Machine Head releases advanced mix of “Locust”

MACHINE HEAD's brand new track "Locust" can be streamed in the YouTubeclip below (courtesy of Roadrunner Records).

[Note: This version of the song was mixed by Juan Urteaga (EXODUS,SADUS, TESTAMENT, NIGHT RANGER, VICIOUS RUMORS, HEATHEN,VILE, CATTLE DECAPITATION). The final mix will be handled by longtime MACHINE HEAD producer Colin Richardson (BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE,SLIPKNOT, FEAR FACTORY,TRIVIUM).]

"Locust" lyrics:

Sweet caress
Grazes my skin
It's loveless
These hooks sink in
Behind an angel's disguise
An insect preys
Mandibles cut like a knife
A reckoning

Forming clouds
Their shadow shrouds
Louder the tattered wings they sound
Descending down

Down they come
The swarm of locusts
Skies above
Converge to choke us
Feast of souls
Consume the harvest
Young and old
Suffer unto the locust

Surrender
These veins are bled
Devoured
Nothing sacred
Strings pull the marionettes
See how they dance
Upon the winds that beget
Our pestilence

Forming clouds
Their shadow shrouds
Louder the tattered wings they sound
Descending down

Down they come
The swarm of locusts
Skies above
Converge to choke us
Feast of souls
Consume the harvest
Young and old
Suffer unto the locust

Bleeding from my eyes
This plague is sent to erase us
Bleeding from inside
These vermin can't infiltrate us

Faith appears and holds a candle
Hark the angels sing

Forming clouds
Their shadow shrouds
Louder the tattered wings they sound

Tear the veil
The lies derail
Purity ever will prevail

Trumpets sound
The shattered crown
Halos of truth now they surround
The charade comes down

Down they come
The swarm of locusts
Skies above
Converge to choke us
Feast of souls
Consume the harvest
Young and old
Suffer unto the locust [End of lyrics]

The band, which released the back-to-back, modern classics, 2004's"Through the Ashes Of Empires" and 2007's "The Blackening", is aiming to unleash its third masterwork in a row on September 27 via longtime label Roadrunner Records. The as-yet untitled new album is being recorded at JingleTown Studios in Oakland, with frontman Robb Flynn producing, and it is sure to level anything and everything that happens upon its path.

MACHINE HEAD will prepare for the release of their new album by appearing on the main stage of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival for key dates, while headlining the Extreme Stage for others, this summer, which kicks off this July. This is the band's second tour of duty on Mayhem, as they appeared on the festival during its inaugural run in 2008.

An advance mix of "Locust" will be on sale at iTunes on June 14 and will be included on an iTunes Mayhem digital sampler. Download cards for the digital sampler will be distributed at every date of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival so fans can redeem the song after being summarily kicked in the face by MACHINE HEAD's always devastating live show.

"We've been working on the record for a few weeks now, and when the opportunity to be a part of the free Mayhem sampler came up, we did not want to pass up the chance," said MACHINE HEAD vocalist/guitarist Robb Flynn. "We're so pumped for our fans to hear the new music that we're so proud of."

Flynn went a little deeper about the meaning of the song, saying, "'Locust' is a metaphor. Locusts fly in a swarm, but they can't control which direction they fly; they float on the wind, they land, cause massive destruction, and then float away on the wind to leave you in the aftermath. The song is a metaphor for a type of person that sometimes comes into your life and has a similar effect."

Musically, the song is the essence of what MACHINE HEAD have been doing for nearly two decades. "It feels like the culmination of what we've been doing for the last 17 years: power grooves, patented MACHINE HEAD harmonics, crushing guitars and dark melodies, but taken to a new level,"Flynn said. "It's a natural progression from 'The Blackening', but different than anything on that record. In the past, when we debuted a new song, it was usually the fastest, thrashiest tune. This time we wanted to go with something just straight-up heavy."

The song is eight minutes in length, which is not unfamiliar territory for the band. Flynn even joked, "We still can't seem to write a damn song under six minutes. But MACHINE HEAD aren't writing music for the radio or MTV. This is for us. This is for the metalhead who let's music take him on a journey. This for the metalhead for whom music is the only thing that matters, to whom music is a savior. The music fan who's going to study every detail of the artwork, go online and find the lyrics and memorize every word, and let it take them away from their fucked up life for a while. It's for the music freak, who maybe just wants to get hammered, air-guitar and sing at the top of his lungs, and act like an friggin' idiot while starting a moshpit in their living room with reckless abandon. Because that's who wrote this song, and that is the only people we care about connecting with."

Flynn finished, "We know you'll be as excited about it as we are, so Head Cases, on June 14, check out 'Locust'."

"Locust" is a true metal anthem from these metal torchbearers, and it's erected upon the band's signature, crunchy guitar tone, pummeling riffage, a thunderstorm of percussion and Flynn's militaristic barks. "Locust" is one of those cathartic, "gets the red out" songs that will incite moshpits across the globe and cause the listener to be purged of all their anger (and exhausted from rocking the hell out) once the last note fades out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jGZJxnJk-4&feature=player_embedded

First Half of Uproar Festival Dates Announced

The first half of tour dates for the Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival have been announced. More dates are scheduled to be announced on June 29th. The tour will take place across North America from August 26 to October 15.

