NIGHTWISH, Ex-YES Members Featured On New GRÖNHOLM Album

Lion Music has set a September 16 release date for GRÖNHOLM's sophomore album, "Silent Out Loud". Featuring 10 tracks full of infectious vocal melodies over dynamic
musical backdrops, the CD is an impressive collection of songcraft
topped off with a powerful production and mix.

GRÖNHOLM is built around the songwriting skills of Mika Grönholm (guitar, bass and keyboards), with vocals once again handled by Markku Kuikka (STATUS MINOR) and drums from Tom Rask. This core trio of musicians is joined by "special guests" Billy Sherwood (ex-YES) and Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH, TAROT), who add some extra dynamics to backing vocals, and in the case of Sherwood, help add his trademark lush "YES-style" vocal harmony sheen to the likes of "Out From The Nest", among others.

While
the new offering, aside from a greater emphasis on guitar, has a sound
not too dissimilar to its well-received predecessor, "Eyewitness Of Life", it sees Mika take a heavier approach to his songwriting, utilizing a downtuned B tuning for all stringed instruments. Mika comments, "All the songs on 'Silent Out Loud' are tuned down to low B. Sometimes B-tuning is used for roaring vocals
or lighting fast guitar parts, but no, not this time. With this tuning I was seeking more power and energy to my riffs."

"Silent Out Loud"'s first six tracks are all up-tempo numbers where the new tuning is given a fine showing between the hard rock riffs with some prog-influenced
melodies.

As the album nears its conclusion, we see an instrumental offering in "Giant Step", which clears the minds palette for the acoustic flavor that is heard on the final three tracks, with album finale, "Away", also getting an orchestral arrangement.

Lyrically, Mika Gronhölm drew on "silent" thoughts in his head and once put onto paper in lyric form become "out loud," hence the album's title.

Writing for "Silent Out Loud" began in May 2010 and was completed four months later. Mika's approach was to "simply sit down and record riffs and ideas to an mp3
player and those riffs that maintain attention on repeated plays get
worked on into bodies of songs." Once the tracks had taken shape, the
recordings took place in January 2011. In contrast to the debut, Tom Rask's drums were recorded first this time round and Mika then built the final tracks around the drum work. Markku Kuikka recorded his vocals in his home studio in a short three-day stint. March 2011 saw the arrival of the guest vocal tracks from Billy Sherwood (chorus parts on "Cross" and "Out From The Nest") and Marco Hietala (lead vocals on "Vanity"). The band then had to wait until April 2011 for Janne Tolsa to become available to mix and master and the results show the wait was justified. Mika then mixed the last three songs at his home studio "because they were
easy and quick to do." In addition, a promotional video for the opening
track, "Cross Of Mind", has been shot and can be viewed below.

"Silent Out Loud" track listing:

01. Cross Of Mind
02. Distorted Eyes
03. Under My Star
04. Vanity
05. Out From The Nest
06. Race Is On
07. Giant Step
08. Set The Stones
09. Dawn Of A Dream
10. Away

Australia's VOYAGER Signs With SENSORY RECORDS

Western Australia's masters of progressive metal experimentation VOYAGER have signed with the New Jersey-based prog metal pros at Sensory Records for the release of the band's upcoming fourth full-length album, "The Meaning Of I".

Conceived in 1999 by German-born musician Danny Estrin, VOYAGER is certainly well known throughout the prog metal circuit worldwide, having carved an incredible, diehard cult fan base since inception. The unit's previous three albums display their unique and even strange
integration of symphonic, electronic and progressive elements crafted into a seamless, incredibly executed, multi-genre style all their own, bridging gaps between metal subgenres and even verging on '80s pop.
The official street date for the incredibly layered "The Meaning Of I" is set for October 11, 2011. But the band are also aiming this release to be available to fans in-person at their upcoming performance September 16 at the annual ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta, Georgia, where VOYAGER will share co-headline slots of the massive festival with THERION, IHSAHN, SANCTUARY, DREAM EVIL, LABYRINTH and more. Just days prior to ProgPower, on September 11, VOYAGER will make their debut North American performance at a one-off show in New York City alongside now-labelmates CREATION'S END.

