Souldevourer drummer Joakim Sterner exclusively told us the following when being asked whether the band is just a project type of thing or not: "The band is 100% serious and is absolutely NOT a side-project. I will both play in Necrophobic and Souldevourer and the same goes for Ola with Grave. Robert just has this band. Souldevourer are now working to complete a first release. Right now, there's only material from Robert. Music that has not been used, but still carries a lot of great energy. We will build the first songs around that material."

According to singer Bob Reid, RAZOR have six new songs finished for their next studio record. As previously reported, guitarist Dave Carlo underwent surgery on his ailing picking thumb in a London, ON hospital on March 7th. According to Reid, "his hand has healed up nicely." RAZOR continue work on the follow-up to 1997's "Decibels" and their 20th Anniversary CD / DVD box set, due out later this year. In related news, Reid's breaking "side-project", BOBNOXIOUS has issued their new single, 'Won't Go Quietly' to Canadian radio. Their self-titled debut is being reissued by Indiestructable Records / Maple Music / Universal Records with different packaging, cover, new photos on June 7th.

A picture of Swedish Minister of Arts and Culture Leif Pagrotsky wearing a DARK FUNERAL wristband can be found at the band's website here. DARK FUNERAL have entered Dug Out Studios in in Uppsala, Sweden with producer Daniel Bergstrand (MESHUGGAH, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, IN FLAMES, BEHEMOTH) to begin the work on the followup to 2001's, "Diabolis Interium". Candlelight USA with Regain Records will issue the band's recent live album, "De Profundis Clamavi Ad Te Domine" today.

EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt has posted the following update in the Official Exodus Attack Forum at their website: "Just letting everyone know we are hitting the studio June 4th and all systems are go! In only nine rehearsals Paul (Bostaph, ex - SLAYER / FORBIDDEN) has all the songs down and everything is crushing! We are recording at Trident Studios in Pacheco, CA. and the record will then be mixed by the man himself, Andy Sneap (NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY). I'm fired up and ready to get started! The riffs are crazy heavy, Paul's feet are 'a flying (yeah, I know, last time I mentioned Pauls feet it turned into a big "this guys feet are the fastest" sort of thing. Yes, I have heard the other guys mentioned, and yes, they are fast as fuck. Forgive me for being a bit excited!) and I will post updates from the studio on a regular basis. It's pretty remarkable that we are hitting the studio in such a short time after Tom's illness (He's feeling better, by the way) but right now I don't feel there is anything that can stop us. You have no idea what you are in for with this new record." EXODUS' follow-up to last year's "Tempo Of The Damned", is their first release with new singer Rob Dukes and will be out later this year through Nuclear Blast.

VOMITORY have posted the following message at their website (www.vomitory.net): “On the 28th of May, VOMITORY will enter Speedball Studios (Sweden) to record the song ‘Mass Appeal Madness’ for the upcoming NAPALM DEATH tribute album on No Tolerance Records. The mixing will be done by the long-time companion Henrik Larsson. VOMITORY has also been confirmed for Gothenburg Deathfest on the 3rd of September.”

BOLT THROWER are currently working on their 8th studio album with producer Andy Faulkner.

TANK vocalist / bassist Algy Ward has issued the following update: “I will be in the studio, finishing off the demo backing tracks for the "Sturmpanzer" album in the next two weeks." For more information visit TANK’s This Means War website at http://www.angelfire.com/dc/tank.

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Here's an official press release of Souldevourer, a new Swedish "all-star" Death Metal band: "After 8 years away from the Death Metal scene, guitarist Robert Sennebäck (one of the founding members of Dismember and Unleashed) felt a strong eager to return and start creating music again. A lot of old written material was found, too valuable to be unheard, gave the inspiration to build up a new band from scratch. The vision of the band is of course to be oldschool, the way the music sounded from the beginning, back in the late 80s. To create such music, Souldevourer only consist of already well known people that have the right experience in the Death Metal scene and its development from the old days and have the right attitude and strong passion for the filthy early sound. There will be no demos or pre-productions released offcially. Interested record companies are welcome to contact the band through mail@souldevourer.se to discuss a possible agreement. Magazines and Fanzines are also welcome to book or send interviews to the same address. Souldevourer can be reached on the web at www.souldevourer.se, where you can download this press release, logo and photos, all in high resolution for printing. A forum where Souldevourer will post all the news and updates can be reached from the same address." Souldevourer are: Robert Sennebäck - guitar & vocals (ex - dismember, ex - unleashed), Ola Lindgren - guitar & backing vocals (grave) and Joakim Sterner - drums (necrophobic).

