Watch for ICED EARTH's three-CD live set, Alive In Athens soon. The album was recorded at two sold out shows at the Rodon Club earlier this year. In the US, it will be released as a two-CD set, but the full three CD's will still be available directly from Century Media. The artwork is available on http://www.icedearth.com and there's a new interview with frontman Jon Schaeffer at http://www.metalmeltdown.com. Here's the track list for the two-disc US version: CD #1 - 'Burning Times,' 'Vengeance Is Mine,' 'Pure Evil,' 'My Own Savior,' 'Melancholy (Holy Martyr),' 'Dante's Inferno,' 'The Hunter,' 'Travel In Stygian,' 'Slave To The Dark,' 'A Question Of Heaven;' CD #2 - 'Dark Saga,' 'Last Laugh,' 'Last December,' 'Watching Over Me,' 'Angel's Holocaust,' 'Stormrider,' 'Path I Choose,' 'I Died For You,' 'Prophecy,' 'Birth Of The Wicked,' 'The Coming Curse' and 'Iced Earth'. In related news, BLIND GUARDIAN vocalist Hansi Kursch recently came to the U.S. to work with Schaffer on their DEMONS AND WIZARDS side project.

The reunited ARMORED SAINT have started pre-production work on their forthcoming album at a Los Angeles rehearsal studio and tracking will commence within the next couple of weeks. The line-up is the same as on "Symbol Of Salvation" - John Bush (vocals), Joey Vera (bs), Gonzo Sandoval (drums), Jeff Duncan (guitar), and Phil Sandoval (guitar) - after which the band broke up in 1991. Songs slated to appear on the new record include re-tooled versions of 'Creepy Feelings' and 'What's Yer Pleasure?', both originally demoed with the late David Prichard on guitar, 'Den Of Thieves', and 'The Pillar' (cut for but left off the "Hellraiser III" OST), along with newly-penned tunes such as 'Control Issues', 'Tension', 'Deep Rooted Anger', and 'Pay Dirt'. In related news, Armored Saint also appear on the just released Grita! Records compilation "Metalo", which features another classic Pritchard-era demo track, 'Pirates'. For regular updates go to: www.armoredsaint.com

Due out in late August, here's the tracklisting to Nuclear Blast's Tribute to ACCEPT: SINNER -'Balls To The Wall', HAMMERFALL - 'Head Over Heels', GRAVE DIGGER - 'Starlight', WATCHTOWER - 'Run If You Can', PEGAZUS - 'Restless & Wild', SACRED STEEL - 'Fight It Back', SEVEN WITCHES - 'Monsterman', THERION - 'Seawinds', NEW EDEN - 'The King', TAROT - 'China Lady', PRIMAL FEAR - 'Breaker', AXXIS - 'Flash Rockin' Man', SODOM - 'I'm A Rebel', ATROCITY -'Shake Your Head', TANKARD - 'Son Of A Bitch', DIMMU BORGIR - 'Metal Heart', METALIUM -'Burning', RYKERS - 'London Leatherboys' and STEEL PROPHET - 'Fast As A Shark'. As well, here's the TENTATIVE line-up for the Meteor City IRON MAIDEN tribute, due out in November: CROWBAR - 'Remember Tomorrow', WARDOG - 'Purgatory', SOLACE (formerly GODSPEED) - 'Another Life', COSMOSQUAD with Ray Adler (FATES WARNING) - 'Murders In The Rue Morgue', ETERNAL ELYSIUM - 'Innocent Exile', JOHN WEST (ARTENSION) with Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE) - 'Run To The Hills', TCHORT - 'The Number Of The Beast', LASA CRUCES - 'The Prisoner', ARCHIE BUNKER with John Perez (SOLITUDE AETURNUS) - 'Prowler', SEBASTIAN BACH - 'Children Of The Damned', THE QUILL - 'Where Eagles Dare', HOLY MOTHER - 'The Trooper', PHAROAH (featuring CONTROL DENIED vocalist Tim Aymar - 'Revelations', Ian Parry with KAMELOT - 'Flight Of Icarus', DOFKA - 'Powerslave', ELEVENTH HOUR - 'Alexander The Great', ERROR7 - 'Stranger In A Strange Land', CAGE - 'Sea Of Madness', SOLSTICE - 'The Prophecy' and SHALLOW - 'Moonchild'...

