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NILE 'Legacy Of The Catacombs' Release

2007-07-04T21:40:06+00:00

Relapse Records will issue Legacy of the Catacombs, a CD and DVD collection highlighting the thus-far career of NILE, in North America next Tuesday, July 10th (July 16th internationally). The Legacy of the Catacombs CD features 12 stand-out tracks from NILE?s illustrious musical catalog (Amongst The Catacombs of Nephren-Ka (1998), Black Seeds of Vengeance (2000), In Their Darkened Shrines (2002), and Annihilation of the Wicked (2005)). The DVD portion includes all of the band?s studio videos and is packaged with the CD in deluxe digi-pak housing.

NILE will see the release of their brand new studio album, Ithyphallic, later this month courtesy of Nuclear Blast Records. The band is set tour extensively in support of the record, including spending the Summer as part of Ozzfest 2007. source: smnnews

LAKE OF TEARS & RAGE Live! In Romania

2007-07-03T22:02:35+00:00

LAKE OF TEARS and RAGE will play live in Bucharest, Romania on September 8th, 2007 at Arenele Romane. Produced by Inner Chaos Productions and Metalfan the show will take place under the name of "LOT of Rage". The local band, Thunderstorm will open the show for the two headliners. Lake Of Tears are at their second visit in Romania after a great show last year, with Celelalte Cuvinte and Voices Of Silence.

The price of the tickets is 65 RON (about 22 Euros) and are available at bilet.ro, Musica Store, Music Shop, Polivalenta Hall and Flanco Stores. More details at www.metalfan.ro

Hans Rutten of The Gathering talks about the leaving of Anneke

2007-07-03T14:45:14+00:00

THE GATHERING drummer Hans Rutten has answered several fan questions regarding the future of the band in the wake of vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen's decision to leave the band: Q: Why no farewell tour or even one gig at Paradiso in Amsterdam? Hans: "The original idea was to tour until the Ankkarock festival [the last gig with Anneke], and fill up the gap between now and August doing some more festivals, maybe even some club gigs. While we toured North America, Anneke informed us she only wanted to play the last three gigs. She felt it was the right thing to do. We understand why people ask, even beg us, to give the fans one last chance to see the band live. Of course, we thought about doing a special last show. The fact is that Anneke explained to us she doesn't want to play with us anymore. It would be a emotionally tense show instead of something to look forward to."

Q: Is touring the main reason Anneke quits with the band? Hans: "It's hard for us to answer this question. But no, I don't think so. Of course, being away from home while having a family is hard. Besides that there's also a 'health' issue. Going in and out of aeroplanes and air-conditioned buses is not healthy, especially when you are a singer. Being on the road can be pretty heavy sometimes. Jet lags, stinky backstages, sleeping in buses or not sleeping at all.. You name it, we saw it. We know Anneke had difficulties with touring, but I don't think we toured like crazy the last 2-3 years. When Anneke decided to quit and talked with us about her decision, we tried to convince her there would be a possible way out, even without touring, just making records. I think it was time for her to do something else, to have a fresh new start. An urge to do something else was so strong that she felt like she had to leave the band." Q: Was Anneke's decision a big surprise? Hans: "Yes and no. I personally had a very good conversation with her two weeks before she told us she decided to quit the band. She said she was still thrilled about recording a new GATHERING album and all the ideas we had going around. So yes, it was a big surprise. We just had a year off, as she was pregnant and we didn't tour that much at that time. She said she didn't have the time and energy to do things she would like to do. She wanted to have more time for her family, her own music and hobbies. We decided Anneke would only have to be involved in the musical part of the GATHERING and take some load of her shoulders. Eventually I think the idea of a solo album triggered the whole split." Q: Why do you continue with the name THE GATHERING? Many people associate Anneke to THE GATHERING and THE GATHERING to Anneke. It would be difficult to get rid of this "female singer heritage" just like that. Hans: "The departure of Anneke doesn't mean we will also just stop making music. It is her decision and we regret it very much. Not everybody knows THE GATHERING was founded by me, Hans, Rene and our former vocalist Bart Smits. Frank joined THE GATHERING 6 or 7 months later. We also had already made 2 albums before Anneke came to the band. Simply put; there was a GATHERING before Anneke, and there's a GATHERING after Anneke. We like to see this as a third era. People tend to forget we asked her to join THE GATHERING back in 1994. We gave her all the musical space, so she could grow, as she has a unique voice and is very talented. We are aware of the fact that Anneke's voice has been very important for the music of THE GATHERING. She became, at least for some people, more important then the other band members. As I said, she has a terrific voice, but she simply isn't THE GATHERING. We want to continue making music and like THE GATHERING always evolved we will again. Rene and Frank always came up with 90% of all the musical ideas. Four members of THE GATHERING continue, so why change the name? Even if we would change our name, we would be labelled as 'the ex-GATHERING members' anyway. It won't be an easy task, but in all the sadness we feel about Anneke's decision, there's also a lot of excitement going on right now. We can do whatever we want. All of a sudden there's a lot of fresh space surrounding us. We are aware that our new album might be the most important one we'll probably ever make. So we will take all the time we have, will not rush into things. Chemistry between the vocalist and the music is the most important thing in music, at least for me. I don't care about hotshot producers, fabulous guitar players, drummers who care more about what kind of endorsement deals they have. I care about chemistry, and with Anneke we had a terrific kind of symbiosis. We think this is possible with other vocalists. It will be different, it will take some time for people to get used to it."

