Next week's new additions to Rock Band are from All That Remains, a metalcore outfit from Harmonix's state-mates. They'll be bringing the standard triple shot of rock with the All That Remains 3 Pack, priced at a reduced $2.99 or 240 Microsoft Points.

The track pack includes the following tunes — "This Calling", "Chiron" and "Two Weeks" — all of which can be downloaded individually for 99 cents American. If you're thinking about striking, strike fast. The pricing is a limited time offer.

Returning from the Penny Arcade Expo earlier this week I was delighted to discover a giant brown box sitting in my house. Inside? The Rock Band 2 instruments: Two guitars and drum set. I haven't had a ton of time to mess around with the new drums yet, but so far I can say they're much quieter, and they feel much better to drum on. Those new pads have just the right amount of spring to them.

Hit up the jump for a full gallery of drum pics, including one that shows off the extra jacks for add-ons like cymbals and comparison shots next to the old Rock Band drums. And stay tuned next week for a closer look at drumming in Rock Band 2.

More AC/DC Looking Likely For Rock Band 2

Certainly looks that way. Found on the blog of the lead singer of Darkest of the Hillside Thickets (who are part of this week's DLC update), this screen was meant to show off the inclusion of their song "Shhh..." in the game. Whatever, dude, never even heard of you. Look straight under "Shhh...", however, and you'll see AC/DC's "Shoot To Thrill" listed as DLC. And the live version, from their Donington Castle show, to boot. Totally unconfirmed by Harmonix, of course, but then these kinds of things normally are.

AC/DC Rock Band DLC On the Way? [1UP]

Export 55 Rock Band Songs for $5

An update that hit Rock Band today will allow gamers to prep most of the songs found on the original Rock Band disc for play on Rock Band 2.

The Rock Band Disc Export update will show up as a tab under the extra options in the Rock Band menus. For about $5 gamers will be able to export 55 of the games 58 disc tracks.

The three songs not making the cut?

"Paranoid" as made famous by Black Sabbath, “Run to the Hills” as made famous by Iron Maiden, and "Enter Sandman" by Metallica. And in Europe the track Tokio Hotel’s “Through the Monsoon” won't be exportable.

We know why Metallica isn't making the leap. Maybe the same holds true for Sabbath and Iron Maiden?

Don't Hold Your Breath For Nevermind On Rock Band

Last year, we were told that Nirvana's Nevermind would be turning up as a full-album download for Rock Band. Least, we thought we'd been told. Turns out we weren't told anything at all, and that any and all comments Harmonix made regarding Nevermind were merely examples of what could be turned into DLC, not a guarantee of actual DLC. So don't expect it anytime soon. Fine by us - we'd rather Bleach anyways.

Nevermind Never Officially Confirmed for Rock Band DLC [Co-Optimus, via 1UP]

Tristan Rocks PAX 08

Penny Arcade Expo was Tristan's first video game convention and I think his few hours on the show floor gave him a taste for such things that will live in him for ages. The first thing he wanted to do when we arrived? Play Rock Band 2. He didn't even let the fact that he had to get up on stage in front of a crowd to play dissuade him. Hungry Like the Wolf was his choice of songs. Like father, like son I guess.

Penny Arcade rockers are getting their own downloadable song pack from Rock Band, MTV Games and Harmonix announced today.

The PAX 2008 Collection, due out in early September, will include tracks from nerd-folk artist Jonathan Coulton, nerdcore rapper MC Frontalot, and lovecraftian doomsayers The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets - all of whom performed at the show.

The three song pack will include Coulton's Skullcrusher Mountain, MC Frontalot's Livin’ on the Corner of Dude and Catastrophe” and Darkest of the Hillside Thickets' Shhh….

The pack hits the 360 on Sept. 2 and the PS3 on Sept. 4 for $3 or $1 a song. All proceeds for the sales of the songs from launch to Holiday 2008 will be donated to the Child's Play Charity.

“We’re excited that some of our favorite artists can be featured in Rock Band as a result of this pack,” said Robert Khoo, Show Director for Penny Arcade Expo. “Calling attention to PAX artists and giving back to the community at the same time show why Harmonix is truly a company focused on the music and their fans above all else.”

Neversoft Get Bitchy, Call Out Rock Band's...Cymbals

Neversoft, Harmonix, we get it. You guys make competing music games. There's beef. But is there really any need to get so damn...petty? Here's Guitar Hero director Brian Bright, on Harmonix's decision to include cymbals on their Rock Band 2 drum kit:

I don't know how far ahead they planned that - we obviously revealed [our drum kit] much earlier than they did...I've a feeling there was a: 'Oh s***! There's cymbals! How can we put cymbals on our kit?' That would be the easiest way without having to rewire everything and re-engineer the entire circuit board.

Brian. Harmonix invented Guitar Hero. They then invented Rock Band, which GH World Tour is now , for want of a better word, copying. Might be for the best if you keep the "innovation" smack talk to a minimum.

