» News Archive August 2004
IMPALED NAZARENE will record a live album in Italy September 17 – 19, 2004. According to frontman Mika Luttinen the band will "… tape three shows (Milan, Catania, Ascoli)." The recordings will be done by IMAPALED NAZARENE’s sound engineer Tapio Pennanen, assisted by Erkki Saviharju. Mika: "We are celebrating 15 years as a band next year so it is about fucking time to do a professional live CD which will also serve as a best-off for those not so familiar with our material. We are practising total of 28 to 30 songs for the shows and the setlist will cover our whole career, including our 7" eps!!! The live CD will be mixed at Sonic Pump studios by mr. Pennanen. Expect an early next year release, it will be out on Osmose Productions."
Bassist / vocalist David Vincent will be rejoining MORBID ANGEL for their re-scheduled tour of South America following the departure – for the second, and apparently final, time – of the group’s most recent frontman Steve Tucker. "MORBID ANGEL and World Management would like to thank Steve Tucker for his contribution on several MORBID ANGEL records as well as multiple great tours", reads a posting on the group’s web site. "We all wish him well and are sure he will succeed in his new endeavors". Tucker had the following to say regarding his decision to leave the group: "After many problems and much discussion with the people around me, the people I trust, I have decided it is necessary for me to step away from MORBID ANGEL. It has been a long trip with a lot of great shows and I have made many friends along the way. The MORBID ANGEL fans that not only excepted me, but reveled in my being a part of the band, have been the greatest thing about my time in MORBID ANGEL, they are the reason I came back to the band. There are many reasons for me leaving the band, personal reasons, musical reasons and very logical reasons. All of which will stay between me and the band. MORBID ANGEL existed many years before I came along and will for many more I am sure. I have enjoyed playing with some great musicians and touring with some great bands and meeting some incredible people all over the world. To all these people I say ‘Thank You’ and we will meet again. I am not done with the music business by any means, I will now be moving into other areas of the business, things I have always enjoyed, but didn’t have time for. I will be moving into much more recording, production and management, so any bands interested in working with me, feel free to contact me at hewhosleeps@hotmail.com. Again, thank you to all of the fans for 8 years of making my hour and a half of stage time so brilliant!!!". In related news, MORBID ANGEL and World Management would like to clear the air with the announcement that after more than 15 years and 9 albums and one EP the band and Earache Records have parted ways on future recordings. "We will be exploring all interested labels as well as other options and and will make a decision on a new release for 2005 in the next few months. Currently we are still in the final phases of tour commitments for "Heretic". We wish Earache continued success in selling our catalogue and have an obvious professional vested interest in this. We wish to thank all of the Earache employees past and present for their work on Morbid Angel’s releases. We are looking forward with excitement to the future."
In a recent posting on his official website, producer Kevin Shirley comments about working on SLAYER‘s upcoming DVD, "Reign In Blood Live: Still Reigning". "I (just) finished mixing (the) DVD, in stereo and surround, and it’s great – it rocks hard, but it was tough to mix." "Reign In Blood Live: Still Reigning" is due out on September 28, 2004 through American records. The 75-minute DVD features original members Tom Araya (vocals, bass), guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, and drummer Dave Lombardo (who permanently rejoined the band in 2003).
INGURGITATING OBLIVION will head towards Celle beginning of October in order to complete their first official full-length album together with Ulf Scheel (The Awakening, Banished Reality). The new material will be even more technical at times, exceedingly dark and abysmal as well. The debut will be released via Unmatched Brutality Records, USA. For further info check out www.ingurgitating-oblivion.de
Germany’s MORSGATT recently recorded their new CD "Butt Mud", which is going to be released through Nice To Eat You Records soon (exclusive US distribution will be handled by Goregiastic Records). For more info check out www.morsgatt.de, www.GoregiasticRecords.com or www.ntey.wz.cz
Really good news for fans of GOREAPHOBIA. The band has finally reformed with all original members: Alex Bouks, Chris Gamble, Henny Piotrowski and Craig Smilowski. In an exclusive message to Voices From The Darkside drummer Craig commented that as follows: "We still all have our main projects… we just wanted to end it on a good note but you never know what might happen. We will be releasing some new material with possible DVD included of archived shows." In related news, the band has a show scheduled in New York City (no date set yet) for the final Profanatica show! More news on all this as soon as it becomes available.
