Emperor frontman Ihsahn has uploaded audio samples of four songs that will appear on his forthcoming solo album, "The Adversary". Check out the tracks "Called by the Fire", "Citizen", "Astera ton Proinon" and "Panem et Circenses" in the "Media" section of Ihsahn's official web site, www.ihsahn.com.

Band profile:

Ihsahn

After some delays caused by some reasons, the new album of the Moscow-based band COMATOSE VIGIL - Not A Gleam Of Hope has finally been issued. This album is the second release of the funeral subdivision of Stygian Crypt productions - Marche Funebre productions. The band's music is majestic funeral doom in the vein of Skepticism and Shape Of Despair but has it's own unique atmosphere. The album was recorded at Moscow Navahohut studio and has the best quality of recording in today's Russian doom scene. You can order this CD through Stygian Crypt mailorder right now and at their distributors soon.

Marche Funebre productions (a subdivision of Stygian Crypt productions) proudly presents its first release: re-edition of album From Funeral Skies of THE ETHEREAL - a project of cult Belgian musician Stijn Van Cauter (Until Death Overtakes Me, Beyond Black Void, Fall Of The Grey - Winged One). For this re-edition album was remastered and it's? contain one bonus-track. This CD has issued as limited edition of 1000 copies in a slipcase. The next release of Marche Funebre is album of Moscow band COMATOSE VIGIL -Not A Gleam Of Hope. An official site of Marche Funebre is under construction. You can order the album of THE ETHEREAL by our mailorder.

Israeli metal outfit ORPHANED LAND have issued an update following their trip to the ProgPower festival in Atlanta, Georgia, where they shared stage with such renowned acts like ANGRA, CONCEPTION, PINK CREAM 69, STRATOVARIUS, SYMPHORCE, THERION and others.

Considering that the festival was sold out in three days, it is not surprising that ORPHANED LAND vocalist Kobi Farhi's feedback on the band's recent touring season is very positive:

"Hello all orphans in Germany and Italy!! We just came back from ProgPower USA where we played two shows. It was our debut show in the USA and we played an unplugged set at the pre-party (we all wore white outfits) and the day after we plugged our guitars and made some oriental Middle-Eastern NOISE! After 43 shows in 22 countries, after we destroyed Summer Breze and ProgPower festivals we are ready to bring you the first European HEADLINER shows!!!"

Band profile:

Orphaned Land

Norway's GREEN CARNATION are gearing up for their North American live debut with their exclusive headlining show at Day of The Equinox in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on October 14.

GREEN CARNATION ? who released their well-received fourth album, "The Quiet Offspring", on The End Records this year ? plan to make the October 14 appearance a special event for their fans, showcasing material from their current album and older material.

Says GREEN CARNATION singer Kjetil Nordhus, "After a long wait, our North American debut is getting close. This will be a special event because, along with current material we will play, we also plan to play a good portion of 'Light of Day, Day of Darkness' (2001's critically acclaimed single-track album) for our live set. We are specifically bringing over our sound guy for this because it important for us to get the right sound that we need in order to share the different moods of that complex album with the audience. The entire band is really looking forward to coming over there and we feel that this might be one of the band's most important gigs for a long time. We're more eager than nervous, so that must be a good sign."

Also of note, GREEN CARNATION plans to release an exclusive edition all-acoustic EP at the event, titled "The Burden Is Mine? Alone", the first release through the band's own production company Sublife Productions and Profound Lore Records.

"The acoustic EP consists of four songs, two not to be released on our forthcoming full-length (the band's 15th anniversary acoustic album, 'Acoustic Verses'). In good GREEN CARNATION tradition we are again stretching our limits of the band and the EP sounds very different from anything we have done in the past. But the one thing that is still very important is our approach. The fact that we are doing it our own way, which in that case, makes this a regular GREEN CARNATION album if that makes any sense at all."

