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Here’s some news straight from the hand of ANCIENT: "The band is hard at work in GroM’s studio writing and rehearsing the material for the new album which will be released in October this year. The work so far seems to be extremely promising! The new songs are coming out much much heavier, complex and technical than in the past and it will definitely be the best ANCIENT album ever making your heads bang and your hearts burn for sure! So keep your patience up! The band has confirmed and booked the recording of the new album in Andy Larocque’s (King Diamond) prestigious Los Angered studios in Gothenburg, Sweden. ANCIENT will enter the studio on May 2nd. The band was supposed to record at The Abyss studios but there were numerous schedule and time problems involved so the great Los Angered studios were selected instead. Some of the lyrics have already been written for the album by Aphazel, GroM and Deadly Kristin… so you can expect a title within the next month."
WITCHERY have launched their own website www.witchery.org to promote their forthcoming and long awaited third full-length album for Necropolis Records. Band leader, and brand new Swedish grammy winner, Patrik Jensen (also of THE HAUNTED) had this to say about what the band has been up to since the release of their seminal "Dead, Hot & Ready" album in 1999, which is also found on the bands’ website: "First of all, we are very sorry to say that we have lost founding member / drummer Mique. Mique had recently become a father and also experienced a very promising career move, which made him come to the conclusion that he had had enough. We thank him for the years he stuck with the band and we wish him the best of luck. A permanent replacement has been found in Martin Axe (of Nifelheim / Satanic Slaughter fame) and he will be handling the duties on the upcoming 3rd full-length album. Ah… yes…. a new full-length album from Witchery. We entered Berno Studio on January 29th and we finished it up on the 10th of February. We’re aiming for a release early this summer. There’s no definite album title yet, but we are using the name "It’s An Early Grave…" at the moment. This specific title refers to how incredibly hard it is to get everyone together to pull off a new album or to tour… So, to get this new album done we’ve been forced to work around the clock during the few days we had at our disposal… and we are VERY happy with how it turned out and we’re very anxious to get this album into YOUR HANDS…!" The tentative songtitles for WITCHERY’s third album are as follows… (in no specific order): Wicked, Omens, None Buried Deeper, Inquisition, Called For By Death, Bonemill, The Storm, Shallow Grave, Unholy Wars and Hearse Of The Pharaohs (Guest appearance by Hank Sherman, Mercyful Fate).
CRADLE OF FILTH have announced that their April 14th gig at Nottingham Rock City will be broadcasted worldwide from www.rocktribe.com. The performance will furthermore be released on DVD and video in September. It will include the full concert, an uncut explicit promo video, exclusive pictures and artwork, extensive backstage footage and interviews. The band have also confirmed that they are to play two, as yet untitled, brand new songs from their forthcoming release, "Bitter Suites To Succubi", which will be released on the band’s new label imprint, AbraCadaver on London based independent Snapper Music (release date: May, 29 – 2001). The Webcast will feature freaks, stilt-walkers and performers from the notorious Circus Of Horrors, and a spectacular finale of blood and fire. Cradle Of Filth’s movie ‘Cradle Of Fear’ (which was directed by Alex Chandon), is due for release via the Internet only in March 2001. The Internet release is due to the explicit nature of the movie, which is not deemed suitable for a certificate in the UK.
The members of MELECHESH recently got together in the Netherlands (Proscriptor flew in from USA and Moloch from France) to film a video clip in support of their upcoming Osmose release "Djinn", which will be released on March 26.
VADER‘s Reign Forever World album is available in Japan with four bonus tracks. The exclusive tracks are: ‘North’ (live), ‘Forwards To Die’ (live), ‘Creatures Of Light & Darkness’ (live) and ‘Carnal’ (live).
Original SABBAT members Martin Walkyier (vocals), Frazer Craske (bass) and Simon Jones (guitar) will reunite at the Bloodstock 01 UK Metalfest in Derby, UK. They’ll be joined by newly recruited Jay Graham (drums) and Pete Wadeson (guitar) to perform as RETURN TO THE SABBAT.
NIGHT IN GALES new album, Necrodynamic, hits stores on March 26th through Massacre Germany.
ORIGIN will be on tour with CRYPTOPSY and CANDIRIA from March 15th through April 12th, hitting all major U.S. cities.
