» News Archive June 2005
Sweden’s CENTINEX have just issued the following press statement regarding the cancellation of their European tour with IMPIETY: "The co-headlining European tour with IMPIETY scheduled for September-October 2005 has been cancelled due to reasons completely beyond our nor Shadow Smile Bookings control. CENTINEX feels both pissed and sad about this cancellation but we do everything in our power to still get out on the road in late 2005 or very early 2006. As I have said… Life sucks enormously, the "World Declension" is upon us." – Martin [Centinex]
Contributors wanted! VOICES FROM THE DARKSIDE is once again looking for reliable people (preferable from Germany) who can help us out with reviews, as we constantly get so much stuff that it’s getting more and more difficult to keep track in this department. So, if you have the necessary time, dedication and knowledge, get in touch with us for all further details here. If you’re running a magazine / zine on your own (or already contribute to one) outside of Germany, you’re more than welcome as well.
On Sunday, August 7th 2005, MELECHESH will be playing live in Belgium for the first time. They will be part of the Mid Summer Fest along side Obituary, Tristania, Pungent Stench, Enthroned, Turisas, God Dethroned, Krisiun (TBC), Division 666 and Reality at the Sporthal Landegem (near Gent). For more info, go to www.metallysee.com
Relapse Records will reissue the entire recorded works of seminal technical Metal pioneers ATHEIST (1989’s "Piece Of Time", 1992’s "Unquestionable Presence" and 1993’s "Elements"). "I am overwhelmed with joy to see the re-release of the entire ATHEIST catalog after so many years", commented guitarist / vocalist and founding member Kelly Shaefer. Shaefer continues, "I’ve toured extensively since making these records, and everywhere I go I run into people who were not just into ATHEIST, but who praised the band’s uniqueness and how much it forced them to progress as musicians and push the boundaries as players… I have been hunting for a label that would treat the catalog with the respect it deserves and whose goal is the same as ours: to turn the new generation of extreme Metal and Prog Metal heads onto ATHEIST. Relapse is that label as it has a true understanding of where ATHEIST helped to rewrite the timeline of Metal." Relapse will start by issuing a limited edition, foil-stamped box set containing LP versions of each of the ATHEIST full-lengths, as well as the R.A.V.A.G.E. (pre-ATHEIST) "On They Slay" 7" EP exclusive to this edition. The LP box will be strictly limited to 1,000 copies and surface in July. The CD re-issues will follow in the late Summer / early Fall, starting with "Elements" on August 30 (US) and September 5 (Europe).
ARCTURUS have announced via their website (www.arcturus.no) that their forthcoming new album will be titled "Sideshow Symphonies". The release is due out in September or October through Season Of Mist. Also, ARCTURUS plan to record their September 24th date at Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway for an upcoming DVD release. More details as they become available.
DIVINE RAPTURE guitarist J.J. Hrubovcak is featured on the upcoming new album from VILE. J.J. performs two guitar solos on the album, entitled "The New Age Of Chaos". Listenable Records will issue the new album later this year. For more information head to www.liquidenergy.net
INCRUST is currently rehearsing the material to be released on an upcoming EP on Ibex Moon Records. It will be recorded at the end of 2005. Their debut album "Baptized In Unholy Gore" will be re-released as a tape version (limited to 366 copies) with bonus tracks on Slava Productions from Malaysia. The original "Helhearsal" tape will also be re-released through Trevas distro later this year.
REVIOLENCE from Brazil have finished a video for the song ‘Zero Of Me’. It is available for download at the band’s website www.reviolence.com.br. The videoclip was produced by Cláudio Tibérius, who was already responsible for the videos of TORTURE SQUAD and PANZER.The clip has images of a REVIOLENCE show at the Blackmore Rock Bar in Sao Paulo, Brazil and studio scenes.
