More Big Names Announced For New Guitar Hero Game

It has been revealed that Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society and System Of A Down are the latest acts to be confirmed for the forthcoming Guitar Hero: World Tour game. System Of A Down will contribute with their hit song "B.Y.O.B." from the acclaimed "Mezmerize" album and Black Label Society will donate "Stillborn" to the game. Ozzy Osbourne will have two songs featured, both of which come from his 1980 debut album, "Blizzard Of Ozz." The songs will be the staple "Crazy Train" and the haunting "Mr. Crowley." In addition to this, both Ozzy and his long time partner in crime Zakk Wylde will be playable characters in the game. Also confirmed for the game will be the Ozzfest venue to give the game an extra edge when performing as Ozzy, Zakk or any other character.

The acts join in with other confirmed acts such as Def Leppard and Van Halen.

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"Mandatory Metallica" To Launch On XM Radio

Metallica will have a dedicated channel on XM Radio, it was announced today. Beginning August 16, “Mandatory Metallica” (XM 51), will provide fans with music from the entire Metallica catalog, including rare live recordings from the band’s personal archives, extensive interviews with the band and more. Metallica guitarist and singer James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo will serve as hosts for the six-week long channel.

In addition, the channel will also air interviews with other artists who will share their thoughts about Metallica’s musical contributions, including Linkin Park, Slipknot, Disturbed, Guns n Roses, Chris Cornell, Ashes Divide, Blackstone Cherry, Five Finger Death Punch, Atreyu, Skid Row, Cinderella, Mastodon, Judas Priest, Dragonforce, Triumph, Tesla and many others.

“Mandatory Metallica” is the latest limited run artist-branded channel to be offered by XM, which have included Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, George Strait, Coldplay and Kenny Chesney.

“Mandatory Metallica” (XM 51) will be available on XM from August 16 through September 30. Programming information will be available online at xmradio.com/metallica.

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Jeff Wagner Writing Book On Progressive Metal

Bazillion Points Publishing has announced the first definitive book on the elusive world of progressive metal, written by esteemed metal crusader and prog manic and THE END RECORDS staff member Jeff Wagner. Scheduled for release in Autumn 2009, the book will detail the common movements of pioneers like OPETH, WATCHTOWER, VOIVOD, ATHEIST, DREAM THEATER, PSYCHOTIC WALTZ, CELTIC FROST, SIGH, and FATES WARNING — metal bands who have gone against the tide of tradition and conservatism. Linked by a desire to push heavy metal forward, these varied bands with a couple hundred other black sheep form the hard-to-pin-down category of "progressive metal."

Beginning with the hugely influential mid-1970s efforts of Canadian band RUSH, Wagner's book explores the shared lineage of prog rock and metal. He unfurls the huge tapestry and examines the sounds and styles created during the genre's 40-year history, including: the "Big Three" — QUEENSRŸCHE, FATES WARNING, and DREAM THEATER; extreme prog pioneers VOIVOD and CELTIC FROST; Norway's post-black metal avant garde (ULVER, ARCTURUS, VED BUENS ENDE, BEYOND DAWN, etc.); and of course the huge global movement of Big Three-worshippers in the 1990s and the leaders that emerged (AYREON, SYMPHONY X, etc.). The vastness of what can be considered "progressive metal" has proven to be one of the most viable, malleable forms in all of modern music. More...

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NIN Postpones Worcester Show Due To Illness

Nine Inch Nails has been forced to cancel tonight's show in Worcester, MA due to illness. Trent's recurring throat ailment has reportedly left him unable to perform.

The show will be rescheduled and ticketholders should retain their tickets, as they will be honored on the new date.

In related Nine Inch Nails news, the band has just added a Buenos Aires date, rescheduled their Minneapolis, MN show and announced their appearance at the New Orleans Voodoo Festival. Details are as follows:

10.02.08 Buenos Aires, Argentina Club Ciudad de Buenos Aires; tickets on sale: 12 Aug 08 10:00 am BST, presale: 08 Aug 08 5:00 pm BST

10.25.08 New Orleans, LA Voodoo Festival @ City Park;
rescheduled date: 11.25.08 Minneapolis, MN Target Center

11.25.08 Minneapolis, MN Target Center w/ Crystal Castles (sold out show)

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AC/DC Invites Fans To Be A Part Of New Music Video

Blabbermouth.net reports: Want to be a part of the next music video by AC/DC? Well, here's a chance for 150 lucky AC/DC fans to win a chance to be part of the new AC/DC video to be shot in London, England on August 16, 2008. Contest entry form is located here.

