Friday September 24th 2004

The Dutch black metal/dark metal band Slechtvalk is going to release a live-DVD! The recording of the DVD takes place on Saturday November 6th in the Hedon, Burgemeester Drijbersingel 7, Zwolle, Holland. The entrance is € 5,00. However, free tickets will be given away at the German Metal Night, on Saturday October 16th in De Kei, Peppelensteeg, Ede, Holland. Slechtvalk and their record company Fear Dark hope to release the DVD in February 2005.

The new Seventh Avenue album Eternals will be released on October 25th through Massacre Records.

Next week Jason Truby will release String Theory. This record will be launched exclusively through the POD online store on Tuesday September 28th.

The Brazilian band Sabbatariam recorded a heavy version of a Bride song. The track is Heroes.

Friday September 17th 2004

Rowe Productions released Sleeping In Light. This is an album from melodic black metal band Fearscape.

Soundmass will re-release Horde's Hellig Usvart in October in partnership with Rowe Productions. This way the tenth anniversary of this classic black metal album will be celebrated. Hellig Usvart will include a bonus track and new layout.

Due to Steve Rowe's health concerns and insufficient finances, Mortification will not be playing in Mexico and South America in November.

Here's a chance to hear some new music from Stavesacre. On Purevolume.com you can listen to the song Handful Of Words.

The Dutch rock band Satellite 7 is going to record a new album. They will enter the E-sound studio in Weesp later this month. The producer Satellite 7 will be working with, is Zlaya, also known for his work with Sonic Youth and Motorpsycho.

There's a new song from MeWithoutYou that you may want to download. The track Paper Hanger can be downloaded from Purevolume.com. Paper Hanger is one of the songs on the upcoming album Catch For Us The Foxes, in stores on October 5th.

There's a new Underoath song available for download on Purevolume.com. It's called I Got 10 Friends And A Crowbar That Says You Ain't Gonna Do Jack. The song can also be found on the Music On The Brain, Volume 1 and the vinyl version of They're Only Chasing Safety.

Rob Rock's Rage Of Creation is looking for a drummer for local gigs and a possible European and Japanese tour in 2005. The band expects to finish the new recordings this year and release the 3rd Rob Rock album in early 2005.

Kekal has almost done with the recording of the next album, Acidity. There will be more guitar solos on this disc than on previous albums. Jeff, Leo and live-guitarist Didi are doing solos, as well as special guest Jason DeRon (from Altera Enigma, formerly of Paramæcium). Some of the songs on Acidity are: Strength in My Weakness, Envy And Its Manifesto, Romantika Destruksi and Blessing in Disguise.

Kekal has now a new mp3 site as well at Audiostreet.net. The song Vox Diaboli is doing well in the progressive metal chart.

On December 3rd & 4th 2004 the Christmas Rock Night will be held in Haus Ennepetal, Gasstrasse 10, Ennepetal (near Wuppertal), Germany. Line-up. Friday: The O.C. Supertones, Project 86, Crushead (Mainstage); Seventh Avenue, Gen, Blunt Skulls (small stage). Saturday: Pillar, East West, Splitlevel (Mainstage); Morphia, Opposition Of One, Make Up Your Mind. To see the entire line-up, go to the website of the Christmas Rock Night.

Friday September 10th 2004

Bassist Timothy Gaines has left Stryper. According to the band's manageament, Deep South Entertainment, the departure of Gaines was an amicable one on behalf of everyone. Timothy Gaines was not asked to leave the band, nor was there a ceremonious resignation. It was simply a decision made by all parties, 'in an effort to individually preserve their respective calling, personally and professionally.'

A replacement bass player will be named on a show by show basis until further notice.

Extol has found a replacement for their previous guitarist Ole Børud and Christer Espevoll. They are replaced by Tor Glidje and Ole Halvard Sveen. Both are known for black metal band Lengsel and the rock band Ganglion.

Tooth & Nail Records re-released Set If Off, the first album from Thousand Foot Krutch. This re-issue comes with remixed songs and six unreleased tracks.

A new band signed by Tooth & Nail Records is Showbread. Showbread's debut release No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical was recorded with producer Sylvia Massy Shivy (Tool, Johnny Cash) and contains 13 tracks. This album will be out on October 19th. On their website you can download the song Mouth Like A Magazine.

