Veteran German power metallers HELLOWEEN are utilizing the services of MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee during the recording sessions for their as-yet-untitled new album after regular skinsman Mark Cross (ex-METALIUM ) was struck "by the malicious (EBV) Epstein-Barr virus also known as Mononucleosis" this past September, according to the band's official web site. "Mark will need at least 4-5 months of recovering," continued the band's statement. "The symptoms of this virus are very dangerous and can leave serious marks in your health. It first destroys your entire immune system and leaves you no energy. Therefore Mark is still is too weak to do any kind of intense activities at the moment and strictly needs to rest by the doctor's orders. We all agreed on having MOTÖRHEAD's Mikkey Dee as the replacement for the recordings only! To avoid possible rumors, Mark Cross remains the drummer in HELLOWEEN and we're looking forward for the tour next year."

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IRON MAIDEN have announced additional European shows as part of their 2003 world tour, which is set to kick off next summer.

Confirmed dates so far are as follows:

Jun. 25 – Paris, FRA @ Omnisport De Bercy
Jun. 27 – Roskilde, DEN @ Roskilde Festival
Jun. 28 – Stockholm, SWE @ Stockholm Stadium
Jun. 30 – Helsinki, FIN @ Hartwall Arena
Jul. 02 – Oslo, NOR @ Spektrum

Having taken some well-deserved time off the road, IRON MAIDEN have returned from their sabbatical (during which bassist/mainman Steve Harris spent seven months editing the DVD "Rock In Rio") and returned to London to commence writing for their next album, due out sometime in 2003. Producer Kevin Shirley has once again been enlisted to produce the as-yet-untitled effort (he previously manned the knobs for "Brave New World" and the "Rock in Rio" CD), the recordings for which will commence early next year.

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Guitarist Marty Friedman will be joined by fellow ex-MEGADETH members David Ellefson (bass) and Jimmy DeGrasso (drums) when he hits the road around March 2003 in support of his upcoming "Music For Speeding" CD. The second guitarist slot is yet to be decided.

As previously reported, "Music For Speeding" is due early next year through Universal Records in Japan, Favored Nations in the U.S., and Mascot Records in Europe. According to Friedman's official web site, "fans of Marty's first solo album, 'Dragon's Kiss' & his aggressive playing in CACOPHONY & MEGADETH will freak out when they hear that style applied in Marty's new & more modern format. We here at the site feel that this is the kind of playing that Marty's fans wish that he had played for the last few years while he was in MEGADETH."

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Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach is collaborating on new material with ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan, Bach revealed during a recent interview with Norway's Metal Express. It is presently unclear if the songs will surface on Sebastian's upcoming solo CD or if they will be used for a separate project.

When asked by Metal Express if he would consider taking up the lead vocalist position in the new band formed by Slash, McKagan and fellow ex-GN'R members, guitarist Izzy Stradlin and drummer Matt Sorum, Bach responded, "Yeah, I would definitely do that if they asked me. We're writing songs right now, so you never know what's gonna happen. If I was to join ...

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The new keyboard player for the band is Henrik Klingenberg (Silent Voices / Requiem). Sonata Arctica thanks everyone who sent application for this position. "We got applications from all over the world. Thank you all".

Recording of the upcoming album is now finished and it will include 10 tracks. The tracklisting is as follows (not in actual running order):

- Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited
- Broken
- The Cage
- Champagne Bath
- Draw Me
- Gravenimage
- The Misery
- The Ruins of My Life
- Silver Tongue
- Victoria's Secret

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ICED EARTH have set The Glorious Burden as the title of their next full-length album, which they hope to begin recording by January.

"What I've been doing right now is writing for ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS [side project with BLIND GUARDIAN's Hansi Kursch] simultaneously," ICED EARTH mastermind Jon Schaffer said recently. "I've got 14 songs at the moment that I'm playing with, that I've already programmed drums for, for the demos, for the guys to listen to. So I'm just building upon all those basic ideas. I guess that's the biggest news, that we're getting prepared for the next record. I would like to be starting the recording in January ...

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It's official: RUSH will not be touring Europe in support of their latest CD, "Vapor Trails". "[The European tour] is off the table," guitarist Alex Lifeson recently confirmed. "To be honest, we know we have fans there but the album sales and interest in promoters is seriously lacking in Europe. A lot of that is our own doing but financially it just does not make sense to bring our show over there when we could play nine or ten different venues in North America and reach more people and make a profit. We did have it scheduled to begin in January for three weeks but we could not get backing over there and we decided to scrap it. We are aware of the interest, but I am sorry to say, as of ri ...

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This is a letter from Tom Scholz to all who have supported BOSTON, which is on their website boston.org:

"When asked years ago for permission to use the BOSTON trademark for a fan-based website, I was flattered. The idea that some internet users were so enthusiastic about my music that they would form their own Boston website was exciting.

Of course I agreed, and made some small donations, but also made the decision to keep a "hands off" policy towards the site and its content. I really didn't want to interfere with any fan's perception of what BOSTON meant to them. Besides, I had my hands full writing, producing, and performing.

Th ...

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Swedish melodic metal act NOSTRADAMEUS have set Jan. 27, 2003 as the release date through AFM Records of their third full-length album, titled The Third Prophecy. The Third Prophecy was mixed at Gothenburg, Sweden's Studio Fredman with producer Fredrik Nordström and is the follow-up to last year's acclaimed The Prophet Of Evil.

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Blind Guardian has anounced the Blind Guardian Open Air Festival, which will take place next summer (June 14th and 15th) in Coburg, Germany. The 2 day festival will feature many bands and Blind Guardian headlining both nights. The band will perform 2 different sets with the set list to be determined by the fans via their website.

Some of the confirmed acts so far:

Blind Guardian
White Skull
Grave Digger
Freedom Call
Soilwork
Brainstorm
Rage
Primal Fear
Napalm Death

Check out the band's website for festival and ticket information.

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