CHILDREN OF BODOM video for the band's cover version of the CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL classic "Lookin' Out My Back Door" can be viewed below. The song comes off the Finnish metallers' new album, titled "Skeletons In The Closet", which is scheduled for release on September 23 through Spinefarm. The follow-up to last year's "Blooddrunk" is a selection of cover versions, some of them existing recordings, others specially laid down for this release.
A trailer for "A Taste Of Extreme Divinity", the new album from HYPOCRISY, the Swedish extreme metal band led by guitarist/vocalist Peter Tägtgren (also of PAIN), can be viewed here.
"A Taste Of Extreme Divinity" is scheduled for release in Europe on October 23 and in the U.S. on November 3 via Nuclear Blast Records.
The track listing is as follows:
01. Valley Of The Damned
02. Hang Him High
03. Solar Empire
04. Weed Out The Weak
05. No Tomorrow
06. Global Domination
07. Taste The Extreme Divinity
08. Alive
09. The Quest
10. Tamed "Filled With Fear"
11. Sky Is Falling Down
HYPOCRISY will kick off a U.S. tour in support of "A Taste Of Extreme Divinity" on November 5, with ENSIFERUM as the headliner.
HYPOCRISY reissued its 2002 album "Catch 22" under the title "Catch 22 V2.0.08" in May 2008. Peter Tägtgren re-recorded the guitar parts, his vocals and remixed and remastered the LP for the new version of the album, which featured bonus material.
The band previously stated about its decision to re-release the CD, "We still think it is a great fucking album but it got slammed and misunderstood because of the vocal style and the drum sound and so on."
HYPOCRISY's latest album, "Virus", came out in September 2005 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Norwegian black metallers DARKTHRONE will enter the studio in late October to complete the recording process for their new album for an early 2010 release. The band's Nocturno Culto (real name: Ted Skjellum) states, "We've had a long summer break now and it's time to face winter/death."
DARKTHRONE's latest album, "Dark Thrones and Black Flags", was released in October 2008 through Peaceville. The follow-up to 2007's acclaimed "F.O.A.D." LP was made available in three formats: a regular edition in super jewel case; a vinyl edition; and a special edition in a slipcased super jewel case package with exclusive new video footage featuring DARKTHRONE in the studio — "Fucking Around Version 1" and "Fucking Around Version 2."
Guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH has revealed to Holland's FaceCulture that he is contemplating recording a singer-songwriter acoustic solo album.
"My views [regarding songwriting] have broadened a little bit," Mikael said. "I guess when I discovered Nick Drake, that's when I really got into that whole simplistic type of music that really needs something strong — strong material in order to make it come across with so little."
He continued, "I've always been wanting to do a thing like that. I've got a bunch of lovely acoustic guitars back I wanna use more. Even though OPETH could probably do an album like that, I wanna do it on my own, and in that sense, I wanna record it on my own — in my house, basically. I think I can do it well. I think I can do a good album like that.
"I'd like to maybe simplify it even more [than the OPETH acoustic stuff], and have it just chords playing, and maybe some finger-picking stuff, so I could be able to perform it if I would wanna do that. So I don't want it to be lots of tracks, like overdubbing guitars with lots of melodies; I want it to be fairly simplistic so if I wanted to, I could play it live on my own... on a stool. [laughs]"
For now, the plans only exist in Åkerfeldt's head. No songs have been written or recorded yet, but Mikael is certain the singer/songwriter solo album will see the light of day. "I'm getting ready to write because every time I sit down and play, I come up with something that I like," he said.
Reunited Swedish death metal masters DERANGED will follow up their appearance at this year's Gothenburg Deathfest — set to take place October 3, 3009 at Henriksberg in Gothenburg, Sweden — with three shows in Russia in November.
DERANGED says in a statement: "The will of the freshest members to continue have somewhere been intact, so the band will grind on, though, with a slightly new lineup. But one thing is for sure: The band will not compromise. DERANGED will continue to give you the brutal death metal that the band always have!"
DERANGED 2009:
Martin Schönherr: Vocals
Thomas Ahlgren: Guitar
Andreas Johansson: Bass
Rikard Wermén: Drums
Los Angeles female-fronted progressive metallers ECHOES OF ETERNITY are streaming a new song, "Memories Of Blood And Gold", on their MySpace page.
