Metallian Heavy

DESTRÖYER 666‘s fourth full-length album will be available on June 22nd and is called Defiance.

Risto Ruuth has left ETERNAL TEARS OF SORROW with the band claiming surprise at the move. The band has already recorded its forthcoming album, Children Of The Dark Waters, but has had to cancel several scheduled shows. Replacement candidates can email the band at eternaltears2009@gmail.com.

The reformed DÉTENTE is seeking a second guitarist. Applicants wishing to join the California-based band should email a digital sample of their work to guitar@detenterna.com. Beside mainstay drummer Dennis Butler, the group is guitarist Caleb Quinn, bassist Steve Hocheiser and HELLION singer Ann Boleyn.

Belgium’s IN-QUEST will release a new album, Made Out Of Negative Matter, later in 2010. The band is seeking a recording deal.

Five years after its comeback album The Art Of Dying, Bay Area’s DEATH ANGEL will release a DVD with two full-length concerts filmed in Germany. The DVD was filmed live at Rockhard Festival 2007 and in Adelsheim in 2008 and is packaged with a CD. DEATH ANGEL performed the song Chip On Your Shoulder acoustically at Eli’s in Oakland, California on April, 24th of 2009.

Panoptic Records has signed Montreal’s WARCALL. The quartet plays “a mixture of death-black and thrash metal in the style of DISSECTION, AT THE GATES and ENSIFERUM,” according to its publicist. The band’s debut album, Demonarchy, features 11 songs.

The debut full-length album from Ireland’s ALTAR OF PLAGUES is now available through Profound Lore Records. It is entitled White Tomb and is the follow-up to the Sol demo.

Finnish death metal band VORUM will release its first MCD Grim Death Awaits on April 8th through Woodcut Records. The band was previously called Haudankaivaja.

SYSTEM DIVIDE is a new project featuring ABORTED’s Sven de Caluwé and Andrew Lenthe, DISTORTED’s Miri Milman, ANTHENORA’s Cole Martinez and MALIGNANCY’s Mike Heller. The band has completed work on a demo called The Collapse.

OVERDRIVE SENSATION is a side-project of ENDSTILLE drummer Mayhemic Destructor who will release a self-titled debut album on May 15th through the fresh Rude Records.

EDGE OF SERENITY, which was previously called EDGE OF ANGER, has picked up bassist Mark Brekelmans formerly of XYSTUS. The band will release its debut album, The Chaos Theory, on May 5th through Romulus X Records.

MAYHEM recently announced the addition of French guitarist Silmaeth (ex- VORKREIST) to the group’s touring line-up. The band is playing shows in Mexico this month.

MASTER has joined the likes of SEANCE and NETHERBIRD on Singapore’s Pulverised Records. An album is expected in the autumn.

Formed in May of 2008, THESE ARE THEY – based in Chicago and featuring vocalist Paul Kuhr (NOVEMBERS DOOM), guitarist Steve Nicholson (ex-NOVEMBERS DOOM), bassist Wiley Wells (EARTHEN) and drummer Sasha Horn (TRIALS) — brings Nicholson back thirteen years after departing NOVEMBERS DOOM and reunites him with Kuhr in 2008 in order to create music inspired by the likes of ENTOMBED. With the help of Wells, along with good friends Mike LeGros (DISINTER and EARTHEN) and drummer Evan Berry, a musical style was chosen, material was written and THESE ARE THEY recorded its debut EP, ‘Who Manifest. It was recorded, mixed and mastered at Belle City Sound with Chris Wisco.

ARCKANUM will release a new album, called ÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞ, in the autumn through Debemur Morti Productions. The album was recorded in February and was mastered at Stage One Studio.

DEMOLITION’s Relict IV is now out.

HELLWITCH will release a new album, called Omnipotent Convocation, in August through Xtreem Music. Jeremt Staska, who has worked with MALEVOLVENT CREATION before, produced. The album features Antti Boman of DEMILICH as a guest singer on a song.

NIGHTRAGE will release a new album, entitled Wearing A Martyr’s Crown, on June 25th through Lifeforce Records.

EXODUS will issue a live DVD called Live At Wacken…this year.

AS I LAY DYING‘s first ever DVD release, This Is Who We Are, was successful enough to enter the Billboard Top Music Videos Chart at the #2 position in the USA and #3 position in Canada.

