In a recent interview with Jump Metal, PRIMAL FEAR vocalist Ralf Scheepers stated about the musical direction of the band's upcoming album: "It's not so far away [from what we've done in the past], because we have our style, you know. It was hard for us to imagine… because [2012's] 'Unbreakable' was a pretty tough... and really, in our ears, pretty great album, and for us, it was somehow hard to top it. But as soon as we started to write the new songs, and as soon as I heard what Mat and Magnus [Karlsson, guitar] did in the first place — because then they sent me some stuff and I added my ideas on it — I just thought, 'Wow, this is amazing.' And in the end, it really turned out to be a better album than 'Unbreakable'."

Earlier this week, Bach responded to a question on Twitter, saying he was asked to join MÖTLEY CRÜE more than two decades ago. But Sixx disputed that account, telling the listeners of his "Sixx Sense" radio show that Bach's claim that was "absolutely not true. At the time that Vince left MÖTLEY CRÜE in 1990… '89… '90.. somewhere in there… '91… [Sebastian] was in SKID ROW and SKID ROW was on top of the world," Sixx said. "And [Dave] Snake [Sabo], their guitar player, was one of my very best friends. So I think I would remember that.

"I don't know where Sebastian got this. I think maybe Sebastian wanted to be in MÖTLEY CRÜE and just forgot to tell us that he wanted to be in MÖTLEY CRÜE when we were looking for a singer. Which I don't think we would have taken him anyway, just because of our friends from SKID ROW."

Sixx added, "Sebastian Bach was never part of this master plan, that's for sure. So I wanted people to know that."

Earlier tonight, Bach posted the following lengthy statement on his official Facebook page:

"Well, it's not every day you wake up to one of your childhood heroes calling you a liar. Either that, or Nikki Sixx's memory needs some serious 'refreshing.'

"What the fuck is Twitter? Twitter is the new rock magazine of the modern age.

"When I was a kid, we had magazines and journalists and interviews and articles and pinups and posters to follow our favourite artists. Nowadays? Twitter is actually the new rock magazine.

"Last week I answered one tweet with three words. Some fan asked me if I was 'ever approached to join MÖTLEY CRÜE.' My tweet, in response to this, was: 'not approached. asked.' Literally three words.

"The next day I woke up and saw that my tweet had actually become headline news on every single rock music website. Every single rock music radio station. Every single rock news outlet, radio, web, or print, was reporting 'Sebastian Bach asked to join MOTLEY CRUE.'

"I laughed that all of these supposed 'news outlets' have nothing better to do then go to my Twitter page to manufacture 'news' stories.

"None of these 'news stories' had any actual quotes by me. Or anything that I actually said. Every single article just copied and pasted my tweet.

"It is incredible to me that my Twitter feed is a source of 'news' for every rock news outlet around the world.

"Everybody knows that Nikki Sixx is in control of MÖTLEY CRÜE.

"When I woke up that next day and saw every headline of every news outlet 'Sebastian Bach asked to join MÖTLEY CRÜE', 'MÖTLEY CRÜE Sebastian Bach blah blah blah blah blah,' I was laughing, because this is extremely old news. I could envision Nikki Sixx seeing his band's name 'MÖTLEY CRÜE' in every single news article and saying, 'Hey, I am MÖTLEY CRÜE! What the fuck is all this?'

"And now today I wake up to the headline that Nikki Sixx himself is on his radio station actually talking about my tweet.

"It is incredible to me that Nikki Sixx, one of my childhood heroes, would go on his radio station to talk about one single tweet that I made. I did not realize that my tweets were this newsworthy. It blows my mind that Nikki Sixx is on his radio station talking about one tweet that I made in response to a fan.

"Why people are constantly fixated on what happened in 1991 is completely beyond me. But that's just the way it is.

"What did they say about the '80s? If you remembered it, you weren't really there? A perfect example of this would be Nikki Sixx's book 'The Heroin Diaries'. In his 'diary,' Nikki tells a story about the 'Theater Of Pain' tour and how I kicked in the window of the CNE Stadium door on the afternoon of the show and let all of the fans in at three in the afternoon. Being that his book is a 'diary,' you would think that this would be accurate information. But in actual fact, this whole incident did not even happen on the 'Theater Of Pain' tour. In fact, this incident occurred on the 'Shout At The Devil' tour. About 3 or 4 years before 'Theatre Of Pain'.

"So does that mean Nikki Sixx's 'claim' that his 'book' is a 'diary' is 'absolutely not true?' Do I think Nikki Sixx is actually 'lying?' Not really. I am sure that all of the heroin and partying and drinking would affect a man's memory. The simple fact is that, I did indeed kick in the doors... on the 'Shout At The Devil' tour. Not the 'Theater Of Pain' tour.

