DESTRUCTION's website, www.destruction.de, has revealed that the bands new album will be out through Nuclear Blast on September 29th, with a DVD to follow before the end of 2003. Band members Mike, Marc and Schmier will enter Little Creek Studio in Switzerland in early April for the final production on the new album.

The new lineup for the Death Across America tour will now include AMON AMARTH, CHRISTIAN DEATH, GOD DETHRONED, DIVINE EMPIRE, LOVER OF SIN and another soon-to-be-announced band. The tour kicks off at the end of May. Dates will be announced shortly.

An advance mp3 of the DEEDS OF FLESH track 'Banished' is available now at the Unique Leader label website, www.uniqueleader.com. The track is from the bands forthcoming album "Reduced To Ashes", which they will support with a European tour in September / October. The tour will also feature HATE ETERNAL, DYING FETUS and SEVERE TORTURE.

Austia¹s PSYCROPTIC have inked a deal with Unique Leader. An mp3 from the bands forthcoming album, 'The Scepter Of The Ancients', can be heard at the labels website, www.uniqueleader.com.

GORGASM have signed with Unique Leader. The band will release their new album, "Masticate To Dominate", through the label this Fall.

Full Moon Productions (www.fmp666.com) have the following albums scheduled for release: PEST(GER)'s Ara (due out in April), debuts from FLUISTERWOUD and OUROBOROS, and a tribute to HELL RETURNS.

HELL-BORN have replaced drummer Bastek (DEVILYN) with May (GRIN, ex-GHOST). Problems concerning constant travels from where Bastek was located to where the band were made it difficult for the band to have regular rehearsals and prevented them from being well prepared for gigs.

Severed Savior has found a new guitarist. Shon Benham has joined Severed as a full time member. He beat out over 25 other guitarists for the job.

After some months of negotiations, the Swedish three piece VERMINOUS has signed a deal with Xtreem Music. The band's only purpose is to bring back the evil times of the darkest old school Swedish Death Metal. If you consider yourself a true worshipper of GROTESQUE (pre-AT THE GATES), look no further, these are the best inheritors, although their music is faster and more aggressive. VERMINOUS was formed by Linus Björklund (guitars / vocals), Pelle Melander (guitars) and Andreas Johansson (drums) in August 2002 from the ashes of their former band DELVE, who have a MCD out, entitled "The Dead Amongst" through Greek label Nuclear Winter Rec. In December 2002, VERMINOUS recorded their first official proof of existence in form of a 7"EP also for the same label. You can download a song from their latest 7"EP by either entering www.xtreemmusic.com/label or their own official website www.verminous.com

Mexico's DISGORGE just came back from a tour in Costa Rica and Panama and is now going to embark on 13 more dates through their own country. After this, the band will hit the U.S. for some dates and then going down to Brazil for another tour.

After a successful 8 dates tour of Australia last February, Ireland's most legendary and brutal Grind / Death act ABADDON INCARNATE have decided to accept the loss of their insane bassist and good friend Cory Sloan. As a result, the band is seeking a replacement to fill his rather large shoes. If you are interested in what they are, please e-mail your info to info@abaddonincarnate.com. The band is still working hard on new songs for their long awaited 3rd album tentatively called "Sountrack For Rape" to be recorded in october again in Sweden at Soundlab Studios with Mieszko Talarczyk (NASUM). Most probably, the album will have Rogga from their labelmates PAGANIZER doing some backing vocals. For more info about ABADDON INCARNATE and some mp3's from their "Nadir" album, visit www.abaddonincarnate.com