A full mp3 track from the upcoming CENTINEX "World Declension" album can now be found at the Centinex website www.centinex.org. The album will be released in Europe on June 27th and in the US on August 23d. The vinyl version of the album – a limited picture LP featuring alternative artwork – will be released by Swedmetal later in the summer. A Centinex / World Below split 7"EP – entitled "Doomed Death Blow" – will be released by UK based Conquer Records. Limited to 500 copies, the EP will feature one track each from both bands latest albums.
Earache Records has posted the new HATE ETERNAL video for the track ‘I, Monarch’ in Quicktime and Real Player formats at this location. The video was directed by Shane Drake (FALLOUT BOY, SNAPCASE, THE AGONY SCENE). Shot in California and Florida, ‘I, Monarch’ was inspired by the work of avant-garde composer Zero Kama (samples of which can be heard on the song).
IMMOLATION are currently on a tour in the U.S. with DEICIDE, which wraps up on June 20th. Bassist / vocalist Ross Dolan has issued the following message, "Tour is going great… really a positive response for the new material and it is going over great. Crowds have been big and strong… can’t wait to hit Europe. Our video for ‘Harnessing Ruin’ is on rotation on MTV and the crowd is going beserk everytime we play the song. We are tight like a machine now and are ready for the fests!!" IMMOLATION are scheduled to play the Graspop festival in Belgium on June 24th and at the Fury Fest festival in France on June 25th.
Earache Records have signed Dutch Death Metal act SEVERE TORTURE to the roster as part of a worldwide deal. The deal will bear immediate fruit in the form of the band’s highly anticipated new album "Fall Of The Despised" scheduled for a September release, followed by a European tour to support the album. SEVERE TORTURE – comprised of Thijs van Laarhoven (guitar), Marvin Vriesde (guitar), Seth van De Loo (drums), Dennis Schreurs (vocals) and Patrick Boleij (bass) – have steadily gained a reputation as one of the current resurgent Death Metal scene’s leading lights. Via the release of previous albums "Feasting On Blood" and "Misanthropic Carnage", the band’s unrelenting brutality and technicality has earned them the respect of fans worldwide. Commenting on the band’s new home, bassist Patrick Boleij had this to say about the new album and the band’s upcoming plans: "SEVERE TORTURE is very proud to sign with Earache Records. Earache has always been a pioneer and a leader in the extreme music scene. Our brand new album "Fall Of The Despised" displays a huge progress in songwriting, technicality and brutality for the band, and contains some killer songs which we can’t wait for to play live on tour."
TANK have issued the following update on the upcoming reissue of their "War Of Attrition" – Live album: "Hi again folks, here’re some more info about TANK live ’81 release… The band will be releasing another vinyl album through Maniacal Records in the next few months. It will be the "War of Attrition" – Live album plus many bonus tracks (live / radio sessions / demos). It will be a double gatefold LP, 250 on white vinyl and 250 on 180 gram vinyl, and many old photos. Limited edition of 500 copies. There will also be an expanded edition CD with 5 bonus tracks. The vinyl will contain 2 tracks that are not available on the CD, and the CD will have one track which is not available on the vinyl version. The bonus tracks will be "radio sessions" from ’82 and also Lochen Pop Holland 1983. There will also be demo versions of 2 other songs ‘The Man Who Never Was’ and ‘Too Tired To Wait For Love’, and then of course the "Filth Hounds" 3 songs demo, or pre-Filth Hounds."
