German metallers Necrophagist have issued the following update:

"The show at "The Opera House" in Toronto/Canada on July 2nd during the Summer Slaughter 2007 tour was taped with 6 cameras. We posted a preview of what's about to be released on DVD on the official Necrophagist YouTube channel. Also appearing on the DVD are Decapitated, Cattle Decapitation and many more... The DVD will be available at the Summer Slaughter 2008 merchbooth:

Summer Slaughter
Summer Slaughter Canada

Also check Sumerian Records for more details and distribution. Necrophagist will be headlining the Canadian part of Summer Slaughter 2008. See you there!!!"

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Source:	necrophagist.com
Band profile:	Necrophagist

Token from the Century Media newsletter:

Swedish death/black hopefuls Zonaria have inked a worldwide deal with Century Media Records. The group has just entered the studio to record its second full-length album, tentatively due later in the year. Be sure to check out http://www.myspace.com/zonaria - but, be prepared for a sonic beat down.

Commented the band: "It is amazing how all this hard work paid off, and we can guarantee you great things this year and beyond. It has been a dream for all of us since we first started listening to metal. We listened to bands like Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquillity, Iced Earth and Dream Evil when we were just around 13-14 years old. If someone would have told us that we are going to be signed to the same label back then I'm pretty sure none of us would have believed it. Another equally great thing is that we are about to enter Studio Fredman (!), the studio where almost any great band worth mentioning has recorded their albums, to record our follow-up to "Infamy And The Breed". If any recording studio has been an unreachable dream for us so far ? it has been this one! So everyone, expect great things!"

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Source:	centurymedia.com
Band profile:	Zonaria

A new Destruction track, called "Vicious Circle - The 7 Seven Deadly Sins", is available for streaming on the band's official MySpace. The track comes off the band's new album "D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.", which is scheduled for release on the 22nd of August via AFM Records.

The "D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N." cover art] album has the following tracklist:

01. D.evolution
02. E.levator To Hell
03. V.icious Circle - The 7 Seven Deadly Sins
04. O.ffenders Of The Throne
05. L.ast Desperate Scream
06. U.rge (The Greed Of Gain)
07. T.he Violation Of Morality
08. I.nner Indulgence
09. O.dyssey Of Frustration
10. N.o One Shall Survive

A teaser video can be watched here.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Destruction

Massacre Records have announced that Power metallers Rebellion plan to release a yet-untitled EP on October 24th of this year. Their next full-length spinner (the third part of their "History of the Vikings") is set for a January 9, 2009 release.

Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Rebellion

Lääz Rockit have posted a new track, called "My Euphoria", on their official MySpace. The track comes off the band's new album, "Left for Dead", which is scheduled for release on July 25th via Germany's Massacre Records.

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Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Lääz Rockit

Finnish metallers Battlelore have issued the following update:

"Battlelore's fifth full length album, titled "The Last Alliance" is finally finished and ready to be presented to the public! The album consists of big, epic and atmospheric songs full of feeling and raging battles, taking you to an unforgettable journey through Middle-earth! As before, there will be a jewel case CD and a digipack with something extra. This time the digipack will include a DVD featuring the energetic live show at Metal Female Voices Festival in Wieze, Belgium 2007."
"The Last Alliance" was recorded at Sound Supreme Studios in Hämeenlinna, Finland, with the ingenious producer Janne Saksa, and mixed and mastered by the legendary Dan Swanö at Unisound Studios, Sweden.

"The Last Alliance" cover] tracklisting:

01. Third Immortal
02. Exile The Daystar
03. The Great Gathering
04. Guardians
05. Voice Of The Fallen
06. Daughter Of The Sun
07. Green Dragon
08. Awakening
09. Epic Dreams
10. Moontower
11. The Star Of High Hope

Bonus DVD tracklisting (Live at Metal Female Voices Festival 2007):

01. Ghân Of The Woods
02. Ocean's Elysium
03. Into The New World
04. Buccaneer's Inn
05. We Are The Legions
06. House Of Heroes
07. Beneath The Waves
08. Sons Of Riddermark

The release dates for the album are:
September 24th 2008: Finland.
September 26th 2008: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Benelux, Italy, France.
September 29th 2008: the rest of Europe.
October 7th 2008: USA/Canada.

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Source:	battlelore.net
Band profile:	Battlelore

The Melvins released "Nude With Boots" on Monday 8th cover art] and you can stream the entire album at Last.fm's website.

In other news, The Melvins and Mike Patton will collaborate for The Nightmare Before Christmas party series in London this December.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Melvins

The concert of the legendary kings of metal, Manowar, on the opening night of Kaliakra Rock Festival 2008 in the Bulgarian "rock capital" of Kavarna on July 5 lasted for five hours and one minute. The performance was the metal band's attempt to break the world record for the longest heavy metal concert, which they themselves set in 2007 at last year's edition of the festival.

