Tony Kakko, lead singer for Finland's SONATA ARCTICA, was taken to a local hospital earlier today (Feb. 22) to have his irritated throat checked by a doctor.

The band would like to extend their apologies to the fans who traveled to tonight's show at the Webster Theater in Hartford, CT — which was regretfully canceled. Nuclear Blast Records encourages those who plan to attend Thursday's show at Mark's Place in Bedford, NH to call the venue first to verify that SONATA ARCTICA will be performing.

As previously reported, "Reckoning Night" — the latest album from the SONATA ARCTICA — has been certified gold in Finland for sales in excess of 15,000 copies. SONATA ARCTICA had previously achieved the same feat with their third album, "Winterheart's Guild".

SONATA ARCTICA's fourth studio album, "Reckoning Night", was released in 2004 via Nuclear Blast Records. A live SONATA ARCTICA DVD/CD, entitled "For the Sake of Revenge", is scheduled for release on March 31, 2006.

Belgian death metallers ABORTED will be entering Antfarm studios in Denmark with producer Tue Madsen in October to begin recording their new album, tentatively due in early 2007. "The songwriting is going quite smoothly," the band write on their web site. "We've had some time to work on the road and so far everything looks very promising, we got quite some cool surprises up our sleeves."

ABORTED made their live debut with their new lineup on Jan. 14 in La Louviere, Belgium. Check out pictures at .VS-Webzine.com. The group's new formation includes Seb Purulator (ex-GARWALL, BALROG, GENITAL GRINDER) on guitar and Olivia Scemama (ex-NO RETURN, BALROG) on bass following the departures of Thijs "Tace" de Cloedt and bassist Frederic "Free" Vanmassenhove, respectively.

ABORTED are in the middle of The Domination Tour 2006 of Europe with CRYPTOPSY, GRAVE, DEW-SCENTED, VESANIA and HURTLOCKER

Acclaimed Swedish doomsters COUNT RAVEN have parted ways with bassist Tommy "Wilbur" Eriksson and drummer Christer "Renfield" Petersson. Guitarist Dan Fondelius's official statement on the matter reads as follows:

"COUNT RAVEN has after two and a half years decided to go through some changes. There are a number of reasons for this: The main one's due to problems working in one direction, due to lack of interest and bad communication. Another one is simply that the old magic wasn't there anymore. This is not a new thing, it happens to a lot of bands that reunite, and for some reason they can't find that old mojo working.

"In order to keep the old RAVEN magic, we have some new people in the band who have the ability to keep that very magic. And that's the main thing. You got to stay true to your music, your fans and to your dream! The guys that will help out to make this dream work and who are replacing Wilbur and Renfield are: Fredrik Jansson (ex-ABRAMIS BRAMA) on bass, and Jens Bock (ex-DOOMSDAY GOUVERNMENT) on drums. We have already finished the setlist for the Bang Your Head!!! festival [scheduled to take place June 23-24 in Balingen, Germany], and it will include a few surprises. Also we are rehearsing on new material for a possible new album, and so far it sounds extremely promising.

"We want to thank everybody that believed in us in the past, as well those that do now. We won't let you down!"

Dutch progressive metallers SUN CAGED have uploaded a demo version of a new track, called "Unborn", at their MySpace.com page.

"Unborn" is one of several new songs SUN CAGED recorded in late 2005 as part of the pre-production process for their new album.

SUN CAGED are scheduled to enter the studio in April to begin recording the follow-up to their self-titled debut, tentatively due before the end of the year. Other songtitles set to appear on the new CD include "Dialogue", "City Walls", "Re-Enter The Dream", "Doldrums", "Afraid To Fly", "Engelbert", "Blood Lines", "A Fair Trade" and "Missing Third".

SUN CAGED's debut was released in 2003 through Finland's Lion Music. The album was mixed by AYREON/STAR ONE mastermind Arjen Anthony Lucassen.

Short audio sample of the new QUEENSRŸCHE songs "Hostage", "The Hands", and "An Intentional Confrontation" (note: the latter is erroneously listed as "An Intentional Conspiracy" on the site) are available for listening and download/purchase at the RedEye Ringtones cellular phone site. Check them out at this location.