The episode of American Dreams on NBC featuring Hawk Nelson, will air on October 10th. The band will appear as their rendition of The Who and perform the song My Generation.

Stavesacre has begun with several labels for a new release. The material for the next album is written.

Guitarplayer Torbjörn Weinesjö (Veni Domine) is no longer member of Divinefire. Due to musical differences and the way Divinefire has progressed production wise Torbjörn has chosen to leave the band. He will now concentrate to work and promote Veni Domine and his other band Thorb.

The Audiovision album that Christian Rivel (from Narnia and Divinefire) and Lars Chriss (from Lion's Share) have been working on, will be released on December 22nd in Japan through King Records. Exactly two months later Rivel Records will release the album in Sweden. The album features guest appearances of Bruce Kulick, Jeff Scott Soto, Tony Franklin, Mat Levén and Mic Michaeli.

Friday September 3rd 2004

Tourniquet will re-release The Vanishing Lessons album. The CD is almost 74 minutes long and features several live tracks, a previously unreleased track and a couple of rare demos that no one appears to have heard in ten years... The band is also working on new music.

Parakletos is a new black metal band from Sweden. They signed a deal with Rivel Records.

Communicating In Heartbeats is the upcoming album from Neshamah. You can download one of the song called Temporay Satisfaction Of Desires from their website. The album will be out on October 16th.

From October 21st through 24th the Nordic Fest will be held in the Sub Scene in Oslo, Norway. Four bands were added to the roster: Rob Rock, Antestor, Soapbox and Bleedience. Other bands that will appear on the festival are: Narnia, Mental Destruction, Renascent, Harmony, Megiddon, Equilibrium and Inevitable End.

Another Scandinavian festival is the Bob Fest. Unfortunately, next Bob Fest will be the last edition... The people who organize the festival have decided to spend more time with their families.

Last week you could read about the three bands that will appear on the Fear Dark Festivals next year. Here are the dates: Friday March 4th the first festival will be held in Germany. The next day you can see the same line-up in De Kei, Ede, Holland. And on Sunday March 6th the festival will probably be held in the Hedon, Zwolle, Holland. The line-up consists of Slechtvalk, Eluveitie and Thy Majesty. Slechtvalk will present their new album at the Fear Dark Festivals.

Friday August 27th 2004

Immortal Souls is working on new material for a next album. Their previously announced US tour was cancelled.

Evanescence is nominated in the Best Rock Video category for My Immortal in the MTV Video Music Awards . Sunday night this show will be aired. Amy Lee will also be appearing as a presenter on the show.

12 Stones have released their second album Potter's Field. Their first video is Far Away.

The Brazilian band Seven Angels is back in the studio to record their second album. Tentative title is Faceless man. The band hopes to have the album out in December.

In Spring 2005 the next album from Symphony In Peril will be released. The title is The Whore's Trophy, and it's based on Revelation chapter 17. The Whore's Trophy will be recorded in October/November.

Inked In Blood released their Awakening Vesuvius EP through Strike First Records. The EP contains five songs.

The Facedown Fest 2004 DVD is in the finishing stages. It will be a 2-disc project with fifteen bands, 55 songs and over five hours of live footage. Highlights are the final xDisciple ADx show, Comeback Kid, Nodes Of Ranvier, Shockwave, Sinai Beach and Symphony In Peril. This DVD will hit stores on January 4th, 2005.

Here's some old, previously overlooked news from Atomic Opera. The band is still working on their new album The Mystery Of Hope. Expect nine songs.

Demon Hunter will be guest hosts for MTV2's Headbangers Ball. On September 17th the band will fly to New York City to host the show. They will be premiering the video for Not Ready To Die. When they episode will air, is not certain.

Demon Hunter will also be on the Resident Evil 2 Soundtrack along with Rob Zombie, Deftones, A Perfect Circle, Slipknot, The Used, Killswitch Engage and more! The soundtrack will be out on August 31st.

Demon Hunter will also head back into the studio in April to record a new album.

The new album from Veni Domine is out. IIII The Album Of Labour contains eleven (!) tracks including Waiting For The Blood Red Sky, Doom Of Man, The Healing The Mystery and Voice Of Creation.

