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!"
Swedish metallers HYPOCRISY have uploaded the cover artwork for their upcoming album, "Virus", at this location.
"Virus" is scheduled for release on September 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. A video for the song "Scrutinized" was shot last month and will begin airing soon.
"Virus" track listing:
01. Intro (not named yet) 02. Warpath 03. Scrutinized 04. Fearless 05. Craving for Another Killing 06. Let the Knife Do the Talking 07. A Thousand Lies 08. Incised Before I've Ceased 09. Blooddrenched 10. Compulsive Psychosis 11. Living to Die
HYPOCRISY's most recent album, "The Arrival", was released in February 2004 through Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2002's "Catch-22" was recorded at frontman Peter T?gtgren's Abyss studios.
FLOWING TEARS' latest album, "Razorbliss", will receive its long-overdue U.S. release on July 12 via Magick Records (a division of Cleopatra Records). "We're just about to start some promotional work to support the release and can't wait to get your reactions on the album," the German band write on their web site.
"Apart from that we're still busy with the songwriting process for the upcoming album. We're very exited about the visions we've developed so far and we're even more exited about the stuff we still will have to write — and when the time has come we'll tell you more about the monster we're creating..."
"Razorbliss" was released in Europe in March 2004 through Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2002's "Serpentine" was recorded at Woodhouse Studios in Hagen, Germany with producer Waldemar Sorychta (THE GATHERING, LACUNA COIL, SENTENCED, MOONSPELL) and was the band's first to feature vocalist Helen Vogt, who replaced Stefanie Duch?ne in 2003.
Norway's legendary eccentric artist MORTIIS has just completed a remix of the GIRLS UNDER GLASS song "Touch Me", now re-titled "Touch Me (Cleanse & Corrupt Mix)", for their upcoming download single, "Touch Me". More information is available at www.girlsunderglass.de. Mortiis has also just completed a remix for Italian band DOPE STARS INC.'s song "Self Destructive Corp.", now re-titled "Self Destructive Corp (Midnight Mass Mix)". More information can be found at www.dopestarsinc.com. Mortiis also laid down vocals for the Norwegian/American project SCUM, featuring Samoth (ZYKLON, ex-EMPEROR), Faust (ex-EMPEROR), Happy Tom (TURBONEGRO), Casey Chaos (AMEN) and Cosmocrator (MINDGRINDER). He contributed backing vocals to the song "Backstabbers Go to Heaven" for SCUM's upcoming debut album, "Gospels for the Sick" (due September 5 via Dogjob Records, a division of Tuba) and lead vocals and lyrics to a song called "Speaking in Tongues", which will be released on an EP.
AEROSMITH have reportedly set "Rockin' the Joint" as the title of their upcoming live album, tentatively due in October. The CD is believed to have been recorded at The Joint at The Hard Rock in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 11, 2002.
In a recent interview with MTV.com, AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry said that AEROSMITH will likely start rehearsing at the end of August for a fall tour in support of the upcoming live CD and accompanying DVD.
"We don't have that much live stuff out, and one of the things fans have been requesting is a straight live DVD that's a whole concert rather than something cut up with backstage footage," Perry said. "So we're looking at a few shows, some of which are from the last tour, and that's something we'd really like to do."
At this point, AEROSMITH plan to finish the tour, then return to the studio in 2006 to work on the follow-up to last year's blues album, "Honkin' on Bobo". Perry expects the new AEROSMITH record to sound like a hybrid of the loose, freewheeling "Bobo" and 2001's more technical "Just Push Play".
"We have 30 years of playing live together, and that's a real asset," Perry said. "And that's what we drew from on 'Bobo'. We didn't have time to do a full studio record, but we wanted to press the reset button and do something that was less layered and precise. I hope some of that rubs off on our next recording experience so there's still some of that live edge."
Finnish gothic rockers ENTWINE wlll be releasing a new EP, "Silver", in Europe on August 10. The CD will consist of two new songs, one cover and two live songs. The complete track listing for the EP is as follows:
01. Break Me 02. Carry On Dancing 03. Still Waiting 04. Still Remains (live) 05. The Pit (live)
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's video for the "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott tribute track "In This River" has been posted online at ' . In the video, which was shot with Eric Zimmerman (MEGADETH, NAPALM DEATH), mainman Zakk Wylde's seen seated at a grand piano set in the middle of a flowing river. Once the song reaches the guitar solo, Wylde smashes his guitar and sets the piano ablaze.