With an impressive history of Australian music awards, as well as many titles of "album of the month" in Romanian, Finnish, Italian, German and Belgian music press, VOYAGER's notoriety for their energetic live performances has captured audiences worldwide. The band have
battled geographical isolation to tour Europe twice, perform at ProgPower Europe 2006 and share stages with diverse acts like NIGHTWISH, STEVE VAI, SOILWORK and ALESTORM.

For more information, visit www.voyager-australia.com.

JULY NEWS BYTES

• Chris Poland is getting busy in 2011 with OHMPHREY and their sophomore effort. Polcat, a new project to debut Chris Poland with Frank Catalano (sax), Sean O'Bryan Smith (bass), and Jim Gifford (drums). Also OHM will have a new studio cd.


• Guitarist Henry Kaiser, drummer Morgan Agren and Trey Gunn are close to finishing up a recording that began in Sweden last year. Henry was in Seattle for a few days of recording last month and next month the release will be mixed. Trey Gunn's 1996 release The Third Star is now re-mastered with 6 bonus tracks as well.



• Antoine Fafard, famous for his band Spaced Out is closing in on finishing his first solo album entitled Solus Operandi which will be available in August. The album features 17 tracks totalling 75 minutes of original instrumental music featuring Fafard on fretless bass and classical guitar. The record also features many collaborators including Magella Cormier, Jerry De Villier Jr, Tom Quayle, Martin Maheux as well as drum legend Dave Weckl (Chick Corea, Mike Stern).

Ex-DEEP PURPLE Keyboardist JON LORD Made Honorary Doctor Of Music

According to JonLord.org, former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord has received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Leicester.

"Jon Lord is one of British music's most eclectic and talented instrumentalists. There are no signs of his creative talents abating.”

These words rounded off a detailed account of Jon Lord's musical life that preceded Jon being presented with the Honorary Degree.

"It is humbling to hear your life retold with such accuracy," Lord said in his acceptance speech, where he also spoke fondly of his musical childhood in Leicester.

His first concert was experience was in the same hall where the presentation ceremony was being held.

"I was 6 or 7 years old and heard cutting edge classical stuff performed by the Haley Orchestra; the William Tell Overture, Grieg's Piano Concerto and the New World Symphony.

"It thrilled me and possibly changed things right there," he explained.

Years later in the same hall, he saw Buddy Holly.

"He spun my head around," Lord said. "The love of what Buddy Holly represented and the love of what the Haley Orchestra represented has defined my musical life.

"This town was and still is deep inside my bones, and it's a huge, huge
privilege and an honor to come back here and accept this honorary
degree. My parents — were they alive — would be dancing in the street. I
suspect and hope they're dancing somewhere far more pleasant than
Averill Road [Jon's childhood home]. Thank you and God bless!"

DREAM THEATER To Tour With TRIVIUM

Progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER will embark on a U.S. headlining tour in September with support from their Roadrunner Records labelmates TRIVIUM. Exact cities and dates will be announced soon.

"On The Backs Of Angels", a brand new song from DREAM THEATER, is available for streaming at the Roadrunner Records YouTube channel. The track comes off the band's new album, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", which is scheduled for release on September 13 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was mixed by Andy Wallace, who has previously worked with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, WHITE ZOMBIE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, SEPULTURA, SLAYER and NIRVANA, among many others.

TRIVIUM's new album, "In Waves", will be released on August 9 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2008's "Shogun" was recorded primarily at Paint It Black Studios in Orlando, Florida (with only the drums having been tracked at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida) with the production/mixing team of Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, SLIPKNOT, FEAR FACTORY) and Martin "Ginge" Ford, along with engineer Carl Bown.

