A brand new MEGADETH track, entitled "Sleepwalker", has been made available for free download at this location (e-mail sign-up required).

"Sleepwalker" comes off MEGADETH's new album, "United Abominations", due on May 15 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was mixed at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, England by Andy Sneap (MACHINE HEAD, SKINLAB, NEVERMORE). Check out the cover artwork at this location. A professionally shot vide ...

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STRAPPING YOUNG LAD mastermind Devin Townsend has changed the projected title of his next solo album to "Ziltoid the Omniscient" from the previously announced "The Mighty Masturbator". Devin described the material on the CD as a mix between STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND. The album, which will be released under the DEVIN TOWNSEND banner instead of THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND, will reportedly be recorded completely by Devin, who is expected to take care of the singing, playing guitar, playing bass, playing all synthesizers and samples, and mixing and producing the CD on his own. Devin has stated on the < ...

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RUSH vocalist/bassist Geddy Lee recently spoke to Revolver magazine (web site) about the group's new album, "Snakes & Arrows", due on May 1 via Atlantic.

"It's hard to describe," said Lee. "It's big, it's bold, and I think it's some of the best work we've done in years. I'm really pleased with the quality of the songs, and there's lots of playing on it."

The upcoming CD promises to be the most organic-sounding RUSH effort in decades, having been influenced by their experience of making "Feedback", the band's 2004 EP of classic-rock covers.

"Playing those s ...

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According to Black-Sabbath.com, the new BLACK SABBATH track "The Devil Cried" is available for streaming via the Rhino Records web site. Check it out in the following formats:

Windows Media (100k)
Windows Media (56k)
Real Player

According to MaidenNorway.com, fans of ANTHRAX have launched an online petition to get members of ANTHRAX to consider former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno as their new frontman. The petition reads as follows:

"As longtime fans of ANTHRAX, we consider the future of the band of the utmost importance. The band's lack of a singer concerns us because we truly care about ANTHRAX. While many of us would like to see the return of one of their more popular singers (specifically, John Bush or Joey Belladonna), we understand that that may not be possible. Because of these circumst ...

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According to Pollstar.com, the VAN HALEN tour that was never officially announced is now officially postponed indefinitely. The rumored tour took on an air of reality after a trade magazine announced that original singer David Lee Roth was about to sign on the dotted line, and that was soon followed by a press release via Eddie Van Halen's spokeswoman-slash-girlfriend. Unfortunately, the worldwide frenzy of a VH reunion was too good to be true, at least for the present day. However, there was a lot of paper getting inked and Pollstar states that a tour announcement might not have been far off.

Sources also tell Denver's Rocky Mountain News that VAN HALEN's performance at next m ...

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JUDAS PRIEST is currently recording a concept album about the 16th Century French prophet Nostradamus. In a recent interview with Rockdetector's Garry Sharpe-Young, Rob Halford admitted the band's often perceived secrecy was sometimes intentional. "Look, I love the Internet as a tool for knowledge gathering and for its amazing marketing possibilities but sometimes you have to step back a bit and present something in a better way," he said. "Just because the Internet allows you to give everything instantly does not always make that the right choice. I believe that if you go along ...

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World-renowned guitar-shredding phenom Michael Angelo Batio (HOLLAND, N.I.T.R.O., MICHAEL ANGELO, HANDS WITHOUT SHADOWS) recently appeared at NAMM 2007 and unveiled his new "Quad" guitar (photo), designed in conjunction with Dean Zelinski. This guitar replaces the original Ritz "Quad" (photo) that was designed in conjunction with Wayne Charvel and which was subsequently stolen in 1989 while on tour in El Paso, TX. Only half of the ...

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Vassil Varbanov of Bulgaria's Tangra Mega Rock recently conducted an interview with HELLOWEEN guitarist Michael Weikath. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Tangra Mega Rock: You sound like you're having a rest, am I right?

Weikath: In fact, I have to come up with a few new good ideas very soon, because in the end of May we'll all meet and discuss them. Actually, we have a meeting with the band tomorrow, just for sorting out basic ideas and everything. We'll start recording in May or June, so we all have to get into work very intensively, because the ...

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German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR have issued the following update:

"We're in the middle of recording drums for the new, yet-untitled PRIMAL FEAR album No. 7. We started with the recordings for our new album over last weekend. Randy [Black] is in a fantastic shape, good mood and well prepared. We will be done with the drums tomorrow and start tracking guitars and bass." Songtitles set to appear on the follow-up to 2005's "Seven Seals" include "Save Me", "Torn" and "Every Time It Rains". A summer release via Frontiers Records is expected.

Check out pictures from the recording studio at