"In This River" comes off BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's latest album, "Mafia", which has sold 141,520 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Long-running Swedish death metallers DISMEMBER will enter Sami Studio in Stockholm on August 15 to begin recording their seventh album. The recording sessions will end in September, with a planned mid-January 2006 release date through Regain Records. Drummer Fred Estby will once again produce the follow-up to 2004's "Where Ironcrosses Grow". New songtitles include "The God That Never Was", "Feel the Darkness" and "Through the Unbroken Black".
Regain Records recently reissued a major part of the band's back catalogue, including "Pieces", "Indecent & Obscene", "Massive Killing Capacity", "Death Metal", "Hate Campaign" and "Complete Demos".
According to CD-Maximum's media service, KIPELOV's new album "Reki Vremeni" ("Rivers Of Time") due to hit the stores in September 2005. The follow-up to "Put Naverh"(2003) will include 9 tracks and feature Victor Smolskii (RAGE) guest appearance. The shooting of "Ja zdes" ("I am here") video will start in mid-July in Minsk with director Vladimir Jankovskii. Release and press parties are sheduled for mid-November 2005 in Moscow. See more details on the band's official site ' .
The long awaited vinyl version of Pagan Altar's debut CD 'Volume 1' has just been released by Black Widow records re-titled as 'Judgement of the Dead', which was what the band had initially planned to title the album. The edition features fantastic new artwork and includes the 48 page long 'Behind the Cloak' book, which is the band's biography from 1978 'till today. Additionally, an alternate version of the song 'March of the Dead' is included as a bonus track. A limited edition of 300 red coloured vinyl copies is also available.
ELVENKING's third album is scheduled to be mastered by on July 26 at Finnvox studios in Finland by Mika Jussila. A late 2005 release via AFM Records is expected.
The follow-up to 2004's "Wyrd" was recorded at the Italian folk/power metal band 's own Sherpa Studios and was mixed at Sonic Pump studios in Finland by Nino Laurenne. Cover artwork and booklet layout are being designed by Hungarian artist Havancsák Gyula (ANNIHILATOR, GRAVE DIGGER).
REFLEXION, the Finnish band featuring vocalist Juha Kylmänen (FOR MY PAIN…, ex-TO/DIE/FOR), are curently mixing their long-awaited debut album at Soundtrack Studios in Helsinki for a fall release via Scandinavian A1 Music. The CD will be mastered on July 13 at Chartmakers in Helsinki by Svante Forsbäck. A single will precede the album late summer.
REFLEXION's three-song demo/CD, "Journey to Tragedy", was recorded in 2003 at Soundmix studio in Oulu, Finland.
ARCH ENEMY's upcoming album, "Doomsday Machine", is available for streaming in its entirety at ' .
"Doomsday Machine" is scheduled for release in the U.S. on July 26 (August 22 in Europe) via Century Media Records. Check out the cover artwork by acclaimed artist Joachim Luetke (DIMMU BORGIR, DESTRUCTION) at ' . The complete track listing for the album is as follows:
01. Enter the Machine 02. Skeleton Dance 03. Nemesis 04. Carry the Cross 05. I Am Legend/Out for Blood 06. Mechanic God Creation 07. Machtkampf 08. Slaves of Yesterday 09. We Are One 10. Taking Back My Soul 11. Opium 12. Hybrids of Steel
"Doomsday Machine" was co-produced by the band and Rickard Bengtsson at Slaughterhouse Studio in Sweden and was mixed by Andy Sneap at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, U.K.
ARCH ENEMY last week shot a video for the track "Nemesis" with director George Bravo, who previously worked with the band on their "We Will Rise" clip.
Australian industrial death metal phenomenon THE BERZERKER are hard at work on their third album, tentatively titled "World of Lies", due later in the year via Earache Records.
Nuclear Blast Records has pushed back the projected release date of the new IN FLAMES album, "Come Clarity", to February 2006. No reason was given for the delay.
"Come Clarity" final track listing:
01. Take This Life 02. Leeches 03. Reflect the Storm 04. Dead End 05. Scream 06. Come Clarity 07. Vacuum 08. Pacing Death's Trail 09. Crawl through Knives 10. End of Things 11. Our Infinite Struggle 12. Vanishing Light 13. Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone
IN FLAMES will release a live set on double-DVD/double-CD, entitled "Used And Abused…In Live We Trust", on July 25.
Finnish folk metallers KORPIKLAANI recently finished production on their second video from their sophomore album, "Voice of Wilderness". The video for the track "Kädet Siipinä" is now available for viewing at ' .
