Atlanta grind punks PRIMATE — who feature in their ranks the distinctive vocal stylings of Kevin Sharp (BRUTAL TRUTH), ripping fret-board antics by Bill Kelliher (MASTODON) and Mike Brennan, SST-style bass work and backing vocals by Dave Whitworth, and is rounded out by d-beat defender Shayne Huff — recently released their debut album, "Draw Back A Stump", internationally via Relapse Records.

After seeing a limited release by the band directly via a 1,000-run CD pressing in March 2011, "Draw Back A Stump" was made available on July 3 on CD, LP and deluxe digital download. The seven hymns from the initial version now include additional rhythm guitars and have been remixed and remastered, and are joined with three additional previously-unreleased bonus tracks on this edition.

Asked what PRIMATE's mindset was going into "Draw Back A Stump", Kelliher told ARTISTdirect.com, "When I joined the group, we had 15 or 16 songs. Some of them were only 30 seconds long though. For many of them, I was like, 'This song needs to be longer than that!' I'm not used to playing 30-second songs. We did two different versions of 'Get Off My Fucking Lawn'. We did a demo and a proper version when we signed with Relapse. Songs like that were really quick, and I said, 'We've got to make this longer. There's a lot of cool riffage. It's fucking badass!'"

He continued, "For the most part, PRIMATE is quick songs with catchy melodies here and there. That's another one of my favorite styles of music. I don't want to compare it to the RAMONES, but they had really quick songs.

"Leaving the audience wanting more is always a good thing. You don't want to over satisfy everybody. The songs are simple, and they don't need to be too long."

Kelliher also spoke about being split between playing the quick, punk-y style with PRIMATE and the more complex grandiose metal with MASTODON. "I grew up listening to punk rock," he said. "I honestly like a lot of stuff. I can't say just punk. Growing up, I listened to what was on the radio like BOSTON, LED ZEPPELIN, RUSH, and all of that good stuff. I couldn't play any of that shit, though. [laughs] So I resorted to punk. When I first heard that, I was like, 'This is awesome.' I was in a rebellious time period. It felt natural to me.

"I started my own band when I was, like, 15 years old, and I began playing heavy, fast punk. BLACK FLAG was one of my favorite bands. Greg Ginn is a big influence. As I got older and better at playing guitar, I started playing more progressive music. MASTODON formed.

"There are some spaz-y moments with MASTODON, but for the most part it's pretty precise and concise. For me, PRIMATE was a step back into the primordial 15-year-old me. We can let loose and do whatever we want. There are no rules or laws. It's not like we have to play the same part the same way each time with perfect notes. There's a little more freedom to spaz out."

"Draw Back A Stump" track listing:

01. Draw Back A Stump
02. Global Division
03. Hellbound
04. Silence of Violence [bonus]
05. Drinking and Driving
06. March of the Curmudgeon [bonus]
07. Wasted Youth
08. Pride
09. Get The Fuck Off My Lawn [bonus]
10. Reform?

PRIMATE is:

Kevin Sharp - Vocals
Mike Brennan - Guitar
Bill Kelliher - Guitar
Dave Whitworth - Bass/Vocals
Shayne Huff - Drums

On September 20, Eric of Full Metal Rock conducted an interview with CREED and ALTER BRIDGE guitarist Mark Tremonti at the Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan. You can now watch the chat below.

VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen made his first appearance as part of Tremonti's solo band last month at a show in Rhode Island. This marks the first time Wolfgang has played with anyone outside of his father Eddie, his uncle Alex and singer David Lee Roth.

Van Halen is replacing Tremonti's bandmate from CREED and ALTER BRIDGE, Brian Marshall, who is sitting out the Tremonti trek for undisclosed personal reasons. The other members of Tremonti's touring band include Eric Friedman on guitar and Garrett Whitlock on drums.

Tremonti is on the road behind his debut solo album, "All I Was", which came out this past July.

Slash has revealed via Facebook that he is "going into the studio tonight" to work on the score for the first horror film from the guitarist's production company, Slasher Films, called "Nothing To Fear". "It's really coming together," Slash added. "Sounds awesome so far."

Anthony Leonardi III, a creature artist and storyboard artist who worked on "Rango" and "47 Ronin", is directing the movie, which began shooting in May in Louisiana.

Slash told The Pulse Of Radio that he's looking forward to seeing how "Nothing To Fear" turns out. "It's [a] really good production team, the special effects people are great, the cast is great, the story's great — everything's great about it," he said. "And it will be interesting to see where this particular one, how it comes out and where it goes, 'cause we're planning on doing two a year."

"Nothing To Fear" has already been picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment.

The movie is the first of a proposed series of horror films produced by Slash's company, which he launched last year in partnership with two other producers.

"Nothing To Fear" is based on an actual town in Kansas, which, according to legend, is one of the seven gateways to Hell.

The company has three other films in development, including "Wake The Dead", which based on the graphic novels by Steven Niles, with Haley Joel Osment playing Victor Franklin, a college student experimenting with reversing death.

Slash described "Wake The Dead" in an interview as "basically a modern, young Frankenstein story about a brilliant college student who's discovered how to animate dead tissue — but he's a teenager so he goes overboard."

METALLICA is scheduled to enter the studio "soon" to begin work on its next full-length album, tentatively due in 2014. Speaking to RollingStone.com, the band's guitarist, Kirk Hammett, stated about the status of the songwriting process for the next CD, "Right now, we're kind of preoccupied with dealing with this 3D movie that we shot up in Canada last month. So that's kind of taking our time right now — that's the priority, to deal with that. But once we're done with that, we're going to start hunkering down and putting riffs together. That's all going to happen soon." Asked if METALICA's next album will once again be helmed by producer Rick Rubin, who worked on 2008's "Death Magnetic", Kirk said, "I really don't have an answer about Rick Rubin, although his name certainly comes up."

Hammett was also asked about the recent RollingStone.com readers' poll where METALLICA's third LP, "Master Of Puppets", was voted the "Greatest Heavy Metal Album Of All Time."