The festival, now in its second year, features headliner Avenged Sevenfold on the main stage supported by Three Days Grace, Seether, Bullet For My Valentine, and Escape The Fate. The Music Gear Stage will be headlined by Sevendust and also includes Black Tide, Art of Dying, and The Black Cloud Collective.

Tour dates announced so far:

Aug. 26 - Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center
Aug. 27 - Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion
Aug. 28 - Boston, MA - Comcast Center
Aug. 31 - Washington, DC - Jiffy Lube Live
Sep. 03 - Tampa, FL - 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre
Sep. 04 - Biloxi, MS - Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Sep. 05 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sep. 10 - Buffalo, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
Sep. 11 - Hartford, CT - Comcast Theatre
Sep. 14 - Toronto, ON - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
Sep. 16 - Pittsburgh, PA - First Niagara Pavilion
Sep. 17 - Indianapolis, IN - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Sep. 21 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
Sep. 23 - Omaha, NE - WestFair Amphitheater
Sep. 24 - Kansas City, MO - Sandstone Amphitheater
Oct. 09 - San Diego, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

Konami and Megadeth team up for game soundtrack.

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. announced legendary heavy metal band Megadeth are recording a customized soundtrack for the company’s forthcoming action-adventure franchise NeverDead. “Never Dead,” the official song sharing KONAMI’s video game title, will appear on Megadeth’s 13th album, which the band is currently recording.

“The members of Megadeth are speed-metal music pioneers with a world renowned reputation for producing song catalogs with original and progressive lyrics,” said Shinji Hirano, President of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “The NeverDead oundtrack is an example of pure imagination and it fully captures the essence of our game. We’re proud to have such a distinctive band associated with our title.”

Megadeth have sold over 25 million albums worldwide, with five consecutive albums being certified Platinum or multi-Platinum in the United States and have nine Grammy nominations under their belt.

“‘Never Dead’ was written specifically for the game, and the song’s lyrics and concept fit perfectly with its transcendental nature,” said Madelyn Scarpulla, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Creative Services for Roadrunner Records. “Megadeth and Roadrunner are both looking forward to the mutually beneficial marketing partnership we have established with KONAMI with the launch of NeverDead and Megadeth’s new album coming this fall.”

NeverDead, currently in production, is a third-person action game set in a futuristic world where humans are battling supernatural enemies across a dark post-apocalyptic metropolis. In the game, players will assume the role of a demonic hero agent named Bryce who, assisted by his female lead Arcadia, must undertake a series of missions to combat a demonic plague. NeverDead is expected to release later this year for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Here is the sensational leaked teaser clip with "Never Dead" in the background.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uwn5lbKaIc

Machine Head to release new single “Locust”next week.

Machine Head to release new single “Locust”next week.

Roadrunner has released the following information about Machine Head's new single:

New York, NY: Normally, one would be wise to avoid a plague of locusts. Prophets warn about them and they occur in the Bible. However, in the Summer of 2011, metal fans and headbangers are going to happily succumb to a "Locust" in the form of a brand new track from Bay Area metal icons MACHINE HEAD.

The band, which released the back-t0-back, modern classics, 2004's Through the Ashes of Empires and 2007's The Blackening, are aiming to unleash their third masterwork in a row on September 27th via longtime label Roadrunner Records. The as-yet untitled new album is being recorded at JingleTown Studios in Oakland, with frontman Robb Flynn producing, and it is sure to level anything and everything that happens upon its path.

Machine Head will prepare for the release of their new album by appearing on the main stage of the Rock Star Energy Drink Mayhem Festival for key dates (while headlining the Extreme Stage for others) this summer; the tour kicks off this July. This is the band's second tour of duty on Mayhem, as they appeared on the festival during its inaugural run in 2008.

An advance mix of "Locust" will be on sale at iTunes on June 14th and will be included on an iTunes Mayhem digital sampler. Download cards for the digital sampler will be distributed at every date of the REDMF so fans can redeem the song after being summarily kicked in the face by Machine Head's always devastating live show.

"We've been working on the record for a few weeks now, and when the opportunity to be a part of the free Mayhem sampler came up, we did not want to pass up the chance," said Machine Head vocalist/guitarist Robb Flynn. "We're so pumped for our fans to hear the new music that we're so proud of."

Flynn went a little deeper about the meaning of the song, saying, "'Locust' is a metaphor. Locusts fly in a swarm, but they can't control which direction they fly; they float on the wind, they land, cause massive destruction, and then float away on the wind to leave you in the aftermath. The song is a metaphor for a type of person that sometimes comes into your life and has a similar effect."

Musically, the song is the essence of what Machine Head have been doing for nearly two decades. "It feels like the culmination of what we've been doing for the last 17 years: power grooves, patented Machine Head harmonics, crushing guitars and dark melodies, but taken to a new level," Flynn said. "It's a natural progression from The Blackening, but different than anything on that record. In the past, when we debuted a new song, it was usually the fastest, thrashiest tune. This time we wanted to go with something just straight-up heavy."

