Metallian Heavy

IMPALED NAZARENE has issued a 20th anniversary album called Road To Octagon through Osmose Production.

EYEHATEGOD will head out on another American trek this December “in support of absolutely nothing…” The band will be supported by PHOBIA.

ABYSMAL DAWN has announced the title of its forthcoming album as Leveling The Plane Of Existence. The album, the follow-up to 2008’s Programmed To Consume, has been set for a February 1st North American release date through Relapse Records.

CALM HATCHERY, a death metal quintet from northern Poland featuring past and present members of DEAD INFECTION and TEHACE, has completed its second album Sacrilege Of Humanity. The band has signed a worldwide deal with Selfmadegod and the album hit the stores on 15th of November.

Brazil’s KORZUS will tour Europe in February in support of EKTOMORF.

DEMONICAL, featuring members from CENTINEX, GRAVE and DELLAMORTE, has picked Death Infernal as the title for its third album, which is due in April 2011 through Germany’s Cyclone Empire Records.

DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER will release a new album, Moral & Wahnsinn (translation: Morality & Insanity) on February 25th through Nuclear Blast Records.

Swedish death metal band DIABOLICAL has signed with Abyss Records for the worldwide release of its upcoming full-length album, Ars Vitae, which is due out in February of 2011. Ars Vitae contains 17 tracks and will feature a mix of new material – recorded earlier this year at Necromorbus Studios – and previously unreleased recordings.

DIABOLIC original member, singer and bassist Paul Ouellette, has been ousted from the band, due to his “drunken and unprofessional behaviour, and walking offstage mid-song during the band’s recent performance” on Friday November 12th at Goregrowler’s Ball IV in San Antonio, Texas. The Tampa, Florida-based band is seeking a replacement and can be contacted at aantar@diabolic-deathmetal.com.

CROWBAR has picked Sever The Wicked Hand as the title for its next album, due on February 8th, 2011 through E1 Music.

Former DEICIDE guitarists Eric and Brian Hoffman have resurrected the pre-DEICIDE band AMON. The band now features with Jesse “Jecheal” Jolly (DIABOLIC, SUCCESS WILL WRITE APOCALYPSE ACROSS THE SKY, etc.) on vocals/bass and Mike Petrak (LEPROSY, SUCCESS WILL WRITE APOCALYPSE ACROSS THE SKY, etc.) on drums. The quartet will enter RedRoom Recorders in Tampa on December 10th with producer Mark Prator to begin recording its new album, entitled Liar In Wait. The album will consist of nine songs and will be made available in early 2011 through AMON’s own record label and subsequently licensed world-wide. The brothers left DEICIDE in 2004 amidst financial acrimony.

MOTÖRHEAD’s new album, The Wörld Is Yours, is out this month. An advance early edition will feature a 132-page magazine with interviews, photography and biography. The single is called Born To Lose. The album is appearing on the band’s new imprint, Mötorhead Music.

Singer Kasper Thomsen will sit out RAUNCHY‘s European tour with SYBREED and THREAT SIGNAL “for family and personal reasons.” He will be temporarily replaced by Travis Neal from DIVINE HERESY.

A new album by Norwegian band THE BATALLION, entitled Head Up High, is available from Ledo Takas. It comes on classic black vinyl in a gatefold 350g sleeve with foldout poster-like live picture of the band and an inner sleeve featuring lyrics and credits.

The upcoming fourth full-length release from THE MEADS OF ASPHODEL, entitled The Murder Of Jesus The Jew, is set for North American release through Candlelight Records on January 11, 2011, their first for the label.

DEADLOCK is about to finish work on its new album Bizarro World, which will be released February 25th, 2011 in Germany and February 28th in the rest of Europe through Lifeforce Records. The band has booked a German tour for February, 2011.

Vendlus Records has issued NIDINGR’s Wolf Father. The band is comprised of guitarist and bassist Teloch (1349, GORGOROTH, OV HELL, ORCUSTUS and KONSOTIUM), guitarist and bassist Blargh (GRAVFERD and DODHEIMSGARD), singer Cpt. Estrella Grasa and drummer Hellhammer. The label is also issuing NEKROMANTHEON’s Divinity Of Death and ARKHUM’s Anno Universum.

ABSU will join IMMORTAL on its return to the US for six shows early next year. The mini tour is scheduled for late February.

Norway’s PANTHEON I has announced the addition of former ABSU guitarist Aethyris McKay. The band had initially intended to have singer Andre Kvebek focus on the guitar.

EX DEO’s next album will be called Caligula and is due in late 2011.

Former TESTAMENT and FORBIDDEN and current LD/50 guitarist Glen Alvelais has relaunched his BIZARRO Project with drummer Tony Providence of LD/50 in tow.

Inspired by KEEL? Some 20 years after disbanding New York’s WINTER has reformed and will play at the Roadburn festival in Tilburg, Holland next April.

Nuclear Blast Records has signed ORIGIN.

LEGION OF THE DAMNED will release a new album, Descent Into Chaos, on January 7th through Massacre Records. The album was recorded at Abyss Studio.


Metallian Hard

THRESHOLD has started writing material for the follow-up to its last album Dead Reckoning. The new album is due for release through Nuclear Blast Records sometime in 2011. THRESHOLD will record the new volume at Thin Ice Studios in the UK with production as usual by members Karl Groom and Richard West.

