German metallers METALIUM are currently in the sstudio recording their sixth album, "Chapter VI", tentatively due in early 2007. The tentative track listing is as follows (in no particular order):

01. When Death Calls
02. Dare
03. Insane
04. Gates
05. On My Way
06. Hellfire
07. Spirits
08. Never Die
09. Walls
10. The Heroes Failed
11. Mindless
12. Mental Blindness
13. Follow The Sign
14. (undisclosed QUEEN cover)

METALIUM released a DVD, entitled "Metalian Attack – Part 2", in May. The four-hour disc includes footage from the band's Sept. 23, 2005 concert at the Jahnhalle in Nordenham, Germany plus material from the group's appearance at the Bloodstock festival in the U.K., where the group reportedly performed for more than 2,000 people. Also included are interviews, picture galleries, plus in-the-studio and behind-the-scenes footage.

AFM Records has set a November 24 release date for BLACKMORE'S NIGHT's holiday album "Winter Carols" (cover).

Former DEEP PURPLE/RAINBOW guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and his fiancée Candice Night have always loved the winter: the brisk clean air on a frosty eve when you can feel all your senses alive with the season — smell the wood fires burning, see your breath linger in the frosty air, feel the snowflakes fall upon your face. It evokes festivities and bright candlelight, and music that was sung and performed for hundreds of years by minstrels of the Middle Ages — many of these songs still emerge today during the winter season. This is their interpretation of many favourite carols, shared, performed and enjoyed for the past 400 years.

Commented Candice: "The holiday season has always embodied joy, love, peace, togetherness. The sentiments of the holidays are what we try to express in our music."

Added Ritchie: "The origin of the word carol means 'dance' back in the mid 1500s. Most of the Christmas Carols are from the 1400s, 1500s, 1600s. They are brilliant melodies. I am naturally attracted to these melodies — as a kid of 10, 11, 12, I would go from house to house during the holiday time and sing them just to earn some money. Now, as an adult, I thought I could play them and make more money.'

OHM:, the group led by former MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland, is currently in the studio recording the follow-up to "Amino Acid Flashback". Kofi Baker (who played on OHM:'s last two records) and Joel Taylor (ALLAN HOLDSWORTH, FRANK GAMBALE, also toured with OHM: earlier this year) will be sharing drum duties on this record, which, based on a report from co-producer Petar Sardelich on the OHM: forums, is coming together nicely in these early recording stages.

"Amino Acid Flashback" was released by Blacknote Records in October 2005.

According to several online sources, including postings on the band's official MySpace page, former HATEBREED guitarist Lou "Boulder" Richards — who appeared on the group's "Satisfaction is the Death Of Desire" (1997) and "Perseverance" (2002) releases before leaving the band in May of 2002 — has died.

HATEBREED has issued the following statement regarding the matter:

"As many of you may have heard, and we were sorry to learn, our former guitar player Lou 'Boulder' Richards passed away yesterday. It is very unfortunate that he could not see any other way to conquer his demons. We hope he has finally found some peace. Our hearts go out to Vera and his family and friends."

HATEBREED earlier in the year welcomed guitarist Frank "3 Gun" Novinec (TERROR, RINGWORM, INTEGRITY) into the fold on second guitar. Novinec made his recording debut with the group on the band's latest CD, "Supremacy", which came out last month on Roadrunner Records.

CLAWFINGER frontman Zak Tell has posted the following message on the band's official web site:

"Our new studio/demo recording/songwriting room is now ready, everything neccessary to make new music is now in place and finally we can get down to business! The plan is simply to write songs until we have enough material for a seventh album.

"Who the fuck thought we'd still be here all these albums and years later?! Not me, I can tell you!

"Anyway, now it's time to find out if we've still got what it takes to create that special CLAWFINGER blend. I'm excited, scared, hopeful and doubtful all in one... that's just the way I am!"

CLAWFINGER's latest album, entitled "Hate Yourself with Style", was released in the U.S. in February via Nuclear Blast Records.

Swedish death metallers GRAVE have revealed the cover artwork for their upcoming "Enraptured" DVD, tentatively due in November via Metal Mind Productions. Check it out at this location.