The song is eight minutes in length, which is not unfamiliar territory for the band. Flynn even joked, "We still can't seem to write a damn song under six minutes. But Machine Head aren't writing music for the radio or MTV. This is for us. This is for the metalhead who let's music take him on a journey. This for the metalhead for whom music is the only thing that matters, to whom music is a savior. This is for the music fan who's going to study every detail of the artwork, go online and find the lyrics and memorize every word, and let it take them away from their f---ed up life for a while. It's for the music freak, who maybe just wants to get hammered, air-guitar and sing at the top of his lungs, and act like an friggin' idiot while starting a moshpit in their living room with reckless abandon. Because that's who wrote this song, and those are the only people we care about connecting with."

Flynn finished, "We know you'll be as excited about it as we are. So, Head Cases, on June 14th, check out 'Locust.'"

Machine Head rode a wave of incredible success in the '00s, one that is certain to carry them through this new decade. They were nominated for a Grammy for Best Metal Performance –their first-- for "Aesthetics of Hate" from The Blackening and were invited to tour with Metallica in the US and Europe, and also joined Slipknot, Slayer and Megadeth on tour dates. They have also headlined some of the biggest festivals in Europe, performing as a part of Wacken (Germany) and Download (England.)

"Locust" is a true metal anthem from these metal torchbearers, and it's erected upon the band's signature, crunchy guitar tone, pummeling riffage, a thunderstorm of percussion and Flynn's militaristic barks. "Locust" is one of those cathartic, "gets the red out" type of songs that will incite mosh pits across the globe and cause the listener to be purged of all their anger (and exhausted from rocking the hell out) once the last note fades out.

Prepare to suffer unto the "Locust" on June 14th and beyond.

Kirk Hammett discusses new Metallica album, The Big Four.

Blabbermout.net reports that Shawn Fernandes of GibsonGuitar.in recently conducted an interview with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

GibsonGuitar.in: Can Indian fans expect any new material at the [upcoming] shows [in October]?

Kirk Hammett: Well, as far as new material is concerned we're just now starting to think about writing new material. I guess if anything is going to be finished between now and the end of October, who knows? We may play a new song, we may not, but because India's kind of a special place and it's the first time we're playing there, we might even break out a song that we haven't played for a while.

GibsonGuitar.in: Which band, in your opinion, is the best band of the "Big Four?"

Kirk Hammett: Err… well, us [laughs]. But, of course, I'd say us. The better question is who's my second favorite?

GibsonGuitar.in: Fair enough. So who's your second favorite band?

Kirk Hammett: I have to say SLAYER. What can I say, they're evil, they're heavy and they don't really compromise. SLAYER just rules. I also have to say though; Scott Ian [from ANTHRAX] is one of my best friends. I've known him for as long as I've been in the band and we hang out a lot socially. We do things together, our families get together, so I have to say I really just like hanging out with Scott 'cause he's one of my bros.

GibsonGuitar.in: With all the touring, has the band been able to get cracking on a new album?

Kirk Hammett: We haven't really started yet; we're thinking about it, though. [laughs] There's just a bunch of other things that we're doing right now. We keep telling ourselves that we're going to get 'round to start writing songs but, you know, something comes up. Normally it's a show or us having to travel to India to play or something or the other, and then the album gets put on the backburner for a bit. But I think personally, the new album will just happen when it happens.

GibsonGuitar.in: You learnt under a legend, the great Joe Satriani. How did that happen and what was it like?

Kirk Hammett: Well, by that time I had my Flying V and one day I said to a friend of mine, "Your guitar playing's really good. What's up? How come you're playing so good?" He said, "Oh, I found this new teacher in Berkeley, his name is Joe. You should check him out." So I went to this music store called Secondhand Guitars in Berkeley and I walk in and in the back I can hear someone playing guitar, crazy guitar, like no other guitar playing I'd ever heard. I went back there and there was Joe sitting on a chair and he says, "Hi, are you my new student?" I said "Yeah," and so we sat down and Joe just started playing. Even back then he sounded like he does now. I mean, all the components of his guitar style were in place back then. I was just so totally blown away by his technique and his style. The first thing he said to me is: "OK, if you're going to take lessons from me I expect you to learn your lessons. If you come in next week without learning the lessons, you're just going to be wasting our time and there's no real lesson for you to be taking lessons." So he kinda basically told me to have my act together when I came in the next week. So I had the lesson, learnt everything over the week and came back the next week. It just totally grew from there. I could tell that Joe really liked playing with me because we would always play longer than the allotted time. I mean usually he'd spend about a half an hour with his other students but for some odd reason he'd spend more time with me. I found out later that it was just because he liked playing guitar with me. Later on in interviews, Joe said that when he first started teaching me he could see something in my playing style and my approach that was just radically different from most people's approach at the time. A lot of it had to do with the fact that I was way into heavy metal at a time when heavy metal wasn't even popular. It probably also had something to do with the fact that I was listening to guitar players like Ulrich Roth and Michael Schenker. I mean, there weren't a whole lot of people in the United States back then who even knew who those guitar players were. So I was coming from a pretty unique sort of perspective. I learnt a lot of things from Joe, a lot of things about technique especially. I also learnt that feel is better than anything and everything. So I've always strived be a player with a lot of feeling rather than a player with a lot of technique. I was always aware of the fact that you can say just as much with five notes as you can with five thousand notes. Learning that was very, very important to me.

