Metallian Heavy

Pulverised Records has signed Japanese death metal band GxSxD after the label owner saw the band perform in Singapore. The band’s name is an abbreviation for God Send Death. An album release date has not been announced.

Thrashers SERENITY DIES will release the Hacksawcracy EP on July 15, 2010.

ARCKANUM recently signed a deal with Regain Records. Sviga Læ is ARCKANUM’s sixth full-length and is slated for release later this year.

DESULTORY has completed work on its reformation album, Counting Our Scars. The full-length – the first since 1996’s Swallow The Snake – was recorded, mixed and mastered by Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio in Alvik, Sweden. Song titles include: Counting Our Scars, In A Cage, Ready To Bleed, This Broken Halo and Uneven Numbers. A release date has not been announced by Pulverised Records.

Ibex Moon Records will issue a special collector’s vinyl edition of ASPHYX‘s The Rack album. The release will only be available from Ibex Moon Records and Abyss Records mail order. The first 25 copies sold through either www.ibexmoonrecords.com or www.officialabyssrecords.com will be autographed by band members Martin Van Drunen and Bob Bagchus. It is limited to 666 copies on blue vinyl and includes new liner notes with commentary by journalists, fans, fellow musicians and the band members themselves. The album also comes with an 18″ x 24″ ASPHYX poster.

THE ARSON PROJECT has an upcoming split 7″ on Relapse and five weeks of touring this summer.

Exhibit B: The Human Condition, the ninth studio album from EXODUS, has sold over 4,600 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan and has debuted at #114 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart in the USA.

Spain’s OUIJA has recently reformed featuring original vocalist Midgard and guitarist together with three members from SPELLCRAFT, Murcilag (guitar), Fulgur (drums) and Aldromk (bass). The band has signed a deal with Xtreem Music for the release of its upcoming mini-CD due to come out in the autumn of 2010 and its second full-length album for 2011. OUIJA released its debut album Riding Into The Funeral Paths back in 1997 on Xtreem Music’s former label Repulse Records.

D.I.S. – featuring current and former members of PHOBIA, EXHUMED, MANGE, IMPALED and EAT THE LIVING – has kicked off its first US tour May 21 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. D.I.S. will unleash its debut full-length, Critical Failure, through Deep Six Records in the US this month and through Power It Up in Europe. The 10-song record was tracked by John Haddad at Trench Studios in Corona, CA and centres itself on issues of interpersonal struggle, blind capitalism and religious hypocrisy.

NAPALM DEATH and DYING FETUS will undertake a mini-tour of Australia in September.

FORBIDDEN is working on its next album, Omega Wave, at Sonic Room/Audio Voyage Studios in Livermore, California. The band recently signed with Nuclear Blast. In addition to touring with OVERKILL the band is crisscrossing the USA with EVILE, GAMMA BOMB, and BONDED BY BLOOD.

KATAKLYSM AND EX DEO singer Maurizio Iacono has announced a pizzeria joint venture in Chicago. It is the second branch of Albano’s Pizzeria. The band recently wrapped up recording Heaven’s Venom which will be released on August 20th in Europe and August 24th in North America. Heaven’s Venom was recorded by KATAKLYSM guitarist J-F Dagenais and is currently being mixed by Tue Madsen. The band cancelled its show at Wacken but will play Ozzfest this summer.

HOLLENTHON has lost bassist Gregor Marboe and replaced him with a Max.

After parting ways with singer Bruce Hall, AGENT STEEL has been rejoined by John Cyriis the band’s vocalist on its two 1980s albums. Despite the latter man’s musings regarding the same issue earlier, the band claims Cyriis came into the picture only after Hall’s departure.

After being seen together at a NYC Nightclub where FOZZY was performing singer Joey Belladonna has rejoined ANTHRAX. The second return is just in time for this summer’s Sonisphere Festivals European tour of the “big four of thrash” in Europe which also includes MEGADETH, SLAYER and METALLICA. BELLADONNA is touring with his own band this month. ANTHRAX which has an unreleased album from last year is planning on recording a new one with Joey Belladonna. Guitarist Scott Ian claims Joey came back into the picture once singer John Bush informed the band he does not wish to tour extensively. BELLADONNA has cancelled its South American dates, but claims the action was related to recent earthquakes.

PESTILENCE will record a new album called Doctrine this summer and hopes to see it released in early 2011. The band is touring the USA.

