SLAYER was awarded The Grammy yesterday for Best Metal Performance for 'Eyes Of The Insane' from their Christ Illusion album. This was Slayer's second Grammy nomination, the first being in 2002 for the track 'Disciple' from God Hates Us All, also in the Best Metal Performance category. Slayer is currently headlining a North American tour and did not attend the Grammy presentation, but vocalist/bassist Tom Araya had this to say about the win from his hotel room in Columbus, OH: " Jeff (Hanneman, guitarist) and I put a lot into 'Eyes Of The Insane' so we're thrilled that the Grammy voters took the time to listen to it, and then vote for it. We're out here on the road and we're all really, really happy."

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Eight of BLIND GUARDIAN's albums will be re-released in June to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary. The LPs due to be reissued are as follows:

* Battalions of Fear (1988)
* Follow the Blind (1989)
* Tales from the Twilight World (1990)
* Somewhere Far Beyond (1992)
* Tokyo Tales (1993)
* Imaginations from the Other Side (1995)
* The Forgotten Tales (1996)
* Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998)

All albums will be digitally remastered and will feature new liner notes and pictures.

BLIND GUARDIAN has been confirmed for the Bloodstock Open Air festival, set to take place Saturd ...

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Roadrunner Records has announced the signing of progressive metal pioneers DREAM THEATER. A new studio album, "Systematic Chaos", is due in June. DREAM THEATER will hit the road in support of the album for a world tour, including major festival appearances in Europe.

Since their first studio release in 1989, this U.S.-based five-piece has notched up record and DVD sales in excess of six million and headlined to audiences of 20,000. Having undertaken seven world tours across 42 different countries, DREAM THEATER has established a live reputation that has swept them to arena-status around the globe. They have appeared alongside acts such as DEEP ...

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IRON MAIDEN's new live DVD, "Death on the Road", captured live during their 2003 "Dance of Death Tour" and filmed at the Westenfalenhalle Arena, Dortmund, Germany, will debut on the big screen on February 21, 2007.

This special one-night-only event will take place in eight cities across America and be presented in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. The event features 120 minutes of classic MAIDEN tracks, including "The Number of the Beast", "Run to The Hills", "Wrathchild" and many more. In addition, fans attending the show will see exclusive footage of MAIDEN performing "Where Eagles Dare" and "Phantom of the Opera" from their bl ...

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You can now discover each reviewer's pick for 2006 in our awards page. Enjoy !

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In what is a very unexpected move, the ever controversial queen of what is the biggest metal festival in the United States has announced that ticket prices will reach a record low of $0.00.

"That's right, OZZY and SHARON OSBOURNE and tour producer LIVE NATION broke the news today at the Concert Industry Consortium in Los Angeles that their 12th annual hard rock spectacular--a 25-date extravaganza launching July 7 in Los Angeles--is pulling the plug on ticket prices and giving the power back to the fans calling this summer’s OZZFEST "FreeFest." The other OZZFEST cities as of now are San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Kansas City, ...

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MALEVOLENT CREATION guitarist Phil Fasciana has issued the following update:

"We just finished recording the new MALEVOLENT CREATION album ['Doomsday X'] and I am pleased to say that this is the BEST M.C. album ever written!!! I want to just say thanx to the members of my band, Brett Hoffmann [vocals], Dave Culross [drums], Jon Rubin [guitar] and Jason Blachowicz [bass], for helping me create our best album to date!!! You fans will have to hear it to believe it, but if it wasn't the best album we have ever done, I would put an end to the band now.

"We are rehearsing songs for our upcoming European tour which is going to be a long one. I may be a little slo ...

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KOTIPELTO, the band led by STRATOVARIUS singer Timo Kotipelto, has inked a deal with AFM Records. The group's third album, "Serenity", is due in April. The CD was recorded at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Finland and was mixed by Mikko Karmila. The album's first single, "Sleep Well", entered the Finnish chart at No. 5. A video for the song has been posted online at YouTube.com. The track is also included in the new Finnish movie "Vares 2", which had its premiere on January 12. "The song is a main theme and can be heard when the credits are scrolling at the end o ...

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W.A.S.P.'s previously announced deal with SPV Records appears to have fallen through and the band has now landed a new label home with Demolition Records. The group's new album, "Dominator", is expected sometime this spring. Songtitltes tentatively set to appear on the CD include "Mercy", "Take Me Up", "Heaven's Hung In Black", "Heaven's Blessed", "Long Long Way To Go" and "Teacher". Two cover versions were also recorded during the sessions — "Burn" (DEEP PURPLE) and "Fortunate Son" (CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL) — but it s not clear if those tracks will appear on the final product.

R ...

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Nick Green of Decibel magazine (web site) recently conducted an interview with KING DIAMOND/MERCYFUL FATE frontman King Diamond. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Decibel: Is it true that you're an American citizen now?

King Diamond: I've lived in Texas for the last 15 years, but I just became an American citizen in 2005. It was lengthy process — you have to go through the whole thing with a lawyer and wait until you're called in for fingerprinting and fill out this form and sign your name to that one. With the fallout from 9/11, I'm sure it takes a lot lon ...

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