy a house? I’m gonna guess a shit load. This song and video is a defining moment in their career. Over the years, Slipknot’s mystique, brutally beautiful performances and their sacred relationship with their fans created a true legend. This video really put it all in perspective and engaged those that put aside the band for whatever reason.“ Watch it below and for more on Slipknot and Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses go right here.

Although the origins go back to the 1920s with the arrival of sound to motion pictures, music videos really came into their own in the 1980s when they had a television channel specifically formatted around the captivating medium. Sure videos existed prior, and have extended onto the world wide web since, but from that first real launch pad on, music artists widely used this form to showcase their sound, demonstrate their song’s concept or explore their own mystique. And whether it was making memorable moments, pushing the envelope with explicit imagery, cinematic technology, or just telling the tale of well thought out storylines, music videos have always been a large part of fan consumption. From the late Peter Steele playing a stand-up bass at waist level with a guitar strap to Corey Taylor taking off his Slipknot mask to play the lead in a short film, we here at Roadrunner have churned out innumerous music videos in our nearly 30 year tenure, which is why we summoned the assistance of our global staff to pick our Ten Greatest Music Videos.


With commentary from our bands, and the insight of our hilarious Head of Video Promotions/ veteran employee Elias Chios, join us as we look at the cinematic excellence, groundbreaking creativity and overall bad-ass entertainment of some of our past and present music videos.

#10 Sepultura - "Ratamahatta"
Taking us deep into the Claymation jungle of Brazil, native death metal masters Sepultura took the tribal beats of “Ratamahatta” – courtesy of former Korn drummer David Silveria in addition to the band’s own Iggor Cavalera – and the authentic Brazilian-based themes (sung in part by musician Carlinhos Brown) and focused a video concept on the sonic and ancestral origins of the band. Explains former frontman and founder Max Cavalera, “It was a concept video made with Brazilian oriented puppets. We were recreating a little piece of Brazil in animation, from the jungle to the slums.” Contextualizing it, Elias Chios adds, "As for the Claymation, Voodoo, tribal drums, the forest of Brazil: A recipe for greatness, wouldn’t you say? Such perfect imagery for this song." Watch the video below, and for more from Sepultura's Roots, go right here.




#9 Type O Negative - "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)"
The shadowy apparition of this black-and-white video visually builds up the same way Type O Negative's song does, opening with an extreme close-up of frontman Peter Steele’s ominous scowl and then breaking into the band performing under an evil tree and strobe light in the woods, with Steele rocking a stand-up bass like it’s a regular 4-string. Though largely performance-based, the camera angles and cut-away footage made for a powerful impact in introducing the dark band to their goth audience. Explains Chios, “I tried filing down my teeth after I saw this video, no really, I did. Shit hurt. This is the video and song that made me fall in love all things Type O. The mere fact that they are playing acoustic instruments, Peter is playing a stand up bass as if it were an electric bass, the incredible facial expressions of Peter - so well done, classic Type O. LOVE THIS! This is creepy and hilarious all in one nut. Apparently, there was a huge feud as the band wanted this in a green tone instead of black and white. Created quite the battle at that time.” Watch below to see where that green comes into play, and for more from Type O Negative's Bloody Kisses, go right here.




#8 DevilDriver - "Clouds Over California"
Featuring frontman Dez Fafara’s sons playing as the band dubbed “Evil River” (Devil Driver without the D’s!), DevilDriver’s video for “Clouds Over California” doesn’t have the actual band perform, but gets across the mood of having clouds over sunny California with flashes of the grim reaper, scenes from a graveyard and more. Explains Roadrunner video authority Elias Chios, “Dez thought up the brilliant idea that instead of DevilDriver performing in the video, having kids (his own) be the band performing the track, [It’s] just one awesome video.” Frontman Dez Fafara goes over the making of the video, saying "’Clouds over California’ was done on a shoestring budget, pulling every favor I could , filmed guerilla-style (in and outta location with no permission), enlisting fans from the area as well as ALL my sons as the band. I'm most proud of my youngest who was 9 at the time, played ME and nailed it right down to the middle finger in the air!" Watch it below, and for more on DevilDriver and The Last Kind Words, go right here.



