Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM are scheduled to return to the American continent this summer.
Source Continue reading MAYHEM To Return To U.S. This Summer →

Swedish melodic metallers HAMMERFALL have issued the following update regarding the departure of bassist Magnus Rosén: “Bass player Magnus Rosén has elected to step down from HAMMERFALL to be able to focus on his own projects.
Source Continue reading HAMMERFALL Comments On Bassist’s Departure →

Australian progressive metal band VANISHING POINT has finished filming a video for the new song “Surrender” with the crew at Australia’s Demo Clips.
Source Continue reading VANISHING POINT Completes Work On ‘Surrender’ Video →

Launch Radio Networks reports: KORN tentatively plans to release its eighth studio album on July 17, according to an interview with the band that ran on a Los Angeles radio station yesterday morning (Tuesday, March 6).
Source Continue reading KORN Aiming For Mid-July Album Release →

According to Pennsylvania’s The Express Times, DEEP PURPLE and THE MOODY BLUES are the latest additions to the Straub Chrysler Jeep RiverPlace stage during Bethlehem, PA’s 10-day Musikfest 2007 festival.
Source Continue reading DEEP PURPLE Confirmed For Pennsylvania’s MUSIKFEST →

According to Michigan’s The Bay CityTimes, TED NUGENT and POISON are both scheduled to perform in Bay City during Dobson River Roar weekend, Chad Cunningham, director of entertainment for River Roar, announced today.
Source Continue reading TED NUGENT, POISON To Rock River Roar →

According to Billboard.com, TOOL has rescheduled 10 live dates postponed last month after drummer Danny Carey tore a bicep. The itinerary will now begin April 30 in Reno, Nev., and run through May 24 in Baton Rouge, La. Additional dates are pending.

TOOL's rescheduled tour dates:

April 30 – Reno @ Reno Event Center
May 02 – San Diego @ Cox Arena
May 05 – Las Cruces @ Pan American Center
May 06 – Tucson @ Convention Center Arena
May 08 – Albuquerque @ Tingley Coliseum
May 15 – Southaven @ DeSoto Center
May 19 – Oklahoma City @ Ford Center
May 21 – San Antonio @ AT&T Center
May 22 – Corpus Christi @ American Bank Center
May 24 – Baton Rouge @ River Center

TOOL bassist Justin Chancellor recently told Launch that fans who missed the 2006 dates will get a second chance to see a similar show on the upcoming trek. "Actually, we're kind of playing places that we didn't play last year, so I don't think, it won't be, like, completely different songs, you know," he said. "It won't be a completely different thing, but it will be slightly more evolved. I mean, it naturally evolves as we go through time, you know."

TOOL intends to record some dates on its next North American tour for a live CD and DVD.

The stage production on the next TOOL tour will be "more intense" than the band's last trip, with computer animation and props possibly being included.

The band is supporting its fourth album, "10,000 Days", which has sold 1.4 million copies since arriving last May. The CD's next single is "Jambi". Continue reading TOOL: Rescheduled U.S. Tour Dates Announced →

A video clip of DISTURBED singer David Draiman and former NBA star Dennis Rodman performing the LED ZEPPELIN classic "Whole Lotta Love" with the '80s metal/hard rock tribute band METAL SKOOL on February 26, 2007 at the Key club in Hollywood, California has been posted online at YouTube.com.
Source Continue reading DISTURBED Frontman Performs With METAL SKOOL In Hollywood; Video Available →

German power metallers GRAVE DIGGER have been confirmed for the Metalcamp 2007 festival, set to take place July 16-21, 2007 in Tolmin, Slovenia.
Source Continue reading GRAVE DIGGER Confirmed For Slovenia’s METALCAMP Festival →

"This will change everybody’s impression of the way touring in the summer in America should be."–Sharon Osbourne

Imagine a day of wall-to-wall hard rock.

Imagine the world's greatest headliner sharing a bill with cutting edge new artists.

Imagine if this brass-knuckled beast was hellbent on coming to your town.

Imagine this earth-pounding event…FOR FREE.

2007 will forever mark the year OZZFEST spiked the concert industry's punch and gave every head-banging American kid a reason to strap on an air guitar with the historic announcement that tickets to the summer’s premiere touring concert festival won't cost fans a dime.

