Nuclear Blast Records' web site has been updated with the following announcement:

"We present the ultimate DIMMU BORGIR collector's item to you: released on April 27th, you will be able to purchase your copy of our very, very noble minted 'In Sorte Diaboli' book [image]! Strictly limited to 2,000 copies worldwide, it features 32 pages in 7" size, two audio bonus tracks, a bonus DVD, seven big photo cards, a mirror and a numbered authenticity certificate. Medieval darkness is back — and it has never looked more classy! Pre-order your copy at this location now before they are all gone!"

"The Serpentine Offering", the lead-off track from DIMMU BORGIR's upcoming album "In Sorte Diaboli", will be available for digital download at iTunes.com beginning March 30.

The three-track North American version of the iTunes single will include an additional two songs NOT included on the album:

"The Serpentine Offering" - Video Edit "The Heretic Hammer" - Instrumental Version, North American Exclusive

The European version of the three-track iTunes single will feature an exclusive instrumental version of "The Serpentine Offering" in place of the instrumental version of "The Heretic Hammer".

DIMMU BORGIR's new full-length album, "In Sorte Diaboli", will be released on April 24 in North America. The first concept album in the band's history, "In Sorte Diaboli" is set in medieval Europe. A short synopsis of the story and its characters will accompany the lyrics in the CD booklet.

"In Sorte Diaboli" was mixed at Studio Fredman by producers Fredrik Nordström and Patrik J. Sten.

The latest release from Norwegian prog metal masters GREEN CARNATION, the "A Night Under the Dam" DVD is now available in Europe, Russia and the USA. The DVD is available in the USA through The End Records mailorder, on license in Russia and through regular distribution channels (a.k.a. shops, mailorder, etc.) in the following countries: Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Benelux, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Slovakia, U.K., Ireland and North Ireland, Greece and France.

In other news, vocalist Kjetil Nordhus has ended his collaboration with TRAIL OF TEARS and CHAIN COLLECTOR and so that GREEN CARNATION will get his full attention for a while.

Commens Nordhus: "I don't think GREEN CARNATION has been suffering from me being in two other bands, but different circumstances has lead to me pulling out of both TRAIL OF TEARS and CHAIN COLLECTOR, and right now that feels very much as a good decision for me."

He does admit that being in three bands has been hard to handle sometimes.

"There have been times when it's been very demanding to be involved with so many people in creative processes, and I'm particularly looking forward to be able to focus only on GREEN CARNATION's new material," he says.

GREEN CARNATION will be using the first half of 2007 to write new material for what bass player Stein Roger Sordal is confident will be the best album from the Norwegian outfit ever. The band, in which all of the members are songwriters, will be using a different strategy then previously when it comes to the writing proccess.

"The way we have worked in the past have worked out well for us, with the different members and songwriters doing their work at home before presenting finished songs for the rest of the guys," says Sordal. "This time around we want to take the time to work on things together at the rehearsal room. We feel that this could be a way to get the maximum out of each and every member of the band, and I'm confident it's going to be an exiting time ahead."

As a result of the writing process, GREEN CARNATION will not be playing live gigs until the end of June at the earliest.

Also on the GREEN CARNATION-related front, the band's bass maestro Stein Roger Sordal has finished recording his very first solo album, "In Fort Knox With a Penny". He is delighted with the outcome: "My plan is to release a solo album sometime in 2007," he writes on his MySpace page. "I'm currently recording the album and have a lot of great friends and musicians with me on this one. I've been recording albums the last ten years with different bands and projects, so I guess it was about time to do a solo album."

POWERWORLD, the new German band formed by ex-FREEDOM CALL bassist Ilker Ersin, entered the studio last October to begin recording its debut album for a late 2007 release. According to a posting on the group's web site, "the recordings will be finished in the middle of April. In the biginning of May, we will start with the mix in Munich [with] Chris Lausmann, formerly known from the band BONFIRE."

