Metallian Heavy


Sweden's THE DUSKFALL has added guitarist Joachim Lindbäck to its lineup. He replaces guitarist Glen who left the fold last year following the recording of The Frailty album...Belgium's NEVER LIGHT HORIZON (demo review is elsewhere on the page) has signed to France's Dead Sun Records. A MCD will be issued this spring...EMBALMING THEATRE has begun recording for its debut full-length CD on Razorback Records, entitled Sweet Chainsaw Melodies. EMBALMING THEATRE will also be doing a split-CD with FRIGHTMARE on No Escape Records later this year...Nattefrost of CARPATHIAN FOREST has finished working on his solo album. He is looking for a label to release it...HOUWITSER is at Excess Studio in Rotterdam, The Netherlands recording its forthcoming album entitled Damage Assessment for Osmose Production. Song titles include, Clean Till The Bone, Damage Assessment, Hunger For The Feast and Skineater...Spain's HAEMORRHAGE, just off a tour of Europe, is recording material destined for a split release with IMPALED. The split-release will follow the concept of a bedlam. The Spaniards also recorded a cover of GRAVE's Deformed...DYING FETUS have completed the new album, entitled Stop At Nothing, due to be released May 13, 2003...7th NEMESIS has a split CD called Chronicles of a Sickness with Austrian death metal band PUNISHMENT on the way. The release is appearing through Skullfucked Productions. The band is also returning to Hybreed studio to record its debut full-length album...RAVAGE's Jay Alonzo has decided to leave the band in order to pursue guitar-oriented projects. The band is looking for a bassist as a replacement. Please write to ravaged@rocketmail.com. The band also welcomes new drummer Phil Coyne who is also a member for CRYPTIC WARNING...SIX FEET UNDER has entered Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida to record tracks for a new album that will be out through Metal Blade Records this autumn. The eleven songs will be "Heavy as fuck" according to the band. The title is Bringer Of Blood...UNHOLY GHOST recently had their Live debut as support to MALEVOLENT CREATION in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The band has begun shooting a video for the song Under Existence in Tampa...CHARGER is touring Europe as openers for TODAY IS THE DAY to promote the new album Confessions Of A Man (Mad Enough To Live Amongst Beasts)...Swedish melodic metallers MORIFADE are currently mixing the follow-up to their album Imaginarium with Andy LaRocque at Los Angered Studio. The album is called Domination and due through Hammerheart in late summer...CATTLE DECAPITATION has announced Humanure as the title for its next album. Titles include Anthropophagic Copromantik, Humanure, Lips And Assholes, etc. Expect the album late in the year...DIVINE EMPIRE's new album is called Nostradamus...THE HAUNTED and KATAKLYSM are touring North America this month...HELL-BORN has parted ways with drummer Bastek (also of DEVILYN) due to travel distance and time issues between the musician and the rest of the band. May (ex-GHOST and GRIN).has replaced Bastek...IMMEMORIAL is at Selani Studios working on a new album, which is temporarily entitled After Deny. It will feature thirteen songs and be produced by Szymon Czech. The album will feature Karolina (vocals) and Frost (bassist, ex-Behemoth, Hefaystos) for the first time...Italy's GRAVEWORM will release its fourth album, entitled Engraved In Black, in June through Nuclear Blast. The nine-track album, produced and mixed by Andy Classen at Stage