Bassist Rob of the Swedish metal band M.A.N — who was recently diagnosed with "acute pancreatitis," a complication of the gallstone surgery that he underwent earlier in the month — is still in the hospital, but is said to be "slowly recovering" from his illness. "He still having high fever and still on painkillers, but it is moving towards the good direction," the rest of the band writes in a press release.

Commented Rob in a statement: "The night between Friday and Saturday was the most painful and horrible moment of my life. I was in such great pain and agony, a thing that would not even wish my worst enemy. I almost gave up that night, but somehow i managed to get strength and go through it. I would like to thank my family and my bandmates for being here for me in this heavy moment and I would to thank all you people who wrote 'Get well' messages through the Internet, those messages has been a big part of my quick recovery."

M.A.Nis the group formed out of the ashes of Sweden's TRANSPORT LEAGUE (featuring former MNEMIC frontman Tony Jelencovich). The group's new video — for the song "My Own Sickness" — can be viewed below. The clip was shot on June 8 in Skövde, Sweden with director Martin Holtmann, who has previously worked with the Swedish aggro combo SYCONAUT. The video features the debut of Robert "Robguz" Gustafsson's 11-string guitar (which Robguz designed on his own), alongside with the guitar called "Roots Bloody Roots".

The European branch of Nuclear Blast Records has released an expanded reissue of AMORPHIS' 2003 album "Far From The Sun". The new release contains the five bonus tracks that had previously only been available on the U.S. edition of the album, including an acoustic version of the title track, as well as the video clip for "Evil Inside".

For the first time ever, the album is now also available on vinyl. The double LP — one disc in red vinyl, the other in black — comes in a deluxe gatefold sleeve.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Day Of Your Beliefs
02. Planetary Misfortune
03. Evil Inside
04. Mourning Soil
05. Far From The Sun
06. Ethereal Solitude
07. Killing Goodness
08. God Of Deception
09. Higher Ground
10. Smithereens

Bonus tracks:

11. Shining Turns to Grey
12. Follow Me Into The Fire
13. Darkrooms
14. Dreams Of The Damned
15. Far From The Sun (acoustic)

Bonus video:

16. Evil Inside

Finnish "dark metal" band BEFORE THE DAWN will reportedly release its fifth album, "Soundscape of Silence", on October 29 via Stay Heavy Records. The recording and mixing process for the CD was completed in early July.

BEFORE THE DAWN's most recent album, "Deadlight", was released in April 2007.

The group's video for the song "Deadsong", which was directed by Jani Saajanaho, can be viewed below.

OPERA DIABOLICUS, the Swedish doom rock-opera project featuring multi-instrumentalist Snowy Shaw (THERION, DREAM EVIL, KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, MEMENTO MORI, NOTRE DAME), has returned to the studio to "fix the flaws" on its self-titled debut album. According to a press release, "This decision was made in agreement between their future record companies and the band itself, due to the original recording's rather poor guitar sound and that some of the vocal contributions simply [weren't] up to par in comparison to the other singers' contributions in this rock-opera style doom-metal project. Now OPERA DIABOLICUS will bring out the fullest potential of their material. Snowy is currently recording additional lead and backing vocals to the parts that [were] previously recorded by him for the album. OPERA DIABOLICUS has now recruited Mats Levén (KRUX, ex-THERION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN etc.), Niklas Isfeldt (DREAM EVIL) and Jake E Berg (DREAMLAND, AVALANCHE) to replace the vocal parts previously recorded by other singers. The founding musicians/songwriters David and Niemi are re-doing guitars and bass this time with Andy La Rocque [KING DIAMOND] at his Sonic Train Studio. The female parts were performed by the professional soprano Camilla Alisander of the Gothenburg Opera and the drums were done by Snowy Shaw. The music and concept could be described as dramatic and dark doom metal with atmospheric, epic and progressive elements. A must-have for fans of CANDLEMASS, KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, MEMENTO MORI, THERION, NOTRE DAME, DIMMU BORGIR, KAMELOT and more."

The CD is tentatively scheduled for release around Christmas.

A new MISERY INDEX track, "Occupation", is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The song comes off the Baltimore, Maryland-based quartet's new album, "Traitors", which is scheduled for a September 30 release in North America and October 6 internationally via Relapse Records.

