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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According to BBC News, renowned rock guitarist Gary Moore has died in a hotel room in Spain. He was 58 years old.

Adam Parsons, who manages THIN LIZZY, told the BBC that Moore had died in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Moore was reportedly found dead in his luxury hotel room in the Costa del Sol. He was said to be on holiday at the time of his death.

A postmortem is due to be carried out later in nearby Malaga.

In a career dating back to the 1960s, Moore played with artists including Phil Lynott and Brian Downey as ...

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Former SODOM guitarist Dirk Strahlimeier, who played with the band from 1995 through 1996, has passed away.

Commented SODOM bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such: "As I learned from a reliable source, our ex-guitarist Dirk 'Strahli' Strahlmeier died this month in a hospital in Düsseldorf, Germany. Currently we don't know the exact circumstances of his death. Strahli played on the album 'Masquerade In Blood' which was released in 1995 on SPV. After that we had lost contact with him. Our deepest condolences to his family and friends."

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X JAPAN, the most successful rock band in Japanese history, and EMI Music have signed an exclusive three-year manufacturing and distribution agreement that will have EMI Label Services handle the band’s releases in North America. The first release will be the track “Jade” on March 15, followed by the band’s as yet untitled American debut set for a late Summer 2011 release.

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DIGITAL DOOMZDAY is a mix of hardcore rap and metal dealing with the extremes of everyday realities that some choose to address and some ignore. Lyrical topics include drugs, sex, religion, global mutilation, government cover-ups, aliens, self-destruction or is it self-preservation? You decide.

Main voice and lyric writer Roman Corkery (THE ROMAN EMPIRE) has a unique rap-based vocal style that ranges from hardcore to death with a twist of hip-hop. He lets you have it straight up with a no-bullshit approach by way of apocalyptic storytelling, intelligent lyrics, humor and wit.

Guitarist, main music writer and backup vocalist Rob Doherty (ex-INTO ETERNITY, PERICARDIUM) se ...

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The cover artwork for "Scourge Of The Light", the new album from Colorado power metallers JAG PANZER, can be viewed below. It was painted by Los Angeles artist Justin Yun.

"Scourge Of The Light" is tentatively due in February 2011 via SPV/Steamhammer Records. The band was previously signed to Century Media.

"Scourge Of The Light" track listing:

01. Condemned To Fight
02. The Setting Of The Sun
03. Bringing On The End
04. Call To Arms
05. Cycles
06. Overlord
07. Let It Out
08. Union
09. Burn
10. The Book Of Kells

JAG PANZER last year announced the addition of Christian Lasegue as the group's new lead guit ...

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