Finnish folk-influenced melodic death metal band ENSIFERUM has set the tentative track listing for its third album, "Victory Songs", for a February 21 release via Spinefarm. The CD was recorded at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki with producer Janne Joutsenniemi.

"Victory Songs" (view cover here) track listing:

01. Ad Victoriam
02. Blood Is the Prince of Glory
03. Deathbringer from the Sky
04. Ahti
05. One More Magic Potion
06. Wanderer
07. Raised by the Sword
08. The New Dawn
09. Victory Song

A CD single, "One More Magic Potion", will precede the album on February 7. Also included on the single will be the non-album track "Lady in Black".

The cover artwork of the new MASTERPLAN CD, entitled "MK II", has been posted online at this location. Due on February 23 via AFM Records, the album is the first full-length release to feature the group's new lineup — left to right in picture: Roland Grapow (guitar), Jan S. Eckert (bass), Mike Terrana (drums; YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, AXEL RUDI PELL, METALIUM, RAGE), Axel Mackenrott (keyboards) and Mike DiMeo (vocals; RIOT, THE LIZARDS). A single, entitled "Lost and Gone" (cover) will precede the album on on January 26. An audio sample of the EP's title cut has been posted online at this location (audio player in upper right-hand corner).

MASTERPLAN will make its live debut with the group's new lineup on February 23 at the Break The Barriers Festival in Bremen, Germany at Tivoli. Also scheduled to appear are MOB RULES and ETERNAL REIGN.

Long-running Belgian black metal warlords ENTHRONED have announced the return of addition of bassist Phorgath to the group's ranks. "Phorgath used to be [the] session guitar player [for ENTHRONED] after Nerath Daemon's departure and is the frontman of Belgian death/black metal band EMPTINESS," the group writes in a statement.

In other news, ENTHRONED has announced that guitarist Nornagest will take over the lead vocals in the group following the departure of frontman Sabathan last October.

ENTHRONED's follow-up to 2004's "Xes Haereticum", "Tetra Karcist" is now scheduled to be recorded this summer for a late 2007/early 2008 release via Napalm Records. "This little delay is due to all the chaos that occurred within the last year," says the band.

ENTHRONED's last release was the "Black Goat Ritual" live album, which came out in 2005 via Napalm. The CD was recorded live in Porto Allegre, Brazil in 2004 and was produced and engineered by Treck and Dr. Feelgood.

German melodic speed metallers FREEDOM CALL are tentatively scheduled to release theeir new album, "Dimensions", on April 20. According to drummer Daniel Zimmermann (also in GAMMA RAY), the CD will contain 11 "fast and melodic speed hymns," which will be similar in style to the band's 2002 album, "Eternity".

"Dimensions" track listing (in no particular oder):

01. Mr. Evil
02. Far Away
03. Mission Divine
04. Firestorm
05. Dimensions
06. Blackened Sun
07. Power
08. Starborn
09. Ride the Universe
10. Heaven is Hell
11. Castaway

According to a posting on KATATONIA's official web site, Fascination Street studio owner and producer Jens Bogren will mix the band's "The Great Cold Distance" album in 5.1 Surround Sound. The effort will be released as a double digipack, with the 5.1 mix on Disc 1 and the original album version plus two bonus tracks ("Displaced" and "Dissolving Bonds") on disc 2. The entire layout has been mirrored to a negative look of the original art to enhance and differentiate the packaging. The release date is set for March 12 via Peaceville Records.

As previously reported, Peaceville has bought rights to the masters of KATATONIA's back catalog previously released on Avantgarde Music and is remastering and reissuing all the full-length albums in digipack format. First up was "Brave Murder Day" (1996), also featuring the "Sounds of Decay" EP (1997) as a bonus, along with revamped artwork and liner notes from the band. Peaceville has also bought the rights to some of the KATATONIA members' sideprojects, including DIABOLICAL MASQUERADE and OCTOBER TIDE, with reissues to follow in the near future.

