CIRCLE II CIRCLE, the band led by former SAVATAGE frontman Zak Stevens, will release its fifth album, entitled "Consequence Of Power", on September 10 via AFM Records. The second concept effort for the band was recorded at Sweet Spot Studios and was described in a press release as "a melodic power metal album catering to all fans from the old SAVATAGE era to all CIRCLE II CIRCLE European fans and breaking new ground for an all new fan base in America."

Check out the CD cover artwork below.

In a recent interview with Loudtrax.com, Stevens stated about "Consequence of Power", "It will be different. Much like the other albums offer their own differences in sound. In my vi ...

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HAIL OF BULLETS — the Dutch death metal band featuring GOREFEST drummer Ed Warby, THANATOS guitarists Stephan Gebédi and Paul Baayens, former PESTILENCE/ASPHYX singer Martin Van Drunen and former HOUWITSER bass player Theo van Eekelen — has set "On Divine Winds" as the title of its second full-length album, due in North America on October 12 via Metal Blade Records (one day earlier internationally). The group recorded 11 songs plus an intro for the CD, which, like its predecessor, was produced by Ed Warby was mixed by Swedish producer/multi-instrumentalist Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, BLOODBATH, NIGHTINGALE). The limited-edition version of the album will be made available as a digibook, ...

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AYREON mastermind Arjen Lucassen (also ex-BODINE, VENGEANCE) has completed work on a new STAR ONE album, entitled "Victims Of The Modern Age", for an October release. The CD cover artwork, along with a short video message from Lucassen, can be viewed below.

STAR ONE's 2002 album, "Space Metal", debuted at position No. 3 on the Dutch alternative chart list and at position No. 60 on the Dutch Pop Album chart. The CD also debuted at position No. 70 on the German Media Control chart.

"Space Metal" featured a cast of different singers, namely Damien Wilson of THRESHOLD, Floor Jansen of Dutch gothic metal band AFTER FOREVER, SYMPHONY X vocalist Russell Allen, and Dan Swanö ( ...

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Finnish heavy metal monsters LORDI will release their fifth studio album, "Babez For Breakfast", on September 14 in the U.S., September 15 in Europe and on October 27 in Japan. The CD was recorded in early 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee with highly regarded producer Michael Wagener, who has produced albums for artists as varied as OZZY OSBOURNE, ALICE COOPER and JANET JACKSON and mixed METALLICA's classic "Master of Puppets".

Check out the cover artwork below.

In other news, LORDI will release a game for a popular iPhone mobile phone. The game, titled Lordi The Game, will be made available worldwide on Monday, August 9, 2010, the day before the album's first single, "This ...

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Legendary North Carolina-based metal band BUZZOV*EN has announced U.S. headlining tour dates. The newly reunited unit will tour this fall for the first time in 12 years and is set to prove why it is seen as one of the most influential underground bands of the last two decades.

Many bands come and go, but few manage to leave their mark, let alone influence an entire genre of music. BUZZOV*EN formed in 1990 and made an immediate impact in the heavy metal world, quickly developing a huge cult following based largely around its dark and devastatingly down-tuned sludge-like sound that pooled elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk with lyrical themes of hatred, pain, anger, violenc ...

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Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM have entered the studio to begin recording their new album for a late 2010 release. According to bassist Henkka Seppälä, "Drums are being tracked right now. Jaska [Raatikainen] did yesterday two tracks, and is doing today some more. By weekend we might have all the drums recorded."

CHILDREN OF BODOM will support BLACK LABEL SOCIETY on the "Black Label Berzerkus" tour this fall. Also scheduled to appear on the two-month North American trek are CLUTCH and 2CENTS, with CLUTCH and CHILDREN OF BODOM sharing the main-support slot.

"Skeletons In The Closet", the latest album from CHILDREN OF BODOM, entered the official chart in the band's ...

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Armoury Records, a division of Eagle Rock Entertainment has re-issued Stratovarius’ Infinite and Polaris albums in special deluxe editions. Infinite, originally released in 2000 comes with a second bonus CD with the extra tracks Why Are We Here, It’s a Mystery, Neon Light Child as well as demo versions of Hunting High and Low and Millennium and live versions of Phoenix and Infinity. The Polaris re-issue, aside from the original 2009 album, contains a second bonus CD containing 14 live tracks recorded during the Polaris World Tour of 2009. Both are available now.

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Emperor Magus Caligula To Leave DARK FUNERAL

In an official statement from Emperor Magus Caligula, longtime vocalist of Swedish black metal battalion DARK FUNERAL: "I would like to inform all of our fans that on Saturday, August 21, at the Summer Breeze festival in Germany, I will be doing my last show with the band. Naturally I have mixed feelings about this decision, but it is final! They say that every person will have about 15 minutes of fame during their life. Well, I have had a hell-of-a-ride for 15 years now together with Lord Ahriman and DARK FUNERAL. As some people love to spread weird rumors about others, let me make this clear once and for all. I ...

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Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH are in "the deepest countryside of Finland" working on material for their new studio album, which they will begin to record on October 15 for a late 2011 release.

Commented keyboardist/mainman Tuomas Holopainen: "The first week is almost through and we're off to a fantastic start. Jukka [Nevalainen, drums], Emppu [Vuorine, guitar] and me have five songs rehearsed so far. Marco [Hietala, bass/vocals] joined the camp last night after a couple of festival shows he did with TAROT.

"We'll start putting the low ends into those songs later today and maybe try out tune #6.

"The first song put together ended up having on ...

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"Live Death Doom", the new DVD and CD from the reformed Dutch death metal outfit ASPHYX, will be released through Century Media Records on the following dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland: Friday, August 27
Spain, Italy : Tuesday, August 31
Sweden, Finland, Hungary: Wednesday, September 1
Rest Of Europe: Monday, August 30

"Live Death Doom" will contain ASPHYX's two-hour-plus July 4, 2009 performance in Essen, Germany as well as a documentary about the history of ASPHYX and "a lot of bonus material."

A trailer for the DVD can be viewed below.

On July 9, ASPHYX released the "Abomination Echoes" deluxe seven-inch box set exclusively ...

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