Finnish melodic power metallers THUNDERSTONE have been confirmed for the Sauna Open Air festival in Tampere, Finland on Friday, June 11. Also set to appear at the event are NIGHTWISH, CHILDREN OF BODOM and DIABLO. Sauna Open Air is being organized by Partysan Productions, who have previously arranged gigs for acts like H.I.M., STRATOVARIUS, ENTOMBED, ...
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The March 2004 issue of Guitar World magazine includes a list of the 100 greatest heavy metal guitarists as selected by the magazine's staff. "This is not a list that ranks who can play the fastest or with the most taste, feeling or technique (although many players on our list have all of those arrows ...
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STRATOVARIUS leader Timo Tolkki spoke to Finnish journalist Timo Isoaho of Sonera Plaza Kaista Thursday (January 22) about the group's recent lineup changes and the band's upcoming CD. The following are some of the highlights of that interview: On the departures of singer Timo Kotipelto and drummer Jörg Michael: Timo Tolkki: "Everyone seems ...
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Drummer Anders Johansson (HAMMERFALL) has officially left STRATOVARIUS less than a week after joining the group. The following is STRATOVARIUS' leader Timo Tolkki's statement regarding the Anders' departure: "[Anders] gave me a call and said that he doesn't want to join the band permanently and that he is happy to be in HAMMERFALL playing True ...
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EDGUY's video for the brand-new track "King of Fools" has been posted online in Real Media format at this location. "King of Fools" is the title cut of EDGUY's new EP, due on February 2 through Nuclear Blast Records. In addition to "King of Fools", the five-song effort will contain a 15-minute "making ...
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STRATOVARIUS leader Timo Tolkki will be a guest on the Finnish talk show "Harakanpesä" this Friday, January 23 at 10:05 p.m. local time. The show will be broadcasted on Finland's TV2 channel. In other news, due to a "very hostile reaction" towards the new STRATOVARIUS vocalist Miss K (a.k.a. Katriina Wiiala), she has decided not ...
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The cover artwork for EDGUY's upcoming album, "Hellfire Club", has been posted online at this location. As previously reported, "Hellfire Club", is due on March 15 through Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2001's "Mandrake" was produced by EDGUY and Norman Meiritz, with additional assistance from Sascha Paeth (RHAPSODY, ANGRA), who was responsible ...
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A brand-new interview with STRATOVARIUS members Timo Tolkki (guitars), Jari Kainulainen (bass), and the group's latest addition, vocalist "Miss K" (a.k.a. Katriina Wiiala), has been posted online at the band's official web site. The following are a few select excerpts from that interview: Question: The new line up was announced on Thursday (Jan 15). It's ...
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A live video recording of EDGUY's "secret" gig at Cologne's Underground club on January 21 will be broadcast on the WDR "Rockaplast" show the night of March 21/22 at 1:00 a.m. CET. As previously reported, tickets for the show will be strictly limited as the club has only a capacity of a maximum of less ...
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STRATOVARIUS' brand-new vocalist Katriina Wiiala (a.k.a. "Miss K") spent the last four years fronting a "melodic hard rock" band called AURORA K, with whom she performed a number of gigs in addition to recording a two-song single, titled "11th Hour". According to Katriina's official biography (posted on AURORA K's web site), the singer ...
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Finland's STRATOVARIUS have announced the addition of a new singer and drummer to the group's ranks. The following is the band's official statement on the matter: "New vocalist for STRATOVARIUS is called 'Miss K' (photos). "The vocal talents of this sultry Finnish lady vary from raunchy rock to classical operatic. Her voice range ...
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LACUNA COIL and ANCIENT are the final bands confirmed for the Piorno Rock Festival 2004, which is set to take place on Saturday, February 28 in Pinos Puentes (Granada), Spain. The complete list of artists scheduled to appear at the event is as follows: AMON AMARTH ANCIENT AXXIS BATTELORE CAGE CALLENISH CIRCLE CONTHRA DARK FUNERAL ...
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Swedish black metallers DARK FUNERAL have set "De Profundis Clamavi Ad Te Domine" as the title of their upcoming live album, due on March 29 through Regain Records. The CD, which was recorded on the band's 2003 South American tour, will contain the following track listing: 01. Intro 02. The Arrival Of Satan's Empire 03. ...
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IN EXTREMO are the latest act confirmed for this year's Rock Hard Festival, a two-day event set to take place May 29-30, 2004 at Amphitheater in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Other bands currently scheduled to appear are STRATOVARIUS, LACUNA COIL, RAGE, DOOMSWORD, DESASTER and DEAD SOUL TRIBE. Tickets to the festival cost 50 euros (including one parking ...
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Finnish goth-metallers ENTWINE have set "DiEversity" as the title of their new album, due in Finland on March 1 through Spinefarm Records (Century Media in the rest of Europe and the U.S.).. The follow-up to 2002's "Time Of Despair" was recorded at Astia Studios in Lappeenranta, Finland with producer Anssi Kippo (CHILDREN OF BODOM, SINERGY, ...
