Upcoming Eloy Dates

FROM THE ELOY CAMP:

Dear friends of ELOY,
Firstly, a very special thank you for the incredible reactions you gave us at our shows in the summer. We were deeply touched by the strong and emotional response we received at each event.
After the emotional time spent on the stage and the tremendous response to our three concerts in June of this year, we received many emails and letters expressing a desire for more concerts. Despite the well-attended festivals where some people had travelled from far-flung countries - some even travelling from outside Europe - in order to see us live, we received many messages from Germany from people who regretted that they couldn’t attend the shows due to being on holiday and asking us to play more concerts.
Thus we have decided to play a comprehensive tour of Germany for you in March 2012. We have aimed to choose more intimate settings in order to create yet more closeness, which of course means that visitor numbers will be somewhat limited here and there. This tour is about creating events that are tailored especially to our closest fan community. This applies to the music as well as to the environment in which the concerts take place. We want to offer you a special concert experience where the almost unique connection between band and audience - as we have recently experienced again - is just right.

24.03.2012 Berlin, Postbahnhof
25.03.2012 Hamburg, Markthalle
26.03.2012 Cologne, Gloria
27.03.2012 Stuttgart, Longhorn
28.03.2012 Pratteln (CH) - Z7
29.03.2012 Munich, Muffathalle
30.03.2012 Mainz, Frankfurter Hof
24.06.2012 - Nearfest, Bethlehem, PA - USA

For the 6 German ELOY Shows and the show in Pratteln we exclusively offer hard-tickets available at the ELOY Webshop only. Details regarding the tour in Germany in March can be found in the forum here, and regarding the appearance at the legendary Nearfest here.
We don’t want to keep it from you that the shows this spring could well be our last in Germany and that it’s possible that we will stop performing after headlining the legendary Nearfest in the U.S. in June 2012. For this reason, we are especially looking forward to the concerts in March and hope for numerous reunions with lots of fans in lots of full venues!
Sincerely yours,
Frank Bornemann

http://www.eloy-legacy.com/

NIGHTWISH's 'Imaginaerum' Tops Finnish Chart

"Imaginaerum", the first album in four years from Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH, has entered the official chart in Finland at position No. 1.

According to Rytmi.com, "Imaginaerum" sold 50,000 copies in Finland in its first two days of release. The band's first CD since 2007's "Dark Passion Play" — which was then-new singer Anette Olzon's debut — is due in North America on January 10, 2012 via Roadrunner Records.

Note: The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in Finland has revised the sales requirements for albums to reach
platinum status in the country from the pre-2010 level of 30,000 to the
current 20,000.

"Imaginaerum" track listing (note that track 12 is broken down into four parts):

01. Taikatalvi
02. Storytime
03. Ghost River
04. Slow, Love, Slow
05. I Want My Tears Back
06. Scaretale
07. Arabesque
08. Turn Loose the Mermaids
09. Rest Calm
10. The Crow, the Owl and the Dove
11. Last Ride of the Day
12. Song Of Myself
Song 1: From A Dusty Bookshelf
Song 2: All That Great Heart Lying Still
Song 3: Piano Black
Song 4: Love
13. Imaginaerum

NIGHTWISH will kick off the "Imaginaerum" world tour in Los Angeles. The very first show of the trek will take
place at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California on
Saturday, January 21. This will be the biggest NIGHTWISH show production ever on North American soil and strictly a one-off — there will be no U.S. tour until later in 2012.

ULI JON ROTH Schedules 'Sky Academy' Seminar, Announces North American Tour Dates

Legendary guitarist Uli Jon Roth's (SCOPRIONS) Sky Academy seminar is now confirmed for Anaheim, California for January 23, 2012.

Sky Academy was conceived by Uli to provide knowledge and inspiration to those who take guitar seriously and to help them reach a new plateau.

The seminars are designed to open people's eyes to new possibilities and to trigger an awakening of the student’s full awareness.

The philosophy and approach of Sky Academy is consistent with the ideals of its founder.

The teaching will center on achieving the student’s transition to a noticeably higher level of ability. This includes raising their general and specific musical awareness, as well as facilitating an increase in their technical abilities. The participants will be able to receive
invaluable direct insights into the way Uli approaches the art of guitar playing, as well as concerning his philosophy of music in general.
In other news, Uli will embark on a North American tour in January, beginning with three shows during NAMM and then picking up again in Milwaukee on January 26.

Confirmed dates so far (more to be added):

Jan. 20 - Corona, CA @ The Marque 15
Jan. 21 - Hollywood, CA @ Key Club (NAMM Jam)
Jan. 22 - Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
Jan. 26 - Milwaukee, WI @ Shank Hall
Jan. 27 - Chicago, IL @ Reggies
Jan. 29 - Toronto, ONT @ The Rockpile
Jan. 31 - New York, NY @ B.B. Blues Club & Grill (with Leslie West)
Feb. 01 - Foxbourough, MA @ Showcase Live (with Leslie West)
Feb. 02 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
Feb. 03 - Sellersville, PA @ Sellersville Theater (with Leslie West)
Feb. 04 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom (with Leslie West)
Feb. 09 - Tempe, AZ @ Club Red
Feb. 10 - Redondo Beach, CA @ The Brixton
Feb. 11 - Oakland, CA @ The Pound West
Feb. 14 - Tacoma, WA @ Backstage Live
Feb. 15 - Seatle, WA @ El Corazon
Feb. 17 - Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk
Feb. 18 - Garden Grove, CA @ The Can

Pallas Annouce Christmas Shows and UK/European tour Feb/March

Pallas are pleased to announce that once again they will be releasing a FREE single as a pre Christmas ‘Thank You’ to everybody who has made 2011 a very special year for the band. The track is a cover of Emerson Lake and Palmer’s Black Moon. Originally intended for inclusion on the ill-fated Classic Rock Presents Prog ELP tribute CD, it was the first track recorded with (then) new vocalist Paul Mackie,

The Download is available via the Pallas website http://www.pallasxxv.com and is released to coincide with the band’s appearance at this years Hard Rock Hell Festival the following day.

As well as Black Moon Pallas have a few more special Christmas freebies in store and on December 17th will be making available for FREE download a very radical reworking of Monster, from their last album XXV as well as a specially designed downloadable version of the 2012 Pallas artwork calendar. To finish the year with a live bang, the band will also be playing a hometown Christmas gig/party at The Tunnels in Aberdeen on Saturday December 10th, tickets are available in advance from the venue and through the usual outlets, so all in all it is going to be a very happy Christmas for Pallas fans.

2012 will begin with Pallas beginning work on the follow up album to XXV before the band hit the road in late Feb/March for a series of UK and European shows. The first show will be at The Classic Grand in Glasgow on Friday Feb 24th, followed by The Peel (House of Progression), Kingston the following night Sat Feb 25th and then The Robin, Bilston Sunday Feb 26th.

Following this the band head out to Europe with shows in Paris on Feb 27th (venue tbc), Galery in Pratteln Switzerland on Feb 28th, Frankfurt Germany (venue tbc) on Feb 29th, W2, Den Bosch, Holland on March 1st, The Boerderij Zoetermeer Holland March 2nd and finally March 3rd Spirit of 66, Verviers, Belgium. On their return to the UK, the band will be continuing work on the new album. Pallas will also be appearing at a number of Festivals throughout the summer in the run up to the release of the new album in September 2012


Pallas website: http://www.pallasxxv.com
Pallas Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PALLASOfficial
Pallas Official Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/pallasofficial
Pallas Official Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/pallasofficial

November News Bytes

• According to the Los Angeles Times, RUSH drummer Neil Peart has bought a home in Santa Monica, California for $4.95 million.The6,200-square-foot, two-story house was built in 2001. The step-down living room adjoins a music room. French doors off the dining room lead to an outside courtyard. A double-sided fireplace in the master suite opens to both the bedroom and bathroom. The basement includes a media room, a wine cellar and a wet bar. There are a total of five bedrooms and 61/2 bathrooms.



• SYMPHONY X and ICED EARTH will join forces for a North American co-headlining tour in early 2012. The 30-plus-date trek will kick off on January 31 in Hartford, Connecticut and conclude on March 11 in Clifton Park, New York. Support on the trek will come from WARBRINGER."I'm excited to tour with SYMPHONY X," ICED EARTH founder Jon Schaffer said. "They're phenomenal musicians and very cool guys. This co-headliner tour will be a great experience for the fans. It is also way overdue for us to play a proper tour of North America. Get ready!"SYMPHONY X guitarist Michael Romeo added, "We are very excited about the upcoming North American tour with ICED EARTH. We first met Jon and the guys a few years back and they were really cool. When the idea of a co-headline tour surfaced, we thought it would be awesome. The fans can expect a night of great music from both bands. We look forward to seeing you all real soon!"

DREAM THEATER Drummer Schedules Nashville Clinic

DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Mangini will take part in a drum clinic on November 15 at Fork's Drum Closet in Nashville, Tennessee.

For more information, go to this location.

In a recent interview with Zoiks! Online, Mangini stated about the fan reaction to his addition to DREAM THEATER, "It depends on what you mean by fan reaction, because there are people
who have seen the show and then there are people who have not seen the
show, so you have to divide them into two distinctly different groups. A lot of times the people who haven't seen it have more to say, but they
haven't seen it, so I don't know what that is all about sometimes. The
people that have seen it, by the third song they are making me feel so
welcome that it has transformed everything for me to another level. It
makes it that much easier because they have been overwhelmingly
positive. It's great."

When asked about the fact that DREAM THEATER's current tour setlist is remaining consistent for the entire duration of the trek as opposed to when Mike Portnoy was a member of the band and it would change from night to the next, Mangini said, "The consistent setlist is the way to go. It allows the crew to
be consistent each night. It allows the transitions to be consistent. It allows us to get comfortable with the flow. For me I wouldn't want to
mix up the set at all, because I haven't been in the band for too long.
My past would dictate that just throwing songs in would be risky for the flow… It might be fun, though. I don't know; I've never done it."

CYNIC Announces Release Party And Special Acoustic Performance

Coinciding with the release of "Carbon-Based Anatomy", progressive rock/metal band CYNIC has confirmed a special release party for this Wednesday, November 2 at Idle Hands Bar in New York City. The band will be on hand to sign
copies of the new EP and will take part in a special intimate acoustic
performance.

