MetalSickness.com conducted an interview with vocalist/guitarist Jesper Binzer of the Danish rockers D-A-D at this year's edition of the Hellfest festival, which was held June 15-17 in Clisson, 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.

KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley told The San Diego Union-Tribune that the band can continue in the future (and theoretically forever) without him and fellow KISS co-founder Gene Simmons.

"The band is bigger than its members," said Stanley. "And it only takes, in this case, four like-minded people with a similar outlook and talent to further the cause and continue KISS. It makes perfect sense to me. It may not make sense to other bands, but we're not other bands. We don't live by those rules. We never have."

Asked if he is concerned that he and Simmons, both 62, are growing too old to rock 'n' roll all night, Stanley said, "I'm damn good at what I do. But do I think I'm the only person capable of doing what I do? Absolutely not. I'm not talking about a clone (of me), but somebody with the same passion, drive and love for the music I love. So, can I envision a time when I won't be here anymore? Absolutely. It's not tomorrow, or next week. But when it happens, I would be celebratory. Because it would prove that I was right and that KISS is exactly what I believe it is: an ideal, a way of performing, a point of view. It's an attitude, and the respect and love (we have for) our audience."

Despite the fact that KISS's 2000 tour was billed as the band's "farewell" trek, the group carried on, with drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer filling the roles of Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, respectively.

Asked if another reunion of the four original members of KISS be possible, Stanley told The San Diego Union-Tribune, "Never! You only get so many opportunities and so many chances. And while I don't wish [Frehley and Criss] any ill will at this point, you know, most people are fortunate to win the lottery once. When you win it twice, and throw it away, the opportunities are gone. Plus, everything that those guys did, unfortunately, jeopardized what I do. Those who don't learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them. … The intent and spirit of what this band was founded on is more intact and alive today than ever. And it's not because of the individual founding members or any of that nonsense, but because of people who have the passion, the love and commitment to live up to what KISS is."

Regarding why he and Simmons never fell prey to drugs and alcohol, Stanley said, "For me, the idea of self-preservation has always been key. We don't even have to go to Jim Morrison or Hendrix. We can go back to Billie Holiday. Time and time again, the drugs will either kill you outright, or kill your spirit, your creativity, your joy in life. It becomes a life sentence, without bars. I never wanted to sign up for that. There's nothing romantic about that. And the only people who see that as romantic are often the critics, who sit on the sidelines and like to romanticize while their heroes deteriorate, and somehow, that validates the art of the addict. I never bought into that."

Slash was joined on stage by Lemmy from MOTÖRHEAD for a rendition of "Doctor Alibi" during the former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist's concert on August 2 at House Of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed below.

"Doctor Alibi" comes off Slash's self-titled solo album, which came out in April 2010.

In a March 2010 interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, Slash stated about the experience of recording "Doctor Alibi" with Lemmy, "That was another great moment; having Lemmy come down. Because Lemmy was one of those guys that I so looked up to and I still do. When I was a kid, I was one of those Lemmy fans that would bow in his presence. And we got to be friends and he's always sort of taken me under his wing kind of thing and he's always been really cool. Lemmy is one of those kinds of guys who can have a real serious attitude if he wants to. He's actually a really nice guy in general. I always thought he was sort of intimidating but he was always really nice to me. And I've had a chance to work with him; I've played on one of their records ['March or Die'] and I've done a lot of gigs with 'em. I asked him if he'd be interested and I sent him the thing and he got it right away and he came down to the studio. . . We had bottle of Jack Daniels and a couple bags of potato chips and it reminded me of when I used to show up at sessions. It was great. And the song is all about how the doctor told him how he might have to quit partying and then another doctor said, 'No, you need to continue.' It's a great personal thing; I'm really honored to have it on there.

Slash and MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS — Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass) and Frank Sidoris (guitar) — announced a fall headlining tour starting September 4 in San Diego, California and wrapping October 3 in Los Angeles, California.

Slash scored his first-ever No. 1 hit at rock radio as a solo artist with "You're A Lie", the first single from his second solo effort, "Apocalyptic Love". The record came out on May 22 and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard album chart a week later, selling 38,000 copies in its first week of release.

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 MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.



Pictured below: Lemmy performs with Slash in October 2010 in Los Angeles:

Mulinational metallers RAVEN LORD have tapped Fredrik Nordström of Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden to mix their album. Nordström is a well-known producer and sound engineer who has previously worked with such acts as AT THE GATES, ARCH ENEMY, NIGHTRAGE, IN FLAMES, DREAM EVIL and OPETH. The CD mixdown will take place the last week of August.

"We were looking for the best of the best to give our debut product the final mix it deserves," says RAVEN LORD singer Csaba Zvekan.

RAVEN LORD is:

* Csaba Zvekan (KILLING MACHINE, SARDONYX, EMERGENCY) - Vocals
* Stefan Lindholm (VINDICTIV) - Lead Guitar
* Jamie Mallender (TONY MARTIN) - Bass
* Pontus Larsson (VINDICTIV, FIRECRACKER) – Keyboards
* Henrik Hedman (CELESTIAL DECAY, LAST KINGDOM) - Drums

Commented Mallender: "Make no mistake, we have made an album that's gonna smack you in the face with both fists! This is the record that has been missing from the metal scene for far too many years. But, despite the obvious anger and power of this music, there's a lot of melody and harmony in there and we wanted to bring in a keyboard player that loved metal, to complement the melodic side, but not water things down or get too Wakeman on our asses. Meet Pontus Larsson, who has filled this role perfectly, he's done exactly what we wanted him to and we are absolutely thrilled to have him onboard."

