Finnish melodic metallers ALTARIA have posted the cover artwork for their third album, "The Fallen Empire", at this location. The follow-up to 2004's "Divinity" was mixed the Black Lounge Studios in Sweden and is scheduled for release on March 24, 2006. Former DIO guitarist Rowan Robertson makes a guest appearance on a track called "The Lion" and keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg (SONATA ARCTICA, SILENT VOICES) is featured on a song called "The Dying Flame", which is an 8-minute epic. Other tracks set to appear on the CD include "Crucifix", "Abyss of Twilight", "Frozen Hearts" and "Disciples".

ALTARIA recently announced the addition of guitarist J-P Alanen to the group's ranks.

Swedish melodic power metal band INSANIA have entered Studio Underground in Västerås, Sweden for a three-week recording that will culminate in the creation of the band's fourth album. Entitled "Agony - Gift of Life", the CD is being produced by Pelle Saether and is tentatively set for an April/May 2006 release through Black Lodge Records. Check out the band's online studio diary at this location.

Like its predecessor, 2003's "Fantasy - A New Dimension", "Agony - Gift of Life" will be mixed by Mikko Karmila at Finnvox Studios.

"Agony - Gift of Life" projected track listing (not final order):

01. Facing My Destiny
02. Hope
03. Dreams
04. Gift of Life
05. Fight for Life
06. One Day
07. Time Passes By
08. To Live Another Day
09. Alive
10. Valley of Sunlight
11. Time of Glory
12. How Does It Feel

On www.spi-ritual.com you can find song samples and a videoclip of the new ethno metal project SpiRitual, formed by Darkseed vocalist and songwriter Stefan Hertrich (ex-Betray My Secrets). The first release "Pulse" features international guest musicians from bands such as Haggard, Equilibrium, Megaherz and Yana Veva of the Russian band Theodor Bastard. The video clip was done by the Russian video team Deviant Creations.

"Pulse" will be published by CD MAXIMUM in late December/early January.

By the way: Stefan Hertrich told us that he is always eager to cooperate with ethnic musicians (near/middle eastern/native american flutes, percussion, female vocals). If you would like to contribute your arts to one of Stefans ethnic projects (SpiRitual or the highly awarded soundtrack/new age project Shiva In Exile), send an email to stefan(at)spi-ritual.com

The first in a series of video clips of Finnish hard/glam rockers NEGATIVE in the studio recording their third album has been posted online at this location.

NEGATIVE's as-yet-untitled new CD is scheduled for release in late 2006. The group's sophomore album, "Sweet & Deceitful", was released in Europe (excluding Scandinavia, Italy and Russia) via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2003's gold-certified (in Finland) "War of Love", which features a guest appearance by SENTENCED/POISONBLACK frontman Ville Laihiala, topped the Finnish album chart upon its release in September 2004.

NEGATIVE will be teaming up with H.I.M. and THE RASMUS for a European tour beginning on February 9, 2006 in Essen, Germany.

ANTIMATTER mainman/lyricist/singer Mick Moss has been working hard over the last few months on the group's follow-up to 2005's "Planetary Confinement", entitled "Leaving Eden" (to be released via The End Records).

Commented Moss: "The album is written in its entirety now. If anything, there's minor fine-tuning to be done. I can say that it contains both the heaviest and lightest parts from any previous ANTIMATTER release. There's certainly a sense of spreading the wings either side, going from what hopefully will turn out to be a ball-ripping segment to an almost country-and-western-style track, yet still retaining that sense of identity that is ANTIMATTER.

"The album will be recorded at an unspecified date in the first half of 2006."

"Leaving Eden" tentative track listing:

01. Leaving Eden
02. The Freak Show
03. Another Face In A Window
04. Ghosts
05. Fighting For A Lost Cause
06. Redemption
07. Conspire
08. The Immaculate Misconception
09. Too Late

Recording should take place at Studio 33 ("Planetary Confinement"). Confirmed guest musicians on the CD include Danny Cavanagh (ANATHEMA) and Chris Phillips (drums; "Planetary Confinement").