GibsonGuitar.in: METALLICA's been around 28 years now. We've seen many metal bands come and go, the genre itself has been through its ups and downs. What's that special sauce that's kept METALLICA at the very top for the last 30 years?

Kirk Hammett: I honestly don't know. All I can tell you is that I think our music stands the test of time. The music still sounds modern and still sounds relevant 30 years in. People are hearing it and they still hear it fresh. All I can say is that it's just incredible that it's actually happened to us.

GibsonGuitar.in: We have to ask you about this new book about horror movie memorabilia that you're working on called "Too Much Horror Business".

Kirk Hammett: It's a book on vintage horror movie posters and vintage monster toys. I've been collecting this stuff for, like, forever. I bought my first monster movie magazine when I was five years old and I've been into this stuff forever. I just decided one day that because I have this huge collection of posters and monster toys, that I was going to share it with the world. Basically that's what I'm doing right now, I'm just sharing it with the world. It's really fun. It's a lot of work and I'm still working on it right now but it's a lot of fun and I can't wait to release it.

Read the entire interview from GibsonGuitar.in.  

Dream Theater announce new album details.

Roadrunner records has released the following press release regarding Dream Theater's new album:

(New York, NY): The recent announcement that Mike Mangini would be joining Dream Theater, replacing departed drummer Mike Portnoy, caused such fanfare that Mangini was a trending topic on Twitter, second only to England's Royal Wedding. Now, the band is revealing more information about their upcoming album. The new album is titled A Dramatic Turn of Events. The much-anticipated platter, which marks Mangini's recorded debut, will be released via Roadrunner Records on September 13^th and will be supported by a massive world tour.

"I'm incredibly psyched with the way this album came out and can't wait to share it with everybody," guitarist John Petrucci, who also serves as the producer for A Dramatic Turn of Events, said. "We are currently in the mix stage with the great Andy Wallace and it's all sounding amazing!"

"We have poured our hearts and minds into the creation of this album," keyboardist Jordan Rudess offered. "All the life changing events that surrounded us before, as well as during the whole process, fueled our desire to dig deep within ourselves and create the best music we possibly could."

Vocalist James LaBrie said, "In the grand scheme of Dream Theater's career, the last several months have been such an incredibly positive, fulfilling and rewarding experience. The new songs and sound has never been so spirited or rejuvenating. I cannot wait for every one of our fans to sink their audio senses into this batch of tunes."

The track listing for A Dramatic Turn of Events is as follows:

1.On the Backs of Angels

2.Build Me Up, Break Me Down

3.Lost Not Forgotten

4.This is the Life

5.The Shaman’s Trance

6.Outcry

7.Far From Heaven

8.Breaking All Illusions

9.Beneath The Surface

About DREAM THEATER:

Progressive metal band Dream Theater formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy. Though a number of lineup changes followed, the three original members remained together along with James LaBrie and Jordan Rudess until September 8, 2010, when Mike Portnoy left the band. In October 2010, the band held auditions for a new drummer, and added Mike Mangini to its roster.

Anthrax to release Worship Music this September.

Anthrax has released the following press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ANTHRAX – WITH VOCALIST JOEY BELLADONNA BACK WHERE HE BELONGS - ANNOUNCES "WORSHIP MUSIC"

Album Will Street September 13 in Conjunction with THE BIG FOUR 9/14 Yankee Stadium Performance

"When Charlie and I started working on this record in 2007, for all intents and purposes, there was no Anthrax. The band was fractured at that point and for the first time in the band's history, we didn't know what was going to happen next. There was no light at the end of the tunnel, there was no future. So, what did we do? We did what we always do. We made music."
-- Scott Ian, Anthrax

LOS ANGELES, CA – TUESDAY, June 7, 2011 –Worship Music, the long-awaited new studio album from Anthrax, one of the four original architects of speed and thrash-metal, has been confirmed for a September 13 release date on Megaforce Records, it is announced today. Appropriately, Worship Music will street the day before the band's triumphant return to their native New York to play at Yankee Stadium as part of The Big Four concert extravaganza.

Not only is Worship Music Anthrax's first studio release in eight years, but the album marks the return of vocalist Joey Belladonna, whose last studio work with the band was 1990's Persistence of Time. Belladonna is now firmly back in the Anthrax line up with drummer Charlie Benante, guitarists Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano, and bassist Frank Bello.

"Getting Joey back in as our full-time, permanent singer solidified us as a unit like we hadn't been in years," said Ian. "All of us were on the same page creatively, working together, writing together, and becoming a band again."

"I get goosebumps listening to the new music," Benante admitted. "Scott and Rob's guitars are absolutely on fire, Frankie kicks butt on bass, and hearing Joey sing, well, the band sounds like Anthrax – Joey's back and it's great."

Added Ian, "This record is filled with not just four years of our lives, but with our lifetime in the band. It encompasses it all, and when I listen to the record, I can hear all the energy and love and hate and pain and laughter that went into this."

The 11-track Worship Music was produced by Anthrax, Rob Caggiano and Jay Ruston and recorded over a four-year period at studios in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Belladonna's return to the band prompted some of the songs originally recorded to be re-crafted with fresh lyrics or tweaked to better suit his overall vibe and energy. Some of the songs were completely replaced with brand-new songs and, of course, all have Belladonna's inimitable vocal stamp on them.

