Alabama Thunderpussy guitarist Erik Larson has posted the following statement regarding the band:

"It's been a very quiet 2008 from us here in ATP thus far. I know there has been speculation and uncertainty about exactly what the status of the band is, and our apologies go out to y'all for being MIA. Finally, I'm able to give you an update.

The beginning of 2008 brought yet more upheaval in the saga that is this band, when Kyle Thomas left the group to focus on his family and the impending Exhorder reunion. The remaining four of us had a band meeting and after serious discussion, decided to take a much deserved/needed few months hiatus to regroup and focus on home life and other individual projects. The "few months" seemed to flow into a bit longer as the summer progressed and we all dug deeper into our lives as individuals outside of ATP.

Well, we finally regrouped and after much deliberation and thoughtful discussion, we have decided to end the band. There are no hard feelings between us and no bullshit politics. It's pretty much just the end of an era. To quote George Harrison, all things must pass. And so after 12+ yrs of solid ATP mayhem, we call it a day. We can't thank all of you enough for the tireless and seemingly endless support and friendship we received from you over the years, it was really fucking amazing and appreciated more than you know. Each one of us are still very active and involved in creating music and art and we hope you will bless us with your continued support of our individual endeavors. So if you would, raise your drink of choice in our honor and toast to the future."

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Source:	atprva.com
Band profile:	Alabama Thunderpussy

Elvenking have announced that, "Two Tragedy Poets (...And A Caravan Of Weird Figures)" will be the name of the new acoustic album. It will be released in digipack and jewel case editions and will be preceded by an online single.

The release date is November 14th for Europe, via AFM Records, while the dates for the other countries will be announced soon.

"Two Tragedy Poets (...And A Caravan Of Weird Figures)" cover art] tracklisting:

01. The Caravan Of Weird Figures
02. Another Awful Hobs Tale
03. From Blood To Stone
04. Ask A Silly Question
05. She Lives At Dawn
06. The Winter Wake
07. Heaven Is A Place On Earth
08. My Own Spider's Web
09. Not My Final Song
10. The Blackest Of My Hearts
11. The Wanderer
12. Miss Conception
13. My Little Moon
14. Skywards 2008

Internet-only single tracklisting:

01. From Blood To Stone
02. The Perpetual Knot
03. The Winter Wake

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Source:	elvenking.net
Band profile:	Elvenking

Guitarist Noah Carpenter of the New York-based death metallers Skinless has issued the following update:

"We've been laying low in 2008 after some pretty intense touring for the "Trample The Weak..." album. We're finally ready to start working on material for a new Skinless release in 2009. We're heading to Europe very soon for a short tour and we expect to be back there next spring for a more extensive invasion. Also in the battle plans for 2009 are North America/South America and beyond."

Skinless "European Deviation 2008" tour dates:

Sep. 19 - NRW Deathfest, AJZ Bahndamm, Wermelskirchen, Germany
Sep. 20 - Velokot, Oostende, Belgium
Sep. 21 - ZXZW FEST, Tilburg, Holland
Sep. 22 - Logo, Hamburg, Germany
Sep. 23 - Black Pes, Prague, Czech Republic
Sep. 24 - Escape, Vienna, Austria
Sep. 25 - Backstage, Munich, Germany
Sep. 26 - Sas Musi Club, Delemont, Switzerland
Sep. 27 - Cilinder Fest, Hoofddorp, Holland

Source:	google.be
Band profile:	Skinless

Swedish Power metallers Crystal Eyes have announced the following:

"We're finally done mixing the new Crystal Eyes record which will be titled "Chained". The recording lasted through the summer and Fredrik Nordström has once again set the ultimate sound at Studio Fredman. Think 1984, think Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept, Dio and Manowar and you'll get the picture.

The songs in the right order are:

01. Ride The Rainbow
02. The Fire Of Hades
03. The Devil Inside
04. Waves Of War
05. Dying In The Rain
06. Fighting
07. Shadow Rider
08. Lonely Ball Of Fate
09. Guardian *

* Featuring original singer Mikael Dahl on vocals

Stay tuned for a cover, new songs on MySpace and a release-date."

"Chained" is expected to be released before the end of the year via Metal Heaven.

