According to BDPNews.com, an officer performing a paid detail in the area of the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on Monday, October 5, 2009 at about 10:06 p.m. responded to a call for a disturbance on Accolon Way. Once there, the detail officer spoke to security personnel who were detaining a suspect. According to the victim, she was inside the building attending the KISS concert when she felt a warm feeling on the back of her leg. As a result of the warm sensation, the victim says she turned around to observe an individual urinating on the back of her leg. At this time, the victim promptly alerted security personnel of the incident. Consequently, security personnel escorted the suspect from the building. Officers noted the suspect appeared to be highly intoxicated given his slurred speech and the odor of alcohol emanating from his person.

Officers arrested and charged the suspect with open and gross lewdness and disorderly person.

This is not the first time someone has been accused of urinating on another person during a hard rock/heavy metal concert at TD Banknorth Garden. A former Brewster, Massachusetts police officer pleaded guilty on April 8 in Boston Municipal Court to several charges associated with his actions at a METALLICA concert in January. During the January 18 show at the Garden, Joseph Houston allegedly exposed himself and urinated on a young couple from Connecticut, according to the Suffolk County district attorney's office. He was ejected from the concert, and then refused to leave North Station despite repeated orders to do so by Transit Police, the DA's office said in a statement. Houston was escorted out, only to return, the DA said. He was arrested and charged with trespassing.

Fan-filmed video footage of KISS' performance at TD Banknorth Garden can be viewed below.

Video of Craig Ferguson discussing KISS in his monologue on CBS' "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" on October 6, 2009 can be viewed below.

According to Hits Daily Double, the companion web site of music industry tip sheet HITS, KISS' new album, "Sonic Boom", is on track to sell between 150,000 and 175,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, giving the masked rockers a beeline on their first chart-topping release ever.

KISS' new album, "Sonic Boom", was released in Europe on October 5 via Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records. The CD was made available in the U.S. and Canada on October 6 exclusively via Wal-Mart, Walmart.com and Sam's Club retail locations.

Ian Burrell of U.K.'s The Independent recently conducted an interview with legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

On finally passing his driving test:

"The first test was about 1974, then '75, '76, '77, '78. I've lost count how many times. I remember one time I was doing the three-point turn and I passed out because I'd been to the doctor's earlier and got some Valium for my nerves. At the end they'd say 'You've failed,' and I'd be staggering around the car park. Some [examiners] would say, 'I'm not even fooking getting in the car with you.' Would you?"

On being sober and staying physically fit:

"I love the feeling of working out. I don't drink anymore; I don't smoke; I don't do drugs. I quite enjoy this sobriety because at least I can kind of remember what I did yesterday."

On the fact that he has driven illegally for years:

"I bought a brand new Mercedes AMG and took Sharon to Tramps. I drank a shitload of booze and then went down South Molton Street the wrong way. A 12-year-old cop said to me 'Have you been drinking?' I said, 'Is the Pope a Catholic?' We went to the nick in a black Mariah and I said to Sharon, 'It's not every day you go out in a brand new Mercedes and come home in a police van,' which didn't go down too well."

On the fact that he is not the monster of rock that some believe:

"I was the kind of nutter people liked to be around — I'd do anything. Basically I was the clown, I always have been. I was never a bad guy. When I got successful it gave me a ticket to be a lunatic, but I didn't do it with any malice, apart from whacking the wife round the ear now and again."

On meeting Tony Blair at an event in the wake of the invasion of Iraq:

"Tony Blair was looking at me. I was quite astounded when he said to me 'Do you know, I was in a rock 'n' roll band myself once?' Then he goes, 'We could never quite get the thing to [SABBATH's second single] 'Iron Man'.' I'm looking at this guy and thinking 'He's the fooking Prime Minister of Britain, and there's kids out there getting blown up and fooking landmines and the rest of it, and he's talking to me about 'Iron Man'. There's something wrong with this.'"

On whether he hankers to be an activist:

"I don't understand too much about politics and I don't want to. I could always phone Bono and see what he's got to say — he's a fooking political groupie now isn't he? That's one thing that pisses me off: when people in the entertainment game think it's cool to be a politician. "

On whether an Ozzy Osbourne could have emerged in the 21st century:

"I don't know. It's a completely different business now. They say, 'You look good, you look good; we'll call the band whatever.' There are new kids on TV for a month and then they disappear; it's manufactured now.

"If I was about to bite the head off a bat now, would people give a fuck? Remember [Sixties American singer] P J Proby when his nuts fell out on stage? They could walk on stage now with no gear on. When something's been done, it's been done."

On the potential for further autobiographical work, as further recollections emerge from the fug of his memory:

"Ozzy Osbourne in 350 pages? That's just the first chapter; my life has been anything but dull."

Read more from The Independent.

AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry will guest on tomorrow's (Thursday, October 8) edition of "The Ellen Degeneres Show".

Perry released his new solo album, "Have Guitar, Will Travel", on Tuesday (October 6). The first single from the project is "We've Got A Long Way To Go". Perry told The Pulse of Radio that he began putting together the solo project after work on the next AEROSMITH record was delayed. "The album has kind of a vibe to it, 'cause it was written and recorded in this burst of energy," he said. "I mean, I was so ready to do the AEROSMITH record, I just had to cut loose. I had to have an outlet. I mean, I'm always writing, I'm always in the studio anyway, I just didn't think it was gonna be this soon."

Perry and his touring band, the JOE PERRY PROJECT, played at the Viper Room in Hollywood on Tuesday to celebrate the album's release, with more dates on the way.

The guitarist recently told Billboard.com's Daily Noise how his project differs from a traditional AEROSMITH album. He said, "The biggest difference would be the lyrics but even sound-wise, I think it's different."

Vocals on the disc are handled by Perry and an unknown German singer named Hagen, who was found on YouTube by Perry's wife Billie.

