Berlin based Hard Rockers SOUL DOCTOR have finished the recordings on their new album "Blood Runs Cold". The CD shows the band heading back to their more melodic roots and offers various new influences from the classic Hard Rock genre.

The finalised the track listing for Blood Runs Cold is as follows:

Blood Runs Cold, Temptation, Laugh In The Face Of Danger, F.A.F.O.D, Touch Of Love, The Ocean, The Lie, Revolution, Justine and Mr. Youngblood. All songs have been written by singer Tommy Heart and guitarist Chris Lyne except for "Touch Of Love" which was written by Joe Lynn Turner, Glenn Hughes and Stuart Smith.

A trailer for the album can be found at www.youtube.com/v/PU5Bb6V1E5A 

The first edition of "Blood Runs Cold", which is issued by Metal Heaven on September 28th, will be available as digi-pack release and include the European bonus track "Let's Zep", an almost 10 minute long medley of classic Led Zeppelin songs.

HUMAN ZOO, hailing from Balingen, Germany, who were one of the most successful newcomers of the Hard Rock genre in 2006 thanks to their album "Precious Times" return to action with the release of a new opus entitled "Over The Horizon" which is due out on 28th September through AOR Heaven. Produced by Pink Cream 69's Dennis Ward the CD finds the band continuing with their Melodic Rock sound plus saxophone.

In support of the album Human Zoo play the Thunderground Festical at Nottingham Rock City on August 18th alongside The Poodles and Wig Wam. For more information on the even then you can check out the Thunderground website at www.thundergroundfestival.com.

PINK CREAM 69

After a storming performance in front of 20.000 enthused fans at this year's "Masters Of Rock" festival in the Czech Republic last weekend, German melodic rock band PINK CREAM 69 has returned home to Karlsruhe. An unbelievable concert in front of 40.000 people at the open air event "Das Fest" followed. One of the highlights in the band's career so far. Both concerts have been recorded for a double-DVD with the tentative title "Past & Present" to be released in 2008. The first DVD-effort in the band's 20-year-long career.

The first DVD in the package - to be called "Present" - will contain the highlights from both of the festivals and a full headlining concert to be recorded in the next months. Also included will be interview- and behind-the-scenes-footage. The second DVD - to be called "Past" - will contain the rare out-of-print VHS-live-recording "Size It Up! - Live In Japan 1992" now in digital quality documenting PINK CREAM 69's first-ever outstanding appearance in Tokyo/Japan in the band's original line-up with ex-singer Andi Deris (Helloween). Furthermore all the 8 promotional PINK CREAM 69-videos from the past will be included along with more bonus features.

TIMO TOLKKI ANNOUNCES THE SECOND VOCALIST FOR HIS UPCOMING ROCK OPERA "SAANA - WARRIOR OF LIGHT"

After choosing classically trained American coloratura soprano Jennifer Sowle to sing the leading character in his Classic Rock Opera, Timo Tolkki chose the second singer for his 3rd solo album. He is Heikki Pöyhiä from the Finnish band TWILIGHTNING.

"I got to know Heikki when I mixed his band's debut album and I really loved his versatile vocals immediately", says Tolkki. "I also saw him live and he was just as good. He has a very powerful voice, but he can also sing very softly when needed. His character, like all the characters on this album, is very challenging for the singer, since they each portray a lot of different human feelings".

Tolkki continues: "This project will challenge the form and content of "rock opera"! My aim has been to create something totally new and yet maintain the best parts from traditional rock opera and opera. I did not want to just compose 10 songs, come up with some quick story and invite 7 famous metal singers and call that a "rock opera". I have spent a lot of time choosing the vocalists and that has been a very difficult job, because each and every one of them is unique, although they are not big names. The whole concept is quite unique. More about that later".


The release date of SAANA-WARRIOR OF LIGHT will be in early 2008 on Frontiers Records and will contain exclusive bonus DVD with videos, interviews and lot of extras.

