MIDNATTSOL — the German-Norwegian band featuring vocalist Carmen Elise Espenaes (the younger sister of LEAVES' EYES singer Liv Kristine) — has issued the following update:

"It is a great pleasure for us to announce that we have finally found a new guitarist for MIDNATTSOL. We have been having a good feeling about it for a while now, but latest after our gig on the Summer Breeze festival [on August 15 in Dinkelsbühl, Germany], it was clear:

"We welcome Fabian Pospiech in the MIDNATTSOL family!!

"We are sure that Fabian is the right new guitarist for MIDNATTSOL. He certainly gives the band a lot through his amazing musical skills and his cheerful personality.

"Thanks a lot to everyone who applied for this position. We got so impressed by the fact that guitarists from the whole world were sending us their applications! We are very sorry if we haven't got the chance to thank each of you individually, so on this place: Thank you all so much for your application and your interest in MIDNATTSOL, it means a lot to us!"

MIDNATTSOL founding guitarist Christian Hector left the band in May to concentrate on his personal life and his doom metal act AHAB.

MIDNATTSOL's second album, "Nordlys" (translated: Northern Light), was released in March via Napalm Records. The CD was mixed by Tue Madsen and was mastered at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland with Mika Jusilla.

MIDNATTSOL's debut album, "Where Twilight Dwells", was released in 2005 via Napalm Records.

Former VADER bassist Marcin "Novy" Nowak has issued the following update:

"As most of you already know, I have finished my cooperation with VADER immediately after the European tour. I'm very sorry that this has had to happened after five years of my commitment. The decision that I have made was caused by the recent decisions being made within the band for some time now. I have not rushed with making my decision either.

"At this point, I would like to thank very much all my fans as well as all fans of VADER for all the support, respect and understanding for my decision. Thank you all for all the support and I ask for even more, as my music career is not finished...it actually started all over again. That's why at this point I'm telling you all: See you all live in the near future.... As always, you can expect me to go all out for you. Where and how...I will post soon!!"

Novy has more than 15 years of playing experience as a member of such bands as VADER, BEHEMOTH and DEVILYN as well as multiple projects like DIES IRAE, SPINAL CORD, CRUCIFIED MORTALS, CONDEMNATION and more.

For more information, visit www.novy-bass.com.

"Forgiven", the new video from the Dutch female-fronted goth rock band WITHIN TEMPTATION, can be viewed here.

WITHIN TEMPTATION has just released the "Forgiven" single. The track listing is as follows:

01. Forgiven (Single version)
02. Forgiven (Album version)
03. The Howling (Live in Eindhoven Nov. 2007)
04. Hand Of Sorrow (Live in Eindhoven Nov. 2007)
05. The Heart Of Everything (Live in Eindhoven Nov. 2007)

Check out the cover artwork here.

WITHIN TEMPTATION will release a brand new double-DVD, titled "Black Symphony", on September 22. It will also be available as a double-CD and a special Blu-Ray disc.

The band's most ambitious staging to date, Black Symphony was a unique concert at Rotterdam's Ahoy Arena on February 7, 2008. Sold out months in advance, the show featured WITHIN TEMPTATION performing to 10,000 fans with the 60-piece Metropole Orchestra and a 20-voice classical choir, as well as on-stage stilt performers, costume changes, and an array of stunning pyrotechnic and lighting effects. The colossal production extended to Europe's largest video screen (a massive 400 sqm), reaching across the entire width of the stage, and 14 full HD cameras. Special guests on the night included Keith Caputo (LIFE OF AGONY), Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-THE GATHERING), and George Oosthoek (ORPHANAGE).

In addition to the Rotterdam concert, a plethora of bonus content and extensive behind the scenes footage will be included. Although full details will be made available at a later date, it is likely to feature the band's 2007 year-end show at the Beursgebouw in Eindhoven, of which one highlight was an exclusive acoustic set.

The video for METALLICA's new single, "The Day That Never Comes", can be viewed here. The clip was shot at the end of July in Acton, California (about an hour's drive north of Los Angeles).

METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield told MTV.com that the video isn't making any lofty political statements about the war in Iraq. Instead, it's a statement on humanity, helmed by acclaimed Danish director Thomas Vinterberg, who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking. Hetfield said that when he was writing the song's lyrics, he never envisioned the video would look anything like this.

"That's the beauty, I think, of writing vague but powerful lyrics — that someone like a movie director can interpret it in his own way and obviously, someone creative is able to take the metaphors and apply them to whatever he needs in his own life," the frontman explained to MTV.com. "The main [theme of the video] is the human element of forgiveness and someone doing you wrong, you feeling resentment and you being able to see through that in the next situation that might be similar and not take your rage or resentment out on the next person and basically keep spreading the disease of that through life."

