No Heroes for Converge

Converge’ new album, No Heroes, will be released on October 24th via Epitaph Records.

Tracklist:

1 Heartache
2 Hellbound
3 Sacrific
4 Vengeance
5 Weight Of The World
6 No Heroes
7 Plagues
8 Grim Heart / Black Rose
9 Orphaned
10 Lonewolves
11 Versus
12 Trophy Scars
13 Bare My Teeth
14 To The Lions

Use Your Illusion

Slayer' new album Christ Illusion sold more than 62,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States jumping at position N° 5 on The Billboard 200 chart.
It's the highest position ever on the chart for Araya & co., who previously reached N° 8 with their 1994 release Divine Intervention after moving 93,000 copies of that album in its first week.
Christ Illusion also entered the Norwegian national chart at position N° 10.
Other Christ Illusion first-week charts: Finland (#2), Australia (#9)

Krokus' resurrection

Krokus new album, titled Hellraiser, will be released on September 18th in Europe (except Germany and Switzerland, where it will be published on September 15th) and on October 24th in North America via AFM Records.
The follow-up to 2003's Rock The Block was recorded with producer Dennis Ward.
The new Krokus' single, Angel Of My Dreams, has been made available for download at this location and audio sample of the album's projected title can be downloaded here
Recently the Swiss veterans revealed the addition of German drummer Stefan Schwarzmann (ex-Accept, U.D.O., Helloween) to the band, which current line-up is completed by vocalist Marc Storace, Tony Castell on bass, Mandy Meyer and Dominique Fave, both on guitar.

Sinister prophecy

Dutch death metallers Sinister have revealed the cover artwork for their forthcoming live DVD, which they plan on filming at their August 24th, 2006 performance in Warsaw, Poland. Titled Prophecies Denied, this DVD will be released at a later date on Metal Mind Production.

Sinister's current line-up is:

Aad Kloosterwaard - Vocals
Alex Paul - Guitars
Bas Van Den Bogaard - Bass
Paul Beltman - Drums

I Want It Loud(ness)

Japanese veterans Loudness will release a new live DVD, titled Loudness in America 06: Live Shocks World Circuit 2006 Chapter 1, on August 23rd. It will feature footage from the band's North American tour, which took place earlier in the year.

Tracklist:

01 Introduction

02 Exultation

03 Lunatic

04 Crazy Night

05 Crazy Doctor

06 In The Mirror

07 The Winds Of Victory

08 Crazy Samurai

09 Cross

10 The Pandemonium

11 S.D.I.

12 The Battle Ship Musashi

13 Rock Shock

14 Encore

15 Let It Go

16 Like Hell

17 Circuit

Vinnie Paul's new band

Former Pantera/Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott has joined members of Mudvaine and Nothingface in a new band who has been composing and recording songs in Dallas, Texas for what will eventually become its debut album, tentatively due in early 2007. A name has already been selected for the group, but has not yet been revealed.

Here is the line-up is:

Chad Gray (Mudvayne) - Vocals
Greg Tribbett (Mudvayne) - Guitar
Tom Maxwell (Nothingface) - Guitar
Jerry Montano (Danzig, Nothingface) - Bass
Vinnie Paul Abbott (Pantera, Damageplan) - Drums

Also an headlining tour is expected to take place before the end of the year, although this has yet to be officially confirmed.

Nevermore reissues

Nevermore will re-release the following CDs Nevermore (1995), In Memory (1996) and The Politics Of Ecstasy (1996) in Europe on September 11th (September 8th in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux) via Century Media Records.
Here are the details of these reissues:

Nevermore CD reissue:

Original album:

01 What Tomorrow Knows
02 C.B.F.
03 The Sanity Assassin
04 Garden Of Gray
05 Sea Of Possibilities
06 The Hurting Words
07 Timothy Leary
08 Godmoney

Bonus tracks:

09 The System's Failing
10 The Dreaming Mind (unreleased - from spring 1992 demo)
11 World Unborn (unreleased - from spring 1992 demo)
12 Chances Three (unreleased - from spring 1992 demo)
13 Utopia (unreleased - from 1992 demo)

