Death metalci iz Pennsylvanie Divine Rapture so podpisali s francosko založbo Listenable Records, kjer bodo septembra/oktobra izdali nov album The Burning Passion.

Ta teden so izšli naslednji albumi: EDGUY: Burning Down The Opera, M.O.D.: The Rebel You Love To Hate, UNDERTOW: 34CE in CATAMENIA: Chaos Born. /M.P./

Mysteria je delovni naslov naslednjega Edguy studijskega albuma, ki je napovedan za začetek 2004. Poleg tipičnega Edguy materiala bomo lahko na njem prvić slišali orkester. Pri snemanju bodo namreč sodelovali s 70 članskim Babelsberger Filmorchestera, največjim nemškim filmskim orkestrom, ki je v preteklosti že sodeloval z raznimi bandi, med drugim tudi z The Scorpions. Drugače Edguy čez dober teden izdajajo svoj prvi koncertni album Burning Down The Opera. /M.P./

Ponovno združeni finski speed/thrash metalci National Napalm Syndicate so končali z delom za promo CD, ki jim bo morda prinesel pogodbo z založbo. Trenutno zasedbo sestavljata originalna kitarista Markku Jokikokko in Jukka Kyrö (Burning Point), vokalist Altti Veteläinen (ex- Eternal Tears Of Sorrow, For My Pain), basist Tero nevala (Catamenia, Dorotha) in bobnar Jari Kaiponen (Burning Point). /A.J./

Noise Records ob 20. obletnici založbe pripravljajo obsežno kompilacijo 20 Years In Noise: 1983-2003. Na njej bo 2 krat po 20 skladb njihove bogate zgodovine: CD1: Gamma Ray: Short As Hell, Kamelot: Forever, Dragonforce: Heart Of A Dragon, Helloween: Heavy Metal Is The Law, Running Wild: Under Jolly Roger, Iron Savior: Iron Savior, Seven Witches: Mental Messiah, Conception: Water Confines, Rage: Her Diary's Black Pages, Skyclad: A Minutes Piece, Watchtower: Hidden Instincts, Sinner: Danger Zone, Grave Digger: Heavy Metal Breakdown, Tankard: Zombie Attack, Pissing Razors: Regret, Kreator: Pleasure To Kill, Voivod: Ravenous Medicine, Hellhammer: Massacra, Celtic Frost: The Usurper, Coroner: Reborn Through Hate. CD2: Mezarkabul: Take My Time, Lefay: Save Our Souls, Tyran Pace: Hot To Rock, Scanner: Warp 7, Mind Odyssey: Fire In The Sky, Helicon: Black & White, Exciter: Cold Blooded Murder, Vendetta: Metal Law, Stigmata: Greed Machine, Dave Sharman: Pandora's Box, Mindset: If The Devil Wore Adidas, Fleischmann: Fleischwolf, Tura Satana: Kiss Or Kill, Mordred: Everyday's A Holiday, D.A.M.: Terror Squad, Deathrow: N.L.Y.H., Secrecy: Like Burning One's Boat, Messiah: Lycantropus Erectus, Mania: The Expulsion, Lemming Project: Rejection. /M.P./

Edguy so prestavili izid koncertnega albuma Burning Down The Opera na 2. junij. Drugače pa je band že začel s predprodukcijo za naslednji studijski album, ki izide v začetku 2004. /M.P./

Ta teden so izšli naslednji albumi: DARKTHRONE: Hate Them, RACER X: Getting Heavier, LULLACRY: Crucify My Heart, CARPATHIAN FOREST: Defending The Throne Of Evil, RAWHEAD REXX: Diary In Black, THE LORD WEIRD SLOUGH FEG: Traveller in BURNING POINT: Feeding The Flames.