Two demo songs from POWERWORLD — "Your World Is Not Mine" and "Reach the Light" — are currently available for streaming on the group's MySpace page. The band's lineup is as follows:

Steffen Brunner - Vocals
Barish Kepic (ex-JADED HEART) - Guitar
Ilker Ersin (ex-FREEDOM CALL) - Bass
Nils Neumann (FREEDOM CALL) - Keyboards
Jürgen Lucki Lucas (ex-AT VANCE) - Drums

Steffen Brunner joined POWERWORLD as the replacement for Chity Somapala (ex-FIREWIND, AVALON, MOONLIGHT AGONY, FARO), who left the group in January 2006 due to "musical differences."

German melodic metallers EVIDENCE ONE have posted an audio sample of the title track from their forthcoming album, "The Sky is the Limit", at this location.

The follow-up to 2004's "Tattooed Heart" (Nuclear Blast), "The Sky is the Limit" was written and produced by songwriter Robby Böbel, who quit his position as the group's guitarist but will continue to be involved with the band behind the scenes. A replacement axeman, Jörg "Warthy" Warthmann, has already been recruited. A video for the song "The Sky is the Limit" was recently filmed at the Rockfabrik Nuremberg with Maurice Swinkels (lead singer of Dutch metal band LEGION OF THE DAMNED) of Holland's Lowlife Media (MASTERPLAN, PRIMAL FEAR, EXODUS). The clip will be featured on the limited-edition version of "The Sky is the Limit", due on June 22 via AFM Records.

"The Sky is the Limit" track listing:

01. Can't Fight The Past
02. Gallery Of Broken Glass
03. Into The Depths Of My Soul
04. Mindmines
05. Mr. Madness
06. Propaganda
07. Raging Winds
08. Rain Road
09. The Luxury Of Losing Hope
10. The Sky Is The Limit
11. Won't Sleep Alone

Singer Christopher Schmid has left the German gothic rockers LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE due to personal reasons.

"I don't feel that I can combine the permanent stress (brought about by touring, concerts and general uncertainties of the music business) with my 'normal' life and my future," Schmid said in a statement.

Although the rest of the band is sad about Christopher's decision to leave the group, they are happy about the fact that Christopher has offered to carry on with LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE as a lyricist and songwriter. The "LACRIMAS sound" will not change, because the brothers Oliver and Christopher will continue to collaborate as before, and Christopher will even add some of his vocal lines to the next album.

Finnish melodic metallers AGONIZER have inked a deal with Spinefarm Records. The group's debut album, "Birth / The End", will be released on August 1.

Formed in 1998 in Pyhäjärvi, Finland, AGONIZER has released five self-produced demos in addition to representing Finland in Wacken Open Air's "Metal Battle" contest in Germany.

Recorded at Astia studio in Lappeenranta, Finland, "Birth / The End" features the following track listing:

01. Prisoner
02. Harmless Hero
03. Everyone of Us
04. Indifferent
05. Prophecy
06. Sleepless
07. Black Sun
08. Birth / The End

According to a posting on TURISAS' web site, MACHINE HEAD, LAMB OF GOD, DIMMU BORGIR and TURISAS will perform at this year's Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, which will be held June 11 at Koko in London, England.

LAMB OF GOD is up for an impressive five awards at the event, including "Best Album", "Best Live Band" and "Best International Band". Also nominated are British IRON MAIDEN, VELVET REVOLVER and AVENGED SEVENFOLD, among many others.

For a complete list of this year's nominees, click here

According to MansonUSA.com, the track listing has been finalized for the new MARILYN MANSON album, "Eat Me, Drink Me", tentatively due on June 5. It is as follows:

01. If I Was Your Vampire
02. Putting Holes in Happiness
03. The Red Carpet Grave
04. They Said Hell Is Not Hot
05. Just a Car Crash Away
06. Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand)
07. Evidence
08. Are You the Rabbit?
09. Mutilation is the Most Sincere Form of Flattery
10. You and Me and The Devil Makes 3
11. EAT ME, DRINK ME

Note: The title track will appear in all capital letters.

