SAVAGE CIRCUS: Single for free We want your best - and we give you the best, because you can start to download the first single of SAVAGE CIRCUS beginning with the 10th of August on a href=httpwww.savage-circus.comwww.savage-circus.coma. The members of the band will be at the Wacken:Open:Air to present the whole album. More details about it will be revealed on the ' of SAVAGE CIRCUS soon.
DYECREST: It's their world Everything is set: DYECREST will be releasing their brand new record "This Is My World" on the 29th of August. You can get the first glimpse from the 1st of august on at their Dockyard 1 ' .
PERSUADER: "The Hunter" again Somehow it's legendary, the debut of our Swedish lads PERSUADER. Soon "The Hunter" is gonna be re-released, so that you can get a taste of it as well if you missed it out years ago. PERSUADER spiced it up with several bonus tracks so be sure to get your copy on the 29th of august. The songwriting for the next album is almost done, and PERSUADER will soon start to record.
We're still proud of the first ever release we did on DOCKYARD 1. It's "The Vermin Breed" by our Belgian metal heads AFTER ALL. They celebrated the record release with a couple of concerts in support of Agent Steel and Metal Church. Look at the pictures on their home page http://www.afterall.be/. Seems like they enjoy it more and more, see the list of new upcoming shows...
Look at that long list of tourdates. Yes it's true: MYSTIC CIRCLE will support re-formed Swedish black metal outfit MARDUK. On their whole tour. So go out and support them if your heart is black!
Belgian Hardcore all-stars ANGEL CREW are done recording their new album. The title will be "One Life, One Sentence". Here's the track list of the freshly banned eleven songs: 1. Spit it out 2. Cross The Line 3. Chapter Of Violence 4. Carry On The war 5. Break Through 6. Life Sentence 7. Dead End Sin 8. Bring Down The World 9. Shut Them Down 10. Another King Down 11. Life Of An Angel
A TRAITOR LIKE JUDAS are heading from Braunschweig/Germany to add their imprint on the world map of metallic hardcore. They are almost done writing their new album which will be titled "Nightmare Inc.". They describe their songs as a mix of Lamb of God and God Forbid. Studio time is scheduled for late August, the new album can be expected for the end of the year. _____
05/06.08. Augustibuller Festival - Lindesberg /Sweden 08.10. Burn The Stage Festival - Oberentfelden /Switzerland 20.10. Stengade 30 - Copenhagen /Denmark 21.10. The Riot - Lichtenstein /Germany 22.10. Kommarzbank Hammerstadt Germany tba
DEATH BEFORE DISCO
Festivals 16.07. - ROCK HERK Festival (w/ Lost in Rhone) - Herk-de-Stad/Belgium 16.07. - DUYNEROCK Festival (w/ Severance, Morda, ...) - Bredene/Belgium 04.08. - Magnet Club - Berlin /Germany 05.08 - Krach am Bach - Beelen /Germany 06.08. - Midsummer Open Air Fest - Halver /Germany
MYSTIC CIRCLE
on tour with Marduk 24.08. UK SOUTHPORT, CLUB HAVANA 25.08. UK NEWCASTLE, ARCHER 26.08. IRL DUBLIN, WHELANS 27.08. UK BRADFORD, RIO 28.08. UK LONDON, UNDERWORLD 29.08. BL HEKELGEM, 162 - NEW 30.08. FR PARIS, LA LOCOMOTIVE 31.08. NL UTRECHT, DE HELLING 01.09. FR CHAULNES, SOCIOCULTUREL 02.09. FR ELOYES, CULTUREL CENTRE 03.09. FR LYON, TRANSBORDEUR 04.09. FR MARSEILLE, MIRABEAU 06.09. SP IRUN, TUNK 07.09. SP VIGO, LA IGUANA 08.09. POR COLINAS, CLUB BRANCA 09.09. SP MADRID, RITMO & COMPAS 10.09. SP ALICANTE, STEREO CLUB 11.09. SP BARCELONA, MEPHISTO 13.09. ITA ROME, ALPHEUS 14.09. ITA MILANO, TRANSILVANIA LIVE 15.09. HUN BUDAPEST, A35 16.09. PL WROCLOW, WZ 17.09. PL WARSZAWA, PROXIMA 18.09. D BISCHOFSWERDA, EAST CLUB 19.09. DK KOBNHAVN, LOPPEN 20.09. SWE GAVLE, MONSTER CLUB 21.09. SWE GOTEBORG, MUSIKENHUS
_____
Release Schedule
Out Now: AFTER ALL - The Vermin Breed VANISHING POINT - Embrace The Silence DEATH BEFORE DISCO - Party Bullet IN-QUEST - The Comatose Quandaries AS WE FIGHT - Black Nails and Bloody Wrists
July 18, 2005 INTEGRITY - Sliver In The Hands Of Time
August 29, 2005 SAVAGE CIRCUS - Dreamland Manor PERSUADER - The Hunter DYECREST - This Is My World
October 31, 2005 MYSTIC CIRCLE - The Bloody Path Of God
