On October 15, Metal Blade Records Europe will release the new ANCIENT album "Proxima Centauri". The album was produced and engineered by Jacob Hansen at Los Angered Recording, Sweden and features the following tracks: ‘A Lurking Threat’, ‘Proxima Centauri’, ‘The Ancient Horadrim’, ‘In The Abyss Of The Cursed Souls’, ‘The Witch’, ‘Apophis’, ‘Satan’s Children’, ‘Beyond The Realms Of Insanity’, ‘Audrina, My Sweet’, ‘On Blackest Wings’, ‘Eyes Of The Dead’ and ‘Incarnating The Malignant Deity’.
According to www.sentenced.org SENTENCED will hit the studio from December to January to work on a new album. It will be recorded at Tico-Tico Studios in Kemi, Finland, and mixed at Finnvox Studios. Song titles include ‘Neverlasting’, ‘Aika Multaa Muistot (Everything Is Nothing)’, ‘Excuse Me While I Kill Myself’, ‘Losing My Faith’, ‘Wither, Blood & Tears’ and ‘Man In The Bottle’.
KATAKLYSM begins their Cross-Canada tour on August 4th in Quebec City and runs until the 26th in Winnipeg. Their highly anticipated new album, "Epic (The Poetry Of War)", is due out on September 18th.
CARNAL FORGE has undergone a slight line-up change. Guitarist Johan Magnusson is out of the band causing bassist Petri Kuusisto to switch over to guitars while Lars Lindén (ex-ROSICRUSIAN / SLAPDASH) will be filling in on bass duty (Lindén is also responsible for the band’s website as well as illustrating the cover for their second album, "Firedemon"). Carnal Forge has finished recording their new album, "Please… Die!", at Studio Underground. 12 new songs were recorded.
CADAVER INC will be making their first ever US appearance on Friday, August 10, at the Milwaukee Metalfest. Also scheduled is a headlining show at New York’s CBGB on April 12.
The much-hyped DESTRUCTION, KREATOR, SODOM European tour begins on December 26th in Germany. All three bands will be billed as co-headliners, and they will be alternating their positions on the bill every evening.
DESTRUCTOR has finished recording eleven new tracks.
Sweden’s DARKANE have recorded three covers for use on future tribute albums: ACCEPT’s ‘Restless And Wild’, IRON MAIDEN’s ‘Powerslave’ and SLAYER’s ‘War Ensemble’.
ARCH ENEMY have been added to the Beast Feast Festival lineup in Japan.
Sweden’s BORN OF FIRE, featuring ENTOMBED drummer Peter Stjarnvind, UNLEASHED guitarist Freddie Eugene, DISMEMBER bassist Richard Cabeza and guitarist / vocalist Mr. Dim, are working on the material for their debut album, which is tentatively scheduled to be released through Primitive Art Records at the end of the year.
DARK FUNERAL‘s "Diabolis Internum" is due out on September 24th in Europe and has the following tracklisting: ‘The Arrival Of Satan’s Empire’, ‘Hail Murder’, ‘Goddess Of Sodomy’, ‘Diabolis Interium’, ‘An Apprentice Of Satan’, ‘Thus I Have Spoken’, ‘Armageddon Finally Comes’ and ‘Heart Of Ice’. The album will be out on August 22nd in Japan. The album was produced by Peter Tägtgren and studio technician Lars Szöke. The band lineup includes: guitarist Lord Ahriman, bassist / vocalist Emperor Magus Caligula, guitarist Dominion and drummer Matte Modin.
BORKNAGAR have finished recording their new album, "Empiricism", in Fagerborg / Top Room studio in Oslo, Norway. Børge Finnstad co-produced the record – he worked on the latest MAYHEM album, "Grand Declaration Of War". The album will feature nine songs and have a total running time of around 45 minutes. A release date has not been set for "Empiricism".
Earache is reissuing UNSEEN TERROR‘s "Human Error" and SPAZZTIC BLUR‘s self-titled debut in August. The former features NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury on drums and there are additional tracks from the first ever studio recording session in 1987 and the last ever recordings from 1989. Liner notes have been contributed by UNSEEN TERROR’s guitarist and vocalist Mitch Dickinson, and are complimented by unreleased photos. As for the latter release, Spazztic Blur is being called a hybrid of MR. BUNGLE and early SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.