Commented guitarist/songwriter Brandon S. Patton: "I saw a [History Channel] documentary on the impact gold has had on humanity over the course of history. I came up with the title of the song but Francine [Boucher, vocalist] wrote the lyrics. It's based loosely on the trampling of Mexico and South America by the Spaniards in their pursuit of gold 400 years ago. I [wrote] the main riffs shortly after the EDGUY tour ended in late 2007. I was inspired by Jon Schaffer's playing in ICED EARTH and wanted to write some riffs that would seemingly fit in on one of their albums. My favorite part of the song is the riff immediately following the guitar solo — it's just so heavy, thrashy and powerful. Makes me want to headbang every time I hear it. Also, at the beginning of the second verse, Francine does this really cool vocal melody over the main riff of the song."
What many consider to be ANTHRAX's greatest album, 1987's "Among The Living", has been expanded with bonus tracks and a concert DVD, and digitally remastered for the first time, for the CD+DVD package "Among The Living (Deluxe Edition)" (Island/Megaforce/UMe), released November 10, 2009.
Issued simultaneously will be the two-CD set "Caught In A Mosh: BBC Live In Concert" (Island/Megaforce/UMe), which brings together 1987 U.K. concerts from the "Among The Living" world tour recorded at Hammersmith Odeon and the Donington festival. Making its U.S. debut, "Caught In A Mosh: BBC Live In Concert" was originally released internationally in 2007.
"Among The Living", originally produced by Eddie Kramer and ANTHRAX, was the band's third full-length album and featured the lineup of singer Joey Belladonna, lead guitarist Dan Spitz, rhythm guitarist Scott Ian, bassist Frank Bello and drummer Charlie Benante. Building on an underground following with signature tracks such as "I Am The Law", "Caught In A Mosh" and "Indians", the album catapulted ANTHRAX to widespread recognition and earned the group's first gold award. "Among The Living" also marked the height of the band's use of horror and comic book inspirations, with the title track and album cover image based on the Stephen King novel "The Stand", "A Skeleton In The Closet" on King's novella "Apt Pupil", and "I Am The Law" on the comic book character Judge Dredd.
Added for the new "Among The Living (Deluxe Edition)" version are previously unreleased studio outtakes of "Indians", "One World" and "Imitation Of Life", an instrumental of "I'm The Man", a live-in-Dallas 1987 version of "I Am The Law", and "Bud E Luv Bomb And Satan's Lounge Band", originally released as the "I Am The Law" b-side. The bonus DVD is the live-in-London concert film "Oidivnikufesin (N.F.V.)", which went gold when issued on video in 1987. "This record was done at a time when life was moving so fast for us, and I think the music reflects that pace. I really enjoyed going back into 1986/87 and found some great stuff in my vault I had forgot about. I think ANTHRAX fans will enjoy this remastered collection; the high end and low end is back as how it was intended to sound. Thrash metal is alive and well in 'Among The Living'," says drummer Charlie Benante.
"Among The Living (Deluxe Edition)" (cover) track listing:
Disc One (CD):
Original Album
01. Among The Living
02. Caught In A Mosh
03. I Am The Law
04. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
05. A Skeleton In The Closet
06. Indians
07. One World
08. A.D.I./Horror Of It All
09. Imitations Of Life
Bonus Tracks
10. Indians (Alternate Lead)
11. One World (Alternate Take)
12. Imitation Of Life (Alternate Take)
13. Bud E Luv Bomb And Satan's Lounge Band
14. I Am The Law (Live in Dallas)
15. I'm The Man (Instrumental)
Disc Two (DVD):
"Oidivnikufesin (N.F.V.)"
