Original news, posted on 18.06.2010

band]Darkseed vocalist Harald Winkler has issued a short update about the new album Poison Awaits:

"We are really proud to announce that we have finished recording, mixing and mastering our new album Poison Awaits which will be released July 16 on Massacre Records. We are really happy with the album and can't wait till you guys get to hear it. Stay tuned for more exciting news and song teasers on MySpace."

UPDATE (thanks to BudDa)

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on Poison Awaits, the forthcoming album from German metallers Darkseed, are available for streaming at this location.

Poison Awaits is scheduled for release on July 23 via Massacre Records.

Poison Awaits cover art] tracklist:

01. Roads
02. Incinerate
03. Poison Awaits
04. Seeds Of Sorrow
05. All Is Vanity
06. Black Throne
07. A Dual Pact
08. Torn To Shatters
09. No Promise In The Heavens
10. Striving For Fire
11. Timeless Skies
12. King In The Sun
13. The Demon Within
14. Comptine D'Un Autre Eté

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Darkseed

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on At The Edge Of Time, the forthcoming album from German metallers Blind Guardian, are available for streaming at the band's official website.

At The Edge Of Time is scheduled for release on July 30 via Nuclear Blast Records.

At The Edge Of Time cover art] tracklist:

01. Sacred Worlds
02. Tanelorn
03. Road Of No Release
04. Ride Into Obsession
05. Curse My Name
06. Valkyries
07. Control The Divine
08. War Of The Thrones
09. A Voice In The Dark
10. Wheel Of Time

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Source:	blind-guardian.com
Band profile:	Blind Guardian

Official press release

The Floridian grind machine known as Maruta has officially solidified its line-up, with the addition of drummer Danny Morris.

Vocalist Mitchell Luna states: "We are all happy to announce that the search for a new drummer is over, and that Maruta is now 100% operational again! Danny is a solid as fuck drummer, and met all of the high standards that we were looking for in a new skinsman. He blasts hard and does some really creative stuff on the drums that will bring our sound to a new level. We are pretty picky bastards and this dude definitely keeps up with us musically"

The group is set to enter Mana studios next month, to record the followup to 2008's In Narcosis for Willowtip. This will also be the first time the band incorporates a bass player, so listeners can expect the new material to sound even heavier and more dissonant then ever.

A new demo track will be posted in a couple weeks, as well as a handfull of dates in september. Keep up here."

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Maruta

Self-proclaimed kings of metal Manowar and Magic Circle Music - the company owned by bassist Joey DeMaio - find themselves in the middle of a media storm because of their Dio tribute album (read: cash grab).

It all started when Manowar and Magic Circle Entertainment decided to "honor one of metal's greatest legends with Magic - A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio, featuring Magic Circle Music artists and friends performing some of Dio's most inspired work."
Magic - A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio features a Manowar cover of "Heaven And Hell", while HolyHell covers "Holy Diver", with other performances of Metalforce, Jack Starr's Burning Starr, Feinstein and a thing called the "Magic Circle All Star Band" covering "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll".

According to a press release, the album - which will be released today in Germany - "is from the hearts of these musicians. It is not only their privilege, but also their duty, to honor Ronnie by singing his praises while singing his songs."

There was no word if any of the revenue generated from the sale of Magic - A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio would go to the Ronnie James Dio "Stand Up And Shout" Cancer Fund.

But - and here's where it gets sticky - ex-Elf guitarist, and a cousin of Dio, David "Rock" Feinstein responded to the release as follows: "I just found out that Magic Circle Music stated on their site that I was contributing a song to their proposed tribute album to Dio. It also states that I specifically wrote this song for Ronnie. This is totally UNTRUE! The song is called "Far Beyond" and was a cut on the Feinstein Third Wish album, released by Magic Circle Music (SPV) in 2004. The song was co-written by myself and John West eight years ago.

I am NOT a part of this Magic Circle tribute album, and will ONLY be a part of any tribute to Ronnie that is sanctioned by Niji Entertainment Group and Wendy Dio."