This year's WACKEN OPEN AIR is gonna rock the Metal world from August, 4th until August 6th in that small German town called Wacken (where else?), north of Hamburg. Shall we even bother to tell you about it? Voices readers probably at least heard about it and those who have the chance will probably be there anyway. Just in case you haven't heard about it - check our reports of previous festivals at the specials section. Some of this year's highlights will be a possibly ever exclusive performance of SweDeath allstars BLOODBATH, one of the few ACCEPT reunion gigs (it really doesn't look as if those guys like each other anymore - so if they're not going bankrupt, there won't be another chance to see that legend and at least at the Rock Hard Festival they fuckin' rocked!) and Ramon is gonna crawl on his knees all the way to Wacken for CANDLEMASS anyway. For the whole W:O:A line up check out our tourdates section or take a look at the festival's official website you find below. The special surprise act will be MACHINE HEAD who won't play another German festival this year! Or maybe you'd rather support the underground and check out the "Metal Battle" at the tent stage? Finally, there's an official book available now called "Wacken History". In this book you find statements from bands who played at the W:O:A the last 15 years, backstage reports, storys about the W:O:A and many previously unreleased pictures. See you in Wacken - rain or shine! http://www.wacken.com

Osmose Productions will be releasing an ABSU anthology double CD / LP in September, 2005. The album, which is entitled "Mythological Occult Metal: 1991 - 2001", was compiled by Equitant and re-mastered by Proscriptor. It will feature a total of 21 tracks (EP-, compilation- and cover - tracks as well as live recordings), material that was never featured on any of ABSU’s five official album releases. 

Negură Bunget decided to postpone the release of the new album "OM" for autumn 2005 due to delays with the composition and recording. The album will be initially released by code666 Records in a limited edition with a very special packaging, containing (besides the CD) a full DVD, featuring a brand new clip for a track of the album, live footages from Negură Bunget gigs, a detailed media gallery, interviews, presentation, making-off, and lots of other extras. To compensate the delay with the release of their new album, the band prepared a mini MCD entitled "Inarborat Kosmos", which will also be released by code666 Records at the end of May in a strictly limited edition of 734 copies. You can expect more than 20 minutes of exclusive music recorded and mixed by Negură Bunget at their own studio, as well as a multimedia part. Negură Bunget is furthermore preparing an European Tour right after the release of the OM album. The tour is scheduled for the second part of October, first part of November. They will bring along their whole backline (including the drum set, guitar and bass combos), an opening band for all the dates and coordinate the promotion for the tour with the promotion of the new album. If you are interested in booking a date on the tour, please get in contact with the band at contact@negurabunget.com to arrange the details.

Once again, the BANG YOUR HEAD FESTIVAL is going to take place in Balingen, Germany. This year’s motto is called “Best of 10 Years” – so guess what they’re celebrating! There are voting polls where you can vote for the running order and there is still 1 “very special guest” to be confirmed, so be sure to check out the homepage of one of the most relaxed big festivals around regularly: www.bang-your-head.de

The following note was sent to us via email the other day, so we can't guarantee if it's confirmed already: "Some days ago Eduardo Navarrete, manager from Picoroco Records (Chile) was found dead, today was his funeral, Chile lost a cool guy & support to underground."

HEATHEN have just issued the following statement about the loss of their former bass player Michael “Yaz” Wayne Jastremski, who passed away on May 23, 2005: "We are numb and deeply saddened by the death of our brother Mike "Yaz" Jastremski, who passed on May 23, 2005 of a heart attack while going through detox. We are shocked at the news, because Yaz left us, HEATHEN, in June 2004 after deciding to seek rehabilitation. We felt it was more important to have Yaz clean as a friend than have him in the band, so we fully supported his decision. It hurts to know he died trying. It is within these moments we strive for some heartfelt expression or to say something meaningful, but find the loss of such words. How do you put into words the feelings you have about losing someone that has walked beside you for so many years? We always feel we have another day. We don't think about the words we hope never to have to write. There are so many things to say about Yaz, it could not possibly be said in any one statement. To know Yaz was to deeply love him. To say that Yaz was nothing short of amazing would understate the depth of who he was. No matter what we all remember about Yaz, we all agree on how he made us feel and how he touched our lives with his ability to make us laugh and cry. Yaz made every journey an adventure. We are sure this journey will be no different. Yaz, we will miss but not forget all that you were. We are asking radio stations to play "In Memory Of" off the HEATHEN "Recovered" album, one more time for Yaz."

