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Sonata Arctica - Part Ways With Guitarist, Announce Replacement

Finnish Power Metallers Sonata Arctica have issued the following update:

"As many already know, our guitarist Jani Liimatainen has been absent from the line-up this spring and summer. The reason was his messing around with his compulsory military/civil/prison duty, or rather, complete failure to take care of it.

This matter, and everything that goes with it, caused a split between Jani and the other band members. This split was impossible to mend without Jani's help and co-operation.

Therefore we would like to make known the following: During fall of '06 and spring of '07, Jani's personal matters and actions drove us to a situation where we had no option but to ask Jani to leave the band.

Jani was notified of this in May, and the separation was amicable. We wanted to give Jani the chance to get his life together before making this public, which is why we didn't make this announcement earlier. We wish Jani well on his chosen path.

"Show must go on", so, facing the facts, we hereby humbly announce that Elias Viljanen is from this day forward a full and official member of Sonata Arctica.Throughout this summer, on many occasions, Elias has shown himself to be able to fill the big boots Jani left behind.

We hope our friends and our fans understand that this was the only choice left for us to make so that our band could continue. Sonata Arctica has always been, and always will be, more than the sum of its parts. The band has become for us a way of life, a lifeline that simply can not be cut off.

A long "Unia" -tour lies in front of us. We extend Elias a warm welcome to the Sonata family, and we hope the fans will, too. Sonata Arctica is whole again."

Source: sonataarctica.info
Band profile: Sonata Arctica
Posted: 06.08.2007 by Thryce | Comments (49)


The Old Dead Tree - New Song Online

A brand new The Old Dead Tree track entitled 'Dive', has been posted online at this location. The song comes off the Parisian goth metallers' new album "The Water Fields" due on September 17 via Season of Mist. The CD was recorded at Stage One Studio in Germany with producer Andy Classen.

Read more ››

Source: roadrunnerrecords.com
Band profile: The Old Dead Tree
Posted: 03.08.2007 by Thryce | Comments (2)


Gorefest - New Album Streaming Online

The new album of Dutch Death Metallers Gorefest, "Rise To Ruin", is available for streaming in its entirety on the band's MySpace page.

Due in the U.S. on September 25 (Candlelight) and in Europe on August 3 (Nuclear Blast), the CD was mixed by Danish producer Tue Madsen at his Antfarm studios in Århus, Denmark. "He managed to make everything sound even heavier than we'd imagined," guitarist Frank Harthoorn previously said.

For more album details click here.

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Source: roadrunnerrecords.com
Band profile: Gorefest
Posted: 02.08.2007 by Thryce | Comments (4)


Chaosfear - Original Guitarist Rejoins

Brazilian Thrashers Chaosfear have posted the news on their website:

"After quitting Scars, Edu Boccomino was interested in playing with his brother Fernando once again. "Everything happened so naturally because we have been friends for such a long time. We just had a quick talk and started playing again.", said the rest of the band. Welcome back Edu."

Guitarist Eduardo Boccomino is the brother of vocalist, guitarist Fernando Boccomino. Eduardo quit the band before the release of the "Inside The Extreme World" demo. The whole demo is available for free download at the band's website at this location.

Chaosfear has started writing material for the follow-up to "One Step Behind Anger", tentatively due in 2008 via OSM Records.

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Source: chaosfear.com
Band profile: Chaosfear
Posted: 02.08.2007 by Thryce | Comments (1)


Annihilator - Rare Videos Online

Rare video clips of Canadian Thrash legends Annihilator have recently been posted on YouTube, which showcase the band performing live at various points throughout their career, including the following:

'Riff Raff' (AC/DC cover live in Japan 1995): video
official 'Syn Kill' video video
'The Perfect Virus' (live in Greece 2001): video
'Shallow Grave' (live in Greece 2001): video
'Blackest Day' (live in Paris 2002): video
'Never Neverland' (live on SwedenRock cruise 2006): video

UPDATED (on 13/08/07) thanks to Nervel:

Annihilator has posted more video's online, check them out at this YouTube location.

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Source: bravewords.com
Band profile: Annihilator
Posted: 02.08.2007 by Thryce | Comments (3)


Rotting Christ + Immolation + Belphegor - Lucifer Over America Tour 2008

The following dates have been released for the "Lucifer Over America Tour 2008" featuring Rotting Christ, Immolation, Belphegor and Averse Sefira:

February 4 - Charlote, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
February 5 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
February 6 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
February 7 - Rochester, NY @ Penny Arcade
February 8 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
February 9 - Bedford, NH @ Mark's Place
February 10 - New York, NY @ B.B. King Blues Club
February 11 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
February 12 - Detroit, MI @ I-Rock
February 14 - Nashville, TN @ The Muse
February 15 - Mokena, IL @ The Pearl Room
February 16 - St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
February 19 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
February 20 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
February 21 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Metro
February 22 - Santa Ana, CA @ Galaxy Theatre
February 23 - San Marcos, CA @ Jumping Turtle
February 24 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues
February 25 - Mexicali, MEX @ El Jardin del SIlencio Extreme
February 26 - Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater
February 28 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launch Pad
February 29 - San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
March 1 - Mc Allen, TX @ Cine El Rey
March 2 - Houston, TX @ Meridian

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Source: smnnews.com
Band profile: Immolation
Posted: 02.08.2007 by Thryce | Comments (1)


Ministry - Final Album In The Works

Ministry mainman Al Jourgensen has revealed to Germany's Metal Hammer magazine that the group's previously announced "final" album, "The Last Sucker", will be followed by an all-covers release, tentatively due in 2008. According to Jourgensen, the as-yet-untitled effort will contain "a lot of different cover songs from various bands," some of which have already been released on Ministry albums over the years.

