In an interview with Sweden's Close-Up magazine, W.A.S.P. mainman Blackie Lawless revealed that the band's new album, "Dominator", has had its projected release date pushed back to January 2007 from the previously announced November 13 (Europe) / November 21 (U.S.).

As previously reported, a video interview with W.A.S.P. guitarist Doug Blair, conducted on Friday, September 22 in Oulu, Finland, has been posted online at this location. A number of photos from W.A.S.P.'s gig at the Teatria Club in Oulu have been posted online at www.mesta.net. Support at the show came from TAROT, featuring NIGHTWISH bassist Marco Hietala.

W.A.S.P. has just signed a deal with Steamhammer/SPV for the release of its new album, "Dominator".

"Dominator" (view cover here) track listing:

01. Mercy
02. Burn (DEEP PURPLE cover)
03. Take Me Up
04. Heaven's Blessed
05. Heaven's Hung In Black
06. Long Long Way To Go
07. Teacher
08. Heaven's Hung In Black (Reprise)
09. Fortunate Son (CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL cover)

A video clip of MEGADETH performing a new song, entitled "Washington Is Next!", in Toronto, Ontario on Monday, September 25 has been posted online at YouTube.com.

"Washington Is Next!" will be included on MEGADETH's upcoming CD, "United Abominations", which is scheduled for release in early 2007 via Roadrunner Records. MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine recently told Gary Graff of Billboard.com that the album, which he's producing with Jeff Balding, "has a lot of variation on it. It's got some surprises, but there's a really old-school vein to it, I would say." The group has been careful not to rush the album, either, holding sessions in London, Los Angeles and Nashville since earlier this year.

FISH has released has "Return to Childhood: 20th anniversary tour of Misplaced Childhood" DVD on the Chocolate Frog label through Snapper Music. DVD cover can be viewed here.

Live in concert 15/11/05 and 18/11/05 at The Paradiso, Amsterdam:

1. Big Wedge
2. Moving Targets
3. Brother 52
4. Goldfish and Clowns
5. Raingods Dancing
6. Wake Up Call (Make it Happen)
7. Innocent Party
8. Long Cold Day
9. Credo
10. Pseudo Silk Kimono
11. Kayleigh
12. Lavender
13. Bitter Suite -
(i) Brief Encounter
(ii) Lost Weekend
(iii) Blue Angel
14. Heart of Lothian -
(i) Wide Boy
(ii) Curtain Call
15. Waterhole (Expresso Bongo)
16. Lords of the Backstage
17. Blind Curve -
(i) Vocal Under a Bloodlight
(ii) Passing Strangers
(iii) Mylo
(iv) Perimeter Walk
(v) Threshold
18. Childhoods End?
19. White Feather
20. Incommunicado
21. Market Square Heroes
22. Fugazi

Bonus feature: Exclusive backstage interview with Fish.

To mark their 11th anniversary ARENA will be releasing a 'best of' compilation at the end of October. Tracklist is not known yet, but the band promises to include some interesting and newly recorded material, like the song "Empire Of A Thousand Days" off "Pride" which will be re-recorded with current singer Rob Sowden.

Meanwhile the band is back in the studio, working on the follow-up to last year's "Pepper's Ghost". Clive Nolan says the following:

"it's a slow proccess, but it has started. I've got a handful of ideas, and we'll be meeting up soon for a writing session. We're not in a hurry for this seventh studio album... we'll just see how it goes."

Former MARDUK vocalist Legion (a.k.a. Erik Hagsted) has issued the following update on his ELIZIUM project (formerly REBELANGELS), which also features ex-MARDUK bassist B.War (a.k.a. Roger "Bogge" Svensson):

"First off, we have a lineup change. Our guitarist Jimmy Larsen is no longer in our ranks, which sucks since the guy is awesome, but we all agreed that it was all for the best since he has not enough time to make it work and he rather see us getting somewhere than feeling like a break pad that cannot fully commit. The decision is mutual and we still remain good friends and we wish him all the best for the future.

"Secondly, we changed the name from the original REBELANGELS to ELIZIUM since our music now has nothing to do with what was going on when this project was put together.

