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Former Earache and Nuclear Blast recording artists DISGUST have released a new album entitled "The Horror Of It All" through Crimes Against Humanity Records of America. The album shows a "back to basics" approach in terms of the sound and attitude and was recorded and mixed in just 18 hours. The band have kept the Discharge worship of old, but have added a faster, thrashier element, in tune with legends such as Raw Noise and Disrupt. MP3’s can be found at www.cahrecords.com/mp3.html. The album is available via mail order in the US at www.cahrecords.com, or can be ordered in Europe by sending £5.00 (UK) / EU10.00 (Europe) / $10.00 (elsewhere) to: Disgust, Box 666, Reading RG4 5AJ, England
Norwegian MANEGARM have started recording their new full-length "Dödsfärd" (working title) at Underground Studios. The title is referring to the ancient burials of the vikings, and the music promises to be a fine, yet very recognizable elaboration of the band’s first two impressive releases. Belgian artist Chris Verwimp will again take care of the cover art. Expected to be released late 2002 / early 2003. web: www.devoted.to/manegarm
Displeased Records will re-issue the first INTERNAL SUFFERING full-length "Supreme Knowledge Domain" (originally on Qabalah / Repulse Records) with remastered / improved sound and bonus tracks in late 2002. www.internalsuffering.iespana.es/internalsuffering e-mail: intersuffering@hotmail.com
The first, now impossible-to-get album of NINNGHIZHIDDA, "Blasphemy", will be re-issued with improved lay out and a Japan-only bonus track in late 2002. http://ninnghizhidda.darkwood.com e-mail: Mephi999@yahoo.com
Displeased Records now makes ENTHRONED‘s "Carnage In Worlds Beyond" album available on black vinyl as well as picture disc for the die hard fans out there.
LIMBONIC ART‘s latest effort "The Ultimate Death Worship" is now available on limited vinyl (1000 copies only) with one vinyl only bonus track.
The ARCTURUS releases "’Aspera Hiems Symfonia", "Constellation" and "My Angel" are now available as a double vinyl release, including one recording made during the "Aspera…" session, not appearing on the original release. All material was re-mastered.
Norwegian Black Metallers PERISHED have entered the studio to record their follow up to "Kark", the band’s debut full-length album from several years ago. Thus far the band is very positive about the recordings, which promise to be a well balanced mix between the strong powerful and ‘melodic’ side of their debut and the raging rawness of the mini album "Grim" which was released last year on underground label Apocalyptic Empire. Both Jehmod (drums) and Ihizahg (guitar) been very busy lately recording with the likes of WURDULAK, GORELORD and BLOODTHORN! Await a late 2002 release. e-mail: Raymond.Nilsson@sintef.no
Expect LP versions of ULVER ("Nattens Madrigal"), BORKNAGAR ("Olden Domain") and CRYPTOPSY ("Whisper Supremacy") in late 2002.
In October and November, INTERNAL SUFFERING as well as GORETRADE (with INTERNAL SUFFERING members, debut album out on From Beyond Productions in early 2003!) will hit the US road again. On November 16th INTERNAL SUFFERING will perform live together with several well respected international brutal Death Metal acts, as part of the James Murphy Deathfest Benefit. For more info check www.deathfest.homestead.com. For mid 2003 an extensive INTERNAL SUFFERING Euro tour is in the works. e-mail: intersuffering@hotmail.com
Dutch Doomsters OFFICIUM TRISTE have just been added to the bill of the promising German two-day Doom Metal festival ‘Doom Shall Rise’ which will take place February 2nd and 3rd 2003. More info at www.doomshallrise.de.vu
US Black Metal act VESPERIAN SORROW is industriously seeking a capable bassist to record new material and play live. Interested people should contact the band via www.vesperiansorrow.net
MURDER CORPORATION are dissolved. A new and fresh related act is already installed, with the same musical intentions as the latter. More info later.
From Beyond Productions will release the European CD and LP version of the "Wet Slit And A Bottle Of Whiskey" album by US asshole rockers EAT MY FUK! Consisting of prominent and legendary members of the US Black and Death Metal scene, the band is not to be compared to the related acts, but rather to the sickest works of the likes of G.G. ALLIN, MOTÖRHEAD and a very early VENOM. Perverted inciting drunken raw punkrock with porn / violent lyrics and offensive artwork. Release: late 2002.