MARDUK have finally obtained proper North American distribution. Having made a move last year from Osmose to their own Blooddawn Productions via Regain Records, Century Media is licensing the group’s latest album, La Grande Danse Macabre. Produced by Tommy Tägtgren at Abyss Studios, the album showcases ten tracks of brutal black metal. Century Media have also licensed Marduk’s double live Infernal Eternal and the Obedience EP with exclusive bonus tracks. Both were released last year overseas. Since the band never officially released an album in America, they were never able to tour America. Century Media have already got the band scheduled to hit the road in May with DEICIDE. La Grande Danse Macabre will be out on May 15th, Infernal Eternal and Obedience will be released on April 17th. Tour dates will be announced soon.
BLOOD DUSTER‘s new album, Cunt, will be out this year through Relapse.
ARCH ENEMY‘s website, www.archenemy.net, has posted details on the band’s new album. Wages Of Sin was produced by Fredrik Nordstrom and Michael Amott and was mixed by Andy Sneap. The tracklisting: ‘Enemy Within’, ‘Burning Angel’, ‘Heart Of Darkness’, ‘Ravenous’, ‘Savae Messiah’, ‘Dead Bury Their Dead’, ‘Web Of Lies’, ‘The First Deadly Sin’, ‘Behind The Smile’, ‘Snow Bound’ (inst.) and ‘Shadows And Dust’. The album will be out in Japan on April 25th and later in Europe and the U.S. Arch Enemy’s Michael Amott commented some of the tracks: "We felt that ‘Enemy Within’ is a good opening song as it’s got a little soft piano intro, that slowly grows into a crescendo. This is actually the first time we have used any sort of intro, on our old albums it’s always been a case of hitting someone as hard as you can without warning… this time we give you a warning – THEN we hit you! The song itself is quite complex and has a lot of different tempos and riffs going on… not exactly a hit single… but it’s 100% Arch Enemy. ‘Burning Angel’ is based around a riff and melody that I came up with while visiting my parents one day… the melody just came to me suddenly and luckily there was a guitar around so I could work it out on the spot… Chris came up with the verse riff and there it was – some songs come together quickly like that! In the rehearsals we threw in a big solo spot for me, it’s rather a long solo by our standards and I tried to keep it melodic and memorable. The lyrics deal with something that’s been written about a lot in metal, witchburning in the dark ages, but I tried to write from the perspective of the woman being burnt and add a different flavor to it. Our new vocalist really went for it on this one in the studio and delivered some ripping vocals that really give the song another dimension. ‘Ravenous’ is one of the albums most intense and brutal songs, both musically and lyrically. This one goes for the throat and just won’t let go! From the schizophrenic intro riff through the slaughtering double bass drum attack of the verse to the catchy chorus with some madman solos thrown in for good measure. It’s a sick and twisted rollercoaster ride! It’s probably going to be the first video off the album. ‘The First Deadly Sin’ is probably the song on the album that has the most obvious death metal roots and therefore sounds a little bit like something off our first album, fast and furious thrash/death is something that’ll always be a part of the Arch Enemy sound!"
SKINLESS release their Relapse debut, Foreshadowing Our Demise, on March 20th. A limited edition picture disc version will be available soon on Morbid Records.
AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED are currently recording the basic tracks for Frozen Corpse Stuffed With Dope, their upcoming full-length on Relapse. Artwork for the release will come courtesy of legendary tattoo artist Paul Booth (SIX FEET UNDER, TODAY IS THE DAY).
DECEASED will be in the studio from March 15th – 22nd to record a new EP, Behind The Mourner’s Veil, set to be released this July. The tracklisting: ‘It’s Alive’, ‘The Mausoleum’, ‘Slow Infection’, ‘Victims Of The Masterplan’, ‘Zombie Attack’, ‘Plunging To Megadeath’, ‘Reaganomics’ and ‘Deathrider’. The band’s Up The Tombstones Live album has been licensed by Pavement for release in the U.S.
BONGZILLA will be entering the studio shortly to begin recording their second Relapse album, Gateway.
The release of IMPALED‘s Choice Cuts album will be delayed due to a squeamish manufacturing plant. The manufacturer deemed the cover artwork too disgusting and offensive to work with. Guitarist and vocalist Sean ‘Bloodbath’ McGrath stated: "It’s always been my dream to make underpaid factory workers curse my name while shaking their tiny fists in the air. Today my dream has come true." Adorned with images of a woman’s legs and a baby whose throat is about to be cut, this cover is sick. The album hasn’t even hit stores, and the censors are already at it again. The album features new material from the vinyl only split with ENGORGED, tribute compilation tracks from the IMPETIGO and CARCASS tributes, unreleased versions of songs from their debut album and the underground classic demo recordings for the first time ever on CD.
