The keyboarder Lando Van Gils is no longer a member of After Forever.
A new keyboarder is announced, Joost Van Den Broeck (ex- Sun Caged).

Band profile:

After Forever

In Flames were confirmed to appear on stage with Metallica and Slipknot on June 16th at the Weserstadion in Bremen, Germany!

Band profile:

In Flames

A new single from power metallers german power metallers, Edguy.. Take your time and read through the original article below, taken from massive label Nuclear Blast's homepage. Tracklisting included..

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Have you ever asked yourself how it might be crashing down on an airplane? And how it would be making love to a stewardess at the same time? Not? Well, then you should go and buy EDGUY's new single "Lavatory Love Machine" to find out more about it! In this "happy" song, taken from the current full length album "Hellfire Club", Tobias Sammet and his crazy bunch sing about this 'splendiferous' happening, packed in a bouquet of fluffily, catchy melodies and loads of fun. If you listen to this song, we guarantee you'll be in good spirits!

EDGUY's longplayer "Hellfire Club" worked out very well in the European charts so far - the album reached high positions in Sweden (# 6), Finland (# 22), Germany (# 26), Hungary (# 35), Austria (# 69) and Switzerland (# 81). Thereby EDGUY also got invited to several TV shows, e.g. the German Mc Donald's Chart Show on PRO 7 where they showed a brilliant performance!

EDGUY commenced as a schoolmate's band in 1992, playing traditional metal. Mainly intended to be a reaction against Grunge music, which was incredibly popular at the time, the fourteen year old friends made their first musical steps covering songs from their favourite bands DEEP PURPLE, KISS, AC/DC and IRON MAIDEN, but soon switched over to do their own thing.
After almost five years, filled with attempts to attract attention of a record company, AFM Records finally gave EDGUY the chance to prove themselves. Between 1997 and 2003, EDGUY released five studio albums, each one an improvement from the predecessor, and parallel to that melioration the band gained more and more fans. Especially the fresh and saucy spirit of EDGUY and their simpatico singer Tobias Sammet - live permanently fooling around - extended the band's popularity very quickly. And within only a few years, EDGUY got known as one of the most entertaining acts on stage.
"Mandrake" in 2001 became the band's "big hit": Brimmed with charming melodies, powerful riffs and great refrains to sing along, the record entered the top 20 in several European charts and led to EDGUY's first big headliner tour which took them to 23 countries on four continents (Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and the USA). The tour lasted more than a year and bestowed EDGUY absolute success all over the world.

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Band profile:

Edguy

From Ayreon web page:

"Due to the huge chart success of Ayreon - The Human Equation, we are happy to announce the next single to be released is an alternative version of 'Day Sixteen: Loser' called 'Loser'. It will be the so-called 'Star One version'. Joost van den Broek (Star One, After Forever) and Arjen Lucassen battle it out in a true-to-form keyboard versus guitar battle, with electric violin by Robert Baba thrown in for good measure. Also Peter Vink (Star One) recorded new bass guitar especially for the single. And Ed Warby added some extra 'zing' to his performance also.

Of course, there will also be some really special bonus tracks to make this single even more worth your while to get! More information to come!

Release dates to be announced."

Source:	ayreon.com
Band profile:	Ayreon

BATHORY mastermind Tomas "Quorthon" Forsberg was found dead in his apartment in Stockholm, Sweden on Monday, June 7, informed sources have confirmed to BLABBERMOUTH.NET. The 39-year-old son of Black Mark Records owner Börje Forsberg, long considered one of black metal's founders, died of an apparent heart failure. More information as it becomes available.

Source:	blabbermouth.net
Band profile:	Bathory

Swedish thrash metal titans THE HAUNTED have signed a worldwide multiple-album deal with Century Media Records. The band has already completed work on their highly anticipated, yet still untitled, fourth album, which will be released this fall. It will undoubtedly prove once again why Kerrang! labeled the band as "the single greatest exponents of balls-out metal in the world."

Commented guitarist Anders Björler, "We are happy to have chosen Century Media for the next couple of albums. CM is a legendary metal label, and we feel strongly they'll support us in the best way possible."

Phil Hinkle, director of A&R for Century Media America, added, "It's an honor to be working with THE HAUNTED, and they make our already outstanding roster that much more stellar." Leif Jensen, A&R manager for Century Media Europe, said, "Personally and professionally, we look forward to leading this great band to full worldwide success. Their time is now!"

