Phil Vane, the founding co-vocalist of the British crust punk/grindcore band EXTREME NOISE TERROR, reportedly passed away last Thursday (February 17) at the age of 46. Although no official cause of death has yet been released, it is rumored that he died in his sleep.

The surviving members of EXTREME NOISE TERROR have released the following statement regarding Vane's passing:

"The rumors are true. We're sorry to announce that Phil passed away recently. The band will make a full statement soon but for now we need to take the time to come to terms with this terrible loss."

EXTREME NOISE TERROR (often abbreviated to ENT) is widely considered one of the earliest and most influential European grindcore bands.

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Holed up in the studio for the better part of this spring, Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH are not only putting finishing touches to their new album, "Imaginarium", but also planning a movie of the same name. If all goes well, the CD will be released in early 2012, to be followed by the movie at some point further down the line. The first single off the album as well as the trailer for the film should arrive well before the end of 2011.

For the movie, NIGHTWISH has teamed up with director Stober Harju's production team and Solar Films.

In the following question-and-answer session, NIGHTWISH leader and main composer Tuomas Holopainen talks about the "Imagin ...

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Irish pagan metal masters PRIMORDIAL have revealed the artwork and track listing for their upcoming album, "Redemption At The Puritan's Hand", due on April 26 via Metal Blade Records.

"Redemption At The Puritan's Hand" track listing:

01. No Grave Deep Enough
02. Lain With The Wolf
03. Bloodied Yet Unbowed
04. God's Old Snake
05. The Mouth Of Judas
06. The Black Hundred
07. The Puritan's Hand
08. Death Of The Gods

Commented PRIMORDIAL vocalist Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill: "So it's finished, ready, done and dusted, as they say.

"The cover was done again by our by now resident art executioner Paul McCarroll from Unhin ...

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THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN frontman Greg Puciato is collaborating with Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SEPULTURA) on "an album of thrash brutality," according to a recent Facebook posting from the singer. Puciato previously said that the as-yet-unnamed project would be similar in spirit to NAILBOMB, Cavalera's 1994 one-off industrial punk-infused metal pairing with FUDGE TUNNEL's Alex Newport.

Puciato joined SOULFLY on stage at the 14th annual "D-Low Memorial" on August 28, 2010 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona to perform the song "Rise Of The Fallen".

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed below.

In an interview with I ...

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Reactivated late '80s/early '90s technical-thrash metallers BELIEVER will release their new album, "Transhuman", in Europe on April 11 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was produced by Trauma Team Productions and was mixed by Kevin Gutierrez (RAVEN, PROJECT: FAILING FLESH, DECEASED, DYSRYTHMIA, GARDEN OF SHADOWS) at Assembly Line Studios in Virginia. The mastering duties were handled by Maor Appelbaum of Maor Appelbaum Mastering in Los Angeles.

"Transhuman" track listing:

01. Lie Awake (5:03)
02. G.U.T. (3:39)
03. Multiverse (4:44)
04. End Of Infinity (4:12)
05. Transfection (3:55)
06. Clean Room (4:50)
07. Currents (2:50)
08. Traveler ( ...

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France's BLUT AUS NORD will release their new album, "777 - Sect(s)" , on April 19 (one day earlier internationally) via Debemur Morti Productions. Recorded, mixed and mastered at Earthsound Studio, the CD represents BLUT AUS NORD's most nightmarish voyage yet . The amazing artwork was created by Chilean artist Daniel Valencia from Fenomeno Design and can be seeen below.

"777 - Sect(s)" track listing:

01. Epitome 1
02. Epitome 2
03. Epitome 3
04. Epitome 4
05. Epitome 5
06. Epitome 6

The effort will be made available in a six-panel digipack CD and noble 12-inch LP.

Originating in 1994 from the ashes of VLAD (who released t ...

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Polish technical death metallers DECAPITATED have entered Radio Gdansk Studio in Poland to begin recording the follow-up to 2006's "Organic Hallucinosis". The follow-up to 2006's "Organic Hallucinosis" is being produced by Wacek Kieltyka and sound engineered by Malta Arkadiusz Malczewski. Drums are being recorded with Daniel Bergstrand (BEHEMOTH, MESHUGGAH, DIMMU BORGIR, KEEP OF KALESSIN, DEFLESHED), who will also handle mixing duties.

Commented guitarist and founding member Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka: "We've just started the recording session of the new album at the studio of Radio Gdansk which is brilliantly equipped and has some wicked recording space. This time 'round, we are work ...

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U.S. power metallers ICED EARTH are hard at work on their tenth studio album, due later this year via Century Media Records.

Unlike 2008's "The Crucible Of Man" and 2007's "Framing Armageddon", the new CD won't be a conceptual effort. Instead, band leader Jon Schaffer promises a return to the raw-and-heavy sound of ICED EARTH's classic fan-favorite albums.

"I can tell you from the riffs and the attitude behind it," he said, "this is going to be a bad-ass record. This is inspired, focused, and to the point. This is really heavy stuff. It's a kick in the nuts."

He added: "People probably think I don't have it in me any more. But they're going to be proved wron ...

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Vocalist/guitarist Henri Sattler of Dutch death metallers GOD DETHRONED have issued the following update:

"2011 is GOD DETHRONED's final year in existence.

"We could have spent another year in a tour bus because the amount of offers was endless, but I just don't feel like touring anymore.

"People told me to take a break for a year or maybe two, but as I'm an 'all-or-nothing-at-all' type of person, I decided to call it quits.

"Not immediately, but in December of this year we will definitely play our last show. That's gonna be at the Eindhoven Metal Meeting in Holland.

"I'm very proud of what we achieved with the band, but the time ha ...

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After a twenty-one-year career, British doom/stoner veterans CATHEDRAL have announce their "retirement" from the scene. The band will make its exit from the live arena at the end of this year and plans to record one final studio album to be released in 2012.

Commented vocalist Lee Dorrian; "It's simply time for us to bow out. Twenty one years is a very long time and it's almost a miracle that we managed to come this far!

"We've had a great time during CATHEDRAL's existence and it has literally been our life. It's just time to move on and leave our recorded legacy to linger".

Since forming in 1990, CATHEDRAL has released nine studio albums a ...

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