Both Anthrax relatives Stormtroopers Of Death and Method Of Destruction have new releases on the way. Megaforce Records will release S.O.D.'s final (extended) E.P. 'Rise Of The Infidels', which contains four studio tracks, a live concert from Seattle and a DVD with footage of 'The Fenix' show. It's release date will be August 21, 2007.

One month later, Index Entertainment is going to release M.O.D.'s new studio album, called 'Red, White And Screwed', which was recorded earlier this year. It's release date will be September 25, 2007.

The cover artwork for both albums can be seen here (Rise Of The Infedels) and here (Red, White And Screwed).

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Source:

sod-mod.com

Hate Eternal have announced their new permanent drummer. Jade Simonetto is now their full member of the band. Jade has been working with the band lately, but has just now been given a full position. In further Hate Eternal news, new details about an upcoming album have been announced.

Vocallist/guitarist Erik Rutan made the following comments on the band's official website: "Jade and I have been working together for six months or so, and his incredible skill and dedication to extreme drumming and groove has made him the perfect drummer for Hate Eternal. We gel on everything from all the old songs to the new and the creativity process has been amazing. Working with Jade on the new songs, there is so much diversity and signature drumming to the melodies and riffs.

We have been in the middle of preproduction right now for weeks and will doing preproduction till the end of August. We will then start recording the drum tracks for our album! I am super excited about the new material and Alex is coming up with some incredible bass lines! This album is covering a lot more ground than we have previously and I am excited about jamming with Jade and Alex, and a surprise in the works! A lot more groove and diversity in an extreme way. We will record and mix between now and October, with an early 2008 release on Metal Blade. I will keep you updated!"

Source:	hateeternal.com
Band profile:	Hate Eternal

Around early November thrashers Megadeth will be hitting the island of Japan for a tour. The band are excited about the tour, and look forward to playing in Japan after their US tour has finished.

Here is a comment from frontman Dave Mustaine: "I really hope to see as many of you as possible on this next leg and as you probably noticed on the Killing Road page, we have added our Japanese dates and we are excited about our returning to The Land Of The Rising Sun."

Here are all the upcoming Japanese tour dates:

October 30 - Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall, Tokyo
October 31 - Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall, Tokyo
November 1 - Shibuya AX, Tokyo
November 5 - Zepp Nagoya, Nagoya
November 6 - Koseinekin Kaikan, Osaka

Source:	megadeth.com
Band profile:	Megadeth
Event:	Megadeth

More tour dates have been added to Freedom Call's European schedule. Three more dates have been added to the segment with Pink Cream 69 and a whole new set of dates in France and Belgium with Nightmare are now confirmed.

Here are the new dates:

With Pink Cream 69
09.10.2007 - TBA, Bratislava, Slovakia
10.10.2007 - TBA, Kosice, Slovakia
11.10.2007 - TBA, Zlin, Czech Republic

With Nightmare
09.11.2007 - L'Autre Canal / Club, Nancy, France
10.11.2007 - Sint Pauluszaal, Opwijk, Belgium
11.11.2007 - Noumatrouff, Mulhouse, France
12.11.2007 - La Locomotive / Main Hall, Paris, France
13.11.2007 - Industrya, Nantes, France
14.11.2007 - Parc Expos, Pau, France
15.11.2007 - Havana Café, Toulouse, France
16.11.2007 - Luynes Le Korigan, Marseille, France
17.11.2007 - CCO De Villleurbanne, Lyon, France

Freedom Call's entire tour schedule can be see in the tours section of their official website.

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Source:	freedom-call.net
Band profile:	Freedom Call
Event:	Freedom Call: Dimensions Tour

Theatre Of Tragedy have announced two shows that they will be playing in Poland. The first show will be on October 12th in Krakow at Klub Studio, and the second on October 13th in Warsaw at Progresja. More details will be revealed soon.

Source:	theatreoftragedy.com
Band profile:	Theatre Of Tragedy
Event:	Theatre Of Tragedy - Polish Tour 2007

Symphony X will be joining Dream Theater later in the year for the European leg of their Chaos In Motion World Tour 2007/2008. The tour schedule has been updated to include shows in Great Britain.

