Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM have issued the following update:

"As many of you know, the previous Australian tour [which was scheduled to take place late May 2008] was cancelled. MAYHEM was extremely disappointed and outraged for the cancellations. This was COMPLETELY out of the band's control. MAYHEM wants to let you know that the fans Down Under have not been forgotten. An Australian tour is in the works right now. MAYHEM will not release official dates until the tour is SOLID to avoid any further disappointments or screw-ups! Just wanted to let everyone know that the band knows Australia demands MAYHEM and they will answer the call! Look for d ...

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Swedish melodic death metallers DARK TRANQUILLITY have parted ways with longtime bass player Michael Nicklasson. According to the band, "all booked shows will go on as scheduled with a session bassist. We thank Michael for his time in the band and wish him the best of luck in future endeavours."

Commented Michael: "After almost 10 years and tons of tours and festivals, I chose to leave DARK TRANQUILLITY for personal reasons.

"It's been so cool all this time to meet all the people and the tons of fans around the world, and all the friends that I got during this amazing journey — crew, fans and all the people I (we) worked with. I can't name everyon ...

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A brand new AMON AMARTH track entitled "Twilight of the Thunder God" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The song is the title cut of the Swedish Swedish Viking metallers' new album and it features a guest appearance by CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist Roope Latvala. A video for the track was recently filmed on the old Viking site, Jomsborg, home of the Jomsvikings in Wolin, Poland, with the Polish team Group 13 and director Dariusz Szermanowicz.

Check out photos from the video shoot at

"Ultra Beatdown", the new album from British extreme epic power metallers DRAGONFORCE, is availaboe for streaming in its entirety on the band's MySpace page.

"Ultra Beatdown" is scheduled for release in North America on August 26 (one day earlier internationally) via Roadrunner Records.

"Ultra Beatdown" track listing:

01. Heroes Of Our Time
02. The Fire Still Burns
03. Reasons To Live
04. Scars Of Yesterday
05. Heartbreak Armageddon
06. The Last Journey Home
07. Inside The Winter Storm
08. The Warri ...

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According to News.com.au, die-hard AC/DC fans have sunk to a hilarious new low in rock and roll fandom.

Fans who attended a film clip shoot in London last week were among the first in the world to hear AC/DC's new single "Rock 'N Roll Train", and, instead of leaking an unauthorized recording, have set about recreating it themselves on YouTube.

One video shows a fan dressed as Brian Johnson singing "Rock N Roll Train" in his bedroom. Another clip features a fan "singing" the song's main guitar riff in a series of "nah, nah, nah" noise ...

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North Carolina thrashers SANCTITY — who recently parted ways with Jared MacEachern (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Derek Anderson (bass) "for personal reasons" — have issued the following update:

"We will hopefully be announcing our new singer soon. I cant give you a name or hints yet, but we have not been [so] happy in a long time. He is a sick-ass singer as well as a person. We are going into Audiohammer studios [in Sanford, Florida] in September to record some new shit, and as soon as we have it so will you."

SANCTITY guitarist Zach Jordan recently told BLABBERMOUTH.NET, "Our new stuff is more brutal — still fun to listen to ...

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Pennsylvania-based death metallers INCANTATION have cancelled their previously announced European tour with VOMITORY. INCANTATION mainman John McEntee has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"There are some personal family issues that made it impossible for us to fulfill our touring commitments for the remainder of 2008. So we would rather cancel our European tour now and give the promoters time to fill the dates then have a catastrophe at the last minute. We feel this is the only responsible decision. We apologize to all our European friends, supporters, our touring mates in VOMITORY, the promoters and Blast Corpse Promotion for the cancellation. We thank you very much for your support and understanding!"

INCANTATION's seventh album, "Primordial Domination", was released in 2006 on Ibex Moon Records.

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The following message has been posted on the CAVALERA CONSPIRACY MySpace page:

"CAVALERA CONSPIRACY has been deemed an 'inappropriate' band to perform with JUDAS PRIEST on their Priest Feast 2008 tour dates in Australia and New Zealand, and have thusly been forced to cancel their appearance at the previously announced tour dates in the southern Pacific.

"Although CAVALERA CONSPIRACY (featuring Max and Iggor of the legendary SEPULTURA) had several amazing and successful dates with their brothers in PRIEST throughout Eastern Europe, apparently the band has been deemed too inflammatory to open for Priest in Australia a ...

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Greek progressive act WASTEFALL has announced its decision to disband. The group's official statement on the matter reads as follows:

"The band's situation has not been really good the past few months, since Alexander [Katsiyiannis; guitar] was studying in Crete (island of Greece) far away from Athens. We did renew our contract with Intromental Management this year and after this we have had the opportunity to play at ProgPower Scandinavia in October 2008. Our drummer Kostis [Papaleksopoulos] passed his examinations and he will have to leave Greece this summer for a few years, since he will study in a musical university in England, so w ...

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After completing their highly successful European tour with SUFFOCATION and Century Media labelmates WARBRINGER, British grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH have entered the studio to record the highly anticipated follow-up to 2006's "Smear Campaign".

Commented vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway: "As always, when trying to decide when we should enter the studio, we threw a dart at a dartboard and, sadly, for all our sanities' sakes, it landed on a date which was sooner rather than later. It's all working out good with about 10-12 songs complete thus far. It will be intense, naturally, and like always we'll be looking to move things along a notch pro ...

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