Century Media Records has set a July 24 European release date for the new FIREWIND album, entitled "Allegiance". The album's first single, "Falling to Pieces", will be released June 19 in Greece. It will include an edited version of the title track, the non-album track "Demon Nights" and the BLACKFOOT cover "Teenage Idol" (previously unreleased). The band have just finished shooting a video for "Falling To Pieces" with acclaimed Swedish director Patric Ullaeus (LACUNA COIL, WITHIN TEMPTATION, IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR).

"Allegiance" marks FIREWIND's first release with new members Apollo Papathanasio (vocals; ex-MAJESTIC, TIME REQUIEM) and Mark Cross (drums; ex-HELLOWEEN, METALIUM).

Commented guitar wizard and band leader Gus G. (ex-DREAM EVIL, MYSTIC PROPHECY, NIGHTRAGE): "Excited? Hell, yeah!! I can't wait until people get to hear our new album. We put so much work into it and I think it paid off in the end. It's easily the best FIREWIND album so far and the most complete effort in my career. Also, we're looking forward to going out and playing the summer festivals. We're eager to present you some of our new stuff and see the reaction!"

"Allegiance" track listing:

01. Allegiance (4:41)
02. Insanity (4:29)
03. Falling To Pieces (4:03)
04. Ready To Strike (4:35)
05. Breaking The Silence [feat. Tara] (4:03)
06. Deliverance (6:07)
07. Till The End of Time (4:36)
08. Dreamchaser (4:07)
09. Before The Storm (3:42)
10. The Essence (4:19)
11. Where Do We Go From Here? (3:57)

Norwegian extreme metallers ENSLAVED will hold a joint celebration for the release of their new album, "Ruun", and their 15th anniversary, at a party to be held on Saturday, May 13 at Garage in their hometown of Bergen.

The band will perform material from "Ruun" as well as songs covering their entire history. According to a posting on ENSLAVED's web site, "To top it off, friends will go on stage and play some of ENSLAVED's classics in their very own versions as a way of paying tribute (or pulling legs, either way). These friends include bands like VREID, EL REGN, CAT CALL, EMMERHOFF and the MELANCHOLY BABIES, THE BRIMSTONE SOLAR RADIATION BAND, SAGH, OSBCURE (feat. ex-ENSLAVED member R. Kronheim) and possibly more. In addition to this, DJs Torgrim (H.I.T.S., Jern & Metall, Dagbladet), Asbjørn Slettemark (PYRO, Faro) and others will play tunes from ENSLAVED's favorites and sources of inspiration."

In other news, ENSLAVED will make an historical appearance at the Norwegian Short Film Festival (June 15-20), in Grimstad (in the very south of Norway). On Saturday, June 17, ENSLAVED will play live as a live soundtrack to the classic Norwegian silent movie "Terje Vigen" (Victor Sjöström), a silent film based on Henrik Ibsen's poem.

REDEMPTION's primary songwriter and guitarist/keyboardist Nicolas van Dyk has issued the following update on the progress of the recording sessions for the band's new album, entitled "The Origins of Ruin":

"We can see the light at the end of the tunnel and we're just about finished tracking, with only a few vocal parts, a couple of guitar solos and a bit of orchestration remaining to be finished. We hope to be done in the next two weeks...and then we need to schedule mixing in Germany with Tommy [Newton; UFO, CONCEPTION, HELLOWEEN, ARK, ELEGY]. In the meantime, we'll be working again with Travis Smith on some artwork.

"We don't have a finished track listing, but the songs are as follows:

01. The Suffocating Silence
02. Bleed Me Dry
03. The Death of Faith & Reason
04. Memory
05. The Origins of Ruin
06. Man of Glass
07. Blinded
08. Used to Be
09. Fall on You

"In addition, we have two covers which will find their way as bonus tracks: UFO's 'Love to Love', and TORI AMOS' 'Precious Things', which features the outstanding vocalist Anna Kristina, a well-known performer from San Francisco with a broad list of session and live credits."