In the Special Edition series of InsideOut Music the label is completing the new edition of five albums of melodic rock band ASIA. After "Aqua" and the Best of compilation "Anthology" now follows "Arena", "Aria" as well as the demo and outtakes collection "Archiva 1 & 2". These reissues are remastered and feature bonus material. All reissues are released with relief printed slipcases, containing bonus tracks, enlarged booklets, exclusive photographic material and new liner notes. www.asiaworld.org
Many a fan already knows the Swedish CARPTREE well. Their third album "Man Made Machine" had already been released as a private release and used for promotion purposes now and then when InsideOut Music signed the duet. At the end of August "Man Made Machine" will be released in an upgraded packaging in Europe. The album offers song-oriented art pop rooted in progressive rock. www.carptree.com
At the end of September the new and still untitled KING'S X album will be out. The Texan trio has written 14 new songs. The best ones will be put on the longplayer. Michael Wagener is the producer (Metallica, Alice Cooper, Queen, Ozzy Osbourne, Dokken, Megadeth, Mötley Crue). www.kingsxonline.com
RIVERSIDE are docking with InsideOut Music. The Polish band are currently working on their second record "Second Life Syndrome" which will be out in autumn. Their mix of new art rock and hard, almost metal elements and touches of Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, quieter Opeth, and also Anathema last year led to a thoroughly convincing debut. www.riverside.art.pl
With the exception of a surprisingly booked gig in Frankfurt in last November one had hardly heard from them for almost eight years. Now the Munich progsters SIEGES EVEN are "really" back as a new entry at InsideOut: full of inspiration they play on their new record "The Art Of Navigating By The Stars" which will be out at the end of September. Many an old fan will be surprised what kind of catchy sounds the Bavarians are able to produce without drifting into shallow waters. This means: The band has considerably reduced their hyper complex style. The whole thing is cut out to be one of the progressive highlights of this year. www.siegeseven.com
STREAM OF PASSION is a new band project with gothic touch and an international line-up which was initiated by Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen from the Netherlands: around the Mexican singer Marcela Bovio known from the last Ayreon album "The Human Equation" gathered US lead guitarist Lori Linstruth, the Mexican piano player Alejandro Millán, and Lucassen's countrymen Johan van Stratum (bass) and Davy Mickers (drums) as well as Lucassen himself on guitar. The debut album "Embrace The Storm" will be out at the end of September. At the beginning of next year the band will go on tour. First impressions offers a videotrailer on the newly cleared band website. www.streamofpassion.com
With Umphrey McGee InsideOut Music recently signed the first band of the so-called jam band scene. Jam Rock - that's a phenomenon which already got a audience of millions in the States. With STRING CHEESE INCIDENT the second deal follows. Musically, both acts can hardly be compared to each other but their attitude towards music, their variety, and their stage performance when they are melting the most diverse styles and give them a new shape, makes clear that it is a band of high-calibre of this still young genre with grand predecessors such as The Grateful Dead, it's a band which will certainly find its fan community in the old world, too. www.stringcheeseincident.com
The work on the new album by SYMPHONY X is delayed. The reason for this: an offer the US prog metal band received to tour with acts such as Dream Theater, Megadeth, Fear Factory, and Anthrax for seven weeks in North America in this summer. The tour is about to start. Information about line-up and gig dates you will find under the URL www.gigantour.com. www.symphonyx.com