AVULSED's vocalist Dave Rotten was diagnosed a small fracture on a rib after the successful presentation of their brand new album "Yearning For The Grotesque" in their hometown, Madrid, last March 15th. As Dave Rotten stated: "During the show, and after one of my usual and multiple stage divings I noticed a terrible pain on my chest. However, the heat over the stage and adrenaline did a good job, because I could finish the show (we played like 105 minutes!!) without real problems. Days passed and I still had that pain on my chest, but I thought that was the typical one after a beat, you know... so after a week I decided to visit the medics and they practised me an x-ray, so we saw one of the ribs was slightly broken. No big deal, it's just that I can't sing for at least a month. The good thing is that casually, this show was the last one after a series of 10 shows we did through Spain and we didn't have any more booked until May, because we were supposed to do an European tour in April (with CANNIBAL CORPSE, but it didn't happen in the end), so it's a perfect time for me to recover." In other news, AVULSED will take part in the very biggest Rock Festival in Spain next May 3rd. The Viña Rock 2003 is expected to surpass 55.000 people, after seeing the last years' success (45.000 maniacs). This festival, with 5 stages and all kinds of Rock music, gathers the best and more renowned Rock & Metal acts mainly from Spain, and it's the very first time a Death Metal band plays there!!

TESTAMENT are confirmed for the Wacken Open Air festival which takes place from July 31 - August 2, in Wacken, Germany.

DEFLESHED, with support from TAETRE, hit the road in Europe on the Battle Royal Tour 2003 tour on April 23rd in Falkenberg, Sweden. Dates run until May 4th in Stockholm.

According to a posting on the DEEDS OF FLESH website, www.deedsofflesh.com, the band have finished recording their new album, "Reduced To Ashes". Clocking in at over 45 minutes, the 8 song album will be released on June 24th. An mp3 from the album can be downloaded at the Unique Leader label website, www.uniqueleader.com.

KONKHRA will release their new studio album, "Reality Check", on April 21st.

SINISTER's new release, "Savage Or Grace", is out through Nuclear Blast in Europe on May 12th. It will be available on CD and 2LP vinyl.

SOILWORK will release their new album, "Figure Number Five", in Europe on April 14th through Nuclear Blast. The set will be available on CD, limited edition 2CD set and 2LP vinyl set with gatefold sleeve.

CHILDREN OF BODOM release a 7" single, 'Needled 24/7' on March 23rd. 

The NECROPHAGIA and EXMORTEM tour begins on April 5th at The Old Angel in Nottingham, UK and it runs until May 3rd at Tunk! in Irún, Spain.

Acclaimed New York Death Metallers SUFFOCATION, who issued several successful albums in the early '90s, have officially reunited after a four-year break (as previously reported here and here) and are in the process of writing and recording their long-awaited sixth release. The group's current lineup - consisting of founding members Frank Mullen (vocals), Terrance Hobbs (guitar), Mike Smith (drums) and Josh Barohn (bass), plus longtime friend Guy Marchais (guitar, formerly of PYREXIA and INTERNAL BLEEDING) - have launched their official web site at www.suffocation.us and are rehearsing for their upcoming appearances at the 2003 New England Metal And Hardcore Festival and the Maryland Death Fest. States drummer Mike Smith: "The much-needed vacation SUFFOCATION has taken over the years individually and as a whole only refueled the intensity we've grown to call our own. I truly feel for any who doubt our intentions."

DESPONDENCY have just signed to Germany based label Revenge Productions. The band will enter Soundlodge Studio at the end of June again (they already recorded their previous two MCDs there) to record their first full length album, which is scheduled for a late summer 2003 release. Further information will soon be available at the Revenge Productions homepage: http://www.revengeproductions.de

Konqueror Records will release a CD from the Swedish Death Metal legend Excruciate soon. It will contain their "Passage Of Life" album, the material from the band's split-LP and the "Mutilation Of The Past" demo, 18 tracks in total (all combined onto one CD), entitled "Beyond The Circle". For further info feel free to contact: Konqueror Records, P.O. Box 141, Toa Payoh Central, Singapore 913105, email: konqueror_records@hotmail.com