Q: Is THE GATHERING planning on "hiring" a male singer only? Hans: "It all depends. It depends on what will happen musically and what will be on our path. Sure is that we are open to work with both male and female vocals. We think it's exciting to work with new vocalists. First we'll work on the music and from there we'll decide what kind of voice would fit best. It's also possible that a song is strong enough without vocals. There are so many options right now. We really want to keep them open, at least for a while. In all these years we've made a lot of friends and met some great vocalists. I think a lot of them would like to work with us. In the past we already worked with Trickster G on our 'Souvenirs' album. There are more roads leading to Rome. Q: Do you have any musical ideas for the new album? Hans: "Like every GATHERING album, it will be different again. Especially this time; it will be a new era of the band. Especially Rene has some very strong new ideas. We think this time our music will be more guitar driven and more up tempo. We will not continue with what we did on 'Home', despite of the fact that we all love the record. Again; we will take our time. Q: Will you, when you will play live again, do the "Anneke-era" songs? Hans: "It's hard too say anything about this right now. As I see it now, we will focus on the new songs and maybe we'll also play some older material in a new way. Time will tell." source: blabbermouth

ANATHEMA Live! @ Artmania Festival

2007-07-02T20:49:57+00:00

After 13 years, Anathema has finally came back to Romania, during the Artmania 2007 Festival. A moment of joy especially for the devoted fans and even for the Cavanagh brothers themselves (Daniel -vocals, keyboards, guitars and Jamie (bass). The show itself was a suspended "Moment In Time", the location was wonderfull -big city plaza of the medieval fortress-town Sibiu. Friday 25-th of june, 10 pm, almost 7.000 spectators attended the venue. The setlist was as it follows: Shroud of False Fragile Dreams Closer Forgotten Hopes Destiny is Dead Empty One Last Goodbye Hope A Natural Disaster Angels Walk Among Us(w. Lee) Judgement/Panic Flying Angelica Dying Wish Sleepleess (w. Duncan Patterson) Watch below the full show:

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DELAIN 'See Me In Shadow' Video

2007-06-29T22:43:41+00:00

DELAIN the Dutch gothic rock project founded by ex- WITHIN TEMPTATION keyboardist Martijn Westerholt (brother of WITHIN TEMPTATION's Robert Westerholt) has a new video for the track "See Me in Shadow". The song is the second single from DELAIN's debut album, "Lucidity", which came out last year. The clip for "See Me in Shadow" was shot on May 8 "in a very special country cottage in Brabant, Holland," according to a posting on the group's web site. "Lucidity" contains some interesting duets: Liv Kristine sings with Marco Hietala on "Day For Ghosts" and with Charlotte on "See Me In Shadow". Sharon den Adel's distinctive voice is a great counterpart to Marco's intense vocals on "No Compliance", whereas the heavy grunts of George Oosthoek combine very well with Charlotte's peaceful voice on a number of other tracks. See Me In Shadow Video:

source: blabbermouth

PRIMAL FEAR New Album Details

2007-06-29T21:27:52+00:00

Frontiers Records has announced the details of the new studio album from German melodic metal masters PRIMAL FEAR, entitled "New Religion" to be released in Europe on September 21. PRIMAL FEAR started the songwriting for their new CD in October 2006 and the recording began shortly later, at the House Of Music studio with engineer and co-producer Charlie Bauerfeind (BLIND GUARDIAN, SAXON, HAMMERFALL) and longtime producer and band member Mat Sinner.

