BLACKMORE'S NIGHT, the band featuring former DEEP PURPLE/RAINBOW guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and his fiancée Candice Night, will release a new live DVD called "Paris Moon". Release date has been set November 2 for Germany, November 5 for the rest of Europe and November 6 for USA (the latter presumably in NTSC format). The DVD package will also include an audio CD. Track listing is as follows.

DVD (Format: DUAL LAYER DVD9 PAL; Screen Format: PAL 16:9; Running Time: 128 min.; Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital - 5.1 Dts - 2.0 Dolby Stereo):

01. Introduction
02. Past Times With Good Company
03. Rainbow Blues
04. Play Minstrel Play
05. World Of Stone
06. Under A Violet Moon
07. Soldier Of Fortune
08. Durch Den Wald Zum Bachaus
09. Diamonds & Rust
10. Minstrel Hall
11. Home Again
12. Streets Of London
13. Renaissance Faire
14. Keyboard Solo
15. Ariel
16. Loreley
17. The Clock Ticks On
18. Fires At Midnight
19. St. Theresa
20. The Village Lanterne

CD

01. Past Times With Good Company/Rainbow Blues
02. Play Minstrel Play
03. World Of Stone
04. Under A Violet Moon
05. Minstrel Hall
06. Home Again
07. Ariel
08. The Clock Ticks On
09. Fires At Midnight

Bonus tracks

01. The Village Lanterne (studio version)
02. All Because of You (radio edit)
03. The Village Lanterne (enhanced video track)

SHATTER MESSIAH, the band featuring former NEVERMORE/ANNIHILATOR guitarist Curran Murphy and ex-ANNIHILATOR drummer Robert Falzano, will release its second album, "God Burns Like Flesh", on October 29 via Dockyard 1. The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Idolater
02. God Burns Like Flesh
03. Pathway
04. Stripped Of Faith
05. Dirge Of The Christ
06. Buried In Black
07. This Is The Day
08. Tomorrow Immortal

Check out the cover artwork at this location.

SHATTER MESSIAH lineup:

Greg Wagner – Vocals
Curran Murphy - Lead Guitar
Dusty Holt - Rhythm Guitar
Robert Falzano – Drums
Jason Chamberlain – Bass

According to a posting on the Thin Lizzy – A Rock Legend web site, THIN LIZZY's "Live and Dangerous at the Rainbow" is being reissued as a "deluxe edition) by Mercury/Universal on October 15 in Europe. The track listing is as follows:

01. Intro/Rosalie
02. The Boys Are Back in Town
03. Emerald
04. Dancing In The Moonlight
05. Massacre
06. Still In Love With You
07. Don't Believe A Word
08. Are You Ready
09. Sha La La
10. Baby Drives Me Crazy
11. Me And The Boys…

Bonus Material:

"Sight & Sound in Concert" – January 26, 1983 (BBC TX 5/2/83) - 45 minutes:

01. Jailbreak
02. This Is The One
03. Cold Sweat
04. The Sun Goes Down
05. Holy War
06. The Boys Are Back In Town
07. Rosalie
08. Baby Please Don't Go

"Top of the Pops" Performances - 15 minutes:

01. Whiskey In The Jar
02. Jailbreak
03. Dancing In The Moonlight
04. Waiting For An Alibi
05. Don't Believe A Word

+ Interviews with Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson and Brian Downey - 25 minutes

Bonus CD:

Live Derby 1975:

01. Fighting My Way Back
02. Wild One
03. Still In Love With You
04. Suicide
05. Sha La La
06. Baby Drives Me Crazy
07. Me And The Boys…
08. Cowboy Song (Derby Blues)

Deluxe Packaging in hard slipcase with a 24-page booklet

Swedish metallers IN FLAMES are currently at their own IF Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden working on the follow-up to last year's "Come Clarity". The band's studio video diary is online now with Episode 4. Watch it below.