AEROSMITH was forced to cancel its summer tour after a string of bad luck that concluded with singer Steven Tyler falling off a stage in Sturgis, South Dakota, injuring his head, neck and collarbone. Guitarist Brad Whitford and bassist Tom Hamilton also missed time due to medical issues.

While he hasn't spoken to Tyler in some time, Perry does not seem too worried about AEROSMITH's future, telling Daily Noise, "I think it's going to come around. We've been together too long for it to fade away."

PITpov.com has posted quality video footage (see below) of LAMB OF GOD's September 29, 2009 performance in Dallas, Texas — including the moment when the band's stand-in guitarist Doc Coyle (of GOD FORBID) got hit in the face with a cup of water that was thrown by an audience member. Doc can be seen going down to the barricade to confront the person who threw the cup. LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe then jumps down to stop Doc from going into the crowd.

Doc Coyle filled in for LAMB OF GOD's Mark Morton on the first couple of weeks' worth of dates on the Richmond, Virginia metal band's current U.S. tour with METALLICA (as well as LOG's headlining "off" dates), which kicked off on September 14 in Nashville and will conclude on November 15 in New York City.

LAMB OF GOD's new album, "Wrath", has sold more than 170,000 copies in the United States since its February 24 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Wrath" was produced by Josh Wilbur and was recorded in studios in New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire.

Note: The cup-throwing incident occurs at the 4:33 mark in the top clip ("Black Label").

HATESPHERE and SURVIVORS ZERO have been confirmed as the support acts for HYPOCRISY's upcoming European tour, which is scheduled to kick off on January 24, 2010 in Hamburg, Germany.

The dates are as follows:

Jan. 24 - Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany
Jan. 25 - Columbia Club, Berlin, Germany
Jan. 26 - Ucho, Gdynia, Poland
Jan. 27 - Progresja Club, Warsaw, Poland
Jan. 29 - Alte Spinnerei, Glauchau, Germany
Jan. 30 - X, Herford, Germany
Jan. 31 - Metropool, Hengelo, The Netherlands
Feb. 01 - Matrix, Bochum, Germany
Feb. 02 - Essigfabrik, Köln, Germany
Feb. 04 - Biebob, Vosselaar, Belgium
Feb. 05 - Dynamo, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Feb. 06 - L'Autre Canal Main Hall, Nancy, France
Feb. 07 - Ninkasi Kao, Lyon, France
Feb. 09 - Garage, Saarbrucken, Germany
Feb. 10 - Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
Feb. 01 - Dynamo, Zurich, Switzerland
Feb. 12 - Conrad Sohm, Dornbirn, Austria
Feb. 14 - Backstage, Munchen, Germany
Feb. 15 - Posthof, Linz, Austria
Feb. 16 - Orpheum, Graz, Austria
Feb. 17 - Arena, Wien, Austria
Feb. 18 - Diesel Club, Budapest, Hungary

HATESPHERE's latest album, "To The Nines" entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 36. The CD was recorded over a nine-day period at Antfarm Studio in Aarhus, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, MOONSPELL, DARK TRANQUILLITY, GOREFEST).

The limited-edition version of the album includes three bonus tracks and a bonus video clip.

Audio samples of all the tracks that appear on "To The Nines" are available at JPC.de.

HATESPHERE's video for the song "To The Nines" can be viewed below.

"CMXIX", the debut album from SURVIVORS ZERO — the Finnish death metal band featuring current and former members of IMPALED NAZARENE, FINNTROLL, DEATHCHAIN and THE SCOURGER — was released on September 9 via Cobra Records. The CD was mixed at Black Lounge Studio in Avesta, Sweden while the mastering was handled by Pelle Henricsson at Tonteknik Recording in Umeå, Sweden.

SURVIVORS ZERO is:

Sami Jämsén (Studio Perkele) - Guitar
Tommi "Rotten" Virranta (ex-DEATHCHAIN) - Vocals
Tapio Wilska (ex-FINNTROLL) - Bass
Jani Luttinen (THE SCOURGER) - Guitar
Reima Kellokoski (IMPALED NAZARENE) - Drums





(Thanks: Markus Rutten / www.sounds2move.de)

Drummer Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad of Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON was interviewed for this this week's episode of Noisecreep's "Creep Show", which can be viewed below. Frost is outspoken and verbose on a wide range of subjects, including the benefits of socialized medicine, the universal impact of AC/DC and why artists sometimes re-record old albums. Frost also talks about the rock n' roll influences in black metal, how the genre has been so badly misunderstood over the years and the darkness and desperation of SATYRICON's latest album, "The Age of Nero", which was recently re-released as a two-disc package. He also discusses SATYRICON's plans to return to Norway at the end of the year to start working on the follow-up to "Nero" and what it's like to write in a wooden shack in the woods.

Joining Frost on the podcast were Noisecreep editor Seth Werkheiser, news columnist and writer Chris Harris, Revolver senior writer and freelancer Jon Wiederhorn and freelance writer Jen Guyre.

"Axe To Fall", the new video from the Massachusetts-based hardcore/metal band CONVERGE, can be viewed below. From the dark recesses of director Craig Murray's mind comes this horror-inspired clip. Capturing the song's break-neck speed and ferocity perfectly, the short follows excruciating scenes of torture and masochism that give birth to an awe inspiring bio-mechanical abomination.

"Axe To Fall" is the title track of the group's new album, which is scheduled for release on October 20 through Epitaph Records.

In August, CONVERGE released the first track from "Axe To Fall", "Dark Horse", which Stereogum praised as having "everything you could want from a CONVERGE song — knotty guitars, deep hardcore breakdowns, gnarled howls, and a triumphant blast of a finish — along with an updated dark-progressive feel you'll find threaded throughout." Since its release the Internet was set ablaze with swirling speculation of metal album of the year and mass critical acclaim.

