Swedish keyboardist Jens Johansson of multi-national melodic metallers STRATOVARIUS has issued the following update:

"Dear STRATOVARIUS fans, I am afraid we have some quite terrible news. News of the worst imaginable kind. It's about our friend and [German] drummer Jörg Michael [STRATOVARIUS].

"Jörg has cancer.

"He recently discovered a lump on his neck, went to the doctor, they decided to operate, and found what they call 'a malignant thyroid neoplasm.' They took out his whole thyroid just to have the best chance to get everything out. He will also have to undergo a regimen of radiotherapy.

"He is a fighter. We have all talked to him and it's c ...

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Quality fan-filmed video footage of ANTHRAX performing a new song, "Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't", on November 10, 2010 at Teatro Caupolicán in Santiago, Chile can be viewed below.

ANTHRAX played "Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't" with singer Joey Belladonna for the first time during the October 8 concert at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York as part of the Jägermeister Music Tour with SLAYER and MEGADETH.

"Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't" was debuted on May 28, 2008 at Double Door in Chicago, Illinois during ANTHRAX's first-ever gig with then-singer Dan Nelson. The song was also recorded with Dan for what was supposed to be the next ANTHRAX album, "Worship Music" ...

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Swedish metallers EVERGREY will release their eighth studio album, "Glorious Collision", via Steamhammer/SPV on the following dates:

Germany: February 25
Rest Of Europe: February 28
USA/Canada: February 22

Occasionally a musician has to take a step back into the past to develop artistically. Tom Englund, guitarist and vocalist with EVERGREY, took this risk and reorganized his artistic environment. "The most recent EVERGREY lineup had reached a point where we no longer had fun as a group," he confesses, adding: "So we went our separate ways to save our friendship. There were no angry words, and we're still friends privately."

Naturally, the decision ...

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MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine revealed during an online chat with members of the band's official fan club, Cyber Army (formerly MegaFanClub), that MEGADETH has "five songs almost finished" for its next studio album. Mustaine is currently going over the new material at the band's Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos, California with engineer Ken Eisennagel, who previously worked with MEGADETH during the pre-production phase for 2009's "Endgame" and 2007's "United Abominations" CDs.

"Endgame" sold 45,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart.

MEGADETH's previous CD, "United Abominations", opened with ...

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Swedish Viking metallers AMON AMARTH have issued the following update:

The last couple of months we have been busy working on our follow-up to 'Twilight Of The Thunder God'. Ten songs were written and on October 1 we started tracking drums for the album in Park Studios. After a short trip to Tokyo, which included our first-ever show in Japan at the renowned Loud Park festival, we continued tracking bass and guitars at Fascination Street studios. Recordings have been going well and we are now more than half way through and the album starts to take shape. We'll keep you updated with more info soon!

"For now we can confirm some shows in the U.K. as part as the 'Defenders O ...

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Norwegian black metallers GORGOROTH have issued the following update:

"GORGOROTH will spend the following week in [drummer] Tomas Asklund's Monolith Studio to put the finishing touches on a project which has been kept secret until now: a complete re-recording of the band's third album, 'Under The Sign Of Hell'.

"It has long been Infernus' [guitar] wish to do such a re-recording, and now the work is close to an end. No release date has been set yet, but an early-to-mid-2011 release is likely.

"In addition, the time in the studio will be spent working on the still-untitled next GORGOROTH full-length album, tentatively scheduled for a late 2011 release. Both a ...

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Las Vegas - The world has lost one of its greatest rock singers: GOTTHARD front-man Steve Lee was killed accidentally during a motorcycle trip in the USA on Interstate 15 between Mesquite and Las Vegas and died at the scene.

The GOTTHARD singer had flown to the U.S. with some biker friends just this weekend to fulfil a long-cherished dream for which he'd never had the time, due to his heavy touring schedule for many years. It was to be two weeks through the states on a Harley Davidson. The 21 Swiss bikers started their journey on Sunday on a total of 12 motorcycles. On Tuesday 5 October, about 50 miles from Las Vegas, the group had stopped at the roadside to put on their rain ge ...

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Swedish metallers IN FLAMES will enter their own IF studios in Gothenburg, Sweden next week to begin pre-production on their next album. According to the band, "The plan is to spend the remaining part of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 creating and recording the follow-up to 'A Sense Of Purpose'."

Guitarist Jesper Strömblad quit IN FLAMES in February in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

The band spent the last few months touring the world with Strömblad's temporary replacement, Niclas Engelin from the Swedish band ENGEL.

Engelin had helped IN FLAMES on a couple of occasions in the past and is no stranger to the band's songs or ...

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Norway's DØDHEIMSGARD (DHG) has been rejoined by vocalist Kvohst (a.k.a. Mat McNerney) and is currently working on material for a new album. According to a posting on the group's MySpace page, "Vicotnik [guitar, vocals] and Kvohst have turned a thousand burdens into 30 new tunes and texts. Once they are given an unclean bill of health, a new album will be discharged and released."

In other news, DØDHEIMSGARD has two new members — Terghl on drums and Blargh (NIDINGR) on guitar. The band states, "Both Terghl and Blargh have perfected their individual crafts for years and have had extensive band-experience before joining the DHG asylum. Both are looking forward to their new exist ...

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ATMF to release debut album by 11 AS IN ADVERSARIES, featuring Glorior Belli and Shining members!

Today, AETERNITAS TENEBRARUM MUSIC FOUNDATION (ATMF) confirms the signing of 11 AS IN ADVERSARIES. 11 AS IN ADVERSARIES is a metal/rock/psych project that aims to offer an alternative to a swamp of occasionally limited artists: a new band forged by the mastermind of the French band Glorior Belli, with a guest appearance of Niklas Kvarforth of the infamous Swedish band Shining. Brought into existence in early 2010 by a vehement duo comprised of J. (guitar/bass/vocals) and G. (drums), 11 AS IN ADVERSARIES ...

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