"We had the unusual luxury of hindsight with this album," Ian explained. "We were able to live with the songs we originally recorded, look back on them and see what we really loved about them and what we could make better." "I'm very happy with the record, it sounds like Anthrax," said Belladonna. "There are some interesting twists and turns on it, and plenty of tunes for fans to get their fingers on. I felt very comfortable working with Jay Ruston, and I think everyone brought to the table what they needed to. Now it's time for the fans to listen and get what they've been waiting for. I'll tell you, I'm really excited."

Worship Music is loaded with stand-out tracks. While "Judas Priest" is a nod to the huge influence that band has had on the members of Anthrax and metal heads everywhere. "I'm Alive" is beautiful and grand with a build that demands audience participation. "Crawl" is dark and moody, and filled with a lot of the emotion and stress the band was feeling when it was written. "Fight 'em 'til You Can't" is a song about killing zombies, and who doesn't love a good zombie song? It's the one new track that Anthrax has played live since they started touring with Belladonna a year ago, and has been getting tremendous audience response. The song "Earth on Hell" is classic Anthrax thrash. "The Devil You Know" is best-described as "an AC/DC groove filtered through an Anthrax lens," while "In The End" is epic-sounding and Anthrax's way of remembering the late Ronnie James Dio and Darryl "Dimebag" Darryl.

"'In The End' does have a melancholy feel," confessed Benante, "and when we play it live, Ronnie and Dimebag will be right there with us on stage."

And just where did the title Worship Music come from? "One night, many years ago, I fell asleep with the TV on," explained Benante. About four or five in the morning, I woke up, picked up the remote and pulled up the digital program guide. There was a show on called 'Worship Music,' and I thought 'what a great title for an album.' Most heavy metal fans worship their favorite bands, metal heads are so loyal to metal, going to a concert is like going to a house of worship. 'Worship Music' said it all."

When Anthrax first started Worship Music, they had no idea if the music would ever see the light of day, but they carried on because making music is what they do, it's in their blood. According to Ian, "It took everything in us as people to make this record and it shows. We went back to square one and did it for the same reason we did it back then, because we worshipped music and we still do. Music is something worth worshipping." Anthrax will support Worship Music with a massive world tour. Dates will be announced shortly.

Check out Anthrax's social pages to stay totally up to date with the band:

Official website: http://anthrax.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/anthrax
Twitter: http://twitter.com/anthrax
#anthrax

With worldwide sales in excess of 10-million, 2011 sees Anthrax celebrating its 30th year as a band. Over those three decades, Anthrax has received multiple Gold and Platinum albums, multiple Grammy nominations, and a host of other accolades from the media, industry and fans.

Trivium Reveals New Album Title

Trivium has announced that their new album will be titled In Waves, following the release of the title track to the internet a couple weeks ago. The album is tentatively scheduled to be released August 9.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Reveal New Album Title, Release Date

Red Hot Chili Peppers posted the following update on their website last night:

"Red Hot Chili Peppers are excited to announce that their new album will hit stores on August 30, 2011!! The new album is produced by Rick Rubin and is titled I'm With You. Keep checking back for more updates."

Gary Holt sets the record straight on Zetro Souza and Exodus.

Blabbermouth.net has reported that EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt says that the band's former singer, Steve "Zetro" Souza, will never be asked to rejoin the group despite the fact that Zetro has gone "on a public relations blitz to get his job back."

In a June 3 interview with DJ JC Green of Metal Messiah Radio's "Heavy Metal Thunder", Zetro was asked if there is any chance that he will ever return to front EXODUS. "I would love to be there again," he replied. "It would be great for all the fans to be able hear me sing my songs again."

He continued, "[The current members of EXODUS and I have] talked over the past few years. They do have a singer; his name is Rob [Dukes]. Everybody knows that that's their singer for right now and until that decision is made otherwise, I completely understand and that's why I go along with [my new band] HATRIOT, for one. But how great would that be to see Zetro up there again singing those famous songs like 'The Toxic Waltz' and 'Cajun Hell' and all the good ones?"

He added, "I'm looking forward to it, too. I'm sure it will happen one day. One of these days it will happen. All you EXODUS fans will have to see. I hear you everywhere I go: 'Zetro, we want you back in the band.' [But] it's not my decision. If it was up to me, you know what I would do. So I just want you guys to know it probably will happen some day. Just keep your fingers crossed. Go to [EXODUS'] web site, [and] tell Gary Holt; he's the man you have to convince."

Responding to Zetro's comments after they were posted onBLABBERMOUTH.NET, Holt wrote, "This dude is on a public relations BLITZ to get his job back!

"Just because I don't hold a grudge [against him] DOES NOT mean he's ever gonna get his job back.

"What TOTAL disrespect he showed to me, Rob, and this band. I guess he figures he'll take it to the streets to build up some kind of hype. He believes what he wants to believe, I guess, that the entire world is waiting for his glorious return.

"He came to my birthday party and I figured he'd hit me up, but he's saving it for interviews. I'd feel bad if I were in his band, knowing all he wants to do is bail on them.

