After the tragic passing of co-founding Quiet Riot singer Kevin DuBrow in 2007, many figured that the band was over. But while going through the vaults of vintage video material for an upcoming documentary of the band's history, the spark was reignited once more for drummer Frankie Banali to kick Quiet Riot back in gear. The easy part was filling the guitar and bass slots ? as former members Chuck Wright (bass) and Alex Grossi (guitar) promptly signed on. However, having to fill DuBrow's large shoes was no small task.

A longtime fan of heavy metal, singer Mark Huff came to Banali's attention while fronting a California-based Van Halen tribute band (that focused on the "Sammy Hagar era"). A true Cinderella story, Huff auditioned via a cattle call audition, promptly blew Banali away, and got the gig. After getting the blessing from DuBrow's mother to carry on with Quiet Riot (and to celebrate her son's music), the group was ready to rock once more.

Quiet Riot is currently firming up plans for a full U.S. tour ? their first in three years. And with the aforementioned documentary on the horizon, and the band's music being used in hit films ("The Wrestler", "Tropic Thunder"), video games ("Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The '80s"), and even musicals ("Rock of Ages") Quiet Riot remains a major force in heavy metal. And soon, you will get a chance to bang your head once more to Quiet Riot, at a concert venue near you.

Click here to check out a sample track featuring recorded versions of "Cum On Feel The Noize", "Metal Health" and "Slick Black Cadillac" with Mark Huff on vocals.

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Source:

officialquietriot.com

6 is the working title of their forthcoming album scheduled for release on March 21st, 2011. The new album will include 11 songs. Some of the titles are "Ain't giving in", "Concealed In The Dark", "If Only Death Was An Illusion", "Monster" and "Warrior Blood".

The album will be available in minimum 3 different formats, which will include 4 bonus tracks: "The Eternal War", "Show Your Hate", "The Almighty" (these are all re-recorded versions of tracks taken from the band's first album - "Fear Of Tomorrow") and "Computer God" (a cover version of the song by Black Sabbath).

The band will enter the recording studio on November 29th. The new material will be recorded again at Medley Studios in Denmark, with Søren Andersen as the producer.

Artillery plan to promote the new album with a world-wide tour.

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Band profile:

Artillery

After seven years in the band, keyboard player Timothy Drury thought the time was right to quit Whitesnake and pursue a solo career. Here's his farewell letter:

"For over seven years now I have been fortunate enough to travel the world, to play and sing my heart out and to share the stage with David Coverdale as a part of Whitesnake. During that time I have been inspired and filled with such a great sense of the beauty that the world has to offer and also with the joy that music can bring to an audience. More than ever, I see the value of what I can express as a composer and producer, photographer, songwriter, singer... as an artist. That is why I must now say my goodbyes to you all and take my leave to pursue some very important creative projects that have been brewing for some time now.

For those of you who have gone to my sites and commented on my work as a visual artist and as a composer, I hope you have sensed how deliberate and passionate I am about interpreting what I see and feel. There are some great new opportunities for me to do that now and the time has come to focus on using my gifts to the fullest extent possible.

Of course I would love to continue to experience the world with Whitesnake and I will miss DC and the guys and the venues and audiences terribly, but I think I would be remiss if I didn't follow my instincts and my heart at this moment.

I have nothing but gratitude for the time I've spent with DC and all of the other incredible players I've had the good fortune to work with in this band since 2003. I've learned so much from DC and this experience, about following one's heart, about being authentic, about never letting fear prevent one from pursuing one's destiny. It's a fitting tribute to him that I must now practice what I have learned and really concentrate on living my life as the artist I was destined to be.

I wish David Coverdale and the new band all the very best as they bring the new record to life in the studio and later when they bring it to you all, live in 2011. Thanks so much to DC and the band and to all the smiling, appreciative fans around the world!!!"

Whitesnake singer David Coverdale commented: "We are sad to lose such a valued member of the band, but, we understand, support and sincerely wish Timothy every success in his solo career & thank him for a great, fun journey together."

At this time Whitesnake is focusing on finishing the new studio album before seeking a replacement keyboard player.

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Source:	whitesnake.com
Band profile:	Whitesnake

Bulgarian black metallers Claymore have uploaded a new instrumental demo song online. Check out the track "Spiritual Fraud" on SoundCloud. A live performance of the song is also available at the same location by clicking the "track video" button.

The track is said to be the slowest track Claymore ever created, and it will be included on the band's next album. The band is currently working on that album, with the working title From Ignorance to Remembrance.

