Robert Gray of Ultimate-Guitar.com recently conducted an interview with
legendary heavy metal  vocalist Ronnie James Dio (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH,
RAINBOW, DIO). A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: When you reunited with Tony [Iommi] and Geezer [Butler],
were you worried that a repeat of the "Dehumanizer" situation would occur?

Dio: No, no. We were very, very smart about the way we dealt with things, and I
think we learnt lessons from what had happened to us before, with the two break
ups before that. I think it's a pretty good indication that we want to play in a
band together, and that it's something we do a lot, because we keep getting back
together again. But yeah, I think we took it really slowly. We didn't make plans
to do something that we couldn't deliver, either to ourselves, or to someone
we'd promised to do something, say a tour or whatever. We didn't make these long
term plans, and that allowed a lot of mistakes not to happen. Again, we've all
grown up a lot. We really appreciate each other more than we ever did before,
and we were always good friends — that was never a problem. Contrary to what
people may believe, we never had arguments. In fact, I don't remember ever
having an argument. Of course, nothing physical ever happened, so it seems
really odd that we
  did break up that many times. I guess a lot of it was because of some political
things that were going on, and again, we were younger, and did things that we
shouldn't have done. So yeah, there's always that thought in the back of your
mind, if this could happen again, and if this will be another "Dehumanizer"
situation. We're not allowing that to happen though; we have communication now,
we talk, and we really, really spend a lot of time together, which was something
we didn't do before. Because of all the lessons that we learnt from the past, I
don't worry about that ever happening. If it did happen, I think we're confident
enough in the things that we did in the past, and the things that we can still
do without each other, so it wouldn't be the end of the world. But we really,
genuinely enjoy making music together, and being around each other, so I don't
see that happening. We're too cautious about it now.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: How does the chemistry within the DIO band differ to the
chemistry within HEAVEN & HELL?

Dio: Well, I think one of the differences is that I'm a lot more in control of
my own situation because it is the DIO band, and I can make a lot of decisions
that are mine and mine alone. With SABBATH, we're very democratic. We don't do
things behind each others' backs, and unless we all agree to it, it doesn't
happen. That sometimes can make life a little bit more difficult if I don't
agree with the decision of the other two, but that's the way we've set it up, so
that's the way it works. So far, I've not seen any problems with that. So
really, it's the difference between having a little bit more of a — certainly
not a dictatorship, but let's put it that way anyway — a little bit more of a
dictatorship, and a whole lot more democracy in SABBATH. That's really the
difference in the chemistry. As far as the people go, we are all different
people. Tony and Geezer have done this for such a long time, and I've known them
for such a long time, with all
  the things we've done together. We share different experiences in the DIO band,
and life is made of all those experiences. Our experiences in the DIO band bring
us close together, with the things we have done, and the things we're about to
do. All the things we've done in SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, whatever we're gonna
call it, those are different experiences, but yet they're all enjoyable ones. As
far as chemistry goes, there's no lack of chemistry on either side. It's just as
I said before; it's more my decision with the DIO band, and much more democratic
the other way.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: You also recorded some voice work for "Brütal Legend", but
unfortunately those parts weren't used. What are your thoughts on that?

Dio: I was looking forward to seeing the finale, and it was very interesting to
do. We went to a place called Skywalker Ranch, which is where George Lucas'
original studio was. A brilliant place, with memorabilia everywhere. There was a
great atmosphere, and I enjoyed doing it, but at the end of the day, it just
didn't work out. Perhaps my voice characterization wasn't what they were looking
for. It's not what I do, truthfully. They asked, and I thought it was
interesting to be a part of, but at the end of the day, if it wasn't right, then
it wasn't right. At the end of the day, I don't harbour any bad feelings about
that at all. It doesn't matter to me.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Some have added two and two together, and have come up with
five, alleging that your parts weren't used because Ozzy (Osbourne) contributed
to "Brütal Legend", and supposedly didn't want you to be a part of the project.
What are your thoughts on that rumor?

Dio: I've heard that rumor, and people do put two and two together, or sometimes
put two and two together and it equals five, so perhaps they're wrong about
that. I don't accuse anyone unless I know exactly what's going on. I don't know
if that's the case. It certainly seems coincidental, I must admit. It does. I'm
not gonna throw the blame to anyone, though. Perhaps that wasn't the reason, and
perhaps it wasn't because Ozzy was a part of it. Again, it just doesn't bother
me at all. I'm very thick-skinned when it comes to that, and I don't really care
if they did that. If someone did do that, then I think it just shows
small-mindedness, but I'm not gonna accuse anyone till I know what's going on.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Do you see yourself recording a new HEAVEN & HELL album?

Dio: Yeah. I think so — I do think so. I think we'll probably tour a little
bit first in the interim time. Of course, we're dealing with Tony's hand at the
moment too. We would've been touring more with HEAVEN & HELL, and probably
wouldn't even have organized this DIO tour, if it hadn't been for the fact that
Tony has tendon problems in his hand, and had to be operated on. That gave me
the time to do this that we're talking about now, which is the tour, and working
more on "Magica". At the moment, we're waiting to see how Tony's hand is going
to recuperate. We have no plans to break this up. I think we're all excited
about doing another album at some point. I don't think we want to rush into it
right now, but perhaps during this time off, between Tony's recovery and us
getting back together with HEAVEN & HELL, we'll be able to get together and
write some more songs. We can do that, certainly. To answer your question, yeah,
I think we will.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: How does the future of the DIO band look?

Dio: I think it looks really good. Once again, as I said before, there are
people in this band who really, really want to be in this band, and who really
love the music that we make. They love the majesty of it, the bigness of it,
sometimes the heaviness of it, and just all the great songs that have been done
from year to year. Those songs never die; they're fun for me to play after all
these years, and they're certainly fun for Rudy [Sarzo] and Simon [Wright] and
Craig [Goldy] to play, and they do such a wonderful job of it. It has a great
future, as far as I'm concerned. I'm not trying to take away from what I'll be
doing with HEAVEN & HELL, because once I apply myself to HEAVEN & HELL, that's
the only thing I'll focus on. As you suggested earlier though, in the back of my
mind there's always that thought about the DIO band, because again, it's been
such a big part of my life. It's given me such great songs to be able to play,
and so many people who
  have made their way to this band as fans, and as friends. It's something that's
never going to die, not in my mind, and it's something that I'll carry on and
do.

HE IS one of the world's most famous rockers, who has made millions from
screeching about women and whisky on his way down the Highway To Hell.
But in his quieter moments, Brian Johnson likes nothing better than pulling down
his iconic flat cap and going for a drive along the A68 to Melrose.

The lead singer with AC/DC has told Scotland on Sunday how he enjoys visiting
the Borders and fuADVERTISEMENTrther afield whenever back in the UK visiting his
friends and family.

"I love driving about up there," he said. "I used to go up a lot to Loch Lomond
and Loch Ness, but you know my favourite place now? Melrose in the Borders.
Driving around there is fabulous, it's beautiful."

The singer dismissed recent speculation that he intends to retire at the end of
AC/DC's current world tour, but stressed he will hang up his microphone come the
day he is unable to perform for a whole show.

"I'm 62, but I have to sing like I was 32," he said. "People have been talking
about it, but it's not me that wants to retire. I'll go as long as I keep going,
but I only have one gear as a singer. I don't want to break down in the middle
of a set, or only perform for half the show."

For the first time, Johnson revealed how he nearly shunned the audition for a
group that would go on to sell more than 200 million albums.

"I only went because I had other work lined up in London, a Hoover advert
jingle," he recalled. "That ad got me £350, the most money I'd had in one go in
my life."

He also warmly recalled the band's concert at Glasgow's Hampden stadium this
summer, affirming that the "Hampden Roar" is "no myth".

"I swear to God, the hairs on the back of my arms stood up, and my old ticker
was twitching like a rabbit's nose," he joked.

Next year will mark three decades since Johnson became AC/DC's frontman
following the death of Bon Scott, who was originally from Kirriemuir.

"It's brilliant that people remember Bon 30 years on," Johnson said. "I met him
once and he was one of those cool souls."

Two of the original band members, Angus and Malcolm Young, were also born in
Scotland.

The Quietus recently conducted an interview with legendary rocker Alice Cooper .
A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Quietus: For a period of time you drank heavily. Would it be fair to assume
that the character of Alice Cooper swallowed you up?

Cooper: I was probably the most efficient alcoholic around — I never missed a
show, I never slurred a word. When I was doing acting, I never missed my lines.
And then I started realising why that was — when I went to the hospital the
doctor would sit there and question me about my drinking and he would ask, "How
much did you drink on stage?" and I'd go, "I don't drink on stage." And he said,
"What?" I went "When I'm working I never drink." "So when you're up there for a
few hours you never drink?" I said "No." "With your acting do you drink when
you're on film?" I said "No." So he said, "Alice isn't the alcoholic, you are.
You're blaming everything on Alice and Alice doesn't even drink." I had to sit
there for a minute and go, "You're absolutely right." When I was actually
working, I never did drink. So it's really funny that I pushed the blame on
Alice Cooper when Alice wasn't the problem at all. I was the problem.

The Quietus: Why did the original Alice Cooper band break up in the mid-'70s?
After all, you were on a high, popularity-wise.

Cooper: The reason why we broke up was because I wanted to keep doing theatrics
and they wanted to take all that down and not really work on theatrics anymore.
They just wanted to be a band. I said, "People are eating out of our hands just
now, we won that war. The war that we couldn't win we won and now you wanna go
back?!" I said, "I want a ticket now to a place that nobody's ever seen before."
I was already thinking of "Welcome To My Nightmare" and they were going, "Nah,
we wanna go back in the other direction." That was really the reason the band
broke up. But we never broke up with any sort of negative feelings. There was
never a time when Dennis, Neil and I were yelling at each other.

The Quietus: Please tell me about your new album that's due to come out in 2010.
What can we expect?

Cooper: I'm not gonna be very specific with you but I'm gonna say this — I'm
creating this new character that Alice will be playing. Also a villain. At the
same time it's going to be a character that's going to allow Alice to stretch
out musically a little bit more. He's a bit of a phantom but what he does allows
the music to do a lot of things. It'll be pretty interesting.

Veteran German hard rockers SCORPIONS will embark on a two-year world tour in
2010. An international press conference will be held in January to announce the
details of the trek, which will include dates in Germany, USA, South America,
Asia, Russia and other European countries.

SCORPIONS recently spent time at a studio in Hannover, Germany with Swedish
producers Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen (the team behind THE RASMUS'
"Dead Letters" CD) recording their new album for an early 2010 release.

"We are working on 12 songs at the moment," guitarist Mathias Jabs told Scorps
News. "Great stuff. Definitely 'Scorpionized' in sound and attitude. More
towards the early Eighties."

Although SCORPIONS' new CD is tentatively due in Europe in March, a U.S. release
date has yet to be pinned down. "Azoff Management [which represents SCORPIONS]
is currently working on the [record] deal," Jabs said. "Simultaneous release is
up to the record companies."

He added, "The weak dollar has been a reason to delay the U.S. release in order
to avoid bad imports in the 'rest' of the world, for all non-American bands in
recent years."

SCORPIONS recently extended their record deal with Ariola, which is part of the
international media conglomerate Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

The band's latest CD, "Humanity - Hour 1", was produced by James Michael and
co-produced by songwriter/producer Desmond Child, who has worked with such
high-profile pop/rock artists as AEROSMITH, BON JOVI, ALICE COOPER, KISS, RICKY
MARTIN, CHER, MICHAEL BOLTON and BONNIE TYLER.

Schenker released his official German-language autobiography, "Rock Your Life",
in Germany on October 14. An English-language version is also planned. More
details will be revealed soon.

SCORPIONS took part in a special concert, dubbed "A Night To Remember", on
October 2 at the Grugahalle in Essen, Germany, with special guests, former
members/guitarists Uli Jon Roth and Michael Schenker.

The upcoming documentary on British rock legends SAXON, "Heavy Metal Thunder -
The Movie", has had its projected release date pushed back to March 1, 2010. The
delay was caused by the filmmakers' (U.K.'s Coolhead Productions) desire to
include newly discovered vintage footage and additional interviews.