Idle Hands is located in the East Village on 25
Avenue B, between 2nd and 3rd streets. There will be plenty of drink
specials, including the $10 Tasting Night with Sierra Nevada.

On "Carbon-Based Anatomy", CYNIC has once again taken its natural interfusion of musical styles and
turned it into something truly singular. The EP is equal parts KING CRIMSON, TOOL, MUSE and ALLAN HOLDSWORTH. It's a 23-minute transcendent musical journey through the fertile musical minds of guitarist Paul Masvidal and progressive drumming icon Sean Reinert.

Beginning with its much-venerated 1993 debut release "Focus", CYNIC has long been famous for pushing musical boundaries. Now in 2011, CYNIC has redefined itself once again with a six-song EP that combines
diverse influences from '70s prog rock to cutting-edge metal, tribal
folk and futuristic alien shapes and sounds. All of these diverse
elements have been harnessed and carefully shaped by mixer John Hiler into what is unquestionably the most open and expansive-sounding release of CYNIC's career. "Carbon-Based Anatomy" is retro, yet at the same time is unapologetically modern. It is
respectful of the groundbreaking artists that have made musical
evolution possible yet refuses to be stifled by that reverence. It is
wholly appreciative of past musical landmarks but is unashamedly
forward- thinking.

"Carbon-Based Anatomy" track listing:

01. Amidst The Coals
02. Carbon-Based Anatomy
03. Bija!
04. Box Up My Bones
05. Elves Beam Out
06. Hieroglyph

New CD by Discipline. "To Shatter All Accord"

From the Discipline camp:

"To Shatter All Accord"...a new studio CD from Discipline.We happily introduce the new release: "To Shatter All Accord" (Discipline. 2011). Two years it took, or longer if you reckon since the time we last recorded.We leave behind a journey arduous. The pain we felt in making now forgot; the work all done, it is for you to judge. If in our efforts you detect a fault, or sourness that your ear cannot correct, or some augmented insult, slur, or stain, or if you think it bland or too repeating, or like the dull discordant city strains, unordered, incoherent, self-indulgent, then we truly thank you for your time. But if you search beneath the stone for treasure, and root within the dirt for bits unseen, there will we join you, with grimy, swollen hands and feet unbooted, to sift, to sort, and seek a world sublime.The cover artwork for "To Shatter All Accord" was done by Detroit artist and longtime friend, Graem Whyte.

http://strungoutrecords.com

Manuel Göttsching's E2-E4 Spotlit For Its 30th Anniversary In The Wire Magazine December Issue

NEWS FROM MANUEL GÖTTSCHING: For the 30th anniversary of Manuel Göttsching's E2-E4 The Wire Magazine dedicates him the cover story of December 2011 issue

Dear friends,

if you scrall down to "FEATURES" you will discover something interesting about Manuel Göttsching & his E2-E4's 30th anniversary!

And in London a Manuel Göttsching Music Festival will be installed where Manuel will perform, but also musicians, DJs influenced by his music - and these are quite a view :-)

Also a film about MG is planed by Alexander Snelling, an award-winning director and editor from London. Alex's last feature documentary "Tantric Tourists" has won festival awards in London, Canada, US and Mexico and was released in 2011.

Another film project in development is about The Making of SEVEN UP, by internationally renown director Ilona Ziok (Fritz Bauer - Death by Instalments, The Count and the Comrade, The Sounds of Silents, Kurt Gerron's Karussel).

SEVEN UP (http://www.ashra.com/disco/1731se.htm) is a cult album by Manuel Göttsching's band Ash Ra Tempel & Timothy Leary. See recent article about it in French La Libération (3 pages): http://www.ashra.com/press/pics/liberation_2011.pdf or one in UK Mojo Magazine: http://www.ashra.com/press/pics/mojo_2003_1.jpg, http://www.ashra.com/press/pics/mojo_2003_2.jpg, http://www.ashra.com/press/pics/mojo_2003_3.jpg, http://www.ashra.com/press/pics/mojo_2003_4.jpg
This album together with ASH RA TEMPEL - First and SCHWINGUNGEN has been remastered by Manuel Göttsching and re-released by our label - soon available all over the world.

But for the moment don't miss THE WIRE issue from December 2011 (out on 10th November) with 6 pages on Maestro Göttsching, the Ash Ra Tempe Gure as THE WIRE explains it!

The ANABASIS release debut CD, BACK FROM BEING GONE, on 10T Records

The ANABASIS, Featuring Ryo Okumoto, Release Debut CD, BACK FROM BEING GONE, on 10T Records

Charleston, SC – October 24, 2011 (10T Records) - 10T Records is thrilled to announce the pending release of the full length debut concept CD by The ANABASIS, entitled Back From Being Gone, on November 22, 2011, with an official street date of January 17, 2012.

The ANABASIS is a progressive rock collaboration project, conceived by USA multi-instrumentalist and composer, Barry Thompson, with lyrics by noted professional author, George Andrade, who is also Executive Producer. A group of extraordinarily talented musicians were recruited from all over the world to take part in the project. The premise was to provide a basic framework for the songs and then to allow the musicians to play their parts with their own style and sound.

This amazing lineup of musicians and vocalists on Back From Being Gone make up a “who’s who” of some of the world’s top tier players in the progressive rock and progressive metal universe. In addition to Barry on guitar, bass and keyboards, The ANABASIS features internationally renowned virtuoso musician Ryo Okumoto (Spock’s Beard) as primary keyboardist and arranger. The band is further rounded out by Per Fredrik "PelleK" Åsly (Damnation Angels) on lead vocals, Gerald “Mully” Mulligan (The Lee Abraham Band) on drums, Gordon Tittsworth (Images of Eden, All Too Human) on lead and backing vocals, Lee Abraham (Lee Abraham Band) on bass, Stefan Artwin (Relocator) and Brick Williams (Hourglass) on lead guitar, plus a host of other special guests too numerous to list. Lee Abraham also serves as producer/mixer for the release.

Back From Being Gone is a stunner that melds classic progressive rock and metal into a tasty whole, with 3 epic tracks including the massive closing track, which clocks in at 24 minutes. The concept behind the CD is from the mind of George Andrade, who uses this musical tapestry to weave a sweeping sociopolitical narrative based on 3 ancient civilizations – the Roman, the Norse, and the Egyptian.

“George and I are both humbled and thrilled to have been given the opportunity to join the 10t records family,” says Barry. “To have been invited to take our place among such an impressive roster of progressive rock artists - especially alongside our friends Mars Hollow - is beyond our wildest dreams. We look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership filled with fun times and great music!”

“We were immediately taken with the scope and scale of Back From Being Gone when we heard it,” says 10T Records President, Steve Carroll. “The level of imagination and ambition is truly inspiring, and the musicianship is stellar.”

Back From Being Gone by The ANABASIS is available for immediate pre-order through the 10T Records website. All orders received between now and the direct release sale date of November 22nd will ship by the end of the week prior to the release.

Additionally, all tracks from Back From Being Gone are now available to preview in their entirety on The ANABASIS artist page at 10T Records

ProgPower Europe, In Memory Of Mikko Laine

From the folks at Progpower Europe

As you probably all know, Mikko Laine, gitarist of Sole Remedy from Finland, died in a terrible accident right after the last day of ProgPower Europe 2011. To say a final goodbye to Mikko, we invite you this Saturday October 29 at the basement of JC Sjiwa, Baarlo, The Netherlands. We think it will be good to come together one more time to share all our feelings about the disastrous accident. We will play the full Apoptosis album and a couple of new songs already recorded by the band together with Mikko. You also will be able to sign a condoleance book and a condoleance card that we will send to Mikko’s family. This way you will be able to personally say goodby to Mikko. And we will present a commemorative stone, that will get a permanent place outside Sjiwa, close to where the accident happened. This way Mikko will be with us forever.


The basement of Sjiwa will open at 20.00 hrs, coffee and thee will be served for free, but the bar is also already open at 20.00 hrs. Around 21.30 hrs we will present the commemorative stone. Right after this we will play the Apoptosis album in its full length and most likely play a few new songs the band recently recorded. The basement of Sjiwa will be open until 02.00 hrs. The address of Sjiwa is Hoogstraat 1a, 5991XC, Baarlo (L), The Netherlands.


For those of you who are not able to attend or who live to far away, please sign the online condoleance. We will print all condoleances and together with the condoleance book we will send everything to Mikko’s family. Go to www.progpower.eu to sign the online condoleance.

Early november we send a newsletter about ProgPower Europe 2012, we have decided to continue but first want to say a final goodbye to Mikko.

Greetings,
ProgPower Europe
http://www.progpower.eu/

RHAPSODY OF FIRE: First Photo Of New Lineup Released

The first official photo of the new lineup of Italian symphonic metal masters RHAPSODY OF FIRE can be seen below.

RHAPSODY OF FIRE is:

Fabio Lione - Vocals
Alex Staropoli - Keyboards
Roberto De Micheli - Guitar
Tom Hess - Guitar
Oliver Holzwarth - Bass
Alex Holzwarth - Drums

Staropoli and RHAPSODY OF FIRE guitarist Luca Turilli recently announced their decision to go their separate ways.

Due to legal reasons, Staropoli will continue under the RHAPSODY OF FIRE name. Turilli, on the other hand, will make his future efforts available under the RHAPSODY moniker (RHAPSODY OF FIRE's original name), in which he will be joined by musicians Dominique Leurquin, Patrice Guers and Alex Holzwarth.

RHAPSODY OF FIRE's latest album, "From Chaos To Eternity", was released in North America on July 12 via Nuclear Blast Records. Described by the band as "the natural evolution" from last year's "The Frozen Tears Of Angels", the CD marks RHAPSODY OF FIRE's final release based on the fantasy saga started in 1997 with the group's debut album, "Legendary Tales".

RUSH Frontman Talks To Rolling Stone Magazine About 'Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland' DVD

Legendary rock band RUSH played its 1981 album "Moving Pictures" every night on its 2010-2011 "Time Machine" tour and bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee tells Rolling Stone it was a tough to pick one show to film for a DVD and CD release. "We
realized that we've recorded almost all of our DVDs abroad," he says.
"And we had never done one in America, and we noticed we were doing
Cleveland on the last leg of the tour. We though it was an appropriate
choice seeing as Cleveland's such an important town in our history. It
was the first city that was ever warm to us. We thought it would be kind of apropos to come full circle and do that particular show there."

"Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland" will be made available on Blu-ray and DVD formats on November 8 via Rounder Records in the U.S. and Eagle Rock Entertainment abroad.

Captured in April at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena during the renowned trio's extensive "Time Machine" world tour, "Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland" marks the band's first live effort recorded at a U.S show, a deliberate nod of gratitude to the first city to support RUSH on its radio airwaves. The wildly popular tour featured a set filled with classic hits, fan favorites, and a glimpse into RUSH's forthcoming 20th studio album, "Clockwork Angels". As a centerpiece for the concerts, the band performed their landmark album "Moving Pictures" in its entirety — a first in the band's long and illustrious career. Rave reviews of the tour included The Hollywood Reporter's declaration that "the current 'Time Machine' jaunt is nothing less than a must see… for nearly three hours, with intermission, RUSH proved why it remains among rock's elite live acts."

Track listing:

Set One

* The 'Real' History of Rush Episode No. 2 "Don't Be Rash"
* The Spirit of Radio
* Time Stand Still
* Presto
* Stick It Out
* Workin' Them Angels
* Leave That Thing Alone
* Faithless
* BU2B
* Free Will
* Marathon
* Subdivisions

Set Two

The 'Real'' History of Rush Episode No. 17 "...and Rock and Roll is my name."

* Tom Sawyer
* Red Barchetta
* YYZ
* Limelight
* The Camera Eye
* Witch Hunt
* Vital Signs
* Caravan
* Moto Perpetuo (featuring Love For Sale)
* O'Malley's Break
* Closer To The Heart
* 2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx
* Far Cry

Encore

* La Villa Strangiato
* Working Man

Bonus Material

* Outtakes from "History of Rush, Episode 2 & 17"
* "Tom Sawyer" featuring the cast of "History of Rush, Episode 17"
* "Need Some Love" Live from Laura Secord Secondary School
* "Anthem" Live from Passaic New Jersey

October News Bytes

• The California Guitar Trio begin a long Fall tour, starting in Salt Lake City and Denver, and from there to the East Coast. The first three shows of the tour will feature special guest Fareed Haque. On November 11th, CGT will do two shows with Tony Levin in Albany, New York. The second half of the tour is a double bill with the Montreal Guitar Trio.


• Pat Metheny's 1999 duo collaboration with Jim Hall, whom Metheny has called the "father of modern guitar playing," features 17 tracks reissued for the first time on Nonesuch - original tunes from each guitarist, several improvisations captured in the studio, plus six tunes recorded live in concert, including Gershwin's "Summertime." "The excellence of the playing is the heart of the matter," says the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's a privilege to listen in." The Los Angeles Times calls it "extraordinary."

OPEN – The New Opus By Jon Anderson

Open Doors Will Always Open Hearts... OPEN – The New Opus By Jon Anderson


Digital Download Available October 25, 2011


10/21/2011 – Asheville, NC – Much to the excitement of music fans across the globe, on October 25, 2011 legendary YES vocalist Jon Anderson will release as a digital download an epic musical work entitled "OPEN." A return to the long-form composition that Jon Anderson is best known for, (“Close To The Edge”, “Gates of Delirium”, "Revealing" and “Awaken”), OPEN is a 21-minute exhilarating musical journey; a pioneering effort that weaves intricate melodic and harmonic themes within a classical music framework whilst showcasing Anderson's iconic vocals and timeless melodies throughout. In many ways OPEN is a return to Jon Anderson's musical roots, as YES music continually flows through his veins, making it only natural to revisit now and again. Coupled with wonderful orchestration by his neighbor and good friend Stefan Podell, messages of peace, love, light and freedom are further explored within OPEN, making listening an uplifting and joyous experience!


" 'Forever taken to that place of understanding,' are the first lyrics of 'OPEN', as though I am always remembering my true musical journey. To create this work, I sat with my 19th Century guitar and strummed ideas last spring 2010. Songs just poured out of me that week, and before I knew it I had created a long form musical idea, and with the help of Stefan Podell's powerful orchestration, we put together what is now 'OPEN.'


It has 4 movements all intertwined, and seems to have a life of its own. For those who love this kind of music, I feel so happy to present it as one of many I hope to create over the coming years. My love 'Janee' has helped in production with her unique musical observations and her angel voice. I am so happy and thankful... Many Blessings." Jon Anderson - October 2011


In other news, Jon Anderson is currently on tour in the US and Canada with fellow former YES member Rick Wakeman. The legendary duo performed a series of successful concerts in the UK in 2010 in support of their critically acclaimed CD release 'The Living Tree', and have now brought their highly anticipated show to America! In December 2011 Jon will be performing select solo concerts in South America. Go to www.jonanderson.com/tour.html for more information. Lastly, Jon Anderson's latest CD release 'Survival & Other Stories' has been garnering rave reviews worldwide by critics and fans alike. You can purchase the CD at: www.amazon.com/Survival-Other-Stories-Jon-Anderson/dp/B004XIQHWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308606761&sr=1-1


Jon Anderson's OPEN is available as a digital download on October, 25, 2011 and can be obtained at:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/open-single/id474552662?ls=1


For more information: www.JonAnderson.com www.facebook.com/thejonanderson, www.olias-jewelry.com

'This Mortal Coil' First-Week Sales Revealed

"This Mortal Coil", the fifth studio album from REDEMPTION, the U.S. progressive metal band featuring in its ranks guitarist/songwriter Nick van Dyk and legendary FATES WARNING vocalist Ray Alder, sold around 1,100 copies in the United States in its first week of
release. The CD landed at No. 32 on the Top New Artist Albums
(Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and
developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top
100 of The Billboard 200.

Released on September 26 in Europe and October 11 in North America via InsideOut Music, the follow-up to 2009's "Snowfall On Judgment Day" was recorded and mixed with producer Neil Kernon (QUEENSRŸCHE, NEVERMORE, DEICIDE). The CD's cover artwork was created by acclaimed artist and longtime band collaborator Travis Smith (OPETH, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, NEVERMORE).

"This Mortal Coil" track listing:

01. Path Of The Whirlwind
02. Blink Of An Eye
03. No Tickets To The Funeral
04. Dreams From The Pit
05. Noonday Devil
06. Let It Rain
07. Focus
08. Perfect
09. Begin Again
10. Stronger Than Death
11. Departure Of The Pale Horse

In North America, "This Mortal Coil" is also available as a 2CD package featuring a special bonus CD with the following six (!) cover versions:

01. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding (ELTON JOHN)
02. Jane (STARSHIP)
03. Hold The Line (TOTO)
04. Edge Of The Blade (JOURNEY)
05. Love To Love (UFO)
06. Precious Things (TORI AMOS)

Nick van Dyk previously stated about REDEMPTION's new CD, "It was a pleasure to work with Neil Kernon during the production, although I dare say we had more challenges and
curve-balls in this process than either of us is accustomed to.
Nonetheless, we overcame everything in our path, from Internet failures
to lightning strikes, and since one of the themes of this CD is
essentially overcoming adversity, the production process served as a bit of a metaphor for the whole concept!

"The new CD continues our
creative effort to combine heaviness with melody — fusing those
disparate elements has always been part of REDEMPTION's sound, along with an element that I have called emotional urgency, which we've maintained here. All in all, it sounds like REDEMPTION — although importantly I think it's by far our best-sounding record, owing to the work of Neil Kernon and the mastering of Alan Douches."

Regarding the artwork, Van Dyk said, "We have worked once again with the incredibly talented Travis Smith on our art; we work very well together and he has a proven knack for bringing my concepts to life visually."

NEARFEST APOCALYPSE TO BE FINAL EDITION OF FESTIVAL

From The Nearfest Staff This Week

In 1999, the North East Art Rock Festival was started as an effort to return progressive rock music to the area where it thrived back in its heyday. In the 1970s, the Philadelphia area was a well-known hotbed of fandom for the brand of rock music featuring exemplary virtuosity. With the re-emergence of progressive music worldwide in the early '90s, festivals became a novel way to feature both new bands and re-invigorate some from the past. A few festivals had come before, namely ProgFest (CA), the ever-present ProgDay (NC), BajaProg (Mexico), and the short-lived ProgScape (MD), plus several after, but none have taken on the notoriety NEARfest had achieved. In just a few short years, NEARfest became the "most prestigious progressive rock festival in the world" and has remained so for over 12 years.

From its inception, NEARfest has strived to merge extraordinary bands from the global Prog Rock underground and the devoted community of eclectic music fans on this side of the pond. It was felt that otherwise, never would the two meet, especially en masse. This emotional combination of musical dedication has produced many a weekend of musical bliss. Ask any former attendee of the festival and you will get a different list of highlights from years past, which is validation in itself of NEARfest's dedication to a diverse lineup of Prog Rock subgenres. Favorites will range from Camel and Keith Emerson to Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Miriodor; from Steve Hackett and Banco to Echolyn and Hidria Spacefolk; from Magma and Univers Zero to Kenso and Kraan; from Eddie Jobson and Three Friends to Cabezas de Cera and Beardfish; from Porcupine Tree and PFM to Anekdoten and Änglagård. And that's only a fraction of the over 120 bands that have performed at NEARfest to date.

And now, the time has come to complete the cycle.

2012 will mark the final edition of the North East Art Rock Festival. NEARfest has always employed a model, for right or wrong, where lineups were typically anchored by legends of the greater genre and featured a plethora of world-class bands spanning the broad range of subgenres. Part of the success of NEARfest and its rapid sellouts was its ability to attract legendary progressive bands that had played only infrequently, if ever, on the East Coast of the United States. As time has marched inexorably, it started to become clear that this headliner-centric model would not be sustainable indefinitely. Too much of a change in the model and those dedicated to attending and supporting the festival may feel that it is no longer in the spirit of NEARfest itself. Therefore, we have decided to retain the marriage of our successful model to our NEARfest brand name.

After the unfortunate events leading to the cancellation of NEARfest 2011, we could not allow the legacy of NEARfest to end with a dark and empty stage. The festival has meant too much to too many, including us, to just disappear without at least making an attempt at a joyous swan song. Therefore, since the spring of 2011, the three of us have been conspiring to put together a final NEARfest, one true to its roots and special to its faithful. We are happy to say that this will indeed happen.

