Friday January 26th 2007

Illuminandi is about to release the follow up to their debut record The Beginning. The new CD is the Illumina Tenebras Meas EP, also known as the Illuminate My Darkness EP. One of the tracks on this album is Hymn Of All Creation. You can listen to two sounds clips of this song on the Illuminandi website. The EP will be released in two formats: one with Polish lyrics, the other in English!

The End Records will release the new Virgin Black album for the American market on April 3rd. The new record is the first of a trilogy and is called Requiem - Mezzo Forte. This album will be followed by Requiem - Pianissimo and Requiem - Fortissimo later this year. The tracklisting for Requiem - Mezzo Forte is: 1. Requiem, Kyrie 02. In Death 03. Midnight's Hymn 04. …And I am Suffering 05. Domine 06. Lacrimosa (I am blind with weeping) 07. Rest Eternal. The European release dates will soon follow.

Saphena is currently starting to write a new album.

On Myspace you can listen to the new song Godspeed of rock band Anberlin. This is a track from the new album Cities which will be out on February 20th.

Friday January 19th 2007

The Australian/Indonesian band Altera Enigma have a new drummer. His name is none other than Jayson Sherlock. The former Mortification and Paramęcium drummer is also known for being a member of inExordium and Soundscape. Jayson's first appearance will be on the next Altera Enigma album, which is expected to be released in late 2007 or early 2008.

Sacrificium is demoing songs for their next album. They hope to have a new record out some time this year.

Retroactive Records and Roxx Records will jointly be working together to bring out four releases this year. One of them is the Up From The Ashes 2 DVD. This DVD will contain footage from Deliverance, Saint, Ultimatum and Once Dead. Expect this DVD in the first week of April.

Speaking of Once Dead... Another release Retroactive Records and Roxx Records will do together, is Visions Of Hell, the first album from these former Vengeance Rising members. Another debut release is from the San Diego band Stricken (featuring former members of Krush, Tower Of Hundred and Fullife). The fourth release coming from Retroactive Records and Roxx Records is the new Deliverance album!

The Owener Rocknacht is cancelled for March 2007!

Isaques Soares of Sabbatariam has formed a new band with Daniel Corpse (formerly of Sabbatariam) called Krig. You can check out their song Bastard Boss on their website. The band already has a Myspace page.

Friday January 12th 2007

DOT Music will release the new album for the Swedish rock band Kite this year. The record is called Open. This is the long-awaited follow-up to Soil (released 2002).

Bombworks Records have signed Common Yet Forbidden. This band from Florida plays new thrash and death metal. Common Yet Forbidden have a independent EP out. A full length will be released by Bombworks Records in mid 2007.

xDeathstarx will have their album We Are The Threat out on February 20th. You can check out one song from the album on Myspace.com. The track is called Where's Your Faith Now.

You can also listen to a new song from Means. They put the song Connected on their myspace page. Connected is one of the tracks on their Facedown Records debut Sending You Strength. This album will be out on March 6th.

Stairway recently played a concert in Hastings. A video was shot at this show that you can now view at Myspace.com. It's a video for the song Souls Of Zion.

On February 24th 2007 the Legends Of Rock festival will be held in Haus Ennepetal in Ennepetal, Germany. Bands appearing on stage are Tourniquet, Bride, Guardian, The Electrics, Split Level, Why? and more. The Dutch ticket-order www.interticket.nl now offers additionally 2 bus-tours to the festival in Ennepetal on February 24, with coaches leaving from Utrecht and Arnhem (15 euro each person).

Friday January 5th 2007

Due to computer failure the website couldn't be updated as usual this week. Sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused! If you sent out any e-mails to Art For The Ears, send them again! Thanks!

Friday December 29th 2006

On Rob Rock's website you can now download a full song from almost each album Rob sang on, like his solo records, as well as albums from Impellitteri and Angelica.

Threshold have now finished recording their new album. The CD will be called Dead Reckoning and is due for release through Nuclear Blast Records on March 23rd 2007. Dead Reckoning was produced by Karl Groom and Richard West. The track list is: Slipstream, This Is Your Life, Elusive, Hollow, Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams, Fighting For Breath, Disappear, Safe To Fly, One Degree Down.

If you understand Portuguese, you might like to check out an interview with Divinefire. Didn't know these guys could talk Portuguese.... The interview can be found on the blog Sinkiller.

Friday December 22nd 2006

In January 2007 Rob Rock will begin the new studio production for his fourth solo album. There is no album title yet, but Rob Rock is planning a 2007 release. Rock will be working with Roy Z again, with whom he worked with on the previous albums.

Soul Embraced has reformed. This band featuring Evanescence drummer Rocky Gray  recently decided to regroup. The reunion includes Rocky as guitarist and Chad Moore as vocalist. It's still not sure if Lance Garvin (formerly of Living Sacrifice) will be joining Soul Embraced again. The band is working on a new album.

