The Bone Reader recently conducted separate interviews with Peter Adams and John Baizley of the Savannah, Georgia-based quartet BARONESS. You can now watch the chat in two parts below.

BARONESS's new album, "Yellow & Green", will be released on July 17 via Relapse Records. The CD reunites BARONESS with "Blue Record" producer John Congleton (EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, ST. VINCENT, XIU XIU) following both the band's busiest period (multiple worldwide tours including stops at Coachella, Bonnaroo and Soundwave) and most luxurious year, having taken nearly all of 2011 off to freely write and demo for the 2CD/LP album.

"Yellow & Green" track listing:

Disc 1:

01. Yellow Theme
02. Take My Bones Away
03. March To The Sea
04. Little Things
05. Twinkler
06. Cocainium
07. Back Where I Belong
08. Sea Lungs
09. Eula

Disc 2:

01. Green Theme
02. Board Up The House
03. Mtns. (The Crown & Anchor)
04. Foolsong
05. Collapse
06. Psalms Alive
07. Stretchmarker
08. The Line Between
09. If I Forget Thee, Lowcountry

The cover artwork can be seen below.

BARONESS' two prior releases ("Red Album" and "Blue Record") were awarded record-of-the-year honors from both Revolver and Decibel magazines and placed on year-end best-of lists from Pitchfork and Village Voice.

"We had been on tour for eight years, and we decided to take a break from our adventure to dig our heels in at home and write a new record," explains John Baizley, frontman for the band and the artist responsible for BARONESS' now-iconic album art. "We spent the entirety of the past year dedicating ourselves to the new album. Without the break from touring and the time we took to rest and reflect, we would have been entirely unable to write this new record. We have become re-inspired. Now it's time to get back out on the road."

Baizley also recently spoke with Alternative Press regarding the recording of "Yellow & Green".

BARONESS is John Baizley (guitar, vocals), Peter Adams (guitar, vocals), Allen Blickle (drums) and Matt Maggioni (bass).

Interview part 1:



Interview part 2:

Photo credit: Jimmy Hubbard

Tim Morrison of Time.com recently conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Slash. You can now watch the chat below.

Slash's second solo album, "Apocalyptic Love", sold approximately 38,000 copies to debut at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday morning (May 30). The disc, released through Slash's own label, Dik Hayd (Decayed) Records, follows up 2010's self-titled solo debut, which moved 60,000 copies in its first week of release.

Although he plays material from his previous bands, GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER, in his live show, Slash told The Pulse Of Radio that fans have no problem listening to the new songs as well. "I'd say probably about 50 percent of my set makes up of new material and the other 50 percent is old stuff, and so they take the new stuff with the old stuff pretty well —fortunately, you know," he said. "The new stuff is as inspired as any material I've ever done, so I just go out and do it, and I think probably 'cause I have the balls to just go out and do it and not care, people sort of go, 'Oh, okay.'"

Unlike Slash's solo debut, which featured different vocalists on each track and a number of guest musicians, Slash has recorded all of the new CD with his touring band, MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.

Slash and his band have embarked to Europe for a month-long tour before starting a new North American run on July 12 in Portland, Oregon.

SKID ROW's Rachel Bolan has laid down the bass tracks on the forthcoming fourth studio album from STONE SOUR, tentatively due in October via Roadrunner Records. He has described the material on the record as "fucking fierce."

A photo of Bolan in the studio with STONE SOUR can be seen below.

STONE SOUR parted ways with bassist Shawn Economaki earlier in the year. The band's guitarist Jim Root stated about the split, "A lot has happened in the past year… We need to move forward and [there will] be more detail when the time is right. He's still a great friend and we're in touch."

Economaki left STONE SOUR in April 2011 in the middle of the "Avalanche Tour" to deal with "personal issues." He was temporarily replaced by Jason Christopher, who has since joined Sebastian Bach's touring band.

STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor recently spoke to Revolver magazine about the band's forthcoming CD. The project — which will likely end up becoming a double effort — will follow up 2010's "Audio Secrecy".

"Picture [PINK FLOYD's] 'The Wall' crossed with ALICE IN CHAINS' 'Dirt' with some good heavy blasts in there," Corey said. "The heaviest song is a total ass-kicker that sounds as if SLAYER and ANTHRAX had a baby. Then, there's a darker bluesy dirge that has the vibe of LED ZEPPELIN's 'In My Time Of Dying'. There's even a little industrial vibe. It's definitely going to blow people's fucking minds."

Taylor added that he came up with a very ambitious concept for the disc.

"The album is a morality play about a man who's standing at the crossroads of his life trying to figure out what to do next," he said. "He's going, 'Do I move foward and evolve? Do I become more responsible or do I run backwards and pilfer the basket of youth?' Sometimes it's romantic to live in the mistakes that you made when you were 20, and condemn yourself to perpetual adolescence."

The album is being recorded at Sound Farm Studios, just outside STONE SOUR's home base of Des Moines, Iowa, with producer David Bottrill (TOOL, MUSE, STAIND).

Guitarist Josh Rand recently said that the CD will be "another progression for the band," adding. "Musically, we have always challenged one another to push things to our limits, and this record is no exception."

Taylor and STONE SOUR guitarist Jim Root will also be busy this summer with SLIPKNOT as that band headlines the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.

On Tuesday, June 5, the brand new music video for POISON singer Bret Michaels' single "Get Your Rock On" will make its online debut at BretMichaels.com.

The title track of Bret's new solo album, "Get Your Rock On" features guest appearances by Phil Collen of DEF LEPPARD and Sal Coz Costa of MY DARKEST DAYS.

In a recent interview with Gimme Noise, Bret stated about his upcoming CD, "My album will be out this summer and I'm really proud of what we've done with it. It's actually going to be called 'Bret Michaels And Friends: Get Your Rock On', and I'll explain why: It's really not just a Bret Michaels album. I had so many other talented artists come in and support that it's really a 'Bret Michaels And Friends' album. There's a staggering amount of talent on this album — from Ace Frehley of KISS to Michael Anthony of VAN HALEN to Loretta Lynn and Lil Jon. Sal Costa of MY DARKEST DAYS, Joe Perry of AEROSMITH and Phil Collen of DEF LEPPARD are on there as well. It's been such a fun project for me and I'm excited to share it with the fans."

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine in February, Bret revealed that his new solo album will feature a remake of the POISON smash "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" as a duet between him and Loretta Lynn>. He said, "For me, growing up in a family that my father loved country music and 'Coal Miner's Daughter', this is gonna be a really awesome time."

He added, "The song 'Get Your Rock On' has Phil Collen playing guitar with me and it also has Sal Costa from MY DARKEST DAYS — [a] really, really good guitar player and good friend. Jimmy Buffet and I did a live version of 'Margaritaville' together."

Michaels said the two duets, with Lynn and Buffett, will be "two bonus tracks." And of the rest of the record he said, "It is just straight-up in-your-face rock and roll."

The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH — who late last year confirmed the recording of their first new album in more than 33 years and a worldwide headlining tour — had to put some plans on hold due to guitarist Tony Iommi's battle with lymphoma. At this time, BLACK SABBATH will perform only one show of this summer's previously scheduled European tour. It will take place Sunday, June 10 at the U.K.'s Download festival.