"I really feel electrified," says Sinner. "I never had such a feeling since the release of the first PRIMAL FEAR album in 1998. We never worked harder on an album before," while singer Ralph Scheepers adds, "'New Religion' is definitely the start of a new chapter in the history of PRIMAL FEAR. The fact we've signed with a new record company and bringing back our good friend Henny Wolter into the band sets more energy free than the launch of a rocket. The band is in the best mood since many many years! Can't believe that? Listen to the album!" The album proves once again that Randy Black is one of the world's top drummers and singer Ralf Scheepers delivers the most exciting and outstanding vocal performance of his career. Most of the guitars were played by Stefan Leibing. STARBREAKER and ALLAN/LANDE producer/guitarist Magnus Karlsson helped out with two stunning guitar solos prior to Henny Wolter rejoining the band and recording more lead and rhythm guitar for the CD. EPICA's lead singer Simone Simons was invited to studio to sing the first duet in PRIMAL FEAR recording history, on the song "Everytime It Rains". The band worked on the mix at the Galaxy Studio in Belgium with award-winning engineer Ronald Prent (RAMMSTEIN, IRON MAIDEN, MANOWAR). Mat Sinner states: "We are totally satisfied about the result and the final sound. Ronald did a great job. In my view, 'New Religion' sounds more powerful than the predecessor, even you can hear every single tone crystal clear." The song "Fighting The Darkness" is divided into three different sections: the first part "Fighting The Darkness" is, according to Mat Sinner, "the best sounding tune the band has released so far," followed by a huge instrumental "The Darkness" and a "Reprise". "The real metal songs like 'Sign Of Fear', 'Blood On Your Hands' and 'New Religion' are sounding 100% like PRIMAL FEAR, but still different" explains Mat Sinner. "I really love the vibe and that I feel a progress in our work, that there is still space for a new step into creativity. Even the fast, but very melodic tracks like 'Face The Emptiness' and 'The Curse Of Sharon' sounding fresh, new and exciting!" Two video clips were produced ? for "Fighting The Darkness" and "Sign Of Fear" ? which are included in the album's limited digipack edition ipak. In Ralph Scheepers' words: "'Sign Of Fear' shows the powerful side of PRIMAL FEAR in a raging performance clip, while 'Fighting The Darkness' is more like acting on a crime scene. After the night shot of 'Sign Of Fear' until 5 AM in the morning, we were all tried to death, but the concept of 'Fighting The Darkness' was such a great challenge for everyone, we really gave more than 200% to look and act good." Mat Sinner states: "We will start our tour in the U.S. this time and co-headline the ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta. For the first time, we will perform a bunch of songs from the new album on stage! Then we will embark on a double headliner tour together with our friends of U.D.O. through Europe, plus a yet undecided special guest. In December we will tour Japan and Korea, plus some more Xmas shows in Europe. Then we're working on dates in South America, the U.S. and Canada for early 2008!"

"New Religion" track listing: 01. Sign Of Fear 02. Face The Emptiness 03. Everytime It Rains 04. New Religion 05. Fighting The Darkness: a) Fighting The Darkness b) The Darkness c) Reprise 06. Blood On Your Hands 07. The Curse Of Sharon 08. Too Much Time 09. Psycho 10. World On Fire 11. The Man (That I Don't Know) You can listen to some samples below:

Sign Of Fear

Face The Emptiness

Everytime It Rains

source: blabbermouth

ARCH ENEMY Upcoming Album 'Rise Of The Tyrant'

2007-06-29T21:07:08+00:00

Swedish /German extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY have announced that they have completed work on their new album. The new masterpiece, entitled "Rise of the Tyrant", was recorded at Studio Fredman with producer Fredrik Nordstr�m and will be unleashed on the metal world on September 24 (one day later in the U.S.).

ARCH ENEMY mastermind Michael Amott comments on the new album and the upcoming touring activities as follows: "So how does it sound, you ask? Well, I am of the opinion that we have made the 'ultimate ARCH ENEMY album!!! To me, this album sounds like the perfect mix of melody and brutality. This album is a an organic and honest statement from the band ? it's pure f**king metal at its absolute best, the ARCH ENEMY way! Producer Fredrik Nordstr�m did a killer mix on the record ? the sound is big and intense! "This album has everything that ARCH ENEMY represents in my mind. I can't wait to release it and play these songs live for you, the fans! "Actually, we have to start rehearsing at some point this summer... We will be playing a couple of festivals in the UK (Bloodstock) and Germany (Up From The Ground). These will be the first shows with my brother Christopher (Amott; guitar) back in the band! We also have to work out how to play these new songs so we will have a very busy summer with ARCH ENEMY, that's for certain! "The touring plan for ARCH ENEMY will start full on after the summer, and we can confirm we will joining the European Black Crusade tour package with MACHINE HEAD, TRIVIUM, DRAGONFORCE and SHADOWS FALL ? yeah, that's a pretty impressive tour, huh? Equally exciting for us is the Australian Black Crusade tour which we will be doing with TRIVIUM and MACHINE HEAD.

