The legendary doom masters of Cathedral are amidst their recordings for their sixth studio album. The long-expected opuses of the British cult band around front man Lee Dorian is called “Seeds of Decay“ at present and contains tracks like “Oro The Manslayer“, “Corpsecycle“, “Sabbadaius Sabbattum“, “Eripmav Moon“, “This Body Thy Tomb“, “Everything Is Dying“ and “Upon Azraels Wings“. Dave Patchett, who did a lot of Cathedral covers yet and is famous for his exceptional works, has once again been chosen to created the epic artwork.

According to an update at Axel Rudi Pell's official website, the songs for the upcoming album, The Ballads III, are now completely recorded, mixed and mastered. The site says that it might be possible that a single will be released prior to the album release. Stay tuned for an update very soon. The final tracklisting is as follows: 'Don`t Say Goodbye' (a new Pell composition), 'Forever Angel (Acoustic)', 'The Temple Of The King' (Rainbow cover), 'Heartbreaker', 'The Line', ' Sea Of Evil', 'The Curse Of The Chains', 'All The Rest Of My Life', 'Forever Angel', 'The Temple Of The Holy' and 'Under The Gun'. The second leg of the Kings And Queens Tour is planned for late October/early November this year, but no dates yet have been confirmed.

After different reports like the mototcycle accident of Oscar Dronjak and the new solo albums of Joacim Cans and Magnus Rosén, the focus is set finally on Hammerfall again. This time, the Swedish crusaders have chosen a quiet place in the middle of Denmark for the recordings. Together with star producer Charlie Bauerfeind, they will settle down there in whole September and October. The release of their follow-up work to their successfull and in Sweden gilded “Crimson Thunder“ album is planned for the 7th of March 2005. At first, in January there will be a single. Oscar Dronjak already named some song titles of the new CD, like "The Templar Flame", "Born To Rule" and "Fury Of The Wild". "We will certainly outdo all our previous albums and get one step closer to the immortality of Heavy Metal", the guitarist announces.

Finnish metallers Children Of Bodom have the video for their new single 'Trashed, Lost & Strungout', posted at Universal Music Germany's website here. As previously reported, Trashed, Lost & Strungout will be released through Spinefarm Records on August 25th. An EP of the same name will be released October 18th in Germany, Finland, Japan, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Great Britain, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Italy and Brazil.

The new Mnemic album "The Audio Injected Soul" will contain 3dimensional sounds. Being the first band in the world to work with this new technology, some of the sounds recorded on the album have been recorded using binaural techniques. Binaural recording technology differs from mono, stereo and surround sound and is mostly used in game development. In order to experience the 3D sound you must wear a head-set. For a demonstration listen to a sample of the 3D sound here.

Legendary guitarist Uli Jon Roth (ex-Scorpions) and his Sky Orchestra will perform an open-air concert at the Renaissance castle Schloss Beck in Bottrop-Kirchhellen, Germany on October 9. The program will last for approximately three hours (with intermission) and will include a complete rendition of "Metamorphosis Of Vivaldi's IV Seasons" as well as many pieces from all stages of Uli's musical journey. The multi-media event is going to be filmed, and part of the footage will be included on a DVD based on the music of the "Metamorphosis" album. As previously reported, Roth will be teaming up with Michael Schenker Group (MSG) for an American tour beginning on August 26 in West Hollywood, CA. The U.S. tour will comprise of approximately 16-20 shows, and some of the concerts are also going to feature George Lynch (ex-Dokken).

From the official Amorphis site, www.amorphis.net: "Singer Pasi Koskinen decided to leave the band after 9 long years. Pasi's last apperance will be at Kontu Rock 21.8.2004. All touring plans will go ahead as scheduled and rumours of a replacement already exists. We are waiting for a statement from Pasi in the near future."

