Friday November 25th 2005

Zao released their first DVD called The Lesser Lights Of Heaven. This double DVD was brought out by Ferret Music. The first disc contains a documentary directed by former MTV producer Ryan J. Downey, plus an hour of deleted scenes and the video for The Rising End. The second disc has two full live sets plus fourteen songs from over the years.

Further news from  Zao is that they are working on a new album, the follow-up to  The Funeral Of God. The band will enter the Electrical Audio studio in January with Steve Albini (Nirvana, Neurosis, The Pixies).

The Germany label MTM Music has signed hard rock all star band Liberty n' Justice. This American band was formed in 1991 by Justin Murr and Patrick Marchand. MTM Music will release the follow-up to Welcome To The Revolution that came out last year. The next album is called Soundtrack Of A Soul and is scheduled for release in February 2006. This record will feature contributions from Ez Gomér (Jet Circus), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Jamie Rowe (Guardian, Adriangale), Josh Kramer (Saint), Scott Wenzel (Whitecross), Tony Harnell (TNT), Ted Poley (Danger Danger), Mike Lee (Barren Cross), Mikkey Dee (Motörhead), Tim Gaines (formerly of Stryper) and many others.

Holy Soldier filmed their show at the Paladino's last sunday for the band's upcoming DVD release.

HM Magazine reports that Rivel Records have a new band called 7days. This is a Swedish metal band formed by former Candlemass singer Thomas Vikström and guitarist Markus Sigfridsson. Look for their debut in 2006.

Paramæcium has started working on a new album.

Saint finished mastering their live CD. They hope to have it in their hands in early December.

The Norwegian black metal band Arvinger is early with their Christmas gift. You can download the track Til Evig Tid for free!

Friday November 18th 2005

Anberlin will be shooting a video for Paperthyin Hymn in early december. The will be working with director Josh Graham (Dillinger Escape Plan, Underoath).

Friday November 11th 2005

Lightmare has almost finished the recordings of their new album with singer Timon Schreiber. Special guest on the CD will be Josh Kramer (of Saint).

In early 2006 Tourniquet will release a new DVD. This DVD will feature their show at Bobfest 2005. The concert was filmed by four cameras and it includes songs like The Tomb Of Gilgamesh and Skeezix Part II. You can expect old favorites and tracks from the Where Moth And Rust Destroy album.

Girder Records will be re-releasing the First Strike album from Stryken. This album will also include the 12" single Surprise. First Strike was originally released in 1986 through Chrystal Records. Release date is tentatively scheduled for sometime in late 2005 or early 2006.

Demon Hunter's new album The Triptych reached #1 in Billboard's Heatseekers chart this week. The band's third album debuted at #136 in the album chart.

Inked In Blood recorded a cover of I Just Died In Your Arms from Cutting Crew. This happened during the recording session of their album Lay Waste The Poets. You can listen to the cover on Inked In Blood's Purevolume site.

In January Transfigural Form will release a new album. Tentative title for this record is Destroyed. It will contain twelve death metal songs.

You can now listen to a new song off The Chariot's new Unsung EP. The EP hits stores on December 6th and will feature 4 re-recorded songs from Everything Is Alive... and two brand new songs.

Friday November 4th 2005

The Finnish band Dust Eater Dogs is working on a new album. It's still unsure when this one will be out, but it may happen next year. They are writing new songs that are, according to the band, dirtier than Christina Aquilera and more metal than a U.S. fullarmor tank.

In September 2005 the French band Space In Your Face entered the studio to record their second album called Emosphère. This happened with producer Daniel Laurent at the Bagdad Studios in Lausanne, Switzerland. The album comes out on November 25th.

Far-Less will release their first album for Tooth & Nail Records on February 7th. The record is called Everyone Is Out To Get Us.

On November 15th P.O.D. will release a limited edition of The Warriors EP Volume 2. This EP will give you an idea of the new album Testify that will be out in January 2006. There are only 40,000 copies available for this EP. In their 13 year career POD has sold over 7 million records. The first single for Testify is Goodbye For Now.

12 Stones have been hard at work writing songs for their upcoming third album.

In 2006 Stryper will embark on a so-called Church Tour. This means they will do an acoustic-style of show in churches across the USA. Stryper is promoting their new album Reborn.

Friday October 28th 2005

Callisto has started the pre-production for their second full-length album with Jonas Olsson. They are working on ten songs. In December Callistao will enter the studio. Expect the album out in the first half of 2006.

Bombworks Records have signed the British doom metal band My Silent Wake. My Silent Wake is fronted by Ian Arkley, formerly of Seventh Angel and Ashen Mortality. Bombwork Records will release a CD with six or seven new long songs, plus the two tracks from the demo the band released independently. The record will be out in early 2006.

Century Sleeper, another band from Ian Arkley, will release their album Awaken in November through Cold Fusion. The album will contain twelve songs and will weigh in at over seventy minutes in duration.

Solid State Records is about to release Kiss It Goodbye, the farewell DVD of Beloved. This band split up earlier this year. The DVD features their farewell concert on January 14th 2005.

The title for the new album from Blissed, is Corrosion. The band is currently looking for labels. They hope to have the album out in late 2005 or early 2006. Some of the songs on Corrosion are: Superhero, Monster and Betrayal.

Dead Poetic will be working with Aaron Sprinkle again for the recording of their next album. Sprinkle also produced the successful album New Medicines.

You can view the video for Glass Half Nothing from Nodes Of Ranvier on Launch.com.

Blood & Ink Records will release a vinyl version of the new No Innocent Victim album To Burn Again. This vinyl pressing will be avaible from November 22nd.