Produced by the makers of the critically acclaimed "Ian Gillan: Highway Star"
(Universal, 2007), "Heavy Metal Thunder - The Movie" celebrates SAXON's 30th
anniversary. It not only has contributions from members of SAXON, past and
present, but also from the likes of Lars Ulrich (METALLICA); Lemmy, "Fast" Eddie
Clarke, Phil Campbell, Mikkey Dee (MOTÖRHEAD); Harvey Goldsmith, Danko Jones,
Doro Pesch and many, many others. It will also feature plenty of rare archive
material and previously unseen concert footage, from the classic 1980s lineup to
the brilliant St. George's Day show in 2008 and Wacken Open Air in 2009. A
special limited edition of "Heavy Metal Thunder - The Movie" will contain a
feature-length documentary, at least two never-before-seen concert films and
plenty of revealing extra content.

"It looks good," singer Biff Byford told News & Star. "But it has been put back
because they have just got a load of new stuff from an interview with an old
manager which is quite good. I'm sure I will learn things about me that I did
not know...

"I'm looking forward to seeing it," he said. "I have a right to veto things, but
I don’t think I will. I have seen the ANVIL [documentary]; it is funny. I like
them, they're not in my top five bands of all time, but they try hard."

If you pre-buy a plush special limited edition of "Heavy Metal Thunder - The
Movie" containing a feature-length documentary, at least TWO never-seen-before
concert films and plenty of revealing extra content, you will get your name on
the credits and become an associate producer, allowing you to influence the
content of the film by sending your suggestions to the filmmakers. You will also
have the chance of winning one of five pairs of VIP passes to next year's Wacken
Open Air festival AND the chance to meet SAXON singer Biff Byford and the rest
of the band on their next tour.

"We're relying on our fans here and I know you’ll do us proud," said Byford.
"SAXON have a great story to tell and some bloody fantastic songs to celebrate.
I think you'll agree it needs to be done properly, so get your orders in now.
This will be one of the best rock docs you'll ever see."

The special limited edition of "Heavy Metal Thunder - The Movie" will cost £25
(GBP). It will be shipped out as soon as it's complete.


Officials said today that Morgan Harrington, the 20-year-old missing Virginia
Tech student last seen in Charlottesville following a Metallica concert Oct. 17,
was hitchhiking on the Copeley Road bridge in Charlottesville the night she
disappeared.

Investigators are confident based on independent witness statements that
Harrington was seeking a ride with a passerby, according to a Virginia State
Police news release.

“Anyone who might remember seeing a vehicle randomly stopped in the roadway on
Copeley Road bridge that night is also asked to contact investigators,” the
release said. “Investigators are also hoping to hear from anyone who might
have loaned their cell phone to a young woman fitting Miss Harrington’s
description to make a call that night.”

Harrington has blue eyes and blond hair. She was last seen wearing a black
miniskirt, a black T-shirt with the name of metal band Pantera across the front,
black tights, black knee-high boots and a crystal necklace.

State police have set up a tip line at (434) 352-3467 and an e-mail address at
bci-appomattox@....

WHSV.com reports: Virginia state police say Morgan Harrington may have been
hitchhiking when she was last seen on the Copeley Road bridge, after leaving a
METALLICA concert, but Morgan's mother says that would be extremely unusual
behavior for her daughter.

In a telephone interview, Gil Harrington said she had never known of her
daughter trying to catch a ride with a stranger.

Police say witnesses saw a woman fitting Harrington's description trying to get
a ride.

Morgan's parents, Dan and Gil Harrington, appeared on NBC's "Today Show"
Saturday morning to discuss the latest clues in the case and talk directly to
the person who they think has Morgan. Watc video of their appearance below.

Morgan disappeared on October 17 during a METALLICA concert at John Paul Jones
Arena. She was last seen by eyewitnesses hitchhiking on the Copeley Road Bridge
about 9:30 that night.

According to NBC29.com, Gil Harrington stated, "None of this makes sense. It
doesn't make sense that our daughter is missing — snatched from her life,
abducted or possibly murdered."
Courteney Stuart of The Hook reports: Amid a new police report that the woman
who disappeared during the October 17 METALLICA concert was seen hitchhiking
shortly before she vanished, various witnesses in and around John Paul Jones
Arena say a young, blond woman was causing concern before they ever heard that
the 20-year-old Morgan Harrington was missing.

Among the several witnesses who reported seeing Morgan injured both inside and
outside the Arena, one METALLICA fan inside says she seemed "upset" with blood
on her chin but declined his offer to help.

MEGADETH's 2009 U.S. leg of the "Endgame" world tour kicked off last night
(Saturday, November 14) at a sold-out Orbit Room in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Support on the trek is coming from MACHINE HEAD, SUICIDE SILENCE, ARCANIUM, and
WARBRINGER replacing MACHINE HEAD beginning December 5.

MEGADETH's setlist was as follows:

01. 1,320'
02. Wake Up Dead
03. Hangar 18
04. Skin O' My Teeth
05. Head Crusher
06. She-Wolf
07. In My Darkest Hour
08. Take No Prisoners
09. Rattlehead
10. Kick The Chair
11. Sweating Bullets
12. Tornado Of Souls
13. Ashes In Your Mouth
14. Devil's Island
15. Symphony Of Destruction
16. Peace Sells
----------------
17. Holy Wars

The tour will wrap in Las Vegas on December 13.

In other news, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has posted the following message
in the "Forums" section of the band's official web site:

"Since we have tried and tried to find out why our records are not being stocked
in so many places that our other labelmates are being stocked at, and ALL of our
peers are being sold in too, and since we keep getting excuses from either the
stores, the distributors, or the other people involved with getting the record
in stores and out to you, I have decided that depending on how tired I am each
night, I am willing to do their jobs too, and I will be waiting for you each
night after we play and we (me) will be autographing records for you at our
merchandise booth to support MEGADETH somehow at these shows.

"Please remember that I am going to be doing my best to do this for us all,
although I should NOT have to do this in order to sell my new record.

"Talk about feeling like a beginner band, and having no real understanding of
why you are being treated like you don't deserve to be treated better, but fuck
it and fuck them.

"I will see you [Saturday night in Grand Rapids]. I will be the one hocking
MEGADETH records after the show with the box 'o Sharpies!

"Thank you all for your support, God knows we wouldn't be here without you."

Despite MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover's recent denial that the band will embark
on another U.S. tour in February with SLAYER, TESTAMENT and HIGH ON FIRE, rumors
continue to swirl that a trek featuring those groups is in the process of being
booked.
Californian thrashers SLAYER have issued the following update:

"It is with immense disappointment that SLAYER must postpone its U.K. and
European tour  that had been set to kick off on November 18 in the U.K., and
take the band on 19 dates through Europe, ending on December 17 in Germany. The
tour will be rescheduled to kick off on March 7 in Manchester, England (complete
itinerary is below).

"Vocalist/bassist Tom Araya has been under the care of a specialist for a back
injury, and while he has already made substantial improvement, he is continuing
on with doctor-prescribed treatment."

"Right now," said SLAYER's manager, Rick Sales, "our main concern must be the
full and permanent recovery of Tom, so we have decided to clear the calendar and
give him the extra time he needs to concentrate solely on good health."

Last week, SLAYER announced the postponement of its East Coast "Canadian
Carnage" co-headline tour with MEGADETH ; those dates will be rescheduled in
February 2010.

The new European schedule is as follows:

Mar. 07 - Manchester, England - Academy
Mar. 08 - London, England - Forum
Mar. 09 - London, England - Forum
Mar. 11 - Paris, France - Bataclan
Mar. 13 - Bochum, Germany - Ruhrcongress
Mar. 15 - Tilburg, Holland - 013
Mar. 16 - Tilburg, Holland - 013
Mar. 17 - Brussels, Belgium - AB
Mar. 18 - Herford, Germany - X
Mar. 20 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
Mar. 21 - Hamburg, Germany - Docks
Mar. 22 - Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall
Mar. 24 - Dresden, Germany - Alter Schlachtof
Mar. 25 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer Early Show
Mar. 26 - Munich, Germany - Zenith (transferred from Tonhalle)
Mar. 28 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
Mar. 29 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
Mar. 30 - Zurich, Switzerland - Volkshaus Late Show
Mar. 31 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
Apr. 02 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
Apr. 03 - Glasgow, UK - Barrowland
Apr. 04 - Leeds, UK - Academy
Apr. 05 - Birmingham, UK - Academy

SLAYER's new album, "World Painted Blood", has registered the following
first-week chart positions so far:

Canada: #8
Australia: #9
Germany: #7
U.S.: #12
Finland: #12
Norway: #15
Netherlands: #15
New Zealand : #16
Denmark: #21
Ireland: #38
United Kingdom: #41

"World Painted Blood" sold 41,000 copies in the United States in its first week
of release.

SLAYER's last CD, "Christ Illusion", opened with more than 62,000 units to debut
at position No. 5 on The Billboard 200 chart. This was the highest position ever
on the chart for SLAYER, who previously reached No. 8 with their 1994 release
"Divine Intervention" after moving 93,000 copies of that album in its first
week.

SLAYER's 2001 album, "God Hates Us All", registered a first-week tally of 51,000
to land at No. 28, while 1998's "Diabolus In Musica" opened with 46,000 units,
debuting at No. 31.

"God Hates Us All" has sold 319,000 copies and its predecessor, "Diabolus In
Musica", has moved 306,000 copies so far. Several of the earlier SLAYER albums
have been certified gold for sales in excess of 500,000 copies in the United
States, including "Divine Intervention".


British extreme epic power metallers DRAGONFORCE have issued the following
update:

"It is with great regret that DRAGONFORCE have to announce the cancellation of
the two shows in Tokyo that were scheduled for the beginning of March 2010. The
reason for this is that at the end of the 2009 U.K. part of the 'Ultra Beatdown
World Tour', the band will start writing a new studio album scheduled for
release in 2011. They will need to focus totally on this, and unfortunately this
means all live shows for 2010 have been cancelled."

DRAGONFORCE's massive final leg of the "Ultra Beatdown" tour kicked off in
September in the USA with special guests SONATA ARCTICA. The band hit cities
across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, mainland Europe and finishing up
in the U.K. Joining DRAGONFORCE in the U.K. are Swedish power metallers SABATON,
tech-metal lords SYLOSIS and rising stars GLAMOUR OF THE KILL.

Two unconfirmed dates have surfaced for the forthcoming U.S. tour by veteran New
Jersey thrashers OVERKILL in support of their upcoming album , "Ironbound":

April 09 - Chicago, IL @ The Metro
April 18 - San Francisco, CA @ The Ballroom at the Regency Center

OVERKILL's U.S. tour in support of "Ironbound" will reportedly kick off April 1
in Philadelphia and end on May 1 with a big 25th-anniversary show in New York
City at the Nokia Theater. The band says, "We have lots of plans to make that a
special celebration show for everyone. "

OVERKILL has inked a U.S. deal with E1 Music (formerly KOCH Records) for the
February 9, 2010 release of "Ironbound". The CD, which will be issued in Europe
on January 29, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records, was mixed by PAIN/HYPOCRISY
mainman Peter Tägtgren and is described in a press release as "a true
thrasher-piece."

"Ironbound" track listing:

01. The Green And Black
02. Ironbound
03. Bring Me The Night
04. The Goal Is Your Soul
05. Give A Little
06. Endless War
07. The Head And Heart
08. In Vain
09. Killing For A Living
10. The SRC

* Limited digipak
* CD Jewelcase
* LP (180g vinyl) in gatefold
* LP (180g green vinyl) in gatefold (Nuclear Blast Mailorder exclusive)
* Strictly limited mailorder edition

On May 12, Megaforce Records reissued two classic OVERKILL albums on colored
vinyl.

* "Feel The Fire" on red/orange marbled vinyl
* "Fuck You And Then Some" (first time on vinyl!!) which is a double LP set —
one LP on regular black vinyl and the other on black/yellow marbled vinyl with a
big fat middle finger etched into side D.