Edguy so razkrili naslov in izid dvojnega koncertnega albuma. Burning Down The Opera izide 26. maja. /M.P./

Znana je track lista novega Entombed albuma Inferno, ki izide 13. maja: Retaliation, The Fix Is In, Descent Into Inferno, Incinerator, Night For Day, Nobodaddy, Young & Dead, Children Of The Underworld, Public Burning, Skeleton Of Steel, Flexing Muscles, That's When I Became A Satanist. /M.P./

Začetniki speed/thrash metala na Finskem National Napalm Syndicate, ki so leta 1989 izdali istoimenski prvenec, so se reformirali. Poleg originalnih kitaristov J. Kyröja in M. Jokikokka so sedaj v bandu še vokalist Altti Veteläinen (ex- Eternal Tears Of Sorrow), basist Tero (Dorotha) in J. Kaiponen (Burning Point). /M.P./

Ta teden so izšli naslednji albumi: STRATOVARIUS: Elements Part I, SHADOWS FALL: The Art Of Balance, ARENA: Contagion, PORCUPINE TREE: In Absentia, EDENBRIDGE: Aphelion, SUPARED: Supared, GILBERT PAUL: Burning Organ, HELLION: Wil Not Go Quickly, SEVENTH AVENUE: Between The Worlds in CALIBAN: Shadow Hearts in single ANTHRAX: Safe Home.

Znana je track lista novega Cradle Of Filth albuma Damnation And A Day, ki izide 10. marca: A Bruise Upon The Silent Moon, The Promise Of Fever, Hurt And Virtue, An Enemy Led The Tempest, Damned In Any Language ( A Plague On Words), Better To Reign In Hell, Serpent Tongue, Carrion, The Mordant Liquor Of Tears, Presents From The Poison-Hearted, Doberman Pharaoh, Babalon A.D. (So Glad For The Madness), A Scarlet Witch Lit The Season, Mannequin, Thank God For The Suffering, The Smoke Of Her Burning, End Of Daze. 24. februarja bodo Britanci izdali prvi single Babalon A.D. (So Glad For The Madness), zanj pa so že posneli video spot. Posvečen je 12 Days Of Sodom Marquisa De Sadea. /M.P./

Virgin Steele so 21. decembra odigrali triurni koncert v Long Islandu in ga posneli za live CD/DVD. Set lista koncerta je bila sledeča: Invictus, Life Among The Ruins, Voice As Weapon, Conjuration Of The Watcher, From Chaos To Creation, Twilight Of The Gods, God Of Our Sorrows, Vow Of Honour/Defiance, Dust From The Burning, A Token Of My Hatred, Vox Intro / Crown Of Glory, When The Legends Die, Thy Kingdom Come-Intro, Guitar Solo / Vox Solo Burning Sword!!!, Great Sword Of Flame, A Symphony Of Steele, The Wine Of Violence, In Triumph Or Tragedy, Return Of The King, Flames Of Thy Power, Drum Solo, I Will Come For You, Kingdom Of The Fearless, dodatek: A Cry In The Night/Don't Close Your Eyes (akustična verzija), Marriage Theme/Veni Vidi, Vici, Noble Savage, The Burning Of Rome (Cry For Pompeii). /M.P./

Machine Head so se odločili, da bo naslov koncertnega albuma, ki izide v začetku prihodnjega leta, Hellalive. Njegova track lista je sledeča: Bulldozer, The Blood The Sweat The Tears, Ten Ton Hammer, Old, Crashing Around You, Take My Scars, I'm Your God Now, None But My Own, From This Day, American High, Nothing Left, The Burning Red, Davidian, Supercharger. /M.P./

18. decembra na Japonskem izide nov Racer X album Getting Heavier z naslednjo track listo: Dr. X, Lucifer's Hammer, Golden God, Bucket Of Rocks, Go-Gg-Go, Heaven In, Everything's Everything, Empty Man, The Siren's Eye, Ghost Dance, Endless, Catapult To Extinction. V Evropi bo album izšel 24. februarja. Mesec dni pred tem pa bo njihov kitarist Paul Gilbert izdal solo album Burning Organ. /M.P./