DISMEMBER, CARPATHIAN FOREST and GOREROTTED are the latest bands added to Germany's Party San Festival which will take place August 12th-14th. The full list of bands is now as follows:

DISMEMBER, CARPATHIAN FOREST, GOREROTTED, VOMITORY, ENSIFERUM, DISFEAR, ZYKLON, MISERY INDEX, HATESPHERE, PUNGENT STENCH, GRAVEWORM, PURGATORY, INCAPACITY

Band profile:

Carpathian Forest

The melodic thrash quintet CHILDREN OF BODOM have just been nominated for a Finnish "Grammy" in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal" category. The group will make their much-anticipated return to the U.S. this April on a major package tour (reportedly with ICED EARTH in the headlining slot) in support of their latest, critically acclaimed release, "Hate Crew Deathroll". Full details on the tour will be announced soon.

In other news, CHILDREN OF BODOM's Alexi Laiho and DREAM EVIL/FIREWIND's Gus G. are sharing the cover of the popular Japanese magazine Young Guitar this month.

Band profile:

Children Of Bodom

ARCH ENEMY, NASUM, KATATONIA, CULT OF LUNA and BURST are nominated for a Manifest award in the category "Best Hard Rock/Punk."

The event will take place at Debaser in Stockholm on January 29 at 8:00 p.m. CET.

The Manifest Awards are being held by SOM (Svenska Oberoende Musikproducenter) (Swedish Independent Musicproducers), an organization that consists of over 100 record labels.

"Best Hard Rock/Punk" Nominees:

ARCH ENEMY ¡V "Anthems of Rebellion"
BURST ¡V "Prey On Life"
CULT OF LUNA ¡V "The beyond"
KATATONIA ¡V "Viva Emptiness"
NASUM ¡V "Helvete"

Band profile:

Arch Enemy

Sweden's SOILWORK have posted the following message on their official web site:

"Hello there soilers!

"As you might have heard already, Richard Evensand is no longer playing with SOILWORK.

"Richard is an amazing drummer and we are very happy that we have had the privilege to play with him for the period of time that we did.

"Richard and SOILWORK have decided not to continue playing together and we have parted as good friends. We wish him all the best of luck with his future projects.

"We are happy to inform you guys that Dirk Verbeuren from SCARVE will be filling in as a session drummer for our upcoming headlining tour in Europe.

"Dirk is a very talented drummer, and needless to say he will do a kickass job on the tour.

"Check out Dirk's band SCARVE on www.scarve.net.

"Cheers, SOILWORK"

Band profile:

Soilwork

Irish folk metal band CRUACHAN have pushed back the release date of their fourth full-length album, "Pagan" (Karmageddon Media), to April 5. No reason was given for the delay.

"Pagan" was recorded and mixed at Radio Na Life Studios in Dublin, Ireland with producer Al Cowen and is the follow-up to last year's "Folk-Lore".

The band recorded a total of 15 songs, of which 13 will end up on the final album and the remaining songs will be used as bonus-material.

Among the tracks set to appear on the CD are "Michael Collins", "The Gael", "The March to Cluain Tairbh", "Viking Slayer" and "1014 A.D."

Cover artwork for "Pagan" was created by John Howe, the leading JRR Tolkien illustrator and the conceptual artist from "The Lord of the Rings" movies.

Band profile:

Cruachan

STRAPPING YOUNG LAD will film their first-ever DVD on Friday, January 16 at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, British Columbia. The as-yet-untitled disc, due later in the year through Century Media Records, will contain lots of outtake footage recorded over the past decade and is a precursor to the new STRAPPING YOUNG LAD CD, which is set to be recorded late summer.

In other news, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD mainman Devin Townsend has posted the following message on his official web site:

"I will release two website-only records in late February (the albums go to the layout place Jan 13th). These records are fun and not meant to be taken very seriously. 'Fan-only' records, but both of them are excellent and at least 72 minute long. I did the art and layout as well...(Haha!!!)