Recorded at Gothenburg's famed Studio Fredman (In Flames, Dimmu Borgir, Arch Enemy) with co-producers Patrik J. Steen and Fredrik Nordström and mixed at Denmark's Antfarm Studio by Tue Madsen, the album features such cuts as "All Against All," "99," "Who Will Decide" (featuring a guest appearance by Sick Of It All vocalist Lou Koller) and "Burnt To A Shell." THE HAUNTED also have a new addition to the fold, as original vocalist Peter Dolving, who crushed on the group's genre-defining self-titled debut release, returns with a vengeance.

Regarding Dolving's return and the new album, Björler said, "It's nice to have Dolving back in the band. He's energitic, hardworking and had thousands of fresh musical ideas upon his return. We look forward to what the future will hold for us as a band. After having recorded this new album, I feel confident it will work out extremely well. Be on the look out for something really powerful this fall."

Band profile:

The Haunted

STEEL PROPHET guitarist Steve Kachinsky has posted the following update at the band's official website:

"Hey All Steelheads, the album (Beware) is finally finished! Begun on March 5th, and completed May 18th, 2004. Cover art should be posted soon on our web site (www.steelprophet.com). It's going to be interesting to us to hear the criticism for this record as it's the first with Nadir (D'Priest - vocals) and also my first engineering job for the band. Of note; all my solos and a bunch of rhythm tracks were recorded with a broken middle finger on my fretting hand. The finger may need surgery in the future and I'll hear more about that later, so for the time being no gigs are planned. Hopefully everything can be worked out soon and we can hit the road. From first listens people have said the album has maybe our catchiest collection of songs ever; hope they're not lying! The album will be out June 28th in Europe, Canada and Australia through Massacre Records. We'll announce very soon more details on the different versions of the album, as well as our newly signed licensing deals for USA and South America."

Band profile:

Steel Prophet

Norway's THEATRE OF TRAGEDY will play an exclusive show at the Checkpoint Charlie rock club in Stavanger, Norway on Saturday, June 19. This will be the group's first show in two years and will mark the live debut of THEATRE OF TRAGEDY's as-yet-undisclosed new singer. The band are expected to perform both old material as well as new, unreleased songs.

Band profile:

Theatre Of Tragedy

From the Neurosis web site:

- Neurosis new album "The Eye Of Every Storm" will be released on Neurot Recordings (North America) and Relapse Records (world) on June 29, 2004. Neurot Recordings will also release the album on 180-gram vinyl with a gatefold sleeve and a poster insert.

- Neurosis will make a special live appearance in San Francisco, CA, on July 21, 2004, at the Great American Music Hall.

"The Imaginary Direction of Time" has been out in the US for almost a month. It is doing really well and it has hosted some spectacular reviews.

In true tradition, at the time of this release we are already far into the writing process of our next album. We are about half way done with the basic compositions so far, and the material we're working on is without doubt the most different from anything we've ever done.

Lastly, we would like to offer to our European fans our sincere apologies for the fact that the album is still not available in Europe. We do have in place a distribution agreement with Plastic Head Records and they are working dilligently on getting the album ready for a European release very soon. We appreciate your patience and promise that it will be worth the wait.

Band profile:

Winds

Soooo...Trym has just completed a month long US tour with Satyricon as a replacement for Frost. Zyklon actually performed one show in north of Norway with Frost while he was away. During this time Samoth has actively been working on pre-production for some new material and now that Trym is back home the band can get started on rehearsing new ideas.

Zyklon will be playing at the Party San Open Air festival in Germany on the 13th of August, and as of now this is the only confirmed show this summer. The band will focus on the new material in the next months, so there will be less activity on the live front for a while. It is, of course, very unfortunate that the band was never able to secure a US tour in connection with "Aeon", but hopefully next time! However, the "Psyklon Aeon" video should be hitting the US airways anytime now!

There might be some DVD material available soon too. The band was filmed at this year's Inferno Festival and it looks like there might be a festival DVD. More news to follow! Ok folks, that's it for now. Enjoy the summer!

Band profile:

Zyklon

Hello friends....I know this LONG overdue....I thank you for your patience!

So, here's an attempt to update you on the progress of Legend Part III:II....

