Spanish crossover Thrashers BADFARE STATE have finished recording their first 4 song EP entitled "Socially Dead. The band is currently searching for a record label to release it and a bassist and second guitarist to complete the line-up. You can contact them through badfarestate@gmail.com or www.myspace.com/badfarestate for more info and music.
Century Media Records has signed Swedish old school Deathers EVOCATION. EVOCATION’s guitar player Marko Palmén comments: "It’s time to kick in the year of the apocalypse with the writing of a new chapter and a new era in EVOCATION’s history. We are very pleased to announce that we have signed a new worldwide recording agreement with Century Media Records. The label feels for us as a natural choice and a perfect partner due to their long experience and commitment with the Death Metal scene. To become a part of the CM family feels for us as coming home. Huge thanx to Jens Prüter, Philipp Schulte, Stefan Franke and CM for making this happen!" EVOCATION will shortly enter the studio to record the follow-up of the highly acclaimed 2010 album "Apocalyptic" which is planned to be released in autumn 2012. Besides a new studio album Century Media will also release a compilation of the band’s entire demo discography plus additional footage, comments, liner notes, exclusive artwork and unreleased songs. This yet untitled compilation will be released in summer 2012. EVOCATION online: www.evocation.se
UK-based Deathcrust Metallers WINDS OF GENOCIDE has announced the upcoming debut full-length album as "Usurping The Throne Of Disease". Rough sketches of the artwork can be found at the official Mark Riddick Facebook page. In related news, the band recently underwent a line-up adjustment. The new WINDS OF GENOCIDE drummer is Matthew Henderson and Linus Girdland Flink will be the second guitarist. In an official statement released by the band: "This is the new line-up that will be writing material for and recording the debut full-length album "Usurping The Throne Of Disease". Matthew is a great young versatile drummer (still only in his teens, he is currently 17 years old, nearly 18) and he also drums in a local Death Metal band called PLAGUE RIDER. He can switch from D-Beats, Swebeats and blast beats, which is all we need in a drummer! He has picked up most of the songs we have written so far very quickly and learnt the current setlist with impressive ease. We are very happy to have him in the band and onboard for the full-length album. Linus, who played drums on our first two recordings and the tracks for the upcoming split with ABIGAIL (Japan), has now moved on to second guitar due to him moving to London so we needed to find a drummer who could rehearse and work on new material regularly." www.myspace.com/windsofgenocide
Vocalist Beer Reebs of Texas Death Metal maniacs HOD has issued the following update on the band’s upcoming activities: "Due to numerous line-up changes (4 total) in the past 1 1/2 – 2 years and lack of finances, our sophmore album "Book Of Worms" was inevitably pushed back, and pushed back. During this time I spoke with Big Bald Brian from Ossuary Industries, who has been a long time friend and supporter to HOD. I told him we couldn’t commit to a full-length album due to our obligations / loyalty to Ibex Moon Records but we could commit to a split of some sorts. He mentioned the upcoming Limbsplitter 2 compilation he was putting together. Needing to release something to appease the masses we agreed to jump on that. He even let us pick another group of our choosing to join in on the chaos. We chose our comrades in the Black / Death group LOCUSTA to accompany us alongside DEMONAICAL GENUFLECTION, INGURGITATE and INIQUITOUS respectively. I forget who’s doing the mastering but the artwork was done by the very twistedly sick Jon Zig. We recorded our three tracks with Dennis Munoz of SOLSTICE fame. Our three slabs of hate are titled: ‘Awakening Blasphemous Abominations’, ‘And The Smoke Will Rise’ and ‘To Call Forth The Deep Ones’. These tracks were recorded as a 4 piece and are the last recorded tracks with founding member Dennis Sanders on drums. The disc will hopefully be available at the Gathering of the Bestial Legion V fest being held in L.A. Sat Jan 14th where we (HOD) share the stage with Death Metal titans AUTOPSY, INCANTATION, ACHERON, DIVINE EVE and more. When we get back home we’ll play a "local" show the 21st with some fellow TX Black and Death Metal bands while awaiting our March 26th show opening for the mighty ONSLAUGHT and M:PIRE OF EVIL. Recording of our 2nd album will be getting finished during this time as well. Till then, get your limbs split by Ossuary Industries with the Limbsplitter 2 disc. Fuckin’ Metal!" The band has posted a stream of the track ‘To Call Forth The Deep Ones’ at this location. "Book Of Worms" will be out on Ibex Moon Records later this year. www.myspace.com/hodtheband
After a solid week of intensive recording at Pyramid Sound with producer Alex Perialas, BIRTH A.D. is close to the finish line with their debut album, "I Blame You". Bassist / vocalist Jeff Tandy was quoted as saying, "Everything sounds great so far. Alex has pushed us to get the best performances of our careers, and even the raw tracks sound unbelievable. This record is going to blast a hole in all the laptop studio junk that gluts the market. We’re doing it the old way and the right way – the sound everyone has been missing is alive again!" Production for "I Blame You" will wrap on January 16. BIRTH AD is actively seeking label support for the release. More info at www.birthad.com
Norwegian experimental Black Metal band, MESOPOTAMIA (www.facebook.com/mesopotamiaofficial) has recently signed to Abyss Records. The band is currently at work on their debut, which is set to be released later this year. In the meantime, MESOPOTAMIA has posted the track ‘The Cult Of Ninurta’ online at this location. In other MESOPOTAMIA news, the band is scheduled to make their live debut this weekend when at the Flytten Pub in Haugesund, Norway as direct support for SUSPERIA. ENCHANTING DARKNESS is also slated to perform. For more info visit the show’s event page at www.facebook.com/events/264864963556635
German old school Death Metal horde OBSCURE INFINITY just finished the recordings for the second full-length "Putrefying Illusions". At this time the album is in the mixing process, the mastering will be done in the well-respected Swedish Necromorbus Studios. "Putrefying Illusions" will be released early summer 2012 via Obscure Domain Productions. The cover artwork is already revealed and can be seen here.