Here's a message from Marko Tervonen (guitar) of THE CROWN: "Attention CrownHeads! I just wanted to share with you where we are at the moment with the new album. We're done with the pre-productions now. And that means simply that we have recorded a demo version of the whole album (Thanx Valle). As it seems now we'll have 13 tracks on the album, 2 of them will be instrumental. As it looks now, the new album will be a bad motherfucker. Less melodies and as Magnus stated before, more power! And for the lyrics I must say that Magnus has definitely wrote his best stuff ever! The whole album has a very strong feel of original Death Metal spirit. This is fucking Death Metal culture!!! Tracklist: 'No Tomorrow', 'Deliverance', 'Face Of Destruction' / 'Deep Hit Of Death', 'Are You Morbid?', 'Dream Bloody Hell' (instrumental), 'Cold Is The Grave', 'Kill 'Em All', 'Morningstar Rising', 'Natashead Overdrive', 'Bow To None', 'Zombiefied!', 'Dawn Of Emptiness' and 'The Endless Gate' (instrumental). We also have started working on the cover artwork together with the excellent Locust Construction (keep rollin' boys!). And it will be looking just awesome. The new album has a name now, and it is: "Possessed 13". We are all so fucking excited to share this album with the world. The songs kill, Johan is back in the family, the artwork looks superdeadly, everything just feels so fucking right about this album. We are listening a lot to the pre-productions we did a week ago. Already some improvement ideas... We'll polish this deadly diamond until we start the real recordings at Studio Fredman the 5th of May. Can't fucking wait!!! But first we'll do a European tour starting now on Friday the 21st in Holland . Come and share the insanity!!!"

Former EXCITER vocalist / frontman Jacques Belanger has re-joined the band, after a 1 1/2 year absence. As a result, Rob Degroot, who joined EXCITER in the fall of 2002 is no longer the band's vocalist, due to the fact, the band felt that he was not progressing and adapting to EXCITER's signature style. EXCITER is writing new material and are looking foward to playing shows, this year, in Europe and USA.

Teemu "Somnium" Raimoranta (born 19.5.1977), the guitar player of both Finntroll and Impaled Nazarene, died in Helsinki on Sunday the 16th of March in an alcohol-related falling accident. Finntroll and Impaled Nazarene are very devastated for this loss: "Not only did we lose a great guitar player, but we also lost a very good friend."

From Beyond Productions will release NUCLEAR DEATH's previously unreleased third full length album together with rare EP tracks that were recorded in 1993 on LP in late May.

NINNGHIZHIDDA's debut album, "Blasphemy", will be released through Displeased with a bonus track on March 28th.

MASTER's original demo recordings from 1985 will be released on CD and LP with bonus tracks in late May.

MAYHEM are reissuing their debut album, "Deathcrush", in Europe on limited edition picture disc LP.

Peaceville will reissue digi-pack versions of the following titles in the US, beginning April 29th: AUTOPSY's "Severed Survival" and "Mental Funeral", MY DYING BRIDE's "Like Gods Of The Sun" and "The Angel & The Dark River", OPETH's "Still Life", PARADISE LOST's "Gothic" and ANATHEMA's "The Silent Enigma".

Over the next month Toys Factory Japan will reissue remastered versions of IN FLAMES' "Lunar Strain" and "Subterranean" albums and DIMENSION ZERO's "Penetrations From The Lost World". Each contain an exclusive bonus track.

BEHEMOTH's upcoming dates with DEICIDE, AMON AMARTH, VEHEMENCE and REVENGE kick off on March 13th at Groundzero in Spartanburg, SC. The tour concludes with two Canadian dates: April 7th in Montreal, QC and April 8th at Toronto¹s Opera House.

PERISHED's new album, "Seid", is out through Displeased in late March.

On March 28th MANIAC BUTCHER will release a new live collection through From Beyond Productions. The release will contain raw live recordings from four different gigs done in Germany between 1997 - 2001.

MANEGARM have completed their new full length, "Dodsfard", due out on June 28th.

ENTHRAL release their Displeased Records debut in June.

DARKTHRONE's new album, "Hate Them", is out through The End / Moonfog on April 8th. The album was recorded and mixed in 26 hours. An MP3 of the track 'In Honour Of Thy Name' can be heard at: http://www.theendrecords.com/mp3/Darkthrone_HateThem_inhonourofthyname.mp3

In celebration of their 20th Anniversary, DESTRUCTION will perform at the Vienna Metalfest, taking place at Vienna's Air Arena on August 23rd. The band will play a 70 minute set.

SEPSISM have inked a deal with From Beyond Productions. Their new album, "To Prevail In Disgust", is out through the label in late April.

GORETRADE will release their first full lengh through From Beyond Productions in late May.

SLAYER's upcoming DVD, "War At The Warfield", will be now released on April 29th. It features 19 live tracks, a 50 minute fan documentary and a photo gallery.