Finnish folk-influenced melodic death metal band ENSIFERUM, now featuring in its ranks NORTHER frontman Petri Lindroos, have completed work on their new EP, "Dragonheads", due on February 15, 2006 via Spinefarm Records. The mini-CD was recorded and mixed in November at Sonic Pump studios in Helsinki by Nino Laurenne (THUNDERSTONE) and was mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios. It will contain one new track, new studio recordings of several old demo songs, and a couple of traditional Finnish folk covers.

"Dragonheads" track listing:

01. Dragonheads
02. Warrior's Quest
03. Kalevala-Melody
04. White Storm
05. Into Hiding (AMORPHIS cover)
06. Finnish Medley (Karjalan Kunnailla - Myrskyluodon Maija - Metsämiehen Laulu)

Commented ENSIFERUM mainman Markus Toivonen: "I think the sound and musical contents on 'Dragonheads' are quite satisfactory. Everything went very smoothly, although I had my doubts as we now had three new members since we were at studio for the previous time."

The group's next full-length release is scheduled to be recorded in the summer of 2006. A European tour is tentatively slated to kick off in March 2006.

As previously reported, ENSIFERUM will film their New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) 10-year anniversary concert at the Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland for an upcoming DVD.

ENSIFERUM's sophomore album, "Iron", was released in April 2004 through Spinefarm Records. The follow-up to 2001's "Ensiferum" was recorded in the summer of 2003 at Sweet Silence studios in Copenhagen, Denmark with producer Flemming Rasmussen (METALLICA, ARTILLERY, MORBID ANGEL).

RAMMSTEIN's uncensored video for their new sngle, "Rosenrot", has been posted online at Rammstein.com. The clip was shot last month in a village close to Brasov, Romania and is the title track of the group's new album, available now on Universal.

RAMMSTEIN's "Mein Teil" was nominated in the "Metal Performance" category at the 48th annual Grammy Awards, wich is set to be broadcast live on CBS from Los Angeles' Staples Center on February 8, 2006.

MONSTER MAGNET have officially entered the recording phase for the follow-up to 2004's "Monolithic Baby". The as-yet-untitled album will be released in March 2006 via SPV and will coincide with the group's European tour. The CD is being produced by friend and veteran MAGNET producer/mixer Matt Hyde ("Powertrip" and "God Says No"). The band are currently in Los Angeles, laying down the new tracks at both Sound City and Paramount recording studios for what promises to be another rock milestone for the quartet.

With excitement building around the new studio album, the news that re-releases of their classic albums "Tab" and "Spine of God" will be coming as well have excited many longtime fans of the band. These re-issues will feature new artwork and liner notes, as well as bonus tracks, as part of SPV's SuPerValue re-issue series, and will again be available worldwide. A DVD is also in planning for late 2006.

The current lineup of POISONBLACK — Ville Laihiala (vocals, guitar, also in SENTENCED), Janne Markus (guitar), Marco Sneck (keyboards), Antti Remes (bass) and Tarmo Kanerva (drums) — are scheduled to return to the studio in early 2006 to complete the recordings for their sophomore album, tentatively due late spring/early summer via Century Media Records. The band are currently composing and rehearsing new songs.

Laihiala had previously stated about the new album's musical direction: "The new one has the same spirit and theme that was on [the debut album, 'Escapextacy'], but presented with a lot more dirtier and rougher sounds without forgetting the melodies," he said. "But if you are waiting for a soft goth-rock album you'll be surprised." Several photos from the studio sessions can be viewed at this location.

POISONBLACK's 2003 debut, "Escapextacy", featured the vocal talents of CHARON frontman Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto. Juha-Pekka's touring and recording commitments with his main band eventually forced him to quit POISONBLACK, but not before completing all the touring activities in support of the group's debut CD.