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Source:	crystaleyes.net
Band profile:	Crystal Eyes

Massive Music Management have posted the following official statement, entitled "Vader would like to thank you all for 25 years of support!":

"We would like to thank to all the participants of our anniversary gig: bands, fans and staff. Thanx to you all we were able to celebrate the 25 anniversary of Vader in so special way. Big thanx to fans for such a numerous presence, bands for fantastic shows they all played in Warsaw, guests for their appearance on this show and our crew for nearly 24 hours of hard work! It was a very important show for us, the more so because it took place in such a difficult circumstances. We were forced to give up an idea of recording DVD due to some technical issues. For technical reasons we were also unable to build a special stage scenery prepared exclusively for this show. Sorry for very long queues for food and drink and the high price of our energy drink - these things were beyond our control. The show ended up turning out well and despite these shortcomings we believe it was a success. Once again- thank you all! All the blood, sweat and tears poured into Vader have been worth it!

At this point we would like to refer to the changes that have occurred in Vader. As you all probably already know, guitarist Maurycy "Mauser" Stefanowicz and drummer Darek "Daray" Brzozowski are no longer in the band and this anniversary gig was their last show with Vader. We would say that mentally, they both were out of the band from a long time. They played with us more like a session guys, without any real commitment and dedication. We were thinking about making some changes since a year or something, now we are glad to have this opportunity to build a new band. At the moment we are looking for some new musicians. Probably next week we are going to present you our new line up.

In October the band will appear on tour in Scandinavia with Grave and Zonaria. In January 2009 Vader will hit the road again, sharing the stage with Deicide and Samael. Just before this tour, in December we are going to start a pre-production process of our new full length album "Necropolis". The recording session is scheduled for March. The album will be mixed by one of the best producers in a music industry! In May 2009 the band will release a new EP. The new album will be out in September. In meantime we are going to appear on many summer festivals. Don't be affraid, Vader don't lose the power and quality. On the contrary we feel it will be much stronger than ever before. Stay Vader'ized, be prepared for a new line up and the upcoming killing album "Necropolis"!"

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Source:	vader.pl
Band profile:	Vader

US rockers Warrant have posted the following announcement on their MySpace:

"It is with the deepest regret that we have to announce that Jani Lane will no longer be performing with Warrant. From the beginning of our reunion talks to the last note of our last show together in Houston this past weekend we have had nothing but good intentions of bringing a quality original Warrant show to our fans and friends. We wish Jani nothing but the best and remain friends.

We are very excited that we have found an unbelievable voice in Robert Mason (known from Lynch Mob), an old friend of the band. We have three dates confirmed, come out and judge for yourself?we don't think you will be disappointed!"

Upcoming Warrent live dates:

September 9th Tucson, AZ - Casino Del Sol with Alice Cooper
September 19th Maplewood, MN - The Myth with Trixter
October 17th Tyler, TX - The Oil Palace with Queensrÿche, Kip Winger

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Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Warrant

LA based old school thrashers Meltdown just posted a new song online - from now on the brand new track "Panic" from their upcoming debut album, "Executioner", is available on their MySpace.

Also due to production issues the release date of "Executioner" has been pushed to November 14th for all European territories. In the US, the album will be unleashed early 2009. About their time with producer Andy Classen (Legion Of The Damned, Belphegor, Dew-Scented, Neaera), vocalist/guitarist Dan Wetmore states: "We had a killer time in Germany recording "Executioner" with Andy Classen. His studio has seen some awesome bands make killer records, and we feel ours definitely holds its own. It's heavy, fast, aggressive, and completely true to the institution of heavy metal. With few distractions in the German countryside, we focused in on getting the album to sound exactly how we wanted. Now, with the album's release, we're planning on unleashing our energy in every city & town we can drag ourselves to."

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Source:	nuclearblast.de
Band profile:	Mantic Ritual

A new Flowing Tears track is available for full streaming via the band's MySpace page! The song, entitled "Colossal Shaped Despair", is from their new album "Thy Kingdom Gone" due to be released this Autumn.

The album, which the band have described as their "most intense and varied offering yet" carries the following track listing:

01. Orchidfire
02. Pain Has Taken Over
03. Rain Of A Thousand Years
04. Grey
05. Thy Kingdom Gone
06. Words Before You Leave
07. Miss Fortune
08. Colossal Shaped Despair
09. Kismet
10. For My Enemies
11. Souls Of The Neon Reign
12. The War We Left Behind

The album features artwork by Seth Siro Anton, who has previously worked with Moonspell, Soilwork and Paradise Lost. "Thy Kingdom Gone" is due to be released on 20th October through Ascendance Records.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Flowing Tears

D:S:O are busy working on new material. The following blog was posted on their MySpace page:

"Well it's been a while since the gig but we'd like to thank all the people who came to the party tent and danced at Summer Breeze. We really had an awesome time during the short but intense set. The gig was the best one we have had so far. Some photos are up at our gallery, more will come.