So as not to let the promoters and fans down, SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne is now performing the majority of the previously scheduled BLACK SABBATH European dates (both festival performances and the headlining shows) billed as OZZY OSBOURNE & FRIENDS. These "first-ever" OZZY OSBOURNE & FRIENDS shows are featuring appearances by "special guest" musicians, including Geezer Butler (who is joining Ozzy for a special BLACK SABBATH set as a show of respect and support to their friend, Tony Iommi) and longtime former Ozzy bandmember Zakk Wylde. In addition, Ozzy is being accompanied by longtime collaborator and friend Slash at select shows, with other "special guests" set to join the tour at various stops along the way (full list of dates, appearances below).

The sixth OZZY OSBOURNE & FRIENDS concert took place earlier tonight (Saturday, June 2) at Malmö Stadion in Malmö, Sweden.

The setlist for the show was as follows:

Ozzy Osbourne (vocals)
Gus G. (guitar)
Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (bass)
Tommy Clufetos (drums)

01. Bark At The Moon
02. Mr. Crowley
03. Suicide Solution
04. I Don't Know
05. Shot In The Dark
06. Rat Salad (BLACK SABBATH song)

Ozzy Osbourne (vocals)
Slash (guitar)
Gus G. (guitar)
Geezer Butler (bass)
Tommy Clufetos (drums)

07. Iron Man (BLACK SABBATH song)
08. War Pigs (BLACK SABBATH song)
09. N.I.B. (BLACK SABBATH song)

Ozzy Osbourne (vocals)
Zakk Wylde (guitar)
Geezer Butler (bass)
Tommy Clufetos (drums)

10. Fairies Wear Boots (BLACK SABBATH song)

Ozzy Osbourne (vocals)
Zakk Wylde (guitar)
Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (bass)
Tommy Clufetos (drums)

11. I Don't Want To Change The World
12. Crazy Train
13. Mama, I'm Coming Home

Encore (everybody on stage):

14. Paranoid (BLACK SABBATH song)

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Professionally filmed video footage of SOUNDGARDEN's entire June 1 performance at the Rock Am Ring festival in Nürburgring, Germany can be seen below.

"Live To Rise", the first SOUNDGARDEN song in almost 16 years, was made available as a free download on iTunes beginning April 17 as part of the promotion of "Marvel's The Avengers". The seven-day promotion included an exclusive clip, "The Face Off", from the superhero team-up movie, which came out on May 4.

"Live To Rise" was written specifically for "Marvel's The Avengers" after SOUNDGARDEN was approached about contributing a song to the film.

"The hard part of writing a song for a film is it has to act as a SOUNDGARDEN song, first and foremost, then obviously, it has to coexist with the film," Cornell told Billboard.com.

Cornell told Seattle radio station KISW that fans should not think of "Live To Rise" as an indication of what the rest of the group's new record will sound like. Chris explained, "Some of the songs on our new album are pretty far left of center, and sort of zero in on more of a hardcore SOUNDGARDEN fan and not necessarily a family that goes to see a film like that. Although ['Live To Rise' is] not really what I think of as a necessarily family-friendly song, but it's as close as we've ever come."

The singer added that the tune wasn't specifically based on the movie, saying, "I think a film like this appeals to little kids all the way to old people because it's an action film, it's comic book characters, but it's also pretty witty dialog and accomplished actors doing it. So it had to be somewhat open to all of that. But also first and foremost it has to be a SOUNDGARDEN song."

SOUNDGARDEN officially reunited in early 2010 after disbanding in 1997. Since then, the group has played one full-length North American tour, a batch of festival and club gigs, and some overseas shows.

The group also released a career retrospective called "Telephantasm" as well as a concert album titled "Live On I5", which was recorded on its last tour before breaking up.

A release date and title for the new SOUNDGARDEN album have yet to be announced.

According to Ticketmaster.com, SLIPKNOT will headline the inaugural installment of their own festival, Knotfest, on Friday, August 17 at Mid America Motorplex in Pacific Junction, Iowa.

Scheduled performers:

SLIPKNOT
DEFTONES
LAMB OF GOD
DETHKLOK
SERJ TANKIAN
THE URGE
PRONG

Tickets go on sale on Friday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m. CDT.

As previously announced, SLIPKNOT's greatest-hits album, "Antennas To Hell", is scheduled for release on July 17 via Roadrunner Records.

There is no word yet on which tracks will be included on "Antennas To Hell", and if it will contain any previously unheard music or other bonus content.

SLIPKNOT will headline the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour this summer in the U.S., starting on June 30 in Devore, California.

Professionally filmed video footage of EVANESCENCE's entire June 1 performance at the Rock Am Ring festival in Nürburgring, Germany can be seen below.

EVANESCENCE will headline this year's edition of Carnival Of Madness, the annual touring rock extravaganza, with support from CHEVELLE, HALESTORM and NEW MEDICINE. Kicking off Tuesday, July 31 in Springfield, Illinois, the 2012 trek will hit major cities across the U.S. including Boston, Baltimore, Atlanta, Nashville, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.

EVANESCENCE's self-titled third major label album came out last October, five years after the group issued its last effort, 2006's "The Open Door".

"Evanescence" sold 127,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Professionally filmed video footage of MACHINE HEAD's June 2 performance at the Rock Am Ring festival in Nürburgring, Germany can be seen below.

As previously reported, TEN TON HAMMER, the famed MACHINE HEAD "cover band" that looks and sounds exactly like the real thing, will play its first London show in ten years on Wednesday, June 6 at King's College.

MACHINE HEAD recently announced plans to film a video for the song 'Darkness Within' in the Czech Republic. The track comes off the band's new album, "Unto The Locust", which 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.

Omnibus Press has set an October 15 tentative release date for "Inside The Machine". The world's first MACHINE HEAD biography — which has **NOT** been authorized by the band — is being written by British rock author Joel McIver — whose 20 books to date include "Justice for All: The Truth About Metallica", "Crazy Train: The High Life And Tragic Death Of Randy Rhoads", "Glenn Hughes: The Autobiography", "To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton", "Overkill: The Untold Story Of Motörhead", "The Bloody Reign Of Slayer" and "Unleashed: The Story Of Tool".

MACHINE HEAD recently completed a North American headlining tour with support from SUICIDE SILENCE and DARKEST HOUR and is currently playing festival shows in Europe

SLIPKNOT will make a "big announcement" on Monday, according to a posting on the band's official Facebook page. The artwork that accompanied the message can be seen below.

As previously announced, SLIPKNOT's greatest-hits album, "Antennas To Hell", is scheduled for release on July 17 via Roadrunner Records.

There is no word yet on which tracks will be included on "Antennas To Hell", and if it will contain any previously unheard music or other bonus content.

SLIPKNOT vocalist Corey Taylor has confirmed that the group is finally "putting together demos" for its fifth major label album, which it is expected to begin recording next year for a mid-to-late 2013 release.

