RockNLive.org conducted an interview with Danish rockers D-A-D on March 1 at the L'Empreinte in Savigny Le Temple, France. You can now watch the chat below.

D-A-D's 11th studio album, "DIC.NII.LAN.DAFT.ERD.ARK", was released last November. The follow-up to 2008's "Monster Philosophy" was helmed by Nick Foss, who previously worked with D-A-D on such LPs as "No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims", "Sympatico", "Everything Glows" and "Soft Dogs". The album title is a play on D-A-D's original band name DISNEYLAND AFTER DARK, which had to be changed after a threat of a lawsuit from The Walt Disney Company.

"DIC.NII.LAN.DAFT.ERD.ARK" track listing:

01. I Can't Explain
02. I Want What She's Got
03. The Last Time In Neverland
04. New Age Moving In
05. The End
06. Wild Things In The Woods
07. Breaking Them Heart By Heart
08. Fast On Wheels
09. My Lips Are Sealed
10. The Place Of The Heart
11. I Won't Find Out
12. We All Fall Down

The new Stefan Treschow-directed video for the song "I Want What She's Got" can be seen below.

Los Angeles-based progressive death metal titans THE FACELESS have parted ways with guitarist Steve Jones and replaced him with Wes Hauch. Guitarist Michael Keene broke the news via Twitter, stating, "Farewell Steve Jones. We had a long ride, my brother. Welcome the amazing Wes Hauch to THE FACELESS. He is a shredder."

A short video clip of Wes Hauch "shredding" the axe can be seen below.

THE FACELESS parted ways with vocalist Derek Rydquist in May and replaced him with Geoff Ficco (KAMIKABE, ORGONE). Rydquist explained his decision to exit the band by saying that he was "no longer emotionally or artistically fulfilled by being the vocalist for the group."

THE FACELESS last re-signed with Sumerian Records. The band entered Keene's studio in March 2011 to begin recording its third album for a 2012 release. Keene described the band's forthcoming CD as "the most musical and progressive record we've made." He added, "Since recording 'Planetary Duality', the goals of THE FACELESS have changed a bit. You can still expect a fast, technical and blistering record, but I personally am less focused on a musical aesthetic and more on musicality and making an expressive, unique, moody and expansive record. Speed picking, flying double bass and skin melting guitar solos are certainly still in order. However, you can also expect more clean vocals with big harmonies, some unique instrumentation, dark moody passages, interesting keyboards, synth guitars, vocoder and sequenced segments. It's going to be the most focused and depressive FACELESS record to date."

Former VAN HALEN and current CHICKENFOOT singer Sammy Hagar has commented on the passing of his former bandmate Ronnie Montrose (MONTROSE, GAMMA), who died yesterday (Saturday, March 3) after a five-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 64 years old.

Said Hagar in a statement posted on his official web site: "Ronnie Montrose gave me my first break as a songwriter, as a frontman, as a recording artist, as a touring artist, and for that I will always be grateful.

"I was looking forward to a reunion for my birthday bash in Cabo with Denny [Carnassi, drums], Bill [Church, bass] and Ronnie — one of the few bands from that era where all four original members were still able to do it.

"It's a shame to lose Ronnie and I'm so sorry for his loved ones. Rest in peace."

Born in Denver, Colorado, Montrose's first break when he played Van Morrison's classic 1971 album, "Tupelo Honey". He also appeared on recordings by Boz Scaggs and the EDGAR WINTER GROUP (1972's "They Only Come Out At Night") before going solo under the MONTROSE moniker in 1973 (with a very young Sammy Hagar on vocals). The MONTROSE band released two albums, "Montrose" and "Paper Money", before Hagar left to pursue a solo career. Montrose continued to release albums with the MONTROSE band, but focused his attention mostly on his solo career as well as his other band, GAMMA, which released four albums between 1979 and 2000.

After being diagnosed with cancer in 2007, Montrose took some time off from playing and performing to focus on his health.

Photo below courtesy of RonnieMontrose.com

Lady Lisa recently conducted an interview with ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna. You can now watch the chat below.

ANTHRAX's video for the song "The Devil You Know" can be seen below. The clip contains clips of all the band highlights of last year.

"The Devil You Know" comes off ANTHRAX's latest album, "Worship Music", which sold 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous studio CD, 2003's "We've Come For You All", opened with just under 10,000 units to debut at No. 122.

The CD cover artwork for "Worship Music" was handled by renowned comic book artist Alex Ross, who has worked with Marvel Comics and DC Comics and is known for his "Marvels", "Kingdom Come", and "Astro City" illustrations. Ross also did the original artwork for ANTHRAX's "We've Come For You All" and "Music Of Mass Destruction" albums.

"Worship Music" was produced by ANTHRAX, Rob Caggiano and Jay Ruston and recorded over a four-year period at studios in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Singer Joey Belladonna's return to the band prompted some of the songs originally recorded with previous singer Dan Nelson to be re-crafted with fresh lyrics or tweaked to better suit his overall vibe and energy. Some of the songs were completely replaced with brand-new songs and, of course, all have Belladonna's inimitable vocal stamp on them.