Total running time: 61:54

Video enhancement: What Tomorrow Knows

In Memory CD reissue:

Original EP:

01 Optimist Or Pessimist
02 Matricide
03 In Memory
04 Silent Hedges / Double Dare
05 The Sorrowed Man

Bonus tracks:

06 The Tiananmen Man (demo)
07 The Seven Tongues Of God (demo)
08 Passenger (demo)
09 This Sacrament (demo)
10 42147 (Instrumental - demo)

Total running time: 53:17

The Politics Of Ecstasy CD reissue:

Original album:

01 The Seven Tongues Of God
02 This Sacrament
03 Next in Line
04 Passenger
05 The Politics Of Ecstasy
06 Lost
07 The Tiananmen Man
08 Precognition (instrumental)
09 42147
10 The Learning

Bonus tracks:

11 Love Bites (Judas Priest cover)

Total running time: 67:54

Video Enhancement: Next In Line

All three Cds will feature new artwork and will include extended liner notes.

Vicious Rumors start a war

San Francisco Bay Area metallers Vicious Rumors will release their new album, Warball, in October via Mascot Records.
The CD was recorded at Trident Studios in Pacheco, CA by Geoff Thorpe and Juan J. Orteaga and includes lead-guitar contributions from Brad Gillis (Night Ranger) and Thaen Rassmussen (Anvil Chorus). The group's first CD with new vocalist James Rivera (Helstar, Killing Machine, Seven WIitches) is rumored as "a darker and more aggressive version" of the band's classic Digital Dictator album (1987).
Warball is the first Vicious Rumors album with Geoff Thorpe doing all rhythm and acoustic guitars and most of the solos. "In the past I've always split the guitar duties up with our other guitarist," he said. "As I rebuilt the band, I decided to knock it out myself. I always planned to have some special guests on the record, and it turned out great.
A European tour with Agent Steel will follow in March 2007.

Visions of...Steele!

The 11th Virgin Steele album titled Visions Of Eden - The Lilith Project - A Barbaric Romantic Movie Of The Mind will be released on September 8th 2006 via T&T/Sanctuary.

Tracklist:

01 Immortal I Stand (The Birth Of Adam) 6:33
02 Adorned With The Rising Cobra 9:40
03 The Ineffable Name 7:49
04 Black Light On Black 7:03
05 Bonedust 6:10
06 Angel Of Death 8:37
07 God Above God 7:13
08 The Hidden God 6:51
09 Childslayer 5:22
10 When Dusk Fell 6:57
11 Visions Of Eden 7:16

More infos at: http://www.virgin-steele.com/

The Final Countdown...to Europe DVD

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Final Countdown album & tour, Europe and Warner Bros. will release a new DVD on October 4th, The Final Countdown Tour 1986 - Live In Sweden.
The DVD features 13 track a live gig from Solnahallen in Stockholm 1986.
Remastered in Dolby Digital and restored in widescreen format, it includes interviews with the band made in 2006 plus a gallery with rare and never seen pictures from TFC tour and the band revisiting the Powerplay Studios where they recorded The Final Countdown album.
Plus an added bonus: the only existing unreleased outtake from TFC recording sessions, the instrumental Where Men Won't Dare.
The first 5,000 printed copies, will also include an exclusive 8 page colour booklet, with rare and unseen pictures, plus brand new liner notes by the journalist Anders Tengner.

Platinum Tarja

Ex Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen received a platinum sales award for sales in excess of 10,000 copies of her Christmas single Yhden Enkelin Unelma, which reached the top of the Finnish charts in 2004 and in 2005 too.

Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (1946-2006)

Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett died exactly a month ago, on July 7th, even if his passing was revealed just a couple of weeks later.
So I would just pay homage to the founder of one of the greatest bands ever, Pink Floyd, a group which will always be a cultural landmark in mankind's venture on the ever going road to the unknown.
A silent hero is no longer with us (although he never really "was" with us - it was always us trying to reach him through his magic music).
One thing is for sure: if it weren't for Barrett, music would have never been the same.

Farewell Syd.

