According to RollingStone.com, Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo is in the studio with DJ Spooky recording under the name Drums Of Death. Meat Beat Manifesto's Jack Dangers is producing the project, due early next year, and guitarist Vernon Reid (Living Colour) will guest. No further information is currently available.

Band profile:

Slayer

As an addition to their new album "Be", PAIN OF SALVATION will release a DVD with the same title at the end of the year. It's featuring a stage version of this thematic work which the Swedish have brought to the stage with the support of a orchestra in their home town Eskilstuna in summer 2004. There will also be a few more PoS gigs this year.

www.insideout.de

Band profile:

Pain Of Salvation

Michigan-based black metallers SUMMON have entered Flatline Audio Studios (formerly Hellion Studios) in Denver, Colorado with producer Dave Otero (CEPHALIC CARNAGE, SERBERUS) to record their sixth album, "Fallen", tentatively due in early 2005 via Moribund Records. The follow-up to 2002's "And the Blood Runs Black" promises to be "the sickest SUMMON CD to date," according to bassist/vocalist Chas Schoals. No further information is currently available.

A bunch of high-quality photos of IMPERIA, the new band fronted by former TRAIL OF TEARS singer Helena Iren Michaelsen, performing at Aalst Rockt in Aalst, Belgium on September 18 have been posted online at Datapix-Designs.com.

IMPERIA will release their debut album, "The Ancient Dance of Qetesh", in the Benelux on October 1 through Ebony Tears. The rest of Europe will follow a few weeks later. The CD was mixed at Franky's Recording Kitchen in Nieuwleusen, Holland. Audio samples of several cuts from the album be downloaded in MP3 format at this location.

IMPERIA recently announced the departures of guitarist Henri Sattler (GOD DETHRONED) and drummer Arjen van Weesenbeek (GOD DETHRONED). Replacing them in the band are Jan Yrlund (ex-ANCIENT RITES) and Steve Wolz (BETHLEHEM) on guitar and drums, respectively.

Band profile:

Imperia

Recording and mixing of the new Porcupine Tree album is now effectively complete. As previously announced 14 new songs have been recorded, and only the task of selecting, sequencing and mastering the final running order remains (at least 3 or 4 songs will not make the album and will be held over for issue elsewhere). A 5.1 mix should also be completed in time for a simultaneous release. The as yet untitled album will be worldwide release by Lava/Warners in January.

"In Absentia" award
The multichannel mix of Porcupine Tree's "In Absentia" was recently awarded a Surround Music Award (SMA) for the best surround mix (non-orchestral) of 2004. The awards, held in Los Angeles, recognize the most outstanding surround releases of the year; the award committee is a panel of expert judges that include personnel from Sound & Vision, Pro Sound News, Widescreen Review, Surround Professional, NARAS, USA Today, Highfidelityreview.com, and Los Angeles-based radio station KCRW.

more info on the band official site: www.porcupinetree.com

Band profile:

Porcupine Tree

A message from the band's page:

"September 2004, New album

Dear Friends,

We are glad to announce that the new Royal Hunt album is on its way -
recordings just started within the walls of North Point Studio in Copenhagen.

We will keep you informed about any key-events in the process.

Cheers,

Royal Hunt"

www.royalhunt.com

Band profile:

Royal Hunt

On September 15th, the band finished recording its 4th full length album, scheduled to be released through "Season of Mist" in February 2005. The band is very excited about the new material and song titles, album title and album cover details, will be released in a couple of weeks.

http://www.green-carnation.tk/

Band profile:

Green Carnation

"Sirenian Shores", the up-coming mcd will be released the 11th of October.
Tracklist:
1. Sirenian Shores
2. Save me from myself (remix)
3. Meridian (acoustic)
4. First we take manhattan
(coversong, originally written by Leonard Cohen)
5. Obire Mortem
This mcd is to be considered as an individual release, and none of these tracks will be included on any upcoming release.

http://www.sirenia.no/

Band profile:

Sirenia

"The Madders have now completed mixing of the upcoming album, 10 songs done in Fredman studios in Göteborg, 2 songs in Space Valley studios. Right now we're mastering at Strype Audio in Oslo. It's been a long process, but the result will definitely be worth it!
The release date has not yet been set, but we promise to tell you all as soon as we know.

Ås
Next gig up is at Studentsamfunnet i Ås on Friday 5th November. Opening act will be Cynicon, a brilliant band from the Hamar area. Info on tickets will come later.

Inferno in London
The Inferno festival is coming to London, more specifically to Underworld on the 27th January.
Bands: Arcturus, Red Harvest, Madder Mortem and Grimfist.

We'd love to do some more gigs before Christmas, so promoters, please get in touch!"

http://www.maddermortem.com/

Band profile:

Madder Mortem

According to the official band page, the new Darkwell album "METATON" will be finally released on 22nd November 2004.
Also, Darkwell will tour with Atrocity and Leaves' Eyes. "The package will be opened by Finnish Epic Metallers Battlelore!"

http://www.darkwell.org/

Congratulations are in order for Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt and his wife Anna, who became the parents of a baby daughter, Melinda, this past Monday (Sept. 13). It is the couple's first child.

As previously reported, Åkerfeldt has started writing material for the group's next album, tentatively scheduled to be recorded sometime in the early spring of 2005. Opeth are officially free agents as a result of having been dropped by BMG/Zomba after their previous label, Music For Nations, was folded into parent company Zomba Records Group (the world's largest independent music group). The band are looking through new label offers at the moment

Band profile:

Opeth

A quick email just to inform you all that DARGON is not the drummer of NEHËMAH anymore.
Corven & Sorghal have decided to fired him for personnal reasons and they will continue their work as a duo. (Corven was playing drums at the beginning of the band).
NEHËMAH is searching for a session drummer for the future live shows of the band.

If you are free with a good musical level, you can contact Frank of Adipocere and send to him your candidature which will be passed to NEHËMAH.

Ensiferum's second album "Iron" is in stores now. However, there is no album releasing in some countries so if you cannot find the album, ask it from the distributor or your local record dealer.

Ensiferum hasn't yet found a new singer-guitarist, but Petri Lindroos (Norther) has been negotiating with the band if he'd stay as a regular member in the band. It is certain though that Petri is doing the Ensiferum concerts this year.

Source:	ensiferum.com
Band profile:	Ensiferum

The spanish heavy band have set the 27 of sepetember 2004 as the release date of their new album "Apocalipsis".

The album will include 11 tracks and also a DVD with 6 live songs and an interview. Immediately after the release of the album the band will start a tour through Latin America, and after they will be performing in Spain during January 2005.

www.tierra-santa.net

Band profile:

Tierra Santa

Founded back in 1983, the German oldschool thrash metal band Necronomicon has released an album after 9 years that will take you right back to the 80s. The album called Construction of Evil is nothing real innovative, but who cares, it's thrash. The old-school thrash fanatics will be very well pleased with this release.

Tracklist:
1. Stormbringer
2. Fiction
3. Hard pain
4. From hell
5. Alight
6. Paralizer
7. Bone daddy
8. Hills of dead
9. Fireball
10. Terrorist attack
11. Insanity
12. Possessed again
13. Hard pain (livetrack)
14. Insanity (livetrack)
15. Terrorist attack (videotrack)

Line-up:
- Freddy-guitars,vocals
- Axel-drums
- Mac-bass, backing vocals
- Jogi-guitars, backing vocals

Links:
http://www.necronomicon-online.de
http://www.remedyrecords.de

Band profile:

Necronomicon