"Lots of other cool touring ideas are flying around at the moment ? looks like we also might be visiting places on this planet where ARCH ENEMY has not yet had the pleasure of playing... That's what it's all about!" "Rise of the Tyrant" track listing: 01. Blood On Your Hands 02. The Last Enemy 03. I Will Live Again 04. In This Shallow Grave 05. Revolution Begins 06. Rise Of The Tyrant 07. The Day You Died 08. Intermezzo Libert� 09. Night Falls Fast 10. The Great Darkness 11. Vultures source: blabbermouth

METALLICA New Rehearsal Video

2007-06-28T21:52:41+00:00

Video footage of METALLICA rehearsing for its "Sick of the Studio '07" tour, which is scheduled to kick off tonight (Thursday, June 28) in Lisbon, Portugal at the Super Bock Super Rock festival, has been posted below. The clip was shot yesterday (Wednesday, June 27) and features the band playing the songs "The Unforgiven" and "Disposable Heroes". As previously reported, METALLICA said to have rehearsed the following songs for the "Sick of the Studio '07" tour: "No Leaf Clover" (James Hetfield only) "Orion" "Fade to Black" "Am I Evil?" (complete song) "Disposable Heroes" "The Unforgiven" "... And Justice for All" "Nothing Else Matters"

source: blabbermouth

DREAM THEATER Causing 'Chaos' With New Album

2007-06-28T21:17:09+00:00

Dream Theater's top 20 entrance onto The Billboard 200 is a vindication in triplicate for the New York band. The No. 19 debut for "Systematic Chaos" heralds the group's best start for an album, its best sales week (36,000) since 1994's "Awake" and its first breath of air inside the top 20. "Chaos" also represents an unexpectedly sweet beginning with Roadrunner Records, which signed the act last December. Unhappy with being shifted among Warner Music Group's labels and receiving minimal promotion for records following "Awake," the prog rockers hoped they would get dropped when their eight-album option was up for renewal. But EastWest, then Elektra, then Atlantic, kept picking it up, so Dream Theater self-promoted albums with yearlong tours pegged to the release dates and constant contact with fans through its Web site.

Imagine, then, the band's chagrin when it finally got a fresh start by signing with Roadrunner only to face the announcement, just days later, that Warner had purchased Roadrunner for nearly $74 million. "That's the biggest irony of this whole thing," drummer Mike Portnoy says with a laugh. "We waited 15 years to get away from Warner, and we actually had several offers from other Warner-affiliated labels that we passed on because we wanted to go with Roadrunner, and then literally a week after we signed was when they announced it. "Distribution is such a minor piece of the puzzle in terms of marketing and promotion, and the hands-on creative engine and all of that is intact at Roadrunner," Portnoy continues. "With Atlantic and Elektra we were just kind of this bastard child who was handed from person to person, from staff to staff, label to label, each time we made a record."

They may not be a bastard child, but they're certainly a unique one often misunderstood by record companies. "The thing, to us, that's the most important is that we went somewhere where people really understood the history of the band and what we've built," guitarist John Petrucci says of Roadrunner. "It was actually surprising to some of the labels we were talking to how many records we've sold, how many concerts we've done [and] how many people we've played to. It's kind of like a best-kept-secret." According to Nielsen SoundScan, Dream Theater has sold 2.1 million albums in the United States. Band manager Frank Solomon estimates the band has sold between seven and eight million records worldwide. "Systematic Chaos" is Dream Theater's ninth studio album. Number eight, the last one released on Atlantic, was 2005's "Octavarium," which debuted and peaked at No. 36. The band's 1992 major-label debut, "Images and Words" (Atco), was the only one of its albums to garner significant radio and MTV airplay. Lead single "Pull Me Under" hit No. 10 on Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. Why hasn't the band scored a second traditional hit? It could be simply due to the fact that its songs keep getting longer. "Systematic Chaos" opens and closes with a two-part track, "In the Presence of Enemies," that runs for practically half an hour. The group also writes complex, technically proficient compositions that can't be absorbed in one listen, and that's hard to market in an instant-gratification, increasingly download-centric world.

