TRISTANIA's male vocalist Østen Bergøy has issued the following update:

"I am happy to inform you that: The 6th of August at 2 a.m. , my girlfriend Silje gave birth to our twins. A boy and a girl.

"We are all well and right now we are recovering and trying to adjust to the new situation.

"My children are remarkably good-looking (they got their looks from their mom, of course). They also handle extreme vocals very well. I would not be surprised if they were to be singing in TRISTANIA one day. With other instruments, it is a bit early to say. Though I am optimistic."

Danish melodic black metallers ILLNATH have parted ways with drummer Danni Lyse Jelsgaard. The band states, "We wish him all the possible luck with his other band SVARTSOT and all other musical projects or bands he joins. He is a lovely chap and an amazing drummer, and we do part as the best possible friends."

The group adds, "We would all personally apologize to those fans and friends who are waiting for shows that now will be cancelled. We know you have been through this before, and We're truly sorry. The remaining members of the band are dedicated to the ILLNATH soul that lives on and we will never give up!

"So, we are once again back to looking for a drummer. If you or anyone you know are interested in playing for ILLNATH, please send a message or email to email@illnath.dk for arranging an audition. And we will be back!! OH, WE WILL BE BACK!!!"

WATCH ME BLEED, the German band featuring MYSTIC PROPHECY guitar player Markus Pohl and SYMPHORCE drummer Steffen Theurer, will release its debut album, "Souldrinker", on October 23 via Silverwolf Productions. A teaser for the CD can be viewed below.

"Souldrinker" was mixed by Christian "Moschus" Moos (DELAIN, C-187, EVERON) at Spacelab studios and was mastered by Eroc (SODOM, DELAIN) at the Mastering Ranch. It contains eleven songs with guest appearances by Andy B. Franck (BRAINSTORM), Nemesis (EIGENSINN) and Greek guitar wizard Constantine (MYSTIC PROPHECY, THE DESCENDING). According to Markus Pohl, the band "is extremely satisfied with the whole album, the sound and the songs." The end result is "pure metal, aggressive, in your face and heavy. Moschus and Eroc did a great job."

The song "The Butcher Strikes Back" from the forthcoming double live album from German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION, "The Curse Of The Antichrist - Live In Agony", is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

"The Curse Of The Antichrist - Live In Agony" is scheduled for release on September 25 via AFM Records.

The limited digipack edition of the album will feature the following track listing:

01. The Butcher Strikes Back
02. Curse The Gods
03. Mad Butcher
04. The Alliance Of Hellhoundz
05. D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.
06. Eternal Ban
07. Urge The Greed Of Gain
08. Thrash Till Death
09. Metal Discharge
10. The Damned
11. Cracked Brain
12. Soulcollector
13. Death Trap
14. Unconscious Ruins
15. Life Without Sense
16. The 7 Deadly Sins
17. The Antichrist
18. Thrash Till Death
19. Reject Emotions (three drumkits Wacken Inferno version)
20. Total Desaster
21. Bestial Invasion

DESTRUCTION recently completed the "D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. - 25 Years Of Total Destruction" North American trek with KRISIUN and MANTIC RITUAL.

Italian death metallers HOUR OF PENANCE will enter 16th Cellar studio in Rome on August 27 with engineer Stefano Morabito to begin recording their as-yet-untitled fourth album.

Commented guitarist Giulio Moschini: "After less than a year of songwriting, we're finally ready to hit the studio and record the new album. We're very satisfied with the results of the songwriting sessions; everything went smooth and all the songs came out in a spontaneous way. We have enough material to record almost two albums but as we did with the previous album, 'The Vile Conception', only the best 10 songs will appear on the new opus. This time we will work with Stefano Morabito to get a more 'live' approach and a more natural sound to the new album which will embrace a lot of new and different features from the past releases. I'm sure our loyal fans will not be disappointed when they hear the final result!"

HOUR OF PENANCE's current lineup:

Giulio Moschini - Guitar
Enrico Schettino - Guitar
Mauro Mercurio - Drums
Silvano Leone - Bass
Francesco Paoli - Vocals

HOUR OF PENANCE's latest album, "The Vile Conception", was released on February 23, 2008 via Unique Leader Records. The CD was recorded at 16th Cellar Studio in Rome with producer Stefano Saul Morabito and contains 10 songs of "insanely fast and twisted death metal," according to a press release. Artwork was handled by Pär Olofsson.

Finnish metallers SAATTUE have had the release date of their second album, "Vuoroveri", pushed back to October 21 from the previously announced September 9 (via Spikefarm Records). The CD will include "eight works of heavy, dark and multi-dimensional saatto metal," according to a press release.