Timo Tolkki is still searching for vocalists for both SAANA and for other projects his production company Goldenworks is preparing. Anything from opera to pop to whatever is welcomed. If you are interested and you think you've got what it takes, then send two mp3s, two photos (including one full body) and a little bio about yourself to: goldenworks@elisanet.fi 

DAVID READMAN

David Readman, the singer of PINK CREAM 69, sent us his track by track comments for the songs included on his forthcoming self-titled debut solo album to be released in the next weeks on Frontiers Records. Have a nice read and get the words from the man himself !!!

# Without You
This song was part of my second writing session, at the beginning of last year. Strange the arrangement wouldn't open on my studio computer, so I had to rebuild it I was devastated. But it all worked out in the end. Here is the typical love story, it's about being left alone after a long relationship. About staying strong, maybe it will workout in the end. The only thing that helps in the end is time.

# Evil Combination
I think this was one of the first songs I worked on for my album, the song sounds very like my original demo, sometimes I get some cool riffs going, this was one of those situations. Every time I'm in a big city I'm always reminded of the darker side, people selling drugs, or sex usually the lower dimension of people who are always taken advantage of. I guess its just luck were you are born, and whatever situation your born into, rich or poor.

# Take These Tears
I guess we all have a dream when were young, an image of who we would meet in the future, that special someone who will take care of you for the rest of your life. That person who would do anything to make it all alright. This was I song I wrote after moving my studio, the refrain wasn't very good, so it was time for a new one. That can be quite frustrating finding a cool refrain to a song that sounds already cool. Sometimes I'm not sure when I have the final chorus. You can find a million different melodies over that chord progression.

# Don't Let It Slip Away
On this song I made the first video, its about when you finally find love keep hold of it don't let it slip out of your hands. As you can see there are many different people from all walks of life in the video. All finding love in some way.

# No Peace For The Wicked
It always seems to me no matter what you do in life it's never enough, we feel that sometimes we are never given the chance to show who we really are. Some people listen to other people's image of a person and don't take the time to work that person out for themselves..

# Long Way To Heaven
This doesn't sound like what its about, its about finally leaving the past behind after a hard relationship, even after its all over it takes sometimes years before all is forgotten.

# Wild In The City
This is about the youth of today, we all knew how to party back then and we all had a great time doing it. I see more and more girls getting crazy drunk, and then fighting outside the bars..crazy. I have seen this a lot in England, it's a dammed shame, once again the system making money from the poor..

# Gentle Touch
This is a track I wrote with Paul Logue, we had been working on another project and I loved the track already without vocals. So after one hour I had recorded a new melody that I liked. And the lyrics, there are people out there who never get the chance to be close to someone, to feel the warmth of another human being. This is a healthy part of life that nobody should miss out on.

# Prisoner Of Shame
A song about some form of addiction be it drugs, alcohol. Always living in shame, but not being able to kick the habit.always hiding behind excuses, but the fact is it's up to yourself to make the changes.

# New Messiah
This is my tribute to Jimi Hendrix a Guitar player I grew up with, I wasn't old enough back then to ever see him live. But the music of that time was a form of education. That I think is missing in toady's music, unless you have cool parents who introduce you to the music of that time. This is quite an old song it was on the demo I sent to PC69, it's very different now I found it on a cassette whilst on a visit to England. I recorded it again for fun in my studio, changing the things I didn't like, and realised it was a cool song.

# Over The Ocean
On this song I decided to take it right back to basics, it had all the trimmings heavy guitar and bass, its a song about the fans all over the world travelling so far to see you play, and even meet you. First getting the feeling with the music. And travelling thousands of miles to experience it live. And the usual question do you remember me from last time? And they know that you will.

# Love In Vain
I wrote his song on the piano, one dark night quite a few years ago. And the lyrics, we have all been there, when you think the love you gave was all in vain. We all look for respect but sometimes you get the feeling its all for nothing. I think sometimes the mind also plays silly games, luckily we all see the light in the end.