A new IN FLAMES track, entitled "Abnegation", is featured on the "Viva La Bands, Vol. 2" album, which was released on September 4 via Ferret Music and Filthy Note Records. The CD features exclusive tracks, written and recorded for the CD/DVD combo from some of Bam's favorite acts like CLUTCH, CKY, CHILDREN OF BODOM, VIKING SKULL and VAINS OF JENNA. A U.S.-exclusive track from SHINY TOY GUNS and music from other faves like GWAR, THE SOUNDS, DIMMU BORGIR and KILL HANNAH also appears on the killer compilation.

Swedish metallers HAMMERFALL have released the video for their new single, "Last Man Standing". Watch the clip here. The song comes off the band's two-CD "best-of" set called "Steel Meets Steel - Ten Years of Glory" (cover artwork), due on October 12 through Nuclear Blast Records. The CD will include around 25 classic HAMMERFALL tracks along with three new songs which were recently recorded at Mi Sueno studios in Tenerife, Spain: "Last Man Standing", "Restless Soul" and "HammerFall v2.0.07". The track listing for the effort is as follows:

Disc 1:

01. The Abyss
02. Last Man Standing
03. Hammerfall v2.0.07
04. The Dragon Lies Bleeding
05. Steel Meets Steel
06. Glory To The Brave
07. Heeding The Call
08. At The End Of The Rainbow
09. Legacy Of Kings
10. Let The Hammer Fall (Live)
11. Templars Of Steel
12. Renegade
13. Always Will Be
14. Keep The Flame Burning
15. Riders Of The Storm

Disc 2:

01. Hearts On Fire
02. Crimson Thunder
03. Hero's Return
04. Blood Bound
05. Secrets
06. Fury Of The Wild
07. Never, Ever
08. Threshold
09. Natural High
10. Dark Wings, Dark Words
11. The Fire Burns Forever
12. Restless Soul
13. The Metal Age (Live Musikens Hus, Göteborg, 1998)
14. Stone Cold (Live Musikens Hus, Göteborg, 1998)
15. Hammerfall v2.0.07 MPEG video (rough mix version)

HAMMERFALL performed live on the Swedish TV morning show "Nyhetsmorgon" on TV4 on September 13, 2007. The band played two songs: the new single, "Last Man Standing", and "Hearts on Fire". Watch the performances here и here correspondingly.

An audio interview with former NIGHTWISH frontwoman Tarja Turunen has been posted on Metalhead.ro. Tarja reveals that NIGHTWISH is still an important part of her life and something she feels difficult to leave behind. She also talks about the things that inspire her, the concept of her new solo album, and how she feels about NIGHTWISH and other symphonic metal bands.

"I was with NIGHTWISH for such a long time that I still feel the band as a part of myself," she says. "I was one of the most important elements in NIGHTWISH for nine years, and the band was an essential part of myself too."

Tarja Turunen's video for the song "I Walk Alone", can be viewed here.. The clip was shot in Berlin, Germany with director Jörn Heitmann, who previously worked with NIGHTWISH on the "Sleeping Sun" clip in 2005. The "I Walk Alone" single will be released on October 29 (October 26 in Germany) via Universal Music, to be followed by the full-length CD, "My Winter Storm", on November 19 (November 16 in Germany).

"My Winter Storm" was produced by Daniel Presley (FAITH NO MORE, JEWEL, THE BREEDERS), who has been joined in the studio by a truly stellar line-up of musicians: Doug Wimbish on bass (LIVING COLOUR, ANNIE LENNOX, JOE SATRIANI, JEFF BECK, MADONNA, ROLLING STONES), Alex Scholpp on electric guitars (FARMER BOYS) and Earl Harvin on drums (SEAL, PET SHOP BOYS, AIR), a player personally selected by Tarja after she saw him stealing the show at a SEAL concert. Keyboards and programming, meanwhile, are being provided by Torsten Stenzel, whose previous credits include NELLY FURTADO, MOBY, TINA TURNER, VANESSA MAE and more.