Live in London 1987
01. Intro
02. Among The Living
03. Caught In A Mosh
04. Metal Thrashing Mad
05. I Am The Law
06. Madhouse
07. Indians
08. Medusa
09. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
10. Armed And Dangerous
11. A.I.R. / I'm The Man / A.I.R.
12. Gung Ho
"Caught In A Mosh: BBC Live In Concert" track listing:
Disc One - Hammersmith Odeon February 15, 1987:
01. A.I.R.
02. Metal Thrashing Mad
03. Panic
04. The Enemy
05. I Am The Law
06. Madhouse
07. The Howling Furies
08. Medusa
09. Armed And Dangerous
10. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
11. God Save The Queen
12. Gung Ho
Disc Two - Donington Festival August 22, 1987:
01. Among The Living
02. Caught In The Mosh
03. Madhouse
04. I Am The Law
05. Medusa
06. Indians
07. God Save The Queen
08. A.I.R.
09. I'm The Man
Relapse Records will release SUFFOCATION's only official live record, "The Close Of A Chapter: Live In Quebec City", on October 27 in North America and November 2 internationally. Recorded in 2005 during the band's "Souls To Deny" world tour, the CD — which contains the band's complete, unedited performance — features the following track listing:
01. Infecting The Crypts
02. Thrones Of Blood
03. Surgery Of Implalement
04. Catatonia
05. Liege Of Inveracity
06. Despise The Sun
07. Subconsciously Enslaved
08. Immortally Condemned
09. Effigy Of The Forgotten
10. Tomes Of Acrimony
11. Breeding The Spawn
12. Pierced From Within
13. Funeral Inception
Rob Zombie will release his fourth solo studio album, "Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool", on November 10. "Hellbilly Deluxe" was the name of Zombie's first and most successful solo outing, issued back in 1998.
"Hellbilly Deluxe 2" track listing:
01. Jesus Frankenstein
02. Sick Bubble-Gun
03. What?
04. Mars Needs Women
05. Werewolf, Baby
06. Virgin Witch
07. Dream Factory
08. Burn
09. Cease to Exist
10. Werewolf Women of the SS
11. The Man Who Laughs
Germany's Massacre Records has announced the addition of the Canadian all-girl metal band KITTIE to the label's roster for Europe, licensed from E1 Music. Under this deal, KITTIE will release three albums via Massacre.
Californian rockers RATT have completed recording their first studio release in 10 years. The CD was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette, whose credits include PUDDLE OF MUDD, CHEVELLE, SALIVA, LIMP BIZKIT, ALTER BRIDGE and THREE DAYS GRACE, to name a few.
Norwegian cult doom rockers LAMENTED SOULS are back in action.
After vocalist/guitar player Simen "Vortex" Hestnæs parted ways with DIMMU BORGIR earlier this month, it was only a matter of time until his original outfit would once again rear its ugly head. The band — whose lineup also includes OJ "Apollyon" Moe (IMMORTAL, AURA NOIR), Olav Knutsen (WAKLEVÖREN, INFERNÖ) and Einar Sjursø (VIRUS) — has been booked to play the prestigious Metal Merchants festival in the group's hometown of Oslo at the end of January 2010.
For more information, visit metalmerchantsfestival.com.
LAMENTED SOULS is currently working on material for the follow-up to 2004's "The Origins of Misery" and is looking for the proper label to release it. Interested parties can contact the band through the LAMENTED SOULS MySpace page.
CHILDREN OF BODOM's cover versions of BILLY IDOL's "Rebel Yell" and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' "War Inside My Head" are available for streaming at
the band's MySpace page. Both tracks come off the Finnish metallers' new album, titled "Skeletons In The Closet", which is scheduled for release on September 23 through Spinefarm. The follow-up to last year's "Blooddrunk" is a selection of cover versions, some of them existing recordings, others specially laid down for this release.
The reigning kings of technical, historically-themed brutality NILE have revealed the track listing and artwork for their latest state-of-the-death-metal-art release, "Those Whom the Gods Detest". Produced and mixed by Neil Kernon (NEVERMORE, CANNIBAL CORPSE, QUEENSRŸCHE), along with a stellar drum-production job by Erik Rutan (CANNIBAL CORPSE, VITAL REMAINS, GOATWHORE), "Those Whom the Gods Detest" features the band's strongest production and perhaps its best material to date! The cover artwork was created by Michal "Xaay" Loranc, whom NILE guitarist/vocalist Karl Sanders had previously worked with on his second solo album, "Saurian Exorcisms".