Conquest Music in Florida has truly jumped on the tribute bandwagon and are looking for bands to cover the following acts: METAL CHURCH (submission deadline September 1), POISON (deadline September 15) and FATES WARNING (October 1). The label has scheduled two tributes for the fall, Out Of The Dungeons - a Tribute To SAVATAGE and a DEF LEPPARD tribute called Tributized. The Savatage tribute has the following band/track listinging: CIVILIAN ('Prelude To Madness'), DOFKA ('Hall Of The Mountain King'), CAGE ('The Dungeons Are Calling'), PSYCHO SCREAM - 'City Beneath The Surface', OPPOSITE EARTH ('Of Rage And War'), PREMONITION ('White Witch'), DIVISION ('Power Of The Night'), CIPHER ('Chance'), TWILIGHT KINGDOM - 'Gutter Ballet' and WRAITH - '24 Hours Ago'. The bands on the Def Leppard tribute include the following no-names: CREASE, ERIC KNIGHT BAND, HEAR HERE, MAMMA'S ROOT, PREMONITION, THE NOCTURNALS, FLIC, WRAITH and KLANK. If that's not enough (!!!), the following tributes are in the planning stages: METALLICA, BON JOVI, AEROSMITH, RANDY RHOADS, DREAM THEATER, KING'S X, W.A.S.P., DEATH, MANOWAR, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, TESTAMENT and ANTHRAX. To add further salt to the wound (!), they are also planning the following 'non-band' tributes: Back To The Bootcamp - A Tribute To Combat Records, Let The Axe Fall - A Tribute To Metal Blade Records: '83-'91, Thrashed - A Tribute To The Bay Area, Power & Glory - A Tribute To Noise Records and Shred Fest - A Tribute To Shrapnel Records. For more info contact Eric Hoffman at (954) 587-3600 or mailto: conrecords@aol.com

READING ZERO, featured on the new Powerquest compilation CD (Thomas Youngblood of KAMELOT has pieced it together), have released The Actual and are going into the studio in July to record their next album. For more info check out www.readingzero.com.

will join his ELEGY bandmates in Tampa, FL, to cut 'The Flight Of Icarus' for the upcoming IRON MAIDEN tribute record on MeteorCity. While in the US he'll also hawk his new solo album, which is due out via Inside Out, as well as work on the next KAMELOT album, due out via Noise in January.

QUEENSRYCHE's ninth album, Q2K, will be out on September 14th. The album was produced by Kelly Gray, who has been officially added as the band's new guitarist, replacing Chris DeGarmo. A tour is planned for early to mid-October.

PSYCHOTIC WALTZ has a new live CD out now called Dark Millenium. Dan Rock's DARKSTAR project has a second album, Heart Of Darkness, released this fall. For more info go to www.psychoticwaltz.com.

Dream Theater drummer MIKE PORTNOY spent the 4th of July weekend at Millbrook studios laying down tracks for his latest all-star side project. Joining Portnoy are MARILLION bassist Pete Trewavas, Neal Morse, lead vocalist/multi-instrumentalist for L.A.'s SPOCK'S BEARD, and FLOWER KINGS mastermind Roine Stolt on guitar. The album will reportedly be out on Metal Blade. In related news, Dream Theater are scheduled to begin mixing their new studio album with David Bottrill (TOOL, KING CRIMSON, PETER GABRIEL) at Electric Ladyland studios in New York on July 15th. According to Portnoy, the band are "on track for an October-ish release" with an extensive world tour to follow.

September looks to be an expensive month for fans of FATES WARNING as both mainman JIM MATHEOS and vocalist RAY ALDER unveil solo albums. Matheos' all-instrumental Away With Words, a follow-up of sorts to his highly acclaimed 1994 debut First Impressions, will hit the streets on September 9th and also features FW drummer Mark Zonder, jazz/fusion bassist Michael Manring (MICHAEL HEDGES, etc.), and violinist Charlie Bisharat, who's worked with everyone from JOHN 'E.T.' TESH and SHADOWFAX to KITARO. Meanwhile, Alder's DEFTONES-flavored ENGINE project has the singer join forces with FW pal/ARMORED SAINT bassist Joey Vera (who also engineered and produced the album), AGENT STEEL axeman Bernie Versailles, and drummer Pete Parada (FACE TO FACE). Engine will be in stores September 21st. Also, Alder recently hooked up with L.A.'s COSMOSQUAD, featuring new UFO lead guitarist Jeff Kollman, bassist Barry Sparks and drummer Shane Gaalaas from MSG, to track 'Murders In The Rue Morgue' for Meteor City's upcoming IRON MAIDEN tribute record.

