The two songs recorded by VULCANO for the "Thunder Metal" split EP with NIFELHEIM, 'The Evil Always Return' and 'Suffered Souls' are available at the band's myspace site www.myspace.com/vulcanobrazil now. I Hate Records will re-release the "Tales From The Black Book" album and for the many who didn't get a copy of the "Thunder Metal" split, the songs will be available in MCD format soon, too. In other news, IMPIETY has recorded a cover of VULCANO on their latest album "Formidonis Nex Cultus" (Agonia Records). The chosen song is 'Ready To Explode' from VULCANO's second full length.

Northern Germany's Death Metal masters INGURGITATING OBLIVION finally managed to find a new drummer in Ingo Neugebauer from FETOCIDE, who agreed to handle the drumming duties from now on. According to an official statement of the band, "the cooperation works out great" and one new song ('Burden Of Recurrence') is almost finalized, with another currently being worked on. The chemistry between INGURGITATING and Ingo seems to be perfect as they end the statement with the following note: "We are glad to finally have found a drummer in the person of Ingo who shares our musical vision." The band will play at the Drachten Deathfest 2007 on November 24 together with CAEDERE, SUFFOCATE BASTARD, CRANIOTOMY, PUTRIDITY, SEPTYCAL GORGE plus more bands to be announced. New INGURGITATING material should be ready be then. http://deathfest.iduna.nu, www.ingurgitating-oblivion.de

Tracks from the upcoming CRYFEMAL album "Apoteosis Oculta" can be checked out at this location. The album will contain  8 tracks, written in Spanish and have a total playing time of approximately 45 minutes.

Sweden's I Hate Records have just released the "Slaves Of The Burning Pentagram" debut full length by Germany's oldschool Thrashers HELLISH CROSSFIRE on CD. The album, which previously was only available on vinyl (also through I Hate), comes with a slightly different (yet of the similar style), improved coverartwork and is highly recommended to fans of VIOLENT FORCE, ASSASSIN, DARKNESS and likeminded 80s German Thrash acts. For a detailed review check out our review section. The label can be contacted at www.ihate.se.

And another re-release: DROWNED's latest 4 song demo "Viscera Terræ" will finally see the light of day again via Nuclear Winter Records from Greece. The label has picked up on it and will release this little gem of brutal oldschool Death Metal the Scandinavian way on a 12" vinyl EP. A more detailed description of the demo can be found in our review section. You may contact the label at www.nuclearwinter.cjb.net

Fans of 80s Speed / Thrash Metal will surely remember Staten Island's SAVAGE THRUST who made their vinyl debut on the second "Speed Metal Hell" compilation with the track 'Crown Of Thorns' (the sampler among others also featured FLOTSAM & JETSAM, AT WAR, POST MORTEM, SAMHAIN (DEN) and ANVIL BITCH). After all these years there's finally a tribute website dedicated online now, which can be found at www.savagethrust.com. It features lots of vintage pictures, music, videos and of course the necessary historical info, so make sure to check it out.

Germany's NECROS CHRISTOS have just published the following statement on their official website www.darknessdamnationdeath.com: "Due to many reasons, Necros Christos will not appear in Hamburg on the 5th of August which was supposed to happen with Sadistic Intent and Pentacle. We wish both bands the best for their upcoming show..."

Within four or five weeks Century Media Records will release a re-issue of the first two ASPHYX albums "The Rack" and "Last One On Earth" on vinyl. 

PRIMORDIAL will enter the studio in July and August to record the new album. "We are travelling across the water to Wales to the middle of nowhere to an old analog studio", says vocalist Alan. "There isn't a working title yet for the album and in typical PRIMORDIAL style there is a lot of work to be done on the songs but with a bit of luck and the Gods blessing we will pull the Iron out of the Fire once more. And with the blessing of Metal Blade it should be out in 2007." Sentinel Records from Ireland are going to release "The Gathering Wilderness" on picture disc, No Sign of Life from Finland Dark Romanticism and Black Ace from Holland look like doing "Storm Before Calm" on picture disc with some revised and improved artwork all before the end of the year. "I am also going to release a split 7" with a project I wrote some songs for called PLAGUED. I recorded a 2 track demo about 5 or more years ago. Finally Einheit Productions from Germany have persuaded me to release one track as a split 7" with Trimonium. I'm interested to see what people make of it. I'll put the track up there on my myspace site soon. How very 21st century of me… I might continue now and try and forge a proper line-up for the band with this shot in the arm of enthusiasm. We shall see." For more info check out the band's official website www.primordialweb.com.