VENOM‘s "Live In London" is a new DVD out in the US.
DARKTHRONE‘s new album "Plaguewielder" is due to be released in late September on digipak, CD and LP. The band has extended their current deal with Moonfog into what could be a called a lifetime deal. "Both, the contract and the signing itself was a splendid delight", says DARKTHRONE’s Fenriz. Nocturno Culto will be at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany to do interview / photo and signing-sessions! The signing session will take place at the METALLIAN stand on Saturday August 04, between 13.30-14.00CET.
Italy’s MONUMENTUM are in the middle of recording their first album for Moonfog, entitled "Ad Nauseam". It’s scheduled for late fall.
DHG (Dødheimsgard) are currently preparing their new album and will begin to record shortly.
DESTRUCTION‘s new album, "The Antichrist", due out on August 27th, will be available on limited edition LP.
The Japanese edition of SLAYER‘s "God Hates Us All" album will feature the bonus track ‘Addict’. It’s out in Japan on August 22nd.
Brazil’s DROWNED have inked a deal with Cogumelo Records. Their first album for the label, "Bonegrinder", will be released in August. The tracklisting: ‘Who Is The King?’, ‘The Most Destructive Art’, ‘Men Who Break Bones’, ‘Third Master’, ‘Spiritual Force To Kill’, ‘Words From The Pit’, ‘Learn To Obey’, ‘Where Dark And Light Divide’, ‘Wisdom Without Direction’, ‘Praying For The One Who’s Left’, ‘Blood Sand’ and ‘Come And Taste The Victory’.
According to the ARCH ENEMY website, www.archenemy.net, the live debut of the new "Wages Of Sin" line-up will take place at this years Wacken Festival in Germany. The band will be playing on the Wet Stage on August 4th.
Check out MOTÖRHEAD‘s remake of their own ‘Orgasmatron’, titled ‘Orgasmatron 2000’, on musicblitz.com.
UNLEASHED will release a new album in spring 2002.
CARNAL FORGE‘s forthcoming album will be called "Please… Die!" and it will emerge this fall through Century Media.
DYING FETUS will play some U.S. dates in August with MASTODON and HOODS. The shows kick off on August 1st at Howard’s Club H in Bowling Green, OH and wrap on August 19th at Jaxx in Springfield, VA.
DEICIDE‘s new album, "In Torment In Hell", will be out in Canada on August 7th through Roadrunner.
AGALLOCH‘s new MCD, "Of Stone, Wind And Pillor", is available now. The set contains five rare or newly recorded songs: three from their unreleased 7" EP from 1998, a cover of SOL INVICTUS’s ‘Kneel To The Cross’, and an exclusive neo-classical piece by Breyer. The MCD is limited to 1,500 copies. The band plan to record a new full-length album in September.
SCHOLOMANCE are putting the final touches on their upcoming release, "The Immortality Murder" planned for a fall 2001 release. The album will contain an extra CD. More details on this are to be announced at a later date.
EPOCH OF UNLIGHT are planning a small tour in support of their new release, "Caught In The Unlight".
NOKTURNAL MORTUM will release a box set next year to celebrate their 10th anniversary. It will include a lot of unreleased tracks and cover songs.
SCULPTURED‘s third full-length album is tentatively titled "The Liminal Phase". The band have a new website at: www.lasteve.com/sculptured
The End Records have inked deals with Scandinavia’s GREEN CARNATION, San Diego’s NINTH LEVEL, Israel’s SLEEPLESS and Australia’s VIRGIN BLACK.
New Brunswick’s OBSCENE EULOGY have just finished recording a five track demo. All vocals come from Mikka Luttinen (IMPALED NAZARENE).
SOURCE OF TIDE have completed their new album, "BluePrints".
DORNENREICH, OF THE WAND AND THE MOON and TENHI will all tour together this year.
ABYSSOS‘ next album will be titled "Delomelanicon". The band hit the studio soon.
