"Second day in the studio and finally some action.

We actually managed to put one song on tape late last night, but this morning we dicovered some mysterious noise in the background on one channel so we had to ditch it, and get back to it later.

After some morning (11.00 o'clock) coffee we started to record Candlemass next album. We got about 10 songs and we tape them in the same order as we rehearsed them. First the uptemto opener, then the heavy 2:nd track, and after that an ultracool thing with lots of great parts and riffs.

One annoying thing is that we haven't yet nailed a first take. Most songs are second takes but I guess its quite good anyway considering we put both drums and bass on tape at the same time. Did I say tape?? Sorry, I mean harddisc. ProTools got a wonderful new program that now gives you the possibility to do digital drums with a warm great sound. You could't do it before - or even last year - but now.......damn!!!

7 songs were done today, and the rest will be dealt with tomorrow.

Leif Edling (sat nov 27)

After three days behind the legendary round windows of the upstairs studioat Polar, I got a splitting headache. Lots of work preparing the recordings, stress and finally - a whole bunch of total concentration has taken it's toll......I'm dead!!!

You, see, I had to focus really hard to put on a supertight live-bass - normally you put it on afterwards, but I felt I wanted more live feeling. But all songs are recorded with drums and bass, thats the most important thing. And you know, we don't use a clicktrack and therefore the bass must follow the drums through the timechanges in the song. It takes ages to do that sitting comfortably in the studioroom besides the engineer, you sip your coffee, got great sound and monitors.....but it takes time!

So....fuck that, I haven't got the patience!!

Jan did really good today playing some excellent drums in between his usual fooling around, while Lars and Mappe mostly cruised and relaxed with their "supportive" guitars. Those are recorded (and actually sound quite good) to give some guidelines for drums, bass, vocals and solos..... and - the real guitars you put on later. Later.......meaning tomorrow. That will be interesting! And hopefully a day for me without headache.

Leif Edling (sun nov 28)

Four days in the studio and we're ahead of schedule. Unbelievable!!

The monday was booked for bassrepairs and to try different amps for a really good guitar sound. But as there was no need for bassplaying (I'm so fucking good!)

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Band profile:

Candlemass

"In 1984 Saint released on Rotten Records their 6 song EP, WARRIORS OF THE SON. Now 20 years later Saint has returned to the studio and re-recorded the entire album but this time with 2 new songs. THE KILLERS AND THE DESTROYERS as well as THE REAPER. Accoring to Richard Lynch these songs were originally written for the 1984 EP Warriors of the Son, time but money limitations only allow for a 6 songs EP. "This is the way it was suppose to be" says Richard. "Josh Kramers is at the top of his game vocally". This CD is incredible. Now for the first time ever SAINT is offering the full length CD WARRIORS OF THE SON 20th anniversary edition."

http://www.saintsite.com

"HOLY MOSES, the long-running German thrash outfit fronted by Sabina Classen, have signed a new record deal with Armageddon Music. A new studio album is tentatively scheduled for release next spring/summer.

HOLY MOSES' last album, "Disorder of the Order", was released in 2002 via Century Media Records.

Armageddon Music will release the new album worldwide!"

http://www.holymoses.de

"KEKAL is completing their next album 'Acidity'. This album will be some sort of a reunion album as old members Leo and Newbabe will contribute to this album. Also their additional/live guitarist Didi will play on this album. 'Acidity' will be released Q1 2005."

http://www.fear-dark.com

Band profile:

Kekal

"We have found a new drummer in the name of JuanJo, also drummer of celtic black metal band AES DANA. NYDVIND is now rehearsing the songs of the new album. The recording sessions are therefore postponed to Winter 2005."

http://nydvind.free.fr

Band profile:

Nydvind

"Finnish cello-rockers APOCALYPTICA have set "Apocalyptica" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in February 2005.

"In my opinion, our next album comes across like a mixture of 'Reflections' and the group's current live sound," Eicca Toppinen told Finland's Sonera Plaza. "So I think that we are now about to reach the essence of APOCALYPTICA. So that's why we decided to make the new album a self-titled affair."