According to a recent press release, due to possible trade-name conflicts and to avoid “consumer confusion”, the name of Savatage frontman Jon Oliva’s solo project has been changed to Jon Oliva's Pain. The title of the record will be called ‘Tage Mahal. The band's management realized that there is an established blues artist in Europe who has been using a similar band name for decades. The solo debut release date has been set for October 25 in Europe and October 26th in the US. SPV Records will handle distribution worldwide. Final artwork and packaging is being completed with a massive promotional campaign to begin shortly. An extensive US and European tour will follow soon after. This record is the first installment of a 3-part series which will be followed by a box set release which will include all 3-releases, a live DVD, along with live and studio outtakes from both the recording sessions and the tours to follow. Jon Oliva’s Pain will debut the new material live at the sold-out Prog-Power V Metal Festival in Atlanta, Georgia on September 16. Also appearing that night will be a performance by Savatage members, both past and present.

German power metallers Freedom Call, who feature in their ranks Gamma Ray drummer Dan Zimmermann, have commenced the recording process for their new album, tentatively due in early 2005 through SPV Records. No further details are available at this time. Freedom Call issued a live album, entitled "Live Invasion", in May through SPV. The disc, which was recorded on the band's tour with Blind Guardian, includes a special bonus CD featuring the "Tears Of Taragon" EP plus two tracks that were previously only available in Japan.

The following message was posted by Michael Håkansson on the official Evergrey website: "Greetings Clan members, On the 9th of October we will record our first Live DVD here in Gothenburg. We will for sure make this is a night to remember. It will be the most glorious thing in Evergrey history and we feel that we want to have all of you there to help us make this night perfect. So all of you people from outside of Sweden who want to attend at this special night, send an email to me with the subject DVD and you will be put on a special guestlist for the show. Stay Grey and we'll see you on October 9th!!!"

30-second audio samples of all 10 tracks from the forthcoming Dio album, "Master of the Moon", have been posted online at this location. "Master of the Moon" is scheduled for release on August 30 in Europe through SPV Records and August 31 in the U.S. through Sanctuary. The follow-up to 2002's "Killing the Dragon" was recorded at a Los Angeles studio and features lyrics that are "cynical" and "political", with the music being a mixture of up-tempo and doomy tracks, according to frontman Ronnie James Dio.
"Master of the Moon" (view cover here) track listing:
01. One More For The Road
02. Master Of The Moon
03. The End Of The World
04. Shivers
05. The Man Who Would Be King
06. The Eyes
07. Living The Lie
08. I Am
09. Death By Love
10. In Dreams

Rhapsody’s official website (www.mightyrhapsody.com) currently has the album art for the band’s forthcoming new album, Symphony Of Enchanted Lands Part 2: The Dark Secret, available at this location. Symphony Of Enchanted Lands Part 2: The Dark Secret, is due out through SPV on September 27th and follows the recently issued EP, The Dark Secret. The tracklisting for the mammoth undertaking by the Italian metallers is as follows: ‘The Dark Secret - Ira Divina’, ‘Unholy Warcry’, ‘Never Forgotten Heroes’, ‘Elgard´s Green Valleys’, ‘The Magic Of The Wizards Dream’, ‘Erian´s Mystical Rhymes - The White Dragon‘s Order’, ‘The Last Angels´ Call’, ‘Dragonland‘s Rivers’, ‘Sacred Power Of Raging Winds’, ‘Guardiani Del Destino’, ‘Shadows Of Death’ and ‘Nightfall On The Grey Mountains’. While still recognizable as a Rhapsody record, there are told to be several musical surprises within the grand storyline, apart from orchestra and operatic accompaniment, including a more measured/restrained approach. It's not hyperspeed, neo-classical tempos start to finish.

The swedish progressive doomers Veni Domine are back with a new album called "IIII - The Album Of Labour". The released is set to November 08, 2004 through Rivel Records. You can see the cover art at their official website (www.venidomine.com), where you also can fine some sound clips.