GRAVE shot the DVD with seven cameras on August 24 at the Stodola Club in Warsaw, Poland. The set, which will be available as a standard DVD edition and a DVD+CD limited edition, will also feature rare live footage, video clips and more.

Vocalist Ola comments: "The 'Enraptured' DVD recording in Warsaw, Poland went very well. Great production crew and organisation from Metal Mind. The crowd was totally into the show and it felt really good to have that kind of response on such an important gig. We shot 16 songs and I can't wait to get the preview version. We have also been digging deep in the GRAVE archives for bonus material and there is a lot to choose from, so we'll see what ends up in the final release..."

GRAVE "Enraptured" DVD tentative track listing (NOTE: some songs may not appear on the final product):

01. Intro
02. Deformed
03. Burn
04. You'll Never See…
05. Turning Black
06. Christi(ns)anity
07. Breeder
08. Bullets Are Mine
09. Unholy Terror
10. Extremely Rotten Flesh
11. Rise
12. Soulless
13. By Demons Bred
14. And Here I Die
15. Heretic
16. Outro
17. Reborn Miscarriage
18. Into the Grave

Finland's NIGHTWISH has issued the following update:

"Today [Friday, September 15], NIGHTWISH enters the studio to begin recording the new album. Jukka [Nevalainen] starts the process by recording the drum parts in the next 5-6 days. Then guitars, bass and demo keyboards, followed by orchestral/choir recordings. After those, the final synths and vocals will be recorded. The whole process will last six months minimum, so we should have the final master copy in our hands sometime during the spring."

NIGHTWISH has yet to announce a replacement for departed singer Tarja Turunen, who was kicked out of the group via an "open letter" last October. Tarja's final show with the group — which took place on October 21, 2005 at the Hartwall arena in Helsinki, Finland — was filmed and recorded for the recently released "End of an Era" DVD and CD, which entered the German chart at a No. 3 and has already been certified gold for sales in excess of 25,000 copies. "End of an Era" was also certified gold in Finland the day after its release. In addition to the live footage, the DVD includes a slideshow of pictures from the Hartwall show and a 55-minute documentary, "A Day Before Tomorrow", featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the band in the 15 days prior to the Hartwall Show. The documentary was edited by Timo Halo, who also edited and directed the "From Wishes To Eternity - Deleted Scenes" and "End of Innocence" movies that were released on previous NIGHTWISH DVDs.

Zehn Jahre nach Gründung der Band im Jahr 1996 stellen Dornenreich ihr fünftes Studioalbum namens "Durch den Traum" fertig. Das Album, das ebenso wie sein Vorgänger "Hexenwind" zu großen Teilen aus den überaus fruchtbaren "Sharrketim"-Sessions stammt, nimmt für Evíga, der seit dem Ausstieg von Dornenreich-Mitbegründer Valnes im Frühjahr 2006 alleinige künstlerische Autorität der Gruppe ist, eine bedeutende Stellung ein: "Für mich ist "Durch den Traum" zeitloser Ausdruck künstlerischer Leidenschaft und spiritueller Suche. Textlich eine existenzialistische naturmystische Reise und musikalisch ein Vision jenseits von Black Metal, (Neo-)Folk und Ambient. "Durch den Traum" stellt musikalisch und inhaltlich die Essenz der ersten Dekade Dornenreichs dar."

"Durch den Traum" ist das musikalisch ausgereifteste Album der bisherigen Dornenreich-Diskografie. Jedes Instrument, jede Klangfarbe, jede musikalische Wendung wurde bewusst eingesetzt und korrespondiert stets mit dem jeweils vertonten Textabschnitt. Hiermit rückt "Durch den Traum" in die Nähe einer klassischen Tondichtung.
Zu seinem unmittelbaren Vorgängeralbum "Hexenwind", das erst vor knapp zwölf Monaten nach einer langen Wartezeit von beinahe fünf Jahren erschienen ist, steht "Durch den Traum" aufgrund der zeitlichen Nähe in einem sehr lebendigen Verhältnis. "Während "Hexenwind" musikalisch und textlich versucht, das "Menschwesen" auf oftmals hypnotisch meditative Weise an sein ursprünglichstes Natursein heranzuführen, stellt "Durch den Traum" objektives Naturgeschehen der subjektiven
Leidenschaft und Wahrnehmung des Menschwesens gegenüber, um es schließlich noch eindringlicher und tiefer heimzuführen in den Urgrund des Seins, die Natur. Alles ist letztlich - wie im Traum - miteinander verwoben."