Here is the full list of dates:

26 September, 2007 - Helsinki, Finland - Ice Hall
28 September, 2007 - Stockholm, Sweden - Hovet
29 September, 2007 - Oslo, Norway - Spectrum
04 October, 2007 - Antwerp, Belgium - Lotto Arena
05 October, 2007 - Paris, France - Zenith
11 October, 2007 - Glasgow, Scotland - TBA
12 October, 2007 - Manchester, England - Apollo
13 October, 2007 - London, England - Wembley Arena
09 November, 2007 - Newport, Wales - Newport Centre
10 November, 2007 - Wolverhampton, England - Civic Hall
11 November, 2007 - Blackburn, England - King George's Hall

Source:	symphonyx.com
Band profile:	Symphony X
Event:	Chaos In Motion World Tour

Australian Power Metal band Black Majesty have announced a title for their soon to be released new album. The album will be called 'Tomorrowland'. The new album will be released through their German label Limb Music Products.

Black Majesty have also been announced as part of the Metal Universe Black Sun Festival in Slovakia which happens 20-21/7/2007. Other confirmed bands for the festival include Masterplan, Blind Guardian and Alkehol. Black Majesty will be on tour in Europe throughout July and August where they will be playing live shows and doing promomotion for the new album.

Source:	blackmajesty.com
Band profile:	Black Majesty
Event:	Metal Universe Black Sun Festival

Veteran metallers Venom have confirmed an upcoming Scandinavian tour. The tour, simply called "Scandinavian 7 Dates Tour", will take place in May. Venom headlined Sweden's Rock and Finland's Tuska festivals last year, and so the promotors have offered them a...seven date tour. Venom is using the tour as a break from recording their next album.

"Even though we headlined the festivals last year, because of the time of year it was still broad daylight, so to play some indoor venues in the pitch black will be a much more venomous environment, we can't wait" says Venom vocalist Cronos.

Here is a list of the dates for the tour:

May 23 - Pumpehuset, Copenhagen, Denmark
May 24 - Klubben, Stockholm, Sweden
May 26 - Teatria, Oulu, Finland
May 27 - Nosturi, Helsinki, Finland
May 29 - Betong, Oslo, Norway
May 30 - Karen, Goteborg, Sweden
May 31 - KB, Malmo, Sweden

Source:	venomslegions.com
Band profile:	Venom
Event:	Venom: Scandinavian 7 Dates Tour

Original bassist Adrian Jackson of My Dying Bride has left the band. He's left for a future in the USA and doesn't seem to have plans for My Dying Bride. He annouced his departure to the band on the 5th January.

Here is a statement by My Dying Bride:

"We have parted in good faith and wish him luck with his new life out there. It has absolutely no effect on any of the gigs we have confirmed. We have already rehearsed his replacement to gig readiness and she is looking forward to playing for the first time in My Dying Bride. More on his replacement, Lena, soon.

Secondly we have had to replace long term stand in drummer / thunder truck / Uberlunatic John Bennet due to his work commitments. He is saddened by the fact he cannot drum for My Dying Bride anymore as are we, but we understand that we all have to make a living and wish him luck too in his job.

It's not all doom and gloom though as we have been rehearsing with excellent drummer Dan Mullins of Thine, Bal Sagoth and Sermon Of Hypocrisy fame and again he too is now at gig readiness. MDB has a new fresh focused feel to it and we are looking forward to the shows with a vengeance".

The upcoming shows that My Dying Bride will play will be:

23.03.07 - Petofi Csornok, Budapest, Hungary (Metalmania Festival)
24.03.07 - Spodek, Katowice, Poland (Metalmania Festival)
20.04.07 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
21.04.07 - Pestpop Festival, Wieze, Belgium
16.06.07 - ArtMania Festival, Sibiu, Romania
11.08.07 - M'era Luna Festival, Hildesheim, Germany (Flughafen Drispenstedt)
12.08.07 - Summer Darkness Festival, Utrecht, Netherlands

Source:	mydyingbride.org
Band profile:	My Dying Bride

Early next month Blood Red Throne will be entering Jailhouse Studios in Horsens, Denmark to begin recording their fourth album. So far four song titles have been decided upon. They are "Rebirth In Blood", "Come Death", "No New Beginning" and "Slaying The Lamb".