"Those Whom the Gods Detest" track listing:
01. Kafir!
02. Hittite Dung Incantation
03. Utterances of the Crawling Dead
04. Those Whom the Gods Detest
05. 4th Arra of Dagon
06. Permitting the Noble Dead to Descend to the Underworld
07. Yezd Desert Ghul Ritual in the Abandoned Towers of Silence
08. Kem Khefa Kheshef
09. The Eye of Ra
10. Iskander D'hul Karnon
Guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH has issued the following update:
"KATATONIA's [forthcoming album] 'Night Is The New Day' is possibly the greatest 'heavy' record I've heard in the last 10 years.
"Most people know my history with them and also my friendship with the guys. Jonas [P. Renkse, KATATONIA vocalist] and I have been best buddies for the last 18 years or so.
"Every time OPETH or KATATONIA has a new record [coming out], we arrange a small private listening party. Usually with myself, Anders [Nyström, KATATONIA guitarist] and Jonas. For years we've managed to record albums around the same time and had both the new OPETH album and the new KATATONIA album played back on the same session. It's always great fun, however disciplined.
"You can't talk during playback (death penalty), you listen to the album all the way through twice, and then we have the 'comments.' Everything is washed down with beer or wine...there might be snacks on the table.
"Well, two days after the new KATATONIA album is mastered, here we are, holed up in a friend's apartment ready to go through the new masterpiece by KATATONIA. And it truly is a masterpiece! I have not been this taken back by an album for a long time. I almost had tears in my eyes. It's an absolutely stunning piece of music! Easily their most progressive and emotional record, as far as I'm concerned.
"The finale is almost too much to bear. Here we have some guest vocals by ENTER THE HUNT kingpin Krister Linder (Chris Lancelot to some) and it's quite fucking moving, to say the least.
"I've always been a fan of KATATONIA. Ever since I heard their first demo back in 1991 or 1992, and I thought they sounded like OPETH, haha! This record, however, is their crown jewel so far. It's an album that is 'more' than the music that's on there.
"How often do I plug something that's not from 1971? It gives you an indication where I stand on the matter maybe?"
Subscribers to the Peaceville Records mailing list are being given the first opportunity to download a free song from KATATONIA's eighth studio album, "Night Is The New Day". Entitled "Forsaker", the track is now available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.
"Night Is The New Day" is scheduled for release in Europe on November 2 (November 10 in North America) via Peaceville Records.
"Night is the New Day" track listing:
01. Forsaker
02. The Longest Year
03. Idle Blood
04. Onward Into Battle
05. Liberation
06. The Promise Of Deceit
07. Nephilim
08. New Night
09. Inheritance
10. Day & Then The Shade
11. Ashen (*Swedish edition CD and vinyl edition bonus track)
12. Departer
Frontiers Records has set an October 16 European release date for PINK CREAM 69's celebration release, including the live two- CD set "Live in Karlsruhe" and the "Past and Present" two-DVD package.
Two years after the highly acclaimed "In10sity" album, PINK CREAM 69 are back with two impressive releases at once. Vocalist David Readman, the guitar team of Alfred Koffler and Uwe Reitenauer, bassist Dennis Ward and drummer Kosta Zafiriou have packed their DVD "birthday release" with an impressive amount of content:
* The live concert from the band's 20th anniversary show in their hometown Karlsruhe, filmed in January 2009;
* The legendary "Size It Up – Live In Japan" video from 1992, for the first time ever to be released on DVD, featuring the band's original singer Andi Deris (now with HELLOWEEN);
* A 55-minute documentary with interviews and rare footage;
* All eight official video clips;
* Bonus live material from the band's appearances at Masters of Rock (five songs) and Das Fest (three songs) festivals in 2007.
The double CD "Live In Karlsruhe", contains the entire Karlsruhe concert as well as two bonus tracks recorded at Das Fest festival in Karlsruhe.
This truly is the ultimate package, not only for PINK CREAM 69 fans: "Past & Present" (with a total running time of more than 4.5 hours) and "Live in Karlsruhe" includes everything a rock fan needs to have from PINK CREAM 69.
"The two products," says drummer Kosta Zafiriou, "give a great overview of the band's activities in 20 years: the live in Japan video from 1992, this year's concert in Karlsruhe, lots of festival footage as additional bonus, all video clips the band ever did and an hour interview and backstage footage with the band members reflecting the band's history — you can't get more PINK CREAM 69 than on these DVDs!
