The End Records has set a September 4 release date of for the new album from Norway's WINDS, entitled "Prominence and Demise".

The classical/progressive band — consisting of Lars E. Si, Carl August Tidemann, Jan Axel von Blomberg and Andy Winter — is excited with the upcoming release of "Prominence and Demise", the follow-up to the band's well-received 2004 opus "The Imaginary Direction of Time".

Says Winter of the album, "Our latest effort has been an undertaking so extensive that it took three years to fully complete. It's not just a musical performance in and of itself, but also an audiovisual experience, and no less than a profound journey into the universe created by these four unique minds."

The album also features the involvement of four accomplished guests:

Agnete M. Kirkevaag (MADDER MORTEM) - Soprano Voices
Lars Nedland (AGE OF SILENCE, BORKNAGAR, SOLEFALD) - Alto Voices
Dan Swanö (Edge OF SANITY, NIGHTINGALE, SECOND SKY, ex-BLOODBATH) - Tenor Voices
Øystein Moe (ex-TRITONUS, ULVER) - Bass

"Prominence and Demise" features artwork by Travis Smith, who has been a collaborator with the band ever since the first full-length album. The album was recorded in various studios around Norway, mixed at Hipposonic in Vancouver, Canada, and mastered at Sterling Sound in New York. A final tracklisting and artwork for the album will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Finnish metallers OLYMPOS MONS have finalzed the track listing for their new album, "Medievil", due in July via Scarlet Records. The CD was mixed by Janne Saksa at Sound Supreme Studios in Hämeenlinna and mastered at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki. According to a press release, the album is "a big step forward compared to its predecessor, both technically and musically, as people can expect from a group of talented and experienced musicians as OLYMPOS MONS certainly are, with a particular mention for the extraordinary singer Ian E. Highhill."

"Medievil" track listing:

01. One Word
02. Frozen
03. The Emperors Return
04. The Price
05. Wolves
06. A Race Between Two Hearts
07. Fire and Ice
08. Medievil
09. Kingdom of Winter
10. Locked in Chains
11. Dreamer

Check out the cover artwork here

Brazilian power/thrash metal band DARKAGER has tapped new SHAMAN vocalist Thiago Bianchi (also in KARMA) to produce its debut CD. Thiago has previously worked with such well-known Brazilian rock and metal artists as ANGRA, SHAMAN, TUATHA DE DANANN, and Edu Ardanuy (DR. SIN guitarist).

DARKAGER's as-yet-untitled debut is being recorded at Fusão VM&T Studios and will contain ten songs. The CD is expected to be completed in late 2007. In the meantime, fans can check out DARKAGER's demo, "Bells of Doom", which was released last year. To have a listen, go to the band's MySpace Page

Several classic BLACK SABBATH Ozzy Osbourne- and Ronnie James Dio-era concerts are available for streaming at the Wolfgang's Vault website:

* April 6, 1974 - Ontario Motor Speedway - Ontario, CA (65 minutes)
* August 5, 1975 - Convention Hall - Asbury Park, NJ (85 minutes)
* September 2, 1978 - Pittsburgh Civic Arena - Pittsburgh, PA (64 minutes)
* August 10, 1980 - Hartford Civic Center - Hartford, CT (86 minutes)

KINGDOM COME's official web site has been updated with the following message:

"As much as we enjoyed our tour through sports halls and theaters in Russia, Ukraine and Kasachstan in November 2006, we had no idea at the time that this tour would leave such an impact! The readers of Russia's biggest rock magazine Classic Rock voted the KINGDOM COME 'Ain't Crying For The Moon' tour the second best tour of the year in the annual readers' poll! DEEP PURPLE was voted the number 1 tour and ROGER WATERS came in right after KINGDOM COME on spot 3! On top of that the listeners of Radio Roks, the main major rock radio station in the St. Petersburg area, made the KINGDOM COME show in their town 'Concert Of The Year'!

"We feel honoured and would not only like thank our Russian fans for their huge support, but also our Russian agent, our record company, the merchandise company, and our crew, who all brought in their share to make this happen.'

KINGDOM COME's latest studio album, "Ain't Crying For The Moon", was released in Europe on October 20, 2006 via Frontiers Records.

