Friday September 24th 2010

Five years after Das Leben Wird Zu Glas, Saphena released their next album. Das Ende Einer Wahrheit was released world wide on September 20th. On myspace you can listen to two new songs: Das Ende Deiner Allmacht and Ich Sehe Mich.

Intense Millennium Records will re-issue classic metal albums. In November you can expect Vengeance - Human Sacrifice, Vengeance Rising - Once Dead, Sacred Warrior - Rebellion, Bloodgood - Bloodgood, Bloodgood - Detonation. In January these are followed by: Sacred Warrior - Masters Command and Altar Boys - Gut Level Music.

The brand new video from For Today for Devastator is now online. The song comes from their new album Breaker. For Today is currently on tour in the USA with Bleeding Through and they will be heading overseas for their first European tour in November.

Slechtvalk has cancelled their gig in Barneveld due to drummer Grimbold fallen ill. The show would have taken place in Stedsj tomorrow. The show will be rescheduled.

John Coffey is finishing up the Vanity Tour, before they start writing new songs.

We Are The Fallen have a new single coming out. They've chosen the song Tear The World Down and it will be added at radio stations in October.

Underoath went to Alaska. Watch this video will footage of mountains, wildlife, a sound check and a trip above the clouds. This was filmed entirely with the iPhone 4G.

Bombworks Records released the fourth Holy Blood album Shining Sun this month.

The sponsor of this site released the second printing of his latest crime novel. If you can read the Dutch language and like a good crime mystery, check out this book.  The second edition also has a different cover.

Friday September 17th 2010

Christian Liljegren, the vocalist and founder of Divinefire, Narnia and Audiovision, is back with a new band. The group is called Golden Resurrection. Musically they offer Swedish melodic neoclassical metal in the vein of ReinXeed. Golden Resurrection was formed in 2008 by Christian Liljegren and twenty year old guitarist Tommy Johansson (ReinXeed). The line-up was completed by Stefan Käck (bass), Rickard Gustafsson from Pantokrator (drums) and Olov Andersson from Audiovision on keyboards.

The Golden Resurrection debut album is now finished. This album is called Glory To My King and it was produced by Erik Måtensson (W.E.T., Eclipse) and mastered by Micke Lind (Dio, Candlemass, Talisman). The band signed with King Records for the release in Japan, which will take place on October 27th. Liljegren Records (formerly known as Rivel Records) will release the album outside Japan on November 12th.

Check out this promotional video for one of the songs:

Focus, the second album from Audiovision, will also be released in Japan by King Records. This happens on October 27th. The Japanese release will have a bonus song called Are You Ready, and three bonus videos.

ReinXeed's third album Majestic will finally come out in Europe. The album was released in Japan on March 27th by King Records. It scored 88 points out of 100 in Burrn! Magazine in Japan.

Another Scandinavian release coming out, is Into Forever from 7 Days. This epic metal project is led by Darkwater and Harmony guitarist Markus Sigfridsson. It comes out on October 15th through Liljegren Records. The CD features contributions from Markus Sigfridsson on guitar, keyboards and programming, from Daniel Flores (The Murder Of My Sweet, Mind's Eye) on drums, Andreas Passmark (Royal Hunt) on bass, Kaspar Dahlqvist (Dionysos) on keyboards, Thomas Vikström (Therion) on vocals, Caroline Sigfridsson on vocals, Christian Liljegren (Audiovision & Golden Resurrection) on vocals, and Erik Tordsson on vocals. On myspace you can hear samples.

The new Anberlin album Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place entered the Billboard 200 album chart in the USA at #9. They never had a top 10 debut before.

Last week The Devil Wears Prada had similar success, entering the chart at #10 with the Zombie EP, selling nearly 25,000 copies in the first week.. Now they're at #88.

As I Lay Dying will release a Super Deluxe Fan Box including: The Powerless Rise CD, a 12" vinyl picture disc, The Powerless Rise DVD Documentary with in studio footage and interviews, a hard cover book with lyrics and photos, a 12" X 12" Lithograph, three guitar picks, a mini drumstick keychain, an As I Lay Dying patch, a window cling and a metal As I Lay Dying logo pin. This box comes out on November 9th and is a limited edition.

August Burns Red put the trailer for their upcoming live CD/DVD Home on Youtube. The live CD/DVD comes out on September 28th.

Becoming The Archetype will be in the studio from October 10th through November 10th with producer Matt Goldman.

The Australian label Soundmass signed Biogenesis for the release of their second album The Rise, The Fall, The Rebirth. Biogenesis was originally formed in 1996 by Chaz Bond (Jacobs Dream). In 2001 the band debuted through Rowe Productions with The Mark Bleeds Through. Four years ago the band reformed with the original line-up. Now they return with the follow-up album. It comes out before the end of the year. On myspace you can hear a rough mix of the new song Hatred Seed.

