Metal News for January 2, 2008
Last updated on October 7, 2025 at 6:57 AM ET
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Hot Topics
- Enthroned To Release New Album In December
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- Stellar Circuits Premiere New Single & Music Video
- Agnostic Front Premiere New Single & Lyric Video
- Omnium Gatherum Drops "Walking Ghost Phase" Video
- Tailgunner Signs With Napalm Records
- Messa Shares New Music Video "Reveal"
27 news articles posted on this day.
Mastery Parts Ways with Guitarist And Drummer
Toronto "instrumetal" thrash band Mastery have announced the departure of guitarist Jeff Dormar and drummer Kevin Joy.
"Due to personal and musical differences it was in the best interest of the band to let guitarist Jeff and drummer Kevin Joy go their separate ways," says Mastery guitarist Markus Armellini. "We are currently working on material for our upcoming new album and have decided that the new material will have a vocalist. We have someone in mind and will make an announcement regarding new members shortly."
Mastery's debut album, Lethal Legacy, was released through Corporate Punishment Records. You can preview material from the group’s debut album on the band's MySpace page.
Twisted Sister To Play Great White Benefit Show
TWISTED SISTER has been confirmed as one of the performers at a benefit concert for the victims of the February 20, 2003 nightclub fire, set to take place on Monday, February 25 at the Dunkin Donut Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Also scheduled to appear are Tom Scholz (BOSTON), Aaron Lewis (STAIND), TESLA and STRYPER.
The show, which will be hosted by TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider, marks the fifth anniversary of Station nightclub tragedy in Rhode Island, the fourth largest nightclub fire in U.S. history. 100 lives were lost, 200 others were seriously injured and 65 children lost one or both parents. Five years later, funds available for the survivors are woefully inadequate. Only 15 survivors of the fire qualified for Social Security benefits, and many are still unable to meet their monthly needs.
All proceeds from ticket sales and charity auctions benefit the Station Family Fund, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) charitable organization founded by survivors of the Station nightclub fire. They are committed to providing survivor relief, including costs of ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.
The Station Family Fund, founded by survivors, family members and community members affected by the fire and the Wake Up To Love Foundation founded by TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta are event organizers. While one hundred thousand dollars was raised in 2005 from a benefit concert featuring TESLA, SHINEDOWN, Pat Travers and Carmine Appice, those funds are in desperate need of replenishing.
Additional artists scheduled to perform on February 25 include Carmine Appice's SLAM, Eric Martin, Gary Hoey, CHICAGO drummer Danny Seraphine. Other artists will be announced over the next few weeks.
Organizers would like to acknowledge the incredible generosity of the Dunkin' Donuts Center www.dunkindonutscenter.com who has graciously donated the venue free of charge for the charity event as well as East Coast Lighting, WHJY and the many acts who are donating their time in putting together this event.
Tickets go on sale Friday, January 4, 2008 at Ticketmaster.com. Prices range from $41.00 to $61.00.
Light This City Post End Of Year Update
Bay Area thrashers LIGHT THIS CITY have issued a year-end update on the band's MySpace page:
"Holy shit! 2007 was a fucking beast! Thanks to everyone who came out to our shows, let us crash at their houses, and raised their horns high. Let's do a little recap, eh?
"The year started off with a short tour with our buddies in ALL THAT REMAINS, which was absolutely incredible. We couldn't be more stoked to be going out with those dudes again in February. After that was the video shoot for 'The Unwelcome Savior' with Darren Doane which ended up on regular rotation on MTV2's 'Headbanger's Ball' and on Comcast on Demand. That was one of our dreams come true, and we can't thank Darren enough for being so rad and the awesome job done on the video!
"Next was our Southwest 'California Love' tour with THE FACELESS and ANTAGONIST, which was needless to say, tons of fun. Check out both bands if you haven't already, because they are awesome dudes who shred…hard. In April, we embarked on the 'Radicalysm' tour with HORSE THE BAND, THE NUMBER 12 LOOKS LIKE YOU, and SO MANY DYNAMOS. All great great bands. SO MANY DYNAMOS' new record is going to be huge, so get into them early before they blow up!! That was one of the most interesting and hilariously awesome tours we have ever been a part of. All amazing dudes, we thank HORSE THE BAND for taking us out and being such sweet guys.
