Finland's Sonera Plaza has posted several photos of STRATOVARIUS performing at Spain's Piorno Rock festival on Saturday, including pictures of keyboardist Jens Johansson pissing (literally!) on guitarist Timo Tolkki during the opening notes of the song "Forever" (no, we're not kidding). Check them out here: http://www3.soneraplaza.fi/musiikki/artikkeli/0,3634,6197_200049,00.html

STRATOVARIUS' set list for the Piorno Rock performance:

01. I Walk To My Own Song
02. Reign Of Terror
03. Lord Of The Wasteland
04. Hunting High And Low
05. Eternity
06. I'm Still Alive
07. Speed Of Light
08. Granada (Spanish) / Season Of Faith's Perfection
09. Forever Free
10. Forever
11. Phoenix
12. Kiss Of Judas
13. Father Time
14. Black Diamond

Band profile:

Stratovarius

The following message was posted on Devin Townsend's (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) official web site:

"The two records that Devin had intended to release before Christmas were delayed by his schedule. They are finished, just the graphics are being finalised now and they should be submitted for printing within a couple of weeks, available to order 4-6 weeks from there. Also, the tablatures that Devin was starting requires some sort of guitar module to do what he planned. The module has been ordered but he will be busy with production for at least the next 4 weeks.

"You probably read on the web that Byron has recently joined FEAR FACTORY for their upcoming tour and maybe more . However It doesn't affect his membership is and Byron is still a fervent LAD.

"Lastly, In order to clear room in the warehouse we posted a bunch of inventory on Ebay at reduced prices to clear it out . Unfortunately because of our water main (located in the stocked full storage space) that broke, the headquarters is under 2 feet of waters. we are very sorry to say that the majority of the cool stuff we had for you has been destroyed ? along with a hell of a lot of uninsured HDR inventory.

"Anyone want some slightly soggy compact discs? How about really sopping wet ones? Souvenirs of the great HDR flood? We will soon put a temporary merchandise page on the HDR site called 'flood memorabilia'. Devin will sign the damaged CDs and we hope that people may be willing to contribute to helping out by buying an autographed ruined CD

"To finish, we will soon launch the The Hevydevy Records Official Forums. The board is now finished, the transfer to a new domain has been done and we hope that a lot of fans will join the community. We'll keep you informed about the launching..."

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Band profile:

Devin Townsend

ENSIFERUM hasn't yet found a replacement member/members for Jari. However a stand in has been found for the European tour. Vocals and guitars are played by NORTHER's Petri Lindroos. The release of the album "Iron" is sadly been postponed to a later date. Now the album will be released 19.4.2004. The reason for this is that the album hasn't been mastered yet! Deviating from earlier information the album is going to be mastered at Finnvox studios in Finland. On the compilation album "Spinetingler III" there's a new ENSIFERUM song "Tale of Revenge" which was completed before the other songs. Ther'll also be a single of the song "Tale of Revenge". The release date of the single is announced to be 22.3.2004.

Band profile:

Ensiferum

Former DIMMU BORGIR drummer Nick Barker has spoken exclusively to BLABBERMOUTH.NET about his surprising departure from the group.

Barker, a former member of CRADLE OF FILTH, joined DIMMU BORGIR in 1999 as a replacement for original drummer Tjodalv (a.k.a. Kenneth Åkesson). He has since appeared on two full-length studio albums with the band: "Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia" (2001, Nuclear Blast) and "Death Cult Armageddon" (2003, Nuclear Blast).

In an official statement announcing Barker's departure, DIMMU BORGIR indicated that "Nicholas has been removed" from the band's lineup and advised their fans to not "waste time speculating why," adding that "we have already moved on."

The following is a transcript of an exclusive question-and-answer session held between BLABBERMOUTH.NET and Nick Barker the evening of Monday, February 9:

Q: DIMMU BORGIR confirmed your departure from the group by saying that you were "removed" from the band's lineup. Most people would interpret that statement to mean that you were kicked out of the band, not that you left of your own accord.

Nick Barker: "That's right. I guess they let me go because they think it's the right decision for the band. And I totally respect their decision, and I have to go with it, obviously. And I just wish them all the best."

Q: Was this decision a long time coming? Were you surprised at all to learn of their decision to kick you out of the band?

Nick Barker: "It was a total surprise to me. But I guess they think it's the right thing to do, and all the best to them."

Q: But they must have given you a reason as to why they were kicking you out, didn't they?

Nick Barker: "I guess it's because of the distance thing ? me being English and those guys being Norwegians. And me commuting from England to Norway all the time. I guess they thought things just weren't working out. I think there might have been a few cultural differences, with me being English and those guys being Norwegians. I mean, we always seemed to get along, and we made some good music together.

Q: The way their statement was worded implied that there might have been some bad blood there ? like the split wasn't entirely amicable.

Nick Barker: "I don't know anything about that."

Q: So there were no band fights or internal disagreements that precipitated this decision to kick you out of the band?

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Band profile:

Dimmu Borgir

A brand new DISMEMBER track, titled "Where Ironcrosses Grow", has been posted online in the < MEDIA ] section of the new Karmageddon Media website :

www.karmageddonmedia.com

"Where Ironcrosses Grow" is the title track of DISMEMBER's long-awaited new album, to be released on the 8th of March through Karmageddon Media.