"The Burden Is Mine?Alone" track listing is as follows:

01. Burden Is Mine? Alone
02. Transparent Me
03. Sweet Leaf
04. Six Ribbons (JON ENGLISH cover)

Taken from www.blabblermouth.net

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Band profile:

Green Carnation

Sweden's KATATONIA have posted the following message on their official web site:

"After spending literally the whole Swedish summer (and not seeing much of it) in a barn called Fascination Street studios, working day and night to finish our seventh full-length album, we finally made it ? the album is recorded and mixed and will be mastered tomorrow at Cutting Room, Stockholm. Release date, album/song titles and artwork to be announced and presented in one of the next updates. Now, the band departs to Mother Russia for the weekend for a two-gig happening, a rather good oportunity to celebrate the massive work we now leave behind us. Let the vodka flow!"

Check out pictures of the recording/mixing sessions at www.katatonia.com

KATATONIA's last album, "Viva Emptiness", was released in 2003.

As previously reported, The End Records recently licensed through their sub-label Infinite Vinyl series KATATONIA's "Saw You Drown" ? a mini album from 1998 that collectors regard as maybe the rarest and most-wanted item in KATATONIA's discography. The vinyl version is limited to 1,000 copies, all hand-numbered. It also features an unreleased band photo, lyrics to all songs, plus personal liner notes from the band.

Band profile:

Katatonia

In 2004, SIGH recorded the sixth album 'Gallows Gallery' but Century Media refused to release it as it contains parts applying the infamous sonic weapon techniques experimented with during World War II.

'Gallows Gallery' is the debut album for the Harashima, and it is the heaviest album ever by Sigh. It also has various guest musicians like:

Gus G. (Firewind, ex-Dream Evil): Guitar Solo
Niklas Sundin (Dark Tranquility): Guitar Solo
Killjoy (Necrophagia): Voices, Narration
Gunface (The Red Chord): Guitar Solo
Bruce Lamont (Yakuza): Saxophones
Metatron (Meads of Asphodel): Narration
Paul Groundwell (Thine): Guitar Solo

This album definitely has the good old heavy metal vibe from the 80s along with various musical influences from classical music, jazz, to sonic weapon experimentation!

You are now warned that this album could do harm to your health. Kawashima had strange dizziness, migraine headache, and extreme ghastly pale tone while working on the 'Gallows Gallery' and had to be hospitalized. That's one of the reasons why it took this album so long to be released.

Band profile:

Sigh

Norway's THEATRE OF TRAGEDY have inked a deal with Germany's AFM Records. Last Friday, the band and label met in Hamburg to discuss their future. The gothic metal act are currently working on their new album and have most of the material already completed. Musically, the band are promising a return to their early sound.

"If you want, you can consider this album as a kind of follow-up to 'Aegis'," drummer Hein Frode Hansen said of the new album's musical direction. "For us this was a very natural way right now."

THEATRE OF TRAGEDY's as-yet-untitled new album will be the group's first to feature singer Nell (THE CREST), who replaced Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull (currently in LEAVES' EYES) in early 2004. A March 24, 2006 release is expected.

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Band profile:

Theatre Of Tragedy

The End Records, already known for its eclectic cutting-edge roster, has signed the legendary Voivod for the USA. Hailed as one of the most important groundbreakers in metal, Voivod's ever-evolving progressive mindset is a perfect fit for The End.
The band will enter the studio in the fall of 2005. Release date for the band's 11th studio album is not yet confirmed, but should appear sometime in early 2006.
Drummer Michel Langevin (aka Away) confirms that the band has completed the writing of the album, describing the material as "heavy" and "experimental". Regarding the new partnership, Voivod states: "We are very proud to join The End Records in their quest to promote modern heavy ! music. A perfect home for a band like Voivod.