Also new at InsideOut Music is THE TEA PARTY. Trademark of the Canadians: solid classcial rock with touches of The Doors and Led Zeppelin, and the whole thing enriched with oriental influences. Their new album "Seven Circles" - already out in North America - will be out in Europe at the end of September. On the band's official European website (www.theteaparty.de) you can download a videoclip of the "Seven Circles" track "Oceans". On the website there is also talk of a possible forthcoming tour with Def Leppard. www.theteaparty.de, www.teaparty.com
At the end of July InsideOut's sublabel REVISITED RECORDS continues the new edition of KLAUS SCHULZE's backcatalogue with the albums "Audentity", "Body Love", "Dune", and "Miditerranean Pads". +++ The series of KRAAN reissues starts at the beginning of August with "Wiederhören", "Nachtfahrt", and "Live 88". +++ The British artist PAUL GURVITZ has left a lot of traces in rock music history, among others as a member of The Gun, Baker Gurvitz Army, and Three Man Army; in August Revisited Records will release "Live" of the BAKER GURVITZ ARMY, "3" of the THREE MAN ARMY as well as Gurvitz' solo album "Rated PG". +++ The new GURU GURU studio album "In The Guru Lounge" will be forerunner of a series of re-releases of those legendary Krautrockers around drumming derwish and "Elektrolurch" Mani Neumaier. +++ Since the 70's he was scarcely noticed, FRANK MARINO who cares about his partly psychedelic guitar rock, characterized by long improvisations - and this on a level which can be compared with virtuoso players such as Gallagher, Hendrix, or Stevie Ray Vaughan. In September there will be the start of a series of reissues with albums by Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush. +++ And last but not least: PETE TOWNSHEND will re-release great parts of his backcatalogue in Europe on Revisited Records. This will start in September with "Anthology", an exhibition of his work. www.klaus-schulze.com www.kraan.de www.paulgurvitz.com www.mahoganyrush.com www.petetownshend.co.uk
------------------------------ NEW RELEASES / InsideOut Music ------------------------------
CARPTREE: "Man Made Machine", RELEASE:, August 29th STRING CHEESE INCIDENT: "One Step Closer", RELEASE: 29. August 29th
------------------------------- STILL CURRENT / InsideOut Music -------------------------------
AYREON: "Come Back To Me" (CD single), RELEASE: June 13th TOMAS BODIN: "I Am", RELEASE: June 2005 27th STEVE HOWE: "Spectrum", RELEASE: June 27th SPIRITUAL BEGGARS: "Demons", RELEASE: June 20th 2005
-------------------------------- IN PREPARATION / InsideOut Music --------------------------------
IT BITES: "Live In Montreux" (CD), September 19th IT BITES: "Live In Tokyo" (DVD), September 19th KINGS'S X: new studio album, RELEASE: September 26th SIEGES EVEN: "The Art Of Navigating By The Stars", RELEASE: September 26th SPOCK'S BEARD: "Live in 2005 - Gluttons For Punishment" (double CD), RELEASE: August 29th STREAM OF PASSION: "Embrace The Storm", RELEASE: September 26th THE TEA PARTY: "Seven Circles", RELEASE: September 26th
Dutch Death Metal leviathans NOX are finishing up recording their long awaited debut record for Wicked World. The band, comprised of ex-Centurian guitarist Rob Oorthuis and new drummer Bob Dussel respectively, plus Severe Torture members Patrick Boleij and Seth v/d Loo, (both also ex-Centurian) spent over a year completing the demos for the recording before hooking up with Hans Pieters at Excess Studios, Rotterdam, Holland.
Tentatively titled "Ixaxaar" it features the following tracks:
1) Zacar Od Zamran 2) Choronzonic Chaos Gods 3) Darkness Undying 4) Insane Hatred For The Supposed Creator 5) Blind Mad God 6) Intoxicated With Death 7) The Jesus Sect 8) Satan Ex-Machina 9) Zazaz
Rob Oorthuis informs us that
"This Death-ritual has torn us all inside out, which is good. No major obstacles, everything went pretty smooth. I guess the Bright White Light has given up on Nox. Yes, Eight-Rayed Terror Unfurled!
"Ixaxaar" is due for release on Wicked World / Earache later this year.
BEECHER frontman Ed Godby talks about the bands new album, "This Elegy, His Autopsy", which they recorded recently with Kurt Ballou of Converge at God City Studios, Boston USA:
" The recording of 'This Elegy, His Autopsy,' was an interesting and satisfying experience, because it was the first time that we, really, had enough studio time to experiment properly with our sound".
