Metal Mind Productions press release:

Artillery - back in the 80's they were one of the biggest European thrash sensations on the scene characterized by intense, energetic riffing and unique vocals of Flemming Ronsdorf, somewhat reminiscent of Slayer and Megadeth from the same era. Their debut album "Fear of Tomorrow" and the follow-up "Terror Squad" have gained a legendary status, becoming some of the most thrilling thrash releases of the late 80's period.

And today Metal Mind Productions presents re-release of their third full-length album - "By Inheritance". Compared to Artillery's previous works "By Inheritance" proved to be a much more diverse and mature album. The album showcased a much more evolved band, being capable to create more sophisticated music. The album was produced by Flemming Rasmussen known from his work with Metallica and featured one of the most astounding covers in thrash history - Nazareth's "Razamanaz". New digipak edition includes 7 bonus tracks and is limited to 1000 numerated copies. Digitally remastered using 24-Bit process on golden disc. The release date is set up for 10th November 2008 in Europe and 25th November 2008 in USA (via MVD).

Artillery - "By Inheritance" (remastered + bonus tracks)

Label: Metal Mind Records
Cat. No.: MASS CD 1044 DG
Barcode: 5907785030107
Format: CD Digipak (limited edition of 1000 numerated copies)
Genre: thrash metal
Release date: 10.11.2008 Europe / 25.11.2008 USA

Tracklist:

01. 7:00 From Tashkent
02. Khomaniac
03. Beneath The Clay (R.I.P.)
04. By Inheritance
05. Bombfood
06. Don't Believe
07. Life In Bondage
08. Equal At First
09. Razamanaz
10. Back In The Trash

Bonus tracks:

01. Khomaniac
02. Don't Believe
03. Hey Woman (with Flemming Rônsdorff)
04. All for you (with Carsten Lohmann)
05. Blessed are the strong
06. Deserter
07. Day of Doom

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Source:	metalmind.com.pl
Band profile:	Artillery

Pantheist have posted the following on their MySpace:

"As you might have noticed in the last few weeks, there have been a few changes in the tourdates with Skepticism and Ophis. We are proud to announce that the 7 dates have now been finally confirmed! This short but intense tour is going to be a unique event (not joking, considering Skepticism only tour for the second time in their long career and for us it's only our second proper tour as well). Hope to see many of you there.

In related news, we have a great time recording our third album "Journey Through Lands Unknown" with Greg at Priory Studios. The album is currently being mastered at Sonic Mastering by Rik Dowding (some of you might recognize his name from the credits of the last Portishead album; you might even have seen him, as he was their sound engineer on their recent tour). We should be able to post a full track on the myspace site by next weekend or so."

The dates are as follows:

Oct 25 Logo Hamburg, Hamburg (Ger)
Oct 26 Baroeg, Rotterdam (Ned) Dutch Doom Day VII]
Oct 27 Kunstverein, Nurnberg (Ger)
Oct 28 Black Pes, Prague (Cz)
Oct 29 Rock club na OZZaY, Nitra (Svk)
Oct 30 Escape Vienna, Wien (Aus)
Oct 31 Amnesie Berlin, Berlin (Ger)
Nov 01 Scheld'apen Antwerp, Antwerp (Bel)

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Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Pantheïst
Event:	Pantheist

Atheist has been writing new material as of late, notable because the group hasn't released a studio album since 1993. Here's a statement from frontman Kelly Shaefer:

"You asked for it, the first new Atheist material in 15 years has risen to the surface and it was truly amazing, much better than we could have expected! We ended up with a bit over 3 minutes of truly Atheist, brutal, fast as hell, technical metal madness!

...we also intend on celebrating the 20th anniversary of Piece Of Time release with a bunch of shows in 2009 in Europe and the USA live DVD and now a brand new set of Atheist's metal puzzles for your confusing enjoyment of course. We will keep you posted on all of the details as they happen. Hold on to your brains fuckers!"

Further information about the new Atheist album can be seen here.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Atheist

The following message was posted by band:

"Eisbrecher have reached the finale hot phase of their topically record production. One and a half years after the successful publication from "Antikörper" with the stage hit "Vergissmeinnicht" their next strike will be called "Sünde":

The third Eisbrecher-Album will be released on 26th of August (in America - Germany 22nd of August). Until then the single "Kann Denn Liebe Sünde Sein" (11th July, 2008 only Germany) will give an exititing foretaste to the upcoming album!

Alexx and Pix promise a sombre-coloured dance of dark-rocking ice-pearls to their fans: Album III will be the darkest and hardest album so far. Faithful to the motto: Filigree-but-through-breaking! Hard but however warmly!

