REDEMPTION's primary songwriter and guitarist/keyboardist Nicolas van Dyk has posted the following message on the group's official web site:

"We have finished the writing for our new CD, 'The Origins of Ruin', and we have scheduled studio time in March and April to record the CD with a hopeful release in September.

"We are once again collaborating with well-known producer Tommy Newton (UFO, CONCEPTION, HELLOWEEN, ARK, ELEGY, etc.) and he will be joining us in Los Angeles to start tracking in a few weeks.

"The new material is in a similar vein as 'The Fullness of Time', and the band has really hit our ...

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San Francisco Bay Area progressive metallers ZERO HOUR have announced the addition of singer Chris Salinas (formerly of POWER OF OMENS) to the group's ranks. "The guys couldn't ask for a better person and vocalist for the band," the group write in a statement. "This will be the lineup for many CDs and live appearances."

According to the band, "ZERO HOUR recorded a track to see how the four members would work together in the studio (finding out from our past that this is a very, very important issue with band) and that everyone was willing to put in the maximum effort possible. The results are simply the best ZERO HOUR has ever had and we are excited ...

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Hardradio.com sources close to ANTHRAX have revealed that although current frontman Joey Belladonna is at this point unsure if he will be singing on the band's next album, he will be on tour with the group through and beyond this summer. Due to demand from their fans, a new Anthrax album is said to be among the group's plans for 2006, with the core writing team having already put together bits and pieces for some new songs.

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Norwegian goth-inspired symphonic metal band WHERE ANGELS FALL have just released their full-length debut, "Illuminate", via Edgerunner Music. The CD was recorded at Toproom Studio and is the follow-up to the band's "Dies Irae" EP, which was issued in 2004.

According to the group's official bio, "WHERE ANGELS FALL can be described as groovy metal with elements of gothic, classical orchestrations and electronica. Melodic female vocals stands out as an opposite to the hard riffing. They have a reputation as an energic and good liveband with choirs and orchestrations on tape to give the audience the full spectrum of symphonic metal live!"

WHERE ANGELS FALL's next live appearance will take place on March 15 at Underdog in Oslo, Norway. Also appearing on the bill will be NONE.

For more information, visit www.whereangelsfall.com.

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Roadrunner Records U.K. has announced the signing of leading Norwegian black metal band SATYRICON into the fold for all territories, excluding North America and Norway.

SATYRICON is centered around the backbone of band members Satyr and Frost, who formed the band in the early '90s. Their progressive and creative outlook has enabled SATYRICON to push the boundaries of the black metal genre, setting a new standard and developing the field beyond its traditional parameters. As a result, SATYRICON are now one of the most respected and influential bands in black metal.

Their last album, the acclaimed "Volcano" (2002), received the Norwegian Grammy for "Best Metal Album", th ...

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Jason will be meeting with In Flames at their show in Montreal at the Medley on February 19th to ask various questions about the band in general and their upcoming release. In Flames have always been a hot topic of discussion and therefore we are giving you the opportunity to ask those questions you've just been dying to ask. Only the best questions will be selected and all of them are to be made in the Interviews section of the forums titled "In Flames Interview Questions". Cheers!

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Audio samples of the tracks from the new RAGE album, entitled "Speak of the Dead", have been posted online at this location.

The follow-up to 2003's "Soundchaser" (SPV), "Speak of the Dead" was recorded at the VPS studios in Hamm, Germany and is tentatively due this spring via Nuclear Blast Records.

"Speak of the Dead" (view cover here) track listing:

01. Mortituri te Salutant
02. Prelude of Souls< ...

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SAVATAGE guitarist Chris Caffery will be entering the studio in New York City on February 8 to begin the recording his next solo CD, entitled "Pins and Needles". An October release via Greece's Black Lotus Records is expected. Songtitles set to appear on the album include "The Temple", "S.A.D", "Worms", "Mettle Eastern", "The Sign of The Crossed" and the title track, "Pins and Needles".

Commented Caffery: "This time around I am going to musically punch everyone in the face for about an hour...no concept, single CD, just straight forward blistering metal agression! A few twists and turns, but would you expect anything different?"

Caffery's backing band on the CD will include once again Jeff Plate on drums, Paul Morris on keyboards, Nick Douglas from DORO on bass and some very special guests.

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The track "Warrior's Quest" from Finnish folk-influenced melodic death metal band ENSIFERUM, now featuring in its ranks NORTHER frontman Petri Lindroos, is available for streaming at this location. The song comes off the group's new EP, "Dragonheads", due on February 15 via Spinefarm Records. The mini-CD was recorded and mixed in November at Sonic Pump studios in Helsinki by Nino Laurenne (THUNDERSTONE) and was mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios. It will contain one new track, new studio recordings of several old demo songs, and a coupl ...

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n a recent interview with MTV News, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser said he's heard all the rumors about SEPULTURA reuniting with founding member and current SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera for a spot on this summer's Ozzfest. He's even heard the one that involves the band's "plans" to perform three different sets from the main stage — one featuring SOULFLY material, a second of just "Roots" and "Chaos A.D." tracks, and the last consisting of songs off the band's upcoming CD, "Dante XXI". But at this point he said they're nothing more than rumors, period.

"Nothing is really set," he told MTV News. " ...

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