"After another run of shows with ALL THAT REMAINS in May, we embarked on our first ever headlining tour, the 'Thrash and Burn' tour alongside CERBERUS, THE FUNERAL PYRE, and ANTAGONIST. That was extremely successful, and we were so pleased with all you metalheads that came and showed your love! Make sure to check out the above mentioned bands, because they are some of the only genuine 'real' metal bands around right now, and they deserve your attention!
"What came next blew our minds completely. The 'Rocket Ride' tour with EDGUY, INTO ETERNITY and ECHOES OF ETERNITY. This was our first-ever 'really, really heavy metal' tour, and it was fucking incredible. The crowds every night were insane, and the bands were so good. EDGUY is probably the best band ever, ever.
"Almost lastly was the 'Death by Decibels' tour alongside VADER, MALEVOLENT CREATION, CATTLE DECAPITATION, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS and VEIL OF MAYA, which most definitely kicked ass. Amazing bands, brutal music, brutal shows. So good. Lastly was this little five-day run with good friends in SUICIDE SILENCE, THE FACELESS and OBLIGE entitled the 'Santa Slays Tour'. All these shows were amazing and absolutely packed. The perfect way to end the year. Thanks to all our California friends for showin' up and hangin' out! Definitely made us feel awesome, and ended the year in the best way possible. Raising the horns high in anticipation of 2008!
"What's next for LTC you ask? We are home for January writing our new record which should be out in September 2008. Then we leave for a U.S. tour with ALL THAT REMAINS and CHIMAIRA. We are fucking excited. Plenty more news coming soon. Stay tuned!"
Lair Of The Minotaur Reveal New Album Tracklisting
Chicago's LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR will be releasing their new album, "War Metal Battle Master", in March through Southern Lord Records. Here is the complete track listing:
01. Horde Of Undead Vengeance
02. War Metal Battle Master
03. When The Ice Giants Slayed All
04. Slaughter The Bestial Legion
05. Black Viper Barbarian Clan
06. Assassins Of The Cursed Mist
07. Doomtrooper
08. Hades Unleashed
A special edition LP version will be released in the summer, which will include a bonus track.
The band will also release a video for the title track "War Metal Battle Master", directed by Gary Smithson (EXODUS, GOATWHORE).
Iron Fire Concentrating On New Material
Denmark's IRON FIRE have posted this message on their official website:
"Hallo metalheads,
We hope you all have had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We wanna say thanks to all who came to our concerts at the tour of Triumph. It has been the best tour for us so far. Now we are back home in cold Denmark and most of the hangovers are gone. We will now use the next 2-3 months on writing the last songs for the next album, and are aiming on entering the studio some time this spring.
That's all for now.
Stay Metal, coz we will."
Threshold Confirmed For ProgPower Europe Festival
British progsters THRESHOLD have been added to the roster at this year's ProgPower Europe 2008 festival, scheduled to take place October 3-5, 2008 at C Sjiwa in Baarlo, Netherlands. THRESHOLD will be one of the three headlining acts at the three-day festival, which will mark its 10th anniversary.
All the confirmed bands thus far are: DIVISION BY ZERO, GHOST BRIGADE, PAGAN'S MIND, SUSPYRE and THRESHOLD.
Sabaton Reveal New Album Tracklisting
In a posting on their official website, Sweden's SABATON have announced that they will be hitting Abyss Studios this Friday (January 4) to begin recording their new album, "The Art Of War", with producer Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY, PAIN). The album is scheduled to be released on May 30 through Black Lodge Records. Here is the complete track listing:
01. Sun Tzu Says
02. Ghost Division
03. The Art Of War
04. 40:1
05. Unbreakable
06. The Nature Of Warfare
07. Cliffs Of Gallipoli
08. Talvisota
09. Panzerkampf
10. Union (Slopes Of St. Benedict)
11. The Price Of A Mile
12. Firestorm
13. A Secret
Marduk Explains Athens Show Cancellation
Swedish black metallers MARDUK have cancelled their previously announced January 15, 2008 concert at the Underworld Club in Athens, Greece. The group's booking agency, Massive Music, has issued the following statement regarding the matter:
"Looking for a ferry connection between Turkey and Greece we realized after summer season there're no direct connections and the other ones are not so reliable. An agent who was searching for some other solutions said the only thing we can do is to book tickets for a connection via Chios Island, but it also might be cancelled in the last minute due to changeable weather conditions. A charter flight from Turkey to Greece is too much expensive. Covering this distance by cars it could take two days. Those, so to speak 'objective factors' forced us to move Athenian gig to Alexandroupolis.
