MetalFromFinland is passing the word that Sapattivuosi, the band that plays Black Sabbath songs in Finnish, has announced Marco Hietala (Nightwish, Tarot, Northern Kings) as their new vocalist.

Marco Hietala talks about becoming the vocalist for Sapattivuosi: "I wanted to join Sapattivuosi cause for me it's almost like a cultural act. I mean the songs are perhaps the best in the world and if by doing this I can get even one younger metalhead to go and buy remastered versions of "Heaven and Hell" or "Mob Rules", I consider my job done!"

Sapattivuosi are releasing their new album "Ihmisen Merkki" on April 1st and it contains songs from Black Sabbath albums "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules". The tracklisting for the album is:

01. Pelon Lait (Neon Knights)
02. Maalaistyttö (Country Girl)
03. Uneen Hukkuneet (Children Of The Sea)
04. Tuli Ja Maa (heaven and hell)
05. Laki 666 (Mob Rules)
06. Valtaa (Voodoo)
07. Yö Saa (Die Young)
08. Ihmisen Merkki (The Sign Of The Southern Cross)

More information about Sapattivuosi on http://www.myspace.com/sapattivuosi.

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Source:	metalfromfinland.com
Band profile:	Tarot

Onslaught guitarist Nige Rockett has posted the following update on the band's MySpace:

"Onslaught are coming back to Ireland. We will be visiting all our friends in the North and the South on the weekend of August 28th/29th. Firstly we play Belfast for the first time in 18 years at The Spring & Airbrake on Friday 28th August. Then on Saturday 29th August we head South to play at the Low End Festival in Waterford.

Fuck! It's gonna be a banging weekend, as always when we hit Ireland. It really doesn't seem like 18 years since we last played Belfast, we're really looking forward to getting back there once more, we have so many awesome memories of our previous visits, all of which were totally insane from start to finish. This will be our first time in Waterford - Southern Ireland, which is gonna be real cool and i'm sure we'll be meeting up with lots of our drinking partners down there too haha. Again so many fantastic & crazy memories from our many visits to Dublin, Cork and Sligo. It's always such a great pleasure to play for you Guys / Girls from North & South, long may you invite us back."

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Onslaught

For the first time Amon Amarth will finally go to South America. The band comments: "This is something we've been waiting for and working on for a very long time! We know a lot of our friends and fans have been waiting for this for a very long time but it has not been possible for us to go there until now. All we can say is that it's about time! We will also return once again to Mexico, these dates are confirmed so far:"

05.05 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - The End
07.05 - Santiago de Chile, Chile - Teatro Novedades
08.05 - Montevideo, Uruguay - (Venue to be announced)
10.05 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Citibank Hall
12.05 - Caracas, Venezuela - (venue to be announced)
14.05 - Bogota, Colombia - Teatro metropol
16.05 - San Jose, Costa Rica - (venue to be announced)
17.05 - Mexico City, Mexico - Circo Volador

Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Amon Amarth
Event:	Amon Amarth

Children Of Bodom keyboardist Janne Wirman is currently working on the fourth album from his Warmen project, tentatively due later in the year. One of the new cover songs the band is working on is Janet Jackson's "Black Cat", featuring a guest appearance by the finnish pop/rock queen Jonna Kosonen. Other guest singers scheduled to appear on the CD include Alexi Laiho and Pasi Rantanen (ex-Thunderstone).

Interviewed in January, Warmen guitarist and Janne's brother Antti Wirman revealed that the album would be heavier than the band's previous output, with more aggressive guitar riffs. There will be just two instrumental tracks, and every song has a different singer. According to Antti, the next Warmen album will be the group's strongest effort to date because it has "the best songs, best vocalists and the best sounds."

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Source:	metalfromfinland.com
Band profile:	Warmen

French heavy metal squad Lonewolf have started pre-production of the brand new, fourth studio album. Some of the special guests that will take part in the recordings are Majk Moti (ex-Running Wild) and Jan Bünning (ex-Paragon). The yet untitled release will be recorded this summer, produced by Bart Gabriel (Crystal Viper, Metalucifer, Sabbat), and mixed & mastered by the Grammy nominated Andy La Rocque (King Diamond, Hammerfall, Evergrey) in the Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden.

Lonewolf was formed in 1992, and except several demo tapes and singles, released three studio albums that estabilished their position in the heavy metal underground. Their sound continue the classic legacy of the German heavy metal acts such as Running Wild, Grave Digger, Accept and Paragon. More information to be found at http://www.myspace.com/metalonewolf.

