Gamma Ray have announced two shows, part of their Australian tour fitting in with the "Hell Yeah! The Awesome Foursome (and the Finnish keyboarder who didn't want to wear his Donald Duck costume) Live in Montreal" DVD release.

Confirmed tour dates so far :
09.12.2006 - Melbourne (AU) at the Hifi Bar with Vanishing Point.
10.12.2006 - Sydney (AU) at the Gaelic Club with Lord.

Source:	gamma-ray.com
Band profile:	Gamma Ray

After the very successful "Metal Crusaders" - North America tour Destruction will return with a headling performance to the USA and Canada in January 2007!
Confirmed "Thrash Till Death Over North America Tour" dates are as follows:

UPDATED on 20-10-06]
Jan. 20 - Seattle WA @ Showbox
Jan. 21 - Santa Ana, CA @ Galaxy Theater
Jan. 23 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
Jan. 25 - Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA
Jan. 26 - Denver, CO @ Hubba's House Of Rock
Jan. 27 - Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium
Jan. 28 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Jan. 29 - Chicago, IL @ TBA
Jan. 30 - Sauget, IL @ Pop's
Jan. 31 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
Feb. 01 - Toronto, ONT @ The Opera House
Feb. 02 - Quebec City, QUE @ L' Imperial
Feb. 03 - Montreal, QUE @ Foufounes Electriques
Feb. 04 - Boston, MA @ Middle East
Feb. 05 - New York City, NY @ Rebel
Feb. 06 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
Feb. 07 - Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
Feb. 09 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
Feb. 10 - Ft Lauderdale, FL @ TBA
Feb. 11 - Orlando, FL @ Back Booth
Feb. 13 - San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
Feb. 14 - Houston, TX @ Meridian
Feb. 15 - El Paso, TX @ Chic's
Feb. 16 - Phoenix, AZ @ Clubhouse
Feb. 17 - Hollywood, CA @ Key Club

Source:	destruction.de
Band profile:	Destruction
Event:

Steamhammer/SPV has announced the signing of the American cult band W.A.S.P.
On November 10 in Germany, November 13 in Europe and November 21 in USA, their new offering "Dominator" arrives in the shops, their first studio album since 2004.

"Dominator" track listing :

01. Mercy
02. Burn (Deep Purple cover)
03. Take Me Up
04. Heaven's Blessed
05. Heaven's Hung In Black
06. Long Long Way To Go
07. Teacher
08. Heaven's Hung In Black (Reprise)
09. Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)

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Source:	wasparmy.com
Band profile:	W.A.S.P.

Recent rumour about Blackie Lawless dying in a car accident has proven to be nothing more than someone's sick joke. Apparently, the rumour originates from the fake news website, where you can enter your own text and transform it into a news article.

Blackie Lawless has issued the following statement on the official W.A.S.P. website:
"If I died, I wish someone would have had the common decency to let me know, besides, a car crash is way too mundane, I would have opted for something more spectacular" - Blackie Lawless.

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Source:	waspnation.com
Band profile:	W.A.S.P.

Manowar will release a new DVD "Live At Earthshaker Fest 2005" containing their headlining performance on July 23rd of 2005 at Earthshaker Fest 2005. The DVD will be released on November 10th.
A cover of the DVD can be found here.

Track List:

01. Manowar
02. Brothers Of Metal
03. Call To Arms
04. Sun Of Death
05. Kings Of Metal
06. Sign Of The Hammer
07. Blood Of My Enemies
08. Kill With Power
09. Metal Warriors
10. The Glory Of Achilles
11. Metal Daze
12. Dark Avenger
13. Outlaw
14. House Of Death
15. Herz Aus Stahl
16. Prelude To Act III (Lohengrin)
17. King Of Kings
18. Warriors Of The World United
19. Hail And Kill
20. Black Wind, Fire And Steel
21. Battle Hymn
22. The Crown And The Ring

Earthshaker bonus disc :

23. Fan Convention documentary (long version)
24. The Day The Earth Shook documentary
25. Battle Hymn" - Geiselwind Rehearsal

A new EP called "The Sons Of Odin" will be released on October 6. Manowar's new studio album "Gods Of War" is tentatively scheduled for release in January via the band's own label, Magic Circle

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Source:	manowar.com
Band profile:	Manowar

Century Media Records has revealed more information about the upcoming Iced Earth "Alive In Athens" DVD. The set is believed to contain video footage recorded during the band's 1999 two-night appearance at the Rodon Club in Athens, Greece which previously resulted in a two-disc live CD of the same name.
The DVD will be released at the end of October.

