Metallian Heavy

Canada’s WEAPON has signed with Relapse Records and is writing an album.

Sweden’s Regain Records is under financial pressure. Due to the label’s financial situation, the label has postponed the release of Under The Sign Of Hell 2011, which is a re-recording of GORGOROTH‘s third album. The band is continuing work on a new album. GORGOROTH will embark on its longest trek yet. Set to cover over 30 cities throughout Europe, and dubbed the Sign Of Hell Tour 2011, the tour will coincide with the band’s upcoming re-release of Under The Sign Of Hell in November. Support comes from VADER and VALKYRJA.

MR. DEATH will release its second album, Descending Through Ashes, on September 25th through Agonia Records.

Candlelight Records has signed THE ROTTED. The band’s new album was recorded at Parlour Studio with Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, etc.) recording.

COLDWORKER, featuring members of NASUM, RUIN, RELENTLESS and PHOBOS, has signed with Listenable Records. The band’s third album, The Doomsayer’s Call, will be released in January.

ABSU is playing four shows in East Coast USA this November and will also take part in Montreal’s Messe Des Morts festival right after, performing as one of the event’s main acts which also includes INQUISITION, GLORIOR BELLI, FORTERESSE and more.

Some 25 years after last recording the reunited EXUMER is recording an album in Germany with producer Waldemar Sorychta. A label is being sought.

ATHEIST tour of Europe has been cancelled. Apparently, Steve Flynn could not tour due to a personal commitment.

Hell Over Sofia – 20 Years Of Chaos And Confusion is the name for a new DVD from HYPOCRISY, which will be released on October 14th through Nuclear Blast. The video will feature footage from the band’s February 27, 2010 concert at the Blue Box club in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria.

CHILDREN OF BODOM will begin a headlining tour of Australia in November. Support will come from the Perth-based VOYAGER.

HAVOK, which recently toured with FORBIDDEN, will embark on a support trek this autumn alongside headliners EXHUMED, GOATWHORE and CEPHALIC CARNAGE. Set to commence on October 26 in New Mexico, the tour will travel through two dozen cities and come to a close in Flagstaff, Arizona on November 20.

Due to family obligations on the part of drummer Mark Hernandez, FORBIDDEN and DEMONICA have had to cancel their European tour. The band has kicked him out. The band will play Belgium’s Alcatraz Festival on August 27th with Gene Hoglan.

THRONE OF KATARSIS will release its new album, Ved Graven, on October 24th through Candlelight Records.

CRAFT’s Void album is out through Southern Lord on September 27th. In the meantime, the European edition has hit position number 7 in the Swedish charts.

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian has announced that he will appear in zombie makeup on the US cable television station AMC’s series The Walking Dead.

Pulverised Records is issuing MORBUS CHRON’s Sleepers In The Rift, IRON LAMB’s The Original Sin and NECROVOROUS’ debut Funeral For The Sane.

IMMOLATION has announced the second headlining trek in support of its Majesty And Decay album. Support on the October tour will come from JUNGLE ROT and GIGAN.

Northern California’s FALLUJAH will release its new album, The Harvest Wombs, on November 22nd through Unique Leader Records. The band is named after the Iraqi city where American soldiers and mercenaries were killed in revenge beginning March of 2004.

Candlelight Records has announced the signing of English black metal band NINE COVENS. The band’s album, …On The Coming Of Darkness, will be released in October.

Singer Jens Broman has decided to leave DARKANE and been replaced by his predecessor Lawrence Mackrory who sang on the Swedes’ debut album, Rusted Angel. Broman claims “personal issues” as the reason for his return.

NoiseArt Records has signed a reformed MORTAL SIN. The band’s next album, Psychology Of Death, is out on November 18th and will include the band’s early LP, Mayhemic Destruction as a bonus disc in the early limited edition.

NOVEMBERS DOOM has lost drummer Sasha Horn ostensibly because he lived far away. Any candidates may contact the band through drummer@novembersdoom.com.

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King joined EXODUS on the stage on August 6th at the WaMu Theatre in Seattle where the band played the EXODUS song Strike Of The Beast to close the set. Gary Holt of EXODUS has been filling in for Jeff Hannemann of SLAYER recently.

GOD FORBID has signed with Victory Records. The band is working on a new album with new guitarist Matt Wicklund formerly of HIMSA.

Yet another project: Three members of GRAVE and guitarist Ralph Santolla (ICED EARTH, OBITUARY and DEICIDE) have a project called REDSCREAM. The band is in Sweden and seeking a singer.

