» News Archive November 2008
Although former CEREMONIUM bass player Victor Rivera was declared dead on 9/11 (having perished in the 9/11 attacks) and his image showed up on the RIP page of our website, we’ve just received the good news that he’s actually still alive and well! Anybody wishing to speak to him may do so through his myspace profile: www.myspace.com/sangdracul. CEREMONIUM’s discography CD tentatively titled "Spiritual Exaltation" is scheduled for a winter 2008 release through Weird Truth Productions. A myspace profile is in the process of being created to help promote the release which link will probably be the following: www.myspace.com/ceremonium. More details when they become available.
In October 2008 reunited Dallas / Texas based Deathers DIVINE EVE have entered Kearlight Recording Studios with engineer Scott Cooksey to commence their first recordings in 13 years. This EP will consist of 2 new songs and 2 previously unrecorded (by DIVINE EVE) songs that appeared on CRIMSON RELIC’s "Purgatory’s Reign" album. The titles for these songs are ‘Whispers Of Fire’, ‘Ravages Of Heathen Men’, ‘Vindication’ and another to be announced. No release date is set for it at this point of time. Xan, Matt and Mike will continue as a trio as Tyson is unable to take part in this reunion. A suitable substitute for live performance will be announced soon. For the time being Xan is handling bass duties in the studio. For more info check out www.myspace.com/divineeve2008
Spanish Symphonic Black Metallers GOTHMOG have signed a deal with Xtreem Music for the release of their debut album "A Step In The Dark" on January 01, 2009. For more info on the band as well as listening samples, check out the band’s official MySpace site at www.myspace.com/gothmog666
Xtreem Music have released a 10-CD compilation entitled SPAIN KILLS, gathering 175 bands with 215 songs from the Spanish extreme Metal scene. Each CD comes with a full coloured 12 – 16 pages booklet with photo, logo, info and contact for each band. A limited edition special-box (only 200 copies made), containing all 10 CDs is still available. The CDs are also available separately (each volume limited to 1.000 copies) and there’s a limited amount of boxes available with shirt, sticker and badge. All further info about the bands and their contributions you will find at www.myspace.com/spainkills or www.spainkills.com.
The debut demo tape from MIASMAL is now available from Detest Records for 5 Euros including shipping worldwide. Expect pure old school Metal of Death in the vein of the early efforts of NIHILIST / ENTOMBED and UNLEASHED. More info and a track are to be found at www.detestrecords.com
CANNIBAL CORPSE will team up with Children Of Bodom for a full European tour in February. Check out our tourdates sections for the exact dates.
After 8 years in existence Osnabrück’s Death Metallers BRANDED SKIN and their singer Alex Hille have split-up due to musical differences. The rest of the band will try a new start with another singer under a different name.
Time Before Time Records from Poland will release the debut full length album "For My Your Blood For Satan Your Soul" of Colombia’s MEPHIZTOPHEL. www.myspace.com/mephiztophel666
After a longer break Denmark’s Thrashers VICTIMIZER have finally returned to the scene. The band still consists of JBP (aka Killheiler, vocals), Henrik Engkjær (aka Mr. Born To Lose, guitar) and Vuml (bass). Two new members have joined the ranks in the shape of Søren Bentsen (drums) and Peter Engkjær (guitar). Both are also involved in Hideous Invasion and the latter being the brother of long time guitarist, Henrik Engkjær. The band has started working on the first new material since 2007’s "The Final Assault" album, that was released in 2007 by the American label, Hells Headbangers. In one of the coming months VICTIMIZER will enter the studio so fans should be able to hear new songs in the not too distant future. For all further info check out www.myspace.com/666victimizer.
Legendary Aussie Thrashers MORTAL SIN have issued the following update: "Our long time friend Greg Morelli, guitarist of NAZXUL was tragically killed in the early hours of Thursday morning November 20th in a motorcycle accident. As many locals would know a huge storm hit Sydney last night and Greg was riding his motorbike home and hit a greasy wet patch on Parramatta road North Strathfield. Greg’s death will be a huge loss to the Australian Metal scene and of course the international Black Metal scene. The new NAZXUL album had just been completed and Greg was really looking forward to getting back out on the road and we had also talked about the possibility of heading over to Europe for some shows next year. Greg explained to me that the new album was sounding like they finally wanted to sound like, and was really proud of what he had achieved. I hope all the Black Metal fans out there will raise their horns tonight for Greg. Rest in peace mate, you’re a fucking legend."
German Death Metallers OBSCURA have posted a brand new track, ‘Anticosmic Overload’, on their MySpace page www.myspace.com/realmofobscura. The song comes off the group’s second full-length album, "Cosmogenesis" due in February 2009 via Relapse Records. The CD features guest appearances from Ron Jarzombek (WATCHTOWER, SPASTIC INK, BLOTTED SCIENCE) and Tymon Kruidenier (CYNIC, EXIVIOUS). For additional information and album artwork, go here.
