POWER QUEST Demoing Three New Songs

U.K-based metallers POWER QUEST have entered Aubitt Studios in Southampton with Rob Aubrey to begin recording pre-production versions of three new songs — "Rising Anew", "Sacrifice" and "Time to Burn" — for their upcoming album. The band says, "Rich [Smith, drums] did an amazing job and nailed all three songs in a matter of hours! From there [Steve Williams] will be recording keyboards at Symphony studio early next week before we add vocals to the mix the following week!"

POWER QUEST recently parted ways with singer Pete Morten and guitarist Ben Randall due to "musical differences." According to the band, "the split was amicable and everyone in the POWER QUEST family wishes Pete and Ben all the very best in their respective musical endeavors. "

A new vocalist has already been found and the band is hard at work rehearsing new material with him.

In the meantime, POWER QUEST is looking for a new guitarist to join the lineup. Dedication, commitment and drive are essential, as is the ability and desire to tour and rehearse (one weekend per month in the U.K.) as required. Experience is obviously an advantage but is by no means essential.

If you are a guitarist familiar with POWER QUEST and influenced by melodic metal and hard rock, here's what you have to do to apply:

E-mail stevekeys@power-quest.co.uk with your biography, contact details and links to audio and video examples of your playing both in the studio and in the live arena. Those who are shortlisted will be invited to attend an audition in Derby (U.K.) in late April/early May 2010. The successful candidate will of course be joining the band to record the new album in Italy in July/August this year. Please note no applications will be considered after April 10.

POWER QUEST's latest album, "Master of Illusion", was released in 2008 via Napalm Records/Avalon Marquee (Japan). Guest musicians on the CD include keyboardist Richard West from the U.K. progressive metal band THRESHOLD, Jorn Viggo Lofstad from the Norwegian power metal act PAGAN'S MIND and FOURWAYKILL singer Chris Neighbour.

ANNIHILATOR Guitarist Performs Two New Songs At Montreal Workshop

Video footage of ANNIHILATOR guitarist Jeff Waters performing two songs from the band's forthcoming self-titled album — "Betrayed" and "The Trend" — during a guitar workshop on March 11, 2010 at Italmélodie in Montreal, Quebec, Canada can be viewed below.

ANNIHILATOR will release its 13th CD in Europe on May 17 via Earache Records, in Japan through Marquee and in Australia via Riot Entertainment.

The track listing for the album is as follows:

01. The Trend
02. Coward
03. Ambush
04. Betrayed
05. 25 Seconds
06. Nowhere To Go
07. The Other Side
08. Death In Your Eyes
09. Payback
10. Romeo Delight

Total running time: 48:50

Since releasing its classic "Alice In Hell" debut in 1989, ANNIHILATOR has consistently played heads-down, no-frills metal, led by guitar virtuoso Jeff Waters.

ANNIHILATOR was honored in the "Favorite Metal Artist/Group" category at the 2009 Indie Awards (Independent Music Awards), which was held on March 14, 2009 at the Royal York Hotel (Canadian Room) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Also nominated in the "Metal" category were BISON B.C., CRYPTOPSY, CURSED and FUCK THE FACTS.

The Indies celebrate the best in independent music. Nominees are selected by committees of industry professionals from all areas of the music scene and winners are decided by a combination of public and industry voting.

ANNIHILATOR released its latest album, "Metal", in North America in January 2008 via SPV. The CD's ten new tracks were recorded by Jeff Waters (guitar, bass and lead vocals on one song), drum legend Mike Mangini and Dave Padden (longtime vocalist and touring guitarist/vocalist). The album featured sensational performances by some of metal's finest players and ANNIHILATOR's good friends, like Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM), Danko Jones, Michael Amott and Angela Gossow (ARCH ENEMY), Corey Beaulieu (TRIVIUM), William Adler (LAMB OF GOD), Jeff Loomis, Jesper Strömblad (IN FLAMES), Steve "Lips" Kudlow, Anders Björler (THE HAUNTED), Jacob Lynam (LYNAM) and more.

Willowtip signs VALE OF PNATH

Willowtip has officially signed Denver, Colorado’s Vale Of Pnath. The band will enter Flatline Audio Studios later this year to record their debut full-length. The new album will introduce a new blend of melodic song structure, blast beats, and high BPM technicality.

The band comments: “Vale of Pnath is extremely excited and proud to be given the opportunity to work with Willowtip and share the name with so many influential and talented acts. With the arrival of a new year and the potential brought by Willowtip, Vale of Pnath is ready to take things further than they ever have before.”