"[That was] amazing," Kirk said. "Totally and completely amazing to me. That album, for me, is my favorite METALLICA album. We had been playing together as a band with that lineup for about three years. We were definitely peaking, and 'Master Of Puppets', in my opinion, was the sound of a band really gelling and really learning how to work well together. At the time, we were just making another album. We had no idea it would have such a range of influence that it went on to have. It was the first time that we could spend time in the studio and work on guitar sounds for a couple of days, really experiment with different sounds and overdubs. It was just a good time for me . . . and I played a lot of poker with [late bassist] Cliff Burton in the studio. We'd just play poker, wait for Lars [Ulrich, drums] to finish a track — which would sometimes be days — and we'd be bored."

"Death Magnetic" was METALLICA's last under its contract with Warner Music Group — where the band has been making records since 1984.

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield told The Pulse Of Radio about the end of the band's contract with Warner, "It's kind of a good feeling to feel that you're free from any piece of paper that binds you to something. But over our career, we've learned a lot about record companies, the goods and evils of the business and this and that, and we're not very focused on that right now. It is what it is, and when it becomes time for us to either renegotiate or shop around or do things ourselves or something like that, we don't know. There's nothing but options, which is great."

METALLICA's 3D movie will reportedly mix concert footage with a storyline.

The band is financing the project itself and has hired "Predators" director Nimród Antal to get behind the camera. Antal filmed METALLICA's three concerts in Vancouver, Canada for use in the movie.

The show featured a brand new 140-foot-by-50-foot stage that included what a post at the band's web site called "colossal components and striking visual elements spanning METALLICA's entire 30-year career."

Photo below courtesy of Metallica.com

TheRockRevival.com 's Matt Bishop recently conducted an interview with KILL DEVIL HILL, the new band featuring legendary drummer Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, KILL DEVIL HILL) alongside Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) on bass, Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) on guitar and Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) on vocals. You can now watch the chat below.

KILL DEVIL HILL recently wrapped up a North American tour in support of its self-titled debut album, which was released earlier this year via Steamhammer/SPV.

The band will hit the road again in November, playing select headline dates and supporting legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper. This jaunt kicks off November 23 and runs through December 1.

The self-titled debut album from KILL DEVIL HILL sold around 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 9 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Kill Devil Hill" was produced by Warren Riker, who is best known for his work with DOWN, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SUBLIME and CATHEDRAL. The effort was made available in a standard CD edition, as an iTunes digital download, and double gatefold LP.

According to Appice, KILL DEVIL HILL's sound is "like a cross between BLACK SABBATH, ALICE IN CHAINS and a little bit of LED ZEPPELIN thrown in. It's heavy, but with a lot of cool hooks and melodic overtones, too."

The members of KILL DEVIL HILL previously stated about their songwriting and recording approach, "We are going old school meets new; no sample drums here!!"

KILL DEVIL HILL is:

* Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) - Vocals
* Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) - Guitar
* Rex Brown (DOWN, PANTERA) - Bass
* Vinny Appice (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, DIO) - Drums

Interview:



"War Machine" lyric video:

RockNLive.org recently conducted an interview with Canadian rocker Danko Jones. You can now watch the chat below.

DANKO JONES's new album, "Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue", will be released in North America on October 9.

Over the course of six full-length albums, DANKO JONES has forged a singular sound that draws equally from the blues, '60s garage, '70s hard rock, '80s hardcore, punky power-pop, Scandinavian metal, and classic stand-up comedy records without ever being fully defined by any of those sources. But while built from the same rudiments, each DANKO JONES record possesses a distinct sonic identity. "Born A Lion" (2002) brought the boogie and sledgehammer soul; "We Sweat Blood" (2003) was, by contrast, more anxious and aggro. "Sleep Is The Enemy" (2006) wielded the sharpest hooks. "Never Too Loud" (2008) was as slick as "Below The Belt" (2010) was stripped-down. But, compared to all that's come before, "Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue" is, hands down, the most emotional and, as a result, the most epic DANKO JONES album to date.

Now, don't be scared off by those E-words — there's not a children's choir, orchestra or piano ballad to be found within a 500-mile radius of this album. But what you hear on "Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue" is the DANKO JONES ideal blown up to skyscraping proportions, resulting in 13 tracks that are bolder, brasher, and brawnier than anything they've attempted before. The album is produced in full by their longtime partner in crime Matt DeMatteo and was mixed by Mike Fraser, known for his work with AC/DC, AEROSMITH, FRANZ FERDINAND and ELVIS COSTELLO, to name a few. It is also the first album recorded with "new" drummer Atom Willard — the sixth person in DANKO JONES history to hold the "drummer" title, but the first to stand on equal creative footing with Danko and his longtime foil, bassist John "JC" Calabrese. The man's résumé speaks for itself: Not only was Willard the driving percussive force behind Danko's all-time favorite San Diegan garage-punk armada ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT, he's also been keeping time for the multi-platinum likes of THE OFFSPRING, SOCIAL DISTORTION and ANGELS & AIRWAVES, so he knows how to drum his way around a massive tune.

The new DANKO JONES album follows the June release of "Bring On The Mountain" — a two-disc DVD featuring a 90-minute documentary, a short film, exclusive live clips from around the world and all the music videos they have ever done.

Interview:



"Just A Beautiful Day" video teaser:

Romanian female-fronted metal band MAGICA will release its sixth album, "Center Of The Great Unknown", on October 12 via AFM Records. The CD's cover artwork was created by Claudio Bergamin and can be seen below. The album is based on "The Diary Of Admiral" by R.E. Byrd, "Godess Of Atvatabar" by W. Bradshaw, "Beasts, Man And Gods" by F.A.Ossendowsky and a few more authors and adventurers.

According to a press release, "Fans can look forward to a diverse and powerful album, again very much effected by Ana's [Mladinovici] outstanding vocals and the guitar work of Bogdan Costea."

"Center Of The Great Unknown" track listing:

01. Center Of The Great Unknown
02. Masterspell
03. King Of The World
04. Open
05. The Earth Is Young?
06. Step Into The Night
07. No Horizon
08. One Angry Gaia
09. Mark Of Cain
10. Under The Auroras
11. Daca 2012 (bonus track)

The song "One Angry Gaia" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

MAGICA's fifth album, "Dark Diary", was released in May 2010 via AFM Records.

MAGICA is:

Ana Mladinovici - Vocals
Bogdan Costea - Guitar
Emy Burcea - Guitar
Tiberiu Dutu - Bass
Sebastian Natas - Drums

A one-and-a-half-minute video clip in which CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer answers the question, "What music inspired you?" can be seen below.