"Over the 12 months previous to recording we had been very occupied with putting together an album, in the rehearsal room, that explored more deeply all the different sounds that make up Beecher, and we all felt, as the time came to enter the studio, that what we had come up with was a more substantial and thorough piece of music".
"I think that the result of the recording process is an all-round more focussed effort than anything we have done previously, not only in the fact that the album tells a story, but it also creates an atmosphere".
"The mood of the record twists and turns over 43 minutes, from the songs which might be described as having a definitive 'Beecher' sound, such as the opener "It's Good Weather For Black Leather" to the hypnotic, almost post-rock esque ". And On The Day That He Became A Human Plumb Line" onto the frantic, grinding melee of "Psycho Galvanic Skin Response" to the crushing finale of "Reach Up To The Gods".
"All in all we seem to have developed on all of the sounds and influences that we have always cited as Beecher, and we have created a record that we feel is exciting and original. Both raging and beautiful, "This Elegy, His Autopsy' could well be our defining album."
"This Elegy, His Autopsy" is released on Earache on September 12th 2005
Download "Function! Function!" from the upcoming Beecher album plus 15 other current and unreleased tracks on the free BURN downloadable for free at ' .
Launch Radio Networks reports: DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell will release his first solo album, "Two Sides of If", on September 6. Campbell will be joined on the blues-oriented album by ZZ TOP's Billy Gibbons, singer Joan Osbourne, and former FRANK ZAPPA and MISSING PERSONS drummer Terry Bozzio. "Two Sides of If" features a collection of Campbell's favorite blues songs, including WILLIE DIXON's "I Ain't Superstitious" and "Spoonful", FLEETWOOD MAC's "Like It This Way" and "Willin' For Satisfaction", RORY GALLAGHER's "Calling Card", and MEL LONDON's "Messin' With The Kid"
German power metallers RAGE will enter producer Charlie Bauerfeind's VPS Studios in late September to begin recording their new album, tentatively due on March 20, 2006 via Nuclear Blast Records. The band will spend much of August in pre-production before guitarist Victor Smolski records the orchestra parts for a "Suite Lingua Mortis" in Minsk. The 20-minute band/orchestra piece, for which Victor is currently working hard on the notation, will be the main part of the new RAGE album. The recordings will be completed by the end of November, with the mix tentatively scheduled to take place in December.
SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser has entered A Voz do Brasil studio in São Paulo, Brazil to begin recording his his first solo album, tentatively due in early 2006 via Holland's Mascot Records. No further information is currently available.
As previously reported, SPV Records recently pushed back the projected release date of the new SEPULTURA album to early next year. The upcoming CD will be based on the "The Divine Comedy", widely considered the greatest epic poem of Italian literature, and one of the greatest of world literature.
Just a small update of news from our camp for whoever is interested. We have just recorded three new tracks for a forthcoming EP to be released by Serpent's Lair records. The new, lengthy compositions are called 'The pains of sleep' and 'Pavor Nocturnus' and they have been recorded at The Lodge in Northampton. We have also re-recorded our cover of Katatonia's 'For funerals to come', to be also included in the EP. The track has been recorded at Priory Studios and engineered by Greg Chandler. Furthermore, our full '1000 years' demo shall be remastered and included as bonus on the EP. The new material clocks at 29 minutes, so all together you'll get 62 minutes of funereal music. More updates and hopefully a sample will follow soon at the Pantheist site and forum.
There are also some line-up changes in the band. We welcome Sterghios on drums (ex Monsterworks) who has already recorded with us on the new tracks. Unfortunately, we will also have to say goodbye to our guitar player and co-founding member Nicolas, who is moving to the States for family reasons. We wish him all the best and thank him for his invaluable contribution to the band.
With that it becomes clear that we are in search for a guitar player right now, so applications are welcome. The ideal candidate should live not too far from the London area, have his own equipment and be able to attend rehearsals regularly. Ability to perform both as lead and rhythm guitarist are essential, as well as an open-minded, creative approach to music. Anyone interested, contact us at Pan@doom-metal.com"
A live recording of a new ARCTURUS track, entitled "Demon Painter", has been posted online at ' (8.5 MB).
