Denmark’s MERCENARY, having finished their August 22 release, The Hours That Remain, with producer Jacob Hansen (Maroon, Hatesphere), who worked with the band on 11 Dreams. Clocking in at just over one hour, vocalist Mikkel Sandager commented on the album, “We made what we feel is the most powerful album in the band’s history. Both the writing and the recording processes have really made us a stronger band as we faced quite a few challenges along the way. We can’t wait for people to check out the new stuff, and look forward to playing it all live.” Presented with clock-stopping artwork, Travis Smith (Nevermore, Opeth) provides original artwork. Additionally MERCENARY have welcomed bass player René Pedersen, an active performer from Denmark’s Transparent, as their new bass player. Look for the band to return to the U.S. performing at September’s ProgPower USA VII and then traveling to England’s ProgPower Europe.
Brazil’s “living definition of death metal” (Outburn), Krisiun prepare to once again assault the U.S. Supporting this year’s incendiary new album, AssassiNation, MP3’s here, vocalist/bassist Alex Camargo sent this message to fans, "We in Krisiun would like say thanks to our North American death metal brothers for the great support through the years. Due to the great response we had to our latest album, we are coming back for another U.S. tour in September. This time around we are going to be direct support... which means that we are gonna have more time to play a longer set. Six Feet Under is going to be the headlining band plus Decapitated, Cattle Decapitation and Abysmal Dawn are on the bill too; a fuckin’ brutal tour. We hope to see all you death metal maniacs, without you we are nothing.” A complete list of dates can be found here.
"Swedish gods of guttural grind return to form with a rapture of deathly delight. And here I die ... satisfied!" Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
Swedish death metal band GRAVE have an appetizer from their upcoming album As Rapture Comes (July 25th, 2006), ready to rip out your throat! “Burn” is the massive opening track from the new album, which was recorded in Studio Soulless and Abyss Studios with Peter Tägtgren (Dimmu Borgir, Hypocrisy). Apart from a As Rapture Comes delivers some of the strongest and most brutal material GRAVE have ever recorded, including a staggeringly heavy cover of Alice In Chains classic “Them Bones.” Already confirmed to tour North America’s East Coast with Dismember, Vital Remains and more (dates here).
Raging on the road, the band is actively supporting Once Was Not the album that BW&BK says “rages with unparalleled force.” With July shows in the Northeast U.S. and across Canada this fall, check the band’s schedule here for a show near you.
Tremendous media attention is aimed at Celtic Frost’s new release, Monotheist. A.P. says, “Legends return, swords in hand… Monotheist may be their most crushing album ever. CELTIC FROST are returning at full strength, 5/5.” Rolling Stone quoted Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, with whom Tom Gabriel Fischer worked on the Probot project, saying the album is, “a masterpiece… the heaviest, gloomiest, darkest, scariest metal album you’re gonna hear for a long time.” Click here to read the complete article. Spin goes on saying “contemporary and brilliantly savage… ready to conquer once more.” And Outburn calls it the “Return Of The Gods, 10/10.”
Still recovering from his hospital stays; Tom Gabriel Fischer is on the mend. Missing only one show, CELTIC FROST have been captivating audiences at Sweden Rock, HellFest (France), and the band performed at Germany’s With Full Force and Finland’s Tuska Fest over the Fourth of July Holiday weekend. Catch photos of their Sweden Rock performance here. The band continue to soldier on with their full European summer festival schedule before coming to tour North America for eight weeks, complete schedule here.
Win an Ibanez RGT-42DX BP signed by Frost and Satyr. This competition is run in Norway, but anyone who wants to participate can. Read about the competition here (in Norwegian).
Norwegian black metallers CARPATHIAN FOREST have entered the national album charts in their home country at position No. 25 with their latest effort, "Fuck You All!!!!". The album also entered on position 60 in the official international Top 100 in Norway.
The band has announced that they will take a break for the remainder of 2006 (after their performance at the Kaltenbach Open Air in Austria, see below) and will prepare for a "touring marathon" in early 2007.
Season of Mist is proud to announce the brand new signing of Finnish band GHOST BRIGADE on our label.
"We are extremely happy about the signing to Season Of Mist Records", the guys say. "We negotiated with various labels during the past months but there was only one that truly felt like home. These guys have come a long way in the music business and they're all excited about GHOST BRIGADE so we're looking forward to working with them for the next few records."
In case you're wondering what kind of music GHOST BRIGADE plays, here's what the band has to say: "There are so many bands and artists that have influenced us throughout the years that I couldn't just pick a few and say we're a mixture of those. That wouldn't do the listener nor us any justice. We are influenced by anything that sounds good, be it older death metal, melancholic pop music or anything in between. So I guess we just collect little pieces along the way, put it all into a blender and the result is GHOST BRIGADE. To anyone who hasn't heard us, I'd say it's heavy, dynamic and metallic music filled with beautiful melodies and a fine dose of anxiety."