Commented frontman Jonne Järvelä: "The lyrics to 'Kädet Siipinä' came to me after I read accounts about the Finnish evacuation after the war. Kilometers of long black lines of mourning and crying people, mainly recent widows and children with their belongings and cows, began their exodus moving away from the old Finland after the border changes that took place following the war."
According to ' , the new album from Moscow Deputy Mayor Mikhail Men (a.k.a. "Michael Men"), "Made in Moscow", featuring Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) and Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE), has been released in Russia on Inna Records.
Featuring nine songs, the CD is available in a regular and a limited-edition deluxe set featuring a "Made in Moscow Movie" DVD.
"Made in Moscow" track listing:
01. Arianna 02. Let The Fire Rage 03. Warrior Of The World 04. Forgive Her 05. On Your Marks 06. I'm Alive 07. Ond Friends 08. Circus Life 09. The Alchemist
Joe Lynn Turner visited Moscow last month to attend the premiere release party for the new album with many dignitaries, both political and musical. Russian musicians in attendance included Michael Men, Alexander Filonenko, Valery Diorditsa, Paul Titovets, Alexey Tumanov and Peter Makienko.
"Made in Moscow" is not currently available outside of Russia, but it has already been sighted on eBay.
Brazil's Marquee Records has jus re-released the debut album from legendary Canadian thrashers SACRIFICE, entitled "Torment in Fire". It comes as a double CD in a limited-edition hand-numbered slipcase and contains a massive booklet with liner notes by Laurent Ramadier, live pictures and personal comments by Joe Rico (guitar) and Rob Urbinati (guitar, vocals). The reissue features 42 songs in total, including one from SACRIFICE's first gig in 1984 — all remastered from the originals by Sidney Sohn (NASTY SAVAGE, IRON ANGEL). The complete track listing is as follows:
Disc 1:
"Torment in Fire" LP:
01. The Awekening 02. Sacrifice 03. Turn in Your Grave 04. Homicidal Breath 05. Warrior of Death 06. Infernal Visions 07. Burned at the Stake 08. Necronomicon 09. The Exorcism 10. Possession 11. Decapitation 12. Beyond Death
"The Exorcism" Demo
13. The Shining 14. Sacrifice 15. Turn in your Grave 16. Burned at the Stake 17. The Exorcism 18. Decapitation 19. Warrior of Death 20. Beyond Death
Danish metallers ILLDISPOSED will enter the studio in November to begin recording the follow-up to last year's "1-800 Vindication", tentatively due in early 2006 via Roadrunner Records.
Norwegian black metallers CARPATHIAN FOREST have posted the following message on their official web site:
"Although being busy with promoting the new NATTEFROST 'Terrorist' album, Nattefrost is finding time to record his vocals for the new CARPATHIAN FOREST album, that was recorded before the band's latest European tour; The Art of Provocation tour part I.
"Due to the promotional obligations, as well as various live gigs with CARPATHIAN FOREST this summer, the band hope to finish the album during August 2005. Not sure about the release date yet, but either in early November 2005, or late January 2006. The album will be followed up by extensive touring, starting in early 2006.
CANDLEMASS bassist/main songwriter Leif Edling has posted a report from the band's recent appearance at the Bang Your Head festival in Balingen, Germany. Check it out at '
CANDLEMASS are continuing to tour in support of their brand-new self-titled album, which entered the Swedish national album chart at position No. 7 upon its release in early May. The CD also came in at No. 5 on the Sweden chart (featuring only Swedish artists) and at No. 1 on the Hard Rock/Metal chart.
"Candlemass" was recorded in part at Polar studios (ABBA, GENESIS, LED ZEPPELIN) in Stockholm, Sweden and is said to be musically similar to the group's classic "Tales of Creation" and "Nightfall" albums.
Upcoming CANDLEMASS shows:
Jul. 08 - Rockwave Festival – Athens, GRE Aug. 04 - Wacken Festival – Wacken, GER Aug. 08 - Göteborgskalaset – Gothenburg, SWE Aug. 26 - Gorbunova – Moscow, RUS Nov. 26 - Arnhem Metal Meeting – Arnhem, NETH
Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA are apparently in the process of booking a headlining tour of North America beginning in mid-January 2006. Two dates have been released so far:
Jan. 17 - Jaxx Nightclub - West Springfield, VA Jan. 18 - BB Kings Blues Club - New York, NY
More information will be made available soon.
SONATA ARCTICA will be embarking on a European headlining tour in September. The band's fourth studio album, "Reckoning Night", was released last year via Nuclear Blast Records.