DEREK SHERINIAN To Release 'Oceana' In September

Acclaimed keyboardist Derek Sherinian (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, BILLY IDOL, ALICE COOPER, DREAM THEATER, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) will release his seventh solo album, "Oceana", on September 5 via Mascot Records. The CD was produced by Sherinian and Simon Phillips, and features the following special guests: Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather, Simon Phillips, Steve Stevens, Tony MacAlpine, Doug Aldrich, Tony Franklin and Jimmy Johnson.

Commented Sherinian, "This record is heavily inspired by vintage Jeff Beck across the board in the composition and the first-class musicianship. Simon and I worked very hard on this record."

"Oceana" track listing:

01. Five Elements
02. Mercury 7
03. Mulholland
04. Euphoria
05. Ghost Runner
06. El Camino Diablo
07. I Heard That
08. Seven Sins
09. Oceana

RUSH: 'Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland' DVD Pushed Back To October

According to Amazon.com, the release date of RUSH DVD and Blu-ray titled "Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland" has been pushed back to October 25 from the previously announced September 27. The disc will contain footage of RUSH's April 15 concert at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio filmed by the award-winning documentary makers Banger Productions from Toronto in Canada, who have received international critical acclaim for their previous movies "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey", "Global Metal" and the RUSH documentary called "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage".

RUSH's Cleveland performance of its "Time Machine" show was filmed as a tribute to the U.S. city that first played the band's music.

Cleveland is remarkable for being one of the very first U.S. cities where RUSH performed, in addition to being the first city to provide American
airplay. This also marked RUSH's first live full-length filming on U.S. soil.

The "Time Machine" tour was an evening with RUSH, where the band performed its classics, gave a taste of the future and — for the first time ever — featured the "Moving Pictures" album live in its entirety.

RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee recently spoke to The Plain Dealer about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's upcoming 20th studio album, "Clockwork Angels", for which a release date has not yet been set.

"We've got about seven songs written," Lee said. He added, "When you hear the first two songs ['BU2B' and 'Caravan'], which we're playing live now, they definitely have a heavier sound. It's the heavier side of RUSH in the early going. But when I think of all the songs that we've
written already, there's quite a lot of diversity there. I think — I
hope — RUSH fans will like it. We're certainly going to work hard to make it a great record, as we always try."

Source: RNRCOLA

OPETH: 'Heritage' Formats Detailed

"Heritage", the new album from Swedish progressive metallers OPETH, is scheduled for release on September 20 (one day earlier internationally) via Roadrunner Records. The CD was produced by the band's mainman, 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" will be 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 will be released 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."
SOURCE: RNR

ADRENALINE MOB: Two Headlining Club Shows Announced

ADRENALINE MOB — the new band featuring former DREAM THEATER/AVENGED SEVENFOLD drummer Mike Portnoy, SYMPHONY X frontman Russell Allen, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (SONIC STOMP), bassist Paul DiLeo and STUCK MOJO/FOZZY axeman Rich Ward — has scheduled the following headlining shows (with more to come):

Aug. 14 - Allentown, PA - Crocodile Rock
Aug. 18 - Clifton Park, NY - Northern Lights

ADRENALINE MOB has been confirmed as one of the support acts for GODSMACK on the Massachusetts group's post-Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival headlining run throughout North America in August.

To coincide with the tour, ADRENALINE MOB will release a four-song EP in August, to be followed by the band's full-length debut at the start of 2012.

GODSMACK with ADRENALINE MOB tour dates:

Aug. 16 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House Of Blues
Aug. 20 - Watertown, NY - Watertown Grandstands
Aug. 21 - Hamilton, ON - Copps Colisseum
Aug. 23 - Dubuque, IA - Five Flags Arena
Aug. 24 - Bloomington, IL - US Cellular Colisseum
Aug. 26 - Casper, WY - Casper Events Center
Aug. 27 - Grand Junction, CO - Rock Jam

Professionally filmed video footage of ADRENALINE MOB performing a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "The Mob Rules" on June 24 at the Hiro Ballroom in New York City can be seen below.

A review of ADRENALINE MOB's concert at the Hiro Ballroom — which marked the group's first-ever live performance — can be found at NY Hard Rock Music Examiner.