"Alive In Athens" DVD , and track listing :

01. Intro
02. Burning Times
03. Vengeance Is Mine
04. Dark Saga
05. Last Laugh
06. Cast In Stone
07. Last December
08. Pure Evil
09. Desert Rain
10. Dante's Inferno
11. The Hunter
12. Melancholy (Holy Martyr)
13. Angels Holocaust
14. Stormrider
15. The Path I Choose
16. Watching Over Me
17. Diary
18. Blessed Are You
19. When The Night Falls
20. My Own Savior
21. Travel In Stygian
22. Violate
23. Stand Alone
24. Brainwashed
25. Disciples Of The Lie
26. I Died For You
27. Prophecy
28. Birth Of The Wicked
29. The Coming Curse
30. Epilog

Bonus:
31. Iced Earth Backstage
32. Jon Schaffer In Athens

For Iced Earth mainman Jon Schaffer's assessment of the upcoming "Alive In Athens" DVD, read his statement at this location.

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Source:	blabbermouth.net
Band profile:	Iced Earth

Dutch death metallers God Dethroned have lined up the following Greek dates in December :

Saturday, December 9th 2006: Athens @ An Club
Sunday, December 10th 2006: Thessaloniki @ Milos Club

The band's comment: 'God Dethroned hasn't played Greece that often in the past, and these shows will be the first we'll play with the new line-up, so we're looking forward to give all of you metalheads overthere an overwhelming performance.'

A full list of God Dethroned tour dates can be found here

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Source:	goddethroned.com
Band profile:	God Dethroned

Swedish power metallers Axenstar have uploaded their song 'Edge Of The World' on their MySpace page.
The track comes off the group's fourth album "The Final Requiem" which was released in Europe on September 8 via Germany's Massacre Records (the rest of the world will follow in October).
According to the band, 'it is by far the heaviest release in the history of Axenstar. We are all extremely happy with the result.'

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Axenstar

Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has announced plans to post a monthly blog on his official web site and MySpace page. "I've got some pics and stories which I'll post later next month and I'm looking forward to sharing," he said.

On the subject of his current activities, Halford said, "I spent my recent break from the Judas Priest writing sessions looking in on the assembling of the forthcoming Fight and Halford music and film releases. They are f**kin' hot. You all have some great surprises in store."

Halford has laid out an ambitious release schedule for his new company called Metal God Entertainment (MGE). This year, Halford will reissue some of his non-Judas Priest material through MGE, starting with the Halford albums he made in 2000, 2001, and 2002, and he's also planning two DVDs and possibly some other music for next year. Halford told Launch he started MGE so that he could better control how things are released and promoted. "We really are very possessive of what we create, and we nurture it, obviously, from conception to its release," he said. "Most labels do an incredible job, and, and that's always been the case for me, but here's an opportunity now for me to look after things a little bit better, and give me a little bit more peace of mind in that area."

Besides working on MGE projects, Halford is in the midst of writing with Judas Priest. They're making a concept album about the 16-century prophet Nostradamus.

Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Halford

Swedish Death Metallers Grave have posted the following update :

"After careful consideration our drummer Pelle has decided to leave the band due to personal reasons and also the increasement of touring that we will engage in the coming months and hopefully years to come.

Pelle has been a very important part of the band and has played a big part in Grave's sound on the albums he appeared on. We wish him all the best with his other projects and life in general.

For the upcoming tours we have drafted Ronnie Bergerståhl (ex-Bastards, Julie Laughs Nomore, Amaran, Centinex). Rehearsals are going great and we welcome Ronnie in the band. His first live appearance with Grave will be when we kick off the first leg of the 2006 US tour at Sep 30.

More info on Ronnie will be up soon..."

For a full list of tour dates (USA in October and December and Europe in November), click here.