"The REBELANGELS was a journey that was really cool to do and for me absolutely necessary since I as a completely dedicated black metal nerd missed out on most other music during the Nineties, which cornered the shit out of me. Just embracing and absorbing so many new sounds was what was really needed to come full circle and have fun with the music again. Nevertheless, the only thing that sounded right and together in the rehearsal room was the kind of sounds I've been doing for the last fifteen years, and at the end of the day, the hunger to keep on doing extreme metal was there again and now we are on the prowl for real and we are loving it!!

"We have now added two songs from the first recording as ELIZIUM [on our MySpace page] and this is the sound we are going to keep building on. Some more developed and complex songs are underway. I am currently working on two titles, called 'Gemini is the Snake' and 'Lizardking', that has the Scandinavian black metal touch but crossed over with RUSH and VOIVOD and it really sounds promising!

"The circle is closed and we find ourselves back where we left off, with a new appetite to make some evil sounding heavy noise!

"Hope you'll like the tracks. We are really satisfied with the way things are going and the lust to raise hell is as strong as ever before!"

ELIZIUM is:

Legion (a.k.a. Erik Hagsted) - Vocals
B.War (a.k.a. Roger "Bogge" Svensson) - Bass
Marcus Lundberg - Rhythm Gutar
Jonas Mattson – Lead Guitar
Emil Dragutinovic (MARDUK, THE LEGION) - Drums

For 20 years already the one man project Suicide Commando has been going very strong in the international electro industrial scene. Having achieved a cult status Johan Van Roy's brainchild has been bombing us over all these years with numerous clubhits like "See you in hell", "Hellraiser", "Love breeds suicide", "Cause of death: suicide", "Dein herz, meine gier", "Face of death", "Bind torture kill" ... to name just a few. It made the band to be considered the leader and example of today's endzeit EBM scene. To celebrate this unique anniversary Suicide Commando will release a special limited boxset, with the working title "X20". In this special sized box you will find 3 discs, a booklet including unique photomaterial of the band and a special surprise. The 3 disc set will include a live dvd featuring different live recordings to be recorded in Dresden and/or Berlin in October. Add to that a special remix cd featuring remixes by some of the biggest names in the scene, and a "best of" cd. This must have anniversary boxset is planned for a release in early 2007. Next to the box Suicide Commando is also planning a special anniversary event at the KulturFabrik in Krefeld (Germany). Originally planned for December 2nd, due to organisational reasons the event is now delayed untill early 2007.

A trailer for NINE INCH NAILS' upcoming DVD has been posted online at this location (Quicktime required). The footage for the set is believed to have been shot at several performances in late March 2006, including the March 28 show at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and the March 30 concert at the El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas. The disc, called "Nine Inch Nails Live: Beside You In Time", will be out early next year. No information is available yet about bonus features, but it has been reported that the disc will be available in the new high-definition HD-DVD and Blu-ray formats in addition to standard DVD.

NINE INCH NAILS is reportedly working on material for its next album. Band leader Trent Reznor is said to be writing songs with an eye toward releasing a new disc sometime next year, although there's been no official confirmation of those plans.

The next NINE INCH NAILS album will follow 2005's "With Teeth", which was the group's first collection of new material in six years.

Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA have commenced the songwriting process for their follow-up to 2004's "Reckoning Night". A rehearsal "diary" detailing the band's progress has been launched via the group's official web site at this location.

As previously reported, SONATA ARCTICA's live DVD, "For the Sake of Revenge", has been certified gold in the band's home country for sales in excess of 5,000 copies. The set entered the Finnish Music DVD chart at position No. 1 back in June. The CD version of "For the Sake of Revenge" landed on the national album chart at No. 26.

"For the Sake of Revenge" was recorded at Shibuya AX in Tokyo, Japan on February 5, 2005 and was mixed by Pasi Kauppinen at Studio57. The mastering duties were handled by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers.

"Reckoning Night" was previously certified gold in Finland for sales in excess of 15,000 copies. SONATA ARCTICA also achieved the same feat with their third album, "Winterheart's Guild".

SONATA ARCTICA completed a number of European dates with German hard rock singer Doro Pesch (ex-WARLOCK) earlier in the year.