Finland's SOULRELIC has issued the following update:

"Two more songs available for download at here. (Note: You can read the lyrics of the song by clicking 'Kappaleen sanat', right below the 'Download'.) There are now three songs available, of which two, 'Like the Rain of Shame We Fall' and 'The Evergreen Pastures of Grave', are unmastered demo versions, recorded and mixed in haste, and the third one, the infamous 'Coins', is the final version, which was supposed to be released as a single via Spinefarm before they realized how bad we are."

The above-mentioned three songs are expected to appear on SOULRELIC's upcoming album, tentatively due next year. The CD's tentative track listing is as follows (in no particular order):

01. I'll Let the Gallow Win
02. The Evergreen Pastures of Grave
03. This Land
04. Coins
05. Dead King
06. Such a Pleasant Life
07. Loose
08. Oh, I Hate
09. Crawl to Perish
10. Like the Rain of Shame We Fall

SOULRELIC bassist Pecu Talala was recently forced to miss a couple of gigs due to a knee injury. Replacing him temporarily was Mikko "Speedy" Uusimaa from REFLEXION.

SOULRELIC's debut album, "Love is a Lie We Both Believed", was released in Japan in February via Marquee Inc. The Japanese version of the CD includes a bonus track — a previously unreleased song called "Tears Are Home". The album, which was released in Finland on the Spinefarm label, was mixed by Hiili Hiilesmaa, who has previously worked with such acts as H.I.M., SENTENCED, MOONSPELL and THE 69 EYES.

SOULRELIC's lineup on "Love is a Lie We Both Believed" included current TO/DIE/FOR guitarist Antza Talala. The axeman left SOULRELIC in January, citing "personal conflicts within the band" as the reason for the split.

The brand new Les Joyaux de la Princesse opus "Aux Volontaires Croix de Sang" based on the obscure 1930’s "Croix de Sang" movement will be out on January 22nd. This album contains the first all new material for a very long time, with the exception of a re-worked track from the extremely limited and immediately sold out "Croix de Bois" 10". Some of the material on this release was already used during the latest Les Joyaux de la Princesse concerts for instance at the Triumvirat festival. The release comes as a limited edition digipak with copper debossed finition and 12 pages full color booklet. All in all 15 tracks spread over 64 minutes. For the hardcore fans, there will be an even more limited edition boxset announced later on, but expect a high price. The tracks on the normal edition are:

1. Sur la tombe d'un Camarade (1919)
   
2. Champs des Martyrs
   
3. Décorés au péril de leur vie
   
4. Marche des Croix de Sang (et allocution du Capitaine Hanot d'Hartoy)
   
5. Pour sauver l'ordre
   
6. La voix Nationale (Français choisissez)
   
7. Des cris dans la tempête
   
8. L'union des Patriotes (1927-1929)
   
9. Impressions d'un officier blessé
   
10. Pour la Patrie (Croix de Feu et Combattants volontaires)
    
11. Hymne des Croix de Sang (1934)
    
12. Les Croix de Feu (chanté par Marcel Dambrine)
    
13. Aux Volontaires Croix de Sang
    
14. Front-Franc et Flambeau
    
15. Cimetière (chanté par Charles Panzéra)
    

PANTHEON I, the Norwegian extreme metal band featuring vocalist/guitarist Andrè Kvebek (1349) and guitarist John Espen Sagstad (TROLLFEST, SARKOM), has set "The Wanderer and His Shadow" as the title of its upcoming CD, due on April 2 through Candlelight Records. Clocking in at just over 40 minutes, the album was recorded and mixed by Christian Wibe at Nye Losjen studios in Sofiemyr, Norway and features artwork by Kjell Åge Meland, who did the front cover to the band's debut release, "Atrocity Divine".

"The Wanderer and His Shadow" track listing:

01. Origin of Sin
02. The Wanderer and his Shadow
03. Cyanide Storm
04. Coming to an End
05. Shedim
06. Where Angels Burn
07. My Curse
08. Chaos Incarnate

"Coming to an End" features a guest appearance by SOLEFALD vocalist Lazare Nedland, while Nachtgarm from NEGATOR appears on "Chaos Incarnate". Former PANTHEON I member Gunhild contributes "her great violin skills" on "Where Angels Burn". A pre-production version of the song "Core of the Soul" has been made available for download in the "Media" section of the band's official homepage

Available on World Chaos Productions, PANTHEON I's debut album, "Atrocity Divine", was mixed at I.Y.F. Studios in Oslo, Norway by Martin Storm-Olsen and PANTHEON-I, and was mastered at Strype Audio by Tom Kvålsvoll.