The "Back To Vengeance" and "The Carnage" studio sessions of Indonesians Death Metal act SIKSAKABUR will be released onto one CD in early 2003. Consisting of ABSOLUTE DEFIANCE members (among others) this band is supposed to mix blasting fast brutal Death Metal with ‘melodic’ passages, comparible to AGIEL, MALEVOLENT CREATION and at times very early NOCTURNUS. Previously both sessions have been released as limited cassette and CD-R versions, now with reworked sound and artwork.
Metal War Productions have released a limited edition (666 hand numbered copies) PROFANATICA 7". It features the tracks ‘Broken Jew’ and ‘Fuck The Messiah’. The first 100 copies of the EP are in blood red vinyl and come with the original Profanatica logo pin. The black vinyl sells for $7 (postpaid in the U.S.), the red vinyl with pin for $10 (postpaid in the U.S.). Contact: www.metalwarprod.com
The second LP of the true FROST, one of the oldest German Black Metal acts, is finally recorded and ready to be sent to the pressing factory. The album release is a cooperation between Hellflame and Niedersachsen Klan from Germany. You can contact both labels at: www.hellflameprod.cjb.net, email: sunandiron@hotmail.com www.geocities.com/nskhome/, email: niedersachsenklan@gmx.de
KRIEG‘s "Tormenting Necrometal" 3 track demo (which originally was recorded back in 1999), now finally sees the light of day through RazorKult Produktions. This limited edition release (200 copies) is available for 4Euro / Dollars (Europe only!) from: Sombre Records, Postfach 1143, 09449 Annaberg Buchholz, Germany, sombrerecords@arcor.de
Due to immense interest from the audience and a huge increase in the number of interested and interesting bands the INFERNO FESTIVAL 2003 had to be expanded. It will go on for 3 days – starting Thursday April 17 and climaxing Saturday April 19 – and feature approximately 30 bands. The venue is the same as the previous two years (Rockefeller / John Dee in Oslo, Norway). A limited number of 3-day festival passes will be available for the symbolic price of NKR 666,- (all fees included), ONLY available for purchase in November 2002. In addition, in November, two of the bigger names will be revealed. The updated and improved webpages will be launched October 17, and foreign festivalgoers can reserve / purchase tickets online. Inquiries regarding booking or practical festival information can be sent to Radar Booking c/o Jan Martin Jensen or Khaoz Productionz c/o Gro Narvestad. For press information, interviews or promo material you can email Khaoz Productionz c/o Ann Frestad.
After more than 5 years PENTACLE is rehearsing with two guitarists again. Nothing is official yet as the band is trying out someone who has been involved with the band for its whole existence. For now they are rehearsing the live-set and some new songs as a fourpiece. The "Ancient Death" MCD has finally been released through Dark Realm Records in the US. now. Interesting parties should contact Dark Realm Records: www.sadisticintent.net
AISLING will enter Eddy Meola’s Studio to record a promo with four songs during the first week of November. This time as guest there will be Callum from the scottish band Soulgreed to record some sessions with his pipe. Further info at: www.infinito.it/utenti/aisling/
On January 27, 2003 Hammerheart Records will release "Sumerian Daemons", the new album by SEPTIC FLESH. Some of the songtitles are ‘Unbeliever’, ‘Red Code Cult’, ‘Dark River’, ‘Faust’ and ‘Mechanical Babylon’. "Sumerian Daemons" was recorded at Studio Fredman in Sweden, with producer Fredrik Nordström. The photo-shoot / artwork was done in cooperation with the famous FX Masters (The Azahoulos Brothers) in Greece, also known for cinema and TV-productions. For more info on SEPTIC FLESH go to: www.go.to/septicflesh
The vinyl debut from DECIEVERION will be released in 333 or 500 copies on Hellflame Productions (www.hellflameprod.cjb.net) early next year. The band consists of former members of Crucifier, Infernal Hatred and Grand Belial’s Key. Previously there will be a CD version that should be released in four – five weeks from now on the American label Crooked Crosses ( drink.to/ccr).