Next year's edition of the Fear Dark Festivals will feature the following bands: Thy Majestie, Slechtvalk and Eluveitie.

Fear Dark is also organizing a German Metal Festival in De Kei, Peppelensteeg, Ede, Holland, on October 16th. Artists are: Sacrificium, Brain:FAQ, Exaudi, Anticipation. This festival starts around 19:00. The entrance is only 10 euro.

Friday August 20th 2004

Kekal released Spirits From The Ancients Days. This CD is a re-issue of their demos. You can download one song from the album from Audiostreet. It's the re-recorded Contra Spiritualia Nequitiae Act III.

Spirit's Breeze from Brazil is working on the pre-production of their new album. According to the band the technique and speed are moved to a never seen before level...

Next month POD guitarist Jason Truby will release a solo album. This will be a 24 song acoustic album called String Theory. It will only be available on the POD website.

On October 5th the new MeWithoutYou album will see the light. The disc is called Catch For Us The Foxes. You can download the song January 1979 from PureVolume.

Hawk Nelson just returned from Hollywood after taping an episode for American Dreams, a show on NBC. The band was selected to emulate the sixties rock group The Who. Hawk Nelson recorded their rendition of The Who's classic My Generation. This episode will be on NBC coming fall.

Friday August 13th 2004

Morphia has delayed the release of their new album. The record is now expected around October. Though the music still needs modification and mixing, you can listen to some samples on the Morphia website. Some of the songs that will appear on the album are Fading Beauty, Meaning Of Forever II, Of Stars And Flowers and Sounds Of Violence. The producer of the new album is Marc ter Braak of Harrow Studios.

Another Dutch band is planning to release music. Melisend will enter the studio in October to record a demo.

Sally Forth Records uploaded four songs from North And South, the new album from The Spirit That Guides Us. North And South will be released in September. The band will tour the Benelux in October to promote the album.

Metal band Hearken is offering a free MP3. You can download the song Solemn that's being released on the DES compilation.

At the end of this month a new Spanish fanzine will go online called Sangre Suficiente.

There's an interesting festival coming up in Mexico City on November 20th: The first Revolution Metal Fest! The following bands will appear: Saviour Machine, Narnia, Stryper, Mortification and Exousia.

Friday August 6th 2004

Extol has entered the Toproom Studio to record their fourth full-length album with Herr Børge Finstad. Tentative title for this release is Gloriana. The album will be mixed in the Antfarm Studio in Denmark.

The list of songs for the Divinefire album is made public. The album will be called Glory Thy Name and it will contain eleven songs. Some of the songs are From Death To Life, The World´s On Fire, Free Like An Eagle and The Way To Eternity. Divinefire signed a deal with King Records in Japan. The album will be released in late November in Asia. In early 2005 the rest of the world will be given the chance to buy this record. Divinefire is a project featuring members from well-esteemed bands as Veni Domine, Narnia and Saviour Machine among others. The line-up is Jani Stefanovic (drums, guitars and keyboards), Christian Rivel (vocals), Torbjörn Weinesjö (guitars) and Andreas Olsson (bass). Guest players that will appear on the album: Pontus Norgren (Talisman & Great King Rat), Thomas Vikström (Brazen Abbot & Candlemass), Fredrik Sjöholm (Veni Domine), Carljohan Grimmark (Narnia), Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine) and Hubertus Liljegren (Crimson Moonlight).

Echoes From The Ground, the new album from Paramæcium is out!

Kekal has recorded 60% of their upcoming album. Title for the record is Acidity.

You can download the song Twisted Angel, a track from the upcoming CD Tales Of Sullen Eyes from Royal Anguish. The CD was recorded at Mana Studios in Tampa, Florida and was produced by Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel).

Calibretto is bringing out a final release. It's a split album with Side Walk Slam and Mercury Radio Theater. Standard Recording Company will release this split.

Metal Blade Records have signed a deal with metalcore act Winter Solstice. The band will hit the Cloud City Studios in Detroit in October to record their album.

The Destruction Festival is coming up in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately the band Ashen Mortality has been cancelled, as well as Decarsus. Two bands will replace them: My Cross To Bare and Zealous.