Polterchrist inform that Dan Loughry is no longer a part of the band. Dan left on amicable terms. There are no hard feelings.

Dan's replacement on guitar is Ed Drozdowski. He is also currently the bassist for MORTAL DECAY (Unique Leader Records). Ed is a former member of INSATANITY, BODY PART TROPHY CASE and PYREXIA. He is an outstanding guitarist, and will fit POLTERCHRIST's mold perfectly.

http://www.season-of-mist.com

Joost Van Den Broek, After Forever´s keyboardist, has already started recording his special guest on the debut album of Sagitta, named "Ohm". Former member of Sun Caged, Joost has already worked with Arjen Lucassen on the projects Ayreon and Star One. Influenced by Derek Sherinian, Steve Vai, Ayreon/Star One, Muse, Jamiroquai and Devin Townsend Sagitta fans can wait for a surprising work of this 22 year-old keyboardist , who has been playing since he was 11.

Philip Colodetti, "Ohm"´s producer, is in Germany to keep up the recordings of Joost, who will also take part in the CD´s orchestration, expected to be released next semester with very special guests. Despite the delay on the recordings - "Ohm" was expected to be released this semester - but the band musicians aren´t worried about it, they just wanna it the way they´ve planned. According to Alex Neves, the bassist, the delay on the recordings were also due to the scheduling of the special guests on this debut album of Sagitta.

It´s also important to remember that Cede Dupont, Freedom Call and Symphorce´s guitar player, came to Brazil last year especially to record his part and yet jammed with Sagitta at Blackmore Bar, in São Paulo (SP). The expectation is huge and the band hasn´t been on the stage for a long time to concentrate on this CD. "We can hardly wait to come back to the stages, and I miss the fans a lot", says Alex Neves.

Log in: www.sagittametal.com

-Sagitta Newsletter-

Band profile:

After Forever

GRASPOP METAL MEETING

Festivalpark, DESSEL - Friday 24, Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 June 2005

ALMOST THERE...

The following groups complete the line-up: HATEBREED, KAMELOT, EPICA and 80's MATCHBOX B-LINE DISASTER.

METAL DOME

We're adding a fourth podium for this year's festival.

On Friday 24 June, seven Belgian and Dutch metal bands will prove their mettle in front of a large audience. This is the lineup for our upcoming talent stage:

CHIMAERA - JUDASVILLE - SENGIR - COWBOYS & ALIENS - AXAMENTA - IN-QUEST - AUTUMN

The provisional line-up for the three days of the festival is as follows:

Friday 24 June :

ALTER BRIDGE - AUTUMN - AXAMENTA - CALIBAN -CHIMAERA - COWBOYS & ALIENS - ENSLAVED - GRAVE DIGGER - H20 - HELMET - IN-QUEST - IMMOLATION - JUDASVILLE - KREATOR - MADBALL - MEGADETH - METAL CHURCH - NEVERMORE - PAPA ROACH - SENGIR SYSTEM OF A DOWN - WITHIN TEMPTATION - 80's MATCHBOX B-LINE DISASTER

Saturday 25 June :

ACCEPT - AMON AMARTH - BEHEMOTH - EPICA -GOREFEST - HATEBREED - IN FLAMES - KAMELOT - MASTODON - PETER PAN SPEEDROCK - PRO PAIN - ROSE TATTOO - SAMAEL - SICK OF IT ALL - SIRENIA - SKITSOY - SLAYER - SLIPKNOT - SOILWORK

Sunday 26 June :

AMEN - ARCH ENEMY - AXEL RUDI PELL - DARK TRANQUILLITY - DREAM THEATER - DIO - DRAGON FORCE - IRON MAIDEN - LACUNA COIL - MURPHY'S LAW NUCLEAR ASSAULT - OCEANS OF SADNESS - PRIMAL FEAR - TERROR - YNGWIE MALMSTEEN

ADVANCE SALES

You can order your tickets to the Graspop Metal Meeting by phone, online and via the usual presales channels.

Order your ticket(s) as soon as possible to avoid unpleasant surprises.

