Matt Bishop recently conducted an interview with MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell on the band's tour bus during Gigantour 2012. You can now watch the chat below.

Motörhead Music/UDR has just released "The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 1 - Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else", a blistering DVD containing some of the finest moments from MOTÖRHEAD's 2011 tour.

Mixed by the band's long-time producer Cameron Webb, "The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 1 - Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" is stuffed with the classics Motörfans demand, from "Overkill" to "Ace Of Spades" to "Killed By Death" as well as some old gems like "Over The Top" and new favorites such as "I Know How To Die".

"The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 1 - Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" gives you the complete set from the band's supreme performance in Chile at the Teatro Caupolican in Santiago on April 9, 2011, shot by Banger Films and Sam Dunn ("Iron Maiden Flight 666", "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage"). The DVD continues with some tasty morsels from New York's Best Buy Theater and the Manchester Apollo.

"The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 1 - Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" is a pure testament to the power, glory and sheer voltage of the finest rock 'n' roll played by real legends. Accept NO substitute!

The digital package contains full 90-minute concert in Santiago, Chile plus selected songs from the New York and Manchester concerts.

RadioRockCafe.com's Lulu and Ben conducted an interview with Michael Poulsen (vocals, guitars) and Jon Larsen (drums) of Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT on February 3 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.

Guitarist Hank Shermann (MERCYFUL FATE) made his live debut with VOLBEAT on January 26 at the opening show of this year's Gigantour at the Susquahana Bank Arena, in Camden, New Jersey.

Shermann most recently shared the stage with METALLICA at one of four intimate shows which took place at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of METALLICA's 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only.

"It's a true honor getting to work with Hank, whose guitar work has inspired all three bandmembers long before VOLBEAT was formed," VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen said in a statement. "I'm very thankful that Hank has the time to join us on Gigantour in his busy schedule."

The multi-artist Gigantour bill — with metal heavyweights MOTÖRHEAD, VOLBEAT and LACUNA COIL all personally picked by Dave Mustaine of headliners MEGADETH — will wrap on February 28 in Denver, Colorado.

VOLBEAT recently parted ways with guitarist Thomas Bredahl, who had been a member of the band since 2006.

VOLBEAT last year released "Live From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven" via Vertigo/Universal on double DVD, Blu-ray, limited double DVD + audio CD, CD, digital download and VOD. The set includes footage from VOLBEAT's sold-out show in front of 10,000 fervent fans at the Forum in Copenhagen, to the House of Blues in Anaheim, California and the Rock Am Ring show in Germany. It's VOLBEAT conquering performance territory Stateside and across Europe, showing fans that the band is just as comfortable, charged and throttled in front of an audience as intimate as 1,100 or as vast as 80,000.

Nathan Katsiaficas of the WMHB 89.7 FM metal radio show called "Metal Mutilation" conducted an interview with vocalist/guitarist Robb Flynn of San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD on January 26 in Portland, Maine. You can now watch the chat below.

When asked for his opinion on the current Republican presidential candidates and President Obama, Flynn said, "I'm not really into the Republicans, but I'm not really into the Democrats either. I think they're both kind of full of it. I feel like the whole thing is kind of a farce, really. The choice is between this guy and that guy, but it's just so skewed… These cadidates come out of nowhere. It's like, 'Who is this guy? Who wants this person to be the President?' And then, all of a sudden, you hear about him, and it's kind of, like, we've got this illusion of freedom of choice, and I don't really feel like it is the freedom of choice, because I don't know if any of those guys would be the one that I would want. Some of them may be a little more in line with what I believe, but I think they're all kind of full of it. . . I think most politicians are all full of it, man. They've got their lobbyists and they've got all their corporations that are backing them. And if they fucking step out of line, man, they're getting fucked. They're not gonna be able to do the things. I think the corporations just have them so in their pocket that they could talk a good talk, but at the end of the day, what's really goona change until the corporations are taken care of?"

MACHINE HEAD is currently taking part in a North American headlining with support from SUICIDE SILENCE and DARKEST HOUR.

MACHINE HEAD's new album, "Unto The Locust", sold more than 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 22 on The Billboard 200 chart — putting MACHINE HEAD in the Top 25 for the first time in the band's 17-year history.

MACHINE HEAD has consistently averaged more than 100,000 copies sold in the U.S. for each of its seven albums and has shifted double that overseas (accruing several silver records in the U.K.), resulting in cumulative worldwide sales of more than 2.4 million.

MACHINE HEAD's previous CD, "The Blackening", opened with just under 15,000 units back in April 2007 to debut at No. 54 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's 2004 effort, "Through The Ashes Of Empires", premiered with less than 12,000 copies to land at No. 88.

LoudGuitars.com recently conducted an interview with guitarists Marco "Maus" Biazzi and Cristiano "Pizza" Migliore of Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL. You can now watch the chat below.

LACUNA COIL's new album, "Dark Adrenaline", sold around 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, "Shallow Life", opened with 21,000 units back April 2009 to land at No. 16.

LACUNA COIL's 2006 album, "Karmacode", premiered with 34,000 copies back in April 2006 to enter the chart at No. 28. It has since sold more than 200,000 units in the U.S.

The band's 2002 album, "Comalies", has shifted more than 300,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Dark Adrenaline" was released in North America on January 24 via Century Media Records. The CD was helmed by acclaimed producer Don Gilmore (LINKIN PARK, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) and "deliver[s] the melodic, sensual, metallic rush for which the band has come to be known," according to a press release.

Fans both old and new have a variety of options to choose from, as "Dark Adrenaline" was released in numerous formats, including standard-edition CD and vinyl, deluxe edition digipak with a bonus DVD, sticker, poster and guitar pick and as an iTunes LP with expanded packaging, five bonus audio tracks and video. The Metal Club edition features exclusive artwork designed by the band and will be limited to 3,000 units. The Hastings edition features a bonus 10-track LACUNA COIL sampler, and the Amazon digital edition comes with a free five-track sampler. Finally, for true fans of the band, is the "Darkest Adrenaline" box set, which includes both the digipak and vinyl versions of the album along with a hardcover photo book, a LACUNA COIL custom syringe pen and ink, a lyric pad, signed lithographs created by the band and more, all housed in a LACUNA COIL medical box. This box set is limited to 500 pieces and is available exclusively through CM Distro.

Johnny Thrash of the "The Oath" metal radio show, which airs on the KBZS-FM / 106.3 The Buzz station in Wichita Falls, Texas, recently conducted an interview with guitarist Sammy Duet of New Orleans, Louisiana's sons of American no-frills-black-metal-meets-death-'n'-roll GOATWHORE. You can now listen to the chat in two parts at this location.

GOATWHORE's new studio album, "Blood For The Master", will be released in North America on February 14 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was once again recorded at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida with producer with Erik Rutan.

"Blood for the Master" track listing:

01. Collapse In Eternal Worth
02. When Steel And Bone Meet
03. Parasitic Scriptures Of The Sacred Word
04. In Deathless Tradition
05. Judgement Of The Bleeding Crown
06. Embodiment Of This Bitter Chaos
07. Beyond The Spell Of Discontent
08. Death To The Architects Of Heaven
09. An End To Nothing
10. My Name Is Frightful Among The Believers

"Blood For The Master" will be available on CD, vinyl, and digitally. Fans of vinyl should note that there will be three different versions of the LP; red with black splatter, half red/half black, and standard black. Also available will be a limited amount of special pre-order bundles containing merch items exclusive to these bundles.