Added Larsson: "I was in the studio recording an album with VINDICTIV when I was asked to join RAVEN LORD. I was kind of busy, but after I listened to the songs and checked out the band members, it only took me 1 second to say yes! I'm proud to be a part of the band! It's great to play with all these talented musicians."

RAVEN LORD was also searching for a world-class, powerhouse drummer with the right chops and staggering technical ability to make a truly devastating rhythm section statement with this album. Enter Henrik Hedman, from Järvsö, a small village in the southern part of Norrland, Sweden, who has previously played with the bass guitar virtuoso Magnus Rosén (ex-HAMMERFALL).

Overjoyed at the new addition, Zvekan had this to say: "Henrik Hedman's future is pretty clear he will be a big player in the music industry. We are fortunate to have him on board with RAVEN LORD!"

Hedman is just as excited about the alliance: "I feel a great honor and exaltation at having been invited to the RAVEN LORD family. My fellow musicians are all wonderful people, extremely talented in their art and the creativity is overwhelming! No bullshit, this is an old dream come true! The RAVEN has spread its wings, and it's heading your way! The RAVEN LORD of Thunder."

British heavy metal legends SAXON have issued the following update:

"We have finally reached the point where we are all going on holiday and will hopefully be enjoying the well-deserved time off!

"We've had a very successful year so far. The festivals and the shows with JUDAS PRIEST were a blast and the recent festival run with one of the all-time band highlights at Wacken Open Air will never be forgotten!

"A great big thanks to our amazing crew who did a fantastic job — to say this in (correct) 'Wacken' terms: the band was good but the crew were brilliant!

"The progress of the new album is quite far — just some final vocals and a few last bits and pieces are missing. Most likely, our mate Andy Sneap is going to mix the album.

"As we said on our press conference at Wacken, we are looking at a release date in February.

"Our touring plans for the upcoming world tour 2013, as we are setting them up right now, will kick off in the states with one of our highlights, the Monsters Of Rock Cruise (we have just confirmed this). This is very special for us as we have been a major part of the Monsters Of Rock history and we are proud to be still part of it today.

"After the cruise, we will head down to South America where we will play cities that we haven't been to for ages, but also we'll go back to some of the great metal towns we played last year. We are planning to play Mexico as the last gig of the South and Middle American leg and then fly from there to New York to complete the American dates.

"Once again, we will be conquering the U.K. with some highlights; our annual St. George's Day will be held for the first time in Manchester at the Ritz theatre!

"After the U.K. dates, we will do some more shows in continental Europe where we will hit the festival season. There is some talk about being part of the Full Metal Cruise, but nothing is confirmed as of yet.

"The first festival show has been announced for 2013; We will headline the Bang Your Head!!! festival in Balingen, Germany. The really exciting thing about it is that we will take the 'Heavy Metal Thunder - Eagles Over Wacken' stage production with us — BIG stage set, moving drum riser, pyros, CO2 jets and, and, and,... We will try to bring this stage production to as many festivals as possible next year to reach and please as many fans as possible!

"As always, it is our credo to make the best fans in world happy and we are so grateful and thankful for your support — our Facebook site has now more than 60,000 supporters! You guys rock!!!

"After our short holiday, we will be playing the Hamburg Metal Dayz in September 2012, which is powered by the Wacken festival.

"The DVD production, 'Heavy Metal Thunder - The Movie' (which is a superb documentary about SAXON), will be finally released in autumn and will be available for everyone, everywhere. We will also offer the DVD on the official web shop and in the U.S. online shop we recently launched via our website.

"In November 2012, we may go to India for the first time ever. We are in discussion and are awaiting news from our agent — we will keep you updated if we will be enjoying an original curry soon...:-)

"Once again, we thank you all for your support and we can't wait to see you somewhere soon!"

SAXON in April released "Saxon - Heavy Metal Thunder - Live - Eagles Over Wacken", the no-fat-no-bullshit-100%-pure CD/DVD featuring DVD highlights from the band's Wacken shows in 2004, 2007 and 2009 comprising thirty songs, plus a live CD from Glasgow in 2011. Each set captures the Barnsley-bred British heavy metal legends delivering classic after classic, from "Denim & Leather" to "Metalhead" to "Heavy Metal Thunder" to "Princess Of The Night" to "Crusader" in front of 75,000-pluds loyal, ravenous fans, who have come to expect (and receive) the levels of performance SAXON have been delivering for 32 years.

"Heavy Metal Thunder - Live - Eagles Over Wacken" is available in a variety of formats, including the Golden Ticket D2C/Direct To Consumer Box.

Strictly limited, this exclusive package contains the "Best Of Wacken" DVD, plus the full and complete SAXON Wacken Open Air performances from 2004/2007/2009 each on a separate DVD, plus a SAXON flag.

"Call To Arms" sold around 700 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD debuted at No. 51 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. The digipack version of "Call To Arms" includes a glorious bonus — a free seven-track CD, "Live At Donington 1980".

Professionally filmed video footage of MACHINE HEAD's entire August 11 performance at this year's edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival, which was held at Catton Park, Derbyshire in the United Kingdom can be seen below.

