June 12, 2001
The new DARKTHRONE album "Plaguewielder" will be released on September 3.
KHOLD have an official homepage now. You can check it out at the following URL: www.khold.com
A new EIBON song is complete and can be listened at www.moonfog.no
The new DARKTHRONE album "Plaguewielder" will be released on September 3.
KHOLD have an official homepage now. You can check it out at the following URL: www.khold.com
A new EIBON song is complete and can be listened at www.moonfog.no
SOILWORK have confirmed two Japanese dates in June on the 21st at Banana Club in Osaka and on the 23rd at On Air East in Tokyo.
KRISIUN and IMMOLATION hit the road in North America in August. In related news, Krisiun bass player and vocalist Alex Camargo is guesting on NECROMANCIA’s new album, "Checkmate".
DECEASED have announced that drummer / vocalist King Fowley is stepping up to the position of vocalist in the veteran outfit. Ex-HATRED drummer Dave Castillo will now be behind the kit. Deceased will debut their new line-up at the Wacken Open Air Festival on August 3rd. The bands new album, "Behind The Mourner’s Veil", will be available on July24th and will include an enhanced CD-ROM containing a video for ‘Elly’s Dementia’ from their critically acclaimed Supernatural Addiction full-length.
Rumor has it that Sweden’s DIMENSION ZERO, featuring IN FLAMES guitarist Jesper Stromblad, ex-IN FLAMES axeman Glenn Ljungstrom, ex-MARDUK singer Jocke Gothberg, and LUCIFERION / DIABOLIQUE drummer Hasse Nilsson, have inked a deal Regain Records. The group’s first release for Regain will be a full-length album, which is due to be recorded in September at Fredman Studios in Gotheburg, Sweden and issued in early 2002.
THE KOVENANT have tentatively titled thweir next album, "S.E.T.I (The Search For Extraterrestrial Existence)". Watch for the record in early 2002.
SIX FEET UNDER have made available two new MP3s, ‘Impulse To Disembowel’ and ‘The Day The Dead Walked’, from the group’s "True Carnage" CD (due out August 7th on Metal Blade Records) for download via the band’s official web site: www.sfu420
EMPEROR have confirmed the full track listing for their upcoming album, "Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire & Demise". The record is now near completion and is confirmed for worldwide release in October. Tracks include: ‘The Eruption’, ‘Depraved’, ‘Empty’, ‘The Prophet’, ‘The Toungue Of Fire’, ‘In the Wordless Chamber’, ‘Grey’, ‘He Who Sought the Fire’ and ‘Thorns On My Grave’.
ETERNAL TEARS OF SORROW have completed the recording sessions for their new album, "A Virgin And A Whore", and plan on mixing in early August for late 2001 release. The tracklisting: ‘Aurora Borealis’, ‘Heart of Wilderness’, ‘Prophetian’, ‘Fall of Man’, ‘The River Flows Frozen’, ‘The Last One For Life’, ‘Sick, Dirty and Mean’, ‘Blood of Hatred’ and ‘Aeon’. The first single from the album, ‘The Last One For Life’, is scheduled for release shortly, and it will be backed by the group’s cover of PARADISE LOST’s ‘As I Die’.
ZYKLON have been confirmed as one of the performers at the upcoming Milwaukee Metal Festival, being held August 10/11 at the Milwaukee Auditorium. This will be the band’s first American performance.
GORGOROTH are currently working on material for their next album. The band will enter the studio in September to record the follow-up to "Incipit Sathanas".
DEICIDE‘s "In Torment In Hell" CD is scheduled for a July 31st release through Roadrunner Records.
KAMBING as well KRATORNAS (both from the Philippines) have split up recently.
After their split EP with THE CRISIS from Nepal, Indias MILLENNIUM are working on new material at the moment which might be released on a Malysian label. There’s also talk about a video CD which shall be out already.
DYING EMBRACE from India have released their first, self financed CD. Musically it’s said to be in the vein of the first DEATH album.
