Enforsaken Vocalist Guests On New Sigh Album

ENFORSAKEN vocalist Steven Sagala has just finished tracking guest vocals for the cult Japanese band SIGH at Studio One in Racine, Wisconsin with producer Chris Djuricic (NOVEMBERS DOOM, ENFORSAKEN, SOIL, FLESHGRIND, etc.). Sagala will appear on three songs for SIGH's upcoming album, "Hangman's Hymn", due out later this year via The End Records.

As previously reported, ENFORSAKEN is disbanding after eight years of existence and will play its last concert in Chicago at the legendary Metro venue on Saturday, August 19 with DEAD TO FALL. More details and updates regarding ENFORSAKEN's final show can be found at www.myspace.com/Enforsaken.

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Manes Post Live Video Posted Online

A live video by MANES - the Norwegian band featuring members of THIRD AND THE MORTAL, ATROX, and CHTON - performing the song "The Neoflagellata Revision" has been made available for download on their MySpace page. The video was edited from bootleg footage shot at a 2004 gig in MANES' hometown Trondheim.

"The Neoflagellata Revision" is one of two new songs that appeared on MANES' 2006 release, the seven-track EP entitled "[view]", out on Aural Music. Among the other songs on the EP is a cover song of "Cinder Alley" (originally by 16 HORSEPOWER), which can also be heard on the band's MySpace profile.

MANES recently inked a deal with Candlelight Records. Two albums are currently in pre-production and the recording of the first of these, which has the working title of "Invention...", will start later in the year with an estimated release in early 2007.

MANES was founded back in late 1992 and released three demos, plus a debut album ("Under ein Blodraud Maane", Hammerheart Records, r.i.p.) as a two-piece, but has since then evolved to become a multi-headed monster. With members from bands like THIRD AND THE MORTAL, ATROX, and CHTON, the band released the album "Vilosophe" on the Italian label Code666 in 2003 to great reviews. As a stepping stone before the next album is released, the EP "[view]" came out as a limited edition in February 2006 on Aural Music, the mother label of MANES' previous record company, Code666. The band left Aural Music not long after the release of this EP and signed to Candlelight Records.

MANES' music defies any easy genre definitions, but can best be described as a dark mix of Blackened metal, rock, and electronica.

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Mayhem Comment On Controversial Fest Appearance

Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM have commented on the controversy surrounding their appearance at last weekend's Gates of Metal festival in Sweden. Pig heads and other animal parts decorated the stage during the band's performance - a violation of the Swedish animal by-product regulation.

MAYHEM frontman Attila Csihar (TORMENTOR, ABORYM), who himself wore a pig's head during the performance, told the Norwegian newspaper VG, "We were very pleased with the concert and it seems like the audience loved it." He explained that there is a symbolism in the stage performance and that he himself is a vegetarian.

"We wish to reflect society," he said. "Everyone who eats meat becomes fatter and fatter and slowly but surely turns into a pig."

The frontman also claimed that MAYHEM's stage show was cleared with the festival organizers and that the idea to do this came from him. He also revealed that he was surprised by all the media attention surrounding the concert.

When asked by the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet why the band chooses to use dead animals as part of its stage show, MAYHEM bassist Jorn Stubberud (a.k.a. Necrobutcher) said, "We play death metal and this fits our music." Asked if he could understand why people reacted to the photos from the concert the way they did, Stubberud said, "But aren't there more important things going on in the world? I think you should write about what's going on in Lebanon instead."

A little over 2,500 people attended the 2006 edition of the Gates of Metal festival, which was held in Hultsfred.

"We lost money this year - how much we don't know yet," festival organizer Olof Wikstrom told the Swedish newspaper Ostran/Nyheterna. "In total, there were 5,000 tickets for sale and we expected at least 3,500 people to show up."

Despite this, Olof Wikstrom insisted that the festival will carry on. "We will definitely continue," he said.

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Lovelost Records Looking For New Bands

After a short period of inactivity and the departure of Harlots, Lovelost Records' owner has issued this statement:

"We're ready for another release. If you've got something 'crushing' yet 'fresh' to offer, we want to hear you. We're still in the process of moving around so digital press packs work best at this time. Please submit them to kevin@lovelostrecords.com. First impression counts, so 'check out my MP3' emailers need to spruce it up a bit."