According to MaidenFans.com, Vitamin Records has set an August 2 release date for a piano tribute to IRON MAIDEN, aptly titled "The Piano Tribute to Iron Maiden". The complete track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. 2 Minutes To Midnight 02. Wasted Years 03. Can I Play with Madness 04. The Trooper 05. Brave New World 06. Run to The Hills 07. Caught Somewhere In Time 08. Aces High 09. Hallowed Be Thy Name 10. Flight of Icarus 11. Number of The Beast 12. Eddie's Lament (Original Composition)
British metallers PARADISE LOST have opened a 2005 Tour Photo Gallery containing 140 photos sent in to the band by fans throughout the band's current tour. Check it out at this location:http://www.paradiselost.co.uk/viewgallery.php?id=9.
As previously reported, PARADISE LOST recently signed a licensing deal with Century Media Records to release the group's new self-titled album in all territories except for continental Europe and Japan, where the CD is still licensed to G.U.N./Sony BMG.
The tentative U.K. release date is still set to be August. More information will be made available soon.
PARADISE LOST's new self-titled album — named in celebration of the group's 10th studio album since their full-length debut, "Lost Paradise", was released in 1990 — was recorded primarily at Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire, England under the guidance of producer Rhys Fulber (FEAR FACTORY, FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY). The follow-up to 2002's "Symbol of Life" is the group's first CD to feature drummer Jeff Singer (ex-BLAZE).
Danish thrashers HATESPHERE have set "The Sickness Within" as the title of their upcoming album, due on September 26 via SPV Records.
HATESPHERE entered Jailhouse Studios with producer Tommy Hansen (HELLOWEEN, PRETTY MAIDS) on June 5 to begin recording the follow-up to 2004's "Ballet of the Brute". Guitars and bass were recorded at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark, with producer Jacob Hansen (RAUNCHY, INVOCATOR). This dynamic duo was also responsible for the production on the band's latest effort, "The Killing EP", which was released last January.
Commented singer Jacob Bredahl: "The new album will be more diverse than ever. We are still playing metal — hard as fuck! But this time with some new elements here and there. Fast parts, slow parts, melodic parts and very brutal parts — all that your metal heart needs."
"The Sickness Within" track listing (in no particualr order):
01. Heaven Is Ready to Fall 02. Seeds of Shame 03. Bleed to Death 04. The Coming of Chaos 05. Marked By Darkness 06. The White Fever 07. Sickness Within 08. Murderous Intent 09. The Fallen Shall Rise In a River of Blood 10. Reaper of Life 11. Chamber Master
HATESPHERE supported KREATOR on their "Enemy of God" European tour earlier in the year. Also appearing on the bill were Sweden's DARK TRANQUILLITY and Hungarian hardcore/thrash metallers EKTOMORF.
After spending the last few years as a successful producer in Los Angeles, former ANTHRAX/ZAKK WYLDE/WHITE LION drummer Greg D'Angelo (or "GD3", as he's now known) has joined ANTIPRODUCT as permanent replacement for ailing drummer Simon the Gonk.
ANTIPRODUCT are continuing work on recordings at Albert Studios (AC/DC, BREED 77) with famed producer Ray McVeigh (PERRY FARRELL, THE PROFESSIONALS, DANZIG) for a late summer release. "This is the first time we've ever been able to spend time recording in a real studio rather than counting change and breaking piggy banks to finish tracking!" states singer A. Product. "It sounds unlike anything we've ever done."
THE PROJECT HATE, the Swedish band featuring Jörgen Sandström of ENTOMBED/GRAVE fame on lead vocals, will release their new album, "Armageddon March Eternal (Symphonies of Slit Wrists)", on October 5 via Threeman Recordings. The follow-up to 2003's "Hate, Dominate, Congregate, Eliminate" was produced by Dan Swanö and features a special guest appearance by EVERGREY bassist Michael Håkansson, who completed his tracks at his studio in Gothenburg before the entire recording was shipped off to Swanö to be mixed and mastered. An MP3 of the album cut "At the Entrance to Hell's Unholy Fire" is available for download at this location.
A radio-broadcast-quality recording of OPETH's new track, entitled "The Grand Conjuration", has been posted online in MP3 format at ' (length - 9:55; size - 22.71 MB; quality – 320 kbps).
"The Grand Conjuration" comes off the Swedish band's upcoming album, "Ghost Reveries", due late August/early September through Roadrunner Records.