In a recent interview with Decibel magazine, GOATWHORE guitarist Sammy Duet stated that the band's forthcoming CD will feature "the same exact [guitar] sound I used on 'Carving Out The Eyes Of God'. We're just trying to improve on that sound — make it bigger and fatter. That 'Carving' guitar sound was fucking incredible, and that's why me and Rutan spent half the week trying to get it to sound even better, which I believe we achieved. It's gonna have that growly, sub-nuclear kind of sound, but I think it's gonna be almost more refined in a way — but still very nasty."

He added, "The drums are a lot more natural-sounding. A lot of producers today, I don't know; they make the drums sound fake. They sound good, but almost too good. We're just trying to make it sound real and not like a drum machine.

"There's the same amount of solos on 'Carving'; maybe a few more. But there's gonna be a lot of other… I wouldn't exactly call them guitar solos that are gonna be going on underneath the music, but there's gonna be certain things there that will be very different. There's definitely some shit I've never really done before ever that I've just been experimenting with. You have to hear it. It's hard to explain. It's like a solo and not a solo."

"I think a lot of people are expecting us to repeat ourselves, but it's not gonna be like that. We could have easily gone and written 'Carving Out The Eyes Of God Part II' because that album is such a natural feeling for us musically. But we didn't want to do that."

The first single off the album, "Collapse In Eternal Worth", along with "In the Studio" video footage, is now available at MetalBlade.com/Goatwhore. Fans can stream or download the single as well as check out the lyric video for the track that incorporates the artwork from both the CD and vinyl versions of the release, each which features different artwork.

"When Steel And Bone Meet" audio stream:



"Collapse In Eternal Worth" audio stream:

Video footage of VERA MESMER, the project featuring ex-COAL CHAMBER bassist Nadja Peulen and former REVEILLE guitarist Chris Turner (a.k.a. Christopher Mesmer), performing the song "Back From The Dead", on February 3 at the Viper Room in Hollywood, California can be seen below.

VERA MESMER spent the past few months working on its debut album, "Orphans & Outlaws", for a 2012 release.

According to Nadja, she is focusing completely on her new creative outlet and she isn't currently involved in any other bands. "I have no other projects in the works," she told AOL's Noisecreep. "I don't really believe in spreading yourself too thin," she said. "You just can't put your heart and commitment into two places at one time. As an artist, I like to immerse myself 100% in what I am doing. It becomes my existence and I am very passionate about it. It took me many years to find a band that I could believe in and this is the one for me."

The bassist added, "Working with Chris has been truly a transformation for me. I've learned and am still learning a lot from him songwriting and recording/production-wise. He's been pushing me musically and making me tap into unfamiliar territory such as singing. We have this strange musical connection and it's very easy to work together as we have the same taste, ideas, and thoughts. This sort of partnership doesn't come around often, as I have been looking for it for about eight years. He's brought me back from the dead, no pun intended, as it is the name of our first single and video. But the song is actually not about that."

When asked about the possibility of her involvement in a COAL CHAMBER reunion, Nadja said, "I am not sure if there will ever be a reunion [with me on bass]. [Editor's note: COAL CHAMBER has since announced a reunion for Australia's Soundwave Festival and South American tour, featuring new bassist Chela Rhea Harper.] There have been talks in the past, but at this time I am solely focused on VERA MESMER. I live and breathe this band 24/7 as we are an independent band with no label support carrying the weight of launching this all by ourselves. It's been nice to have the freedom to write, record, and produce our songs how we want them [and] have complete control [over] all artwork and presentation."

VERA MESMER's current lineup is completed by drummer Cody Root.

For more information on VERA MESMER, visit www.veramesmer.com.

Mike of Lithium Magazine conducted an interview with drummer Chris Adler of Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD when the band played in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on January 27. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Lithium Magazine: "Resolution" certainly shows LAMB OF GOD progressing as musicians. I feel like "Wrath" and "Resolution" rank amongst your best work, and not the other way around. You are putting out progressively better albums and resting so heavily on your laurels.

Chris: Well, thank you very much for that. There was definitely a concerted effort to be better musicians. Going into "Resolution", that was very much in our minds. Not that we could just rest on our laurels, but that we really wanted to try and come up with an album that could break that barricade with our older fans. Even for me, the bands that I love; I love their first few albums and then they seem to trail off somewhere that I just don't understand. And I think this may have a lot to do with the time in my life that I caught onto the band and maybe for the bands in question, the things they meant to do in their beginnings weren't how they wanted to be in their later albums. There is evolution in everything, really. For us, I wanted to try and create something meaningful. I pushed the guys and they pushed me throughout this recording to make something that a fan could say, "Oh yeah, I love that band. Their seventh album is the best one." That's a pretty daunting task considering what we have done before — six records that we are all very proud of as a band. There are very few things that we would go back and change about those older albums, so when you have something already that you really like, the question really becomes, "How do you improve on it?" We were starting at a pretty high spot for this album. It was tough to do and it took us a little while to do. There were some hurdles for us all to jump on "Resolution". Being friends, we were able to talk to each other like, "That's a great riff, bro, but it sounds like something we would have done on this record or that record. How can we bring this forward into something that is even pushing you as a musician?" That was very much on our minds throughout "Resolution".

Lithium Magazine: We talked by phone at the end of the touring cycle for "Wrath", and I can remember you saying that you felt that if the material for the seventh album wasn't shaping up to be something exciting, then you weren't real interested in doing the album. You wanted it to be a challenge and a step forward even before you started to write it.

Chris: Absolutely. I didn't want to be one of those bands that just did a maintenance album. I know we could have done that now and just made a placeholder album. We could have even just not done new records at all and just opted to tour until we are too old to do so anymore… we could do that, but I don't want to be that kind of band or that kind of musician. I want to be innovative. I don't want to repeat myself. At the end of the day, when I'm talking to my kids or my family, and I am retired or whatever… even if we had to cut it short after "Wrath" or after "Sacrament", I would want to know that our body of work didn't get compromised by that notion; that we could do something less just to keep LAMB OF GOD going.

Lithium Magazine: You have three families, Chris; the five members of the LAMB OF GOD family, yourself and Willie [Adler, LAMB OF GOD guitarist] as brothers, and then your respective family outside the band. Do you feel you have achieved a balance between all aspects of LAMB OF GOD and your respective families?

Chris: Two of the three are very good. Willie and I are pretty much always really tight, that never seems to change. We have a very similar musical direction and both feel that this is what we want to do and what we both love doing. The band family, I think that because we are all kind of rallying around "Resolution" at the moment, everything is really smooth right now. We spent a lot of time on the "Sacrament" and "Wrath" tours and just that sheer amount of time minus any disagreements or normal things that friendships will go through… that amount of time stuck with the same people does tend to cause some problems. [It was] nothing that we couldn't deal with, nothing serious. Just that kind of claustrophobic feeling that can come from years and years of being in a bus with the same guys. Having the time off and rehearsing at our leisure to come back and do the "Resolution" thing, the band is really doing very well. So now the third family, the family at home, that is a tough one because now I have been home for a year. We wrote the record at home, and I have assimilated back into dad-and-husband mode. Now the machine is starting again and it brings up an emotional terror, if you will. Now my wife goes back to being a single mom. When I came back home after the touring cycle from "Wrath", it was very hard for me to kind of assimilate back into that role. We had to re-figure out our routines and get back into that mindset. Now she knows I'm about to take off again and it's difficult for me to essentially walk away from my daughter and wife and feel like I'm still doing my thing as a dad. The things I'm going to miss, it's very tough. I love doing this and I know I'd regret it if I didn't do it, and it's — luckily for us — paying the bills at home and keeping us all fed and my kid in school. That probably takes more work than any other aspect of the band for me, keeping that connection at home up to where it should be.