JUNGLE ROT will release a new album, What Horrors Await, through Austria’s Napalm Records in May.

German thrash metal band RESPAWN will release its debut album, The Chaos Engine, on May 13th through the fledgling Nicrothal Records.

BLACK DAHLIA MURDER’s Majesty DVD is out now.

Alexander Dietz of crossover band HEAVEN SHALL BURN has a solo project now called ERODE. The sound is ambient.

GOATWHORE announces Carving Out The Eyes Of God as the title for its new studio album, which will be issued through Metal Blade in June.

BEHEMOTH has tapped Colin Richardson to mix its new album Evangelion, which is due out in the late summer. The CD is now being recorded in Radio Gdansk in Poland with BEHEMOTH, Daniel Bergstrand and Woytek and Slawek Wieslawscy producing. The album is being issued through Nuclear Blast in Europe and Metal Blade in Canada. Metal Mind of Poland has issued a BEHEMOTH DVD called Live Eschaton – The Art Of Rebellion. It is taken from a live performance at a TV studio in 2000.

LECHEROUS NOCTURNE has recruited guitarist Ethan Lane from APOTHEOSYS. Lane had filled in for Mike Poggione on bass on the band’s last tour. He is replacing Chris Lollis, who has now left the American band.

VADER has signed with Nuclear Blast Records and is at Hertz Studio recording an album called Necropolis. A corporate press release was issued and everyone is “proud.”

Colorado’s SILENCER has issued its second album, entitled Divisions, through the fledgling F-Bomb Records.

Inspired by KEEL? The reformed BRUTAL TRUTH has issued an album called Evolution Through Revolution through its old label with which it had an existing contract, Relapse Records.

Drawing parallels between DEF LEPPARD and POISON which ended up announcing a tour after slagging each other for a year, Dino Cazares and Burton C. Bell who are former FEAR FACTORY band-mates have joined together to form an, as yet, unnamed act. Apparently Gene Hoglan is drumming. The two FEAR FACTORY alumni had spent several years slagging one another.

Poland’s HATE is issuing a live album called The Litanies Of Satan featuring a recording from February of 2004. The album is being issued through re-release label, Metal Mind Production.

ANGELCORPSE has thrown in the towel. The band’s statement reads, “Due to musical differences amongst its members, it has been decided with much consideration to end ANGELCORPSE.”

CANNIBAL CORPSE and DYING FETUS are touring Europe in October. The openers for the European Plague Tour will be OBSCURA and EVOCATION.

It is one big ATHEIST family. ATHEIST, THE FACELESS, PSYOPUS, THE AGONIST and GNOSTIC are touring the USA together.

Inspired by KEEL? BLOOD FEAST, featuring guitarist Adam Tranquilli (WITHOUT END and HEADLOCK) and drummer Kevin Kuzmal, have been signed for 2010’s Headbangers Open Air festival, which is set to take place in July 2010 in Brande-Hörnerkirchen, Germany. The band originally reformed two years go.

NOCTEM’s Divinity album is now out. The band is currently touring Spain.

Drummer Antony “Antton” Lant, the brother of Cronos, has quit VENOM and will concentrate on DEF-CON-ONE.

GOD DETHRONED’s Passiondale is out now through Metal Blade. The album was recorded as a three piece with the lyrics dealing with World War I.

THE ACCUSED has signed a deal with Southern Lord Records. The band is in the studio with producer Billy Anderson recording its next album, The Curse Of Martha Splatterhead, which is due in September.

CASTEVET’s debut 7″, Stones/Salts, has been released through Paragon Records. The 7” is available on clear vinyl and is limited to 300 copies worldwide. CASTEVET will be entering PAINcave Studio this September in order to record its debut full-length with engineer Colin Marston (DYSRHYTHMIA, BEHOLD…THE ARCTOPUS and KRALLICE). The album, which is not yet titled, will see a 2010 release.

Swedish band SOREPTION will issue its Deterioration Of Minds album through Cube 1 Records.

DARKEST HOUR will release its fifth full-length record, The Eternal Return, on June 23rd through Victory Records. The CD was produced by Brian McTernan.

MEDICATED man Aleksi Sihvonen is NOTHER’s new singer. The band has also recruited Daniel Freyberg as a touring guitarist.

