The Bay Area thrashers Heathen are back with a new album that includes covers of Queen, Thin Lizzy and others, songs from Opiate of the masses demo, and a new song called "In Memory of..." that is dedicated to a former band member and his girlfriend as well as David White's brother.

The release is scheduled for march 31, 2004. The album will be called "RECOVERED", the track list is as follow:

01. Death On Two Legs
02. Holy War
03. In Memory Of...
04. Hellbound
05. Eye Of The Storm
06. Hypnotized
07. Opiate Of The Masses
08. Timeless Cell
09. Mercy Is No Virtue

Also the band is working in new material for what will be their next album in the near future. A DVD is ready to go out, that includes a new video, pictures, interviews and more.

For more info go to www.heatheninc.com

Band profile:

Heathen

Swedish thrashers CARNAL FORGE have completed work on their brand-new, as-yet-untitled album, tentatively due in June through Century Media (Europe and USA) and Soundholic (Japan). 12 songs were mixed at Studio Underground for the follow-up to last year's "The More You Suffer", with the new material being described by guitarist Jari Kuusisto as " up from where the last album stopped. The new songs are a little bit more aggressive, but all of you that liked our previous albums won't get disappointed." The group's studio diary and photos can be viewed at this location: http://www.carnalforge.com/cf5_rec_diary.asp

The tentative track listing for the album (in no particular order) is as follows:

01. Decades Of Despair
02. Burn Them Alive
03. Waiting For Sundown
04. The Strength Of Misery
05. My Suicide
06. Ruler Of Your Blood
07. The Final Hour
08. Exploding Veins
09. Inhuman
10. Sacred Flame
11. Gods Enemy No.1
12. Totally Worthless

As previously reported, CARNAL FORGE recently completed work on their DVD containing footage from their January 2004 show in Krakow, Poland and clips from "The 2003 Metal Gods Tour" in New York and "Extreme Bleeding Japan Tour 2003" in Tokyo. A May release is expected.

Band profile:

Carnal Forge

Earache Records will be issuing a "best of" collection from legendary U.K. grindcore band CARCASS on May 17. Titled "Choice Cuts", the compilation contains over 20 tracks, including two full Peel Sessions broadcast back in 1989 and 1990. It also features a comprehensive booklet including an in-depth interview with drummer Ken Owen.

"Choice Cuts" track listing:

01. Genital Grinder
02. Maggot Colony
03. Exhume to Consume
04. Swarming Vulgar Mass of Infected Virulency
05. Tools of The Trade
06. Corporeal Jigsore Quandary
07. Incarnate Solvent Abuse
08. Buried Dreams
09. No Love Lost
10. Heartwork
11. Keep on Rotting in The Free World
12. R**k the Vote
13. This Is Your Life
14. Crepitating Bowel Erosion (Peel Session, Jan. 2, 1989)
15. Slash Dementia (Peel Session, Jan. 2, 1989)
16. Cadaveric Incubator of Endoparasites (Peel Session, Jan. 2, 1989)
17. Reek of Putrefaction (Peel Session, Jan. 2, 1989)
18. Empathological Necrotism (Peel Session, Dec. 16, 1990)
19. Foeticide (Peel Session, Dec. 16, 1990)
20. Fermenting Innards (Peel Session, Dec. 16, 1990)
21. Exhume to Consume (Peel Session, Dec. 16, 1990)

View Cover here: http://www.earache.com/images/cd_covers/mosh220.jpg

Band profile:

Carcass

AYREON, the brainchild of Dutch guitarist Arjen Lucassen (ex-BODINE, VENGEANCE), have posted the cover artwork for the "Limited Deluxe" edition of their latest CD, "Ayreon: The Human Equation", here.

"Ayreon: The Human Equation" is due in Europe on May 24 through InsideOut Music. The U.S. will receive the album one day later (May 25). Release dates for other countries will follow shortly. A single containing the radio edit of the song "Day Eleven: Love" plus the full album track "Day Two: Isolation" will precede the album.

In other news, AYREON have announced the "The Human Equation pre-release party" on Sunday, April 18, from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. at Stairway to Heaven in Utrecht, the Netherlands. "There will be a special preview of the album, a showing 'Behind the Scenes' documentary from 'The Human Equation' bonus DVD," according to a post on AYREON's web site. "You can buy the single and all sorts of other stuff before it hits the stores and pre-order the album on the spot!"

Also on the Lucassen-related front, Arjen has agreed to perform "Valley of the Queens" (which originally appeared on AYREON's 1998 release, "Into the Electric Castle") once more with sisters Floor (AFTER FOREVER) and Irene Jansen (KARMA) live. This performance will be part of Floor Jansen's graduation project for the Rock Academy, as she will be the support act for AFTER FOREVER on April 17 at 013 in Tilburg.