SLIPKNOT is getting back to work after an extended hiatus following the passing of bassist Paul Gray in 2010. May 24 was the two-year anniversary of Gray's death from an overdose of drugs.

Playing bass on SLIPKNOT's recent tours has been early band member Donnie Steele. Percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan told The Pulse Of Radio that Steele has been doing a great job, but no decisions on a permanent replacement have been made. "Donnie's a beautiful person and he's just done a remarkable job," he said. "He's always got a smile on his face and he's doing Paul proud and Paul's proud of it and it's amazing. He's filling in for Paul now and we'll see what happens in the future, but it's way too early to even remotely even entertain those ideas."

Crahan said in an interview with Metal Injection in March that all the members of SLIPKNOT had been writing music, adding, "But nothing is done because we're not together yet. And there is no reason to get together and talk about it because there are other things moving, like the grieving process."

SLIPKNOT will headline the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour this summer in the U.S., starting on June 30 in Devore, California.

Professionally filmed video footage of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's June 1 performance at the Rock Am Ring festival in Nürburgring, Germany can be seen below.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE 's April 22 performance at at the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival marked the band's first concert with singer Jesse Leach in more than nine years.

Leach sang on the band's first self-titled album, which came out in 2000, and on their landmark 2002 Roadrunner debut "Alive Or Just Breathing". Leach left the band in 2002 and was replaced by Howard Jones, but his work on "Alive Or Just Breathing" has always been revered by diehard, longtime KILLSWITCH ENGAGE fans.

"Honestly, we didn't want to jump into anything too quickly," Adam told AOL's Noisecreep in a recent interview. "We were in a position where we could take our time and try out as many singers as we wanted. There are a lot of talented singers out there, and we didn't want to rush everything. We ended up mulling it over a bit, and we tried out a few different people.

"When we got back in the rehearsal room with Jesse, it just felt right. He's one of my good friends, and the awkwardness of meeting someone for the first time, and all of that stuff, was gone when he jammed with us again. We also knew what Jesse is capable of, so it just took all of us getting in a room together again to remember how cool it once was. He blew us away."

Regarding the reasons for Leach's original departure from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE ten years ago and whether those same issues will come into play now, Adam said, "He was feeling a lot of frustration [back in 2002]. He didn't know how to take care of his voice, and he would blow it out every couple of shows. We had to cancel a lot of shows because of that. He was also a newlywed, and they didn't know how tough it would be to be in a relationship when the other person is a road dog. It was a lot of pressure on him. All of those things piled up, and it put him in that bad place. But these days he's really learned how to take care of himself on the road. His marriage is also going great, and they've figured out how to make it work, even though one of them is a touring musician. Jesse's in a much better place now, that's for sure."

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE is hard at work on material for the follow-up to 2009's second self-titled album.

In a recent interview with the "Brock And The Fatguy" radio show, Jesse stated about KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's new material, "I have the 14 demos for the new KILLSWITCH record, and let me tell you, I'm glad that they didn't turn into TIMES OF GRACE [songs], and I'm glad that KILLSWITCH is gonna have the opportunity to write another record with me — or a few more, God willing. I can tell you right now from the demos, the people are gonna be really surprised; they're setting the bar up high once again. I'm literally within day three of just listening to them and just sort of digesting them. It's really fast and it's really heavy. It's not what people are going to anticipate, I'm sure. I literally am getting chills right now talking about it. It's gonna blow the doors off people, man. It's gonna be great."

Carmine Appice (ROD STEWART, VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS), Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, KILL DEVIL HILL), Frankie Banali (QUIET RIOT), Fred Coury (CINDERELLA), Jimmy D'Anda (BULLETBOYS), Ray Luzier (KORN), Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, ADRENALINE MOB), Glen Sobel (ALICE COOPER), Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE, S.U.N.) and Simon Wright (AC/DC, DIO) are among the musicians who paid tribute to legendary LED ZEPPELIN drummer John Bonham at "Bonzo's Birthday Bash" this past Thursday, May 31 at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California.

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

After three groundbreaking tribute shows entitled "Bonzo: The Groove Remains The Same", as well as popular demand and a collective passion and respect amongst all the participating drummers, past and present to Bonham, Brian Tichy and Joe Sutton have decided to go for it once again!

WHITESNAKE drummer and "Bonzo's Birthday Bash" founder Brian Tichy previously stated about the event, "When I first thought of this, the idea seemed too cool and simple NOT to try; get a John Bonham replica drum set, complete with gong and timpani, up front, center stage, and have each drummer perform their favorite LED ZEP song with a house band (THE MOBY DICKS). There are no rules other than to have fun putting your own groove and character into your song choice! It's such a unique night, seeing how all these great drummers approach the same drum set making it their own! And THE MOBY DICKS hold their own as a true force to be reckoned with! We have structure and within the structure there is total freedom, making the pace and vibe of this show somewhere between a backyard party and a.... backyard party with a killer band playing LED ZEP songs! Haha! Our previous shows were named 'The Groove Remains The Same', but this tribute falls on Bonzo's exact birthday and we wanted to let that be known!

"I am a tried and true Zep Head; a total Bonzo freak! Bonzo is my lifelong most 'listened to' drummer! This is a labor of love. The camaraderie and ego-less respect amongst all involved is something very rare to be a part of these days. Ask any of us! We've never been part of a show quite like this before! There has never been a tribute like this to a musician before! John Bonham deserves it! Bonzo's Birthday Bash is the ultimate tribute show and that's that!"

THE MOBY DICKS lineup:

* Michael Devin (WHITESNAKE) - bass (Whitesnake)
* Stephen LeBlanc (JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEP EXPERIENCE) - keyboards
* Keith St. John (MONTROSE) - Vocals
* Brian Tichy (S.U.N.) - Guitar, Drums
* Brent Woods (BRENTWOOD FOREST) - Lead And Rhythm Guitars

"Just Like Charlie Sheen", the new video from the hard-rocking Ohio trio AMERICAN DOG — consisting of Michael Hannon (lead vocals, electric bass), Steve Theado (guitar, vocals) and Michael "Hazard" Harris (drums) — can be seen below. The track comes off the band's sixth studio album, "Poison Smile", which will be released on June 6 via Colonial Canine in North America and Bad Reputation in Europe. The CD is now available for pre-order on AMERICAN DOG's web site in two different packages. The seluxe version of "Poison Smile" comes with an autographed poster, a three-piece collectors' button set, a sticker and an embroidered patch.

"Poison Smile" features a "Dogatized" version of THE CRAMPS classic "Can Your Pussy Do the Dog?"

A video for "Just Like Charlie Sheen" will debut on the June 8 release date.

AMERICAN DOG will celebrate the release of the CD with a free show on Saturday, June 9 at the Cock-n-Bull in Summit Station, Ohio.

"Poison Smile" track listing:

01. Devil Dog
02. Just Like Charlie Sheen
03. Old Dog, New Tricks
04. The Real Nitty Gritty
05. 2012 A.D.
06. Poison Smile
07. Lust And Greed
08. Bathroom Romance
09. Splinterin' Sally
10. Off The Chain
11. Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?

