Metallian Heavy

Swedish extreme deathsters BOMBS OF HADES have completed work on a new full-length album, The Serpent’s Redemption, for a summer release through Pulverised Records.

French black metal band MERRIMACK will release a new album, called The Acausal Mass, on June 22nd through AFM Records. The album was produced by Tore Stjerna and Sverker Widgren at Necromorbus Studio.

SPV/Steamhammer has announced June 18th as the release date for 30 Years Sodomized: 1982-2012, a SODOM compilation.

German thrash metal band CRIPPER will release a new album, Antagonist, on June 22nd through SAOL/H’Art.

Germany’s OBSCENITY has finished recording its next full-length album, Atrophied In Anguish, for an August release through Apostasy Records. The album was recorded at Soundlodge Studio in Germany.

DEATH ANGEL is reissuing its debut album, The Ultra-Violence, from 1987 as a 25th-anniversary rerelease. The band is also playing the album in its entirety this summer during its European shows. The band might repeat the same set elsewhere later in the year.

NILE will release its seventh full-length album, At The Gate Of Sethu, on July 3rd through Nuclear Blast Records.

Koloss, the new album from MESHUGGAH, sold 18,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position Number 17 on The Billboard 200 chart.

WATAIN has a new DVD entitled Opus Diaboli. The release commemorates the band’s 13 years and a visual and audio documentation of their ceremonial anniversary concert performance in Stockholm. The band is touring North America with IN SOLITUDE and BEHEMOTH. The tour’s first show in Columbus, Ohio was moved due to the religious beliefs of venue owner. Five US shows were cancelled due to visa issues.

Finnish band MORS PRINCIPIUM EST has signed a deal with AFM Records. The band is entering the studio this summer.

Death metal veterans VORE have signed with Germany’s AFM Records. The deal will see a re-release of VORE’s most recent album, Gravehammer (which was released by the band in December of last year) on July 20th on CD and vinyl formats.

Candlelight Records has announced June 19th as the North American release date for Ghostmaker, the new album by RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER. Produced by the band, Ghostmaker is the third album from the Philadelphia quartet.

ARSIS has recruited Shawn Priest as a replacement for drummer Mike VanDyne. Priest has toured with ARSIS in the past.

GOJIRA has picked L’Enfant Sauvage as the title for its next album, which is due on June 26th through Roadrunner Records.

KREATOR will release its new album, Phantom Antichrist, on June 1st through Nuclear Blast Records. The album was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren. German author Hilmar Bender’s KREATOR biography, Violent Evolution, is due out next year in a translated and English edition. The German edition was issued last year.

After losing members last month Australia’s MORTAL SIN has again disbanded. The band had just recruited a new singer.

CANNIBAL CORPSE is heading back to Australia beginning October 4th for a tour.

SHADOW SOCIETY has lost bassist Brian Werner. The band has picked up mighty Sean Tibbetts of KAMELOT for its album recording sessions.

Drummer Sebastian “Seb” Sippola has retired from GRAND MAGUS due to work and family pressures. The new drummer is Ludwig “Ludde” Witt of SPIRITUAL BEGGARS and SHINING.

BENEATH THE REMAINS is looking for a label The band is at www.beneaththeremains.net.

Swedish deathcrust band BOMBS OF HADES has an upcoming new full-length, The Serpent’s Redemption, on Pulverised Records. The follow-up to 2010’s Chambers Of Abominations offers eight tracks and features cover art by Polish illustrator Rafal Kruszyk.

Inspired by KEEL? The seventh studio album from German thrash metal band NECRONOMICON, entitled Invictus, is out now through Massacre Records. Recorded at Arson Music Studio, and mixed and mastered by Achim Köhler (PRIMAL FEAR, SINNER, BRAINSTORM and HEADHUNTER), NECRONOMICON’s seventh album Invictus features over fifty minutes of thrash metal.

JOB FOR A COWBOY has announced four headlining concerts in Japan. Following their trek on the Metal Alliance tour, which is currently underway, the band will play two shows in Tokyo as well as Nagoya and Okinawa beginning May 18th.

MORGOTH will release a live album and DVD, called Cursed To Live, on June 25th through Century Media Records. The tracks were mixed at Unisound Studio in Sweden with Dan Swanö.

MUTANT SQUAD’S Social Misfits EP is now out through Suspiria Records. The thrash metal group hails from Spain.

The newest release from Edmonton death metal band BEGRIME EXEMIOUS is entitled Visions Of The Scourge. It is out courtesy of Dark Descent Records. It is the follow-up to 2010’s Impending Funeral Of Man.

ARTILLERY is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary with a lot of activity. The Danes will play gigs in May in New York City and at the Maryland Death Fest in Baltimore. Along with EXUMER they will then move to South America to play in Argentina, Chile and Brazil. At the end of the year the band will return to USA to play on the Barge To Hell cruise ship departing from Miami, Florida to the Bahamas in December.

Yesterworlds is a compilation of early DARK TRANQUILLITY material including the Trail Of Life demo, the A Moonclad Reflection single and other unreleased tracks. It is now out through Floga Records. DARK TRANQUILLITY has also re-signed with Century Media Records for another three records.

DEW-SCENTED has picked another ‘I’ word as the title for its next album, namely Icarus. The album adapts the Icarus allegory. It was recorded at Soundlodge Studio and produced by Jörg Uken.

COFFIN TEXTS will release a new album, The Tomb Of Infinite Ritual, this summer through Dark Descent Records. The LP version will be released through Blood Harvest Records.

