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Chris Caffery Issues Update
07 Jan 2007
SAVATAGE / TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA / DOCTOR BUTCHER guitarist Chris Caffery has issued the following update:
"Home...good thing. It was for a day or so. Then it started. Reality! Holy S#@%! I have so much to get together for the solo thing. Deadlines, decisions, business, tours, merch, photo shoots, artwork...you name it, I have been dealing with it. That and the zillion mails and daily internet stuff I usually deal with. The site may go down tomorrow for 24 hours. Do not panic. It is supposed to be a nice weekend! Watch football, be with your family, clean the house... I know you can make it! I believe some of you organized a sub-site to deal with e ... |
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VINTERSORG Begins Mixing New Album
07 Jan 2007
VINTERSORG, the Swedish band led by BORKNAGAR frontman Andreas Hedlund (a.k.a. Vintersorg), has issued the following update:
"The new album, 'Solens Rötter' [Swedish for 'The Sun's Roots'], is nearly recorded, [only] some bass is missing. Still we've started to mix the album at Ballerina Audio with the engineer Nils Johansson. It has taken some time to completed this album but it hasn't been about not having ideas; instead it has taken us some time to understand what kind of album we wanted to do and how to reach that vision. A more ethnic approach is obvious but still with a fresh vibe as we see it ourselves, hymn-like passages mixed ... |
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Vocalist MIKE DIMEO Leaves RIOT
02 Jan 2007
RIOT/THE LIZARDS vocalist Mike DiMeo, who recently replaced Jorn Lande as the singer of MASTERPLAN, has issued the following statement:
"In response to all the mail I have been receiving about my status with RIOT.... I have had many great years with the band, and I am tremendously proud of all the work I have done with them, especially [the latest CD] 'Army of One', but at this point in my life and career, I prefer to forge ahead with a new path musically. I look forward to a new creative beginning with MASTERPLAN, who are an incredibly talented and motivated group of guys!! I wish RIOT the best of luck in the future and w ... |
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RAGE Announces New Drummer
01 Jan 2007
German power metallers RAGE have announced the addition of drummer André Hilgers (AXXIS, SILENT FORCE) to the group's ranks. "During [the recording sessions for] the Nuclear Blast anniversary album, we were very surprised how perfectly André's style matched our new song, 'Terrified'," the group writes on its web site. "So it was obvious that we jammed through the RAGE classics and the sparks flew immediately. André had a lot of new ideas that fitted perfectly our style and the understanding among us was harmonically. He brings a lot of fresh blood and power to the band and we have loads of fun again playing our music.
" ... |
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ICED EARTH To Enter Studio In February
31 Dec 2006
ICED EARTH guitarist/mainman Jon Schaffer has posted the following message on the band's official web site:
"Again I have to apologize for the delay in updates. I've been extremely busy with writing and preproduction for the new ICED EARTH CDs. "I also lost the one person that was my true mentor and inspiration throughout my life, which was very difficult. My father, Tom Schaffer, died unexpectedly of a massive stroke in October. He was 67, and died two weeks before his 68th birthday. It's hard to imagine what my life would have been like without my Dad's influence. I would not be who I am today, that's for sure. Fortunately, he was able to travel wi ... |
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SAVATAGE: Earliest Known Live Footage Posted Online
30 Dec 2006
An ultra-rare video clip of SAVATAGE performing the song "Holocaust" under its original moniker AVATAR at an outdoor concert sponsored by a Tampa radio station — held in a strip mall parking lot in Clearwater, Florida sometime around 1982 — has been posted online at YouTube.com. This is the earliest (known) footage of SAVATAGE that exists. The group's lineup for the performance was as follows:
Vocals - Jon Oliva Guitar - Criss Oliva Bass - Keith Collins Drums - Steve Wacholz In a recent interview with Rock My Monkey, Jon Oliva |
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Pre-Order: ProgPower USA VII DVD/CD
29 Dec 2006
The ProgPower USA VII DVD is now available for pre-orders with an estimated shipping date of January 15th, 2007. The DVD will released as Region free NTSC in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. |
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AVANTASIA Is Back!
28 Dec 2006
Despite past comments to the contrary, it appears that Edguy mastermind Tobias Sammet has not only decided to record a new Avantasia album but he's already begun recording it! A posting on TobiasSammet.net reads as follows:
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ELIS Name Ex-DREAMS OF SANITY As New Vocalist
28 Dec 2006
Liechtenstein-based gothic metal group ELIS — whose lead singer, Sabine Dünser, who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on July 7, 2006 during rehearsal and passed away the following day in hospital — has issued the following update:
"Now the time has come to disclose the secret about our new singer! Sandra Schleret [photo] will do the vocals for ELIS in the future! Sandra comes from Innsbruck (Austria) and stood behind the microphone for various bands, among others for DREAMS OF SANITY and SIEGFRIED. She did also guest appearances for SAMAEL. She impressed ... |
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS From The Metal Reviews Team!
25 Dec 2006
From all of us here at MetalReviews.com, we'd like to wish you all a wonderful holiday season—whatever it is that you may or may not celebrate. Over the past year we've lost a few team members and gained a few more. Next year we hope to expand even further. 2006 was a great year for metal music, and 2007 is shaping up to be just as good. Thanks for coming along for the ride and being part of the family! |