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Ayreon

In an interview with Electricbasement.com, EDGUY guitarist Jens Ludwig explained where the band's odd name came from, "No meaning. We were just very young when we formed this band," he said. "Fourteen years old. Back then, we had this stupid teacher with a similar sounding name. We just had this funny idea of changing it and making the band's name out of it. This stupid name has followed us for 12 years now. We've talked so many times about changing the name, but we can be sure that no band in the world will have the same stupid name as us (laughs)." Read the rest of the interview here:
http://www.electricbasement.com/interview_edguy_march2004.htm

Band profile:

Edguy

PARADISE LOST have parted ways with drummer Lee Morris due to "personal and musical differences." No replacement has been named as yet, although the new album will continue to be recorded as previously planned. "We are sorry to see Lee go, and wish him all the best for the future," the band said in a statement. Morris added, "I think it was always going to be difficult integrating myself into an already established set-up, and although we have always had a varying degree of opinions, attitude and ethics on things over the last nine years, we have usually always managed to find a happy medium. However, I think that over the last year, the divide has really grown to a point where compromise is no longer really an option for any of us to maintain a healthy working relationship. I have complete respect for the band on this decision at this stage in their career, and I want to wish them every success on the forthcoming album and thank them for the good times. As for me, I'm not sure what the future has in store yet, but I do believe that all things in life happen for a reason and as one door closes another opens, so here's to new beginnings."

Lee Morris can still be contacted by emailing: lee@paradiselost.co.uk

As previously reported, PARADISE LOST are tentatively scheduled to enter the studio in April with producer Rhys Fulber (FEAR FACTORY, FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY) to begin recording the follow-up to 2002's "Symbol Of Life", tentatively due before the end of the year through G.U.N./BMG Records (in Europe). "Symbol Of Life", PARADISE LOST's ninth studio album, was produced by Fulber and was released in the U.S. through Koch Entertainment.

Band profile:

Paradise Lost

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman recently spoke to Australia's Guitar magazine about the possibility of him collaborating with Dave Mustaine again in the not-too-distant future. Asked what the latest word is on a potential MEGADETH reunion with him on guitar, Marty said, "There really is no word on that. I don't have any interest in that now. But I never say never. Who knows? The guys are all my buds. There is no debating the great chemistry between us." With regards to whether that means that he has changed his mind about the issues that originally influenced him to leave the band, he said, " great question, but you are thinking too deep into it. I would just need to see something musically exciting happening to even consider it. Something even greater than it was before. I am not at all interested in just picking up where the band left off. There would have to be some kind of interesting twist to it." Read the rest of the interview

Taken from Blabblermouth.net

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Megadeth

OPETH main songwriter and guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt recently spoke to MetalReview.com about the drummer Martin Lopez's anxiety attacks, which caused him to miss a few dates on the band's recent North American tour. "We had to cancel a few shows and we feel very bad about that so we decided we were going to be very open with it," Mikael said. " basically suffered panic attacks and anxiety attacks and severe depression from working too hard and touring so much. It got to the point where he called me up the day before the first scheduled Jordan gig saying that he couldn't go and he was just a wreck. So we took some rest before this gig and then the same thing happened when we went to Frankfurt where we had a connecting flight to Canada and he said he couldn't go, he had to go home and we had to support him with that. He went back home, we missed 3 gigs. Well, he missed them, we did the gigs anyway with our drum tech and Gene Hoglan . He went to a psychologist and they did tests on him and it's actually some stuff in his blood that makes his heart beat faster and that's the reason why he's been depressed. Now he's getting medication and I think the biggest breakthrough for him was knowing what it was because he was literally going insane. And he was seriously thinking that maybe he'd have to leave the band and he was scared that we would fire him. But from Seattle, which was the first gig on this tour, he was back and I think he's happier now because he knows we've been doing this for such a long time and it's like a rejuvenation for him in a way to be back."

Mikael also commented on the recent online controversy surrounding DEVILDRIVER's addition to the OPETH North American tour over KATAKLYSM, who many people ? including KATAKLYSM themselves ? thought were a far better fit. "I like them," he said of DEVILDRIVER. "I've never heard them before, but like everybody I kind of had my mind made up about them before, but they were nothing like that. They're more of, I would say, a death metal band, and all the shit they're getting I think is pretty much uncalled for. People just slag them off because of Dez Fafara's past in COAL CHAMBER, and it's a shame and it's hard for them. At some gigs people are like 'Fuck Off' and 'You Guys Suck', and regardless if you don't like a band you just don't do that stuff at shows. I think they're great people and a tight, brutal band. KATAKLYSM, that thing I never got the offer for them to tour with us so I didn't know. All of sudden there are fights and stuff but I didn't know they were supposed to tour with us."