"Bloodforged Abdication", the first vinyl EP by New Zealand’s DAWN OF AZAZEL is being sent to the pressing plant this week. If everything goes as planned it should be released in 3 weeks now. It contains two songs ‘Bloodforged Abdication’ and a cover version of the ORDER FROM CHAOS’s classic ‘Plateau Of Invincibility’. The EP comes with full color cover, lyrics and pics, limited to 500 pieces, never to be repressed. All further info you may get here: www.hellflameprod.cjb.net
Additionally to the ordinary jewelcase version AMON AMARTH‘s "Versus The World" CD will also be released as a double digipak. It will contain 14 bonus songs (on an extra-CD), a 20-page-booklet (8 pages more than the regular version) and tons of extra photos. Here’s the tracklist of the bonus-CD: ‘Siegreicher Marsch’ (German version of the song ‘Victorious March’ of the first album), the band’s entire mini CD "Sorrow Throughout The Nine Worlds" (tracklist: ‘Sorrow Throughout The Nine Worlds’, ‘The Arrival Of The Fimbul Winter’, ‘Burning Creation’, ‘The Mighty Doors Of The Speargod’s Hall’ and ‘Under The Greyclouded Winter Sky’), their second demo "Arrival Of The Fimbul Winter" (tracklist: ‘Burning Creation’, ‘Arrival Of The Fimbul Winter’, ‘Without Fear’) and their first demo "Thor Arise" (tracklist: ‘Risen From The Sea’, ‘Atrocious Humanity’, ‘Army Of Darkness’, ‘Thor Arise’ and ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’). "Versus The World" will be released on November 18, 2002 by Metal Blade Records.
BLOOD RED THRONE recently finished the recordings for their upcoming (2nd) full-length album "Affiliated With The Suffering". It was recorded at Dub Studios in Kristiansand (Norway), produced by Endre Kirkesola and Tchort himself and mastered at Strype Audio by Tom Kvalsvoll. Some songtitles are ‘Unleashing Hell’, ‘A Dream Of Death’, ‘Razor Jack’ and the title track. The album first comes in a limited edition digipak, featuring two exclusive bonus tracks (‘Mercy Killings’ and ‘Deadly Intentions’ (OBITUARY-cover). The vinyl version (strictly limited to 500 copies) contains the MASSACRE cover ‘Cryptic Realms’.
On October 31 Ledo Takas Records will release "Risti Ja Ruoska", a vinyl 7" EP by the Finnish Black Metal act HORNA. It is limited to 666 copies on green wax as well as a design in black / red. The EP contains two brand new, never before published songs.
In spite of earlier rumours that the limited edition (1000 copies) of OBTEST‘s "Tukstantmetis" debut CD is already sold out it has occurred that Wolf Records still store over 300 copies of it in their warehouse. In order to better advertise, distribute and simply provide the rare album to the fans, Ledo Takas immediately decided to obtain the entire stock of it. An additional CD insert sheet with all the lyrics and their translations into English (that were shamefully missing before) got printed for this occasion. www.ledotakas.com
With a help of Ledo Takas Records, Lithuanian’s Black Metal act DISSIMULATION have recorded 11 tunes at Phoenix Studio in Riga, Latvia, which comprise the "Maras" album. Sound engineer Gints Lundberg (Skyforger) made sure that the recording would get a thick and sharp Black Metal sound. The album was recently professionally mastered by Vytautas Stankus at Ophis Studio in Kaunas, Lithuania. There was some trouble with the mastering (that basically caused the delay in the album’s release), because Ledo Takas had agreed to master the recordings at a certain famous studio in Berlin, Germany. However, the owner got afraid of a Hitler speech sample in one of the compositions and rushed to declare he does not work with Nazi bands. Ledo Takas and DISSIMULATION here and now state, that the band has nothing to do with neither fascistic nor Nazi ideology, and let everybody interpret the aforementioned composition as his or her own mind suggests. The CD will be released on October 31, 2002 as a 6 panels digipak with a ten pages insert.
OBTEST are preparing three news tunes for their upcoming tour with GRIEF OF EMERALD, SKYFORGER, BESTIAL MOCKERY and SEAR BLISS. One of them (‘Gelezinis Vilkas’) has already been performed at a Pagan festival in Riga, Latvia a few weeks ago, where the band was also presenting their new bass player to the public.
