"Nascent", the new video from up-and-coming UK progressive metallers TesseracT, can now be watched below. The clip was directed by Tim Fox of cultlovesyou.

"Nascent" comes off the band's upcoming debut album One, which will be released on March 22nd through Century Media Records.

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Source:	tesseractband.co.uk
Band profile:	TesseracT

Viking metal band Týr have set The Lay Of Thrym as the title for the band's sixth full-length album, to be released on May 27 through Napalm Records.

A webisode featuring solo excerpts by Terji Skibenæs and other studio footage can be watched below.


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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Týr

Polish death metal veterans Vader have entered Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland to begin recording their new album, Welcome To The Morbid Reich.

As previously reported, the band will be laying down a total of 12 or 13 songs for the CD, which will be mixed and mastered in May for a tentative late 2011 release. Working song titles set to appear on the effort include "Lords of Thorns", "I Am Who Feast Upon Your Souls", "Only Hell Knows", "Return to the Morbid Reich" and "I Had A Dream".

Commented the group: "We started new recordings in Hertz Studios in Bialystok. We spent the whole afternoon being setting up drum kit, testing new skins and cymbals. There was also time to familiarize with new architecture of lately much rebuilded studio.

We plan to record nine-ten fresh songs and three bonus pieces: redux of one old Vader classic (which is gonna be added to the refreshed live set for summer) and two cover songs (those will be kinda surprise for many for sure). Spider also prepared few songs for the record and this will be his debut in Vader as a composer."

Vader will debut one or two tracks from Welcome To The Morbid Reich during the band's summer festival appearances.

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Vader

Meredead, the new album from Leaves' Eyes, will be released on April 22nd through Napalm Records. The album was produced and mixed by Leaves' Eyes vocalist Alexander Krull at Mastersound Studio.

The album will be available as a limited edition mediabook CD, which includes a bonus track and bonus DVD: Live at The Metal Female Voices Festival 2010, as a strictly limited deluxe box set and as a regular jewel case.

With their fourth album, Meredead, the 4-nation formation unleashes a tidal wave that will leave the music world breathless, or so says the press release. A song-by-song commentary can be read at this location.

Meredead tracklist:

01. Spirits' Masquerade
02. Étaín
03. Velvet Heart
04. Kråkevisa
05. To France
06. Meredead
07. Sigrlinn
08. Mine Tåror er ei Grimme
09. Empty Horizon
10. Veritas
11. Nystev
12. Tell-Tale Eyes
13. Sorhleod

Bonus DVD: Live at Metal Female Voices Festival 2010
01. Njord
02. My Destiny
03. Ragnarok
04. Elegy
05. Frøya's Theme

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Leaves' Eyes

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

Hungarian pagan/gothic metal outfit The Moon And The Nightspirit will release their new album Mohalepte under their own name later this month.

Mohalepte marks the beginning of a new era in the life of The Moon And The Nightspirit: "In the beginning of 2011 we decided to leave our former label Equilibrium Music in order to walk our own path. We departed as friends. We are very grateful for their great work on our previous albums. We couldn't make it this far without them."

Four album samples are available for streaming at this location.

Mohalepte tracklist:

01. Öregerdő
02. Felleg Útján
03. Holdvarázsolt
04. Kéregbölcső
05. Idebenn
06. Zöldparázs
07. Mohalepte
08. Tücskök Az Avarban

41942 for the scoop!]

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Source:

themoonandthenightspirit.com

EMI are proud to announce the release of From Fear To Eternity: The Best Of 1990-2010, a double-CD set spanning twenty years of Iron Maiden history.

This release follows the huge success of 2010's studio album The Final Frontier, which hit the number one spot in 28 countries around the world. It also became the band's highest-charting album in the USA where Iron Maiden have just been awarded their first Grammy for Best Metal Performance, for the song "El Dorado", taken from The Final Frontier album, and which is included in this selection.

From Fear To Eternity: The Best Of 1990-2010 will also be made available as a Digital Download Album and as a Limited Edition Triple Vinyl Picture Disc.

Iron Maiden are about to embark on the Mexican/South American leg of their Final Frontier World Tour. The tour includes stops in Argentina and Chile where both shows will be filmed for inclusion in a DVD to be released later this year.

