Cult Canadian Thrash Titans Infernal Majesty have posted the following on their website http://infernalmajesty.ca/index1.html

Infernal Majesty signs with Galy Records, new album due out April 6th, 2004 Canadian act Infernal Majesty the band who released 1987's cult classic "None Shall Defy" have set "One Who Points to Death" as the title of their upcoming new album, due out April 6th, 2004 through Galy Records. The CD, which was recorded by Sho at Profile Sound Studios in Vancouver, Canada and mastered by Pierre Remillard at Wild Studios in St-Zenon, Quebec, Canada, contains the following track listing:

01. Death of Heaven
02. Pestilential Eternity
03. Angels and Acid
04. Honey Tongue of Satan
05. Hysterion Proteron
06. Cathedral of Hate
07. Virgin Blood Tastes Purest At Night
08. One Who Points To Death

"One Who Points to Death" is packed with old school thrash crunch and modern death metal intensity. Get ready for some infernal mayhem!

Upcoming shows:

February 13 - The Cobalt, Vancouver, BC.
March 26 - The Brickyard, Vancouver, BC.

Stay tuned for Canadian Tour dates

Band profile:

Infernäl Mäjesty

Century Media Records proudly presents the new signing DRAGONLAND. The melodic metal six-piece from Gothenburg signed a worldwide multi-album deal. "We are really happy to have found a new home with Century Media Records", states lead-guitarist and founder of the band Nicklas Magnusson.

After their formation in summer of 1999 DRAGONLAND have already released the two albums The Battle Of The Ivory Plains and Holy War via the Greek label Black Lotus Records and even toured Japan in May 2003. Most of the musicians are known by playing in bands like Prophanity (Nicklas Magnusson) or Nightshade (bassist Christer Pedersen). Keyboardist Elias Holmlid did not only play for Ironware, but also during King Diamond's tour in 2001 and recorded keyboards for Falconer's second album.

DRAGONLAND are currently working on their forthcoming album. "It's needless to say that it will be our best material ever", reveals Nicklas. Century Media Records is looking forward to releasing new melodic metal tunes from DRAGONLAND around fall 2004.

http://fade.to/dragonland

Band profile:

Dragonland

JUDAS PRIEST SCHEDULED TO RELEASE CAREER-SPANNING BOX SET 'METALOGY' ON MAY 4 ON SONY MUSIC/LEGACY RECORDS

FOUR-CD, 65-TRACK SET TOTALING MORE THAN 5 HOURS OF MUSIC INCLUDES HITS, RARITIES AND MORE ENCASED IN LEATHER-AND-STUDS DELUXE PACKAGING

LIMITED EDITION LIVE DVD ADDED BONUS IN INITIAL PRESSING

Judas Priest has reigned supreme for 30 years as the most influential and commercially successful pure heavy metal band, and the masters are being honored with the career-spanning, four-CD, 65-track box set 'Metalogy' scheduled for release on May 3rd for Europe and the UK and May 4th 2004 for the US and Canada, by Sony Music/Legacy Records. The worldwide reverence for Judas Priest has resulted in sales of 20 million albums and countless sold-out concerts.

'Metalogy,' the first-ever Judas Priest box set, was assembled with the full participation of the band and it covers music recorded worldwide for the Gull, Sony Music/Columbia, CMC International, SPV, Atlantic and JVC labels between 1974 and 2002. Remastered hits, fan favorites, live rarities, B-sides and a previously unreleased demo are included. And as a bonus, the initial pressing of 'Metalogy' will include a live DVD of a complete concert filmed on December 12, 1982, at Mid South in Memphis, TN, on the 'Screaming for Vengeance' tour. This show was released on home video as 'Judas Priest Live' but it has been out of print for many years, and fans have often requested that it be reissued. This new DVD is mastered in pristine 5.1 Surround Sound for the ultimate Priest live concert experience.

Fans will be thrilled with the packaging of 'Metalogy.' The 7"x7" box is appropriately wrapped in leather and metal studs. The 7"x7" full color book features a full discography, biographical essay, timeline and numerous previously unpublished photos.

The CD track listing is as follows:
CD 1
1. Never Satisfied (4:52)
2. Deceiver (2:44)
3. Tyrant (4:39)
4. Victim Of Changes (Live) (7:11)
5. Diamonds & Rust (Live)** (3:28)
6. Starbreaker (Live)** (7:19)
7. Sinner (6:40)
8. Let Us Prey (6:12)
9. Dissident Aggressor (3:02)
10. Exciter (5:33)
11. Beyond The Realms Of Death (6:51)
12. Better By You Better Than Me (5:19)
13. Invader (4:10)
14. Stained Class (5:12)
15. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown) (Live)* (4:42)

CD 2
1. Killing Machine (3:02)
2. Evening Star (4:06)
3. Take On The World (3:03)
4. Delivering The Goods (4:16)

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Band profile:

Judas Priest

According to Flotsam drummer, Craig Nielsen: "...The DVD will come out late April/early May
and the Metallica tribute DVD should be scheduled for release very soon. A couple of different bigger labels are looking at picking it up..."