And then, Manowar director Neil Johnson issued the following statement defending the release, saying the criticism is fueled by jealousy. He stated: "I hope you all will enjoy it and please do not be influenced by some of jealousy and negativity being spread about this very heartfelt project, which I, along with many others who shall soon come forth, are very proud of. Magic Circle Music will be issuing a statement very soon but in the meantime let me personally express my feelings about it with some indisputable facts:

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Source:	ronniejamesdio.com
Band profile:	Manowar

Heaven And Hell have confirmed a tribute show to the late Ronnie James Dio at the High Voltage Festival in London on Saturday 24th July 2010.

An announcement on the band's website reads as follows: "On the 16th May 2010 Ronnie James Dio passed away and the world of music mourned the loss of the greatest voice of heavy metal. Dio was a truly iconic figure in music, whose work with Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and most recently Heaven And Hell defined a genre.

Heaven And Hell were set to be on the road in Europe this summer when news came through that despite the amazing progress he was making Ronnie wouldn't be well enough to tour and those shows were cancelled. But now, remaining members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice are set to play a one off-show to celebrate his life and work. The band will be completed by Glenn Hughes and Jorn Lande who will both contribute vocals. Former Deep Purple/Black Sabbath star Glenn Hughes was a close friend of Ronnie's for many years and performed a musical tribute at Ronnie's funeral service in Los Angeles. Norwegian Jorn Lande is best known in the UK as the vocalist for power metal band Masterplan, he has also released many solo albums including a tribute to Ronnie. It promises to be a fitting celebration to a man that the metal scene owes so much.

Says Geezer Butler: "It's going to be a very emotional occasion. Ronnie loved his fans like no-one else I know - and they loved him. It will be a privilege doing a gig in honour of his memory, and to help towards his charity. Above all, I hope it encourages people to have regular check-ups for this disease. Early detection is vital, and greatly improves the chance of a cure. I know everyone has heard that a million times before, but seeing one of your best friends die because we all think we're immune from this disease, really brings it home. Do it for yourself, your family, your friends. Ronnie would be proud of you."

Tony Iommi says: "Ronnie's passing has left a huge hole, we hadn't anywhere near finished what we set out to do as a band together. He was so looking forward to the European tour and we hope this appearance will go some way to fulfilling that."

Tickets for the High Voltage Festival are priced £135 (for weekend tickets) and £75 (for day tickets). All info and the full line-up is available here.

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Source:	heavenandhelllive.com
Band profile:	Heaven And Hell
Event:	High Voltage Festival

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on Korn III - Remember Who You Are, the forthcoming album from US metallers Korn, are available for streaming at this location.

Also a video for a new song, entitled "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)", can be viewed at this location.

Korn III - Remember Who You Are will be released on uly 13 via Roadrunner Records.

Korn III - Remember Who You Are cover art] tracklist:

01. Oildale (Leave Me Alone)
02. Pop A Pill
03. Fear Is A Place To Leave
04. Move On
05. Lead The Parade
06. Let The Guilt Go
07. The Past
08. Never Around
09. Are You Ready To Live?
10. Holding All These Lies


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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Korn

Finnish Epic Metal masters Battlelore issued the first update on their upcoming album:

"We will begin the recordings of our next album in early June at Sound Supreme Studios (FIN) with Janne Saksa, who will engineer and produce the album. The legendary Dan Swanö will do the mixing and hopefully, we'll get the whole battle package out in early fall of 2010. Stylistically, we have turned back to the old school style of songs with grinding drums and fast guitars! This will also be our first concept album and the songs will relate the story of Tolkien's tragic hero Túrin Turambar."

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Battlelore

After 17 years, the wait is finally over... Atheist are set to enter LedBelly recording studios in Atlanta, GA on July 5th to lay the tracks down on their long-awaited, yet untitled, fourth studio album. Engineering the recording session will be Matt Washburn. Additionally, the band have secured the services of one of metal's most significant talents of the past decade, Jason Suecof (Trivium, Chimaira, Devildriver and many others), to handle the mixing of what promises to be a modern classic from the pioneers of technical metal.