PANTHEON I combine aspects of black, death, progressive and speed metal to create a unique sound that features violin and cello. "Atrocity Divine" is said to apeal to those "who have a fascination for brutal, extreme and melancholic music."

The live album from the TRIBUZY project (led by Brazilian musician Renato Tribuzy) — recorded at the Credicard Hall in São Paulo, Brazil in November 2005 and featuring special guest appearances by Bruce Dickinson (IRON MAIDEN), Mat Sinner (PRIMAL FEAR), Ralf Scheepers (PRIMAL FEAR), Roy Z, Roland Grapow (MASTERPLAN, ex-HELLOWEEN), Kiko Loureiro (ANGRA) and Chris Dale (BRUCE DICKINSON) — will be released in South America and Asia this month. Entitled "Execution – Live Reunion", the 11-song effort includes a song called "The Means", which was originally released only as a bonus track on the "Execution" album in Asia. The CD was produced by Roy Z and Renato Tribuzy, and mixed by Roy Z at Mountain View studio, in Los Angeles.

"Execution – Live Reunion" will be released in Europe, Canada and USA in March. A DVD of the same concerts will be released later in the year.

Floridian death metallers DEICIDE kicked off their European tour on Friday, January 5 without frontman Glen Benton, who reportedly was forced to stay home to take care of pressing legal matters (although this has not been officially confirmed). Replacing Benton for the first four dates of DEICIDE's tour is SEVERE TORTURE drummer Seth van Loo, who previously took care of vocals in CENTURIAN and NOX.

Seth van Loo apparently learned 17 songs in one afternoon and did "a great job" at the first show of the trek, which took place in Eindhoven, Holland. [NOTE: Seth van Loo is only singing in the band; he is NOT playing bass. There is currently no replacement bassist in the group.]

Finnish goth metallers THE 69 EYES will release their new album, "Angels", in Finland n March 5 via Virgin/EMI. The album was produced by Hiili Hiilesmaa and Johnny Lee Michaels — the same team that was responsible for 2004's "Devils". The video for the first single, "Perfect Skin", was directed by Ralf Strathmann and it was filmed in Hollywood in mid-October 2006. You can watch the clip here. The commercial release of the single will be in January/February, depending on your country. The additional tracks on the single will be live versions of "Devils", "Christina Death" and "I Just Want to Have Something to Do" (originally by THE RAMONES) recorded at Whisky a Go-Go in Hollywood in March 2006.

"Angels" track listing:

01. Angels
02. Never Say Die
03. Rocker
04. Ghost
05. Perfect Skin
06. Wings & Hearts
07. Star Of Fate
08. Los Angeles
09. In My Name
10. Shadow Of Your Love
11. Frankenhooker

The limited edition of "Angels" will include a bonus DVD containing the "Perfect Skin" video, a five-song live set from Hollywood’s Whisky a Go-Go in 2006 and "On The Route 69", a short film based on Ville Juurikkala's photos.

As previously reported, Cleopatra Records is releasing THE 69 EYES' entire back catalogue in the U.S. "Framed In Blood - The Very Blessed Of…" compilation CD, the "Helsinki Vampires" live album and videos DVD, and the albums "Paris Kills" and "Blessed Be" are already out. More will follow during the year.

After four critically acclaimed albums, Swedish melodic death metal band ETERNAL OATH has decided to split up. According to a press release, the decision by the bandmembers to go their separate ways was "unanimous as all members of the band strongly feel that songwriting and recording sessions recently have taken them in a direction that honestly has little to do with what ETERNAL OATH has always been about. The band feels that as none of them any longer has an interest in writing or playing traditional death metal, it would only be unfair to release yet another album under that name. The future endeavours of the guys in the band as well as the fate of the new songs [are], as yet, undetermined."

