Uncut have loaded a brand new exclusive interview with Porcupine Tree frontman/musician extrodinaire Steven Wilson, in which he talks about the inspiration and thought process behind the new epic Fear Of A Blank Planet, and how it

When the awe-inspiring Megadeth played Loud Park in 2006, they were recorded playing ‘Washington Is Next’ taken from their forthcoming album “United Abominations“.

To view the video at YouTube click here

“United Abominations” is released on May 15, with the following tracklisting:

01. Sleepwalker
02. Washington Is Next!
03. Never Walk Alone
04. United Abominations
05. Gears Of War
06. Blessed Are The Dead
07. Play For Blood
08. A Tout Le Monde (feat. Cristina Scabbia)
09. Amerikhastan
10. You're Dead
11. Burnt Ice

Check out the cover artwork at this location, and download “Sleepwalker” here.

Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefsom was the featured guest on the ‘All Knowing Force’ web-based interview show on Tuesday 20th March. Also on the program was Soulfly guitarist Marc Rizz. You can stream ‘All Knowing Force’ at www.allknowingforce.com

SOURCE: BLABBERMOUTH

Two brand new audio interviews have been uploaded to the site with Within Temptation and Shadows Fall, giving the low down on their respective albums and plans for the future.

Within Temptation's new album, The Heart Of Everything is out now – download first track The Howling here
Shadows Fall's latest effort, entitled Threads Of Life hits the shops on April 2nd – check their MySpace page to hear the new single Redemption.

MACHINE HEAD frontman Robert Flynn has issued the following update:

“Hey, hey, hey, HEY, fuckers!!!! What the hell is crack-a-latin' my beer-breathed brethren? I myself am doing fan-fucking-tastic, driving to Canada right now after playing an absolutely RAGING show in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tour is going seriously incredible, pretty much every single night is sold out, and the crowds are fucking sick. I'd love to sit here and name all the great shows but there are really just too many to name. Off the top of my head though, trophies go to Santa Cruz, Fargo (holy shit!), Fresno, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Milwaukee (oh my GOD!!??) and Edmonton-Canada to name a few… in fact, surprisingly, the only really boring shows were Anaheim and L.A.

“Been really hitting our stride as a band lately (finally) and have gotten to know the LAMB OF GOD dudes really well. Solid, solid dudes, man, really good guys, and considering the success they're having here in America, they're doing a damn good job of keeping their heads on their shoulders. As fans of the band, we've been watching them kill it night after night, and I gotta say, they are pretty much everything that's right with metal. The TRIVIUM dudes have been hanging out a lot too, and they are a great bunch of guys, really cool, funny… I think Corey [Beaulieu] has a man-crush on Phil [Demmel], but man, Corey and Matt [Heafy] fucking SHRED on guitar, wow!!!! Seriously… REALLY fuckin' good players. GOJIRA… are simply crushing!! They are just such a good fucking band. And live, they somehow manage to get heavier??!!! I listen to them just about every night and they never cease to impress me; there's at least one point every night during their set where I just go 'Fuck!?… that's sick!?' We couldn't ask to be on a better tour right now.
“Gotta couple of new developments going on in the camp. We have decided that we will not be releasing the video for 'Now I Lay Thee Down' as the first video off of 'The Blackening', the main reasoning being that we want to come out with a harder track for the first video. We came out with 'Davidian' off 'Burn My Eyes', we came with 'Ten Ton Hammer' off 'The More Things Change', we came with 'Imperium' off 'Through the Ashes of Empires'… and we feel we need to come out swinging with 'The Blackening'. It felt weird coming with a more melodic track as the first video, so us and Roadrunner spoke and thankfully they agreed, so we will be shooting another video. We would LOVE to shoot a proper video for the opening track 'Clenching the Fists of Dissent, but we are completely conundrummed about how to shorten our 10-minute-and-34-second megalithic opener down to 5 minutes without having to remove entire sections at a time, or worse, edit them down to 20 second pieces (but hey, any suggestions are welcome). So, our most likely candidate is 'Aesthetics of Hate', and we may shoot it as early as this week. It's unfortunate that we won't have a video to coincide with the release, especially since in Europe the video market is much stronger than in America, but if that's the only hiccup we encounter for this album's release, then we're WAY ahead of the 'hiccups' we had with the last one.

“Super stoked to be going out on the HEAVEN AND HELL tour in America; for those of you living under a rock, that's BLACK SABBATH with the mighty Ronnie James Dio on vocals, who recorded some of the best songs in all of metal. MEGADETH is also on the bill which is fuckin' killer, those two bands are the reason there's a MACHINE HEAD, and we are honored to be a part of it. This is gonna be all about paying homage to The Masters.