He added, "The one thing that I wasn't keen on here was Metallica plugging into a modern war or a current event [that] might be construed as some sort of political statement on our part. There are so many celebrities that soapbox their opinions, and people believe it's more valid because they're popular. For us, people are people — you should all have your own opinion. We are hopefully putting the human element in what is an unfortunate part of life. There are people over there dealing with situations like this, and we're showing the human part of being there.

"It's the forgiveness part — that is key," he continued. "METALLICA has never plugged into any current event visually, but this one is kind of a hotbed. People have very high opinions about this war, and we're trying to cut through all of that. The politics and the religion tend to separate people, and what we're trying to do is bring it together with the common thread of resentment and forgiveness."

METALLICA's new album, "Death Magnetic", is scheduled for release on September 12.

Legendary Swedish guitarist YNGWIE MALMSTEEN will release his latest studio album, "Perpetual Flame", on October 14, 2008. The CD will be the first-ever Yngwie effort to be released via Rising Force Records (distributed via Koch) and it will mark the debut of Malmsteen's new singer, ex-JUDAS PRIEST/ICED EARTH frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens.

Featuring twelve tracks of "pure six-string metallic bliss" (which stretches to almost 70 minutes total), the album was produced and engineered by Yngwie himself, and mixed by Roy Z (who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST and BRUCE DICKINSON, among others). Joining Yngwie and Ripper on the album are keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Patrick Johansson (Yngwie contributed bass, additional keyboards, and vocals, as well), but on tour, Michael Troy will supply keyboards, and Bjorn Englen will be laying down the bass. A supporting tour of the U.S. and Canada is slated to run through all of October.

In addition to the arrival of "Perpetual Flame" in October, another career highlight is slated for that same month — Yngwie will be inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk on Monday, October 13 in Los Angeles. A new Fender/Yngwie Malmsteen custom shop guitar will also be unveiled on November 28 (with a limited run of 100 instruments) and there will be a slew of CD reissues of Yngwie classics to soon be announced.

"Perpetual Flame" track listing:

01. Death Dealer
02. Damnation Game
03. Live to Fight (Another Day)
04. Red Devil
05. Four Horsemen (Of the Apocalypse)
06. Priest of the Unholy
07. Be Careful What You Wish For
08. Caprici Di Diablo
09. Lament
10. Magic City
11. Eleventh Hour
12. Heavy Heart

Norwegian black metal band SATYRICON will release its new album, "The Age Of Nero", on November 3 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded in part at Sound City studios in Van Nuys, California, where METALLICA recently recorded its forthcoming LP.

"The Age Of Nero" (cover) track listing:

01. Commando
02. The Wolfpack
03. Black Crow On A Tombstone
04. Die By My Hand
05. My Skin Is Cold (album version)
06. The Sign Of The Trident
07. Last Man Standing
08. Den Siste

When asked about the involvement of producer Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) in SATYRICON's new CD, the group's vocalist Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven recently told Norway's VG newspaper, "Joe has been a technician on practically the whole project. There might have been some misunderstandings in the Norwegian media about his role — it is me who is the producer; Joe's role is to know which buttons to push to create the sound that I want."

Speaking about the first time he played the new album for Roadrunner, Satyr said, "I had nothing to say to them. I just played the album loud, and thought that if they they don't like it, it's their problem. I am so sure about what we have done this time that I don't think about changing a single thing. The door is closed, and we are so much on the right path, that we are not turning eother left or right on this. But they thought it was really good."

A European headlining tour will follow beginning on November 12 in Stavanger, Norway and ending in Hamburg, Germany on December 20. Opening all shows will be up-and-coming UK thrashers EVILE.

SATYRICON will support CRADLE OF FILTH on a North American tour in January/February.

As previously reported, SATYRICON has recruited two new members for its live shows. The rhythm guitar is now handled by French axeman Gildas Le Pape, who has been playing black and thrash metal, as well as jazz, for quite a few years. The band's new touring bassist is Victor Brandt (Sweden) from the death metal band DOMINION and TOTALT JÄVLA MÖRKER. Victor Brandt can also be heard on the new SATYRICON EP "My Skin Is Cold".

A previously unreleased SATYRICON song, "My Skin Is Cold", is included on the band's new EP of the same name, which was issued on June 2 in most of Europe.

"My Skin Is Cold" was released as a seven-inch gatefold vinyl single including a five-track CD. This is the only physical version of the EP and the packaging is said to be "truly one of a kind!"

