January 15, 2001
Italy’s epic Black Metal band STORMLORD has signed a new deal with Scarlet Records! After leaving their previous label Last Episode, the band will return with a 7 track mini cd entitled ‘The Curse Of Medusa’. It will contain 2 songs that will also appear on the next full length album, 2 exclusive songs, a cover-version of the Death SS-classic ‘Baphomet’ (remixed and with new vocals, bass and keyboard parts), and two live songs (one of them will be the cover of ‘Creeping Death’) recorded during the last Stormlord gig in Rome on 14 December 99. The mcd will be out in April.
Also signed to Scarlet Records is the Danish newcomer HATESPHERE. The band plays a Scandinavian hard-edged style of Death Metal (THE HAUNTED & ENTOMBED) with incorporated 80s Bay-Area thrash metal influences. Their self-titled debut album was produced by Jacob Hansen and will be released in April 2001 with a simultaneous release also in Japan through Soundholic / Tokuma.
IMPIETY are signed to Osmose now.
ENSLAVED are nominated for the Norwegian Grammy Awards.
Pavement Music are re-issuing some of their best selling titles. The Classic Series titles will be remixed, remastered and enhanced for your computer. The CD’s will include pictures, bio information, lyrics, videos (if available) and more. Up first in the series are: MALEVOLENT CREATION – Eternal, FORBIDDEN – Green, JUNGLE ROT – Slaughter The Weak, SOLITUDE AETURNUS – Through The Darkest Hour and INTERNAL BLEEDING – Voracious Contempt.
Pavement will release OPPRESSOR‘s classic "Solstice Of Oppression" on February 13th. The album has been out of print for many years now and was originally released on Red Light Records. This version includes updated artwork, remastered music and never released bonus tracks.
CHILDREN OF BODOM‘s new album, "Follow The Reaper", has been embraced by the Metal masses as the band’s best work to date. Their unique fusion of speed and death/black metal elements caused a buzz with their 1998 debut Something Wild, that buzz having since become a roar of approval by many. The way guitarist/singer/songwriter Alexi Laiho tells it, however, Follow The Reaper had the potential to be a huge flop. "When I started writing the music for this album I was under a lot of pressure," Laiho admits. "A lot of people were asking me, ‘What are you going to do now since you can’t do Hatebreeder Part II? How are you going to beat Hatebreeder?’ That totally fucked me up; I was sitting there thinking ‘What the hell am I supposed to write?’ I eventually ended up writing complete crap: I wasn’t satisfied with it at all. I was thinking about every single riff – ‘Are people going to like this or not?’ – and not about what I wanted to do. I just decided to put everything on the table and not care about what other people are going to like. After that it wasn’t hard to write the music at all." As for the recent trash talking that has been going on, with some people (as seen on our mighty Braveboard at www.bravewords.com) trying to tear down the band for their seemingly widespread appeal, Laiho remains unaffected. "I don’t really pay attention to that sort of shit. It doesn’t have anything to do with what we’re doing, and if we do start paying attention to that it’s just really going to fuck everything up. If people want to talk shit about us, then go ahead. You know, I thought that no one was going to like our stuff when the first album came out because it wouldn’t be black metal enough for the black metal people and vice versa with the speed metal crowd. But, you know, if someone has a problem with it, too fucking bad. That’s their problem."
According to knac.com, TESTAMENT are in the studio working on tracks for a Spring/Summer release, to be produced by Andy Sneap. The band are also planning re-recordings of their first few Megaforce albums. "We’re planning to re-do the best tunes from the early records, only it’ll sound better with current technology and our current lineup, which kicks ass," states Eric Peterson. "It’s just gonna sound CRUSHING." That project is scheduled to be released in limited edition before the new studio album. Peterson’s first solo project, DRAGONLORD, is also nearing completion. "The ironic thing is, almost all the guys I recorded this disc with ended up in Testament! The music is totally different from Testament. It’s way more gothic, classically influenced melodic music, with strings, a choir, harpsichords and lots of screaming and hair pulling. The sound is kinda DIMMU BORGIR crossed with EMPEROR. Dragonlord features keyboardist Lyle Livingston (PSYPHERIA), drummer John Allen (ex-SADUS), bassist Steve DiGiorgio (ex-DEATH/ICED EARTH) and guitarist Steve Smyth (ex-VICIOUS RUMORS. The disc is produced by Peter Tägtren.
DEATH are set to release "Live At The Whiskey A Go-Go" on Nuclear Blast. The album features the best tracks of every Death era in powerful live performances. More details as they become available.
CRADLE OF FILTH are planning to donate a track to the forthcoming TWISTED SISTER Tribute.
BORKNAGAR‘s Quintessence is nominated for the Norwegian Alarm Award in the category Best Metal Album. To vote for the band, click on www.alarmweb.org/metal.shtml – one vote is allowed in each category. For everyone who already passed their votes, due to reasons unknown the counter has been reset and all votes were deleted. Please vote again. This award is the official award from alternative music press and radio-stations in Norway.
The CANNIBAL CORPSE, DIMMU BORGIR, THE HAUNTED and LAMB OF GOD tour will start in April and continues through the first week of May.
Prophecy Productions have started a new label, Ember Music. The label will focus on releasing "intense music", and among it’s first releases will be albums from NAERVAER, TENHI and EMPYRIUM.
EMPYRIUM are busy recording a new album, Weiland, to be released on the new Ember Music label. The album is described as being "dark, very atmospheric and challenging".
BLAZING ETERNITY‘s bassist, Magnus "Darkenfald" Ringling has left the band. Anders I. Kristiansen is the new bass player. The bands new album will be recorded later in 2001.
BETHLEHEM will begin recording their next album, Schatten Aus Der Alexander Welt, in March. The album will be produced by Markus Stock.
CIRCLE OF DEAD CHILDREN has been picked up by Necropolis’ Deathvomit Records. Look for a new release from the band this Spring.
AMICUSS is a band formed by Killjoy of NECROPHAGIA and Casey Kaos of AMEN. They are on the verge of signing with Virgin Records and plan on working with Ross Robinson for their debut full length.
WOLFEN SOCIETY, the new project featuring members of ACHERON, DARK FUNERAL, INCANTATION and THE ELECTRIC HELLFIRE CLUB, have been forced to delay the release of their forthcoming MCD, Conquer Divine. It seems that someone at Thorn/Apple Studios recorded over the title song on the bands DAT tape. They now have to go back into the studio to re-record the track. The band apologize for the delay and say they will get the disc out as soon as possible.
ABLAZE MY SORROW vocalist Martin Qvist is out of the band, again. His replacement is singer Kristian Lönnsjö (ex-DEIFICATION). The band have composed eight new songs. Some titles: ‘Erase/Relieved’, ‘Ad Libitum’, ‘Slit Wide Open’ and ‘Suicidal’.
DARK FUNERAL are busy writing songs for their third album. They are scheduled to enter the Abyss Studio with Peter Tagtgren on January 24th, with the recording expected to take four weeks. The album is scheduled to be released in May, followed by festival gigs during the Summer and a massive headlining tour after that.
LORD BELIAL guitarist Pepa af Vassago has left the band for personal reasons. His replacement is Plague (MASTEMA, B.E.A.S.T.). For more on Pepa’s departure check out the bands website, www.lordbelial.com.
KULT OV AZAZEL, who are currently gearing up for an April tour with MALEVOLENT CREATION and MONSTROSITY, are looking for the 2 weeks worth of dates. Anyone interested please contact the band at KultOvAzazel@aol.com. Double bass and speed is a must. To hear the band, the track ‘My Misanthropy’ can be found at www.mp3.com/KultovAzazel.