Swedish death metallers VOMITORY have announced the addition of guitarist Peter Östlund to the group's ranks. Östlund, who has previously played in the San Francisco Bay area-influenced thrash metal band THE LAW, has joined VOMITORY as a permanent guitarist after Ulf Dalegren's departure a couple of months ago.

Commented drummer Tobias Gustafsson: "I am really happy that Peter Östlund has joined VOMITORY! We in the band have known him for some years now and we knew that he's a kick-ass guitarist, a riff-machine and a really cool guy, so I'm sure he will fit perfectly! Peter's skills will add a new side to our sound in a very positive way and I am thrilled to start working on the new material for the next album with Peter in the band."

VOMITORY recently completed a European tour (covering the U.K., Ireland, Scotland, The Netherlands and Sweden) with good friend Lord K Philipsson (THE PROJECT HATE, GOD AMONG INSECTS) filling in on second guitar.

VOMITORY's fifth album, "Primal Massacre", was released in April 2004 through Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2002's "Blood Rapture" was recorded at Studio Kuling in Örebro, Sweden and was mixed at Berno Studio.

"The Ape of Naples" is to be the final musical word for Coil aka Jhonn Balance. To be released on Treshold House Records on January 10 2006 for the worldwide market, the album comes more than one year after Jhonn Balance’s sudden death on 13 November 2004. This album has been out since last week in the UK but as mentionned above, it will only be available outside the UK from January on. The release features songs recorded in the final days of Jhonn's life, as well as material originally recorded at Trent Reznor's studio in New Orleans, and now substantially re-arranged by Peter Christopherson. The CD comes in a white gatefold card wallet with a foldout poster style lyric sheet and cover art by Ian Johnstone. The album is available at an incredibly expensive, real rip-off, major-label kind of price only as with all Coil albums.

Tracklist:
01 Fire Of The Mind
02 The Last Amethyst Deceiver
03 Tattooed Man
04 Triple Sun
05 It's In My Blood
06 I Don't Get It
07 Heaven's Blade
08 Cold Cell
09 Teenage Lightning 2005
10 Amber Rain
11 Going Up

Finnish extreme metallers IMPALED NAZARENE have finished recording their ninth studio album, "Pro Patria Finlandia", at Sonic Pump studio with producer Tapio Pennanen and will mix the CD in January. The album will be mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox studios for a tentative March 28, 2006 release through Osmose Productions. Cover artwork will be handled by Ritual. The group had previously described the new material as "fast, brutal as fuck, in-your-face IMPALED NAZARENE."

"Pro Patria Finlandia" track listing (in no particular order):

01. Weapons to Tame a Land
02. Something Siniter
03. Contempt
04. For Those Who Have Fallen
05. Cancer
06. Neighbourcide
07. This Castrated World
08. Leucorrhea
09. Kut
10. I Wage War
11. Goat Sodomy
12. One Dead Nation under Dead God
13. Psykosis
14. Hate – Despise – Arrogance

IMPALED NAZARENE will be heading out on a long European tour between April and June 2006. Exact cities and dates will be announced soon.

As previously reported, the double 10" version of IMPALED NAZARENE's "Death Comes In 26 Carefully Selected Pieces" live album was released in September, limited to 500 copies. The band's "Latex Cult" (1996) and "Rapture" (1998) albums will be released in digipack format with new artwork and layout. Both CDs will be remastered at Finnvox studio and will include videos as an extra bonus.

TWISTED SISTER manager Daniel Stanton of Coallier Entertainment has confirmed to BLABBERMOUTH.NET that singer Dee Snider and guitarist Jay Jay French have recorded guest appearances for the new album from Finland's LORDI, entitled "The Arockalypse". "Snider has done a spoken-word intro for the song 'Balls', while Jay Jay laid down a guitar solo for the track 'Chainsaw'," says Stanton. The CD, which is tentatively due in Germany on March 3, 2006 via Drakkar, will feature additional guest appearances by former ACCEPT frontman Udo Dirkschneider (on "They Only Come Out at the Night") and ex-KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick (on "Snowing in Hell"). According to Stanton, former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach — who is also working with Coallier — is "still a possibility for this release as well." More information will be made available soon.

