Metallian Heavy

US-based STONEHAVEN is issuing its second full-length through Horror Pain Gore Death Productions on April 20th. Entitled Concerning Old-Strife And Man Banes, the album was recorded and mixed at Massive Sound Studio in Kansas City by Corey White and mastered by Mike Nolte.

Spanish thrash metal band ANGELUS APATRIDA will release a new studio album, The Call, on April 30th through Century Media. The album was again recorded at Ultrasound Studio in Moita, Portugal with producer Daniel Cardoso.

FDA Rekotz has announced the signing of CHAPEL OF DISEASE, a young German band from Cologne. Their first demo Death Evoked will be released on Friday, April 13th on cassette and limited to 166 hand-numbered copies. A full-length album is also expected this year. The band is compared to ASPHYX and MORGOTH.

1349 has recruited JOB FOR A COWBOY‘s drummer Jon Rice for its North American tour as the support for MARDUK. The tour takes place in June.

MARDUK will release its next studio album, Serpent Sermon through Blooddawn Productions/Century Media in May.

Century Media Records has signed Dutch death metal band GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT. The band was formed in 2011 by former ASPHYX guitar player Eric Daniels who left after the ASPHYX’s On The Wings Of Inferno. An album is expected this year.

Stockholm-based Swedeath band DESULTOR (not to be confused with the Swedeath band DESULTORY) released its full-length debut, Masters Of Hate, on March 20th through Abyss Records.

A name from the past with a name from the past: Peaceville Records has signed the Norwegian band MYSTICUM. The band’s new album, Planet Satan, is due to be recorded this year after multiple years of delays.

Death To All Tour 2012 is a June benefit for Sweet Relief. This five-city USA tour will feature a number of DEATH‘s alumni. This tour is to celebrate the life and music of Chuck Schuldiner, of DEATH and to raise money for the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. GORGUTS is also part of the bill.

Season of Mist has signed Dutch band THE MONOLITH DEATHCULT. The band’s forthcoming album is entitled Tetragrammaton and due later this year.

Mexico’s INFINITUM OBSCURE will set sail towards European soil in April for the first time since the band’s inception 12 years ago. The Congregation Of The Obscure – European Tour 2012, featuring DEAD CONGREGATION from Greece and INFINITUM OBSCURE, is presented by Germany’s Iron Bonehead Productions.

Candlelight Records has issued the second album from Chicago’s LORD MANTIS (featuring members of NACHTMYSTIUM), entitled Pervertor.

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions has signed black/death metal band FIENDS AT FEAST and will release the band’s debut EP Shadows Of Extinction on March 27th on CD format.

Celebrating 20 years of existence, the Czech Republic’s AVENGER has released Bohemian Dark Metal on Deathgasm Records.

The third DISSIMULATION album, Atiduokit Mirusius, which was recorded back in 2008 and earlier available only as CD edition is now out and available through Ledo Takas on vinyl as well.

Goregorecords, the death metal sublabel of Aural Music, is re-releasing the long-time sold out album Inside The Unreal from Italy’s ELECTROCUTION. To commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the original release, the members of the band gathered to work on the limited edition and remastered digipak.

Canadian guitarist Glen Drover, who left MEGADETH in 2007, has now observed that he left the American act to escape, what he calls, destructive behaviour. The interview was given to Metal Attack MTL.

Guitarist Christopher Amott has left ARCH ENEMY again. He is completing a solo album. ARCH ENEMY’s statement states that Christopher is not a fan of extreme metal any longer. ARCH ENEMY has recruited 26-year-old American guitarist Nick Cordle of ARSIS.

Donuts included? GORY BLISTER will release a new album, Earth-Sick, on April 23rd through Bakerteam Records.

HOLY MOSES will release the 30th Anniversary – In The Power Of Now double album on April 30th through SPV. The album features rerecorded material.

Canada’s KAOTIK has signed a deal with Massacre Records. The band’s debut album, Starving Death, will be released this summer. The album was recorded in May of 2011 with producer Dan Swanö and features guest vocals by Luc Lemay from GORGUTS.

