Metallian Heavy

VOMITORY has picked Opus Mortis VIII as the title for its eighth full-length album, which is due in May through Metal Blade Records. The album was recorded at Leon Music Studios with producer Rikard Löfgren.

Transylvanian black metal band SYN ZE SASE TRI will issue a new album, entitled Intre Doua Lumii, in April on Code666 Records.

Pervade Productions has issued EVIL ONE’s Militia Of Death album. The thrash band hails from France.

GOREAPHOBIA is currently putting the finishing touches to a new full-length entitled Apocalyptic Necromancy. The follow-up to Mortal Repulsion was recorded, mixed and mastered by drummer Jim Roe and features new guitarist VJS (KULT OV AZAZEL, CRIMSON MOON, DEMONCY, etc.).

IMPIETY, which now features singer and bassist Shyaithan, guitarists Guh Lu (XEPER and DIVINE CODEX) and Eskathon and drummer Atum (MALFEITOR and DIVINE CODEX), will release a three-song EP through Singapore’s Pulverised Records entitled Advent Of… in March. The EP was recorded, mixed and mastered at Music City Studio in Montebelluna, Italy.

DIVINE HERESY bassist Joe Payne has quit to concentrate on PAIN AFTER DEATH.

DEW-SCENTED has lost rhythm guitarist Martin Walczak due to personal reasons and a lack of time.

DESTRUCTION will be returning to North America in support of the new studio album, Day Of Reckoning, due out on March 8th. Special guests on the tour are Australia’s DESTROYER 666.

DERANGED is in Berno Studio again recording its eighth album, Cut, Carve, Rip, Serve, which will be released through Sevared Records. Martin Schönherr is on vocals.

HEATHEN has been temporarily re-joined by bassist Jason VieBrooks (ex-GRIP INC.) given that Jon Torres is staying away from the band in order to work on his health. The band is touring with OVERKILL and DESTRUCTION.

Germany’s OBSCENITY has picked up American singer Jeff Rudes. The band is also seeking a new guitarist and drummer.

ARCH ENEMY has picked Khaos Legions as the title for its new album, which is due in May through Century Media Records. The CD is being recorded at Sweet Spot Studio with engineer Rickard Bengtsson.

MARDUK has announced a North American Tour 2011 with AURA NOIR, BLACK ANVIL, PANZERFAUST and HOD. The shows hit Canada and the USA at the end of May. The band’s twentieth anniversary will also be commemorated by Regain records through several package releases.

THE ACCUSED has recruited a new “stick-breaker” called Warren A. Pease (pronounced ‘war ‘n’ peace’).

DREAMING DEAD has recruited lead guitarist Stephanie Pickard. She joins singer/guitarist Elizabeth Schall in the band. The Los Angeles-based band will enter the studio to record its new album Midnightmares in April.

CANNIBAL CORPSE will release a new DVD, called Global Evisceration, on March 15th through Metal Blade.

Time Is Up, the band’s follow-up to Burn, is the new album of US thrashers HAVOK. It will be released by Candlelight Records on March 29th. It features ten tracks mixed by James Murphy.

Metalcore band SYLOSIS will release its second album, Edge Of The Earth, on March 11th through Nuclear Blast Records.

Inspired by KEEL? Greece’s ACID DEATH has reformed and is working on new material. The line-up is Savvas Betinis (bass guitar/lead vocals), Dennis Kostopoulos and Gus K (lead & rhythm guitars) and Kostas Alexakis (drums).

Norway’s KEEP OF KALESSIN played its song The Divine Land with Eurovision Song Contest 2009 winner, Norwegian Alexander Rybak, on January 15th in the intermission of this year’s Norwegian national Eurovision Song Contest competition Melodi Grand Prix.

EXODUS will open for IRON MAIDEN on April 10th, 2011 at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile.

Sonic Unyon Metal will reissue Concealed, the first album from AUGURY, this March. Originally released in 2004 through Galy Records, this updated version features a fully remastered recording of the album, also expanded to include two bonus tracks from the band’s 2006 demo. This edition will also be packaged in a new digipak format designed by Sven De Calluwe of ABORTED.

