» News Archive June 2010
In the early months of 2010 Pete Slate (EQUINOX / KAULDRON / ex-ACHERON / ex-INCUBUS), together with former EQUINOX drummer Stephen Spillers formed a new band called DRUID LORD (further members will be announced soon). Musically you can expect some heavy Doom / old school Death Metal in the CELTIC FROST, AUTOPSY, WINTER direction, with lyrical inspirations from cult Horror movies and occult themes as well as "anything creepy or eerie". Horror and Gore artist Putrid (who had already worked for HOODED MENACE, FRIGHTMARE, REVOLTING, FONDLE CORPSE and NUNSLAUGHTER) will be doing the artwork for the band’s 4 song debut EP which is tentatively entitled "Hymns For The Wicked". More info as well as a studio rehearsal track (without bass and vocals yet) you’ll find at www.myspace.com/druidlordz
EXHUMED’s guitarist Matt "Hellfiend" Harvey will join GRAVEHILL on their upcoming US tour with HOD and CARDIAC ARREST.
INCARCERATION is a new Death Metal outfit which started their activities in 2010. The band takes influences from such names as ENTOMBED, UNLEASHED, INTERMENT, VOMITORY, GRAVE, MALEVOLENT CREATION, MONSTROSITY or KAAMOS. A predemo version of the song ‘Sacrifice’ is available as free download here. According to their myspacepage their debut demo as well as merchandise should be available soon. Check www.myspace.com/incarcerationdeath for updates.
AFM Records have signed UK Thrashers ONSLAUGHT. The band is currently recording a new album which will see the light of day soon. Here’s the official statement of the band: "We’re so very stoked to be joining the AFM Records roster, our deal with Candlelight had expired and as always ONSLAUGHT were looking for a new challenge. There were several labels interested in signing the band, but AFM said all the right things and made all the right moves, so it wasn’t a hard choice. Also seeing what the label did with the latest FEAR FACTORY album backed up our decision… It kinda feels like when we were signed to Music For Nations, very personal and very friendly on every level right up to the label owner… We have a real good feeling about the new album release and a very distinctive vision. AFM are right behind this 110%. We’re gonna make a great team and together we’re gonna deliver some kick ass new tunes…" – Nige Rockett and ONSLAUGHT
MORBID ANGEL have entered the studio on June 22nd to begin the recording of their ninth full-length. Recording commenced at Mana Studios, St. Petersburg Florida with Erik Rutan engineering the current sessions.
APOKALYPTIC RAIDS‘ new album "Vol. 4 – Phonocopia" is in the pressing plant now. You can already check out the cover artwork at www.apokalypticraids.com or www.myspace.com/apokalypticraids
ESTUARY and CARDIAC ARREST have been added to selected dates on the upcoming ENTHRONED / DESTROYER 666 / PATHOLOGY tour. It is the first time in nine years that ENTHRONED is invading the US. CARDIAC ARREST drummer, Jim "Grindhead" Deabenderfer issued the following statement: "We are very proud to be a part of such a strong line-up for the ENTHRONED / DESTROYER 666 tour. All the bands on the bill are outstanding, including the headliners, PATHOLOGY and ESTUARY. We are in good company, and it’s always nice to share the stage with bands that challenge you to up your game every night. Being on the road with our old friends in ESTUARY is a dream come true, and people coming to the shows are in for a well-rounded, killer metal show! We’d like to express our thanks to John at Ibex Moon and Dan at The Pantheon Agency for providing this opportunity. The Word of ROT is Spreading… internationally! You are next!"
Turkish old school Deathsters and Dark Descent Recording artists BURIAL INVOCATION have been invited to play Denmark’s Kill-Town Death Fest, one of the few non-Scandinavian acts participating. The three-day festival is scheduled for September 16-18, 2010 in Hovedstaden, Denmark. The line-up will also include Dark Descent bands STENCH OF DECAY and MIASMAL, both of whom will be releasing albums on the label in 2011. BURIAL INVOCATION released the "Rituals Of The Grotesque" EP on Dark Descent Records earlier this year and will unleash their highly anticipated full-length on the label in 2011. More info at www.myspace.com/burialinvocation
BLASPHERIAN‘s EP "Allegiance To The Will Of Damnation" will shortly be re-released by Deathgasm Records, including two bonus tracks (‘Unholy Blood’ from the sold out split 7" with EVIL INCARNATE and ‘To Walk The Path Of Unrighteousness’ from the split 7" with ADUMUS) as well as the "Summoning Of The Infernal Hordes" 2006 rehearsal demo. The band had this to say about the reissue: "When we wrote this we were doing something that was missing in the U.S. scene. We were mixing satanic Death Metal with elements of Doom and bestial lacerations that seem so commonplace these days." Deathgasm Records will also be releasing the upcoming BLASPHERIAN album "Infernal Warriors Of Death". The band is excited, to say the least, about the lethal projectile. "You can expect much more of the same, but mixed with more feeling and speed. Imagine BLASPHERIAN’s patented style melded with Incantation, Immolation and Possessed."
