ENTHRONED has signed a two-album deal with Agonia Records. The band’s next album, Obsidium, will be released in early 2012. Elsewhere, ENTHRONED’s touring guitarist Tzelmoth has quit the band.
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions will release the debut album from Philadelphia death metal band FISTHAMMER, entitled Devour All You See, on CD on January 24th.
DYING FETUS has announced Reign Supreme as the title for its next album, which is due in the summer through Relapse Records. The album is currently being recorded at Wrightway Studio in Baltimore with producer Steve Wright.
DEMONICAL has parted ways with drummer Ronnie Bergerståhl and replaced him with Fredrik Widigs.
33 Polish bands will take part in a charity tour, called Covan Wake The Fuck Up Tour 2012, in January to help former DECAPITATED singer Adrian “Covan” Kowanek who was injured in a bus accident in 2007.
Bassist Youri Raymond has left CRYPTOPSY. He apparently wanted to return to guitar and will focus on his band UNHUMAN.
FDA Rekotz has signed Spain’s GRUESOME STUFF RELISH. The label has plans to release the band’s next full-length album on CD and vinyl in the Spring of 2012.
Female-fronted band WYKKED WYTCH has signed with Goomba Music for the release of its upcoming fifth full-length album, The Ultimate Deception, in February.
HYPNO5E has a new CD called Acid Mist Tomorrow.
Pulverised Records has signed U.K.’s deathcrust band WINDS OF GENOCIDE. An album is due in 2012.
ONSLAUGHT has recruited drummer Michael “Mic” Hourihan (EXTREME NOISE TERROR). He has been touring with the band since March. The band is touring USA and Canada next March and April.
Inspired by KEEL? The returning EXUMER has signed with Metal Blade Records. The band’s first album since the ‘80s, Fire & Damnation, will be released in April. The album was recorded with producer Waldemar Sorychta.
ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL will play US concerts in January and February beginning in Las Vegas. The bands played the first legs of the show earlier in the autumn of 2011.
Dave Mustaine of MEGADETH joined his former band-mates METALLICA on stage on Saturday, December 10th at the fourth and final show at the Fillmore as part of the week-long celebration of the 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only. MERCYFUL FATE members King Diamond (vocals), Hank Shermann and Michael Denner (guitars) and Timi Hansen (bass) also joined METALLICA on stage on December 7th.
LENG TCH’E has lost drummer Tony Van den Eynde and replaced him with an Olivier Coppens.
Former members of Finnish bands OVERSTRAIND, TARPITORCHESTRA and REQUIEM have formed a new modern metal band called TORA. The band’s demo is called New Anatomy.
Japanese weirdo band SIGH will release its next album, In Somniphobia, in March through Candlelight Records.
Former GORGOROTH members GOD SEED’s Live At Wacken DVD and CD will be released on January 27th through Indie Recordings.
Sweden’s SKINEATER’s debut album, Dermal Harvest, is scheduled for an early 2012 release through Pulverised Records.
MUNICIPAL WASTE has completed its fifth studio album, The Fatal Feast, and will release it in March through Nuclear Blast Records.
Former ANNIHILATOR bassist Dave Sheldon, former DARKEST HOUR guitarist Kris Norris (also of STRAIGHT LINE STITCH) and former DARKEST HOUR drummer Ryan Parrish have a new band called A CANCEROUS AFFAIR. Ryan Parrish was just replaced with Timothy Java (DEAD TO FALL).
And because Satan is materialistic after all: Norwegian black metal band 1349 has joined with Anti Denim company’s designer Karoline Bakken Lund to design and manufacture handmade jeans as part of the Custom Made collection. The jeans cost upwards of $500.
NAGLFAR has completed work on its sixth album, Téras, which will be out in March through Century Media. Drums-for-hire Dirk Verbeuren plays on the album.
David Gold of Canadian doom band WOODS OF YPRES was killed on December 21st in an accident near Barrie. WOODS OF YPRES’ new album, Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light, will be released on January 31st through Earache Records.
BLOOD RED THRONE has lost singer Osvald “Vald” Egeland and bassist Erlend Caspersen and replaced them with Yngve Bolt Christiansen (GODDAMN) and Ole Bent Madsen (HORIZON ABLAZE) respectively.
Last month AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED released a holiday EP, called Make A Joyful Noise, as a free download.
ALL SHALL PERISH has canceled its participation in the Get Infected European tour for “personal reasons.”