"Durch den Traum" nimmt schon jetzt eine Schlüsselposition in der Diskografie Dornenreichs ein, schließt es auf konzeptioneller Ebene doch das umfassende Erwachen des "Menschwesens", das im Debütalbum "Nicht um zu sterben" seinen Anfang genommen hatte, ab. Die stets fortschreitende musikalische Reifung Dornenreichs lässt zudem noch viel für die Zukunft der Gruppe erwarten. Auch Evíga ist zuversichtlich: "Die Reise wird weitergehen, das nötige Bewusstsein ist entstanden."

Eine erste Hörprobe gibt es hier.

Wenn Du ein Fan von Dornenreich bist und die Band durch einfache Promotion-Arbeit unterstützen möchtest, schreibe für weitere Informationen eine E-mail mit dem Betreff "Dornenreich Fan-Promo" an stefan@prophecy.cd

Australia's THE BERZERKER is offering one lucky fan a chance to design the artwork for its upcoming album.

Due to THE BERZERKER artist Ivan Kenny-Sumiga currently relocating, he will be unable to complete the new album artwork by the deadline. This opens up a very unique opportunity for one individual. Instead of mainman and vocalist Luke Kenny going to the nearest design company, he is giving the fans the chance to show what that can do and perhaps make a name for them selves worldwide.

According to a press release, "The art can be any style 2D or 3D. It just has to capture the brutality and class of the music... The winning artist will have to chance to deal direct with the Luke and to design the album cover, inlay and art layout. The album has a worldwide release and distribution with all the major magazines writing and reviewing the upcoming album.

This is a one-off opportunity for someone to hopefully go on to have a career as an graphic artist.

Please submit all ideas to info@theberzeker.com (try to keen file sizes under 1 MB).

German hard rock singer DORO is currently putting the finishing touches on her new DVD in Berlin. She and the Roax film crew, who produced Doro's "Classic Diamonds" DVD, are working on special features for the exclusive winter edition of "20 Years A Warrior Soul", which will be released on November 20, 2006 via AFM Records.

Attendees will get an exclusive look at parts of the DVD, such as the 20-year anniversary show in Düsseldorf with guests like Lemmy (MOTÖRHEAD), Udo Dirkschneider (ACCEPT), Blaze Bayley (ex-IRON MAIDEN), Claus Lessmann and many more. They will also see parts of the "Warrior Soul" tour movie "Roax", shot during the spring tour.

In other news, Doro will be performing a newly written song during her appearance at the Route 66 in Meerbusch (near Düsseldorf), Germany on October 27. No further details are currently available.

According to CDon.com there will be two European RAINBOW DVD releases this month. First there's "Live At Budokan Tokyo 1984", released by SHO Masterplan. Release date is September 15. The track listing is as follows:

01. Spotlight Kid
02. Miss Mistreated
03. I Surrender
04. Can't Happen Here
05. Catch The Rainbow
06. Power / Keyboard Solo
07. Street Of Dreams
08. Fool For The Night
09. Difficult To Cure
10. Guitar Improvisation
11. Drum Solo / Blues
12. Stranded
13. Death Alley Driver
14. Fire Dance
15. Maybe Next Time
16. All Night Long
17. Lazy
18. Since You've Been Gone
19. Smoke On The Water

The second release in Europe is "Live Between The Eyes - Final Cut". This DVD with two previously released videos has been already released in Japan on May 10. In Europe it now will be released on September 25 by Universal Music, according to CDon.com. Amazon.com gives October 9 as the release date. The track listing is as follows:

Final Cut:

01. Spotlight Kid
02. Death Alley Driver
03. I Surrender
04. All Night Long
05. Can't Happen Here
06. Difficult To Cure
07. Can't Let You Go
08. Power
09. Since You Been Gone
10. Stone Cold
11. Street Of Dreams

Live Between The Eyes:

01. Over The Rainbow
02. Spotlight Kid
03. Miss Mistreated
04. Can't Happen Here
05. Tearin' Out My Heart
06. All Night Long
07. Stone Cold
08. Power
09. Blues
10. Difficult To Cure
11. Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
12. Kill The King
13. Maybe Next Time
14. Smoke On The Water

Swedish black metallers MARDUK have uploaded a trailer for their upcoming DVD, entitled "Blood Puke Salvation", at this location (8 MB). Due on September 25, the DVD will contain over 90 minutes of live material filmed in Tilburg, Holland and Antwerpen, Belgium during December 2004. Also included will be promotional videos for "Throne Of Rats", "Steel Inferno" and "The Hangman Of Prague", plus a photo gallery, behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and a section entitled "Deathmarch" with exclusive hand-filmed live material from over 20 cities from the "Deathmarch" tour. Check out the DVD cover artwork at this location.

As previously reported, limited-edition CD/DVD boxsets of MARDUK's classic "La Grande Danse Macabre" and "World Funeral" albums were released by Regain Records in June. More information is available at this location.

ELIS, the Liechtenstein-based gothic metal band whose singer, Sabine Dünser, suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on July 7 during rehearsal and passed away the following day in hospital, has decided to continue with a new vocalist. The group has posted the following message on its official web site:

ELIS' recently completed new album, "Griefshire", will be released at some point in the not-too-distant future via Napalm Records.

Dünser was born June 27, 1977 and joined ELIS, then still known as ERBEN DER SCHOPFUNG, in 2001. The follow-up to 2004's "Dark Clouds in a Perfect Sky" was completed at Mastersound Studios in Stuttgart with producer Alexander Krull (ATROCITY, LEAVES' EYES).

Justin Donnelly of Australia's The Metal Forge recently conducted an interview with DARK TRANQUILLITY frontman Mikael Stanne. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

On the songwriting sessions for the group's new album:

"We've actually been home for the summer, which means we've been home for the last four months. In that time, we've been focussing on writing the new album. So far it's been fantastic! It's just been a lot of rehearsing and writing, and it's been really chilled out. We're finishing it up right now. We have a few more days work left to do before we leave on tour on Tuesday, but we figure everything will be finished in the writing sense before this weekend. It's going to be cool. We have twelve songs that are fantastic. We just have to put the finishing touches on them, and then they'll be completely ready to head into the studio, which we'll do when we get home from this three-week tour. We'll spend about two months recording the album. I think it's going to be an unbelievable album. It's definitely going to be very different from what we've done before because it's all over the place. It has all the aggression, intensity, passion and melancholy that we're known for. The songs feature a whole range of emotions that I love writing for. We loved creating these songs. We'll just have to see how it turns out when we put it on tape and it finally gets produced onto a little plastic disc."

On fans' expectations following the release of "Character":

"There's no pressure on us to produce something that will be better than 'Character'. We try not to think about stuff like that. We know what we like. When we are satisfied, we know it will be a good album, at least to us. That's what really matters when it comes down to it. 'Damage Done' (2002) was really successful for us in reaching out to a bigger audience, particularly in the U.S. There was some kind of had the pressure then to come up with something more commercial sounding that would really open us up to a completely different crowd. Some people were expecting something a little more accessible, but we weren't comfortable with that at all. That would have meant the end of this band. That would have finished our creativity, and the fun would have been taken out of our writing. So we decided to make a really difficult album. I think 'Character' was really kind of progressive in a way, almost technical and not as straight forward as perhaps what most people wanted to hear. I think 'Character' tended to take a few more listens to absorb. That was one of the things that we really wanted to achieve. There are so many albums that you listen to and think are amazing initially, only to forget about them after the tenth listen. That's boring. The kind of albums that I listen to, and go out of my way to buy are the ones that will stay with me for a long time, and ones that I will keep listening to for years and years. That's what really matters to me. Music should be timeless, not just catered towards a certain audience for a certain time. So it really was a conscious decision on our behalf to make 'Character' an intricate album that needed time from the listener to appreciate. Provided that they had that time and patience, they were rewarded I think. When we finished recording the album, we really didn't think the album was going to sell that well. We didn't know what people were going to make of it. But the album turned out to be our biggest seller yet! (Laughs) So what the hell do we know?”

