Original news, posted on 20.12.2010

Sirenia just released a brand new song of their upcoming album The Enigma Of Life. Check out "The End Of It All" at the bands official MySpace profile.

The Enigma Of Life marks the band's second effort to feature X Factor winner contestant Ailyn on vocals and will be out on January 21, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records. More album details were previously reported here.

UPDATE

A short album trailer for Sirenia's upcoming effort, The Enigma Of Life, can now be watched below.


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Source:	nuclearblast.de
Band profile:	Sirenia

German thrash legends Destruction just posted the first trailer for their highly anticipated new album Day Of Reckoning. Check it out below.

Day Of Reckoning will be out on February 18, 2011 via Nuclear Blast. More album details available here.


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Source:	nuclearblast.de
Band profile:	Destruction

Devildriver bassist Jonathan Miller won't be joining the band on tour in early 2011 as he will be following a rehabilitation program. Miller released the following statement:

"To all DevilDriver fans and friends, I wanted to give you an update on my status as far as my health is concerned.

Regarding the past 2 European tours, I was either forced to leave by my own accord or asked to leave by my band/managment.

I have been touring with DevilDriver for almost the past ten years and the drugs and alcohol have finally caught up with me. I realized this when I ended up in the ICU on my birthday last week.

I need to make a change so that I can save my own life and keep the friends that I still have left.

I know that alot of DevilDriver fans seek me out first as the one to party with because I consider myself a very social person who is quite outgoing, personable and friendly.

That was all fun in my 20′s touring with the band, but as I am entering my early 30′s I can feel the damage catching up with me mentally and physically. I don't want to burn out prematurely before my time on this Earth is up.

On January 1st I will be entering an intense rehabilitation program in order for me to reclaim my health and the person who I once was.

I will not be doing the Canadian tour in January or the Australian tour in February and March. This is for my own good. I need to come out of rehab with a sound body and mind. After I complete my rehabilitation I hope to see all DevilDriver friends and family as soon as I can."

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Source:	devildriver.com
Band profile:	DevilDriver

Arch Enemy have released the following statement:

"Coming off a triumphant headlining tour in the UK last month with support by Grand Magus, Chthonic and Malefice, metal masters Arch Enemy have begun recording a new studio album. After releasing the Tyrants Of The Rising Sun - Live In Japan Live DVD/CD (2008) and the re-recordings album The Root Of All Evil (2009), the new studio effort marks the long awaited successor of 2007's acclaimed Rise Of The Tyrant album.

Arch Enemy's new album will be self-produced by the band and engineered/mixed by Rickard Bengtsson (who already produced 2005's Doomsday Machine album). The band has recently entered Sweet Spot Studio in the south of Sweden for the album's recording process and drummer Daniel Erlandsson, who just finished off tracking his parts, now checks in with the following report:

"After an intense but inspiring stay in the studio, I've just completed recording the drum tracks for the upcoming Arch Enemy album! We're working once again with Rickard Bengtsson, who produced Doomsday Machine, and he quickly dialed in an absolutely pristine drumtone! I've also had the expertise of local drum guru Beppe Wackelin at hand, helping out with tuning and kindly letting me use some of his vintage drums. This time around I've used a Pearl Reference drum kit, while incorporating various snare drums on songs that demanded a slightly different feel.

We had a very inspiring and creative time writing this album, I think this is definitely evident when listening to the new songs. There's tons of variation in the material, ranging all the way from very melodic to extremely heavy. As you can expect there's no shortage of killer riffs and intricate guitar work, the Amott Bros have come up with some very cool yet demanding ideas! This album has some of the fastest songs I've ever recorded, along with a bunch of heavy pounding mid tempo songs. As always, it's difficult to describe music in words - but rest assured - this album will be one heavy fucker!"


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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Arch Enemy

Rotten Sound's brand new full-length album, Cursed, will see its worldwide (excluding Finland) release on March 15th via Relapse Records. The album will see its Finnish release on March 16th courtesy of Fullsteam Records.

Cursed, the follow-up to 2008's Cycles, was recorded at Nordic Audio Labs. Lyrically, the 16-track album will be themed around the six curses of mankind. Cursed is currently available for pre-order. Additional album details to be posted soon.

Rotten Sound, who will be touring in North America early next year, has also announced a headlining European tour in support of Cursed. This four week tour will kick-off in early April and also include Trap Them, Gaza, The Kandidate and Haust. A listing of confirmed tour dates and cities can be found below with more to be announced soon.

