Friday March 30th 2007

Next week, on Tuesday April 3rd, The Almost will release their debut album. The Almost was formed by Underoath member Aaron Gillespie. The first record is called Southern Weather. You can listen to some music on the band's myspace page.

You can now also download music from Lo-Ruhamah and Dagon on the download page on the Bombworks Records website. You can listen to As I Walk from Lo-Ruhamah. This is a track from their upcoming album The Glory Of God. And you can download Pirate Hunter from Dagon, taken from their album Paranormal Ichthyology.

Friday March 23rd 2007

Bride has plans to begin writing on their final album. They want to produce one last piece of work from their hearts as a final farewell to their friends. Bride will continue playing shows up to a point. They hope they will have the opportunity again to return to Brazil, do Europe and play a few shows in the States as their way of closing the door.

Virgin Black will appear for one exclusive show in Europe to support Requiem - Mezzo Forte. You can see them headline the Elements Of Rock festival in Switzerland on the 20th and 21st of April. This will be the first opportunity to buy the album, as the official European release date is April 27th! The album itself will be released by Massacre Records as a special limited edition digipak with bonus disc.

This is the track list for Requiem - Mezzo Forte: 1. Requiem, Kyrie, 2. In Death, 3. Midnight's Hymn, 4. ...And I Am Suffering, 5. Domine, 6. Lacrimosa (I Am Blind With Weeping), 7. Rest eternal. The bonus CD contains: Mother Of Cripples from the Virgin Black demo, Whispers Of Dead Sisters from the Trance EP, Museum Of Iscariot from the Sombre Romantic album, Our Wings Are Burning from the Elegant...And Dying album and the video clip for Our Wings Are Burning.

The recording of the new Stryper album has been delayed due to personal circumstances. Michael Sweet's wife Kyle was taken to hospital a few days before the band was scheduled for the studio. Now it appears Kyle Sweet has ovarian cancer. Prayers for her and the Sweet family are welcome. Michael Sweet and Stryper have decided to postpone the recordings to mid July. Michael Sweet: "All the songs are ready to go and I can promise you that this will be the best Stryper record to date."

Haste The Day released their new album Pressure The Hinges this week. There are two versions available. The special edition also has three bonus tracks plus a bonus DVD. You can now check out three new songs from Pressure The Hinges on their Myspace.com page.

Kekal joins A Metal Tribute To The Man In Black. This is a tribute album to Johnny Cash and it will be released in August through Open Grave Records. Other bands on this album include Frost Like Ashes, My Silent Wake and many more.

Mortification is looking for possibilities to come to Europe for a Live Humanitarian European Tour. The band will also release the Live Humanitarian DVD/CD later in the year. A new studio album should not be expected until late 2008.

After twelve years, Horde returns with a live album. This is a registration of their one and only concert ever, at the Nordic Fest in Oslo, Norway. This took place on November 3rd 2006. You can listen to samples.

Hardcore band Comeback Kid has a new album out. It's called Broadcasting and was released by Victory Records.

Three more hard music bands were announced for the Flevo Festival. Two weeks ago you could read on this page that Crimson Moonlight will appear on the festival. Now Disciple, Taketh and Narnia are booked as well.

Next weekend the long awaited Endtime Festival will take place in Sweden. Unfortunately, Extol had to cancel. But, they are replaced by three bands: Frosthardr, Exhale and The Middle End.

In the Summer the Cornerstone festival will take place, in Bushnell, near Peoria, Illinois, USA. Some of the bands that will appear on stage, are: Alove For Enemies, Anberlin, As Cities Burn, August Burns Red, Becoming the Archetype, Bloodgood, Bride, Cool Hand Luke, Copeland, Crimson Moonlight, The Chariot, Decyfer Down, Disciple, xDEATHSTARx, Emery, Family Force, Frosthardr, thehandshakemurders, theHOPEsymphony, Inked In Blood, Kids in the Way, Leper, xLooking Forwardx, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Means, mewithoutYou, Nevertheless, No Longer Music, Norma Jean, Our Corpse Destroyed, Pillar, Relient K, Seventh Star, Showbread, Skillet, Spitfire, The Showdown, Underoath, The Violet Burning, War of Ages, Whitecross, X-Sinner, and more.