“To the best of our knowledge, the 'Burn My Eyes' re-release that was supposed to have coincided with the 25th anniversary of Roadrunner Records back in 2005 and was then re-scheduled to be released in October 2006, has been back-burnered. And as far as we're concerned, that's a good thing. This is the year of 'The Blackening', and the time frame to re-release it has passed, not to mention that the idea of re-releasing a 13-year old album that we already celebrated with two anniversary shows (three years ago) makes zero sense to us. We were never excited about reissuing it to begin with, as it was just gonna have a bunch of b-sides, and wouldn't have been nearly as cool some of the other re-issues that had DVDs and all sorts of cool shit… so, as much as some of you may be bummed, know that it's better this way.

“And speaking of which, we have less than two weeks 'til 'The Blackening' is released and we're all freaking out about it!! Super jacked-up, nervous, confident, insecure, but most of all optimistic-as-fuck about what the future holds. We wrote a record that went against everything we should be doing after the success of 'Through the Ashes of Empires'. We probably should have written songs more toned down that would give media outlets a chance to play them; we probably should have written a record that didn't have such edgy subject matter, or as many swear words; we probably should have written a record that fit a little easier into established radio/video formats… but you know what? Fuck that! What we did was write a record that is straight from the heart. We made a record that, as selfish as this sounds, is the record we wanted to hear, but weren't hearing anywhere else. We created a 61-minute piece of art that is supposed to be listened to as a whole, not a single. And it ain't the easiest way we could have done it, sure, but it's the only way we know how TO do it. Kudos and cheers go to the surprising amount of college and major-radio stations (with specialty metal shows) that have had the balls to play the un-edited versions of these songs. Fuck yeah!

“But it can't stop there, now is where you, the HEAD-cases of the world, come in. I said the same thing for our last album, and I'm gonna say it again. We have put forth a record that defies convention, media outlets don't even know where to begin with us, and in America in particular, most of these magazines are either scared of the lyrics, or are still too spineless to actually GET BEHIND the band for a change…

“…but that beast must be fed.

“We don't get this platform because our record company — or anyone for that matter — thinks it's a good idea to write 10-minute songs criticizing war in the midst of one most controversial, or write 9-minute songs that piss off a multitude of Christian organizations, or write songs that reference suicide, or words like 'faggot' and 'nigga.' No, the only reason we get this platform is because you fuckers have stood by us with an unwavering conviction, because you fuckers have carried us on your goddamn shoulders, and because you fuckers have supported this band through thick and fucking thin. And we need you to do it again.

“On Friday, March 23rd, 'The Blackening' will be released in Germany… on Monday, March 26th, it will be released everywhere else in the world, and on Tuesday, March 27th, it will be released here in North America. If you've already taken the album on a 'test drive' and liked what you heard, do everybody involved a solid and go buy the CD! Pick it up at your local record shop, order it online, buy it off iTunes and download it to your iPod, whatever. Add banners to your message board sigs, spread the e-card around… spread the word!!! If you've read any of the glowing reviews that have been pouring in, you know this record is for real… believe the hype. Now we've talked before about how (for reasons that remain beyond our comprehension) the music industry (still) puts way too much stock in first-week sales, but it is what it is, so if you believe at all in the notion of supporting the artists you love, then god dammit, right here, and right now, stand by your band!!! If you aren't feeling 'The Blackening', fair enough brother (or sister), peace be with you, but if you ARE???!!! Pound motherfuckers into oblivion with this shit, buy it the day it comes out, play it for everybody you know, over and over and over again, encourage every friend, acquaintance, and stranger you only kinda know (or don't) to go pick this bad boy up. Seriously… it's time to unleash the wolves…

“It is time to UNLEASH THE FUCKING WOLVES!!!!!!!!!!!”

To tide you over until Monday's release of The Blackening check out the Machine Head eCard!

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was the featured guest on Tuesday night's (March 20) “The Radio 1 Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter” on BBC Radio 1. Listen to the interview online at BBC.co.uk (the Dave Mustaine interview begins approximately one hour, 10 minutes into the program).

When asked about MEGADETH's touring plans in support of the band's upcoming “United Abominations” album, Mustane said, “One of the things that we really wanna do is to look at what our touring potential is. And we've got a pretty busy year. Because I'm a little older, I've got a nerve problem in my back and I can't play as many days in a row. That's one of the things that is important for me — really taking care of myself and utilizing my time on the road well. That means I'm gonna play less, and that means the concerts need to be more important, the way that they're planned and routed. There's so many territories that have to be done on this record, this tour will probably be a year and a half. I imagine that if everything goes according to the plans that my health holds up — the primary purpose of this whole thing is to allow me to function at my optimum health — it could be a two-year campaign. Because there needs to be time off in between each leg for me to nurture my family, because I just resolved heading for divorce, and that was really a terrible thing. It was not meant to be public, but because of the vultures that wait on my bedpost for everything I ever say — everything I do is on a particular web site — and it was unfortunate. We're together — my wife is actually here [in England] with me now, with my son, and it's a great thing. Because over the years, it never really worked well because the music was always first. It ain't anymore, and that's why this record turned out as good as it is. Because my family is first… Well, my family is actually second. My faith is first, and then my family is second, and then the music is third. So because everything else is going so good, when I go into the guitar world and I put on my little headphones and pick up my guitar, it's like, 'OK, now it’s time to unleash the beast and to really, really just get it on.' Instead of being in character all day long, every day. 'Oh, look, it's Dave Mustaine.' 'Gosh, he was really nice, but when he got on stage, he was a monster.' That's what I like — I like getting on stage and being the guy that everybody thinks they know.”

