Negura Bunget and Melechech are among the confirmed bands for the Hells Pleasure festival, set to take place July 20-21, 2007 in Pößneck, Germany. The festival billing is shaping up as follows (in alphabetical order): Defloration, Desaster, Doomshine, Eure Erben, Helrunar, Melechech, Necros Christos, Negura Bunget, Secrets Of The Moon, Zemial

For more info visit http://www.hells-pleasure.de/

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Source:	hells-pleasure.de
Band profile:	Negură Bunget
Event:	Hells Pleasure Metal Fest

Swedish thrashers The Haunted will embark on an extensive European tour beginning late January. Confirmed dates so far are as follows:

Jan. 31 - O13, Tilburg, NL
Feb. 01 - Burgerweeshuis, Deventer, NL
Feb. 02 - Vera,Groningen, NL
Feb. 03 - Mean Fiddler, London, UK
Feb. 04 - Bristol Academy 2, Bristol, UK
Feb. 05 - Academy 2, Birmingham, UK
Feb. 06 - Voodoo Lounge, Dublin, IRE
Feb. 07 - Academy 2, Liverpool, UK
Feb. 08 - Rock City, Nottingham, UK
Feb. 09 - Cat House, Glasgow, SCOT
Feb. 10 - Hop & Grape, Manchester, UK
Feb. 11 - Cockpit, Leeds, UK
Feb. 12 - Waterfront, Norwich, UK
Feb. 13 - Biebob, Vosselaar, B
Feb. 14 - UBU, Rennes, F
Feb. 15 - Theatre Barbey, Bordeaux, F
Feb. 16 - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, E
Feb. 17 - Sala Caracol, Madrid, E
Feb. 18 - Bilbo Rock, Bilbao, E
Feb. 20 - Ninkasi Kao, Lyon, F
Feb. 21 - Rainbow, Milano, I
Feb. 22 - PTR-Usine, Geneve, CH
Feb. 23 - Remise, Wil, CH
Feb. 24 - Planet Music, Wien, A
Feb. 25 - Kultiplex, Budapest, H
Feb. 27 - Brodo, Prag, CH
Feb. 28 - WZ club, Vroclaw, PL
Mar. 01 - Proxima Club, Warzaw, PL
Mar. 02 - Knaak, Berlin, D
Mar. 03 - Colo-sal, Aschaffenburg, D
Mar. 04 - Backstage, Munchen, D
Mar. 06 - Die Röhre, Stuttgart, D
Mar. 07 - Matrix, Bochum, D
Mar. 08 - Molotow, Hamburg, D
Mar. 09 - KB, Malmö, SWE

Source:	the-haunted.com
Band profile:	The Haunted
Event:	The Haunted: European Tour

Cradle Of Filth have posted a new live video on their official website. The video was taken from the show which took place on Sunday, November 12 at at 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands. You can check it out by clicking here (QuickTime required).

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Source:	cradleoffilth.com
Band profile:	Cradle Of Filth

This new Jumpin' Raismesfest - a battle of the bands type of event - is planned for March 17. The winners of the contest will open the festival in September.

Bands willing to apply must send their demos/CDs and biography to Jean-Phillipe (contact: programmation@raismesfest.fr) before December 31st. This is supposedly a battle of local bands, though bands in the whereabouts may apply (contact the organizers first).

Last year's Jumpin Raismesfest was won by local Hard Rock band "Marlyn's". The second and third contestants were chosen to headline on the small stage on Saturday and Sunday.

Source:	raismesfest.fr
Event:	Jumpin' Raismesfest III

After numerous delays, the release date for Íon's debut album "Madre, Protégenos" can finally be announced.

The album will be out on the 27th November 2006 via Equilibrium Music on a luxurious Digipak CD, and can already be pre-ordered on the 'Discography' section of the official site of the band http://www.ion.equilibriummusic.com

This is some words about the project:

"Plans for a small European tour are now underway, which will hopefully bring this ambitious endeavour on stage shortly. Named after the Gaelic word for 'pure', Íon seems to illude strict categorization, and even the apparently all-encompassing definition of World Music falls short in defining the ethereal moods that "Madre, Protégenos" comes to reveal.

Duncan Patterson's career traces back to the early 90's, when he began his musical incursions as a member of Anathema, a group that would pioneer and remain as forerunners of the unique Doom Metal genre throughout that decade.

Patterson would later also become involved with Antimatter, a project which would find him developing his long-standing talent for emotional and atmospheric song-writing into new formats, and which he quit in late 2004 as the early sketches of what would later grow into Íon were drafted.

One can arguably class Íon as Patterson's most personal creation to date - a creation which he has fathered on his own, and one through which he taps deeper into his spiritual identity and heritage. This musical entity which Patterson has named after the Gaelic word for 'pure' - a word which accurately pins down the project's mindset - seems to elude strict categorization, and even the apparently
all-encompassing definition of World Music falls short in defining the ethereal moods that "Madre, Protégenos", Íon's debut album, comes to reveal.