A brand new track entitled ‘Night Of The Undead’, which comes off INTERMENT‘s debut album "Into The Crypts Of Blasphemy", is now available online. You can check it out at INTERMENT official Myspace page. In an unofficial statement release the band comments: "The track ‘Night Of The Undead’ summarizes the album supremely and brings forth the dark and filthy Swedish old school Death the band has been delivering for over 20 years!!" The release date for "Into The Crypts Of Blasphemy" will be announced soon. The tracklisting reads like this: ‘Eternal Darkness’, ‘Torn From The Grave’, ‘Dreaming In Dead’, ‘Stench Of Flesh’, ‘Where Death Will Increase’, ‘Sacrificial Torment’, ‘Night Of The Undead’, ‘Morbid Death’ and ‘The Pestilence’.
Dutch blackened Thrash / Death Metal band ONHEIL presents their new music video of ‘Nemesis’ Light Fading’, a song from their latest album "Razor". Footage for the storyline has been taken from an upcoming independent movie, shot and directed by bandmember Amok. The rest of video shows the band playing in a one hundred years old electrical facility.
German Death Metal merchants MANDATORY were busy during the first half of 2010 working on the mixing their long anticipated debut album "Adrift Beyond" at Swedish Sunlight Studios with Tomas Skogsberg. The band has already gained a strong reputation in the underground Death Metal scene since their inception in 2001 and through 4 demos which have been re-issued by various labels. To compensate their fans for the long period passed since their latest recording, the album will include no less than 16 songs clocking almost one hour with the following song titles: ‘The Calling’, ‘Adrift Beyond’, ‘Into Eternal Sleep’, ‘Evocation Of The Dead’, ‘Nevermore’, ‘Torn’, ‘Impurity Of Thoughts’, ‘Cursed Astray’, ‘Execution’, ‘Silent Dementia’, ‘Crypta Crawler’, ‘Silenced’, ‘Enter The Crematorium’, ‘Toxic Mutilation’, ‘A Hallowed Sacrifice’ and ‘Passing…’ The cover artwork was done by SV Bell, who’s responsible for AMORPHIS’ "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" amongst many others. The album is currently being manufactured for an immediate release date in July 1st, which will be accompanied by limited full coloured shirts. So now the best thing you can do is checking MANDATORY’s official MySpace and listen to some advance tracks at: www.myspace.com/mandatory1989
On July 09, 2010 Century Media will release a strictly limited ASPHYX 7" box. The box will include six 7" EPs with the following content: "Enter The Domain" demo, "Crush The Cenotaph" demo, "Mutilating Process" EP, rehearsal tracks (incl. the previously unreleased track ‘Priest Of Mendes’) , "Promo 91" demo and a bunch of live tracks from a show in Holland 1989. All EPs will come in regular 7" sleeves with full artwork. Besides that there will also be a 20-page booklet with all lyrics (as far as available), old photos, flyers and a special layout. The cover artwork of the box will be done by Timo Ketola (WATAIN, TEITANBLOOD, DEATHSPELL OMEGA etc.), Jon Kristiansen of Slayer Mag is writing an introduction and the band members are contributing liner notes to the demos etc. There’s gonna be two versions of the box. One with white vinyls (ltd.to 100 copies worldwide) and one with black vinyls (ltd. to 500 copies worldwide).
The first official DEMONICAL video has just been published at the band’s You Tube channel. Created by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight 13 Media ‘Baptized In Fire’ captures the band in its purest and most sinister form.
DESTRUCTION have announced their return to Nuclear Blast Records. Comments mainman Schmier: "Sometimes I really hate the business side of my job, we have been thru some very difficult decisions in the last couple of months. Now after some weeks of hard work, I can proudly announce that DESTRUCTION is back with Nuclear Blast Records! We really wanna thank AFM Records for the great co-operation in the last years! Cheers for supporting all our craziness, I know it wasn’t always easy folks!! Going back to NB feels like coming back home now, working with old friends is one of the biggest achievements you can have in this music business known as a "shark tank"! Almost eleven years ago, Markus Staiger and his label made it possible for DESTRUCTION to come back in a strong way, those were some of the best years the band ever had! Hopefully this will be the last label change of the band’s career, we have returned to our home port again and it feels absolutely fantastic! We are working on a fast and furious new album that will kick ass in January 2011. Expect the roughest piece of Thrash you’ve heard from DESTRUCTION in many years!"