“United Abominations” is released on May 15, with the following tracklisting:

01. Sleepwalker
02. Washington Is Next!
03. Never Walk Alone
04. United Abominations
05. Gears Of War
06. Blessed Are The Dead
07. Play For Blood
08. A Tout Le Monde (feat. Cristina Scabbia)
09. Amerikhastan
10. You're Dead
11. Burnt Ice

Check out the cover artwork at this location, and download “Sleepwalker” here.

WITHIN TEMPTATION and STONE SOUR are the latest in a growing list of RR bands to be

Unless you have been living under a rock or in a cave for the past few months, you will know that the triumphant metallers Machine Head have blessed us all with another kick-in-the-balls album, ‘The Blackening’.

Here’s your chance to have a preview of the eagerly anticipated, brand-spankin’-new album from Madina Lake – ‘From Them, Through Us, To You’. Not only that, oh no, you can receive some stylish promo merchandise, a perfect opportunity to fill that space on your wall with a Madina Lake poster, put stickers on all your stuff and badges on your clothes! The debut concept album is based around a fictional town called Madina Lake where all sorts of strange occurrences take place, a place where lies, crimes, and deceit, are buried by its inhabitants which makes this an essential album to blow your speakers when you take one home on Monday the 26th April.

In today's Independent, Jonathan Brown has written a fascinating article about a recent study showing that gifted kids listen more to metal than the more stereotypical genres of classical and jazz.

How Death Metal Is The Soundtrack Of Child Prodigies

Heavy metal has long been saddled with a reputation for attracting admirers more interested in decibels than Descartes. New research, however, promises to rescue the genre from the mosh pit of intellectual obscurity.

A study has revealed that death metal and thrash bands such as Slayer and Slipknot produce the music of choice for today's brightest youngsters.

A survey which was carried out among students at the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth, a cohort drawn from the top 5 per cent of the nation's youngsters, drew praise for metal's “visceral brutality” with more than a third rating it among their favourite styles. Researchers admitted they were surprised to find that “intelligent” genres traditionally associated with the precociously bright, such as classical and jazz, were the least popular.

What they discovered instead was that youngsters liked to let off steam to hardcore sounds, particularly if it had an emotionally charged or overtly political message behind it. One respondent said: “You can't really jump your anger into the floor and listen to music at the same time with other types of music.”

Stuart Cadwallader of the University of Warwick, which conducted the survey, said heavy metal was found to provide a form of “catharsis”, particularly for those with low self-esteem.

They found the aggressive music a useful conduit for their frustrations and anger, according to the findings revealed at the British Psychological Society conference in York yesterday.

Mr Cadwallader said this intellectual elite often found themselves facing situations and issues not encountered by less able students.

“Perhaps the pressure associated with being gifted and talented can be temporarily forgotten with the aid of music,” he said.

While other musical forms such as rock, pop and R&B were rated as the most popular, students said they felt particularly attracted to the “thrashiness” of heavy metal.

Answering questions in an online survey, one student said Systems of a Down's anti-war track, “Bring Your Own Bombs” particularly appealed. Another track, “Aenima” by Tool, was praised for its subject matter – “the stupidity of the celebrity culture”.

Another praised “the visceral brutality offered by metal bands like Slipknot and Machine Head.” The student added: “The cathartic release offered by heavy music played loud, either by my hi-fi or myself on guitar, is a wonderful thing when it's needed.”

However, many of the students disagreed over what constituted a heavy metal fan andargued that they liked to pick and choose from different styles according tothe way they were feeling.

One student concluded: “As with most music, it depends heavily on the person's mood at the time. So while there probably is your 'average metalhead fan', there will also be a lot of other fans who just feel 'metalheady' every so often. Which I guess goes some way to justify my playlists being named 'emotions'.”

School of Rock

System Of A Down Los Angeles-based four-piece whose politically-charged output has much to do with the fact they are descended from Armenian genocide victims.

Machine Head Boasting albums entitled Burn My Eyes and Hellsalive, the Oakland-based nu-metallers were banned by MTV for lyrical insensitivity after the Waco siege.

Slipknot Once compared to a “threshing machine devouring a military drum corps” this Des Moines nine-piece achieved notoriety with their first album, Mate.Feed.Kill.Repeat.

Slayer Recently celebrated 25 years of exploring the delights of satanism and serial killers.

Finntroll Finnish folk-death metal band that sings in Swedish and draws on Norse legend.

Machine Head's new album, The Blackening hits the shops on Monday – a sutble remind as to why the above is true. If you can't quite wait that long, check out the eCard to whet the appetite!