Last month, CONVERGE unveiled the teeth-gnashing title track from "Axe To Fall" on SPIN.com, who said "this foursome smash, crash, and destroy with foot-stomping appeal: Like a dropping guillotine, a screeching guitar riff falls into a cacophony of heavy guitar distortion, swelling bass, breakneck drum fills, and the hardcore screams of frontman Jacob Bannon."

Produced by guitarist Kurt Ballou at his Godcity studios in Salem, Massachusetts, "Axe To Fall" features guest appearances from Steve Brodsky (CAVE IN), Adam McGrath (CAVE IN), J.R. Connors (CAVE IN, DOOMRIDERS), Uffe Cederlund (DISFEAR, ex-ENTOMBED), John Pettibone (THE VOWS, HIMSA), Steve Von Till (NEUROSIS) and Mookie Singerman (GENGHIS TRON).

"Axe To Fall" track listing:

01. Dark Horse
02. Reap What You Sow
03. Axe To Fall
04. Effigy
05. Worms Will Feed
06. Wishing Well
07. Damages
08. Losing Battle
09. Dead Beat
10. Cutter
11. Slave Driver
12. Cruel Bloom
13. Wretched World

Buick McKane (a.k.a. Emily) conducted an interview with Oderus Urungus, frontman and supposed "leader" of the intergalactic band of chaos warriors known as GWAR, before the band's September 30, 2009 concert in New Orleans, Louisiana. Watch the five-minute chat below.

GWAR will take part in a signing session at Scrape Records in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Monday, November 30 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information, visit www.scraperecords.com.

"Let Us Slay", the new video from GWAR, was shot in Richmond, Virginia by director David Brodsky (SUICIDE SILENCE, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL) and his MyGoodEye crew.

GWAR's new album, "Lust In Space", sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 96 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Buick McKane (a.k.a. Emily) conducted an interview with guitarist Bobby Thompson of Arizona extreme metallers JOB FOR A COWBOY before the band's September 30, 2009 concert in New Orleans, Louisiana. Watch the eight-minute chat below.

JOB FOR A COWBOY was forced to cancel four shows on its current tour earlier in the month due to a "family emergency."

"Ruination", the sophomore album from JOB FOR A COWBOY, sold around 10,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart. The 10-song follow-up to 2007's "Genesis" was tracked and mixed at AudioHammer studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DEVILDRIVER, TRIVIUM).

"Ruination" marks the JOB FOR A COWBOY recording debut of drummer Jon "The Charn" Rice, who has toured with the band since the release of "Genesis" and features ten tracks of state-of-the-art heavy metal music.

"Unfurling a Darkened Gospel", the new video from JOB FOR A COWBOY, was shot on location in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and at the city's distinguished music venue, The First Unitarian Church. The clip was lensed by Doug Spangenberg for Space Monkey Studios (LAMB OF GOD, MAROON 5) and features JOB FOR A COWBOY doing what the band does best; bringing its electrifying live show directly to a crowd of rabid music fans.

Lemmy of MOTÖRHEAD makes an appearance in the 1990 sci-fi/horror cult classic "Hardware", which will be released as a limited edition two-disc DVD and Blu-ray on October 13 via Severin Films. The infamous feature-film debut of music-video-visionary-turned-writer/director Richard Stanley ("Dust Devil"), which was originally rated X by the MPAA and subsequently edited by distributor Miramax, will be presented uncut and uncensored for the first time ever from a print supplied by Stanley himself. In addition, it will include audio commentary, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, and Stanley's never-before-seen hour-long Super 8 version of the film.

Golden Globe winner Dylan McDermott ("The Practice") stars as a post-apocalyptic scavenger who brings home a battered cyborg skull for his metal-sculptor girlfriend. But this steel scrap contains the brain of the M.A.R.K. 13, the military's most ferocious bio-mechanical combat droid. It is cunning, cruel, and knows how to reassemble itself. Tonight, it is reborn…and no flesh shall be spared. Stacey Travis ("Ghost World") co-stars — along with appearances by Iggy Pop, Lemmy and music by MINISTRY and PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. — in this kick-ass sci-fi thriller that New York Newsday hailed as "thought-provoking and disturbing," and Fangoria still calls "gritty, trippy and frightening… 'Hardware' is one of the best horror movies you've never seen."

A new promo video featuring Lemmy in which recreates his cameo role from "Hardware" as a cabdriver recalling nostalgic memories from the past as he drives through a now dystopian wasteland can be viewed below.

According to Australia's Undercover News, Anglo-Australian hard rockers AC/DC have been nominated for ARIA Awards (Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards).

AC/DC have made the nominations list for the very first time with a potentially four ARIAs going to the band if they win this year:

* Highest Selling Australian Album
* Best Rock Album
* Best Group
* Album of the Year

AC/DC were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1988 but have never won an award.

For a complete list of nominees, go to this location.

Billboard.com recently conducted an interview with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Billboard.com: What is the biggest myth about KISS?

Simmons: That there's some grand master plan. That we're brilliant beyond belief, that we're masters of merchandise and all that stuff. That's giving us a lot more credit than we deserve. It's a simple idea. When you love something, and people use the word "passion," you tend to look at every rug and pick it up and see what's under it.

For argument's sake, if you're a stamp collector worth your salt, you'll know every minutia about it, you'll spend all the free time you have, above and beyond your job, because you love it. And you'll know every obscure stamp, which date it came from, what condition it's in, what's the marketplace. You'll know about it because you care about it. So everything begins with a tug of the heart.

People see this cold business savvy and it starts the other way around. It starts with, "Wow, I'm in KISS"; everything else is the what-if, could-it-be, what could it be? You start with a dream without limitations. It's only when we wake up that we say, "It's not going to happen, it probably won't." Never listen to people, and believe in your own dreams.

My point of view is "Earth," that's not such a cool name for the planet. "Planet Kiss," now you've got something. If every inch of ground is KISS ground, and the air you breath is KISS air and the food you eat is KISS food, then we've got something. Brand everything. And you should pay us for every step along the way.

