» News Archive July 2005
Battle Cry Records will be re-releasing the DARKNESS albums "Deathsquad", "Defenders Of Justice" and "Conclusion And Revival" on August 8th with a whole bunch of additional songs. The bonus material was taken from the old DARKNESS demo tapes "The Evil Curse" (1985) and "Titanic War" (1986), the "Spawn Of The Last One" live tape (covers by KISS and JUDAS PRIEST), a New Renaissance compilation album and 2005’s promo tape by their new band EURE ERBEN (who are now playing the old DARKNESS songs with German lyrics, but in the traditional style). The booklets contain all the lyrics as well as detailed liner notes for each album. www.battlecryrecords.de
New York City Thrashers SUN DESCENDS will enter Don Fury’s Cyclone Sound Studio this Friday, to record their first full-length album "Incinirating The Meek". The album will feature 11 tracks including a re-make of EXUMER’s ‘Fallen Saint’. It will also include guest appearances by Craig "The Reaper" Horval of NUNSLAUGHTER / CRUCIFIED MORTALS and "His Eminence the Wicked" of TERROR OF THE TREES / HEMLOCK. Mem comments: "I have not been this excited about recording an album since the 80s. The energy of the band and the material on this SUNDESCENDS CD will reflect what Thrash Metal stands for!" For further information check out www.sundescends.com or www.myspace.com/sundescends
Dutch Death Metallers ARSEBREED (featuring members from Disavowed, Pyaemia and Mangled) will start recording their debut album this August, at several different studios accross the Netherlands, including Studio Excess (Prostitute Disfigurement, Severe Torture, Sinister). The album, which is tentatively titled "Munching The Rotten", will feature the following tracks: ‘Bluntly Hammered’, ‘Vomit Heaps Of Flesh’, ‘Fistfit Stretched Third Eye’, ‘Munching The Rotten’, ‘Chopped In Excrements’, ‘Vaginal Butchery’, ‘Stabbed In The Arse’, ‘Ripping Chainsaw Orgazm’, ‘Anal Cum’, ‘Bloody Postraumatic Ejaculation’ and ‘Rectal Vomit’. Guitarist Daan had the following to say about the band and the upcoming recordings: "ARSEBREED hints to each and every US-style Death Metal with a bizarre twisted touch. The songs are catchy by times, yet they also consist of illogical technical twists, loops and leads. ARSEBREED is a band not for the lazy listeners or the faint hearted, as we will catch all listeners off guard several times per song. All this is accompanied by furious blastbeats and fast double bass work. The lyrical humour, will be spewed forth over each and every listener by both Robbe and Joel following up on each other rapidly with grunts, belches, screams, and so on. Our intentions, as perfectionists, are to make this album as tight as possible and have a splendid production allover. With the people we are working with and the experience we have we believe this will be no problem to accomplish." "Munching The Rotten" is scheduled for a late September release through Neurotic Records.
In Summer 2002 after a tumultuous and burdensome run with San Jose, California Thrash head-splitters DEKAPITATOR rhythm guitarist Blackwulf had had enough and decided it was time to pack up and make a strike on his own. For two and a half arduous years this dream was tested in the Hellpits of Northern California to no avail. Winter 2004 saw a solidifying mark finally made with a group of serious, skilled and dedicated Metal musicians, hence the band BLASPHEMER was formed and its infernal rites put to the anvil. Featuring within the ranks: ex – DEKAPITATOR rhythm guitar player (Blackwulf ) Wes Rhodes, ex – CACOPHONY bass player Jim O’Shea, ex – ORDER FROM CHAOS guitarist Chuck Keller, ex – ORDER FROM CHAOS drummer Mike Miller and ex – POSSESSED vocalist Jeff Becerra. Merging styles of old chaotic Euro / Thrash, with Canadian Speed, South American steel and known Stateside veterans. When Rhodes was asked about this new unit he simply stated "BLASPHEMER is a band of natural conviction, and a band bound in honor and tradition." Futhermore "BLASPHEMER is a band I can believe in." says Rhodes. Summer 2005 has BLASPHEMER currently writing for a soon to be released debut demo. BLASPHEMER will also be slated to appear on the next edition, Vol. II of the Heavy Speed compilation series on Rhodes’ own Midnight Records in 2006.
