Back in June OPETH front-man Mikael Akerfeldt sat down for a chat with Guitarist for a feature reflecting on his career over the past 20+ years with Opeth. The publication has made the full transcript of the interview available online now, and you can read Mike candidly discussing the band’s history, back catalogue, development, line-up changes and more…

“…this one guy [David Isberg] who knew I was playing in a band and we went to school together.” says Akerfeldt on the band’s humble beginnings, “He had a band called Opeth. We were skateboarders at the time and listening to thrash. He thought I was a pretty good guitar player, I believe. He didn’t ask me to come and play guitar because he already had two guitar players in his band. He just asked me to come and play bass because the bass player couldn’t play at all.

That band was just a bunch of friends hanging out at the time. We weren’t really friends but that guy had something like a vision, he knew a lot of people and I also liked the name Opeth, I thought it sounded cool. The logo they had at the time was cool too – it was hand drawn with a big inverted cross and gothic font. It was appealing and I wasn’t going anywhere with my own band. Even though I didn’t want to play bass I thought it was a little bit of a break for me to be auditioning for another band.

But the other guys didn’t know I was coming to the rehearsal – the original bass player showed up too and said, Who the fuck is this guy? They had a huge argument and he fired them. Well we were kids, so five minutes later they had another band and were continuing as normal. Nothing was a big deal in those days – he told them to fuck off and me and him became Opeth…”

CHECK OUT THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

Opeth recently celebrated their 20th anniversary with a series of special shows, culminating in an appearance at the infamous Royal Albert Hall. The performance was filmed for the DVD In Live Concert At the Royal Albert Hall which is available now. Pick it up online HERE.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE’S Adam D may well be known for being the somewhat comical guitarist of that particular outfit, but back when the band fist kicked off, Adam was indeed the drummer of the band, and for new project TIMES OF GRACE he not only gets back together with original KsE vocalist Jesse, but he also got back behind the kit for the recording of the album.

Rhythm recently sat down with Adam and had a chat to him abut his return to playing which seemingly was not so much planned as just a natural progression of the writing process, “I just felt motivated to do so as the record was so personal to me,” said Adam, “It was just this forward motion thing I felt completely inspired to make a record.”

When asked if any of the parts were hard for him, Adam admitted to finding it hard to “get his feet back” saying the most difficult for him was “…pretty much all of the double bass pedal stuff. But it felt really natural to play the parts because they’re all drum parts I’d written so it just felt good to do. I really, really, really enjoyed playing drums. During the last Killswitch tour I got the chance to play drums on three songs and it was really refreshing for me to get on stage and get behind the drumset and lay into it.”

You can catch the full interview now over at the Rhythm site HERE.

Times of Grace release their debut album ‘The Hymn Of A Broken Man’ on January 17th. First single ‘Strength in Numbers’ will be available from iTunes from Sunday 17th October after a free giveaway of the track which is live now until 4pm Sunday October 17th. Get the track from HERE.

It’s time for the third and final part of the Track by Track series of interviews with ALTER BRIDGE front-man Myles Kennedy. In the series, Myles has been walking us through new album AB III, talking about the writing and recording of each track in turn, and in some cases their lyrical inspiration.

Part 1 helped us learn more about the tracks ‘Slip To The Void’, ‘Isolation’, Ghost Of Days Gone By’ and ‘All Hope Is Gone’, whilst Part 2 saw Myles walk us through the middle section of the album, which covered the tracks ‘Still Remains’, ‘Make It Right’, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’, ‘I Know It Hurts’ and ‘Show Me A Sign’.

In the player below, you will find the final installment, which sees Myles take us though ‘Fallout’, ‘Breathe Again’, ‘Coeur d’Alene’, ‘Life Must Go On’ and the track they gave fans for free- ‘Words Darker than Their Wings’.

AB III is in stores now and today the guys touched down in the UK to prepare for a headline UK tour in support of the album, kicking off in Glasgow tomorrow. Check out what Mark Tremonti has to day ahead of their Nottingham gig HERE. Full dates and tickets can be found Tours page.

You can pick up AB III in all good stores now or iTunes HERE.

TIMES OF GRACE, the new project that reteams Killswitch Engage guitarist and producer extraordinaire Adam Dutkiewicz with original KsE vocalist Jesse Leach, are offering an exclusive, free download of their debut single, ‘Strength in Numbers.’ The track is available free NOW for a limited time only- the offer will be over at 4pm UK time on Sunday 17th, at which time the single will be available to buy on all the usual digital platforms.

‘Strength in Numbers’ is the first taste of the band’s debut album, The Hymn of a Broken Man, which is due in stores January 17, 2011. This is the first time the duo have recorded together since KsE’s definitive debut, 2002’s Alive or Just Breathing. Times of Grace doesn’t revisit the pair’s fruitful past; rather, it finds them taking a creative left turn away from what they’ve previously done, without diluting their signature styles as they explore new musical terrain. The multi-talented Dutkiewicz plays all instruments on the record and contributes backing (occasional lead) vocals as well as handling all production duties. Although the band and album are centred on a nucleus of Adam and Jesse, Times Of Grace will have a touring lineup. The pair recently also shot a video for the single with director Robby Starbuck just outside of Pittsburgh, PA. The video will make its debut imminently.

As well as having MEGADETH main-man Dave Mustaine in their management team, BAPTIZED IN BLOOD also have another heavy metal heavyweight in their camp in the form of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D, who is responsible for the band’s killer album sleeve.

We sat down for a chat with Mike to find out more about his design work and how putting this cover together came about…

How did you get into graphic design?
I knew a lot of bands that needed 7″ and demo tape covers when I was a kid. Since I went to a Vocational High School (Graphic Arts Shop), I used to sneak projects on the press without the teachers knowing. It only took a few minutes to run off a few hundred covers, so I never had to pay and I never got caught.

How important is the tie between art and music in your opinion?
They are both the same to me: ways to express yourself. Nothing beats a great cover on a great record. Most times the cover gives a “face” to the faceless music genre.

What to you personally are the most iconic album covers in existence?
Cro-Mags “Best Wishes”
Iron Maiden “Number Of The Beast”
Iron Maiden “Piece Of Mind”
Iron Maiden “Live After Death”
Soilwork “Natural Born Chaos”
Danzig 1
Boston 1
Judas Priest “Screaming For Vengence”
Misfits “Die Die My Darling”

You’ve featured wild life before, and on Killswitch’s South American tour diary, we watched you snap pictures of the rainforest for inspiration. Can you sum up your take on nature in art, and art in nature?
Since I travel for a living, I take photos everywhere I go. It gives me an infinite supply of artwork for my projects, since I can’t draw. Nature is everywhere and different everywhere, so naturally I try to get as much variety as I can.

What were you going for on Baptized in Blood’s cover?
I just wanted to make the band happy. They only knew what they didn’t like, so I was throwing everything I had at them. They are a band with their own vision, and that can be a very admirable quality.

Was the shark your idea or their’s?
It was an idea I sent over to them. Like I said, I am an artist that relies on using my own photos to create my artwork, and action shots of sharks are hard to come by. It was the first time I have ever had to use “stock” photography for a layout. Luckily the shot was affordable.

How did you get connected with the guys in the first place?
Gail Marowitz, the Creative Director at Roadrunner, recommended me, and the BiB guys thought it was a good idea.

Who are some other artists you’ve worked for aside from BiB and KsE?
Some of my clients I have worked with at DarkicoN design are: New England Metal and Hardcore Fest, Shadows Fall, Overcast, Soilwork, Unearth, All That Remains, Crowbar, Ibanez Guitars/Basses, Tama Drums, Roadrunner Records, No Mercy Clothing, Throwdown, Bandmerch, Only Crime, Six Feet Under, Rock and Shock Fest, Ferret Music, Metal Blade Records, Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, Lifeforce Records, Mass Concerts, 36 Crazyfists, Trivium, Blood Has Been Shed, Cannibal Corpse, Metal Hammer Magazine, Sworn Enemy, Madball, Chimaira, Caliban, Pressure Fest, Clear Channel, Disembodied, Godbelow, Endless Fight Records, Bloodjinn, Fates Warning, Grimlock, Heaven Shall Burn, Diecast, Bloodwitch, For The Love Of, Miltown, Kingpin, Shed, Day Of Mourning, All Else Failed, Lifeless Records, Strikeforce/Samson Records, Flatline Records, Blasphemour Records, and Alone Records.

Which album cover design are you most proud of and why?
Well, Killswitch Engage’s LP “The End Of Heartache” recently got voted the 6th best cover in RR history…. that’s a pretty cool feeling.

Baptized in Blood’s self titled debut will be available digitally in the UK on October 25th. Killswitch Engages most recent offering Killswitch Engage is in stores now. Pick it up on iTunes HERE.

On October 31st, ALEXISONFIRE will release new digital EP ‘Dogs Blood’ and today the band revealed the title track for the release over at their Official MySpace.

CLICK HERE to check out the track NOW!

Alexisonfire hit the UK on tour in Novemeber, kicking off festivities in Cardiff on November 4th. Full dates below, ticket links here:

Thu 4th Nov – CARDIFF Solus
Fri 5th Nov – PORTSMOUTH Pyramids
Sat 6th Nov – LEEDS Metropolitan University
Sun 7th Nov – MANCHESTER Academy 2
Tue 9th Nov – GLASGOW ABC
Wed 10th Nov – NEWCASTLE O2 Academy
Thu 11th Nov – LONDON The Forum
Fri 12th Nov – NOTTINGHAM Rock City

STONE SOUR arrive in the UK imminently for preparations for their MTV UK Presents show the band are set to play in London on Tuesday (October 19th). Ahead of the gig, Corey and Josh will be online at the MTV UK Twitter and answering your questions! If you’re a fan of the band, get following MTV UK and fire your questions off to @MTVUK!!

Corey and Josh will be online at MTV from 4pm on Monday 18th October.

The guys kick off their UK tour with avenged Sevenfold in Glasgow on the 26th. Dates and ticket links can be found Tours Page. The tour is in support of their stellar new offering Audio Secrecy, which is in stores NOW. Pick it up on iTunes HERE.

The new issue of Metal Hammer just landed on our desks and the Dom Lawson penned ALTER BRIDGE feature is proving to be quite the read.

“It’s about a man who’s lost his faith in God and lost his faith in everything,” Says guitarist Mark Tremonti on new album AB III, “He doesn’t believe in God or the Devil or anything…It’s about someone who grew up believing in these things and has a nice cushy life and the suddenly something happens and he stops believing”.

Across three pages, Mark fills the mag in on not only the new record, but he also contrasts and compares Alter Bridge with his other project Creed and chats about the bands that he got into as a kid. Grab the new issue (dated November 2010) to check out the feature.

AB III, which the mag describes as “both remarkably heavy and absolutely saturated with massive hooks” was released here in the UK on Monday so you can pick it up from your local store now. Alternatively, you can pick it up at iTunes by clicking HERE.

If you pick up this weeks issue of Kerrang! you will see that the main live review is for ROB ZOMBIE’S recent show in Salt Lake City- rather fitting, as he recently announced his first UK tour in 12 years!

“Think about the greatest rock n roll show you’ve ever attended,” writes reviewer Paul Brannigan, “Did it feature 10-foot dancing robots, skeleton mic stands, flaming pentagrams, film footage of a werewolf firing machine guns and enough pyro to make Desert Storm look like an indoor firework display?

ALEXISONFIRE are pleased to announce they will release a four-song digital EP titled Dog’s Blood in the UK on October 31.

A term coined by vocalist George Pettit, Dog’s Blood features brand new songs from the Platinum and JUNO award winning band. What began as a seemingly crazy riff, turned into the inspiration for the EP which includes tracks that run the gamut from indulgently heavy, to what Pettit describes as “atmospheric sounding”. “They’re completely different-sounding songs and would probably never make it onto a full-length record,” says guitarist/vocalist Dallas Green.

The EP tracks have never been performed live, with the exception of the title track. The band debuted the song “Dog’s Blood” during their blazing performance at the CASBY Awards (Canadian Artists Selected By You) on September 30, where they also took home Favourite New Single for “The Northern”.

Co-produced by Alexisonfire and Jon Drew (F*cked Up, Tokyo Police Club, Quest For Fire, Arkells) the EP features three vocal tracks and one instrumental. A limited run of 2000 vinyl records will be available in different colour variations:, one colour will be sold via the band’s official online store (theonlybandever.com/store) and another colour will be sold on tour as merchandise. Alexisonfire are also soon to digitally release an iTunes Originals session on October 18.

The tracklisting for Dogs Blood is confirmed as follows:
01 – Dog’s Blood
02 – Grey
03 – Black As Jet
04 – Vex

Keep an eye out for a track reveal coming soon over at the band’s official myspace HERE.

Meanwhile, ALEXISONFIRE are gearing up for one of the most anticipated tours of the year. The UK headline tour kicks-off in Cardiff on November 4 and wraps up in Nottingham on November 12. Tickets are on sale now and are