CEPHALIC CARNAGE are about to enter the studio to record tracks for a new 3" CD and various 7" singles.
Wicked World / Earache artists GANDALF get ready to drop their second album Rock Hell on March 20th. The label characterizes this Finnish foursome as "an unholy union of AC/DC and At The Gates." However, music journalists the world over seem to have differing thoughts, which frustrates drummer Nalle Osterman. "Many people have compared Gandalf to In Flames. With the first record, Deadly Fairytales, reviewers in Finland compared it to Sentenced, Swedish people compared it to In Flames and British people compared it to Carcass. It’s kind of funny, if you take all three of those bands, they are all completely unique to themselves. You can’t say that one sounds like the other. If you mix those three, you have in some people’s eyes, us. We never went in to write music that would copy anyone else. We write in our own style. If it sounds like In Flames it’s just coincidental, it was not intentional. It must have something to do with the vocals and maybe some of the melodies mixing with hard riffs. For the record, I’m not a big fan of In Flames. Recently I was in Sweden, in Gothenburg and In Flames was playing. That was the first time I can say that I enjoyed In Flames. They have a few good songs like ‘Episode 666’ and ‘Goliaths Disarm Their Davids’. I think we are in a different direction than In Flames, they may have the same influences as us."
VILE will hit the studio in April to record their new album, Depopulate.
REGURGITATE will soon issue a limited edition picture disc version of Carnivorous Erection on Morbid Records. They will also release a new split 7" single with Japan’s REALIZED on Stuhlgang Records.
According to digitalmetal.com, BORKNAGAR will record their yet-to-be titled album at the end of May. The band is set to work on their fifth full-length with co-producer Borge Finnstad at Fagerborg and Top Room studios. Finnstad handled the production duties for MAYHEM’s Grand Declaration of War. "I look forward to working with Borge Finnstad because he seems to be very professional and we have the best recording facilities available," said ringleader Oysten G. Brun. "Production wise we’ll head for the best to date possible!" The new album is also the first release with newcomers Tyr (bass) and Vintersorg (vocals). "I am exited in the sense that it will be a great recording session," Brun confirmed. "I am fully convinced that the constellation will result in a killer album!" There are a myriad of new forces in the Borknagar camp, but Brun reaffirmed that the album will still retain the essence of Borknagar. "Nobody should be afraid that we’ll do a sudden change of style or something," the guitarist said. "Compared to Quintessence it will be a bit more diverse. There will be a bit more of everything really. I think the new album will be slightly more epic than Quintessence, and a bit more complex as well. But how the final result comes out in the end of the day, we have to see as well."
MORBID ANGEL, now on tour with PANTERA, will head to the U.K. in April for a club run between the 11th and 15th.
ARCHAEAN HARMONY have released a new album, Nihility Mundane Soul. For more on the band check out www.darkmetal.com/archaean
DYING FETUS will be touring the U.S. this March and April with support from SKINLESS and GORGUTS.
EXHUMED‘s Slaughtercult album will be re-issued this Summer as a limited edition saw-blade shaped CD containing a bounus track. The upcoming Japanese version of Slaughtercult will be re-named Slaughtercult… Fester Forever. It contains four bonus tracks and completely new artwork.
NASUM will tour Sweden, Norway and Denmark in March with THE HAUNTED and NINE as part of Close Up magazine’s Close Up Made Us Do It Tour. A limited LP version of the band’s Human 2.0 album is out now on Sweden’s Distortion Records. The Japanese edition of the album has been renamed Human 2.01 due to it containing the tracks from their recent split 7" with WARHATE as bonus tracks and altered artwork.
ANATA will release their second album, Dreams Of Death And Dismay, through Relapse this May.
MORTICIAN will be on the No Mercy Festivals tour. The European jaunt also includes MARDUK, VADER, GOD DETHRONED, SINISTER, MYSTIC CIRCLE, … AND OCEANS and BAL SAGOTH. The band’s forthcoming album, Domain Of Death, will be out on April 17th. A limited edition picture disc version will also be available.
AEGRIMONIA have lost their new vocalist, Mijnheer Massakre. The band are currently looking for a new singer.