Arch Enemy have unveiled the cover artwork for their new album, entitled 'Rise Of The Tyrant', which is scheduled to be released on September 24th through Century Media.

Blood On Your Hands, The Last Enemy, I Will Live Again, In This Shallow Grave, Revolution Begins, Rise Of The Tyrant, The Day You Died, Intermezzo Liberté, Night Falls Fast, The Great Darkness and Vultures

Swedish metallers Soilwork will release their new album, which has been christened "Sworn to a Great Divide", via Nuclear Blast on October 19th.

"All I can say, it sounds excellent... great sound, great playing and a good mix of songs," says guitarist Ola Frenning on the band's official website www.soilwork.org.

The vocals of Björn "Speed" Strid were recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with the help of Strapping Young Lad mastermind Devin Townsend who already worked together with Soilwork on their 2002 effort "Natural Born Chaos".  The full track listing for the album is as follows:

Sworn To A Great Divide, Exile, Breeding Thorns, Your Beloved Scapegoat, The Pittsburgh Syndrome, I, Vermin, Light Discovering Darkness, As The Sleeper Awakes, Silent Bullet, Sick Heart River and 20 More Miles.

The new Neaera album “Armamentarium” will also be available as a limited first edition Metaleffect Double-Digipack  which includes a full live show from the band as a bonus DVD

Recorded at Hansen Studios in Denmark with producer Jacob Hansen “Armamentarium” is the most aggressive, focused and best sounding Neaera album to date. The vocals were recorded at the Rape Of Harmonies studio in Germany.

The full track listing for Armanentarium is as follows:

Spearheading the Spawn, Tools of Greed, Armamentarium, Synergy, Harbinger, In Loss, The Orphaning, The Escape From Escapism, Mutiny of Untamed Minds, The Need for Pain and Liberation

The limited first edition will contain a bonus-DVD - recorded live at their sold-out show in their home town of Muenster earlier this year. The track listing for the DVD is as follow:

Mechanisms Of Standstill, Paradigm Lost, The World Devourers, Let The Tempest Come, I Love The World, Armamentarium, Walls Instead Of Bridges, From Grief…To Oblivion, Broken Spine, Scars To Grey and Where Submission Reigns

ARMAMENTARIUM will be released through Metal Blade on August, 24th in Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland and on August, 27th in the rest of Europe!

Brighton upstarts The Ghost Of A Thousand hit the road again today for a mammoth UK tour.

The tour is a rotating headline affair with Zico Chain and Flood Of Red.

The band’s debut album 'This Is Where The Fight Begins' was released in February and given a unanimous thumbs up from the critics.

A BBC Radio One Rock Show session kicked off the beginning of the year with DJ Dan Carter heralding the band as one of the most important UK bands of 2007.

The band have been living on the road all year with headline jaunts and tours with Gallows, Poison The Well and McQueen.

The band played the Tuborg Stage at this year's Download Festival at Donington Park and will open this year’s Lock Up Stage at the Carling Festival Reading and Leeds.

The quintet has just shot a video for ‘Black Art Number One’ which is currently in production. A special format vinyl version of ‘This Is Where The Fight Begins’ is also in the works for a release on Undergroove later this year.

Catch the band at the following venues:

JULY W/ ZICO CHAIN AND FOOD OF RED Except*

STOKE Sugarmill (25)
MANCHESTER Satans Hollow (26)
LIVERPOOL Carling Academy (27)
LONDON The Dome (28) w/ Trashlight Vision *
DERBY Vic Inn (29)
CARDIFF Carling Academy (31)
AUGUST
BRISTOL Carling Academy (01)
TROWBRIDGE Terry’s (02)
PLYMOUTH White Rabbit (03)
YEOVIL Ski Lodge (04)
LEEDS Cockpit (05)
SHEFFIELD Leadmill (07)
BIRMINGHAM Carling Academy (08)
GLASGOW Barfly (09)
ABERDEEN Tunnels (10)
ARBROATH Viewfield Hotel (11)
NEWCASTLE Carling Academy (13)
YORK Fibbers (14)
LONDON Camden Barfly (15)
LONDON Camden Barlfy (16) w/ Fair To Midland.