But these same factors helped Dream Theater create a following among music students and prog fans alike. Vinne Hartong, the band's product manager at Roadrunner, explains that having experienced success with accomplished musicians like DragonForse and Trivium, the label believes in a market for those audiences. Roadrunner was also attracted to Dream Theater's status as a heritage act that's still youthful and relevant. Hartong thinks the label can not only build on the group's existing fan base, but also recruit new listeners. "It's cool to take this band that has been shown no label love in like 10 years and ... finally give them what they deserve," Hartong says. "We have a point to prove. I'd love to prove to Atlantic, 'If you guys had just done an ounce of work, this is what you could have had.'" Atlantic Records did not provide any comment by deadline. Roadrunner's marketing plan for "Systematic Chaos" includes interviews in metal and music instruction magazines, print ads, a free download of first single "Constant Motion" and studio footage of the band posted online. A special edition of the album that features a 90-minute making-of documentary and a 5.1 Surround Sound mix is also being released. In addition, a recent TicketMaster promotion allowed those who purchased tickets for select 2007 North American dates to download a free video of the band recording album track "The Dark Eternal Night" when they also pre-ordered "Systematic Chaos." For Dream Theater, this is the first time in years, if ever, that many of these tactics have been employed. One of the biggest steps forward has been doing a video for "Constant Motion," which is now in post-production. It's the first clip the band has lensed in a decade.

"There was no reason for us to do music videos because MTV wasn't gonna play us, so it was a waste of time and money," Portnoy says. "But now, in the age of the Internet, it makes sense. A great way to market a band [is] through Web sites and YouTube and things like that." The road, however, remains the linchpin of Dream Theater's promotion strategy. The Agency Group's Steve Martin, the band's longtime booking agent, says the group plays venues with an average of 3,000 seats. He has seen it progress from filling the 1,000-capacity Irving Plaza in New York the day of a show to selling out the 6,000-seat Radio City Music Hall through an Internet-only pre-sale four months in advance. Dream Theater is currently in Europe on its Chaos in Motion tour, but will return to the States in July and head back overseas in early fall. Martin seconds Roadrunner's thinking that the band can reach new markets and audiences. "In 2008 we're going back to South America," he says. "Last year we played San Juan [for the first time], and we did 5,000 people." Solomon confirms the band will play inaugural shows in Australia in early 2008. Hartong says Roadrunner will also give terrestrial and satellite radio a shot. Since the label wants to establish the band "as hip and relevant to the modern metal world" with what Hartong calls "the hardest track on the record," the nearly seven-minute "Constant Motion" was delivered to metal radio May 28. The band appreciates giving radio the old college try, but Petrucci isn't holding his breath. "We realize our strength is in our perseverance and in our live shows, and if something were to click with radio, it would be fantastic," he says. "We've seen the difference, we've seen how that really goes, [how it can] sell so many more records. But we're doing great even without that."

source: billboard.com

ROBERT PLANT Shoots Down LED ZEPPELIN Reunion Rumors

2007-06-28T20:51:56+00:00

Robert Plant has shot down reports that LED ZEPPELIN will reunite for a one-off memorial concert in honor of their late record company boss. A report was published earlier in the week suggesting that Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones will re-group alongside John Bonham's son Jason for a special concert in memory of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun in London.

A source was quoted as saying, "Page, Plant and Jones spoke and agreed to do the memorial concert. They are waiting for a definite date. "And no one can quite believe it, but during discussions about the concert they all gave the green light to a tour if it all does well and they don't all fall out. "It has been hoped for and denied for years. But this is the closest they have ever come to a reunion tour. The feeling is that this is going to happen next year."

Speaking at a press conference for the upcoming Rockwave festival ? which is scheduled to be held June 29, June 1 and June 3 in Athens, Greece ? Plant insisted that he hadn't heard anything about the rumored ZEPPELIN reunion and jokingly added, "If there was one, then there wouldn't be enough doctors to support it!" Ertegun died in December 2006 after seven weeks in a coma following a fall at a ROLLING STONES concert. source: blabbermouth

DEVILDRIVER Interview In Milan

2007-06-27T22:50:01+00:00

A video interview with DEVILDRIVER's Dez Fafara and John Boecklin, conducted a couple of months ago by Roadrunner Records in Milan, Italy, has been posted below. DEVILDRIVER recently filmed a video for the song "Not All Who Wander Are Lost" in Los Angeles with director Nathan Cox (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MARILYN MANSON, SYSTEM OF A DOWN). The clip is expected to be released shortly. In a recent interview with MTV.com, DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara (ex-COAL CHAMBER) stated about the group's upcoming CD, "The Last Kind Words'' before complete annihilation. For me, this album is about being motivated to stand up to the punishment of being a human and to have the character in you to go on when all people want to do is hold you down." "Lyrically, it's dark and foreboding," Fafara added. "But it's gonna give you inspiration to go through this earthly experience and keep kicking." "I think we knew we had to reach within ourselves as a team and pull something out that was really different. Everyone totally put aside their egos and stepped up to the plate to do what needed to be done. In America right now, there's so much of that sing-songy metal going on, so we knew if we did something totally balls-out it was going to be well-received."

source: blabbermouth

MAX And IGOR CAVALERA To Enter Studio In July

2007-06-27T21:07:01+00:00

According to Brazil's Bizz magazine, the as-yet-unnamed new project featuring SEPULTURA founding members and brothers Max and Igor Cavalera will enter a Los Angeles studio in July to begin recording its debut album for a late 2007/early 2008 release via Roadrunner Records.

