.

GORY BLISTER Debuts New Singer At METALFEST URI Festival; Video Available

2009-11-15T04:24:00.000-08:00

GORY BLISTER Debuts New Singer At METALFEST URI Festival; Video Available

Video footage of GORY BLISTER's October 31, 2009 performance at the Metalfest URI festival in Erstfeld, Switzerland. The gig marked the live debut of long-running Italian technical death metal band's new singer, Massimo "Massacre" Graglia (LAETA MORS) who joined GORY BLISTER this autumn.

GORY BLISTER released its latest album, "Graveyard of Angels", in April via Mascot Records. The follow-up to 2006's "Skymorphosis" contains nine tracks that "reach a very technical death metal made with old-school anger," according to the band.

Commented guitarist Raff: "This new record is the natural prosecution of GORY BLISTER's goal to mix old-school aggression, technical skills and progressive music into classic death metal. The sound has acquired a lot more personality; you'll always experience originality both in riffs and lyrics. As for the lyrics, they're written from a point of view inspired by the latest world events. In this concept, fantasy stories usually serve as a metaphor. The lyrics deal with the wickedness in human beings that slowly bring themselves to their own destruction."

DEVILDRIVER To Tour U.S. With SUFFOCATION ?

2009-11-15T04:23:00.001-08:00

DEVILDRIVER To Tour U.S. With SUFFOCATION ?

Santa Barbara, California's DEVILDRIVER will hit the road in the U.S. for a five-week headlining trek from January 7 until February 13. According to singer Dez Fafara, "This tour will be what you've all been asking us to do! 'Put a heavy metal package together!' The bands coming along for the ride are ALL fucking heavy metal bands!"

Although the full lineup for DEVILDRIVER's headlining trek has not yet been announced, THY WILL BE DONE revealed from the stage at this past week's concert in Farmingdale, New York (with MACHINE HEAD) that they will be taking part in the tour, alongside SUFFOCATION and GOATWHORE. It should be noted, however, that this information has not yet been corroborated by an official source and should be treated as a rumor only at this point.

According to a new online post by DEVILDRIVER bassist Jon Miller, the Santa Barbara, California-based metallers have six songs "in the bag" for the group's forthcoming album, which they "are looking to record sooner than later." He added, "We want to go faster and heavier on this one to answer any question on a 'direction' that we may be undertaking."

DEVILDRIVER drummer John Boecklin elaborated further on the status of the songwriting sessions for the band's next CD. Writing on the group's official MySpace blog, Boecklin stated, "On our last record, I would say we stretched as far as we could outside of what we had done in the past, trying new and slower songs with vocal melody like 'It's In The Cards' or the rock like feel of songs like 'Back With A Vengeance' and 'Teach Me To Whisper'. For our latest effort, we feel like musically going for the throat, so to speak.

"Are we gonna make a death metal album? No! We always have a heavy emphasis on groove and hook. That will not change. We just feel we have a certain anger edge about us and the songs we are writing compared to our last one. It will not be rushed and if you are a fan, you will not be let down!!"

DEVILDRIVER is currently on the road in Europe with BEHEMOTH, SCAR SYMMETRY and ARSIS as part of the Neckbreakers Ball Tour.

Video footage of DEVILDRIVER's November 7, 2009 performance in Munich, Germany can be viewed below (courtesy of "eblinternational").

DEVILDRIVER's latest album, "Pray For Villains", sold around 14,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.

DEVILDRIVER's previous CD, 2007's "The Last Kind Words", shifted a little more than 14,000 copies during its first week of release to debut at No. 48 — around 40 percent more than the opening-week number of 2005's "The Fury of Our Maker's Hand", which premiered at No. 177 with sales of 10,400.

"Pray For Villains" was released on July 14 via Roadrunner Records. The effort — which was also made available as a special-edition CD/DVD package featuring three bonus tracks, a behind-the-scenes DVD and expanded artwork — was recorded at Edge of the Earth studios in Los Angeles with producer Logan Mader (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, GOJIRA, DIVINE HERESY).

SACRIFICE To Guest On INDI 101's 'Hellbound Radio'

2009-11-15T04:20:00.000-08:00

SACRIFICE To Guest On INDI 101's 'Hellbound Radio'

Legendary Canadian thrashers SACRIFICE will be interviewed live on the
Sunday, November 15 edition of "Hellbound Radio" on the INDI 101 station. All four members of the band will be present for the chat, which will air live in the greater Hamilton, Ontario, Canada area at 9:00 p.m. EST on 101.5 FM. You can also listen to the program live via the Internet at www.indifm.ca.

"The Ones I Condemn", the new album from SACRIFICE, will be released in Europe on January 22, 2010 via Cyclone Empire Records. The CD, which was made available in July via Brazil's Marquee Records, was recorded at Rouge Valley Studio in Toronto, Ontario with engineer Darius Szczepaniak, who has previously worked with I MOTHER EARTH, SUM 41 and EDWIN, among many others. Guest musicians on the album include Jed Simon (ZIMMERS HOLE, TENET, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, ARMOROS), who "[laid] down a total whammy-bar barrage," and the band's old Scarborough metal comrade Dave Hewson (SLAUGHTER, STRAPPADO), who lent some guest vocals to "The Devil's Martyr".

"The Ones I Condemn" track listing:

01. We Will Prevail
02. The Ones I Condemn
03. Give Me Justice
04. The Great Wall
05. Tetragrammaton
06. Atrocity
07. Hiroshima
08. The Devil's Martyr (feat. Jed Simon and Dave Hewson)
09. Ultimate Power Corrupts
10. Desolation Alive

Bonus tracks (special edition only; limited to 2,000 copies):

11. The Devil's Martyr (Rob Urbinati's vocals)
12. Burned At The Stake (re-recording 2009)
13. The Entity (re-recording 2009)
14. Forever Enslaved (live 2007)
15. Necronomicon (live 2007)

The cover artwork for "The Ones I Condemn" can be viewed below.

Commented guitarist/vocalist Rob Urbinati: "Our recording process was real, so we didn't feel comfortable going too far into the digital realm for the cover. Our old friend, Kurt Bachman from BELIEVER, got us in touch with Michael 'Roz' Rosner, who does nothing but absolutely stunning work. Roz was into letting technology assist in creating art, not take over, and that is the same approach we take to music. Roz can make an image look beautiful, yet ugly; human yet inhuman; all awesome, unique imagery. The Eye Level studio team took our ideas and gave us a great cover."

BENEDICTION: South American Tour Postponed

2009-11-15T04:19:00.001-08:00

BENEDICTION: South American Tour Postponed

Long-running Birmingham, U.K.-based extreme metallers BENEDICTION have been forced to postpone their previously announced South American tour in December due to visa issues. The band says, "We will still definitely be playing there but just need to sort the red-tape bollocks out first."

BENEDICTION's tour of South America was being organized by Open The Road and was to include dates in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru and Colombia. Sitting behind the kit for the tour was to be acclaimed British drummer Nick Barker (CRADLE OF FILTH, DIMMU BORGIR, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, BRUJERIA).

BENEDICTION's latest album, "Killing Music", was released in North America in September 2008 via Locomotive Records. The follow-up to 2001's "Organized Chaos" was produced by ANAAL NATHRAKH mastermind Mick Kenney and features several guest musicians, including Karl Willets (BOLT THROWER), Kelly Shaefer (ATHEIST), Billy Gould (ex-FAITH NO MORE), The Fog (FROST), Markus Staiger (Nuclear Blast Records owner) and Thorsten Zahn from Metal Hammer Germany. A limited-edition version of the album includes two bonus tracks and a DVD.

Video footage of BENEDICTION performing the song "The Grey Man" at the Hellfire II festival on November 7, 2009 at the NEC in Birmingham, England can be viewed below (courtesy of Dave Ingham a.k.a. YouTube user "triptykon")

SHADOW GALLERY Films 'Gold Dust' Video

2009-11-15T04:15:00.000-08:00

SHADOW GALLERY Films 'Gold Dust' Video

SHADOW GALLERY, widely considered a major and innovative force within the realms of progressive rock and metal, recently filmed a video for the song "Gold Dust". Photos from the video shoot can be found at www.shadowgallery.com. The track comes off the group's sixth studio effort, "Digital Ghosts", whcih was released on October 26 in Europe and November 3 in North America via InsideOut Music.

Commented SHADOW GALLERY's Brendt Allman: "'Gold Dust' is one of the first songs that I started writing for this new record. I just loved the D/ B flat/ E progression used in the chorus, then I just built the other parts around that. I knew that it could be a strong chorus and it turned out to be one of the best on the record. I particularly love the simplicity of the chord changes in the second half of the song, riding one note on the guitar in machine gun fashion while having pretty chord changes over the top of it. I love the fact that there are four lead vocalists on that section as well."

After the tragic passing of lead singer Mike Baker in October 2008, SHADOW GALLERY's new CD introduces new vocalist Brian Ashland and not only sees the entire band once again sharing additional vocal duties but also features guest vocal appearances by Ralf Scheepers (PRIMAL FEAR) and Clay Barton (SUSPYRE) to complement the release. With "Digital Ghosts", SHADOW GALLERY's members Brendt Allman, Carl Cadden-James, Gary Wehrkamp, Ashland and returning drummer Joe Nevolo (who appears on two songs of the record) have focused their powerful energies on creating a seamless blend of progressive, metal, and symphonic rock as a transcendent work of musical art that advances the boundaries of these genres into new directions.

In addition to the to the regular CD and digital download version of "Digital Ghosts", there is a very special limited edition digipack released in Europe with expanded and slightly modified artwork as well as four special bonus tracks:

"Digital Ghosts" limited European digipack track listing:

01. With Honor
02. Venom
03. Pain
04. Gold Dust
05. Strong
06. Digital Ghost
07. Haunted
08. Two Shadows *
09. Gold Dust (Demo) *
10. In Your Window *
11. World Of Fantasy (Demo) *

* Bonus tracks

"Two Shadows" is a partly upgraded version of the Japan bonus track from the previous album "Room V", featuring vocals by former vocalist Mike Baker, who tragically passed away in October 2008. "Gold Dust (Demo)" features vocals by Carl-Cadden James, "In Your Window" is an A capella version of vocal harmonies of the album song "Digital Ghost", and "World Of Fantasy (Demo)" is a non-album song, also featuring vocals by Mike Baker.

SHADOW GALLERY lineup (pictured below from left to right):

* Brendt Allman - Electric & Acoustic guitars, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
* Carl Cadden-James - Bass Guitar and Vocals
* Gary Wehrkamp - Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals and Drums
* Brian Ashland - Lead Vocals, Guitar
* Joe Nevolo - Drums

SLIPKNOT Singer Weds In Las Vegas

2009-11-15T04:11:00.000-08:00

SLIPKNOT Singer Weds In Las Vegas

According to People.com, SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor married Stephanie Luby this past Friday (November 13) at Las Vegas's Palms Hotel, where the wedding party walked down the aisle to METALLICA's "For Whom The Bell Tolls". 350 wedding guests packed the hotel's Pearl Concert Theater, including SUGAR RAY's Mark McGrath, as well as CAMP FREDDY's Dave Navarro and Billy Morrison, who acted as the minister. The rockers then all took the stage, and even the groom joined in on three songs.

This is Taylor's second marriage.

Taylor, 35, has two children: A daughter named Angie, born in 1992, and a son named Griffin, born in 2002, whom he had with his first wife, Scarlett.

Taylor divorced Scarlett — whom he married on March 11, 2004 in a small ceremony at the Botanical center in Des Moines, Iowa — in early 2007. In the November 2008 issue of Revolver magazine, he is quoted as saying, "After I got sober, I realized my relationship wasn't right for me. My wife and I had damaged each other too much."

Video footage of Corey and Stephanie Luby during a recent appearance on the nationally syndicated "Loveline" radio show with hosts Stryker and Dr. Drew Pinsky can be viewed below

NEW STUFF ON OCTOBER 2009....GET IT NOW...!!!

2009-11-05T22:14:00.000-08:00

NEW STUFF ON OCTOBER 2009....GET IT NOW...!!!

DEADSQUAD "Terror...." TS
Available size : (S),(M),(L),(XL)...

DEATH VOMIT "Flesh and Blood" TS
Available size : (M),(L)..

DEATH VOMIT "Hatred Creation" TS
Available size : (M),(L)

SERINGAI "Vold" TS
Available size : (S),(M),(L),(XL)

SIKSAKUBUR "Pencerahan..." TS
Available size : (S),(M),(L),(XL),(XXL)

STRAIGHT OUT "Black Chapter diary"
Available size : (S),(M),(L)..

Price :
Indonesia : Rp.95.000,- (Belum termasuk ongkos kirim)
Worldwide : US$ 23 (Including postage)

www.theeyemerch.com
www.myspace.com/theeyestore
www.facebook.com/theeyemerch

Sms or Call : 0815 989 3322
Email : theeye_music@yahoo.com

konser SEPULTURA diundur

2009-11-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

Konser SEPULTURA yang seharusnya dilaksanakan pada jumat 4 Desember 2009 diundur ke bulan februari / awal maret 2010 ,hal ini disebabkan karena 2 negara asia membatalkan show SEPULTURA dibulan desember tersebut, management SEPULTURA akan segera memberikan tanggal pasti setelah mereka konfirm dengan INDIA secepatnya,dan segera meng upload berita tersebut via web resmi SEPULTURA dan www.lianmipro.com

kami mohon maaf atas ketidaknyamanan ini, untuk itu PRE SALE tiket SEPULTURA kami perpanjang s/d 15 Januari 2010...

Ticket Box bisa didapatkan:

DapurLetter.com
0856 92336522 / 021-978 50703 (Irmalida)

Jagal New T-shirt !!

2009-11-05T21:10:00.000-08:00

Jagal New T-shirt !!

More Info at
www.emtma.com

Hot News From Rottrevore Records !!!

2009-11-05T20:53:00.000-08:00

New T-shirt From Panic Disorder

2009-10-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

New T-shirt From Panic Disorder

More Info
http://www.myspace.com/emtmaofficialcenter

News From Be'lakor

2009-10-23T05:54:00.000-07:00

Firstly, cheers for your ongoing support. Stone’s Reach has been out for a few months now, and the feedback has been incredible! The hours upon hours of work during Jan / Feb / March of this year through the recording and mixing process have more than been made up for by the response from the fans out there who are enjoying the music. So, thanks! \m/

Over the next month, keep an eye out for some cool Be’lakor stuff in various press and media sources. Germany’s Legacy Magazine will be publishing an interview with us, and there will be a review in Metal Hammer Magazine. You might also have seen that we recently had “Aspect” featured on a Terrorizer compilation CD, and an edited version of “From Scythe to Sceptre” on a Legacy Magazine compilation. To fill the time while you wait for the Legacy Interview to surface, you can read a recent interview that we did with Masterful Magazine
here: http://masterful-magazine.com/wywiad.php?wyw=656
A further interview will soon be appearing at www.metalreview.com

Anyway, onto other matters – for those of you in or near Melbourne, there is a massive gig coming up. It will probably be our last gig for several months, unless something unexpected happens.

Details:

Saturday October 31st – The Espy – with The Berzerker. \m/
More info on the gig, along with the poster, can be found here:
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/belakor/536384-belakor-berzerker-saturday-october-31st-m.html

Last, but definitely not least – there is about to be some really good news regarding labels, which will be especially relevant to our European fans! So stay tuned. In the next newsletter we will hopefully have that confirmed for you, with a full announcement just about ready to go.

Until then, thanks again, and hopefully we’ll see those of you who live close enough at our Halloween show at The Espy in a week and a bit!

Current line-up
George Kosmas - Vocals, Guitar (Dark Earth (Aus), Rainshadow (live))
Shaun Sykes - Guitar
John Richardson - Bass
Steve Merry - Keyboards, Samples
Jimmy Vanden Broeck - Drums (Rainshadow (live))

Inhumate re-issue of our last album "The Fifth Season" in folder LP

2009-10-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

Inhumate re-issue of our last album "The Fifth Season" in folder LP

The release of INHUMATE 5th album "The Fifth Season" in folder LP is available. For any information about it please write to

gysc@free.fr

www.inhumate.com
www.myspace.com/inhumate
inhumategrind@wanadoo.fr

Serial Butcher - A Crash Course in Cranium Crushing Released On 2010

2009-10-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

Serial Butcher - A Crash Course in Cranium Crushing Released On 2010

Serial Butcher debut entitled "A Crash Course in Cranium Crushing" on Unique Leader Records. "A relentless, blistering killing machine has been resurrected from the darkest depths of mankind, ready to evoke a new assault upon the realm of European death metal. Drilled to kill with there brutal pummeling grooves, fast paced artillery, melodic approach and yet obstructive dissonance that will arrest your mind! ". The Album was recorded at famed Berno Studios in Sweden by Henrik Larsson (Amon Amarth, The Haunted, God Dethroned, Deranged, Driller Killer, Vomitory, ...) for a crystal clear yet powerful final result.

The sophomore release really shows the progression in the band with killer musicianship and arrangements which keeps the listener eager to hear what's next.

Current line-up
Kurt Monie - Vocals (Ectopia (Bel))
Kenneth Keysers - Guitars (Acephalous, Steengruis, Morrigu (Bel), Time Out (Bel), Earection)
Koen Vangoethem - Bass (Bloodfart)
Nico - Drums

Arkaik - Reflection within dissonance Released on 2010

2009-10-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

Arkaik - Reflection within dissonance Released on 2010

The highly anticipated, long awaited debut from California based Arkaik is here!
ARKAIK was formed in 2004 by Chance Strickland (guitars) and Jared Christianson (vocals) with the intention of creating innovative and creative death metal to take extreme music to the next level. After various lineup changes, at Corona's Showcase Theater they met Eric Cohen (bass guitar/backing vocals), who now also contributes to the writing process. They began the search for another guitar player that shared the same vision as them.

The band later found Craig Peters (Lead guitars/backing vocals), who fit the position perfectly by adding various guitar harmonies and his own style to the musical composition. After a rotating door of drummers, they met current drummer Keith Roylance, who's attitude and drumming ability brought the band to a whole new level
In early 2009 the band released a promo with their current line up. Just a couple of months later the band signed a 2 album deal with Unique Leader Records. Since then, the band has been more motivated then ever, getting slots for such shows as The LA Murderfest and The Summer Slaughter date in Anaheim. Since then, Arkaik has shared the stage with bands such as Dying Fetus, Decrepit Birth, Necrophagist, Suffocation and much more.

In July the band entered SeahorseSound Studios with engineer Samur Khouja to begin recording their debut album "Reflections Within Dissonance". The album was then mastered by Stefano Morabito of 16th Cellar Studios. The album consists of 10 tracks that blend brutality, technical fret work, sophisticated lyrics, creative bass lines, memorable grooves, powerful vocals, solos and much more! Expect big things from Arkaik who will definitely leave their mark in the technical/progressive metal scene. .

Current line-up
Jared Christiansen - Vocals
Chance Strickland - Lead, backing vocals
Eric Cohen - Bass
Keith Roylance - Drums

Sarcolytic - Thee Arcane Progeny 2009 On Unique Leader Records

2009-10-23T05:39:00.000-07:00

Sarcolytic - Thee Arcane Progeny 2009 On Unique Leader Records

This Sophomore release from Sarcolytic along with it's brilliant concept ideas has hit new grounds on writing for a fresh must hear sound. Extremely thought out and memorable guitar work, additional back up vocals by famed Luc Lemay(Gorguts), drums by well known Ricky Meyers(Disgorge) and vocals by Jon Zig(Images of Violence). A must have for consumers of all forms of metal

Current line-up
Mark Denton - Bass (Images of Violence)
Ricky Myers - Drums (Disgorge (US), Cinerary)
Steven Watkins - Guitar (Sect of Execration, Images of Violence, Malthusia)
Jon Zig - Vocals (Images of Violence)

Deeds of Flesh will announce new 2nd vocalist end of November

2009-10-23T05:37:00.000-07:00

Deeds of Flesh will announce new 2nd vocalist end of November

Flesh Consumed Now signing with Unique Leader Records

2009-10-23T05:28:00.000-07:00

Flesh Consumed Now signing with Unique Leader Records

Current line-up
Corey Athos - Guitar, Vocals (Lacerated (US), Umbriel)
Julian Mondragon - Lead/Rhythm Guitar
José Palacios - Vocals
Mathosimus Athonosopoleus II - Bass
Ian Robinson - Session Drums

We are pleased to welcome from Poland Deivos to the ever growing army of Unique Leader bands. Poland has produced some of the best extreme metal in the scene today and Deivos is no exception. Here is a statement from the band.
"We've always had great respect for Unique Leader Records as an excellent label that puts out quality death metal, so we are extremely proud to join the league of Unique Leader bands! We're sure that with the support from Erik and his crew we will be able to get our music across and make Deivos a recognizable name to extreme metal fans worldwide. All of us are looking forward to a great cooperation with Unique Leader, starting with the release of our second album, Gospel Of Maggots in February 2010. Keep an eye for this onslaught of relentless death metal!"