ANTHRAX recently completed the second leg of its U.S. tour with TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL.

Interview:



"The Devil You Know" video:

Mark Kadzielawa of 69 Faces Of Rock recently conducted an interview with legendary vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

69 Faces Of Rock: What compromises needed to be made in order to keep [BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION] going?

Hughes: It brings me back to you asking me why we didn't play Chicago last summer. It should've been Chicago, Detroit, and many other Midwestern cities. I can't really hide the fact that if you look at Joe's [Bonamassa, guitar] touring schedule, and if you look at what's going on with Joe. I mean, all I have to do is look at that schedule, and realize there isn't too much time left for BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION to play. He can't really play twice in one city in the same season. Do a show as BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, and then two months later come back as Joe Bonamassa, or Glenn Hughes. So what Joe is obviously doing, he's taking the Bonamassa route, and you know, I'm really happy for him. But as I said before, my main concern is getting BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION off the ground. I mean, we do really well in Europe. But, my main concern is to get this band off the ground, and my hands are little bit tied if you know what I mean. The beauty of it is. What it's done for me is it has shown people that I'm back in a rock 'n' roll band again, and it's where I should've been for the last twenty years. I mean, I really should've been doing that, but I'm back now, and it's really great. The world is accepting the fact that I put my rock hat back on, and I really love playing rock music.

69 Faces Of Rock: How different is BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION from what you do on your own?

Hughes: Well, for Joe, it's completely different because he plays blues. I think even Joe's next album will be more pure blues. For me it's a little bit different. I may say this to you, that from here on now I've decided I'm going to make rock 'n' roll music, so the line between BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION and Glenn Hughes is very fine, really. I've decided I'm gonna be focused on rock 'n' roll. Whether it's the '70s rock that BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION does, or just really straight-ahead, groove-oriented rock music.

69 Faces Of Rock: Glenn, you were involved with DEEP PURPLE in the past. It was a huge band, but also a band that made several mistakes along the way. What mistakes are you trying to avoid with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION?

Hughes: We just have to keep everything friendly and honest. For me, the whole thing about being the older guy in the band is that I got to make sure everyone else is on the same page. And I'm a little bit of a control freak, and I am the one that carries the flag for the band. I think you know that. Although, everybody else has got other things to do, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION is real special, and I really take it to heart! Of course back in the '70s everybody was getting high, lots of women, and lots of drugs, and buzz, and so on. It was a great time, you had ZEPPELIN, SABBATH, PURPLE, WHO, PINK FLOYD, STONES, YES, and all those great British bands. It was a great time for music. I'm sort of one of those survivors of that period. And as you know I'm clean and sober now. The mistakes I've made actually had been life lessons for me. So, I kind of feel responsible for the other members of this band as far as keeping the flag flowing, if you will. As I said to you in the past, it's a very touchy subject for me. If it was my decision only, and I was managing this band, I would have the band out and do 250 shows a year. I'd be doing 50 shows in America alone every year. But unfortunately I'm not that guy who can answer that question. But to all the fans that read this, they need to know that If I had my way we'd be doing mass touring!

69 Faces Of Rock: There is already a talk of the third album being written. How are the new songs coming along?

Hughes: I mean, they're great. I've got pretty much a whole record of songs ready to go. Like I said, I don't really know too much of what's gonna happen in the future. There are rumors that we will make an album this summer. But I'm not too sure. For me, all I wanna do is play live in BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION. We're supposed to go in the studio, but by the time it will come out, I'm not sure what's gonna happen.

69 Faces Of Rock: After two successful BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION records and plenty of Glenn Hughes solo albums, when you write a song, how do you distinguish where it will end up?

Hughes: BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, to me, is pretty standard classic rock, and that is also the direction my music will also take. And like I said before, it's a little bit of a fine line for me. It's hard to really release a Glenn Hughes album, and BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION album in the same year. Especially now, when I went back to rock. Prior to making the BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION I've had a couple of funky albums on my own, which I really liked, by the way. It's a difficult procedure for me because of that fine line. I am writing a lot of the music, but I think there is a definitely BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION sound to it. I do have a bunch of songs written that aren't BLACK COUNTRY songs. I've got an album's worth of solo material as well. Slightly different, but it's not too dissimilar. What I'm not gonna do, and you know I love black music and funky music, is specifically write in that sort of feel. But I think now, the general consensus in the music industry, and especially with fans is that Glenn Hughes has returned to be in a rock 'n' roll band. To be that guy, your father liked, or people from my generation of rock fans that really wanted me to do it again. I promised you, and I got thousands of letters, and e-mails from fans welcoming me back to pure rock. And of course since I went back to playing rock, the doors had been opened where they may have been closed before. And I'm gonna say this to you, I don't do this for money, I don't bow to the god of money. I do things that make me sleep at night. As you know I've been cursed if you will with the knowledge to make funky soulful albums, and to make them real. And also I've been blessed to be a rock and roller, a really hardcore rock and roller. And there is not many people that have crossed that divide, really.