"Who even cares? What does this even matter, anyways?

"Vince Neil is the singer of MÖTLEY CRÜE. He always has been, and he always will be. Vince Neil is the voice, frontman, and singer of MÖTLEY CRÜE. Now and forever.

So, Nikki Sixx is either calling me a liar, or his memory is wrong in this instance. I am willing to assume the latter.

"The fact of the matter is I was not only asked to join MÖTLEY CRÜE… I actually REHEARSED with the band MÖTLEY CRÜE.

"I was driven to rehearsal by Tommy Lee [MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer] and I spent a full day singing the MÖTLEY CRÜE set with the band MÖTLEY CRÜE. In front of their whole road crew.

"I remember the songs that Nikki asked me to sing that day. I remember the whole road crew's ecstatic reaction to us jamming together all day. And I remember Nikki's very generous, kind offer, at the end of our rehearsal, for me to join the band MÖTLEY CRÜE. I remember his exact words, that he said to me in front of his whole road crew, Tommy, and Mick [Mars, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist] as well.

"It's not every day that your hero asks you to join his band.

"I remember everything about that day.... including what kind of sandwich Tommy Lee had for lunch.

"I will tell this complete story in my upcoming book.

"This was not just a simple offer to 'join a band.' I rehearsed with the band. I spoke to their management on the phone days later about Nikki's offer. It was a big deal involving record companies, management companies, and all sorts of business dealings.

"Maybe Nikki doesn't remember that day. But I find it hard to believe that I would spend a day rehearsing with the band, at their official rehearsal hall, do the set with them, in front of their whole road crew, and Nikki doesn't remember this?

"Oh, well.

"I will tell the complete story of Nikki offering me to join MÖTLEY CRÜE in my upcoming book, which will be arriving on bookshelves soon.

"I am not simply 'making this up.'

"Thank you all for enjoying my Twitter page so very much.

"I am not a liar.

"I am working on my book right now and I look forward to you all reading it.

On the status of his solo band:

"We just finished up mixing the new EP from myself and THE ILLEGALS, and it's very different — very, very, very different than [Anselmo's solo debut] 'Walk Through Exits Only'. And that EP will be available for the Housecore Horror Film Festival at the end of October in an seven-inch version and then we'll probably release it digitally shortly thereafter. It's two songs. I think we're gonna keep it simple and just call it the 'Housecore Horror Film Festival' EP — just keep it very, very simply; straight to the point."

On whether the new songs from his solo project are more melodic or more extreme than "Walk Through Exits Only":

"I think a little bit of both. I think there is points in it where there is a different use of vocal, where I guess you could say, yes, it's more melodic, to a certain degree, in spots. And then, maybe for some people it might be even more extreme musically in spots as well. Either way, it is very extreme, but it does touch on different, I guess, avenues of extremity."

On DOWN's plans for the immediate future:

"As of yesterday, September 10, DOWN wrote the first new song for the next EP. So we're gonna get back to work on that tomorrow. And we should have another song knocked out by tomorrow. And we're looking to release that fucker in the first quarter of next year. These are skeletons so far, but they are very, very strong skeletons. I think this first song that we wrote is very, very BLACK SABBATH-infused DOWN and very raw and heavy and I'm very happy with it."

Interview (audio):

Sep. 20 - Akron, OH @ Ripper's Rock HouseSep. 21 - Indianapolis, IN @ Old National Centre Indianapolis Metal FestivalOct. 12 - Charleston, WV @ The Blue ParrotOct. 16 - Brooklyn, NY @ Club Europa CMJ Metal Insider ShowcaseNov. 07 - Richmond, VA @ The Canal ClubNov. 08 - Chesapeake, VA @ Roger's Pub

The "Byzantine" cover artwork was designed by David Friedmann, the winner of the contest the band launched on MetalSucks.

BYZANTINE was first discovered by LAMB OF GOD and released three highly respected albums and completed several major tours before calling in quits in 2008, just after the release of their most respected effort, "Oblivion Beckons". Last year, the band entered the studio to begin work on the new CD.

After some serious detective work tracking down the original album master tapes, the band went in with producer Josh Wilbur (who also produced LAMB OF GOD's "Wrath" and "Resolution" CDs) and gave "Palaces" a full-on, ass-kicking remix and remaster, front to back, top to bottom. The remixed version of "Palaces" is now how they had originally intended it to be.

To go along with the album re-release, LAMB OF GOD also shot a brand new DVD documentary recounting the recording process and the stories behind the music which features new interviews with original producer Devin Townsend, the band members and current producer, Josh Wilbur.

LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler comments: "We are lucky to have the opportunity, a decade after our first attempt, to bring what I consider to be our master work up to speed sonically.