#7 Sepultura - "Territory"
Following the band performing and walking through the desert, often daubed in mud and interlaced with footage of slums and favelas from the middle east, as is the song’s references to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, “Territory” was a powerful politically-charged video encapsulating Sepultura’s message. Elias Chios puts the 1993 offering in context saying, ”The video is heavy in political content and when I saw the mudmen it felt like a moment of departure. While it fit the vibe of the video so well, it was a welcome break from all the WAR footage.” Max Cavalera looks back on the making of "Territory," contending, “It was a great video which was actually filmed on location in Israel. We spent two days filming in many places, such as the Dead Sea, the Masada, and actually drank tea with the bedouin nomads in their tent." Watch it below and for more from Sepultura and Chaos A.D. go right here.




#6 Slipknot - "Snuff"
A short film directed by Slipknot’s own M. Shawn Crahan (Clown) and Paul Brown, “Snuff” works like a motion picture – not only because it was shot on real film and features Hollywood actors, but because the storyline was written to follow leading man Corey Taylor through his twisted love story. Explaining the treatment is the director (and percussionist) himself, M. Shawn Crahan: “It was very important that I write something that was not going to justify the word ‘snuff’ in what the literal word [means], because I don’t support that... I had to go [deep], and a lot of it just came around this story that Corey has written and these lyrics about, more or less, this person who’s so gone and will not return, that she’s basically dead, but he becomes her and that became more or less the definition of ‘snuff.’“ Adds Roadrunner’s Elias Chios, “Slipknot takes another genius left turn to show a side no one has ever seen. Unmasked Corey Taylor, a storyline that has you saying to yourself “ What the f***” and Malcom McDowell? Come on! Corey’s intensity in this is insane. Brilliant.” Watch it below and for more from Slipknot and All Hope is Gone, go right here.

British vocalist Steve Grimmett (GRIM REAPER, LIONSHEART, ONSLAUGHT) has been added to the list of musicians who have recorded guest appearances on "Reborn in Fire", the upcoming album from EMPIRES OF EDEN — the brainchild of PAINDIVISION/ex-DUNGEON guitarist Stu Marshall.

Featured on the track "Beyond Daybreak", Steve "delivers an emotive and aggressive vocal performance that illustrates why he is one of the most influential voices in heavy music," according to a press release.

Commented Marshall: "Steve was one of the sought-after performers I tracked down and thankfully he agreed to be involved in the project. The track needed to be heavy while retaining the melodic flair that Steve is known for; as a fan, that's what I wanted to hear from him.

"This concept is one of the great things about EMPIRES OF EDEN: the singers all compose their own lyrics and melodies, providing a window into what makes many of them as great as they are."

Eastworld Recordings has announced the signing of veteran rockers HAWKWIND.

Says the label:

The original pioneers of space rock return with their eagerly awaited stunning new album - Blood Of The Earth, their first in 5 years.

Produced by the band at state of the art recording facility Earth Studios, Blood Of The Earth takes the listener on a journey through crushing visceral space rock, doom driven poetry, whimsical mantras and imagination opera. An example of humans and machines pulsing in harmony out into the void.

Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures.

Formed in November 1969 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Brock, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and styles of music. Critic Jim Green describes their trademark sound as characterized by "that gargantuan and impenetrable pre-metal/hardcore drone, those great riffs, that inexorable drive to destinations unknown".

Dozens of musicians have worked with the group; notable fantasy and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock was an occasional collaborator.

Blood Of The Earth will be available in the following formats:

CD:
'Seahawks
'Blood Of The Earth'
'Wraith'
'Green Machine'
'Inner Visions'
'Sweet Obsession'
'Comfey Chair'
'Prometheus'
'You'd Better Believe It'
'Sentinel'
'Starshine' (Bonus Track)

Deluxe 2CD:
Disc 1 - (Studio)
'Seahawks'
'Blood Of The Earth'
'Wraith'
'Green Machine'
'Inner Visions'
'Sweet Obsession'
'Comfy Chair'
'Prometheus'
'You’d Better Believe It'
'Sentinel'

