Finland's NORTHER have parted ways with drummer Toni Hallio. "The decision was totally [made by] Toni [and] there are no hard feelings!" the band write on their web site. "Toni wants to focus on other things in the future. Toni wishes all the best for the band and the fans! He will [still] play the two [scheduled] gigs this week, so if you want to see him (or the band) come to the gigs!!"

As a result of Toni's departure, NORTHER are currently looking for a replacement drummer. Interested parties can contact the band at rumpali@norther.net. Only "very experienced drummers" need apply.

NORTHER recently entered St ...

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Montreal's eclectic/classical/black metal act UNEXPECT have set "In A Flesh Aquarium" as the title of their debut album for The End Records, tentatively due in early 2006. The band will perform two songs from the upcoming CD at the Day of the Equinox festival on October 14 in Toronto. Other acts scheduled to appear at the festival include GREEN CARNATION (making their exclusive and only North American appearance), AGALLOCH, DECEASED, NOVEMBERS DOOM and WOOD OF YPRES. More information is available at DayOfThEquinox.com.

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Click on the link below to listen to three brand new Lilitu songs. Another Session, Bleeding Me For Needing You, and Strike Another Promise And Watch It Burn.

Enjoy!

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MOONSPELL frontman Fernando Ribeiro has posted the following message on the group's official web site:

"We are in train of taking real important decisions in our life and carreer as a band and the next update should be a vast one with the definitive news about the 'Lunar Still' DVD final contents and release date; the new album approach with the title revealed as well as our label decision and the unavoidable new dates, plans and words from the lunar quarter.

"As for now the Halloween show is taking shape, I guess we will be able as well to announce an extra date in Portugal before the end of October. Pre-production of the new record starts 3rd of ...

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BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch has posted the following message at the band's web site:

"Although time keeps on ticking quickly, things go very well in the GUARDIAN camp. To be more precise: we are still on schedule, and even though everyone is totally busy and concentrated, the atmosphere is very lifely and still relaxed to a certain extent. The material for the single will be accomplished at the end of November. To make that happen, this particular stuff will get most of our attention for the next four weeks. Everyone is already involved in the recording process and we are really excited about the album's progression. It is too early to say when w ...

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Influential Norwegian extreme metal outfit EMPEROR will reunite for the 2006 edition of the Inferno Festival, set to take place April 13-15 in Oslo, Norway, it was announced Friday night at Scream Magazine's 15-year anniversary event at the Rockefeller in Oslo. Tickets for the festival have just been made available via Ticketmaster.no.

EMPEROR will also headline Wacken open-air 2006.

EMPEROR split up on a high note following the release of 2001's "Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire..." The members have since concentrated on other bands such as ZYKLON and PECCATUM.

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Swedish death metal supergroup BLOODBATH are looking for a new singer to replace Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY, PAIN), who left the band in February due to "conflicting schedules." The following message was posted on BLOODBATH's web site:

"BLOODBATH is looking for a new singer that will equal or outdo the two former singers. Yes, you read that right, so (hint hint), some of you might wanna stop reading here already. Anyways, we're certain a new death metal god is lurking out there as even Mike Åkerfeldt [OPETH] and Peter Tägtgren started out somewhere, being unknown and raw talent. We got a number of very strict ru ...

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CHILDREN OF BODOM's new album, "Are You Dead Yet?", has entered the Finnish album chart at position No. 1. View the whole chart at this location. The CD has also sold 21,000 copies in Japan in its first week of release, where it debuted at No. 17.

"Are You Dead Yet?" is scheduled for release in the U.S. on October 25 via Spinefarm Records. The album has been declared to be one of the first priority UMG international releases through Universal's Fontana Distribution system. The U.S. version includes a previously unreleased bonus track that is exclusive t ...

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BLACK LABEL SOCIETY have parted ways with bassist James Lomenzo (ex-WHITE LION, DAVID LEE ROTH, PRIDE & GLORY), informed sources have told BLABBERMOUTH.NET. A replacement bassist has yet to be announced.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will be embarking on a U.S. tour with BRAND NEW SIN beginning in mid-October. A double-disc compilation, entitled "Kings of Damnation - Era '98-'04", is due on October 4 via Spitfire Records. "Kings of Damnation" is a look at the evolution of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde's progression as a musician, beginning from his solo venture with PRIDE & GLORY a ...

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After conquering over 40 cities and towns in as many days, THOR "The Mighty Rock Warrior" was struck down by an unimaginably powerful bolt of lightning!

This unthinkable event took place in Portland where he was performing for dazzled audiences. As he placed the steel bar to his lips in order to bend it in half with his muscular arms, lightning split the sky and struck him down. He managed to finish the show, but immediately afterwards was rushed into the care of Venus (nurse to the Gods). Due to these unforseen circumstances THOR was forced to cancel the remaining dates on the tour. He is quite fully recovered now and plans to tour again this winter. Look for dates soon.

THOR is continuing to promote his new album, entitled "Thor against the World", and retrospective DVD, entitled "An-THOR-logy", available on Smog Veil Records.

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