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Erik Rutan has announced he is leaving Morbid Angel in order to devote himself entirely to HATE ETERNAL. Erik began playing guitar with Morbid Angel in 1993 and has played on three of the band’s albums, as well as numerous national and international tours. In 1996, Erik began forming Hate Eternal, a blistering Death Metal band that takes technicality and brutality to new levels. In Hate Eternal, Erik fully expresses his own musical and lyrical ideas, handling vocals and guitar, and the majority of the songwriting. Hate Eternal’s debut album, "Conquering The Throne", was the high-water mark for Death Metal in 1999 — a furious yet precise assault on the senses. Hate Eternal’s second album, "King Of All Kings" is now finished and is set for release on September 16th in Europe and September 17th in the US. Erik had this to say about his decision to focus all his energies on Hate Eternal: "Being in Morbid Angel for the past nine years has been the greatest time of my life. To play in my favorite Death Metal band of all time has been a tremendous honor. I want to thank Trey and Pete for all the great years and all they have done for me, and all the fans who have supported me and will hopefully continue to support me in the future. It is now time for me to stand on my own two feet with Hate Eternal."
Blood Cinema’s upcoming film, "Bloody Bloody Bible Camp", will feature the music of DEICIDE.
DARK FUNERAL guitarist Dominion has left the band in order to "pursue other musical avenues". The band are currently looking at other guitarists in hopes of finding a permanent replacement for Dominion.
CATTLE DECAPITATION vocalist Travis Ryan comments on the band’s recent show at the Knitting Factory in L.A., "The Knitting Factory show was great. One of those ones that make you happy you do what you do. A lot of new faces, a lot of familiar faces, all ripe for dismemberment! A great last show until we tour next month with Phobia."
MOTÖRHEAD‘s Lemmy is considering having his famous facial warts surgically removed. Says Lemmy, "They get bigger as you get older, and I’ve been shaving around them long enough." Apparently Lemmy wouldn’t be opposed to auctioning off the warts to a fan. "Yeah, I could sell them on the Internet, like that porn-star chick Houston who sold pieces of her labia".
DARK TRANQUILLITY kick off their headlining tour on November 13th in Hamburg, Germany. The dates wrap up on December 7th in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Forever Underground Records have released PAGANIZER’s third album. It was recorded at Sunlight Studios and features guest vocals from Jörgen Sandstrom (ex-GRAVE). The band are planning a European tour for early in 2003.
Coheadliners IMMOLATION and VADER will kick off their US tour on November 6th in Washington, DC. The dates will conclude on December 5th in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The opening slots on the tour will be filled by THE BERZERKER and ORIGIN.
CHILDREN OF BODOM have inked a new deal with Spinefarm / Universal Records and will release their new single, ‘You’re Better Off Dead’, on September 16th. The band will soon enter Astia studio to begin recording the follow-up to "Follow The Reaper".
According to their website, LOCK UP will play a London show sometime in October and they also plan to do a couple of shows in Ireland and a Scottish show prior to the London one. The band are hopeful that will be going into the studio in September to record new tracks to go with the Japanese live album.
IN FLAMES, SENTENCED, DARK TRANQUILLITY, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, will be on tour from September 16th at Slim’s in San Francisco, CA and running until the 28th at Lupo’s in Providence, RI.
FLESHGRIND has announced that Derek Hoffman (aka Dirty Sanchez) formerly of GORGASM, INCESTOUS and LIVIDITY is their new drummer. The band are hoping to hit the stage before the end of the year and look forward to recording our new CD sometime in early 2003.
CATTLE DECAPITATION will be hitting the road with label mates GWAR in support of their debut release on Metal Blade Records "To Serve Man". The tour has been tentatively scheduled from October 1st through November 4th.
MALEVOLENT CREATION‘s "The Will To Kill" album is out in North America through Crash Music on October 22nd. The band will hit the road on a full US tour in support of the album in November.
PIG Productions will present the Windsor Extreme Music Festival 2002 on November 16th / 17th. Headliners CRYPTOPSY will be joined by 21 other bands at the Diesel Lounge / Concert Hall in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Bands or businesses wishing to take part in the event can contact windsorextremefest@hotmail.com or log onto the site at www.pitbullgrin.com/METALFEST.html
EXCITER‘s "Better Live Than Dead" album has been reissued in the UK through Burning Airlines Records.
Thailand’s LACERATE will release a MCD entitled "Soul Of Revenge" through Premonition o.f. Records in September. The CD will contain five tracks of fast paced Death Metal with touches of Grind (incl. an exclusive bonus track), coloured artwork and photos. Premonition o.f. Records is specialized in Asian Metal and more releases are on the way and in its planing process. Distributors should get in touch and ask for wholesale prices, pre-orders are also welcome. Contact: premonition-records@t-online.de
CADAVER INC. were added to Bergen’s "Hole In The Sky" festival billing on August 30. Further info: www.holeinthesky.no
1349 got signed by Candlelight Records.