"Ghost Reveries" was mastered on June 16 at the Cutting Room facilities in Stockholm and will feature a running time of 65 minutes. The full track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Ghost of Perdition 02. The Baying of the Hounds 03. Beneath the Mire 04. Atonement 05. Reverie/Harlequin Forest 06. Hours of Wealth 07. The Grand Conjuration 08. Isolation Years
Check out the album cover artwork (designed by Travis Smith) at ' .
Polish death/black metallers BEHEMOTH have just completed work on a new design of their official web site, ' 
Swedish metallers HYPOCRISY have uploaded the cover artwork for their upcoming album, "Virus", at this location.
Norway's legendary eccentric artist MORTIIS has just completed a remix of the GIRLS UNDER GLASS song "Touch Me", now re-titled "Touch Me (Cleanse & Corrupt Mix)", for their upcoming download single, "Touch Me". More information is available at www.girlsunderglass.de. Mortiis has also just completed a remix for Italian band DOPE STARS INC.'s song "Self Destructive Corp.", now re-titled "Self Destructive Corp (Midnight Mass Mix)". More information can be found at www.dopestarsinc.com. Mortiis also laid down vocals for the Norwegian/American project SCUM, featuring Samoth (ZYKLON, ex-EMPEROR), Faust (ex-EMPEROR), Happy Tom (TURBONEGRO), Casey Chaos (AMEN) and Cosmocrator (MINDGRINDER). He contributed backing vocals to the song "Backstabbers Go to Heaven" for SCUM's upcoming debut album, "Gospels for the Sick" (due September 5 via Dogjob Records, a division of Tuba) and lead vocals and lyrics to a song called "Speaking in Tongues", which will be released on an EP.
The long awaited vinyl version of Pagan Altar's debut CD 'Volume 1' has just been released by Black Widow records re-titled as 'Judgement of the Dead', which was what the band had initially planned to title the album. The edition features fantastic new artwork and includes the 48 page long 'Behind the Cloak' book, which is the band's biography from 1978 'till today. Additionally, an alternate version of the song 'March of the Dead' is included as a bonus track. A limited edition of 300 red coloured vinyl copies is also available.
ELVENKING's third album is scheduled to be mastered by on July 26 at Finnvox studios in Finland by Mika Jussila. A late 2005 release via AFM Records is expected.
ARCH ENEMY's upcoming album, "Doomsday Machine", is available for streaming in its entirety at ' .
Australian industrial death metal phenomenon THE BERZERKER are hard at work on their third album, tentatively titled "World of Lies", due later in the year via Earache Records.
Nuclear Blast Records has pushed back the projected release date of the new IN FLAMES album, "Come Clarity", to February 2006. No reason was given for the delay.
Finnish folk metallers KORPIKLAANI recently finished production on their second video from their sophomore album, "Voice of Wilderness". The video for the track "Kädet Siipinä" is now available for viewing at ' . 
According to ' , the new album from Moscow Deputy Mayor Mikhail Men (a.k.a. "Michael Men"), "Made in Moscow", featuring Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) and Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE), has been released in Russia on Inna Records.
Brazil's Marquee Records has jus re-released the debut album from legendary Canadian thrashers SACRIFICE, entitled "Torment in Fire". It comes as a double CD in a limited-edition hand-numbered slipcase and contains a massive booklet with liner notes by Laurent Ramadier, live pictures and personal comments by Joe Rico (guitar) and Rob Urbinati (guitar, vocals). The reissue features 42 songs in total, including one from SACRIFICE's first gig in 1984 — all remastered from the originals by Sidney Sohn (NASTY SAVAGE, IRON ANGEL). The complete track listing is as follows:
Danish metallers ILLDISPOSED will enter the studio in November to begin recording the follow-up to last year's "1-800 Vindication", tentatively due in early 2006 via Roadrunner Records.
Norwegian black metallers CARPATHIAN FOREST have posted the following message on their official web site:
CANDLEMASS bassist/main songwriter Leif Edling has posted a report from the band's recent appearance at the Bang Your Head festival in Balingen, Germany. Check it out at ' 
According to MaidenFans.com, Vitamin Records has set an August 2 release date for a piano tribute to IRON MAIDEN, aptly titled "The Piano Tribute to Iron Maiden". The complete track listing for the CD is as follows:
British metallers PARADISE LOST have opened a 2005 Tour Photo Gallery containing 140 photos sent in to the band by fans throughout the band's current tour. Check it out at this location:http://www.paradiselost.co.uk/viewgallery.php?id=9.
Danish thrashers HATESPHERE have set "The Sickness Within" as the title of their upcoming album, due on September 26 via SPV Records.