From Fear To Eternity: The Best Of 1990-2010 tracklist:

Disc 1:
01. The Wicker Man
02. Holy Smoke
03. El Dorado
04. Paschendale
05. Different World
06. Man On The Edge (Live)
07. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
08. Blood Brothers
09. Rainmaker
10. Sign of the Cross (Live)
11. Brave New World
12. Fear Of The Dark (Live)

Disc 2:
01. Be Quick Or Be Dead
02. Tailgunner
03. No More Lies
04. Coming Home
05. The Clansman (Live)
06. For the Greater Good of God
07. These Colours Don't Run
08. Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter
09. Afraid to Shoot Strangers
10. Dance of Death
11. When the Wild Wind Blows

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Source:	ironmaiden.com
Band profile:	Iron Maiden

After five years Dragonland's latest masterpiece, fifth album and follow up to 2006's Astronomy is nearing completion. This latest opus is set to be recorded at Hansen Studios starting May 31st.

Several different studios will be used to put this utterly ambitious album together, though Jacob Hansen is set to put his magic touch to the mix. Twelve songs will recorded, and the music itself is founded upon a a deep and emotional story, picking up where second album Holy War left off nine years ago.

Commented guitarist Olof Mörck: "After 5 years of doing concepts, writing lyrics and composing we are seeing the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel! After Astronomy we knew we needed to explore our music further not to risk becoming a band that releases music every year cast in the same mold, so the idea from the beginning was; what would it be like with a metal album based in fantasy that respects the literary genre, that actually tries to be mature and that enriches said fantasy world with inspiration from millenias of human mythology? To make a neoclassical album filled with overly bombastic clichés of steel clad warriors was out of the question - instead we explored the themes and sounds around various fantasy movies, new and old, and also countless computer RPG soundtracks to infuse the musical aspect with a genuine fantasy feel, and as previously stated heaps and stacks of tomes on every mythological tale from Gilgamesh to the Aeneid provided a genuine and credible backdrop to the story.

The album is genuinely a concept album in every aspect, and we will collaborate with some truly gifted artists who are experts in this genre to bring our world to life visually - more on that soon.Prepare yourself to be engulfed in a world of enchanting fantasy and songs of swirling magic later this year!"

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Dragonland

Nightwish have announced that the very first show for the Imaginarium World Tour will take place at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA, on Saturday the 21st of January 2012.

This event will mark the biggest Nightwish show production ever on North American soil and will be a strictly one-off date - there will be no US tour until later in 2012.

Ticket sales will begin soon. More tour dates to be announced soon.

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Source:	nightwish.com
Band profile:	Nightwish
Event:	Nightwish: Imaginarium World Tour

Rhapsody Of Fire are proud to announce to the world that the mix of From Chaos To Eternity is now at the end and that the new album will be released by Nuclear Blast on June 17th, 2011.

The band issued the following statement: "It is the end of an era. This historical release will end the Rhapsody's sagas once for all after 15 years of fantasy oriented lyrics and for the last time we'll hear Sir Christopher Lee narrating in one of our albums the last dramatic events of a legendary tale started in 1997 and told through 2 different sagas and 10 full length albums. We are surely very sad but we also know that for this same reason the upcoming release will remain in the history of the band for its artistic importance and unique epic!"

It is also arrived the moment to present the new album cover, realized once again by Felipe Machado Franco, and the new tracklist. Enjoy and wait for further exclusive news on April 15th 2011!

From Chaos To Eternity tracklist:

01. Ad Infinitum
02. From Chaos To Eternity
03. Tempesta Di Fuoco
04. Ghosts Of Forgotten Worlds
05. Anima Perduta
06. Aeons Of Raging Darkness
07. I Belong To The Stars
08. Tornado
09. Heroes Of The Waterfalls' Kingdom
I - Lo Spirito Della Foresta
II - Realm Of Sacred Waterfalls
III - Thanor's Awakening
IV - Northern Skies Enflamed
V - The Splendour Of Angels' Glory (A Final Revelation)

19670 for the news!]

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Source:	rhapsodyoffire.com
Band profile:	Rhapsody

Official press release

In the wake of vocalist Matt Barlow's retirement, dozens of demos and resumes flooded Iced Earth's management team. But one name kept popping up - Into Eternity vocalist Stu Block, who has been named the new lead singer for Iced Earth.

According to Schaffer, Robert Kampf, CEO of Century Media, early on suggested Block, whose band Into Eternity was previously on the CM label. That reminded Schaffer of one night in September, 2008, when Into Eternity opened for Iced Earth.

"Iced Earth was backstage waiting to go on," said Schaffer. "We heard one of Stu's incredible wails. I remember turning to Matt and saying, 'Damn, that dude has serious range.'"