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Winds Keyboardist Offers Recording Update

WINDS keyboardist Andy Winter offers another update on the recording process of the fourth Winds effort:

“It has been a nice relaxing summer for all of us in Winds, but we are now ready to pick up and finally complete this thing we have been working on for so long. The status at this point is that all the tracking is done, minus bass and piano, which will be finished in the next few months. Carl completed his guitar solos just before the summer, and everything else has been ready for a while, so it will not be long now before we are ready to do the mixing.

I am meeting with potential engineers and studios later this month, and even though the location and crew to be used for the mix is not 100 percent decided as of yet, we still have a pretty good idea about who we are looking to go with. We plan to make a final decision fairly soon. It is also confirmed that the artwork for the upcoming album will once again be created by the ever talented Travis Smith, and the upcoming album is also at this point looking to have the longest playing time of any of the individually released albums we have done so far. I am looking forward to completing this, as I know the other guys are as well. In the mean time, thanks for being patient, and we will make sure that it is worth the wait.”

WINDS – rounded out by singer Lars Eric Si (KHOLD), guitarist Carl August Tidemann (ARCTURUS) and Jan Axel Von Blomberg (Arcturus, MAYHEM) -- have confirmed guest appearances from Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, NIGHTINGALE), Agnete M. Kirkevaag (MADDER MORTEM, FRANTIC BLEEP), Lars A. Nedland (BORKNAGAR, SOLEFALD), and Oystein Moe (ULVER, TRITONUS) for their upcoming album, the follow-up to 2004’s creative "The Imaginary Direction Of Time" (on The End Records).

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Nuclear Assault Reveal DVD Tracklisting

NUCLEAR ASSAULT are set to release their first ever DVD, entitled "Louder Harder Faster", on October 10th in the U.S. via Screaming Ferret Wreckords.

"Louder Harder Faster" features both 2.0 stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes, and features a jam-packed three hours of footage. In addition to a recent live performance (taped on June 5th, 2005), the DVD also includes such extra bits as vintage live footage, slide shows (put to the original 'Survive' demos), music videos, in the studio footage, unreleased songs and an interview with longtime members Danny Lilker and Glenn Evans.

"Louder Harder Faster" track listing:

01. Rise From The Ashes
02. Brainwash
03. F#
04. New Song
05. Critical Mass
06. Game Over/Butt Fuck
07. Sin
08. Price Of Freedom
09. Long Haired Asshole
10. Trail Of Tears

NUCLEAR ASSAULT will be touring in support of "Louder Harder Faster", with dates expected to be announced shortly.

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Built Upon Frustration Set To Release New CD

Pro-Pain guitarist, Eric Klinger, gears up to release his hardcore band's third CD, "The Book of Mourning" via Da' Core Records on September 29th.

Since the release of 2003's "Resurrected," Pittsburgh 's Built Upon Frustration have made the gradual ascension to the top of the hardcore metal heap. A bevy of live shows, highlighted by the band's unrelenting brutality and now infamous beatdowns has garnered the band a devoted following, one that should devour their latest offering, "The Book Of Mourning." A near flawless display of hardcore metal, BUF finds itself at a unique position in the hardcore scene, able to cull from both crowds without losing any credibility. Highlighted by tracks like "Perish" and "Drowning In Disgust," longtime fans will make instant note of the more predominant metal influence, something that guitarist and founding member Derek Kovacs is well aware of.

"This disc is a little more metal, but it's still hard," begins Kovacs. "There will be some guys who may want to hear more 2-step parts, but they will be wrecking people when we play. People into metal will accept this disk more than "Resurrected." Even though Resurrected was a heavy record, it was more on the hardcore side of things. A band has to grow and evolve or people (and the band) get bored. Who wants to hear the same album over and over again? I think The Book of Mourning will set us on our way to gain popularity with both metal and hardcore fans. I also like the fact that even though the material is a little different, you know it's Built Upon Frustration." More...

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Murder By Death To Tour With Appleseed

Appleseed Cast have announced a few dates with Murder by Death. The band is touring in support of their March release Peregrine, while Murder By Death released In Bocca al Lupo this past May.

09-14-06 Memphis, TN Hi Tone Cafe
09-17-06 Oklahoma City, OK The Conservatory
09-18-06 Springfield, MO Outland Ballroom
09-19-06 Omaha, NE Sokal Underground
09-20-06 Ames, IA The Maintanence Shop

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This is Hell and Cancer Bats Plan Split 7"

Future Tense Records has announced plans to release a new split 7-inch featuring This Is Hell and Cancer Bats. The as-yet untitled split will have each band covering a track from the other. and a brand new song apiece.

