Guitarist Christofer Malmström of Swedish thrashers DARKANE has posted the following message on his web site:

"It's going to be a busy autumn. Finally it seems like Peter's hands are healed and we can start the serious work on our upcoming album. All songs are written but never rehearsed and we are going to start rehearsing two new songs. A few days ago we did a show at a festival in the area where we live and it turned out very good! I would say all of us did a great performance considering that we haven't played together since November last year. The recording of the new album will start ASAP.

"The recording of my solo project will probably start in a few months or so. Ryan is busy with his DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND and other projects but will start recording as soon as he has learned the songs and is ready to go. It will be released next year anyway."

DARKANE's last studio album, "Expanding Senses", was released in 2002 through Nuclear Blast Records.

Read more ››

Band profile:

Darkane

Finnish death metallers DEATH DU JOUR have completed work on their debut album, "Fragments of Perdition", due in September through Golden Lake Productions. The follow-up to the "Gamashinoch" EP was recorded at Pop-Studio with producer Mika Haapasalo. The complete track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Grace by Chalice of Anger
02. Fragments of Perdition
03. Embittering Cicatricies
04. Harlot Deliverance (mp3)
05. Weakmeat Vortex
06. Satire of Caustic Lunacy
07. Triangle Gallows (mp3)
08. Dogma - The Suffering

DEATH DU JOUR and fellow Finns HATEFORM will support GODHATE and INSISION on their upcoming "Deathkampen 2" Finnish mini-tour in October. The dates are as follows:

Oct. 19 - Helsinki, FIN @ Semifinaali
Oct. 20 - TBA, FIN @ TBA
Oct. 21 - Joensuu, FIN @ Marks
Oct. 22 - Imatra, FIN @ Woodoo
Oct. 23 - Turku, FIN @ Bar Shadow

The grindcore band has finished the works on "Shift" that will be release in october, 2004. Nasum will include two new members in this release, they are: bassist Jon Lindqvist and guitarist Urban Skytt.

The band describes the album as: "a very fast and aggressive album with some of the fastest parts ever recorded by NASUM, but as usual, there is room for groove and nuances. In other words: classic NASUM grindcore."

After the release the band plans a tour of four weeks over Europe.

Band profile:

Nasum

They plan to enter in the studios on August and released the album in early 2005, this are some worlds of the drummer Craing Nielsen:

"leaps and bounds heavier than the last four records combined, definitely a return to the bands roots but still with some ambient surprises that break up all the speed riffing. There seems to be an inspired vibe going on in the writing process that is taking on a life of its own."

Also the band it's going to take part on the "Thrash Domination 04", this are the confrimed dates:

Sep. 24 - Osaka, JPN @ Namba Hatch
Sep. 25 - Tokyo, JPN @ Club Citta
Sep. 26 - Tokyo, JPN @ Club Citta

Band profile:

Flotsam And Jetsam

"The Empire are entering Studio 13 August 1st to begin recording their 4th Cd "METHOD OF EXECUTION" & will consist of 15 new songs of their own brand of pure extreme Southern Florida style Death Metal. "METHOD OF EXECUTION" is due to be released early '2005' through Olympic/Century Media."

http://metalasylum.com/divine/

The pagans metalers are going to released a new EP, still with no released date, but you can check some sound samples here: http://www.odroerir-fix.de/liedgut.htm and the cover art: http://www.odroerir-fix.de/coverep.gif

The band that recently decide not to continue, because of the loss of Valfar(founder and singer of the band), will do one last concert on his honour:

"Friday the 3rd of September there will be a last Windir concert. The concert will be at Rockefeller Arena in Oslo, Norway. The 3rd of September would have been Valfars 26th birthday, and we would like to honour his memory by doing one last show. Sture will be doing most of the Windir vocals. We are also glad to announce that 3 bands will be joining us this night. ENSLAVED, FINNTROLL & MINDGRINDER will be doing shows in honour of Valfar."

www.windir.no

Band profile:

Windir

Michael Pinnella, the keyboard player of Symphony X, will release his first solo album through InsideOut on 11.10.2004.