So while Iced Earth's management team sifted through the growing number of prospective vocalists, Schaffer got in touch with Block. After several phone conversations with the then-prospective Iced Earth vocalist, Schaffer asked his manager to e-mail Block several key Iced Earth songs, with the vocals stripped. Block went into his studio and recorded himself singing, then sent the files back to the team. The result landed Block an intense two days at Schaffer's studio where the two musicians hit it off.

"I felt a lot of chemistry between us, we knocked out a couple of great original pieces of music in no time" said Schaffer. "He's very good at coming up with catchy melodies, and will help with lyrical duties as well. There's no doubt Stu has an amazing vocal range and a lot of energy, but he also has the touring experience, which is a big plus for our plans of performing in all corners of the world."

In addition, Schaffer said Block has what Iced Earth needs in a front man: "stage presence that includes high energy, passion, and focused rage."

"Stu is charismatic and understands the depth and varying emotions in Iced Earth's music," said Schaffer. "So he will embody not only the emotion of our songs, but he will be able to perform them in a dynamic way. I believe fans are in for some incredible records and live shows in the coming years."

(Photo courtesy of Cortney Roth)

New Iced Earth vocalist Stu Block concurs: "Iced Earth fans are wonderful, wonderful people," he said. "The music is so passionate. So they're passionate, and very loyal to the band. I am, too. I'm a huge fan of Iced Earth myself. So I share that same passion, and I will show it on stage. I think the fans are really going to dig it."

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Source:	icedearth.com
Band profile:	Iced Earth
Event:	Iced Earth: World Dystopia Tour 2011-2012

Unseen, the new upcoming album from Swedish thrashers The Haunted, is now available for streaming in its entirety, exclusively at MetalSucks.

Unseen will be released on March 21st in Europe and a day later in North America through Century Media Records.

105265 for the news!]

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	The Haunted

Of Tides And Desert, the new album from Italian melodic death metal band Ritual Of Rebirth, is now available for streaming in its entirety/free download over at this location (press "Scarica" for download (email sign-up required) or "Ascolta" for the stream).

The band's 2008 debut album, Ethical Disillusion, is also available for free download/streaming at this location.

Of Tides And Desert tracklist:

01. Of Tides And Desert
02. Skep.tic
03. All Is Blank
04. Leeches
05. Sick Shylock
06. Zebra Stripes
07. Hell To Pay
08. The Blind Watchmaker


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Source:

jamendo.com

Hammerfall will release their new upcoming album, Infected, on May 20th through Nuclear Blast Records.

Laying down the foundation themselves in their own studio in Sweden, the band then traveled to Nashville, TN, to finish it up with acclaimed producer James Michael (Mötley Crüe, Scorpions, Meat Loaf). He also mixed the album, giving it a decisive updated edge without losing anything of the essence of the band.

"James helped us create something that was new and exciting while still in the line of our heritage", Oscar Dronjak, guitar player and founder of the band, explains.

"Never before have we sounded this fresh and up to date without losing the essence of what HammerFall is all about: Pure "Infected" Heavy Metal!", comments vocalist and frontman Joacim Cans.

"You will experience us like you've never done before! We've got a lot of fresh influences shining through in the music, but everything you love about HammerFall will still be there", says Oscar. "This is HammerFall in 2011, the legend has been reborn!".

The first single will be One More Time, to be released on April 6th, digital only. A video will be shot by Patrick Ullaeus, who is also responsible for the cover artwork of Infected.

Infected tracklist:

01. Patient Zero
02. Bang Your Head
03. One More Time
04. The Outlaw
05. Send Me A Sign
06. Dia De Los Muertos
07. I Refuse
08. 666 - The Enemy Within
09. Immortalized
10. Let's Get It On
11. Redemption

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	HammerFall

In case you were wondering, Manowar are still the loudest band on the planet... 'Cuz when they're in town, the power explodes.

During the sound-check last Friday afternoon (March 11th) for their first of two shows at the Agora in Cleveland, Ohio, the self-proclaimed kings of metal blew one of the city's power grids, causing a massive blackout on the entire city block where the venue is located.

Workers at the local electricity company took 24 hours to get the grid back online. Temporary generators had to be rushed in to run Manowar's sound and lights, and a lot of extra gear was brought in for the show. Fortunately, the generators worked and the show was not cancelled.

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Source:	smh.com.au
Band profile:	Manowar