Fans were given the unprecedented opportunity to influence MACHINE HEAD's setlist at this year's Bloodstock Open Air. Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the band's first-ever live performance at their roadie Mike "Scum"'s getting-evicted-from-his-house party — for which they performed five songs — the band gave Bloodstock ticket holders the opportunity to vote for the five "Burn My Eyes" songs they most want to hear MACHINE HEAD play during their headline set earlier tonight, with the five that receive the most votes included in the setlist.

MACHINE HEAD recently filmed 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.

Norway's TRAIL OF TEARS has uploaded an eight-minute clip featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the band's appearance at the seventh edition of the ARTmania festival, which was held August 6-12 in the center of Sibiu, Transylvania, Romania. Check it out below.

TRAIL OF TEARS earlier in the year finished recording its seventh album 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 March announced the addition of drummer Bjørn to the group's ranks.

The band's longtime drummer Cato Jensen left the band in January in order to focus on other priorities.

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.

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

Jo Schüftan of Horns Up Rocks! conducted an interview with ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna at the August 5 stop of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival in Hartford, Connecticut. You can now watch the chat below.

SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner filled in for ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante on this summer's entire Mayhem run while Charlie was recovering from a minor hand injury.

Asked how it felt to be playing so many shows without Benante, Belladonna said, "It's always different when you've got somebody in there that's not in the band. [But] Jason's doing a great job. We can't say enough about how we've gotten along as far as getting the set down; he knows the songs. I haven't seen anything that's been troubling. No one's really had any complaints… that kind of stuff. We wouldn't offer [the gig to] someone that might not be able to do the job. Yeah, it's fine. But we miss Charlie and we wish he was around."

Regarding whether fans can expect to see Benante back behind the kit for ANTHRAX anytime soon, Joey said, "I don't know. I'm not sure. I haven't really had any contact with him that much. I know he's healing and all that stuff. So I'm sure he'll figure it out one way or the other. And [in the meantime], we'll just go business as usual."

ANTHRAX recently spent time in the studio recording several cover versions of some of their favorite rock classics, to be included with the upcoming re-release of the band's latest album, "Worship Music". The band's guitarist, Scott Ian, said in a recent interview with Artisan News, "The drums are done and some of the guitars are done, but we're trying to finish off these last two songs — 'Smokin'' from BOSTON and 'Anthem' from RUSH."

In addition to the RUSH and BOSTON covers, ANTHRAX is also recording its versions of AC/DC's "T.N.T.", JOURNEY's "Keep On Runnin'" and BLACK SABBATH's "Neon Knights". The latter song is expected to appear on the upcoming Ronnie James Dio tribute album which is being assembled by the singer's widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio.

A five-and-a-half-minute minute video clip featuring STEEL PANTHER interview and professionally filmed performance footage from this year's edition of the Hellfest festival, which was held June 15-17 in Clisson, France, can be seen below.

STEEL PANTHER is the '80s metal/hard rock tribute band formerly known as METAL SKOOL. The group's lineup includes guitarist "Satchel" (real name Russ Parrish; ex-FIGHT) and singer "Michael Starr" (real name Ralph Saenz; ex-L.A. GUNS). Onstage, the band both pays tribute to and lampoons the heyday of '80s glam metal. The group's between-song comedy includes jests at conflict between bandmembers, discussions of drugs, sex, and improvised humor with the crowd.

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.

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

Jägermeister conducted an interview with Kirk Windstein (CROWBAR, DOWN, KINGDOM OF SORROW) at this year's edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival, which is being held August 9-12 at Catton Park, Derbyshire in the United Kingdom. You can now watch the chat below.

CROWBAR's latest album, "Sever The Wicked Hand", sold around 3,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 4 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.

CROWBAR's previous album, "Lifesblood For The Downtrodden", premiered with 1,900 copies back in February 2005.

"Sever The Wicked Hand" was released in the U.S. on February 8, 2011 through E1 Music and in Europe on February 14, 2011 via Century Media Records.

CROWBAR's "The Cemetery Angels" video was filmed on December 5, 2010 in New York City with director Dale "Rage" Resteghini.

STONE SOUR is offering a snippet of the song "Absolute Zero" from the band's upcoming fourth album, "House of Gold & Bones - Part 1", at HouseOfGoldAndBones.com in exchange for a "share" on Facebook or Twitter.

"House Of Gold And Bones" is a two-part concept effort that was recorded at Sound Farm Studios outside the band's home base in Iowa. Singer Corey Taylor has played one of the songs that will be featured on the CD, "Taciturn", acoustically at some of the recent festival appearances and fans seem to embrace the change.

Taylor said, "That song translates so well acoustically. When I wrote 'Taciturn', I knew it was something that could go either way. It could be a full band piece or it could be something I could play on my own. If I was going to give the people a first taste of what 'House Of Gold And Bones' parts 1 and 2 are going to be, 'Taciturn' is a nice way to give them a cool picture of it even in a stripped-down sense. That song is essentially about trust. It's about trying to find the courage to open up to the people you care about, love, and value, knowing that they're going to be there to catch you when it all comes down. They're going to be there for you when nobody else is. It's about letting go of the anchors that hold you down in life, opening yourself up and saying, 'If you're there for me, I'll be there for you. You've just got to give me a second'."

As previously reported, SKID ROW's Rachel Bolan laid down the bass tracks for the new STONE SOUR CD. He has described the material on the record as "fucking fierce."

Taylor recently told Revolver magazine about STONE SOUR's forthcoming album, "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."

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."

The Age Of Metal conducted an interview with Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, ex-SEPULTURA) on August 2 at the 16th annual D-Low Memorial show in Tempe, Arizona. You can watch the chat below.

