Metal News for February 24, 2003
Last updated on October 4, 2025 at 3:07 AM ET
We post metal news every day, throughout the day, covering thousands of metal bands including underground and unsigned bands. You are currently browsing the news archive, but you can also find news by band.
Hot Topics
- Kreator To Release New Album In January
- Enthroned To Release New Album In December
- Spite Premiere New Single & Music Video
- Carcosa (AngelMaker) Premiere New Single & Video
- Agnostic Front Premiere New Single & Lyric Video
- Potato Premiere New Single & Music Video "YUGE PP"
- Omnium Gatherum Drops "Walking Ghost Phase" Video
- Tailgunner Signs With Napalm Records
- Messa Shares New Music Video "Reveal"
- Stellar Circuits Premiere New Single & Music Video
30 news articles posted on this day.
Summary/Misc
Daily Reviews
Metal Reviews has nine new reviews this week:
- Artension - New Discovery
- Babylon Mystery Orchestra - Divine Right of Kings
- Evidence One - Criticize The Truth
- Lullacry - Crucify My Heart
- Mandragora Scream - A Whisper Of Dew
- Poisonblack - Escapexstacy
- Reptilian - Thunderblaze
- Spellcraft - Tears Like Rain
- Styx - Cyclorama
Headline News
Medication Split
Medication, the band featuring former Soulfly/Machine Head guitarist Logan Mader and ex-Ugly Kid Joe frontman Whitfield Crane, have split up. The various members will now pursue other projects.
US Ozzfest Confirms Three More
Motograter, Depswa and Sworn Enemy, all of whom have albums in the pipeline, are the latest names to be confirmed for US Ozzfest tour. Depswa issue their first record for Geffen, 'Two Angels & A Dream', in the Spring. Motograter are currently working on an album with producer Jim Barton, while Sworn Enemy are to release the album ‘As Real As It Gets’ in late March.
Machine Head To Record Fan-Picked Covers
Machine Head are to record three cover versions, and then post them online on their forum board at www.machinehead1.com. The band are asking members of their forum to vote for their three covers choices. A list of ten tunes will then be drawn up, and forum members will get the chance to vote for their fave from this list. The top three will then be covered by the band.
Praying Mantis Returns
Frontiers Records has released details about the forthcoming European release of the new Praying Mantis album "Journey Goes On." The final tracklisting will include the following tracks: Tonight; The Escape; The Journey Goes On; Silent War; Beat Within; Hold On For Love; If Tomorrow Never Comes; Lost World; The Voice. The line-up on the album includes as permanent members brothers Chris Troy (on bass, lead and background vocals and keyboards), Dennis Stratton (ex Iron Maiden on guitars, lead and background vocals), Tino Troy (on guitars, lead and background vocals and keyboards) with special guests John Sloman (ex Lone Star, Gary Moore) and Dougie White (ex Rainbow, Malmsteen) on vocals and Martin Johnson on drums.
“The album sounds definitely more melodic than before” says Chris Troy, “we really think this could be our most successful release ever! We have also gained a lot with our decision to use different singers as we have added more variety and depth to the songwriting”. Release date is scheduled for late April 2003.
Great White to Continue Tour
The NY Daily News reports that Great White frontman Jack Russell intends to continue with the band's tour despite the horrific tragedy in Rhode Island Thursday night, in which a pyrotechnic fire claimed the lives of over 90 people at The Station in Warwick. Russell, "I personally would like to express my heartfelt condolences to those families of the loved ones who perished, as well as Ty [Longley]... in the tragedy at the Station," Russell said in a Web message. "We will continue our tour with a replacement guitarist sometime in the next few days."
Throwdown Sign to Trustkill
Throwdown, of Orange County, CA have been signed to Trustkill Records.The band are currently finishing up their new album and it will be in stores this June. They'll have a new song up on the website just as soon as the album is done, but for now, you can download one of their most recent tracks, "Nothing Left".
Within Temptation Forced to Cancel Shows
An illness of vocalist Sharon Del Adel forced Within Temptation to cancel some of their shows on their tour with Paradise Lost. Cancelled were the gigs in Oslo (Feb. 21) and Stockholm (Feb. 22). No announcement has been made yet whether or when Within Temptation can continue the tour.
Callenish Circle Release Party
Dutch melodic death metallers Callenish Circle will play a record-release party for their fourth full-length album, "My Passion // Your Pain" (out on May, 5th), on Friday, May 2 at J.C. Fenix in Sittard. Also set to appear are Morning, Chaos Control, Flesh Made Sin and Stormrider.
Skinless to Enter Studio on Feb. 26
New York-based death metallers Skinless will enter Albany's Max Trax Studios on Feb. 26 with veteran producer Neil Kernon to record their new CD, From Sacrifice To Survival. Origin's John Longstreth will be contributing his drumming talents to the recording, which will include the tracks "From Sacrifice To Survival", "Don't Risk Infection", "Escalate Discord", "Deathwork" and "Miscreant", among others. Skinless' From Sacrifice To Survival is tentatively scheduled for a June 3 release through Relapse Records. Immediately following recording, Skinless will hit the road for a string of string European dates with The Crown and Monolith
Alchemist Complete New Album
Alchemist have completed work on their new studio album. The album is titled Austral Alien and is scheduled for a summer release through Relapse Records. The band will do two videos. One for the song "First Contact" and one for the song "Alpha Capella Nova Vega."