Here's the complete tracklist / bands that will appear on the upcoming NECROVORE tribute album on From Beyond Productions: THORNSPAWN - Mutilated Death, BESTIAL MOCKERY - Slaughtered Remains (tbc), PENTACLE - Divus De Mortuus, BLOODSTORM - Toxic Decay, MORBOSIDAD - Mutilated Death, HEADHUNTER D.C. - Slaughtered Remains, THRONEUM - Divus De Mortuus and ABOMINATOR - Toxic Decay.

DISSECTION mainman Jon Nödtveidt has posted the following message at the band's website concerning the cancelled appearance at Metalist Festival, Israel, June 22. "I unfortunately have to inform you about the fact that DISSECTION have been cancelled from the Metalist Festival in Israel (a gig which was 100% confirmed), obviously as a result of Mr. Dave Mustaine of MEGADETH (who are headlining the festival) not wanting to play with Satanic bands (according to himself because of his new-found Christian beliefs)! I'm also informed that we are supposed to share the bill with MEGADETH at Fury Fest (France) later in June so I therefore want to say, on the behalf of both DISSECTION and myself; "Mustaine, you dare to put yourself in our way but you don't dare to meet us? You want to have DISSECTION canceled because you do not dare to face true opponents in faith?! You think this will stop us?! We are Satanists, yes, truly enemies of yours! For we are the antithesis to cowards like you! If you are a man of true belief, meet us in France at Fury Fest and stand up for it! Or will you have us canceled this time too?"

Poland’s Agonia Records are set to issue US Black Metallers SATHANAS’ "Flesh For The Devil" MCD. The release, which was previously available through Still Dead Productions, will be available through Agonia on May 31st. Samples of tracks from "Flesh For The Devil" can currently be heard at www.myspace.com/sathanas. The artwork for "Flesh For The Devil" was created by Chris Moyen. The tracklisting for the mini-CD is as follows: 'Unholy War', 'Invocation', 'Possessed By Blasphemy', 'Reign Of The Antichrist', 'Flesh For The Devil' and 'Nocturnal Hell' (SLAUGHTER cover).

EMPEROR's website www.emperorhorde.com reports that titles from the band’s catalog will be reissued in May on colored vinyl LPs. Titles to be reissued include: "Emperor", "In The Nightside Eclipse", "Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk", "IX Equilibrium" and "Prometheus - The Discipline Of Fire And Demise".

Germany's IMMORTAL RITES have finished four songs for their next full length so far. The album's supposed to be recorded by the end of the year.

Brazil's Death Metal squad INHERIT is currently searching for a label. A new demo CD entitled "...Of Sin, Suffering And Sorrow" is finished and will be available shortly. For all further information contact inherit_metal@hotmail.com or check out http://inherit.zip.net.

The German GEIST have released their debut album "Patina" on Solistitium Records past Monday. "Patina" combines the roughness of 90s northern Black Metal with some avantgarde and ambient influences. Sound samples can be obtained at www.the-geist-reich.de - if you're ordering it directly from the band you will receive a signed copy. The CD sells for 11,50 Euro (Germany) or 14,00 Euro (foreign countries), including p&p. Contact: alboin@the-geist-reich.de

Holland's Vic Records is back from the dead and with a busy schedule for the near future already. DECOLLATION, featuring both Deceiver guitar players Kristian Wahlin and Johan Osterberg (as well as a drummer and bassplayer) will record their album for them early next year. Besides that the label has signed the experimental Black Metal act TRANSCENDING BIZARRE from Greece, ANGELRUST from Ohio and TRIUMPH OF A DYING CULTURE. Furthermore they're negotiating with 2 more bands from Stockholm. A website is currently being created and will be online soon. We'll keep you posted!