New Jersey band BLASPHEMOUS has parted ways with its long-time bassist, Decrepit. The band is looking for a replacement and issued the following statement, “we have decided to part ways with bassist Decrepit. He’s been part of BLASPHEMOUS for most of our existence, covering two different stints with us. It always is tough to make a change, but sometimes it has to be done.”

DECREPIT BIRTH has lost drummer K.C. Howard and guitarist Dan Eggers. The band has recruited drummers Samus Paulicelli (ex-ABIGAIL WILLIAMS) and Lee Smith (ESTRADASPHERE) as well as guitarist Chase Fraser (ANIMOSITY, SON OF AURELIUS) for live shows.

The brutal punk band MASAKARI’s debut album is out on June 8th, 2010 through Southern Lord Recordings. Following a brutal 7″ on Halo Of Flies Records, the quartet is releasing a debut full-length, The Prophet Feeds.

Relapse Records has announced a partnership with Perseverance Holdings Limited and the Schuldiner family to reissue the catalogue of Chuck Schuldiner and his bands DEATH, CONTROL DENIED and MANTAS. Chuck Schuldiner died on December 13th, 2001 at the age of 34 due to pontine glioma.

The Campaign For Death Metal Purity is the slogan for a tour put together by INCANTATION‘s John McEntee and his Ibex Moon Records. To fight back against all the trends in death metal a 16-date tour featuring GRAVEHILL, CARDIAC ARREST and HOD is touring the USA in July.

IMMORTAL will release a live concert DVD, called The Seventh Date Of Blashyrkh, this summer through Nuclear Blast. The DVD will include footage of the band’s headlining show at the 2007 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, which was held August 2-4, 2007 in Wacken, Germany.

Despite announcing a slew of shows for the rest of year before formally ending its career, ACHERON‘s Vincent Crowley has been forced to abandon those plans because the group’s new line-up fell apart early.

Vocalist Niels van Wijk has rejoined PROSTITUTE DISFIGUREMENT after departing after the recording of the Deeds Of Derangement album. Danny Tunker of DETONATION and THE SATURNINE has filled the guitarist position. The band has lined up shows for 2010.

The DARKSIDE Reunion show planned for Austria’s Night Of Rock Festival on July 30, 2010 is not going to happen. Due to personal issues between some members of the original line-up, this show is cancelled. According to the band, “It would not make sense to play a reunion show with only two original members in the line-up.” A new line-up is planning a new album.

HELL WITHIN will release its new album, God Grant Me Vengeance, on July 13th through Thorp Records. The album was recorded in February at Damage Studio with producer Peter Rutcho.

EYEHATEGOD played a special one-off show on May 7th at Emo’s in Austin, Texas where they played the first two full-length albums, namely In The Name Of Suffering and Take As Needed For Pain, from start to finish. The band is touring the USA with NACHTMYSTIUM.

A few dates into its European tour DÉTENTE was forced last month to cancel the rest of the dates due to illness within the band. Bassist Steve Hochheiser is recovering from surgery to remove his Gallbladder.

Bassist Noah Martin, who announced his departure from Virginia’s ARSIS in September 2008, has returned to the band’s line-up. The band was on the Facemelter Tour with DYING FETUS, MISERY INDEX, ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY and CONDUCTING FROM THE GRAVE when bassist Nathaniel Carter abruptly left. The band played several shows as a trio.

After expressing displeasure for years regarding being asked about SANCTUARY NEVERMORE singer Warrel Dane has announced that his ’80s band will reunite and record a new studio album. Dane has reunited with guitarist Lenny Rutledge and will also have his fellow NEVERMORE member bassist Jim Sheppard in tow.

Inspired by KEEL? Thrash metal band I.N.C. (INDESTRUCTIBLE NOISE COMMAND) has reformed and will issue an album called Bleed The Line.

Debbie Abono died on Sunday, May 16th at 10:59 a.m. PST after a battle with cancer. She was 80 years old. She was the manager behind the launch of bands like FORBIDDEN EVIL, POSSESSED and VIO-LENCE. Debbie’s daughter dated POSSESSED’s Larry LaLonde. Debbie would later manage bands like CYNIC and BROKEN HOPE.

SODOM has completed work on a new DVD, Lords Of Depravity – Part II”, which is due in August. The band is entering the studio to record a new album. The band’s shows in the USA have been cancelled due to visa problems.

SYLOSIS has parted ways with vocalist Jamie Graham citing increasing differences as the reason.

ARCH ENEMY has asked SABBAT to drop off its November UK shows after the latter band decided to tour the UK on its own in August.