"Funny, the band is doing better than ever and we so desperately need him, it seems! LOL! . . . It's really quite sad, like a dude begging for his woman back even though she's long since moved on. Like 'I'll get her back, you just watch, she may be getting nailed by someone else, but she really belongs to me, she just doesn't realize it yet!'

"Move on, man, move on. [You] had your chance, [you] didn't want to work at it, now it's not waiting for you anymore."

In another message, Holt added, "I think [Zetro's] band [HATRIOT] is cool and they are a bunch of motivated youngsters with a lot of drive.

"I have nothing against Zetro; really I don't. I consider him a friend, but the lobbying through the press for people to convince me to give him his job back just got under my skin, because Rob is NOT a place card holder in EXODUS, he's our singer.

"Zetro's place in EXODUS history is solid, he made some great records with us, and had a good run with the band. But this is now, not then, and we do not plan on throwing away what we have to go back in time."

Zetro left EXODUS in September 2004 on the eve of the band's South American headlining tour over what was described as long-standing business and personal differences. Holt subsequently issued a statement calling Souza "human crap" for pulling out the trek "only about twenty-four hours before were ready to leave." He added, "Yes, he did a killer job on the new album [2004's 'Tempo Of The Damned'], but mainly because we did not allow him to fuck everything up with his stupid Bon Scott impersonations anymore. We made him sing more like [previous vocalistPaul] Baloff. I tried to make it work. More than you can imagine. But he was (is) the most miserable pile of crap to be around."

Opeth to tour the US this fall, new single/video soon.

Blabbermouth.net has reported that Swedish progressive metallers OPETH will embark on a North American headlining tour in September with support from fellow Swedes KATATONIA.

The dates are as follows:

Sep. 19 - The Palladium @ Worcester, MA
Sep. 20 - Webster Theater @ Hartford, CT
Sep. 21 - Webster Hall @ New York, NY
Sep. 22 - Webster Hall @ New York, NY
Sep. 23 - Trocadero @ Philadelphia, PA
Sep. 26 - Newport Music Hall @ Columbus, OH
Sep. 27 - Expo Five @ Louisville, KY
Sep. 28 - Cannery Ballroom @ Nashville, TN
Sep. 29 - Amos’ Southend @ Charlotte, NC
Sep. 30 - Center Stage @ Atlanta, GA
Oct. 01 - House of Blues @ Lake Buena Vista, FL
Oct. 03 - Warehouse Live @ Houston, TX
Oct. 04 - – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater @ Austin, TX
Oct. 05 - Granada Theater @ Dallas, TX
Oct. 06 - The Beaumont Club @ Kansas City, MO
Oct. 07 - First Avenue @ Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 08 - Burton Cummings @ Winnipeg, MB
Oct. 10 - Edmonton Events Centre @ Edmonton, AB
Oct. 11 - MacEwan Hall Ballroom @ Calgary, AB
Oct. 13 - Commodore Ballroom @ Vancouver, BC
Oct. 14 - Knitting Factory Concert House @ Spokane, WA
Oct. 15 - Showbox SoDo @ Seattle, WA
Oct. 16 - Roseland Theatre @ Portland, OR
Oct. 18 - The Warfield @ San Francisco, CA
Oct. 19 - Mayan Theatre @ Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 20 - House of Blues @ San Diego, CA
Oct. 21 - The Fox Theater @ Pomona, CA
Oct. 22 - Marquee Theatre @ Tempe, AZ
Oct. 24 - The Complex @ Salt Lake City, UT
Oct. 25 - Ogden Theatre @ Denver, CO
Oct. 27 - The Rave @ Milwaukee, WI
Oct. 28 - Vic Theatre @ Chicago, IL
Oct. 29 - St. Andrews Hall @ Detroit, MI
Oct. 30 - Guelph Concert Theatre @ Guelph, ON
Oct. 31 - Mr Smalls Theatre @ Millvale, PA
Nov. 01 - Rams Head Live! – Baltimore, MD

According to the French edition of Rock Hard magazine, keyboardistJoakim Svalberg (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, GLENN HUGHES) has been rehearsing with OPETH for the past few weeks, but has not yet been made an official member of the band.

A photo of Svalberg in the studio with OPETH during the mixing sessions for the group's new album, "Heritage", can be seen below.

Keyboardist Per Wiberg, who joined OPETH in 2005, was relieved of his duties in April as part of a mutual decision with the remaining members of the band.

OPETH vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt released the following statement on the matter: "Well, it's been somewhat of a revolving door of members during the last couple of years, and now Per is no longer a member. [Martin] Mendez [bass], Axe [Martin Axenrot, drums] and Fredrik [Åkesson, guitar] and I came to the decision that we should find a replacement for Per right after the recordings of the new album, and this came as no surprise to Per. He had, in turn, been thinking about leaving, so you could say it was a mutual decision. There's no bad blood, just a relationship that came to an end, and that's that. We wish Per the best, and he did a splendid job recording keyboards for the last record, which stands as his final recording with OPETH."

OPETH will release its tenth album, "Heritage", on September 20 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt and was recorded earlier this year at Atlantis studios (formerly Metronome studios) in Stockholm. Mixing duties were handled by Steven Wilson(PORCUPINE TREE) and Åkerfeldt. Longtime collaborator Travis Smith also worked with Åkerfeldt to create, design and execute the album's artwork, which can be seen below.

