NEWS METAL UPDATE  July 5, 2007 Construction on the new Metal Update / Metal Judgment site continues. We will be back online again soon. METAL UPDATE  March 8, 2007 A complete site overhaul is in progress. We will be back online in the very near future. METAL UPDATE  June 19, 2006 Interview with Obituary has been posted in FEATURES. METAL UPDATE  April 2, 2006 Interview with Meshuggah has been posted in FEATURES. FUSE / ALTERNATIVE PRESS  March 30, 2006 On Wednesday, April 5th, Fuse will premiere the "Alternative Press SXSW Party Special." The special will feature behind the scenes footage, exclusive interviews and live performances by selected bands from this SXSW party, which took place earlier this month. GRAMMY AWARDS  December 8, 2005 The nominees for this year's Grammy Awards have been announced. Best Metal Performance: Ministry, Mudvayne, Rammstein, Shadows Fall, Slipknot. Best Hard Rock Performance: Audioslave, Nine Inch Nails, Robert Plant, Queens of the Stone Age, System of a Down. CBGB  December 8, 2005 An agreement has been reached with the legendary club's landlords to allow CBGB to stay open at its present location for another year. Under the agreement, the club has until October 31, 2006 to find a new home. Mayor Michal Bloomberg made a statement indicating the city would help in the search. KING'S X  November 29, 2005 The back end of the band's bus caught on fire early in the morning of November 17th. The band and their gear emerged intact and the tour continues. Pictures of the aftermath may be viewed at http://www.kingsxonline.com/photos/bus. METAL UPDATE  November 21, 2005 All That Remains interview with Phil Labonte has been added to the Features section. Updates have been done throughout the site as well with more to come. THE GATHERING  November 21, 2005 The band is scheduled to enter the studio today to begin recording their forthcoming ninth studio release with producer Atti Bauw. The album with be recorded in a home-made professional studio the band has constructed inside an old church in Southern Holland. The album is anticipated to be released in March with a tour commencing at the same time. The double-DVD A Sound Relief has just been released, containing live performance footage and extras. KEEP OF KALESSIN  November 21, 2005 Keep of Kalessin will replace Khold on the upcoming European tour with Exodus and Hypocrisy. The band plans to perform material from the new effort, Armada, which is scheduled for release on March 27th. VERONA RECORDS  November 21, 2005 Silverstein vocalist, Shane Told, has started up his own label dubbed Verona Records. The first signing to the label is Dead and Divine. The debut disc is slated for release on November 29th. News from this period will be posted. Please check back. CBGB  August 11, 2005 A New York civil court judge ruled today that landmark New York City club CBGB could not be evicted from its Bowery location because of a bookkeeping dispute. The club maintains they were not billed for increases which resulted in around $100,000 in unpaid rent increases, intrest and fees accumulating over four years. The club's current lease expires on August 31st and a renewal is still unresolved. News from this period will be posted. Please check back. CORROSION OF CONFORMITY  June 24, 2005 A New York civil court judge ruled today that landmark New York City club CBGB could not be evicted from its Bowery location because of a bookkeeping dispute. The club maintains they were not billed for increases which resulted in around $100,000 in unpaid rent increases, intrest and fees accumulating over four years. The club's current lease expires on August 31st and a renewal is still unresolved. CONFESSOR  May 28, 2005 Season of Mist is issuing a Limited Edition EP entitled Sour Times on June 14th. Only 1000 copies will be printed of this 2CD set, which includes 2 new songs. HEATHEN  May 27, 2005 Former Heathen bassist Michael "Yaz" Wayne Jastremski passed away on May 23, 2005 from a heart attack. He was undergoing detox at the time of his death. Yaz had reportedly left the band on good terms in June 2004 to seek rehabilitation for drug and alcohol addiction. SYSTEM OF A DOWN  May 25, 2005 Following the May 17 release of Mezmerize, the album has scored the number one position on the Billboard Album Chart, scanning 453,000 copies in its first week. The record also landed in the number spot on charts in Germany, Canada, Austria, France, Sweden, Japan, Switzerland, Colombia, Greece, Brazil, and New Zeland, with worldwide sales exceeding 800,000 copies. UNHOLY GHOST  May 19, 2005 Unholy Ghost has announced two new additions to the band. Gaberiel Lewandowski (Naphobia, Hellwitch, Acheron, Equinox) is joining the band on drums and Bryan Hipp (Diabolic, Brutality, Cradle of Filth) is coming in on guitar. FRANTIC BLEEP  May 13, 2005 Frantic Bleep has made a number of line up changes, the current roster is: Kejetil Fosseid - vocals, Patrick Scantlebury - guitars, Lars Gunnar Morastseter - guitars, Eywin Sundstrøm - bass, and Trond Sand - drums. The band plans to make their live debut at the Norwegian Aurora Festival on June 25th. COMBAT RECORDS  May 13, 2005 Koch Records is teaming with Entertainment Services Unlimited to relaunch Combat Records. The relaunched label's first releases will appear this September from their new roster, including At All Cost, Horse the Band and Look What I Did. DAVID WAYNE  May 11, 2005 Vocalist David Wayne, 47, passed away on May 10, 2005 as a result of complications from injuries sustained in a head-on motor vehicle collision several months earlier. Well-known for his time in Metal Church, the singer also fronted Reverend, Wayne, and David Wayne's Metal Church. SHADOWS FALL  May 11, 2005 The band has exceeded 200,000 copies sold of their lastest album The War Within according to SoundScan. Shadows Fall will be performing on the main stage during this summer's Ozzfest. CIRCA SURVIVE  May 5, 2005 Circa Survive's debut album Juturna landed at number nine on the Billboard New Artist / Heatseeker Chart in its first week of release. The album sold 2,500 copies its first day onsale. The band had formed only six months before its release. POLTERCHRIST  May 3, 2005 Guitarist Dan Loughry has amicably parted ways with the band. He will be replaced by Ed Drozdowski (Mortal Decay, ex-Insatanity, ex-Body Part Trophy Case, ex-Pyrexia). SWALLOW THE SUN  May 3, 2005 Swallow the Sun's single "Forgive Her" reached number 4 on the Finnish Top 20 Singles chart. This marks the first time a release from Firebox Records has landed on an offical sales chart. MINNEAPOLIS MAYHEM 2  May 2, 2005 Sodom has cancelled their appearance at Minneapolis Mayhem 2 because of problems with their paperwork to get into the U.S. Hirax has been announced as the replacement headliner. SOUNDS OF THE UNDERGROUND TOUR  April 26, 2005 Lamb of God has been announced as the headliner for this