"We are really sorry for this unforeseen change. Our deepest apollogies to all the fans in Athens and Sold Out Promotion agency. We are really looking forward to make this possible in the future."
In addition to MARDUK, the Athens concert was scheduled to include performances by IN BATTLE, ZONARIA and ARTISIAN.
The rest of the shows on MARDUK's European tour will not be affected by the Athens concert cancellation.
MARDUK's new album, "Rom 5:12" was released in North America on May 22 via Regain/Koch (April 24 in Europe).
Adrift Schedule More Dates
ADRIFT, the Tampa-based heavy rock band featuring Jack Owen of DEICIDE/CANNIBAL CORPSE fame, has scheduled the following dates:
Jan. 05 - Orlando, FL @ The Haven
Jan. 12 - St. Augustine, FL @ Club Fusion
Jan. 26 - Seminole, FL @ Boomerz Boiler Room
ADRIFT recently posted the song "Pushed Aside", from the group's debut full-length album "Absolution", on the ADRIFT MySpace page. This song is being marketed by ADRIFT as the first "single," or track formally released by ADRIFT to mainstream media channels such as radio, Internet radio, and satellite radio. "Back To Square One" and "Held Down", the two other songs posted by ADRIFT in November of 2007 on their MySpace page, have received over 90,000 "hits," or plays, since being posted.
When asked about the wisdom of releasing a single directly to the public instead of exclusively building supply and demand through such traditional media outlets, ADRIFT drummer Kevin Astl stated, "We just want to get the music out there to the people, our friends and fans. We're not thumbing our nose at radio and would never do so, but we feel that our music should have as much reach as possible. If that includes radio support, then we welcome it, but in conjunction with our plans to push the record. We just feel that radio shouldn't be the ONLY place you can hear ADRIFT's music. 'Pushed Aside' is one of those songs that people tell us is strong, melodically heavy and memorable. We've had such a positive response to the record that we want the word to spread, and we want the music to keep flowing — check out ADRIFT and let us know what you think of the tunes."
"Absolution" was recorded by David Burrill at The Sample Factory in Youngsville, NC, was mixed by Mark Lewis at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, FL, and was mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music in New Windsor, NY.
Saxon Confirmed For Atarfe Rock Festival
UK metal legends SAXON - complete with their special Eagle Lights Set - are the latest act confirmed for Spain's Atarfe Vega Rock Festival which takes place March 7th - 8th, 2008 in the city of Atarfe (at 11 km from Granada, Andalusia).
Confirmed acts on the bill now include: ANGELUS APATRIDA, BELPHEGOR, DANGER DANGER, DESTRUCTION, EXCITER, GRAVE DIGGER, KATATONIA, KORPIKLAANI, KOTIPELTO, MAYHEM, MY DYING BRIDE, RATT, SAXON, SLAUGHTER, SYMPHONY X, TRIBAL, UNLEASHED, WITHIN TEMPTATION.
All That Remains Frontman Posts End Of Year Update
ALL THAT REMAINS frontman Phil Labonte has issued a year-end update focusing on upcoming headlining tour plans as well as the writing and recording process for the forthcoming follow up to The Fall Of Ideals, tentatively scheduled for a mid-2008 release:
"I'm writing stuff again, it's awesome. I love playing guitar. I love Mesa Boogie cabs and Peavey 5150 heads. I love Mike's blonde Washburn, it sounds so fucking awesome. There's just one problem, when you got a sweet sounding guitar and amp even dumb shitty riffs sound heavy. Haha, I've written a couple of stinkers with an amp then play them in my room without an amp. I'm like, 'am I fucking stupid? I liked that?'
