"Jade", the new video from X JAPAN, one of the most influential rock bands in Japanese history, can be viewed below.

The "Jade" single will be released in North America, Europe and Latin America on Tuesday, June 28 in all digital formats. "Jade" is the first track from the band's English debut album, currently in the final stages of recording.

A "Jade" full-length ringtone will be made available exclusively in Japan on June 28, and the single will be released there and in Southeast Asia two weeks later on July 13.

"This is a years-long dream of X JAPAN's, to release a record in the Americas and in Europe," said Yoshiki, X JAPAN's leader/producer/songwriter/ ...

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"Takao", the new video from Taiwanese metallers CHTHONIC, can be viewed below. The single was digitally released with a bonus track that features special English-language choruses sung by members of Finland's ENSIFERUM.

"The original version of this chorus is totally Taiwanese folk style, but the version that ENSIFERUM's singing sounds so Finnish folk! So amazing, we definitely want to share this version with our fans!" said by Doris Yeh, leader and bassist of CHTHONIC.

Yu Tien, a popular Taiwanese Enka singer, can be heard on the original version of "Takao".

"Takao" is a song about the Taiwanese soldiers recruited from the Takao harbor to fight in the Pacif ...

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Progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER have set "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in early September via Roadrunner Records. The CD is currently being mixed by Andy Wallace, who has previously worked with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, WHITE ZOMBIE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, SEPULTURA, SLAYER and NIRVANA, among many others.

"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 a ...

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Swedish progressive metallers OPETH will release their tenth album, "Heritage", on September 20 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was produced by OPETH vocalist/guitarist 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.

"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 stan ...

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Mike Mangini, the 48-year-old session artist who has played for ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, JAMES LABRIE and STEVE VAI, has officially joined DREAM THEATER as the replacement for the recently departed Mike Portnoy.

Commented Mangini: "The day that I got the phone call to be in DREAM THEATER, it took my brain a minute to assemble what was going on, and when it sank in, the feeling was just of tremendous relief.

"It means so much to me, I almost felt like crying a couple of times. [Laughs] I didn't know what to do.

"What it means to me to be part of not only such a legendary band, but this band, is a sense of fulfillment and purpose. I feel like a puzzle piece, and w ...

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The first in a series of webisodes in which progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER share with their fans some of the intense process, along with the musical joy, that went into choosing a new drummer can be viewed at this location. (Note: The video stream may not be available to some non-U.S. residents.)

A little more than a month after original drummer Mike Portnoy's sudden departure from DREAM THEATER, the band held three days of auditions in New York City. Over an amazing and productive three-day period, the band played, jammed and spoke candidly with seven of the world's greatest drummers, learning about the ...

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NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon recently completed tracking all the vocal parts for the band's new album, "Imaginarium", and the mixing sessions for the CD began on April 13.

Olzon was forced to delay the start of her recording sessions for "Imaginarium" because she needed a longer recovery period after she suffered broken ribs in a fall. The band's keyboardist and main composer Tuomas Holopainen wrote on NIGHTWISH's official web site, "[Anette] hasn't quite cured from her broken ribs yet, but fortunately it doesn't affect her singing at all. She's never sounded better."

Olzon has issued the following report from the recording studio:

"Last time I wrote a studi ...

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The remaining members of KAMELOT have released the following statement regarding the departure of the band's frontman, Roy Khan:

"With a heavy heart, we can now announce that Roy Khan has chosen to leave the band. We wanted to give him ample time for this kind of decision, due to his recent burnout and also the amount of amazing times we have shared with him in KAMELOT. We respectfully accept his resignation from the band and wish him the best in his future endeavors. The timing is actually good since we feel the uncertainty the fans have had can now be laid to rest and the band can move on to finding a new singer."

"The tour is going great so far and the fans have been ...

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I.C.S Vortex has officially announced his return to BORKNAGAR.

To mark this grand cooperation between Vintersorg and I.C.S. Vortex, the organizers of the Inferno festival have revealed that BORKNAGAR will headline the 2012 edition with both vocalists on stage.

Over the past months, there has been a wide array of rumors and speculations about I.C.S Vortex' involvement with BORKNAGAR, so now it's time for us to bring this out from the dungeons and into the plains of clarity: Vortex is back as a permanent member of BORKNAGAR. Vortex will handle the bass as well as doing vocals together with Vintersorg.

I.C.S. Vortex was re- introduced to BORKNAGAR in 2010 after ...

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Aniruddh "Andrew" Bansal of Metal Assault conducted a short interview with JUDAS PRIEST drummer Scott Travis at the third annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards, which took place last night (Wednesday, April 20) at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles, California.

On whether he's as shocked as everyone else at original JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing's decision to leave the band:

Scott Travis: "Oh yes, I sure am. Everyone has been asking me about it, but then K.K. is a legend, so I do expect everyone to ask me about it."

On what this means for PRIEST to embark on a "farewell" tour:

Scott Travis: "I think we'll go as long as we want to go. ...

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