You will find the exhaustive list on our website: www.graspop.be

Belgium:

* GoForMusic : tel. 0900 2 60 60 (? 0.45/min)
SMS 3060 (? 0.50/min) and online at www.goformusic.be

* Fnac ticket sales

* the usual presales channels

The Netherlands:

* via TSN 0900 300 12 50 (? 0.45 / minute), the 151 larger post offices, 33 GWK offices, 12 larger VVV offices, the usual presales addresses and online at www.ticketservice.nl

France:

* Fnac France Billet 0803 020 040 + internet www.fnac.fr

reservation Minitel 3615 BILLETEL

Germany:

* tickets-per-post +49-(0)69 944.36.60 + www.tickets-per-post.de

UK :
* Argon Events +44-1942 869868 + www.argon-direct.com

Other countries :

* through the Graspop Ticketing Online Shop : www.graspop.be

Our VISA/MASTERCARD mode of payment is now online !!!

TICKET PRICES
COMBI TICKETS

3 days (Friday 24 + Saturday 25 + Sunday 26 June ) : 105 euros

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Source:

GRASPOP.BE

Cornerstone has completed the mixes for the up and coming Cornerstone Live album that the band recorded on several dates on their debut tour of Europe January and Febuary 2005.

The album will be called "CORNERSTONE, IN CONCERT" and will be released firstly in Japan on YAMAHA COMMUNICATIONS on July 6th, and in Europe July 11th on MASSACRE RECORDS.

Included in the package will be a video clip of some live and backstage footage from the bands private videos.

The band are currently laying down ideas for the next studio album to be released in the spring 2006.

http://www.cornerstonemusic.dk

Argentinean band Skiltron will be releasing there debut album ''The Clans Have United''. It will be released through Underground Symphony late this summer. It will be released in a limited Digi-Pack version with special features and bonus songs.

Here is the Track List:

01. Tartan's March
02. By Sword and Shield
03. Sixteen Years After
04. This Crusade
05. Rising Soul
06. Pagan Pride
07. Stirling Bridge
08. Gathering the Clans
09. Coming from the West
10. Across the Centuries

Digi-Pack CD Bonus Song:

An acoustic version of ''Gathering the clans''

Source:	Emilio of Skiltron
Band profile:	Skiltron

The official NIGHTWISH "beer," which was sold last year at Kitee's (NIGHTWISH's hometown in Eastern Finland) K-Market Kupiainen shop and from Kitee's Kievari restaurant, has now been made available in Germany, according to a posting on the group's web site. The lager-type beer, which is brewed by Pirkanmaan Uusi Panimo (PUP), features a label that says "A Megabueno Cerveza" and includes a NIGHTWISH photo. You can now purchase the beer from the following "cult" store in St. Pauli, Hamburg:

Kapanen.De
Davidstrasse 5
St.Pauli
20359 Hamburg
Germany
Tel. #: +49-40-380 196 96

Band profile:

Nightwish

TUSKA OPEN AIR METAL FESTIVAL PRESS RELEASE

- Mnemic and Paska complete the 2005 line-up
- Tuska Warm-up party on June 15th at Tavastia in Helsinki - exclusive
Amorphis-show

Tuska Open Air Metal Festival taking place in Kaisaniemi, Helsinki,
during 15.-17.7. has completed the 2005 line-up.

The sole vacant slot on Saturday has now been occupied by Danish future
metallers Mnemic. The Danes just recently played their first show in
Finland at the Finnish Metal Expo and will now return to perform to
larger crowds.

Not many people outside of Finland have heard about the performance
artist known as Paska. His eccentric and certainly very original
performances can be seen on all stages throughout the weekend. Be warned.

The only missing act at this stage is the winner of the band contest at
Rotonde-Festival at the end of May.

According to the tradition established in prior years, a Tuska warm-up
party will take place at the infamous Tavastia Club in Helsinki on
Wednesday, 15th of June. The crowd will be treated with the only live-
performance of the summer by the legendary Amorphis. These true veterans
of Finnish metal will be warmed up by the groovy Rust and up and coming
melodic emocore act April. Amorphis have just recently returned from a
successfull North - American tour with their newly recruited singer Tomi
Joutsen. In other Amorphis-related news, the band signed a fresh
recording contract with German Nuclear Blast Records and will soon enter
the studio to record a follow up to their 2003 album Far From The Sun.

Tuska 2005 evening clubs offer more variety than ever in terms of venues
and acts. Tavastia and Manala will carry on from last year, and as for
new locations, Tuska will pay homage to its original festival site, VR-
Makasiinit by hosting evening clubs on Friday and Saturday. Gloria will
be the location of first ever all-ages -Tuska-clubs. Also a new addition
is the recently opened, widely popular NiteLife Rock, a.k.a. Talevala.
The programme for all Tuska 2005 evening clubs will be released in May.