Bassist Victor Brandt has left SATYRICON. The Norwegians are no longer on Roadrunner and are recording an album called Söndra & Härska through Regain.

OBITUARY has picked Darkest Day as the title for its new album, which is due on June 30th through Candlelight Records.

ANAAL NATHRAKH has released its new album In The Constellation Of The Black Widow, which is due on June 29th through Candlelight Records. A vinyl version will be issued by FETO Records, which is co-owned by ANAAL’s Mick Kenney.

Philadelphia’s KINGDOM has released its first full-length album The Rage That Guides, on Eulogy Recordings. The band will be touring Europe with DEAD VOWS and RHINOCEROS starting in late June.

INHUMATE’s The Fifth Season demo is out now.

ARTILLERY has picked When Death Comes as the title for its next album, which will be issued in July through rerelease label Metal Mind Productions. The album was recorded at Medley Studio. Metal Mind Productions has issued a live album entitled One Foot In The Grave, The Other One In The Trash culled from a show the band gave at Metalmania Festival 2008!

Nevada-based technical death metal band I BUILT THE CROSS has announced the name of its debut album as Bridging The Gap Between Heart And Mind. The album is scheduled for a spring release through Open Grave Records. The cover art was designed by Fernando Catipillán.

SLAYER and MEGADETH have banded together for four shows in Canada in June. The four Western and Central Canadian dates are dubbed Canadian Carnage and will also feature SUICIDE SILENCE and MACHINE HEAD.

Drummer Mats “Dojan” Hansson has Swedish hard rockers MUSTASCH due to his “chronic muscle ruptures” thus making it impossible for him to continue. He has been replaced by Danne McKenzie, who has previously deputized for Dojan.

LOITS celebrated its tenth anniversary on May 8 at the club Tapper in Tallinn

Norway’s doom metal band SYRACH will release its newer album, A Dark Burial, through Napalm Records in July.

MESHUGGAH has had to cancel its tour of Europe after an MRI determined a herniated disc is response for back and foot aches of drummer Tomas Haake.


Metallian Hard

The anticipated DEEP PURPLE MARK III line-up reunion featuring Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale is unlikely to happen according to Glenn Hughes. The bassist and singer claims a lack of coordination and time has come in the way, although other factors have seemingly contributed to the stallment.

Will be inspired by KEEL in 2010? RUNNING WILD will play a farewell concert at Wacken Open Air festival, which is set to take place July 30th to August 1st in Wacken, Germany. A performance on July 30th will feature the band’s more popular songs and will be filmed for an upcoming DVD and CD.

LILLIAN AXE will release a new album, Sad Day On Planet Earth, on June 30th through Blistering Records. It features 14 songs.

DEF LEPPARD has been invited to participate and play at the Country Music Television’s award in June. DEF LEPPARD is nominated for its performance of Photograph with TAYLOR SWIFT, from CMT Crossroads: DEF LEPPARD and TAYLOR SWIFT.

CHAINSAW, PICTURE, TOKYO BLADE, EXCITER and TYGERS OF PAN TANG are some of the bands at this year's Heavy Metal Maniacs festival, scheduled for October 23rd and 24th at Manifesto in Hoorn, Holland.

A PRAYING MANTIS album called Sanctuary is due out this June through Frontiers Records.

ARGUS, a band featuring former PENANCE vocalist Brian "Butch" Balich, will release its self-titled debut album this month through Shadow Kingdom Records.

THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT will issue an album entitled Ki in June. A renowned project member on Ki is drummer Duris Maxwell who is 62 years old and has played with acts such as HEART, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, THE POWDER BLUES, TOMMY CHONG and THE TEMPTATIONS. He has even jammed with JIMI HENDRIX.

Fire from a gas heater burnt down ENTWINE’s tour bus last month causing 50,000 Euros in damages and destroying the band’s equipment.

UFO guitarist Vinnie Moore will release a new album, called To The Core, in North America on May 26th through Mascot Records.

UFO will release its next album, The Visitor, in June through SPV/Steamhammer. Bassist Pete Way is not part of the band since suffering from a liver disease. The band is touring the USA in October.

HEARSE will release its fifth album, Single Ticket To Paradise, on June 15th through Vic Records. The album will come with a bonus live DVD recorded in 2004.

