A press conference today saw broadcaster YLE announce the names of the twelve acts that will join in the contest to represent Finland when the contest takes place in Helsinki next May.

The acts taking part are:
Laura Voutilainen
Hanna Pakarinen
Johanna Kurkela
Katra
Beats and Styles
Humane
Jani and the Jetsetters
Jukka Kuoppamäki
Kentala
Lovex
Thunderstone
Jann Wilde and Rose Avenue

The artists were chosen after discussions with Finnish record companies and the host broadcaster YLE.

There will be four semi-finals, each featuring two songs from three of the acts. The viewers will get to decide which of the two songs should go through to the national final that will take place on 17 February 2007.

Jani and the Jetsetters, Hanna Pakarinen and metal band Thunderstone will compete in first heat.

This way of choosing a song proved successful in 2006; when Lordi went on to win the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens. It also proved popular with participants as it meant each act was sure of a place in the national final.

Source:	finmetalnews.com
Band profile:	Thunderstone

Female-fronted Dutch art-rok act The Gathering has posted the following on their official website:
Both Ankara and Izmir's gigs are cancelled. Istanbul is still on the timetable, so the Gathering will go to Turkey, only for one gig though...
The decision was made by the Turkish booker, it was not in control of the band!

The Gathering would like to apologise for the fans that had planned to visit Ankara or Izmir concerts.

The band also confirmed two Greek live dates in February. The details are as follows:
Feb. 03 - Mylos - Thessaloniki, GRE
Feb. 04 - Gagarin 205 - Athens, GRE

Source:	gathering.nl
Band profile:	The Gathering
Event:	The Gathering: Greek Dates

Type O Negative has issued the following update:

"Great news - the new Type O Negative opus, entitled Dead Again, has now entered the mixing process! The new disc will include an appearance by Lycia vocalist Tara VanFlower. Tentative release date remains sometime in early 2007, hopefully additional live dates may be announced around then as well. Stay tuned for word on the website street team; for now you can check out the freshly minted banners, icons, and other assorted media posted on the recently resurrected media page."

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Source:	typeonegative.net
Band profile:	Type O Negative

Seminal grindcore pioneers Napalm Death will embark on a European headlining tour in January. The dates are as follows (venue details to be confirmed):

Jan. 10 - Roskilde, Denmark
Jan. 11 - Hässleholm, Sweden
Jan. 12 - Oslo, Norway
Jan. 13 - Karlstad, Sweden
Jan. 14 - Stockholm, Sweden
Jan. 17 - Helsinki, Finland
Jan. 18 - Tampere, Finland
Jan. 19 - Oulu, Finland
Jan. 20 - Jyvaskyla, Finland
Jan. 21 - Tallinn, Estonia
Jan. 22 - Riga, Lativa
Jan. 23 - Vilnus, Lithuania
Jan. 25 - Bucharest, Romania - Preoteasa Club
Jan. 26 - Sofia, Bulgaria
Jan. 27 - Thessaloniki, Greece - Mylos Apothiki
Jan. 28 - Athens, Greece - An Club

Source:	napalmdeath.org
Band profile:	Napalm Death

Finnish power metallers Twilightning entered Astia Studio in Lappeenranta, Finland last week to begin recording their third album for an early 2007 release via Spinefarm Records. "We finished the drums ten songs . . . and the recordings will continue on the 20th of this month in Music-Bros. studio in Imatra with Miitri Aaltonen," the group writes on its web site.

Twilightning 's last release was the "Bedlam" EP which was recorded at Astia and was mixed at the Finnvox facility in Helsinki.

Twilightning 's sophomore full-length album, "Plague-House Puppet Show", was issued in 2004.

Source:	blabbermouth.net
Band profile:	Twilightning

Seattle metallers Metal Church have uploaded tue original 1983 demo recordings of the songs "Hitman" and "Deathwish" (both instrumental and with David Wayne's vocals), along with two other early works. Click here to read the history of these songs as well as download them.

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Source:	metalchurch.com
Band profile:	Metal Church

A trailer for the upcoming Finnish movie "Vares 2", featuring music from the Finnish metal band Norther, has been posted online at this location. The Norther members also appear in the film, which is based on a best-selling Finnish detective book series. It will be released in Finnish theaters in January 2007.

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Source:	blabbermouth.net
Band profile:	Norther

Several video clips of Nevermore performing at the Esplanade Hotel in Melbourne, Australia on October 28 have been posted online at YouTube.com here.

Nevermore filmed its performance at the Zeche club in Bochum, Germany October 11 for its first-ever DVD, tentatively due in early 2007. The concert was originally slated to take place September 12 but had to be rescheduled after Nevermore vocalist Warrel Dane came down with an infection.
Nevermore also filmed its headlining performance on August 25 at the Studio Seven in Seattle, Washington for the upcoming DVD. The planned double-DVD set will also contain a full Nevermore documentary, live footage from throughout the band's career, all of their promotional videos and more extras.