The Russian based trio FOREST STREAM has now finished their debut album "Tears Of Mortal Solitude". It will contain 11 tracks of "some of the most sorrowful and crestfallen Black Metal ever put to tape". www.mmz.ru/fs/
"Tiny Deaths", RAKOTH‘s third album, will soon be finished. The band is presently recording yet more material for inclusion on the album. The present track list is: ‘ Intro’, ‘The Crypt / Planekeep’, ‘Fevered’, ‘Dawn’, ‘Trust This’, ‘Edge’, ‘June 3’, ‘Horizon’, ‘Just Another Lament’, ‘Vicious Life’ and ‘Tiny Deaths’. This might change before the actual release. The band is said to have taken "a more atmospheric approach with this new album, displaying an almost avant-experimental edge to the songs".
Italy’s EPHEL DUATH have completed some live in the studio demos with their brand new line-up in preparation for the actual recording of the forthcoming "Painter’s Palette" album. Elitist Records A&R man Lee Barrett was already quite impressed: "Having heard the CD I can safely say, hand on heart, that I’ve never heard anything like this before in my life! The drums and bass now play schizophrenic jazz beats, seemingly at random, and the guitars and minimal keys collide over the top in a way that is virtually impossible to describe. The best I can do is maybe Naked City meets Emperor on a very dark night…" www.ephelduath.net
In early 2003 Relapse Records will finally be re-releasing REPULSION‘s legendary "Horrified" album as a DoCD set. The bonus disc will feature the GENOCIDE (pre-REPULSION) demo, the Relapse 7" tracks, the band’s ’92 demo and more.
EXHUMED are currently writing the follow up record to "Slaughtercult". Expect an early 2003 release. The official EXHUMED discography "Platters Of Splatter" will be released soon. This 2CD official documentation of the past decade of EXHUMED depravity will also be available as limited edition 3CD set available only via Relapse mailorder (www.relapse.com)
DYING FETUS are currently writing new material for their forthcoming Relapse full-length "Stop At Nothing". This album will be released January 2003 and some advance song titles include: ‘Schematics’, ‘One Shot, One Kill’, Stop At Nothing’ and ‘Forced Elimination’. Two new songs were presented to the metal community during the very succesfull DYING FETUS performance at Wacken 2002. The band will embark on a headlining European tour this fall. DYING FETUS will also be a part of the X-Mass festivals in Europe in December.
REGURGITATE‘s new EP "Hate Filled Vengeance" will be released October 28, 2002.
SKINLESS are currently writing material for their upcoming Relapse album "From Sacrifice To Survival" which is supposed to be released in Europe early 2003.
The INSISION / INVERACITY split-CD is finally out on Revenge Productions. For those who don’t it yet, INSISION’s part in this release is their godly "Revelation Of The Sado God" promo demo. For ordering information contact: www.revengeproductions.de
REQUIEM had to postpone the recording of their album for Revenge due to health problems of their drummer. The album will now be recorded later this year. For more news check their new website: www.requiem-net.com
NUN SLAUGHTER are almost done with the recordings of their new albums for Revenge Productions. The album will be entitled "Goat" and is supposed to be out sometimes this fall. An exact release date is yet to be confirmed. Revenge will furthermore release a NUN SLAUGHTER demo EP entitled "Guts Of Christ" sometime soon.
Two more bands have been confirmed for the LUDWIGSHAFEN DEATHFEST: BLOODCUM (Holland) and WORMED (Spain). The Deathfest website will be updated soon, so make sure to go there frequently for all further news: www.death-fest.here.de
Sweden’s OBSCURA have been signed by Retribute Records. The band is musically supposed to be in the vein of Hate Eternal, late Morbid Angel and Nile. The album is scheduled for a January 2003 release.
Finland’s Black Metal act BLOODROSE is currently in the studio in their home country, putting the finishing touches to their long-awaited debut "Into Oblivion".
GILLA BRUJA will unleash the follow up to their "Tooth And Nail" album in November. The band is said to combine the intensity of sludge, the technological influence of industrial and the brutality of grind, resulting in a hate-filled offspring of GODFLESH, SOILENT GREEN, CROWBAR and OBITUARY.
SEEDS OF DESOLATION are set to begin recording their debut album entitled "Abattoir Of Carnal Rapture" at Spacelab Studios, Germany in late October. The album will see a January release and the band will be gigging before and after the release date.
SOILS OF FATE have recently released their debut album "Sandstorm" through Retribute Records. Just like on their "Pain… Has A Face" demo and "Blood Serology" promo the band continues to deliver brutal, blasting Death Metal in the vein of Cryptopsy, Internal Bleeding and Vomit Remnants.
Former ANGELCORPSE bassist / vocalist Pete Helmkamp has joined REVENGE.