"Heritage" will be released in several configurations that will certainly incite the interest of OPETH's legion of fans, known for their passion for collecting and collectibles. The album will be released as a standard version; as a special edition loaded with extras; as a box set exclusive to the Roadrunner and the band's own official Omerc  webstore; and as a double LP. There is something for every OPETH fan, thanks to this variety of options.

Commented Åkerfeldt, "It will be our 10th album/observation. I dig it; we all do. In fact, it feels like I've been building up to write for and participate on an album like this since I was 19."

Åkerfeldt went a little deeper and described the music contained within"Heritage", saying, "It's quite intense at times in some 'old' murky way, and quite beautiful and stark at times, if I may say so myself.

"It's obvious I'm going to say nice things about it since I wrote, basically, the whole piece, but I guess it will raise a few eyebrows and it certainly is an acquired taste.

"I think you'll need a slightly deeper understanding of our music as a whole to be able to appreciate this record.

"I've realized my influences for this album are so diverse that I can't really say what it sounds like.

"If I can compare it to any other band, it would have to be OPETH, but it's different from the stuff we've done before.

"I've listened a lot to ALICE COOPER for the last year, yet I can't say it sounds like 'No More Mr. Nice Guy'.

"I hope you'll like it once you hear it."

"Heritage" track listing:

01.Heritage
02.The Devil's Orchard
03.I Feel The Dark
04.Slither
05.Nepenthe
06.Haxprocess
07.Famine
08.The Lines In My Hand
09.Folklore
10.Marrow Of The Earth

The first single and video from"Heritage" will be the song"The Devil's Orchard".  

Tom Morello praises Jane's Addiction as inspirational and important.

The Pulse Of Radio reports: Although NIRVANA is credited with being the first "alternative" band to break out into huge mainstream success, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello has taken issue with that. Speaking at the induction of JANE'S ADDICTION into the Guitar Center Rock Walk in Hollywood last Wednesday (June 1), Morello argued, "NIRVANA often gets credit for being the first 'alternative' band to break through, the band that changed music and led rock out of the hair metal wilderness of the '80s. That's just not true. It was JANE'S ADDICTION: inspiring, intelligent, furiously rocking and artistically deep."

JANE'S frontman Perry Farrell said after Morello's speech, "That speech made me sound so damn good, I don't need to look in the mirror ever again. Just play that over and over every morning."

Guitarist Dave Navarro added, "When I first heard we were going to be honored here at the RockWalk I thought of coming here 10-plus years ago to witness Jimmy Page's induction . . . now to be permanently embedded in cement beside one of my hugest influences is probably one of those dreams coming true that you didn't know you had."

JANE'S ADDICTION will release its first studio album in eight years, "The Great Escape Artist", later this summer. A first track called "End To The Lies" has already been made public.

The band reformed in 2009 after a six-year break, although founding bassist Eric Avery, back in the band for the first time since 1991, left again last year.

Megadeth nears completion on new album.

According to a post on Blabbermouth.net MEGADETH has resumed recording its new album at mainman DaveMustaine's Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos, California after the sessions were briefly "halted" when producer Johnny K (full name: John Karkazis; DISTURBED, SEVENDUST, MACHINE HEAD, STAIND) was "suddenly struck ill." According to Mustaine, Day 29 in the studio was spent working on the arrangements of the 12th and final song that will appear on the CD, with overdubs slated to begin next week.

The drum tracking for the CD — which is tentatively due this fall via Roadrunner Records — began earlier this month, with the entire recording process expected to be completed by the time the group hits the road this summer as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival with DISTURBED and GODSMACK.

Speaking to U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine, Mustaine stated about the band's upcoming album, "This is our 13th studio record, and we've already had a bunch of weird things happen. Car problems, stuff disappearing, a guy who worked for me that was the most white-laced guy you could imagine falling out on drugs and disappearing...but this one's got me excited!"

MEGADETH's platinum-certified 1986 masterpiece, "Peace Sells… But Who's Buying?", has been digitally remastered for the first time and expanded for a special 25th-anniversary release in multiple configurations. It will be released July 12 by Capitol/EMI.

All of the versions, including a 2CD lift-top box, digital album and a deluxe 5Disc+3LP box set, contain a previously unreleased 1987 concert from the band's first world tour and new liner notes written by Mustaine and METALLICA's Lars Ulrich.

Anthrax gets ready to go back to their roots on new album.

Blabbermout.net is reporting that ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante spoke to Revolver magazine about the status of the recording sessions for the band's long-awaited new studio album,"Worship Music", tentatively due in September via Megaforce Records in the U.S. And Nuclear Blast Records in Europe.

"Worship Music", which was originally supposed to be released in 2009 and be the band's first CD with singer Dan Nelson, will mark the first new ANTHRAX recording to feature vocalist Joey Belladonna in 20 years.

"Some of the songs we tweaked, some of the songs we did more than tweak," said drummer Charlie Benante. "Some we started from scratch, and some were written just for this album."

"With Joey singing them, they sound like classic ANTHRAX. The hair on my arms stood up when he started singing them. It was ANTHRAX once again."

Guitarist Scott Ian agreed. "The songs like sound like metal. They sound like ANTHRAX circa 1987 through a 2011 filter."