"Demon Painter" is expected to appear on the band's upcoming album, "Sideshow Symphonies" tentatively due in September via Season Of Mist.
ARCTURUS, whose current lineup includes DIMMU BORGIR bassist Simen Hestnaes (a.k.a. ICS Vortex, ex-BORKNAGAR, LAMENTED SOULS) on lead vocals, are planning to film a live DVD at their September 24, 2005 concert at Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway.
Hestnaes' first appearance back with ARCTURUS took place at the Inferno Festival kick-off event at the Underworld in London on January 27.
Hestnaes had previously performed vocals on three tracks and written the lyrics for one song on ARCTURUS' 1997 album, "La Masquerade Infernale".
ARCTURUS announced in January that vocalist Øyvind Hægeland (SPIRAL ARCHITECT) had left the group. No reason was given for his departure.
FEAR FACTORY's new album, "Transgression", will be made available in Europe as a limited-edition pack with a bonus DVD. The DVD is expected to include studio/rehearsal footage, three music videos ("Moment of Impact", "Transgression" and "Spinal Compression") and the whole album audio in digital sound.
"Transgression" is scheduled for release on August 23 (one day earlier internationally) via Calvin Records, an imprint of Liquid 8 Records. A 45-second audio sample of first single "Supernova", which features a guest appearance by former FAITH NO MORE bassist Billy Gould, is available at ' (Real Media).
FEAR FACTORY entered Track Record Studios in North Hollywood, California on May 5 with producer Toby Wright (ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN, SOULFLY) to begin recording the follow-up to last year's "Archetype". Included on "Transgression" is "New Promise", which was co-written with Mark Morton of LAMB OF GOD.
OBITUARY's video for the track "Insane" has been posted online at ' (Windows Media).
"Insane" (' ) comes off the group's new album, "Frozen In Time", which comes out today (July 19) via Roadrunner Records.
The group's first collection of new songs since 1997's "Back from the Dead", "Frozen In Time" was self-produced by the band, with Mark Prator and Scott Burns engineering, and was mastered by Tom Morris at Morrisound.
ATROCITY/LEAVES' EYES singer/producer Alexander Krull was named "Producer of the Year" by the American magazine True Alternatives, according to a posting on the LEAVES' EYES web site. Krull received the award for his work on the following projects: "Atlantis" (ATROCITY), "Lovelorn" and "Vinland Saga" (both LEAVES' EYES), "Dark Clouds in a Perfect Sky" (ELIS), "Where Twilight Dwells" (MIDNATTSOL) and "Goatreich-Fleshcult" (BELPHEGOR).
A number of high-quality photos taken at this past weekend's Tuska Open Air Metal Festival have been posted online at Mesta.net.
Tuska Open Air Metal Festival was held July 15-17 at Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki, Finland. Bands that performed at the festival included MONSTER MAGNET, APOCALYPTICA, FINNTROLL, PRIMAL FEAR, DESTRUCTION, DIMMU BORGIR, TESTAMENT, GAMMA RAY, ACCEPT, SENTENCED, CHILDREN OF BODOM and EVERGREY.
German epic metallers BLIND GUARDIAN have announced a replacement for drummer Thomen Stauch, who left the band in April after 20 years.
The new man behind the kit is fellow German Frederik Ehmke, who is said to be "fairly unknown in the world of metal."
"A few weeks ago an unknown guy who introduced himself as Frederik Ehmke applied for the job as a drummer in a fairly firm manner. His vital, expressive and skillful performances of some BLIND GUARDIAN classics ('Journey Through The Dark', 'Time Stands Still' and 'And Then There Was Silence') blew us away completely. Pretending not to be convinced, we invited him to do a shootout recording session under real production terms to check out if the creative chemistry would also work out fine. After finishing these recordings it was obvious to us: Frederik is going to be our new drummer!
"It was essential for us to find a musician, who on one side would be able to integrate old GUARDIAN trademarks in his playing, but on the other side would also be confident enough to bring in his own vision of the BLIND GUARDIAN drums in a tasteful and, for the music, suitable way. Frederik is a calm and handsome fellow, who's aware of his abilities and who also knows what he wants. For us he is the lucky draw.
"We are convinced you will be as impressed by his drum performance as we are. Now we are looking forward to starting the next album production. There is a good amount of work ahead of us but we are absolutely ready to go. You can expect a very interesting album with strong songs. We will keep you informed."