PROJECTED, the new project featuring SEVENDUST members John Connolly (guitar) and Vince Hornsby (bass) alongside ALTER BRIDGE/CREED drummer Scott Phillips and guitarist/vocalist Eric "Erock" Friedman (a.k.a. Erock; TREMONTI), has completed work on its debut album, "Human", to be released later in the year.

Commented Connolly: "The idea behind this project originally started as nothing more than a group of us who were friends already, going into the studio to just record some tunes we had laying around and basically just have a good time with it. No pressure from labels or any preconceived notions or expectations. Just making music and having a good time.

"This album, 'Human', is the end result of us working without dealines or budget constraints… or really a budget at all

"The drums and rhythm guitars were recorded by Bill Papp, Jacob Crabb and Ryan Denman at Paint It Black studios [in] Orlando [Florida]. The vocals and guitar solos, overdubs and bass were tracked by myself and Bill at studio 1119, which is the studio in my home office when it's not being used by my wife to pay the bills or my daughter to play Webkins. Editing was done by Jef Moll, Ryan Denman, Jacob Crabb. Programming by Jef Moll, Eric Friedman and myself. String arrangements and mixed by Michael 'Elvis' Baskette and mastered by Ted Jensen. Produced by John Connolly, co-produced by Elvis Baskette.

"I've honestly had the time of my life making this record and couldnt have done it without everyone involved."

"Human" track listing:

01. Into
02. HELLo
03. Watch It Burn
04. So Low
05. Bring You Back
06. 12804
07. Alive
08. The Crown
09. Stella
10. Closure
11. Breaking Me

Check out audio samples at www.projectedband.com.

Connolly previously revealed that the song "12804" was written as a tribute to late PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott.

The songtitle "12804" is a reference to the December 8, 2004 date, which is when Abbott was shot and killed onstage while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio.

Connolly describes PROJECTED's musical direction as "not super heavy. . . somewhere closer to FOO FIGHTERS/A PERFECT CIRCLE. It's sorta heavy, just not real metal. I guess. The songs are pretty badass, though."

PROJECTED is:

John Connolly (SEVENDUST) - Guitar, Vocals
Vince Hornsby (SEVENDUST) - Bass
Scott Phillips (ALTER BRIDGE, CREED) - Drums
Eric Friedman (a.k.a. Erock; TREMONTI) - Guitar, Vocals

TRIVIUM, AS I LAY DYING, CALIBAN and UPON A BURNING BODY will join forces for a European tour this fall. Confirmed dates so far are as follows:

Oct. 23 - La Bataclan - Paris, France
Oct. 26 - Club X - Herford, Germany
Oct. 27 - LKA Longhorn - Stuttgart, Germany
Oct. 28 - Live Music Hall - Cologne, Germany
Nov. 07 - Huxleys - Berlin, Germany
Nov. 08 - Docks - Hamburg, Germany
Nov. 10 - Südbahnhof - Chemnitz, Germany
Nov. 11 - Backstage Werk - Munich, Germany
Nov. 12 - Live Club - Milan, Italy

For more information, go to this location.

TRIVIUM's latest album, "In Waves", sold 22,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on The Billboard 200 chart — the highest U.S. chart entry of the band's career. The group's previous CD, "Shogun", opened with just under 24,000 units back in October 2008 to debut at No. 23. The effort followed up "The Crusade", which registered a first-week tally of 31,000 copies in October 2006 to enter the chart at No. 25.

"In Waves" was recorded primarily at Paint It Black Studios in Orlando, Florida (with only the drums having been tracked at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida) with the production/mixing team of Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, SLIPKNOT, FEAR FACTORY) and Martin "Ginge" Ford, along with engineer Carl Bown. A two-disc special edition is also available. It features five bonus tracks, plus a DVD with a 40-minute, behind-the-scenes documentary, as well as an exclusive concert filmed in a warehouse located in Orlando, Florida, which is the band's stomping grounds. This concert features the first performances of tracks from "In Waves", along with TRIVIUM classics.

AS I LAY DYING entered the studio last month to begin recording its new CD for a late 2012 release via Metal Blade Records. The CD is being helmed by Bill Stevenson, who has played drums for both the DESCENDENTS and BLACK FLAG and is one of the most highly renowned producers in rock. His production credits include work on records by RISE AGAINST, NOFX, PROPAGANDHI, THE CASUALTIES, ANTI-FLAG and many more.

AmbPirate of Capital Chaos conducted an interview with guitarist Dino Cazares of Los Angeles cyber metallers FEAR FACTORY prior to the band's May 21 concert at Ace Of Spades in Sacramento, California. You can now watch the chat below. Also available is quality footage of the Sacramento performance.

FEAR FACTORY's new album, "The Industrialist", will be released in North America on June 5 via Candlelight Records. The CD is a conceptual record based around a story written by vocalist Burton C. Bell. Lyrics to the album's ten songs divulge the narrative as discussed recently by Bell with Decibel magazine. The album's artwork was created by American designer Anthony Clarkson with additional direction from the band. The album will be available on three formats — standard CD, a limited edition deluxe digi-book (featuring two additional songs), and 180-gram double vinyl.

Bell notes, "The protagonist (The Industrialist) is the incarnation of all industries in the form of an automaton. The mechanical, technological, and scientific advances through the industrial age led to the creation of The Industrialist. In the story, the automaton becomes sentient as it collects memories with each passing day. Through observation and learning, it gains the will to exist. What was meant to help man, will eventually be man's demise."

"The Industrialist" again pairs FEAR FACTORY with producer Rhys Fulber. Mixed by Greg Reely (PARADISE LOST, SKINNY PUPPY, MACHINE HEAD), with additional tracking by Logan Mader (GOJIRA, DIVINE HERESY), the album is the second written by Bell and guitarist Dino Cazares since reuniting in 2009 after a seven-year split. Cazares says, "Collaborating with Burton again on the new album was like magic. Everything just fell into place naturally. It felt good to recapture the true sound of FEAR FACTORY, taking it back to where it all started while raising it to new levels." Regarding Fulber, Cazares says, "Rhys has been our secret member. He is the one producer who has been able to understand what we have been trying to accomplish from the beginning and has opened our eyes to new things without sacrificing our original sound. His production and keyboard talents has made FEAR FACTORY stand out amongst the many bands of our genre."

"The Industrialist" track listing:

01. The Industrialist
02. Recharger
03. New Messiah
04. God Eater
05. Depraved Mind Murder
06. Virus of Faith
07. Difference Engine
08. Dissemble
09. Religion is Flawed Because Man is Flawed
10. Human Augmentation
11. Blush Response (Difference Engine) *
12. Landfill *

* Available on deluxe digibook only

"Recharger" can be purchased via iTunes.

FEAR FACTORY recently enlisted Matt DeVries as the band's new bass player. DeVries, previously of CHIMAIRA (where he played guitar) and most recently SIX FEET UNDER, joined FEAR FACTORY as the replacement for Byron Stroud (now with 3 INCHES OF BLOOD).

FEAR FACTORY has tapped Mike Heller (MALIGNANCY, SYSTEM DIVIDE) as its new touring drummer.