NEARfest Apocalypse will be held over the weekend of June 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, 2012 at its rightful home, the Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University in beautiful Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This will be a true celebration of progressive rock music as well as a "raising of the glass" to everyone who has made NEARfest so special to so many of us over the last 13 years, including our outstanding crew and production team, the wonderful staff at Zoellner, and everyone who has ever bought a ticket to NEARfest. There are plans for activities beyond the norm for the weekend, which will be detailed as the festival draws closer. For now though, we can tell you that both Roger Dean and Mark Wilkinson will be involved in the artwork for this final special event. We will also do our best to make sure that both of these fine gentlemen are in attendance.

In the coming weeks, we will announce the entire NEARfest Apocalypse lineup live on the air on the Gagliarchives radio program. The exact air date will be determined shortly and announced online NEARfest.com, our Yahoo mailing list, Facebook, Twitter, and Progressive Ears. Stay tuned!

We sincerely hope that you will join us for the final chapter of NEARfest. After all, the world ends in December 2012 anyway, right?

Most humbly,
Chad Hutchinson
Rob LaDuca
Kevin Feeley

Links:
NEARfest Website, http://www.nearfest.com
Yahoo Mailing List, http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/NEARfestNews/
Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/page/NEARFEST
Twitter, https://www.twitter.com/#nfapocalypse
Gagliarchives Radio, http://www.gagliarchives.com
Progressive Ears, http://www.progressiveears.com

DREAM THEATER Singer: 'This Album Really Brought Us Closer Together'

Mike Sullivan of ExploreMusic conducted an interview with vocalist James LaBrie of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER on October 6, 2011 at Massey Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.

DREAM THEATER's new album, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", sold 36,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 8. The band's previous
CD, 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", opened with 40,000 units to land at No. 6. This was roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by its predecessor, "Systematic Chaos", which shifted 36,000 copies in 2007 to enter the chart at No. 19. 2005's "Octavarium" premiered with 27,000 copies to debut at No. 36.

In a recent interview with The Aquarian Weekly, DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci stated about the making of "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", "Going into it and writing it, we had made a conscious decision to
really focus in again on the core compositional elements: What are the
things that we really want to explore and focus on on this album? I knew that I wanted it to be a broad album, that we wanted to give everybody
the band an opportunity to shine, whether that's in an arrangement way
or an orchestration way. I knew and hoped that it would be mixed by Andy Wallace, which it was. I wanted the presentation sonically to be epic and grand
and high-fi and all that stuff. Those were some of the goals. We really
wanted to infuse the elements of progressive music that we grew up with
and make sure that it was a melodic album and rich in the lyrical
message. Those were all the things that were on our mind, that we talked about the whole time."

When asked why the band's new drummer, Mike Mangini, was not included in the writing of the new record, Petrucci said, "I decided to do it this way because I wanted to make sure that we were able to focus on DREAM THEATER's core compositional elements and sounds without a new person coming in. Whatever that Mike might have brought to the table, I thought it was too early to kind of
bring in somebody that we didn't really know at all, as far as their
compositional abilities. I've been writing this music forever and just
felt comfortable in that kind of environment. When you can focus on just guitar, keyboards, bass and our singer is there, it's just a more
intimate environment and you're not trying to integrate somebody else
and feel them out. I just kind of wanted to eliminate that whole
process. I mean, it could have been great, but I was more comfortable
doing it this way for this album at least."
SOURCE: RNR

PERIPHERY Announces New Guitarist

Maryland-based experimental, progressive metal band PERIPHERY has announced the addition of guitarist Mark Holcomb to the group's ranks. Holcomb previously had a project with PERIPHERY axeman Misha Mansoor called HAUNTED SHORES and was the fill-in guitarist on PERIPHERY's "Frak The Gods" tour.

Commented Mansoor: "We are happy to announce that Mark Holcomb will be joining the PERIPHERY ranks as a full-time guitarist! He toured with with us our headlining run of Australia, our 'Frak The Gods' U.S. headliner and our two shows opening for DREAM THEATER and we feel that we have found a perfect fit for us both live and in
the studio. We are extremely excited to have him on board, and can't
wait to show you all the cool new music we have been working on
together!

"Since we made arrangements for the tour before Mark was inducted, our good friend Nolly (RED SEAS FIRE) will be filling in on the European tour opening for DREAM THEATER. However that will be the last tour we do with a fill-in guitarist, as Mark will join on full time after that!"

Added bassist Thomas Murphy: "The most important thing about a band is the chemistry between its members. We've all known Mark for years and are very proud to announce him as our newest member. Not
only is he an amazing writer and guitarist, but also an amazing person.
We can't wait to see what the future holds for the band now that he has
joined."

Stated Holcomb: "I couldn't be more excited as
not only have these guys been great friends of mine for a long time but I consider every last one of them musical siblings in a sense. Each of us brings something different to the table and I can't wait to see what we can accomplish."

PERIPHERY will be direct support for DREAM THEATER throughout Europe from January 23 through February 26.

PERIPHERY released a new EP, "Icarus Lives", on April 19 via Sumerian Records. This CD features a brand new unreleased track, a series of remixes and video clips.

PERIPHERY's self-titled debut album sold around 4,500 copies in the United States
in its first week of release to debut at position No. 128 on the
Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at No. 2 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and
developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top
100 of The Billboard 200.

SOURCE: RNR

DREAM THEATER Keyboardist Schedules Solo Concert In New York City

Keyboardist Jordan Rudess of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER has scheduled an "Evening With Jordan Rudess" solo concert at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City on November 12.

Rudess in 2009 recorded solo piano versions of some of DREAM THEATER's favorite ballads as well as creating some original, progressive piano pieces for an album called "Notes On A Dream".

Rudess' "The Road Home" CD was released in 2007. Having been influenced by classic progressive acts such as GENESIS, YES and GENTLE GIANT, Rudess revisited some of the great songs from those bands with his own special Jordan Rudess touch. He was assisted on "The Road Home" by a great group of guests, such as Nick D'Virgilio (SPOCK'S BEARD), Kip Winger (WINGER), Rod Morgenstein (WINGER), Ed Wynne (OZRIC TENTACLES), Bumblefoot (GUNS N' ROSES), Marco Sfogli (JAMES LABRIE), Ricky Garcia (LAFEE) and several others.
SOURCE: RNR

CYNIC: New Touring Lineup Revealed

Progressive rock/metal band CYNIC will be joined by Brandon Giffin on bass and Max Phelps on guitar and vocals during the group's upcoming North American and European tours in support of CYNIC's new EP, "Carbon-Based Anatomy".

The dates are as follows:

North America:

Nov. 03 - West Chester, PA - The Note
Nov. 05 - New York, NY - Gramercy (The Metal Suckfest)
Nov. 07 - Worcester, MA - Palladium
Nov. 09 - Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes Electriques
Nov. 10 - Toronto, ON - The Annex Wreck Room
Nov. 11 - Pontiac, MI -Clutch's Cargo - iLounge
Nov. 12 - Joliet, IL - Mojoes
Nov. 13 - St. Paul, MN - Station 4
Nov. 15 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre
Nov. 16 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
Nov. 17 - Sparks, NV - The Alley
Nov. 18 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne
Nov. 19 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
Nov. 22 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
Nov. 23 - West Hollywood, CA - Key Club

Europe:

Dec. 03 - The Village, Dublin, Ireland
Dec. 04 - Limelight, Belfast, UK
Dec. 05 - The Underworld, London, UK
Dec. 07 - Baroeg, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Dec. 08 - Divan Du Monde Paris, France
Dec. 09 - Kiff, Aarau, Switzerland
Dec. 10 - Rock'n'Roll Arena, Romagnano Sesia (NOVARA), Italy
Dec. 11 - Gala Hala, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dec. 12 - Arena, Vienna, Austria
Dec. 13 - Club 202, Budapest, Hungary
Dec. 14 - Randall, Bratislava, Slovakia
Dec. 15 - KD Kyje , Prague, Czech Republic
Dec. 18 - Templet, Lyngby, Denmark
Dec. 20 - P60, Amstelveen, The Netherlands
Dec. 22 - Plan B, Moscow, Russia

Support on the North American trek will come from 3 and SCALE THE SUMMIT.

"Carbon-Based Anatomy" will be released on November 11 in Europe and November 15 in North America via Season Of Mist. Unlike last year's "Re-Traced", this new EP consists exclusively of brand new material.

"Carbon-Based Anatomy" track listing:

01. Amidst The Coals
02. Carbon-Based Anatomy
03. Bija!
04. Box Up My Bones
05. Elves Beam Out
06. Hieroglyph

Check out a preview in the YouTube clip below.

The artwork was designed by the great Robert Venosa, the artist behind the covers of CYNIC's previous releases "Focus", "Traced in Air" and "Re-Traced".

Paul Masvidal describes this new EP as "both a philosophical as well as a musical
journey, one that begins in the Amazon jungle on the lips of a shamanic
wisewoman (as portrayed by Amy Correia) and ends in outerspace."

All bass parts on "Carbon-Based Anatomy" were recorded by one-time CYNIC bassist Sean Malone.

CYNIC last year parted ways with bassist Robin Zielhorst and guitarist Tymon Kruidenier due to the "logistical challenges of maintaining a band that is half
based in The Netherlands and the other half in the United States"
(drummer Sean Reinert and Masvidal live in California).

CYNIC last fall completed Decibel magazine's inaugural Hall Of Fame tour. Historic in every sense, the trek, dubbed "Re-Traced / Re-Focused Live", saw the band performing Hall Of Fame album "Focus" in its entirety, along with tracks from the group's lauded second album, "Traced in Air", and more. Direct support came from progressive masters INTRONAUT and DYSRHYTHMIA.

In May 2010, CYNIC released "Re-Traced", featuring reinterpretations of four songs from the group's critically acclaimed "Traced In Air" album as well as a previously unreleased song.

THRESHOLD Begins Recording New Album

British progressive metallers THRESHOLD have entered Thin Ice Studios (DRAGONFORCE, PENDRAGON) in Surrey, England to begin recording their ninth album. "We've got
about 75 minutes of music at the moment so there's plenty to do," said
keyboard player Richard West, who is producing the CD alongside guitarist Karl Groom. "I'm very pleased with the way this album is coming together," added Groom. "It is particularly good to see contributions in writing from more bandmembers."