ENDSTILLE has signed a deal with Season Of Mist. The band’s unnamed seventh album will be released in the spring.

WHIPLASH has lost original drummer Tony Scaglione to personal reasons and replaced him with Dan Foord of the U.K.’s SIKTH.

MELIAH RAGE has reunited with singer Paul Souza for the recording of a new full-length album as well as the recording of a cover song, ALICE COOPER’s Halo Of Flies, which will appear on a remix of 2004’s Barely Human, called Barely Human Remix.

MELIAH RAGE now former frontman Mike Munro recently returned from Haiti where he assisted in the rebuilding effort. The Christian man was there as part of a group from Monadnock Bible Conference Center.

DARKEST HOUR‘s newest album, The Human Romance, is out on February 22nd through eOne Music. The album was recorded at a North Carolina studio with SOILWORK guitarist Peter Wichers.

Denmark-based DAWN OF DEMISE has lost drummer Kim L. Jensen and is searching for a replacement. Death metal drummers interested in auditioning can e-mail contact@dawnofdemise.com.

AURORA BOREALIS is issuing an independent CD called Timeline: The Beginning And End Of Everything.

INDESTRUCTIBLE NOISE COMMAND (I.N.C.) has a new digital-only EP called Bleed The Line. The band has signed a deal with the Rising Records. The band’s new full-length, Heaven Sent, Hellbound, will be released this spring. The CD was produced by Fredrik Nordström.

CIRITH GORGOR will enter the Toneshed Recording Studio in February to record a trilogy, entitled Der Untergang, The trilogy will be released as a limited gatefold LP only.

AUTOPSY will enter Fantasy Studio in Berkeley, California in early February with producer Adam Munoz to begin recording a new album, called Macabre Eternal, for release in May through Peaceville Records.

ILLDISPOSED has announced There Is Light (But It’s Not For Me) as the title for its new album, which is due March 25th through Massacre Records.

Adam “Nergal” Darski, the singer and guitarist of BEHEMOTH, who landed in the hospital late last year with leukemia, has left the hospital in Gdansk four weeks after he underwent a bone marrow transplant procedure. He is facing several months of testing and recovery.

DEMOLISHER has signed a deal with Century Media Records. DEMOLISHER will release its debut full-length offering, Recognition, this summer.

In SADISTIC INTENT news the band has recruited drummer Nick Barker (every band in the world save THE BEATLES) to replace Emilio Marquez. The band is also not backing Jeff Becerra’s version of POSSESSED any longer.

DEATH MECHANISM’s Mass Slavery was issued last autumn through Jolly Rogers Records.

The CD version of Denmark’s UNDERGANG is being released. Indhentet Af Doden was previously released on the vinyl format, with a black and white cover, in January 2010 by UK label Me Saco Un Ojo Records although the band had already signed to Xtreem Music back in September of 2009.

The Godfathers of New York hardcore, AGNOSTIC FRONT, will issue a new record, entitled My Life My Way, in March through Nuclear Blast. The band recently completed the last of several headlining tours in support of the 25th year anniversary of Victim In Pain.

Bassist Terry Butler and drummer Greg Gall have quit SIX FEET UNDER. Butler has re-joined OBITUARY.

AMON AMARTH will release its eighth studio album, Surtur Rising, on March 29th through Metal Blade Records. It was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren.

DECREPIT BIRTH has been re-joined by original bassist Derek Boyer. Derek will continue as a full-time member of SUFFOCATION. Joel Horner left the band for personal reasons.

Dubai based death-thrashers NERVECELL have picked Psychogenocide as the title for the new album, which is due for release late in March 2011 in Europe through Lifeforce Records and Spellbind Records for the Middle East. Psychogenocide is scheduled to be mixed and mastered at Hertz Studios (BEHEMOTH, DECAPITATED and VADER) in Warsaw, Poland by the Wieslawscy Brothers.

ALLFADER released its second full-length album, Black Blood Flux, on January 24th through Osmose Productions.

VADER is about to record its newest studio album Welcome To The Morbid Reich. Recording will take place in Hertz Studio again from March 15th to April 10th, 2011. As evidenced by the album title the band is going back to its early days’ sound (Morbid Reich was an early demo) and additionally reverting to its old logo.