Swedish death/thrashers IMPIOUS have inked a deal with Metal Blade Records. The group plan on entering the studio this summer to begin recording their fourth album, tentatively due in October.

"We saw the band live when they toured with NECROPHOBIC in early 2003 and they kicked MAJOR ASS!" a spokesperson for Metal Blade Records Europe said in an official statement. "We see many shows each year, but this was one of the few moments we felt completely blown away. We didn't get into the albums they released before very much, but the pre-production with five brand new songs they sent us in late 2003 showed an explosion in songwriting and intensity. Much, no, MUCH better than all their previous stuff!"

IMPIOUS hail from Trollhättan, Sweden — the city that has already brought the "Deathrace Kings" THE CROWN to the world of metal. The music of this quintet is an intense and sharp combination of death and thrash metal.

"We are very excited about signing to Metal Blade," said guitarist Valle Adzic. "To be on the same roster as some of the finest bands in the extreme metal industry just feels fucking awesome. Very few record labels have such a good reputation, such an amazing history, and such a bright future. We're definitely looking forward to be a part of all that."

IMPIOUS lineup:

Martin Akesson - vocals
Valle Adzic - guitars
Robin Sörqvist - guitars
Erik Peterson - bass
Mikael Norén - drums

Band profile:

Impious

German power metallers IRON SAVIOR are scheduled to release their new album, "Metalizer", in May through Noise Records. The follow-up to 2002's "Condition Red", which is currently being recorded at Karo studios in Brackel, Germany, will feature songwriting contributions from new bassist Yenz Leonhardt, who joined the band in December.

Band profile:

Iron Savior

A brand new ORPHANED LAND track, titled "Ocean Land", has been posted online in Real Media format at this location: http://www.centurymedia.de/century/mainarea/audio.aspx?id=orphaned_land__ocean_land.rm.

"Ocean Land" comes off the Israeli group's forthcoming third album, "Mabool", due on February 23 through Century Media Records.

The group's first release since 1996's "El Norra Alila" features vocals that were partly sung by female and male classic as well as oriental choirs in five languages: English, Hebrew, Arabic, Yemen and Latin as well as "a form of gibberish," according to an official press release.

Aside from the five band members, more then 30 guests appear on the album. Among them is a percussionist who plays more then 10 different instruments. Also, a lot of oriental instruments such as Oud, Saz and Buzuki are used besides violins, cello, piano and classic/acoustic guitars.

"Our music style is a mixture of all kinds of metal, from progressive to black metal. In general I would call it Middle Eastern metal," said vocalist Kobi Farhi.

Asked about their musical influences, the singer revealed more about the unusual recording of "Mabool": "We are influenced by all kinds music, from Indian music to Jazz. I even recorded musicians in the streets of India."

The official recording of "Mabool" took place between July and October 2003 in Zaza Studios for drums, piano, cello, violin, some of the choirs as well as the majority of the mix (handled by Simon Vinestock, who also worked as an engineer on the recording) whereas the rest was taken care of in Bardo Studio. A five-track bonus CD containing a recording of an acoustic show in Tel Aviv will be added to the first pressing of the album.

Band profile:

Orphaned Land

Former DIMMU BORGIR drummer Nick Barker has spoken exclusively to BLABBERMOUTH.NET about his surprising departure from the group.

Barker, a former member of CRADLE OF FILTH, joined DIMMU BORGIR in 1999 as a replacement for original drummer Tjodalv (a.k.a. Kenneth Åkesson). He has since appeared on two full-length studio albums with the band: "Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia" (2001, Nuclear Blast) and "Death Cult Armageddon" (2003, Nuclear Blast).

In an official statement announcing Barker's departure, DIMMU BORGIR indicated that "Nicholas has been removed" from the band's lineup and advised their fans to not "waste time speculating why," adding that "we have already moved on."

The following is a transcript of an exclusive question-and-answer session held between BLABBERMOUTH.NET and Nick Barker the evening of Monday, February 9:

Q: DIMMU BORGIR confirmed your departure from the group by saying that you were "removed" from the band's lineup. Most people would interpret that statement to mean that you were kicked out of the band, not that you left of your own accord.

Nick Barker: "That's right. I guess they let me go because they think it's the right decision for the band. And I totally respect their decision, and I have to go with it, obviously. And I just wish them all the best."

