German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN have confirmed a headlining show in Pretoria, South Africa on Saturday October 13, 2007. According to a posting on the band's web site, BLIND GUARDIAN is the only band in the metal genre to tour all five continents in an 18-month time period.

For a list of upcoming BLIND GUARDIAN tour dates, go to this location.

EMI recently re-released BLIND GUARDIAN's early albums in remastered form. The remasters include bonus tracks, new booklets, liner notes, rare band photos and videos. In addition, the first two LPs, "Battalions of Fear" (1988) and "Follow the Blind" (1989), have been remixed.

Dutch death metallers SINISTER have issued the following update:

"It has been more then a year since we took the time to write something personal again on this page. Not so strange, since we were extremely busy the last twelve months. We visited almost 30 countries this year for the promotion of 'Afterburner' so you can probably imagine how busy it actually was.

"Meanwhile Aad [Kloosterwaard, vocals] found the time to become a daddy some months ago, so Alex [Paul, guitar] (who has a 3-year-old daughter running around) is not the only one in the band anymore who likes to talk about dipers and duplo, haha!

"About the new album; Alex wrote on this moment three complete songs with a total running time of 22 minutes!!! Yes… the new songs are longer then the stuff we did before. One of them is even longer then 10 minutes. Musically it will follow the direction of 'Afterburner', which means fast catchy blastbeats combined with slow atmospheric melodic parts.

"Unfortunately, we haven't got any time yet to practice them as a band. However, we will take it slower on the concerts the next few months to work on this situation. Our goal is to make a demo this summer with four tracks so we can get an idea how they will sound on the album.

"Also a word to our Mexican fans; this August we will visit your beautiful country to do some shows. Mexico City has been confirmed and hopefully we can add two more gigs. It has been four years since our last visit so it would be great to see you guys and girls again."

For over 25 years, Axel Rudi Pell has counted as one of Germany's most versatile guitarists. With over a dozen studio albums, he has a record of brilliant productions, loved by his fans and greeted with respect and praise by the press. Alongside numerous original compositions, cover versions of his favourite songs have always taken a special place in his work. The musician from Wattenscheid, Germany, has not only covered the work of his own idols, such as DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW, but also numbers by acts such as ALPHAVILLE, FREE, JIMI HENDRIX and URIAH HEEP. Now Pell is scheduled to release "Diamonds Unlocked" on October 1, 2007 (Germany: September 28; USA: to be announced), his first album consisting exclusively of compositions by other musicians, proving his expertise when it comes to the history of rock and pop music. Axel Rudi Pell has recorded ten cover songs, among them surprising new versions of real classics. "I have always stressed that I don't have a hard rock and metal fixation," he points out. "I don't think in terms of pigeonholes. If I like a track for whatever reason, I don't care about its stylistic direction. Every song on this album made me want to cover it at some stage when I heard the original."

Pell is referring to tracks such as the PHIL COLLINS megahit "In The Air Tonight", his own version sounding tailor-made for the ARP band. "Of course we rearranged some of the songs to suit our style 100%," the maestro explains. "'In The Air Tonight' features an extra drums and percussions part, plus added speed towards the end. And I don't suppose I have to mention that the guitar solo is longer than on the original." Equally surprising, although certainly logical in this context, is the extremely catchy U2 number "Beautiful Day" ("a timeless classic, absolutely wicked, an ingenious melody and a great chorus"), and the CHRIS REA song "Stone", which Pell discovered in a rather roundabout way. "It wasn't Chris Rea's original that convinced me but the cover version by THE LAW, a project initiated by FREE/BAD COMPANY/QUEEN vocalist Paul Rodgers and ex-THE WHO drummer Kenny Jones, from their 1991 debut album." Talking of FREE and THE WHO: the ARP version of "Won't Get Fooled Again" sounds extremely classy and fast-paced, and "Heartbreaker" sees Pell present a classic by a band that has had a lasting influence on him. "FREE inspired me to learn to play the guitar," he said. "Their guitarist Paul Kossoff had this extremely singing, melancholy blues sound that set him apart from thousands of other guitarists."