On the direction of DARK TRANQUILLITY's new album:

“No matter how hard we try to make something totally different, it still all comes down to six guys in a room writing together. So whatever comes out, it's still going to be DARK TRANQUILLITY. We don't know anything else! (Laughs) We try to extend and explore as much as we can. We really tried to make different songs this time around, and not just an overall theme or feel to the album like we have done in the past. We really aimed for very different sounding songs. This album will be as different as 'Character' was to 'Damage Done', but I guess there are also a lot of similarities as well. There are a lot of songs that cover the same premise that was shown on 'Character'. Overall, it's much more diverse. Some are really slow, while others are really fast, while some are really emotional and the remainder are really aggressive. We really pushed the individual songs as far as we could. It was really interesting and challenging for us to work like that. Usually we try to squeeze in a lot of things to each song to make them interesting, but this time we focussed on the feel of the song and went from there. It's going to be really interesting to put it together, not to mention the whole running order, which I'm sure is going to be crazy! (Laughs) I think overall, this album is going to be a harder album to really get into than 'Character' was."

Read the entire interview at www.themetalforge.com.

Vocalist Noah Robinson of Orange County's BLEED THE SKY has issued the following update:

"Kyle Moorman [guitar] has officially left the band to pursue other elements of the music business. He has plans to be involved in studio production and engineering and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

"We are in the midst of looking for a new lead guitarist, and are accepting open submissions. If you would like to audition, we will need some vital information. We require at least three full songs (mp3 formats preferred), pictures (both live and personal), and personal goals for your future in music. You can send all of this information to bleedtheskytryouts@yahoo.com. Do not attempt to contact us any further on the matter after the initial submission. Each submission will be thoroughly looked into, and those that qualify will be notified of further auditions. Also we are currently working on pre-production for our follow-up record on Nuclear Blast. We're set to hit the studio in December to record and shooting for early summer for our release date.

"We will see you guys all soon and thank you all so much for the love you've shown our band over the last solid year of touring."

BLEED THE SKY's debut album, "Paradigm In Entropy", is available now on Nuclear Blast Records.

Formed in early 2003, BLEED THE SKY specializes in "mixing groovy metal riffs with distinctive melodies and profound lyrics." The band has previously shared the stage with such acts as AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE, MURDERDOLLS, MY RUIN, SKINLAB and DEICIDE.

Finnish metallers PAIN CONFESSOR will enter Fantom Studios in late 2006/early 2007 with Samu Oittinen to record their third album, tentatively due March 2007. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Dreamcrusher", "Second Sun", "Without Redemption - Without Remorse" and "Ne Plus Ultra". According to a posting on the group's web site, "the forthcoming album will be the heaviest and most brutal PAIN CONFESSOR album yet."

PAIN CONFESSOR's sophomore album, "Fearrage", was released in March via Megamania. The follow-up to 2004's "Turmoil" was recorded and mixed by Janne Saksa at Studio Sound Supreme and was produced by Janne Saksa and PAIN CONFESSOR.

FREEDOM CALL/GAMMA RAY drummer Daniel Zimmermann has posted the following message on the FREEDOM CALL web site:

"I have some good news for all FREEDOM CALL fans and those who join in in the future!

"Right after the successful European tour with RAGE in March and April the band went into the sudio again to write new songs for a new FREEDOM CALL album. The songwriting is almost finished. In October we start with the drum recordings taking place in Hannover. The recordings of the whole album should be finished by the end of December. Tommy Newton is doing the final mix in January. The release will probably be in April/May 2007. The working title of the album is called 'Dimensions'!

"There will be 11 songs on 'Dimensions', [which will], style-wise, [be] closer to the 'Eternity' album, that means less experiments and many fast and melodic speed hymns!"

"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

FREEDOM CALL's latest studio album, "The Circle of Life", was released in March 2005 via SPV Records. A live album, entitled "Live Invasion", came out in May 2004. The disc, which was recorded on the band's tour with BLIND GUARDIAN, came with a special bonus CD featuring the "Tears of Taragon" EP plus two tracks that were previously only available in Japan.

