June 05, 2001

The musical mastermind behind Control Denied and Death, Chuck Schuldiner, is home again after receiving the first of several treatments with a fairly new and still relatively experimental drug called Vincristine (VCR). Vincristine belongs to a class of naturally occurring chemotherapy agents, which are extracted from the periwinkle plant and, unlike many chemotherapy drugs, bears practically no toxic side effects. Schuldiner was initially turned away at the door when the administrator of Cedar Sinai Comprehensive Care Center informed Chuck and his sister that he would not be brought in until they produced enough money, up front. Many more treatments will be necessary to restore Schuldiner’s health and will most likely be in conjunction with other types of cancer treatments, which possibly include another surgery. The auction being sponsored by Hammerheart Records is now online and in need of contributions. For more information on how YOU can help make a difference in someone’s fight for life, check the details at the end of this news block and act today! He is one of our own and we will NOT leave him behind. Schuldiner, 33, was diagnosed on his 31st birthday after experiencing headaches and unusual symptoms while in the studio working on an album for his current full-time band, Control Denied. With the generous help of family, friends, and organizations such as MusiCares, Schuldiner was able to moderately control the cancer with various treatments and previous operations. In recent weeks, Schuldiner’s condition has worsened. Both live and necrotic cancer tissue has built up in his brain and has started to infiltrate the cerebellum, causing Schuldiner’s health to decline rapidly. Schuldiner is rightfully considered the forefather of the Death Metal genre and a major innovator within Heavy Metal overall. Death formed in 1983 when Schuldiner was a teenager and has released seven albums worldwide. The band’s early albums, including "Scream Bloody Gore" and "Leprosy," are cited by many as being the most influential albums in Death Metal. Schuldiner’s later work took on a more technical approach, cementing Death’s status not only as one of the most brutal, but also as one of the most technically proficient bands in Metal history. After retiring Death in 1999, Schuldiner began concentrating 100 percent of his creativity on Control Denied, which he feels strongly is an extension, or natural maturation, of what Death has been for over a decade. He had, in fact, been working on the new Control Denied album, "When Machine And Man Collide," when he was taken aback by this illness once again. In addition to the benefit auction, upon hearing about Schuldiner’s situation from bassist Steve DiGiorgio (whose resume includes Death, Control Denied and Testament), Testament vocalist Chuck Billy, who has also recently been diagnosed with cancer, volunteered to share the proceeds of a planned mid-August benefit concert in his honor with Schuldiner. "Obviously, this act of selfless consideration has touched us immensely," said Schuldiner’s mother, Jane. "Words really can’t express the gratitude we feel toward Chuck Billy and his family for doing such an amazing thing for someone else in need when he, himself, is going through such a hard time, as well. He must be an amazing young man." The online auction features an assortment of rare music memorabilia kindly donated by the music and Metal communities, and also includes one of Schuldiner’s own guitars and a bass autographed by Steve DiGiorgio, as well as rare items from rock ‘n’ roll’s more mainstream artists such as Godsmack, Staind, Disturbed, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The auction, hosted through eBay and allbeat.com, may be accessed through Hammerheart America’s website (www.hammerheartamerica.com) by following links to the Charles Schuldiner Medical Fund Benefit. Donations to the fund are also accepted and may be wired, transmitted via PayPal, or mailed in care of Hammerheart Records. All funds will go to the Charles Schuldiner Medical Fund, and donations are tax deductible. Information to transfer donations directly into the bank is as follows: Washington Mutual Bank, 500 East Alta Drive, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701, USA, Bank routing number: 321180748, Account number: 3513564696, Account name: Charles Schuldiner Medical Fund. Checks and money orders should be payable to Charles Schuldiner Medical Fund and mailed c/o Hammerheart America, P.O. Box 42323, Pittsburgh PA 15203.

Hammerheart Records is about to re-issue a bunch of releases within the next couple of weeks. On June 18 PRIMORDIAL’s "Imrama" and "A Journey’s End", followed by the legendary Hellspawn Records compilation VARIOUS ARTISTS – TRIBUTE TO BATHORY and on July 3rd REBAELLIUN’s "Bringer Of War" / "Burn The Promised Land" (both releases on one disk – reissue for North America only).

Brandnew albums will be available from DIABOLIC ("Subterraneal Magnitude") on July 23rd, THRONEAEON ("Neither Of Gods") on August 6th and REBAELLIUN "Annihilation" (on August 7th in the USA and Canada and August 20th in Europe).