A new THE GREEN EVENING REQUIEM demo, Bastards of Atlas, is now available for download. The group is already working on a release called Decomposer. The recording process began with founding guitarist Joe Colasante leaving the band immediately after completing his guitar takes. The recording process ended with guitarist/keyboardist Joe Winiarksi also leaving the band due to irreconcilable differences.

The line between metal and pop blurs further. SHADOWS FALL, FATES WARNING, ALL THAT REMAINS and DARK DAY SUNDAY members have a new project called KOBRA KAI to, get this, play ‘80s metal covers. The band features Frank Aresti of FATES WARNING and former ALL THAT REMAINS drummer Mike Bartlett.

Frontiers Records will release JORN's new studio album, Spirit Black, on June 5th in Europe and July 14 in Canada.

BILL SHEEHAN has released his third solo album entitled, Holy Cow, on Mascot Records.

Mercy Killing! Singer Jape Peratalo has thrown in the towel of TO/DIE/FOR citing promoters and his dislike for heavy metal. The man will forge ahead with his band, SUNSHINE SINDROME.

KORPIKLAANI will release a new album, called Karkelo (‘Party’ in English), on June 26th through Nuclear Blast. The album was recorded at Petrax studio in Hollola, Finland. The group is headlining a European tour called Paganfest 2009 in Europe this September.

They have a MySpace page, but no songs! DARKSIDE singer Wolf has a new project called MARGINALIA.

The new album from Swedish band HAMMERFALL, No Sacrifice, No Victory, has sold over 1,500 copies in the United States and has debuted at #38 on the Heatseekers (Top New Artist Albums) chart.

Ohio white metal band JACOBS DREAM is recording a full-length album called Beneath The Shadows. It is a concept album about a person dealing with drug addiction.

NARNIA, MAD MAX and Malta’s FORSAKEN are amongst the bands which are booked for the second edition of Brainstorm Festival. The event will take place on 13 and 14th of November at club Gigant in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. More information regarding this show can be found at www.brainstormfestival.com.

MANOWAR will be headlining the MetalWay Festival in Zaragoza on June 27, 2009 and its own Magic Circle III festival along with guests HOLYHELL. Donnie Hamzik, the band’s original drummer, will be on tour with the band in 2009. The band is recording songs in at least 15 languages for its forthcoming album.

LAKE Of TEARS has signed with Germany’s AFM Records. A new album is due before the end of the year.

Bassist Tony Franklin of THE FIRM and WHITESNAKE joined Italian musician VASCO ROSSI at a free Italian concert on May 1st at San Giovanni concert in Rome, Italy.

On Tuesday April 21st the documentary Iron Maiden: Flight 666 filmed during the Somewhere Back In Time World Tour of February and March of 2008 was shown in many digital cinemas world-wide. More showings are scheduled and a DVD version is due this month.

German heavy rock band AUTUMNBLAZE will release a new album, Perdition Diaries, on June 15th through Prophecy Productions. The album is touted as a return to the group’s heavy days.

Metal God Entertainment and Rob Halford, the singer for JUDAS PRIEST, have a new clothing company called Metal God Apparel “for today’s rock and roll lifestyles.”. Ladies of the night and glamsters-gone-fuckin’ hostile may visit: www.metalgodapparel.com


Metallian Demos

CHICKS WITH GUNS – ON YOUR MIND
Many Metallian readers will be disappointed to know that there are actually no chicks with guns in this Swedish band. All those hot Swedish chicks aside, these wasted dudes are likely to attract loads of chicks anyway. The biography even calls the band’s guitarist, Teddy, girly-looking. Ah, long live the sexual freedoms of Sweden. The band has the feel of a wasted Guns N’ Roses mixed with the sleaze of Faster Pussycat. The four songs on offer are fun and brash and utilize small chords with infectious shake-your-hair-to-me chanting. The guys look great with their hair-dos and really pack a punch with songs like Love At First Sight (at first sting?) and Bullshit Boulevard. The band needs to let loose a little more, in my opinion, but has a good sleazy glam sound anyway. Get into it by visiting www.myspace.com/chickswithgunsonline or emailing chickswithguns@hotmail.com. - Sheila Wes Det