This Is Hell recently released their Trustkill debut, Sundowning while Cancer Bats will be re-releasing their Canada-only album, Birthing the Giant in the US via Abacus.

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Hot Cross To Re-Record New Album

Hot Cross has opted to re-record their upcoming EVR/The Hope Division debut. States the band, "We have tried everything in our power to get it sounding like it should as an accurate representation of our hard work over the last year, but it's just not happening. Rather than release something that we know can be improved upon, we are going to go back into the studio." Originally recorded by Mike Hill this past spring, the album will now be recorded by former Hot Cross member Josh Jakubowski this fall. The effort is now expected to hit stores on February 20, 2007.

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See Avenged Sevenfold Cover Pantera's "Walk"

Blender.com recently spoke to AVENGED SEVENFOLD about their cover version of PANTERA's "Walk" and their participation in this year's Ozzfest. Watch the four-minute interview at Blender.com.

When asked about their version of "Walk", AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows said, "Kerrang! magazine came to us and they asked if we wanted to cover one of our favorite bands' classic songs. [And we went], 'Well, we know 'Walk'. Can we do that?' So we had Terry Date [PANTERA producer] record it for us and Vinnie Paul [PANTERA drummer] give us his blessings on it, so we went and did it. And from then on, we kind of like… you know, playing festivals in Europe with METALLICA and stuff, it kind of brings back… Dime, to us, was one of the greatest guitar players ever to live, and to us, it's like a tribute to him. It kind of lets his spirit live on at Ozzfest. PANTERA was, for a few years, tearing it up at Ozzfest, you know, and now they're not a band anymore, and I think… To us, it's a song we can play, we know we do it well, and we're just going out there and letting the spirit live on a little bit."

Check out a video clip of AVENGED SEVENFOLD performing "Walk" at Ozzfest 2006 on July 1 at at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in San Francisco, CA at YouTube.com. More...

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Out For Blood Prep Album, Release Tracklisting

OUT FOR BLOOD are set to release their new self-titled album internationally on September 18 through the UK’s The Devil Knows You’re Dead Records.

New tracks from the disc are up on the band’s MySpace for both streaming and download, with an exclusive track up for grabs on the label’s site.

Tracklisting for the S/T album is as follows:

1. ****
2. Keep No Cunt Alive
3. Unsustainable Liver Treatment
4. Last Bullet, Last Day
5. Thirst For Blood
6. Your Lies, Your Suffering
7. Ears Will Be Bleeding
8. Smell The Trail Of The Blood
9. Left To Rot
10. Homicidal
11. Violent Delusions

Features exclusive artwork by Chris (Narcosis), produced and mixed by Andy Faulkner (Bolt Thrower) mastered by Eyal Levi (Daath).

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Interview

Interview With Chris Evan Of Ninetail

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's industrial/death metal act NINETAIL have just newly released this past June a full-length debut LP, 'The Process of Conversion' off the Level Nine Entertainment indie label and have been making one strong wave after the next with their live performances in the underground, opening for acts such as Marilyn Manson, Dry Kill Logic, 3 Inches of Blood & Metal Church. It's now blatantly apparent that this band is going major places. In my busy and hectic schedule, I have certainly wanted to find time to get to know the band better and now is the time. Chris Evan on rhythm guitar and backing vocals obliged me by taking time out to answer questions. More...

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Edguy and Deicide Added To Monterrey Music Fest

German power metal band EDGUY and the legendary American death metal band DEICIDE have been confirmed to perform on the main stage of the third edition of the Monterrey Metal Fest, set to take place Saturday, September 23, 2006 at the Coca Cola Auditorium in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

SLAYER will headline and STRYPER will co-headline the event, which is being billed as "Hell and Heaven United". The concert promises to be the "biggest and baddest version yet," featuring eight of the biggest names in heavy metal music from all over the world on the main stage and 12 up-and-coming international and Mexican bands on the second stage.

The official festival pre-party will be held on Friday, September 22, 2006 at the Cafe Iguana with mini-sets from bands that will be performing on the festival's main stage and second stage.

