Polish death metallers Vader have posted the following message on their official web site:

"As you might know, in 2007 Vader won't appear on any regular European tour. Instead of this, the band is going to play on some summer festivals. The band's appearance at Wacken Open Air (Germany), Kaltenbach Festival (Austria) and Party.San (Germany) have been already confirmed. Apart from that, at the beginning of March Vaderis going to play a short tour of Japan (together with Brutal Truth). Afterwards panzermachine will appear on their first Australian tour (which is pre-scheduled to take place in April or June) and play the tour in Russia, Belorus, the Ukraine and Baltic countries. At the beginning of September Vader kick off the second part of Polish Blitzkrieg 4 Tour, invading such places like Rzeszów, Bialystok, Zielona Góra, Poznan and many more.

"In 2008 Vader will celebrate the 25th anniversary. On that occasion in March 2007 the band will enter Hertz Studio to re-record 25 best songs from their entire discography. These songs will be released on band's special jubilee album. The release will also feature tons of DVD bonuses like archival recordings, live shows, videoclips and some other specials. Jaroslaw Szubrycht, well-known Polish journalist (who has recently finished a book about Slayer) will write a biography of Vader. More details will follow soon."

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Source:	vader.pl
Band profile:	Vader

A new live video of Satyricon at Klubben in Stockholm, Sweden during the European "Tour Diabolical" (21/11-06) can be viewed here: Windows Media Video High, Windows Media Video Medium, Windows Media Video Low.

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Source:	roadrunnerrecords.co.uk
Band profile:	Satyricon

Marshall Law regret to announce that drummer Pete Hunt has left the band by mutual consent. Pete has made a valuable contribution and leaves Marshall Law on excellent personal terms and with the band's best wishes. The band are currently completing the forthcoming album on schedule but any interested UK based drummers who are within commuting distance to Birmingham should contact the band at vacancies@marshalllaw.co.uk, typing the word DRUMMER in the subject field.

Source:	marshalllaw.co.uk
Band profile:	Marshall Law

Andy C. has left Dark Moor due to incompatibility with his other musical projects. Dark Moor thank him for all the work and support dedicated to the band, and wish him good luck in his future musical career.

Roberto Cappa is announced the new drummer of Dark Moor. Roberto is from Madrid and he is an experimented live and studio performer.
He used to play in the spanish metal band Anima Sola.

Dark Moor have also recently signed a deal with Italy's Scarlet Records.
The group's new album, "Tarot", is said to be "an intriguing" conceptual effort about the major arcanes of the tarot, covering in depth the meaning of each arcane and the esoteric halo that surrounds it. Production duties were once again handled by renowed producer Luigi Stefanini (Rhapsody, Labirynth, Vision Divine). The impressive artwork was created by Derek Gores (Edguy, Kamelot).

The album will be out in late February/early March 2007
the complete tracklist is now available:

01 - The Magician
02 - The Chariot
03 - The Star
04 - Wheel Of Fortune
05 - The Emperor
06 - Devil In The Tower
07 - Death
08 - Lovers
09 - The Hanged Man
10 - The Moon

Source:	dark-moor.com
Band profile:	Dark Moor

Earache Records have issued the following update on UK based progressive blackened death metallers Akercocke:

Akercocke are gearing up for the recording of their fifth album. The suited ones plan to commence recording at their very own Goat of Mendes Studios in December.

Frontman Jason Mendonca describes the new material as "...a logical development from "Words That Go Unspoken". We are continuing to enhance and highlight the dynamics in our music. The contrast between light and shade is stronger in places although in essence, our new work promises to be our most violent. Expect hyperblast speeds that will shame the pretenders. Bludgeoning primitive death grooves, rancorous hate filled black metal and teutonic thrash assaults all seared with swathes of mind shredding electronica and dark, ancient textures."

Akercocke's last album, Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone, was released on Earache in 2005. The forthcoming album to be released in May, 2007 will be the band's third with Earache Records.