Interview:



Performance:

Official Metallica.com footage of METALLICA's meet-and-greet, pre-show tuning-room jam and "Wherever I May Roam" performance at the Sonisphere - Getafe Open Air festival on May 26 in Madrid, Spain can be viewed below.

METALLICA performed its top-selling 1991 LP, "Metallica", a.k.a. "the black album," in its entirety at the Madrid concert. As they have done on all the shows on their current European tour, the band played the LP backwards, starting with closing number "The Struggle Within" and ending with "Enter Sandman".

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hit The Lights
02. Master Of Puppets
03. The Shortest Straw
04. For Whom The Bell Tolls
05. Hell And Back
06. The Struggle Within
07. My Friend Of Misery
08. The God That Failed
09. Of Wolf & Man
10. Nothing Else Matters
11. Through The Never
12. Don't Tread On Me
13. Wherever I May Roam
14. The Unforgiven
15. Holier Than Thou
16. Sad But True
17. Enter Sandman

Encore:

18. Battery
19. One
20. Seek & Destroy

Asked whose idea it was for METALLICA to play the "black" album in reverse on the current tour, the band's drummer, Lars Ulrich, told Rolling Stone magazine, "If you like the idea, it was mine. If you don't, it was James' [Hetfield, guitar/vocals]. For better or worse, I'm the setlist guy. This is all subject to change if it doesn't work. But the idea of starting off with the lesser-known songs buried down there and ending up with 'Sad But True' and 'Enter Sandman' seems like a winner. You finish with the money shot, which is the first song."

On the topic of the "black" album's shift away from sped metal to shorter, simpler songs, which set the tone for the rest of METALLICA's career, Lars said, "I'm a big believer that the records all thread together. That straighter, four-on-the-floor thing was present on earlier records, in 'Harvester Of Sorrow' and 'Ride The Lightning'. But we went all-out because there was nowhere else to go. Where do you go after 'Dyer's Eve'? You can't get faster. You can't get more pissed off than Hetfield barking at his parents. That was the end of the Eighties for us."

He continued, "We played a show with AEROSMITH in the summer of 1990, right at the time we started writing the 'black' album. I remember sitting under the grandstand with [co-manager] Cliff Burnstein. He said, 'The MISFITS are a huge part of your influence — 'Last Caress' is a minute and a half long, [THE ROLLING STONES'] 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' is part of who you are. You just haven't released it yet.'

"I went back to San Francisco and there was a riff on Kirk's [Hammett, guitar] on tape [hums the 'Enter Sandman' lick]. The whole thing is just that riff. 'Enter Sandman' was the blueprint. The rest of the record appeared over two months."

METALLICA will play the complete "black album" at its own Orion Music + More festival, scheduled for June 23-24 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. METALLICA is headlining both days and will perform its entire 1984 album "Ride The Lightning" for the first time ever on the other day of the festival.

"Metallica" in 2009 surpassed SHANIA TWAIN's 1997 record, "Come On Over", as the best-selling CD of the SoundScan era. To date, the black album has sold more than 15.7 million copies in the United States.

Although METALLICA had scored their first radio and video airplay with their previous effort, 1988's "...And Justice For All", the black album was the band's biggest commercial breakthrough, producing five singles and making them into one of the most popular rock bands in the world.

GUNS N' ROSES bassist Tommy Stinson busked (played music in public for money) for charity outside the O2 Arena in London, England yesterday afternoon (Friday, June 1) ahead of his band's show at the venue. Stinson said that he was busking for an education charity in Haiti, called Timkatec. He wrote on Twitter, "I'm busking for Timkatec schools!!!! All proceeds from me busking will go to Timkatec schools."

Stinson released his second solo effort, "One Man Mutiny", through his own Done To Death Music label last August. The CD is said to be Stinson's most fully-realized effort to date in both production quality and craftsmanship of song. "I'm finding it a lot more interesting to make music these days," said Tommy. "Especially given the musical climate as of the last few years — there are a lot of people complaining about how bad it is. I am actually embracing the challenges." The album was produced by Phillip Broussard, Jr. (who has engineered records for such groups as RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, WEEZER as well as Tommy's first solo effort, "Village Gorilla Head") and recorded at Tommy's Bipolarbear studios in both Los Angeles and suburban Philadelphia. The exception would be the title track, "One Man Mutiny", which was recorded with GUNS N' ROSES members Dizzy Reed and Richard Fortus in the restaurant of the Conrad Hotel in Brussels, Belgium on a day off from their 2010 European tour, which was documented on video (along with all sorts of other adventures on the road with GUNS N' ROSES) on Tommy's web site. The album was mixed by Sean Beavan (GUNS N' ROSES, NINE INCH NAILS, and Tommy's "Village Gorilla Head").

The eighth annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert honored ALICE IN CHAINS co-founder Jerry Cantrell and certified interventionist and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Senior Consultant Neil Lasher this past Thursday, May 31 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Cantrell was honored with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his dedication and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund, and for his commitment to helping other addicts with the addiction and recovery process. All proceeds benefit the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment regardless of their financial situation.

"I'm honored to be chosen this year," Cantrell told Rolling Stone magazine. He added, "I am nobody's fucking role model. It's too much pressure: Everybody's human, everybody has flaws, everybody falls down. It's just a fucking fact of life. And a lot of people stand and get the fuck back up after falling. Some people don't get that chance. My band's been a harsh example of that — what happens when you don't deal with it."

Hosted by television personality Steve-O, the evening featured a special performance by Cantrell and his ALICE IN CHAINS bandmates, who played a five-song acoustic set at the event consisting of "Nutshell", "Your Decision", "No Excuses", "Got Me Wrong" and "Would?" Grammy-nominated musician Moby DJed live during dinner.

Video footage of ALICE IN CHAINS' performance as well as pre-show interviews on the event's "red carpet" can be seen below.

"Jerry's role in shaping the world of rock music is profound and ongoing," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy and MusiCares. "His artistry as a guitarist is inspiring, and his contributions as a songwriter have earned ALICE IN CHAINS millions of fans around the world. And Neil has built an extraordinary career spanning more than 30 years in the music industry, and a parallel career in the field of substance abuse where his name has become synonymous with recovery and survival. But what unites Jerry and Neil are their unwavering support of MusiCares and our recovery programs, and their unselfish capacity to be of service to music people struggling with addiction."

"From what I've seen, addiction can be an occupational hazard in the music business and I know firsthand how the MusiCares MAP Fund helps artists and members of the music community find the resources for recovery," said Cantrell. "I've been a supporter for a long time, and I'm proud to help raise awareness and funds so this organization can continue to save lives."

The MusiCares Foundation offers programs and services to members of the music community including emergency financial assistance for basic living expenses including rent, utilities and car payments; medical expenses including doctor, dentist and hospital bills; psychotherapy; and treatment for HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, hepatitis C, and other critical illnesses. MusiCares offers nationwide educational workshops covering a variety of subjects, including financial, legal, medical, and substance abuse issues, and programs in collaboration with healthcare professionals that provide services such as flu shots, hearing tests, and medical/dental screenings.