In a March 2011 interview, Russell described ADRENALINE MOB as "a straight-up rock band with just rock songs — kind of like an
edgy, modern kind of sound. It's not progressive or trying to be too
metal or anything — it's just good, old crunchy rock stuff." He added,
"I think it will be really well received by people who like to hear that kind of stuff. This is a new thing for Portnoy and myself, too. I've always done kind of done stuff with AYREON, but that's more of a vintage-y vibe, but nothing like this, which is kind of modern-sounding, almost like ROB ZOMBIE meets BLACK LABEL SOCIETY meets DISTURBED, [but] with [Ronnie James] Dio singing. It's all this kind of craziness. So it's definitely different and it's cool."

Speaking to MetalSymphony.com, Orlando stated about ADRENALINE MOB, "This band is not in the vein of SYMPHONY X or DREAM THEATER. It's more along the lines of, say, ROB ZOMBIE, GODSMACK, DISTURBED, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, SHINEDOWN… with Russell's absolute pipes from hell and Mike just outright killing it on the kit. The guitar is really rocking and
has some pretty insane moments, but it's a song-oriented band and that's the most important aspect before anything." He continued, "Russell and I have an amazing writing chemistry together and he is one of my
closest and dearest friends. It's an absolute pleasure to work with such a great talent as Russell on every level.' He added, "Mike is just unbelievable. His playing is beyond words at times. He's the
utmost professional musician but also one of the nicest and coolest guys I have ever met and played with. It's an honor to call him my bandmate, to say the least, and I look forward to ripping it up every night out
there with Mike and Russ and the guys!"

MIKE PORTNOY Says Collaboration With JOHN SYKES Is A 'Real Band,' Not A Side Project

Drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB) has joined forces with guitarist/vocalist John Sykes (WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER, THIN LIZZY) and an as-yet-undisclosed bassist in a brand new power trio. The
project has demoed 12 songs so far at a Los Angeles studio, with Portnoy describing one track as "copping the [LED] ZEPPELIN/[BLACK] SABBATH vibe" and another as "[PINK] FLOYD meets [DEEP] PURPLE!!! Some serious old-school classic rock."

In a posting on his official web site, Portnoy describes the new group as "a completely ridiculous modern-day power trio" and calls it "a new 'real BAND' for me" just as ADRENALINE MOB is "also a new "real BAND" for me." He adds, "I will divide my time as best as I can between the two (hey, if Corey Taylor and Jim Root, Mike Patton, Joe Satriani and Chad Smith, Zakk Wylde all can do it, so can I!) and I am equally excited by both... as they
are both amazing new bands, but VERY different worlds musically... so
there's really no clash creatively. Timing-wise, ADRENALINE MOB is happening NOW, and my band with Sykes won't be released later next year, so they'll be able to co-exist just fine!"

Portnoy and Sykes appeared yesterday (Monday, July 25) at a taping of season eight of VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" (see photos below). The program's co-host Eddie Trunk tweeted about their new collaboration, "I heard demos. Sounds like killer BLUE MURDER meets '1987' WHITESNAKE. Amazing!" He also said that the new group will perform some BLUE MURDER material when it hits the road.

In addition to Portnoy, ADRENALINE MOB features SYMPHONY X frontman Russell Allen, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (SONIC STOMP), bassist Paul DiLeo and STUCK MOJO/FOZZY axeman Rich Ward. The group made its live debut on June 24 at the Hiro Ballroom in New
York City and is presently seeking a suitable record label to release
its already completed debut album.

Portnoy is also involved in a separate new project with guitarist Steve Morse (DEEP PURPLE, DIXIE DREGS), multi-instrumentalist Neal Morse (TRANSATLANTIC, SPOCK'S BEARD), bassist Dave LaRue (DIXIE DREGS) and vocalist Casey McPherson (ALPHA REV, ENDOCHINE). That group's debut album is tentatively due later in the year.

Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 20 years ago, abruptly quit the band last summer 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.

