Bay area thrashers Heathen have posted another new song entitled Emptiness Nothingness for fans to download in their forum:
http://www.heathenmetal.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php's=369

The other two songs that they previously posted, Dying Season and Arrows Of Agony, have been remixed and are available to download as well.

Source:	heathenmetal.com
Band profile:	Heathen

After dedicating a full year to their new album "Ashes of the Wake," Lamb Of God have achieved true success in the industry with their recent DVD release "Killadelphia" hitting Gold. In the past year, Lamb Of God have made an impact on two major summer tours (Sounds Of The Underground, Ozzfest 2004) and have played over 150 dates worldwide, and have even graced the covers of Outburn, Revolver, Metal Maniacs, and more.

Now, Lamb Of God's recent DVD release "Killadelphia" has officially sold over 50,000 DVDs to make it Gold. Here's what the band had to say:

Randall Blythe band vocalist states, "I woulda never thought ten years ago that our antics would be seen by so many people. I hope the DVD is made out of real gold so I can hock it and buy a new lawn mower."

Drummer, Chris Adler states "In today's age of gimmicks, lies and faux reality trying to make celebrities out of everyone with a few dollars, it was important for us to not stage or hype up a damn thing - to simply show Lamb Of God on the road; the good times, the bad times and one hell of a show- and for that stripped down, no-holds-barred approach to be received this well certainly flatters us, but also continues to make a dent in the industry full of fakes and talentless image. It's nice to know that we didn't have to be anything other than ourselves to achieve such success with this DVD, but the real praise should go to our friends and fans who picked up Killadelphia and in doing so have sent a message to the powers that be that we are sick of the over hyped, fake "real world" being shoved down our throats - we are all ready for the honest, genuine bands and music to take center stage once again."

"As a band we are extremely humbled by this achievement - it's rare that a band like ourselves receives this honor. Again, we pass along the thanks and praise to those of you who picked up Killadelphia. This is an accomplishment that we share with all of you. Thank you, congratulations and cheers!"

Source:	smnnews.com
Band profile:	Lamb Of God

Riverside would like to inform you that the worldwide premiere of "Second Life Syndrome" has been scheduled for the 31st of October 2005. The album will be released on Inside Out label worldwide and on Mystic Production in Poland. Both releases will have the same graphic layout designed by Travis Smith. Also, they hope you'll be pleased to hear that there are going to be 9 tracks on "SLS" and not 8, as announced before:

Riverside "Second Life Syndrome"

1. After
2. Volte-Face
3. Conceiving You
4. Second Life Syndrome
5. Artificial Smile
6. I Turned You Down
7. Reality Dream III
8. Dance With The Shadow
9. Before

They have also planned a few gigs for the autumn:
24-25.09.2005 PROGRESISTE CONVENTION - Spirit Of 66, Verviers, Belgium
13.10.2005 Bluescafe, Apeldoorn, Holland
14.10.2005 P60, Amstelveen, Holland
15.10.2005 PROG NOSE FESTIVAL
19.11.2005 ECLIPSED FESTIVAL - Aschaffenburger Colos-Saal, Germany

Source:

riverside.art.pl

Taken from the official Beseech website:

25th AUGUST 2005

--You can now download the completely animated video for the song "Innerlane" that will begin to rotate on various TV stations in the middle of August.

--Listen to 3 longer soundsamples (2-3 minutes each) from the album "Sunless Days."

Source:	beseech.net
Band profile:	Beseech

The Garden Of Unearthly Delights Release Date - Sep 26th 2005.

Mighty Doom icons CATHEDRAL from Coventry, England for sure are one of the most unique and unpredictable acts around. These legendary merchants of slow-motion sound could care less about redundant genre restrictions and have so far incorporated everything from Doom, Psych, Folk up to Funk in their works. With their eighth album ?The Garden Of Unearthly Delights" CATHEDRAL have achieved much more than simply living up to that reputation - the guys created timeless songs that couldn't be farther away from standardisation, stagnation and convention.

Produced by Warren Ryker (DOWN, CROWBAR), ?The Garden Of Unearthly Delights" is probably the most varied effort of the band so far. While a song like 'North Berwick Witch Trials' will bring back memories of such immortal riffs'n'groove as in 'Hopkins' or 'Ride', 'Tree Of Life And Death' simply tears everything to pieces with its ultra-heavy guitar sound and fierce vocals courtesy of Lee Dorrian. The centerpiece of it all certainly is the 27-minute-long mammoth epos 'The Garden' that almost bursts with such a wealth of ideas and changes in atmosphere that other bands probably couldn't come up with on a whole album. Using every stylistic device from female vocals up to violins and embedding it all in that typical CATHEDRAL brand of Doom, ?The Garden Of Unearthly Delights" is a treat for every fan of the band, old and new alike.