Ted Kirkpatrick opened a Youtube channel with Tourniquet videos and more. It also includes a new video of his solo effort Ode To A Roadkill with extremely slow stoner music. The vocals were supplied by a monkey and the song is called Monkeys:

Also on the Tourniquet Youtube channel is this cool appearance on the Cornerstone Festival in 2002. The band played Pecking Order:

The extreme metal band Coram Deo from the Ukraine released their EP Death Is Dead throug Soundmass. The EP is the follow-up to Evangelion. This is the song Daylight from Evangelion:

The Dutch band Duister Maanlicht is in the studio to record a new CD entitled Hoerenzonen en Heksendochters.. They aim for a nineties black metal sound. Below you can listen to the song De Dood Gloort Aan De Zwarte Horizon:

Friday September 10th 2010

The Juliana Theory released a collection of rare b-sides, out of print releases and never before heard recordings. This album is called 28 B-Sides And Rarities. It spans the band's entire career with tracks going back to the earliest days and continuing all the way up to the final album.

Underoath is still working on their album:

Stairway offers a couple of free live tracks recorded at the Eastwood Fest. Go here to download them. And as another favor, the band decided to get 20% off of the new Interregnum CD if you purchase it directly from them. Nice folks, those British!

In The Midst Of Lions released a video for The Machine, a song from their recent album The Heart Of Man.  The CD was released by Facedown Records. The band: 'The song The Machine is about money and greed and how these things can take our focus away from God and consume us. Drew came up with the concept of the mud being a symbol of that greed and sin.'

Another band on Facedown Records is Impending Doom. They also have a new video. This video was made for the song There Will Be Violence, the title track from their new album:

The Famine finished recording their new album The Architects Of Guilt with D. Braxton Henry (formerly of Devourment). The album was mixed by Jason Suecof (The Black Dahlia Murder, Trivium). The Architects Of Guilt is set for a Fall 2010 release through Solid State Records. It's the follow-up to The Raven And The Reaping (2008).

From October 28 through 31st, the annual Nordic Fest will be held in Oslo, Norway. And this year's line-up is promising: Demon Hunter, Antestor, Deliverance, Vardogr, In Vain, Diamondog, In Process, Magteslos, Feel The Aftermath, Nephesh and I Shot Alice. Another band is yet to be announced.

In case you forgot to look at the concerts page... On Saturday September 25th, Slechtvalk will play in Barneveld (The Netherlands) in Stédsj, Nieuwemarkt 8. They're playing with Hymir and Rhovanion.

And don't forget this one: September 18th 2010: Legends Of Rock festival. Location: Haus Ennepetal, Gasstrasse 10. Ennepetal (near Wuppertal), Germany. Bands: Whitecross, Guardian, Shout, X-Sinner, Seventh Angel, Rex Carroll, Seventh Avenue.

Friday September 3rd 2010

The Swedish progressive metal band Darkwater will release their new album Where Stories End through Ulterium Records on November 12th and on November 23rd through Nightmare Records in North America. Where Stories End is the follow-up album to the debut record Calling The Earth To Witness (2007). The tracks on the album are: Breathe, Why I Bleed, Into The Cold, A Fools Utopia, Queen Of The Night, In The Blink Of An Eye, Fields Of Sorrow, Without A Sound and Walls Of Deception. The album was mixed by Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman. On myspace.com you can hear samples from the album.

The new Underoath album will be titled Ø (Disambiguation). It comes out through Solid State Records/Tooth & Nail Records on November 9th.

Wonrowe Vision, the new band from Mortification singer/bassist Steve Rowe, is now on myspace and facebook.

The Dutch extreme metal band Borgazûr is expanding their line-up. Being a duo for years, now the band has a bassist called Limcdarg.

Hayley, Josh and Taylor from Paramore did an acoustic show for the 25th Anniversary of AlternativePress. Check out this live video of Feeling Sorry:

Friday August 27th 2010

Believer is recording the follow-up to the album Gabriel. The drums are about finished. According to guitarist Kurt Bachman the new songs are quite different. Believer hopes to complete the album in the next couple of months, while they discuss possible release dates with Metal Blade Records.

Das Ende Einer Wahrheit is the title of the new Saphena album. On myspace you can hear two new songs.

Corpus Christi released their video for the song Monuments:

The Showdown released their new album Blood In The Gears. Another new song was put on their myspace.com profile: No Escape. And on purevolume.com they put the new song The Man Named Hell.