SATARIEL have recorded their new album "Phobos & Deimos" with Daniel Bergstrand (a.o. Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad, Darkane) at the board. The album will feature a special guest-appearance by legendary Candlemass singer, Messiah Marcolin.

THYRFING will most likely record their new album with Daniel Bergstrand by the end of the year.

DIMENSION F3H have signed with Hammerheart Records recently. DIMENSION F3H is actually Morfeus of Limbonic Art and could be roughly described as a more primal version of Limbonic Art with very futuristic and technology-laden overtones.

Sweden’s DEMONS OF DIRT have also been picked up by Hammerheart. The band is supposed to appeal to fans of At the Gates and The Haunted.

The final tracklisting for SLAYER‘s forthcoming "God Hates Us All" album is as follows: ‘Darkness Of Christ’, ‘Disciple’, ‘God Send Death’, ‘New Faith’, ‘Bloodline’, ‘Threshold’, ‘Exile’, ‘Seven Faces’, ‘Cast Down’, ‘Warzone’, ‘Here Comes The Pain’ and ‘Payback’. Two additional tracks, ‘Addict’ and ‘Deviance’, were also recorded and may be considered as B-sides for future singles or overseas releases.

TERROR 2000, the side project of DARKANE guitarist Klas Ideberg, have started writing new material and have begun rehearsals with a Stockholm-based drummer by the name of Erik. The band hope to record the follow-up to "Slaughterhouse Supremacy" later in the year for a 2002 release.

NAPALM DEATH are going to do a co-headlining tour with DIMMU BORGIR and two other TBA bands in the fall. It will be much like the CANNIBAL CORPSE tour, but Dimmu will be last on this time. Nick Barker wanted LOCK UP to be the third band on the bill but they decided against it because it would be too strenuous. As for the new LOCK UP album, it features 16 songs, clocking in at 30 minutes. It will come out on Nuclear Blast.

ILLDISPOSED‘s new album, "Cocanium", is due out on August 27th through Diehard.

HOUWITSER‘s cover version of POSSESSED’s ‘March To Die’ will be issued on a 7" single through Displeased Records backed with a demo version of ‘Shredded to Pieces’.

According to www.andysneap.co.uk, the new KREATOR album, "Violent Revolution", is now finished. Producer Andy Sneap and the band tracked the drums and bass in Celle, Germany and then did the rest over at Backstage Studios in the UK. Sneap added that he just finished mixing the new BENEDICTION album which will be released through Nuclear Blast in early autumn. It was tracked by Paul Johnson over at Rhythm Studios in Stratford On Avon and again mixed at Backstage.

SHADOW, Japan’s answer to IN FLAMES (and signed to Century Media for worldwide release), will be opening for DIMMU BORGIR on their tour through Japan. The band opened for NAPALM DEATH during their Japanese tour in March.

According to their website, CRADLE OF FILTH have signed a deal with Epic/Sony for the release of their next full-length, due out in 2002. It will be released under the imprint of the band’s AbraCadaver. Meanwhile, their brand new album, "Bitter Suites To Succubi", is due out through PHD in Canada and Spitfire in the US on July 3rd.

ANCIENT‘s new album, "Proxima Centauri", will be released at the beginning of October. The album was recorded at Andy Laroque’s Los Angered Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden. It will be mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City in the first week of June. After the release a U.S., European, South American and possibly Asian tour will take place.

Norwegian satanic black metallers RAGNAROK will enter The Abyss Studios on August 1st to record their new album entitled "In Nomine Satanas". In the meantime you can check out a sample of a new song recorded in the bands home town of Sarpsborg on the band’s website at angelfire.com/id/RAGNAROK/.

GURKKHAS are booked to play Germany’s Morbid festival in September. Also in September the band will tour France with KRABATHOR. The band’s new album, "A Life Of Suffering", will be out soon.

IMMORTAL are in intensive rehearsals for the recording of their upcoming studio album, which is scheduled to be tracked during October / November.

Sweden’s SIEBENBÜRGEN will be in the studio during June and July recording their upcoming CD, "Plagued Be Thy Angel", which is due for release at the end of the year.

Moonfog’s website has posted news that GEHENNA have fired their drummer Blod from the band. They are currently looking for a replacement.

NECROPHAGIA have just been confirmed to have a video clip to appear on the DVD version of "The Last House One Dead End Street".

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