September looks to be an expensive month for fans of FATES WARNING as both mainman JIM MATHEOS and vocalist RAY ALDER unveil solo albums. Matheos' all-instrumental Away With Words, a follow-up of sorts to his highly acclaimed 1994 debut First Impressions, will hit the streets on September 9th and also features FW drummer Mark Zonder, jazz/fusion bassist Michael Manring (MICHAEL HEDGES, etc.), and violinist Charlie Bisharat, who's worked with everyone from JOHN 'E.T.' TESH and SHADOWFAX to KITARO. Meanwhile, Alder's DEFTONES-flavored ENGINE project has the singer join forces with FW pal/ARMORED SAINT bassist Joey Vera (who also engineered and produced the album), AGENT STEEL axeman Bernie Versailles, and drummer Pete Parada (FACE TO FACE). Engine will be in stores September 21st. Also, Alder recently hooked up with L.A.'s COSMOSQUAD, featuring new UFO lead guitarist Jeff Kollman, bassist Barry Sparks and drummer Shane Gaalaas from MSG, to track 'Murders In The Rue Morgue' for Meteor City's upcoming IRON MAIDEN tribute record.

The POWERQUEST compilation, put together by Thom Youngblood, guitarist of KAMELOT, featuring "The best new bands in power, melodic, prog and true metal". Bands include MONARQUE, TWILIGHT KINGDOM, CAGE, MYSTIC FORCE, MIDEVIL, DIGITAL RUIN, READING ZERO, ION VEIN, SOUNDSCAPE, AZTEC JADE, FORSEEN, INDUSTRIAL EDEN, WINTERS BANE, EMPYRIA and DELUSION.

KAMELOT are currently in Tampa for pre-production with producer/HEAVEN'S GATE guitarist Sascha Paeth (ANGRA/RHAPSODY), before leading to Hannover, Germany for the recording of their fourth album, scheduled for a Jan. 2000 release.

combo of PORTNOY/MORSE/TREWAVAS/STOLT has finished recording the basic tracks for their album. In related news, Mike Portnoy has a new official website at www.mikeportnoy.com chock full of multimedia goodies.

have been forced to bow out of both their scheduled European live appearances, the Wacken Festival in Germany and Holland's upstart Prog Power event, in what were to be the band's only 2 shows in 1999. According to mainman/guitarist JIM MATHEOS, "we were forced to cancel Wacken due to the fact that Massacre (our European label) would not advance us enough money for our airfare. With the festival at peak travel time we needed to secure flights months ahead and could not afford tickets for the band and crew without an advance. When Massacre declined our request we were left with no way to purchase flights and forced to cancel. As for Prog Power, it was made clear to us from the beginning by the promoters that they would have to find enough sponsors to cover their expenses in order to make it all happen. When it became clear to them that they would not find the necessary sponsors they decided to pull the plug on our performance."It now looks like there will not be any Fates Warning shows until after the release of the band's next record, which is currently in the writing stages and may get under way before the end of the year. JIM MATHEOS' second solo outing, "Away With Words", will be out September 9, followed by vocalist RAY ALDER's self-titled ENGINE project on September 21, both via Metal Blade.

Guitarist/producer Roy Z has just completed work on the new TRIBE OF GYPSIES album, now titled Standing on the Shoulders of Two Giants, which is scheduled for a Japanese release in September via JVC/Victor. The disc will feature a total of 12 tunes including a cover of the GARY MOORE classic 'Parisienne Walkways'. For the latest info go to www.tribeofgypsies.com. Up next on Z's schedule is overseeing the final mix of the forthcoming BRUCE DICKINSON double live album, due out in September on Air Raid. Recorded during Bruce's recent tour of Brazil, the album is a quasi-retrospective of the singer's solo career and will contain material from all of Dickinson's release with the exception of "Skunkworks", but none of the Iron Maiden songs the band had in their live set for 'The Chemical Wedding' tour.

John West is the new vocalist for ROYAL HUNT, replacing the ousted D.C. Cooper. John's previous credits include the band ARTENSION and a tour with LYNCH MOB as well as studio work with the late Cozy Powell. He also has released his own album on Shrapnel. West will be taking off for Copenhagen soon to lay down his vocal tracks and could be on the road with the Danish rockers as early as late 1999. The band is in the studio recording their new album tentatively titled, Fear. Unlike the previous album, Paradox, the new one will not be a concept album, yet it will be written with a theme in mind (following the trend as with every Royal Hunt album). It is scheduled for an October release. In the meantime, plans are underway to release a Royal Hunt live album domestically. The material will be culled from their previous live albums, 1996 and Closing The Chapter. In related West news, Artension are currently working on a follow-up to 'Forces of Nature' at Prairie Sun Studios in Northern California. The album will most likely be the band's last with West on vocals who is apparently making a full-time commitment to Royal Hunt. The singer also recently completed vocals on 'Run to the Hills' for Meteor City's forthcoming IRONMAIDEN tribute album; the track also features SAVATAGE members Chris Caffery (g) and Jeff Plate (dr), and bassist Jeff Howell (FOGHAT, OUTLAWS).

