Virgin Black will release their three new albums separately. The first album to be released is in fact the second album of their trilogy: Requiem - Mezzo Forte. This disc will be followed by Requiem - Fortissimo. And the first album of the series will be the final one to come out: Requiem - Pianissimo. The parade of albums will begin first thing in the new year.

Kekal's new album will be called The Habit Of Fire. The album has eleven tracks and runs for over 70 minutes. The band is currently negotiating with a couple of record labels. Hopefully the new album will be released before the end of the year.

Bombworks Records released the first Century Sleeper album Awaken. This record is a unique collaboration between Ian Arkley of My Silent Wake and James Allin of Visionaire. Expect gothic death and doom.

Another new release on Bombworks Records comes from the Ukraine: Angel 7. Their new album Black And White mixes power metal riffing with death and black metal.

You can listen to the new Dogwood song A Cause, A Plan, An Execution at Indie Vision.

Evanescence new single for the next record is Call Me When You're Sober. This is one of the tracks on the new album The Open Door. Other tracks on the album are: Sweet Sacrifice, Weight of the World, Lithium, Cloud Nine, Snow White Queen, Lacrymosa, Like You, Lose Control, The Only One, Your Star, All That I'm Living For, Good Enough.

The next Bride album is called Skin For Skin. According to the band it's heavy metal with a little hard rock thrown in.

Fear Dark is downsizing their mailorder service. In the past few years Fear Dark increased the number of hard music items that they sell through an e-mail service. However, they've decided to focus more on their record company. The mailorder service will not stop entirely though. In the future you can still get releases from a selected few labels, like Rivel Records, Facedown Records, Strikefirst Records and Endtime Productions.

Slechtvalk and their soprano Fionnghuala have parted ways. After being with the band for four years she decided to focus more on her other musical projects. Slechtvalk have decided to play no concerts for some time to put their full attention to the new songs they're working on.

Fort Knox Amsterdam will be playing the Reactor Tent at the Flevo Festival. They're working hard to get their new EP out in time for the festival. This EP is called Wake Up and will have eight songs. There are also plans to record a music video in the next few months to promote the EP.

The German death metal band Sacrificium is working on new songs. According to guitarist Oliver Tesch the stuff they have so far sounds pretty good. Sacrificium is also looking forward to their show at the Flevo Festival. It will be their first live event in The Netherlands for some time.

The Finnish metal band Venia is in the middle of pre-producing new songs.

Tooth & Nail Records and Solid State Records offer over thirty songs on PureVolume as a One Dark Summer exclusive digital sampler. You can download songs from Tooth & Nail and Solid State artists. Read more about this on the Tooth & Nail website.

Showbread is releasing a new album called Age Of Reptiles. This record will be out on August 1st. You can listen to a new song on Purevolume.

The new Dead Poetic album Vices will be out on October 31st. You can listen to the new song Narcotic on Purevolume.

Finally, Stryper will release a DVD of their concert in Puerto Rico in 2004. Greatest Hits - Live in Puerto Rico is a release that will only be available through the Stryper website. It will be shipped, starting on August 21st. The running time is approximately 100 minutes. The DVD features Stryper with the original line-up, including Tim Gaines on bass. The songs on Greatest Hits - Live in Puerto Rico are:  Sing Along Song, Makes Me Wanna Sing, Calling On You, Free, More Than a Man, Caught in the Middle,  You Won't Be Lonely, Reach Out, Loud and Clear, The Way, Soldiers Under Command, To Hell With the Devil, Honestly, Winter Wonderland.

Stryper singer Michael Sweet will release his new solo album HIM on August 1st.

This month MCM Music will release the new Mortification album Erasing The Goblin in Europe.

Pillar has almost finished their next album. The songs are now getting mixed by David Bendeth (As I Lay Dying, Hawthorne Heights). The album will have thirteen tracks and is called The Reckoning. Expect this CD out on October 3rd. You can listen to the new song Everything on Purevolume.com.

Before the release of The Reckoning, Pillar will bring out an EP called Nothing Comes For Free. The EP will feature an early mix of Everything, four live performance recordings, plus two previously unreleased songs: Our Escape and Dangerous. The release will be limited to only 10,000 copies. You can get this CD on Pillar shows and on their website.