Read the entire interview from 69 Faces Of Rock.

Niclas Müller-Hansen of Sweden's Metalshrine recently conducted an interview with guitarist Isaac Delahaye of Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers EPICA. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metalshrine: This new album of yours ["Requiem For The Indifferent"], when did you start working on it and how long did it take to put it together?

Isaac: Well, let me just explain how we work. First we work on songs individually where you just write stuff at home and whenever you feel comfortable with what you already have, you put it on the table and then everybody can take that song and wok on it, so the first process of doing something individually… for me personally, I started writing right after "Design Your Universe". You go on the road and you fiddle around, and whenever I'm at home, I record my ideas and basically, it's not like half songs or anything, it's just riffs, and then whenever we're thinking of making a new album, I just go through all that and you make riffs here and there fit with each other and make songs like that. Mark [Jansen, guitar/vocals], who's the main composer in the band, apart from the intro, he wrote eight songs. We're basically three bandmembers writing the songs, Mark did the majority and then Coen [Janssen, keyboards] did two other songs and then I also wrote two songs. After you have the basic stuff, you give it to the other guys. For instance, between Mark and me, we are both guitar players and I really write music from a guitarist's point of view, so I write the technical riffs and the melody and the solo, whereas Mark will start with the orchestra. Just have some basic guitars and then put more emphasis on the orchestration and then he gives his song to me and says, "OK, that's your job. Make the guitar more interesting!" So that's how we work, and that basically started around June last year. We started sending stuff to each other and during the summer festival season it was mainly weekend shows, so we were just flying out to wherever we were playing and during the week was when you really had time to work. By the end of summer or by the end of August, we were finished with the pre-production and in September we started recording and the whole thing was finished halfway into December. Basically we have everything and then we go into the studio and do it for real.

Metalshrine: You worked with [producer] Sascha Paeth again. What is it that he brings to the table that have made you work with him for such a long time?

Isaac: Well, basically he's the EPICA judge. We work on stuff and then we go to Sascha and he's the one who has fresh ears and who hasn't heard anything about the music and he then says, "Well, this song is not even EPICA, so don't waste your time and focus on other songs!" because we always write more songs than what actually ends up on the album. Or he could say, "This part is too long." And so on. He can really listen to everything since he's outside the band and he also has very instant creative moments, like he can come up with a melody on the spot and it's much better than what we thought of. He thinks differently, apparently, than most other people and therefore he is of big value for us and that's why we keep going back. We had two of these "Sascha rounds" where we went there and then changed stuff and then went there again and changed stuff and then the eventual recording. Basically, it's the whole Gate Studios team, because it's not only Sascha. They really have a good team there and Miro Rodenberg is the guy who does all the orchestration for us, so it's like we have our own studio with our own sound. Miro has so many good sounds and he makes it sound really good and that's a huge part of the music, of course. The whole studio team is very important for a band like EPICA, but not only EPICA. EPICA decided to go there because of KAMELOT and they also still go there and then other bands like RHAPSODY. There are so many bands going there and it's because the whole team is really good.

Metalshrine: You have Simone [Simons, vocals] in the band. Are there different dynamics in the band when there's a woman, like being on the road and so on? Putting five guys together, there is a certain way of how they express themselves and stuff like that. Does it change having a woman in the band?

Isaac: Well, I have been in a different band with only guys, and I've been on tour with only guys and no girls whatsoever, and it is definitely a different scene, but that was more the death metal scene. Let me tell you this: from the outside, maybe Simone looks like an angel and that she can't do anything wrong, but it's no problem for her to be around dudes who are swearing or whatever we do. She can really keep up with that, and sometimes when she says something, everybody turns their heads, like, "Did she really say that?" [laughs] Of course, she grew up like that, she was barely 17 when EPICA started and it has been a part of her world for a very long time and she just turned 27. For her, it's kinda a normal environment and it is, of course, different in a way. Like, for instance, I quit smoking because I couldn't smoke on the tour bus anymore or backstage or on stage. I didn't have that problem before, but now it's also forbidden everywhere. Apart from that, maybe you have the opportunity to shower a bit more often. [laughs] She's not a party animal, because she can't, because she's a singer.

Read the entire interview from Metalshrine.

"Storm The Sorrow" lyric video:

Robert "Kool" Bell, co-founder of the legendary New Jersey jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group KOOL & THE GANG, spoke to The Morning Call about the band's seemingly unlikely support slot on VAN HALEN's North American tour, which kicked off on February 18 in Louisville, Kentucky.

"[VAN HALEN singer David Lee Roth] saw our show in London last year for the big Glastonbury Festival and as they were putting together the VAN HALEN reunion tour, he went back to his camp and said, 'Hey, man, I'd like to have KOOL & THE GANG open up for us,'" Bell said.