GOD DETHRONED has found a new drummer in Dutchman Ariën van Weesenbeek, a third year conservatory drummer (Conservatory of Rotterdam) with the speed, power and precision to match "Ravenous" session drummer Tony Laureano. The band is currently rehearsing for the Summer festivals and a series of headliner shows in Holland. A European headliner tour is in the pipeline for October / November 2001, after which a U.S. tour will take place. Tour information and confirmation of further dates will follow soon. For regular updates, check the band site: www.goddethroned.com
Denmark’s WITHERING SURFACE, is still around despite some silence surrounding the band this year. They have just updated their homepage www.witheringsurface.dk and signed a 2 album deal with UK based Copro Records, mainly known for bands like EARTHTONE9, DESECRATION and MEDULLA NOCTE. Their next album is gonna be called "Walking On Phantom Ice" and includes 11 songs, that will be recorded at The Berno Studio in Malmö, Sweden, in June 2001 and is to be mixed in July 2001. The tracks include titles like ‘Feed The Wolves’, ‘The White Path’, ‘Night Of Shame’, ‘Joyless Journey’, ‘Sun-Dive’ etc. The album is supposed to be released on October 1st 2001 in Europe. Individual release dates will follow in the US, Latin America and Japan. A Danish tour with INIQUITY is planned for Autumn of 2001, dates in the rest of Europe will follow right after. Withering Surface will furthermore be among the headliners on this year’s Nuclear Storm festival, planned to take place in the Czech Republic between the 20th and 22nd of July 2001. Other bands on the bill are Thorium, Agressor, Iniquity, No Return, Mangled, Gurkkhas, Disinter, Illdisposed, Thalarion etc. Visit http://nuclear.dynamix.cz/info_en.htm for more info. On September 27, 2001 they will do a showcase in the most popular venue in Copenhagen, Denmark, called Vega for the upcoming new album. Other bands to perform are Iniquity and Raunchy. More info to follow a.s.a.p.
SATHANAS are releasing their new CD "Thy Dark Heavens" on Blackmetal.com www.blackmetal.com
The musical mastermind behind Control Denied and Death, Chuck Schuldiner, is home again after receiving the first of several treatments with a fairly new and still relatively experimental drug called Vincristine (VCR). Vincristine belongs to a class of naturally occurring chemotherapy agents, which are extracted from the periwinkle plant and, unlike many chemotherapy drugs, bears practically no toxic side effects. Schuldiner was initially turned away at the door when the administrator of Cedar Sinai Comprehensive Care Center informed Chuck and his sister that he would not be brought in until they produced enough money, up front. Many more treatments will be necessary to restore Schuldiner’s health and will most likely be in conjunction with other types of cancer treatments, which possibly include another surgery. The auction being sponsored by Hammerheart Records is now online and in need of contributions. For more information on how YOU can help make a difference in someone’s fight for life, check the details at the end of this news block and act today! He is one of our own and we will NOT leave him behind. Schuldiner, 33, was diagnosed on his 31st birthday after experiencing headaches and unusual symptoms while in the studio working on an album for his current full-time band, Control Denied. With the generous help of family, friends, and organizations such as MusiCares, Schuldiner was able to moderately control the cancer with various treatments and previous operations. In recent weeks, Schuldiner’s condition has worsened. Both live and necrotic cancer tissue has built up in his brain and has started to infiltrate the cerebellum, causing Schuldiner’s health to decline rapidly. Schuldiner is rightfully considered the forefather of the Death Metal genre and a major innovator within Heavy Metal overall. Death formed in 1983 when Schuldiner was a teenager and has released seven albums worldwide. The band’s early albums, including "Scream Bloody Gore" and "Leprosy," are cited by many as being the most influential albums in Death Metal. Schuldiner’s later work took on a more technical approach, cementing Death’s status not only as one of the most brutal, but also as one of the most technically proficient bands in Metal history. After retiring Death in 1999, Schuldiner began concentrating 100 percent of his creativity on Control Denied, which he feels strongly is an extension, or natural maturation, of what Death has been for over a decade. He had, in fact, been working on the new Control Denied album, "When Machine And Man Collide," when he was taken aback by this illness once again. In addition to the benefit auction, upon hearing about Schuldiner’s situation from bassist Steve DiGiorgio (whose resume includes Death, Control Denied and Testament), Testament vocalist Chuck Billy, who has also recently been diagnosed with cancer, volunteered to share the proceeds of a planned mid-August benefit concert in his honor with Schuldiner. "Obviously, this act of selfless consideration has touched us immensely," said Schuldiner’s mother, Jane. "Words really can’t express the gratitude we feel toward Chuck Billy and his family for doing such an amazing thing for someone else in need when he, himself, is going through such a hard time, as well. He must be an amazing young man." The online auction features an assortment of rare music memorabilia kindly donated by the music and Metal communities, and also includes one of Schuldiner’s own guitars and a bass autographed by Steve DiGiorgio, as well as rare items from rock ‘n’ roll’s more mainstream artists such as Godsmack, Staind, Disturbed, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The auction, hosted through eBay and allbeat.com, may be accessed through Hammerheart America’s website (www.hammerheartamerica.com) by following links to the Charles Schuldiner Medical Fund Benefit. Donations to the fund are also accepted and may be wired, transmitted via PayPal, or mailed in care of Hammerheart Records. All funds will go to the Charles Schuldiner Medical Fund, and donations are tax deductible. Information to transfer donations directly into the bank is as follows: Washington Mutual Bank, 500 East Alta Drive, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701, USA, Bank routing number: 321180748, Account number: 3513564696, Account name: Charles Schuldiner Medical Fund. Checks and money orders should be payable to Charles Schuldiner Medical Fund and mailed c/o Hammerheart America, P.O. Box 42323, Pittsburgh PA 15203.
Hammerheart Records is about to re-issue a bunch of releases within the next couple of weeks. On June 18 PRIMORDIAL’s "Imrama" and "A Journey’s End", followed by the legendary Hellspawn Records compilation VARIOUS ARTISTS – TRIBUTE TO BATHORY and on July 3rd REBAELLIUN’s "Bringer Of War" / "Burn The Promised Land" (both releases on one disk – reissue for North America only).
Brandnew albums will be available from DIABOLIC ("Subterraneal Magnitude") on July 23rd, THRONEAEON ("Neither Of Gods") on August 6th and REBAELLIUN "Annihilation" (on August 7th in the USA and Canada and August 20th in Europe).
SATARIEL have recorded their new album "Phobos & Deimos" with Daniel Bergstrand (a.o. Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad, Darkane) at the board. The album will feature a special guest-appearance by legendary Candlemass singer, Messiah Marcolin.
THYRFING will most likely record their new album with Daniel Bergstrand by the end of the year.
DIMENSION F3H have signed with Hammerheart Records recently. DIMENSION F3H is actually Morfeus of Limbonic Art and could be roughly described as a more primal version of Limbonic Art with very futuristic and technology-laden overtones.
Sweden’s DEMONS OF DIRT have also been picked up by Hammerheart. The band is supposed to appeal to fans of At the Gates and The Haunted.
The final tracklisting for SLAYER‘s forthcoming "God Hates Us All" album is as follows: ‘Darkness Of Christ’, ‘Disciple’, ‘God Send Death’, ‘New Faith’, ‘Bloodline’, ‘Threshold’, ‘Exile’, ‘Seven Faces’, ‘Cast Down’, ‘Warzone’, ‘Here Comes The Pain’ and ‘Payback’. Two additional tracks, ‘Addict’ and ‘Deviance’, were also recorded and may be considered as B-sides for future singles or overseas releases.
TERROR 2000, the side project of DARKANE guitarist Klas Ideberg, have started writing new material and have begun rehearsals with a Stockholm-based drummer by the name of Erik. The band hope to record the follow-up to "Slaughterhouse Supremacy" later in the year for a 2002 release.
NAPALM DEATH are going to do a co-headlining tour with DIMMU BORGIR and two other TBA bands in the fall. It will be much like the CANNIBAL CORPSE tour, but Dimmu will be last on this time. Nick Barker wanted LOCK UP to be the third band on the bill but they decided against it because it would be too strenuous. As for the new LOCK UP album, it features 16 songs, clocking in at 30 minutes. It will come out on Nuclear Blast.
ILLDISPOSED‘s new album, "Cocanium", is due out on August 27th through Diehard.
