Veteran San Francisco Bay Area thrashers TESTAMENT have announced that former HALFORD/current PAINMUSEUM guitarist "Metal Mike" Chlasciak will be handling lead guitar duties for the group during their upcoming European tour (as exclusively predicted here on April 20). "The guys jammed with Mike over this past weekend and had a great time," reads a post on the group's web site. "Also, the band has been continuing work on the next record. A lot more later!" Chlasciak joins TESTAMENT as a temporary replacement for Steve Smyth, who left the group earlier in the month in order to join NEVERMORE on a full-time basis.

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Drummer Jorg Michael (ex-STRATOVARIUS) has issued the following statement at his official website (www.jorgmichael.com):

“Here is some news from me. Jens said he posted something in the Stratovarius forum so I would like to give my view on the past few weeks also. I didn't want to post anything at first, because I didn't want to interfere with the complicated situation inside Stratovarius and there are so many rumors and other shit flying around in the net.

A while ago, Timo Tolkki asked me to help him with some new songs he had written. He had looked for and auditioned drummers, but had found nobody. For these new songs, he needed real drums f ...

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TWISTED SISTER have inked a deal with the U.K.'s "fastest growing rock label" Demolition Records. The reformed New York rockers will release their hugely anticipated "Still Hungry" epic on July 26. Issued on the new DVD 4 format, "Still Hungry" will feature a 12-camera shoot of the band's performance at Germany's Wacken Open Air together with interview and documentary footage, detailing the band's decision to reform back in 2002. The flip side of the DVD 4 (a unique element to this new format) will feature the 2004 re-recording of the band's multi-million seller, and biggest album to date, "Stay Hungry". Watch out for the band when they play England' ...

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Former TESTAMENT guitarist Steve Smyth has officially joined NEVERMORE as the group's second guitarist. Smyth, whose departure from TESTAMENT was exclusively reported here last weekend, took part in the filming of NEVERMORE's video for the track "I, Voyager", off their most recent album, "Enemies Of Reality". Photos of Smyth and the rest of NEVERMORE at the video shoot can be viewed at this location (photos by Steph ...

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Details have been released for Gene Simmons' solo album Asshole. I hear that Gene will hold Asshole parties, only inviting those he feels are real assholes! Just something I heard!

The album's track listing is: Sweet And Disty Love . Firestarter . Weapons . Waiting For The Morning Light . Beautiful . Asshole . Now That You're Gone . Whatever Turns You On . Dog . Black Tongue . Carnival Of Souls . If I Had A Gun . I Dream 1,000 Dreams. I hear the Japanese version will feature 2 bonus tracks - Everybody Knows & You're My Reason For Living.

Check out the cover art here.

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Bassist Rudy Sarzo has officially joined DIO as the group's new bassist. Rudy is known for his work in QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE and OZZY OSBOURNE, and most recently, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN. Rudy joins the band in time for DIO's European tour, which begins July 16 in Moscow. "Thanks to Jeff Pilson [ex-DOKKEN] for stepping in to handle bass duties on the new record, for which recording is now underway, with a July release date on Sanctuary Records in the United States and SPV in Europe," reads a post on the group's web site.

DIO tour dates:

Jul. 16 - Moscow, Russia @ Luzhniki Hall
Jul ...

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Progressive-metal veterans FATES WARNING have set "FWX" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in October through Metal Blade Records. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Left Here", "River Wide Ocean Deep", "Another Perfect Day", "Stranger (With A Familiar Face)" and "Wish".

"Ray [Alder, vocals], Mark [Zonder, drums] and I will meet this weekend in Connecticut to start recording our tenth studio release, tentatively titled 'FWX'," guitarist Jim Matheos wrote on the band's web site. "After the drums are recorded we'll start tracking guitars, bass, keys and vocals at my s ...

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Austrian "angelic bombast metal" act EDENBRIDGE have set an October 25 release date through Germany's Massacre Records for their fourth full-length album, "Shine".

The follow-up to 2003's "Aphelion" will be recorded between May and July at guitarist/keyboardist Lanvall's Farpoint Station studio as well as the House Of Audio studio in Germany with producer Dennis Ward (ANGRA, PINK CREAM 69).

Songtitles set to appear on the CD include:

01. October Sky
02. Centennial Legend
03. Shine
04. The Canterville Ghost
05. What You Leave Behind
06. On Sacred Grou ...

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Portugal's MOONSPELL are busy working on new songs at their home studio, according to a posting on their web site. "Even on a very early stage we can feel a strongly EPIC pulse on the newborn songs," the band write. "Also we are in the process of compiling and selecting the materials for the MOONSPELL upcoming DVD which is more a reality than ever. Without release date yet the DVD is shaping up and MOONSPELL is brainstorming with the production team to make this DVD a special, unique and original document of our career and representation in the hearts and minds of people that listen to what we have to say or to silence. News will be posted accordingly but the surprises w ...

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DANZIG have set "Circle of Snakes" as the title of their eighth studio album, tentatively due on June 22 through Glenn Danzig's Evilive label in the U.S. (Regain Records in Europe). Confirmed songtitles so far are as follows:

01. Skincarver
02. 1000 Devils Reign
03. Netherbound
04. Circle of Snakes
05. When We Were Dead
06. Black Angel, White Angel
07. Skull Forrest
08. Hellmask
09. My Darkness

Several photos taken during the recording sessions can be viewed at this location. DANZIG' ...

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