The band that surprised everyone with their majestic debut album The Corpse Of Rebirth is back again. A Forest of Stars have been busy conjuring up the next Beast; entitled Opportunistic Thieves of Spring cover art glimpse], due for release in May. A few kind words from the likes of Mr. T.S. Kettleburner:

"Mark thy words: this album will send listeners to the world that lieth beyond. The exact release dates for North America and Europe will be announced shortly, but the tentative release is set for May. Opportunistic Thieves of Spring was recorded once again at Silent City Studios with master Rob Hobson behind the controls. For this recording, new member John Bishop took care of the drums."

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Source:	transcendentalcreations.com
Band profile:	A Forest Of Stars

Official press release

It is with great pleasure that I welcome my former Gorefest buddy Frank Harthoorn to the triple axe live incarnation of The 11th Hour! He'll be sharing the stage with us at all upcoming gigs including the renowned Doom Shall Rise festival in Göppingen (9th of April). This means we're saying goodbye to Petra Guijt who will of course continue to perform with her bands Deadcell and Toxocara, we wish her all the best with her future musical endeavours!

Frank meanwhile has mastered the 6 chapters of doom that comprise The 11th Hour's debut album Burden Of Grief and adds considerable weight to the already massive live-sound. His dedication to delivering the Riff, the whole Riff, and nothing but the Riff is legendary (at least it is to me) and I look forward to exploring the road to musical misery with this new yet old companion.

The 11th Hour is:
Ed Warby - Guitar & Vocals
Pim Blankenstein - Vocals
Bram Bijlhout - Guitar
Frank Harthoorn - Guitar
Daniël Huijben - Bass
Dirk Bruinenberg - Drums

Upcoming shows:
Doom Shall Rise VII, Göppingen - 9-4-2010
Stonehenge Festival, Steenwijk - 31-7-2010
Springstof Festival, Kampen - 14-8-2010

More to follow!
Cheers,

Ed

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	The 11th Hour

Swedish metallers Revolting have posted two new songs on MySpace for their forthcoming album, The Terror Threshold, wich will be released soon via Razorback Recordings.

You can hear the song "The Grip Of Death" on the band's MySpace page at this location. You can also hear another new song, "Trigger The Trap", on the Razorback Recordings MySpace page.

The band adds: "The Terror Threshold will be out very soon on Razorback Recordings! 9 new crushing songs, along with 8 bonus tracks from the unreleased Bonesaw Leftovers MCD cover art]! A total of 17 insane new blood-drenched tracks of Swedish horror death metal!"

The Terror Threshold cover art] tracklist:

01. Gulp The Blood...
02. The Grip Of Death
03. Grotesque Beyond Belief
04. Heads In The Fridge
05. Rise Of The Revolter
06. Harvest The Humans
07. Trigger The Trap
08. Bloodthirsty Bitches
09. Destructive Organism
10. Horror Hooker
11. Gorezone Obsession
12. Vengeance Of The Nails
13. Slimetime
14. Grizzly Aftermath
15. Welcome To The Shredshed
16. Bonesaw Leftovers
17. Skull Scavengers

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Source:

blogs.myspace.com

"Miles I Walk", a new song from UK metallers Crowned In Earth, is available for streaming at the band's MySpace page.

In other news, the debut Crowned In Earth album will be titled Visions Of The Haunted. A release date will be revealed by Shadow Kingdom over the coming weeks.

(thanks to Bad English for posting this news)

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Source:

blogs.myspace.com

Suomi metallers Charon have uploaded the demo version of a new song, entitled "The Cure". Head to MySpace to check it out.

Charon have said to enter the studio somewhere in March to record couple of new songs. The band recently parted ways with guitarist Pasi Sipilä. The rest of the band is continuing to play and write songs as a quartet. The group recently said, "At the moment we are looking forward to new working methods and finding new ways to surprise our fans and to challenge bandmates with no boundaries on style or sound."

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Source:	roadrunnerrecords.com
Band profile:	Charon

Polish female fronted traditional heavy metal act Crystal Viper signed a new contract with AFM Records.

"Yes, we can say Crystal Viper found new home at AFM Records! We are truly happy, as except being extremely serious, these guys have the same passion as we do: Heavy Metal. And that's what really matters!" points Marta Gabriel, Crystal Viper vocalist & guitarist.