The follow-up to "Discordia", "Traitors" was recorded the in May at Godcity Studios in in Salem, Massachusetts. The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. We Never Come In Peace
02. Theocracy
03. Partisans of Grief
04. Traitors
05. Ghosts of Catalonia
06. Occupation
07. Ruling Class Cancelled
08. The Arbiter
09. American Idolatry
10. Thrown Into The Sun
11. Black Skies

MISERY INDEX is on the road now in support of "Traitors" as part of the Relapse Records Contamination Tour 2008, also featuring ORIGIN and ABYSMAL DAWN. MISERY INDEX has also been confirmed for this summer's Mountains of Death Festival in Switzerland along with CEPHALIC CARNAGE and DESPISED ICON.

Canadian prog/psych quartet KOSMOS (featuring VOIVOD's Michel "Away" Langevin on drums) and JESU (the new band featuring Justin Broadrick — former member of two legendary bands: NAPALM DEATH and GODFLESH) are among the confirmed acts for the upcoming "Like Black Holes In The Sky: The Tribute To Syd Barrett", an album that honors one of the founding members of British psychedelic rock band PINK FLOYD.

Due on September 23 via Dwell Records, "Like Black Holes In The Sky: The Tribute To Syd Barrett" will feature the following tracklisting:

01. KOSMOS - "Vegetable Man"
02. KYLESA - "Interstellar Overdrive"
03. INTRONAUT - "Arnold Layne"
04. STINKING LIZAVETA - "Matilda Mother"
05. JARBOE - "Late Night"
06. PENTAGRAM - "Flaming"
07. GIANT SQUID - "Octopus"
08. YAKUZA - "Lucifer Sam"
09. JESU - "Chapter 24"
10. UNEARTHLY TRANCE - "Long Gone"
11. DREDG - "Astronomy Domine"
12. CIRCLE - "Rats"
13. ZODIAK - "See Emily Play"

UK-based heavy metal singer Blaze Bayley (ex-IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) has released the following statement:

"On Sunday 6th of July at 5.15 pm, my wife and manager Debbie collapsed at our home in Tamworth. She was rushed to hospital and scanned, it was discovered she had suffered a brain heamorrhage. She has had three neuro surgeries, each one has been a success.
"Debbie is now in a coma that could last days, weeks or even months. She is breathing on her own and she is stable, but she is still in critical condition. I visit her every day that I am not out with the band, and talk to her about what is going on with the band and how well the new album is doing. Her family and close friends are also at her bedside every day.

"Thank you to every one who has sent messages of support to Debbie and to me. A lot of them I have read out to Debbie in hospital. As each day passes she has more chance of making some kind of recovery, but it will be a very long process. It is not like on TV where people just suddenly wake up. They may wake up for 60 seconds then fall unconscious again for hours or days and eventualy they can stay awake for a little longer each time. The whole process can take days, weeks, months, or even years. Brain injuries and recovery are very unpredictable so there are no guarentees or certanties in any of this.

"She has worked so hard to get the band going and to make the new album possible that I feel it is important to continue with what she has started for us. So I am not cancelling any shows that she has arranged for the band, because I know that is not what Debbie would want. We will continue to book shows and run things the way she started. There have been a few hiccups with the online store but please email us if you have any problems and we will try to sort them out.

"Thank you all again for all the love and support you have given my wife and me over these very difficult days. I hope you enjoy the new album and we'll see you at one of our shows soon."

Bayley and Debbie got married on February 14, 2007 on the island of Gran Canaria.

The first two t-shirt designs (see below) from Tattered and Torn, the clothing line started by members of SLIPKNOT, have been made available exclusively in North America via Hot Topic stores and the HotTopic.com web site.

Tattered and Torn is named after a song on the band's self-released 1996 album, "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat", and is "just something more for our fans," SLIPKNOT vocalist Corey Taylor told Billboard magazine. "It's a way for them to get cool clothing at affordable prices."

Tattered and Torn will launch with "basic boys and girls hoodies" before becoming a "full-range clothing line," Tom Bennett, CEO of Bravado, the merchandising arm of Universal Music Group, said in an interview with Billboard.

SLIPKNOT manager Cory Brennan told Billboard that merchandise is the largest revenue stream for the band, citing touring as a close second. "People who wear SLIPKNOT merchandise wear it as a badge of honor," Brennan said. "They want to show the world that they support this band and are a part of this culture."

SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan said that some diehard fans have been known to wear the band's merchandise for months on end. "The teachers would call their parents and say, 'These kids aren't washing their clothes,"' Crahan said. "But in fact, the kid is coming home every night and washing the shirt, because he wants to represent his mind-set."

Norwegian hard rock band MALICE IN WONDERLAND has parted ways with longtime bassist Andy Valentine. According to the group, "There is no drama to this. Sometimes people change, evolve and drift apart and that is what have happened with us. Not on a personal level though; we are glad to say that we all are still the best of friends, but musically we are going our separate ways now. Therefore Andy does not feel right to be part of MALICE anymore and that is, of course, a decision we respect and understand. . . Andy's leaving will in no way delay the band's plans for the future. We will now continue playing shows with a session member. We are working hard in the studio with our new amazing record and of course the search for a new bass player is now on!'

MALICE IN WONDERLAND is planning to release the first single from the its sophomore album, entitled "Diamonds & Debauchery", after the summer.

TWISTED SISTER will release a new DVD, "Live At The Astoria", in the fall.

Commented guitarist Jay Jay French: "Recorded in London, in August 2004, the critics hailed TWISTED SISTER's performance as one of their greatest ever. If you're an SMF, and have wondered what TWISTED SISTER thought about any of their live shows throughout their 35-year history, you should know this: while certain bandmembers remember certain shows, and relate tales of particular performances as being their favorite, rarely does the band universally agree that any particular show is about as good as it gets. I can say this without hesitation or ambiguity: each bandmember considered that night to be amongst the most special of our careers. This concert was filmed and kept in a vault for the past four years. When the band had the opportunity to look at the footage, it brought back the heat, passion, intensity and audience participation that was at a level far above all expectations. The DVD will be released worldwide through Demolition Records, our UK-based label, and we look forward to sharing this magical performance with all of you."

TWISTED SISTER's setlist for the August 1, 2004 show at the Astoria in London, England was as follows:

01. What You Don't Know (Sure Can Hurt You)
02. The Kids Are Back
03. Under The Blade
04. Destroyer
05. Like A Knife In The Back
06. Burn In Hell
07. Ride To Live
08. Shoot 'Em Down
09. You Can't Stop Rock N' Roll
10. The Fire Still Burns
11. We're Not Gonna Take It
12. The Price
13. I Am, I'm Me
14. I Wanna Rock
15. Come Out & Play
16. S.F.M

UK rock veterans PRAYING MANTIS have commenced work on their long-awaited new studio album with the working title of "Touch the Rainbow". The CD will likely be recorded during the month of September in Atlanta, Georgia for an early 2009 release via Frontiers Records.

PRAYING MANTIS' current lineup includes founding members Tino and Chris Troy on guitar and bass, respectively; Benjamin Reid on drums; Andy Burgess on guitar; and Mike Freeland on vocals. This lineup has already played a number of festivals in Europe during 2008.

According to a press release, PRAYING MANTIS' new songs "once again present the familiar blend of the hard rock edge with very melodic 'hookline' choruses that have always been an essential trade mark of MANTIS since the 1980s." Chris Troy states, "This may well prove to be the best album MANTIS have ever written!"

Nebraska-based extreme power metal band CELLADOR has set "For All or Nothing" as the title of its sophomore album, tentatively due in late 2008/early 2009 via Metal Blade Records.

CELLADOR recently announced the addition of guitarist Yord to the group's ranks. "We feel Yord is a perfect fit in CELLADOR because he quickly showed to have all the elements we needed in a band member," CELLADOR previously said in a statement. "Not only does he have an energetic playing style, but also a strong work ethic, selfless attitude, and above all an honest nature. The guy takes guitar like it's a full-time job, eight hours a day SHRED SHRED SHRED all day, jam by night. On top of that, we found him to be local to us as well, which bottom line is always an advantage for someone auditioning. Despite only having about 12 days to learn our whole set, Yord learned all our songs and filled in for our last show back in May, which we set up as basically a test show for whomever we were most considering."

