Impaled NazareneTo Record Live Album In Italy

Finland's Impaled Nazarene will record a live album in Italy between September 17 and September 19. The group will record three shows (Milan, Catania, Ascoli) with their sound engineer Tapio Pennanen and his assistant, Erkki Saviharju.

"We are celebrating 15 years as a band next year so it is about fucking time to do a profesional live CD which will also serve as a 'best-of' for those not so familiar with our material," the band write on their web site. "We are practising total of 28 to 30 songs for the shows and the setlist will cover our whole career, including our 7" EPs!!!!

The live CD will be mixed at Sonic Pump studios by Mr. Pennanen. An early 2005 release through Osmose Productions is expected.
In other news, Impaled Nazarene's last album, "All That You Fear", which was issued last November through Osmose Productions, will receive a Brazilian release on September 25 through Haunted Records.

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Freedom Call Set Working Title For New Album

German power metallers Freedom Call , who feature in their ranks Gamma Ray drummer Daniel Zimmermann, have set "Circle of Life" as the working title of their new album, tentatively due in January/February 2005 through SPV Records. "Drum recordings took place in Kai Hansen ‘s [Gamma Ray] studio in Hamburg, all other recordings will be made in Nuremberg," Daniel writes on the group's web site. "There will be 11 new songs on the album. In general you could say that Freedom Call have stayed true to their style, even if you should be ready for some surprises. All the things Freedom Call ever represented will be in there, like fast melodic speed-anthems, progressive arrangements, ballad parts, but also modern elements. The album will be mixed by Sascha Paeth, who you surely know of his work with Rhapsody and Heaven´s Gate." A European tour will follow the album release.

Freedom Call issued a live album, entitled "Live Invasion", in May through SPV. The disc, which was recorded on the band's tour with Blind Guardian, includes a special bonus CD featuring the "Tears Of Taragon" EP plus two tracks that were previously only available in Japan.

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Virgin Steele New Album Update

Virgin Steele singer David DeFeis and guitarist Edward Pursino commented during a recent online chat on the progress of the songwriting sessions for the long-running Long Island, NY-based power metal group's next studio album.

Said David: "After these [upcoming DeFeis/Pursino acoustic] dates, we will dive full-bore hardcore into the completion of the next album. The ideas are all there, and in fact there are about 40 demos already recorded. Hopefully it won't take too long to complete everything we wish to record. But we are not rushing. It will be ready…when it is ready. We want it to be the best one yet." Added Pursino: "We will begin recording the album in the fall and will finish when it's just right. We simply can't be rushed."

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Anathema Guitarist To Embark On Acoustic Mini-Tour

Anathema guitarist Danny Cavanagh will be doing a semi-acoustic tour in September with Sean Jude (Leafblade) as support. "I will be playing many well-known Anathema songs and covers, using acoustic and electric guitar, and piano," says Danny. "Expect tracks such as 'Fragile Dreams' and 'One Last Goodbye', plus newer songs.

"Sean will be playing 100% original material. His style could be described as lyrical, poetic songs with celtic style melodies and song structures.
"As I am a member of Sean's group Leafblade, I will join him for a few songs each night. In October, we will record the album 'Beyond, Beyond' for release through Strangelight Records."

The dates are as follows:
Sep. 12 - Prague, CZR @ Batalion
Sep. 14 - Brno, CZR @ Beseda
Sep. 15 - Budapest, HUN @ A38
Sep. 16 - Nyíregyháza, HUN @ KomOmbo
Sep. 17 - Szeged, HUN @ JATE Klub
Sep. 18 - Vrutky, SK @ RC Mlyn

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Dissection Name New Single

Reactivated Swedish death metallers Dissection, featuring guitarist/vocalist Jon Nödtvedt, have set "Maha Kali" as the title of their upcoming single.

"Maha Kali", described by the band as "a hymn to the wrathful black hindu goddess of Mahapralaya, the great dissolution of cosmos, Jai Maha Kali," will initially only be available directly from Dissection via their official web site and on tour.

As previously reported, Dissection are currently in the studio with a full lineup, working on their first studio recording since 1995's classic album "Storm Of The Light's Bane".