Keifer has inked a deal with Jack Ponti's Merovee Records, a joint venture with David Letterman's Worldwide Pants, for the release of his long-awaited debut solo album. Due in early 2013, the as-yet-untitled CD will feature 14 tracks that are described by Ponti as "intimate, organic, acoustic tracks to driving hard rock. It embraces the blues, rock and country roots." The lyrics will take an introspective look at the roller coaster ride that has been Keifer's life for the past 15 years. From being told that he would never sing again as a result of a partially paralyzed left vocal cord, to the emotional and personal battles that followed, his solo debut is a story of perseverance, a testament to the power of passion and will, when combined with a true love of music.

In a 2011 interview with Sweden's Metalshrine, Keifer was asked whether his solo album was going to be a whole lot different from CINDERELLA. Tom replied, "No, not really, because being the lead singer and the main songwriter and I did a lot of the guitar work in CINDERELLA, it's kind of hard to run from my sound. I had a lot of influence over those records so… I'm just doing what I do and that's hard rock inspired by blues and roots music. What I did in CINDERELLA is what I love to do and what I'm doing on my own is what I love to do. I try to be true to what I like. It's similar in that way, you know. Dynamically the records, the CINDERELLA records, and especially as they went on into 'Long Cold Winter' and 'Heartbreak Station', they had a lot of different flavors and colors and dynamics and different types of songs, which I always like because the bands that I grew up on, like, [LED] ZEPPELIN and THE [ROLLING] STONES, they really covered a lot of area musically. My solo record does that, too, and I think it makes for a more interesting record when it's not just the same song for 14 tracks."

Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen is working on his autobiography. Described as "the only real and true story written by Malmsteen himself," "Relentless", will be released in early 2013.

A trailer for the "Relentless" book can be seen below.

As previously reported, Malmsteen has launched an instructional web site, RelentlessShred.com.

If you become a member of the site, you will receive access to "exclusive, never-before-seen content," reads a message on the site.

Want to learn to play guitar — and actually impress? Dying to learn Yngwie's techniques? Tired of watching nobodies, trying to teach you how to play Yngwie's songs? Now, why would you take lessons from a random, when you can learn from Yngwie himself?

For the first time in history, Yngwie Malmsteen is giving lessons on how to become a virtuoso like him! Inside, you will find lessons on everything from bending to six-string arpeggios. Also inside are tablatures, DVDs, and other items exclusive to this site. You won't find any of these things, especially not Yngwie himself, on any other site! Relentless Shred is the only place to go to not only learn guitar; but to master it.

There are four levels of membership: Bronze ($34.99 per month), Silver ($49.99), Gold ($79.99) and Master Virtuoso ($99.99).

"If people are getting back into playing good guitar solos, I'm obviously all for it," Malmsteen recently told Spin magazine. "I don't understand how music ever got to the point where they were a bad thing."

"In the early '90s, something happened," added Malmsteen, 49. "All these alternative bands came out and couldn't play and made fun of guitarists who could by saying they were over the top. I remember thinking, 'What is this shit?' But to quote [violinist and composer Niccolò] Paganini — and I put myself in the class with him and Hendrix — 'One must feel strongly to make others feel strongly.'"

Asked if shredding was in need of some humanizing, Yngwie said, "I don't think so. Less is not more. More is more. These punk musicians couldn't play and were heralded for it. They couldn't even tune their guitars, yet people thought I was the self-indulgent one? I think every player worth listening to realizes now that limitations are for the lazy."

Denver, Colorado-based metallers CELLADOR are working on new material for a tentative early 2013 release. The band states, "We have most of the music recorded aside from the vocals and a few solos. We are currently auditioning musicians to round off lineup and involve their contributions to the tracks. A full lineup is the main focus, but if nothing else Chris [Petersen, guitar/vocals] will continue to do the vocals otherwise."

According to a press release, "longtime [CELLADOR] fans can rest assured that this epically pleasing, melodic speed aural adventure shall feature all the trademarked speed, melody, and integrity of the band's past inspirations, filtered of all obstacle and dilution!"

CELLADOR's most recent release was the "Honor Forth" EP, which came out in 2011.

The band's current lineup is as follows:

Chris Petersen - Guitars/Vocals
James Pickett - Bass
Nick Mccallister - Drums
Diego Valadez – Keyboards

CELLADOR's debut CD, "Enter Deception", was issued in June 2006 via Metal Blade Records.

For more information, go to this location.

Greek death metal act WAR POSSESSION, featuring members of EMBRACE OF THORNS, MERCILESS CRUCIFIXION and WARGOAT, has inked a deal with the Polish label Hellthrasher Productions for the release of the band's new EP, "Through The Ages".

Due in November, "Through The Ages" will feature the following track listing:

01. In The Shadow Of The Ancient Gods
02. Medieval Bloodlust
03. World War Domination
04. A Taste Of Things To Come (Chaos Awaits)
05. Deathmarch

The song "World War Domination" is available for streaming using the SoundCloud player below.

Simon Oberender, keyboardist/guitarist of the German progressive metal band BEYOND THE BRIDGE, passed away last week. The cause of death has not been announced.

Oberender, who was also the keyboardist for Amanda Somerville's band TRILLIUM, worked at the Gate Studios in Wolfsburg, Germany as a sound engineer and producer. He recorded, mixed, mastered (along with Sascha Paeth) and produced BEYOND THE BRIDGE's debut album, "The Old Man And The Spirit". He also appeared on several other recordings, including AVANTASIA's 2010 releases "The Wicked Symphony" and "Angel Of Babylon", EDGUY's "Age Of The Joker" (2011), EPICA's "Requiem for the Indifferent" (2012), RHAPSODY OF FIRE's "The Frozen Tears Of Angels" (2010) and KAMELOT's "Silverthorn".

As an engineeer, Oberender worked on albums by AVANTASIA, DESTINATION'S CALLING, EDGUY, EPICA, MAYAN and others.

Less than a month ago, Oberender performed with BEYOND THE BRIDGE at ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta, Georgia in what was the band's first-ever appearance in the United States.

Commented Somerville: "With tremendous sadness, I mourn the passing away of an amazing friend, colleague and bandmate, Simon Oberender. This tragic loss causes me, and all of us who knew and loved this incredibly talented man, great pain.