The EP was relased via Roadrunner Records worldwide, except in Norway, where it came out through SATYRICON's new partner, Indie Recordings.

Reunited progressive metallers CYNIC — whose 1993 album "Focus" is regarded as a landmark release in the field of technical/progressive metal — will release their new album, "Traced In Air" on October 28 via Season of Mist Records (one day earlier internationally). Returning from the "Focus" era for the new eight-song, 35-minute effort are are founding members Paul Masvidal (guitars/clean vocals) and Sean Reinert (drums) along with Sean Malone (bass), and joining the band in the studio is newcomer Tymon Kruidenier (guitars/growls). The band recorded the effort at a California studio with producer Warren Riker (DOWN, SANTANA).

Commented Masvidal: "We're thrilled to share the new CYNIC alien seedling with the world. I trust that this magical plant will be watered well and tended to. The roots are intact, now the branches get to soar high into the sky and provide shade for those of us stressed about current weather conditions. We've all been on this journey together. It's time we tell a new story. One of my favorite thinkers Ralph Waldo Emerson said: 'We live amid surfaces, and the true art is to skate well on them'. Well it's time, we let the dance begin!"

The cover artwork for "Demonic Art", the new album from Swedish thrashers DARKANE, can be viewed below. Due in Europe on October 24 via via Nuclear Blast Records, the will be available in limited digipack format with exclusive bonus material.

According to the band, "12 songs ended up on the final version, with about 48 minutes of pure aggressive, brutal, melodic, modern, technical, furious, fast, heavy and insane thrash metal! We are very proud of this album and we know for sure that if you liked what we've done before you won't be disappointed in any way this time either. DARKANE has developed in a way that hopefully will give us new fans as well, not meaning that we've turned softer or more mainstream... just better! ...and more humble."

"Demonic Art" track listing:

01. Variations of an Eye Crush (instrumental)
02. Leaving Existence
03. Demonic Art
04. Absolution
05. Execution 44
06. Impetious Constant Chaos
07. Demigod
08. Soul Survivor
09. The Killing of I
10. Wrong Grave (instrumental)
11. Still in Progress
12. Wrath Connection
13. Reborn in Greed (Japanese bonus track)

DARKANE played its first show with new singer Jens Broman (CONSTRUCDEAD, THE DEFACED) in November 2007 at the ProgPower Scandinavia festival in Copenhagen, Denmark. According to Christofer Malmström, "Jens enjoyed every second of the show, and so did the rest of us. Our former vocalist Andreas was in the audience to support us, and he was very postive afterwards... along with the rest of the crowd."

André Matos (ex-ANGRA, SHAAMAN) has posted a 22-minute video history of his music career. Watch it here.

Matos recently inked a deal with SPV for the European release of his solo debut, "Time to be Free". The CD — which came out in Japan on August 22, 2007 via Avalon/Marquee Inc. — was produced by Roy Z (BRUCE DICKINSON, HALFORD, JUDAS PRIEST) and Sascha Paeth (KAMELOT, EDGUY, RHAPSODY, FREEDOM CALL) between November 2006 and February 2007 at Ultra Sonica and Brainless Brothers Studios in São Paulo, Brazil and at Gate Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany.

SHAAMAN (formerly SHAMAN) — the Brazilian band featuring former ANGRA members Matos, Luis Mariutti (bass) and Ricardo Confessori (drums) — officially called it quits in October 2006. The break-up, which was long rumored, was attributed to personal and musical differences. The group has since reformed under the SHAMAN moniker, featuring drummer Ricardo Confessori alongside guitarist Leo Mancini, vocalist Thiago Bianchi and bassist Fernando Quesada.

Polish portal Interia.pl reports that drummer Dariusz "Daray" Brzozowski and guitarist Maurycy "Mauser" Stefanowicz have left the veteran Polish death metal band VADER. According to the Meinl Cymbals web site, Daray will join the Norwegian black metal group DIMMU BORGIR while Mauser will reportedly concentrate on his UNSUN project, which will release its debut album, "The End Of Life", on September 22 via Century Media Records. Their rumored replacements in VADER are former LOST SOUL drummer Adam Sierzega and either Jacek Hiro from SCEPTIC or Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka from DECAPITATED on guitar.

Daray and Mauser will apparently play their final concert with VADER tonight (Saturday, August 30) as part of the band's 25-year anniversary show at Stodola Club in Warsaw, Poland. The gig, which is officially sold out, will also feature performances from GRAVE, ROTTING CHRIST, DISMEMBER, GOREFEST, MARDUK, NILE, ENTOMBED and SAMAEL. VADER will play a two-hour-plus set, featuring songs from old demo tapes as well as the more popular tracks from the group's recent studio albums. The show will be filmed for an anniversary DVD, tentivately titled "XXV" (to be released in 2009).