German avant-garde metallers DISILLUSION are busy writing the follow-up to 2006's "Gloria" with a new lineup (see band photo below), including returning drummer Jens Maluschka (back in the fold after a 12-month absence) and newly acquired bassist Matthias Becker from fellow Leipzig band SAFI. DISILLUSION plans to complete the writing sessions before the end of the year.

The group has yet to comment on the musical direction of the new material. "There's a lot still up in the air, and it's too early to be closing any doors, but we feel more energy-laden than ever before," the four-piece states.

DISILLUSION are herewith putting an end to a self-imposed hiatus that began last summer during which they were busy building their own KickTheFlame studio and setting up a publishing company.

Dutch thrash metal band LEGION OF THE DAMNED will release its new album, "Cult of the Dead", on December 19 via Massacre Records. The LP will be made available in deluxe and standard editions, each featuring a different cover (see below). "Expect LEGION OF THE DAMNED at its best and with songs that hit you right in the face even before you have heard more than two songs," the group previously stated about the new CD.

A brand new EXTREME track entitled "Comfortably Dumb" has been posted online at this location. The song comes off the reunited Boston hard rockers' first studio album in thirteen years, "Saudades de Rock" (pronounced "sow-dodge"), which will be released in the U.S. on August 12 on Open E Records and distributed by Fontana. The European version of the CD, which is due on August 1, will include a bonus track, the "Americocaine" demo from 1985, the very first studio recording of EXTREME.

French metallers DAGOBA will release their third album, "Face the Colossus", on September 29 in Europe and October 14 in North America via Season Of Mist Records. The CD was mixed by Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, HATESPHERE, MNEMIC) at Antfarm studios in Århus, Denmark.

"Face the Colossus" track listing:

01. Abyssal
02. Face the Colossus
03. Back from Life
04. Somebody Died Tonight
05. The World in Between
06. Transylvania
07. Orphan of You
08. The Nightfall and all its Mistakes
09. Silence
10. The Crash
11. Sudden Death

Guitarist Martin Grimm and bassist Martin Albrecht have left MYSTIC PROPHECY, the melodic power metal band featuring VALLEY'S EVE vocalist Roberto Dimitri Liapakis. According to a press release, the split was amicable and can be attributed primarily to Grimm and Albrecht's desire to focus on family life. The duo will play their last show with group in October. In the meantime, MYSTIC PROPHECY has launched a search for Grimm and Albrecht's replacements. Interested parties can contact the group at:

MYSTIC PROPHECY
c/o R.D. Liapakis
P.O. Box 1130
87728 Bad Groenenbach
Germany

MYSTIC PROPHECY released its latest album, "Satanic Curses", on October 19, 2007 via Armageddon Music. A single, entitled "Dark Forces", preceded the full-length CD in August.

CDV Software Entertainment USA and Nuclear Blast Records USA have announced that Hansi Kürsch and André Olbrich, lead vocalist and lead guitarist of the definitive power metal band BLIND GUARDIAN, will take part in an autograph-signing session in the Sacred 2: Fallen Angel area (Booth 5129) at this year's Comic-Con International in San Diego.

The bandmembers will be available on Friday and Saturday, July 25 and July 26, from 5 to 6 p.m. to meet fans and promote a new song written exclusively for Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. Fans will also be able to visit the booth to enjoy hands-on play time with Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, the action-RPG set to release this fall on PC and next-generation consoles.

"The opportunity for BLIND GUARDIAN to work on a popular video game is quite exciting alone," said singer Hansi Kürsch. "For us to contribute to and have our band exist within a game as rich as Sacred 2: Fallen Angel has been very rewarding for us, as gamers and fans of the Sacred series."

"We've been long-time fans of BLIND GUARDIAN's music," added developer Ascaron Entertainment's founder Holger Flöttmann. "The opportunity to have one of our favorite bands write a song and include their alter egos in-game has been a wonderful experience. It also signifies how great music and amazing games can fit together to deliver an even more enjoyable experience to gamers.'

"The members of BLIND GUARDIAN and their U.S. record label, Nuclear Blast, have been extremely easy to work with," indicated Mario Kroll, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for CDV Software Entertainment USA. "To have musicians of this caliber and popularity not only help and create, but also promote Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is something we're incredibly excited about."

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel will be released on PC in September 2008. Console versions will be released in November. A Sacred 2 video trailer can be viewed below.

The Kerrang! Awards 2008 will take place at a top-secret location in London, England on August 21.