Danish thrashers HATESPHERE have issued the following update:

"As a result of personal issues, HATESPHERE and vocalist Jacob Bredahl have parted ways. This has been in the air for a little while now and is without doubt, the best decision for the band. Having to tour with a person who's not able to give it one hundred percent in the future and vice versa is pointless. We'd like to thank Jacob for 10 years of hard work and good times, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours! This may come as a shock for many of you but we can only emphasize that HATESPHERE will continue and are already in the midst of auditioning new singers.

"[As a result of] this and some unanticipated, economical circumstances, we have been forced to cancel our upcoming European tour with DIMMU BORGIR and AMON AMARTH. We are very sorry for that but have seen no other solution, as it would be too difficult to find a new singer in only ten days. The gigs we have after the tour will not be affected by this, and we promise you all to come back soon and make it up to you.

"Jacob and Pepe [guitarist Peter 'Pepe' Lyse Hansen] have always been a part of what is called HATESPHERE, so no question that this is also weird for the rest of the band. As you probably know, Pepe has always been writing practically all the music, so as far as that matter goes, it shouldn't mean that much. Also, the songwriting for the next album is about to start and we are looking forward to work together as a new and revitalized group.

"We know all you fans will have tons of questions but what's been said here explains everything, so please refrain from asking questions regarding this subject. Jacob left on amicable terms and we are simply moving on. We realize this has to be weird for you guys, to see almost the entire band being replaced just within three months, but there's no other way and we have so much more music in us, so why stop now? Hopefully you will respect our decisions and support us in the future — we are still here and will be back sooner than you think, to kick you in the ass!

"See you all on the road soon!"

HATESPHERE recently parted ways with guitarist Henrik Jacobsen, drummer Anders Gyldenøh and bassist Mikael Ehlert. They have since been replaced by Jakob Nyholm from fellow Danish metallers DAWN OF DEMISE and KOLDBORN, Dennis Buhl and Mixen Lindberg, respectively.

A limited mailorder edition of NIGHTWISH's new album, "Dark Passion Play", is now available through the Nuclear Blast Music Shop for 50 euros (approximately $71). The package comes in the shape of a plaque award (dimensions: 18cm x 18cm x 3cm) and includes the bonus CD featured in the digipack version of the album plus a second bonus CD containing one brand new bonus track and previously unreleased demo versions of "Meadows of Heaven" and "The Poet and the Pendulum" with bassist Marco Hietala on vocals.

The item is limited to 2,000 copies and can be ordered here.

NIGHTWISH will make its "official" live debut with new singer Anette Olzon on October 6 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The group's U.S. tour kicks off on October 15 in West Springfield, Virginia.

According to a posting on NIGHTWISH's web site, "Dark Passion Play" has already sold more than 42,000 copies in Finland after being released on Wednesday (September 26), which is more than enough for it to be certified platinum (signifying sales in excess of 30,000 copies).

"Dark Passion Play" will be released in the U.S. on October 2 via Roadrunner Records.

Fan-filmed video footage of LAKE OF TEARS' headlining appearance at the Lot Of Rage event on September 8, 2007 at Arenele Romane in Bucharest, Romania can be found at Metal Charge. According to a posting on the site, 3,000 "headbangers" attended the concert, which saw the Swedish metal band run through 21 songs covering their entire discography, including the group's latest effort, "Moons and Mushrooms". Another fan-filmed clip from the same show can be viewed here.

A 30-minute video interview with LAKE OF TEARS conducted in Romania can be found at Metalhead.ro.

"Moons and Mushrooms" was released on April 23 via Dockyard 1. The follow-up to 2004's "Black Brick Road" was mixed by Christian Silver. The album was issued in two editions — a normal version with eight tracks and a limited-edition digipack containing a cover of STATUS QUO's "Is There a Better Way" "played with the energy of a punk rock song!"