Though fairly minimalist in its overall approach, the album's true wealth stems from its various layered soundscapes and the introspective ambiance that they recreate. These provide the lighter toned and dreamier elements of the album with an ominous and melancholic shade - much like a sense of hopeful longing for piece of mind haunted by memories and nostalgia. Having Irish mysticism and an exotic Mediterranean backdrop as its essential cornerstones, the project has slowly evolved into an international venture, stretching over continents and oceans. "Madre, Protégenos" collects a rich array of influences that come to shape into a unique multi-textured body of work, based around smooth acoustic instrumentation (where acoustic guitar and various percussions take a leading role, alongside occasional harp, flute or viola arrangements), discreet keyboard elements, and remarkable voices.

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Source:

ion.equilibriummusic.com

Deftones has announced more U.S. and European shows in support of its new album, "Saturday Night Wrist". The newly announced dates are as follows:

U.S. tour:
Dec. 08 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera
Dec. 10 - Cleveland, OH - HOB
Dec. 11 - Detroit, MI - Clutch Cargos
Dec. 13 - Louisville, KY - Headliners
Dec. 14 - Nashville, TN - City Hall
Dec. 17 - Tulsa, OK - Cains
Dec. 18 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre
Dec. 19 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave

European tour:
Mar. 08 - Liverpool, UK - University
Mar. 09 - Leeds, UK - University
Mar. 11 - Manchester, UK - Academy
Mar. 12 - Glasgow, UK - Academy
Mar. 13 - Newcastle, UK - Academy
Mar. 14 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
Mar. 15 - Birmingham, UK - Academy
Mar. 16 - Norwich, UK - UEA
Mar. 18 - Bristol, UK - Academy
Mar. 19 - Portsmouth, UK - Guildhall
Mar. 20 - London, UK - Brixton Academy
Mar. 22 - Paris, France - Olympia
Mar. 23 - Weisbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
Mar. 24 - Koln, Germany - E-Werk
Mar. 25 - Tillberg, Holland - 013
Mar. 26 - Hamburg, Germany - Docks
Mar. 27 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
Mar. 29 - Dortmund, Germany - Westhafallenhalle
Mar. 30 - Dijon, France - Zenith
Mar. 31 - Munich, Germany - Elserhalle
Apr. 03 - Zurich, Switzerland - Volkshaus
Apr. 04 - Milan, Italy - Alcatrazz
Apr. 06 - Clermont-Ferrad, France - Coop de Mai
Apr. 09 - Amsterdam, Holland - Paradiso
Apr. 10 - Brussels, Belgium - Halles de Schaerbeek

Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Deftones
Event:	Deftones: Saturday Night Wrist Tour

God Forbid has cancelled their weeklong Canadian trek as direct support to Protest The Hero. Their only remaining show for 2006 will be a headlining performance in Levittown, NY at Club Ritual on Dec. 8th. God Forbid will return to the road in 2007 for the "Chains of Humanity" tour with Goatwhore, Mnemic, Arsis, The Human Abstract and Byzantine in the support slots.

Doc Coyle (guitars, vocals) states: "Due to an inability to come to an agreement over a discrepancy between the booking and announcing of a Toronto show on our on headline tour, God Forbid and Protest The Hero mutually decided it would be best if we didn't take part in the upcoming Canadian run. We are very disappointed that this couldn't be worked out, but we are still friends and fans of PTH and consider this just a postponement of future touring that I'm sure will be bigger and better. Again, we apologize to any Canadian fans who already bought tickets. We will be playing Toronto and Montreal as part of our headline tour with Goatwhore, Mnemic, Arsis, The Human Abstract and Byzantine, so we hope to see you all then."

Source:

godforbid.com

Canadian technical metallers Quo Vadis have announced three shows in Ontario in December. The dates are as follows:

Dec. 28 - The Underground - Hamilton, ONT
Dec. 29 - Embassy - London, ONT
Dec. 30 - Metal Bar - Toronto, ONT

In other news, the band has issued the following update:

"Bart has been working hard since March on building a studio for the next Quo Vadis album. Construction is now finished, and final stages of acoustical and systems testing are being completed. The equipment and features list will be available soon and the studio is now available for booking."

Commented Bart: "Hundreds of hours went into this project since the beginning of the year. My goal is to provide a space that conforms to the expectations of creative perfectionists... artistically and acoustically."

Source:	quovadis.qc.ca
Band profile:	Quo Vadis
Event:	Quo Vadis: Canadian Dates

Finnish Melodic Black Metal band Catamenia are releasing a DVD entitled "Bringing The Cold To Poland", produced by Metal Mind Productions. The DVD will be released somewhere in November 2006 in Europe and Worldwide early 2007.