"Diamonds Unlocked" was recorded by the tried-and-tested lineup consisting of Axel Rudi Pell, vocalist Johnny Gioeli, keyboardist Ferdy Doernberg, bassist Volker Krawczak and drummer Mike Terrana. Pell produced the album single-handedly, and Charlie Bauerfeind took care of the mix.

"Diamonds Unlocked" track listing:

01. The Diamond Overture
02. Warrior (RIOT)
03. Beautiful Day (U2)
04. Stone (CHRIS REA/THE LAW)
05. Love Gun (KISS)
06. Fools Game (MICHAEL BOLTON)
07. Heartbreaker (FREE)
08. Rock The Nation (MONTROSE)
09. In The Air Tonight (PHIL COLLINS)
10. Like A Child Again (THE MISSION)
11. Won't Get Fooled Again (THE WHO)

Norwegian "blackened melo death" band SHOT AT DAWN will release its debut album, "Sic Vic Pacum Para Bellum", on October 15 via Deaf And Blind Records. The track listing is as follows:

01. Prelude: At the Gates of Hell
02. In Hoc Signo Vinces
03. Grind
04. Burn the Day
05. Echoes of Disaster
06. (Interlude)
07. Greyskull
08. Enemy Creation
09. The Broken
10. Postlude: Flesheaters

"Sic Vic Pacum Para Bellum" was recorded at Lionheart studio (BLOOD TSUNAMI).

Audio samples are available at this location .

SHOT AT DAWN entered a Norwegian competition called "Deathmatch" in October 2006 and came out victorius after defeating 17 other bands. The prize was a recording session or 10,000 kroner (around $1,818).

Former STRATOVARIUS bassist Jari Kainulainen will not be joining KOTIPELTO for the group's upcoming appearance at the Wanaja Festival on July 21 in Hämeenlinna, Finland. According to KOTIPELTO frontman Timo Kotipelto (also of STRATOVARIUS), "Jari Kainulainen cancelled the gig with a short notice but lucky for us we got Pasi Heikkilä to play with us! Pasi has been playing bass in THUNDERSTONE on some live gigs and is well known in Helsinki rock scene from his musical abilities."

KOTIPELTO's lineup for the Wanaja Festival will be as follows:

Tuomas Wäinölä - Guitar
Robert Engstrand - Keyboards
Mirka Rantanen - Drums
Pasi Heikkilä - Bass
Timo Kotipelto - Vocals

Official MetOnTour.com video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Creeping Death" at the Rockwave festival Tuesday night (July 3) in Terra Vibe, Malakasa, Greece has been posted at YouTube. The group's setlist for the show was as follows:

01. Creeping Death
02. Fuel
03. Wherever I May Roam
04. For Whom the Bell Tolls
05. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
06. ...And Justice For All
07. The Memory Remains
08. Disposable Heroes
09. Orion
10. Fade To Black
11. Master of Puppets
12. Battery
- - - -
13. Sad But True
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. One
16. Enter Sandman
- - - -
17. Whiplash
18. Seek and Destroy

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told Belgium's Studio Brussel on Sunday (July 1) that the band completed basic drum, guitar and bass tracks for its new album in May and will return to the studio in August to begin laying down vocals, guitar solos and overdubs. Ulrich added that the band hopes to complete the project by October or November and release it in February of 2008. The drummer was vague about the sound of the new material, but emphasized that it did not sound like the group's controversial 2003 effort, "St. Anger", saying, "It's probably a little more dynamic, and a little more varied, and it has lots of different nutty METALLICA stuff on it. I don't know...One thing I can tell you is that (the songs) are quite long."

METALLICA is currently on a three-week European summer tour, playing a set that leans heavily on the group's first five albums. At least one date has featured a full performance of the band's 1986 "Master of Puppets" album, which it also played on last summer's European jaunt.