After 3 years of a grueling "pre-production" process and a 6 month sabbatical to produce "LID2002," the principal recording of Legend Part III:II finally began last October here in California! The past 6 months have been "interesting" to say the least! ; ) Joshua and I began the process of recording all midi based material on October 15th....our production schedule was based on a 60 day recording plan....ALL orchestral-percussion programming/FX/samples/segues would be recorded over a 60 day production
schedule ("phase 1" of recording). 60 days = 2 months....right? Well, not
really....not if you are only able to work together on the weekends due to
numerous "other" responsibilities and work schedules during the week....
60 days now = 6 months....just do the math! ; )

After our first weekend of production in mid October, our second weekend had
to be canceled abruptly due to the California fires which broke out that week!
The enormous Waterman Canyon fire which devastated and consumed over
1000 homes, burned within less than 200 yards of the studio....the entire area
was evacuated....needles to say, we nearly lost the production before it ever
really got started....fortunately, that was NOT the case and we were able to
resume production a few weeks later....how's that for "dodging an arrow?" ; )

As scheduled, after six months we have completed "phase 1" of recording and
we're gearing up for "phase 2" which begins next Saturday (May 1st) in Sweden!
Providing that my plane does not plummet into the Atlantic Ocean, ; ) I will arrive
in Sweden next Friday (April 30th). That evening, I will perform a few songs on
stage with Narnia, return with CJG to his home and most likely, drop dead from
from exhaustion due to the fact that I will have probably been awake for nearly
36 hours at that point! ; ) "Phase 2" of recording will begin the following day....

"Phase 2" will be the most intense, the most elaborate and most crucial part of
the recording for this album....your prayers are VERY welcome! ; ) During my
3 1/2 weeks in Sweden, we will be recording drums, guitars and lead vocals!
On May 27th, I will fly from Sweden to Germany in order to record the choral
arrangements in Wurzburg before returning home to California on May 31st!

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Band profile:

Saviour Machine

Century Media is releasing a 2CD best of collection from ICED EARTH called The Blessed And The Damned on July 27th.

The album features 23 remastered tracks (over two hours of material) with two different album covers. IE leader Jon Schaffer talks about each song in the 20 page booklet that's included in the package.

Band profile:

Iced Earth

Prog-metallers SYMPHONY X are preparing to enter the studio to write their next CD, according to a posting on the group's official web site. The band "will be giving bi-weekly (or so) studio reports with news and pictures as the writing process progresses."

Besides, SYMPHONY X guitarist Michael Romeo will be sharing his knowledge and skills this summer (July 26-30) with the students at the National Guitar Workshop in New Milford, CT. Located in various cities throughout the country, this intense summer music program is geared to students of virtually all ages and offers courses in guitar, drums, keyboard, bass, vocals and more. For more information visit www.guitarworkshop.com

Band profile:

Symphony X

As a tease for their upcoming epic metal album Symphony Of Enchanted Lands Part 2 - The Dark Secret, due out this September through SPV, RHAPSODY will release an EP entitled The Dark Secret this summer. Guitarist Luca Turilli and keyboardist Alex Staropoli claim to have invented a new kind of metal with the album, dubbing it Film Score Metal.

The massive production, led by Turilli and Staropoli, was done in several studios throughout Europe, in England, Italy, the Czech Republic, Belgium and Germany. Supported by appearances by more than a dozen international guest soloists and the entire Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra from the Czech Republic, a 50 piece choir, and actor Christopher Lee, Turilli and Staropoli believe they've reached a new milestone in the realms of symphomic metal.

"It is a dream come true. We couldn't believe it when our management informed us that our hero Mr. Lee agreed to be part of our new CD," says Turilli. "We are extremely thankful and honoured that this outstanding legend of film and theatre has chosen to work with us."

"Mr.Lee indeed brought reality to our vision and dreams," adds Staropoli. "It was pure magic and his narrations is just magnificent and truly majestic."

Among other well known narrators and London actors, Lee will guide the listeners in the role of a king through The dark Secret saga. The following is a portion Lee's narrative:

"It was a good time for all creatures of the earth, but fate decreed that the dark prophecy of a demon knight could bring a tragic end to this peace scarring their lives forever. Shortly before his defeat in the last of the primordial wars between the heavens and hells the evil son of the Hell God Kron, known as Nekron, withdrew to his lair in the underworld. There, sensing his impending death, he inscribed a testament of pure evil in seven black books. One by one six of these books were discovered through out the ages, however the seventh, last and most terrible of all contained the secret of his resurrection. He commanded seven immortal demons to carry out his dark plan. But they were turned into stone by the angels of the crystal realms. And so his dreams slept with them until a time came when the forces of evil would usurp the earth. Nekron would rule in the unholy name of cosmic chaos. And this time he would reign supreme!"

The EP contains four non-album tracks, such as the raw and heavy 'Thunder's Mighty Roar', the english version of 'Guardians Of Destiny', and a remix of the song 'Non Ho Sonno', originally composed by the band GOBLIN for a movie by the famous Italian director Dario Argento. The limited edition includes a DVD that will contain exclusive interviews, behind the scenes material and a special video done by an Italian fan based on the Emerald Sword Saga, as well as a 5.1 surround sound mix of the track 'Unholy Warcry'.

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Band profile:

Rhapsody