THRESHOLD's new album marks the return of the band's original vocalist Damian Wilson (HEADSPACE, STAR ONE) who rejoined the group in 2007 following the departure of Andrew "Mac" McDermott, who sadly passed away in August.

THRESHOLD's previous studio album, "Dead Reckoning", was released in 2007 and featured guest vocals by Dan Swanö (NIGHTINGALE, BLOODBATH). The CD entered the charts at position 64 in Germany, 95 in The Netherlands and 37 in the U.K. (rock chart).

THRESHOLD's new CD will be released in early 2012 through Nuclear Blast Records.

THRESHOLD is:

Damian Wilson - Vocals
Karl Groom - Guitar
Richard West - Keyboards
Johanne James - Drums
Steve Anderson - Bass
Pete Morten - Guitar

SOURCE: RNR

NEARFEST TO RETURN IN 2012

Official NEARfest Press Release
October 12, 2011

NEARFEST TO RETURN IN 2012

We are very happy to announce that the North East Art Rock Festival will return in 2012. Over the last several months, we have thoroughly discussed what it would take for another edition of NEARfest to become a reality. This was new ground for us, so we took our time, had long, heart-felt conversations, and even put feelers out to bands we thought would make for a solid lineup – one worthy of NEARfest's legacy and, more importantly, the expectations of the progressive rock community whom has been so unbelievable supportive over the years.

Scheduled for June 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, 2012, NEARfest will once again be staged in beautiful Baker Hall at Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem, PA. We are very happy to be able to continue wonderful relationships with both the concert venue and the host hotel, the Comfort Suites Bethlehem. We will also once again be join forces with the Bethlehem Brew Works to create a delicious one-off beer for NEARfest weekend.

So now the question is: "Who will be playing?!" Well, we can't tell you quite yet, though we are working on finalizing the lineup as we speak. We are also working on some other cool ideas for the weekend's festivities. Once we have o's umlauted and eyes crossed, we will reveal the bands... and not before. So you still have time to debate who might be playing.

We are glad to be able to bring NEARfest back and we hope you will join us next June. As always, be sure to visit us online at www.nearfest.com for all the latest information and where you can join our Yahoo mailing list, mingle with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and participate in the discussion forum.

Stay tuned for further updates!

Very sincerely,

Chad Hutchinson
Rob LaDuca
Kevin Feeley

MIKE PORTNOY: Seeing DREAM THEATER Go On Without Me 'Breaks My Heart'

Drummer Mike Portnoy (ADRENALINE MOB, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD) was interviewed on the latest episode of VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show", which premiered on Saturday, October 8. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On what led to his departure from DREAM THEATER:

"The quick Reader's Digest version is, like any musician will tell you, being in a band like being in a marriage, but actually, being in a band is like four marriages —
you're not married to one person, you're married to four people. So,
like any marriage, you go through bumps. I'll just say that I think we
could have used a break. 'Cause 25 years without a break is a long time. I can't name any bands that have been together 25 years — boom, boom,
boom, write-record-tour, write-record-tour — without taking a break. And I love the guys — we're brothers, and it was really hard for me to even suggest it. But I love the baby — DREAM THEATER is my baby, it's my child — but sometimes a marriage stays together for the sake of the
child and not necessarily the sake of the relationship. I'll always love the baby; I guess I kind of fell out of love with a couple of the
wives. But I just wanna say that I didn't wanna leave the band. I said,
'Look, 25 years is a long time. Let's just take a year or two and then
come back together.' The fans would be excited, we would be refreshed.
And they didn't wanna wait. So I either had to go unwillingly and start
the next record or step aside."

On whether his involvement with AVENGED SEVENFOLD played a role in his decision to leave DREAM THEATER:

"No. Well, that could have played into [the other members of DREAM THEATER] not wanting to wait anymore, but the fact of the matter is when I was playing with AVENGED, DREAM THEATER had just finished up 14 months [of touring], and after a 14-month tour, we'll always take a few months off. But I was talking about a year or
so. And AVENGED played no part in my decision. To be completely
honest, I had been thinking about it for awhile. And the writing was
kind of on the wall, internally. There were two moments of clarity for
me that happened before this went down that I knew maybe it was time for a break. One was I was out one night in New York with you guys
[referring to 'That Metal Show' hosts Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson. — Ed.]. I was out when FOZZY played. We were out, we went and saw [FOZZY singer Chris] Jericho, our good friend, and the AVENGED guys were there with us that night, and the ANTHRAX guys were there, and Vinnie Paul [PANTERA, HELLYEAH drummer] was there, we went out for dinner with Jericho and Bumblefoot [GUNS N' ROSES guitarist], the ZO2 guys… I remember going for dinner with all these guys — you guys and Jericho and the ANTHRAX guys. I looked around and I said [to myself], 'None of the DREAM THEATER guys really know any of these people who are, like, my best friends.'
And I was, like, 'Man, I guess I've really grown apart. I have a whole
different circle that I move in.' And the other moment was, it was the
very last show of the DREAM THEATER tour, we were in Tokyo. We
had just spent 14 months on the road. It was the last show of the tour
and we had a band and crew dinner at the hotel after the show. And we
were all feeling sentimental — it's the end of the run; the band and the crew, everyone's tight — and without naming names, one of the
bandmembers showed up to dinner with headphones and iPod and sat at the
entire dinner listening to his iPod rather than socializing with us. And I said to myself, 'Something's gotta change.' I thought the band
needed a shakeup, I just didn't think it was gonna be removing myself
that was gonna do it."

On whether there is any chance at all of him going back to DREAM THEATER one day:

"Yeah.
Whether or not that will happen, I don't know. It's up to them, really.
I would absolutely love to be reunited with the guys in a couple of
years, but you know, who knows what's gonna happen with them right now?!
So, really, it's up to them and where they go. In the meantime, I
really don't want people to think that I'm lingering on this; I'm only
answering it because you've asked me. . . It's been difficult for me to
even talk about this. And people think… 'cause there'll be Blabbermouth headlines… I'll pour out my heart and soul trying to explain this so
people understand, and yet these web sites will reduce it to a shocking
blurb and just trying to strike up controversy. The reality is, this is a heartbreaking thing for and I miss and love those guys, and that was my band for 25 years. So it's a hard thing for me to stand and see
[them carrying on] without me. I used to joke with those guys all the
time. I was like, 'Guys, if I die in a plane crash, don't go on without
me. Don't say, 'He would have wanted us to continue.'' I used to say,
'That's basically saying, 'Well, he's completely replaceable.' So I used to joke about that all the time. So now when I see a DREAM THEATER without me, I've gotta be honest — it breaks my heart. There's the Blabbermouth blurb right there. Oh, God, I'm doomed. Oh, man."

RUSH: 'Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland' Trailer Released

Legendary rock band RUSH will release "Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland" on Blu-ray and DVD formats on November 8 via Rounder Records in the U.S. and Eagle Rock Entertainment abroad.

Captured in April at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena during the renowned trio's extensive "Time Machine" world tour, "Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland" marks the band's first live effort recorded at a U.S show, a deliberate nod of gratitude to the first city to support RUSH on its radio airwaves. The wildly popular tour featured a set filled with classic hits, fan favorites, and a glimpse into RUSH's forthcoming 20th studio album, "Clockwork Angels". As a centerpiece for the concerts, the band performed their landmark album "Moving Pictures" in its entirety — a first in the band's long and illustrious career. Rave reviews of the tour included The Hollywood Reporter's declaration that "the current 'Time Machine' jaunt is nothing less than a must see… for nearly three hours, with intermission, RUSH proved why it remains among rock's elite live acts."

Track listing:

Set One

* The 'Real' History of Rush Episode No. 2 "Don't Be Rash"
* The Spirit of Radio
* Time Stand Still
* Presto
* Stick It Out
* Workin' Them Angels
* Leave That Thing Alone
* Faithless
* BU2B
* Free Will
* Marathon
* Subdivisions

Set Two

The 'Real'' History of Rush Episode No. 17 "...and Rock and Roll is my name."

* Tom Sawyer
* Red Barchetta
* YYZ
* Limelight
* The Camera Eye
* Witch Hunt
* Vital Signs
* Caravan
* Moto Perpetuo (featuring Love For Sale)
* O'Malley's Break
* Closer To The Heart
* 2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx
* Far Cry

Encore

* La Villa Strangiato
* Working Man

Bonus Material

* Outtakes from "History of Rush, Episode 2 & 17"
* "Tom Sawyer" featuring the cast of "History of Rush, Episode 17"
* "Need Some Love" Live from Laura Secord Secondary School
* "Anthem" Live from Passaic New Jersey

WITHIN TEMPTATION Schedules Gothenburg Signing Session

Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers WITHIN TEMPTATION will take part in a signing session at Media Markt Bäckebol in Gothenburg, Sweden on October 26 at 3.30 p.m. (15.30).

WITHIN TEMPTATION's fifth studio album, "The Unforgiving", sold around 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 50 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on March 29, the CD was produced by Daniel Gibson and is based on a comic book story written by script writer Steven O'Connell (BloodRayne, Dark 48). The band asked comic artist Romano Molenaar (Witchblade, Darkness, X-Men) to draw the characters and scenery of "The Unforgiving", which was made available via Sony Music in Continental Europe and Roadrunner Records in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland, Japan and Australia.

WITHIN TEMPTATION guitarist Robert Westerholt recently announced that he will step down from touring duties in order to focus on taking care of the three children he has with the band's
lead singer, Sharon den Adel. His replacement on stage is Stefan Helleblad, who has been working with the band behind the scenes for a few years.

New DREAM THEATER Drummer On Joining Band: I Go To Bed Every Night And Say 'Thank You'

John Dunphy of the Morristown Patch recently conducted an interview with new DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Mangini. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On
dedicating himself fully to one thing — the band — after marrying in
2005 and spending several years as associate professor of percussion at
the Berklee College of Music:

"I wanted to make a family. I
wasn't able to for one reason or another get that done. Once I moved
back home I could be in the area for a long time, I could network. Meet,
get married, have children."

On joining DREAM THEATER in the fall of 2010:

"I was looking to get in a band. I had to wait for the right time and opportunity, and it just matched."