After the turmoil METALLICA went through while making "St. Anger", Ulrich recently told Launch that the group is trying to having a good time these days whether its recording or touring. "It's just about, like, having fun and wanting to do it, and as long as everybody gets along, and as long as we come up with s*** that keeps challenging ourselves and is fun to play and it's, like, a good vibe, you know...and then going out and playing, like, 15 nutty shows in Europe in front of, like, a gazillion people, and playing, like, you know, 'Orion' in its entirety or, you know, 'Disposable Heroes', it's all fun," he said.

Century Media Records has announced the signing of Waldemar Sorychta's new band EYES OF EDEN.

EYES OF EDEN's debut album, "Faith", is described in a press release as "an exciting orchestral masterpiece of gothic rock/metal. The band is not only profiting from Sorychta's outstanding producer and songwriter skills, but also his gift to discover a young talent like [singer] Franziska Huth." The CD also features a guest appearance on drums by Gas Lipstick of H.I.M. fame.

"Faith" track listing:

01. Winter Night (3:35)
02. When Gods Fall (3:37)
03. Star (3:47)
04. Pictures (4:09)
05. Dancing Fire (3:15)
06. Sleeping Minds (3:59)
07. Daylight (4:03)
08. Man In The Flame (4:21)
09. From Heaven Sent (4:16)
10. Not Human Kind (10:01)

Three songs from the album are available for streaming at this location.

Sorychta was the musical mastermind of the first Century Media band DESPAIR, which released its first album, "History of Hate" in 1988 with Century Media founder Robert Kampf on vocals. Sorychta was also the studio wizard behind some of Century Media's most successful European bands, having produced classic albums by TIAMAT ("Wildhoney"), MOONSPELL ("Irreligious", "Sin/Pecado"), SENTENCED ("Frozen", "Down"), THE GATHERING ("Mandylion") and LACUNA COIL (from first EP "Lacuna Coil" to the latest album "Karmacode"). He was also a member of GRIP INC., the thrash metal band that also included Dave Lombardo of SLAYER fame.

EYES OF EDEN is:

Franziska Huth - Vocals
Waldemar Sorychta - Guitar
Alla Fedynitch - Bass
Tom Diener - Drums

MONSTER MAGNET has set "4 Way Diablo" was the title of its new album, due on November 2, 2007 via SPV Records. The CD was produced by Matt Hyde and features a cover version of THE ROLLING STONES' "2,000 Light Years from Home".

"4 Way Diablo" track listing:

01. 4 Way Diablo
02. Wall of Fire
03. You're Alive
04. Blow Your Mind
05. Cyclone
06. 2000 Light Years from Home (THE ROLLNG STONES cover)
07. No Vacation
08. I'm Calling You
09. Solid Gold
10. Freeze and Pixillate
11. A Thousand Stars
12. Slap in the Face
13. Little Bag of Gloom

MONSTER MAGNET mainman Dave Wyndorf was forced to halt work on the CD in February 2006 after overdosing on prescription drugs.

Hyde, who worked with MONSTER MAGNET on their "Powertrip" and "God Says No" releases, stated about the band's new CD back in March 2006, "I believe it has the potential to be their best record since 'Powertrip'."

MONSTER MAGNET's last studio album, "Monolithic Baby", was released in 2004 via SPV.

Legendary Finnish rockers HANOI ROCKS have set "Street Poetry" as the title of their new album, due on September 5 in Finland by WolfGang Records and in Europe by U.K.-based Demolition Records. The Japanese pressing via Victor Entertainment/JVC Music will contain bonus tracks. The special edition will include a bonus skull bandana and three-fold box design.

HANOI ROCKS' new CD was recorded at Helsinki's Seawolf Studios. It will be preceded by a new single in early August.

HANOI ROCKS' most recent single, "Fashion", entered the Finnish chart at No. 1 back in May. The promotional video for "Fashion" has been posted online here. The clip was directed by Kusti and Jaakko Manninen.

The "Fashion" single was released on May 16 in Europe and June 21 in Japan. It also includes HANOI ROCKS' version of the BILLY BREMNER hit "Trouble Boys" (which will not be on the forthcoming album), the promo video for "Fashion" plus a live video, "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams", from HANOI's gig at Nosturi in Helsinki this past March

Blackmetal.com Records has just released a split CD featuring Norwegian black metal cult band SYKDOM and Icelandic black metal act CURSE.