Portugal’s MALEVOLENCE has picked Antithetical as the title for its forthcoming third album. The theme of the album is inspired by Ancient Greek philosophy.

Former EXODUS guitarist Rick Hunolt is standing in for his former band-mate Gary Holt who in turn is filling in for Jeff Hannemann in SLAYER. The arrangement should last for the rest of the summer.

American grindcore band PHOBIA will release a new record called Remnants Of Filth on June 5th through Willowtip Records. Scott Hull produced.

Nuclear Blast Records has signed the Bay Area’s HEATHEN. The label’s roster includes other thrash metal bands TESTAMENT, EXODUS, FORBIDDEN and DEATH ANGEL.

Dutch death metal band BODYFARM has signed a deal with Cyclone Empire. The band’s full-length debut, Malevolence, is due this autumn.

Finnish black metal band BEHEXEN has signed a deal with Debemur Morti Productions. An album is expected this summer.


Metallian Hard

EVIL MASQUERADE will release its new album, Pentagram, on May 21st through Dark Minstrel Music. The album was again produced by guitarist Henrik Flyman.

GOTTHARD will release a new album, Firebirth, on June 1st through Nuclear Blast.

Before its show at this year's Download festival, BLACK SABBATH will perform at its hometown of Birmingham for the first time in thirteen years at the O2 Academy on Saturday, May 19th.

Inspired by KEEL? DRIVER — featuring singer Rob Rock and guitarist/producer Roy Z — has completed work on a new album, called Countdown, to be released next month through Metal Heaven in Europe and King Records in Japan. Singer Mark Boals guests.

ATTACKER has recruited bassist Jon Hanemann replacing original bassist Lou Ciarlo, who decided to leave to work on other music and loss of interest in heavy metal.

VANDEN PLAS has been forced to cancel shows in Wolverhampton, U.K. (May 5th) and Siena, Italy (May 12th) as guitarist Stephan Lill needs to undergo undetermined surgery.

Guitarist Paulo Schroeber has left the band ALMAH "due to health problems." He was not part of the band’s recent shows.

NWOBHM band BLACK ROSE has signed a deal with the Germany’s Metalizer to release its new album, Cure For Your Disease, on CD. BLACK ROSE will play at the Headbangers Open Air festival in Brande-Hörnerkirchen on July 28th.

ELTON JOHN and EMINEM?? MASTODON has released a split seven-inch with Canada’s FEIST to celebrate Record Store Day. This vinyl features MASTODON covering FEIST song A Commotion and FEIST covering MASTODON's Black Tongue.

Ambient soft rockers ENSLAVED have signed a worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The band's next album will be released in the autumn.

Metal Blade Records has announced a June 5th release date for a special package of FATES WARNING's 1994 album Inside Out. This re-release contains a double CD plus bonus-DVD. It includes a 1995 concert.

Bassist Freddie Vidales has left ICED EARTH following the band’s Chinese shows. His replacement is Luke Appleton of FURY UK, which toured with ICED EARTH last winter. He will be with the band on June 16th in Bangalore, India.

JORN LANDE will release a new album, Bring Heavy Rock To The Land, on June 1st through Frontiers Records.

Finland’s BURNING POINT has signed a deal with Scarlet Records. The band's new album, The Ignitor, will be released later in the year.

IN THIS MOMENT has picked Blood as the title for its next album, which is due this August through Century Media Records. The album was again produced by Kevin Churko.

Southern Lord has announced a label tour package for this June and July. The tour includes Canada’s BURNING LOVE, MARTYRDOD making their debut U.S. appearance, Milwaukee's punk/hardcore crossover outfit ENABLER and Seattle's BLACK BREATH. There will be other appearances as well.

The self-titled debut studio album from UNISONIC — the band featuring former HELLOWEEN vocalist Michael Kiske and guitarist Kai Hansen (GAMMA RAY and ex-HELLOWEEN) alongside guitarist Mandy Meyer (ASIA, GOTTHARD and KROKUS), bassist Dennis Ward and drummer Kosta Zafiriou (both of Germany's PINK CREAM 69) — will be released in North America on May 22nd through Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records.

BANSHEE replaced BENEDICTUM on the Warriors of Metal Fest Roster‏. According to BENEDICTUM’s frontwoman the band wanted to keep its schedule open to work on its album.

Power metal band EMPIRES OF EDEN has announced the release of a full-length, called Channelling The Infinite. A Japanese release date of June 1 through Rubicon Music has been announced.


Metallian Demos

ROUTAKEHÄ – KAIKKIEN ALKUJEN LOPUTTUA
How does one say ‘Jesus Christ’ in Finnish? This might be a good old Christian band, full of white metal mystification and insanity, but alas the lyrics are in Finnish. Who can tell what these hardcore/metal crossover noise mongers are all about?
Incidentally, the Finnish lyrics translate to a coarse ride for the non-Finnish listener, but the same may be true for Finnish listeners as well. After all, Finnish listeners are accustomed to poppy keyboard-driven drivel masquerading as ‘metal.’ Correct! Good News! Stop presses! No keyboards, synthesizers and bologna in this band!
As for the music, Routakehä’s music is both fast and slow. It does have the moroseness and melancholy of late Sentenced, but the band is more straightforward sometimes bordering on hardcore. The singers (two vocals) are hit and missing. Track one begins slowly and sadly, while track three is the offender in the bad vocals sweepstakes. Elsewhere, the group will keep the listener either up or down and more likely up and down. The band is at www.routakeha.net or found through e-mail at routakeha@gmail.com. - Ali “The Metallian