Friday March 16th 2007

Blindside are writing a new record. They've decided that their next record has to be better than anything they've done before, sound wise, musically and lyrically. They will not release it
until they feel that it is just that...!

The Dutch ska/punk rock group Make Up Your Mind will release their new record. This album is called Hold On Tied and is the follow-up to Gamble. Hold On Tied was produced by Theo Nap at the Woodencup Studios and contains twelve songs.

The Glory Of God, the new Lo-Ruhamah album, and Paranormal Ichthyology from Dagon, will be out on March 27th.

Vaakevandring fans shouldn't miss the Endtime Festival, as the band will appear there on stage with Antestor. Vaakevandring only returns for this event only. Other bands playing Endtime are: Crimson Moonlight, Drottnar, Extol, Incrave (formerly known as Evergrace), Inevitable End, Harmony, Pantokrator, Vardoger, Veni Domine, Virgin Forest and special guests. The Endtime Festival takes place in Halmstad, Sweden, on March 30th & 31st.

From April 20th through April 22nd the Elements Of Rock festival takes place in Uster, Switzerland. The bands playing there are: Virgin Black, Balance of Power, Forsaken, The Awakening, Sacrificium, Pantokrator, My Silent Wake, Boarders, Slippery Way, Admonish, Incrave (formerly known as Evergrace) and Credic.

Some time ago you could read on this page about Dale Thompson, singer for Bride, who is one of the presidential candidates in the US. Now a website is collecting votes as a way to gauge early results. You can vote for P. Dale Thompson under the Constitution Party heading. If you want to know what issues Dale addresses, visit his myspace.com page.

Friday March 9th 2007

On April 14th the Dutch metal group Picture Of The Moon will present their new CD. This will happen in the Atak in Enschede, Holland. Their new album is called Ageless Day and was produced by Joost van den Broek (After Forever). Picture Of The Moon also signed to a yet to be named Dutch label... Support acts on April 14th are Osyris (from Denmark) and Snakes And Sirens.

Seventh Avenue is working on hard on their new record. They are entering the last phase of the recordings. The German heavy metal band is still looking for a record label.

Life In Your Way released a new album, entitled Waking Giants. You can listen to the song Salty Grave from this album on Myspace.com. Waking Giants is the first album from these guys that Solid State Records released.

Haste The Day is getting ready to bring out a new CD through Solid State Records. This disc is called Pressure The Hinges and it will be out on March 20th. You can listen to the new song Stitches on Myspace.com.

Thousand Foot Krutch are currently in the studio with Ken Andrews recording their new album for Tooth & Nail Records.

In case you wondered, this year the Fear Dark Festivals will be organized as usual. This week the first three festivals were announced. The line-up for these festivals is: Eluveitie, Immortal Souls, Thy Majestie and Whispering Gallery. The first festival will take place in Het Kasteel in Alphen aan de Rijn, Holland, on May 11th. The second is in Staddijk, Nijmegen, Holland, on Saturday May 12th (only 250 tickets available). And the third festival is in De Hedon, Zwolle, Holland, on Sunday May 13th. More festivals in other countries will be announced.

The first names were announced for the Flevo Festival. One of the bands playing on this Dutch festival is Crimson Moonlight!

Friday March 2nd 2007

Coming up soon is the new album from My Silent Wake, the follow-up to Shadow Of Sorrow. However, this album will be a double disc called Anatomy Of Melancholy. The first CD is a metal disc. The other disc features acoustic music with diverse instruments. The total package clocks in at over an hour and a half. The album will be released by Bombwork Records. They are trying their best to have it out in time for the Elements Of Rock festival, where My Silent Wake will appear.

ReinXeed is a new Swedish power metal band that Rivel Records signed. At the moment ReinXeed is a one man band led by Tommy Johansson. The debut album The Light is planned for release in autumn 2007. Expect symphonic power metal inspired by movie soundtracks and classical music.