"Ever since the original release, we've been distraught about the sonic qualities of 'As The Palaces Burn'.

"The band had captured lightning in a bottle and the budget limitation of a sophomore album turned our lightning into a firefly in a jar.

"The songs are undeniable and we've always been very proud of how this album launched our career. It feels appropriate to revisit now that we can and give this very special album the chance to reach our original hopes and it's true potential."

"As The Palaces Burn" 10th-anniversary edition track listing:

01. Ruin 02. As The Palaces Burn 03. Purified 04. 11th Hour 05. For Your Malice 06. Boot Scraper 07. A Devil In God’s Country 08. In Defense Of Our Good Name 09. Blood Junkie 10. Vigil 11. Ruin (previously unreleased demo) 12. As The Palaces Burn (previously unreleased demo) 13. Blood Junkie (previously unreleased demo)

To order "As The Palaces Burn" 10th-anniversary edition, go to this location.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hangar 18 02. Wake Up Dead 03. In My Darkest Hour 04. Sweating Bullets 05. Kingmaker 06. Tornado Of Souls 07. Symphony Of Destruction 08. Peace Sells

Encore:

09. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

MEGADETH's latest album, "Super Collider", has sold 66,000 copies in the United States since its June 4 release. The CD arrived in stores via MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine's new label, Tradecraft, distributed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). It marks MEGADETH's first release since the band's split with Roadrunner Records.

In a recent interview with Metal Insider, MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson stated about the band's decision to release the new album via the group's own label, "The whole imprint idea is that we pretty much just put our logo on our own record [laughs], but we use the muscle of Universal Music Group around the world to push it out and to use all of their marketing and distribution, which is what you want.

"Anyone can start a label, but if you're just selling them out of your post office box, you're gonna sell about two copies versus having it distributed around the world. So major-label distribution obviously makes all the difference in the world. And we noticed that when we went from 'Killing Is My Business' to the 'Peace Sells' record years ago."

Regarding the songwriting process for "Super Collider", Ellefson said: "We worked with [producer] Johnny K on the last record, so we already had the getting-to-know-each-other experience on that record; that was kind of the first date and this was more digging into the songs on the record and had a good idea of what we were going into when we started it. And, really, the songs were laid out in October and we did the 'Countdown To Extinction' 20th-anniversary tour, and by the time we were ready to start tracking at the end of December, we had a good road map of where we wanted to go and there were a lot of tunes that were already on the deck and ready."

He added: "We're a band now that is always on tour, so we always try to find little windows to make records in between. [laughs] So yeah, we were already laying out the record during the last world tour. And we knew once we were rolling off the road that we were going to go in and start tracking. January gave us the opportunity to write about six more tunes, which also included bringing in the cover song of [THIN LIZZY's] 'Cold Sweat'.

"We've always done covers, for the most part, of bands that don't really exist anymore, even BLACK SABBATH at the time didn't exist when we did 'Paranoid'. Nancy Sinatra, of course, the SEX PISTOLS, you know, so at the time we were doing this, it was all artists from a past day. That's what made the THIN LIZZY song a great tune — the fact that that lineup will never exist ever again I think made it cool for us to be able to take the torch and run with it."

2014 will mark the 20th anniversary of PANTERA's seventh album, "Far Beyond Driven", and the band is planning to re-release a special edition for fans. According to The Pulse Of Radio, Anselmo chatted about the album with Artisan News saying, "Considering its contents, it is the heaviest record to come in at No. 1, and yes, there is a fucking goddamn re-release coming up. I don't know anything, really, about it other than, yes, it's gonna re-released with live footage from said show, but I can't name the show yet, because I think it's a fight between two different shows. And you never know. I'm trying to think of specialties or whatnot that will be included as well."

Anselmo went on to discuss the band's success saying, "The chemistry within PANTERA... In the early days, they were very guarded about what I said here and there. And then, finally, by 'Vulgar Display Of Power', it was, like, 'Just let me handle the lyrics.' And then by 'Far Beyond Driven', I was saying anything I fucking wanted to fucking really fucking sing about, man."

Anselmo's first-ever solo album, "Walk Through Exits Only", sold around 8,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Produced by Anselmo and Michael Thompson, and recorded over the past couple of years at Philip's New Orleans studio, Nodferatu's Lair, with his band THE ILLEGALS — guitarist Marzi Montazeri (ex-SUPERJOINT RITUAL) and José Manuel Gonzales — "Walk Through Exits Only" is abrasive, aggressive, anthemic and 100% Anselmo.

A short video message from the studio can be seen below.

Says Bach: "We have a special bass player playing on this record, but we're not allowed to say who it is yet, because he's so important. But every one of you know who he is. And stay tuned for the announcement on who's playing the bass in your face."