The nominees for the Kerrang! Awards 2008 are as follows:

Best British Newcomer:

DEAD SWANS
WE ARE THE OCEAN
SLAVES TO GRAVITY
ELLIOT MINOR
GO:AUDIO

Best International Newcomer:

KILL HANNAH
A DAY TO REMEMBER
FOUR YEAR STRONG
BLACK TIDE
ALL TIME LOW

Best British Band:

LOSTPROPHETS
BRING ME THE HORIZON
YOU ME AT SIX
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
BIFFY CLYRO

Best International Band:

30 SECONDS TO MARS
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
MADINA LAKE
COHEED AND CAMBRIA
AVENGED SEVENFOLD

Best Single:

30 SECONDS TO MARS - From Yesterday
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE - Waking The Demon
SIMPLE PLAN - Your Love Is A Lie
KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES - Give Me What I Want
PENDULUM - Propane Nightmares

Best Video:

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE - Waking The Demon
30 SECONDS TO MARS - A Beautiful Lie
WEEZER - Pork And Beans
COHEED AND CAMBRIA - Feathers
GALLOWS - Starin' At The Rude Bois

Best Album:

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE - Scream, Aim, Fire
AVENGED SEVENFOLD - Avenged Sevenfold
IN FLAMES - A Sense Of Purpose
MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE - If
CANCER BATS - Hail Destroyer

Best Live Band:

30 SECONDS TO MARS
LOSTPROPHETS
MACHINE HEAD
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN
AVENGED SEVENFOLD

Long-running German thrashers HOLY MOSES are streaming an eight-minute preview of their new album, "Agony of Death", on the band's MySpace page.

Due on September 29 in Europe (except in Germany, where it will arrive on September 26) and October 7 in the U.S. via Wacken Records/SPV, the CD was recorded at the Blue Castle Studio near Hamburg with producer/guitar player Michael Hankel.

"Agony of Death" will be made available in three different versions, each featuring the songs in a different sequence. The lavish digipack with a fold-out cover will include 12 songs plus all intros and outros in conceptual order. The regular jewel case will consist of ten tracks without intros and outros, or, as singer Sabina Classen calls it, "without frills and full in the face." The double vinyl edition will feature one intro and one outro per side, "sort of a golden mean between the opulent digipack and the straightforward jewel case," according to a press release. This allows every fan to choose the version they like best.

Drummer Darren Minter — who recently rejoined reactivated San Francisco Bay Area thrashers HEATHEN — has issued the following update:

The drums [for the new HEATHEN album] are done. I repeat: the drums are done! They were finished on Sunday the 20th and they sound killer for the new HEATHEN songs. We still have a lot of work to get done but I have no doubt that the songs are going to smash your face in (like we've never heard that one before). Juan [Urteaga], our producer, did a killer job working with me and the other guys love working with him so the process should go pretty smoothly."

According to The Moscow Times, the Russian government is in the process of drafting a law to make emo and goth music illegal.

Last month a parliamentary committee was convened to discuss a draft proposal of the Russian government's "Government Strategy In The Sphere Of Spiritual And Ethical Education" bill, the details of which were leaked to The Moscow Times. Among other measures, the proposed legislation calls for heavy regulation of emo web sites and for banning young people dressed like emos from entering schools and government buildings.

The bill also outlines what it calls a "spiritual and ethical crisis" facing Russian youth, including the high rate of alcohol abuse, teen abortions and "negative youth movements."

Emo ideology encourages and justifies drug use and sexual relations among minors, according to the bill, which also lumps emos and goths together with skinheads.

"The point of the bill is so that by 2020, Moscow will have someone to rule its government," said Alexander Grishunin, an adviser to Public Chamber member Yevgeny Yuryev, one of the bill's three coordinators. "This is the first step in the public discourse."

The bill's sponsors hope that it will be passed into law by the end of the year.