Tracklist:

01. The White Room
02. Edge Of Insanity
03. Piano Concerto#1 mvt.1
04. Enter By The 12th Gate
05. Falling From The Sky
06. Welcome To My Daydream
07. Piano concerto #1 mvt.2
08. Piano concerto #1 mvt.3
09. Live for the day
10. *Scriabin Etude OP.42 no5 *
11. Moracan Lullaby
12. Departing for Eternity
13. Cross the Bridge

Band profile:

Symphony X

InsideOut set the date for the release of Pain Of Salvation album "BE" on 27.09.2004.
The tracklist is the following:

1. Animae Partus
2. Deus Nova
3. Imago
4. Pluvius Aestivus
5. Lilium Cruentus
6. Nauticus
7. Dea Pecuniae
8. Vocari Dei
9. Diffidentia
10.Nihil Morari
11.Latertius Valette
12.Omni
13.Iter Impius
14.Matius/Nauticus II
15.Animae Partus II

Band profile:

Pain Of Salvation

According to KissKollector.com, the very first KISSWorld store is scheduled to open in Australia next month. During the recent Australian tour, the four KISS members spent a few hours to sign the very first items to be sold at KISSWorld. Store representatives will travel to the USA soon to meet with all current and former band members, to bring back a container full of "really cool" stuff for the opening of the store in September. The bricks of the store have been laid, the windows are in and very soon they will commence fitting out the store from floor to ceiling with some amazing KISS merchandise. There are several KISSWorld exclusive products being manufactured right now that won't be available anywhere else.

The fit out of the store is enormous; there will be everything from guitars to shirts and other clothing, to museum pieces through to an amazing array of hand-signed and personal items that need to be displayed. The process will take up all of this month. The opening date for September will be announced as soon as possible, along with the exact location of KISSWorld. The store itself is over 10,000 square feet in size and obviously KISS will be the centre of attention in our store, but there will also be some bands' memorabilia and even some sporting heroes and film stars.

For more information, visit www.kissworld.net.

Band profile:

KISS

Finnish goth-metallers TO/DIE/FOR are expected to enter Sonicimage studios in Kouvola, Finland soon to begin recording their new album, tentatively due in early 2005 through Spinefarm Records.

The current TO/DIE/FOR lineup once again features vocalist Jape Perätalo, who allegedly decided to reclaim the T/D/F name for his TIAGA project after being offered a record deal by Spinefarm Records. Joining Perätalo in the new TO/DIE/FOR formation are guitarist Juppe "J.P." Sutela, ex-NEW DAWN FOUNDATION drummer/ex-TO/DIE/FOR drum tech Santtu Lonka, guitarist Mika "Alli" Ahtiainen, ex-H.I.M./NEW DAWN FOUNDATION keyboardist Juska Salminen, and bassist Jarkko Strandman (ex-NEW DAWN FOUNDATION).

TO/DIE/FOR's most recent CD, "Jaded", was released in March 2003 through Spinefarm Records (Nuclear Blast in continental Europe). The follow-up to 2001's "Epilogue" featured guest vocals by former SINERGY and current NIGHTWISH bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala.

Band profile:

To/Die/For

NEVERMORE's video for the track "I, Voyager", off their most recent album, "Enemies Of Reality", has been posted online at Launch.com. Check it out here: http://launch.yahoo.com/artist/videos.asp?artistID=1019270. The clip was directed by Kevin Leonard, who has previously worked with HATE ETERNAL and HIMSA, among others.

NEVERMORE are scheduled to follow up their appearance at this year's Wacken Open Air festival with a U.S. tour, which is expected to take place in September/October. The Seattle-based band will then enter the studio with producer Andy Sneap (MACHINE HEAD, ARCH ENEMY, KREATOR) beginning in November to record their follow-up to "Enemies of Reality", tentatively due in the spring through Century Media Records. A U.K. tour is expected to take place in late 2004/early 2005.

Band profile:

Nevermore

DEF LEPPARD's breakthrough 1983 album, "Pyromania", has been certified at the RIAA's (Recording Industry Association of America) diamond level (10 million copies shipped) last month, according to Billboard.com. Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, "Pyromania" benefited greatly from MTV's relentless airing of the album's first two singles, "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages". The U.K. group continues to record and tour, their most recently release being 2002's "X" (Universal).

Also reaching new multi-platinum heights in July was PANTERA's "Vulgar Display of Power" (Elektra), which was certified double-platinum by the RIAA, signifying shipments of more than 2,000,000 units in the U.S. since its February 25, 1992 release.

Widely considered to be one of the most influential metal albums of the 1990s, "Vulgar Display of Power" revitalized thrash metal, mixing crushingly heavy grooves and rhythms with a harder-edged vocal approach. "Walk" and "Fucking Hostile" remain two of PANTERA's best-known songs.

"Vulgar Display of Power" peaked at No. 44 on The Billboard 200 album chart, according to Wikipedia.

Band profile:

Pantera

If you're still playing in an unsigned band, here is a contact for you:

Sarah Bowden
Head Of Music
Avalon Music Management
Avalon Management Group Ltd
4a Exmoor Street
London
W10 6BD

email: SarahB@avalonuk.com
T: 020 7598 8000
F: 020 7598 7300

"Dream Theater's "LIVE AT BUDOKAN" will be released on October 5th 2004.
It will be available as both a 2 DVD set and a 3 CD set."

www.dreamtheater.com

Band profile:

Dream Theater