The "D-Low" show is held every year in memory of SOULFLY mainman Max Cavalera's stepson, Dana Wells, who was killed in a car accident in 1996 (1999 article). It is one of SOULFLY's biggest shows of the year and draws fans from all over the United States. In 2004, SOULFLY filmed portions of its "The Song Remains Insane" DVD at the event.

SOULFLY's eighth album, "Enslaved", sold 5,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 82 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Omen", opened with 6,000 units in June 2010 to land at No. 73.

"Enslaved" was released on March 13 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at TallCat Studios in Phoenix, Arizona and was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, the seasoned knob twiddler behind some of the most notable bands in metal today, such as SHADOWS FALL, HATEBREED, THE RED CHORD and more.

SOULFLY's video for the song "World Scum" was conceptualized by Max Cavalera and director Thomas Mignone (MUDVAYNE, SLIPKNOT, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, MORBID ANGEL) and produced through Mignone's production company Doom Incorporated.

SOULFLY's current lineup features drummer David Kinkade (BORKNAGAR, ARSIS, MALEVOLENT CREATION), Max and guitar dynamo Marc Rizzo, with STATIC-X's Tony Campos taking up the bass.

On August 21, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) will release KISS's 1976 multi-platinum, landmark album "Destroyer: Resurrected", newly remixed from the original master tapes by the album's original producer, Bob Ezrin. Ezrin pulled the tapes from the vaults and painstakingly remixed the entire album, enhancing the sound and bringing out its rich texture and vibrancy, while keeping the integrity of the original recording intact. "Destroyer: Resurrected" will also include rare and unreleased recordings rediscovered during the remixing process, plus the originally intended cover artwork.

Check out audio samples at Amazon.com.

Hot on the heels of their breakthrough hit album "Alive!", KISS released their fourth studio album "Destroyer" which is considered the most ambitious studio recording of KISS's '70s catalog. Bob Ezrin, who had previously worked with Alice Cooper, was brought in to produce the album and among the production flourishes Ezrin introduced to KISS were sound effects, strings, a children's choir, reversed drumming and the eerie, echoing sounds of screaming children over Gene Simmons' vocals on "God Of Thunder". Upon its release, "Destroyer" reached the No. 11 position on the Billboard Top 200 and, with the help of the surprise top-10 hit "Beth", was their first album to go platinum.

Originally released as the B-side to the single "Detroit Rock City", "Beth — the heart-yearning ballad co-written and performed by drummer Peter Criss — was quickly picked up by radio nationwide and became the first top 10 for KISS, climbing all the way to the No. 7 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. While going through the original tapes, a forgotten vocal piece that was originally edited out in the final mix of "Beth" was discovered and now, for the first time, the complete original vocal recording has been restored and is included in the final mix. Other rediscovered gems include a complete, alternate guitar solo for the track "Sweet Pain", now heard for the first time since it was originally recorded. The newly remixed "Sweet Pain" with the original guitar solo will be included as a bonus track. In addition to the treasures found buried in the hours of recordings, KISS classics such as "Detroit Rock City", "Shout It Out Loud", "Do You Love Me?" and "God Of Thunder" were painstakingly remixed by Ezrin as he fleshed out the drums and guitars, bringing out the bottom end to the bass, making his mixes tight and tough.

In addition, "Destroyer: Resurrected" will now be issued with the originally intended cover art thought too controversial for the time. Created by artist Ken Kelly, the "brown" cover depicts KISS dressed in their "Alive!" costumes and standing on rubble in front of a burning city in ruins. At the time, the record company thought it was too violent and settled for the tamer "blue" version known today. This release also marked the first time that a comic-book illustration of the band appeared on the cover, confirming that the band was transforming from hard rockers to superheroes.

To this day, "Destroyer" remains one of the group's most ambitious recordings and greatest accomplishments. In both Kerrang! and Guitar World magazine it is listed as one of the "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time" and in 2003, it was included on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time." Now, with today's state-of-the-art technology, this landmark release can be heard the way that KISS intended.

The KISS legacy continues to grow, generation after generation, transcending age, race and creed. KISS releases their 20th studio album, "Monster", on October 15 internationally and October 16 in North America.

"Destroyer: Resurrected" track listing:

01. Detroit Rock City
02. King Of The Night Time World
03. God Of Thunder
04. Great Expectations
05. Flaming Youth
06. Sweet Pain
07. Shout It Out Loud
08. Beth
09. Do You Love Me?
10. Sweet Pain (original guitar solo) (bonus track)

The "Destroyer: Resurrected" cover artwork can be seen below.

Released in March 1976, "Destroyer" was the second consecutive KISS album to reach the Top 20 in the U.S. The LP was certified gold by the RIAA on April 22, 1976. It was certified platinum on November 11, 1976, the first KISS album to achieve that distinction.

Former THE HAUNTED frontman Peter Dolving has posted a lengthy statement on his Facebook page in which he attempts to explain his reasons for leaving the band in February of this year. He writes in part, "I left THE HAUNTED back early this spring because I had fucking had it with dysfunctional bullshit.

"The day the Björlers [guitarist Anders Björler and bassist Jonas Björler] decided to tell tell us about the AT THE GATES 'farewell tour' (the farewell tour now on its third year), we were releasing and promoting 'Versus'.

"They told us that they would only do 14 shows. They are still touring....

"They have really cashed in to the fullest. Good for them. It's good to have money in a capitalist world.