Both albums are limited to 500 hand-numbered copies

Vocalist Hansi Kürsch of long-running German metallers BLIND GUARDIAN has
issued the following update:

"We finally have started the production of BLIND GUARDIAN studio album number
nine. Frederik [Ehmke; drums] is literally rushing through the songs already.
Who knows, this time we may deliver the finished master prior to the ultimate
deadline (set by an about-to-get-insane record company after thousands of broken
promises to finally deliver the new record within the next days). Well, Frederik
isn't Marcus [Siepen; guitar], who isn't André [Olbrich; guitar], who most
certainly is not Hansi. So there still lies trouble (i.e. delays) ahead.

"Back to Frederik, back to the production: We started sometime last week and
Frederik accomplished drums for some seriously tricky tracks. If I am correct,
he has two more tracks to go and should be finished during the next days.
Altogether there are 11 songs to work on.

"As mentioned last time, we do have a strong amount of heavy GUARDIAN hymns,
which come along with such a harsh intensity that I am sometimes surprised
myself. There is a fine balance of extremely fast songs and ultimate epic stuff.
'Wheel Of Time' would be one example for the last mentioned. The song contains
many surprises — I am deadly honest about that, so mark my words here.
Lyrically I am of course tempted to deal with Robert Jordan's great 'Wheel Of
Time' story, one of the best fantasy series ever.

"If you asked me with which song the number could be compared, I most probably
would say 'The Script For My Requiem' or 'And Then There Was Silence'. This tune
does really have the potential to mess with these two songs.

"As you most probably figure, I am really excited about the new stuff and I
cannot await to hear the final result somewhere in April 2010, when we will have
finished mixing. We are targeting a late summer, early fall release, which means
you still have to wait a little bit. To make the long waiting more comfortable
we are at least intending to constantly provide you with information about the
album's progress and supply you with small samples of noise from time to time.
Right at the moment, we are working on an accurate set up to make that possible.
Expect something before Christmas. As it looks now, I will start first vocals
next Monday. Therefore I need to do some more research for proper lyrics. G.R.R.
Martin, Robert Jordan, Michael Moorcock and so on, they all knew how to write a
good story or two..."

After a long selection process, including many photos taken throughout his
career on the road, former METAL CHURCH vocalist Ronny Munroe presents what
constitutes a limited edition of collectible signature Christmas cards. He has
chosen Metal Santa to be the first design of this series.

This limited issue of Christmas cards is already available for pre-order:

* 12 cards and envelopes ($18 plus shipping)
* 8 cards and envelopes ($12 plus shipping)

To place orders or for more information about the Ronny Munroe signature series
Christmas card, contact merrymetalchristmas@....

Reactivated Arizona thrashers SACRED REICH will perform at Circo Volador in
Mexico City on March 6, 2010.

SACRED REICH was originally supposed to play in Mexico (Monterrey and Mexico
City) in September but was forced to cancel the dates after the band's guitar
player , Wiley Arnett, came down with the flu.

As previously reported, the remastered edition of SACRED REICH's classic 1992
album "Independent" will be released as a digipack and jewelbox on March 15,
2010 via Displeased Records. The first 2,500 copies will contain a free SACRED
REICH patch.

Bonus tracks:

* "A Question" (from "A Question" EP)
* "Let's Have A War" (FEAR cover from "A Question" EP)
* "Who's To Blame" (from "A Question" EP)
* "The Big Picture" (MDC cover from "Open Book" EP)
* "Crawling" [radio edit] (from "Crawling" EP)

MACHINE HEAD drummer Dave McClain rejoined his former SACRED REICH bandmates on
stage at the Hellfest in Clisson, France on Saturday, June 22 to perform the
classic SR song "Independent". Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can
be viewed below (clip uploaded by Dave Ingham a.k.a. YouTube user "triptykon").

McClain was a member of SACRED REICH from 1991 to 1995. He played on the "A
Question" EP (1991) and the "Independent" (1993) and "Heal" (1996) albums before
leaving to join MACHINE HEAD.

Displeased Records' reissue of SACRED REICH's classic album "The American Way"
came out in February. With upgraded layout, to-the-point remastering plus
unreleased pre-production demo bonus tracks and a video clip, this new and
improved CD reissue is an essential addition to every thrash metal collection!

"The American Way" was made available in a limited digipak version and standard
jewel case version. The first 2,500 copies come with a free logo patch.

Metal Blade Records released a three-disc deluxe reissue of SACRED REICH's
"Ignorance" and "Surf Nicaragua" in June 2007. Two CDs are included in the
package (both remastered!) as well as a bonus DVD. The package, which was made
available in Europe only, includes liner notes by Rind and Malcolm Dome (Classic
Rock, Metal Hammer, Total Rock Radio) and an extensive booklet with loads of
previously unpublished photos.

BULLET, STEELWING, SLINGBLADE and TALES OF HORROR are the first confirmed bands
for Muskelrock, a two-day festival set to take place June 4-5, 2010 in Tyrolen
outside Växjö, Sweden.

Tickets for the event will go on sale on December 1.

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

Accoding to the web site of Pasco Sheriff's Office, which is said to be is the
eighth largest law enforcement  agency in the state of Florida in terms of
population served, BULLETBOYS frontman Marq Torien (born Mark Maytorena) was
arrested last night (Friday, November 13) at 11:38 p.m. EST and charged with
"non-support of children or spouse." The 48-year-old singer was booked and
released early this morning (Saturday, November 14).

BULLETBOYS performed last night at the Bourbon St. nightclub in New Port Richey,
Florida and is scheduled to play Saturday night at Freebird Live in Jacksonville
Beach, Florida.

BULLETBOYS recently announced the return of original member and bassist Lonnie
Vencent. Also rejoining the group is guitarist Tony Marcus.

Tony, most notable for his current role as a member in XYZ, also plays in ASHES
OF YOUR ENEMY. He previously played in ARCADE with Stephen Pearcy (RATT) and
VICIOUS DELITE with Pearcy and Mike Duda (W.A.S.P.).

Tony was the original replacement for BULLETBOYS' Mick Sweda when he departed in
the '90s.


Wednesday 13's GUNFIRE 76 have updated their tour schedules for the US and the
UK, found below. In addition, RazorStrike.com has posted footage of the band and
BULLETS AND OCTANE signing tour t-shirts on the road, also found below.
More video coming soon!


November (with Bullets And Octane)
13 - Marquee - Tulsa, Oklahoma
14 - FuBar - St. Louis, Missouri
15 - Wrong Daddy’s - Kirksville, Missouri
16 - Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, Minnesota
17 - The Garage - Kearney, Nebraska
18 - Cervantes Masterpiece - Denver, Colorado
20 - El Corazon - Seattle, Washington
21 - Satyricon - Portland, Oregon
22 - Voodoo Lounge - San Jose, California
24 - The Whisky - Hollywood, California
27 - Clubhouse - Tempe, Arizona
28 - The Galaxy - Santa Ana, California

December (with Bullets And Octane)
1 - Concorde 2 - Brighton, UK
2 - Waterfront - Norwich, UK
3 - Academy 2 - Bristol, UK
4 - Vice - Swansea, UK
5 - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham, UK
6 - Academy 2 - Birmingham, UK
7 - Cathouse - Glasgow, UK
8 - Academy 2 - Newcastle, UK
9 - Academy 3 - Manchester, UK
10 - Garage - London, UK
11 - Academy 2 - Oxford, UK
12 - Cockpit - Leeds, UK

January (with SEX SLAVES)
8 - Volume 11 - Raleigh, North Carolina
9 - Jaxx - Springfield, Virginia
11 - California Brew Haus - Rochester, New York
12 - Club Hell - Providence, Rhode Island
13 - Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, Massachusetts
14 - Chameleon Club - Lancaster, Pennsylvania
15 - Croc Rock - Allentown, Pennsylvania
16 - Peabody’s - Cleveland, Ohio
18 - Reggie’s Rock Club - Chicago, Illinois
19 - Blondie’s - Detroit, Michigan
20 - Diesel - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
21 - V Club - Huntington, West Virginia
22 - Casbah @ Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, North Carolina
26 - Back Booth - Orlando, Florida

WEDNESDAY 13 will embark on a three-date tour of Australia in February. The
details are as follows:

Feb. 11 - Sydney. Metro Theatre (all ages)
Feb. 12 - Brisbane. Club 299
Feb. 13 - Melbourne. The Hi-Fi Bar

Performance footage of the song "197666", taken from WEDNESDAY 13's "F**k It,
We'll Do It Live" DVD/CD, can be viewed below. The disc was recorded on July 18,
2008 at the Crocodile Rock in Allentown, Pennsylvania and was released in
October 2008. It was the first official live recording from the artist.

In a 2008 interview with SFWeekly.com, Wednesday 13 spoke about his current
touring band. "This is like my favorite lineup that I've ever had, and I've
definitely had members come and go for many different reasons over the years,
and not all have," he said. "It kind of sucks because every time you get a
different band member, it's way beyond crazy a lot of the guys that I've played
with are guys that are front men of their own bands and they want to break up
— which has been, I would say 90% of the cases with most of the guys I play
with who no longer play with me anymore — to do their own thing. Right now,
the longest-lasting member in our band who's still in the band now is Nate on
bass. We have Jason on guitar , and Johnny on drums. We're back to a four-piece
because I'm playing guitar again, 'cause my collarbone is healed from my
accident last year. I had to give it up there for awhile. I had a car accident
last September, flipped my car five
  times and broke my collarbone, so… we were always a four-piece and I always
played guitar, but I had four solid months where I had all these tours booked,
and I went on tour and it never healed up, so I had to have an extra member come
and play guitar and I just had to be the frontman for awhile."

Two of doom metal's most acclaimed acts will team up for a two-week U.S. tour
this winter as PENTAGRAM joins forces with THE GATES OF SLUMBER.

The 11 city tour will launch on January 15 in Springfield, VA.

The pairing of PENTAGRAM and THE GATES OF SLUMBER aligns two generations of doom
metal majesty and will undoubtedly be a tremendous treat for both long time
loyalists and wide-eyed newcomers alike.

Formed in 1971, PENTAGRAM has a long and storied history that continues to play
out almost 40 years later. Led by wildly charismatic vocalist Bobby Liebling,
the band has forged an indelible mark in the "heavy metal rock and roll "
pantheon and continues to influence scores of modern day acts. THE GATES OF
SLUMBER has emerged as one of modern day metal's most critically acclaimed bands
whose decidedly throwback sound both pays homage to and builds upon "heavy
metal" in its truest form. The band has been hailed as "a breath of fresh air
within the doom / true metal underground" and its latest studio album, "Hymns of
Blood & Thunder" (Rise Above) is in stores now.

Pre-sales for the tour go on sale today (Friday, November 13).

The initial routing for the trek is as follows:

Jan. 15 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
Jan. 16 - Philadelphia, PA - Polaris
Jan. 17 - New York, NY - B.B. King Blues Club
Jan. 18 - Richmond, VA - The Hat Factory
Jan. 21 - New Orleans, LA - The Howlin' Wolf
Jan. 23 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
Jan. 26 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
Jan. 27 - Madison, WI - High Noon
Jan. 28 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody's
Jan. 29 - Detroit, MI - Blondie's
Jan. 30 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle

Two of doom metal's most acclaimed acts will team up for a two-week U.S. tour
this winter as PENTAGRAM joins forces with THE GATES OF SLUMBER.

The 11 city tour will launch on January 15 in Springfield, VA.

The pairing of PENTAGRAM and THE GATES OF SLUMBER aligns two generations of doom
metal majesty and will undoubtedly be a tremendous treat for both long time
loyalists and wide-eyed newcomers alike.

Formed in 1971, PENTAGRAM has a long and storied history that continues to play
out almost 40 years later. Led by wildly charismatic vocalist Bobby Liebling,
the band has forged an indelible mark in the "heavy metal rock and roll "
pantheon and continues to influence scores of modern day acts. THE GATES OF
SLUMBER has emerged as one of modern day metal's most critically acclaimed bands
whose decidedly throwback sound both pays homage to and builds upon "heavy
metal" in its truest form. The band has been hailed as "a breath of fresh air
within the doom / true metal underground" and its latest studio album, "Hymns of
Blood & Thunder" (Rise Above) is in stores now.

