With a musical landscape as varied as the range of their band member's occupations (which includes a psychologist, an electrician, a youth center worker, and a graphic designer), Italian sextet Graveworm will be bringing their brand of melodic goth/black metal to North American shores for the first time during the Metal Maniacs and Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles-sponsored North American Metal Crusaders Tour.

A compact version of a traveling United Nations, Italy's Graveworm is joining forces with Vader (Poland), Kataklysm (Canada), Destruction (Germany), Speed\Kill/Hate (New York), and The Absence (Tampa). The first show of this truly international line-up is set to take place on May 26th in Montreal, Quebec. Checking in from his home in Italy, trilingual architect student and Graveworm vocalist Stefano Fiori shares his thoughts on his maiden trip to North America in support of (N)utopia:

"We are looking forward to playing in every city on this tour. We're thinking of bringing empty suitcases for all the things we want to buy that we can't get here at home... haha. This will be a new experience for us and we are all curious about the response we will get over there. Maurizio from Kataklysm told us there are a lot of Graveworm fans in Montreal, and that the people there generally go crazy at shows. We're also looking forward to visiting Las Vegas. We've heard a lot about it, but to be there would be a very different thing."

Source:	nuclearblastusa.com
Band profile:	Graveworm

MTV.com is reporting that Megadeth will be releasing their next album through Roadrunner Records.

Source : http://www.mtv.com

Band profile:

Megadeth

World Management and Symphony X would like to announce that the European Festivals for June in Sweden and Spain will unfortunately have to be cancelled due to severe illness. We Hope that Michael Lepond's surgery will go well and wish him a speedy and full recovery. We would like to let all the fans know that we will be back on tour fall 2006 around release of the band's next record.

Please read the post below from Michael Lepond:

"To whom it may concern. I have been diagnosed with Crohn's disease (an Inflammatory Bowel disorder) This has caused an obstruction in my small intestine, making it impossible to digest solid foods.Currently, I am hospitalized where they can feed me through an I.V. unit supplemented with a liquid diet. But, there is some good news The doctors tell me, that with a surgical procedure, they will have me back to 100% in about 6 weeks. And, although it is a chronic disease, this procedure will make it much easier to control its effects in the future. I want to thank the band, the crew, the fans and everyone else involved for your understanding and support during this tough time. You will all make my healing process much easier and I'll be back on the bass in no time.

Michael Lepond

Source:	swedenrock.com
Band profile:	Symphony X

Following on from the chart success of their recent single 'Our Truth', Lacuna Coil are now set to unleash thier second single to be taken from thier latest album ' Karmacode'. The band's cover of the Depeche Mode song 'Enjoy the Silence' is due to be released in UK via Century Media on Monday June 26th.

'Enjoy the Silence' will be available in the following formats:

Enjoy the Silence - Vol I (CD single Digipack+Poster)
1. Enjoy the Silence
2. To the Edge (Live)
3. Fragile (Live)
4. Enchanced Video Interview

Enjoy the Silence - Vol II (CD single)

1. Enjoy the Silence
2. Virtual Environment (Non Album bonus track )

Enjoy the Silence - Vol III ( 7" Blue Coloured Vinyl )

1. Enjoy the Silence
2. Silence

Lacuna Coil have just wrapped up a sell-out US tour with headliner Rob Zombie and are now preparing to hit the European Festival circuit this summer before heading back to US for a main stage on this year prestigious Ozzfest.

Source:	rockdetector.com
Band profile:	Lacuna Coil

After several months away from his drumming duties in Opeth Martin Lopez has permanently decided to leave the group. After being plagued by illness and anxiety attacks Lopez decided he wanted to concentrate fully on his own project, currently unnamed. His replacement will be Martin "Axe" Axenrot who's been filling in for the last 5 tours and who also recorded with the band during the recent BBC sessions.

Mikael Åkerfeldt: "However sad I and the rest of the band feel in light of Lopez departure I want to thank him for his incredible work with Opeth and immense dedication to the band. We recorded some classic stuff together and he obviously had an enormous impact on our sound. I now feel very excited to hear the material of his own band. In the meantime Opeth fans can rest assured that we'll continue jamming it out with Axe and we all have high expectations about our coming musical ventures"

Roadrunner will issue a special edition deluxe version of "Ghost reveries" on the 25 th of July.

