Actually, it's not exactly what you may think... The Metal Bible is a special Bible version for all who are into metal music. It contains the New Testament in an easy to understand language as well as testimonies from metalheads that talk about what God and the Bible means to them.

Those metalheads include Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake), Brian Welsh (ex-Korn), Rob Rock, Michael Sweet (Stryper), Ken Tamplin, Metal Pastor Bob Beeman (Sanctuary International), Karl Walfridsson (Pantokrator), Shadows of Paragon, Luke Renno (Crimson Thorn), Simon "Pilgrim" Rosén (Crimson Moonlight), Christian Rivel (Narnia, Divinefire), Matt Smith (Theocracy), Ulf Christiansson (Jerusalem) as well as some others.

The purpose of this special Bible is to break down prejudices and misconceptions that many metalheads have about the Bible and help them to realize that the Bible is not a boring book but an interesting and living book that has a lot to tell us today, so that they through this special Bible version can realize that the Bible and it's message is something for them too. As a result of this many metalheads will check out the Bible and through it find Christ.

Metal Bible trailer: http://www.unblack-metal.de/realaudio/bildspel.wmv
Website: http://www.metalbibel.nu

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Children Of Bodom will release their fifth studio outing, called 'Are You Dead Yet?' in September.

'Are You Dead Yet?' tracklist is as follows :

1. Living Dead Beat
2. Are You Dead Yet?
3. If You Want Peace... Prepare for War
4. Punch Me I Bleed
5. In Your Face
6. Next in Line
7. Bastards of Bodom
8. Trashed, Lost & Strungout
9. We're Not Gonna Fall

A single of the track 'In Your Face' is targeted for release on August in Finland.

Band profile:

Children Of Bodom

The new GammaRay Album Majestic will contain the following tracks:

01. My Temple
02. Fight
03. Strange World
04. Hell Is Thy Home
05. Blood Religion
06. Condemned To Hell
07. Spiritual Dictator
08. Majesty
09. How Long
10. Revelation

There also will be a bonus track on the japanese edition.

Band profile:

Gamma Ray

The upcoming fifth Charon album will be called 'Songs For The Sinners' and is scheduled to be released on the 31st of August 2005 in Finland. International release date is 5th September 2005.

The first single from the album, 'Ride On Tears' will be released on August 3.

The song 'Colder' is now available for download at Spinefarm site: http://www.spinefarm.fi/av.php

Band profile:

Charon

Austrian Avantgarde-Metallers KOROVAKILL are online again. On their new Website you can find many Treasures from their last 15 Years. You can explore the Music, Lyrics and Artworks of all their Albums, and even some Excerpts from their unreleased "Echoworld"-Recordings. All this and much more can be found at http://www.korovakill.com

Apart from that some Korova-Songs can be heard in the new Film of US-Weirdo Bill Zebub. "The worst Horror Movie ever made" will be out on DVD soon. Friends of queer Stuff like John Waters or Russ Meyer should risk an Eye!

Salem has received an official report from the Russian TV channel "Music Box" that states that the band video of their song "Act of War" taken from their fourth album "Collective Demise" was chosen by Russian viewers as the top video of January, the count in the Russian video parade is daily and the video was number one the entire month!

This achievement is astonishing as the channel features thousands of videos by artists such as Britney Spears, Madonna, System of a Down and Metallica.

More info and footage of the video: http://www.salemband.com

Band profile:

Salem

"What if Dr. Phil wore leather? In this studio show the one and only Juliya, Fuse's heavy metal mistress, dishes out advice to her fans about sex, life, parents and of course, METAL. If you're looking for Dr. Ruth, this ain't the place - there'll be just as much abuse as there will be love as Juliya takes phone calls & online questions all from the set of her boudoir."

Watch "Slave to the Metal" on Fuse, weeknights at 9pm ET (6pm PT). Check local listings or http://www.fuse.tv to find out what channel Fuse is on in your area.

Dream Theater have completed work on their 8th full length studio album Octavarium, which is tentatively set for release through Atlantic Records on June 7th, 2005.

The track listing is as follows:

The Root Of All Evil
The Answer Lies Within
These Walls
I Walk Beside You
Panic Attack
Never Enough
Sacrificed Sons
Octavarium

Dream Theater's 2005/2006 World Tour will kick off on June 10th in Sweden with a leg of European Festivals and select headlining shows which will then be followed by a North American leg throughout July/August as part of a "package" tour with several other bands TBA very soon.

Band profile:

Dream Theater

When the Italian epic metal band Rhapsody first met the legendary actor Christopher Lee in December 2003 during the recording of their current album "Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret" no one really knew what could come of this collaboration.

It was only after Lee himself, being a talented singer possessing a rich bass/baritone voice, expressed his "concerns" that he was about to narrate for the album in a role of a wizard king and not sing at all, laid the ground for what was to come next:

The release of the album was critically acclaimed by both fans and media and achieving fantastic chart positions throughout the world - the parties decided to meet again in December 2004 to re-record the album track "The Magic Of The Wizard's Dream", this time as a duet that would feature the rich and expressive singing voice of none other than Mr. Lee with the band Rhapsody.

In many reviews of the album, media and fans had already chosen the song as one of the best ever by the band. So this time producer Joey DeMaio was chosen by the band and Mr. Lee to produce the recording with the help of a Cologne string orchestra and some other guest musicians.

With Mr. Lee's command of over 12 languages it was a pleasure not a problem to record the song in the four different languages English, German, French and Italian. Also a spectacular video was shot in High Definition filmed by noted director Neil Johnson featuring a 40-piece orchestra and a 20-piece choir.

