November 25, 2002
FIREBIRD, featuring ex-CARCASS / NAPALM DEATH guitarist Bill Steer, will issue their new album in late February 2003 on JVC in Japan. A European deal is near as well. The album already has been mastered, and the artwork is currently the main concern, they updated recently.
The INFERNO FESTIVAL takes place at Rockefeller Music Hall / John Dee in Oslo, Norway on April 17th – 19th, 2003. IMMORTAL and CHILDREN OF BODOM are confirmed to perform.
Century Media will issue a SAMAEL 2DVD set on January 27th, 2003. The as-yet-untitled set will feature last Summer’s Summer Breeze Open Air performance, a show from Poland shot on 1996’s "Passage" Tour, videos for ‘Jupiterian Vibe’, ‘Infra Galaxia’ and ‘Baphomet’s Throne’ and interviews and studio footage from the recording session for "Passage".
The sole UK date for the NO MERCY X-MASS FESTIVAL, originally scheduled for December 9th at the Electric Ballroom in London, has been moved to the Camden Underworld. Acts on the bill include MARDUK, IMMOLATION, HATE ETERNAL, KATAKLYSM, INSISION and DERANGED.
SLAYER will release their new DVD, "War At The Warfield", on February 11th. The set was recorded at The Warfield in San Francisco on December 7th, 2001, on the "God Hates The World" tour.
Japanese thrashers ABIGAIL are currently making their first appearance on US soil. The band’s current West Coast tour runs through November.
SATYRICON frontman Satyr will co-produce and mix DARKTHRONE’s forthcoming album, "Hate Them". The release will be recorded in December for a February release through Moonfog. Tracks to appear on the album include ‘Rust’ and ‘Fucked Up And Ready To Die’.
LORD BELIAL guitarist Fredrik Wester has left the band, feeling he needs more time to himself. The rest of the band wish him well. The band line-up is back to how it was in the beginning: Thomas (vocals / guitar), Micke (drums), Anders (bass) and Niclas Pepa Andersson (guitar).
SUMMONING will release an MCD, "Lost Tales", in February through Napalm. It includes two rare, unreleased tracks.
THY INFERNAL are working on new material for their forthcoming album, due out next Spring. For more go to: www.blackorchard.com/thyinfernal.
BLOOD RITUAL are finishing up their second album, due out next Spring. They have also written the larger part of their third album, which will follow shortly after the second. The new album features cover art by Magister Rex Church. A limited edition will be available with exclusive packaging.
JUDAS ISCARIOT have released their sixth full length album, "To Embrace The Corpses Bleeding", through Red Stream. Coming soon from the band are a split LP with ABYSSIC HATE and a new MCD entitled "Moonlight Butchery".
WIND OF THE BLACK MOUNTAINS have released their new album, "Black Sun Shall Rise". The band are now in the studio recording a new MCD for The Cult Records and their third album, "Feasting Upon Christ", for Barbarian Wrath. Furthermore their "Sing Thou Unholy Servants" release has been reissued.
Finland’s SARGEIST are currently finishing the recording for their debut CD, "Satanic Black Devotion", scheduled for an early 2003 release. They have also contributed an unreleased track for a split 7" EP with MERRIMACK, out now and limited to 1.000 hand numbered copies.
MERRIMACK are back with a new 7" split EP with SARGEIST, out through Moribund. It includes a re-recorded version of the band’s unreleased track ‘Guardians Of Your Slavery’.
SUMMON will release their fifth album, "The Blood Runs Black", on February 4th, 2003.
GENOCIDE KOMMANDO‘s debut album, "Black Metal Supremacy", has just been released. A follow up is already in development for a Winter release. It was recorded, engineered and mastered by James Murphy (ex-DEATH, TESTAMENT).
The Cult Records have inked a deal with Drakkar Productions to release GRAND BELIAL’S KEY‘s "Judeobeast Assassination" album in the US.
AZRAEL have inked a deal with The Cult. The band’s full lenght debut is due out in February or March.
MACTÄTUS have re-issued their debut album, "Blot", through Moribund Records.