MALEVOLENT CREATION have once again been rejoined by original bassist Jason Blachowicz. Blachowicz initially left on good terms to further his tattoo career, but the Death Metal sickness still runs deep in his veins! "Been in hiding, working in tattoo shops for quite some time now but my gut has been aching to do one of the things that I do best… spreading malevolence across the globe with my brothers in Metal", commented Blachowicz. "The evil in my blood has motivated me to dust the cobwebs off of my bass and commit to performing blasphemy and anger upon mine and everyone else’s ears once again. This is also for one of my inspirations, Peter Steele, and for all of the loyal Malevolent Creation fans who have been supporting us for 23 fucking years! Our 11th album, "Invidious Dominion", is going to rip the weak and feeble to shreds! See ya’ll on tour!! Bring the rum and git ‘er done!" MALEVOLENT CREATION’s 11th studio album " Invidious Dominion" was produced and recorded by Erik Rutan (CANNIBAL CORPSE, VITAL REMAINS, KRISIUN, GOATWHORE) at Mana Studios in Florida. It will be released on August 27 via Massacre Records in Europe and features the following tracks: ‘United Hate’, ‘Conflict Finalized’, ‘Slaughterhouse’, ‘Compulsive Face Breaker’, ‘Lead Spitter’, ‘Target Rich Environment’, ‘Antagonized’, ‘Born Again Hard’, ‘Corruptor’ and ‘Invidious Dominion’. You can check out a video clip of the recording process at this location. For all further info visit: www.myspace.com/malevolentcreation
Atlanta based quintet DÅÅTH have entered the studio this week to begin tracking their highly anticipated third full-length release. Drummer Kevin Talley (ex – Chimaira, Dying Fetus) has begun tracking in Atlanta yesterday with renowned producer Mark Lewis (All That Remains, Trivium, Devildriver) and co-producer Eyal Levi (guitars) at the helm. Be sure to stay tuned to www.myspace.com/daath in the coming weeks for exclusive, in-depth webisodes documenting the entire recording process.
Necroharmonic Productions have just released a compilation CD of Swedish MASTICATION / EXHUMED, entitled "Wicked Material Sanity", that contains demo recordings of both bands. Members of both bands later resurfaced in such wellknown Swedish Death Metal acts such as EXCRUCIATE, UNANIMATED, NECROPHOBIC, DISMEMBER and NIFELHEIM. EXHUMED formed in 1990 and released just one demo ("Obscurity "). Later band members formed MASTICATION. This release also contains bonus tracks from their side band EGYPT. It is available now on CD (a vinyl version is about to follow later as well ). T-shirts are also in stock from both bands. Necroharmonic Productions will furthermore release a 7" EP from DISMA entitled "The Manifestation" in the not too distant future. For more info check out www.necroharmonic.com
Tampa, Florida Death Metallers HATE ETERNAL are teaming up with Cannabis Corpse and Order of Ennead for a quick string of dates on the east coast before the band heads back home to begin writing the follow up to 2008’s "Fury And Flames". The tour kicks off on August 24 in Atlanta, GA at the Masquerade and finishes up on August 28 in Philadelphia, PA at the Hostile City Death Fest.
With a newly revamped line-up, FATALIST are pleased to announce that they have been added to select dates of the Campaign For Death Metal Purity 2010 tour. California’s answer to Stockholm-style Death Metal will join Ibex Moon Records label mates Gravehill, Cardiac Arrest and Hod. Kicking off July 2nd in Portland, OR. Additionally, the July 10th date at Belvedere’s Lounge in Pittsburgh, PA has been dubbed the Ibex Moon Records Fest and will feature performances by Incantation and Funerus.
