Veteran Maryland rock quartet CLUTCH is putting the finishing touches on its ninth studio album, titled "Strange Cousins From the West". Produced by CLUTCH and J. Robbins at Magpie Cage Studios in Baltimore, the effort is the first CLUTCH studio LP to be released on the band's own Weathermaker Music, through RED Distribution. It will be available both digitally and through retail on July 7. The first single and video, "50,000 Unstoppable Watts" will be officially released prior to Memorial Day weekend.

"Strange Cousins From the West" includes the POPPO'S BLUES BAND cover song "Algo Ha Cambiado", which CLUTCH vocalist Neil Fallon sings in Spanish. Poppo was a legendary Argentinian ...

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On January 7, MEGADETH commenced the recording process for its twelfth studio album at the band's own Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos, California. The CD is once again being helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy "Undie" Sneap, who produced MEGADETH's last album, "United Abominations" (May 2007, Roadrunner Records).

Tentatively due in September via Roadrunner Records, MEGADETH's forthcoming LP will be the group's first with guitarist Chris Broderick, who replaced Glen Drover at the end of 2007.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has posted the following update on the band's official web site:

"Well, some of you have no doubt heard the samples of the songs th ...

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U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine recently conducted an interview with Fenriz (real name: Gylve Fenris Nagell), the drummer and lyricist of the two-piece Norwegian black metal band DARKTHRONE. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Terrorizer: So where are you at with the next DARKTHRONE album?

Fenriz: We recorded six songs; we have to do like three more, I think. So we basically have three-fourths of the album done and we started writing for that, at least I did, in June last year so it overlaps. People look at it like we have several releases but for us it's just one big tune and we cut it off as we go along.

Terrorizer: Sort of like a sausage machine, you feed t ...

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Karagiannidis Panagiotis of Metalpaths recently conducted an interview with André Olbrich, lead guitarist of the German power metal band BLIND GUARDIAN. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metalpaths: So what are your activities in this period of time, what are your latest news?

Olbrich: Well, the latest news is that we started the songwriting one year ago and we have almost seven songs ready so far. We have already recorded two songs last year and now, for since like two months, we are recording four more. The drums are ready already so we started the guitar work now and I think that we will be recording the whole summer. In between, though, we are going ...

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Video footage of U.K.'s psychedelic brutal death metal masters MITHRAS performing the song "Tomb Of Kings" at the Day Of Unrest on December 14, 2008 can be viewed below.

Commented the band: "The video online is just a rough taster of the show, recorded with two cameras and professionally recorded, then mixed and edited at Dreaming Studios by MITHRAS guitarist Leon Macey. Songs from the show will feature on the forthcoming MITHRAS release titled 'Sands Of Time', which marks the 10-year milestone of the bands existence. 'Sands Of Time' will be released concurrently in two parts, a CD showcasing unreleased MITHRAS material, all the band's released demos and some rarities all given th ...

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Former THE GATHERING singer Anneke van Giersbergen has issued the following update on her AGUA DE ANNIQUE project:

"We are busy bees here; building our studio, writing the new songs, rehearsing and preparing for the last shows we will do before we 'disappear' for a little while and record the new album. We will play a nice mixture of rock and acoustic songs and we'll try out some brand new tunes while we are at it! When you have the chance, come and check us out. It will be good!

"After the shows we will enter our newly build studio. At the moment we have 11 songs ready to be tracked, but I'm still working on stuff. We'll be joined by some additional artists, with whom ...

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Wisconsin death metallers JUNGLE ROT will release their new album, "What Horrors Await", via Austria's Napalm Records on teh following dates:

April 30 - Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, France, Italy, Sweden
May 4 - Rest of Europe
May 19 - USA, Canada

The CD was recorded at Studio One in Racine, Wisconsin with longtime engineer Chris Djuricic. Artwork for the release was handled by Gyula Havancsák (DESTRUCTION, ANNIHILATOR, GRAVE DIGGER).

"What Horrors Await" track listing:

01. Worst Case Scenario
02. The Unstoppable
03. Straightjacket Life
04. State Of War
05. Two Faced Disgrace
06. End Of An Age
07. ...

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Steve Appleford of Los Angeles Times reports that ALICE IN CHAINS' as-yet-untitled new album will be released mid-September via Virgin/EMI.

The band began work on the CD last October at FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl's private Studio 606 in Northridge, before moving to Hollywood's Henson Recording Studios in December. "We've been working toward this for over a year now," says guitarist Jerry Cantrell. "It's a long haul."

Among the visitors to their recording sessions was late AIC singer Layne Staley's mother, who, along with other family members, has expressed ongoing support for the band. "It was really important that it was OK with them," says manager Susan Silver, ...

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Singer Timo Kotipelto (STRATOVARIUS, KOTIPELTO, CAIN'S OFFERING) played a short set for Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday, April 20 at a presidential dinner held by Finnish President Tarja Halonen in honor of Medvedev's visit to Finland. Timo was accompanied during the performance by Matias Kupiainen (STRATOVARIUS), Jani Liimatainen (CAIN'S OFFERING, ex-SONATA ARCTICA) and the Kaarti military band/orchestra led by conductor Elias Seppälä. Around 130 people attended the dinner, including Finnish political leaders, a number of high-rank officials, diplomats, and representatives of finance and culture. A metal fanatic, Medvedev listened to Kotipelto's three-song performance (c ...

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Full Metal Racket festival, set to take place this Saturday (April 25) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is under deep scrutiny from the Northern Irish religious factions. After causing uproar at concerts from AKERCOCKE and GORGOROTH, it is now time for ROTTING CHRIST to be targeted.

Full Metal Racket will go ahead without any problems and the festival promoters, in conjunction with ROTTING CHRIST, have released the following statement.

"We, as a festival run by several educated, intelligent, and reasoned people, are disappointed and frankly appalled that Christians who extol the virtues of acceptance, understanding and love for their fellow man would attempt to 'save the s ...

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