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HATEPLOW will break their silence May 29th at the Fuck The Commerce Open Air Festival in Germany when they headline the first night of the 3 day festival. Following completion of the festival HatePlow will embark on a 13 show headlining tour from June 3rd till June15th in Germany, France, Holland, Austria, Belgium and Czech. In other news HatePlow will record a 3rd and final album by the years end. The Hateplow line up remains the same as it was on the band’s 2nd album "The Only Law Is Survival" and European Tour 2001. The line up is: Dave Culross – drums, Kyle Symons – vox, Rob Barrett – guitar, Phil Fasciana – guitar and Xaphan (Kult Ov Azazel) – bass. For more info about the Fuck The Commerce Open Air Festival and the HatePlow tour following it go to: www.cudgel.de (link to F.T.C.), www.hateplow.cjb.net, www.arcticmusicgroup.com
DESTRUCTION‘s website, www.destruction.de, has revealed that the bands new album will be out through Nuclear Blast on September 29th, with a DVD to follow before the end of 2003. Band members Mike, Marc and Schmier will enter Little Creek Studio in Switzerland in early April for the final production on the new album.
The new line-up for the Death Across America tour will now include AMON AMARTH, CHRISTIAN DEATH, GOD DETHRONED, DIVINE EMPIRE, LOVER OF SIN and another soon-to-be-announced band. The tour kicks off at the end of May. Dates will be announced shortly.
An advance mp3 of the DEEDS OF FLESH track ‘Banished’ is available now at the Unique Leader label website, www.uniqueleader.com. The track is from the bands forthcoming album "Reduced To Ashes", which they will support with a European tour in September / October. The tour will also feature HATE ETERNAL, DYING FETUS and SEVERE TORTURE.
Austia¹s PSYCROPTIC have inked a deal with Unique Leader. An mp3 from the bands forthcoming album, ‘The Scepter Of The Ancients’, can be heard at the labels website, www.uniqueleader.com.
GORGASM have signed with Unique Leader. The band will release their new album, "Masticate To Dominate", through the label this Fall.
Full Moon Productions (www.fmp666.com) have the following albums scheduled for release: PEST(GER)’s Ara (due out in April), debuts from FLUISTERWOUD and OUROBOROS, and a tribute to HELL RETURNS.
HELL-BORN have replaced drummer Bastek (DEVILYN) with May (GRIN, ex-GHOST). Problems concerning constant travels from where Bastek was located to where the band were made it difficult for the band to have regular rehearsals and prevented them from being well prepared for gigs.
SEVERED SAVIOR has found a new guitarist. Shon Benham has joined Severed as a full time member. He beat out over 25 other guitarists for the job.
After some months of negotiations, the Swedish three piece VERMINOUS has signed a deal with Xtreem Music. The band’s only purpose is to bring back the evil times of the darkest old school Swedish Death Metal. If you consider yourself a true worshipper of GROTESQUE (pre-AT THE GATES), look no further, these are the best inheritors, although their music is faster and more aggressive. VERMINOUS was formed by Linus Björklund (guitars / vocals), Pelle Melander (guitars) and Andreas Johansson (drums) in August 2002 from the ashes of their former band DELVE, who have a MCD out, entitled "The Dead Amongst" through Greek label Nuclear Winter Rec. In December 2002, VERMINOUS recorded their first official proof of existence in form of a 7"EP also for the same label. You can download a song from their latest 7"EP by either entering www.xtreemmusic.com/label or their own official website www.verminous.com
Mexico’s DISGORGE just came back from a tour in Costa Rica and Panama and is now going to embark on 13 more dates through their own country. After this, the band will hit the U.S. for some dates and then going down to Brazil for another tour.
