Moonsorrow To Release New Mini-CD In March

Finnish folk/pagan metal band MOONSORROW will enter the studio in January to record a new mini-CD, entitled "Tulimyrsky" (Firestorm). The effort is tentatively scheduled for release on March 26, 2008 through Spinefarm Records. More information will be made available soon.

MOONSORROW has been confirmed for the Bloodstock Open Air festival, set to take place August 15-17, 2008 at Catton Hall in Derbyshire England. This will be the band's only UK festival appearance of 2008.

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To-Mera Post New Song Online

A new song by TO-MERA — the U.K.-based dark progressive metal band formed by former WITHOUT FACE vocalist Julie Kiss (photo) and bassist Lee Barrett (ex-EXTREME NOISE TERROR, DISGUST, MUSSOLINI HEADKICK) — entitled "The Lie" has been posted on the group's MySpace page. The track comes off the band's forthcoming sophomore album, entitled "Delusions", due on February 18, 2008. "We are again working with Brett Caldas-Lima from Tower Studios," said Barrett. "The process of recording, including photos and video clips, was captured in this blog."

Regarding the new CD's musical direction, Barrett said, "All the elements present on [last year's "Transcendental"] have been greatly expanded upon. The music will display a much greater range of moods, tempos and dynamics (ranging from fragile subtlety to epic bombast via everything in between), whilst being simultaneously more sophisticated, yet more melodic and coherent than before. Julie's vocals have become substantially more versatile and powerful. There will be loads more guitar and keyboard (even drum!) solos. But most importantly, we feel this music has a much deeper and more genuine emotional impact to it. We're hoping the finished album will capture that."

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Forefather Begin Mixing New Album

England's FOREFATHER has issued the following update:

"Over the last week we have been re-recording a few parts on the [forthcoming FOREFATHER] album that we felt could be improved, and also adding some things. Over the next week we hope to have a mixdown to approve. We will keep the album and track names secret for the moment but we can say there will be 11 tracks at a running time of approx 58 minutes."

A preview of the new CD artwork, which was created by Martin Hanford (BAL-SAGOTH) is available at this location.

FOREFATHER's fourth album, "Ours is the Kingdom", was released in May 2004 through Holland's Karmageddon Media. The CD was recorded at The Croft Recording Studio in England and features artwork by C.A. Interactive (MORIFADE, SKYFIRE).

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Nightwish Check In From Detroit

Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH have posted the following message on their official web site:

"We're writing this at the backstage of Harpo's, a venue in Detroit. We've done seven shows so far — five in U.S. and two in Canada. One more is coming up in an hour and a half. After a long time without any shows, it really feels good to see that we're finding our tour-legs again."

"A big thanks go to all of you people who have shown up for the gigs and clearly enjoyed yourselves and the band. Your great response to our new face at the front has been a big boost to our confidence and morale. This was definitely worth waiting. We all just wish we could have come over earlier. Now things are getting better each day." More...

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Sepultura Frontman Posts Fourth Indian Update

SEPULTURA frontman Derrick Green has posted the fourth entry in an ongoing tour diary covering the band's first-ever appearance in India. It reads as follows:

"We have a long travel day ahead of us to Shillong and we check out of the hotel at 5 in the morning and head to the airport. We will have a layover in Kolkata (Calcutta) then go to Guwahati and when arrive there we will have a four-hour drive because of road construction to Shillong.

"The landscape flying into Guwahati is very different than Delhi. There is much more green and mountains in the area. We are close to Burma, Nepal.

"We land and file into 5 different cars. I already start to notice that people look different. There is more of an Asian element mixed with the people that I notice and less traffic. The roads don't seem that bad at first but there are cows lying casual all over the two-lane highway. The landscape is beautiful and as we slowly drive upwards into the mountains the poverty level seems to be rising. I start to notice shacks as houses and poorly naked malnourished kids on the side of the road.

"The road was hardly a road and we weaved are way around trucks that were hauling everything that you can imagine. I'm nervous and speechless the entire ride and it continues to get worse. The road at times turns into almost a dirt road with rocks used to fill the potholes. Cars are racing past us and we are passing trucks without truly seeing what's coming towards us. It's a deadly game of cat-and-mouse which is what makes everyone nervous.

