Italian melodic power metallers VISION DIVINE, the brainchild of ex-LABYRINTH mastermind Olaf Thörsen, have finalized the track listing for their new album, "The Perfect Machine". The follow-up to last year's "Stream of Unconsciousness" was reportedly produced by STRATOVARIUS mainman Timo Tolkki and is scheduled for release in October through Scarlet Records.

"The Perfect Machine" track listing:

01. The Perfect Machine
02. 1st Day of a Never-Ending Day
03. The Ancestor's Blood
04. Land of Fear
05. God is Dead
06. Rising Sun
07. Here in 6048
08. The River
09. Now that You've Gone
10. The Needle Lies (QUEENSRŸCHE cover; Japanese bonus track)

In other news, VISION DIVINE are confirmed to play a short tour of Japan in early October. If all goes well, the band's new album will be released in Japan (via King Records) the day of the band's first show, which is scheduled for October 5 in Tokyo.

HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak has posted the following message on the band's official web site:

"The U.S. tour is over, and it was very good for us in a lot of ways. North Americans definitely surprised me with their heavy metal knowledge and unbelievable devotion. Some people travelled to more than one show, others drove fifteen hours to get to where the action was; fans spending over ten hours on the road to see the show was not unusual. Very flattering, and we tried to give back by delivering the best show we possibly could, as well as spending time chatting to people after the gigs. On behalf of the band, I'd like to thank everyone who came to the concerts, as well as EDGUY and INTO ETERNITY for doing this with us. It truly was a blast, and I hope it won't take another three years until we see each other again. Cheers!

"Now, the members of the band are enjoying some well-deserved time off from touring, before it all begins again in the end of October. The Swedish dates on the tour are now booked and confirmed, and reads as follows:

Oct. 30 - Skycom Arena - Umeå
Nov. 02 – Annexet - Stockholm

"Tickets available at www.ticnet.se, as usual. This marks the last time HAMMERFALL will perform on Swedish soil for over a year — that goes for the whole tour, for that matter, so don't miss HAMMERFALL vs STRATOVARIUS, coming to your country in October, November and December. For complete touring plans check out the tour section elsewhere on the page.

"Lastly, we have reached an agreement with Charlie Bauerfeind, who worked with us on the last to albums, to produce also the next one. Recordings are set to begin in May 2006, with a scheduled release in October that same year. More info on this as things proceed. Cheers!"

Norway's THEATRE OF TRAGEDY have inked a deal with Germany's AFM Records. Last Friday, the band and label met in Hamburg to discuss their future. The gothic metal act are currently working on their new album and have most of the material already completed. Musically, the band are promising a return to their early sound.

"If you want, you can consider this album as a kind of follow-up to [1998's] 'Aegis'," drummer Hein Frode Hansen said of the new album's musical direction. "For us this was a very natural way right now."

THEATRE OF TRAGEDY's as-yet-untitled new album will be the group's first to feature singer Nell (THE CREST), who replaced Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull (currently in LEAVES' EYES) in early 2004. A March 24, 2006 release is expected. Download audio samples of two demo songs recorded last year: "Fade" (mp3), "Seven" (mp3).

Long-running Florida-based death metallers MALEVOLENT CREATION are currently writing the music for their tenth studio album, to be released sometime in the spring/summer of 2006. "This is a landmark for the band and we really want this release to be something special for everyone," the group write in a press release.

MALEVOLENT CREATION's ninth full-length album, "Warkult", was release in July 2004 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Liquid Ghost Recording Studio in Boca Raton, Florida by Phil Plaskon and mixed at Studio Wild in Quebec by producer Jean-Francois Degenais (KATAKLYSM). Mastering duties were handled by Bernard Belley in Montreal.

According to a posting at SickthingsUK, Shout! Factory has set a November 8 release date for the DVD version of the ALICE COOPER film "Good to See You Again, Alice Cooper". The movie, which captures the original band lineup in the middle of the legendary 1973 "Billion Dollar Babies" tour, has never before been available on home video or DVD.