Long-running German hard rockers KINGDOM COME have announced the following dates in Russia, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan:

Nov. 07 - Moscow, RUS - Kremlin Palace (Moscow NTV TV show)
Nov. 09 - Khabarovsk, RUS - Muzcomedy Theater
Nov. 11 - Vladivostok, RUS - Fesco Hall
Nov. 13 - Irkutsk, RUS - Trud Sports Hall
Nov. 15 - Krasnoyarsk, RUS - Sports Hall
Nov. 16 - Novosibirsk, RUS - Club Otdikh
Nov. 18 - Ekaterinburg, RUS - Cosmos Concert Hall
Nov. 19 - Chelyabinsk, RUS - Entertain Center
Nov. 20 - Ufa, RUS - Ogni Ufi
Nov. 21 - Samara, RUS - Samara Cirkus
Nov. 23 - Moscow, Ru RUS ssia - Tochka
Nov. 24 - St. Petersburg, RUS - DKL Theater
Nov. 27 - Kiev, UKR - Oktyabrsky Theater
Nov. 29 - Almaty, KAZ - 5 Turns

KINGDOM COME's new studio album, entitled "Ain't Crying For The Moon", is scheduled to be released in Europe on October 20 via Frontiers Records.

Switzerland's SAMAEL has extended the recording sessions for its new album to include most of October. "Real drums as well as other additional recordings will be added," according to a posting on the group's web site.

SAMAEL spent a week in July going over new songs with acclaimed producer Waldemar Sorychta (LACUNA COIL, TIAMAT, GRIP INC., MOONSPELL).

In other news, SAMAEL's September 29 show in Lausanne will be broadcast live via the Internet. You can watch the concert online this Friday beginning at 11:00 p.m. (CET) at this location.

Legendary New York death metallers SUFFOCATION have completed work on their new music video for the track "Abomination Reborn" from their brand new, self-titled album.

The clip, the first from the pioneering band's new record, was shot in Brooklyn, NY with director Frankie Nasso (MUDVAYNE, HATEBREED, MISERY INDEX) and producers Dale Resteghini and Melissa Manousos of Raging Nations Films. Still images from the video, which will make its international debut in early October, can be viewed at this location.

"Suffocation" saw its North American release last Tuesday, September 19 via Relapse Records. An e-card previewing "Suffocation", featuring the tracks "Abomination Reborn" and "Blind Torture Kill", can be accessed at this location.

SUFFOCATION will undertake an extended fall tour of North America with FEAR FACTORY, HYPOCRISY, and DECAPITATED starting October 26 at The Pound in San Francisco.

ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA, the band featuring Tommy Lee (MÖTLEY CRÜE), Jason Newsted (VOIVOD, ex-METALLICA) and Gilby Clarke (ex-GUNS N' ROSES) and now vocalist Lukas Rossi, will shoot a video for the song "It's All Love" on October 4 in Los Angeles.

As previously reported, a court order barring the "Rock Star: Supernova" band from using the moniker SUPERNOVA has forced the act to amend its name to ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA in deference to a California band that already holds the rights to the name. According to Reuters, an Epic Records spokesperson confirmed the altered name. The label will release the band's debut LP on November 21, and two tracks — "It's All Love" and "Be Yourself & 5 Other Cliches" — are available for streaming at this location. ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA will launch a 28-city North American tour with THE PANIC CHANNEL (which features the show's co-host Dave Navarro) in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve.

Four songs from SKID ROW's upcoming "Revolutions per Minute" album — "Strength", "Disease", "White Trash" and "When God Can't Wait" — have been posted online on singer Johnny Solinger's official MySpace page. Two of those cuts — "Strength" and "Disease" — are also available on SKID ROW's MySpace page.

"Revolutions per Minute" (view artwork here) is scheduled for release on October 24 through SPV Records. The follow-up to 2003's "ThickSkin" was recorded at WireWorld studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Michael Wagener, who previously worked with the band on their two most commercially successful albums to date, "Skid Row" (1989) and "Slave to the Grind" (1991).

