SYMPHONY X have reportedly been confirmed as the main support act on the upcoming STRATOVARIUS European tour, which is scheduled to kick off in early 2003. The opening act for tour will be Finland's THUNDERSTONE.

In other news, a possibility reportedly exists that SYMPHONY X will be touring with HAMMERFALL and BLIND GUARDIAN in North America sometime this fall. However, no official word has yet come down on the matter.

SYMPHONY X are currently putting the finishing touches to their new album, entitled The Odyssey, at guitarist Michael Romeo's Haslet, New Jersey home studio for a tentative October release through Inside Out Music. Containing nine tracks, including an 18-minute opus based on Homer's epic sequel to "The Iliad", the album traces Odysseus' perilous, decades long return from the Trojan War, including encounters with all sorts of mythological creatures. Says Romeo: "The new CD is much more focused and quite a bit heavier than a lot of our past work."

SYMPHONY X have confirmed the track listing for their upcoming double live CD, tentatively entitled Symphony X: Live in Europe, which is due to be released through Inside Out Music Europe in early October. The songs set to be included on the 105-minute effort are as follows: CD1 01. Intro 02. Evolution (The Grand Design) 03. Fallen 04. Transcendence 05. Communion & The Oracle 06. The Bird-Serpent War/Cataclysm 07. On The Breath Of Poseidon 08. Egypt 09. The Death Of Balance/Candlelight Fantasia 10. The Eyes Of Medusa CD2 01. Smoke And Mirrors 02. Church Of The Machine 03. Through The Looking Glass 04. Of Sins And Shadows 05. Sea Of Lies 06. The Divine Wings Of Tragedy Source: BLABBERMOUTH.NET

German metal masters HELLOWEEN have parted ways with long time lead guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch following the band's August 12 appearance at the Meoroc Festival in Spain. No reason for the shocking split has been forthcoming from either camp yet, but Grapow and Kusch will continue on together and pursue their band project with SYMPHONY X vocalist Russell Allen on a full-time basis; the band is also set to feature an as-yet unnamed bassist and keyboard player. Grapow and Allen are currently spending time in Los Angeles working on songs with Roy Z (BRUCE DICKINSON, HALFORD, etc.) whom Grapow had met during last year's sessions for HELLOWEEN's The Dark Ride. The album will be recorded and mixed at producer Andy Sneap's (NEVERMORE, MACHINE HEAD, etc.) Backstage studio from September 24th through November 11th, with additional mixing scheduled to take place to Roland Grapow's home studio in Hamburg. Source: BLABBERMOUTH.NET