Metal News for June 24, 2003
Last updated on October 4, 2025 at 3:07 AM ET
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17 news articles posted on this day.
The Seventrain Is Coming
Hard rock/metal act Seventrain featuring guitarist Eric Horton (formerly of the San Diego, CA power metal band Cage) has just launched their new website with four tracks available for download from their debut album titled Moments of Clarity, which will be released worldwide in the fall. The CD was produced by former 24-7 Spyz and current Crown 10 drummer Joel Maitoza who also played drums on the disk. An official release date and track listing will be announced within the next few weeks.
The Clown's Surprise
Shaun ‘The Clown’ Crahan is the latest member of Slipknot to start a side project. He’s formed a band called To My Surprise with guitarist/bassist Stevan Robinson and vocalist Brandon Darner. Their debut album, as yet untitled, is being produced by Rick Rubin. It will be released later in the year.
Penumbra Record "Enclosement"
Penumbra has started recording their anticipated third album in Sound Suite Studio, bearing the working title "Enclosement". The follow up to the band’s previous effort “The Last Bewitchment” will start with an intro, contain 10 tracks and 3 interludes. Penumbra invite several guest musicians ; the album will include Irish bagpipes, let hear traditional Bulgarian melodies, have a choir of eight – ranging from baritone to soprano – and for other titles with a string quartet. The album is scheduled for release October 2003.
LIne Up Changes for Lunaris
There have been some line up changes for Lunaris. Here's the official statement: "Guitarist Azarak is now no longer a part of Lunaris. He has not attended rehearsals steadily for a year, and has not contributed to the new songs, so the choice was easy. This was without a doubt the best decision for both parties, as it has been clear for a while that he was not comfortable with the direction Lunaris have taken since "...the infinite". A new guitarist will be tested today, but most likely M will do all the guitar-work for the recording of "Cyclic", which starts very soon."
Diabolical Masquerade Working on new Album
Diabolical Masquerade are working on a new studio album. Here's the announcement: “Blakkheim (Katatonia guitarist Anders Nyström) has awoke from laying dormant for over two years and is once again putting the masque back on to mingle at another diabolical masquerade. He is currently composing/recording material to the yet untitled fifth album, which is rumored to be a cross between Nightwork (1998) and Death's Design (2001). In other words lots of horror, weirdness and Metal!”
Circle of Dead Children Fire Drummer
Circle Of dead Children have parted ways with their drummer. Here's an update: "We just kicked out our drummer yesterday. We'd like to find a new guy as quickly as possible because we have a 35 date tour with Today Is The Day and Goat's Blood in the US and Canada coming up. We were just tired of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. We tried for a year and a half, and it didn't work. We were sick of arguing and didn't want to deal with anymore drama. We want this band to be fun again." Interested parties should check out our website for more info.
Katatonia Forced to Cancel I-Wood Performance
“Due to sickness in the band, Katatonia are sorry to announce that they'll not be able to perform on the I-Wood festival on June 28th. Apologies goes out to all fans who'd be there for the band and to everyone else involved.”
The I-Wood festival takes place June 28th in Tebarz, Germany
Moonspell Hire Session Bassist for Shows
Moonspell have posted the following message. “Moonspell has found a session member to take good care of the bass duties on the forthcoming live shows. His name his Aires Pereira and has gathered the professional and spiritual conditions to walk on stage with us. We will try to update a picture for you soon here, so you can satisfy your visual curiosity. Please do not contact us any further regarding bass player auditions.”
As previously reported, Moonspell’s new album, Antidote, is out through Century Media on September 29th.
Sodom to Film Bang Your Head Show for DVD
Veteran German thrashers Sodom will be filming their appearance at this weekend's Bang Your Head Festival in Balingen, Germany for an upcoming DVD. The group, who also recorded their performance at the Rock Hard Festival earlier this month, are reportedly including in their set list a lot of the more obscure tracks which haven't been aired live in years.
Sodom's new double live album, "One Night In Bangkok", will be released on July 28 in Europe and on August 12 in the U.S.
Goatwhore Explain Show Cancellations
New Orleans-based Goatwhore, the band featuring vocalist L. Ben Falgoust II (Soilent Green) and guitarist Sammy Duet (Acid Bath, Crowbar), have issued the following statement via their official web site:
"We would like to explain a few show cancellations from our recent tour with Immolation. We were having van troubles on the West Coast and we decided to push it until we reached the date at home, if we could make it that far. We made it to the New Orleans date (6/18/03) and put the van into the shop to get things fixed. This would cause us to miss the Atlanta show at the Masquerade (6/19/03). The next day was an off day so we would only be missing one show. On Friday, June 20th our drummer went into the hospital with a bad case of bronchitis, minor pneumonia, and a nasal infection. This would set us back yet again for the Tampa (6/21/03) and Ft. Lauderdale (6/22/03) shows. We will be jumping back onto the Immolation tour in Winston-Salem, NC (6/25/03). We apologize for these cancellations and hope to see all in October on the Art Of Noise II Tour with Nile, Kreator, Vader, and Amon Amarth. Please get to Art Of Noise II shows early because we are the first band in a lineup of 5. Thanks again and hope to see you all soon."
