Amazing news! YES it's true - PYRAMAZE has been announced as opener of ProgPower USA Festival, to take place in Atlanta, GA in the fall (correct date to come soon). Promoter Glenn Harveston contacted us late last night with the news that he wanted to announce Pyramaze already now alongside the opener for the second day (Wastefall). This is gonna be one awesome experience, which Pyramaze are looking very much forward to.

Source:

pyramaze.com

The new website of the Danish-American act Pyramaze is now launched.
Also, you will find the song "Souls In Pain" from their upcoming album "Legend Of The Bone Carver" in the MP3 section of the website.

Here's a statement about the release dates for the new album:

"We're pleased to announce that our record labels all over the world have decided on a common release schedule for "Legend Of The Bone Carver".

In Japan "King Records" will release the album on 22nd of February 2006. "Melodic Heaven" will release it in the rest of Asia on the same day. In France "Replica Records" will put it out in stores on February 27th, as will "Massacre Records" in the rest of Europe. Since the standard release dates in USA are Tuesdays, "Nightmare Records" will put it out the day after, February 28th 2006.

As you can see from the list above, we've changed labels in certain places. In Japan we're no longer signed to Toshiba/EMI, but have instead inked a deal with King Records. We'd especially like to thank our Japanese publisher, Mr. Koh Sakai at Burrn! Music, for his valuable help in signing with King Records.

In Europe, Replica Records have this time decided only to concentrate on France, thus leaving the rest of Europe for larger distribution / licensing through Massacre Records.

All of this should make it much easier to get hold of Pyramaze albums, no matter where you live. We're really happy about this, and we're looking forward to getting "Legend Of The Bone Carver" out in stores, and hear the feedback from fans and media."

Source:

pyramaze.com

Pyramaze just put the final touch to the recording of " Legend Of The Bone Carver ", their second album to be release in February 2006.

Here follow the album tracklisting :

01) Era of Chaos
02) The Birth
03) What Lies Beyond
04) Ancient Words Within
05) Souls in Pain
06) She Who Summoned Me
07) The Bone Carver
08) Bring Back Life
09) Blood Red Skies
10) Tears of Hate

Some sound clips will be available on Replica's site very soon. Feel free to discover the new excellent album cover now here =] http://www.intromental.com/pyramaze/discography/legendcover.jpg

Replica Records just finalized a license Agreement with the German company Massacre Records, which will distribute the album in the rest of Europe.

Source:

replicarec.com

German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN have set "Rosenrot" as the title of their follow-up to to last year's "Reise Reise", tentatively due this fall. The group recently shot a video for the album's first single, "Benzin", which was aired live for the first time this past June. Several remixes are curerntly in the works, as is the artwork for the cover of the single and the album.

As previously reported, the band recorded several songs during the sessions for "Reise, Reise" which were omitted from the CD's final track listing. During a recent session at a Berlin studio, RAMMSTEIN recorded several more tracks and recently mixed the combined collection of new material for the "Rosenrot" album.

Recorded primarily in Spain (El Cortijo Studio, Malaga), "Reise Reise" (translated as "Voyage, Voyage" or "Journey, Journey") is the follow-up to "Mutter", which entered The Billboard 200 chart at No. 77 back in April 2001.

"Reise Reise" sold 27,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release in mid-November 2004 to debut at position No. 61 on The Billboard 200 chart.}

Source:	metalreviews.com
Band profile:	Rammstein

"Our upcoming release 'Legend of the Bone Carver' is now finished. Late Saturday evening we made the final mix, and everything has turned out fantastic! Within a few weeks we will announce our label deals, and hopefully we can reveal a release date within a month or so. That's all for now - cheers!

The artwork for our upcoming release is ready to be revealed. Check it out at http://www.intromental.com (enter the personal Pyramaze site under 'management' -and hit the discography button). Enjoy!

Michael Kammeyer"

Source:

pyramaze.com Quick link to artwork: in...