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Lonewolf

Finntroll have issued the following update on their website:

"You may have noticed that there aren't any shows booked for us so far, but this doesn't mean that we won't play at all this year. We just decided after the Heidenfest-tour that we will have half a year off from playing and be concentrating on writing a new and the best Finntroll-album so far, also working on the DVD is a priority.

We have now got the chance to start from a clean slate and so we will do. All gigs will be handled by ourselves for the time being, which means that if you have a festival/show/tour that you want us to play on, please be kind send your request. Every offer will be considered!

We're also announcing our first festival for this year: 6.6.2009 (FIN) Sauna Open Air, Tampere."

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Source:	finntroll.net
Band profile:	Finntroll

The new promotional video for "Robot" - from the latest Blaze Bayley album "The Man Who Would Not Die" has been made available on YouTube. The clip was directed by Kris McManus and serves as a little preview for the upcoming live Blaze Bayley DVD "Live In Z7".


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Source:	blazebayley.net
Band profile:	Blaze Bayley

Original news, posted on 18.02.2009

Jens Pohl, the webmaster for German metal legends Running Wild, has issued the following update: "it's been already almost four years since "the revivalry - a tribute to Running Wild" hit the light. Soon after that, its success began to grow progressively and it significantly led to the idea that a tribute album brought to a different level should come out, especially by bringing cover songs from the newer albums by Running Wild. And this time it is going to be like this!".

The second, yet-untitled tribute album will contain exclusively cover songs from "The Rivalry" (1998), "Victory" (2000), "The Brotherhood" (2002) and "Rogues En Yogue" (2005) and is scheduled to be released tentatively in fall this year. The artwork will be done by romanian graphic artist Costin Chioreanu, who worked for bands like Absu, Centinex, Demonical, Negură Bunget, Thunderstorm and many others. One of the first confirmed bands, who will be part of this album is Crystal Viper, who will record its own version of the "Libertalia" song."

UPDATE (thanks to 5933)

"ReUnation - A Tribute To Running Wild" will be released in autumn 2009 by the well-known Hamburg-based label Remedy Records. The complete track listing - in alphabetical order - is as follows:

5TH Sonic Brigade, Sweden - "Angel Of Mercy"
Chinchilla, Germany - "Conquistadores"
Crystal Viper, Poland - "Libertalia"
Custard, Germany - "Under Jolly Roger"
Deadlock, Germany - "When Time Runs Out"
Esenia, Spain - "Resurrection"
Evertale, Germany - "Blazon Stone"
Fate, Denmark - "Soul Vampires"
Halor, Hungary - "Little Big Horn"
Heavenly, France - "Masquerade"
Hellish War, Brazil - "Return Of The Gods"
José Juan Gallego, Spain - "Draw The Line"
Magica, Romania - "Victory"
Motorjesus, Germany - "The Rivalry"
Orden Organ, Germany - "The Battle Of Waterloo"
Overtures, Italy - "Pirate Song"
Powerwolf, Romania / Germany - "Riding The Storm"
Ravage, USA - "Fight The Fire Of Hate"
Satanochio, Romania - "Siberian Winter"
Seven Seas, Germany - "Detonator"
Skiltron, Argentina - "Ballad Of William Kidd"
Solemnity, Germany - "Dr. Horror"
Suidakra, Germany - "Marooned"
Thunderblast, Colombia - "Timeriders"

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Running Wild

Swedish metallers Abramis Brama have issued the following update on their MySpace blog:

"Time for a MEGA update in the "what have you been up to lately" department... First and foremost, we've got a brand new album coming out sometime in March/April this year! It will contain approximately 10-11 brand new songs. We've yet to decide on a name for the album but when we do, you'll be the first to know.

Coinciding with the release of the album we will of course do as many gigs as we can possibly fit in during the rest of the year, starting in Norway mid-March opening up for our favourite Norwegians; Black Debbath! All other confirmed gigs can be found at our website.

Last week we took some pictures for the albumcover (amongst other things) in a photostudion together with our favourite photographer, Linda Helsing. The result was smashing as you can see if you check out this promo-pic."

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Abramis Brama
Event:	Abramis Brama

The 12th Tuska Festival will be held again in Kaisaniemi, Helsinki Finland on 26th - 28th June 2008. Although it is still a long way, the festival has confirmed the first acts:

Volbeat, Bullet For My Valentine, Neurosis, Paul Gilbert, Amorphis, My Dying Bride, Pestilence, Ensiferum, Gojira, Parkway Drive, Legion Of The Damned, Mucc, Girugämesh, Deathchain, Jon Oliva's Pain, Eluveitie, Rotten Sound, Firewind, Gama Bomb, Profane Omen, Callisto, Medeia, Dauntless, Tukkanuotta.

