Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick has decided not to do another winter tour with Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Alex says: "It's been nearly ten years since my first Trans-Siberian Orchestra winter tour. Each year it's been an incredible experience, traveling from arena to arena being an important part of the largest symphonic rock production in history. This year, however, I've decided to make the difficult decision of stepping out of the spotlight (and lasers, fog, fire and snow) and embarking upon new adventures. The reasons for this are twofold.

As one might imagine, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra winter tour is a demanding one - with long days and an action-packed show that calls for no less than 200% of yourself, often twice a day from the mid-October rehearsals to the final show in January.

While the awesome response from fans and the collaboration with fellow performers make it beyond worth it, there comes a point, after so many years of annual grueling intensity, for some of us to draw upon that quarter of a year's worth of time and energy in order to launch a renewed focus on our own visions.

In my case, this process begins with the release of a brand new album (Alex Skolnick Trio's Veritas, due October 15) to be followed by heavy touring, including winter dates in support of Rodrigo Y Gabriela.

There are many other endeavors in the works, the information of which will be continually updated online at AlexSkolnick.com. Furthermore, as someone who has been on tour with multiple projects and running on all cylinders during the entire calendar year since 2006, reclaiming this three-month period will open up the option to take breaks once in a while, remember what home looks like, lessen the constant separation from friends and loved ones and recharge my own batteries as needed.

Of course, I'll miss doing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour. The stage time, friendships and overall experience has been invaluable. I'm grateful to Paul O'Neil and Nightcastle Management for the opportunity, to all the musicians and singers for the good times and to all the fans for the unyielding support; you guys are the best! I look forward to seeing many of you out there in different configurations."

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Source:

alexskolnick.com

Pig Destroyer's first video from their acclaimed "Phantom Limb" album, for the song "Loathsome", has debuted exclusively via Singingfool.com. The video was shot in Baltimore, MD at the Ottobar with director Dave Brodsky for MyGoodEye (The Red Chord, Kylesa, Goatwhore, God Forbid).

Pig Destroyer released "Phantom Limb" this past June. The band played a handful of shows around the album's release and live footage from their Brooklyn performance can be seen now at MetalKult.com along with a candid question-and-answer session with the band.

Check out the video here.

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Source:	blog.myspace.com
Band profile:	Pig Destroyer

The following update was posted on the official website of long-running Venice Beach, California Thrash band Suicidal Tendencies:

"Please don't email about geting on any tour dates...Sorry, there are no opening slots on the tour... The support bands have already been worked out and there will be no other dates booked. There are however more show dates that will be posted later, just waiting on routing of two shows, then will we post all the dates as one show already had to be moved to a different date. Also, the band will do a East Coast tour next year, and will also make it to the mid west in 08 too."

Suicidal Tendencies will embark on a West Coast tour starting middle of November. Support on the shows will come from Municipal Waste.

TUCSON, AZ SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17 RIALTO THEATRE
EL PASO, TX SUNDAY NOVEMBER 18 CLUB 101
ALBUQUERQUE, NM MON NOVEMBER 19 LAUNCHPAD
LOS ANGELES, CA WED NOVEMBER21 HOUSE OF BLUES
SANTA ANA, CA FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23 THE GALAXY
VENTURA, CA SATURDAY NOVEMBER 24 VENTURA THEATRE

NEW DATES!
TUESDAY NOV 27 PORTLAND, OR ROSELAND
WEDNESDAY NOV 28 SEATTLE, WA EL CORAZON
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 30 PETUALUMA, CA PHOENIX THEATRE
SATURDAY DECEMBER 1 RENO, NV STONEY'S

Also the band has announced that 2008 Starts in Chile! Suicidal Tendencies will be playing Chile January 5 and 6 in Chile. More info shortly...

And more tour dates, CD and DVD news coming soon too! See you on tour!

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Source:	suicidaltendencies.com
Band profile:	Suicidal Tendencies
Event:	Suicidal Tendencies + Municipal Waste

San Diego extreme metallers Cattle Decapitation will perform under the name Felchbastard at a special one-off show at their favorite local bar, Scolari's Office, in their home base of North Park, San Diego, CA on Tuesday, October 9. The 21-plus free event "should prove to be insane," says the group.

According to a press release, "Felchbastard was an idea concocted by the band to usher in drummer Michael Laughlin in 2003 and just may be his last show with the band! The band covers the place in toilet paper and covers themselves in shit (fake, of course)."

Also scheduled to appear are Rue and Lightning Swords Of Death.

Tuesday, October 9
Scolari's Office
3936 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104
9:00 p.m.
21 and up w/ ID
FREE!!!

Source:	cattledecapitation.com
Band profile:	Cattle Decapitation

The following has been quoted from the band's latest blog entry on their official Myspace page:

"Dismember has entered B.A.S studios with producer Nico Elgstrand (previous work: Murder Squad, Krux, Merciless, Entombed) to record their 8th fullenght album. A release date has not been determined yet, but early 2008 is the goal. 11 tracks of Stockholm death metal is soon coming your way"

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Dismember

Tool will tour the United States again from mid-November to Christmas. So far the following dates have been confirmed:

Nov. 14 - Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center
Nov. 16 - Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Nov. 17 - New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
Nov. 23 - Casper, WY @ Casper Events Center
Nov. 27 - Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
Dec. 10 - Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre
Dec. 11 - Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre

Source:	toolband.com
Band profile:	Tool
Event:	Tool: N. American Tour

Norwegian black metallers 1349 have announced the band lineup that will embark on the forthcoming UK tour. It will be as follows:

Ravn - vocals
Archaon - guitar
Seidemann - bass
Mads Gullbekkhei - drums
Blasphemer - guitar

The band will do a signing session after each shows.

