Metallian Heavy

Swedish death metal band SYN:DROM will release its next album, Iconoclasm, on February 15, 2013 through ViciSolum Productions. The album was partly recorded at Nevo Studio in Sundsvall, Sweden and was mixed by members Roger Bergsten and Daniel Mikaelsson.

Polish band NORTHERN PLAGUE has signed a deal with the Canadian label Mulligore Production. The band’s debut EP, Blizzard Of The North, will be released in on December 13th. The album was recorded at Hertz Studio in Poland.

AGENT STEEL guitarist Juan Garcia joined ARMORED SAINT on stage at Metal Blade Record’s 30-anniversary show on November 30th at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California.

Beyond the Flesh, the debut fill-length from California death metallers SKELETAL REMAINS is out now on FDA Rekotz (UK release is December 3rd) in CD, digital, and vinyl LP formats.

Philip Lawvere, the artist behind such album covers as KREATOR‘s Pleasure to Kill and CELTIC FROST‘s Emperor’s Return, has come out of retirement and will design the as-yet-untitled new HIRAX album, which is scheduled for a Spring 2013 release.

Inspired by KEEL? Rogga Johansson (every second Swedish band and beyond) has reformed HUMANITY DELETE, the project he formed in 2003. He has completed its debut album, Never Ending Nightmares, which is targeted for a December 4th release on Dead Beat Media.

Shadow Kingdom Records has signed a deal with UK-based speed metal trio DECEPTOR for the release of the band’s forthcoming MCD, Chains Of Delusion.

Osmose Productions has released a new DVD by IMPALED NAZARENE. Entitled 1990-2012, the two-disc set contains footage of two separate concerts filmed nearly two years apart in 2010 and 2012.

Typical no explanation: Illinois-based “Vikings thrashers” THE HORDE has added drummer Travis Scudder to its line-up. The 20-year-old has stepped in to replace the recently departed James Whitehurst, who left the band for “personal reasons.” Scudder also plays with Rock Island, Illinois black metal band SEPT OF MEMNON.

James Sawyer has decided to part ways with NEPHELIUM to further his studies in classical guitar and to pursue his degree in music.

Pavement Entertainment has signed the Chicago death metal band I KILLED EVERYONE for a four-album deal. The group will enter the studio soon with producer Don Byczynski to record an album due in early 2013.

Guitarist Alex Hellid of ENTOMBED has undergone “a major operation which thankfully went very well,” according to the band.

HELLBASTARD’s Of Bitches EP, due on on vinyl through PATAC Records, features a re-recorded version of 1988’s We Had Evidence from the band’s Heading For Internal Darkness full-length.

German band DEFEATED SANITY has completed work on its full-length album, Passages Into Deformity, for a February 5th, 2013 release through Willowtip Records.

Another tale of fidelity and cohesiveness: ANTHRAX has recruited former SLAYER and TESTAMENT drummer Jon Dette for the European tour in support of MOTÖRHEAD. ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante “is home taking care of personal stuff” according to ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian.

Drummer Shannon Lucas has left THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. He has launched a new project with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz and CANNIBAL CORPSE vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher.

MASSACRE has canceled the Brazilian leg of its South American tour, which began on November 9th in Bogota, Colombia.

ARSIS has recruited guitarist Brandon Ellis to replace guitarist Nick Cordle who replaced Christopher Amott in ARCH ENEMY.

Candlelight USA has announced three records under its ‘Cult’ imprint. The three albums coming out in January are ZATOKREV(Switzerland) The Bat The Wheel And The Long Road To Nowhere, NINE COVENS (UK) On The Dawning Of Light and KONTINUUM (Iceland) Earth Blood Magic.

Season of Mist has signed Vancouver metal quartet ANCIIENTS. The Canadians have finished mastering their as-yet-untitled debut album slated for release in 2013.

Orillia, Canada progressive thrash metallers have issued a demo called Hideous Appetites, which was produced by Darius Szcespaniak who has engineered music by SACRIFICE, SUM 41, BLACK CROWES to name a few.