Distributed by Plastic Head (PHD).

The follow-up to 2000's "Hate Campaign" was recorded at Stockholm's Sami studio and features artwork by acclaimed artist Dan Seagrave (ENTOMBED, SUFFOCATION, MORBID ANGEL).

Complete tracklist:

1. WHERE IRONCROSSES GROW
2. FORGED WITH HATE
3. ME-GOD
4. TRAGEDY OF THE FAITHFUL
5. CHASING THE SERPENT
6. WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD
7. SWORD OF LIGHT
8. AS THE COINS UPON YOUR EYES
9. CHILDREN OF THE CROSS
10. AS I PULL THE TRIGGER

"The Swedish Death Metal Legend returns... long live Stockholm Dods Metall !!!"

RUNNING WILD bassist Peter Pichl gave a lengthy interview to the band's official web site in which he briefly discussed the group's upcoming studio album.

"I can't tell you anything yet besides that it's going to be out summer," Peter said. "Rolf is still writing songs. He wasn't able to start his work on the album as early as scheduled, because it took a bit longer to build up his own studio. But he keeps on writing songs and about 20 or so are ready for recording. I'm also really looking forward to them (as much as all of you!). Rolf is really open-minded concerning ideas of the other band-members. If I should have some good ideas (which is sometimes the case), I am going to share them with Rolf, maybe he likes them as well. But I will not be disappointed if he doesn't." Read the rest of the interview here.

RUNNING WILD's last release was the two-disc compilation of re-recorded classics, "20 Years In History", which came out in 2003 through Noise Records. The group's most recent collection of new original songs, "The Brotherhood", was released in 2002.

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Band profile:

Running Wild

It was recorded in studio Kuling with Henrik Larsson and mixed in Berno Studio. The album includes 10 songs of brutal, non compromising Death Metal. The artwork for the album was provided by Juan Jose Castellano and it's the most brutal artwork Vomitory used so far.

"It's a killer album! As always nothing for the weak hearted" says guitar player Ulf Dalegren.

Here's the tracklisting:

01. Primal Massacre
02. Gore Apocalypse
03. Stray Bullet Kill
04. Epidemic (Created To Kill)
05. Demons Divine
06. Autopsy Extravaganza
07. Retaliation
08. Condemned by pride
09. Cursed Revelations
10.. Chainsaw Surgery

"Primal Massacre" will be released the 19th of April, 2004 through Metal Blade Records.

Band profile:

Vomitory

MASTERPLAN, the new band featuring ex-HELLOWEEN guitarist Roland Grapow, ex-HELLOWEEN drummer Uli Kusch and former YNGWIE MALMSTEEN/ARK singer Jorn Lande, are currently in Los Angeles with producer Roy Z (BRUCE DICKINSON, HALFORD, HELLOWEEN) working on the material for the follow-up to their highly acclaimed self-titled debut, tentatively due this fall through AFM Records. A single will precede the album in late summer. The group are tentatively planning on embarking on their first European headlining tour shortly following the album's release.

As previously reported, MASTERPLAN were honored with a European Border Breakers Award at this year's MIDEM convention in Cannes, France.

The European Border Breakers Awards are a European Commission initiative which reward ten artists or groups (and their record companies, authors and publishers) for achieving the highest sales for a debut album across the European Union, outside their country of production in 2003.

The ten artists were revealed at the European Border Breakers Awards ceremony, which took place on January 25.
In other news, Lande will be releasing his third solo album, "Out To Every Nation", on April 26 through AFM Records.

Joining Lande during the recording sessions for the new CD were bassist Magnus Rosèn (HAMMERFALL), guitarist Jõrn Viggo Lofstad, and drummer Stian Kristoffersen.

The tentative track listing for "Out To Every Nation" is as follows:

01. Young Forever
02. Out To Every Nation
03. Something Real
04. Living With Wolves
05. Vision Eyes
06. One Day We Will Put Out The Sun
07. Behind The Clown
08. Rock Spirit
09. Through Day And Night
10. When Angel Wings Were White

A video clip for "Living With Wolves" is also in the works. Lande's last solo effort, "Worldchanger", was released in 2001.

Band profile:

Masterplan

G3, featuring YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, STEVE VAI and JOE SATRIANI, will release a tour DVD, entitled G3 Live In Denver, through Epic on February 24th. Epic will also release a G3 CD, Live: Rockin' In The Free World, on the same date.

Those pre-ordering these items through the online Sony Store, located at http://www.sonymusicstore.com/store/catalog/MerchandiseDetails.jsp'selectionId=075421 will receive a free G3 autographed DVD booket (for DVD orders) or CD booklet (for CD orders). Orders will ship to be received on or around February 24th.

The DVD, G3 Live In Denver, features among its contents, the following tracklisting: 'Satch Boogie', 'The Extremist', 'Starry Night', 'Midnight', 'The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing', 'I Know You're Here', 'Juice', 'I'm The Hell Outta Here', 'Evil Eye', 'Baroque And Roll', Acoustic Guitar Solo, 'Adagio', 'Far Beyond The Sun', 'Rockin' In The Free World', 'Little Wing' and 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)'. Also featured is a Play Concert Set List, Audio Select and bonus features.