"This is a collection of video footage [see below] I've put together of Simon from over the years. He was a bright, happy soul and while editing this together, I found myself laughing along with him through my tears. His enthusiasm, joy, dedication, humor and talent touched me and everyone who knew him.

"Simonovsky, you are, and ever shall be, sorely missed."

Former NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon has "closed" her official blog, just hours after it was announced that she was parting ways with the group.

In her final message to the fans, she wrote, "Dear blog readers: With this I say farewell to you and this blog. This blog was a way for me, as the singer in NIGHTWISH, to keep more in touch with you, NIGHTWISH fans. Now when this chapter has ended, there is no more need for me to do this blog and from today I close it.

"I want to thank you all for being my readers for so many years, for your loving support and I wish you all a happy and healthy life! Stay kind to others and live life easy!

"Lots of love, Anette Olzon (from now on just Anette Olsson;=)"

As reported earlier today, NIGHTWISH will be joined on the road by Dutch singer Floor Jansen (AFTER FOREVER, REVAMP). The band stated about the decision, "In recent times it has become increasingly obvious that the direction and the needs of the band were in conflict, and this has led to a division from which we cannot recover."

They added, "We are all strongly committed to this journey, this vehicle of spirit, and we are sure that this will lead to a brighter future for everyone.

"We forever remain excited about the adventures to come, and we are extremely proud of the two beautiful albums and the wonderful shows we shared together."

Olzon joined NIGHTWISH in 2007 as the replacement for Tarja Turunen after the latter was fired in 2005.

Swedish melodic metallers BLOODBOUND will release their fifth full-length CD, "In The Name Of Metal", on November 7 via AFM Records, The effort was recorded with producer Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY, SONIC SYNDICATE, HYPOCRISY, CENTINEX, CARNAL FORGE). According to the band, "This is BY FAR the best album we've done!"

"In The Name Of Metal" track listing:

01. In The Name Of Metal
02. When Demons Collide
03. Bonebreaker
04. Metalheads Unite
05. Son Of Babylon
06. Mr. Darkness
07. I'm Evil
08. Monstermind
09. King Of Fallen Grace
10. Black Devil
11. Bounded By Blood
12. Book Of The Dead 2012 (bonus track)

The lyric video for the song "Metalheads Unite" can be seen below.

BLOODBOUND filmed a video for the "In The Name Of Metal" title track last month.

BLOODBOUND's fourth album, "Unholy Cross", entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 50. The CD was released on March 18, 2011 via Germany's AFM Records.

BLOODBOUND in 2010 parted ways with lead vocalist Urban Breed due to "musical and personal differences" and replaced him with Patrik "Pata" Johansson (DAWN OF SILENCE) from Finspång, Sweden.

Three of the leading gear/technology companies for both musicians and consumers alike returned on September 7 with their successful "Metal Masters" clinic series. "Metal Masters 4" brought back some of the classic "masters" while adding a few new members to the list. The night's main band comprised of Philip Anselmo (DOWN, ex-PANTERA), Kerry King (SLAYER), Dave Lombardo (SLAYER), Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX), Frank Bello (ANTHRAX) and newly added masters Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH) and Gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER).

A post-show discussion between King and Ian in which they share their recollections of partying with the late, great PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott can be seen below (courtesy of Fuse).

"[Dimebag's] one of the few people on the planet I've ever seen that was able to drink the way he drank starting at 5 in the afternoon and then get onstage at 9, 9:30 and still rip it up," Ian said. "It just made him loose," King agreed. "It got him in the vibe to play."

Ian also explained why his time with Dimebag was more booze-soaked than any regular old alcohol-fueled metal tour. "My normal rules went out the window when I played with those guys," he said. "I would try to keep it to a minimum and say, 'I'm not doing more than three shots with you before I play.' But then they're walking onstage and handing me drinks in the middle of a set or pouring 'em down your throat. Any time I toured with those guys was the drunkest I've been in my life."

Ian also recalled hitting a strip club with several other metal musicians, including members of KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE. "I do remember a night in New York where randomly, somehow Frankie [Bello of ANTHRAX], Vinnie Paul [of PANTERA], Darrell, Tommy Lee and Gene Simmons all ended up together at [the strip club] Scores. We ended up in a private room and for three or four hours I'm sitting next to Dime with a stripper on my lap constantly. There never wasn't a girl on my lap and there was always someone refilling my drinks. I remember saying to somebody afterward, 'Who paid for that? What did we do?' And the next day in the New York Post I saw a story, 'Tommy Lee dropped 28 grand at Scores last night.' So I guess I owe Tommy a thank you."

Join Diamond-Dave Castagno and all five members of AEROSMITH for an exclusive "RadioScreamer" interview this Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. Pacific. Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer will all discuss the much-anticipated new AEROSMITH album, "Music From Another Dimension", as well as their long and illustrious career.

If you can't listen to the program live, each one of "RadioScreamer"'s shows is available on-demand in its archives section, so you can listen to "RadioScreamer" anytime you want 24/7 on your computer or smart phone.

"RadioScreamer" is a one-hour, weekly radio program that focuses on the golden era of hair metal and heavy metal — the '80s. It is hosted by David F. Castagno, publisher/editor of Screamer magazine and features guests approximately 2-3 times a month and at present time is carried on several affiliate stations throughout the U.S., U.K. and Japan.

For more information, visit RadioScreamer.com.

"Music From Another Dimension" will be released on November 6 via Columbia Records. It marks AEROSMITH's 15th studio album and their first studio collection of all-new material in 11 years. The album was recorded in Los Angeles and at the band's studio in Massachusetts; it was produced by Jack Douglas, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, with the exception of three tracks produced by Tyler and Marti Frederiksen.

FOZZY's video for the song "Sandpaper" can be seen at WWE.com. The track, which features a guest appearance by AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows, comes off FOZZY's new album, "Sin And Bones", which sold around 3,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 143 on the Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 1 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

FOZZY singer — and WWE wrestling superstar— Chris Jericho recently told Loudwire about the "Evil Dead"-inspired "Sandpaper" clip, "It kind of started from that and then we said, 'What if we do a whole 'Evil Dead'-type homage?' And then we found this bad-ass cabin in the woods in Atlanta, and just everything kind of fell together from there. We found, right by the cabin, there was a civil war burial ground, and there was this creepy bridge that was near it, and the cabin couldn't have been more perfect for what we were looking for."