For more information on Vale Of Pnath, and MP3s, visit www.myspace.com/valeofpnath

ILLDISPOSED tourdates

Illdisposed
03.04 Chaulnes @ Chaulnes Metal Fest (FR)
09.04 Haderslev @ Månen (DK)
10.04 Horsens @ Kulisselageret (DK)
16.04 Lyngby @ Templet (DK)
17.04 Copenhagen @ The Rock (DK)
24.04 Viborg @ Paletten (DK)

Six Feet Under + Illdisposed + supports
27.04 Bochum @ Matrix (DE)
28.04 Mühltal bei Darmstadt @ Steinbruch Theater (DE)
29.04 Osnabrück @ N8 (DE)
30.04 Berlin @ K17 (DE)
01.05 Rostock @ Alte Zuckerfabrik (DE)
02.05 Prag @ Modra Vopice (CZ)
03.05 Wroclaw @ MZ (PL)
04.05 Baia Mare @ Casa Tinerretului (RO)
05.05 Kosice @ Collosseum (SK)
06.05 Chemnitz @ AJZ Taalschock (DE)
07.05 Cottbus @ Gladhouse (DE)
08.05 München @ Backstage (DE)
09.05 Nova Gorica @ Mostovna (SLO)
10.05 Stuttgart @ Die Röhre (DE)
11.05 Spital an der Drau @ Stadtsaal (A)
12.05 Kufstein @ Kulturfabrik (A)

Illdisposed
28.05 Copenhagen @ Lygten Station (DK)
11.06 Hünxe @ Death Feast Open Air (DE)
31.07 Obersinn @ Eisenwahn Open Air (DE)
04.09 Kärnten @ Rock The Lake Festival (AT)
10-11.09 Hüttikon @ Meh Suff Metal Festival (CH)

AMARANTHE Singer On Tour With KAMELOT

AMARANTHE singer Elize Ryd is providing backing vocals on KAMELOT's current European tour, which kicked off on Thursday, March 25 in Charleroi, Belgium.

Fan-filmed video footage of "The Haunting" performance from this past Friday's (March 26) concert in Tilburg, Holland can be viewed below. (Note: Elize first appears around the 2:20 mark.)

Commented AMARANTHE: "[Elize] joins a prestigious line of guest singers to tour with KAMELOT over the years. And, of course, AMARANTHE will be joining forces with KAMELOT and our eminent vocalist on the Scandinavian leg of the tour!"

AMARANTHE features in its ranks Olof Mörck (NIGHTRAGE, DRAGONLAND), Jake E (ex-DREAM EVIL, DREAMLAND), Andy Solveström (WITHIN Y, EVILDOER, CIPHER SYSTEM), Morten Lowe Sorensen (THE ARCANE ORDER, SUBMISSION), and Johan Andreassen (ENGEL).

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/amaranthemetal.

TARJA TURUNEN Performs With SCORPIONS On German TV

Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen performed the song "The Good Die Young" with German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS last night (Saturday, March 27) on Germany's talk show "Wetten, Dass..?". The program also featured an interview with Tarja and SCORPIONS members Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine. Watch the clips below.

"The Good Die Young" appears on SCORPIONS' final studio album, "Sting In The Tail", which was released in North America on March 23 via Universal Music Enterprises. The CD was recorded at a studio in Hannover, Germany with Swedish producers Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen (the team behind THE RASMUS' "Dead Letters" CD).

"The Good Die Young" was written "about people who stand up for peace and freedom," according to Klaus Meine. "In a world that gets out of balance more and more every day, we try to put this feeling into music," he said.

SCORPIONS — known worldwide for their mega, arena hard rock and over 100 million records sold — will travel the globe one last time on the "Get Your Sting And Blackout" tour. Kicking off the North American leg in June, the tour will take the band across the U.S. all summer and continue on around the world with special guests supporting along the way. Dates will be announced soon.

LOUDNESS King Of Pain Track List

Japanese metal veterans LOUDNESS will release a new album, "King Of Pain", in Japan on May 19 via Tokuma Japan Communications. The CD will include a 32-page booklet, a LOUDNESS original pick, and application card (valid only in Japan).

"King Of Pain" track listing:

01. Requiem
02. The King Of Pain
03. Power Of Death
04. Death Machine
05. Doodlebug
06. Rule The World
07. Straight Out Of Our Soul
08. Where Am I Going?
09. Emma
10. Naraka
11. Doctor From Hell
12. Hell Fire
13. #666
14. Never Comes

LOUDNESS has scheduled the following European tour dates:

July 16/17 - Bang Your Head!!! - Balingen, Germany
July 18 - Zwarte Cross - Lichtenvoorde, Netherlands
July 19 - Dynamo Club - Eindhoven, Netherlands
July 20 - Knust - Hamburg, Germany
July 22 - On Stage Club - Athens, Greece
July 23 - Matrix - Bochum, Germany
July 24 - Colos-Saal - Aschaffenburg, Germany

LOUDNESS released a CD+DVD set entitled "Live Loudest At The Budokan '91" on December 23, 2009 via Warner Music Japan. The album was recorded on May 31, 1991 in Tokyo, Japan and features Mike Vescera (OBSESSION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) on vocals.

LOUDNESS's "Hit The Rails" video can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "The Everlasting", which came out on May 27, 2009 via Tokuma Japan Communications.

LOUDNESS drummer Munetaka Higuchi passed away on November 30, 2008 following a seven-month battle with liver cancer. He was 49 years old. Higuchi was also the drummer of the rock band LAZY, going by the nickname of Davy. The group disbanded in 1981 and Higuchi co-founded LOUDNESS the same year. LAZY reunited in 1998. Higuchi was also active as a producer, handling artists such as Mari Hamada.