Remember when you were young,
You shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Now there's a look in your eyes,
Like black holes in the sky.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
You were caught on the crossfire
Of childhood and stardom,
Blown on the steel breeze.
Come on you target for faraway laughter,
Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!

You reached for the secret too soon,
You cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Threatened by shadows at night,
And exposed in the light.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Well you wore out your welcome
With random precision,
Rode on the steel breeze.
Come on you raver, you seer of visions,
Come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!

[Shine On You Crazy Diamond from Pink Floyd's 1975 Wish You Were Here album]

Another reunion: Spread Eagle

Guitarist Chris Caffery (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) will be joining Spread Eagle on the road beginning on August 18 in Westfield, MA.
Formed in 1989, Spread Eagle burst upon the scene playing a brand of rock that came straight from the NYC gutter. When Paul DiBartolo (guitar), Rob De Luca (bass) and Tommi Gallo (drums) moved to the City and met up with vocalist Ray West, a new attitude was instantly born, while rehearsing/writing in a East Village basement for their first gig, rumors began leaking out to the record industry.
The group was quickly signed by MCA/Universal,and sent into the studio. The self-titled debut featured wailing vocals and razor sharp guitar, demonstrated through songs such as Switchblade Serenade, Scratch Like A Cat, and Broken City. The honesty of Spread Eagle debut release gained the band critical acclaim even if sales were not so big. 4 years later, after the release and touring of their second album, Open To The Public, the group disappeared and went about their own personal projects.
Rob De Luca went on to play with Sebastian Bach, Joan Jett, George Lynch, Of Earth, and Ouijipig.
Ray West has been locked up in a studio in south Florida by way of NYC creating and producing powerful new music.
Paul DiBartolo went on to score music in the motion picture industry.

Check out Spread Eagle online at www.myspace.com/spreadeaglenyc.

Gamma Ray... longest DVD title ever!

Gamma Ray have set Hell Yeah! The Awesome Foursome (And The Finnish Keyboarder Who Didn't Want To Wear His Donald Duck Costume) Live in Montreal as the title of their upcoming DVD, which will feature a multi-camera recording of the band's May 6th, 2006 gig at Medley in Montreal, Quebec as well as lots of bonus features, such as a road movie, a documentary covering the group's history, behind-the-scenes footage, and videos.

Current line-up is:

Kai Hansen - Guitar & vocals
Dirk Schlächter - Bass
Henjo Richter - Guitar & keyboards
Daniel Zimmerman - Drums

...Motorhead's Kiss Of Death

Motörhead returns to the metal fold with a brand new studio album, Kiss Of Death, out on August 29th via Sanctuary Records.
Produced by Cameron Webb, Kiss Of Death continues the Motörhead legacy of fast, hard and incredibly loud music.

Talisman new album

Frontiers Records announces Talisman upcoming studio album 7 that will be released on October 20th.
Talisman' new album was recorded by Swedish bass player and songwriter Marcel Jacob (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen Band) with experienced vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (Soul Sirkus, currently in Journey), drummer Jamie Borger (Treat) plus guitarist Fredrik Akesson (now in Arch Enemy).
The album will be released in Japan by King Records.

Tracklist:

1 Falling
2 Nowhere Fast
3 Rhyme Or Reason
4 End Of The Line
5 The 1 I'm Living 4
6 On My Way
7 Forevermore
8 Succumb 2 My Desire
9 Shed A Tear Goodbye
10 Troubled Water
11 Back 2 The Feeling

'80s Metal Tribute To Van Halen

Deadline/Cleopatra Records has released 80s Metal Tribute To Van Halen, a compilation of Van Halen covers performed by some of the most famous hard rock musicians of the '80s metal era.