The new Lo-Ruhamah album The Glory Of God is at the factory right now. Another album that soon will see the day light, is Paranormal Ichthyology from Dagon. This record will be presented on April 7th on a CD release party. Both albums will be brought out by Bombworks Records.

Are you anxious to hear new material from Deliverance? Here's your chance to listen to four samples. Download this track. It contains samples from four songs: Return To Form, As Above - So Below, Enlightened and Should We Cross Paths. Note that these are only samples of the rough mixes. Deliverance is working hard on their new album As Above - So Below.

Last Saturday the first Legends Of Rock Festival took place. According to Dale Thompson, lead singer for Bride, it was amazing: "The festival included some of our favorite bands and friends. Guardian, The Electrics, Why, Tourniquet to name a few." There were about 850 paying visitors. Although this is not enough to cover all the expenses, the festival organisation are looking into another Legends Of Rock Festival to be staged in Spring 2008 (maybe in late April).

You can download the full album from True Wisdom.

Friday February 23rd 2007

Immortal Souls almost finished their new album. The recordings started in December and were finished last month. In February the record was mixed. The release date is expected for first half of 2007. Title of the new album is Wintereich.

P.O.D. will record their new album with producer Jay Baumgardner (Evanescence, Papa Roach). So far thirteen songs are written. Expect a heavier and rawer sound compared to the last albums. The album is due out in August.

You can now download the music from Saphena from iTunes, Napster, Musicnet, Sony and Rhapsody. You pay only 99ct per song. Go here for iTunes. Saphena is also about to start writing new music.

Lo-Ruhamah comes up with a full-length album. Expect a mix of death and black metal with post rock influences. The album clocks in at over sixty minutes. Expect this record from the Bombworks Records stable.

Another band from Bombworks Records is Dagon. They will have a new album out with thrash and furious death metal.

Congrats to Mario, drummer for Sacrificium. This week he became a father of a little girl named Nora Emilie! As for the band, they work hard on the conception of new tunes.

Images Of Eden has completed their line-up with keyboardist Bill Harris. He has over twenty years of experience playing progressive music. With him Images Of Eden will start working on new material.

You can help the British band Stairway to appear at one of the biggest music festivals in Britain. All you need to do, is go here, click on VOTE NOW in the top left corner and submit your e-mail address. That's all!! There is one week to go before the six finalists are announced.

Friday February 16th 2007

Deliverance almost completed their new album As Above - So Below. This disc will be released by Retroactive Records. The songs on the new record are: Legum Servi Sumus Ut Liberi Esse Possimus (intro), Contempt, Return To Form, Cause And Effect, Screaming, My Love, Should We Cross Paths, Thistles, As Above – So Below, Enlightened. Deliverance now consists of singer & guitarist Jimmy P. Brown II, guitarist Mike Phillips, bassist Tim Kronyak and drummer Mike Reed.

Fountain Of Tears officially released their new album Fate this week. The first single of this record is What Lies Ahead. You can freely download this tune. Interestingly, for a short period of time you can now stream the entire album. Also check out the band's myspace.com page. Fate was mastered at FineTune in The Netherlands!

There's a possibility that SinDizzy will return. SinDizzy was formed in 1994 by Tim Gaines and Oz Fox, who both had played together in Stryper. The last was heard from SinDizzy in 2003. But now Tim and Oz are talking of putting the band back together and record some new songs.

The wait is almost over! On Saturday February 24th the first Legends Of Rock festival will take place in Haus Ennepetal, in Ennepetal, Germany. This festival will bring bands back to stage that were once very popular on the legendary Christmas Rock Night. The festival includes performances from Tourniquet, Bride, Golgatha, Guardian and Split Level.   Don't miss this unique chance! There are still tickets available!

Dale Thompson, lead singer for rock band Bride, is running for President of the United States in 2008! Although this may appear as a joke, it's true! Check out his myspace page.

Friday February 9th 2007

INO & Columbia Records announced a partnership with multi-platinum selling band P.O.D.. The guys in the band are working on the pre-production for the new album. This record is scheduled for release in late summer. P.O.D. are now back with their original line-up, consisting of  Sonny (lead vocals), Wuv (drums), Traa (bass), and the recently returned Marcos (guitar).

