Guitarist Jon Levasseur has re-joined CRYPTOPSY again. This is not his first return to the band; however, it follows the dismal performance of the group’s latest record, The Unspoken King. Youri Raymond, who had been playing guitar, is now on bass following Levassour’s return while previous bassist Eric Langois’ has departure from the band.
NACHTMYSTIUM has announced its recently recruited full-time bassist, Reid Raley of RWAKE/DEADBIRD, as a permanent fixture.
BETHLEHEM has recruited vocalist Malte Langenbrinck (CHAOS INVOCATION). Langenbrinck will appear at the Under The Black Sun festival in July in Germany.
Inspired by KEEL? HERETIC has reformed and writing music for a new album due in 2012. The band’s line-up features original members Julian Mendez on vocals, Brian Korban on guitar and Dennis O’Hara on bass. The new members are ex-HIRAX guitarist Glenn Rogers and Federico Dupay on drums.
More changes in SINISTER! Guitarist Alex Paul, bassist Joost Van Der Graaf and drummer Edwin van den Eeden have left SINISTER. Vocalist Aad Kloosterwaard is once again the only man left standing. Van Der Graaf is focusing on I CHAOS.
Returning after last year’s debut album Ritual Ascension Beyond Flesh, ENCOFFINATION has issued O’ Hell, Shine In Thy Whited Sepulchres through Selfmadegod. The band plays doom metal.
ARCHGOAT will record five new songs in July. The mini-album should be released in October of this year. The band’s full-lengths, Whore Of Bethlehem and The Light-Devouring Darkness, are being reworked by Finnish artist Helgorth from Babalon Graphics for an upcoming picture 12″ vinyl re-issue through Debemur Morti Productions. Last but not least, the band is set to headline the Deathkult Open Air festival in Gera, Thüringen in Germany this coming June.
Bassist Novy (BEHEMOTH, VADER, ROAD’S END and every other band in Poland) is teaming up with Chicago-based AGAINST THE PLAGUES in support of the band’s second full-length release. The band decided to part ways with previous guitarist Wojtek Lisicki.
LEGION OF THE DAMNED has lost guitarist Richard Ebisch and replaced him with Twan van Geel.
ACEPHALIX has signed with Southern Lord for the release of its next two albums. The band has just issued its Interminable Night album and is touring the USA.
Candlelight Records USA has the following releases: XERATH’S II which is produced by Jacob Hansen (DESTRUCTION, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, etc.), ANAAL NATHRAKH’s Passion, SOURVEIN’s Black Fang and WOLVERINE’s Communication Lost.
MAAX has been booked for the Central Illinois Metalfest taking place this July.
Inferno Records has issued AXECUTER’s Bangers Prevail cassette-single.
SPEED\KILL/HATE has released its second album, Out For Blood, through Hammerfist Records. The album was recorded and mixed by Dave Linsk at SKH Studio and was mastered by Roger Lian at Masterdisk in New York.
Metal Blade Records has signed France’s GLORIOR BELLI. The band’s next album, The Great Southern Darkness, will be released in the autumn.
DECAPITATED has picked Carnival Is Forever as the title for its next studio album, which is due in July through Nuclear Blast Records.
ISIS, which disbanded in May of last year, is releasing five live albums. The digital releases begin with Live I 9.23.03.
ABOMINATION, featuring MASTER’s Paul Speckmann, will reform for a 17-show European tour in November 2011. Speckmann had previously cited the death of guitarist Dean Chioles as the reason ABOMINATION will never reform. This follows the dissolution of MASTER following the departure of all the members thus leaving Speckmann without a group.
DYING FETUS will release an EP this summer entitled History Repeats…, to commemorate the band’s 20th anniversary. The EP features cover versions of NAPALM DEATH, BOLT THROWER, CANNIBAL CORPSE and PESTILENCE, as well as a new DYING FETUS track.
ANTHRAX has postponed its Japanese tour. The band, which is named after a cow disease, had cancelled its Canadian shows last decade in response to the SARS outbreak.
EVILE has picked Five Serpents’ Teeth as the title for its next album, out on August 29th through Earache Records. The album was recorded at Parlour Studio.
Bassist Jon Bakker has been forced to sit out KAMPFAR’s current European tour due to customary “family issues.” The band says, “Initially we were reluctant to perform without his presence, but we are lucky to have a solid replacement lined up. Endre Moe, known from TRAIL OF TEARS…”
VENOM has announced Fallen Angels as the title for its next album, which is due in September through Universal Music. The album was mixed by producer Tom Belton.
PRIMEVIL, featuring former VENOM guitarist Jeff “Mantas” Dunn), drummer Antony “Antton” Lant (brother of VENOM frontman Cronos) and bassist Tony “The Demolition Man” Dolan, has signed a deal with Scarlet Records. The group’s EP, The Creatures Of The Black, will be released in August. The album will feature cover versions of four songs that influenced the members, namely Exciter by JUDAS PRIEST, God Of Thunder by KISS, Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be by AC/DC and Motörhead by MOTÖRHEAD, plus two original tracks, The Creatures Of The Black and Reptile. A full-length is expected in the autumn.
Relapse Records will issue a disc featuring early MORTA SKULD demos on July 5th. Entitled Through The Eyes Of Death: The Early Demos, it features the band’s two 1990 demos, Gory Departure and Prolong The Agony. Both demos were remastered.
ENTHRONED has signed a new deal with Regain Records. The band is writing music for its new album.
Brian Petrowsky, one-time singer and guitarist of Danish death metal band INIQUITY died last month at the age of 37. No reason was provided.
Guitarist Shaun Cothron (who is in HEAVY LIES THE CROWN with ACHERON’s other guitarist Max Otworth) has joined the reformed ACHERON.
FORBIDDEN will go on a European headlining tour in August. Support will come from COMMUNIC.
Don Dokken has announced that a full line-up of the classic DOKKEN will not be getting together owing to Jeff Pilson being busy with FOREIGNER. Dokken had apparently been interested in a full reunion including George Lynch. In an interview Lynch calls Dokken “lazy” and “a piece of shit.”
MY BLACK OMEN is a new death metal project featuring Kam Lee (DEATH and MASSACRE) on vocals, Ross Feratu (THE SPOOK, GORTHAUR’S WRATH and RAMONSTARS) on guitar, Dave Pybus (CRADLE OF FILTH) on bass and Brian Forman (UNBURIED) on drums.
ARCH ENEMY played in Casablanca, Morocco on May 15th.