The production of BLIND GUARDIAN's debut album for Nuclear Blast Records will start soon with the help of producer Charlie Bauerfeind. No album title has been set as of yet, but it looks like the CD will contain a total of ten songs. Working songtitles include "Carry The Blessed Home", "The Edge", "In Search For The Lionheart", "Market Square", "Another Stranger Me", and "Otherland". The release of the first single is planned for February 2006, with the album to follow in April. A European tour will kick off in September 2006.
15 people were arrested for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct following DEICIDE's live debut in Chile, which took place Friday (July 15) at Gimnasio Nataniel in Santiago.
More than 3,000 fans attended the concert, which went ahead despite objections from local church officials, who had asked the authorities to prevent the group from playing in country out of respect for an Italian Catholic priest who was murdered by a DEICIDE fan almost a year ago. Photos of DEICIDE hanging out with their Chilean fans are available at ' .
CHILDREN OF BODOM have recorded a cover version of BRITNEY SPEARS' "Oops I Did It Again" for their upcoming single, "In Your Face". The single, which is scheduled for release in Finland on August 17 via Spinefarm, will contain the following track listing:
01. In Your Face 02. Oops I Did It Again 03. In Your Face (censored version)
A total of two cover songs were recorded during the recording sessions for the group's new album, "Are You Dead Yet?". The second cover song will be used as bonus track for the Japanese version of the album.
MOSS will release their debut album 'Chtonic Rites' on ComaWorx in october 2005. The album will initially be issued as a gatefold vinyl, limited to 666 copies on 180 grams vinyl with insert. The cd will follow later on with different artwork. The album is produced by Jus Oborn (ELECTRIC WIZARD) at Chuckalumba studio and mastered by Greg Chandler (ESOTERIC). It will feature two monolithic tracks of horrid nihilistic doom of approx. 20 minutes each
PLACE OF SKULLS enter the studio on August 1st for the recording of their 3rd full length cd to be released by Exile On Mainstream Records.
There is no album title available at this time but the recording will take place at Lakeside Studios with Travis Wyrick and Mike Dearing at the controls.
The album will feature the standard line-up of Dennis Cornelius, Tim Tomaselli, & Victor Griffin while long-time friend and original PLACE OF SKULLS/DEATH ROW bassist Lee Abney will also make a guest appearance.
The Swedish doomsters Beneath The Frozen Soil have finally released their 4-track EP 'The First Wreath'. It contains a prelude and 3 songs of slow, melancholic, beautiful doom with a touch of death and a blackish feel to it.
The first print of the EP is limited to a hand-numbered edition of 123 copies. This edition is available from the band's homepage, where a full track is also available for download.
More details have been revealed about the upcoming IMMORTAL tribute album, "Epimythion - Tribute to Immortal", tentatively due this fall via Greece's Townsend Avalanche Music. The complete track listing for the CD is as follows:
TRAGEDY BEGINS - "The Sun No Longer Rises" BEYOND DAWN - "Storming Through Red Clouds And Holocaust Winds" ENDWARFMENT - "Unsilent Storms in the North Abyss" KEEP OF KALESSIN – "Throned by Blackstorms" SUNN O))) – "Cursed Realms of the Winterdemons" OCD+BRAINCONTROLLER - "Pure Holocaust" ZWEIZZ - "Blacker than Darkness" VREID - "As the Eternity Opens" FUNERAL PROCESSION – "Mountains of Might" SETH - "Battles in the North" ENTHRONED - "Eternal Years on the Path to the Cemetary Gates" HAUNTED GATES – "One by One" WRATHAGE – "Through the Halls of Eternity" THE ASHES – "Withstand the Fall of Time"
Swiss brutal death metallers TODESBLEI have finished the songwriting process for their second full-length album, tenatively titled "Todsunden". The band entered Helvete Studios, based in Dornbirn, Austria, last Saturday (July 9) to begin recording the CD for a fall 2005 release.
French symphonic black metal act ANOREXIA NERVOSA are putting the finishing touches on a new mini-CD, "The September", containing cover songs from FORBIDDEN SITE and DARKTHRONE, live tracks recorded during the band's "Redemption Process" French tour, and two songs that were previously only available in Japan. In addition, the band have remixed their live favorite "Sister September" for the occasion. "The September" is scheduled for release this fall, in time for the band's European tour with VADER.