German power metallers HELLOWEEN have issued the following update:

"The unforeseeable factor — the weather — affected HELLOWEEN's performance at this year's Metalcamp festival in Slovenia. Due to heavy rains and strong winds, the festival was stopped prior to the band's performance on Sunday, July 6. But thanks to the many capable helpers, the concert could be played and the band has been welcomed by many thousand thankful fans. A couple of days later, HELLOWEEN successfully co-headlined the Norway Rock Festival just before the performance of the headliner ALICE COOPER. July 13, HELLOWEEN were headliners at the new festival Rockin' Transylvania in Sibiu, Romania. Entering the stage after the German colleagues of AXXIS and DORO, the band finally could be there for their countless Romanian fans. As previously reported, the band's performance in Bucharest, Romania during the band's Hellish Rock Tour last year couldn't take place due to the loss of the venue through the local promoter."

Check out photos from the tour at this location.

German metal queen Doro Pesch's web site has been updated with the following message:

"On July 16th, Doro and her fans met in Bochum, Germany at the Zeche to sing the choir for her new song 'Celebrate'. Lots of fans had come to take part in this unique session. At 8:00pm the doors opened and the fans went inside, anxious what might happen next. A few minutes later, Doro arrived and welcomed the fans. Then she presented some information about the new song and producer Thorsten Sickert explained what the fans had to do. Each person got a copy of the lyrics and the song was played several times — this way the fans could learn the words and could aclear their throats and practice the words. After some rehearsals Thorsten started to record the choir. Everybody enjoyed the session and had a great time. Doro was very satisfied with the results and thanked the fans for coming and taking part. Lots of photos were taken and the Metal Queen wrote tons of autographs and took time to talk to the fans. 'Celebrate' will be the first single [from the upcoming album] and it will be in stores on October 31st."

Doro Pesch will celebrate her 25th anniversary as a performer with a special concert in her hometown of Düsseldorf, Germany on December 13 at the ISS Dome. Also scheduled to appear is LEAVES' EYES, among other acts.

AFM Records in November released "The Queen – In Honour of Regina Halmich", a collection of all "fight hymns" Doro recorded for her longtime friend, German boxing queen Regina Halmich.

The organizers of the Magic Circle Festival, which took place July 9-12 in Bad Arolsen, Germany, have released the following statement:

"We were informed that there was an accident that occurred after the Magic Circle Festival where one of our fans was unfortunately struck by a moving vehicle outside the festival grounds, resulting in his death. We are all very sorry for the loss of of one of our true brothers of metal and we all send our deepest sympathy to his family and friends."

Over 35,000 rabid fans braved the cold winds and rain to witness the "Spectacle of Might" known as MANOWAR and their special guests between July 9-12. MANOWAR headlined the Friday and Saturday nights of the festival, performing their first six albums back to back. The highlight of their performance was the 20th anniversary of the "Kings of Metal" album, which boasted a 20-person men's choir onstage. In addition, they performed their new single, "Die With Honor", 20,000 copies of which were given away to those in attendance (in addition to 20,000 free beers and the giving away of four custom built choppers owned by the band).

Magic Circle Festival 2007 took place July 6-7, 2007 Bad Arolsen, Germany and was reportedly attended by 25,000 fans.

KREATOR mainman Mille Petrozza has issued the following update:

"The past few weeks have been very busy for us so there wasn't many updates on our activities. Tuska festival in Finland (where I've seen my all-time faves FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM live for the first time and even talked to Carl Mc Coy) and Rockin' Transilvania are history and it has been amazing. Thank you to Michaela and Olaf for the great organization in Sibiu and all the great people at Tuska. One of Europe's best festivals! Most of all thanks to all the fans that have been there! You have rules Tuska's pit!

"Some news about the [new KREATOR] album: This production will be the first time since 'Pleasure To Kill' that the band records in a live situation! Our producer, Moses Schneider, created the Smokehead — the biggest microphone in the world — exclusively to capture the band's organic sound for this record!"

KREATOR will enter the Titonus studios in Berlin on July 20 to begin recording the highly anticipated follow-up to its 2005 release "Enemy of God".

Petrozza previously stated: "The pre-production in our rehearsal studios went really smooth. Moses' way of working with bands takes place more on an emotional then on a technical level, which means the album will sound very raw and direct. We're trying to capture KREATOR's live energy and will be using nice vintage analog equipment for the recordings this time. Expect a massacre!"

The album, which will be mixed by Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, SLIPKNOT) in London, will be released in January 2009, followed by an extensive world tour.