Funeral For A Friend have announced details of their biggest UK tour to date.

Currently blasting Yanks out of their shoes on the Warped Tour, the Welsh quintet will end 2007 with some festive shows throughout December, climaxing with a mammoth homecoming gig at the Cardiff CIA. It promises to be a spectacular end to a truly spectacular year.

Dates are:
Sat 08 Dec London, Astoria
Sun 09 Dec London, Astoria
Mon 10 Dec Bournemouth, Opera House
Tue 11 Dec Wolverhampton, Civic Hall
Thu 13 Dec Sheffield, Octagon
Fri 14 Dec Middlesborough, Town Hall
Sun 16 Dec Glasgow, Barrowland
Mon 17 Dec Dundee, Fat Sams
Wed 19 Dec Warrington, Parr Hall
Thu 20 Dec Liverpool, University
Sat 22 Dec Cardiff, CIA

"The December tour is going to be a great time for us to throw out some surprises just in time for Christmas," says frontman Matt Davies, "Getting back home to play some shows is going to be amazing. We just can't wait, we're so excited."

Tickets are on sale from Friday July 27. BUT you can get in early with a ticket presale at the band's website. To ensure you get tickets visit www.ffaf.com from 10am on Thursday 26 July.

Coming on the back of Dead Reckoning, arguably their most successful album to date, UK prog metallers Threshold have parted ways with vocalist Mac.

Mac has confirmed that he's left Threshold. In a statement he told fans that he knew the timing was bad but thanked them for all their support. He also wished the band all the best and expressed his gratitude to the band's original singer Damian Wilson for standing in for him at last weekend's festivals.

Threshold have confirmed that Damian will perform with them at the Subtacto Festival in Norway on 4 August. Talks are also in progress to see if he can perform at all of Threshold's remaining 2007 shows.

According to a popular film and television website, “Meet Me In St. Louis is delightful, classic, nostalgic, poignant, and romanticized”. Some of these words may ring true for the band, but in the most part this is a very different beast. Completely incomparable and definitely something to behold.

Taking their name from the popular 1940’s Judy Garland film, the band formed in June 2005 setting up base in Guildford, each member delighted to finally have a chance to enjoy the novelty of writing with a team of equally talented musicians, all set on creating something slightly out of the norm. Blending schizophrenic time-changes, blast beats, huge guitar riffs and catchy vocal hooks sounds like a recipe for disaster but that wasn’t to be the case, with the band quickly rising to the forefront of the UK underground scene and causing jaws to hit the ground right the way across the country with their blistering live assault.

In front a crowd is where this band really come into their own. Having perfectly honed their style after playing every toilet venue up and down the UK, as well as a fortnight-long trip around Eastern Europe, it’s about more than the music. Limbs flailing and spilling into the crowd, it’s a live performance you and your painfully ringing ears won’t forget in a long time, and as good a reason as any to why so many people are tipping this band for greatness.

Their debut EP, the tongue-twisting ‘And with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark – the place where the wave finally broke and rolled back’ (released via local label Function Records in summer 2006) was as well received as it was overly titled. Plaudits in hand Meet Me In St. Louis set about writing their first full-length record. A chance email was sent and new fan and friend-to-be, Alex Newport (the genius producer behind records from At The Drive-In, The Locust, The Mars Volta, Sepultura and many, many more), flew over to engineer the release in January 2007 at the renowned Miloko Studios in London. A tiring two weeks (diarised on the Drowned In Sound website) filled with highs and lows, sound tweaking and illness followed, with the band eventually coming away with what will soon be regarded as one of the debut albums of the year. A truly astonishing record from a band on the verge of following their namesake into genre-defining history.