The St. Louis Metalfest 1 takes place on Friday, August 16th (6pm) and Saturday, August 17th (12pm) at 412 N. Tucker in St. Louis, MO. Acts on the bill for the all ages show include: MACABRE, FIVEPOINTE O, KATAKLYSM, JUNGLE ROT, MISERY INDEX, DIVINE EMPIRE, YAKUZA, GOATHORN, November’S DOOM, BOULDER, RAMMER, DICK DELICIOUS & THE TASTY TESTICLES, ANIBUS, JOHNNY VOMIT, REALM, 13 DAYS, DARK INFORMATORY, ORNAMENT OF DISGRACE and more to be added. For more information go to: info@stlouismetalfest.com
Frank Buffalino has joined INTERNAL BLEEDING, replacing veteran axeman Guy Marchais. Frank’s talent and dedication is welcome in the band and he has already contributed to the writing of "Hatefuel".
RUNEMAGICK‘s "Moon Of The Chaos Eclipse" will be available on limited CD and ultra limited 102 picture LP on August 26th. Limited to 1,000 copies on CD and 300 copies on picture vinyl, these are only available through Aftermath Music (www.aftermath-music.com).
Brazen Music will release RUNEMAGICK‘s "Requiem Of The Apocalypse" album in North America on November 11th. It will include the bonus track ‘Death Magick’, exclusive to this release.
DARKANE spent nearly three months recording their new album, "Expanding Senses". The guitars and bass were recorded at the band’s studio during nights and weekends while drums, vocals and mixing was done at Dug-Out Studio by Daniel Bergstrand. A video clip has been shot for the opening track, ‘Innocence Gone’.
INVOCATOR have reunited and are recording a new album at Aabenraa Studios for a late 2002 release. Tracks on the release, produced and engineered by Jacob Hansen, will include ‘Infatuated I Am’, ‘There Is No Saviour’, ‘On My Knees’ and ‘Sand Between Teeth’.
CATTLE DECAPITATION will be heading out on the road with PHOBIA and MISERY INDEX starting on September 19th. This will be the bands first full-length tour reaching out across the US. Tour dates will be announced soon.
According to Metal Update, rumor has it that DARK ANGEL has reunited with the following almost all original lineup: Ron Rineheart, Eric Meyer, Jim Durkin, Gene Hoglan (still unconfirmed), and a new bassist.
VEHEMENCE have issued this update from the road, "Greetings, this tour with DECAPITATED is awesome, we get along with those guys like brothers. Nathan does the ‘Mandatory Suicide’ Slayer cover with Decapitated every night and it kills! Dead To Fall and Impaled have been treating everything with good respects."
SATYRICON‘s forthcoming album, "Volcano", has the following tracklisting: ‘With Ravenous Hunger’, ‘Angstridden’, ‘Fuel For Hatred’, ‘Suffering The Tyrants’, ‘Possessed’, ‘Repined Bastard Nation’, ‘Mental Mercury’ and ‘Black Lava’.
Due to a band member heart attack, BETHLEHEM were forced to cancel their appearance at the With Full Force Festival.
Romania’s Radical Conflict Production / Distribution are opening its gates. The first release from the new label will be FOGLAND‘s "Znaman" album, described as "cold pagan avangarde black with folk influences". Also due from the label is the Transylvanian Soundscapes Vol.I compilation, an album from THUNDERSTORM and two demos from VIELFTAVA.
Due to long stand by time, Kaos announced that he will no longer be part of SAMAEL. A new guitarist will be presented at this summer shows.
The release date of The new SALEM album "Collective Demise" has been set for September the 15th. All the magazines, redio stations etc. that wish to receive the promo CD, can contact KMG / System Shock at: andy@impact-records.de, promo@kmg-music.de
John O’ Fathaigh, the flute, tin-whistle player and brother of band main-man Keith, is no longer a part of CRUACHAN. The move came after a meeting between John and Keith about the bands future, the prospect of more and more shows abroad was something that John could not commit to for personal reasons so both brothers agreed that leaving the band was the best thing to do. John was not "kicked out" of the band, leaving Cruachan was a hard decision for him to make after the years that he has been a member. Although nothing has been clarified, Keith is confident that John will still be involved with the band in the future, maybe as a guest on recordings etc. As of now, Cruachan are looking for a replacement member who can play either flute, violin or keyboard, anyone interested should contact: cruachan@ireland.com
CENTINEX will tour with Deicide (+ others) throughout Europe during November. Candlelight Records have bought the rights for "Hellbrigade", "Bloodhunt", "Reborn Through Flames" and "Malleus Maleficarum". The albums will be re-released (with new artwork, layout, bonus tracks etc) early next year. The vinyl version of "Diabolical Desolation" should be out during August through Finland’s Northern Sound Records. The release will be limited to 1000 copies featuring new artwork and layout.