February 07, 2001
As VENOM focuses on constructing the tour for their new Resurrection album, with the first showcase gig to be Germany’s Wacken Festival, the band has already looked ahead to a book on the band as well as an accompanying video. The book will be a collaboration with Damien from Terrorizer magazine, who had the initiative to propose the idea to the band over an interview and a few drinks at a local pub. Guitarist Mantas explains. "It’s going to be a book on the entire history of the band and there’s going to be a video history that goes with it. We’re actually going to take people to the very first place that Venom ever played, and where we used to rehearse. Our first ever Venom gig was in a church, in 1979. There’s going to be all these crazy stories in the book as well. But it won’t tell the whole story. There’s a lot of things that went on in the band that we won’t talk about. We’ve been keeping diaries the whole time. We plan to include everything, early drawings that we had for stage designs, the ‘Witching Hour’/’Bloodlust’ video. I’ve still got the original lighting design that I drew out on an A4 piece of paper, all the early posters we used to do for the band. We used to sneak out in Newcastle in the middle of the night and stick posters up all over the place, photographs that have never been seen before. I’ve still got films that haven’t even been developed from the mid ’80s. We have a lot of stuff in storage and we’re going to dig it all out. I think it will be after the Wacken Festival, But I told Damien, ‘if anybody ever writes the book on Venom, it will never tell the full story. And he had met Cronos in 1991, and Cronos had said exactly the same thing. But he said ‘I would love the opportunity to do it.’ So myself and Cronos talked about it and I gave him a ring and said ‘yes, OK, let’s go for it.’ So we’re busy putting together titles for the book, all the draft ideas. That’s our project for this year."
CANNIBAL CORPSE has announced their Spring Neck Break Tour 2001, featuring Norway’s black metal gurus DIMMU BORGIR, Sweden’s thrash kings, THE HAUNTED and new grind metal act LAMB OF GOD. The tour begins on April 13th in Worcester, MA and runs through May 6th (Montreal, PQ). Cannibal Corpse are currently in the writing process for their eight full length. Upon completion of The Spring Neck Break tour, they will head to Village Studios in El Paso with producer Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, FEAR FACTORY). Expect an October 2001 release date. Dimmu Borgir release their new CD, Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia, in March. The Haunted are touring in support of their sophomore effort, The Haunted Made Me Do It and Lamb Of God are pounding senses with their Prosthetic / Metal Blade debut New American Gospel.
SIX FEET UNDER are scheduled to hit Criteria Studios in Miami to begin recording their forthcoming album. Inside sources say that ICE T will make an appearance.
While still months away, the line-up for the annual WACKEN FESTIVAL (Aug 3/4) continues to grow. Bands confirmed to play include: ANNIHILATOR, BEHEMOTH, BLACKSHINE, CAGE, CARNAL FORGE, CRYPTOPSY, CULPRIT, DARK TRANQUILLITY, DECEASED, DESASTER, DIMMU BORGIR, EXHUMED, EXUMER, GRAVE DIGGER, HOLY MOSES, IN FLAMES, KRISUIN, LACUNA COIL, METALIUM, MORTICIAN, NAPALM DEATH, NASUM, NEVERMORE, NIGHTWISH, NOSTRADAMEUS, OPETH,PAUL DiANNO & KILLERS, PRIMAL FEAR, SINS OF THY BELOVED, SODOM, SOILWORK, SONATA ARCTICA, SUBWAY TO SALLY, TAD MOROSE, TANKARD, THE HAUNTED, THERION with orchester, VINTERSORG, VOIVOD and WARHAMMER.
The Third Annual METAL MELTDOWN, the East Coast edition of the Metal Mania Series, is moving to the warmer weekend of April 6 and 7 and back to its original Convention Hall location in Asbury Park, N.J. The Meltdown has a new sponsor in Snake Net Metal Radio (www.snakenetmetalradio.com). Confirmed for the two-day event are: EINHERJER, VINTERSORG, RAVEN, HOLOCAUST, EXCITER, NILE, MALEVOLENT CREATION, DECEASED, MONSTROSITY, WITCHFYNDE, MURDER 1, THE STEP KINGS, NATRON, CATASTROPHIC, DEEDS OF FLESH, SHADOWS FALL, PYREXIA, BURNT BT THE SUN, LUDDITE CLONE, DIE CAST, ALL OUT WAR, ORIGIN, MASTODON, GOD FORBID, PIG DESTROYER, NATRON, YATTERING, CENTINEX, VICIOUS RUMOURS, WITHERED EARTH, CHAOS THEORY, RAIN FELL WITHIN, DISINTER and MIMIC. More bands will be announced. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. EST. The cost is $55 for a two-day pass and $35 for a one-day ticket (plus service charges where applicable). Tickets are available through TicketMaster (201/507-8900, www.ticketmaster.com), Relapse Records (800/303-0606, www.relapse.com). Tickets my also be obtained by sending a check or money order to payable to "Jack Koshick Presents" and a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Metalfest XIV, 1626 N. Prospect Ave., Suite 1801, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
According to a posting at www.archenemy.net, members of ARCH ENEMY have spent the last two weeks in the UK mixing their new album. They describe the album as being "more heavy and aggressive than Burning Bridges… with a bigger sound". The band hope to ‘officially’ announce the name of the new singer shortly. Meanwhile, the band continue to add sound files to their web site, now including tracks from their live album, Burning Japan Live, as well as ‘Screams Of Anger’, the Japanese bonus track from Stigmata – www.archenemy.net/music.html
MURDER SQUAD, the project that features members of ENTOMBED and DISMEMBER, release their album, Unsane, Insand And Mentally Deranged, on April 9th through Pavement
KILLJOY‘s label, Baphomet Records, will now be known as Baphomet/Housecore. The reason for this expansion is that the company is now owned by Killjoy and PANTERA’s Philip Anselmo. They are in the process of getting things finaliazed and more details about distribution will be forthcoming.