Billboard.com: The [fans have] been amazingly loyal to KISS, even through lineup changes.

Simmons: We had to [make lineup changes]. We had to, because there's an ethical and moral commitment that we made to ourselves and our fans: We treat the stage as holy ground. This is electric church. And when we get on that stage, our call to arms starts off with "you," our fans, not "our" or "we." "You wanted the best, you got the best, the hottest band in the world, KISS!" We say our name last, you come first. And the vow we made to ourselves was, "Dear God, if you ever give us the chance, we will never take it for granted, ever, not one single show, at any time. And if any one of us doesn't deserve to be out there, we will kick his ass off that stage." And if you use drugs or alcohol in KISS, you're out. If you can't respect yourself and your body, how the hell can you respect the band, and especially the fans who put you there in the first place?

[Guitarist] Ace [Frehley] and Peter [Criss], in the beginning, belonged in the band, and later on they did not. They belonged home so they can save their lives and try to turn their lives around, not onstage. This is not a babysitting service, this is the Olympics and if anybody catches anything in your bloodstream, you should be thrown out on your ass. Your medals should be stripped, you're gone. And [current drummer] Eric Singer and [guitarist] Tommy Thayer are professional, they love it.

Billboard.com: What did you like about the exclusive Wal-Mart deal with your new "Sonic Boom" album, and why did the band decide to go that way?

Simmons: The world's a different place. I'm not a fan of downloading for free. I don't believe in anything for free. The kids next door that we think are sweet and have freckled faces were never punished for stealing everything. You can literally point to a million people out of work-the truckers that truck the records to the stores, the stores themselves that used to hire people, the gasoline they used, the warehouses-an entire industry is wiped out because some college kid didn't want to pay for songs. And who's to blame? The record industry, for never having a repercussion.

If you try to break into my house, I'll shoot your head off. Are you out of your fucking mind? But fans were allowed to break into stuff that people created and simply take it without paying for it, and that is nobody's fault but the record industry. It was lax. Wal-Mart is a real company. We met the Walton people-they're fine upstanding people, we're big fans of them, and they give millions of people jobs and we're all for it. And they're willing to charge for the product. Last time I checked, KISS is not a charity. I will let you know when I want to give my stuff away for free. I don't want you to determine that.

Billboard.com: Does it bother you when people say you're just in this for the money?

Simmons: Anybody who simply wants to do it for free should give me any dollar they don't want. They're all full of shit. Everybody lies, but we don't. Of course we want to get paid for what we do, but there's also a tug of the heart, of pride. We created this thing-this ain't THE MONKEES, baby. We're the mother and we gave birth to KISS and I'll be damned if anybody's going to tell me what it is, how it walks and how it talks. And do I want to get paid for that? You bet your ass I do.

Read the entire interview from Billboard.com.

"Forever In Your Hands", the new video from Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS, can be viewed below. The clip was filmed with director David Brodsky (SUICIDE SILENCE, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL) and his MyGoodEye crew at the August 9, 2009 stop of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival at the Nissan Pavilion in Washington, D.C. and it features cameo appearances by Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, Shannon Lucas of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, and Byron Davis and Doc Coyle of GOD FORBID.

ALL THAT REMAINS in August released a two-song "Forever In Your Hands" digital EP via iTunes, Amazon, etc. Labonte said, "It [has] the radio edit of the song, plus an acoustic version that Oli [Herbert, guitar], Mike [Martin, guitar] and I laid down in the studio a [few] weeks ago."

ALL THAT REMAINS drummer Jason Costa broke his hand in July and was unable to play the band on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival , which kicked off on July 10 and concluded in August. Temporarily replacing Costa on the trek was Tony Laureano, who is best known for his work with such bands as DIMMU BORGIR and NILE.

ALL THE REMAINS had its first Top 10 hit at rock radio with "Two Weeks", from the band's fourth album, "Overcome".

EVANESCENCE frontwoman Amy Lee has issued the following update:

"Questions, questions everywhere and not a drop to speak.

"I've been sitting here reading through so many of these questions [on the official EVANESCENCE forum] and comments... trying to find one I haven't answered and want to...

"I guess I just want to say thanks for making me feel good. Ha. It's really nice to know so many of you miss the music and want to know when you'll hear it again.

"I've gotten to the point where I'm working on it almost every day (night, I should say). I'm in love with it. Enough to fight for it. Enough to reopen the door to a world of chaos even though it scares me.

"I don't want to give away too much about what it will sound like, because so much will change before the end, but it's... not what you would expect. It's definitely not happy married music, but it's not like I'm dying the whole time either. It's dark, sarcastic, fun, strange, familiar and very different at the same time. It makes me feel alive and I wish I could show you right now. If you were here, at my house, I would pour you a drink and we would turn it up really loud and rock out to it, and I know you would love it.

"Thank you everyone who has said their lives were touched by the music. It touches my life too, and so do you, in many ways.

"Somebody asked how it made me feel when someone tells me the music changed their life. It makes me feel like I'm not crazy. It feels wonderful.

"Also somebody asked why I talk about blood so much, complete with quite a few lyric quotes. It made me laugh. I promise to offer slightly less blood on the next album. Slightly.

"Last but not least, I often get asked about band members, the whole 'is it a band, is it solo, etc.' (understandably! There have been quite a few). Everyone who has ever been a part of EVANESCENCE is a part of its story, a part of its soul. From day 1 it has been a collaborative effort and different people have contributed over the years. But it is more than just people. It's something that has taken on its own life, it has grown, changed and become more interesting, more soulful, more honest than a perfect image will allow. The passion is what makes it live on, the obsessive focus on straight up, head first, love for the music. That is my band. And against all obstacles, I'm sticking to it."

EVANESCENCE has scheduled a one-off appearance at the Maquinária festival in São Paulo, Brazil in November. The group is headlining one of the nights at the two-day event (Nov. 7-8), which will feature additional performances by FAITH NO MORE, JANE'S ADDICTION and DEFTONES, among others.