QUEENSRŸCHE's sequel to the band's platinum 1988 concept album "Operation: Mindcrime", entitled "Operation: Mindcrime II", is scheduled for release on April 4. A 90-second clip of the new QUEENSRŸCHE single, "I'm American", has been posted online at this location (Real Media). The single will be available to radio stations for digital download on February 21. The full-length record will go for adds in March. Legendary heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio (BLACK SABBATH, DIO, RAINBOW) makes a guest appearance on the album as "Dr. X".

Seminal avant-garde metal pioneers CELTIC FROST have posted the following message on their official web site:

"CELTIC FROST and Erol Unala have chosen separate paths on the verge of the release of their new album, titled 'Monotheist'. Unala, a longtime collaborator in APOLLYON SUN with CELTIC FROST founding member Tom Gabriel Fischer, has been a crucial factor in the renaissance of Swiss avant-garde extreme metal band, CELTIC FROST.

"The necessity of this sacrifice became evident during the creation of 'Monotheist'. The obligation to his biological family, the responsibility he took on as a patriarch, has led him to lose sight of this family in spirit. We should not blame him. But we did. We have failed to lead him back to the fold, and this lost son did not find his way home. Proof of his creativity will always remain with us in the form of 'Monotheist', though.

"The greater the sacrifice, the more the loss will be felt. This responsibility is ours. Although the separation has lit the pyre and the smoke is rising, we all feel bound by the code of honor that our past decrees.

"Will our God accept this offering?

"Only death is real!"

KINGDOM OF SORROW, the new project featuring HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta and CROWBAR guitarist/vocalist Kirk Windstein, have uploaded a track entitled "Buried in Black" at this location. The song comes off the group's debut album, tentatively due this spring through an as-yet-undetermined label. The CD was recorded at Planet Z studios in Massachusetts with producer Zeuss (HATEBREED, SHADOWS FALL) and will reportedly include 13 tracks plus a cover of MOTÖRHEAD's "No Class". "Buried in Black" will also be included on the upcoming third installment of the "MTV Headbanger's Ball" compilations, entitled "MTV Headbanger's Ball - The Revenge", due on April 11 via Roadrunner Records.

Jasta had previously stated about the KINGDOM OF SORROW debut, "This is seriously going to blow people's minds! Steve Gibb from CROWBAR (formerly of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) [flew] up from Miami to rip some solos and leads on a few tracks. We are also going to have two INSANE guest appearances that will definitely shock and excite people. . . Kirk is singing with me as well as playing the bass and guitar on the album, and we have both been writing and bringing ideas to the table. It's been killer!"

Legendary Canadian experimental metallers VOIVOD have finished mixing their much-anticipated new album with producer Glen Robinson (VOIVOD's "Nothingface", TEA PARTY, GWAR) at Multisons studio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Drummer Michael "Away' Langevin has checked in with the following update:

"We just finished the mixing of the album. Glen, Jason [Newsted, bass], Snake [Denis Belanger, vocals] and I worked some crazy shifts to make sure that all the parts blend properly. Of course, we gave the guitar a particular attention. We really didn't want Piggy to be low in the mix. Glen is back in New York City and he's taking the album to Howie Weinberg for mastering today. Now I have to finish the art!"

The follow-up to 2003's "Voivod" is the first album in the band's 20-plus-year career that will not feature founding guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour working alongside his bandmembers in the studio. D'Amour died August 26, 2005 in a Montreal hospital from complications of advanced colon cancer.

In order to record the album, Belanger, drummer Michael "Away" Langevin and bassist Jason "Jasonic" Newsted are utilizing all of the guitar parts that Piggy had recorded for the record on his laptop with ProTools before his death.

VOIVOD's as-yet-untitled new album should surface sometime later this year on The End Records in North America.

Belgian metallers ANCIENT RITES will release their new album, entitled "Rubicon", on May 15 via Season of Mist. The follow-up to 2001's "Dim Carcosa" was recorded at the Spacelab Studio in Germany under the watchful eye of veteran ANCIENT RITES producers Oliver Phillips and Christian Moos.