But I digress. All that Remains started because I missed playing guitar (for those that don't know). I love when I get the chance to sit down and play. I kinda suck still, cause until the last week or two I hadn't played since we finished The Fall of Ideals, but I don't care 'cause the guitar sounds so good!
I've been writing lyrics too. Lots of pretty positive stuff. I'm a pretty positive dude anyway. But things have been really pretty good lately and it's really coming through in the new stuff. I believe that with conviction and honesty with yourself you can achieve pretty much anything you're willing to work for. So don't get a job. Start something. Be something. It's not gonna be easy but it's gonna be way better than busting your ass to make someone else money. Work for yourself. But again I'm off the subject. Lyrics to the new record are
gonna give you something to feel good about, because there's always plenty of stuff to make ya feel shitty.
Headline tour in February! We are gonna be pulling out all the stops for this one. We're gonna have a far bigger production than we have ever had. I won't make any promises and we're probably not gonna play anything off of Behind Silence. No time to teach old songs. We have a
record to write as well as get ready for a tour. And it's gonna be a sweet tour! Tickets are selling now. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is blowing up. I see them everywhere; TV, all over MySpace, the interwebz, radio, everywhere. CHIMAIRA, we've done a bunch of touring with this band and they are awesome live. Such a great show these guys put on. Basically All that Remains have to play our best every night
or we're gonna look dumb. Ha ha ha. So yeah, get your tickets if ya plan on making the show. Oh yeah, Happy New Year!"
All That Remains headlining tour dates are as follows:
January
31 - Albany, NY - Revolution Hall
February
1 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
2 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
8 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic Theatre
9 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
10 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
12 - Minneapolis, MN - Station 4
13 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
15 - Denver, CO - Gothic
16 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Avalon
17 - Boise, ID - Big Easy Concert House
18 - Spokane, WA - Big Easy Concert House
21 - San Francisco, CA - Slims
22 - San Diego, CA - SOMA
23 - Las Vegas, NV - Jillian's
25 - Los Angeles, CA - House of Blues
26 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee
28 - Dallas, TX - The Door
29 - San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit
March
1 - Houston, TX - Meridian
3 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues
4 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
5 - Charlotte, NC - Amos Southend
Headline News
Disgorge Bassist Loses Battle With Cancer
San Diego's DISGORGE have issued the following statement regarding the passing of bassist Ben Marlin:
"We are regretful to say that after nearly a year and a half of battling cancer, our brother and bass player, Ben Marlin has passed away just about the stroke of 5 AM this January 2nd, 2008. We are going to miss him so much and may he live on in all our hearts forever. Ben, Thank you for all your years of friendship and brutality."
The band have recently uploaded a photo montage of Ben so friends and fans can remember him for the thing he had the most passion for...
Belphegor Issue Recording Update
Austrian black metallers BELPHEGOR check in with the following message from frontman Helmuth:
"Brachial as fukk demons. I entered the studio last Tuesday, and since that day we (have been) working on the new Werk with producer Andy Classen. Listen, the recording process so far has been absolutely amazing, I'm very proud of the result and everyone knows what to expect from Belphegor.
The hyperblasting drums, Serpenths tight bass and the four rhythm guitars have been finished already in the first session. So what can I say, this 9 soundcollages will be once again a proof of the most extreme metal musicals which I've created till yet.
My whole motivation and energy is high on blood and boils over.
Again I tried a few new song structures/ arrangements, try hard to reach the next level in terms of sound, musicianship and intensity. In this session all the overdubs/ melodies will be finished and the first leads and vocals are recorded.
I'm totally blown away by the evil atmosphere, the yet untitled death monster slowly gets a grim face. Even some choirs/ effects, acoustic guitars and sick samples will be added here and there... be prepared!
Belphegor's new album is scheduled for a European release on April 11th, US on April 15th, via Nuclear Blast Records.