The guitars on Bach's new album will be performed by Devin Bronson (AVRIL LAVIGNE, PINK) and Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL). There will also be songwriting contributions from guitarist John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, ex-MARILYN MANSON), who co-wrote the song "TunnelVision" on "Kicking & Screaming". Making a guest appearance on the CD will be bassist Duff McKagan (DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED, VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES).

Bach previously stated about his new material: "It is going to be balls-out, kick-ass rock 'n' roll with tons of vocal histrionics and harmonies especially… I am going to really concentrate on harmonies and pushing my voice to the maximum you have ever heard it pushed. The riffs are crazy and cool."

Asked if he feels "Kicking & Screaming" got enough credit from the rock community and the fans, Bach told "The Classic Metal Show" in a recent interview: "Yeah. To be on the Billboard chart again is enough credit for me. I like being on the chart. It's cool that I can put out an album that competes on the charts in this day and age.

He added: "I'm not trying to remind anybody of the past; that's the opposite of what I'm trying to do. I never was doing that.

"I don't understand the nostalgia factor of rock and roll fans at all. When SKID ROW came out in 1989, we weren't singing songs that were 20 years old, we were singing songs that we just wrote. That's what I'm doing today; that's what I was doing then. So I don't get that whole idea at all."

Bach's brand new CD/DVD package, "ABachalypse Now", was released in North America on March 26 via Frontiers Records. The "ABachalypse Now" Ultimate CD/DVD Edition includes never-before-seen footage from last year's Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Dessel, Belgium, the full never-before-seen Hellfest set from France and the fully-remixed and remastered Nokia show from Los Angeles (originally broadcast on AXS TV), as well as bonus music videos. The DVD contains a running time of nearly 160 minutes. "ABachalypse Now" was made available in two configurations: the Ultimate CD/DVD Edition (2 CDs + DVD) and a standalone DVD.

Asked by Italian web radio Linearock.it in a June 2012 interview what the reason is for the frequent lineup changes in his solo band, Bach said, "It's a very easy answer. It's all to do with finance. If you get paid a certain amount of money, you can't pay to play… If I tell a guy in my band, 'This is what we're getting. We all have to split it.' Some guys will be like, 'Fuck that!' And I'm like, 'You know what?! Bye!' [laughs] 'Cause it's a business. When you see me change bandmembers, it's usually a business decision."

BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler told the Chicago Sun-Times that the band's current tour could very well be his last. Asked why he thought that, Butler explained, "I don't know. I just got a feeling. It's getting tough, it really is. I can't lie about that. I'm old now. It really is tough going on every night. You wake up the next day, all the pains you never had before. I don't want to go onstage for the sake of the money. You have to have a lot pride in yourself, and I honestly think I'm coming to the end of the top of my job." Butler also said that he's enjoying the current SABBATH tour, adding, "I've always said as long as I can play, as long as I can do it to a good level, then I'll keep doing it, because I still really enjoy playing. I'll know when the day comes I can't do this anymore, can't play to my usual standards. That's when I won't go out anymore. I won't do that to me self. But at the moment, I just love playing with the band. It probably will be the last time, will probably be the last tour. But I want to go out on a high. The band is playing really well at the moment."

Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and singer Ozzy Osbourne reunited in late 2011 to record their first new album together in 35 years. Original drummer Bill Ward was on board at first but dropped out over contract disputes.

Progress on the record was slowed first by Ward's departure and then by Iommi's January 2012 cancer diagnosis.

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio that the band members knew this might be their last chance to make an album together. "We knew as a band that people were gonna go, 'Oh yeah. they're going in the studio again, it's never gonna happen,' you know," he said. "So we just marched through all the problems and did an album, you know, with Rick Rubin."

The disc, which came out this past June, became the first SABBATH album in the band's 43-year history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

In an interview with FestivalBlog.be, Holopainen stated about his guest appearance on the track: "It's just an incredible thing because this album called 'Tears Laid In Earth' from 1994 is my all time number one album. It's my favorite album of all time and I'm not exaggerating when I say that listening to this album made me form NIGHTWISH. I wanted to do something similar. That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard — female voice, atmospheric metal; I wanted to do something similar. So I owe everything to this band and this album. And then Kari contacted me saying, 'I'm doing a cover of the song 'Why So Lonely' for my solo album, Would you like to come and play the piano and the keyboard for that song?' And I [said 'Yes'], like, immediately, I mean, this is an unbelievable coincidence. I did it last May." Rueslåtten's natural talent, combined with classical training and roots in the Norwegian folk music tradition, has resulted in a voice that is difficult to describe. Her music has been compared with artists like Tori Amos, Kate Bush and Bjørk, maybe not necessarily because the music sounds very similar, but because of each artist's distinctive vocal delivery. Rueslåtten will start the recording of her brand new, 10-song album this fall. The CD will be tracked at Øra Studio in Trondheim and produced by Jostein Ansnes, one of Norway's best guitarists, known for his work with the critically acclaimed Norwegian band DADAFON with singer Kristin Asbjørnsen. Rueslåtten in 2005 her solo debut, "Spindelsinn" (originally issued in 1997 via Sony Music Norway), re-released through GMR Music Group's Peach Music label. The CD was re-mastered and featured two bonus live tracks.