Official Band Site
www.myspace.com/fleshconsumed

Deivos Now signing with Unique Leader Records

2009-10-23T05:25:00.000-07:00

Deivos Now signing with Unique Leader Records

We are pleased to welcome from Poland Deivos to the ever growing army of Unique Leader bands. Poland has produced some of the best extreme metal in the scene today and Deivos is no exception. Here is a statement from the band.
"We've always had great respect for Unique Leader Records as an excellent label that puts out quality death metal, so we are extremely proud to join the league of Unique Leader bands! We're sure that with the support from Erik and his crew we will be able to get our music across and make Deivos a recognizable name to extreme metal fans worldwide. All of us are looking forward to a great cooperation with Unique Leader, starting with the release of our second album, Gospel Of Maggots in February 2010. Keep an eye for this onslaught of relentless death metal!"

Current line-up
Jaros³aw Pieñko - Bass, Vocals (Abusiveness)
Tomasz Ko³con - Guitar (Confusion, Engraved (Pol), Death Certificate (Pol))
Mscislaw - Guitar (Eclipse (Pol), Engraved (Pol) (Session), Profundis, Pripegal, Ulcer (Pol), Blaze of Perdition, Blasphemy Rites, Abusiveness)
Krzysztof Saran - Drums (Abusiveness, Eclipse (Pol), Squash Bowels, Engraved (Pol) (Session))

Official Band site

http://www.myspace.com/deivos
http://www.deivos.metal.pl

THE RED CHORD Frontman To Guest On 'Metal Messiah Radio'

2009-10-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

THE RED CHORD Frontman To Guest On 'Metal Messiah Radio'

Current line-up
Guy Kozowyk - Vocals
Mike "Gunface" McKenzie - Guitar, vocals (Beyond the Sixth Seal, Nyarlathotep (US)/Stomach Earth)
Gregory Weeks - Bass (Beyond the Sixth Seal, Nyarlathotep (US)/Stomach Earth)
Brad Fickeisen - Drums (Eviscerate)

Vocalist Guy Kozowyk of Boston, Massachusetts metallers THE RED CHORD will be interviewed on Metal Messiah Radio tonight (Tuesday, October 20) between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. EST.

You can listen to the program live via the Internet at this location.

THE RED CHORD will release its fourth full-length album, "Fed Through the Teeth Machine", on October 27 in the U.S. via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded at Jonny Fay Backyard Studios, which is owned by the band's former guitarist Jonny Fay, and it was mixed and mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with HATEBREED and SHADOWS ALL, among others.

The track listing for the album is as follows:

01. Demoralizer
02. Hour Of Rats
03. Hymns And Crippled Anthems
04. Embarrassment Legacy
05. Tales Of Martyrs And Disappearing Acts
06. Floating Through The Vein
07. Ingest The Ash
08. One Robot To Another
09. Mouthful Of Precious Stones
10. The Ugliest Truth
11. Face Area Solution
12. Sleepless Nights In The Compound

The song "One Robot To Another" is now available for streaming at MetalInjection.net.

Regarding the new album title, Kozowyk told Revolver magazine, "It's from the Discovery Channel show 'How It's Made'. They were talking about this machine they feed zippers through, but we just though the name was creepy."

The disc will be the band's first since the mid-2007 departure of Faye, whom the group chose not to replace. "With the economy being so bad, we figured it was time to downsize," Kozowyk said, only half-joking. "Writing as a four-piece is actually more efficient because there's one less opinion you have to deal with."

According to Kozowyk, the new songs are more intense and mature than those on 2007's "Prey for Eyes". "It's faster and heavier, but it's definitely groove-oriented and melodic where it needs to be," he said.

EVILE Guitarist To Perform With DESTRUCTION In Honor Of Fallen Bassist

2009-10-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

EVILE Guitarist To Perform With DESTRUCTION In Honor Of Fallen Bassist

German thrash titans DESTRUCTION will dedicate their set at Damnation festival in Leeds, U.K. to EVILE bassist Mike Alexander, who tragically passed away on October 5, 2009 while on tour in Sweden.

The festival will take place at Leeds University Union this Saturday, October 24.

EVILE lead guitarist Ol Drake will make a guest appearance on guitar with DESTRUCTION, to play some of Mike's favorite DESTRUCTION tracks with the band.

Ol Drake recently filled in on guitar for DESTRUCTION at Portugal's Caos Emergente festival.

Ol Drake comments: "Mike was a huge DESTRUCTION fan. It'll be a great way to pay tribute to him by jamming some of his favorite DESTRUCTION songs with Schmier, Marc and Mike.

"Throughout playing with EVILE, Mike was always cautiously calm about exciting things. 'Mike, we're touring with MEGADETH!' 'Oh, cool'. 'Mike, we're touring with EXODUS!' 'Oh, cool'. I just knew he jumped around like a child when he got home, but when I called him to say I'm playing a show with DESTRUCTION in Portugal he went 'OH MY GOD!!!!!!! WHOAAAA, you bastard! Wow!'"

"I got to pass on one of Schmier's picks from him to Mike before the last tour and it made his day.

"Thank you to DESTRUCTION for wanting to dedicate their next set to Mike and for letting me jam some songs in his honor."

DESTRUCTION bassist and vocalist Schmier comments: "Ol Drake became a very close friend to the band since he helped us out after the broken finger affair.

"When I heard that Mike Alexander died, I was speechless and shocked. I had to sit down.

"The world never was a fair place. This again was a situation that shows how fast everything can be over and out.

"Mike Alexander was such a positive and funny guy, his band on the way to the top, a fucking shame and a tragedy.

"EVILE and DESTRUCTION thought it would be a cool thing to dedicate the DESTRUCTION gig in Leeds this weekend at the Damnation festival to Mike Alexander. We will jam his fave DESTRUCTION tunes with Ol on the second guitar. We are sure Mike would have loved this — a memorable way for us to remember a lost friend!

"Rock in peace, brother!"

DESTRUCTION will play on the Jagermeister stage at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, at Damnation festival, Leeds.

EVILE will be unveiling a tribute site to Mike Alexander shortly and will welcome comments, memories and photos. Donations are welcome for Mike's children and family via www.ukthrash.co.uk courtesy of UKthrash.co.uk and Wiseblood Management.

3 INCHES OF BLOOD To Play Tribute Show For Former Bassist

2009-10-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

3 INCHES OF BLOOD To Play Tribute Show For Former Bassist

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada metallers 3 INCHES OF BLOOD have scheduled a special headlining show in memory of their fallen friend and ex-bass player Brian Redman. This event is set for Saturday, November 7 at Hell's Kitchen in Tacoma, Washington.

Commented the band: "We are happy to be paying tribute to our lost friend and former bandmate, Brian Redman. This show is about honoring Brian's memory and celebrating his life. We want everyone to enjoy this show, have fun and remember the good we all had with Brian because he always knew how to have a good time and we're confident that he would have wanted it that way."

Show details:

Saturday, November 7
Hell's Kitchen
3829 6th Avenue
Tacoma, WA

Openers: THE JET CITY FIX, GLIMPSE

Redman died on September 26 in a motor vehicle accident near his home in Tacoma, Washington.

3 INCHES OF BLOOD previously stated about Redman, "Brian was an outgoing and charismatic person who was great friends with most people he met. We couldn't help but smile or laugh when he was around. He had such a likable personality but also had a knack for putting serious things into perspective.

"While in the band, Brian played a big part. He joined the band shortly after signing a big record deal, and endured the turmoil that followed after recording our 'Advance and Vanquish' album. For a time, the band's future was uncertain, but Brian was unwavering in his desire to play this music with us. He was loved by many and enjoyed life to the fullest.

"Goodbye, Brian, our fallen brother. You will be greatly missed."

According to Weekly Volcano's "Spew" blog, Redman recently returned to Tacoma after living in Southern California for a short stint.

Before he left for California, he tended bar at Doyle's Public House in Tacoma and fronted the rock band the DIRTY KNOCKERS.

"We have lost a friend, family member, lover, musician and all-around good person," posted Doyle's Public House co-owner Russ Heaton on his bar's web site.

Brian Redman was in 3 INCHES OF BLOOD between 2004 and 2006 and appeared on the band's 2004 album, "Advance and Vanquish" (Roadrunner).

KARMA TO BURN To Release Live DVD In December

2009-10-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

KARMA TO BURN To Release Live DVD In December

Current line-up
William Mecum - Vocals, Guitars
Rich Mullins - Bass
Rob Oswald - Drums (Nebula (US), Mondo Generator)

In anticipation of their forthcoming "Live 2009 - Reunion Tour" DVD on Napalm, resurrected instrumental metal pioneers KARMA TO BURN are embarking upon a handful of exclusive U.S. dates across the Midwest and East Coast.

A cult band with an extensive, highly cherished back catalog, KARMA TO BURN reunited earlier this year after laying dormant for most of the decade and soon embarked upon a reunion tour, including a coveted spot at this year's Download festival. All this action is captured on the "Live 2009 - Reunion Tour" DVD, to be released domestically on December 15 by Napalm Records, the band's new label home.

KARMA TO BURN's confirmed dates:

Oct. 22 - Mechaniscsburg, PA - West Shore Hardware Bar
Oct. 23 - Columbus, OH - Ravari Room
Oct. 24 - Richmond, VA - Canal Club
Oct. 25 - Jacksonville, NC - Hooligans
Oct. 27 - Fayetteville, NC - Jester`s Pub
Oct. 28 - Greensboro, NC - Greene Street Club
Oct. 29 - Asheville, NC - Stella Blue
Oct. 30 - Huntington, WV - V Club
Oct. 31 - Morgantown, WV - 123 Pleasant St.

More touring is expected before the year's out, and next year a new studio album is expected.

Quality video footage (three-camera mix) of KARMA TO BURN's April 18, 2009 concert at the Ravari in Columbus, Ohio can be viewed below (clip shot and uploaded by Digitallive).

KARMA TO BURN split in 2002 after Rich Mullins left to join Texas aggro-rockers SPEEDEALER.

KARMA TO BURN consists of guitarist Will Mecum (TREASURE CAT), bassist Rich "Dickie" Mullins (YEAR LONG DISASTER) and drummer Rob Oswald (NEBULA).

For more information
www.myspace.com/karmatoburn

ABSU Deluxe Edition Of Self-Titled Album To Include Bonus DVD

2009-10-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

ABSU Deluxe Edition Of Self-Titled Album To Include Bonus DVD

Current line-up
Proscriptor McGovern (Russley Randell Givens) - Vocals, Drums (1992- ) (Karnage, Melechesh, Magus, Equimanthorn (US), Ossuarist, Magnus Thorsen, Judas Iscariot, Blood Storm, Roller)
Aethyris MacKay (Shandy Mckay) - Guitar, Bass, Analog Synthesizers, Backing Vocals (2007- ) (Infernal Oak)
Vis Crom - Guitar (2009- )
Ezezu (Paul Williamson) - Bass, Vocals (2008- ) (Panzram)

Candlelight Records has announced the upcoming release of a special deluxe version of ABSU's popular self-titled album. Set for American release January 26, the limited-edition format will include a bonus live DVD that was filmed in Montreal amidst the band's first Stateside tour in nearly eight years.

The band recently kicked off a European tour, with support coming from Norwegian label mates PANTHEON I, Australia/England's RAZOR OF OCCAM (featuring members of DESTROYER 666), and American-based ZOROASTER, bringing their highly regarded and self-described "mythological occult metal" to stages for their long-time European fans.

Released in February of this year, the J.T. Longoria-produced (KING DIAMOND, SOLITUDE AETERNUS) produced "Absu" features the trio with an all-star array of guest musicians and showcases the unique graphics of Belgian artist Kris Verwimp. It is the first album from the band released via England's Candlelight Records, all previous records released by French independent Osmose Productions. In its first month of release, the record was pressed three times as fans rushed out to buy the record which held the number two spot on CMJ's (College Music Journal) Loud Rock chart for three consecutive weeks.

Prior to the start of rehearsals for the ongoing European tour, ABSU announced the addition of session lead guitarist Vis Crom (pronounced "Vish Krahm") to the group's ranks. He replaces Zawicizuz, who was recently dismissed due to irreconcilable differences. Drummer/vocalist Proscriptor said of the replacement, "We are extremely thrilled to welcome Vis Crom as the newest touring musician of ABSU. He has proven to be a conquering performer and we're delighted to convey our next live chapters with him."

Quality video footage of the ABSU's July 25, 2009 performance at the Stonehenge "underground metal festival" at De Buze in Steenwijk, The Netherlands can be viewed below (courtesy of "letthedeathmetalflow").

CENTURY MEDIA Positions Itself For The Future

2009-10-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

CENTURY MEDIA Positions Itself For The Future

Century Media has been a brand name that has been synonymous with heavy metal for the past 20 years. The company is announcing new appointments that will position itself for aggressive growth in the next decade by bringing on Don Robertson as president; Mike Gitter as VP of A&R; and Marc Schapiro as marketing/product manager for the company's InsideOut Music and Superball imprints.

Commented Century Media CEO Oliver Withöft: "The world as we know it will change dramatically within the next two years. We at Century Media are looking forward to change. It will set a couple of things right that went way out of line in our industry over the past decade. Embracing these changes with an outstanding team will be even more fun and rewarding. These new appointments also kick off a business development initiative intended to extend the Century Media brand."

Don Robertson will oversee all aspects of the company's USA operation as president, bringing twenty years of industry expertise spanning management, label and publishing. He states, "I'm proud and excited to join the extremely talented staff at Century Media in this role. For 20 years they have been at the forefront of the metal community and continue to break new barriers. The record business is in exciting times where you must be innovative, smart and hungry to survive. Century Media is all that and more. This is the company to watch!"

Mike Gitter brings a track record of vision and accomplishment as part of Atlantic and Roadrunner Records, having garnered gold level successes with projects including BAD RELIGION, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and "MTV Headbangers Ball" compilation. He also signed such genre titans as MEGADETH, DRAGONFORCE, OPETH, GLASSJAW and NIGHTWISH.

States Gitter, "Not only am I becoming part of Century Media's legacy, but I'm also becoming part of what is guaranteed to be its most exciting chapter yet. It's a rare moment in a label's history where vision and know-how come together — that's the Century Media of now. This is the company that's going to surprise not merely the metal industry but the music industry at large in the next couple years."

Marc Schapiro has joined on as marketing/product manager for InsideOut Music and Superball imprints while also working with Century Media as a whole for new business development and marketing. Marc brings the resources of his company, Branch Marketing Collective, which focuses on sponsorship and event marketing.

States Schapiro: "I couldn't be more excited to be part of the InsideOut Music, Superball Music and the whole Century Media family. They are some of the most forward-thinking labels in this new era of the music business, and have an amazing team in place that I'm psyched to be a part of. Most importantly, I am looking forward to bringing bigger and more innovative opportunities to some of my favorite artists of all time like DEVIN TOWNSEND, KING'S X and OCEANSIZE."

Throughout the past 20 years, Century Media has been working with some of the scene's greatest musicians turning many into household names. CM has stood resolutely through the ups and downs of continually changing economic and political markets and shifting tides in consumer tastes. It is proud of its leadership in the hard music scene; a banner for the valuable art form and means of expression. Despite all of the years and breakthroughs the company maintains their organic, family feel and business is still being conducted by fans of the music for fans of the music.

MÖTLEY CRÜE: BEST BUY Version Of 'Greatest Hits' To Include 'Crüe Fest 2' Documentary DVD

2009-10-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

MÖTLEY CRÜE: BEST BUY Version Of 'Greatest Hits' To Include 'Crüe Fest 2' Documentary DVD

Current line-up
Vince Neil - Vocals (1981-92, 1997- ) (Rock Candi)
Mick Mars - Guitars (1981- ) (Whitehorse (US), Hear 'n Aid)
Nikki Sixx - Bass (1981- ) (Sister, London, 58, Brides of Destruction, Sixx A.M.)
Tommy Lee - Drums, Piano (1981-1998, 2004-2007, 2008-) (Methods of Mayhem, The Dudes of Wrath, Rockstar Supernova)

MÖTLEY CRÜE will release another "greatest-hits" collection, suitably titled "Greatest Hits", on November 17 via Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records.

Best Buy will feature an exclusive CD/DVD package of the new collection with a 20-minute behind-the-scenes documentary filmed at "Crüe Fest 2", the sophomore outing of the band's summer festival tour.

The track listing for the package is as follows:

01. Too Fast for Love
02. Shout at the Devil
03. Looks that Kill
04. Too Young to Fall in Love
05. Smokin' in the Boys Room
06. Home Sweet Home
07. Wild Side
08. Girls, Girls, Girls
09. Dr. Feelgood
10. Kickstart My Heart
11. Same 'Ol Situation
12. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
13. Without You
14. Primal Scream
15. Sick Love Song
16. Afraid
17. If I Die Tomorrow
18. Saints of Los Angeles
19. The Animal In Me (Remix)

The "The Animal In Me" remix is now available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

CRÜE performed its classic 1989 album, "Dr. Feelgood", in its entirety on Crüe Fest 2 to celebrate the record's 20th anniversary.

Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records re-released "Dr. Feelgood" on September 21.

Originally issued on September 1, 1989, "Dr. Feelgood" reached #1 on the Billboard chart and went on to sell more than seven million copies worldwide. The title track reached No. 7 on the Hot 100 and earned the band their first two Grammy nominations (Best Hard Rock Performance: "Dr Feelgood" in 1989 and "Kickstart My Heart" in 1990). Twenty years later, the band was nominated for another Grammy Award and is celebrating its hit album "Saints of Los Angeles" on an arena tour of the U.S.

"Dr. Feelgood" was released as a deluxe version incorporating two CDs. The original version of "Dr. Feelgood" on one CD, and on the other a smorgasbord of delights! — four original demos from the "Dr. Feelgood" sessions, four tracks recorded live when the band played in Russia, plus a remix of "Get It For Free".

NATRON's 'Rot Among Us' Now Available

2009-10-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

NATRON's 'Rot Among Us' Now Available

Italian death metallers NATRON have just released their sixth studio album, "Rot Among Us", via Slovakia's Metal Age Productions. The CD was recorded between March and April 2008 at the Golem Dungeon Studios in Bari-Capurso with Ottavio Marzo (GOLEM guitarist) as engineer and co-producer and was mixed in August 2008.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Rot Among us
02. Dead Beat
03. Bullet of God
04. Prime Cuts
05. Heads Are Rolling
06. Enthroned in Repulsion
07. Only Living Witness
08. Planet Corpse
09. Roadkill
10. The Infection Theme
11. Backyard Graveyard

According to a press release, "Rot Among Us" "stands proud on his own amazing fury, always faithful to the original band formula. The psycothic rifferama of the riffmaster Domenico Mele finds here a fertile ground.

"The new tracks are even more song-like structured, an armed assault still built on Max Marzocca's blastbeats and earthshaking double bass and young talent Alyosha Danisi's crushing bass-notes, somewhere complex somewhere straight in the face, but the whole album mood is fuckin rotten, nihilist and dark.

"Production is massively clean and yet with a modern flavour supplying a new powerful definition and even when the band speeds up the whole instruments sound remains surgically tight and clear while eerie and disturbing Tardy/OBITUARY-esque vocals spit forth the lyrics all focused on 'the end of this world' topics."

"'Rot Among Us', armed with its power load of 11 tracks of death/grind fury, calls into question man's fragile hopes: religion, politics, future of mankind, creating a nightmare of death/grind armageddon. Vocals are raw and painful, the new vocalist Nicola Bavaro put all his efforts into growling and shouting off the world outside the NATRON own apocalypitic manifesto.

