July 24, 2010

"Live Death Doom" is the title of ASPHYX‘s first official DVD release. It will also be available as a 2 CD and digital download audio-release, actually marking ASPHYX’s first-ever official live album in their 20+ years of existence. The band comments on "Live Death Doom" as follows: "So finally, after over 23 years here’s the first ASPHYX live album. And our dedicated fans worldwide who’ve experienced us live know what that means: heavy old school Death Doom Metal played the way it was meant to be…and still should be today! Headbanging, grinning, drooling, spitting, sweating, passion, loud volume, stagediving, beer, honesty and brutality. No make up or fancy queercostumes, no superfluous attributes, no technical rubbish, no compromises. This is how we are, this is how we want you to have us! We are very proud of this release. Very damn fucken proud, as this is exactly us! We would never have brought it out if we weren’t 100% behind it… but it would never have been possible without our incredible loyal fans, of which we are even more proud! We’ll see you all somewhere, sometime again at one of our shows on this planet and then raise our beers and horns together. Cheerz!" The "Live Death Doom" DVD features an intense over 2 hours main live-show recorded at the completely sold out Turock venue in Essen / Germany on July 09, 2009 as well as an in-depth over an 1 hour historical band-documentary and tons of krushing additional bonus material. The total DVD playing time is approximately 225 minutes. The main live show’s audio (which equals the CD format content) was mixed and mastered by producer Dan Swanö (Bloodbath, Edge Of Sanity, etc.), who had previously taken care of the sonic brilliance for the "Death…The Brutal Way" album. The total 2CD playing time is approximately 110 minutes. The old school artwork for "Live Death Doom" was created by Axel Hermann, who had previously been responsible for the artworks of band’s classic releases from the 90s. The DVD will be released via Century Media Records in Europe on August 30, 2010. A special teaser for the release can be viewed here. ASPHYX’s 2010 line-up consists of: Martin van Drunen – vocals, Paul Baayens – guitars, Alwin Zuur – bass and Bob Bagchus – drums. www.myspace.com/officialasphyx

While currently writing material for the follow up to their 2007 release "Spiritual Apocalypse" MONSTROSITY have been preparing a blistering live setlist to devastate all who come across their path. MONSTROSITY drummer and founding member had this to say of the bands current status: šWe’re just now really starting to get going on writing a new record. We’ve had numerous tours to support "Spiritual Apocalypse" and our fans know by now we like to take our time and create albums that are unique in their own right and not thrown together like so many of our counterparts. We’ve got a few solid ideas together so it’s just a matter of just continuing on the path were on. As for the summer run we are doing, I think it will be really cool to get back down to South America and show them we can do this better than ever. We will be hitting some places we ve never been to so we recommend you come see this tour!! Playing in Concepion, Chile should be killer too since they probably haven’t had a Metal show down there since the earthquake. We will be heading to Europe for some festival shows as well so look for us on the Party San and Brutal Assault stages this August!!!" The band’s current line-up consist of Mike Hrubovcak – vocals, Lee Harrison – drums, Mark English – guitars, Mike Poggione – bass and Matt Barnes – guitars. More info at www.myspace.com/monstrosity1

"The Seventh Date Of Blashyrkh", IMMORTAL‘s first official live DVD and live CD release in the history of their existence, will be released in Europe on August 06 and in North America on September 14. The track listing for both the DVD and the CD is: ‘Intro’, ‘The Sun No Longer Rises’, ‘Withstand The Fall Of Time’, ‘Sons Of Northern Darkness’, ‘Tyrants’, ‘One By One’, ‘Wrath From Above’, ‘Unholy Forces Of Evil’, ‘Unsilent Storms In The North Abyss’, ‘At The Heart Of Winter’, ‘Battles In The North’ and ‘Blashyrk (Mighty Ravendark)’. The band’s manager Håkon Grav had this to say about the long-awaited DVD: "This release has been due many years, but finally we can present IMMORTAL’s first concert DVD. The band paid their dues with hard roadwork during the first decade and then some during their career, but they were hardly given the tools and surroundings worthy of a full-blown video production like this demands. The mighty Wacken Open Air proved to be the perfect partner for us in that sense, and this was truly a special night for both the band and the fans. The band played several great shows on the reunion tour, but the fact that headlining the Black Stage at Wacken would be something spectacular was a given in advance, and now the DVD is here to prove it again. It has taken some time, but good things rarely come easily or quickly. If you were present at the show, I think you will appreciate the possibility to relive the magic, and if you’re witnessing the show for the first time within your own four walls, I hope you enjoy it just as much! For those of you coming to Wacken again this year – what can I say but ‘Auf Wiedersehen!’" Visit IMMORTAL online at www.immortalofficial.com and www.myspace.com/immortalofficial.

Progressive Death Metallers OBSCURA have begun recording the follow-up album to their breakthrough release "Cosmogenesis" at Woodshed Studio in southern Germany. Engineer V. Santura (TRIPTYKON, DARK FORTRESS) will helm the recording. An early 2011 release date is expected with additional album details to be announced soon. OBSCURA founder Steffen Kummerer commented on the new album: "We are glad to work with our long-time friend V.Santura once again to record our new album. The new material feels broader in some way as everybody in this band brought many unique ideas to the songwriting and we were able to integrate different elements into our sound. More open chords, more acoustic guitars, more seven string shred-tunes. Remember: more is always more. We are excited to create another album of progressive Death Metal and to start touring through the whole world in early 2011." OBSCURA’s recording and touring line-up remains as Kummerer on guitar and vocals, Christian Muenzner on guitar, Jeroen Paul Thesseling on bass and Hannes Grossman on drums. The band will round out the "Cosmogenesis" touring cycle with a performance as part of the Mezcal Metal Festival in Mexico City, Mexico in September. Additionally, OBSCURA’s Thesseling was recently interview by PETA2. The renowned fretless bass player talks about his decision to go vegetarian 16 years ago and current OBSCURA happenings.