Steel Attack drummer "Mike Stark" had to leave the band due to personal stuff. Steel Attack has replaced him with ex-Lack of Faith drummer Tony Elfving.

"Tony is lifting the band to yet another level when it comes to playing live!" says vocalist Ronny Hemlin about his old partner from the time in Lack of Faith.

[

Source:	steelattack.com]
Band profile:	Steel Attack

German melodic black/death metal band SuidAkrA has launched their new homepage. They've also added one mp3-track for download, the track "Reap The Storm" is taken from their forthcoming album "Command To Charge" which will be released on April, 25th.

http://www.suidakra.com

Read more ››

Band profile:

Suidakra

German's Power Metallers Gamma Ray will appear on Tuska Open Air Festival this summer.
So far, this is the only chance you have to see Gamma Ray live this summer, don't miss it!

[

Source:	tuska-festival.fi]
Band profile:	Gamma Ray

March 12, 2005:

Our work at RedRoom Recorders is done and we now move to Morrisound Studios where we will be doing the mixing. Things went really well and the new songs sound great already and I can't wait to mix them down. It was good to see Tom Morris, whom I haven't seen in years, and talk with him about mastering. We will be working with him when we master. It has been too long since we did all this and we are just really enjoying the whole process and getting more and more excited with each new day. I have some more photos added to the studio report so check it out!

I have also been working with our live web camera and have it up just for testing. Go to the live web cam and see what you think. Not much happening in our studio because we are at Morrisound but it would be nice to hear what you guys think!

I will get some more photos of us at Morrisound and get them up asap!

John Tardy

[

Source:	obituary.cc]
Band profile:	Obituary

Their lifespan would be short but not the impact or influence this Swedish band would have on the entire extreme music scene. Sure they were youngsters at the time, but this band would help to cultivate the sound that birthed and initially propelled the now-and-forever signature European death metal sound - one that is still viable and as exciting today. The album simply entitled "Nihilist" will feature the following songs in it's raw and unshaped form:

Tracklist:

01. SENTENCED TO DEATH (3:11)
02. SUPPOSED TO ROT (1:54)
03. CARNAL LEFTOVERS (3:04)
04. ABNORMALLY DECEASED (3:05)
05. REVEL IN FLESH (3:41)
06. FACE OF EVIL (3:49)
07. SEVERE BURNS (5:40)
08. WHEN LIFE HAS CEASED (4:11)
09. MORBID DEVOURMENT (5:23)
10. RADIATION SICKNESS (1:58)
11. FACE OF EVIL (3:38)
12. BUT LIFE GOES ON (2:53)
13. SHREDS OF FLESH (2:08)
14. THE TRUTH BEYOND (3:26)

RELEASE DATE IN EUROPE
25th of APRIL-2005
USA & CANADA: TBA
FORMAT:
CD- with Embossed cover slipcase
VINYL- TBA

Selling points:

· The album will also feature liner Notes from Metal Maniacs writer /euro label
manager for Century Media Ula Gehret

· Highly influential recordings that started the death metal boom

· Pre-Entombed recordings

· First time recordings of songs later featured on the classic Left Hand Path & Cladenstine albums

· Featuring Nicke (now in The Hellacopters) & Johnny Hedlund(now in Unleashed)

· 4 time Grammy Nominated

· Awarded Kerrangs "Spirit Of Independence"

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Source:

threeman.net

Mr Armellino last news...

- Interview & contest on http://www.alsalive.com

- After the paper fanzine, you can find the interview of metalize-it on

http://www.metalize-it.be/fr/index.php?page=interview&position=4

- Reviews on Hard Rock FM http://www.rocktime.fr.st

- and on http://juntasio-metal.skyblog.com/14.html

Finally, you can find here the new Ibanez catalog -] http://www.ibanez.co.jp/world/country/frame_france.html

Source:

Yann Armellino

From the band's website:

"Photos and video clips from the magic nights in St Petersburg and Moscow are now ready for download. Check the live gallery and read what Daniel has to say about the concerts in the forum".