"Always influenced by certain '80s thrash metal ala CORONER, VOIVOD and SLAYER and by the uncompromising brutality of death/grind '90s masters like NAPALM DEATH, TERRORIZER, SUFFOCATION and ENTOMBED, NATRON are legendary purveyors of a unique blend in the world's extreme scene. This is their most accomplished and focused album to date: uncompromised death metal brutality with a even more thrashin' and grindin' edge, rotting vocals and venomous lyrics."

Video footage of NATRON performing the new song "Bullet Of God" on December 28, 2008 at ZsaZsa Mon Amour in Palermo, Italy can be viewed below.

NATRON's current lineup:

Nicola Bavaro (CRUENTUS, SCHIZO, GLACIAL FEAR) - Vocals
Domenico Mele - Guitar
Alyosha Danisi (EXHUMER) - Bass
Max Marzocca - Drums

For more information, visit
www.myspace.com/natronband

SLAYER: 30-Second Audio Samples Of Entire New Album Available

2009-10-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

SLAYER: 30-Second Audio Samples Of Entire New Album Available

30-second, reduced-quality audio samples of all the tracks that appear on SLAYER's upcoming album, "World Painted Blood", can be streamed on Amazon.fr. They are also available in the YouTube clip below.

The official CD-release and listening party for "World Painted Blood" will be held on Friday, October 30 at Duff's Brooklyn in Williamsburg, New York beginning at 9:00 p.m. Free "World Painted Blood" merchandise and autographed copies of the best-selling Decibel magazine to date — the SLAYER issue — will be given away at the 21-and-over event, for which there is no cover.

The address is:

Duff's Brooklyn
168 Marcy Avenue (between S 5th & Broadway)
Williamsburg, New York

For more information, visit www.duffsbrooklyn.com.

"World Painted Blood" is scheduled for release on November 3 via American Recordings. The CD will initially ship with four special collector's edition covers. Each of the four covers will display one-fourth of a provocative continental map illustrated with human skulls and bones; when placed together, the four images form a complete and grisly map of the world.

All four of the initial CD packages will include a special blood-red, see-through top panel with the map displayed beneath it.

"World Painted Blood" track listing:

01. World Painted Blood
02. Unit 731
03. Snuff
04. Beauty Through Order
05. Hate Worldwide
06. Public Display Of Dismemberment
07. Human Strain
08. Americon
09. Psychopathy Red
10. Playing With Dolls
11. Not Of This God

"World Painted Blood" was recorded in Los Angeles over two time periods, during October 2008 and then between late January and March 2009. The CD was produced by Greg Fidelman, who's spent time in the studio with METALLICA, THE GOSSIP, THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY, SLIPKNOT and others, and executive-produced by longtime SLAYER colleague Rick Rubin, who suggested Fidelman for the project.

ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY: 'The Reign Of Darkness' Track Listing Revealed

2009-10-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY: 'The Reign Of Darkness' Track Listing Revealed

Current line-up
"Sewer Mouth" Steve Regan (aka The Big Fucking Meat) - Vocals (Vileape, Humanexcretor, These Bloody Hands)
Jamie "Chinstrap" Sweeny (aka FBD) - Guitar (Vileape)
Sam Dawkins - Guitar
Sean Hynes - Bass (Crepitation, Ingested, Decrepit Womb)

"The Reign Of Darkness", the new album from the U.K.-based death metal act ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY, is scheduled for release in January 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records worldwide (excluding the U.K. where it will be made available through Siege Of Amida Records).

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. And So It Begins...
02. In Snakes I Bathe
03. Born Dead
04. Bone Crown (feat. Erik Rutan)
05. Emptiness
06. Catastrophic Hybridization
07. VII: The Horror, The Destruction...
08. Impale The Sun
09. Portrait Of Souls
10. Cryogenica
11. Into The Black Slumber

The cover artwork by Pär Olofsson (THE FACELESS, PSYCROPTIC, SPAWN OF POSSESSION) can be viewed below.

"The Reign Of Darkness" was recorded at Foel Studio in Wales and was engineered by Chris Fielding. The CD was mixed by Erik Rutan (HATE ETERNAL, MORBID ANGEL, CANNIBAL CORPSE) at Mana Recording Studio in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Commented the band: "Well, it's been a long time in the making but 'The Reign of Darkness' is finally finished. We can't wait for you guys to hear this album and we know you'll love it. We're also very honoured that our good friend and total all-round nice guy and legend Erik Rutan worked on this with us and contributed vocals to the track 'Bone Crown'."

The U.K. version of "The Reign Of Darkness" will include a special bonus DVD, limited to 1,000 copies only.

Drummer Lyn Jeffs recently quit ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY in order to focus on his other band, INGESTED. A replacement skinsman has not yet been announced

ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY's debut album, "Before The Throne Of Infection", will be released in North America via Earache Records. The LP will first be made available digitally on iTunes on November 3 before getting a physical release in the New Year with a bonus DVD. The album has been licensed from U.K. metal label Siege Of Amida Records and was first released in the USA by Ferret/Siege Of Amida Records in 2008.

MORTAL SIN: South American Tour Dates Announced

2009-10-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

MORTAL SIN: South American Tour Dates Announced

Veteran Australian thrashers MORTAL SIN will embark on a tour of South America in November. Confirmed dates are as follows:

Nov. 19 - Santiago, Chile - [to be announced]
Nov. 20 - Lima, Peru - Auditorio Diamante
Nov. 21 - Cuzco, Peru - Estadio Diego Quispe Titto
Nov. 22 - Arequipa, Peru - La Roca
Nov. 24 - Guayaquil, Ecuador - Soho Pub
Nov. 25 - Loja, Ecuador - Casa Tinku
Nov. 26 - Cuenca, Ecuador - Guitarras de San Blas
Nov. 27 - Quito, Ecuador - La Bunga
Nov. 28 - Bogota, Colombia - Teatro Metropol
Nov. 29 - Medellin, Colombia - Teatro Matacandelas
Nov. 30 - Tunja, Colombia - [to be announced]

Commented singer Mat Maurer: "Unfortunately, we will not be playing shows in Brazil this time. Sadly and regrettably we will have to miss out on the biggest, maddest metalheads due to time constraints (we have to keep the tour to two weeks), but hopefully we can tour South America again in 2010, and make Brazil our first stop."

Three songs from MORTAL SIN's recently released live album, "Into the Inferno (Live in Oslo)" (Riot! Entertainment), are available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The CD, which contains the group's March 2008 performance in Oslo, Norway, was described by the band as "possibly the best live show MORTAL SIN have ever had recorded."

"Into the Inferno (Live in Oslo)" track listing:

01. Voyage Of The Disturbed
02. Blood Death Hatred
03. Lebanon
04. Deadman Walking
05. Eye In The Sky
06. Tears Of Redemption
07. I Am Immortal
08. Mayhemic Destruction

"Into the Inferno (Live in Oslo)" is being sold via the official MORTAL SIN eBay store for a special price of AUD $19.99 plus postage.

MORTAL SIN's latest CD, "An Absence of Faith", was released in Europe in November 2007. According to a press release, the CD "is a rollercoaster ride, with enough twists and turns to jolt even the staunchest of heads. From the single 'Out of the Darkness' to the nine-minute epic 'Tears of Redemption - Lebanon Part II' — and lyrics covering everything from politics, religion, child abuse and relationships — MORTAL SIN have pulled a classic out of the hat for 2007."

Once hailed as the next METALLICA, MORTAL SIN have become legends in their home country Australia, having been inducted into the Kerrang! Heavy Metal Hall of Fame in 2005 and being the only Australian band to have played with the big five of thrash — METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX, MEGADETH and TESTAMENT — on tours in Australia and overseas.

METALLICA: 'One Of Our Fans Is Missing'

2009-10-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

METALLICA: 'One Of Our Fans Is Missing'

Current line-up
James Hetfield - Guitar, Vocals (1981- ) (Spastik Children, Leather Charm, Phantom Lord, Obsession)
Kirk Hammett - Lead Guitar (1983- ) (Spastik Children, Exodus, Septic Death)
Robert Trujillo - Bass (2003- ) (Suicidal Tendencies, Jerry Cantrell, Black Label Society, Glenn Tipton, Ozzy Osbourne, Infectious Grooves, Cyco Miko)
Lars Ulrich - Drums (1981- )

METALLICA's official web site has been updated with the following message:

"We are deeply concerned about the disappearance of 20-year-old Virginia Tech student Morgan Dana Harrington, who was last seen while attending our concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA, on Saturday night.

"Morgan has blonde hair and blue eyes, is 5'6", 120 lbs., and was wearing a black 'PANTERA' T-shirt, black skirt, and black boots. She was not carrying I.D. or a cell phone. Morgan was separated from her friends shortly before 9pm at the venue. Police have been searching the area since Monday.

"We encourage anyone who has any information regarding Morgan's disappearance to please come forward. Additionally, if you or anyone you know shot video footage or took photos of the concert or audience, please check to see if there is anyone in your photos who might resemble Morgan. Please contact the Virginia State Police at (434) 352-3425 or the UVA Police at (434) 924-7166 or police@virginia.edu if you have any information.

"Our thoughts are with Morgan and her family for her safe return."

SLAYER To Perform On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

2009-10-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

SLAYER To Perform On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

Current line-up
Tom Araya - Vocals, Bass (1981-)
Jeff Hanneman - Guitar (1981-) (Pap Smear)
Kerry King - Guitar (1981-) (Megadeth)
Dave Lombardo - Drums (1981-1986, 1987-1992, 2001-) (Testament, Grip Inc., Fantômas, Voodoocult, Philm, Pap Smear)

SLAYER will perform on ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Wednesday, November 4 (which will actually air the morning of Thursday, November 5).

30-second, reduced-quality audio samples of all the tracks that appear on SLAYER's upcoming album, "World Painted Blood", can be streamed on Amazon.fr.

"World Painted Blood" is scheduled for release on November 3 via American Recordings. The CD will initially ship with four special collector's edition covers. Each of the four covers will display one-fourth of a provocative continental map illustrated with human skulls and bones; when placed together, the four images form a complete and grisly map of the world.

All four of the initial CD packages will include a special blood-red, see-through top panel with the map displayed beneath it.

"World Painted Blood" was recorded in Los Angeles over two time periods, during October 2008 and then between late January and March 2009. The CD was produced by Greg Fidelman, who's spent time in the studio with METALLICA, THE GOSSIP, THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY, SLIPKNOT and others, and executive-produced by longtime SLAYER colleague Rick Rubin, who suggested Fidelman for the project.

LEAVES' EYES, SUFFOCATION, DREAM EVIL Confirmed For U.K.'s BLOODSTOCK Festival

2009-10-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

LEAVES' EYES, SUFFOCATION, DREAM EVIL Confirmed For U.K.'s BLOODSTOCK Festival

LEAVES' EYES, SUFFOCATION and DREAM EVIL have been confirmed for the 10th-anniversary edition of Bloodstock festival, set to take place August 13-15, 2010 at Catton Hall, Derbyshire, United Kingdom.

The festival billing is now shaping up as follows:

ANDROMEDA
BEHEMOTH
DEVIN TOWNSEND
DORO
DREAM EVIL
LEAVES' EYES
OBITUARY
RAGE
ROSS THE BOSS
SUFFOCATION

Loudness Guitarist Akira Takasaki Joins Megadeth On Stage In Osaka

2009-10-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

Loudness Guitarist Akira Takasaki Joins Megadeth On Stage In Osaka

Akira Takasaki, guitarist for the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness, joined Megadeth on stage on Monday, October 19 to play "Symphony Of Destruction" for the band's encore song in Osaka, Japan. Megadeth dedicated the song to Loudness drummer Munetaka Higuchi, who passed away in November 2008 from cancer. Fan recorded audio of the performance can be found below.

The Empire Shall Fall Reveals Album Tracklisting

2009-10-21T06:48:00.000-07:00

The Empire Shall Fall Reveals Album Tracklisting

Providence, Rhode Island’s new metallic hardcore band THE EMPIRE SHALL FALL, featuring Jesse Leach (Ex-Killswitch Engage, Seemless), has revealed the track listing and album details for their upcoming debut, "Awaken." The album is due out on bassist Nick Sollecito’s own Angle Side Side Records on November 17, 2009.

The track listing for "Awaken" is as follows:

1. Awaken
2. Lords of War
3. Voices Forming Weapons
4. Choir of Angels
5. We the People
6. These Colors Bleed
7. Our Own
8. The Kingdom

The effort was produced by THE EMPIRE SHALL FALL guitarist Marcus de Lisle. Vocals were recorded at Sound Ape in Providence, RI. The album artwork was created by Matt Yazuita and mixing/mastering duties for the album were handled by Sean Small (ABACABB, We Were Gentlemen, Friday Night Boys). Guitar reamping was done by Gregory Tamao (www.myspace.com/thetomatofarmstudio).

The band is expected to release a track off the album within the next week.

Decapitated To Return with New Lineup, World Tour Planned For 2010

2009-10-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

Decapitated To Return with New Lineup, World Tour Planned For 2010

Current line-up
Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka - Guitars (1996-) (Lux Occulta, Vader, Sceptic)
Kerim "Krimh" Lechner - Drums (2009-) (Thorns of Ivy, Mondstille)

Wacek “Vogg” Kieltyka, guitarist & founding member of the Polish death metal band DECAPITATED, has issued the following statement:

"It’s time to come back! After a two-year break, DECAPITATED is coming back with new members. The official new line-up for DECAPITATED will be announced at the end of December.

“As you all know, the decision to continue the band was really, really hard for me, but everything I do now is to keep DECAPITATED alive. [Vocalist] Covan’s situation has not improved much and he is still in bed and unable to function on his own. He still fights to recover as we speak and we are all still 100% behind him and hope for the best. It has been the hardest thing for me to move on without [brother & drummer] Vitek by my side, but he would have wanted me to continue with the band.

“Finally, I have found some great musicians who can continue the work of Vitek and Covan. At the beginning of April, DECAPITATED will start to play our first reunion shows. We will visit the biggest cities in Australia and play some of the biggest summer festivals in Europe. Don’t worry, we won’t forget about the U.K.! After this, the band will concentrate on the making of a new album! I would like to thank all the people who have supported us all this time."

Maurizio Iacono of the artist management firm Hard Impact Music adds:

"I feel very privileged to have been given the management duties of guiding this great band’s future. DECAPITATED was a band on the verge of greatness until tragedy hit them and the band’s world stopped suddenly. Today, we have a man on a quest to bring the glory back that was taken from them prematurely. Vogg, the band’s last remaining founding member, has had the gut-wrenching task of forming a new line-up for DECAPITATED. You can bet that the mission has been accomplished and in honor of the fallen, their legacies will be given the justice they deserve. Our job at Hard Impact is to make sure that DECAPITATED are guided the right way back to the top."

Gerardo Martínez, Nuclear Blast USA’s Label Manager comments:

“I don’t think there’s anyone happier to know that the legacy of DECAPITATED will continue and the fact that Vogg has overcome the biggest obstacle of his life. We all at Nuclear Blast are extremely excited about the news and know that 2010 and beyond will bring a new chapter for DECAPITATED in the shape of live shows and the imminent new album. The masters of modern technical death metal are back!”

DECAPITATED’s Australian tour dates and Metalfest Open Air festival appearances are as follows:

2010 Australian Tour Dates

April 1, 2010 The Transmission Room - Auckland, NZ
April 2, 2010 The Esplanade Hotel - Melbourne, AUS
April 3, 2010 The Gaelic Club - Sydney, AUS
April 4, 2010 The Hi Fi Bar - Brisbane, AUS
April 5, 2010 Fowlers Live - Adelaide, AUS
April 6, 2010 Black Betty’s - Perth, AUS

2010 European Festivals

May 13, 2010 METALFEST OPEN AIR AUSTRIA - Mining
May 14, 2010 METALFEST OPEN AIR SWITZERLAND - Pratteln
May 15, 2010 METALFEST OPEN AIR GERMANY - Dessau
May 22, 2010 METALFEST OPEN AIR HUNGARY – Budapest
May 23, 2010 METALFEST OPEN AIR CZECH REPUBLIC – Pilsen

A North American tour is on the horizon for the Summer of 2010. More DECAPITATED tour dates to come.

In late 2007, Decapitated drummer Witold "Vitek" Kieltyka was killed and vocalist Adrian "Covan" Kowanek seriously injured in an accident involving DECAPITATED's tour bus and a truck carrying wood in Gomel, on the Russia/Belarus border.

Drawn And Quartered To Release New EP

2009-10-21T06:21:00.000-07:00

Drawn And Quartered To Release New EP

Current line-up
Herb Burke - Vocals (1993-) (Beltfed Weapon, Vetus Obscurum, Plague Bearer (US))
Kelley Kuciemba - Guitar (1993-) (Plague Bearer (US))
Greg Reeves - Bass (1996-)
Dario (D.J) Derna - Drums (2002-) (Abazagorath, Evoken, Krohm, Infester (US), Mephitium, Meat Shits, Funebrarum, Vetus Obscurum)

Washington's Drawn and Quartered has issued the following announcement about an upcoming release:

"HAILS! We're not posting our newest song 'Conquerors of Sodom,' because the EP will finally be coming out on RELAPSE! Yes the long awaited 7' series the song was intended for, will soon be a reality. In the meantime we are recording ten new songs , a rehearsal demo, to refine the songs for the next record. We have been working hard on this material,and will continue writing more. I'm not sure when we will start recording the tracks for a CD release(does anyone actually buy CD's anymore?). I will say that we are very close to being ready to start tracking drums at least. For now we'll finish these demos, and work out the details to these songs. Maybe if we're lucky the guys will let me post something soon. So stay in touch, check out the PLAGUE BEARER page, and ask if you want to order a shirt, THANKS!"

King Diamond Comments On The Release Of Remastered Albums

2009-10-21T06:17:00.000-07:00

King Diamond Comments On The Release Of Remastered Albums

Current line-up
King Diamond (Kim Bendix Petersen) - Vocals, Keyboards (1985-) (Black Rose (Dnk), Mercyful Fate, Danger Zone (Dnk), Brats)
Andy LaRocque (Anders Allhage) - Guitars, Keyboards (1985-) (Gutrix, Death, E.F. Band, Illwill, X-World/5)
Mike Wead (Mikael Wikström) - Guitars (1990-1995, 2000-) (Mercyful Fate, Abstrakt Algebra, Memento Mori (Swe), Witch (Swe), Candlemass, Maninnya Blade, Hexenhaus, Kryptillusion, Bibleblack)
Hasse "Hal" Patino - Bass (1988-1990, 2000-) (Force of Evil, Blakk Totem, Maltese Falcon, Palladion, Doctor Butcher, Disaster Peace)
Matt Thompson - Drums (2000-) (Aghora, Bat Castle, Autumn Silence, Shaolin Death Squad, Michael Harris, Judgement (US), Surgeon (US), Deuxmonkey)
Livia Zita - Backing Vocals (2003-)

King Diamond has issued the following statement about the upcoming remastered re-releases of previous albums:

"Hail to all of you.

"I've seen a lot of valid questions on our covenworldwide.org forum regarding the remasters and I think they deserve to be answered by myself. First of all, it's great to see that you like Andy's improvements on the sound of these remasters. Just wait till you hear House of God.

"The process has been another little nightmare for us to get done the right way. We wanted to have the remastered albums with an included CD-ROM video of a song from the respective album as a bonus. Fortunately, I always thoroughly check our products myself before they go into pressing. When I got the first two remasters from a U.S. mastering lab, I was sure that they must have done something wrong. The music, which I have stated from the beginning is the absolute most important part of these remasters (not the bonus material) sounded way inferior to what I know Andy did. Also, when checking the CD-ROM footage, it looked horribly grainy and shitty and it had become badly out of synch compared to what I have put together here at home. After getting in touch with Metal Blade who got in touch with the mastering lab, the message I got back was 'we have not changed anything, this is exactly what we got'. BUT IT HAD DEFINITELY CHANGED.

"We now decided to let Andy himself have a go at adding the CD-ROM bonus footage to the remastered album. I couldn't believe it when I realized Andy's version was identical to the one from the U.S. mastering lab. Metal Blade now checked around with several other mastering labs, asking if this was normal or whether something was done totally wrong on our end. The same answer came back from everybody, that yes, you should expect a quality loss in the music when adding a CD-ROM to the same disk. At this point, we were about to scrap the whole idea of adding the CD-ROM since there's no way in hell I would sacrifice the great sound Andy had achieved just to have that in there. Tracy at Metal Blade was the one who came up with what I thought was a great idea, to leave the music alone on the disk and then make the bonus footage available as a free download. This would maintain Andy's sound quality and also maintain the quality of the bonus footage since it would not have to be compressed from approximately 1.3 Gigabytes down into a 130 Megabyte file size. So, this way we would be able to provide the best possible quality to all of you for both the album itself and the bonus footage.