summer's Sounds of the Underground Tour. Other bands on the tour are scheduled to be: Clutch, Poison The Well, Opeth, Unearth, From Autumn To Ashes, Chimaira, Norma Jean, Every Time I Die, Strapping Young Lad, Throwdown, High On Fire, Devil Driver, All That Remains, A Life Once Lost; with regional appearances by Madball, Terror, The Red Chord, Fear Before the March of Flames. A "special half-time performance" by Gwar is also planned. NAPALM DEATH  April 25, 2005 Bassist Shane Embruy is teaming with Japan's Gargamel toys to create the Grind KAIJU (Japanese for Grind Monster) "GARGA DEATH." This collector's figure will be "super limited" and will be available in Europe only through the Century Media webshop. CRISIS  April 24, 2005 The band has added Justin Arman (ex-Society 1) to the line up. They have announced that they have begun writing new material together and that he will be the featured drummer on the new album and will also be drumming on the U.S. tour with M.O.D. this summer. VITAL REMAINS  April 23, 2005 The band reports that they will be unable to join the upcoming Canadian tour with Deicide as planned. Tony Lazaro has asked the Metal Update to express the band's deepest apologies to their fans. COVENANCE  April 23, 2005 Ex-Dying Fetus member Vince Matthews and Ex-Misery Index members Bruce Greig and Matt Byers have joined forces to create Covenance. The new band has just completed recording their first demo. AKERCOCKE  April 22, 2005 Former Berzerker guitarist Matt Wilcock has been confirmed as the new Akercocke axeman. He was offered the position after performing a one-off show with the band in Hamburg. The band will do a short run of dates in the UK before heading into the studio to record their fourth album this summer. BANE OF EXISTENCE  April 22, 2005 Vocalist Doug Rinaldi has announced he is leaving the band after five years due to "personal and health related issues." His last show with the band will be on June 3rd in Allston, MA. Guitarist Greg Armstrong has also left the band in order to concentrate on his studies. The band plans to "get right back up and move on and tear the MA metal scene another new asshole." ADEMA  April 22, 2005 Planets debuted at #152 on Billboard's Top 200 in its first week of release. The album debuted at #11 on the Top Independent Chart, earning the distinction of "Hot Shot Debut" on the chart for the week. The band is currently on a U.S. tour in support of the release. MUDVAYNE  April 21, 2005 Lost and Found debuted at #2 on Billboard's Top 200 in its first week of release. First week sales of 152,000 units was nearly double the first week sales of 2002's The End of All Things to Come. The first single off the album "Happy?" has hit #1 on rock radio. The band will play on the main stage during this year's Ozzfest. AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE  April 20, 2005 Guitarist and co-founder Bryan Ottoson was found dead on the band's tour bus on April 19th. The cause was determined to be a prescription drug overdose. The band plans to complete their tour with Mudvayne, Life of Agony and Bloodsimple and will return to the road on April 29th. IT DIES TODAY  April 20, 2005 The band's van and equipment were stolen in the middle of the night during a tour stop in California. The van was later recovered with a cut fuel line but emptied of its contents. It Dies Today were forced to cancel their San Francisco and Denver shows, but support from fellow bands have helped them continue the tour: Cold War turned a Pomona, CA show into a benefit for the band, and Full Blown Chaos and Caliban have offered to loan them equipment. THE FALL OF TROY  April 19, 2005 The band was robbed last night while on tour with The Clarity Process. The Fall of Troy's van was broken into and all of their money was stolen. CANDIRIA  April 13, 2005 The New York Post reports that band has been awarded a settlement of $29 million for injuries received during their near-fatal collision with a tractor trailer in 2002. DEATHWISH / ICARUS RECORDS  April 13, 2005 Deathwish / Icarus have teamed with Apple to make their entire catalog available for purchase and download through the iTunes Music Store. They have also teamed with Havoc TV and Fuse "On Demand" to make their latest videos available for viewing "24 hours a day." KINGCROW  April 13, 2005 Bassist Giulio Caputi has been added to the band. Kingcrow is working on a new concept album, tentatively entitled, Timetropia, and will begin recording in April for a summer release. VUIST  April 10, 2005 Bassist Jeff van Putten has been replaced by Ronald Van Veen (Demalion). The announcement states that Ronald has filled in for the band in the past and is now a permanent member of the band, while Jeff will stay with the band as a roadie and may perhaps become active again as a musician in the future. LILITU  April 8, 2005 20 year-old Virginia Beach native Noah Martin has been added to the band as the new permanent bassist. Lilitu will be shooting a video for "The Delores Lesion" this spring, and plans for a tour are in the works. PROGPOWER USA VI  April 8, 2005 Only three days after tickets were made available to the general public, ProgPower USA VI officially sold out. This marks the fourth consecutive year the festival has sold out of tickets. The line up will be: Stratovarius, Angra, Conception, Therion, Orphaned Land, Pink Cream 69, Manticora, Circus Maximus, Symphorce, and Stride. ProgPower will be held in Atlanta, GA on September 16th and 17th. CONQUER RECORDS  April 8, 2005 Three bands on the Conquer Records roster have made lineup changes. Cyprian has replaced bassist Devilyn with Cyclone. Immemorial has parted ways with vocalist Karla. Michal "Troll" Zielinski (Oblivion, DeFucto) has been selected as the new drummer of Dead by Dawn, replacing Tomasz "Starkey" Starczawski who has departed due to illness. DEADEN  April 8, 2005 Deaden has reunited after a 5 year break. The band plans to enter the studio in June to record the follow up to Hymns of the Sick. SLAYER  April 7, 2005 Still Reigning, Slayer's live DVD released last November, has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. This marks their second DVD to achieve this distinction, the first was 2003's War at the Warfield. INTO ETERNITY  April 6, 2005 Guitarist Rob Doherty, vocalist Stu Block and gutarist/vocalist Tim Roth have been treated for pneumonia and the band was forced to cancel several of their late March dates with Amorphis. The band is now back on the road. GIGANTOUR  April 5, 2005 Dave Mustaine has assembled a touring festival for this summer, dubbed "Gigantour." The confirmed bands for the mainstage are: Megadeth, Dream Theater, Fear Factory, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Nevermore. The line up, hand picked by Mustaine, will embark on a six week North American trek in July. OZZFEST  April 5, 2005 Mudvayne has been added to the mainstage lineup