DEICIDE will participate in a North American headlining tour called March Of Death 2012 in March 2012. Support will come from JUNGLE ROT, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS and LECHEROUS NOCTURNE next March.

Metal Blade Records has signed Swedish occult band NOCTUM. The band is seeking a replacement for guitarist Per Wikström.

After six years of silence NIGHT IN GALES has signed a deal with Lifeforce Records. The band’s fifth album, Five Scars, will be released on November 7th.

American death metal band SARGON, featuring ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION, DEMOLITION HAMMER and SOLSTICE drummer Alex Marquez, has signed with Old Cemetery Records. In Contempt is due on September 23rd. The band now also features ex-DEATH/MONSTROSITY bassist Kelly Conlon.

ENTRAILS’ The Tomb Awaits is out on September 9th through Dark Descent Records in North America and on FDA in Europe.

Abyss Records is issuing Inevitable Decay from Swedish thrashers ENTRENCH. The album is targeted for a late 2011 release with vinyl treatment coming from Sweden’s Blood Harvest Records.

FESTER has just completed the recording of its first studio album in 17 years! Entitled A Celebration of Death, the album is targeted for an early 2012 release through Abyss Records. Original member Bjørn “Tiger” Mathisen has recruited Thomas Andresen (ALGOL) on vocals, Jon Bakker (KAMPFAR) on bass and Grammy nominated jazz drummer Audun Kleive for session drums.

Germany’s GOREGAST has recruited drummer Torge Liessmann. Torge previously played with pussycore band MOZEK MOTORS and THE OCEAN. GOREGAST will release a disc, Desechos Humanos, on September 9th through FDA Rekotz.

GRAVEWORM has announced Fragments Of Death as the title for its new album, which is out on October 14th through Nuclear Blast Records.

Finnish death metal band FLESHRED has signed a deal with Violent Journey Records. The band’s debut album, Bloodtorn, will be released on September 28th.

SEPULTURA, EXODUS, HEATHEN and DESTRUCTION are touring Europe using the Thrashfest Classics monicker. SEPULTURA will be playing songs from its Beneath The Remains, Arise and Chaos A.D. albums. The tour will take place in November and December.

Finland’s FLESHRED will release its debut album, Bloodtorn, on September 28th through Violent Journey Records.

Munster, Indiana’s Three Floyds Brewing Company has produced the AMON AMARTH Ragnarök beer which is available now.


Metallian Hard

Escape Music has announced October 1st as the release date for GARY BARDEN's new solo album, Eleventh Hour.

LOUDNESS will release a new album, called Eve To Dawn, on September 14th.

Sweden’s ANDROMEDA has signed a deal with Inner Wound Recordings. The band’s next album is due in December.

Massacre Records has issued the self-titled debut album of CONSFEARACY (earlier called PROPHESY), featuring lead vocalist Brian O'Connor (ex-VICIOUS RUMORS), guitarists Ira Black (ex-VICIOUS RUMORS, LIZZY BORDEN, METAL CHURCH) and Fabian Schwarz (THE NEW BLACK), bassist Günter Auschrat (THE NEW BLACK and ABANDONED) and drummer Timo Weis. The group self-produced the record.

ICARUS WITCH has undergone more personnel changes. It has lost guitarist Ed Skero and drummer Steve Johnson and replaced them with Dave Watson (MANTIC RITUAL) and Tom Wierzbicky (HESSLER) respectively.

Jolly Roger Records will issue SCREAMING SHADOWS’ Night Keeper album on the 3rd of October, 2011. A video clip for the title track can be found online. The band features Mattia Stancioiu (LABYRINTH, VISION DIVINE and CROWN OF AUTUMN) on drums and Gianluigi Girardi (CROWN OF AUTUMN) on vocals.

British band DEF LEPPARD will perform on NBC's America's Got Talent show on September 7th.

DREAM EVIL has cancelled its appearance at ProgPower USA XII this month as the band could not obtain a US visa.

RIOT has signed a deal with Steamhammer for the world excluding Japan. The band's next album, Immortal Soul, will be released on October 28th.

DRAGONLAND has lost guitarist Nicklas Magnusson and bassist Christer Pedersen. New on bass is Anders Hammer (NIGHTRAGE) while drumming is Morten Lowe Sorensen (THE ARCANE ORDER, AMARANTHE and SUBMISSION). Atypically, drummer Jesse Lindskog is moving to the guitarist position.

