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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Norwegian black metallers GORGOROTH wil record several shows on their current European tour with 1349 for an upcoming live album, entitled "True Norwegian Black Metal". Scheduled for a late autumn release in 2007, it will mark and celebrate GORGOROTH's 15-year anniversary. GORGOROTH's new album, "Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam", is tentatively scheduled for release early next year via Sweden's Regain Records. The band were most recently signed to Nuclear Blast Records, who released the band's last three efforts: "Twilight of the Idols" (2003), "Incipit Satan" (2000) and "Destroyer" (1998). GORGOROTH last year inked a deal with the French label Season of Mist for the reissues of their first three albums: "Pentagram" (1994), "Antichrist" (1996) and "Under the Sign of Hell" (1997). All three were re-released earlier this year in a remastered, digipack version.

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Long-running Floridian death metallers MALEVOLENT CREATION have reportedly parted ways with guitarist Rob Barret and bassist Gordon Simms. Replacing them in the group's latest incarnation are returning members John Rubin (guitar) and Jason Blachowicz (bass, also in DIVINE EMPIRE).

MALEVOLENT CREATION are currently writing the music for their tenth studio album, to be released sometime in the spring/summer of 2006. The band's latest album, "Warkult", was released in July 2004 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Liquid Ghost Recording Studio in Boca Raton, Florida by Phil Plaskon and mixed at Studio Wild in Quebec by producer Jean-Francois Degenais (KATAKLYSM). Mastering duties were handled by Bernard Belley in Montreal. A live album, "Conquering South America", was issued last year via Arctic.

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Former NIGHTWISH frontwoman Tarja Turunen has released the following statement to the media:

"Since last Sunday morning, I have been asked to express my position by magazines, newspapers, radio and TV stations, fan clubs and fans from Finland and from all over the world. So many in total that it is physically impossible for me to find the time to reply to them all individually. Hence I decided to put down a couple of words in this text to let my fans, family and friends and the public know how I feel after the recent events.

"This is a moment of grief and pain and I find it very hard to speak.

"At the moment I am in Argentina. I hope you can unde ...

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NIGHTWISH mainman Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards) has issued the following "open letter" to the group's singer, Tarja Turunen:

"Dear Tarja,

"It's time to choose whether the story of NIGHTWISH ends here or whether it will still continue an undetermined period of time. We've been working with this creation for 9 years and we are not ready to give up yet. NIGHTWISH is a way of life, something to live for, and we're certain we can't let it go.

"Equally certain is the fact that we cannot go on with you and Marcelo any longer. During the last year something sad happened, which I've been going over in my head every single day, morning an ...

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