ETERNAL OATH last year parted ways with original singer Joni Mäensivu and replaced him with Timo Hovinen. The band also announced plans to release their first two albums on one CD. The set, entitled "Re-Released Hatred", includes the band's debut mini-CD, "So Silent" (1996), as well as its follow-up, "Through the Eyes of Hatred" (1998), both of which have been hard to come by for several years. In addition, it features a bonus track: a "mind-blowing" cover of AT THE GATES' "The Fevered Circle". All tracks have been re-mastered with greatly enhanced sound and the CD also includes a completely new, re-designed booklet.

ETERNAL OATH's third full-length album, "Wither", was released in March 2005 via Black Lodge Records. The follow-up to 2001's "Righteous" was recorded at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg and was mastered at Polar studios in Stockholm.

Dutch female-fronted symphonic metal band WITHIN TEMPTATION has set "The Heart of Everything" as the title of its new album, due later in the year in the U.S. via Roadrunner Records. Check out the CD cover artwork at this location.

The album's first single, to be released this spring, "What Have You Done", features a duet with Keith Caputo of LIFE OF AGONY. Other songtitles from the forthcoming CD include "The Howling" and "Final Destination". The band filmed the video for "What Have You Done" on December 13, 2006 at Koko in London.

WITHIN TEMPTATION recently spent time in a Stockholm studio mixing with Stefan Glaumann, known for his work with RAMMSTEIN.

POISON has announced plans to go into the studio to record an album of classic rock songs and they want the fans' input. Post your cover-song suggestions in the comments section of the band's official Myspace by January 10 and it just might show up on their new record coming in late spring.

POISON released a new greatest-hits set back in April 2006 called "The Best Of Poison: 20 Years of Rock", which includes their cover version of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD's "We're An American Band". The CD, which which commemorates POISON's 20th anniversary, has sold more than 325,000 copies in the United States so far, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Danish power metallers MANTICORA recently entered the studio to begin recording their upcoming sixth full-length album, "The Black Circus, Part 2". The companion CD to last year's "The Black Circus, Part 1 – Letters" will be mixed at the Jailhouse studios in Horsens, Denmark between January 25, 2007 and February 1 with producer Tommy Hansen (HELLOWEEN, TNT, PRETTY MAIDS, FATE).

In other news, MANTICORA is currently recording a cover of TANKARD's "Total Addiction" ("a real thrash metal classic!!!" according to the band) for a TANKARD tribute album, to be released later in the year by AFM Records.

The two-album "The Black Circus" concept project tells the story of the horrific perils of a traveling circus in the 19th century.

Danish symphonic metallers EVIL MASQUERADE have posted their video for the song "Black Ravens Cry" at YouTube. The track comes off the group's third album, "Third Act", which was released last May in Japan and Southeast Asia via Marqee/Avalon. The CD was recorded at Stonelab (Copenhagen, Denmark), Lipton (Malmö, Sweden) Sonic Adventures (Princeton Junction, USA) and Digital Bitch (Copenhagen, Denmark) studios and features guest appearances by keyboardists David Rosenthal (RAINBOW, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, VINNIE MOORE, STEVE VAI) and Richard Andersson (TIME REQUIEM, SPACE ODYSSEY).

"Lullaby renditions" of songs by PANTERA, SLAYER, KISS, METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN, and OZZY OSBOURNE, among others, are featured on "Rockabye Baby!", a compilation album that aims to take "the best indie, metal and rock songs and [craft] them into radiant instrumental lullabies!" according to the official product description. "Your little one can now fall asleep to the sounds of METALLICA, LED ZEP, MAIDEN, NIRVANA, TOOL, KISS, PANTERA, SLAYER and more!"

Available at HotTopic.com, "Rockabye Baby!" (view cover here) features the following track listing:

01. Heart-Shaped Box (Lullaby to NIRVANA)
02. Under The Bridge (Lullaby to RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS)
03. Schism (Lullaby to TOOL)
04. Hollow (Lullaby to PANTERA)
05. I Was Made For Lovin' You (Lullaby to KISS)
06. Nothing Else Matters (Lullaby to METALLICA)
07. Seasons In The Abyss (Lullaby to SLAYER)
08. Hallowed Be Thy Name (Lullaby to IRON MAIDEN)
09. No More Tears (Lullaby to OZZY OSBOURNE)
10. Buffalo Soldier (Lullaby to BOB MARLEY)
11. Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You (Lullaby to LED ZEPPELIN)
12. I Wanna Live (Lullabye to RAMONES)

Danish metallers RAUNCHY have issued the following update:

"2006 has been a great year for RAUNCHY with the release and great response [to] 'Death Pop Romance', great festival appearances, the SOULFLY tour, The Danish Dynamite tour, the prizes we won at the Danish Metal Awards and all the fans who appreciate what we do — thank you.