After a short period of silence Necroharmonic Productions have returned with two more very cool compilation CDs of classic demo material: FATAL's "Retrospective From Hell" (which is already out) and ROTTREVORE's "Disembodied" (should be available shortly). New releases are furthermore in the works from Blood Storm ("Sirian Storm") as well as from the reformed Goreaphobia. The band recently recorded two tracks originally from 1990 (that never made it to their demo or 7" EP back then) as well as two brand new tracks. This will be combined with the "Morbidious Pathology" demo and some more items. Also signed to Necroharmonic now is Anatomia from Japan (featuring ex-members of Transgressor, with a release planned for the fall) and Germany's GUT (their brand new full length "The Cumback" will be out in the summer). More upcoming releases will include material by CORPSE MOLESTATION, MUCUPURULENT, THE RAUNCHOUS BROTHERS, DRIPPING and more. www.necroharmonic.com

Approximately four years after its first re-release via Mercenary Musik / WWIII, HEADHUNTER D.C.'s "...And The Sky Turns To Black..." album is going to be re-issued through Brazil's Dying Music Records (www.dyingmusic.com) once again. The material was remastered in the States for this and the re-issue will feature no less than 5 bonus tracks (covers of Possessed, Sodom, Kreator, Morbid Angel and Dorsal Atlântica), an extra slipcase cover and unpublished photos. It is scheduled for a June 2005 release. No confirmed news about the long overdue CD re-release of the band's "Punishment At Dawn" album yet, but chances are that this is also going to happen after all through the band's original label Cogumelu Records in mid 2005. Apart from that, HEADHUNTER D.C. are going to enter the studio within the next days to record 'Slaughtered Remains' for the Necrovore tribute LP on From Beyond Productions. There's also plans to record a brandnew track as well as the Sanctifier track 'Cycle Of The Entity' for a planned split 7" on Legion of Death. For all further info check out their website at www.headhunterdeathcult.hpg.com.br

Magick Records (a division of the L.A. based Cleopatra Label Group) has licensed the still current BURDEN OF GRIEF album "Fields Of Salvation" for North America. This also features a live version of 'Reborn' as a bonus track.

SURRENDER OF DIVINITY from Bangkok will release their new full length on From Beyond Productions in the fall of 2005.

AGATHOCLES have signed with Displeased Records. The upcoming album is almost completely written and rehearsed and will soon be recorded in a decent studio in Belgium.

Right after leaving Osmose ABOMINATOR signed with Displeased Records. Expect the band's new album later this year.

FUNERAL PROCESSION's cassette EP version of "Legion Cymru" has finally been released last Saturday by Intolerant Records / Canada (www.geocities.com/intolerant_records). It is limited to 333 handnumbered copies and comes with a pro-cover / tape and includes five bonustracks, among them two exclusive ones never to be available anywhere else. www.funeralprocession.net

SNAKEPIT magazine # 14 is out! Next to a bunch of very critical reviews, the new issue (as usual) features interviews with a whole bunch of classic Metal acts. This time you'll get very in-depth features on ANVIL CHORUS (coverstory, the longest interview EVER in the entire history of SNAKEPIT!), BRATS, CRYSTAL KNIGHT, DEAF DEALER, DESTRUCTION, FATE, GUTRIX, FARSCAPE, MERCYFUL FATE, MORDRED, ONSLAUGHT, PARIAH, POSSESSED, SATAN, SLAUTER XSTROYES, SOLDIER, STRATTSON, TROUBLE, TYGERS OF PAN TANG, ZOSER MEZ and a label special on MEGAFORCE RECORDS. 92 A4-sized pages in total, photocopied, but still with a full coloured cover. European Metalheads can order a single copy for 5,-Euro / five copies for 20,-Euro (well hidden cash, no coins!) from Laurent  Ramadier, La Cailloterie, 72210 Voivres Les Le Mans, France, email: snakepit2@free.fr, website: www.truemetal.org/snakepit/. US and South American readers can order a professionally printed copy (with glossy cover!) for $6 from Yosuke Konishi, P.O. Box 7055, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA. PayPal: yosukekonishi@yahoo.com, email: nuclearwarnow_prod@yahoo.com. SNAKEPIT # 15 is supposed to be out in October this year.