1349 UK tour dates:

October
16 - Cathouse - Glasgow, Scotland
17 - Junktion 7 - Nottingham, England
18 - Underworld - London, England
19 - Corporation - Sheffield, England
20 - Damnation Festival - Leeds, UK

Source:	legion1349.com
Band profile:	1349
Event:	1349: UK Tour

The Rock Hard Festival 2008 is set to take place May 9-11, 2008 at the Gelsenkirchen Amphitheatre in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. First bands confirmed on the festival bill are Immortal, Celtic Frost, Enslaved, Moonsorrow, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter and Volbeat.

18 more bands will be announced over the coming months. A 3day ticket will cost ?59.

In the meanwhile, Immortal has posted the following confirmation on their official website:

"After the 7 Dates Of Blashyrkh, and our return to home shores at the Hole In The Sky Festival, we still have 2 remaining dates in Norway this fall before we concentrate on the next studio album. Tickets for both the Notodden and Trondheim shows are available now. We are already preparing for the activities next year, and we can today announce that we will headline next years's edition of the Rock Hard Festival in Germany. The festival takes place May 9-11, 2008 in the Gelsenkirchen Amphitheatre. This will be the first opportunity to see the band live in Germany in 2008."

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Source:	immortalofficial.com
Event:	Rock Hard Festival

The German melodic metallers of Edguy have posted the following statement in their official site:

"Due to big technical problems Edguy had to cancel the show in Hartford . Most of the technical devices and instruments were not delivered as agreed on prior to the tour. Edguy apologizes for this and are working to fix all problems so they can play the tour as planned. Edguy is not responsible for this, as there was no chance to even do a 30% show.

The Rocket Ride world tour is going on. On September 12th Edguy will start their North American coast-to-coast tour in W. Springfield, Virginia. Check the tour dates to make sure you you won't miss the guys during their 20 shows in the USA and Canada. Furthermore Edguy will return to Brazil for one show, the Greenpeace Manifesto Festival at Via Funchal on the 11th of November. In Europe, Edguy have just been confirmed to co-headline the Bulgarian issue of the Nuclear Blast festial at the "Winter Palace of Sports" on November 3rd. Last but not least Edguy will be special guest to play a 45 minutes mini-set during the Nuclear Blast festival in Stuttgart on October 27th at the Schleyerhalle in Stuttgart."

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Source:	edguy.net
Band profile:	Edguy
Event:	Edguy - Rocket Ride World Tour

California-based progressive/extreme music outfit Intronaut have posted a new song, entitled "The Challenger", at this location.

The track is the title cut of the band's upcoming album, due on October 30 via Translation Loss Records. The CD will consist of three new tracks, a handful of live tracks and a remix, with a running time of over 40 minutes.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Intronaut

The Gathering will issue the "A Noise Severe" 2-DVD and 2-CD sets on October 31. Both releases contain recordings of the group's March 24, 2007 performance at the 4,000-capacity theatre Teatro Caupolicán in Santiago, Chile. You can listen to the samples here.

You can also find two full songs and a video extract on the band's MySpace page, here.

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Source:	gathering.nl
Band profile:	The Gathering

The first dates have been announced for Danzig's East Coast mini-tour. Support at the shows will come from Misfits/Kryst The Conqueror guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein's new band Gorgeous Frankenstein and Boston's Doomriders. The details are as follows:

Oct. 23 - Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live
Oct. 24 - Philadephia, PA @ Electric Factory
Oct. 25 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
Oct. 27 - New York, NY @ Nokia Theatre

UPDATED on 26.09.07, thanks to Master_o_Puppets:

Danzig have announced more tour dates. Follows are the confirmed Danzig east and west coast dates. Other than these shows, Danzig has no plans to do any touring in the foreseeable future.

10/23 - Rams Head Live, Baltimore, MD
10/24 - Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
10/25 - Palladium, Worcester, MA
10/27 - Nokia Theatre, New York, NY
10/30 - House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
10/31 - Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
11/01 - The Grove, Anaheim, CA
11/02 - Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA

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Source:	danzig-verotik.com
Band profile:	Danzig
Event:	Danzig: Mini Tour

Danish extreme metallers Illdisposed have issued the following update:

"We are no longer part of the Roadrunner family. Roadrunner didn't pick their third option with us ? and honestly that was what we hoped for. We had a great time with Roadrunner, but it was a big problem to us that they refused to release our albums in the U.S. and other important territories. Their company structure and way of working doesn't fit a death metal band; we're not mainstream enough for that. But they did open a lot of doors for us and we're grateful for that.

"Anyway, we've spent the last months negotiating with other labels and we will present our new label within the next few weeks. I can tell that this time we will be priority and that the new album will be out everywhere."

Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Illdisposed

According to their official website, the Swedish band is looking for a new bass player. And you can be the new Evergrey bass player by sending your bio, pic and samples (either video or mp3) of your playing to tom@evergrey.net

Applicants should be either living in Sweden or be able to move there.

Click here for further details.

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Source:	evergrey.net
Band profile:	Evergrey

Danish symphonic black metallers Illnath have posted two more audio samples from their forthcoming third album, entitled "Three Nights In The Sewers Of Sodom" on their official MySpace page. As well as that, they've uploaded a set of images from their performance at Hellraiser Open Air festival last May. All of it can be accessed here - www.myspace.com/illnathofficial

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Source:	illnath.dk
Band profile:	Illnath