for this year's Ozzfest tour. The band takes the former mystery slot between Shadows Fall and Iron Maiden. Their single, "Happy?" from their forthcoming album, Lost and Found, reached #2 on Billboard's Active Rock Chart. A video for the single is in rotation on Headbangers Ball and Fuse. MODERN DRUMMER FESTIVAL  April 5, 2005 Drummers Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall) and Chris Adler (Lamb of God) are confirmed to appear as special guest artists alongside drummers from rock, jazz and R&B such as, Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Sheila E. (Ringo Starr, Prince) and Roy Haynes. The festival will be held on May 28th and 29th in Newark, NJ. MINNEAPOLIS MAYHEM 2  April 5, 2005 The line up for the festival will be: Sodom, Sadus, Dew-Scented, Usurper, The Chasm, Summon, Avenger of Blood, Throcult, Epicurean, Estuary, The Accursed, Winterthrall, Cyst, Beltfed Weapon, Soulless, Post Mortom, Novembers Doom, Sauron, Lupara, SI6KS. This will be only the second time Sodom has appeared on U.S. soil. The festival will be held on May 6th and 7th in Columbia Heights, MN. ICARUS WITCH  April 5, 2005 Symphony X guitarist Michael Romeo guests on the band's track, "Roses on White Lace," for the forthcoming tribute to Alice Cooper. Entitled, Welcome to the Nightmare: An All Star Salute to Alice Cooper, Icarus Witch joins luminaries such as Iced Earth, Children Of Bodom, Dio, Bruce Dickinson, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, Vince Neil, Dee Snider, George Lynch on the tribute, which is set for an April 19th release through Magick Records. LYZANXIA  April 5, 2005 Drummer Clement Decrock has been added to the line up following the departure of touring drummer Gael Ferret due to "personal commitments." DIECAST  April 4, 2005 Diecast's new single, "Rise and Oppose," is featured in a national commercial for the Volkswagen Jetta. The band recently shot a video for the song with director Kevin Leonard. The video is expected to air on Fuse and MTV2 in late April. BARRY STERN  April 3, 2005 Drummer Barry Stern passed away on April 1st. The cause is believe to be complications from hip replacement surgery. A statement released by the Chicago Music Factory read, "Barry made an impact on the Chicago metal scene in the 80's with his band Zoetrope whose street metal put out the legendary Amnesty and Life Of Crime releases. He then joined Trouble where his powerful drumming can be heard on their self titled release and the Manic Frustration release. Years later he started playing with Debris Inc. and most recently D-Connect. His last official recordings appear on the self titled Debris Inc. debut that comes out on Tuesday April 5th." CBGB'S  April 3, 2005 The landmark New York City venue is in jeopardy of losing its lease. According to Reuters, "CBGB owner Hilly Kristal is embroiled in a dispute with the nonprofit Bowery Residents' Committee, which owns the club's East Village building and operates a homeless shelter above it. In addition to back rent, Kristal's negotiations with the BRC to extend his lease past its August expiration have stalled over the subject of a substantial rent increase." A website, http://www.savecbgb.org has been launched to organize an effort to save the club. SYSTEM OF A DOWN  April 3, 2005 The band sold out their "Souls 2005" benefit concert in less than two minutes. A video for the single "B.Y.O.B." was shot in Los Angeles last weekend with director Jake Nava; it is expected to air by the end of April. The single's debut on radio has been garnering distinctions. As reported in a press release, "#1 Most Added at Rock. #2 Most Added at Alternative. "B.Y.O.B." debuted in the Number One position at WXRT/K-ROCK in New York. “B.Y.O.B” also debuted in the Top 10 at stations in Tampa, Rochester, Las Vegas, Tucson, Norfolk, Phoenix, Austin, Orlando, Tulsa, Colorado Springs, Bakersfield, Richmond, Buffalo, Louisville, Columbus, Portland, Sacramento, Seattle, San Bernardino, San Diego, Minneapolis, St. Louis, New Orleans." The single is the first from the forthcoming 2-disc set entitled Mezmerize/Hypnotize produced by Rick Rubin and Daron Malakian. Mezmerize is set for a May 17th release, with Hypnotize landing near the end of the year. PROPHECY  April 3, 2005 The band has brought Chris White on as their new drummer. Scott Horne (Crimson Massacre) will fill in on the kit for the Maryland Deathfest. Prophecy will be co-headlining the International Metal Fest this September in South Bend, IL. The band is writing the final three songs for their next release, entitled Don't Fuckin' Mess with Texas and will be entering the studio to record in June. 'Foretold...Foreseen' is being reissued and an official DVD is planned. ANTHRAX  April 1, 2005 Anthrax held a global press conference on Sirius Satellite Radio to discuss the reuniting of their classic line up. In regard to rumors that they would be appearing on the main stage at this year's Ozzfest, the band replied, "You shouldn't believe everything you hear on the internet." The band's summer plans are to play several European festivals, including headlining at Dynamo. They will kick off the reunion with two sold-out dates in Chicago, then head off to tour internationally, before returning to tour the U.S. in the fall. A DVD and box set are planned and they hope to see them released by the end of the year. They stated that they do not know how long the reunion will last, and in regard to John Bush and Rob Caggiano, they responded that there are no negative feelings and they are still a part of the "extended Anthrax family" but the band does not know what the future holds. The band also announced they are teaming with the Slave to the Metal Foundation to raise awareness of the health risks of the Anthrax vaccination which is being administered to military personnel. EVERGREEN TERRACE  April 1, 2005 Drummer Chris Brown has parted with the band. Long time friend of Evergreen Terrace, Brad Moxey, has taken over. 2005 MONTERRY METAL FEST  April 1, 2005 The complete line up will be: Motorhead, Danzig, Mago De Oz, W.A.S.P., Hammerfall, Sonata Arctica, Metal Church, Jag Panzer, Neil Turbin, Shadowkeep, Azraels Bane, Lupara, Ignitor, Raped God, Cristal Y Acero, Pulverized, Dracko, Elfonia, Anton, Zamak, Cruz De Hierro, Dagger, Avatar. The festival will be held on May 28th in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. GATES OF METAL 2005  March 30, 2005 The complete line up for Gates of Metal 2005: Dimmu Borgir, Edguy, Children of Bodom, Masterplan, Dark Tranquillity, Grave Digger, Amon Amarth, Dream Evil, Moonsorrow, Evergrey, Nocturnal Rites, Sabaton, Twilightning, God Among Insects, Teräsbetoni, Pantokrator. The festival will be held on August 5th and 6th in Hultsfred, Sweden. MONSTER MAGNET  March 29, 2005 Guitarist Phil Calvano has left the band in an amicable split. The band is auditioning for a replacement and Dave