Following the highly successful issues of the GILLAN albums, Demon/Edsel now present a box set of all eleven singles by GILLAN in CD-sized replicas of their original 7" sleeves. The box also includes a bonus DVD of seven promo videos, which have never been commercially released in any format, and have remained unseen since they were broadcast on a handful of occasions in the early '80s. The booklet is annotated by Ian Gillan, along with respected critic Valerie Potter.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Vengeance / Smoke On The Water [live at Kingsway Recorders]
02. Sleeping On The Job / Higher And Higher
03. No Easy Way [single edit] / Handles On Her Hips / I Might As Well Go Home (Mystic)
04. Trouble / Your Sister's On My List / Mr Universe [live] / Vengeance [live] / Smoke On The Water [live]
05. Mutually Assured Destruction / The Maelstrom
06. New Orleans / Take A Hold Of Yourself
07. No Laughing In Heaven [single edit] / One For The Road / Lucille / Bad News
08. Nightmare / Bite The Bullet [live]
09. Restless / On The Rocks [live]
10. Living For The City / Breaking Chains / Purple Sky
11. Long Gone / Fiji

Bonus DVD: The Videos

01. Sleeping On The Job
02. No Laughing In Heaven
03. Lucille
04. Nightmare
05. Restless
06. Living For The City
07. Long Gone

Polish black metal masters VESANIA, whose lineup includes Orion (BEHEMOTH) and Daray (VADER), have completed work on their third album, "Distractive Killusions", at Studio X in Olsztyn, Poland. The band recorded and mixed the effort with engineer Szymon Czech between February and June 2007.

Commented Orion (guitar, vocals): "Last months have been the time of the hard work for us. Although we had many other responsibilities, we've managed to take care of VESANIA. We've completely devoted our time to this recording. After Daray was done with drum tracks, there was the time for guitars. The old Gibson Les Paul Custom and the amps: Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier and Diezel Herbert — that was the configuration we used this time. Worked with no excuses. The sound we achieved is full and juicy. It perfectly coexists with all other instruments."

Valeo (guitar): "I play with VESANIA since not a long time, so that was my first recording session with this band. I didn't have much time to get ready for the studio either, but my entire involvement in the recording turned out to work smoothly and with no problems. I am very satisfied with the results we gained. I recorded a few parts of rhythm guitars, some extras and solos. Working with Orion was very spontaneous. We were coming up with new ideas every second, changing the compositions and arrangements."

Heinrich (bass): "My weapons were: Mayones Slogan 5 bass guitar, Ampeg B4R, Hughes & Kettner cabinet. And I played along with some toys — Sansamp Bass Driver, EBS Multidrive, BBE Sonic Maximizer. The recording was quite quick and not problematic at all. I did everything as we planned to have it done. The bass guitar lines are rather simple and the sound of this instrument has never been so massive in this band."

Siegmar (keyboards): "I recorded all keyboard parts and samples at my home studio. I was mainly using my old Roland XP-30. But this time the sampled sounds of other instruments and some virtual synthesizers had the most significant meaning. The quantity of the music material and its intensity, with no doubt, made this recording session the most demanding one among others I ever took part in."

Orion: "This time we had this great opportunity to allow more time for mixing. And so we were mixing the album and recording vocal tracks in pretty much the same time. Day by day, we were fulfilling the plans and presumptions, simultaneously using some fresh ideas of my own and of Szymon Czech. Thorough all that time I stayed in constant touch with the rest of the band. Especially with Siegmar, with whom I was consulting all the moves. Finally, after all, we can speak about the 'sound' and the 'character' of the band being concluded."

Veteran German hard rockers KINGDOM COME have parted ways with rhythm guitarist Yenz Leonhardt. According to a posting on the band's web site, "Yenz took on too many jobs which require his time and are in constant conflict with KINGDOM COME's schedule. Therefore, KINGDOM COME decided to part from Yenz, but wishes him all the best in the future. During the [current] European tour [with DOKKEN], [frontman/leader] Lenny [Wolf] is playing the guitar himself."

