Arvato Mobile has acquired one of Europe's largest independent record labels SPV as a partner and will be realizing worldwide marketing and content production for the Hanover-based company. SPV's venture with Europe's number one provider of mobile entertainment marks the company's entry into the mobile marketing arena.

The alliance with SPV will enable Arvato Mobile to strategically expand its rock and metal portfolio. The two companies' joint offerings will zero in on exciting content such as MOTÖRHEAD, SEPULTURA, TYPE O NEGATIVE, MÖTLEY CRÜE, JUDAS PRIEST and BLACKMORE'S NIGHT.

"SPV will ...

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Metal Asylum recently conducted an interview with DESTRUCTION bassist/vocalist Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Metal Asylum: How successful was your tour with KREATOR in the States a few years ago? Was there a lack of audience the reason why DESTRUCTION has not been back?

Schmier: "I think it was pretty successful given [that] since then KREATOR has been back for two more tours with one going on right now. But those guys also have an American manager so that helps and something we don't have. It's hard to get a tour going without that ...

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Canadian extremists STRAPPING YOUNG LAD have set the tentative track listing for their new album, "The New Black", due in July 2006 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to last year's "Alien" was recorded at the Armoury and Profile studios in the band's hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia and is currently being mixed by Mike Fraser, who has previously worked with AC/DC, AEROSMITH and METALLICA, among others.

"The New Black" tentative track listing (in no particular order):

01. Decimator
02. You Suck
03. Antiproduct
04. Hope
05. Wrong Side
06. < ...

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The complete track listing has been revealed for the three CDs that will be included in the upcoming BATHORY box set, "In Memory of Quorthon", due on June 3 via Black Mark Records. As previously reported, the full package will contain three CDs, one DVD, a book and a poster. Börje "Boss" Forsberg — owner of Black Mark Records and father of late BATHORY mainman Thomas "Quorthon" Forsberg — had previously stated that the package would contain "Quorthon's and BATHORY's complete musical history."

"In Memory of Quorthon" track listing:

CD 1:

01. Song to Hall up High
02. Oden's Ride over N ...

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According to an article on the Swedish IT news web site IDG.se, METALLICA have threatened legal action against the Swedish steelworkers union Metall over the rights to the Internet domain name Metallica.st (view web site at this location).

The domain name Metallica.st is registered by Förvaltnings AB Metallica, which is the Swedish steelworkers union's venture capital firm.

METALLICA's representatives (Zacco Sweden AB, the leading intellectual pro ...

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Norwegian symphonic metal band TRISTANIA have parted ways with vocalist Kjetil Ingebrethsen.

Commented Kjetil: "After four amazing years, I have decided to leave TRISTANIA. There is no bad blood between us at all, and we are still good friends. This is a choice I had to make, just for my own part, and it was the right time to do it now — before the new album.

"I just want to take the opportunity to thank all the fans I have met, and bands I have shared stage with, during tours and festivals. It's been a blast — you will truly be remembered!

"To the TRISTANIA 'family'; Einar, Vibeke, Kenneth, Anders, Ru ...

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SIRENIA, the Norwegian gothic metal band featuring former TRISTANIA guitarist/vocalist Morten Veland, have announced the addition of 27-year-old Danish female singer Monika Pedersen (photo) to the group's ranks. "Monika has been dedicated to music all her life, and has loads of experience from from other bands, projects, choirs etc." the group write on their web site. "In addition, she has been working with several professional singing teachers in Luxemburg and Denmark. From now on she will have an important role in SIRENIA's music, and we all look forward to a futur ...

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Canadian extreme metallers STRAPPING YOUNG LAD have completed recording their next album, "The New Black," which will see a release later this year.

In the meantime, the band's 1995 debut "Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing" will be reissued by Century Media on June 12th with the following bonus tracks:

"Japan" (originally a Japanese bonus track)
"Monday" (previously unreleased)
"Exciter" (European bonus track from original version/Judas Priest cover)

New artwork, liner notes and the video for the track "S.Y.L." will also be included.

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BEFORE THE DAWN, the melodic death metal band masterminded by Tuomas Saukkonen, will release their new album, "The Ghost", on May 26th via Locomotive Music. The CD was recorded and mixed at Villvox studios during the fall and early winter 2005 by Aleksanteri Kuosa. Mastering duties were handled by Minerva Pappi at Finnvox studios.

"The Ghost" (view cover here) track listing:

01. Disappear
02. Repentance
03. Away
04. Scar
05. Angel's Tombstone
06. Black Dawn
07. Enemy
08 ...

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JUDAS PRIEST have announced that they are creating their first conceptual album based upon the life and predictions of Nostradamus. The CD will be theatrically staged and performed in its entirety as an epic musical by JUDAS PRIEST.

JUDAS PRIEST made their only live appearance of 2006 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England on March 31. This was a special performance in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust charity and was a tribute to Tommy Vance (U.K.'s "Friday Rock Show") who passed away last year.

JUDAS PRIEST's "Rising in the East" DVD was recently certified gold in the United States by the RIAA (Recor ...

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