Pre-sales for the tour go on sale today (Friday, November 13).

The initial routing for the trek is as follows:

Jan. 15 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
Jan. 16 - Philadelphia, PA - Polaris
Jan. 17 - New York, NY - B.B. King Blues Club
Jan. 18 - Richmond, VA - The Hat Factory
Jan. 21 - New Orleans, LA - The Howlin' Wolf
Jan. 23 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
Jan. 26 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
Jan. 27 - Madison, WI - High Noon
Jan. 28 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody's
Jan. 29 - Detroit, MI - Blondie's
Jan. 30 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle

U.K. doomsters ESOTERIC are currently looking for a replacement for guitarist
Kris Clayton, who departed from the band earlier this year and for keyboard
player Olivier Goyet, who recently moved back to his homeland France. Experience
and own equipment required.

The band has been in existence since July 1992 and is currently writing material
for its sixth album.

If you wish to apply to either job, contact ESOTERIC at
greg@....

ESOTERIC's latest album, "The Maniacal Vale", was released in 2008 via Season Of
Mist.

U.S.-based progressive metallers SYMPHONY X have inked a deal with Nuclear Blast
Records. The band is currently working on a new studio album for a spring
release.

Commented the label: "SYMPHONY X exemplifies the technical sophistication of
progressive metal while transcending the genre by writing amazing songs with
masterful musicality and great hooks! This New York-based supergroup
effortlessly creates a balancing act between solid, accessible arrangements and
song structures with highly technical, challenging instrumental work and
unbelievable melodic vocal harmonies. This embrace of polyphonic lead vocals,
combined with their classical-sometimes even QUEEN-like choruses create a
powerful, in-your-face mixture. With elements of thundering metal, rock, solos
with unstoppable guitar shredding and intense keyboards — this potent group
has grown with every release and is poised to compete with the commercial
success of top groups in all genres!"

SYMPHONY X guitarist Michael Romeo stated, "We are happy to be the part of the
Nuclear Blast family and look forward to working with them for many years to
come."

On November 4, 2008, InsideOut Music released a special 5.1 edition of SYMPHONY
X's critically acclaimed album "Paradise Lost". The double-disc package includes
a DVD 5.1 mix by Jens Bogren of the entire album as well as two enhanced HD
videos for "Set the World on Fire" and "Serpent's Kiss".

A gydget for the release can be found below.

German/Greek metallers MYSTIC PROPHECY have been added to a portion of the
European leg of STRATOVARIUS' Polaris world tour. Confirmed dates include:

January
7 - Zeche - Bochum, Germany (Ruhrpott)
8 - Hof ter Lo - Antwerp, Belgium
9 - Melkweg - Amsterdam, Netherlands
10 - Garage - London, UK
12 - Elysee - Paris, France
13 - Le Bikini - Toulouse, France
15 - La Riviera - Madrid, Spain
16 - Rockstar Live - Bilbao, Spain (Euskadi/Basquia)
17 - Razzmatazz 1 - Barcelona, Spain (Catalunya)
19 - Transbordeur - Lyon, France
20 - Z 7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
21 - Alcatraz - Milan, Italy

Germany's Pounding Metal festival is being held on Saturday, November 21st in
Adelsheim at the Live Factory. The running order is as follows:

Doors open: 12.00
DR. SPEED 12.30 - 13.00
TARCHON FIST 13.20 - 14.00
DEJA VU 14.20 - 15.00
ASH INHERITANCE 15.20 - 16.00
STORMRIDER 16.20 - 17.00
SAVIOR FROM ANGER 17.20 - 18.00
WITCHBURNER 18.20 - 19.20
SACRED STEEL 19.40 - 20.40
SKYCLAD 21.00 - 22.20
VICIOUS RUMORS 22.40 - 00.00

Swedish hard rockers THE POODLES have issued the following update:

"After two great weeks on the road, THE POODLES are sad to announce the
cancellation of the rest of the tour. Jakob [Samuel; vocals] has become very
sick and his illness is unfortunately preventing us from continuing. After
struggling through the last two shows on pure will and heavy medication, the
doctors have given him strict orders to rest and to not strain his voice.

"It has been extremely hard to come to this decision and the band sincerely
hopes to be able to come back to do the remaining shows at a later date.

"We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and we are already looking
into the possibility to come back in March."

Video footage of THE POODLES' October 31, 2009 concert in Munich, Germany can be
viewed below (courtesy of "eblinternational").

THE POODLES' third album, "Clash Of The Elements", was released in Europe on
August 28 via Blistering Records.

The CD entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 5.

The group, which last year parted ways with record label Lionheart International
after a three-year partnership, once again worked with producer Mats Valentin.

THE POODLES last year recruited guitarist Henrik Bergqvist (SOUTHFORK, TIAMAT)
to replace Pontus Norgren, who left the group to join HAMMERFALL. The new axeman
made his live debut with THE POODLES in June 2008 at the Sweden Rock Festival in
Sölvesborg, Sweden.

When I first heard that John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl, and Josh Homme were forming
a band last spring, I must say that I was jealous. Are you kidding me?! These
three mega-talented and unique figures playing hard rock in a unified and
focused group? I was excited, to say the least, from a player's perspective AND
as a fan. Then came the inevitable "supergroup" tags.

Lazy journalists like to put a tag on anything they can in an attempt to sum up
a whole genre or movement with a quick phrase that will make their job easier
and take a swipe at a band in the process. You know, "stoner rock," "grunge,"
"indie," "hair metal," etc. "Supergroup" conjures a negative image in my mind,
and we in Velvet Revolver had to deal with this label in our first year. Fans
never called us a supergroup, mind you, only journalists. I've heard this title
being bandied about in reference to Them Crooked Vultures, and I think it is a
cheap way out.

To label an act a supergroup somehow suggests--to me, anyway--that they were
formed to cash in on the members' superstar power. First, when you have been
playing in successful bands for a while, your friends and comrades in the field
are others like you. These are simply the people that you KNOW!

And NOBODY is cashing in these days. Acts are not selling enough records to turn
much profit--if any--and touring is a shrinking business. TCV is in this thing
for the right reason, and that is to fucking rock.

Judging from the single, "New Fang," Them Crooked Vultures has a lot to offer a
rock scene that is suffering from a lack of the real shit . . . the dirty shit!
Did I mention that John Paul Jones is in the band?

John Paul Jones

For those of you who may have lived under a rock for the past 40 years, or were
perhaps squirreled away in some hipster scene that disallowed such things as
earth-moving grooves, John Paul Jones was the groundbreaking bass player and
multi-instrumentalist in Led Zeppelin. JPJ has influenced EVERY great bass
player since then, and his bass playing and sense of pocket and melody may never
be matched again. To me he was the heart and soul of the band. Zeppelin lore has
it that Jones held that band together and helped to make it as musical as it
was, giving it a sense of depth and movement that has yet to be matched. Enough
said: John Paul Jones is a bad, bad man.

Josh Homme

Josh Homme is someone who has gained a ton of respect in the community of
musicians that I am acquainted with, not only for his songwriting and playing
skills but as a straight-shooter and a guy who has your back if you are a
friend. Josh has Seattle roots. He went to the UW while also playing in
Screaming Trees in the mid-'90s before forming the stellar Queens of the Stone
Age. Queens, for my money, has been the most influential band, as far as what
new bands want to be and sound like, of the last eight or so years. Do I even
need to add that he was a founding member of KYUSS? (FYI, everyone says they
were into KYUSS when they were happening, but if it were true, the band would
have been as big as U2.)

Dave Grohl

Ah, last but far from least, Dave Motherfucking Grohl. The drummer every other
drummer, guitar player, and singer I know wishes they were. A songwriter whose
verse and riffage flow with impossible ease and consistency. A man who is really
just the nicest guy in rock and roll, who still bounces with excitement when
some band or artist he likes is either passing through town or putting out a new
record.
For these three guys to come together and form a real band--well, hell, it must
be like some sort of fairy-dust shit just being at a band practice! Can you
imagine? Them Crooked Vultures have created something new and fresh with no
obvious nods to any of their past bands. A hard feat, for sure. Yes, you can
tell it's JPJ on bass, Josh singing and playing guitar, and Grohl killing the
drums. But the overall originality of the band's sound is startlingly
refreshing. I sound like a damn rock critic right now, a breed of writer I
absolutely detest. These guys are just straight-up cool and pretty fucking
righteous, if you ask me.

SOULFLY  entered Edge Of The Earth studios in Hollywood, California on Friday,
November 6 with producer Logan Mader (MACHINE HEAD, DIVINE HERESY, CAVALERA
CONSPIRACY, GOJIRA, DEVILDRIVER) to begin recording its new album, tentatively
titled "Omen", for an early 2010 release. Working songtitles set to appear on
the follow-up to last year's "Conquer" include:

* Bloodbath And Beyond
* Soulfly VII
* Off With Their Heads
* Omen
* Rise Of The Fallen
* Great Depression
* Apocalyptic Clash
* Vulture Culture
* Lethal Injection
* 7 Daggerz

According to People.com, SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor married
Stephanie Luby this past Friday (November 13) at Las Vegas's Palms Hotel, where
the wedding party walked down the aisle to METALLICA's "For Whom The Bell
Tolls". 350 wedding guests packed the hotel's Pearl Concert Theater, including
SUGAR RAY's Mark McGrath, as well as CAMP FREDDY's Dave Navarro and Billy
Morrison, who acted as the minister. The rockers then all took the stage, and
even the groom joined in on three songs.

This is Taylor's second marriage.

Taylor, 35, has two children: A daughter named Angie, born in 1992, and a son
named Griffin, born in 2002, whom he had with his first wife, Scarlett.

Taylor divorced Scarlett — whom he married on March 11, 2004 in a small
ceremony at the Botanical center in Des Moines, Iowa — in early 2007. In
the
November 2008 issue of Revolver magazine, he is quoted as saying, "After I got
sober, I realized my relationship wasn't right for me. My wife and I had damaged
each other too much."

Video footage of Corey and Stephanie Luby during a recent appearance on the
nationally syndicated "Loveline" radio show with hosts Stryker and Dr. Drew
Pinsky can be viewed below.


Finnish folk metallers FINNTROLL have completed work on their new album, "Mot
Skuggornas Värld", for an early 2010 release via Century Media Records.

Commented keyboardist Henri "Trollhorn" Sorvali: "After constructing a shitload
of more stuff, we went to Finnvox and had a nice session with certain M. Jussila
who did a splendid job, once again. And holy Jesus H. Christ, this sounds good!
I'd say it's 1488 times better-sounding album with better songs than ever. Then
again, it's only me. Seriously, it's good. Seriously. It's that good. Believe
me."

Music-Photocalypse.net attended a listening session for the upcoming FINNTROLL
album on September 1, 2009 at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Finland. Several
songs from the band's long-awaited new CD were played back to the media,
including "Solsagan", "Den Frusna Muhnen", "Dråp" and "Under Bergets Rot".

Check out a studio report, along with pictures of the event, at this location.

Sorvali previously stated about the follow-up to 2007's "Ur Jordens Djup". "I
personally think this will be our best album ever. Overall I can sense there's a
lot 'punk' on it, lots of weirdness, a load of *riffs* instead of chord
progressions, quite a bit of folkish parts and a lurking, evil atmosphere. In
the terms of 'heaviness,' it's probably the heaviest album we've done, at least
judging from the song material. I could pretty much safely say this sounds like
a meaner and more wicked version of 'Ur Jordens Djup' with an occasional hint of
the first album."

FINNTROLL vocalist Mathias Lillmåns (a.k.a. Vreth) was interviewed by Metal
Storm at the first show of the band's U.K. tour, which kicked off on September
25 in Nottingham. Watch the chat below.

A review of the concert (including pictures) can be found at this location.