Rotten Sound will be touring North America as part of The Finnish Metal Tour 2 featuring Finntroll, Ensiferum, and Barren Earth. This five-week tour will kick-off on January 31st in Orlando, FL and conclude in early March in Raleigh, NC. Dates were already posted here.

Rotten Sound: Cursed To Tour (with Trap Them, Gaza, The Kandidate, Haust)

April 01 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Stadtmitte
April 02 - Koln, Germany - Underground
April 03 - Rosswein, Germany - Juha
April 04 - Prague, Czech Rep. - Exit Chmelnice
April 05 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Randal
April 06 - Munchen, Germany - Feierwerk Kranhalle
April 07 - Salzburg, Austria - Rockhouse
April 08 - Mezzago, Italy - Bloom
April 09 - Rome, Italy - Init
April 10 - Zurich, Switzerland - Dynamo Werk 21
April 11 - Paris, France - Glazart
April 12 - London, UK - Underworld
April 13 - Plymouth, UK - White Rabbit
April 14 - Colchester, UK - Arts Centre
April 15 - Antwerpen, Belgium - Trix
April 16 - Venlo, Holland - Perron 55
April 17 - Hamburg, Germany - Hafenklang
April 18 - Lyngby, Denmark - Templet
April 19 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Henriksberg
April 21 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Slussen
April 22 - Turku, Finland - Klubi
April 23 - Jyvaskyla, Finland - Lutakko
April 24 - Helsinki, Finland - Nostur

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Rotten Sound
Event:	Rotten Sound: Cursed To Tour

Update by Chris through Alestorm's official Facebook:

"Greetings my fellow bawbags, pirates, and gobshites!

It is my very great pleasure to announce that on January 10th, Alestorm will be heading to the studio to record our 3rd album, which we're gonna call Back Through Time. It's gonna be an epic adventure through piratical badassery in 11 tracks, with more drunken singalong anthems than you can shake a stick at. There will be songs about midgets. There will be songs about Wisconsin. There will be songs about travelling through time to kill Vikings. And of course, loads of songs about pirates doing what they do best; kicking your ass and stealing your wenches!

Lasse Lammert will once again be at the helm of the production, at his LSD Studios in Lubeck, Germany. We'll be there for about a month (1 week of recording, 3 weeks of alcohol abuse), and we're hopefully looking at a release in early summer, in time for us to kick your asses with these songs at all the festivals.

In no particular order, here's the songtitles that we've got penned for the album:

The Sunk'n Norwegian
Shipwrecked (Pure Dead Banjaxed)
Buckfast Powersmash
Rum
Back Through Time
Swashbuckled
Death Throes Of The Terrorsquid
Midget Saw
Scraping The Barrel
Rumpelkombo
Barrett's Privateers

Of course these are all possibly subject to change, if we go crazy in the studio. There will inevitably also be a silly digipak version with a bunch of daft covers as bonus tracks as well, the exact details of which we'll announce at a later date.

Cheers everyone, and Merry Christmas!"

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Alestorm

The members of Stream Of Passion have been working hard the last few months on new material for a new album that will see the light in 2011. But to make the waiting a little bit easier and as a big "thank you" to all their fans for their unconditional support, the band has released a new track online entirely for free! The song, titled "Spark", plus a special end of the year message from the band members can be seen and heard below.

Stream Of Passion wishes you Happy Holidays and all the best for 2011!


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Source:	streamofpassion.com
Band profile:	Stream Of Passion

Ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy - who joined Avenged Sevenfold in the studio and on a US tour earlier this year - has issued the following update on his Facebook page:

"Yes, the rumours are true... Sadly my time with Avenged Sevenfold has come to an end...

The band has decided to carry on into 2011 without me... I had a great time with them throughout 2010, but it was their choice to end the relationship at the end of 2010 as was always the initial plan....

I had an awesome time on stage with the guys every night and have so many cool memories from the experience with them... I am proud to always be part of the A7X family and history. I also adore the A7X fans and totally appreciate the way they welcomed me aboard and were so loving and supportive during my time with the band... Thank you!

As far as my future, I am excited by the endless musical possibilities that lie ahead of me... My love for music runs very deep and my taste is very broad and ecclectic which will give me the chance to explore many different things and collaborate with many great friends and artists I admire and respect...

Happy Holidaze to you all and c-ya in the New Year."