The song "Subconscious" that Annlouice recorded with Oceans Of Sadness is posted in all it's beauty on their myspace. Check it out at http://www.myspace.com/oceansofsadness!!

Regarding the next album we now have 13 songs that we think will end up on the album. Some of the working titles are: "The Vodka Inferno" (which we have played live a couple of times now), "The Tapdancer's Dilemma", "Stratosphere Serenade", "Lucy Fears The Morning Star" & "Nicotine Cathedrals".

All in all we can promise a more playful album with perhaps a little more aggressive-sounding songs. Some notes on the new songs are that we make more use of brass instruments than on the previous album. Some songs will also feature a male opera singer (we'll reveal names later) and they will be sung in English, Russian, French and italian.

Details regarding studio and what label who will release the album is yet to be finalized but it will probably be sorted out during the upcoming month. Pre-production will continue during the autumn and we'll hit the studio around jan-feb of 2009. We'll keep the live gigs to a minumum during this period to focus on the next album. And even though the release is some time away we can actually promise that if you liked the first album it WILL be worth the wait."

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Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Diablo Swing Orchestra

Orange Goblin are very proud to announce a new era for the band with the signing to world renowned metal label, Candlelight Records.

Commented vocalist/guitarist Ben Ward: "The number of vastly successful bands on the Candlelight roster is testament to the quality and the hard work that everyone involved in the label has shown us and we are very excited about settling down in a new home after the label problems we have encountered in the past few years. It's an honour to be on such an esteemed label alongside bands that have inspired us since the bands inception. I believe that with the Candlelight team behind Orange Goblin we can concentrate on writing the best material of our career and continue to tour as much as possible, hopefully reaching parts of the world that Orange Goblin is yet to plunder! We have already started writing new material for a release in 2009 and OG fans, in fact metal fans in general, are gonna love how the new stuff is sounding. It's gonna be a hugh combination of Sabbath-inspired doom, filthy biker blues and more of the familiar booze-ridden Goblin groove."

Source:	candlelightrecords.co.uk
Band profile:	Orange Goblin

Last week, Blood Tsunami announced the following:

"So, it's that time again; studio time. We are happy to announce that Blood Tsunami will once again enter Lion Heart Studios in Oslo during the bigger parts of the 2008 autumn to record our sophomore album, the follow up to 2007's "Thrash Metal".

This time around, the material is faster, darker and heavier than before. We have even added some slower parts, but still with the melodic twist to it all. A total of 7 tracks constituting approxemately 45 minutes of music will be recorded and song titles includes: "Castle of Skulls", "Grand Feast for Vultures", "Personal Exorcism", "Nothing but Contempt", "Laid to Waste", "Eceladus Rising", "One Step Closer to the Grave".

We will produce the album ourselves but Andre Cosmo Søgnen will partly help us out as a co-producer. Once again, the cover will consists of a painting made by the skilled Alex Horley. Blood Tsunami are on a mission to reclaim the painting as the cover artwork.

Blood Tsunami is still Pete (guitar/vocals), Dor (guitar), Bosse (bass/backing vocals) and Faust (drums). We are happy to have a line-up that proves stable and strong and the four of us is really excited to work together in the studio again.

The new album will be released by Candlelight/Nocturnal Art Productions during the first half of 2009."

Source:	candlelightrecords.co.uk
Band profile:	Blood Tsunami

Seasons Of Mist are reporting:

"Dear Cynic fans, the time has now come to unveil cult American band's sophomore album's artwork and track listing! As previously announced, "Traced In Air" will be released on October 27th, and it contains the following songs:

01. Nunc Fluens
02. The Space For This
03. Evolutionary Sleeper
04. Integral Birth
05. The Unknown Guest
06. Adam's Murmur
07. King Of Those Who Know
08. Nunc Stans

Here is the artwork of the album. Yes, it is the work of renowned artist Venosa, who created the unmistakable cover and visuals for "Focus" in 1993."

