Dutch symphonic metal act Epica have confirmed a headlining North American tour for late 2010. Support will come from Scar Symmetry, Mutiny Within, and Blackguard.

Pre-sale tickets for the tour are on sale now at EnterTheVault.com till June 3th. Regular tickets go on sale on June 4th.

11/16 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
11/17 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
11/19 - New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theatre
11/20 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
11/21 - Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
11/23 - London, ON @ Music Hall
11/24 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
11/26 - Detroit, MI @ Blondie's
11/27 - Louisville, KY @ Headliner's Music Hall
11/28 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
11/30 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
12/02 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
12/03 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
12/04 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
12/05 - San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
12/07 - Hollywood, CA @ The Key Club
12/08 - Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
12/09 - Tempe, AZ @ Clubhouse
12/11 - Dallas, TX @ Trees
12/12 - Austin, TX @ Emo's
12/14 - Orlando, FL @ The Club at Firestone
12/15 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
12/17 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
12/18 - Raleigh, NC @ Volume 11

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Source:	epica.nl
Band profile:	Epica
Event:	Epica: North American Tour

Saxon have updated their tour section, and are now confirmed to play the following festival dates this summer:

22.05.2010 - DE - Alsfed - Hessen Bike Week
13.06.2010 - UK - Donington - Download Festival
20.06.2010 - FR - France - Hellfest Open Air
25.06.2010 - BE - Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting
07.07.2010 - NO - Storekvina - Norway Rock Festival
09.07.2010 - ES - Madrid - Sonisphere Festival
10.07.2010 - SE - Sweden - Rockweekend Festival
15.07.2010 - DE - Balingen - Bang Your Head!!! Warm-Up Show
17.07.2010 - DE - Jüterbog - Motorcycle Jamboree
24.07.2010 - UK - London - High Voltage Festival
14.08.2010 - FR - Colmar - Foire Aux Vins

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Source:	saxon747.com
Band profile:	Saxon

Equilibrium have uploaded a first trailer for the upcoming album ReKreatur as well as an acoustic version of the well known song "Heimwärts" which will appear on the ReKreatur bonus CD. You can listen to the acoustic track on MySpace, the album trailer can be found below.

Commented mainman René Berthiaume: "The compositions of Equilibrium just ask for being played in different constellation. A lof of fans already did it and showed it on YouTube! Since we wanna offer our fans a lot more with each release than just the album itself, we recorded a bonus cd with acoustic versions of old and new songs for the limited edition of ReKreatur."

Rekreatur is the first Equilibrium album to feature new vocalist Robse Dahn. The album will be unleashed on June 18, 2010 via Nuclear Blast.


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Source:	nuclearblast.de
Band profile:	Equilibrium

Official press release

Known for their ability to combine the hardest elements of European death metal, American hardcore and old-school thrash, Hell Within are poised to release their new full-length album, God Grant Me Vengeance, on July 13. God Grant Me Vengeance was recorded in February at Damage Studios with Peter Rutcho (Bury Your Dead, Unearth, Revocation, etc) at the production helm.

Check out Hell Within's studio report video here.

You can listen to the MP3s "Condemning The Bloodline" here and the title track "God Grant Me Vengeance" here.

Hell Within will be hitting the road in advance of the release from May 21st through July 2nd. All dates will be supported by Letter to the Exiles (Strike First Records).

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Hell Within

In Legend, the new project of Van Canto drummer Bastian Emig, which introduces the piano as primary element into heavy metal music, has now released its first official music video for the song "Pandemonium" (off the debut EP Pandemonium).

Just in time for the release of this insane and destructive visual work, the band also launched its new official homepage, which can now be found at http://www.inlegend.de and which contains a lot of information and specials about the band and their music! In order to always stay up-to-date in terms of the visual releases of the band, feel free to subscribe to their official YouTube channel!

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Source:

inlegend.de

Speed/Thrash metallers Détente has issued the following short update on their MySpace page:

"Detente has canceled the shows in Hamburg, Ludwigsfelde, and Berlin due to a bandmembers illness. We will update everyone soon."

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Détente

Misery Index are streaming their brand new album Heirs To Thievery online at the following location. Heirs To Thievery was recorded at Wright Way Studios just outside Baltimore, MD and will see a May 11th North American release date.

Misery Index also kicked off a full US tour in support of Heirs To Thievery yesterday in their hometown of Baltimore, MD. The band is touring with label-mates Dying Fetus along with Arsis, Annotations Of An Autopsy, and Conducting from The Grave. Tour dates available here.

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Misery Index

Avenged Sevenfold have announced Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy will join them on a US tour later this year.

"After being so kind and caring to help us in the studio, the rumors are in fact true and Mike Portnoy will indeed be helping us on the upcoming Uproar tour later this year. We hope to see you all out on the road. We are very grateful to Mike for dedicating his time and talent to help us get back on the road so we can be where we need to be the most which is with our fans."

Commented Portnoy: "After having had such an amazing experience recording my drum tracks for the new Avenged Sevenfold album, we all knew it would be awesome if I'd be able to do some touring with the band after its release...

Although I wish I could stay on board with Avenged Sevenfold in a more permanent capacity, the reality is that I am commited to Dream Theater as my main priority (that is my baby afterall!), and I will need to resume work with Dream Theater to start a new album at some point in 2011. However, I will be able to join my brothers in Avenged Sevenfold for at least the duration of their touring throughout 2010... and hopefully this will give them the time to continue to heal and get comfortable back on the road.