"[Guitarist Patrik] Jensen is the one who saw clearly what was up.

"The moment they told us, his response was, 'You know this is going to kill THE HAUNTED.' The twins were both extremely defensive about it, and now we know why. They were lying out their ass.

"Jensen ain't no dumb-ass. He made another WITCHERY record, toured like a sonofabitch with his project and got a degree in the meantime.

"Good for him.

"It's good to have a degree in a capitalist world.

"I caught on slower, but I figured it was fucking ridiculously slow that making 'Unseen' took 2 years. I must have written 40 fucking songs for that record. Every time I presented something, it wasn't 'played well enough to really hear what's going on' or 'it's not THE HAUNTED.' Jonas presented some amazing ideas. But there was no heart.

"I am not a very cheerfulful person. I prefer working to hanging out. Because I love my work more than I love people. I don't lie or pretend it's any other way. But anyone who knows me will testify that I am not a lying, unloyal, uncaring, indifferent fucking prick whose emotional incapacities render me void of treating people respectfully.

"Rock and roll for me is about love, hate, life and how we live it. It's vivid, aware, right here. Indifference and shutting each other off is the diametric opposite. Watching your back because you care more about your pension plan than your fellow travellers, avoiding confrontations because one is lazy and a coward, etc., is just not fucking cutting it.

"They broke my fucking heart."

Read Dolving's entire statement at this location.

Previously a vocalist for MARY BEATS JANE, Dolving joined THE HAUNTED in 1997 and sang in their debut self-titled album. In 1998, he left the group to concentrate on a band called ZEN-MONKEY but returned in 2003 following the departure of Marco Aro (the vocalist which took over Dolving's spot after Peter's 1998 exit). He has since appeared on the studio albums "Revolver" (2004), "The Dead Eye" (2006), "Versus" (2008) and "Unseen" (2011).

THE HAUNTED's seventh studio CD, "Unseen", sold around 1,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The effort landed at position No. 33 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.

"Unseen" was released on March 29, 2011 via Century Media Records. The CD was once again recorded with longtime producer Tue Madsen (MOONSPELL, DARK TRANQUILLITY, GOREFEST, SICK OF IT ALL) at his Antfarm Studio in Århus, Denmark.

Jägermeister conducted an interview with guitarist Alex Skolnick of San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT at this year's edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival, which is being held August 9-12 at Catton Park, Derbyshire in the United Kingdom. You can now watch the chat below.

TESTAMENT's new album, "Dark Roots Of Earth", sold more than 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No, 12 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on July 31 via Nuclear Blast Records.

TESTAMENT's previous studio album, "The Formation of Damnation", opened with 11,400 units back in May 2008 to debut at position No. 59.

"Dark Roots Of Earth" was produced, mixed and mastered by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE, ACCEPT, EXODUS). Special bonus tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered by Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS, TED NUGENT, NIGHT RANGER) at his Trident Studios. The cover artwork for the effort (see below) was painted by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with ATHEIST, SIGH, ANACRUSIS and GWAR, among others.

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CHTON, LEGIONES and CLEAVER are the first confirmed bands for the tribute concert to BATHORY mainman Thomas "Quorthon" Forsberg, set to take place on November 17 at Fru Lundgreen in Trondheim, Norway.

For more information, visit Facebook.

Quorthon was found dead in his apartment in Stockholm, Sweden on June 7, 2004. The 39-year-old, widely considered to be one of black metal's founding fathers, reportedly died of heart failure.

"Voices From Valhalla", a BATHORY tribute double CD, was released earlier this year via Godreah Records.

Rare video footage from the DVD that accompanied BATHORY's career-spanning box set, "In Memory of Quorthon", can be viewed below in three parts.

Released in June 2006 via Black Mark, "In Memory of Quorthon" contains three CDs, one DVD, a book and a poster. Börje "Boss" Forsberg — owner of Black Mark Records and father of late BATHORY mainman Thomas "Quorthon" Forsberg — had previously stated that the package would contain "Quorthon's and BATHORY's complete musical history."

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Stockholm, Sweden-based metal outfit FACESHIFT is recording its second album for a tentative 2013 release via an as-yet-undetermined record label.

A couple of tracks that will appear on the new CD were mixed by Lars Chriss (LION'S SHARE) and they "showcase the band's crushing blend of massive riffs, earthquake drums and powerful, melodic vocals," according to a press release.

FACESHIFT's rhythm guitarist and bass player are both death metal musicians (ETERNAL OATH and GODPHOBIA), the drummer plays in one of Sweden's top prog metal bands (SEVENTH WONDER), the vocalist brings a melodic/power element to the table while the lead guitarist adds a really bluesy touch to the mix. "Combining all those influences could have proven a huge challenge, but in fact, once we started writing these new songs, everything fell right into place from the get-go," explains drummer Stefan Norgren. "The result is a handful of damn heavy, riff-driven tracks, with BIG choruses and tons of cool vocal harmonies. I'd say FACESHIFT will be well received by fans of such diverse bands as PANTERA, MUSTASCH, ALICE IN CHAINS, SYMPHONY X and DIO alike.”

Labels interested in releasing the new FACESHIFT album can contact the band via Facebook.

Video footage of Australia's synchronized swimming team performing to an AC/DC medley in preparation for their appearance at this year's Olympic Games can be seen below.

Sadly, the Australians were given a score of 77.430, the lowest of all eight finalists, at the London 2012 Aquatics Centre at Friday's (August 10) synchronized swimming Free Routine Final.

