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 ...

---

Due Process, the new label formed by longstanding webzine Aversionline, has announced the release of the complete discography from one of Boston's finest and most revered late-'80s thrash metal acts FORMICIDE. The self-titled CD — mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering — contains 15 tracks spanning 1987 to 1989, totaling nearly an hour's worth of raw, classic old-school thrash.

Criminally short-lived, FORMICIDE's recordings have never been officially released... until now.

"Formicide" track listing (click links for MP3 samples):

01. ...

---

REDEMPTION, the prog-metal band featuring the legendary Ray Alder (FATES WARNING) on vocal, has uploaded a new track called "The Suffering Silence" to their official MySpace page. The tracks comes off the bands upcoming album, The Origins of Ruin, due in early 2007.

Primary songwriter and guitarist/keyboardist Nicolas van Dyk recently commented on the release:

"Well, after an exciting six-week adventure with the German and U.S. postal services, I can at long last confirm that I have the master recordings of 'The Origins of Ruin' in my possession. They sound terr ...

---

Metal Mind Productions will re-release two albums from Texas doom legends SOLITUDE AETURNUS — "Into the Depths of Sorrow" (1991) and "Beyond the Crimson Horizon" (1992) — on November 13. Both titles will be reissued in new digipack editions on golden discs, digitally remastered using the 24-bit process and containing bonus tracks, biography, liner notes by guitarist/mainman John Perez and more. Each title is limited to 2,000 copies.

"Into the depths of Sorrow" reissue track listing:

01. Dawn of Antiquity (a Return to Despair)
02. Opaque Divinity
03. Transcending Sentinels
04. Dream of Immortality

The complete details have been revealed for SENTENCED's upcoming "Buried Alive" DVD, which captures the Finnish band's final performance in their hometown of Oulu, Finland on October 1, 2005. Directed by Mika Ronkainen of Klaffi Productions, the two-disc set features the entire concert, including a special guest appearance by former SENTENCED vocalist Taneli Jarva.

"Buried Alive" DVD (view artwork at this location) track listing:

DVD1:

"The Farewell Performance":

01. Intro
02. Where Waters Fall Frozen
03.

A representative for BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi has confirmed that the highly anticipated and much-rumored reunion of Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward appears to be shaping up and taking a new form. After various promoters have approached the former SABBATH bandmates' respective representatives, the guys have started taking all of this very seriously, as they have aparently wanted to reunite for some time now. It looks as if the new shape may be that of HEAVEN AND HELL — that is the moniker that the band is likely to use on their new venture. If all goes well, HEAVEN AND HELL should be hitting the road in early 2007.

In ...

---

The U.S. release date of the new CHILDREN OF BODOM DVD, "Chaos Ridden Years - Stockholm Knockout Live", has been pushed back to December 5. The audio CD version of the release arrives in stores today (Tuesday, October 24).

As previously reported ,a "Media Plyer" for "Chaos Ridden Years - Stockholm Knockout Live" has been launched at this location.

The "Chaos Ridden Years – Stockholm Knockout Live" DVD is estimated to contain over three hours of non-stop COB action, including a live concert, videos, and a rare documentary on the band from past to present.

Directe ...

---

Nuclear Blast Records will re-release KATAKLYSM's latest album, "In the Arms of Devastation", in North America to coincide with the extensive U.S. touring plans the band has going for 2007. The album is to be reissued in January 2007 with new packaging and will contain the "The End of Serenity: Live in Strassbourg" DVD, which was filmed during the "Serenity in Fire" campaign in France. The CD will also contain all of the band's video clips and will be limited to 5,000 copies.

As previously reported, KATAKLYSM will team up with NEAERA (Germany), FEAR MY THOUGHTS (Germany) and QUO VADIS (Canada) for the "Road to Devas ...

---

Legendary Swedish doomsters CANDLEMASS have posted the following message on their official web site:

"You have heard the rumours and it is with a heavy heart we must make this official. The band have tried to solve the situation several times, but Messiah cannot be persuaded to sing on the new album. His attitude and demands are way too unreasonable. I'm very sorry about this, not surprised though.

"We have all been very disappointed with Messiah's behaviour during the previous years reunion, especially with his childish and undemocratic way to 'discuss' matters before the may recording at Polar in Stockholm. It's not cool when one person refuses to ...

---

Swedish "gothic metallers" BESEECH have announced their decision to split up. The group has issued the following statement on the matter:

"All of us in the band have come to the sad conclusion to put BESEECH to rest for good. The decision has not been easy because this has been a really big part of our personal lives for many years. We have met so many great people through the music and really loved what we have done. We are proud of the work that we have achieved.

"However we cannot hide from the fact that we have grown apart from each other as persons and we have different views of how we want BESEECH to work as a band. This has taken away all the inspira ...

---