Children Of Bodom has announced a North American headlining tour in support of their new album Relentless Reckless Forever. Support on the Children Of Bodom tour will come from Devin Townsend with openers Obscura and Septicflesh rotating positions each night.

Brought to you by Guitar World and Revolver, the North American leg of Children Of Bodom's Ugly World Tour will kick off in Los Angeles on June 24 and run through July 24 in Montreal where COB will perform alongside Kiss, Motörhead and more as part of the Heavy MTL hard rock festival.

"We are psyched to see all of our friends in North America and to play our new songs live for all of the Bodom maniacs," commented COB guitarist/vocalist Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho. "Get ready to throw it down!"

Children Of Bodom's Ugly World Tour - Ft. Devin Townsend, Septicflesh, Obscura:

June 24 - West Hollywood, CA - House of Blues
June 25 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
June 26 - Portland, OR - Roseland
June 27 - Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market
June 28 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
June 30 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Ballroom
July 02 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Events Center
July 03 - Saskatoon, SK - Odeon
July 04 - Winnipeg, MB - Garrick Center
July 05 - St. Paul, MN - Station Four
July 06 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
July 08 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
July 09 - Orlando, FL - BeachamTheater
July 10 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
July 12 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls
July 13 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
July 14 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
July 15 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
July 16 - New York, NY - Best Buy Theatre
July 17 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero Theatre
July 19 - Worcester, PA - Palladium
July 21 - Halifax, NS - Multipurpose Centre (no Devin Townsend)
July 23 - Toronto, ONT - Downsview Park (Heavy T.O.)
July 24 - Montreal, QC - Parc Jean-Drapeau (Heavy MTL)

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Source:	cobhc.com
Band profile:	Children Of Bodom

In a brutally short update on their Facebook wall, US stoner/doom/drone metallers Om have revealed they are currently working on a new album... and that's about all we can tell you for now.

Stay tuned for updates as they happen.

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Source:	omvibratory.com
Band profile:	Om

German black metallers Secrets Of The Moon have enlisted Triptykon head honcho Thomas Gabriel Fischer (ex-Hellhammer, ex-Celtic Frost) and Triptykon guitarist Victor Santura (who was also the producer for Obscura, Pestilence, etc.) to mix their new upcoming album, Seven Bells, at Woodshed Studio in Bavaria, Germany.

Fischer posted the following update on his blog: "Back once again at V. Santura's Woodshed Studio in the Bavarian countryside near Landshut, Germany, this time to mix the new album by Secrets Of The Moon, Seven Bells, together with V.

These sessions easily rank among the most fascinating, enthralling, and constructive I have ever been a part of. The friendship with Secrets Of The Moon, which has begun in such a unique manner, shall hopefully persist for a very long time."

An official release date is still to be confirmed. Some more album details were previously reported over here.

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Source:	fischerisdead.blogspot.com
Band profile:	Secrets Of The Moon

Celestial Completion, the new upcoming album from US progressive metalcore band Becoming The Archetype, is now available for streaming in its entirety at AOL Music.

Celestial Completion was released on March 29th through Solid State Records. More album details were previously reported over here.

In other news, the new Becoming The Archetype video "Magnetic Sky" can now be watched below.

The clip is described in a press release as "an 8-bit fantasy adventure that finds the members of Becoming The Archetype wandering through a sci-fi landscape in the format of an old Nintendo game, fighting their way through a wasteland of terrifying creatures to fulfill an arcane mission."

41942 for the news!]

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Becoming The Archetype

Sodom are forced to cancel their appearance at the Silesian Massacre Festival in Katowice, Poland this weekend, after guitarist, Bernd "Bernemann" Kost, was rushed to the hospital today.

Sodom's booking agency, Fleisch, issued the following statement: "A few minutes ago I received an upsetting phone call from Tom and Makka as Bernemann has been rushed to hospital. We do not know what exactly has happened as I write this e-mail, he is currently under medical observation in the emergency section to discover exactly what the problem is.

We feel very sorry, but unfortunately and obviously because of the situation as it stands at the moment the band cannot travel to Katowice on Saturday. I know it is not the best time and it is short notice, but the situation as it is with Bernemann leaves the band no choice. I hope for your understanding and I regret that this situation has come about, the band were looking forward to playing at your festival."

More news on Bernemann's condition as we get it.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Sodom
Event:	Silesian Massacre Festival Vol. 3

Morbid Angel revealed the cover artwork of their newest opus Illud Divinum Insanus :

It was designed by Gustavo Sazes, who commented on it:

"To create this cover we worked from several references, ideas, elements, and I would say a ''world'' of options and paths. After a long brainstorming period and some ideas left behind we came up with the concept of this organic surreal insane being; a fallen God or a weird mirror image of our own madness. It is a different Morbid Angel cover for sure, but I think that's how Morbid Angel is...Deviant and different on each new release. They never repeat themselves. They are always pushing the boundaries and setting new standards. I'm really proud of the final results and hope the fans appreciate my work, while listening to the new album!"