‘Variations On Swing’ is released via Big Scary Monsters Records on 24th September, proceeded by the single ‘All We Need Is A Little Bit Of Energon And A Lot Of Luck’ on 17th September.

www.meetmeinstlouis.co.uk
www.myspace.com/meetmeinstlouis

The full track listing for 'Variations On Swing' is as follows:

The Torso Was Severed In Mid Thorax, Well You Damn Well Should, Right This Way You Maverick Renegade, I Am Champagne You Are Shit, I Beat Up The Bathroom, I'm Sorry, Ein Zwei Drei Hasslehoff, All We Need Is a Little Energon And a Lot of Luck, Come To New York, There Were Fewer Murders This Year, I've Got Knives In My Eyes I'm Going Home Sick and You're Doomed

In addition to the forthcoming album Meet In St Louis have also lined up a string of live dates over the coming months around the country. The full list of currently confirmed gigs is as follows:

24th July - Manchester, The Pheonix
25th July - Glasgow, Barfly
26th July - Aberdeen, Cafe Drummonds
27th July - Sheffield, The Corporation
06th Aug - Leicester, The Firebug Summer sundae fringe festival
11th Aug - Oxford, The Port Mahon
12th Aug - Fleet, The Links Hotel
13th Aug - Ashford, Downtown Diner
14th Aug - Harrogate, The Moko Lounge
19th Aug - Grantham, The Black Dog
27th Aug - Guildford, The Boileroom
08th Sept - Guildford, The Star
16th Sept - Kingston, The Fightiing Cocks
26th Sept - Oxford, The Wheatsheaf
27th Sept - London, Bardens Boudouir
18th Oct - Cambridge, The Portland Arms
19th Oct - Luton, George the 2nd
20th Oct - Oxford, The Wheatsheaf
21st Oct - Leeds, Brainwash Festival
22nd Oct - Glasgow, Bar Bloc
23rd Oct - Edinburgh, Henry's cellar Bar
24th Oct - Middlesbrough, Dr Browns
25th Oct - Leicester, The Charlotte
26th Oct - Coventry, Taylor Johns House
27th Oct - London, The Fly

Fury UK, one of the hottest upcoming rock bands in the UK currently, play The Met on 3rd August as part of a fundraising event presented by the Bury Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Democracy Group in aid of the Participants Award Presentation later this year. The evening starts at 7.00pm & tickets are available from the Met ticket office on Market Street or by telephone on 761-2216. The support bands are also locally based - The Humanity Project, Astrix & Void The Warranty.

August is a busy month for Fury UK. In addition to the gig at The Met there's a welcome return to Hark To Towler, Tottington on 18th August & in the last week of the month the band is touring Norway, linking up with 2 Norwegian bands & playing 5 dates across the country, including the capitol Oslo. The band's lead guitarist & vocalist Chris Appleton says "The Norway tour is something we've all been looking forward to this year & is a great chance to play our first international dates. There's been great press & radio coverage for us in Norway during the last 12 months so we can't wait to get started".

Hi Everybody, hope you are all enjoying the summer (or what is supposed to be summer here in Europe). A few things have come to light in recent days regarding some bands playing FF4 in Nottingham in October .First off , with Harem Scarem announcing they will go their separate ways after the current tour, FIREFEST 4 will be HAREM SCAREM’s final gig anywhere in the world, so if you want to avail of your final opportunity to see the band live in the flesh one last time, Rock City, Nottingham is the place to be on Oct 27^th. We will be speaking with the Harem Scarem guys shortly to see what, if anything ,we can do to make this their most memorable gig ever.

Regarding Threshold, their lead singer Andy Mc Dermott has not been able to perform with the band at some festival shows in Europe this weekend, and they are currently being assisted by the return of previous vocalist Damien Wilson . However according to band member Richard West , Wilson’s return at this moment in time is a temporary measure as the band remain unclear as to Mac’s current disposition. As soon as the position becomes clearer regarding the current vocalist problems , we will let you know.

