Soilwork are to use Darkane drummer Peter Wildoer for a handful of European festivals. This is because current drummer Dirk Verbeuren lives in Los Angeles, and the band couldn’t get him reasonably priced flights, as the shows in questions were confirmed at the last minute.

Audioslave have canceled their entire European tour including a slot at the Carling Weekend Festival in Reading and Leeds. No official statement has been published by the band (who are expected to be releasing a new album later this year). The follow up to 2005’s Out of Exile has a working title of Revelations.

Congratulations to Finland’s Lordi on winning the Eurovision Song Contest this year. They are the first Finnish entry to do so.

King’s X have moved swiftly to deny reports that they’re about to split up. The Texan trio have no intention of so doing.

Chrome Division, who include Dimmu Borgir frontman Shagrath on guitar, release their debut album in August. It’s called ‘Doomsday Rock ‘N’ Roll’ and is on the Nuclear Blast label.

According to Metal Heaven, Finnish act Burning Point have signed a deal with the label. The band started recording for their third album, Burned Down The Enemy, a couple weeks ago and a release date has tentatively been set for the fall of 2006. Some song titles include ‘Deceiver’, ‘Parasite’, ‘From The Beginning Of It […]

Bury Your Dead release their new album through Victory in mid-July. It’s to be called ‘The Beauty And The Breakdown’.

Atheist guitarist/vocalist Kelly Shaefer will be performing the Atheist classic ‘Piece Of Time’ with Australian metalers Alarum on Wednesday, May 24th in St. Petersburg, Florida at the State Theatre. This will be the very first time Kelly has performed this song live since 1993.

The Dillinger Escape Plan are to release their download only EP on June 13. Available through iTunes, it will feature new versions of old DEP songs ‘Unretrofied’ and ‘The Perfect Design’, plus covers of ‘Wish’ (Nine Inch Nails), ‘Angel’ (Massive Attack), ‘Jesus Christ Pose’ (Soundgarden) and ‘Like I Love You’ (Justin Timberlake).

Fireball Ministry will support Finland’s H.I.M. at the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA on June 11th. This will be H.I.M.’s final U.S. performance of the summer, and the groups’ first West Coast show together. (They performed five concerts along the East Coast late last year as part of Bam Margera‘s inaugural Viva La Bands […]