Last weekend, APOCALYPTICA travelled to Tallinn, Estonia to shoot the second video off the new CD, "Life Burns". The track features lead vocals and lyrics by THE RASMUS singer Lauri Ylönen, who also appears in the clip.

"The song was written about the thin line between life and death," Lauri explained. "It's not a political song in any way, but when I was writing it, I pictured burning towers and other horrible disasters in my head."

APOCALYPTICA's first single off the new album, "Bittersweet", is scheduled for release on November 29 via Universal.

"Bittersweet" is described as "a dark ballad" that features fellow-countrymen Ylönen and Ville Valo from H.I.M. on vocals.

APOCALYPTICA members Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso appeared alongside Lauri and Ville in the video for "Bittersweet", shot in the band's hometown Helsinki and directed by renowned finish director Antti Jokinen (NIGHTWISH, CELINE DION, SHANIA TWAIN). View the video at this location (http://www.apocalyptica.com/releases/index.php) .

As previously reported, SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo will be guesting on "Apocalyptica" on a song called "Betrayal". The track, which is described by APOCALYPTICA's Perttu Kivilaakso as a "really fast, thrash metal-influenced song," will mark the second time Lombardo has played on an APOCALYPTICA CD, having previously performed on "Reflections".

Lombardo recorded the drum tracks for "Betrayal" at Finnvox studios in Helsinki when SLAYER's "Unholy Alliance" tour hit Finland in October.

APOCALYPTICA and Lombardo have known each other since 1998 when Lombardo played the "Mandatory Suicide"/"South of Heaven" medley with APOCALYPTICA at Holland's Headbanger's Heaven festival.

With regards to the band's touring plans, Toppinen told Sonera Plaza, "I guess we will play some dates in North America during March 2005. And we will probably play in South by Southwest in Austin, too. All in all, I hope that we will play about a hundred shows next year."

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Band profile:

Apocalyptica

This the statement that appears in both Shadows Gallery and InsideOut Websites:

"InsideOutMusic is happy and proud to announce the latest addition to the ever growing InsideOut family of artists: SHADOW GALLERY.

SHADOW GALLERY - one of the pioneers of the Progressive Power Metal Genre - are currently recording the anticipated follow up to their last studio album "Legacy". The new album, going under the working title of "Room Five" is the fifth album from this well respected American six piece. All of their albums are considered to be classics amongst fans of this type of music and their new concept album, which will be a continuation of the "Tyranny" story, will no doubt be heralded as the welcome return of SHADOW GALLERY.

This is what guitarist Gary Wehrkamp says about signing to InsideOut and the upcoming album: "As we begin to approach the later stages of recording, we are finding ourselves excited about our upcoming release. We remained quite busy after our last record, but took some time to team up with InsideOut, noting how much respect they had for their bands and visa-versa. I believe they are a good vehicle for our upcoming disc and look forward to working with them. We are ready to put some new music back in the hands of progressive rock fans this spring."

"We are glad, to finally have the chance to work with these guys. I bought their first album when it came out and have been a fan of the band ever since!" says InsideOut managing director Thomas Waber."

www.shadowgallery.com
www.insideout.de

That's the message that was published in their site:

"Here's the plan: write and record a new album in the fall, release it in early 2005 then hit the road in the Spring and take the sHeavy rock n' roll show across North America. With some luck, and a little label support, we'll see you in Europe too!!"

http://www.sheavy.com/

"You're hearing it here first, Swarmers! The Hollow is shaking up the music biz again. The band has just announced that they will be releasing a new 5-song EP titled "Ab Gehenna" that will ONLY be available via download. No CDs, no retail...period. Starting in December, you will be able to buy this EP online at thehollow.ca and in the Swarm Store.

As if that weren't enough turmoil, The Hollow also announced that they will be launching their digital-only EP in style by offering it for download at an iPod Download Station in merch booths on their December cross-Canada tour."

www.swarmtheory.com

"Since a couple of days Peavy, Victor and Mike are on European tour again, celebrating their band anniversary together with their fans. Peavy writes a tour diary, which you will find at the "Live" section together with live photos from the shows. Every 3-4 days we will update the report".