Joey DeMaio, Eric Adams, Karl Logan and Scott Columbus pleased a crowd of 20.000 people with a playlist of more than 40 songs, a selection reflecting the band's history and all its studio albums.

Тhis year, the self-annointed "kings of metal" had promised Bulgarian fans to beat last year's performance of three hours on stage, and had specially invited representatives of Guinness book of records to witness the unprecedented event.

Hundreds of fans of the legendary band have been waiting for their arrival at Kaliakra Stadium ever since 10am to pour inside in a frantic hurry to the stage after the gates were opened.

As was the case last year, the audience was warmed up by Holyhell, the power metal band produced by Joey DeMaio, performing tracks from their upcoming debut album and cover versions of classic hits by Aerosmith and Dio.

At 9.49pm, Manowar came out. The band began with classic hits from their earliest albums such as "Heavy Metal Daze", "Fast Taker", "Death Tone", "Dark Avenger", "Carry On", "Kings Of Metal" and many others.

"Bulgaria, we devote this concert to you," the informal leader and main songwriter of the legendary band, Joey DeMaio, said during the pauses between back-to-back hits. "Where it is written in Guinness' book of records about the longest heavy metal concert, it will be written that this was the concert of Manowar in Bulgaria," he said. The bassist added that Bulgaria was the place where people knew how to enjoy true heavy metal music.

At the peak of the concert, a classical string orchestra and a choir of the Sofia Philharmonics joined the musicians in performing some of their greatest hits, among which "Warriors Of The World", "Hail And Kill", and "Defender". In front of the Bulgarian audience, Manowar presented for the first time their new single, "Die With Horror".

With the concert approaching its end, Kavarna mayor Tsonko Tsonev, known as "the metal mayor", congratulated the group and thanked them for performing in his town. Manowar promised to return to Kavarna whenever they were invited.

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Source:	sofiaecho.com
Band profile:	Manowar

Sinner have issued the following update on their official MySpace:

"The final part of the recording saga of "Crash & Burn" was delivered to the record company over the weekend. The master of the Limited Edition, with two brandnew bonus tracks, the video clip for the song "Revolution" & the digipak desgin.

The final album contains 11 tracks and here's the tracklist:

01. Crash & Burn
02. Break The Silence
03. The Dog
04. Heart Of Darkness
05. Revolution
06. Unbreakable
07. Fist To Face
08. Until It Hurts
09. Little Head
10. Connection
11. Like A Rock

The album was produced by Mat Sinner & Henny Wolter @ The House Of Music studios and aside of the band, there are guest appearances by Dirty Sanchez (percussion), Dennis Ward (backing vocals & percussion & Nena (backing vocals). The Limited Edition will be delivered in a nice digipak and includes two bonus tracks "One Night Only" (written by Mat Sinner & Magnus Karlsson) and "Fast Decision 2008", yes THE Fast Decision - created under bizarre circumstances, as AFM Records A&R representant Markus & drummer Klaus forced Mat in the studio, to record a new version of the forgotten jewel again. Mat was irritated about their sick idea first, but after some shots of booze, Mat agreed to sing this song for one last time. Finally, we've added the funky video clip for the song "Revolution" to the Limited one.

Please check the report from Powerplay of the Listening Session & "Crash & Burn"

The band is totally satisfied with the final outcome and the work & motivation of the entire team, incl. engineer Dennis Ward, mixer Achim Koehler & studio owner Alex Kilb! Mat thanks especially his writing partners Henny, Igor & Magnus for the friendship and the great tunes and to Klaus & Christof for the great vibe & rocking to the max!

We will release the first single from the album "THE DOG" for a FREE download soon, right here and on our My Space pages with some more audio samples from the album!
Next week, we will update the page with the album cover-artwork!

AFM Records will release "Crash & Burn" on September 19th with a tour following asap to support the release!"

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Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Sinner

Professionally filmed video footage of Primordial's entire June 25th, 2008 performance at this year's Hovefestivalen on the island of Tromøy, just outside the city of Arendal in Norway can be streamed here!

Primordial will be playing a couple of more summer festivals this year including prestigious events such as Wacken, Summer Breeze, Brutal Assault and Hole In The Sky.

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Source:	metalblade.com
Band profile:	Primordial

Norwegian Power metallers Gaia Epicus have been generous enough to post a video of studio footage "from the recordings of the new album "Damnation" cover art], which is due out sometime this fall."
More info on the new album here.

The video is also available on their official website and their MySpace page.