The main-stage lineup is shaping up as follows, with more bands to be confirmed:

SLAYER
STRYPER
EDGUY
DEICIDE
WARCRY

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CoF Drummer's Side Band Nemhain Lines Up More Gigs

NEMHAIN, the new band featuring CRADLE OF FILTH/AT THE GATES drummer Adrian Erlandsson and his wife, fetish model Morrigan Hel (a.k.a. Amber England), has liend up the following dates during the coming weeks:

Aug. 27 - Bar Monsta - London, UK
Oct. 14 - Purple Turtle - London, UK

The group's lineup consists of the following:

Cherry Forever - Rhythm Guitar
Morrigan Hel - Vocals
Liv Fast - Lead Guitar
Da Witch - Bass
The Swede (a.k.a. Adrian Erlandsson) – Drums

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Victory Records Announces New Signings

Victory Records has announced the signing of A DAY TO REMEMBER and BENEATH THE SKY, two bands that promise to challenge the conventions of rock and expand the barriers of the cutting edge.

With an average age of 18.2, Florida's A DAY TO REMEMBER will enter Boston's Zing Studios (UNDEROATH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE) in October to record their Victory debut. The band formed in early 2003 and developed their distinct brand of melodic punk/metal, which came to fruition on an album released last year by Indianola Records. The CD sold over 8,000 copies through word of mouth and the band's rigorous road work of almost 200 shows in the last year. The quintet of singer Jeremy McKinnon, guitarists Neil Westfall and Tom Denney, bassist Joshua Woodard and drummer Bobby Scruggs are one in the same with the people that come to their shows. When asked about their concerts, Josh says, "We have a really good live show and put off a good energetic vibe. You have the hardcore kids who want to dance and have a good time, and the girls and pop kids who want to sing all the catchier stuff." The band's dynamic, hybrid sound is often described as a mix between FALL OUT BOY, SILVERSTEIN, NEW FOUND GLORY and UNDEROATH.

Cincinnati's BENEATH THE SKY formed over two years ago and will enter the studio in September to record their debut album with Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, THE AUTUMN OFFERING). The band's brutal blend of metal intensity, catchy melodies, crushing breakdowns and impassioned vocals have an addictive quality that many hard music artists do not successfully capture. They have established themselves through constant touring across the Midwest and Eastern U.S. along with a fantastic following on the Internet that has led to virally infectious word of mouth.

BENEATH THE SKY is: Joey Nelson - Vocals, Jeff Nelson - Guitar, Chris Profitt - Guitar, Matt Jones - Keytar, Nick Scarberry – Bass, and Brandon Sowder - Drums.

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Behemoth Frontman On Upcoming Album

BEHEMOTH frontman Nergal spoke to MetalEater.com on Thursday (August 10) regarding the details of the band's forthcoming album, which he has previously described as being "insane, heavy and epic."

Nergal elaborates: "That's what it sounds like so far. I can't really say much until it's done, but we're working on the record. We have like almost six songs finished; four of them are crazy — just crazy. It's fast; it's technical; it's fuckin' catchy; it's everything, you know. It's heavy, more like mid-tempo, slow songs. I can't say yet, but it's going to be a crazy record — and hopefully the best one. But what else can I say at this stage — not much."

When asked if the new album would follow the same theme as "Demigod", Nergal confirmed: "Yeah, we are continuing where we stopped with 'Demigod'. And when that record ended we started from there; trying to move on and develop from there and just get better — and hopefully get better songs and everything. So let's see what happens. I'm pretty sure that this record is going to rock as fuck, and I'm pretty sure it's going to top 'Demigod'. We picked up a great producer to make the record. I'm not going to reveal any names yet because it's still under work. We are doing everything to top 'Demigod', to put out the best BEHEMOTH record. We can, you know. . . Actually, we picked the (tentative) title and it's 'The Apostasy'; it's the working title for this new record. . . We're going to start recording by the end of October and be ready by late February, and hopefully have the record ready by around May (2007). It takes ages to do records, and that's the way it has to be."

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Sebastian Bach Gets Rush Singing With AIC

Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach has posted the following message on his official web site:

"What an incredible rush it was to sing with ALICE IN CHAINS in Japan twice last month. Jerry Cantrell had the idea for me to join the band for 'Man In The Box' in Osaka at Udo Music Festival, and being a huge fan of Layne Staley and ALICE IN CHAINS I jumped at the chance to sing one of my favorite tracks of the '90s live with probably the best band of the '90s . We had such a good time jamming in Osaka that we did it again the next day at Mt. Fuji. Thanks to Jerry and the rest of the band and hopefully I will sing again with ALICE IN CHAINS sometime in the future!"

Bach also commented on his recently announce dates in China and Australia:

"I am totally excited to play Beijing, China for the first time in my career. The international rock community is stronger than ever and for us to play China is a total honour. It's always cool to play somewhere you never have before and we look forward to rocking out in China this September! I also cannot wait to return to Australia. The last time I played there was in 1993 supporting GUNS N' ROSES and they were some of the biggest shows I have ever played. It's gonna be killer to bring the new band Down Under!"