The DVD will feature the original cut of the film (including skits featuring the band) which was given a very limited theatrical run-mostly at midnight screenings-in the mid-'70s. This is the early cut, predating the Holywood version. Now available for the first time since the theatrical release, "Good To See You Again, Alice Cooper" boasts a new high-definition film transfer as well as a new Surround Sound mix created from the 16-track master tapes, plus a multitude of extras, including movie-length commentary by Alice himself. "The film that out-grosses them all" — as it was originally billed — is back, looking and sounding better than ever.

Track listing:

01. Hello, Hooray
02. Billion Dollar Babies
03. Elected
04. I'm Eighteen
05. Raped And Freezin'
06. No More Mr. Nice Guy
07. My Stars
08. Unfinished Sweet
09. Sick Things
10. Dead Babies
11. I Love The Dead
12. School's Out
13. Under My Wheels
14. The Lady Is A Tramp (studio)

Special Features:

* Audio Commentary by Alice Cooper
* Anamorphic Widescreen & 5.1 Surround Sound
* "Play concert only" viewing option
* Original Theatrical Trailer and Radio Spots
* Deleted Scene and Outtakes
* Easter Eggs
* Poster Gallery with Original Promotional Material
* Band Biographies

SLIPKNOT have set "9.0: Live" as the title of their upcoming live album, due on November via Roadrunner Records. Recorded at shows in Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore and Las Vegas the CD should feature the following tracks (not final track listing):

01. The Blister Exists
02. (sic)
03. Pulse Of The Maggots
04. Vermilion
05. Duality
06. Wait And Bleed
07. Everything Ends
08. Surfacing
09. Spit It Out
10. Liberate
11. People=Shit
12. Disasterpiece
13. The Heretic Anthem
14. Left Behind
15. The Nameless
16. Iowa
17. Purity
18. Three Nil
19. Eeyore
20. Eyeless

SLIPKNOT will mount the "Subliminal Verses Tour: The Final Volume" in October/November to wrap up the touring cycle on the band's current, critically acclaimed album, "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)", which has sold 1.19 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Support at all dates will come from AS I LAY DYING and UNEARTH.

CELTIC FROST frontman Tom Gabriel Fischer has posted the following message on his official blog:

"The album will truly live up to the word that will be its title. But there is still some work to do. We are not quite there yet. I worship making albums, creating and playing music. I have committed my life to this, I have sacrificed so much for this, and, in return, it has given me all I am today. But making this album, my tenth album, has been the most difficult undertaking I have ever embarked upon. And these are not just heavy metal-typical overblown, empty or sensationalist words. I also believe I am not the only one to feel this way in the group.

"This album is a challenge, and yet the results are intoxicating. We were in the studio again this weekend and will be back for a couple of days by the end of the coming week to do some additional work on a couple of songs. We might even add a composition. Martin [Ain, bass] and me are mulling some eccentric ideas. For all intents and purposes, however, the album is at long last finished, and this week's Popkomm music industry convention in Berlin will see detailed talks between Antje, our manager, and some of the labels that have voiced strong interest.

"This album has been far from easy for me. And I have been far from easy on this album."

As previously reported, CELTIC FROST have set "Dark Matter Manifest" as the title of their first album in 13 years. The culmination of some three and a half years of songwriting and recording work, the album was largely produced by the band themselves and financed by their own production company, with additional assistance from HYPOCRISY/PAIN mastermind Peter Tägtgren during the final recording and mixing sessions at Horus Sound Studio in Hanover, Germany. Negotiations with a variety of labels are currently underway, and the album is scheduled for a release in early 2006. Original CELTIC FROST members Tom Gabriel Fischer (voice and guitars) and Martin Eric Ain (bass) are joined by Erol Unala (guitar) and Franco Sesa (drums). The band are now managed by Antje Lange for The A Label in Berlin, Germany.

Stefan Hertrich (Darkseed/Betray My Secrets/Shiva in Exile) started a new project named SPI-RITUAL and will record the debut mini-CD in late September. "Pulse" will include 5 tracks (total running time: ca. 28 minutes) and will feature several guest musicians (Yana Veva/Theodor Bastard, Gaby Koss/Ex-Haggard, Dr. Christian Raetsch/Germanys leading ethnopharmacology book author, Kajuyali Tsamani/Director of the Foundation of Shamanic Investigations in Columbia and others).

