The new voice of EXCITER is Kenny "Metalmouth" Winter from Brooklyn, New York. After holding auditions this past summer, the band was blown away with Kenny’s three and a half octave range, delivered with tremendous intensity and conviction. EXCITER’s Metal maniac fans throughout the globe will witness Kenny’s vocal performance on the upcoming new release, "Thrash Speed Burn", due out in early 2007.
OSM Records will release the new RUFFIANS album "Desert Of Tears" on December 6th 2006. The track listing reads as follows: ‘I Believe’, ‘Running Blind’, ‘Day Of The Champion’, ‘I Will Fly’, ‘Desert Of Tears’, ‘Darkest Of Light’, ‘It Ain’t Over’, ‘Live By The Sword’, ‘Chosen One’, ‘Soldiers Fate’, ‘Freedom’ and ‘Do Or Die’ (bonus video track). For more info, check out www.osmrecords.net
Florida-based Death Metallers DIABOLIC have issued the following update: "Just got a call from Jerry Mortellaro (ex-DIABOLIC guitarist) tonight letting us know that Bryan Hipp, ex-DIABOLIC guitarist, died last night (Saturday, Oct. 21). Cause of death unknown. Bryan Hipp helped write songs off the DIABOLIC album "Subterranal Magnitude" and helped DIABOLIC complete the ‘Death Metal Massacre’ Metal Maniacs tour 2000, opening for CANNIBAL CORPSE, GOD DETHRONED and HATE ETERNAL. We are posting the song ‘Infernalism’ Bryan Hipp wrote back in 1999. Bryan Hipp also played in BRUTALITY, CRADLE OF FILTH, and in BLASTMASTERS he helped write the song ‘Implemented Digital Control’!!! On stage Bryan Hipp would explode with raging headspins. His talent to create some of the most dark and evil riffs will be missed." DIABOLIC has uploaded a new song, entitled ‘Devour The Subconscious’, to the band’s MySpace page. The track comes off "Shellfire And Tombstones", which was recorded and mixed in July / August 2006 at Diet Of Worms Studio in Seffner, Florida with producer Juan "Punchy" Gonzalez (MORBID ANGEL). The album features artwork by acclaimed Swedish artist Mathias Noren and is tentatively scheduled for release early 2007 through an as-yet-undetermined label.
IMMORTAL RITES have recently finished the recordings of their second full-length album entitled "Source Code @ Converter’s Day". The basic productions was done by ex – ATROCITY / LEAVES EYES drummer Martin Schmidt at Audiospezialist Studios, Germany, while the mastering took place at the famous Uunisound Studios, Sweden by EDGE OF SANITY mastermind Dan Swanö. The new material is supposed to be more modern, full of variety but still rooted in the melodic Death Metal genre. After parting ways with Morbid Records IMMORTAL RITES currently seeks a new label for the final release. Feel free to check a full MP3 version of the album’s titletrack at www.immortalrites.de.
Thundering Records offers you to win some KEMET "Rules Of Equilibrium" releases (Sensual Dark Metal). To subscribe to this giveaway, all you have to do is clicking on the animated banner on the label’s website www.thundering-records.com or online store eshop.thundering-records.com. Subscribe deadline is November the 5th and winners will receive an email.
Swedish THROWN have signed a deal with Iron Fist Productions. Their debut full-length "The Suicidal Kings Occult" will first be released on CD, but there’s also plans that a vinyl version is about to follow next summer, depending on how good the CD sells. The CD is scheduled for a January / beginning of February 2007 release. The only thing that still has to be done is the layout for the booklet and the logo. The band has hired Erik Sahlström (MAZE OF TORMENT, ex – SERPENT OBSCENE, ex – DECEIVER) for this job. You can already check out soundfiles from the album here: www.myspace.com/thrownbitch
Earache label manager Dan Tobin commented on Jared Anderson‘s passing: ‘I think Erik Rutan has pretty much said it all when it comes to expressing the regret and shock at Jared’s passing. I only met the guy a couple of times when he came through the UK with Morbid Angel, but he struck me as a thoughtful and dedicated musician who was able to take on the challenges presented to him by both Hate Eternal and Morbid Angel. Particularly with Morbid Angel, he won over fans with his wholehearted commitment to the music and also the fans of the music. The response from the fans to the news of his death only goes to prove the positive impression he made on people.’
SEVERE TORTURE, currently on tour with Vader and God Dethroned, have been keeping a diary whilst out on the road. You can check it out at their myspace domain.
According to Cincinnati.com, former MORBID ANGEL / HATE ETERNAL bassist / vocalist Jared Anderson passed away on Saturday, October 14 at the age of 30. The cause of his death has not yet been released. Jared was most recently working on a project which was known by its alias AS ONE… He described the band’s musical direction on his MySpace page as "a revision of my INTERNECINE writings, or shall I say ‘written in the vein of.’ The INTERNECINE record itself was all ‘old’ material from the early to mid-’90s that I was given the offer to record, so obviously I opted to do so. Highly technical, obscure Death Metal was purely the intent of INTERNECINE. Although most of the material was written many years prior to recording it, there were a couple of songs that were more recent. The two songs were ‘The Elder Gods’ and ‘The Calling Of The Hordes’. This is where AS ONE… comes in, kind of continuing where I left off so to speak, with a much more matured sound."
Sepulchral Productions, the Canadian label responsible for FROZEN SHADOWS‘ debut album "Dans Les Bras Des Immortels" is back in full force. The label has signed three of Quebec’s new Black Metal groups and will release their debut albums in December, namely: Forteresse "Métal Noir Québécois", Niflheim "Neurasthénie" and Sombres Forêts "Quintessence". Visit their website at www.sepulchralproductions.com for more info.
Nuclear Abominations are about to release a NUCLEAR DEATH compilation CD, containing all the band’s demos and rehearsals. The CD is supposed to be out with a massive booklet and more. Details on the progress of this release will be posted regularly on the band’s official website www.goregrind.com/bands/nucleardeath.
REVELATION OF DOOM split up with former vocalist Longinus. His departure was caused by "the different way of understanding the process of working, rehearsing, playing live and being a member of the band in general". His replacement is Analripper, known from PYORRHOEA (in the past) and SPHERE (present). With him the band started to compose new material for their second album, which is planned to be released via Pagan Records in 2007. For more info check out www.revelationofdoom.co.nr
Germany’s LUNAR AURORA have issued the following statement via their official website (www.lunaraurora.de): "After our next album "Andacht" we will disappear until further notice. There will be no interviews, concerts, or any other statements." "Andacht" will be recorded at the end of this month and is supposed to be out in December on Cold Dimensions (www.cold-dimensions.de). In related news, MORTUUS INFRADAEMONI, the band featuring LUNAR AURORA members Profanatitas und Nathaniel, will also release their debut album "Daemon Qui Fecit Terram" in December.
"Zombie Gore Vomit", the debut album by Brazil’s VOMEPOTRO has been released through Obscure Domain Productions in the meantime. You will find sound samples at the label’s myspace domain. Also Hacker’s UNHOLY TERROR zine can be found there as well now: www.myspace.com/unholy_terror_zine