HOUWITSER‘s cover version of POSSESSED’s ‘March To Die’ will be issued on a 7" single through Displeased Records backed with a demo version of ‘Shredded to Pieces’.
According to www.andysneap.co.uk, the new KREATOR album, "Violent Revolution", is now finished. Producer Andy Sneap and the band tracked the drums and bass in Celle, Germany and then did the rest over at Backstage Studios in the UK. Sneap added that he just finished mixing the new BENEDICTION album which will be released through Nuclear Blast in early autumn. It was tracked by Paul Johnson over at Rhythm Studios in Stratford On Avon and again mixed at Backstage.
SHADOW, Japan’s answer to IN FLAMES (and signed to Century Media for worldwide release), will be opening for DIMMU BORGIR on their tour through Japan. The band opened for NAPALM DEATH during their Japanese tour in March.
According to their website, CRADLE OF FILTH have signed a deal with Epic/Sony for the release of their next full-length, due out in 2002. It will be released under the imprint of the band’s AbraCadaver. Meanwhile, their brand new album, "Bitter Suites To Succubi", is due out through PHD in Canada and Spitfire in the US on July 3rd.
ANCIENT‘s new album, "Proxima Centauri", will be released at the beginning of October. The album was recorded at Andy Laroque’s Los Angered Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden. It will be mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City in the first week of June. After the release a U.S., European, South American and possibly Asian tour will take place.
Norwegian satanic black metallers RAGNAROK will enter The Abyss Studios on August 1st to record their new album entitled "In Nomine Satanas". In the meantime you can check out a sample of a new song recorded in the bands home town of Sarpsborg on the band’s website at angelfire.com/id/RAGNAROK/.
GURKKHAS are booked to play Germany’s Morbid festival in September. Also in September the band will tour France with KRABATHOR. The band’s new album, "A Life Of Suffering", will be out soon.
IMMORTAL are in intensive rehearsals for the recording of their upcoming studio album, which is scheduled to be tracked during October / November.
Sweden’s SIEBENBÜRGEN will be in the studio during June and July recording their upcoming CD, "Plagued Be Thy Angel", which is due for release at the end of the year.
Moonfog’s website has posted news that GEHENNA have fired their drummer Blod from the band. They are currently looking for a replacement.
NECROPHAGIA have just been confirmed to have a video clip to appear on the DVD version of "The Last House One Dead End Street".
The Hellspawn Records releases HELL 001 – 006 are out of print and officially deleted now. However, Hammerheart Records are / will be re-releasing a few of them. This goes for the following releases: DARK FUNERAL "In The Sign…" CD, INFERNAL MCD, VON "Satanic Blood" CD and V/A – "In Conspiracy With Satan" BATHORY tribute CD. All of them are / will be repackaged and coming in new cool designs. (Hammerheart have also released the DARK FUNERAL "In the Sign…" and the INFERNAL on 12" Vinyl limited editions. Glossy covers and lyrics etc.). A very small amount of the originals are left and can be ordered directly from Hellspawn Records. They will never be reprinted though, so this is the only chance to get them. Check out the order section of the new website www.hellspawnrecords.com in the coming weeks.
After some struggles with previous members INFERNAL is finally back again. The band nowadays consists of Blackmoon, handling the lead vocals and guitars, no other than ex-DARK FUNERAL demon Alzazmon on drums and new warbrother Equinox on bass. A second guitarist is being checked out at the moment. New material is being written and recorded right now, two covers and three brand new tracks featuring the new line-up. One of the covers is ‘Chapel Of Ghouls’ for a new MORBID ANGEL tribute, entitled "Abominations Of Satan" which will be issued after this summer as a co-operation between Hellspawn and Necropolis Records Other contributions come from a.o. ZYKLON, KRISIUN, ANGELCORPSE, BEHEMOTH, SOULREAPER and several more wellknown acts. The other cover tune is ‘… Of Doom’ for Vol.II of the BATHORY tribute to be released later this year. The INFERNAL full-length will not be recorded until very late this year. However, some of the new tracks will be available for download in the near future from www.hellspawnrecords.com.