In other news, while LORDI are busy preparing for the release of their third album, the band's drummer Kita and guitarist Amen have found time to work with other projects as well. Kita is producing a new EP for JÄRJESTYSHÄIRIÖ, a Finnish group that he had previously collaborated with on their first album. The EP will come out in February 2006 and will include four songs. Meanwhile, you can hear Amen and his guitar perform on a PC action game called "Shadowgrounds" by Frozenbyte. "I was asked to add some live and loud guitar into the game's music and I didn't even have to think about it for a minute," he explained. "With the 'Shadowgrounds' music composer, Ari Pulkkinen, we had a great time in the studio and I really do believe that we got some real action into it!"

For more information on the "Shadowgrounds" game, visit www.shadowgroundsgame.com.

NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury has posted the following message on the group's official web site:

"Sitting here at my PC having just got back from a brutal ANAAL NATHRAKH rehearsal and well, what can i say? Hope to see a few people at the forthcoming shows this Thursday (Camden Underworld) and Friday (Edwards No. 8). Judging by tonight's practice, I think it will be worth seeing — intense is definitely the word I would use to describe it.

"Anyway, on to NAPALM. All's quiet in the camp now that the Persistance tour has finished. We had a great time on the tour and would like to thank all the bands we played with. Everyone got along really well and that's nice as somtimes that can be hard and having a really chilled out atmosphere on tour brings out the best in everybody so cheers all around too all for that. Other than that, X-mas time is approaching and I wonder to myself just how much weight will I put on this year? How many beers will Barney drink? Just how many aliens will visit Mitch in Las Vegas? And finally, will Danny resist all that good Mexican food back in Los Angeles? These questions and many more will be answered next year as we will begin writing songs for the 12th NAPALM DEATH album. I have ideas for about 4-5 tracks and while we will continue in the grindcore fashion of the last three albums, there will also be a few mid-paced cacthy tunes thrown in there to break the album up a little bit as well as a few more SWANS-type noise pieces. I know Barney has some lyrical ideas already so things are moving swiftly, though, of course, we have the KREATOR tour in mid-February for a month, which will break the writing process up a little but the album should come together quickly, I think. We are also going to be recording a SICK OF IT ALL cover for their 20th aniversary album which will be released next year. We have pretty much decided what track we will do, but hey, if you guys want to start a poll going again…. What songs would you guys like to see NAPALM cover???"

Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA have announced the track listing for their long-awaited DVD/CD, "For the Sake of Revenge", to be released March 31, 2006. It is as follows:

01. Intro
02. Misplaced
03. Blinded No More
04. Fullmoon / White Pearls Black Oceans
05. Victoria's Secret
06. Broken
07. 8th Commandment
08. Shamandalie
09. Kingdom for a Heart
10. Replica
11. My Land
12. Black Sheep
13. Sing in Silence/the End of this Chapter
14. San Sebastian
15. Gravenimage
16. Don't Say a word
17. The Cage
18. Vodkaa... (hava nagila)

As previously reported, SONATA ARCTICA have been confirmed as the opening act for German hard rock singer Doro Pesch (ex-WARLOCK) on her headlining European tour in April/May 2006. In addition, SONATA ARCTICA have announced several headlining shows in Holland, France and Switzerland.

SONATA ARCTICA's fourth studio album, "Reckoning Night", was released last year via Nuclear Blast Records.