As previously reported, VADER has teamed up with Hertz Polska for the production and promotion a new energy drink called "Vader". The band's anniversary gig will be the first opportunity for the fans to enjoy the unique taste of this new drink.

Hertz Polska is going to extend its co-operation with VADER to promote this energy drink on the Polish market. More details will follow soon.

"Facing Reality", the new video from the Swedish melodic death metal band WITHIN Y, can be viewed here. The clip was shot on July 2, 2008 at Sticky Fingers in Gothenburg, Sweden.

"Facing Reality" comes off WITHIN Y's third album, "The Cult", which entered the Swedish national chart at position No. 24. The CD artwork was created by Niklas Sundin of DARK TRANQUILLITY and Cabin Fever Media.

WITHIN Y in April 2007 recruited Erik Hagström as the replacement for Thim Blom (ex-GARDENIAN).

Blom left the group in December 2006, claiming that "pain in [his wrists]" made it impossible for him to "perform at the top of [his] abillity and to do what it takes to play at this level."

WITHIN Y's sophomore album, "Portraying Dead Dreams", was released in Sweden in the spring of 2006 via Gain.

After 14 days of "recording madness," German power metallers GRAVE DIGGER have finished tracking their new album, "Ballads Of A Hangman", for a January 9, 2009 release via Austria's Napalm Records. An as-yet-untitled mini-CD will precede the album on November 28, 2008. The group promises that the new recordings will contain "120% metal."

GRAVE DIGGER frontman Chris Boltendahl previously stated about the band's decision to sign with Napalm, "We have observed the excellent work of the label in the past few years. Napalm did see the writings on the wall and is one of the leading companies, for example, in online promotion and marketing. They elevated older bands like ATROCITY to new heights and established newcomers like ALESTORM. Thus, we are convinced that Napalm will bring out the best in us, and in return we will deliver a masterpiece of German true metal. A storm is coming, the sea is rough, the coxswains are the veterans, only the ship is new and manned by an excellent crew who know their craft."

The band will hit the road again in January 2009, with ALESTORM as direct support.

GRAVE DIGGER's latest album, "Liberty or Death", entered the German Media Control chart in January 2007 at position No. 30. This is the second highest chart entry in GRAVE DIGGER's history.

"Liberty or Death" was released in North America on January 30, 2007 via Locomotive Records. An e-card for GRAVE DIGGER's maxi-single "Yesterday", which was released on October 10, 2006, is available at this location.

Universal Music will re-release GUNS N' ROSES' classic debut album "Appetite For Destruction" on vinyl. The LP is due on Tuesday, September 9, 2008 and the cover features the controversial original artwork by Robert Williams.

Go to CD Universe to place your order today and be one of the first to receive this product when it arrives.

Product Description: Already a legend in its own meagre lifetime, this startling debut shrouded itself in controversy, from its original Robert Williams artwork to Axl Rose's unblinking accounts of L.A.'s underbelly. This mawkish storytelling, combined with a brattish collective swagger and a surprisingly mature approach to their songs, guaranteed GUNS N' ROSES a speedy notoriety that was to serve their legend brilliantly. From the laconic "Paradise City" to the achingly beautiful "Sweet Child O' Mine", or the furious "Welcome To The Jungle", the record brims with a brutal integrity. An album they could never surpass even if they had stayed together.

120-gram vinyl LP pressing of their genre-defining debut full-length album, originally released in 1987. The LP cover features the controversial original artwork. **Please note that this vinyl pressing features "For Promotional Use Only" printed on the artwork. 2007

German edition in its original sleeve design.

Recorded at Rumbo Studios, Canoga Park, California; Take One Studio, Burbank, California; Can Am Studio, Tarzana, California.

Liechtenstein-based gothic metallers ELIS have entered Mastersound Studio in Germany with producer Alex Krull (ATROCITY, LEAVES' EYES) to begin recording their new album. The follow-up to 2006's "Griefshire" will mark the band's first full-length recording with new singer Sandra Schleret, who joined ELIS in Decemebr 2006. An early 2009 release via Napalm Records is expected.

ELIS released a single, "Show Me the Way", on November 2, 2007 in Europe and November 6, 2007 in North America via Napalm Records. The single's title cut, which originally appeared on 2006's "Griefshire" album, features lead vocals by Schleret. Also included on the single are several previously unreleased songs from the "Griefshire" recording sessions.