HOUWITSER has completed work on its fifth album, Bestial Atrocity, which is due later this year through Sevared Records. The band’s line-up is Stan Blonk – vocals, Michel Alderliefsten and Richard Gielen – guitars, Ramon Ploeg – bass and Marco De Groot – drums.

Agonia Records has signed Swedish black metal band SVARTSYN. The band’s sixth full-length album is entitled Wrath Upon The Earth and is currently under production in studio and will be recorded during the summer.

Quebec City’s AETERNAM will embark on an eastern Canadian tour this June, in support of the debut album Disciples Of The Unseen, which was released worldwide through Metal Blade Records on February 16th 2010.


Metallian Hard

Inferno Records has picked up SKULL FIST's debut MCD Heavier Than Metal for distribution. The Canadian heavy metal trio issued the disc in March of 2010.

Drummer Carmine Appice (KING KOBRA) has joined the touring line-up of MSG for its current USA tour. Gary Barden is on vocals as the band celebrates its thirtieth birthday.

UFO bassist Barry Sparks had to leave the band's recent European tour and fly home to Arizona where a member of his family was seriously ill. Peter Pichl, who played on the band's The Visitor album, replaced Barry for the final three shows of the tour.

HUMAN FORTRESS has once again lost singer Jioti Parcharidis. The vocalist, who had rejoined the band in 2009 after leaving prior to the recording of 2008's Eternal Empire, "has serious health problems, so it's not possible for him to sing any longer for HUMAN FORTRESS or any other band." The band is seeking a replacement.

Drummer David Grey of AKERCOCKE has temporarily replaced MY DYING BRIDE's Dan Mullins, whilst the latter man's knee heals following a knee injury.

Singer Alan Tecchio has left WATCHTOWER and will focus on HADES. The band is looking for a singer who can tour extensively and can be reached at watchtowerTX@gmail.com.

Former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord performed at the Nidarosdomen cathedral in Norway along with his THE LORD CHAMBER ORCHESTRA. The performance was conducted by Torodd Wigum, on Sunday evening, May 23rd. Lord was joined by Martin Axenrot and Martin Mendez of OPETH as well as Steve Balsamo who sang the role of Jesus in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. Nathalie Lorichs, who has sang for OPETH, performed the female vocals.

Colorado's ALLEGAEON has unveiled the cover art for its Metal Blade Records debut, Fragments Of Form And Function. The artwork was completed by Colin Marks, who is known for his work for the likes of NEVERMORE and STRAPPING YOUNG LAD. Fragments marks the band's first full-length release and was produced by Dave Otero (CEPHALIC CARNAGE).

ENTWINE will release its first-ever sampler, Rough N' Stripped, on June 23rd through Spinefarm Records. The compilation will be a double album.

PICTURE and Rob van Enkhuizen have jointly decided to go their separate ways. This decision has been made on friendly terms and because of the long history that Rob has with Picture the band will play one more gig with Rob in the line-up at June 5th in Winkel (NL). PICTURE has announced a new guitar-player, namely Gert Nijboer, known from bands like HIGHWAY CHILE and HEADS DOWN.

HEDDA's remix of the song The Gates will appear on the ProgPowerUSA 2010 compilation CD.

The reunited ACCEPT will be the openers for two AC/DC shows on May 25th in Hanover and June 13th in Stuttgart, Germany. The band is performing a 12-date tour of Europe following its May 8th sold-out show in NYC. A Twitter bug was recently discovered by a Turkish ACCEPT fan whose 'Twitter Pwns' statement lead to a torrent of followers and many follower counts being reset to zero recently while the social media resolved the issue.

VIOLENT SUN (featuring Dario Grillo formerly of THY MAJESTIE) has a demo called Loneliness In Supremacy. The band has been termed as "unclassifiable" by certain record companies.

CRIMSON GLORY has picked up singer Todd La Torre as the new frontman for the act replacing dead former singer Midnight. The band will play at the Keep It True XIV festival, which will take place April 29-30, 2011 at Tauberfrankenhalle in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany.

According to EVERGREY singer and guitarist Tom S. Englund, he and keyboardist Rikard Zander have parted ways with guitarist Henrik Danhage and drummer Jonas Ekdahl. The latter two will focus on DEATHDESTRUCTION. The pairs did not have fun any longer with each other. Elsewhere, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) will be the official support band for the upcoming EVERGREY European tour. The tour will span 16 dates Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Holland. The band cancelled its Spanish and Portuguese shows following a break-in that caused the band to lose equipment and merchandise from its tour bus.

