Former STRATOVARIUS vocalist Timo Kotipelto has posted the following message on his web site regarding his departure from the group:

"Maybe you have seen in it on the STRATOVARIUS homepage (or read it somewhere else), that Jörg and I are no longer members of the band. That is unfortunately true.

"I (might) give my comment about it later. At the moment I don't have enough energy for that.

"I want to sincerely thank all the people who bought those STRATOVARIUS albums (and my own 'Waiting for the Dawn') that I am on.

"Also a big THANK YOU for the excellent and memorable live experiences I've had a chance to share with you! I will never forget those. A hello to all those cool people I have met during these years!

"At the moment I am concentrating only on my new album. I thank everybody for those posts on my guestbook. I am sorry but I don't have enough time to reply them all. But I DO read them all!

"Thank you for your support!

"Rock on!

"Timo Kotipelto"

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Band profile:

Stratovarius

Darkane will be featured on the swedish TV channel SVT1 on wednesday Dec 10th. The show Musikbyrån will send a report from this years Sweden Rock Festival where Darkane was filmed during their live set and interviewed. Other bands featured on the show will be Motörhead and Anthrax. For more information go to Musikbyråns homepage. The show starts 10:30 pm.

Band profile:

Darkane

German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR have completed work on their new album, "Devil's Ground", due on February 23 through Nuclear Blast Records. The final track listing (not in the final running order) is as follows:

01. Metal Is Forever (4:46)
02. Suicide & Mania (4:04)
03. Visions Of Fate (4:50)
04. The Healer (6:30)
05. Sacred Illusion (4:03)
06. In Metal (5:13)
07. Soulchaser (4:51)
08. Sea Of Flames (4:02)
09. Wings of Desire (6:45)
10. Heart Of A Brave (4:52)
11. Colony 13 (3:57)
12. Devil's Ground (1:52)

All songs were written by Sinner, Leibing, Naumann, and Scheepers, except #5, which was written by PRIMAL FEAR and Vinder. A surprise cover version of a classic metal track will appear on the limited European version and the Japanese version. The limited European version will also include two 5.1 mixes of "Metal Is Forever" and "The Healer". The filming of the first video clip for the album (for the track "Metal Is Forever") will take place in early December. "Devil's Ground" was produced by Mat Sinner and co-produced by PRIMAL FEAR and Achim Köhler at the House of Music in Winterbach, Germany.

PRIMAL FEAR, BRAINSTORM and ROB ROCK'S RAGE OF CREATION will be teaming up for a European tour beginning in early March.

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Band profile:

Primal Fear

The German Power Metal act Freedom Call have found their missing link,
and added Nils Neuman to the band.
Freedom Call have for a long time said that they would add a Keyboard player if they found someone that would fit in the band, and now it seems like they have found him.

Band profile:

Freedom Call

VOMITORY bass player/growler, Erik Rundqvist, announces his departure from the vocal duties in the band, continuing to play bass only. So therefore, VOMITORY is now looking for a new growler. Erik will still do the vocals on the new VOMITORY album and he will continue in the band as the stable bass player he is!

So if you feel you are the one for the job, please get in touch with us, but if you're not 100 % serious, don't waste our time! band@vomitory.net

Band profile:

Vomitory