The first Crystal Viper release on AFM will be the live album titled Defenders Of The Magic Circle: Live In Germany, scheduled for June 4th, 2010. This summer Crystal Viper will also enter the studio, to record the third studio album.

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Crystal Viper

Metal Blade Records has extended God Dethroned's contract yet again to - as the press release goes - "continue putting out some of the most intense and unique death metal albums from one of the genre's best bands".

God Dethroned will be campaigning across North America once again. This time, they'll be supporting Overkill's 25th Anniversary Killfest tour throughout April. The tour starts April 1st in Philadelphia at the Trocadero.

Metal Blade CEO Brian Slagel comments, "We are very happy to continue our long and great relationship with God Dethroned. We've been working with the band and Henri for over a decade and we look forward to more great music from them in the future!"

Henri Sattler, God Dethroned guitarist and vocalist adds, "Once you're in it, you're in it for life, the head of Metal Blade in Europe once said to me. It was already a dream come true to sign our first deal with the label back in '97, and now 13 years later we just put our signature on our third contract with them. It's just as exciting as it was back then and we're very proud of earning their trust and support after all these years."

"We are halfway through the writing process for a new album, which we will record starting end of May. First, we'll play on the Killfest tour in the U.S. supporting Overkill together with label mates Woe of Tyrants and many other great bands.

Abigail Williams' axeman Ian Jekelis will take over touring duties for Susan, with whom we parted ways last January. We will announce the name of our new shredder right before we play our first European festival in May."

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Source:	metalblade.com
Band profile:	God Dethroned

Bravewords is reporting that Danish death metallers Eciton will release their new album, A Scent Of Veracity, in Denmark on April 26th, and in the rest of Europe on July 5th via Mighty Music.

Eciton was formed in 2000 by musicians that throughout the past 12 years have been involved in numerous death metal bands and projects (drummer Jesper Frost was a member of the now legendary Danish death metal band Iniquity).

In 2003 Eciton won the Danish "Melo-Death Grand Prix", then Scandinavia's biggest competition for unsigned metal bands.

Finally, Eciton's second album is ready for release after the band went through deaths as well as studio and producer changes. Eciton is taking the fast and catchy brutality to it's extremes and mixing it with technical riffing. The lyrics circle around mankind's mental condition and double standard. It's a sharp and critical look at today's political agenda where the media strongly affect opinions, all ironically depicted in the lyrics and the excellent cover artwork.

Further updates to follow. More on the band at this location.

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Source:	bravewords.com
Band profile:	Eciton

Metal Blade Records is pleased to announce the signing of San Francisco's progressive metal outfit Hammers Of Misfortune. Metal Blade Records will release four of the band's previous releases in late summer 2010 with a new studio album expected in 2011.

Guitarist and founding member John Cobbett says: "Metal Blade contacted us in April of 2009. After some back and forth we came to an agreement that will allow Hammers of Misfortune to continue making albums the way we always have: unsupervised and self-produced. Also, we grew up on Metal Blade releases - from Destruction and Slayer to Trouble and Fates Warning - so we feel pretty good about that."

Metal Blade's Brian Slagel adds: "We are really happy and honored to have signed Hammers of Misfortune. I have been a huge fan for awhile now and I personally am really excited to work with them."

Formed by the eclectic and versatile guitarist John Cobbett (Gwar, Ludicra, Slough Feg, Amber Asylum, Jarboe) in the late 90's, Hammers Of Misfortune started as an exercise in songwriting and making coherent full length albums making the group more of an experiment in art than your typical band. Hammers Of Misfortune is made up of some of the most talented musicians John Cobbett and co. can find. Founding member John Cobbett explains; "I set out to do it this way from the beginning. Having been in a dozen or so bands that broke up before realizing their potential, I decided that the songs and albums were the most important thing. So I formed a 'break-up proof' project that depends more on good material and strong albums than a consistent line-up."

One thing that is consistent, though, is that Hammers Of Misfortune has always consisted of John Cobbett (guitars) and Chewy Marzolo (drums) with Sigrid Sheie (keys, voice, flute) being another a long term member of the group. Bassist Max Barnett (ex-Old Grandad) has been with the group for over a year now and Hammers Of Misfortune recently added Leila Abdul-Rauf (ex-Saros) on guitar and vocals.

