J. Bennett of Decibel magazine (web site) recently conducted an interview with DEICIDE frontman Glen Benton. An excerpt from the chat follows:

Decibel: Has it been weird writing songs without the Hoffman brothers [Eric and Brian, former DEICIDE guitarists]?

Benton: "It's been the fucking greatest thing in the world. Those two are a couple of idiots, man. I hate Eric and Brian Hoffman more than anything in this world, and I will not rest until I put shit straight with the fans. Up 'til now, everybody thinks I kicked them out of the band, but nobody kicked anybody out. They quit on their own, and I wanna set the record straight in regard to those two fuckin' pricks."

Decibel: What happened exactly?

Benton: "It's real simple: Eric Hoffman has a fucking steroid problem, and he's bi-polar. Brian married some young broad who's running his life for him. What initially happened is that when our publishing deal ended with Roadrunner, and our new deal started with Earache, we put them on notice that our publishing was no longer gonan be split four ways — it's gonna be based on who writes what. That's the industry standard. Brian writes one song for the album, Eric writes two songs and they wanna get paid for all the songs Steve [Asheim, drums] wrote. That's not fuckin' fair. And I wrote all the lyrics, so I'm entitled to 50% of the publishing. Why should I give those two money? They've been losing thousands of dollars for me and Steve for ten years now. If it was one of those things where they showed up and did their jobs, we wouldn't have a fucking problem. That's why the deal we signed [with Roadrunner] in '90 was set up like that. Back then, everybody wrote and contributed and it was a fuckin' group effort. But now me and Steve are the Lennon and McCartney of the band, doing all the writing, and those two wanna get paid for our hard work. Fuck that."

Decibel: So they quit?

Benton: "When they got their first publishing checks and didn't get paid for all the songs me and Steve wrote, they fucking quit. And now we gotta deal with Eric threatening Steve, driving to his house and screaming outside his window at 10:30 at night, making threatening phone calls, talking shit on Blabbermouth about Steve's dad dying, and all this other bullshit. Eric knows better than to come over here, though — he knows I shoot first and ask questions later."

Decibel: Didn't he get busted for steroids?

Benton: Yeah, Eric got busted, and when it happened, he put the drugs in his brother's bag and then his brother got busted. [Laughs]"

Decibel: Amazing.

Benton: "Yeah, they're real nice guys. We're in the process of suing them right now — for slander and everything else, dude. They're going around telling people I'm addicted to methamphetamine. You know what? Who hasn't experimented with a few things in their life? Big deal. So what if I experimented? They did, too! But, look, I don't even drink anymore, man. I mean, I'll have a Heineken every once in a while, but I was drinking a bottle of Jack Daniel's every night before I went onstage and another bottle while I was playing. That starts catching up with you real quick, and I started going blind in my right eye. So after a nice scare at the doctor's office about four years ago, I stopped."

Decibel: Aren't the Hoffmans suing you for the rights to the band name?

Benton: "They can't do a goddamned thing to me, dude. I own the fucking name. They went behind my back and filed on my trademark, so I'm in the process of suing them to get their names off it. And I will win. They abandoned their jobs, and now they wanna come back. Well, there's no coming back, man. Sorry. It's a better band now because they're gone. They're just a couple of losers, and they rode on me and Steve's coattails for all these years."

Decibel's entire interview with Glen Benton can be found in the magazine's April 2006 issue, available on the newsstands right now.

Blasting-Zone.com recently conducted and in-depth interview with legendary VENOM frontman Cronos. Several excerpts follow:

Blasting-Zone.com: How do you respond to the controversy surrounding the decision to name the album "Metal Black"? It would seem some people feel the title is simply a rip off of the "Black Metal" name!

Cronos: "It's our name to rip off (laughs). At the end of the day, it's ours to do with what we want. I heard people say 'Fuckin' hell! Could you have thought of a better title?' There are fourteen songs on the album, ya know? We could have called the album 'A Good Day To Die'. We could have called the album 'Burn In Hell'. Of course we could have thought of a different fuckin' title. There's a reason why it's called 'Metal Black'. It's because it's in the style of 'Black Metal'. It's VENOM returning back to our roots after twenty five years. People will always say there is no VENOM like the 'Black Metal' VENOM. But we could never do that same thing again. We've moved on as musicians and studio technology has changed… We can't make a muddy album, an album that sounds like crap. If people want that, they should take 'Metal Black', put it on the stereo, turn off all the treble, put all the bass on full and put their headphones in a bucket of water (laughs). Then it will sound like crap. Do they like it better like that? I think some people make comments about things without thinkin' about what they're sayin'. Nobody wants a crap-sounding album."

Blasting-Zone.com: At this point in your career, what are your feelings on Satanism? Do you feel your beliefs have benefited your career?