MYSTIC PROPHECY, the melodic power metal band consisting of VALLEY'S EVE vocalist Roberto Dimitri Liapakis, ex-STORMWITCH bassist Martin Albrecht, FIREWIND/ex-DREAM EVIL guitarist Gus G., and SACRED STEEL drummer Mathias Straub, have finished recording their new album, "Savage Souls", for an early 2006 release via Massacre Records.

The CD, which is being mixed and mastered at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden, will feature guest appearances by Chitral "Chity" Somapala (AVALON, FIREWIND) on backing vocals and Marios iliopoulos (NIGHTRAGE) on lead guitar. Check out a few studio photos at this location.

MYSTIC PROPHECY will film their December 17, 2005 concert at the Matrix in Bochum, Germany for an upcoming DVD, to be available as a bonus disc with "Savage Souls". The band's third album, "Never-Ending", was released in October 2004 via Nuclear Blast Records.

CANNIBAL CORPSE bassist Alex Webster has released the complete track listing for the group's upcoming album, "Kill", tentatively due on March 21, 2006 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded at Mana Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida with producer Erik Rutan (MORBID ANGEL, HATE ETERNAL).

Commented Webster, "We have only four more days of mixing, and then the album will be finished. At this point, it looks like the album will be released on March 21st, 2006. After that, we will begin touring, starting with the No Mercy festivals in Europe, followed by a headlining tour throughout Europe. We will hopefully be touring the States in the early summer months, but nothing is booked at this point."

"Kill" track listing:

01. The Time To Kill Is Now
02. Make Them Suffer
03. Murder Worship
04. Submerged In Boiling Flesh
05. Five Nails Through The Neck
06. Purification By Fire
07. Death Walking Terror
08. Barbaric Bludgeonings
09. The Discipline Of Revenge
10. Brain Removal Device
11. Necrosadistic Warning
12. Maniacal
13. Infinite Misery

Said Webster: "This may not be the exact order of the songs for the album, but it should be pretty close."

CANNIBAL CORPSE recently announced the addition of guitarist Rob Barrett as a permanent replacement for guitarist Jack Owen, who left the band in 2004. Barrett, who played with the group from 1993 to 1997 and appeared on "The Bleeding" and "Vile" albums, has contributed a song to "Kill".

CORNERSTONE, the Danish/British melodic metal band featuring YNGWIE MALMSTEEN/ex-RAINBOW frontman Doogie White and ex-ROYAL HUNT bassist Steen Mogensen, are putting the finishing touches on their fourth studio album, "Two Tales and One Tomorrow", for an early 2006 release through an as-yet-undetermined label. The follow-up to 2003's "Once Upon Our Yesterdays" (Massacre) contains 10 new "classic" CORNERSTONE tracks, according to a posting on the group's web site. "We are all very pleased with the direction and vibe the songs are taken this time. Heavy, moody and rocky." Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Requiem", "Wicked" and "Two Tales and One Tomorrow".

CORNERSTONE's live album, "Cornerstone In Concert", was released in July in Japan via Yamaha Communications and in Europe through Massacre Records. The CD was recorded at several shows on the group's debut tour of Europe in January/Febuary 2005. Included in the package is a video clip of live and backstage footage from the band's private archives.

Earache Records has set a January 23, 2006 release date for DEICIDE's "When London Burns" DVD. Featuring an incendiary live set filmed on November 29, 2004 before a rabid, sold-out crowd of maniacs at The Mean Fiddler in London, Glen Benton and Co. rip the place apart with a smoking set, featuring crowd favorites. From the opening chords of "Scars of the Crucifixion", anthems like "Kill the Christian" to the apocalyptical end with "Oblivious to Evil", "When London Burns" captures DEICIDE at their diabolic best. There's also a bonus 30-minute documentary "Behind the Scars", featuring behind-the-scenes footage of DEICIDE recording "Scars of the Crucifix", candid interviews at home and backstage with the band, exclusive footage from the rehearsal room and the formation of DEICIDE and explanation of Glen's forehead branding.