"2007 will start off with more songwriting for album number 4, which hopefully will see the light of day around autumn/winter 2007. Our old label Mighty Music/Drugs has decided to re-release the classic debut album 'Velvet Noise' in February/March. This re-release will be called 'Velvet Noise Extended' and features four bonus tracks and new artwork with liner notes... More info here.

"So far the first live appearance for 2007 will take RAUNCHY to Moscow, Russia... and more dates will soon be announced.

THE CURSED, the new band featuring vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (OVERKILL) and former HADES guitarist Dan Lorenzo, has posted audio samples of the tracks "Leven Als God in Frankrijk" (Living like a God in France) and the single "Evil, In The Bag" on its MySpace.

THE CURSED, which also features bassist Job The Raver (MURDER 1) and drummer Mike Cristi (NON-FICTION), recently finished the recording of its Screaming Ferret Wreckords debut, tentatively titled "Room Full of Sinners". The CD was completed at Crystal Studios in New Jersey, before and after OVERKILL's successful stint on the Gigantour, which also featured MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD. Mike Koenig from Crystal Studios engineered.

"Room Full of Sinners" tentative track listing:

01. Sweeter
02. Evil, in the Bag
03. Breaking Her Down
04. Best of the Worst
05. Native Tongue
06. Serpentine Slither
07. All's Right
08. Leven Als God in Frankrijk
09. One Time
10. Queen of the Down
11. Generate Her

"I can't wait for people to hear this CD," said Lorenzo. "People have never heard Blitz sing like this, he has some Bon Scott and Steven Tyler in him."

Lorenzo continued, "Our upcoming single, 'Evil, In The Bag', is real catchy and there are some really heavy songs on this CD, but there are a couple songs that will surprise people. The entire disc is solid."

Acclaimed Australian atmospheric/gothic/doom metal band THE ETERNAL has issued the following update:

"We have been busy writing material for the yet-to-be-named third album. Currently 16 tracks have been developed and about 10 being close to completion. Tracks so far include 'Silence', 'Without Reason', 'Brighter Day', 'Blood', 'I've Seen The Dream Through Someone Else's Eyes', 'Sunshine' and 'Inside The Grey'. At this stage it is unclear which of the tracks will make the final cut and we hope to hit the studio by mid 2007 at the latest.

"The last few years have been like a blur and it has been great to have some more time to reflect and spend on the writing process. We aim to do a few shows early in 2007 to remind you all that we are alive and we will no doubt be finally playing a few new tracks."

THE ETERNAL earlier in the year parted ways with bassist James Hunt. The band released its sophomore album, "Sleep of Reason", late last year through Firebox Records to critical acclaim, with stunning artwork provided by renowned artist Travis Smith.

EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet has tapped KISS/ALICE COOPER drummer Eric Singer to play on the upcoming third installment of his solo project AVANTASIA.

"We've recorded the drums in Hamburg at Vox Klangstudio, where we recorded the drums of EDGUY's 'Hellfire Club' too," says Sammet. "Great room, great equipment!

"Eric is a killer drummer and a cool guy to work with. It is really exciting to hear his interpretation of European-style metal. It definitely adds something fresh and unique to the sound, mainly because he's got a different approach to that kind of music. And although he doesn't do it with ALICE COOPER, KISS and SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS' solo band: There IS fast double-bass shit on AVANTASIA, and Eric did a great job!!! You'll hear it, it's fantastic.

"Anyway, listening to the material so far I can really say that even though the new AVANTASIA will be a different conceptual story, the ambition remains the same: To create something epic and big! Or how Eric put it, 'Let's make some kewl music!' No doubt, the spirit of AVANTASIA is there — in every note."