Another act has been announced for next year’s BANG YOUR HEAD FESTIVAL: after their fabulous show at the festival in 1998, NASTY SAVAGE agreed to play their first German show since then. The 10th Bang Your Head Festival will take place on June, 24th & 25th 2005 in Balingen, Germany. Confirmed acts so far: TWISTED SISTER, DIO, MOTÖRHEAD, DORO, GAMMA RAY, NEVERMORE, KROKUS, AXEL RUDI PELL, DESTRUCTION, JAG PANZER, AMON AMARTH, TANKARD, VICIOUS RUMORS, NASTY SAVAGE, DEMON + 7 more big names as well as 1 "very special guest" www.bang-your-head.de
Swedish Death / Thrash maniacs IMPIOUS have finished the recordings for their upcoming new album "Hellucinate". It was produced by Valle Adzic and mixed by Chris Silver and Valle Adzic at Studio Mega. The release will include the following tracklisting: ‘Inject’, ‘Wicked Saints’, ‘Infernique’, ‘Hellucinations’, ‘Show Me Your God!’, ‘Death_Wish_Scar’, ‘Toxic Paranoia’, ‘Needles Nervosa’, ‘Bloodspill Revelation’ and ‘Suicide Park’. "Hellucinate" will be released on October 4th in Europe. Impious will be on tour in Europe in October with AMON AMARTH and DISILLUSION.
Part time CRADLE OF FILTH vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva, Tommy Rehn from MOAHNI MOAHNA and Chris Rehn from ABYSSOS, are working together under the name ANGTORIA. They have completed a five song demo and are currently shopping around for a deal. Audio samples of the tracks ‘Six Feet Under’s Not deep Enough’, ‘Confide In Me’ (Kylie Minogue cover), ‘Suicide On my Mind’, ‘Deity Of Disgust’ and ‘A Child That Walks In The Path Of A Man’ can be found at: www.angtoria.com/html/media.htm.
Agonia Productions will be releasing a split CD featuring SATHANAS and ACHERON in early 2005. More details as they become available.
SATHANAS will be releasing a new MCD "Flesh For The Devil" on Stilldead Productions soon. Artwork by Chris Moyen. Tracks include: ‘Unholy War’, ‘Invocation’, ‘Possessed By Blasphemy’, ‘Reign Of The Antichrist’ and ‘Flesh For The Devil’. Also includes a cover of SLAUGHTER’s ‘Nocturnal Hell’. For info contact sathanaspaul@yahoo.com, SATHANAS website: sathanas.cjb.net/
A twelve-camera production crew filmed SATYRICON‘s performance at last weekend’s Wacken Open Air festival for an upcoming music video for the track ‘Repined Bastard Nation’. The Norwegian Black Metallers co-headlined the festival with Nocturno Culto, guitarist and vocalist from influential Black Metal band, DARKTHRONE who joined Satyricon on stage to perform some of DARKTHRONE’s most celebrated classics. Nocturno Culto also played guitar on the final track, ‘Mother North’, from SATYRICON’s highly acclaimed album "Nemesis Divina" where he features under the name of ‘Kveldulv’. The joint legendary performance, held in front of over 40,000 people, broke ‘a new crowd record’ and was the last of its kind according to both camps. The event was later described as a historical moment and a turning point for Black Metal by insiders. ‘Repined Bastard Nation’ originates from SATYRICON’s latest album, "Volcano", released in Europe through Capitol Records in September 2002 and most recently in the U.S. through the Sony Music imprint EatUrMusic, the label run by SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist, Daron Malakian.
Lopus Lounge have signed Germany’s Pagan / Black Metal act HELRUNAR. Their self-published debut "Gratr" was already greeted with a lot of enthusiasm. The three musicians don’t deny their dark roots, but enrich their influences from the likes of DarkThrone, Kampfar and Ulver with a unique drama that grips everyone irregardless of language and makes every listener join in the strong vocals of Skald Draugir – not matter whether he airs his malice in German or Norwegian. For more info check out www.helrunar.com.
The PROPHECY KONZERTNACHT FESTIVAL (originally scheduled for Bochum) will now take place in Munich instead. Reason for this is the rather close "Nebelmond Festival", where two of the three bands planned for the Prophecy Konzertnaechte are going to play as well.