ELIS' previous vocalist, Sabine Dünser, suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on July 7, 2006 during rehearsal and passed away the following day in hospital.

"Griefshire" was released in Europe on November 24, 2006 via Napalm Records (the U.S. received the album on January 16). The recordings for the CD were completed prior to the death of Dünser, who came up with the original concept for the album.

The follow-up to 2004's "Dark Clouds in a Perfect Sky", "Griefshire" was completed at Mastersound Studios in Stuttgart with producer Alexander Krull (ATROCITY, LEAVES' EYES).

Finnish doom metallers SWALLOW THE SUN will release their new EP, "Plague of Butterflies", on September 17 in Finland, September 22 in the UK and September 23 in the U.S. via Spinefarm Records.

A new video interview with singer Mikko Kotamäki and guitarist Juha Raivio regarding the EP can be viewed below.

Commented the band: "'Plague of Butterflies' is a story about an old hermit, deep woods, loneliness and the plague. It's one song in three parts and holds about 35 minutes of crushing gloom, beauty and despair. Music was originally ordered from us for a really interesting and big project, but the project was sadly abandoned. Because of this we are planning to use the music in different context — namely in a short movie - and we are in search for suitable partners to make this happen. We'll give more info on this later as things move on and wheels start to roll."

"Plague of Butterflies" track listing:

01. Losing the Sunsets
02. Plague of Butterflies
03. Evael 10:00

The album also includes the rare "Out of This Gloomy Light" demo. There were only three demos sent out, so this is really rare stuff and holds some of the darkest and coldest moments ever recorded by SWALLOW THE SUN.

"Out of This Gloomy Light" demo track listing:

01. Through Her Silvery Body
02. Out of This Gloomy Light
03. Under the Waves
04. Swallow (Horror Pt. 1)

"Hope", the third album by SWALLOW THE SUN, entered the Finnish national chart at position No. 3 back in February 2007. The follow-up to 2005's "Ghosts of Loss" was recorded at Seawolf Studios in Helsinki and was mastered at Finnvox studios with Minerva Pappi. The LP features a vocal appearance by Jonas Renkse of KATATONIA on the song "The Justice of Suffering".

According to The Breakdown Room, Jason Slater, the producer, engineer and songwriter of QUEENSRŸCHE's 2006 release "Operation: Mindcrime II", has confirmed that he is producing the band's as-yet-untitled next studio album. He also revealed that Kelly Gray (QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist/producer/engineer from 1998 to 2001) is engineering the record. Slater is quoted as saying, "The plan is that we'll [Kelly and Jason] mix it together, but who the fuck knows?! Everything always seems to change at the last second. I'm pretty happy with the way it's shaping up. The focus is on great songs that the band is proud of and the fans will like."

Swedish death metallers NOMINON have issued the following update:

"We are, as you know, preparing for the forthcoming European tour with BENEDICTION and HOLY MOSES. We have discussed a bit back and forth which tracks that we will perform for you guys, and we have finally came up with a setlist that most certainly will kick you in the meat and make your brain boil of terror!

* Release In Death
* Among The Beasts And Ancient Slumber
* Hordes Of Flies
* Malicious Torment
* Black Chapel
* Invocations
* Life Extinct
* Submit To Evil

"These are the main tracks in the set, but we might surprise with some other bites from the abyss every now and then just to make you go even more psychotic."

For a list of upcoming NOMINON shows, go to this location.

Video footage of NOMINON performing the song "Black Chapel" at in Atlanta, Georgia on July 8, 2008 can be viewed below (clip filmed by MassControl Media and uploaded by YouTube user "Stussey").

NOMINON's third album, "Terra Necrosis", was released August 21, 2007 by Ibex Moon/Deathgasm.

Did METALLICA take inspiration from the Swedish industrial goth metal band DEATHSTARS for its new album? According to a posting on the DEATHSTARS' web site, METALLICA used the same font as the DEATHSTARS logo for the title of its new CD, "Death Magnetic", and one of the tracks on "Death Magnetic" is named "Cyanide", which also happens to be the title of the first single from DEATHSTARS' latest album, 2006's "Termination Bliss".

Commented DEATHSTARS vocalist Andreas "Whiplasher Bernadotte" Bergh: "It's just fun. What can I say?!! It's just as big of a coincidence and chance as if you get a hermaphrodite child. What can you do? You just need to smile at the little monster."

Guitarist Emil "Nightmare Industries" Nödtveidt added, "It's interesting to see how a band that made a name for themselves hating Napster and downloading practically downloads ideas from a younger and sexier band, but think positively — maybe METALLICA does something that we can steal later."