"After having done a lot of experimenting with 'Perpetual', I thought it was the time to take out the axe again and rock the house," Lenny Wolf, the mastermind behind KINGDOM COME, said at the time. "The new CD [is] one of my heaviest recordings ever. I was trying to build 'walls of guitars' in combination with that typical KC moody and spacey approach. It does not have the typical 'blues' factor anymore, which many of you may remember from the first records. I have transported my roots into the year 2006."

Danish symphonic black metallers ILLNATH have issued the following update:

"Yeah, the Hellraiser [festival] gig [on May 26, 2007 in Leipzig, Germany] is done, dragons were slain and maidens were lain and all that. Now we're looking forward to the next few gigs in Denmark in August before the European tour with DISMEMBER kicks off. After that we're playing Moscow and St. Petersburg in November and are looking forwards to it like fuck.

"Meanwhile, the [new ILLNATH] album is being mixed and is pretty much done and dusted and ready for a release sometime soon, of course thinking printing and shipping and all that it will take a LITTLE time, but our work is done."

ILLNATH's third album, entitled "Three Nights in the Sewers of Sodom", was recorded at Borsing Studios. Cover artwork will be handled by Wilhelm Steiner. Audio samples of three tracks — "Ravenous Crows", "Burn to Stone" and "One Thousand…" — are available on the band's MySpace page.

"Three Nights in the Sewers of Sodom" is expected to be released via ILLNATH's own label following the band's split with Worldchaos Production (which was supposed to put out the band's long-completed second full-length offering, "Second Skin of Harlequin". "The new material will reflect the new situation we're in — new drummer and new bass player, plus almost three years since the last album was recorded," the group previously said.

On July 16, 2007, SPV will release "Better Motörhead than Dead: Live at Hammersmith", a double live CD recorded at MOTÖRHEAD's 30th-anniversary show on June 16, 2005 at London's Hammersmith Appollo/Odeon. The set will be released in digipak form and is available for pre-order from www.play.com.

"Better Motörhead than Dead: Live at Hammersmith" track listing:

Disc 1

01. Dr. Rock
02. Stay Clean
03. Shoot You In The Back
04. Love Me Like A Reptile
05. Killers
06. Metropolis
07. Love For Sale
08. Over The Top
09. No Class
10. I Got Mine
11. In The Name Of Tragedy
12. Dancing On Your Grave

Disc 2

01. R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
02. Sacrifice
03. Just 'Cos You Got The Power
04. (We Are) The Road Crew
05. Going To Brazil
06. Killed By Death
07. Iron Fist
08. Whorehouse Blues
09. Bomber
10. Ace Of Spades
11. Overkill

SCORPIONS' video for the song "Humanity" has been posted at YouTube.

Greece: #2
Germany: #9
Switzerland: #27
Finland: #29
Austria: #41
Sweden: #41
Italy: #44
Czech Republic: #47
France: #58
Spain: #59
Netherlands: #91

JOURNEY has parted ways with its most recent lead singer Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, TALISMAN). Jeff's first appearance with JOURNEY was July 7, 2006 in Bristow, VA. He had been filling in for Steve Augeri, who had to leave the tour shortly after it began on June 23 due to illness. Jeff's last performance was May 12, 2007 in Leesburg, VA.

Says guitarist Neal Schon: "We appreciate all of Jeff's hard work and we can't thank him enough for stepping in when Steve Augeri got sick last year. He did a tremendous job for us and we wish him the best. We've just decided to go our separate ways, no pun intended. We're plotting our next move now."

Keyboardist Jonathan Cain adds: "We were lucky to have a friend who was already a JOURNEY fan step in on a moment's notice during the DEF LEPPARD tour to help us out. Jeff was always the consummate professional and we hope that he remains a friend of the band in the future. We just felt it was time to go in a different direction."

JOURNEY — Neal Schon (guitar), Ross Valory (bass), Jonathan Cain (keyboards) and Deen Castronovo (drums) — is taking the rest of 2007 off to spend time with their families, write new songs and map out plans for 2008.

The first photo of the "reunited" RATT lineup — featuring vocalist Stephen Pearcy, guitarist Warren DeMartini and drummer Bobby Blotzer, alongside bassist Robbie Crane and guitarist John Corabi — has been posted online at this location.