Wyndorf will be filling in the meantime. The band is continuing to write the new album and the change is not expected to affect the schedule. Monster Magnet will be supporting Motorhead on two Northeast dates in May. LOUDER HARDER FASTER  March 29, 2005 The line up for Louder Harder Faster will be: Hydrogyn, The Aurora, Belt Fed, Weapon, Ion Vein, Without End, Krusifire, Slikhelvetika, Enamored, Try Redemption, Twilight Odyssey, Hurt Locker, The Kiss Of Death, Flotsam & Jetsam, Vampire Mooose, Lupara, Trouble, Funerus, Beyond The Flesh, Full Blown Chaos, Incantation, Champion, Speed\Kill/Hate, Martyr AD, Nuclear Assault, Agnostic Front, Mushroomhead, Turmoil, God Forbid, Macabre, Testament, Obituary. The festival will be held June 3rd - 5th in Allentown, PA. DEVOURMENT  March 29, 2005 Longtime drummer Brad Fincher has parted ways with the band. He has been replaced by Eric Park (ex-Suture). HELLFIRE MANIFEST 2005  March 28, 2005 The festival will be held in Huntsville, AL on May 13th in honor of Dageth of Blood Stained Dusk, who died in a car accident in January at the age of 24. The lineup will be: Hellwitch, Quinta Essentia, Epoch of Unlight, Fleshtized, Convergence From Within, Dark Faith, Stentoria, and Legions of Astaroth. ILLDISPOSED  March 26, 2005 Guitarist Lasse Bak has been fired from the band "because of too many bad experiences during the last year." They have decided to continue as a quartet. SUBLIMINAL VERSES TOUR  March 24, 2005 Trivium and DevilDriver have dropped off the Subliminal Verses tour with Slipknot, Lamb of God and Shadows Fall. According to a statEment issued by Roadrunner Records, the cause is "unforeseen Union enforced time constraints with venues." METAL CAMP  March 24, 2005 The line up for Metal Camp, to be held June 24th to 26th in Tolmin, Slovenia, will be: Slayer, Anthrax, Yngwie Malmsteen, Soulfly, Children of Bodom, Hammerfall, Therion, Obituary, Kataklysm, In Extremo, JBO, Disbelief, Exciter, Graveworm, Ektomorf, Hatesphere, Suidakra, Morgana Lefay, Prospect, Noctiferia, Thunderstorm, Gun Barrel, Rain, Lost Dreams, Stigma, Wotan, Bleed in Vain, Eminence, Fleshless, Lurid Lishaped, sky's Shadow, Seraphel, Excelsis, Eeriness, Amnesia, Mely, Desilence, Lifend, Arkenemy, Bloodfeast, Perishing Mankind, Sabaium, Forgotten Anami, Sweet Sorrow, Chaoswave, Darkfall, Neptune, Brutart, Vanitas, Cremation, Arthemis, Cold Void, Dtw, Possession. 2000 DECIBEL  March 23, 2005 The line up is: Therion, Meshuggah, Tiamat, Unleashed, Spiritual Beggars, Amon Amarth, Falconer, Loud’N Nasty, Grave, Wolf, The Storyteller, Face Down, Nostradameus, Defleshed, Cryonic Temple, W.E.T., Sonic Syndicate, Loss, Southern Forest, P.I.G., Degrade, Minhiriath. The festival will be held May 21st in Bengtsfors, Sweden. CLASSIC METAL FESTIVAL 5  March 23, 2005 The line up is: Hallow's Eve, Bloodlust, Unearthed, Attacker, Dr. Mastermind / Wild Dogs, Without End, Rottweiler, Heraldry, Stone Vengeance, Iron Cross, Gardy Loo, October 31, Twisted Tower Dire, Goat Horn, Skullview, Catch 22, Hell I Feel, Beyond Glory, Storm Within, Frankenshred, Knights of Tethys, Necrodemon. The festival will be held on May 13th and 14th in Lansing, IL. LACUNA COIL  March 23, 2005 Comalies has surpassed the U.S. SoundScan plateau of 200,000 copies sold. They are the first Century Family artist to achieve this distinction. The band is currently in pre-production on their follow-up album and plans to perform some of the new songs at European festivals this summer. INFERNO METAL FESTIVAL 2005  March 21, 2005 Season of Mist has issued a press release stating that "Necrophagist and Mantas cancelled their shows at Inferno due to health issues within the band and close family." It goes on to state that Nattefrost and Hatesphere will be their replacements. OZZFEST 2005  March 16, 2005 The line up for Ozzfest 2005 has been officially announced. Main stage: Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Shadows Fall, Black Label Society. Second stage: Rob Zombie, Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Mastodon, The Haunted, In Flames, Arch Enemy, The Black Dahlia Murder, Bury Your Dead, Soilwork, Trivium, It Dies Today, A Dozen Furies. One additional act, to play on the main stage between Shadows Fall and Iron Maiden, has yet to be announced. BW&BK 6-PACK WEEKEND III  March 15, 2005 The final line up has been announced: God Dethroned, Mors Principium Est, Deadly Blessing, Trouble, Death Angel, Chris Caffery, Jag Panzer, Soilwork, Dark Tranquillity, Hypocrisy, Exciter, Raven, Mnemic, HavocHate. The BW&BK 6-pack Weekend will be held in Cleveland, OH on May 6th and 7th. A kick-off party/concert will be held on May 5th, with the line up soon to be announced. OZZY OSBOURNE  March 15, 2005 Prince of Darkness, Ozzy's first ever box set will be released March 22nd. The four disc, 52 song set is "a testament to the iconic rockers 25-year solo career." Fans purchasing the set will be able to obtain a free general admission to Ozzfest 2005 with their purchase of a ticket. MANOWAR  March 11, 2005 On July 23rd, at Earthshaker Fest 2005, the band will be joined on stage by "all of the original members from each lineup." In addition actor Christopher Lee will be narrating parts originally recorded by Orson Welles during "Dark Avenger" and "Defender." The performance will be recorded and will feature a 100 piece orchestra and a 100 piece choir. The First International Mega Manowar Fanconvention has been scheduled for July 21 - 23rd to coincide with the Earthshaker Fest. LEMMING PROJECT  March 11, 2005 Guitarist and main songwriter, Michael Schmale, died February 17th. No cause was disclosed for the 33 year old's death. GREEN CARNATION  March 10, 2005 The band is preparing a special release to celebrate their 15th anniversary. They are hoping to collect video footage from their performance at Wacken 2002, where they performed Light of Day, Day of Darkness in its entirety, as part of this release. Anyone who has footage of this performace is asked to email tcgirt@online.no. Green Carnation will be releasing The Quiet Offspring in North American through The End Records on March 22nd. NORMA JEAN  March 10, 2005 The band's new album O' God the Aftermath charted at number 62 on the Billboard 200 album chart in its first week of release. Norma Jean is on tour through May with Unearth and Atreyu. INFERNO METAL FESTIVAL 2005  March 9, 2005 Bloodthron have cancelled their appearance due to vocalist Krell's "health problems." Necrophagist will take their slot on Thursday at the festival. MTV UK's Dirty Sanchez will appear to do a special feature on Friday between Aura Noir and Arcturs. JUDAS PRIEST  March 9, 2005 Judas Priest's new album Angel of Retribution debuted on the Billboard 200 album chart at number 13, making it the band's highest-charting album ever. Previously the band's highest ranking had been number 17 with Screaming for Vengeance in 1982 and