"Rubicon" track listing:

1. Crusade
   
2. Templar
   
3. Mithras
   
4. Thermopylae
   
5. Rubicon
   
6. Invictus
   
7. Ypres
   
8. Galilean
   
9. Cheruscan
   
10. Brabantia
    

ANCIENT RITES will play a CD-release gig sometime in May. The date and venue will be confirmed soon.

Following the album's release, ANCIENT RITES — now a septet since the return of former members Domingo Smets and Raf Jansen in 2004 — will once again play live to spread their new music. Concerts all over Europe and the U.K. are currently being negotiated and arranged, so expect the band to be out there in full blast later in the year.

Norwegian old-school black metallers KAMPFAR have completed work on their third full-length album, "Kvass", due later in the year via Napalm Records. The track listing for the effort is as follows:

1. Lyktemenn
   
2. Til Siste Mann
   
3. Ravenheart
   
4. Ildverden
   
5. Hat Og Avind
   
6. Gaman Av DrГёmmer
   

KAMPFAR's second full-length album, "Fra underverdenen" ("From the underworld") was released in 1999 via Hammerheart Records.

Defunct Finnish metal act SENTENCED were honored in three categories at the Finnish Metal Awards 2005, which took place on February 17 at the Finnish Metal Expo: "Album of the Year", "Cover Art of the Year" (for their "The Funeral Album" CD), and "Band of the Year". Check put a picture of the band with their awars at this location.

"The Funeral Album", the swansong of the masters of suicidal and melancholy-driven metal, has already reached gold status in Finland for sales in excess of 15,000 copies. The CD topped the Finnish album chart upon its release in May 2005 and made it to position No. 49 on the German Media Control chart.

With an intense and emotional show on Saturday, October 1, 2005 at Club Teatria in the band's hometown of Oulu, SENTENCED delivered an impressive "farewell" to their dedicated fans, who travelled to Oulu from various countries just to see the band say goodbye with a big bang. The concert was filmed by Klaffi Productions from Oulu, Finland (who previously worked with the group on their "Ever-Frost" video) and will be released later in 2006 via Century Media as a live DVD (tentatively titled "Buried Alive").

Brazilian thrashers SEPULTURA filmed a video for the song "Convicted in Life" (mp3) over a two-day period this past weekend in SГЈo Paulo, Brazil. Check out pictures from the shoot at this location.

"Convicted In Life" comes off the group's upcoming album, "Dante XXI" (view cover here), due in North America on March 14 via SPV.

PAIN CONFESSOR's video for their new single, "Fall on Evil Days", has been posted online at this location.

"Fall on Evil Days", which entered the Finnish single chart at position No. 15 earlier in the month, is the first single off PAIN CONFESSOR's upcoming sophomore album, "Fearrage", due on March 3 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.

"Fearrage" track listing:

01. Path to...
02. Ruin
03. Nemesis
04. Fall on Evil Days
05. Feardom
06. Life Keeps Bleeding
07. Another Door
08. Pathetic Little Soul
09. Butterfly
10. Powderburns
11. DNA of a God

Check out audio samples of the tracks "Nemesis" and "Feardom" at PainConfessor.com.

Irish rockers THERAPY? have finalized the track listing for their new album, "One Cure Fits All", due on April 24. The follow-up to 2004's "Never Apologise Never Explain" was produced by Pedro Ferriera, who has previously worked with COLOUR OF FIRE, THE DARKNESS and TOKYO DRAGONS, among others. "Final mastering will take place this week and we're also well underway with the artwork," the band write on their web site. "Helping us with this is Curt Evans of 'High Anxiety' and 'Never Apologise...' notoriety and he's come up trumps this time. The front cover can only be described as a cross between 'Nurse', Andy Warhol portraiture and the first KING CRIMSON album sleeve…garish and disturbing would be one way of putting it!"

"One Cure Fits All" track listing:

1. Sprung
   
2. Deluded Son
   
3. Into The Light
   
4. Lose It All
   
5. Dopamine Seratonin Adrenaline
   
6. Unconsoled
   
7. Our White Noise
   
8. Private Nobody
   
9. Rain Hits Concrete
   
10. Fear Of God
    
11. Heart Beat Hits
    
12. Walk Through Darkness

The title track of JOE SATRIANI's upcoming CD, "Super Colossal", has been made available for streaming at this location (Quicktime 6 or later is required).

