Montreal's eclectic black/classical/technical outfit UNEXPECT have revealed the tentative track listing for their upcoming The End Records debut, tentatively due in the first half of 2006. Entitled "In a Flesh Aquarium", the 60-minute effort will include the following songs:

01. Chromatic Chimera (band version)
02. Feasting Fools
03. Desert Urbania
04. Summoning Scenes
05. Silence_011010701
06. Megalomaniac Trees
07. The Shiver
08. Psychic Jugglers (In a Flesh Aquarium)

In other news, a Canadian tour is being planned for April 2006 with Montreal mates AUGURY. The band will also support FINNTROLL and SODOM on January 10, 2006 at L'Imperial in Quebec City, Quebec.

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Norwegian/American hard rockers TNT were scheduled to play with the Oslo Symphony Orchestra and gospel choir on Tuesday (Dec. 21) in a performance that was to be recorded and shown on Norway's NRK channel around the holidays. The band reportedly performed the LOUIS ARMSTRONG classic "What A Wonderful World", which appears on the band's latest CD release, "All The Way to the Sun". TNT were named the featured artist at this year's Christmas Special.

In other news, TNT have confirmed the following Spanish dates in March 2006:

Mar. 22 - Razzmatazz II - Barcelona, SPA
Mar. 24 - Cafe Antzokia - Bilbao, SPA
Mar. 25 - Divino Aqualung – Madrid, SPA

TNT's "All the Way to the Sun" entered the official Norwegian album chart at position No. 29 back in mid-November.

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Finnish folk-influenced melodic death metal band ENSIFERUM, now featuring in its ranks NORTHER frontman Petri Lindroos, have completed work on their new EP, "Dragonheads", due on February 15, 2006 via Spinefarm Records. The mini-CD was recorded and mixed in November at Sonic Pump studios in Helsinki by Nino Laurenne (THUNDERSTONE) and was mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios. It will contain one new track, new studio recordings of several old demo songs, and a couple of traditional Finnish folk covers.

"Dragonheads" track listing:

01. Dragonheads
02. Warrior's Quest
03. < ...

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MONSTER MAGNET have officially entered the recording phase for the follow-up to 2004's "Monolithic Baby". The as-yet-untitled album will be released in March 2006 via SPV and will coincide with the group's European tour. The CD is being produced by friend and veteran MAGNET producer/mixer Matt Hyde ("Powertrip" and "God Says No"). The band are currently in Los Angeles, laying down the new tracks at both Sound City and Paramount recording studios for what promises to be another rock milestone for the quartet.

With excitement building around the new studio album, the news that re-releases of their classic albums "Tab" ...

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This year you have the chance to make your metal preferences heard.

We have decided it would be really interesting to see what our dear readers thought about what the best albums of 2005 were. Here's how we'll go about it:

• In the Reviews forum we have created a sticky where you can vote for your top 5 albums in any genre.
• Under each genre forum we have created stickies where you can vote for your top 5 albums in that genre. Given some genres are fairly large, we'll probably break them down further.
• The voting will be open between December 1st and December 25th. Results will be posted shortly thereafter.
• To help us ke ...

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Finnish extreme metallers IMPALED NAZARENE have finished recording their ninth studio album, "Pro Patria Finlandia", at Sonic Pump studio with producer Tapio Pennanen and will mix the CD in January. The album will be mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox studios for a tentative March 28, 2006 release through Osmose Productions. Cover artwork will be handled by Ritual. The group had previously described the new material as "fast, brutal as fuck, in-your-face IMPALED NAZARENE."

"Pro Patria Finlandia" track listing (in no particular order):

01. Weapons to Tame a Land
02. Something Sinister
03 ...

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The New York Daily News is reporting that after a long and nasty rent fight, the owner of the legendary rock club CBGB agreed yesterday to move out of its grungy East Village site next year.

"I guess money talks. That's the name of the game," said Hilly Kristal, who opened the dank punk mecca in 1973. "We tried our best."

CBGB, which gave bands like the RAMONES and TALKING HEADS a start, will leave its home on the Bowery next Halloween.

Kristal is hoping to move the club to a new spot on the lower East Side and has looked at several spaces.

But he also is cons ...

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SYSTEM OF A DOWN, AUDIOSLAVE, MUDVAYNE and SLIPKNOT are among the nominees for the 48th annual Grammy Awards, set to be broadcast live on CBS from Los Angeles' Staples Center on February 8, 2006. The nominees in the "Hard Rock" and "Metal" categories are as follows:

Hard Rock Performance:

AUDIOSLAVE - "Doesn't Remind Me"
NINE INCH NAILS - "The Hand That Feeds"
ROBERT PLANT - "Tin Pan Valley"
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - "Little Sister"
SYSTEM OF A DOWN - "B.Y.O.B."

Metal Performance:

MINISTRY - "The Great Satan"
MUDVAYNE - "Determined"
RAMMSTEIN - "Mein Teil"
SHADOWS FALL - "What Drives the Weak"
SLIPKNOT - "Before I Forget"

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Aaron Beck and John Futty of The Columbus Dispatch have issued the following report:

Fans in line for a heavy-metal concert at the Alrosa Villa last weekend knew what was coming.

By the time they reached the door of the North Side club, they had opened purses or jackets — or both — for a search.

"Security is everywhere in here now," Sunbury resident Becky Riley said after entering the club. "I feel safe. And there aren't even glass bottles anymore that used to get smashed all over the floor."

One year after a Marysville man climbed the stage during a concert an ...

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QUEENSRŸCHE returned to the studio this summer to record the long-anticipated sequel to 1988's acclaimed concept album "Operation: Mindcrime". Praised by critics and certified platinum, the original remained on Billboard's album chart for more than a year and its dynamic music and powerful message still resonate today. Rhino Records helps unravel the mysteries of the original with "Operation: Mindcrime II". The album is available March 14 at regular physical and digital retail outlets and at www.rhino.com for a suggested retail price of $18.98.

"Operation: Mindcrime II" contains a 15-song story and is performed by the Seattle-based quintet †...

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