Circus Dawn is about to release their new album Between The Lines Of Gray. Youngside Records will bring this record out on July 4th.

The German rock band Crushead just released their third album, entitled Space Between.

Death metal band Quejidos Del Seol from Puerto Rico got their first album out called Eternidad. On the bands myspace-website you can listen to two songs from the CD.

Anberlin is going to record another album. Currently they have twenty songs, but they still have to decide what songs will make it to the record.

There's a new webzine called Mauce. This is a Dutch initiative with metal news, CD reviews and much more. Mauce also has a Dutch metal musicians database. So, if you play an instrument and would like to look for possibilities to play in a band, it may be worth your while to pay Mauce a visit.

Crimson Moonlight signed with Endtime Productions. To celebrate this, the band will release an EP with two new tracks and a re-recorded classic from the early days of the band.

Divinefire have their new album Into A New Dimension mixed now. The record will come out on September 23rd in Japan. The rest of the world has to wait for late November.

The German hardcore band Pistis In Him Alone has decided to call it quits. At the end of July (Moshfest, in Nürnberg) and the beginning of August (Freakstock festival) they will pla their farewell shows. At the moment Pistis I.H.A. is recording their last new songs and will be presenting those by mid July as a free online release. Don't miss that!

Gothic metal band Illuminandi is working on their new EP Hymn Of All Creation. On their myspace page you can get a first impression of the CD. And from the band's website you can download four samples.

Bloodlined Calligraphy are recording their album Ypsilanti for Facedown Records.

And another band from the Facedown Records stable, War Of Ages, just recorded their debut  Pride Of The Wicked at the Trax East Studios.

Guideline Records is still working on their DVD.

Facedown Records and Strike First Records released a Digital Summer Sampler. This means you can download sixteen tracks from bands like Demise Of Eros, Today Forever, Jesus Wept, Nodes Of Ranvier and others. Go to Purevolume.com and have fun!

Strike First Records will release three records in August. On August 8th you can expect Unsinkable from Call To Preserve. You can listen to two songs on Purevolume.com. August 22nd is the date for the American version of The New Pathetic from Today Forever to see the light of day. You can listen to two songs on Purevolume.com as well. And the third band is Demise Of Eros with their CD Neither Storm Nor Quake Nor Fire. This disc will also come out on August 22nd.

Fire Fly have begun the long process of creating a new album. Title and release date are still unknown but at least they've begun...

Till Sverige Med Älska (To Sweden With Love) is the title of the upcoming Live In Sweden DVD from Tourniquet. They are almost ready to go to manufacturing. Look for a July 2006 release.

Lo-Ruhamah is entering the studio on Monday, June 12. They will start recording the full length follow-up to their four track EP. The album will be called The Glory Of God and will be out this Fall through Bombworks Records.

Laudamus released their new album this week. The disc has 16 songs, including: Wasting No Compassion, More Than I'll Ever Know, Be There Forever and Evidence. Twelve of the tracks are re-recorded versions with new arrangements.

The new album from Underoath, Define The Great Line, will be out on June 20th. You can now listen to one of the new tracks on PureVolume.com. The song is called In Regards To Myself.

Whirlwind Records has signed the band Kashee Opeiah. This formation is formerly known as Slidepulsedown. You can expect their album with furious metalcore this summer.

Descend To Rise shot their first music video. It is for their song What A Picture Meant To Me.

Jayson Sherlock has returned to Paramęcium after a ten year break. As Paramęcium prepare for the next album and possible shows. The band now consists of the original line-up of the Exhumed From The Earth album, Paramęcium's debut album: Andrew Tompkins, vocals and bass; Jason De Ron, guitars; Jayson Sherlock, drums.

In case you didn't know, Benea Reach released Monument Bineothan. Expect an album with heavy hardcore/metalcore from Norway. Benea Reach consists of former members of Selfmindead and Christer Espevoll, the former Extol guitarist. Monument Bineothan was released by Tabu Records.

The Brazilian metalband Dynasty has a new website. The band is working on their new album Warriors Of The King.