"I think this record is more of a celebration for us," Benante added. "We haven't had a new record since 2003. The ups and downs in between really reflect the mood of this record. There is a lot of aggression, emotion and power. I feel like this is once again back to our New York style and attitude."

Song titles set to appear on "Worship Music" include "Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't", "I'm Alive", "Crawl", "The Giant", "Earth On Hell" and "Down Goes The Sun".

During a chat with RockMusicStar.com, ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna was asked if working on the band's new songs was a challenge because of the fact that most of the material was written for previous vocalist, Dan Nelson. "I kind of hate that someone was already singing this stuff and now I have to kind of dance around it and do it all over," he said. "They [the rest of ANTHRAX] have in their mind already how they want it to sound, so it's kind of hard to shake it away. They are not going to say to me, 'Go on and do something totally different and we will just dig it.' [Laughs] It's hard, but I'm not worried about it."

Ozzy interviewed about reissues, Sabbath reunion rumors.

Ozzy Osbourne in a wide ranging interview with QMI Agency's Darryl Sterdan discusses topics like the upcoming album reissues packages, Black Sabbath reunion talk, sobriety and other issues. Here is an excerpt:

What do you think of the fact that it's been 30 years since these albums came out?

“You know what comes to mind? How quickly it's gone by. It does not feel like 30 years. The time I had with Randy Rhoads seemed a lot longer than it really was, you know.”

Of all the milestones and awards in your career, which ones mean the most and are more memorable?

“The early ones. My first platinum disc from Black Sabbath means something to me. The early parts of any band are always the best. In the early days of Black Sabbath, we had a lot of fun, we weren't serious about it. Then we stopped having fun. It was the same with this band. We were having fun, and then there was the tragedy. It all went awry and Randy got killed. But the one thing I'm blessed with is that I'm not lying next to Randy dead. I could have been.”

What do you think Randy would be doing today if he were still around?

“Do you know what? It doesn't matter. Just the fact that he would be alive would be enough for me. But I can tell you one thing: he wasn't a guy who wanted to play rock 'n' roll only. On that last bus trip, just before he died, he sat up with me and told me wanted to go to university in California and get a degree in classical guitar. I said, 'Are you serious? Stick around. You can go to university later.' And then he died. But he was a true musician. He was writing classical pieces. He was into the art of music, not just the rock 'n' roll. He was a brilliant player. I don't know what he'd be doing now. But I still wish he was here.”

What do you remember about making those two albums?

“It was just a lot of fun. We had nothing to lose. We were just a bunch of guys having a laugh, doing a lot of drinking and a lot of crazy s---, like guys do.”

Is it still fun, or do you miss those carefree days?

“It's still a lot of fun, but I'm the old man in the band now. I'm 62. But I can still keep up with these young punks. And I have to say this: If you're not having fun in the band you're in, change it. Move on. I have fun offstage with my band as well as onstage. Because when you're touring, the easy part of the day is the gig. It's what you do the rest of the day that's hard.”

When was the last time you listened to Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman?

“About a month ago. When I was on the road. What really amazed me is the footage they found of Randy for the DVD. It amazes me what comes out of the woodwork from time to time. All kinds of stuff comes out, you know.”

What would you go back and change about the albums if you could?

“Nothing! I wouldn't change anything. Why would I want to change them? They were perfectly good the way they were.”

But you did replace the original bass and drum tracks in 2002 during a royalty dispute with the musicians. These versions restore the original performances. Do you regret changing them?

“My wife's my manager. I don't handle any of the business. I wasn't a fan of replacing the original things, but that was purely a business decision to get people off our backs. I didn't want to do it, but they forced my hand, you know. But really, that's a question you should ask my wife. I'm just happy we could go back and use the original parts.”

Are you gratified by the albums' longevity?

“Well, I didn't get up this morning and go, '30 years and one day.' I don't think about it, you know. I'm too busy having fun. I can't believe I made it to 62. By the law of averages, I should have died 1,000 times. Now I don't drink anymore. I don't do drugs anymore. I don't smoke anymore.”

You've been clean for three years. Do you think you've finally got it licked or do you still miss it?

“You never lick it. I know that if I have one cigarette, I'll be smoking a carton by the end of the day. And when I have prescription medications from time to time, I can't have it in my possession. I have to give it to my assistant who doles it out. You never beat it. It's a constant struggle. Because when the s--- hits the fan, the first thing I think is, 'F--- this, I'm going to get out of it.'”

It seems every time one member of Black Sabbath mentions a reunion, another one shoots it down. Do you think it will ever happen?

“I haven't got a clue. If they want to call me, they can call me. I never say never. If it works, fine. If it don't, I'll move on. It ain't the end of the world. I ain't gonna get a box of Kleenex and cry my eyes out for the rest of my life.”

Why is it so hard for you four to agree?

“Well, we're not kids anymore. I don't wanna bulls--- them and I don't want them to bulls--- me. Why should I go back to that and be unhappy when I'm happy right now? I mean, I would love to do a great album with Black Sabbath. I would love to get the credit we so roundly deserve. At the same time, the pressure would be really intense. I could go tomorrow and make an album with them, but it wouldn't necessarily be something I would be proud of.”