Although it has not yet been confirmed, it is rumored that production duties on the CD will be handled by former MACHINE HEAD/SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader, who worked with SOULFLY on their cover of MARILYN MANSON's "Beautiful People" for the recently released Kerrang! magazine compilation "Higher Voltage". The project, which will coexist with Max's main band SOULFLY, is expected to include guest appearances by SOULFLY guitarist Marc Rizzo and other, as-yet-undisclosed musicians. While the bulk of the album will be recorded in Los Angeles, a possibility exists that two or three songs will be tracked in Brazil, according to Max, who described the new music as "hardcorish."

In a recent interview posted on SOULFLY's official web site, Max stated about his collaboration with Igor. "This project is going to be very much like a volcano exploding. We've had so much anger and aggression building up, and I know that Igor is going to fucking destroy the drum kit in the studio. I really doubt the drum kit will even survive the recording, and I hope doesn't. So far it's sounding very aggressive, but again, at this point there are no rules or limitations with it. It's going to be mainly just me and Igor, but I want to have some other guys involved with it. It's going to be similar to NAILBOMB in that it's only two guys, some friends, and one album ? but it's definitely going to have its own style. It's metal Cavalera style, and it's the closest thing that anyone's going to get to seeing any type of reunion. I don't know what the fuck is going to happen with it, but I'm very excited to see where it goes and what we can do."

Igor Cavalera left SEPULTURA in June 2006 due to "artistic differences." He has since been replaced by Jean Dolabella (ex-UDORA). Igor's departure from SEPULTURA came five months after he announced that he was taking a break from the group's touring activities to spend time with his second wife and their new son (who was born in January 2006). Filling in on drums during the band's spring 2006 European tour with IN FLAMES was Roy Mayorga, who played with Max in SOULFLY for several years in the late '90s and again in 2001-2003.

Max Cavalera left SEPULTURA in December 1996 after the rest of the band fired his wife Gloria as the group's manager. source: blabbermouth

RAMMSTEIN 'Völkerball' DVD Release In September

2007-06-27T20:33:08+00:00

German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN will issue their "V�lkerball" DVD in the U.S. in September. The exact release date will be announced soon.

RAMMSTEIN's latest album, "Rosenrot", received its long-overdue U.S. release in March 2006 via Universal Music. The CD, which was certified platinum in Germany for sales in excess of 200,000 copies within two weeks of release in October 2005, topped the official album chart in Germany, Austria and Finland, and landed at No. 2 in Sweden and Denmark, No. 4 in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, No. 5 in France, No. 6 in Mexico, No. 11 in Italy and No. 29 in the U.K. In addition, "Rosenrot" achieved gold status in Austria, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. RAMMSTEIN's track "Mein Teil" was nominated in the "Best Metal Performance" category at the 2006 Grammy Awards. source: blabbermouth

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Release 'Nocturnal' In September

2007-06-25T13:23:46+00:00

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER will release its new album, "Nocturnal", on September 18 via Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2005's "Miasma" is being recorded with Eric Rachel (who mixed "Miasma") and will be mixed by Jason Suecof, who has previously worked with TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER, GOD FORBID and BURY YOUR DEAD, among others. The cover artwork for "Nocturnal", has been posted below:

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER vocalist Trevor Strnad told MTV.com in January that "Nocturnal" will be "definitely in the same vein as our older stuff. Nothing drastically changed. It's just more tasteful, and some of this new stuff will be faster than the last record. . . There's going to be a lot more soloing than we've done previously. This record's a bit more European-sounding, I think. More so than we already were, if you can imagine that. The solo stuff has a black metal-ish flavor to it. We messed around with that a little bit previously, but some of the songs have a major DISSECTION kind of feel to them."