"It was an idea we all spoke about. We wanted something classically Australian and with a very strong beat," swimmer Eloise Amberger told the media about their choice of music for the routine.

She added, "It was a joint idea of ours and our coaches. We were very proud and honored to be swimming to some Australian music. It was [a gamble] but we thought it was suitable. It's very strong, it's dynamic, it's Aussie. It just helped us get into the groove," she said.

Last year, Canadian synchronized swimming team members Elise Marcotte and Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon gave an exhibition of their routine, featuring a mix of METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets" and "Enter Sandman", during the Canadian Open championships at the Talisman Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Sacramento, California-based experimental post-hardcore outfit A LOT LIKE BIRDS has inked a deal with Equal Vision Records.

Whether they're swinging from the rafters, climbing up venue walls, joining in on spontaneous mid-set crowd surfs, launching guitars 25 feet in the air, or simply focusing on the music, the dynamic six-piece band is quickly becoming known for their roaring live sets filled with in-your-face intensity. Standing at the forefront of their bold performances are dual vocalists Cory Lockwood and Kurt Travis, who seamlessly intertwine, layer and harmonize, while interchanging singing, screaming and spoken-word duties. Guiding the melodies along with the alternating of intricate riffs and airy, ambient wails are guitarists Michael Franzino and Ben Wiacek, as well as the flowing rhythms of bassist Michael "Butter" Littlefield and drummer Joe Arrington.

In fall 2011, A LOT LIKE BIRDS released "Conversation Piece", the band's sophomore effort and first release with the current six-piece lineup. The eleven-track album was recorded at Interlace Audio Recording Studio in Portland, Oregon with producer Kris Crummet (CLOSURE IN MOSCOW, FEAR BEFORE, DANCE GAVIN DANCE). "Conversation Piece" features poetically delivered and emotionally driven lyrics powered by compelling dual vocals, with an emphasis on solid song structure and storytelling.

"Written word shaped me more definitively than any other interest in my life," says Lockwood. "I've been writing creatively my entire life without any real direction, outside of obsessively discovering new stories inside of myself and dragging them out. Music gave me a way to combine story and emotion and poetry with another love — performance."

He added, "When Travis and I met...we instantly bonded with each other and started to test each other's role and how best to complement each other musically. It didn't take too long for us to finish each other's lyrics if we were struggling with something or figure out a cohesive call-and-response section or harmony. And best of all, we decided not to separate each other into different corners of the musical ring. He screams at times and I sing at times. There's such an amazing amount of room for us to create together, as long as we ignore the standard limitations of a duo like that."

A LOT LIKE BIRDS' constant musical evolution and entrancing live shows, combined with their down-to-earth personalities, proved to be just the right fit for Equal Vision Records.

"Signing to Equal Vision used to just be a daydream for most of us," explains Lockwood. "When we were growing up and still playing in previous bands, Equal Vision was putting out CDs by incredible artists that we admire, like BEAR VS SHARK, THE FALL OF TROY and CIRCA SURVIVE."

"We are all very happy about it...there honestly couldn't be a better home for us and what we want to do," Franzino adds. "It means the world to be on EVR and we can't wait to see what comes of it."

The band will soon begin the writing process for its debut Equal Vision release, with tentative plan to enter the studio in early 2013.

Omnibus Press has set a November 16 release date for THIN LIZZY guitarist Scott Gorham's memoir, "The Boys Are Back in Town". The book was co-written with journalist Harry Doherty and is expected to give the inside story of the band's days on the road.

Official description of the 160-page paperback "The Boys Are Back in Town": "One of the defining rock groups of the 20th Century, THIN LIZZY began life in Dublin in 1969 when childhood friends Phil Lynott and Brian Downey were approached by two former members of VAN MORRISON's band THEM, Eric Wrixon (keyboards) and Eric Bell (guitar). Now for the first time, their story is told by guitarist Scott Gorham and rock journalist Harry Doherty. The band's story is told by the people who were involved directly including former guitarists, road crew, management, family and friends. Their origins in Dublin as a three piece with the 'Whiskey In The Jar' single and a string of unsuccessful but highly creative albums. The move to London to chase the dream of being a major rock band. The chaotic arrival and departures of various members, including Eric Bell (who left the band mid-concert), Irish guitarist Gary Moore, Brian Robertson and co-author Scott Gorham. How the albums 'Jailbreak' and 'Boys Are Back In Town' took the band to the top of the charts just as they were to become bankrupt. Includes stories of the band on the road, the drink and drugs and how the years of partying, drug-taking and non stop touring eventually took its toll on not only the band members but on their families. The death of front man Phil Lynott and their legacy following his death."

THIN LIZZY recently entered the studio to begin recording its first new album in nearly 30 years for a tentative 2013 release. It will be the group's first studio set since "Thunder And Lightning" in 1983, and its first to not include Phil Lynott, who died in 1986.

Asked what Phil would say about THIN LIZZY recording a new record without him, Scott told Independent.ie, "I think Phil would be right behind the idea of a new THIN LIZZY album. Given the choice, Phil would want to keep the THIN LIZZY name going and keep the band on the road. He was a real band member.

"You know, we still feel he is with us. That's why at every gig we introduce Phil as though he's still here — and he still gets the biggest cheer of the night. So he's still overshadowing me."

Gorham said, "Songwriting in THIN LIZZY was always a collaborative thing. Phil wrote a lot of our biggest hits but other members contributed to his songs. Everybody was included in the writing.