Edguy are currently working on their new CD, the working title for the time being is "Maserati Madness". The first material sounds much more epic and serious stated Tobias Sammet. In an interview, Sammet says "of course it will be the best album in music history and the present working title is Maserati Madness. Anyway, the first material sounds much more epic, serious and less stupid than what the working title makes you conclude, and I really don't think that that we would serioulsy pick such a stupid title. Maybe we'd rather call it Opel Sanity or something like that, haha. I am totally happy how good the firstideas sound. But it's gonna take a little until we can prove that, cause prior to the recording we wanna finish the Hellfire-Tour first." In other news, the band are planning to release a new DVD, no release date has been confirmed.

According to a posting on Kamelot's web site, guitarist Thomas Youngblood and singer Roy Khan will soon be heading back to Germany to put the finishing touches on the follow-up to last year's "Epica", tentatively due before the end of the year through SPV Records. Vocal sessions and guitar sessions will be done as well as the recording of several guest appearances. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "March of Mephisto", "Nothing Ever Dies" and "Serenade". A Japanese tour will likely take place in December, to be followed by a European trek beginning in January 2005.

German power metallers Running Wild have set "Rogues On Vogue" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in early 2005 through G.U.N./BMG Ariola. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Draw The Line", "Skeleton Dance", "Skulls & Bones", "Black Gold" and "The War" (described as "a new 12-minutes epic song about the beginning of the First World War"). Running Wild had previously postponed the recording sessions for their new album until August/September so as to allow frontman Rolf Kasparek enough time to recover from tendovaginitis in his left arm.

Celtic Frost have posted a new version of the previously released demo track "Ground" on their website. Commented guitarist/producer Erol Unala: "This Saturday I just finished mixing a new version of 'Ground', this time it's the full band, recorded live at our rehearsal room. The vocals and lead guitar overdubs were added shortly thereafter." Celtic Frost have yet to announce a record label or release date for their long-awaited new album, tentatively titled "Probe". Joining Unala and mainman Tom Gabriel Fischer on the recording is the group's original bassist Martin Ain. In additional news, Fischer recently announced plans to record a solo album, tentatively due next year. The as-yet-untitled effort will reportedly contain material that "is very closely related to my personal life and emotions," according to Fischer. "It is much more somber and utterly dark than previous band Apollyon Sun, as has been my life in recent years. The music can perhaps be described as dark wave, electronica... or, much better, as my innermost feelings and emotions turned into soundscapes, aural paintings."

Kreator frontman Mille Petrozza has revealed the track listing for the group's as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2001's "Violent Revolution", tentatively due January 2005 through SPV Records. The CD, which is being recorded and mixed at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, England with producer Andy Sneap, is being described by Petrozza as "pure brutal thrash! Tons of fast shit, sick solos, aggro riffing... I am really psyched about the new shit. Can't wait to hear what the fans think about it..." A specially priced four-song EP will precede the album later this year, featuring previously unreleased live material and non album tracks. Artwork duties will be handled by Austrian artist Jochim Luetke (www.luetke.com). Kreator new album projected track listing (in no particular oder):
01. Enemy of God
02. Impossible Brutality
03. Suicide Terrorist
04. Murder Fantasies
05. Dying Race Apocalypse
06. One Evil Comes - A Milion Follow
07. Dystopia
08. World Anarchy
09. Voices
10. Under A Blackened Sky
11. When Death Takes It's Dominion
12. The Ancient Plague
Check out video clips of the band in the studio during the recording sessions for the new album (Quicktime required): Video#1 (3.55 MB), Video#2 (3.12).

Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt has started writing material for the group's next album, tentatively scheduled to be recorded sometime in the early spring of 2005. It is also most likely that Opeth will put out an audio version of the Shepard's Bush (DVD) concert. If this becomes a reality, there will be some "fantastic and super-exclusive extra features," according to a posting on the band's web site. With regards to their label situation, the band write, "Music For Nations is likely to close their doors within a near future, leaving their roster in the hands of BMG. What will happen to the bands is so far unknown, but it's possible that Opeth will be without a record contract in the near future. This is an effect of the massive merge between Zomba Records and BMG."

Falconer are continuing to write material for their new CD, guitarist Stefan Weinerhall writes the following at the official website: "The writing for the new album has gone very well so far. It seems like this time we have to cut out songs from the album for the first time. It might be a bit too early to say yet, but the material feels very fresh and sometimes different. Over all, it feels like it's gonna be a bit faster and harder."