Q: Was this decision a long time coming? Were you surprised at all to learn of their decision to kick you out of the band?

Nick Barker: "It was a total surprise to me. But I guess they think it's the right thing to do, and all the best to them."

Q: But they must have given you a reason as to why they were kicking you out, didn't they?

Nick Barker: "I guess it's because of the distance thing ? me being English and those guys being Norwegians. And me commuting from England to Norway all the time. I guess they thought things just weren't working out. I think there might have been a few cultural differences, with me being English and those guys being Norwegians. I mean, we always seemed to get along, and we made some good music together.

Q: The way their statement was worded implied that there might have been some bad blood there ? like the split wasn't entirely amicable.

Nick Barker: "I don't know anything about that."

Q: So there were no band fights or internal disagreements that precipitated this decision to kick you out of the band?

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Band profile:

Dimmu Borgir

A brand new DISMEMBER track, titled "Where Ironcrosses Grow", has been posted online in the < MEDIA ] section of the new Karmageddon Media website :

www.karmageddonmedia.com

"Where Ironcrosses Grow" is the title track of DISMEMBER's long-awaited new album, to be released on the 8th of March through Karmageddon Media.

Distributed by Plastic Head (PHD).

The follow-up to 2000's "Hate Campaign" was recorded at Stockholm's Sami studio and features artwork by acclaimed artist Dan Seagrave (ENTOMBED, SUFFOCATION, MORBID ANGEL).

Complete tracklist:

1. WHERE IRONCROSSES GROW
2. FORGED WITH HATE
3. ME-GOD
4. TRAGEDY OF THE FAITHFUL
5. CHASING THE SERPENT
6. WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD
7. SWORD OF LIGHT
8. AS THE COINS UPON YOUR EYES
9. CHILDREN OF THE CROSS
10. AS I PULL THE TRIGGER

"The Swedish Death Metal Legend returns... long live Stockholm Dods Metall !!!"

From Blabbermouth:

BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward recently gave an interview to the U.K.'s Rhythm magazine in which he discussed the group's early years, his musical upbringing and SABBATH's current status. Asked if there are any plans to make another BLACK SABBATH album, Ward said, "That would be nice. I'd like to. We certainly have enough material. At my house here, I have nearly 60 cassettes of new SABBATH songs we've worked on. It's just stuff we churned out. Tony and Geezer have the same amount of tapes. Tony comes up with these riffs, and like we always did, I tried some melody ideas, took them back to Tony, he would come back to me with ideas, same with Geezer. We'd be sending things back and forth. We just share ideas and that makes the songs work, like always. I just love it. I love them all and working with them is so easy. You just have to listen to Tony, see where he's going, and he inspires so much. So we'd like to do another SABBATH album, but Ozzy's on tour. Geezer's in the U.K. Tony is working on projects. We just have to just get together in the same room."

In the same issue of Rhythm magazine, current OZZY OSBOURNE drummer Mike Bordin spoke about filling in for his "hero" Bill Ward for a number of BLACK SABBATH dates several years ago.

"I've been really, really into music since I was about eight years old, but when I first heard a BLACK SABBATH record, that was it - there was nothing else," Bordin said.

"The very next week, on April 6, 1974, I saw them on TV on the 'California Jam'. It was the most compelling, the most exciting, the most physical thing that I had ever seen â?" it was a revelation. I remember Bill as this big, crazy, giant hairy dude with red tights and no shirt. By the middle of the first song, you couldn't see him - it was just hair and flailing arms.

"When you look at Bill's style of playing, you have to look at it in the context of the giants around him. Geezer, Tony and Ozzy are like forces of nature, and to balance in between them and not be squished, you have to be a giant as well.

"Bill's playing is phenomenally individual and completely unique - nobody can play those songs like him. I was raised on BLACK SABBATH music and it was hugely important to me even before I started playing drums.

"Bill Ward is a prince of a human being and I feel honored to have had a chance to play in BLACK SABBATH with Ozzy, Tony and Geezer. It was my tribute to the man that wasn't onstage, but should have been"

Read more ››

Band profile:

Black Sabbath

Frontman Nergal of Polish black/death metallers BEHEMOTH has posted the following message on the band's official website:

"We are extremly busy with the new stuff. It's going the direction we want, there is no doubt about it. Songs are the continuation of our latest album but it seems that the new stuff is gonna be way more intense and brutal. Some of it will be a bit slower, with a groove...but most of it is just unbelievably fast and technical. That's what we've already started on 'Zosâ?|'. But all the ideas will be pushed even further now...which in result will give you the strongest record we've ever made.

