A new OPETH track, entitled "The Lotus Eater", has been made available for free download at this location. The song comes off the Swedish metallers' new album, "Watershed", which is scheduled for release on June 3 via Roadrunner Rec ...

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Long anticipated and now officially confirmed: KROKUS is back in its classic formation. Marc Storace (vocals, 56), Fernando Von Arb (guitar, 53), Chris Von Rohr (bass, 56) and Freddy Steady (drums, 55) have reunited and are performing together again.

On August 2, KROKUS will play its only concert planned for 2008 in the band's native Switzerland at Stade De Suisse stadium in Bern. Afterwards, the group will begin work on its comeback album, tentatively due mid-2009.

The classic KROKUS lineup reunited for an appearance on November 18, 2007 on a TV show honoring the greatest Swiss songs of all time. The "Die grössten Schweizer ...

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Vocalist John Tardy of the long-running Florida death metallers OBITUARY has issued the following update:

"We leave today for South America for a couple of weeks. This is always a great time with insane fans!!! This trip will take us to places we have been and places we have not been too yet, so we are really getting excited! We have four shows in Brazil and 1 in Chile, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador!

"We have so much going on when we get back it is just crazy.

"We started to write new music for an EP that we plan on releasing in a few months and we need to get that recorded, so Redneck Studios will be getting fired back up for that!

"We ...

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MÖTLEY CRÜE has set a June 17 release date for its new album, "Saints of Los Angeles". The CD will be issued through Mötley Records, the band revealed today (April 15) at a press conference in Los Angeles.

In support of the album, MÖTLEY CRÜE will embark on a 40-plus-city North American amphitheater tour, beginning July 1 at the Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Fla., and wrapping Aug. 31 at the Post-Gazette Pavilion in Pittsburgh.

Produced by Los Angeles-based Live Nation, Crüe Fest '08 will also feature rock acts BUCKCHERRY, PAPA ROACH, TRAPT and CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx's side band SIXX: A ...

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Bob Mitchell has decided to leave resurrected '80s metallers ATTACKER. Here, in his own words, is Mitchell's explanation: "Just wanted to express that I had the greatest time at the KIT Festival over the past weekend. Attacker rocked Germany once again and everyone was, as usual, gracious and enthusiastic about what we have accomplished. With that said, it is with heavy heart that I announce my departure from Attacker. Outside of the band, I have commitments to college as I am currently earning my Associates Degree and will soon be entering the nursing program, my work at the hospital, which is my greatest passion and my family. In truth, I just could not commit myself at a 100% level and with each passing day it became more difficult. I walk away without regrets and with a sense of pride and accomplishment. I thank all of you for the great times and wonderful memories. I love Attacker, I love our fans for now and always. God Bless and ciao for now."

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Swiss avant-garde/metal pioneers CELTIC FROST have released the following statement via their official web site:

"CELTIC FROST singer and guitarist Tom Gabriel Fischer has left CELTIC FROST due to the irresolvable, severe erosion of the personal basis so urgently required to collaborate within a band so unique, volatile, and ambitious."

It was reported earlier in the year that CELTIC FROST was putting together an album tentatively titled "Monotheist Companion" that will feature unreleased songs from 2006's "Monotheist" sessions and rearrangements of tracks from the album. The disc is tentatively due in the summer.

A video ...

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New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, Crimson Management and The Syndicate have announced the first-ever Metal Summit on April 25. The Metal Summit is an interactive and educational conference where fans and the metal music industry can engage, share ideas and help further the scene. The Metal Summit will give labels, managers, agents, endorsers, publishers, media promoters, bands and more the chance to interact with the people who buy albums, tickets and merchandise. This is also an opportunity for fans to ask key members in the industry how they got started and gain advice on starting their own careers. After all, everyone in the music industry ...

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Reactivated Japanese rockers X JAPAN will play their first-ever concert in the U.S. on September 13, 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The band will also perform in Paris, France on July 5.

Professionally filmed video footage of X JAPAN's March 28, 2008 concert at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan can be viewed below.

Performing with X JAPAN at the band's three reunion shows at the Tokyo Dome were GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Richard Fortus and former LIMP BIZKIT and current BLACK LIGHT BURNS member Wes Borland.

X JAPAN's influential lead guitarist Hideto "Hide" Matsumoto committed suicide in Ma ...

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"When You Were Shouting At The Devil...We Were In League With Satan", the new video from ZIMMERS HOLE — the Vancouver-based project featuring guitarist Jed Simon and bassist Byron Stroud of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD alongside legendary drummer Gene Hoglan (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, TESTAMENT, DEATH, DARK ANGEL) — can be viewed below.

Jed Simon sat out ZIMMERS HOLE's recent Canadian shows due to family health issues.

An e-card for "When You Were Shouting At The Devil...We Were In League With Satan", the new album from ZIMMERS HOLE, is available at