"When London Burns" DVD track listing:

01. Scars of the Crucifix
02. They Are the Children of the Underworld
03. Bastard Of Christ
04. When Satan Rules His World
05. Once Upon the Cross
06. Kill the Christian
07. Serpents of the Light
08. Dead but Dreaming
09. Lunatic of God's Creation
10. Sacrificial Suicide
11. When Heaven Burns
12. Dead by Dawn
13. Behind the Light Thou Shall Rise
14. Deicide
15. Crucifixation
16. Christ Denied
17. Oblivious to Evil

Long-running Swedish death metallers DISMEMBER have set "The God That Never Was" as the title of their seventh album, due in Europe in late January via Regain Records. The follow-up to 2004's "Where Ironcrosses Grow" was once again produced by drummer Fred Estby at Sami Studio in Stockholm. The group's current lineup is completed by Matti Kärki (vocals), David Blomqvist (guitar), Martin Persson (guitar) and newcomer Tobias Christiansson on bass.

With regards to the upcoming CD, Estby said, "Musically we're trying to do better with every album. Most of us are in our 30s and we have got to prove ourselves a little bit more every time. We fought hard with this album.

"Me and David, who have done most of the music throughout the years, are terribly conservative. We realized a long time ago what kind of riffs that will work and which ones that will have to go. No, you won't hear cheesy guitar licks on a DISMEMBER album, but at the same time the band have to keep on moving in order to keep things interesting."

On the album's lyrical approach, Fred said, "It became very hostile towards religion. I have always written lyrics like that, while Matti has been more into war and serial killers. This time we decided that we had had enough of the crap going on in the world today and decided to write about everything that pisses us off."

"The God That Never Was" track listing (in no particular order):

01. The God That Never Was
02. Shadows of the Mutilated
03. Time Has Nothing
04. Autopsy
05. Never Forget, Never Forgive
06. Trail of the Dead
07. Phantoms (Of the Oath)
08. Into the Temple of Humiliation
09. Blood for Paradise
10. Feel the Darkness
11. Where No Ghost Is Holy

German progressive metallers VANDEN PLAS will release their new album, "Christ.0", on February 24, 2006. It is a concept album inspired by Alexandre Dumas' novel "The Count of Monte Cristo". The recordings are currently taking place at the Bazement studios near Wiesbaden, Germany. The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Christ 0
02. Postcard to God
03. Wish you Were Here
04. Silently
05. Shadow I Am
06. Fireroses Dance
07. Somewhere Alone in the Dark
08. January Sun
09. Lost in Silence

Bonus track on initial pressing: "Gethsemane" (lyrics: Tim Rice/music: Andrew Lloyd Webber).

VANDEN PLAS' most recent album, "Beyond Daylight", was released in 2002 via InsideOut Music.

Out on the Japanese Label Supernatual Organisation Discs on December 5th is the limited edition release of Death In June's "The Phoenix has Risen". This limited run of 1000 copies is a very obscure one and was first suspected to be a bootleg, but it is not. Named after the scratched message on Death in June’s very first vinyl release "Heaven Street" (1981), this CD comes from the same label that released Current 93’s LP "Earth Covers Earth" back in 1988.

Although brand new this new Death In June release bears the year 1999 on the back sleeve. Conceived and put together by Douglas P. himself the CD contains most probably the earliest Death in June recording ever released such as an 8-tracks ‘Rehearsal Tape’ from 1981, with alternative demo-versions of tracks, of which most were later published on the 12” "Heaven Street" and the album "The Guilty have no pride" (1983). Death in June at this early stage were Douglas P., Tony Wakeford and Patrick Leagas. Also included are 8 additional tracks, recorded live at "The Living Room" in London on September 9 1983. The booklet furthermore contains some amazing photos (among others ‘live at The Fridge’) from the very early days of Death in June.

