Friday November 28th 2008

The South African gothic rock band The Awakening is stirring again. After a three years hiatus since Razor Burn they are getting ready for new releases. The Awakening plans to bring out two releases in 2009. More information will follow.

The Dutch death metal group Organic Matter has called it quits. In May singer Ruben left. Now the other members have decided to disband. There will be one final show. This takes place on December 12th in the Baroeg, Rotterdam, Holland. The band plays with Immortal Souls and Deuteronomium.

The Swedish death metal group Inevitable End signed a deal with Relapse Records.

Speaking of Sweden and death metal, Pantokrator made a video for their song Nephilim. This is a track from the Aurum album:

Sad news comes from Barren Cross. The classic metal band has parted ways with singer Michael Drive. The reason are theological differences.

In Vain finished the recording for their new album. The final mix will be done in December. The tentative release is set to be February 2009.

Strike First Records signed The Rekoning. This band from Southern California brings old style punk rock/hardcore in the vein of The Deal and Hanover Saints. Their debut album The Road Less Traveled will be out on January 6th 2009.

The first names are announced for the Elements Of Rock festival that takes place from May 21st through May 23rd in Switzerland. You can expect performances from Seventh Angel, Illuminandi, Crimson Moonlight, Dividing Line, Disobedience and Theocracy.

MTV published the live video for Lead Me Home from Demon Hunter. This is an excerpt of their 45 Days DVD.

It's been some time, but now you have the opportunity again to download a file containing the Art For The Ears radio show. It's the show that was aired on November 21st. Music is featured from the following artists (in order of appearance): Deliverance, Warlight, Brian Head Welch, The Spirit That Guides Us, Once Dead, Fort Knox Amsterdam, Thy Majestie, Mad Max, Harmony & P.O.D. You can download it from Badongo as well as from Rapidshare (this one is limited though).

Friday November 21st 2008

Fort Knox Amsterdam is still alive and kicking. They changed their line-up and went into a different musical direction. To illustrate the new Fort Knox Amsterdam, the band recorded a demo. You can listen to three new songs on myspace.

According to Blabbermouth.net, Believer inked a deal with Metal Blade Records for the release of the new studio album. This is the first album in fifteen years. The CD will include guest appearances by Joe Rico (Sacrifice), Deron Miller (World Under Blood & CKY) and Rocky Gray (Living Sacrifice).

This is Believer in 1991, performing the song Sanity Obscure:

Austrian Death Machine will release a Xmas EP on November 25th. It will contain a rendition of the classic Jingle Bells, plus Get To The Choppa and a cover of Hell Bent For Leather, originally from Judas Priest.

The Swedish company Ulterium Records will re-release Southgate. This Seventh Avenue album was released by Treasure Hunt Records in 1998. Release date is January 23rd. The album can already be ordered through the Ulterium Records Store.

The Norwegian band Mantric is working on their first album.

The Norwegian hardcore band Grace Will Fall parted ways with Guideline Records. They have a new album ready and are yet looking for a label. You can hear the new song Apply Resistance on myspace.

August Burns Red is taking time to write a new record.

Friday November 14th 2008

Thrash metal band Believer finished mixing their new album. It will be mastered on November 18th. The record will be released early next year. It's still not announced what label will have the honor of releasing this comeback CD.

Stavesacre have completed their new EP Against The Silence. The songs on this CD are: Against The Silence (Long For More); Side-Stage Syndrome; The Dash On My Headstone; Teeth Like Knives; ...The Band Played On (Against The Silence Part II). You can listen to the track The Dash On My Headstone on myspace.com.

You can now order the new demo CD New Chapter from the German metal band Ancient Prophecy.

Driver will play the Bang Your Head Festival in June. This festival will be held in Balingen, Germany. Other bands on the bill are Blind Guardian, U.D.O and many more.

On November 25th the new EP No Gift To Bring from The Almost will see the light of day. You can listen to the song Little Drummer Boy on myspace.

The Dutch metal band Borgazur is writing their next album called 2C4. This is the next in line of a series of one concept. Musically the group will step into the world of orchestral progressive metal.