EXODUS will release their new album "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" through Nuclear Blast Records on October 4th. Tracks to be featured on the album include: ‘Raze’, ‘Deathamphetamine’, ‘I Am Abomination’, ‘Going, Going, Gone’ and ‘.44 Magnum Opus’. Meanwhile, EXODUS are gearing up for tours of the U.S. and Europe in November and December.
Unique Leader has signed Columbia Death Metallers INTERNAL SUFFERING. They will record a new full length CD later this year at Mana Studios in Tampa, FA with Erik Rutan (HATE ETERNAL, ex-MORBID ANGEL) in the engineering seat.
DRAGONLORD, led by TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson, will be issuing their sophomore effort in October via Escapi Music. The album was produced / mixed by Fredrik Nordstrom (IN FLAMES, SOILWORK, DIMMU BORGIR) at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Florida-based Death Metal band, PATHS OF POSSESSION, fronted by CANNIBAL CORPSE vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, have confirmed via their official website that the release of their debut "Promises In Blood", is October 4th via Metal Blade Records. Recorded at Mana Recording Studios in Tampa, FA, "Promises In Blood" features the following confirmed tracklisting: ‘Darklands’, ‘Butcher’s Bargain’, ‘Bleed The Meek’, ‘The Second Coming’, ‘Where The Empty Gods Lie’, ‘Heart For A Heart’, ‘In My Eyes’, ‘Erzsebet’, ‘Promises In Blood’, ‘Bring Me The Head Of Christ’, ‘Through The Fiery Halls’ and ‘The Icy Flow Of Death’. Rounding out the band line-up are: Randy Butman – bass, backup vocals, Jay Fossen – guitars, Jack Goodwin – guitars, Nick Goodyear – drums.
BLASTMASTERS (www.blastmasters1.com) are the new Florida based act featuring drummer Lee "Aantar" Coates (ex – UNHOLY GHOST, DIABOLIC). According to their website, the band is scheduled to begin recording their full length album, "Twisted Metal", on July 25th. Produced by Juan Punchy Gonzales and the band at D.O.W. Studios, the album will feature the following tracklisting: ‘Altricial Meta-Genesis’, ‘Catastrophic System Failure’, ‘Shellfire And Tombstones’, ‘Twisted Metal’, ‘Putred Future’, ‘We The Treacherous’, ‘Implemented Digital Control’, ‘The Beheadings’, ‘La Fin Du Monde’ and ‘Shockwave Undertow’.
Poland’s DECAPITATED have posted the following update at their website (www.decapitated.pl): "On the 1st of August recording sessions start for DECAPITATED’s new full length album entitled "Organic Hallucinosis". The band is entering Hertz Studio where under the Wieslawscy Bros. supervision they will stay until the end of August, recording and mixing the album. Its artwork and the whole layout will be designed by Seth (ROTTING CHRIST, PARADISE LOST and many others). "Organic Hallucinosis" is set for release on January / February 2006."
ARCH ENEMY kicked off their first US tour in support of "Doomsday Machine", their new album, last week on Ozzfest. A video for the track ‘Nemesis’, shot by renowned director George Bravo (who also shot the group’s ‘We Will Rise’ clip), is now complete; look for it to make its Headbangers Ball and Metal Asylum debut early next month.
DEEDS OF FLESH have posted the video for the title track from their new album, "Crown Of Souls" on their official website at this location. The video clip is 7.6MB and Quicktime 7 Player is needed to view it (for both Windows and Mac). In other news, drummer Mike Hamilton has struck a new deal with Factory Metal Percussion.
Following the "Blackest Of The Black" tour through North America with DANZIG, CHILMAIRA, HIMSA, MORTIIS and THE AGONY SCENE, BEHEMOTH will return to their native Poland to kick off the second leg of their "Demigod" tour. Shows in Balkan and Russian countries are in planning, and a one-off show in Istanbul, Turkey has been confirmed for December 17th.