"The concert portrayed in the 'Live in Karlsruhe' night was a very special one for us — 20 years since the release of the first record, 10 studio albums, a concert in our hometown to be recorded for our first DVD ever! The feelings were overwhelming: A mixture between a nostalgic look back and the excitement about the night and the show to come… simply great!"
"Live in Karlsruhe" track listing:
CD1:
01. Children Of The Dawn
02. Do You Like It Like That
03. Hell's Gone Crazy
04. Lost In Illusions
05. The Hour of Freedom
06. I'm Not Afraid
07. Talk to the Moon
08. Carnaby Road
09. Break The Silence
10. One Step Into Paradise
11. That Was Yesterday
12. The Spirit
CD2:
01. Livin' My Life For You
02. Welcome the Night
03. Seas Of Madness
04. Keep Your Eye on the Twisted
05. No Way Out
06. Shame
07. So Lonely / No Woman No Cry
08. One Step Into Paradise
09. Better Days (European bonus track)
"Past and Present" includes:
DVD 1:
Live in Karlsruhe, Germany – January, 24, 2009 - Running Time: 1:28:00
01. Children of the Dawn
02. Do You Like It Like That
03. Hell's Gone Crazy
04. Lost In Illusions
05. The Hour Of Freedom
06. I'm Not Afraid
07. Talk To The Moon
08. Carnaby Road
09. Break The Silence
10. One Step Into Paradise
11. That Was Yesterday
12. The Spirit
13. Livin' My Life For You
14. Welcome The Night
15. Seas Of Madness
16. Keep Your Eye On The Twisted
17. No Way Out
18. Shame
Live at Das Fest, Karlsruhe, Germany - July 20, 2007 - Running Time: 13:55
01. One Step Into Paradise (acoustic version)
02. The Spirit (acoustic version)
03. Better Days (acoustic version).
Insight: Interviews and backstage Footage - Running Time: 55:40
DVD 2
Size It Up – Live in Kawasaki, Japan, January 31 , 1992 - Running Time: 58:03
01. Take Those Tears
02. Welcome The Night
03. Do You Like It Like That
04. Signs Of Danger
05. Where The Eagle Learns To Fly
06. Livin' My Life For You
07. Rolling Down A Thunder
08. Talk To The Moon
09. Hell's Gone Crazy
10. One Step Into Paradise
11. Detroit Rock City
12. White Men Do No Reggae
Live at Masters of Rock, Vizovice, Czech Republic - July 5, 2007 - Running Time: 24:50
01. Do You Like It Like That
02. Lost In Illusion
03. The Hour Of Freedom
04. Seas of Madness
05. Shame
The Videos: Total Running Time: 31:25
01. One Step Into Paradise
02. Livin' My Life For You
03. Signs of Danger
04. Face In The Mirror
05. Keep Your Eye On The Twisted
06. 20th Century Boy
07. Only The Good
08. Shame
Hamburg, Germany-based record label Remedy Records is putting together a W.A.S.P. tribute album, entitled "The Crimson Covers - A Tribute To W.A.S.P." The collection will most likely be released this winter as a limited-edition two-CD set for the price of a normal CD. The cover artwork (see below) was created by the acclaimed Romanian graphic artist Costin Chioreanu, who has previously worked with such bands as CENTINEX, DECREPIT SPECTRE, DEMONICAL, GRAVE and THUNDERSTORM.
"The Crimson Covers - A Tribute To W.A.S.P." will feature contributions from the following artists:
5TH SONIC BRIGADE (SE)
ABIGAIL (RO)
ADORNED BROOD (DE)
AGAMENDON (DE)
ALIENATION (DE)
BLACK DESTINY (DE)
BURNING POINT (FI)
COLD COLOURS (US)
CUSTARD (DE)
DEKADENT (SI)
FIRE (DE)
GODS OF HATE (DE)
GWYLLION (BE)
HAZY HAMLET (BR)
INGRIMM (DE)
KNEIPENTERRORISTEN (DE)
LONEWOLF (FR)
THE CHUCKIES (SE)
THE CLAYMORE (DE)
THE RUGGED (ES)
THORN (BR)
TORMENT (DE)
TRAGEDIAN (DE)
V8 WANKERS (DE)
VYKYNG (US)
WARHEAD (DE)
Agence France Presse reports that German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS are among 55 world celebrities who have joined in recording a song to draw attention to the global warming crisis, organizers said on Monday.