One Studios, will include a cover of R.E.M.'s Losing My Religion...Former OVERKILL guitarist Bobby Gustafson has resurfaced as an official member of RESPONSE NEGATIVE...California's DEFILE and CREMATORIUM recently had several of their songs featured in a film called The NightStalker...Bassist Andrzej "Gruby" Osmaek has left MESS AGE. The band has already found a new member. He is Artur "Marysia" Olkowicz, is a former member of OBLIVION and AD NOCTUM...Fadeless Records reports that LEHAVOTH's debut album, entitled Hatred Shaped Man, has just been released. The album was recorded at Soundlab Studios Sweden and produced by Mieszko Talarczyk of NASUM/GENOCIDE SUPERSTARS...Canada's SOUL OF DARKNESS is writing material for an upcoming album through B.C. Productions...Edgerunner Records has signed ARCH NEMESIS for two more albums. The band will play at the Sweden Rock Festival in June. The label also reports ABSOLUTE STEEL is working on a new album which is expected this autumn...Canada's BLOOD OF CHRIST will enter the studio next month to record a new album for Skyscraper Records. The album will be called Breeding Chaos...DESTRUCTION's next album will ba called Metal Discharge. The first with drummer Marc Reign, the album is due this autumn and features songs like, Savage Symphony of Terror, Vendetta and Historical Force Feed...DIMMU BORGIR has spent the past few weeks at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden recording their forthcoming album. No release date has been set, but several song-titles are: Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse, Cataclysm Children and His Inexorable Excellency...BORKNAGAR drummer Asgeir Mickelson was asked by TESTAMENT to join them on the No Mercy Festival European tour with MARDUK and DEATH ANGEL...According to Metal Blade, CANNIBAL CORPSE has reached the one million mark for combined sales of all their albums...Dutch thrashers KATAFALK have confirmed to play at the Wâldrock Festival in The Netherlands, which is headlined by Iron Maiden. In September the band will embark on a minitour with Dew-Secented and Outburst...Carnal Lust's album, Whore Of Violence, is now out through Diamond Productions...Here is the latest news from Hammerheart Records: DIVERCIA is currently building its own recording studio where the band is working on demo versions of its new songs. The band has recruited a new drummer in the person of Petri Eklund (formerly of VIOLENT SOLUTION). DIMENSION F3H has just released its debut-album Reaping the World Winds. SATARIEL is busy writing new material for an upcoming album called Hydra. THYRFING has replaced AMON AMARTH at the 2000 Decibels Festival in Bengtsfors, Sweden...Poland's Hedfirst has signed with Crash Music for release of its self-titled debut album...Denmark's THORIUM has re-signed with Diehard music after recording a new promo demo which featured a guest appearance by Brett Hoffmann of MALEVOLENT CREATION fame. The band's progress has recently been slowed down due to the incarceration of drummer Jesper Frost and the replacement of Bat with the Mexican Rodriquez el Mordé (formerly of SATAN CORPSE)...Norway's MINDGRINDER has completed the recording of its debut album entitled MindTech. The recording took place at Akkerhaugen Studios. The band has also shot a video for the song Fire & Equanimity. Finally, the band is seeking a new drummer...Destructive Records next release is the album First Battle Won by Sweden's STORMRIDER. Recorded at The Abyss Studio in Sweden, the release-date is set for June 10...