Former HATE ETERNAL guitarist Randy Piro has a new band called ORBWEAVER. The ambient band has a demo on tap.

Swedish death metal veterans MORBID have signed with Century Media Records to release Year Of The Goat featuring the band’s first demo, December Moon and live material, on April 4th in Europe. Most of the material stems from the late ‘80s. MORBID featured singer Dead who later joined MAYHEM.


Metallian Hard

HELIX is being filmed for the pilot of a reality-TV show called Vagabond Bones. The band recently signed with EMI Canada for the release of an acoustic album called Smash Hits Unplugged.

RAIN has a new album, entitled Best Off, which features 15 old songs from the band’s 30-year career completely re-arranged and re-recorded with the band’s new Line-Up. It is out through Aural Music.

Inspired by KEEL? THE RODS has reformed. The trio, featuring Dio's cousin David Feinstein, has signed on with the Niji Entertainment Group, a label that was created by Ronnie James Dio and his wife/manager, Wendy Dio. The band's seventh release (and sixth release for Niji) is titled Vengeance and will be released on March 29th.

Frontiers Records has signed URIAH HEEP for the release of its 23rd studio album, which is due in the summer. The band is completing its 40th anniversary tour before entering Liscombe Park Studios in England. The album is called Into The Wild.

Fastball Music has picked March 18th as the release date for Thousand Men Strong by TOKYO BLADE.

JUDAS PRIEST, which announced its last “major” world tour recently, is writing new material.

AMORAL has recruited guitarist Masi Hukari to replace session man Valtteri Hirvonen.

DIRTY LOOKS singer and founder Henrik Ostergaard died of "natural causes" at 9:18 a.m. on January 27th. He was 47.

KATATONIA is celebrating its twentieth anniversary with five gigs in Europe in May dubbed the Last Fair Day Gone Night - An Evening With Katatonia tour 2011.

The Phil Lewis version of L.A. GUNS has lost bassist Kenny Kweens. Scotty Griffin has now returned to the band.

Germany’s CIRCLE OF SILENCE has signed with Massacre Records. The band's new album, The Blackened Halo, will be released on April 29th.

THE BRONX CASKET CO., the side project of OVERKILL bassist D.D. Verni and SEVEN WITCHES guitarist Jack Frost, will release a new album, Antihero, on January 25th through eOne Music.

Reunion 2012. After 17 years as a band IMAGIKA has thrown in the towel. This follows former band members joining THE CONSEQUENCE OF CHAOS in December.

LED ZEPPELIN 2, the cover band featuring bassist Chris Klein, drummer Ian Lee, guitarist Paul Kamp and YAKUZA vocalist Bruce Lamont, rang in the new year with a North American tour at the House Of Blues on January 7 and 8. The band trekked through nearly a month's worth of dates before drawing to a close on February 12 in Denver at The Gothic Theatre.

FIFTH ANGEL has recruited singer David Fefolt formerly with ANGELS OF BABYLON, MASI and HAWK. The band is working on a new album.

BULLETBOYS' self-titled debut album is going to be performed by original members Marq Torien (vocals) and Lonnie Vencent (bass) in its entirety. The tour will take place in the USA this spring.

Frontiers Records has announced February 18th as the release date for BENEDICTUM's third full-length album, which is called Dominion.

MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge on January 26th and will spend two weeks in a Las Vegas jail. He will surrender on February 15th and will serve 15 days in the Clark County Detention Center, followed by another 15 days of house arrest.

One-time hyped by Century Media as the greatest thing ever, and duly celebrated by the media, MERCENARY will release its sixth album, Metamorphosis, on February 25th through NoiseArt Records. The CD was produced by Jacob Hansen. Prosthetic Records has picked it up for North America.

ACCEPT is touring Russia in March. The band is next hitting South America.

PEGAZUS will release its first studio album in nearly ten years on April 15th through Black Leather Records. , It is called In Metal We Trust.