After his award winning soundtrack/world album "Ethnic" (SHIVA IN EXILE, 2004), Hertrich now tries again to combine ethnic elements with metal like in his project BETRAY MY SECRETS (1999). "Pulse" will be released by Hertrich's new label Listen&Think Publishing and will also be licensed to Russia, including a multimedia section with a dark ethnic background bonustrack and propably a video clip (not 100% confirmed).

"This CD wonґt be a religious or ideologic guide for metal fans and it doesnґt represent any religions or ideologies in any way. It might be an offer for metal fans who are interested in different ways of understanding the aesthetics of arts from distant cultures, embedded in our familiar metal construct. I think this album could provoke even more, maybe a sensibility for things that are not teached in school or TV, but this is completely up to the listener, the main goal of this CD simply is to be enjoyed - with the option to provoke more than that." says Stefan Hertrich to Darkside.ru.

The German release is scheduled for November, official Russian release dates are not announced yet.

According to MelodicRock.com, former PARADISE LOST drummer Lee Morris has joined the British AOR group TEN. Lee's first outing with the band will be the Fleetwood weekend on October 15-16, according to TEN mastermind Gary Hughes.

Morris left PARADISE LOST in early 2004 prior to the recording of the band's self-titled album due to "personal and musical differences." In a statement issued shortly after his departure, Morris said, "I have never lost my passion for music and drumming and this new-found freedom has really filled me with a determination and drive to want to succeed again."

PARADISE LOST are currently utilizing the services of drummer Jeff Singer, who has previously worked with BLAZE and KILL II THIS.

Danish modern metallers MNEMIC have confirmed the departure of frontman Michael Bøgballe. The band's official statement on the matter reads as follows:

"It is sad it has come to this, but Michael has chosen a different path in his life and wishes to leave the band. This last weekend, we did our last gig together in Gothenburg, Sweden — which was one of the most intense and energetic gigs we have ever done, and this night will not be forgotten for a very long time. Thanks to all of our friends in IMPIOUS, ENGEL, DARK TRANQUILLITY, ARCH ENEMY and most important Patric Ullaeus, who came out and made it all special for everybody! We now would like to take this time to wish Michael all the best and good luck in future endeavours."

Michael has issued the following statement regarding his departure from the group:

"It is with great sadness that I must announce my departure from MNEMIC. From today I'm no longer officially the singer of MNEMIC. There's a thousand ways to put this but none seem just accurate right now, so I'm just gonna be honest with ya all. There are two main reasons in my life for doing this. One is that mý girlfriend is pregnant with my baby and I therefore want to spend some more time at home. Second is that I'm sick and tired of being broke all the time. This is by far the hardest decision I ever had to make 'cuz I love the metal, the tours and the band. What we did together, no one can take that away from me and I'll remember every country we've visited for as long as I live. And to the people I've met on the road and all the fans: Thank you so much for being there. You made all the difference to me...I know for sure that the remaining four boys in MNEMIC will not slow down. We part as best friends and will remain so......You guys are the shit!! Thank you. And Bobo from the Summer Breeze Festival: Fuck you! Goodbye everybody....I had a blast...and who knows.....maybe we'll see each other somewhere in the future..."

MNEMIC have already recruited Michael's replacement — former TRANSPORT LEAGUE/B-THONG singer Tony Jelencovich. Commented the group: "Tony has been a longtime friend of the band, and we are 100 percent confident that he is the right man for the job!

"Also SPECIAL THANKS to video director Patric Ullaeus and his wife Tara at ww.Revolver.se spending time with the band to do another brilliant shoot in Gothenburg this weekend. This lineup change will NOT, in any way, effect MNEMIC's North American Fall tour with MESHUGGAH, GOD FORBID and THE HAUNTED."

MNEMIC are continuing to tour in support of their sophomore album, "The Audio Injected Soul", which was released in September 2004 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2003's "Mechanical Spin Phenomena" was recorded at AntFarm Studios in Aarhus, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen.