Disc 2 - (Live)
'Galactic Angels' (Bonus Track)
'Wraith' (Bonus Track)
'Tide Of The Century' (Bonus Track)
'Magnu' (Bonus Track)
'Levitation' (Bonus Track)
'Long Gone' (Bonus Track)
+ Interview

LP:
Side A
'Seahawks'
'Blood Of The Earth'
'Wraith'

Side B
'Green Machine'
'Inner Visions'
'Sweet Obsession'

Side C
'Comfy Chair'
'Prometheus'
'You’d Better Believe It'

Side D
'Sentinel'
'Starshine'
'Sunship' (Bonus Track)

WE ARE THE FALLEN, the group formed by EVANESCENCE co-founder Ben Moody (guitar) and other former members — John LeCompt (guitar) and Rocky Gray (drums) — along with "American Idol" powerhouse vocalist Carly Smithson and bassist Marty O'Brien (DISTURBED, KELLY CLARKSON, STATIC-X, METHODS OF MAYHEM,TOMMY LEE) — will release its debut album, "Tear The World Down", on May 11 via Universal Republic Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Bury Me Alive
02. Burn
03. Paradigm
04. Don't Leave Me Behind
05. Sleep Well, My Angel
06. Through Hell
07. I Will Stay
08. Without You
09. St. John
10. I Am Only One
11. Tear The World Down

30-second audio samples of all the tracks that appear on the album can be streamed on Amazon.com.

Bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such of veteran German thrashers SODOM has issued the following update:

"The current economic problems have overtaken and finally reached the music business, too. Also, the labels have to suffered, and in our case, this applies to [SODOM's longtime] label SPV. This is also applied to the artists when it comes to the well-planned releases which had to be deferred. But now SPV is newly built up and ready for action. They are currently concentrating on the remainder of the bands like us. Therefore there will be no barrier. Finally, we have to file here and there in the studio to our and your satisfaction.

"There has never been a SODOM album which is so wide-ranged, as powerful and as typically SODOM as this one.

"At the moment we are searching for a new studio which is able to fulfill our ideas of a high-quality production.

"We will start the recording in summer so as to we are able to release the album in fall or pre-Christmas [period].

"At this point I'd like to thank you for your patience one more time."

Brazilian heavy metal band PAINSIDE recently released their debut album, Dark World Burden, through Inner Wound Recordings. The album features some great guest appearances, and below you can read what they have to say about collaborating with Painside:

"It was a great pleasure for me to sing for a band like PAINSIDE. They have the real metal Spirit Which you can find very rare these days. The band has a great potential and they are really good musicians. They are from Brasil, but who cares.. they sound so international like bands from Europe or the US. I'm not often doing jobs like this, but the music and lyrics they send me were amazing. And so I take the offer of the guys and did some cool vocals for them. I wish them all the best!" - Chris Boltendahl, GRAVE DIGGER

"Painside is heavy lethal! I said LETHAL, but that's not wrong. The metal Guilherme Sevens and the other great musicians play is so different that Classic Rock Magazine (to me the biggest rock magazine today) highlited the band on their site. I had the honor of sharing a stage with them and would do it so again after the honor of recording vocals on this heavy lethal record, so rare these days in which so many record and few have good things to say." - Gus Monsanto, Revolution Renaissance

"It was great to take part in the whole production process of Painside's first album, I believe we made one of the finest heavy metal albums ever made in Brazil. Great musicians and music!" - Renato Tribuzy, TRIBUZY

According to Jam! Showbiz, former SUPERTRAMP frontman Roger Hodgson has slammed the band's decision to reunite for a 40th anniversary tour without him.

Rick Davies, who founded the progressive rock band with Hodgson, has announced plans for a 2010 tour, and Hodgson, who quit the group in 1983, is furious he was never invited to take part.

The singer, who is currently midway through a solo tour, has released as statement, dubbing the move "misleading and disrespectful".

It reads: "We've been told that they are billing the tour as the 40th Anniversary tour of the band and we just find this very surprising, misleading and disrespectful of Roger since he is the only other member that was a part of Supertramp when he and Rick founded the band together 40 years ago.