Turbo in 1986. CALIGULA  March 8, 2005 After searching for months without finding a suitable replacement for singer Ryan Kennedy, who left shortly after the release of the band's debut EP We Burn Bridges, Caligula have decided to call it quits. Kennedy and drummer Mike Burrows are reportedly starting a new band "in a similar vein." SOUNDS OF THE UNDERGROUND TOUR  March 7, 2005 A new summer festival tour will be launched this summer. Dubbed the Sounds of the Underground, participants in the tour are scheduled to be: Clutch, Poison The Well, Opeth, Unearth, From Autumn To Ashes, Chimaira, Norma Jean, Every Time I Die, Strapping Young Lad, Throwdown, High On Fire, Devil Driver, All That Remains, A Life Once Lost. Madball and Terror are planned to split the East and West legs of the tour, with East Coast appearances by The Red Chord, Midwest and Southeast appearances by Fear Before the March of Flames, and West Coast appearances by Himsa. A "special half-time performance" by Gwar is also planned. A "special headliner" is yet to be announced. BLOODGASM  March 7, 2005 The band has reformed with Marshall Mott on lead guitar and John Mazurowski on bass. New material is being prepared for recording later this year. DREAM THEATER  March 6, 2005 Dream Theater has the distinction of being the very last band to record at the legendary Hit Factory in NYC. The first album ever recorded at the famous studio was Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life. In June the band will begin their world tour with a European summer leg "comprised of festivals and 'Evening With' shows." CRISIS  March 4, 2005 Following the arrest of Ryan Ball, recently named as the band's new drummer, the band announced Ball had been let go over two weeks before his arrest. The band is currently working with Justin Arman (ex-Society 1), while they search for a permanent replacement. AGENT STEEL  March 4, 2005 In celebration of the 20th anniversary of its release, the band will be including Skeptics Apocalypse from start to finish in the set on their European tour, set to begin on March 25th. The headlining tour is "built around the Raise Your Fist and Keep It True festivals with the killer Belgian band, After All, as support." FEAR MY THOUGHTS  March 4, 2005 Drummer Alex Kovats has left the band "for personal reasons." Norman Lonhart has been named as his replacement. Fear My Thoughts have begun recording their new album with Jacob Hansen; it is scheduled for a July 26th release worldwide. ENSLAVED  March 3, 2005 Enslaved won the Norwegian Grammy Award for Isa. The other metal nominees were Mayhem and Black Debbath. Enslaved also won the Alarm Award for best metal album 2004. VEHEMENCE  March 3, 2005 Newly appointed vocalist Sean Vandegrift will be unable to join the band for their spring tour with Crematorium and The Red Death. Adam Cody of Glass Casket will fill in on this run, except for the April 23rd date in Augusta, GA, which will be handled by a guest vocalist. Bryan Edwards of Clifton will fill in on the March 21st to April 5th dates with Thine Eyes Bleed as previously announced. PRO-PAIN  March 2, 2005 Pro-Pain have been selected to replace Death Angel on the Kreator tour with Vader and Autumn Offering, set to kick off in New York on April 3rd. It is expected that the band will premiere material from their forthcoming album, Prophets of Doom, set for release on June 14th. Raw Video, Pro-Pain's first official DVD, will be released April 19th. PROGPOWER USA VI  March 1, 2005 The line up for ProgPower USA VI in Atlanta, GA will be: Stratovarius, Angra, Conception, Therion, Orphaned Land, Pink Cream 69, Manticora, Circus Maximus, Symphorce, and Stride. ProgPower will be held in Atlanta on September 16th and 17th. Featuring the entire original line up, this will mark the first performance by Conception since 1997.  Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster on April 2nd; only 900 tickets will be available to the public. UNHOLY GHOST  February 27, 2005 Founding member and lead guitarist, Kelly McLauchlin will be leaving the band. The band's statement reports he will continue with Pessimist and "other musical interests." A replacement will be announced "soon." Drummer David Breazeal has been added to the line up. The band is currently writing material for their follow up to last year's Torrential Reign. MURDER CONSTRUCT  February 27, 2005 Casy Shropshire (Uphill Battle) has joined the band on guitar. Their first track, "No Mental Effort" for a Napalm Death tribute album, will be recorded in April. BLOODBATH  February 25, 2005 Peter Tagtgren has left the band due to "conflicting schedules." Mikael Akerfeldt will return to take over vocal duties for Bloodbath's performance at Wacken on August 5th. A statment on the band website says this will be an "exclusive one time happening...something that you're guaranteed to never see again as Mike will not be rejoining the band in any way apart from committing to this performance." The line up for Wacken will be: Mikael Akerfeldt - Vocals, Blakkheim - Guitar, Dan Swano - Guitar, Jonas Renkse - Bass, Axe - Drums. EXODUS  February 24, 2005 Exodus will begin recording their new album in early April. Andy Sneap will be the producer for the record, which will be the band's first with new vocalist Rob Dukes. ALL SHALL PERISH  February 24, 2005 The band has parted ways with guitarist Caysen Russo "due to differences." They have announced that their dates with Agnostic Front this spring will go on as planned. INFIDEL  February 23, 2005 Drummer John Grden from Pessimist, guitarist/vocalist Unholy Tim from True Unholy Death and bassist Rob Keller have formed Infidel. They will begin recording their full length debut Killing of Immortality in Juen. THE ESOTERIC  February 23, 2005 The building that was The Esoteric's home, studio and practice space burned down on February 22nd around 3am. Three members of the band have been rendered homeless, and the suspected cause of the blaze has been named as faulty electrical wiring. The band intends to continue with their touring plans anyway. ZAO  February 22, 2005 Long-time tour manager Marty Lunn has been tapped to fill in on bass following the departure of Shawn Koschik. He will make his debut with Zao on their upcoming tour. Frontman Dan Weyandt has contributed guest vocals on new albums by As I Lay Dying and The Juliana Theory. THE GATHERING  February 21, 2005 Vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen gave birth to her 7.5 pound son on February 20th at 7:30am. Named Finn, the boy is her first child. NASUM  February 17, 2005 Nasum posted an announcment today at nasum.com that they have received confirmation that guitarist/vocalist Mieszko Talarczyk died in the Tsunami which struck Phi Phi island in Thailand, where he was vacationing with his girlfriend, on December 26, 2004. His body has been identified and is being returned to Sweden. TESTAMENT  