Finns Wintersun have released big news recently: Jari Mäenpää will now drop the guitar to focus on vocals when it comes to live performances. So, the band is searching for a new guitarist. Read their update below to find out what is happening exactly. Part of the reason is because the new "material is too complicated" for Jari to sing and play the guitar at the same time.

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Wintersun

Finnish folk metallers Ensiferum are hitting the studio next month to record their upcoming album that follows Unsung Heroes. With pre-production out of the way, the band is prepared to begin recording. Work will begin on September 8th at Astia Studio in Lappeenranta, Finland with producer Anssi Kippo. Fans can expect to hear new music at the beginning of January 2015.

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Ensiferum

Nightwish drummer Jukka Nevalainen will take a break from the recording of the new album and the upcoming tour due to his insomnia. Kai Hahto known from his work with Wintersun and Swallow The Sun will take care of the drums on the upcoming album.

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Source:	nightwish.com
Band profile:	Nightwish

Austrian black metallers Summoning have issued an update concerning their upcoming album and revealing its title. Apart from that, we can also expect a teaser soon before the album is released in the first quarter of 2013. The band's last album Oath Bound was released in 2006.

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Source:	summoning.info
Band profile:	Summoning

Scottish folk metallers Alestorm have posted online a new video for the song "Death Throes Of The Terrorsquid" and you can watch it below. The song comes off their latest album Back Through Time, released last year through Napalm Records.

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Alestorm

Finnish folk metallers Turisas have announced that current bassist Hannes Horma and accordionist Netta Skog have decided to leave the band due to personal and motivational reasons. Jukka-Pekka Miettinen (ex-Arthemesia, ex-Ensiferum) will be joining the band on bass for forthcoming shows, and Robert Engstrand (ex-Kotipelto, The Flower Kings) will be coming into a completely new role in the band - as keyboard player.

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Source:	turisas.com
Band profile:	Turisas

Equilibrium have uploaded another new song "Der Ewige Sieg" from the upcoming album Rekreatur witch will be realased on June 18 via Nuclear Blast. Check it out here.

The band will also shoot a video for this song, commented mainman René Berthiaume: "Der ewige Sieg" is about the renewal of nature and mankind at the turn of the year which also is connected to the album title. The video clip for that song will be directed by Florian Puchert. He's an old friend of the band since I composed the music for some of his movies. Now we're turning tables and he does the flick for our music. Other than our last video we won't have that many digital effects in it rather than going for a more organic and realistic look. He and his team have tons of good ideas and we are looking forward to work with him!"

Sentenced Odiin]

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Equilibrium

Original news, posted on 24.03.2010

"Coat Of Arms", the title track of the forthcoming album from Swedish metallers Sabaton, is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

Coat Of Arms will be released in Europe on May 21 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Coat Of Arms cover art] tracklist:

01. Coat Of Arms
02. Midway
03. Uprising
04. Screaming Eagles
05. The Final Solution
06. Aces In Exile
07. Saboteurs
08. Wehrmacht
09. White Death
10. Metal Ripper

UPDATE

Another new Sabaton's song, entitled "Uprising", is available for streaming at the band's MySpace page.

"Uprising" comes off the band's forthcoming album, Coat Of Arms, which will be released in Europe on May 21 via Nuclear Blast Records.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Sabaton

Original news, posted on 06.01.2010

Kalmah has issued the following album news:

"Everything is now prepared for the release of sixth Kalmah album titled 12 Gauge. The official release date is set for 3 March 2010. Release date in Japan is 24 February 2010.

The song titles and running order is:

01. Rust Never Sleeps
02. One of Fail
03. Bullets Are Blind
04. Swampwar
05. Better Not To Tell
06. Hook The Monster
07. Godeye
08. 12 Gauge
09. Sacramentum

In addition, the Japanese import will include a cover version of Thin Lizzy´s "Cold Sweat"."

(Also thanks to Sentenced Odiin)

UPDATE (thanks to Dahalak)

Cover artwork for the new Kalmah album 12 Gauge can be found here.