Lyrically, Strnad said the record will be "more horror-oriented" than "Miasma". "As far as gore and death and stuff like that goes, I mean, that's all been done ? into the ground," he said. "I am just trying to do something like that, but with my own flavor to it. There are still ways to repulse people out there ? I just need to figure it all out." THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER is also working on its first DVD release, which Strnad hopes will include footage documenting the making of the band's next record.

source: blabbermouth

New MUSHROOMHEAD Video

2007-06-24T12:53:37+00:00

A new MUSHROOMHEAD video has surfaced online via the Precinct 13 Entertainment. The clip for "Damage Done" was produced by Precinct 13 during the shoot for their upcoming film "The Rage", directed by FX legend Robert Kurtzman ("From Dusk Til Dawn", "Wishmaster") and it features the fire-breathing burlesque of Miss Pussycat.

source: metalunderground

DECREPIT BIRTH New Album Artwork

2007-06-24T12:37:56+00:00

Santa Cruz, California-based death metallers DECREPIT BIRTH have posted the cover artwork for their second album, "Diminishing between Worlds". The CD was recorded at Castle Ultimate studios with engineer/producer Zack Ohren and is scheduled for release later this year through Unique Leader Records.

Guitarist/vocalist Matt Sotelo previously said about the upcoming CD, "This album will be a step in more of a melodic and progressive direction yet still have a heavy dose of technical brutality. Very reminiscent of bands such as later DEATH, CYNIC and QUO VADIS mixed with the brutality that DECREPIT BIRTH is known for. We are really trying to do something new with album, and we feel that we have grown as musicians and that 'Diminishing between Worlds' will be a reflection of that." DECREPIT BIRTH recently announced the return of bassist Risha Eryavec to the group's ranks. The band's debut album, "...And Time Begins", was released in October 2003 via Unique Leader Records. source: blabbermouth

VADER & BELPHEGOR Live! Footage

2007-06-24T00:13:38+00:00

Live! footage of VADER and BELPHEGOR's June 20, 2007 performances at the W2 venue in Den Bosch, Holland.

BELPHEGOR "Hell's Ambassador" "Seyn Todt In Schwartz"

VADER "Epitaph (For Humanity)" "Carnal"

Suicide Silence New Album Title

2007-06-23T11:24:14+00:00

SUICIDE SILENCE have set The Cleansing as the title to their upcoming new album, which is set for a September 18th release. A new video, ?Unanswered? has just been posted below:

This new effort was recorded with producer John Travis (Static-X), while the renowned Tue Madsen (Himsa, The Haunted) handled mixing duties. The artwork for The Cleansing was handled by Dave McKean (Mirrormask, Sandman comics) and Mitch Lucker (vocals) states: ?From the very beginning, we wanted artwork that would separate ourselves from other bands and add some value to the purchase so fans would be less prone to simply download the record. Dave went above and beyond helping us achieve that as he created an entire layout that exceeded our expectations and further enhanced the album artistically.?

source: smnnews

BEHEMOTH Too Dangerous For Poland

2007-06-22T13:45:04+00:00

MTV.com reports: This week, a Polish anti-sect organization dubbed ?The All-Polish Committee for Defense Against Sects? released a list of artists it claims ?promote Satanism? or ?encourage murder and animal sacrifice? with their music. The group plans to distribute the list to a number of Polish politicians next month, in hopes that the officials will ban said artists from performing in the Central European nation. The list includes, among others, MARILYN MANSON and SLAYER ? who, oddly enough, are touring the U.S. together this summer. Another act making the list is one of Poland?s own, blackened death metallers BEHEMOTH ? who?ll also be touring the U.S. this summer, as part of this year?s 11th annual Ozzfest.

Adam ?Nergal? Darski, BEHEMOTH?s frontman, said he questions the motives of the APCFDAS and thinks the attempt to ban his band from performing in his native land is, well, ridiculous. ?You have these politicians who, for some reason ? probably just for self-promotion ? want to fight this kind of stuff,? he explained. ?This is music. This is art. This is some kind of expression, and this is our expression. For some reason, they think it has a negative influence on kids, so they want to stop it. So they made this list that?s going to come out next month, and BEHEMOTH is #1. ? I?m not sure if they?ll [be able to enforce it], because it?s a violation of the most basic democratic rules. It?s very extreme and very dangerous.? ?Extreme? and ?dangerous? ? two words Nergal often uses to describe BEHEMOTH, but obviously with different connotations. Regardless, the threat of a potential Polish ban hasn?t put the fear of God in BEHEMOTH. In fact, the band has booked a handful of Poland dates, which it intends on playing immediately following Ozzfest?s August 30 finish in West Palm Beach, Florida. It?s all part of BEHEMOTH?s campaign to spread the word about The Apostasy, their seventh full-length album and follow-up to 2004?s Demigod that lands in stores July 17 ? less than a week after Ozzfest?s Seattle launch.

