Metal News for January 23, 2006
Last updated on October 4, 2025 at 3:07 AM ET
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Hot Topics
- Kreator To Release New Album In January
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21 news articles posted on this day.
Ministry Reveal 'Rio Grande Blood' Artwork
The cover artwork for MINISTRY's upcoming album, "Rio Grande Blood", has been posted online here. Produced by MINISTRY founder Al Jourgensen, the follow-up to 2004's "Houses Of The Molé" was recorded at Sonic Ranch studios in Tornillo, Texas and features Tommy Victor (PRONG, ex-DANZIG) and Paul Raven (KILLING JOKE). A May 9 release via Jourgensen's newly launched 13th Planet label is expected. Two recent photos of MINISTRY taken during the recording sessions for their new album have been posted online: Photo #1 (left to right: Tommy Victor, Al Jourgensen, Paul Raven), Photo #2 (left to right: Raven, drummer Mark Baker, Jourgensen, Victor).
In other news, Jourgensen confirmed in a recent online posting that SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison will be sitting behind the kit for MINISTRY on their upcoming North American tour, which is scheduled to kick off in early May. Joey is expected to join a touring lineup that will include Jourgensen, Victor and Raven.
MINISTRY's MasterBaTour 2006 will consist of 60 dates scheduled throughout the U.S. and Canada beginning on May 6. Support on the trek will come from Al's other band, REVOLTING COCKS and the San Antonio, Texas-based PITBULL DAYCARE. European dates are currently being booked for August and September 2006.
Isis Plan Spring US Tour
Isis have confirmed a handful of March, April, and May shows. Here's the latest:
3/29 Redding, CA @ The Dip w/ These Arms Are Snakes, Zombi
3/30 Portland, OR @ Loveland w/ These Arms Are Snakes, Zombi, more
3/31 Seattle, WA Neumo's Crystal Ball w/ These Arms Are Snakes, Zombi, more
4/2 Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall w/ These Arms Are Snakes, Zombi, more
4/6 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah w/ Zombi, more
4/8 Los Angeles, CA @ The Knitting Factory w/ Zombi, Butcher
4/28 Cleveland Heights, OH @ The Grog Shop w/ Dalek, Zombi, Russian Circles
4/30 Washington DC @ The Black Cat w/ Dalek, Zombi
5/2 Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar w/ Dalek, Zombi, Torche
Assholeparade Recording New Album
Florida's Assholeparade are currently recording a new album at Goldentone Studios in Gainesville. Producing the effort is Rob McGregor (Against Me, Hot Water Music). The album, entitled "Say Hello," will feature twenty songs (including a cover of Septic Death's "Thaw (Frozen World)") and is slated for an April release through No Idea Records.
Voivod Begin Mixing New Album
Legendary Canadian experimental metallers VOIVOD have begun mixing their much-anticipated new album with producer Glen Robinson (VOIVOD's "Nothingface", TEA PARTY, GWAR) at Multisons studio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Frontman Denis "Snake" Belanger has checked in with the following update:
"I went to the studio today for a couple of hours. Glen had already built up the basic mix. It's a really good start. Of course it's always a question of hearing everything and sometimes less is more. I was really concentrated on the vocals especially on doing the effects. When Away [Michel Langevin, drums] got in, he seemed more focused on the drums. He found the drums and vocals were kind of buried. Glen realized then that the bass was very loud. After adjusting the bass, the whole thing was together when I left. It is very touchy but I think we got such a wall of sound, I don't see too much of a problem ahead.
"This is so great...I mean while I'm listening and I let my mind go, I’m thinking...This is phenomenal! Especially the guitars. I really feel like we are transcending death...Breaking the laws of physics...no boundaries...Voivod, the survivor!"
The follow-up to 2003's "Voivod" is the first album in the band's 20-plus-year career that will not feature founding guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour working alongside his bandmembers in the studio. D'Amour died August 26, 2005 in a Montreal hospital from complications of advanced colon cancer.
In order to record the album, Langevin, Belanger and bassist Jason "Jasonic" Newsted are utilizing all of the guitar parts that Piggy had recorded for the record on his laptop with ProTools before his death.