US Black Metallers KULT OV AZAZEL have posted the following update at their website: "June 28th, 2005 will be the day of reckoning!!! Our third diabolic opus, "The World, The Flesh & The Devil" will officially be unleashed upon this filthy planet. Nine songs of heretical profanation recorded and engineered by Shawn Ohtani, mastered by Erik Rutan (HATE ETERNAL, ex-MORBID ANGEL) at Mana Studios in Tampa Florida this slab of unadulterated contempt will prove to be our most blasphemous yet musically diverse out of the six years of our existence. Tour dates for the Hellstorm of Unholy Legions Tour are starting to come in and are posted here. The "Through War Or Suicide" split 10-inch released through Abort the World Records can be found under the merchandise section here. Pressing was delayed on the release due to several pressing plants refusal to print the covers because of what was deemed as offensive album artwork. The Kult Ov Azazel portion includes a demo song from the new album, a SODOM cover and live track of ‘Garden Of Shadows’, all three tracks recorded with the band’s current lineup. We have also submitted a song off the new release to Killzone Records for the compilation "Destroyers From The Western Skies". This will be the best-compiled material covering the North American Black Metal scene to date. Visit www.killzone-records.com for more details. Other releases scheduled for this year are the Kult ov Azazel / VROLOK split "Feast Of Sacrilegious Impurity" enhanced CD for October and the "Oculus Infernum" gatefold LP for a scheduled September release. The audio sample of the song ‘An Eternity With Satan’ from the new album is still available for download here and recent interviews have been posted." "The World, The Flesh & The Devil" is being released by Arctic / Crash Music and was recorded at at Mana Studios in Tampa, FL.
NILE have completed work on the first music video from their new album, "Annihilation Of The Wicked". The video, for the song ‘Sacrifice Unto Sebek’ was shot on location in Atlanta, GA by Director Chad Rullman (MASTODON’s ‘March Of The Fire Ants’, THE AGONY SCENE) for Supercollider Films and features NILE (guitarist / vocalist Karl Sanders, guitarist / vocalist Dallas Toler-Wade and drummer George Kollias) performing inside an eerie Egyptian burial chamber, replete with actual design motifs of ancient Egyptian culture. The video is expected to make its world premiere imminently. NILE’s "Annihilation Of The Wicked" album hit stores on May 24th, shifting over 5,000 units in just its first week of release.
The following announcement has been posted on the official DISSECTION website: "Bassist Brice Leqlercq has all of the sudden decided to part ways with Dissection. This event, although unforeseen, will however NOT have any effect on Dissection’s ongoing victorious onslaught! Last Friday (June 10th) Dissection performed a successful concert as a three-piece at Undead Festival in Hungary, this time with the bass guitar on backing tracks. A replacement will however be tested by the end of the weekend, and as soon as anything is settled it will be announced here."
Roadrunner’s latest signing OPETH have completed their new album "Ghost Reveries". The 65 minute album was mastered in Stockholm, Sweden on June 16th. The complete tracklisting is as follows: ‘Ghost Of Perdition’, ‘The Baying Of The Hounds’, ‘Beneath The Mire’, ‘Atonement’, ‘Reverie / Harlequin Forest’, ‘Hours Of Wealth’, ‘The Grand Conjuration’ and ‘Isolation Years’. The artwork can be viewed here. Roadrunner will issue the record this fall.
NOMINON‘s website (www.nominon.com) reveals that from September 11th – October 1st the band will be on tour in Europe supporting VITAL REMAINS. Dates for the trek will be announced in early July.
Neurotic Records have posted a new e-card for the reissue of VISCERAL BLEEDING‘s debut album, "Remnants Of Deprivation", now going by the name "Remnants Revived". Check it out at this location. The digi-pack CD was re-mastered by Scot Hull (NILE, SUFFOCATION, PIG DESTROYER). It contains the following bonus material: three live videos from Visceral Bleeding’s recent European tour with OBITUARY, three newly recorded studio tracks – a new version of ‘Carved Down To The Bone’ as well as cover versions of ‘Stripped Raped And Strangled’ by CANNIBAL CORPSE and ‘Dreaming In Red’ by DISMEMBER. Additionally, a video of the new version of ‘Carved Down To The Bone’, recorded during the studio session in FlatPig, will be included. In other Visceral Bleeding news, the band have issued the following message: "We are proud to announce that we will support DEICIDE on their full European tour this autumn."