Merciless Records have just released "Imperium – The Apocalyptic Vision", which is part one of an ORDER FROM CHAOS anthology, featuring the band’s 1988 four song demo, an eight track rehearsal (from December 25, 1988) and four live songs (from March 1994). The booklet contains lots of vintage pics as well as in-depth historical liner notes, while the vinyl version also contains an ORDER FROM CHAOS fanzine. For more info contact: chaosmongers@ares-kingdom.com
According to a post on the official BRUTALITY website, guitarist Mausolus Arguelles Von Kiszka has died. No cause of death was disclosed, only that he "has made the journey to the other side." BRUTALITY recently disbanded after Poland’s Still Dead Productions "completely backed out of their end of the deal" to release the band’s next album, according to a post on the group’s website.
Time Before Time Records just released a BLOODY SIGN / RADEMASSAKER split tape, limited to 200 copies. It will also be released as an EP at the end of the year through Deathstrike Records. BLOODY SIGN will be on tour in South America from July 21 to August 15. For more info check out www.bloodysign.fr.st
Midnight Records has released a vinyl compilation 7" EP, entitled "Don’t Burn The Witch" that features over 13 minutes of previously unreleased material by EVIL ANGEL, MINOTAUR, GOAT MESSIAH and TOXIC HOLOCAUST. The EP comes with a full coloured cover, "tribute" insert and is limited to 1000 copies (the first 100 will be on coloured vinyl and include a free MINOTAUR patch). It sells for $5 (world ppd.). For further details contact Wes at Midnight Records at this email address: chemikill@hotmail.com
NOMINON has been confirmed as the support act to the VITAL REMAINS European tour between September 10th and October 1st, 2005.
According to MTV.com, Bay Area Thrash Metal veterans EXODUS have titled their upcoming album "Shovel Headed Kill Machine". Produced by Andy Sneap (MACHINE HEAD, ARCH ENEMY), the disc is scheduled for an October 5 release through Nuclear Blast and is the band’s first to feature ex – SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph and new singer Rob Dukes.
Holland’s THANATOS have issued the following update via their website (www.thanatos.info): "We’ve got some good news, some bad news and some interesting news for you. First the good news: THANATOS just got back from the Excess Studios where we recorded two tracks that will be used as bonus tracks for the next full length album. We’re talking about a re-recording of 1992’s ‘And Jesus Wept’ and a blistering cover version of DARK Fuckin’ ANGEL’s ‘The Burning Of Sodom’. Audio samples of the (rough mix) versions of both songs will be available on the site in a couple of weeks and the final mixes will be done during the recording sessions of the next album. OK, now the bad news; guitarist / vocalist Stephan Gebédi is facing a serious affection of the nerves in his wrist and his neck, which means he won’t be able to play guitar and continue the writing process for the new THANATOS songs for the time being. We had initially planned to record the next album in October / November 2005, but now it seems more likely that the recordings won’t take place until February / March 2006. Finally, we had a visit from the BBC recently. THANATOS will be featured in a documentary series on the European Union. One of the episodes deals with Holland’s loss of identity and values because of certain religious movements (i.e. the Islam) gaining more and more power in Dutch society etc… the band was interviewed and asked to perform the song ‘Lambs To The Slaughter’ live in our rehearsal place. Hopefully we won’t be depicted as some sort of paranoid racist / narrow minded morons cause we’re not. The series will probably be aired in December 2005."
Roadrunner Records (www.roadrunnerrecords.com) have confirmed August 30th as the release date for OPETH‘s 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’.
Swedish Black Metallers MARDUK have posted the following message at their website (www.marduk.nu): "Due to delays from the printing company the reissued version of the "Dark Endless" album still hasn’t arrived. Everybody who have preordered it from our store will recive their copies very soon. We hope to receive it from the printer in a few days. We have also added an interview from the latest edition of Metal Maniacs. Check the interview section. The South American tour will take place during November. We are just waiting for confirmation for the final dates then they will be posted. The first rehearsals since drummer Emil (Dragutinovic) broke his arm has been done. Can assure you all that MARDUK sounds more intense and brutal than ever before. More news to follow soon."
Sweden’s DISMEMBER (www.dismember.se) has issued the following update: "The band will enter Sami Studio in Stockholm (Sweden) on August 15th to take on the recording of their 7th album. The recordings end in September, and the album is planned for a mid-January release. Drummer Fred Estby will once again produce the band and some of the new titles are ‘The God That Never Was’, ‘Feel The Darkness’ and ‘Through The Unbroken Black’."
