The cover artwork for METALLICA's new album, "Death Magnetic", can be viewed below.

In an interview conducted yesterday (Wednesday, July 16) by VG TV at the opening show of the second leg of METALLICA's European summer tour in Bergen, Norway, guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield stated about the new album title, "'Death Magnetic', at least the title, to me, it's… It had something to do with… It started out as kind of a tribute to people that have fallen in our business, like Layne Staley [ALICE IN CHAINS] and a lot of the people that have died, basically — rock and roll martyrs of sorts. And then it kind of grew from there. Th ...

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According to a posting on UK singer Blaze Bayley's (ex-IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) official web site, Blaze's wife/manager Debbie "is in critical condition in hospital following a dual brain hemorrhage last week and has not regained consciousness." Blaze's bandmates write, "Understandably, Blaze will be staying at bedside for the time being and we as a band are not prepared to put ourselves too far from her under these circumstances. Due to this serious situation, Blaze cannot appear at the Easy Rider Bike Fest [in Italy] this coming weekend and the Brazil tour must be postponed until early next year. For the time being please contact serpe ...

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Few bands inspire such fanaticism among their fans as DREAM THEATER. The best way to satiate this dedicated legion is to provide them with even more material to devour and DREAM THEATER are doing just that this September. The band will release "Chaos In Motion 2007/2008", which documents their "Chaos In Motion" world tour, which kicked off June 3, 2007 at the Monsters of Rock festival in Milan, Italy and concluded almost a year to the day later on June 4, 2008 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's essentially a travelogue of their most recent touring experience and it hits shelves on September 23. "Chaos In Motion 2007/2008" will be available in two configu ...

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Kerrang! magazine recently spoke to DRAGONFORCE guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman about the group's forthcoming album, "Ultra Beatdown". Watch the five-minute chat below.

DRAGONFORCE has posted a new song, "Heroes Of Our Time", on its MySpace page. The track comes off "Ultra Beatdown", which is scheduled for release on August 25 via Roadrunner Records.

"Ultra Beatdown" track listing:

01. Heroes Of Our Time
02. The Fire Still Burns
03. Reasons To Live
04. Scars Of Yesterday
05. Heartbreak Arma ...

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Brazilian thrashers SEPULTURA entered the studio last month to begin recording their new album, which is based on the Anthony Burgess novel "A Clockwork Orange" (later turned into the classic film by Stanley Kubrick). Bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. has issued the following update: "Tonight [June 27] is basically our last day of recording of the new material for the new album!!! So far we're very happy with the results!!! Tomorrow morning we will be coming back to the studio to listen to the whole material to make sure that everything is in the right place for the mixing that will be starting on the next July 12th!!! Hope to see all on tour before the end of ...

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Swedish Viking metallers AMON AMARTH have set "Twilight of the Thundergod" as the title of their seventh full-length album, due this fall via Metal Blade Records. The CD title was revealed by AMON AMARTH frontman Johan Hegg during an interview with the "Tinitus" radio show, which airs on Norway's P3.

"Twilight of the Thundergod" was recorded at Fascination Street Studio in Örebro, Sweden and will include such songtitles as "Guardians of Asgaard", "Live for the Kill" and "Tattered Banners and Bloody Flags".

The sixth part of the band's studio video diary — featuring the band packing up and he ...

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Tarot Productions, the label run by Proscriptor McGovern (a.k.a. Russ R. Givens), leader of the Texas-based mythological occult metal outfit ABSU, has just released "726", the latest excursion from Proscriptor. According to a press release, "this is visionary esoteric music that remains unpredictable yet magic(k)al. Psychedelic and ethereal eccentricities merge against a fluent beat reminiscent of '70s krautrock, spacerock and new age. Unlike his occult metal commands in ABSU, Proscriptor pushes the threshold of eclectic music and expression and proves it through '726'. This is the first and only instrumental album by Proscriptor. Most ...

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Italian power metal band RHAPSODY OF FIRE (formerly known as RHAPSODY) has issued the following update:

"First of all, thank you for all the patience you had in these last times despite the lack of news regarding the band.

"We wanted to inform you that we are in the middle of a hard legal fight with MCM [MANOWAR's Magic Circle Music] and [the company's] main representative Mr. Joey De Maio [MANOWAR bassist/leader]. That's the reason why in the last months we had to keep all strictly confidential and could not release any official declaration that could obviously be used against us from the opposite side. And that's also the reas ...

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Guitarist Gary Holt of the veteran San Francisco Bay Area thrashers EXODUS has issued the following update:

"While anxiously awaiting our return to Europe for the festival run, we have been quietly working on the 'Bonded By Blood' re-recording in our time off. Rob [Dukes, vocals] is currently doing vocals in New York, Lee [Altus, guitar] is doing his solos and I have some touch-ups to do on July 4th. Everything sounds crushing! Guitars are brutal, Tom's [Hunting] drumming is sick, Rob sounds heavier than ever. I am totally stoked. While working on this, I have been securing the talent for the 25th anniversary versio ...

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Virginia-based technical death metal outfit ARSIS has parted ways with drummer Darren Cesca. According to lead guitarist/vocalist James Malone, "the reasoning behind this decision is simply differences in personalities and an overall difference in direction. Darren is an amazing musician and we harbor no ill feelings towards him. We wish him all the best." He continues, "We are most excited to announce that Alex Tomlin, a longtime friend of ours and an outstanding drummer, will be replacing Darren. His first shows with us will be on the 'In Thrash We Trust' tour starting this Wednesday [June 4]. Come out and support ARSIS and the n ...

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