On the songwriting process for DREAM THEATER's new album, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events":

"This is important: they composed this with no drummer. This is [guitarist and founder] John Petrucci that always came up with the riffs. He's still here. This is back to John showing up with bags of riffs, as he always did. Except this time, no
drummer to steer it in different directions. It was what the writing has been now with no drummer."

"When I write on a keyboard, bass or
guitar — which I don't play well but can write on — when I compose,
it's good to have only chordal structure and a sense of feel without
drums. It changes things. Those guys composed with no drummer. And all
the ideas flowed with such ease. I couldn't believe it."

On how he gets along with the other members of DREAM THEATER:

"We're
very much the same. We talk music, the show, practice, we share things
with a common ground. That's special. I feel like I'm with people I've
known for a long time. I don't have to try hard to be someone else.

"I go to bed every night and say 'thank you.' I'm really grateful for this opportunity with all the things that make it so."

SOURCE

DREAM THEATER Guitarist: First Tour With MIKE MANGINI 'Was So Smooth That It Was Almost Scary'

Jose Bosso of Guitar World conducted an interview with guitarist John Petrucci of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER for the magazine's November 2011 issue, which features the "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal (METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX) on the cover. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

On drummer Mike Portnoy's decision to leave DREAM THEATER in September 2010 while he was on the road with AVENGED SEVENFOLD:

Petrucci: "Mike had played on AVENGED's album ['Nightmare'] and that was fine. We all do side projects when time permits. But touring with the band, that was a different story. That was taking
significant time away from DREAM THEATER at a point when we were all planning to start recording. Initially, we put off recording to go on tour with IRON MAIDEN — that was too good an opportunity for us to turn down. And then when Mike said he was going on the road with AVENGED SEVENFOLD right after the MAIDEN tour, that didn't feel right."

On Portnoy's request that DREAM THEATER take an extended hiatus, with no firm date in sight for reconvening:

Petrucci: "In the end, it was something we couldn't do. Mike wanted to hold all the cards. He wanted to get back together when it suited him. We couldn't abide by that. So he decided to quit. It was
quite a blow. As much as we wanted to continue as a band, we didn't want Mike to leave."

On whether Portnoy was hoping his place with AVENGED SEVENFOLD would become permanent:

Petrucci: "I guess Mike was looking at them as the new girlfriend or something. They were
younger, up-and-coming… You can definitely draw the parallels."

On Portnoy's request in late 2010 for DREAM THEATER to take him back:

Petrucci: "Mike Portnoy asking to be back in was a problem on a few levels. First, we were very happy to have selected Mike Mangini [as the new drummer]. Second, [Mangini] had quit his teaching gig at Berklee. We certainly weren't going to hang him out to dry when he sacrificed so much for us. Mike Portnoy was too late in asking to come back. We had moved on."

On the "mystery" surrounding Portnoy's decision to leave DREAM THEATER:

Petrucci: "I can't speak for him. I can only see things from my point of view.
For him to leave a successful band, one he had been with for 25 years…
he must've had his reasons. I guess he really needed a change. Maybe he
was confused or conflicted at the same time. I don't know. The biggest
thing for me is to not be negative or resentful. I understand the way
life is, and change is part of that. People get divorced, they leave
companies, they quit bands — it happens. Mike needed a change in his life. That's really the only way I can look at it."

On how the recent European tour with Mike Mangini went:

Petrucci: "It was so smooth that it was almost scary. Even though we felt very good about our decision to hire Mike Mangini, we wouldn't predict how things would've gone during our first tour with him, because we're still getting to know him on a variety of levels.
But recording with him was fantastic, touring was great, every night
onstage got better and better. I feel like I've been playing with him 20 years already.

SOURCE:RNRCOLA

September News Bytes

• There is a forthcoming CD of 14 melodic pieces written and performed by flautist/guitarist John Hackett, plus Debussy's 'Syrinx' for solo flute and JS Bach's 'Andante' from BWV 1034 with guest guitarist Andy Gray. "I am very proud of this new album. I hope it goes some way to building a bridge between classical and progressive music" - John Hackett


• Corroncho is a Spanish speaking album recorded by Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera and Colombian artist/sculptor, Lucho Brieva in London between 2003-2008. The new CD is due out in November.

MASTODON's 'The Hunter' Projected To Sell 35K-40K First Week

"The Hunter", the new album from Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON, is likely to sell between 35,000 and 40,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on September 27 via Reprise Records.

MASTODON's previous CD, "Crack The Skye", opened with 41,000 units back in April 2009 to land at position No. 11 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's 2006 effort, "Blood Mountain", came in with just over 24,000 units — significantly more than the 8,000 first-week tally registered by its predecessor, 2004's "Leviathan" — which put it at No. 32.

"The Hunter" was made available in several configurations that feature an exciting
interactive 3D experience known as Augmented Reality. The technology,
created by Los Angeles-based company Total Immersion, combines
virtual and real worlds to create a 3D one-of-a-kind interactive
experience that users can control. Just by using a camera on a computer, their own face and the cover art on "The Hunter", the user can turn themselves into "The Hunter" sculpture that is pictured on the cover.

The physical configurations for "The Hunter" are as follows:

*
Standard CD: Includes the album's 13 tracks, plus a basic Augmented
Reality Experience in which the users head becomes the "creature" on the
album's front cover in full 3D.

* Deluxe Physical CD/DVD: Sold
as a 13-song digipack with an alternative cover, this package includes
the standard CD, with the basic Augmented Reality Experience, plus a DVD
that includes a track-by-track, psychedelic visualizer, the "Deathbound" and "Black Tongue" videos.

*
Direct-To-Fan Package: This exclusive package is comprised of the
complete 13-song digipack album. Additionally, buyers received two
digital bonus tracks on day of release. An exclusive insert was
included which triggers an enhanced Augmented Reality Experience and
contains additional embedded content. Also included is a 20" x 30"
lenticular poster of the standard album cover artwork.

"The Hunter" track listing:

01. Black Tongue
02. Curl Of The Burl
03. Blasteroid
04. Stargasm
05. Octopus Has No Friends
06. All The Heavy Lifting
07. The Hunter
08. Dry Bone Valley
09. Thickening
10. Creature Lives
11. Spectrelight
12. Bedazzled Fingernails
13. The Sparrow
14. The Ruiner (limited-edition bonus track)
15. Deathbound (limited-edition bonus track)

The follow-up to 2009's "Crack The Skye" was MASTODON's third studio CD to be made available on Reprise Records in the U.S. and Canada and the band's first to be issued through Roadrunner Records outside of North America.

"The Hunter" was recorded at Doppler Studios in Atlanta with producer Mike Elizondo. Drum tracks were previously completed in Los Angeles at the legendary Sound City Studios where NIRVANA's masterwork "Nevermind" was recorded.

OPETH's 'Heritage' Cracks U.S. Top 20

"Heritage", the new album from Swedish progressive metallers OPETH, sold 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart.

OPETH's previous studio CD, 2008's "Watershed", opened with more than 19,000 units to land at No. 23.

"Watershed" was the follow-up to the band's acclaimed "Ghost Reveries" CD, which debuted at No. 64 on the Billboard chart back in September 2005 with first-week sales of just under 15,000.

OPETH's 2003 album, "Damnation", premiered with a little over 5,000 copies.

"Heritage" was produced by OPETH vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt and was recorded earlier this year at Atlantis studios (formerly Metronome studios) in Stockholm. Mixing duties were handled by Steven Wilson (PORCUPINE TREE) and Åkerfeldt. Longtime collaborator Travis Smith also worked with Åkerfeldt to create, design and execute the album's artwork, which can be seen below.

"Heritage" first-week chart positions so far:

Denmark: #8
Norway: #8
Germany: #9
Netherlands: #10
Australia: #12
Austria: #16
U.S.A.: #19
U.K.: #22
France: #24
New Zealand: #26
Ireland: #34
Belgium: #87

"Heritage" was released in several configurations that will certainly incite the interest of OPETH's legion of fans, known for their passion for collecting and
collectibles. The album was made available as a standard version; as a
special edition loaded with extras; as a box set exclusive to the Roadrunner and the band's own official Omerch webstore; and as a double LP.

Standard CD

01. Heritage
02. The Devil's Orchard
03. I Feel The Dark
04. Slither
05. Nepenthe
06. Häxprocess
07. Famine
08. The Lines In My Hand
09. Folklore
10. Marrow Of The Earth

Special-Edition Digipack CD/DVD

As above plus additional DVD including:

* Bonus audio tracks: "Pyre" and "Face In The Snow"
* 5.1 mix of the whole album
* "Making of the album" documentary
* Card to download the bonus tracks
* Limited-edition OPETH coin (until stocks last)

The Deluxe Box Set:

* Double-LP set of "Heritage" with exclusive lenticular artwork (180-gram vinyl
in gatefold jacket)
* Custom gatefold jacket that houses the "Heritage" special edition CD/DVD set
(includes 2 bonus tracks, 5.1 audio mix of album and "Making Of Heritage" documentary)
* Exclusive 7" of 2 bonus tracks
* Litho print of album cover
* Oversized 16-page booklet with exclusive photos and artwork
* All content housed in custom slipcase
* Receive a digital download of the album the day before release

In a recent interview with Radio Metal, Åkerfeldt stated about "Heritage", "I never heard music like that, so I can't compare it to other bands.
If you want to compare it to another band, it has to be us. But still,
it's different. For me, it kind of makes sense, because I've been doing
this for such a long time. So it's not a massive departure for me and
for the guys in the band. But for fans, if they are, for example, into 'My Arms, Your Hearse' [OPETH's third album, released in 1998], it might be a bit different. But I'm
hoping that a lot of people are ready for this type of album from us.
The music is all over the place. It's hard to define the album and say
it sound like this or like that. There are no songs that represent more
the album than any other songs. It's an album as whole. You can't listen to only one song and you'll know what the album is going to be like.
Because, like I said, it's all over the place."

OPETH made its live debut with keyboardist Joakim Svalberg (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, GLENN HUGHES) at the 10th annual Bonnaroo Music And Arts Festival on June 10, 2011 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville.

Keyboardist Per Wiberg, who joined OPETH in 2005, was relieved of his duties in April as part of a mutual decision with the remaining members of the band.

