Reunited Norwegian black metal legends EMPEROR have announced the following U.S. dates in July 2006:

Jul. 14 - BB Kings Blues Club - New York, NY
Jul. 16 - Key Club - Los Angeles, CA

As previously reported, EMPEROR reunited after four years to play a surprise three-song set at Scream's 15-year anniversary party at Oslo, Norway's Rockefeller on Sept. 30, 2005. The illustrious black metal band, whose split in 2001 took the scene by surprise, performed three tracks — "The Loss And Curse Of Reverence", "I Am The Black Wizards", "Inno A Satana" — and received a rapturous welcome by an ecstatic crowd. Check out photos of the perf ...

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Swedish epic/power metallers FALCONER have confirmed the departure of singer Kristoffer Göbel. In a posting on their official web site, the band write, "Well, once again the line up of FALCONER is changing. 'Now again!!' you might say. It does sound a bit unstable to do this every once in a while, I know.

"After realizing that changing vocalist was not that applauded by people nor was the musical change on the last album (isn't it great when people are open minded....) we thought: 'OK, sailing towards the wind is getting boring' (personally I would say a sense of cynicism started to grow), 'Why not sail with it instead in good mood?'

"After changing the ne ...

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ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffman is in talks with Uli Jon Roth (ex-SCORPIONS, ELECTRIC SUN) and Michael Schenker (MSG, ex-SCORPIONS, UFO) about joining forces for "an all-German G3"-type of tour, Hoffman revealed during a recent interview with MetalEater.com. "I would just play instrumental songs and all different guest musicians would just come together and jam," he said. "But with Uli Roth and Michael Schenker, that is something that I am really excited about."

On the probability of the tour happening as pla ...

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According to an article in the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, MORTICIAN vocalist/bassist Will Rahmer was arrested by the Polish police after threatening a taxi driver with a knife and stealing a taxi cab following the group's performance in the Polish city of Zielona Gora on Sunday (Nov. 13).

Rahmer reportedly called a cab after MORTICIAN's concert in Zielona Gora (which the other MORTICIAN members performed without Rahmer) and requested to be taken to the Berlin airport so that he could fly back to the United States. He allegedly went berserk in the car and threatened to stab the driver of the cab with a small knife. The taxi driver escaped and called the police. In the me ...

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Finland's KALMAH have set the tentative track listing for their fourth album, "The Black Waltz", tentatively due early next year via Spikefarm Records. The follow-up to 2003's "Swampsong" will contain 10 songs. A bonus cover track was also laid down during the sessions and will be included as a bonus cut on various releases.

"The Black Waltz" track listing (in no specific order):

01. Bitter Metallic Side
02. Defeat
03. The Groan of Wind
04. One from the Stands
05. The Black Waltz
06. With Terminal Intensity
07. To the Gallows
08. Time Takes Us All
09. Mindru ...

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Swedish death/thrash metallers DEFLESHED have officially split up. The group's bassist/vocalist Gustaf Jorde has issued the following statement on the matter:

"Fellow comrades, with a schizophrenic mixture of grief and relief we hereby announce our departure from all DEFLESHED activities. Activities that has become more of obligations with the years, which has driven us individually to become more ambitions or less. We are in no way splitting up as unfriends, if anything reversed, and we'll thank you all for your the support through the years in the only way we know how to: a farewell to the flesh gig at Fellini, Uppsala, Sweden the 25th of December. This n ...

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According to a posting on the IRON MAIDEN fan site MaidenFans.com, MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson revealed in an interview with MTV Brazil this past week weekend that the band will enter the studio in March 2006 to record a new studio album, tentatively due next fall. A European tour is expected to kick off in October 2006, with South American dates tentatively penciled in for February 2007.

In other news, Dickinson delivered a keynote speech to Access All Areas delegates on November 9 in Stockholm, Sweden (Access All Areas is Sweden's annual showcase and ne ...

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ABSU's Proscriptor will not be collaborating with MELECHESH on their upcoming album, according to a press release from MELECHESH's record label, Osmose Productions. "This was a mutual decision that had to be taken due to the geographic circumstances and overlapping time schedules," the press release reads.

"Proscriptor has been a member of MELECHESH since 1999 and has recorded two albums with them: 'Djinn' and 'Sphynx'. Both the MELECHESH members and Proscriptor had to take this decision; however, this does not affect their comradeship and possibilities for future cooperation."

Commented MELECHESH ...

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London-based "extreme power metal" band DRAGONFORCE have posted the following message on their official web site:

"Bass player Adrian Lambert has announced that he is to leave DRAGONFORCE with immediate effect. [Being] the father of a young son, the increasingly busy tour schedule of the band has precluded him from spending time with his child. The group would like to extend their best wishes for the future to Adrian and is currently seeking a new bassist. Former HEAVENLY/current MALADAPTIVE guitarist Frederic Leclercq will fill in on a temporary basis for their upcoming shows in the U.S. and Canada during November."

DRAGONFORC ...

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Marilyn Manson spoke with Neil Sean of Sky News about his plans for a children's television program. "I like the idea of a little me putting across my thoughts and ideas," he said. "It will start out as a web extra and, if successful, we plan to turn it into a standalone kids' cartoon. Will they be frightened? Why should they be, it's only me."

In other news, The Bosh is reporting that Marilyn Manson and his fiancée, burlesque performer Dita Von Teese, plan on sucking each other's blood at their wedding. A source for the Daily Star said, "Marilyn and Dita wanted something more meaningful and romantic, to capture t ...

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