Sympathy is working on two albums! The first album is a very dark sounding black metal album with a hint of death metal.  The track list contains eight songs, including: The Serpent's Breath, Burning Legions and The Horror And The Glory. The other Sympathy album will be a technical death metal album in the same style as Arcane Path and Abyssal Throne. This album will be ready in just a few months. You can hear a demo version of the rhythm guitar tracks for one of the new songs on myspace.com.

Once Dead has postponed the release of their new album again. If all goes as hoped, the record will be out in March 2007.

Guitarist Marcos has rejoined P.O.D.. He will play with the band on the final day of the year, at Times Square, New York City. P.O.D. also signed a new record deal. Details will be revealed soon...

Pop punk band Hawk Nelson have a new EP out called Gloria.

Guideline Records finally released their live DVD, featuring all four bands on their roster. You can hear/see new and familiar songs and interviews with Opposition Of One, Today Forever, More Than Ever and Descend To Rise.

The Awakening is offering two downloads on their website. You can check out Forgiveness and Razor Burn for free.

Project 86 will be recording their new studio album in January 2007 with producer Ulrich Wild (Deftones, Handsome, Zombie) in Los Angeles. Throughout the fall, the band has been writing new material and have over twenty new songs, the best of which will compose the new record. The album will release in late spring.

Fountain Of Tears has finished their new album. A release date is set for February 13th 2007.

Interesting news comes from Bloodgood. They have an extra guitarist called Oz Fox... Yes, Oz Fox of Stryper, the eighties metal band! In an interview band leader Michael Bloodgood tells of this new development.

Anberlin is about to release a new album called Cities. It will be in stores on February 20th 2007.

For making Christmas a little bit nicer, metal band Theocracy offers a free MP3 of a Christmas Medley they recorded. You can download this MP3 here.

Jani Stefanovic fans will have to check out JesusMetal. This internet zine offers three free MP3's of three bands that Jani Stefanovic is in. But be quick. The offer only remains available for this month... You can listen to a track from the new Divinefire album, and yet unreleased material from Essence Of Sorrow and Miseration.

Friday December 15th 2006

Kekal has completed their new album The Habit Of Fire. They've spent seven months to prepare a seventy minutes concept album that they consider as a musical journey.  Kekal believes that The Habit Of Fire cannot be classified within the extreme metal sub genre anymore. Therefore, they've decided to look  for a new label, to avoid misunderstanding and controversy within the die-hard extreme metal scene. Thus they left Fear Dark...

The Tooth & Nail band Kutless released their live album and live DVD Live From Portland. The DVD has live coverage of the Portland concert, interviews and behind-the-scenes looks.

Facedown Records signed a new band from Canada called Means. Their Facedown debut is Sending You Strength and will be out on March 6th 2007.

The Dutch punk rock/ska band Make Up Your Mind is taking a break from gigging to record the last few songs for their next album. The band is back on stage on January 13th.

Friday December 8th 2006

Callisto have announced the release date for Noir. The new album will come out in Belgium, Canada, Germany, Holland, Italy, Luxembourg and Sweden in February next year. Noir is the follow-up to highlight release True Nature Unfolds.

The German record label Guideline Records has signed Grace Will Fall from Sweden. Expect the self titled debut release in February. Right now you can download the song Freedom from the Guideline website.

Becoming The Archetype is working on a new album called The Physics Of Fire.

Also Life In Your Way is hard at work for a new record. This album will be entitled Waking Giants. On their myspace.com page you can listen to a new track.

In September, the Dutch rock band Collide released Songs Of Hope. This EP can be ordered by filling in this form!

In case you didn't know, you can download the first two albums of hard rock/melodic metal band Shout from the internet. For free and legal! Shout was formed in 1987 by Ken Tamplin, who had been playing with Joshua. It Won't Be Long, the debut album, came out in the same year, followed by In Your Face in 1989. In 1999 made their comeback album. Although Ken Tamplin is still active as a solo artist, the 1999 album was the latest life sign from Shout. Now you can download the songs from the first two albums. However, it will be greatly appreciated if you donated money to three organizations:

Doctors Without Borders

Stand With Us

National Right To Life

Any donation is welcome! If you want to download the Shout albums now, go here!

Friday December 1st 2006

In January P.O.D. will re-enter the studio to record their new album. They are also in the process of signing a deal with a new record label. Right now you can satisfy yourself with the greatest hits record, The Atlantic Years.

Underoath have a new DVD out in the UK. This DVD includes the video for In Regards To Myself and a live performance of Writing On The Walls.

Evanescence released the video for Lithium. This is their second single from the new album The Open Door.

Bride have a new record out called Skin For Skin. You can check out a few tunes at their Myspace webpage. The band will also bring out a Skin For Skin DVD. This project is about to be finalized.

Headbangers Ball and Revolver Magazine have teamed up to bring you the Best Metal Videos of 2006! Vote for your favorite videos on http://www.mtv2.com/#series/10896 and watch the results on a special year-end Headbangers Ball (on MTV USA) in December. One of the videos nominated, is Darkest Nights, from As I Lay Dying.