A total of 32 bands on three stages will perform at Kaisaniemi, Helsinki over the course of three days. In addition to this, a couple of dozen bands will be appearing at the infamous evening clubs.

Tickets for Tuska 2009 will go on sale on 3.3. through http://www.tiketti.fi and http://www.lippupalvelu.fi (one day tickets and three day tickets). Ticket prices TBA. Tuska 2009 is an all-ages event.

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Source:	tuska-festival.fi
Event:	Tuska Open Air 2009

Former Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen has set "What Lies Beneath" as the working title of her new solo album, tentatively due before the end of the year. She says, "With "My Winter Storm", I chose the name of the album in the early stages and that helped me to create the concept for the album. With the new album, I decided to do it the same way, so I searched for an inspiring title and all the songs are one way or another related to it."

Regarding the songwriting process for the new CD, Turunen says, "In the last months I've been writing a lot of music for my new album. Songwriting is always an amazing learning experience, and it has been a pleasure to discuss music with different people.

The album process is still going on and I have more songs that are in the working. It is sounding very promising. The songs are absolutely more mature, wild, and emotional and they sound more me, if I can say so.

The biggest difference in preparing this new album is that I will be taking the time that I need until the songs are in a shape that I am happy with. No matter how long it takes. I want it to be perfect for me. No hurry; no pressure."

Tarja's album "My Winter Storm" was re-released on January 2.

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Source:	metalfromfinland.com
Band profile:	Tarja

On Friday January 16th, NOVEMBERS DOOM will enter recording studio "Belle City Sound" to begin recording their 7th full length CD, to be titled "Into Night's Requiem Infernal". Tracking duties will be handled by Chris Djuricic (Engineer and Novembers Doom bassist), and the mixing of the disc by Dan Swano at Unisound. The band comments:

"We're using the same Recording / Mixing formula we've used on "The Pale Haunt Departure" and "The Novella Reservoir". In our opinion, the combination of Djuricic and Swano creates the perfect sound for us, and we've received nothing but stellar reviews of sound quality from this combination in the past.

"Every band hypes their new material, and says it's the best they've done, and the hardest and the heaviest... You can judge that for yourself in time. What we can say is that this is the first time going into a recording the entire band feels confident and believes the material will please fans of the band, as well as turn many new heads in our direction. It's dark, aggressive, and melodic, and compliments the last three releases."

The cover artwork can be viewed here

Tracklisting for Into Night's Requiem Infernal:

01. Into Night's Requiem Infernal
02. Eulogy for the Living Lost
03. Empathy's Greed
04. The Fifth Day of March
05. Lazarus Regret
06. I Hurt Those I Adore
07. The Harlots Lie
08. When Desperation Fills the Void

Novembers Doom is:

Paul Kuhr - Vocals
Larry Roberts - Guitar
Vito Marchese - Guitar
Chris Djuricic - Bass
Sasha Horn - Drums

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Novembers Doom

Pantheist have announced the following news:

"The time has come for our first proper headline gig in London. Come and see us at The Unicorn on the 7th March performing a 90 minute set. Most tracks of our latest album, as well as selected tracks from the band's back catalogue will be performed. Support will be provided by promising atmospheric blacksters Crom Dubh. Entrance is FREE so don't miss this unique opportunity!"

Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Pantheïst
Event:	Pantheist

Former Kinetic vocalist Mina Giannopoulou is releasing new material with her new band The Rain I Bleed. The following update was posted on The Rain I Bleed Myspace:

"Just to let you know that the recordings and the biggest part of The Rain I Bleed's debut album "Narcissist" is already done. The recordings took place in Athens at the ScytheNoiseLab Studios under Chris "Rektor" Ntaskas' 'magical ears' and after all, the mixing took place at Black Lounge Studios in Sweden with Jonas Kjellgren (guitarist in Scar Symmetry) who has also worked with Sonic Syndicate and other bands too along with Chris "Rektor" Ntaskas.

A big honour for us were 2 guest from 2 musicians that the whole band really appreciates; Jeff Loomis (Nevermore's guitar-player) and Jonas Kjellgren (as a guitar-player this time ;-) Also "Narcissist" 's cover is made by Niklas Sundin, who has also worked for In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Sentenced, At The Gates, Arch Enemy etc. The album is about to be mastered at Tailor Maid Studios, Sweden.

More updates and details will be added pretty soon so stay tuned!"

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Source:	blogs.myspace.com
Band profile:	Kinetic

Czech metal band Ador Dorath have posted their newest video "Words" from the "Bestiari" album on YouTube. "Bestiari" was released in August.

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Source:	youtube.com
Band profile:	Ador Dorath