The MusiCares MAP Fund allows access to addiction recovery treatment and sober living resources for members of the music community. Staffed by qualified chemical dependency and intervention specialists, MusiCares Safe Harbor Rooms, supported by the Bohemian Foundation, offer a support network to those in recovery while they are participating in the production of televised music shows and other major music events. MusiCares holds weekly addiction support groups for people to discuss how to best cope with the issues surrounding the recovery process. The MusiCares Sober Touring Network is a database of individuals across the United States who can take music people to recovery support meetings while on the road.

Established in 1989 by The Recording Academy, MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares' services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community.

Capital Chaos has uploaded multi-camera video footage of CATTLE DECAPITATION's May 9 performance at The Plea For Peace Center in Stockton, California. Check it out below.

CATTLE DECAPITATION's new album, "Monolith Of Inhumanity", sold around 2,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 6 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

CATTLE DECAPITATION's previous CD, 2009's "The Harvest Floor", opened with 1,700 units to debut at No. 16 on the Top New Artist Albums chart.

Released on May 8, "Monolith Of Inhumanity" was produced by Dave Otero of Denver's Flatline Audio and sees the band exploring innovative new techniques in songwriting without abandoning their signature formula of confrontational audio wreckage and self-loathing lyrical content.

German thrashers EXUMER are filming their first-ever official video in their 27-year long history today in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The clip will feature the title track of the band's latest album, "Fire And Damnation", which was released in April via Metal Blade Records.

EXUMER is in the middle of its "South American Damnation" tour with Danish thrashers ARTILLERY, trekking through Argentina, Chile and Brazil.

Commented EXUMER vocalist Mem V. Stein: "It's an amazing opportunity for us to film our first video clip in a country that has a deep connection to the band since the 1980s. Our fans here in Brazil have been very vocal about us returning to play live since the band's last tour in 1988, and there is no better way to document our return to Brazil than to capture it all on camera."

EXUMER's first album in 24 years , "Fire & Damnation", was released in North America on April 10 via Metal Blade Records. The 10-track CD, which was recorded with renowned producer Waldemar Sorychta (GRIP INC., THERION, SODOM, MOONSPELL), "combines a punishing production with aggressive songwriting," according to a press release. "EXUMER manages to capture the intensity and feel of the 1980s thrash metal gems and yet sound up to date on their latest output."

"Fire & Damnation" track listing:

01. Fire & Damnation
02. Vermin Of The Sky
03. The Weakest Limb
04. A New Morality
05. Waking The Fire
06. Fallen Saint
07. Crushing Point
08. Devil Chaser
09. I Dare You
10. Tribal Furies
11. Destructive Solution (bonus live track)
12. A Mortal In Black (bonus live track)
13. Xiron Darkstar (bonus live track)

EXUMER is:

Mem V. Stein - Vocals
Ray Mensh - Guitar
T. Schiavo - Bass
H.K. - Guitar
Matthias Kassner - Drums

Formed in 1985 by Mem V. Stein and guitarist Ray Mensh, EXUMER went on to release two albums (1986's "Possessed By Fire" and 1987's "Rising From The Sea") that are regarded as some of the most cult thrash metal releases ever to come out of Germany. EXUMER was also one of the first thrash metal acts to capture exotic, foreign markets like Poland and Brazil, where their albums were domestically released in the 1980s. The subsequent tours that followed those releases secured the band live shows in front of thousands of fans and an unusually large following outside of Germany.

Plagued by lineup changes and internal turmoil, the band broke up in 1990, and did not perform live, with the exception of 2001 appearance at the prestigious Wacken Open Air festival, until 2009.

Mem and Ray decided to re-activate EXUMER in 2008, and the band embarked on their first tour since 1988. The "5 Nights of Fire Tour", took the band through Europe (Germany, Holland, Greece), and the USA, where they headlined the "Thrasho de Mayo Festival" in front of 1,300 fans in Los Angeles.

EXUMER returned to Europe in spring and the fall of 2010, where the band appeared at Norway's Inferno Festival, among other stops in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Poland and Bulgaria during the "European Ignition Tour Part I & II".

"Fire & Damnation" (song) audio stream:

Experience Hendrix LLC and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release a restored and newly expanded edition of "Jimi Plays Berkeley" on Blu-ray and DVD, on Tuesday, July 10.

A historic documentary film chronicling the two concerts Jimi Hendrix performed at the Berkeley Community Theatre on Saturday, May 30, 1970, "Jimi Plays Berkeley" captures the cultural milieu surrounding one of the finest Hendrix performances ever lensed.

Made from a new, digitally-restored transfer from the original 16mm negative, "Jimi Plays Berkeley" premieres more than 15 minutes of previously unseen documentary and performance footage of Hendrix classics including "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", "Machine Gun" and "Hear My Train A Comin'" not featured in the original film release.

"We take great pride in doing our part to preserve the music of my brother, Jimi, especially during his 70th birthday year," said Janie Hendrix, President and CEO of Experience Hendrix and co-producer (with John McDermott) of the "Jimi Plays Berkeley" DVD. (Jimi Hendrix, born November 27, 1942, would be 70 this year.)

"Jimi Plays Berkeley" features a 5.1 Surround stereo soundtrack mixed by original Jimi Hendrix engineer Eddie Kramer and commentary from Abe Jacob, the audio engineer who recorded the Hendrix Berkeley concerts in 1970.

As an added bonus, the newly expanded "Jimi Plays Berkeley" includes an audio-only presentation of Jimi's complete Berkeley May 30, 1970 second show mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound. Showcasing 67 minutes of music, the second set concert recordings include "Pass It On (Straight Ahead)", "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)", "Lover Man", "Stone Free", "Hey Joe", "I Don't Live Today", "Machine Gun", "Foxey Lady", "Star Spangled Banner", "Purple Haze" and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)".

The second set from May 30, 1970, will be released on CD and on 12-inch vinyl as "Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live At Berkeley (The Second Set)". The audiophile 12" double album release is an all analog recording cut by Bernie Grundman from the master tapes and struck by Quality Record Pressings (QRP) on 200-gram vinyl.

The most complete record ever-released of that magical Saturday in late May 1970, "Jimi Plays Berkeley" includes an essay on the film by noted Jimi Hendrix historian John McDermott.

Also on July 10, Legacy Recordings will release the "Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child" film for the first time on Blu-ray. A 90 minute documentary directed by the multiple Grammy award-winning Bob Smeaton, "Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child" was originally included as a DVD in the "West Coast Seattle Boy" Jimi Hendrix boxed set. An autobiographical journey told in the legendary musician's own words as read by PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC's Bootsy Collins, the film incorporates interviews with Hendrix, coupled with the artist's letters, writings and recordings to provide new insight into one of the most enduring icons of popular culture. The documentary features some of Jimi's greatest performances as well as rare and never-before-seen footage and photos including — for the first time ever — examples from the Hendrix family archive of the late guitarist's personal drawings, postcards home to his father, song drafts, sketches, and lyrics.

North Carolina thrashers EUGENIC DEATH have inked a deal with Heaven And Hell Records. The band is currently in the studio recording its debut album, "Crimes Against Humanity", for a summer release.