Season of Mist had announced the signing of grindcore band COMPLETE FAILURE. The Pittsburgh, PA-based band has completed recording its album, slated for a February 15th, 2013 release (February 19th in North America). It is entitled The Art Gospel Of Aggravated Assault.

American grindcore act MISERY INDEX will release a live album on February 15th. Entitled Live In Munich, this new offering was recorded at Backstage in Munich, Germany on February 18th, 2012.

ARCH ENEMY will perform its 2002 album, Wages Of Sin, in its entirety on December 6th at Circo Volador in Mexico City.

ROTTING CHRIST has picked Do What Thou Wilt as the title for its next album, which is due on March 1st, 2013 through Season Of Mist.

Season Of Mist has signed ROTTEN SOUND to a European deal. The band’s new EP, Species At War, was recorded at Nordic Audio Labs.

DIRGE ETERNAL has lost singer Jani Perta.

Massacre Records has signed Croatian thrash metal act INFERNAL TENEBRA.

French death metal band NECROWRETCH will release its debut album, Putrid Death Sorcery, in early 2013 through Century Media Records. The album was recorded in August at Blackout Multimedia studios in Brussels, Belgium by Phorgath of ENTHRONED.

Bulldozing It True, a new DVD from the Japanese heavy metal act METALUCIFER, was released on November 23rd through Iron Pegasus Records.

Hubris Inc. is the name of the next album from Los Angeles-based thrashers ANGER AS ART, which will be released on February 5 , 2013 through Old School Metal Records.

Singapore’s IMPIETY has signed a deal with Hells Headbangers for the release of a new single and full-length album in 2013.

Candlelight Records has signed DEMON LUNG. The Las Vegas-based quartet, featuring guitarist Phil Burns, bassist Patrick Warren, drummer Jeremy Brenton, and singer Shanda Fredrick, is scheduled to begin recording of its full-length debut at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with producer Billy Anderson (SLEEP, HIGH ON FIRE, EYEHATEGOD, etc.) in the coming weeks. It is due in the spring of 2013.


Metallian Hard

Valery Records’ artist TRICK OR TREAT is back. The new album Rabbits’ Hill Pt.1 is the first act of a concept album. Inspired by the magic saga Watership Down of English writer Richard Adams, where he tells the story of a group of rabbits chased away from their calm world, forced to begin a long and adventurous trip searching for a new place to live, the album is out now.

Armoury Records, in conjunction with Hamburg, Germany-based earMUSIC, will release the sixth studio album from American band CIRCLE II CIRCLE this Winter. Led by former Savatage vocalist Zak Stevens, the 12-track album is called Seasons Will Fall.

Veronica Freeman, the singer of BENEDICTUM, is working on a solo album. The band itself is also writing new material.

After some twelve years Metal Blade Records has once again signed MEMORY GARDEN featuring current WOLF guitarist Simon Johansson. The group has completed recordings its next album for an early 2013 release.

Former EMPEROR singer Ihsahn will play keyboards on the debut album from GOD OF ATHEISTS, a Norwegian project led by Asgeir Mickelson (SPIRAL ARCHITECT, BORKNAGAR, SARKE , TESTAMENT, etc.).

Hard rock band GIANT X, formed by RUNNING WILD‘s Rolf Kasparek and Peter J. Jordan, will release its debut album I on January 18th through Steamhammer/SPV.

DARK TRANQUILLITY has announced the cancellation of its planned European tour Metal Attack Over Europe. The band blames the promoter. WARBRINGER had dropped off the tour earlier.

FIREWIND has cancelled its planned tour of Australia scheduled for next April and promises to reschedule them.

Thunderstryke is the name of the new studio album of THOR. It was just released through Rock Saviour Records.

As a repeat of the USA shows KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE will be joined by THIN LIZZY and will tour Australia in March 2013.

Inspired by KEEL? Following the band's reunion show at Firefest 2011, Frontiers Records has signed Canada’s CONEY HATCH to a worldwide deal. The band's reformation studio album will be released in 2013.

