CHILDREN OF BODOM will release their new album "Aren't You Dead Yet?" on 19th of september. Track-list:
01. Living Dead Beat 02. Are You Dead Yet? 03. If You Want Peace... Prepare for War 04. Punch Me I Bleed 05. In Your Face 06. Next in Line 07. Bastards of Bodom 08. Trashed, Lost & Strungout 09. We're Not Gonna Fall
The 2003 installment of the Finnish Metal Music Awards (Sirkkelirock 2003) was held this past Saturday (January 3) at Tavastia Club in Helsinki.
The winners are as follows:
Finnish Band of the Year: CHILDREN OF BODOM Finnish Newcomer of the Year: MACHINE MEN Finnish Album of the Year: KOTITEOLLISUUS – "Helvetistä Itään" International Band: IRON MAIDEN International Newcomer: EVANESCENCE International Album: IRON MAIDEN – "Dance of Death" Producer of the Year: Mikko Karmila Metal Video of 2003: KOTITEOLLISUUS – "Minä Olen" Metal Event of 2003: Tuska Metal Festival
In addition, Sirkkelirock presented a special Lifetime Achievement Award to CANNIBAL CORPSE for acknowledged work in metal music.
Finland's CHILDREN OF BODOM are due to sign a new record deal with an as-yet-undisclosed label in early April and will enter the studio in August/September to begin recording their next CD, due in early 2003.
Finland's CHILDREN OF BODOM are tentatively due to enter the studio in August to begin recording the follow-up to 2000's Follow The Reaper CD. “I've been writing a lot of new music,” mainman Alexi Laiho told www.soneraplaza.fi. “I feel that the new stuff is even rawer than before.
"We'll record the new material probably in August. The studios that we're thinking of at the moment are the Abyss Studios in Sweden and the Astia in Lappeenranta [Finland]," added Laiho.
In related news, Laiho joined a number of veteran Finnish metal musicians in a one-off DEATH cover band called EVIL CHUCKS, which performed a gig at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland on Friday, March 1st in honor of late DEATH frontman Chuck Schuldiner. Appearing with Alexi in the group were guitarist Mitja Harvilahti (MOONSORROW), guitarist Janne Perttilд, bassist Oppu Laine (MANNHAI, ex-AMORPHIS), drummer Nalle Цsterman (GANDALF), vocalist Taneli Jarva (THE BLACK LEAGUE, ex-SENTENCED), and vocalist Jaska Hurskainen (GANDALF). The band's set list consisted of the following:
01. Zombie Ritual (voc. by Taneli Jarva) 02. Born Dead (voc. by Jaska Hurskainen) 03. Within The Mind (voc. by Alexi Laiho) 04. Defensive Personalities (voc. by Alexi Laiho) 05. Left To Die (voc. by Jaska Hurskainen) 06. Infernal Death (voc. by Taneli Jarva) 07. Pull The Plug (voc. by Jaska Hurskainen) 08. Evil Dead (voc. by Taneli Jarva)
CANNIBAL CORPSE and ROTTWEILLER are the latest bands to have been confirmed for this year's Wacken Festival, which is scheduled to take place on August 2-3 in Wacken, Germany. The full line-up of acts that are presently scheduled to partake in the festivities now looks like this:
AMON AMARTH BLAZE BLIND GUARDIAN CANNIBAL CORPSE CHILDREN OF BODOM DESTRUCTION DIMPLE MINDS DORO EDGUY FALCONER GREEN CARNATION HEATHEN HOLLENTHON HYPOCRISY IN EXTREMO J.B.O KREATOR MACABRE NECROPHOBIC ONKEL TOM PRETTY MAIDS PUNGENT STENCH RAVEN ROTTWEILLER U.D.O. VICIOUS RUMORS WIZARD WOLF
Children Of Bodom are currently writing new material. The band will also do a tour in South America in November. Countries that are in the plan are Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Chile. There has also been rumours of a show or two in South Africa.
STRATOVARIUS vocalist Timo Kotipelto is hard at work on his debut solo album, which is tentatively due to be released in early 2002. As-yet-untitled, the album will feature a host of guest appearances from some of metal's top musicians, including the following: Mike Romeo (guitars; SYMPHONY X), Roland Grapow (guitars; HELLOWEEN), Arjen Lucassen (guitars; AYREON), Sami Virtanen (guitars; JOE DOAKES), Jari Kainulainen (bass; STRATOVARIUS), Mirka Rantanen (drums; TUNNEL VISION), Gas (drums; H.I.M.), Janne Warman (keyboards; CHILDREN OF BODOM), Mikko Harkin (keyboards; SONATA ARCTICA). In related news, STRATOVARIUS have announced that they will be taking part in four European festivals this summer. The dates are as follows: June 28 - Roskilde Festival, DEN, June 30 - Bang Your Head Festival, GER, July 07 - Ruisrock Festival, FIN, July 13 - Tuska Metal Festival, FIN. Source - BLABBERMOUTH.NET.
Finland's IMPALED NAZARENE have canceled their scheduled appearance at Cortina Metal Festival in Sweden on May 26th "due to the insane nature of the event / contract. The festival is alcohol-free (including bands / backstage!!), and that alone means it's impossible to be in there for the band + the advance ticket sales are not looking too promising either...so forget, we ain't no STRYPER, damnit!!"
In other IMPALED NAZARENE news, the band have replaced bassist Jani Lehtosaari and guitarist Alexi Laiho with Mikael Arnkil and Teemu Raimoranta, respectively. The band have also re-signed with Osmose Productions for two more albums, and currently busy rehearsing and writing material for their seventh studio album, tentatively titled Absence Of War Does Not Mean Peace. Working song titles include the following:
01. Absence Of War Does Not Mean Peace
02. The Madness Behind
03. Never Forgive
04. The Lost Art Of Goat Sacrificing
05. Nyrkillд Tapettava Huora
06. Prequel To Bleeding (Angels III)
If everything goes according to plan, IMPALED NAZARENE will enter Astia Studio in late July to record the new album, and it will be mixed a short time later at Finnvox Studio by Mikko Karmila (STRATOVARIUS, NIGHTWISH, CHILDREN OF BODOM). An early October release is expected. Source: BLABBERMOUTH.NET