ARCH ENEMY have posted five new studio pictures at www.archenemy.net

OPETH's new album, "Damnation", will be released on April 14th by Music For Nations in the following formats: CD, limited edition digipak CD and vinyl LP.

Due to a mix-up in communication between the UK agent and the UK venues, THE CROWN's Glasgow gig got cancelled. As it turns out the Glasgow show was on monday (not on tuesday as the agent was told) and the Cardiff gig on tuesday. The distance Vosselaar-Glasgow is too big a distance to travel in just one night.

The new CALLENISH CIRCLE album is entitled "My Passion // Your Pain" and the recordings took place once more in Germany-based Stage One Studio, under supervision of producer Andy Classen. The artwork has been created again by Niklas Sundin. The album contains the following new songs (in random order): 'Soul Messiah', 'Dwelling In Disdain', 'This Truculent Path', 'What Could Have Been', 'Misled', 'Forsaken', 'Your Hate Unfolds' and 'Passion // Conflicts // Pain'. On top of that the band recorded the Pestilence cover 'Out of the Body'. Musically the new material will be in the same vein as the music on the predecessor “Flesh Power Dominion” but even more intense and over the top. For an exclusive pre-listen of the songs 'Soul Messiah' and 'Forsaken' check out the MP3 section on the website of the band or click on the following links: 'Soul Messiah', 'Forsaken'. Website: www.callenish-circle.com The official CD release-party for the new album will take place on Friday, May 02 in J.C. Fenix in Sittard. Special guest-appearances will come from the bands Stormrider, Flesh Made Sin, Chaos Control and Morning. At this very show the new album will be available for a special low price.

Spawn Of Possession is doing very well on their current tour with Disavowed, Mangled / Inhume and Vile. The first 2000 copies of their debut album "Cabinet" are completely gone already and the second pressing, again 2000 copies, are flying out like home made cookies.

The recordings for the forthcoming Deeds Of Flesh album "Reduced To Ashes" are nearly done. Expect a Summer 2003 release. Deeds Of Flesh will promote this album in Europe by a 5 week European tour along with Severe Torture, Dying Fetus and Hate Eternal. For the dates check out our tour dates section.

MONSTROSITY have added former vocalist Jason Avery back in the line up. Current vocalist, Sam Molina, will not leave the band but will instead take over the second guitarist duties. The line up is rounded out with Tony Norman guitars, Mike Poggione bass, and Lee Harrison drums. The first show with this line up will be in Puerto Rico at "The Zone" in Rio Piedras on May 3, 2003. Shortly after, the band also plan to enter the studio to record their new album tentatively titled "Rise To Power". Songs set to appear on the album are: 'Visions Of Violence', 'The Exordium', 'Wave Of Annihilation', 'From Wrath To Ruin' and 'Chemical Reaction', among others. In other Monstrosity news, guitarist Tony Norman is filling in for the band Lovers Of Sin on their current tour of Europe in support of Christian Death.

OPETH's forthcoming "acoustic" album, "Damnation", will be out in Australia on April 7th, in Europe on the 14th, in North America on the 22nd and Japan on May 7th.

DARK TRANQUILLITY have returned home from the US and are working on their forthcoming DVD "Staining Poland - Live In Krakow". The band says that the DVD "seems to be moving forward. There isn't any release date set just yet, but everything is being in the final stages of production."

FALKENBACH are currently recording their new album for Napalm in Prosecco Studio, Karlsruhe, Germany.

DAWN will release a new album this fall via No Fashion. Four years on from the release of their last album, "Slaughtersun (Crown Of The Triarchy)", the band are hard at work completing their new as-yet-untitled album. 

THE CROWN guitarist Marcus will collaborate with DARKEST HOUR on a track for their forthcoming album.

DARKANE will do a quick touring run through Scandinavia with labelmates MESHUGGAH this month.