Mortification is working hard on the upcoming DVD release Live Humanitarian. This disc was recorded live at the Imax Theatre in Perth, Australia, last year. The full concert was filmed with seven digital cameras. The DVD should be out in the second half of 2007. Mortification is also considering to release the audio material on CD as well.

Threshold's new album Dead Reckoning will be released on March 23rd through Nuclear Blast Records.

You can listen to a sound clip from the upcoming Virgin Black album. The song is called ...And I Am Suffering and is one of the tracks on Requiem - Mezzo Forte. You can listen to it at Myspace.com. The album will be released by The End Records in North America on April 3rd. Massacre will bring it out on April 13th in Europe.

Momentum Scandinavia released two new albums on February 1st. First of all the new Admonish EP Insnärjd. Their music has been described as cold, dark, merciless metal. The other disc is A Decade Of Thoughts 1996-2006 by Pantokrator. Seven out of fourteen tracks on this album are previously unreleased tracks. Be quick with this release, as it is limited to only 850 copies.

Fountain Of Tears is about to bring out their new album called Fate. This record will be out on Tuesday! Fountain Of Tears is the band started by former members of Believer and Sardonyx.

The new Brazilian band Krig signed a deal with Alcance Subterrâneo from Mexico. The band is currently working on eight new songs.

You can download a lot of music from another Brazilian band, called Apeiron. From their Wrong Way album (2003) you can download: Cryogenic (Still Frozen), We'll Fell The Power, Forest (Steve's Place), Flying Free, Overture, Two Thieves, Who Is He, Here Lies, Enter The Fire, Soldiers In The Night, Soldiers Song, Good Dreams, Apeiron Medley. From their Without Eletrons album (2002) you can download: Florest, Jesus Eyes, Tempestade, Two Thiefs, Vales Profundos, Far Away, Isaque Blues Bass, Man Shalt No Live, Paleness.

Friday February 2nd 2007

Holy Blood have finished their new album and follow-up to 2004's Waves Are Dancing. The Ukrainian folk metal band decided to call the new record Patriot. The release will also include a full length video. Expect Patriot in April, on Bombworks Records.

Kekal have signed two licensing deals for their new record The Habit Of Fire. This disc is an epic concept-album with experimental music, incorporating elements from metal, progressive rock, jazz, trip hop, post rock, ambient to electronic music. For the European market they've inked a deal with Whirlwind Records. This label will release The Habit Of Fire on March 15th. Open Grave Records will release the album in the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia. Release date: May 15th.

Rivel Records has planned the release of five albums in the first half of this year:

- Jet Circus - Dance Or Die (expected in spring 2007)

- Oratorio - Redemption (expected in spring 2007)

- Heel - Evil Days (expected in spring 2007)

- Grimmark - Self titled (expected in spring/summer 2007)

- Christian Rivel - The King Is Alive (expected in spring/summer 2007)

Royal Anguish is going through some line-up changes. The band officially announced that Asgrim (Yeti, Council Of The Fallen, Chalice) has joined the band on keyboards and that Tom Klinesmith (Nightsbane, Morbid Sacrifice) is their new drum player. Both already toured with Royal Anguish through Europe last year. At the same time the band made public that both Katy Decker (female vocals) and Marius Kozlowski (guitars) left Royal Anguish. They joined forces in their new gothic-metal band Mena Brinno. Royal Anguish will work on new
material this year, that will have a more sinister and punishing sound, according to the band.

Stryper will start recording a new album this month!

Death metal band Lo-Ruhamah is finishing up their new album The Glory Of God.

The rock 'n roll band The Hot Stewards will release their first single, along with a video, in March. Their first full-length album is soon to be released.

Atmospheric rock band This Beautiful Mess will start recording a new album this summer.

And emo/screamo band The Spirit That Guides Us have finally announced the release date for their DVD. Expect this on in April. The band is also working on a new album. And there's a tour coming up in May/June.