Also, in the beginning of February 2005 Rage will play 2 concerts in Japan.
05.02.2005 J Osaka Club-Quattro
06.02.2005 J Tokyo Club-Quattro

For more info, check out their website:
http://www.rage-on.de/

Band profile:

Rage

FINNISH METAL EXPO - Helsinki, Kaapelitehdas, January 28-29.2005

- Finnish Metal Expo gathers consumers, musicians and businesses under the same roof
- Hilselinko seeks for the most interesting new metal talent in Finland
- International Metal Meeting is a professional event for the industry

Among the bands announced for live shows are the following:
Tarot
Sonata Arctica
Mnemic (DEN)
Finntroll
Machine Men
Total Devastation
Callisto
Godsplague
Pain Confessor
Purity
Hevein
The Scourger

For more info, visit the official page of the event:
http://www.fme.fi

In a update on their website we found that "The third album Difference is now mixed and mastered", also it was previously posted the tracklist of the album, that is as follow:

Lost souls
Wings of Icaros
New life
Lucid times
the Mirror
World*s child
Sail away
Fly
Secret door
We are one
Green fields
Powerplay (Bonus)

http://www.dreamtale.net

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Band profile:

Dreamtale

Sweden's Dark Tranquillity have revealed the track listing and artwork for their new album, "Character", due in Europe on January 24 and North America on January 25 via Century Media Records. The band recently released an EP, entitled "Lost to Apathy", as a teaser for the upcoming full-length. It includes four songs, a video-clip (for the title track) and a screensaver.

"Character" (view cover here ) track listing:

01. The New Build
02. Through Smudged Lenses
03. Out of Nothing
04. The Endless Feed
05. Lost to Apathy
06. Mind Matters
07. One Thought
08. Dry Run
09. Am I 1?
10. Senses Tied
11. My Negation

Speaking to Portugal's LOUD! magazine recently, Dark Tranquillity frontman Mikael Stanne said about the upcoming CD, "The album is very diverse. There are songs that are heavier, other ones that are much more complex and a couple of others that are really fast. Overall I feel it's more varied and also much angrier, the whole thing just fells different. We wanted to make an album that wasn't that easy? We don't want people to listen to one of our records today and think it sounds great, just to forget about it two weeks later. We tried to do something that sticks with the listener, which they can explore over a long period of time. I personally haven't got tired of it yet, so I think we managed to do it pretty well ? we didn't want to be too obvious with this one. It was actually kind of a conscious effort to do it this way? We love music with a progressive edge and we played around with these songs for months, worked every little detail to make it as interesting as possible to play."

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Source:	blabbermouth.net
Band profile:	Dark Tranquillity

Launch Radio Networks is reporting that BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi and occasional collaborator Glenn Hughes are recording a new album, which they hope to release in 2005. Iommi told Launch that the pair ? who recently released some recordings they made together in 1996 ? will resume working in December and finish early in the New Year. Sanctuary Records will release the album, and Iommi and Hughes hope to tour in support of it.

Kenny Aronoff ? whose credits include JOHN MELLENCAMP, JOHN FOGERTY, SMASHING PUMPKINS, MELISSA ETHERIDGE, and MICHELLE BRANCH, among others ? is playing drums for the project.

Hughes, a former member of TRAPEZE and DEEP PURPLE, sang on the 1986 album "Seventh Star", which began as an Iommi solo album but was billed, at the record company's insistence, as "BLACK SABBATH featuring Tony Iommi."

Iommi and Hughes recently issued "The 1996 DEP Sessions", featuring eight tracks recorded at DEP Studios in Birmingham, England, which is owned by the reggae band UB40.

Source:

Blabbermouth

FOZZY, the band featuring vocalist Chris Jericho (of WWE wrestling fame) and members of STUCK MOJO, will release their third album, "All That Remains", in Europe on January 18, 2005 via SPV Records.

"All That Remains" was produced by Rick Beato (SHINEDOWN, CHARLIE MARS, INGRAM HILL) and features guest performances by guitar legends Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY), Marty Friedman (ex-MEGADETH), and Mark Tremonti (CREED, ALTER BRIDGE). Gold-record-selling rap artist BONE CRUSHER also makes a special guest appearance on the record.

"All That Remains" is the follow-up to 2002's "Happenstance", which was released through Megaforce Records.

Source:

Blabbermouth