"The sun sets early over here this time of the year and we make it into the city just at sunset. There is a massive billboard for the show in the midst of crumbling shanty houses.

"I'm relieved to arrive because I felt that anyone of us could have been in a horrible accident and it was all extremely nerve-racking, but I'm happy to arrive.

"The town reminds of a scene from an Indiana Jones movie and the city is functioning with the bare minimum.

"I'm at a loss of words — I have never been to a place like this before but I stay optimistic: We have survived and we will be able to play for people that never expected us to ever play there and feel that they will appreciate every minute of it.

"There are many problems with everyone's rooms but I'm so exhausted that I really don't care I just need to lay down and close my eyes and not be in motion."

In a recent interview with Romania's Metalhead TV, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser stated about the band's current touring/recording plans, "Our intention, really, is to play as much as we can to prepare this band to start writing new material. So we're gonna start writing a new album at the end of the year, hopefully to release next year, sometime in the second [half of 2008]."

Back in March, SEPULTURA filmed the second video from their "Dante XXI" album, for the song "Ostia". The clip was shot at a studio in São Paulo prior to the band's departure for their European tour. During the following week, the video crew and the main actor shot the outdoor scenes in downtown São Paulo. The script, which adapts the story from the book "The Divine Comedy" to the modern days, was directed by Geraldo Moraes.

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Ex-Sepultura Drummer Performs At SKOL Beats

Video footage of former SEPULTURA drummer Igor "Iggor" Cavalera laying down drum beats along to a track by MIXHELL — the DJ/hip hop/electro project featuring Igor and his wife Laima Leyton — at the Skol Beats 2007 electronic music festival, which took place May 4-5, 2007 in São Paulo, Brazil, can be viewed below.

Igor Cavalera left SEPULTURA in June 2006 due to "artistic differences." He has since been replaced by Jean Dolabella (ex-UDORA). Igor's departure from SEPULTURA came five months after he announced that he was taking a break from the group's touring activities to spend time with his second wife and their new son (who was born in January 2006). Filling in on drums during the band's spring 2006 European tour with IN FLAMES was Roy Mayorga, who played with Igor's brother Max in SOULFLY for several years in the late '90s and again in 2001-2003.

Igor is the second Cavalera to leave SEPULTURA. In 1996, Max Cavalera exited the group after the rest of the band fired Max's wife Gloria as SEPULTURA's manager.

Igor and Max Cavalera are currently collaborating on a new project called CAVALERA CONSPIRACY. The group's debut album will be released in early 2008 via Roadrunner Records. More...

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Jacknife Begin Recording New Album

Dallas, Texas-based band JACKNIFE has entered Skyline Studios in the group's hometown to being recording its new full-length album for a 2008 release. The group is working alongside Sterling Winfield and Tim "Timmy Tooth" Kimsey, who have more than 20 years of recording, mixing, producing, and engineering experience. In addition to recently engineering Vinnie Paul Abbott's HELLYEAH project, Winfield has worked with PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN, NICKELBACK, PISSING RAZORS, KING DIAMOND and MERCYFUL FATE, among many others. Tim Kimsey, who will be mixing and mastering the album, has worked with PANTERA, Vanilla Ice, Steve Perry, Paula Abdul, and has won a Grammy for Kirk Franklin's "The Nu Nation Project".

JACKNIFE's debut album, "Moment of Reckoning", was released in 2005 by Zero-Sum Records, the now-defunct label founded by then-DROWNING POOL, DAMAGEPLAN and LOSA manager Paul Bassman and Chris Paluska, then-manager of LOSA and former tour manager for DAMAGEPLAN.

JACKNIFE is currently seeking a new label home and will be hitting the road across the U.S. shortly after the new CD's release.

For more information, visit their Myspace page.

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More Bands Offer Condolences To Decapitated

Belgian progressive death metallers PREJUDICE and Utah-based speed metal band DEATHEAD have offered up their condolences for late DECAPITATED drummer Witold "Vitek" Kieltyka who passed away yesterday (November 2nd) in a Russian hospital from injuries sustained in a recent road collision. They read as follows:

Prejudice: "RIP Vitek! Spent 7 weeks on tour with Decapitated in 2002, Vitek was without no doubt the most down to earth guy from them. Really sad to see someone so talented & being a great person to be killed in a accident while being on tour. Hope to see Covan recovering out of his injuries. Our thoughts go out to their family and friends and fellow Decapitated members."