MASSACRE has signed a deal with Century Media Records. The band was at CGM Studio in Altamonte Springs, Florida on February 17th with Tim Vazquez recording two new songs, Succumb To Rapture and Back From Beyond, to be released as a 7” single in August. The band will play at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany.

The Netherlands’ THE MONOLITH DEATHCULT has signed a deal with Season Of Mist. The band’s next album, Tetragrammaton, will be released in late summer.

Volcom Entertainment has issued a limited-edition T-shirt and seven-inch package containing GOJIRA songs End Of Time and Bleeding from the band’s 1997 Possessed demo when they were still called GODZILLA.

French black metal band HELL MILITIA has signed a deal with Season Of Mist. The band will release its third album in late 2012 through Season Of Mist’s Underground Activist division.

JOB FOR A COWBOY’s new album is called Demonocracy and is scheduled for North American release on April 10th through Metal Blade. The band is touring North America, using the Metal Alliance Tour 2012 monicker, with DEVILDRIVER, THE FACELESS, DYING FETUS, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, IMPENDING DOOM and WRETCHED.

ABSU had to postpone its Brazilian to October. The band notes that it was unable to obtain visas in time to make the original dates.

Titled Monolith Of Inhumanity, CATTLE DECAPITATION’s new album is due in May.

SIX FEET UNDER will release a new album, Undead, in May through Metal Blade Records. The album was mixed at Audiohammer studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Mark Lewis. SIX FEET UNDER will conduct a U.S. headlining tour in June called 18 Nights Of Blood Tour.

MORTAL SIN has recruited Dave Tinelt of NEKROFEIST as its new vocalist replacing the departed Mat Maurer. The latter band is working on its debut album.

HOLY MOSES has parted way with guitarist Michael Hankel (also in DEW-SCENTED) and replaced him with Peter “Pete” Geltat (ex-DESILENCE).

Cold fire? MELECHESH will release three ‘digital’ tracks collectively called Mystics Of The Pillar II on April 27th through Nuclear Blast Records.

HOUWITSER bassist Ramon Ploeg has left the band citing work pressures. The band seeks a replacement.

NO RETURN will release its next album, named Inner Madness, on April 23rd through Great Dane Records. The album was recorded at the Sainte Marthe studio with producer Francis Caste.

AVULSED has asked drummer Ricardo “Riky” Mena to leave the band and cancelled all shows.

Former MASTIC SCUM drummer Will has died. He was in the band from 1993 to 2008.

Denmark’s DAWN OF DEMISE has signed a deal with Unique Leader Records. The band’s next album, Rejoice In Vengeance, will be released this summer.

ACEPHALIX will release its next album, Deathless Master, through Southern Lord this month.

IMPIETY will release its next album, Ravage & Conquer, through Pulverised Records on May 8th.

Montreal, Canada’s THE CATALYST, featuring 3 MILE SCREAM bassist Mike Marino, has parted ways with vocalist Matt Bailie due to “musical differences” and replaced him with Matt McGachy (CRYPTOPSY, 3 MILE SCREAM and THE ERA OF). Matt had previously stood in on vocals in 2011.


Metallian Hard

THRESHOLD is recording its ninth studio album, March of Progress, due in late 2012 through Nuclear Blast Records. The album is being produced by Karl Groom and Richard West at the band’s own Thin Ice Studio.

FATAL SMILE will release a new album, 21st Century Freaks, on May 7th through FS Records/GMR Music Group.

Marck Cross of HELLOWEEN, KINGDOM COME and FIREWIND is in yet another band. It is called TAINTED NATION and also features Steve Grimmett singer Pete Newdeck.

Reformation 2014? CANDLEMASS will release its next and final album, Psalms For The Dead, in June through Napalm Records. A limited-edition 7” EP with two album tracks, Dancing In The Temple Of The Mad Queen Bee and The Killing Of The Sun, is out on April 13.

