California-based traditional metal act FUELED BY FIRE has parted ways with vocalist/guitarist Gio. No reason was given for the split but the band has stated that "this was [Gio's] personal decision and [we] wish him the best."

FUELED BY FIRE is currently looking to replace Gio with either "a vocalist/guitarist or a vocalist and a guitarist." Applicants "must be committed and dedicated . . . ...

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Finnish metallers KALMAH have posted the following message on their MySpace page:

"Two years has passed but as we promised there is more to come and now it is about time. Today [Saturday, October 13] we started the recordings of our fifth full-length album. We started to work on new material almost two years ago and since we do not want to hurry it took the time to put every piece of the puzzle together. We have had gre ...

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According to a posting on the IRON MAIDEN fan site MaidenNorway.com, Norwegian video game developer Hybris is working on a

Click on the link below to check out the new recording sessions for the highly anticipated third Pyramaze album. You will find detailed updates and video footage of the guys recording right now in Denmark for their upcoming release.

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Long-running Swedish death metallers GRAVE have issued the following update:

"We are currently working on material for our upcoming eighth studio album. The writing process has been going very good the past month and we already have some songs in the final stages. Release is scheduled to April/May 2008 on a label that we are very excited to start working with. More news on that soon.

"20th anniversary info: Next ...

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The Associated Press reports that a single mother who was accused of illegally downloading tracks from OPETH and GUNS N' ROSES (among other artists) has been ordered to pay $220,000 in damages after a federal jury ruled she shared copyrighted music online

The jury ordered Jammie Thomas, 30, to pay the six record companies t ...

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LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT — the instrumental progressive rock/metal project featuring DREAM THEATER members Mike Portnoy (drums), John Petrucci (guitar) and Jordan Rudess (guitar) alongside progressive rock icon Tony Levin (bass) of KING CRIMSON and PETER GABRIEL fame — will headline the first night of the NEARfest X, set to take place June 21-22, 2008 at Zoellner Arts ...

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Reactivated British extreme legends CARCASS have been confirmed for next year's installment of the Wacken Open Air festival, set to take place July 31 - August 2, 2008 in Wacken, Germany. Also scheduled to appear are IRON MAIDEN (headliners), CHILDREN OF BODOM, AVANTASIA, KREATOR and SONATA ARCTICA.

Commented CARCASS bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker: "Well, they said it would never happen. In fact I said it would never happen. Then I noticed no one pays attention to what I say anyway and I sounded like an idiot...

"Summer 2008 will be the twentieth anniversary since the release of CARCASS' first studio album ...

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The organizers of the Bergen International Film Festival and Hole in the Sky have announced the world premier of the new documentary "Global Metal", on Thursday, October 18 at 19.00 at Bergen Kino in Norway.

In "Global Metal", directors Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn — the makers of the acclaimed documentary "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" — set out to discover the impact of

U.K. epic thrash metallers BIOMECHANICAL have announced the addition of bassist Adrian Lambert (SON OF SCIENCE, ex-DRAGONFORCE, INTENSE) to the group's ranks. "His fast and furious bass style is exactly what the band was looking for!" BIOMECHANICAL said in a statement.

BIOMECHANICAL will release its new album, "Cannibalised", on February 11, 2008 through Earache Records.

"Cannibalised" was mixed by famed producer Chris Tsangarides (