The CD, G3 Live: Rockin' In The Free World, features the following tracklisting: CD1 - 'The Extremist', 'Crystal Planet', 'Always With Me, Always With You', 'Midnight', 'The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing', 'You're Here', 'Reaping', 'Whispering A Prayer', 'Blitzkrieg', 'Trilogy Suite Op. 5', 'Red House', 'Fugue' and 'Finale'. CD2 - 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)', 'Little Wing' and 'Rockin' In The Free World'.

OPETH main songwriter and guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt recently spoke to Wichita's F5 about the group's recently released live DVD, "Lamentations - Live At Shepherds Bush Empire". Asked what he thought the first time he saw the finished product, Mikael said, "I was nervous. I thought it was going to be shit. But I was happily surprised. I was surprised about the way it looked and just the way I looked. I didn't look like a fat blob as I expected. I think it's a very good DVD, especially compared to some low-budget DVDs by extreme metal bands such as ourselves. I think it fully represents us."

With regards to whether he was also nervous about the detailed documentary about the making of "Deliverance" and "Damnation", Mikael said, "Not so much. It's a friend of mine who did that documentary. I've known him since I was a kid and talking with him was ... we're such good friends that there was nothing weird about talking about intimate details. He was there, he knew all about all the stuff that went on. It was pretty easy and I like the fact that we exposed ourselves in a deeper way than many other bands."

Band profile:

Opeth

Dan Slaughter, drummer of the Swedish "raw, bestial death metallers" DEATHWITCH, has issued the following statement regarding the group's most recent CD, "Violence Blasphemy Sodomy":

"I have received a lot of negative reactions from journalists and press because of a line on our promo CD of our latest album 'Violence Blasphemy Sodomy' released by Earache Records/Wicked World. The line is 'Note to Journalists: DEATHWITCH don't give a FUCK what you think."

"This was written by some one working for Earache/Wicked World and was NOT approved by me or the band. I didn't know a FUCK about this line until I got reactions on it and finally got the promo my self. So that line do not comes from the band! We hate it and of course we care about journalists and especially the underground scene. I think it's a very stupid thing to write on a promo CD. Then why send promos???

"So FUCK this shit and hail the metal of morbid death!"

Sweden's ENTOMBED have issued an official statement confirming the departure of bassist Jörgen Sandström.

According to the statement, "Jörgen has decided to quit touring and left the band on good terms. this does not mean that Jörgen will leave the music business as he is still a member of the bands THE PROJECT HATE & KRUX and will still be involved with the Threeman label and the ENTOMBED homepage."

The statement also confirms our previous report that Jörgen's replacement in the band will be Nico Engelstrand, formerly of TERRA FIRMA. Nico was involved with the band before in the producer/engineer capacity for such albums as "Uprising" (2000) and "Morning Star" (2001).

Nico's live debut with the band will take place this Sunday, February 1 at the Zodiac in Oxford, U.K.

Band profile:

Entombed

WINDS, the Norwegian band featuring Carl August Tideman (ARCTURUS, TRITONUS), Jan Axel Blomberg (MAYHEM, ARCTURUS), Lars Eric Si and Andy Winter, have completed work on their new album, "The Imaginary Direction of Time", due in late April through The End Records.

Recorded at Toproom and Fagerborg studios in Norway and mixed at The Factory in Vancouver, "The Imaginary Direction of Time" is being described by the band as "the most complete and diverse album they have ever worked on," while Carl also adds thatit features the most challenging guitar work that he has ever put on a record so far. Artwork for this highly anticipated release is provided by Travis Smith.

"The Imaginary Direction of Time" track listing:

01. What Is Beauty
02. Sounds Like Desolation
03. Theory Of Relativity
04. Visions Of Perfection
05. The Fireworks Of Genesis
06. Under The Stars
07. A Moment For Reflection
08. Time Without End
09. The Final End
10. Beyond Fate
11. Silence In Despair
12. Infinity

The new album "Human Antithesis" has been completed.
Void of Silence has begun the recording sessions in the "Sick Lab' s Studios" in Rome (Italy).
new singer Alan Nemtheanga (Primordial) will come in Italy to record the vocal parts in February 2004.
Tracklist and cover preview soon revealed!
www.voidofsilence.com

Band profile:

Void Of Silence

The notorious Black Metallers OLD MAN'S CHILD with their album "In Defiance Of Existence" are amongst the nominees for this year's Metal-Grammy "Spellemansprisen" (http://www.spellemann.no) in Norway. As they are one of the veterans of the Norwegian Melodic Black Metal scene with now five influential albums plus a MCD under their belts, the band around Mastermind Galder (guitar/vocals) surely deserves this honor.
Along with their fellow evildoers of Dimmu Borgir and Enslaved, OLD MAN'S CHILD are now eagerly awaiting the official ceremony, which takes place on February 28th 2004 in the "Chateau Neuf"/Oslo.

Band profile:

Old Man's Child