TUSKA OPEN AIR METAL FESTIVAL ANNOUNCMENT

- Line-up almost complete, one more artist to be added
- Ticket sales start on Friday April 1st

Tuska Open Air Metal Festival has added more international and Finnish acts to the 2005 roster. The line-up is almost complete with only 1 more artist to be added for Saturday afternoon as well as the winner from the band contest at Rotonde-Festival, France, which is to be held later this spring. This year's Tuska-Festival is more international than ever, with nearly half of the artists coming from abroad. The evening clubs will most likely see some international action as well.

New additions in Finnish professionalism will be represented by Apocalyptica, whose cello metal is witnessed way too rarely on their native soil. Apocalytica just recently supported Rammstein on their
European tour and appeared stateside on a few selected dates.

German precision and universal greatness is brought to you by the mighty Gamma Ray. The band last appeared on the bill at Tuska 2000 and have since built their fanbase by selling out club shows on a regular basis.

Other additions include up-and-coming death metallers Amoral, Finnish-singing Stam1na and Viikate, as well as Callisto who are about to embark on a European tour in a few weeks.

The search continues for one more, either domestic or foreign artist.

Ticket sales for Tuska 2005 start on Friday April 1st. Three-day ticketcosts 67 euro, one-day ticket 32 euro. Go to http://www.lippupalvelu.fi to purchase tickets.

Current Tuska 2005 line-up reads as follows:

Friday 15.7.
Monster Magnet (USA)
Apocalyptica
Finntroll
Teräsbetoni
Scarve (FRA)
Primal Fear (GER)
Destruction (GER)
Callisto
Wintersun

Saturday 16.7.
Dimmu Borgir (NOR)
Testament (GER)
Gamma Ray (GER)
Deathchain
Thunderstone
Amoral
Rotten Sound
Lake Of Tears (SWE)
Ajattara
Pain Confessor
Sinking
Naglfar (SWE)

Sunday 17.7.
Accept (GER)
Sentenced
Children Of Bodom
Evergrey (SWE)
Viikate
Bal-Sagoth (UK)
Stam1na
Turmion Kätilöt
Hieronymus Bosch (RUS)

Additional Information:

http://www.tuska-festival.fi

Following news is taken from www.taburec.com

It´s with great pride and joy, that we announce that Enslaved is honoured with a Grammy Award for their latest masterpiece, ISA. The Norwegian Grammy ceremony was held in Oslo Spectrum for the 33rd time on Saturday the 26th of February, and was broadcasted live on national TV. This is was the band´s third Grammy nomination. So it´s safe to say that is was well deserved. The other nominees in the metal genre was Mayhem and domestic phenomenon Black Debbath. Enslaved was not able to attend the actual ceremony as they are currently touring Europe, but we´re thrilled when the received the news. Ivar Bjørnson had the following comment: This Grammy Award means very much to the band and reflects the recognition of our efforts not only for this record alone, but for years of hard work. After two nominations, it felt extremely good to get the recognition from the mainstream music circus and to finally finish first for a change. Ivar Bjørnson´s father took the stage, and received the Award on the band´s behalf with the following statement: There is more to the picture, than meets the eye...Rock´n´Roll will never die!
Enslaved has also received the independent Alarm Award for best metal album in 2004. Enslaved was nominated for their latest studio album, Isa, in the metal genre. The other nominees was: Susperia, Khold, Red Harvest and Mayhem.
Enslaved is the first Norwegian band to be confirmed for this years Roskilde Festival in Denmark. Enslaved will also play the Fury Fest in France and Graspop in Belgium this summer. You can still catch Enslaved on tour at the following venues in Europe:

2005.03.03 Antidox Torino Italy
2005.03.04 La Gabbia Bassano del Grappa Italy
2005.03.06 Gaswerk Winterthur Switzerland
2005.03.09 Black Pes - Prague (Czech Republic)
2005.03.10 Arena - Wien (Austria)
2005.03.11 Mostovna Nova Gorica Slovenija
2005.03.12 Mochavara - Zagreb (Croatia)
2005.03.13 E-Klubb - Budapest (Hungary)
2005.03.14 Stara Pekaren Nitra Slovakia
2005.03.15 Underground Cologne Germany
2005.03.16 Voxhall - Aarhus (Denmark)
2005.03.20 Folken - Stavanger (Norway)

Label mates Vreid are providing more than a worthy support to these fine Norse boatmen in Europe.
More and updated info on Enslaved and other Tabu artists will be posted on www.taburec.com frequently.