"I can't believe we are about to record this album finally", vocalist Kelly Shaefer states. "We have been working our asses off for a year, and have taken great strides to make this the record we, as fans, would want to hear from Atheist. It's ferocious, intelligent, and dead balls heavy as shit! When people hear this they're going to say, 'It's Atheist!'"

"We are also honored and totally stoked to have Jason be a part of this album with us" says drummer Steve Flynn. "He went to great lengths to make this happen for us, and we are grateful. We anticipate collectively taking extreme metal to new places. Jason has quickly become one of the most sought-after engineers/producers in the industry, and we're excited to be working with him. He truly understands the legacy of the Florida Death Metal scene, and the importance of this record. We're confident that Jason will deliver an absolutely monster production. Additionally, we DO realize that the record has taken a long time to create. However, there are so many twists and turns in the average Atheist song, and we felt like it was very important to have enough killer material written so as to make it the most interesting record we have ever created. We wanted to make sure we took the next logical step in the evolution of our music. According to the critics out there, it's a tall - almost impossible - order. However, we feel like we have done it."

"Our late and great friend and foundational element of the Atheist sound, Roger Patterson, was always with us in spirit in the process of writing" adds Shaefer. "In fact, that frantic, technical Patterson spirit has come shining through once more in the form of Jonathan Thompson, our newest guitar player. "JT" is a young-spirited multi-talented player - he also plays bass for Flynn's band Gnostic. As long-time Atheist fans, JT and Chris Baker understand what Atheist is at its core and what the fans expect. Both have proven to be invaluable in bringing out that classic Atheist sound and have been instrumental the course of writing this long-awaited record."

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Source:	season-of-mist.com
Band profile:	Atheist

Between extensive tours of Europe, Kylesa will enter the studio on May 31st to begin recording the follow-up to the critically-acclaimed album Static Tensions. The new album is the band's debut for the band's new label Season of Mist Records.

The sessions will take place over the month of June at the legendary Jam Room in Columbia, SC with Phillip Cope (Baroness, Withered) at the helm as producer. The band is very excited about the new material, with writing ongoing since January of this year.

After the completion of the recording the band will return to Europe supporting Converge through August, with US touring plans to be announced shortly.

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Source:	puregrainaudio.com
Band profile:	Kylesa

...in Deviltry - the new band of ex-Theatre Of Tragedy guitarist Tommy Lindal - will enter the studio, which probably will be located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July 2010 to record their debut release. As the band is brand new and do not have any record-label present, it will be 100% self-financed which will result in a limited distribution for the EP.

After the recording the band will post 50% of the material available for registered users on this page under the menu "Audio". The real EP will also be available for mailorder trough the ...in Deviltry website.

With the release of this EP, the band will also announce their complete studio line-up. In the meantime, an orchestral version of the first-ever ...in Deviltry song "Theme" is streaming on the band's MySpace.

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Source:

indeviltry.com

Masterplan frontman Jørn Lande is set to release a tribute album to the musical legacy of the late Ronnie James Dio. The new album, aptly entitled Dio, will be released on Frontiers Records on July 2nd in Europe and July 27th in the US. Dio was mixed by Tommy Hansen at Jailhouse Studios.

Handpicking some lesser known tunes of the Dio era, along with some of the true classics, Jorn offers a fine collection of songs that present the music of the Man and the Artist, with a unique twist. In Jørn Lande's own words: "Throughout the years I have had the privilege of both meeting and working with many of the musicians that have inspired me on my musical journey. Ronnie James Dio has inspired me through decades, and this man's influence continues to add colour to my creative spirit. Ever since the first time I heard his royal roar back in the 70's, I have been fascinated by this extremely talented man's creative force and dedication to music. His career has been going on for so long and includes so many great songs, that it was a challenge to decide which songs and what era to focus on. I ended up focusing on the Dio era".