Drummer Mick Brown (TED NUGENT and formerly of DOKKEN) pleaded guilty Tuesday to OUI (operating under the influence of intoxicants) following an accident this past summer when he drove drunk in a golf cart in Bangor, Maine. He was fined $1,000. He had initially disclaimed the incident.

DEF LEPPARD will play its 1987 album Hysteria in its entirety as part of its nine-show so-called residency at The Joint at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in March and April of 2013.

BLIND GUARDIAN guitarist Marcus Siepen has joined the German heavy metal band SINBREED full-time. Siepen had previously appeared live with SINBREED at a couple of shows, including the ProgPower USA XIII festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

FURNAZE’s latest CD is called None More Black. It was mixed by Fredrik Nordström (THE HAUNTED, IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY etc.). The band parted ways with its American label this spring.

Hard rockers SEVENTH VEIL signed a deal with Street Symphonies to release an album White Trash Attitude. The band will enter the Atomic Stuff Studio (Isorella, Brescia, Italy) in December to start the recording sessions for the album.

AMBERIAN DAWN has asked singer Heidi Parviainen to leave the band. Furthermore, guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen and drummer Heikki Saari are leaving the band and are replaced by returning drummer Joonas Pykälä-aho and guitarist Emil 'Emppu' Pohjalainen.

Inspired by KEEL? Germany’s MAJESTY will release a return album, Thunder Rider, on January 4th through NoiseArt Records.

Swedish band CRASHDÏET will release a DVD entitled Shattered Glass And Broken Bones – Three Years Of Generation Wild on December 4th.

Cruz Del Sur Music has released On the Blackest of Nights from Swedish doomsters VOID MOON in North America.

AFM Recording Artists, ALL HAIL THE YETI out of Hollywood, CA have announced a U.S. Tour with Detroit act, LAID IN STONE. The trek will run from November 29th through December 15th. More show dates to be announced soon. The tour will include a stop at this year's Ride For Dime Festival in Ft. Worth, Texas.

Inakustik has set a December 3rd release date for MSG’s Temple Of Rock: Live In Europe that will be made available on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and as a limited deluxe edition containing all three formats. This release includes songs performed live in Tilburg, The Netherlands in May 2012 and at London's High Voltage festival in 2011.

Original BLUE ÖYSTER CULT members Eric Bloom (vocals and rhythm guitar), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitar), Allen Lanier (guitar and keyboards), Albert Bouchard (drums), Joe Bouchard (bass) were to reunite for a show on November 5th at the Best Buy Theater in New York City. The show was organized to coincide with the reissue of the band’s back catalogue.

LIZZY BORDEN will celebrate its 30th anniversary by embarking on the 30 Years Of American Metal tour in 2013.

The new members of MASTERPLAN, new drummer Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka (CRADLE OF FILTH), vocalist Rick Altzi (AT VANCE), bassist Jari Kainulainen (STRATOVARIUS), are already working on a new album for the band. Roland Grapow is still on guitar of course.

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of JIMI HENDRIX's birth the guitarist’s August 1969 Woodstock concert will be shown in select cinemas globally starting the end of November.

Inspired by KEEL? The original members of DOGS D’AMOUR have reunited to raise money for a friend and fellow musician who has cancer. The band will perform its first comeback show in 2013 in the UK.

SKID ROW has picked United World Rebellion - Chapter 1 as the title for its next album, due in early 2013. An April, 2013 tour is planned.

Italian hard rockers VOODOO HIGHWAY have signed a two-album deal with the German label Dust On The Tracks Records. Work on the band’s second LP, Showdown, is completed and its worldwide release is scheduled for March 2013.

French heavy metallers MYSTERY BLUE will release its next album, Conquer The World, on December 21st through Road Show Productions. The new album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Uwe Lulis (GRAVE DIGGER, REBELLION, etc) at Black Solaris Studios, Frankfurt, Germany.

GAMMA RAY will unleash Skeletons & Majesties Live as a two-CD set this month through Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records. Set for North American release on December 4th, 2012, Skeletons & Majesties Live is a near two-hour album spanning the band’s history. A DVD version will be released in January. Skeletons & Majesties Live was recorded and filmed during the band’s 2011 European tour at the Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland.