The “Hottest Band in the World” is about to set Halloween on fire! KISS andRubie’s Costume company, the world’s largest manufacturer of Halloween costumes and costume accessories, have announced a worldwide licensing deal to recreate the iconic style of the blazing band that is always Dressed to Kill. KISS costumes, masks, wigs, and accessories for adults and children will ensure that the notorious Starchild, Demon, Spaceman, and Catman slay the scariest night of the year.

Legendary KISS is famous for its explosive live performances and outrageous rock and roll style. In a career spanning nearly four decades, the band has achieved record-breaking tours, album sales in excess of 100 million, a huge “KISS Army” fan base, and the most memorable look in all of rock history.

“I’ve always said you may not be able to look like KISS, but you can always feel like KISS. We’ve finally changed that, and I’m jazzed to see all the Starchilds and other KISS members in full uniform this year!” said Paul Stanley of KISS.

“With your new KISS costumes, you will release the Demon within you. You are the God of Thunder!” said Gene Simmons of KISS.

“This line of KISS costumes and accessories offers something for the rock star in all of us,” said Howard Beige, Executive Vice President of Rubie’s. “The catalog will cover a variety of price points and include complete KISScostuming for fans of all ages. It’s a great collection of must-have gear.”

Retailers can preview KISS costumes and accessories now at Rubies.com. Orders will be accepted in summer 2011. Merchandise will be screaming into retail stores everywhere and available at KISSonline.com in time for Halloween 2011.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD has contributed a brand new track called “Not Ready To Die” to the newest content pack for Call Of Duty: Black Ops, the wildly successful seventh installment in the Call Of Duty video game series developed by Treyarch Studio and published by Activision. The pack, called Black Ops Escalation, is ready for download worldwide through the Xbox Live network and features four new multiplayer maps.

A six-minute video clip of AVENGED singer M. Shadows talking about the song can be viewed below.

M. Shadows told Revolver magazine about “Not Ready To Die”, “We had a little break between the ‘Nightmare After Christmas’ tour and the‘Welcome To The Family’ tour. So it was written, like, in four days that we had off. So it was pretty rushed. It was pretty incredible, though, because we really wanted to do it. It was written, like, a month or two ago.”

Regarding the lyrical theme of the track, M. Shadows said, “The song is about the game. There’s a full backstory to what [the makers of Call Of Duty] been doing for years with their ‘Zombies’ series. I’m a big fan of the game, I play it all the time, so I got caught up in the story. They sent me over the full storyline, so I made sure it was going along the lines of the zombie story. So that’s what it’s about.”

AVENGED SEVENFOLD is currently on the road in the U.S. until late May, but will head overseas for the first half of the summer.

Guitarist Synyster Gates told The Pulse Of Radio, however, that more Stateside touring is in the works. “Basically we’ve got quite a bit of touring left,” he said. “You know, we definitely want to come back to the States a couple more times, but then, you know, we have South America coming up, some European festivals in the early summer, and Southeast Asia. I mean, the world has pretty much opened up for us, you know, and it’s pretty awesome at this point.”

AVENGED SEVENFOLD‘s fifth album, “Nightmare”, has been certified gold for sales of more than half a million copies.

The record was the band’s first following the death of drummer and songwriter James “The Rev” Sullivan in December 2009 from a drug overdose.

Earlier this year, AVENGED SEVENFOLD named former CONFIDE memberArin Ilejay as the band’s new touring drummer, replacing ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy.

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach and his new, young, virtuosic guitarist Nick Sterling will take part in a special acoustic performance on the WZZO Rothrock Stage this Thursday, May 12 at 4 p.m. Win invites all this week by listening to Tori Thomas during the “5 O’Clock Happy Hour”. The performance will be streamed live via the Internet at this location. It will also be broadcast live on the WZZO radio station in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

In other news, Sebastian states, “I am so beyond thrilled to announce we will be playing PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey on August 23rd and Nikon at Jones Beach Ampitheater in Wantagh, New York on August 24th with WHITESNAKE and TESLA! LITA FORD is on the bill as well! Gonna be a killer show and I can’t wait to play the big stages in my hometown area! See ya soon New Jersey and New York!”

Bach recently entered a Los Angeles studio with Sterling, drummer Bobby Jarzombek and producer Bob Marlette (BLACK SABBATH, SHINEDOWN,ATREYU, FILTER) to record Bach‘s next CD, tentatively due this fall via the Italian label Frontiers Records.

Bach previously stated about his new solo material, “This CD will follow along the lines of ‘Skid Row’, ‘Slave To The Grind’, ‘Subhuman Race’ and‘Angel Down’. If you like rockin’ guitar riffs, high-energy songs and performances, deadly drums of doom, and ear-shattering screams, we got your rock right here!” He also described the songs as “heavy, interesting, classic sounding, modern sounding, completely rock ‘n’ roll — just how we like it!”

Published by rbtaleman

Heavy metal (fiend/friend?) Writer, frustrat(or), frustrat(ee), decorated U.S. Navy veteran, Husband(twice), father(three times), grandfather(of seven), FM radio veteran, Concertgoer, music collector, muscle car aficianado. Grown up since five. Child since 45. View all posts by rbtaleman