Nödtveidt was recently released from prison after spending seven years behind the bars for murdering an Algerian homosexual. A short-lived collaboration with former Emperor drummer Bård "Faust" Eithun ended in December over "the demands of Dissection's Satanic concept." A documentary DVD and a new studio album are expected sometime in 2005.

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Mayhem Writing New Material

Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM have commenced the songwriting process for their next album, tentatively due in October/November 2005 through Season Of Mist.

The band, who will be taking part in this fall's edition of the "Blackest of the Black" tour alongside DANZIG, DOYLE (featuring ex-MISFITS guitarist Doyle), DEVILDRIVER, DEATH ANGEL and EYES OF FIRE, will be playing in South Africa early next year. More information will be made available soon.

An unreleased MAYHEM track, "Anno Vampir" (said to be the first song ever written by the group's most recent lineup), will be included on an upcoming Season Of Mist two-disc compilation of bands from the label. The collection is scheduled for release on September 24.

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Judas Priest Has Enough New Material For 2 Albums

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford has revealed to Revolver magazine that the band have recorded enough new material for two albums. The next step will be to decide which songs flow together best. "It's hard because we don't do anything that all threee of us [Halford and guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing] don't agree upon, so we're very attached to these songs," Halford said. "But the rest of the material may be used for a follow-up, whenever that may be."

The writing for the much-anticipated album, due December 28 through Epic, began last October in England and the bulk of the recording was completed before the band embarked on this summer's Ozzfest. Following the end of the tour, PRIEST are planning on returning to the studio to finish guitar and vocal overdubs as well as mix and master the disc. Halford, who rejoined the band in July 2003, said the new songs capture the band's vintage sound while tapping into the current meteal climate. "We have always been aware of what's going on around us, and that's been part of the reason for our creative success," he told Revolver. "We've always tried to make music that works no matter when it's released, so this will stand on it own legs and have its own identity, like every great PRIEST record."

While there was initially some apprehension as to whether or not the magic between the three songwriters would still be there, such concerns were quickly dispelled. "The floodgates literally roared open, and an amazing amount of ideas came forth," Halford said.

As previously reported, the initial shipment of JUDAS PRIEST's upcoming studio album will include a bonus DVD filmed during the band's June shows in Barcelona and Valencia, Spain. The band's Ozzfest trek wraps September 4 in West Palm Beach, Fla. A headlining world tour is in the planning stages for early 2005.

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Darkest Hour Miss Ontario Show Due To Border Probs

DARKEST HOUR were forced to miss their scheduled performance with DIMMU BORGIR in Kitchener, Ontario Friday night (August 27) "due to complications at the [USA/Canada] border," according to a posting on the group's web site. "This will not affect our scheduled tour in October," the band write. "We are very excited about playing Canada, we can't wait to get back. We apologize for this unfortunate inconvenience."

DARKEST HOUR are continuing to tour in support of their latest album, "Hidden Hands of A Sadist Nation", which was released in May 2003 through Victory Records. The CD includes guest appearances from Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES, THE CROWN), Anders Björler (AT THE GATES, THE HAUNTED), Peter Wichers (SOILWORK) and Marcus Sunesson (THE CROWN).

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Enforsaken CD To See Japanese Release With Bonus

Enforsaken's "The Forever Endeavor" will be released in Japan on SoundHolic Records this fall. The scheduled release date is September 29th. This special Japanese pressing will include 4 additional bonus tracks. Three of these tracks are previously unreleased and one is a cover of Carcass' "Incarnated Solvent Abuse." That cover was done back in late 2000, but this cover never saw a proper release, so we thought it would be a great bonus track for Japan. We're going to try and get ahold of a few copies of this Japanese pressing to sell here in the states, so please check back with us at the end of September. In the meantime, check out www.SoundHolic.net. (You may need to download Japanese text support.)

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Gene Simmons To Appear On "Queer Eye"

How would the guys from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" make over the black and white makeup of Kiss? We may get to find out.

Gene Simmons, the tongue-wagging bassist of Kiss, is considering an appearance on the Bravo reality show. On his web site, Simmons says that producers for the show have asked him join the Fab Five for an episode.

"They called me and asked me if I would do it. I'm a fan of the show. We may shoot on the 28th of September," Simmons says.

Bravo did not immediately return calls seeking a comment.

"Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" is in its second season, airing on Bravo at 10 p.m. (EDT) on Tuesdays.

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