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Source:	kalmah.com
Band profile:	Kalmah

Soilwork drummer Dirk Verbeuren has issued the following statement:

"It's official: Soilwork will enter the studio in January 2010! The long-awaited follow-up to 2007's Sworn To A Great Divide will be produced by guitarist Peter Wichers and mixed by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Paradise Lost, Bloodbath). Drums will be tracked at Echo Mountain in Asheville, NC. The rest of the recording is set to take place in Tampa, FL and the mix at Fascination Street in Orebro, Sweden.

Soilwork's as-yet-untitled eighth album will be the first to feature Peter Wichers since his return to the band in 2008, as well as the studio debut with guitarist Sylvain Coudret (Scarve) who also joined last year.

On another note, Listenable Records recently re-released the classic Soilwork albums Steelbath Suicide and The Chainheart Machine. Fully remastered by the band's long-time sound engineer Mattias Nilsson, with updated artwork and liner notes by BWBK's Carl Begai, these re-releases come in Super Jewelcases and each feature two rare or previously unreleased 1999 live bonus tracks."

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Source:	soilwork.org
Band profile:	Soilwork

Sonata Arctica have unveiled the new artwork, tracklisting as well as the album title of their forthcoming album. "The Days Of Grays" will see a worldwide release (excluding Asia) through Nuclear Blast Records on September 18th, 2009 (September 22nd in the US of America).

"The Days Of Grays" cover art] tracklist:

Limited 2CD-Digipak:

01. Everything Fades To Gray (Instrumental)
02. Deathaura
03. The Last Amazing Grays
04. Flag In The Ground
05. Breathing
06. Zeroes
07. The Dead Skin
08. Juliet
09. No Dream Can Heal A Broken Heart
10. As If The World Wasn't Ending
11. The Truth Is Out There
12. Everything Fades To Gray (full version)
13. In The Dark

Bonus CD: track listing TBA

CD Jewelcase:

01. Everything Fades To Gray (Instrumental)
02. Deathaura
03. The Last Amazing Grays
04. Flag In The Ground
05. Breathing
06. Zeroes
07. The Dead Skin
08. Juliet
09. No Dream Can Heal A Broken Heart
10. As If The World Wasn't Ending
11. The Truth Is Out There
12. Everything Fades To Gray (full version)

(also thanks to 28097 and 26736 for posting this news)

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Source:	sonataarctica.info
Band profile:	Sonata Arctica

Sonata Arctica are going to tour through Europe in November/December. This time they are also playing in some countries that weren't included in any previous European tours. See the tourdates below. Some more shows and details will be announced later.

11-12 - Club Roxy - Prague, Czech Republic
11-13 - Masters of Rock Cafe - Zlín, Czech Republic
11-14 - Cassosport Hall - Kosice, Slovakia
11-15 - SKC - Belgrade, Serbia
11-17 - Petõfi Csarnok - Budapest, Hungary
11-18 - Boogaloo - Zagreb, Croatia
11-19 - Szene - Vienna, Austria
11-20 - Backstage - Munich, Germany
11-22 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
11-23 - Longhorn - Stuttgart, Germany
11-24 - Löwensaal - Nuremberg, Germany
11-25 - Alcatraz - Milan, Italy
11-27 - Razzmatazz 2 - Barcelona, Spain
11-28 - Heineken - Madrid, Spain
11-29 - Theatre Barbey - Bordeaux, France
11-30 - Elysée Montmartre - Paris, France
12-02 - FZW - Dortmund, Germany
12-03 - Carling Academy Islington - London, UK
12-04 - Hard Rock Hell Fest - Prestatyn, UK
12-05 - JB's - Dudley, UK
12-06 - Hof Ter Lo - Antwerp, Belgium
12-08 - Capitol - Hannover, Germany
12-09 - 013 - Tilburg, The Netherlands
12-10 - Paradiso - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
12-14 - Trädgårn - Gothenburg, Sweden
12-15 - Klubben - Stockholm, Sweden

Source:	sonataarctica.info
Band profile:	Sonata Arctica
Event:	Sonata Arctica: European Tour

Original news, posted on 16.01.2009

Nuclear Blast have posted following news on their website:

"Swiss pagan metal horde Eluveitie just revealed the release date of their long announced folk / acoustic album "Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion". The record will feature guest appearances by Oliver S. Tyr of Faun and Alan A. Nemtheanga of Primordial among others. The album will contain 15 folk songs, mostly written in ancient gaulish language will be unleashed on April 10th 2009 via Nuclear Blast."