White power band BURZUM of recently released prisoner Varg Vikernes is issuing an album called Fallen. The eighth album from BURZUM will be released in North America on April 5. The album is the second to be released through Varg Vikernes’ imprint Byelobog Productions and licensed by Candlelight.

AVANTASIA will release a two-disc DVD/two-disc CD, The Flying Opera - Around The World In 20 Days, in March through Nuclear Blast Records. Some of the features were filmed at Wacken Open Air Germany and Masters Of Rock in the Czech Republic.

Metal Mind Productions is re-releasing WARLOCK's Hellbound, True As Steel and Triumph And Agony this month including bonus tracks not on the original albums.

BLOODBOUND has signed a deal with Germany's AFM Records. The band's fourth album, Unholy Cross, is due in March. Bassist Johan Sohlberg has left the band however to focus on his job and has been replaced by Anders Broman.

WHITESNAKE will release its next album, Forevermore, on March 29th through Frontiers Records. The band's eleventh studio album was recorded by singer David Coverdale, guitarist Doug Aldrich and Michael McIntyre at Snakebyte Studios and Grumblenott Studios.

FATES WARNING guitarist Jim Matheos and early FATES WARNING singer John Arch have joined forces and are working on a full-length album for a project called ARCH/MATHEOS that is due for release in May through Metal Blade Records.

DEF LEPPARD is negotiating with its old record label Universal again. The band has a live album out soon.

CRADLE OF FILTH vocalist Dani "Filth" Davey was recently dropped from the race to be named one of the top 10 icons of the U.K.'s Suffolk county despite receiving the most votes.

Legendary IRON BUTTERFLY and CAPTAIN BEYOND member Larry 'Rhino' Reinhardt has released a new CD featuring original GREAT SOUTHERN Members. RHINO AND THE POSSE Back In The Day CD can be purchased through www.rldrecords.com.

Guitarist George Lynch has reunited with former DOKKEN colleague, drummer "Wild" Mick Brown, for the first time in 15 years for a North American LYNCH MOB tour. Lynch and Brown are joined by original LYNCH MOB vocalist Oni Logan and current RATT bassist Robbie Crane.

Y&T bassist Phil Kennemore died on January 7th at Stanford Hospital due to lung cancer. He was 57 years old.

Norwegian psychedelic band ENSLAVED has been nominated for the 2010 Spellemann Award in the category of ‘Best Metal Album’ for the band’s most recent release, Axioma Ethica Odini. The Spellemann Awards are the Norwegian equivalent to the American Grammy Awards. The ceremonies will take place in Oslo, Norway at the Spektrum on March 5th. This is the sixth time ENSLAVED has been nominated for this prestigious music award, which the act has won three times.

EMERALD SUN has signed with Pitch Black Records. The band's second album, Regeneration, is scheduled for February 11th.


Metallian Demos

ASH AND COAL – Same
Viktor Klint is, many may recognize, with Corporation 187, a Swedish thrash metal band that over the years has indeed released a couple of decent thrashing discs. Ash And Coal appears to be his newest venture – with two colleagues named Adrian and Björn – and takes a detour through realms of metal. The band sells itself as blues and metal, yet the description is barely exact. This new project is not Gary Moore or Diamond Head. Instead, the group – should the name, black and white monicker and titles like Clever Pain, Whiskey Fever or Of Mire And Filth not make obvious – a depressive metal band with shades of doom and goth running streaks aplenty through it. The group has a heavy backbone that on Bad Moon Rise! becomes real speedy. The lyrics are cynical and the stance anti-commercial. There are two instrumentals on the disc with the shorter one, Night’s Silver Dawn, actually hinting at Dissection. Yet, the main star of these songs are the brooding heaviness that could have belonged to an Early Cemetary or Crematory expect that Ash And Coal never goes synth, pop, gothic (K&F) or poser on itself. Song after solid song delivers hate, sadness and gloom without whining or wimping. www.ashandcoal.se or e-mail ashandcoal@hotmail.com. – Ali “The Metallian”