More info about the band on MySpace and Facebook.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Claymore

Shortly after the announcement of the Threat Over Europe European tour and after the departure of guitarist Adam Weber in July, Canada's Threat Signal have announced the departure of drummer Norm Killeen. The band are currently seeking a replacement to fill the position.

Commented the band: "After three amazing years together, the Threat Signal camp has decided to part ways with drummer Norm Killeen. This was a mutual decision and there are no hard feelings towards each other. We will still continue to work with Norm's graphic design company, NME Studios. We wish you all the best with your future endeavors Norm; much love and respect. So now the drummer search begins! We're looking for someone preferably with touring experience, but if not, that's fine. We have quite a bit of dates coming up in October and November through out North America and Europe, so we're looking for someone that can really nail these songs quick and hit the road."

Threat Over Europe (with Threat Signal, Raunchy, Sybreed, M.A.N and Illidiance):

Nov. 14 - Bournemouth (UK) - Champions (without Illidiance)
Nov. 15 - Southampton (UK) - Joiners (without Illidiance)
Nov. 16 - Nottingham (UK) - The Bodega Social Club (without Illidiance)
Nov. 17 - High Wycombe (UK) Wycombe Academy (without Illidiance)
Nov. 18 - London (UK) - Barfly (without Illidiance)
Nov. 19 - - Holland
Nov. 20 - Copenhagen (Denmark) - The Rock (without Illidiance)
Nov. 21 - - Belgium
Nov. 23 - Darmstadt (Germany) - Steibruch Theatre
Nov. 24 - - France
Nov. 25 - Barcelona (Spain) - Mephisto
Nov. 26 - Madrid (Spain) - Live!
Nov. 27 - Lisboa (Portugal) -
Nov. 28 - Porto (Portugal) - Porto Rio
Nov. 29 - Bilbao (Spain) - RockStar Live
Nov. 30 - - France
Dec. 01 - Turin (Italy) - Lapsus
Dec. 02 - Bologna (Italy) - Blogos
Dec. 03 - - Italy
Dec. 04 - - Switzerland/Slovenia
Dec. 05 - Vienna (Austria) - Viper Club
Dec. 06 - Stuttgart (Germany) - Universum (without Illidiance)
Dec. 07 - Cologne (Germany) - Undergound (without Illidiance)

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Source:	metalunderground.com
Band profile:	Threat Signal

Atlanta, Georgia's progressive death metal/metalcore act Becoming The Archetype have announced they have officially set studio time with producer/engineer Matt Goldman (Underoath, The Chariot, Copeland). From October 10 til November 10, the band will record their 4th album for Solid State Records with Matt Goldman at the helm, producing and refining the songs. A release is expected to surface in early 2011.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Becoming The Archetype

In February and March 2011 Finnish power metallers Sonata Arctica will be touring Europe again. There will be a special show among these on February 27th as the band will record their second live DVD at Alcatraz, Milan. Here's the list of confirmed dates:

Feb. 25 - Petöfi Csarnok - Budapest, Hungary
Feb. 26 - Cvetlicarna - Ljubljana, Slovenia
Feb. 27 - Alcatraz - Milan, Italy
Mar. 01 - Masters of Rock Café - Zlín, Czech Republic
Mar. 02 - Szene - Vienna, Austria
Mar. 04 - Kaminwerk - Memmingen, Germany
Mar. 05 - HsD - Erfurt, Germany
Mar. 06 - Hof ter Lo - Antwerp, Belgium
Mar. 07 - Garage - Saarbrücken, Germany
Mar. 08 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
Mar. 10 - Theatre Barbey - Bordeaux, France
Mar. 11 - Apolo - Barcelona, Spain
Mar. 12 - La Riviera - Madrid, Spain
Mar. 13 - Rock Star Live - Bilbao, Spain
Mar. 15 - Transbordeur - Lyon, France
Mar. 16 - Élysée Montmartre - Paris, France
Mar. 18 - Wulfrun Hall - Wolverhampton, UK
Mar. 19 - Corporation - Sheffield, UK
Mar. 20 - Garage - Glasgow, UK
Mar. 22 - Academy 2 - Manchester, UK
Mar. 23 - Milennium Music Hall - Cardiff, UK
Mar. 24 - Sub 89 - Reading, UK
Mar. 25 - Koko - London, UK
Mar. 26 - Essigfabrik - Cologne, Germany
Mar. 27 - Effenaar - Eindhoven, Holland
Mar. 29 - Patronaat - Haarlem, Holland
Mar. 30 - Halle Gartlage - Osnabrück, Germany
Mar. 31 - Substage - Karlsruhe, Germany

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Source:	sonataarctica.info
Band profile:	Sonata Arctica
Event:	Sonata Arctica

The time is getting closer for the release of the new Dimmu Borgir album, Abrahadabra. Medium quality 30 second audio samples of all ten tracks on that album are now available through Amazon.de.