"It would seem that you would want to invite the other co-founder and the bass player of the classic line up for the 40th anniversary of the band. So, we're really hoping it doesn't create any confusion in the marketplace or mislead anyone."

Hodgson adds that he offered to join Davies onstage during gaps in his own tour schedule, but that he was snubbed.

The statement continues, "Roger thought he could join Supertramp for a few special concerts when he doesn't have any scheduled shows... but (Davies' agent) told us adamantly that would 'never happen'."

KISS have confirmed that their entire European tour will be released on USB stick and as MP3 download.

The UK leg of KISS' Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour starts at the Sheffield Arena on May 1st. Fans who attend any of the concerts will be able to purchase the entire 2 ½ hours of live entertainment on USB stick at the merchandise stand directly after the show. Alternatively, fans will also be able to pre-order the concert on USB stick or as MP3 download in advance via the simfylive.com website.

KISS is highly regarded as one of the most collectable and merchandise savvy rock bands around. Their foray into live concert recordings on USB stick and MP3 is hugely attractive to avid KISS collectors. As CD sales are in steady decline, the alternative of purchasing live recordings digitally, is developing a new revenue stream for rock bands who orchestrating live arena and outdoor festival tours.

“Music fans have always been into live recordings,” says Gerrit Schuman, MD of simfy live operator Music Networx, “making the KISS concerts available digitally on the same day as the concert, gives fans what they want,”

Info on the KISS USB stick, MP3 downloads and simfy live can be found here.

In addition to the 1 gigabyte USB stick, KISS enthusiasts who want to buy more than one concert will be able to order the Collector’s Gold Edition USB stick at any time, even prior to the tour. As soon as the concerts happen, they will be able to insert their Gold USB stick into the USB port of their PC or Apple Mac, and download the additional concerts directly from the simfy live website.

The USB stick and MP3 concert downloads are the brainchild of Music Networx, who specialise in live recordings and developing innovative ways to produce, showcase and market live music. As the operator of the simfy live music portal, Music Networx provides artists, record labels and rights holders with new sales channels and markets to exploit their music digitally via USB sticks, MP3 downloads and mobile delivery.

German power metal band DAWN OF DESTINY have issued the following update:

"After five years Dawn Of Destiny and Tanja (Maul) go separate ways from now on. Because of the 'so-called' musical differences Tanja decided to leave the band. We regret this step, but consider it as right and consequent. We say thanks to Tanja for five years of friendship, musicianship and the engagement to support Dawn Of Destiny in reaching our current status."

Maul has issued the following statement: "Unfortunately in life comes the time of farewell. Regrettably the musical ideas within the band develop into a direction where I cannot identify myself with Dawn Of Destiny anymore. Therefore I want to announce, that I'm going to leave the band. I wish the guys of DOD big success on their new way. Dear DoD-Fans! Dear Fallen Angels! With all my hear I want to say thank you for the big support, the fun and the bright cordiality, that you gave me on each gig! The Wacken-WG is still an issue. Peter - You are the Best! Many thanks for the nice time! I am sure that we'll meet each other on stage! All of you shall feel embraced!"

According to Pr-inside.com, animal-loving QUEEN star BRIAN MAY has teamed up with Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH), Joe Elliott (DEF LEPPARD), Francis Rossi (STATUS QUO) Sharon Osbourne and Taylor Hawkins (FOO FIGHTERS) to beg Brits not to vote for the pro-hunting Conservative party in next week's (May 6th) general election.

May is concerned the party will reverse a law banning the hunting of foxes if they get into power. So he has recorded a video urging voters to opt for another party, and enlisted some famous friends to help him.

The artists have all shot skits for the video and can be seen saying campaign slog an "bullocks" in the clip, which appears on YouTube below:

ALL THAT REMAINS singer Phil Labonte has contributed guest vocals to "What Lies Beneath", the new solo album from former NIGHTWISH frontwoman Tarja Turunen. Labonte appears in the track "Dark Star", which Turunen describes as a "duet." Tarja states, "I haven't been really working with such impressive vocals before. With [Phil's vocal contributions], the song reached another dimension."