KINGDOM COME's "Defenders of Rock" European tour with DOKKEN is scheduled to run through October 21, with the final concert taking place in Stockholm, Sweden at the Debaser.

KINGDOM COME's latest studio album, "Ain't Crying for the Moon", was released in Europe on October 20, 2006 via Frontiers Records.

"After having done a lot of experimenting with 'Perpetual' [2004], I thought it was the time to take out the axe again and rock the house," Lenny Wolf, the mastermind behind KINGDOM COME, said at the time. "The new CD [is] one of my heaviest recordings ever. I was trying to build 'walls of guitars' in combination with that typical KC moody and spacey approach. It does not have the typical 'blues' factor anymore, which many of you may remember from the first records. I have transported my roots into the year 2006."

World Entertainment News Network reports: Ozzy Osbourne has reportedly agreed to a suicide pact with wife Sharon — because she doesn't want to go through the pain her father Don Arden did when he suffered from Alzheimer's.

Sharon, 54, claims she and Ozzy, 58, made the mutual decision earlier this year after music mogul Arden lost his struggle with the neurodegenerative disease and died in July, aged 81.

She says, "We believe 100 per cent in euthanasia, so have drawn up plans to go to the assisted suicide flat in Switzerland if we ever have an illness that affects our brains. If Ozzy or I ever got Alzheimer's, that's it — we'd be off.

"We gathered the kids around the kitchen table, told them our wishes and they've all agreed to go with it. There's no way I could go through what (my father) did, or put my kids through that.

"My father deteriorated at such a rapid speed he became a shell of himself.

Some say the disease is hereditary so at the first sign I want to be put out of my misery." And Sharon believes their decision will spare their kids Aimee, 24, Kelly, 22, and 21-year-old Jack the burden of the illness.

She adds, "It's taken away some of the fear of our ending and is a final gift of love to our kids."

The cover artwork for MACBETH's new album, "Superangelic Hate Bringers" has been posted here. Due on November 16 via Dragonheart Records, the CD was recorded in two different studios, including a private studio in Reykjavik, Iceland and New Sin studios in Italy, where the band also mixed and mastered the album.

According to a press release, "Superangelic Hate Bringers" is "the brilliant new and ambitious album by MACBETH that features ten pieces which go well beyond the confines of pure gothic metal." The album's first single, "Without You", and "To My Falling Star" are said to "offer a new interpretation of gothic metal" while tracks like "Watch Us Die" and "H.A.T.E." are "evidence of how much more aggressive the new sound is." The digipack version of "Superangelic Hate Bringers" will also include the video clip for the song "Without You" (shot with Italian director Mirco Andreis).

"Superangelic Hate Bringers" track listing:

01. Don't Pretend
02. To My Falling Star
03. Without You
04. Watch Us Die
05. Don't Include Me In Your Dreams
06. Veils
07. H.A.T.E.
08. Grey Skies
09. Break the Circle
10. (The World) In My Mind
11. Without You (video) (extended version)

MACBETH's last CD, "Malae Artes", was released in March 2005 via Dragonheart Records. The follow-up to 2000's "Vanitas" featured 10 tracks "in the vein of LACUNA COIL, NIGHTWISH and TRISTANIA," according to a press release.

Watch fan-filmed video footage of MACBETH's May 20, 2007 performance at the Darkfest in Bologna, Italy:
here.

Einstürzende Neubauten should become calmer, quieter even. But this new album named ''Alles Wieder Offen'' blows this assumption out of the water; it is an urgent and compelling album. This is an unprecedented fusion of Einstürzende Neubauten-typical instruments with conventional ones. Alexander Hacke’s bass has never sounded warmer, Jochen Arbeit’s guitar more graceful, the metal of Rudolf Moser and the percussion of N.U.Unruh more unsettling and diverse, or Blixa Bargeld’s voice more mercurial yet forceful.

