THE PROJECT HATE — the Swedish band featuring vocalist Jörgen Sandström (ex-ENTOMBED, GRAVE), guitarist Lord K. Philipson (GOD AMONG INSECTS, ex-LEUKEMIA), bassist Michael Håkansson (ENGEL, ex-EVERGREY), singer Jo Enckell (IGNORANCE BLISS), guitarist Anders Bertilsson (RUIN, COLDWORKER) and drummer Thomas Ohlsson (KAMTJATKA, AXENSTAR, SEVEN WISHES, CELLOUT) — recently began mixing its new album with Dan Swanö (NIGHTINGALE, EDGE OF SANITY, BLOODBATH) at Unisound in Örebro, Sweden. According to Philipson, "Mr. Swanö's now got his hands full this weekend for the first corrections of the mix that is needed. He's done an amazing job with the sound but there are some stuff that we are no ...

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After finishing several heralded world tours as HEAVEN & HELL last summer, Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice were tighter than ever before, both musically and personally.

Agreeing that it would be a shame to stop making music together at tour's end, the quartet began writing, first in England at Iommi's home studio and later in Los Angeles at Dio's studio. "The band had gotten too good to just walk away," Dio says. "We wanted to show people that we were still capable of giving them new music that measured up to what we'd done in the past."

With that goal in mind, the band once again converged on Rockfield Studios in Wales last winter, the sam ...

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Dutch rock outfit THE GATHERING has recruited Silje Wergeland from the Norwegian band OCTAVIA SPERATI as its new lead vocalist. Drummer Hans Rutten says, "Silje has been the singer of OCTAVIA SPERATI for eight years, including several other projects. She did a superb job [on the new THE GATHERING LP, 'The West Pole']. This album also includes two very talented guest singers: the Dutch Anne van den Hoogen and Mexican Marcela Bovio (from STREAM OF PASSION), and some other guest musicians."

Hans continued, "What can we say about 'The West Pole'? It's a very vital, atmospheric and extravert rock orientated album, with all the quality and power THE GATHERING is so famous for, also with ...

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Israel's progressive folk metal masters ORPHANED LAND are currently recording the highly anticipated follow-up to 2004's "Mabool". "ORwarriOr" will be mixed by legendary musician/producer Steven Wilson (PORCUPINE TREE, OPETH) and is tentatively due in the fall via Century Media Records.

Commented vocalist Kobi Farhi: "The album is going to be more than 70 minutes long, and, as usual, many traditional instruments and languages will be involved in the process. In my opinion, this is the best ORPHANED LAND album ever! We can't wait for you to put your hands on it and we look forward to tour and meet you all on the road!"

You can read ORPHANED LAND's regularly updated studi ...

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AVA INFERI, the Portugal-based band whose lineup includes Norwegian guitarist Rune Eriksen (a.k.a. ex-MAYHEM guitarist/songwriter Blasphemer), will release its third album, "Blood Of Bacchus", on May 25 via via France's Season Of Mist.

The final track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Truce
02. Last Sign Of Summer
03. Colours Of The Dark
04. Black Wings
05. Appeler Les Loups
06. Be Damned
07. Tempestade
08. Blood Of Bacchus
09. Memoirs

The album features guest appearances by Kristoffer Rygg (ULVER), Live Kostöl (PANTHEON I), Fredrik Söderlind (PUISSENCE) and the "amazing piano talent" Arne Martinussen.

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Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH have posted an extended five-minute preview clip (see below) of their new CD/DVD, "Made In Hong Kong (And In Various Other Places)".

Due on March 13 via Nuclear Blast Records, "Made In Hong Kong (And In Various Other Places)" will contain a DVD documentary (with a running time of approximately 45 minutes) of NIGHTWISH's world tour in support of the band's latest album, "Dark Passion Play", as well as a CD featuring live recordings from the trek. The documentary footage was reportedly directed by Ville Lipiäinen.

"Made In Hong Kong (And In Various Other Places)" track listing:

CD (running time - 66:13):

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GORGUTS, the acclaimed technical death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, has reportedly reformed with a brand new lineup and is currently working on material for a new studio album. Four songs are said to have already been completed, with several more on the way.

GORGUTS' current lineup is reportedly as follows:

* Luc Lemay (NEGATIVA) - Vocals, Guitar
* Kevin Hufnagel (DYSRHYTHMIA, WHILE HEAVEN WEPT, BYLA, EUCLID STREET, THE FIFTH SEASON, GREY DIVISION BLUE) - Guitar
* Colin Marston (DYSRHYTHMIA, BEHOLD... THE ARCTOPUS, BYLA, KRALLICE, INDRICOTHERE) - Bass
* John Longstreth (DIM MAK, ORIGIN, THE RED CHORD, SKINLESS, POSSESSION, ANGELCORPSE) - Dr ...

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Norwegian death metal tyrants BLOOD RED THRONE have finished recording their fifth studio album at Studio Deadline in Trollhattan, Sweden with Valle Adzic (who also mixed the band's two previous studio CDs). Entitled "Souls Of Damnation", the new LP's release will coincide with the band's 10th anniversary, which will be celebrated in the form of a DVD, to be included in a special version of the album. The DVD will feature an in-depth studio diary, documenting the recording process of the new CD, along with an exclusive new interview with the band.

"Souls Of Damnation" is scheduled for release on June 1 through Earache Records.

The band will preview new material on the o ...

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Holland's Mascot Records has set a May 29 release date for "Hubris I & II", the first-ever solo album from SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser. A two-disc set, the self-produced effort was recorded in part at A Voz do Brasil studio in São Paulo, Brazil.

Kisser previously stated about the album, "I'm very pleased with the result and I'm excited to hear it all done. It was a long process, a learning process and a great experience. It's a musical journey trough the influences I had for last 15 years of my life and at the same time it's very different from everything I did so far."

"Hubris" comes from Greek word "hybris," which means "excessive pride, wanton violence."
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Guitarist Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka of the Polish extreme metallers DECAPITATED — whose brother, DECAPITATED drummer Witold "Vitek" Kieltyka, died on November 2, 2007 in a Russian hospital from injuries sustained in a road collision — has issued the following update:

"I was thinking about that for a long time and it's really hard decision for me, but I have decided to continue this band and keep DECAPITATED alive. I know it will be not the same anymore but I want to try, and I'm sure Witek and Covan [DECAPITATED singer Adrian Kowanek, who was also hurt in the accident] will support me and will be happy about that.

"So I want to say that: If anybody from drummers and v ...

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