In other NECROPHAGIA news, the band have recently recorded a new song and video for the Cannibal Holocaust DVD. Also the new VIKING CROWN release has just been mixed as well as three new EIBON songs. Through all of this, Killjoy and Anselmo will continue to write the new material for the upcoming new Necrophagia full length, Harvest Ritual, as well as writing the new material for AMICUSS, the band featuring Caset Chaos of AMEN, Killjoy and Philip Anselmo. Ross Robinson will be producing their debut.
THE EMBRACED will release their second album, The Birth, through Aftermath Music on February 10th.
NOCTURNAL WINDS release their new album, Of Art And Suffering, on March 1st through Aftermath.
SINISTER will be on the road this Spring as part of the No Mercy Festivals. The dates begin in Germany on April 12th and wrap up on April 24th back in Germany. Other bands on the tour include: MARDUK, VADER, MORTICIAN, AMON AMARTH, GOD DETHRONED, MYSTIC CIRCLE, … AND OCEANS and BAL-SAGOTH. In related news, Sinister have replaced vocalist Joost (ex-INHUME) with Rachel (ex-OCCULT). Some song titles on the upcoming album include ‘Moralistic Suffering’, ‘Altering The Beast’, ‘Early Gothic Horror’, the title track ‘Creative Killings’ and ‘Reviving The Dead.’ The release date is spring. The band left Nuclear Blast recently citing the label’s inability to promote brutal music as the reason for their departure.
ZYKLON have secured the support slot on MORBID ANGEL’s upcoming European tour. Dates begin in Bradford, England on April 12th and end at London’s LA2. Also, the band has confirmed that vocalist Daemon from LIMBONIC ARTS has now been confirmed as a full-time member of the band. For the upcoming tour, SOURCE OF TIDE bassist Cosmocrator will join the band.
Pavement will release KULT OV AZAZEL‘s debut album, Triumph Of Fire, on March 5th. The album was produced by Jeremy Staska (MALEVOLENT CREATION, HATE PLOW).
REBAELLIUN have finished writing their forthcoming album, Annihilation, set to be recorded at Stage One Studio by Andy Classen in February. Recording will commence at Stage One Studio in February. The album will have eight new tracks and a re-recording of ‘Bringer Of War’. A limited edition CD and vinyl will also include a bonus track.
SKYFIRE have completed their debut album, Timeless Departure. It was recorded at Abyss Studios. The expected release date is April 17th.
DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER, LOWBROW and ANCIENT RITES will head out on tour from May 16th. The last show on the tour will likely be the Dynamo Open Air festival.
AETERNUS will mix their new album, Ascention Of Terror, in February. Long time member Morrigan has left the band. Bass duties will now be handled by Orjan (HELHEIM). The upcoming Aeternus compilation CD, Burning The Shroud, will be available on February 20th. The album’s track listing includes ‘Midnatt Storm’ (previously unreleased)’, ‘Raven And Blood’ (previously unreleased), four live tracks recorded by Pytten (IMMORTAL, EMPEROR, ENSLAVED) are titled ‘To Enter The Realm of Legend’, ‘When The Crow’s Shadow Falls’, ‘The Summoning Of Shadows’ and ‘Cuchulain’.
… AND OCEANS have finished recording their new album, Allotropic/Metamorphic – Genesis Of Dimorphism. The final tracklisting: ‘Intelligence Is Sexy’, ‘White Synthetic Noise’, ‘Tears Have No Name’, ‘Esprit De Corps’, ‘Odious & Devious’, ‘Of Devillish Tongues’, ‘Postfuturistika’, ‘TBA In A Silver Box’ and ‘New Model World’. The album is out in the U.S. on February 20th.
Hammerheart Records has decided to stop with all sub labels including The Plague, Well Of Urd and Unveiling The Wicked. The label, will continue only as Hammerheart Records.
GODGORY will go into the studio on March 19th to record their fourth album, Way Beyond.
BROKEN HOPE are already at work on the follow-up to Grotesque Blessings.
AURA NOIR‘s new line-up features Apollyon on bass/vocals, Aggressor and Blasphemer on guitars and Dirge Rep (of Enslaved)on drums.
DETERIOROT has been signed by Repulse Records – the forthcoming album In Ancient Beliefs is scheduled for an April release.
DEVILEECH has been signed by Maquiavel Music Entertainment.
Florida’s gods of death metal MORBID ANGEL are gearing up to annihilate Europe with news of a forthcoming tour. Morbid Angel are currently touring stateside on a stadium tour with heavyweight combos Pantera, Soulfly and Nothingface. The legendary quartet have shown, yet again, just why they are a force to be reckoned with, by being the first death metal band to play stadium size venues in America. The band are touring in support of their latest Earache Records release Gateways To Annihilation. Gateways To Annihilation demonstrates how Morbid Angel can boast of a fulfilling 10 year career, whilst so many other death metal bands have fallen by the wayside, they continue to push back the boundaries of death metal back even further with the luminous virtuosity of guitarist, founder and song writer Trey Azagthoth, the astonishing battery of legendary percussionist Pete Sandoval and bassist, vocalist and song writer Steve Tucker, along with the classically inspired workmanship of guitarist Erik Rutan, combining to weave sinuous, striking, and dark grooves. Gateways To Annihilation has become another indispensable landmark on the heavy metal landscape. The standards have been raised and exceeded, but that is what Morbid Angel have done since their inception. Joining Morbid Angel will be new Norwegian death metal terrorists Zyklon, featuring the legendary Samoth from Emperor. Check out our tour dates section for the exact dates.