Carpathian Forest will release their new album "Skjend Hans Lik" on April 19th, 2004 through France's Season Of Mist. The album contains new songs and the legendary demo recordings "Bloodlust And Perversion" from 1992.

Also Nattefrost, the Carpathian Forest mastermind, will release his debut solo album "Blood And Vomit" on February 23rd, 2004. Unlimited by the boundaries of being in a band, Nattefrost unleashes hatred on an unsuspecting and deserving world. Don't expect anything else but pure, raw, non-politically correct, and necro TRUE Black Metal!

Band profile:

Carpathian Forest

Ave!

We are proud to announce that that tight blood bounds have been tied
between us, Dark Funeral, and Swedish Regain Records. The co-operation
between Dark Funeral and Regain Records will commence on the 29th of
March with the release of our first, yet untitled, live album. Featuring
material that we recorded during our South American tour, Oct 2003
(Brazil, Chile & Colombia). The album includes the following tracks;

01. Intro
02. The Arrival of Satan's Empire
03. An Apprentice of Satan
04. The Dawn No More Rises
05. Thy Legions Come
06. Hail Murder
07. Goddess of Sodomy
08. The Secrets of the Black Arts
09. Vobiscum Satanas
10. Shadows Over Transylvania
11. Open The Gates
12. Ineffable Kings Of Darkness
13. Thus I Have Spoken
14. My Dark Desires
15. Armageddon Finally Comes

We are currently working on the CD layout and are still looking for
high quality and high resolution photos taken during our South American
tour (PLEASE NOTE! 300 DPI or higher only!!!). If you have some, please
let us know via e-mail. We will then instruct you how to send us a CD-R
with complete info on where they are taken and your personal
information. Send inquiries to: darkfuneral@chello.se.

We are also interested to get a hold of videos filmed during any of the South American dates.
Everyone who submit material that end up on the album will receive free
copies of the album among other things.

Read more ››

Band profile:

Dark Funeral

Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted has officially left OZZY OSBOURNE and has been replaced by ex-ROB ZOMBIE bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson. Newsted, who was with the band for less than a year, left due to undisclosed reasons.

"It's still settling in," Nicholson told MTV.com about his new gig. "It's something I never would have imagined. After playing with Rob Zombie, I was ready to go, 'OK, this is as far as I'm taking this bass-playing thing. This is the end of the road.' I was ready to kind of hang it up.

"But when this came around, it was very odd," he added. "I was almost like, 'There is no possible way that this could happen.' "

At least one other bassist ? FEAR FACTORY's Christian Olde Wolbers ? jammed with Ozzy, guitarist Zakk Wylde and drummer Mike Bordin in recent weeks, but Nicholson was hired after successfully completing two auditions.

"The first audition was a little intimidating, to say the least," Nicholson said. "Granted, I know Zakk and I've been on Ozzfest before. The situation wasn't uncomfortable, it was just intimidating, playing these songs that I had never played. But the second audition, I was a lot more prepared.

" 'Into the Void' is my favorite BLACK SABBATH song and Ozzy called it out," he continued. "At that moment, I realized, even if I don't get the gig, the fact that I got to play 'Into the Void' with Ozzy was the coolest moment of my life!"

Band profile:

Ozzy Osbourne

The writing of the long awaited sixth Bal-Sagoth album is continuing, and the new material is said to be sounding truly phenomenal. Recording is expected to begin during the depths of winter, with a release during the spring of 2004.

The cover artwork by renowned fantasy artist Martin Hanford is now complete, as are the interior booklet illustrations by both official artists Martin Hanford and Samuel Santos.

Band profile:

Bal-Sagoth

'As we haven't much new stuff to upload or tell you, we can just inform that we have now finished 4 songs for the next album. 2 songs are almost finished and we have 2 in working progress. This leaves only 2 songs to be "invented" as we will have exactly 10 songs on the new album (which according to the concept/theme cannot hold more than that amount of songs).'

Band profile:

Manticora

YOUR GODS, MY ENEMIES is the title for the upcoming Eternal Gray CD.
It reflects the best of what the album concept is all about.
The album will be recorded at Abyss studio Sweden, release date is yet unknown as we are working on getting a record deal.
The album songs are much heavier and fast, yet keeps all of the strong elements from Kindless.
We hope that you are all expecting it, as we are working really hard to provide you a strong, powerful and rich Death Metal, which we all hope will place Eternal Gray among the Elite of the Death Metal bands in the world.

Till then, take care and stay GRAY!

Band profile:

Eternal Gray

German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR have completed work on their new album, "Devil's Ground", due on February 23 through Nuclear Blast Records. The final track listing (not in the final running order) is as follows:

01. Metal Is Forever (4:46)
02. Suicide & Mania (4:04)
03. Visions Of Fate (4:50)
04. The Healer (6:30)
05. Sacred Illusion (4:03)
06. In Metal (5:13)
07. Soulchaser (4:51)
08. Sea Of Flames (4:02)
09. Wings of Desire (6:45)
10. Heart Of A Brave (4:52)
11. Colony 13 (3:57)
12. Devil's Ground (1:52)

All songs were written by Sinner, Leibing, Naumann, and Scheepers, except #5, which was written by PRIMAL FEAR and Vinder. A surprise cover version of a classic metal track will appear on the limited European version and the Japanese version. The limited European version will also include two 5.1 mixes of "Metal Is Forever" and "The Healer". The filming of the first video clip for the album (for the track "Metal Is Forever") will take place in early December. "Devil's Ground" was produced by Mat Sinner and co-produced by PRIMAL FEAR and Achim Köhler at the House of Music in Winterbach, Germany.