"They kind of felt it was a little strange in the beginning, but David kind of said, 'Hey, I think it'll work because in the '80s, VAN HALEN was sort of like the rock party band and KOOL & THE GANG was the pop funk party band. He said [VAN HALEN's] audience is 60 percent ladies — and of course, with 'Ladies Night', we wrote a song for them. So it all came together."

When asked whether the combination has been successful so far, Bell said, "The beer-drinking VAN HALEN [fans] at the tour the other night, they came in and by the time KOOL & THE GANG finished 'Ladies Night', they were jumping up and down. So they might have been hardcore fans in the beginning, but it's all kind of working out."

Read the entire interview from The Morning Call.

"Adults Only", the web series that features former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach as an adult video store clerk named Shifty, is set to premiere Wednesday, March 7 at 8:00 p.m. People can watch via YouTube, and can learn more about the series and Sebastian's involvement at this location.

"Adults Only" is about a former Olympic gold medalist, who, after falling on hard times, is forced to accept a job managing his brother-in-law's adult video/novelty store.

Series description: "After winning a pair of gold medals at the 1988 Olympics, gymnast Chance Rioux became America's Sweetheart, but times change and even the shiniest of medals eventually give way to rust. Now America's Forgotten, Chance must accept a job managing his brother-in-law's adult video/novelty store in order to make ends meet, all while trying to conceal his identity from the public, particularly a new love interest who serves as the trigger in his reinvention of self."

Cast:

* Danny Nucci as Gary
* Vincent Pastore as Mitch
* Brian Austin Green as Dick
* Sebastian Bach as Shifty
* Brianna Brown as Kris
* Ronnie Marmo as Crotch
* Adrienne LaValley as Larissa
* Todd Poudrier as Chance Rioux
* Caralyne Fondulis as Janice

Check out a trailer below.

Argentinean rock journalist Lucas H. Gordon, who currently resides in Hollywood, California, conducted an interview with Gene Simmons (KISS), Matt Sorum (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) and Glenn Hughes (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) about their involvement with the Rock 'N' Roll Allstars tour, which will hit the road in South and Central America in April/May. You can now watch the chat below.

Comprised of musicians from some of the biggest bands in recent rock history, the Rock 'N' Roll Allstars is a live show unlike any before. Bandmembers include:

* Gene Simmons (KISS)
* Joe Elliott (DEF LEPPARD)
* Matt Sorum (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES)
* Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES)
* Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES, ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA)
* Glenn Hughes (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH)
* Ed Roland (COLLECTIVE SOUL)
* Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW)
* Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL)
* Mike Inez (ALICE IN CHAINS)
* Billy Duffy (THE CULT)

Promoter Gabe Reed hosted a press conference this past Thursday (March 1) at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California to officially announce the Rock 'N' Roll Allstars tour of South and Central America in April/May 2012. Also attending the press conference were Simmons, Sorum, McKagan, Clarke, Bach and Hughes, among others.

Commented Bach: "For me to be the singer in Gene Simmons' first-EVER side project is amazing to me! Dreams come true, indeed. If you would have told me when I was a boy that some day Gene Simmons, Glenn Hughes and myself would be in a band together, my reply would have been, No, we will not,' and I would have been wrong, haha!! See you soon Central and South America!! We are gonna rock the best of KISS, DEEP PURPLE, GUNS N' ROSES, SKID ROW and DEF LEPPARD! See you soon on tour!!!"

Added Hughes: "It's going to be quite a spectacle. For me, this collective of rockers is a fan's dream come true. It's a great lineup with players from a lot of great bands."

Check out video footage of Thursday's press conference below.

Despite the fact that he was previously announced as one of the musicians taking part in the Rock 'N' Roll Allstars tour, former METALLICA and VOIVOD bassist Jason Newsted will **NOT** be making an appearance at the event.

Interview:



Press Conference - Part 1:



Press Conference - Part 2:

Jacob Zinn recently conducted an interview with guitarist Michael Romeo of North America's progressive metal masterminds SYMPHONY X. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Jacob Zinn: SYMPHONY X is one of the more well-known neo-classical metal bands out there. When you founded the band in 1994, did you foresee the progression and evolution of the genre reaching its mainstream popularity today?

Romeo: You always kind of hope that more people will embrace what you do, but honestly, I never really thought too much about that. It was always just about doing what we like to do. That's really all it was in the beginning, but it's good to see where it's at today.

Jacob Zinn: The new album, "Iconoclast", has a theme of technology taking over the world. How did this idea come about as inspiration for the album?

Romeo: With every album we do, we try to find some kind of a theme or an idea, something to kind of guide the lyrics and the music a little bit without maybe telling a story or getting too complicated. One day, I was just in my studio hanging out, listening to some different music. I like a lot of film music — all the big orchestral, "Star Wars" stuff, "Lord Of The Rings" — the big epic stuff. I think it was "The Matrix" soundtrack I had playing and it kind of sparked the idea, "What if it was this man and machine and technology kind of thing?" And the next day or two, I just started banging out a couple ideas and some riffs. More textures within the music that kind of had that technology vibe or a sci-fi thing. That's pretty much where it started.