SATHANAS have finished recording their new album "Nightrealm Apocalypse". The mix and mastering will be handled by Necromorbus Studios in Sweden, the artwork was done by Juanjo Castellano. "Nightrealm Apocalypse" is supposed to be released in early 2009 via Pagan Records, followed by a European tour with NUNSLAUGHTER. You will find the exact dates at the band’s official website www.sathanas.net.
CANNIBAL CORPSE have announced "Evisceration Plague" as the title to the group’s brand new studio album due out on January 30th (GER / A / SWI / I), February 2nd (rest of Europe) through Metal Blade Records. "Evisceration Plague" marks the follow up to the bands extremely successful 2006 release "Kill" (debuted at #170 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart), which has become the fastest selling CANNIBAL album in the band’s storied career as well as highest selling album since 1996’s "Vile" (debuted at #151 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart). Bassist Alex Webster comments, "In CANNIBAL CORPSE our goal has always been to try and make each new album we record our heaviest. That goal was a bit more challenging this time since we were extremely satisfied with our last album "Kill", but we knew that by working with producer Erik Rutan at Mana Recording Studios again, we would be able to start at that same level of heaviness and take it even further. Now that we can hear the finished product, I would say we’ve been able to achieve this goal, and I think our fans will agree. "Evisceration Plague" has the best guitar sound we’ve ever recorded, and the entire band has never played with more precision and power. We can’t wait until you all get a chance to hear the album in early 2009, because we think you’ll be as happy with it as we are." The "Evisceration Plague" tracklist reads like this: ‘Priests Of Sodom’, ‘Scalding Hail’, ‘To Decompose’, ‘A Cauldron Of Hate’, ‘Beheading And Burning’, ‘Evidence In The Furnace’, ‘Carnivorous Swarm’, ‘Evisceration Plague’, ‘Shatter Their Bones’, ‘Carrion Sculpted Entity’, ‘Unnatural’ and ‘Skewered From Ear to Eye’. Keep an eye on the CANNIBAL CORPSE MySpace page for more updates on the upcoming album, a new track and upcoming tour dates. www.myspace.com/cannibalcorpse
Here’s the tracklist for the upcoming new CATTLE DECAPITATION album "The Harvest Floor": ‘The Gardeners Of Eden’, ‘A Body Farm’, ‘We Are Horrible People’, ‘Tooth Enamel & Concrete’, ‘The Ripe Beneath The Rind’, ‘The Product Alive’, ‘In Axetasy’, ‘Into The Public Bath’, ‘The Harvest Floor’ and ‘Regret & The Grave’. The album will feature guest appearances by Ross Sewage (Impaled / Ludicra), Jackie Perez Gratz (Grayceon / Amber Asylum), Dino Sommese (Dystopia / Asunder) and Los Angeles noisician John Wiese, as well as Jarboe (Swans), lending her beautifully haunting voice to the album’s titletrack. "The Harvest Floor" will be released on the 30th of January 2009 in GER / A / SWI / I and the 2nd of February 2009 in the rest of Europe. For more info check out www.myspace.com/cattledecapitation or www.cattledecapitation.com
American Death Metalheads SIX FEET UNDER have uploaded ‘Involuntary Movement Of Dead Flesh’, the third song of their upcoming new album "Death Rituals" at www.myspace.com/metalbladeeurope. The album will be released on the 14th of November in GER / A / SWI / I and the 17th of November in the rest of Europe. The limited first edition for Europe will be exclusively released as a digipak and features three live songs recorded at the band’s appearances at With Full Force and Summer Breeze this year. sfu420.com
German Thrashers EXUMER have established their first official MySpace site. The band has posted a video clip for the song ‘Winds Of Death’, taken from their 2nd album "Rising From The Sea", edited with rare footage from the 1980s. The band is currently working on the re-release of their first two albums: "Possessed By Fire" and "Rising From The Sea". The re-releases will be available in North America via the band’s MySpace site and their official website which will go live in the very near future. Vocalist Mem V. Stein: "The MySpace site will hopefully connect us with all the fans on a regular basis, since we are working on new material for the third EXUMER album. We would really love have their input on the new songs and move forward together in the right direction." For video clips, pictures and correspondence, please visit: www.myspace.com/exumerwakingthefire
HANDFUL OF HATE returns with a new line-up: Deimos (guitar), Damiano (bass), Andrea B. (drums) and Nicola (vocals, guitar). The band also presents two new songs from their forthcoming CD, out in 2009 and will sell every item from their merchandise with a special discount price at every gig. www.myspace.com/handfulofhate, www.handfulofhate.com
Italy’s SweDeathers HORRID have a new drummer named Dez. The band has already posted a brand new song with him at their official myspace site www.myspace.com/horridofficialspace
Italian melodic Death Metallers DISARMONIA MUNDI have finished the pre-production of their forthcoming fourth album entitled "The Isolation Game" scheduled for an early spring release. Some new song titles are: ‘Perdition Haze’, ‘Stepchild Of Laceration’, ‘Digging The Grave Of Silence’ and ‘Cypher Drone’. The recordings will take place at Ettore Rigotti’s "The Metal House" studios in Italy. During the following weeks the band will upload pics and videos of the recording sessions of the new album on the official myspace page www.myspace.com/disarmoniamundi.