Exhumed's Destiny is Anatomy
The new album from Exhumed is gaining steam. The title of the album has been set as Anatomy Is Destiny, and it will be produced by Neil Kernon. If everything goes according to plan, the album will see daylight at some point this summer.
Blood of Christ Album is underway
Blood Of Christ's new album is apparently well under way. The recordings will start in spring and the band will produce the albums themselves, with Dan Hulse engineering. Jean-François Dagenais will help in the mixing of the album, which is scheduled for a Fall 2003 release.
Headline News
All Else Failed Disbanding
Due to more impending lineup issues, All Else Failed has decided to stop actively touring and writing. The group will however be recording a final album, and although their "last" show will take place on March 1st in Bensalem, PA, there is a chance that they'll play another show or two once the record is released. The Pennsylvania group originally formed in 1995 and since then, they've released two full-lengths, an EP, and a 10" in addition to having undergone a myriad of lineup changes.
Band members Steve Wiegand, Luke Muir, Pat Shannon, in addition to Dave Davies, will now reportedly be focusing on a new project, so look for more information on that in the near future.
Misery Signals Update
Misery Signals has just returned home from two months of touring (with bands like Undying, Remembering Never, etc.). Following some upcoming shows in Edmonton, the group is in search of some touring options for the coming weeks, so email them here if you're in another band and have some ideas. Otherwise, the group has lined up a tour from April 27th through May 11th with Figure Four and Shattered Realm that will start in Canada and head down the West Coast. In related news, Misery Signals is currently in discussions with several record labels regarding a possible release for early next year.
The End of the Universe Sign with Fuel Music
Virginia's The End of The Universe (view original story here), featuring former Converge drummer John DiGiorgio and former Jesuit bassist Brett Matthews, have officially joined the Fuel Music (Stairland) roster. The group will be playing shows on the East Coast this Spring and Summer while working on their debut album, which should be out in late-2003
Death Tribute gets Family's OK
The "Death Tribute project" got the green light from Chuck's sister, Bethann Schuldiner, to proceed with the work on a tribute to Death. The curent line-up is James Murphy (ex Death, Testament), Deron Miller (CYK), Dave Culross (ex Malevolent Creation, Suffocation...) and Brett Hoffmann (ex Malevolent Creation). They are still looking for a bass player (Steve DiGiorgio apparently did not want to participate). Recording is expected for a Summer time.
Zyklon Begins Recording Second Album
Zyklon has begun the recording of their new, currently untitled, second album. The album will be mixed in May in Studio Fredman and is slated for an American release date of September 9th.
St. Vitus to Perform at WIth Full Force Fest
Doom legends St. Vitus will perform this year's With Full Force 2003 fest in Germany (2-4 July). Vocals will be handled by ex The Obsessed/Spirit Caravan vocalist Wino.
Peaceville's "Definitive" Catalogue
Peaceville have released Definitive Edition digipack CDs of the following: My Dying Bride - Like Gods Of The Sun (with ‘It Will Come’ (Nightmare Mix) and ‘ Grace Unhearing’ (Portishell Mix) as bonus tracks), Opeth - Still Life (out March 17th), Autopsy - Mental Funeral (out March 17th - bonus tracks include ‘Retribution For The Dead’ (from the RFTD EP), ‘Ridden With Disease’ (from the Critical Madness demo), ‘Service For A Vacant Coffin’ (live in San Pedro, CA 1991).
Headline News
Dark Moor Call it a Day
Female fronted Spanish power metallers Dark Moor have split up, due to the usual "musical differences" between former frontwoman, Elisa Martin and guitarist Enrik Garcia. Martin claims future projects would NOT use the name Dark Moor, but Garcia says that since he and bassist Anán Kaddouri have worked for 10 years, it's possible he might continue under the moniker, much like Angra did, without Andres Matos. Elisa is now singing for the French symphonic metal band Fairyland, who will soon release their debut album, Of Wars In Osyhria, on NTS Records. Dark Moor's label, Arise Records, still plans to issue a four track EP of new material, in April.
More Arch Enemy Studio Updates
Arch Enemy axeman Michael Amott posted the following studio recently: “What’s up? Hope you’ve enjoyed the pics we a href="http://www.archenemy.net/upload/index.php3" target="_blank">posted so far.. There haven’t been too many studio reports from us…sorry about that…but we have just been getting on with the daily routine in the studio…putting this new Metal Monster together...piece by piece, RIFF by bloody RIFF! There are so many HUGE riffs on this album...we just walk around smiling all day here...can't wait to assault all your ears with this... More...