February 17, 2005 Chuck Billy, Eric Peterson, Alex Skolnick, Greg Christian, Johnny Tempesta will team up for a Reunion Tour in Europe, May 7th -15th. The tour will consist of only 9 shows. CHICAGO POWERFEST 2005  February 17, 2005 The line up for the Chicago Powerfest, to be held on April 8th and 9th, has been announced. Bands scheduled to appear are: Tad Morose (Sweden), Morgana Lefay (Sweden), Twelfth Gate (IL), Ion Vein (IL), Archetype(OH), Imagika (CA), Silencer (CO), Warmachine (Canada), Katagory V (UT). This will be Morgana Lefay's first ever, US appearance, as well as Tad Morose's first headlining show in the US. ANIMOSITY  February 17, 2005 On February 9th, the band's rehearsal space in Watsonville, CA was robbed. Their gear was stolen, but the announcement states that band remains "optimistic" in light of their recent signing to Blackmarket Activites. MARYLAND DEATH FEST   February 16, 2005 The line up for the Maryland Death Fest, to be held on May 28th and 29th in Baltimore, has been announced. Bands scheduled to appear are: Misery Index, Pig Destroyer, Immolation, Cryptopsy, General Surgery, Regurgitate, Abscess, Impaled, Birdflesh, Rotten Sound, Wormed, Gronibard, Aborted, Capharnaum, Leng Tch'e, Ghoul, Lord Gore, Rottenness, Bodies Lay Broken, Splatterhouse, Xxx Maniak, Despised Icon, Kill The Client, Ion Dissonance, Prophecy, Warscars, Screaming Afterbirth, Amoebic Dysentery. IRON MAIDEN  February 15, 2005 According to an announcement on Launch, Iron Maiden has confirmed that they will co-headline Ozzfest this summer alongside Black Sabbath and an Anthrax line-up featuring vocalist Joey Belladonna, guitarist Dan Spitz and bassist Frank Bello. Also confirmed is a June 12th European date with Dream Theater and Within Temptation. GRAMMY AWARDS  February 14, 2005 Motorhead won the Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for their cover of Metallica's "Whiplash." "Best Hard Rock Performance" was awarded to Velvet Revolver for their single "Slither." NOCTURNAL RITES  February 11, 2005 Nocturnal Rites will headline "Demons of the Opera," a two day event planned for the evenings of April 1st and 2nd. The event will take place at the opera house in Umea, Sweden and will be highlighted by the band's performance with a 50 piece philharmonic orchestra, conducted by Hans Ek. According to the statement, two other bands, Persuader and 6th Awakening, will also share the stage with the orchestra, with other bands also performing "the good old fashioned way." Nocturnal Rites are currently working on material for a new album and have just finished shooting their third video from ‘New World Messiah.’ ‘Lost in Time: The Early Years of Nocturnal Rites,’ a collection celebrating the band's 10 year anniversary, is set for release on February 21st. ACTION ACTION / THE JUNIOR VARSITY  February 11, 2005 Following a show in Chicago, the two bands returned to their vans to discover they had been robbed. Large amounts of cash and other property were found missing. VEHEMENCE  February 10, 2005 Vehemence has chosen Sean Vandgrift (ex-From a Second Story Window) as their now vocalist. They will debut their new vocalist in April when they begin a tour with Crematorium, The Red Death, and Losa. Their west coast run in March with Thine Eyes Bleed, will feature temporary vocalist Bryan Edwards (Clifton). BRAND NEW SIN  February 9, 2005 Century Media Records has signed Syracuse-based Brand New Sin to their roster. The band's next album, tentatively entitled, Recipe for Disaster, is set for a summer release. Brand New Sin will begin a tour with Motorhead and Corrosion of Conformity on March 9th, in support of Black and Blue, a four-track EP set for release in March. CRYPTOPSY  February 8, 2005 The band has announced that Dan Mongrain (Martyr) will fill in for departed guitarist Jon Levasseur for the dates on their upcoming tour, which will proceed as scheduled. Cryptopsy has placed a statement on their website, wishing Levasseur "all the best for his future plans and goals." NIGHTWISH  February 8, 2005 Nightwish has announced they will delay their North American tour, which had been scheduled for April and May. The postponement was caused by solo commitments in Scandinavia for their vocalist, Tarja Turman. The dates will be rescheduled for September and October. A video single, "NEMO," will be released on April 4th. MEGADETH  February 7, 2005 Dave Mustaine is asking fans to help determine the tracks chosen for the upcoming Greatest Hits release. Fans are instructed to visit the megadeth.com forum by using this link: http://forums.megadeth.com/forumdisplay.php?s=1cdae2936010c7807d087938c1d4fde8&daysprune=&f=43 then follow the instructions posted on the "sticky" thread in the forum to vote for their choices. SENTENCED  February 4, 2005 The band has announced that their new album, which will be entitled The Funeral Album, will be the final record from the band. Sentenced stated in the announcment, "This album will be our last one. The decision is mutual, thoroughly thought over and final." The statement further explained that the decision was made in 2004 for many reasons and the band would play an "undefined number of farewell shows." A live DVD of the final shows is planned. LAMB OF GOD  February 2, 2005 Lamb of God has been banned from The Forum in Los Angeles. The owners of the venue, The Faithful Central Bible Church, reportedly decided to ban Lamb of God because of their name as well as their previous name, Burn the Priest. Due to the ban, the band will be unable to perform on the L.A. stop of the Subliminal Verses tour with Slipknot and Shadows Fall. BLOODBATH  February 2, 2005 Bloodbath has been confirmed to make an exclusive appearance at Wacken Open Air 2005. This will be the first live performance by the Swedish death metal supergroup. Their latest release, Nightmares Made Flesh will be released in the U.S. on March 8th. CRYPTOPSY  January 31, 2005 Guitarist Jon Levasseur has announced that after 10 years in the band he will be leaving Cryptopsy. In his statement he expressed a desire to "step back, lay low and explore other things in music." Levasseur also praised his former band stating, "I consider myself extremely fortunate to have broken through boundaries with some of the best musicians in the business." KATAKLYSM  January 31, 2005 Kataklysm has been nominated for "Favorite Metal Artist/Group" by the Canadian Independent Music Awards. The awards will be presented at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, on March 2nd. Other nominees in the category were: The End, Malefaction, The Reason, and Three Inches of Blood. Kataklsym will begin their tour with Danzig on February 18th. CHUCK SCHULDINER  January 31, 2005 Manic Music has pledged a portion of their proceeds from the direct wholesale/mailorder sales of Chuck Schuldiner's Zero Tolerance to The American Cancer Society. The two-disc