Swedish metal band CLOUDSCAPE will release its third album, entitled "Global Drama", on the following dates:

Aug. 18 (Europe) through Goldencore/Roastinghouse Records
Aug. 19 (U.S. and Canada) through Nightmare Records

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Mind Diary
02. Darkest Legacy
03. Cloak & Daggers
04. Pain in Blood
05. The Silence Within
06. One Silent Moment
07. Alogoas
08. Static
09. Fragile
10. Eyes of Jealousy
11. Ritual of the Blade
12. Justice

A promotional video is also in the works and will be released closer to the album release. Director Rainer Holmgren (PAIN OF SALVATION, ARSIS) will helm the clip, which will be shot in Lofoten, Norway and in the southern parts of Sweden.

As previously reported, 12 songs were recorded for "Global Drama", which will be "the most varied and interesting album by CLOUDSCAPE so far," according to the band. "It contains a few really hard and raw metal songs and there will also be a few more atmospheric and dynamic songs progressively spiced."

The CD was produced by Pontus Lindmark and recorded at RoastingHouse Studios in Malmö, Sweden.

An eight-minute audio sample containing parts of all of the songs from "Global Drama" can be heard on the band's MySpace page.

CLOUDSCAPE's sophomore CD, "Crimson Skies", was released in the U.S. in July 2006 via Nightmare Records. Artwork for the album was created by Mattias Norén.

According to the online sheet music retailer Music Dispatch, METALLICA's new album, "Death Magnetic", will feature the following track listing:

(UPDATE: The Music Dispatch page has since been deleted.)

01. Death Magnetic
02. That Was Just Your Life
03. The End of the Line
04. Broken, Beat & Scarred
05. The Day That Never Comes
06. All Nightmare Long
07. Cyanide
08. The Unforgiven III
09. The Judas Kiss
10. Suicide & Redemption
11. My Apocalypse

METALLICA has revealed the cover artwork for the band's upcoming ninth studio album, "Death Magnetic", at its official web site. The black and white etching features what appears to be an open grave, with lines emanating out from it and the band's logo and album title underneath. In an interview conducted in Norway on Wednesday (July 16) by VG TV, frontman James Hetfield explained the meaning of the record's title, saying, "It started out as kind of a tribute to people that have fallen in our business, like (ALICE IN CHAINS frontman) Layne Staley and a lot of the people that have died, basically — rock and roll martyrs of sorts. And then it kind of grew from there. Thinking about death...just like a magnet, some people are drawn towards it, (and) other people are afraid of it and push away."

Hetfield added, "The concept that we're all gonna die sometimes is over-talked about and then a lot of times never talked about — no one wants to bring it up; it's the big white elephant in the living room. But we all have to deal with it at some point."

"Death Magnetic" is due out in September, although an exact date has yet to be announced.

METALLICA recently announced that every song on the album will be available to download for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on the same day the CD arrives in stores.

The band is offering the record for sale in numerous configurations, ranging from a digital-only release to a deluxe "coffin box" that will come with a bonus CD, a DVD, a T-shirt, guitar picks and other goodies.

METALLICA is currently on tour in Europe and is expected to begin a North American jaunt in October.

Peaceville Records has set an October 20 release date for the new album from the Norwegian black metal band DARKTHRONE, entitled "Dark Thrones & Black Flags".

DARKTHRONE's last album, "F.O.A.D.", was released in September 2007 via Peaceville. An EP, "NWOBHM" (New Wave Of Black Heavy Metal), preceded the full-length CD in July 2007.

DARKTHRONE released a three-CD box set entitled "Frostland Tapes" on June 23 via Peaceville Records. "Frostland Tapes" is described in a press release as "a fascinating trip into the earliest years of the band and the first official release ever to contain all four of DARKTHRONE's demos in one place. 'Frostland Tapes' also includes a rare live recording from Denmark in 1990 (one of only a handful of live appearances that DARKTHRONE has ever made) and, perhaps most significantly, the previously unreleased version of the infamous 1991 'Goatlord' rehearsal session. These songs were intended to feature on the proposed second album before the band changed direction and the tapes were confined to the vaults. Vocals were subsequently added in the mid-Nineties, but they are presented here as the recording sounded in 1991 — instrumental genius, showing the complexity and intricacy of a band with a great future ahead of them. The set comes in a rigid digibook featuring an interview with the band, chronicling their early days, ambitions and inspirations."