According to a press release, the members of SYKDOM possess a "true black metal" attitude, refusing to do interviews and maintain friendly relations with their fans. "No interviews, no autographs, no websites but just evil music and misanthropic lifestyle. Finally a TRUE blackmetal band not interested in fame but only in music."

CURSE is the side project of POTENTIAM mainman Eldur. The band plays "high-quality black metal" that follows a more "sophisticated" direction — far removed from the "true grim cold fast black metal."

The track listing is as follows:

SYKDOM - "Verden Og Fanden (the World and the Devil)":

01. Verden (intro)
02. Doedsens Stillhet / The Mortal Quiet
03. Hvit Loegn / The Big Lie
04. Verden og Fanden / The World and the Devil
05. Stjernene / The Stars
06. Fanden (outro)

CURSE - "In Life and in Death, Parts II – V":

07. Part II
08. Part III
09. Part IV
10. Part V

AYREON, the brainchild of Dutch guitarist/composer Arjen Lucassen, has revealed the identity of the second singer who will guest on the band's upcoming album, tentatively due late 2007/early 2008: Simone Simons of EPICA.

Simone's recording session for the new AYREON CD took place on July 5 at the Electric Castle studio. An acapella sample of Simone's vocal (without instruments added) can be heard here.

AYREON previously announced that Magali Luyten (VIRUS IV, BEAUTIFUL SIN) would also appear on the new album.

Twelve vocalists have been confirmed so far, with a number of singers still to be added over the next few weeks.

AYREON's last CD, "Ayreon: The Human Equation", was released in 2004. It contained guest appearances by a number of acclaimed vocalists, including James LaBrie (DREAM THEATER), Mike Baker (SHADOW GALLERY), Mikael Åkerfeldt (OPETH), Eric Clayton (SAVIOUR MACHINE), Devon Graves (DEADSOUL TRIBE, ex-PSYCHOTIC WALTZ) and Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD).

Metal Mind Productions has set an August 6 European release date (September 3 in the U.S.) for former IRON MAIDEN/WOLFSBANE singer Blaze Bayley's DVD. Entitled "Alive in Poland" (view cover artwork at this location), the disc was recorded at the 21st edition of the Metalmania Festival, which took place on March 24 in Katowice, Poland. Blaze Bayley and his band put on a 90-minute show consisting of the best tracks from BLAZE's discography as well as select cuts from IRON MAIDEN ("Man on the Edge", "Futureal"). The DVD will also include many great bonus features, such as an interview with Blaze Bayley, an interview with all members of Blaze's band (featuring footage filmed during their visit to Poland) and more. A limited-edition "Alive in Poland" release will include a two-CD set with songs recorded at the concert.

Long-running Frankfurt, Germany-based thrash metallers TANKARD entered Stage One studios in Borgentreich, Germany earlier in the year with producer Andy Classen (DEW-SCENTED, CALLENISH CIRCLE, TANKARD, OCCULT) to record new versions of their biggest "hits" — from "(Empty) Tankard" and "Chemical Invasion" to "The Morning After" and "Space Beer". The resulting collection, "Best Case Scenario: 25 Years In Beers", is scheduled for release on August 31 through AFM Records, with a special limited first edition set to include the bonus CD "A Tribute to Tankard", featuring cover versions of 18 TANKARD songs performed by such artists as SACRED STEEL, MANTICORA, ABANDONED, PARADOX, COURAGEOUS and SCORNAGE.