But the best would probably be to download their 4 song demo on the band's official website. You might also want to take a look at their MySpace page and say hi to this very promising young band!As a teaser, here's an MP3 off the demo.
ThyDoom
05.07.2006: ANAAL NATHRAKH'S UPCOMING JOURNEY
ANAAL NATHRAKH have licked sufficient amounts of madness from the walls of their cells to have been able to vomit it forth in the form of "Eschaton", the band's 3rd full length album. The journey through rabid violence, depravity and horrified clarity of vision was this time abetted by, amongst others, Shane Embury (NAPALM DEATH) and Attila Csihar (MAYHEM). Featuring the likes of the berserk rage of "Bellum Onium Contra Omnes" and the epic "When The Lion Devours Both Dragon And Child", the storm of "Eschaton" will thunder forth on October 16th via Season of Mist.
In connection with the show at the Metaltown festival in Gothenburg, Satyricon will be signing records this coming Friday the 7th at 13:00. CD Spesialisten, Kungsgatan 38-40 in Gothenburg is the place to be.
02.07.2006: Don Caballero: Damon Che Featured in Modern Drummer
Damon Che, founder and drummer for seminal instrumental band DON CABALLERO, is featured in the August ‘06 issue of Modern Drummer magazine. The feature marks Che's first appearance in Modern Drummer and the issue (w/ the legendary Stewart Copeland on the cover) is available now on news-stands nationwide. A preview of Che’s feature can be viewed here. Che’s most recent recorded work can be heard on DON CABALLERO's new album World Class Listening Problem. World Class Listening Problem also marks the first recorded work by the band's new incarnation (bassist Jason Jouver, guitarists Gene Doyle and Jeff Ellsworth and Che). An e-card previewing World Class Listening Problem can be accessed here. DON CABALLERO is currently on tour in North America in support of World Class Listening Problem and has announced a second leg that will include label-mates ZOMBI. This extended run begins on August 10th and will be sponsored by Decibel Magazine and Jakprints. A listing of tour dates can be found here with more to be announced shortly.
FURIA and Season of Mist are sad to announce that Mehdi Khadouj (keyboards & backing vocals) will leave the band just after the last three shows scheduled (see below).
Mehdi wishes to focus exclusively on his band BEYON-D-LUSION, in which he plays the guitar. We all wish him good luck for the future, but please note he will stay close to FURIA, and will probably appear on stage with the band from time to time.
Mehdi won't be replaced, since FURIA's most recent songs are all about power and guitars, and the keyboards will take a smaller part in the band's future.
In a joint partnership game developer Metro 3 and record label Earache Records have developed EARACHE EXTREME RACING. Mortiis, among other Earache Artists have been chosen to be part of this. Mortiis has it´s own racing team, as well as the track "Parasite God".
EARACHE EXTREME RACING will be available forPlay Station 2, PSP, and PC and is due out on July 7th on PC and July 28thfor Play Station2 and PSP. Go here for a demo: http://www.m3deurope.com/earache/
Helvete
28.06.2006: Melancholic Art - Live video of concert with Krisiun is available
In May 28th, Melancholic Art played in a concert with the death metal legend Krisiun, promoting the re-release of the album Força Black Metal Pampeano, which was released and sold-out in the last year and is being released again, now with a new cover artwork.
According to Anwar Amon (vocals): "This show was very important, besides of the re-release of our cd, after the first 1.000 sold-out copies, it was one of the most polemic concerts and with the best response, which shows why we are here, to break every moralism. Watch out, because more massacres will come! Ave Lucifer Rex!"
More than 1.500 fans went to the show, and now the band put for download a live recording containing the songs "Força Black Metal Pampeano", which carries the name of the album, and "Bestial Carnage Flesh".
Portuguese doom metal band Ava Inferi is more than ever online. The band has become a part of the ever increasing MySpace community, so if you are a member or a surfing visitor, pop by www.myspace.com/avainferi to say "Hi" to Rune, Carmen and Co. Of course, the official www.ava-inferi.com website is still on. Check out their beautiful graphic designs and find news, images, etc.
Helvete
19.06.2006: News from Kamelot
The guys are just heading home after a powerful show at the gigantic Sweden Rock Festival. With the Kamelot choir on stage and special female vocal appearances from Elisabeth and Karianne Kjærnes & Marianne Follestad from Norway, the band proved once again they are a truly dominant live force. Full pyros lit up the sky on the encore presentation of March of Mephisto. Photos on the website coming soon!!
Kamelot was featured on Sweden 9o'clock news after the breakout gig at the festival. Congrats guys!