KISS was initially scheduled to pay tribute to MICHAEL JACKSON in an October 8th concert with headliner CHRISTINA AGUILERA, LEONA LEWIS, SMOKEY ROBINSON, CEE LO GREEN and JLS in Wales. The band was soon cancelled after complaints from fans regarding statements from KISS regarding Michael Jackson in the past. At the same time, KISS has picked Monster as the title of its new album, which is due in early 2012.

DAVID T. CHASTAIN's new album is an instrumental release called Civilized Warfare. It is out through Diginet Music.

Metal Blade Records has announced November 8th as the release date for Circle Of 8by Dutch band MARTYR.

Single Cuts is a new box set containing JUDAS PRIEST's complete U.K. CBS singles While it was initially due in August it is now due out on October 10th.

RIOT and AMARANTHE will be openers on the first leg of shows on HAMMERFALL's October/November European Outbreak 2011 tour.

Sweden’s BULLET has signed with Nuclear Blast.

THE ERA OF is a new Montreal, Canada progressive rock band featuring CRYPTOPSY singer Matt McGachy. The band has completed work on its debut demo, Pelican Beach.

The main duo of RHAPSODY OF FIRE has split up. Due to “legal reasons,” keyboardist Alex Staropoli will keep the RHAPSODY OF FIRE name with a line-up of Fabio Lione on vocals, Tom Hess on guitar and Alex Holzwarth on drums. Guitarist Luca Turilli will take the RHAPSODY name, which was RHAPSODY OF FIRE's earlier name.

CRADLE OF FILTH will release a new mini-album, entitled Evermore Darkly…, on October 10th through Peaceville Records. The package will include a DVD.

Andrew "Mac" McDermott, the former singer of U.K. progressive metal band THRESHOLD died in England on Wednesday, August 3rd. It was recently reported that Andrew had serious health problems." He gave in to kidney failure after spending four days in a coma. He was 45 years old.

GOTTHARD will release a live album entitled Homegrown - Alive In Lugano on September 30th through Nuclear Blast Records. The concert stems from a July 17th, 2010 concert in Lugano and was late singer Steve Lee’s last show.

BOREALIS is confirmed as the support band in the upcoming SAXON North American tour in October. The band will tour in support of its sophomore album, Fall From Grace, released earlier this year through Lion Music. SAXON will release its 19th studio album, Call To Arms, in North America through UDR Music just a week earlier.

AMORAL’s Beneath will be released in October.

Drummer Dan "The Hammer" Kowal of Boston, Massachusetts-area band RAVAGE was injured on a recent camping trip to Maine and missed a few shows for a few weeks after hacking part of a thumb off chopping wood. The band was expected to use a stand-in.

Canadian melodic metallers ALL ELSE FAILS released its third studio album, The Oracle, What Was, Is And Could Have Been, on Suicidal Bride Records on August 19th. The band hails from Alberta.

California-based prog-metal band ANA KEFR is touring the U.S. in October and November in support of its recently released second full-length album The Burial Tree (II) on Muse Sick Records.

CRIMSON GLORY has added concert dates for the third segment of its ongoing 25th-anniversary European tour. The shows, named Phoenix Rising, will hit Greece in October.

London-based progressive band HAKEN will issue its upcoming sophomore full-length concept album, entitled Visions, through Sensory in October. Visions will be made available early to fans in attendance at this year's ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 16 where HAKEN is set to make their North American debut live appearance alongside label-mates CREATION'S END and VOYAGER, as well as THERION, LABYRINTH, IHSAHN, DREAM EVIL, SANCTUARY and more. CREATION'S END is part of the Uniting The Powers Of Metal Tour. Bringing together ARTIZAN, SEVEN KINGDOMS and WIDOW as well as CREATION'S END for a co-headlining six-date East Coast tour, where all four acts will trade headlining spots show-to-show.

Metal Mind Productions has announced the release of DOOGIE WHITE’s solo album As Yet Untitled.

JON LORD, formerly of DEEP PURPLE, has been stricken with cancer and thus ceased live activities.

STEVE VAI’s Favored Nations will issue Acoustic Gypsy Live by Tracii Guns’ L.A. GUNS on September 27th.