Best Of Dream Theater Due In March
On March 18th, Rhino Records is releasing double-CD Best Of from prog-metal legends DREAM THEATER called Greatest Hit & 19 Other Pretty Cool Songs. Tracklisting, artwork and other info will be revealed soon.
Dream Theater's Progressive Nation tour is set to begin in April and will feature OPETH, 3 and BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME.
Upcoming Dream Theater's "An Evening With..." dates include:
January
12 - Seoul, Korea - Melon-AX Hall
15 - Tokyo, Japan - Budokan
17 - Singapore, Singapore - Fort Canning Park
19 - Bangkok, Thailand - Bangkok Hall
22 - Beijing, China - MG Live House
26 - Perth, Australia - Showgrounds
27 - Adelaide, Australia - Showgrounds
29 - Melbourne, Australia - Festival Hall
30 - Sydney, Australia - The Horden
February
1 - Brisbane, Australia - Riverstage
Toxic Holocaust Sign To Relapse Records
Toxic Holocaust’s newest material will appear on the upcoming Thrashing Like A Maniac compilation due out on January 21st via Earache along with DEKAPITATOR, MUNICIPAL WASTE, and more.
Brand new Toxic Holocaust tracks will also appear on the ‘Speeds-N-Spikes’ split 7” series, due out later this month, where the band will be paired up with BLUDWULF. The band is currently writing the follow-up album to Hell On Earth which is expected to see a spring / summer release via Relapse.
Toxic Holocaust has always taken the more punk rock approach to metal, embracing a D.I.Y. attitude to self-book tours of Australia, Japan, Europe, Brazil, Canada, and the full US. The band is currently wrapping up a brief tour of the North-West United States and has most recently been added as main support on the MUNICIPAL WASTE UK and European tour in February. A listing of Toxic Holocaust tour dates can be found below with more to be announced soon.
Toxic Holocaust audio samples can be heard now via the official Toxic Holocaust MySpace: www.MySpace.com/ToxicHolocaust. Stay tuned to www.relapse.com for forthcoming Toxic Holocaust news / album release / tour information.
Toxic Holocaust tour dates:
January
2 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven (with HATCHET)
4 - Tacoma, WA - Hell’s Kitchen (with ZEKE)
5 - Seattle, WA - The Fun House (with HELL BOUND FOR GLORY, GOAT THRONE)
February (with Municipal Waste)
1 - Plymouth, UK - White Rabbit
2 - Brighton, UK - Barfly
3 - Birmingham, UK - Academy 2
4 - Bristol, UK - Croft
5 - Leeds, UK - Josephs Well
6 - London, UK - Islington Academy
8 - Stoke, UK - Underground
9 - Eiperfest, Belgium - The Fenix
10 - Groningen, Netherlands - Vera
11 - Tilburg, Netherlands - 013
12 - Malmo, Sweden - Debaser
13 - Gothenberg, Sweden - Stick Fingers
16 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Loppen
Hate Eternal Mainman Comments On New Album
Metal Maniacs' Liz Ciavarella recently sat down with HATE ETERNAL mainman Erik Rutan to discuss the band's first album for Metal Blade Records, "Fury And Flames". Excerpts from the January 2008 cover story follow:
Metal Maniacs: How did bassist Jared Anderson's passing influence the writing and overall vibe of the record?
Erik Rutan: When Jared died I was totally devastated. I lost a bandmate and most of all, a friend. Even though Jared left a few years before he died, in my mind he was still a part of the band. I called Jared the ambassador of HATE ETERNAL. For a while I really questioned whether I would continue on with HATE ETERNAL. But one thing Jared always said when he left the band originally was that no matter what, I needed to continue with HATE ETERNAL and the dream and goals I had initially set forth. Jared always supported me in that way and I knew quitting wasn't an option. I could never let him down nor let down the fans and myself. I worked too hard to get to this point. I wrote probably 70 percent of the album after Jared passed so it really affected the musical direction of the record. I just let it all go; no restraints or limitations. That's why this is our deepest, most emotional album to date. There's so much of everything on this album. It is an angry, frenzied, chaotic, grief-ridden requiem.
Metal Maniacs: Is there significance in the title "Fury And Flames"?