Jacob Zinn: This album, as well as your previous two, was recorded at your home studio named The Dungeon. Where did the name come from and can you describe the atmosphere within it?

Romeo: Where the hell did that come from? It was probably my family, the wife and kids. "Where's Dad?" "Oh, he's down in his Dungeon." I guess that kind of stuck. It's in my basement and it's a good atmosphere for us to work. I have some really good gear and the rooms sound good. We definitely do take our time with these records and it works well that we can have a place where we can just kind of hang out and experiment a little without freaking out about the time and losing money. There's no real schedule, we'll just go until we need to sleep.

Jacob Zinn: Recently, you've been playing a lot of new songs in your set lists. How have the crowds responded to your latest work?

Romeo: Really good. When the album came out, all the press that we saw was really positive, and like with every album, we really put a lot into it. There was just so much music that we had, it turned out to be a double record. A lot of times, the fans want to hear some older material or whatever, and we try to get some stuff in there, but usually that first tour right after the release of a new record, we just want to get the new stuff out there. Sometimes we'll take it to an older song that some of the older fans that have been with us for a while, they love it, they go crazy.

Read the entire interview from Jacob Zinn.

Groovey of Colorado Music Buzz & Entertainment conducted an interview with vocalist Cristina Scabbia of Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL when the band played at Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado on February 28 as part of this year's Gigantour with MEGADETH, VOLBEAT and MOTÖRHEAD. 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.

Stefanie Heminger of "Stefanie's Rock Show" conducted an interview with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson last night (Saturday, March 3) prior to the band's performance at ACL Live at The Moody Theater in Austin, Texas as part of this year's Gigantour. You can now watch the chat below.

Gigantour — the critically acclaimed package festival founded in 2005 by MEGADETH — made its highly anticipated return for the first time since 2008. The multi-artist bill — with metal heavyweights MOTÖRHEAD, VOLBEAT and LACUNA COIL all personally picked by MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine — kicked off on January 26 in Camden, New Jersey and wrapped on March 3 in Austin.

MEGADETH was among the nominees for the 54th annual Grammy Awards, which was held on February 12 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The band's tenth Grammy nomination was for its new single, "Public Enemy No. 1", off MEGADETH's latest album, "TH1RT3EN", which came out on November 1, 2011.

"Public Enemy No. 1" actually marked the second Grammy nomination for music from "TH1RT3EN", as the song "Sudden Death" was first unveiled in the 2010 video game "Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock" and received a "Best Metal Performance" nod.

Norway's TRAIL OF TEARS has announced the addition of drummer Bjørn to the group's ranks.

A short introductory video of the band's latest addition can be seen below.

TRAIL OF TEARS' longtime drummer Cato Jensen left the group in January in order to focus on other priorities.

The first teaser for the forthcoming seventh album from TRAIL OF TEARS is available below.

TRAIL OF TEARS in September finished recording its as-yet-untitled new CD at Sound Suite Studio in Marseille, France with producer Terje Refsnes. The band is currently seeking a suitable record label to release the effort.

Commented the band: "Cathrine [Paulsen] came through the extreme schedule with flying colours, putting the finishing vocals on the end result and delivered a performance for the history books!

"We believe that we have created something extraordinary and can't wait to share it with you all. Never before has a recording process involved so much blood, sweat and tears!"

TRAIL OF TEARS in 2010 parted ways with guitarist Pål Olsen and opted to carry on as a five-piece.

TRAIL OF TEARS's sixth album, "Bloodstained Endurance", was recorded and mixed over a six-week period at Sound Suite Studio in Marseille, France with producer Terje Refsnes. Mastering duties were handled by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios in Finland. The cover artwork for the album was designed by acclaimed artist Travis Smith (AMORPHIS, OPETH, NEVERMORE).

In 2007, TRAIL OF TEARS was rejoined by vocalist Cathrine Paulsen, who sang on the group's 2002 album, "A New Dimension of Might".

Duff McKagan's (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES, DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED) has announced via Twitter that his book, "It's So Easy (And Other Lies)", will be released in paperback on March 20.

"It's So Easy (And Other Lies)" landed at position No. 17 on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best sellers list. The book arrived on October 4, 2011 via Touchstone Books (formerly Touchstone Fireside), a division of Simon & Schuster.

The first 80 pages of "It's So Easy (And Other Lies)" can be read at this location.

In this raw, utterly candid memoir, McKagan, the rock legend and founding member of rock supergroups GUNS N’ ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER, shares his story of excess, angst, struggle and triumph. "It's So Easy" details Duff's rise to the pinnacle of fame and fortune, his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, his personal crash and burn, his phoenix-like transformation via a unique path to sobriety, and his success as a savvy business investor and loving husband and father.

In a voice that is as honest as it is indelibly his own, Duff — one of rock's smartest and most articulate personalities — takes readers on his harrowing journey through the dark heart of one of the most notorious bands in rock-and-roll history and out the other side.

