Congratulations are in order for Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt and his wife Anna, who became the parents of a baby daughter, Melinda, this past Monday (Sept. 13). It is the couple's first child.

As previously reported, Åkerfeldt has started writing material for the group's next album, tentatively scheduled to be recorded sometime in the early spring of 2005. Opeth are officially free agents as a result of having been dropped by BMG/Zomba after their previous label, Music For Nations, was folded into parent company Zomba Records Group (the world's largest independent music group). The band are looking through new label offers at the moment

Band profile:

Opeth

Founded back in 1983, the German oldschool thrash metal band Necronomicon has released an album after 9 years that will take you right back to the 80s. The album called Construction of Evil is nothing real innovative, but who cares, it's thrash. The old-school thrash fanatics will be very well pleased with this release.

Tracklist:
1. Stormbringer
2. Fiction
3. Hard pain
4. From hell
5. Alight
6. Paralizer
7. Bone daddy
8. Hills of dead
9. Fireball
10. Terrorist attack
11. Insanity
12. Possessed again
13. Hard pain (livetrack)
14. Insanity (livetrack)
15. Terrorist attack (videotrack)

Line-up:
- Freddy-guitars,vocals
- Axel-drums
- Mac-bass, backing vocals
- Jogi-guitars, backing vocals

Links:
http://www.necronomicon-online.de
http://www.remedyrecords.de

Band profile:

Necronomicon

A 8 tracks album of previously unreleased Iommi material with singer Glen Hughes will be release through Sanctuary Records at 28 of september the title will be: "The 1996 DEP Sessions".

The track list is a follow:

Gone
From Another World
Don't You Tell Me
Don't Drag The River
Fine
Time Is The Healer
I'm Not The Same Man
It Falls Through Me

You can see the covert art at:

http://www.iommi.com/images/The%201996%20DEP%20Sessions%20Final%20Cover%20web.jpg

For more info go to:

www.iommi.com

Band profile:

Black Sabbath

The band has scheduled to start the recording of the remaining songs from the yet-untitled album on middle of September. The band is also studying record deals of some labels.

Band profile:

Andromeda

The new Novembers Doom album "The Pale Haunt Departure" will be mixed by Mr. Dan Swano, The recording of the album is planned to begin on 09/10/2004 and the mixing is expected to be done in late September or late November.

Here are some news from Herr Morbid :

"UPDATE OF SEPTEMBER, THE 7th: Just popped up around some website a rumour about
a delay in the release of "Love's Burial Ground" album, due to a misprinting in
the cover. That's NOT true, the album is already available since a few days and
you can order it from Adipocere Rec.! If you can't find it yet in your
metal-shop, it will be there before the end of September I guess, 'cause as I
already said it has been just released since a few days. Cheers-"

Band profile:

Forgotten Tomb

As you probably noticed, new album "Love's Burial Ground" suffered some delays with the final release-date, but it will be finally available next week!!

The band is currently assembling material for the mighty "Live Manipulation" DVD. The DVD will include a professionally shooted live-show + other 3/4 amateurish (yet good-sounding) gigs, as well as some other bonus material (backstage, interviews, pics gallery, rehearsals, studio-reports, etc.). Expect this monumental curse to be unleashed upon feeble mankind in the beginning of 2005!!

The band is working on the re-release of "Obscura Arcana Mortis" too. The remastering of the MCD as well as the recording of the "Obscura Arcana Mortis MMIV" track will be done around October. This new version will see the presence of a special-guest recording some extra-vocals...

We know it could sound really bizarre, but the band has been asked by a french underground label to take part in a Black Metal Motorhead-tribute LP!! The band is currently deciding what song will be covered. It seems that many other bands are already confirmed for this tribute, so expect a damn fucked up Black n' Roll release, as well as the most bizarre FT recording ever!!

http://www.forgottentomb.com

Band profile:

Forgotten Tomb

Savatage's frontman is going to release a from his projet Jon Oliva's Pain called "Tage Mahal" at Octuber 25 of 2004.

The album was suppost to be out under simply Jon Oliva name but "Due to possible trade-name conflicts and to avoid "consumer confusion" the name of Oliva's solo project has been changed to Jon Oliva's Pain".