Baltimore-based metallers MISERY INDEX have posted the following message at their official website (www.miseryindex.com): "Hello, just a few words… new pics are up in the photo section (here), more to come as they get developed. Also we have two new songs completed, they are presently untitled, but more on that as it comes. In other news we now all play ESP guitars, so when we get them, we will tell you how much they shred. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer, we are all taking some time off to relax and get back into the home life. Talk soon, see you at a show, or on the front lines of life somewhere. A post-tour pic of MAGRUDERGRIND, ROTTEN SOUND and Misery Index can be viewed here: what a bunch of freaks AYE?!"
Norwegian Black Metallers GORGOROTH have posted the following update via their official website (www.gorgoroth.org): "The recordings of the upcoming album, "Ad Majorem Satanhas Gloriam" progress steadily. Infernus (guitars) and King (OvHell – bass) have been in a studio in Spydeberg (Norway) for the past weeks where they have recorded bass and guitar. They have brought the tapes back to Bergen, Norway and will continue their work in Earshot Studios during this summer." Gorgoroth’s Regain debut should see the light of day this fall.
British Dark Metal band ZEUS would like to confirm that Mike Mayers is not dead! This is bitter people spreading lies and assuming the identity of band members in order to try and destroy the band’s chances of success. Nobody has been shot and nobody has been strangled. ZEUS would also like to point out that it is not a racist band, this is yet again people making stuff up to cause trouble. ZEUS say to people from the past to not believe posts of insults, threats and nonsense on the net but to ignore them as they are not written by ZEUS but by people imitating them trying to tarnish the band. ZEUS will continue as planned. A new site will be online soon.
The new DEAD HEAD album "Haatland" will be released in September / October on Extremity Records (which is a division of Sweden’s GMR Music Group). The album was produced by Jacob Hansen (Invocator / Hatesphere / Mnemic) and will contain 10 songs (total playing time 43 min). The coverart and tracklist will be posted on the band’s website shortly. For further info check out www.deadhead.nl or www.gmrmusic.se.
This year the biggest Metal barbecue in the world, namely the HEADBANGERS-OPEN-AIR in Germany, will sweeten headbangers’ lives on the 08th and 09th of July with acts such as HEATHEN, TYRANT’S REIGN, DAMIEN THORNE, WARRANT, ATTACKER, NECRODEATH, etc. The warm up show will take place on the 07th of July at the "Cantina", not too far from the festival site in Hörnerkirchen (near Wacken, resp. Hamburg). Headliners will be PRIMORDIAL. For the complete billing check our "tourdates" section and for more infos surf over to the official H-O-A site: www.headbangers-open-air.de
The 11th PARTY.SAN OPEN AIR will take place from the 11th to the 14th of August 2005 in Bad Berka, Germany. There will be 27 bands from 11 nations. Here are some names: SUFFOCATION, KAAMOS, SECRETS OF THE MOON, OBSCENITY and KRISIUN For the complete billing check our "tourdates" section and for more infos surf over to the official Party.San website: www.party-san.net
Pete Flesh (DECEIVER, ex – MAZE OF TORMENT) has recorded his first full-length album, entitled FLESH – "Dödsångest". Vocals, guitars and bass were recorded by Pete, while the drums have been taken care of by Flingan (DECEIVER). The album, that was recorded in The Abyss studio with Tommy Tägtgren, is planed to be released by the Gothenburg label Iron Fist Productions in October 2005. The music is supposed to sound like old Death / Black Metal in the vein of Autopsy, Death, Possessed, Tormentor etc. More information can be found here: www.peteflesh.tk
Roadrunner Records report that OBITUARY will be shooting a video for their track ‘Insane’ on June 19th. The video should be completed for the first week of July. ‘Insane’ is lifted from Obituary’s new album, "Frozen In Time", due out through Roadrunner on July 19th. ‘Insane’ can be heard via Roadrunner’s website at this location.