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Metallica Performed A Second New Song At Festival

METALLICA performed another new song — tentatively dubbed "New Song No. 2" — during their headlining appearance Saturday night (August 12) at the Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo, Japan. According to one BLABBERMOUTH.NET visitor (jason_813) who attended the concert, the song is "totally different from 'New Song No.1'. It's about three minutes long and very fast and seems to be based around two searing [Kirk] Hammett solos. It was a very rough performance, especially from Lars [Ulrich] but definitely shows promise."

As was the case with all the concerts on the band's recent European tour, METALLICA played their entire 1986 album, "Master of Puppets", during the Tokyo show, including rarely performed tracks such as "Orion" and "Disposable Heroes".

"Master of Puppets" came out in the spring of 1986 and was METALLICA's first gold album and mainstream success. It featured staples of the band's live set such as "Battery", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and the title track.

It was also the last METALLICA album to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who was killed later that year in a tour bus crash.

METALLICA's setlist – August 12, 2006 at Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo, Japan:

01. Creeping Death
02. Fuel
03. Wherever I May Roam
04. The God That Failed
05. Fade To Black
06. Battery
07. Master of Puppets
08. The Thing That Should Not Be
09. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
10. Disposable Heroes
11. Leper Messiah
12. Orion
13. Damage, Inc.
- - - -
14. Sad But True
15. Nothing Else Matters
16. One
17. Enter Sandman
- - - -
18. The Other New Song
19. Seek and Destroy

METALLICA is currently writing material for its ninth studio effort, which is tentatively expected in the summer or early fall of 2007. "I think we've realized that the creative process works a little slower for us than it used to, and we're OK with that," METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich recently told BBC Radio 1. "It's not a bad thing, unless, of course, you're waiting for a record."

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Ex-Adult Film Star To Be Crash Music's Spokesmodel

Former adult film star Lizzy Borden has signed with Crash Music, Inc. to be the label's official spokesmodel. Lizzy will appear in Crash Music advertisements, metalfests and select videos of Crash Music artists.

Borden is currently making a DVD in conjunction with Crash Music in which she will be conducting interviews, talking with fans, dancing to the music of Crash bands and much more! Lizzy is also set to be featured at Crash Music events and record release parties in the near future.

Crash Music President Mark Nawara said, "We are extremely excited to have Lizzy on board as the Crash Music spokesmodel. We feel we can do some great cross-promotion together while turning her fans on to some great music".

Borden, who is known for her controversial adult releases and her unwavering stance on First Amendment issues, says she is honored to have been chosen by Crash Music to represent the label and their artist. "I have always loved music so this is a dream come true. I am so excited to be working with everyone at Crash and can't wait for everyone to see my first DVD release Lizzy Borden's 'Monsters, Music, Madness'."

The first wave of Crash advertisements featuring Lizzy will start with the November issue of Metal Edge magazine.

To see more of Lizzy Borden check out www.lovelizzyborden.com

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Black Majesty Supports Nevermore On Upcoming Tou

Australian power metal band BLACK MAJESTY will support U.S. metallers NEVERMORE in Melbourne and Sydney on their upcoming Australian tour. This is hot off the heels off their recent Australia-wide tour with DRAGONFORCE. A live performance of the song "A Better Way to Die", recorded in Melbourne, Australia, can be viewed at YouTube.com.

BLACK MAJESTY has been busy writing the follow-up to its 2005 release "Silent Company", which they will begin recording early 2007. The album is slated for a mid-2007 release through the German label Limb Music Products.

Upcoming BLACK MAJESTY shows:

Aug. 25 - HiFi Bar - Melbourne, AUS
Oct. 28 - Esplanade Hotel St. Kilda – Melbourne, AUS*
Nov. 04 - Gaelic Theatre - Sydney, AUS (Festival of the Dead)*

* with NEVERMORE

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Update From Jon Oliva's Pain

JON OLIVA'S PAIN, the band led by SAVATAGE mastermind Jon Oliva, has issued the following update:

"Just wanted to drop a quick line and let everyone know that the band has returned to U.S. soil [from its recent European tour]... and frankly, we cannot wait to leave again.