For the Warm-Up there will be a few festival-shows this summer like Amphi- (Köln) and M'era Luna Festival (Hildesheim) or Rock-Harz. The routing for the Sünder-Tour in September 2008 in Germany, Austria and Swiss are concluded!

Alexx: We finally wanted to dedicate an album to the engine an machination of all human existence. Our fetish is called "Sin": Our texts deal exclusively with sinful activities, our music is sinful good, we are sinful beautyful and sexy, the album will be sinful expensive and definitively worth a sin."

Source:	eis-brecher.com
Band profile:	Eisbrecher

The following blog has been posted at the official Pantheist MySpace page:

"As you may have not noticed, since the font is completely unreadable (one could argue that this is done deliberately as it would grant us a certain aura of kvltness, but I have to admit that it's probably the actual myspace skin that needs changing) there is a new gig date displayed on our profile: Friday 21st of March (bank holiday) we are playing at The Unicorn in Camden. That's right, after having been based in London for about 4 years now, it is about time -in true funeral doom terms- for our first ever London gig. We seek to perform mainly new tracks with a small dose of 'oldies' in between.

Furthermore, our promo has been sent to several labels, so we are awaiting for responses and feedback that will hopefully allow us to set up another perfect marriage between cynical business and idealistic naivete (without of course wanting to disclose at which side we currently are). Stay tuned as news will be announced here as soon as there is something worthwhile to mention.

Lastly, many many thanks to those who have listened to the previous promo track "The Loss Of Innocense" in the past few days. After 750 plays in ten days time or so we started to fear that people might actually become sick of the track before it's even properly recorded, so we decided to take it down again. However, your persistence and enthusiasm has moved us so we decided to give you a sneak preview of the second promo track as well for a few days."

In the meantime, a track called "Eternal Sorrow" has been posted on the band's MySpace page.

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Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Pantheïst

Says in the band in their MySpace bullettin:

"Kamelot will reissue its classic "Ghost Opera" album on March 28 (Germany), March 31 (rest of Europe) and April 8 (USA/Canada) under the title of Ghost Opera - The Second Coming, enhanced with lots of interesting features. The album will be released as a double CD limited edition slipcase design. This sophisticated and comprehensive package includes the CD featuring all the songs from the regular album, plus ten additional live tracks recorded live in Belgrade, Serbia during the band's 2007 World Tour, plus the bonus tracks Season's End, The Pendulous Fall, Epilogue and the remix of Rule the World. Additionally the two videos for The Human Stain and Memento Mori (live) and on top of that, the package features new artwork and a comprehensive booklet."

Ghost Opera - The Second Coming track listing:

CD 1: Ghost Opera
01. Solitaire
02. Rule the World
03. Ghost Opera
04. The Human Stain
05. Blücher
06. Love You to Death
07. Up Through the Ashes
08. Mourning Star
09. Silence of the Darkness
10. Anthem
11. EdenEcho
12. Memento Mori (enhanced video: Live in Belgrade, Serbia)
13. The Human Stain (enhanced video)

CD 2: Live in Belgrade
01. Solitaire
02. Ghost Opera
03. The Human Stain
04. Mourning Star
05. When the Lights Are Down
06. Abandoned
07. The Haunting (with Simone Simons/EPICA)
08. Memento Mori
09. Epilogue
10. March of Mephisto
Studio cuts:
11. Season's End
12. The Pendulous Fall
13. Epilogue
14. Rule the World (remix)

Source:	bulletins.myspace.com
Band profile:	Kamelot

More fine details have been posted on the Myspace blog of recently split Chicagoan extreme metal band Usurper. In November it was announced that a 10th anniversary re-release was in the works for the group's critically acclaimed CD EP 'Threshold of the Usurper'. Here are the specifics straight from the band's fingers:

"Greetings Warriors of Iron and Rust! This is just a quick update on the new Usurper album slated for early January 2008.

Actually it is not really a new album, it is a re-issue of our long out-of-print "Threshold of the Usurper" MCD. It does however have 2 unreleased tracks in addition to new killer artwork from JUHA VUORMA (Usurper: Skeletal Season/Autopsy fame), as well as never-seen-before photos, a 16 page booklet with extensive liner notes, and a new interview with founding members/songwriters Rick Scythe and General Diabolical Slaughter. This is a must have for anyone who followed Usurper over the years.