"One is 'Ass-sordid II' with all the old demos from my early bands NOISESCAPES and GREY SKIES as well as a whole whack of lost songs from the early days. A full 72-minute CD worth!

"The second album is called 'Devlab', and in a explosion I assembled together all my year-long laptop workings when I got home from the SYMPHONY X tour. I wanted to make a completely fucked record that compliments schizophrenia or flu symptoms...

"Honestly, some people will absolutely HATE it, so I don't recommend it to everyone. Just people who want to hear what a Devin Townsend 72-minute long ambient record would be like. (and even them I strongly caution)

"That being said, I LOVE it, but just so I don't kill my career, I'll only make it available through the site. There's a bit of writing in the booklets as well. Just descriptions and ramblings. Lots of pretentious shit...either you like it or you don't... If not, buy MESHUGGAH, OPETH, DIMMU, and WEEN instead. They fucking RULE!"

Band profile:

Strapping Young Lad

Swedish progressive dark metallers EVERGREY are the latest band confirmed for this year's Summer Breeze festival, set to take place August 19-12, 2004 in Abtsgmünd, Germany.

The complete list of acts currently scheduled to appear at the festival is as follows (in alphabetical order):

BRAINSTORM
BUSTA HOOTA
CRIMINAL
DEADSOUL TRIBE
DIE HAPPY
DISILLUSION
ENSIFERUM
EVERGREY
FLESHCRAWL
FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING
GODDESS OF DESIRE
GOREROTTED
HATESPHERE
HONIGDIEB
LAKE OF TEARS
MENHIR
MNEMIC
PARAGON
PRIMORDIAL
PSYCHOPUNCH
SALTATIO MORTIS
SCHANDMAUL
SIX FEET UNDER
SLEEPINGODSLIE
SODOM
TANKARD
THE DUSKFALL
U.D.O.
VOMITORY
XANDRIA

Read more ››

Band profile:

Evergrey

NOTRE DAME, the Swedish band featuring drummer Snowy Shaw (KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, MEMENTO MORI, DREAM EVIL), will release their new album, "Demi Monde Bizarros", in February and not on April 1, as erroneously posted on the web site of the group's label, Osmose Productions.

According to Shaw, the forthcoming CD features songs "about sex, Satan and sadomasochism."

The complete track listing for "Demi Monde Bizarros" is as follows:

01. Munsters!
02. The Ride
03. The Stripper
04. My Ride Into Afterlife
05. Bon Voyage Mutherfucker
06. Hitmusic For Hitmen
07. Verbal Diarrhoea
08. Beyond The Threshold Of Pain
09. S/S Hellride
Bonus live tracks:
10. These Boots Are Made For Walking
11. The Wurld Is Sick

Finnish folk-influenced melodic death metal band ENSIFERUM have parted ways with singer/guitarist Jari Mäenpää. According to a posting on the band's official web site, "the reason why this happened is that Jari's solo project (WINTERSUN) is a priority in Jari's musical interests. If Jari had stayed in the band, ENSIFERUM had to cancel their most important (European) tour with FINNTROLL which starts in April, soon after the release of the second album. Also the other touring would have been decreased to minimal which would lead to the boredom and eventual break-up in the band."

Jari's official statement on the matter is as follows:

"I'm out of ENSIFERUM. The thing is that my and ENSIFERUM's schedules got fucked up and I couldn't be in two places at the same time.

"Here's my side of the story: I have made my own music aside of ENSIFERUM and even before I joined the band in '96. And it has always been more important thing for me. Since I am not the main songwriter in ENSIFERUM and ENSIFERUM has this one 'style' of music, I couldn't satisfy my musical needs and dreams. I'm very creative person and it was just matter of time, before I had to get my own material out inside of me.