ENTHRONED will release their new album, Armoured Bestial Hell, this March. The band plan to tour in May and June with support from RAGNARAK.
MAUDLIN OF THE WELL have finished the recording sessions for their new double CD for Dark Symphonies. They will begin mastering the new material immediately with a release date set for early Spring.
MYSTIC CIRCLE release their new album, The Great Beast, on March 26th through Massacre. It will be available on CD and limited edition vinly LP.
According to digitalmetal.com, THORIUM are gearing up to record their second album, Unleashing The Demons, this Summer. "It’s faster, more brutal and much more insane, but still with a twist of melody," said frontman and WITHERING SURFACE vocalist Michael H. Andersen. "So far we have around nine new songs ready, which will not dissapoint the fans of our debut Ocean Of Blasphemy!" According to the band’s website, the album will be recorded at Exponent Studio in Slovakia and will include a CANCER cover, ‘Cancer Fucking Cancer’.
YATTERING will be recording their new album next month at Red Studio in Poland. It will be produced by VADER’s Piotr Lukaszewski. Watch for it later this fall on Relapse in the U.S. and Season Of Mist in Europe.
OPETH are gearing up for their debut North American tour, in support of their new album, Blackwater Park, out on March 13th. The band will be in North America for two months and will take in two festivals, New Jersey’s Metal Meltdown 3 on April 6th and the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival in Worcester, MA. on April 14th, as well as their tour with AMORPHIS and NEVERMORE. The regular dates with Amorphis and SHADOWS FALL kick off after Metal Meltdown on April 7th at the Kathedral in Toronto, Canada and run through April 13th in Cleveland, OH. Following the New England Metalfest, the gigs start up again on April 22nd at The Showbox in Seattle, WA. This leg of the tour, with Nevermore, God Forbid and Special Guests, wraps up at The Cactus Club in San Jose, CA on May 20th. For more info go to: www.opeth.com
The Japanese edition of NASUM‘s Human 2.0 album includes four bonus tracks exclusive to that edition. The tracks are: ‘And You Were Blind To What Lay Beyond’, ‘Stolen Pride’, ‘Silent’ and ‘Losing Faith’.
Vulture Entertainment will be re-releasing the very limited "Reincremation" demo by SUFFOCATION, for the first time on CD. The Reincremation demo first surfaced in late 1989, and after only 1.000 copies distributed it was never seen again. "Reincremation" will be remastered at Morrisound Studio’s in Tampa, Florida by Steve Heritage, and will include an enhanced version of it’s original artwork courtesy of Travis Smith (Suffocation, Skinlab, Death). Reincremation will also include live bonus tracks. For further info check out: www.vultureent.com
ANCIENT RITES recently finished the recordings for their long-awaited follow-up to their outstanding Fatherland-album. The new album was recorded and mixed in Spacelab Studios in Germany. The new album is titled "Dim Carcosa" and features 11 tracks. Some of the songtitles are ‘Victory Or Valhalla (Last Man Standing)’, ‘North Sea’, ‘(Ode To Ancient) Europe’, ‘On Golden Fields (De Leeuwen Dansen)’ and of course the title-track ‘Dim Carcosa’. Release of the album is scheduled for May 21st.
"It came out very, very dark, darker than before," OPETH leader Mikael Akerfeldt explains their newly released Blackwater Park album."I think My Arms (Your Hearse) came across as a more brutal and heavier recording because the music is a bit more aggressive and faster than Still Life. I think it’s a cross between those two albums. It’s a pretty raw sound. Actually I thought this album would be the most brutal stuff that we’ve ever done, until I listened to the finished mastered CD. It starts off very aggressive and then in the middle it gets mellow and then it comes back to super heavy. It might be because of the way we put the tracks on the album. I always thought that this would be a fast and heavy album, but it has everything; from very dark fast heavy stuff to real mellow. Some stuff is like sing-along stuff."
GOD DETHRONED‘s new album, Ravenous, is slated for North American release on April 24th. Despite the band’s name and the provocative, anti-Christian message, the band are having more fun with a bent form of sacriledge than many of their peers. "The power of the church is gone already," Sattler says, "So why we should be that serious about it? The funny part is though that people who don’t know the band, or people who are into religion, are really frightened by the way we expose ourselves. And that’s good." Due to other obligations, the band’s drummer, Roel, will be leaving shortly, and Sattler’s immediate task will be to audition a new drummer.