Guitarist/vocalist Ares of Norwegian "dark metallers" AETERNUS has posted the following message on the group's official web site:

"The mixing of 'HeXaeon' will soon start and today my producer and I will work on some songs here at my place. We're retrieving files from my PC so we can put all the puzzles together in the studio this month. It has been silent in the AETERNUS camp for a long time, but things WILL change. We have also started to practice again as we have a new rehearsal place and in about 2 months I guess we're ready again to do gigs wherever that may be. "The release date is not confirmed 100%, but it's still October 2005. So it won't be long.

"I thank you all for your patience, the folks that have written us and so forth. It'll be worth the wait. A new design on the website will be up soon, in the vein of the 'HeXaeon' design and our new label's designer is already working on the cover and so forth…"

The follow-up to 2003's "A Darker Monument", "Hexaeon" was recorded at Grieghallen Studios in Norway and was once produced by Eirik "Pytten" Hundvin, who has previously worked with ENSLAVED and MÖRK GRYNING, among others. AETERNUS recently acquired a new session guitarist by the name of Dreggen.

German thrashers KREATOR will re-release their latest album, "Enemy of God", in early 2006 in the DVD-Audio format, featuring very high quality, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, plus additional video material (including animation) and footage of KREATOR appearing on various TV shows.

Commented KREATOR mainman Mille Petrozza: "'Enemy of God' is our best-produced album thus far. But it will sound even more brutal in this special Dolby Digital edition."

In addition to the extra footage mentioned above, the DVD-Audio edition of "Enemy of God" will include a fan-created music video for the song "Dying Race Apocalypse". Fans are encouraged to film and create their own clip and send it to this address:

SPV GmbH
Mark Kewitsch
Brüsseler Str. 14
30539 Hannover
Germany

The best entry will become part of the official DVD-Audio edition of "Enemy of God" and the winner will receive 1000 euros. Other prizes include 33 KREATOR fan packages. The deadline for registration is mid-October. All video clips should be completed and submitted by mid-November.

The follow-up to 2001's "Violent Revolution", "Enemy of God" was recorded and mixed at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, England with producer Andy Sneap (MACHINE HEAD, SKINLAB, NEVERMORE). ARCH ENEMY guitarist Michael Amott makes a guest appearance on lead guitar on the track "Murder Fantasies".

Long-running Swedish metallers ENTOMBED have amicably parted ways with guitarist Ulf Cederlund. The band's official statement on the matter reads as follows: "We want to inform everyone that Uffe Cederlund is no longer in the band and that the split is definite and amicable. We wish him all the best!" ENTOMBED will continue as a four-piece and are currently finishing up the "Inferno" tour. The band will shortly start work on their new studio album, which is tentatively expected in in early 2006 via Threeman Recordings. Previously announced songtitles, "The Fiery Father", "I Need Hell", "Radarslave" and "Burn the Flag", had come from Uffe and are unlikely to be included on the upcoming album.

ENTOMBED's last studio CD, "Inferno", received its long-awaited U.S. release in August 2004 through Candlelight Records. The special U.S. edition of "Inferno" included a bonus disc, "Averno", featuring two previously unreleased songs from the "Inferno" sessions as well as the song "When Humanity's Gone" that was previously released on the "Inferno" vinyl. In addition, "Averno" includes the promo videos for "Retaliation" and "Albino Flogged In Black". The band's most recent release was "Unreal Estate", a special live recording of the band's now infamous sold-out performance at Stockholm's Royal Opera Hall on March 1, 2002.

Sweden's LORD BELIAL have uploaded the cover artwork and two full tracks ("Desolate Passage" and "Monarchy of Death") from their sixth full-length album, "Nocturnal Beast", at LordBelial.com.

As previously reported, Regain Records has set a November 21 European release date for "Nocturnal Beast". The follow-up to last year's "The Seal of Belial" was recorded at Andy La Rocque's (KING DIAMOND) Los Angered Recording studios in Gothenburg, Sweden. "The result is 11 songs including intro and outro and the playing time is about 43 minutes," the band write on their web site".

LORD BELIAL recently announced that "The Seal of Belial" will receive its long-overdue U.S. release on September 20 via Candlelight Records USA.

Long-running Canadian metallers ANNIHILATOR have uploaded the cover artwork for their eleventh studio album, "Schizo Deluxe", at this location.