It will be released by Primitive Reaction Records (Finland) on CD and gatefold vinyl, and there will be a limited edition of 150 CDs and 50 vinyls that we will sell right here on http://www.myspace.com/usurpermetal which will be individually autographed by founding members Rick Scythe and General D. Slaughter."

The tracklist posted in the November announcement is as follows:

1. Necrocult Pt. 1 (The Metal War)
2. Slavehammer
3. Black Funeral (Mercyful Fate cover)
4. The Dead of Winter
5. Threshold of the Usurper
6. Anno Satanas (demo version)
7. Stormtroopin' (Ted Nugent cover - previously unreleased)
8. The 13th Son (previously unreleased)

Usurper decided to disband around the end of August 2007; their official statement can be found here, along with a much longer explanation from the perspective of guitarist Rick Scythe.

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Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Usurper

MetalKult.com has just posted six MP3 audio files from a 1988 Death rehearsal.

In January 1988, the members of Death convened in Orlando, Florida, to rehearse six of the songs that would eventually wind up on the band's second and highly influential album, "Leprosy".

The tracks captured during that rehearsal are as follows:

01. Left To Die
02. Open Casket
03. Pull The Plug
04. Choke On It
05. Born Dead
06. Forgotten Past

The Death lineup at the time included guitarist/vocalist Chuck Schuldiner, guitarist Rick Rozz, bassist Terry Butler and drummer Bill Andrews.

Go to MetalKult.com to download these mp3s.

In other news, according to Blabbermouth.net, Death's classic 1995 album "Symbolic" will be reissued in March 2008 via Roadrunner Records. The remastered LP will include the original album tracks plus several previously unreleased, ultra-rare, mostly instrumental demo recordings that were completed in early 1994 with the lineup of Chuck Schuldiner (guitar), Gene Hoglan (drums) and Steve DiGiorgio (bass). The package will also come with brand new liner notes written by longtime metal journalist Don Kaye.

"Symbolic" has sold just under 50,000 copies in the United States in the 12 years since its release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

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Source:	roadrunnerrecords.com
Band profile:	Death

Prosthetic Records is proud to announce reissues from Bay Area metal legends Testament. Both to feature new liner notes, 1997's "Demonic" was remastered and 1999's "The Gathering" will include the previously only available in Japan, "Hammer Of The Gods." Both will see a worldwide release through the label on Jan. 8, 2008. Previously released through Spitfire Records and currently out of print, both records are a welcome addition to the Prosthetic Records catalog.

Currently gearing up for the release of a new studio record featuring all new music via Nuclear Blast, Testament's line-up for "Demonic" included Gene Hoglan (Death, Strapping Young Lad), while "The Gathering" featured metal legends James Murphy (Death, Obituary), Steve DiGiorgio (Death, Iced Earth, Sadus), and Dave Lombardo (Slayer).

Comments Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler: "Testament is far and away one of the most influential bands in all of modern metal. While other veteran acts soak up much of the spotlight with sing a-longs, Testament maintains the unsurpassed musicianship, integrity and brutality that continues to create an untouchable legacy."

More praise for Testament: Joel Stroesl (Killswitch Engage): "Testament has been one of my favorite bands for many years...they have always helped define aggression and musicianship. They are one of the few bands that have kicked ass throughout their entire career. "Demonic" and "The Gathering" not only kept with the times in the metal world...but set new standards."

Silenoz (Dimmu Borgir): "The Gathering was a sledgehammer to the face when it came out and still is to this day! Sheer rawness and power combined with catchy, groovy patterns and monstrous thrash riffs proves Testament as one of the most influential metal bands ever to grace planet earth. I sum this album up in one word: authority!"

Dez Fafara (Devildriver): "The Gathering is equal to "Back In Black" by AC/DC in its song writing and song sequence. For some, its either Metallica or Testament; for me it's Testament. "Demonic" is the deadliest, dirtiest, crushing record, where they truly found their heavier and darker side."

Read more ››

Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Testament

The following blog was posted on the British Funeral Doomster's MySpace Page:

''As you will have noticed, we have been quite slow with updates lately so I thought I will kickstart some more activity here. First the band news:

We are in the process of recording a two-song promo to send to labels for feedback. It will consist of two ultra epic, lengthy tracks that, although they retain the typical Pantheist flavour, will be more evolved in terms of atmosphere and execution. We hope to have a finished product by the end of this year. Any interested labels that would like to release a future classic in the dark doom genre and lose a lot of money along the way can contact us via the website or this myspace site for a copy of the promo.