Sykes announced his departure from THIN LIZZY in July 2009, explaining that "I feel it's time to get back to playing my own music."

OPETH 'Heritage' Special-Edition CD+DVD Including Exclusive Coin

Swedish progressive metallers OPETH will release their new album, "Heritage", on September 20 (one day earlier internationally) via Roadrunner Records. The CD was produced by the band's mainman, 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.

Play.com has listed a pre-order deal for "Heritage" that is not to be missed! The special edition includes a 5.1 mix of the album and making-of documentary, including a download card with two bonus tracks: "Pyre" and "Face In the Snow". The package also includes an OPETH coin, which can be seen in the picture below.

To pre-order your copy of the special edition or the standard version of the album, visit Play.com.

"Heritage" will be 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 will be released 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.

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."

UK HARD ROCKERS URIAH HEEP TO RELEASE LIVE CD/DVD PACKAGE SEPTEMBER 27TH

UK Hard Rockers URIAH HEEP to release a new stunning official Live CD and DVD package recorded in Armenia

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of URIAH HEEP's « Live in Armenia » 2CD+DVD package on September 23rd in Europe and September 27th in North America.

In October 2009, Uriah Heep released their 40th Anniversary 'Celebration' album, containing new studio recordings of 12 of their most successful, classic tracks, plus two brand new songs. This recording heralded an exciting new phase for the band, taking their classic sound right into the future.

The band hit the road to celebrate 40 years at the top and opened new frontiers in Eastern Europe, Australia, South Africa, Japan and America. The band has played 53 different countries in total. The band's motto has always been "if the people cannot come to see and hear Heep music, we will take it to them" and based on that when the band was invited to play for the first time in Armenia, they did not think twice and went for it. So when the band agreed they were approached by TV and film crews to document this concert which shows an epic performance and an incredibly strong and powerful audience reaction.

"It was unique because it was a first for us, and the fact that our music meant so much to so many people, was just wonderful" says Mick Box. "It cannot get any better than that. There were some technical problems to overcome, as we played on hired equipment, but the emotion of the night won through, and if asked, we would indeed go back and play again".

Uriah Heep, who indisputably invented Hard Rock in conjunction with Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, have sold in excess of 30 million albums since their inception in 1969. From their early incarnation as The Gods and Spice, through record breaking tours, gold and platinum selling albums, timeless chart scaling anthems and a fiercely dedicated fan base of worldwide proportions, Uriah Heep can rightly claim to be one of the greatest U.K. Progressive Heavy Rock bands of both the 20th and 21st centuries.

"Live in Armenia" will be exclusively released in a glossy digipak 2CD+DVD package and on a limited 2LP gatefold sleeve version (including only the audio portion). Full tracklisting is below:

CD1: Wake the Sleeper; Overload; Tears of the World; Stealin'; Book of Lies; Gypsy; Look at Yourself; What Kind of God; Angels Walk With You; Shadow.
CD2: July Morning; Easy Livin'; Sunrise; Sympathy; Lady In Black.
DVD: Wake the Sleeper; Overload; Tears of the World; Stealin'; Book of Lies; Gypsy; Look at Yourself; What Kind of God; Angels Walk With You; Shadow; July Morning; Easy Livin'; Sunrise; Sympathy; Lady In Black.
Dvd Stereo mix 2.0 - Screen 16:9; format: NTSC Region Free / Length 100 mins.

Enjoy a DVD trailer following this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynz8GlxDiOg

URIAH HEEP
* Trevor Bolder - bass guitar, vocals
* Mick Box - guitar, vocals
* Russell Gilbrook - drums, vocals
* Phil Lanzon - keyboards, vocals
* Bernie Shaw - lead vocals

Produced by Mike Paxman

OhioProg 2012 ANNOUNCEMENT (Location, Venue, Hotel, Kickstarter & more)

Ohio's premiere progressive rock festival, OhioProg 2012 is thrilled to announce the location for its inaugural year. OhioProg 2012, taking place September 7th through the 9th of 2012, will be held at the Canton Palace Theatre located at 605 Market Avenue North in Downtown Canton, Ohio. This 1509 seat theatre originally opened in 1926 and each seat provides a glorious view of the stage and scenery.