MANSON will issue "Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides The Hand)" as the first single from "Eat Me, Drink Me", according to Universal Music France. The track is expected to arrive at radio stations by the middle of this month and will be accompanied by a video shot in 3D. The clip is said to be an excerpt from a larger project that Manson is filming with "Titanic" director James Cameron, although that collaboration has yet to be officially confirmed.

The album will reportedly be available in both a standard and collector's edition.

MANSON is scheduled to support the album with a summer tour co-headlined by SLAYER.

LINKIN PARK explodes at the top of the charts this week with its first single, "What I've Done", from its long-awaited third studio album, "Minutes to Midnight". Breaking an all-time record with six consecutive #1's in a row, LINKIN PARK debuted at #1 at Alternative and #3 on Active charts. In addition to its radio impact, the song has already sold over 100,000 downloads on iTunes. The video for "What I've Done", directed by band member / DJ Joseph Hahn, premiered on MTV and AOL last week. "Minutes to Midnight", co-produced by Mike Shinoda and Rick Rubin is due out on May 15 on Machine Shop/Warner Bros.

RAZORBACK, the band consisting of Rolf Munkes (guitar, MAJESTY, ex-VANIZE), Stefan Berggren (vocals, ex-COMPANY OF SNAKES) and Chris Heun (guitar, ex-SHYLOCK) has uploaded two songs from its upcoming third album, "Deadringer", on its MySpace page . Check out the tracks "The Last Man Standing" and "Hero" at this location.

Due on April 20 via the Munich, Germany-based label Metal Heaven, "Deadringer" will feature the following track listing:

01. The Faint Distant Bell Ring (Intro)
02. Deadringer
03. The Last Man Standing
04. Take Me To The Other Side
05. Hero
06. Line Of Fire
07. Burden
08. Miracle Baby
09. Rock and Roll Life In Hellsink
10. Let Me Give My Lovin
11. Razor Blues

"Deadringer" features the drumming of Mike Terrana (MASTERPLAN, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, AXEL RUDI PELL, METALIUM, RAGE).

Founding member and guitarist Oscar Dronjak of the Swedish melodic metallers HAMMERFALL has issued the following update:

"The waiting and speculation is over. Magnus [Rosén, bass] has been replaced. The new guy should be no stranger to any HAMMERFALL fan: re-enter Fredrik Larsson, original member of the band and fugutive for the past decade. Fredrik brings structure to the rhythm section and I think you will definitely hear and feel the difference when we play live. Drummer Anders Johansson remarked, "He plays with a pick, for one, and has a great groove and timing, all of which will make HAMMERFALL sound better than we ever have before." Guitarist Stefan Elgrem chimed in: "We are all very psyched about this and can't wait to get on the road again." Lead singer Joacim Cans added, "Fredrik recorded 'Glory To The Brave' with us, so he's definitely a part of the family. It's great to have him back!"

Larsson had the following to say about rejoining the band: "I am very happy and excited to be back! I have known the guys for more than ten years and we have kept in touch all the time, so it is not as if I come in a complete stranger. We played a few songs together last weekend, and it felt like 1997 was just a couple of weeks ago."

Four demo tracks for VOIVOD's "Katorz" album have been posted online at the Voivodfan.com web site. Download the songs "Mr. Clean", "The Getaway", "Red My Mind" and "After All" at this location.

VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin recently commented on the rumors that the band is planning to embark on a tour once the group's bassist Jason "Jasonic" Newsted has recovered from his recent shoulder injury.

Said Away: "Well, we certainly hope to be able to promote the next album and [last year's] 'Katorz' live in 2008 but no plans have been laid down yet. Of course, we're not thinking of replacing [guitarist] Piggy [who died of colon cancer in August 2005]. It would be more of a tribute to him type of thing. It's still too early to think about a tour. In fact, I'm preparing myself mentally to hear Piggy's tracks in the headphones in the studio in the fall 2007!"

