OVERKILL will release a new album, called The Electric Age, in North America on March 27th through eOne Music and in Europe through on March 30th through Nuclear Blast Records. It was recorded at bassist D.D., Verni’s Gain Studio.
AMON AMARTH will celebrate its twentieth anniversary with five shows in August in Germany, Poland and Holland. The band will play songs spanning its entire career.
Brazil’s hardcore and grindcore band ORRÖR will release Monstro Brasilis album through Carnificina Records in mid-March. It will feature 13 tracks.
AURA NOIR will release its next full-length album, Out To Die, on March 23rd through Indie Recordings. The band again features ex-MAYHEM guitarist Rune Eriksen (a.k.a. Blasphemer).
DESASTER has a new album, The Arts Of Destruction, for a February 28th release through Metal Blade Records.
Poland’s LOST SOUL has recruited former VADER drummer Paul Jaroszewicz as well as guitarist Marek Golas (SAMMATH NAUR).
DESTRUCTION has begun work on its 30th-anniversary album. The album is tentatively due before the end of the year. DESTRUCTION will undertake a North American “30th Year Anniversary Tour” in May with support from WARBRINGER, VITAL REMAINS and PATHOLOGY.
Germany’s OBSCENITY has signed a deal with Apostasy Records. The band is preparing to enter Soundlodge Studio in Rhauderfehn, Germany to begin recording its next album, tentatively entitled Atrophied In Anguish, for a June release.
Due on February 20th through Peaceville Records, Sempiternal Past is a compilation of all four of DARKTHRONE‘s demos recorded between 1988 and 1989 (Land Of Frost, A New Dimension, Thulcandra and Cromlech). All demos have been remastered.
ASPHYX has released a 7” EP entitled Reign Of The Brute through Century Media.
DEFIANCE has thrown in the towel. Jim Adams has moved on to SEVERED FIFTH.
After six years of sleep LULLACRY will release a new demo, called Where Angels Fear, on March 7th through the band’s own OUTO Recordings.
Former INCANTATION bassist Joey Lombard died on January 3rd at the age of 42. Living in Windber, Pennsylvania, Lombard was employed by Lockheed Martin in Johnstown.
LOCK UP is touring North America for the first time. Support comes from GOATWHORE and STRONG INTENTION. LOCK UP bassist Shane Embury was unable to make it and is temporarily replaced by Dan Lilker of NUCLEAR ASSAULT and BRUTAL TRUTH.
Norwegian experimental black metal band MESOPOTAMIA has signed to Abyss Records. The band is currently at work on its debut, which is set to be released later this year.
Australian thrashers TRUTH CORRODED, as well as KRISIUN, MALEVOLENT CREATION and VITAL REMAINS are touring across Europe from January 27th to February 18th using The Sounds Of Extreme Tour 2012 monicker.
The Spell Of Damnation, from Mexico’s OMINOUS CRUCIFIX, is now out through FDA Rekotz. The label has also announced the release of Death Strike, the new full-length album from Dutch band MASSIVE ASSAULT for the Spring of 2012.
Suspiria Records has issued DARK ETERNITY’s Selenia and FREQUENCY’s Rotten Empire.
CONVERGE has picked All We Love We Leave Behind as the title for its new album, tentatively due in June through Epitaph.
HATE SQUAD released its newest full-length, Katharsis, through Massacre Records on January 17th.
Swedish techno-metal band SPAWN OF POSSESSION has announced its upcoming third full-length, Incurso, will be issued on Relapse Records in March.
GOATWHORE and HATE ETERNAL have joined forces for a North American co-headlining tour in February and March. Support on the tour will come from FALLUJAH and CEREBRAL BORE.
THANATOS has announced the return of drummer Yuri Rinkel.
An album about right-wing politics? Danish thrash metal band MORDAX has signed a deal with Ultimhate Records. The band’s debut album, Violence Fraud Treachery, will be released on February 24th.
ALL THAT REMAINS singer Phil Labonte has contradicted the rumour that he will join KILLSWITCH ENGAGE as the replacement for Howard Jones. Labonte filled in for Jones during KILLSWITCH ENGAGE’s early 2010 North American tour once Howard was ousted. The official separation happened last month.
Italian black metal band DISGUISE will release its album, Second Coming, on January 16th through My Kingdom Music.
BENEATH THE MASSACRE will release a new album, Incongruous, on February 14th through Prosthetic Records. The album was produced and mixed by Chris Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY).
Seattle’s BLACK BREATH has completed its second album. The forthcoming record, Sentenced To Life, is the follow-up to the band’s 2010 debut album, Heavy Breathing.
CANNIBAL CORPSE will release its twelfth studio album, entitled Torture, in March through Metal Blade Records. The album was recorded in September and October of 2011 at Sonic Ranch studio in Tornillo, Texas and Mana Recording Studio in St. Petersburg, Florida with producer Erik Rutan.