"Even when Phil did his solo albums, he still wanted the members of THIN LIZZY playing and contributing to his songs."

Victory Records has announced the signing of the St. Louis, Missouri-based metalcore outfit TEAR OUT THE HEART.

TEAR OUT THE HEART formed in 2011 and unanimously agreed that when this lineup had gotten together in one room, it was instant energy and everything just clicked.

TEAR OUT THE HEART combines sinister vocals with elements of hardcore and metal that creates malicious guitar riffs along with monstrous breakdowns that will have you hooked instantly. Their music can be compared to the likes of BRING ME THE HORIZON, OF MICE & MEN and AS I LAY DYING.

TEAR OUT THE HEART are highly ambitious and have set major goals for their future. The group plans to record a debut full-length album and shortly after take over the world one show at a time.

TEAR OUT THE HEART is:

Tyler Konersma - Vocals
Josh Spohr - Guitar
Mattieu Murphy - Guitar
Isaac Etter - Bass/ Vocals
Matt Epstein - Drums

Fan-filmed video footage of resurrected 1990s Florida-based death metallers MASSACRE performing on August 4 at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany can be seen below.

MASSACRE released a seven-inch single, "Condemned To The Shadows", on July 30. The single, which is available as a regular black-wax version, a transparent wax limited edition and a yellow-wax limited edition, contains two brand new songs — "Succumb To Rapture" and "Back From Beyond" — that were recorded in February at CGM Studios in Altamonte Springs, Florida with Tim Vazquez at the helm.

MASSACRE is hard at work on material for a new album, to be released worldwide on Century Media Records in early 2013.

The band's new lineup consists of bassist Terry Butler and guitarist Frederick "Rick Rozz" DeLillo alongside MASSACRE's latest additions, Mike Mazzonetto (drums; M INC., PAIN PRINCIPLE) and Ed Webb (vocals; DIABOLIC, GENERICHRIST, DESTINED TO RUIN).

Rozz started his career at the age of 16 when he formed MANTAS with Chuck Schuldiner. The band's "Death By Metal" demo from 1984 was as influential on the early death metal scene as early recordings by POSSESSED (who released their infamous "Death Metal" demo the same year) and HELLHAMMER's 1983 demos. MANTAS changed its name to DEATH later in 1984, followed by the creation of MASSACRE, with Butler joining the group a short time later. After recording and touring as members of DEATH, Rozz and Butler released the MASSACRE death metal cult classic "From Beyond" in 1991, influencing generations of extreme metal bands worldwide.

"From Beyond" was reissued as a limited-edition digipak CD via Earache Records.The long-out-of-print album was made available on CD with four bonus EP tracks and comes housed in a digipak with extended artwork and a fold-out poster.

A different version of MASSACRE — consisting of DENIAL FIEND members Sam Williams (guitar), Curt Beeson (drums; NASTY SAVAGE), along with Terry Butler, Steve Swanson (guitar) and Kam Lee (vocals; MASSACRE, DEATH, MANTAS) — completed a European tour in late 2007.

PitCam.TV conducted an interview with vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH at this year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, which was held August 2-4 in Wacken, Germany. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked whether OPETH has begun work on the follow-up to last year's "Heritage" album, Mikael replied, "I've been writing a little. I'm going on a trip soon — next week — on my own, actually, which I've never done before. I'm gonna bring the guitar and write some stuff, hopefully. But I think we're still touring, and we still have another European tour coming up in the fall. And that kind of prevents me from getting too into the work — the creative process. I'm gonna start writing more from real once we finish the tour. 'Cause I don't have much."

OPETH recently completed a North America co-headlining tour with MASTODON. The trek kicked off on April 4 in Portland, Maine, and visited more than 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up at Atlanta's Masquerade on May 12.

"Heritage" sold 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous studio CD, 2008's "Watershed", opened with more than 19,000 units to land at No. 23.

"Watershed" was the follow-up to the band's acclaimed "Ghost Reveries" CD, which debuted at No. 64 on the Billboard chart back in September 2005 with first-week sales of just under 15,000.

OPETH's 2003 album, "Damnation", premiered with a little over 5,000 copies.

The original lineup of TALAS — consisting of legendary bassist Billy Sheehan, guitarist Dave Constantino and drummer Paul Varga – reunited for a one-off performance on July 28 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Niagara Falls, New York. The show was part of the 2012 Hard Rock "Rocks Old Falls Street, USA Summer Outdoor Music Series", which featured a total of six shows starting July 7 and running each Saturday evening through August 11.

The free concerts were supported with help from the city of Niagara Falls and private sponsors. Local radio stations 97 Rock and 103.3 The Edge served as broadcast partners for this year's series.

David "Gus" Griesinger of BackstageAxxess.com conducted an interview with Varga and Sheehan on July 30 when TALAS returned to the Hard Rock Cafe to take part in a meet-and-greet with the fans. You can watch the chat below.

Kings of the Buffalo bar circuit, TALAS slogged it out through the '70s and '80s, hoping for the breakthrough that never quite came. When David Lee Roth left VAN HALEN, Sheehan immediately joined Roth's band, putting an effective end to TALAS.

Sheehan, Constantino and Varga were the first musicians to be inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall Of Fame, and Constantino and Varga have remained active in the Western New York music scene. Sheehan is based in California, where he performs with a variety of ensembles, including MR. BIG.