set, which includes the unfinished Control Denied tracks Chuck was working on at the time of his death, will be available in the U.S. on February 22nd. VISCERAL BLEEDING  January 31, 2005 Neurotic Records will be reissuing Visceral Bleeding's debut album, Remnants of Deprivation under the title Remnants Revived. Scott Hull has remastered the recording, which will be issued with three extra songs and four video tracks. The release is set for April 18th. The band is scheduled to begin a week-long tour of the UK in May, followed by an appearance at the Rotterdam Deathfest on May 14th. LAST CRACK  January 28, 2005 The release of Last Crack's Burning Funkhouse Live has been delayed. The digital release is now planned for mid-February with the CD shipping shortly afterward. NILE  January 28, 2005 Nile is recording their new album, entitled, Annihilation of the Wicked, with Neil Kernon and Bob Moore. The disc is scheduled for a late spring release through Relapse Records. The band will begin a headlining tour of Europe in March with Dying Fetus and Necrophagist as support, then return to the States to begin touring with King Diamond, Behemoth, and The Black Dahlia Murder in April. DANZIG  January 28, 2005 Danzig will begin a month long tour of the U.S. in February, in support of their current release, Circle of Snakes. Black Aria II, Glenn Danzig's follow up to 1993's Black Aria which reached the #1 position on the Billboard classical chart, is expected to be released through Evilive in early summer. INFERNO METAL FESTIVAL 2005  January 28, 2005 The complete line up has been announced for Inferno Metal Festival 2005, taking place in Norway on March 24th – 26th. Bands scheduled to perform: Morbid Angel, Candlemass, Dissection, Amon Amarth, Arcturus, Gehenna, Lamented Souls, Aura Noir, Green Carnation, Mortiis, Grimfist, Grave, Chton, Vreid, Mantas, Bloodthorn, Seth, Sunn0))), Horricane, Zeenon, Tsjuder, Gorelord, Deceiver, Naer Mataron, Nebular Mystic, She Said Destroy, Obliteration, Taakefer, Slogstorm, Goatlord. SENTENCED  January 28, 2005 Sentenced is set to release their as-yet-untitled new record through Century Media in Europe at the end of May. Hiili Hiilesmaa produced the album, which was recorded mainly at Finnvox and Tonebox studios in Finland. DARK TRANQUILLITY  January 27, 2005 The band's new album, Character, entered the official national charts in Sweden at number 3. The album landed at number 1 on the Swedish metal charts. Previously, Dark Tranquillity had reached number 47 on the Swedish single charts with their Lost to Apathy EP. The band will embark on a tour of Europe with Kreator in February. SKINDEEP  January 26, 2005 Skindeep has decided to break up. The band was recording their debut for Camp Fury Records. They will play a farewell show on Feburary 11th. BLOOD STAINED DUSK  January 24, 2005 Dageth (a.k.a. Patrick Panter), vocalist, lead guitarist and main composer for U.S. black metal band Blood Stained Dusk was killed in a car accident on Monday, January 24th. According to the band's statement, they had just released Continuance of Evil on Black Flame Records and were about to begin recording their follow up, The Black Faith Inquisition. DEFIANCE  January 24, 2005 Talks of a Defiance reunion show are being shelved. Instead, the band has decided to work on writing new material. They intend to enter the studio later this year. GORGOROTH  January 24, 2005 The band was unable to come to an agreement to continue with their former label, Season of Mist. Season of Mist will still handle the remastered reissue of Gorgoroth's classic albums, Pentagram, Antichrist, and Under the Sign of Hell, in limited digipack format with guitar picks. WINDIR  January 22, 2005 Windir performed one last concert to bid farewell to the band's frontman and founder, Valfar, who died in January 2004. The concert took place on September 3, 2004, the day of what would have been Valfar's 26th birthday. A DVD of the concert is being released this February though Tabu Recordings. The DVD, entitled, SognaMetal, will also contain live clips, backstage material, photo gallery, and an interview with Valfar from Norwegian national tv. MEGADETH  January 21, 2005 The lawsuit filed by former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson against singer-guitarist David Mustaine, disputing the legitimacy of a May 2004 settlement agreement and seeking at least $18.5 million in damages, was dismissed by a federal judge in New York on January 13th, according to The Hollywood Reporter.com. The article also states that Ellefson's attorney has already filed a notice of appeal, and that a countersuit filed by Mustaine agains Ellefson remains pending. FATES WARNING  January 21, 2005 Following the departure of Mark Zonder, the band has announced the drummers for their upcoming European shows. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) will join them on drums for the Headway festival. Nick D'Virgilio (Spock's Beard) will handle drumming duties for the scheduled February dates. SKINLESS  January 21, 2005 Vocalist Jason Keyser has been added to the Skinless lineup following the departure of Sherwood Webber. Keyser is the brother of bass player Joe Kyser. The new lineup will debut onstage in Providence, RI on March 4th. The band plans to enter the studio by the end of 2005 to record a new album for release through Relapse Records in 2006. The band recently released a DVD, entitled Skinflick. FALCON  January 21, 2005 Falcon have canceled the European dates scheduled for April. A family emergency prevents bassist / keyboardist Greg Lindstrom from making the trip, and vocalist / guitarist Perry Grayson has announced that the band will not proceed with the tour without him. VADER  January 21, 2005 The band will be entering Hertz Studio, Bialystok in July to record a new MCD for release in 2005. The working title for the MCD is The Art of War. It will feature only new songs and will also contain a bonus video clip for the title track. HIGH ON FIRE  January 21, 2005 High on fire is scheduled to appear at the 2005 Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco alongside acts such as the Polyphonic Spree, immediately following their February tour with Planes Mistaken for Stars and Kylesa. Their new album Blessed Black Wings is set for a February 1st release. UNEARTH  January 21, 2005 The band recently shot a new video for the track "Zombie Autopilot" with director Greg Kaplan. In February Unearth will begin a tour with Atreyu, Norma Jean and Scars of Tomorrow. MASTODON  January 21, 2005 Mastodon have announced a European headining tour to commence on February 9th in Glasgow, UK and to conclude on March 11th in Helsinki, Finland. Labelmates Burst have been confirmed as support, with additional support to be announced. SIX FEET UNDER  January 21, 2005 A video for "Shadow of the Reaper" from the forcoming release 13 was shot on January 8th "right in the middle of the flooding heart of Hollywood, CA." The video was directed by Gary Smithson. 