GH dev mocks Rock Band cymbals [Eurogamer] [Image: Corbis]

While going into a music store to buy a full CD is becoming a thing of the past, there is a place where full albums are thriving, and that place is Rock Band. The trend looks to grow following the release of Rock Band 2 as Entertainment Weekly exclusively reports on not one but six new full album downloads to be released in the coming months for Harmonix's baby, and it's a damn fine lineup if you ask me. Foo Fighters' "The Colour and the Shape", Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", Jane's Addiction's "Nothing's Shocking", Megadeth's "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying" and Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Texas Flood" are all in queue, along with a special No Doubt best of collection compiled just for the game.

"We're surprised by how many people opted to get full albums," says Paul Degooyer, Senior Vice President at MTV Games. "But it’s a good value proposition. Talk about something that’s been lost and forgotten."

As if the holiday season stand-alone games weren't going to cost me enough already. Thanks a lot, Harmonix.

Exclusive: 'Rock Band 2' offering new slate of full albums [EW]

Rush Rock Band DLC Delayed

Looks like Rush fans are going to have to wait a bit longer for the release of one of the greatest albums of all time to be released on Rock Band. Citing technical difficulties, the Harmonix folks have decided to shuffle things around until they can get whatever issues they're running into squared away.

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen technical difficulties, we won't be able to release Rush's "Moving Pictures" this week. We'll be working on it as hard as we can, but it looks like it could be a couple of weeks to fix. In the meantime we will be moving around our schedule so we still have DLC coming out each week

I'm guessing they're trying to determine some way to keep people from trying to sing as high as Geddy Lee, which can lead to strangulation by your own vocal chords. Bring it down an octave folks, don't be a hero.

In the meantime, savor the irony of the "Rush Delay".

Rush Delay Info [Rock Band Forums - Thanks BatDanNG!]

Rock Band 2 Lead Designer Calls Us Out

Harmonix's Dan Teasdale wants to make sure that folks attend the "History of Harmonix" panel at PAX this weekend so badly that he's narrowly avoided calling down a world of hurt upon himself in the process. He's issued challenges to various members of the media, the development community, and his game's chief rivals in an attempt to drum up some attendance.

I challenge Kotaku's Mike Fahey, Wired's Chris Kohler, and Destructoid's Nick Chester to an arm wrestle. Mike is allowed to substitute for Cresente if he can't make it, but in that case I'm allowed to take my elbow off the table and Brian isn't - Crescente looks like he works out, so I need any advantage I can get.

Obviously Mr. Teasdale has never seen a group shot of the Kotaku crew, or he'd know exactly how relieved he should be that Crecente is attending PAX and not me. Not only am I huge, but I own a copy of "Over The Top" on DVD. Check out his blog post for the rest of the challenges, including a manly hug between rhythm game developers, as well as details on Rock Band 2's new Tour Challenges.

PAX and Tour Challenges [Rock Band Blogs - Thanks Smidget!]

Every Rock Band 2 Song Rated For Difficulty

Some Rock Band 2 songs will be easy. Some will be tough. Some will be freakin' impossible. So let's find out which is which, eh? Harmonix have released a comprehensive list ranking each song from easiest to hardest across five categories: vocals, guitars, bass, drums and an overall band ranking. The hardest guitar song? Judas Priest's "Painkiller". Hardest drums song? Dream Theater's "Panic Attack"? Best song I never realised was even in the game? Mastodon's "Colony of Birchmen". Nobody tells me anything anymore.

Rock Band 2: Rated [IGN]

EA Partners: DeMartini on the 'Renaissance'

Rock Band's Community Zine is live, hitting email boxes international today. We've gotten a slew of emails to say that the little promotional zine is live and packed with interesting Rock Band tidbits.

In this inaugural issue comes news that the Rush: Moving Pictures full album download is coming to Rock Band on Aug. 26. The pack will include the original version of Tom Sawyer, Red Barchett, YYZ, the original Limelight, The Camera Eye, Witch Hunt and Vital Signs.

The zine also includes links to a backstage interview with Rush, a vid of Rush playing their own song in Rock Band on the Colbert Report and another of NAS playing Rock Band on the Report.

Finally you've got links to the Harmonix Developers' blog and a designer's Twitter.

PS3 World Tour Rock Band Compatible

RB2: Drum Trainer, Battle of the Bands detailed

Harmonix swung by New York City this week so I finally got a chance to check out Rock Band 2 for the XBOX 360. So is there any new info we didn’t already see from E3? Why yes, yes there is. Although we briefly went over some of the game’s features that were already reveled, we spent the majority of the time going over new details on modes - such as the Drum Trainer and Battle of the Bands - as well. Oh, were you thinking about buying the original Rock Band so you could import the old songs? You might want to consider just renting it instead.

Microsoft - All Our Instruments Cross-Compatible Too

Yesterday we reported Sony's annoucement via the PlayStation Blog that all the major upcoming PS3 music games (Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour, and Rock Revolution) will be able to share instruments.

Not to be outdone (and concerned that the PS3 claim might imply the opposite for rivals) Chris Paladino from Microsoft used the Gamerscore Blog to confirm that the same was true of the XBox version of those games as well.

For the record, we also do that, so consider this an official announcement.

All the instruments from Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour, and Rock Revolution will be cross-compatible.

Let's hear it for common sense and compatibility. Up next — world peace.

Speaking of Instrument Compatibility... [Gamerscore Blog]