HIGH ON FIRE are on tour now! HIGH ON FIRE (drummer Des Kensel, guitarist / vocalist Matt Pike and new bassist Joe Preston ) have completed their highly anticipated new album, 'Blessed Black Wings' with engineer Steve Albini (NIRVANA, NEUROSIS, JESUS LIZARD). Having just completed a week's worth of headling gigs, HIGH ON FIRE reunites with CLUTCH to close out 2004 culminating with the New Year's Eve show at Philadelphia's Trocadero Theater.

Current tour dates are listed below. All dates with CLUTCH unless noted otherwise.

December 27 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall
December 28 Norfolk, VA The Norva
December 29 New York, NY Irving Plaza
December 30 Worcester, MA Palladium
December 31 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero (w/ Clutch)

HIGH ON FIRE's 'Blessed Black Wings' will be released on February 1st, 2005. An advance look at the album's artwork can be viewed at this location: http://relapse.com/preview/BlessedRGB.jpg. Equal parts molten metal and earthquake panic, HIGH ON FIRE's MOTORHEAD-meets-SLAYER roar is outrageously loud and absolutely punishing. With 'Blessed Black Wings,' guitarist / vocalist Matt Pike (ex-SLEEP) unleashes a devastating combination of bombastic guitar and howling war cries, weaving fantastical tales of supernatural beasts, forgotten battles and rivers of blood over an unstoppable bass and drum assault.

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Source:	Relapse Newsletter
Band profile:	High On Fire

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 the CHILDREN OF BODOM fan site Scythes-of-Bodom.com, CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist Alexi Laiho broke his arm and will most likely be forced to sit out the upcoming "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (DAMAGEPLAN, PANTERA) tribute concert that is scheduled to be held in Helsinki, Finland on January 15, 2005. Laiho's replacement for the concert will be announced at a later date.

Source:	Blabbermouth.net
Band profile:	Children Of Bodom

Magellan has finished the recording of the new Magellan Album entitled "SYMPHONY FOR A MISANTHROPE". Inside Out has not yet announced the release date.

Album title: "SYMPHONY FOR A MISANTHROPE"
SONGS:

1. Symphonette
2. Why Water Weeds?
3. Wisdom
4. Cranium Reef Suite
part one: "Youthful Enthusiasm"
part two: "Psych 101"
part three: "Primal Defense"
5. Pianissimo Intermission
6. Doctor Concoctor
7. Every Bullet Needs Blood

Check the website (http://www.magellanweb.com) in the next days for further details.

The new album ROGUES EN VOGUE will be released on February 28, 2005 due through G.U.N./BMG Ariola.

ROGUES EN VOGUE will include the following songs:

01. Draw the Line
02. Angel of Mercy
03. Skeleton Dance
04. Skulls & Bones (a 7-minutes epic pirate-song)
05. Born Dead, Dying Worse
06. Black Gold
07. Soul Vampires
08. Rogues en Vogue
09. Winged & Feathered
10. Dead Man's Road
11. The War

The strictly limited edition will contain two bonus-tracks: CANNONBALL TONGUE and LIBERTALIA (LIBERTALIA was far more than just a haven for pirates. It was a utopia. Ours is a brave, a just, an innocent, and a noble cause; the cause of liberty.)

Read comments about every song here
(http://www.running-wild.net/forum/viewtopic.php's=1645 ).

You will get the opportunity to listen to each track before the release as well as there will be a release-party and a tour in 2005! We will keep you informed about that just in time.

Until then we wish you a few nice days and a good start into the year 2005!

http://www.running-wild.net

Band profile:

Running Wild

Black Lotus Newsletter:

16 years of silence? the glorious return of a legend

MIDNIGHT

Black Lotus is really proud to announce the signing of the legendary CRIMSON GLORY singer, Midnight, who returns after 16 years in absolute silence!

Words are not enough to describe his truly unique voice, which has marked the history of recorded music and placed him among the most influential singers of the 1980's.