CELTIC FROST mainman Tom Gabriel Fischer has posted the following message at his official Blog (dated Friday, April 29th): "We recorded vocals for one of the songs for the final production demos for our new album yesterday, and we'll continue with two more on Saturday. Martin and I have worked on a variety of lyrics for months now… and some of the lyrics even go back much further than that. I had spent weeks preparing the vocal lines at my place and then took them to our rehearsal studio to practice them in absolute solitude, but with the energy of a live performance. As has always been true for CELTIC FROST, numerous rewrites became necessary to make everything work as it must for us to be satisfied. Martin (Ain - bass) often coached me where certain lines did not yet create the feel we had both imagined. Martin has always been a most resourceful vocal producer, but never before have we collaborated so closely. There had been some in and outside of the band who had already become slightly uneasy as we are nearing the completion of the album and there had not yet been any recorded lead vocals other than those I did last year for the Ground demo and a few that Martin recorded for some of his songs. It often bemused and sometimes annoyed me. I have always worked like that, and I have no intention whatsoever of changing my approach. This is the way I write best. Although I usually pen draft lyrics almost from the minute we begin rehearsing a song, it will take still so much work until I feel in my mind that lyrics and music truly merge. Most often, my vocals are the very last item to be recorded, and not everybody is happy about that. On the other hand, never have I prepared and practiced lead vocals for a CELTIC FROST album more extensively and professionally than I do right now. Martin's lyrics for 'Ain Elohim', one of our most passionate new songs, are a significant body of work. The lyrics are extensive and deep, and the song combines some four different vocal styles. I approached it with a great deal of respect and finally sang it for the first time this week. And the song and me became one almost from the first try. I was stunned and relieved. So we decided to begin the already scheduled vocal recording sessions last night with 'Ain Elohim'. Erol (Unala - guitars) engineered, Martin produced, and I sang. I have rarely felt more comfortable during a vocal recording session, and a lot of the credit for this must go to Erol, who was so quick, efficient and precise, and who, by now, knows by heart the sound requirements to bring out my strongest performances. We finished the session late at night, Martin and I performing backing vocals. I am now looking forward very much to Saturday's session. We'll begin with the lead vocals for 'No Thing Born' and hope to complete maybe two more songs before the day is over. Maybe our enthusiastic mood was boosted by our amusement over Sparrow-Hawk's ludicrous ten million word e-mail which we received mid-week and by my mocking of the hapless assertions contained therein. There's nothing better than somebody else proving to your friends what you have been telling them all along. Happiness is an album without dishonesty."

TAAKE will do an exclusive concert at the upcoming Hole In The Sky festival in Bergen this summer. The line-up will be: Hoest (vocals, guitar), Lava (bass), Mord (drums) & Ivar Bjoernson (ENSLAVED, guitar).

Germany’s ASSASSIN have made their first album since their 1988 release "Interstellar Experience" (SPV) available. The new album, entitled "The Club", can currently be ordered online. Tracks on the album include: ‘Bushwackers’, ‘Go Insane’, ‘The Club’, ‘I Swear’, ‘Not With Us’, ‘The Price Of Power’, ‘Real Friends’, ‘Psycho Terror’, ‘A Whole Life In One Moment’, ‘JinTian Shen Huo (Live For Today)’, ‘Raging Mob’, ‘No Fear’ and ‘Thunder and Lightning’ (THIN LIZZY cover). For more on the band visit their website at www.assassin-online.de

The following update has been posted at the AETERNUS website (www.aeternus-darkermonument.tk) by leader Ares: “Greetz. Some news... We have gotten ourselves a new guitarist, session guitarist. He will work with us and basically be there for us when we will do gigs in the future. His name is Dreggen! "Hexaeon" is still under production, this has been a slow process and it's sad to say it is still going slow... I will keep you updated as things progress, they ARE, but not so very fast as we all want it to. Sorry for this, I know U all wanna hear "Hexaeon", we too want it out and we wanna start making new songs too... after all... this album was recorded last summer... Ok, laters all... Thx for the patience, give us a bit more... pleez! Ares.” Tracks that are set to appear on "Hexaeon", due for release through Nocturnal Art Productions, include: ‘The Darkest Of Minds’, ‘GodHead Charlatan’, ‘The 9th Revolution’, ‘In The 3rd Dwells Oblivion’, ‘Hexaeon’, ‘Punished’, ‘Ageless Void’, ‘Christbait’ and ‘What I Crave’. More details on the release as they become available.