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Source:	gaia-epicus.com
Band profile:	Gaia Epicus

After All have posted the following update:

"After All spent most of June at the Hype Studio in Mechelen, Belgium recording basic tracks for six scorching new After All tracks. A nice little intro, outro and a cover tune were recorded as well. Early October we resume recording, finishing the June session and adding another three or four extra songs.

Dee J. is in charge of the recording, assisted by X-tof. After All guitarist Drieze is producing and overseeing the operation, as usual. Mixing and mastering duties will be handled by Dan Swanö (Edge Of Sanity, Hail Of Bullets, Novembers Doom) at the legendary Unisound Studio in Örebro, Sweden.

The new album is set for a late 2008 release on Dockyard 1 in Europe and on Locomotive Records in the US."

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Source:	home.scarlet.be
Band profile:	After All

SPV Records has launched a new Alice Cooper YouTube Page. You can find a preview of the upcoming Alice Cooper album, "Along Came A Spider" at http://www.youtube.com/officialalicecooper.

A sneak preview of one of the songs can be found at this location. Samples of all tracks can be heard here.

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Source:	youtube.com
Band profile:	Alice Cooper

Darzamat has begun the work on the new album, the successor of the released in 2005 "Transkarpatia."

However, there's been no news coming from the band's camp lately! This situation is explained by Darzamat's vocalist - Flauros:

"There've been no signs of life from us during couple of last months, yet the silence was only apparent. There were a few factors contributing to this very silence, yet I can assure that we weren't on holiday during this time. The whole group was engaged in a very hard work on the few projects. Obviously, the most important of them is the new Darzamat's album but the rest is not less interesting. First of all, our keyboard player - Spectre's been very strongly wrapped up in the new fantastic undertaking. He was asked to prepare a film soundtrack for the needs of the Discovery channel! It's a dusky and dismal picture as it presents the serial killers ravaging in Poland. Nera was also engaged in the whole undertaking and she sang there a couple of truly insane musical backgrounds. As far as I know, the film will appear already this year. Therefore, You'll soon be able to get to know for yourself how Darzamat's members ideally composed in this climate," emphasizes Flauros.

Darzamat's musicians have also been preparing some new music projects : Khode Six and Neurotic Sindrome.

"Together with the guitar player, Chris, we write the music for the debut album Khode Six (www. myspace. com/khodesix), while Nera and Spectre have practically finished the Neurotic Sindrome album (www. myspace. com/neuroticsindrome). These are some sort of springboards from the daily activities in our mother band. Both of the bands are, however, totally different from each other and there'll still come a time for a more detailed presentation of them at the end of this year," adds .

The band has already started the composing of the pieces, which will appear on the new Darzamat's album. Although the new album will be musically diversified, it is to be the most coherent record in the band's history.....

"Apart from the characteristic symphonic fragments, the elements of film music will also be present. The record will be heavy, climatic and go-ahead, obviously in its convention. I'd also say that in some moments the material is even epical. This way or another one can expect the surprises although it will still be Darzamat. What may be a curiosity is that it's going to be the first concept album in the band's history, explains Flauros, adding that one can expect some more details concerning the new album pretty soon.

Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Darzamat

Amon Amarth will be part of the European run of "The Unholy Alliance, Chapter III" along side with Trivium, Mastodon and Slayer.

Johan Hegg: "All of us have been huge fans of Slayer since the mid 80's, and to be able to tour with this legendary thrash band is a dream come true. We are very proud and honored to be a part of this year's Unholy Alliance together with Trivium and Mastodon. Slayer fans are die-hard and tough as true Vikings - we know as we are part of the same crowd - and it will be a great experience to be able to play in front of them."

This tour will kick off in Manchester, England on October 27th and will continue it's journey for 4 weeks throughout other parts of Europe. For selected shows, Amon Amarth will be performing after Mastodon.

There are more shows to be announced, the shows currently confirmed for "The Unholy Alliance, Chapter III" are:

October:
27.10 - Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
28.10 - NEC, Birmingham, England
30.10 - Hammersmith Apollo, London, England
31.10 - Hammersmith Apollo, London, England

November:
02.11 - CIA, Cardiff, Wales
03.11 - SECC Hall 3, Glasgow, Scotland
05.11 - Stadthalle, Offenbach, Germany
06.11 - Palladium, Cologne, Germany
09.11 - Schleyerhalle, Stuttgart, Germany
10.11 - Eishalle Deutweg, Winterthur, Switzerland
11.11 - Zenith, Paris, France
16.11 - Gasometer, Vienna, Austria
18.11 - Zenith, Munich, Germany
19.11 - Columbia Halle, Berlin, Germany

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Source:	amonamarth.com
Band profile:	Amon Amarth
Event:	The Unholy Alliance: Chapter III