VOIVOD will enter the studio this fall to begin recording the follow-up to "Katorz".

The cover artwork for CARNAL FORGE's upcoming sixth album, "Testify for My Victims", has been posted online at http://www.carnalforge.com/images/cf_tfmv_cd_large.jpg. Due in May via Candlelight Records, the follow-up to 2004's "Aren't You Dead Yet?" was recorded, mixed and mastered over a four-and-a-half-month period and was produced by CARNAL FORGE.

"Testify for My Victims" track listing:

01. Testify For My Victims
02. Burning Eden
03. Numb (The Dead)
04. Godsend Gods End
05. End Game
06. Questions Pertaining The Ownership Of My Mind
07. Freedom By Mutilation
08. Subhuman
09. No Longer Bleeding
10. Biological Waste Matter
11. Lost Legion
12. Ante Mori

"Testify For My Victims" was mixed at Black Lounge Studios. Two videos have already been filmed for the album tracks "Numb" and "Burning Eden", both directed by Owe Lingvall (Village Road Film). The "Burning Eden" clip can be viewed at YouTube.com.

Frontiers Records has set a May release date for "The Revenge", the greatly anticipated second charter of the ALLEN / LANDE musical alliance.

The first result of Jorn Lande and Russell Allen's collaboration, "The Battle" was unleashed in September 2005 with unanimous acclaim from fans and critics alike. Many web sites and magazines named it "Record of the Year." Its success made it one of the most popular releases ever in melodic heavy metal, thanks to beautiful, sweeping piano and keyboards, heavy guitar riffs, virtuoso guitar solos, hooky choruses and the vocal talents of two of the finest heavy metal vocalists around.

Russell Allen is the singer of the American progressive metal band SYMPHONY X, who have released six studio albums and one live record so far. More than once SYMPHONY X received accolades such as "Best Progressive Power Metal Band Worldwide" or awards for the "Best Progressive Metal Album of the Year."

Highly rated ex-MASTERPLAN vocalist Jorn Lande has a vocal capability that is world class, distinctive, rich and spanning a large range. He is in high demand and has appeared as guest or sung for such bands as MILLENIUM, ARK, THE SNAKES and many others. He is also a well-known solo artist with six studio albums released, since the debut "Starfire" in 1999.

Once again songs were written by guitar sensation Magnus Karlsson (STARBREAKER, LAST TRIBE), while the artwork for "The Revenge" was specially designed for this project by Rodney Matthews (DIAMOND HEAD, MAGNUM, ASIA etc.)

Heavier and with a tighter production, thanks to the involvement of Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69, ANGRA, PLACE VENDOME) at the mix, this album will excite the many fans who loved the first chapter and everyone who declares themselves fan of quality hard rock or metal.

"The Revenge" track listing:

01. The Revenge (vocals: Jorn and Russell)
02. Obsessed (Russell)
03. Victory (Jorn and Russell)
04. Master Of Sorrow (Jorn)
05. Will You Follow (Russell)
06. Just A Dream (Jorn and Russell)
07. Her Spell (Jorn)
08. Gone Too Far (Russell)
09. Wake Up Call (Jorn and Russell)
10. Under The Waves (Jorn)
11. Who Can You Trust (Jorn and Russell)
12. When Time Doesn't Heal (Jorn and Russell)

Check out audio samples at this location

Metal Mind Productions has set a May 14 European release date for the new SOLITUDE AETURNUS and ONSLAUGHT live DVDs, entitled "Hour of Despair" and "Live Polish Assault 2007" respectively. The footage for both discs was filmed/recorded on February 12, 2007 at the Stodola Club in Warsaw, Poland.

SOLITUDE AETURNUS's critically acclaimed new album, "Alone", was released in November through Massacre Records. The CD was recorded at Nomad Studios in Carrolton, Texas with Sterling Winfield (PANTERA) and J.T. Longoria (KING DIAMOND) sharing engineering duties.