GAUNTLET – WHAT DOESN’T KILL US
Gauntlet’s 2006 demo Path Of Nails managed to impressive us here at Metallian Towers back then and so it was with a good amount of curiosity that What Doesn’t Kill Us, the forty-five minute long/ten-track disc, was inserted into the audio system. The band has lost its singer Ivo in the downtime, but if anything, What Doesn’t Kill Us is stronger than its predecessor. Gauntlet is not only head and shoulders above the average Spanish output, but also the band easily crushes most of the barrage of releases coming from the mouth of established labels. Metal fans should really consider picking up on Gauntlet.
The Spaniards do have a level of Prong/Pantera/Zakk Wylde tougher-than-thouism to them, but much of that is improved upon through a killer song writing sensibility and professionalism that never loses its metallic touch. In The Name Of ( ) is the song where one of Gauntlet’s guitarists mimics Wylde’s wail, but from then on there is so much traditional metal that has been updated and personalized that the disc almost flies to the end before one notices. Exceptionally the album’s second half is a better bargain. Cross Of Shame has some real guitar work, which not many a metal band tries nowadays. Inner Enemy is simple, rhythmic and infectious. Again, this is nicely done for such a cool heavy metal song. The vocals are not the world’s strongest, but the singer puts real emotion into his delivery. This might be an offshoot of the strongly anti-religious expression and concepts. Presumably, Gauntlet will never be a hit in the USA. The band is well read. Interesting cover artwork as well. The band’s web address is www.gauntletmetal.com. - Ali “The Metallian”

SPAZMOSITY – PROMO 2008
Spazmosity released three demos in the mid ‘90s and has recently reformed and got themselves this three-song promo produced by Grave’s Ola Lindgren. The sound is like a raw early Marduk black metal. Spazmosity tend to be slightly more controlled one minute but then all over the place the next. Regicide, March Of Death and 13 Miller’s Court are definitely not symphonic, atmospheric or melodic and are just pure black metal. The guitar sound is sharp and contributes to the raw sound of this promo. The vocals are sometimes tortured screaming, even almost naggy, and are not the strength of Spazmosity, however the music certainly is. Well worth a listen, therefore...contact the band at www.spazmosity.com or at spazmosity@hotmail.com. - Anna Tergel

V/A – REINCREMATION
Woe to you of wimp and Brie for the Devil sends the piss with… Flamenco!!!!! After suffering the malaise, insult and injury that is keyboards, opera singers, girlfriends overstepping their cooking duties by leaving the tour bus and playing keyboards, sorry ‘synth’, and other vestiges of commercial pop magazines here comes the latest novelty act. The four-band split-CD Reincremation kicks off with French band Impureza who, stunningly true to their name, mix metal with Flamenco. It will surely go down in a ball of, er, flames, but just the notion that anyone would compose this turd, let alone release it on CD is beyond the pale. The band’s three songs are riddled with the Latin tongue and an Acoustic Flamenco guitar. Must be quite a sight on stage mixing death metal with a hoser standing there on his ever-so-deep-yeah-right oversized guitar. Thankfully, the refuse is done with quickly and the following three bands are right on the money. Scaring Impureza to oblivion are Arsonist, the veteran Sudden Death and Ingurgitating Oblivion each of which contribute three songs of unrestrained pure brutality. This is what death metal sounds like. This release features nine complete death metal songs with a high level of competence. Too bad the gimmicky Impureza ruins it for everyone. For more information on this disc contact Nihilistic Holocaust by visiting site.voila.fr/NIHILISTIC or email gabsk@wanadoo.fr. - Ali “The Metallian”

HOUSEMASTER - IL GIUDICE
A sense of humour, high pitched vocals and some Iron Maiden or NWOBHM influences are here yet again. What is it with Italy? It is of very little surprise that all the aforementioned ingredients are present on Il Giudice (The Judge). In the case of Housemaster this is sometimes morphed into earliest of thrash sounds a la Metallica. Aided by some of the singing one can say very small hints of early Megadeth (on Duel for example), Violence or Mortal Sin are also present here. The high pitched screams on the title track are totally pointless and the apparent attempt to give the song an epic feel fails. Overall the vocals of Pierluigi Cavazzano and of course the song arrangements and production push Housemaster deep into dated-ness. And then surprisingly, the last track, Goodbye My Friends is acoustic with clean and accented vocals. Lyrics like ‘I am saying goodbye to all the suckers’ conspire to make the song fail at being at least a good ballad however. Contact the band at www.housemasterband.it. – Anna Tergel