Germany's Rock Hard magazine recently spoke to DREAM THEATER's Mike Portnoy about different recording techniques, particularly as it relates to drum sounds. Watch the chat below.

DREAM THEATER's new album, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", sold 40,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

DREAM THEATER's last CD, "Systematic Chaos", opened with 36,000 units in 2007 to enter The Billboard 200 chart at No. 19. 2005's "Octavarium" premiered with 27,000 copies to debut at No. 36.

In addition to the standard-version CD, DREAM THEATER's tenth studio album, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", was also made available on vinyl LP, as well as a three-disc, special-edition CD that includes the full album, a CD of instrumental mixes of the album and a CD of six cover songs.

Musicianstop Magazine's Sahra Joelle conducted an interview with guitarist Corey Beaulieu of Florida metallers TRIVIUM when the band played the Majestic Theatre in Ventura, California on October 2, 2009. Watch the eight-minute chat below.

In a recent interview with The Daily Rock, TRIVIUM guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy stated about the songwriting process for the band's next album, "Yeah, we have some stuff — not as a whole band, but each individual guy has maybe ten to twenty songs. I have done about fifteen, but I have gotten rid of all but six because I kept the good ones as I kept going on, the newer songs I was writing were stronger and better so I got rid of the ones that weren't as good. Paolo [Gregoletto, bass] has a bunch of songs, like twenty or so, but he keeps cutting back as well. Everyone keeps writing as many as they can, but then cutting back the weak ones and not worrying about trying to make them better songs. . . We have all loose ideas right now. Musically, it is getting closer to finishing a more realized idea but lyrically and generally, with the entire record not being written and purely in the developmental stages, we are thinking of it as something that we want to be recognized by any kind of fan, whether you like metal or not, whether you speak English or not, 'cause we are definitely a band that travels internationally around. I have done a style of words that is almost hard to interpret even if you speak English, so I'm not saying we are dumbing ourselves down, but I want it to be universally translatable no matter where we are. I don't know how to make that happen, but we definitely want it to sound like TRIVIUM but with the best possible songs. We always try to keep true to what our heart is as a band but we want to diversify, and not diversify for the sake of ourselves, but to find where we are going as a band. Nowadays, we know more of what is right for our sound. If we look across all four records, we know what kind of parts should be there for the next thing and what shouldn't be there."

Cleveland, Ohio metallers CHIMAIRA will be the "special guests" on TRIVIUM's March 2010 headlining tour of the U.K. WHITECHAPEL and one other band (to be confirmed) will also support.

Tickets are on sale now for the "Into The Mouth Of Hell We Tour" shows, priced £16.50 regionally and £18 for London from all usual box offices/ticket agents and by calling 0844 576 5483.

TRIVIUM has also announced that they are one of the first major acts to team up with entrepreneurial Australian company Posse in the U.K. Posse is a peer-to-peer ticketing method that rewards fans for actively promoting concerts. The partnership enables fans to recommend and sell tickets for TRIVIUM gigs in the U.K. via their personal blogs, websites, or social networking profiles. TRIVIUM is thrilled to chart new territory by aligning with Posse for the majority of their March 2010 U.K. tour giving fans the opportunity to help make a difference as well as getting something back.

ALICE IN CHAINS will perform on the October 30 edition of NBC's "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien".

ALICE IN CHAINS's first all-new album in 14 years, titled "Black Gives Way To Blue", sold 126,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 5 on The Billboard 200 chart (behind latest albums from PARAMORE, MARIAH CAREY, BARBRA STREISAND and BREAKING BENJAMIN).

Following its last, self-titled record in 1995, the once-mighty Seattle-based act went into a long period of inactivity, partially due to the drug problems of singer Layne Staley. Staley died in 2002, but it was another four years until the three remaining members of the band, guitarist Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney, first regrouped for a benefit show and then officially returned with new frontman William DuVall.

ALICE IN CHAINS recruited pop legend Elton John to contribute piano to the CD's title track, which is written in tribute to Staley.

William DuVall had played with his own group, COMES WITH THE FALL, as well as in Jerry Cantrell's solo band, before joining up with ALICE IN CHAINS in 2006.

"Black Gives Way to Blue" was recorded with producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, RUSH) at the Northridge, California studio of FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl.

Professionally filmed video footage of ALICE IN CHAINS' September 29, 2009 performance at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, California as part of KROQ's "Super Tuesday" can be viewed below.

Fret12.com recently conducted an interview with guitarist Tim Sult of Maryland rockers CLUTCH. The entire chat can now be viewed at this location. A couple of clips are available below.

"Strange Cousins From the West", the ninth studio album from CLUTCH, sold 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous studio CD, "From Beale Street To Oblivion", opened with around 15,000 units back in April 2007 to land at No. 52.

CLUTCH's 2005 effort, "Robot Hive / Exodus", entered the chart at No. 93 after premiering with 13,000 copies.

"Strange Cousins From the West" was made available both digitally and through retail on July 14. Produced by CLUTCH and J. Robbins at Magpie Cage Studios in Baltimore, the effort is the first CLUTCH studio LP to be released on the band's own Weathermaker Music, through RED Distribution.

"Strange Cousins From the West" includes the POPPO'S BLUES BAND cover song "Algo Ha Cambiado", which Neil Fallon sings in Spanish. Poppo was a legendary Argentinian hard rock singer/guitarist throughout the '70s and '80s.

The title "Strange Cousins From the West" was taken from a line in the song "Minotaur".

Although CLUTCH has toured the world extensively over the past two years and released multiple CLUTCH-related projects, "Strange Cousins..." is the band's first original studio work since 2007's "From Beale Street to Oblivion" which featured the hit "Electric Worry".

"Vetrarmegin" (English translation: Winter Force), a brand new song from the Swedish "Viking metal" act MÅNEGARM, can be streamed on the band's MySpace page. The track comes off the group's new album, "Nattväsen" (English translation: "Night Creatures"), which is now scheduled for release on November 19 via Regain Records.

