Aussie tech metallers FIVE STAR PRISON CELL have posted a preview track from their forthcoming “Slaves of Virgo” album, entitled “Obtuse: The Essence of Indifference“, at their MySpace page. The CD was produced by dw Norton at Back Beach studios in Rye, Victoria, Australia and is scheduled for release in early February through and Faultline […]

MASTERPLAN members Uli Kusch (drums) and Roland Grapow (guitar; both ex-HELLOWEEN) have started the recordings for the band’s third album. According to a posting on Kusch‘s web site, a replacement for singer Jorn Lande, who announced his departure from the group in early May, will be confirmed soon. The band’s final show with Lande took […]

According to a posting on the IRON MAIDEN fan site MaidenFans.com, EMI Finland has announced that the new IRON MAIDEN album, “A Matter of Life and Death“, has sold more than 13,000 copies within just a few hours of its release on Friday (August 25) — just shy of that country’s official gold certification sales […]

HOLY MOSES have posted the following update at their official website:“Dear Holy Moses friends,Unfortunately, we have to let you know that our bass player Ozzy had to go into a psychiatric clinic unexpectedly. As soon as Ozzy will be back on his feet, he will be back in the band again, but for now we […]

Welsh band Lostprophets were the big winners at the 13th annual Kerrang! awards in London.The group were awarded both best British band and best album, for Liberation Transmission.On a good night for Welsh music, Bullet For My Valentine scooped best single. US goth group My Chemical Romance were named as the best band on the […]

With its next studio album pushed back until 2007, Aerosmith plans to release a best-of, “Devil’s Got a New Disguise” Oct. 10 via Columbia, in the midst of its fall tour with Motley Crue.“Devil’s Got a New Disguise” takes its title from one of two new songs that will be included on the 16-track album. […]

The Who has inked a new deal with Universal Republic for the Oct. 31 release of “Endless Wire,” its first album since 1982’s “It’s Hard.” The set will feature the complete mini-opera “Wire & Glass,” a shortened version of which was released internationally last month.Other tracks expected to appear include “Mike Post Theme” and “Man […]

Vitamin Records has set an October 10 release date for “Scorched Earth Orchestra Plays Metallica’s Master of Puppets“, an orchestral tribute to METALLICA‘s classic 1986 album.“Master of Puppets” came out in the spring of 1986 and was METALLICA‘s first gold album and mainstream success. It featured staples of the band’s live set such as “Battery“, […]

On September 12, 2006, Escapi Music — home to BODY COUNT, DIRTY RIG, WARRIOR SOUL, CACTUS, MAHAVATAR, DISSECTION and THE CARMINE APPICE PROJECT — will release the debut recording of KOTTAK (formerly KRUNK), entitled “therupy“.Fronted by singer/songwriter/guitarist Jimmy Ratchitt, who, in another life, as James Kottak, drummed for KINGDOM COME and, for the last 10 […]

Groundbreaking Japanese act SIGH entered the studio today in Japan to commence work on its seventh album, titled “Hangman’s Hymn“, due out in 2007 on The End Records. The band will be working with engineer Takamichi Osada at Studio Moopies and will produce the album themselves.About the new album, SIGH frontman/leader Mirai Kawashima says, “It’ll […]