Xtreem Music have signed German Thrashers NECRONOMICON for the release of their 6th full length album "Revenge Of The Beast". The band has always been active (they released three classic albums from ’86 to ’88 and later two more in ’94 and ’04) and nowadays they even still have three out of the four former members from ’83/’84 in their line-up: Freddy, Jogi and Axel plus Andi who joined in ’02. "Revenge Of The Beast" is due for imminent release on December 15th in a first limited edition of 1.000 copies on double CD to celebrate their 25th anniversary. There will also be exclusive and very limited NECRONOMICON shirts to be sold together with the double CD on a special-priced pack (CD+shirt) which will be sold only through the Xtreem Music mailorder. The band has just returned from a 3-show mini-tour in Russia and a presentation show in Madrid (Spain) is being organized around January. This will be the very first time NECRONOMICON will play in Spain and it will be a very special show for all old school Thrashers. A song from "Revenge Of The Beast" is available on NECRONOMICON’s official MySpace site www.myspace.com/possessedbythrash.
EMBRIOMA from Sao Paulo, Brazil are currently in the studio, finishing the production of about 20 songs, of which 10 – 13 will be chosen to be released on their new album, "Post-Industrial Metastasis". The band got together in September 2004, in the ABC Paulista area of Sao Paulo and plays a mix of Thrash, Death and Industrial. They previously released a 6 track EP through the Midiacaos label and already got the opportunity to open for bands like BIOHAZARD, SEPULTURA, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, THE MISFITS, TRISTANIA and CALIBAN, among others. They are currently promoting their promo-single "29". For more info check out www.embrioma.com, www.myspace.com/embrioma
Swedish Black Metallers REV 16:8 have been signed by Temple Of Darkness Records for their debut album in 2009. The band consists of Themgoroth (DARK FUNERAL, INFERNAL, SETHERIAL), Talon (IXXI, BLOODSHED, FINNTROLL), Nefastus (NEFASTUS, BLOODSHED) and Pata (BLOODSHED, DECADENCE). For all further info make sure to check out www.templeofdarknessrecords.com or myspace.com/rev168
Dallas, Texas based DIVINE EVE have reformed and are working on new material as well as preparing some live shows. Guitarist / vocalist Michael A. Sleavin kindly supplied us with the following, exclusive news: "We have been playing all the old tunes together since April 2008. Just been sharpening the blades and shaking the rust off these old sounds. At least as a trio, Tyson our original bass player is unable to commit but with his pagan blessings we are rehearsing with suitable replacements. So far we have had Jeremy Peto (Morgion) and Scott Cooksey (Azathtoth / Roller) playing some bass for us. Once we commence live performance the live line-up will be chosen. So far the songs sound bloody tight and more furious than ever! We are currently in Klearlight (Dallas, Texas) recording studios, recording 2 new tracks and 2 trax recorded on the "Divine Eve Cover album" by Crimson Relic. All the material sounds very promising and we are very pleased with the outcome. The recording will be available through us on Wolf Code Pagan Records / Sick Serenades mail order. All that is left to do on the recording is Xan’s and my vocals, effects, mix, and master which for now is TBA but within a couple of weeks time. This recording although available initially through us, we are looking for labels interested in releasing it and of course a good solid record label willing to support the underground music of DIVINE EVE." For more info on the band, check out www.myspace.com/divineeve2008
According to Blabbermouth.net former GRIP INC. vocalist Gus Chambers took his own life on October 13, 2008 at the age of 52. Chambers, who resided in Coventry, England made a name for himself in the UK punk scene as the frontman for SQUAD in the late ’70s. He later took his skills as a top notch front-man to the new band 21 GUNS. They released the single "Ambition Rock" on Neville Staples’s Shack Records. Gus later moved to America and formed SONS OF DAMNATION before hooking up with SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo and German guitarist Waldemar Sorychta in GRIP INC. They released three acclaimed albums in the mid-to-late ’90s – "Power Of Inner Strength" (1995), "Nemesis" (1997) and "Solidify" (1999) – and finally came back with a fourth entitled "Incorporated" in 2004, which was greeted as a true return to form by the critics. Gus was most recently a member of the Coventry, UK punk band MANTRA SECT which was scheduled to play its next concert tonight (Friday, October 17). In an October 15, 2008 online posting, MANTRA SECT bassist Wendy X stated about Gus’ decision to take his own life, "My emotions are swimming round and round in my head, trying to comprehend it all, so I will not say too much on here except to say to everyone that has asked why, as I do myself, that we were always, as normal, constantly in contact with him (myself virtually daily) yet none of us saw this coming. Nor many other friends that also constantly kept in touch with him either. We are at a loss about why. My usual daily phone calls with Gus all the days leading up to this didn’t give any clue whatsoever that anything was THIS wrong." "I’ve been very lucky in my career," Gus once said, according to the Coventry Telegraph. "I have had the privilege of playing in front of thousands of people at festivals like Rock in Rio and the Dynamo festival in Holland. Nothing though brings back fonder memories than playing in front of maybe 20 or 30 people in The Hand and Heart or the back room of The Swanswell." Rest in peace, Gus!