With production handled by Tarja herself and selected tracks currently being mixed by U.K. producer Colin Richardson (pictured below with Tarja; famed for his work with MACHINE HEAD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and SLIPKNOT, among others), the follow-up to 2007's "My Winter Storm" "looks set to take Tarja's unique musical mix of drama 'n' decibels to a whole new level of success," according to a press release.

"Colin has been working very hard on the songs and he does his job carefully, with lot of thought and passion," Tarja says.

"It has been nice to see that he seems to like what he hears, so it probably makes him work even better

"I am very happy with what I can hear so far. These songs that are going through his fingers are definitely sounding lot heavier than any of the songs from my last record.

"Just the sonic difference in guitars makes the songs radically heavier.

"I have always liked how he treats the guitars with the bands that he works with, like SLIPKNOT, for example.

"Anyway, you cannot expect me to make only a heavy metal album either. I am making Colin sweat with cellos, orchestras, choirs and sound ambient design."

Turunen will unveil the cover artwork for "What Lies Beneath", next week via her official web site.

"We worked on 33 songs this time around from which I decided to record 17," Tarja explained. "It has been great to have the freedom to produce my own record for the first time; these sessions have been such a gift, a real learning process and a true joy. In many ways, it feels like the first time…"

DIRGE WITHIN, the new metal band featuring ex-SOIL guitarist Shaun Glass, vocalist Jeremy "Jerms" Genske, guitarist Matt Szlachta and bassist James Pezanoski (ex-FROM ALL WITHIN), has parted ways with drummer James Knight (ex-THE BLANK THEORY, CHACOPA) and has replaced him with Frankie Harchut (ex-THE DOOMSDAY CATALYST). Jerms said in a statement, "I have known Frankie for about 10 years, and performed alongside him in previous bands. So I know his talent as a musician, and performer firsthand. Even though Jimmy will be missed, I couldn't think of anyone better to fill the void than this guy. He is a perfect fit with the DIRGE WITHIN both in talent and personality. We are stoked to see what the future brings, and can't wait to get back out on the road, and tear shit up with Frankie on the skins! His first show as a member of DIRGE WITHIN will be May 15th at Austin's in Libertyville, Illinois with LACUNA COIL. So come on out, and welcome Frankie to the party!"

Swedish thrash/death/black metallers DEVIAN have uploaded pre-production versions of three new songs to their MySpace page. The tracks "I Am The Serpent", "Victimized" and the epic heresy "Forever Crowned In Blasphemy" are being released online in order to "satisfy worldwide fans' curiosity on the new material and to give a taste of what will become the future sound for DEVIAN," according to a press release.

Commented drummer Emil Dragutinovic: "We have been silent for some time now and that is because a lot has happened.

"We ended our co-operation with Century Media and [vocalist] Legion (a.k.a. Erik Hagsted) left the band because of his job. He is a tattoo artist and he works a lot. He felt he couldn't put the necessary time into the band that we require."

Added guitarist Tomas Nilsson: "For this third album we focused on making it exactly the way we want it. We really wanted to work with it thoroughly, simplifying the song structures and really make it a perfect album."

DEVIAN 2010 is (left to right in photo below):

Emil Dragutinovic (Drums)
Jonas "Joinus" Mattson (Guitar and Vocals)
Tomas Nilsson (Guitar)
Carl Stjärnlöv (Bass)

The new DEVIAN lineup will make its live debut on May 20 at Alcazar (Nalen) in Stockholm, Sweden.

Former SEPULTURA members Max (guitar, vocals) and Igor Cavalera (drums) have finished tracking the follow-up to CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's 2008 debut album, "Inflikted". Like its predecessor, the new CD was recorded with Logan Mader (ex-MACHINE HEAD/SOULFLY guitarist), who co-produced the effort with Max. Logan will also mix the album for a late 2010 release via Roadrunner Records.

Igor Cavalera told AOL's Noisecreep late last year that CAVALERA CONSPIRACY hopes to release another album by this summer once he and his brother find time to work on some new material.

"Max is so busy with SOULFLY, and MIXHELL [Igor's electronic duo, also featuring his wife — Ed.] is taking up most of me and [my wife] Laima's time, so when we find some free time we do CAVALERA," Igor said. "I think that's why I really enjoy doing it. There's no pressure of being in a band and sitting around waiting for gigs. When we get the offers we sit together and decide if we want to do them or not do them, so it's really cool.