You can look at me like the band's "rebound drummer" to buy them some time until they are comfortable and ready to make a commitment to somebody new for full-time relationship in their future! In the meantime, I am real excited to hit the road with the boys... to bring my drumming from their new album to life on stage and to honor The Rev with all of their older material."

People who care about A7X live dates should visit the band's MySpace.

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Avenged Sevenfold

Joe Satriani will enter the studio this summer for a new album scheduled for an October 2010 release. It's sure to be a powerful set of music, coming off of the last year or so working on Chickenfoot, plus the amazing Experience Hendrix tour.

Comments Satriani: "I'm heading to the studio in one month to start recording a new solo project with Jeff Campitelli (drums), Allen Whitman (bass) and Mike Keneally (keyboards). The new material is dying to be recorded, and I can't wait to get started. I don't have a title for the project yet, but I will let you know when I figure it out."

Satriani has also confirmed some tour dates. The tour is starting in Europe in October and November, and then coming to the US and Canada in December and January. So far the following dates have been announced:

Mon Oct 25 - La Cigale - Paris, France
Tue Oct 26 - La Cigale - Paris, France
Wed Oct 27 - Le Colisee - Paris, France

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Source:	satriani.com
Band profile:	Joe Satriani

German power metallers Human Fortress have parted ways with singer Jioti Parcharidis (who already left the band a couple of years ago). A band update reads as follows:

"Unfortunately Jioti Parcharidis has quit his membership in Human Fortress. He has serious health problems, so it's not possible for him to sing any longer for Human Fortress or any other band. For those who have read it in the press the last days, it is now confirmed. His health has first priority and Human Fortress wishes him all the best to get well again.

We keep him in our memory as the former voice of Human Fortress who created something very special with us and it was a great pleasure for us all to work with him and produce the albums Lord Of Earth And Heavens Heir and Defenders Of The Crown.

In the meantime, we continue our work on a new album. Already ten tracks are finished in the old Human Fortress style with epic and folk parts you will remember from prior releases. Another two tracks are composed and are now waiting to be recorded. It's time for a new part in the history of Human Fortress. We are searching for a new voice now!"

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Human Fortress

Tarja Turunen has revealed the artwork for her forthcoming new album, What Lies Beneath. Check it out here. The photo session took place in Finland last February with photographer Jens Boldt and Dirk Rudolph who created the artwork.

Turunen recently finished recording What Lies Beneath, which is now being mixed at three different locations with three different engineers. The album is said to be released somewhere late August.

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Source:	tarjaturunen.com
Band profile:	Tarja

Norwegian black metallers Sworn have issued the following update on their MySpace blog:

"We'd like to inform you that we're currently working on material for our third album. Half of it is already complete, and it's enormous, to say the least. Our deadline is set to end of august, and our plans are to have the album recorded by the end of 2010.

Some working titles are:

The Silver Asylum
Corridors of Dark Salvation
The Keeper
Mot Stupet (norwegian lyrics)

Also, Sworn and bassist Dag "Dreggen" Anderson (Aeternus) have split ways, and we will do live shows with a session bass player until we find a suitable replacement. We want to thank Dreggen for his duties on the Bastards and Conquerors album, and wish him good luck with his other projects. Regarding live shows, we're working on a tour for the Bastards and Conquerors album, but nothing is certain on this matter yet."

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Sworn

Also Visions Of Atlantis have found a new bassist this week. The band is preparing enter the studio to record their fourth studio album, and issued the following message:

"After many years of great work and many shows founding member Mike Koren has left Visions of Atlantis due of private reasons. Mike became a dad and his priorities have changed which we all understand and respect. We wish him and his young family all the best for the future and thank him very much for everything!

Mario Lochert (Emergency Gate) will take over the bass duties for Visions of Atlantis from now on. He will record the bass for the new yet untitledalbum and he will be on stage with the band for the first time on Metalfest Austria (15th of May 2010)."

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Visions Of Atlantis

Pain Of Salvation have posted a new song online, called "No Way". The song appears on the upcoming release Road Salt One, and is available on MySpace.

The album will be available on the following dates:

Sweden: May 12
Germany, Austria, Switzerland: May 14
UK, France, Benelux, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, rest of Europe: May 17
Spain, Italy: May 18
Finland, Hungary: May 19
North America: June 8

Road Salt One cover art] tracklist:

01. What She Means To Me
02. No Way
03. She Likes To Hide
04. Sisters
05. Of Dust
06. Tell Me You Don't Know
07. Sleeping Under The Stars
08. Darkness Of Mine
09. Linoleum
10. Curiosity
11. Where It Hurts
12. Road Salt
13. Innocence

Swedish prog metallers Pain Of Salvation has posted a new song online, named "Linoleum" and "No Way". The song, who will appear on their new album "Road Salt One", is avalible on their newly updated myspace.

Fastolphbolger]

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Pain Of Salvation

German metallers Metalforce have issued the following update:

"Due to personal health issues Josef Echter - who only joined the band in January - will not be able to continue to play in MetalForce. This has been a very hard decision for him but the band supports his decision. We wish him all the best and the fastest possible recovery. We will continue as a quartet from now on."

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Metalforce