M. Shadows joined FOZZY on stage last Thursday night (September 27) at the Roxy in West Hollywood, California to perform "Sandpaper".

Check out a photo from CNC Photos.

Asked how the Shadows collaboration came about, Jericho told LocalBozo.com: "Shad's a friend of mine and when I was recording the vocals, I wasn't really feeling the one part: 'a cat scratch whiplash / a witch hunt in black.' So I thought it'd be cool to have somebody else do it, like a calm response. So I called Matt and asked him if he'd be interested. I knew they were off and he was at home, so he's like, 'Send me the song and I'll see what I think.' I sent it to him and he really dug it. He was a fan of ours from before anyways — he liked a bunch of our songs. He thought that 'Sandpaper' was one of the catchiest choruses that we'd ever done and so he kind of took it and laid down the part like I asked him to and then he also rearranged the song a bit — gave it a little bit of a different arrangement, streamlined it, made it a little bit more compact, and in my opinion made it a better song. So not only did he sing what I asked him to, he also put his own spin on it and really went above and beyond to create this amazing song that's just been doing huge for us since it came out. So it was cool. It was cool on a professional standpoint, on a creative standpoint, and on a friendship standpoint to have him involved."

"Sin And Bones" was released on August 14 (one day earlier internationally) via FOZZY's new label, Century Media Records.

MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio was interviewed on this past Friday's (September 28) edition of Eddie Trunk's "Friday Night Rocks" radio show on New York's Q104.3 FM. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

The retail edition of MANOWAR's twelfth studio album, "The Lord Of Steel", originally scheduled for September 28, will now hit the stores on October 19 on CD, limited-edition picture vinyl and as digital album.

"The Lord Of Steel" was made available earlier this summer as a limited-edition pre-release as the "Hammer Edition" in collaboration with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine.

The retail edition of "The Lord Of Steel" will feature different mixes and mastering, an additional song, spectacular new art by fantasy artist Ken Kelly, and other surprises.

"MANOWAR have always dared to do things differently. You have to look at these two versions like a movie that comes out in alternate versions; a director's cut or alternate endings or stories even told from different perspectives," explained Joey DeMaio. "For those of you who enjoyed the first taste of 'The Lord Of Steel', meaning the Metal Hammer version, I can tell you that the forthcoming 'The Lord Of Steel' release on Magic Circle Entertainment will be even more unique and yes, more brutal," he continued.

Described by the press as "a brutal and unstoppable force of molten metal" and "flawlessly heavy," "The Lord Of Steel" is a raw-to-the-bone production, merging vintage elements with the trademark sound MANOWAR have developed over the years.

"When you have to make room for literally hundreds of other instruments such as orchestras, choirs, marching armies on 'Gods Of War', for example, you have to create sonic space for that. The fewer instruments you have the louder they can be individually. As an artist you want to give your audience new experiences. This is not 'elevator music.' This is an album that hits you hard right between the eyes and does not let up," said Joey DeMaio.

For their twelfth studio album, MANOWAR have tapped into the world of action heroes and their stories, writing their first song specifically for a Hollywood movie, "El Gringo", and another one, "Expendable", inspired by Sylvester Stallone's action movie franchise "The Expendables". The band has meanwhile confirmed their next movie project, "Soldiers", for "The Expendables 2" star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

From the furious title track and the pumping "Black List", to the power ballad "Righteous Glory" and the Ennio Morricone homage "El Gringo" — "The Lord Of Steel" is full of surprises.

"The Lord Of Steel" (retail edition) will be mixed and mastered by longtime collaborators, mixing engineer Ronald Prent and two-time Grammy-award-winning mastering engineer Darcy Proper.

Coinciding with the release of the album, MANOWAR will kick off "The Lord Of Steel" world tour, with first shows in October and November, in Europe and the United States.

Audio samples of all the tracks that appear on "RIITIIR", the twelfth studio album from Norwegian progressive extreme metallers ENSLAVED, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The CD will be released in North America on October 9 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The track listing for the "RIITIIR" European and North American digipak is as follows:

01. Thoughts Like Hammers
02. Death In The Eyes Of Dawn
03. Veilburner
04. Roots Of The Mountain
05. Riitiir
06. Materal
07. Storm Of Memories
08. Forsaken

The track listing for the "RIITIIR" 2LP double-gatefold is as follows:

Side A:

01. Thoughts Like Hammers
02. Death In The Eyes Of Dawn

Side B:

01. Veilburner
02. Roots Of The Mountain

Side C:

01. Riitiir
02. Materal

Side D:

01. Storm Of Memories
02. Forsaken

A track-by-track review of "RIITIIR" is available at Terrorizer.com.

"It has been only two years since we last released an album [2010's award-winning 'Axioma Ethica Odini'], and we've been touring Europe and North America several times since then," reflects ENSLAVED guitarist, songwriter, and founding member Ivar Bjørnson. "Some might think that this schedule, and the fact that we celebrated our 20th anniversary last year, should result in some time off in the end. Nah. Like a space vessel that gains momentum by entering slingshot-orbits on its way through space, we seem to gain speed, direction, and strength on our journeys, through new releases and subsequent tours.

"Describing the sound on the new album is both easy and hard," Bjørnson continues. "It is easy because it sounds like ENSLAVED, whatever that means. It is hard because there are so many layers and different focal points. I have a feeling that it has a deeper complexity than our previous efforts, but at the same time, I do find it more catchy and moving. Then again, I am the opposite of objective in this, so again I'll leave it up to the people outside the band to make up their mind."

ENSLAVED's last two CDs — "Vertebrae" (2008) and "Axioma Ethica Odini" (2010) — were released via Indie Recordings in Europe and Nuclear Blast in North America.

The reunited original lineup of the German metal band DARK AT DAWN has released a new EP in digital form. Entitled "Noneternal" the effort is the band's first sign of life after five years of silence. The EP consists of four brand new songs and will be made available as a physical CD at the group's upcoming shows.

"Noneternal" track listing:

01. Coming Home
02. Arabian Fights
03. Firedrunk
04. Taking My Time

In 2013, DARK AT DAWN will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a new full-length album and a number of festival appearances.