Pavement Music has just released these new titles in their Classic series. All CDs are remixed, remastered and enhanced for your computer with lyrics, bio, pictures and more. They are: MALEVOLENT CREATION – Eternal, INTERNAL BLEEDING – Voracious Contempt, SOLITUDE AETURNUS – Through The Darkest Hour, FORBIDDEN – Green and JUNGLE ROT – Slaughter Of The Week.
VADER have been confirmed to play this year’s Dynamo Open Air Festival on May 26th – 27th. The band’s current album, Reign Forever World, recently landed at #8 on the Polish album charts, making Vader the first metal band in the history of the Polish music industry to reach such high positions. Another of their albums, Litany, has been nominated for the Fryderyki 2000 Award for Best Heavy Metal Album, to be awarded on March 18th. In related news Poland’s National TV Channel 2 are about to make a documentary about Vader. In July, the band will embark on their own North American headlining tour with DECAPITATED and two American acts, which will comprise 30 dates in the U.S. and Canada. They are still working out details for a European tour.
DECAPITATED will be on tour with IMMOLATION from May 1st to May 20th. Other support bands on various dates include: DERANGED, DESTROYER 666 and SOUL DEMISE. The band will record their second album, Nihility, at Red Studio in August. It will be out through Wicked World/Earache in October. Decapitated are still working on a U.S. tour. The tentative date has been set for July 2001. Digger International and Earache America confirm that the band will open for VADER and two other bands, so everything depends now on the Immigration Office and the American Embassy in Poland.
THORIUM are set to record their second album, Unleashing The Demons, at the Exponent Studio in Slovakia this Summer. Frontman Michael H. Andersen has this to say about the new material: "It’s faster, more brutal and much more insane, but still with a twist of melody. So far we have around seven new songs ready, which will not dissapoint the fans of our debut, Ocean Of Blasphemy!" The album will include a cover of CANCER’s ‘Blood Bath’.
WITCHERY are finishing up their third full-length for Necropolis. Some songs on the yet to be titled album are: ‘Wicked’, ‘None Buried Deeper’ and ‘Hearse Of The Pharaohs’.
DREAMS OF DAMNATION hope to enter the studio in June to record a new album.
ABYSSOS have signed with Necropolis and will release a new album this year.
ARKHON INFAUSTUS are a new signing to Osmose. The band previously released a 7" EP on Spikekult and will release their Osmose debut, Hell Injection, shortly. For more on the band check out their website at: www.evilness.com/arkhon666
Mesopotamian metal band MELECHESH have signed with Osmose. They’ll soon release their debut for the label, DJINN
Mexico’s DOMAIN have inked a deal with Osmose. The band are set to enter a Mexican studio with producer Punchy, to record their next album.
DIVINE DECAY and IMPIETY have also inked deals with Osmose.
According to the ARCH ENEMY website, www.archenemy.net, the Japanese release date of the band’s new album is April 25th. European and U.S. dates will be announced soon. As well, on February 27th, the site will post sound samples, the album’s cover art will be shown and the title of the album will be revealed.
KATAKLYSM vocalist Maurizio Iacono’s solo project, L.O.S.T., will release an album, Living On Sympathy & Trust, this Fall
According to www.digitalmetal.com, CEPHALIC CARNAGE are preparing to enter the studio to record a myriad of tracks for various labels. The first release comes in the form of a 3" CD on Willowtip Records. Next up is to record enough material for a split with ANAL BLAST to be released by Nightfall Records. While the band is hitting the studio for the aforementioned tracks, they are writing material for the follow-up to their Relapse debut, Exploiting Dysfunction. Early reports from the band indicate that their new output will be even crazier than before. Expect a 7" split with LAUGHING DOG on Relapse sometime this Summer.
EMPEROR will release their new album "Prometheus – The Discipline Of Fire & Demise" in September. The band is currently recording at Akkerhaugen Studio (additional parts will be done at Ihsahn’s personal studio). The final mix is supposed to take place in May. Some of the songtitles are: ‘The Eruption’, ‘Depraved’, ‘The Tongue Of Fire’, ‘The Prophet’ and ‘Thorns On My Grave’. According to Ihsahn there’s gonna be nine songs in total on the record. The drumparts should be finished by the end of February. The band is currently working on some orchestral elements. "Prometheus…" is musically supposed to be the missing link between EMPEROR’s older material and the technical elements of "IX – Equilibrium".