Metallian Hard



Mascot Records has signed MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP. The band's new album is called Arachnophobiac and due out in June...The reformed BITCHES SIN has placed songs from its debut album Flashpoint online at www.bitchessin.co.uk. The band which now features Ian Toomey, Pete Toomey and Frank Quegan are also working on a comeback album which is tentatevely entitled Flashpoint 2...FAITH AND FIRE is a new band formed by Tony Moore and Mike Flyntz, former and current members of RIOT. FAITH AND FIRE also includes Danny Miranda from BLUE OYSTER CULT on bass and John Miceli from RAINBOW and MEAT LOAF on drums. The boys have just begun recording final tracks at Paul Orofino's Millbrook Studios for a 13-song CD slated for Summer 2003 release. Visit the band's site at www.faith-and-fire.com...AS I LAY DYING has been added to the LIVING SACRIFICE tour of USA this summer...The next KING DIAMOND album, entitled The Puppet Master, will come a bonus DVD or CDR of King Diamond telling the story of The Puppet Master. Says King Diamond of the album which is due in September, "if you are into horror; you're definitely going to get it with this album!"...FATES WARNING will be opening for DREAM THEATER and QUEENSRYCHE on this summer's tour. Drummer Mark Zonder will not be part of the line-up due to previous committments...LIZZY BORDEN is currently seeking a Los Angeles-based guitar player "with image, personality and the right attitude to join the band for forthcoming recording and live work. Songwriting capability and knowledge of the wide range of musical taste within the rock genre, are required." Please email lizzyguitarist@sirenmanagement.com...CRUACHAN recently renewed its recording deal with Hammerheart Records for two more albums. The band will be in Sonic Studios in Dublin between the 26th of April and the 9th of June to record the follow-up to its Folk-Lore album. The title of the new and fourth album is Pagan. Several song-titles are: Michael Collins, A Thousands Years and Viking Slayer. The band has also announced the Ed Gilbert as a permanent member within the act. He will be responsible for keyboard, banjo, tin whistle, acoustic guitars and basco jays in CRUACHAN...In an effort to dispel the rumors floating around, GOD FORBID has announced that Byron Davis is still the lead singer of the band. Rumours had spread after the band's members had a number of differences of opinion recently. The band is composing new material...UK's BIOMECHANICAL has inked a deal with Revolver Records for the release of the Eight Moons demo. The release is due in June. The band has also teamed up with DIAMOND HEAD's manager and is organizing a summer tour with Four Way Kill and Balance of Power. Finally, the band will enter the studio next January for the recording of their second album entitled The Empires Of The Worlds...Lion Music has released EMPIRE's Trading Souls album. The band's line-up features Tony Martin, Neil Murray, Don Airey, Anders Johansson, and others...SEPULTURA's new album is entitled Roorback. The album will be released in June. The band is previewing several songs on its current tour with VOIVOD. The Brazilians will be record many upcoming shows with an eye on releasing a live album next year...French band ALKEMYST has signed with Nuclear Blast Records. The band's album is due next month, but fans can hear the band on a compilation CD of ballads called Metal Dreams Vol. 5...The Metal Gods Tour, featuring HALFORD, TESTAMENT, IMMORTAL, PRIMAL FEAR and others, has ended abruptly in NYC. The ramining dates, including the Canadian dates, will not proceed due to monetary issues...PRIMAL FEAR drummer Klaus Sperrling could not be part of the recent Metal Gods tour lineup. He was replaced by ANNIHILATOR drummer Randy Black...GREAT WHITE , WARRANT and LA GUNS are planning a charity tour in support of the victims of February's nightclub fire which killed 99 during a GREAT WHITE concert...Dan Swano has reformed EDGE OF SANITY as a one-man band...Finland's FINNTROLL released an acoustic/experimental CD featuring their new singer Tapio Wilska, entitled Visor Om Slutet. on April 24 in Scandinavia. The band are set to enter the studio later this year to record a full-length album...Some news from INTO ETERNITY: Guitarist Jeff Storrey is out of the band and has been replaced by ex-PERICARDIUM member Rob Doherty. The band is playing shows with LACUNA COIL and plans to hit the road with KATAKLYSM this summer. The band is also recording a new full-length album which is tentatively enitled Buried In Oblivion...TAD MOROSE is in the studio recording the new album Life In A Lonely Grave. The act can be seen at the Sweden Rock Festival in June...Metal Blade has signed Germany's DISILLUSION. The band has two MCDs out called Three Neuron Kings and The Porter and is expected to release a full-length this October...Here is some news from Arise Records: DARK MOOR has a new singer. His name is Alfred Romero. The act's next album will be recorded at New Sin Studios in August and is to be released in November of 2003. AXENSTAR will start the recording of its second album, Far From Heaven, at Underground Studios imminently.The album will be released in November. The reformed OMEN has signed a North American contract with Crash Music. OMEN's recently-completed album is entitled Eternal Black Dawn and is due this autumn. In the meanwhile, original guitarist/songwriter, Kenny Powell, vocalist Kevin Goocher, drummer Rick Murray and bassist Andy Haas are booked to headline Germany's Keep It True Festival on July 19...Italy's KINGCROW has just issued the Matzmariels EP. The EP is essentially a preview for the forthcoming album out in the autumn...TWISTED SISTER has officially reformed and is touring this summer on both sides of the Atlantic...SUPERJOINT RITUAL is hitting the road in America in anticipation of its next album which is called A Lethal Dose Of American Hatred. Expect it in July.