Sonata Arctica have reportedly finished recording their new album, Reckoning Night. Mastering will take place today (Monday, June 28th) and the band will begin rehearsing for their upcoming summer shows. The track list for the new album is as follows: ‘Misplaced’, ‘Blinded No More’, ‘Ain’t Your Fairytale’, ‘Reckoning Day, Reckoning Night…’, ‘Don’t Say A Word’, ‘The Boy Who Wanted To Be A Real Puppet’, ‘My Selene’, ‘Wildfire’, ‘White Pearl, Black Oceans…’, and ‘Shamandalie’. The bonus track for Japan is called ‘Wrecking The Sphere’. The album will be released on October 6th in Japan, October 11th in Europe.

Producer Andy Sneap is reporting on his web site that work is progressing well on Kreator's as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2001's "Violent Revolution", tentatively due in the fall. "We've now finished all drums, rhythms, bass and leads, and currently have one vocal complete, which sounds great," he writes. "I personally think it's a cool progression from the last album, drummer Ventor sounds more confident, playing like a mad man and some frantic riffing from Mille Petrozza. Looks like we've got another week left on vocals then 10 to 12 days mixing, which we have to sort out around schedules." A 38-second Quicktime clip of the laying down the basic tracks for the new album at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, England with producer Sneap can be viewed at this location.

Former Primal Fear/Sinner/Thunderhead guitarist Henny Wolter and bassist Ole Hempleman have reunited, along with new drummer Curt Donner, to form Donnerkopf, which roughly translates into English as just Thunderhead. On the band's web site (www.donnerkopf.de), new mp3 files can be found, which indicate a very Thunderhead-like direction, with plenty of those ballsy and slyly inventive riffs that made Henny and Ole's former bands a respected metal institution. According to Henny, however, the band are not exactly killing themselves trying to achieve worldwide fame this time around. "As we started Donnerkopf it was just for our pleasure and I wish it will remain that way. So we don´t really go by what record companies or other music business-people tell us. We will just write and play the stuff that we like", says Wolter. The lyrics are this time written in the band's native tongue.

According to Roadrunner, Obituary currently have four songs written and ready to go, and are hard at work on more new material. Although studio time for the band's return has not been set, the classic Obituary line up (John Tardy - vocals, Trevor Peres - guitars, Allen West - guitars, Frank Watkins - bass, Donald Tardy - drums) are set to deliver a new album in the near future.

There will be new material from Masterplan in the near future. The long expected studio album will be released in January 2005. An EP will see the light in November 2004 to pass away the time – it will be sold for a low single price. The band is currently in their own studio to start with the basic tracks with producer Andy Sneap. The final mixdown is scheduled for late August and will be done with mixing mastermind Mikko Karmila at the famous Finnvox studios in Helsinki.

Long-running British heavy metallers Saxon have set "Lionheart" as the title of their new album, due on September 20 through SPV Records. Taking care of all drumming duties on the CD is Jörg Michael (Stratovarius), who will also join the group on their upcoming tour, according to Germany's Rock Hard magazine. Previous Saxon skinsman Fritz Randow has reportedly left the band in order to concentrate on other projects and may rejoin the group at some point in the future.

A short trailer for the upcoming Blind Guardian live DVD Imaginations Through The Looking Glass, is now available for download using BitTorrent. Look here for more details and the link to the torrent file. For help with BitTorrent check out the old outtakes page here. Imaginations Through The Looking Glass will be released today, June 14th.

Magnum will release their 12th studio album, Brand New Morning, through SPV on August 30th. The album marks the resumption of the cooperation between the band’s three masterminds, namely vocalist Bob Catley, guitarist Tony Clarkin, and keyboarder Mark Stanway. Not to forget bassist Al Barrow, whose accentuated style suits the homogeneous interplay between the three experienced musicians perfectly. The album features the following tracklisting: ‘Brand New Morning’, ‘It's Time To Come Together’, ‘We All Run’, ‘The Blue And The Grey’, ‘I'd Breathe For You’, ‘The Last Goodbye’, ‘Immigrant Son’, ‘Hard Road’ and ‘The Scarecrow’.