FINNTROLL's fifth album, "Ur Jordens Djup", entered the German Media Control
chart at position No. 91. The CD, which was recorded by Nino Laurenne at Sonic
Pump studios in Helsinki, was the group's first release with Mathias Lillmåns
following the departure of Tapio Wilska (SETHIAN, ex-WIZZARD, former session
vocalist for NIGHTWISH) in January 2006.

U.K. gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST have issued the following statement:

"As some of you may be aware, we have had to use a stand-in guitarist (Milly
Evans) to replace Greg Mackintosh for a few dates due to a serious illness
within Greg's family. We did this with the sole purpose to prevent having to
cancel any shows and to avoid disappointing fans that had already bought tickets
and were looking forward to the concerts. So it is with great regret that we
have to unavoidably announce that some gigs must be postponed for now and
rescheduled as soon as possible. This is due to prior commitments Milly Evans
has with his own band. We are working round these to fly him back and forth
wherever possible to minimize any disruption to the tour, but we ask you to bear
with us in this difficult time."

Affected dates are as follows:

Dec. 03 - Romania
Dec. 04 - Bulgaria
Dec. 05 - Croatia
Dec. 10 - Switzerland
Dec. 11 - Germany
Dec. 12 - Switzerland

TRISTANIA has been confirmed for the KarmøyGeddon metal festival, set to take
place April 23-24 at Byscenen in Haugesund, Norway.

The festival billing is now shaping up as follows:

ARCH ENEMY
ATROPOS
EVIG NATT
GLITTERTIND
THE HAUNTED
TRISTANIA
TÝR
WOLF

More acts will be announced soon.

For more information, visit www.karmoygeddon.no.

Finnish metallers PAIN CONFESSOR have entered the studio to record some of their
newly written material. The sessions will be engineered and helmed by the
bandmembers themselves, with the mixing and mastering set to be overseen by
Janne Saksa of Studio Sound Supreme. The group states, "[Saturday night,
November 14] we will set up a little recording studio for tomorrow's first drum
session. From there on we shall proceed to guitar and bass parts, which will
probably rock our world immensely and finish the feat laying down some keyboards
and vocals. Goddamn, this will be fun!"

PAIN CONFESSOR last year uploaded two new demo tracks — "X9" and "Reality Of
Now" — to the band's MySpace page. The songs were recorded at the group's home
studio and were mixed by Saksa, who "really made this work by mixing the whole
thing and adding his own unique and special touch that we really have missed,"
according to the band.

PAIN CONFESSOR parted ways with Megamania Records and is currently seeking a new
label home.

The band's third album, "Purgatory of the Second Sun", entered the Finnish chart
at position No. 15 back in March 2007.

"Purgatory of the Second Sun" was recorded at Fantom studio and was previously
described by the band as "raw and furious."


Santa Barbara, California's DEVILDRIVER will hit the road in the U.S. for a
five-week headlining trek from January 7 until February 13. According to singer
Dez Fafara, "This tour will be what you've all been asking us to do! 'Put a
heavy metal package together!' The bands coming along for the ride are ALL
fucking heavy metal bands!"

Although the full lineup for DEVILDRIVER's headlining trek has not yet been
announced, THY WILL BE DONE revealed from the stage at this past week's concert
in Farmingdale, New York (with MACHINE HEAD) that they will be taking part in
the tour, alongside SUFFOCATION and GOATWHORE. It should be noted, however, that
this information has not yet been corroborated by an official source and should
be treated as a rumor only at this point.

According to a new online post by DEVILDRIVER bassist Jon Miller, the Santa
Barbara, California-based metallers have six songs "in the bag" for the group's
forthcoming album, which they "are looking to record sooner than later." He
added, "We want to go faster and heavier on this one to answer any question on a
'direction' that we may be undertaking."

DEVILDRIVER drummer John Boecklin elaborated further on the status of the
songwriting sessions for the band's next CD. Writing on the group's official
MySpace blog, Boecklin stated, "On our last record, I would say we stretched as
far as we could outside of what we had done in the past, trying new and slower
songs with vocal melody like 'It's In The Cards' or the rock like feel of songs
like 'Back With A Vengeance' and 'Teach Me To Whisper'. For our latest effort,
we feel like musically going for the throat, so to speak.

"Are we gonna make a death metal album? No! We always have a heavy emphasis on
groove and hook. That will not change. We just feel we have a certain anger edge
about us and the songs we are writing compared to our last one. It will not be
rushed and if you are a fan, you will not be let down!!"

DEVILDRIVER is currently on the road in Europe with BEHEMOTH, SCAR SYMMETRY and
ARSIS as part of the Neckbreakers Ball Tour.

The Florida death machine known as MONSTROSITY has been confirmed as the
headliner for the second annual Heavy Metal  Circus festival, scheduled to take
place on Sunday, November 29, 2009 at Circo Valador in Mexico City. Also
appearing on the bill are MALEVOLENT CREATION, BELPHEGOR, BLOOD RED THRONE,
SETHERIAL, RAGNAROK, and more.

MONSTROSITY founder/drummer Lee Harrison commented: "We have always had a strong
bond with the Mexico City crowds. The fans there have always shown great support
for us, whether it was our first show in Mexico City when George Corpsegrinder
was still with us and we opened for OVERKILL, the full Mexican tour we did in
2002, all the way through to the last time we played with MARDUK. The crowds
always make these shows insane and ultimately the most memorable."

MONSTROSITY is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Spiritual
Apocalypse", which was released in Europe on Metal Blade Records and in the U.S.
through Conquest Music Inc. The album has received great reviews and is widely
considered to be the group's strongest effort to date. Tracks like "Firestorm",
"Remnants Of Divination", and the title track, "Spiritual Apocalypse", prove
MONSTROSITY has truly risen to another level in a genre largely thought to have
reached its creative peak years ago.

Regarding the status of the songwriting sessions for MONSTROSITY's next album,
Harrison said, "We are just now starting to really concentrate on writing again.
We've got a bunch of new ideas so I feel the album will come together pretty
quickly."

MONSTROSITY is:

Mike Hrubovcak - Vocals
Lee Harrison - Drums
Mark English - Guitar
Mike Poggione - Bass
Sam Molina – Guitar

Peaceville Records will issue DARKTHRONE's "A Blaze In The Northern Sky" album
on 180g heavyweight  vinyl with gatefold sleeve in December.

"A Blaze In The Northern Sky", DARKTHRONE's second album, was originally issued
in 1992 and was without question the blueprint release for the black metal
scene.

An album that defined the now ubiquitous phrase "true norwegian black metal," it
was hailed on release as an album of true scene shifting greatness.

The album saw a whole new blacker-than-black DARKTHRONE, new names, new sound
and highly visual black and white artwork. Fenriz claimed, "This is the new
DARKTHRONE, the old DARKTHRONE is dead".

So great was the hunger and need for DARKTHRONE that it meant absolutely nothing
to critics and fans alike that the band hardly ventured out to play live. On the
contrary, this only added to the mystique of the band, and saw them, in the eyes
of the fans as very much "keeping it real."

This vinyl edition of the album is limited to 1,000 numbered copies and is
issued on 180g heavyweight vinyl in a gatefold sleeve which features new liner
notes written by Nocturno Culto especially for this release.

The album will ship on December 7.


Lorelei Willett of The Battalion Online reports: Gorefest, a metal concert  for
all ages, will have its fifth annual festival Saturday in downtown Bryan, Texas.
Gorefest will feature 16 bands and will raise funds for Scotty's House, a
nonprofit organization for abused children that lost more than $20,000 in
government funding. Gorefest will run from noon to midnight Saturday at the
Stafford, with tickets ranging in price from $5 - $15.

"This is the first year it has been for a charity," said Gorefest creator and
promoter Cody Hancock.

Scotty's House was voted off of the list of names offered to citizens who could
pick a charity to send their jury pay.

According to SI.com, THE WHO will take the stage during the NFL's championship
game - Super Bowl XLIV - on February 7 in Miami, FL. The show would mark their
first performance in North America since 2008.

Reached for comment, an NFL  spokesperson said, "When we have something to
announce, we'll announce it."

During a recent stop on his Use It Or Lose It solo tour, frontman Roger Daltrey 
told Billboard.com that he and bandmate/composer Pete Townshend were working on
new material for the Who's followup to 2006's Endless Wire.

"Hopefully if this tour has done it's job, I'll be in really good form as a
vocalist," said Daltrey. "And who knows, we might make our best work."

Townshend has also acknowledged working on two projects - a new musical called
Floss and the Who's next album, which he has said will include some pieces from
the Floss project.

For more than 35 years, AC/DC has represented the archetypal “big rock”
guitar sound, setting the standards for countless bands to follow. In
particular, Angus Young’s incendiary lead tone and mammoth rhythm crunch have
inspired wave after wave of rock guitar heroes, and he has done it all on a
Gibson SG Standard. The SG replaced the underappreciated Les Paul Standard in
1961, and while the Les Paul would surface later in the decade as a rock and
blues classic, the new SG (originally named Les Paul/SG) was an instant hit in
its own right. Its simple yet inspired ingredients of thin, all-mahogany body
and neck and two Gibson humbucking pickups gave it a snappy attack with a
muscular punch, and its slim, fast neck yielded unprecedented playability. Now
the Gibson Custom Shop offers its reproduction of one of the world’s most
renowned SGs in the form of the Angus Young SG, a Limited Edition that captures
the tone, look, and feel of this rare
  specimen among a classic breed, but which updates this legendary guitar with
custom modifications requested by Angus himself.

Angus Young acquired his 1968 SG Standard in 1970, and has used it on all major
AC/DC recordings and many tours since the band’s inception in 1973. Young’s
’68 SG is known to be a superb example of this model, with an unusually slim
neck, pickups that blend just the right proportions of power and sweetness, and
a resonant, vocal tone that represents the best of the SG formula. Listen
closely to any classic AC/DC tune, and the tone is huge, but not filthy or
fizzy. Angus’s ’68 SG achieves a stunning clarity and definition right
within its bone-crushing thump and grind. With utmost attention to detail, the
Angus Young SG seeks to achieve that tone, aided by a pair of custom-spec
Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates humbucking pickups. And with 50 guitars out of the
total run of 250 aged in-house by Gibson and signed by Angus himself, this
outstanding Custom Shop reproduction also nails the look of this legendary
guitar, with upgraded modifications at
  Angus’s request, including an ebony fingerboard with “lightning bolt”
inlays (a further 200 guitars will receive the VOS treatment). The Custom Shop
Angus Young SG will also be sold with a custom Certificate of Authenticity, a
Gibson Custom Shop hardshell case, and a full range of owner’s manuals and
instruction sheets.

Classic rock doesn’t get much bigger than AC/DC, and no one wallops out the
massive, bone-crunching tone like Angus Young on his Gibson SG. Young’s
incendiary tone has inspired wave after wave of rock guitar heroes, and turned
on countless players to the power of his seminal guitar of choice, the SG. Now
the Gibson USA Angus Young SG, brings all the tone and playability of this
classic double-cutaway made to Young’s own specs within reach of the
hard-working rock guitarist, giving you all the punch, crunch, and sizzle that
Angus achieves with his own treasured instrument.

Way back in 1961 the Gibson SG replaced the underappreciated Les Paul Standard,
and while the Les Paul would surface later in the decade as a rock and blues
classic, the new SG (originally named Les Paul/SG) was an instant hit in its own
right. Its simple yet inspired ingredients of thin, all-mahogany body and neck
and two Gibson humbucking pickups gave it a snappy attack with a muscular punch,
and its slim, fast neck yielded unprecedented playability. The Gibson USA Angus
Young SG not only captures the look, feel and sound of a classic SG, it also
embodies some of the rare specs and qualities of Angus’s own ’68 model,
known to be a stand-out example among a classic breed. It’s light,
all-mahogany body yields superb resonance, while its extra slim, narrow neck
provides unparalleled playability—and, topped with an upgraded ebony
fingerboard with lightning-bolt inlays, it also provides a look that will help
any rocker stand out from the crowd.
  Loaded with Gibson’s popular 57 Classic humbucking pickup in the neck and an
Angus Young humbucker in the bridge for added punch and sizzle, it also packs
all the firepower a gigging guitarist needs to cut it on the big stage. Each
guitar comes with a snug-fitting Gibson USA hardshell case.

