Masterplan in Rebellious Spirit sta novi potrjeni skupini za festival Bang Your Head. /P.G./

Masterplan bodo 26. aprila izdali novi album z naslovom Novum Initium. Gre za prvi izdelek, od kar sta se bandu pridružila vokalist Rick Altzi (At Vance, Herman Frank, ...) in basist Jari Kainulainen (ex Stratovarius). /P.G./

Masterplan sta zapustila pevec Jørn Lande in basist Jan-Sören Eckert. Band je že našel zamenjavi - Novi vokalist je Rick Altzi (At Vance, Herman Frank, ...), basist pa Jari Kainulainen (ex Stratovarius). /P.G./

Kreator, Heaven Shall Burn, Masterplan, Amaranthe, Eric Fish in Blaas Of Glory so nove potrjene skupine za festival Full Metal Cruise. /P.G./

Sylencer pod vodstvom kitarista/vokalista Markusa Johanssona so na svojem Bandcamp profilu v celoti objavili novi album z naslovom A Lethal Dose Of Truth. Na albumu gostujejo tudi Steve DiGiorgio (Sadus, ex-Death, ex-Testament), Sean Reinert (Cynic, ex-Death), Steve Smyth (Forbidden, Testament, Nevermore), Roland Grapow (Helloween, Masterplan) in številni drugi. /B.B./

Češki melodični metalci Sebastien predstavljajo videospot za skladbo Dorian, v kateri gostujeta tudi vokalist Fabio Lione (Rhapsody Of Fire, Vision Divine) in kitarist Roland Grapow (Masterplan, ex-Helloween). Skladba se nahaja na njihovem prvencu Tears Of White Roses, ki je pri založbi Escape Music izšel leta 2010. /B.B./

Masterplan bodo prihodnji teden začeli snemanje novega albuma, ki bo izšel marca prihodnje leto. Tokrat prvič za bobni sedi Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka (Cradle Of Filth). /P.G./

Projekt vokalista/kitarista Markusa Johanssona z imenom Sylencer bo 4. septembra pri lastni založbi Sylencer Records izdal novi album A Lethal Dose Of Truth. Na prihajajočem albumu skupine, v kateri sodeluje tudi bobnar Kevin Talley (Six Feet Under, ex-Chimaira), gostujejo naslednja eminentna glasbena imena:
Michael Angelo Batio – solo kitara (MAB, Nitro)
Metal Mike Chlasciak – solo kitara (Rob Halford, Sebastian Bach)
Steve DiGiorgio – bas (Sadus, Death, Testament, Iced Earth)
Roland Grapow – solo kitara (Helloween, Masterplan)
The Heathen – vokal (Zimmers Hole)
Christian Lasegue – solo kitara (Jag Panzer)
Marco Minnemann – bobni (Necrophagist, Paul Gilbert, Kreator)
Sean Reinert – bobni (Cynic, Death)
Steve Smyth – solo kitara (Forbidden, Testament, Nevermore)
Larry Tarnowski – solo kitara (Iced Earth)
Emil Werstler – solo kitara (Daath, Chimaira, Levi/Werstler)
/B.B./

Jørn pod vodstvom vokalista Jørna Landea (Masterplan) so objavili videospot za skladbo Live And Let Fly, bonus track z najnovejšega albuma Bring Heavy Rock To The Land, ki je v začetku tega meseca izšel pri Frontiers Records. /B.B./

Jorn Lande bo 1. junija pri Frontiers Records izdal novi album s pomenjivim naslovom Bring Heavy Rock To The Land. Kot je pri njem že v navadi, poleg avtorskega materiala ponuja zanimive priredbe in je tokrat predelal skladbi Time To Be King (Masterplan) in Ride Like The Wind (Christopher Cross). Tracklista je sledeča:
My Road
Bring Heavy Rock To The Land
A Thousand Cuts
Ride Like The Wind
Chains Around You
The World I See
Time To Be King
Ride To The Guns
Black Morning
I Came To Rock
Live And Let Fly (bonus track)
/B.B./

Avstralci Empires Of Eden bodo junija izdali album z naslovom Channelling The Infinite, na katerem bodo sodelovali številni znani vokalisti: Udo Dirkschneider (ex Accept, U.D.O.), Rob Rock (Impellitteri, Driver), Steve Grimmett (Grim Reaper, Lionsheart, ex Onslaught), Mike Dimeo (ex Masterplan, ex Riot), Sean Peck (Cage), Carlos Zema (Outworld, Vougan), Ronny Munroe (TSO, ex Metal Church), Alessandro Del Vecchio (Edge Of Forever), Danny Cecati (Eyefear, ex Pegazus), Louie Gorgievski (Crimsonfire) in Vo Simpson (Darker Half). /P.G./