Jag Panzer guitarist Mark Briody has posted the following message in the "Forum" section of the band's official web site: "The new studio album 'Casting the Stones' is coming out GREAT! We're about 70% percent done. All drums and rhythm guitars are complete. Half the vocals and half the bass is done also. I'm very happy with the songs. Guitarist Chris Broderick has delivered some awesome layered and complex songs complete with some intense polyrhythms. My songs have much more harmony guitar work then my previous writing. We're also using some different gear - amps, cymbals, drums, etc. The production is going to be very cool. We also used some different tunings on the album. Look for an mp3 in a month or so." As previously reported, "Casting the Stones" is tentatively due in October through Century Media Records. The band are scheduled to head back down to Morrisound studios in Tampa, Florida to mix the album at the end June. Described by Briody as "a more aggressive version" of 2001's "Mechanized Warfare", "Casting the Stones" will feature artwork by by Mattias Noren.

Bathory mastermind Tomas "Quorthon" Forsberg was found dead in his apartment in Stockholm, Sweden on Monday, June 7, informed sources have confirmed to Blabbermouth.net. The 39-year-old son of Black Mark Record's owner Börje Forsberg, long considered one of black metal's founders, died of an apparent heart failure.

Sodom founder Tom Angelripper (aka Onkel Tom) has issued the following update via the band’s official website (http://sodomized.info/e/news.htm): “Production for the DVD is in full swing. The concert film is almost ready and will contain 23 songs. About the history DVD, there are some legal problems to solve (permissions of various ex musicians and record companies etc). In addition, each week we're getting new material... All this needs its time. Such a giant DVD we make only once in a lifetime, so I don't want to make compromises in quality and completeness. But you'll not be disappointed, the DVD will be the absolute hammer, I promise! Coming weekend we're playing the Gods Of Metal festival in Italy. Afterwards we enter the studio for the new Sodom album. It will be the hammer, too! This time we're producing with Achim Koehler in House of Audio studio. Release date must be agreed with the record company. Even if it became a little calmer, we're working each day intensively on our publications. So long, Tom.”

The webmaster at the official King Diamond/Mercyful Fate website (www.covenworldwide.org) has issued the following message: “Get Ready For Some Deadly Lullabyes “Live”!!! I just received some news from King about the forthcoming double live CD. Yes, you read this right! It's gonna be a 2-disc set. The title is Deadly Lullabyes “Live”. No release date has been set at the moment but as soon as we know more we'll inform you right away. The songs published next are likely to be on the CD. But this is NOT confirmed yet: ‘Funeral’, ‘Mansion In Darkness’, ‘The Family Ghost’, ‘Black Horsemen’, ‘Spare This Life’, ‘Mansion In Sorrow’, ‘Spirits’, ‘Sorry Dear’, ‘Eye Of The Witch’, ‘Sleepless Nights’, ‘Puppetmaster’, ‘Blood To Walk’, ‘So Sad’, ‘Welcome Home’, ‘Invisible Guest’, ‘Burn’, ‘Halloween’ and ‘No Presents For Christmas’.”

The title of the new Ring Of Fire album, featuring ex-Yngwie Malmsteen singer Mark Boals (Trilogy, Alchemy) will be called Lapse Of Reality and will be released in Japan on July 22nd through King Records. The track list is as follows: ‘Lapse Of Reality’, ‘Saint Fire’, ‘The Key’, ‘Darkfall’, ‘One Little Mystery’, ‘Perfect World’, ‘Change’, ‘That Kind Of Man’, ‘You Were There’, ‘Machine’, ‘Faithfully’ and ‘I Don't Know (What You're Talking About)’. The album will be the Ring Of Fire studio debut for new keyboardist Steven Weingart, who replaced co-founder Vitalij Kuprij (Artension) last year.