Also was revealed the cover artwork of their single Nevermore, designed by French artists Valnoir and Fursy Teyssier for Metastazis:


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Source:	season-of-mist.com
Band profile:	Morbid Angel

Swedish metalcore act Worth A King's Ransom are set to release their upcoming EP, The Kraken Awaits. The new EP will be released through Spotify and iTunes any time soon. A short teaser of the upcoming effort is available below.

More info on the band on MySpace.

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Source:

facebook.com

Get ready for hell on earth, because for the first time since they tour together on Ozzfest 1999, Rob Zombie and Slayer are teaming up to hit the road, bringing a glorious purgatory to fans in 12 North American cities.

Both Zombie and Slayer will present their full headline sets at every show, and both bands will close shows over the course of the tour. San Francisco's thrash-metal band Exodus has been confirmed to open all shows.

Said Slayer's Kerry King: "We haven't toured with Zombie since Ozzfest 1999, so you can expect no less than 'hell on earth'. Total sonic annihilation and a visual bludgeoning. Bring your own body bag..."

"Total destruction on stage and off is what this combination promises," states Zombie, "Seriously, how much more Hell could you ask for? The answer is none more Hell."

Slayer has been performing its classic 1990 Seasons In the Abyss album in its entirety over the past several months, but will instead draw from its entire 30-year catalogue for this tour's setlist. Never one to play it safe, Zombie will be bringing his legendary stage show out in full force. Audiences can expect an exploding non-stop barrage of sin, sex and Satan guaranteed to rip your face off. This a truerock and roll spectacle at its finest.

Hell On Earth Tour:

Jul. 20 - Sovereign Center, Reading, PA
Jul. 22 - DTE Amphitheatre, Detroit, MI
Jul. 23 - Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA
Jul. 24 - Heavy T.O. at Downsview Park, Toronto, ON - Canada
Jul. 27 - MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB - Canada
Jul. 29 - Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, SK - Canada
Jul. 30 - Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB - Canada
Jul. 31 - Rexall Place, Edmonton, AB - Canada
Aug. 02 - Save-On-Foods Memorial Center, Victoria, BC - Canada
Aug. 03 - Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC - Canada
Aug. 05 - Rose Quarter Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR
Aug. 06 - WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Slayer
Event:	Hell On Earth Tour

Shining founder and frontman Niklas Kvarforth is quitting all other projects in order to concentrate on Shining.

Kvarforth released the following statement: "A lot of things have been happening recently with Shining, and the rapid growth of the band over the last year, and the commitment that Shining now requires of me has meant that it has become impractical for me to continue working as vocalist with other bands.

This includes my work with Bethlehem, who themselves realised that the band could not continue with myself on vocals. Bethlehem is still my all-time favourite band and I wish them all the best for the future. I will also be quitting as front man for Den Saakaldte.

From now on, therefore, I will only be making occasional guest vocal appearances on albums by other bands, and my priority will be Shining. My work with Maniac's band Skitliv will not be affected, however, as the vocals and the bulk of the creative work is in his hands.

As always, myself and the band very much appreciate all the support the fans are giving Shining and their patience in waiting for the release of VII - Född Förlorare, and there will be some very good news regarding this very shortly."

VII - Född Förlorare (trans: Born Loser) will be released later this year through Indie Recordings. More album details were previously reported over here.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Shining

"Vermillion", a brand-new track from US blackened sludge outfit Tombs, has been made available for streaming over at MySpace.

"Vermillion" comes off the band's upcoming new album Path of Totality, which will be released on June 7th through Relapse Records. Some more album details over here.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Tombs

Following a lengthy European tour earlier this year, Norwegian metallers Mortiis will once again team up with Combichrist for another round of live dates in the UK this summer.

Said mainman Mortiis: "We haven't played the UK in a while. It feels great to finally be able to get back over there and meet some old friends and hopefully gain some new ones. The European tour with Combichrist was a blast so we know this one will be, too."

Mortiis + Combichrist - UK Tour:

June 28 - Southampton, UK @ Talking Heads
June 29 - Leamington Spa, UK @ The Assembly
June 30 - Manchester, UK @ Academy
July 01 - Glasgow, UK @ The Classic Grand
July 02 - Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
July 03 - London, UK @ Koko

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Mortiis
Event:	Mortiis + Combichrist: UK Tour

"Path Of The Beam", a brand-new track from US progressive metalcore band Becoming The Archetype, has been made available for streaming, exclusively at Noisecreep.