Erik Rutan: I wanted a title that truly represented what this album is; something that describes death and the anguish associated with it. I wanted it to represent Jared as well. The moniker Jared used for stuff like email was "fury and flames" hence the title. It‘s in honor of Jared.
Metal Maniacs: How much pressure is there in following up a record like "I, Monarch" and "King Of All Kings" or for that matter, the pressure in not only being Erik Rutan of HATE ETERNAL but Erik Rutan the producer. Do you think there are greater expectations placed upon you by fans?
Erik Rutan: Totally. But I try to block that sort of thing out. It's hard… especially with this album being the first one on Metal Blade. It's like a new beginning. But with this album I just decided I was gonna write from the soul. I just wanted to write what came natural. Of course you still think about the label and past records and fan expectations. I definitely felt a lot of pressure but most of it was coming from myself; the perfectionist workaholic mentality of just wanting to really capture some magic and make it perfect from a production standpoint and the songwriting. It took a lot of years for me to realize this, but you can't please everyone. I can't sit around and think about it all the time. I'll lose my mind. As long as we write from the heart and everyone in the band worked to the best of their ability...
The January 2008 issue of Metal Maniacs is on sale now.
Anthrax Guitarist Checks In
ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian recently launched a column on SuicideGirls.com called "Scott Ian's Food Coma" where he writes about his food and travel experiences. An excerpt from the latest installment follows:
"Aloha, my friends, from sunny Oahu. I'm here with my lady and four other couples in a rental house living out our 'Real World' fantasies, except without the drama and the token gay. The booze menu above actually lasted us almost three days and then we had to restock. The cops did come Friday night, so the trip is a success. Three acoustic guitars and eight people drunkenly singing 'Wonderwall'… It was me that called the cops.
"Besides all the liver damage, I have been eating my way across this fine island. The meal at Nobu the other night was the best Matsuhisa created meal in my life (and I've been eating his stuff for 20 years) and Sasabune here is on another level as well. I'll get to the details of those meals in a minute, first you gotta hear about Car Chicken.
"We were coming back from the north shore yesterday and stopped in Haleiwa for some shaved ice (get the Lilikoi, that's passion fruit to us Haole's) and other sundries like a Solo Pipe (I don't smoke but if you smoke weed this is the best thing ever invented.) Haleiwa is a really funky little surf/hippie town populated by locals and Haole's that wanted to escape the reality of the mainland man. There are surf shops, head shops, shaved ice shops and lots of BBQ. People BBQ at their house and set up stands to sell it. You just walk in to their house and they take the whole BBQ chicken and throw it in a plastic bag. No utensils, no napkins. I guess you're supposed to take it home and cut it up and eat it but when you're driving back to the south side of the island and you're hungry, Car Chicken. Five people passing around two bags with whole BBQ chickens in them tearing chunks of meat off with their hands. Messy and good. It had to be done. Ya see, it's not all about fancy-pants meals here."
Read the full article at suicidegirls.com.
Ex-Megadeth Bassists "F5" Finishing Second Album
Revered as one of the greatest bass players in heavy metal history, former MEGADETH member David Ellefson continues to pump out great new music with several new projects, including the Scottsdale, AZ group F5. With another album on the horizon, David and the band seem geared to turn a lot of heads in 2008.
Commented Ellefson: "We entered the studio in October and are in the finishing stages of the mix right now. Our motto has been 'heavy, but melodic,' which defines the sound of the band but leaves the door open for us to be musically flexible and creative in our songwriting."
He continued, "I think this new record is a huge leap forward for us because we went into it wanting to raise the bar and see how far we could go with it while still retaining the F5 sound. That mindset seems to keep us from getting boxed into a niche and keep things really fresh and interesting for the listeners. It is turning into a very progressive record. A cool second album in my opinion."
Brutal Truth Announce European Shows
Reunited seminal grindcore/extreme metal outfit BRUTAL TRUTH will embark on a two-week European tour in February 2008. The trek will kick off on February 6 in Belgium before making stops in the UK, Netherlands, France, Spain and more.