"Revolutions per Minute" track listing:

01. Disease
02. Another Dick In The System
03. Pulling My Heart Out From Under Me
04. When God Can't Wait
05. Shut Up Baby, I Love You
06. Strength
07. White Trash
08. You Lie
09. Nothing
10. Love Is Dead
11. Let It Ride

SKID ROW 2006 lineup:

Johnny Solinger - Lead Vocals
Rachel Bolan - Bass, Backing Vocals, Percussion
Scotti Hill - Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lap Steel
Snake Sabo - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Dave Gara (GARGANTUA, ex-BETTY BLOWTORCH) - Drums, Backing Vocals

SIRENIA, the Norwegian gothic metal band featuring former TRISTANIA guitarist/vocalist Morten Veland, has posted the following message on its official web site:

The recording sessions for the new album are completed and we are now in the middle of the mixing process. We are on schedule, so the album wil be completed by the 1st of October. The title of the upcoming album is 'Nine Destinies and a Downfall', [and] it will be released early next year."

"Nine Destinies and a Downfall" was recorded at Jailhouse studios in Norway with engineer Hans Eidsgard and Soundsuite studios in France with Terje Refsnes. the CD is being mixed and mastered at Antfarm studios in Aarhus, Denmark with Tue Madsen.

SIRENIA recently announced the addition of 27-year-old Danish female singer Monika Pedersen (photo) to the group's ranks. "Monika has been dedicated to music all her life, and has loads of experience from from other bands, projects, choirs etc." the group wrote on their web site. "In addition, she has been working with several professional singing teachers in Luxemburg and Denmark."

Pedersen joined SIRENIA as the replacement for Henriette Bordvik, who quit the band last September.

SIRENIA last year signed a new record deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The band have released two successful albums to date (2002's "At Sixes and Sevens" and 2004's "An Elixir for Existence") and in 2004 toured Europe with TIAMAT, PAIN and THEATRE OF TRAGEDY.

Bassist Jan Bünning of the German power metallers PARAGON has posted the following message on the band's official web site:

"Drums, rhythm guitars and (almost) all bass tracks [for the new PARAGON album] are done by now. I still have to do two more cover versions and two of ouf our songs on Wednesday but then I am also finished and then it's time for Buschi [Andreas Babuschkin] to sing his first songs. For now we decided to record everything, including the vocals, in Steve's studio where we already recorded most of the stuff. Then we see if we really need an 'external' producer as we really like what we recorded so far and it really sounds real heavy.

"As mentioned before we will record 10 new PARAGON songs (including one instrumental / intro) as well as two cover versions (one for the album, one for a tribute CD)."

PARAGON's new album will contain the following tracks (in no particular order):

01. Hammer Of The Gods
02. Face Of Death
03. Gangland
04. Souleaters
05. Instrumental
06. Forgotten Prophecies
07. Halls Of Doom
08. Arise!
09. Wargods
10. Agony

PARAGON's latest album, "Revenge", was released in the U.S. in April 2005 via Magick Records. The CD was the follow-up to "The Dark Legacy", which was released in 2003 by Remedy.

Dutch doomsters DEINONYCHUS have started recording their seventh full-length album for a tentative early 2007 release via Italy's My Kingdom Music. Entitled"Morphium Replacement", the follow-up to 2004's "Insomnia" is being tracked at The Outer Sound Studios under the supervision of Giuseppe Orlando from NOVEMBRE, who is also the group's new drummer. The upcoming album will contain "eight tracks of pure black/doom metal with an ultra-heavy production," according to a posting on the group's web site. The vocal-recording sessions and the final mix is scheduled to take place in December in Italy.

Commented DEINONYCHUS mainman Marco Kehren: "The new album is the best I've done, I can say. I'm just listening to the new songs (only guitars, bass and drums) and they already sound like a finished production. I can say that you will get a pure black/doom metal album now. My style is changed in a unconcious manner over the last three years. The songs are short (three to five minutes) and are very different from all I did before. There are very heavy slow parts, but also blast-parts and midpaced parts. Since the songs are so short and compact, I've decided not to use keyboards on the album, but we'll add some sample stuff instead in a few songs.

"I'm really proud at this album!!!!! There are eight songs, and at the end it will be a 35-minute album, but therefore a VERY heavy and good one."