REDEMPTION is:

Ray Alder - Vocals
Nick van Dyk - Guitar and Keys
Bernie Versailles - Guitar
Sean Andrews - Bass
Chris Quirarte - Drums

It seems as if all the bands of the eighties British 'neo' prog scene have started recycling their drummers. After IQ announced the departure of their drummer, it is now PENDRAGON that announces a line-up change after Fudge Smith vacates the drum stool after some 20-odd years. The following statement comes from the PENDRAGON website:

"We regret to say that the rumours you may have heard are true and that Fudge is no longer in PENDARGON. Over the last few years it seems that our paths have been pushing toward different needs from our lives, we don't want to say a huge amount about this because it is going to end up being a great big finger pointing session and right now we are totally committed to getting on with the tour in a positive frame of mind.

We wish him well for everything in the future.

We are still really very excited about the tour, and we have drafted in whizz kid Joe Crabtree, who has recently worked with David Cross from KING CRIMSON. We look forward to working with Joe and our eyes are now set to a brand new future!

Nick, Peter and Clive."

VICIOUS RUMORS drummer Larry Howe has joined W.A.S.P. as the replacement for Stet Howland. "[Larry] auditioned a few weeks ago and Blackie [Lawless, W.A.S.P. mainman] called him back and told him he had the gig," VICIOUS RUMORS bassist Dave Starr said. "He flies to Los Angeles this weekend to start work with the band for the new tour dates that start soon.

"As far as Larry and VICIOUS RUMORS goes, we have a break now with no tour dates while Geoff [Thorpe, VICIOUS RUMORS mainman] finishes the new [VR] CD so the timing is good for everyone," continued Dave. "Larry says Blackie wants him to do the tour and then what happens next will be figured out down the line. Larry remains a member of VICIOUS RUMORS. I still want Larry to do the WILDESTARR CD with my wife and I, and I hope he can still do that at some point later this year.

"This is great news for Larry, and I gave him congrats on the phone. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved."

W.A.S.P.'s U.S. tour is scheduled to kick off May 19 in Sacramento, California. W.A.S.P. had utilized the services of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN drummer Patrick Johansson for the U.S. dates they played in February/March.

HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak has posted the following message on his official blog:

"We're looking at another weekend of rehearsals, and I am excited! I completed the eighth song for the album a few days ago, and am hard at work finishing one more before the rehearsal starts. I'll keep the remaining songtitles under wraps for now as they are a bit uncertain still, but here are some titles for you: 'Dark Wings, Dark Words', 'Carved In Stone', 'Titan', 'Shadow Empire', 'Threshold' and 'Rebel Inside'."

HAMMERFALL are expected to enter the studio this summer to begin recording their new album for an October 2006 release. The band's latest CD, "Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken", was released in March 2005 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2002's "Crimson Thunder" was produced and mixed by Charlie Bauernfeind (BLIND GUARDIAN, HELLOWEEN).

Mario Schumacher, from German act Edge of Dawn, will join the ranks of such artists as Ronan Harris, Stephan Groth, Joakim Montelius, Sebastian Komor and Tom Shear as the newest member of the electronic supergroup Bruderschaft. Led by New York City DJ Rexx Arkana and featuring full-time members Seb (Icon of Coil/Moonitor/Zombie Girl) and Dracos (FGFC820), Bruderschaft is a collection of global artists collaborating as a charity-based project targeting cancer research and treatment. The band's debut "Forever" EP, dedicated to Arkana's deceased father, topped alternative and dance charts around the world. The entire stock of limited editions, available in North America through RazorBurn Records and via Alfa-Matrix in Europe, sold out within 24 hours of its release. Members of Bruderschaft are currently in the studio recording tracks for their follow up to "Forever", aptly titled "Return." The new EP features Assemblage 23's Tom Shear, System Syn's Clint Carney and at least two other well known vocalists yet to be announced, along with a star-studded cast of remixers. The anticipated release date for "Return" is Fall 2006. You can still purchase the full CD release of "Forever" below.

Metal Mind Productions will release a new Anathema DVD -"A Moment in Time."

The main part of DVD was recorded in Poland at the famous Metal Mania Festival 2006 (the biggest hard rock/metal festival in Eastern Europe). The set list included their best songs plus a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”. The guest performance was done by a string quartet. Bonus material - live video footage, video clips, documentary. DVD will be available also in a limited edition with bonus audio CD.

The artwork to "A Moment In Time" DVD was done by Travis Smith famous for his artworks for Anathema, Skinlab, Nevermore, Devin Townsend, Riverside and others.