"Best Case Scenario: 25 Years In Beers" (view cover artwork at this location) track listing:

01. Zombie Attack
02. Maniac Forces
03. (Empty) Tankard
04. Don't Panic
05. Chemical Invasion
06. The Morning After
07. Alien
08. 666 Packs
09. Beermuda
10. Space Beer
11. Medley (Alcohol, Puke, Mon Cheri, Wonderful Life)
12. Freibier
13. Nation Over Nation
14. Two-Faced
15. Minds On The Moon

"A Tribute to Tankard" bonus CD track listing:

01. ABANDONED - Face Of The Enemy
02. COURAGEOUS - The Morning After
03. DOPPELBOCK - Freibier für alle
04. FATAL EMBRACE - Acid Death
05. FKÜ - Space Beer
06. FREZEEBEE - Poison
07. HATEWORK - Live To Dive
08. HYADES - Alien
09. IRREVERENCE - Beermuda
10. MANTICORA - Total Addiction
11. ODIUM - Sunscars
12. PARADOX - Zombie Attack
13. PARAGON - Two-Faced
14. SACRED STEEL - Empty Tankard
15. SCORNAGE - Away
16. SOLICITUDE - Planetwide Suicide
17. TASTE OF DOOM - Rectifier
18. TORMENT - Chemical Invasion

In other news, AFM will reissue the TANKARD cover CD, "Himbeergeist zum Frühstück" (released under the TANKWART moniker) on July 13. The album features metal/punk versions of old German folk classics like "Sieben Fässer Wein" and "Blau Blüht Der Enzian", and will feature a live version of the TANKARD classic "Freibier" as a bonus track.

One-minute audio samples of three songs ("Infection", "The Divided Heart" and "The Scythe") from the forthcoming album from Italian folk/power metal band ELVENKING have been posted on the band's MySpace page.

ELVENKING will release its new CD, "The Scythe", in Europe on September 14 via AFM Records. The album was mixed at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Finland. The mastering took place on April 10 at Finnvox Studios with Mika Jussila and Nino Laurenne.

"The Scythe" track listing:

01. The Scythe
02. Lost Hill of Memories
03. Infection
04. Poison Tears
05. A Riddle of Stars
06. Romance & Wrath
07. The Divided Heart
08. Horns Ablaze (digipack bonus track)
09. Totentanz
10. Death and the Suffering
11. Dominhate

"The Scythe" features a guest appearance on two tracks by Swedish guitarist Mike Wead (KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, MEMENTO MORI, FIREGOD, ABSTRAKT ALGEBRA, CANDLEMASS).

Legendary guitarist Paul Gilbert (ex-MR. BIG, RACER X) has issued the following update:

"I have a new guitar instructional DVD aptly titled the 'Get out of My Yard Guitar Instructional DVD'. I explain the most interesting guitar parts from the 'Get out of My Yard' CD song by song. There are also bonus live performances, a live guitar solo from the RACER X 'Superheroes' tour in Japan, some new sections where I explain my techniques in greater detail and with clearer explanations than ever before. Check it out here
. My original instructional videos — 'Intense Rock', 'Intense Rock II' and 'The Terrifying Guitar Trip' — are now available on DVD as well.

Greek melodic metal sensation FIREWIND has released the video for its new single "Breaking the Silence" in the following formats: Windows Media, RealMedia. The clip, which features a guest appearance by female singer Tara Teresa, was directed by Patric Ullaeus from Sweden's Revolver Film Company (DIMMU BORGIR, WITHIN TEMPTATION, IN FLAMES).

Commented FIREWIND guitarist Gus G: "So here it is! I hope you all dig our brand new video…I can tell you we had a blast doing it! The song itself is a highlight of our latest record, as the duet between Apollo and Tara came out fantastic. Patric Ullaeus' videos are always a guarantee and it's an honor for us to work with the best of the best! Patric definitely made sure we had enough fire on this one and really brought things to a new level!"

More information has been revealed about the upcoming re-release of SLAYER's "Christ Illusion" (обложка) album, due on July 24. According to MTV.com, the limited-edition set will contain the previously unreleased cut "The Final Six", as well as an alternate version of "Black Serenade". The reissue marks the band's first collaboration with new label home Columbia Records; SLAYER left Warner Bros. when longtime producer Rick Rubin jumped ship to head Columbia back in May.

"This version of 'Black Serenade' is the version [guitarist] Jeff [Hanneman] originally wrote, and during the miscommunications of recording, it came out the way it did," guitarist Kerry King told MTV.com. "I like the original version better. And 'The Final Six' was a song that just wasn't finished in time for the record, because [frontman] Tom [Araya] had to head home for [gall-bladder] surgery."