THE CHASM have finally completed work on their new album, the band’s first for Wicked World, going under the title of "The Spell Of Retribution". Comprising 10 tracks with a running time of over 66 minutes, "The Spell Of Retribution" represents The Chasm’s most adventurous and ambitious project to date. Recorded at Soto Sound Studios in Illinois and then mixed by Corchado at Lux Inframundis, the album’s recording was not without its problems, including at one point a studio fire that set the schedule back and led to the album taking longer than anticipated to complete. Nevertheless the process resulted in the following tracklisting: 1. From The Curse, A Scourge…, 2. The Omnipotent Codex, 3. Conqueror & Warlord, 4. Manifest My Intervention, 5. Fortress, 6. Retribution Of The Lost Years, (I, The Pastfinder III), 7. Conjuring The New Apocalypse, 8. The Eclipse: Monument To The Empire – I) Sentence and Burden – II) The Voyage – III) The Restitution, 9. Remains Of The Covenant and 10. Eternal Cycle Of Delusion. Commenting on the completion of his band’s latest opus, Corchado says: "We are definitely very proud to announce the completion of this new chapter, the 7th, in The Chasm’s odyssey, after almost 3 months of hard work in the studio and a schedule full of delays and problems, "The Spell Of Retribution" has reached the end of its creative / constructive journey. Armed with a thick, darkened / heavy production, interwoven with what surely is our most complex and destructive material, "The Spell…" is for sure a lengthy and memorable piece of darkened Heavy Metal that praises Death and certainly is not a one dimensional album, like so many infecting the scene nowadays. We can assure the true believers of this Cult of Death, and to any fan and follower of this movement, who still feels the darkened flame of this music, that when you hear "The Spell…" you’ll encounter a devastating experience, one full of unexpected turns and musical atmospheres presenting controlled chaos and the intense feeling of revenge and inner victory…" "The Spell Of Retribution" is scheduled for a November release date. All further info at www.enterthedeathcult.com or www.earache.com
"Sexual Perversity By Autopsy", the new album by Germany’s GOMORRHA, is out on Nice To Eat You Records & Mutilated Records. The band plays brutal Death Metal in vein of Severe Torture, Dying Fetus and the likes, with guttural vocals and sick lyrics. For more info go to www.gomorrha666.de.vu or www.listen.to/nicetoeatyou. MP3 samples can be found here: www.mp3.de/home/gomorrha
DARKTHRONE, as a compact ensemble, has not graced a stage since 1996. With their brand new album, "Sardonic Wrath" ready for next month’s release, Darkthrone’s Nocturno Culto will make a special appearance at Wacken this Saturday, joining Satyricon for an unprecedented half hour showcase of Darkthrone classics. "Four years in a row, Wacken has asked us to headline", comments Nocturno Culto. "And four years in a row, we have turned their request down. It would have been too much for me and Fenriz to get a whole band together for one gig. The joined show with Satyricon is a more accessible format so we finally accepted. Plus, Wacken is a good festival and well organized. This would be a great opportunity to perform to a large audience and spread hatred for the human kind, especially the religious ones." An alliance of titanic proportions for the genre, the Satyricon / Darkthrone joint show at Wacken will be a historical event and the last of its kind. "Anyone who knows their Black Metal is aware of Darkthrone’s policy of not playing live", comments Satyricon’s driving force, Satyr. "They’ve decided to do this special event and asked us to be a part of it and that is, of course, a great honour. We’re also glad that this historical event has the approval of Fenriz and Zephyrous. Bonds between Satyricon and Darkthrone have always been extremly tight and this is a great way of showing it." As to whether a show of such proportions could produce pressure, Nocturno Culto replied – "It’s a mixed bag. The ideal thing for me would be to fly by helicopter just before I am due to go on stage and then press an eject button to get myself back on the same helicopter right after the gig." This, however, will not be the last live appearance by the guitarist / vocalist. "Even if Darkthrone are not actively playing live", conclude Nocturno Culto. "I will join another band or something in the future. We just have to see what happens." Satyricon will kick off Saturday’s headline show on Saturday, 7th August at midnight. Darkthrone’s new album, "Sardonic Wrath" is out on September 6th.
On November 13, 2004 Germany’s BURDEN OF GRIEF are celebrating their 10th anniversary with an indoor festival at the Stadthalle Scherfede (between Kassel and Paderborn / Germany). Other bands on the bill are TANKARD, END OF GREEN, FINAL BREATH, TWILIGHT PROPHECIES… Besides these bands and a special anniversary-show by BURDEN OF GRIEF there will also be a Metal market. All further info at www.artofdarkness.de.vu
UP FROM THE GROUND festival announce the addition of Australian Thrash legend HOBBS ANGEL OF DEATH to their billing. They will play on friday August 27th. More info on www.upfromtheground.de