Peaceville/Snapper Music has set an October 31 U.S. release date for "A Line of Deathless Kings", the new album from Yorkshire, England's MY DYING BRIDE. It is the band's ninth studio effort and introduces drummer John Bennett.

"A Line of Deathless Kings" reunites the six-piece with long-time collaborator/producer Mags (who recorded the bands initial compositions). Mixed at The Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire and mastered at famed Abbey Road Studios in London, it is a highly anticipated return for a pioneering band.

The follow-up to 2004's "Songs of Darkness, Words of Light", "A Line of Deathless Kings" (view cover artwork at this location) will contain the following track listing:

01. To Remain Tombless (6:06)
02. L'Amour Detruit (9:08)
03. I Cannot Be Loved (7:04)
04. And I Walk With Them (6:37)
05. Thy Raven Wings (5:22)
06. Love's Intolerable Pain (6:14)
07. One of Beauty's Daughters (5:40)
08. Deeper Down (6:28)
09. The Blood, The Wine, The Roses (8:21)

Finnish grinding death metal act DEATHBOUND, featuring members of THE DUSKFALL and ROTTEN SOUND, has finished recording and mixing its third album, entitled "We Deserve Much Worse", at Biotech Audio Solutions. The cover artwork for the follow-up to 2005's "Doomsday Comfort" is being handled by Ville Anger. An early 2007 release via Dynamic Arts is expected.

"We Deserve Much Worse" track listing (in no particular order):

01. Gain Control
02. Betrayal Wears Your Face
03. End The Guessing
04. No Disease Like Us
05. Revolutions Against Nothing
06. Connected To The Confusion
07. Ward 77
08. Never Been Worse
09. A Fraction Of Truth
10. Debate Or Terminate
11. Preaching Back To Preachers
12. Torn
13. Final Element
14. Landmine
15. Sliced And Diced
16. Rockthrowers Among Us
17. Deceving Shortcuts
18. Vansinne

DEATHBOUND's debut album, "To Cure the Sane with Insanity", was re-released in June with bonus material.

Originally issued in May 2003 via Woodcut Records, the new digipack version of "To Cure the Sane with Insanity" includes four live songs recorded at Tuska Open Air 2005, a video for the song "Doomsday Comfort", plus brand new artwork.

Finnish dark metal band THROES OF DAWN recently issued the following update:

"We made a firm decision earlier this year to dedicate this year solely to songwriting. We have been busy testing and experimenting with the new material. A lot of big things have happened in our personal lives as well. We have also purchased new recording gear and other instruments in order to widen the sound spectrum of the band.

"The final round of test recordings for the new songs is now ongoing and the material seems to be very promising! The music is now even more atmospheric and organic. The music is flowing through the speakers like a soundtrack to a dream. No titles to be revealed yet, but it seems that we now have enough material to start the recordings of the full-length album later this year."

THROES OF DAWN's fourth album, "Quicksilver Clouds", was released in the U.S. in January 2005 via Cleopatra Records. The U.S. version of the album featured a completely different cover to the European edition, which was issued in 2004 through Avantgarde/Wounded Love Records. The follow-up to 2000's "Binding of the Spirit" was recorded and mixed in three separate sessions between August and November 2003 at Sonic Pump studios in Helsinki.

Nuclear Blast Records has set an October 6 release date for the "deluxe edition" of CHILDREN OF BODOM's "Follow the Reaper" album featuring bonus material. The track listing for the new CD is as follows:

01. Follow the Reaper
02. Bodom after Midnight
03. Children of Decadence
04. Everytime I Die
05. Mask of Sanity
06. Taste of My Scythe
07. Hate Me!
08. Northern Comfort
09. Kissing the Shadows
10. Hellion (W.A.S.P. cover)
11. Aces High (IRON MAIDEN cover)
12. Everytime I Die (video clip)

As previously reported, CHILDREN OF BODOM's DVD, "Chaos Ridden Years – Stockholm Knockout Live", has had its U.S. release date pushed back to October 24 from the previously announced October 10. The DVD will be issued in Finland on October 11 and the rest of Europe on October 16.

"Chaos Ridden Years – Stockholm Knockout Live" is estimated to contain over three hours of non-stop COB action, including a live concert, videos, and a rare documentary on the band from past to present.