DARK AT DAWN disbanded in 2007 after 14 years and five albums. It was too difficult for the members to handle the band as well as their day jobs. After several setbacks, including lineup changes and business problems, they lost the motivation to continue as band.

In the beginning of the 21th century, the Harz-Mountain-based band was called one of the most promising newcomer of the German scene. Shows at Wacken Open Air, Summer Breeze and the Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig raised their profile and their debut record, "Baneful Skies", won praise from the print media. They managed to mix up traditional and modern metal sounds with a unique touch melancholy.

Now, five years after their disbanding, the five musicians decided that the time has come to get back together with new energy and dozens of new ideas.

THE RESISTANCE, the Sweden-based metal band featuring former members of IN FLAMES, THE HAUNTED and GRAVE, has recruited Claudio Oyarzo, the guitarist in the progressive metal band MINORA, as its new session bassist.

THE RESISTANCE recently parted ways with bassist Alex Losbäck Holstad (ex-DESPITE, DECAMERON, CARDINAL SIN).

The band's song "Eye For An Eye" is available for free download at PledgeMusic.com (e-mail sign-up required).

"Eye For An Eye" was originally made available on the sampler CD that was distributed to the subscribers of Sweden's Close-Up Magazine in the August 2011 issue.

THE RESISTANCE made its live debut on October 8, 2011 at Club Distortion in Stockholm, Sweden.

THE RESISTANCE's lineup is as follows:

* Marco Aro (FACE DOWN, ex-THE HAUNTED) - Vocals
* Jesper Strömblad (ex-IN FLAMES, DIMENSION ZERO) - Guitar
* Glenn Ljungström (ex-IN FLAMES, DIMENSION ZERO) - Guitar
* Claudio Oyarzo (MINORA) - Bass
* Chris Barkensjö (CARNAL FORGE, GODSIC, ex-GRAVE) - Drums

Strömblad quit IN FLAMES in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

Jesper signed an exclusive songwriter agreement with BMG Germany earlier this year.

Strömblad is also a talented film composer. Together with Daniel Flores, he wrote the score for the film "Isdraken" ("The Ice Dragon"), which was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.

"Eye For An Eye" audio stream:



"Coup De Grace" audio stream:



Performance footage:

Swedish death metal overlords AEON will release their fourth studio offering, "Aeons Black", on November 20 via Metal Blade Records. The mammoth 15-track effort was recorded at Empire Studio in Östersund, Sweden, engineered, mixed and mastered by Ronnie Björnström (Garageland Studios) and featuring cover art by Kristian "Necrolord" Wåhlin (BATHORY, AT THE GATES, DISSECTION, EMPEROR).

Commented AEON founding guitarist Zeb Nilsson: "This is definitely our most varied album to date; it has heavier songs, yet it also has lots of fast blastbeats and double bass drumming. It's groovier this time, which I think we lacked on our last album, 'Path Of Fire', which was fast-paced almost all the way through. That, and the amazing mix by Ronnie Björnström, makes me feel pretty confident that this album will appeal to more people than our previous albums. And no, we have not gone softer in any aspect; it's just easier to catch with all this grooviness. It's metal right up your ass!"

The official lyric video for the first single from "Aeons Black", the album's title track, can be seen below. Guitarist Daniel Dlimi says of the tune: "'Aeons Black' is the first song that I started to work on as we begun writing for this album, and it's also one of the very last to get finished. My goal was to create a somewhat heavier, odder, not-so-typical 'AEON' song. Once happy with the musical arrangement, I handed it over to [vocalist] Tommy [Dahlstöm] to let him write some lyrics and vocal patterns for it. He managed to get it even darker and more eerie. The lyrics are all about how everything living eventually must face the inevitable, which is death. There will be no savior, no heaven nor hell... just a pitch black, silent empty void."

"Aeons Black" track listing:

01. Still They Pray
02. The Glowing Hate
03. The Voice Of The Accuser
04. I Wish You Death
05. Garden Of Sin
06. Neptune The Mystic
07. Nothing Left To Destroy
08. Passage To Hell
09. Aeons Black
10. Dead Means Dead
11. Sacrificed
12. Aftermath
13. Blessed By The Priest
14. Maze Of The Damned
15. Die By My Hands

AEON is:

Tommy Dahlstöm - Vocals
Zeb Nilsson - Guitar
Daniel Dlimi - Guitar
Arttu Mallki - Drums
Marcus Edvardsson - Bass

Original W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes was interviewed on the September 28 edition of "Tales From The Sunset Strip", the Internet-only radio show hosted by Willie Basse and Al Bane. You can now listen to the chat below.

Holmes, who spent 12 years with W.A.S.P., said in a 2011 interview with Marshall Of Rock that he felt both he and the other members of the band deserved to be pictured on the record covers of albums they all worked on. He said: "Blackie [Lawless, W.A.S.P. mainman] wants to be Elvis Presley, he wants to be the only guy. Let's put it this way: he has an ego. He does really shitty things to everybody in the band. The only reason why he kept me that long is to get more ticket sales. You wanna get some really shitty? The money you make off the records is called publishing, and he made me sign my contract in the way that this goes back into the band, so I never saw any of the publishing. I was young, and I said, 'Is this the right thing for me to do?' He said, 'Yeah,' and he knew exactly where it was gonna go. That's why I had really bad issues with the guy. Even today — I'd never play with the guy again, I'd rather be dead. He's only out for himself, he's not out for the whole band. If he was a nice guy, would he keep a few bandmembers? He's always changing band members."

Holmes also expressed doubts about Lawless' Christian beliefs, telling Marshall Of Rock, "I'll tell you what kind of person he is – he's full of shit! If being a Christian can make money, that's what he's doing. It's all about making money and nothing else. When I got off the road, I had to work a job, because he wouldn't give me any money, and I gotta pay the rent, right? He wouldn't pay me, he wouldn't pay the roadies, he wants all the money. That's why I had to do construction, concrete stuff. They say, 'Sell your soul, play rock'n'roll', and that's what I did. I never left, Blackie forced me out. He didn't want me in the band anymore because I got more attention than he did, he always put me down. Remember when I married Lita Ford, the singer from RUNAWAYS, and he made sure I couldn't go to the American Music Awards when she was nominated for 'Vocalist Of The Year.' I hated him ever since that. And the last thing I ever said to him in the rehearsal room was, 'Why the fuck would you do that to somebody?' He got up and as he was walking out of the rehearsal room, he mumbled to me, 'I was jealous'. That's the reason why I hate him today."