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Source:	season-of-mist.com
Band profile:	Cynic

Swedish Old School metallers Deceiver have issued an update on their new album "Thrashing Heavy Metal", and reveals the confirmed tracklisting as follows:

Tracklisting:

01. The Tail's Of Whom In Shadows Fall
02. Ghost Of Souls & Inner Hate
03. Graveyard Lover
04. Coma Of Death Toxication
05. Machinery Of God
06. Blood Of The Soul
07. Dead To The World
08. The Dungeon
09. Legacy
10. Thrashing Heavy Metal

According to Deceiver, this will be the band's last and final album and should be set for a release date later this year.

"Thrashing Heavy Metal" was recorded and mixed at the Abyss Studio with Tommy Tägtgren (Dark Funeral, Marduk, God Among Insects, etc) and mastering duties handled by Nicklas "Terror" Rudolfsson (Runemagick, ex-Swordmaster), with the artwork and illustration designed by Israeli artist Eliran Kantor, who recently did the album artwork for Testament's "Formation Of Damnation" CD.

Deceiver's current line-up is as follows:

Pete Flesh - Guitars/vocals
Crille Lundin - Bass
Flingan - Drums

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Source:	pulverised.net
Band profile:	Deceiver

Lamb Of God have commenced recording on the follow up to 2006's Grammy-nominated "Sacrament". Their new album is scheduled for release in February 2009 and will be produced by Josh Wilbur. Josh Wilbur is well known for his Grammy Award winning work with Steve Earl. The album will be recorded in New York City; Virginia Beach, VA; Richmond, VA; and New Hampshire.

The album will see a North American release on Epic Records with Roadrunner Records handling all NON North American releases.

Band drummer Chris Adler states, "We are excited change things up this time and work with Josh. We've never stayed in one place too long, and the evolution continues. There is an aggressive shift in the material and our approach. The bar has been raised."

Lamb Of God shipped gold with their double DVD "Walk With Me In Hell" and after five weeks are rapidly approaching platinum status.

Following production, Lamb Of God will head out on an extensive world tour commencing with their support slot in December with Metallica.

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Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Lamb Of God

Anathema will do a West European this Fall in support of their upcoming compilation album "Hindsight". The message from the band reads as follows:

"We are very happy to announce that this autumn we will be doing an extensive European tour! "The Hindsight Tour" is a celebration of past and present. Featuring unheard classics from the past and unheard classics for the future... We will be accompanied on the whole tour by the excellent new French band Demians MySpace]. A band receiving rave reviews for their debut album "Building An Empire".

Full details and tickets links are available on the Tour Dates page. See you there! More info on the tour and the new album will follow soon."

"The Hindsight Tour": Anathema on tour with Demians

08.10.2008: Tivoli, Utrecht, NED
09.10.2008: W2, Den Bosch, NED
10.10.2008: Biebob, Vosselaar, BEL
11.10.2008: Boerderij, Zoetermeer, NED
12.10.2008: Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg, GER
13.10.2008: Matrix, Bochum, GER
14.10.2008: LKA Longhorn, Stuttgart, GER
16.10.2008: Centrum, Erfurt, GER
17.10.2008: Columbia Club, Berlin, GER
18.10.2008: Markthalle, Markthalle, GER
19.10.2008: Pumpehuset, Copenhagen, DEN
20.10.2008: Proxima Club, Warsaw, POL
21.10.2008: Klub Studio, Klub Studio, POL
22.10.2008: Backstage, München, GER
23.10.2008: Z7, Pratteln, SUI
24.10.2008: New Age, Treviso, ITA
25.10.2008: Rolling Stone, Milan, ITA
26.10.2008: Alpheus, Roma, ITA
28.10.2008: Szene, Vienna, AUT
29.10.2008: TBA
31.10.2008: Les Docks, Lausanne, SUI
04.11.2008: Academy Club, Manchester, UK
05.11.2008: Cathouse, Glasgow, UK
06.11.2008: Carling Academy, Sheffield, UK
07.11.2008: Islington Academy, London, UK
08.11.2008: Barfly, Birmingham, UK
09.11.2008: Zodiac, Oxford, UK
10.11.2008: Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth, UK

Anathema will also play three special shows in September, dubbed "The Unholy Trinity", supporting Paradise Lost in honour of PL's 20th Anniversary. For two of the shows both bands will be joined by My Dying Bride.

17.09.2008: Kulturfabrik, Krefeld, GER
18.09.2008: Bataclan, Paris, FRA (with My Dying Bride)
19.09.2008: Forum, London, UK (with My Dying Bride)

All info about those special shows can be found here.

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Source:	anathema.ws
Band profile:	Anathema
Event:	Anathema: The Hindsight Tour