"Vuoroveri" was recorded at D-Studio in Klaukkala, Finland with producer Jarno Hänninen and was mastered at Finnvox Studio by Mika Jussila.

"Vuoroveri" track listing:

01. Vapahtaja (Saviour)
02. Luopio (Apostate)
03. Evoluution Kruunu (The Crown Of Evolution)
04. Itsensä Herra (His Own Master)
05. Synnistä Syntynyt (Born Out Of Sin)
06. Taakka (A Burden)
07. Verenperimä (Heritage Of Blood)
08. Häpeän Linnut (Birds Of Shame)

The album features special guest appearances by Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM), Pasi "Ruoja" Koskinen (AJATTARA) and Ines Lukkanen (EMBASSY OF SILENCE).

SAATTUE writes its lyrics in Finnish and calls its music "saatto metal."

"Saatto," as well as "saattue," means "procession" in Finnish.

After the final stop I started missing the metal scene and it’s music and decided I wanted to come back ASAP with a new metalband. To accomplish this I want to work with other songwriters to first write and record an album. A live band will be formed after that to get me back on stage where I long to be so much!

When Waldemar Sorychta (Grip Inc, Enemies Of The Sun, ao) contacted me; the first composer was found. As a fan of Grip Inc the idea of working together was a big honor and a first step in creating a sound! The combination of Waldemar’s unique style and experience as songwriter/producer made my dream come closer to reality. I also asked my After Forever colleague Joost van den Broek for his great synth sounds and arrangements. Despite his busy schedule he wanted to come on board immediately with great enthusiasm and the songwriting team was complete!

The sound will become a unique blend of the personal style we know these musicians from, but not yet together in one album which is to become heavy and very metal!

The songwriting has just begun! Who will join this team in the future is not known yet nor which label will release the album. All we can say for now; next year there will be new band and a new album!

I will keep updating you and I promise to give you a preview as soon as possible!!!

"Smash The Control Machine", the new video from California's OTEP, can be viewed below. The song is the title track of the band's new album, which is scheduled for release on August 18 via Victory Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Rise, Rebel, Resist
02. Sweet Tooth
03. Smash The Control Machine
04. Head
05. Numb And Dumb
06. Oh, So Surreal
07. Run For Cover
08. Kisses & Kerosene
09. Unveiled
10. UR A WMN NOW
11. Serv Asat
12. Where The River Ends
13. I Remember

The "Smash The Control Machine" deluxe CD/DVD package includes:

* DVD includes interviews, poetry readings and more
*CD/DVD deluxe edition includes: holographic cover, digipack, 52-page booklet with lyrics, poems and illustrations from Otep Shamaya

A new ILLDISPOSED song entitled "For The Record" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The track comes off the Danish extreme metallers' new album, "To Those Who Walk Behind Us", which will be released on August 28 via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded at AB Studio in Aarhus, Denmark and was mixed at Fredman Studio in Sweden with Fredrik Nordström. 11 tracks will appear on the new ILLDISPOSED LP (out of a total of 16 that were completed during the songwriting sessions), which will be available as a jewel case CD, limited digipack with bonus material and strictly limited box set with exclusive t-shirt. The group says, "We guarantee you won't be disappointed!"

"To Those Who Walk Behind Us" track listing:

01. Blood On Your Parade
02. For The Record
03. Just Come And Get Me
04. Seeking Truth - Telling Lies
05. Sale At The Misery Factory
06. To Those Who Walk Behind Me
07. If All The World...
08. My Number Is Expired
09. Johnny
10. This Unscheduled Moment
11. Nu Gik Det Lige Så Godt

The limited digipack edition will include two bonus tracks.

The cover artwork for "To Those Who Walk Behind Us", which was created by by René Asmussen (EVERGREY), can be viewed here.

German melodic metallers BRAINSTORM have set "Memorial Roots" as the title of their new album, due in October via the band's new label, AFM Records. 15 songs were recorded for the CD, which is currently being mixed at the Gate Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany under the watchful eye of Sascha Paeth and Miro as producers. So far only one new songtitle has been revealed — "Forsake What I Believed", which frontman Andy B. Franck callas "a headcrusher."

BRAINSTORM's latest album, "Downburst", registered the following first-week chart positions: Hungary: #15; Germany: #53; Switzerland: #96.

Metal Blade in June 2007 released the first-ever BRAINSTORM DVD, "Honey from the B's (Beasting around the Bush)". The box set was released in digipack format "with special metal effect." The disc entered the Hungarian Music DVD chart at position No. 18.