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Avenged Sevenfold

Official press release

Children Of Bodom, the hard partying Finnish Heavy Metal band that features frontman and modern-day guitar hero Alexi Laiho will release its new album Relentless Reckless Forever on March 8, 2011 via Universal Music.

Recorded in Finland's Petrax Studios with famed rock producer Matt Hyde (Slayer, Monster Magnet), Relentless Reckless Forever is the seventh studio album of Children Of Bodom's illustrious career and the first new record from the band since 2008's Blooddrunk, which debuted at #22 on Billboard's Top 200 Chart and scored the quintet its third consecutive #1 debut in Finland. On Relentless Reckless Forever, COB's high-energy hooks and electric energy forge stadium-sized heavy metal anthems that seethe with both marvelous musicianship and a phenomenal pop prowess. The quintet's unique union of haunting melodies, rhythmic sensibility, guitar-and-keyboard interplay and king-size solos is supercharged to the maximum, and the resulting record is poised to push the band - already on the brink of breakout success in the U.S. - to an altogether new pinnacle.

"We worked super hard on this album, at least for me it was pretty much no sleep or rest for six weeks," stated Laiho. "But we were determined to make the best COB album ever, so we were willing to do whatever it took. Of course, having our producer Matt Hyde kicking our asses 24/7 definitely made the results even better, so obviously we're more than anxious to get this album out there"

The first single and video from Relentless Reckless Forever is "Was it Worth It?". COB shot a high energy music video for the track, joining forces with two-time X Games gold medalist and two-time Thrasher Magazine "Skater of the Year" Chris Cole as well as noted pro skaters Jamie Thomas, Garrett Hill and Tom Asta (the current #1 Amateur skateboarder in the world). Filmed on location at central Pennsylvania's residential Action Sports compound Camp Woodward and directed by Dale Resteghini for Raging Nation Films (Pink Floyd, Santana, Mötley Crüe), the video was shot guerrilla style, sans treatment; honing in directly on Children Of Bodom's high-spirited fire and the skaters' eye-opening execution.

"The single "Was It Worth It?" is a total party song, said Laiho. "It's not your typical Bodom sound, but it's one of my favorites and heavy as hell." Watch a short trailer below.

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Children Of Bodom

Waiting for January 14th and the release of the new Belphegor opus Blood Magick Necromance is too hard? Then this studio trailer will help and give you a first glimpse of what's to come. Check out the trailer below, and leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Blood Magick Necromance album details were previously reported here.


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Source:	nuclearblast.de
Band profile:	Belphegor

Nuclear Blast Records and Finnish progressive metallers, Amorphis, are proud to announce the first ever DVD concert stream event featuring the recent 2DVD + 2CD release, Forging The Land Of Thousand Lakes exclusively at Nuclear Blast's brand new streaming room!

Fans around the world can tune in to watch on Friday, December 3, 2010 at this location.

1st Streaming Time: 5:00pm (Central European Time) for Europe
2nd Streaming Time: 3:30pm (Pacific) / 6:30pm (Eastern) for North America

The Nuclear Blast streaming room will be to 'go-to' location for fans to tune in and watch live DVD concert streams (and other surprises) on select dates. Fans can also connect via Facebook, Twitter, AIM, and MySpace to chat with one another and even band members on certain occasions!.

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Amorphis

Swedish death metallers Aeon have released the following press statement:

"As you all may know, we have been searching for a new drummer since early September this year. We have gotten a great deal of drummer-applicants from various countries. Some of them where really awesome drummers, to say the least. We would like to take the opportunity to thank every single one of you for showing interest and sending us drum-videos of you playing our songs etc. Thank you so much and good luck with your future endeavors.

Without really thinking about it, the best solution for us was lurking around the corner. Arttu Malkki, our first original drummer (1999-2002) has during the last year been showing interest in playing faster death-metal once more. After his departure from Aeon back in 2002, Arttu has mainly been playing in heavier/slower metal bands Sanctification, The Equinox Ov The Gods and Souldrainer, ed.].

A couple of weeks ago, we saw him perform a show with our buddies Sanctification and we where really, really impressed with Arttu's "fast-drumming" comeback. Later on, Arttu asked us if we wanted to jam a couple of songs with him just to see what it would feel like. So we did, and it sounded massive! We decided to give it another shot, and once again we played songs like "Living Sin", "Soulburner", "God Gives Head", "Hel-el Ben Shachar", "Spreading Their Disease", among others and this hard-hitting drum-monster makes us sound really massive.

Both we and Arttu felt that this was just so right and we decided to once again be bandmates.

