THE SWORD have announced a U.S. tour in support of their acclaimed debut album, "Age of Winters". The dynamic, Austin, Texas-based quartet will team up with PRIESTESS and EARLY MAN to launch a six-week U.S. tour beginning February 1 at the Khyber in Philadelphia, PA. The tour is scheduled to conclude March 11 in Hoboken, NJ with additional dates pending.

THE SWORD will issue "Age of Winters" on February 14 via Kemado Records. The album has been hailed as "the new classic-BLACK SABBATH platter you have been waiting forever for the old SABS to make" by Rolling Stone, and the band has been named as one of Billbo ...

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Finland's FINNTROLL have issued a statement regarding their recent split with frontman Tapio Wilska (SETHIAN, ex-WIZZARD, former session vocalist for NIGHTWISH). The statement reads as follows:

"We have reached a situation in which we find it impossible to continue FINNTROLL with our singer Wilska. This decision was very hard to make, but after long talks and deep conversations we finally came to the conclusion that if we were to continue FINNTROLL, we had to let Wilska go.

"We thank Wilska for the past three years.

"FINNTROLL is now actively searching for a new singer, and will continue worki ...

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Season of Mist has announced the signing of veteran San Francisco Bay Area thrashers HEATHEN.

As many fans will recall, HEATHEN were one of the most unique bands to rise from the Bay Area thrash explosion of the '80s/'90s, having released a groundbreaking debut album, "Breaking the Silence", in 1987 went on to sell close to 100,000 copies worldwide.

Reborn five years ago, the band are now looking to rise up once more and reclaim the throne of thrash metal. HEATHEN recently completed a European tour playing 16 dates in 6 countries and reaffirmed their status as one of the world's best thrash metal bands.

HEATHEN's current line-u ...

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JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton told Greg Prato of Billboard.com that the band will reconvene next month to begin writing the follow-up to 2005's "Angel of Retribution", which was the band's first album with singer Rob Halford since 1990's "Painkiller".

"We've had a break — we've been out for almost two years," Tipton said. "We all decided to take January off, and then we're going to start writing the new album in February. We are doing a charity show for the Teenage Cancer Trust at [London's] Albert Hall in April, and we are talking about some summer festivals [in Eur ...

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Swedish drummer Snowy Shaw (DREAM EVIL, KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, MEMENTO MORI, NOTRE DAME) has posted the following message on his official web site:

"January 30th: SNOWY and DREAM EVIL = NO MORE. Less than a month before the scheduled recording of their fourth album, Snowy decides to pull the plug and quit, taking all his songs with him which he intends to use on his own...

"CAN(S)ELLED. The planned spring recording of Joacim Cans' [HAMMERFALL singer] second solo album which would see Snowy's participation both as the drummer and second lead singer as well as songwriter, has been postponed until further ...

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Sanctuary Records/Castle Music has set a March 24 German release date (March 27 in the rest of Europe) for British black metal pioneers VENOM's new album, "Metal Black". Check out the album cover artwork at this location.

"Metal Black" was mixed at the Townhouse Studios in London and contains 14 new songs, including "Antechrist", the demo for which can be heard at this location.

"Metal Black" track listing:

01. Antechrist
02. Burn In Hel ...

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Quebec City's progressive dark metallers MOONLYGHT will enter Nokturn Studio at the end of February to record their second album, tentatively entitled "Two". The CD will be mixed by mastermind Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, NIGHTINGALE, BLOODBATH) at his legendary Unisound studio in Sweden. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Middle", "Hazard" and "Parallels". A late 2006 release is expected.

MOONLYGHT re-released their first album, "Progressive Darkness" (originally issued in 2002 on the now-defunct Metal Disk Records), in 2004 via Sweden's Escapi Records.

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Finland's FINNTROLL have parted ways with singer Tapio Wilska (SETHIAN, ex-WIZZARD, former session vocalist for NIGHTWISH). Wilska's official statement on the matter reads as follows:

"With a heavy heart I bring you the following news: In a band meeting one hour ago I was fired as a singer of FINNTROLL. Reasons are many and for the most part private, but personal differences and lack of discussion have led my bandmates to doubt my commitment for this band. I believe this will be discussed widely in the following days and more info will undoubtedly be out soon for your viewing pleasure. I will only say the following: These past three yea ...

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SAVATAGE mastermind Jon Oliva has posted the following message on his official web site:

"I know that I personally don't post here much.....ever. I can't type!!! But, I wanted to get on here and let everyone know that things in the studio are really going great!

"This [JON OLIVA'S PAIN] record is different from the last, very versatile, with lots of things going on, everything from heavy metal to progressive metal, to just all kinds of stuff. We're experimenting with lots of different things and all of us, the whole band, are really excited about it. Everyone has contributed music and ideas and it's just been a lot of fun! I know you guys will be blown awa ...

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Swedish metallers EVERGREY have set "Monday Morning Apocalypse" as the title of their sixth studio album, due on April 4 via InsideOut Music. The follow-up to 2004's "The Inner Circle" was recorded at Division One Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden by the experienced production team of Sanken Sandquist and Stefan Glaumann, who have previously worked with such artists as RAMMSTEIN, BON JOVI, BRITNEY SPEARS and DEF LEPPARD. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Monday Morning Apocalypse", "Unspeakable" and "At a Loss for Words".

As previously reported, EVERGREY have been nominated ...

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