Source:	opeth.com
Band profile:	Opeth

This fest comes into being every year, the 7° Edition will feature one of the sickest bands in the latin metal scene, the band is "Brujeria", they will be the ones closing this Festival actually. The bands featured in this fest are everything but meta (Lucybell, Vaquero, Zurdok, Austin T.V., Lost Acapulco, Zoé, Hummersqueal, among others), so we hope nothing but good responses about Brujeria and their death metal roots.

for more info go to the official site:
http://www.vivelatino.com.mx/

Band profile:

Brujeria

Ewigkeit has posted a new EP online at the following address http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dtm2dl/dtm003.html

To have access to the EP you only need to join the Ewigkeit newsletter at his official website, to join the newsletter send an email to fogarty23@ntlworld.com .

Source:

deathtomusic.com

The band posted the following message on their myspace site:

In response to all the email requests and offers for Exhorder to get back together and/or to play shows we would like to thank everyone for all the support and encouragement but Exhorder will NOT be getting back together. Sad to say, but the official status of Exhorder is "Permanently Disbanded"

Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Exhorder

Firebird are set to release their latest album 'Hot Wings' on Rise Above Records in July. They have a tour of Ireland lined up, with more UK dates to follow.

Thursday 25th May
Fred Zeppelins, Cork
Friday 26th May
Fibber Magees, Dublin
Saturday 27th May
Katy Dalys, Belfast
Sunday 28th May
The Dunglow Bar, Derry

Source:

riseaboverecords.com

Iced Earth's guitarist and leader posted the following message on the band's website:

"Hello Everyone!

I know I've been really lame with the updates and I'm sorry about that. We've let things get pretty lax here at Iced Earth.com and we're going to be making some changes in this in the not too distant future. As some of you are aware, I'm not really the internet type of guy and only use it for my email, and even that I avoid often (which does annoy my business associates at times; but hey, that's what phones are for!), so I spend as little time as possible on a computer; unless it's my studio computer and I'm spending a LOT of time on that one. Tim enjoys surfing and all of that stuff so he's going to be involved in the IE site a lot more in the future. You'll be seeing some big changes in the site with the release of the next IE CD.

Which actually brings me to the next bit of news... I'm completely consumed in the writing process of what will be by far the most ambitious album(s) IE has ever done. Some of you probably know that the next 2 releases will comprise the full concept album of the Something Wicked story line, Part 1 & Part 2. I know it's taken quite some time to get this beast on its way to fruition, but it IS finally happening, and I really feel the time is right. The goal is to make this our most epic, dynamic, most melodic and heaviest CD ever. Because of the depth and detail of the story it would be impossible to do it on one CD, there simply is not enough time, so I'm writing both parts at one time so that the continuity is there. If I were to wait a year or two to start writing part 2 I would be in a completely different frame of mind and it wouldn't work nearly as well, so the best thing is to do all the writing at once. We'll get Part 1 recorded, mixed and released and then finish part 2 which will come out about 6 months later. That's at least the preliminary plan. We are still pretty early in the process but things are starting to move along nicely.

I know it's been some time since the release of "The Glorious Burden" and I ask you to please be patient because what's coming next is going to blow you away. This is the album that IE fans have been waiting for.

I want to apologize to the European fans for not making it over there for a headline tour on the last album. My back problems got too intense to be on the road and that really screwed things up for everyone, myself, the rest of the guys in the band, our crew, the promoters etc.. We would have toured a lot more than we did had I not had these problems. The great thing is that the last surgical procedure I had in October of 2004 seems to have worked to make the pain much more tolerable. I did very extensive therapy for many months and am committed to being in the best shape of my life by the time we tour again. It's good to be enjoying life for the first time in a very long time.

Read more ››

Source:	icedearth.com
Band profile:	Iced Earth

The band posted the following update concerning some coming releases and some other things:

"Hey Everybody....

We've wrapped up the east coast leg of this spring tour and it couldn't of been better. Well, maybe Richmond could have been, but even that turned out ok. Thanks to eveyone who came out to be a part of the shows, we know a good number you travelled a long way, we appreciate it. Bear hugs again to Zombi and Dalek who killed it every night as well as being great friends and tourmates.

So we finally got the Live 4 CD together and will have a limited number of them available from our webstore soon. This volume is a compilation of songs from different shows over the past 6 years or so, with some older songs, a couple newer extended line-up songs, and a live improv 'jam.'