DARK FUNERAL‘s new album, "Diabolis Interium", is being released through No Fashion in August across Europe. The Japanese version features the four cover songs found on the band’s "Teach Children To Worship Satan" EP: ‘The Trial’, ‘Dead Skin Mask’, ‘Remember The Fallen’ and ‘Pagan Fears’.
THE KOVENANT are currently busy working on their new album, tentatively titled "S.E.T.I – (The Search For Extraterrestrial Existence)" after the NASA space observation program monitoring alien communication. Expect an early 2002 release.
THE ARMADA now have a limited edition MCD available. Tracks on the set include: ‘Tribal Dance’, ‘Wheel Of Fate’, ‘Voices’ (what a beautiful title – Ed.) and two instrumentals. The band features former STORMWITCH members Peter Langer (drums) and Damir Uzunovic (guitar), as well as bass-player Matthias Mailänder (ex-AGENT ORANGE, MON AMOUR), lead vocalist Dirk Schaeffner (RITUAL SPIRIT) and keyboard player Mathias Nagl.
ANTAEUS have inked a deal with Osmose. The band is currently writing for their second album, "De Principii Evangelikum", to be released in early 2002.
INHUME have signed to Osmose for the release of their next two albums. Their first release for the label, "Decomposing From Inside", will be recorded early next year for release in April or May 2002.
Due to some problems, the Sound Suite Studio, where SETH was to record its new album, had to shut down until September 2001. The recording of "Divine X", which should have taken place in July, is postponned to the end of 2001. Viccomte Arkames will leave the band after the recording of the new album. He is now a full time member of AD INFERNA and MORNING RISE.
The Devilish Decadence Tour 2001, featuring ANCIENT CEREMONY, MYSTERIUM and others kicks off on October 31st in Luxembourg and runs through ’til November 10th in Germany.
ASGARD will hit the studio in August to record their debut album, "Cold Season".
WITCHERY‘s new album, "Symphony Of The Devil", will be released late this summer.
Displeased has obtained the vinyl rights to OPETH‘s "Morningrise", "Orchid" and "My Arms Your Hearse". They will be released as double LPs.
Two SLAUGHTER albums, "Paranormal" / "Not Dead Yet" and "Strappado", will be re-issued in digipak format on August 13th. Both released will feature bonus live tracks.
After their European tour with South Africas Grinders GROINCHURN, VIU DRAKH have spent most of their time writing the follow-up to their excellent "Take No Prisoners, Grind Them All And Leave This Hell" album. On July 20 the band will start recording at Berno Studio in Sweden (VOMITORY, THE CROWN, DRILLER KILLER, THE HAUNTED, SERPENT OBSCENE…) with a tentative release date planned for February 2002. Right after the recordings VIU DRAKH will hit the road again with INCANTATION and DORMANT MISERY. Already confirmed dates, you will find here. To keep yourself updated on a more regular base, check out the band’s website www.viudrakh.de
SLAYER‘s God Hates Us All CD has been pushed back two weeks and will now see the light of day on September 11th.
SIX FEET UNDER release their new album, True Carnage, on August 6th. The CD will be released in a special digipak case with a 24 page full-colour-booklet and an .mpeg video clip. The band start their headlining tour in North America on September 20th.
PESSIMIST are putting the finishing touches on their new album, Slaughtering The Faithful, and will begin recording at Florida’s Dimensional Sound Studios in mid-July. The CD will be engineered by Derek Roddy and produced by Erik Rutan (HATE ETERNAL, MORBID ANGEL). The album is set for release this fall through Lost Disciple.
According to their website, THE CROWN have booked Studio Mega on October 5th to begin recording their new album with former AT THE GATES frontman Tomas Lindberg. The band plan to be in the studio until October 26. Expect the album next year. In related news, the band headlined the Austrian Hell On Earth Festival on Saturday, July 14th, marking the live debut of Lindberg.
LUX OCCULTA are recording their fourth full-length album, entitled The Mother And The Enemy, at Poland’s Studio 333 with producer Bartek Kuzniak.
Sweden’s MÖRK GRYNING release Maelstrom Chaos, through No Fashion Records before the end of the year.