Cronos: "I live my life kinda how people would imagine the Devil living his life. I make my own rules and choose to do with my life what I please. I don't follow no fuckin' church dogma about 'believe this, say that…jump when I say jump.' The whole point of Satanism is to have your own head. We've taken that through every aspect of our career. You need to be so fuckin' headstrong because people are gonna tell you, 'Oh, you're doin' it wrong. you gotta do it like this.' Everybody thinks they've got great ideas. Fuck them. The whole point of being a Satanist is not running a round attacking people and being an idiot. That's where the Norwegian guys got it all wrong. Burning churches has nothing to do with Satanism, really. One of the laws is responsibility to the responsible. That's so easy to understand. Walk down the street and bother nobody. If somebody stands in your way, tell them to move. If they don't move, destroy them. How easy it that to understand? People don't even believe in God anymore. The churches are being used as community centers for children who come from poor backgrounds. It's as if there's something wrong with you if you believe in God, ya know? The whole Satanic image is perfect for heavy metal. This is the Devil's music. I don't like all of these lame bands that call themselves metal like SAXON and SAMSON. Shoving' stuff down your pants and putting lipstick on."

Blasting-Zone.com: What is your overall opinion of the current state of the black metal genre?

Cronos: "Well, it's certainly gone in some weird directions. For me, I think the whole genre should have gotten a new tag anyway. I'm very humbled that VENOM has gotten credited with being the influence behind it all. I really think a lot of these guys invented something of their own. For years, people have talked about how VENOM has started this and VENOM had started that. We don't necessarily look at it like that. We look at is as if we were more of a catalyst. It was going to happen anyway, we just came along and kicked it in first. We just kicked the door down and everybody ran it after that. Every scene has its peaks and its troughs. I don't think the scene has gone completely, I just think it's waning a bit. It's going to be up to the bands that are involved with it to either make something of it or roll over because shit happens and nothing last forever. Every extreme scene kinda loses its impact after a while. As soon as you show people how the magic trick works, it's no longer magic, is it? That's kinda how the death and black metal scenes are goin' at the minute. These bands haven't come up with anything new. It's just the same old, same old."

Blasting-Zone.com: What are your current touring plans?

Cronos: "Quite a lot, actually. We've always believed that people didn't want see VENOM if we didn't have the show. It just seems that so many people's opinions have changed because there are some many places where VENOM has never been. Not all of our fans can travel a thousand fuckin' miles to come see us. It just seems so odd that after twenty five years, there a just so many places that we've never even been. It's time for us to open our ears and take in a little bit of what's going on around us. We've got a lot of festival dates lined up and of course we're gonna do all the pyro and the whole shebang, but I think we should also try to do some of these other concerts as well, just to see how it goes. Some kid who can barely afford the price of the ticket can't come a long way to come see us. We're gonna try to get the best of both worlds when it comes to playin' live. One of the things that has been getting' talked about is a tour of the States with VENOM, SLAYER and EXODUS. How cool would that be? When people start talkin' about things like that, things they haven't seen in forever, we're just like, 'Get SLAYER on the phone so we can set it up!

Blasting-Zone.com: I think that tour would do very, very well!

Cronos: "I do believe so. We could even see if METALLICA wanted to open for us. Actually, we couldn't do that because they're crap (laughs). I think they need to take the word 'metal' out of the name."

Read the entire interview at Blasting-Zone.com.

A .ZIP file containing the title track from FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING's upcoming sophomore album, "Sterling Black Icon", has been made available for download at this location. Due on March 24 via Metal Blade Records, the follow-up to 2004's "Skywards – A Sylphe's Ascension" was recorded at PMT and Sound Tunnel studios and will contain the following track listing:

1. Carmine Preface
   
2. Sterling Black Icon
   
3. Weave Their Barren Path
   
4. Dear Floating Water
   
5. Breathe In the Black To See
   
6. Ride for a Fall
   
7. A Faint Illumination
   
8. Live For The Moment, Stay 'Till The End
   
9. Scythe Of Scarecrow
   
10. Onward to the Finger Of God
    
11. Stand The Tempest
    
12. Chambre Noire
    

FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING's full-length debut, "Skywards – A Sylphe's Ascension", came out in January 2004 through Metal Blade Records. The German death metal group had previously issued a self-financed EP, titled "Bloodred Tales".

Even though UNEARTH guitarist Ken Susi confirmed to the Alternative Press on Feb. 14 that the New England metallers would be one of the rotating co-headliners on the second stage at this summer's Ozzfest, Susi told MTV.com in a brand-new interview that he can't say for sure what his band's going to be doing ("I've heard rumors we may be attending, and it would be great if we're lucky enough to do it," he said). What Susi does know is that next week UNEARTH will board a plane bound for Seattle, where they'll spend the next two months recording their forthcoming, yet-untitled LP — which hits stores August 8.

UNEARTH chose producer Terry Date (PANTERA, DEFTONES) to helm the project — a decision made over some of Susi's mother's home cooking.