Upon returning home from their recently completed US tour Malevolent Creation has decided to replace touring drummer Ariel Alvarado (for various reasons). His replacement for the upcoming European and South American tours is good friend and Nile drummer Tony Laureano. Tony is no stranger to Malevolent Creation as he has toured the US and Europe with the band for their "In Cold Blood" album in 1997. Tony is prepared to sit in on the drums until a permanent drummer is found as long as it does not interfere with Nile's schedule. Interested drummers can submit promo material or contact the band at Ualldie@aol.com. Drummers must be talented, prepared to relocate and have an open schedule for a lot of touring. On April 5th and 6th Malevolent Creation is finally filming and recording shows for their first live DVD release at the MetalMania Festivals in Poland and Czech for a release in July just before there appearance at Wacken Open Air and Party San Open Air Festivals in Germany.

MORRIGAN finally have a website up at www.morrigan.org. They are also searching for places to play all over Europe for a tour in Spring 2004 with MYSTIFIER / ABIGAIL / MORRIGAN / EMINENZ. Whoever is interested and capable of organising a show should contact balor@freenet.de immediately.

Witches Brew signed a new band with TOXIC HOLOCAUST from Delaware. More info on this can be found at www.Witches-Brew.org/toxicholocaust.html and mp3s are up already at www.Witches-Brew.org/mp3.html

The release date for AETERNUS "A Darker Monument" and VOID "Posthuman" has been changed to 05.05.03.

Noble Wolves, a sub-label of Red Stream Records, will be releasing the third album by Germany's WINTERBLUT ("Grund: Gelenkkunst") and a MCD by DEBAUCHERY ("Dead Scream Symphony") this month. Not scheduled with exact dates yet, but later to be released through Red Stream / Baphomet Records are: NECROPHAGIA / SIGH- split 7" EP (featuring the tracks 'Kindred Of The Dying Kind' by Necrophagia and 'Young Burial' by Sigh) and S.B.S. / Browneye - split 7" EP. Brown Eye includes Mayhem and Necrophagia members. One of their punk-influenced songs is about the famous Black Metal murder of the nineties. Satan's Bake Sale's material sounds like old moshcore mixed with whirlwind grind and a heavy emphasis on humor. 

Razorback Records will soon be releasing a split CD of Grind legends GENERAL SURGERY and true-life pathologists THE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINERS, featuring all new material from both bands. GENERAL SURGERY have reassembled with a collection of all new songs, including 'Pre-Bisectal Corrosive Immersion', 'Mortuary Wars' and 'Cauterization Frenzy'. THE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINERS, come up with six new tracks, including: 'Bloatation (Repugnant Refloatation)', 'Forensic Photography' and 'Cruentous Mess'. For further info check out the following official websites: http://www.generalsurgery.nu or http://www.thecountymedicalexaminers.com or http://www.razorbackrecords.com

ARCH ENEMY may be naming their forthcoming album, "DehumaniZation" or "Anthems Of Aggression". The band are hoping to release the Andy Sneap-produced record in the summer.

The Bonded By Metal Over Europe Tour 2003 will begin in October and feature the following lineup: EXODUS, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, AGENT STEEL, BEHEMOTH, MORTICIAN, CARNAL FORGE, OCCULT and CALLENISH CIRCLE. A full itinerary of dates will be announced soon.

CANNIBAL CORPSE hit the road in Europe on April 16th in Bussum, NL. Dates run until May 5 in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Hammerheart Records is caught up in litigation with the estate of the late DEATH / CONTROL DENIED frontman Chuck Schuldiner over the release of CONTROL DENIED's forthcoming sophomore release, "When Machine And Man Collide".

SINISTER have confirmed a string of upcoming shows in Mexico and Columbia. They are: March 20 - Plaza D'Tros - Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, 21 - Venue TBA - Queretaro, Mexico, 23 - Circo Volador - Mexico City, Mexico and 24 - Palacio de los Deportes - Bogota, Columbia.

DIABOLICAL have replaced drummer Henric Ohlsson with C. Stjarnlof. The band are currently rehearsing.

Some of you may have wondered about the silence in the GoreAphobia camp, ever since our interview back in November of last year. Well, as the band itself wasn't too happy about the overall new musical direction either, they decided not to continue on that way and split-up again. But they are back now and are currently working on a new four song release due out in about two months. Fans of the band's old stuff will be pleased to hear that this time it won't have the Black Metal type vocals anymore.

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