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OSM Records has set June 13, 2008 as the new release date for the sophomore album from Bangalore, India-based Thrashers KRYPTOS, entitled "The Ark Of Gemini". According to a press release, the CD will feature "nine new tracks of heavy, precision, melodic Metal with lethal doses of Thrash aggression… Imagine CORONER, DARK TRANQUILLITY, CANDLEMASS and JUDAS PRIEST in a bar room brawl and you’ll be somewhere in the ballpark about what this album will sound like." The cover art has been posted online at this location. The Tracklist is as follows: ‘Sphere VII’, ‘Order Of The D.N.A.’, ‘Heretic Supreme’, ‘Tower Of Illusions’, ‘The Revenant’, ‘Vulcan’, ‘Trident’, ‘Liquid Grave’ and ‘In The Presence Of Eternity’.
U.S. Black / Death Metallers SATHANAS have inked a 2-album deal with Poland’s Pagan Records. The band is currently writing material for their first full-length release through that label. SATHANAS’ latest album "Crowned Infernal" was released via Pulverised Records. You can hear samples at myspace.com/sathanasmetal. SATHANAS are planning a tour in Europe later this year. Promoters and booking agents are encouraged to get in contact at: sathanaspaul@hotmail.com
Swedish label Blood Harvest Records which only focused on vinyl releases so far recently released its first time ever CD release, NECROVATION‘s "Breed Deadness Blood". The vinyl edition should be available 29th of March 2008. Besides that they just released the first album from old school Thrashers LETHAL called "Annihilation Agenda" on vinyl and the re-issue of the "Scarlet Slaughterer" album and first time ever on vinyl from Polish Thrasher MAGNUS. In the first week of March the next releases will see the light of day, which are BLOODSTONE‘s "Hour Of The Gate" LP and one more "first time ever on vinyl" with GOD MACABRE‘s Death Metal classic "The Winterlong". Check out www.bloodharvest.se or www.myspace.com/bloodharvestrecords for ordering details.
Dutch Death Metallers STENCH OF DEATH have announced the arrival of Richard Noordzij as the band’s new lead vocalist, who replaces Niels Klompen. Richard is well known as former vocalist for bands like Her Enchantment and Eria d’Or. Both his clean and grunting capabilities are exactly what the band was looking for. Richard comments his engagement as follows: "Unfortunately my adventure with Eria d’Or didn’t turn out the way I had in mind. Therefore I’m extremely happy to join the ranks of Stench. The new material sounds promising and we’ll make a worthy follow-up for Retrospect!" Stench of Death is currently working on their next album. The line-up includes two new members: Hans Hensinck on guitars and Pol Ramaer whom you might know from Conquestador. The name and release date of the album is not known to this date. www.stenchofdeath.com
Members of 80s German Thrash Metal cult EXUMER began negotiating a full fledged reunion for 2009. The projected reunion includes a new album, re-releases of the band’s two albums from the 1980s and a substantial tour. EXUMER vocalist Mem V. Stein of NYC Thrashers SUN DESCENDS comments: "This reunion won’t be like the one-off show we played at the Wacken Open Air, in 2001. This time we will deliver the entire package and release a new, third EXUMER album. It’s been close to 22 years since the second EXUMER release in 1987 and it seems that the band is still relevant, especially when you consider the new generation of Thrash Metal bands that quote EXUMER as a major influence of theirs. I will keep SUN DESCENDS alive and I’m not abandoning the project but most of 2009 will be dedicated to a new EXUMER album and its promotion. We also have Paul Arakaki (guitars / bass) in the band who replaced me on the second EXUMER album and now lives in Hawaii. I frequently get emails from fans asking for a EXUMER reunion and I feel that the time is right to finally go ahead and make it a reality. We have never played live in North America and I believe that we owe it to the fans here in the States to see the band at least once with full-on live production." EXUMER has not yet decided with which record label to work with for the releases, but plans to enter the studio to record their new cd in late 2008 / early 2009. SUN DESCENDS’ new album titled "The Entropy Formula", will be released on Khaosmaster Productions in April and on Twilight Distribution in Fall 2008.
Brazil’s REVIOLENCE have released a new EP entitled "Violent Phoenix". It features 4 tracks and is free for download at their website www.reviolencemetal.com.
SULPHUR have almost finished the material for their next album. They are currently preparing a pre-production of all new songs and plan to hit the studio in late summer / early autumn. The recording session will be done at Conclave Media studios with Bjørnar Nilsen as the producer, who already worked with the band on the "Cursed Madness" album. For more info check out www.sulphur.no
Italy’s FIGHTCAST have signed a deal with Kolony Records. The band is supposed to be "the perfect combination of Soilwork, In Flames and The Haunted". Their new album "Breeding A Divinity" (recorded, mixed and mastered by Riccardo Pasini at Studio 73) will be released on April 7th, 2008. Two samples taken from the album and a video for the song ‘The White Pitch’ are online at the following address www.myspace.com/kolonyrecords. For all further information, please visit www.kolonyrecords.com or www.myspace.com/fightcast
The new issue from the free English written magazine ANCIENT CEREMONIES is out on the streets and online. Issue 14 features 100 pages and a sampler CD with 19 bands (up to 80 minutes of pure Metal music). The new edition offers extensive chats with Obituary, Mayhem, Dimmu Borgir, Marduk, Dodheimsgard, Immolation, Desaster, Loits, Facebreaker, Emptiness, Devilish Impressions, After Forever just to name a few. For the ones who cannot grab a printed copy can download the magazine and sampler CD in pdf and mp3 format at the following locations: Magazine + CD (100 MB), Magazine (18 MB).