"The fans and promoters treated us with the utmost respect and appreciation for our performances and the effort we made to help make their festivals/shows the best possible. Metal Dayz at Z7 [in Pratteln, Switzerland] was not only our final show of the tour, but the best performance we have had to date. It was magical onstage that night. Everything clicked in perfect harmony and Oliva's voice was absolutely perfect. The next day, we reflected on what we had set out to accomplish. We could leave Europe very satisfied....and the fans seemed to be as well.

"After a 20-hour trip home, we all need a couple of days to get our lives back in order. The release is just three weeks away and then we must begin rehearsing for our tour in support of 'Maniacal Renderings'. Greece, Turkey, Russia, and the rest of Europe are all part of that plan.

"So it is with sincere appreciation that we thank the 80,000 fans for making us all feel so welcome and for being such an important part of every show. It is always a pleasure to meet everyone and to witness the satisfaction on their faces first hand. After all, we are people just like everyone else. We put our shoes on the same way and experience the same highs and lows as you do. And we never, ever forget that without you... there is no where for us to play and no outlet for JOP's music.

"Thank you all... We are going to do it all over again very soon!"

JON OLIVA'S PAIN has posted four songs — "Through the Eyes of the King", "Playing God", "Push It to the Limit" and "Maniacal Renderings" — from its upcoming sophomore album, "Maniacal Renderings", on its MySpace page.

"Maniacal Renderings" is scheduled for release on September 1 via AFM Records. The follow-up to 2004's "'Tage Mahal" was once again recorded at Audio Lab Studios in Tampa, Florida and is described in a press release as "a more progressive, complex and dramatic edge without sacrificing any of the songwriting quality that fans have come to expect during Oliva's 25-year career." 14 songs are scheduled to be released in three different versions for Europe, Japan and the U.S. An EP, "Straight-Jacket Memoirs", consisting of two new studio tracks and two live tracks from the 2006 tour was made available in June when the band made its appearance at the Bang Your Head!!! festival in Germany.

As previously reported, JON OLIVA'S PAIN has been confirmed as the headliner of next year's ProgPower UK festival, set to take place March 31, 2007 in Chelltenham, England. Also scheduled to appear are SCAR SYMMETRY, CLOUDSCAPE, DREAMSCAPE and HAGGARD. Oliva and company will perform for 100 minutes and will include songs from JON OLIVA'S PAIN and a healthy assault of SAVATAGE classics.

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Draiman To Go Under Knife, Might Miss A Few Shows

Ultimate-Guitar.com reports that DISTURBED vocalist David Draiman has had surgery to repair his stomach and lungs for an acid reflux problem, and now he's set for another operation. Draiman has had a rough time trying to keep his voice in shape for Ozzfest, but with some vocal exercises and proper rest and nutrition he's counteracting the drying out of his vocal cords. The vocalist said that a deviated septum caused by three broken noses forces him to breath through his mouth, drying out his vocal cords.

"I'm actually going in for surgery after this is done," Draiman said. "I have to correct a deviated septum. It's called a septoplasty. My nose has been broken three times, so I've got all kinds of broken cartilage and shrapnel and stuff in there. Most people's septums are straight, mine is kind of like an 'S'."

Draiman added that it's not exactly a pretty operation.

"Well, they need to cut a piece here, lift up the whole flap of my nose, cut out the septum, and they tell me that the scar tissue portion will grow back, and they're taking out all the broken pieces," he said. "So my nose is going to look a little different after the whole procedure is done, but this is something that will hopefully enable me to breathe a lot better. It's been one of the factors in what continues to happen with my voice. I don't sleep properly, and I will breathe through my mouth and dry out my vocal chords every single night, and the whole next day I'm trying to repair the damage. It's just a vicious cycle. So I'm just trying to eliminate all the X-factors that are involved and do everything I can so that I can maintain."

Draiman hopes to heal in time so the band can make up dates missed in Europe for their upcoming tour, which is slated to kick off September 14 in Munich, Germany.

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Anathema And H.I.M. Perform Track Together

During his very sucessful solo tour of Finland, ANATHEMA mastermind Daniel Cavanagh was joined onstage by Ville Valo from H.I.M. to perform the ANATHEMA track "Inner Silence". ANATHEMA's emotional style of music has always been an inspiration to Ville, and for Danny this was a nice way to say "thank you" to him for allowing ANATHEMA on their recent high-profile tour of the U.K.

Metal Mind Productions released a new ANATHEMA DVD, entitled "A Moment in Time", on June 19 in Europe (July 18 in the U.S.). 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 includes live video footage, video clips, and a documentary. The DVD will be available also in a limited edition with bonus audio CD.