Besides the obvious fact that Arttu is a killer drummer, he is also an original, founding member of the band and goes way back with Tommy and Zeb from the pre-Aeon era in "Defaced Creation". Another detail that made Arttu our final choice is that he lives in the same city as we do, and this is a major plus. Now we can take on every single gig/tour we want to. This without having a drummer in another city or country even, that we need to fly over etc.

I remember when he first left us back in 2002 and Nils replaced him, the one thing that i missed about Arttu the most was his hard hitting and brutal drum-sound. Even if Nils is a more technical drummer, Arttu has some other qualities that suited us really well in its own way. Needless to say, they are both amazing drummers.

So we will now be spending the next couple of months rehearsing songs/setlists and after that, we will take on shows & eventually some tours if the right offers lands on the table. We are all truly exited about being a complete band once again and being able to make things really happened has never felt more possible than now.

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Source:	aeon666.com
Band profile:	Aeon

Diablo Swing Orchestra have released the following statement regarding their plans for the third album:

"New album is coming along slowly but surely... We have around 11 songs in various stages of completion at the moment and we're still counting.

Some working titles are: "Día De Los Muertos", "Voodoo, Mon Amour!" and "Aurora".

Expect some Turkish pop mixed with black metal and Chinese boy choirs among other things. We're hoping to get the recordings ready some time during the spring of 2011."

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Diablo Swing Orchestra

Psycroptic will be joined by guest vocalist Zdenek Simecek (Godless Truth) on their upcoming US tour with Nile, Ex Deo, Keep Of Kalessin and Pathology. Vocalist Jason Peppiatt will be unable to join the band on the tour due to the imminent arrival of his newborn son.

"A month or so after we confirmed the US tour I was greeted with the excellent news that I would be a new father, halfway through the tour no less," commented Peppiatt. "Since I could not miss the birth, and I couldn't exactly drive from the US to Tasmania, I talked it through with the rest of the guys and decided to ask Zdenek in to fill for the last tour of the Ob(servant) album for me. Zdenek has been a long time friend of the band and is a super talented vocalist, so I'm happy to have him in my shoes for this run. I'll be working hard demoing the new material while at home (as well as changing nappy's), and I'll see you all in 2011!"

Fresh on the heels of Psycroptic's successful first ever co-headlining tour of Europe with Cephalic Carnage on the Initiation of the Misled tour, the band are set to embark on a comprehensive North American tour supporting death metal legends Nile on their upcoming tour. Along with Pathology and fellow Nuclear Blast Label Mates, Ex Deo and Keep Of Kalessin, the US tour will cover cities from Coast to Coast throughout October, November and December.

After what has been a mammoth touring schedule for 2010, that has also included China, Inner Mongolia, Australia and New Zealand, the band will head into the studio at the beginning of 2011 to record the highly anticipated follow up to 2008's critically acclaimed (Ob)Servant. Songwriting for the new album is well under way and will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Psycroptic really are Australia's premier extreme metal band.

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Psycroptic
Event:	Those Whom The Gods Detest Tour II

Stratovarius are putting the finishing touches on their thirteenth full-length studio album Elysium in 5-by-5 studios, Pitäjänmäki, Helsinki, Finland. The album will be released on January 12th, 2011 by JVC in Asia and worldwide on January 14th, 2011 by Edel/EarMusic.

Elysium cover art] tracklist:

01. Heavenly Divine
02. Infernal Maze
03. Elysium, Part I, II And III
04. Civilization
05. Darkest Hours
06. Under Flaming Skies
07. No Return
08. New Horizon
09. Move The Mountain
10 Castaway (Japan Bonus Track)

A single with two new songs of Elysium will be released on 26 November this year, coinciding with the start date of the 7 Sinners World Tour on which Stratovarius will join Helloween as very special guests - kicking off the same day in the Szene, Vienna (all tour dates here). The single also contains a demo track, and two unreleased live tracks recorded earlier this year on Stratovarius' wildly successful 2009/2010 Polaris world tour.

The cover artwork of both releases was done by Gyula Havancsák.

Darkest Hours - Single cover art] tracklist:

01. Darkest Hours (From the upcoming album Elysium)
02. Infernal Maze (From the upcoming album Elysium)
03. Darkest Hours (Demo version)
04. Against The Wind (Live recording, Sofia, Bulgaria)
05. Black Diamond (Live recording, Göteborg, Sweden)

19670]

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Source:	forum.stratovarius.com
Band profile:	Stratovarius