"Last year I signed a deal with Nuclear Blast. I booked the studios last summer for March-April 2004 to record my album. I told the guys and our record company Spinefarm that I needed a break from ENSIFERUM to do my thing. (I would have probably needed a break anyway, 'cause I was very sick for months and stressed out in the ENSIFERUM's 'Iron' recordings.) Then Spinefarm booked a tour in April on top of my studio time and told me that I would have to move or cancel my studios. That wasn't possible and I wouldn't have done it anyway, if it would have been possible. Because I felt in my heart that I couldn't do anything, before I would have recorded my album, it had been boiling under for too long.

"So the rest of the guys and me had to make some difficult choices. The guys thought they wouldn't wait for me and they had to go on this tour, even without me. So they decided to try to find a replacement and kick me out of the band. I can understand their decision and I hold no grudge. I'm just sad that things had to go this way. I would have chosen both ENSIFERUM and my music, but since that wasn't possible, my choice was clear.

Read more ››

Band profile:

Ensiferum

MARILYN MANSON and Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM were included in a list of the "100 most insane moments in rock" released last week by British music magazine Q.

Topping the list was the late WHO drummer Keith Moon, who was singled out for a life of excess that included countless drug-fueled brawls, a food fight with police in Flint, Michigan and an impromptu fireworks display on a U.S. television show.

The list, chosen by magazine staff, is an enlightening record of rock 'n' roll's wacky and weird moments, ranging from the bat-biting of Ozzy Osbourne to Michael Jackson conducting a voodoo ritual to fatally curse his enemies, via Elvis Presley's predilection for mounds of jam and peanut butter sandwiches, and Freddie Mercury's offstage sexual thrills.

The Top 10:

01. Keith Moon
02. Prince ? proselytizes door-to-door for Jehovah's Witnesses
03. Marilyn Manson ? covers fan in meat
04. Michael Jackson ? puts curse on Steven Spielberg
05. Elvis Presley ? flies 879 miles (1415 kilometers) for peanut butter and bacon sandwiches
06. MAYHEM ? Norwegian band's bassist kills guitarist
07. Courtney Love ? lies down semi-naked in London street
08. Marion "Suge" Knight ? career of oft-jailed rap impresario
09. Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown ? troubled marriage
10. Freddie Mercury ? QUEEN frontman's backstage antics

Band profile:

Mayhem

ENSIFERUM's new Album, "Iron", has been delayed until April 5th, 2004. The album is in it's mastering stage now, while the band is not pleased with the postponing of the album.

In related news, FINNTROLL site admin/keyboardist TrollhorN has commented on the upcoming European tour dates with ENSIFERUM and THE WAKE:

"These are NOT CONFIRMED IN ANY WAY. I have no idea why the Hell Metalyse have announced half-official information on their website, but from Spinefarm´s side we´ve been asked to keep our mouths shut about these gigs yet. Propably within three months one quarter has been cancelled and there are more places announced, so NOTHING IS SURE YET. This is ONLY a hint what is supposed to be coming.

And about ENSIFERUM, nothing is certain yet. I know that they have held a band- meeting about the matter yesterday, so keep on following www.ensiferum.com (The official site) to get your updates.

Although I can tell you a couple of things, which will upset some and make some people cheer: I don´t think there will be a gig in Sweden within that tour (because it´s so hard to travel there by bus) , but at least we (the Finntrolls) have been trying to get a gig into Switzerland, because we had such a great audience there. But we´ll see. It´s only December, and the tour starts in April. ANYTHING can happen, boys and girls. Anything."

Band profile:

Ensiferum

Swedish metallers VOMITORY have updated with their second studio diary from drummer Tobias Gustafsson:

"The last week of recording went really smooth. We're not really used to take things so easy during a recording session, so this was definitely a new experience to us - and a nice one indeed!

All guitars, bass and vocals are now done and so far we, including Henrik the producer, are all very content with the result. The first thing that strikes me when I listen to the recording is that Erik's voice has become even stronger and more brutal than on our previous albums! Fuck yeah! This is without any doubts his best vocal work to date and he could never have ended his vocal duties in Vomitory in a better way!