"This of course meant more work for the label to set up the website where you can find the bonus footage, and was not a budget issue. They did however tell me that the footage would be available for everybody, not just those who bought the album since implementing codes, etc. would be too much too late to get done in time for the release. My personal view on that is that I have never thought that you should buy the remasters just to get the bonus footage anyway. As you might have noticed, there have never been King Diamond releases with specific bonus tracks added for just certain areas. For example, Japanese labels have several times asked us for exclusive bonus for their releases, which we have always rejected for various reasons, including that I don't see why certain territories should be treated better than others. I hope that answered some of the questions you had regarding the actual material sound and bonus of the remasters.

"The following is regarding the artwork. The intention here was to revamp the inside of the booklets, not the actual covers themselves. A phone call from Metal Blade's artworker assured me it wouldn't be that easy. The entire artwork for Spider's Lullabye and The Graveyard had been lost in a computer meltdown where a lot of old Metal Blade stuff was stored, so we had to start from scratch. As you can imagine, this was a major pain the ass and very time consuming. Regarding Voodoo and House of God, I was initially told the same and a major search was put in gear to see if Massacre possibly had some of these lost files. Eventually most of the files showed up intact at a Metal Blade search and you will find very little change on the front covers. The back covers have been changed a bit and the insides have been totally revamped which is all what was originally intended. So there you have it.

"The bonus footage that will be available for Voodoo and House of God will be the two title tracks. So all in all, you will eventually have access to four live editions with footage of songs that was not included on our double live CD. The Spider's Lullabye and The Graveyard remasters are out in the U.S. but will not be released in Europe by Massacre until October 23rd. Massacre's versions will have an inlay card that directs the European fans to Metal Blade's website, which will be the only website where you can find the bonus footage. It made no sense to have a separate site set up with Massacre.

"At last, I want to say that work on the King Diamond DVD set is still underway and we're really beginning to make some great progress. This has taken so much longer than expected because of so many technical issues that I won't bore you to death with here, but we recently acquired a brand new noise reduction program that we're using to enhance all the footage, and it's amazing how much better everything is beginning to look compared to the original tapes. I really think you're going to love this stuff once it's done. Gotta get back to this and transcode four different tests for the 1997 Copenhagen VEGA King Diamond show which, if I remember right, is taken from the first show of the King Diamond/Mercyful Fate European double header tour."

God Dethroned Posts New U.S. Tour Blog

2009-10-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

God Dethroned Posts New U.S. Tour Blog

Current line-up
Henri Sattler - Vocals, Guitars (1991-) (Ministry of Terror, Imperia, Lords of the Stone)
Susan Gerl - Guitars (2009-) (Catafalque (Hol), Desensitised, ClitEater)
Henk Zinger - Bass (2004-) (Grind Minded, Massive Assault)
Michiel "Mike" van der Plicht - Drums (2009-) (Prostitute Disfigurement, Toxocara, Detonation (Hol), Katafalk (Hol))

God Dethroned has posted two live video clips online, which can be viewed below. The band has also issued the following tour blog from their U.S. tour:

"Time for a recap of the second and last part of our US tour. These last 12 days simply flew by and we played many cool shows in the meantime.

"On my birthday we played a very cool show in Seattle! A big thank you to everyone in the crowd for the nice birthday wishes and for wanting to hear so many of our songs so that we ran out of them in the end, haha! The other bands and our tourmanager Erin bought me a doughnut (with a very special shape, hehe) and I got a nice birthday card and a bottle of whiskey, which we shared on the bus since we had a very long drive from Seattle to St Paul that night.

"We played a very good gig at Station 4 and met many friendly people there. One day later we played in Milwaukee at the Rave which is an amazing venue with a very beautiful, yet eerie atmosphere at the same time, since it is claimed to have haunted cellars. Opposite the venue was the place where Jeffrey Dahmer used to live and he supposedly got rid of the dead bodies via underground tunnels to the other side of the street, where the Rave is situated, so obviously we did a a full tour through the underground tunnels with all the bands during which Matt and Shaun of Woe of Tyrants proved to be really professional touring guides, haha!

"Our gigs in Cleveland, Toronto and especially Montreal because of the great crowd went really well. When we played at the Webster in Hartford there was another band playing in the same venue and they drew this huge crowd of screaming 14 year-old girls which was pretty hilarious because every time they opened their backstage window they all went berserk, hehe! Glad we don't have fans like that ;-)

"On 16 October we played in New York and since we arrived there early we had some time to do some sightseeing which was really interesting. I have never been to New York before, so it was really nice to see all the landmarks, which you usually only see on tv, for real once. The day after New York we played at the Palladium in Worcester at a festival show with a band I really love: Type O Negative. We played a short but good gig and I met this guy a bit later that night ;-)

"So today is the last day of our US tour. We will play our last show in Rochester tonight and will be arriving in Europe again on Thursday. Then we can relax for one day, see our family and loved ones, sleep in our own beds for one night (wohoo) and the day after we will embark on our 3-week triple headliner tour with Hollenthon and Endstille."

After Death Posts New Music Online

2009-10-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

After Death Posts New Music Online

Current line-up
Mike Browning - Vocals, Drums (Morbid Angel, Incubus (US), Nocturnus, Acheron (US), Lisa the Wolf, Devine Essence, Lethal Prayer, Voodoo Gods)
Demian Heftel - Guitars (Nocturnus, Brutality, Astaroth (US), Contorted)
Belial Koblak - Guitars
Zach Elder - Bass (Nocturnus, Trial By Stone)
Steve (aka Nocturnal) - Keyboards (Nocturnus, Lunar Reign, Lugubrious Descent)

Tampa Bay death metal band After Death has posted new demo songs to their MySpace page ( http://www.myspace.com/afterdeath ) . The songs come off their upcoming album, which is the first recorded material from the band since 2006.

After Death's current lineup is as follows:

Mike Browning - Drums, Vocals
Demian Heftel - Guitar
Belial Koblak - Guitar
Zach Elder - Bass, Backing Vocals
Nocturnal - Keyboards

Reflexion Parts Ways With drummer, Ari-Matti 'Reiska' Pohjola, and Seeks Replacement

2009-10-21T06:01:00.000-07:00

Reflexion Parts Ways With drummer, Ari-Matti 'Reiska' Pohjola, and Seeks Replacement

Current line-up
Juha Kylmänen - Vocals, Keyboards (For My Pain..., BarbarianZ)
Juhani Heikka - Guitars
Ilkka Jolma - Guitars
Mikko Uusimaa - Bass

Finnish gothic metal band Reflexion has issued the following update regarding their search for a new drummer:

"As the result of many discussions, tears and beers, we have come to the decision that we need a new drummer for Reflexion. This was the biggest and hardest decision in our band’s history, but it was made in good spirit and without bad blood."

"The root cause of all of this dates back to a year and a half ago. Since then, our long-term drummer and dear friend Ari-Matti 'Reiska' Pohjola has been suffering from a still undiagnosed injury in his back and right hand."

"About one year ago we decided that we would start to record our third album on summer 2009. At that point everything seemed to be fine. During the year, we played a couple of gigs and we already got signs that Reiska’s hand was not working properly, although it still didn’t prevent him from playing. In the spring, when we started to rehearse new songs and record demos, Reiska’s hand still wasn’t right."

"We moved the studio session ahead for three weeks but during that time Reiska’s hand only got worse and we had to find another solution. We discussed possible solutions and came to a decision to use a session drummer for the studio and try to put Reiska back on the line one way or another. Juha suggested that maybe we should contact his friend and old colleague Tonmi Lillman. We had very good luck in that we managed to get Tonmi to play the drums for the album."

"After the album recordings, Reiska’s hand and back were still in a bad shape. We had already had some gigs confirmed for next year and we should start to rehearse soon. It was quite a confusing situation and we thought about every possible solution. As an outcome, we came to a decision that we cannot continue in such an uncertain state and all agreed that the best thing for the future of the band is to find a new drummer for Reflexion."

"This didn’t come easily but we are very happy that we still remain friends. We’re all looking forward to see Reiska’s hand in a shape that he could continue to play the drums and as well do the other things that are important to him."

Cloven Hoof Announces Lineup Changes and Begins Work On New Album

2009-10-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

Cloven Hoof Announces Lineup Changes and Begins Work On New Album

Current line-up
Ben Read - Lead Guitar (2007-)
Lee "Air" Payne - Bass (1979-1990, 2000-)
Jon Brown - Drums (1987-1990, 2007-)

UK new wave of british heavy metal band Cloven Hoof has issued the following updates regarding their lineup:

"Russ North has left Cloven hoof to pursue a solo singing career away from heavy metal. The band wish him luck in his new venture. The Barbaars festival in Holland and the Newcastle Cluny shows will have to be cancelled as result of Russ’s departure, but a vocalist will be in place for the Hard Rock Hell festival in December. A new singer will be announced shortly."

The band has also announced that guitarist Mick Powell has been added to their line up for live performances, he will be performing with the band at the Rock of Ages festival in Belgium on 17th October. Mick Powell replaces Christian Horton, who filled in on guitar temporarily.

The band also comments on the current progress of the upcoming album, which is currently in pre-production stages:

"Lee, Jon and Ben are currently in pre production working with producer Tom Galley on the next album. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2010"

Animosity Breaks Up

2009-10-21T05:55:00.000-07:00

Animosity Breaks Up

San Francisco, California's Animosity has broken up. Formed in 2000, the band has released albums with Tribunal Records and Black Market Activities. Frontman Leo Miller has provided Lambgoat with the following statement:

"You have never seen us rest this long. For those of you wondering about Animosity, you are correct to have assumed that we disbanded. It has been nearly a year since all five of us were in a room (or the same state) together. In this time, we have written zero songs and played zero shows. In short, nothing happened which I mean to say plainly and clearly. We are all still alive and friends, but following our last tour we just did nothing band related. Many of us grew up in this band, and for me personally, Animosity was somehow prioritized over everything including my very own life. This band formed our communities, relationships, experiences and the lens through which we view the world. Eight years later, I look back to being 14 years old playing Animosity shows in garages and backyards and I can honestly say that our musical and experiential goals have been exceeded in ways that once seemed impossible to me. If you haven't gotten enough of Animosity, please rest assured that we have.

"This is not to say, that everyone is gone from music. In the time since our last show, Navene finished his spectacular debut solo album called Fleshrot – dementia/dyslexia. Navene wrote played and recorded all the music himself and features beastly vocals from Jonny Davy. Check out the project here ( http://www.myspace.com/fleshrotmetal ) and stay posted for album release info. Also, Navene has teamed up with Tosin Abasi and is drumming in their new band Animals As Leaders. Chase also has a new band called Son of Arelius from which you can expect a full-length album out soon. New music from Evan and Frank can be anticipated in various different forms. As for me, I moved out east to study the environment.

"To Animosity fans worldwide, thank you for doing this with us, it was an awesomely epic journey. Be well!"

FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING To Release New Album This Week

2009-10-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING To Release New Album This Week

Current line-up
Sam Anetzberger - Vocals (Dead Eyed Sleeper, Legacy )
Stefan Weimar - Guitar, vocals (Veneral Disease)
Sascha Ehrich - Guitar (Mortified (Ger), October Etheral)
Christopher Körtgen - Bass (Smilodon (Ger)) (2009-)
Ingo Maier - Drums (Veneral Disease, A.K.G.)

German death metallers FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING will release their long-awaited fourth album, "The Everhaunting Past / Chapter IV - A Splendid Retrospection", on October 16 via Cyclone Empire Records. The CD's cover artwork, which was once again created by Sascha Ehrich, can be viewed below.

"The Everhaunting Past / Chapter IV - A Splendid Retrospection" track listing:

01. Ahead! (Prologue) (01:36)
02. Vast (05:49)
03. Run Ashored In The Yesteryears (04:50)
04. Destination: Outcast (04:49)
05. Deadlight (04:29)
06. A Raintime Illustration (02:48)
07. A Voice Says: "Destroy!" (04:02)
08. The Exiled Choir (05:13)
09. Below All That Is Mortal (05:06)
10. It's Me, The Grotesque (05:11)
11. Diabolical Monologue (04:38)
12. One Last Border Yet To Cross (Epilogue) (04:04)

FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING recently announced the addition of bassist Christopher Körtgen (SMILODON, CHAOS HD) to the group's ranks.

The band's last album, "Sterling Black Icon", was released in March 2006 via Metal Blade.

CHILDREN OF BODOM's LAIHO To Play Guitar For HYPOCRISY

2009-10-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

CHILDREN OF BODOM's LAIHO To Play Guitar For HYPOCRISY

Swedish death metallers HYPOCRISY have enlisted CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho to play guitar on their upcoming North American tour. Alexi will temporarily fill the currently vacant guitarist spot on the trek, which will also include headliners ENSIFERUM alongside EX DEO, BLACKGUARD and SWASHBUCKLE.

Commented HYPOCRISY mainman Peter Tägtgren: "We're very happy to bring Alexi along on this tour and that he's helping us out with filling the second guitarist position.

"Funny, the first CHILDREN OF BODOM show was a support gig for HYPOCRISY on the Nuclear Blast festival in '98. Since then, me and Alexi have become very good friends. I've helped him with producing and he's helped me by contributing a guitar solo on one of my records with my other band PAIN.

"There will be no shortage of alcohol on this tour, that's for sure."

HYPOCRISY's North American tour with ENSIFERUM, EX DEO, BLACKGUARD and SWASHBUCKLE is scheduled to kick off on November 6 in Springfield, Virginia. A list of dates can be found at this location.

"Hang Him High", a brand new track from HYPOCRISY, is available for streaming on the group's MySpace page. The song comes off HYPOCRISY's new album, "A Taste Of Extreme Divinity", which is scheduled for release in Europe on October 23 and in the U.S. on November 3 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The North American mail-order version of "A Taste of Extreme Divinity" will feature three exclusive bonus tracks. A pre-order for the album is now available at this location in various formats and bundle packages.

"A Taste Of Extreme Divinity" track listing:

01. Valley Of The Damned
02. Hang Him High
03. Solar Empire
04. Weed Out The Weak
05. No Tomorrow
06. Global Domination
07. Taste The Extreme Divinity
08. Alive
09. The Quest
10. Tamed "Filled With Fear"
11. Sky Is Falling Down

Bonus tracks:

12. The Sinner
13. Taste the Extreme Divinity (2008 Demo)
14. Valley of the Damned (2008 Demo)

HYPOCRISY's last album, "Virus", came out in September 2005 via Nuclear Blast Records.

ENTOMBED - Quality Footage From Last Night's Gothenburg Concert Posted Online

2009-10-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

ENTOMBED - Quality Footage From Last Night's Gothenburg Concert Posted Online

Current line-up
Alex Hellid - Guitar (1989-) (Nihilist (Swe), Brainwarp)
L-G Petrov - Vocals (1989-1990, 1992-) (Morbid (Swe), Nihilist (Swe), Comecon, The Project Hate MCMXCIX, Hypocrite)
Nico Elgstrand - Bass (2006-) (Terra Firma, Krux)
Olle Dahlstedt - Drums (2006-) (Misery Loves Co.)

Quality video footage of ENTOMBED's October 13, 2009 performance at Trädgårn in Gothenburg, Sweden (as the support act for AMON AMARTH) can be viewed below (courtesy of "framednoise").

ENTOMBED's latest album, "Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments", was released in the U.S. on July 31, 2007 via Candlelight/Threeman Recordings. The 10-song effort marked the group's first release with drummer Olle Dahlstedt (ALPHA SAFARI, ex-MISERY LOVES CO.), who replaced Peter Stjärnvind in 2006. Mastering duties were handled by Soren Elofsson at Cosmos Mastering in Stockholm, Sweden.

"Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments" entered the Swedish national chart at position No. 3. This was the highest chart position in the band's career.

REVOCATION - More Footage From The Studio Posted Online

2009-10-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

REVOCATION - More Footage From The Studio Posted Online

The fourth in a series of video clips featuring footage from the recording sessions for REVOCATION's second full-length album, "Existence Is Futile", can be viewed below.

"Existence Is Futile" sold around 440 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at position No. 148 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Existence Is Futile" was released on September 29 in North America and October 5 internationally via Relapse Records. The follow-up to "Empire Of The Obscene" was recorded at Damage Studios in Southbridge, Massachusetts with engineer Pete Rutchko.

"Existence Is Futile" track listing:

01. Enter The Hall
02. Pestilence Reigns
03. Deathonomics
04. Existence Is Futile
05. The Brain Scramblers
06. Across Forests And Fjords
07. ReaniManiac
08. Dismantle The Dictator
09. Anthem Of The Betrayed
10. Leviathan Awaits
11. Tragedy Of Modern Ages

REVOCATION has announced a handful of East Coast dates with MOONSPELL and DIVINE HERESY. The band has also been confirmed for the 2009 Relapse Records / BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase show at Fontana's on October 23.

Former DEATH/MASSACRE Guitarist RICK ROZZ Launches M INC.

2009-10-14T22:19:00.000-07:00

Former DEATH/MASSACRE Guitarist RICK ROZZ Launches M INC.

M INC., the new Orlando, Florida-based band featuring former DEATH/MASSACRE guitarist Rick "Rozz" DeLillo, will contribute an exclusive track, "Angel of Descent", to the upcoming Fall of Eden Records compilation "Fallen Souls". Due on October 31, the CD will feature 14 other bands, including GORE SANCTUM (U.K.), MISCONDÜCTERS (U.K.) and MORDETH (Brazil).

M INC., which is putting the finishing touches on its first demo, was formed earlier this year by Rozz, Terry Shrock (SHINE) on vocals and bass and Mike Mazzonetto (ex-PAIN PRINCIPLE) on drums. The group is said to be Rick's first foray into extreme music since the mid-'90s and his MASSACRE days. Indeed, the band was initially supposed to be called MASSACRE INC., but out of respect to MASSACRE's drummer Bill Andrews and a desire to not live in the past, the name was changed to M INC. Over the past decade, Rick has played in a number of other projects, including southern rock and acoustic bands. Rozz was a member of the pre-DEATH band MANTAS alongside Chuck Schuldiner and Kam Lee and played on DEATH's seminal and unforgettable "Leprosy" album. As part of MASSACRE, he helped produce those massively influential demos that set the '80s tape trading scene alight and the classic album "From Beyond", not to mention the superb EP "Inhuman Condition".

For more information, visit
www.myspace.com/rozz1967

ALGAION - New Album Details Revealed

2009-10-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

ALGAION - New Album Details Revealed

Reactivated Swedish atmospheric black metallers ALGAION have set "Exthros" ("enemy" in Greek) as the title of their third album, due soon via Pulverised Records. The CD was recorded at Helltower Studio by ALGAION live/studio drummer Robert Eng (also of CORPORATION 187) and the mastering duties were handled by Simon Söderberg at Mayfire Studio.

"Exthros" track listing:

01. Alpha
02. That Time Is Nigh
03. Theos Tou Aimatos
04. We Are The Enemy
05. The Last Of Cursed Days
06. Nature Our Slave
07. Ruach Adversi
08. This Is Our Temple
09. Sign Of Evil Existence / The Era Of Satan Rising
10. House Of War
11. Omega

Having previously played with HYPOCRISY, PAIN and MORIFADE, guitarist Mathias Kamijo decided that it was time to resurrect the ghost of ALGAION, along with founding member Mårten Björkman, and bring it back to life. The group's current recording/touring lineup includes members of CORPORATION 187 (Viktor Klint and Robert Eng on guitars and drums, respectively) and Tobias Leffler (previously in VERGELMER and N.C.O.) on bass.