Roadrunner Records has revealed the details of "Ghost Reveries Special Edition", the expanded version of the band's "Ghost Reveries" CD. Due on October 31, the set will include band's cover of DEEP PURPLE's "Soldier of Fortune", a 40-minute documentary about the making of the record complete with the band's own private tour footage, the video for "The Grand Conjuration", liner notes, photos, an enhanced 24-page booklet, deluxe sleeve, and 5.1 surround exclusive mix of the record made by original mixed/engineer Jens Bogren. The track listing is as follows

Disc 1:

01. Ghost of Perdition
02. The Baying of the Hounds
03. Beneath The Mire
04. Atonement
05. Reverie/Harlequin Forest
06. Hours of Wealth
07. The Grand Conjuration
08. Isolation Years
09. Soldier Of Fortune (DEEP PURPLE cover)

Disc 2:

* "Beyond Ghost Reveries" - A 40 Minute Documentary
* Music Video For "The Grand Conjuration"
* 5.1 Surround Sound Mix of "Ghost Reveries"

Check out the cover artwork at this location.

OPETH is currently taking part in the North American installment of Gigantour 2006, which kicked off September 6 in Boise, Idaho. The trek features LAMB OF GOD, ARCH ENEMY, OPETH, OVERKILL, THE SMASHUP, INTO ETERNITY and SANCTITY in addition to the headliner MEGADETH.

OPETH recently announced the departure of longtime drummer Martin Lopez. After being plagued by illness and anxiety attacks, Lopez decided he wanted to concentrate fully on his own project, currently unnamed. His replacement is Martin "Axe" Axenrot, who's been filling in for the last few tours and who also recorded with the band during the recent BBC sessions.

German melodic metal band DOMAIN will release its 20th anniversary album, "Stardawn", on October 13 in Europe and November 7 in the United States via Limb Music Products. A limited-edition version (limited to 4,000 copies) will contain a double-CD plus an additional DVD, containing various special features:

* Nine brand-new tracks, including the 25-minute opus "Shadowhall"
* 35-minute live recording of the Busan festival show 2005 in Korea
* 15-minute live show performed on Korean TV
* 40-minute tour documentary, including a band interview
* A 16-song "best-of" collection of all DOMAIN albums which were released between 1987 and 2005
* A re-release of the hits "Lost In The City", "I Dont Wanna Die" and "Hard Road To Midnight" in remastered versions
* A re-release of the tracks "Stormbringer" and "Over The Hills And Far Away", which previously only appeared on two rare samplers.

Commented the band: "All in all, a five-piece digipack with three booklets, over 240 minutes playtime. You can't get more value for money!"

Check out two album tracks — "Crystal Stone Island" and "Temple Of The Earth" — at www.myspace.com/axelritt.

Brazilian melodic metallers ANGRA shot a video last wek for the first single off their "Aurora Consurgens", entitled "The Course of Nature". The clip was filmed in São Paulo under the guidance of director Carina Zaratin. The shoot was attended by famous journalist Naomi Ohno of the renowned Japanese magazine Burrn! who spent a week in Brazil. She came over to observe the daily activities of ANGRA in the last few days prior to the release of the new album. She interviewed all members of the group for stories to be run not only in Burrn! magazine itself, but also in the official program of the Loud Park 06 festival, to be held in Japan next month.

Check out a picture from the video shoot at this location.

As previously reported, the cover artwork for the new ANGRA single, The Course of Nature", has been posted online at this location. The title song, which will also appear on the band's upcoming full-length CD "Aurora Consurgens", is expected to be released as a "virtual single" later this month.

Swedish melodic metallers NOSTRADAMEUS have posted the following message on their official web site:

"We've just put the final hands on the new NOSTRADAMEUS album 'Pathway'. It's finally mixed and mastered and now we're looking forward too completing the album cover. At this point we've seen a raw sketch of the front cover and the band photos for the album will hopefully be shot this weekend along with some promotion and fan pictures."

NOSTRADAMEUS recently parted ways with guitarist Michael Åberg. A replacement axeman has not yet been named.

NOSTRADAMEUS' fifth album, "Pathway", is scheduled for a late 2006/early 2007 release.