(Taken from Nuclear Blast Press Release).

Cathedral upcoming dates.

Friday 2nd September

Barfly

260 Clyde Street,

Glasgow

Ticket hotline remains 0870 333 1123

Over 14's

Doors 7pm

Support from Man Of The Hour?

Saturday 3rd September

Bloodstock Festival

The assembly rooms, Derby.

Tickets & Info - http://www.bloodstock.uk.com

More dates & extensive tour schedule to be annonced soon.

Source:	cathedralcoven.com
Band profile:	Cathedral

VOIVOD guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour passed away Friday night (August 26) at approximately 11:45 p.m. due to complications from advanced colon cancer ? so advanced that the disease had spread to his liver. D'Amour slipped into a coma Thursday night and died less than 24 hours later in the palliative care unit of a Montreal hospital, surrounded by family and friends. He was 45 years old.

Quebec City newspaper Le Soleil reported yesterday that D'Amour ? who was diagnosed with colon cancer earlier in the summer ? first entered the hospital for a routine operation, but several complications led his doctors to suspect more problems. Then the grim verdict was revealed: the cancer, already too advanced, was inoperable.

Only two months ago, D'Amour was in the studio working on the 14th album from the Canadian thrash-metal pioneers VOIVOD. More than two dozen tracks are believed to have been demoed for the CD, for which the group recently inked a deal with The End Records. However, the band were forced to put studio work on hold while bassist Jason Newsted (ex-METALLICA) was treated for tendonitis.

In a recent interview with Billboard.com, Newsted spoke about the material slated to appear on the group's next CD. "It's the most complete demos I've ever been involved in," he said. " Snake has already chosen his effects ? exact timing of milliseconds for delay. We've had a long time to develop the demos, so there's about 23 or 25 songs that are absolutely listenable right now."

Newsted was a huge fan of VOIVOD before he was invited to join and he remains a great admirer to this day. "They created something a long, long time ago that may have been emulated many, many times since ? but nobody can do it like the original," he offered.

Prior to his hospitalization, D'Amour laid down guitar tracks for a reunion CD from the legendary AUT'CHOSE, a '70s band from Montreal. That album is expected to surface next summer.

Read more ››

Source:	roadrunnerrecords.com
Band profile:	Voivod

The band are very thrilled and excited to tell you that Sony/BMG Benelux has signed Stream Of Passion. Sony/BMG is one of the biggest labels in the world and became very interested in Arjen Lucassen's new band after hearing the demo recordings this summer.

"Embrace The Storm" will be released October 24th, 2005 through Sony/BMG in the Benelux and InsideOut for the rest of Europe and the U.S./Canada. For Russia, Ukraine, and the Baltic States, Stream Of Passion has signed with the label IronD.

Also, Stream Of Passion will hit the road for a European tour starting late January 2006. The band is already busy rehearsing and will perform songs from their debut album "Embrace The Storm", as well has songs from the Ayreon back-catalogue. Tour dates to be announced soon!

Source:	streamofpassion.com
Band profile:	Stream Of Passion

Posted By "Zac" on the official website: http://cephaliccarnage.net

As most of you may know we had to drop off of the Suffocation, Cryptopsy, Aborted tour due to internal reasons that we will get in a lot of trouble for talking about publicly. Just know it had nothing to do with any of the bands, their members, of their management. We were looking forward to this tour more than any of you could possibly imagine, and it really, REALLY sucked to have to do that, but that's just life sometimes.

I'm sure most of you also know that shortly after we dropped off of the Suffocation tour we were asked to join The black dahlia murder, Between the buried and me, and Into the moat for a full length tour across the states and Canada. We are very excited to get out there and play some of the new songs for what will hopefully be a pleasant mix of old friends and an unsuspecting public.

This is really our first full-length tour supporting "Anomalies" in the states and we can't be more excited and ready to go. For those "purists" out there that have any sort of miscommunication about the situation revolving around our decision to take this tour over the Suffocation tour, we ask that you:
A. you not look at it like that, as that's not the situation and
B. come see us when we're in your neck of the woods, and we'd be more than happy to elaborate over a beer or two.

-Tour dates will be posted very soon.

Saturday Aug. 27th marks a special occasion for us as it will be the debut of our video (albeit an edited version) for the hit single(haha) "Dying will be the death of me" on MTV2's Headbangers ball. Again, for all the "purists" out there, yes we have totally sold out, and it's fucking rad.