On April 17th Deathvomit Records will release "The Genocide Machine" from Pittsburgh PA’s Grindcore act CIRCLE OF DEAD CHILDREN.
Also out on April 17th will be "Forensick" by Mexico’s leading brutal death band DISGORGE. This American version will feature several bonus tracks not available on the European release and George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fischer of CANNIBAL CORPSE appears on one track as a guest vocalist. Disgorge is playing selected American dates in April, including the infamous Ohio Deathfest.
On the same day "Proclaiming Vengeance", the full-length debut from Brazil’s MENTAL HORROR (feat. ex-KRISIUN drummer Robles Dresch) will hit the streets.
PHOBIA have been signed by Deathvomit Records.
AEON is a new band from Sweden featuring members of DIABOLICUM. Playing homicidal Swedish Death Metal in the vein of GEHENNA, MORBID ANGEL, DEICIDE and CANNIBAL CORPSE, the Deathvomit debut MCD "Dark Order", will be released in the coming months.
On March 20th Baphomet / Deathvomit will release "Ugliness Revealed", the new full-length album from Japan’s DEFILED that should appeal to fans of the technical wizardry of bands like CRYPTOPSY, GORGUTS, VADER & DYING FETUS. Cover art by Wes Benscoter.
THORNSPAWN from Texas have a new Mini CD out entitled, "Empress From the Realms of Blasphemy". It features three brand new tracks, ‘Empress From the Realms of Blasphemy’, ‘Everlasting Siege of the Necrosoldiers’, ‘Master of the Blood Fury’ and a remixed version of the title track. A new full-length should be out in late 2001.
Also newly released on Baphomet/Necropolis is "Fuckhole Armageddon" from Sweden’s OCTINOMOS.
BLOODSTAINED DUSK have just released their second album, entitled "Dirge of Death’s Silence".
After being out of print for a considerable amount of time, DISSECTION‘s "The Past Is Alive" is back in stores again with new artwork.
THE HAUNTED have been awarded a Grammy in the Swedish Grammy Awards which were held this week. The Swedish quintet walked away with the award in the Best Hard Rock Band category, beating off other nominees Entombed, The Hives and Hammerfall. Obviously delighted with the accolade, vocalist, Marco said "we wouldn’t have won the award if it wasn’t for the continued support from our army of fans both in Sweden and across the world, it just goes to show that metal hasn’t died and never will!" The Haunted are currently on tour across Europe with Nile, in support of their second album "The Haunted Made Me Do It", for details of the tour checkout the Earache Website – www.earache.com or use our on tour section.
On March 20, 2001 Necropolis Records will release REQUIEMS OF REVULSION – A TRIBUTE TO CARCASS. Here’s the complete tracklist: 1. Regurgitate – Genital Grinder, 2. Rotten Sound – Reek of Putrefaction, 3. Haemorrhage – Rotten To The Gore, 4. Nasum – Tools of the Trade, 5. Cattle Decapitation – Burnt to a Crisp, 6. Exhumed – Exhume To Consume, 7. Disgorge – Hepatic Tissue Fermentation, 8. Machetazo – Suppuration, 9. General Surgery – Empathological Necroticism, 10. Necrony – Pungent Excruciation, 11. Impaled – Carneous Cacoffiny, 12. Pig Destroyer – Genital Grinder / Regurgitation of Giblets, 13. Vulgar Pigeons – Corporeal Jigsore Quandry, 14. Bodies Lay Broken – Microwaved Uterogestation, 15. Engorged – Swarming Vulgar Mass of Infected Virulency, 16. Dead Infection – Pungent Excruciation, 17. Regurgitate – Psychopathologist
"Choice Cuts" is the title of a new IMPALED release. It features rare tracks, cover songs, and demo versions of material that was featured on last year’s debut effort, "The Dead Shall Dead Remain". This special mid-priced disc contains 13 songs for the price of a mini-CD.