Out october 19th on Potomak!

A video for the obscure SHINING song "Through Corridors of Oppression" (which was recorded in 2002 during the SHINING "III" session) can be viewed here. The clip was created by SHINING's "partner in crime" Mr. Barabash.

SHINING's new album, "V - Halmstad", was released in North America on June 26 via Osmose USA/The End Records.

SHINING filmed its controversial February 3, 2007 concert at Diezel in Halmstad, Sweden for an upcoming DVD, entitled "Fy Fan För Livet!" In addition to the live footage, the disc will consist of a two-hour "road movie" and the promotional video for the new song "Låt Oss Ta Allt Från Varandra". SHINING's setlist spanned the band's entire career and the show featured guest appearances by members of MAYHEM and CARPATHIAN FOREST.

SEVEN WITCHES will release their new album, "Deadly Sins", on November 20 via Screaming Ferret Wreckords. The completed album and artwork will also be released as a digital download — at midnight October 31 (Halloween) to be exact — exclusively at www.groovejunctionone.com. And here's more reason to buy early — a contest has been set up — which runs from midnight October 31 to midnight November 20.

Everyone that purchases the entire new album digitally within the two weeks prior to street date is automatically entered into the contest, there will be two winners drawn, with the lucky winners being contacted via e-mail on November 21.

The prize will include seven titles from the SEVEN WITCHES/Jack Frost catalog:

SEVEN WITCHES - Xiled To Infinity And One
SEVEN WITCHES - Year Of The Witch
SEVEN WITCHES - Passage To The Other Side
SEVEN WITCHES - Years Of The Witch (DVD)
SEVEN WITCHES - Deadly Sins (CD copy)
JACK FROST - Out In The Cold
JACK FROST - Raise Your Fist To Metal

In addition to Frost's impressive six-string skills, the album features two other metal giants in their respective fields — ex-HADES/WATCHTOWER vocalist Alan Tecchio (who also appeared on SEVEN WITCHES' "Amped" release), as well as ARMORED SAINT, FATES WARNING, ANTHRAX bassist Joey Vera.

"Deadly Sins" turned out to be one of the trickiest SEVEN WITCHES releases to complete — a solid year in the making — due to the fact that it is a concept record (based on the "7 Sins of Mahatma Gandhi"). Additionally, other musicians lent a hand, including bassists Clint Arent (of PAINMUSEUM), Kevin Bolembach (ex-NON FICTION), and a drummer who goes by the nom de plum of "Troll."

Frost (who also co-produced the album, along with Joey Vera who mixed the release) is proud of this lofty metallic accomplishment. "This is a major step up for us," he said. "A masterpiece that we all put our hearts and souls into. This record never gives you time to sleep, as it's on 11 from the start to the end, truly the best work of my career."

"Deadly Sins" track listing:

01. Deadly Sins
02. Science
03. Commerce
04. Worship
05. Knowledge
06. Pleasure
07. Wealth
08. Man of the Millennium
09. Politics
10. The Answer

Guitarist Rille Svensson has announced his departure from the Swedish melodic metal band SUPREME MAJESTY. His statement on the matter reads as follows:

"Since I have been active in the music industry for over 11 years, it felt natural to take a break from SUPREME MAJESTY. One reason is mainly to be active in the music business, but in another way be able to develop as a human being.

"It has been a long trip, with both pleasant and less pleasant occasions, just like it is in this sort of business. Now I am going to put all my free time on a relative new started record label called Sweden Metal Music Entertainment.

"The music will never disappear from me. I will take a break and [I am] looking forward to explore what the future has in [store] for me. I will also take this oppurtunity to thank all the fans and supporters that has been right at SUPREME MAJESTY's and my side all the way from the start, it is thanks to you/them that we have come this far.

"[Finally] I wish all the best for SUPREME MAJESTY and their new members, Keep up the good work and good luck. All the best for you in the future.