The DVD is in production and will be out in August thanks to Ipecac Recordings, as well as the In the Fishtank CD we recorded with Aereogramme last year in the Netherlands. The exact date and US distribution are still to be determined, but it will be available on Konkurrent in Europe.

We will be playing a handful of Europe shows and UK shows in July, including a performance at All Tomorrow's Parties' "Don't Look Back" series, where we will be performing Oceanic in it's entirety. Dates will be posted in the next few days. We will also be performing at this years Fuji Rock Fest in Japan with Mogwai and a shitload of other bands.

Be sure to check out MGR performing with Pelican and Mono tonite May 10th at the First Unitarian Church in Philly, and as a part of the Dalek / Destructo Swarmbots / MGR Big Band performing at Irving Plaza in NYC on May 14th.

Other than that, it's time to get the writing finished seeing as we enter the studio in less than a month.

Have a killer summer -

Isis"

Source:	sgnl05news.blogspot.com
Band profile:	Isis

The following message by Chris Impellitteri has been posted on Impellitteri's official fan club site:

"I am still in the studio finishing the writing process for my next record. The CD working title is called "Good and Evil". It will be a return to the sound of Impellitteri with influences from my Screaming Symphony, Crunch, and System X recordings. The music will feature lots of shredding guitar solos and screaming vocals with the usual fat production.
At this time I have ten tracks written. They are fast and furious tracks mixed with good song writing. Also, there is an instrumental song very reminiscent of Bach or Mozart on steroids.
Both the metal community and the musicians should enjoy this disc.

I have been using my original 1970 Fender Stratocaster, 1958 Gibson Les Paul, and Marshall modified amps in the demo process and my guitar tone and playing are definitely maturing very nicely. I am definitely trying to take my guitar playing into the next realm--(Shred, taste, orchestration, and writing etc...)
It is to early to say how the music will turn out, but I hope and pray that this recording makes our longtime fans pleased. I am definitely doing this disc for you !!!!!"

Source:	rapture.net
Band profile:	Impellitteri

Due to personal commitments, vocalist Simon Calabrese has parted ways with Daysend. After over three years together, all members of Daysend and Simon remain close friends and wish all the best to their former band mate for the future.

Simon would like to pass on the following: "It saddens me to leave Daysend as the music (old & new) is nothing short of sensational, however it is something that I must do at this stage of my life. Daysend has the capacity to be one of the world's greatest bands and I wish them all the best for the future. I will miss being a part of the Daysend experience but will always remain the best of friends with all of the people associated with Daysend. Lastly, I would like to personally thank all of the fans & friends I have made during my time in Daysend...as I
did do all this for you!".

Daysend was scheduled to begin recording their second album next month. As a result of this recent development, plans have been put on hold while the search for a vocalist takes place. For further details regarding the audition process please send relevant contact and previous experience information along with a picture to daysend_music@hotmail.com

Strong, dynamic vocals and a charismatic and menacing stage presence are requirements the band is demanding. Also the candidates should be based in Sydney Australia or wanting to relocate.

Source:	daysend.com.au
Band profile:	Daysend

Reido, new Doom Metal band from Belarus.

The first release of a young and creative band from Minsk (Belarus). Original and extraordinary funeral doom. A listener is being hunted by its darkness within the distance between the first and the last note, as it truly creates the horror of the Apocalypse. Both sludge and dark-ambient influences can be found there. Reido's music has no analogies neither in the band's native country nor in Russia, and it can easily compete with the leading standards of the West dark scene. "F\:all" has been released on a "gold" CD and includes a video clip of the main song on the album.

Band site - http://www.reidosystem.com

Source:

solitude-prod.com

Invocation Of Nehek has called it quits. The Connecticut group released one album with Prosthetic records. Guitarist Robb Cyr comments:

"Over the last 5 years ION has had so many great experiences, and we have met so many awesome people, and we are truly grateful for all of it, we sadly have come to a point where it was just time to move on. Although this is a sad moment for us, we know that it is best. When this band started it was meant just meant to be something fun to do on weekends, ION exceeded all of our expectations, trust me you don't name a band 'Invocation of Nehek' and expect to get a record deal or tour the country. We are all still great friends, and will support each other in any new projects. Keep your eyes peeled because you certainly haven't seen the last of all us. We'd like to thank everyone that we have met along the way and that has helped us out in some way shape or form. It was an amazing experience that we will never forget."

The band will play one final show on June 10 at the Sons of Italy in Torrington, CT.

Source : http://www.zoomclouds.com