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Finland's IMPALED NAZARENE have posted a live video clip of the track "Nyrkillä Tapettava Huora" from the group's January 9 show at Nosturi in Helsinki at this location (.avi format, approx. 22 MB). IMPALED NAZARENE's most recent CD, "All That You Fear", which was issued in Europe in November through Osmose Productions, will ...
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Former STRATOVARIUS singer Timo Kotipelto has completed work on his second solo album, tentatively due in the spring through Century Media Records. The as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2002's "Waiting For The Dawn" (issued under the KOTIPELTO banner) reportedly features "more or less the same" recording lineup as that on the debut, which featured contributions from Mike ...
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A "secret" EDGUY show has been announced for January 21 or 22 in Cologne, Germany. The exact date of the show is expected to be announced later today at the group's official web site. EDGUY are going to play an exclusive "secret" show in Cologne's mini-club Underground that will be video-taped for the German music ...
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Italian goth-metallers LACUNA COIL are the latest act confirmed for this year's Rock Hard Festival, a two-day event set to take place May 29-30, 2004 at Amphitheater in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Other bands currently scheduled to appear are STRATOVARIUS, RAGE, DOOMSWORD, DESASTER and DEAD SOUL TRIBE. Tickets to the festival cost 50 euros (including one parking ...
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Nuclear Blast Records USA will be releasing the "Monsters Of Metal Vol. 1" DVD on January 27. Described as the "ultimate metal DVD compilation," the two-disc set will contain the following track listing: DVD 1: 01. MANOWAR - "Warriors Of The World United" 02. HAMMERFALL - "Hearts On Fire" 03. HELLOWEEN - "Just A Little ...
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IN FLAMES guitarist Jesper Strömblad and bassist Peter Iwers will make a rare appearance as metal DJs this Saturday (January 10) at the well-known metal club Metallterrassen in Gothenburg, Sweden. The club has previously hosted as DJs members from such bands as HAMMERFALL, STRATOVARIUS, THE HAUNTED, ENTOMBED, EVERGREY, DARK TRANQUILLITY and TIAMAT. IN FLAMES will ...
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According to the STRATOVARIUS fan site www.truemetal.org/stratovarius, "Klaus Flaming, the host of the weekly Finnish metal radio show 'Metalliliitto' had a brief chat with [STRATOVARIUS mainman] Timo Tolkki at the afterparty of Sirkkelirock, the Finnish metal awards [on Saturday, January 3]. [During the conversation] Timo mentioned that the new [STRATOVARIUS] vocalist is a ...
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Italian epic doom metallers DOOMSWORD are the latest act confirmed for this year's Rock Hard Festival, a two-day event set to take place May 29-30, 2004 at Amphitheater in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Also set to appear are STRATOVARIUS, RAGE, DESASTER and DEAD SOUL TRIBE, among others. Tickets to the festival, which will mark STRATOVARIUS' only German ...
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IMPALED NAZARENE and DARKWOODS MY BETROTHED have been confirmed for the next installment of the Tuska festival, which will take place July 16-18, 2004 in Helsinki, Finland. Also scheduled to appear at the festival are DARK TRANQUILLITY. More confirmations will be announced soon. Tuska 2003 took place July 11-13, 2003 in the Kaisaniemi park in ...
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Former STRATOVARIUS drummer Jörg Michael and current HELLOWEEN skinsman Stefan Schwarzmann have recorded guest appearances for the solo project of FEUERENGEL frontman Boris, dubbed DER BOTE. The band's debut album, which has yet to be officially released, features Jörg on six songs ("Intro", "Einsam", "Todgeweiht", "Vorbei", "Kalt" and "2003") and Stefan on three ("Ich Bin ...
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SODOM are the latest act confirmed for the Gods of Metal Festival, scheduled to take place June 5-6 at l'Arena Parco Nord in Bologna, Italy. ALICE COOPER will top the bill on Sunday, June 6, while JUDAS PRIEST will headline the event on Saturday, June 5 — the same day that Finland's STRATOVARIUS are scheduled ...
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Former HELLOWEEN singer Michael Kiske has been composing new material over the course of the last few weeks and has already completed pre-production versions of six new songs, according to his latest newsletter. Says Michael: "I am very optimistic because I really think that those songs are my best material so far. What I succeeded ...
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STRATOVARIUS guitarist/mainman Timo Tolkki has posted the following message on the band's official web site: "I just got back from IRON MAIDEN concert in Helsinki and I must tell you that it was really, really cool gig. It felt good to see that MAIDEN still rules. "I just heard their new record for the first ...
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ALICE COOPER, TWISTED SISTER, TESTAMENT, SYMPHONY X, NEVERMORE, W.A.S.P., and MOTÖRHEAD are the latest additions to the Gods of Metal Festival, scheduled to take place June 5-6 at l'Arena Parco Nord in Bologna, Italy. ALICE COOPER will top the bill on Sunday, June 6. As previously reported, JUDAS PRIEST will headline the event on Saturday, ...
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STRATOVARIUS, RAGE, DESASTER and DEAD SOUL TRIBE are the first four bands confirmed for next year's Rock Hard Festival, a two-day event set to take place May 29-30, 2004 at Amphitheater in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Tickets to the festival, which will mark STRATOVARIUS' only German festival appearance of 2004, will cost 50 euros (including one parking ...
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