PRIMAL FEAR, BRAINSTORM and ROB ROCK'S RAGE OF CREATION will be teaming up for a European tour beginning in early March.

Read more ››

Band profile:

Primal Fear

1-12-2003: Tracklisting Sleepy Buildings & more news.
Hello all,

As you probably know, Sleepy Buildings will be released the 26th of january 2004. This is the official tracklist:

1. Locked away 2. Saturnine 3. Amity 4. The mirror waters 5. Red is a slow colour 6. Sleepy buildings 7. Travel 8. Shrink 9. In motion Part II 10. Stonegarden 11. My electricity 12. Eleanor 13. Marooned 14. Like fountains

The May Song and Nighttime Birds fell through, and we didn't mix them. NB is already in more or less the same version available on our Superheat live album, TMS sounded simply not that well.
We are still busy finding dates for our Sleepy Buildings tour 2004. We will play Germany for sure, possibly some churches! We will keep you informed.

Cheers! - Hans

Band profile:

The Gathering

Timo Tolkki has posted the following message in the Official Website of Stratovarius:

"After speaking with all the band members I am now travelling to Berlin to talk with the Sanctuary team about the future of STRATOVARIUS.

"At this point I cannot say more about the situation. I am very sorry if my statements have offended someone. I have been under heavy pressure lately and my therapist has prescribed me some heavy antidepressants. They make it even more difficult for me to control my temper.

"I have received death threats, which has forced me to hire 2 bodyguards. They are both former military people with martial arts training. This is sad really, but what can you do?

"Anyway, I apologize once more if I have offended anyone with my comments. I hope you understand what kind of pressure we all are living in at the moment.

"I would like to say that things are not always what they seem. The music world can be very frustrating, largely due to legal and business matters. I hope I can tell you some news after returning from Berlin."

Band profile:

Stratovarius

The Kovenant are now working on their follow up to the masterpiece S.E.T.I. You can expect some real extravaganza. This time the band will break new grounds again and set the standards for the future metal scene. It will be recorded next year and hopefully released in 2004 as well.

Band profile:

The Kovenant

Here is the track listing of Suicide Is Sexy, the forthcoming collector from Anorexia Nervosa, which will be out around mid-December on Apokalypse Records !
It will be a strictly limited edition of 777 copies, presented in a box, each individually signed by the band ! A piece of collection you sure don't want to miss !

Nihil Negativum - demo 95

Scene I :
1. Le Patient est isolé
2. In a brown gnostic study

Scene II:
3. Quelque chose comme l'idée qu'il n'aurait mieux pas fallu naître
4. Anamorphic effect ; the revival

Scene III:
5. Retrouver son état initial, éviter? avant qu'il ne soit trop tard
6. In the mental confinement (mosaic of infinite visions)

Final:
7. Avec le triomphe de l'esprit et la faillite de la déité

Garden of Delight - demo 93 (Necromancia)

8. The Shadows Howling
9. Garden of Delight
10. Dismal Paradise

Extra shit

11. Autoerotic Death - live 1995 - never released before
12. Lepros Darma - live 1995 - never released before

Bonus video track

Nihil Negativum - Scene III & Final
(Live 16/12/1995 - wherever)

Band profile:

Anorexia Nervosa

The Rammstein DVD LICHTSPIELHAUS will be released on PAL format December 2003 and on NTSC format January 2004! For the first time LICHTSPIELHAUS will feature an entire collection of all Rammstein videos, exclusive live material of the band and making of material of selected videos.

Band profile:

Rammstein

The following message was posted in the official To/Die/For forum:

Hello everyone

We've come to the point where we didn't expect to come.

Jape decided to end his career in To/Die/For. He told us that he had no more motivation to go on with the band.

We wish him good luck in whatever he is going to do. Thanks for great times with the band.

We are definitely going to continue the band as To/Die/For. Now it's time for us to look for a new singer who can fill the huge hole which Jape left.

Sorry for the next few lines are in finnish but we are looking for a finnish singer.

"Jos et sä soita" vaan olet pätevä rock henkinen laulaja, omaat riittävän karisman ja pystyt panostamaan bänditoimintaan 100% :sti, lähetä sähköpostia kuvan kera osoitteeseen: to_die_for1@hotmail.com

TO/DIE/FOR

Band profile:

To/Die/For

Angel Dust will start the songwriting, as planed, for the new Album in January 2004, however after bass player Frank Banx left the band, with a new Line-Up. Further information for this purpose and to the new Line-Up shortly !

Band profile:

Angel Dust

The Black Box set which I've talked about a few times over the last few months now has a new release date according to info I just received from Warner Bros. The new date is March 2, 2004.

The contents of the recordings remain the same - there are no changes there. I've heard the albums from the set already, they're by far the best sounding versions of the old Ozzy era Sabbath albums that I've heard to date.

Regarding their homepage.

Band profile:

Black Sabbath