Band profile:

Enslaved

Reuters is reporting that LED ZEPPELIN got a "whole lotta" belated love from the music industry on Saturday, earning a lifetime achievement Grammy in recognition of a career that changed the face of rock 'n' roll.

The English band was one of 10 performers, alongside the likes of rockabilly hellraiser JERRY LEE LEWIS, blues belter JANIS JOPLIN and country crooner EDDY ARNOLD, celebrated at a luncheon one day before the Grammy Awards.

During their 12 years together, LED ZEPPELIN never won a Grammy, even though they were arguably the biggest band of the 1970s, a combo whose blues-based rock anthems resonate loudly to this day.

LED ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones showed up with the two children of late drummer John Bonham to receive crystal trophies. Singer Robert Plant, busy rehearsing for a tour, sent in a video message.

"It wouldn't have taken much just to pop over here and meet everybody, would it really?" Page asked Reuters.

For his part, the newly svelte guitarist said he found the ceremony very emotional. From the stage, he blew a kiss to his old label boss, Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, and later chatted with soul guitarist Ike Turner, who jokingly exclaimed, "You're a grown man now!"

As for the belated recognition, Page bore no ill will, saying that LED ZEPPELIN's eclectic oeuvre ? with one album completely different from the next ? may have been too difficult for Grammy voters to comprehend.

In a separate interview, Jones said LED ZEPPELIN was too busy touring and recording to pay much attention to awards. But now, the recognition was "incredibly cool."

Bonham, whose alcohol-related death in 1980 at the age of 32 spelled the end of LED ZEPPELIN, was represented by children Jason and Zoe.

"It's totally overwhelming," said Zoe, who was five when he died. "The whole crazy thing about it is that it's a lifetime achievement award, and he's not here. The legend lives on."

[

Source:

Blabbermouth]

According to Iltalehti, a new song from the forthcoming Stratovarius album has been suspended by the band's own record label, Sanctuary Music German Division. The opening intro of that song was supposed to start with the speech of Hitler. According to Timo Tolkki who points out the song is completely anti Hitler and therefore appeals to the freedom of the art. Tolkki adds that he has always been interested in Hitler and what made Hitler become such a monster, the song is as antifacist as possible. The lyrics of the song has been sent to the censorship department of the Ministry of the Interior Of Germany, which will make a decision about the legality of the song.

Source:	iltalehti.fi
Band profile:	Stratovarius

RAMMSTEIN will release the fourth single from their "Reise Reise" CD, "Keine Lust" (view cover here), on February 28. The exact track listing and the international release dates will be announced soon.

The "Keine Lust" video received its MTV premiere on Thursday (Feb. 3) and will be broadcast exclusively on the cable channel for a week. The Viva premiere of the video will take place on February 10 during the program "17" (broadcast time 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.). The clip was directed by Jörn Heitman, who had previously helmed the group's videos for "Amerika" and "Ohne Dich", among others.

Recorded primarily in Spain (El Cortijo Studio, Malaga), "Reise Reise" (translated as "Voyage, Voyage" or "Journey, Journey") is the follow-up to "Mutter", which entered the chart at No. 77 back in April 2001.

"Reise Reise" sold 26,716 copies in the United States in its first week of release in mid-November to debut at position No. 61 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Source:	www.blabermouth.net
Band profile:	Rammstein

As previously reported, DREAM THEATER vocalist James LaBrie was unable to reprise his role in FRAMESHIFT for the upcoming new album, Human Grain, thus a new body was brought in to replace him. According to ProgRock Records president Shawn Gordon, taking LaBrie's place is none other than Sebastian Bach. The vocals are due to be recorded next week, with a tentative release date planned for February.

