Patrik Jensen (The Haunted) reports that his campy retro-thrash sideproject Witchery is done with their third album. The band, which also features Sharlee D'Angelo from Mercyful Fate/King Diamond/etc., is currently unsigned and is on the lookout for a label to work with. Read more: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=32018

King Diamond has announced a September 21 release date for his forthcoming double live album "Deadly Lullabyes Live". Full tracklist:

01. Funeral
02. A Mansion In Darkness
03. The Family Ghost
04. Black Horsemen
05. Spare This Life
06. Mansion In Sorrow
07. Spirits
08. Sorry Dear
09. Eye Of The Witch
10. Sleepless Nights
11. The Puppet Master
12. Blood To Walk
13. So Sad
14. Living Dead "Outro"
15. Welcome Home
16. The Invisible Guests
17. Burn
18. "Introductions"
19. Halloween
20. No Presents For Christmas

Taetre have entered Los Angered Studio in Angered, Sweden with producer/engineer Andy LaRocque (King Diamond) to begin work on their fourth album, tentatively titled "Psychopath".

King Diamond has set "Deadly Lullabies Live" as the title of his upcoming live album. Here's the tentative tracklist:

01. Funeral
02. Mansion In Darkness
03. The Family Ghost
04. Black Horsemen
05. Spare This Life
06. Mansion In Sorrow
07. Spirits
08. Sorry Dear
09. Eye Of The Witch
10. Sleepless Nights
11. Puppetmaster
12. Blood To Walk
13. So Sad
14. Welcome Home
15. Invisible Guest
16. Burn
17. Halloween
18. No Presents For Christmas

There's not really anything there yet, but Snowy Shaw (Notre Dame, ex-Mercyful Fate, King Diamond) has finally opened up his new website: http://www.snowyshaw.com/

Michael Denner and Hank Shermann, the core guitar duo of Mercyful Fate, will release the debut album from their new band Force of Evil January 26 on Escapi Media. The band also consists of bassist Hal Patino (King Diamond), drummer Bjarne Holm (Mercyful Fate), and vocalist Martin Steene (Ironfire). Various samples are available on the band's website here: http://www.forceofevil.net/

Notre Dame, the band fronted by Snowy Shaw (King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Dream Evil, etc.), will release their new album "Demi Monde Bizarros" in February, not April as previously reported. The tracklist:

01. Munsters!
02. The Ride
03. The Stripper
04. My Ride Into Afterlife
05. Bon Voyage Mutherfucker
06. Hitmusic For Hitmen
07. Verbal Diarrhoea
08. Beyond The Threshold Of Pain
09. S/S Hellride
Bonus live tracks:
10. These Boots Are Made For Walking
11. The Wurld Is Sick

Dream Evil, the Swedish power-metal supergroup featuring acclaimed producer Fredrik Nordström (from Studio Fredman, too many credits to list) and Snowy Shaw (Notre Dame, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, etc.), will be entering the studio on December 15 to begin work on their third album, tentatively due out in early 2004 on Century Media.

No Tolerance Records has announced the onset of 'Operation Grindstorm', "a new phase of punishing grooves, tortured vocals, hi-speed attack drumming and guitars like carpets of cluster bombs" taking form as the new CD "The Art Of Today" from Relevant Few. As with most grind releases, they promise the fast parts are faster, the heavy parts heavier etc etc which of course adds up to everything being more brutal than ever, but you can decide for yourself by listening to some samples: "Is there no hope?" / "Lustrous Pattern".
The record comes out November 24 and sports cover art from the oft-utilized Travis Smith (Opeth, King Diamond, Katatonia, Anathema).

Swedish death metal legends Entombed have added a second Seattle show to their current US tour itinerary at Studio 7 on October 26. Single Bullet Theory and Nocturne will open, as well as local acts The Braindead, In Memorium, and NME Vs. the World. As a reminder, tonight's show in San Francisco will not feature tourmates King Diamond, but will still go on as planned at the DNA Lounge with a cheaper door price. If only I didn't have to get up so early tomorrow...

A couple new dates for the upcoming King Diamond/Entombed tour:

10/22 - The Pound SF / Pier 96, San Francisco, CA (outdoors)
10/23 - The Edge, Palo Alto, CA
11/21 - Ridgela Theatre, Ft. Worth, TX

Northside Records has solidified the lineup for the upcoming Nordic Roots Festival in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Cedar Cultural Center from Septermber 19-21. Here's the details:

09/19 - Harv and Gjallarhorn

09/20 - Tigerlily (new quartet from Norway, featuring Nordic bagpipe, and exotic strings like Senegambian konting and Chinese moon guitar), Ellika Frisell with Solo Cissokho and Filarfolket Reunion (exclusive)

09/21 - Joe Chvala and the Flying Foot Forum (dance) with live accompaniment by Filarfolket and special cameo by Swedish trio Vind (Ale Möller, Sten Källman and Thomas Ringdahl), Swedish trio Nåra (Gunnel Mauritzson, Björn Ståbi and Bengt Jansson), and Maria Kalaniemi with Sven Ahlbäck and Johan Hedin

More info: www.nordicroots.org

The first set of dates for the upcoming King Diamond/Entombed US tour have been announced! Promising "one of their most elaborate stage performances to date", KD will be out in support of the new album "The Puppet Master" which will be out right before the tour kicks off. Entombed's latest album "Inferno" doesn't 'officially' come out in the US until next year (see 08/01 for details), but they'll have copies for sale at shows. Here's what I know so far:

10/18 - Key Club, Los Angeles, CA
10/19 - Bang Your Head Festival (The Scene), San Diego, CA
10/20 - The Galaxy, Santa Ana, CA
10/25 – The Fenix, Seattle, WA
10/28 – Ogden, Denver, CO
10/31 – The Rave, Milwaukee, WI
11/04 – Opera House, Toronto, ONT
11/05 – Club Soda, Montreal, QUE
11/06 - Toads Place, New Haven, CT
11/07 – L'Amour, Brooklyn, NY
11/08 – Downtown, Farmington, NY
11/10 – Obsessions, Randolph, NJ
11/11 – Crocodile Cafe, Allentown, PA
11/13 – Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
11/14 - Jaxx, West Springfield, VA
11/15 - Metropol, Pittsburgh PA
11/17 – Twilight, Tampa, FL
11/18 - Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
11/22 - White Rabbit, San Antonio, TX

Edge of Sanity has revealed that guitarists Mike Wead (Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, Firegod) and Simon Johansson (Memory Garden, Abstrakt Algebra, Firegod) will be making appearances on the groups upcoming comeback album "Crimson II", due late summer on Black Mark Records.

Blabbermouth has confirmed that the rumored King Diamond/Entombed (see 07/02) is indeed a go. No dates have been announced yet, but the Metal Maniacs-sponsored tour is tentatively set to start October 20 on the west coast.

Blabbermouth says that Entombed and King Diamond are possibly planning a US tour together starting sometime around October. I sure hope this is true, because that'd be an awesome show.