13 is set for release on March 22nd. MORTIIS  January 20, 2005 Mortiis are at work on a new single, "Decadent & Desperate," scheduled for an April release in the U.K., with a video of the song planned for release just prior to the single. The single is expected to include an as yet un-named new song plus re-mixed tracks from The Grudge. Work on the video is due to commence "shortly." An as yet untitled DVD is planned for release in May. The press release also states, "the reclusive one is to take a bride." TESTAMENT  January 19, 2005 The band has announced they will re-release the 1991 documentary Seen Between the Lines on DVD this spring. The documentary contains live footage, promotional music videos, rare video clips, as well as behind the scenes and candid footage. SUSPERIA  January 19, 2005 The band is nearing completion of a video for "Devil May Care," the second video from Unlimited. The video will feature highlights from Susperia's recent European tour. Unlimited has recently been nominated for the Best Metal Album catagory of Norway's Alarum Awards alongside fellow nominees Enslaved, Red Harvest and Khold. NEVERMORE  January 18, 2005 The band will enter Backstage Studios in England to begin recording a new album with producer Andy Sneap. The album will be their first with new guitarist Steve Smyth. Nevermore plans to debut some of the new matial during their European tour in March. Additionally, Andy Sneap is currently remixing 2003's Enemies of Reality for release with "altered" cover artwork, promotional video clips and a live video. The new version will replace the existing album in stores in March. Fans who have already purchased the album can special order the CD without artwork or jewelcase for only $5, including shipping, from Century Media's web shop; order confirmations will include a link for downloadable revised artwork. ARCTURUS  January 18, 2005 Simen Hestnæs (Vortex of Dimmu Borgir and Borknagar) recently joined the band as lead vocalist. His first appearance with the band will be at the Inferno Metal Festival in London on January 27th. The band has signed to Season of Mist and will be entering the studio in February to record their new album, scheduled for an August release. CROWBAR  January 18, 2005 Candlelight Records will premiere the track "Dead Sun" from Crowbar's upcoming new album, Lifesblood for the Downtrodden, on the label's recently launched U.S. website beginning January 22nd. The record is set for release on February 7th. Also on the 7th, they will also begin a tour in support of the album alongside labelmates Entombed, ProPain and The Mighty Nimbus. MERCENARY  January 18, 2005 The band won all three of the Danish Metal Awards they had been nominated for: album of the year, vocal performance of the year, and guitarist of the year. An MP3 of the song "Firesoul" is available at the Mercenary and Century Media websites. Mercenary are currently on tour in Europe with Brainstorm and At Vance. HEARSE  January 18, 2005 Hearse have completed recording their 3rd album, entitled The Last Ordeal at The White Chapel Studios in Stockholm with Jonas Elder. The record is scheduled for release by Karmageddon Media this summer. An extended EP, entitled Cambodia will be released on January 31st, containing the title track, 2 new songs exclusive to the EP, as well as rare and unreleased tracks. DKT / MC5  January 18, 2005 Gilby Clarke (ex-Guns N' Roses) has joined DKT / MC5. The band will begin a European tour in February. KATAKLYSM  January 17, 2005 Kataklysm have parted ways with drummer Martin Maurais, citing "personal and professional reasons." Max Duhamel, who performed on five past Kataklysm albums including Shadows and Dust, has been named as his replacement. Kataklysm will be direct support for the Danzig tour with Trivium and Eyes of Fire, beginning on February 18th. CRISIS  January 17, 2005 Crisis have added drummer Ryan Ball to the line up. Karyn Crisis is one of the women featured on this week's episode of Uranium, entitled "Chicks in Metal," airing on Fuse beginning January 21st. NORMA JEAN  January 15, 2005 Norma Jean have released a track entitled, "Vertebraille: Choke that Thief Called Dependency," from their forthcoming Solid State release, O God the Aftermath, due out on March 1st. The band will embark on a tour of the States with Atreyu, Unearth and Scars of Tomorrow in February and will do a guitar giveaway with Hot Topic in April. AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED  January 14, 2005 A new video for the song, "Mosquito Holding Human Cattle Prod," has been posted at the Relapse Records website. Agoraphobic Nosebleed is currently working on their next full length release, tenitively scheduled for a fall release. SIX FEET UNDER  January 14, 2005 On January 13th, vocalist Chris Barnes successfully underwent knee surgery. According to a post on the Six Feet Under website, he planned to have his doctor videotape the surgery and will be posting the footage on the site. GOD FORBID  January 14, 2005 God Fobid will enter the studio on May 1st to record their new album entitled, IV: Constitution of Treason, which is set for a fall release. The band will be participating in the Virigin Megastore show in Times Square, NYC, on January 20th to help raise funds for the Tsunami relief effort. In mid-Februrary, they will be part of a Unranium special, "Future Headliners," for Fuse TV. April will find the band embarking on a headlining tour of the U.S. FATES WARNING  January 14, 2005 Fates Warning will begin shooting a video for "Simple Human" with director Jerry Clubb on January 23rd. NAPALM DEATH  January 14, 2005 The band is working with Century Media and labelmates The Haunted and Heaven Shall Burn to produce a single to raise money to aid the Tsunami relief effort. The single will be limited to 1,000 hand-numbered copies with copies 1-10 being auctioned off on Ebay and the remainder will only be available at Napalm Death's two exclusive pre-listening shows (detailed below) or directly through the bands. After the single is sold out all proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross. MORBID ANGEL  January 14, 2005 Original vocalist and bassist David Vincent has rejoined Morbid Angel. The band is planning to begin a series of tours, starting with a U.S. trek with Soulfly, then on to Europe in March. STRAPPING YOUNG LAD  January 14, 2005 Century Media has posted an MP3 of the track "Shitstorm" from Strapping Young Lad's forthcoming album Alien. On February 8th, the first segment of "The Making of Alien" will be posted, with new segments being posted every Tuesday leading up to the March 22nd release of the album. AKERCOCKE  January 14, 2005 Guitarist Paul Scanlan is leaving the band. Akercocke will continue to write their new album following his departure.