Former HELLOWEEN singer Michael Kiske will rearrange and re-record all of the songs that he wrote with his former band for an upcoming CD, to be released next year through Frontiers Records. The projected track listing for the album is as follows:

01. We Got the Right
02. A Little Time
03. Kids Of the Century
04. Goin' Home
05. You Always Walk Alone
06. When the Sinner
07. I Believe
08. Longing
09. In the Night
10. Your Turn
+ as-yet-undisclosed new song

When asked by a fan named Deborah Schwichtenberg what he thinks of people who are criticizing his ...

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Norway's TRAIL OF TEARS has split up. The group's official statement on the matter reads as follows:

"It is with great regret that we announce that Jonathan [Perez; drums], Kjell [Hagen; bass], Runar [Hansen; guitar] and Kjetil [Nordhus; vocals] yesterday (November 28th, 2006) left TRAIL OF TEARS. The decision was taken with immediate effect, and thus the band does not longer excist. TRAIL OF TEARS will therefore have to cancel all forthcoming shows, including the X-mas [Festivals] tour dates in December, and we sincerely appologize for any inconvenience this might lead to. We would like to than ...

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Andy Winter (WINDS, AGE OF SILENCE) has posted an extensive year-end summary on the official WINDS forum located at www.theendrecords.com. The main points from the posting are as follows:

* WINDS are still working on the new album. Andy says they have now sifted through the "terra-quads of music" that was recorded, and the guitars, drums and vocals for the album are now finalized. He plans to re-record his piano parts before taking the album to mix some time in the spring.

* The possibility of an additional guest appearance on the forthcoming WINDS album by Dan Swanà ...

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The original lineup of the long-defunct Arizona thrashers SACRED REICH — Phil Rind (bass, vocals), Wiley Arnett (lead guitar), Jason Rainey (rhythm guitar) and Greg Hall (drums) — will reunite for several shows in Europe next summer, including an appearance at the Wacken Open Air festival on August 4, 2007. The group's schedule is shaping up as follows:

Jul. 29 - Underworld – London, UK
Aug. 01 - Hof Ter Loo – Antwerp, BEL
Aug. 02 - Dynamo Club – Eindhoven, NETH
Aug. 04 - Wacken Open Air – Wacken, GER

In August 2006, XMFan conducted an interview with Wiley Arnett about SACRED REICH's past and ...

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Rock My Monkey recently conducted an interview with SAVATAGE/JON OLIVA'S PAIN mastermind Jon Oliva. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Rock My Monkey: You made it clear that SAVATAGE is over, but when I talked to Zach Stevens a week ago...

Jon Oliva: Well, it's over but it's not over, you know what I mean? It's over right now because no one's doing anything. We haven't disbanded or anything. We have plans to do something in the future. We're just... It's like every time we talk about it, and every time I say we're going to do something, something happens to fuck it up. ...

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A brand new HALFORD song, entitled "Forgotten Generation", has been made available for streaming at MP3.com. The track, which was officially released yesterday (Tuesday, November 21) via iTunes, is the first new HALFORD song in more than four years. Rob Halford wrote the tune and another new cut, "Drop Out", with the HALFORD band this year during downtime from working with JUDAS PRIEST on their upcoming album "Nostrad ...

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You can now order Devin Townsend's latest creation, HUMMER, via the Hevydevy Records web site. HUMMER is Devin's second ambient release (after DEVLAB), and only 500 copies are available. Devin previously said that the "recording (like DEVLAB) is really different so don't expect something similar to the DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND or STRAPPING YOUNG LAD." A more in-depth update follows:

STRAPPING YOUNG LAD mainman Devin Townsend's wife Tracy — who takes care of much of Devin's business affairs (including his label HevyDevy Records) — has ...

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MTV.com is hosting an exclusive download of MEGADETH's new song, "Gears of War", at this location. The track comes off the group's new album, "United Abominations", tentatively due in March 2007 via Roadrunner Records.

Said MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine about the track: "This was a mix made by [British producer] Andy Sneap [NEVERMORE, MACHINE HEAD, ARCH ENEMY, CRADLE OF FILTH] to apply for the job as mixer on this record and I was so impressed I wanted him to help me finish up the last parts ...

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Vocalist Mikael Stanne of the Swedish melodic death metallers DARK TRANQUILLITY has issued the following update:

"I can't believe it... We made it! It's done and there is nothing I can do about it.

"Just got back from the studio where everything is now shipped off to Denmark where Tue Madsen will perform his magicky magic on the things we've been working on these last 7 weeks. I just finished the last vocal lines a couple of days ago and it feels sweet.

"As always with recordings, there is alot of stress and self-doubt, but being in a more than familiar environment in Martin's [Henriksson, guitar] studio (Rogue) has helped trem ...

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Stockholm, Sweden-based death metallers CANOPY have inked a deal with Disconcert Music. The group's debut album, "Serene Catharsis", will be made available across Canada in all good stores via Fusion 3 distribution.

CANOPY plays Swedish death metal "in the vein of EDGE OF SANITY or AMON AMARTH, but with enough originality to make it their own," according to a press release.

"Serene Catharsis" track listing:

01. And Oceans
02. The Lie that You Once Told
03. Firmament Part I
04. Firmament Part II
05. Concentric
06. Last Point of Reference
07. The Bleeding Earth
08. We are Not to be of This World
09. Subtle
10. Serene Catharsis

For more information, visit www.entercanopy.com.

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