ANATHEMA are currently unsigned as a result of having been dropped by BMG/Zomba after their previous label, Music For Nations, was folded into parent company Zomba Records Group (the world's largest independent music group).

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Moonsorrow Finishes Work On Album

MOONSORROW keyboardist Henri Sorvali has posted the following studio update at the band's official website:

Friday 11.8

'Näin kaikki päättyy, näen sen nyt
Tämä sivu on viimeinen
Näin kaikki päättyy, tyhjään ja unohdukseen
Eikä kukaan tänne palaa'

"Yes, we did it. It´s ready. It´s finished. It´s ending. And it´s fucking good....both that this session is actually coming to it´s end, and most of all, The Album. I´m not going to reveal anything about the music, track numbers nor any names. You´ll hear them later. Isn´t that nice? But prepare for something which I´d call as 'massive'. It´s not going to be an easy listening experience.

We still have some additional techincal stuff to do: burn some cd´s for auditioning, some extra files for me to mess around with later at my own studio before mastering, and of course burn the backup- DVD´s of the whole project. Our plane is taking off after four hours so we´re not (luckily) running out of time.

This diary will expire after today´s babbling. Hope you had as much fun reading it as I hated to write it. ;)"

- Henu

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Arch Enemy Ready For Gigantour

An official update from Arch Enemy reads as follows:

"Yes, the DVD is out all over the world now and the reviews are glowing and more importantly, the positive feedback from the fans is HUGE!

On another note, we played our last summer festival show this year in Gothenburg on Tuesday, really cool show with a great Swedish Metal crowd and tons of family and friends backstage – a great way to end this summer!

We played a completely different kind of show in London, UK on Thursday, it was the Kerrang! Day Of Rock and it was basically an in-store type deal in the basement of the Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street. We played a brief 30 minute set and thanks to the fans that came down and supported us it was actually fun!

We’ve had a blast this summer playing the European festivals, the shows have been so cool and in some cases even AMAZING (Hello Wacken!). It’s been a real treat to meet all the Arch Enemy fans at the signing sessions of these festivals too – we love it!

So now we have a little time off from the road before we head back to the U.S. for the Gigantour – we are all really looking forward to that tour…"

As previously reported, Arch Enemy's new double disc DVD set, Live Apocalypse, is now available just in time for the group’s return to North America on Gigantour this September. A new E-card is now available that features two videos taken from the DVD for the tracks 'Ravenous' and 'My Apocalypse', along with a new photo gallery. You can view the E-Card by clicking here.

Arche Enemy's Gigantour 2006 schedule is as follows:

September:
7 - San Diego, CA - TBA
8 - Oakland, CA at Oakland Coliseum
9 - San Luis Obispo, CA at Pozo Saloon Amphitheatre
10 - San Bernardino, CA at Hyundai Pavilion
12 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues
13 - Phoenix, AZ at Dodge Theatre
15 - Salt Lake City, UT at USANA
16 - Denver, CO at Coors Amphitheatre
17 - Albuquerque, NM at Journal Pavilion
19 - Oklahoma City, OK at Zoo Theater
21 - Milwaukee, WI at Eagles Ballroom
22 - Chicago, IL at Congress Theatre
23 - Columbus, OH at Nationwide Arena
24 - Detroit. MI at DTE Energy Amphitheatre
25 - Toronto, ONT at Molson Amphitheatre
27 - Montreal, QC atBell Centre
28 - Uniondale, NY at Nassau Coliseum
29 - TBD
30 - Holmdel, NJ at PNC Bank Center

October
1 - TBD
3 - TBD
5 - TBD
6 - Tampa, FL at St Pete Times Forum
7 - Sunrise, FL at Bank Atlantic Center
8 - Orlando, FL at Hard Rock Live
21 - Brisbane, Australia at The Riverstage
22 - Sydney, Australia at Hordern Pavilion
24 - Melbourne, Australia at Festival Hall

More dates are expected to be announced soon.

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Trivium Complete Video Shoot, Expects To Be On MTV

Trivium shot a video for the song "Entrance of the Conflagration" with director Dale "Rage" Resteghini (Mudvayne, Hatebreed, Unearth, Shadows Fall) on Thursday, August 10 at Eon Loft in Los Angeles, California.

Commented Dale: "We BLASTED the mighty Trivium's new anthem all day [Thursday] in downtown L.A. called 'Entrance' and it is sure to be a staple on MTV in the next coming weeks!!! This was my fourth video with the band as our relationship continues to grow onward and upward and it's always great seeing them. These are honestly just four of the most down-to-earth guys you'd ever wanna meet!!!

