NOVEMBERS DOOM’s The Novella Reservoir album will be out on February 20th through The End Records. The band and label-mates AGALLOCH are touring Europe…GOD FORBID was slated to embark on a week long Canadian trek as direct support to PROTEST THE HERO, which would have been the former band’s most extensive run of Canada yet. The opening act for the tour was cancelled as the two bands could not reach an agreement on the details surrounding GOD FORBID’s own tour and its announcement…Candlelight Records has announced January 23rd as the North American release date for ABIGAIL WILLIAMS' Legend. The limited edition 5-song EP is the territory's formal introduction to the Phoenix-based band and coincides with the band’s first national American tour. A full-length is expected next summer…AFM/Candlelight Records has announced January 23rd as the North American release date for DESTRUCTION's Thrash Anthems. The 70-plus minute recording contains thirteen songs from the band's catalogue re-recorded with modern studio enhancements plus two brand new songs to hold fans over until the next studio album expected in early 2008…Norway’s FUNERAL has lost one of its founders. Guitarist Christian Loos was found dead at his apartment on Saturday, October 28th. He was 31 years old...DISBELIEF has parted ways with guitarist Oliver "Olly" Lenz. The group is seeking a replacement. The band’s Navigator album is still due in February through Massacre Records…Germany’s ASSASSIN is working on a new album and seeking a bassist…Eleven years after its original release as a demo tape, OBTEST's Pries Audra mini album is being released again on vinyl with two extra bonuses, recorded this past January. The release is limited to 222 hand-numbered copies…MALEVOLENT CREATION has completed the writing and pre-production demos for 13 songs and will begin the recording of its tenth full-length album, Doomsday X. The album's recording and touring line-up is: Jon Rubin – guitars, Phil Fasciana – guitars, Dave Culross – drums, Jason Blachowicz – bass and singer Brett Hoffmann. Touring starts in Europe in February under The Domination Tour 2007 monicker and features the line-up of ROTTING CHRIST, MALEVOLENT CREATION, CARPATHIAN FOREST, INCANTATION, NEURAXIS and HARM…The title of HELL WITHIN's early 2007 album will be Shadows Of Vanity. The band now features former TRAUMA CONCEPT drummer Derek Jay…SUN DESCENDS has a new line-up and a re-scheduled studio date. Singer Mem Von Stein, has recruited Kristian Shamash on guitars (replacing Sam Awry) and Steve Proios on drums for the band's up-coming, second full-length demo. The position for a bass player is currently filled by session musicians, including Craig "The Reaper" Horval of NUNSLAUGHTER/CRUCIFIED MORTALS until the group finds a permanent replacement for former bassist Jillian A. LaBoy…SACRIFICE frontman/guitarist Rob Urbinati has contributed a guitar solo to the song Dies Irae/The Master Malice of the forthcoming SIGH album Hangman’s Hymn due out in 2007 on The End Records…Tim Yeung of AURORA BOREALIS, HATE ETERNAL and VITAL REMAINS fame will temporarily join ALL THAT REMAINS on tour this month…MARDUK drummer Emil Dragutinovic is the latest member to quit and join ELIZIUM. He is scheduled to complete the drum parts for the former band’s upcoming album however…RED HARVEST has picked A Greater Darkness as the title for its next album, due on February 19th…EVOKEN has signed to a new label called I Hate Records…The following all-star Bay Area thrash line-up has put together a new band called DUBLIN DEATH PATROL: TESTAMENT’s Chuck Billy on vocals, EXODUS’ Steve "Zetro" Souza also on vocals, guitarists Andy Billy, Greg Bustamante and Phil Demmel, bassists Willy Langenhuizen and John Souza, as well as drummer Danny Cunningham. The band is recording an inaugural demo…Norway’s CREST OF DARKNESS is recording its fifth album, Give Us The Power To Do Your Evil, with producer Giuseppe Orlando. Simultaneously, the band has asked guitarist Akke to leave and replaced him with new man Rebo…Ukraine’s FLESHGORE has a demo called Wake Up For Freedom…DEFIANCE guitarist Doug Harrington died of cancer on November 14th. The band is working on a new album and video…Hammy and Lisa Halmshaw, founders of Peaceville Records, have left the label for the second time. Peaceville will be run by Paul Groundwel of parent company Snapper Music…Singer Ski has left DEADLY BLESSING but the band is already seeking a replacement and intends to forge ahead with the reunion…Former DECREPIT BIRTH guitarist Mike Turner was arrested in California last month on child molestation charges…Italy’s HOUR OF PENANCE, which is currently unsigned, has completed work on three new songs, which will be recorded on the 18th of December. The band had issued two albums previously through Xtreem Music…UNLEASHED's Midvinterblot North American Tour 2007 will begin in February and also feature KRISIUN, BELPHEGOR and HATESPHERE…Italian thrashers DYSTOPYA has signed a record deal with the upstart On Dead Sound Records. The band has been active since 2000 and issued a demo called Alameida in that year. An album called Always Remember Me has already been recorded…Swiss band KRUGER has signed with France's Listenable Records. The band's third studio album, Redemption Through Looseness, is being recorded at Belle Fontaine studios in Lausanne, Switzerland and will be mixed by Kurt Ballou at Godcity studios in Salem, Massachusetts…ISO666 has issued DIECOLD’s Rest In Hell CD, which is described as “Old school black metal performed by DUSK members” and the JUDAS ISCARIOT To The Triumph Of Evil Tribute CD featuring band like XASTHUR, LEVIATHAN, KRIEG, NACHTMYSTIUM, MERRIMACK and FROSTMOON ECLIPSE…Displeased Records has issued STRIBORG’s Nefaria/Tragic Journey Towards The Light CD…Southern Lord’s EARTH has finished the recording and mastering of an album tentatively entitled Hibernaculam. The audio material consists of three old songs of the band redone in a “different, stark and clean tone” plus the track A Plague of Angels, which was previously available on a rare tour-only 12”. The album will be a special dual CD/DVD release…Candlelight Records has several new bands on its roster. Norway's THRONE OF KATARSIS will have a full-length release in early 2007. Finland's OMNIUM GATHERUM was previously on Nuclear Blast and will issue the Stuck Here On Snake's Way album in April. Oslo-based PANTHEON I, featuring vocalist/guitarist Andre Kvebek (1349) and guitarist John Espen Sagstad (TROLLFEST/SARKOM) is currently working on a Candlelight debut. Finally, Norway's MANES is near to completing a debut for Candlelight. How The World Came To An End is expected for an early 2007 release as well... INSISION bassist Daniel Ekeroth has published a book about the Swedish death metal scene, simply called Swedish Death Metal…KREATOR and CELTIC FROST will tour Europe together beginning March…OBSCENITY and bassist Alexander Pah have parted ways. The Germans are looking for a replacement…BRUTAL TRUTH has officially regrouped and will maintain a busy touring schedule following several festival appearances in the last few months…The original line-up of SACRED REICH — Phil Rind (vocals and bass), Wiley Arnett (guitar), Jason Rainey (rhythm guitar) and drummer Greg Hall — has reunited for several shows in the US and in Europe next summer, including an appearance at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany on August 4th, 2007…IN AETERNUM has dropped its label, Poland’s Agonia Records, and accused it of being a scam…DERANGED has recruited bassist Tomas Ahlgren of ARSONIST and PANDEMONIUM…Gore metal band IMPETIGO will reform for a one-off show at the Central Illinois Metalfest, on July 20 and 21st at the Canopy Club in Urbana, Illinois…Finland’s DEATHCHAIN recently cancelled its Helsinki show due to illness on the part of guitarist B. Undertaker.


Metallian Hard