Amazingly THIN LIZZY persists without deceased leader Phil Lynott. Now featuring DEF LEPPARD's Vivian Campbell the band has just announced a January of 2011 UK tour. The band still features Darren Wharton, Scott Gorham and Brian Downey.

POWER QUEST has recruited vocalist Chitral "Chity" Somapala (AVALON, FIREWIND, etc.) and guitarist Gavin Owen (TRIAXIS). POWER QUEST has picked Blood Alliance as the title for its fifth album. In the meantime, FIREWIND has named its forthcoming 2010 album, Days Of Defiance.

FIREBIRD has recruited Greyum May formerly of THE BLACK HAND and OZRIC TENTACLES as its new bassist.

LORDI will release its fifth studio album on September 14th through The End Records. The new album is entitled Babez For Breakfast.

The title of the forthcoming BLIND GUARDIAN album is At The Edge Of Time. A late summer or autumn release is expected for the long-awaited follow-up to 2006’s A Twist In The Myth. Vocalist Hansi Kürsch had previously stated: "This will be our most bombastic and epic album so far."

OSI (Office Of Strategic Influence), the hard rock duo formed by Jim Matheos (FATES WARNING) and Kevin Moore (CHROMA KEY and DREAM THEATER), has signed a deal with Metal Blade Records. OSI is currently working on its fourth album and Metal Blade debut for a late 2010 release.

BRITNY FOX has been rejoined by its 80s frontman "Dizzy" Dean Davidson. The band is planning a new album.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY/COC's original Animosity album line-up of Mike Dean (vocals and bass), Woody Weatherman (guitar) and Reed Mullin (drums) — has reformed and is working on a new album. The band will also tour this year.

AXEL RUDI PELL's The Crest, released by SPV, has entered the German Media Control chart at position Number 22.

Vocalist Veronica Freeman of BENEDICTUM will be doing session work for the LYRAKA project. LYRAKA is described as a "Wagnerian Opera Metal" project that encompasses a set of highlights CDs, as well as a 3-d animated movie. Graham Bonnet (RAINBOW, MSG, ALCATRAZZ) and Tommy Heart (ULI JON ROTH, FAIR WARNING, SOUL DOCTOR) are also contributing vocal tracks. Andy DiGelsomina is the composer and lead guitarist of the project. The first CD is expected in March of 2011.

ALCATRAZZ has recruited drummer Jeff Bowders (PAUL GILBERT) and just came back from a mini tour of Russia.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS' new album Salt is available through Sensory Records. This is the band's fifth album and the follow-up to 2007's The Shadow Cabinet.

Tracii Guns' L.A. GUNS, FASTER PUSSYCAT and JOHN CORABI have come together for The Triple Threat Tour, which will run from mid-July through late August in the USA and Canada.

Paul Stanley of KISS has denied reports that KISS manager Doc McGhee is also now managing GUNS 'N ROSES! The latter band parted ways with Irving Azoff last year and is in litigation with said management now.

SKID ROW has lost drummer Dave Gara and replaced him with Atlanta native Rob Hammersmith. He has drummed for ROCKET TO RUIN.

Denmark's PRETTY MAIDS has recruited former KING DIAMOND bassist Hal Patino. He replaces long-time bassist Kenn Jackson who departed last month.

Ronnie James Dio died on Sunday the 16th of May at 7:45 a.m. PST due to stomach cancer. He was hospitalized for the last time on the 14th of May. At the time of his death he was the singer for DIO and HEAVEN AND HELL. He was formerly with ELF, RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH among others. Following singer Ronnie James Dio's diagnosis of stomach cancer last November HEAVEN & HELL had cancelled all its summer shows including an appearance at 2010's Bloodstock. His death was first rumoured the night before and subsequently denied by his wife and manager Wendy Dio. Ronnie James Dio was 67. There was a public memorial service for Dio on Sunday, May 30th at 2:00 p.m. at The Hall Of Liberty at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY has picked Order Of The Black as the title for its new album, which is due in North America on August 10th through new label E1 Music. The album will come with four different covers - one for each territory.

The Swedish Heavy Metal project of Thord Klarström GALLOWS END has set the worldwide release date for its upcoming debut album Nemesis Divine as June 25th, 2010. The album will be released through Farvahar Records and distributed worldwide by Nightmare Records. The CD was recorded, mixed and mastered at the 7th Gate Studios by Thord Klarström.