ALGAION is:

Mårten Björkman - Vocals
Mathias Kamijo - Guitar
Robert Eng - Drums
Tobias Leffler - Session Bass
Viktor Klint - Session Guitar

NILE's SANDERS Says Record Label Is Planning Legal Action Against Journalist That Leaked Album

2009-10-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

NILE's SANDERS Says Record Label Is Planning Legal Action Against Journalist That Leaked Album

Current line-up
Karl Sanders - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards (1993-) (Morriah)
Dallas Toler-Wade - Guitars, Bass, Vocals (2000-) (Lecherous Nocturne)
George Kollias - Drums, Percussion (2004-) (Sickening Horror, Nightfall (Grc), The Circle of Zaphyan, System Shock, Extremity Obsession, Cerebrum (Grc))

Live members:
Chris Lollis - Bass, Vocals (2007-) (Lecherous Nocturne)

Guitarist/vocalist Karl Sanders of Southern Carolina-based extreme technical death metallers NILE is pissed that the band's new album, "Those Whom the Gods Detest", has been leaked. As was the case with CONVERGE's "Axe to Fall" album, the NILE leak has been traced back to a journalist.

"Amongst your brethren, there is a betrayer," Sanders tells AOL's Noisecreep. "In fact, Nuclear Blast [NILE's record label] knows exactly who it was. It was the same guy who leaked the HYPOCRISY record. So, yeah, it was a journalist, a music journalist that leaked the record. Now, come on man ... don't we all have the struggle in this day and age, trying to eke out a living, playing music or writing about music?

"So, the idea that one of our own ... one our own brethren is the guy that stuck a knife in our heart ... I have trouble believing it, man. A couple days after I found that out, I had a little trouble doing interviews, because, in the back of my mind, it was like, 'Is this the guy? Should I be killing this guy instead of talking nice to him?' It took a while to put it all into perspective."

He continued, "I believe [the label] is planning legal action, and I think that's what's going to have to happen. You can't penalize someone for downloading it. You don't hate on the fans because of it. I think it's going to take recourse on the responsible people ... if we're not going to police our own, and hold our comrades and colleagues up to high moral standards, then what can we expect? It's up to us to not only try and behave ethically, but to call out others when they engage in unethical behavior."

NILE recently released the first taste of "Those Whom the Gods Detest". Produced and mixed by Neil Kernon (NEVERMORE, CANNIBAL CORPSE, QUEENSRŸCHE), along with a drum-recording job by Erik Rutan (CANNIBAL CORPSE, VITAL REMAINS, GOATWHORE), the CD features the band's strongest production and perhaps its best material to date. The cover artwork was created by Michal "Xaay" Loranc, whom NILE guitarist/vocalist Karl Sanders had previously worked with on his second solo album, "Saurian Exorcisms". The song "Permitting the Noble Dead to Descend to the Underworld" is now available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. Sanders told Revolver magazine earlier in the year that the band's sixth full-length album will likely be NILE's most eclectic offering to date. "We're going to some very unexpected places," he said. "I've been listening to some oud music [the oud is a Middle Eastern lute — Ed.], Iranian music, and some Hindu stuff, and that stuff's definitely rubbing off on the new songs.""Those Whom the Gods Detest" is scheduled for a November 3 North American release via Nuclear Blast Records.

INSOMNIUM: Performance Footage Of Two New Songs Available

2009-10-14T22:07:00.000-07:00

INSOMNIUM: Performance Footage Of Two New Songs Available

Current line-up
Niilo Sevänen - Vocals, Bass (1997-) (Watch Me Fall)
Ville Friman - Guitar (1997-) (Arrival (Fin), Enter My Silence)
Ville Vänni - Guitar (2001-) (Watch Me Fall, Hateform)
Markus Hirvonen - Drums (1997-)

Fan-filmed video footage of Finnish metallers INSOMNIUM performing two new songs from their latest album, "Across The Dark", on October 10, 2009 at Nosturi in Helsinki can be viewed below (courtesy of "RandomTraveler2"). "Across The Dark" recently entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 5. The CD was recorded at Fantom studio (where the group recorded its 2006 LP, "Above the Weeping World").

"Across The Dark" track listing:

01. Equivalence (03:18)
02. Down With The Sun (04:22)
03. Where The Last Wave Broke (05:03)
04. The Harrowing Years (06:39)
05. Against The Stream (06:11)
06. Lay Of The Autumn (09:08)
07. Into The Woods (05:08)
08. Weighted Down With Sorrow (05:51)
09. The New Beginning *
10. Into The Evernight *

* Bonus track (limited-edition only)

An e-card for "Across The Dark", which contains audio samples of three new songs — "Equivalence", "Down With The Sun" and "Where The Last Wave Broke" — is available at this location. INSOMNIUM's "Down With The Sun" video was directed by Ville Rissanen of Obscure Entertainment.

@ Down With The Sun

@ Weighted Down With Sorrow

Album Pertama Plasmoptysis " Breeds Of The Malevolent " Siap meluncur Via ESP

2009-10-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

Segera memuntahkan debut album pertama "Breeds Of The Malevolent"dengan label Extreme Souls Productions. Plasmoptysis adalah band darah segar dari Bandung dengan konsep musik ultra brutal death metal in the vein of Disgorge,Cannibal Corpse,Deeds Of Flesh, dan telah mengundang banyak perhatian dari scene luar negeri,beberapa zine mancanegara seperti Phobia Webzine dari Inggris dan Infinite Brutality dari Philippines.

Check Interview Plasmoptysis Dengan Lost In Chaos Zine Juga
Klik disini

www.myspace.com/plasmoptysis

Prepare for Jasad New Album " Oracles O Batara "

2009-10-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

Prepare for next annihilation !! Bandung heavy killing machine Jasad secara official telah membuat title album barunya berjudul "Oracles Of Batara". Album yang rencananya akan berisi 8 lagu akan disertai bonus semua materi dari album Annihilate The Enemy dikarenakan permintaan yang masih banyak. Label Rochester NY Sevared Records untuk sementara masih dipercaya untuk menjadi label mereka.

www.myspace.com/jasad

Extreme Souls Production Kembali Merilis TShirt Baru !!!

2009-10-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Extreme Souls Production Kembali Merilis TShirt Baru !!!

TURBIDITY - Infamous o Killer - Slamming Guttural Death Metal T-shirt
dengan FREE Sticker Inside !!!

Harga Rp. 85.000 ( Belum P+P )

Informasi Lengkap en lanjut ke :

Extreme Souls Productions

Komplek Sanggar Hurip
Jl. Jatisari 1 No.21
Bandung 40286
Jawa Barat
Indonesia

Phone :
+62-022-70272666
+62-81322155666

E-mail
metallegions21@yahoo.com

Website
www.extremesouls.net

SIRENIA Drummer To Sit Out Tour; Temporary Replacement Announced

2009-10-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

SIRENIA Drummer To Sit Out Tour; Temporary Replacement Announced

Current line-up
Pilar Giménez García "Ailyn" - Female Vocals (2008-)
Morten Veland - Harsh Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards (Tristania, Elusive, Mortemia)
Michael Krumins - Guitars (2008-) (Natt (Nor)/Trail of Tears, Green Carnation)
Jonathan A. Perez - Drums, Percussion (2003-) (Trail of Tears)

Live members:
Roland Navrati - Drums (2005 (Live), 2009-) (Dignity, Edenbridge)

Norwegian/Spanish female-fronted gothic metal band SIRENIA has issued the following update:

"As Jonathan [A. Perez, drums] became a father recently, he has decided to take some time off with his family. So for the 'Beauty & The Beast' tour in November Roland Navratil from DIGNITY will step in as a session drummer.

"It is not the first time we work with Roland, as he also replaced Jonathan on our European tour back in 2004/2005.

"We are looking forward to work with him again, and we would like to wish Jonathan the best of luck and some great time with his family."

Scheduled to kick off on November 13 in Lichtenfels, Germany, the "Beauty & The Beast Tour" will also features LEAVES' EYES, ATROCITY, ELIS and STREAM OF PASSION.

"The 13th Floor", the latest album from SIRENIA, debuted at No. 149 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Download Festival 2010: Who Could Headline?

2009-10-06T23:05:00.000-07:00

Download Festival 2010: Who Could Headline?

download_90It’s festival season so we’re getting our speculation-o-meter out and giving you the list of bands we reckon could headline next year’s Download festival. Have we missed anyone out? Anyone who you’d like to see headline? Anyone on this list you really, REALLY wouldn’t want to see headline? Let us know in the comments section!

Rammstein
Well, they’re rumoured every year, aren’t they? They’ve got a kick-ass new album coming out, they’ve already grabbed your attention with THAT tits and jizz covered video and they’ve got a stage-show big enough to fill any venue. Donington wouldn’t know what had hit it.

AC/DC
Speaking of rumoured every year, Acca Dacca are extending their tour. What price an appearance at Castle Donington?

Bullet For My Valentine
They’re returning next year and they are, by all intents and purposes, massive. The down-side? They ‘split opinions’ to say the least and it could be a repeat of the My Chemical Romance incident that’s best left unmentioned.

My Chemical Romance
Did we not just tell you to never mention them at Download ever again?! Fuck. Off.

The Big Four
You read it here first. We would quite literally jizz ourselves if this was to happen and Download could well be the stage for this to come to fruition. Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax on the same night. Yes, yes, yes, YES, YES!!!!!!

Iron Maiden
Is an album due next Summer? Check. Would they be able to pack Donington Park from front to back? Check. Would we absolutely fucking love it? You bet your ass, we would!

Green Day
They’ve sold a squillion, trillion, gazillion albums. The Offspring have done it and they’re infinitely better than them. We’re just saying it could happen! Don’t shoot the messenger!

Red Hot Chili Peppers
See above.

Ozzy Osbourne
He’s due one final hurrah, could he enjoy a final UK show at Donington? There has to be touring plans as he’s put together a touring line-up. Would he be able to put on a show that would fill Download?

Soundgarden
On the list of ‘likely reunions for 2010’, this is top by a clear mile. We’d prefer Sepultura but this would rule all the same. Well, as long as Chris Cornell didn’t rock up in a Fubu tracksuit and a doo-rag around his bonce, boyee.

Foo Fighters
Grohl and his warriors will have had their ‘Greatest Hits’ album out for a while and there’s a real chance that they could bring that show to Download.

Bon Jovi
It’d rule. If you watched Def Leppard this year, you’ll know that all-out, throat-shredding rock anthems are the perfect way to end a Download weekend. Bon Jovi could do this better than just about anyone.

Van Halen
If the price is right, it’d be a hell of a night. The problem being that the price would be…ONE MILLION DOLLARS! (and quite a substantial bit more, we would wager).

Aerosmith
If we were the betting types at Metal Hammer, we’d have a cheeky punt on this one.

Cult Of Luna set to enter studio

2009-10-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

Cult Of Luna set to enter studio

Current line-up
Klas Rydberg - Vocals (Eclipse)
Erik Olofsson - Guitars
Johannes Persson - Guitar, Vocals (Eclipse, Khoma)
Fredrik Kihlberg - Guitar, Vocals
Andreas Johansson - Bass
Thomas Hedlund - Drums (The Perishers, Guest for Convoj)
Magnus Lindberg - Sound Engineering, Percussion, Guitar
Anders Teglund - Sampler, Synthesizer (Convoj)

Cult Of Luna will enter an Umea, Sweden studio later this month for a short recording session. Details regarding the material have yet to be disclosed though according to the band, "It is not a recording related to an album; it is for something else."

Sick Of It All set to record new album

2009-10-06T23:02:00.001-07:00

Sick Of It All set to record new album

Hardcore mainstays Sick Of It All will enter the studio in early-November to begin recording their next full-length. The band has written sixteen songs thus far, though not all of the tracks will appear on the album. New song titles include "Dominated," "A Month of Sundays," "Hope and Fear," "Bent Out of Shape," and "Dirty Money." A spring-2010 release is expected via an unannounced label (the group is in the process of finalizing a deal).

CANDLEMASS Bassist Issues Update

2009-10-06T22:56:00.000-07:00

CANDLEMASS Bassist Issues Update

Current line-up
Robert Lowe - Vocals (2007-) (Concept of God, Last Chapter, Solitude/Solitude Aeturnus)
Lars "Lasse" Johansson - Lead Guitar (1987-1992, 2001-) (Creozoth, Hexagaon, Tarmac, Zoic)
Mats "Mappe" Björkman - Rhythm Guitar (1985-1992, 2001-) (ATC, Zoic)
Leif Edling - Bass (vocals in early days) (1984-1992, 1997-) (Abstrakt Algebra, Krux, Nemesis (Swe), Trilogy (Swe), Witchcraft, Jupiter Society)
Jan Lindh - Drums (1987-1992, 2001-) (Creozoth, Zoic)

Bassist Leif Edling of Swedish doom metal legends CANDLEMASS has issued the following update:

"Thank you all for coming to the gigs this summer. It has been awesome!

"The response to the new album ['Death Magic Doom'] has really inspired us to be even better live. I mean, with fans like you we feel at home all over the world. So thank you for all the great support!

"The gigs in Sweden with ANGEL WITCH and TROUBLE were absolutely fantastic. I had a wonderful time seeing Kevin Heybourne play and sing, and we even shared trains in between the cities. ANGEL WITCH and TROUBLE were totally super live... and man, to see and hear Rick [Wartell] and Bruce [Franklin] play guitar is nothing but mind-blowing! They play like one big guitar!! Just great!! Three great bands and not one ego in sight.

"After an incredible gig in Stockholm last week, we went down to Greece and Athens to play the last show for the year. And what a kick it was! Nearly 1,000 people went absolutely nuts during our two-hour set! Fucking hell... I even had to stagedive, hehe... it's on YouTube if you wanna see yours truly crowd surf (see clip below). Too bad they missed the leap out from the monitor! It was quite a gap there to the fence... gulp. It was filmed with 4-6 cameras so if not the curse of CANDLEMASS strikes (again), I'm sure you will see soon on a TV screen near you."

"Death Magic Doom" debuted at No. 79 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200. The CD entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 52. The group's previous album, "King of the Grey Islands", debuted at No. 83 back in June 2007.

I Am Abomination signs with Ferret Music

2009-10-06T22:55:00.000-07:00

I Am Abomination signs with Ferret Music

According to our sources, Ferret Music has signed Taylor, Michigan band I Am Abomination. With an EP titled "Jaw-Dropper" already under their belts, the group will soon enter the studio to record their debut full-length. Obviously, this news has yet to be confirmed, so take this for what you will.

www.myspace.com/iamabominationmusic

BLEEDING THROUGH's NASSIE Offering Guitar Lessons

2009-10-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

BLEEDING THROUGH's NASSIE Offering Guitar Lessons

Current line-up
Brandan Schieppati - Vocals (Guitars on "This is Love, This is Murderous") (Eighteen Visions, Throwdown, The Mistake, Die Die My Darling, The Innocent)
Dave Nassie - Guitars (No Use For A Name, Infectious Grooves, Suicidal Tendencies, The Innocent)
Brian "Lefty" Leppke - Guitars (Day Of Contempt)
Ryan Wombacher - Bass, Vocals
Derek Youngsma - Drums (Cast In Stone)
Marta Peterson - Keyboards

Guitarist Dave Nassie of Orange County, California's BLEEDING THROUGH has issued the following update:

"Just wanted let all the BLEEDING THROUGH fans out there (who might be interested) know that I am teaching guitar lessons and I am currently taking on new students in the Los Angeles, Orange County, and Southern California areas.

"I have been teaching guitar since the age of 14. I teach all styles and techniques as well as music theory and orchestration. I have done many clinics throughout the world focusing on technique and writing and have worked with many artist in the studio and at home.

"Age is no limit; I currently have students that range in ages from 6 years old to 60 and have recently joined forces with Schecter Guitars and I am excited about working with them on the teaching front as well.

"I can come to you or you can come to me... I have all the tools to make lessons functional and easy and I provide everything!

"In the times when the band tours, I have the capability to do web lessons and keep lesson plans consistent, so there is no break in the teaching process. This has worked well with my current students and proves to be very functional.

"Please contact me at dnassie@yahoo.com if you are interested? $25 dollars a half hour is my current rate.

"I hope to hear from some of you and appreciate your time."

Nassie joined BLEEDING THROUGH as the replacement for Jona Weinhofen, who left the band earlier in the year.

BLEEDING THROUGH recently inked a deal with the Portland, Oregon-based independent record label Rise Records.

ONWARD TO OLYMPAS Signs With FACEDOWN RECORDS

2009-10-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

ONWARD TO OLYMPAS Signs With FACEDOWN RECORDS

Current line-up
Kramer Lowe - Vocals (Caught In The Line Of Fire)
Justin Allman - Bass
Matt Burnside - Drums
Justin Gage - Guitar/Vocals
Andrew Higginbotham - Guitar

North Carolina's Christian hardcore/metal act ONWARD TO OLYMPAS has inked a deal with Facedown Records. The group's debut album, "This World Is Not My Home", was recorded with Jamie King (BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, FOR TODAY) and is scheduled for release on January 19, 2010.

Coming up among such North Carolina bands as BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, BELOVED, and HE IS LEGEND gave the members of ONWARD TO OLYMPAS an appreciation for an array of genres.

Since its formation in 2008, ONWARD TO OLYMPAS has meticulously cultivated its sound, blending progressive metal, straight hardcore, and elements of death metal. That the band can indulge all their musical proclivities yet produce such consistent results while making it seem easy is a testament to their craftsmanship. Vocalist/guitarist Justin Gage says, "We like the challenge of including all the genres that we most enjoy without making a song sound like it is being performed by three different bands."

On "This World Is Not My Home", ONWARD TO OLYMPAS "makes sure to bring the intensity, effortlessly melding melodic singing with thick metal-core screams, occasionally bringing a little old school back to the table with crisp gang vocals," according to a press release.

For more information, visit
www.myspaceo.com/onwardtoolympas

Amazon MP3 Announce Top The 100 Greatest Live Albums of All Time

2009-10-06T22:44:00.000-07:00

Amazon MP3 Announce Top The 100 Greatest Live Albums of All Time

Amazon have announced their list of the 100 greatest live albums. The highest placed hard-rock/metal band were Led Zeppelin at number 8 with their live album, ‘How The West Was Won’. The next highest entry for a hard rock/metal band was Kiss’s ‘Alive’ at number 28.

There were no places for Slayer’s ‘Decade Of Aggression’, Pantera’s ‘101 Proof’ or Machine Head’s ‘Hellalive’. A travesty? We think so!