Metallian Demos


NEVER LIGHT HORIZON - PERFECTION IN MURDER'S ART
I like gore metal. I like metal that is both insanely fast at times and brutally heavy at other times. I like metal to vary the speed once in a while. I like metal bands whose names defy grammar. I also like metal bands who put severed limbs on their cover. Hell, I like Belgium. I probably have roots there. I like Cannibal Corpse. I like bands who are influenced by more recent CC material, and not just the Chris Barnes-era stuff. I like titles like God Of Suffering, Medieval War, The Awakening, Insectodemonium and Diabolical Blood Rituals. I like these songs to have a good production. I like guys with long hair. Never Light Horizon is four guys with short hair though. Why, why, why? Visit the band's site at www.nlh.be.tf or write the band at neverlighthorizon@hotmail.com and enquire about their upcoming CD on Deadsun Records as well.- Sheila Wes Det

JESTERS MOON - same
This American band has a complex history dating well back into BC era. Suffice it to say that the band operated once under the Bangin' Moon name - which is a kick ass name if there ever was one! It is immediately clear that the quartet intends to wave the flag of heavy metal loudly and proudly which is why the CD starts off with an inspiring March. Then again the band can get groovy and introspective as heard progressively in the middle of the CD. In fact, by the time the tenth song Backstreets kicks in the band is in full acid rock mode. Many of the band's riffs are memorable while some are not. Then again that is a given with a demo of ten full songs. Overall the music is reminiscent of Judas Priest circa 1981-1982, while the vocals come close to Udo territory. Fans of Omen, Liege Lord, Judas Priest will love this, nevertheless, original and fresh deliverance of pure molten metal. If one advice suits the band though it is that they have to next time fill their sound with a rhythm guitar and dump the filler synthesizer from the background. It is usually bands which have not mastered their rhythm guitars that grasp at the straws of keyboards. Otherwise the drumming needs to tighten up, but JM certainly understands the art to creating mood and feeling. There are backing vocals on every song and a sharp guitar sound has been provided, even if the sound is not the exactly the best. Regardless, the band is impressive with its undefiled attitude towards metal and a good bet for underground connoisseurs. Write the band at 6433 S.E. Rhone St. Portland, Oregon 97206 USA or visit maninblackmusic.com for more information. - Ali "The Metallian"

CARNAL REDEMPTION - THE LIMITS OF PERSISTENCE
Three bands whose names include the word 'carnal' arrived at Metallian Towers this week. Aside from Greece-based Carnal Redemption we also received musical submissions from Carnal Forge and Carnal Lust. This particular band was formed in late 2000 and recorded the CD at hand in 2001. The sound and delivery is raw and primitive obviously, and not the least of which because the trio's influences seem to be early Vital Remains, early Monstrosity and Unleashed. The band plays simple and no-frills death metal, never pausing to consider tempo changes, technical breaks, guitar leads or other similar wastes of time! Like it or not, Carnal Redemption represents the fountainhead of the metal underground. It costs only $6 (US). Write to carnal-k99@hotmail.com or visit carnalredemption.cjb.net. - Ali "The Metallian"

TOTAL MASSACRE - PROMO 2002
Total Massacre is a young Greek band which was formed in 2001. The name clearly reveals the band's orientation, while the age shows the experience level involved. It is hard to review Promo 2002 though. There is only one song contained on this CD, a track called Kill My Brain. Quite appropriate, given the sludgy and bottom-heavy death metal here. Then again the guitarist kicks in with an almost soulful solo towards the end of the song more worthy of an NWOBHM band than a brutal death metal unit. The singer, it goes without saying, is not kidding around and makes sure he growls for maximum effect. For more information write to total_massacre@hotmail.com. - Ali "The Metallian"

DIATRIBAL REVENGE - A CYNICAL HEART BEATS WITHIN US ALL
True, so true! The American quintet has been around since 1998 and despite its mincecore sound seems to be involved in the metal scene if the shows at which they play is any indication. Mixing mince and hardcore, Diatribal Revenge plays the genuine article. That is, the band stays away from the hip hop stylings of Biohazard and plays a straightforward beat that suits the involved lyrics. There is some funny singing occasionally though. It is silly and should really be banished. Otherwise the band is true to its art. The band is active in the New England area. Otherwise, find them by writing to spreville@onewayoranotherprod.com or by visiting www.diatribalrevenge.com! - Ali "The Metallian"



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