The song is part of a mass media campaign on the threats of climate change organized by the Geneva-based Global Humanitarian Forum, headed by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan.
The song entitled "Beds'r Burning", which was originally recorded by the Australian group MIDNIGHT OIL in the 1980s, can be downloaded from the Internet for free and will be presented to the public at a launch in Paris on October 1.
"The Altar Of Trust", the new video from the French metal band ANTHROPIA, can be viewed here. The song comes off the group's latest album, "The Chain Reaction", which was released in France in February through Adarca Records. The CD was recorded on the French riviera at Artmusic Studio, mixed by Francois Merle of MANIGANCE, and mastered by Tommy Hansen (HELLOWEEN, PRETTY MAIDS, JORN) at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark.
"The Chain Reaction" track listing:
01. Incarnation (Prologue)
02. A New Self
03. Whipping Soul
04. The Torn Off Wing Of The Butterfly
05. Take Me Home
06. The Night At The Opera
07. The Altar Of Trust
08. Those Days Are Always Rainy
09. Trinity (The New Consensus)
10. The Tree Of Life
11. Breeze In The Leaves (Epilogue)
ADAGIO keyboardist Kevin Codfert makes a guest appearance on "The Chain Reaction".
ANTHROPIA last year parted ways with Magna Carta Records, the label which released the band's 2006 effort, "The Ereyn Chronicles: Part 1 - The Journey of Beginnings".
Finnish gothic metallers TO/DIE/FOR entered the studio on August 6 to begin recording their sixth album, tentatively due in early 2010. Vocalist Jape Perätalo writes on the band's MySpace page, "At the moment there is guitars recorded for four songs. We decided to finish these 'four chosen ones' first because there's some deals we are handling right now, and the other side of the contract needs also something to listen soon.
"This is the first time when TO/DIE/FOR also signs a management contract. Hopefully it helps the band to concentrate only for making and playing music.
"Most of the guitars will be played by Krisse on the new album. He is not a band member. He is doing this as a session musician and he is Tonmi's [Lillman; TO/DIE/FOR drummer] friend from Helsinki.
"We still do not know who will be TO/DIE/FOR guitarist in future, but now we have 'one' who could be."
Songtitles set to appear on TO/DIE/FOR's forthcoming CD include "Angelica" and "End In Tears".
Currently unsigned, TO/DIE/FOR plans to release its next album through the band's own company. Peratalo explained, "We are not gonna look for any record label for releasing this album! All we need is find right labels which we could sign license deals with. Now it seems that licenses for Russian, Japan and Finland are already in our hands. And I am looking for new license deals all the time. So... things will happen mainly through our own company."
TO/DIE/FOR's fifth album, "Wounds Wide Open", was released in Finland in October 2006. The follow-up to 2005's "IV" was recorded by Samu Oittinen at Fantom Studios and by Jari-Jukka Nippala at Sonic Image, and was mixed at Sweden's Abyss Studios by Peter Tägtgren (DIMMU BORGIR, CELTIC FROST).
"Download pain, it's time to plug my hate" DEXY CORP_ is the new rising IndustrialRock-hope from France. Intense brutality has ever been used by many bands as an accoustic stylistic device. But most of them used this to such an extent that it got more and more a banalized and boring phrase. DEXY CORP_ managed it to re-invent this brutality for themselves in order to raise the bar in the IndustrialRock genre. But they do not rest on their laurels - they go one step further. Uncompromising songs with a skillfully done songwriting and use of instrument do not just invite the listener - they wrest him from his world into a completely new and strange universe in which dreadful and menacing future visions merge with a cold and categorical rejection of today's society. Ultra heavy industrial guitars and vertiginous arrangements will not leave any time to rest and dwarf everything else before.
Whoever admires bands like Die Krupps, Ministry or KMFDM will love DEXY CORP_! But be careful: Use at own risk!
"Fragmentation'' will be released on Black Rain and available September 30th, 2009.