EUGENIC DEATH is an "uncompromising old-school thrash band" featuring Jonathan McCanless (guitar), Keith Davis (vocals), Shane Lucas (bass), and Ian Pasquini (drums). The group's 2011 demo, "The Devil Waits", has spread through the underground rapidly and now time has come to unleash them to the rest of the world. With a sound akin to ONSLAUGHT, DEMOLITION HAMMER and the Bay Area scene, EUGENIC DEATH stays true to its roots with determination to make it faster and more aggressive. The goal of this band is to attack your senses with unrelenting force.

"Crimes Against Humanity" track listing:

01. Crimes Against Humanity
02. Indicative Deity
03. Medication Time
04. The Devil Waits
05. Plagued by Ignorance
06. Epitaph
07. The Practice

The second in a series of video clips in which vocalist Michael Vampire of Los Angeles-based goth-metallers VAMPIRES EVERYWHERE! discusses the band's forthcoming sophomore album, "Hellbound And Heartless", can be seen below.

"Hellbound And Heartless" will be released on June 19 via Hollywood Waste Records. According to a press release, the CD "showcases the darker side of VAMPIRES EVERYWHERE!, focusing on message-driven lyrics and deriving musical influence from industrial rock icons such as MARILYN MANSON and ROB ZOMBIE. "

"Hellbound And Heartless" was co-produced by the band and Mike Sarkisyan and Tommy Decker, both members of Grammy-nominated alternative-metal act SPINESHANK. Every song on the album presents a fresh, new morsel of gothic darkness for fans to sink their teeth into.

"Early on while recording this record I felt an amazing force behind it," says vocalist Michael Vampire. "'Hellbound And Heartless' is a piece of me and a lyrical representation of who I am. I dedicate this record to our fans and everyone that believed in our vision. Get ready for the new name in horror rock 'n' roll... VAMPIRES EVERYWHERE!"

"Hellbound And Heartless" track listing:

01. I: Hellbound
02. I Can't Breathe
03. Beauty Queen
04. Drug Of Choice
05. II: The Inferno
06. Star Of 666
07. Kiss Of Death
08. Rape Me (NIRVANA cover)
09. Plastic
10. III: The 7th Gate
11. Unholy Eyes
12. Social Suicide
13. IV: Born Individual
14. Anti Hate
15. Hell On Earth
16. Amanda's Song

Check out the cover artwork below.

"I Can't Breathe", the first track to be revealed from the new album, recently premiered with Alternative Press and received an overwhelming positive response.

VAMPIRES EVERYWHERE! recently parted ways with bassist Philip Kross. Filling in on bass for the Vans Warped Tour this summer will be Adam Vex (SUFFER WELL, AESTHETIC PERFECTION, IMPERATIVE REACTION).

VAMPIRES EVERWHERE!'s full-length debut, "Kiss The Sun Goodbye", was released in May 2011 through Hollywood Waste/Century Media Records. The CD was recorded with producer Fred Archambault, who has previously worked with AVENGED SEVENFOLD and DEFTONES.





"Drug Of Choice" audio stream (courtesy of Bloody-Disgusting.com):



"I Can't Breathe" audio stream (courtesy of Alternative Press):

Original BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler are working on their first new album together in 33 years with legendary producer Rick Rubin (seven-time Grammy winner, two of those as "Producer Of The Year") for release worldwide on Vertigo, and Vertigo/Universal Republic in the U.S.

Speaking to NME.com in a video interview you can watch at this location, the band discussed the direction of the new material, the influence of Rubin and their recent Download warm-up gig in Birmingham.

Commenting on the progress of the sessions, Osbourne said: We've written about 15 songs so far, whether they'll get on an album [I don't know]… You just keep on writing. I was trying to [work out]: where would we be now musically if we'd have stayed together?"

He added: "Next year — 2013 — is a good clue of what we'll call the album."

Regarding how Rubin approached the writing sessions with the band, Butler said, "He sat us down, put the first album on and said 'listen to this', imagine it's 1969, you've just done that, what would you do next?"

Iommi also discussed his battle with cancer and how playing with the band at their comeback show at O2 Academy Birmingham last month (May 19) gave him a "boost." He said: "It was great. Going through what I've gone through over the past year has been like living in a different world — being onstage and to get that [reaction from the fans] is just fantastic, it really boosts you up."

BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward recently announced again that he was declining to join his former bandmates for its scheduled 2012 dates, as well as the recording of a new album, due to a contractual dispute.

He also allegedly had his lawyers direct SABBATH to remove him from photos of the band posted at the official BLACK SABBATH web site "so as to not give the public the wrong impression about his involvement in the current BLACK SABBATH lineup," according to a statement issued by the band's publicist.

Geezer Butler issued a lengthy retort at his own web site, writing that Ward "hadn't told any one of us he was having contractual problems, and frankly those things are worked out between our representatives, and never between the four of us let alone in public."

Butler added that the band did not expect to make a lot of money from its Download appearance and planned to donate the proceeds from the Birmingham gig, saying, "Apparently, this wasn't acceptable to Bill's representatives, they wanted an amount that was so unrealistic that it seemed to have been a joke."

In addition to Download, the members of SABBATH will play at Lollapalooza this August in Chicago, their only scheduled U.S. gig. The rest of the scheduled SABBATH tour dates are being played by Ozzy and billed as "Ozzy & Friends."

Ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Izzy Stradlin joined his former band on stage this past Thursday night (May 31) at the O2 Arena in London, England to perform the songs "14 Years", "You Could Be Mine", Dead Flowers", "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", "Nightrain" and "Paradise City".

Better-quality fan-filmed video footage of the "14 Years" performance can be seen below.

A number of photos taken at the concert are available at this location.

The last time the "Use Your Illusion II" track "14 Years" was performed live by GUNS N' ROSES was in August 1991, also in London.

Stradlin previously played with GN'R at a few shows in 2006.

Both Izzy and GUNS N' ROSES lead singer Axl Rose skipped the band's recent induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Stradlin issued a statement the week before the induction, thanking his bandmates, the Hall Of Fame for "the acknowledgment of our works over the years," and the fans who "have supported GUNS N' ROSES from day one."

Former GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan joined Axl Rose on stage for the first time in seventeen years at the band's October 14, 2010 concert in London.

For the Rock Hall induction performance, McKagan, guitarist Slash and drummer Steven Adler were joined by guitarist Gilby Clarke and drummer Matt Sorum for three songs — "Mr. Brownstone", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City" — from the band's classic 1987 debut, "Appetite For Destruction". Providing vocals in the absence of Axl Rose was Myles Kennedy, the singer for ALTER BRIDGE and Slash's current solo band.

Sorum played drums for "Mr. Brownstone", while original drummer Adler took over for the other two songs.

According to the RUSH fan site RushIsABand.com, FMQB Productions, in association with Anthem/Roadrunner Records, will air a one-hour "Clockwork Angels" special titled "Inside Rush: Clockwork Angels" beginning the week of the new RUSH album's release on June 11. The special will be hosted by Billy Corgan of THE SMASHING PUMPKINS and will include his interview with all three members of RUSH about the new release, making music, and much more. It will air on radio stations across the country and also be available online via SoundCloud.