WAR is now officially defunct as there’s been too many problems over the years in the bands existence. But the band has now changed into TOTAL WAR, and will follow the old WAR concept. Musically, there will be a difference since TOTAL WAR will be a totally serious band heading a little bit more into the Death Metal direction. Still there will be strong traces of the old style and traces of SLAYER and old MORBID ANGEL. More information coming soon.
INSISION have been signed by Wicked World / Earache to a worldwide deal. The band, hailing from the Scandinavian Death Metal hotbed of Stockholm, Sweden, have steadily been making their presence felt with shows across their homeland with the likes of Hypocrisy, The Haunted, Amon Amarth, Dark Funeral and countless others. Insision offer up putrid, rotting, sickoid Death Metal that relies heavily on a backbone of blastbeats and twisted, rhythmic riffing, leading a burgeoning underground grind scene brought up on a diet of classic Cannibal Corpse and Malevolent Creation. With one release already under their belts in the form of 1999’s ‘The Dead Live On’ MCD, and a split release with Inveracity on the way (including a cover of Death’s ‘Zombie Ritual’), Insision will record their debut album for Wicked World in October, for release in early 2002. In the meantime the band have a number of Swedish dates lined up for the summer which the 5-piece will use to nail down material for the debut album.
SLAUGHTER‘s classic 1986 debut "Strappado" will be re-released through Nuclear Blast Records with four additional studio tracks out of the legendary recordings, a complete live show plus a rehearsal as bonus. Furthermore their never released second album "Paranormal" (recorded in the original three piece-line up Sadler / Sumners / Hewson) will also be released, including the "Not Dead Yet" album as a bonus. "Not Dead Yet" was originally released after a few line up-changes under the name STRAPPADO as a cassette only release. This re-release will also feature some additional live stuff. Both CD’s will be digitally remastered by Alexander Krull (ATROCITY), and re-released in a fine digipak version, including liner notes from the band and lots of rare pictures. For more info check out the SLAUGHTER homepage http://interactive-1.rogers.com:80/terrysadler/TERRYSWORLD/
Denmark’s THORIUM will play at this years Nuclear Storm Open Air Festival (Cz) http://nuclear.dynamix.cz and have finished 9 tracks and a cover of CANCER’s ‘Cancer Fucking Cancer’ for their second album, which is gonna be entitled "Unleashing The Demons". Their website www.thorium666.dk was also updated and now features downloads, games, reviews and merchandise. Bassplayer Jakob Hansen was kicked out of the band, cause of his recent sentence. He’s now serving 4 years in jail for rape and drunken boxing.
THORIUM are currently working with the bassplayer who stood in for Jakob on their recent tour. VADER’s Peter has already agreed to produce the next album which might be recorded at Red Studio (POL), where VADER’s "Litany" was recorded.
DESTRUCTION are currently working on their new record, tentatively titled "Total Destruction", at Abyss Studios with producer Peter Tagtgren. The band will embark on another trek through Europe in May with DIMMU BORGIR and new Nuclear Blast signing SUSPERIA. The tour will not be in conjunction with the new album, as it is tentatively scheduled for a late August release in Europe and September in North America.
BURIAL are planning a coast to coast tour in July. They will be teamed up on some dates with acts such as DISGORGE, GORGASM, LIVIDITY and VEHEMENCE.
MORBID ANGEL‘s Erik Rutan will be recording and producing the next album from PESSIMIST. The album will will be titled Slaughtering The Faithful and is slated for a September release.
Candlelight Records have inked a deal with Sweden’s CENTINEX, who were previously signed to Repulse. The band will enter the studio on July 6th to record their first album for the label, Diabolical Desolation, to be released in the fall. Tracks to appear include: ‘Total Misanthropia’, ‘Forthcoming Terror’, ‘The Bloodline’, ‘Diabolical Desolation’, ‘Spawned To Destroy’, ‘Firestorm (Towards Devastation Pt. II)’ and ‘Soulcrusher’. For info on the band, their extensive recording history and upcoming live performances, visit their official site at www.centinex.com
FEAR FACTORY are set to release a DVD in November through Roadrunner. It is rumored that live and behind the scenes footage along with music videos will be included. In the meantime, the band’s The Evolution Of Revolution Tour kicked off on May 18th at the Canyon Club in Dallas, TX. The tour wraps up on August 5th in San Diego, CA.