1. James Brown Live At The Apollo, ... by James Brown
2. At Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash
3. Sinatra At The Sands [with Count... by Frank Sinatra
4. Bill Withers Live At Carnegie Hall by Bill Withers
5. Judy At Carnegie Hall by Judy Garland
6. Live 1966 "The Royal Albert Hall... by Bob Dylan
7. Ella In Rome - The Birthday Concert by Ella Fitzgerald
8. How The West Was Won by Led Zeppelin
9. Kick Out The Jams by MC5
10. The Köln Concert by Keith Jarrett
11. Live Rust by Neil Young
12. Live In Europe by Otis Redding
13. Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads
14. MTV Unplugged In New York by Nirvana
15. Live! by Bob Marley
16. GET YER YA-YA'S OUT! by The Rolling Stones
17. Black & White Night by Roy Orbison
18. Live At Leeds (25th Anniversary ... by The Who
19. The Concert In Central Park by Simon And Garfunkel
20. Live At Monterey by Jimi Hendrix
21. At Budokan by Cheap Trick
22. At Carnegie Hall by Thelonious Monk Quartet With Joh...
23. Concierto De Aranjuez by Paco De Lucia
24. Life On Planet Groove by Maceo Parker
25. Roseland NYC Live by Portishead
26. From Elvis In Memphis by Elvis Presley
27. Live In London by Leonard Cohen
28. Alive! by Kiss
29. Unplugged by Eric Clapton
30. Live Killers by Queen
31. Nina Simone At Town Hall by Nina Simone
32. Gram Parsons & The Fallen Angels... by Gram Parsons
33. Live At Sin-é (Legacy Edition) by Jeff Buckley
34. Under A Blood Red Sky by U2
35. Live @ The Fillmore by Lucinda Williams
36. 'Live And Dangerous' by Thin Lizzy
37. Toward The Within (Remastered) by Dead Can Dance
38. Live in New York City by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street...
39. Live At The Regal by B.B. King
40. Live At Fillmore West by Aretha Franklin
41. Stage by David Bowie
42. Miles Davis At Fillmore: Live At... by Miles Davis
43. A Night At Birdland, Vol. 1 (The... by Art Blakey Quintet
44. Living In Clip by Ani Difranco
45. Live: Hope At The Hideout by Mavis Staples
46. Muddy Waters Live At Newport 1960 by Muddy Waters
47. 101 by Depeche Mode
48. Made In Japan by Deep Purple
49. At Wattstax by Isaac Hayes
50. Sam Cooke At the Copa by Sam Cooke
51. Live: P Funk Earth Tour by Parliament
52. Europe '72 (Expanded US Release) by Grateful Dead
53. United States Live by Laurie Anderson
54. Live by Alison Krauss and Union Station
55. Live With Lou Reed, Vol.1 by The Velvet Underground
56. Pulse by Pink Floyd
57. The Roots Come Alive [Explicit] by The Roots
58. Sunday At The Village Vanguard [... by Bill Evans Trio
59. Live At The 1971 Monterey Jazz F... by Sarah Vaughan
60. Live In Japan by George Harrison
61. Plays Live by Peter Gabriel
62. Concert By The Sea by Erroll Garner
63. Thelonious In Action by Thelonious Monk Quartet
64. Live At Luther College by Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
65. Joplin In Concert by Janis Joplin
66. Frampton Comes Alive! - 25th Ann... by Peter Frampton
67. Willie Nelson & Friends, Stars &... by Willie Nelson
68. Live At The Village Vanguard by John Coltrane
69. From Here To Eternity Live by The Clash
70. Live from the Cafe Carlyle by Eartha Kitt
71. The Ravi Shankar Collection: Liv... by Ravi Shankar
72. Kicking Television, Live in Chicago by Wilco
73. The Tigers Have Spoken by Neko Case
74. Unleashed In The East by Judas Priest
75. Jay-Z Unplugged [Explicit] by Jay-Z
76. Live '93 by The Orb
77. It's Alive by Ramones
78. Rocks The House by Etta James
79. Live at the Nelson Mandela Theatre by Soweto Gospel Choir
80. Live On Two Legs by Pearl Jam
81. Debut Live by Bjork
82. Minimum - Maximum by Kraftwerk
83. I Might Be Wrong by Radiohead
84. Rock And Roll Animal by Lou Reed
85. Jill Scott Live In Paris by Jill Scott
86. Carole King The Carnegie Hall Co... by Carole King
87. Live by Alice In Chains
88. The Wildlife Concert by John Denver
89. Live At Blues Alley by Eva Cassidy
90. Live At Carnegie Hall by Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
91. Rush In Rio by Rush
92. Live! by Police
93. Alive 2007 by Daft Punk
94. James Taylor Live by James Taylor
95. Hot August Night by Neil Diamond
96. Live Era '87-'93 by Guns N' Roses
97. Live In Texas by Lyle Lovett
98. Extraterrestrial Live by Blue Oyster Cult
99. Live! Bootleg by Aerosmith
100. Live: Blow Your Face Out by J. Geils Band

THE GREAT AMERICAN BEAST Signs With TRUSTKILL RECORDS

2009-10-06T22:41:00.000-07:00

THE GREAT AMERICAN BEAST Signs With TRUSTKILL RECORDS

Dayton, Ohio's THE GREAT AMERICAN BEAST has inked a deal with Trustkill Records. The band's full-length debut, "Domestic Blood", was recorded at Random Awesome Studios in Saginaw, Michigan with producer Josh Schroeder and is scheduled for an early 2010 release.

Commented bassist Pete DiSalvo, "I couldn't think of a better way to spend my 25th birthday weekend than celebrating signing to Trustkill Records, a label that really shows that they want us as much as we want them. It's a really nice feeling knowing that your band is appreciated by the people that matter."

THE GREAT AMERICAN BEAST began its attack on listeners' ears in early 2008 when the defunct Dayton band THE RED AFFAIR enlisted the help of fellow Dayton veteran Nick Villars.

With a sound best described as "'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' meets 'Animal House'," THE GREAT AMERICAN BEAST's only goal is "to play kick-ass tunes to kick-ass kids in every kick-ass city in the country."

THE GREAT AMERICAN BEAST is:

Nick Villars - Vocals
Jesse Blair - Guitar
Pete DiSalvo - Bass
Andy Lazier - Drums
Tim Baker - Guitar

For more information, visit
www.myspace.com/thegreatamericanbeast

ACHERON Signs U.S. Deal With IBEX MOON RECORDS

2009-10-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

ACHERON Signs U.S. Deal With IBEX MOON RECORDS

Current line-up
Vincent Crowley - Vocals, Bass (1988-) (Nocturnus, Wolfen Society, Incantation)
Kyle Severn - Drums (2002-) (Incantation, Wolfen Society, Vital Remains, Escalation Anger, Funerus)
Max Otworth - Guitars (2006-) (Darkness Undying)
Art Taylor - Guitars (2009-)

Blackened death metallers ACHERON have signed with Ibex Moon Records for the U.S. release of their latest album, "The Final Conflict: Last Days Of God".

Commented bassist/vocalist Vincent Crowley: "We have really been wanting to have someone license our new album, 'The Final Conflict: Last Days of God', in the United States to help give us more of a push in our own country. When Ibex Moon stepped up and signed a deal with Displeased Records, we were very excited.

"John McEntee from Ibex Moon has really put his label/company on the map. Ibex Moon has great distribution and has been releasing excellent albums from killer bands.

"Our goals are to start promoting the new album as much as possible and get this new musical creation to all the American metal fans! And as we do this, we hope for all the fans to show their support and actually go out and buy a copy of the new CD. Don't let downloading replace the option of buying CDs! We promise those who get the new album won't be disappointed in their purchase."

The album, the band's first in six years, is out now in Europe and will be released on November 24 in the U.S.

"The Final Conflict: Last Days of God" was once again recorded at Mars Recording Compound with Bill Korecky and was mastered at West West Side Music in New Windsor, New York. The follow-up to 2003's "Rebirth: Metamorphosing into Godhood" is a concept album based on the fall of the three major white light religions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

Entire GOJIRA live set (professionally filmed) posted!

2009-10-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

Entire GOJIRA live set (professionally filmed) posted!

Current line-up
Joe Duplantier - Vocals & Guitar (Empalot, Cavalera Conspiracy, guest for Klone)
Christian Andreu - Guitar
Jean-Michel Labadie - Bass
Mario Duplantier - Drums (Empalot)

We snagged some pro-shot video footage of GOJIRA's April 4, 2009 performance at the Garorock Festival in Marmande, France. Check it out:
- The Heaviest Matter In The Universe Live
- Flying Whales Live
- Oroborus Live
- Backbone Live
- A Sight To Behold Live
- The Way of All Flesh Live
- Vacuity Live

Click Here For Original Link

Genitorturers “Blackheart Revolution” Out November 3

2009-10-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

Genitorturers “Blackheart Revolution” Out November 3

Renowned for their status as agents provocateur of the underground hard rock and industrial metal scenes, the latex defining and pop-culture defying GENITORTURERS return with the November 3 release of Blackheart Revolution.

It was co-produced by Scott Humphrey (Motley Crue, Rob Zombie, Ozzy) and mixed by the masters at Chop Shop. There is also a MySpace.
http://www.myspace.com/genitorturers

Tour Dates:
November 6 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz
November 8 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
November 9 – Teaneck, NJ – @ Mexicali Live
November 10 – Providence, RI @ Club Hell
November 11 – Montreal, QUE @ Fou Founes
November 12 – Rochester, NY @ Penny Arcade
November 13 – Detroit, MI @ Blondies
November 14 – Cleveland, OH @ Peabodys
November 15 – Toronto, ONT @ Mod Club
November 16 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
November 17 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
November 18 – Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
November 19 – Virginia Beach, VA -Peppermint Beach Club
November 20 – Raleigh, NC @ Volume 11
November 21 – Spartanburg, NC @ Ground Zero
November 22 – Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
November 25 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade

Divinity Post Trailer for Second Full Length Album “The Singularity”

2009-10-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

Divinity Post Trailer for Second Full Length Album “The Singularity”

Current line-up
Sean Jenkins - vocals
James Duncan - guitar
Sacha Laskow - guitar
Nick Foster - bass
Brett Duncan - drums

Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based metallers DIVINITY will release their second full-length album, The Singularity, on December 1. It will be available through most major online music stores such as iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, etc.

In Mourning Finishes Recording Upcoming Album

2009-10-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

In Mourning Finishes Recording Upcoming Album

Current line-up
Tobias Netzell - Guitars, Vocals (Contortion (Swe), Volturyon)
Bjorn Pettersson - Guitars (2005-)
Tim Nedergard - Guitars (2006-)
Pierre Stam - Bass (SkyRide)
Christian Netzell - Drums (Contortion (Swe), Volturyon)

In Mourning has issued the following update about finishing the recording of their new album and releasing their 2008 album "Shrouded Divine" on vinyl:

"Hey everyone, we're very proud and happy to tell you we're done recording our new album! Now remains mixing and mastering, beginning this week with mixing. If you didn't already know: Shrouded Divine is soon to be pressed in vinyl! Kolony Records will be releasing it, strictly limited to 500 copies. Release date is set to 30.11.2009, but it's already up for pre-order

Taste of Chaos Europe 2009 Bands

2009-10-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

Taste of Chaos Europe 2009 Bands

Lineups for the Taste of Chaos Europe 2009 have been finalized. It all starts on November 12 and will run through December 16. Tour dates here.

Bands performing in the UK:

* KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
* IN FLAMES
* EVERY TIME I DIE
* MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER
* Special Guests

Bands performing in Scandinavia include:

* IN FLAMES
* KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
* DEAD BY APRIL
* EVERY TIME I DIE
* MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER
* Special Guests

Belgium and Germany include:

* IN FLAMES
* KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
* EVERY TIME I DIE
* MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER
* Special Guests

Cephalic Carnage Posts "Vaporized" Music Video Online

2009-10-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

Cephalic Carnage Posts "Vaporized" Music Video Online

Current line-up
Leonard "Lenzig" Leal - Vocals
John Merryman - Drums
Nick Schendzielos - Bass (AinMatter, Reign of Vengeance)
Zac Joe - Guitars (Adnauseam)
Steve Goldberg - Guitars (Adnauseam, Molester)

Cephalic Carnage have posted a music video online for the song "Vaporized," which is off their 2007 album "Xenosapien." The video clip can be viewed below. Cephalic Carnage have also announced that they are currently writing new material for an upcoming album and plan to release a new DVD titled "Live At Mom's House." More details to follow.

ANCIET CEREMONIES ISSUE 15 AVAILABLE ONLINE!

2009-10-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

2009-10-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

Lividity New Album Out on October 2009

2009-10-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Amputated Vein Records is proud to announce the new signing of DISENTOMB

2009-10-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

Amputated Vein Records is proud to announce the new signing of DISENTOMB

Amputated Vein Records is proud to announce the new signing of DISENTOMB from Australia technical fast brutal death metal style like Californian Disgorge. Their debut full length CD will be out early 2010. Look for this fucking mega brutal shit !!!
Australian Brutal Death Metal !!!

Disentomb is an Australian Brutal Death Metal band that formed in late 2008. Playing their debut show in November with The Day Everything Became Nothing (Vic), Defamer and Daemon Foetal Harvest the band has built local, national and international hype with just a release of a two track promo. The 2009 Disentomb Promo is a taste of what the debut album released by Japanese label, Amputated Vein Records, in 2010 will have to offer to the Brutal Death Metal community worldwide.

For any inquiries please contact Disentomb either through this myspace or at disentomb@live.com.au
http://www.myspace.com/disentomb

STARRING JANET LEIGH: 'Ex You' Video Released

2009-10-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

STARRING JANET LEIGH: 'Ex You' Video Released

"Ex You", the new video from the Canadian metal outfit STARRING JANET LEIGH, can be viewed below. The shoot went down during the band's performance as part of the Montreal Assault Tour which also featured DESPISED ICON, BENEATH THE MASSACRE, CARNIFEX, BLIND WITNESS and THE LAST FELONY. The live footage captured at the show was combined with the band's studio shoot happening April 24-26.

"Ex You" comes off the band's latest album, "Spectrum", which came out in May 2009 via Ironclad Recordings (Trevor Phipps of UNEARTH's label).

Commented guitarist Matt Zadkovich: "We wanted 'Ex You' to be our first video because felt it to be a short and sweet, honest, in-your-face representation of the band and the album. It was filmed in our dank hole of a jam space, which we felt was perfect for the shoot to show who STARRING JANET LEIGH is and what we're all about it. We wanted the video to showcase how the live experience with STARRING JANET LEIGH is, shooting in a place we're all too familiar with. It was filmed over the course of three days with our good friend Mike Molloy from Static Studios here in Toronto. Mike's input on this video was invaluable and we're stoked to release it."

"Spectrum" was recorded in June and September 2007 with producer/engineer Greg Dawson of BWC Studios, who has previously worked with MARE (Hydrahead), THE END (Relapse), MONEEN (Vagrant) and many others. Mastering of "Spectrum" was handled by Alan Douches at West West Side who has worked with CONVERGE, THE END, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, MASTODON, UNEARTH, and NILE, just to name a few.

"Compared with previous songs written, the cohesion and understandability of our music has allowed us to push the level of intensity and technicality to new levels while still maintaining a very listenable and atmospheric presence," Zadkovich previously said. "We hope that listeners will be able to take away something new each and every time they listen to the album, while still knowing and feeling the songs as they did the first time they were heard."

Formed in 2003, the Canadian metal act began with creating music the band found both interesting and challenging with no compromise to musical integrity. Fusing death metal, hardcore, and modern jazz to create a sound that can best be described as progressively technical death metal, STARRING JANET LEIGH's aural onslaught is a fine blend of artistry, fury, passion and precision. Combine the band's musical fervor and dexterity with their unforgettable live show and what you end up with is no need for gimmicks or clichés.

Stated Trevor Phipps of Ironclad Recordings: "We are excited to be working with STARRING JANET LEIGH as we feel they have a lot to offer the world of heavy music. Their technically proficient blend of death metal and various forms of aggressive music is something we can fully back and get excited about."

STARRING JANET LEIGH is:

Matt Zadkovich - Guitar
Aaron Pozzer - Drums
Matt Nimmo - Vocals
Chris Sokoloski - Guitar
Justin Brown - Bass

For more information, visit
www.starringjanetleigh.com

Starring Janet Leigh Ex You

SINGLE BULLET THEORY Recruits VOUGAN Drummer

2009-10-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

SINGLE BULLET THEORY Recruits VOUGAN Drummer

Current line-up
Matt Difabio - Vocals/Guitar (Pissing Razors, Poseidon (US))
Carlos Alverez - Guitar (Shadowdance (US), Cipher (US))
Dan Loughry - Guitar (Polterchrist, Insatanity)
Bill Mez - Bass (Seven Witches)

Philadelphia-based metal band SINGLE BULLET THEORY has announced the addition of Brazilian drummer Acacio Carvalho (VOUGAN) to the group's ranks. The band is scheduled to enter the studio in November to begin recording new material for a 2010 release.

SINGLE BULLET THEORY earlier in the year uploaded its cover version of the METAL CHURCH classic "Badlands" to its MySpace page. The recording was originally featured on the SINGLE BULLET THEORY's 2004 record "Behind Eyes Of Hatred" (Crash Music Inc.) and features guest appearances by Matt Thompson (KING DIAMOND) and James Murphy (TESTAMENT, DEATH, OBITUARY).

With regards to the musical direction of the forthcoming SINGLE BULLET THEORY album, vocalist/guitarist Matt DiFabio (ex-PISSING RAZORS) previously said, "I have written over 167 songs in the last four years and have assembled what, in my humble opinion, are the very best of what I consider the best. Some of them were written to be part of the next PISSING RAZORS CD, some were written for SBT and some were just written to bang your head to a little."

DARK TRANQUILLITY Keyboardist's ROGUE MUSIC Studio Now Open

2009-10-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

DARK TRANQUILLITY Keyboardist's ROGUE MUSIC Studio Now Open

DARK TRANQUILLITY keyboardist Martin Brändström has renovated his studio facilities to coincide with the recording of the band's ninth full-length album, and the premises are now available for artists requiring a professional recording setup at the heart of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Commented Martin:
"After a lengthy renovating and expansion process, I am happy to announce that Rogue Music is opening its door to the public. Conveniently located in the very heart of the Gothenburg city core and with all accomodations you will find yourself needing to endure a long-running haul. Feel free to get in touch if you are interested in booking or pricing."

For more information, visit
www.roguemusic.se

DARK TRANQUILLITY's new CD is being recorded at Rogue Music and bassist Daniel Antonsson's home studio. The mixing duties will once again be handled by Tue Madsen at his Antfarm facility in Aarhus, Denmark. Tentative songtitles set to appear on the CD include "I Am The Void", "Zero Distance", "The Burden Of Love Alive", "Archangelsk" and "Memories In Reverse".

MEGADETH's DAVE MUSTAINE Really, Really Doesn't Want To Talk About METALLICA

2009-10-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

MEGADETH's DAVE MUSTAINE Really, Really Doesn't Want To Talk About METALLICA

David Farrier of New Zealand's 3 News conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine backstage at the Logan Campbell Centre in Auckland earlier tonight (Monday, October 5) prior to the band's performance with SLAYER. Watch the chat in three parts below. A few excerpts from the interview follow.

On the role of politics in MEGADETH's music:

Mustaine: "The way that the world is right now, it's not even about living peacefully with each other; it's about who's got the biggest bombs. And that's really sad. Especially right now, what's happening in my country, being an American.

"I love my country, but I'm also an international musician, so I go places...

"Yesterday I was looking at a store for some t-shirts and it was saying a bunch of bad stuff about America and a bunch of bad stuff about Bush. And it's like, I can agree with the bad stuff about the former administration, but until you've been to America, judging us as America based off of what our government is like, that's not fair. So I try and be as unbiased as possible with our politics and the stuff that we talk about and try and keep it more about what view as Joe Everyman is gonna experience."

"When Obama became president, there were a lot of people that were really happy. I didn't vote for him. And I don't think he's going to be a great president. And right now we already see all of these things going wrong. He spends too much time on TV; it's all about his dates with his wife. Who cares?! Everybody goes and eats dinner with their family. And not enough stuff is getting done. But all of a sudden now, he's the president of the UN, too, so he's the most powerful man in the world. I mean, think about that. There's all this prediction in faith and stuff about there being one-world government, one-world currency... stuff like that. Well, dinero, the euro... all these different types of money, they're narrowing it down to just a few different currencies. Look at what's happening in Europe, with all the face of all those countries just losing itself."

On people who say that heavy metal bands like MEGADETH haven't got anything worthwhile to say about what's going on in the world:

Mustaine: "Well, they obviously haven't heard my music. I think it's really safe to make generalized statements — to say heavy metal, in general, is boorish and that the lyrics are inane. But, for me, I look at it like this: If that's all you've got to work with, how can you be really eloquent with your words? Most guys in heavy metal, they're salt of the earth. We are like people who don't generally mix with the rest of the society and we found something that works. Now me, I'm pretty verbose, I've been to the White House, I've covered the Democratic National Convention, I've met the President... I've done a lot of things. I got a bill passed into law in the United States. So I'm kind of an anomaly."

On the bill that he got passed into law in the United States:

Mustaine: "[It was the] motor-voter bill. What happens is that in the United States of America, you need to be registered in order to vote. And it was such an inconvenience to find a polling place in order to get registered prior to voting, and the polling places made it even more difficult. So what we did was we figured, 'OK, what's the easiest way to do this?' Rock The Vote was involved with it, MTV was involved with it, and I got involved with it with a couple of other celebrities. There's a provision on the driver's license forms that says, 'Do you wanna register to vote?' All you gotta do is just go [check a box] and you're registered. How simple is that? That, to me, is the American way — doing something that really simplifies people's lives without charging them a lot of money for it, you know what I mean?! This was so free — it was just a bunch of celebrities giving freely of their time. And now we've convenienced a country."

On METALLICA's "Some Kind Of Monster" documentary, which shows a very different side of him:

Mustaine: "I haven't seen it. Don't wanna see it. 'Cause I can never answer anything about METALLICA without it being taken out of context. Like, I said something about our new record ['Edgame'] — I think our new record is better than their new record ['Death Magnetic'], but that they have plenty of records that are better than stuff that I've done. So it's kind of... It was a compliment, but the people got hold of it in the press, and they said, 'Dave Mustaine thinks his record's better than METALLICA.' And it's like, 'Well, you've got ears.' You hear the two records and they totally sound different. And this was the first time I've believed over my whole career where I've actually had something that was.. not that it was comparable, but this is by far better. And I'm not saying this because it's me — even if I wasn't in MEGADETH, I would say this record's ['Endgame'] better than that one ['Death Magnetic'] because of the way it sounds.