Ministry's upcoming covers album is expected to include the following tracks, among others:

Previously released songs:
"Supernaut" by Black Sabbath (from "Supernaut" EP)
"Lay Lady Lay" by Bob Dylan (from "Filth Pig")
"Roadhouse Blues" by The Doors (from "The Last Sucker")
"The Light Pours out of Me" by Magazine (from "Animosity")

New songs:
"I Want You" by The Beatles
"Under My Thumb" by The Rolling Stones
"Space Trucking" by Deep Purple
"Black Betty" by Ram Jam
"Radar Love" by Golden Earring

In a Piss Army (Ministry's Fan Club) post, Jourgensen's wife has stated that some guest appearances can be expected on the cover album. Apparently, Ogre from Skinny Puppy has been contacted; however, whether he will appear on the album is yet to be seen.

Ministry's "The Last Sucker" album will be released on September 18 via 13th Planet/Megaforce. A world tour will follow in 2008.

Read more ››

Source: metalhammer.co.uk
Band profile: Ministry
Posted: 02.08.2007 by Thryce | Comments (4)


Diablo Swing Orchestra - Headlining Blikfest IV Festival

The Blikfest-organisation has revealed the complete line up of the fourth edition of the Blikfest Festival, also dubbed as Metal Extravaganza 2007, set to take place on November 3 at JH Togenblik, at Beveren-Waas, Belgium.

The only international band and headliner of the festival will be Diablo Swing Orchestra. D:S:O already earned a lot of fame for their highly acclaimed debut album "The Butcher's Ballroom". The Swedish Symphonic Avantgarde Metallers were also chosen as The Biggest Surprise of the Metal Storm Awards 2006. Their new upcoming album is currently due for an April 2008 release.
Other names on the festival line up are Oceans Of Sadness (unique progressive metal), Axamenta (orchestral prog metal), Crusader (medieval heavy metal), Gwyllion (symphonic metal) and Apocryph (death-thrash metal).

Tickets'll cost ?7 in advance and ?8 at the door, and can be ordered at the Blikfest website in a few days.
All info on http://www.blikfest.be.

Read more ››

Source: blikfest.be
Band profile: Diablo Swing Orchestra
Event: Blikfest IV
Posted: 31.07.2007 by Thryce | Comments (9)


Iced Earth - European Tour Dates

Iced Earth will embark on a European tour this fall. Confirmed dates so far are as follows:

8 Okt 2007 D Köln Live Music Hall
9 Okt 2007 D München Backstage Werk
10 Okt 2007 I Milan Alcatraz
12 Okt 2007 E Barcelona Sala Razzmatazz 1
13 Okt 2007 E Madrid La Riviera
15 Okt 2007 CH Pratteln Konzertfabrik Z7
16 Okt 2007 A Graz Orpheum
17 Okt 2007 A Wien Planet Music
18 Okt 2007 CZ Brno Fleda
19 Okt 2007 D Berlin Columbia Club
21 Okt 2007 S Malmö Kulturbolaget
22 Okt 2007 N Oslo Rockefeller
23 Okt 2007 S Gothenburg Tradgarn
25 Okt 2007 S Stockholm Tirol
26 Okt 2007 DK Kopenhagen Pumpenhuset
28 Okt 2007 D Hamburg Markthalle
30 Okt 2007 D Stuttgart LKA Longhorn
1 Nov 2007 NL Tilburg Club 013
2 Nov 2007 B Antwerpen Hof Ter Lo

Metal Storm can exclusively confirm from a very reliable source Gothenburg-act Dark Tranquillity will be co-headlining this tour and that there'll be a third support act added to the line up.

Afterwards, Iced Earth will support Heaven And Hell on a UK tour beginning on November 4 in Newcastle.

SPV Records has set the following release dates for Iced Earth's new studio album "Framing Armageddon - Something Wicked Part I":

Germany: September 7
Rest of Europe: September 10
North America: September 11

Read more ››

Source: spv.de
Band profile: Iced Earth
Event: Iced Earth + Annihilator: Wicked European Tour
Posted: 30.07.2007 by Thryce | Comments (14)


Therion - European Tour Dates

Therion, Sirenia and The Vision Bleak are joining forces for a European tour in December dubbed as the "The Theli - Adulruna Rediviva Tour".