SUPREME MAJESTY's third full-length album, "Elements of Creation", was released in March 2005 via Massacre Records. The follow-up to 2003's "Danger" was recorded at JFK Studio and mixed at Gothenburg's Studio Fredman by Fredrik Nordström and SUPREME MAJESTY.

Fan-filmed video footage of the Dutch female-fronted symphonic metal band EPICA performing the song "Consign to Oblivion" on Setpember 26, 2007 at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana, California can be viewed here.

EPICA's new album, "The Divine Conspiracy", has registered the following first-week chart positions:

Holland: #9
Switzerland: #29
France: #36
Germany: #41

Nuclear Blast Records released a limited deluxe CD edition in Europe of "The Divine Conspiracy", featuring the bonus tracks "Higher High" and "Replica" (FEAR FACTORY cover), video clips and a "making-of" enhanced section.

"The Divine Conspiracy" was mixed by Sascha Paeth and features a session appearance by GOD DETHRONED drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek. EPICA has yet to name a full-time drummer following the departure of Jeroen Simons in 2006.

As previously reported, EPICA has been confirmed as the support act for SONATA ARCTICA on their upcoming European tour in November.

German melodic metallers RAGE have set "Craved in Stone" as the title of their new album tentatively due in early 2008 via Nuclear Blast Records. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Carved in Stone", "Drop Dead", "Gentle Murders", "One Step Ahead" and "Without You".

Commented guitarist Victor Smolski: "I just have finished the recordings of the guitar tracks for 'Carved in Stone'. This time, I decided to record the sound in general rougher and more dry, but I really like the result and the somehow little changed guitar sound. Concerning the music itself, we have concentrated ourselves more onto straight power songs this time, and we also decided to do it without any progressive instrumental parts and any orchestra, as we did on our last CD. 10 songs — ass-kickin!"

RAGE's new DVD, entitled "Full Moon in St. Petersburg", was released on February 23 via Nuclear Blast. The double DVD set was filmed in St. Petersburg, Russia last year in front of 15,000 fans. "Full Moon in St. Petersburg" contains the complete concert in St. Petersburg, Russia, plus a lot of behind-the-scenes footage and material from personal archives.

RAGE's upcoming CD will be the band's first since the addition of drummer André Hilgers (AXXIS, SILENT FORCE) to the group's ranks. "During [the recording sessions for] the Nuclear Blast anniversary album, we were very surprised how perfectly André's style matched our new song, 'Terrified'," the group wrote on its web site. "So it was obvious that we jammed through the RAGE classics and the sparks flew immediately. André had a lot of new ideas that fitted perfectly our style and the understanding among us was harmonically. He brings a lot of fresh blood and power to the band and we have loads of fun again playing our music."

Watch RAGE here performing the song "Innocent" in St. Petersburg, Russia (taken from the "Full Moon in St. Petersburg" DVD).

Classic Rock Legends willl release a DVD entitled "Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar Gods" on September 24. The DVD's description reads as follows: "A critical analysis of guitar hero Ritchie Blackmore (ex-DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW), featuring the participation of Nicky Simper and Glenn Hughes. Running time: 65 minutes. 'Guitar Gods' looks at the pioneering technique of Blackmore that combined virtuosity with flamboyant showmanship, talking to those who knew and played with one of the most controversial frontmen in the history of rock. Including: Nicky Simper and Glenn Hughes give their honest opinions of a man with an ego as undeniable as his god-like talent. Fascinating insights from former band members of RAINBOW, from almost the entire 30 years of the band's multi-faceted history. We also hear the views of Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Jon Lord, Ian Paice and Ronnie James Dio! Jaw-dropping footage spanning virtually Blackmore's entire career!"

Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR have released their video for the song "The Sacrilegious Scorn". The clip, which was helmed by renowned cover artist Joachim Luetke, can be viewed here.

"The Sacrilegious Scorn" comes off the band's latest offering, "In Sorte Diaboli", which topped the Norwegian album chart upon it release in May 2007.