Finnish metallers THUNDERSTONE will release their fifth studio album, "Dirt Metal", on September 9 via Sony Music Finland. A video for the CD's first single, "I Almighty", was recently filmed and is expected to make its online debut later this summer.

"Dirt Metal" track listing:

01. Rebirth
02. I Almighty
03. Dirt Metal
04. Star
05. Ghosts Of Youth
06. Counting Hours
07. Dodge The Bullet
08. Deadlights
09. At The Feet Of Fools
10. Suffering Songs

The cover artwork for "Wage Of Disgrace", the new album from the Austrian, Tirol-based melodic death/dark metal band LOST DREAMS, can be viewed here. The CD is currently being mixed and mastered at the Rape of Harmonies studio in Triptis, Germany for a late 2009 release. According to guitarist Andreas Maierhofer, "Wage Of Disgrace" is "faster and more aggressive than the previous albums, and will feature a modern mixture of melody, groove and high-speed songs, peppered with deep growls, aggressive screams and catchy vocal lines of our new singer Stefan 'Schleifi' Traunig."

"Wage Of Disgrace" track listing:

01. Fear Me
02. Aimless
03. Blood Money
04. Wage Of Disgrace
05. Lies
06. Silent Death
07. Not Immortal
08. Never Ending War
09. Death Machines
10. No Demmand For Honesty

LOST DREAMS' third album, "End of Time", was released in Europe in February 2008 via Reartone Music/Twilight Distribution. The CD was recorded between September 2006 and January 2007 at the group's own SMT studio and was mixed at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden with Fredrik Nordström. Mastering duties were handled by Peter in de Betou at Tailor Maid Production in Stockholm.

Video footage of Swedish melancholic metallers IN MOURNING playing a new song, "Debris", live in their rehearsal room can be viewed here. The track will appear on the band's forthcoming second album, which IN MOURNING will begin recording on August 22 at Black Lounge Studio (SCAR SYMMETRY, CARNAL FORGE, STEEL ATTACK, etc) on August 22, with producer/engineer Jonas Kjellgren. An early 2010 release via Pulverised Records is expected.

IN MOURNING's 2008 debut album, "Shrouded Divine", gained a massive amount of attention and also very positive responses worldwide with the band's brand of heart-wrenching melodic passages entwined with progressive elements but yet still retaining all the brutality of death metal aggression.

IN MOURNING is:

Tobias Netzell - Vocals, Guitar
Pierre Stam - Bass
Björn Pettersson - Guitar
Tim Nedergård - Guitar
Christian Netzell - Drums

According to a posting on producer Ross Robinson's Twitter profile, KORN has finished laying down drums for two new songs with Robinson at the helm.

KORN singer Jonathan Davis recently told The Pulse of Radio that the group intends to get back to the sound of its early CDs on the forthcoming album. "It's gonna be very raw, it's gonna be old school like the first KORN records," he said. "Basically, it's gonna be recorded as a four-piece band, with just Munky on guitars and Fieldy [bass] and Ray [Luzier; drums] and me. We really want to go back to that old-school vibe. It was just really intense and emotional and, you know, I have a lot of built-up aggression toward certain things that I need to get out for this record."

German metal veterans RAGE will enter Twilight Hall Studios (where the band's "Unity" CD was previously tracked) in Grefrath, Germany on August 20 to begin recording their new album for a tentative February 2010 release via Nuclear Blast Records. Charlie Bauerfeind (HAMMERFALL, HELLOWEEN) will once again produce the CD, which "will contain progressive [elements] and an orchestrated song," according to a press release. RAGE guitarist Victor Smolski recently spent time in Minsk, Belarus recording the orchestral parts for the album with the Lingua Mortis Orchestra.

RAGE's "Gib Dich Nie Auf" EP was released on January 16 as part of a box set including the band's latest album, "Carved In Stone". The EP is also available separately via Nuclear Blast mailorder.

"Carved in Stone" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 24 back in March 2008.

U.K. doom legends MY DYING BRIDE have been busy at Futureworks studio in Manchester recording material for a new EP. Entitled "Bring Me Victory", the effort will include two covers — "Scarborough Fair" and THE SWANS' "Failure". A new video has been completed as well to support the release. The band states, "An October release date has been penciled in, but this may be put back a little depending on how the last days of recording go."

MY DYING BRIDE recently parted ways with violinist/keyboardist Katie Stone and replaced her with Shaun Macgowan.

The band's latest album, "For Lies I Sire", was released on March 23 via Peaceville Records. The follow-up to 2006's "A Line of Deathless Kings" was recorded with longtime producer Mags.

