PRETTY MAIDS has picked Motherland as the title for its next album, which is due in the spring through Frontiers Records. The album is being produced by Jacob Hansen.

ANVIL has picked Hope In Hell as the title for its next album, which is due in the spring. The album features bassist Sal Italiano who replaced Glenn Gyorffy (a.k.a. Glenn Five) in January.

Danish doom metal band SATURNUS will release Saturn In Ascension on November 30th through Cyclone Empire.

Doom band EARTHEN GRAVE has lost drummer Scott Davidson.

PINK CREAM 69 is in the studio recording its next album, Ceremonial, for an early 2013 release through Frontiers Records.

GUNS N' ROSES will make its first live appearance in Jakarta, Indonesia on December 15th at the Lapangan D Senayan. This will be the band's only one show in southeast Asia.

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN has picked Spell Bound as the title for his new album, tentatively due in December 2012. He is also working on his autobiography, Relentless. Ripper Owens is out as the band’s singer.

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell was forced to cancel his band's concerts in Florida in October after he ostensibly came down with "an intestinal infection and had to (be) placed on IV and antibiotics."

KISS’ Monster has landed at position #3 in the US charts.

Danish band ANUBIS GATE has parted ways with guitarist Jesper M. Jensen and replaced him with Michael Bodin (THIRD EYE and NORTHERN EMPIRE).

It only took three years to be inspired by KEEL: METAL CHURCH, with Ronny Munroe on vocals, Kurdt Vanderhoof and Jay Reynolds on guitars, Steve Unger on bass, and Jeff Plate on drums, is back and will play onboard 70000 Tons Of Metal in January. For one of their two shows on board, they will play their debut album, "Metal Church", in its entirety.

EMI has set an October 8th release date for the 40th-anniversary edition of DEEP PURPLE's 1972 album, Machine Head. This five-disc edition will contain an illustrated 60-page hardback booklet in a box.

This time a label is inspired by KEEL? RAVEN LORD has signed a two-album deal with Mausoleum Records. The group’s debut album, Descent To The Underworld, is scheduled for a release on January 25th.

Finnish band CHILDREN OF BODOM has signed a Japanese record deal with Marquee Inc. The label will release the band's next album in the summer of 2013.

Chicago’s doom metal act EARTHEN GRAVE has parted ways with drummer Scott Davidson. The man will continue with his show on Chicago's Rebel Radio and the SABBATH/DIO tribute band HEAVEN & HELL CHICAGO.

TWINTERA’s upcoming debut album, Lines, which is scheduled for release on November 16th on logic(il)logic Records, features EVERGREY's guitarist and singer Tom S. Englund as a special guest vocalist on the song Oversight.

Metal Mind Productions will release debut album by the Polish metal band HELLECTRICITY. It is called Salem Blood.

Swedish heavy metal band HAMMERFALL will release a concert DVD/2CD package called, Gates Of Dalhalla, on November 30th through Nuclear Blast. The album will feature the band's 135-minute 15th-anniversary show that took place on July 28.

Spanish metallers KILMARA have entered Roland Grapow's (MASTERPLAN and ex-HELLOWEEN) studio in Slovakia to begin recording the third album, Love Songs And Other Nightmares, for an early 2013 release.

Following all the recent troubles DOKKEN has parted ways with drummer Mick Brown and replaced him with former MEGADETH man Jimmy DeGrasso. Internet reports have it that DOKKEN’s Broken Bones is the group’s last album. Singer Don Dokken apparently wants to go into different directions.

Season of Mist has signed goth act ORDER OF ISAZ, which is led by NECROPHOBIC frontman Tobias Sidegård. The Swedish band recently finished recording its debut album, which will be released next year.

He came across Metallian? KRAMPUS has announced that its drummer Carlo is no longer a part of the band effective immediately. He has, in fact, “been struck by lightning and considers himself lucky to not have been killed. Thankfully Carlo survived, but he will not be able to play the drums for some time to come as he rehabilitates himself.” The band already has a replacement.

One-man atmospheric metal project, TWILIGHT FAUNA, just released a second digital release called the Majestic Travesty Of Creation. This, and Paul Ravenwood’s previous release, are available for download and purchase at www.twilightfauna.bandcamp.com.

SCYTHIA - ... OF EXILE
This is the second full-length by these Canadians. Folk metal being the generic description that goes with it. Once again it is questionable to attach the metal tag to a band with a full-time Oboe player. Describing Morgan Zentner’s instrument as ‘Oboe of Death’ is silly too. Prelude starts off the proceedings with utter unoriginality. Spirit Of The Quest is an improvement and incorporates 70’s rock keyboards to provide a different dimension to the song. Sleeping Village is a short Oboe filled intermission. Forgotten Forest does features some heavier sections but the good old Oboe and Celine Derval’s mischaracterized ‘War Cries’ holds it back in the metal department. Fallen King is not all that different, the listeners’ main interest might continue to lie in the concept and story rather than the music. Voice Of The Sword has the heaviest start of ... Of Exile and remains the most interesting. For The King offers bits of progressive metal. The Fortress makes it third in a row of the same. Dies Irae II probably proves that there was an attempt to inject some heaviness missing in the first five tracks. Horbarth’s Inn closes this full length with a few more positives. The conclusion is that there is more to ... Of Exile than initially feared but still not enough.
The aforementioned concept is apparently that of an exiled Scythian king returning to reclaim his throne. – Anna Tergel

ELDORADO - ANTIGRAVITY SOUND MACHINE
Who can blame the masses - the listening public, musicians, mothers of musicians, dismayed girlfriends of musicians - for being so disillusioned with the music 'industry?' The band has loads of accolades, had already garnered an obscure deal three years back and, as its website descriptively notes "rocks," but now has a 2012 demo disc and it indeed rocks. There is not an excuse for labels and promoters to not know the band. After all, the band is not a newcomer and the world replete with JIT "social media," so what gives? The album has it all for heard and heavy rock crazies. Maybe Forever is big and wild. Mr. Saturn, for instance, picks a standard-issue classic hard rock riff and matches the standards of AC/DC, Def Leppard and Jackyl. Like A Lost Child sports another solid rhythm with a Hammond organ. The Spaniards rekindle the '70s. A Farewell To November is a slow song that resonates and is hummable. Lady of The Mountain is another of those Wholehearted tunes this band does well. The guitar is solo is clean and impressive. Searching For Light is harder again. Listen carefully and notice the NWOBHM sounds and the grungy vocals. One hears a certain Diamond Head feeling. Blue Jay Wings ends the album on another emotional and soothing note. In fact, the strumming takes one back to Scorpions and Holiday. The last song that needs to be mentioned is track four, Another Bright Sunday, where the singer's cream is pure Led Zeppelin inspiration. It is usual for unsigned and independent bands to go overboard in the quantity department and include more songs than the quality factor allows, thus devaluing their 'demonstration.' This is not the case with Eldorado. By the way, strangely the band’s publicity shot is in front of a Toronto subway car. The disc is full of gold. Eldorado: PO Box 9207. 28080 Madrid, Spain or info@eldoradorockband.com. - Ali "The Metallian"

FALLSTAF – BASTARD SONS OF PURE BREED
The band’s convoluted hardcore sound was annoying even before the trombone started playing. Perhaps the title of the demo is not inconsequential after all? – Anna Tergel