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Sunday Old School: Channel Zero

When you think of Belgium, what comes to mind? Chocolate? Jean Claude Van Damme? The movie, "In Bruges"? There's a lot of history and cultural contributions to be found in Belgium, including today's featured artists, the only Belgian metal band to have sold over 100,000 albums, Channel Zero. The seeds of the band were sewn in a youth club where guitarist, Xavier Carion met Franky De Smet-Van Damme and bonded over their love for heavy metal music. Franky had told Xavier that he had just bought a guitar and the two decided to jam together, though after the first time Franky played his guitar, Xavier told him he was not cut out for it and should play bass instead. Despite their intentions of performing together, Xavier accepted a role in Cyclone, then the biggest heavy metal band in Belgium and Franky was brought on tour as a roadie. It was on this trek that he showed off his vocal skills, performing as a back up singer for two songs. Xavier was so impressed that he quit Cyclone, much to the shock of all who knew how popular the band was, to form a new band with Franky. They searched for a long time to find a drummer and a bass player but to no avail, until one night, members of the hardcore band Sixty Nine knocked on their door. After a few meetings, bass player Tino De Martino and drummer Phil Baheux joined the group, who christened themselves, Channel Zero, after a Public Enemy song.

They recorded their first demo in 1990, which impressed many listeners with its professional quality sound and raw energy and garnered them an offer from the German record company, Shark Records, with whom they released their self-titled debut in 1992 before embarking on a European tour supporting American favourites, Exhorder. Although they had a good time on the road, they soon found out how difficult touring can be, experiencing poor sound amongst other problems, which led to them recruiting a long time fan as their permanent roadie. More...

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Kaotoxin Issuing Six-Way Grindcore Split

French extremists Kaotoxin Records will release a six-band, 23-song grindcore split entitled "Monsters! (Six of a Kind)" on April 15th. Featuring tracks from Total Fucking Destruction, Department Of Correction, C.O.A.G., Miserable Failure, Unsu, and Infected Society, the team effort offers a cornucopia of grindcore madness.

The limited edition - 1,000 copies with no repress - Deluxe DigiSleeve CD was mastered by Dan O'Hare (Brutal Truth, XXX Maniak) and also includes bonus music videos from Total Fucking Destruction, Infected Society, and Unsu. Check out the "Monsters! (Six of a Kind)" trailer below.

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Jupiter Zeus Streaming Album Sampler

Straight out of Perth, Western Australia, Jupiter Zeus' new full-length album "On Earth" will be released by Magnetic Eye Records on March 11th. Psychedelic rock with mammoth grooves, fat riffs, and catchy songwriting, this debut full-length follows up to the "Green Mosquito" EP. Stream the "On Earth" album sampler below.

Debuting with said EP, it's quite apparent that Jupiter Zeus aren't exactly first timers. Their previous incarnation, Nebula, boasted a similarly cosmic slant to the heavier side of rock, and the band were pioneering in breaking ground in South East Asia, earning solid fan-bases in Indonesia and Malaysia.

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Drawers Posts Live Dates

French sludge band Drawers has announced a string of dates in support of their freshly released eponymous second full-length. The tour will take the band across the French countryside, and started on March 7th with a CD release party in their hometown of Toulouse.

The tour picks back on March 16 with stops in Clermont-Ferrand, Amiens, Strasbourg, Lille - for a Kaotoxin Records hosted release party - and Paris, where the band will open for Corrosion Of Conformity. Check the poster and dates below. Out now on Kaotoxin Records, "Drawers" was recorded live to tape in the studio and delivers plenty of intense, heavy and catchy grooves.

DRAWERS Live:

16-MAR-13 - FR - Clermont-Ferrand @ Raymond Bar
17-MAR-13 - FR - Paris @ Glazart (w/ Corrosion Of Conformity)
18-MAR-13 - FR - Amiens @ Grand Wazoo
19-MAR-13 - FR - Lille @ El Diablo
20-MAR-13 - FR - Strasbourg @ Mudd

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Dead Earth Politics Posts New Video

Austin, Texas-based metallers Dead Earth Politics and New Noise Magazine have joined forces for the exclusive premiere of the music video for "Madness of the Wanderer." The video features onstage and behind-the-scenes footage from Phil Anselmo's Housecore Horror Film Fest, which took place in October of last year. "Madness of the Wanderer" comes off the band's new EP, "The Queen of Steel." Check out the video at this location and below.