Tales of camaraderie and loyalty: STRATOVARIUS drummer Jörg Michael has been stricken with cancer in his thyroid. The band has picked drummer Alex Landenburg for its tour with HELLOWEEN.

EVERGREY will release its eighth studio album, Glorious Collision, in February through Steamhammer.

JACKYL’s Jesse Dupree (vocals), Jeff Worley (guitar), Roman Glick (bass) and Chris Worley (drums) celebrated the release of their new CD, When Moonshine And Dynamite Collide by personally calling everyone that pre-ordered to thank them for their support! JACKYL is ending 2010 by collaborating with DMC from RUN DMC by releasing the single Just Like A Negro. DMC will be performing the song with Jackyl on stage during the late autumn and winter tour.

DANGER DANGER singer Ted Poley has announced the addition of guitarist and keyboardist Paul LaPlaca to his solo touring band. LaPlaca has previously worked with such acts as ZO2 and ZANDELLE. POLEY's current roster also includes drummer Dennis Leeflang (LITA FORD and BUMBLE FOOT), guitarist Maz Mazza and bassist Doug Odell. The new line-up is scheduled to make its live debut on December 3rd, 2010 at Klubben Fryshuset in Sweden.

Swedish sextet SABATON will embark on its first tour of North America as direct support to label mates ACCEPT. The tour will begin in April.

Guatemala-based heavy metal band, DREAD THE FORSAKEN, has released its debut CD, Unbound, on Nightmare Records.

Fresh off its first European tour in 20 years, RHINO BUCKET immediately returned to the studio with producer Doug Boehm (DIRTY SWEET and THE VINES) at the helm. The result is Who's Got Mine, the band’s sixth studio album and third on Acetate Records.

Sensory Records has announced the signing of CYNTHESIS and the release of its upcoming debut album DeEvolution. CYNTHESIS is a new band, which also reunites three of the original members of ZERO HOUR - founding twin brothers Jasun and Troy Tipton and original vocalist Erik Rosvold - for the first time on a recording since the band's 2001 album The Towers Of Avarice and 2003's Metamorphosis. The album is due next spring.

Frontiers Records has announced that Derek Shulman (Polygram, Atco, Roadrunner, etc.) and his 2Plus Music Entertainment have agreed to oversee the label development and marketing in the North American market.

In support of its studio album To The Metal!, GAMMA RAY will perform five shows at the start of 2011 in North America. These begin in NYC on the 28th of January.

Three members of SIKTH and Adrian Smith, guitarist of IRON MAIDEN, have joined forces along with members of MURDER ONE and VACANT STARE to form a new metal project. The band will make its live debut on Saturday, January 15th in High Wycombe at Bucks Student Union.

Australian progressive folk metallers IRONWOOD has unveiled two tracks from its new demo Storm Over Sea for free digital download. The tracks, Share The Burden and Will To Live, are available through the band's website. Storm Over Sea, Ironwood's second full-length demo, was released on the 1st of December 2010.

AIR FORCE, a new band formed by guitarist Ango Tasso (MIKE VESCERA PROJECT), has four demo songs on its site for download. The group's line-up features Mark Boals (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ULI JON ROTH and ROYAL HUNT) on vocals, Mike LePond (SYMPHONY X) on bass and Rhino (MANOWAR and HOLYHELL) on drums.

HIBRIA has picked Blind Ride as the title for its third album, which is due on January 26th through King Records in Japan.

CONQUEST OF STEEL will be ensconced in Priory Studio, Birmingham from the 3rd to 5th of December to record 3 brand new tracks for its upcoming 7" single. It is due in early 2011 through No Face Records.

POISONBLACK has signed a deal with Hype Records. The group will enter Antfarm Studio in Århus, Denmark in January of 2011 with producer Tue Madsen.

VOODOO CIRCLE will release its second album, Broken Heart Syndrome, on February 25th through AFM Records.

JAG PANZER is back with a new label and album. Scourge Of The Light is tentatively due in February through SPV. Early guitarist Christian Lasegue is back with the band.

PENTAGRAM, again featuring Victor Griffin, will record a new album, Last Rites, for release in April through Metal Blade Records.

Mickey Finn, original vocalist for JETBOY, has officially announced his departure from the glamsters. The split which dates back to mid-September happened once Finn told the band he would be unable to take part in a planned European tour. JETBOY has chosen to continue without Finn and the European tour is taking place. Finn has also opined that the band should now change its name given how he was a co-founder.

Inspired by KEEL? Spain's OUIJA is now back with a 4-song mini CD entitled Adversary, which was recorded at Moontower Studio by Javi Bastard and mastered at Unisound Studio by Dan Swanö. The band and Xtreem Music expect a full-length release for 2011. The band used to be on Xtreem’s predecessor Repulse Records.

DIMMU BORGIR’s Abrahadabra album has undergone a slight cover artwork change. The minor change will be used for subsequent pressings following the selling out of the album’s first pressing.

The higher the position the closer it is rap, hip-hop and other pop artists: Sitra Ahra, the latest album by Sweden’s THERION, has debuted at #44 on the Billboard Top New Artists (Heatseekers) chart, #58 on the Current Hard Music Albums and #122 Independent Current Albums chart following its October 26th release.

Canada’s BISON B.C. is touring Europe in support of COLISEUM and Norwegian band KVELERTAK.

SHATTERED HOPE has signed to Solitude Production of Russia to release its Abscence demo as an album.