For all of these, follow this link: http://www.lakeoftears.net/

Band profile:

Lake Of Tears

TUSKA OPEN AIR METAL FESTIVAL ANNOUNCMENT

- Line-up almost complete, one more artist to be added
- Ticket sales start on Friday April 1st

Tuska Open Air Metal Festival has added more international and Finnish acts to the 2005 roster. The line-up is almost complete with only 1 more artist to be added for Saturday afternoon as well as the winner from the band contest at Rotonde-Festival, France, which is to be held later this spring. This year's Tuska-Festival is more international than ever, with nearly half of the artists coming from abroad. The evening clubs will most likely see some international action as well.

New additions in Finnish professionalism will be represented by Apocalyptica, whose cello metal is witnessed way too rarely on their native soil. Apocalytica just recently supported Rammstein on their
European tour and appeared stateside on a few selected dates.

German precision and universal greatness is brought to you by the mighty Gamma Ray. The band last appeared on the bill at Tuska 2000 and have since built their fanbase by selling out club shows on a regular basis.

Other additions include up-and-coming death metallers Amoral, Finnish-singing Stam1na and Viikate, as well as Callisto who are about to embark on a European tour in a few weeks.

The search continues for one more, either domestic or foreign artist.

Ticket sales for Tuska 2005 start on Friday April 1st. Three-day ticketcosts 67 euro, one-day ticket 32 euro. Go to http://www.lippupalvelu.fi to purchase tickets.

Current Tuska 2005 line-up reads as follows:

Friday 15.7.
Monster Magnet (USA)
Apocalyptica
Finntroll
Teräsbetoni
Scarve (FRA)
Primal Fear (GER)
Destruction (GER)
Callisto
Wintersun

Saturday 16.7.
Dimmu Borgir (NOR)
Testament (GER)
Gamma Ray (GER)
Deathchain
Thunderstone
Amoral
Rotten Sound
Lake Of Tears (SWE)
Ajattara
Pain Confessor
Sinking
Naglfar (SWE)

Sunday 17.7.
Accept (GER)
Sentenced
Children Of Bodom
Evergrey (SWE)
Viikate
Bal-Sagoth (UK)
Stam1na
Turmion Kätilöt
Hieronymus Bosch (RUS)

Additional Information:

http://www.tuska-festival.fi

After a long silence finally some news again from the CALLENISH CIRCLE camp?

Last couple of months we have been working very hard on our new (and meanwhile 5th) studio album. So far we have written the complete basics of 6 new tracks and we have plenty of cool material & ideas left for the rest of the album. It's just a matter of putting the right ideas into song structures and work out the details. Some of the new song-titles are 'This Day You Regret', 'Sweet Cyanide' and 'As You Speak'.

The recordings for the new, yet untitled, album are scheduled in May & June over here in The Netherlands with Gail Liebling (mastermind behind Gail of God). The mix will be done in Denmark with Tue Madsen (a.o. The Haunted, Illdisposed & Mnemic) at the well-known Antfarm Studio. Last but not least the album will be mastered by Peter Neuber at Mega Wimp Sound in Germany. At the moment we haven't decided on the artist for the artwork yet.

The new material music wise? well? just imagine the best of what we did on both Metal Blade albums, add some really cool groovy parts and combine this already deadly cocktail with some high-tech wacky soundscapes, delivered by mr. Liebling himself.

Furthermore the new album will feature a bonus DVD with a lot of cool video footage. On this bonus DVD there will be featured a completely professional (audio & visual) recorded live-show (recorded at the 013 venue in Tilburg), a home-video of our trip to the Piorno Rock Festival in Spain, a studio-report of the recordings of our upcoming album and some other interesting stuff.

The release is scheduled for November on Metal Blade Records again. After the release we will also hit the road again to promote the album at the live front.