In a recent interview with Lucem Fero, Bergh stated about the group's upcoming third album, "Deathglam", "It'll just continue with the deathglam that we play. In terms of this new album's style, I think it's more DEATHSTARS than ever. . . We're digging deeper and deeper into the impression that we began with 'Synthetic Generation', and we're achieving more and more freedom. We're breaking more and more away from metal and things like, which is all we just played before. It makes 'Deathglam' interesting."

SLIPKNOT's fourth album, "All Hope Is Gone", is being streamed in its entirety at Spinner.com. Released today (Tuesday, August 26), the CD is the band's first new studio offering in more than four years, following 2004's "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)". Lead vocalist Corey Taylor has injected a lot of religious, Biblical and numerological references into his lyrics this time, and told The Pulse of Radio he's wanted to tackle these themes for nearly two years. "When it came time to write and put stuff together, I had stuff that I really wanted to say," he said. "Stuff that was just very blatant, but very powerful. And I was able to fit it together with the music, so that was, you know, kind of a lucky thing. It was just time for me to start talking about these concepts, you know. I'd kind of done the thing where I talked about myself, and there's always gonna be moments in songs where I do talk about myself, but it was time to branch out."

The first single and video from "All Hope Is Gone" is called "Psychosocial".

SLIPKNOT's music was also accused last week of influencing a South African teenager who stabbed a classmate to death while wearing a SLIPKNOT-style mask. Corey Taylor told Blender magazine, "I'm disturbed by the fact that people were hurt and someone died. As far as my responsibility for that goes, it stops there, because I know our message is actually very positive."

SLIPKNOT recently completed the first Rockstar Energy Mayhem tour with co-headliners DISTURBED and will return to North American stages in January.

Italian folk metallers ELVENKING have issued the following update:

"The acoustic album is finally ready! Everything is done. It’s been a hell of a ride, for sure the hardest work was to stay in the deadlines but in the end we reached the goal and we’re here. The mix has been done the last days of July in the lands of Germany with Martin Buchwalter at Gernhart studios, and Achim Köhler gave the final touch with the right mastering at Indiscreet Audio.

"In the meantime, also photo sessions and work on the cover and layout have been done…have we told you that the thing has been handled once again by Gyula Havancsák as for 'The Winter Wake' and 'The Scythe' covers? So you know what to expect.

"By the way everything about the acoustic album, from the title to the tracklist, from the cover to the other details, will be revealed on [the band's official web site] the first week of September, so be sure to check this place often. You can expect something unique, that's for sure! We won’t get tired of saying that this album is an experiment for us, a journey in a world that was waiting to be explored. But we'll talk more about this when all details will be announced.

"On the other hand, a good bunch of live dates have been [announced], so check them out. ELVENKING will play gigs in USA, Italy, Austria, Germany, Holland this fall, and we have also announced the first shows for 2009, so we're gonna wait you under the stage banging your heads!"

ELVENKING's latest album, "The Scythe", was released in Europe in September 2007 via AFM Records.

German melodic metal band BRAINSTORM announced on Monday (August 18) that it will stay off the road for the remainder of 2008 in order to concentrate on the songwriting process for the group's next album. The band's vocalist, Andy B. Franck, has since issued the following update:

"Since the latest news, I received tons of e-mails asking me about my health situation. But no, I'm fine! I could walk on walls these days, hahaha. Because of a difficult family situation, Todde's [guitarist Torsten Ihlenfeld] not able to play any live shows for the next months so we decided to spend the time in our rehearsal room, writing new songs for the next album to be released in the fall 2009! But, of course, we we will play many festivals in the spring and summer 2009 to promote the old shit and some new songs as well. So thanx for all the 'best wishes,' but I'm fine."

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

"Tragic Kingdom", a new song from from British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH, has been made available for free download at this location (free registration required). The track comes off the group's new album, "Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder", which will be released on October 28 via Roadrunner Records. The 72-minute effort, which will have a special edition with an extra disc and bonus material, arrives just in time for Halloween, a holiday that fits CRADLE OF FILTH's blackened, ghostly aesthetic.

"Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder" (see artwork below) is conceptual and is based on the well-documented, true-life fall from grace of a shadowy historical figure named Gilles de Rais, a wealthy French nobleman who was one of Joan of Arc's brothers-in-arms. He was best known, however, as a prolific serial killer who mixed prayers with his nightly murders as well as an aspiring alchemist. He was accused of a panoply of crimes, among them heresy, demonology and kidnapping. There's even an extreme fringe sect of historians who question de Rais' true status, with some convinced he was framed.