"Halford III - Winter Songs", the new album from JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob
Halford's HALFORD band, sold 1,400 copies in the United States in its first week
of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at position No. 26 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.

HALFORD's first holiday CD, "Halford III - Winter Songs" is being released via
Rob's new label Metal God Records, distributed globally by ADA Global/Warner
Music Group, Fontana/Universal Music Group, Conveyor/Universal Music Canada and
Sony Music Japan.

"Halford III - Winter Songs" is Rob's first solo release in more than seven
years, and includes a collection of new Halford-penned tracks plus traditional
holiday favorites presented with original arrangements by HALFORD (Rob Halford
on vocals, Roy Z. on guitar, Metal Mike Chlasciak on guitar, Mike Davis on bass
and Bobby Jarzombek on drums).

Written, arranged and recorded during 2008 and 2009, "Halford III - Winter
Songs" celebrates one of the most exciting holiday periods of the year.

"Halford III - Winter Songs" debuts new HALFORD tracks "Get Into The Spirit",
"When Christmas Comes For Everyone", "Light Of The World", "What Child Is This",
"Oh Holy Night", "Come All Ye Faithful" and more.

"Get Into The Spirit", the new video from HALFORD, can be viewed at
www.MetalGodShop.com.

HALFORD's last studio album, "Crucible", came out in 2002. "Metal God
Essentials, Vol. 1", a 2007 collection containing 15 songs spanning Rob
Halford's solo career, featured two new songs, "Forgotten Generation" and "Drop
Out".

ThisIsPlymouth.co.uk reports that MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister and
drummer Mikkey Dee met up with six lucky members of Saltash's Livewire  youth
music project before their gig at the Plymouth Pavilions on Tuesday, November
10.

It was one of many meet-and-greets that Livewire organizes with bands in the
South West.

Lemmy, one of the most well-known rock figures in the U.K., signed autographs
and spoke to the young musicians about life on the road.

Bass player George Trevor-Harris, 17, from Torpoint, said: "It was cool to meet
someone who talks to you like you are a famous bassist.

"It was really flattering and decent of him and Mikkey to take the time to meet
us."

AEROSMITH singer Steven Tyler joined THE JOE PERRY PROJECT (the band led by
AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry) on stage earlier tonight (Tuesday, November 10)
at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza in New York City to perform the
AEROSMITH classic "Walk This Way". According to a BLABBERMOUTH.NET source a the
concert, Tyler assured the crowd that — despite rumors to the contrary — he
is "not leaving AEROSMITH," before launching into the track, which was
originally released as the second single from the band's 1975 album "Toys in the
Attic".

OK! magazine reports that Tyler also appeared at last night's (Monday, November
9) 2009 Glamour Women of the Year Awards at Carnegie Hall in New York and was
asked about whether he is leaving AEROSMITH. "Does it look like I'm leaving
AEROSMITH?" he reportedly replied. "You know what it is — it's those people
who are putting out Joe's album. Joe's doing a solo album. So people are paying
attention to that."

Perry told the Las Vegas Sun on Friday (November 6) that Tyler has quit the band
he co-founded nearly 40 years ago, following a recent concert in Abu Dhabi.
Perry revealed to the newspaper, "Steven quit as far as I can tell. I don't know
any more than you do about it. I got off the plane two nights ago. I saw online
that Steven said that he was going to leave the band. I don't know for how long,
indefinitely or whatever. Other than that, I don't know."

Tyler told Classic Rock magazine following the Middle East concert that he
intended to work on "Brand Tyler" instead of a new AEROSMITH record for the
foreseeable future, saying, "I don't know what I'm doing yet, but it's
definitely going to be something Steven Tyler: working on the brand of myself
— Brand Tyler."

Perry told the Sun that Tyler "has had no contact" with him or the other band
members. Classic Rock reported that Tyler's dressing room at the Abu Dhabi gig
was distant from the others, and that he did not interact with the rest of the
group until they got onstage.

Perry said that he would like AEROSMITH to continue, but admitted that he's not
entirely sure how to proceed. He explained, "As far as replacing Steve, it's not
just about that, it's also four guys that play extremely well together, and I'm
not going to see that go to waste. I really don't know what path it's going to
take at this point, but we'll probably find somebody else that will sing in
those spots where we need a singer and then we'll be able to . . . move the vibe
up a notch."

Things have been tense in the AEROSMITH camp since early August, when a fall
from a stage in South Dakota broke Tyler's shoulder and ended the band's summer
tour. In the months since, internal strife has come to the surface, forcing
AEROSMITH to consider two options: going on hiatus or getting a new vocalist.

Perry told the Sun that he believed Tyler had been planning to leave for a
while, saying, "Obviously he hasn't been giving 100 percent to this thing for a
long time . . . To disregard his brothers to the point where we have to find out
about it on the Internet — it's like, 'See you later, Bud.' I still care for
him as a person, or at least the person I used to know. But things change."

AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry tells Billboard.com singer Steven Tyler's surprise
guest appearance at his JOE PERRY PROJECT concert Tuesday night (Nov. 10) in New
York "really didn't change anything in my mind" about the status of their band.

Perry tells Billboard.com that Tyler "never said he was leaving the band" but
further explains that the singer "said he wanted two years off to do his other
projects," which is where things become problematic.

"AEROSMITH wants to work," says Perry, who Tweeted earlier in the week that the
band was "positively looking for a new singer to work with." He adds, "the
band's been playing together for 40 years. It's a really powerful rock band, and
I don't want to see it just go to waste and I don't think any of the other guys
do, either. We're gonna work and we're gonna do something — I'm not exactly
sure what yet, but the band's too good to let it sit around. We're not going to
wait for Steven."

AEROSMITH  guitarist Joe Perry tells RollingStone.com that Steven Tyler's
appearance at last night's (Tuesday, November 10) THE JOE PERRY PROJECT concert
in New York City came as a surprise even to him. "There was all this commotion
during our encore break and somebody said, 'Steven is here.' " Perry says. "And
I was like, 'What?' After exchanging pleasantries, Tyler asked to join the group
on stage for the final encore of "Walk This Way". "Being an acquaintance of 40
years, I said, 'Why not?'" Perry says. "So he came up and sang and that was the
last I saw of him."

Despite Tyler's onstage insistence that he isn't leaving the band (see video
below), Perry says AEROSMITH is still considering touring and recording with a
new singer. "He wants to take two years off from the band," Perry tells
RollingStone.com. "The rest of the band wants to keep on working. We have so
many different options to fill up that time. Anything is possible at this point.
Basically, any communication that we've had over the last couple of months has
been through managers, so that's been pretty strange."

Perry adds, "I never won any money trying to second-guess what goes on in
Steven's mind. I guess this is just AEROSMITH business as usual."

Video footage of AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry and vocalist Steven Tyler 
confirming to a TMZ.com cameraman last night (Tuesday, November 10) in New York
City that "there is absolutely no validity to rumor that AEROSMITH is breaking
up" can be viewed below.

Tyler joined THE JOE PERRY PROJECT — the band led by Perry — on stage
yesterday at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza in New York City to perform
the AEROSMITH classic "Walk This Way". "I just want New York to know, I am not
leaving AEROSMITH," Tyler said to a relieved crowd. "Joe Perry, you are a man of
many colors. But I, motherfucker, am the rainbow!"

Perry told the Las Vegas Sun on Friday (November 6) that Tyler has quit the band
he co-founded nearly 40 years ago, following a recent concert in Abu Dhabi.
Perry revealed to the newspaper, "Steven quit as far as I can tell. I don't know
any more than you do about it. I got off the plane two nights ago. I saw online
that Steven said that he was going to leave the band. I don't know for how long,
indefinitely or whatever. Other than that, I don't know."

Tyler told Classic Rock magazine following the Middle East concert that he
intended to work on "Brand Tyler" instead of a new AEROSMITH record for the
foreseeable future, saying, "I don't know what I'm doing yet, but it's
definitely going to be something Steven Tyler: working on the brand of myself
— Brand Tyler."

Perry told the Sun that Tyler "has had no contact" with him or the other band
members. Classic Rock reported that Tyler's dressing room at the Abu Dhabi gig
was distant from the others, and that he did not interact with the rest of the
group until they got onstage.

Perry said that he would like AEROSMITH to continue, but admitted that he's not
entirely sure how to proceed. He explained, "As far as replacing Steve, it's not
just about that, it's also four guys that play extremely well together, and I'm
not going to see that go to waste. I really don't know what path it's going to
take at this point, but we'll probably find somebody else that will sing in
those spots where we need a singer and then we'll be able to . . . move the vibe
up a notch."

Perry told the Sun that he believed Tyler had been planning to leave for a
while, saying, "Obviously he hasn't been giving 100 percent to this thing for a
long time . . . To disregard his brothers to the point where we have to find out
about it on the Internet — it's like, 'See you later, Bud.' I still care for
him as a person, or at least the person I used to know. But things change."

NWOBHM legends BLITZKRIEG are taking a break for the remainder of 2009 and are
currently planning for next year, as 2010 will be the band's 30th anniversary.

Stay tuned for further updates from the band.


Dave Good of the San Diego Reader recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH 
mainman Dave Mustaine. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

On "the new Dave":

Mustaine: "What got me off before — being mean-spirited and stuff like that
— it doesn't really make me feel good anymore. So I'm a little more
conscientious about stuff that I say, if it's gonna really do damage to somebody
or if it's gonna be…

"Laughing with somebody is totally different than laughing at somebody, which is
totally different from humiliating somebody. I can laugh at people, I can laugh
with them, but I don't like humiliating people anymore. It's just not fun."

What are you listening to now?

Mustaine: "You'd be really surprised what I listen to. I listen to K-WAVE
[Christian music and talk] in my car. I listen to 95.7, the country channel; I
listen to the jazz station here. That's basically what I listen to: jazz, the
country channel, the faith channel. I like listening to NPR radio, too, because
my life is based around the current events that are happening in our world. I'm
a political singer — probably considered an activist, which I don't think I am
— and I don't think I'm a political singer, but that's what I've been called."

Best concert?

Mustaine: "It was at the LED ZEPPELIN  reunion at O2 [London, 2007]. I flew
over, went and saw the concert, got food poisoning, and spent the entire night
during the concert running up and down the steps. I was down…maybe 15 rows
back from the stage so it was where all the friends and family were sitting. And
I had to keep walking up and down the stairs and blehh! I got my Stairmaster
workout in."

Something about you that no one would ever guess?

Mustaine: "That I'm nice."

As the number-one-rated guitarist in Joel McIver's "100 Greatest Metal
Guitarists", do you have any advice for beginners?

Mustaine: "Well, I'm number one for now, and although I'm honored, I gotta
remember that gift came from God, and it's not my doing. I thought it was my
doing, and when I had that nerve damage happen to my arm [in 2002], I was dead
in the water. Couldn't play anymore. I didn't realize how much I identified my
life with the guitar.

"Now, because I've had a chance to put things in perspective, I feel that I've
had a pretty good wrestling bout with humility, and that's why, when it comes
down to charts, I can honestly say ‘for now.' There's so many people out there
that are better than me. My advice would be simple: get a Dean, buy the amps
that I use, play the strings and the picks that I use. And if you want me to
help you, we're opening up an academy at my studio here for young kids, and
we're going to give an opportunity in every class for an underprivileged kid to
come in here. All I wanna see when we give some of these gift tuitions through
the academy here is some good grades. I just want to see some kids who are gonna
make San Diego a better place to live."

THE REAL MCCOY BAND, the solo group of HANOI ROCKS guitarist/co-founder Andy
McCoy, has cancelled the remaining dates on its Finnish tour after guitarist
Chris Shiflett's (also of FOO FIGHTERS) "child contracted the swine influenza
(H1N/09 virus) and Chris needs to fly back to U.S. immediately," according to a
posting on McCoy's web site.