Rueslåtten's fourth solo album, "Other People's Stories", was released in 2005 via GMR/Peach Music. The follow-up to 2002's "Pilot" was previously described as "filled with [Kari's] best songs to date as well as wonderfully produced." A live video was shot for the album's title track.

The original THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL version of "Why So Lonely" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

"Afterwords" track listing:

01. S.I.B.A.L.D.02. Echoes Keep Growing03. Afterwords04. Tuning In, Fading Out05. Areas06. Gemini III07. Afterlights08. Sleep Paralysis09. Bärenfels

The song "Afterwords" can now be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

THE GATHERING has scheduled shows in The Netherlands, Norway and France in November. This will mark the band's first time playing in Norway since 2001, and the first THE GATHERING show for singer Silje Wergeland — who was previously in the Norwegian band OCTAVIA SPERATI — on her home turf.

THE GATHERING's latest album, "Disclosure", was released on September 12, 2012 via the band's own Psychonaut Records. The CD cover artwork was created by the Chilean artist Carlos Vergara Rivera.

In addition to Edling, AVATARIUM features Marcus Jidell (ROYAL HUNT, EVERGREY) on guitar, Lars Sköld (TIAMAT) on drums, Carl Westholm on keyboards and Jennie-Ann Smith on vocals.

AVATARIUM's first release will be a 12-inch mini-LP, "Moonhorse", featuring the title track, the B-side "Boneflower" as well as an acoustic cover version of BLACK SABBATH's "War Pigs". It will arrive on on September 20.

The cover artwork for "Avatarium" was Swedish artist Erik Rovamperä, who has previously worked with CANDLEMASS.

Commented Erik: "As opposed to many contemporary artists eager to express their inner emotional turmoil, my ambitions as a painter stand first and foremost from a lifelong love of hard-rockin' music and the inherently darker iconography of that genre.

"I'm seldom one to channel personal experiences in my art but rather view my work as part of the heavy metal tradition forged by likes of Derek Riggs, Ken Kelly and many more.

"In the specific chase of AVATARIUM, my sources of inspiration have come to include the heretical idolatry of the pre-Christianized cults throughout ancient Europe and esoteric allegories of the late medieval secret societies."

Jidell has the following to say about the birth of "Avatarium": "We are very proud to present the first, but not the last, AVATARIUM album to you.

"When we started to demo the songs on this album, we had one thing that we thought was extremely important: we wanted to make music that was heavy, dark and poetic. Also, we had an urge to make an album with a very organic sound and no fixing and trixing in computers but just try to make great emotional music.

"During the whole process, we have been looking for feeling rather than trying to make everything technically perfect. "I think that everything really came together the first day Jennie-Ann came in the studio and sung 'Moonhorse'. She had everything we looked for in a singer: rock 'n' roll attitude, jazz and blues feel, a big and powerful voice and yet so able to be fragile and extremely tender in her interpretation of the songs.

"If you like heavy, dark riffs and big guitars, emotional, raw and bluesy vocals, thunderous and groovy drums, I am quite sure that you'll like AVATARIUM." "Avatarium" track listing: CD:

01. Moonhorse02. Pandora's Egg03. Avatarium04. Boneflower05. Bird Of Prey06. Tides Of Telepathy07. Lady In The Lamp 2LP:

Side A

01. Moonhorse02. Pandora's Egg

Side B

01. Avatarium02. Boneflower

Side C

01. Bird Of Prey02. Tides Of Telepathy

Side D

01. Lady In The Lamp

AVATARIUM is:

Leif Edling: BassJennie-Ann Smith: VocalsMarcus Jidell: GuitarLars Sköld: DrumsCarl Westholm: Keyboards

Hailing from Kolbotn, Norway (the home of DARKTHRONE), OBLITERATION are true heirs to a long line of gritty Scandinavian death metal. "Black Death Horizon" both invokes the classics of the genre and puts a new and fresh spin on the sound to make it their own. DARKTHRONE's Fenriz himself hails "Black Death Horizon" as "a brand new old, organic-sounding death metal masterpiece."