"We have some ideas of maybe doing a remix album of [CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's debut CD, 'Inflikted'] and have people like JUSTICE or SOULWAX — even some dub artists that my brother likes — remix the whole album," he added. "But that's just an idea. It's nothing confirmed. But me and Max are talking about doing a new album in the future, but there's no pressure. There's nobody from the label or the agents trying to push us to do it as quick as possible."

Finnish doom metallers SWALLOW THE SUN check in with the following update:

"A brand new and signed copy of The Morning Never Came CD is available to win at our Official Fan Club which you can get to here. Just head over to the Media, Competitions page.

You will also see a second competition (just scroll down the page) for a really special and unique prize of a signed used drum head that belonged to ex-drummer Pasi Pasanen.

If you came out to see us on tour and got a picture with us, send the great ones over to info@swallowthesunfans.com so they can be displayed in the Fan Pictures gallery!

Keep checking the site as new prizes go up every few weeks - good luck to all who enter and see you on tour - Tucson, Arizona tonight!"

MOONSORROW and Swallow The Sun are currently tearing it up with their countrymen FINNTROLL on the Finnish Metal Tour. Below is a video update on how the tour has been going for them.

Justin Reynolds, drummer of the Tampa, Florida melodic thrash outfit THE ABSENCE, was involved in a bad automobile accident last week in Sarasota, Florida. Justin sustained injuries to his neck and back and totaled his car.

"We wish our friend best of luck and a speedy recovery and hope he's back doing what he does best soon," the rest of the band said in a statement.

For the time being, THE ABSENCE's drummer position has been filled by local Tampa musician Matt Solka.

According to ContactMusic.com, SLIPKNOT percussion Shawn "Clown" Crahan is eyeing a move into politics after he was nominated to run for the position of Iowa governor at the state's upcoming elections.

Crahan, who grew up in Iowa, was put forward by a local independent newspaper, with editors at the Cityview publication praising his love of his native state and his ability to attract young voters.

Crahan has laughed off the prospect of running in the November election, but admits the article has made him consider a career in politics in the future.

He tells Britain's Kerrang! magazine, "I swear that one day, I'll run for mayor. I want to bring people together. If I wanted to get a little more twisted or worldly, in a crazy way, politics would be it. But, right now, I'm a fucking rock star.

"I was talking to my kids (about the article). I was like, 'Isn't this funny? Half of Iowa would think it would be cool. The other half would bash me over the choices I've made in my life.'

"A person like me will always get bashed, for the songs I write and the crazy shit I've done in SLIPKNOT. But, as mayor, I could cut through all that crap and get things done and make a difference."

Tampa, Florida-based extreme metal act ORDER OF ENNEAD has issued the following update:

"It is with great pleasure that we welcome the one and only Shannon Hamm (DEATH, CONTROL DENIED) on lead guitar to our ranks for live performances this year.

"Working with Shannon has be and incredible honor and we look forward to bringing you the very best extreme metal live performance you could ever ask for.


"Look for a suprise song or two during our set when you come see us on tour this year."

Shannon's first shows with ORDER OF ENNEAD will take place in June.

ORDER OF ENNEAD,'s "The Concept of Our Extinction" video can be viewed below. The song comes off ORDER OF ENNEAD's forthcoming album, "An Examination Of Being", which was recorded at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Mark Lewis (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, ALL THAT REMAINS). The CD is scheduled for release on May 4 in North America via Earache Records.

"An Examination Of Being" track listing:

01. The Concept of Our Extinction
02. The Scriptures of Purification
03. Lies Upon the Lips of Judas
04. This Mortal Journey
05. ...In the Mirror
06. An Examination of Being
07. Conduits to Eternity
08. A Portal to Rapture
09. A Betrayal of Self

ORDER OF ENNEAD features in its ranks Steve Asheim (drums; DEICIDE), Scott Patrick (bass; RESURRECTION), Kevin Quirion (vocals, guitar) and John Li (guitar).