Audio samples of all 12 tracks that will appear on "Clockwork Angels" can be streamed at Walmart.com.

The recording of "Clockwork Angels" began in April 2010 with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES) — who also collaborated with the band on their last studio album, 2007's "Snakes & Arrows".

Lyrically, "Clockwork Angels" chronicles a young man's quest across a lavish and colorful world of steampunk and alchemy as he attempts to follow his dreams. The story features lost cities, pirates, anarchists, an exotic carnival, and a rigid Watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life. The novelization of "Clockwork Angels" is being written by science fiction writer Kevin J. Anderson in collaboration with RUSH drummer and lyricist Neil Peart.

When asked by Spin.com if the songs for "Clockwork Angels" were put together any differently than they'd otherwise be because the lyrics constitute a narrative, RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee replied, "Well, that's a good question because it was much discussed while we were writing new material. The one thing that I wanted to avoid on this record was being a slave to the libretto. I didn't want the details of the story to start weighing down the individuality of any one song. I wanted the songs to be a collection that could stand on their own, outside of context of the whole story. When you look at a collection of songs like those on THE WHO's 'Tommy', you could pull 'I'm Free' out of that and it still stands on its own. But in connection to the story, it takes on another interpretation. So there was a lot of discussion about that. I think at one point, Neil [Peart, drummer/lyricist] was a little frustrated with my determination to keep the story-line minimal in a sense."

On the topic of whether there was a point in the process where Neil sat down with Geddy and guitarist Alex Lifeson and said, "Here's what these lyrics mean" and whether there is room for Geddy to have his own interpretation, Lee said, "There are times where there is a lot of discussion, and there are times when we get a lyric and it's not happening. If it's not connecting then you gotta sit down and say [to Peart] 'Yeah, tell me the story again. Why is the character in this situation? Why is he doing this? What do you want him to be feeling at this point?' Other times, it's quite clear to me and when that happens I can bring my own interpretation into the music because I I understand what Neil wants to say and what he wants the character to be expressing. It's really important for me to be clear with him. I have to write a vocal melody and I have to mean it, you know? So I have to be on the same page with him. Or at least in the same chapter of the book!"

"Clockwork Angels" track listing:

01. Caravan
02. BU2B
03. Clockwork Angels
04. The Anarchist
05. Carnies
06. Halo Effect
07. Seven Cities Of Gold
08. The Wreckers
09. Headlong Flight
10. BU2B2
11. Wish Them Well
12. The Garden

According to Billboard.com, AEROSMITH's new single, "Legendary Child", has landed on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart at No. 32 and the Hard Rock Digital Songs chart at No. 2. On the former chart, the song is the group's first entry since 2006, when "Devil's Got a New Disguise" reached No. 15.

"Legendary Child" will appear on AEROSMITH's 15th studio album, titled "Music From Another Dimension", which will arrive on August 28 via Columbia Records. The track was also supposed to be included in the upcoming summer film "G.I. Joe: Retaliation", but that movie was abruptly bumped from its June 29 release date to March 2013.

AEROSMITH premiered "Legendary Child"with a live performance during the season finale of "American Idol". It is a reworked version of a song originally written in 1991 during the sessions for the "Get A Grip" album.

"Music From Another Dimension" track listing:

01. What Could Have Been Love
02. Beautiful
03. Street Jesus
04. Legendary Child
05. Oh Yeah
06. We All Fall Down
07. Another Last Goodbye
08. Out Go the Lights
09. Love Three Times a Day (Hello Goodbye)
10. Closer
11. Shakey Ground
12. Lover A Lot
13. Freedom Fighter
14. Up On The Mountain

AEROSMITH began work on its first all-new album since 2001 last year, with the rest of the band working on music while singer Steven Tyler made his "American Idol" debut.

"Music From Another Dimension" is being helmed by producer Jack Douglas, who previously worked with AEROSMITH on classic early albums like "Toys In The Attic" and "Rocks" as well as on 2004's "Honkin' On Bobo".

"This record is different from the recent past, say the last 20 years, where everybody is getting in the studio and throwing down their songs," guitarist Joe Perry recently told Billboard.com. "This record is a lot more band-written stuff than there has been in the recent past."

AEROSMITH's "The Global Warming" tour will kick it off on June 16 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota and wrap up on August 8 in Tacoma, Washington.

"Legendary Child" audio stream:

Fridae TV recently conducted an interview with THE CULT frontman Ian Astbury in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.

THE CULT's new album, "Choice Of Weapon", sold around 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was made available on May 22 via THE CULT's new label Cooking Vinyl.

"Choice Of Weapon" is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2007 release "Born Into This", which opened with 12,600 units to debut at No. 70. Longtime THE CULT collaborator and producer Bob Rock (METALLICA, BUSH), who produced one of THE CULT's most successful albums, the platinum-certified "Sonic Temple", put the finishing touches on the foundations that were laid by co-producer Chris Goss (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, U.N.K.L.E., MASTERS OF REALITY).

The album was written by Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy, recorded in New York City, Los Angeles, the California high desert, and the band's Witch Mountain studio between July and December 2011. The new release features founding members Astbury on vocals and Duffy on guitars, with drummer John Tempesta and bassist Chris Wyse.

Los Angeles glam-metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER have posted the first episode in their new web series. You can check it out below.

A new webisode will be posted every Friday.

STEEL PANTHER's sophomore album, "Balls Out", sold nearly 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 40 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on November 1, 2011 via Universal Republic Records, the follow-up to 2009's "Feel The Steel" contains 14 soon-to-be classics such as "Just Like Tiger Woods", "Gold Digging Whore" and "Weenie Ride". The album also features cameos by Dane Cook on the album opener "In The Future" and NICKELBACK frontman Chad Kroeger and EXTREME axeman Nuno Bettencourt show up on an instant classic "It Won't Suck Itself". "Balls Out" was produced by Grammy-nominated producer/mixer Jay Ruston who produced the band's "Feel The Steel" debut and is known for his work with ANTHRAX, MEAT LOAF, THE DONNAS and MORRISSEY, to name a few.

When asked what lessons STEEL PANTHER learned from its 2009 debut, "Feel The Steel", that he and his bandmates applied to this new album, guitarist Satchel told Guitar International, "It's funny because we haven't learned any lessons from our first record. We don't even think of it as our sophomore album, we think of it as our second debut release. Many bands will try to make a different-sounding record for their second release, but we couldn't really get any better than our first record. Our first record was awesome, so we decided to go in and make the same record for our second album, just better. We didn't really grow as writers. We didn't grow as musicians. In fact, I think I got a little bit worse . . . But because of that it's much better. It's kind of like a fine wine. If you let it sit there and let it get moldy, that's what they do with wine, right? Then you let the mold fester in the bottom of the bottle, that's what our music is like on this record. We're like a moldy cheese that's been left out in the sun all summer. You wouldn't think that it would taste good at the end of the summer, but surprisingly, it does. That's us in a nutshell."

STEEL PANTHER is Michael Starr (vocals), Satchel (guitar), Lexxi Foxx (bass) and Stix Zadinia (drums).