After the show in Bruchsal, Barry Sparks (bass) of UFO sadly had to leave the tour to fly home to Arizona where a member of his family is seriously ill. Hanover-based Peter Pichl, who played bass on UFO's The Visitor album, has immediately travelled to Osnabrück to stand in for Barry for the final three shows of this leg of the tour.

Former W.A.S.P. members Chris Holmes, Randy Piper, Steve Unger, drummer Stet Howland have recruited ANIMAL singer Rich Lewis have formed a band called WHERE ANGELS SUFFER (W.A.S.). The band's debut album, Purgatory, is ready for release. The band is playing live with the set promising to feature W.A.S.P. songs.

Original BANG TANGO members Mark Knight, Kyle Kyle, Kyle Stevens and Tigg Ketler have reformed with vocalist Michael DeMay to form BANG TANGO REDUX. Original singer Joe LeSte was ostensibly not returning calls.


Metallian Demos

SCALA MERCALLI – BORDER WILD
Having read Sheila’s reviews of the past two works of Italian band Scala Mercalli my conclusion is that the band must have improved some with the new CD. Granted, the music is still a little disjointed and vocalist Christian Bartolacci occasionally loses control of his pitch, yet the full-length disc has more than its fair share of impressive melody and heart-warming metal riffing that should make it viable for any fan of Crimson Glory to Sacred Blade and bands of that ilk. The band further ventures into heavier semi-thrash realms. There are many good moments that, in the hands of a better producer, would transform these Italians into a real candidate for the next league of melodic heavy metal bands. The band has the material for it and with 6 minutes n this disc alone is not shy about showcasing it. Frankly, it needs to be asserted more efficiently. The band s at www.scalamercalli.com and can be contacted via contact@scalamercalli.com. – Anna Tergel

SHRAPNEL - HELLBOUND
Once upon a time in a time far away (1985) metal was the domain of the strong, art of the ferocious and music of the extreme. In those heady times metal bands instilled fear into the hearts of the masses. Phrases like 'melodic death' or 'Norwegian Grammy Winning Metal (sic) Band' were cause for derision and disdain. Out of those times' mentality hails Shrapnel from Australia. The band, apparently a veteran duo, is all energy, all power, all deathrash all the time.
From the get-go Shrapnel is true to its name shooting ammunition and metal in every direction. Track after track is a mix of early true thrash metal and exploding death metal combined into one. That entails screeching noise solos, pounding drums with stamina beyond measure and screaming bloody murder vocals. Witchery absent? Get Shrapnel. Exodus and Bonded By Blood missed? Get Shrapnel. Speed and brutality amiss? Get Shrapnel. Not that the band doesn't have a sense of humour - which can be good or bad depending on one's perspective. Just witness a track named Six Pack Attack. Tankard would be proud. It is only the simplistic and punk inspired closing cut, The Power Is Mine, that negates some of the achievements of tracks like Hellgrinder, I Am The Hell or Trample The Altar. Hellbound is a powerful reminder of what was once. Pick your side. The band can be contacted through www.myspace.com/shrapnelaustralia or westernterror@hotmail.com. - Ali "The Metallian"

INNER TERROR – BEHOLD THE INNER TERROR
This disc comes as a disappointmet to this writer. With the amount of work, sweat and thought that guitarist Joe Sims has put into getting this follow-up to Axemaster off the ground one would have wished for something bigger and better than what Behold The Inner Terror has pieced together.
Inner Terror has something of an early ‘90s power/thrash metal sound. The sound is dated, as opposed to classic, which is to say it is of the weaker ilk of that era. The band’s heavy metal sounds dwarf the thrashy moments, but the problem is the lack of outstanding songs. Speaking of which, the full-length disc’s number one challenge is a lack of songs. Track after track is made up of a collection of riffs, strums and melodies that do not add up to a song. The finished product lacks cohesion and the true essence of a song. In fact, given this reality, the bulk of responsibility for pushing the disc forward is left to singer Dan Kaisk whose vocals sound like a less dynamic Bobby Blitz. On Harder They Fall the vocals show a dynamic range, but listen to the arrangement and the drums and find it all over the place. The Overkill connection could even be heard in the band’s music. Vocal-oriented and devoid of a clear direction in the song writing area, Behold The Inner Terror fails to live up to its promise instead relying on unexplained breaks and multitudes of acoustic and chugging guitar moments that mostly fail to launch. This is unfortunate in absolute terms and also given how the metal world needs good new material in this style. The band is at P.O. Box 882, Kent, Ohio 44240 USA and on the web at some corporate website located at www.myspace.com/theinnerterror. - Ali “The Metallian”