For more info & bookings contact : trendkiller@callenish-circle.com or surf to: http://www.callenish-circle.com

Source:

Callenish Circle

The new LEAVES' EYES 6-track Mini CD "ELEGY" which includes only unreleased material will be released on 02.05.2005.
ELEGY Tracklist:
1. Elegy (Single version)
2. Senses Capture (Non-album track)
3. A Winter's Poem (Non-album track)
4. Solemn Sea (Demo version)
5. Mot Fjerne Land (Non-album track)
6. Elegy (Album version)

Source:	leaveseyes.de
Band profile:	Leaves' Eyes

Vader has officially parted ways with Doc after a cooperation of 17 years. The whole band made the decision and agreed with Doc that he can't be with the band anymore. The following statement was made by the band's leader Peter:

"We have been building "the Vader's Empire" together since '88... The success of our music was no doubt the success of Doc himself. Not just a talent is but the main point of being a part of a BAND, not only musical abilities but - first of all - devotion, utterance.... We had already such a problems before (Shambo,Simon..). Doc pretty hard tried to "fight" against his weaknesses, which were troubles for all of us. Finaly He had not prevail over that battle... All in all He attempted. Vader today is not just a friendship anymore - it's our life with armies of man involved in music, releases and - first of all - Fans waiting for shows or new albums... This is a high responsibility, not too many know about. If a person, even the most talented one, cannot stand it - has to leave... That was Doc's decission as well. "But the world keeps turnin'..." and the same is with Vader. We were and we will be!!! For Doc, his girlfriend and newborn son we all wish good luck and wanna thank Him for all those great years, in which we were touring across the world!!!"

This means that Daray is from now on the new drummer of the band. Though he is not really brand new, Daray has already been playing with the band for a year and recorded the latest album "The Beast".

Source:	vader.pl
Band profile:	Vader

The official website of Cannibal Corpse tells us the following regarding the second guitarplayer:

"We'd like announce that Rob Barrett, who as you all know played guitar with Cannibal Corpse from 1993 to 1997 and appeared on "the Bleeding" and "Vile" albums, will be rejoining the band for our performance at the Northwest Death Fest in Seattle on April 3rd.

Whether or not Rob will be staying with the band permanently after that show is still not certain, but so far we're very happy to have Rob back in the fold. We'll post an update when we know for sure if Rob is permanently rejoining or not.

We also would like to say thank you to Jeremy Turner for doing an amazing job playing guitar with us on "The Wretched Spawn" tour in 2004. Jeremy really helped us out in a tight spot, and we wish him the best in his future musical endeavors".

Source:	cannibalcorpse.net
Band profile:	Cannibal Corpse

The gothic rock/metal band signed with Nuclear Blast. Both are proud of this union.

The band, currently consisting of Morten Veland (guitars, growls), Henriette Bordvik (voices) and Jonathan Perez (drums, percussion), had been working on new songs the last couple of moths and are working on their debut with their new label.

Source:	sirenia.no nuclearblast.de
Band profile:	Sirenia

The band will enter in the studio in May to finish their upcoming album, which should be out in early September. The single "Stranger In You" will be out in summer, including the KISS cover "I Stole Your Love".

Source:	lullacry.com
Band profile:	Lullacry

Finnish melodic metallers STRATOVARIUS have posted the following message on their official web site:

"After a lot of listening and editing, the basic structure of our 11th album is getting together slowly but surely. After the turbulence of the last year, none of us has known what to expect when going into the studio.

"We have used the drums Jörg recorded alone at Soundtrack studio about a year ago. There was about 70 gigabytes of drums, so that took a while to listen to. And bit of tough decisions, and editing, cutting and pasting. New lyrics and vocal melodies have been written, and also some new songs.

"Says Timo Tolkki (guitar): 'I recorded all my rhythm guitars during one evening. God, my fingers still hurt!! There is a construction project going on under my studio. They are building a parking hall and are exploding huge bombs twice a day. Also there is lots of drilling. I am sure that this is the first time in the history of metal that an album has been recorded under circumstances like these.'

"It has indeed been very hard to record vocals and acoustic instruments. But we are finally getting there, slowly but surely. It's flowing and the feeling is really good. The vocals will for sure be finished before Timo Kotipelto's solo tour embarks. Then of course, the mixing... the mixing... the mixing.

"STRATOVARIUS has never made a compromise when it comes to the sound and this time with in his own studio.. my God, anything under two months of mixing and we'll be lucky. Anyway we would like to thank you, the fans, for your patience and hope that you enjoy this progress report and some new pictures."

Read more ››

Source:	blabbermouth.net
Band profile:	Stratovarius