"Pathway" track listing (in no particular order):

01. Wall of Anger
02. No Trace of Madness
03. Not Only Women Bleed
04. MDCC Pt. 1
05. MDCC Pt. 2
06. The Untouchebles
07. Death by My Side
08. Until the End
09. Demon Voices
10. Welcome to Living
11. P.I.R

NOSTRADAMEUS' fourth album, "Hellbound", was released in May 2004 through Germany's AFM Records. The follow-up to 2003's "The Third Prophecy" was recorded at RoastingHouse studios in Malmö, Sweden.

Norwegian progressive power metallers MEMORIZED DREAMS will enter Skansen Lydstudio next month to record their sophomore album, "End of Innocence", for an as-yet-undetermined label. Check out the new album cover art (by JP Fournier) at this location. The band's new logo can be viewed here.

MEMORIZED DREAMS last year ended their co-operation with Sound Riot Records and is currently seeking a label to release its next album. An MP3 file containing audio clips of the tracks that are set to appear on the upcoming CD can be downloaded at this location.

MEMORIZED DREAMS issued their debut album, "Theater of Life", in April 2004 through Sound Riot. The CD was recorded at Skansen Lydstudio in Trondheim, Norway with producer Stein Bratland and featured a guest appearance on the track "Gates of Heaven" by singer Olaf Hayer (DIONYSUS, LUCA TURILLI, LORD BYRON). Mastering duties were handled by Tommy Newton at Area 51 Studios in Germany.

Out on November 3rd will be Untoten's "Die Blutgräfin". The double album - which will include 100 minutes of Untoten mayhem - is loosely based on the legendary life of Elisabeth Bathory. Bathory was a Hungarian countess who lived in the Cachtice Castle near Trencín, in present-day Slovakia. She is considered to be the most famous serial killer in Slovak and Hungarian history as well as the world's most prolific mass murderer as she and her alleged four collaborators would have tortured and killed numerous girls and young women. She apparently bathed in the blood of the slaughtered women in order to enjoy eternal life and beauty. In 1610, she was imprisoned in solitary confinement, where she stayed until her death four years later. So far the history lesson... The album is the follow-up to the band's last release, the trilogie "Grabsteinland".

Holland's WITHIN TEMPTATION has completed the songwriting process for its new album, tentatively due early next year. "Some songs have been recorded and the rest is going to be done the next month," frontwoman Sharon den Adel writes on the group's web site.

In other news, Sharon has posted a report on the band's recent appearance at the Dutch Applepop Festival. You can read it at this location.

WITHIN TEMPTATION has been nominated in the "Best Rock Act" category at the TMF Awards, the Dutch equivalent of the MTV Awards. The band's latest album, "The Silent Force", was certified platinum Holland for sales in excess of 80,000 copies.

Sharon den Adel and WITHIN TEMPTATION guitarist Robert Westerholt welcomed their first child, a daughter by the name of Luna, on December 7, 2005.

Vitamin Records has set a September 19 release date for the CRADLE OF FILTH tribute album, "Scorched Earth Orchestra Plays Cradle of Filth: The Orchestral Tribute" (view cover artwork at this location). A description of the album on the Vitamin web site reads as follows:

"With a revolving-door line-up and fanbase that is equally ready to embrace and disown the band from one record to the next, CRADLE OF FILTH should have imploded long ago. Instead, they have clawed forth from the depths of metal’s underground to become one of the biggest extreme acts. While many debate just what kind of metal Dani Filth and Co. play, there’s no denying the power and longevity of their musical and lyrical ideas. CRADLE OF FILTH continue to release hit records, despite their sheer non-existence on MTV or radio.

"THE SCORCHED EARTH ORCHESTRA has paid tribute to the epic sound that was the basis for hit records like 'Damnation and a Day' by taking the 'symphonic' part of 'symphonic metal' to heart. Songs like 'Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids' and 'Her Ghost in the Fog' have been taken to their epic zenith in a manner best-suited for anyone who has meticulously followed the band. The ORCHESTRA has crafted an album that CRADLE OF FILTH fans will embrace in their cold, black hearts."

"Scorched Earth Orchestra Plays Cradle of Filth: The Orchestral Tribute" track listing:

01. Her Ghost in the Fog
02. Hurt and Virtue
03. Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids
04. Nymphetamine Overdose
05. Dusk and Her Embrace
06. Lord Abortion
07. Filthy Little Secret
08. Thank God for the Suffering
09. Better to Reign in Hell

For more information, click here.