Nostradameus Issue Update
Freddy Persson, vocalist for the Swedish melodic metallers Nostradameus, has posted the following update via the band's official web site:
"Well... I guess it's about time that I give you guys a bit of an update concerning the life of Nostradameus, isn't it...:-) Anyway, after the last tour we decided that we was in need of some vacation, so we took one or two days off... But after that, we've been quite busy writing and rehearsing new songs for the upcoming album. So far we've written about 10 songs, but we've decided to write at least 6 or 7 more this time before we decide which ones to be used on the album. All in order to be able to provide you guys with the absolutely best Nostra -album ever in a little less than a year from now... More...
Kult ov Azazel to Play One Off Philly Gig
South Florida black metallers Kult Ov Azazel will play their only show of 2003 at Club HP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday, August 9. Also set to appear on the bill are Bloodstorm, Deceiverion and Eviscerator.
Kult Ov Azazel recently issued their new album, "Oculus Infernum", through Arctic Music.
New Zyklon Track Posted Online
A brand new Zyklon track, entitled "An Electric Manner", has been posted online in MP3 format at this location. "An Electric Manner" comes off the Norwegian group's forthcoming sophomore effort, "Aeon", due on September 2 through Candlelight Records.
The follow-up to 2001's "World Ov Worms", which was recorded at Akkerhaugen Lydstudio in Norway and mixed at Studio Fredman with Fredrik Nordström in Sweden, includes guest contributions from Void's Ocd and Red Harvest's Ofu Kahn (both courtesy of Nocturnal Art Productions). It again features lyrics penned by Faust (Emperor), and marks the recording debut with the group of new vocalist/bassist Secthdamon.
Meshuggah Complete Contract, Weigh Options
Swedish experimental extreme metal band Meshuggah have fulfilled their contractual obligations to Nuclear Blast Records and are currently weighing their label options before recording their next studio album. "We've got like three or four offers right now, one of which is from Nuclear Blast, because they want to keep us," guitarist Mårten Hagström told KNAC.com. "We're thinking that we'll do this tour [with Strapping Young Lad], go home, and then we'll sit down and negotiate. There's really no rush. We've got a couple of festivals this summer, we're going to start writing new material, perhaps do a European tour. But slowly, we're trying to figure out where we want to go. More...
Dying Fetus Announce Plans for Summer Tour
Relapse Records recording artists Dying Fetus have announced plans for a summer North American Tour, their first for their new album, Stop at Nothing. Support on what is already being called "The Death Metal tour of the summer" will come from labelmates Skinless as well as Misery Index and Divine Empire.
The scheduled five week road jaunt -- sponsored by Metal Maniacs magazine -- will kick off July 19th in Latham, NY and will criss-cross the U.S., concluding August 29th in Brooklyn, NY at L'Amour. The tour will include a stop at the 2003 Milwaukee Metalfest, where both Dying Fetus and Skinless will be amongst the festival's headlining acts. Immediately following the tour, Dying Fetus will embark on a five week, 33 city European co-headlining tour with Hate Eternal that will run through mid October.
Metal Maniacs presents: Dying Fetus Stop at Nothing Tour - Summer, 2003
***North American Tour with w/ Skinless, Misery Index and Divine Empire supporting*** More...
Borknagar Recording Update
Norwegian metallers Borknagar are currently working on the follow-up to 2001's Empiricism effort at Toproom and Fagerborg Studios with producer Borge Finstad (Mayhem, Solefald).
Drummer Asgeir Mickelson (also of Spiral Architect fame) checks in: "I've recorded all the acoustic drums. I still have to do some V-drums stuff on one of the two Lars-instrumentals (don't know what to do yet...), and I'll spend a couple of hours going through all the drum tracks fixing small errors (like when I hit the snare or a tom a little bit wrong I can replace it with a better take, or move the bass drums if they're not dead on the snare). Lars has recorded all keyboards (very happy with the sounds!) and Hammond (different one than last time — even more organic sound), but still have to record the grand piano in Fagerborg studio. Andreas (aka Vintersorg) is doing all his vocals next week (starting tomorrow). Øystein recorded most of the rhythm tracks in April and will continue recording his endless amounts of guitars the same week as Andreas is doing the vocals. Tyr was supposed to record bass this week but had to postpone it to the second week in July due to not getting his new fretless bass in time." More...
Cold Aren't Worried About Labels
Cold singer Scooter Ward did a Q&A with HipOnline.com. Asked about being tagged as a 'Goth band', Ward responded, "On every record, Cold changes the music style a little bit, we change our personal styles a little bit because we grow into different people as time goes by. We have a lot of goth fans and a lot of rock fans. I don't think it really matters to us the way we're labeled." Check out the entire interview here.
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