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Due to a mix-up in communication between the UK agent and the UK venues, THE CROWN‘s Glasgow gig got cancelled. As it turns out the Glasgow show was on monday (not on tuesday as the agent was told) and the Cardiff gig on tuesday. The distance Vosselaar-Glasgow is too big a distance to travel in just one night.
The new CALLENISH CIRCLE album is entitled "My Passion // Your Pain" and the recordings took place once more in Germany-based Stage One Studio, under supervision of producer Andy Classen. The artwork has been created again by Niklas Sundin. The album contains the following new songs (in random order): ‘Soul Messiah’, ‘Dwelling In Disdain’, ‘This Truculent Path’, ‘What Could Have Been’, ‘Misled’, ‘Forsaken’, ‘Your Hate Unfolds’ and ‘Passion // Conflicts // Pain’. On top of that the band recorded the Pestilence cover ‘Out of the Body’. Musically the new material will be in the same vein as the music on the predecessor "Flesh Power Dominion" but even more intense and over the top. For an exclusive pre-listen of the songs ‘Soul Messiah’ and ‘Forsaken’ check out the MP3 section on the website of the band or click on the following links: ‘Soul Messiah’, ‘Forsaken’. Website: www.callenish-circle.com The official CD release-party for the new album will take place on Friday, May 02 in J.C. Fenix in Sittard. Special guest-appearances will come from the bands Stormrider, Flesh Made Sin, Chaos Control and Morning. At this very show the new album will be available for a special low price.
SPAWN OF POSSESSION is doing very well on their current tour with Disavowed, Mangled / Inhume and Vile. The first 2000 copies of their debut album "Cabinet" are completely gone already and the second pressing, again 2000 copies, are flying out like home made cookies.
The recordings for the forthcoming DEEDS OF FLESH album "Reduced To Ashes" are nearly done. Expect a Summer 2003 release. Deeds Of Flesh will promote this album in Europe by a 5 week European tour along with Severe Torture, Dying Fetus and Hate Eternal. For the dates check out our tour dates section.
MONSTROSITY have added former vocalist Jason Avery back in the line up. Current vocalist, Sam Molina, will not leave the band but will instead take over the second guitarist duties. The line up is rounded out with Tony Norman guitars, Mike Poggione bass, and Lee Harrison drums. The first show with this line up will be in Puerto Rico at "The Zone" in Rio Piedras on May 3, 2003. Shortly after, the band also plan to enter the studio to record their new album tentatively titled "Rise To Power". Songs set to appear on the album are: ‘Visions Of Violence’, ‘The Exordium’, ‘Wave Of Annihilation’, ‘From Wrath To Ruin’ and ‘Chemical Reaction’, among others. In other Monstrosity news, guitarist Tony Norman is filling in for the band Lovers Of Sin on their current tour of Europe in support of Christian Death.
OPETH‘s forthcoming "acoustic" album, "Damnation", will be out in Australia on April 7th, in Europe on the 14th, in North America on the 22nd and Japan on May 7th.
DARK TRANQUILLITY have returned home from the US and are working on their forthcoming DVD "Staining Poland – Live In Krakow". The band says that the DVD "seems to be moving forward. There isn’t any release date set just yet, but everything is being in the final stages of production."
FALKENBACH are currently recording their new album for Napalm in Prosecco Studio, Karlsruhe, Germany.
DAWN will release a new album this fall via No Fashion. Four years on from the release of their last album, "Slaughtersun (Crown Of The Triarchy)", the band are hard at work completing their new as-yet-untitled album.
THE CROWN guitarist Marcus will collaborate with DARKEST HOUR on a track for their forthcoming album.
DARKANE will do a quick touring run through Scandinavia with labelmates MESHUGGAH this month.
Upon returning home from their recently completed US tour MALEVOLENT CREATION has decided to replace touring drummer Ariel Alvarado (for various reasons). His replacement for the upcoming European and South American tours is good friend and Nile drummer Tony Laureano. Tony is no stranger to Malevolent Creation as he has toured the US and Europe with the band for their "In Cold Blood" album in 1997. Tony is prepared to sit in on the drums until a permanent drummer is found as long as it does not interfere with Nile’s schedule. Interested drummers can submit promo material or contact the band at Ualldie@aol.com. Drummers must be talented, prepared to relocate and have an open schedule for a lot of touring. On April 5th and 6th Malevolent Creation is finally filming and recording shows for their first live DVD release at the MetalMania Festivals in Poland and Czech for a release in July just before there appearance at Wacken Open Air and Party San Open Air Festivals in Germany.
