OPETH have been nominated for an award in the inaugural Prog Awards and the mag sat Mike down in front of a camera recently to ask him how he felt to be nominated and what it’s like to be in direct competition with Steven Wilson. Click here to find out more info on Prog’s website and check out the clip below:

As we mentioned last week, during the lead-up to the release of THE AMITY AFFLICTION‘s upcoming album ‘Chasing Ghosts‘ on the 1st of October, the band will be revealing a 30-second snippet of each track from the album every day for the next 10 days. Frontman Joel Birch has also written a brief explanation for each track and since reporting this more tracks have been revealed – check them out below:

‘Chasing Ghosts’ explained:

“I wrote Chasing Ghosts as a narrative based wholly around someone that has committed suicide and has passed onto the other side. It’s a story that I hope people will see for what it is; an example in song of why you should turn to someone close and talk instead of taking that last fatal step towards death prematurely. I just want to reiterate to people that once you’re gone, that’s it. There’s no ghosts. There’s no heaven, no hell, just finality and the wreckage left behind in the wake of their decision.”

‘RIP BON’ explained:

Listen to ‘RIP Bon’ in full below:

“This song I wrote to try and give voice to all the people left behind when a close friend takes their life. The thing that people need to realise when they’re contemplating suicide is that there are many, many devastating repercussions to their actions, it’s not just an ‘easy way out’ as some people may see it. I also think that the people left behind need a voice just like the people who have passed on. In this song the words are written from a friend, to a friend that has passed on, expressing their deep sense of guilt at not being able to prevent it, all the way through to their anger that their friend didn’t have the strength to actually lean on them in their time of need. I really feel that’s something that is happening all too often when it comes to depression, and although it’s extremely hard, people need to open up to their friends as much as possible to avoid taking that final, terrible step towards death.”

‘Life Underground’ explained:

“This song is written from the perspective of someone who has killed themselves; it’s spoken from the grave, putting words to the regret they feel for taking their life. I guess I was really trying to put across the fact that there’s no glorification that comes from suicide. It’s a short trip from being alive to being dead, and once you’re gone that’s it. That’s the theme that runs through this whole album in a great deal of the songs, and this one is no different. The lines ‘Is this really what I wished for when I felt my feet drag heavy on the earth? Is this really the answer I sought when I was searching for self worth?’ are directly linked to that sentiment. There’s a moving from the beginning of the song to the end (with my particular parts) that the protagonist almost changes from regret to anger, from wishing he/she hadn’t done it, to just wishing their memory would be erased because of the shame of it all.”

Open Letter explained:

“This really is an open letter of sorts from me to everyone that listens to Amity. I’ve been through some tough times in the past and I’ve found that through our music I’ve been able to feel a real catharsis, and hopefully other people can relate to our music in the same way and feel that same sense of cleansing that I have felt. I wrote the line ‘I’m not searching the sky for a reason to live ’cause I found beauty right here and the passion to give…’ to directly relay this to the listeners; as far as our music is concerned I am dedicated to giving as much of myself to them as I can to try and help them through whatever it is they’re going through. I’ve really found enough beauty in everyday life to get me through the toughest of times, and if other people can start to open up to it through our music then that’s a truly amazing thing.”

SOULFLY are set for a short UK visit next month. The Phoenix, AZ-based outfit, fronted by metal legend Max Cavalera, play five shows in support of current album, ‘Enslaved’.

‘Enslaved’ was recorded in late 2011 in Tallcat Studios in Arizona, and was produced by Zeuss together with Max Cavalera. Released in March 2012, it was the first to feature studio recordings from new recruits Tony Campos (Static X/Asesino) on bass, and former Borknagar drummer David Kinkade on drums. Guests on the album also include Dez Fafara (DevilDriver/Coal Chamber) and Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation).

The European tour, christened the ‘Maximum Cavalera Tour’, also features Max Cavalera‘s stepson, Richie’s band, INCITE, as special guests, and his other two sons, Zyon and Igor‘s band, LODY KONG opening.