BARNEY GREENWAY, lead vocalist for Napalm Death is overjoyed at the constant comparisons to Motorhead that his band receives. "Everyone says that and I’m quite privileged. Motorhead is my favorite band. All the years that I’ve been into music, I wouldn’t be playing if it wasn’t for them. A lot of bands in our position would have folded by now. We just irritate people and get up their noses because we are traditional hardcore, traditional thrash. We are as we are. We’re like working class kids doing our thing, dressing how we want to, and people don’t like that cause things are very fashion oriented. When a band for example, like Papa Roach, can come up and hit platinum status straightaway, it makes you wonder. But we just kept plugging away. We try not to let things like that bother us. First and foremost, we do it for the music and not the money. At the end of the day, everyone deserves a dignified existence. No one deserves to be fucking poor. Whether you’re a musician, you work in a car factory, whether you’re a cleaner, no one deserves to fucking struggle and suffer. That’s what a lot of people tend to forget. We just carry on doing what we’ve got to do for as long as it lasts or as long as we feel that it’s still appropriate, still relevant."
DESTRUCTION are currently working on new material in preparation for entering Abyss Studios in April. Peter Tägtgren will once again produce. In the mean time, the band will play some South American and Mexican dates in late March.
According to www.digitalmetal.com, DAN SWANÖ is finalizing a vertible laundry list of projects he’s been involved over the past few years. Swanö’s progressive rock band, UNICORN, will release a four CD boxset called, A Recollection Of Worlds. He calls it, "… masterpiece of progressive music." His gothic rock act NIGHTINGALE is now a fully-functional live band, drawing members from MEMORY GARDEN and MOMENTO MORI into the fold. Swanö sings and plays guitar in this project. Nightingale will play locally in Sweden during the months of April and June."The songs we’ve been messing around with in one form or another are: ‘Scarred For Life’, ‘Still In The Dark’, ‘The Game’, ‘Game Over’, ‘Alonely’, ‘Deep Inside Of Nowhere’, ‘Revival’, ‘Steal The Moon’, ‘Nightfall Overture’ and some oldies, ‘Black Tears’, ‘Sacrificed’ and ‘Losing Myself’ and maybe, just maybe ‘Blood Of My Enemies’" said the former EDGE OF SANITY vocalist. "All songs are complete with keyboards and backing vocals, and it sounds extremely well! If nothing fails this line up will also record the next album. There are already two new tracks ready for the rehearsal room and many more in the making! Beware!"
Cogumelo Records have released a compilation entitled "20 Years Of Noise", in celebration of it’s 20 years of activity in extreme music. The tracklisting: SEPULTURA – ‘Troops Of Doom’, OVERDOSE – ‘Violence’, SARCOFAGO – ‘Satanic Lust’, MUTILATOR – ‘Immortal Force’, CHAKAL – ‘Jason Lives’, WITCHHAMMER – ‘My Mirror’, THE MIST – ‘Falling Into My Inner Abyss’, SEXTRASH – ‘Genital Tumor’, VULCANO – ‘Bloody Vengeance’, DORSAL ATLANTICA – ‘Straight’, RATOS DE PORAO – ‘General Crisis’, EMINENCE – ‘Rota’ and SIEGRID INGRID – ‘Murder’. Cogumelo dedicates this compilation to Magoo (Mutilator) and to Osvaldo (Sextrash), who left us too soon.
DYING FETUS, GORGUTS, SKINLESS and THE BERZERKER hit the road in the US beginning March 15 in Albany, NY until April 14 at the New England Metal and Hardcore Fest -Worcester, MA
INTERNAL BLEEDING have signed a three album deal with Olympic Recordings. The band’s next album should be out this Summer
SATYRICON have won the Alarm prize for Best Live Band Of 2000. Frost adds, "We have delightfully received the Alarm prize for Best Norwegian Live Band – 2000. I am happy to state this, since it bears evidence of a magnificent response from our audience – hail to them! And in turn it means that our hard work with the tours and one-off shows has been appreciated and therefore successful."
Moonfog have inked a deal with KHOLD from Norway (they have just recorded their debut, MasterPiss Of Pain) and Italy’s MONUMENTUM. who will release a new album later this year.
HOUWITSER have inked a deal with Osmose. The band now includes a second guitarist, SINISTER’s Alex.
MARDUK‘s new album, La Grande Danse Macabre, will be available on both CD and vinyl LP formats through Regain Records on March 12th.
THORNS will soon release a new album, The Ultimate Manifest, through Moonfog. The album features MAYHEM’s Hellhammer on drums, and vocals from Aldrahn (DHG) and Satyr (SATYRICON), who also co-produced the album.
Century Media will re-issue CRYPTOPSY‘s first two albums, "None So Vile" and "Blasphemy Made Flesh", in the next few months. The band are currently planning a national tour.