LESLIE WEST Comments On '3 Guitar Heroes' Tour Postponement

The previously announced "3 Guitar Heroes" tour featuring Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth and Leslie West has been postponed until early 2012 due to West's recent partial leg amputation.

West has released the following statement regarding the tour postponement:

West has issued the following official statement: "To everyone involved on
this tour. I am very sad today. I was so hoping this would happen.
Everyone worked so hard, and it would have been FUN. Yeah, I wanted it
to be fun. Unfortunately it was not being able to climb stairs, go to a
simple thing like a bathroom on a tour bus, which is tight for a normal
person, let alone me. I start training with my new leg Wednesday, so I
can get back to a normal life.

"I do hope that everyone would consider doing West coast to East after NAMM. Bob [West's manager Bob Ringe] and Wayne [Forte at booking agency Entourage Talent Associates] think this is possible.

"If
you guys think you would want to do this, I will work that much harder
to learn to walk, which I will do anyway, but thought I would throw this
in there."

West's leg was removed in late June just
above the knee due to complications from diabetes. "I cried a couple
fuckin' times," he told Billboard.com. "You still feel the nerves and stuff like that. I had to make a decision — lose my leg or lose my
life. What are you gonna do? But I'll tell you, it's a good thing it
wasn't one of my arms. Then I'd be really fucked."

West's manager Bob Ringe was the mastermind behind the "3 Guitar Heroes" tour, and there are some very special surprises for this excursion.
Following sets by each artist, the evening will climax with a jam of
these highly influential artists on stage together, with special guests
earmarked to join them in most markets, including Dean Guitars CEO, Elliott "Dean" Rubinson, who will be the tour bassist for both Schenker and Roth. Source: RNR

EVERGREY's 'A Decade And A Half' Two-Disc Greatest-Hits Collection Due In November

Swedish metallers EVERGREY will release "A Decade And A Half", a two-disc greatest-hits collection, in North America on November 22 via SPV/Steamhammer. This deluxe package contains previously unreleased songs, live tracks and an extensive booklet.

Since the band arrived on the scene with its first album in 1998, EVERGREY has brought out eight studio albums and one live release. All of them
made the Top 20 in their native Sweden and the last two landed in the
Top 10. On top of that, their DVD, "A Night To Remember", was No. 1 for four weeks and nominated for an the Swedish Grammy equivalent.

"A Decade And A Half" track listing:

CD 1

01. The Masterplan
02. Blackened Dawn (live)
03. Rulers Of The Mind
04. A Touch Of Blessing
05. Frozen
06. For Every Tear That Falls (live)
07. More Than Ever
08. Blinded
09. Faith Restored
10. These Scars
11. Broken Wings
12. Words Mean Nothing
13. Wrong (live) (unplugged; previously unreleased)

CD 2

01. The Great Deceiver
02. Monday Morning Apocalypse
03. Wrong
04. Waking Up Blind (live)
05. Solitude Within
06. Recreation Day
07. Still In The Water
08. Leave It Behind Us
09. Fear
10. When The Walls Go Down (live)
11. Frozen (live) (unplugged; previously unreleased)

EVERGREY's latest album, "Glorious Collision", sold around 900 copies in the United States in its first week of
release. The CD landed at position No. 49 on the Top New Artist Albums
(Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and
developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top
100 of The Billboard 200.

EVERGREY's current lineup includes Englund and keyboardist Rikard Zander alongside new members Marcus Jidell (guitar), Hannes Van Dahl (drums) and Johan Niemann (bass).

SOURCE: RNR

OPETH Frontman On 'Heritage': "I Knew Early On That It Was Going To Be An Odd Album"

Josh Hart of GuitarWorld.com recently conducted an interview with vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

GuitarWorld.com: A lot of people have immediately compared "Heritage" to "Damnation", mainly because of the absence of death metal vocals. Do you think that's a fair comparison?

Mikael Åkerfeldt: Yes and no. The only thing that's got anything to do with the "Damnation" album is the fact that there's no screams on there. I don't think there are many other similarities, to be honest. ["Heritage"] is a lot closer, I think, to the music I listen to to gain inspiration. To be honest, I don't really mind what album they compare it to. I guess it's the easy way out, so to speak, to compare it to the "Damnation" record, but I think the only similarities between those albums in reality is the fact that there's no screams.

GuitarWorld.com: At what point in the songwriting process do the albums start to take shape for you? For instance, when writing "Heritage", how soon did you realize the album wouldn't have screaming and would be more progressive-rock sounding?

Mikael Åkerfeldt: The initial idea was actually to do a modern-sounding... almost like a continuation of "Watershed". I wanted to do three-part harmony vocals all the time, like some type of metal version of THE BYRDS. [laughs] But it didn't really work out. I wrote a couple of songs but I didn't feel that it was interesting enough for me. So I scrapped a
couple of songs that I had been working on and started from scratch,
writing a song that became "The Lines in My Hand" on the new
record. Which was a really odd song in comparison to anything else I've
ever done before. I got more freedom to do whatever I wanted after
writing that song. I kind of knew pretty early on that it was going to
be an odd album, and at the time I wasn't particularly interested in the most extreme, heavy type of metal, I was more into something else. So I knew pretty early on that it wasn't going to be a super, super extreme metal record.

GuitarWorld.com: This record definitely displays the wide range of music that influences you outside of metal. I detect a hint of PINK FLOYD's David Gilmour on the song "Folklore", for instance. Who are some of the non-metal players that have really influenced you?

Mikael Åkerfeldt: Well, if you're talking guitar players, there are a lot of good guitar players out there. There's acoustic players like Bert Jansch. I like Nick Drake, and Jackson C. Frank. I love Jerry Donahue. Ritchie Blackmore has always been a big influence for me. I really appreciate his
integrity. I might not necessarily be the biggest fan of the renaissance music he's doing now, but I love an artist or musician who has followed some time of calling, if you know what I mean. Other than that, there are so many great guitar players out there. Joni Mitchell, I think she's a great guitar player, piano player, songwriter. I've been listening to a lot of her. All sorts of stuff.
SOURCE: RNR

NIGHTWISH 'Imaginaerum' Movie Director Issues Update

Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH recently spent time not only putting finishing touches to their new album, "Imaginaerum", but also planning a movie of the same name.

"Imaginaerum" is one of the projects which recently received grants from the Finnish government institution called the Finnish Film Foundation. The movie, directed by Stobe Harju, about an old man on his deathbed who glimpses a childhood dream in
which he refuses to grow old, and fights aging with his imagination,
will get $575,000 toward its $3.7 million budget.

During a September 8 interview with Petri Silas of Finland's Soundi magazine, NIGHTWISH mainman/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen revealed that all the filming for the "Imaginaerum" movie will be done in Canada with mostly Canadian actors/actresses.
Post-production will take place in Canada and Finland. He aso revealed
the names of the actors who have two of the main roles in the film: Marianne Farley and Quinn Lord.

Stobe Harju has issued the following update on the "Imaginaerum" film:

"Two
weeks have passed since the first day of shooting. It has been a
triumph so far. Even as the band sat down to look at some raw pre-edited
scenes, their faces couldn't lie. They were very happy with what they
saw.

"Many of you must be dying for information and images from
the set. We can't pour all that out since we really believe that some of
the reveals would spoil the show. However, if you've read the previous
update you know some of the character names already, which of at least Tom and Ann sound familiar to a many. And they should sound familiar.

"As I started to write 'Imaginaerum' screenplay, I planted one single parameter above everything else: This is a NIGHTWISH film, no matter how fictional story about the band it would be. I
didn't just wanted to use the band's name but also, to come up with
character names resembling NIGHTWISH members' names. The band in Imaginaerum became Ann, Tom, Marcus, Emil and Jack. I know, not very clever when it comes to molding names. Yet, I wanted the audience to feel the presence of NIGHTWISH and to me the convergence had to be clear. I had endless battles trying to convince people that using names similar to Anette, Tuomas, Marco, Emppu and Jukka was a perfect bridge between NIGHTWISH in reality and NIGHTWISH in a fantasy world. The band didn't agree with me originally. It became my decision and my responsibility I am proud of. That said, if someone
ever thinks this might be an ego thing for the band, think again. It's
my decision completely, and that's how I intend to keep it.

"These
first two weeks have been a blast. So many great people have bled
together with us pouring their fantastic creativity into the project. We
have a fantastic art director and her team. Our director of photography
couldn't be more dedicated to his line of work or his visuality. Our
make-up and wardrobe departments have made magic in a short period of
time. And the cast... wow! The whole crew is filled with professionals I
could've only dreamt of when starting the project. And, our producers
are the kind who really understand the drama, art and the story while
keeping our budget safe and sound. I must be the luckiest director in
the world. What more can I say.

"What strikes me the most, is
the fact that this project is not only titled as 'the trip to one's
imagination,' but it is exactly that on every aspect of the game with
all the beloved people involved."

Several photos from the "Imaginaerum" movie shoot can be found at this location. A couple of the pictures are also available below.

The "Imaginaerum" album will be released in the U.S. on Tuesday, January 10, 2012 via Roadrunner Records; in Finland on Wednesday, November 30 and the rest of Europe on Friday, December 2 via Nuclear Blast Records.

NIGHTWISH's new single, "Storytime", will be released on Friday, November 11 via Nuclear Blast Records.

NIGHTWISH will kick off the "Imaginaerum" world tour in Los Angeles. The very first show of the trek will take
place at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California on
Saturday, January 21. This will be the biggest NIGHTWISH show production ever on North American soil and strictly a one-off — there will be no U.S. tour until later in 2012.

SYMPHONY X, EPICA, REDEMPTION, PRETTY MAIDS Confirmed For PROGPOWER USA Festival

SYMPHONY X, EPICA, REDEMPTION and PRETTY MAIDS are among the confirmed bands for next year's edition of the ProgPower USA festival, set to take place in September 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia (exact dates to be announced).

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

Friday:

SINBREED
KINGCROW
SOLUTION .45
SERENITY
PRIMORDIAL
REDEMPTION
EPICA (headliner)

Saturday:

ABOVE SYMMETRY
LANFEAR
AMARANTHE
MYSTIC PROPHECY
MAYAN (WITH SPECIAL GUESTS)
PRETTY MAIDS
SYMPHONY X (headliner)

For more information, visit www.progpowerusa.com.