"They're [METALLICA] a great band; they don't need me to compliment them. And the bottom line is that there is nothing I can say without it being taken out of context and wrong.

"It's kind of sad, because if I say 'I don't wanna talk about it,' I get slighted, [and] if I do talk about it, I get misquoted. And it doesn't have any bearing on my life at all.

"If there's an opportunity to play with these guys [METALLICA] in the future [as part of a METALLICA-MEGADETH tour], I'd consider it. I'll never play in the round, so if they wanna play with me, then we'll talk about it, but there's no talk; we haven't heard anything."

"You've gotta remember... See, thing is that they didn't have a pop-up video thing [in the 'Some Kind Of Monster' movie] where it said, 'Hey, Dave just turned 40 today and he's spending his birthday with Lars Ulrich [METALLICA drummer].' If it would have said that, people probably would have said, 'What a horrible way to spend your birthday. 40th birthday — spending it with a guy that is your rival.'

"What had happened was September 11 in 2001, our country was attacked — whether it was an inside job or not, nobody really has figured it out yet. And in the meanwhile, we were in Seattle, had to cancel our show out of respect to the nation, went into Canada and played the next day on the 12th and I was supposed to fly home on the 13th for my 40th birthday. Well, all the planes were grounded, so I had to ride in a bus from Canada all the way to San Francisco — couldn't go [home] to Phoenix — and by the time I did get to San Francisco, I was pretty upset. I'm thinking, 'I can't go home. My birthday party. All this stuff got set up for this, all this planning...' I mean, you don't even think about when something happens on the other side of the country, the ripple effect, how it affects all these other lives, but it did. And then I spent my night with him [Lars]. And it was like, 'I'll do it [take part in the filming], but I wanna be able to have the right of refusal [on whether the footage gets used in the film].' And after it was done, I said, 'I don't wanna do it.' And they went and did it anyway. So that was pretty much the end of the road with me. And Lars called me up and asked me to do the [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame thing, and I said, 'No.' . . .

"The only reason I even agreed to do [take part in the 'Some Kind Of Monster' filming] was because I had hoped it would heal our friendship and that we would be able to, at some point, be civil again.

"I still like James [Hetfield, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist] — I've always liked James. I think that's the consensus in the world, though — if you had to pick between the two of them, you'd pick James. And I've seen how my career has been helped by that and how it's been hurt by that. But a lot of the stuff that goes on with me in my career, it's not in my hands anyway — it's up to God, and he's already planned my whole life out. There was a lot of times when I did some stupid stuff, and you make those decisions yourself. And when you look at the wreckage after you're all done, it's kind of like, 'Wow! What did I do?' [laughs] 'Cause a lot of times, too, you'll look at it and you'll say, 'I didn't do this. I didn't cause this.' But just because you were there and you didn't do anything doesn't mean you didn't cause it — you could have stopped it."

On whether religion has changed his perspective on things and the way he operates:

Mustaine: "It's changed a lot of things. It's like, this whole thing you were just talking about [issues with METALLICA]. That has been resolved so many years ago, and it's the public and journos that keep it alive. I don't wanna talk about it — I'd rather have somebody stand on my foot than to talk about that again. And the thing with... We had some problems many years ago with SLAYER, too. It was something that had been said, it was regrettable, but it was 19 years ago. These guys [referring to SLAYER] don't care, I don't care — it's the fans that keep the stuff going. And when a guy is doing an interview and he's OK and somebody comes up and kicks him in the crotch with an unexpected question, it totally changes the demeanor of the interview. And then you'll say something because the interviewer has antagonized you, which is what their game is in the metal community right now — 'See if we can get a sound bite out of Dave. Let's piss him off.' And you know what?! It just doesn't work anymore with me, because I know before I even go into these things what's going on. And there's nothing I'm saying that I'm regretting."

On what's next for Dave Mustaine and whether MEGADETH has any more records left to make:

Mustaine: "I don't know about the records right now, because I absolutely hate my record company; I'm really disappointed with the American record company. . . Right now I have a radio show coming up this month for three years on Clear Channel. I have my autobiography coming out next year on HarperCollins, which is one of the biggest publishers . . . After this [New Zealand] tour, we go to Australia, we go to Japan, we go back to the States, we do the Canadian Carnage [tour], we do some more dates with SLAYER, we do the States with MACHINE HEAD and a band called SUICIDE SILENCE, which is kind of a hot band in America right now, and another band [called] ARCANIUM. And then after that we're gonna be going silent running for the holidays so that we can spend some time with our families and stuff. And then we start back up again in January — we're gonna go out for two months. It's a secret thing; I can't actually announce this, 'cause I know someone's gonna watch this... But we've got two months' worth of dates planned in the beginning of January, and then we're gonna be heading overseas for some festivals and some tours in Europe. The good thing is there are so many places that want us to play, we're gonna be pretty busy for the next year and a half."

PAIN OF SALVATION To Support DREAM THEATER In Australia

2009-10-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

PAIN OF SALVATION To Support DREAM THEATER In Australia

Current line-up
Daniel Gildenlow - Vocals & Guitar (Genius, Crypt of Kerberos, The Flower Kings, Hammer Of The Gods (Swe), Office of Strategic Influence)
Johan Hallgren - Guitar, Vocals (Crypt of Kerberos, Infester (Swe))
Fredrik Hermansson - Keyboards
Léo Margarit - Drums (Zubrowska, Latin Jam, Virtual Realm, Wardanz)

Swedish progressive rockers PAIN OF SALVATION have been confirmed as "special guests" for DREAM THEATER's 2009 Australian tour.

The dates are as follows:

Dec. 03 - Brisbane, AUS - Convention Centre
Dec. 05 - Sydney, AUS - Hordern Pavilion
Dec. 07 - Melbourne, AUS - Palais Theatre
Dec. 08 - Melbourne, AUS - Palais Theatre
Dec. 09 - Adelaide, AUS - Thebarton Theatre
Dec. 12 - Perth, AUS - Metro City

"Ending Themes (On the Two Deaths of Pain of Salvation)", the latest DVD/CD from PAIN OF SALVATION, entered the Swedish Music DVD chart (all genres) at position No. 2 and the German chart at No. 14.

"Ending Themes (On the Two Deaths of Pain of Salvation)" is available via InsideOutMusic/SPV in three versions: as a double DVD, double CD and as a limited edition featuring both double DVD and double CD. The tracks were recorded at the Paradiso in Amsterdam on March 2, 2007 during PAIN OF SALVATION's "Scarsick" tour. The DVD features behind-the-scenes footage and an extensive retrospective featuring many important landmarks of their career, including a number of surprises. "Surprises are part of the PAIN OF SALVATION concept," Daniel Gildenlöw (vocals, guitar) pointed out. "I think our fans would be pretty disappointed if we didn't surprise them anymore."

"I will continue to permanently venture into new directions," Gildenlöw predicted. "I'm always at my best when I feel that I simply have to play this music because it comes naturally. I simply follow my emotions and pay attention to what I want to express in my music. So as long as my taste changes, my music will continue to change. I feel that's the best and most honest approach."

SKELETONWITCH: Entire New Album Available For Streaming

2009-10-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

SKELETONWITCH: Entire New Album Available For Streaming

Current line-up
Nate Garnett - Guitar (Serkesoron)
Scott Hedrick - Guitar
Chance Garnett - Vocals
Derrick Nau - Drums
Evan Linger - Bass (Insurrect)

"Breathing the Fire", the new album from Athens, Ohio extreme metallers SKELETONWITCH, is available for streaming in its entirety on Terrorizer.com.

"Breathing the Fire" is scheduled for release on October 13 via Prosthetic Records. The CD's cover artwork was designed by Andrei Bouzikov, who has previously worked with MUNICIPAL WASTE and many others.

SKELETONWITCH began recording "Breathing The Fire" on June 14 in Seattle at both Studio Litho (owned by PEARL JAM guitarist Stone Gossard) and producer Jack Endino's own Soundhouse Recording.

Pre-order packages for "Breathing The Fire" are now available on Prosthetic Records' webstore. The iTunes version of the album includes an exclusive bonus track called "Only No Rest for the Dead".

SKELETONWITCH is currently on tour with CHILDREN OF BODOM and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER through October 12 and then will provide support to THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER along with TOXIC HOLOCAUST and TRAP THEM. The band will then head to Europe for a rotating co-headline run with TOXIC HOLOCAUST and GOATWHORE.

THE GATES OF SLUMBER: 'Ice Worm' Video Released

2009-10-05T22:03:00.000-07:00

THE GATES OF SLUMBER: 'Ice Worm' Video Released

Current line-up
Karl Simon - Guitar & Vocals
Jason McCash - Bass (Burn It Down, The Dream Is Dead)
"Iron" Bob Fouts - Drums (Burn It Down, Amongst the Swarm, Phantom Witch, Christ Beheaded)

"Ice Worm", a video from heralded Indianapolis, Indiana doom metal masters THE GATES OF SLUMBER, can be viewed below. The clip was created by Doggysmile Pictures (who brought you Internet horror movies such as "Heavy Metal Zombies" and "Metal Man") and features footage that was recorded primarily at the Keep It True XII festival, which was held this past April in Germany.

"Ice Worm" comes off THE GATES OF SLUMBER's third album, "Conqueror", which was released in May 2008 via Profound Lore (I Hate in Europe). The CD was recorded at Volume Studios with producer Sanford Parker, who has previously worked with BIBLE OF THE DEVIL, LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR and NACHMYSTIUM, among others.

THE GATES OF SLUMBER's latest album, "Hymns of Blood & Thunder", came out on September 13 via Rise Above Records.

THE GATES OF SLUMBER encapsulates the metal experience for true believers. Weaned on BLACK SABBATH, ST. VITUS, the melodic might of IRON MAIDEN and a host of classic bands from THIN LIZZY to RAINBOW to MERCYFUL FATE, THE GATES OF SLUMBER draws deep from heavy metal's most powerful blood and delivers doom metal in its purest form.

"Hymns of Blood & Thunder" dropped on the heels of the brightest and busiest year in the respected power trio's history; one that saw THE GATES OF SLUMBER pack clubs during its first U.S. headlining tour and land atop many year-end media polls with "Conqueror", an album that was hailed as "a breath of fresh air within the doom / true metal underground." The record placed at the #5 position in Decibel's "Top 40 Albums of 2008" and made Village Voice Media's "Top 10 Metal Albums of 2008", joining an impressive list of some of the genre's finest including AC/DC, JUDAS PRIEST and METALLICA.

Recorded in Chicago's Semaphore Studios with producer Sanford Parker (NACHTMYSTIUM, PELICAN), "Hymns of Blood & Thunder" is described in a press release as "a mighty document of both powerful songwriting and instrumental skull-crushing. . . the album is heavy and chillingly bleak; in an almost unrelenting way that hasn't been heard since JUDAS PRIEST's heyday ('Sad Wings of Destiny', 'Sin After Sin', etc.). Displaying a powerful focus and direction and demonstrating a very compelling emotional range, THE GATES OF SLUMBER have upped its levels of both technique and melody, resulting in an album that is at once frighteningly dark in its effect, tight in its grooves and unrivaled in its sheer power."

MACHINE HEAD Announces One-Off Headlining Show In New York

2009-10-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

MACHINE HEAD Announces One-Off Headlining Show In New York

Current line-up
Robb Flynn - Vocals, Guitar (1992-) (Vio-lence, Forbidden Evil, Sexoturica, Quarteto De Pinga)
Phil Demmel - Guitar (2001-) (Dublin Death Patrol, Vio-lence, Torque, Technocracy)
Adam Duce - Bass (1992-)
Dave McClain - Drums (1995-) (Sacred Reich, S.A. Slayer, Juggernaut (US), Catalepsy, Murdercar, Narita (US), Ministers Of Anger)

San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD have scheduled a one-off headlining concert on Friday, November 6 at the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale, New York. Support at the show will come from THY WILL BE DONE, THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE and MUTINY WITHIN.

Commented guitarist Phil Demmel: "We are extremely excited to announce our only U.S headline show this year, and to have it be in New York is going to be insane!!!" Guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn added, "We really felt like doing something special for the U.S. fans to get ready for the Canadian Carnage dates. What better place to do it than with our maniacal fanbase in New York!!!"

MACHINE HEAD will team up with MEGADETH, SLAYER and SUICIDE SILENCE for the "Canadian Carnage East" tour beginning on November 8 in Moncton. A U.S. tour with MEGADETH and SUICIDE SILENCE will follow starting November 14 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

MACHINE HEAD is continuing to tour in support of its Grammy-nominated album "The Blackening", which was re-released as a "special edition" in October 2008 via Roadrunner Records.

Hailed unanimously as the best metal album of 2007 by journalists, metal radio stations and fans alike, "The Blackening" earned a Grammy nomination for the fan-favorite track "Aesthetics of Hate".

"The Blackening Special Edition" is two-disc CD/DVD set that features an assortment of extras, including rare bonus tracks such as covers of IRON MAIDEN's "Hallowed Be Thy Name", over an hour of live performance footage from With Full Force, Download and Rock in Rio festivals, three uncensored music videos for "Aesthetics of Hate", "Now I Lay Thee Down" and "Halo", a "making-of" featurette on each video, "The Making of The Blackening" and expanded artwork. There's also what many hardcore fans have been rabidly waiting for: four never-before-seen performances of MACHINE HEAD celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut album, "Burn My Eyes", captured in Philadelphia in 2004.

METALLICA: Pro-Shot Footage Of 'Through The Never' Performance From Tampa Available - Oct. 5, 2009

2009-10-05T21:51:00.000-07:00

METALLICA: Pro-Shot Footage Of 'Through The Never' Performance From Tampa Available - Oct. 5, 2009

Current line-up
James Hetfield - Guitar, Vocals (1981- ) (Spastik Children, Leather Charm, Phantom Lord, Obsession)
Kirk Hammett - Lead Guitar (1983- ) (Spastik Children, Exodus, Septic Death)
Robert Trujillo - Bass (2003- ) (Suicidal Tendencies, Jerry Cantrell, Black Label Society, Glenn Tipton, Ozzy Osbourne, Infectious Grooves, Cyco Miko)
Lars Ulrich - Drums (1981- )

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the track "Through The Never" (from the 1991 self-titled album) for the first time in 16 years this past Saturday night (October 3) at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida can be viewed below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. That Was Just Your Life
02. The End Of The Line
03. Harvester Of Sorrow
04. Through The Never
05. One
06. Broken, Beat And Scarred
07. Cyanide
08. Sad But True
09. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
10. All Nightmare Long
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Battery
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
16. The Wait
17. Trapped Under Ice
18. Seek and Destroy

METALLICA has added single-song downloads to the LiveMetallica.com web site. Instead of buying only entire concerts, fans can pick whatever individual songs they want from any concert they choose from. Every song that the band has recorded in concert since 2004, covering a span of 269 shows, is available for 99 cents per MP3. Full shows are still $9.95 as MP3 files and $12.95 as higher-quality FLAC files.

Frontman James Hetfield told The Pulse of Radio about deciding to release individual songs, "Yeah, I think the song-per-song vs. album is kind of a long lost battle, I think. You know, people in the fast-food world we live in want what they want, and want it now, and when they're done with it, they're done with it. So yeah, it's about time, and I think it's the right move."

LiveMetallica.com was launched in March 2004 and makes downloads available for purchase of every show the band has played since then, often within hours of the gig's finale.

More than 300,000 downloads have been purchased at the site since its launch.

The "Vault" section of the site offers free downloads of shows recorded before 2004.

More shows will crop up at the site in upcoming weeks, since METALLICA just launched a new North American tour last month. The band has dates booked through mid-December.

ORPHANED LAND Make A Rare, Highly Celebrated U.S. Performance At The Progpower Festival

2009-10-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

ORPHANED LAND Make A Rare, Highly Celebrated U.S. Performance At The Progpower Festival

Current line-up
Kobi Farhi - Vocals (1991-)
Yossi Sa'aron (Sassi) - Lead Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Saz, Bouzouki, Oud (1991-)
Matti Svatizky - Rhythm Guitars, Acoustic Guitars (1991-)
Uri Zelcha - Bass, Fretless Bass (1991-)

Session members:
Shlomit Levi - Female Vocals (2004-)
Matan Shmuely - Drums (2007-)

One of metalâ€™s biggest and most talked about sensations has to be Israel's ORPHANED LAND who mix mysticism, metal, oriental ambience, and Middle Eastern tradition steeped in religious and moral teachings, to bring us another masterpiece. From a hypnotic weave of choral arrangements and exotic instrumentation to a dynamic use of language and torrential guitar riffs, this band has all of the elements to create a very entertaining listening experience.

ORPHANED LAND made a rare and much celebrated U.S. performance at this year's Progpower and are currently finishing up their new album, The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR, which was mixed by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree and set for a Jan. 2010 release. An audio teaser to that album can be heard here: http://www.orphaned-land.com/ as well as in studio photos and updates available at their official forum, which is here:
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/orphaned-land-229/

Kobi Farhi (vocals) states: â€œPlaying in the USA is always an adventure for us. The fans are very much devoted and even the people who don't know your band give you the right attention. When we were announced for PPUSA last year I was sure that by this time our album would be out, but since it's a complex album, we delayed it and had to leave the studio just for this show, so in a way, the Progpower fans were the first in the world to hear us play an unprecedented, SIX brand new songs. The reaction was great and the fans were with us all along the show - clapping hands, jumping and even belly dancing. After so much time in the studio, we really needed that feedback and I'm very grateful of all the fans. I feel that our music is a new breeze for the metal scene, a breeze that brings a new tune and sound of metal from the Middle East and we know that this was just the starting point. It is now the time to bring our unique brand of music to all of North America, so stay tuned as we will be back soon.â€

Exotic and enticing, ORPHANED LAND blends a multitude of sounds and styles to create its Middle Eastern Metal. "Our music style is a mixture of all kinds of metal, from progressive to black metal," says Farhi. "We are influenced by all kinds of music, from Indian music to Jazz. I even recorded musicians in the streets of India." The bandâ€™s last album, Mabool, was recorded in five languages: English, Hebrew, Arabic, Yemen, Latin as well as a form of gibberish (a language ORPHANED LAND created themselves). Oriental instruments such as oud, saz, and buzuki are used with traditional and classical instruments like violins, cello, piano and classical acoustic guitars. The introduction of unfamiliar languages and instruments heightens the mystical nature of the album, unifies the theme and makes the experience timeless.

ORPHANED LAND achieves its goal of uniting multitudes of cultures and crafting a mix of melody and mysticism. Interwoven guitar work coupled with exotic oriental instrumentations, infuses the well-crafted syncopated rhythms and makes the entire experience unforgettable

Devin Townsend Partners Up With Acclaimed Vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen (ex- The Gathering)

2009-10-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

Devin Townsend Partners Up With Acclaimed Vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen (ex- The Gathering)

Current line-up
Devin Townsend - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Programming (Strapping Young Lad, IR8, Ocean Machine, Steve Vai, Punky Brüster, The Devin Townsend Band, Devin Townsend Project)

One of metalâ€™s most intriguing and ominous figures is without a doubt the overly talented Devin Townsend, who mysteriously disappeared off the grid after completing Ozzfest 2005 with STRAPPING YOUNG LAD. The singer has since focused his efforts on a greatly ambitious new endeavor under the DTP (Devin Townsend Project) moniker. The new mind-blowing disasterpiece takes the manâ€™s genius to unprecedented levels as he embarked on a massive 4-part album series, which kicked off with Ki and is followed up with the Addicted album that is set for a Nov. 17th release throughout North America via Inside Out Music.

In a world of increasing conformity and musical banality, Devin Townsend is among the few real personalities who have character, charisma and surprising innovative creativity. Click on the link below to stream a new clip that perfectly captures Townsendâ€™s stunning musical prowess. http://tothestage.com/MediaDetail.PAGE?ActiveID=1142&query=devin%20townsend&MediaId=8045

Townsend comments: â€œHey folks, Dev here with the update for the second installment of the DTP (Devin Townsend Project). We are just readying the release of album 2, Addicted, so here are a few brief words: With Ki, I kind of strode out in uncharted territories for myself musically, and loved the experience, but during the course of writing this four record project, it was inevitable that I would end up writing a selection of tunes that were very much in line with my back catalogue. This group of songs is the second record in the series, and it is called Addicted.

