Swedish grindcore act General Surgery are releasing a new album and posted the following update regarding this event:

"So, the new album is done. 15 tracks of unholy gore metal, served on a viscera infested mortuary slab for your audial displeasure, "Corpus In Extremis: Analysing Necrocriticism" will be unleashed some time during March 2009 on Listenable Records.

There will be both a CD and LP version with slightly different track lists, the artwork and photos will also be altered for each release.As usual, the album was recorded at Off Beat studio in Stockholm, but this time by the surgeons themselves so this is a truly self-produced effort. Mastered at the renowned Tailor Maid facilities in Stockholm by mastering wizard Peter In De Betou. Artwork by Sven/Listenable Graphix.

As a special putrid treat for the holidays, we offer you two slices of reeking putrefaction up on our page, namely "Exotoxic Septicity" and "Ichor". Have a listen and make sure you leave us a comment."

"Corpus In Extremis: Analysing Necrocriticism" cover artwork and tracklist:

01. Necronomics
02. Decedent Scarification Aesthetics
03. Restrained Remains
04. Final Excarnation
05. Necrocriticism
06. Exotoxic Septicity
07. Adnexal Mass (CD) - Excessive Corpus Delicti (LP)
08. Virulent Corpus Dispersement
09. Ichor
10. Idle Teratoma Core
11. Perfunctory Fleshless Precipitate
12. Plexus Necrosis
13. Unwitting Donor/Cadaver Exchange
14. Mortsafe Rupture
15. Deadhouse

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	General Surgery

Revolution Renaissance, the new band of the Stratovarius mastermind Timo Tolkki has signed a worldwide deal for one album with Scarlet Records.

The last weeks have kept Tolkki and his band members busy putting finishing touches to the band's first real debut album entitled "Age Of Aquarius". Recorded over 3 months in Finland, it is by far the darkest, heaviest and most symphonic album that Tolkki has ever been involved in.

Finding a close connection with his new band members Gus Monsanto and Bruno Agra, the trio locked itself in a cabin in Finland for a month and composed 10 new songs. It is the first time during Tolkki's career that he shared the whole songwriting process with other band members. "I just felt this incredibly fresh vibe with these guys and the songs were just flowing. It was so natural process that it almost felt like the songs were already composed and we just let them be born. It was possible because in Gus and Bruno I finally have found the kindred spirits I have been looking for so long. The results were something that none of us were expecting and yet at the same time, we felt that this record is exactly the way it is supposed to be", comments Tolkki.

The release date of "Age Of Aquarius" is 25 March 2009 in South East Asia (JVC) and on 9 March 2009 in the rest of the world. The band also filmed a promotional video in Helsinki for the title track of the album. The tracklisting is:

01. The Age Of Aquarius
02. So She Wears Black
03. Ixion's Wheel
04. Kyrie Eleison
05. Revolution Has Begun
06. Sins Of My Beloved
07. Behind The Mask
08. Ghost Of Fallen Grace
09. Children Of The Future
10. The Heart Of All

The tours are currently been booked to promote "The Age Of Aquarius" worldwide and are planned to start from South America in early April.

Scarlet Records will also release Timo Tolkki's 3rd solo album, the ethereal classical Rock Opera Saana-Warrior Of Light Part 1 Worldwide on 23 January 2009.

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Source:	revolution-renaissance.com
Band profile:	Revolution Renaissance

Former Kinetic vocalist Mina Giannopoulou is releasing new material with her new band The Rain I Bleed. The following update was posted on The Rain I Bleed Myspace:

"Just to let you know that the recordings and the biggest part of The Rain I Bleed's debut album "Narcissist" is already done. The recordings took place in Athens at the ScytheNoiseLab Studios under Chris "Rektor" Ntaskas' 'magical ears' and after all, the mixing took place at Black Lounge Studios in Sweden with Jonas Kjellgren (guitarist in Scar Symmetry) who has also worked with Sonic Syndicate and other bands too along with Chris "Rektor" Ntaskas.

A big honour for us were 2 guest from 2 musicians that the whole band really appreciates; Jeff Loomis (Nevermore's guitar-player) and Jonas Kjellgren (as a guitar-player this time ;-) Also "Narcissist" 's cover is made by Niklas Sundin, who has also worked for In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Sentenced, At The Gates, Arch Enemy etc. The album is about to be mastered at Tailor Maid Studios, Sweden.

More updates and details will be added pretty soon so stay tuned!"

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Kinetic

According to Nuclear Blast, mighty Swedish Doomsters Candlemass have a truly precious gift for all their patiently waiting fans: serving as a first taste of what's to come with their yet untitled album in early 2009, you now have the chance to listen to several brand new snippets! Starting today, Leif Edling and co. serve you bits and pieces from the following songs:

01. Hammer Of Doom
02. If I Ever Die
03. Demon Of The Deep
04. My Funeral Dreams

Expect no less than a true Epic Doom masterpiece from Candlemass, and make sure to click here to experience an exclusive outlook. The samples will be available online until January 10.