After much speculation and anticipation following the airing of their "Behind the Music" episode on VH1 last spring, multiplatinum hard rock act RATT will grace the stage together for the first time since 1999. Plans for not only a U.S. summer tour but a full-fledged comeback are being mapped out now as the band prepares to hit the road with POISON. The band's own tour dates will extend into the fall and may also include shows in Canada, Europe, Japan, South America and Australia. A full itinerary is still being finalized, but POISON and RATT will join forces for a summer trek that is scheduled to begin June 13 at the Bi Lo Center in Greenville, S.C., and wind around the country through early September.

RATT recently aligned with Carl Stubner, CEO of Sanctuary Artist Management (ZZ TOP, Mick Fleetwood/co-manager of FLEETWOOD MAC, Tommy Lee/ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA, PAULINA RUBIO, JACK'S MANNEQUIN) and is booked by Jay Frey at Paradise Artists.

RATT made their mark in the early '80s going "Round and Round" with a string of hit songs, videos and four consecutive multiplatinum albums (over 16 million albums sold worldwide). Their arena-filling live shows set the standard for all bands to follow. Creating anthems for the youth of that era, their music and performances maintain a timeless quality to this day.

The video of the track "While Your Lips Are Still Red", written by NIGHTWISH leader/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen as the main theme for the upcoming Finnish feature film "Lieksa!" is now available on YouTube. The song features NIGHTWISH bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala on vocals, Tuomas on keys and NIGHTWISH's Jukka "Julius" Nevalainen on drums.

Though "While Your Lips Are Still Red" is not exactly a NIGHTWISH composition, it will be included as a bonus track on NIGHTWISH's forthcoming "Amaranth" CD single.

The movie "Lieksa!" directed and written by renowned Finnish movie director Markku Pölönen, will premier in Finland during September 2007.

As previously reported, NIGHTWISH has set "Dark Passion Play" as the title of its new album, due on September 28 via Nuclear Blast Records (most of Europe), September 26 via Spinefarm Records/Universal (Finland) and September 28 via Roadrunner Records (USA).

Metal Mind Productions has set a July 9 European release date (July 31 in the U.S. via MVD) for the live DVD from extreme metallers VITAL REMAINS, entitled "Evil Death Live". The disc includes footage of the band's performance at the Metalmania Festival 2007 in Katowice, Poland as well as an interview with Tony Lazaro (one of the band's founders) and Dave Suzuki, live bootleg material and many other surprises. Also available will be a limited DVD+CD swing case edition, featuring a bonus CD containing songs recorded at the Metalmania gig.

"Evil Death Live" (check out artworkby Graal) track listing:

DVD

01. Intro I - Where Is Your God Now
02. Icons of Evil
03. Scorned
04. Born to Rape the World
05. Hammer Down the Nails
06. Intro II - Let the Killing Begin
07. Dechristianized
08. Infidel
09. Devoured Elysium

Bonus Video:

[To Be Announced]

CD (only available with a limited DVD+CD edition):

01. Intro I - Where Is Your God Now
02. Icons of Evil
03. Scorned
04. Born to Rape the World
05. Hammer Down the Nails
06. Intro II - Let the Killing Begin
07. Dechristianized
08. Infidel
09. Devoured Elysium

Bonus Features:

* Interview with Tony Lazaro and Dave Suzuki
* Photo gallery
* Biography
* Discography
* Desktop images
* Weblinks
* Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford is offering a special limited-edition digipack version of the "Metal God Essentials – Vol. 1" CD, featuring tracks from his FIGHT and HALFORD solo releases. Limited to 5,000 copies, the deluxe digipack features embossed limited edition numbering. The track listing is as follows:

01. Resurrection
02. Made In Hell
03. Screaming In The Dark
04. Golgotha
05. Silent Screams (1999 Demo)
06. Crystal
07. Into The Pit
08. Nailed To The Gun
09. Slow Down
10. Locked And Loaded
11. Forgotten Generation
12. Drop Out
13. War Of Words
14. Sun
15. Trail Of Tears
16. Hypocrisy (exclusive U.S. mix)

Bonus DVD (HALFORD promotional videos):

01. Resurrection (behind the scenes Rob Halford Vox sessions)
02. Live Insurrection (behind the scenes HALFORD band on tour)
03. Made In Hell (video)
04. Betrayal (Video)
05. In The Morning (video)
06. Silent Screams (Live at Rock In Rio III)
07. Never Satisfied (Live Crucible film)
08. Forgotten Generation (video)