Acclaimed drummers Eric Singer (KISS, ALICE COOPER, BLACK SABBATH) and Alex Holzwarth (RHAPSODY OF FIRE, ANGRA, SIEGES EVEN) will both appear on the forthcoming album from EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA project.

Commented Tobias: "Eric has played on many tracks [for the upcoming AVANTASIA CD], but we have composed some more. Problem was that now he is busy with KISS, they do a new album and they are on tour, and I couldn't talk him into quitting KISS and getting his priorities straight. [Laughs]"

He added, "Alex has been a longtime friend and he's a superb drummer, very different style.

"Eric is your Cozy Powell kind of thunderous rock drummer, Alex's drum work is more nimble and as the remaining songs were quite fast, Alex is a great choice. Both drummers are awesome musicians and great guys. And both are members of my extended family.

"Depending on the amount of coming material there may be a third drummer on the album; who knows? We got a lot of songs and as long as they are great, we will keep producing. People should expect a 10-disc collection in 2017. [Laughs]"

Regarding the new AVANTASIA album's musical direction, Sammet recently stated, "We've got quite many songs, and it ranges from epic ballads to metal opera. From pop to hard rock to folk to speed metal. My best friend, who co-wrote the story of 'The Metal Opera' back then, just listened to some of the tracks and he said that it will blow people away and enchant AVANTASIA fans and it will surely piss people off . . . It's just enchanting music. And these days honest and good music is kind of offending to some, that's pretty sick, isn't it? But as long as I get goose bumps hearing majestic music, I do not really care if I am fashionable or not."

The latest album from AVANTASIA, "The Scarecrow", was one of the 20 best-selling albums in whole Europe during the fourth week of January 2008, according to a press release.

"The Scarecrow" was released on January 25, 2008 as a standard CD as well as rare picture (double) vinyl.

Reunited Oakland, California thrashers DEFIANCE have issued the following update:

"With our first show since 1994 just a couple of days away, we wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know about some pretty major changes in the lineup of the band.

"With our new album, 'The Prophecy', completed and released on Candlelight Records, both Mark [Hernandez, drums] and Steev [Esquivel, vocals] have moved on to concentrate on their primary bands, FORBIDDEN and SKINLAB, respectively. We want to publicly thank them both for putting in all the hard work and time to help us finish the album we dedicated together in the memory of our dear friend and guitarist Doug Harrington. We wish both of them continued success in whatever lies ahead for them.

"We are very excited to announce the new lineup of DEFIANCE for 2010 and beyond. Taking on Doug and Glen's parts on guitar, we welcome Shawn Bozarth on guitar! Taking over the singing duties, we are stoked to announce the addition of Keven Albert (formerly with KAOS). Now manning the drum throne to play all of Mark and Matt's insane parts, we are very stoked to have Andrew Byrne joining the band!

"We will be playing this Saturday night at Blake's on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley CA. Come on out and check us out if you are in the area."

"The Prophecy" was released on October 19 via Candlelight Records. The first collection of new music from DEFIANCE in over 15 years was recorded at Trident Studios and Greendot Studios in East Bay, California.

HARPTALLICA, the clasically trained harp duo which performs a series of arrangements based on the music of METALLICA, has announced a three-week European tour comprising dates in Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium and United Kingdom

Ashley Toman and Mollie Marcuson (replacing original harpist Patricia Kline) will be showcasing arrangements of METALLICA songs from their album, "Harptallica - A Tribute", as well as previews from a planned follow-up release.

HARPTALLICA hopes to find European audiences as receptive as those they have seen in the course of their three stateside tours over the last two years. The girls aim both to introduce audiences to new and original combinations of musical styles and to, of course, give tribute to a band they were individually introduced to as a "musical giant": METALLICA.

HARPTALLICA has had performances featured on WGN-TV and various Fox network stations across the country, and has been hailed as both the "pacifiers of hardened rock enthusiasts" and the "harbingers of metal to the classical community."

Toman conceived the idea for HARPTALLICA in 2006. She was inspired by her husband, Ben Toman, fellow musician-turned-tour-manager/roadie and a big METALLICA fan.

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper tells Gary Graff of Billboard.com that he plans on filming and recording his just-launched Theatre of Death North American tour at some point before it winds down in December, though he also plans on taking the same show out again in 2010. He also isn't ruling out a future show based on his 2008 album "Along Came a Spider", although he's already started work on his next album, too.

"I've got three or four songs written for it," says Cooper, who says it involves "a new character, a new direction and probably a surprising producer on this one." He plans to hit the studio in early 2010 and finish the album before he heads back out on the road. Cooper also has a part in the upcoming vampire comedy "Suck".