The years have passed, but Midnight refused to get involved in any musical projects after the amazing CRIMSON GLORY albums? and the silence breaks so he returns to the frontline with his first stunning solo work titled "SAKADA" to be released around April 2005.

In his comeback (always shall be referred as the comeback of the century!), he is surrounded by new musicians (Phil Anderson/Hammer Dulcimer, Drums, Washboard, other percussion, Scott Gibson/ Electric Guitar, Bass, Mandolin) as well as old friends, like Ben Jackson (the rhythm guitarist of CRIMSON GLORY) and other special guests.

Prepare your souls for a unique journey across the desert at night on a camel that has no eyes? riding far away to a lonely paradise?.

Midnight is here to stay...

www.themidnightmansion.com

www.crimson-glory.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LIVE SHOWS & TOUR DATES

NAER MATARON

18.12.2004 WinterStorms Festival, Sofia, (BL)

THANATOS

15.01.2005 Salonica, (GR)

16.01.2005 Athens, Gagarin (GR)

21.01.2005 Nijmegen, Doornroosje (NL)

22.01.2005 Deventer, Burgerweeshuis (NL)

23.01.2005 Groningen, Vera (NL)

BATTLEROAR

09.01.2005 Athens, AN Club (GR)

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Since Joost Van Den Broek (keyboard) and Andre Vuurboom (vocals) left Sun Caged earlier this year, Sun Caged is now back and complete. Joost Van Den Broek was replaced by Rene Kroon in July 2004 and Andre Vuurboom was just replaced by Paul Adrian Villarreal. Paul is currently still living in the USA, but he will relocate to Europe before the new year starts. The band is working on a new album which will be recorded at the end of 2005.

Source:	suncaged.com
Band profile:	Sun Caged

"The Violin has been replaced by cello virtuoso Elias Kahila. Kahila´s own "cello rock" show remains as a his number one project. Kahila is operating with Silentium atleast on the forthcoming album and on the 2005 gigs".

Source:	silentivm.com
Band profile:	Silentium

"Hello everyone, I'm amazed how rapidly this year has advanced, particularly as it equates to a new recording. It's been a gruelling year; the writing process has been very demanding. I know Rowan and I have faced our greatest challenge as writers. A week from now we will be entering the studio to begin the first part of the recording process. I look forward to sharing more with you as time goes by.
Keep us in your thoughts. The next album is partly dedicated to Narelle Carr. Murdered at the tender age of 26. 11/01/04 R.I.P. Love to you all,"

~SAMANTHA ESCARBE

http://thewhippingpost.tripod.com/index.html

Band profile:

Virgin Black

"Hello friends....well....the past 6 months have been a very productive yet frustrating time due to several minor and sometimes MAJOR production delays....a great deal has transpired....I will do my best to fill you in: "Phase 2" of recording was completed as scheduled at the end of May! The recording sessions in Sweden of the guitars, drums and lead vocals went very well....It was an intense, creative time....I am extremely pleased with the final tracking results! The Choral recording in Germany went VERY well also....these are BY FAR the best sounding choir recordings we've had! That was the good news! ; ) Here's where the "little" problems start....Upon my return from Europe at the beginning of June, I'd planned to take a few weeks off to rest and spend some quality time with my family....all the recorded material from Sweden and Germany would be transferred to DVD's and mailed to me within a few weeks....I'd "conceivably" start up production again in late June....well....unfortunately, some technical issues delayed the process and I didn't end up getting all the recorded material until mid-July! Ok....ready to start working again, right? Wrong....MAJOR computer issues then delayed the production another 4 weeks....finally, after purchasing and setting up an entirely new operating system, all issues were resolved and I was able to begin working on the production again in Mid/Late August....After spending a few days combining the recorded material from Europe with all the recorded material from the US (VERY boring, technical work ; ) I then began the grueling process of FINAL editing of all recorded material! Upon completion of final editing in late September, I began what has become my LEAST favorite part of production....EDITING VOCALS! Anyone who has ever worked with me, knows that I'm "a bit" meticulous when it comes to recording vocals....I've been known to record an ABSURD amount of vocal takes per song, per phrase, per line and even per word on occasion! ; ) So....to make a long (probably boring story ; ) short....I've spent the past 10 weeks editing 100's upon 100's of vocal takes....I assure you...I'm not exaggerating....several HUNDREDS of vocal tracks....what was I thinking? ; ) This process has inevitably become "Phase 2 1/2" of recording production and has delayed "Phase 3" (recording Bass, Piano and spoken dialog) by a few months....based on my current progress, (about 1/2 complete) I hope to complete ALL vocal editing by the end of January....Prayers are welcome! ; ) For anyone interested...(this is NOT at all intended to be a "sob-story" ; ) the amount of work on the production of this final SM album has now FAR surpassed the the amount of work that went into LPI, II and III:I combined! It does sometimes feel as if I'm producing 10 SM albums at the same time and I'd be lying if I said that the work never becomes a bit overwhelming.... BUT, in the end.... focus perseveres, progress continues and Faith endures!In closing, I will offer all of you my deepest apologies for any "false hope" I may have given you for a potential Fall 2004 release date....I will not allow myself to "project" a release date again....what I can do is assure you that I will continue to work as "diligently" as possible and I will promise you again (as I have from the beginning) that this album WILL be well worth the wait!!!!!!! Your patience and support is GREATLY appreciated! TCGB...."