Tickets for Tuska 2005 are currently on sale. Three day ticket costs 67
euro and one day tickets 32 euro each. Tickets are available through
Lippupalvelu (www.lippupalvelu.fi) and Tiketti (www.tiketti.fi).

Tickets for Tuska Warm-up are available only at www.tiketti.fi for 10
euro. Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday April 26th.

Current Tuska 2005 artist roster reads as follows. Please note that
showdays concerning some acts are subject to change.

Read more ››

Source:

Tuska Festival

Paul Gilbert will return to the front of the guitar-battlefield with his new studio album "Space Ship One". 14 Brand new vintage Gilbert-style hard rock songs laden with tons of scary guitars.
The album is expected to be released in June.

The album will be followed by his new concert DVD "Space Ship Live" Next to the 16 main concert songs there are lots of extra guitar solos, rare acoustic versions, and killer alternate takes. 12 extra songs altogether for a total of 28 songs! The DVD features Linus of Hollywood on bass, and Marco Minnemann on drums.

Paul will appear on the Bath Festival in the UK on the 23rd of August and a short European tour will follow; dates to be announced soon.

http://www.mascot-provogue.com

On the official site a message is posted concerning the release of Tiamat's DVD.

Century Media has scheduled a release of the Tiamat's DVD entitled "Church Of Tiamat" for September. It WILL be mixed in 5.1 surround sound by their favourite mixing engineer Siggi Bemm in Woodhouse Studios. The band are very pleased by that. They also say that "Still it's not too late to mail us your perverted dreams of bonus material!" So go ahead people and mail your suggestions, your wish might be granted.

Tiamat also state that they will start working on new songs.

Source:	churchoftiamat.com
Band profile:	Tiamat

The band launch the new site http://www.ivorytower.de on 18.04.2005

The new album from the band is ready, and it's entitled "It", the band is currently looking for labels "for a possible release". There is a sample of the song "Piece of Mind", click here to listen to the song.

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A sample of the song "Parasychic, Paranoid" from the upcoming album "Dreams Of Death" is avaible for download on the Crash Music site, Check the song here .

Read more ››

Band profile:

Flotsam And Jetsam

NAILBOMB will release a specially low-priced DVD called Live At Dynamo on July 4th. It features a full raw live recording of Nailbomb's second (and last) show at the Dynamo Festival in Eindhoven Holland on June 3rd, 1995. Joining guitarist/vocalists Max Cavalera (SOULFLY/ex-SEPULTURA) and Alex Newport (ex-FUDGE TUNNEL) on the day in a constantly changing line-up on the day were Igor Cavalera (drums - Sepultura), Evan Seinfeld (bass - BIOHAZARD), Dave Edwardson (bass - NERUOSIS),D.H. Peligro (drums - DEAD KENNEDEYS), Scott Doom (bass - DOOM), Rhys Fulber (keyboards - FRONT LINE ASSEMBELY) and Barry C Schneider (drums - TRIBE AFTER TRIBE). The set includes almost all of the Point Blank album plus a ferocious cover of DEAD KENNEDEYS's 'Police Truck'.

Full tracklisting is as follows: 'Wasting Away', 'Guerrilias', 'Cockroaches', 'Vai Toma No Cu', 'Sum Of Your Achievements', 'Religious Cancer', 'Police Truck', 'Exploitation', 'World Of Shit', 'Blind And Lost', 'Sick Life'.

(Thanks SMN)

http://www.bravewords.com

The band that recently announced the departure of Stian, have now a new session guitarist, Aros posted a message about this matter:

"Greetz.

Some news...
We have gotten ourselves a new guitarist, session guitarist.
He will work with us and basically be there for us when we will do gigs in the future.
His name is Dreggen!

Hexaeon is still under production, this has been a slow proccess and it's sad to say it is still going slow...I will keep you updated as things
progress, they ARE, but not so very fast as we all want it to.

Sorry for this, I know U all wanna hear Hexaeon, we too want it out and we wanna start making new songs too...after all...this album was recorded last summer...

Ok, laters all...

Thx for the patience, give us a bit more...pleez!

Ares"

Source:	members.home.nl
Band profile:	Aeternus

NAPALM DEATH guitarist Mitch Harris spoke to Australia's Themetalforge.com recently about the status of guitarist Jesse Pintado.