Still Remains put a b-side song on myspace called I Can Never Be Your Lover.

Becoming The Archetype also put a new song from their upcoming album Dichotomy on myspace. The track is called Deep Heaven.

Friday November 7th 2008

On November 22nd King's X will release their first live-DVD ever. The DVD contains a live performance King's X did back in 1990 at the Astoria in London, UK. The disc was produced by Wally Farkas (former Galactic Cowboys guitarist) and is entitled Gretchen Goes To London.

The Famine published their video for the song Consume, Devour, Repeat on MTV's Headbangers Blog. The track is one of the songs on The Raven And The Reaping which is out now.

In 2009 Bride will produce their final album. Thirty songs are considered for this project. So far only the founding members Dale and Troy Thompson are announced as the musicians for this record.

On November 25th Demon Hunter will release 45 Days, the package with two DVD's and a CD. On myspace you can hear the live version of Lead Us Home.

The Finnish metal band Deuteronomium is back in the studio again. Something new will come out next year.

Callisto is now mastering their next album. Within a few weeks they hope give you an impression of what's to come. Callisto is also featured on the Falling Down compilation, a 3CD package with 40 bands including Kut, Pelican and Kylesa. The song Callisto contributed is The Fugitive from the Noir album.

Sad news comes from Shadow Gallery. They lost their singer Michael A. Baker who suffered a heart attack on October 29th. He was 45 years old. Mike was a founding member of Shadow Gallery.

Thy Bleeding Skies will enter the studio for their next album late February. They will record twelve songs.

The Dutch hardcore act Jedidah recorded a new song and put it on their myspace.com page. The track is called Proclamation.

Friday October 31st 2008

Eight years since the release of Discerning Forces, Opprobrium is retuning with a new album. Mandatory Evac will be released by Metal Mind Productions on November 10th in Europe and on January 20th in the USA. Mandatory Evac was recorded last sommer and produced by the band themselves, like their 1988 debut album Serpent Temptation. You can hear the preview track Fake on the Metal Mind Productions myspace page.

Metal Mind Productions will also re-release the two first albums, Beyond The Unknown and Serpent Temptation. Both are remastered and limited to 2000 copies.

As I Lay Dying will be filming their first DVD in November. The DVD will include live performances, backstage footage, interviews, a documentary and more. The DVD will be released in the spring of 2009. As I Lay Dying will be filming at three shows in California, USA.

Strike First Records signed Earth From Above. This band will be recording an album that will be out in spring 2009.

Mortification made known that their Live Humanitarian DVD cannot be played on the majority of the USA DVD players. Bassist/singer Steve Rowe: "Nuclear Blast Records and I made every arrangement to make sure that the DVD was pressed in Region 0; in other words, playable world-wide. However, here is the catch - even Region 0 has 2 different format types: Region 0 NTSC and Region 0 PAL. The "Live Humanitarian" DVDs are in Region 0 PAL, which is the standard format for Australia and Europe. If you live in the Americas and do not have a recent model, top level DVD player, you may not be able to play the DVD through your TV and sound system. However, the DVD should play on all computers with a DVD drive."

Soundmass signed Grave Forsaken for the release of their third album This Day Forth, due out in early 2009.

Friday October 24th 2008

Mortification is doing well. Nuclear Blast pre-sold the entire first pressing of the Live Humanitarian double DVD. It may take some weeks before Nuclear Blast has the second pressing. Soon you can pick up a copy from the Soundmass.com store as 100 copies are on its way.

MxPx released the cover of Take Me Out To The Ball Game. The track will be available on myspace for the duration of the World Series (baseball championship in the USA).

Zenith Of Abolition are recording a live DVD. This will happen on November 8th in the Escape in Veenendaal, Holland.  The band also put a new song on their myspace.com page. The song is called Twilight.

Becoming The Archetype put the title song from Dichotomy on myspace. Dichotomy will come out on November 25th.