As previously reported, a TV interview with DIMMU BORGIR conducted at this year's Wacken Open Air festival will air on October 1 on the WDR "Rockpalast" program (starting at 0.45 in the night).

DIMMU BORGIR has been confirmed for the Bloodstock Open Air festival, set to take place August 15-17, 2008 at Catton Hall in Derbyshire England. Also scheduled to appear are the Finnish folk/pagan metal band MOONSORROW and the Finnish doomsters SWALLOW THE SUN.

Tony Laureano (NILE, ANGELCORPSE) is filling in for DIMMU BORGIR drummer Hellhammer on the band's current European tour with AMON AMARTH and ENGEL.

Laureano previously played for DIMMU BORGIR during the band's North American stint on Ozzfest in 2004 and during festival performances throughout 2005.

A brand new SOILWORK track, entitled "The Pittsburgh Syndrome", has been posted on the group's MySpace page. The song comes off the Swedish metallers' new album, "Sworn to a Great Divide", which will be released in North America on October 23 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The vocals for the new CD were recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with the help of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD mastermind Devin Townsend.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Sworn To A Great Divide
02. Exile
03. Breeding Thorns
04. Your Beloved Scapegoat
05. The Pittsburgh Syndrome
06. I, Vermin
07. Light Discovering Darkness
08. As The Sleeper Awakes
09. Silent Bullet
10. Sick Heart River
11. 20 More Miles

Check out the cover artwork at this location.

As previously reported, SOILWORK contributed a new song called "Overclocked" to the soundtrack of the European point-and-click adventure game of the same name, due in Europe on October 12 via Anaconda. The track will also be available for purchase via the Nuclear Blast Musicshop.

SOILWORK recently announced the addition of guitarist Daniel Antonsson (DIMENSION ZERO, PATHOS) to the group's ranks. Guitarist Peter Wichers left SOILWORK in December 2005 to pursue a career in producing.

Irish dark metal masters PRIMORDIAL will release their sixth album, "To The Nameless Dead", in Europe on November 19 via Metal Blade Records. According to a press release, the group's second CD for Metal Blade "is a timeless statement and an ode to their forefathers which lives and breathes the ancient spirit mixed with anger, pain and despair. . . 'To The Nameless Dead' is defiantly at odds with a modern metal scene that often seems to place banality, mediocrity and safety above passion, honesty and truth."

Harsher and faster than its predecessor, "To The Nameless Dead" wasn't recorded digitally — just analog to keep the sound old school and powerful.

The album will be available as a limited first edition in a digibook, featuring another design, 40 pages and a bonus DVD of PRIMORDIAL's performance at the Rock Hard Festival.

"To The Nameless Dead" (cover artwork) track listing:

01. Empire Falls
02. Gallows Hymn
03. As Rome Burns
04. Failures Burden
05. Heathen Tribes
06. The Rising Tide
07. Traitors Gate
08. No Nation On This Earth

Watch here fan-filmed video footage of PRIMORDIAL performing at this year's Inferno festival in Oslo, Norway:

NIGHTWISH's performance in Helsinki took place in conjunction with a release party for the group's new album, "Dark Passion Play". The group took the stage under the guise of a NIGHTWISH cover band called NATUVISSYSET and played a similar set to the one performed on Saturday in Tallinn, Estonia, which marked the group's live debut with new singer Anette Olzon. Check out pictures from both gigs:

Хельсинки
(26 сентября)
Таллинн (22 сентября)

According to a posting on NIGHTWISH's web site, "Dark Passion Play" has already sold more than 42,000 copies in Finland after being released earlier today, which is more than enough for it to be certified platinum (signifying sales in excess of 30,000 copies).


Sacrament of Wilderness
The Islander
Ever Dream
Eva
Wishmaster
Sleeping Sun

NIGHTWISH receiving (Part 1, Part 2) platinum-album plaques for "Dark Passion Play".