For the rest, the band routine has not changed much and as usual includes band members moving abroad or joining other bands. However, rest assured that when the time is there, we will deliver a slab of ridiculously heavy modern doom to crush funereal bedroom projects and atavistic retro hippies alike.

Furthermore, to create some more animosity and controversy, I have decided to follow the example of my good friend Mr Greaves from CBP and occassionally indulge in embarassing yet satisfying rants against everyone and everything, but no one in particular. The frequency will depend on my (nowaydays pretty grumpy) mood, so watch this space...''

Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Pantheïst

Technical Death Metal whirlwind Decapitated issue a limited edition version of their dramatic "Winds Of Creation" debut album on October 8, complete with bonus DVD.

Originally issued back in 2000, the album sent shock waves through the scene for its focused and tight arrangement, relentless aggression and supreme musicianship. Eyebrows were further raised when it was discovered that the band were barely out of their teens. Live shows backed the hype, and Decapitated's place among the forerunners of the emerging new generation of Death Metal bands was assured.
The limited edition reissue contains a full 10 track live show filmed in December 2004 at Nottingham Rescue Rooms, featuring the original Winds of Creation line up including vocalist Sauron. Filmed on several cameras with great audio quality, the DVD ably demonstrates just why Decapitated are considered among the elite Death Metal hierarchy. And advance preview of the DVD is available here.
The band have made massive commercial leaps with subsequent albums Nihility, The Negation and Organic Hallucinosis, but Winds of Creation retains a special place in the heart of the many of the bands fans, and on newer bands such as Job for A Cowboy.

The full tracklisting for the "Winds of Creation" cover art] limited edition is as follows:

Tracklisting CD:
01. Winds of Creation
02. Blessed
03. The First Damned
04. Way to Salvation
05. The Eye of Horus
06. Human?s Dust
07. Nine Steps
08. Dance Macabre
09. Mandatory Suicide

Tracklisting bonus DVD: (Live At Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, 20/12/04)
01. The Fury
02. Three-Dimensional Defect
03. Lying and Weak
04. Winds of Creation
05. Nihility (Anti-Human Manifesto)
06. The Negation
07. Perfect Dehumanisation (The Answer?)
08. Sensual Sickness
09. Spheres of Madness
10. Mother War

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Source:	earache.com
Band profile:	Decapitated

Official press release:

Technical metal pioneers Atheist have announced their last-ever U.S. performances. This weekend the band will hit the stage for the last time in their native Florida with headlining shows in Tampa and Miami (at Brass Mug and Club Flower respectively). Following, Atheist will perform at a handful of European festivals before a final show in New York City. A listing of Atheist live appearances can be found below with more info on the band's final show to be announced soon.

Last January, Atheist guitarist/vocalist Kelly Schaefer reassembled much of what was widely considered the band's classic recording line-up (Schaefer, bassist Tony Choy, and drummer Steven Flynn) to perform a select number of one-off shows to celebrate the re-issue of their wildly-influential catalog (1988's 'Piece of Time', 1993's 'Elements', and the 1991's legendary 'Unquestionable Presence'). Among those shows were performances at such legendary festivals such as Germany's Wacken Open Air, Norway's Hole In The Sky Fest, Italy's Evolution Fest, England's Bloodstock Open Air, and the Los Angeles' Murderfest.

Atheist's Shaefer comments, "It's very hard to just walk away from this music that is having its day in the sun. The shows keep getting better and better, and the crowds are full of amazing stories of how they discovered our music. But the best and most important thing to us has been the outpouring of brand new people who have embraced our music as being pivotal to the way they listen to metal. That's far more important to us than anything. We will wrap this all up with one final show in New York that will be filmed for a DVD."

Atheist Live appearances:

April 27 Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug
April 28 Coconut Grove, FL @ Club Flavour
June 23 Dessel, Belgium @ Graspop Metal Meeting Festival
June 24 Clisson, France @ Hellfest 2007

Source:	unheardonline.com
Band profile:	Atheist

Van Records has reissued the third album from disbanded German black metallers Nagelfar called "Virus West".
According to a press release: "Virus West is by far the most aggressive and powerful piece of music ever released by the band, leaving the shores of melancholy and reverie behind and setting sails for harsh and wrathful fields of either fast or energetic mid-tempo tunes. The production of the album was once again taken over by Andy Classen (Belphegor, Dew Scented) within the walls of the famous Stage One studio, which means that the sound of the compositions will rearrange your entire anatomy."