EDEN BURNING – BANGED UP N’ DIRTY
In case the band’s moniker gave the impression that the band is heavy or power metal the demo CD’s title would correct the impression and set a more realistic expression. Texas-based Eden Burning is a hard band with plenty of dirt, grime, grit and rock to go with it.
The quartet is all about honest rock music with a penchant for loud guitars, wailing guitars and bashing drums that is hard to fathom from that part of the world in this part of the time-line.
The band has made the classic demo band mistake of loading too many songs unto its disc. The band has 13 tracks on the disc. Typically bands believe that by creating a fully loaded CD they can show off their prolific writing ability, save on bulk studio costs, deliver a disc that is ready to be re-pressed and distributed by a record company and offer the buyer/fan more value for the buck. Alas, instead of putting its best foot forward, discs like this end up being uneven. Banged Up N’ Dirty has some rousing rock anthems, like If You Want Me or Poison Apples, but the songs and vocals are uneven. Take A Ride or Decide are weaker tracks and on the latter singer Phil Salazar even begins to struggle vocally.
Eden Burning has plenty of rocking, energy and lyrical deviancy. The band just needs to become pickier. Write the band at 103 Meadow Glen, San Antonio, Texas 78227 USA or e-mail them at mrmatt@satx.rr.com. - Ali “The Metallian”

DIABLO ROYALE - GREEDY DOGS
It is easy to mistake the name of the band as Greedy Dogs due to the layout of the CD’s cover, which depicts the disc title more prominently. Anyway, Diablo Royale, that’s the band’s name, is professional and accomplished. The cover probably portrays a band that is sick of corporate types, politicians and greedy men in frock and the music is angry in parallel. It is more grunge than metal though with a massive fondness for Soundgarden. The band takes heavy Soundgarden riffs and gives them a whirl, but it is singer Adrian Barrios who really embodies the seven tracks' love affair with Seattle. The group’s more aggressive posture is also reminiscent of Flotsam And Jetsam circa 1995 when that band tried to modern up and sell units. Nothing good, ironically, begins with a Ratt patented riff that turns into a Guns N Roses style before settling into a Diablo Royale routine. Favourite song Serpent comes towards the demo’s end. It is crushingly heavy. Good sound on this one. Get in touch with the band through info@diabloroyale.net. - Anna Tergel

EMPYREON – BEYOND REDEMPTION RADIO SINGLE
Didn’t know metal bands still do things like “radio singles” especially with this New York act being independent, but here it is. The disc has a pro sound (with one exception) and a nicely illustrated cover artwork. If I had read the biography first I would have known this band is asking for trouble, but hadn’t and was unpleasantly surprised when the keyboards appeared early on track one, especially because the track, Beyond Perception, starts well with a heavy sound and some speed. The biography calls the band “modern metal.” Then the keyboards kick in and one is transported from good solid heavy metal to Nightwish land and all that hopeless commercial stuff. Why? Think back to all the hype surrounding Mercenary’s signing to Century Media. The vocals are dry and gruff.
Empyreon really has a solid musical base, even if it is exceedingly bottom-heavy, but the synthesizing really ruins it for a metal girl. As for that minor sound issue, is it my copy or do these songs have a buzzing sound inserted into them and is it deliberate?
The band can be reached at empyreonband@gmail.com or visit www.myspace.com/empyreon if you like. - Anna Tergel

SEVERED SERENITY – DESCEND PROMO 2009
Yes, it is 2011 and we are reviewing a demo from 2009 that was actually recorded in 2008. Ancient material? Not really. Metal is timeless. This demo is a full-length by this Western Canadian crossover thrash band, which utilizes a basic thrashing rhythm with a basic sound that gives one the raw tonality of hardcore. It is basic and not very entertaining. The crunch is repetitious and the drummer too samey to count. The drummer really doesn’t have much of interest to say here. The singer alternates between a basic shout and a more interesting croaking sound that could have come from a Sacrifice album. The female vocals are laughable. The best part of this disc is the soloing, which occasionally are all the amazing on the Metallian Heavy Metal Soloing Index scale. The guitarist needs to pack his talent and take it to a band with better songs and a more vicious attack. Anyway, Canadian metal freaks will find the band at www.severedserenity.com or http://www.myspace.com/severedserenity or e-mail sbifford@telus.net. - Anna Tergel