ONSLAUGHT's new album, "Killing Peace", was released earlier in the month via Candlelight Records. The CD was recorded at Backstage studio in Derbyshire, England with producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, MACHINE HEAD, ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE).

Former BLACK SABBATH frontman Tony Martin has posted the following message on his official web site:

"I became a grandfather recently but the baby was born with severe brain damage and is likely to be quite disabled. Normally it would be a huge drama but my lady already has a disabled boy of 19 years and her sister also has a disabled boy so I have lived with it for some years and was able to put a more positive view on it. These kids can achieve quite a lot given help, and so I still have hope.

"I also just got a new house and that has taken up five months of ridiculous paperwork bashing!!!!

"Apart from that I'm still standing and writing and I've had a new publishing deal offer which I'm concidering. Also offers for festivals this year are already coming in and a DVD of us at the Bang Your Head!!! festival is being released as we speak.

"I still have live stuff to release and I'm working on that."

Martin's latest solo album, "Scream", was released in November 2005 via MTM Music. The CD features legendary drummer Cozy Powell (BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, WHITESNAKE) on "Raising Hell" as well as songwriting contributions by another SABBATH member, Geoff Nicholls.

German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR have posted the following message on their official web site:

"We had a great vocal/guitar session over the weekend! Stefan [Leibing, guitar] finished his guitar work for our new album at the U3 studio with our good friend Achim Köhler engineering. Ralf [Scheepers] recorded another vocal track. We're only a few steps away to finalize the recordings and we're ready to mix the album. Swedish guitar hero Magnus Karlsson (STARBREAKER, ALLEN/LANDE) played two fantastic [leads], alternate guns with Stefan, and we're waiting for one spot by GAMMA RAY's Kai Hansen and the comeback of doctor Henny Wolter! We will start to mix the album on April 15th with Ronald Prent (RAMMSTEIN, MANOWAR, IRON MAIDEN) at the Galaxy Studio in Belgium.

"First, we didn't want to play any festival shows during this summer, because our new album release is scheduled for August 31st, 2007, but after a nice discussion, we confirmed to play the Rock Am Haertsfeldsee on June 30th — very close to our home, together with MOTÖRHEAD, SAXON and more!"

Songtitles set to appear on the follow-up to 2005's "Seven Seals" include "Save Me", "Fighting the Darkness", "Every Time It Rains" (featuring a guest appearance by EPICA singer Simone Simons) and "Torn". A summer release via Frontiers Records is expected.

Swedish heavy metal masters LION'S SHARE will film a video for the song "The Edge of the Razor" on April 15 in Stockholm. The track features a guest solo from Bruce Kulick (KISS), and comes off the group's comeback album, "Emotional Coma", which is scheduled for release on June 15 through AFM Records. Check out the cover artwork at www.lionsshare.org.

According to a press release, "Emotional Coma" is "the heaviest and most powerful LION'S SHARE record to date" and it features guest appearances by Kulick, Glen Drover (MEGADETH) and Mats Levén (THERION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN). The band features guitar player and founding member Lars Chriss, along with vocalist Patrik Johansson (ASTRAL DOORS, WUTHERING HEIGHTS), bass player Sampo Axelsson (GLENN HUGHES) and well-known session drummer Richard Evensand (CHIMAIRA, SOILWORK, THERION).

"Emotional Coma" track listing:

01. Cult of Denial
02. The Arsonist
03. Emotional Coma (feat. Glen Drover)
04. Clones of Fate
05. The Edge of the Razor (feat. Bruce Kulick)
06. Toxication Rave
07. Trafficking
08. Bloodstained Soil
09. Soultaker
10. Hatred's My Fuel
11. Sorcerers (ANGEL WITCH cover)
12. Ring of Stupidity (bonus track for Japan and digipak)