01. overlord
02. proselytes
03. a needle in each arm
04. anhédonie
05. beat me
06. faceless
07. dark bliss
08. lie is life
09. incandescent world
10. ghost connection
11. death plastic surgery
+ ghost track
Metal Blade Records has set an October 13 release date for the reissues of KING DIAMOND's "The Spider's Lullabye" and "The Graveyard" albums. Both LPs were remastered by KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque and each title includes bonus material that purchasers will be able to obtain digitally. Both "The Spider's Lullabye" and "The Graveyard" will include live "bootleg" versions (with video footage) of the following songs: "The Spider's Lullabye" from the album of the same name, and "Trick Or Treat" and "Up From The Grave" from "The Graveyard".
"Andy La Rocque re-mastered both records and you can really hear more details and sounds that I remember recording but didn't come through in the original mastering," said KING DIAMOND singer/namesake. "The records have much more bottom end this time around. There's even more details and clarity than the original version and you'll hear things you've never heard before in both releases. Andy did a great job re-mastering and improving these albums above and beyond my expectations. The artwork has also been completely redone for 'Spiders' and 'Graveyard' and is just amazing. I did not expect them to come out this good and am just completely thrilled with the result.
"We originally were going to include bonus footage on the albums as a CD-ROM, but the sound and video quality was going to suffer tremendously and that is just unacceptable. Instead, the bonus footage is going to be available for download to those who purchase the albums. The video downloads will be available in multiple formats so everyone can see them."
It has also been confirmed that two KING DIAMOND songs — "Welcome Home" and "Cremation" — will appear on the upcoming Brütal Legend videogame, scheduled for release in October.
Progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER have just released the "Wither" (cover) EP via online retailers.
The track listing for the effort is as follows:
01. Wither (Album Version) (5:25)
02. Wither (Piano Version) (5:07)
03. Wither (John Petrucci Vocal Demo) (5:24)
04. The Best of Times (Mike Portnoy Vocal Demo) (13:04)
Track 1 taken from the album "Black Clouds and Silver Linings"
Track 2-4 previously unreleased
DREAM THEATER's new album, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", sold 40,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.
DREAM THEATER's last CD, "Systematic Chaos", opened with 36,000 units in 2007 to enter The Billboard 200 chart at No. 19. 2005's "Octavarium" premiered with 27,000 copies to debut at No. 36.
In addition to the standard-version CD, DREAM THEATER's tenth studio album, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", was also made available on vinyl LP, as well as a three-disc, special-edition CD that includes the full album, a CD of instrumental mixes of the album and a CD of six cover songs.
NME.com reports that guitarist Joe Satriani's lawsuit against COLDPLAY, based on his accusation that Chris Marin and co plagiarized his 2004 song "If I Could Fly" for their 2008 single "Viva La Vida", has been dismissed from court.
Satriani sued the band last December, seeking a jury trial to award him monetary compensation.
Swedish/German extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY will release a new album, "The Root Of All Evil", on September 28 in Europe and October 6 in North America via Century Media Records. This special collection features re-recorded versions of songs from the band's first three LPs — "Black Earth" (1996), "Stigmata" (1998) and "Burning Bridges" (1999). Acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, EXODUS) mixed and mastered the CD, which was recorded at a few different locations in Sweden and produced by ARCH ENEMY with Daniel Erlandsson and Rickard Bengtsson handling the engineering.
The Japanese edition of "The Root Of All Evil", which will be made available on September 30, will feature five bonus tracks, including cover versions of "Wings Of Tomorrow" (EUROPE) and "Walk In The Shadows" (QUEENSRŸCHE).
The details for the album's limited-edition CD were recently revealed: Apart from a very special "mediabook" packaging, it features three additional live bonus tracks, alternate artwork, an extended booklet and an exclusive patch as additional gimmick!
Here is the track listing for the Japanese version of "The Root Of All Evil":
01. The Root Of All Evil (intro)
02. Beast Of Man
03. The Immortal
04. Diva Satanica
05. Demonic Science
06. Bury Me An Angel
07. Dead Inside
08. Dark Insanity
09. Pilgrim
10. Demoniality (instrumental)
11. Transmigration Macabre
12. Silverwing
13. Bridge Of Destiny
Bonus tracks:
14. Wings Of Tomorrow (EUROPE cover)
15. Walk In The Shadows (QUEENSRŸCHE cover)
16. Bury Me An Angel (live) *
17. The Immortal (live) *
18. Bridge Of Destiny (live) *
* also included on limited-edition "mediabook" CD version
In a bizarre show of appreciation, a fan attending HAIL!'s concert last night (Saturday, September 12) in Stockholm, Sweden bit the leg of the band's frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens (also of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR; ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) while the group was on stage performing its headlining set. "It is true," Owens confirmed to BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "He was singing and got so excited, he grabbed my leg and bit it. Then I kicked him and hit him in the head. Hahahaha! He was a big fan, though, so I didn't let them kick him out and it was fine... Funny... The other fans did grab him. I thought he was gonna get killed... Hahahah! But it was all good."