"Black Death Horizon" track listing:

01. The Distant Sun (They Are The Key)02. Goat Skull Crown03. Transient Passage04. Ascendance (Sol Invictus)05. Sepulchral Rites06. Black Death Horizon07. Churning Magma

The band plans to return to North America in early 2014 in support of their new record.

A video trailer for the CD featuring album artwork created by visionary artists Dehn Sora and Aeron Alfrey can be seen below.

Ignited by commitment and passion, "Hemmed By Light, Shaped By Darkness" is a multi-layered hybrid of death metal, jazz and post rock, and a strong statement from a band never bounded by rules. With intuition set as the only significant parameter, EPHEL DUATH takes an uncompromising will to experiment, to a whole new level of intensity. "This album holds together all that EPHEL DUATH's music has touched in the last fifteen years and pushes its boundaries even further," comments EPHEL DUATH mainman Davide Tiso. "Lyrically, the new songs dig deep in higher self subject matters, combining brutally visual imagery with a painfully honest soul-searching quest." Featuring eight new songs and reaching over 50 minutes of total length, "Hemmed By Light, Shaped By Darkness" includes a unique line-up of: Marco Minnemann (KREATOR, NECROPHAGIST, JOE SATRIANI) behind the drums, Bryan Beller (DETHKLOK, JOE SATRIANI) on bass, lead singer Karyn Crisis (CRISIS) along with Tiso. The album was produced by Erik Rutan (CANNIBAL CORPSE, HATE ETERNAL) at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida and mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Studios in New York. "Hemmed By Light, Shaped By Darkness" track listing:

01. Feathers Under My Skin02. Tracing The Path Of Blood03. When Mind Escapes Flesh04. Within This Soil05. Those Gates To Nothing06. Through Flames I Shield07. Hemmed By Light08. Shaped by Darkness "Hemmed By Light, Shaped By Darkness" will be available in digipack CD, double LP and digital formats.

"Live At Sweden Rock - 30th Anniversary Show" track listing:

01. Riches To Rags02. Firebox03. Not Supposed To Sing The Blues04. Scream Of Anger05. Superstitious06. No Stone Unturned07. New Love In Town08. In The Future To Come09. Paradize Bay10. Girl From Lebanon11. Prisoners In Paradise12. Always The Pretenders13. Drink And A Smile14. Open Your Heart15. Love Is Not The Enemy16. Sign Of The Times17. Start From The Dark18. Wings Of Tomorrow19. Carrie20. Jailbreak (feat. Scott Gorham)21. Seven Doors Hotel22. Drum Solo23. The Beast24. Let The Good Times Rock25. Lights Out (feat. Michael Schenker)26. Rock The Night27. Last Look At Eden28. The Final Countdown

A performance clip of the song "The Final Countdown" can be seen below.

For the record: today's version of EUROPE is identical to the classic "The Final Countdown" lineup: Joey Tempest (vocals), John Norum (guitar), John Levén (bass), Mic Michaeli (keyboards) and Ian Haugland (drums).

"Bag Of Bones" was released in Europe on April 27, 2012 via earMusic/Edel. The CD, which features a guest appearance by blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), was produced by Kevin Shirley, who has previously worked with IRON MAIDEN, Joe Bonamassa, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, BLACK STONE CHERRY and JOURNEY, among others.

Originally part of the road crew for fellow countrymen CELTIC FROST, CORONER went on to become one of the most progressive extreme metal acts of the Eighties. The connection between the Zurich band and CELTIC FROST was so strong, in fact, that CELTIC FROST frontman Tom G. Warrior offered to handle vocals for the emerging band's demo. Warrior and CORONER entered Switzerland's Magnetix studio on October 10, 1985, and nine days later they walked out with the impressive four-song 1986 release, "Death Cult". While subsequent bootlegged CDs included the bonus tracks of "Arrogance in Uniform" and "Hate, Fire, Blood", the original four-track demo consisted of the following tracks: "Spectators of Sin", "Spiral Dream", "Aerial Combat" and "The Invincible". (Only "Spiral Dream" would make it onto CORONER's 1987 debut LP, "R.I.P.")

According to The BNR Metal Pages, CORONER "progressed from the raw speed of 'R.I.P.' to the more laidback style of 'Grin', releasing five albums (not counting the semi-compilation 'Coroner' album) that are all different and yet all are undeniably related, and undeniably CORONER. The band called it a day in 1994, actually before the release of 'Coroner', with Marky Edelmann joining APOLLYON SUN and Tommy T. Baron going to KREATOR, though neither is still with those bands."

Comments WITHIN TEMPTATION frontwoman Sharon Den Adel: "When we had written the first version of 'Paradise' and listened back to the demo we'd recorded and the epic power of the song, we thought of Tarja instantly. How well this track would fit her classical voice and how extra special it would be if we sang it together. The more we thought about this wild idea, the more excited we got about it!"