Duff's VELVET REVOLVER/GUNS N' ROSES bandmate Slash has published his own book, as has ex-GUNS drummer Steven Adler, who released his life story, "My Appetite For Destruction: Sex And Drugs And Guns N' Roses", in July 2010.

Tred of the Albany, New York radio station 99.5 The River conducted an interview with McKagan about "It's So Easy (And Other Lies)". You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

Interview (audio):

Legendary rocker Ted Nugent has announced via Twitter that he is officially endorsing Mitt Romney in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. However, in an interview Friday with The Texas Tribune, Nugent said he would prefer to have endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Perry entered the Republican presidential campaign with great fanfare in 2011, only to fizzle out after a series of debate gaffes, before finally dropping out in January.

"If the real Rick Perry had been at those debates, he would still be in the race," Nugent said. "It is my firm belief that Rick Perry would have [made] and would make the best president we could choose."

He continued, "Whatever occurred at those early debates that caused the real Rick Perry to take a back seat to whoever that was literally caused my wife to cry. We thought, 'Has he been advised by idiots?' To this day, we still don't know what happened."

Nugent also explained his endorsement of Romney by saying, "Basically, America is in a suicidal tailspin right now. Our government is out of control. The power abuse, the corruption, the insanity of spending money that will never exist... The conclusion based on all the evidence I can find is that Mitt Romney has the best shot at bringing the U.S. Constituion, common sense, and the American way back to the White House."

BABYMETAL, a heavy metal offshoot of the Japanese pop idol group SAKURA GAKUIN that performs a distinctly Japanese mix of schoolgirl J-pop and death metal, will release a new single, "Like!", on March 7 via iTunes. A video for the edited version of the song — which combines pop with extreme metal guitars, an occasional growl or two and a tinge of hip hop — can be seen below.

Formed in 2010, BABYMETAL's "Doki Doki Morning" song (see video at this location) was included on the album "Sakura Gakuin 2010 message~". A follow-up track, "Ijime, Dame, Zettai", was premiered during a SAKURA GAKUIN in July 2011 and was aired again at the Tokyo Idol festival a month later. It quickly created a buzz due to its mix of melodic speed metal, sensational lyrics around the theme of "Ijime" and the band's performance, which incorporates the "Wall Of Death."

BABY METAL is:

Su-Metal - Vocals and Dance
Moametal - Screamer and Dance
Yuimetal - Screamer and Dance

For more information, visit www.babymetal.jp.

Several rock and metal musicians have reponded to the news that legendary guitarist Ronnie Montrose died after a five-year battle with prostate cancer.

Montrose passed away yesterday (Saturday, March 3) at the age of 64.

Myles Kennedy (ALTER BRIDGE, SLASH): "Sad to hear Ronnie Montrose passed away. 'Rock Candy' was one of the first songs I ever learned."

Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES): "Myles just told me Ronnie Montrose passed. Fn' shame. 'Montrose' is one of the all-time great [rock and roll] albums. Major influence. RIP, man."

David Ellefson (MEGADETH): "RIP Ronnie Montrose!!! So sad to hear of this today. I had the pleasure of playing bass for him circa 2005-07. Such a powerhouse human being and ferocious guitarist. I learned a lot from him! God's peace."

Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT): "RIP Ronnie Montrose. Though often overlooked, still a towering figure of Bay Area hard rock. First MONTROSE album = essential."

Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER): "Just found out that the legendary Ronnie Montrose died. That first MONTROSE album was life-changing for me."

Chris Jericho (FOZZY): "Sorry to hear about passing of Ronnie Montrose! Met him at Dean Markley [booth at] NAMM [show in Anaheim, California] last year and exchanged a few emails. Nice guy!"

KISS: "Ronnie Montrose, a great guitarist and friend of the band has lost his battle with cancer and has sadly passed away. His first band album, 'Montrose', remains a classic and his influence can be heard in numerous contemporary guitarists. We will miss him and send our condolences to his family."

Bruce Kulick (KISS, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD): "Unfortunately, we lost another great one over the weekend, legendary guitarist Ronnie Montrose. I was fortunate to meet and jam with him at a Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp back in May of last year. R.I.P."

SCORPIONS: "Even though we‘ve never met Ronnie Montrose, we like to pay respect to a great artist who passed on way too early. His music lives on forever."

James Kottak (SCORPIONS, KOTTAK); "I am deeply saddened by the passing of my rock and roll hero Ronnie Montrose. He was a HUGE inspiration to me and millions of others. I will always be grateful for him giving me my first 'big break' doing the MONTROSE 'Mean' album. I am proud to be part of his musical legacy. 'Rock the nation' forever, Ronnie!"

Roger Earl (FOGHAT): "It is so sad to hear about Ronnie Montrose. We did lots of dates back in the '70s and just played with him last year. Ronnie was a brilliant guitar player and a great innovator. He was a friend and will be missed. Our hearts are with his family tonight. Rest in peace, Ronnie."

FORBIDDEN: "The world lost one of the great guitar icons of all time yesterday. RIP, Ronnie Montrose. You will always be remembered!"