Anathema has a cult status on the world’s rock music scene. Coming out of underground metal scene they easily transformed in to the best alternative rock outfit. Every day brings them new followers around the world. Friday, 29th April is their last day of very succesful UK & Ireland tour supporting HIM. The best is yet to come for Anathema.

DVD+CD limited digipack edition Cat. Nr: MMP DVD 0076
DVD total running time: approx. 100 minutes
DVD+CD total running time: approx. 180 minutes

TRACK LIST:

Metalmania 2006 – Live:

1. Shroud of False
2. Fragile Dreams
3. Balance
4. Closer
5. Lost Control
6. Empty
7. Natural Disaster
8. Inner Silence
9. One Last Goodbye
10. Judgement
11. Panic
12. Flying
13. Angelica
14. Comfortably Numb

+ bonus features (tbc soon)

Finnish cello-rockers APOCALYPTICA have revealed the track listing for their upcoming releases: The single "Repressed", featuring Max Cavalera from SOULFLY and Matt Tuck from BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE (due on May 19); and the two-CD "best of" collection "Amplified - A Decade of Reinventing The Cello" and the accompanying double-DVD set, "The Life Burns Tour", which will follow on May 26. The details are as follows:

"Repressed" single:

01. Repressed (single version)
02. Path Vol. 2
03. Betrayal
04. Repressed (video)

"Amplified - A Decade of Reinventing The Cello":

CD 1:

01. Enter Sandman
02. Harmageddon
03. Nothing Else Matters
04. Refuse/Resist
05. Somewhere Around Nothing
06. Betrayal
07. Farewell
08. Master Of Puppets
09. Hall Of The Mountain King
10. One
11. Heat
12. Cohkka
13. Kaamos
14. Deathzone
15. Angel Of Death

CD 2:

01. Repressed, featuring Max Cavalera (Soulfly, ex-Sepultura) & Matt Tuck (Bullet For My Valentine)
02. Path Vol.2, featuring Sandra Nasic (Guano Apes)
03. Bittersweet, featuring Lauri Ylönen (The Rasmus) and Ville Vallo (HIM)
04. Hope Vol.2, featuring Matze Sayer (Farmer Boys)
05. Quutamo / french version, featuring Manu
06. Faraway Vol.2, featuring Linda Sundblad (Lambretta)
07. Life Burns, featuring Lauri Ylönen (The Rasmus)
08. Seemann, featuring Nina Hagen

"The Life Burns Tour":

DVD 1:

01. Intro – Apocalyptica
02. Path
03. Master Of Puppets
04. Somewhere Around Nothing
05. Fight Fire With Fire
06. Quutamo
07. Heat
08. Betrayal
09. Nothing Else Matters
10. Hope
11. Life Burns
12. Fisheye
13. Bittersweet
14. Seek & Destroy
15. Prologue
16. Creeping Death
17. Inquisition Symphony
18. Enter Sandman
19. Refuse/Resist
20. Hall Of The Mountain King

DVD 2:

01. US Tour Film (bonus material)
02. EPK - 'Repressed (bonus material)
03. Bittersweet (video)
04. Life Burns (video)
05. How Far (video)
06. Wie Weit (video)
07. Faraway Vol. 2
08. Somewhere Around Nothing
09. Seemann (video)
10. Repressed (video)

Former NIGHTWISH frontwoman Tarja Turunen has posted the following message on her official web site:

"I am glad to announce my plans for the rest of this year. Some new concerts have been added to the 'Concerts' section of this web page. Please check them there. By the way, we are also working on the design of a new web page that will be ready soon.

"Next info hopefully will make us all very happy: NIGHTWISH 'End of an Era' DVD and CD are ready to be released with our partners worldwide. Finally, my brother's Teo Turunen debut album is ready and we are expecting to make it available in Finland during this summer. We did one duet together and I arranged and recorded with some friends the backing vocals. It was a lot of fun!

"The Christmas project that started in 2004 with the single 'Yhden Enkelin Unelma' (One Angel's Dream) and continued in 2005 with the tour in Europe will come to an end next Christmas. The recordings for the full Christmas album will take place from the end of June until the end of August 2006. We will mix it next September. Esa Nieminen will produce it as he did with the single that already reached platinum sales in Finland!

"For the first time I will perform as a solo artist in so many cities in Finland. This makes me very excited! We will also visit Russia where I haven't been in many years! Last tour was entirely acoustic, but this time, I will be performing with a live band accompanied by strings and flute. As you can imagine, the program will be totally renewed.