After a successful 8 dates tour of Australia last February, Ireland’s most legendary and brutal Grind / Death act ABADDON INCARNATE have decided to accept the loss of their insane bassist and good friend Cory Sloan. As a result, the band is seeking a replacement to fill his rather large shoes. If you are interested in what they are, please e-mail your info to info@abaddonincarnate.com. The band is still working hard on new songs for their long awaited 3rd album tentatively called "Sountrack For Rape" to be recorded in october again in Sweden at Soundlab Studios with Mieszko Talarczyk (NASUM). Most probably, the album will have Rogga from their labelmates PAGANIZER doing some backing vocals. For more info about ABADDON INCARNATE and some mp3’s from their "Nadir" album, visit www.abaddonincarnate.com
AVULSED‘s vocalist Dave Rotten was diagnosed a small fracture on a rib after the successful presentation of their brand new album "Yearning For The Grotesque" in their hometown, Madrid, last March 15th. As Dave Rotten stated: "During the show, and after one of my usual and multiple stage divings I noticed a terrible pain on my chest. However, the heat over the stage and adrenaline did a good job, because I could finish the show (we played like 105 minutes!!) without real problems. Days passed and I still had that pain on my chest, but I thought that was the typical one after a beat, you know… so after a week I decided to visit the medics and they practised me an x-ray, so we saw one of the ribs was slightly broken. No big deal, it’s just that I can’t sing for at least a month. The good thing is that casually, this show was the last one after a series of 10 shows we did through Spain and we didn’t have any more booked until May, because we were supposed to do an European tour in April (with CANNIBAL CORPSE, but it didn’t happen in the end), so it’s a perfect time for me to recover." In other news, AVULSED will take part in the very biggest Rock Festival in Spain next May 3rd. The Viña Rock 2003 is expected to surpass 55.000 people, after seeing the last years’ success (45.000 maniacs). This festival, with 5 stages and all kinds of Rock music, gathers the best and more renowned Rock & Metal acts mainly from Spain, and it’s the very first time a Death Metal band plays there!!
TESTAMENT are confirmed for the Wacken Open Air festival which takes place from July 31 – August 2, in Wacken, Germany.
DEFLESHED, with support from TAETRE, hit the road in Europe on the Battle Royal Tour 2003 tour on April 23rd in Falkenberg, Sweden. Dates run until May 4th in Stockholm.
According to a posting on the DEEDS OF FLESH website, www.deedsofflesh.com, the band have finished recording their new album, "Reduced To Ashes". Clocking in at over 45 minutes, the 8 song album will be released on June 24th. An mp3 from the album can be downloaded at the Unique Leader label website, www.uniqueleader.com.
KONKHRA will release their new studio album, "Reality Check", on April 21st.
SINISTER‘s new release, "Savage Or Grace", is out through Nuclear Blast in Europe on May 12th. It will be available on CD and 2LP vinyl.
SOILWORK will release their new album, "Figure Number Five", in Europe on April 14th through Nuclear Blast. The set will be available on CD, limited edition 2CD set and 2LP vinyl set with gatefold sleeve.
CHILDREN OF BODOM release a 7" single, ‘Needled 24/7’ on March 23rd.
The NECROPHAGIA and EXMORTEM tour begins on April 5th at The Old Angel in Nottingham, UK and it runs until May 3rd at Tunk! in Irún, Spain.
Acclaimed New York Death Metallers SUFFOCATION, who issued several successful albums in the early ’90s, have officially reunited after a four-year break (as previously reported here and here) and are in the process of writing and recording their long-awaited sixth release. The group’s current lineup – consisting of founding members Frank Mullen (vocals), Terrance Hobbs (guitar), Mike Smith (drums) and Josh Barohn (bass), plus longtime friend Guy Marchais (guitar, formerly of PYREXIA and INTERNAL BLEEDING) – have launched their official web site at www.suffocation.us and are rehearsing for their upcoming appearances at the 2003 New England Metal And Hardcore Festival and the Maryland Death Fest. States drummer Mike Smith: "The much-needed vacation SUFFOCATION has taken over the years individually and as a whole only refueled the intensity we’ve grown to call our own. I truly feel for any who doubt our intentions."
DESPONDENCY have just signed to Germany based label Revenge Productions. The band will enter Soundlodge Studio at the end of June again (they already recorded their previous two MCDs there) to record their first full-length album, which is scheduled for a late summer 2003 release. Further information will soon be available at the Revenge Productions homepage: www.revengeproductions.de
Konqueror Records will release a CD from the Swedish Death Metal legend EXCRUCIATE soon. It will contain their "Passage Of Life" album, the material from the band’s split-LP and the "Mutilation Of The Past" demo, 18 tracks in total (all combined onto one CD), entitled "Beyond The Circle". For further info feel free to contact: Konqueror Records, P.O. Box 141, Toa Payoh Central, Singapore 913105, email: konqueror_records@hotmail.com
Here’s a message from Marko Tervonen (guitar) of THE CROWN: "Attention CrownHeads! I just wanted to share with you where we are at the moment with the new album. We’re done with the pre-productions now. And that means simply that we have recorded a demo version of the whole album (Thanx Valle). As it seems now we’ll have 13 tracks on the album, 2 of them will be instrumental. As it looks now, the new album will be a bad motherfucker. Less melodies and as Magnus stated before, more power! And for the lyrics I must say that Magnus has definitely wrote his best stuff ever! The whole album has a very strong feel of original Death Metal spirit. This is fucking Death Metal culture!!! Tracklist: ‘No Tomorrow’, ‘Deliverance’, ‘Face Of Destruction’ / ‘Deep Hit Of Death’, ‘Are You Morbid?’, ‘Dream Bloody Hell’ (instrumental), ‘Cold Is The Grave’, ‘Kill ‘Em All’, ‘Morningstar Rising’, ‘Natashead Overdrive’, ‘Bow To None’, ‘Zombiefied!’, ‘Dawn Of Emptiness’ and ‘The Endless Gate’ (instrumental). We also have started working on the cover artwork together with the excellent Locust Construction (keep rollin’ boys!). And it will be looking just awesome. The new album has a name now, and it is: "Possessed 13". We are all so fucking excited to share this album with the world. The songs kill, Johan is back in the family, the artwork looks superdeadly, everything just feels so fucking right about this album. We are listening a lot to the pre-productions we did a week ago. Already some improvement ideas… We’ll polish this deadly diamond until we start the real recordings at Studio Fredman the 5th of May. Can’t fucking wait!!! But first we’ll do a European tour starting now on Friday the 21st in Holland . Come and share the insanity!!!"