Polish black/death metal band DARZAMAT will release its first-ever live DVD, entitled "Live Profanity (Visiting the Graves of Heretics)" (cover), in Europe on June 25 via Metal Mind Productions (July 31 in the U.S.). The disc was recorded at the 21st edition of the Metalmania Festival, which took place on March 24 in Katowice, Poland, and will contain material comprised mostly of songs from the band's latest album, "Transkarpatia". Also included will be the group's surprise performance of the song "Diabelski Dom" by the cult Polish metal band KAT, featuring a guest appearance by KAT leader Roman Kostrzewski. The DVD will also includes additional footage from the Winternachtstraum Festival, which took place in February 2007 in Arnsberg, Germany, two unreleased tracks, video clips, and an interview with Flauros and Nera.

"Live Profanity (Visiting the Graves of Heretics)" track listing:

Metalmania 2007:

01. Intro
02. Labyrinth of Anxiety
03. The Burning Times
04. Fistful of Ashes
05. Hallucinations
06. Blackward
07. Vampiric Prose
08. The Old Form of Worship
09. Recurring Yell
10. Demise
11. Diabelski Dom cz.II

Winternachtstraum Festival 2007:

01. Intro
02. Blackward
03. Vampiric Prose
04. Era Aggression
05. Labyrinth of Anxiety
06. Hallucinations
07. The Burning Times
08. Fistful of Ashes
09. The Old Form of Worship
10. Storm

Bonus video:

* The Burning Times
* Era Aggression
* In Red Iris

Bonus audio:

* Equinox
* Storm 2005

Also includes:

* Photo gallery
* Band history
* Discography
* Desktop images
* Weblinks
* Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Long-running Austrian extreme metallers PUNGENT STENCH have finished recording their new album, tentatively due later in the year via an as-yet-undetermined label. The CD, which is currently being mixed by guitarist/vocalist Martin Schirenc (a.k.a. Don Cochino) will feature the following track listing:

01. Opus Dei – Glorified Be Pain!
02. The King Of Smut
03. Devil's Work & Our Contribution
04. Aztec Holiday (Heartless In Tenochtitlán)
05. Planet Of The Dead
06. Persona Non Grata
07. Suicide Bombshell
08. Me, Gonzo
09. Brute
10. I Require Death Sentence (We Must Clean House!)

PUNGENT STENCH's latest album, "Ampeauty", was issued in September 2004 through Nuclear Blast Records.

Reformed cult German progressive metal band SIEGES EVEN has revealed the cover artwork for its new album, "Paramount", due in September via Inside Out Music. The photo was taken by British artist David J. Nightingale, while Thomas Ewerhard was responsible for the actual cover design.

"Paramount" track listing (not final sequence):

01. When Alpha And Omega Collide
02. Bridge To The Divine
03. Paramount
04. Mounting Castles in The Blood Red Sky (instrumental)
05. Where Our Shadows Sleep
06. Leftovers
07. Iconic
08. Tidal
09. A Wallflower On The Day Of Saint Juliana
10. A Dream In Monochrome
11. Duende

SIEGES EVEN's current lineup consists of Arno Menses (vocals), Oliver Holzwarth (bass), Markus Steffen (guitars) and Alex Holzwarth (drums, RHAPSODY).

STRATOVARIUS frontman Timo Kotipelto has announced his solo band lineup for its upcoming appearances. It is as follows:

Tuomas Wäinölä - guitars
Lauri Porra - Bass
Robert Engstrand - keys
Mirka Rantanen - drums
Jari Kainulainen - bass *
Timo Kotipelto - vocals.

* only for Wanaja Festival

Commented Timo: "Robert will join the band for the rest of the gigs. He played on our past two European tours. I am very happy to have him back in the band. He is an excellent keyboard player and sings awesome backing vocals. It will [also] be nice to share the stage with Jari Kainulainen again. Lauri has some other activities booked for the Wanaja Festival date so Jari will take his place."

Singer Hansi Kürsch of German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN has reportedly signed on to make a guest appearance on the forthcoming sophomore album from Italian "techno thrash" metallers ANEURYSM. Entitled "Shades", the CD is tentatively due later in the year via Old Ones Records.

ANEURYSM's debut album, "Aware", came out in 2002.