Read the entire interview from Lithium Magazine.

Fan-filmed video footage of Sebastian Bach's February 2 concert at Rams Head Live! In Baltimore, Maryland can be seen below.

As previously reported, bassist Jason Christopher — who filled in for Shawn Economaki during STONE SOUR's spring 2011 tour and who previously played with SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor in the JUNK BEER KIDNAP BAND — has joined Bach's solo group. Bach says, "I have known Jason for years, ever since he tried to pickpocket me at the Rainbow [in West Hollywood] aeons ago."

Bach kicked off a short run of North American dates on Wednesday (February 1) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Bach's new album, "Kicking & Screaming", sold 6,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 73 on The Billboard 200 chart. The singer's previous CD, "Angel Down", opened with 6,400 units back in November 2007 to debut at No. 190.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx will make his acting debut in the proposed short film "Shoot'er", which is being helmed by his longtime friend and veteran video director Paul R. Brown (STONE SOUR, SLIPKNOT, MÖTLEY CRÜE, KORN, GODSMACK, AVENGED SEVENFOLD).

Brown is currently trying to raise $44,000 via Kickstarter, an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects, by March 15 in order to make the film about a gunman-for-hire, which explores the fine line between being human and fulfilling your objectives.

Sixx will play an "adulterous scoundrel" in "Shoot'er", which will also star Trent Ford, an American-born actor who spent the majority of his adolescent life growing up in England, and model Sarah McNeilly,

The fundraising campaign began this week and Brown has so far attracted 44 backers, garnering nearly $1,800. Everyone who invests in the film will land a mention in its closing credits.

Tweeted Sixx on February 3, "Paul Brown, who does all CRÜE's videos and photos, is doing a short film... Let's help out. I am."

If Brown manages to raise the necessary funds to make the film, "Shoot'er" will be released in July.

Reunited British rockers THE DARKNESS took the world by storm during today's Super Bowl XLVI, one of the biggest sporting events on the planet. The British group's infectious classic hit "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" was featured in a fourth quarter commercial for Samsung's Galaxy Note Superphone. Directed by filmmaker Bobby Farrelly ("There's Something About Mary", "Dumb And Dumber", "Kingpin", "Shallow Hal"), the clip features the group's bombastic frontman Justin Hawkins as a pied piper leading a colorful cast of characters in a massive street party.

Last year's Super Bowl XLV was watched by more than 111 million people, becoming the most-watched program in U.S. television history (Nielsen Co.).

Tomorrow (Monday, February 6), tune in to watch THE DARKNESS's acoustic performance and interview airing live from the New York studios of VH1's "Big Morning Buzz Live" (10:00 a.m. ET/PT). Viewers can access extended interviews and behind-the-scenes photos online at Buzz.VH1.com.

Recently reunited with all original members, THE DARKNESS — Justin Hawkins (vocals/guitars), Dan Hawkins (guitars/backing vocals), Frankie Poullain (bass) and Ed Graham (drums) — are now on the road, having launched their month-long headlining North American tour last week in Toronto, following it up with a killer sold-out show last night at Irving Plaza in New York City. The group's live set encompasses classics from 2003's gold-certified album "Permission To Land", including favorites "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" and "Get Your Hands Off My Woman"; 2005's "One-Way Ticket To Hell And Back" with "One Way Ticket" and "Is It Just Me?"; as well as several new songs off their forthcoming yet-to-be-titled third album (due mid-2012). The trek marks the band's first return to the States since their 2004 tour supporting "Permission To Land". The group will return to Irving Plaza tomorrow (Monday, February 6) for an encore performance.

Renowned worldwide for their electrifying rock n' roll, the group debuted "Nothin's Gonna Stop Us" — their first new song in six years — as a free download for all the loyal fans who've supported the band with sold-out tours on both sides of the Atlantic. The hilarious animated video for the song, created by popular visual rock artist Thom Lessner and directed by Ted Passon, premiered this week on RollingStone.com. Download the MP3 on the band's official site, TheActualDarkness.com.

Veteran NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) band BLACK ROSE is kicking off 2012 with a some festival dates and two new album releases. The group will open this year's Hammerfest "Hammer Of Thor" on the VIP night, Thursday, March 15 at Pontins Holiday Park in Prestatyn. They will also play at the Headbangers Open Air festival on Saturday, July 28 in in Brande-Hörnerkirchen, Germany, an event which is being headlined by U.S. metallers RIOT.

BLACK ROSE is preparing to release two new albums, the first of which is an 18-track CD on Hellion Records called "The Early Years And More - Remastered", which has eight previously unreleased songs from the 1980s as well as five bonus songs from the 2010 album "Cure For Your Disease", which were only previously available as a download. Also due in the summer through the High Roller label is a limited-edition vinyl record which features the band's very first demos and single.

BLACK ROSE's current lineup features original members Steve Bardsley (lead vocals, guitar) and Kenny Nicholson (lead guitar) plus Kiko Rivers (bass) and Chris Bennett (drums).

For more information, visit www.blackroseuk.co.uk.

THIS ENDING, the Swedish death metal band featuring AMON AMARTH drummer Fredrik Andersson, has completed work on a new three-song EP titled "Systematic Worship". The effort was recorded during late 2011 at guitarist Linus Nirbrant's studio Audiohammer, which the band calls "an environment where we are used to rehearse, so it's been the most natural and organic recording for us. This has allowed us to not only deliver more of the same THIS ENDING that our fans have come to appreciate, but also experiment with some new stuff that we hope you'll enjoy as well."

"Systematic Worship" track listing

01. Our Creation
02. Army Of (N)one
03. No More Silence

You can now stream the entire EP using the SoundCloud player below.

THIS ENDING's second album, "Dead Harvest", was released in January 2009 via Metal Blade Records.

THIS ENDING is:

Mårten Hansen - vocals
Leo Pignon - guitar
Linus Nirbrant - guitar
Jesper Löfgren - bass
Fredrik Andersson – drums

Formed in 2005, THIS ENDING existed in a previous incarnation as A CANOROUS QUINTET. After several years of absence from the metal scene the guys decided that the time was right for a new era. Members of the band are/have been active in the following acts: AMON AMARTH, GUIDANCE OF SIN, NIDEN DIV. 187 and SINS OF OMISSION, among others.

Rolling into today's Super Bowl festivities where they'll be featured in the KIA Optima commercial airing during the third quarter, the world's most notorious band has taken the world's most notorious city by storm. MÖTLEY CRÜE — vocalist Vince Neil, guitarist Mick Mars, bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee — launched Las Vegas' first-ever hard rock residency with "Mötley Crüe In Sin City" at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino with the first two rapturously received sold-out shows.