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Source:	blabbiemouth.net
Band profile:	Nevermore

Finnish Heavy Metal band Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus have called it quits according to Noise.fi. The band went on a definite hiatus in the fall of 2004 after recording "Hartes Land" but have now decided that it was time to split. The group's members have individual projects in Seppo Alvari & Mamboo Kings, Dark Days Ahead, and Where Victims Lie. Timo Rautiainen is leading member of the Finnish Heavy Metal band Lyijykomppania.
Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus was one of the first bands which brought metal with Finnish lyrics to mainstream in their home country.

A full report, translated from Finnish, can be found at this location.

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Source:

noise.fi

Sweden's Soilwork has replaced Six Feet Under (who cancelled) as the headliner of the X-mas Festivals tour, which is schedule to kick off early December. Also scheduled to appear are Gorefest, Belphegor, Trail Of Tears and Darzamat. The dates are as follows:

Dec. 08 - D - Berlin @ K17
Dec. 09 - D - Engeldorf (Leipzig) @ Hellraiser
Dec. 10 - A - Wien @ Planet Music
Dec. 11 - D - München @ Backstage
Dec. 12 - CH - Pratteln @ Z7
Dec. 13 - D - Ludwigsburg @ Rockfabrik
Dec. 14 - D - Frankfurt @ Batschkapp
Dec. 15 - FR - Strasbourg @ La Latterie
Dec. 16 - BE - Antwerpen @ Hof Ter Loo
Dec. 17 - NL - Tilburg @ 013
Dec. 18 - D - Essen @ Zeche Carl
Dec. 19 - FR - Paris @ La Locomotive

Source:	blabbermouth.net
Band profile:	Soilwork
Event:	X-Mass Fest 2006

As some of you probably already knew, Moonspell won MTV Europe's award for Best Portuguese Act last week, competing with multi-platinum Hip - Hop and Pop bands. This is the first time in history that a Metal band has won this award! The band has issued the following statement online:

"We won MTV Euro awards for best Portuguese act and wish to dedicate it to all people around the world who voted for us and helped Moonspell to become a stronger band and Portuguese Metal more known to the abroad scene! Thank you a million moons!!!"

Moonspell continue to tour in support of their new album "Memorial" which was released earlier this year through SPV / Steamhammer. The appropriately dubbed "Nocturnal Mourning" tour with special guests Katatonia and Daylight Dies.

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Source:	moonspell.com
Band profile:	Moonspell

Fans of The Gathering can now download live footage of the band performing 'Waking Hours' at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, Holland. Go to this location to check it out. The complete live show is still available at Fabchannel.com.

In other news, drummer Hans Rutten and his girlfriend are the proud parents of Bastiaan, who was born on October 20th, 2006 at 11:40am. Bastiaan was 49 cm for 3,07 kg. Mother, father and son are doing fine.

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Source:	gathering.nl
Band profile:	The Gathering

Norther will be holding their legendary Fuck X-Mas Party 2006 at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland on December 8th.
Doors open at 8:00pm, tickets are ?3. Admission includes cloakroom use and "some free beverages." According to the band's website no tickets will be sold in advance.

Source:	norther.net
Band profile:	Norther
Event:	Norther: Fuck X-Mas Party

Taken from the band's official website:

"Therion had planned to use the same singers from the latest album also live, but unexpectedly, we are one soprano short. We're right now checking our contacts for a replacement, but thought we might surprise a bit and actually do like Nightwish did and let people we don't know also apply for the job.

So what's the deal?

If you get the job, you will be one out of 4 vocal soloists on stage and you will do all concerts on the upcoming Therion World Tour 2007.

Payment per show will be the same as a regular member of the band and you will travel, live and perform on the same terms as the rest of us.

If you're so damn good that we get stunned when we hear you, it doesn't matter where on the planet you live - we will fly you in for each tour and separate show. But of course it is a plus the closer you live to Stockholm.

Do you fit in with this?

? You have a soprano range and sing classical style. It is a plus if you can read notes, but a very good ear for picking out tones is enough as we will present you recordings of everything that will be sung.

? You are flexible and can also sing other types of voices than operatic.

? You have an exceptionally good intunation and a varm vibrato.

? You are able to be a part of a show with movements, we are not looking for a singer standing still, there will be quite some action on the stage this tour.

? You are laughing fear in its face and it's a piece of cake for you to perform in front of thousands of people.

? You are between 20 and 45 year old and have experience of singing live with a rock band before.

? You speak english, are easy to get along with and are willing to dedicate the entire year 2007 for Therion activities when they occour even with short notice.

If "yes" to all of the above. then mail us as fast as possible some good quality mp3's of you singing, some photo of you and a brief text explaining who you are etc.

Mail your application to singer@therionstore.com

Please do NOT send anything else than applications for singing with the band to this address. If you want to contact the band, then do it over the Therion Society."

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Source:	megatherion.com
Band profile:	Therion

Token from the Eternal Tears Of Sorrow Newsletter:

Hello,

It is our pleasure to inform you that Eternal Tears of Sorrow is going to do the first live show in six years.

Time: 31th of December
Place: Teatria Club, Oulu, Finland (http://www.teatria.com)
With: Amorphis, Reflexion etc,

More information on this event later.

Thanks,
Jarmo/EToS

Read more ››

Source:	eternaltears.info
Band profile:	Eternal Tears Of Sorrow
Event:	Club Teatria: New Year's Eve Show w/ Amorphis & EToS