Updated (on 20.01.2009, thanks to S.K.Ø.M)

Swiss metallers Eluveitie just revealed the cover artwork of their upcoming new album, entitle "Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion".

Mainman Chrigel Glanzmann states: "As "Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion" is a concept album setting pure gaulish mythology into music, we also wanted to be the artwork in the same line. Kernunnos is one of the most important and central characters in celtic mythology. So we conceived a topical portrayal of that figure, representing as the ancient mythological content of "Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion" as well as it's musical character."

UPDATE (thanks to WinterChild)

Eluveitie just revealed the tracklist as well as the guest features included on their upcoming acoustic/folk album "Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion". Mainman Chrigel Glanzmann states: "The tracks on "Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion" take you on a journey through ancient gaulish mythology, a journey deep into the celtic soul. You'll pass diverse instrumental tracks, setting mythological topics into music, as well as songs, which are exclusively sung in ancient gaulish language. Most lyrics are 1600 - 2100 years old. We're proud and happy we have some illustrious and excellent guests musicians on this album: Fredy Schnyder from Nucleus Torn playing the hammered dulcimer on two tracks, Oli S. Tyr from the german medieval folkers Faun contributing the magical sounds of the long-necked lute on the title track. Furthermore Alan Nemtheanga from the Irish pagan metallers Primordial presenting his vocal art in two tracks, Mina The Fiddler from the experimental folk band Branâ Keternâ enchanting two tracks with the sounds of the 5-stringed viola and at last Sarah Wauquiez, our former bandmember, playing Zugerörgeli (helvetic accordion) on one track."

Tracklist "Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion":

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Source:	nuclearblast.de
Band profile:	Eluveitie

Scar Symmetry have announced some new decisions among the band:

"When things went from bad to worse and we realized that it wasn't going to work out with Christian, we were faced with two options; either calling it quits, or seizing the opportunity to take the next logical step in the evolution of our sound. We chose the latter. We've used both growls and clean vocals in our music since day one, and with each album we've pushed the envelope of what you can do vocally in a metal band to the point where a lot of the songs on "Holographic Universe" would be hard if not impossible to sing live. So the question is: Is it really possible to push the vocals even further and manage to perform everything live?
The answer is YES! Instead of hiring a new singer, we decided - some of you might already have figured it out by now - to recruit TWO singers! The idea of having two vocalists in the band is something that's been in the back of our minds for a long time, and after auditioning and rehearsing with two of Sweden's best vocalists we're thrilled, excited, stoked-beyond-belief!

So let us introduce you to...

Robert Karlsson - lead growl vocals and backing clean vocals
Roberth was our first choice for the growling position. Jonas once called him Sweden's finest growler, which is no overstatement. Roberth has been involved in many bands throughout the years, among others Edge Of Sanity and Facebreaker.

Lars Palmqvist - lead clean vocals and backing growl vocals
Roberth introduced us to his long-time friend Lars, who blew us away with his powerful-yet-beautiful voice. You can imagine our excitement when we learned that he's a fantastic growler as well! Despite his amazing talents he's virtually unknown to the metal public, which just might change as of today!

We are very fortunate to have found these guys. They bring to the band not only their incredible skills but also a positive vibe we haven't had for some time.
We've posted a videoclip from when we auditioned Roberth and Lars, as a little teaser... Yes it might come across as we were drunk the entire time, which probably is very close to the truth. Enjoy!"

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Source:	nuclearblast.de
Band profile:	Scar Symmetry

German metallers Equilibrium have posted their first promo video online for the track "Blut Im Auge." The track comes off the band's 2008 album "Sagas." The video can be viewed at this location.

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Source:	equilibrium-metal.de
Band profile:	Equilibrium