All Abrahadabra release info can be found here and here.

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Source:	dimmu-borgir.com
Band profile:	Dimmu Borgir

Metal Mind Records press release

Jon Nödtveidt was best known for being the founding member of the Swedish black/death metal group Dissection, which was strongly associated with Anti-Cosmic Satanism and the Occult. The group disbanded in 2006 after Nödtveidt's sudden death. Not many people know that Jon was involved in a number of musical projects, such as The Black, Nifelheim, Ophthalamia, Siren's Yell and Terror (with members of At The Gates). De Infernali was also one of those projects but this time the music ventured into an entirely different dimension of brutality...

De Infernali was an extremely short-lived affair, lasting only two years in total. It started in 1996, when Nödtveidt begun experimenting with dark ambient sounds, writing music for no particular purpose. It wasn't until his roommate Damien Midvinter was let into this project that De Infernali became a more serious creation (which it was never intended to be in the first place). Nödtveidt wrote the core of the material, while Midvinter contributed the songs "Ave Satan" and "Sign of the Dark", and helped with some of the other compositions. Soon the duo had enough tracks for a full-length album. They decided to record it with the famous Swedish producer and musician Dan Swäno (known from working with Therion, Opeth, Katatonia, Marduk, Bloodbath and others) who also did the vocals on "Sign of the Dark".

The album was released by Nuclear Blast in 1997. The musical content of Symphonia De Infernali left a lot of listeners familiar with Nödtveidt's previous works (especially Dissection) genuinely puzzled. The songs were completely deprived of any guitar sounds, focusing on dark ambience and haunting electronics. Some of the tracks were purely piano-driven (like the opening "Into The Labyrinths of Desolation", as well as "Orcus Lursus" and "Revival/Paroxysmal Winds/Forever Gone"), other were more mechanical ("Atomic Age", "Liberation"), taking a slightly more industrial direction. Although not really associated with metal music in general, the album showcased a unique black metal atmosphere. The lyrics were strongly connected to Nödtveidt's beliefs, dealing with themes of Satanism, Anti-Christianity and death. De Infernali disbanded shortly after releasing their debut offering.

Symphonia De Infernali remains an obscure, yet fascinating release, revealing a side of Nödtveidt that not many of his fans knew before. This exclusive reissue brings back a true dark ambient gem in all its despicable glory. The new digipak edition of the album is limited to 2000 copies. Remastered using tube technology, digitally edited on a golden disc. Metal Mind Productions set the release date for 7th October in Europe and 7th December in USA (via MVD).

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Source:	metalmind.com.pl
Band profile:	Dissection

Original news, posted on 05.09.2010

We are only a few days away from the release of The Tomb Within, the new EP from US gore legends Autopsy. Head over to the Autopsy audio player at this location to check out new audio samples from all five tracks from The Tomb Within. The following site also features the new promo trailer for the EP, showing the band at work in the studio.

As previously reported, The Tomb Within was recorded mid-July 2010 at Fantasy Studios with Adam Munoz, and sees the original trio of Chris Reifert, Danny Coralles & Eric Cutler joined on bass by Joe Trevisano (ex-Abscess).

The Tomb Within consists of 5 new tunes of gore & depravity and will be released on September 13th through Peaceville Records on CD & 12" vinyl, with general release set for 27th September.

The Tomb Within cover art] tracklist:

01. The Tomb Within
02. My Corpse Shall Rise
03. Seven Skulls
04. Human Genocide
05. Mutant Village

UPDATE

Autopsy has posted a stream of the brand new track, "The Tomb Within", on their recently launched mini-site. The new song is the title track for the band's forthcoming EP, which is due out on October 5th on Peaceville Records.

Along with the song stream, the new mini-site also features audio samples of each of the EP's four other gut-wrenching tracks, as well as an in studio video trailer for a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the forthcoming musical bloodbath

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Source:	peaceville.com
Band profile:	Autopsy

Wolfgang Teske, founding member and former guitarist of German technical brutal death metal outfit Defeated Sanity, has passed away yesterday, September 12th. This was confirmed by his son, Defeated Sanity's drummer, Lille Gruber, on MySpace. Teske was 57 years old.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Defeated Sanity

30 second samples of all tracks featured on Helloween's upcoming album 7 Sinners have been made available online by power-metal.info. You can check out the trailer below.