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Embryonic Devourment Tour Starting In April

Northern California's death metal juggernauts Embryonic Devourment will hit the road next month as part of The Brutal Alliance Tour 2014 in support of their newest release, "Reptilian Agenda." The band will join Abolishment Of Flesh and The Opaque on a two-week outing of the west, southwest and midwestern United States. Tour dates are as follows:

April 18 - Modesto, CA @ Sky Lounge
April 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ Characters Pomona
April 20 - Las Vegas, NV @ Cheyenne Saloon
April 21 - Reno, NV @ TBA
April 22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Burt's Tiki Lounge
April 23 - Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theater
April 24 - Kansas City, MO @ The Scene, KC Rock Bar
April 25 - Milwaukee, WI @ Metal Grill (NYDM Bash)
April 26 - Milwaukee, WI @ Metal Grill (NYDM Bash)
April 27 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
April 29 - Oklahoma City, OK - TBA
April 30 - Amarillo, TX @ Wreck Room
May 1 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
May 2 - Gilbert, AZ @ Crabby Dons

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Waves Of Serenity Posts New Video

"Degraded," the new music video from Puerto Rico's Waves of Serenity, is now available online. The clip was produced by Tera Creativo Inc. and can be seen below. You can also watch the band's "Self Destruct" video at this location.

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Acheron Streaming Video Preview

Underground death metal legends Acheron are back with a vengeance in the form of "Kult des Hasses." The band's newest long-player, and first since inking a deal in blood with Listenable Records, is getting treatment at Decibel Magazine in the form of an exclusive album/preview video featuring Vincent Crowley. Check it out at this location and below.

On "Kult des Hasses," Acheron founder Vincent Crowley has been joined on this album by longtime drummer Kyle Severn and guitarist Art Taylor. Also appearing on the record as a guest lead guitarist is Ricktor Ravensbruck from the bands Wolfpack 44, Electric Hellfire Club and Wolfen Society. "Kult des Hasses" was recorded in Cleveland, Ohio at Bad Back Studios and mixed and mastered by Dan Swano of Unisound.

Guest vocalists on Kult des Hasses include Kam Lee (Ex-Massacre, The Grotesquery and Bone Gnawer), Jim Lippucci (Soulless), John McEntee (Incantation/Funerus), Jill McEntee (Funerus), Ash Thomas (Estuary/Faithxtractor) and Zdenka Prado (Estuary).

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Winter Of Sin Streaming "Maelstrom"

Winter of Sin is set to release "Violence Reigns Supreme" via Cyclone Empire Records this coming March 28th, 2014.

Today you can hear the new song "Maelstrom" below, with ordering information also available at this location. The album's track listing is as follows:

1. Astral Death Reign Algorithm
2. Maelstrom
3. Eternal Winter
4. Violence Reigns Supreme
5. Black Ashes
6. Virus
7. Infection Of Infinity
8. Inheritors Of Pain
9. Unleash Mayhem
10. Biomechanoid More...

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Infecting The Swarm To Release New Album

Infecting The Swarm has signed a multi-album deal with Lacerated Enemey Records. The first album "Pathogenesis" will be released on May 5th on CD, limited digipack, and digital download formats, with pre-orders coming soon. You can also hear the new song "Cellular Shifting" below.

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The Green River Burial Posts New Video

The Green River Burial has a new video clip out now for "The Big Rip," which was filmed during a live set in Berlin. Check it out below, courtesy of Impericon.de. You can also watch the band's previous music video for "Reinvent the Real" here.

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Tumbleweed Dealer Pushes Back Album

Tumbledweed Dealer has issued the following announcement about pushing back the recording of a new album:

"Due to unforseen technical problems, this weekend's recording session has been pushed back and will sadly overlap with Dopethrone's European tour, leaving us obligated to bring in a session drummer to be named later.

"This will also push back the album's release date, which will be announced when we get all of this sorted out.

"We also have to cancel our upcoming split, but we'll try to have the re-recording of an old song we we're going to use on it available on 4/20 to satisfy your craving for more tumbleweed while we finish up TDII."

You can also hear the band's previously released self-titled album below. More...

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