MORRIGAN finally have a website up at www.morrigan.org. They are also searching for places to play all over Europe for a tour in Spring 2004 with MYSTIFIER / ABIGAIL / MORRIGAN / EMINENZ. Whoever is interested and capable of organising a show should contact balor@freenet.de immediately.
Witches Brew signed a new band with TOXIC HOLOCAUST from Delaware. More info on this can be found at www.Witches-Brew.org/toxicholocaust.html and mp3s are up already at www.Witches-Brew.org/mp3.html
The release date for AETERNUS "A Darker Monument" and VOID "Posthuman" has been changed to 05.05.03.
Noble Wolves, a sub-label of Red Stream Records, will be releasing the third album by Germany’s WINTERBLUT ("Grund: Gelenkkunst") and a MCD by DEBAUCHERY ("Dead Scream Symphony") this month. Not scheduled with exact dates yet, but later to be released through Red Stream / Baphomet Records are: NECROPHAGIA / SIGH- split 7" EP (featuring the tracks ‘Kindred Of The Dying Kind’ by Necrophagia and ‘Young Burial’ by Sigh) and S.B.S. / Browneye – split 7" EP. Brown Eye includes Mayhem and Necrophagia members. One of their punk-influenced songs is about the famous Black Metal murder of the nineties. Satan’s Bake Sale’s material sounds like old moshcore mixed with whirlwind grind and a heavy emphasis on humor.
Razorback Records will soon be releasing a split CD of Grind legends GENERAL SURGERY and true-life pathologists THE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINERS, featuring all new material from both bands. GENERAL SURGERY have reassembled with a collection of all new songs, including ‘Pre-Bisectal Corrosive Immersion’, ‘Mortuary Wars’ and ‘Cauterization Frenzy’. THE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINERS, come up with six new tracks, including: ‘Bloatation (Repugnant Refloatation)’, ‘Forensic Photography’ and ‘Cruentous Mess’. For further info check out the following official websites: www.generalsurgery.nu or www.thecountymedicalexaminers.com or www.razorbackrecords.com
ARCH ENEMY may be naming their forthcoming album, "DehumaniZation" or "Anthems Of Aggression". The band are hoping to release the Andy Sneap-produced record in the summer.
The Bonded By Metal Over Europe Tour 2003 will begin in October and feature the following lineup: EXODUS, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, AGENT STEEL, BEHEMOTH, MORTICIAN, CARNAL FORGE, OCCULT and CALLENISH CIRCLE. A full itinerary of dates will be announced soon.
CANNIBAL CORPSE hit the road in Europe on April 16th in Bussum, NL. Dates run until May 5 in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Hammerheart Records is caught up in litigation with the estate of the late DEATH / CONTROL DENIED frontman Chuck Schuldiner over the release of CONTROL DENIED‘s forthcoming sophomore release, "When Machine And Man Collide".
SINISTER have confirmed a string of upcoming shows in Mexico and Columbia. They are: March 20 – Plaza D’Tros – Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, 21 – Venue TBA – Queretaro, Mexico, 23 – Circo Volador – Mexico City, Mexico and 24 – Palacio de los Deportes – Bogota, Columbia.
DIABOLICAL have replaced drummer Henric Ohlsson with C. Stjarnlof. The band are currently rehearsing.
Some of you may have wondered about the silence in the GOREAPHOBIA camp, ever since our interview back in November of last year. Well, as the band itself wasn’t too happy about the overall new musical direction either, they decided not to continue on that way and split-up again. But they are back now and are currently working on a new four song release due out in about two months. Fans of the band’s old stuff will be pleased to hear that this time it won’t have the Black Metal type vocals anymore.
We recently received three new releases from Mausoleum Records, that not necessarily fit our narrowminded musical concept, but nice as we are, we figured to give them at least a little mention in this news section here. First of all there’s TECHNOCRACY‘s self-titled debut (49:10min), which is the new musical home of former VIO-LENCE, MACHINE HEAD, TORQUE guitarist Phil Demmel. Could be of interest to fans of the aforementioned acts as it’s also rather groovy NU Metal here, but combined with melodic vocals as well as electronic music (www.technocracynow.com). Next up is "After War" (68:30min), the third full-length by Austria’s EKPYROSIS. A rather weird musical mixture, kinda like unconventional, yet technical Power / Thrash with interesting guitarwork, almost proggy sounding keyboards and vocals full of anger (www.ekpyrosis.com). Last, but not least, my personal fave out of the three, AFTER ALL‘s fourth album "Mercury Rising" (44:28min). These guys from Belgium almost come across like a thrashy NWOBHM act, have got a nice Kris Verwimp coverart, a production courtesy of Harris Johns, two bonus videos, as well as ‘Black God White Devil’, a cover song by LA MUERTE (www.listen.to/afterall). All further info you also may get directly from Mausoleum Records.