?If you have a record like this in your hands, and you have so many tour opportunities and so many people [supporting you], all you have to do is get your ass on a plane or in a van ? if there?s a need ? and just tour every f?ing corner of the world, and make sure that every kid has a copy of this f?ing record,? Nergal said with authority. ?No compromise ? no rest for conquerors.? The title to the new album refers to apostasy, the state of having forsaken your professed belief set, often in favor of opposing beliefs or causes. Different from the band?s previous works, The Apostasy features choirs, piano interludes and a horn section. Overall, Nergal said the album is a bold statement on the current state of international Catholicism ? the dominant faith among Poland?s populace. But only those willing to comprehend the message will get it. ?There?s a beautiful and very epic meaning behind this title, and it?s a great statement, because of its rebelliousness,? he explained. ?BEHEMOTH has always been about rejection, rebelling against various things. It?s not about rebelling against religion. The religious aspect is so important, especially in [this day and age] when the majority of wars are caused by religious conflicts. We actually speak about things that are present [on this album], that are important in the modern world. Smart people will be able to recognize this. ?This album is ritualistic,? he continued. ?I would say that there is a barbaric touch to this record, and that?s what I love about music. This is a disturbing, dangerous record, and we are here to make people think. This is not just entertainment. People need to have this awareness that BEHEMOTH isn?t just entertainment. We are a disturbing, dangerous band, and we do all of this to make people think for themselves. Kids these days, they have no one to really look up to. I think BEHEMOTH?s message, some people at first might think it?s very negative. I think it?s actually very positive.?

Musically, The Apostasy is just as epic and extreme as anything BEHEMOTH have done before, but there?s an intensity to the LP that?s been missing from the band?s previous efforts, Nergal said. The goal with this record wasn?t to just push the brutality envelope. ?I wanted to make sure that, when you play this music to a jazz musician or a classical musician, I want those people to listen and say, ?This is controlled chaos,? but then on the other hand, they?ll be like, ?Hey, these guys really know how to play,? ? Nergal enthused. ?We are an extreme band. But extreme metal doesn?t mean you don?t have to have musical value. It?s a very musical record, and we?ve improved as musicians a lot. I just wanted to make sure extreme-metal music [could] also be very high-quality music.? According to Nergal, BEHEMOTH jumped at the chance to play this summer?s Ozzfest, despite the fact that they wouldn?t be paid to perform. They will have to rely exclusively on merch sales to get them through. ?It still feels unreal to me,? he said. ?These people have to really have big balls to bring bands like NILE and BEHEMOTH on the bill ? to bring dangerous music to the masses. We are not the most mass-appeal, happy band around. We?re not a radio-friendly band either. I can?t wait to go onstage and just blast insane music for these people and see what their reaction is. I would say that we are going to do our best, [so that] people remember the shows. We?re ready to conquer the world.? If you miss BEHEMOTH this summer, don?t fret ? Nergal said the band will be returning to the States this fall for a co-headlining run with JOB FOR A COWBOY and GOJIRA. He also said fans can look forward to an EP ? featuring live tracks and some outtakes from The Apostasy sessions ? later this year and should expect a BEHEMOTH DVD early next year. source smnnews

DARKTHRONE's New Album

2007-06-21T18:09:02+00:00

Norwegian black metal legends DARKTHRONE have posted the following update: ?Finally! 18 months after the first recordings for the new album, DARKTHRONE is done. End of July will see the release of the new EP ?NWOBHM? (New Wave Of Black Heavy Metal). This EP contains four songs on CD version, and two songs on the 7? vinyl version. There is one new exclusive song on both versions called ?Hedninger Fra Helvete? (Heathens From Hell). The TESTORS cover song ?Bad Attitude? is added on the CD version.

CD contains in this order: ?Wisdom Of The Dead? (a different recording than the version on the album), ?Canadian Metal? (same recording as the album version, but different vocals added), ?Hedninger Fra Helvete? (exclusive new song for this EP) and ?Bad Attitude? (cover song of American TESTORS). Vinyl version contains ?Hedninger Fra Helvete? and ?Canadian Metal.? The new album is called F.O.A.D. and will be released in September.? The F.O.A.D. tracklisting is as follows: 01. These Shores Are Damned 02. Canadian Metal 03. The Church Of Real Metal 04. The Banners Of Old 05. Fuck Off And Die 06. Splitkein Fever 07. Raised On Rock 08. Pervertor Of The 7 Gates 09. Wisdom Of The Dead source: smnnews