Testing one, two, three…

That's right, OZZY and SHARON OSBOURNE and tour producer LIVE NATION broke the news today at the Concert Industry Consortium in Los Angeles that their 12th annual hard rock spectacular–a 25-date extravaganza launching July 7 in Los Angeles–is pulling the plug on ticket prices and giving the power back to the fans calling this summer’s OZZFEST "FreeFest." The other OZZFEST cities as of now are San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Kansas City, St Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Pittsburgh, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Hartford, Charlotte, Atlanta, West Palm Beach, Nashville. Note: a final confirmed list of cities and dates is forthcoming.

"For the last few years," says SHARON, "ticket prices have steadily climbed as artists demand more and more money for summer tours. We certainly want everybody to make money, however we also want the kids to be able to afford to come out and have an incredible experience. If we continued with the traditional touring festival model, we would have no choice but to raise ticket prices again this year."

Cited as “one of rock’s biggest juggernauts” in the cover feature of Sunday's New York Times' “Arts and Leisure” section (6/25/06), OZZFEST and Live Nation will turn to sponsors to provide added support for the festival's new incarnation. This summer’s OZZFEST will provide select sponsors with a unique opportunity to engage fans one-on-one utilizing one of music’s best known brands.

"We're reaching the same point we did years ago when kids no longer wanted to pay for overpriced CDs," compares Sharon. "As a result, they found alternative ways of getting music. That’s what’s happening with summer touring in this country, it’s out-pricing itself. We started this and we want to keep it and we want to make it bigger and bigger each year by getting bigger sponsors to be involved with the festival and underwriting the festival. That’s what it’s about."

“For the past 11 years, music fans have made OZZFEST the most successful and enduring rock music festival in the United States,” said Jason Garner, Live Nation President of North American Concerts. “What better way to say ‘Thank You’ to the music fans who have made this possible than inviting them to attend OZZFEST for free.”

To gain entry into the event, fans will go to www.ozzfest.com or www.livenation.com to find links that will direct them to special sponsor sites where tickets can be secured. More details regarding the process are forthcoming.

As OZZFEST’s founder and namesake, OZZY will make his triumphant return to the headlining position on this year's mainstage after surprising fans last year by performing on the down-and-dirty second stage at a handful of dates. Audiences can expect the Prince of Darkness to unveil new songs from his forthcoming studio album, OZZY’s first disc of new material since 2001. While the rest of the in-progress bill is under wraps, Sharon points out, "we have bands committed, but we’re hoping that after today's announcement we’ll have a whole influx of artists who want to be a part of something this ground breaking. We know there aren't any major headlining acts that would tour all summer for nothing, but we're confident we can turn some of the genre's biggest bands on to what we're doing and have them come out to play a date or two. If they're in town and want the rush of performing in front of 20,000 frenzied kids, they're more than welcome to join us. They can sell their t-shirts, CDs and whatever else they've got. They're also welcome to book their own shows in local venues on the day of OZZFEST. I’m not stopping them. People have to be creative and think of alternatives."

Since 1996, OZZFEST has been a virtual breeding ground for rising bands. The festival has been instrumental in igniting the careers of platinum-selling artists like System of a Down, Disturbed, Linkin Park, Incubus, Slipknot, Queens of the Stoneage and Godsmack. Along with supporting bands on the rise including Avenged Sevenfold, Mudvayne, Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage and Lacuna Coli, among others.

“OZZFEST was created to keep this genre of music alive by showcasing new talent," states Sharon. "You better believe we’re going to keep perpetuating that by hand-picking compelling new bands that are hungry for OZZFEST's career-making exposure."

REVOLTING ? the Swedish death metal band featuring Rogga Johansson (PAGANIZER, RIBSPREADER) ? will release its third CD, “In Grisly Rapture”, in early 2011 via FDA Rekotz.
Source Continue reading REVOLTING: New Album Update →

Century Media Records has set an October 25 release date for “Eparistera Daimones – The Complete Sessions” limited-edition vinyl box set from TRIPTYKON, the group formed by former HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST singer, guitarist, and main songwriter Tom Gabriel Warrior.
Source Continue reading TRIPTYKON: ‘Eparistera Daimones – The Complete Sessions’ Vinyl Box Set Due This Month →

Florida-based death metal veterans MORBID ANGEL entered Mana Recording Studios in St.
Source Continue reading MORBID ANGEL: Video Footage Of Drum-Tracking Sessions For New Album →