October 22, 2001
OF TREES AND ORCHIDS have changed their name into INGURGITATING OBLIVION in order to have a more appropriate and representative name for what they are musically standing for: dark, brutal and malignant Death Metal. They will release their third output, the MCD "Unpardonable Forgetfulness", sometime in November / December 2001 through the German label Necrotican Records. Around the same time GALLERY OF DARKNESS are going to release their second CD as well which will contain 4 songs of utterly brutal sickness.
HATE ETERNAL will be celebrating this Halloween by headlining an exclusive South American show in Chile at Teatro Providencia on October 31st.
VOMITORY will enter Berno Studio in Malmo, Sweden on November 5th to record their fourth album, "Blood Rapture".
ATHEIST are currently working on a new record and a live compilation album. Head to www.atheist-music.com for more info.
SYMBYOSIS‘ new song, ‘Voyager’, is available for download in the sounds section of symbyosis@symbyosis.com
According to their website, KREATOR "are currently working on a very detailed video show to visualize certain aspects in their music for the next tour." "Violent Revolution" hit the #38 position in Germany recently.
HIRAX have hired Jim Durkin, founding member and lead guitarist of DARK ANGEL. The bands line-up is completed by guitarist James Joseph Hubler, bassist Mike Brickman, drummer Dan Belliner and founding frontman Katon W. DePena. They are currently rehearsing new songs and gearing up for their U.S. tour, set to begin in January 2002. European tour dates will be announced later. The bands new album, "Barrage Of Noise", is being distributed world wide through www.DeepSixRecords or www.HIRAX.org. Century Media are now distributing all Hirax titles in Europe through PlasticHead Distribution and in Japan through CR Japan.
SODOM‘s newie, "M-16", will be released in Germany with limited edition camouflage packaging with two bonus tracks from their old demos.
CHILDREN OF BODOM will be heading to South America and Mexico from November 17th-27th hitting Colombia, Brazil and Chile.
KONKHRA are scheduled to enter Starstruck Studios soon to begin recording their fifth album, tentatively titled "Third World War". The band is currently unsigned.
An MP3 of the new FLESHCRAWL album, "Soulskiner", is ready for download at: www.metalblade.de/newsound.html. The album will be released the December 3rd, 2001.
DEW-SCENTED have completed their new album, "Inwards" (I still wonder how many more album titles with an "i" they will manage to come up with in the future – Frank), set for release in Europe on January 14th. The tracklisting: ‘Bitter Conflict’, ‘Unconditional’, ‘Life Ending Path’, ‘Inwards’, ‘Blueprints Of Hate’, ‘Locked In Motion’, ‘Degeneration’, ‘Terminal Mindstrip’, ‘Feeling Not’ and ‘Reprisal’. The band have also recorded a cover of SLAYER’s ‘War Ensemble’, to possibly be used for a bonus track.
The Essential German Thrash tour, featuring KREATOR, SODOM and DESTRUCTION, kicks off on December 26th at Rockfabrik in Ludwigsburg, Germany. The dates conclude on January 25th in Tampere, Finland.
BOLT THROWER‘s new album, "Honour – Valour – Pride", is out on November 19th through Metal Blade. The tracklisting: ‘Contact Wait Out’, ‘Inside The Wire’, ‘Honour’, ‘Suspect Hostile’, ‘7th Offensive’, ‘Valour’, ‘K-Machine’, ‘A Hollow Truce’ and ‘Pride’.
IN FLAMES‘ Peter Iwers has revealed that their scheduled tour with SLIPKNOT has been postponed until next year due to the U.S.’s current War Against Terrorism.
BRUJERIA has cut their ties with former label Roadrunner Records, thus releasing their debut CD, "Mextremist", on their own label, Kool Arrow Records. The CD is a compilation of the earlier Brujeria 7" material, along with rare tracks and brand new songs.
The new CANNIBAL CORPSE album "Gore Obsessed" will be mastered this week (week ending October 19th). It will be released on Metal Blade Records in February 2002.
The first set of dates for THE HAUNTED‘s upcoming U.S. tour, which also features WITCHERY, CATASTROPHIC and MARTY A.D., have been announced. The dates kick off on November 2nd at Krome in New Jersey and wrap up on November 24th at Cardi’s in Houston, Texas. More dates will be announced soon. Also, The Haunted are mixing a live recording of their shows in Japan for a live disc that will be included with the reissue of their "The Haunted Made Me Do It" album, due shortly.