As previously reported, "Schizo Deluxe" is scheduled for release on the following dates: Japan (Marquee Inc.) on October 21; North America (Locomotive/Warner) on November 8; and Europe (AFM Records) on November 14.

Commented ANNIHILATOR guitarist Jeff Waters: "This CD is dedicated to our fans and all metal fans. This time around, I went right for the throat: 100 percent thrash metal with an attitude. No ballads. No breaks in the insanity. 'Schizo Deluxe' is what a lot of metal fans have been screaming at me to give them this time: brutal guitar riffs and solos, second-to-none musicianship and back-to-the-roots thrash/heavy metal metal songwriting."

ANNIHILATOR's latest CD, "All for You", was released in Europe in May 2004 through AFM Records. The CD, which was produced, mixed and engineered by ANNIHILATOR mastermind Jeff Waters at Watersound Studios in Canada, marked the recording debut with the group of new singer Dave Padden, who replaced previous vocalist Joe Comeau (ex-OVERKILL, LIEGE LORD) in June 2003.

Universal Music has announced the October 3 DVD release of "We Rock" — a live-in-concert DIO extravaganza boasting two knock-out concerts filmed during DIO's 1983-1984 "Holy Diver" world tour.

Off the back of the release of "Holy Diver", arguably the finest hard rock album to come out of 1983 and a second serving of rock genius in 1984's "The Last In Line", DIO found themselves in embarking on a sell-out world tour.

Delivering concert performances of the highest calibre and putting on the kind of value-for-money show that had become something of a lost art, the "Holy Diver" world tour won the band adulation from fans, critics and fellow musicians alike.

Conscious of the success of this world tour, DIO's frontman and namesake, Ronnie James Dio, felt it was only right to spotlight the songs that had delighted legions of dedicated fans and the live-in-concert footage featured here (from Philadelphia and Utrecht, the latter a very early performance) shows just how exciting shows the first couple of years must have been. And then, of course, there's the added bonus of a brand new interview with Ronnie (recorded in Belgium earlier this year), in which he talks in detail about the "Holy Diver" album, and the background to the project in general. The approximately 100-minute DVD comes complete with a fold-out DIO poster.

"We Rock" DVD (view cover here) track listing:

Main Concert : DIO at The Spectrum, Philadelphia:

01. Don't Talk To Strangers
02. Mystery
03. Egypt / Drum Solo / Heaven & Hell / Guitar solo / Heaven & Hell
04. Last In Line
05. Rainbow In the Dark
06. Mob Rules
07. We Rock

DIO live in Utrecht, Holland:

01. Stand Up & Shout
02. Straight Through The Heart
03. Shame On The Night
04. Children Of The Sea
05. Holy Diver
06. Rainbow In The Dark
07. Don't Talk To Strangers

Finnish death/thrash metal act DEATHCHAIN have uploaded several audio samples from their upcoming sophomore album, "Deathrash Assault", at their official web site. The follow-up to 2004's "Deadmeat Disciples" is scheduled for release on October 12 in Finland and October 31 in the rest of the world.

"Deathrash Assault" track listing:

01. Return of the Nemesis
02. Venom Preacher
03. Lepra Lord
04. Graveyard Witchery (mp3 clip)
05. Deathrash Legions (mp3 clip)
06. Napalm Satan (mp3 clip)
07. Panzer Holocaust
08. Morbid Mayhem
09. Valley of the Corpses

DEATHCHAIN will be supporting DESTRUCTION and CANDLEMASS on a European tour beginning in early November.

Metal Blade Records has pushed back the projected European release date of the new BOLT THROWER album, entitled "Those Once Loyal", to November 14 (November 11 in Germany) from the previously announced October 31. BOLT THROWER's eighth album, "Those Once Loyal" was recorded at Andy Faulkner's Sable Rose studios.

Earlier this year, BOLT THROWER announced the return of original vocalist Karl Willetts as a full-time member. Willetts rejoined the group as the replacement for Dave Ingram, who left the band in August 2004 due to long-standing "health and personal problems."

BOLT THROWER's upcoming CD will be the follow up to 2001's "Honour, Valour, Pride", which was the only BOLT THROWER release to feature Ingram on vocals.