You should see me right now rubbing $100 bills all over my bare chest in slow motion. The clip is already in solid rotation at Fuse's Metal Asylum and Music choice among many others. So a huge thanks goes out to those stations/programs for giving us a chance.

Lastly, we will be uploading new pictures from our last jaunt through the states and Canada with Shadows Fall, Terror, Zao, Origin, and Dead to fall, as well as our 6 weeks in Europe. If you were at any one of those shows, chances are there is probably a pic of you there. If not, send us what you have and we'll do our best to post it.

-Steve and I are finishing up work on a handful of songs to be tabbed.

Band profile:

Cephalic Carnage

Old Mans Child Galder (Dimmu Borgir) returned to Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden (In Flames, Arch Enemy), with Patrik J. Sten and Fredrik Nordström helping to create a new monster of an album, grimly dubbed "Vermin". Putting an end to the two-year silence since their last album, "Vermin" showcases Galder handling the vocals, stringed instruments and keyboards himself, propelled by Danish beat-machine Reno H. Kiilerich, who was drafted by Dimmu Borgir as a live drummer after stints with Vile, Exmortem(and who won a drum contest displaying the fastest footwork after exceeding over 800 hits on the double-bass pedals in one minute). Also guesting on the album for a lead guitar piece is Testament, Dragonlord guitarist Eric Peterson, while the artwork was created around the album's lyrical concept by Greek designer Set (Rotting Chirst, Paradise Lost, Heaven Shall Burn). Punishing catchiness, challenging instrumental performances and an intense overall atmosphere are enhanced further by Galder's demonic vocal delivery, bringing the Old Mans Child name to a new level of coherence and savagery. "Vermin" is yet another masterpiece by Old Mans Child to add to your collection if you call yourself a supporter of quality black metal.

Tracklisting is as follows:

1. Enslaved And Condemned (4:15)
2. The Plague Of Sorrow (4:09)
3. War Of Fidelity (4:19)
4. In Torment's Orbit (5:04)
5. Lord Of Command (Bringer Of Hate) (4:51)
6. The Flames Of Deceit (4:39)
7. Black Marvels Of Death (4:22)
8. Twilight Damnation (4:42)
9. ...As Evil Descends (1:11)

Source:	smnnews.com
Band profile:	Old Man's Child

UNICEF Finland appoints new Goodwill Ambassador: JYRKI 69, SINGER OF THE 69 EYES

"Invited by the Board of Directors of UNICEF Finland Jyrki69, singer of the rock band The 69 Eyes, today signed an agreement of cooperation with the organization. Jyrki69 has done excellent UNICEF work as Spokesperson for the school campaign "Stolen childhood". "Stolen Childhood" is a campaign designed for schools, and the beneficiaries are children in West-African Benin, who run the risk of becoming trafficked.

During the ceremony, Executive Director Pentti Kotoaro of UNICEF Finland said that "the unselfish work of the Goodwill Ambassadors is a priceless resource to UNICEF. With their help the message of children's rights reaches audiences, to which we would not have access otherwise."

The Goodwill Ambassadors are UNICEFs messengers and spokespersons for children's rights. They commit to the goals of the organization and put children's issues on the agenda in their own field. Goodwill Ambassadors are volunteers for UNICEF. The Goodwill Ambassadors of UNICEF Finland are Eija Ahvo, Susanna Haavisto, Anna Hanski, Katri Helena Kalaoja, Rainer Kaunisto, Juha Laukkanen, Pave Maijanen, Eppu Nuotio, Micke Rejström, Jorma Uotinen, Eija Vilpas and Trio Töykeät, that is Iiro Rantala, Rami Eskelinen and Eerik Siikasaari.

International Goodwill Ambassadors are among others Harry Belafonte, David Beckham, Angelina Jolie, Robbie Williams, Angélique Kidjo, Ricky Martin and Sir Roger Moore, who is soon to visit Finland."

As his first UNICEF field trip Jyrki will visit Kenya in the end of August 2005.

So that was the summer 2005. Thank you.

Source:	69eyes.com
Band profile:	The 69 Eyes

Multi-talented Swedish producer/musician Dan Swanö provides an update on his upcoming Second Sky project (released via The End):

"The work on my most precious project Second Sky is coming along just fine. The drums have been finished since quite some time, but I decided to cut one track and add two new ones to the record to add a bit more variety to the album, so Peter Damin had to step into the studio one more time to nail these new songs, and as usual, he nailed the songs in about 20 minutes each!"
"Most of the lyrics will have to be rewritten because of my divorce, but life goes on and I have already finished some of the new lyrics. The songs ready for the vocal work are "Hammer On My Heart," "Right The First Time," "The Sacred Room," "The Way" and "Always Tomorrow." All the rhythm guitars that I should play have been recorded, the stuff left for session guys is still to be nailed. I have also recorded all the grand piano and keyboard stuff. The production of the album is top notch and I am very proud of the basic sounds I have created this far. So the next few months will be spent recording the vocals and the bass. After that the album will undergo the most demanding mix of my career -- but it will be worth every second. Prepare to be blown away!"