Regardless of viewpoint, leave it to CRADLE OF FILTH to dissect de Rais' biography, exploring subversive, inflammatory historical subject matter in its lyrics, taking an unjaundiced look at a controversial figure in European history, set to epic black metal music. The band profiled Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory, who attempted to preserve her youth by bathing in the blood of virgins, in the past and now moves forward by framing their latest album around the story of de Rais.

CRADLE OF FILTH's vocalist Dani Filth elaborated on the album's concept, saying, "By far this is our most extreme, dramatic and deeply disturbing album to date. The legend of Gilles de Rais has been given fresh, vampyrical life in this conceptual meisterwerk, swathed in pitch-black magic and a viciousness unsurpassed in the annals of CRADLE history. Screw what our detractors say, everyone who has heard this album has bruised their jaws on the pentagram-bejewelled floor."

"Godspeed On The Devil's Thunder" track listing:

01. In Grandeur And Frankincense Devilment Stirs
02. Shat Out Of Hell
03. The Death Of Love
04. The 13th Caesar
05. Tiffauges
06. Tragic Kingdom
07. Sweetest Maleficia
08. Honey And Sulphur
09. Midnight Shadows Crawl To Darken Counsel With Life
10. Darkness Incarnate
11. Ten Leagues Beneath Contempt
12. Godspeed On The Devil's Thunder
13. Corpseflower

Finnish goth metalelrs THE 69 EYES will release a box set called "Goth'n'Roll" in Finland on Halloween. The box set will contain three CDs and one DVD.

"Goth'N'Roll" documents THE 69 EYES' period from 1998 to 2003 when the band broke into the mainstream success in Finland and spread their Helsinki vampire bat wings over Europe. "Blessed Be" and "Paris Kills" are considered the band's classic gothic rock albums by both fans and critics alike. Both albums are here re-mastered with bonus tracks. The DVD is the same period's "Helsinki Vampires", also re-mastered, featuring a live show recorded at Tavastia, Helsinki in 2002, all the videos, extras and also a never-before-released documentary "Bat Habit" from the same period. The third CD is "Goth'N'Roll Archives" which includes demos and never-before-released material from 1998 to 2003.

The beautiful python skin PVC-wrapped box set is designed by Natas and the liner notes in the illustrated 28-page booklet are written by Natasha Scharf (Metal Hammer, TotalRock). The box set will be released on Gaga Goodies/Poko Rekords/EMI Finland.

"Goth'n'Roll" box set track listing:

CD 1 - Blessed Be:

01. Framed In Blood
02. Gothic Girl
03. The Chair
04. Brandon Lee
05. Velvet Touch
06. Sleeping With Lions
07. Angel On My Shoulder
08. Stolen Season
09. Wages Of Sin
10. Graveland
11. 30

Bonus tracks:

12. Heaven/Hell
13. Brandon Lee (radio mix)

CD 2 - Paris Kills:

01. Crashing High
02. Dance d'Amour
03. Betty Blue
04. Grey
05. Radical
06. Don't Turn Your Back On Fear
07. Stigmata
08. Forever More
09. Still Waters Run Deep
10. Dawn's Highway

Bonus tracks:

11. You're Lost Little Girl
12. Crashing High (remix)

CD 3 - Goth'n'Roll Archives:

01. Gothic Girl (demo 1998)
02. Gothic Girl (demo 2000)
03. Sleeping With Lions (demo)
04. Wages Of Sin (demo)
05. Graveland (demo)
06. 30 (demo)
07. Shoot You Down (demo)
08. From Dusk Till Dawn (demo)
09. Riders On The Storm (radio live)
10. The Chair (club mix 2.0)
11. You're Lost Little Girl (demo)
12. Forever More (demo)
13. Don't Turn Your Back On Fear (radio live)
14. Grey (radio live)
15. Betty Blue (radio live)
16. Stigmata (Gothic mix)
17. Stigmata (Demonic mix)
18. Stigmata (Prophecy mix)

DVD - Helsinki Vampires:

Live At Tavastia 2002:

01. Crashing High
02. Angel On My Shoulder
03. Forever More
04. Gothic Girl
05. Velvet Touch
06. Don't Turn Your Back On Fear
07. Stolen Season
08. Sleeping With Lions
09. Betty Blue
10. Radical
11. Still Waters Run Deep
12. The Chair
13. Wasting the Dawn
14. Dance d'Amour
15. Framed In Blood
16. Stigmata
17. Brandon Lee

Videos:

01. Betty Blue
02. Dance d'Amour
03. The Chair
04. Brandon Lee
05. Gothic Girl
06. Wasting The Dawn
07. Call Me
08. Mr. Pain

Extras:

01. Beyond The Dawn
02. From Russia With Goth
03. The 69 Eyes Over Germany
04. Interviews With The Vampires
05. Discography
06. Bat Habit – The Life And Times Of The 69 Eyes

The band is currently writing new material for the next album, tentatively due in 2009.