"At last, but not least important, I am honoured to start a long cooperation with Universal Music domestic division Germany for my solo career. We are at the moment working with my first solo album. It's a big, ambitious project that will require a lot of dedication and energy. I am really looking forward to see what the future brings for me as an artist.

"I welcome you to the beginning of a new era…"

SHATTER MESSIAH, the new band featuring former NEVERMORE/ANNIHILATOR guitarist Curran Murphy and ANNIHILATOR drummer Robert Falzano, will release their debut album, "Never to Play the Servant", on August 28 via Germany's Dockyard 1 Records. Audio samples from the band's two EPs — "Your God's Demise" and "Never to Play the Servant" — are available for download in the multimedia section of the band's official web site.

SHATTER MESSIAH's sound was previously described as "a viciously intense mixture combining Curran's hardcore metal roots with classic thrash and power goth, resulting in compositions of over-the-top aggression and melodic skill (containing subtle hints of the bands Curran has been affiliated with in the past)."

Curran Murphy - Guitars
Greg Wagner – Vocals
Robert Falzano – Drums
Ron Boisvert - Bass

CANDLEMASS vocalist Messiah Marcolin contacted BLABBERMOUTH.NET on April 28 to reveal that he has left the Swedish doomsters and that it's 100 percent definite that he will not return. "We could not agree on how to do the new album," he said, but would not further elaborate on his sudden departure.

Marcolin spent the early months of 2006 recovering from an infection of the vocal cords and was ordered by his doctor to wait until this summer before resuming singing.

In short time, CANDLEMASS bassist/songwriter Leif Edling has released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET regarding singer Messiah Marcolin's announcement that he was leaving the band. It reads as follows:

"Messiah's got a severe pre-recording psychosis at the moment. I'm pretty sure he will record his vocals for the new album this summer as planned."

CANDLEMASS recorded four new songs with producer Andy Sneap (NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY, MACHINE HEAD) in late February at the new Polar studios in Stockholm, Sweden. At the time, the group's bassist/songwriter Leif Edling said of the material, "The songs are pretty much in the same vein as the stuff on the [self-titled 2005] reunion album, maybe a bit darker."

German metallers METALIUM have revealed more information about their upcoming DVD, "Metalian Attack – Part 2", due on May 19. The four-hour disc includes footage from the band's Sept. 23, 2005 concert at the Jahnhalle in Nordenham, Germany plus material from the group's appearance at the Bloodstock festival in the U.K., where the group reportedly performed for more than 2,000 people. Also included are interviews, picture galleries, plus in-the-studio and behind-the-scenes footage.

"Metalian Attack – Part 2" (view artwork at this location) track listing:

01. Fight
02. Name Of Blood
03. Demons of Insanity
04. Endless Believers
05. Rasputin
06. Destiny
07. Power of Time
08. Eye of the Storm
09. Odin's Spell
10. Cyber Horizon
11. Metamorphosis
12. Metalium

METALIUM's fifth studio album, "Demons of Insanity - Chapter Five", was released last year via Armageddon Music (Crash Music, Inc. in the U.S.). The CD was recorded at Jumpower studios in Mallorca and Tornado studios in Hamburg with producer/bassist Lars Ratz. Guesting on the album, once again, was legendary keyboardist Don Airey (DEEP PURPLE, OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE).

Sweden's WOLVERINE have parted ways with keyboardist Andreas "Bagge" Baglien. The group's official statement on the matter reads as follows:

"It's with great sadness we have to announce that Bagge has left the band. Bagge has played with us since 1998 and he is like a brother to all of us so this is by far the toughest decision we've ever had to make within the band. However, it became clear after playing with Per Henriksson for the last few months (he stepped in to replace Bagge temporarily while Bagge was away for work for a few months) that we needed to bring him in full-time in order for the band to truly blossom again. I'm sure Bagge is the first to tell you that his contribution to the band during the last year or so hasn't been what it used to be. I won't go into any more detail on the matter since Bagge will post a message on our messageboard shortly announcing his departure and feelings regarding the whole thing.