BLABBERMOUTH.NET can reveal the track listing and artwork for the forthcoming TYPE O NEGATIVE album, entitled "Dead Again". The follow-up to 2003's "Life Is Killing Me" will include a guest appearance by LYCIA vocalist Tara VanFlower and is scheduled for release on the following dates:

March 13 - USA/Canada
March 16 - Germany
March 19 - Europe

"Dead Again" (view cover at this location) track listing:

01. Dead Again
02. Tripping a Blind Man
03. The Profits of Doom
04. September Sun
05. Halloween in Heaven
06. These Three Things
07. She Burned Me Down
08. Some Stupid Tomorrow
09. An Ode to Locksmiths
10. Hail and Farewell to Britain
this location

TESTAMENT's classic late '80s/early '90s period has been well documented over the years by several compilations. However, the group's latter era has thus far slipped through the cracks as far as compilations go. On February 13, this will change, as "The Spitfire Collection" will be issued.

Consisting of tracks from such Spitfire/Testament titles as "The Gathering", "Demonic", "Live at the Fillmore", "First Strike Still Deadly" and "Live in London", the 14-track set chronicles an era that ultimately saw the original TESTAMENT reunite for a successful 2005 tour.

As a result, "The Spitfire Collection" features both live versions of such TESTAMENT classics as "Practice What You Preach", "Over the Wall", and "Souls of Black", as well as such oft-overlooked studio tracks as "Careful What You Wish For" and "The Burning Times".

01. The New Order
02. Souls of Black
03. Practice What You Preach
04. Hatred's Rise
05. The Burning Times
06. John Doe
07. Careful What You Wish For
08. Down for Life
09. Riding the Snake
10. Over the Wall
11. The Preacher
12. Into the Pit
13. Trial by Fire
14. Disciples of the Watch

A video clip of Swedish "gothic metallers" BESEECH performing the ABBA cover "Gimme Gimme Gimme" last year at Sticky Fingers in Gothenburg, Sweden has been made available for download at this location (Windows Media, 172 MB!). The clip comes off the band's upcoming DVD, "The Drama Ends…", which will feature live performance footage, backstage material, studio recordings, clips from tours, festivals and other "crazy things that happened through the years," according to a posting on the group's web site. A 2007 release is expected.

BESEECH recently announced its decision to split up after over 15 years in the business. The band played its final gig on December 15 at Trägårn in its hometown of Borås, Sweden.

BESEECH's final release was their fifth album, "Sunless Days", which came out in September 2005 through Napalm Records.

The follow-up to 2004's "Drama", "Sunless Days" was recorded at StudioMega in Varberg, Sweden and included a a cover of the DANZIG track "Devil's Plaything" as well as a re-recording of the song "Manmade Dreams" (on the digipack version only) from BESEECH's second album, "Black Emotions".

Progressive metal act SYMPHONY X is continuing work on its follow-up to 2002's "The Odyssey", entitled "Paradise Lost", tentatively due in early 2007. The following message has been issued by the group's official webmaster:

"Spoke to [guitarist Michael James Romeo] for a while this afternoon, and here's what he had to say: They had planned to start the mix on the CD this week, but were delayed a bit overall by the holiday earlier this week, so mixing has been rescheduled for January. Russ [Allen, vocals] has three songs to finish (and was on his way to The Dungeon as Mike and I spoke) and hopes to be done with his recording by the weekend, and MJR has a couple more solos that he wants to record, as well as getting some loose ends tied up and polishing things up overall. They are still aiming for a spring '07 release, and Mike had some pretty exciting things to say about the material, saying that it has something for old fans and new fans alike, so I'm confident more than ever in saying that the CD will be well worth the wait. So there IS light at the end of the tunnel, and the band appreciates your patience greatly; stay tuned for more info soon!"

SYMPHONY X was forced to cancel a couple of European festival appearances this past summer after bassist Michael LePond was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease (an inflammatory bowel disorder). He has since underegone surgery and has been released from the hospital.