Following several video trailers teasing the track, fans have been speculating on the band's Facebook page who the duet would be with, some guessing it couldn't possibly be a "competing" artist like Tarja. However, the two singers had no hesitation joining forces, having never thought of themselves as competitors. Sharon continues: "Of course I didn't know what to expect from Tarja, as we'd never actually met in person 'till June this year. Our first encounter was via a Skype call we'd set-up to discuss the collaboration and we immediately clicked, not only creatively but personally. After we'd spoken, it felt completely natural that we would do this together!"

Tarja adds: "It was very nice to finally meet Sharon and the WITHIN TEMPTATION guys. I truly appreciate the invitation and the opportunity to work with them on their song 'Paradise'. So wonderful that they thought of me! I hope our fans will like this 'girl power' duet!"

The song and accompanying music video share a central theme; that only constructive cooperation can lead to creation. To establish a new paradise, rising from the ashes of the old, we must work together.

For the first time, WITHIN TEMPTATION has also decided to give fans a very intimate insight into how they capture their song ideas early on. The EP will contain three additional tracks — demo versions of brand new songs intended for the forthcoming album. The demos include "Let Us Burn", "Silver Moonlight" and "Dog Days". Despite the demo versions missing intended symphonic, orchestral sounds and a finished mix, the powerful energy surging through the tracks can be heard right from the start.

The duet between Sharon and Tarja is just one facet of the new material. WITHIN TEMPTATION guitarist Robert Westerholt reveals: "For the first time, WITHIN TEMPTATION will release an album with several artistic collaborations, some of which will be seen as groundbreaking for our band and musical style."

Consequently, the recording and production of the sixth studio album is still underway. With a release date set for end of January 2014, it is therefore necessary to reschedule the previously announced first leg of the band's worldwide tour to allow time to rehearse the live show and prepare for the album's release.

The band's world tour will now begin on February 26, 2014 in Helsinki, with some newly added Eastern European dates, announced today, which will go on sale on Friday, September 20. The rescheduled shows will kick off on April 6 in Munich and run through to May 2 in Amsterdam. The band intends to add further overseas dates during the remainder of 2014.

Robert says: "We understand that the rescheduled tour dates are a blow for the many fans who have bought tickets early and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. We hope they feel a little compensated by the release of our new, special priced four-song EP, which gives them full insight into the kind of album we are working on. To make up for the rescheduled dates, we're now pressured to work even harder to deliver our best and most impressive live production ever on the upcoming tour. However, the completion of a great new album is a prerequisite for that! And therefore the only option was to reschedule the dates for Western Europe."

Tickets that have been purchased already will remain valid for the rescheduled dates.

Pre-order of the digital EP starts today, September 13.

"Paradise (What About Us?)" track listing:

01. Paradise (What About Us?) (feat. Tarja Turunen)02. Let Us Burn (demo version)03. Silver Moonlight (demo version)04. Dog Days (demo version)

Neil was fired from MÖTLEY CRÜE in 1992 due to personal differences and was replaced by John Corabi. With Corabi on vocals, MÖTLEY CRÜE released one critically acclaimed full-length CD, which ended up being a commercial failure in the wake of grunge despite a Top-Ten placing on the album chart.

Asked by a fan on Twitter if he was ever considered to replace Vince in MÖTLEY CRÜE, Bach replied that he was not just "considered" but that he was actually "asked" by CRÜE if he wanted to join the band as its new lead singer. He then added that the story of how close he came to becoming a member of MÖTLEY CRÜE might be included in his upcoming autobiography, which he is currently working on and for which he recently revealed that he had "a big offer from a big book company."

When another fan pressed Bach on why the singer turned down the offer to join MÖTLEY CRÜE, Bach replied: "The short answer is that I actually thought at the time this band SKID ROW was better." Sebastian then added, "Gee, I sure know how to pick 'em."

Speaking on a recent edition of his "Sixx Sense" radio show, Sixx addressed Bach's comments, telling his listeners (hear audio below): "I read something online. It's not true, and I wanna talk about it a little bit.

"Sebastian Bach, who was the lead singer from SKID ROW — and I still think he should still be in SKID ROW, and I've talked to all of them about that many times; they just can't along — he says that MÖTLEY CRÜE wanted him to replace Vince Neil. And I'm just gonna say right now that is absolutely not true.

"At the time that Vince left MÖTLEY CRÜE in 1990… '89… '90.. somewhere in there… '91… [Sebastian] was in SKID ROW and SKID ROW was on top of the world. And [Dave] Snake [Sabo], their guitar player, was one of my very best friends. So I think I would remember that.