TYKETTO have also confirmed it will be the ORIGINAL line up of Vaughn, St James, Kennedy and Clayton that will take the stage on Oct 27^th . As you are no doubt aware, the guys are all busy outside of Tyketto, and scheduling was problematic, but Jimmy Kennedy will now join the band for the FIREFEST show meaning once again the four guys that created ‘Don’t come Easy’ will rock the house. Anybody that saw the reunion tour of 2004 will know exactly what to expect, for those of you that missed out, here’s the chance to see just what an incredible live band the Tykes are. Incidentally , with no future plans for the band , Mike and Danny are convinced that this will be the last time the Tykes hit the road .

Ticket sales for FIREFEST 4 have been PHENOMONAL . Thank you for your support so far. Almost 70% of tickets for the Saturday show are now sold, and ticket sales remain extremely strong as summer nears it’s end. With Harem Scarem confirming FIREFEST 4 will be their last live performance anywhere in the world, and Tyketto as much as admitting the same , we expect the demand for tickets to increase sharply in the coming weeks, so if you are thinking about coming along , please get your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Please also feel free to check out our web site for news, hints and tips, as well as sound bytes and video of bands playing the show.

Tickets are available from the following outlets :

TICKETS : Saturday : £46.00 incl. Postage: Friday : £20 incl. Postage - Please note Friday tickets are ONLY AVAILABLE directly from FIREFEST or Rock City .
 
Tickets can be purchased from the following outlets :

Directly from FIREFEST using cheque, cash (at senders own risk) or postal order. Payments made to Mr. B. Mee and send to: Fireworks Magazine, 10 Dunnock Close , Offerton , Stockport, SK2 5XD, England.

Payments can also be made directly to FIREFEST using paypal. Paypal address : fireworks.mag@ntlworld.com Please allow 21 days for delivery of tickets
 
Rock City Ticketing details
Online Agencies: www.alt-tickets.co.uk Box Office Telephone : 0115 9588484 Or by calling in person to the box office at Rock City, 8 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GG. 
 
Loud 1, 144 Congleton Road, Biddulph, Stoke on Trent, Staffs ST8 6QN Tel +44 (0)1782 522370 / Fax +44 (0)1782 765013 -  E-mail: gez@loud1.net

Destiny Records, PO Box 139, Fareham, PO15 7JE Tel +44(0) 1489 603549 / Fax +44 (0) 1489 603550  E-mail: destiny.records@ntlworld.com
 
ST Records, 165 Wolverhampton Road, Dudley, West Midlands, Tel: + 44 (0)1384 230726

Should you have any queries regarding ticketing, please contact firefest@hotmail.com or fireworks.mag@ntlworld.com and you will receive a reply within 24 hours.

German Deathheads Fleshcrawl have finished recordings for their new album "Structures Of Death"!

For the first time in the bands history Fleshcrawl didn't record in Sweden, but in Studio Toninfusion in their home city of Ulm/Germany with Martin Schmitt on the soundboard. The clear and heavy rough mixes proved their decision to be right! Pelle Saether at Studio Underground in Västeras, Sweden mixed and mastered the album once again and delivered the perfect job!

“Structures Of Death" contains 12 in-your-face old school Death Metal songs with a lot of variation. Killer melodies and smashing, neck breaking riffs of incomparable catchiness make “Structures Of Death" one of the best Death Metal releases in 2007!

The track listing for "Structures Of Death" is as follows

Skulls of the Rotten (Intro), Structures of Death, Into the Fire of Hell, Written in Blood, A Spirit dressed in Black, Fleshcult, Into the Crypts of scattered Souls, Anthem of Death, Nothing but Flesh remains, Rest in Pain (R.I.P), About Mortality and War of the Dead


The limited first edition will be released in Digipack format and will include a bonustrack ('Rockin´ Is My Business - cover by The Four Horsemen)!