Affected tour dates:

Nov. 11 - Seinäjoki, Finland - Rytmikorjaamo
Nov. 12 - Kaustinen, Finland - Kaustinen Sali
Nov. 13 - Tornio, Finland - Umpitunneli
Nov. 14 - Rovaniemi, Finland - Tivoli
Nov. 15 - Kokkola, Finland - Seurahuone
Nov. 17 - Kuopio, Finland - Puijonsarvi
Nov. 18 - Imatra, Finland - Osmos Cosmos
Nov. 19 - Kouvola, Finland - Marilyn
Nov. 20 - Turku, Finland - Apollo
Nov. 21 - Eura, Finland - Osmantupa

THE REAL MCCOY BAND's lineup:

Andy McCoy (Finland) - Lead And Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Chris Shiflett (USA) - Lead And Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Dan Lagersted (Sweden) - Bass, Vocals
Angela McCoy (USA) - Female Vocals, Percussions, Keyboards
Jolle Atlagic (Sweden) - Drums

As previously reported, wooden statue of Andy McCoy was unveiled on July 25 in
his birthplace of Pelkosenniemi, a municipality of Finland.

Commented McCoy: "First real statue is a great honor. Normally statues are being
built only after the artist has died."

The wooden statue was sculpted by Andy's uncle, Matti Hulkko. As a child, Andy
used to go fishing together with Matti to the waters near Pelkosenniemi.

McCoy's decadent autobiography, "Sheriff McCoy: Legend of Hanoi Rocks", is now
available in English for the first time in a deluxe hardcover edition through
North American publisher Bazillion Points.

A national icon in his native Finland, McCoy has been called the Finnish Keith
Richards — except Richards only fell out of a coconut tree; Andy McCoy fell
from a fourth-story balcony and lived to tell the tale. His over-the-top image
and streetwise bending of punk, glam, and old-fashioned rock 'n' roll inspired a
generation of platinum-selling bands — rock authors Slash of GUNS N' ROSES and
Nikki Sixx of MÖTLEY CRÜE have already admitted their musical and stylistic
debts. Now the real McCoy speaks from the heart on subjects including rock
stardom, true love, his arsenal of vintage guitars, and surviving every
imaginable variety of intoxication.

BW&BK has received the following press release:

GENTLE GIANT guitarist Gary Green has been confirmed as the guest for Long Live
Rock on Sunday, November 15th at 8:00pm EST / 7:00pm Central. Green will join
hosts Sterling Whitaker (www.wewillrockyoublog.com) and Jeb Wright
(www.classicrockrevisited.com) to talk about Gentle Giant's recent digital
remasters and take some listener calls. The show streams live on Blog Talk Radio
and will also be available afterward for streaming and download. Fans can call
in to the show and speak to Gary Green live.

Gentle Giant is regarded by many as one of the world's most underrated rock
bands . From 1970 to 1980 Gentle Giant released a string of musically
adventurous albums that challenged the preconceptions of the rock genre while
earning the band a rabidly loyal following. Though the band never achieved the
same degree of commercial success as its progressive rock contemporaries like
ELP, YES, GENESIS or JETHRO TULL, Gentle Giant retains a fanatical cult-like
audience almost forty years after the release of its first album. On November
3rd Gentle Giant released In A Glass House, The Power and the Glory, Free Hand,
Interview, Playing The Fool, The Missing Piece, and Giant For A Day through all
digital channels. The albums are re-mastered and each one features several
tracks from either live concerts or live radio sessions.

Gary Green played on all of Gentle Giant's albums and tours. In recent years he
has recorded with Billy Sherwood on a number of projects, and in 2009 Green
formed a new band called Three Friends with other former Gentle Giant members,
performing the music of Gentle Giant. He will be discussing the digital
releases, his career with Gentle Giant and Three Friends, and taking listener
calls. The show will stream live at this locationand fans can call (347)
637-3446 with questions for Gary Green.

As previously reported, Long Live Rock is a live call-in show featuring
interviews with some of the greatest rock musicians in the world. The show is a
joint venture between two hosts who are already familiar to classic rock  fans.
Sterling Whitaker is a music journalist and the author of two books; Unsung
Heroes of Rock Guitar in 2003, and 2007's The Grand Delusion: The Unauthorized
True Story of Styx, which was an Amazon bestseller and garnered rave reviews in
Classic Rock Magazine, Goldmine, Record Collector and many online media outlets.
Whitaker has appeared as a guest on VH1, BBC Radio, and radio all over North
America, and also hosts the popular podcast We Will Rock You).

Jeb Wright is one of the best-known and most respected interviewers in the
genre. As the founder and editor of Classic Rock Revisited, over the last ten
years Wright has interviewed a Who's Who of rock and metal artists. He conducts
the Jumbotron interviews for the Moondance Jam every year, and in 2009 Wright
celebrated the first decade of Classic Rock Revisited by releasing his first
book, From The Vaults Series I: Stadium Rock.

Contact:
Sterling Whitaker
sterlingwit@...
(615) 375-8146

Jeb Wright
jwright52@...
(620) 442-7959

London-based doom metallers ORANGE GOBLIN have issued the following update:

"Please note that the SAINT VITUS and Orange Goblin show that was scheduled to
take place at The Scala, London on Wednesday , February 10th, has now been
changed. The show will now take place at The Islington Academy, London on
Wednesday, February 3rd.

Saint Vitus will headline on what will be their first and ONLY show in the UK
for 20 years. Orange Goblin will appear as special guests for this show only.
Opening at Islington Academy will be CENTURIONS GHOST , who are supporting Saint
Vitus on the rest of the tour."

A previous update from Orange Goblin states: "You can now watch Orange Goblin
promotional videos as well as old and recent live footage on the official Orange
Goblin YouTube  channel. The band will also be adding trailers and clips from
their favourite movies, bands and anything else that we think you might find
interesting!"

A dozen or so Finnish metal musicians will take part in the sixth annual
"Dimebag Beyond Forever Tour", set to kick off in early December. The seven-date
trek will honor the legendary PANTERA /DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell
Abbott, who was shot and killed on stage on December 8, 2004. The musicians will
perform for free and the concert proceeds will be donated to the Finnish
organization Victim Support Finland, which offers practical advice and
psychological support to victims of crimes or attempted crimes and those closest
to them and witnesses of crime.

The musicians taking part in this year's "Dimebag Beyond Forever Tour" are as
follows:

* Nico Hartonen (GODSPLAGUE, LYNCHPIT) - Vocals
* Jules Näveri (PROFANE OMEN, ENEMY OF THE SUN) - Vocals
* Micko Hell (MILLION DOLLAR BEGGARS, MICKO HELL AND THE MOTHERFUCKERS) - Vocals
* Mikko Herranen (RUST) - Vocals
* Tommy (MYGRAIN) - Vocals
* Euge Valovirta (GODSPLAGUE, SUBURBAN TRIBE, ROCK'N'ROLL SENSATION) - Guitar
* Herra Rapu - Guitar
* Sami Helle (DAUNTLESS) - Guitar
* Ville Sorvali (MOONSORROW) - Bass
* Neissu (Ex-DEAD SHAPE FIGURE) - Bass
* Arska Hietala - Bass
* Rainer Tuomikanto - Drums
* Tonmi Lillman (TO/DIE/FOR, AJATTARA, VANGUARD) - Drums

The dates are as follows:

Dec. 02 - Lutakko, Jyväskylä - FIN
Dec. 03 - Vaakuna, Mikkeli - FIN
Dec. 04 - Henry's Pub, Kuopio - FIN
Dec. 05 - Puuvillatehtaan Kehräämö, Pori - FIN
Dec. 10 - Klubi, Turku - FIN
Dec. 11 - YO-Talo, Tampere - FIN
Dec. 12 - Nosturi, Helsinki - FIN

Multi-camera video footage of the "Heresy" performance from last year's "Dimebag
Beyond Forever Tour" concert at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland can be viewed
below.

The lineup for the song was as follows:

Nico Hartonen (GODSPLAGUE): vocals
Juhani Flinck (DEAD SHAPE FIGURE): Guitar
Sami Helle (DAUNTLESS): Guitar
Ville Sorvali (MOONSORROW): Bass
Atte Sarkima (GODSPLAGUE): Drums

* Cameras: Timo Halo, Timo Honkanen, Oke Inoranta, Melu, Toni Salminen
* Editing: Toni Salminen
* Mixing: Mikko Herranen

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

New Zealand-based hard rock/heavy metal group SONIC ALTAR will record its debut
album with U.K. producer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH , CRADLE OF FILTH, IAN
GILLAN) starting in late November.

Commented guitarist Tom Duffy: "[We are] completely over the moon to be working
with someone of that caliber. We were all fans of Mike's last album ('The Devil
You Know') which he produced with the Dio lineup of BLACK SABBATH who now go
under the name HEAVEN & HELL. It sounded massive!"

Exeter believes wholeheartedly in the band and will be making his way to New
Zealand  to work with the group."That's why I'm coming all that way!" he said.
"There's nothing better than working with talented creative artists and I think
there's just 'something' about SONIC ALTAR. I'm confident we are starting on a
really great project that is just the beginning for these guys. I think we're
all excited about unleashing this!"

SONIC ALTAR has had some success so far, such as coming third in the "World
Battle of the Bands" in 2006 and playing the Rock2Wgtn festival in 2008
alongside bands such as ALICE COOPER, OZZY OSBOURNE and KISS.

"We have a feeling this album is going to be something extremely special," says
vocalist/frontman Kane Bennett. "We've been working for over a year on the songs
that are going on the record, making sure they are all the best they can be.
There will be something for every type of rock fan on there. We don't want to be
tied down to any particular metal or rock genre. If we want to put a ballad on,
then we will. Or a power ballad, should I say. And if we want a big epic
eight-minute apocalyptic sounding rock out tune on there, then so be it."

The band hopes to see the album in stores sometime in early 2010 but "don't want
to rush it out independently," says Bennett. "After all this hard work and the
hard work that's still to come, we won't be rushing it out just to have five
copies scattered through a few music stores in our local mall. We'll be hunting
down a record label who appreciates our vision and believes in the record like
we do. At least... That's the plan."

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

U.K-based metallers POWER QUEST will support MSG (MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP) on the
following dates:

Dec. 16 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Academy 3
Dec. 17 - Sheffield, UK - O2 Academy Sheffield
Dec. 18 - Dudley, UK - JB's
Dec. 20 - Bristol, UK - O2 Academy Bristol

POWER QUEST recently announced its new lineup. It is as follows:

Pete Morten - Vocals
Andy Midgley - Gutar
Ben Randall - Guitar
Paul Finnie - Bass
Steve Williams - Keyboards
Rich Smith - Drums

POWER QUEST's latest album, "Master of Illusion", was released last year via
Napalm Records/Avalon Marquee (Japan). Guest musicians on the CD include
keyboardist Richard West from the U.K. progressive metal band THRESHOLD, Jorn
Viggo Lofstad from the Norwegian power metal act PAGAN'S MIND and FOURWAYKILL
singer Chris Neighbour.

Away-Team.com recently conducted an interview with GODSMACK  drummer Shannon
Larkin. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Away-Team.com: Let's talk about the new album.

Shannon: Man, it's going great! We're shooting to finish it on December 15th,
and then looking to release it sometime in March of next year. It's going to be
a monster. The drums sound incredible, Sully's [Erna] voice is on fire…it's
gonna be much more like the first record; much heavier, with simple, catchy
guitar-driven riffs. We're working with Dave Fortman who I was lucky enough to
play with in UGLY KID JOE and who has done production for SLIPKNOT and MUDVAYNE,
to name a few. He and Sully are co-producing the record and they make a great
team.

One of the cool things about this album is that we're recording it one track at
a time. What I mean by that is, instead of me just laying down the drum tracks
and then the band coming back in and laying down all the guitar, vocals, bass
and stuff…we actually do one tune and then complete it before we move on to
recording the next one. It's so cool because we get to hear what everything is
going to sound like almost immediately and I'm not just laying down my drum
tracks and then sitting around for the rest of the time waiting for it all to be
done before I get to hear anything finished. It makes it way more exciting to
record like this.

