The upcoming second solo effort from VANIZE guitarist Rolf Munkes will feature a guest appearance from former RAINBOW keyboardist Don Airey. The as-yet-untitled album will also include an appearance by BALANCE OF POWER singer Lance King and ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN vocalist Mark Boals. Former ACCEPT drummer Stefan Kaufmann will be mixing the CD at Cologne’s ROXX Studios during June.

U.D.O., featuring former ACCEPT frontman Udo Dirkschneider, will soon be embarking on a Russian tour, where they will be recording a double-live-CD entitled Live In Russia, tentatively scheduled to be issued on September 10th. The CD is expected to contain 25 songs, and its release will coincide with the release of a live video recorded on the same tour.

U.D.O.’s Russian dates are as follows:

April 21 – Rostov, RUS @ Don Sport Palace

April 23 – Volgograd, RUS @ Sport Palace

April 25 – Saratov, RUS @ Sport Palace Ledovi

April 26 – Samara, RUS @ Sport Palace Air Force

April 28 - Nizhni Novgorod, RUS @ Sport Palace Nagorny

April 30 – Moscow, RUS @ Sport Palace Luzhniki

May 01 – Moscow, RUS @ Tochka Club

May 02 - St. Petersburg, RUS @ Sport Palace Jubilee

In other Udo Dirkschneider news, Udo recently recorded a song with the Russian metal band ARIA, entitled "Shtill", to be included on the latter group's forthcoming CD.

The new album of Six Feet Under will be titled "Graveyard Classics" and it will be a covers album with the band paying tribute to the bands that influenced them. The album will feature songs from Savatage, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Accept, Exodus, Sex Pistols, Angelwitch, Dead Kennedys, Deep Purple, Scorpions, Hendrix and Venom.