The UK tour dates are as follows:

Wed 3rd Oct – MANCHESTER Club Academy
Thu 4th Oct – DUBLIN Academy
Fri 5th Oct – GLASGOW Classic Grand
Sun 7th Oct – WOLVERHAMPTON Wulfrun Hall
Mon 8th Oct – LONDON O2 Islington Academy

Tickets are on sale now, via all usual agents and online from www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Onslaught Radio caught up with Troy Sanders of Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON at Reading Festival a few weekends ago and they spoke about the band’s plans for a new studio album and the process when writing new material. Check out the video interview below:

Click here to pick up a copy of MASTODON’s latest album ‘The Hunter’.

Featuring ferocious looks with a tone to match, SLIPKNOT guitarist Mick Thomson‘s new signature MTM models are ‘the ultimate metal machines’ according to Ibanez. In the interview, Mick discusses the various features of the MTM100 and MTM10 and why he uses them as his main instruments on the road with SLIPKNOT. The clip also features live footage from 2012’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. BOSH!

Click here to buy a copy of SLIPKNOT’s latest release, ‘Antennas To Hell’.

ROYAL REPUBLIC are set to release their upcoming album ‘Save The Nation’ on the 24th of September and the guys kindly sat down in front of a camera for us recently to tell us a bit more about ROYAL REPUBLIC, how they came about and the band’s chemistry. Check out what they had to say below:

Click here to pre-order your copy of ‘Save The Nation’ from Play.com to receive an exlcusive ROYAL REPUBLIC wristband!

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA filmed a special behind-the-scenes film for Metal Hammer during their stint on this year’s Rockstar Mayhem Festival 2012, which also featured the likes of SLIPKNOT, Slayer, Anthrax and more. Check it out below and be sure to catch the band live when they come to UK shores in October – click here for the dates and to buy tickets on our Tour Page.

Click here to pick up a copy of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA’s album ‘Dead Throne’.

After huge demand for tickets, STONE SOUR have announced a second London show to their December UK tour schedule. The Iowa rockers will now play Brixton Academy on Tuesday 11th December, in addition to the previously announced show on 10th.

These dates come hot on the heels of the release of the first part of their ambitious and expansive new album project, ‘House of Gold & Bones’. The lead singles, ‘Gone Sovereign’ and ‘Absolute Zero’ are available now via iTunes. The album concept is a two-disc beast with the initial CD – and first half of the ‘story’ – hitting stores on 22nd October and the concluding disc materialising next Spring. Further details are available at www.houseofgoldandbones.com.

Frontman and lyricist Corey Taylor, himself a Sunday Times best-selling novelist with last year’s ‘Seven Deadly Sins’, wrote the lyrics for the 24 tracks comprising the ‘House of Gold & Bones’ as a linear storyline, that tells the tale of a character at a crossroads in his life. The release of ‘Gone Sovereign’ and ‘Absolute Zero’ is the initial part of an unveiling, which continues as the album cycles unfold. Music is just one medium that STONE SOUR are using to tell the story that pins both albums together. Further elements will act as a companion to the music, for fans looking to fully immerse themselves in the ‘House of Gold & Bones’ experience.

Taylor is suitably excited to be returning across the pond with STONE SOUR, stating; “It’s gonna be awesome to bring the House of Gold and Bones to fans live. We’ve given people a taste of Part One, and now we’re gonna bring them the best Stone Sour show they’ve ever seen! It begins soon. Get ready!”

Special guests at the London shows only are the multi-platinum PAPA ROACH, who release their new album, ‘The Connection’ on 1st October.

Mon 10th Dec – LONDON – O2 Brixton Academy
Tue 11th Dec – LONDON O2 Brixton Academy
Thu 13th Dec – MANCHESTER – Apollo
Fri 14th Dec – WOLVERHAMPTON – Civic Hall
Sat 15th Dec – BOURNEMOUTH – O2 Academy

Tickets for all dates are on sale now, priced

STONE SOUR have revealed a lyric video for the tracks ‘Gone Sovereign / Absolute Zero’ and you can check out the video over on Metal Hammer‘s website by clicking here or below. BOSH!

Noisecreep is exclusively premiering a live clip of KO퐌¿N’s ‘Get Up‘ featuring Skrillex playing guitar with Jonathan Davis and co. at the Hollywood Palladium in December of last year and you can check out that clip below:

Click here to pick up a copy of KORN’s latest album ‘The Path Of Totality’.