ENTOMBED’s Threeman Recordings has signed with Ninetone Records.

HAMMERFALL, which is booked for several festival appearances in the summer, has announced it is taking the entire 2013 off. The band wants to recharge its batteries and be back in 2014.

Former CHARON guitarist Jasse von Hast and drummer Antti Karihtala have joined forces with singer Ville Lind (SEITH and DAWN OF RELIC) in a new project called TOMB OF FINLAND.

DOKKEN's next album, Broken Bones, which was recorded at MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee's The Atrium studio in Calabasas, California, is due in July through Frontiers Records.

MALICE will release a new album, New Breed Of Godz, on May 22nd through SPV/Steamhammer.

TOOTH AND NAIL, the new project featuring current and former members of DOKKEN and named after the early DOKKEN album, has been forced to shorten its name to T&N following legal pressure from a label called Tooth And Nail.

KINGCROW has entered a studio to record its next album, In Crescendo, which is due for a late 2012 release.

Sweden’s GRAND MAGUS has signed a deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The band's new album, The Hunt, will be released at the end of May.

GOTTHARD is completing work on a new album, Firebirth, for a June 1st release through Nuclear Blast. The album is produced at the band's own Yellow House Studios in Lugano, Switzerland.

LITA FORD will release a new album, Living Like A Runaway, which is a reference to her old ‘70s band on June 19th through SPV/Steamhammer.

BENEDICTUM has picked up drummer Rikard Stjernquist who formerly played with JAG PANZER.

Uncontrolled is the name of a new compilation featuring three early demos of CONFESSOR. The disc will be released on May 8th through Divebomb Records.

Midnight In The Labyrinth is the name of an ‘orchestral’ by CRADLE OF FILTH featuring reworked material from the band’s first four albums including choirs, strings and some added dubs. It is out on April 21st.

Sweden’s CRUCIFIED BARBARA has signed a deal with Nuclear Blast for North America, New Zealand and Australia. The band's next album, The Midnight Chase, will be released in North America this summer.

CATAMENIA will release The Rewritten Chapters on April 27th through Massacre Records. The compilation, which was recorded in the autumn of 2011 at Mastervox Studio in Oulu, Finland with Kari Vähäkuopus, features re-recorded versions of old songs from CATAMENIA's previous albums.

Texas’ IGNITOR will release its next album, Year Of The Metal Tiger, on April 10th through MVD.

Veteran Chicago band BIBLE OF THE DEVIL is heading out on a 14-date In Raw We Trust tour in support of its forthcoming release, For the Love of Thugs and Fools, which is due out on May 8th through Cruz Del Sur Music.

KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE are co-headlining a North American summer tour from July to September.

Inspired by KEEL? California’s DAMMAJ has reformed and signed with Polish label Skol Records. The band’s first moves include the re-release of the Mutiny album and a show at Keep It True festival in Lauda-Konigshofen, Germany on April 27th.

American band member and guitarist Ronnie Montrose died on Saturday, March 3rd after a five-year bout of prostate cancer. He was 64 years old.

TANK will release its first live DVD later this year. The band featuring Mick Tucker and Cliff Evans on guitar alongside ex-RAINBOW/YNGWIE MALMSTEEN frontman Doogie White, ex-BRUCE DICKINSON bassist Chris Dale and former TANK member Steve Hopgood recorded its show in Stodola Club in Warsaw, Poland on the 9th of March. It will form the main feature of the DVD. The band is also completing its new album, War Nation, for a June release through Metal Mind.

Inspired by KEEL? Guitarist Toby Knapp has brought ONWARD back including new members ex-INTO ETERNITY Dean Sternberg (vocals and bass) and ex-GODLESS Andy Jones (drums). The band had initially thrown in the towel after getting dropped by Century Media.

Onward is the name of the new album by HAWKWIND. It is out on April 30th through Eastworld Recordings. It was recorded at Earth Studio.