On December 2nd and 3rd the Christmas Rock Night will take place in Germany. On this festival the band Petra will do their final show on German grounds. After 33 years and over 10 million records sold, they will split up. Other bands that you can see on the Christmas Rock Night, are: Disciple, Kutless, Blindside, Paul Colman, Spoken, Roper, Krystal Meyers, Kids in the Way, House of Heroes, Life in Your Way, Seekers Planet, Titus, Wonderland, Adrian Thompson, Make up your mind, Crushead, Claas P Jambor, D-Projekt, Capewalk, Arson, Waiting for Steve, Ambergrain and Today Forever. The pre-sale tickets cost 32 euro per day and 55 euro for a two-day combi-ticket. The festival takes place in Haus Ennepetal, Ennepetal (50 kilometer from Düsseldorf), Germany.

Friday October 21st 2005

Veni Domine has almost finished their new album. They are still working on the artwork. The band is also looking for the right record deal.

Seventh Avenue is working on their new album. This will be a concept album. Eight songs are already written.

From Purevolume.com you can listen to a new song from Demon Hunter. The track is called The Science Of Lies and it's one of the songs on the new album The Triptych that will be out on October 25th.

On Purevolume.com you can also listen to a song from August Burns Red. Their album Thrill Seeker will be out on November 8th. The song you can listen to is Too Late For Roses.

Also Facedown Records is offering new music on Purevolume. Their band No Innocent Victim will release their album To Burn Again on November 8th. On the same day you can expect Lay Waste The Poets from Inked In Blood and The Path We Tread from xLooking Forwardx.

The Swiss metal band Detonation have a new line-up. After the departure of Toni Kaelin, the band found replacement in bassist Daniel Marti and guitarist Sven Bernleithner. Detonation wants to celebrate their comeback with a show on Element Of Rock 2006.

The Dutch symphonic doom metal band Morphia is looking for new personnel. Guitarist Roger Koedoot and bassist Erik van Tulder have both decided to leave the band. As singer Jasper Pieterson will take over the bass duties, the band is still looking for a guitarist.

Next year The Awakening will release their new album. Right now you can download the song Some Heroes from their website. This song is a previously unreleased track which was recorded between The Fourth Seal Of Zeen and Roadside Heretics.

The Beyond the Mountain Festival is cancelled! This event was supposed to take place on November 5th. The festival is cancelled as the main investor didn't fullfil his commitment and the bands Barren Cross, Sacred Warrior and Deliverance had to cancel their shows.

Friday October 14th 2005

Royal Anguish has finished the main recordings for their upcoming full-length which will be released in 2006 by Fear Dark. The CD will span 15 tracks and be nearly 50 minutes in length.

Opposition Of One has started working on new songs for their next album. This will be the follow-up to the successful In The Line Of Change album. Expect the new record in early 2006.

Sympathy is turning from a one-man-band into a real formation. Dharok has found two members of his band: Jeff Lewis and Jim Austin. Jeff Lewis is known for his work on the Relentless album of Mortification. Jim Austin will be drumming for Sympathy. Austin was part of Into Eternity.

Mortification is still working on their new album Erasing The Goblin. This will be a death metal CD with fast and slow material. Soundmass will also release the Grind Planets video on DVD. This DVD will include 8 professional film clips from the 1991-1992 era, a full live concert from 1992 and some other footage.

You can listen to new material from Brain:FAQ on their Purevolume website.A release party for this new album will be on November 4th in Chemnitz, Germany. Starting with the release, Brain:FAQ will continue under the moniker of Saphena. The title of their CD is Das Leben Wird Zu Glas.

Project 86 is doing well with their new album ...And The Rest Will Follow. The record sold over 8,000 copies in the first week and entered at #131 on the Billboard Top 200 list. This is the highest debut in the history of the band.

Rob Rock will film and record his first live DVD in March 2006 in Germany.

The Brazilian band Shaphal hopes to finally record their new CD in November. The new songs will be heavier than the tracks on the Satanic Operations EP.

The rock band Petra will do their final Dutch concert on December 4th. The previous day the band of John Schlitt can be seen in Germany at the Christmas Rock Night.

From November 3rd through 6th the Nordic Fest will take place in Oslo, Norway. The line-up on Thursday 3rd is: Silent Vanquish, Frosthardr and Zeenon. On Friday 4th: Aspiration, Sacrificium, Grand Lux, Drottnar, Ram-Zet. And on Saturday 5th you can see the following bands: Implacable, Minas Tirith, Crimson Thorn, Divinefire, She Said Destroy and Crimson Moonlight.

Friday October 7th 2005

Hawk Nelson released a deluxe version of their album Letters To The President on Tooth & Nail Records. This special edition features four bonus songs, bonus videos, a letter from the band and more.

August Burns Red is a new band on Solid State Records. They were formed in March 2003. Their first album is Thrill Seeker and will be released on November 8th. The record was produced by Adam Dutkiewicz (Killswitch Engage). You can listen to the song Your Little Suburbia Is In Ruins on Purevolume.com.

Roxx Records will be releasing a DVD of their Up From The Ashes festival. Unfortunately, the DVD will not contain live footage from Holy Soldier. However, there are plans to add old videos of the band to the DVD. Only a 1,000 copies of the DVD will be released.

Tooth & Nail Records will release the Happy Christmas Volume 4 CD on October 25th. This compilation album will contain new and unreleased songs from Aaron Gillespie (Underoath) with Kenny Vasoli (The Starting Line), Anberlin, Hawk Nelson, Spoken, Relient K and more.