SONATA ARCTICA, a melodic, keyboard frenzied band that connects the sounds of countrymen STRATOVARIUS and CHILDREN OF BODOM, have issued two songs ('UnOpened'/'Mary-Lou') on Spinefarm records, who will release the Finns' full length debut this Fall.

STIGMATA IV just entered the Big Apple Studios in Austria again to record their next studio album entitled Phobia. Rumors are around that a remake song of the Jesus Christ Superstar opera should be on that album.

The long awaited CRIMSON GLORY comeback album, Astronomica, has been delayed yet again, and is now scheduled for a late September release via Spitfire in North America, Rising Sun in Europe, and King Records in Japan. The Floridians have also undergone a couple of line-up changes in the last few weeks. Original guitarist Ben Jackson has returned to the band while Steve Wacholz (ex-SAVATAGE) is taking over on drums for the departing Ravi Jakothia. The new Crimson Glory also features main man/guitarist Jon Drenning, bassist Jeff Lords and new vocalist Wade Black. "Well, I'm here to tell you that our new CD Astronomica DOES indeed exist," Drenning stated online recently. "It is scheduled for release at the end of September on Spitfire (USA), N.T.S. Records (France), Rising Sun Records (Europe) and King Records (Japan). For those of you that have concerns about our new singer, Wade Black, you can rest at ease. Wade is truly a special singer with an incredibly unique voice..think Midnight but much tougher. To compare Wade to Midnight is simply unfair. However, in our opinion,Wade is simply stronger, tougher and more powerful overall. His nickname is "The War Machine" and when you see and hear him you'll understand why. To those of you that have been asking why this CD too so long to complete, there are several reasons. It seems that someone or some 'group' of persons were, and in some cases still are, doing their very best to make it as difficlut as possible for us to complete the CD, as many strange and myserious as yet unexplained things have happened over the past several months that have cause us serious concerns at one time or another. At one point during the recording, many of the songs which we had completed had been mysteriously erased in some case, or particular data had compeletly vanished. This is only one example...there have been many others equally disturbing events. It's like a true-life X-files episode or something. Something is going on and we hope to find out the truth. Anyway, I don't know how many of you are aware or not, but the primary subject matter on our new CD concerns the UFO phenomenon, the Egyptian pyramids and their relationship to the region known as Cydonia on Mars. As chance would have it, I've been able to get some very interesting stuff from various sources around the country which I have placed within some of the material on our new CD, but you'll just have to wait and hear it for yourself. I leave you with this: I can assure you that our new material is stronger and more uniqe than ever and will be sure to please the many dedicated and faithful CG fans around the globe. Although I am biased, I can say with complete sincerity, that I believe that Astronomica is the best CD we've ever made and will be well worth the wait."

CONTROL DENIED, featuring DEATH frontman Chuck Schuldiner, is a project which has been in the making for what seems like an eternity. However, the band's debut, The Fragile Art Of Existence will finally see the light of day this fall. Working alongside engineer/producer Jim Morris, the band features drummer Richard Christy, guitarist Shannon Hamm, bassist Steve DiGiorgio and ex-PSYCHO SCREAM singer Tim Aymar.

THE LONLEY BEARS is a forthcoming Magna Carta release featuring Terry Bozzio on drums, Tony Hymas on keyboards, Tony Coe on sax and Hugh Burns on guitar.

KAMELOT's Thomas Youngblood reveals this about the new Kamelot album: "I just just wanted to give you all a quick update on the progress. All has been great here (Heavens Gate Studios in Wolfsburg, Germany), Sascha (Paeth) is very cool to work with and the atmosphere is perfect. The new songs are very strong and there are some very epic fast ones".

ELP has reformed! Keith, Greg and Carl have agreed to join their friends, YES, on an extensive tour of the USA and EUROPE to begin mid August , 1999. Look for a statement on the Official ELP website in the next few days, along with a list of tour dates.