Michael Sweet (STRYPER): "God bless Ronnie Montrose and his family. His music was a big influence of mine and so many others. You will be missed, Ronnie."

Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG): "Rest in peace, Ronnie Montrose. First MONTROSE record — one of the greatest rock records ever made."

Matt Sorum (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES, THE CULT): "Lost the great Ronnie Montrose. Check out the first couple of MONTROSE records if you don't know him. Classic and great. RIP Ronnie."

NONPOINT: "Another legend gone, Rest in peace, Ronnie Montrose."

Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE): "R.I.P. Ronnie Montrose."

Glenn Hughes (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE): "Just heard that my good friend Ronnie Montrose has passed away. I'm speechless. RIP, my brother...you will be missed at the Hughes'."

HEATHEN: "We are terribly saddened by the death of Ronnie Montrose. He produced the 1987 debut of HEATHEN's 'Breaking The Silence'. He was greatly respected by us as an artist and a friend. R.I.P Ronnie. You will never be forgotten."

TESLA: "We all loved him."

Kip Winger (WINGER): "I had the pleasure of working with Ronnie not too long ago. He was a real gem, very giving and very talented. A great loss to the world. RIP, Ronnie."

Eddie Trunk (VH1 Classic "That Metal Show" co-host): "Woke to very sad news Ronnie Montrose has passed away from cancer at 64. He created one of the all-time landmark hard rock albums with debut LP… [I] also liked GAMMA, but nothing touches the debut album, a masterpiece that influenced SO many rock and metal bands! RIP, Ronnie Montrose."

Vocalist Carsten Scholz has left long-running German death metallers RESURRECTED for health reasons and has been replaced by Christoph Mieves (GRIND INC.).

Commented the band: "We all respect and understand [Carsten's] decision, as we know how much he suffered in the past months/years and how long he struggled with the decision to leave the band as a founding member and the distinctive voice of RESURRECTED. But you can for sure hear Carsten on the upcoming EP on the vocals; we're all very sad to lose him as a band member and one of world's best death metal voices. The position on the mic will be taken by our longtime friend Christoph Mieves from GRIND INC. who already did some live shows on the last Portugal tour with us. Chris is well known for his great death metal vocals and outstanding stage performance."

In other news, drummer Hazim Fouad has left RESURRECTED due his move to Bremen "which does not allow us continuous rehearsing with all band members what we're used to and what Hazim either thinks to be necessary for further songwriting and live rehearsing." Hazim will play his "Grindbye" show with RESURRECTED at this year's 10th anniversary of the NRW Deathfest. Going forward, RESURRECTED's drum duties will be handled by Dennis Thiele, who is described by the band as "a good friend and dedicated death metal maniac."

RESURRECTED 2012 is:

Christoph Mieves - Vocals
Dennis Thiele - Drums
Ben Bays - Bass
Thomas Granzow - Guitar

RESURRECTED released its sixth album, "Fierce", in 2009 via Metal Age Productions. The CD was recorded at Soundlodge studios in Rhauderfehn, Germany with Jörk Uken (GOD DETHRONED, OBSCENITY).

Mohsen Fayyazi of Metal Shock Finland recently conducted an interview with British guitarist Graham Oliver (OLIVER DAWSON SAXON, SAXON). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metal Shock Finland: You're one of those musicians who has had an important role in the NWOBHM movement. How do you feel that genre of metal music is placed in the industry today?

Graham: It is so cool that the music we created in the period of the NWOBHM is regarded as influential 30 years later and we never imagined we could inspire bands like METALLICA, who in turn inspire bands, too, so it goes round and round. The music of today is so diverse and influences of NWOBHM can be heard even in Lady Gaga ["Edge Of Glory"]. Rock has a longevity like no other — just look at AC/DC. Simple, straight and great songs rock will never die.

Metal Shock Finland: The [OLIVER DAWSON SAXON] album seems to be a returning point to the roots of old-school heavy metal, by including issues about drugs, motorcycles, women … Are we going to have some old-school songs produced by new technology?

Graham: The style of writing is the same as we always have done, as all SAXON classics were co-written by myself and Steve Dawson and we will always write the same and sound like us, as we are us and never could try to be a German metal band, for example.

Metal Shock Finland: John Schaffer of ICED EARTH has recently said, "The music industry has changed and everything is different." I'd like to know your opinion as a musician and guitarist who has produced music for the metal industry for a long time.

Graham: Modern times see the decline of sales of CDs and more tickets sold for live shows. It's just the changing times, but I like to own a CD — no downloads for me. Imagine if THE [ROLLING] STONES sold as many CDs as concert tickets; [they] would sell millions.