Deathead: "We all wish condolences to the friends and family of Decapitated's drummer Witold 'Vitek' Kieltyka. As a fan of the bands music, it is saddening to hear of such a loss especially in such a way. Our condolences go to his friends, family and bandmates."

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Terror Syndrome Close To Deciding Label

THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen has issued the following update on the status of the as-yet-unreleased debut album from his Vancouver, B.C.-based band TERROR SYNDROME:

"We've narrowed it down to a couple awesome guys to mix the album. Both are well known for their jobs. We have found an awesome guy to master our album as well. This guy has worked with some amazing, well-known acts as well. Our debut album will sound sick. We'll announce these people very soon and when they'll get started.

"As for the label/distribution part, I think we're very close to finally making a decision! I want the announcement to happen in November sometime — that's if all goes as planned. Basically, you all have some great news to look forward to and I think it's exciting times for sure!"

Guest musicians on TERROR SYNDROME's upcoming debut CD include Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT), Trevor Dunn (MR. BUNGLE, FANTOMAS), Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND), Byron Stroud (FEAR FACTORY, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) and Christofer Malmström (DARKANE).

TERROR SYNDROME debut CD tentative track listing:

01. Stupidity For All
02. Revolving Horror
03. Thrill Pill
04. Riot Of Red (feat. Christofer Malmström)
05. When God Was Sober
06. Motionless
07. Rusty Trombone (feat. Alex Skolnick and Trevor Dunn)
08. One Crime Closer to Hell
09. Disposable Empire (feat. Byron Stroud)
10. For Your Amusement
11. My Next Victim
12. Spinning Backwards (feat. Devin Townsend on and Michael Manring)

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Dawn Of Azazel Writing New Material

New Zealand's most notable metal export DAWN OF AZAZEL played its first show last month since returning from a successful European tour in June. The band supported rock legends MOTÖRHEAD at their first New Zealand show on Friday, October 19 at the TSB Stadium in New Plymouth, Taranaki.

Commented frontman Rigel Walshe: "We'd like to thank all the fans that were up the front for our support for MOTÖRHEAD. It was amazing to be part of such a big show and support a band that is not only a legend of metal but one of my personal favourites. So many fans, so many beers, defintely a show and afterparty we will remember for years to come! Our next move is two headlining shows in Wellington on the 16+17th of November, and then touring in support of BEHEMOTH on their New Zealand/Australia tour in December. We had a killer time playing with them at the Hellraiser fest in Leipzig [Germany] earlier this year and we can't fuckin wait to do it again! Additionally, we entered the studio last week to record a few promo tracks for our next album. We should hopefully have a sample online for you in the next few weeks."

DAWN OF AZAZEL's latest album, "Sedition", was re-released in September 2006 with a video bonus track and distributed through RED/Megaforce Records/MIC via Ibex Moon Records.

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Type O Negative Drummer Talks Side Project

Alex Zander of MK Magazine recently conducted an interview with TYPE O NEGATIVE drummer Johnny Kelly. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

MK Magazine: The last time I saw you… You said, "Hey, check out my new band SEVENTH VOID." Now that I have, I must admit, I like it a lot. Is there any kind of recording available other than what's online?

Johnny Kelly: It's one of those things, Kenny and I have been so busy in the last year and a half with TYPE O and DANZIG and stuff. Whenever there are breaks in between we go in and try to finish what we are doing. We had this break in between the TYPE O tours Kenny was able to finish a lot of vocal s and most of his guitar parts. Now we have this other guitar player Matt Brown. He has to finish a few of his things and a few vocal things then we have to wait on Vinnie Paul [HELLYEAH, PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN].

MK Magazine: Vinnie Paul is playing on it?

Johnny Kelly: Vinnie Paul is producing it.

MK Magazine: Alright, I saw on the myspace page his label was one in the top of your friends list.

Johnny Kelly: It is looking like we are going to release it on that label.

