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German Thrashers EXUMER are confirmed to appear on next year’s Inferno Festival in Norway, March 31 – April 3, 2010. This will be EXUMER’s first live appearance in Scandinavia since the band’s 1988 Blitzkrieg Tour with Nasty Savage where they last performed in Denmark. EXUMER are adding new dates to their "European Ignition 2010 Tour" in order to introduce some new material off their upcoming album "Waking The Fire", to be released in 2010. The new album will be band’s first full-length release since 1987’s "Rising From The Sea". Vocalists Mem V. Stein comments: "We were surprised and honored when the promoters of the Inferno Festival asked us to come and play in Norway. Performing at next year’s Inferno Festival means a lot to us and we feel it is just as important as when we played at the "Wacken Festival" in 2001, and at "Keep it true" this past April. We will play songs that the fans have not heard in over 20 years but also incorporate a few new songs. Needless to say that the majority of the material will focus on the "Possessed By Fire" era but we want to move forward and introduce some new tracks as well. It will be a memorable show for sure." More info: www.myspace.com/exumerwakingthefire
THE COMPANY OF UNDERTAKERS (TCOU) is an new project that former ASPHYX guitarist Eric Daniels is currently involved in again. The line-up gets completed by Bob Bagchus (ASPHYX / SOULBURN) on drums, Theo van Eekelen (HAIL OF BULLETS) on bass, Paul Baayens (ASPHYX / HAIL OF BULLETS) on guitars and Martin van Drunen (ASPHYX / HAIL OF BULLETS) on vocals. Chris Reifert (AUTOPSY) and Jörgen Sandström (GRAVE) will furthermore contribute backing vocals. According to Eric’s myspace site they are in the process of writing material ("old school Death Metal the brutal way") with plans for a CD release sometime in 2010. Here’s an official statement from Eric: "After 8 years of doing nothing in music, being busy with other interests, it feels like reborn to pick up that piece of wood with 6 strings again. With the most imagineable energy and inspiration right now I am busy writing riffs for the new side-project TCOU (THE COMPANY OF UNDERTAKERS), together with my best friends of ASPHYX and other great Death musicians. It feels like back with my family, back with my friends who have the same interests and play the pure Death Metal with their hearts as it was and is mentioned to be… I like to add my deepest respects and hails towards the ASPHYX fans worldwide who supported me for the full 100% during my active membership of ASPHYX and who kept supporting me! I only can say: YOU RULE and thanks!!!" For more info and updates go to www.myspace.com/ericdanielstcou
After GRAVEHAMMER some days ago, VETERNUS from Uppsala, Sweden, has just joint the Detest Records roster. The band’s first 7" EP will be available in the first part of 2010. More info and an updated releases calendar are to be found on www.detestrecords.com
Changes in the schedules for the CD version of the RESURRECTED IN FESTERING SLIME compilation. While the LP version was already released a little more than half a year ago on Soulseller Records, the CD version will, referring to newest information, not be released on this label, but on Swedish Iron Fist Productions (www.myspace.com/ironfistproductionssweden) in mid February 2010. In the US it will be distributed by Iron Fist’s partner Abyss Records. The CD version contains remarkable distinctions in comparison to the vinyl one. It features an unreleased TORMENTED track (that won’t be released anywhere else), a remastered song from MIASMAL’s first demo and a remastered and different version of GRAVELESS’ song ‘In Articulo Mortis’ (more sinister and with hidden stuff that doesn’t appear in the vinyl version). In addition, the artwork was completely done and revamped by Jonathan Hultén (STENCH / TRIBULATION / NECROMANTIC ART). The official "Resurrected In Festering Slime" poster can be downloaded at www.myspace.com/darkcreeddeathmetal.