BRUTAL TRUTH has finished writing about 10 new songs for its new album, which the band hopes to record later in the year. The group's bassist Danny Lilker previously described the new material as "some of the most intense shit we've ever written. After eight years it feels damn good to write some really psychotic grind, and we've jumped right into the deep end of the pool. Stylistically it seems to pick up where 'Sounds of the Animal Kingdom' left off with the main difference being we're also incorporating some of the old-school type riffing from 'Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses' but at a much faster tempo."
BRUTAL TRUTH last year reissued its heralded 1997 masterpiece "Sounds of the Animal Kingdom". The remastered and repackaged version comes complete with the preceding "Kill Trend Suicide" mini-CD (1996), bonus video footage in the form of the band's "Dead Smart" video, extensive and exhaustive liner notes from the band, and a foreword from "Choosing Death" author Albert Mudrian.
BRUTAL TRUTH tour dates:
Feb. 06 - Hasselt, Belgium - Muziek-o-drom
Feb. 07 - London, United Kingdom - Underworld
Feb. 08 - Sheffield, United Kingdom - Corporation
Feb. 09 - Glasgow, Scotland - Barfly
Feb. 10 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - De Baroeg
Feb. 11 - Strasbourg, France - Molodoi
Feb. 12 - Paris, France - La Locomotive
Feb. 13 - Durango, Spain - Plateruena
Feb. 14 - Corroios, Portugal - Cine Teatro de Corroios
Feb. 15 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Live
Feb. 16 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala KGB
Feb. 17 - Plaisir, France - La Clef Des Champs
Dark Suns To Release New Album Next Month
German progressive dark metallers DARK SUNS will release their fourth album, "Grave Human Genuine", on February 25 via Prophecy Productions. According to a press release, the CD's "unconventional title was chosen with care and purpose, as it represents the three characteristic elements of this work: 'Grave' signifies darkness, the sinister force, and the inevitable fate. 'Human' is synonymous with the music's inherent soul-depth, while 'Genuine' means 'real' or 'authentic' and hence refers to DARK SUNS' uncompromising approach to music."
On the subject of the new album's musical direction, the press release adds, "DARK SUNS don't merely pick up where the successful predecessor, 'Existence' (2005), left off, they present themselves as many-facetted as never before. A clear nod to doom, complex polyrhythms, unusual and diverse instruments and, last but not least, drummer Niko Knappe's characteristic yearning vocals comprise the album's cornerstones. The variety of sounds stretches from angular metal riff attacks via atmospheric ambient soundscapes and techno reminiscences to avant-garde influences — despite this complexity, an accomplished musical mosaic of enormous expressiveness. Exciting nuances are created by the incomparable bass of PAIN OF SALVATION's long-time member Kristoffer Gildenlöw, and DISILLUSION's Schmidt's guest vocals in 'Flies In Amber'."
The album will be released as a limited-edition digipack CD with a bonus track and as a normal jewel-case edition.
Death Angel Schedule NAMM Signing Session
Rob Cavestany, Ted Aguilar and Dennis Pepa of the legendary Bay Area thrash band DEATH ANGEL will take part in a signing session at this year's NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) convention. The signing will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, on Saturday January 19 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the EMG booth (booth #4850). This will correspond with a signing alongside NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis.
DEATH ANGEL will release "Killing Season" on February 26, 2008 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Studio 606 in Northridge, California with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, RUSH, VELVET REVOLVER, SHADOWS FALL and STONE SOUR, among other acts.
As recently reported, the Bay Area metal veterans DEATH ANGEL and FORBIDDEN will team up for a special show on February 29, 2008 at Slim's in San Francisco, California. The event will serve as DEATH ANGEL's CD-release show.
Alice In Chains Go Platinum
ALICE IN CHAINS' "Nothing Safe" 1999 three-disc box set, which covered the group's best songs and assorted rarities, was certified platinum on December 11, 2007 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of one million copies in the United States.
ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell recently told MTV.com that the band is working on new material and hopes to have an LP recorded by the end of 2008.
"Definitely possibly," Cantrell responded when asked whether fans could expect an ALICE record next year. "I don't think you can put a time limit on it, because first we have to come up with a record we're satisfied with, and I think we can do that."