RIOT/THE LIZARDS vocalist Mike DiMeo, who recently replaced Jorn Lande as the singer of MASTERPLAN, has issued the following statement:

"In response to all the mail I have been receiving about my status with RIOT.... I have had many great years with the band, and I am tremendously proud of all the work I have done with them, especially [the latest CD] 'Army of One', but at this point in my life and career, I prefer to forge ahead with a new path musically. I look forward to a new creative beginning with MASTERPLAN, who are an incredibly talented and motivated group of guys!! I wish RIOT the best of luck in the future and will always consider them brothers."

RIOT's latest album, "Army of One", was released in Europe in October via Metal Heaven. The CD was issued in Japan on July 17 via the Toshiba-EMI label.

RIOT's current touring lineup includes singer Mike Tirelli (MESSIAH'S KISS, HOLY MOTHER, BURNING STARR), who has been filling in for DiMeo due to DiMeo's previous commitments with THE LIZARDS (also featuring drummer Bobby Rondinelli of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT/BLACK SABBATH/RAINBOW fame).

Launch Radio Networks reports: BLUE ÖYSTER CULT has announced the bonus tracks for two album reissues coming out February 13.

The Legacy Edition of the 1978 live album "Some Enchanted Evening" will double from seven to 14 tracks, with previously unreleased performances of "ME 262", "Harvester of Eyes", "Hot Rails To Hell", "Summer Of Love", "5 Guitars", STEPPENWOLF's "Born To Be Wild", and an alternate version of the ANIMALS' "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place". The album will also come with a bonus 11-track DVD recorded in 1978 at the Capitol Center in Landover, Maryland, and new liner notes by PATTI SMITH GROUP guitarist Lenny Kaye.

The 1977 album "Spectres" — which featured the hits "Godzilla" and "Goin' Through the Motions" — comes with four bonus tracks from the recording sessions, including the originals "Night Flyer", "M For Murder", "Please Hold", and a cover of the RONETTES' "Be My Baby". Kaye wrote liner notes for this reissue as well.

"Spectres" was certified gold, while "Some Enchanted Evening" hit the platinum mark.

SAXON's manager Thomas Jensen has posted the following message on the group's official web site:

"The band has just finished the new album. The album is called 'The Inner Sanctum', released 5th of March. There will be a single released of the album in late January [or] early February. As you know, we been filming for three months in association with Harvey Goldsmith. As part of this, we are playing a gig at Sheffield City Hall on 26th of January. the band are bringing the eagle and the full European production and the band will be playing some of the new songs. There's also going to be some special t-shirts for the event. Watch out for a radio for a radio show Biff [Byford, vocals] did on www.totalrock.com. The dates for Biff's show are 4th January at midday and 7th January at 11pm (GMT)."

SAXON vocalist Biff Byford had the following to say about the band's upcoming single:

"We are going to release a new single soon off the new album, called 'If I Was You'. I wrote the lyrics based on gun and knife crime having seen so many tragic stories of somebody getting knifed to death for a mobile phone and three quid or some young mother caught in the crossfire between two idiots with guns. 'If I was you and you were me, would you live your life differently?'"

Old-school thrashers SPEED\KILL/HATE have announced the addition of singer Bob Barnack to the group's ranks. "Bob stepped up and delivered big time," guitarist Dave Linsk (also in OVERKILL) writes on the band's web site. "He is a great new addition to SPEED\KILL/HATE."

SPEED\KILL/HATE's follow-up to its Escapi Music debut, "Acts of Insanity", tentatively titled "No Remorse, No Regrets", has been recorded and is scheduled for release in early 2007. "[The new CD] is ready for mixdown," says Linsk. "Everyone did an excellent job and the product speaks for itself."

SPEED\KILL/HATE's debut album, "Acts of Insanity", which was released in June, features Linsk and Mario Frasca on vocals (of note, OVERKILL drummer Tim Mallare and OVERKILL guitarist Derek Tailer play on the album as well).

"Acts of Insanity" was originally released in Europe in February 2005 via Listenable Records. A video for the song "Face the Pain" was filmed on April 6, 2005 with director Anthony M. Bongiovi of TBJ Entertainment, Inc., who has previously worked with SLAYER ("War at the Warfield" DVD), MARILYN MANSON ("Guns, God & Government" DVD), AC/DC and GODSMACK, among others.