Commented the band: "'Megin' is the force which fills all the elements, man and the gods and it is the potential which gives them their specific potency and opportunity to achieve their provision. The sun exercises its 'solarmegin' on the earth, which in turn has its own 'jordarmegin.' Winter has its raw and wild untamed 'vetrarmegin' — Winter force."

"Nattväsen" track listing:

01. Mina Fäders Hall
02. Nattsjäl, Drömsjäl
03. Bergagasten
04. I Den Svartaste Jord
05. Hraesvelg
06. Vetrarmegin
07. Draugen
08. Nattväsen
09. Delling

Short descriptions of all the songs can be found below.

A release party for "Nattväsen" will be held on November 7 at Clustret in Stockholm, with THYRFING (Sweden) and SKYFORGER (Latvia) as special guests.

Regarding the CD's lyrical and musical concept, the band previously stated, "Since the dawn of time, mankind has had a curious and strange relation to the night and its darkness. A fear and respect for this dim and abstract world.

"To understand and handle these fears, we have always tried to find some reasonable explanations for the things which we don't fully understand. Sometimes all things don't need to be explained and instead we should explore them and take part of the great wisdom they carry, in a way to understand their great importance.

"As we all know, these primeval forces have been personified with names and shapes, perpetuated in our lore and tales for centuries.

"If we look a bit further into the core of all tales and beliefs, you will see that these forces are fragments and threads of the ancient wisdom which lies hidden in everything. It's hidden in the mountains, in the stones and leaves, in depths of the sea, in the black soil, on the ravens wing, in the starlit sky and in the shadows of the night. The ancient wisdom fills everything and is a part of the cosmic web which is weaved by the norns of fate.

"The paths to enlightenment are many and if we listen and seek what lies beneath, we might have the possibility to take part of more than we could ever imagine. A short glimpse could be enough to change your views of your own inherent primeval forces… Sometimes to the better, sometimes to the worse.

"This album is our way to give you all a little guidance through the abstract and dim world of shadows and it might be a journey to the dark side of your mind and also give you fragments to the greatness that lies within…the night."

MÅNEGARM's last CD, "Vargstenen" ("The Wolfstone"), entered the Swedish chart at position No. 59 back in May 2007. The LP was recorded at Studio Underground with producer Pelle Saether and was released through Black Lodge Records after a ten-year collaboration with Displeased Records.

According to Hits Daily Double, the companion web site of music industry tip sheet HITS, KISS' new album, "Sonic Boom", is on track to sell between 150,000 and 175,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, giving the masked rockers a beeline on their first chart-topping release ever.

KISS' new album, "Sonic Boom", was released in Europe on October 5 via Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records. The CD is being made available in the U.S. and Canada on October 6 exclusively via Wal-Mart, Walmart.com and Sam's Club retail locations.

"Sonic Boom", produced by guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley in Los Angeles, is the centerpiece of a three-disc set that also features a completely re-recorded greatest hits CD (previously available in Japan) as well as a live DVD shot in Argentina during the band's recent, record-breaking KISS Alive 35 South American tour. The CD set is retailing for $12.

The "Sonic Boom" cover art was created by Michael Doret, who also designed the band's classic "Rock And Roll Over" album cover.

"Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn", the eighth full-length studio album from Austrian blackened death metal outfit BELPHEGOR, will be made available in the following formats:

* Limited-edition digipack including the "Der Geistertreiber" video clip (enchanted)
* Strictly limited Nuclear Blast mailorder edition: hand grenade including wooden box and digipack (only 500 copies)
* Limited picture gatefold LP format (1,000 copies)
* Standard jewel case CD

More information can be found at this location.

"Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn", which is scheduled for release on October 9 in Europe and October 20 in North American via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2008's "Bondage Goat Zombie" was recorded at Andy Classen's (LEGION OF THE DAMNED, DEW-SCENTED, NEAERA, ASPHYX) Stage One Studios in Kassel, Germany.

"Walpurgis Rites Hexenwahn" track listing:

01. Walpurgis Rites
02. Veneratio Diaboli - I Am Sin
03. Hail The New Flesh
04. Reichswehr In Blood
05. The Crosses Made Of Bone
06. Der Geistertreiber
07. Destroyer Hekate
08. Enthralled Toxic Sabbath
09. Hexenwahn - Totenkult

Commented frontman Helmuth: "With these nine compositions/arrangements, we continue to piss on the damn mainstream. It's BELPHEGOR to the highest; the hymns are extremely varied, more intense and epic than ever, [and] there are new elements and structures added. Also, we used some haunting samples here and there, to give the album a cold and ritualistic feel."

He continued, "On 'Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn', you will hear my most fucked up vocals to date; also the lyrical content is offensive and insane. The witch/devil concept is amazing to work with and we used a lot of original chants/ incantations from archaic scripts."

The "Der Geistertreiber" video can be viewed below. The clip was shot in Abtenau, Austria with director Walter Fanninger.

Commented Helmuth: "The song is about the celebration on the 30th of April, better known as the Walpurgis Nacht, the occult celebrations on the broken mountain. It's the first time that we hired a professional camera team for a BELPHEGOR video, so the result is beyond amazing. We rented a cottage three days high in the mountains in middle of nowhere in the woods. There was nothing around. Just a lot of excess, alcohol, substances etc. Was a great intense time!"

BELPHEGOR has tapped Brazilian artist Marcelo Hvc to handle the graphics for the new album.

"Bondage Goat Zombie" entered the Austrian album chart at position No. 42 upon its release in early 2008. The CD also landed on the German chart at No. 81.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania's Metropolis Gallery presents "The Art Of John Baizley", opening Friday, November 6 and running through November 30.

As the singer/guitarist for BARONESS, John Baizley has toured the world over, releasing several critically acclaimed albums on the iconic Relapse label — also home to MASTODON, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, NEUROSIS and countless others.