Dutch melodic Death / Thrashers DETONATION have signed a 3-album deal with Osmose. The debut full-length "An Epic Defiance" was recorded in Excess Studios, Rotterdam (NL) at the end of 2002 and contains 12 songs of blasting melodic Death / Thrash in the Swedish vein. Expect a summer 2003 release.
On March 10, 2003 Nocturnal Art Productions will be releasing a limited edition (1000 copies only!) ZYKLON / RED HARVEST split 7" EP. The bands material got remixed by UK artist OCD (VOID) for that. To quote the label here: "Extreme Metal transferred into a mix of dark distorted noise and hard-hitting underground club music." ZYKLON hits the studio this month. Their new album will be out on Candlelight Records in September.
"Posthuman", the debut album by UK’s VOID will see the light of day on April 07.
Norway’s LIMBONIC ART have split up. For more details, check out: www.limbonic.com
The new AETERNUS album "A Darker Monument" will be released by Nocturnal Art Productions on April 07.
GOD DETHRONED just released the following press statement regarding the cancellation of their shows in Slovenia: "GOD DETHRONED would like to apologize to all the Italian and Slovenian fans who came to see the shows we were supposed to do with The Crown. We would like to state that we really wanted to play those shows, but due to a lack of professionalism of the tour promoter we were unable to show up. The simple reason for this is the flight tickets never got sent to the band. After several excuses of the promoter the final (and most ridiculous) excuse was that the UPS truck was involved in an accident and burned out totally with (of course) our flight tickets inside. Now the guy promises us to send us the money for the shows, which of course will also never happen. God Dethroned are very dissappointed about not being able to perform for our Italian and Slovenian fans, but this was totally beyond our control! We hope to see you next time on tour!On behalf of God Dethroned, Henri Sattler."
Here’s a little update on THE CROWN‘s latest tour activities, courtesy of Marko himself: "Let me first start by telling you that the 2 Italian shows we did was fucking excellent. Very cool. A big Grazie to the bands and fans we met. But the Slovenian experience was a big fucking mess. Here’s the story: We came to the border and were denied getting into the country. The reason was that we didn’t have documents from the Swedish and Italian government saying that we were the owners of our equipment. Let me tell you one thing, we have played in 17 countries (EU and non EU countries) and NEVER had a problem like this before. So we decided to go to a second border. And we were denied again to enter the country. And this time NOT cause of the equipment but simply cause they didn’t want us to get in. SO… we decided to try a THIRD border. And surprise surprise, they let us in with no problems, they didn’t even want any documents. But then they decided to not let in the opening acts, and all the backline (drums, amplifiers etc.) were in their bus. So we waited 4-5 hours on the border hoping that they would let them in. We asked our tourmanager to contact the Slovenian promotor and beg him to provide some drums and amps for us. At this point we were prepared to do a show with one cymbal only if necessary. But the reply was that the promotor couldn’t get us any kind of instruments. We were REALLY looking forward to do these two sold-out shows. We even planned to record them on video. The bottomline is, we had to go back to Italy and cancel these two shows. Very fucking frustrating, but what could we do? The border acted like they could do whatever they wanted to. And the fucked up thing is that we heard that people had traveled from Croatia and Austria to see us perform. Trust me, we are as sorry as you that we couldn’t play. This cancellation was TOTALLY beyond our control!!!"
DISMEMBER is currently working very hard at Sami Studio in Stockholm, Sweden to record their upcoming full-length album "Where Ironcrosses Grow". The cover artwork will be created by Dan Seagrave (a.o. Entombed, Morbid Angel, Suffocation and the first Dismember album). The release of the album is scheduled for September through Hammerheart Records. According to drummer and co-producer Fred Estby the new album will rip people’s heads off. Two new songtitles are ‘Chasing The Serpent’ and ‘Me-God’. Furthermore the band is already confirmed for this year’s Wacken Open Air and Fuck The Commerce festivals.