And another change in the Party.San festival billing: DEICIDE will be replaced by MALEVOLENT CREATION. The band will release their new album "Doomsday X" in August and exclusively perform material from that record at the festival. Their current line-up reads as follows: Jon Rubin - guitars, Phil Fasciana - guitars, Dave Culross - drums, Jason Blachowicz - bass and Brett Hoffmann - vocals. www.party-san.de

CEPHALIC CARNAGE had to cancel their appearance at this year's Party.San Festival due to tour commitments in the US. They will be replaced by PRIMORDIAL. www.party-san.de

August will see the release of the picture disc version of PENTACLE's last album "Under The Black Cross" on Iron Pegasus Records. This release will feature new cover artwork by Manuel Tinnemans. The picture disc will be accompanied by a big format booklet including the lyrics (for the very first time). The band hopes to present this release at their upcoming gig with SADISTIC INTENT and NECROS CHRISTOS at the Ballroom in Hamburg, Germany on Sunday, August the 5th. 

Swedish KATALYSATOR recently changed their name to INVIDIOUS and with this change they opened a new myspace-account at www.myspace.com/invidiousdeathmetal including the following entry in their blogsection: “INVIDIOUS is exactly the same band as KATALYSATOR, but with a different purpose. With the first KATALYSATOR tape we only wanted to play old-sounding Death Metal. But now we have understood that it is so much more and with the "Mass Genocide Ritual" tape we wanted to go further, we wanted to explore the Metal of Death. With this new demo we feel that we have created something really disgusting and fucked up, great shit. We feel just like a new, ugly, rotten band with this tape, and that is exactly what we now have become... INVIDIOUS.“ KATALYSATOR’s 2nd demo "Mass Genocide Ritual“ is sold out now, so let’s hope that INVIDIOUS will release something pretty soon.

"Dämmerung der Szenarien", the new album of the South German Black Metal duo IMPERIUM DEKADENZ will be released via Perverted Taste in mid July. The first edition will be out as a digipack incl. a videoclip. You can check out two songs at www.myspace.com/imperiumdekadenz. Here's the complete tracklist: 'Into Breathless Sleep', 'Der Dolch im Gewande', 'Staub und Erinnerungen', 'Dämmerung der Szenarien', 'Hordes from the Dark Star', 'Nebelbrandung', 'Harmatia', 'Reich der fahlen Seelen', 'The Night whispers to the Wise' and 'Waiting'. www.imperium-dekadenz.de

UK Thrashers SABBAT and ANIMAL ALPHA are the latest addition to this year's WACKEN OPEN AIR. Due to this, some changes in the running order have occured. www.wacken.com

After approximately six months of inactivity Germany's Iron Pegasus Records is finally back in action again. Here's a little rundown on what's supposed to come out in the next couple of months: AFTER DEATH - "Retronomicon" CD (feat. Mike Browning, the legendary drummer and singer of MORBID ANGEL, NOCTURNUS and ACHERON - the CD includes 4 different recording sessions with a total playing time of about 70 minutes), MESSIAH - "Unreleased Demo 1984" LP (except for two songs this old raw demo has never been released or published in its entire length), ENFORCER - EP (a pure Heavy Metal band with a sound somewhere in-between EXCITER and BLITZKRIEG), HELLBANGERS METAL FORCES compilation LP / CD (exclusive tracks from DESASTER, METAL INQUISITOR, NOCTURNAL, GOAT MESSIAH, WITCHBURNER, HAR SHATAN, URN, FLAME and EVIL WITCH) and DESASTER - "Satan's Soldiers Syndicate" LP / PicDisc (brandnew studioalbum, CD on Metal Blade Records). For all further info check out www.iron-pegasus.de

This year's WACKEN OPEN AIR is close to being sold out. The remaining tickets are only available through www.metaltix.com, there will be no tickets at the doors and no one- or two-day-passes either. In the meantime two bands have already been confirmed for 2008's edition of the festival: IRON MAIDEN and KREATOR. More info: www.wacken.com

Here's the final track listing for SUICIDAL ANGELS debut album "Eternal Domination" which will be released on July 16, 2007: 'Quench Your Thirst With Christian Souls', 'Evil Attack', 'The Prophecy', 'Crematory', 'Slaughtering Christianity', 'Sacred Prayers To Expiation', 'Demon's Bloodwrath', 'Armies Of Hell', 'Screams Of Homicide', 'Vomit On The Cross' and 'Eternal Darkness'. SUICIDAL ANGELS are planning on touring later this year in support of the new album.

DRILLER KILLER had to cancel their appearance at this year's Party.San Festival due to health problems. They will be replaced by DYING FETUS. For more info head to www.party-san.de