Two early bands of CANNIBAL CORPSE members reunited on January 7 and 8th at Club Infinity in Buffalo, New York for a benefit concert for SONS OF AZRAEL guitarist Tony Lorenzo who was shot in October was paralyzed and requires medical attention. BEYOND DEATH, featuring CANNIBAL CORPSE bassist Alex Webster, Jack Owen (formerly of CANNIBAL CORPSE and currently DEICIDE), as well as TIRANT SIN, which featured original CANNIBAL singer Chris Barnes, guitarist Bob Rusay and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz were on stage. Mazurkiewicz played at the concert along with current CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist Rob Barrett. SUFFOCATION and EMBALMER were also on the bill.
INSISION is commemorating its fifteenth anniversary with the release of a 23-song compilation with material from the first demo, 1998’s Meant To Suffer; a recording of the band’s second live appearance in 1998, Live Like A Worm; the 1999 demo The Dead Live On; 2000’s Promo 2000; 2001’s Revelation Of The SadoGod demo and more. The album is due in May through Sevared Records.
A Collection Of Depravation, a compilation of 30 GENERAL SURGERY tracks will be out through Relapse on March 27th. The label has re-signed the band with plans for a new album and a single.
GRAVE is at its own Studio Soulless recording a new album, tentatively titled Endless Procession Of Souls. It is due this summer through Century Media.
BIOHAZARD, Revolver magazine and Repudo were giving away the band’s new album, Reborn In Defiance, in its entirety for free to all fans in the United States. Fans were to go to www.repudo.com before the whole scheme was cancelled due to “circumstances beyond our control” bla bla.
BARREN EARTH will release a new full-length album, The Devil’s Resolve, on March 13th through Peaceville Records.
Dutch black metal band COUNTESS has issued a demo called On Wings Of Defiance.
COLDWORKER entered a number of studios during the 2010-2011 winter to record its third album with their long-time collaborator Dan Swanö doing the final mix and master. The Doomsayer’s Call is out this month through Listenable.
Incurso is the first release for Swedish band SPAWN OF POSSESSION through Relapse Records. It is confirmed for release onto North American audiences on March 13th.
Finland’s CHAOSWEAVER has signed a deal with Napalm Records. The band has a new album out this summer.
Sweden’s EVOCATION has signed a deal with Century Media Records. The band is entering the studio to record the follow-up to 2010’s Apocalyptic. In the meantime, Century Media will issue a CD containing the band’s demos and unreleased songs this summer.
Tony Foresta (MUNICIPAL WASTE and NO FRIENDS), Landphil Hall (MUNICIPAL WASTE and CANNABIS CORPSE), Ryan Parish (DARKEST HOUR, SUPPRESSION and CITY OF CATERPILLAR) and Paul Burnette (DARKEST HOUR) have formed a new band called IRON REAGAN. The band has a demo.
HOUR OF PENANCE has picked Sedition as the title for its next album, which is out on March 27th through Prosthetic Records.
‘Circumstances beyond our control’ is the new ‘for personal reasons’: DARK FUNERAL has postponed its North American tour, which was due to begin on January 29th.
MESHUGGAH will release its next studio album, Koloss, on March 23rd through Nuclear Blast. The band is touring North America with DECAPITATED and BARONESS.
KATAKLYSM will release a DVD, called The Iron Will: 20 Years Determined, in April through Nuclear Blast. The DVD features the band’s archival footage, as well as KATAKLYSM’s show at last year’s Summer Breeze festival.
Dark Domains is a new compilation by Sweden’s ALTAR, which is now out through Konqueror Records. It is dedicated to Mieszko Talarczyk (NASUM and ex-ALTAR).
UNLEASHED has picked Odalheim as the title for its next album, which is out on April 20th through Nuclear Blast Records. It is a concept album about about the future of Yggdrasil and those who survived Ragnarök.
ANTHRAX‘s February 2nd concert at The Taberncale in Atlanta, Georgia featured stand-ins Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT and FATES WARNING) and Gene Hoglan (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, TESTAMENT, FEAR FACTORY, DARK ANGEL, etc.) filling in for bassist Frank Bello and drummer Charlie Benante, respectively. Benante and Bello (who is Charlie’s nephew) missed several shows on ANTHRAX’s North American tour in order to spend time with Charlie’s mother who was terminally ill and indeed died.
Vancouver, Canada’s 3 INCHES OF BLOOD has recruited Byron Stroud (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, FEAR FACTORY, etc.) as its new bassist. 3 INCHES OF BLOOD will release its album, Long Live Heavy Metal, on March 27th through Century Media Records.
FEAR FACTORY has picked The Industrialist as the title for its next album, which is due later this year through Candlelight.
CANCER BATS will release its next album, Dead Set On Living, on April 24 through Metal Blade.
METALLICA and former EXODUS guitarist Kirk Hammett, former EXODUS guitarist Rick Hunolt and original EXODUS bassist Jeff Andrews joined the current line-up of EXODUS on stage on February 4th at a special event marking the tenth anniversary of former EXODUS singer Paul Baloff’s death. Called Bonded By Baloff: A Decade Of Remembrance, the show took place at the Oakland Metro Operahouse and featured appearances by POSSESSED, FORBIDDEN and HEATHEN, among others.
PROSTITUTE DISFIGUREMENT has lost guitarist Danny Tunker “due to different musical interests.” The band has recruited guitarists Frank Schiphorst and Martijn Moes.