Furthermore, In a recent interview with Billboard.com, Jason Newsted talked about the upcoming Voivod records via The End Records:
"It's the most complete demos I've ever been involved in," he says. " Snake has already chosen his effects -- exact timing of milliseconds for delay. We've had a long time to develop the demos, so there's about 23 or 25 songs that are absolutely listenable right now."
Like Metallica, Newsted was a huge fan of Voivod before he was invited to join and he remains a great admirer to this day. "They created something a long, long time ago that may have been emulated many, many times since -- but nobody can do it like the original," he offers.

Taken from The End Records newsletter

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Band profile:

Voivod

Taken from Dark Symphonies website:

Darkest Greetings!
We are very excited about the impending release of ELEGEION's newest masterpiece and Dark Symphonies debut "THE LAST MOMENT"! The world wide release date will be TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2005! One more bit of news about "THE LAST MOMENT": The recording was completely mastered at Crystal Mastering in Australia, and we can say that the sonic quality of this release is simply stunning! Promo kits will be going out to press & radio within the next couple of weeks. We are confident that this will be another special release from DS and really look forward to getting this cd out to all of you! We trust that you continue to enjoy your shopping experience at our webstore with hard-to-find titles from such labels as Adipocere, Avantegarde, Century Media, Displeased, Icarus, Mercenary, More Hate, Perverted Taste, Prikosnovenie, Red Stream, Scarecrow, Season Of Mist, The End Records and Waerlog (to name just a few). As always, we extend our darkest "Thank You!" to all our loyal customers who continue to support DS and our artists!

further info on: http://www.darksymphonies.com

Band profile:

Elegeion

SONIC SYNDICATE (ex-Fallen Angels) has released a song from the upcoming debut album EDEN FIRE over http://www.sonicsyndicate and http://myspace.com/sonicsyndicate as

For the artwork of the new album go to:
http://www.pivotalrage.com/label/artists/sonic_syndicate/images/ss_cover.jpg.

Band profile:

Sonic Syndicate

The official NIGHTWISH "beer," which was sold last year at Kitee's (NIGHTWISH's hometown in Eastern Finland) K-Market Kupiainen shop and from Kitee's Kievari restaurant, has now been made available in Germany, according to a posting on the group's web site. The lager-type beer, which is brewed by Pirkanmaan Uusi Panimo (PUP), features a label that says "A Megabueno Cerveza" and includes a NIGHTWISH photo. You can now purchase the beer from the following "cult" store in St. Pauli, Hamburg:

Kapanen.De
Davidstrasse 5
St.Pauli
20359 Hamburg
Germany
Tel. #: +49-40-380 196 96

Band profile:

Nightwish

Metal titans ARCH ENEMY - whose dynamic mixture of melody and aggression has earned them massive critical acclaim, a rabid worldwide fan base and a slot on this summer's Ozzfest - have officially signed a new agreement that sees Century Media Records, in conjunction with band leader Mike Amott's Savage Messiah Music label, become the home for the group's future albums worldwide outside Southeast Asia.

The band is currently wrapping up work on their highly anticipated new full-length album Doomsday Machine, which is set for a July 25 release in Europe (July 26 in North America). "We have all been working hard in the studio to make the ultimate metal album," Mike says. "The drums sound totally amazing, as Daniel (Erlandsson, percussion) has excelled himself yet again and the grooves he's created are catchy but powerful as hell. People will be stunned when they hear what he has done.

"I think all great metal needs that killer mix of classic riffs and ripping solos, something that has been a bit of a dying art recently," he continues. "We are doing our best to recreate that mix on this new album, and one thing I can guarantee is that there will be tons of guitar for fans to headbang to. All in all, I am really happy with the songs and I believe we have found the right balance of melody and brutality - the Arch Enemy trademark! Welcome to the Doomsday Machine."