The band will release their 13th studio album in Europe at the end of October, right before Halloween, via SPV Records. The album will be available in North American stores on November 9 through The End Records.

7 Sinners cover art] tracklist:

01. Where The Sinners Go
02. Are You Metal?
03. Who Is Mr. Madman?
04. Raise The Noise
05. World Of Fantasy
06. Long Live The King
07. The Smile Of The Sun
08. You Stupid Mankind
09. If A Mountain Could Talk
10. The Sage, The Fool, The Sinner
11. My Sacrifice
12. Not Yet Today
13. Far In The Future


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Source:	power-metal.info
Band profile:	Helloween

NeraNature: Audio Samples of Four Tracks Posted Online

The singer of the Polish metal band Darzamat - Nera - is working on her debut album, which will be released under the name NeraNature. Audio samples of four tracks ("Shattered", "Precious Now", "Oblivion" and "Disappointed") from the album "Foresting Wounds" can be streamed on her myspace.

NeraNature was founded in 2009 by Nera, a singer so far associated with the Polish metal band Darzamat. The project appeared as a space where the air is filled with matters lingering in her head, a bit more intimate, private and sometimes bizarre and freakish. - I've been waiting for a long time for the right place and time to find an outlet for my personal thoughts and beliefs. This is the time and place - explains Nera. The idea appealed to Chris, the guitarist of Darzamat, who created the base for the melodies and completed the project with his music.

The name of the band is a combination of two words: Nera, as the nickname of the vocalist, and Nature, as a reflection of a deep connection with the environment. It can also be interpreted as the nature of Nera - a diversity of views reflected in the songs. The feminine character of lyrics imbued with the feminist outlook on life constitutes one the most significant elements of the projects, touching upon such issues as man's detachment from nature and running away from himself/herself. The approach presented in the album is not only the singer's artistic pose, as Nera has been an engaged animal rights activist and a vegetarian for the last 15 years.

The music of NeraNature can be categorized among such music styles as atmospheric rock/metal, ambient and trip rock. So is the band's debut album "Foresting Wounds", which contains ten compositions balancing between sensuous ballads and more energetic songs.

A person who turned out very important for the album was also the producer Jaroslaw Toifl, who, together with the musicians, worked on the sound and the final versions of the songs.

Line-up:
Nera - vocals
Chris - guitars
Markus - bass
Darkside - drums

Track list:
1. Disappointed
2. The Precious Now
3. Shattered
4. Oblivion
6. Dormant
6. Defective
7. Before
8. Some Air
9. Woman's Soul
10. Scar

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Darzamat

The new lineup of Italian brutal death metal outfit Hour Of Penance has been revealed. The new members are Paolo Pieri (Aborym, Malfeitor) on vocals and Simone Piras (Ancient Skin, Verbo Nero, Goregonik) on drums.

The band currently consists of:
Vocals: Paolo "Hell-IO-Kabbalus" Pieri
Guitar: Giulio Moschini
Bass: Silvano "Nightorn" Leone
Drums: Simone "Arconda" Piras

Former vocalist Francesco Paoli had left the band after a conflict with drummer Mauro Mercurio earlier this year, after which the band hired the new vocalist and drummer who both have been kept secret until their live premiere on the kick-off date of the Initiation Of The Misled Tour with Psycroptic and Cephalic Carnage two days ago. A review with pictures of the new lineup's live premiere can be found at this location.

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Source:	metalstorm.net
Band profile:	Hour Of Penance
Event:	Cephalic Carnage + Psycroptic: Initiation Of The Misled Tour 2010

Vengeance Music (Pakistan) and The Flaming Skull Podcast (India) have launched a digital compilation, entitled Metal Asia on MySpace. The project is supposed to be one of the largest compilations of the Middle Easters/Asian scene, including the oldest, best, most creative and influential bands from The Middle East, Srilanka, Indonesia, India and Pakistan.

The compilation is said to feature 26 tracks, of which 22 are streaming on MySpace. The MySpace player includes bands such as Nervecell, Bilocate, Demonic Resurrection, Kimaera, Sammath Sathanas, Tyrant Throne, Bhayanak Maut, J, Kalodin, Dei Tetra, Chaos, Soul Vomit, Kuadrumana, ReVolt, Qayaas, Devoid, Cranialschism, Augury , Bouq-Berserk, Satanik, Blood Ink, and Exile.

A "full" Asian metal band list can be found here.

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Source:

myspace.com