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Source:	nuclearblast.de
Band profile:	Candlemass

Danish Folk Metal band Svartsot have announced the following news, in a statement from Michael Lundquist Andersen (guitar), Martin Kielland-Brandt (bass), Niels Thøgersen (drums) and vocalist Claus B. Gnudtzmann:

"We are sorry to announce that because of different opinions on how to run a band and how the music should sound, we have decided to leave Svartsot. We will surely miss all of you people out there who have supported us at live gigs, and by listening to our songs. It has been a great adventure with you all, boys and girls, and who knows. Maybe we will see you all out there at the venues again in the future, in other bands. We will all continue playing music together outside of Svartsot.

With Stewart C. Lewis on a break from the band, for now, guitarist Cristoffer J.S. Frederiksen will continue the band on his own."

Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Svartsot

In the first week of December, Cruachan announced the departure of female vocalist Karen Gilligan:

"Karen has left Cruachan on good terms for various reasons (message from Karen below). We wish her all the best for the future. She will not be replaced!

Over the last few years we have been moving towards a more extreme sound and style, now that Karen has left we are going to continue with this plan and Keith Fay will take over full time vocal duties while John Ryan and John O Fathaigh will take on backing vocal roles.

For live concerts we are planning to adapt some of our back catalogue songs to suit this new arrangement. There are obviously some popular songs where this will not work and we plan to take a session female vocalist on tour with us. Karen has confirmed that she will appear as a guest on some tracks on the new album and this is something we are really happy about. We are looking at this as an opportunity to have a new start with Cruachan and we promise that our next release will be the greatest Cruachan album to date."

The message from Karen reads as follows: "It is with a heavy heart, I make the announcement, that I will be leaving Cruachan. I want to thank you for all your support over the years, and hope that you will continue to support the lads, as they continue on their musical journey. I have thought long and hard about making this decision and the impact it will have, but it is time for me to move on. I want to thank Keith, John Clohessey, John Ryan, Colin, & John Fay and all the past members of Cruachan for all the experiences that I have had. And especially for all the laughs that I will never, ever, forget!"

Source:	cruachan.metalfan.nl
Band profile:	Cruachan

Lunatica have announced more details concerning their upcoming new album. The band's fourth effort will be entitled "New Shores" and will be released on 27 February (in Europe) next year via Napalm Records. While the cover art can be watched here, a brand new song, called "The Chosen Ones" can be downloaded in mp3-format here.

Napalm Records has posted the following press release in the meantime: "Lunatica's fourth album unveils a genuine masterpiece. Soulful Symphonic Melodic Metal refined with the crystal clear vocals of frontwoman Andrea gives way to enchanting melodies, multifaceted compositions, and symphonic passages that build the foundation for each song without ever compromising the metal aspects of this work. The Swiss combo masterfully fuses its diverse influences, creating a homogenous and compact end result that is crowned by sweeping choruses and emotive movements. Sascha Paeth (Edguy, Kamelot) takes on the production responsibilities, bringing the sound of "New Shores" to a whole new level. Those interested in moving on to greener pastures will find the perfect opportunity to do so in Lunatica."

Read more ››

Source:	lunatica.ch
Band profile:	Lunatica

Guitarist Peter "Pete" Falk of Danish Symphonic Black metal band Illnath has posted the following massage on their MySpace:

"After a long time (11 years) in the spirit of Illnath, Artur "Tyr" Meinild has decided to leave the band. We wish him good luck and hope the best for him in the future.
We are now looking for a new member behind the Piano-weird instrument. Let us know if you, or someone you know are interested in. Please contact us by email."

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Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Illnath

Sycronomica have uploaded two brand-new songs, called "Kaleidoscope" and "The Call", on their MySpace page. These two tracks were recorded in November at the Helion Studios in Munich (Germany). The songs are a preview for the band's third forthcoming album, which is scheduled to be released in early 2009.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Sycronomica

Epica announced the following on their MySpace page:

"We are sad to announce that Ad Sluijter has decided to part ways with Epica. Ad is a founding member of Epica and has been of great value to the band. We would like to use this opportunity to thank Ad for his everlasting devotion for Epica! On Ad's MySpace you can read a personal statement. We will never forget all the reat moments we have shared together and wish Ad the very best for the future! We hope to be able to announce Ad's successor soon and keep you updated on that."

Here's a small extract from what Ad had to say concerning his decision to leave: "Because of the busy tour schedule and the lack of time to work on new material as a result, I found myself more and more in a situation where I felt like I had to compose instead of wanting to compose. I don't consider myself a great song writer. I really need to spend a lot of time and put a lot of effort into it before I am anywhere near to being satisfied with the result. And being the perfectionist that I am, it was just getting more and more frustrating not having the time to do so and therefore not being able to achieve the best possible result. Because of this I simply lost the fun I usually had when composing, and this was for me a clear sign that I had to change something.

After much consideration I have come to the conclusion that the only change I needed to make was to leave the group. This isn't a decision I wanted to make, but one I needed to make."

Read the whole statement here.