MIKE PORTNOY Sued DREAM THEATER For 'Wrongfully Excluding' Him From Band

According to Courthouse News Service, ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy filed a lawsuit against his former bandmates in April claiming that
they "wrongfully excluded" him from the group and are "wrongfully using
the name of the band in connection with [their] recording of an album
without the participation or consent of [Portnoy]." In addition, the drummer's complaint, which was filed on April 27, alleges that the defendants — John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Jordan Rudess (keyboards), James LaBrie (vocals), along with associated companies Ytse Jam, Inc. and Infinity Tours, Inc. — "are wrongfully using the name of the band in connection with the
promotion of live performances by the individual defendants, without the participation or consent of [Portnoy]."

In an August 2011 interview with the Greek edition of Rock Hard magazine, Portnoy stated about his departure from DREAM THEATER, "I didn't make the decision to leave DREAM THEATER before [hooking up with] AVENGED SEVENFOLD [as their touring drummer], but I knew that something had to change in the DREAM THEATER camp. It's unfortunate that it was me that had to change, because I
never wanted to leave the band — it was never my intention; I never
wanted the split. I just merely thought that the band really could use a break, because I think the romance was really dying — backstage and
between [the members] personally. 25 years without a break is a very,
very, very long time and sometimes these relationships need a break from each other to rekindle the flame. So that's all I suggested. And even
before I [went on the road] with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, I remember touring with [the progressive rock project] TRANSATLANTIC at the beginning of 2010 and already knowing that something was wrong in the DREAM THEATER world and that I really needed a break from the guys and the whole DREAM THEATER machine. I knew something was brewing and I knew that I was unhappy,
and as has been well documented elsewhere, I merely just wanted a break. But unfortunately, those guys [the rest of DREAM THEATER] didn't see it that way and didn't respect my request for time off. It's unfortunate [that it turned out that way]."

Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 20 years ago, announced his departure from the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mike Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, JAMES LABRIE, STEVE VAI).

Portnoy played on AVENGED SEVENFOLD's latest album, "Nightmare", following the death of that band's drummer, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, and toured with them for the entire second half of 2010.

DREAM THEATER's new album, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", was released on September 13 via Roadrunner Records.

ARCH/MATHEOS: 'Sympathetic Resonance' First-Week Sales Revealed

"Sympathetic Resonance", the debut album from ARCH/MATHEOS — the new progressive rock band featuring FATES WARNING/OSI guitarist Jim Matheos and former FATES WARNING singer John Arch — sold around 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of
release. The CD landed at No. 13 on the Top New Artist Albums
(Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and
developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top
100 of The Billboard 200.

"Sympathetic Resonance" entered the official chart in Germany at No. 27, in Austria at No. 67, and in Switzerland at No. 78.

Cover art for "Sympathetic Resonance" was fashioned using an image created by light painting photographer Dennis Calvert, who has described light painting as "The ability to see in four
dimensions, time traveling, and creating fantasy using only what we base all reality on, light."

Released on September 13 via Metal Blade Records, "Sympathetic Resonance" features the following track listing:

01. Neurotically Wired
02. Midnight Serenade
03. Stained Glass Sky
04. On the Fence
05. Any Given Day (Strangers Like Me)
06. Incense and Myrrh

ARCH/MATHEOS features an all-star lineup, including the talents of Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT, ANTHRAX, FATES WARNING, SEVEN WITCHES) on bass, Bobby Jarzombek (HALFORD, FATES WARNING, SEBASTIAN BACH, RIOT) on drums, and Frank Aresti (FATES WARNING) on additional lead guitar.

Comments Matheos: "I think John and I work really well together. There's a lot of mutual respect and
trust in what we do. But we're also both very critical of ourselves, and each other. This can make for a long and sometimes tedious process. But ultimately it's one I enjoy because I think it brings out the best in
both of us."

Adds Arch: "When I first heard some of the arrangements Jim had written and recorded, it took quite some time before I could wrap
my mind around the odd time signatures and guitar work going on here.
There are some long compositions, so putting anxiety and apprehension on the back burner it was time to dissect these numbers into digestible
bits. After the lengthy process of lyrics and melodies, listening to the songs now, I can't imagine them any other way."

In terms of the lyrical content on "Sympathetic Resonance", John Arch notes that "the lyrics this time around are more in line with [Arch's 2003 solo EP] 'A Twist Of Fate' and not of the mystical nature of some past albums."

ARCH/MATHEOS recording lineup:

* John Arch (FATES WARNING) - Vocals
* Jim Matheos (FATES WARNING, OSI) - Guitar
* Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT, ANTHRAX, FATES WARNING, SEVEN WITCHES) - Bass
* Bobby Jarzombek (HALFORD, FATES WARNING, SEBASTIAN BACH, RIOT) - Drums
* Frank Aresti (FATES WARNING) - Additional Lead Guitar

DREAM THEATER's 'A Dramatic Turn Of Events' Lands In U.S. Top 10

"A Dramatic Turn Of Events", the new studio album from progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER, sold 36,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 8. The band's previous
CD, 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", opened with 40,000 units to land at No. 6. This was roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by its predecessor, "Systematic Chaos", which shifted 36,000 copies in 2007 to enter the chart at No. 19. 2005's "Octavarium" premiered with 27,000 copies to debut at No. 36.

The "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" deluxe collector's edition exclusive box set includes the following:

* "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" album
* Instrumentals of the entire album
* DVD of "The Spirit Carries On" – a 60-minute movie documenting DREAM THEATER's drummer auditions
* Double-LP set of "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" (180-gram vinyl in gatefold jacket)
* DREAM THEATER branded custom turntable slipmat
* Litho Print of album cover
* 50 lucky winners will find a DREAM THEATER "Ticket For Life" (randomly inserted)
* All content housed in a custom box
* Receive a digital download of the album the day before release

CD1

01. On The Backs Of Angels
02. Build Me Up, Break Me Down
03. Lost Not Forgotten
04. This Is The Life
05. Bridges In The Sky
06. Outcry
07. Far From Heaven
08. Breaking All Illusions
09. Beneath The Surface

CD 2

01. On The Backs Of Angels (instrumental)
02. Build Me Up, Break Me Down (instrumental)
03. Lost Not Forgotten (instrumental)
04. This Is The Life (instrumental)
05. Bridges In The Sky (instrumental)
06. Outcry (instrumental)
07. Far From Heaven (instrumental)
08. Breaking All Illusions (instrumental)
09. Beneath The Surface (instrumental)

"We have poured our hearts and minds into the creation of this album," keyboardist Jordan Rudess said. "All the life-changing events that surrounded us before, as well
as during the whole process, fueled our desire to dig deep within
ourselves and create the best music we possibly could."

Vocalist James LaBrie added, "In the grand scheme of DREAM THEATER's career, the last several months have been such an incredibly positive,
fulfilling and rewarding experience. The new songs and sound has never
been so spirited or rejuvenating. I cannot wait for every one of our
fans to sink their audio senses into this batch of tunes."

OPETH's 'Heritage' Projected To Sell 15K-18K First Week

"Heritage", the new album from Swedish progressive metallers OPETH, is likely to sell between 15,000 and 18,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on September 20 via Roadrunner Records.

OPETH's previous studio CD, 2008's "Watershed", opened with more than 19,000 units to land at No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Watershed" was the follow-up to the band's acclaimed "Ghost Reveries" CD, which debuted at No. 64 on the Billboard chart back in September 2005 with first-week sales of just under 15,000. OPETH's 2003 album, "Damnation", opened with a little over 5,000 copies.

"Heritage" was produced by OPETH vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt and was recorded earlier this year at Atlantis studios (formerly Metronome studios) in Stockholm. Mixing duties were handled by Steven Wilson (PORCUPINE TREE) and Åkerfeldt. Longtime collaborator Travis Smith also worked with Åkerfeldt to create, design and execute the album's artwork, which can be seen below.

"Heritage" was released in several configurations that will certainly incite the interest of OPETH's legion of fans, known for their passion for collecting and
collectibles. The album was made available as a standard version; as a
special edition loaded with extras; as a box set exclusive to the Roadrunner and the band's own official Omerch webstore; and as a double LP.

Standard CD

01. Heritage
02. The Devil's Orchard
03. I Feel The Dark
04. Slither
05. Nepenthe
06. Häxprocess
07. Famine
08. The Lines In My Hand
09. Folklore
10. Marrow Of The Earth

Special-Edition Digipack CD/DVD

As above plus additional DVD including:

* Bonus audio tracks: "Pyre" and "Face In The Snow"
* 5.1 mix of the whole album
* "Making of the album" documentary
* Card to download the bonus tracks
* Limited-edition OPETH coin (until stocks last)

The Deluxe Box Set:

* Double-LP set of "Heritage" with exclusive lenticular artwork (180-gram vinyl
in gatefold jacket)
* Custom gatefold jacket that houses the "Heritage" special edition CD/DVD set
(includes 2 bonus tracks, 5.1 audio mix of album and "Making Of Heritage" documentary)
* Exclusive 7" of 2 bonus tracks
* Litho print of album cover
* Oversized 16-page booklet with exclusive photos and artwork
* All content housed in custom slipcase
* Receive a digital download of the album the day before release

In a recent interview with Radio Metal, Åkerfeldt stated about "Heritage", "I never heard music like that, so I can't compare it to other bands.
If you want to compare it to another band, it has to be us. But still,
it's different. For me, it kind of makes sense, because I've been doing
this for such a long time. So it's not a massive departure for me and
for the guys in the band. But for fans, if they are, for example, into 'My Arms, Your Hearse' [OPETH's third album, released in 1998], it might be a bit different. But I'm
hoping that a lot of people are ready for this type of album from us.
The music is all over the place. It's hard to define the album and say
it sound like this or like that. There are no songs that represent more
the album than any other songs. It's an album as whole. You can't listen to only one song and you'll know what the album is going to be like.
Because, like I said, it's all over the place."

OPETH made its live debut with keyboardist Joakim Svalberg (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, GLENN HUGHES) at the 10th annual Bonnaroo Music And Arts Festival on June 10, 2011 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville.

Keyboardist Per Wiberg, who joined OPETH in 2005, was relieved of his duties in April as part of a mutual decision with the remaining members of the band.