Tracklist:

01 Paul Di'Anno (ex Iron Maiden) - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
02 Jack Russell (Great White) & Dweezil Zappa - Unchained
03 Mark Slaughter (Slaughter) & Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, ex Ronnie James Dio Band, Bad Moon Rising, Lion) - I'm The One
04 Jani Lane (ex Warrant) & George Lynch (ex Dokken, Lynch Mob) - Panama
05 Gilby Clarke (ex Kill For Thrills, Guns N' Roses), Fred Coury (Cinderella), Frankie
Wilsey (Sea Hags) & Colby (Hollywood Rose) - Ice Cream Man
06 Fee Waybill (The Tubes) & Brad Gillis (Night Ranger) - Atomic Punk
07 John Corabi (ex The Scream, Motley Crue) & Bruce Kulick (Kiss) - Hot For Teacher
08 Stephen Pearcy (Ratt) & Jake E. Lee (ex Ozzy Osbourne Band, Badlands) - Running With The Devil
09 Joe Lynn Turner (ex Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen Band, Rainbow) & Reb Beach (Winger, Whitesnake, ex Dokken) - Dance The Night Away
10 Enuff Z'Nuff - Yankee Rose
11 Jeff Scott Soto (ex Yngwie Malmsteen Band, Talisman, Soul Sirkus, Journey) & Blues Saraceno (ex Poison) - So This Is Love?
12 Doug Pinnick (King's X), Yngwie Malmsteen & Billy Sheehan (ex Talas, Ufo, David Lee Roth Band, Mr. Big) - Light Up The Sky

TNT on DVD!

MTM MUSIC announces the release of TNT's first DVD, out on September 22nd.
This DVD is a chance to relive a TNT show full of energy.
Live In Madrid is a DVD with an extended audio CD with 82 minutes of TNT live plus booklet liner-notes written by (ex) singer Tony Harnell about his work with TNT as well as an additional tour documentary by Darren Paltrowitz.

DVD and CD tracklist:

01 Invisible Noise
02 As Far As The Eye Can See
03 Downhill Racer
04 A Fix
05 She Needs Me
06 Give Me A Sign
07 Guitar Solo
08 Caught Between The Tigers
09 Listen To Your Heart
10 Black Butterfly
11 Seven Seas
12 Forever Shine On
13 Fantasia Espanola
14 My Religion
15 10,000 Lovers (In One)
16 Intuition

DVD specials interactive animated menus with sound, scene access, bonus material including additional concert videos.

Up the Irons! Maiden are back!

Iron Maiden will release the single The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg on August 14th.
The full lenght A Matter Of Life And Death will be published on August 28th (Europe) and September 5th (USA) via EMI.

Tracklist:

1 Different World (Smith/Harris) 4:17
2 These Colours Don't Run (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 6:52
3 Brighter Than A Thousand Suns (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 8:44
4 The Pilgrim (Gers/Harris) 5:07
5 The Longest Day (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 7:48
6 Out Of The Shadows (Dickinson/Harris) 5:36
7 The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg (Murray/Harris) 7:21
8 For The Greater Good Of God (Harris) 9:24
9 Lord Of Light (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 7:23
10 The Legacy (Gers/Harris) 9:20

SPV signs Whitesnake!

Steamhammer/SPV has announced the signing of Whitesnake.
On November 3rd, 2006 in Germany and on November 6th, 2006 in Europe will be released Whitesnake new double live album, Live ... In The Shadow Of The Blues.
The album will feature lots of the hits from David Coverdale's band, as well as 2 timeless Deep Purple songs like Burn and Stormbringer.
Coverdale fronted Purple between 1973 and 1976, making a significant contribution to numerous highlights during this era.
Live ... In The Shadow Of The Blues will also include 4 previously unreleased tracks in Ready To Rock, If You Want Me (I'll Come Running), All I Want Is You and Dog.
The limited version of the double album will be available in a top-quality digipack, featuring some surprises, among them the bonus track Crying In The Rain, including a drum solo by drummer Tommy Aldridge.
Whitesnake current line-up is completed by 2 guitarists like Doug Aldrich (ex-Lion, Bad Moon Rising, Dio) and Reb Beach (Winger, ex-Dokken), drummer extraordinaire Tommy Aldridge, bass player Uriah Duffy and keyboard player Timothy Drury.

