German hard rockers SCORPIONS are among the artists whose BMG Music Publishing catalog is being purchased by Vivendi’s Universal Music unit for $2.09 billion.Paris-based Vivendi said the deal will make Universal the world’s leading music publisher.Vivendi said BMG‘s catalog includes over a million copyrights, including COLDPLAY, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, MAROON 5, CHRISTINA AGUILERA, R KELLY and […]

Damon Albarn is writing the music for a Chinese circus production.The work is due to get its debut at the inaugural Manchester International Festival next June.The Blur/Gorillaz singer recently returned from several weeks spent travelling across China, where he recorded with a variety of local musicians. He is now back in London working on the […]

Hot favourites Arctic Monkeys have just been announced as the winners of 2006’s Nationwide Mercury Prize.The Sheffield quartet took home the ВЈ20,000 award for their debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not‘.On collecting the award front man Alex Turner quipped: “Somebody call 999, Richard Hawley‘s just been robbed!”The band had been […]

To honor the recent unfortunate passing of the long-term recording artist Jesse Pintado (TERRORIZER, ex-NAPALM DEATH), Earache Records is offering a free downloadable MP3 album. The collection, entitled “In Memory of Jesse Pintado“, features some of Jesse‘s most well-known songs recorded during his time as guitarist for both NAPALM DEATH and TERRORIZER.The sad news of […]

Launch Radio Networks reports: STONE SOUR will play its first-ever show in Russia on October 18, at the RAMP Awards in Moscow. STONE SOUR vocalist Corey Taylor, whose other band SLIPKNOT has never appeared in Russia either, told Launch the gig is part of STONE SOUR‘s plan to play as many places as possible. “I […]

Dutch death metallers DARK REMAINS will release their sophomore album, “Planet Earth Scourged“, on September 16 via Burning Misery Records. The CD, which contains nine brand new tracks and two live videos, is the follow-up to 2002’s “Death Manifestation” (Cleansweep Productions) and was recorded, mixed and mastered at A.M. Studios.For more information, visit www.burningmisery.com.

WEDNESDAY 13‘s (ex-MURDERDOLLS) video for the song “Home Sweet Homicide” has been posted online at this location. The track comes off the singer’s sophomore solo effort, “Fang Bang“, which is scheduled for release in the U.S. on September 12 via Restless Records/Rykodisc.

CELTIC FROST‘s new video, “A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh“, is now available to download from www.celticfrost.com in both high- and lower-quality formats. Go the “Multimedia” section on the website to download either version. This video is also available to view at the following sites:* CELTIC FROST‘s official MySpace page* CELTIC FROST‘s official YouTube […]

Norwegian metallers LOWDOWN will release their sophomore album, “Antidote“, in contental Europe on October 16 via Black Balloon Records/Soulfood (the CD was issued in Norway on August 28).Described as “heavy, aggressive metal in the vein of PANTERA, CHIMAIRA and MACHINE HEAD, but still with a superb melodic sense,” “Antidote” was recorded by Zet from RAM-ZET, […]

RAMMSTEIN guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe has introduced the first songs of his new project, EMIGRATE. The album is nearing completion but Kruspe has made some of the music available to the fans for download. Registration is required in order to have access to the music but an audio sample ofthe song ‘Wake Up‘ can be […]