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ANGER AS ART, the brain child of Steve Gaines (AbaTtoir, Bloodlust, Pagan War Machine, Dreams of Damnation and Tactics) have been signed by Old School Metal Records. The band’s line up also includes William Rustrum (of Hangar 18 and Raven Mad), Javier Marrufo (New Eden) on bass and Mars Castro (Demolition, Coffin Texts) on drums. This is what Steve has to say of this new partnership: "We are thrilled to announce that we have signed with a label that believes in this music as much as we do. Not just for commercial viability but also with respect for the art (yes, pun intended) that Metal music encompasses. We look forward to getting in the trenches with our family at OSM, and working to make Anger As Art the yardstick by which Thrash Metal can be measured. Maybe even America’s last Thrash Metal band. The future certainly looks promising. We welcome the challenges, and the work ahead. OSM is a relatively new label, staffed by some of the underground Metal Community’s brightest stars. Their knowledge of this music is second to none matched only by their drive to succeed. We are excited to be welcomed into the OSM family, as we welcome OSM into ours." For more information, check out the label’s website at www.osmrecords.net.
An obscure label recently released a collection of REGURGITATION demos. As some of you may know, REVENANT’s Hank Veggian played bass in the group from 1986 – 1987. After Hank’s departure, members of the band went on to form O.L.D. (Earache Records). The CD also contains unreleased tracks, cover songs and the Regurgitation track featured on "Speed Metal Hell Volume 3" (New Renaissance Records).
Germany’s Death / Grinders DEPRESSION have released a limited edition (1.000 copies worldwide) double digipak CD, entitled "Das Relikt – Erinnerungen". It contains the band’s complete "Erinnerungen" demo tape from 1995 (for the first time available on CD) as well as 22 brandnew songs and two bonus tracks (the DEFECATION cover ‘Underestimation’ and ‘Depressionen Part II’ ). The release comes with a 28 pages booklet featuring all lyrics, tons of rare fotos, liner notes from every member, a band history and more. Available for 10,- Euro (wholesale price plus postage) from www.depression-grind.de
ANIMA DAMNATA‘s "Tormenting Pale Flesh Of The Syphilic Holy Whore" MCD will be available at the end of this year. It comes with 12 pages color booklet and over 20 minutes of live video footage as a bonus. A limited vinyl version of "Agonizing Journey Through The Burning Universe And Transcendental Ritual Of Transfiguration" is about to follow in January / February 2006. It’ll feature two bonus cover-songs (ACHERON and BLASPHEMY) and a poster. For more info head to www.animadamnata.com
The re-release of MAYHEMIC TRUTH‘s "In Memoriam" CD (originally on Iron Pegasus Records) is finally out through I Hate Records now. It is enhanced with the complete "Promotape 94", previously not released in its entirety on the CD, which results in a total of 14 tracks and a playing time of approximately 64 minutes now. Here’s the complete track list: ‘Intro’, ‘Lady Morgaine’, ‘When Thousand Candles Cry’, ‘Morrigan’, ‘Carrion Of War’, ‘Fire And Ice’, ‘Conspiracy Of The Golden Angels’, ‘Bluot Era Hathu’, ‘Cythraw’, ‘Hymn Of The Crow’, ‘And Only The Flames Remember To Long Forgotten Cries’, ‘God In Ruins (Your Blood Is Like An Ocean)’, ‘Our Gateway Is An Rainbow’ and ‘The Child Of Mayhem’. For all further info go to: www.morrigan.org
THE GATES OF SLUMBER and FALL OF THE IDOLS have both been signed by Sweden’s I Hate Records. THE GATES OF SLUMBER started out in 1998 as a backlash against the stoner rock trend prevalent at the time and their mixture of SAINT VITUS, PENTAGRAM and prime era CELTIC FROST has either crushed or converted unbelievers ever since. Their second album is due for an early June 2006 release. FALL OF THE IDOLS were founded in the north of Finland in 2000 and have up till now released five demos, one self-titled MCD and were featured on the "Final Chapter’s A Dark World" sampler. Their style could be described as solid Doom Metal with elements of CANDLEMASS and COUNT RAVEN and a certain THE DOORS vibe, due to singer Jyrki’s way of using the late Jim Morrison singing style in certain passages. Expect their album release in the spring of 2006. For more info go to www.thegatesofslumber.com or www.falloftheidols.com