MK Magazine: Is that the same label that the collaboration with David Allen Coe, REBEL MEETS REBEL, was released on?

Johnny Kelly: Yeah, REBEL MEETS REBEL. Kenny really digs this band. We have been working on this band for the better part of four years, you know, when ever time allowed. One time just before Dime (Dimebag Darrell) the guys were in New York. Tommy Victor [PRONG] was there and we all just hung out on the at Irving Plaza until 6:00 in the morning. We played a couple of track for Dime, and Dime flipped out about it and that is how this all started with Vince. Every time I'd see him he'd ask how the band was going and I told him it was going okay but we are really having a hard time with mixes. The recording is going well but it just isn't coming through when we are trying to mix it. He said, "Why don't you let me have a crack at it?" I was like… "Really? It would be an honor." He (Vince) said when Dime heard that all he did was talk about you guys, saying how much he loved it, so it would be an honor for me to work on it. So I sent him a track and he sent something back to my house and said he only had a little time to work on it. It just clicked. He got it and knew exactly what to do to make it sound great.

MK Magazine: How much do you have recorded?

Johnny Kelly: We have a whole album's worth of material. But like I said between every ones schedules it has been really hard to just sit down and say it's finished that is it. Now we are getting close and when this is done we will be able to finish the recordings, it should take longer than just a few days actually.

MK Magazine: So as far as TYPE O NEGATIVE what is happening after this tour, as far as the band? I haven't heard anything about a record but obviously the label [SPV] has been great to you.

Johnny Kelly: Yeah, they have done a really good job. They really put their best foot forward.

MK Magazine: That last Roadrunner record I loved it, it's one of my, vary favorite pieces of work that I own from you guys as a band. Roadrunner just dropped the ball on that fucking thing. They seriously did.

Johnny Kelly: The impression that I got from that is, because they knew we were at the end of our contract, they were just cutting their losses on it. Basically what they were telling us is that if you re-sign with us again we'll work this record really hard. Which kind of goes against any business principle. You still invested in something. Just because you aren't going to have the band back, why aren't you going to maximize the return on your investment?

MK Magazine: Jon at SPV couldn't wait to tell me that you'd signed with them. He said Zander don't tell anybody. We got them. They're in good hands.

Johnny Kelly: From the get-go we wanted to go with them in Europe. They're pretty well established over there. They are a very good label and they want to use us as their cornerstone for making a presence in the U.S. They made us an offer for a worldwide deal and it was great. Compared to what everyone else was offering their offer blew it out of the water. So it seemed pretty obvious what we needed to do. So far it's been pretty good. Any kind of record store I go into I see our records there. Before the record came out they did a ton of print ads.

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1349 Confirmed For Inferno Festival

Norwegian black metallers have 1349 have been confirmed for next year's installment of the Inferno metal festival, set to take place March 19-22, 2008 at the Rockefeller and John Dee venues in Oslo, Noway. The festival billing is now shaping up as follows:

BEHEMOTH
KRUX
SATYRICON
DESTRUCTION
SHINING
TULUS
1349

The full lineup will be announced at the Inferno kick-off party at John Dee on January 26, but a few more bands will be revealed before Christmas.

The organizers of the Inferno festival recently announced plans to expand the event to four days in in 2008, with the total number of scheduled performers going up from 30 to 40.

In other news, Inferno organizers are launching the third edition of Inferno Music Conference (IMC) in 2008. Promoters, journalists, designers, artists, managements, labels, venues, booking agencies, photographers are welcome. Registration will start September 1. It will be four days (to be announced soon) of metal industry featuring keynote speakers, panels, speed meeting sessions, listening sessions, meet-and-greet parties every evening, black metal bus sightseeing, Inferno Metal Expo and more.

For more information, visit www.infernofestival.net.

1349 released its third studio album, "Hellfire", in the U.S. in October 2005 via Candlelight Records. Recorded at Studio Studio in Nyhagen, Norway, "Hellfire" was supported by a North American tour with Swiss avant-garde metal pioneers CELTIC FROST.

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Linkin Park Win Best Band At MTV EMAs

LINKIN PARK was honored in the "Best Band" category at MTV's European Music Awards Thursday night (November 1) in Munich, Germany. Other nominees in the category were MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, FALL OUT BOY, TOKIO HOTEL and GOOD CHARLOTTE.