The album will be the first to include new drummer Anders Haave and new vocallist Vald. It is set for release around July/August through Earache Records.

Source:	bloodredthrone.net
Band profile:	Blood Red Throne

Greek Black Metallers Ravencult have announced a deal with Dark Essence Records. The band have inked the deal with the Norwegian record label in time for their next release. The release will be their debut album 'Temples Of Torment'. The album will be released on the 26th of March, 2007.

Here is the track list for the album:

01. The Sigil Of Baphomet
02. In Times Of Demise
03. Onslaught Command
04. Blessed In Heresy
05. Commence The Burning Of Heavens
06. The Nightsky Codex
07. Utter Cold Void
08. The Needles Of Truth

More information including the cover art will be posted soon.

Source:

ravencult.net

Veteran Thrashers Testament have updated their Australian tour schedule. The group's previously announced February 9th show in Canberra has been moved to Brisbane and the February 11th show in Perth has been cancelled altogether.

Testament's Australian tour now looks like this:

February 07 - The Prince of Wales Hotel, Melbourne, Australia
February 08 - The Manning Bar, Sydney, Australia
February 09 - The Waterloo Hotel, Brisbane, Australia

Source:	testamentlegions.com
Band profile:	Testament
Event:	Testament: Australian Tour

Australian Power/Progressive Metal band Vanishing Point have officially started their search for a new drummer. Former drummer Jack Lukic left the band at the end of last year, and now Vanishing Point are looking for a replacement.

Here is a posting taken from the band's official website: "Vanishing Point begins it's arduous task of finding a drummer who will be replacing Jack. After releasing three studio albums, nearing completion of their fourth album/new album and completing extensive European and Australian tours, Vanishing Point seeks a drummer with great communication skills, who is friendly, easy going, has own transport and is willing to commit 100%. Must have the ability to write in a team environment and have some stage experience, should be financially secure and be able to tour overseas.

After signing to Germany's fastest growing record label Dockyard1, Vanishing Point has been put among the worlds best music acts today.
So if you, or if you may know someone who has what Vanishing Point is looking for please reply to vanishingpoint1@hotmail.com".

UPDATE:
It appears that after only three days the search is over already. Drummer Christian Nativo of Melbourne-based melodic metal band PTB has posted the following news on his Myspace:

"Hello friends...
I am pleased to announced that I am the new drummer for Melbourne Prog Metal band Vanishing Point.

I wish the boys from PTB all the very best for 2007 and beyond and I will continue to help them for their live shows until they find a new drummer...

I look forward to seeing you at the shows...
Cheers"

Even though Vanishing Point's official website doesn't report about Nativo's addition yet, the band's Myspace already lists him as band member.

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Source:	vanishing-point.com.au
Band profile:	Vanishing Point

After just completing a North American tour, which the band found to be quite successful, Leaves' Eyes will be heading the same way in August/September this year. Joining Leaves' Eyes for the tour will be Power Metal band Kamelot.

Here are the dates for the tour:

17.08.2007 - USA - West Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
18.08.2007 - USA - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance Theatre
19.08.2007 - USA - New York, NY @ B.B. Kings Blues Club
20.08.2007 - USA - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre*
21.08.2007 - USA - Bedford, NH @ Mark's Place*
22.08.2007 - Canada - Montreal, QU @ Medley
23.08.2007 - Canada - Quebec City, QC @ Imperial
24.08.2007 - Canada - Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
25.08.2007 - USA - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
26.08.2007 - USA - Detroit, MI @ I-Rock*
27.08.2007 - USA - Mokena, IL @ The Pearl Room
28.08.2007 - USA - St.Paul, MN @ Station 4
30.08.2007 - USA - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
01.09.2007 - USA - Santa Ana, CA @ Galaxy Theatre
02.09.2007 - USA - Los Angeles, CA @ Key Club

* = Leaves' Eyes only

Source:	leaveseyes.de
Band profile:	Leaves' Eyes
Event:	Kamelot/Leaves' Eyes: North American Tour 2007

Veteran Australian thrashers Mortal Sin have posted a live video online at YouTube. The video is of the band playing at Wacken, Germany in 2006. The video goes for nine minutes and can be seen at this location.

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Source:	hailmetal.com
Band profile:	Mortal Sin