Tracklist:
[U.K. Rehearsal Tape 1981]
01 We drive East
02 Knives
03 Nation
04 In the Night
Time
05 Himmel Strasse (German for ‘Heaven Street’)
06 Nothing Changes
07 Untitled
08 All alone in her nirvana
[intermission] [Live at the Living Room]
09 Intro
10 Till the living flesh is burned
11 All alone in her nirvana
12 Fields
13 We drive east
14 Nothing changes
15 In the Night time
16 Heaven Street

Spinefarm Records has set a January 11, 2006 release date for the new NORTHER single, entitled "Scream". The title track comes off the group's upcoming full-length CD, "Till Death Unites Us", due on January 25, 2006 via Spinefarm.

"Till Death Unites Us" track listing (in no particular order):

01. Scream
02. Throwing My Life Away
03. The End of Our Lives
04. Evil Ladies
05. Drowning
06. Die
07. Everything
08. Alone In the End
09. Norther
10. Omen
11. Fuck You
12. Wasted Years

As previously reported, NORTHER have announced the addition of drummer Heikki Saari (VIRTUOCITY) to the group's ranks.

Legendary Nowegian black metallers DARKTHRONE will be releasing their twelfth album, entitled "The Cult is Alive", in February 2006 via the group's newly rekindled partnership with Peaceville Records. A single, "Too Old, Too Cold", will precede the album in January. The track listing for both releases is as follows:

"Too Old, Too Cold" single (projected release date: January 2006):

01. Too Old, Too Cold
02. High on Cold War (feat. Grutle from ENSLAVED on guest vocals)
03. Love in a Void (SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES cover)
04. Graveyard Slut

"The Cult is Alive" album (projected release date: February 2006):

01. The Cult Of Goliath
02. Too Old, Too Cold
03. Atomic Coming
04. Graveyard Slut (Fenriz on vocals)
05. Underdogs And Overlords
06. Whisky Funeral
07. De Underjordiske
08. Tyster På Gud
09. Shut Up
10. Forebyggende Krig

Both releases will also be available on DMM (Direct Metal Mastering) pressed vinyls.

Peaceville Records have just released a special edition boxset of DARKTHRONE's "Preparing for War" anthology (originally issued in 2001), which covers more rare tracks and includes a DVD of rare interview and live footage. It is only available for pre-order online from Peaceville's online store at this location (product will ship from December 14).

ATTARA, the Finnish "black/dark metal" project featuring former AMORPHIS frontman Pasi Koskinen (a.k.a. Ruoja), will release their fourth full-length album, "Äpäre", on March 22, 2006 via Spinefarm Records. The band have just released a new Christmas single, featuring an original song entitled "Teuras", backed by a cover of the track "Kansallispäivä", originally written and recorded by the Finnish band SIELUN VELJET.

AJATTARA's third album, "Tyhjyys" ("Emptiness") was released late last year through the Spinefarm Records subsidiary Spikefarm. Recordings for the CD took place at Savonlinna's Sundi Coop studio, where AJATTARA recorded their earlier releases, "Itse" (2001) and "Kuolema" (2003).

Norwegian symphonic metal band TRISTANIA have posted the following message on their official web site:

"The band feels it is about time to reveal some more details regarding the upcoming album. "It looks like it will be recorded in March, and they are happy to announce that it will be produced by Waldemar Sorychta [LACUNA COIL, TIAMAT, SAMAEL].

"For this last week they have been working together with him on the pre-production in their studio. The collaboration seems to work perfect, and they are now confident that he will be the perfect producer for them in order to achieve the best possible result.

"As Waldemar Sorychta has produced some of their favorite metal albums (SAMAEL's 'Ceremony of Opposites', MOONSPELL's 'Wolfheart', and TIAMAT's 'Wildhoney'), they already knew that he was a brilliant producer. It was a huge relief to find that they also are working very well together. In the end, it was exactly what they were hoping for.

TRISTANIA's most recent album, "Ashes", is available now on SPV Records.