Due on March 14, "Super Colossal" was produced by Satriani and Mike Fraser at Studio 21. Drums and additional recording was done at The Armoury in Vancouver, B.C., where Mike Fraser took care of the mixing as well.

"Super Colossal" track listing:

1. Super Colossal
   
2. Just Like Lightnin'
   
3. It's So Good
   
4. Redshift Riders
   
5. Ten Words
   
6. A Cool New Way
   
7. One Robot's Dream
   
8. The Meaning of Love
   
9. Made of Tears
   
10. Theme for a Strange World
    
11. Movin' On
    
12. A Love Eternal
    
13. Crowd Chant
    

SYMPHONY X webmaster has posted the following message on the band's official web site:

"Just spoke to [Michael James Romeo, guitar]; he says they have four solid songs [for the upcoming album] that are pretty much done, and they're working on arrangements for the rest of the songs. Thngs are really coming together, all the pieces are falling into place, and Mike says he's 'in the groove'. All very good things to hear. Mike assures me that this thing is going to kick ass when it's done. It's going to be well worth the wait, and your patience is greatly appreciated."

SYMPHONY X's last full-length collection of new original material, "The Odyssey", was released in 2002.

Brazilian death metallers SOMBERLAIN entered the studio on January 21 to begin recording their full-length debut, tentatively due in March/April. "We recorded the drums in two days and now we are puting the equalizers and triggers on the drums," said bassist Delano Lima. "I suppose that between the end of March and April we will finish the recordings. After seeing Bruno (drums) showing an amazing work I can tell for sure that it will be a killer album, which will make us very proud, and satisfy the people who support us. In a few days we will begin to record the guitars."

SOMBERLAIN had previously recorded two four-song EPs - "Humanity's Funeral" (2004) and "Awakening in the Darkness" (2002) - both of which are available for download via the group's official web site.

Sweden's AMON AMARTH have posted the following message on their official web site:

"It's been a tough job to piece everything together, but we're finally closing in on the release of our DVD entitled 'Wrath of the Norsemen'.

The release dates are:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland: April 21
Rest of Europe: April 24
USA and Canada: May 2

"The three-disc set will be released in a deluxe 10-page digipack with special gold-laminated slipcase — definitely something to look at!

"Main body of the content is the Cologne show from last year — filmed with 11 cameras. This was the longest show we've ever played (23 songs!). Bonus footage includes interviews, behind-the-scenes of the DVD recording and other stuff filmed around the Cologne show!

"Discs 2 and 3 feature professionally filmed shows from Summer Breeze 2005, the Metal Blade Rrroooaaarrr 2005 (a show with a really unusual setlist!), Wacken Open Air 2004 and the release show for 'Fate of Norns' in Ludwigsburg (Germany) in 2004!"

AMON AMARTH are tentatively scheduled to enter the studio in May to begin recording the follow-up to "Fate of Norns", which is available on Metal Blade Records. The band have been confirmed for several European festivals — including Wacken Open Air — this summer.

Refuting the rumour of a possible break-up (following "Farewell" and "The Best Of" releases) Goth / Darkwave legends Clan Of Xymox are back with "Breaking Point" : possibly their most perfectly blended album yet. Featuring searing guitar lines, strong bass sounds mixed with atmospheric and powerful synths and Ronny Mooring's deep, sensuous and harmonic voice it delivers all of Xymox's trademark sounds and references offered in their iconic and unique style.
This 'classic' sound is no more evident than on album opener and first single " Weak In My Knees" - a club hit par excellence : mighty tunes, powerful chorus line, a perfect sing-a-long melody which catches the listener in an instant. The following track " Calling You Out" shows them from their darker, even more aggressive side with straight guitar lines and no compromises, while " She’s Dangerous" is yet another dancefloor hit - complete with infectious synth lines, driving rhythms and a permenant hook. " Eternally", " We Never Learn" and " Cynara" are songs that will capture the hearts of their older fans immediately - quiet, almost introspective, slow, thoughtful and eternal. " Be My Friend" presents another powerful club hit while album closers " Pandora’s Box" - forms an interlude into the aggressive song " Under The Wire" ( a track that demonstrates perfectly the rockier side of Clan Of Xymox ) and finally "What’s Going On" a melodic masterpiece that demands replaying.
1. Weak In My Knees
2. Calling You Out
3. She's Dangerous
4. Eternally
5. We Never Learn
6. Be My Friend
7. Cynara
8. Pandora's Box
9. Under The Wire
10. What's Going On?
Release date: April 21st, 2006.