VOIVOD's as-yet-untitled new album should surface sometime later this year on The End Records in North America.
Jaguar In Writing Mode
NWOBHM veterans JAGUAR are currently writing material for a new studio album, which they plan on recording later in the year. No further information is currently available.
JAGUAR teamed up with DIAMOND HEAD, WITCHFYNDE, PRAYING MANTIS and BRONZ for the "The 25th Anniversary of NWOBHM" concert last November at the Astoria in London, England.
JAGUAR's most recent studio album, "Run Ragged", was released in July 2003 through Angel Air Records.
Statetrooper Mixing New Album
STATETROOPER, the British hard rock outfit fronted by former MSG (MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP) singer Gary Barden, are preparing to mix their live album, recorded at last year's Sweden Rock festival. A late spring/early summer release is expected. The band are also in the process of writing material for their third full-length studio album, which is expected to be recorded later in the year.
Upcoming STATETROOPER shows:
Mar. 03 - The Rock - Copenhagen, DEN
Jul. 28 - Rock & Blues Festival - Derby, UK
Vagrant Records Signs Protest The Hero
Ontario metal/punk outfit Protest The Hero have now signed with Vagrant Records. Formed in 1999 (as Happy Go Lucky), the group has previously released material with Underground Operations. You can download two tracks from their most recent release, "Kezia," here.
Watch Byzantine's "Jeremiad" Video Online
West Virginia's Byzantine has unveiled its latest music video, the Donnie Searls-directed "Jeremiad," on the band's official website. The track is the first from 2005's "...And They Shall Take Up Serpents" to receive the video treatment, and comes hot off the heels of critical praise for the band's progressively thrashy sophomore record.
The progressively-minded thrashers will also be supporting Shadows Fall on an upcoming run of tour dates, bringing the band's live show to a whole new slew of concertgoers.
Byzantine Tour Dates: More...
The Gathering Confirm North American Tour Dates
Dutch rock act THE GATHERING have confirmed three North American dates as part of their "Homelands Tour 2006". Support at the shows will come from GIANT SQUID and UNEXPECT. The dates are as follows:
Mar. 19 - Jaxx - Springfield, VA
Mar. 20 - The Middle East - Boston, MA
Mar. 21 - The Knitting Factory - New York, NY
THE GATHERING are currently finishing up work on their ninth studio album, entitled "Home", with Attie Bauw (producer of the band's 1998 effort, "How to Measure a Planet?"). The band is now at Bauwhaus studio mixing and mastering the music. For the recording the band had set up a professional studio in a quaint old church in the small town of Maurik, located in the south of Holland.
"Home" will be released sometime in the spring on the band's own label, Psychonaut Records (available on The End Records in North America).
Marduk Postpone European Tour
Swedish black metallers MARDUK have posted the following message on their official web site:
"MARDUK have decided to do the European crusade during May instead of March, due to the fact that most of March will be spent completing the upcoming DVD. But a few Greece shows have been announced for late March. The DVD release have been set for the middle of May. All details regarding the DVD will be presented very soon.
"We would like to thank everybody who sent in photos of their MARDUK-related tattoos, keep sending them in and do send any other fan related photos, for example if you have a painted jacket with MARDUK motive or something like that. All contributions will be included in a fan gallery on the upcoming DVD. Here is the adress of where to mail the pictures. marduktattoo@stonehard.net."
MARDUK recently issued a live album, entitled "Warschau". Limited to 10,000 copies on CD worldwide, the album will also be released as a limited-edition double LP and double picture disc (each limited to 500 copies). More...
Dreamscape Announce New Drummer
German progressive metallers DREAMSCAPE have announced the additon of drummer Michael Schwager to the group's ranks. "We don't want to miss to thank Klaus Engel so much to be a real friend keeping DREAMSCAPE alive in hard times and also to make shows like ProgPower USA VI last year even possible!" the band write on their web site. "You'll be always in our hearts! Furthermore we are currently very busy in the studio to work hard on our next album, which will be released in the end of this year. We are also spent a lot of time in our rehearsal room to prepare ourselfes for the next shows."