GOREFEST‘s website (www.gorefest.nl) has been updated with the following message from the band: "Next month, July and part of August 2005, we will camp down at the Excess studio in Rotterdam to record our sixth studio album. We will do this with engineer Hans Pieters. We have about 15 songs to record of which we will make a choice of 10 or so to put on the album. Mixing will be done by Danish knob toggler Tue Madsen, known from work with THE HAUNTED, ABORTED, DISBELIEF, BORN FROM PAIN and many others, at his home studio The Antfarm in Denmark come August. At the moment we are finishing up on the songs and breaking our heads over how to play them. As of yet we have no title to give you but one will come to us soon. During our stay in Rotterdam, a studio report will be posted on this site on a regular base. We will let you in on the progress being made and give you an insight in typical recording processes like: girlfriend interference, ego struggle, black eyes, break up, re-reunion, the breaking of strings, drum heads, vocal cords, studio interior, and so on, and so on."
DESTRUCTION have posted the following update at their official website: "We’re happy to present you the new cover artwork today! Take a first look at it in our gallery. The headbanging anthem ‘The Alliance Of Hellhoundz’ will be one of the highlights of the album. This song will feature 10 different Metal singers from all Heavy Metal styles singing together for tolerance and unity of the scene. Here are the Hellhoundz involved: Biff (SAXON), Doro, Shagrath (DIMMU BORGIR), Speed (SOILWORK), Paul DiAnno (ex – IRON MAIDEN / KILLERS), Messiah (CANDLEMASS), Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL), Peavy (RAGE), Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY / PAIN) and of course DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier! Expect a total classic! More news and soundfiles soon. Stay tuned…"
Death Metal legend PAUL SPECKMANN will release his musical biography, "Masterpieces", through Twilight Distribution on August 15th. Material included on the release will be pulled from the first two MASTER albums (1990s "Master" and 1991’s "On The 7th Day God Created… Master"), the first two ABOMINATION records (1989’s "Abomination", 1991’s "Tragedy Strikes"), as well as tracks from DEATHSTRIKE, SOLUTIONS, SPECKMANN PROJECT and two tracks from the new MASTER demo.
HATE ETERNAL have completed the filming of their new video, for the title track off the band’s upcoming third album, "I, Monarch". It was directed by Shane Drake (FALLOUT BOY, SNAPCASE, THE AGONY SCENE) and shot in California and Florida. ‘I, Monarch’ was inspired by the work of avant-garde composer Zero Kama (samples of which can be heard on the song!) and intersperses performance footage with scenes of a mysterious man’s quest to build instruments out of human bones. "I, Monarch", the album, hits US stores June 28th (UK / Europe June 27th). The tracklisting is as follows: ‘Two Demons’, ‘Behold Judas’, ‘The Victorious Reign’, ‘To Know Our Enemies’, ‘I, Monarch’, ‘Path To The Eternal Gods’, ‘The Plague Of Humanity’, ‘It Is Our Will’, ‘Sons Of Darkness’ and ‘Faceless One’.
Poland’s DECAPITATED are set to begin writing new material for their next release. The band will enter Poland’s Hertz Studio in August to begin recording the album. The band will be on VADER’s upcoming North American winter tour with DEW-SCENTED and headline a tour in Canada from December 1st to December 12th. Following these dates Decapitated will head out on another U.S. tour with NILE in January, and then head to Europe with Cryptopsy.
Chicago Death Metallers MASTER, featuring vocalist / bassist Paul Speckmann, will record a new full length album this fall. The new album will be followed by a European tour with GOREFEST and ENTOMBED, set to kick off in spring, 2006. In related news, Master have new merchandise available at their website. Check out the new items at www.master.ca.tc.
Guitar virtuoso Terry Lauderdale will be touring with HEATHEN this summer. The band is very excited about having Terry on board. You may remember Terry, when by the age of 18, caught the attention of Hardrockers SABOTAGE who recruited the young guitarist for the lead guitar position. Terry then moved on to join forces with Carl Socco (Heathen / MURDER), Bob Clic (THE LEWD / Murder) and Dane Petersen (BLOODBATH) to form the Thrash Metal band DIE SIEGER. Besides his reputation as a professional musician, he is also known as a dynamic performer, who gives nothing less than 110% at every performance. He has also received countless praise from his peers, professional relationships and dedicated fans. Heathen will be touring Europe with NUCLEAR ASSAULT later this year.