DESTRUCTION’s website (www.destruction.de) has been updated with the following: “Check out new Studio clip in our media section!! Watch DESTRUCTION record their new album with Peter Tägtgren and V.O. and Franky from GURD. Listen exclusively to a unmastered rough mix of one of the new songs, 'Soulcollector' (working title). Enjoy!” DESTRUCTION’s forthcoming new album, "Inventor Of Evil", will be released in Europe on August 15th through AFM Records. The new release will be available on CD and limited edition digi-pak CD. The band have been recording the new album with Peter Tätgtren (HYPOCRISY / PAIN), V.O. Pulver and their live engineer Franky Winkelmann. The production process is taking place at three different studios in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden, and Tägtgren will mix the effort at Abyss Studios in Sweden.

CENTINEX have finished recording, mixing and mastering their new album, "World Declension", due for release in late June (exact date TBC) in North America by Candlelight America and in Europe via Cold / Regain Records. The album contains the following tracklisting: Chapter I - Visions Of Armageddon: I. ‘Victorious Dawn Rising’, II. ‘Purgatorial Overdrive’, III. ‘The Destroyer’, IV. ‘As Legions Come’, V. ‘Sworn’. Chapter II - Earth Inferno: I. ‘Synthetic Sin Zero’, II. ‘Flesh Is Fragile’, III. ‘Wretched Cut’, IV. ‘Deconstruction Macabre’. Says the band, “This is the most well-written CENTINEX album by far with everything from share brutality and speed to calmer melodic parts. Also the production turned out better than anyone could have ever imagined. So you have been warned... We have been booked for two Swedish festivals, one to take place now in May and the other in the fall.”

VILE are in the final stages of recording and mixing for the upcoming release "The New Age Of Chaos". According to a band update, "We are recording the final two vocal and bass tracks right now. Mixing of the other songs is now in progress. Also artist Graal is in the process of creating the album art which should be very cool. This new CD is a sort of concept album that deals with the realities and horrors of a modern war with fundamentalist Islam. The final crusade, so to speak. Song names include titles like 'Suicide Warfare', 'Burning Shrines Of Worship', and 'To Die In Battle'. Produced by founding member Colin Davis, you can expect the clearest and most precise recording VILE has yet obtained, but with a huge presence that helps deliver the heaviness and relentless groove that is the patented VILE sound." The tracklisting for "The New Age Of Chaos" is as follows: 'Devour', 'Suicide Warfare', 'Ritual Decapitation', 'Burning Shrines Of Worship', 'The New Age Of Chaos', 'To Die In Battle', 'Deafening Silence', 'Sentenced To Live' and 'Ascension'. A full North American tour with DEEDS OF FLESH is being planned for October as well as a subsequent European tour in November with Danish Death Metallers, EXMORTEM.

According to Nuclear Blast Germany, Dutch Death Metallers SINISTER have been raised from the dead! "Fact is that after numerous letters and e-mails of fans around the world we reconsidered to revive the band again", states the band, "but drastic measures were needed in order to keep true to ourselves and to our fans that supported the band from the beginning." Which means that SINISTER decided to alter the line-up in an unorthodox way: Aad Kloosterwaard, drummer and founder of the band, will be the new vocalist. "This role is not new to him, since he is already handling the mic some time with his other bands BLASTCORPS and INFINITED HATE." Additionally bass player Alex Paul will switch to guitar while newcomer Paul Beltman (ex-JUDGEMENT DAY) shall be the new SINISTER drummer. A (session) bass player will be added when the band hits the road again. Plans for a new album are already at hand as well, as Alex, Aad and Paul explain: "Our vengeance to those we hate start at the end of this year when we will record our new album in the Stage One studio in Germany. The new album will be released again through Nuclear Blast Records, our brothers in crime, to whom we have the deepest respect for believing in SINISTER for all these years. As for our fans who supported us throughout the years and hopefully will again in the future!"

Parts of our news section appear courtesy of www.BraveWords.com

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