"Primal Massacre" will contain ten songs and as usual, there are some songs that still are untitled, but here are some of the definite titles "Autopsy Extravaganza", "Stray Bullet Kill", "Demons Divine" and the titletrack - "Primal Massacre".

On Friday the 19th, Lord K Philipsson from The Project Hate paid us a visit in the studio to chat, drink beer, listen to the album and take some pictures. click here to see the pictures - posted and commented by Lord K. And while you're there, don't foget to join the official Vomitory forum!

We left the studio on Saturday, December 20th - a bit hungover from yesterday but we were happy to get to rest our ears during the holidays. We'll begin mixing the album in Berno Studio, Malmö/Sweden, on January 5th together with Henrik Larsson.

More news when we're done with the mixing!"

Band profile:

Vomitory

Greetings to all of Arch Enemy's friends out there!
2003 has been a fantastic and eventful year - we started it off in January with working on our "Anthems Of Rebellion" album in the studio (in the U.K with Andy Sneap) and when we'd completed the album we played live all over the place in support of it. We have tons of cool memories from the road, too many to mention really?but some obvious highlights include the Slayer/Hatebreed US tour and our headline slot at the Korean "International Busan Rock Festival" and also our last show of 2003, a headline show @ the "Mean Fiddler" in London - a packed house that was ready for the metal!

Check out the live clip of "We Will Rise" from the 21st of December 2003 @ the "Mean Fiddler", London !!!!

http://www.archenemy.tv/pictures/reports/ArchEnemy_WeWillRise_London.mpg

We are convinced that 2004 will rock even harder, and things are looking good for the band?first thing coming up touring wise is a bunch of dates in Canada, USA & Japan, opening up for the NWOBHM Gods - Iron Maiden!
It doesn't really get any better than that, at least not in our world! :-)

See you on the road...

Happy New Year!

Michael & Arch Enemy

Band profile:

Arch Enemy

Swedish viking/death metallers AMON AMARTH have written the following message on their official website:

"Again we are back home from touring and again we would like to thank all bands and crew featuring on the european x-mas festivals. The tour was really successful and that is all thanks to you fans that showed up on the shows to support the tour. We couldn't ask for a better way to end this year of versus the world touring. A big thanks as well goes out to all of you others that been supporting the band during this year! It has been a hectic year and also a very rewarding one. Now we are going to rest for a week or so and then start to work on our next album.We are scheduled to enter berno studio in mid may. Be well and don't forget that beer gives you immortality, poetry-knowlegde and wisdom."

Band profile:

Amon Amarth

According to some reports of people that attended tonight's (January 2nd) CHIMAIRA show in Rochester, NY, drummer Andols Herrick has announced that he will be leaving the band. No official word has been made, and confirmation/clarification will come soon.

*UPDATE*: Here's a posting made by Mark of CHIMAIRA on their official forum:

"tis true stuff
we have known for a while, it was a long hard desicion for him.
as sad as it is, and as much as it sucks for all of you, think how we feel. bottom line, the dude just wasn't happy anymore and there is no sense in torture. andols is going to give me a statement for all the fans and press in the next day or 2. all i can tell you now is that he is going to go to college and his days of drumming are over from what he has told us.

we have found a replacement. we are not stupid people, the sandals are quite hard to fill but we feel we have filled them quite nicely. ricky from SOILWORK is the new dude, he was the guy that temporarily replaced henry on the past tours we did with them. ricky is an AMAZING drummer and will only ADD to the chimaira sound. once again, when it comes to this band we are not stupid people. we would not make the wrong choice with something as critical as this. as far as i know nothing is happening to SOILWORK and we are still as good as friends with them as we were before this choice was made.

this is just another obstacle for all of us to overcome, and as the old cliche goes...that which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger.

at any rate, excuse the poor grammar and spelling, i haven't slept in 40 hours....
be sad, but be excited...nothing is changing for the worse.
that has been our mentality for the past month.
good night friends and happy birthday to rob arnold 24 today 01.03.04

mark"

Band profile:

Chimaira