As an artist, John has created the album art for all the BARONESS releases as well as many other classic albums, including PIG DESTROYER's "Phantom Limb" and "In Return" by TORCHE. The newest release by HBO supergroup FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS will also feature John's album art.

John's lush artwork shows the influence of two major artists — Pushead, through his morbid subject matter and fine-line detail, as well as Art Deco godfather Alphonse Mucha. The few available prints John has made, most culled from album art, or specially made tour-only posters have all been hopelessly sold out, resulting in a fanatic fanbase competing for the precious available works on sites such as ExpressoBeans.com — putting John in the same rabid collector conversation as Shepard Fairey, Emek, and others.

John's first foray into the fine arts world came in September 2008 at a group show for Upper Playground's Fifty24Sf Gallery, along with peers Stephen O'Malley — of the band SUNN O))), Aaron Turner (from the band ISIS), as well as noted printmaker Aaron Horkey.

November 2009 at the Metropolis Gallery will be John Baizley's landmark first solo show, and will for the first time contain original works available for sale.

For more information, visit www.metropolis-store.com.

A new iTunes application, Tap Tap Revenge 3, has launched featuring music from MEGADETH. The all-new Tap Tap Revenge 3 features enhanced gameplay, custom themes, and over 100 free songs. Challenge your friends, or anyone around the world through the online gaming arena with bombs and weapons, customizable avatars, integrated chat and even more new features. Play MEGADETH songs NOW on your iPhone/iPod Touch and win over 100 amazing prizes in the Tap Tap Revenge 3 launch contest! Get it on iTunes link here.

A Tap Tap Revenge 3 demo can be viewed below.

German metal veterans RAGE entered Twilight Hall Studios (where the band's "Unity" CD was previously tracked) in Grefrath, Germany on August 20 to begin recording thier new album for a tentative February 2010 release via Nuclear Blast Records. Charlie Bauerfeind (HAMMERFALL, HELLOWEEN) once again produced the CD, which "contains progressive [elements] and an orchestrated song," according to a press release.

Commented RAGE guitarist Victor Smolski: "After months of work in studio for the upcoming RAGE album, 'Strings To A Web', I slowly begin to enjoy our new work as finished product! It is such a great feeling to see how few small ideas develop and become something really big.

"After so many albums, for me it is still some sort of miracle seeing short melodies inside my mind becoming a realistic great song. I have the feeling that we discovered again something new that brought a lot of fun to us in studio.

"On the highway, there has never been a RAGE album that brought so much fun by listening — either you want to go at full throttle or you start dreaming away. The mix of catchy riffs, sometimes down tunings on the guitars and very interesting harmonies, which connect with the voice melody to something that you immediately want to sing along causes that you want to listen right from the beginning as soon as the record is finished playing.

"On these 14 tracks I have done the most interesting and incredible with different tricks and sounds within my whole career I think and this made me be able to express all my emotions. Thanks to the further development of ENGL amps, like, for example, the new Fireball model, which I used additional to my invader in studio, I tried to bring my guitar sound to another level.

"'Strings To A Web' is definitely a CD, which I think, will last in my CD player for some years longer. From bombastic orchestral parts with fat choir backings on 'Empty Hollow' to progressive parts during 'Strings To A Web' up to heavy moving riffs on 'Saviour Of The Dead', this RAGE album leaves no further requests up to the listeners! The only thing is that you have to be patient until the release in 2010.

"This album is the greatest one I've ever produced!"

Photos from the recording studio can be viewed below.

RAGE's "Gib Dich Nie Auf" EP was released on January 16 as part of a box set including the band's latest album, "Carved In Stone". The EP is also available separately via Nuclear Blast mailorder.

"Carved in Stone" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 24 back in March 2008.

According to U.K.'s Rock Radio, IRON MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood has revealed the band is planning to tour on Ed Force One next year.

MAIDEN became the first outfit in history to travel round the world in a customized jet during their "Somewhere Back in Time" tour, as detailed in award-winning movie "Flight 666".

The Boeing 757 carried musicians, crew, gear and guests with singer Bruce Dickinson, a qualified airline pilot, at the controls.

Speaking in the Iron Maiden Fan Club magazine, the manager said, "It took a long time to set up the last tour because of the plane. It had never been done before and we didn't know what we were letting ourselves in for. The idea came a couple of years before that and we got into it a year ahead of the game.

"I'm starting to get my head round what we're going to do next summer. It hasn't been decided yet but we'll do something, so I've got to speak to promoters and agents.

"Now we know the plane works, by Christmas we'll have the pattern set. We'll probably be going for the plane and getting that held for us.

"But at the moment, the album's the key thing on the agenda. The guys will be getting together shortly and they're probably starting to get their heads round new ideas for songs individually. Some of them may meet up before we formally get together.

"We'll spend a period writing, we'll take Christmas off and then we'll get into recording. We'll finish the album in time for it to be out next year and I'm just getting my head round what we want to do touring-wise.

"We'll be doing some new places on the next tour. I won't tell you where they are - they're not finalized yet, but some work has been done. One place we can't play that we'd like to is Bolivia — the altitude is just too high for the type of physical performance the guys do. It's a shame."

METALLICA's web site has been updated with the following message:

"In our ongoing efforts to be of service and give you as many options as possible in the digital era, we asked the brainiacs that help us out with LiveMetallica.com to come up with a super-cool iPhone application that creates a streaming interface to your LiveMetallica account. In non-tech talk, that means that any show you have downloaded from the site will automatically stream to your iPhone once you launch the $.99 app. And the bonus is that the latest show on the site will always be streaming for free!

"It's pretty simple — search 'Metallica' in the iPhone App Store to find the Live Metallica app. Purchase the app, log into your existing LiveMetallica.com account or register as a new user, and wha-la . . . every show you've purchased is there under the 'listen' tab, along with a free stream of the latest show on the tour! You can listen to samples of over 5,300 live songs from close to 300 shows, and if you hear something you like, purchase it through the app and it will automatically stream on your phone . . . of course you can download your purchase to your computer later at your leisure. Shows from the free 'Vault' section of the site are always streaming, and you can check out photos and notes from almost every show going back to 2004 when the site launched.