FINLAND! Finally Kamelot comes to Finland after 2 consecutive top 30 charting albums. The date is Saturday August 19th, 2006 at Tavastia Club in Helsinki.
Megadeth is currently working on their new as-yet-untitled Roadrunner Records debut album. Tracks were layed down at SARM Studios in the UK this past April where Mustaine was working with co-producer Jeff Balding, who helmed 2004's The System Has Failed, and now the boys are back in the States working to finish the project.
Said Dave, "We rented John Bonham's (Led Zeppelin legend) drum kit for Shawn (Drover - drums) and he was beside himself. He went to England as a young man and came back a seasoned veteran because the way he is playing, I didn't know he had that talent. I knew he had a gift. He even surpassed my wildest dreams for what drums should sound like on a Megadeth record. It's really rewarding to go through all the extent that we did and the difficulty to make everything happen because I believe sonically what we've got down right now is probably some of the heaviest bass (courtesy of James Lomenzo) and drum sounding tracks that we've had in a really long time. As far as the speed and the tempo or anything like that, that's up to other people to listen to and see if they like it or not. Tone-wise what we have right now is really cool."
When asked if all the drums and bass parts were completed, he continued: "Yes. Glenn (Drover - guitarist) has four songs done. I just started my overdubs and I'm doubling my tracks so I'm about four songs into it. The record consists of twelve songs - 11 for an American release and 12 for Japan. Unless Roadrunner adds an additional track from something previously and puts out all 12 tracks around the world, which I think would be cool. I'd like to see all 12 tracks go around the world and give Japan a live track or something."
As for early song titles, Mustaine could only say, "You know me, these song titles change everyday! And I won't know the record title until I've committed to the damn artwork."
13.06.2006: THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN set to release digital EP / Miss Machine: The DVD; Kick Off Tour With AFI
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN release a digital-only EP Plagiarism today, June 13th.
The EP features ‘Unretrofied’ (from their acclaimed Miss Machine CD), interpretations of NINE INCH NAILS’s ‘Wish’, MASSIVE ATTACK’s ‘Angel’, SOUNDGARDEN’s ‘Jesus Christ Pose’ and Justin Timberlake’s ‘Like I Love You’ as well as previously unreleased live material. Many of these covers have been heard during the band’s live sets over the past several years but remained unrecorded until this EP. Plagiarism is available exclusively via iTunes here .
On June 27th the band will release Miss Machine: The DVD in North America (with an international release on July 3rd). This low-priced limited edition DVD features a collection of behind-the-scenes footage, all the studio videos from Miss Machine and live clips spanning the ensuing worldwide tour.
Also, starting today, Tuesday June 13th, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN will play as direct support to AFI during the first leg of their December Underground Tour. In addition to their dates with AFI, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN will be doing several headlining shows with label mates DYSRHYTHMIA in tow and will round the tour out by providing support for COHEED AND CAMBRIA in the mid-west. A complete listing of DEP tour dates can be found here.
13.06.2006: CEPHALIC CARNAGE on tour now with DARKEST HOUR, DEAD TO FALL
CPEHALIC CARNAGE have teamed up with DARKEST HOUR and DEAD TO FALL for an extensive European tour that also includes a number of festival appearances.
The tour kicked off on June 8 in Karlsruhe, Germany and is scheduled to conclude on July 2 in Tilburg, Netherlands. During the course of the tour, CEPHALIC CARNAGE will be making appearances at such high-profile festivals such as the HellFest Open Air, Pressure Fest, Munster Vainstream Rock Festival, Power Fest, Transmitter Fest, Summer Blast Fest and more. A complete listing of tour dates can be found here.
This is CEPHALIC CARNAGE’s second European tour in support of their current record Anomalies and follows their most recent North American tour with A LIFE ONCE LOST.
MISERY INDEX are on tour now in support of their Relapse debut, Discordia. MISERY INDEX have teamed up with FROM A SECOND STORY WINDOW, CATTLE DECAPITATION, ANIMOSITY and JOB FOR A COWBOY for an extensive U.S. summer tour. The run of dates, dubbed the 'Steers and Beers Tour’, began last week on the east coast and circles the country, covering almost 40 cities in 6 weeks.
Discordia features ten new tracks from the Baltimore-based quartet. Discordia's track listing is "Unmarked Graves", "Conquistadores", "Outsourcing Jehovah", "Breathing Pestilence", "Meet Reality", "Sensory Deprivation", "The Medusa Stare", "Dystopian Nightmares", "Discordia" and "Pandemican". The LP and Japanese CD pressings of Discordia will include a cover of NASUM’s "Digging In" as a bonus track. An e-card previewing Discordia can be viewed here.
