Steve Appleford of Los Angeles Times reports that ALICE IN CHAINS' as-yet-untitled new album will be released mid-September via Virgin/EMI.

The band began work on the CD last October at FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl's private Studio 606 in Northridge, before moving to Hollywood's Henson Recording Studios in December. "We've been working toward this for over a year now," says guitarist Jerry Cantrell. "It's a long haul."

Among the visitors to their recording sessions was late AIC singer Layne Staley's mother, who, along with other family members, has expressed ongoing support for the band. "It was really important that it was OK with them," says manager Susan Silver, ...

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Singer Timo Kotipelto (STRATOVARIUS, KOTIPELTO, CAIN'S OFFERING) played a short set for Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday, April 20 at a presidential dinner held by Finnish President Tarja Halonen in honor of Medvedev's visit to Finland. Timo was accompanied during the performance by Matias Kupiainen (STRATOVARIUS), Jani Liimatainen (CAIN'S OFFERING, ex-SONATA ARCTICA) and the Kaarti military band/orchestra led by conductor Elias Seppälä. Around 130 people attended the dinner, including Finnish political leaders, a number of high-rank officials, diplomats, and representatives of finance and culture. A metal fanatic, Medvedev listened to Kotipelto's three-song performance (c ...

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Full Metal Racket festival, set to take place this Saturday (April 25) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is under deep scrutiny from the Northern Irish religious factions. After causing uproar at concerts from AKERCOCKE and GORGOROTH, it is now time for ROTTING CHRIST to be targeted.

Full Metal Racket will go ahead without any problems and the festival promoters, in conjunction with ROTTING CHRIST, have released the following statement.

"We, as a festival run by several educated, intelligent, and reasoned people, are disappointed and frankly appalled that Christians who extol the virtues of acceptance, understanding and love for their fellow man would attempt to 'save the s ...

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GOATWHORE — the New Orleans-based band featuring vocalist L. Ben Falgoust II (SOILENT GREEN) and guitarist Sammy Duet (ACID BATH, CROWBAR) — has set "Carving Out The Eyes of God" as the title of its new studio album, due in the U.S. on June 23 via Metal Blade Records.

For the follow-up to 2006's "A Haunting Curse", GOATWHORE headed back to St. Petersburg, Florida to record with producer Erik Rutan at Mana Recording Studios, with mastering being handled by Alan Douches of West West Side.

Vocalist Ben Falgoust comments on the direction of the new album: "I don't really know how to explain this. I don't want to come off with the typical speech about how this record is ...

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"Storm", the new video from SANCTIFICATION — the Swedish death metal band featuring current/former members of GOD AMONG INSECTS, IN BATTLE and SOULDRAINER — can be viewed below.

Comments the group: "In this video, as on the album Emperor Magus Caligula from the legendary DARK FUNERAL appears and the film team that is behind it is called Standard Film Team from Umeå, Sweden. The video was filmed during one day in April in Östersund, Sweden."

"Storm" comes off SANCTIFICATION's new album, "Black Reign", which is scheduled for release in May via the Singapore-based label Pulverised Records.

The group's current lineup consists of Tomas Elofsson (guitar) and ...

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Video footage of NEGURA BUNGET, the Romanian band that incorporates elements of black metal, progressive metal, folk metal and dark ambient, performing a new song at the Inferno festival in Oslo, Norway on April 9, 2009 can be viewed below (courtesy of "WolfFenrir").

NEGURA BUNGET's first four releases were recently reissued in digipacks with improved artwork via Prophecy Productions.

* "From Transylvanian Forest" is the only demo recording from WICCAN REDE, the legendary precursors to NEGURA BUNGET. This re-release with two bonus tracks lays bare the roots of NEGURA BUNGET in a unique way.

* On their debut album, "Zîrnindu-Sã", the Romanians celebrate a fu ...

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NATTEFROST (NATTEFROST, CARPATHIAN FOREST) and FENRIZ' RED PLANET (DARKTHRONE) have signed with Indie Recordings for the release of the split album "Engangsgrill". Together these two legendary musicians team up for a rock and roll experience, that explores the borderline between black metal, stoner and classic rock. The album will be available in both CD and LP formats, and contains three tracks from FENRIZ' RED PLANET and five from NATTEFROST.

"Engangsgrill" track listing:

Side Nebulah – FENRIZ' RED PLANET

01. My Ship Sailed Without Me
02. Jon Carter, Man On Mars
03. Temple Of The Red Dawn Rising

Side Lustmord - NATTEFROST
04. N ...

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Brooklyn Vegan recently conducted an interview with Scott Kelly (NEUROSIS, NEUROT, SHRINEBUILDER). A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

Brooklyn Vegan: Where are you exactly in the process as far as SHRINEBUILDER (the project that features in its ranks Wino [ST. VITUS, THE HIDDEN HAND], Scott Kelly, Al Cisneros [OM, SLEEP], and Dale Crover [MELVINS]), is concerned? I know you provided recent updates on your blog, but since then, how's it coming along?

Scott: We are basically in the same spot we were... Not finished mixing yet, artwork's not done yet, but getting closer on both. Wino ended up doing an extra day of guitar in Baltimore about ten days after he did the ...

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Fuck me…this album takes off like a rocket-propelled rat from a drainpipe. Obviously past albums haven’t exactly been quiet and slow, but is there a specific reason for this renewed level of intensity and violence?

Thank you. Yes there is - Mick. The ideology and atmosphere I try to build around the music will always be extreme to the point of being maniacal because I’m not quite right, but the basis is always going to be the music, and aside from the odd chat or idea I might suggest, that’s entirely down to Mick. After he’d recorded the songs, a mutual friend had the chance to listen to some of it before I went to the studio, and when I asked him how it sounded h ...

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The official web site of German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN has been updated with the following message:

"No words can describe how happy we were to receive an official invitation to a listening of the first three RAMMSTEIN songs from the upcoming album. Three uncompromising songs and three attacks upon 'common taste and morality.' An album isn't an album until the last line has been sung and the final note has sounded. However, it's no big secret to tell you about our great enthusiasm. Just like many others, we can't wait. All departments of the good ship RAMMSTEIN are running on full steam! There are already more than 150.000 ticket requests for the tour that will start at th ...

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