Philip Anselmo (DOWN, PANTERA, ARSON ANTHEM, SUPERJOINT RITUAL) and BloodyDisgusting.com writer Corey Mitchell recently secured a deal with Jeremie Ruby-Strauss, senior editor at Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books imprint, for Anselmo's autobiography, which will tentatively be titled "Mouth For War: Pantera, Pain, & Pride - Heavy Metal Highs, Drugged Out Lows, & The Battle For My Life". Corey will co-author the book, which is described as "a no-holds-barred look inside of Philip's brain, his history with PANTERA, the loss of his best-friend, Dimebag Darrell, and an unflinching examination into the downward spiral of pain and drug addiction that nearly cost him his life." A 2014 release is expected.

Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep, Anselmo was very clear to what that book is and isn't. "It's not just a PANTERA book," he stated pointedly. "Of course, PANTERA was a gigantic part of my life but during my tenure with PANTERA, I was making a lot of different music with a lot of different bands. It's also a book that deals with the human experience."

He continued, "There was a point in time where I had a pretty goddamn unbattered skeleton when I was younger and there was a Superman-type feeling. I definitely take a look at the psychology of when you really hurt yourself and you have an MRI done and it's a proven fact that there is a chronic pain type of problem — what it did to me. Going down the drain and coming out of it as well. There's a bit of success to this story — as a matter of fact, a great deal of success."

Asked what it felt like when Anselmo drove away the worst of his demons, he said, "There is a euphoria when you finally have that monkey off your back and you know in your heart that you are not going to return. There is no open door. There are no cracked doors. You have a sealed, closed, welded door shut in your mind. It's like oxygen hitting your brain for the first time. If there's a religious feeling, a spiritual feeling, that's it. There's a common phenomenon for people who come out of a dark, dark place they are going to have an overexcitement — heck yeah, I was guilty of it."

He added, "You overstep your bounds in thinking you can help people at the time because your methodology worked you can help people who are suffering at the time, whether it be through addiction, some sort of pain. A good dose of physical rehabilitation that if you embrace it could help you out a lot. I was guilty of perhaps pushing my ideas on other people instead of stepping back and surmising where their heads are at before opening my mouth. Of course, there's no guilt about me saying 'Hey, life can be better.' But, I was fanatical to say the least as far as chasing people down saying 'Man, you can change your life. If I can do it, you can do it.' But all that subsides after a success rate of 15 to 75% You cannot save the world, all you can do is pass along the word."

Anselmo's former PANTERA and DOWN bandmate Rex Brown last year signed a deal with Da Capo Press to write a memoir. Due in 2013, "Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera" is described as a "starkly honest and revealing" book about Rex's time in one of the most influential and enduringly popular bands in heavy metal history, offering Brown's shocking personal insight into a band that had swapped the grimy clubs of Texas for arenas around the world but whose story would ultimately be touched by tragedy.

Animidas Productions is making a feature-length documentary about the Norwegian metal band EXTOL. Directed by Åsmund Janøy, the film will focus on the history of the band (1993 – present), and will reveal, among other things, the reason the band suddenly, and without any explanation, disappeared in 2007. In addition, it will document the making of EXTOL's fifth album, which the group is currently recording after five years of silence. The film will also delve into EXTOL's Christian faith in a genre more known for anti-religious and morbid ideas.

Teasers for the film can be seen below.

For more information about the documentary, go to www.extolfilm.com.

EXTOL mastermind Ole Børud has returned, and along with David Husvik and Peter Espevoll, the trio now constitutes the band's 2012 lineup.









Photo by Kenneth Røstad Ekse Jensen

SEPULTURA guitarist performed with the Brazilian THE BEATLES tribute act CLUBE BIG BEATLES on September 27 at Teatro do Sesi de Jardim da Penha in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Kisser was honored with a commemorative brick with his name on it, placed in the wall in front of Liverpool, England's legendary Cavern Pub, in a ceremony which took place on his 44th birthday, August 24. He is the first Brazilian artist to have his name eternalized in the Cavern wall that became famous when THE BEATLES made their first lunchtime appearance on Tuesday, February 9, 1961.

Cavern club owner Bill Heckle said: "Andreas has played here before, including at last year's festival, with the CLUBE BIG BEATLES tribute band. But I just didn't realize who he was and how big a name he is, until I found out he's bringing two Brazilian TV documetary crews with him this time.

"I mentioned it to some other people and they were gobsmacked that I had never heard of SEPULTURA, but that area of music has never been something I've followed properly.

"We thought we'd better give Andreas his own brick, as he is actually so famous. He is like a God among metal fans, but he is a very nice, unassuming guy."

Kisser said: "It's beyond a dream for me to be here. There isn't a bigger possible honor than being here and jamming at the Cavern Club, the most historic place in Liverpool."

PAPA ROACH's new album, "The Connection", is streaming in its entirety at AOL Music. Due on October 2 via Eleven Seven Music, the CD was recorded at the band's hometown studio, The Red House in Sacramento, California, and was produced by rock veteran James Michael (SIXX: A.M., HALESTORM) and John Feldmann (PANIC AT THE DISCO, THE USED, ESCAPE THE FATE).

PAPA ROACH's video for the song "Still Swingin'" was filmed in New York City with David Brodsky of Brooklyn's MyGoodEye Music Visuals (HELLYEAH, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, GOATWHORE, MUNICIPAL WASTE, SUFFOCATION).

Of the tune itself, singer Jacoby Shaddix told Loudwire in an interview, "It is the most important statement for the band. I think it just says a lot about [PAPA ROACH]. It's about my personal life, my highs and lows and what I've gone through and I'm a fuckin survivor dude. I'm a fighter. I think it's taking a challenge and I'm always willing to step up to it and I'm not going to go out without a fight. And [PAPA ROACH], we're the band that no matter what we're fucking up against, we're gonna prevail."