Dates are as follows:

07.12.2007 - GER, Glauchau - Alte Spinnerei
08.12.2007 - GER, Memmingen - Kaminwerk
09.12.2007 - SLO, Ljubljana - VPK Mediapark
10.12.2007 - CRO, Zagreb - Boogaloo
11.12.2007 - SER, Belgrad - SKC
12.12.2007 - HUN, Budapest - Petöfi Hall
13.12.2007 - POL, Krakow - Club Studio
14.12.2007 - CZE, Prague - Roxy
15.12.2007 - BEL, Antwerpen - Hof Ter Lo
16.12.2007 - ENG, London - The Fridge
17.12.2007 - NED, Amsterdam - Melkweg
18.12.2007 - FRA, Strasbourg - La Laiterie
19.12.2007 - FRA, Lyon - Transbordeur
20.12.2007 - FRA, Toulouse - Bikini
21.12.2007 - FRA, Rennes - Cité
22.12.2007 - FRA, Paris - Elysée Montmartre

Plausibly, more dates will be announced.

Read more ››

Source: bravewords.com
Band profile: Therion
Event: Adulruna Rediviva Tour
Posted: 26.07.2007 by Thryce | Comments (13)


Edenbridge - New Album In The Works

Austrian Symphonic metal band Edenbridge have updated their official website with the following message;

"Songwriting for Edenbridge´s 6th studio album has just been finished. The band will enter the studio on September 19 to start the recordings. Mix is scheduled for early January and the album will be released in April/May 2008.

Some of the new songs are titled:
"Undying Devotion", "Fallen From Grace", "Place Of Higher Power", "Whale Rider" and "Remember Me".
All in all the album will contain 10 songs plus intro.

More news according to the new album will follow soon!"

Source: edenbridge.org
Band profile: Edenbridge
Posted: 26.07.2007 by Thryce | Comments (5)


Destruction - To Film Wacken Show For Anniversary DVD

German Thrash Metal Legends Destruction have posted the following message on their website:

"The show in Wacken this year will feature some special surprise performances:

Beside the "Mad Butcher & his pleasureslaves", all the original and former members will join the band for the finale of the performance. Although the band will perform '"the Alliance of Hellhoundz" with different guest singers!

You can enjoy the 75 minutes "Best of Destruction" set at 6.45PM on the Wacken BLACKSTAGE.

The event will be filmed for the 25th anniversary DVD, that will be released in 2007!"

Source: destruction.de
Band profile: Destruction
Event: Wacken Open Air 2007
Posted: 25.07.2007 by Thryce | Comments (6)


Dimmu Borgir - Drummer Injured

The following blog was posted on Dimmu Borgir's MySpace page:

"Due to a recently diagnosed injury, Dimmu Borgir drummer Hellhammer will be unable to play drums for the band on the remaining festival dates this summer and the upcoming European tour with Amon Amarth and Hatesphere.

Hellhammer's x-ray confirmed a severe neck prolapse causing numbness in his right arm. He will be going into treatment soon and could - quite possibly - undergo corrective surgery.

Taking over drum duties for the upcoming shows will be Tony Laureano (Nile, Angelcorpse, Aurora Borealis), who played for Dimmu Borgir during the band's North American stint on Ozzfest in 2004 and during festival performances throughout 2005.

We wish Hellhammer a swift and successful recovery!"

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Source: myspace.com
Band profile: Dimmu Borgir
Posted: 25.07.2007 by Thryce | Comments (22)


God Forbid - Live Video Online

Taken from The Underground Video Television Newsletter:

A live clip of God Forbid taken during their recent run with Hatebreed & "The Monsters Of Mayhem" tour (which also featured Evergreen Terrace & The Acacia Strain ) is available online for viewing. This live video is for God Forbid's track "The End Of The World" and can be seen at the Underground Video Television (UVTV) website, here.

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Source: uvtv.info
Band profile: God Forbid
Posted: 25.07.2007 by Thryce | Comments (0)


Kataklysm - Cancel US Tour Dates

The following update was posted on the official Kataklysm website:

After much thought, Kataklysm have decided to cancel the few dates they had lined up with Devildriver next month, in favor to enter the studio.

Comments guitarist J-F Dagenais:
"I think we - all in the band - looking forward to hitting the road again and raise mayhem, but there's a lot of magic that just created with the writing process and all of us are too much into it to break the mood and progress. My studio is ready and we dediced to start recording the new album "PREVAIL" on August 15th and work on it til we leave for our European tour at the end of September. We also decided that we will mix the album in January in Florida with producer JASON SUECOF (Trivium, Chimaira, Black Dahlia Murder), which we are looking forward to. Myself and Jason will make sure the album is as flawless as possible with a crushing production!! So for the many fans that were hitting up our MySpace and website, looking forward to seeing us live this summer... we sincerely apologize but it's for a good cause, trust me. On the other side of things, we have some very serious offers for Nov. and Dec. so we are planning on hitting the road in the States then. There's some big things in the horizon... We will keep you posted!"

Source: kataklysmrocks.com
Band profile: Kataklysm
Posted: 22.07.2007 by Thryce | Comments (3)