German metal masters Kreator are still alive and kicking, preparing to enter the studio this July to record a new album, the follow-up to 2005's well-regarded Enemy of God. The album - which will be recorded at Titonus studios in Berlin starting July 20 according to Blabbermouth - will be the thrashers' twelfth. The album, which is currently untitled, is expected to be released in January 2009.

Believe it or not, NWOBHM stalwarts Saxon are reportedly back in the studio working on a follow-up to 2007's The Inner Sanctum, according to Blabbermouth. This is especially surprising because it took the band three years to release The Inner Sanctum after 2004's Lionheart. The forthcoming album will be the band's 18th. Yea, that's absurd. Big respect to some of the grandfathers of metal.

Laaz Rockit is back together and they mean business. The band, who were one of the original acts during the explosion of the famous Bay Area thrash-metal scene back in the early '80s, have reunited and released two new songs on their MySpace page.

An all-star tribute to heavy-metal pioneer and all-around rock legend, Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead fame, is being prepared by directors/producers Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski for a release in 2009. The documentary, which will be callled simply "Lemmy," will feature interviews with band-mates past and present, as well as famous fans like Slash, Dave Grohl, Mick Jones of The Clash, Alice Cooper, Steve Vai and WWE superstar Triple H.

While preparing to hit the road with Judas Priest, Motörhead and Testament for the Metal Masters tour this August, Heaven and Hell - a.k.a. Ronnie James Dio-era Black Sabbath - are busily preparing two upcoming releases. Most tantalizing is a brand-new studio album to be released in early 2009 via Rhino Records.