"The Connection" track listing:

01. Engage
02. Still Swingin'
03. Where Did The Angels Go
04. Silence Is The Enemy
05. Before I Die
06. Wish You Never Met Me
07. Give Me Back My Life
08. Breathe You In
09. Leader Of The Broken Hearts
10. Not That Beautiful
11. Walking Dead
12. Won't Let Up
13. As Far As I Remember

PAPA ROACH in August officially dropped off the Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival after just one week, with Shaddix needing surgery to remove a nodule on his vocal cord. Shaddix was diagnosed earlier this summer and attempted to take care of it without an operation, but issued a statement saying, "I was hoping to be able to go out there and kill it on this tour by resting and doing vocal exercises, but my voice has just gone out on me. I hate to let our fans down, but unfortunately surgery is the only way to fix it. The last thing we want to do is give our fans less than 100% every night. We know they'll understand and we'll be back better than ever."

The throat problems follow a tough period during which Shaddix split and reconciled with his wife of 15 years and also fell off the wagon.

"Still Swingin'" video:

Ivan Ðordevic of MetalSerbia.com conducted an interview with Ross Dolan and Robert Vigna of New York death metal veterans IMMOLATION on September 10 in Belgrade, Serbia. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if he agrees with the opinion that the divide between death and black metal is artificial and that these styles are simply two sides of the same coin, Ross said, "I think so. Because if you really look at it, we all came from the same roots. We were all inspired by the same bands. If you talk to us, and you talk to MARDUK, and you talk to, maybe, the IMMORTAL guys, you talk to AVERSE SEFIRA, whoever you talk to, we all were inspired by the same bands. It's just different interpretations. We took that and we all went in our own directions. But it's all extreme metal, it's all very dark. I've heard people say that we kind of crossed the boundaries between death metal and black metal. If you had to put us in a genre, I would consider us definitely death metal, but I can see where we would appeal to black metal [fans], because our sound is very unorthodox for death metal, definitely very dissonant, very dark, and very bleak. So I totally understand that connection, and I agree with that. I think we all came from the same starting point, so it makes sense."

IMMOLATION recently entered Sound Studios in Millbrook, New York with longtime producer Paul Orofino to record its ninth full-length album. The follow up to 2010's "Majesty And Decay" will once again be mixed and mastered by Zack Ohren (ALL SHALL PERISH, DECREPIT BIRTH, SUFFOCATION).

For photos of the band in the studio, click here.

"Majesty And Decay", was released in March 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD sold around 1,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 29 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

NONPOINT's video for the song "Left For You" can be seen below. The track comes off the band's self-titled album, which will be released on October 9 via Razor & Tie. The CD was produced/mixed by Grammy-nominated producer Johnny K (DISTURBED, STAIND, MEGADETH) and features additional production and mixing from Brian Virtue (30 SECONDS TO MARS, CHEVELLE).

"Nonpoint" features 12 of the most raw and real songs of their 15-year career with unique, uncompromising, and undeniable hard rock on their self-titled ninth studio album and first for Razor & Tie. Weathering lineup changes, label shifts, and other trials and tribulations, founding members Elias Soriano (vocals) and Robb Rivera (drums) regrouped with fresh blood — Dave Lizzio (guitar), Adam Wolosyzn (bass), and Rasheed Thomas (guitar) — and captured pure fire this time around.

"Nonpoint" pre-order bundles are also available now at Nonpoint.com. The bundles include a variety of t-shirts and jersey designs as well as the full album and digital download.

NONPOINT is currently on the road for a headline tour that will run through November. The band recently wrapped a summer run with CALL ME NO ONE.

Soriano explains the new album, "We wanted this record to be a punch in the face. There was a lot of stuff I wanted to artistically vent about. It's a fresh start for us. We felt like having a self-titled record says it all. We hit the reset button, and there's life again. You can hear it musically. We're not going anywhere."

"This album is the beginning of a brand new chapter in the world of NONPOINT... rejuvenated and full of positivity," adds Rivera. "Elias has written his most personal lyrics yet that shows the signs of endurance this band has had in our 15-year career."

The band opened up the floodgates to the new album by unleashing one of its heaviest tracks, "I Said It", as a free download on their web site this summer and the fans responded with overwhelming enthusiasm, welcoming the onslaught. The first official single, "Left For You", is for sale now on iTunes.

"Nonpoint" track listing:

01. Lights, Camera, Action
02. The Way I See Things
03. I Said It
04. Left For You
05. International Crisis
06. Another Mistake
07. That Day
08. Pandora's Box
09. Go Time
10. Independence Day
11. Temper
12. Ashes

Dmytro Kerpov of the Ukrainian NIGHTWISH fan club Nighthearts conducted an interview with keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen of Finnish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH prior to the band's September 20 concert in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.

As reported earlier today, NIGHTWISH has parted ways with vocalist Anette Olzon and will be joined on the road by Dutch singer Floor Jansen (AFTER FOREVER, REVAMP). The band stated about the decision, "In recent times it has become increasingly obvious that the direction and the needs of the band were in conflict, and this has led to a division from which we cannot recover."

They added, "We are all strongly committed to this journey, this vehicle of spirit, and we are sure that this will lead to a brighter future for everyone.

"We forever remain excited about the adventures to come, and we are extremely proud of the two beautiful albums and the wonderful shows we shared together."

Olzon joined NIGHTWISH in 2007 as the replacement for Tarja Turunen after the latter was fired in 2005.

NIGHTWISH's long-awaited "Imaginaerum" film — based on the band's album of the same name — will be released theatrically in Finland on November 23.

The movie will have its premiere on November 10 at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland, where the audience will be treated to both a full-scale NIGHTWISH concert and the first-ever public screening of the movie.

Eagerly anticipated around the world, "Imaginaerum" creates a musical fantasy world in the vein of David Lynch, Neil Gaiman, and Cirque du Soleil. The movie is an innovative mixture of story-telling and music, an extraordinary tale of the power of imagination… and what's ultimately important in life.

Shot and post-produced in Canada, the movie was directed by Stobe Harju and produced by Solar Films, and features appearances by all NIGHTWISH members. The screenplay is based on a wild vision that Tuomas Holopainen, the mastermind of the band, devised after the album "Dark Passion Play" came out in 2007.

The official soundtrack of the movie, "Imaginaerum By Nightwish: The Score", will be released on the day before the premiere — Friday, November 9. The album features 13 grandiose, unreleased re-interpretations of "Imaginaerum" tracks by Petri Alanko.

The "Imaginaerum" album was released in the U.S. on January 10 via Roadrunner Records.