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach spoke to Amber Lee of the Wisconsin rock radio station 93 Rock about guitarist Nick Sterling's recent claim that he was sitting out shows on Bach's current North American tour due to an apparent business disagreement.

The 22-year-old Sterling, who played guitar, and co-wrote many of the songs, on Sebastian's latest album, "Kicking & Screaming", took to his Facebook page on August 2 to announce that he was not going to be performing with Bach later that night at Club Nokia in Los Angeles because "there were some contractual issues that we just couldn't work out." He added, "No hard feelings."

Bach was joined at the Club Nokia concert by a couple of guest guitarists, including Jinxx (BLACK VEIL BRIDES) and Brent Woods (WILDSIDE, VINCE NEIL). The following night's show at the Pacific Ampitheatre in Costa Mesa, California, where Sebastian played as the support act for CINDERELLA, featured Woods on second guitar.

Asked if Sterling is going to be back in Sebastian's band in time for the band's August 13 performance at Oneida Bingo & Casino in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Bach told 93 Rock, "He will not be back for Monday, and he's not sitting out any shows."

He continued, "We did a big broadcast on AXS TV that we worked really, really hard on. It was a very big deal that we were on television from coast to coast all across the United States of America. Everybody that was involved in the broadcast had to sign a release so we could film it and they would agree to be part of the broadcast and the DVD coming out. Everybody [else] signed it. I talked to Nick two days before the show and he still hadn't signed it. And I'm like, 'Dude, we're filming this in two days. You have to sign this.' And he guaranteed to me on the phone that he would sign it and be a part of it, and then when we got to soundcheck, he wouldn't sign the release. So we could not film the show with him; he wouldn't let us. He wanted all these sorts of demands that nobody else in the band wanted that were completely unreasonable.

"If someone is not happy in my band, I will be the first one to show them the door and say, 'Don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out. If you're not happy and you're not part of the team and you're not interested in being successful or being professional, then get out of my band.

"I've been doing this for 25-30 years and all I ask is that somebody is a professional in my band and has it together on stage and doesn't wreck it for the rest of us, which is what he did in L.A. the other day."

He added, "I am very sad about it. I love playing with him on stage… I love the album that we made. I completely love the music that we made, and I hope to make music in the future with him. But the fans out there should know how rare and special albums are. It's not a joke when you get musicians together that all believe in the same purpose and goal and work together to achieve that goal. I'm so proud of the record that we made. I don't know what the future will hold, but everybody should listen to that and realize that we captured a very cool, unique moment in time between me and him. I could not be more proud of the record.

"I wish Nick all the best. I hope he can figure out how to be the type of man, as a human being, to other people as the incredible musician as he is on stage… He's an amazing, amazing guitar player, but if you can't honor your word and can't be a team player and consider all the other musicians on stage and the business side of things and how much effort people put into doing a live broadcast across the country, and then you just [decide not to] do it, like, an hour before the show, I don't wanna play with you anymore. And that's the way it is. I'm not into fightning all the time. So if you wanna fight with me, it's not gonna last too long. [laughs]"

Audio of Bach talking to Amber Lee of 93 Rock about Nick Sterling's current status in Sebastian's band can be streamed using the player below (audio courtesy of 93RockOn.com).

Ephrata, Pennsylvania-based quintet TEXAS IN JULY will release its third, self-titled full-length album on October 9 via Equal Vision Records. The CD was recorded at The Machine Shop Studios in Belleville, New Jersey with producer Will Putney (FOR TODAY, CHIODOS). A single, "Bed Of Nails", will precede the full-length effort on September 11 via digital retailers such as iTunes and Amazon.com.

"This track is collectively one of our favorite songs that we have ever written as a band," explains TEXAS IN JULY lyricist/bassist Ben Witkowski. "For the most part, 'Bed Of Nails' was written in the studio. It came together so smoothly and, surprisingly, pretty early on in writing/recording process and quickly became a favored track. We think of it as our hybrid song — it has many contrasting musical parts, as well as a heavy hitting vocal chant near the tail of the song. I really think people are going to be pleased to hear this song. I would love to see this track become our next 'Hook Line And Sinner'. It's very memorable, and feels like the perfect track to be released as the first listen for the upcoming record."

The new album features several guest artists: drummer Matt Greiner of AUGUST BURNS RED, vocalist Dave Stephens of WE CAME AS ROMANS, and vocalist Chadwick Johnson of HUNDREDTH.

"Texas In July" track listing:

01. Initiate
02. Cry Wolf
03. Shallow Point
04. Without A Head (ft. Chadwick Johnson)
05. Bed Of Nails
06. Repressed Memories
07. C4 (ft. Dave Stephens)
08. Crux Lust
09. Paranoia
10. Black Magic
11. Cloudy Minds (ft. Matt Greiner)

TEXAS IN JULY's Equal Vision Records debut, "One Reality", was released in April 2011. The album premiered at No. 3 on the Billboard New Artist/Heatseekers Chart and also placed on the Billboard 200, Rock, Independent, and Hard Rock charts. TEXAS IN JULY has been on the road non-stop for the past year, including three European headliners, massive tours with the likes of AUGUST BURNS RED, WE CAME AS ROMANS, FOR TODAY, SILVERSTEIN and NORMA JEAN, and performances at renowned music festivals around the world such as New England Metal And Hardcore Festival, Graspop Metal Meeting, Summerfest, Cornerstone Festival and The Bamboozle.

TEXAS IN JULY is comprised of Alex Good, Adam Gray, Ben Witkowski, Christian Royer and Chris Davis.