After months of delays the GOSPEL OF THE HORNS debut album "A Call To Arms" will finally be out on CD at Samhain 2002, to be followed later by a limited edition gatefold vinyl of 500 copies. The track listing is: ‘Chaos Bringer’, ‘Absolute Power’, ‘Vengeance Is Mine’, ‘Slaves’, ‘A Call To Arms’, ‘Powers Of Darkness’ and ‘Trial Of Mankind’. www.unconquerable.net
ALLFATHER have agreed to sign to Invictus Productions for their debut album which they will be recording in January and is scheduled for a March / April release. The Allfather 10", with new artwork and a bonus track (to come on blood red vinyl) should be available in December / January.
MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy’s long awaited autobiography, "White Line Fever", will be published in late October / early November. There will possibly be a book signing on October 18th at HMV on Oxford Street in London, England.
In November, CRYPTOPSY will perform a series of weekend shows in Quebec, Ontario and Michigan. The dates are: November 2 – "Le Maquisart", Trois-Rivieres, PQ; November 14 – "The Dungeon", Oshawa, ON; November 15 – "The Kathedral", Toronto, ON; November 16 – "Royal Oak Theatre (Xtreme Benefest)", Royal Oak, MI; November 17 – "Diesel Lounge / Concert Hall", Windsor, ON; November 29 – "La Coudée", Rimouski, QUE and November 30 – "Kashmir", Quebec City, PQ
Roadrunner Japan will reissue two TANK albums, "This Means War" and "Honour & Blood", on November 20th. (hey, how about 1987’s "Tank" album??? Can somebody please go for that as well after all? – Ed.)
CARNAL FORGE will tour Japan at the beginning of 2003. CF member Jonas’ other band, CENTINEX, are also on the bill.
BETHLEHEM are finishing up on "Suicide Radio" – an interactive CD-rom, which features the band’s music, short movies / videos, pictures, links, hidden secrets and more.
HIDDEN have started work on their next record, which will be released on Baphomet Records.
NOKTURNE will put out their second CD through Baphomet Records. The album will also include a Destruction cover.
ENSLAVED has just completed their 7th and yet untitled studio album. The recordings went extremely well and where yet again produced by the band them selves, Pytten and Jørgen Træen. The mixing will take part in January and the final release is set to the 3rd of March next year. Some new titles are ‘As Fire Swept Clean The Earth’, ‘Ridicule Swarm’ and ‘Queen Of Night’. On September 24, 2002 Enslaved played a show at Landmark – Bergen Kunsthall. The band was invited to perform as special guests at the opening ceremony of an art exibition featuring modern grotesque & horror art. Landmark is a highly profiled institution in the Norwegian art society, and coming from a background like Enslaved, this was a rather unusual event for an extreme Metal band. The show was a combination of multimedia effects with flames projected on the walls of the entire hall and the band playing. Enslaved already did a couple of new tunes in the 40 minutes long set. After that the band headed for Poland to record a DVD to be unleashed right after Christmas and are currently in dialogue with a movie director for a possible promo shot of one of the songs for the coming album. If this takes place, it will probably be released as bonus CD-ROM on the forthcoming album.
THE RAVENOUS mini CD "Three On A Meethook" (which features four brand new tracks) is almost ready for release. It will be available as a digipak.
NECROPHAGIA have recorded two tracks for their upcoming DVD. ‘To Sleep With The Dead’ and ‘The Fog’ will not appear anywhere else.
THANATOS will release their "Beyond Terror" MCD via Baphomet Records.
Blood Fire Death will issue a live NARGAROTH 7" from their tour with Krieg.
Johan Lindstrand is back in THE CROWN as the new permanent singer. Hear what the man himself has to say about all this: "Alright planet earth!!!! This is Johan Lindstrand speaking! I’m very proud to say that I’m back in THE CROWN. This time with full fuckin’ force. My commitment and dedication is 110% and I am very excited about the future of the band. I have already rehearsed on a couple of new songs and they fuckin’ blew me away. Really awesome. It feels great to scream with the band again and I’m looking forward to see you on the road so what I wanna say is: THE CROWN HAS RETURNED!!!!!"