Proscriptor and Melechesh will not be working together on recording the upcoming MELECHESH album. This was a mutual decision that had to be taken due to the geographic circumstances and overlapping time schedules. Proscriptor has been a member of Melechesh since 1999 and has recorded two albums with them: "Djinn" and "Sphynx". Both the Melechesh members and Proscriptor had to take this decision; however, this does not affect their comradeship and possibilities for future cooperation. Melechesh founder Ashmedi commented on this as follows: "We have nothing but high regards for Proscriptor. He is one of the very few true artists that I know of, a dear friend and we appreciate his talent. But this cross Atlantic distance was becoming quite impractical and limited the creative inputs of both of us. I feel confident that we will cooperate musically again in one way or another, but it was simply impossible to do so for the upcoming Melechesh album. Should time permit though, Proscriptor may provide guest vocals on the upcoming (4th) Melechesh album. One thing is for sure: he certainly deserves the medal of honor." Osmose Productions / The End Records recently released a double digipak ABSU anthology compilation CD "Mythological Occult Metal 1991-2001". News on the upcoming Melechesh album will follow. www.melechesh.com, www.osmoseproductions.com
The following message was posted on the website of Switzerland’s Chainsaw Murder Records. "Kurt Struebing, guitarist for Seattle, Washington’s NME, died in a car accident on Wednesday, March 9. Zurich Chainsaw Massacre Records has been working closely with Kurt to re-release NME’s 1985’s "Unholy Death" album. Plans for this special CD re-release have been on hold until we all have had a chance to absorb Kurt’s death. Our thoughts are with his wife, son, family and all of his friends. He was a unique person who will be sorely missed. RIP, my friend."
The release party for INCRUST‘s debut full-length "Baptized In Unholy Gore" will take place in Salvador on November 12, 2005. The band announced that a couple of new songs, like ‘Let The Christians’ Slaughter Begin’ as well as tracks off their upcoming EP on Ibex Moon Records will already be included in the setlist. INCRUST also appear on the "Osculum Obscenum" compilation together Levifer, Bestial Holocaust, Sanctifier and more. For more info check out their new website at www.incrust66.cjb.net
SURRENDER OF DIVINITY are currently in the studio in Bangkok recording their debut full-length.
MANEGARM did a release party on October 8th of their brandnew album "Vredens Tid". You can download some clips here, here and here.
To suppress the rumours about INFINITED HATE, the band announced that there has never been any idea to quit at all. The band found the rumours ridiculous and do not understand where they were coming from. The band is currently writing material for their third album. The drumming will again be done by Dirk Verbeuren (SOILWORK, ABORTED).
GOAT SEMEN completed writing and rehearsing several new tracks for the upcoming full-length on From Beyond Productions. Recording will take place early next year.
ARCANA will play live at the Triganda Festival in the Amsterdam RAI on Saturday, November 19th.
ANAL VOMIT and From Beyond Productions agreed on a limited picture disc version of the "Demoniac Flagellation" album. With altered layout it will be made available early next year in a limited 666 edition. Shirts of the band should be made available around that time as well.
AGATHOCLES is currently in the studio recording their upcoming album "Mincer". Expect the release to hit the streets early 2006.
IMPALED NAZARENE has decided to name their 9th studio album "Pro Patria Finlandia". The band will head for Sonic Pump Studio with producer Tapio Pennanen in mid November. ‘Cancer’, ‘For Those Who Have Fallen’, ‘Kut’, ‘Contempt’ and ‘Hate-Despise-Arrogance’ are among the cuts to be featured on the album. Osmose Productions will release "Pro Patria Finlandia" on March 28, 2006. Impaled Nazarene will head for a Latin American tour in late January 2006. Three shows in Mexico have already been confirmed, more to follow.