Israel’s SALEM, who recently left Season Of Mist, just released the following statement: "We are thrilled to join the Pulverised team. The label is very attentive to our needs and puts us as a top priority act. It is something we have been yearning for years. We feel confident that together we can achieve goals that have alluded us in the past few years." The band’s 7th album "Playing God" is scheduled to be released mid 2010 and will include 12 new tracks, including a cover of Bob Marley’s ‘Exodus’. SALEM recently took a brand new promo photo-shoot in conjunction with the concept of the upcoming album, with the entire band wearing ‘superhero costumes’. Skinsman Nir Nakav explained: "The opening track on the new album, ‘Drums Of The Dead’ is inspired by a Hellboy graphic story by the same name. It is the first time that Abe Sapien goes on a solo mission and in the promo picture I am wearing a shirt that carries the insignia of his bureau. Remaining true to form, the other guys in the band took on characters that "Play God"; Superman with his ability to reverse time (that is why he can be seen in 3 different places at the same time on the promo shot) and the Punisher who kills evildoers. As the lyricist of SALEM, I feel obligated to add that this album will mark the first time in the band’s history that we are not touching on political subjects. The album texts are all inspired by either stories I read or movies I watched in the past couple of years. I think that after a quarter of century, it is important for a band to keep moving forwards, feel fresh, innovative and vibrant. I believe that once the album is out, the world will witness a tighter than ever band with a new twist." You can watch 3-minute video footage from the recording sessions here. The clip includes the percussion session for the song ‘Drums Of The Dead’. For more info go to www.myspace.com/salemband
Swedish melancholic Metallers IN MOURNING have set the second full-length album title as "Monolith". An approximate release date of February 2010 has been set, but a further announcement will be made on the finalised street date. "Monolith" was recorded, mixed and mastered at Black Lounge Studio, Sweden once again with Scar Symmetry axe-man / engineer Jonas Kjellgren. The final tracklisting for "Monolith" reads like this: ‘For You To Know’, ‘Debris’, ‘The Poet And The Painter Of Souls’, ‘The Smoke’, ‘A Shade Of Plague’, ‘With You Came Silence’, ‘Pale Eye Revelation’ and ‘The Final Solution (Entering The Black Lodge)’. Click here to view the 40-second video teaser for the album. The song from the video trailer comes off from the new album’s opening track entitled ‘For You To Know’. For more info go to www.myspace.com/in_mourning
Kolony Records has signed Andorrean symphonic Death Metallers PERSEFONE. The label will release the band’s third album "Shin-Ken" in early February 2010. The album is based upon ancient Japanese war-stories, and was mixed and mastered at Jailhouse Studios by Tommy Hansen in April 2009. For more info check out www.myspace.com/persefoneband
ORDER FROM CHAOS will reunite for for six shows, beginning on January 02, 2010 at The Riot Room in Kansas City, MO. Joining ORDER FROM CHAOS will be ARES KINGDOM, CHRISTHATE (featuring members UNMERCIFUL), EZRA and MEATSHANK. Tickets are available through www.ticketweb.com.
Mexican Dybbuk Records, who recently released the AXIS POWERS compilation "Born For War", have several new items in the queue: concerning merchandise they already sell the official t-shirts from KILL with the "No Catharsis" cover and in the next week TRIBULATION t-shirts will be available (in size S, M, L & XL) and strictly limited to 70 pieces. Regarding official recordings they are going to release the demo from Swedish Death Metal band LAMENTATION along with the upcoming CD from RAWHIDE (Swedish Rock’n’Roll like a mix between MOTÖRHEAD, GG ALLIN, RAMONES and TURNONEGRO with BESTIAL MOCKERY members) and the pro-tape in a limited version of 300 copies of KILL’s "No Catharsis" demo all in early 2010. Check out www.myspace.com/dybbukrecords for additional information and ordering details.
The next 6 bands confirmed for NEUROTIC DEATHFEST are: ABORTED, CEREBRAL BORE, DEW-SCENTED, GOROD, ROTTEN SOUND and THE RED CHORD. With these confirmations the organisation is near completion of the festival. There are 3 acts left to announce, which will be done in about a week time. Apart from that the organisation will announce several other surprises in the forthcoming weeks. www.neuroticdeathfest.com
Swedish old school Death Metallers FATALIST have begun filming a video for the track ‘Frozen Epitaph’. Frontman Neil Burkdoll issued the following statement about the video shoot: "We filmed about 4 hours of footage for our ‘Frozen Epitaph’ video this past weekend. We have a lot of editing to do and maybe a few more things to film, but overall it’s coming along nicely. We are happy with the footage that we captured, but now the real work begins with making it something anyone would want to watch. We are trying to get it finished for the European release date of "The Depths Of Inhumanity" in late January 2010. Wish us luck!!!" Stills from the Frozen Epitaph’ video shoot can be seen on the band’s myspace page www.myspace.com/fatalist666