The "Mötley Crüe In Sin City" experience got underway this weekend on Friday, February 3 — also declared "Mötley Crüe Day" by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman — as The Joint transformed into a rock 'n roll carnival extravaganza bringing in elements of MÖTLEY CRÜE's arena show, including Tommy Lee's 360 drum coaster and the biggest lighting and sound production ever brought into The Joint, including their over the top signature pyrotechnics which fittingly incorporated a Vegas feel. The shows are produced and promoted by AEG Live.

From costuming — which included Vince Neil's illuminated poker-hand belt buckle and rogue carnival styled seat ushers -- to showgirl dancers, female aerialists, little people, macabre clowns and stilt walkers, each element dazzled the eye throughout. In addition to MÖTLEY's high-octane numbers, which included "Kickstart My Heart", "Shout At the Devil", "Saints Of Los Angeles", "Same Old Situation" and "Girls, Girls, Girls", the band also dedicated a portion of the show to an acoustic performance. High above the audience on a floating circular platform, they performed stunning renditions of "Without You", "On With the Show" and "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)". Other songs in the set included rare live gems "Piece Of Your Action" and "Afraid", which haven't been performed live in over 10 years.

On Saturday night (February 4), MÖTLEY was joined by their friend Jacoby Shaddix of PAPA ROACH who jumped on stage for "Smokin' In the Boys Room". Rumor has it that there will be more guests jamming with MÖTLEY CRÜE throughout the residency.

"The 'Mötley Crüe In Sin City' residency transformed the town, not only the Hard Rock Hotel," states Paul Davis, Vice President of Entertainment, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. "It's never been done like this before." Billboards on the world-famous Sunset Strip in Los Angeles and the 15 Interstate upon entering Vegas beckoned fans to the Hard Rock. Upon entering the casino lobby, Vince Neil's custom 1932 Ford Coupe hot rod was displayed and poker players found themselves gaming on MÖTLEY CRÜE-branded tables. Even maid service signs for hotel guest rooms indicated cleanup for "Home Sweet Home".

Tonight, Sunday, February 5, the quartet returns for the third night of the run which lasts through February 19. Leading up to it, fans can experience their current KIA automotive TV commercial during the third quarter of the Super Bowl. The 60-second spot, titled "Drive The Dream", stars Vince, Mick, Nikki and Tommy in a race car dream sequence performing their 1989 smash hit "Kickstart My Heart". Victoria's Secret Angel Adriana Lima, mixed martial arts legend Chuck Liddell and champion bull rider Judd Leffew are also featured in the commercial.

Don't miss "Mötley Crüe In Sin City" at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas now through February 19:

* Wednesday, February 8
* Friday, February 10
* Saturday, February 11
* Sunday, February 12
* Tuesday, February 14
* Wednesday, February 15
* Friday, February 17
* Saturday, February 18
* Sunday, February 19

Tickets, starting at $45 (plus applicable service fees) are available at the Hard Rock box office.

John Doan of MusicFrenzy.net conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner of Canadian metal legends ANVIL when the band played at the Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, Pennsylvania on January 31. When asked about the recent departure of ANVIL's longtime bassist Glenn Gyorffy (a.k.a. Glenn Five or G5) and the addition of Sal Italiano, Lips said, "It's so much more a relaxed, comfortable feeling on the stage. Sal steps back for me to do the front thing rather than trying to compete with it, or be a distraction to it. It's comfortable — it makes it very comfortable when everybody realizes what ti all is and there's no bad vibes, which is… I mean, vibes between the members is everything and the ill feelings that we had around us are gone. Regardless of whatever else is going on — playing-wise, music-wise — it's the same: it's the same singer, it's the same singer…" Reiner added: "It's just a really good, new energy around us guys, and you feel it on stage. It's just getting better every show. It's our fourth shows with Sal, and I see it going good places. Whether he'll be a permanent fit, we'll see. We talked about it as, like, 'We'll do the [current] tour, and we'll see how it goes.'"

Lips and Robb talking to MusicFrenzy.net about ANVIL's new lineup (audio):



Lips talking to MusicFrenzy.net about his views on metal music, metal fans, and the meaning of metal music (audio):



Lips talking to MusicFrenzy.net about wanting to change the world (audio):



Video footage of ANVIL's January 31 performance at Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

Photos of ANVIL's February 1 concert at Strange Matter in Richmond, Virginia can be found at HardRock.RVA.

Italiano — who is a member of the Long Island, New York IRON MAIDEN tribute band LIVE AFTER DEATH and original progressive metal act THE NIGHTMARE STAGE, as well as a former member of the acclaimed '80s heavy metal group CITIES — was interviewed on last weekend's edition of the "Maximum Threshold" show. When asked about landing the ANVIL gig, Italiano said, "We've been friends for a really long time. Back in the day, we used to play this club L'Amour in Brooklyn, and I was in a band called CITIES with A.J. Pero from TWISTED SISTER. Whenever ANVIL would come down, we would wind up opening. . . So this was an easy transition. I didn't get a lot of time to [prepare]. I mean, they called me up New Year's Eve and they said, 'Tour starts. Can you be up here on the 19th?' And I was on my way to California on the 19th, so I actually went there the weekend before. So I narrowed that window even more to learn the material. I knew a lot of it [already]; it was just a matter of rehearsing it. . . I didn't wanna hit the stage and there be a difference. I wanted it to still be an ANVIL show. It was really important to me that I did them their show. Because these guys have been doing it, and I didn't wanna come up here and be half prepared and make the band look bad. So I kind of guaranteed that I would get my act together when we played."

Regarding whether this is just a temporary collaboration or whether he will turn out to be a perment member of ANVIL, Sal said, "Whatever [ANVIL's Steve 'Lips' Kudlow and Robb Reiner] decide. I'm just taking it a day at a time. Right now I'm here to do the American shows, and they mentioned a couple of festivals that are over the summer, so I'll probably get to do those. But after that, whatever they decide to do. They may want somebody local. I'm from out of New York, and if they wanna gel with a bass player and start writing the next record, they may want somebody that's local. If we can work something out… We'll see."

Sal Italiano interviewed on "Maximum Threshold" (audio):



Italiano made his live debut with ANVIL on Friday, January 27 at the Live Wire concert club in Mentor-On-The-Lake, Ohio.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. March Of The Crabs
02. 666
03. School Love
04. Juggernaut Of Justice
05. Winged Assassins
06. On Fire
07. This Is Thirteen
08. Mothra
09. Thumb Hang (dedicated to RIOT's Mark Reale)
10. Swing Thing (Robb Reiner drum solo)
11. Fuckin' Eh
12. New Orleans Voodoo
13. Metal On Metal

Encore:

14. Forged In Fire
15. Running

Glenn Five joined ANVIL in 1996 and has appeared on seven of the band's albums, including "This Is Thirteen" and the group's latest release, "Juggernaut Of Justice", on which he wrote and sang the song "This Ride".

ANVIL's latest album, "Juggernaut Of Justice", was released in Europe on June 20, 2011 (three days earlier in Germany) via SPV/Steamhammer. The effort was made available as a limited-edition digipak (including two bonus tracks), double gatefold LP in blue vinyl, standard version and a digital download.