AHAB has completed its third album, The Giant, which is due this summer through Napalm Records.

Eagle Rock Entertainment is finally giving a US release to DEEP PURPLE's Total Abandon: Australia '99 on CD on April 24th. Recorded on April 20th, 1999 at Melbourne Park the set has only been available as a DVD in the 2008 Around The World Live package.

IRON MAIDEN’s En Vivo! Is a live Blu-Ray, two-DVD package and double soundtrack album out now. It was filmed on April 10th in front of over 50,000 fans at the Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY has announced another round of live dates for June which will take them to the West Coast of USA and Canada.

AGRO, from South Africa, will play at this year’s Wacken Open Air festival alongside acts like SCORPIONS, MACHINE HEAD, IN FLAMES and more. This will be the second time that the band has played the festival, but the first with the current line-up. The band is writing new material.

CRASHDIET has canceled its March 9th show at the Rock The Night festival in Lichtenfels, Germany as the band's bassist, Peter London, must undergo surgery after he was diagnosed with spinal disc herniation.

PUMP, featuring ex-BRAINSTORM singer Marcus Jürgens, has signed a worldwide management deal with Rock N Growl Management. PUMP is working on its fourth record with the working title Waiting For The Rapture, which is due to be released in late 2012.

GLORYHAMMER is a new project featuring ALESTORM’s Christopher Bowes. The band’s debut album, Tales From The Kingdom Of Fife narrates an alternate history of medieval Scotland with magic and sorcery. The album will be recorded at LSD Studios in Germany and is due in late 2012.


Metallian Demos

ARAPACIS – NETHERWORLD
In my opinion, Arapacis’ newest disc begins with one of its weakest tracks. It must be a matter of taste, but End Of The Line is progressive wanna-be and blasted with synthesizer and so forth. Even the name of the song makes it misplaced. There are better times to be had on (in the?) Netherworld. Beneath Me, where the guitarist proves he can rip it up, is heavy and growly. Why not keep things steady in this direction? Lord Of The Clouds goes after the Candlemass territory. Lizzie Fyre does a female version of the old Messiah (the singer, not the fantasy hero) harmony. By the way, it is not just the music that runs all over the place. Lizzie is Bonnie Tyler, Kat and Angela Gossow all in one. Two more songs worth mentioning. Unbirth has unusual structure and movements. Beautifully Blind has both Police lyrics and GNR acoustic guitars. The lines are “every breath I take” and “every move I make.” All of this is on one disc. Arapacis might tighten up, ditch the weakness, push more of the strength and come out of the Nether World. – Anna Tergel

TRIBUNE – ELDER LORE / THE DARK ARTS
Tribune, and its odd name for a metal band, hails from Vancouver and so naturally is represented by the nice folk at Asher Media. This band is a little different from the norm in that the music is rather varied. However, the real variation comes in the vocals where the singer Bryan Baker goes from growling to clean vocals to Hetfieldian snarl. I am not appreciative of this variety – likely why the biography deems the band ‘with progressive rock influences – as it is impure. Rarely does a singer perform three multiple styles of vocals well. Moreover, and let me put it this way, who wants Belladonna to growl or Corpsegrinder to do falsetto? Exactly.
Having said that, the band does have a few strengths up its metallic pocket. The music is better than good and, despite all the variety and change, showcases a band that can write and write effectively. There are several imposing tracks on the well-designed and packaged Elder Lore / The Dark Arts. It Came From The Swamps… begins the disc with heavy growling, but soon descends into clean vocals and melodies. Chemistry Arrives is brutal and has a barrage of double bass. The World’s Greatest Cynic takes one to Metallibore realms, but redeems itself somewhat with very Maidenish harmonies. It is all here.
As mentioned, the foldout package is remarkable, but better yet is the band’s production and sound. The rhythm section, in particular, comes across well. The bass is loud and stinging, while the drum sound is full and heavy. There are no pots and pans for this lot. ashermedia@gmail.com or www.tribunemetal.com. - Ali “The Metallian”