"The location, as it turned out, was a loft area where they shoot a lot of porn and apparently Jenna Jameson used to shoot a lot of her early works there...

"At any rate, we needed to do some set dressing, add a lot of cool lighting and smoke it up a bit and bada boom, we were ready to shred!!!

"We had about 100 or so fans meet at this secret location where Trivium played under another name known as 'The Crusade', the name of their new album, and the idea worked as all of the fans got a sneak peek at the CRUSHING NEW METAL a lot of other metal bands are simply trying to 'bite'!!! I know this because I was there three years ago helping this band get signed and was playing their CD to other bands and labels who tried to dismiss them or slept on them or were just plain hatin'... Well, now having opened up for Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Metallica in the last 12 months, at those bands' requests, all over the world, I think we all know the deal!!!

"Remember what I always say everyone: 'Let the sleepers sleep and the haters hate!!!'"

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As I Lay Dying's Shadows Are Security To Get Bonus

As I Lay Dying are planning to release a special edition CD/DVD version of their latest effort "Shadows Are Security" through Metal Blade on October 10th. No word yet on what bonus content will be featured.

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Headline News

Metal Supergroup w/ Vinne Paul, Chad Grey, NF

The recently rumored band will feature Mudvayne members Chad Gray on vocals and Greg Tribbett on guitar, along with Nothingface's Tom Maxwell on guitar and Jerry Montano on bass. Vinnie Paul will of course handle the drums.

In a bulletin that briefly ran on Nothingface's MySpace page, Montano said that "The five of us have been working our asses off on our 'Top Secret' project," that the new material the group has been working on "is amazing," and that their album should be out in the spring, followed by a U.S. tour.

The name for the group has yet to be officially confirmed.

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Lamb of God Schedule CD-Signing Sessions

LAMB OF GOD has lined up the following CD-signing sessions:

Tuesday, August 22 at noon:

Looney Tunes
31 Brookvale Ave
West Babylon, NY 11704
www.looneytunescds.com

Tuesday, August 22 at 7:00 p.m.:

Vintage Vinyl
51 Lafayette Rd.
Fords, NJ 08863
www.vvinyl.com

Friday, August 25 at 7:00 p.m.:

Plan 9 Music
3012 W Cary St.
Richmond, VA 23221
www.plan9music.com More...

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Vocalist Urban Breed Quits Bloodbound

Vocalist Urban Breed (ex-TAD MOROSE) has officially left BLOODBOUND, the Swedish metal band also featuring Fredrik Bergh (STREET TALK; bass, keyboards and backing vocals) and Tomas Olsson (lead and rhythm guitars). "I've thought about this for some time and I've decided not to let Tomas and Bergh have any more of my time," Urban said in a statement. "The gig in Gothenburg [on August 8] was therefore the last thing I did for BLOODBOUND. (If it wasn't for Pelle [Åkerlind, drums] it would have been Norrtälje [on August 5].) Starting today, it's finally possible to focus entirely on my album." More...

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Usurper Singer Quits

Due to ongoing circumstances and issues in vocalist Dan Tyrantor's personal life, he has resigned from Chicago's USURPER. The remaining four members will indefinately continue as a four-piece, with guitarist Rick Scythe and bassist Jon Necromancer taking over the vocal duties. USURPER is still confirmed and will perform at both the Minneapolis Mayhem 3 festival on August 26 and the Day of the Equinox concert in Toronto, Canada on September 23. The band will also enter the studio in early 2007 to record their sixth full-length album, as previously announced.

USURPER has issued the following statement regarding Dan's departure:

"Dan Tyrantor has officially quit USURPER. Dan has been dealing with a lot of personal problems over the last few months which unfortunately caused him to be unable to rehearse with the band for nearly the entire summer. Since we have concert and recording obligations coming up we decided it was best if he took a break from the band in order to straighten out his life, then come back full force once his situation was in order. However, once we told him we would do the remaining shows without him, he quit. We respect Dan's decision and actually have been preparing for this possible outcome for a few months.

"All of us in USURPER wish Dan Tyrantor nothing but the best in his personal life and future musical endevours. We greatly appreciate the two and a half years of service and dedication he gave to this band and hope he gets all his personal problems resolved as soon as possible. Dan is a great vocalist, frontman and metal brother and will sure be an asset to any band or project he decides to do next." More...

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