Want the summer sampler from Facedown Records? This compilation album contains the following tracks: Devastator from For Today, Lower Still from My Epic, Collapse from War Of Ages, The Machine from In The Midst Of Lions, The Overman from A Hope For Home, Orphans from Impending Doom, Empty from Call To Preserve, Shiver from A Plea For Purging, Demons Never Sleep from The Burial, Sink Or Swim from Onward To Olympas, Dear God from As Hell Retreats and Project AK-47 from Wrench In The Works. You can get this sampler for free here.

The Dutch metal band Veritas Infinita released their first CD. It contains five melodic/symphonic gothic metal songs.

X-Sinner will start recording the next album Going Out With A Bang over the fall and winter months. This album may end up not being released digitally due to all the illegal free downloads the last album encountered.

Retroactive Records will reissue two Mass records. They will release the self-titled EP (1984) with the original artwork. However, this four song EP comes out for the first time on CD. The other record to be released is the Fighter album (1982), the debut album they recorded for A&M Records but was never released. Both CD's will come out in late October.

Mass is also working on their first live DVD. The release date will be in late fall 2010.

On October 26th King's X will release a double CD/DVD set entitled Live Love In London. InsideOut Music will bring out this first official live DVD from the band along with a double CD. Live Love In London was shot in January 2009 in the Electric Ballroom in London, UK.

Friday August 13th 2010

A new band on the Tooth & Nail Records' roster is Icon For Hire. They combine heavy rock with modern pop elements. Icon For Hire will be hitting the studios with producer Aaron Sprinkle (Anberlin, The Almost) this fall.

The Showdown has another new song on myspace. The track is called Take Me Home and it comes from the Blood In The Gears album (out on August 24th). Here's the album trailer:

Hmmagazine.com reports how hard rock band X-Sinner have a hard time with illegal downloads of their album World Covered In Blood. Their label Image Records detected several illegal dowloading sites. One site alone has had World Covered In Blood downloaded over 169,000 times. This is frustrating to some of the band members who have had their share of financial difficulties trying to make a living doing their art.

At the moment X-Sinner is working on several new songs and ideas for a follow-up to World Covered In Blood. They're deciding what direction to go with releasing or not releasing their newest material and considering all their options. If you downloaded the album illegally but want a next album to come out, buy World Covered In Blood to give the band the indication that a follow-up is wanted.

We Are The Fallen has a New Single Contest. Though the band has already chosen which song from their album will be their next single, the fans are invited to guess which one and create artwork that represents that work. The artwork must be in square format, much like a CD cover. Only one submission per person, and don't use any band photos in your creation. The winner that guesses the correct song and has the best artwork will receive a copy of the sheet music used by the string players while recording the single. The entire band will autograph this sheet. Once a winner is chosen, your cover-artwork will be featured in an upcoming band newsletter announcing the winner, along with the band's official artwork for the new single. You can enter the contest by signing up at WeAreTheFallen.com and then sending your submission to WATFcontest@gmail.com. Email submissions by next Friday, August 20th.

The Weakening released a demo called Chaos Harmony a while ago. It contains five songs: Awaken To Existence, Corridors Of Perception, Systematic World Disorder, Serpents Hissing and Web Of Lies. You can get it for 3 euro plus shipping through theweakening@gmail.com.

Nick Aveling of Canada's National Post spoke to Dave Mustaine of Megadeth last week about Mustaine's new book, Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir. Watch the chat below:

Friday August 6th 2010

Blissed signed with Wounded Records. This label will release the third album Death Is Not The End. The album comes with a full live DVD. This DVD was shot in the band's hometown near Niagara Falls, USA. On myspace you can listen to two new songs: Come And Take It and Gasoline.

Paramore won the Best Album award at the 2010 Kerrang Awards for their album Brand New Eyes. Their video for Ignorance is also nominated as Best Rock Video at the 2010 MTV Music Video Awards:

Facedown Records released a new album from In The Midst Of Lions. The CD is called The Heart Of Man. On myspace you can hear some songs from the album.

Fans of the late eighties and early nineties band Whitecross may want to know, that the band will play in Europe in September. They're not only playing the Legends Of Rock Festival in Germany, but they're also coming to Tivoli, Utrecht, Holland, on Friday September 17th. Here's the video of No Second Chances (1991):

On August 28th & 29th the third Up From The Ashes festival will take place in The Vault, Temecula, California, USA. Bands playing are Bloodgood, Deliverance, Ultimatum, Klank, Once Dead, Grave Robber, Fasedown, Stevie & The Saints, Altar Billies (with Mike Stand from the Altar Boys), Silent Rise, SoulJourners, Troglodyte Dawn and Fellguard. A weekend pass is 50 dollars. The festival is organized by Roxx Records.

On November 5th & 6th the third Brainstorm Fest will take place in the Gigant, Apeldoorn, Holland. The line-up is now nearly complete, including In Vain, My Silent Wake, In Grief, Demon Hunter, The Spirit That Guides Us and Slechtvalk.