Directed by Patric Ullaeus of the Revolver Film Company, the DVD mainly focuses on the February 5, 2006 live concert in Stockholm, Sweden, featuring over 90 minutes of live excitement. Finalizing the material on this super-packed DVD will be two interviews/documentary-type films about the band's past, present and future directed by Yka Jarvinen (Indie Films OY), a "making of the DVD," and photo gallery.

For more information, click here.

OBITUARY frontman John Tardy has posted the following message on the band's official web site:

"Things are moving right along with the [live] DVD [that was recorded in Poland in August]. DT [drummer Donald Tardy] and I spent the week at the RedRoom [studio] with Mark Prator mixing the audio portion of the DVD. We expect the first round of the video on Tuesday, so we can start to work with that. If everything goes well we are trying to release it December-January. So far it sounds pretty heavy and I am really getting excited. I still can't believe we have waited this long to do one but, that is just the way it worked out."

Check out pictures from the mixing sessions at this location.

OBITUARY's first-ever live DVD was filmed on August 24 at the Stodola Club in Warsaw, Poland. The set will include a seven-camera shoot of the show plus an interview conducted the day before the gig, on August 23. It will be issued via Metal Mind Productions.

Check put pictures from the DVD shoot at this location.

OBITUARY's latest CD, "Frozen in Time", was released in July 2005 via Roadrunner Records. The group's first collection of new songs since 1997's "Back from the Dead" was self-produced by the band, with Mark Prator and Scott Burns engineering, and was mastered by Tom Morris at Morrisound.

Finnish melodic metallers ALTARIA have posted their video for the song "Frozen Hearts" at YouTube.com. The clip features footage from the band's European tour with SONATA ARCTICA and DORO.

"Frozen Hearts" comes off ALTARIA's third album, "The Fallen Empire", which was released this past. The follow-up to 2004's "Divinity" was mixed the Black Lounge Studios in Sweden. Former DIO guitarist Rowan Robertson makes a guest appearance on a track called "The Lion" and keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg (SONATA ARCTICA, SILENT VOICES) is featured on a song called "The Dying Flame", which is an 8-minute epic.

MY DYING BRIDE's video for the song "Deeper Down" has been posted online at YouTube.com. According to director Charlie Granberg, the clip is "about a guy that is so filled with grief and self-pity that he sees the world as totally black, even though you get a hint in the beginning of the video that it's summer and all. Then his visions and view of the world takes over. And it just gets darker and darker from there. Is he about to commit suicide or just taking a swim? That's up for you to decide. I have tried working on a subconcious level with a lot of symbolism and metaphors, but still trying to make it somewhat documentary-like and believable."

"Deeper Down" comes off MY DYING BRIDE's new album, "A Line of Deathless Kings", due on October 9 via Peaceville/Snapper. The LP, which was recorded at at Academy Studios and was mixed at Chapel Studios, will also be made available as a special edition and as a limited double-vinyl release. The "Deeper Down" single was released September 18.

Swedish melodic metallers HAMMERFALL have posted the video for their new single, "Natural High", at YouTube.com. Also available is a nine-minute video interview with HAMMERFALL vocalist Joacim Cans and guitarist Oscar Dronjak about the group's upcoming CD, "Threshold". Check it out at this location.

"Threshold" (view artwork at this location) was recorded at Lundgård Studios in Denmark with producer Charlie Bauerfiend and is scheduled for release on October 20 in Europe and October 31 in North America. The CD will contain the following track listing:

01. Threshold
02. The Fire Burns Forever
03. Rebel Inside
04. Natural High
05. Dark Wings, Dark Words
06. Howlin' With The 'Pac
07. Shadow Empire
08. Carved In Stone
09. Reign Of The Hammer
10. Genocide
11. Titan

HAMMERFALL's video for "The Fire Burns Forever" has been posted online at YouTube.com.

HAMMERFALL debuted the new song "The Fire Burns Forever" — the track the band recorded with some of the Swedish participants in the European Athletics Championships — on August 5 at their exclusive headlining show at the Gates Of Metal festival in Hultsfred, Sweden. They also performed the track at the official opening of the 19th European Athlethics Championship in Gothenburg on August 6.