"Those Once Loyal" track listing:

01. At First Light
02. Entrenched
03. The Killchain
04. Granite Wall
05. Those Once Loyal
06. Anti-Tank (Dead Armour)
07. Last Stand Of Humanity
08. Salvo
09. When Cannons Fade

There will be a limited digipack edition featuring the bonus track "A Symbol Of Eight".

BOLT THROWER will embark on a European tour beginning in January 2006.

Bassist Ilker Ersin has left German power metallers FREEDOM CALL. In an interview with RockSomething.com conducted Monday night (September 5), Ersin said, "At the moment, things are bad, I've just quit the band — no joke. I am very sorry for the FREEDOM CALL fans that I have quit the band, but there is a new thing coming! Watch out for POWERWORLD! www.powerworld.org is under construction this week."

FREEDOM CALL have yet to announce a replacement for guitarist Cédric "Cede" Dupont, who left the group in July. Asked to comment on the band's future, Ersin said, "[FREEDOM CALL] need to find a guitar payer and a bassist. We had ideas, but in my case I don't want to be involved!"

FREEDOM CALL's latest studio album, "The Circle of Life", was released in March 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.

Reunited Swedish hard rockers EUROPE have posted the following message on their official web site:

"Here we are, at the end of the 'Start From The Dark' Tour 2004/2005. We're so glad that we finally started up this whole thing again. It has made us realise what an important part of our lives this band/audience really is. And how it keeps us sane in this crazy time and place.

"Meeting all of you, our friends around the world, feels just like coming home. What a warm well-come we have received from you guys!!! We did not know what to expect when we stood nervous behind the Sweden Rock Festival stage early 2004. The first big gig after so many years. Would we still have a connection with the audience? Would we still have the power to move?

"Well, around a 100 gigs later. It feels like we're doing something right. The communications with you guys have been tremendous. Now, of course, there is no turning back, we have a job to do. And we will take you along for the ride.

"The next thing we're doing now is to meet up in October and plan out the future. and at the same time we will start to demo some ideas. We plan to film and take pictures of all the stages of the making of the next CD and keep you posted on our web site. If everything goes to plan we will record and release the new CD in 2006. Which means we could be on the road next autumn or early 2007. Let's hope so.

"All I can say now is, thanks again for your support. Keep checking out our web site and we will see you soon."

F5, the new Phoenix-based band featuring former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, ex-SICK SPEED vocalist Dale Steele, drummer David Small, and guitarists Steve Conley and John Davis, will release their debut album, "A Drug for All Seasons", in North America on September 13 via Cleopatra Records. In addition to the full-length audio version of the album, this release will also feature bonus video material of the band in the studio filmed during the recording sessions for the record.

The original version of "A Drug For All Seasons" is also available in Asia on JVC Victor Entertainment and in Europe on Mascot Records. Additionally, the special "pay now, play now" version of the album (available at www.f5theband.com) allows the listener to purchase, and digitally download, the entire audio record into their computer and still receive the full length copy in the mail, all at one special low price.

F5 have posted samples from "A Drug for All Seasons", at this location.

"A Drug for All Seasons" (view cover here) track listing:

01. Faded
02. Dissidence
03. Fall to Me
04. A Drug for All Seasons
05. Bleeding
06. What I Am (EDIE BRICKELL AND THE NEW BOHEMIANS cover)
07. Dying on the Vine
08. Hold Me Down
09. Defacing
10. X'd Out
11. Look You in the Eyes
12. Forte Sonata

"A Drug for All Seasons" is the first major release under license from Ellefson Music Production.

F5, whose sound is being described as guitar-heavy melodic hard rock, recorded the album last year at a Phoenix-area studio with producer Ryan Greene, who had previously worked with Ellefson in 1991 on the demos for MEGADETH's "Countdown to Extinction" album.

Canadian death metallers KATAKLYSM have completed work on their eighth studio album, "In the Arms of Devastation", for a February 20, 2006 release through Nuclear Blast Records.