In other Swanö news, he plans to re-open his legendary Unisound Recordings studio. Comments Swanö: "'THE LEGEND IS BACK!' I always wanted to write that! I have decided to re-open the gates to Unisound Recordings, where I recorded bands like Opeth, Katatonia, Marduk, Dissection, Millencolin, Edge Of Sanity and many, many more."
"This time things will be a little different though. I am not planning to build a big studio with tons of expensive gear. My primary goal will be to mix stuff: albums, songs, the sound for a DVD release etc. I will also do remixes and such."
"Over the last year or so I have mixed albums after work and the clients have been pleased with the results and I'm beginning to wonder if I should do this full-time again? So, before I quit my day job, I just wanted to see if anyone is still interested to work with me? Let me know at: dan@swano.com
"For reference, you can contact the guys from Novembers Doom, Edens Fall, This Haven or The Project Hate. I have also done remixes for Pain and, of course, my own stuff like the yet-to-be-officially-released 'Nightfall Overture' album with Nightingale and I am also working with my magnum opus Second Sky."

Read more ››

Band profile:

Edge Of Sanity

Norwegian black metallers Mayhem have set "Ordo Ab Chao" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in late 2005/early 2006 via Season of Mist. The band's upcoming CD will mark their first release with vocalist Attila Csihar (Tormentor) since their 1993 album, "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas". "Expect nothing but viciousness!!" the group write on their web site.

Csihar joined Mayhem last November as the replacement for departed singer Maniac (real name Sven Erik Kristiansen).

Mayhem's last studio album, "Chimera", entered the Norwegian album chart at position No. 28 upon its release in March 2004.

Band profile:

Mayhem

German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN have set "Rosenrot" as the title of their follow-up to to last year's "Reise Reise", tentatively due this fall. The group recently shot a video for the album's first single, "Benzin", which was aired live for the first time this past June. Several remixes are curerntly in the works, as is the artwork for the cover of the single and the album.

As previously reported, the band recorded several songs during the sessions for "Reise, Reise" which were omitted from the CD's final track listing. During a recent session at a Berlin studio, RAMMSTEIN recorded several more tracks and recently mixed the combined collection of new material for the "Rosenrot" album.

Recorded primarily in Spain (El Cortijo Studio, Malaga), "Reise Reise" (translated as "Voyage, Voyage" or "Journey, Journey") is the follow-up to "Mutter", which entered The Billboard 200 chart at No. 77 back in April 2001.

"Reise Reise" sold 27,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release in mid-November 2004 to debut at position No. 61 on The Billboard 200 chart.}

Source:	metalreviews.com
Band profile:	Rammstein

The proposed European tour featuring reformed Swedish doom metal legends CANDLEMASS alongside CATHEDRAL and GRAND MAGUS has been officially called off. "Unfortunately, it was rather clear we couldn't get the finances together so we had to say no to that one. Bummer!!" stated CANDLEMASS bassist Leif Edling. Read Edling's latest tour report, featuring entries on the band's recent appearances at the Göteborgskalaset and Wacken Open Air festivals, at Candlemass.se.

CANDLEMASS are continuing to tour in support of their brand-new self-titled album, which entered the Swedish national album chart at position No. 7 upon its release in early May. The CD also came in at No. 5 on the Sweden chart (featuring only Swedish artists) and at No. 1 on the Hard Rock/Metal chart.

IRON MAIDEN have posted the following message on their official web site:

"IRON MAIDEN wish to thank all the 45,000 metal fans at Ozzfest in San Bernardino on Saturday night for sticking with us and giving us such a great response at the end of a difficult set. It was obvious to all there that we had a 'series of unfortunate events' throughout! These made it difficult for us to keep our momentum but your incredible support certainly helped us get through it. We guess it all adds up to a pretty memorable gig though!!!

"This is, however, a metal festival. It is supposed to be fun for all. You fans pay very good money to be there and deserve to get a full and unhindered performance from all the bands. This was not the case last night.

"So with this rather bizarre end to a good tour we are returning to the U.K. today for the Leeds and Reading festivals and once again thanks to all of you who came out to see us these last few weeks."

Source:	ironmaiden.com
Band profile:	Iron Maiden