Swedish SKYFIRE just returned from Abyss Studio where they recorded the follow-up to their debut-album "Timeless Departure" with producer Tommy Tägtgren. The title of the new album is "Mind Revolution" and some of the song-titles are ‘Shapes Of Insanity’, ‘Dawn Will Break’, ‘The Clouds Lie Silent’ and ‘Euphoria’. Artwork will be done by Graal (www.g-r-a-a-l.com). According to bassplayer Jonas Sjögren we can expect a more diverse, better structured and even better sounding album.
Arctic Music Group has signed Swedish newecomers ETERNAL LIES. Their musical style is best described as a mixture of traditional Scandinavian Death Metal and the melodies and harmonies that redefined Swedish Metal in the late 1990s. The band was already voted best new band in Close-Up, one of Sweden’s biggest and most prestigious Metal magazines. Their debut album "Spiritual Deception" should already be out by the time you read this.
Following their debut album "Human Consumes Human", HOMO IRATUS are back with an EP entitled "Knowledge…Their Enemy". It contains 3 new tracks, a cover version of Sepultura’s ‘Roots Bloody Roots’, and 2 full-length videos. This is also the first HOMO IRATUS release with interim vocalist Thomas Bairachtaris, filling in for Mitch who decided to leave the band in February of 2001. The band is currently working on the second full-length album, which will be released by Arctic Music Group in 2003.
CELEBRATUM represents the new breed of Norwegian Black Metal, mixing Scandinavian Black Metal with Heavy Metal and prog-rock influences. The band’s debut album "Mirrored Revelation" was produced by Tommy Tätgren at Abyss Studios / Sweden and just got released by Artic Music Group. www.arcticmusicgroup.com
COFFIN TEXTS have completed writing their 2nd full-length. After the release of their debut "Gods Of Creation, Death & Afterlife", the band toured America with Incantation and Skinless. Bassist / vocalist Robert Cardenas is currently touring Europe with Florida Blastmasters DIABOLIC and the album will be recorded following the tour in late 2002. The cover art will be created by the Malfeitor (Aborym).
World War III Records and Avantgarde Music (Italy) have agreed to a deal that will formally release CARPATHIAN FOREST‘s "Morbid Fascination Of Death" album for America. The American version will include extra tracks.
The US Black Metal horde FOG has entered the studio to record the follow-up to their 2001 breakthrough debut "Through The Eyes Of The Night… Winged They Come". The album entitled "Disturbing The Balance Of The Spheres" will be once again self-produced and the material is described as "stronger, darker and more gggressive, with the deep open wide fury only FOG can create." Some of the new song titles will include ‘Avatar Of Grief’, ‘From Within The Darkness Beyond Eternity’, ‘The Writ Of Keogh’ and ‘Reign Of The Iron Emperor’.
ABORYM is completing the recording of the new album "With No Human Intervention" without the previously reported services of Hellhammer (Mayhem, Winds).
ENFORSAKEN have been signed by WW3 Records. The label will first release a collection of their previous works including the "Embraced By Misery" CD and their demos on one release entitled "Into The Everblack." James Murphy from Disincarnate / Death / Obituary fame will then be producing the follow up CD.
ALLEGIANCE‘s "Hymns Of Blod" will now be formally available in America through Mercenary Musik for the first time ever. The album packaging was designed by Nataanas.
World War III and Code666 have struck a deal that will bring "The Dark Blood Rising" by DIABOLICUM to America. The group features members of Setherial, Naglfar and Ancient Wisdom. The album features guests of Bewitched, Setherial and Naglfar, Odhinn, Walkyria, Hollenthon, Pungent Stench, Dirge Rep of Enslaved and Jon Nodtveit of Dissection who wrote some lyrics from jail.
VOID OF SILENCE‘s "Criteria Ov 666" album is coming soon on WW3. The band that features Malfeitor Fabban (Aborym) on vocals.
World War III has signed Polish newcomers WHICH HEAVEN. The band is said to play "their own special brand of complex atmospheric darkened Metal". The debut album entitled "Respawning Of The Gods" will be released in 2003 and will feature an evil-faced alien-embrion on the cover.