AC/DC's new album, "Black Ice", has had its release date pushed up one week, from October 28 to October 21. The record, AC/DC's first in eight years, will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart.

The first single from "Black Ice", titled "Rock 'n Roll Train", will arrive at radio stations August 28. A source at Harddrive Radio described it as "smoking hot. It's AC/DC like we love them, loud, anthemic and hard!"

"Black Ice" is AC/DC's first new studio effort since 2000's "Stiff Upper Lip". It was recorded at a Canadian studio with PEARL JAM and BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN producer Brendan O'Brien.

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Sunn O))) Announces US Tour Dates

SUNN O))) has announced four live performances in the United States, to recognize the 10th anniversary of SUNN O)))'s creation and to coincide with the recording of their first album, "The GrimmRobe Demos." The band will be playing material from this album exclusively. The material will be performed by Sunn O)))'s core members only - Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson; No guests, no vocals, no keyboards.

Sunn O))) presents: Shoshin/GrimmRobes USA tour 2008:

Oct. 10th Los Angeles, CA. @ Safari Sams w/ John Weise + guests TBA) ALL AGES
Oct. 12th Portland, Or. @ Berbatis' Pan (Fall Into Darkness fest. w/guests TBA) all ages w/bar.
Oct. 15th New York, NY. @ the Knitting Factory (w/ Tony Conrad, Thou)
Oct. 16th Philadelphia, PA. @ the First Unitarian Church (w/ Thou + guests TBA) ALL AGES

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Bilocate Headlining Metal Nation Show in Lebanon

Jordanian dark metallers BILOCATE are confirmed to be a part of the coming "The Metal Nation" concert in Lebanon as headliners, along with the Lebanese Doom Death Metal Band "Kimaera".

The Concert will be a part of "Sudden Death Syndrome" release tour.

The Metal Nation concert will be held on the 6th of September, 2008 (Saturday) at La Cité - Jounieh, Lebanon.

The Metal Nation line up is as follows:

Bilocate
Kimaera
Beyond Fallacy
Dethroned
Silent Anthem

Gates Open @ 7.30 pm. More...

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Devildriver and Snot Tour Dates Revealed

As previously reported, Devildriver and the newly reunited Snot will be teaming up for a tour this Fall, beginning in October.

The initial tour dates are as follows:

October 14 - Bakersfield, CA @ The Dome
October 15 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
October 17 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Grill
October 18 - Vancouver, BC @ Red Room
October 19 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
October 20 - Spokane, WA @ The Big Easy
October 21 - Boise, ID @ The Big Easy
October 22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas
October 23 - Las Vegas, NV @ Jillian’s
October 24 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
October 25 - San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick
October 26 - San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick

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All Shall Perish Announces Album Release Date

All Shall Perish have announced that their new album, "Awaken The Dreams" will be released on September 16th via Nuclear Blast Records. You can check out some of the new songs at this location.

The tracklisting is as follows:

01. When Life Meant More…
02. Black Gold Reign
03. Never…Again
04. The Ones We Left Behind
05. Awaken the Dreamers
06. Memories of a Glass Sanctuary
07. Stabbing to Purge Dissimulation
08. Gagged, Bound, Shelved and Forgotten
09. Until The End = till the end
10. From So Far Away
11. Misery’s Introduction
12. Songs for the Damned

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Sepultura Reveals New Album Title And Tracklisting

Brazillian metal legends Sepultura have announced that the title of their Clockwork Orange inspired new album will be "A-Lex" (Russian for "no law".) The band states the album "features 18 songs in 60 minutes total playtime and it's a milestone in Sepultura's career. It's the first album recorded with drummer Jean Dolabella and it sounds different from any other work from Sepultura."

The album is expected to be released this November.

The tracklisting is as follows:

A-Lex I:
1. "Moloko Mesto"
2. "Filthy Rot"
3. "We've Lost You"
4. "What I Do!"
A-Lex II:
5. "The Treatment"
6. "Metamorphosis"
7. "Sadistic Values"
8. "Forceful Behavior"
9. "Conform"
A-Lex III:
10. "The Experiment"
11. "Strike"
12. "Enough Said"
13. "Ludwig Van"
A-Lex IV:
14. "Paradox"

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