CONCRETE SLEEP (ex – THERION and SERPENT members) from Stockholm will release their lost debut album on Vic Records. Recorded in 1993 at the famous Montezuma Studios (Therion, Bathory, Hexenhaus, Candlemass), their label back then ripped of the studio and never paid them. The studio refused to unleash the recordings as no-one paid for them and at the end even the studio went down. The rough mixed version was found after more than a decade now. After the summer the sound quality will be upgrated in a Stockholm based studio run by (again) two ex – Therion guitar players Peter and Magnus. As a bonus the 3 track debut demo "As I Fly" will be added to the upcoming album, recorded in 1992 at the Sunlight Studios and produced by no one else than Tomas Skogsberg. Some new songs are already written and a new album can be expected early next year, released by Vic Records as well.
"Torment In Fire", the first release from the legendary Canadian Thrash Metal band SACRIFICE, is finally available again! It comes as a double CD in a limited slipcase edition, hand numbered and contains a massive booklet with liner notes by Laurent Ramadier, live pictures and personal comments by Joe Rico and Rob Urbinati. 42 songs total, including one from SACRIFICE’s first gig in 1984. All remastered from the originals in 24 Bits by Sidney Sohn (Nasty Savage, Iron Angel). Additional info at www.marquee.com.br
Swedish Black Metallers BLOT MINE, featuring current and former members of SETHERIAL, SORHIN and MIDVINTER, will release their sophomore album, "Ashcloud", on July 18 via Metal Fortress (www.metalfortress.com). The follow-up to 1998’s "Porphyrogenesis" (Near Dark Productions) was recorded at Abyss Studio in Sweden. Two songs from the upcoming CD are currently available for download via the band’s official web site http://hem1.passagen.se/blot/mine/index.htm.
Brazil’s Death Metal merchants ABHORRENCE are still alive and are currently working on an upcoming split-CD. The Abhorrence part will feature two new tracks as well as three live versions of classic ABHORRENCE material.
INFINITED HATE have completed the recordings of their second full length album "Heaven Termination". The artwork is also completed. You can already check out a sample here.
Shortly, Japanese label Obliteration Records will issue a licensed version of From Beyond’s C.S.S.O. "Collection" CD. Copies will be available through both labels.
Not later than early fall AGATHOCLES will enter the studio to record their new full length album for Displeased Records.
The new MORRIGAN CD "Headcult" will be released by Undercover Records on the 9th of July. For all further info and ordering details contact alex@undercover-records.de
Brazil’s HEADHUNTER D.C. have just just finalized the recordings of the Necrovore track, ‘Slaughtered Remains’ for the upcoming tribute on From Beyond Productions.
IMPALED NAZARENE has re-signed with Osmose Productions for two more albums. Here’s an official statement of the band: "We are more than happy to continue working with Osmose. We will enter totally new (and fantastic, must be said) Sonic Pump studio on 21st of November 2005 to record our next studio album! The album will be recoded and mixed by Tapio Pennanen. We are at the moment writing and rehearsing the album and gotta say it will be fast, brutal as fuck, in-your-face Impaled Nazarene once again. Double 10" version of our "Death Comes In 26 Selected Pieces" live album will come out in September 2005, limited to 500 copies. This delay was down to my own laziness, nothing else. Speaking of the live album, The End Records has licensed it for North American market and this version shall be out on July 12th. "Absense Of War Does Not Mean Peace" is out now as digipak version, including ‘Hardboiled And Still Hellbound’ video as a bonus. New t-shirt designs are on the way, we will keep you posted about them. New version of the girlie shirts are out now, please check www.osmoseproductions.com. "Latex Cult" and "Rapture" will come out as digipaks with totally new artwork and layout. Both CDs will be remastered at Finnvox Studio and will have videos as extra bonus. I am working for the lay-out for "Latex Cult" and this will be some sick shit, I can tell you. More info later. We have some festivals coming in the fall, Pellavarock (in August), Roctober Fest in Kajaani (as headliner) on 29th of October and on 12th of November we will headline a festival in Mühlacker-Mühlhausen, in Germany. More info in our gigs section. 15 years and still kicking arse like no tomorrow!!!! – Sluti666"