MCB ENTERTAINMENT LLC is a new Philadelphia based company focusing on dark underground entertainment. The label’s first release was a career spanning 9 track compilation of tracks from Blood Storm (two demos, 3 new remixes and four album cuts) that came out just before the band embarked on the "Hellstorm of Unholy Legions" tour with Kult Ov Azazel. In addition to reissuing Blood Storm’s back catalog on two double CD sets they will also be releasing their first ever live album (recorded the first night of the tour). "Most of Blood Storm’s work has been available only from small distros in the past, and the releases (on the labels end) have been sub par: no promotion, not even a bar code in most cases", label owner Mike C. Bilinski recently told us. "Our mission is to bring this incredible underground music to a wider audience without diluting the content." As previously reported, next up on the label will be a After Death compilation CD, featuring all of their demos (two mixes of the "Reviving The Gods" demo, one by Erik Rutan and one by Jon Oliva as well as a new track with Mezzadurus of Blood Storm). For all further info make sure to check out their official website at www.mcbtv.net
Additionally to the REVENANT CD news, mainman Hank Veggian just informed us about the following: "I have contributed vocal tracks to the forthcoming CD from Dim Mak. I sing on three songs ‘Incident At The Temple Of Leng’, ‘Knives Of Ice’ and ‘The Great Worm Of Hell’ (I recite some of Crowley’s poetry on that last one). It is a brutal record and unlike the previous two in terms of style and sound. The label Willowtip Records will release it. It was an honor to collaborate with them, as the band contains three former members of the legendary Ripping Corpse."
Xtreem Records has just released "The Burning Ground", the long-awaited anthology of classic REVENANT demo recordings and unreleased material. The CD includes a booklet that contains rare photographs of REVENANT and other bands of the NY / NJ Death scene of the late 80s and 90s, an essay by Hank Veggian, as well as rare artwork, flyers, and live photographs. The CD was mixed by REVENANT’s long-time producer Rick Dierdorf (’93 demo, "Overman" MCD), who emerged from retirement just for this release. It was mastered by Colin Davis of Imperial Mastering, who followed up his excellent work on the "Overman" MCD with this longer and more brutal project. The CD track listing is as follows: ‘The Faithless’, ‘Eclipse’, ‘The Burning Ground’, ‘Exalted Being’, ‘Infinite Reality’, ‘Distant Eyes’, ‘Asphyxiated Time’, ‘Degeneration’, ‘Intro / Futures End’, ‘Fear’, ‘Cataleptic Spirits’, ‘Transcending A World Of Shadow’, ‘Tyrannical Nightmare’ and ‘The Unearthly’ (live in Den Bosch, Holland, December 1991). For ordering information check out www.xtreemmusic.com. If you live in the U.S., Canada or Latin America, you can order the CD directly from the band by contacting them through www.revenant.ws. But you better hurry up as they only have a limited supply of copies.
On the 25th of November From Beyond Productions is going to release PENTACLE‘s "Archaic Undead Fury" EP. The format changed from 7" to 10" but it will still contain a A3 – sized poster. 1.000 copies will be printed, with a possible CD release after the vinyl copies are sold out. It’ll feature two songs: ‘A Hellish Descend’, which was the first song PENTACLE wrote after their "Ancient Death" MCD and ‘Blast Them From The Sky’, their most recent song. Both were recorded at Harrow Productions during the "Under the Black Cross" sessions. For more info head to www.pentacle.nl
Ex – MORBID ANGEL, INCUBUS, NOCTURNUS and ACHERON drummer Mike Browning is currentling compiling a compilation CD of his demo recordings with AFTER DEATH, which should be out on MCB Records before the end of the year. For more info check out www.afterdeath666.com