Tracklist:

CD 1:

01 Bad Boys
02 Slide It In
03 Slow An' Easy
04 Love Ain't No Stranger
05 Judgement Day
06 Is This Love
07 Blues For Mylene
08 Snake Dance
09 Crying In The Rain
10 Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City
11 Fool For Your Loving
12 Here I Go Again
13 Still Of The Night

CD 2:

01 Burn - Stormbringer
02 Give Me All Your Love Tonight
03 Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues
04 The Deeper The Love
05 Ready An' Willing
06 Don't Break My Heart Again
07 Take Me With You
08 Ready To Rock (new studio recording)
09 If You Want Me - I'll Come Running (new studio recording)
10 All I Want Is You (new studio recording)
11 Dog (new studio recording)
Bonus track (Limited Edition):
13 Crying In The Rain (extended version with Tommy's drum solo)

Apocalypse now: here's the new Belphegor LP

Austrian death metallers Belphegor will release their new album titled Pestapokalypse VI on October 27th, 2006 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Tracklist:

I Belphegor – Hell's Ambassador
II Seyn Todt In Schwartz
III Angel Of Retribution
IV Chants For The Devil 1533
V Pest Teufel Apokalypse
VI The Ancient Enemy
VII Bluhtsturm Erotika
VIII Sanctus Perversum
IX Das Pesthaus / Miasma Epilog

More infos here: www.belphegor.at

Evanescence will be soon open their door...

Due on October 3rd on Wind-Up Records, The Open Door will follow up 2003's six-million-selling Fallen.
Evanescence has choosed Call Me When You're Sober as the first single from The Open Door. The track can currently be previewed at the Wind-Up web site: Windows Media, Real Media. The video for the song will debut on MTV this Monday, August 7. Catch the clip on MTV2 at 6:00 a.m., 7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m.; then again at 2:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.
Touring plans are yet to be announced.

Tracklist:

01 Sweet Sacrifice
02 Call Me When You're Sober
03. Weight Of The World
04 Lithium
05 Cloud Nine
06 Snow White Queen
07 Lacrymosa
08 Like You
09 Lose Control
10 The Only One
11 Your Star
12 All That I'm Living For
13 Good Enough

More infos here: http://www.evanescence.com/

United Abominations: here's the new Megadeth' opus

United Abominations is the title of the new Megadeth' album that will be released on October 31st by Roadrunner Records.
It was produced by Dave Mustaine and Jeff Balding.
Songtitles rumored to appear on the CD are United Abominations, Washington Is Next and Gears Of War.
In February the group was joined by bassist James Lomenzo (ex-Black Label Society, White Lion) following the split from James MacDonough (ex-Iced Earth).

IV...it's time for Winger' comeback album!

13 years since the release of Pull, Winger are back with a new line-up comprising of Kip Winger (vocals and bass), Reb Beach (guitar), Rod Morgenstein (drums), John Roth (guitar and keyboards) and the new man, Cenk Eroglu (guitar and keyboards).
Winger' new studio album (simply titled IV) will be released by Frontiers Records on October 20th (in Japan will be released by King Records).

Tracklist:

1 Right Up Ahead
2 Blue Suede Shoes
3 Four Leaf Clover
4 M16
5 Your Great Escape
6 Disappear
7 On A Day Like Today
8 Livin' Just To Die
9 Short Flight To Mexico
10 Generica
11 Can't Take It Back

In the followng links you' ll find previews for:

Right Up Ahead
Blue Suede Shoes
Your Great Escape

Flash magazine online: the updates

ATTENTION!!!

On www.flashmagazine.it you' ll find the IRON MAIDEN preview with pics, London report and the first impressions about their new album!!! There will be also other specials regarding BANG YOUR HEAD and EVOLUTION festivals, plus the DEF LEPPARD, MISFITS, BON JOVI and HYDROGYN gigs. More hot stuff is coming!!!

The links:

http://www.flashmagazine.it/anteprima/ironmaiden/anteprima.htm

http://www.flashmagazine.it/anteprima/bangyourhead/speciale.htm

http://www.flashmagazine.it/anteprima/evolutionfest/speciale.htm

http://www.flashmagazine.it/anteprima/livearoundtheworld/speciale.htm