The full Human Grain concept and audio samples (without Baz' vocals) can be found here( http://www.humangrain.com/ ). The material, written by multi-talent Henning Pauly, is described as "very dark and heavy as it deals with different aspects of human violence."

www.bravewords.com

Sweden's Soilwork have confirmed via their official web site that the limited-edition European/U.S. version of their upcoming album, "Stabbing the Drama", will include a bonus track, entitled "Wherever Thorns May Grow". The Japanese edition will feature "Wherever Thorns May Grow" and an additional bonus cut by the name of "Killed by Ignition".

The follow-up to 2003's "Figure Number Five" was recorded at Fascination Street studios in Örebro and Dug-Out Productions in Uppsala, Sweden with producer Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, In Flames, Stuck Mojo). A February 28, 2005 release through Nuclear Blast Records is expected.

With regards to the new material, Soilwork vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid recently said, "In my ears it sounds like a mixture between 'Natural Born Chaos' (2002) and our latest effort, 'Figure Number Five' with a slight and interesting development."

"Stabbing the Drama" final track listing:

01. Stabbing The Drama
02. One With The Flies
03. Weapon Of Vanity
04. The Crestfallen
05. Nerve
06. Stalemate
07. Distance
08. Observation Slave
09. Fate In Motion
10. Blind Eye Halo
11. If Possible

Bonus:
12. Wherever Thorns May Grow (ltd. edition U.S/Europe + bonus for Japan)
13. Killed by Ignition (bonus for Japan only)

Regarding the artwork for the new CD, the band write on their web site, "We have selected the cover for the album and it looks pretty different from what we've had in the past but really looks killer!!"

Source:	blabbermouth.net
Band profile:	Soilwork

HATEFRAME, the new Finnish thrash metal band featuring drummer Tommi Lillman (ex-TO/DIE/FOR, Sinergy) and guitarist Joonas "Jope" Koto (Malpractice, ex-TO/DIE/FOR), have completed work on their debut album, "Sign of Demise", due before the end of the year.

The group, whose sound is being described as "old-school thrash" in the vein of SLAYER, KREATOR and THE HAUNTED, have posted several audio samples from the CD in their site www.hateframe.com

"Sign of Demise" track listing:

01. Crowned In Blood
02. Final Solution
03. Feeding the Flame
04. Sign of Demise
05. The Perfect Hate
06. Bloodfeast
07. Torment the Masses
08. Warfare
09. Hallucinate
10. Infection

Source:

blabbermouth.net

"Reise Reise", the fourth studio album from German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN, has entered the national album charts in the following countries:

No. 1: Switzerland
No. 1: Finland
No. 1: Austria
No. 2: Holland
No. 3: France
No. 4: Norway
No. 6: Belgium
No. 17: New Zealand
No. 19: Australia
No. 37: U.K.
No. 54: Ireland

"Reise Reise" is scheduled for release in the U.S. on November 16. The album's first domestic single, the bilingual "Amerika", went into rotation on MTV2's "Headbanger's Ball" last weekend, while import single "Mein Teil" has already shown up on the "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" soundtrack as well as on Fuse's "Uranium".

Recorded primarily in Spain (El Cortijo Studio, Malaga), "Reise Reise" (translated as "Voyage, Voyage" or "Journey, Journey") was produced by Jacob Hellner, who has been integral to the band's studio work since day one.

RAMMSTEIN's upcoming tour begins November 1 in Mannheim, Germany and includes three nights at Berlin's Velodrom, as well as arena dates in Moscow, Prague, Barcelona and Helsinki. U.S. dates should follow in 2005.

News taken from: Blabbermouth
http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/

Band profile:

Rammstein

Sadly the singer has to leave beacuse of health problems, here are a few worlds from the band:
"Dave has been suffering with health and personal problems for a while now and he has decided that it would be best if he left the band to concentrate on his recovery. We would like to thank him for the 6 years he dedicated to the band and we wish him all the very best for the future."

The band has planned to enter the studio, but this will be delayed until they found a replacement.

Band profile:

Bolt Thrower