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Band profile:

Saviour Machine

It has been a long time. It has been in hiding. It has been in seclusion. Plotting against all of humanity. But now, from the depths of a mind insane, IT returns...

MORGUL's 5th album "All Dead Here" brings back the familiar sound of twisted dementia and horror. 'Old' listeners will immediately recognize the heavy onslaught and eerie atmosphere that is the music of MORGUL. 'New' listeners will be stunned by the band's willingness to explore different genres and moods within their music.

With tracks such as "Sanctus Perversum, "The Need to Kill" and "Hategrinder" the listener is left with little to be desired. Other tracks include "All Dead Here", "Willingly Shakcled", "Empty" and "The Mask of Sanity". All of which are tributes to the abhorrent and anthems of disgust. Out on Season of Mist April 2005.

www.season-of-mist.com

Band profile:

Morgul

On 1st December, the new look Diamond Head took to the stage at a low key, invitation only gig to show off new singer Nick Tart and rhythm guitarist Adrian Mills, and to air new material from their recently completed album.

www.diamond-head.net

According to BW&BK's Tokyo based source, NIGHTWISH will release a six track EP in Japan on February 23rd through Universal Music International to coincide with the band's Japanese co-headlining tour with ANGRA. The track list will be as follows: 'Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan', 'Symphony Of Destruction' (live - MEGADETH cover), 'Wish I Had An Angel', 'Creek Mary's Blood' (two orchestral versions) and an as-yet-unspecified song.

http://www.bravewords.com/

Band profile:

Nightwish

Greetings Doomsters:

Well, we are one step closer to finishing the upcoming release of "Alone". The drums are completed and the rhythm guitars and bass tracks are being recorded as I write this. If all goes as planned (ha: that never happens) I should be laying vocal tracks come January.

Once again--keep the faith, for Solitude is back and shall reclaim the throne of Doom!

-D.o.D.-

http://www.eternalsolitude.com/

Band profile:

Solitude Aeturnus

Mark your calendars? the new album, Death After Life, plagues the Old World on the twenty-first of February, and terrorizes the United States of Amerikkka on the eighth of March. Check out the album cover in the music section.

Recently, Impaled returned from a pair of shows in the North West, and managed to escape the protesters who ravaged the clubs just by the skin of their teeth. The band will be returning to the Hollyweird area for the Century Media Christmas Party. Check it out in the shows section.

A new shirt design for everyone's favorite split CD of all time, Dementia Rex is finally underway. Featuring a redrawn cover image by horror artist extraordinaire Chas Balun along with art by Luisma of Haemorrhage, this comes just in time for Christmas. Be sure to ask Satan Claws to pick up this shirt for you so you can be the envy of all the kids, courtesy of Hangar 19.

www.impaled.info