In addition to the four language versions the band also produced two brand new studio tracks, the fast and powerful "Autumn Twilight" and the sweet and traditionally influenced "Lo Specchio D'Argento" that will also appear on this new offering. Single release date: 4.04.2005

Christopher Lee will be joining RHAPSODY live on stage on this year's Earthshaker Fest 2005 in Geiselwind, Germany to perform the new single "The Magic Of The Wizard's Dream"!

Source:	mightyrhapsody.com
Band profile:	Rhapsody

4-5th of March (Friday, Saturday) - folk/pagan/black/death metal festival in Lithuania, Siauliai

4th of March

Location: Gallery ?Laiptai", Zemaites str. 83
Lounge Bar ?Elitas", Vilniaus str. 237

Price: 00.00

Symposium "The Ancient Balts' Wars and Fights"
Folk Inversion - folk improvisation performed live

Video instaliations

Band D.A.R. (lt) - brutal death

5th of March

Location: Club "Studentu Kampas", P.Visinskio str. 11 (close to the bus and train stations).

Time: 17:45
Price: 10 Lt. (~2,7Euro),.
Beer: 2 Lt. (~0,4 euro)

PRETERNATURAL (lv) - Melodinc death metal
ANDAJA (lt) - Pagan metal
BESTIA (ee) - Epic black metal
DARK DOMINATION (lv) - Black metal art
NAHASH (lt) - Occult black metal
NEGLECTED FIELDS (lv) - Techno death metal

After the festival an afterparty for the whole night.

Location: Lounge bar ELITAS, Vilniaus str. 237
Time: The bar will be opened exactly after the festival and will work all the night.
Price: 00.00
Beer: 2 Lt. (~0,4 euro)

In the afterparty: (metal).

Guests from other towns or countries will not be left freezing outside waiting for the bus or train after festival. Not local people are welcome to the afterparty in the first place.

Official festival wbsite: http://www.gruodas.net

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Mieszko and his girlfriend went to Thailand to spend the holidays. They left a few days before Christmas and were scheduled to return right after New Years Eve. They were staying in a bungalow at Phi Phi Island and when the big wave came and swept the bungalow away the two were seperated. Mieszko's girlfriend is being reported hospitalized "badly injured", and he himself is still missing.

Band profile:

Nasum

SATYRICON guitarists Steinar Gundersen and A.O. Gronbech were arrested and charged in Canada for drugging and raping a woman in the band's tour bus after a concert in Toronto.

"I can confirm that the Norwegian consul in Toronto has been in contact with the arrestees, and followed up by, among other things, visiting them in jail and obtaining legal assistance," said Anne Lene Dale Sandstein, press officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to Norwegian TV 2 Nettavisen.

According to Canadian police, the crimes were committed after SATYRICON had performed at the club Fun Haus in Toronto last Tuesday (Dec. 14), reported the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.

"A woman from Toronto explained that she went with the two Norwegian musicians to their tour bus," said Kristin Bacharach at the Toronto police to the paper. There she was reportedly drugged and sexually assaulted.

Bacharach confirmed that the two musicians have been arrested and are charged. DNA tests have been taken. If found guilty, the two musicians may be sentenced to ten years in prison.

As a result of the musicians' arrests, the remaining dates on SATYRICON's North American tour with 3 INCHES OF BLOOD (including a New York show) were cancelled."

Source:	roadrun.com
Band profile:	Satyricon

According to BW&BK, former Iron Maiden frontman Paul DiAnno was attacked by a crazed fan during his live stage performance on Friday, December 10th at the Barbie in Tel Aviv, Israel. The security managed to stop the attack, but Dianno was badly shaken, and managed to conclude his performace.

EDIT: This story was denied by the promoters, who said that no such thing has, in fact, happened. It's now hard to say who started the rumour in the first place. We apologise for this misinformation.

Read more ››

Band profile:

Iron Maiden

At least five people died and two others were wounded after a shooting at a Columbus nightclub on Wednesday night. The shooting took place shortly after 10 p.m. at Alrosa Villa, located at 5055 Sinclair Rd.

Two members of the heavy metal band Damageplan were reportedly shot and killed, including Dimebag Darrell, formerly with the band Pantera, NBC 4's David Wayne reported. The other band member's name was not released. The alleged gunman also died at the scene, Wayne reported.

Shortly after the band began playing its first song, a man reportedly ran onto the stage and began shooting, according to a witness who identified himself as Sean. Some members of the audience reportedly thought the man running onto the stage with a gun was part of the band's act, NBC 4's Erin Tate reported.

Witnesses said that several shots were fired at the band before a bouncer tackled the gunman before he was shot and killed.

Columbus police Sgt. Brent Mull said the shooter appeared to be targeting the band members. After opening fire on the stage, the gunman turned on the crowd. At that point, an officer shot the man dead, Mall added. Police said there could have been many more fatalities had the officer not killed the gunman.

According to the band's Web site, Damageplan was touring nationally. It performed in Buffalo, N.Y., on Tuesday night and had a concert scheduled in Flint, Mich., on Thursday. Damageplan featured former Pantera artists Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul.

Source:	nbc4i.com
Band profile:	Pantera

Daniel Heiman (vocals) and Fredrik Olsson (guitars) have left Lost Horizon, apparently because of personal differences with Wojtek Lisicki (guitars), who just recently re-joined the band. Daniel has already joined the band Crystal Eyes as their new singer.

Band profile:

Lost Horizon