OhioProg is proud to begin its history in Canton, and feels it will be right at home in the heart of the Downtown Canton Arts District. There are many great amenities in the area for visitors. Over 30 restaurants, bars and coffee shops within walking distance of the venue. Attendees will find 100 shopping destinations including the Westfield Belden-Village Shopping Mall and many one-of-a-kind shops unique to Canton. There are plenty of attractions, parks and
recreational choices, including the McKinley National Monument and The Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dedicated sections can be found on the OhioProg website highlighting each of these amenities. Canton is also conveniently located within an hour of the major cities of Akron and
Cleveland.

Fans traveling from abroad and will be happy to see several host hotels to choose from, including the McKinley Grand Hotel, OhioProg 2012's main host hotel. The hotel is located just 4 blocks
from the venue and is within walking distance to the OhioProg festivities. A generous group rate is being offered by the McKinley Grand Hotel, including garage parking and free shuttle service from the Akron-Canton airport. Thorpe's Market Avenue Grill and Thorpe's Pub are among the 30 dining options downtown and both are located inside the hotel for guests' convenience. Rooms are expected to fill up fast, and guests are encouraged to make reservations early by calling and asking for the OhioProg 2012 group rate. A list of additional area hotels can be found on the OhioProg website.
Additionally, based on Kickstarter's updated time-frame model, the "Pledge Your Ticket" program has been pushed back to begin November 4, 2011 and the funding goal date has been set to January 2, 2012. Through "Pledge Your Ticket" supporters can pledge at various tiers and secure a ticket of their choice to either the Pre-Show, Main Event or both. A number of rewards
will be given for specialized pledges, and patron tickets are available for those who wish to have first choice of seats. This is a great opportunity to help put together a festival for the fans, funded by the fans, and enjoyed by the fans of progressive rock. More information on
the "Pledge Your Ticket" program and the festival can be found on the

OhioProg website
http://www.ohioprog.com

Latest updates on OhioProg 2012 can also be found on our Facebook page, by
following us on Twitter @OhioProg and signing up for the mailing list on
the website.
http://www.facebook.com/ohioprog
http://www.twitter.com/ohioprog

We are also pleased to announce Gende's Giant will complete the inaugural
OhioProg line-up. This Illinois group, led by Mike Gende, come together
to perform the complex, intricate and classic music of Gentle Giant.
They will perform alongside Going for the One and Script for a Jester's
Tour on Friday, September 7, 2012 as part of the "A Tribute to the
Classics" pre-show.

There is plenty more in the works for the
festival and we will make those announcements as they come along. We
hope to add everything to the plate in time for the start of the "Pledge
Your Ticket" program on November 4, 2011.

MASTODON: New Album Release Date Announced

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON will release their new album, "The Hunter", on September 27. The follow-up to 2009's "Crack The Skye" will be 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.

Beginning today, MASTODON will launch a pre-order at MastodonRocks.com for "The Hunter" limited-edition package, which includes a CD/DVD housed in a digipack
with an exclusive alternative artwork cover, a 20" x 30" lenticular
poster featuring the album cover of the standard CD, an Augmented
Reality Experience by Total Immersion (more on that later) that will
contain exclusive content only available to this package, plus an
instant download of the band's first new album track, "Black Tongue", also available for sale through all participating digital music retailers starting today.

The visual companion to the song "Black Tongue", featuring contemporary American folk artist A.J. Fosik, creator of "The Hunter" cover art piece, can be seen below.

Want more MASTODON? Fans who purchase the limited-edition package will also receive a download of "Curl Of The Burl", the first official single from "The Hunter" before it becomes widely available for sale at all digital retails stores.

This limited package is a one-time-only edition. Once these exclusives sell out, no more will be created.