TON Push Back Album, Announce European Tour
Type O Negative have pushed back the tentative release date of their new album, "The Dream Is Dead", to June. According to the band's official web site, the group expect to turn in the finished masters on March 7. As was the case with the band's previous efforts, "The Dream Is Dead" was recorded at Brooklyn, New York's Systems 2 studios and was produced by keyboardist Josh Silver. In other news, Type O Negative have firmed up the first European dates in support of the upcoming CD.
Confirmed dates so far are as follows: More...
The Haunted: Earache are Lying to us all the time
Swedish high-energy thrashers The Haunted have fulfilled their contractual obligations to Earache Records and have no intentions of re-signing with the label, according to frontman Marco Aro. "Earache are lying to us all the time," he told Finland's Kaista. "According to them, we have sold only ONE thousand copies of the last album in the States even though we've done headlining tours over there. You know, Earache doesn't keep any records that would reveal how many albums have been pressed and so on, so we have no idea how many albums we have actually sold.
"When we signed to Earache, we actually [inherited] At The Gates' old contract [as per the leaving member's clause in the agreement]," he added. "So when we got some royalties from our first album, all that money went to pay back the debts that At the Gates had with the label. More...
Schulinder's Estate in Battle with Hammerheart
The estate of the late Death/Control Denied frontman Chuck Schuldiner is involved in a legal dispute with Holland's Hammerheart Records over the release of Control Denied's sophomore release, tentatively entitled When Machine and Man Collide.
"At this time we are in litigation with Hammerheart because of mistrust of how they are planning to proceed with Chuck's last record," Chuck's mother Jane Schuldiner revealed in an interview with Chile's Rockaxis. "We are very unhappy with a recent member of their staff who had a very negative influence on Chuck's first Control Denied album. She also said some really horrible things about Chuck when he was very ill, saying that maybe he would die and they would not have to pay Chuck at all. That horrified and hurt Chuck, as well as his friends and family. We have documented proof of this and very soon will offer that proof in US courts."
Schuldiner had laid down his parts for the album prior to his death in December 2001 and plans exist for the rest of the band to regroup during the coming months to complete work on the CD as a tribute to the fallen death metal pioneer. A tentative late 2003 release is expected through an as-yet-undetermined label.
Generation Armageddon Festivals
Ancient Rites, Thyrfing, Septic Flesh, Primordial and Skyfire will team up for a 12-date European festival tour, dubbed "Generation Armageddon Festivals", during April/May.
Confirmed dates so far are as follows:
More...
Destruction Set Tracklist for Live CD
German thrashers Destruction have finalized the track listing to their upcoming live CD, Alive Devastation, due in Japan in April/May through King Records. It is as follows:
A worldwide release is expected in the fall. Hear all the tracks in streaming audio at this location. The tracklist is as follows:
More...
Goatwhore Set Album Title, Push Back Release
New Orleans-based Goatwhore, who feature in their ranks vocalist L. Ben Falgoust II (Soilent Green) and guitarist Sammy Duet (Acid Bath, Crowbar), have set "Funeral Dirge For The Rotting Sun" as the title for their new album, due in early April through Rotten Records. The group, who recently added a second guitarist in the shape of ex-Suffer axeman Tim Holsinger, have posted a track from the album, entitled "Blood Guilt Eucharist", at www.rottenrecords.com. Check out the cover artwork by Jay Bailey at this location.
Seven Witches Return with New Album
Fueled with fierce vigor and an ironclad lineup, Seven Witches is back with a new album 'Passage To The Other Side', slated for an April 9th release through Noise/Sanctuary Records and a tour in the works.
Considered a journeyman in metal circles Seven Witches' main man, Jack Frost's conviction to the craft need only be justified by his dedicated track record. Known for his tenures with Savatage, Metalium, Bronx Casket Co., Speeed, and the legendary Frost Bite, Jack has made his love of music known by appearing on numerous tribute albums, including those praising the likes of Accept, The Scorpions, W.A.S.P., Twisted Sister, Dio, and even ABBA! Jack will also be making appearances later this year on releases by Rob Rock and David Defeis (from labelmates Virgin Steele). More...
Evergrey Unveil New Album and US tour
Sweden's Evergrey Unveils Vibrant Recreation Day Through InsideOut Music America on March 11th. US Performances Confirmed!
Having made a lasting impact with critics and fans alike with their last release In Search Of Truth, Sweden's Evergrey is ready to unveil its latest masterwork upon the world on March 11th with the elegant Recreation Day for InsideOut Music America.
Displaying marked growth with each release, Evergrey has concocted a musically colorful, yet lyrically bleak, reflection of the world with Recreation Day. Part fantasy & part honest emotion, the album (once again produced by King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRocque and mixed by Fredrik Nordström) redefines Swedish Metal with a progressive flair beyond even Meshuggah's capabilities. Thought provoking and sonically uncompromising, Recreation Day is yet another exceptional release for Evergrey, a band whose multi-textured style incorporates Northern moroseness, dextrous progressive musicianship, and soulful, heartfelt balladry. Vocalist/guitarist Tom S. Englund describes the bold content contained within Recreation Day, "The music is representative of what Evergrey is about, the diversity we have in most of our songs. My idea was to make it really beautiful and hard-hitting." More...
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