According to Amy Sciarretto from Artist Direct, SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine said that the band may also have former members Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker and Herman Rarebell join the current lineup for a few shows. Meine was quoted as saying, "Nothing's planned yet, it depends on their schedule as well, but they're more than welcome to do something like A Night to Remember and play songs that are connected with this moment in time when they were with the band."

As previously reported, CINDERELLA, DOKKEN, RATT, TESLA and VINCE NEIL are the chosen openers for the Scorpions North American leg of their Get Your Sting And Blackout farewell world tour. Check the band's itinerary below to see who will open which dates and when.

OPETH mainman Mikael Åkerfeldt has posted the following brief message via his Myspace page:

"Well, I finally decided to close this page down. You will NOT be able to contact me through any of our websites.

Thanks for showing interest and for your endless support, it's been "fun"."

Åkerfeldt discussed the 20th Anniversary of the band and other topics when he was guest on the April 17th edition of IRON MAIDEN singer BRUCE DICKINSON's Friday Rock Show on BBC 6 in the UK. Check out a replay at this location.

Opeth recently completed their six 20th Anniversary shows and Åkerfeldt says the band have "lotsa stuff in the pipeline, some cool things cooking. Next Opeth album being one thing."

Norwegian black metallers SVARTTJERN have issued the following update:

“Svarttjern will enter Strand Studio in Oslo on May 22nd to start recording of our second album, title yet to be revealed. The album will most likely consist of 9 new tracks and will be a continuance of the Misanthropic Path Of Madness album, still: the new album will contain different types of tracks.

The album will be released on Agonia Records sometime during the fall of 2010.

Two tracks can be viewed (below), from our performance at the 2010 Inferno Festival, not the best sound quality but still...”

RHAPSODY OF FIRE and AVANTASIA drummer, Alex Holzwarth, has been in the studio to record drums for some of the tracks on the new HEXFIRE album. The recording session took place at Nocker Productions in Munich with engineer Dr. Burns.

The band says: “We are so proud that Alex agreed to record for us. At this moment, we can say that Alex has recorded drums for one of the songs and.. WOW! He’s not just a drummer – he’s a real metal machine! What he has done in the studio is incredible! The drums sound so powerful that its even hard to describe! So… Metalheads, be prepare for a real metal attack!”

Spanish "doom thrashers" RHINO have been forced to changed their name, which they had been using since 2004, to HORN OF THE RHINO for "legal" reasons. The band says, "Nothing has changed but the name (and not at all) 'cause we carry on with our plans of releasing our third LP, 'Weight Of Coronation', in July 2010 through Doomentia Records and declaring, once more time, that this is our most brutal and heavy album, literally speaking."

"Weight Of Coronation" was recorded in March at Koba studios in Bilbao with producer Xanpe and will once again feature artwork by renowed artist Rafa Garrés, who previously worked with the band on its second album, "Dead Throne Monarch".

"Weight Of Coronation" track listing:

01. Weight Of Coronation
02. Speaking In Tongues
03. Brimstone Breath
04. Crushed And Dragged To The Swamp
05. Southern Beast
06. Throats In Blood
07. Mass Burial Punishment
08. Sovereign

Canadian bastardized grinders FUCK THE FACTS will release their first-ever DVD on May 11. "Disgorge Mexico: The DVD" features the entire set from the "Disgorge Mexico" CD-release show where the band played the album from start to finish for the first and only time. The whole show was filmed with multiple cameras and then edited by Phil Pattison of Nictophobia Films. The DVD also includes "Disgorge, Mexico: The Movie", a film by David Hall of Handshake Inc. (TODAY IS THE DAY, JUCIFER, SIGH, HAIL OF BULLETS). Hall describes it as "a substance abuse art house riff on the destructive and volatile nature of love."

"Disgorge, Mexico: The Movie" is a violent, hallucinatory depiction of one woman's strange journey, set to the soundtrack of FUCK THE FACTS' "Disgorge Mexico".

"Disgorge Mexico: The DVD" is limited to 500 copies (first 100 copies come with a bonus disc) and like the band's recently released "Unnamed" seven-inch EP, is an exclusively independent release only available through the FUCK THE FACTS webstore.