A group of metal musicians is featured on the upcoming track to support cancer research. The project is created by Richard Ososki (OFSOSKI) and features singer Henrik Flyman (EVIL MASQUERADE), Tony Kakko (SONATA ARCTICA, NORTHERN KINGS), Mats Leven (THERION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), Apollo Papathanasio (EVIL MASQUERADE, FIREWIND, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS), Snowy Shaw (THERION, MERCYFUL FATE, DREAM EVIL), Tony Mills (TNT, SHY), Silvio Masaro (VANISHING POINT), Richard Ofsoski (OFSOSKI, SEDITION), bassists Mat Sinner (PRIMAL FEAR, SINNER, VOODOO CIRCLE, ROCK MEETS CLASSIC), guitarists Henrik Flyman (EVIL MASQUERADE), Stu Marshall (EMPIRES OF EDEN, DUNGEON) and Glen Drover (MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, EIDOLON). More information can be found at www.metalforcancer.com.

Former WARRANT and current singer Jani Lane was found dead on Thursday, August 11th at Woodland Hills’ Comfort Inn hotel. He was 47 years old.

RAVEN LORD has added Jamie Mallender on bass. Jamie is known for his work with the TONY MARTIN BAND (ex-BLACK SABBATH).

Eagle Vision will issue GARY MOORE's Live At Montreux 2010 on DVD and CD this month.

BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi is conducting a book signing tour in the U.K. and New York to promote his Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath autobiography. The book will be released in the United States on November 1st through Perseus Books/DeCapo Press.

Jerusalem is the name of the new album from ASTRAL DOORS, which is due to be released in October. The album was mixed by Daniel Bergstrand.

IN THIS MOMENT has inexplicably dropped off The All Stars Tour with BORN OF OSIRIS and others.

Metallica is at it again…. Trying to get credibility!


Metallian Demos

A MOTIVE INHUMANE – THE DARKNESS OF SUNS
Soaked in the four tracks on The Darkness Of Suns a few times before glancing at the enclosed biography. One of the thoughts I had during my listens was quickly confirmed, while another information item surprised me.
The four songs came across as inspired by Dissection, albeit slower, track after track given the drive and dynamics of the band. Dissection is one of the influences mentioned by the band, alongside At The Gates, Death and Dark Tranquillity. The band’s Cypriot base was a surprise. The island not exactly being a metal hotbed is one thing. The group’s proficiency and dedication is another. Say ‘Cypriot metal’ and the mind likely wanders off to horse manure with keyboards, female vocals (K&F) and a hail of salutes to the culture, land and mommy dearest. A Motive Inhumane is not that at all. This is better than that. The band members have a longer history together than the band’s two-year tenure and it shows. Let’s look for longer and more tracks next time around however. www.myspace.com/amotiveinhumane or amotiveinhumane@gmail.com. - Ali “The Metallian”

RUSTY EYE – POSSESSOR
Rusty Eye, out of California, has always been a little bit offbeat, a little bit left-of-centre and a little bit intriguing. The band’s newest demo disc is again at it, but with a twist. Possessor is a complete amalgamation of everything that has gone into making Rusty Eye the band that it is today. Every influence absorbed by the members over the years is here. Be it Iron Maiden, Venom, Kreator or whatever the listener will find a little bit of that here. In distinct chunks, these guys throw the sound and style in. Having male and female members in the new disc makes a habit of sharing vocals on most tracks. This is not a ‘backing’ or ‘supporting’ situation. This is full-on duet metal! Mr. Rust and Mrs. Randall share the vocals. Unfortunately, the latter is often off key, but where she injects attitude instead melody things get much better. She can deliver a snarl and style, she cannot sing. That should remain her bread and butter.
Possessor is extreme in its own right, but mostly varied and wears its influences on its sleeve. Contact the band at band@rustyeye.com. - Ali “The Metallian”

DEATHLOCH – BLACK MOON RISING
You would be mistaken if you thought Deathloch is a Scottish band (‘Loch’ being Gaelic for ‘lake’) or inspired by Dark Funeral (Blackmoon was a Dark Funeral founder). Instead, the young band hails from Georgia and plays a mixture of mosh, grunt and slam metal. The band has good intentions and aims to provide some raw brutality. Instead, the quintet sounds amateurish and out of its depths. The band’s image portrayed potential, but this group is instead untight, especially the drummer Jon Raper, and has mid-paced songs that fail to make the intended impact. The band’s inexperience is likely at fault for the weak grunts, noise solos and the haphazard drumming. The demo is a couple of years early. Deathloch has its heart in the right place and tries a guitar lick here, a messy solo there, a Black Sabbathy track (title track) here and an acoustic intro elsewhere, but it ultimately cannot deliver. Find the band online at http://www.deathloch.com or e-mail deathloch.metal@gmail.com. – Ali “The Metallian”