Release/Recording/Tour News

Opeth are due to release a totally re-vamped mix if their classic album Still Life. Re-mixed by Jens Borgen at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden, who has previously worked with Katatonia on a few occasions aswell as Opeth, Bloodbath, Amon Amarth, Paradise Lost, Soilwork and several other well-known bands. The release is set to be a 2 disc special edition including a DVD with a 5.1 mix of the album. Although Release information is a little unclear, some sites say 31st of March while others say April 1st, It's certain to be released sometime around then.

As Mikael Åkerfeldt says on the official Opeth forum regarding the album, "It's actually a completely new mix in 5.1. It was very wierd listening to it. There were leads in there I've never heard before that are on the mastertapes but I can't hear them on the album, until now."

And for those of you living under a rock, Opeth are also set to release their latest studio effort, named Watershed. Also under construction at Fascination Street Studios, it's due out on Roadrunner in late May for some countries and early June for others. With a new member, Fredrik Åkesson on board to replace the duties of the departed Peter Lindgren.
The albums contins 7 original works, one b-side was recorded along with 3 covers.


Bloodbath are soon to release a DVD of their 2005 Wacken Open Air concert. Set for release on April 21st! The lineup for the gig including Anders and Jonas of Katatonia, as always, Dan Swanö, Mikael Åkerfeldt and Martin 'Axe' Axenrot.

Unleashed

Unleashed are currently working on their 9th studio album, named Hammer Battalion! Info on release dates and song titles are yet to be released.


Night Eternal will be the title of the new Moonspell album. Recorded in January 2008, due for release in May, no exact dates have been set yet. Tue Madsen, who has previously worked with the band on the Under Satanae project, will be producing Night Eternal.

From Moonspell's official site "Night Eternal will be a quite intense album itself, darkly atmospheric yet really heavy and catchy. In Night eternal expect nothing but great guitar riffs, breathtaking songs and epic atmospheres."


Swedish Doom metal band Candlemass have confirmed a bunch of American tour dates for May and june '08. Check out http://www.candlemass.se for more details.


My personal thoughts on the releases, well, more or less I am bloody excited!!! I was sceptical at first about the Still Life re-master, but it sounds like it could be very interesting from Mikael's comments on it, and I have also been anticipating a new Opeth album since just after the release of Ghost Reveries. Same goes for Unleashed and Moonspell basically. They're all bands that just keep getting better in my eyes.