Candlelight Records with Regain Records confirm August 23rd as the stateside reissue date of MARDUK‘s "World Funeral". Also scheduled for release is the band’s official DVD, "Funeral Marches & Warsongs". Both titles are currently unavailable in the US. The DVD features a one-off reunion with Joakim Af Gravf and was professionally filmed on various festivals and locations in Europe. Tracklistings for each of the above mentioned are as follows: "World Funeral": ‘With Satan & Victorious Weapons’, ‘Bleached Bones’, ‘Cloven Hoof’, ‘World Funeral’, ‘To the Death’s Head True’, ‘Castrum Doloris’, ‘Hearse’, ‘Night Of the Long Knives’, ‘Bloodletting’, ‘Blessed Unholy’, ‘Blackcrowned’. "Funeral Marches & Warsongs": (Live France, Paris, La Loco, April 9th 2003) ‘Blackcrowned’, ‘With Satan & Victorious Weapons’, ‘Azrael’, ‘Wolves’, ‘World Funeral’, ‘Hearse’, ‘Bleached Bones’, ‘Of Hells Fire’, ‘Darkness It Shall Be’, ‘Fistfucking Gods Planet’. (Live Poland, Katowiche, April 5th 2003) ‘Blackcrowned’, ‘WIth Satan & Victorious Weapons’, ‘Azrael’, ‘Wolves’, ‘World Funeral’, ‘Hearse’, ‘Bleached Bones’, ‘Of Hells Fire’, ‘Darkness It Shall Be’, ‘Fistfucking Gods Planet’. (Live Germany, Party San Festival, Bad Berka, August 7th 2003) ‘Jesus Christ Sodomized’, ‘Baptism by Fire’, ‘The Black’, ‘Still Fucking Dead’. (Video clips) ‘Hearse’ (recording April 2003), ‘World Funeral’ (recorded April 2003).
FLESHCRAWL have issued the following message: "Since our longtime bass player Tobz quit the band some time ago, we are looking for a new person handling the deep notes. Apart from above-board playing abilities, creativity, and being a cool guy, you should – of course – be totally into Death Metal, have power (good stage performance!), time, and be 100% determined. All tryouts will take place close to Ulm (Laupheim) in Germany." If you fit the description above and have the guts, send an e-mail to ImNOTaWimp@fleshcrawl.de or snailmail to FLESHCRAWL, Finkenweg 17, D-89257 Illertissen, Germany.
Guitarist Evil Onit and vocalist / bassist Martin Von Fah Q were arrested early Saturday morning (June 4, 2005) while taking band pictures for OBEISANCE‘s upcoming "Unholy Unwholesome And Evil" CD to be issued on Utterly Somber Creations in July 2005 while at El Paso’s infamous Concordia cemetary. Drummer Meggido Blood Glutton however was not taken into custody. The band is also planning to film a promo clip for the song ‘Concordia Cemetary Desecrations’ at the same location. The bandmembers were later released and no charges have been filed by the El Paso police department.
Germany’s brutal Death Metal squad INGURGITATING OBLIVION will be celebrating the release of their debut full length album "Voyage Towards Abhorrence" (out now on Unmatched Brutality Records) at the JUZ in Leer, Germany on June 24, 2005. Guests will be JACK SLATER and SERAPH OF PESTILENCE (formerly known as CREMATION). For more info check out www.ingurgitating-oblivion.de, www.unmatchedbrutality.com or www.juz-leer.de.
VIRGIN STEELE had to cancel their appearance at the BANG YOUR HEAD!!! 2005. For their fans: you might still catch them headlining the KEEP IT TRUE Festival on November 5, 2005: www.keep-it-true.de. The guys from BANG YOUR HEAD!!!, however, already found a replacement for the Guardians of the Flame, namely KAMELOT. www.bang-your-head.de