Also there now 4 new clips from the album on the Multimedia section of Jon Oliva's web site: http://www.jonoliva.net

Band profile:

Jon Oliva's Pain

While the recordings are finished Behemoth give us a little taste of what will be their new album "Demigod".
A enthusiastic Nergal talks about the new work and about the new sound, he said: "the sound has never been so intense and fresh. Bergstrand brought a lot of new ideas into our music and I'm more than sure that "Demigod" gained new dimension... It's the new beginning for us. "Demigod" with all its might and splendor rises above anything we've done before"... He also describe the album as more extreme: ""Demigod" is a way more extreme record than "ZOS KIA CULTUS" but on the other hand it contains more classic influences"

to listen to the sound clips go here:
http://www.behemoth.metalkings.com/sounds.html

Band profile:

Behemoth

The band are currently making recording for their new album, that is plan to be out at early 2005, the new line up of the band is: Cronos on bass and vocals, Antton on the drums and Mykus(ex-Cathedral, and also played in Cronos solo project) on the guitars (that is the new member), to see pics of new line up go here:
http://www.venomslegions.com/venom_mmiv_photos.htm

Band profile:

Venom

The EP "Trashed, Lost & Strungout" will be released October 18th in the following countries:

Germany
Finland
Japan
The Netherlands
Sweden
Norway
Great Britain
Canada
Belgium
Denmark
Greece
Italy
Brazil

More territories will follow as soon as they are 100% confirmed!

EP will include two new COB songs "Trashed, Lost and Strungout" and "Knuckleduster", two coversongs (Alice Cooper's "Bed Of Nails" and Andrew WK's "She is Beautiful").

The single with one new song (Trashed, Lost & Strungout) and Andrew WK cover will be released in Finland on August 25th.

More Info soon, about also the DVD version of the ep!

Source:	cobhc.com
Band profile:	Children Of Bodom

Finnish death metallers DEATH DU JOUR have completed work on their debut album, "Fragments of Perdition", due in September through Golden Lake Productions. The follow-up to the "Gamashinoch" EP was recorded at Pop-Studio with producer Mika Haapasalo. The complete track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Grace by Chalice of Anger
02. Fragments of Perdition
03. Embittering Cicatricies
04. Harlot Deliverance (mp3)
05. Weakmeat Vortex
06. Satire of Caustic Lunacy
07. Triangle Gallows (mp3)
08. Dogma - The Suffering

DEATH DU JOUR and fellow Finns HATEFORM will support GODHATE and INSISION on their upcoming "Deathkampen 2" Finnish mini-tour in October. The dates are as follows:

Oct. 19 - Helsinki, FIN @ Semifinaali
Oct. 20 - TBA, FIN @ TBA
Oct. 21 - Joensuu, FIN @ Marks
Oct. 22 - Imatra, FIN @ Woodoo
Oct. 23 - Turku, FIN @ Bar Shadow

InsideOut set the date for the release of Pain Of Salvation album "BE" on 27.09.2004.
The tracklist is the following:

1. Animae Partus
2. Deus Nova
3. Imago
4. Pluvius Aestivus
5. Lilium Cruentus
6. Nauticus
7. Dea Pecuniae
8. Vocari Dei
9. Diffidentia
10.Nihil Morari
11.Latertius Valette
12.Omni
13.Iter Impius
14.Matius/Nauticus II
15.Animae Partus II

Band profile:

Pain Of Salvation

"Dream Theater's "LIVE AT BUDOKAN" will be released on October 5th 2004.
It will be available as both a 2 DVD set and a 3 CD set."

www.dreamtheater.com

Band profile:

Dream Theater

From the band homepage:

"AUGUST 3rd, 2004
We are proud to announce that we will be utilizing the enormous talent of Dan Swano for the final mix of "The Pale Haunt Departure."
(...)
The entire band being long time fans of Swano's, makes this an incredible opportunity for us and we believe this will not only a perfect choice for our music, but a true gift for our fans, as well as fans of Swano's work.
Recording is scheduled to begin on October 9th, and mixing with Dan should begin in late October / early November."

http://www.novembersdoom.com/