When asked about the sound of MASTODON's forthcoming album, drummer Brann Dailor told the German edition of Metal Hammer magazine, "When you listen to the songs, they don't sound as 'fun' as
we perceive them to be, I guess; it's still pretty extremely heavy
material." He added, "We had a few songs that were kind of, not left
over from 'Crack The Skye', but just stuff that we wanted to be
on that album, but that album kind of took on a whole different thing of its own and there were a few stragglers that were super-heavy and crazy that didn't make it, and we finally got to put them on this record. And then we wrote a whole bunch of brand new stuff. There's, like, 14 songs that we recorded. And it's sort all over the place — a lot of different sounds. Some straight-up classic-rock-sounding songs, straight-up death metal-sounding songs and some completely bizarre, weirdo rock songs
that we're not really sure what they are, but we love them."

"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.

MIKE PORTNOY, JOHN SYKES Join Forces In New Project

Drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB) has joined forces with guitarist/vocalist John Sykes (WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER, THIN LIZZY) and an as-yet-undisclosed bassist in a brand new power trio. The
project is currently recording material at a Los Angeles studio, with Portnoy describing one song as "copping the [LED] ZEPPELIN/[BLACK] SABBATH vibe" and another as "[PINK] FLOYD meets [DEEP] PURPLE!!! Some serious old-school classic rock."

As previously reported, Portnoy is also playing in a new band called ADRENALINE MOB alongside SYMPHONY X frontman Russell Allen, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (SONIC STOMP), bassist Paul DiLeo and STUCK MOJO/FOZZY axeman Rich Ward. The group made its live debut on June 24 at the Hiro Ballroom in New
York City and is presently seeking a suitable record label to release
its already completed debut album.

Sykes announced his departure from THIN LIZZY in July 2009, explaining that "I feel it's time to get back to playing my own music."

SOURCE: RNR

REDEMPTION: New Album Artwork Unveiled

REDEMPTION, the U.S. progressive metal band featuring in its ranks guitarist/songwriter Nick van Dyk and legendary FATES WARNING vocalist Ray Alder, will release its fifth studio album, "This Mortal Coil", 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).

Commented Nick van Dyk: "I'm extremely pleased to announce that work on 'This Mortal Coil' has been completed. 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."

REDEMPTION will headline this year's edition of the ProgPower Europe festival and embark on a European mini-tour.

The twelfth installment of the ProgPower Europe festival will take place in Baarlo, Holland, October 1-2.

REDEMPTION will play the last show on this visit at the inaugural edition of the Denmark Rock Festival on October 8 in Copenhagen, Denmark at the venue The Rock.

The mini-tour will see REDEMPTION play a selected number of concerts across Europe, giving European fans a chance to finally see the band live (their only European show so far
was five years ago at the Headway festival in Amsterdam, Holland) and, of course, to witness a live rendition of material from their
acclaimed current studio album release "Snowfall On Judgment Day". Direct support act on these shows will come from the Italian proggers KINGCROW, who released their fourth album, "Phlegethon", through Scarlet Records last year.
SOURCE: RNR

MASTODON Frontman's Home Can Now Be Yours

Justin Seeby of Keller Williams Realty has listed a house in Decatur, Georgia which is said to be currently owned by MASTODON vocalist/bassist Troy Sanders. The three-bedroom home, which is on the market for $134,900, features
"a large, open kitchen with tons of counter space and cabinets, upgraded black appliances, recessed lighting, and room for a large island. The
enclosed back porch boasts plank wood flooring and large windows. Enjoy
the open deck overlooking a fenced in yard — perfect for kids, pets, and entertaining! One-car garage is great for parking and storage. Gleaming hardwood floors, crown molding, and spacious bedrooms complete this
[house] to make it the perfect place to call home!"

MASTODON's new album, "The Hunter", is tentatively due this fall via Reprise Records. The CD's cover artwork was created by AJ Fosik, a wood carver who is also responsible for the backdrop the band uses live. This marks the first time MASTODON has not used acclaimed artist Paul Romano, who was responsible for all of the group's previous artwork.

"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.