Tracks:
01. Morning Crimson
02. Lost In Bitterness
03. Tuhat Vuotta
04. My Blood Stained Path
05. Coldbound
06. Fuel For Hatred (Satyricon cover)
07. Verikansa
08. Closed Gates of Hope
09. The Day When The Sun Faded Away
10. Eskhata
11. I Wanna Be Somebody (W.A.S.P. cover)
12. Location:COLD

Bonus material & includes:
- Animated Menus
- Biography
- Discography
- Web Links
- Interview
- Cataventures Part 1 & 2
- Tuhat Vuotta Promo Video
- Audio Tracks from both Demos
- Desktop Images
- Photo Gallery
- 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound

Limited Edition available. Includes the audio CD of the songs from the DVD.

Source:	catamenia.net
Band profile:	Catamenia

Orange County / Los Angeles based heavy metal band Leatherwolf are currently looking for a new vocalist following the departure Wade Black who fronted the band on their critically acclaimed comeback album, "World Asylum," released last June on N.I.L.8 Records.

"We would like to thank Wade for his contributions to Leatherwolf and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors," commented the group on the split. "There are no hard feelings between both parties. Unfortunately, certain economic realities and the geographical distance between Wade and the rest of the band turned out to be an obstacle too hard to overcome and made working as a unit that much more difficult."

"We are now looking for someone closer to home, perferably based right here in Southern California. Potential candidates must be able to sing both the Michael Olivieri and Wade Black era songs (guitar abilities a huge plus!), have a valid passport, and be able to go on the road as we have a European tour in the works for spring 2007."

Interested parties get in touch with the band via dean.rob_at_cox.net

More info about Leatherwolf: http://www.myspace.com/leatherwolfmusic and http://www.leatherwolfmusic.com.

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Source:	leatherwolfmusic.com
Band profile:	Leatherwolf

Destruction, Rotting Christ, Firewind, Wastefall and Silent Rage have been confirmed for the Metal Healing Festival, set to take place July 20-22 in Greece.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows (in alphabetical order): Destruction, Ektomorf, Firewind, Mystic Prophecy, Nightrage, Rotting Christ, Silent Rage, The Haunted, To/Die/For, Wastefall.

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Source:	metalbolt.com
Band profile:	Destruction
Event:	Metal Healing Festival

Veteran East coast thrashers Overkill, who are currently in the studio recording the follow-up to their 2005 album "Relix IV", have announced the following shows for 2007:

Jan. 19 - Eck's Saloon - Lakewood, CO
Jan. 20 - Showbox - Seattle, WA
Jan. 21 - Whisky A-Go-Go - West Hollywood, CA
Jan. 23 - Good Times Emporium - Somerville, MA
Jan. 24 - Mark's Showplace - Bedford, NH
Jan. 25 - Webster Theater - Hartford, CT
Jan. 26 - Jaxx - Springfield, VA
Jan. 27 - Jaxx - Springfield, VA
Jan. 28 - BB King's - New York City, NY

Source:	wreckingcrew.com
Band profile:	Overkill
Event:	Overkill: Relix IV Tour

Twisted Sister's new album, "A Twisted Christmas", is currently streaming in it's entirety at this location.
The album was released on 17 October 2006

Upcoming Twisted Sister live dates/events include:

November
29 - Vintage Vinyl (in-store) in Fords, NJ

December
1 - The Myth in Minneapolis, MN
2 - Best Buy (in-store) in Maplewood, MN
5 - Massey Hall, Toronto, Canada
7 - House Of Blues in Chicago, IL
9 - Pepsi Roadhouse in Burgettstown, PA
12 - House Of Blues in Los Angeles, CA
14 - House Of Blues in Anaheim, CA
17 - Hard Rock in Orlando, FL
21 - Rams Head Live in Baltimore, MD
22 - Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ
23 - The House of Blues in Atlantic City, NJ

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Source:	twistedsister.com
Band profile:	Twisted Sister

In October 2006 the band decided to change guitar players, because Motors could not dedicate so much time as necessary and Rihards now is back as second guitar player for Skyforger. Right now the band prepares a new material for an upcoming album.

Also from now on Skyforger can be found in MySpace.com, check out location at: www.myspace.com/skyforgerofficial

Skyforger upcoming concerts:

24.11.2006 - Riga, Latvia - Melna Piektdiena club Radio Rock 5 year anniversary!

08.12.2006 - Berlin, Germany - K17 X-Mas Festival Tour concert

09.12.2006 - Arnhem, The Netherlands - Musis Sacrum Arnhem Metal Meeting III

20.01.2007 - Minneapolis, USA - Station 4 Heathen Crusade Festival II

17.02.2007 - London, England - Purple Turtle (Camden Town) (First Skyforger gig in UK).

Source:	- Skyforger Newsletter -
Band profile:	Skyforger

Some replacement dates for Lordi's Spanish leg of their Bringing Back The Balls To Europe tour have been announced. Some shows in Spain that were supposed to be played last month were cancelled because of some of the band members becoming sick. Four dates for March next year have been confirmed.

Here are the dates:

01.03.2007 - Apolo, Barcelona
02.03.2007 - Jam, Bergara
03.03.2007 - Heineken, Madrid
04.03.2007 - Gamma, Murcia

Source:	lordi.fi
Band profile:	Lordi
Event:	Lordi: Spanish Tour