I've got tons of stuff written though there are no final versions of the lyrics for 'Demigod'," he continued. "But one thing is certain. It's all about things we experience in our lives... I think I'm not far from the truth if I say that it's gonna have the most vital energy of all the albums, with a very powerful and mighty approach to it. Some of the lyrics I'm working on right now have titles such as: 'XUL', 'Babylon 2004 e.v.', 'Sculpturing the Throne ov Seth'. There's also gonna be a song called 'Conquer All' which title speaks for itself. It's about how much we strive for greatness in our lives, compromising with nobody. It tells how much pain it takes to transgress into new beings, by leaving all the shit behind and taking only what's good and valuable. It's...all that gave me so much strength and self-confidence. I push myself thru snow and rain but in the end of the day I will get exactly what I want. The best of all there is..."

Pictures from the studio can be found here: http://www.behemoth.metalkings.com/misc_en.html

Band profile:

Behemoth

RUNNING WILD bassist Peter Pichl gave a lengthy interview to the band's official web site in which he briefly discussed the group's upcoming studio album.

"I can't tell you anything yet besides that it's going to be out summer," Peter said. "Rolf is still writing songs. He wasn't able to start his work on the album as early as scheduled, because it took a bit longer to build up his own studio. But he keeps on writing songs and about 20 or so are ready for recording. I'm also really looking forward to them (as much as all of you!). Rolf is really open-minded concerning ideas of the other band-members. If I should have some good ideas (which is sometimes the case), I am going to share them with Rolf, maybe he likes them as well. But I will not be disappointed if he doesn't." Read the rest of the interview here.

RUNNING WILD's last release was the two-disc compilation of re-recorded classics, "20 Years In History", which came out in 2003 through Noise Records. The group's most recent collection of new original songs, "The Brotherhood", was released in 2002.

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Band profile:

Running Wild

KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy LaRocque will begin mixing the group's upcoming live album at the end of March at his Los Angered studio outside Gothenburg, Sweden. According to a posting on the band's web site, "no details are known at the moment such as album title, if it's going to be 2 CD etc. Andy however that most of the song the band played on the USA tour will be on the album."

In a recent interview with Denmark's Metal Reference, frontman King Diamond discussed the recording process for the live CD.

"We wanted to have released earlier than this, but it seemed quite inappropriate as there was no tour to support 'Abigail 2', and we obviously have to conduct more shows than that if we want to select some of the better parts for a live release," he said. "But we definitely thought at that time that we would be able to release a live album."

Asked if the recordings will also be released on DVD, King said, "Oh, no. It's going to be a double live album, this one, and it was recorded on our last US tour, and we almost recorded all the shows for this purpose. A live DVD will probably surface later, and both my record labels Metal Blade and Massacre are interested in joining forces to release it. will however feature live material from our European tour, and this is likely to happen right after summertime 2004."

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Band profile:

King Diamond

CRADLE OF FILTH will enter the studio on Friday, February 13 to begin recording their Roadrunner Records debut, tentatively titled "Nymphetamine".

The follow-up to last year's "Damnation and a Day" will be produced by ANTHRAX guitarist Rob Caggiano, who has previously worked with the group during the mixing stage for "Damnationâ?¦".

"Nymphetamine" (roughly translated as the druggish beast-like addiction to beautiful, classical women) will tentatively feature the following tracks:

01. Medusa And Hemlock
02. Nemesis
03. Prey
04. Gilded Cunt
05. Absinthe With Faust
06. Painting Flowers White Never Suited My Palette
07. Coffin Fodder
08. Filthy Little Secret
09. Gabrielle
10. Swansong For A Raven

CRADLE OF FILTH bassist David Pybus had previously described the new material as an "eclectic mix between the group's 'Damnation..' and 'Cruelty...' albums with a renewed vigor for melody, songmanship and plain fucking weirdness spat into the smelting bowl."

"Nymphetamine" is tentatively set for an early June release.

Band profile:

Cradle Of Filth

Swedish thrashers THE HAUNTED will enter Studio Fredman in Gothenburg on February 23 to begin recording their fourth full-length album, tentatively due late summer through an as-yet-undetermined label.

The group, who were recently rejoined by original vocalist Peter Dolving (MARY BEATS JANE, THE PETER DOLVING BAND) following the departure of Marco Aro, recorded a pre-production tape of four new songs last month for shopping purposes. A three-song CD containing the tracks "Almost Alive", "99" and "Burnt To A Shell" is currently being used to procure a new record deal for the group.

THE HAUNTED, who are expected to spend five weeks in the studio recording and mixing their new album, fulfilled their contractual obligations to Earache Records with the release of 2003's "One Kill Wonder".

Band profile:

The Haunted