According to Pro-Rock magazine, Dutch guitarist / vocalist Patrick Mameli has set "Resurrection Macabre" as the title of the new album from the resurrected late ’80s / early ’90s Death Metal outfit PESTILENCE, tentatively due in early 2009 via Holland’s Mascot Records. Joining Mameli in the group’s new lineup are Tony Choy (ATHEIST, CYNIC) on bass and Peter Wildoer (DARKANE, NON-HUMAN LEVEL) on drums. Patrick is currently working on new material which he has described as a modern fusion of "Testimony Of The Ancients" (1991) and "Spheres" (1993), but even more technical and brutal. The group’s new album will tentatively be recorded this fall by Danish producer Jacob Hansen (RAUNCHY, INVOCATOR) and produced by Patrick himself. Speaking to Blabbermouth.net regarding his decision to bring PESTILENCE back from the dead, Mameli stated last month, "It’s not a reunion, because I will not be playing with any of the old lineup guys, except Tony Choy (who played on "Testimony…"), of course so… I always stated there will never be a reunion, and there won’t be, since I never look back at the past and I refuse now to play with people that are not on the same musical level as I am. I sang on "Testimony…" and "Spheres", so no need for (original PESTILENCE frontman) Martin (Van Drunen). This because of the above statement I just made. Furthermore, Martin is doing other things. Good for him. So now you have two members that were in PESTILENCE before and one new guy. The reason why I bring PESTILENCE back to life is that people / fans keep asking me for this. The time is right now and Mascot is giving me the opportunity to do so."
Germany’s Ván Records have signed THE DEVIL’S BLOOD. The first release of this co-operation will be the 7" EP "The Graveyard Shuffle" (limited to 1000 copies, red vinyl) which will include a re-recorded version of the titletrack as well as the brandnew song ‘A Waxing Moon Over Babylon’. The release is scheduled for April 17, 2008 at the Roadburn Festival where the band will play its first gig.
The fourth album of OBTEST "Gyvybes Medis" will be released early April in three different formats – the digipak compact disk and picture vinyl record will be handled by Osmose Productions, while the collectors’ A5 sized CD book will be released by Ledo Takas Records.
Dutch nihilistic Black Doom Metal act BUNKUR has been signed by Displeased Records. The renewed line-up features Martin van Drunen (PESTILENCE, ASPHYX) on vocals and also Wannes Gubbels (ASPHYX, PENTACLE) will make a guest appearance on the album. Expect the new full-length "Nullify" in the summer of 2008. For more info check out www.bunkur.net
Germany’s Death / Grinders DEPRESSION have two new split releases available: first of all the DEPRESSION / PAGANIZER split-CD, which features ten new studio tracks from DEPRESSION (including the BENEDICTION cover ‘Artefacted Irreligion’) and ten PAGANIZER tracks. Furthermore there’s a videoclip from both bands enhanced. The other release is a split 7" EP with INHUMATE, featuring three new DEPRESSION tracks (including a cover of NAPALM DEATH’s ‘Mentally Murdered’) as well as two INHUMATE tracks. A limited edition in coloured vinyl is also available. For ordering information contact depressive@depression-grind.de or check out www.depression-grind.de.
MANES is no longer on Candlelight Records. According to an official statement the band will use this "window of opportunity" to do various stuff, so expect a frenzy of ‘free’, ‘open’ and ‘experimental’ activity (not just music) for a while before they start hunting for a "new home". Their website manes.no is currently still "under construction", but things will change, improve, evolve… You are invited to check in from time to time for lots of exclusive stuff and "insider information" as soon as things have stabilized. When it comes to MANES releases, there’s a lot of stuff going on at the moment: "Reinvention" has been made available at the band’s website. It features 6 remixes of songs from "How The World Came To An End" by a bunch of groups and individuals, such as Rune Sørgård, Zweiss, Shadow Orchestra, Rachmiel and DJ Don Tomaso. "Solve Et Coagula" will be the title of a re-recording of two songs from 1994-95, with a few collaborators (Niklas Kvarforth from SHINING, Malefic from XASTHUR and Geir Nilsen of THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL). If everything goes according to plan, there will also be remixes / remakes by people from BLUT AUS NORD and ISIS. And last but not least around 35 minues of their "Be All End All" album is already "on tape" as well.