The album also includes an original song for which a videoclip, shot by Thomas Tjader (Pretty Maids, In Flames) was produced. Jørn says "I wrote "Song for Ronnie James" as a tribute and a personal thanks to the man who has been my mentor for more than 35 years. This great man has affected my life and career in such a way that without his presence, I would not have become the artist I am today".

Dio cover art] tracklist:

01. Song For Ronnie James
02. Invisible
03. Shame On The Night
04. Push
05. Stand Up And Shout
06. Don't Talk To Strangers
07. Lord Of The Last Day
08. Night People
09. Sacred Heart
10. Sunset Superman
11. Lonely Is The Word / Letters From Earth
12. Kill The King
13. Straight Through The Heart
+ Song for Ronnie James

Zmaj Ognjeni Vuk]

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Source:	frontiers.it
Band profile:	Jorn

According to Dio's website there will be a public memorial service for the late legend in Los Angeles.

"There will be a Public Memorial Service for Ronnie James Dio on Sunday, May 30th at 2:00 PM at The Hall Of Liberty located at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068. This will be a celebration of the life and music of Ronnie James Dio and is open to all of his friends and fans from around the world.

For those of you that will be flying in from out of town or out of the country, we are working with various local hotels to arrange discount rates. As soon as we have more information, we will make it available. "

In related news, organizers of Bloodstock Open Air in Catton Hall, UK and Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, have announced there will be a Ronnie James Dio stage as a tribute to the fallen metal icon.

Statement from Bloodstock: "We'd like to pay tribute to one of metal's leading and legendary lights, with the announcement of the renaming of Bloodstock's Main Stage as the Ronnie James Dio stage." A comment by Bloodstock founder Paul Gregory - responsible for the cover artwork for Dio's Angry Machines and Inferno - Last In Live albums - can be read here.

Statement from Sweden Rock: "Ronnie James Dio made five appearances at Sweden Rock Festival: three times with his own band Dio, and twice with Heaven And Hell - most recently just last summer. Ronnie always had a keen eye towards Sweden and Sweden Rock, and over the years we developed a good relationship to both him and his wife/manager Wendy... To honour his memory, we have decided to rename the Zeppelin Stage: this year it will be called Dio Stage. We are also planning a tribute ceremony on one of the main stages. More info on this will follow shortly."

In October, most prominent Swedish metal musicians will do a tribute concert on the Sweden Rock Cruise.

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Source:	ronniejamesdio.com
Band profile:	Dio

Midnattsol have issued the following update:

"After we have spent lots of time in our new rehearsal room during the last month, the time has come, we will enter the studio. We can justly claim that we have never worked so intensively on our material and also the work with our new guitarist Alex Kautz was like a rejuvenation for us. Thus we are extremely looking forward to record the songs now!

As we had been very satisfied with the recordings of Nordlys at Studio E, we have decided for the third album not only to let the recordings do by such an experienced producer as Markus Stock from Studio E (e.g. The Vision Bleak, Lacrimas Profundere, Secrets Of The Moon and Dornenreich), but also the mixing and mastering.

The best news is however: The recordings will already begin May 24th 2010 and with a short interruption we will be in the studio until July. Of course we will keep you informed about further information regarding the new album and the release date."

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Midnattsol

What started as a rumour on twitter and various websites has now actually happened. Earlier in the day/night it was denied by Wendy Dio, stating that Ronnie James Dio was "still hanging in there", but a few moments ago the official Ronnie James Dio website posted the following statement:

"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45 a.m. 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes before he peacefully passed away."

The news is spreading as wildfire, the official Dio website might be down due to too much traffic.

Our condolences go out to the family, friends and fans of Ronnie James Dio. Rest in peace.

- The Metal Storm Staff


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Source:	ronniejamesdio.com
Band profile:	Dio

The Swedish melodic metal band Audiovision have released their video for the track "Keep the Fire Burning" online. The track comes off their brand new album Focus which was be released in Europe and North America on April 23rd through Ulterium Records.

This is the second video from Focus, and it was directed by Ronny Hemlin Scar Symmetry, Steel Attack] who also directed the first video "Invitation".


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Source:

myspace.com