French thrashers NO RETURN entered CCR studio in Belgium on October 22nd, to begin recording the follow-up to "Self Mutilation". The eleven songs scheduled for the yet untitled release include: ‘Biomecanoid’, ‘Machinery’, ‘Disillusioned By Human Err’, ‘Disease’ and ‘Synthetic’. In related news, a video for ‘Secret Waste’, honoring DEATH founder, Chuck Schuldiner, can be found at the band’s website, www.noreturn-web.com
ETERNAL TEARS OF SORROW will release their new album worldwide on January 28th, 2002
LUCIFERION are working on their second album, due out early next year on Listenable. The band features LOST HORIZON guitarist Wojtek Lisicki on guitar and vocals.
MTV will be using tracks from THE HAUNTED‘s latest album, "The Haunted Made Me Do It", on the 5th Annual MTV Sports and Music Festival, scheduled to air on MTV on November 18th, at 5pm (EST).
DECAPITATED have completed the recording of "Nihility". The U.S. release is set for early 2002.
INSISION have finished recording their debut album for Earache / Wicked World in Berno Studios, Sweden. The album will be released in the U.S. this spring.
The release date for CARNAL FORGE‘s new album "Please… Die!" has been set for January 22.
CRYPTOPSY have started to work on new material and will be back on the road next spring for the second leg of the "Pain Cometh" Tour.
HOLLENTHON are working out details to begin touring Europe in early 2002.
Between touring and other responsibilities, VINTERSORG continue to work on their upcoming DVD, "The Contrast Excursion". The DVD should run approximately 90 minutes and will include interviews, rehearsals and other rare footage, as well as live material.
Sweden’s SIEBENBURGEN will release a new album, "Plagued Be Thy Angel", in February 2002. "As always, the actual recording process has been haunted by the most fierce fuck-up demons that have ever challenged us. Some of them so vicious that I can’t even talk about them," exclaims Marcus Ehlin. The album was recorded at Six String Studio, with the exception of one track, which was recorded at DeadBitchStudio.
MACTATUS continue work on their forthcoming release, "Suicide". The band will enter Abyss Studio in January 2002. "It’s a concept album about death, with a focus on suicide and murder," explains Gaut, who also reveals it may very well turn out to be "some kind of concept album." The band is also closely working with a violinist and a guest vocalist. However, whether or not these sessions make it unto the final cut remains to be seen.
MARDUK have rescheduled their recently canceled North American dates for January.
MISTELTEIN will hit the road in October in support of GOD DETHRONED and NIGHT IN GALES. Due to other obligations Mishrack will not be able to go on this tour and will be replaced by ISHTAR’s Ahldrathan.
DARK FUNERAL‘s "Diabolis Interium" album will be released in North America through Necropolis on November 6th. The band are currently working out dates for their own European tour, scheduled to begin in early 2002. It will be followed by a tour of the U.S. and South America.
LORD BELIAL are currently at Los Angered Studios recording the follow up to their "Unholy Crusade" release. It will be called "Angelgrinder", not "Angel Crusher" as was previously reported at some outlets. The album will be released in March 2002 on CD and LP through No Fashion.
ROSSOMAHAAR have inked a deal with Germany’s Last Episode for the release of their next album. The label may also reissue the bands "Imperium Tenebrarum" album in the future.
Spikefarm just released a split-CD containing THYRANE‘s classic demo, "Black Harmony" and four songs from THE DEAD BEGINNERS.
FINNTROLL will enter Astia Studios in Lappeenranta in May to record their new full length. During the sessions the band will also record an acoustic mini-album.
KALMAH will begin recording new material in November, aiming for a March 2002 release.
Spikefarm will release MOONSORROW‘s third album, "Voimasta Ja Kunniasta – Of Strength And Honour", in January.
RAM-ZET have finished recording their new album, "Escape". They will begin mixing in November with Mikko Karmila at Finnvox Studios. Escape will be released in February, 2002.
SILENTIUM‘s drummer, Janne Ojala will be joining GLOOMY GRIM on their European tour. He’ll be sitting behind the battery from October 18th to 28th.
THRONE OF CHAOS enter Studio Fredman in January to record the follow-up to their debut, "Menace And Prayer".
THYRANE will begin touring Europe in November with ANCIENT and STORMLORD.
BORKNAGAR‘s "Empiricism" album will be available in a digi-pack and LP formats from October 22nd through Century Media Germany.
MORTIIS‘ new album, "The Smell Of Rain", will be available on double LP from October 22nd through SPV.
SIGH will contribute a track to an upcoming John Coltrane tribute on Germany’s Mainstream Records that will be released in the spring of 2002. They hope to record the track by the end of November. Sigh will also be an upcoming split 7" with NECROPHAGIA – look for the release in early 2002.
MOTÖRHEAD‘s "Bastards" album has been re-released with a bonus track through Steamhammer.
Three classic HOLY MOSES albums, "Terminal Terror", "Too Drunk To Fuck" and "World Chaos" have been reissued through Virgin Germany (can somebody please re-issue "Finished With The Dogs" after all?! – Frank)