Alex Barbieri of Hardrock Haven recently conducted an interview with former ANVIL bassist Glenn Gyorffy (a.k.a. Glenn Five or G5). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Hardrock Haven: What happened in ANVIL that made you want to leave after 16 years?

Glenn: I wouldn't say anything in particular happened that made me want to quit ANVIL. It's been an ongoing thing for many years. Basically, it was getting a bit stale for the artist inside me and I simply wasn't fulfilled playing in the band anymore. As many people know there was a wonderful movie made about ANVIL("Anvil! The Story of Anvil") that re-ignited a flame in the band, not only in the public eye, but also in ourselves. When the film started to receive critical acclaim and we started this amazing ride on the film festival circuit, we found ourselves very inspired like we hadn't been in a long time. The success of the movie also brought with it the interest of the industry and we obtained proper management for the first time in decades — certainly the first time in my long tenure with the band. With that management came tours all around the world and a chance to experience many new things. It was very inspirational and we found ourselves writing and recording "Juggernaut Of Justice", the best album the band has done to date. The truth is before the filmmaker, Sacha Gervasi, came back into ANVIL's life and made a brilliant movie about a great story of perseverance, the band was in a downward spiral. The music just wasn't making a difference and, creatively speaking, we were at a bit of a standstill. This changed with the prospect of a film and a chance to once again record with Chris Tsangarides on the "This Is Thirteen" album. That album, because of the movie, received a lot of attention and was picked up and distributed by big-time record companies like Sony in Japan and VH1 in the United States. That feeling of renewed creativity continued on with the "Juggernaut" album, but unfortunately the interest of the record companies didn't, and in my opinion the album hasn't been given the chance to shine like it deserves and ANVIL have found themselves once again in a position of irrelevance. The music just isn't making a difference in today's marketplace. The movie was sort of a Band Aid over the inevitable, and in my opinion, ANVIL is now on its way back to the same position as it was back in 2005 before the filming of the movie began.

Hardrock Haven: What are some of your favorite memories and experiences from the past 16 years with the band?

Glenn: Well, it's all been great. My entire time with ANVIL has been a great ride. I've learned a lot, experienced some amazing things, got to travel the world and meet some amazing people along the way. Two very wonderful experiences for me took place in England. The first was the recording of the "This Is Thirteen" album. Not only to work with a great producer like Chris Tsangarides, but also to spend nine weeks in the village of Kingsdown where Chris' studio is located. Kingsdown is a small village in Kent in the South East of England. The local villagers are among some of the greatest people I've met and they welcomed us with open arms. I made some really great friends there that I consider my extended family, and I have been back to visit a couple of times. The second was when we went to London for the London Film Festival. The premier of our movie was awesome, complete with being joined on the red carpet by Sarah Brown, the wife of then-prime minister Gordon Brown. But the best part of that particular trip was meeting the love of my life, an amazing woman who is a publicist at The Works, the company that distributed the ANVIL movie. I lived the dream professionally with ANVIL, but all the other things that came with it mean a great deal to me, and maybe more so at the end of the day. I don't play in ANVIL anymore but the relationships remain and I couldn't be more grateful for having such wonderful people in my life.

Hardrock Haven: Is there anything you want to say to your ex-bandmates, Steve ["Lips Kudlow, guitar/vocals] and Robb [Reiner, drums] to clear the air?

Glenn: Actually there is nothing that I would say to them in this forum. One day, when our paths cross again, there will be things to say. For now, I just wish them well and continued success.

Read the entire interview from Hardrock Haven.

Photo below courtesy of Anvil! The Story Of Anvil Facebook page

According to a recent tweet from original GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler, his mother, Deanna Adler, has signed a deal for her long-awaited tell-all book, "Sweet Child Of Mine: How I Lost My Son to Guns N' Roses" (formerly "No Bed Of Roses"). The book, which was previously expected to arrive late last year via HarperCollins, is now due in April.

In the bestselling tradition of "Come Back" and "Augusta, Gone", comes her story of heartache and strength as Deanna Adler stood by her son at his most troubled times.

During the last quarter century, Deanna Adler kept her diaries, journals, and personal letters, as well as a dozen scrapbooks and hundreds of photographs, putting them aside for safekeeping. "Sweet Child Of Mine" is her stunning book about raising her son, Steven Adler, the drummer for GUNS N' ROSES, and the travails of keeping him alive and herself sane.

Deanna's son has had a turbulent life in GUNS N' ROSES and afterward; he struggled with drug addiction, financial ruin after being kicked out of GUNS N' ROSES, and health problems that almost claimed his life several times — two heart attacks, a suicide attempt, and a debilitating stroke. Now, he appears to have finally beaten his epic twenty-year addiction to crack and heroin. But through it all, his mother was by his side. Deanna offers a window into the world of rock'n'roll and addiction while at the same time providing deep insights into her son's tortured years.

These are the memoirs of a mother's love for an infamous son whose phenomenal success is only surpassed by his astounding capacity for self destruction. Her pages are filled with moments of profound joy and crippling heartbreak. "Sweet Child Of Mine" will inform and inspire others to find the strength to help their loved ones.

La Voce, the voice of the Las Vegas' Italian-American community, last year spoke to Deanna Adler about her upcoming book. The chat can be streamed in two parts below.

Interview - Part 1 (audio):



Interview - Part 2 (audio):



Deanna Adler appeared on the second season of "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew", on which Steven was a cast member. During the season's episode five, Dr. Drew, Dr. Sophy and Steven sat down for a meeting with Deanna in a what was described as "a tense whirlwind of accusations, denials and resentment. Steven is so flustered that he storms out of the room, leaving the many issues between he and Deanna unresolved, possibly forever."

You can see Deanna Adler's appearance on "Celebrity Rehab" at this location. (Deanna Adler first appears around the 19-minute mark.)

Having been kicked out of his mother's house on numerous occasions before he was old enough to vote, Steven Adler reportedly started skipping school and doing drugs when he was 11.

Steven Adler was the drummer for GUNS N' ROSES from 1985 to 1990. He was eventually fired from the band due to his drug addiction, which caused him to spiral down into depression and more drug use.

Steven Adler's autobiography, "My Appetite for Destruction: Sex, and Drugs, and Guns N' Roses", came out in July 2010. In the book, Adler tells all, fearlessly addressing his struggles with heroin and crack addiction; his financial ruin after being kicked out of GN'R; his shattered marriage; and the severe health problems that nearly claimed his life on several occasions.

Guitarist Zoltan Bathory of Las Vegas metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has revealed via Twitter that the band recently filmed a video for the song "Remember Everything". The track comes off FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's third album, "American Capitalist", which debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart, selling 91,000 copies in its first week of release. Both the chart and sales numbers were career highs for the group.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH fans are able to get the brand new cover art for "American Capitalist". It features an illustration of the group's ubiquitous "mascot," Knucklehead, over the backdrop of Times Square in New York City.

The new Knucklehead illustration only replaces the regular edition album version of "American Capitalist", while the deluxe edition artwork remains the same.

"American Capitalist" was released as a standard CD, and a limited-edition deluxe CD format complete with special packaging plus second disc containing a number of exclusive remixes, including one for "Under And Over It". Meanwhile, the iTunes version carries the bonus track "The Tragic Truth".

Legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES) is filming a video this weekend for a remixed version of the song "Gotten". The track, which features lead vocals by Adam Levine of MAROON 5, originally appeared on Slash's last self-titled album, which was released in North America in April 2010 via EMI Label Services.

"Gotten" was remixed in Astound Sound and will be released soon in support of the Los Angeles Youth Network (LAYN) charity.

LAYN's mission is to end homelessness, one kid at a time, by providing shelter, food and counseling for the abused, neglected and abandoned.

"Slash" featured an all-star roster of guest musicians, including Levine, Ian Astbury (THE CULT), Chris Cornell (SOUNDGARDEN), Rocco DeLuca, Fergie (BLACK EYED PEAS), Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS), Myles Kennedy (ALTER BRIDGE), Kid Rock, Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD), Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES), M. Shadows (AVENGED SEVENFOLD), Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, and Andrew Stockdale (WOLFMOTHER).

In a 2010 interview with iHeartRadio (see video below), Slash stated about the experience of working with Levine on "Gotten", "Adam Levine really surprised me just because he's so skilled as a vocalist. He came in and sang the song, and it was, basically, a one-take, perfect vocal. We stopped in between a couple of times, but we didn't have to go fix anything, we didn't have to do any tuning or any of that kind of stuff, and it was really just amazing to watch somebody go and pull that off, for that kind of a vocal."

Slash and his backing band — which includes Myles Kennedy — are putting the finishing touches on the legendary axeman's second solo album.

Early song titles for Slash's sophomore effort include "Bad Rain", "Halo", "Standing In The Sun" and "Far And Away". The record is expected to arrive this spring.

Sweden's OCTOBER TIDE has issued the following update:

"As you might have noticed, we have showed up with different members on many of the shows lately and the reason for that is FOUR newborn babies produced within one year. Since the effect of humping has a time consuming aftermath we hereby make the following statement.

"Vocalist Tobias Netzell and bassist Pierre Stam have decided to leave OCTOBER TIDE in favor of their families and other musical adventures. We want to thank the guys for the past years and wish them both all the best for the future!

"But rest assured, new fulltime members have already been found. Pierre has been replaced by Mattias Norrman (ex-KATATONIA) and Tobias' replacement will be no other than Alexander Högbom (VOLTURYON, SPASMODIC).

"We are thrilled about this new strong lineup and more than ready to focus on the future and things to come. Our primary goal and mission for now is to continue to write new breathtaking material for the next album which will most likely be recorded during the summer for a late 2012 release.

"We will keep you updated during the process!"

OCTOBER TIDE's current lineup:

Fredrik Norrman (KATATONIA, UNCANNY) - Guitar
Mattias Norrman (KATATONIA, DELLAMORTE) - Bass
Alexander Högbom (VOLTURYON, SPASMODIC) - Vocals
Robin Bergh (AMARAN, GOREMENT) - Drums
Emil Alstermark (MANDYLON) - Guitar

OCTOBER TIDE's latest album, "A Thin Shell", was released in North America in September 2010 via Candlelight Records. The band's first CD in ten years followed the 2009 reissue of its debut, "Rain Without End" (Candlelight).

Formed in 1995 by then-KATATONIA guitarist Norrman and KATATONIA/BLOODBATH vocalist Jonas Renkse, OCTOBER TIDE quickly made a mark with two albums recorded and released during the years 1997 and 1999 ("Rain Without End" and "Grey Dawn", respectively). Much of the band's music was written during a short break up of KATATONIA which later proved only temporary as the band would reform and continues today. OCTOBER TIDE would not perform live during this short period of activity and few interviews with the members were granted despite praise from both media and fans. The band, until reforming in late 2009, would maintain a cult status throughout the doom/metal community.

Pictured below is OCTOBER TIDE's 2010 - January 2012 lineup.

Char Tupper of MetalTitans.com conducted an interview with ENGEL/IN FLAMES guitarist Niclas Engelin. You can now watch the chat below.

ENGEL — the Gothenburg, Sweden-based quintet featuring guitarists Marcus Sunesson (THE CROWN) and Niclas Engelin, vocalist Mangan Klavborn, drummer Jimmy Olausson (ex-MARIONETTE) and bassist Steve Drennan (LOCUS) — will film a video for a new song on February 10 at Sticky Fingers in their hometown.

ENGEL recently finished recording its third album, "Blood Of Saints", at Antfarm studios in Aabyhøj, Denmark. According to the group, the new CD "is going to be a good mixture between both [previous ENGEL efforts] 'Threnody' [2010] and 'Absolute Design' [2007], but with some new angles as well! If you liked 'Threnody', you will LOVE 'Blood Of Saints'!"

Guardian.co.uk recently conducted an interview with VAN HALEN singer David Lee Roth. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

On whether it was ever hard work appearing to be having that much fun all the time:

Roth: "I was a surgical tech right out of high school, I sold clothes; I shovelled shit at a horse stable for years. I've been rich and I've been poor. Rich is better. Totally better."

"The job we have is a privilege. The Van Halens [Eddie and his brother Alex, the drummer] and I have had steady jobs since we were 12 years old. Mine was working before and after school at a horse stable. For them it was paper routes. Mr. Van Halen was classic European: you're making your money for the rent. I was lucky I didn't have to do that … Even at your worst moments, there's a whole lot of Shakespeare going on. How can you not appreciate it? At your lonesomest, most catastrophic, it's still pretty cinematic. I think the smiles were genuine. Don't mistake them for simplistic grins — there's a lot of pirate smiling."

On how he and his bandmates spawned a legion of imitators in the L.A. hair metal scene — MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON, CINDERELLA, WARRANT and the like — who tried to set up camp on Van Halen Island:

Roth: "I don't know who coined the phrase imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I think David Mamet coined the phrase imitation is the sincerest form of stealing. Probably a litigating attorney coined it first. OK, if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then there are a whole lot of dogs out there … At worst I feel like I'm driving past a traffic accident and I'm relieved no one was killed."

On where VAN HALEN took its inspirations from:

Roth: "I can point for you and go: right there we're imitating Eric Clapton; right there I'm imitating vocally David Bowie; right there is Bruce Springsteen, but this is how you create a signature sound. If you're lucky to have it, there's no way around it. I actively imitated everything from the Nicholas Brothers tap dancing to Mick Jagger going 'Oooh yeah!' But because of whatever it never sounds like anything to you but David Lee. And when Edward plays you might never have heard the material before but you instantly recognise it as fast as, say, Jimi's guitar."

On how VAN HALEN was never just a metal band, even though they revolutionized the genre:

Roth: "Metal is a bit specific. The neighbourhoods we grew up, learning, acquiring musical knowledge, were very separate neighbourhoods, unlike, for example, New York City where Mr. Chin lives next to Mr. Steinberg who owes rent to Mr. Patel and they all speak Serbo-Croatian. It's just the school system. Here [in California], the Venice Beach surf neighbourhood is very different than San Bernadino Hell's Angels. Below south of the harbour freeway: 'Que pasa? What are you looking at?' And that all works into VAN HALEN. You can hear it — it's loudly diverse, but you can't feel the seams. It's like if you go to a car show and you Stevie Wonder it: you can't feel where the Chevy turned into a Mercedes door frame which turned into — that's a De Soto grill! 'That's my girlfriend loco! What are you doing?' All those different neighbourhoods add up into the sound, and to say it's one kind of sound — no! It's so much of a hybrid that you have to give it its own name."