HAIL! is the new all-star project featuring Owens, guitarist Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA), bassist David Ellefson (F5, MEGADETH) and drummer Roy Mayorga (STONE SOUR, SOULFLY).
SLAYER's "World Painted Blood", the band's highly-anticipated new album set for a November 3 release (American Recordings), will initially ship with four special collector's edition CD covers. Each of the four covers will display one-fourth of a provocative continental map illustrated with human skulls and bones; when placed together, the four images form a complete and grisly map of the world. (See images below.)
All four of the initial CD packages will include a special blood-red, see-through top panel with the map displayed beneath it.
The "World Painted Blood Deluxe Edition" will have its own special layout of the map cover art and will be in a double-digipak housed in a blood-red, see-through plastic sleeve. The "Deluxe Edition" will include the "World Painted Blood" CD, the "Playing With Dolls" DVD, a 20-minute animated graphic novel featuring music from the album (including part of a new non-album song), and an expanded booklet.
"World Painted Blood" track listing:
01. World Painted Blood
02. Unit 731
03. Snuff
04. Beauty Through Order
05. Hate Worldwide
06. Public Display Of Dismemberment
07. Human Strain
08. Americon
09. Psychopathy Red
10. Playing With Dolls
11. Not Of This God
Audio samples of all the tracks that appear on "Babylon" (cover), the new album from U.S. rockers W.A.S.P., are available at Amazon.co.uk. Due on October 12 through Global Music (via Demolition Records), the CD is themed around biblical visions of "The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse," and is described in a press release as "a metal masterpiece that will make fans both old and new craving for more."
The track listing for the album is as follows:
01. Crazy
02. Live To Die Another Day
03. Babylon's Burning
04. Burn
05. Into The Fire
06. Thunder Red
07. Seas Of Fire
08. Godless Run
09. Promised Land
W.A.S.P. will be touring extensively throughout Europe this autumn/winter in support of the new CD.
W.A.S.P. last year completed the European and North American legs of "The Crimson Idol Tour", which kicked off on October 26, 2007 in Thessaloniki, Greece. The band performed the 1992 album in its entirety while never-before-seen video footage was being shown throughout the show. After a short break the group returned for another a 30-minute set of W.A.S.P. classics.
Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen has has recorded three songs for a Finnish Christmas album, produced by Olli Ahvenlahti. According to Turunen, this is "a charity project for missionary workers in Finland and it is going to be released in the beginning of November in Finland."
In other news, Tarja has been busy writing new songs for her new solo album with Johnny Andrews. She says, "We wrote a song few months ago when I was in L.A. and now we did it again in Finland."
She continues, "The biggest difference with 'My Winter Storm' [Tarja's first solo album] probably is that at that time, we recorded all the songs that I was happy with. And we had no leftovers! Everything went into the album, one way of another. But now, the feeling is a bit different. Having so much material to choose from is making things difficult… Is a new and nice challenge. Is quite hard to leave songs out of the album as all the songs have a special meaning to me."
Turunen has announced the lineup of her band for the "Final Storm Tour 2009", which is scheduled to kick off on September 19 at the Elf Fantasy Fair in Arcen, Netherlands. It is as follows:
* Tarja Turunen - Voice
* Mike Terrana (MASTERPLAN, SAVAGE CIRCUS, RAGE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) - Drums
* Christian Kretschmar (SCHILLER) - Keyboards
* Oliver Holzwarth (BLIND GUARDIAN, SIEGES EVEN) - Bass
* Alex Scholpp (FARMER BOYS) - Guitar
* Max Lilja (HEVEIN, APOCALYPTICA) - Cello
Children of Bodom
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