Come late summer 2010, Metal Blade Records will be reissuing the entire Hammers Of Misfortune back catalog.

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Source:	metalblade.com
Band profile:	Hammers Of Misfortune

German doom metal band Mirror Of Deception will enter Soundmann Studio in Stuttgart, Germany on April 1st 2010 to start recording their fourth album, entitled A Smouldering Fire.

More to the point info as we get it.

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Mirror Of Deception

Swedish metallers Candlemass will release a new DVD, Ashes To Ashes - Live, on April 23 in Europe (on June 29 in North America) via Nuclear Blast Records.

The set will contain footage of the band's performance at last year's Sweden Rock Festival in front of 30,000 people as well as Candlemass' entire October 2009 concert in Athens, Greece. It will also include a 30-minute interview and two photo galleries. The DVD will be released as a CD+DVD, with the Sweden Rock show as the audio CD. For the die-hard fans, Nuclear Blast is putting two sets of double vinyl together (one set Sweden Rock Festival, one set Athens), limited edition (1,000 copies each).

A DVD trailer from Ashes To Ashes - Live can be viewed at this location.


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Source:	youtube.com
Band profile:	Candlemass

Official press release

Yesterday the kick off show of the European tour of Leaves' Eyes together with Kamelot and Adagio took place in Charleroi, Belgium. This was also the live debut of the new Leaves' Eyes drummer Roland Navratil. Roland joined Leaves' Eyes and also Atrocity after the bands decided to continue without former drummer Seven Antonopoulos.

Both bands wish Seven all the best for the future, and welcomes the Austrian drummer Roland Navratil, who played in the past with bands like Edenbridge, Sirenia and Dignity!

Roland: "First of all I like the diversity of both bands, Atrocity and Leaves' Eyes. I listen to a lot of different music and was blown away by the Werk 80 CD of Atrocity. So called "Female fronted" metal bands where always a favorite kind of music of myself, too. That's why I know a lot about Liv and her music and the band Leaves' Eyes. I love to play songs like "Elegy", "Emerald Island" or the new smasher "At Heaven's End"! The first time I met Alex was years ago when Atrocity played in Vienna. I met them and Liv again back in 2005 when I was playing in Germany. As I was on the "Beauty And The Beast" Tour as a session drummer for Sirenia, it was very cool to tour with both bands, Atrocity and Leaves' Eyes. I was excited as they asked me, if I would like to play with them because we had a lot of fun on tour last fall. The rehearsals went great and now I am looking forward to share the stages together! Keep on rockin'! See you on tour!"

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Leaves' Eyes

The Curse Of The Red River, the debut album by Barren Earth has now been made available for streaming in its entirety at the website of Levykauppa Äx. The stream will end on March 30.

Barren Earth (the new Finnish "super group") will release the album on March 29 in Europe (April 6 in North America) via Peaceville Records. More album details available here.

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Source:	levykauppax.fi
Band profile:	Barren Earth

Official press release

Tristania has again joined the Napalm Records ranks. It is the return of the Gothic Metal masters, who made themselves immortal by releasing classic albums like Widow's Weeds and Beyond the Veil. A new collection of songs is tentatively scheduled for a summer release.

"We're happy to say that Tristania has reunited forces with Napalm Records. Tristania is back where it all started 13 years ago, and we are looking forward to work together with Napalm again. Our new album is completely recorded, and at the moment only mixing and mastering remains. We are totally enthusiastic about it, and feel that this album will appeal to those of you who have followed us through the years. True to tradition, the new album will also bring along several surprises and elements that are new in our musical universe. Five different singers will appear on the album, and we have already announced that Pete Johansen contributes with his brilliant violin play - for the first time since World of Glass in 2001. We are really looking forward to share this album with you guys. The album title will be revealed soon!"

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Source:	napalmrecords.com
Band profile:	Tristania

Sirenia have confirmed a handful of live dates for Greece, Ukraine and Poland.

April 10 - Thessaloniki, Greece - Principal Club Theater
April 11 - Athens, Greece - Gagarin 205

May 21 - Kherson, Ukraine - Festival kRock u Maibutnye

September 11 - Plock, Poland - Plock Cover Festival

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Source:	mortenveland.com
Band profile:	Sirenia