For fall 2006, Metropolis Records will be proudly releasing KMFDM’s classic back catalog. These long out of print masterpieces from the band’s Wax Trax! Records era will be made available in the order in which they were originally released. Each album has been digitally remastered, presenting these timeless songs in a quality previously unavailable. To document the rich history of KMFDM the accompanying CD booklets will include the original album art (most by famed KMFDM cohort Brute!), extensive liner notes, lyrics for each song and never before seen photos of the band. All work on the releases, from the remastering to the packaging, has been done with the highest level of participation from Sascha K., KMFDM’s leader and founder. The first three releases will be 1986’s What Do You Know Deutschland?, 1988’s Don’t Blow Your Top and 1989’s UAIOE. Fans and collectors take note: this version of their debut, What Do You Know Deutschland?, is the first time every track from the previous German, English and American incarnations of the album has been made available in one place. Look for the rest of the KMFDM Classics to return to the shelves in the coming months. The next phase of the legacy begins, KMFDM are back to kick your brain’s ass all over again.

Each KMFDM Classic Re-release has been Digitally Remastered and includes an all new 16 page Deluxe Booklet featuring the original Brute art plus extensive liner notes, lyrics for each song and never before seen photos of the band.

Veteran San Francisco Bay Area metal band VICIOUS RUMORS has uploaded two short samples from its upcoming "Warball" abum — "Sonic Rebellion" and "Mr. Miracle" — at its official web site.

Due on October 8 via Mascot Records, "Warball" was recorded at Trident Studios in Pacheco, CA by Geoff Thorpe and Juan J. Orteaga and includes lead-guitar contributions from Brad Gillis (NIGHT RANGER) and Thaen Rassmussen (ANVIL CHORUS). The group's first CD with new vocalist James Rivera (HELSTAR, KILLING MACHINE, SEVEN WITCHES) is being described as "a darker and more aggressive version" of the band's classic "Digital Dictator" album (1987).

"Warball" is the first VICIOUS RUMORS album with Geoff Thorpe doing all rhythm and acoustic guitars and most of the solos. "In the past I've always split the guitar duties up with our other guitarist," he said. "As I rebuilt the band, I decided to knock it out myself. I always planned to have some special guests on the record, and it turned out great."

For the "Warball" CD, Geoff Thorpe reunites with original members Larry Howe (drums and vocals), and Dave Starr (bass). "It felt great to have the original nucleus together again," Geoff said. "Larry and Dave are a tight-knit veteran rhythm section that really stepped up on this new CD. The years of working together definitely helped create the metal mayhem of 'Warball'."

"Warball" (view artwork at this location) track listing:

01. Sonic Rebellion
02. Mr. Miracle
03. Dying Every Day
04. Immortal
05. Warball
06. Crossthreaded
07. The Wheels Of Madness
08. Windows Of Memories
09. Ghost Within
10. Dreams Of Rage

Finland's SOULRELIC has released the working songtitles that are set to appear on the band's upcoming CD, tentatively due next year. They are 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.

Dag Swanö (a.k.a. Tom Nouga) of NIGHTINGALE — the Swedish progressive-metal band headed by Dag's brother Dan Swanö — has issued the following update on the recording process for the band's new album, "White Darkness":

"Dan [Swanö] has been working hard with the lead vocals. Five songs of ten ready to rock! Last weekend I put down acoustic guitars on it and next weekend it's time for backing vocals. It sounds damm good. For the first time I'm gonna be Dag Swanö on the record. Tom Nouga is dead, the music lives on."

About 75 percent of the material for the forthcoming CD was composed by Dag. The record will reportedly be very 1970s-inspired. Songtitles set to appear on "White Darkness" include (in no particular order):

01. Fields of Life
02. One Way Ticket
03. Trial and Error
04. Reasons
05. Healing the Wounds of My Soul
06. Hideaway
07. Trust
08. White Darkness

NIGHTINGALE's collection of re-recorded songs from the group's first three releases, entitled "Nightfall Overture", was made available last year.