On whether knowing they need each other make the tensions between him and the other members of VAN HALEN all the worse:

Roth: "Jesus, let's go back to the 1600s again. People didn't understand psychology, right? You showed them emotional content and made somebody cry and they thought it was demons. One of the best reviews you can get in my estimation is from the villagers if they killed all the actors and buried them at the cross so their ghosts couldn't haunt the village — because everyone left the play crying and laughing and they couldn't understand why. Today we give them an Oscar for that kind of emotional ride. Being human has caused so much of that. Let's really back into some theory here. What is art? Simple, I think — something that forces and compels you to think, and that can be a mint condition copy of 'Raging Bull' or it can be the Kardashians. The same questions will be asked and you will be forced to confront yourself, and you will be forced to triangulate where you stand on everything from racist politics to haircuts. And are they really different? Do you follow? You're going to ask the same questions and that … shit … is … art. And it has caused you to question more than that goddam soup can Warhol sold us. Or tried to. Bring that one up. You follow? You are compelled into argument. Consequently, arguing about our band and our rock'n'roll - you can do that certainly for longer than actually listening to it. VAN HALEN music is whisky in a paper cup! Short doses and not every night, PLEASE!"

Read the entire interview from Guardian.co.uk.

Milan, Italy-based female-fronted rock/metal act EXILIA will release its fifth studio album, "Decode", on March 30 via ZYX Music. Some great collaborations makes this album more special: an old friend, Stephan "Gudze" Hinz, bass player of the great crossover band H-BLOCKX, features on "Over The Edge", and Dave Pensado, who has mixed chart-toppers for some of the biggest names in the music business, such as DEFTONES, PINK and TOOL, mixed "Satellite" which will be the opening track.

According to a press release, "Decode" shows "a new creative side of EXILIA where they are challenging themselves in the realms of elegant songwriting and reaping the benefits incredibly, all songs provide intense and catchy chorus with rhytmic detonation interspersed with Masha's unique voice before exploding in an eruption of pounding guitars where she really shows her versatility."

EXILIA just returned from Berlin where they filmed a video for the first single, "Over The Edge", with director Oliver Sommer from Ava Studios. The clip's concept is inspired by a weird surreal short tale from Roald Dahl.

Behind-the-scenes footage from the "Over The Edge" video shoot can be seen below.

Masha Mysmane, who is well respected for her lyrical content, dramatic and energetic live performances, describes the new music as "something real, something that cannot be contained in a commercial box."

"Music is my way to express myself and I get inspired by many music styles, writing and combining different genres to find the right code to decypher the sound I hear in my head," she says. "I can't put any limits to it, our music is universal and does not belong to any system."

EXILIA's last album, "My Own Army", was released in February 2009 via AFM Records. The CD was recorded at Principal Studios in Ottmarsbocholt (near Münster), Germany.

Conquest Music Inc. recording artist MONSTROSITY will release the "Live Apocalypse" DVD on March 13. The specially priced DVD includes their explosive set filmed at the legendary Brutal Assault festival in Josefov Czech Republic. Also included are interview segments, live clips from South America, rehearsal footage, and the making of the "Spiritual Apocalypse" recording.

A trailer for the DVD can be seen below.

Celebrating 20 years of existence, MONSTROSITY has had several well-known death metal luminaries through its ranks, including most notably original vocalist and frontman George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, currently in CANNIBAL CORPSE. The band has soldiered on and is still creating the madness that fans have loved since their debut album, "Imperial Doom" (1992). MONSTROSITY has created timeless classics, one after another, including "Millennium" (1996), "In Dark Purity" (1999), "Rise To Power" (2003), and culminating in their finest work yet on the 2007 release "Spiritual Apocalypse". The band has cemented a solid reputation on the international touring scene, having played in places like Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Mexico, Puerto Rico, as well as numerous tours of the U.S. and Europe. A brand new studio record is expected in the fall of 2012.

MONSTROSITY's current lineup:

Mike Hrubovcak: Vocals
Lee Harrison: Drums
Mark English: Guitars
Matt Barnes: Guitars
Mike Poggione: Bass

Video footage of STATIC-X frontman Wayne Static's January 29 solo performance at Backstage Live in San Antonio, Texas can be seen below.

Wayne Static's debut solo album, "Pighammer", sold 4,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 97 on The Billboard 200 chart.

STATIC-X's last CD, "Cult Of Static", opened with 19,000 units back in March 2009 to land at No. 16.

The band's's previous album, "Cannibal", registered a first-week tally of more than 30,000 copies back in April 2007 to enter the chart at No. 36. This represented a slight drop from the 35,000 copies sold by the band's "Start a War" LP, which came out in June 2005 and debuted at No. 29.

In a 2011 interview with Revolver magazine, Static stated about "Pighammer", "I've wanted to do a solo album since 2000 when I was writing songs for the 'Machine' record," Wayne said. "Even in those early years of STATIC-X, there was a pattern emerging where I would spend all my free time writing songs for STATIC-X and the other guys in the band spent their free time working on their other projects. I was a bit jealous that they had time to do more than one thing, but, being the band's main songwriter, I knew that if I were to do a solo album, I would have to put STATIC-X on hold, and it wasn't until recently that I've been willing to do that. After the 2009 'Cult Of Static' touring cycle ended, I felt that, as a band, STATIC-X had accomplished everything we set out to accomplish, and now I could finally take the time to do my own thing and make a record that is completely my vision without compromising for anyone or anything."

When asked what he wanted to do differently with his solo project than what he has done with STATIC-X, Wayne said, "Mainly, I didn't want to compromise. Don't get me wrong: I love the great times I had with STATIC-X, but sometimes the writing/recording process was frustrating for me. I would spend months by myself writing and recording demos, then hand them over to the band, then we would rehearse for weeks during which time everyone changed parts and added their own ideas. By the end of the process, I always felt some of my original vision and passion was lost. This time I wrote and recorded everything on my own, playing all the instruments myself, and did not compromise with anyone."

Artisan News caught up with new JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner last month at the first-ever Rock & Roll Roast at The Grove in Anaheim, California and asked him about the band's ongoing "Epitaph" tour, which kicked off last spring (see video below).

"The tour has been going great," he said. "It couldn't have been gone any better, really. The band's been on fire. I like to think I've injected a bit of energy back into them. So hopefully it just keeps going."

When asked about what it has been like replacing PRIEST's founding guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing, Faulkner said, "It was an incredible honor just to be considered for it, as you can imagine. Big shoes to fill, but what do you do? There are challenges in life and that was one I knew I could take."

In a 2011 interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, Faulkner stated about the task of replacing Downing, "First of all, it was a huge honor just to be even considered. I've been a fan of the band for years, and so it was a bit of a double-edged sword, really; it was a great opportunity for me as a guitar player and as a fan, but at the same time he was one of my heroes and didn't want to do it anymore. It was a double-edged sword, really, but I've always said to people, as a fan myself, I know what fans expect. JUDAS PRIEST wanted to carry on and they were asking me to join to be able to carry on, so it was a no-brainer in my mind. One of the guys who was my idol had left, and you have to respect the guys' decision. The band wanted to carry on, and again it was a great honor to do it and it was a great honor to be put forward. I'm not there to replace a forty-year career; Ken's career was influential, and before those two guys came out and did that style of guitar, there weren't many people doing it. He was a guitar hero idol of mine, and I'm not there to replace any of that. I know as a fan what the fans expect, and I'm just there to do the best I can for the band and the fans."