Metal Shock Finland: You are one of those musicians who had that experience sharing a stage with the legendary Ronnie James Dio. Would you like to tell us more about that experience and share some memories of him? And how did you see Ronnie as a musician and rocker?
Graham: I first saw Ronnie in 1976 with RAINBOW and it was a great show and jumping forwards to SAXON's first tour of the USA in September 1980, we played some shows on the [BLACK SABBATH] "Heaven And Hell" tour where we met Ronnie and our paths crossed a few times. When OLIVER DAWSON SAXON were promoting Angel Air's "It's Alive" CD, we were on the same show as ronnie in Italy and chatted a lot about all things music, etc., and to our delight, Ronnie asked for OLIVER DAWSON SAXON to be the guest band on the U.K. leg of [the DIO] "Killing The Dragon" tour. It started in London and finished in Portsmouth all the shows were great and sellouts and on the last show after our set, I was asked to join the band on stage for "Rainbow In The Dark". How great was that?! Steve Dawson videoed it, thank goodness, and introduced me as a legend. And coming from one of my legends, that was the best. He was always so nice with friends and fans after the shows and was one of the greatest rock singers of all time.

Read the entire interview from Metal Shock Finland.

Fan-filmed video footage of KITTIE's February 26 performance at the Sydney, Australia of the Soundwave Festival can be seen below.

KITTIE recently parted ways with bassist Ivy Vujic and was rejoined by Trish Doan. Doan was previously with the band from 2005 to 2007, appearing on the band's 2007 release "Funeral For Yesterday".

Trish will join KITTIE live after their Soundwave Festival appearance in Australia is completed.

KITTIE's new album, "I've Failed You", sold 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 178 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, "In The Black", opened with around 3,400 units back in 2009 to land at No. 132.

KITTIE's fourth album, "Funeral for Yesterday", registered a first-week tally of 9,000 in February 2007 to enter the chart at No. 101.

"I've Failed You" was released on August 30, 2011 via eOne Music. The CD was recorded at Beach Road Studios in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. The band once again worked with producer Siegfried "Siggy" Meier, who helmed KITTIE's last CD, 2009's "In The Black".

Congratulations are in order for DOWN drummer and EYEHATEGOD guitarist Jimmy Bower, who married his girlfriend Dana Kieferle yesterday (Saturday, March 3) in New Orleans, Lousiana.

DOWN entered the studio last October to begin recording the first in a series of four EPs, to be released over the next few years (with a year between EPs), each touching on a different aspect of the band's sound.

The first six-song EP, which heralds the sound of DOWN going back to its roots, with influences from BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS and WITCHFINDER GENERAL, is described by singer Philip Anselmo as "a very pure doom metal record."

Raw Cut Media conducted an interview with bassist Henkka Seppälä (a.k.a. Henkka T. Blacksmith) of Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM when the band played at Metropolis in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on February 27 as part of a North American tour with ELUVEITIE, REVOCATION and THREAT SIGNAL. You can now watch the chat below.

In an interview with MusikUniverse.net, CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho said tha the band is scheduled to commence the songwriting sessions for its next album this fall for a 2013 release. "I have ideas, but I haven't done anything about it," Alexi said. "'Cause the thing is, I can't write when I'm touring; it's not the right kind of environment for me. I know a lot of people do it, but I just can't. And it's OK, 'cause I build a lot of ideas in my head, and my memory sucks, but one thing that I never forget is the riffs; they're always in my head somehow. So it's really not a problem."

CHILDREN OF BODOM's last album, "Relentless Reckless Forever", sold nearly 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, 2008's "Blooddrunk", opened with 19,000 units to land at No. 22. This number was roughly four times the opening tally of "Blooddrunk"'s predecessor, "Are You Dead Yet?", which premiered with 5,000 units back in October 2005 to enter the chart at No. 195.

"Relentless Reckless Forever" was certified gold in the band's home country for first-day sales of over 10,000 copies. The CD was recorded in Finland's Petrax Studios with famed rock producer Matt Hyde (SLAYER, MONSTER MAGNET).

Canadian guitarist Glen Drover (MEGADETH, KING DIAMOND, TESTAMENT, EIDOLON) was interviewed on the "Metal Attack MTL" radio show on February 8 at Heavy MTL's "Battle Of The Bands" event in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where Drover was one of the judges. You can now watch the chat below.

When asked if his desire to spend time more time with his family was the reason he left MEGADETH in 2007, Drover said, "No, not necessarily. I mean, it was part of that, but there was a lot of turmoil going on in the band while I was there, and it wasn't as much fun. See, the first couple of years in MEGADETH, it was a lot of fun — it was a very healthy atmosphere — but towards the end it wasn't, and I think that kind of magnified the fact that I didn't wanna be a part of that kind of destructive kind of atmosphere, and I wanted to be at home with my family and then stage the next plan of attack for the next project, whatever that may be."

Drover was replaced in MEGADETH by Chris Broderick, who has previously played with NEVERMORE and JAG PANZER.

Glen's debut solo album, "Metalusion", was released in April 2011 via Magna Carta Records.

On September 25, 2011, Drover took part in a historic performance that was webcast worldwide as part of the "Live At Metalworks" series from Mississauga, Canada.

Glen's "Live At Metalworks" performance will be released as a DVD in June via Magna Carta.