AS previously reported, LINKIN PARK is working to help Southern California recover from the recent wildfires that devastated the region through its charitable organization, Music For Relief. According to MTV.com, the band has contributed $50,000 to Direct Relief International, a non-profit organization based in Santa Barbara that has been providing medical supplies to victims of the blazes. LINKIN PARK bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell said in a statement, "The wildfires are an unfathomable tragedy. Being able to help victims of a natural disaster like the wildfires is exactly why Music for Relief was founded."

LINKIN PARK guitarist Brad Delson told The Pulse of Radio that fans can also help by making their own contributions through Music For Relief online: "It's MusicForRelief.org, and you can get all the information you need to help make a contribution that will go to help relieve suffering among victims of natural disasters."

Music For Relief was started by LINKIN PARK to help victims of the 2005 Asian tsunami. The organization has also contributed to relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina and other emergencies, and has also launched awareness campaigns about climate change.

LINKIN PARK is currently on tour throughout Asia and is expected to return for another U.S. tour in February of 2008.

The California-based group is supporting its third full-length album, "Minutes to Midnight", which was released last May.

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Ratt Drummer Checks In

RATT drummer Bobby Blotzer has issued the following update:

"We are about to embark on our overseas tour of Japan and Australia! We are really psyched as we have not been to Japan in a while and we have never been to Australia, ever! So it is very invigorating for us all. Four shows in Japan and then two shows down under. Should be a great time. So if you are around in that part of the world, come on out!!!!! We hope to crack out some different tunes, and Warren [DeMartini] and I may even take some extended solos! Who knows??? But it will be fun! We are also looking forward to touring with WINGER as we have never done so before. We will have more news soon on plans for next summer. So stay tuned for more!"

RATT returned to stores with new DVD and CD releases on July 31: the first-ever DVD release from the band, "Ratt: Videos From The Cellar: The Atlantic Years", and the audio collection "Tell The World: The Very Best Of Ratt", which features the hard rockers at their studio and live performance peak and includes an unreleased track.

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Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie Add More Tour Dates

More tour dates have been added to the Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie, and In This Moment tour. The latest tour dates are as follows:

November
3 - The Blue Note - Columbus, OH (Rob Zombie and ITM only)
4 - Gateway Arena - Sioux City, IA
6 - Rushmore Plaza Civic Centre - Rapid City, SD
8 - Expo Park - Great Falls, MT (Rob Zombie and ITM only)
9 - MetraPark Arena - Billings, MT
11 - The E-Center - Salt Lake City, UT
12 - The Big Easy - Boise, ID (Rob Zombie and ITM only)
13 - The Big Easy - Boise, ID (Rob Zombie and ITM only) *
14 - Rose Garden - Portland, OR
16 - Stockton Arena - Stockton, CA
17 - Senator Theater - Chico, CA (Rob Zombie and ITM only)
18 - ORACLE Arena - Bakersfield, CA
20 - San Diego Sports Arena - San Diego, CA
24 - The Joint - Las Vegas, NV
26 - Rabobank Arena - Bakersfield, CA
28 - Jobing.com Arena - Glendale, AZ
30 - STAPLES Center - Los Angeles, CA

December
4 - Pepsi Center - Denver, CO
6 - Ford Center - Oklahoma City, OK
8 - Kansas Coliseum - Wichita, KS
11 - Sprint Center - Kansas City, MO
13 - Bradley Center - Milwaukee, WI
16 - Allstate Arena - Chicago, IL
18 - Joe Louis Arena - Detroit, MI
20 - Mellon Arena - Pittsburgh, PA
21 - Rochester, NY - Water Street Music Hall *
22 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY

January
3 - Cumberland County Civic Center - Portland, ME
5 - Verizon Center - Washington, DC
8 - DCU Center - Worcester, MA
10 - Wachovia Spectrum - Philadelphia, PA
12- Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
14 - Colisee Pepsi Arena - Quebec City, QC
16 - Bell Centre - Montreal, QC
19 - John Labatt Centre - London, ON
21 - Air Canada Centre - Toronto, ON

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