Sonata Arctica Plays Free Show Tonight in NYC

Nightwish has canceled their appearance tonight in NYC at The Nokia Theater. The venue has issued the following message to fans:

"Fans of metal band Sonata Arctica and special guest MARTYRD will be treated to a FREE concert on Saturday! Fellow Finnish rockers Nightwish, also originally set to perform at Saturday night's show, have cancelled their performance due to lead singer Annette Olzon's sudden illness. The rest of the band's members will be at the show to meet-and-greet fans as well as sign autographs. Sonata Arctica will go peform at 9pm. Ticket holders will be issued refunds at points of purchase."

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Celesty Completes Recording New Album

Finnish metallers, CELESTY, have finished the recordings of their fourth studio album. The mixing of the album will begin in November/December after the renovation of the studio is finished. Meanwhile the band is furiously rehearsing the new material for their upcoming live shows.

"The recordings were completed without any major problems and we’re happy to announce the new album will sound extremely massive and bombastic! The mixing process will be a serious challenge for Samu Oittinen of Fantom Studio since the songs have so many tracks – in fact, we’re getting close to the Finnish record of amount of tracks on an album!”, says Jere Luokkamäki, the drummer of Celesty. More...

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Thorns Begins Recording New Album

Snorre Ruch of Norway's Thorns has issued the following update:

"We are in the process of recording our second album now. We are working in Oera Studio here in Trondheim with Jostein Ansnes and a couple of other good technicians. We started recording drums on September 1. and will start recording guitars and bass the coming week. Vocals will be recorded in a separate session later this fall, and we will use some time with additional instruments and recordings to accompany the basic instrumentation. We hope to deliver the master to Moonfog before Christmas and that the album will be out first quarter of 2009." More...

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Paragon Reveals New Album Tracklisting

German power metal band, Paragon, have announced a November 14th release date for their new album, "Screenslaves." The tracklisting for "Screenslaves" is as follows:

1. Hellgore
2. Disconnected
3. Entombed
4. Screenslaves
5. Bloodfeast
6. The Blade In The Dark
7. Death Next Door
8. The Killing Hand
9. Waxworks
10. Larger Than Life
11. Legacy (italian version)
12. Screenslaves videoclip (digipack bonus only!)

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God Forbid Completes New Album

God Forbid frontman Byron Davis has posted the following message online:

"First off let me say that the record is done, so to speak. All that is needed really is to finish the mixing, which is being done right now as we speak. I would like to take this time to thank those who have stood by us, throughout the years despite the trends. Let me say that the main focus of this band has been to right music that anyone and everyone could and would enjoy. I have seen throughout the years the change in music and the change in attitudes from both sides of the spectrum. Heavy music as we know it is not necessarily the most popular music of today at least in the United States, but I must say it definitely fills a void. The void I speak of is the disenchantment of an idea that everything in the world is ok and that issues will work themselves about by them self without any idea or kind of personal change. Brace yourself this is gonna get deep.

"Music for me has been my savior as well as my demon, it allows me to express myself in a positive way as well as drive me fucking crazy (lol). Damn I love my gig. Anyway back to what I was saying music allows us to step outside of ourselves and view things from a different perspective. Being different has proven to be a struggle but no more of a struggle than the average person working day to day goes through to provide his or herself a personal happiness. I have to say that I love my band and have been very proud to be apart of their lives these past 10 or so years.

"For those who have watched the DVD in its entirety or parts of it know that it was genuine and done out of the idea of exposing ourselves in a way in which you can see the real people behind the music and the band. The ones whom some of you have met and our shows as well as other shows we may have been at, while you were there. I have so much faith and hope in all of you and I wish you all the best in the next upcoming months and look forward to seeing you all soon. We know that it has become hard to find the DVD but you can find it on websites here and there, if not we will have them with us once we hit the road again. This was suppose to expand into several topics, but since I lost my train of thought I will just leave it at this, but be on the look out for more from me. See you all soon and thank you for your support through it all."

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Metallica Discusses Leaving Staley Song Off Album

Metallica frontman James Hetfield penned a touching musical tribute to tragic Alice in Chains star Layne Staley - but decided it wasn't good enough for the band's new album Death Magnetic.

The frontman admits he didn't really know the late star, who died from a drug overdose in 2002, but his tragic demise inspired him to write many of the dark tracks on Metallica's new album.

And one track, "Shine," was written all about Staley.

Hetfield tells Rolling Stone magazine, "I know (Alice In Chains star) Jerry Cantrell quite well and learned about Layne through him... I could see some of the things Jerry went through to keep that band together.

"I started writing a song around a Layne Staley type - a rock 'n' roll martyr magnetised by death. Why did he choose that path, someone with such talent?"

Metallica recorded Death Magnetic with a photograph of Staley taped to the wall of their studio control room. More...

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Ekpyrosis Readies "Mensch Aus Gold"

German black metal band EKPYROSIS' new CD "Mensch Aus Gold" is scheduled for release via Paradigms Recordings in October 2008. "Mensch Aus Gold" is a mammoth one track over 30+ minutes.