CRYPTOPSY have been confirmed to perform at this year’s Wacken Open Air. They’ll also be headlining the Fuck The Commerce IV and embarking on a European tour that will take them through nine countries.
After a long struggle with Black Mark Production, Sweden’s NECROPHOBIC have now been signed by Hammerheart Records. The band will enter Studio Sunlight in September to record the follow up to "The Third Antichrist". The release is scheduled for early 2002, followed by a full European tour, which is supposed to include no less than ten dates in Germany as well.
IMMORTAL will play this years Summer Breeze Festival (August 23 – 25 in Abtsgmünd, Germany).
"Prometheus – The Disciplines Of Fire And Demise", the fourth album by Norways EMPEROR will be released on October 8.
Hellspawn Records is about to release a WAR compilation CD tomorrow (Necropolis Records will take care of the US release). The disk is entitled "We Are… Total War" and includes the band’s "Total War" MCD as well as the best songs from the "We Are War" album. Since both original releases are out of print for quite some time now, and the "We Are War" album never got released properly, the label decided to go for this re-issue. In a press statement they say: "We give you the chance to hear these albums how they should have sounded from the beginning… in the way the band themselves wanted them." The whole album was remastered and is coming with liner notes from the band and new photos. The WAR line-up consisted of such wellknown names as Peter Tägtgren, Blackmoon, It, All, Mikael Hedlund, Lars Szöke and David Larsson.
Italian extreme Metal leaders NECRODEATH just finished to record their 4th album that follows the highly acclaimed "Mater Of All Evil". The new album, recorded again at the Underground Studios / Sweden with the producer Pelle Saether (Carnal Forge, Ebony Tears, Terror 2000) is entitled "Black As Pitch" and features among others the following songs: ‘Burn And Deny’, ‘Mortal Consequence’, ‘Anagaton’, ‘Killing Time’, ‘Saviours Of Hate’. The band statement is: "The result is just amazing! We never expected such a killer-album! But we’ve done it! This is the most violent album we’ve done since the beginning of our career. It follows the same vein of the come-back album ‘Mater Of All Evil’, it’s NECRODEATH style 100%, but the new songs are and even more direct and the riffs will cut your throat like never before! A real blood-shower!" Expect the release in October 2001.
Sweden’s DIVINE SOULS joined forces with Scarlet Records. Their debut album "Embodiment" will be released in July with a brilliant cover artwork done by Soilwork’s keyboard-player / artwork maker Carlos Del Olmo. According to the label, DIVINE SOULS are "…for all the metallers into the ‘nu-Swedish death metal’ ala In Flames… Great riffs, pure aggression with a melodic touch!"
After the momentary break caused by the departure of the ex-DEATH SS guitarist Steve Minelli who left the band after the release of the debut album "Technical Crime" NODE is now ready to record the second album with a new line up consisting of the original members Daniel, Gary and Klaus and a new drummer. "Sweatshops" will be recorded in August at Underground Studios, Sweden (Necrodeath, Carnal Forge, Terror 2000) and features cover artwork by Soilwork’s Carlos Del Olmo. Some titles of the new songs are ‘Bloody Hills’, ‘Last Doctor’, ‘Thantophobia’ and ‘Sacristan’ Scorn Toward Water’. Expect a mix of Death, Carcass, In Flames and At The Gates.
THE DEFACED just finished the recordings of their debut album "Domination Commence". The band features Soilwork drummer Henry Ranta and Darkane guitarist Klas Ideberg (who are both also involved in the Terror 2000 debut album "Slaughterhouse Supremacy"). They combine influences from early-Machine Head, Meshuggah and Testament. The European release is scheduled for October, the Japanese release in September and will feature the Led Zeppelin cover ‘When The Levee Breaks’ as a bonus track.
THE PROVENANCE from Sweden is mixing soundscapes from My Dying Bride, Anathema, The Gathering, Arcturus, Änglagård and 70’s progressive heroes like Jethro Tull. They combine complex but not over-worked arrangements with sensitive melodies and vocal experimentation on their debut album "25th Hour; Bleeding", that will be released in October 2001.