"The Final Six", said King, "isn't going to sound out of place, because it was written for "Christ Illusion". So, it's just another song off of that album, and it's not separate at all. The track was recorded by the time "Christ Illusion" came out — we just had to have Tom sing on it."

The reissue will also boast a bonus DVD called "Slayer on Tour '07". It will include the "Eyes of the Insane" video; a live rendition of the band's 1988 LP track "South of Heaven" that was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, on last year's "Unholy Alliance" run; and a behind-the-scenes, five-minute documentary-style montage of footage shot earlier this year when the band performed in Florida and Australia.

Toy's Factory in Japan will release NILE's new album, "Ithyphallic", on August 22 with two exclusive bonus tracks: instrumental versions of "As He Creates So He Destroys" and "Papyrus Containing The Spell To Preserve It's Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is In The Water".

In Nuclear Blast's first-ever contest of its kind, die-hard NILE fans will be granted the opportunity to secretly stream the group's entire new album, "Ithyphallic", on July 9 (eight days before street date) by correctly decoding a message written in Egyptian hieroglyphics.

To enter, visit here

METALLICA played a headlining show earlier tonight (Sunday, July 8) at the Wembley Stadium in London, England. Support at the gig came from H.I.M., MACHINE HEAD and MASTODON.

METALLICA's setlist was as follows:

01. Creeping Death
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Sad But True
04. Disposable Heroes
05. The Unforgiven
06. ...And Justice For All
07. The Memory Remains
08. The Four Horsemen
09. Orion
10. Fade To Black
11. Master of Puppets
12. Battery
- - - -
13. No Leaf Clover
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. One
16. Enter Sandman
- - - -
17. Whiplash
18. Seek and Destroy

Finnish cello-rockers APOCALYPTICA have set "Worlds Collide" as the title of their new album, due in Germany, Austria and Switzerland on September 14 via G.U.N. Records. The first single, "I'm Not Jesus", featuring a guest appearance by Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR), will precede the album on August 31. Other confirmed guest musicians on the CD include Dave Lombardo (SLAYER), Tomoyasu Hotei (superstar Japanese composer, whose credits include the "Kill Bill" soundtrack), Joseph Duplantier (GOJIRA) and Cristina Scabbia (LACUNA COIL). Backing vocals for the effort were laid down by Swedish singer Mats Levén (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, THERION, KRUX, TREAT, AT VANCE).

"Worlds Collide" was produced by Jacob Hellner (RAMMSTEIN). A video for the song for the song "I'm Not Jesus" was recently filmed in in Los Angeles with director Tony Petrossian (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, RISE AGAINST, SLIPKNOT).

Italian melodic death metal band SUBLIMINAL FEAR has completed work on its debut album, entitled "Uncoloured World Dying". The CD was recorded at 16th Cellar Studio in Rome with producer Stefano Saul Morabito and is scheduled for release in the fall through Burning Star Records.

"Uncoloured World Dying" track listing:

01. Insane Archetype
02. Destroy My Ruins
03. Crawls Into The Depths
04. The Silence That Remains
05. I've Lost My Control
06. Stare
07. Leave Your Eyes In This Burning Sky
08. My Pain Unfold
09. Uncoloured World Dying

The artwork for the album was created by Nerve Design (NILE, THRESHOLD, SADIST, BLINDED COLONY, VISION DIVINE, ELDRICH, ENEMYNSIDE).

M.A.N, the new band formed out of the ashes of Sweden's TRANSPORT LEAGUE (featuring former MNEMIC frontman Tony Jelencovich), has uploaded several video clips taken at the group's June 30, 2007 concert at Virgin Oil Co in Helsinki, Finland. Watch them at YouTube.

M.A.N is busy writing material for its as-yet-untitled second album. The recordings will once again take place at Grand Recordings in Gothenburg, Sweden with producer/engineer Svein Jensen. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Outnumbered", "Lay Down", "You're Dead", "Blood Vanish", "My Own Sickness", "Worn Wings" and "Dead Universe".