THE 69 EYES will team up with Sweden's TIAMAT for a European tour in February/March 2009. Also scheduled to appear are NOVEMBRE and GOTHMINISTER.

Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström of the Swedish metal band KATATONIA has issued the following update:

"We can hear many questions…. 'Why is there no new KATATONIA album out by now???' And you might rightfully think so, our eighth album (and the last in the contract with Peaceville) should have been done and put out 'ages ago' if things would've gone according to plan… It's crazy how fast time goes by these days and that doesn't help us much when inspiration runs dry. We've been meaning to enter the studio on many occasions already since two years back and I think we ended up cancelling booked sessions twice. Although it worked successfully every time in the past, it just got us stressed out and pushed us into a phase of writer's block. From this we learned we better not book anything in advance as it stands, but focus on completing 100% of the material, be perfectly happy with what we got and first then hit the studio.

"It seems we might pull things together for maximum devotion this time as all current and previous distractions are now gone. The summer festivals are over and the level of live gigs for the next months are put to a minimum and BLOODBATH — our death metal side-project's new album is done too (to be released on October 6th; check it out or all our hard work was for nothing, hah!).

"So what about the music? Bits and pieces have been collected ever since 'The Great Cold Distance' came out. It's just that we've been trying too hard, been thinking too much about the sound and direction. How can we top this and how can we change that. We've been stumbling around off-road looking for the answers and it ended up being a long walk. We don't find it meaningful to trace your own footsteps back from where you came, but we rather find the first nearest exit to the same road up ahead where we're at to get back on the map again.

"I won't give away any hints just yet about how it will sound, but we hope to give you more light on the progress of this untitled embryo as we get closer. What's certain is that we've found a good equation to work with now and that my friends is that it's all about the eighth studio album and the autumn. Here comes the KATATONIA season…"

KATATONIA's live performance from 2006's Summer Breeze open-air festival in Germany was released as a double-disc live album/DVD, entitled "Live Consternation". The "super jewelcase" packaging features both the audio on CD and the show on DVD (including both 2.0 and 5.1 versions). The artwork was once again designed by Travis Smith and closes the visual concept for "The Great Cold Distance" phase.

KATATONIA's video for the song "July", shot and directed by Charlie Granberg, can be viewed on YouTube.

Sweden's MORIFADE has finished recording its fourth full-length album at White Light Studio in Linköping for a late 2008/early 2009 release. "We are very satisfied and now it's just some minor editing left and then off to mix and mastering," the band says.

The group previously stated, "We have 11 new songs to record and this will be the first album with the most recent lineup even though both Kristian [Wallin; vocals] and Mathias [Kamijo; guitar] have been members of the band for some time now."

MORIFADE last year posted a new song, entitled "Shadeless", at this location.

The band parted ways with guitarist Jesper Johansson in October 2005 due to personal differences.

MORIFADE is currently unsigned following a split with Holland's Karmageddon Media (formerly Hammerheart Records), the label that issued the band's most recent album, "Domi<>nation".

Montreal death metal quartet BENEATH THE MASSACRE will release its new album, "Dystopia", on October 28 through Prosthetic Records.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Condemned
02. Reign of Terror
03. Our Common Grave
04. Harvest of Hate
05. The Wasteland
06. Bitter
07. No Future
08. Lithium Overdose
09. Tharsis
10. Never More
11. Procreating the Infection

The track "Our Common Grave" is available for streaming on the group's MySpace page.

"After months of hard work in the studio, we finally have the master version of our new album," says frontman Elliot Desgagnés. "We are all very stoked by the new album as we feel that this is the best release we've ever done and we're impatient to share our songs with our fans."

Recorded again with St-Amand (DESPISED ICON, ION DISSONANCE, NEURAXIS) and featuring artwork from Felix Rancourt, "Dystopia" is the follow-up to 2007's "Mechanics of Dysfunction", which was supported by tours with NECROPHAGIST, THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD and ION DISSONANCE. The band also took part in 2007's inaugural Summer Slaughter tour and last year's Radio Rebellion Tour alongside BEHEMOTH, JOB FOR A COWBOY, and GOJIRA, among others.