"Just like any new technology, we're already thinking about what comes next, so please give us your feedback and ideas. And yes, a version is in the works to accommodate the addition of single track downloads from the site. Naturally we'll keep you posted on all the developments!"

METALLICA has added single-song downloads to the LiveMetallica.com web site. Instead of buying only entire concerts, fans can pick whatever individual songs they want from any concert they choose from. Every song that the band has recorded in concert since 2004, covering a span of 269 shows, is available for 99 cents per MP3. Full shows are still $9.95 as MP3 files and $12.95 as higher-quality FLAC files.

Frontman James Hetfield told The Pulse of Radio about deciding to release individual songs, "Yeah, I think the song-per-song vs. album is kind of a long lost battle, I think. You know, people in the fast-food world we live in want what they want, and want it now, and when they're done with it, they're done with it. So yeah, it's about time, and I think it's the right move."

LiveMetallica.com was launched in March 2004 and makes downloads available for purchase of every show the band has played since then, often within hours of the gig's finale.

More than 300,000 downloads have been purchased at the site since its launch.

The "Vault" section of the site offers free downloads of shows recorded before 2004.

More shows will crop up at the site in upcoming weeks, since METALLICA just launched a new North American tour last month. The band has dates booked through mid-December.

Doug Aldrich (WHITESNAKE), Bruce Kulick (KISS), Dizzy Reed (GUNS N' ROSES), Jason Hook (ALICE COOPER) and Shane Gibson (KORN) are among the musicians who are featured on NORTHERN LIGHT ORCHESTRA's new album, "The Spirit Of Christmas", in stores October 20 via VSR/EMI CMG Distribution. Where classic rock meets the timeless music of Christmas, "The Spirit of Christmas" is guaranteed to be a recording entity that provides the very best in entertainment.

With orchestrated rock music featuring incredible guitar work, soaring vocals, and unparalleled musicianship, NLO succeeds in bringing back classic rock for the baby boomers as well as modernizing a beloved genre of rock music. "The Spirit Of Christmas" combines the talents of executive producer and longtime record executive Russ Regan (NEIL DIAMOND, ELTON JOHN and BARRY WHITE) as well as the incredible instrumental abilities of a number of renowned rock musicians.

The press has been especially drawn to the emotionally moving NLO experience filmed at Phoenix's Orpheum Theatre. Most recently, the orchestra performed in a laser-light, High-Definition, one-hour live concert featuring many of the performers from "The Spirit of Christmas" recording. This one-hour Christmas special will air on broadcast and satellite television including JCTV, Cornerstone TV, Daystar Network, TCT and NRB networks with potential airings on PBS affiliates as well. Also, in 2009 alone, 500,000 "teaser" sampler discs are being sent out and will be distributed free of charge at gas/convenience stores. Free autographed guitars, t-shirts and drum heads will also be awarded by many mainstream syndicated rock shows. In July 2009, over 25,000 sampler discs were distributed free of charge at Rocklahoma and 15,000 at NASCAR in Louisville, Kentucky.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/northernlightorchestra.

Gary Shea, original bass player for ALCATRAZZ, will be the special guest on the next edition of the nationally syndicated radio program "Hard Rock Nights", airing the week of October 9-15. Shea will talk with JT about his time with the AOR band NEW ENGLAND, working briefly with Vinnie Cusano (prior to Cusano's days as Vinnie Vincent in KISS), and forming the band ALCATRAZZ. Shea will also discuss his former ALCATRAZZ bandmates Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai and Danny Johnson, all of whom played guitar for the classic hard rock outfit, as well as vocalist Graham Bonnet and his current group touring as ALCATRAZZ.

"Hard Rock Nights" can be heard on several rock and metal stations.

For a complete list of affiliates, go to this location.

The official CD-release and listening party for SLAYER's new album, "World Painted Blood", will be held on Friday, October 30 at Duff's Brooklyn in Williamsburg, New York beginning at 9:00 p.m. Free "World Painted Blood" merchandise and autographed copies of the best-selling Decibel magazine to date — the SLAYER issue — will be given away at the 21-and-over event, for which there is no cover.

The address is:

Duff's Brooklyn
168 Marcy Avenue (between S 5th & Broadway)
Williamsburg, New York

For more information, visit www.duffsbrooklyn.com.

"World Painted Blood" is scheduled for release on November 3 via American Recordings. The CD will initially ship with four special collector's edition covers. Each of the four covers will display one-fourth of a provocative continental map illustrated with human skulls and bones; when placed together, the four images form a complete and grisly map of the world.

All four of the initial CD packages will include a special blood-red, see-through top panel with the map displayed beneath it.

The "World Painted Blood Deluxe Edition" will have its own special layout of the map cover art and will be in a double-digipak housed in a blood-red, see-through plastic sleeve. The "Deluxe Edition" will include the "World Painted Blood" CD, the "Playing With Dolls" DVD, a 20-minute animated graphic novel featuring music from the album (including part of a new non-album song), and an expanded booklet.

"World Painted Blood" track listing:

01. World Painted Blood
02. Unit 731
03. Snuff
04. Beauty Through Order
05. Hate Worldwide
06. Public Display Of Dismemberment
07. Human Strain
08. Americon
09. Psychopathy Red
10. Playing With Dolls
11. Not Of This God

"World Painted Blood" was recorded in Los Angeles over two time periods, during October 2008 and then between late January and March 2009. The CD was produced by Greg Fidelman, who's spent time in the studio with METALLICA, THE GOSSIP, THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY, SLIPKNOT and others, and executive-produced by longtime SLAYER colleague Rick Rubin, who suggested Fidelman for the project.