DREAMSCAPE's most recent release was "Revoiced" — a "best-of" album containing re-recorded material from the group's first two CDs, "Trans-Like State" (1997) and "Very" (1999).
Manes Post New Song Online For Download
MANES, the Norwegian band featuring members of THIRD AND THE MORTAL, ATROX and CHTON, have uploaded a new song, entitled "Cinder Alley" (16 HORSEPOWER cover), at this location. The track comes off the group's upcoming EP, "[view]", due on February 10 via Aural Music (a division of Code666) as a limited digipack release (999 copies). The CD will include two new original tracks and two cover songs recorded at Godt Selskap studio (NECROPHAGIA, KEEP OF KALESSIN, BLOODTHORN, CHTON, etc), plus three remixes (two of which were done by U.S. noise guru Cordell Klier and the third one by DJ Don Tomaso from Trondheim, Norway). It will mark the band's final release for Aural Music/Code666, as the band are currently free to sign with a new label.
"[view]" (check out cover artwork at this location) track listing:
01. Cinder Alley (16 HORSEPOWER cover)
02. Terminus Rmx (DJ Don Tomaso remix)
03. The Neoflagellata Revision
04. Terminus Deconstructus (Cordell Klier remix)
05. Knife & Kleenex
06. Title
07. Terminus dei Profundis (Cordell Klier remix)
In other news, the third MANES demo, "Til Kongens Grav De Døde Vandrer", will be re-released on vinyl in a strictly limited edition with a poster. This demo was originally released in less than 50 copies, but will now re-surface in February via Faceless.Nameless.Shapeless Productions.
Skullshifter Post New Demo Track Online
SKULLSHIFTER, the New Jersey-based band featuring former INSANIAC members CJ Scioscia (guitar) and Tom Nolz (guitar, vocals), are now offering a pre-production demo of a brand-new track, entitled "Strain", to announce the launch of their just-completed MySpace.com web page.
"Strain" is the first tune to be recorded by SKULLSHIFTER since the release of their debut CD, "Here In Hell", last September. This song is exclusively available at www.myspace.com/skullshifter. Unmastered and unpolished, "Strain" "captures the seething raw energy and clenched-fist aggression of a hungry up-and-coming band on the NJ metal scene," according to a press release.
For more info on SKULLSHIFTER, visit their official web site at this location.
Rage 'Speak Of The Dead' Tracklisting, Artwork
German power metallers RAGE have finalized the track listing for their new album, "Speak of the Dead", tentatively due this spring via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2003's "Soundchaser" (SPV/Steamhammer) was recorded at the VPS studios in Hamm, Germany. You can view the cover here.
"Speak of the Dead" track listing:
01. Mortituri te Salutant
02. Prelude of Souls
03. Innocent
04. Depression
05. No Regrets
06. Confusion
07. Black
08. Beauty
09. No Fear
10. Soul survivor
11. Full Moon
12. Kill Your Gods
13. Turn my world Around
14. Be with me or be Gone
15. Speak of the Dead
RAGE recently finished shooting a video for the track "No Fear". The song is featured on the soundtrack to the independent psycho thriller "Ludgers Fall" and the clip includes scenes from the original film as well as a band performance. The video was shot on the island of Föhr, located in the North Sea. Also scheduled to appear on the movie's soundtrack are fellow Germans CREMATORY.
Dumah Complete New EP
Wisconsin-based death metallers DUMAH have completed work on a new four-song demo/EP, entitled "Forsaken by the Light". The CD includes three new tracks and an old song featuring former guitarist Phil Vargtimmen that was remastered for the EP. The official track listing for the new EP is as follows:
01. Infinity's Throne
02. Vidal's Fate
03. On Crippled Wings
04. Son of Steel (from 2002 recording session)
You can listen to all four tracks from "Forsaken by the Light" at their MySpace page.