Montreal's extreme metal champions CRYPTOPSY have finished recording their as-yet-untitled new album for an October release through Century Media Records. Guitar player Alex Auburn checked in with the following wrap-up: "We have finished the fifth full-length CRYPTOPSY album. We started recording the album on May 16 at Vortex Studio in St-Constant, about 20 minutes south of Montreal. It was really fun and quiet recording there, as not a lot goes on in a small city like that, so we really focused on recording. Eleven tracks totaling about 50 minutes, this is a concept album where every song has its own identity, and we made sure to have a lot of flavors and different rhythms and tempos throughout the whole process. The variations in the tracks may surprise some of you. The goal this time around was to focus on writing excellent songs, which we did. Producer Sebastien Marsan did a phenomenal job, and we are glad he took the time to work with us. Finally, this album will be out soon, and we can't wait to see you all when we hit the road with this new material."
Drummer Rikard Wermen of the reactivated Swedish death metallers DERANGED has issued the following update:
"Yes, the rumor is true… We have started to work on a new full-length! We're planning to record it sometime in January next year. No titles whatsoever yet... Either song titles or name of the actual album. It'll come... We've got six new tracks so far. The plan right now is to have 10 songs on the new disc. We'll soon record some kind of demo of the new songs... We always do that, record a rough demo whenever we have a bunch of new songs. Just to have something when we're working on lyrics and vocal patters. Unless you've been living a cave and never ever read an interview with a band that will soon have or have most recently released a new disc, you haven't heard the following before... Anyway, it's been said a million of times before but... Most of the times it's fucking wannabee and rock-star bullshit but this time around it's true though... The new material is indeed some of the best musical work I have ever been part of and I can't wait to have it all properly recorded and nicely commercially packed. It's fucking DERANGED we're talking about and we have not gone soft and all commercially sloppy. Why should we? Haven't done so yet and can't see any sense in doing it now either... DERANGED have never been about faking shit... The new shit (!) is extremely fast, mean and brutal as a New Year's Day hangover. If you have been into what we've done under the name DERANGED earlier you'll fucking get a hard-on and shit your pants... Further on, we'll do a bunch of gigs the autumn..."
Swedish grindcore merchants NASUM have uploaded a previously unreleased video for the track "Scoop", directed Mitch Harris of NAPALM DEATH, on their official web site. Check it out at ' .
According to a posting on the site, "Mitch made this video from pictures he shot during the soundcheck and concert in Tokyo, Japan January 12, 2004. Shane Embury [NAPALM DEATH bassist] played with us during two songs (not 'Scoop', though) and he's in the video for a little while. In the end you can also see Ritual Records boss Jumbo."
As reported here on July 3, Finnish melodic metallers STRATOVARIUS have now officially confirmed that they have enlisted bassist Lauri Porra (SINERGY, KOTIPELTO, TUNNELVISION, WARMEN) as the replacement for longtime member Jari Kainulainen, who left the group a few weeks ago. STRATOVARIUS have issued the following statement regarding the lineup change:
"Longtime bass player Jari Kainulainen has left STRATOVARIUS. There is no drama or bad blood. Jari just doesn't have it in his heart to tour this heavily anymore.
"Jari is not dropping out of the scene, he will continue to play metal.
"The new bass player is Lauri Porra. He is 27 years old and a native of Helsinki, Finland. He has previously played with SINERGY, WARMEN and KOTIPELTO."
Commented Lauri: "I'm very honored to be invited to play with STRATOVARIUS and follow in the steps of such a great bass player as Jari. I'm really looking forward to going on the road with STRATOVARIUS, to meet some old friends, and to hopefully make lot of new ones."
Check out pictures of the new STRATOVARIUS lineup at ' .
STRATOVARIUS' new self-titled album is scheduled for release on September 5 via Sanctuary Records. A video for the album's first single, "Maniac Dance", was shot on April 15 in Helsinki by director and guitarist Timo Tolkki's old schoolmate Antti Jokinen (BEYONCÉ, WYCLEF JEAN, KORN, MISSY ELLIOT, NIGHTWISH, SHANIA TWAIN, CELINE DION).