Underground journalist Ryan Bartek has unleashed his book THE BIG SHINY PRISON as a free PDF download here (MS Word Document or RTF File upon request from ryanbartek@hotmail.com). It covers all forms of extreme Metal, Punk, Industrial, Experimental, Rock, Electronic, Psychedelia, etc. and features interviews with a.o. Brutal Truth, Millions of Dead Cops, Impaled, DWARVES, Repulsion, Cephalic Carnage, A.C., Pig Destroyer, Kylesa, STALAGGH, Genghis Tron and Abysmal Dawn. Even USA president Barack Obama makes the most bizarre appearance of his entire career. The following statement comes directly from the author: "My name is Ryan Bartek. For the past 3 years I’ve sacrificed everything for the successful completion of this project. I spent a year on the road, another year completing and shopping it, and another year of total rejection. It is only karmically fitting that both the demise of magazine and book publishing come in one fell swoop. I was never in it for the money, nor the aspect of celebrity. I have spent an upwards of $10,000 on it, which I remark only to underline my absolute sincerity. No one would deny its quality – but the raw nature of the work, as well as its excessive length, made it impossible to pigeon hole or successfully shop. Nothing quite like it has ever surfaced, at least not in the format I’ve undertaken. After this seemingly endless struggle, I have decided to offer it to the public domain. While I retain the copyright / trademark, I both encourage and support file sharing. It is my only wish that this manuscript be circulated and appreciated. Perhaps when all is said and done, someone might offer a physical print run." More info you may find at www.myspace.com/bigshinyprison
German Thrashers EXUMER have been confirmed to appear at next year’s MRF Festival in Oberhausen / Germany on April 4, 2010. The festival features some of the most influential cult Thrash and Power Metal bands from the 1980s, hailing from Germany, Canada and the USA. On the heels of the success of the Chris Withchunter tribute show in Oberhausen / Germany this past April, co-organizers Death Squad Promotion, who manage EXUMER and SODOM among others, put together the Metropole Ruhr Festival to continue to celebrate traditional Thrash and Power Metal from around the world. The festival’s billing thus far is as follows: EURE ERBEN (ex-DARKNESS, GER), FAILED PERFECTION (GER), WITCHBURNER (GER), OMEN (USA), SAVAGE GRACE (USA), ANGEL DUST (GER), EXUMER (GER), LIVING DEATH (GER), EXCITER (CAN) and others TBA. EXUMER will also play their Italian live debut on April 10, 2010 and there are additional European live appearances planned in Norway, Poland, Germany and Austria. For more information go to: www.myspace.com/exumerwakingthefire or www.exumer1985.com
Brazil’s INCRUST will support Paul Speckmann’s MASTER at their gig in Salvador on January 17, 2010. Other acts on the bill will be AFTER DEATH (UK) and PREDATOR (BRA). The new INCRUST album will feature two more tracks than originally planned and the release is scheduled for March / April, 2010. Blood Harvest Records will release the vinyl version in Europe, while the US version will be released on CD by Ibex Moon Records again. www.myspace.com/incrust66
Brazil’s REVIOLENCE (formed out of the ashes of the old Brazilian Thrash band Panzer) just signed with Marquee Records for the release of their new CD "Modern Beast". The album features 13 tracks and was produced by Mauro Juliany from Sound Up Studio. The band’s line-up consists of new singer Rod Starscream, Guilherme Spilack (guitars), Mauricio Cliff (bass, ex-Panzer and Mystic – the Brazilian band from Kreator’s Frank Godzik) and Edson Graseffi (drums, ex-Panzer). For more information check out www.reviolencemetal.com or www.myspace.com/reviolence
American Black / Death Metal band EXTERMINATION ANGEL is now offering their debut recording "Demo 2009 – Advancement Into Obscurity", limited to 100 full-color, hand-numbered copies on hi-bias cassette tape for $6 U.S. (ppd. worldwide). The track list includes ‘Looting The Holy Coffers’, ‘Weaponized Evil’ and ‘Whirlwind Killing Spree’. Inquiries can be made through the band’s website: www.myspace.com/exterminationangel
ACHERON just finished their videoclip of ‘I Am Heathen’, a track from their 2009 album "The Final Conflict: Last Days Of God". You can check it out here. "The Final Conflict" has just been released in the US by Ibex Moon Records.Merchandise will be available early 2010.
IMMOLATION have been confirmed to perform on NEUROTIC DEATHFEST 2010. Other acts confirmed for Neurotic Deathfest are: ABYSMAL TORMENT, ANTIGAMA, AS YOU DROWN, DAWN OF AZAZEL, HOUR OF PENANCE and THE END OF ALL REASON. The ticket sale will commence on December 5, 2010. Find all information about pricing and how to acquire tickets through one of the many ticket outlets rght here. More information on the festival can be found on www.neuroticdeathfest.com.