Commented guitarist/producer Jean-François Dagenais: "After having spent two months behind the production helm for the new KATAKLYSM album, we have now achieved what we wanted from A to Z, I've worked extremely hard on this record to get it to sound like no other KATAKLYSM album and I must say when you have the time to work on something, it DOES benefit greatly! I'm really happy with the results we have. Everyone in the band gave 150 percent and I can't wait for everyone to hear this album. I have to agree with one of Maurizio's [vocals] previous statement when he said this album on a technical side and with it's blazing tempos has been the most difficult album for me to record my guitar tracks... [it] felt like at some point my wrist and fingers were gona give in! But it was well worth the pain!"

"In The Arms of Devastation" track listing:

01. Temptation's Nest
02. Let Them Burn
03. Crippled & Broken
04. Open Scars
05. To Reign Again
06. In Words of Desperation
07. Like Angels Weeping the Dark
08. It Turns to Rust
09. The Road to Devastation

KATAKLYSM's only scheduled show at this time is an appearance at the Windy City Invetational festival on October 1 in Chicago, Illinois.

KORN frontman Jonathan Davis has told MTV Italy that the group have set a November 22 release date for their new album, the group's first since the departure of guitarist Brian "Head" Welch and the band's split with Epic Records.

KORN's as-yet-untitled new effort was mixed by Terry Date, who has previously worked with such artists as DEFTONES, PANTERA and SOULFLY, among others. Matrix (AVRIL LAVIGNE, THE MOONEY SUZUKI) and Atticus Ross (BAD RELIGION, PINK) were responsible for the production duties on the follow-up to 2003's "Take a Look in the Mirror", with no songs from the band's sessions with Dallas Austin slated to appear on the effort. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Liar", "Politix", "Last Legal Drug", "Le Petit Mort", "It's Me Again", "Coming Undone", "I've Seen It All" and "Souvenir of Sadness".

KORN are believed to be close to inking a new record deal with EMI/Virgin. The proposed deal is said to be for two albums and a one-third interest in the band's publishing, merchandising and ticket sales as part of a new contractual model, a la Robbie Williams.

Former IRON MAIDEN/WOLFSBANE frontman Blaze Bayley spoke to Blazefans.com prior to the band's show at Belgium's Izzefest festival on September 3 about BLAZE's forthcoming album and DVD. "The new album is planned for May 2006 along with the DVD coming a bit later featuring three exclusive songs and documenting the work on the new album," he said. "The new album will be very different from 'Blood & Belief'. 'Blood & Belief' is my favorite album because the vocals are perfect and sound like on a live album. I would like to keep it up this way for the new album. We did a LONG preparation for 'Blood & Belief' and spent a very SHORT time in the studio. Studios are so boring and uninspiring. They are not creative enough for a metal band, they are only for pop bands and stuff like that who like to spend most time in studios."

BLAZE's current lineup consists of the following:

Blaze Bayley – Vocals
Oliver Palotai – Guitar
Luca Priciotta – Guitar
Christian Ammann – Bass
Daniel Schild - Drums

BLAZE are continuing to tour in support of their third album, "Blood & Belief", which was released in Europe in April 2004. The follow-up to 2002's "Tenth Dimension" was recorded at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, England with producer Andy Sneap.

Sweden's KATATONIA have re-entered Fascination Street studio, located in the outskirts of Örebro, Sweden, to resume recording their new album, tentatively due in early 2006 via Peaceville Records. The band have posted the following recording update on their official web site:

"After a few needed breaks, including a kick ass visit at the Wacken festival with one of our side projects (BLOODBATH), we put ourselves under house arrest down the studio again. During these last weeks of early mornings and late nights, all the clean/lead guitars, loops, percussion and keyboards were finished. Currently, we're halfways through the last stage, recording vocals in studio B while the mix is running hot in studio A. It's taken all summer, but the most heavy, beautiful and professionally sounding album we've ever done is finally about to become full circle."

Check out pictures of the recording sessions at www.katatonia.com.

As previously reported, The End Records recently licensed through their sub-label Infinite Vinyl series KATATONIA's "Saw You Drown" — a mini album from 1998 that collectors regard as maybe the rarest and most-wanted item in KATATONIA's discography. The vinyl version is limited to 1,000 copies, all hand-numbered. It also features an unreleased band photo, lyrics to all songs, plus personal liner notes from the band.