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Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Epica

Koch Records announces the addition of critically-acclaimed heavy trio High On Fire to its roster. The band just completed a run of West Coast dates and now will focus on writing the new CD that will be released in Summer 2009.

High On Fire's former record label, Relapse, will release a live album from the group entitled "Live From The Relapse Contamination Festival" on January 6. The eight-song CD was recorded at the 2003 edition of the festival and includes a cover version of Venom's "Witching Hour".

"Live From The Relapse Contamination Festival" tracklisting:

01. Blood From Zion
02. To Cross The Bridge
03. Nemesis
04. Razorhoof
05. Speed Wolf
06. Eyes & Teeth
07. Hung Drawn & Quartered
08. Witching Hour (Venom cover)

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Source:	marketwire.com
Band profile:	High On Fire

Be'lakor have released an official statement regarding the recent delays of the re-release of "The Frail Tide" and their position with Dutch Label Descent Productions:

"Due to unacceptable delays, we have decided to leave Descent Productions.

We have waited for the re-release of The Frail Tide for several months and unfortunately we now feel compelled to take matters into our own hands.

The Frail Tide will be re-pressed independently. It will not be released as a digipack, but rather, as a re-pressing in the original format. This will allow the many fans who don't yet have a copy to buy one. The Frail Tide will also be available worldwide, digitally, through iTunes and a host of other online digital stores. This will all happen within the next 2-3 weeks, and is thanks to Amphead/The Orchard.

Most importantly, our second album is going ahead, with the recording taking place in January of 2009. We have worked on these new songs for two years and we are extremely excited about recording and releasing this album. As things currently stand, it will be released independently - unless we can find a professional label with which to work in the next 2-3 months. Whatever the case, we will do everything that we can to ensure that the new album is available as widely as possible.

Thanks to everyone who has shown patience through this difficult time. The delays have been caused by factors well beyond our control. Fortunately we are now back in a position where we can make sure that things run properly. We're looking forward to the next few months and we can't wait to bring you some new music."

Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Be'lakor

Gothic metallers Paradise Lost are currently preparing the recordings for their highly anticipated follow-up to 2007's extremely successful "In Requiem".

Vocalist Nick Holmes comments as follows:

"The album as yet untitled will feature around 10 tracks, among the titles are "First Light", "As Horizons End", "Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us", "Frailty" & "My Last Regret" - these are subject to change without notice!

We are very happy with Rhys Fulbers work on the last album "In Requiem", but after working on 3 albums together we decided it was time to go for a different approach. After hearing the work he did with our "Anatomy Of Melancholy" Live DVD we decided that Jens Bogren was the man for the job. In February we will venture to Sweden to begin recording the album in Fascination Street Studios, Örebro, Sweden.

There is no full time replacement for Jeff as yet, but as far as the album is concerned, the drum stool will be occupied by another Swede - Peter Damin. Sweden hails some of the best metal musicians in the world and Peter is no exception, we really look forward to working with him and his input on the album.

Our approach this time has leaned even more towards the heavier side of things, even more so than the last. It is vital not to loose touch with our musical trip over the last 20 years. Our music may have had different facelifts, but it has always been "dark" and the new album will be no exception. Musically and lyrically.

Writing a new album is always exciting, we never get bored of writing music, and for me, it is the best part of being in a band. Each album is like a challenge to better ourselves, or at the very least, do something that's different to everyone else. We strive to make the ultimate modern Gothic Metal album, and for me that has nothing to do with the common trend of "romance" & "roses". It should be music to be murdered by."

Source:	paradiselost.co.uk
Band profile:	Paradise Lost

God Forbid guitarist Doc Coyle has posted the following announcement on the God Forbid MySpace:

"All of us in God Forbid are proud to unveil the cover artwork for our forthcoming album "Earthsblood"! The album layout and our spiffy new MySpace design were both done by our new partner in crime and artistic virtuoso Gustavo Sazes. Based out of Brazil, he hasn't done many American bands. For "Earthsblood", we thought it would be great to go with someone who isn't one of the usual suspects for album design in modern metal. The cover turned out much better than we ever hoped. It fully captures the dark and organic, yet emotional atmosphere of the album. The detail and abstract imagery is haunting and beautiful. The color scheme is perfect. I assure you all that the rest of the layout is just as impressive as the cover. Hopefully it will give people incentive to want to buy the CD (as opposed to downloading) to be able to enjoy the artwork first hand. This is my favorite God Forbid album artwork to date!"

"Earthsblood" cover art] tracklisting:

01. The Discovery
02. The Rain
03. Empire Of The Gun
04. War Of Attrition
05. The New Clear
06. Shallow
07. Walk Alone
08. Bat The Angels
09. Earthsblood
10. Gaia (The Vultures)

Release dates:

February 24 in North America
February 16 in Europe

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Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	God Forbid

Audio samples from the entire forthcoming Cannibal Corpse album "Evisceration Plague" are available on Amazon.com.

"Evisceration Plague" cover art] was recorded at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida, with producer Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel). The 11th Cannibal Corpse album is scheduled for a February 3 release via Metal Blade Records.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Cannibal Corpse