ARCH ENEMY, featuring the all-star lineup of Mike Amott (guitars), Chris Amott (guitars), Sharlee D'Angelo (bass) and Daniel Erlandsson (drums), first garnered praise with the metal milestones Black Earth (1997), Stigmata (1998) and Burning Bridges (1999). These albums were fueled by flawless dual guitar technical execution and a previously unheard of mixture of melody and aggression, which helped them quickly solidify their reputation as one of the genre's elite. However, ARCH ENEMY really began to develop their true potential once vocalist Angela Gossow joined the fold on 2001's critically acclaimed Wages of Sin.

The band's 2003 album, Anthems of Rebellion, was immediately hailed as a metal masterpiece. It was their second offering with Angela, touted by Metal Edge as "one of the most promising talents in years." The record proved to be a landmark release for Century Media, as it delivered the label its then-highest first-week U.S. SoundScan sales ever on the way to becoming one of its 10 best-selling albums of all time. Press raves continued to pour in, as Anthems scored an unprecedented 5/5 in both Alternative Press and Kerrang! while going on to land the #1 album of 2003 in Metal Maniacs Readers' Poll, earning them staunch recognition and high-profile U.S. tours with such acts as Slayer, Hatebreed, Cradle Of Filth and the legendary Iron Maiden.

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Band profile:

Arch Enemy

DARK SYMPHONIES is proud to announce the signing of Australian Doom artist ELEGEION! The tentative, world wide release date for their Dark Symphonies debut, "The Last Moment," will be the summer of 2005.

Former Candlelight Records recording artist ELEGION transcend all existing boundaries of aestheticism, capture the darkest of all emotions and delve through the forgotten recesses of the mind. This music is for those seeking to surpass the musical ambit and redefine its boundaries. Although this quest may never be ultimately achieved, it will never be abandoned. Hopefully, it can only inspire and temporarily satisfy the ears of those searching for the ultimate emotive experience...but until then, listen...

Their new release, "The Last Moment," takes the listener deeper into the bands unrelenting descent into the boundless pit of despair. And, although like the Loch ness Monster, this band rarely raise their heads above the black murky depths to bring an offering to the surface, you will see that this new chapter in the Elegeion journey is well worth the wait. It features supreme artwork by Travis Smith (Katatonia, and Opeth), Justin Hartwig from Chalice on lead guitar, members of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and the angelic voice of Dieudonnee.

Commenting on their signing to Dark Symphonies, ELEGEION's founder and main composer Anthony Kawn shares, "I am extremely happy to be releasing this album through Dark Symphonies. I look forward to getting the band wider exposure both in America and the rest of the world, and working with blokes who are passionate about music and committed to promoting quality doom metal.

With The Last Moment, I hope to bring together all the best elements of previous releases, with the addition of some new influences from Dee and James, to create a true solid fusion of melancholic metal with strings, piano and female vocals. We spent a lot of time writing, refining and recording the songs and, by comparison, I feel this release is Elegeion's best to date, and I really hope the fans will agree!"
Now here is the complete recording details and tracklisting for "THE LAST MOMENT":

· The Last Moment
· Scars
· Solitude
· Taste
· Heaven's Torment
· Wallow (Instrumental)
· Confusion
· ELEGEION is:
· Anthony - Guitar, Bass, Vocal Laments
· James - Drums / Percussion, Bass, Guitar
· Dieudonnee - Voice, Piano

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Band profile:

Elegeion

Posted in the official Anthrax website by Ian Scott, about concert in Peru:

Amigos,
Viva Peru!!!! Seriously, the show in Lima was top 5 of all time. Just complete insanity from start to finish. The gauntlet has been thrown and Peru is king shit of fuck mountain as of now.

They don't get many shows in Lima but I am going to do my best to spread the word that it is not a country to skip in SA. Of the so-called "big four" bands from the 80's we were the first to go. These people are starving for metal. It was a privilege to play for you maniacs. Thank you!!!!! I'm getting ready to go rock here in Costa Rica. Judging by the in-store we did today, tonight could be just as crazy as Lima. Pisco sours for all my friends!!!!
Scott

Band profile:

Anthrax