Germany’s Black / Thrashers DESASTER have finished the recordings for their upcoming new album "The Arts Of Destruction", to be released February 24, 2012 in Germany / Austria / Switzerland, February 27, 2012 the rest of Europe / UK and February 28, 2012 in North America. Pre-order links as well as the brand new song ‘Queens Of Sodomy’ can be found at www.metalblade.com/desaster. Comments the band: "’The Arts Of Destruction’… 100% DESASTER, 100% Metal, 100% Hell, 100% Non-commercial! We still spit on trends, hail the cult of Metal and send a big FUCK YOU to all who don’t believe in Metal music! We don’t want to say so much about the album…only… pure Metal, full of Darkness and Blasphemy, no compromise, no innovation… In our eyes our best sounding and most brutal album so far! Check it out and create your own view. Bang or be banged!" The tracklisting reads like this: ‘Intro’, ‘The Arts Of Destruction’, ‘Lacerate With Hands Of Doom’, ‘Splendour Of The Idols’, ‘Phantom Funeral’, ‘Queens Of Sodomy’, ‘At Hell’s Horizon’, ‘Troops Of Heathens – Graves Of Saints’, ‘Possessed And Defiled’, ‘Beyond Your Grace’ and ‘Outro’. There will be a limited first edition available including a bonus-DVD. More details on the bonus-DVD will be revealed shortly. www.total-desaster.com
HEADHUNTER D.C. have published an official teaser for their upcoming new album "…In Unholy Mourning…" at this location.
DENIAL OF GOD will enter Berno Studio in Sweden once again to record their 2nd album "Death And The Beyond" at the end of February. The album will have a playing time of about an hour and is lyrically based around death and spiritism this time. The album will be out later this year on CD and double LP through Hell’s Headbangers. DENIAL OF GOD will finally start playing live again in April. The exact dates and places will be announced soon. More info at www.denialofgod.net
F.D.A. Records will release "Death Strike", the new full-length album from Dutch MASSIVE ASSAULT in the Spring of 2012. The tracklist reads like this: ‘Driven Towards Death’, ‘Cycle Of Violence’, ‘Operation Anthropoid’, ‘Finished Sympathy’, ‘Turning Tides’, ‘Pride’, ‘Dismal Life’, ‘Aggressive Depression’, ‘Chained’ and ‘Plead Not Guilty’. For all further info go to www.facebook.com/massiveassault
A previously unreleased "metallized" cover version of the THIN LIZZY classic ‘Cold Sweat’ from English Metallers ATOMKRAFT, formed and led by vocalist / bassist Tony "Demolition" Dolan (VENOM), will be made available on a new limited edition 7" single and mini CD this summer via W.A.R. Productions. The 7" is limited to 200 copies and comes in blue vinyl, while the MCD is limited to 1000 copies and features two bonus tracks and a video clip. According to Joe Matera, who makes a guest appearance on lead guitar on ‘Cold Sweat’, "This is a recording that was done around 2005 (I remember laying down my guitar solo around that time). It was going to be released back then but due to circumstances at the time, it got shelved." THIN LIZZY’s Scott Gorham commented on the track like this: "I actually really liked this version of ‘Cold Sweat’ a lot. Cool solo also. I also liked the way ATOMKRAFT made the song their own with the arrangement and production. Very cool." More at www.myspace.com/atomkraft, www.youtube.com/atomkraftband
"Sadistic Inquisition", the new studio album by Michigan Thrashers NOCTURNAL FEAR, will be released later this year through Moribund Productions. The band’s fourth album for the label (and sixth overall) will feature the following tracks: ‘Invincible Warlord’, ‘Seal Team 666’, ‘Bite The Curb’, ‘Code Name – Trinity’, ‘Blood On The Battle Field’, ‘Cold As Death (Life Of Crime)’ and ‘Invade To Conquer Pt. 2.’ Guitarist / songwriter Rev. Chris Slavehunter PhD promises that the album "will be our heaviest, fastest, and most militant release yet! It will be a surge in which we will burn all bridges behind us, further distancing ourselves in a bid for isolation as America’s War Metal Assassins – indeed, War Metal skinheads! This ain’t BLASPHEMY, this ain’t REVENGE, and this ain’t Canada. This is NOCTURNAL FEAR, this is Detroit, and this is the real shit! Reviewers won’t be happy, but true fucking bangers who want their faces ripped off and fed to our pack of Rottweilers won’t be let down." For all further info check out www.reverbnation.com/nocturnalfearwarmetal
The re-releases of the PROTECTOR albums are currently in the works and if everything goes well they will be ready for print at the end of the month, so expect a release around mid March. There will be regular versions and a special edition, that contains all 3 plus a bonus 7” EP of 2 newly recorded DEATH ATTACK tracks with Martin Missy on vocals.
To The Death will release the third album by Norrköping’s TERRORAMA. Expect an August 2012 release on limited LP, LP and CD. You can listen to the demo version of ‘Cerebral Oviposition’ (from the band’s promo demo "Crimes Against Humanity") here.