He continued, "The body of stuff that's been coming out so far — all the riffs and song ideas — are really cool. It's really aggressive and everything ALICE was, but it's moved on into a different thing too. It's [indicative of the] transformation of this band. The dynamic is different, and it should be. But Mike, Sean and I, we're still here. We're still a big part of how this band sounds. The elements that remain and the element that William [DuVall, new singer] brings to the band are powerful things. I couldn't put a time on it, but I can tell you that [writing songs] is what we are working toward. We're gathering material and doing other business to help this band move forward."
(Thanks: Jason Bodak)
Dave Grohl Involved In Led Zeppelin Reunion Tour?
RollingStone.com has issued the following report from Erica Futterman:
It’s a new year, with new LED ZEPPELIN tour rumors:
The latest speculation has FOO FIGHTERS' Dave Grohl waiting on an invite to drum on an alleged reunion tour. Grohl, who has expressed his willingness to do the job, was allegedly up for Jason Bonham’s gig at last month’s one-off show."
As previously reported, on December 31st, 2007, Mirror.co.uk exclusively revealed "that Led Zeppelin - who staged a triumphant "one-off" gig at the O2 (that) month - will be the headline act at the Bonnaroo festival in the US next year. The festival runs from June 12th to 15th in Tennessee - and if all goes smoothly they may even hit the road and tour.
An insider told us: "This is the news that will drive their fans absolutely wild. They have been bombarding their website to get back together for good but only Robert Plant wasn't keen to commit. Now he's had a change of heart and if it goes well they are also talking about touring."
Mayhem And Dimension F3H Announce European Dates
Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM and Norwegian death/thrash metallers DIMENSION F3H are joining forces for a string of European dates in February, which currently include:
February
20 - Woughton Centre - Milton Keynes, UK
21 - Islington Academy - London, UK
22 - Rock City - Nottingham, UK
23 - Moshulu - Aberdeen, UK
24 - Ivory Black - Glasgow, UK
26 - Barfly - Birmingham, UK
27 - Effenaar - Eindhoven, Holland
28 - Turock - Essen, Germany
29 - Bolwerk - Sneek, Holland
Stay tuned for further updates.
(thanks: Jonas)
In Flames Schedule First Ever Russian Shows
Swedish metallers IN FLAMES have scheduled two live dates in Russia for the end of January. Says the band: "This is the first time for In Flames in Russia. We are REALLY looking forward to it! We have heard a lot from other bands/friends who have recently played live for you guys over there who all loved it, so see you at the show."
Dates are as follows:
January
26 - St. Petersburg, Russia - Port Club
27 - Moscow, Russia - B1Maximum
In Flames recently completed their as-yet-untitled new album at their own IF Studios in Gothenburg - it is expected to be released in the spring of 2008 via Nuclear Blast.
Original Omen Bassist Severely Injured In Fall
Omen founder/guitarist, Kenny Powell, has released the following statement:
"Original Omen bass player Jody Henry was severely injured in a fall last week and is suffering from a fractured skull. While he is doing much better than anyone expected, he still faces a long and costly rehab.Unfortunately, he has no health insurance like the rest of us (MUSICIANS} and a fund has been set up on www.myspace.com/helpjody where interested parties can contribute to helping with his medical and personal bills. Jody and myself had already been discussing doing some future projects at the time of his accident. Hopefully he will have a complete recovery and there will be new music in the near future from the original Omen songwriters. Thanks in advance to everyone that can provide financial or moral support. Kenny Powell"
Lake Of Blood Posts New Song Online
Lake Of Blood has currently added a new track from their upcoming debut "Heed The Primal Calling" to their MySpace page. The Track is the first of four on the release. The album is a dark concept story loosely described as being about an "unknown, unnamed being, with no identity in a unknown place, returning to their primal state." The CD is currently still being recorded in Southern,California. No tentative release date has been given. You can listen to the song "Nameless I Arise" at the band's myspace web page.
Here is the Tracklisting for "Heed The Primal Calling":
1. Nameless I Arise
2. Heed The Primal Calling
3. The Darkest Path
4. Lake of Blood
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