The labels describes Ekpyrosis' latest effort: "This is some of the most unique, challenging and engaging Black Metal we have heard in a long, long time. Rich, intelligent avant Black Metal with an almost post-punk feel of Joy Division or Xmal Deutschland -- well, at least that what it sounds like to us. But we're pretty sure you've never heard anything like this before."

Totally stunning! And with exceptionally beautiful art and design to complete this offering.

"Mensch Aus Gold" will be a limited edition pressing of 500 CDs available from the Paradigms webstore exclusively in early October.

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Deftones Posts More Studio Footage Online

Sacremento, California based rockers Deftones has posted another video containing footage of the band at work in the studio. You can check it out below.

Deftones are currently writing a brand new studio album entitled, "Eros" and are working with producer Terry Date. More...

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Sanctification Posts Making-of Video Online

Since the completion of their latest effort, "Black Reign," SANCTIFICATION has decided to showcase the happenings and going-ons behind the closed doors of Sweden's Abyss Studio.

A series of SANCTIFICATION Studio Diary videos will be shown throughout the next couple of months, detailing the process of recording the "Black Reign" album, with Tommy and Peter Tägtgren guarding the helm at the console desk.

You can watch the first video below: More...

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Architect Posts "Death and Taxes" Online

Syracuse, New York based metal band Architect has a rough version of the song "Death and Taxes" from the upcoming release posted on the band's MySpace. Fall tour dates will be announced shortly.

Architect recorded their second full-length, entitled "Ghost of the Saltwater Machines," at More Sound Studio in Syracuse with Jason "Jocko" Randall at the helm. The album contains ten songs and is scheduled for release this fall, with art by band friend Alex Eckman-Lawn.

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Helion Festival 2008 Lineup Announced

The lineup for the 2008 Helion Festival is taking shape as follows:

EQUILIBRIUM
DARKSEED
VARG
SYCRONOMICA
HELFAHRT
KARLAHAN
COMMANDER
GODS OF EMPTINESS
FESTERING SALIVA
CRYSTALLION
SHEEPHEAD
NERVINE
ARS IRAE
CULT OF GAIA
DAMIEN

The festival takes place on October 4 in Germany. More information (in German) can be found on the official site.

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The Gates of Slumber Announces US Tour Dates

The Indianapolis trio THE GATES OF SLUMBER is set to hit the road in support of their latest album, "Conqueror," with fellow comrades Demiricous on the "Conquest Of Poverty Tour."

The tour dates for the month long "Conquest Of Poverty tour" are as follows (the TBA's will be updated):

11/8/09 Lawrence, KS @ tba
11/9/08 Denver, CO @ tba
11/10/08 Boise, ID @ tba
11/11/08 Portland, OR @ Satyricon
11/12/08 Seattle WA @ Studio Seven
11/14/08 Oakland, CA @ The Metro w/ The Faceless,
Decrepit Birth
11/15/08 Bakersfield, CA @ Jerry's Pizza
11/16/08 Los Angeles, CA @ Black Castle (tentative)
11/17/08 Tempe, AZ @ Big Fish Pub
11/18/08 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad (tentative)
11/19/08 Abilene, TX @ Midnight Rodeo
11/20/08 San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit w/ Anal Cunt
11/21/08 Austin, TX @ Red 7 w/ Anal Cunt
11/22/08 Dallas, TX @ Reno's Chop Shop w/ Anal Cunt
11/23/08 Houston, TX @ tba w/ Anal Cunt
11/24/08 New Orleans, LA @ tba
11/25/08 Tallahassee, FL @ The Engine Room
11/26/08 Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug
11/28/08 Gainesville, FL @ The Atlantic
11/29/08 Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicon (tentative)
11/30/08 Baltimore, MD @ Talking Head w/ Strong Intention
12/1/08 New York, NY @ Lit Lounge - Metal Mondays
12/2/08 Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool (tentative) w/ Krallice, more
12/3/08 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
12/4/08 Columbus, OH @ Ravari Room
12/5/08 TBA
12/6/08 Indianapolis, IN @ Emerson Theater

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Interview

Interview with Frank Watkins from Obituary

Pioneers in death metal and a huge part of the Tampa death metal scene, Obituary has been keeping it fierce for nearly twenty years. Despite a seven year hiatus, Obituary has proven that they are as important to the scene now as they were when it first began. Now with release of “Xecutioner’s Return” and their tour with Unleashed and Carnifex to support it, there is no slowing down. With plans for their next album and tour already in the works, Obituary proves why they have been so important to death metal and why they have reached death metal legendary status. I recently caught up with Frank Watkins, bass, at the House of Blues in New Orleans on the second night of their tour. More...

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Outlaw Order Announces New Release Date

Due to manufacturing issues, "Dragging Down the Enforcer" will not be released until November 25, 2008 overseas and November 26, 2008 in the United States. You can check out their song, "Siege Mentality" on the band's myspace page.

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Compilation of Doom and Sludge Cover Pink Floyd

Dwell Records has released "Like Black Holes in the Sky: The Tribute to Syd Barrett," a complilation of doom and sludge bands covering Pink Floyd. Some bands appearing on this compilation are Unearthly Trance, Jesu, Yakuza, Intronaut, and Dredg.

Dwell Records has made the compilation available online for streaming. You can check it out here.

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