When asked abou the fan reaction to his addition to JUDAS PRIEST, Faulkner said, "Initially I think people were sceptical, which is natural, really. I think I would've been sceptical because right up until Ken's departure, it was like that for forty years, and if something changes, people's first reactions tend to be an unsure one. When people are unsure, they're fearful of the outcome. We're through the worst, and as I said, people are skeptical, but we knew that as soon as we got out and did the first couple of shows and went from there that the fans would see with their own eyes and their own ears that the band is fine and that it's a good fit. Hats off to the fans, really, for giving it that chance; they still got their tickets and gave the band a chance, and hopefully they weren't and won't be disappointed. They've been fantastic, and with every show that we do, the more of an amazing welcome reaction I get. A big thank you to them really for giving me the chance and the band a chance."



Photo credit: Andrew Ogilvy

EADT conducted an interview with former GUNS N' ROSES and ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA guitarist Gilby Clarke prior to the kick-off of his short European tour.

Clarke, 49, is best known for a three-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of GUNS N' ROSES. He joined the band in November 1991, replacing Izzy Stradlin, who quit the group in the middle of a 28-month world tour. Gilby has also played with ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA, HEART, NANCY SINATRA, Kathy Valentine (of THE GO-GO'S) and the reformed MC5 on their 2005 European tour.

Clarke has produced a number of artists, including L.A. GUNS, BULLETS AND OCTANE, THE BRONX, GIRLSPLAYBOYS, VAINS OF JENNA and LADYJACK.

When asked about his tenure with GUNS N' ROSES, Gilby said, "[It was] awesome... I was ready for it when it went down. I was in two bands that hadn't had that success so I was ready for the big time. It was important to me to be myself and make sure they accept me for who I am and how I played . . . The tour was awesome; living my dream with a great band, playing great music in front of thousands of fans. GUNS was a great time for me as a musician. It was everything I was looking for when I set out. The band had great songs, musicianship and success. I knew it was gonna be hard, but it was worth the effort."

On his first band, the pop-rock outfit CANDY:

"We made a record and did a couple tours. It wasn't really taking off so I started another band that was a lil' harder, KILL FOR THRILLS [described as a big riff quartet for who he wrote most of the tunes]. I think KILL FOR THRILLS was good, but we kinda got lost in the shuffle and didn't really succeed like I was hoping."

On going down the solo route after his departure from GUNS N' ROSES:

"I only set out on my own because there were no bands to join at that time. After coming off the GUNS experience, it was hard to find a band that inspired me. It was important to me to keep writing and performing; I set out to make one record and now I've made five."

On producing other artists:

"I love the creative process of producing and working with a band or artists. To capture that point of their musical dream is exciting. But I always prefer playing. I'm a guitarist first and foremost, so it doesn't matter if it's recording or performing; playing the guitar is my first love."

Austrian symphonic extreme metal outfit HOLLENTHON has made professionally filmed video footage of its entire December 4, 2010 concert at Szene in Vienna available for streaming in five parts. The fifth and final clip can be seen below.

HOLLENTHON's latest EP, "Tyrants and Wraiths", came out in 2009.The CD featured four new tracks and two live videos from the 2008 Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium.

HOLLENTHON's most recent album, "Opus Magnum", was released in June 2008 via the Austrian record label Napalm Records. The CD featured eight songs and a cover version, plus a video.

HOLLENTHON issued two critically acclaimed albums a decade ago — "Domus Mundi" (1999) and "With Vilest Of Worms To Dwell" (2001).

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METALLICA/ex-EXODUS guitarist Kirk Hammett, former EXODUS axeman Rick Hunolt and original EXODUS bassist Jeff Andrews all joined the current lineup of EXODUS on stage last night (Saturday, February 4) at a special concert to mark the 10-year anniversary of former EXODUS singer Paul Baloff's passing. Dubbed "Bonded By Baloff: A Decade Of Remembrance", the event took place at the Oakland Metro Operahouse and featured additional performances by POSSESSED, FORBIDDEN and HEATHEN, among others.

Fan-filmed video footage of EXODUS performing their early demo classics "Whipping Queen" and "Impaler" during last night's concert — with guest appearances by Hammett, Hunolt and Andrews — can be seen below.

It was a decade ago — on January 31, 2002 — that Paul Baloff suffered a major stroke and was brought to Highland General Hospital in Northern California, where he remained in a coma until he was declared brain dead. On February 2, 2002, his doctors shut off his life support, leaving him to die in his sleep. He had no previous known health problems, and the stroke was a complete surprise to everyone around him.

Regarding EXODUS' decision to stage this concert, the band's guitarist Gary Holt said, "With February 2nd being the 10-year anniversary of Paul's passing, the band knew it was high time we do something special to remember the legend of Paul Baloff, so we decided to put together a show the Bay Area will not soon forget. We've pulled some of the Bay's finest for this, bands who knew and shared many a stage and drink with Pavel. There are some nice surprises in store as well! It will be ten years and two days since the thrash world lost one of its greatest frontmen ever, and we will always make sure his memory lives on and is never forgotten. Long live The Destroyer!"

Added FORBIDDEN guitarist and founding member Craig Locicero: "Everyone in FORBIDDEN is honored to have been asked by Gary and EXODUS to play this show marking the 10th anniversary of Paul Baloff's crazy fucking life! I witnessed his insanity first-hand at the Mabouhay Gardens and Ruthie's Inn. As EXODUS got bigger, Paul got crazier — in a good way. It was genius at work. He was the mold that all thrash frontmen cut themselves from, but he was also a pretty damn sweet guy. Always kind to those he liked, he'd be in the front row at FORBIDDEN gigs screaming things like 'Why does it have to be so heavy?' and my favorite, 'Heavier than time!' I'm laughing just typing this!

"At his memorial, I saw people I hadn't seen in years. So much love, so many laughs. It made me happy in some strange way just to see that kind of respect displayed for Paul. We all really loved him. Luckily his legend has returned with a vengeance… and hey, Paul, you did it: You've become heavier than time!"

"Let There Be Blood", the controversial re-recording of EXODUS' classic 1985 debut album, "Bonded by Blood", was issued in October 2008 through Zaentz Records.

Regarding the band's decision to re-record "Bonded By Blood", Holt previously said: "It is our way of paying homage to Paul Baloff by showing how relevant these songs we had written together still are. We aren't trying to replace the original; that's impossible anyway. We are just giving these songs the benefit of modern production. It's something we talked about before Paul's death and it's always been important to us to do. We were super-excited about entering the studio once again to record these classics." Current EXODUS vocalist Rob Dukes added, "Paul was rad, totally original. He was not like [METALLICA's James] Hetfield or [SLAYER's Tom] Araya. I think at times he wanted to be, but he was simply himself. He had a really cool way of going up with his voice in the weirdest spots. I, myself, find it cool and original."