"I don't know where Sebastian got this. I think maybe Sebastian wanted to be in MÖTLEY CRÜE and just forgot to tell us that he wanted to be in MÖTLEY CRÜE when we were looking for a singer. Which I don't think we would have taken him anyway, just because of our friends from SKID ROW."

Asked by his "Sixx Sense" co-host Kerri Kasem if it's possible that one of the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE may have drunkenly told Bach at a bar somewhere that Sebastian "should be" the new lead singer of MÖTLEY CRÜE, Sixx replied: "We were all sober at the time. That was part of the problem — that Vince wasn't sober and we all were. And that's kind of part of what the big blowup [with Vince] was all about.

"In the end, we should have worked through our differences — MÖTLEY CRÜE should have, with Vince, and been where we are today — but we didn't. We were young, and we didn't have managers at the time who were strong enough to say, 'Hey, guys, this is the wrong thing to do.' But Sebastian Bach was never part of this master plan, that's for sure. So I want people to know that."

The new CHIODOS album will be released in 2014 through a newly created band label imprint via Razor & Tie. The CD will feature a re-solidified band lineup comprised of founding members Bradley Bell (keyboards, vocals), Pat Mcmanaman (guitar), Derrick Frost (drums), and Matt Goddard (bass) who reunited with charismatic founding frontman Craig Owens (vocals). The album will also serve as an introduction to the band's newest member, Thomas Erak (guitar, vocals), formerly of THE FALL OF TROY.

Comments Owens: "We're excited to be working with Dave Bottrill on this new CHIODOS record. Some of the records he's done have influenced the band and helped us define what we've become. MUSE, TOOL and SILVERCHAIR are all at the top of our list, and it's amazing to be working with someone that's already been a part of our history, indirectly. So for the next two months, we'll be hiding out in the woods of upstate New York, in a hollowed out church-turned-studio, creating what is to be the next chapter of this crazy CHIODOS journey."

Adds Bell: "One of my favorite aspects of being a musician is the experience that comes along with going into the studio. It's one of those things you can't really plan for and just have to let the music and relationships take you down their paths organically. To be able to do this with this group of guys is going to be very exciting, and we get the pleasure of working with David Bottrill to top it off, whom I've been a fan of for years."

"The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 2", the second half of a two-record set, is due to arrive on November 19 via via Prospect Park in North America and Eleven Seven in all other territories.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH frontman Ivan Moody explains the meaning behind "Battle Born": "After getting off the road from two years of touring, I was physically and emotionally drained. It felt like I’d seen almost every inch of the globe and shook every hand there was to shake. I completely lost track of time, the flights, the travel, the shows all seemed to blur together. My family and friends became a distant memory. Even though I was doing what I'd dreamed of doing, it took all the energy that I had… it was exhausting. That made me realize, everything worth fighting for you will actually HAVE TO fight for. Every wish, every dream, every idea comes to existence only through blood, sweat and sacrifice… We are all battle born."

"The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 2" track listing:

01. Here To Die02. Weight Beneath My Sin03. Wrecking Ball04. Battle Born05. Cradle To the Grave06. Matter Of Time07. The Agony Of Regret08. Cold09. Let This Go10. My Heart Lied11. A Day In My Life12. House Of The Rising Sun

Even though the band recorded two albums worth of material this time around, singer Ivan Moody told The Pulse Of Radio he's not a fan of working in the studio. "No, I don't spend a lot of time in the studio, man," he said. "I truly don't. I'll be in there when I have to. I hate the containment, I can't stand the schedule crap. The monotony drives me frickin' crazy, you know, 'Do it again, do it again, let's try that again,' and it's just, it's so frustrating to me. Sitting in the booth and feeling like, basically it's just a cold, dead coffin, and a lot of the time people want to know why my lyrics are so angry — that has a lot to do with it."

The first half of "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell" came out on July 30 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart, selling 113,000 copies in its first week of release.

The first single from "Volume 1", "Lift Me Up", featured JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford and hit the top of the rock radio chart.

"Volume 1" has sold more than 224,000 copies to date. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's three previous albums have all gone gold for sales of 500,000 copies or more.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will kick off a North American fall tour at the Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, California on September 15.

CANCER in 2005 released a "comeback" studio album, entitled "Spirit In Flames", on the Copro label. The group's first full-length studio album (fifth overall) since 1995's "Black Faith" was recorded over a three-week period at Philia studios in Henley on Thames, England. An EP, entitled "Corporation$", preceded the "Spirit In Flames" CD and was also released through Copro. Included on the effort was the group's cover version of the CELTIC FROST classic "Dethroned Emperor".

CANCER's most recent lineup included Stokes, Walker, bassist Adam Richardson, and guitarist Dave Leitch (PULVERISED). Leitch replaced Rob Engvikson in 2004 after Rob left the group to focus on his long-running ASATRU project.