Source:	earache.com
Band profile:	Akercocke

The Canadian death metallers have posted the following message on their official web site:

"All the planets have aligned... The time has come to undertake one of the longest tour runs in our career, that will take the Kataklysm machine in over twenty two countries in five months, visiting three continents and playing - if we're still alive and not too abused after over a hundred shows in the first half of 2007. We started rehersing a long, effective and killer set list with absolutely no filler tracks. We will also be visiting some songs that we haven't played in awhile from five or six albums ago. We promise an explosive show like you haven't seen before from Kataklysm. We look forward to revisiting our old friends and playing the new countries that are planned and shaking the hands of our fans who have waited to see Kataklysm for so long. We come prepared, the question is... Are you??

All the best to everyone and enjoy your holidays. See ya next year!"
-Maurizio

Kataklysm has confirmed:

- January 2007: "Road to Devastation tour"
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, Holland, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Denmark, Czech Republic

- February/March 2007: "Trendkiller tour"
USA & Canada (coast to coast)

- April 2007: "Devastation Down Under"
Australia & New Zealand

-May 2007: "Road to Devastation II"
UK, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Norway, France

Kataklysm is undergoing negotiations at the moment and is expected to also include the following next year: Iceland, Russia & South America

Source:	kataklysm.net
Band profile:	Kataklysm
Event:	Kataklysm: The Road To Devastation Tour

Amon Amarth and Powermad have been confirmed for next year's installment of the Bang Your Head!!! festival, set to take place June 22-23, 2007 at Messegelände in Balingen, Germany. Here is the festival's billing (Alphabetical order) :

Amon Amarth
Brainstorm
Edguy
Evergrey
Finntroll
Girlschool
Mercenary
Mystic Prophecy
Nazareth
Powermad
Praying Mantis
Steelheart
Thunder

Source:	bang-your-head.de
Band profile:	Amon Amarth
Event:	Bang Your Head!!! 2007

On Saturday January 13, LL-Metal organises LL-Metal Fest at La Louvière, Belgium. Bands playing on the festival billing are Dagoba, Aborted, Mystica, Lyzanxia, Unleash The Fury, Valkyre, Innerfire, Outcast and Suicide Of Demons.
More info about LL-Metal Fest can be found here.

On Friday December 22, a pre-listening metal party will be held at Taverne Du Théatre (Place Communal, La Louvière) with of course music from all bands playing at the LL-Metal Fest some weeks later. The event starts at 6pm. Entrance is totally free, plus there are also a lot of gifts to win!

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Source:	ll-metal.com
Event:	LL-Metal Fest: Pre-Listening Metal Party

Vader and Belphegor have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Party.San Open Air festival, set to take place August 9-11, 2007 in Bad Berka, Germany. The festival billing is shaping up as follows (alphabetical order):

Belphegor
Bewitched
Disaster K.F.W.
Haemorhage
Melechesh
Taake
Vader

Source:	party-san.net
Band profile:	Vader
Event:	Party.San Open Air Festival

German technical death metallers, Necrophagist will embark on a Headlining Tour throughout Europe starting February 2007. Direct support duties will be taken over by Misery Index, Coldworker (Ex-Nasum) and Burning Skies. The first dates of the Carving Europe's Epitaph Tour Vol. II are as follows:

Feb. 08 - DE - Trier @ Exhaus
Feb. 10 - DE - Essen @ Turock, Essen Death Feast
Feb. 11 - DE - Flensburg @ Roxy
Feb. 14 - SE - Stockholm @ Klubben
Feb. 15 - SE - Gothenburg @ Musikens Hus
Feb. 16 - DE - Berlin @ K17
Feb. 17 - DE - Leipzig @ Conne Island
Feb. 20 - AT - Wien @ Arena
Feb. 21 - DE - Muenchen @ Feierwerk
Feb. 22 - IT - Roncade @ New Age Club
Feb. 23 - CH - Oberentfelden @ Boroem Poem Poem

Source:	necrophagist.de
Band profile:	Necrophagist
Event:	Necrophagist: Carving Europe's Epitaph Tour

Taken from a recent MySpace blog written by singer Mikael Stanne:

"I can´t believe it....We made it! It´s done and there is nothing I can do about it. Just got back from the studio where everything is now shipped off to Denmark where Tue Madsen will perform his magicky magic on the things we´ve been working on these last 7 weeks.