Friday October 17th 2008

Ulterium Records will re-release the Harmony debut album Dreaming Awake. This is the record that first appeared through Massacre Records in 2003. The album has been out of print for the last years. Now Ulterium Records will bring it out once again at the same time as the brand new record Chapter II: Aftermath, on October 31st.

Haste The Day have a new album out called Dreamer. On their myspace page you can hear some new songs from Dreamer.

Bombworks Records will release two new albums on November 11th. First of all you can expect the new My Silent Wake album A Garland Of Tears. The other CD is the new Sympathy album.

A new Christmas album is expected, featuring music from various rock bands including Thousand Foot Krutch, Hawk Nelson, The Almost, Kutless, FM Static, Project 86, August Burns Red  and more. The album is called X Christmas and will be released by Tooth And Nail Records on October 28th. Few the complete tracklist here.

The Dutch metalcore group Project Liberate is about to start the recording of their new EP. The recording should be finished shortly before Christmas.

War Of Ages published their new video for Through The Flames on the Headbanger's Ball website. The band is currently getting themselves ready for the European tour in December. Here's the video in poorer quality on Youtube.com:

Lance Garvin has left Soul Embraced. He has decided to focus his attention to his other band, Living Sacrifice. Rocky Gray is now the new drummer for Soul Embraced.

Friday October 10th 2008

Demon Hunter is set to unveil their brand new 3-disc release called 45 Days. This package consists of two DVD's and a CD. 45 Days documents the band's tour in support of last year's Storm The Gates Of Hell. The package will be released by Solid State Records on November 25th. You can view the trailer for 45 Days here.

Believer is almost ready with their new album. Right now they're mixing. According to the band, the new material is heavy, unique and Believer. They also signed a three record deal that includes world wide distribution. A release date is yet to be announced.

Miseration is writing music for their second album. They will enter the studio in the spring of 2009. The new material is faster, more brutal and more technical while maintaining the dynamics and melody of the debut.

Stavesacre is almost ready recording their EP. Some song titels are: Teeth Like Knoves, The Dash On My Headstone and Sidestage Syndrome. They have also filmed for a DVD. The plan is to finish the EP and the DVD by the end of the month. They will possibly be packaged together as a double disc. If all goes well, orders ship on December 1st.

Kekal signed a licensing deal with NePlusUltra Music for their seventh album Audible Minority. They will release the album in December. The first pressing of the CD vision will be a special digipak format, limited to 777 copies.

Singer Michiel Borkent has left Picture Of The Moon. The band is now looking for a singer with a good clean voice and stage experience. Interested? Mail to zanger@pictureofthemoon.net.

Picture Of The Moon cancelled (along with Whispering Gallery) their appearance on the Brainstorm Festival. Replacements are Monoblock and Harmony.

Limelight Magazine has nominated rock band Mass in two categories: Best Album By Group (Major) and Best Live Act (Major). People can log on to www.myspace.com/limelightmagazine and click on the blinking link above the survey to vote.

Ian Arkley of My Silent Wake made a home video using photos and some video footage:

Friday October 3rd 2008

Stavesacre is in the studio recording five new songs. They are recording with Jason Martin and Steve Dail. So far the drums are done. The band will finish the EP recordings in the next couple weeks.

The Australian metal band Teramaze will start recording a new album on November 12th. The album will be produced by Jeff Waters from Annihilator.

Norma Jean put their video of Robots 3 Humans 0 online:

Christian Liljegren (formerly of Narnia) joined forces with his brother Simeon Liljegren again. The two played together for many years in Borderline and Modest Attraction. They have plans to play live and record new material. It will be melodic seventies and eighties hard rock and metal with a symphonic touch and lots of harmony vocals. The Liljegren brothers will work under the moniker Audiovision.

Christian Liljegren will also be doing vocals together with Thomas Vikström on the new 7 Days album. The record is planned to out during 2009.

Call To Preserve have their new album From Isolation in stores now.

Metal Mind Records will re-release the two Seventh Angel albums, both with a bonus track. The bonus track on The Torment is The Turning Tide. The bonus track on Lament For The Weary is Lamentations. Both albums will be out on October 27th in Europe and on December 9th in the USA.