"The entire band wishes Bagge all the best in the future. He is a truly talented musician and his ability to write great and interesting music is enormous. We also want to thank him for all 8 amazing years. We've been through a lot and it's been a blast! Thank you! At the same time, we would like to welcome Per Henriksson to the band. He's been playing with us for a few months now and everything has worked out amazingly well. We've done two gigs with him already and we had the best of times. He is a great player and and equally great guy. Info on him will be posted as soon as possible so you can dig into his past. Once again, welcome Per!"

As previously reported, Candlelight Records has set a June 26 release date for the new album WOLVERINE, entitled "Still".

Norwegian black metallers 1349 will be performing at this weekend's Transistor Metal Fest with their regular lineup — including drummer Frost (real name: Kjetil Haraldstad) of SATYRICON — according to a posting on the band's official web site. Transistor Metal Fest is set to take place April 29 at Kroa i Bø in Telemark, Norway.

1349 recently announced that they will be utilizing the services of former NILE drummer Tony Laureano on most upcoming dates as Frost is busy with promoting SATYRICON's recently released "Now, Diabolcal" CD. 1349 will be making their first live appearance in the U.S. as the headliners of the Death in the Forest festival, set to take place May 20 at the Orange County Fair Grounds in Middletown, New York.

1349 released their third studio album, "Hellfire", in the U.S. last October via Candlelight Records. Recorded at Studio Studio in Nyhagen, Norway, "Hellfire" was supported by a European tour with Norwegian black metallers GORGOROTH.

Formed in 1997, 1349 features vocalist Ravn, guitarists Tjalve and Archaon, bassist Seidemann and drummer Frost. Their Candlelight debut, "Liberation", was released in 2003. Returning in 2004, the band recorded "Beyond the Apocalypse".

Canadian metallers ANVIL have re-teamed with producer Chris Tsangarides for the first time since 1983's classic "Forged in Fire" album to record their new CD, "This Is Thirteen" (or "TIT" for short). The recording sessions are taking place at Tsangarides' Dump Studios in England and are being filmed for an upcoming feature drama-documentary covering ANVIL's return to the metal scene.

Regarding the documentary footage — which is being filmed and directed by Sacha Gervasi, who worked as writer on the Steven Spielberg-directed movie "The Terminal" (2004) — ANVIL mainman Steve "Lips" Kudlow told Total Rock on Saturday (April 22), "There's been some moments I wished that [the cameras] weren't there. I even had to say, 'You've gotta shut the thing off right now because I'm gonna lose my temper and I don't think that needs to be on film.' [Laughs] [It's very easy to forget that the cameras are there] and you could say things that you really shouldn't say. I went in and I started talking about my sister-in-law and I shouldn't have been — just making fun of her name and it went to film and I shouldn't have done that, 'cause if she ever sees that, she'll know that I said that. Just silly things that aren't gonna mean anything to anybody else but me."

"This Is Thirteen" is tentatively set to include 13 songs. The CD cover will reportedly be a superstitious theme, as in a broken mirror, black cat and the anvil under a ladder.

Guitarist Andre Olbrich of the German power metal giants BLIND GUARDIAN revealed in a recent interview with Metal Temple magazine that the band has been working on a strictly orchestral album, due for release in 2008. An excerpt from the interview follows:

Metal Temple: Virgin never really took care of releasing your albums with bonus material and cool editions. Will this ever change?

Andre: "Yes! There will be a limited-edition pack with one bonus track from our upcoming orchestral album. I don't know what else Nuclear Blast Records is planning but they are more active than Virgin..."

Metal Temple: Orchestral album?

Andre: "Yes, this is material we are writing the last eight years and we have never found the time to release the album. But now we have almost finished the songwriting and we've started the production with our producer Charlie Bauerfeind and Viktor Smolski [RAGE] who is involved in the orchestral recordings. The album will be released in 2008."

Metal Temple: We are talking about strictly new material...

Andre: "Yes, new material, just orchestra and Hansi [Kürsch] singing. It is without the heavy metal parts! There are really good things there and I really hope we will tease you with the song we will put on the album."

THE DARKNESS's video for their latest single, "Girlfriend", has been posted online at TheDarknessRock.com. The track comes off the British group's second studio album, "One Way Ticket to Hell …and Back", which was released last November. The album was the follow-up to THE DARKNESS' 2003 debut, "Permission to Land", (Must Destroy/Atlantic), which was certified gold in the United States for sales in excess of half a million copies.