â€œMusically, Addicted is along the lines of the big, wall of sound hard rock/heavy metal of Ocean Machine and Accelerated Evolution (even Physicist at points). It is a very direct and 'to the point' album with an emphasis on groove and the chorus. In the past, lots of my records end up taking a kind of Pink Floyd-ish route (between song meandering, etc.) Addicted is really simple: 11 rocking songs with no bullshit.

â€œI wanted to make a record that was heavy, without being dark or depressing. When I got into metal it was for the energy behind it, but somewhere along the way that energy started getting really negative. In music right now, there's a ton of heavy bands that are really depressing to listen to loudly. I wanted to make a record without any real deep metaphor on the surface. Something that sounds good, has a good beat and a positive feeling. It is still heavy as-all-get-out, but I think there's a differentiation to be made between being 'peaceful,â€™ and being peaceful but wanting to celebrate loud, crushing music.

â€œThe vocal duties on this record are handled by myself and Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering). I wanted to have male and female vocals kind of 'tell the story' so to speak. It's an honor to work with her and she has a lovely, lovely energy. The other musicians on this record are Ryan Van Poederooyen on drums, Brian Waddell on bass and Mark Cimino on guitars.

â€œI absolutely love this record and it affects me in a way that I wasn't prepared for. It's a fully rocking album of optimism. If you just want to 'play it loud' without any crazy metaphor, this album might be for you.

â€œI have been rehearsing with a new band and we will start touring in early 2010, representing all the back catalogue of solo material, from Ki, Addicted, Physicist, Ziltoid, Terria, Ocean Machine, DTB, Infinity, etc. I have some big plans for this and rehearsals are sounding amazing. The touring entity will be called 'Devin Townsend' and is essentially a way for me to get out there and interact again and showcase 15 years of music that never really got its fair shake.

â€œI will also start working on the fourth record Deconstruction in Los Angeles this October and have some great plans for that (and btw, THAT is a heavy record with a lot of metaphor). So, I hope you will enjoy Addicted. The reason that Addicted exists is maybe a little deeper than what the record sounds like up front. But up front, it kind of states: 'Life is tough, the world can be an ugly place...so letâ€™s forget about the dramas and ROCK - here's some heavy guitars, big choruses and killer beats.â€

Devin Townsend is back and has crafted the offerings of his much heralded career. Fans of hard rock, metal and overall interesting music take note because this material is going to touch your soul on multiple levels.

WINDS OF PLAGUE Announce Massive Headlining North American Fall Tour

2009-10-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

WINDS OF PLAGUE Announce Massive Headlining North American Fall Tour

Current line-up
Jon Cook - Vocals (2002-)
Nick Eash - Guitar (2002-)
Nick Piunno - Guitar (2002-)
Andrew Glover - Bass (2006-)
Kristen Randall - Keyboards (Abigail Williams) (2008-)
Art Cruz - Drums (Azusa, Enthral (US)) (2008-)

WINDS OF PLAGUE has changed the landscape of heavy music upon release of their highly acclaimed, vicious new album, The Great Stone War, which made an impressive debut in its first week landing at #73 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The new offering is going to quickly propel the band to the forefront of the American metal scene and serve as a much needed wake up call to the genre.

WINDS OF PLAGUE continues their massive worldwide touring campaign for The Great Stone War throughout North America this fall with a lengthy headlining run. The Draven sponsored trek, dubbed The California Lovetour, kicks off on Nov. 20th and also features Stick To Your Guns, Sleeping Giant, Oceano and Circle of Contempt in the support slots.

Be sure to visit
http://www.myspace.com/windsofplague
to view their complete touring itinerary.

A video trailer for the tour has also just been posted online. Head over to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLNSZb170BQ
now to check it out.

Johnny (vocals) further comments: We are extremely pleased to be able to finally bring the complete WINDS OF PLAGUE live package to the fans. This stage setup is going to feature a massive light show, large than life backdrop, scrims and risers. We want to entertain the crowd and bring them a true show so they leave feeling like they got more than their Worth. The package is solid from top to bottom and we can wait to annihilate everywhere with some new, never before played material. This is going to be the definitive WINDS OF PLAGUE show, so dont miss out. We hope to see you all soon.

* Originally named Bleak December, but changed their name to "Winds of Plague" in April, 2005, getting their name from lyrics in Unearth's song "Endless", from their 2002 EP, Endless.Nick Eash began playing bass in the band in 2002, but then switched to guitar in 2003.

Dino Cazares DIVINE HERESY Instructional Video Series

2009-10-04T02:20:00.000-07:00

Dino Cazares DIVINE HERESY Instructional Video Series

Legendary Guitarist Dino Cazares (DIVINE HERESY) Teams Up With GuitarWorld.com For Exclusive Instructional Video Series

Legendary guitarist Dino Cazares (co-founder of Fear Factory) remains one of the metal genre’s most dynamic, innovative and prolific players, a statement further cemented upon hearing his impressive fretwork on DIVINE HERESY’s crushing new album Bringer of Plagues. The disc’s earth-shattering opening cut, “Facebreaker,” proves that Cazares is more determined than ever to break the barriers of precision and speed with his trademark, lightning fast, machine gun riffs that will leave people saying, “how the fuck is he doing that?!” Well, GuitarWorld.com and Cazares have teamed up to show you aspiring players out there just exactly how to play some of Bringer of Plagues choice cuts. These instructional clips are exclusive to GuitarWorld.com, so click below to see Cazares break down how to play the hardest riffs from “Facebreaker” and also separately jam the track with Tim Yeung (drums) in another installment of the famed Master Class series. http://www.guitarworld.com/article/dino_cazares_lessons

DIVINE HERESY’s pummeling new offering, Bringer of Plagues, redefines the meaning of aggression and takes extreme to an all new level. The unrelenting new offering was released July 28th to rave reviews across the board and debuted at an impressive #148 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. This album is hailed as the most brutal and unrelenting offering of Cazares’ stellar career. Newcomer Travis Neal (vocals, ex-The Bereaved) has undoubtedly proven that he is the perfect fit for the role as he delivers a debut performance for the ages. The group kicks off the album touring cycle Oct. 14th on a massive North American fall tour as direct support to Moonspell. Either see below or visit
www.myspace.com/divineheresyband

to view their complete touring itinerary.

DIVINE HERESY just completed a new video for the Bringer of Plague’s’ scathing opening cut, “Facebreaker,” with renowned director Brian Thompson (Killswitch Engage). The clip features the band’s frenetic live performance surrounded by an apocalyptic background setting. Check it out now at www.youtube.com/divineheresy and stay tuned to www.myspace.com/divineheresyband for all news and tour updates.

DIVINE HERESY
w/ MOONSPELL, BOOK OF BLACK EARTH, SECRETS OF THE MOON

10/14 Czar – Tampa, FL

10/15 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA

10/16 Jaxx – Springfield, VA

10/17 The Sterling Hotel – Allentown, PA

10/18 B.B. Kings Blues Club – New York, NY

10/19 Les Foufounes Electriques – Montreal, QC – CANADA

10/20 The Mod Club Theater – Toronto, ON – CANADA

10/21 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH

10/22 Blondie’s – Detroit, MI

10/23 The Pyramid Club – Chicago, IL

10/24 Beaumont Club – Kansas City, MO

10/25 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom – Denver, CO

10/27 The Venue – Vancouver, BC – CANADA
10/28 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA

10/29 Satyricon – Portland, OR

10/30 Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA

10/31 The Jumping Turtle – San Marcos, CA

11/01 The Roxy – Hollywood, CA

11/02 The Clubhouse – Tempe, AZ

11/03 Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM

11/04 Marquee – Tulsa, OK

11/05 Ridglea Theater – Dallas, TX

11/06 Warehouse Music Venue – San Antonio, TX

LION'S SHARE – Sign Russian licensing deal with SOYUZ M

2009-10-04T02:16:00.000-07:00

LION'S SHARE – Sign Russian licensing deal with SOYUZ M

Current line-up
Nils Patrik Johansson - Vocals (Astral Doors, Wuthering Heights, Space Odyssey)
Lars "Chriss" Christmansson - Guitars
Sampo Axelsson - Bass (Glenn Hugues, Crawley)

Session Musician(s):
Stefan Norgren - Drums (Eternal Oath (Swe))

Swedish melodic heavy metal masters LION'S SHARE have inked a Russian licensing deal with SOYUZ MUSIC for the release of their critically acclaimed "Dark Hours" album.

The follow-up to 2007's "Emotional Coma" was mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren (OPETH, SYMPHONY X, PARADISE LOST, AMON AMARTH) and features guest appearances by SYMPHONY X guitarist Mike Romeo (guest solo on "Behind The Curtain"), and drummers Conny Pettersson (from Earache Records death metal act ANATA) and Richard Evensand (CHIMAIRA, SOILWORK).

"Dark Hours" track listing:

01. Judas Must Die
02. Phantom Rider
03. Demon In Your Mind
04. Heavy Cross To Bear
05. The Bottomless Pit
06. Full Metal Jacket
07. The Presidio 27
08. Barker Ranch
09. Napalm Nights
10. Space Scam
11. Behind The Curtain
12. King Of All The Kings (bonus track)

A free download of the first single “Judas Must Die” is available at the following location http://www.blisteringrecords.se/downloads and the video for the same song at http://www.youtube.com/darkhours2009

“Dark Hours” is out now on BLISTERING RECORDS in Europe and North America and on KING RECORDS in Japan .

Check out some stunning reviews at
http://goto.glocalnet.net/ls_army/dh_reviews.html

BAND LINKS:
http://www.lionsshare.org
http://www.myspace.com/lionsshare

BLISTERING RECORDS
http://www.blisteringrecords.se
http://shop.blisteringrecords.se
http://www.myspace.com/blisteringrecords

SUICIDAL ANGELS - To tour the UK early 2010

2009-10-04T02:13:00.000-07:00

SUICIDAL ANGELS - To tour the UK early 2010

Current line-up
Nick Melissourgos - Vocals, guitar
Orpheas Tzortzopoulos - Drums

Greek thrash metallers SUICIDAL ANGELS will be hitting the road alongside the likes of KATAKLYSM, BELPHEGOR, DARKEST HOUR and opening act RESISTANCE!

Commented singer Nick:

“Great news. It’s been 2 years since the last time we visited UK and now we have the chance to play again in front of this amazing audience! We will be glad to meet you all again and spend a thrashing night, on the 12th of January at the 02 Academy Islington London. See you all soon and keep the horns up! Thrash!”

The video to the song “Apokathilosis” will be having its premiere on the band´s MySpace page on October 16! Do not miss!

The band will release its debut album “Sanctify The Darkness” on November 23rd via Nuclear Blast Records!

Tracklisting:

CD:
01. Bloodthirsty
02. The Pestilence Of Saints
03. Inquisition
04. Apokathilosis
05. … Lies
06. No More Than Illusion
07. Atheist
08. Beyond The Laws Of Church
09. Mourning Of The Cursed
10. Dark Abyss (Your Fate Is Colored Black)
11. Child Molester
+ enhanced part (2 video clips)

SUICIDAL ANGELS + KATAKLYSM, BELPHEGOR, DARKEST HOUR, RESISTANCE

12.01. London - O2 Academy Islington

JASAD akan meramaikan Bangcock Death Fest 2009

2009-10-04T02:09:00.000-07:00

JASAD akan meramaikan Bangcock Death Fest 2009

JASAD menjadi salah satu band death metal Indonesia yang akan meramaikan Bangcock Death Fest 2009 "The Oracles Of Human's Consumption To Acheslave di Thailand. Event yang akan digelar di The Rock Pub 7 November 2009. JASAD bakalan berada satu stage dengan salah satu Death Metal andalan tuan rumah, yaitu LACERATE, juga ada TOOLS OF THE TRADE (Malaysia). Nggak hanya itu A GOOD DAY FOR KILLING, MASOCHIST, FAILURE TRACE, INTRICATED dan INHERITED DEFORMITY juga bakalan menggempur secara bergantian.

for more Information
http://www.myspace.com/siamesebrutalism

e-mail:
laceratekillyou@hotmail.com

Behemoth Confirmed For Bloodstock 2010

2009-10-04T02:07:00.000-07:00

Behemoth Confirmed For Bloodstock 2010

Current line-up
Adam "Nergal" Darski - Vocals, Guitar (1991-) (Mastiphal, Damnation (Pol), Wolverine, Hermh, Voodoo Gods)
Zbigniew Robert "Inferno" Prominski - Drums, Percussion (1997-) (Azarath, Witchmaster (Pol), Damnation (Pol))
Tomasz "Orion" Wróblewski - Bass (2003-) (Vesania (Pol), Neolithic, Black River)

Session/live members:
Patryk Dominik "Seth" Sztyber - Guitar (2004-) (Nomad (Pol), Vesania (Pol))

Bastions of brutality BEHEMOTH are the fifth act to be confirmed for BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2010. Recent album “Evangelion” has taken the metal world by storm, with rave reviews across the board and the most enthusiastic reaction to any album in the band’s 18 year career.

Their performance at the 10 year anniversary of Bloodstock next year marks the band’s debut UK festival performance. Frontman Nergal states:
“What can I say? We’re thrilled to be playing Bloodstock 2010. It’s our first ever UK festival which makes it all the more special and exclusive for us. Make sure you come and check us out, we’re really looking forward to raising hell and kicking some ass there!”

With just under 11 months to go, the outdoor metal event is already shaping up to be an unmissable experience, with OBITUARY, RAGE, ANDROMEDA and ROSS THE BOSS also confirmed. Look out for another exclusive announcement next week too!

The BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR METAL FESTIVAL 2010 will take place at Catton Hall, Derbyshire from 13th – 15th August.

BAND LINE UP SO FAR
OBITUARY : ROSS THE BOSS : RAGE : ANDROMEDA : BEHEMOTH

Rudra trailer of their music video

2009-10-04T02:00:00.000-07:00

Rudra trailer of their music video

Current line-up
Kathi - Bass, Vocals (Narasimha)
Shiva - Drums
Devan - Guitars (2007-)
Vinod - Guitars (2009-)

Singapore’s originator of Vedic Metal, RUDRA, is currently in the production of the music video for their song “Hyms from the Blazing Chariot” which is included in by far their best album to date and highly praised by critics worldwide, “Brahmavidya I: Transcendental” (out through TRINITY RECORDS HONG KONG for Asia and America).

Based on the trailer, we can expect that the band and the director are putting their best effort to deliver not only a high quality video but also an effective one to deliver the band’s message. It is being directed by JACEN TAN and is expected to be out by the end of the year.

You can watch the video trailer here

Band: RUDRA
Myspace: www.myspace.com/vedicmetal
Website: www.rudraonline.org

Record label: TRINITY MUSIC
Website : www.trinityrecords.com.hk
Webstore: www.trinitymusichk.com

EARACHE TO RELEASE 118-TRACK on 3-CD SET

2009-10-04T01:57:00.000-07:00

EARACHE TO RELEASE 118-TRACK on 3-CD SET

Earache Records, the original home of many of the bands who created the grindcore genre, is set to release a special 118-track, 3-CD compilation called GRIND MADNESS AT THE BBC (THE EARACHE PEEL SESSIONS), featuring some of the first ever grindcore recordings.

The tracks are all taken from the legendary JOHN PEEL's early BBC radio sessions, which were recorded at the Maida Vale studios in London, UK between 1987 and 1990, and mark a historic moment in the world of extreme music. From the earliest days of Earache Records, JOHN PEEL was a huge supporter of the label and its extreme bands, offering the likes of HERESY and NAPALM DEATH the chance to lay down some tracks for his national UK radio show. In subsequent years, bands such as NAPALM DEATH and CARCASS have credited PEEL with kick-starting their careers.

Now, Earache Records has obtained the rights from the BBC to release these groundbreaking radio sessions in their entirety for the first time. The three-disc set features 118 tracks of classic recordings from NAPALM DEATH, CARCASS, BOLT THROWER, EXTREME NOISE TERROR, GODFLESH, HERESY, UNSEEN TERROR and INTENSE DEGREE, combining to a total running time of over three and a half hours.

The three-disc set comes housed in a slipcase sleeve and includes an extensive interview with ex-NAPALM DEATH drummer and inventor of the term "grindcore", MICK HARRIS.

GRIND MADNESS AT THE BBC (THE EARACHE PEEL SESSIONS) is due to be released on October 12th.

Power Quest - Announce New Line-Up

2009-10-04T01:55:00.000-07:00

Power Quest - Announce New Line-Up

Current line-up
Pete Morten - Vocals (2009-) (Soliloquy (UK), Nightmare World, Threshold (UK))
Andy Midgley - Gutars (2009-) (Liquid Sky)
Ben Randall - Guitars (2009-)
Steve Williams - Keyboards (2001-) (DragonHeart (UK), David Shankle Group)
Paul Finnie - Bass (2009-) (Wake (UK), The Maslin Incident)
Rich Smith - Drums (2009-) (Cruel Humanity, Aphemia)

Following the departures of long standing members Steve Scott (bass) and Alessio Garavello (vocals) earlier in 2009, guitarist Andrea Martongelli and drummer Francesco Tresca have also decided to call time on their tenure in Power Quest just last week. The band played a last time together last weeked, and now a whole new line-up was revealed by only original member Steve Williams.

The following statement is courtesy of Bravewords.com: "We are very pleased to finally reveal the all new Power Quest line-up. A farewell to members Alessio Garavello, Andrea Martongelli and Francesco Tresca was given at Saturday's final show at Metalfest UK in Dudley. The band's finally performance took the Metalfest crowd by storm as they tore through a blistering set of Power Quest classics.

Power Quest is now facing the biggest change in band history since they started in 2001. Steve Williams is confident that the new members of the family will continue to keep the PQ dream alive. First addition to the now UK based six-piece is vocalist Pete Morten, who is also known from his guitar job in Threshold. Pete is an extremely talented vocalist and brings his own style to the unique Power Quest sound."

Comments Williams: "To recruit a singer similar to Alessios' style was never an option, when we were looking for a strongly skilled singer with his own personality. Pete is just the man for it!"

The band update continues: "The first of our new guitarists is 21 year old Andy Midgley. He will take care of the rhythm parts but will also be blasting out some solos too! Behind the drum kit is Derby based sticks man Rich Smith, an extremely talented drummer, Rich has been a part of the UK metal scene for more than ten years.

Replacing Andrea was never going to be an easy task; but Ben Randall will show the fans, together with his twin shredder Andy, that the new team is ready to strike in the Power Quest tradition. At the tender age of 16 Ben made it to the final of International Guitar Idol in 2008 where he was voted 'most promising young guitarist' from over 750 contenders.

Completing the line up on bass guitar is Paul Finnie, a close member of the Power Quest family for many years, who's now taking the chance to step into the spotlight."

The all new Power Quest will be back on the road next month. You'll be able to catch the new Power Quest line up in action at the following shows in October 2009:

10/17 - Derby, UK - The Vic Inn
10/18 - Southampton, UK - Firehouse
10/19 - London, UK - Islington Academy (main support for Tarja)

Enthroned - To Record New Album Next Month

2009-10-04T01:52:00.000-07:00

Enthroned - To Record New Album Next Month

Current line-up
Nornagest - Lead Vocals, Guitars, Effects (1995-) (The Beast (Bel), Magia Posthuma, Plague (Bel), Infected (Bel), Heresia, Panzer (Bel), Unlocked)
Phorgath - Bass, Vocals (2006-) (Emptiness (Bel), Hybrid Viscery, Sons of Jonathas, Unlocked)
Nerath Daemon - Guitars (also Keyboards) (2000-2004, 2009-) (Emptiness (Bel))
Garghuf - Drums (2009-) (Perestrojka, Maleficus Angelus, Mrtva Gosa, Dekadent, Unlocked, Aeonic (Svn), Nefarium, Gorgoroth, God Seed)

Belgian Black metallers Enthroned have posted the following update on their MySpace site:

"In a month, Enthroned will start the recording of the new album "Pentagrammaton". The band sent some new tracks to Regain Records and 100% of the reactions are simply insane! The concept of "Pentagrammaton" will deal with lived fact through satanism and the occult and the musical direction is the logic fellow up to "Tetra Karcist" with some elements of albums such as "Prophecies of Pagan Fire" and "Towards the Skullthrone of Satan"."