ANEURYSM is:

Gianmaria Carneri - Voice and Rhythm Guitar
Peter Calmasini - Guitars
Marco Piran - Drums
Ivano Dalla Brea - Bass
Stefano Torregrossa - Samples and Keyboards

Swedish industrial goth metal band DEATHSTARS has posted its video for the track "Virtue to Vice" on the group's official web site. Check it out: Quicktime (86 MB), Windows Media (35 MB).

"Virtue to Vice" is the third video from DEATHSTARS' sophomore album, "Termination Bliss", which entered the German Media Control chart in February 2006 at position No. 87.

DEATHSTARS was honored with the "Best Newcomer" award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards Monday night (June 11) at Koko in London, England.

In existence since January 2000 (formerly known as SWORDMASTER), DEATHSTARS features in its ranks former DISSECTION drummer Ole Öhman and guitarist Emil Nödtveidt (brother of late DISSECTION leader Jon).

AYREON mastermind Arjen Lucassen's webmaster has issued the following update:

"The very first vocalist for the seventh AYREON album was recorded in the Electric Castle Studio last week. We're not revealing the name of the vocalist just yet, but you can listen to a sample of the voice (without instruments) here.

"During the time leading up to the official announcement of each of the vocalists participating on the new AYREON album, we'll be giving acapella previews of every vocalist. Currently 12 vocalists have been confirmed, and a few more will be added.

In another update the webmater adds: "Arjen and Ed Warby [GOREFEST] finished all drum recording together with producer Gordon Groothedde. Studio report is coming soon!"

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).

Finnish goth-metallers CHARON have issued the following update:

"We have been writing music. We will keep on writing new songs and making demos in the summer. We have already laid down six new CHARON tracks. We think they rock like hell. We will announce album information on these pages as soon as we know. We will not play gigs this summer but we will drink some summer wine for you. We will return on stage in October in Russia. We will play in Finland when we have enough new songs."

CHARON's latest album, "Songs for the Sinners", debuted on Finland's national album chart at position No. 6 back in September 2005.

The follow-up to 2003's "The Dying Daylights", "Songs for the Sinners" was recorded at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki with producer Mikko Karmila.

Raleigh, North Carolina-based progressive metalcore quintet BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME has issued the following update:

"Well, we are done tracking our new record, 'Colors', and we couldn't be happier. It was an amazing experience, as always, working with the mighty Jamie King, and we couldn't thank him enough for being an amazing person and engineer/producer. we are currently mixing the record right now and will be done in the next week or so. The record will be released on September 18th through Victory Records.

"This record is nothing you've ever heard from us before... it's a 65-minute opus of non-stop pummeling beautiful music. We have described this release as 'adult contemporary death prog metal.' We hope you have fun with it.

"We are doing a small two-week tour with our amazing friends THE RED CHORD, CEPHALIC CARNAGE and THE END... ARISE AND RUIN are taking THE END's place on the Canadian dates..."

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME's last release was a reissue of the "The Silent Circus" album, which originally came out in 2003. In addition to the LP's original track listing, the set came with a bonus DVD.

BBC News reports: A horror film by 2006 Eurovision Song Contest winners LORDI has received 300,000 euros (£200,000) funding from the Finnish government, reports say.

"Dark Floors", which will feature the rock band's four members, is being shot in Finland at a cost of 4.2m euros (£2.84m), according to Screen Daily.

The film, which features a largely Finnish cast, will premiere in the country on February 8.

LORDI recently introduced the film at the Cannes Film Festival.

The movie, which is currently being filmed in northern Finland, is described by the band's lead singer, Mr. Lordi, as a "traditional modern horror" that will feature monsters and "horrific scenes".

Greek melodic metal sensation FIREWIND will release a new single, "Breaking the Silence", in Greece on July 2. A video for the title cut was recently shot with director Patric Ullaeus from Sweden's Revolver Film Company (DIMMU BORGIR, WITHIN TEMPTATION, IN FLAMES).

"Breaking The Silence" CD single track listing:

01. Breaking The Silence (feat. Tara Teresa)
02. Healing Tool *
03. Till The End Of Time [live] *
+ "Breaking The Silence" (feat. Tara Teresa) [Video Clip Enhancement]

* Previously unreleased song/version

FIREWIND's first single off the "Allegiance" album, "Falling to Pieces", reached position No. 11 on Greek chart and remained on the chart for ten weeks.