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Source:	grave.se
Band profile:	Grave

Finnish melodic/Soumi metal band Poisonblack has lined up the following dates in Finland in December :

Dec. 08 - Vaasa, FIN @ Club 25
Dec. 09 - Seinäjoki, FIN @ Rytmikorjaamo
Dec. 13 - Turku, FIN @ Klubi
Dec. 14 - Tampere, FIN @ Klubi
Dec. 16 - Rovaniemi, FIN @ Tivoli
Dec. 19 - Helsinki, FIN @ Tavastia
Dec. 20 - Kuopio, FIN @ Henry´s Pub
Dec. 21 - Pori, FIN @ Bar Kino

All Poisonblack tour dates can be found here.

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Source:	poisonblack.com
Band profile:	Poisonblack

Gothic metallers Trail Of Tears will return for their second Mexican tour this November!
First dates (more to be announced) are as follows :

17.11: Circo Volador, Mexico City
18.11: Teatro Morelos, Morelia, Mich.
19.11: TBA, Guadalajara
23.11: La Iguana Rock Line, Durango, DUR
24.11: Estudio Alameda, Torreón, COAH
25.11: La Huerta Del STIC, San Luis Potosí

Their upcoming album "Existentia" will be released in November through Napalm Records.

Source:	trailoftears.no
Band profile:	Trail Of Tears

A new song from Borknagar entitled 'Earth Imagery' has been posted online here. The track comes off the band's upcoming acoustic album "Origin" which will be released on October 30th through Century Media in Europe.

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Source:	www2.centurymedia.com
Band profile:	Borknagar

Official press release :

Spain's Locomotive Records will release worldwide the new album ("Burden Of Truth") from progressive/power metal masters Circle II Circle on October 10th.
"Burden Of Truth"'s captivating concept is taken from "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown and "Holy Blood Holy Grail" by Michael Baigent, Richard Leight and Henry Lincoln. Both novels theorize that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene, and their children's descendents prospered in France.
This "holy bloodline" has fascinated Circle II Circle singer/songwriter Zak Stevens for years. "Just imagine," he says, "that through years of research tracing back through your family tree, you uncover a secret religious society that reveals to you that you are, in fact, one of the direct descendants of Jesus!"
Circle II Circle - vocalist Stevens, guitarists Andy Lee and Evan Christopher, bassist Mitch Stewart and drummer Tom Drennan - is prepared for whatever controversy this hot-button topic engenders. The release date is the 699th anniversary of the day in 1307 when members of The Knights Templar were arrested and banished in France for espousing such beliefs.
"Fifty million fans have read these books," explains Stevens, "and I'm sure they have had some of the same feelings and questions I've had, so the band and I decided to explore our thoughts and share them with our fans. There's definitely some dark stuff on this record but if you really dig deep, you'll see that there's a very positive outcome."

The record was finished - believe it or not - on 6/6/06. The first single will be 'Revelations'. A tour is set for Europe and the U.S. later this fall.

The tracklisting is as follows :
01. Who Am I To Be
02. Matter Of Time
03. Heal You
04. Revelations
05. This Is Your Reality
06. Evermore
07. The Black
08. Messiah
09. Sentenced
10. Burden Of Truth
11. Live As One
12. Into The Wind
13. Burden Of Truth

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Source:	circle2circle.net
Band profile:	Circle II Circle

Former Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen has been working on a new solo Christmas album at Finnvox Studios. The album will be called "Henkäys Ikuisuudesta" and will contain the following songs (in no particualr order):

Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
Marian Poika
You Would Have Loved This
Mökit Nukkuu Lumiset
En Etsi Valtaa, Loistoa
Happy New Year
Walking In The Air
Kuin Henkäys Ikuisuutta
Jo Joutuu Ilta
Varpunen Jouluaamuna
Jouluyö, Juhlayö
The Eyes Of A Child
Magnificat Anima Mea: Quia Respexit
Ave Maria

'You Would Have Loved This' will be the first single. The single's cover art can be found here.

The single will be available in Finland next October 11th and the album "Henkäys Ikuisuudesta" will be out on November 8th.

A full studio report and some pictures can be found here.

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Source:	tarjaturunen.com
Band profile:	Tarja