Away-Team.com: Any track titles that you're working with that you can let us in
on?

Shannon: I don't think it would be too cool to reveal any of that right now
since some of them could easily change by the time the record comes out, but I
can tell you that it will probably be eleven tracks that get released. We're
working with fifteen right now and I think that we'll finish narrowing it down
to eleven that will actually make the album. It's pretty cool this time around
because we have an instrumental that's about seven minutes long!

Read more from Away-Team.com.



The next GODSMACK album will be the band's first collection of all-new material
since 2006's "IV".

After GODSMACK released "Good Times, Bad Times - Ten Years of Godsmack", the
band announced that it was going on hiatus. Singer Sully Erna worked on his solo
album during this period, while the other three members of the group started a
side project called ANOTHER ANIMAL.




Cerebral Metalhead conducted an interview with NEVERMORE frontman Warrel Dane at
the end of August 2009. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

Cerebral Metalhead: What does it feel like to be back in the studio with
NEVERMORE for the first time in — what must be almost five years now?

Warrel: This feels like the family's back together. We've been together a long
time, and people are gonna be pleased with what they hear. I don't want to
overstate anything, really, but obviously, I'm in a very good mood, because I'm
very excited about these songs. We're in a beautiful place, and we're creating
something that I think is going to surprise people. Maybe not shock people. But
definitely, if somebody's disappointed with it, I'll be shocked.

Cerebral Metalhead: So then I'm hearing there must be some kind of change of
direction.

Warrel: No no no, not really.

Cerebral Metalhead: So what kind of surprises are you talking about?

Warrel: I think there's no change in direction, but it's more of a progression
of where we have been going over the years. It's finally come to a place
where…it's just brutal dude. I mean last night I was listening back with Peter
(Wichers, producer) to some of the tracks Jeff (Loomis, NEVERMORE guitarist) was
doing, and I'm like, "Oh my god. This riff is so fucking brutal!" and he's like
"What are you gonna sing over this?" and I said "…something really melodic?"
And I'm like "NOBODY DOES THAT!!!"

Cerebral Metalhead: You know it's funny, I was reading some of the interviews
with Jeff, just the little blurbs on Blabbermouth, where Jeff says it's a more
wide-open album musically, and that will let you be more vocally free. Can you
talk more about that? What does he mean by that?

Warrel: You know what the funny part about that is? After I read that, or after
I heard that he said that, I had a talk with him. I'm like, "Dude, this is some
of the most vicious, complicated, brutal stuff you've ever written." "Oh, but
the choruses are big!"

Cerebral Metalhead: So there's a little bit of that brutal-verse, big-chorus
switching dynamic.

Warrel: That's where that came from. I think.

Cerebral Metalhead: Since the last album, there've been a lot of setbacks with
various illnesses, band members dropping out…but obviously you've rebounded,
you guys are back together, both you and Jeff put out solo albums last year. Did
any of that turmoil feed into what you're writing for this album?

Warrel: I don't feel that was really turmoil for us. I think that (recording a
solo record) was something that we both had to do to get something out of our
system. Jeff has always wanted to do an instrumental record, and I have always
encouraged him to do that, because I knew when he did one that it was going to
be amazing. I'm so proud of what he did with "Zero Order Phase". And at the same
time, I always wanted to do something that was a little more rock-based. And you
know, we were lucky enough that we both got to do what we wanted to do. And we
got that out of the way, everything's…

Cerebral Metalhead: Hunky dory?

Warrel: Well, yeah, I guess, that's kind of a funny thing to say, but it's true.

Cerebral Metalhead: I guess I meant more the medical things that a few of you
went through in 2006. I know with your diabetes, there was a complication or two
that resulted in some show cancellations?

Warrel: That's all managed now, I'm doing very well. It's a difficult thing to
go through, but I'm lucky enough that it was caught early on I guess. But you
know, the booze — this is my favorite quote right now, "Satan lives in a
bottle, you can find him at every 7-11." I basically drank myself into Type 2
Diabetes.

Cerebral Metalhead: I understand it ran in your family as well? Or a
predisposition to it?

Warrel: It does, yes. And my sister recently just this past month was diagnosed
with Type 2 Diabetes as well.

Cerebral Metalhead: I'm sorry to hear that.

Warrel: So I probably woulda got it anyway, but I just…kickstarted it.

Cerebral Metalhead: You might as well get it over with.

Warrel: Yeah well, I think I'm a better person for the whole experience of going
through that. Trying to be sober is a day-to-day thing. I used to mock people
that went to AA, and these bumper stickers, "One day at a time." But seriously,
it's true, that's all you can do. And I'm not a perfect person, and I never will
be, and I'm okay with that. So I relapse sometimes, but now, I am much, much
better than I was when I was a fat, bloated fucking idiot that could barely
fucking sing on stage. I look at some of those old videos and I'm like, "Oh my
god. And we still have fans?" I don't want to preach to people and say "alcohol
is bad," but you know, everybody has to make their own decisions.

BraveWords.com has received the following press release:

It has been ten years since progressive rock band THE WISHING TREE released
their debut album, Carnival Of Souls. On January 19th, Eagle Rock Entertainment
will release their lush and evocative new album Ostara in North America.

MARILLION guitarist Steve Rothery founded The Wishing Tree. Formed in 1996,
Rothery’s desire to start an acoustic music project with a female vocalist led
him to British singer Hannah Stobart. The two started writing together, crafting
a wistful, gorgeous sound that is both haunting and soothing. This new CD,
produced and engineered by Rothery, not only boasts eight original songs, but
two bonus live tracks, 'Fly' and 'Ostara'.

Unique in its conception, Ostara was written and recorded on opposite sides of
the world, with Stobert working from her home in California and Rothery in his
home studio in Buckinghamshire, England.

Joined by drummer Paul Craddick (of ENCHANT, and Hannah’s husband), Ostara is
the perfect marriage of Stobart’s angelic, lilting vocals and Rothery’s
superb guitar work. A master at his craft, his harmonies are understated when
necessary, allowing Stobart’s vocals to take precedence, yet when given the
chance, his trademark solos truly sing out in the mix of this enchanting blend.
The delicate, ghostly harmonies, executed on mandolin  as well as guitar, paired
with Stobart’s soaring melodies, result in artwork that is truly a listening
experience.

Fans of Steve Rothery will also enjoy Marillion’s latest CD, Less Is More,
released December 8th via Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Ostara tracklisting:

'Ostara'
'Easy'
'Hollow Hills'
'Seventh Sigh'
'Falling'
'Fly'
'Kingfisher'
'Soldier'

Bonus Tracks:
'Fly' (live)
'Ostara' (live)

Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA will embark on a North American
headlining tour in the spring. Support will come from MUTINY WITHIN and
POWERGLOVE.

The dates are as follows:

Apr. 02 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
Apr. 03 - Worcester, MA @ Palladium
Apr. 05 - New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
Apr. 06 - Quebec City, QC @ Imperial
Apr. 07 - Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
Apr. 09 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Apr. 10 - Detroit, MI @ Blondies
Apr. 11 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
Apr. 12 - St Paul, MN @ Station 4
Apr. 13 - Winnipeg, MB @ WECC
Apr. 15 - Calgary, AB @ Warehouse
Apr. 16 - Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room
Apr. 18 - Vancouver, BC @ Venue
Apr. 19 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Apr. 20 - Portland, OR @ Peters Room
Apr. 22 - San Francisco, CA @ Slims
Apr. 23 - Santa Ana, CA @ Galaxy Theatre
Apr. 24 - West Hollywood , CA @ House of Blues
Apr. 25 - Mesa , AZ @ U.B.'s
Apr. 27 - Austin, TX @ Emo's
Apr. 28 - Houston, TX @ Meridian
Apr. 30 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
May 01 - Raleigh, NC @ Volume 11
May 02 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx

Tickets go on sale today (Wednesday, November 11) exclusively through
EnterTheVault.com until December 3, at which point they will be made available
through all normal ticketing systems.

"The Days Of Grays", the new album from SONATA ARCTICA, sold around 2,000 copies
in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen
SoundScan. The CD landed at position No. 19 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 Days Of Grays" registered the following European first-week chart
positions:

Finland: #2
Germany: #24
Sweden: #31
Norway: #46
Netherlands: #50

The CD was certified gold in Finland on the day of its release for sales in
excess of 15,000 copies.

SONATA's previous album, "Unia", was certified gold in Finland back in May 2007
and is approaching platinum status (30,000 records sold).

"The Days Of Grays" was released on September 22 in North America through
Nuclear Blast Records.

"The Days Of Grays" track listing:

Limited 2CD Digipack:

01. Everything Fades To Gray (instrumental)
02. Deathaura
03. The Last Amazing Grays
04. Flag In The Ground
05. Breathing
06. Zeroes
07. The Dead Skin
08. Juliet
09. No Dream Can Heal A Broken Heart
10. As If The World Wasn't Ending
11. The Truth Is Out There
12. Everything Fades To Gray (full version)

Bonus Track:

13. In The Dark

Bonus CD: track listing to be announced

CD Jewelcase:

01. Everything Fades To Gray (instrumental)
02. Deathaura
03. The Last Amazing Grays
04. Flag In The Ground
05. Breathing
06. Zeroes
07. The Dead Skin
08. Juliet
09. No Dream Can Heal A Broken Heart
10. As If The World Wasn't Ending
11. The Truth Is Out There
12. Everything Fades To Gray (full version)

A track-by-track review/description of "The Days Of Grays" can be found on
Terrorizer.com.

SONATA ARCTICA keyboardist Henrik "Lance" Klingenberg previously described the
band's new material as "a bit darker and maybe not so complex as 'Unia'.
Nevertheless, it's definitely not a back-to-the-roots album with fast power
metal. All the trademark SONATA stuff is on there, solos, lots of singing some
slower songs."

CANNIBAL CORPSE, SONATA ARCTICA, DEMONICAL, SUICIDAL ANGELS, OMEGA LITHIUM,
ACELDAMA, LUJURIA and ENOCHIAN THEORY have been confirmed for next year's
installment of the Metalcamp festival, set to take place July 5-11, 2010 in
Tomin, Slovenia.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

ABSTINENZ
ACELDAMA
ASHES YOU LEAVE
BEHEMOTH
CANNIBAL CORPSE
DEMONICAL
DORNENREICH
ENOCHIAN THEORY
ENSIFERUM
EPICA
EQUILIBRIUM
HEIDEVOLK
IMMORTAL
INSISION
INSOMNIUM
KALMAH
KORPIKLAANI
LEAVES' EYES
LITHIUM
METSATÖLL
OMEGA LITHIUM
SABATON
SONATA ARCTICA
SUICIDAL ANGELS
THE DEVIL'S BLOOD
THE EXPLOITED

IMMORTAL's appearance at next year's Metalcamp will mark their exclusive
performance for Slovenia, Austria and Croatia.

For more information, visit www.metalcamp.com.

Florida death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE will embark on a South American tour in
February 2010.

CANNIBAL CORPSE has made regular trips to South America during its long and
storied career and has always had a blast playing for some of the most ravenous
metal fans in the world.

Commented bassist Alex Webster: "We are very excited to announce our 2010 Latin
American tour. We have always had intense shows down there and we expect more of
the same on this run. We are really looking forward to performing for all of our
great fans in Central and South America... see you in February!"

The dates are as follows:

Feb. 12 - Monterrey, Mexico - Café Iguana
Feb. 13 - Mexico City, Mexico - Circo Volador
Feb. 15 - Caracas, Venezuela - Complejo Ferial San Jancinto
Feb. 17 - Bogota, Columbia - Teatro Metropol
Feb. 19 - Santiago, Chile - Club Cadilac
Feb. 20 - Buenos Aires, Brazil - The End
Feb. 21 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Santana Hall

CANNIBAL CORPSE is currently on the road in North America with HATEBREED, BORN
OF OSIRIS, UNEARTH and HATE ETERNAL as part of the Decimation Of The Nation 2
tour.