Former EXCITER vocalist / frontman Jacques Belanger has re-joined the band, after a 1 1/2 year absence. As a result, Rob Degroot, who joined EXCITER in the fall of 2002 is no longer the band’s vocalist, due to the fact, the band felt that he was not progressing and adapting to EXCITER’s signature style. EXCITER is writing new material and are looking foward to playing shows, this year, in Europe and USA.
Teemu "Somnium" Raimoranta (born 19.5.1977), the guitar player of both FINNTROLL and IMPALED NAZARENE, died in Helsinki on Sunday the 16th of March in an alcohol-related falling accident. Finntroll and Impaled Nazarene are very devastated for this loss: "Not only did we lose a great guitar player, but we also lost a very good friend."
From Beyond Productions will release NUCLEAR DEATH‘s previously unreleased third full-length album together with rare EP tracks that were recorded in 1993 on LP in late May.
NINNGHIZHIDDA‘s debut album, "Blasphemy", will be released through Displeased with a bonus track on March 28th.
MASTER‘s original demo recordings from 1985 will be released on CD and LP with bonus tracks in late May.
MAYHEM are reissuing their debut album, "Deathcrush", in Europe on limited edition picture disc LP.
Peaceville will reissue digipak versions of the following titles in the US, beginning April 29th: AUTOPSY‘s "Severed Survival" and "Mental Funeral", MY DYING BRIDE‘s "Like Gods Of The Sun" and "The Angel & The Dark River", OPETH‘s "Still Life", PARADISE LOST‘s "Gothic" and ANATHEMA‘s "The Silent Enigma".
Over the next month Toys Factory Japan will reissue remastered versions of IN FLAMES‘ "Lunar Strain" and "Subterranean" albums and DIMENSION ZERO‘s "Penetrations From The Lost World". Each contain an exclusive bonus track.
BEHEMOTH‘s upcoming dates with DEICIDE, AMON AMARTH, VEHEMENCE and REVENGE kick off on March 13th at Groundzero in Spartanburg, SC. The tour concludes with two Canadian dates: April 7th in Montreal, QC and April 8th at Toronto’s Opera House.
PERISHED‘s new album, "Seid", is out through Displeased in late March.
On March 28th MANIAC BUTCHER will release a new live collection through From Beyond Productions. The release will contain raw live recordings from four different gigs done in Germany between 1997 – 2001.
MANEGARM have completed their new full-length, "Dodsfard", due out on June 28th.
ENTHRAL release their Displeased Records debut in June.
DARKTHRONE‘s new album, "Hate Them", is out through The End / Moonfog on April 8th. The album was recorded and mixed in 26 hours. An MP3 of the track ‘In Honour Of Thy Name’ can be heard at: www.theendrecords.com/mp3/Darkthrone_HateThem_inhonourofthyname.mp3
In celebration of their 20th Anniversary, DESTRUCTION will perform at the Vienna Metalfest, taking place at Vienna’s Air Arena on August 23rd. The band will play a 70 minute set.
SEPSISM have inked a deal with From Beyond Productions. Their new album, "To Prevail In Disgust", is out through the label in late April.
GORETRADE will release their first full lengh through From Beyond Productions in late May.
SLAYER‘s upcoming DVD, "War At The Warfield", will be now released on April 29th. It features 19 live tracks, a 50 minute fan documentary and a photo gallery.
ARCH ENEMY have posted five new studio pictures at www.archenemy.net
OPETH‘s new album, "Damnation", will be released on April 14th by Music For Nations in the following formats: CD, limited edition digipak CD and vinyl LP.