I just finished the last vocal lines a couple of days ago and it feels sweet. As always with recordings there is alot of stress and selfdoubt but being in a more than familiar environment in Martins studio(Rogue) has helped tremendously. The recordings have not only been smooth and focused but the overall feeling that we are creating something amazing has really driven us through this.

It turned out so different and diverse that the hardest thing for me now is to find a suitable title for the whole thing. How can i sum up in a title something that is everything and nothing, grounded and out there, intorvert and extra-terrestial all at the same time?

Well, keep watching this space and I will let you know soon enough.

Right now I am just so glad it´s done. Anders did a fantastic job grinding and beating (off) in the studio, Micke has delivered some really crushing bass, Martin and Niklas have really outdone themselves with great riffs and truly outstanding solos and Martin B has poured alot of misery and anxiety into his soundscapes.

Now all we do is wait for the mix, and this being our first time mixing out of house so to speak we are really excited to hear what the hell we´ve been up to!"

Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Dark Tranquillity

Blaze Bayley played Saturday night at Hard Rock Cafe Gran Canaria.
It was so full that many fans were outside and could not get in to see Blaze sing. The Hard Rock Cafe of Gran Canaria and Blaze Bayley have decided to do another concert on Saturday December 2nd for all those fans that could not get into the first one. The entry will be free!!!
There will be a special t-shirt which will be free to every one that buys one of the new cocktails called the Blazebayley, which the Hard Rock Cafe Gran Canaria are developing specialy for the show on the 2nd of December.

Bayley said: "I was blown away by the reaction of the fans, its the first time I have ever sang on the island and the fans were incredable. It was such a shame that so many people were left outside we decided to do another one. The only difference will be that Luca will be here with me working on songs for the new Blaze album so we can play all our own Blaze stuff and a few of my old songs from Iron Maiden. I just cant wait..."

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Source:	planetblaze.com
Band profile:	Blaze Bayley
Event:	Blaze Bayley

Ayreon the brainchild of Dutch guitarist Arjen Lucassen, has posted the following message on its official web site:

Finally, we are able to bring you some news about Arjen's next recording project. At the end of September 2006, Arjen's new studio was finished and ready to use. The very next day, Arjen went in with his trusted little tape recorder, and papers with dozens of song ideas that he'd been working on for the past year.

He has been in his studio nearly every day (and night) since then, getting the ideas translated into songs. The musical ideas are so extremely varied that only one project could possibly hold them all: Ayreon.

Arjen has already been in contact with some very interesting and talented people to help create a new dimension of the Ayreon Universe. Of course, we'll keep you informed on Arjen's progress over the next months!

Source:	ayreon.com
Band profile:	Ayreon

There are many fake profiles at MySpace.com of people pretending to be members of Children Of Bodom. There are many fake accounts of Alexi at myspace. Janne, Roope and Jaska don't have official accounts at myspace either. Please don't get fooled by this. So far there is only one official Children Of Bodom profile at myspace:
http://myspace.com/childrenofbodom

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Source:	cobhc.com
Band profile:	Children Of Bodom

A new live DVD by Heavy Metallers Rage will be released next year. It will be a double DVD set, one with live footage and the other with bonus material. The DVD will be entitled 'Full Moon In St. Petersburg' as the concert to be featured on the DVD was the band playing in St. Petersburg, Russia, in front of almost 20,000 viewers in May 2006. The last two video clips on the DVD will be a TV recording in Brazil and parts of the show Rage recorded on "Masters of Rock" festival 2006 in Tschechien.

The second DVD of bonus material contains a documentary of the different days on the Russian tour. Also, there will be more live clips and another documentary, this time detailing Rage's last European tour, with 'on the road' and backstage material. Every band member has some documentaries of their own as well. Victor's racing sport and his solo presentations, Peavy about his ice age bone collection and his newest avocation, the casting of skulls, and Mike has administered a short drum workshop and his latest drum solo.

The first edition will be available in a special steelbook with 2 DVD's + the audio CD of the concert, but also available as a DVD or audio CD seperately.

The cover for the DVD can be seen here. The artwork is again designed by Anthony Clarkson, who was already responsible for the 'Speak Of The Dead' cover.

The DVD is set for a 23rd of February, 2007 release through Nuclear Blast.

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Source:	rage-on.de
Band profile:	Rage