Swedish black metallers MARDUK have posted the following message on their official web site: "The South American tour will take place during November. We are just waiting for confirmation for the final dates then they will be posted. "The first rehearsals since drummer Emil broke his arm has been done. Can assure you all that MARDUK sounds more intense and brutal than ever before."
MARDUK were forced to cancel their European tour earlier in the year after drummer Emil Dragutinovic's arm was broken in a fight back in February.
The band recently put the finishing touches on the videos for the songs "Throne of Rats" and "The Hangman of Prague".
MARDUK's ninth full-length album, "Plague Angel", was released in the U.S. in March. The album came out in Europe last November via Blooddawn/Regain Records.
GAMMA RAY drummer Daniel Zimmermann has launched his official web site' . Zimmermann will be conducting a drum clinic at the Swedish Metal Expo at Fryshuset in Stockholm on August 27. More information is available at www.swedishmetalexpo.se. GAMMA RAY's new album, "Majestic" is scheduled for release on September 26 via Sanctuary Records.
Swedish power metallers NOCTURNAL RITES have commenced the mixing process for their new album for a late 2005 release via Century Media Records. The new CD was recorded at a studio in the group's hometown of Umeå with producer Shep. In addition, the band have already shot a video for the album's projected lead single/video, "Fools Never Die", which is being described by bassist Nils Eriksson as "a nice mid-tempo song that definitely will get you all going."
NOCTURNAL RITES' sixth studio album, "New World Messiah", was released last year through Century Media. The follow-up to 2002's "Shadowland" was recorded in Umeå and was mixed and mastered at Finnvox Studio in Helsinki, Finland by T.T. Oksala (TIAMAT, APOCALYPTICA) and Minerva Pappi.
Polish death/black metallers BEHEMOTH have just completed work on a new design of their official web site, '
The new web site was is the result of a collaboration between BEHEMOTH's graphic designer, Graal, BEHEMOTH's webmaster, Manticore, and the band's vocalist and guitarist Nergal, who was in charge of the site's artistic direction.
Commented Nergal: "Hello f(r)iends!. Finally, after months of intense work we can proudly announce that BEHEMOTH has a revamped and fully redesigned website. Our graphic designer Graal (Tomasz Danilowicz) and webmaster Manticore (Maciek Gruszka) have completed a monumental effort on this. For each album, we want the graphics on our website to perfectly correspond with the current cover artwork. We really think we did a great job and are truly satisfied with the way it turned out. Although I have to say that we are really sorry for being delayed, as we had planned and promised ourselves and fans that it would have been ready for the album release date. Anyway, we can assure you all that this refreshed website will motivate us to work even harder on any updates, reports etc. in the future. Thank U all for endless support and hope you will visit us often and enjoy the brand new virtual world of BEHEMOTH!"
Dutch Death Metal leviathans NOX are finishing up recording their long
SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser has entered A Voz do Brasil studio in São Paulo, Brazil to begin recording his his first solo album, tentatively due in early 2006 via Holland's Mascot Records. No further information is currently available.
Message from the band:
German epic metallers BLIND GUARDIAN have announced a replacement for drummer Thomen Stauch, who left the band in April after 20 years.
15 people were arrested for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct following DEICIDE's live debut in Chile, which took place Friday (July 15) at Gimnasio Nataniel in Santiago. 
CHILDREN OF BODOM have recorded a cover version of BRITNEY SPEARS' "Oops I Did It Again" for their upcoming single, "In Your Face". The single, which is scheduled for release in Finland on August 17 via Spinefarm, will contain the following track listing:
French symphonic black metal act ANOREXIA NERVOSA are putting the finishing touches on a new mini-CD, "The September", containing cover songs from FORBIDDEN SITE and DARKTHRONE, live tracks recorded during the band's "Redemption Process" French tour, and two songs that were previously only available in Japan. In addition, the band have remixed their live favorite "Sister September" for the occasion. "The September" is scheduled for release this fall, in time for the band's European tour with VADER.
As reported here on July 3, Finnish melodic metallers STRATOVARIUS have now officially confirmed that they have enlisted bassist Lauri Porra (SINERGY, KOTIPELTO, TUNNELVISION, WARMEN) as the replacement for longtime member Jari Kainulainen, who left the group a few weeks ago. STRATOVARIUS have issued the following statement regarding the lineup change:
Polish death/black metallers BEHEMOTH have just completed work on a new design of their official web site, '