Battle Kommand Records will issue the debut album from Canada’s GLORIA DIABOLI, entitled Gate To Sheol, on April 15th……OBTEST’s Gyvybės Medis album will be released in early April in three different formats – digipak, compact disc and picture vinyl, by Osmose Productions. A collectors’ A5 sized CD book is being issued by Ledo Takas Records……BRUTALITY has reformed again and is working on a new album. The band line-up is Scott Reigel (vocals), Demian Heftel and Jay Fernandez (guitars), Jeff Acres (bass) and a future drummer……LIVING SACRIFICE has reformed with Bruce Fitzhugh (vocals and guitar) and Lance Garvin (drums). The two have guitarist Rocky Gray (a former EVANESCENCE drummer) and bassist Arthur Green in tow……Bobby Undertaker has left DEATHCHAIN for personal and career reasons. The band will enter the studio in May to record its new album, possibly called Death Eternal. Expect it in December……BEHEMOTH is the latest band to get into trouble with the All-Polish Committee For Defence Against Sects, the body in charge of defending organized religion in Poland. The band’s frontman Nergal had apparently torn a Bible and attacked Catholicism in a September, 2007 show in Gdynia……Singer Brian Langley has left INFERNAL MAJESTY for TYRANTS BLOOD……NAPALM DEATH, SUFFOCATION and WARBRINGER will tour Europe together in May and June……Florida’s EULOGY has reformed and is joined by Tony Laureano (DIMMU BORGIR, etc.) as a drummer……Kam Lee of MASSACRE and DENIAL FIEND has decided to rerecord early DEATH and MANTAS (pre-DEATH band) songs he had originally co-written……ASSASSIN is touring Chile, Brazil, Peru and Argentina in June……AMON AMARTH has re-signed with Metal Blade Records for three albums and will enter the studio in May in order to record a new full-length……Century Media Records has signed the punk band VENOMOUS CONCEPT, which features Shane Embury (here on guitars) and Danny Herrera (drums) of NAPALM DEATH, as well as singer Kevin Sharp (BRUTAL TRUTH) and bassist Danny Lilker (BRUTAL TRUTH, NUCLEAR ASSAULT). The band’s second album Poisoned Apple is out in May……The reunited RESURRECTION will issue an album called Mistaken For Dead through Massacre Records in May……Drummer Martin Cavanagh has been replaced by Jeremy Sucking (of SCORIA) in DAWN OF AZAZEL……BLOODBATH will release a mini-CD, called Unblessing The Purity, on March 10th through Peaceville Records……France’s TREPONEM PAL has reformed and will release a new album, called Weird Machine, on March 24th through Listenable Records. The band was previously on Roadrunner Records……IMPIOUS has picked Numbers as the title for its next album for Metal Blade Records……VENOM has picked Hell as the title for the new album, which is due in May through Universal Music in Europe. Song titles include Hell, Armageddon and USA For Satan. A new guitarist called Rage is part of the band now replacing Mykvs……MELECHESH has departed Osmose Productions following the completion of a three-album contract and instead signed with Nuclear Blast. The band will tour Europe with IMMOLATION this summer without second guitarist Moloch who will temporarily be replaced by the ever-popular Malak Al’Maut……VADER will commemorate its 25th anniversary with the release of the XXV album in May through Regain Records. XXV was recorded at Hertz Studio……GRAVE’s Dominion VIII is out in late April through Regain Records. Song titles include A World In Darkness, Deathstorm and Bloodpath……CRYPTOPSY has cancelled its previously advertised South American tour, which was slated for March. Drummer Florent Mounier has broken his kneecap. The band has, nevertheless, kept working on its forthcoming album The Unspoken King and expects to see it released in August……After last issuing a split-EP with DRILLER KILLER on the label in 2006 EXTREME NOISE TERROR has now signed with the label……HOLLENTHON is back with a new album, Opus Magnum which will be issued this summer through Napalm Records……HATESPHERE’s downward spiral continues. HATESPHERE bassist Mikael Ehlert Hansen has also joined KOLDBORN. The band is touring Europe with DISMEMBER and FALL OF SERENITY……GORELORD’s new album, entitled Chapter IV – Hellbound, is due in September through new label Sworn Records……Singer Noa Brady has left LUPARA……AS I LAY DYING guitarist Nick Hipa was hit in the head last month while on stage at Sydney’s Soundwave festival. He did not require stitches……The reformed PESTILENCE (featuring singer and guitarist Patrick Mameli and bassist Tony Choy) have announced the name of the band’s forthcoming album. Massacre Records will issue Resurrection Macabre next January……DEADLOCK has just renewed its contract with Lifeforce Records. The band’s next album is due in November. In the meantime, the band is participating in the peta2-campaign The Canadians with a new Song called Kill Kill Kill in order to increase attention to the shameless annual seal hunt in Canada……SUBTERFUGE CARVER Deathcore album is now out through SCR (Supreme Chaos Records)……AS I LAY DYING has announced Canadian tour dates with MISERY SIGNALS, AUGUST BURNS RED and label- mates EVERGREEN TERRACE……THE GATES OF SLUMBER has complete work on Conqueror which will be issued through Profound Lore Records. The label has also signed New York’s KRALLICE……EXTREMA has been confirmed as the support act for the European tour of Bay Area’s DEATH ANGEL. The tour will coincide with the reissue, on Scarlet Records, of the band’s back-catalogue next month……ABYSMAL DAWN (Jamie Boulanger: guitars, Charles Elliott: guitars, vocals, Terry Barajas: drums and Mike Cosio: bass) is currently working on its Relapse debut and follow-up to 2005’s From Ashes……THANATOSCHIZO (Portugal), TICKET TO HELL (Mexico) and SARATAN (Poland) have all signed to My Kingdom Music. TICKET TO HELL’s album is entitled Man Made Paradise, while SARATAN’s is called The Cult Of Vermin and is out in April……AEON has welcomed back drummer Nils Fjellström and is claiming the man’s activities in other bands did not constitute his forced departure earlier.