Francozi Darktribe so podpisali za Massacre Records, kjer bodo 24. avgusta izdali prvenec z naslovom Mysticeti Victoria. Za miks in mastering albuma sta poskrbela Mikko Karmila (Nightwish, Masterplan) in Mika Jussila (Sonata Arctica, Amorphis). /B.B./

Black Majesty bodo maja pri založbi Limb Music izdali album z naslovom Stargazer. Za miks bo poskrbel Roland Grapow (Masterplan, ex Helloween). /P.G./

Založba AFM Records praznuje letos svojo 15. obletnico, ki jo bodo obeležili s trojno kompilacijo ter festivalom 26. novembra v Hamburgu, kjer bodo nastopili U.D.O., Voodoo Circle, Orden Ogan, Kissin' Dynamite, Dark Age, The New Black, Lake Of Tears, A Life [Divided], Mob Rules, Byfrost, XStahlmann, Buried In Black, Black Messiah, Crystal Viper in posebni gostje. Kompilacija izide 28. oktobra, vsi obiskovalci festivala pa jo bodo prejeli brezplačno. Tracklista je sledeča:

Disk 1:
U.D.O. - 24/7
Avantasia - Avantasia [single version]
Dragonland - The Black Mare [edit]
Iron Mask - Broken Hero
Masterplan - Soulburn
Brainstorm - Temple Of Stone
Morton - Brotherhood Of Light
Iron Savior - Heavy Metal Never Dies
Circle II Circle - Watching In Silence
Crystal Viper - Night Of The Sin
Oz - Dominator
At Vance - The Evil In You
Jon Oliva's Pain - The Evil Beside You
Sinner - Back On Trail
Mob Rules - Astral Hand [edit]
Heavenly - Lost In Your Eyes
Bloodbound - Drop The Bomb
Squealer - My Last Goodbye

Disk 2:
Doro feat. Biff/Saxon - Celebrate
Voodoo Circle - No Solution Blues
Edguy - Vain Glory Opera
Eden's Curse - Trinity
The New Black - Batteries & Rust
A Life Divided - Heart On Fire
Dark Age - Devote Yourself To Nothing
Epysode - Obsessions
Stahlmann - Stahlwittchen [single version]
Lyriel - The Regret
Danzig - On A Wicked Night
Orden Ogan - Farewell
Elvenking - The Divided Heart
Shakra - B True B You
Triosphere - Human Condition
Magica - Hold On Tight
Theatre Of Tragedy - Storm
Eisbrecher - Böse Mädchen

Disk 3:
Onslaught - Godhead
Solution .45 - Bladed Vaults
Fear Factory - Powershifter
Ektomorf - Redemption
Tankard - Rectifier
Black Messiah - The Vanir Tribe
Suidakra - Dowth 2059
Debauchery - Zombie Blitzkrieg
Byfrost - Buried Alive
Korzus - Raise Your Soul
Lake Of Tears - Midnight Madness
Rev 16:8 - Ashlands
Destruction - Soul Collector
Paradox - Collision Course
Ill Niño - God Is For The Dead
Betzefer - Bestseller
Athorn - Angel Of The Fall
Buried In Black - The Bait
/B.B./

Evergrey bodo 22. novembra pri SPV/Steamhammer izdali dvojno kolekcijo največjih uspešnic z naslovom A Decade And A Half, ki vsebuje tudi do sedaj še neobjavljeni skladbi in live posnetke. Tracklista je sledeča:

CD 1
The Masterplan (In Search Of Truth)
Blackened Dawn (Live) (A Night To Remember)
Rulers Of The Mind (In Search Of Truth)
A Touch Of Blessing (The Inner Circle)
Frozen (Glorious Colission)
For Every Tear That Falls (Live) (A Night To Remember)
More Than Ever (The Inner Circle)
Blinded (Recreation Day)
Faith Restored (The Inner Circle)
These Scars (Torn)
Broken Wings (Torn)
Words Mean Nothing (Solitude, Dominance & Tragedy)
Wrong (unplugged live) (do sedaj še neizdana skladba)

CD 2
The Great Deceiver (Recreation Day)
Monday Morning Apocalypse (Monday Morning Apocalypse)
Wrong (Glorious Collision)
Waking Up Blind (Live) (A Night To Remember)
Solitude Within (Solitude, Dominance & Tragedy)
Recreation Day (Recreation Day)
Still In The Water (Monday Morning Apocalypse)
Leave It Behind Us (Glorious Collision)
Fear (Torn)
When The Walls Go Down (Live) (A Night To Remember)
Frozen (unplugged live) (do sedaj še neizdana skladba)
/B.B./