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Opeth

Israeli prog-metallers ORPHANED LAND recently hosted a hometown CD release party for their new album, "Mabool" (due in the U.S. on April 6 through Century Media Records). Vocalist Kobi Farhi checked in with the following update:

"Hello to all our ORPHANED brothers and sisters, we had the launch party release of 'Mabool' two days ago and it was a blast!! More than 1,200 people attended, and the event was completely sold out! 200 people unfortunately had to go home with no tickets...we played for an hour and a half and at the end of the show we wore costumes, because it was Purim's eve ? same as Halloween, and we played a few more songs and a funny cover version for the theme song from 80's TV series ? 'Transformers'!! We hope to see you all in the U.S. stages real soon."

ORPHANED LAND's next gig in Israel will be a semi-acoustic appearance on March 23 at The Third Ear CD Shop in Tel-Aviv.

Band profile:

Orphaned Land

ANTHRAX manager Tim Dralle has confirmed to BLABBERMOUTH.NET that bassist Frank Bello is no longer a member of ANTHRAX. The group's official statement on the matter is as follows: "Due to internal reasons, Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT, FATES WARNING) will be temporarily handling bass playing duties for ANTHRAX on their upcoming tours of Japan and Australia." More information will be made available soon.

From Blabbermouth.net

Band profile:

Anthrax

ThatsSoMetal.com, a web site based in the New Jersey/New York area, has posted video footage from their PRIMAL FEAR "Devil's Ground" CD release party held on February 21. Pictures from the party, a review of the new CD, and an interview with PRIMAL FEAR bass player Mat Sinner can also be found on the site. Check it out here: http://www.thatssometal.com

Band profile:

Primal Fear

Message from Peter

Hello all metal heads!
The recording of the upcoming Darkane album still hasn't started. The reason for this is that my wrists have been ill for one year now. On the tours we did in 2003 I always had more or less pain in my wrists. The last two shows on the Death Angel tour in November were really bad. I almost haven't played any drums since we got back from that tour.

The reason for my wrist problems is that one year ago I rehearsed very hard and for very long hours with the band Time Requiem. We did production rehearsals for four days, about 10 hours a day, with full PA and monitoring system. This was too much for my wrists. On the tour to Japan after those rehearsals my wrists were in constant ache. We had to fulfil the tour and you can actually hear the result on the upcoming live CD with Time Requiem called 'Unleashed in Japan'. After that we did the No Mercy tour with Darkane and my wrists never got the well-deserved rest they needed. As we continued with festivals and more tours for the rest of 2003, of course things didn't get better.

I've tried all kinds of treatment (chiropractor, acupuncture, massage, medicine etc?) with no luck so far. At least one good thing is that the doctors say that there is nothing wrong physically with my wrists and that it is a bad inflammation. Well let's hope that surgery won't be needed!

Anyway, 10 songs are finished for the new CD and Christofer and me are working on an intro right now. Yes, there will be some kind of bombastic intro on the next CD! The plans are to release it in September or October, but of course that depends on my wrists.

Stay metal!

Peter

Band profile:

Darkane

The U.K.'s ANATHEMA will play a special acoustic gig with a string quartet on Friday, February 27 at The Picket music club in Liverpool. The group will be playing a few selected songs on acoustic guitars and pianos with a string quartet from the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, according to a post on the band's web site. The evening is part of the "Save Our Culture" campaign for Liverpool's Quiggin's alternative shopping center.

In other news, ANATHEMA have confirmed three shows in Greece in April.

Band profile:

Anathema

Godhate
ex.-THRONEAEON- newsletter!!!

Blasphemous deathmetal in the vein of Slayer, Deicide and Morbid Angel
with a touch of the early Swedish style.


1. A shit load of news on the website http://www.godhate.com
2. Two new sections on the website to explore. "Tours/ gigs" with the latest and past gigs,
and "media" with photos, music, reviews and interviews.
3. GODHATE will thus be doing 3 gigs this spring.

SUPPORT THE TRUE UNDERGROUND!!!
http://www.godhate.com

NEVERMORE are on the verge of signing a new deal with Century Media Records, informed sources have told BLABBERMOUTH.NET.

Despite the band's much-publicized troubles with the label, NEVERMORE are believed to have negotiated a new contract with Century Media that will provide them with the kind of financial backing they felt was missing during the recording process for their latest CD, 2003's "Enemies Of Reality".

In a posting to the band's official forum, singer Warrel Dane indicated that the band have already signed a new contract, but implied that the deal has not yet been finalized. Dane also revealed that the group will be shooting a video for the song "I, Voyager" within the next month, in addition to making plans for a headline U.S. tour that will take place in the spring.

NEVERMORE's most recent studio album, 2003's "Enemies Of Reality", marked the final album under the group's previous contract with Century Media Records. The band, who feature in their ranks former members of the popular '80s power metal act SANCTUARY, were very vocal about their dissatisfaction with the label at the time, with Dane blaming Century Media for "cut budget down to shit for because we wouldn't re-sign with them until after the album was done."

Taken from Blabbermouth.net

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Band profile:

Nevermore