SATYRIAN, an international gothic rock band, combining dark atmospheric lyrics with new wave, rock, classical orchestration elements for a truly unique sound is ready with their new album to be released on Lion Music.

The new album "Eternitas" consists of 12 songs covering a wide variety of musical styles. From pure dark rock to danceable industrial beats, folk elements to classical atmosphere, the album runs the gamut of musical tastes. Satyrian also display contrast between the two male and two female voices which define the band's sound. The guitar work varies from rock and metal riffing to melodic leads, often combined with piano. The lyrics are dark, atmospheric and offer a close look into deep personal emotions. It's an album about life and death, desire, fear, loss and eternity - the Eternitas.

‘ Satyrian – Eternitas’ is scheduled for release at 24 March 2006.

Line up:
Roman Schönsee - vocals (ex- Pyogenesis, The Dreamside)
Kemi Vita - vocals (The Dreamside)
Judith “Ciara” Stüber - vocals (Danse Macabre)
Jan “Örkki” Yrlund - guitars, programming (ex- Lacrimosa, Danse Macabre, Imperia)
Oliver Philipps - piano, orchestrations (Everon)
Milos Maricevic - bass (Danse Macabre)
Merijn Mol - drums (Danse Macabre)

According to a posting on MY DYING BRIDE's official web site, the band have spent the winter months writing material for a new album, to be recorded in April. A late 2006 release is expected.

MY DYING BRIDE's second DVD, "Sinamorata", was released in August via Peaceville. The disc included a video for the track "The Blue Lotus" (directed and conceived by David Palzer), live footage (12 songs) shot on November 2, 2003 in Antwerpen, Belgium, as well as backstage extras, the "Prize of Beauty" promotional clip, two videos made by MY DYING BRIDE fans ("Hope the Destroyer" and "My Wine In Silence") and a photo gallery featuring fan-created artwork inspired by the band's music.

MY DYING BRIDE's eighth studio album, "Songs of Darkness, Words of Light", was released in February 2004 through Peaceville Records. The follow-up to 2001's "The Dreadful Hours" was recorded and mixed at Academy Studio in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire with producer Mags.

Eagle Rock Entertainment/Spitfire Records has set an April 18 North American release date for DIO's "Holy Diver Live" CD (one day earlier internationally).

"Holy Diver Live" CD track listing:

CD1:

01. Stand Up and Shout
02. Holy Diver
03. Gypsy
04. Caught in the Middle
05. Don't Talk to Strangers
06. Straight Through the Heart
07. Invisible
08. Rainbow in the Dark
09. Shame on the Night

CD2:

01. Tarot Woman
02. Sign of the Southern Cross
03. One Night in the City
04. Gates of Babylon
05. Heaven & Hell
06. Man on the Silver Mountain
07. Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll
08. We Rock

According to News.com.au, American punk rock icon and writer Henry Rollins was reported to the National Security hotline during his recent Australian tour because of a book he was reading on a flight to Brisbane.

A furious Rollins was informed he was "nominated as a possible threat" for reading "Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam In Central Asia", writes Kathy McCabe.

The incident happened on a flight from Auckland on the recent Big Day Out tour.

Rollins told Australian fans during his tour that he received a letter from a "nice woman" who worked "in one of those government areas that deals with anti-terrorism matters."

He posted the letter on his web site.

"Please tell your Government and everyone in your office to go fuck themselves. Baghdad's safer than my hometown and your PM is a sissy," he wrote.