"Forsaken by the Light" will be made available at the Heathen Crusade festival on Saturday, January 21 at the Star Central in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. In addition to DUMAH, the festival lineup includes THYRFING, MOONSORROW, PRIMORDIAL, THE CHASM, NOVEMBERS DOOM, TODESBONDEN, TYPHUS, AUTUMN ETERNAL and ENSHRINED.
Age of Silence Prepare To Record New Album
Avant-garde/prog/metal act AGE OF SILENCE, the Norwegian band featuring Lazare (BORKNAGAR, SOLEFALD), Hellhammer (WINDS, ARCTURUS, MAYHEM) and Eikind (KHOLD, TULUS), among others, have issued the following update on the progress of the songwriting sessions for their upcoming album:
"If things have been quiet in the AGE OF SILENCE camp for a while, that is because we have been busy with other musical projects lately!
"We are soon getting closer to preparing for the recording of a new album. All the material has been ready for quite some time, and in order to progress even further we are taking a step backwards with this new release.
"Musically speaking, we are not going to reveal much, but it will be darker, heavier, yet still containing the usual AGE OF SILENCE brilliance! In other words, expect a masterpiece that will undoubtedly set a new standard in ‘extreme-fusion’ for years to come."
In other news, AGE OF SILENCE have launched a new official forum at this location.
AGE OF SILENCE released a three-song EP entitled "Complications – Trilogy of Intricacy" on The End Records last fall.
El Caco Win Best Metal Album In Alarm Awards
The Alarm awards took place in Oslo, Norway last night, and El Caco won the “best metal album” award for their latest album “The Search”. Next Saturday it’s the Norwegian Grammy, and the day before El Caco will rock Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo with fellow Grammy nominees Stonegard and support band Torch.
El Caco live dates:
JAN 27 2006: Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller (+Stonegard)
FEB 03 2006: Trondheim, Norway - Blæst (+Suzuka)
FEB 17 2006: New Delhi, India - Great Indian Rockfestival
FEB 18 2006: New Dehli, India - tba
Mystifier Plan Brazilian Tour
Veteran Salvador Black Metal band MYSTIFIER are about to launch into their 2006 'Anno Sathanas' tour of Brazil, covering Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and São Paulo. For these shows the band will be joined by new drummer, Yuri Hamayano of DEFORMITY, alongside regular members vocalist / bassist Kastyphas and the guitar team of Beelzeebubth and Bhrunno Brittus.
MYSTIFIER tour dates here.
The band's fifth album, entitled 'Summoned Unto Disobedience To Rebel', is set for June release.
Koldbrann Enter Studio In March
Norwegian black metallers KOLDBRANN will enter the studio in late March to begin recording their sophomore full-length album, entitled "Moribund". The recordings for the follow-up to 2003's "Nekrotisk Inkvisition" will be completed in early April for a summer release.
In other news, KOLDBRANN will be issuing a seven-inch single, entitled "Atomvinter", in late January/early February via Apocalyptic Empire Records.
KOLDBRANN's next live appearance will take place on February 17 at Elm Street in Oslo, Norway. Also scheduled to perform are GRAND BELIAL'S KEY and CARPTICON. A flyer for the show can be viewed at this location.
Astral Doors Support Blind Guardian in Europe
Swedish metallers ASTRAL DOORS have been confirmed as the special guests on the upcoming European tour of BLIND GUARDIAN, set to take place in September/October (25 gigs in 40 days!).
ASTRAL DOORS' third full-length disc, "Astralism", was recently completed and is scheduled for release in March. "Astralism" is described by the band as "another slab of old school hard rock with a touch of metal — something you can't help loving."
Iron Fire Sign With Napalm Records
Danish power metallers IRON FIRE, who feature in their ranks singer Martin Steene (FORCE OF EVIL), have inked a deal with Napalm Records. The band's third album, "Revenge", was produced by Tommy Hansen (HELLOWEEN, TNT, HATESPHERE) and features cover art by Eric Philippe (RHAPSODY, LUCA TURILLI). An audio sample of the track "Wings of Rage" can be downloaded at this location. A March 24 release is expected.
IRON FIRE issued two full-length albums through the Sanctuary/Noise label: 2000's "Thunderstorm" and 2001's "On the Edge".
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