Random scraps of metal news...

• Cradle Of Filth have parted ways with drummer Adrian Erlandsson. No replacement has been announced.



• Moonspell won for Best Portuguese Act at the 13th annual MTV Europe Music Awards, which was held on Nov. 2 in Copenhagen, Denmark.



• Twisted Tower Dire have named Viper vocalist Johnny Aune as replacement for recently departed vocalist Tony Taylor—who is now singing for German metallers Custard. Twisted Tower Dire's new album, Netherworlds, will be released on Feb. 23, 2007 through Remedy Records.



• Shadows Fall name their upcomin ...

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After numerous delays, the release date for Íon's debut album Madre, Protégenos has finally been announced. The album will be out on the 27th November 2006 via Equilibrium Music in a luxurious digipak CD, and cab be pre-ordered from the Discography section of the band's website.

Íon is a new minimalist, ambient project from Duncan Patterson (ex-Antimatter, ex-Anathema).

A recent press release reads as follows:

One can arguably class Íon as Patterson's most personal creation t ...

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Nuclear Blast Records has set a February 6, 2007 North American release date for the new THERION album, entitled "Gothic Kabbalah". The CD was recorded and mixed in Stockholm by Stefan Glaumann (RAMMSTEIN, EVERGREY, EUROPE) and features Swedish multi-instrumentalist Snowy Shaw (MERCYFUL FATE, KING DIAMOND, DREAM EVIL) sharing the vocal duties with Mats Levén (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, KRUX, AT VANCE) and two female singers — Katarina Lilja on solo and choral vocals; and Hannah Holgersson on solo, choral, and soprano vocals.

"Gothic Kabbalah" (view artwork at

MEGADETH was featured in the MTV special "Gears of War: The Race to Launch" dedicated to the most-anticipated Xbox 360 game of 2006, Gears of War. The band performed its song "Gears of War" (from the upcoming "United Abominations" album) at a release party for the game, which took place at at Six Flags in Springfield, Massachusetts.

You can see MEGADETH play the game, discuss it, and hear clips of the song, in this video posted at YouTube.com.

As previously reported, Dave Mustaine will host this weekend's special edition of "Headbanger's Ba ...

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A new HIRAX track, entitlted "Lucifer's Inferno", is available for download at thius location. "Lucifer's Inferno" and "City of the Dead" are slated to appear on the compilation "Speed Kills Again", to be released on Heavy Artillery, a subsidiary of Punk Core Records. Three other tracks, "Summon the Death Dealers", "Assassins of War", and "Invasion", will tentatively be released on limited edition vinyl through Black Devil Records. The compilation will also feature two songs each from MERCILESS DEATH, WARBRINGER ...

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RHAPSODY OF FIRE guitarist Luca Turilli has issued the following update:

"I just came back from Wolfsburg where I ended the first part of the production for the second DREAMQUEST album (please check www.dreamquest.eu for more details). During that time I had also the possibility to plan the production of my fourth solo album. I can already tell you that the next album will be the solo album I always dreamed of. Olaf Hayer will be the absolute hero of the fourth release. I always thought his voice sounds very similiar to the one of Michael Kiske (please check our cover of 'I'm Alive' if you have some doubts!). And I will never deny that thanks ...

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"Extreme Metal", the heavy metal video program which aired on the Italian satellite music channel Rock TV, has been officially shut down. The host of the show, ANCIENT/FAUST guitarist Aleister, was dismissed from Rock TV after a musician that made a guest appearance on "Extreme Metal" professed his belief in Satanism while responding to a text message sent in by one of the home viewers. The text message read: "I would like to ask you if the various occult symbols you use have a true meaning for you or you do it just for show." The response by the guest in question was: "It isn't for show — we believe in it, and I feel that the beliefs of pe ...

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Punk bands NICOTINE (Japan) and SUN EATS HOURS (Italy) have teamed up to record a split album, "Metal Addiction", featuring covers of heavy metal classics.

Due on November 15, "Metal Addiction" (cover) will contain the following track listing:

01. It's My Life (BON JOVI) - NICOTINE
02. I Was Made For Loving You (KISS) - NICOTINE
03. Future World (HELLOWEEN) - NICOTINE
04. I Remember You (SKID ROW) - NICOTINE
05. Valhalla (BLIND GUARDIAN) - NICOTINE
06. The Final Countdown (EUROPE) - NICOTINE
07. Rain ( ...

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FINNTROLL is currently putting the finishing touches to its fifth, as-yet-untitled album, at Sonic Pump studios in Helsinki for a tentative March 2007 release via Spinefarm. This will be the group's first release with new vocalist Mathias Lillmåns (a.k.a. Vreth; TWILIGHT MOON) following the departure of Tapio Wilska (SETHIAN, ex-WIZZARD, former session vocalist for NIGHTWISH) this past spring. Lillmåns is reportedly 24 years old, and like FINNTROLL's original vocalist, Katla Mathias, is Fenno-Swedish, with Swedish as his mother tongue.

FINNTROLL parted ways with Wilska in January ...

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Please join us in welcoming Ross as the latest addition to the MetalReviews.com staff. With much experience under his belt in terms of reviewing, Ross is eager to get started. We hope that he enjoys writing for MetalReviews.com!

The MetalReviews.com Staff
In Metal We Trust!

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