"Virus West" was released in 2001, and had the following tracklisting:

01 - Hellebarn (Light Barn)
02 - Sturm Der Katharsis (Storm Of Catharsis)
03 - Hetzjagd In Palästina (Agitation In Palestine)
04 - Westwall (Western Wall)
05 - Fäden Des Schicksals" (Threads Of Fate)
06 - Protokoll Einer Folter (Protocol Of Torture)
07 - Meuterei (Mutiny)

Nagelfar (not to be confused with the Swedish Naglfar) were a German progressive black metal band.
The band was founded in 1993 by Zorn and Rhyktius V. Grhabakk von Meilenwald. After a long search for a lead vocalist, Smaug was selected; Svein von Hackenberg became acquainted with Smaug and Rhyktius at a party and entered the band's lineup as bassist in 1995. In autumn 1995, Smaug was replaced by Jander, and Garvin joined as session keyboardist. This lineup recorded the band's first demo, Als die Tore sich öffnen ("As The Gates Open"); their second demo, Jagd ("Hunt"), followed the next year before the band secured a contract with Kettenhund Records.
In 1997, the band's first album, Hünengrab im Herbst, appeared; a split EP with Dark Embrace, contraining the track "Nur ein See" ("Only One Lake") followed the same year. In 1998, Svein von Hackenberg departed for personal reasons; he was replaced by Chaos. The production of Srontgorrth, a concept album, was marred by turmoil, resulting in the departure of Jander before all the vocal tracks had been recorded.
Zingultus was Jander's replacement, and Chaos left the band shortly after the completion of Srontgorrth. In 2001, Virus West appeared; in April 2002, the band broke up for unspecified reasons.
(Source: Wikipedia)

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Source:

bravewords.com

Italian Gothic Metal band Lacuna Coil posted in the Karmacode page the following dates for the Jägermeister Music Tour in The United States. Also on the bill of this tour are Stone Sour and Shadows Fall.

23.03: Myth - St. Paul, Minnesota
24.03: The Rave - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
25.03: Lifestyle Pavilion - Columbus, Ohio
27.03: Congress Theater - Chicago, Illinois
28.03: Egyptian Room - Indianapolis, Indiana
30.03: State Theatre - Detroit, Michigan
31.03: Dome Theater - Niagara Falls
01.04: House of Blues - Cleveland, Ohio
04.04: Avalon - Boston, Massachusetts
06.04: Roseland Ballroom - New York, New York
07.04: Electric Factory Concerts - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
09.04: Bogarts - Cincinnati, Ohio
10.04: Rams Head Live! - Baltimore, Maryland
12.04: Tabernacle - Atlanta, Georgia
13.04: House of Blues - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
14.04: House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, Florida
16.04: Verizon Wireless Theater - Houston, Texas
17.04: The Palladium Ballroom - Dallas, Texas
18.04: Sunset Station - San Antonio, Texas
20.04: House of Blues - Las Vegas, Nevada
21.04: Celebrity Theater - Phoenix, Arizona
22.04: House of Blues - San Diego, California
24.04: House of Blues - Anaheim, California
25.04: The Wiltern - Los Angeles, California
28.04: Fillmore - Denver, Colorado
30.04: Beaumont Club - Kansas City, Missouri
01.05: The Pageant - Saint Louis, Missouri
02.05: Sokol Auditorium - Omaha, Nebraska
04.05: Val Air Ballroom - Des Moines, Iowa

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Source:	thekarmacode.com
Band profile:	Lacuna Coil
Event:	Jägermeister Music Tour

The following message has been posted by vocalist Cristina Scabbia on her personal Myspace page, mainly for other bands members:

"We were recently informed that members of several bands across the country, mostly non-Jager bands, have been contacted by an unknown third party, claiming to be named "Tim Rex" the official Jagermeister Tour Manager, seeking to engage such bands as openers or support on upcoming Jager Tours, or for other similar promotions, concerts and events. We wanted to inform all of you just in case you have received or do receive a similar phone call.

This unknown third party has contacted bands and other parties via a blocked cell phone number, informing the band that the person represents the Jager Tour and is considering the band for certain events. This party often tells the bands that he will be sending certain forms and documents for the band to complete, and that the party will be arranging a meeting with the band. He has also asked for the band to supply private personal information during this phone call.

Please be advised that this party DOES NOT represent the Jager Tour, Mast-Jagermeister or Sidney Frank Importing Co. Inc.

We believe that this party is conducting a scam in order to obtain band members' personal information.

If you are contacted by an unfamiliar third party and you suspect that the party does not work for the Jager Tour or is not otherwise associated with Jagermeister, please do not respond to the request for information."

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Lacuna Coil
Event:	Jägermeister Music Tour