German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS have tapped songwriter/producer Desmond Child — who has worked with such high-profile pop/rock artists as AEROSMITH, BON JOVI, ALICE COOPER, KISS, RICKY MARTIN, CHER, MICHAEL BOLTON and BONNIE TYLER — to produce their next studio album, which they expect to begin recording later in the year for a 2007 release.

Child, who is currently working with Michael Beinhorn, Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman as co-producer on MEAT LOAF's "Bat Out of Hell III: The Last at Bat" CD, has also been mentioned as MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil's likely collaborator on Neil's new solo album, which the vocalist was previously said to be planning to record this spring/summer. Desmond and Neil had previously collaborated on "Promise Me", Neil's 2004 single.

SCORPIONS' latest album, "Unbreakable", was released in the U.S. in June 2004 through Sanctuary Records. The CD was recorded at Peppermint Park Studio in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at Wisseloord studios in Hilversum, Holland.

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER have announced the addition of drummer Pierre Langois and bassist Bart Williams to the group's ranks. After both musicians toured with the band on their co-headlining run with THROWDOWN and their European dates with LIAR, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER decided these were the guys they wanted to join to their group fulltime.

Commented guitarist Brian Eschbach: "We are very proud to announce the additions of Bart and Pierre to the BDM fold. We have already completed two tours together and feel that there are many more to come."

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER have been confirmed for the Sounds of the Underground tour, also featuring IN FLAMES, TRIVIUM, CANNIBAL CORPSE and headliners AS I LAY DYING. The band's most recent album, "Miasma", was released in July 2005 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded with Eric Rachel (NORA, ATREYU, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, BURNT BY THE SUN, EVERY TIME I DIE, GOD FORBID) and Andreas Magnusson (formerly of SCARLET) at Trax East studios in New Jersey.

Austrian death/black metal act BELPHEGOR have parted ways with Barth. The group's official statement on the matter reads as follows:

"Barth has had an accident in January, resulting in a bad wound on the right hand. He had an operation, but at this time its uncertain wheter he can play the bass for BELPHEGOR again. However, he'll always be a member of BELPHEGOR, taking care of the merchandise on the road and similar stuff now. Get well soon bro!"

BELPHEGOR performed the last few gigs with the help of a session bass player, A.X. from Germany, who will continue to fill in for the upcoming dates. However, the band are currently seeking a permanent replacement. Interested parties can contact the band's management at belphegor@aon.at. "Seriously inquires only, [as] we are a full-time touring band, so you have to be able to be on the road, in the studio, or doing rehearsals for weeks," the band write in a statement. "The requirements are as follows: You don't need to be Austrian (but be able to rehearse in Austria); professional musicians only, preferably with stage-tour experience; Must be at least 25 years old; Must have a main interest in the death/black metal general, and be into metal in general.

BELPHEGOR recently completed work on their sixth album at producer Andy Classen's Stage One studios in Germany. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Throne of Sacrilege", "Flammandus Et Contemtus", "Bluhtsturm Erotica"', "Belphegor – Hell's Ambassador".

Italian power metallers HIGHLORD will release their fifth album, "Instant Madness", in North America on June 16 via Mythic Silence Records. The follow-up to 2004's "Medusa's Coil" was recorded at Elnor Studios and was issued in Japan via Soundholic Ltd.

"Instant Madness" track listing:

01. Jester's Mask
02. Orion and Ocean
03. The Sweetest Drug
04. Got a Price?
05. Life Lymph
06. The Trickster
07. Instant Madness
08. Which Side Are You On?
09. Cha-la-Head-cha-la

Check out the song "The Sweetest Drug" at this location.

The future of prog rock supergroup YES looks shaky following news that a planned 2006 reunion tour has been scrapped. The oft-feuding group had scheduled to join up this summer (06), but guitarist STEVE HOWE has set solo dates instead after tiring of one unnamed former bandmate's deliberating.

He tells Billboard.com, "YES has been sleeping in this kind of awful mode that I think is slightly disrespectful to our beautiful fans. It's all contrary to different people's opinions of what's right and what's wrong. I think that's really a shame."

Howe tells the website the group agreed to take 2005 off after touring extensively in 2003 and 2004, but there was a plan to return to the road this year (06). He adds, "There's at least one person in the band who appears to have a different stance. The majority of us would be just happy to go out and tour."