Dark Descent Records and Skeleton Plague Records will release the debut full-length album by American Death Metal band BEYOND HELL titled "The Sleeper Awakens". BEYOND HELL features Elektrokutioner (DECREPITAPH) on drums. "The Sleeper Awakens" was mixed / mastered by Patrick of CRYPTICUS and features guest appearances by Sly of FONDLECORPSE and Patrick. The CD will be available by the end of June. Three tapes are currently at press for Dark Descent Records / Skeleton Plague Records. HORRENDOUS‘ demo "Sweet Blasphemies", DECAPITATION‘s (SWE) demo "Undead Carnage" and THE WAKEDEAD GATHERING‘s full-length, previously limited to only 100 copies on CD, will also be released on cassette. All three are limited to 200 copies. Finally, Dark Descent Records announced two new CD releases for 2011. Finland’s STENCH OF DECAY and Sweden’s MIASMAL will release their long-awaited full-length CDs on Dark Descent Records. For more information, go to www.darkdescent.net
EXUMER are confirmed to appear at the Way Of Darkness festival in Lichtenfels / Germany, October 01 and 02, 2010. EXUMER will perform on the second day of the festival alongside Death and Thrash metal acts like POSSESSED, UNLEASHED, NAPALM DEATH, PESTILENCE, AT WAR and others. In other news, EXUMER announces the departure of guitarist and 2nd vocalist Paul Arakaki, as well as session drummer J.P. Rapp. Guitarist H.K. and drummer Matthias Kassner, who were both recruited for EXUMER’s last European tour, have replaced Arakaki and Rapp as permanent additions to the band’s roster. Vocalist Mem V. Stein comments: "It has been an amazing 2 years for us since our re-formation in 2008. We have been able to play all the festivals and shows we wanted to in the past 2 years, even without label or industry backing. We are now looking forward to return to Europe in the fall and are excited to appear at this year’s W.O.D. festival. Unfortunately, Paul cannot be a part of this band’s journey anymore, since he has decided that the travel / touring requirements from his native Hawaii are too rigorous for him. We accept his decision and support him with all his future plans. However, we are pleased to welcome guitarist H.K. and drummer Matthias Kassner to the fold. Both of them helped us out tremendously during our last European tour earlier this spring. H.K. and Matthias are more than capable musicians in their own right and will surely contribute to the band’s future endeavors, especially with recording the new EXUMER album that is scheduled to be released early 2011". For a new picture tour diary from the "European Ignition Tour 2010", additional live dates and information visit www.myspace.com/exumerwakingthefire
Fred Estby’s (ex – CARNAGE / DISMEMBER) NECRONAUT uploaded a new song called ‘In Dark Tribute’. The new track features Hellbutcher (NIFELHEIM) on vocals and Tyrant (NIFELHEIM) on guitar (solo). The debut album "Necronaut" is scheduled to be out in september 2010. For more info go to www.myspace.com/necronaut666
AUTOPSY will release a brandnew EP, entitled "The Tomb Within", with artwork from renowned horror / fantasy artist Matt Cavotta, via Peaceville Records in August 2010. Furthermore, a new studio album (the band’s fifth) will be released early 2011, to be called "Macabre Eternal". It can also be announced that AUTOPSY will be infesting European shores in August with 2 very special and exclusive headlining shows, at Party.San Open Air festival and Norway’s Hole in the Sky festival. Band statement: "As many of you know, for years it has been repeatedly stated that AUTOPSY was over with and done for good. While that was indeed true for a long span of time, it is no longer the case. AUTOPSY has come to the solid realization that the time is now right to resume their mission of gore soaked Death Metal brutality and to fulfill this mission with maximum intensity. Make no mistake about it, AUTOPSY is not about reliving the past, basking in nostalgia or riding on efforts from years long gone. The band is hungry to devour fresh minds and souls and has been amassing an arsenal of new and deathly material to unleash upon those who also hunger for such brutality. The surgical instruments are being sharpened and a pure Death Metal assault of the most horrific order is underway as you read these very words. On behalf of the band, thanks goes out to all who relented and simply would not allow this beast to remain in the grave. Your persistence will be met with unspeakable and unapologetic sonic atrocities. Let the blood flow…." The band also offered the following update regarding the long-running act ABSCESS, featuring AUTOPSY members, having recently released their latest album "Dawn Of Inhumanity": "Greetings, sickos. We need to inform you that ABSCESS has officially broken up. The reason for this is that Clint Bower has left the band for personal reasons and out of respect to him and to all who have supported us for these 16 years, we have decided to call it a day. Without Clint Bower, there can be no ABSCESS so we won’t even try to cheat anyone with something that is not the real thing. "Dawn Of Inhumanity" has become our final statement and we feel that it is the perfect way to close the ABSCESS chapter since we must do so. Thanks to all of you who were and still are proud to call yourselves ABSCESS Freaks! With the line-up of Eric Cutler and Danny Coralles on guitars, Chris Reifert on drums / vocals and Joe Trevisano (formerly Allen) on bass, AUTOPSY is now the full time focus. Longtime friend and bass destroyer Dan Lilker has performed with AUTOPSY at Maryland Death Fest VIII and will also do so at the upcoming Party San and Hole in the Sky festivals in August of this year before Joe Trevisano takes over full time on bass. A new AUTOPSY EP and full length album are in the works and will be released on Peaceville Records, along with an upcoming documentary DVD. Again, thanks to all. All we can do is offer more brutality…" Keep track of band activities at the official source for all things AUTOPSY at www.peaceville.com/autopsy
Norway’s Symphonic Black Metallers LIMBONIC ART have returned to the scene as a one piece, with the only original member Daemon as the one and only songwriter and craftsman behind the entity. A new album entitled "Phantasmagoria" has just been released through www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
Dutch Blackened Thrash / Death Metal band ONHEIL have published their new music video of ‘Nemesis’ Light Fading’, a song from their latest album "Razor". Footage for the storyline has been taken from an upcoming independent movie, shot and directed by bandmember Amok. The rest of video shows the band playing in a one hundred years old electrical facility. The video and mp3 can be found here or here. More info about ONHEIL you will find at www.onheil.com