"He's out of the band," Harris said pointedly. "He didn't actually leave the band. We sent him home. He had some personal issues. We knew that being in the band wasn't the right environment for his current state of mind. So we sent him home to get some help and support from his family and stuff. We waited for two years for him to get his act together. For example, he didn't even play on Order Of The Leech (from 2002) or the covers album (2004's Leaders Not Followers 2). He just kinda disappeared on us and he became unreliable. There were a lot of issues which were holding us back and confusing the issue and we really just wanted to play ball and just get up there and do what we do, and it was really, really affecting the band in a negative way and it was affecting him in a negative way as well as us personally. We thought it would be best. We gave him 200 million chances and he came back after two years, and his condition hadn't improved and we decided to let him go because he just became unreliable. We have a really hard year ahead of us with lots and lots of touring. We thought it would be best for the band, for the album and also for the fans to just let him go which is a shame because we've been through so much. We've achieved so much together and he's been our room mate for years and just living together we've managed to remain good friends. He wishes us all the best as well as we wish him all the best. I can't put it in any more detail than that because it's his own personal kind of deal. It's his own business really. It's a shame,"

Their new album, The Code Is Red?Long Live The Code is the first album of original material that the band have written and recorded as a quartet since the late 1980s. It appears the idea of becoming a quartet was something they were forced to settle into some time ago.

"I do think the album didn't suffer in any way, shape or form," says Harris. "In the end, it was better for the future of the band I think. We've kinda come together as a four piece in a way that there's no turning back now. It's like, we've done what we've done and we're going to live with our decision. There's no point now. I mean, there was talk about getting another guitarist and of course lots of people suggest that. But it's not going to fill Jesse's shoes. It's not going to make up for the fact that he's not there. But at the end of the day, what we're doing now and the way it's written and the way it comes across, it is as solid and as intense as it needs to be. We're just gonna to continue as a four piece. There's just no point in going backwards at this stage. There's too much to be done. We're all much older now and we have lives to lead. The less confusion, the better. We're all totally on the same level so let's just keep it there."

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Band profile:

Napalm Death

Metal titans ARCH ENEMY - whose dynamic mixture of melody and aggression has earned them massive critical acclaim, a rabid worldwide fan base and a slot on this summer's Ozzfest - have officially signed a new agreement that sees Century Media Records, in conjunction with band leader Mike Amott's Savage Messiah Music label, become the home for the group's future albums worldwide outside Southeast Asia.

The band is currently wrapping up work on their highly anticipated new full-length album Doomsday Machine, which is set for a July 25 release in Europe (July 26 in North America). "We have all been working hard in the studio to make the ultimate metal album," Mike says. "The drums sound totally amazing, as Daniel (Erlandsson, percussion) has excelled himself yet again and the grooves he's created are catchy but powerful as hell. People will be stunned when they hear what he has done.

"I think all great metal needs that killer mix of classic riffs and ripping solos, something that has been a bit of a dying art recently," he continues. "We are doing our best to recreate that mix on this new album, and one thing I can guarantee is that there will be tons of guitar for fans to headbang to. All in all, I am really happy with the songs and I believe we have found the right balance of melody and brutality - the Arch Enemy trademark! Welcome to the Doomsday Machine."

ARCH ENEMY, featuring the all-star lineup of Mike Amott (guitars), Chris Amott (guitars), Sharlee D'Angelo (bass) and Daniel Erlandsson (drums), first garnered praise with the metal milestones Black Earth (1997), Stigmata (1998) and Burning Bridges (1999). These albums were fueled by flawless dual guitar technical execution and a previously unheard of mixture of melody and aggression, which helped them quickly solidify their reputation as one of the genre's elite. However, ARCH ENEMY really began to develop their true potential once vocalist Angela Gossow joined the fold on 2001's critically acclaimed Wages of Sin.

The band's 2003 album, Anthems of Rebellion, was immediately hailed as a metal masterpiece. It was their second offering with Angela, touted by Metal Edge as "one of the most promising talents in years." The record proved to be a landmark release for Century Media, as it delivered the label its then-highest first-week U.S. SoundScan sales ever on the way to becoming one of its 10 best-selling albums of all time. Press raves continued to pour in, as Anthems scored an unprecedented 5/5 in both Alternative Press and Kerrang! while going on to land the #1 album of 2003 in Metal Maniacs Readers' Poll, earning them staunch recognition and high-profile U.S. tours with such acts as Slayer, Hatebreed, Cradle Of Filth and the legendary Iron Maiden.

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Band profile:

Arch Enemy