On Friday, January 1, IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain told Eddie Trunk — co-host of the VH1 Classic television program "That Metal Show" who has a long-running radio show, "Friday Night Rocks", on New York's Q104.3 FM — that the band will enter the studio in a couple weeks to start work on a new CD. According to Trunk, Nicko "said there was about eight songs written so far so the band would probably need to come up with a few more new songs while recording. [He added that] the material was a little different than past albums and they were taking their time with the recording schedule." McBrain also stated that the "new CD probably won't come out until 2011," according to Trunk.

Legendary actor Christopher Lee, who has appeared in such cinematic milestones as "Lord Of The Rings", "Star Wars", "The Man with the Golden Gun" and "Dracula", will release "Charlemagne", a concept album with original words and symphonic metal music, on March 15, 2010.

Composer Marco Sabiu, best known for his collaborations with Kylie Minogue, TAKE THAT, Pavarotti and Morricone, has created a truly epic canvas by introducing modern metal symphonies, in a style which resembles a movie score. Marie-Claire Calvet, a graduate from Bristol University, transports the listener into "The Dark Ages", with a very powerful storyline and mesmerizing lyrics. A full orchestra, heavy metal musi ...

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Singer Chris Cornell's (SOUNDGARDEN, AUDIOSLAVE) official website has been updated with the following message:

"The 12-year break is over and school is back in session. Sign up now. Knights of the Soundtable ride again!"

To sign up, go to www.soundgardenworld.com

Cornell told RollingStone.com in a July 2009 interview that while he and other former members of SOUNDGARDEN have been talking, they have not been discussing a much-rumored reunion. Instead, Cornell explained, "The only thing that we have talked about is trying ...

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Bryan Reesman of Attention Deficit Delirium recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Karl Sanders of South Carolina-based extreme technical death metallers NILE. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Attention Deficit Delirium: Given how tough everything is for bands nowadays, how is NILE holding up?

Sanders: Taking a beating. In the age of downloading, everyone thinks that all the money will be made on tour. Dude, that's also where we're getting hit really hard. Just the rising cost of transportation — the bus and the cost of diesel fuel — is our biggest fucking expense. That stuff has skyrocketed, yet we don't see an increase in the amoun ...

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Swiss hard rock veterans KROKUS will release their new album, "Hoodoo", on February 26, 2010 via the band's new deal with the Swiss branch of Sony Music.

Check out the CD artwork below.

According to the group's official newsletter, Swiss newspaper Blick asked producer and founding KROKUS member Chris Von Rohr the question that was on most people's minds: why did the fans had to wait so long for this new release? "We have only been back together for about two years with the original lineup and a killer song — much less an entire album — cannot be written, recorded and produced overnight," he replied. "The material needs to evolve, mature like a fine wine and one nee ...

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Zakk Wylde has revealed the following timetable for BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's activities over the course of the coming months:

January-February: New CD Recording
March: Mixing
April: Promotional Activities
May: Tour Rehearsals
June: New Album Release

Zakk's new recording studio was built by Zack Fagan of Under The Wire, a Studio City, California-based company which specializes in the installation of commercial and private recording studios and post-production complexes.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Skullage" DVD package sold 5,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 1 on the Top Music Videos chart. Relea ...

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Hváll (bass) of the Norwegian band VREID has issued the following update:

"2009 is coming to an end, and I thought I'd share some thoughts on the year that has been, and some info on the year to come.

"We released 'Milorg' [VREID's fourth album] during the first days of 2009. The response and reviews were fantastic, and from there one it went on and on. In February we did a co-headliner tour with KAMPFAR. A great tour indeed. Some really good shows, and social it was a great mix, I am sure we will hit the road again with these pagan Norsmen later on. Then we had the Inferno festival, which was a great show that we filmed for our upcoming DVD. It was immediately followe ...

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Belgian black metallers ENTHRONED have completed work on their eighth album, "Pentagrammaton", for an early 2010 release via Regain Records.

Commented the band: "We are very satisfied of how'Pentagrammaton' turned out; the final result of the album is exactly what we wanted to achieve: an album which can be best situated between our last offering 'Tetra Karcist' and ENTHRONED cult album 'Towards The Skullthrone Of Satan', yet adding some new elements as usual.

"The whole concept of 'Pentagrammaton' deals with direct approach: the sound is warmer than 'Tetra Karcist', natural drums, heavy guitars for a lyrical concept based on lived experiences and facts, somehow someth ...

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According to the Herald Sun, ROSE TATTOO guitarist Mick Cocks lost his battle with liver cancer earlier today (Tuesday, December 22). He had been battling the disease since April this year.

Some of Australia's best-loved rockers — including ROSE TATTOO, JIMMY BARNES, YOU AM I, IAN MOSS and THE SCREAMING JETS — joined forces in July to put on a benefit gig for Cocks.

ROSE TATTOO guitarist Pete Wells passed away in March 2006 after a long battle with prostate cancer.

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Swedish black metallers WATAIN will enter Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, NOMINON, AVERSE SEFIRA, FUNERAL MIST, MORK GRYNING, ADORIOR) in Alvik, Sweden with longtime producer Tore Stjerna on January 3, 2010 to begin recording their new album for a late spril/early summer release.

In a recent interview with Decibel magazine, WATAIN bassist/vocalist Erik Danielsson stated about the band's decision to record at Necromorbus again, "I'd hate to come to a new studio and have to adapt to a new environment and a new producer. Necromorbus feels as much like home as our rehearsal place does. We are free to do what we want there and that is important as we always lock ourselves up in the studio ...

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