Meanwhile, YES isn't the only reunion Howe is working on - the guitarist will join CARL PALMER, GEOFF DOWNES and JOHN WETTON for a 25th anniversary ASIA tour later this year.

SILENT FORCE, the power metal band featuring ex-ROYAL HUNT singer D.C. Cooper, have set "Walk the Earth" as the title of their fourth album, tentatively due in October via AFM Records.

The guitars, bass and keyboards for the new CD were laid down at Guitars from Hell studio in Krefeld, Germany, while the vocal recordings were done at producer Dennis Ward's new studio in Bruchsal, Germany. "The song material is in the same direction like the last album, 'Worlds Apart'," according to a posting on the group's web site.

"Worlds Apart" was released in the U.S. in October 2004 via Noise Records.

Legendary punk/metal crossover band D.R.I. (DIRTY ROTTEN IMBECILES) have cancelled their previously announced U.S. tour. According to a statement released by the group's booking agent, D.R.I. guitarist Spike Cassidy was recently "diagnosed with colon cancer and was operated on three weeks ago. Sadly the concern is that [the cancer] spread and the medical treatment is [required immediately] and it prohibits any touring for the remainder of the year at least."

D.R.I.'s U.S. tour was scheduled to kick off May 22 in Seattle, Washington.

Danish symphonic metallers EVIL MASQUERADE have posted audio samples from their upcoming album, "Third Act", on their official web site.

"Third Act" will be issued in Japan and Southeast Asia on May 24 via Marqee/Avalon. European/North American release dates have not yet been announced. The CD was recorded at Stonelab (Copenhagen, Denmark), Lipton (Malmö, Sweden) Sonic Adventures (Princeton Junction, USA) and Digital Bitch (Copenhagen, Denmark) studios and features guest appearances by keyboardists David Rosenthal (RAINBOW, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, WHITESNAKE, VINNIE MOORE, DREAM THEATER, STEVE VAI) and Richard Andersson (TIME REQUIEM, SPACE ODYSSEY).

"Third Act" (view cover artwork here) track listing:

01. The Devil’s Last Temptation
02. Third Act
03. Black Ravens Cry
04. Descended From the Grave
05. Far Away
06. The Dark Minstrel Plays
07. I'll Make You Burn
08. Under the Surface of Water
09. Orchestration For More Than One Horn
10. Bring On the World
11. The Final Goodbye

EVIL MASQUERADE 2006 lineup is:

Henrik Flyman – guitar
Apollo Papathanasio – vocals
Dennis Buhl – drums
Thor Jeppesen – bass

BLABBERMOUTH.NET can reveal that former MEGADETH/ICED EARTH bassist James MacDonough will be joining SPEED\KILL/HATE for their upcoming Metal Crusaders North American tour with VADER, KATAKLYSM, DESTRUCTION, GRAVEWORM and THE ABSENCE. MacDonough will be filling in for regular SPEED\KILL/HATE bassist Derek Tailer, who is unable to do the tour due to "personal reasons." Also touring with SPEED\KILL/HATE as a session member will be drummer Tony Ochoa, who has previously played with cult metal band SINDROME (whose lineup also included current SOIL guitarist Shaun Glass).

SPEED\KILL/HATE is the "old-school thrash" project featuring OVERKILL (past and present) members Tailer, Dave Linsk (guitar), and Tim Mallare (drums). The band's debut album, "Acts of Insanity", was released in February 2005 via Listenable Records. A video for the song "Face the Pain" was filmed on April 6, 2005 with director Anthony M. Bongiovi of TBJ Entertainment, Inc., who has previously worked with SLAYER ("War at the Warfield" DVD), MARILYN MANSON ("Guns, God & Government" DVD), AC/DC and GODSMACK, among others.

MacDonough parted ways with MEGADETH in February due to "personal differences." His replacement in MEGADETH is James Lomenzo, who has previously played with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and WHITE LION, among other bands.

KREATOR's video for their song "Enemy of God" has been posted online at this location. The clip was shot on February 6 in Berlin, Germany with director Jörn Heitmann, known for his work with RAMMSTEIN ("Keine Lust") and THE RASMUS. More information about Heitmann's work can be found at www.katapultfilm.de.

"Enemy of God" is the title track of KREATOR's latest album, available now on SPV Records. The follow-up to 2001's "Violent Revolution" 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".