Another new track, called "The Magnetic Sky", is still streaming at this location.

"Path Of The Beam" and "The Magnetic Sky" come off the band's upcoming new album Celestial Completion, which will be released on March 29th through Solid State Records. More album details were previously reported over here.

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Source:	noisecreep.com
Band profile:	Becoming The Archetype

Danish melodic doom metal band Saturnus have recently parted ways with Firebox Records and are currently seeking a new label home. The band has also added two new members, namely Henrik Glass on drums and Mattias Svensson as the band's new rhythm guitarist.

Vocalist Thomas A.G. Jensen commented as follows: "Saturnus has been through a major transition due to a necessary line-up change arising from different views on how things needed to be run. This put the brakes on the bands progression for so long that eventually something had to break or otherwise we would inevitably have split up. We love playing live whenever we can and right now we want to do it more than ever to follow on and raise our profile once again to echo the success of our last album, Veronica Decides To Die, and previous efforts.

The new line-up is just perfect. All the things I have been looking for in musicians has been delivered perfectly; the creativity, the lust for playing live, the understanding of the universe of Saturnus and the way to compose is just perfect. I could not wish for better.

Leaving Firebox Records was necessary for Saturnus and even with one contractual album left to be fulfilled, both parties amicably
decided to annul the contract we had and go our separate ways. So now the future lies open for Saturnus. We need a record label to fully get the ship back out to sea again, and believe me we are hungry like never before."

Between October 2010 and February 2011, Saturnus completed a four-song demo containing the tracks "The Litany Of Rain", "A Father's Providence", "Wind Torn" and "Between" (working title). The recording was mixed and mastered by Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Morbid Angel, Blind Guardian).

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Source:	bravewords.com
Band profile:	Saturnus

God Is An Astronaut have issued the following band update:

First up, Michael Fenton will be taking care of drumming duties on our European April tour and beyond, Lloyd Hanney will be taking a break from music due to personal commitments.

Some good news for the USA, planning is underway for our 3rd US tour, looks like it will take place in August, either way the next ground tour will be in the US, we should have news by May.

Unfortunately the Northern European tour for May will not be taking place and is postponed, we are not sure when it will be rescheduled but not anytime soon. The reason for this is that certain promoters in certain countries didn't see fit to offer us any concerts or concerts with a fair deal. We are very disappointed to say the least and really wanted to bring our Age of the Fifth Sun tour to France, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries but for the moment this is beyond our control.

Also the entire back catalogue is being remixed, remastered and repackaged and should be ready for our 10 year anniversary in 2012. We will have much more news on this in the coming months but we will make each album available as soon as its completed. A new album is also in the works but the release date will be early 2013.

God Is An Astronaut - European Tour Dates:

April 06 - Bronson, Ravenna, Italy
April 07 - Apartmento Hoffman, Treviso, Italy
April 08 - Kino ?i?ka, Ljubljana, Slovenia
April 09 - Flex, Vienna, Austria
April 10 - Durer Kert, Budapest, Hungary
April 12 - Club Control, Bucharest, Romania
April 14 - Summer Theatre, Chernovtsy, Ukraine
April 16 - Kasarne Kulturpark, Kosice, Slovakia
April 18 - Progresja, Warsaw, Poland
April 19 - Firlej, Wrocław, Poland
April 20 - Tbc, Praha, Czech Republic
April 21 - Friction Festival, Berlin, Germany
April 22 - Dunk Festival, Zottegem, Belgium

41942 for the scoop!]

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Source:

myspace.com

Livia Zita has issued the following update on the health status of her husband, the legendary Kim Bendix Petersen - who underwent open-heart triple-bypass surgery last November:

"Some of you have been asking for an update on King Diamond's health, so I thought I'll write what's been going on.

King has just finished his Cardiac Rehabilitation program this past Friday, and graduated with flying colors. Thanks to the wonderful people at the rehab center, his exercise regimen helpe him gain a lot of muscle, and start on the road of building up good endurance. We will start regular exercises now to get the endurance up to nice levels.

The examinations by his heart surgeon and cardiologist revealed that his health is steadily improving, and they all expect him to feel better than ever, 15 years younger than he really is. I am immensely proud of what he has achieved in these short 3 months, stopped smoking entirely, changed diet and doing regular exercise among other things.

I cannot say anything certain about when he will be back working on King Diamond related things, but he is looking forward to finishing the DVD's eventually, and he is most certainly not stopping music.

I hope this information was helpful, I can honestly say that his progress has been nothing short of amazing. He is the strongest person I know. He would also like to extend his huge gratitude to all of you, for your absolutely amazing support. It has really meant a lot to him.

Enjoy his cardiac rehabilitation 'graduation' picture below."


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Source:	ultimatemetal.com
Band profile:	King Diamond