"We had other producers in mind, and we'd locked in a producer who's an amazing talent and shall remain nameless," Susi explained to MTV.com. "But Terry stepped in at the right time and had the right things to tell us. He had dinner over my family's house, and we just sat around talking about music and life. He just seemed like he's laid-back enough to help us find what it is inside that needs to come out on tape, but he also has the type of stern attitude where he'll tell you if something's wrong."

When UNEARTH started writing the follow-up to 2004's "The Oncoming Storm", "we just wanted to simplify a little bit," Susi said. "We wanted to do what we normally do, as far as writing intricate riffs and really hard things to play — things that come together really well. But we wanted to strip everything down and have a more organic record — just a more natural feeling, with fewer triggers and more power and realness. We've always been a live band more than a recorded band, and I think we need to start transporting what we do live onto record."

While in Seattle, Susi said the band plans to record a cover of "It's Clobberin' Time", which will appear on an upcoming tribute to New York hardcore legends SICK OF IT ALL.

SEPULTURA members Andreas Kisser (guitar) and Derrick Green (vocals) recently spoke to the U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine about the persistent rumors of a possible reunion with founding member and current SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera for a spot on this summer's Ozzfest.

"This rumor has been going round for fucking years, man," answered Andreas with a world-weariness that suggested he'd been asked this question many times before. "Max had been out of the band for five minutes and people [were asking us], 'When are you guys getting back with Max?' So many people are jumping on the [reunion] bandwagon at the moment — you know, JUDAS PRIEST and ANTHRAX — they've thrown away all the stuff they've done recently and gone back 15 years to the classic formations. It's total bullshit. With Max, it's hard to listen to anything he says in the press, because it's all so contradictory. He says he'll never play with us again, then he's saying that maybe he'll only play with Igor [Cavalera, SEPULTURA drummer and Max's brother]. You don't know what to believe. I think SEPULTURA has too much respect for their fans and for Derrick to do something like that just for money. The rumors will always be there as long as we're still playing." But if someone were to offer them a million pounds to do it? "No, I don't think so. Something like that could totally destroy our reputation. I do miss Max. I have three kids now and he only knows one of them, same with Igor, who has four kids now. We built something beautiful together and all this fucking stupid stuff gets in the way. I haven't spoken to him in almost ten years now, since the Brixton Academy gig [in London in December 1996] when he quit."

Added Derrick: "I found these rumors absurd and I'll tell you why. You look around at these bands like MÖTLEY CRÜE and ANTHRAX, who have reformed the so-called 'classic lineups.' It lacks any originality, it's like they're furiosly backpedaling, playing old songs and trying to recapture the old days. I guess once you've done the tour, what's left? If you record a new album, it will suck. In my eyes, bands like this are dead to me. People ask about Max all the time. To get Max back would be like a punch in the face for me and the band, for the work we've done since he left, and a slap in the face for the fans. You know, never say never, but I don't think that will ever happen. It's like the label think it's an easy way to make money, it's a sure bet. 'Fuck the band! This is about cashing in.' Fuck that! That's why I fucking hate the music industry."

Norwegian melodic metallers THUNDERBOLT will release their sophomore album, "Love and Destruction", on May 19 via Massacre Records. A song from the upcoming CD, entitled "Bad Boys", can be previewed at this location. Check out the album cover artwork by clicking here.

In addition to their previously announced European tour as the support act for KING DIAMOND, Norwegian melodic metallers THUNDERBOLT will be opening for ex-IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno for one show in late April and ex-BLACK SABBATH frontman Tony Martin for two dates in early March. A complete list of upcoming THUNDERBOLT concerts can be found at this location.

THUNDERBOLT's debut album, "Demons and Diamonds", was issued in 2003 via Massacre Records. Audio samples are available at Thunderbolt.no.

ARCH ENEMY guitarist Michael Amott has posted the following message on the group's official web site:

"We shot a video for the song 'My Apocalypse' on Monday. The shoot was smooth and fun. Our necks hurt for a couple of days though… 'Bang that head!!!!' The director, Roger Johansson, tells us it will all look killer when he's done with the editing and special effects. Looking forward to seeing it. Should be on a metal show near you in a few weeks! We also had Paul Smith come out and do interviews for the 'Live Apocalypse' DVD — that was a lot of fun… I just hope we come across like the wonderful human beings that we are…ha ha ha."

Check put pictures from the "My Apocalypse" video shoot at this location.

ARCH ENEMY's latest album, "Doomsday Machine", was co-produced by the band and Rickard Bengtsson at Slaughterhouse Studio in Sweden and was mixed by Andy Sneap at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, U.K.

Norway's THEATRE OF TRAGEDY shot a video for their new single, "Storm", on February 25 in Nürnberg, Germany. "The location was at a huge old building and the video was shot inside the wall in catacomb-like rooms," the band write on their web site. "There was no more than maybe 1 degree Celsius and with the heavy use of windmachines we made excessive use of the gas heater on set. The band was filming many different scenes and wrapped everything up at 00:30 Saturday night, luckily no one got ill from this freezing day." The clip was produced by AVA Studios. Check out pictures from the video shoot at this location.

"Storm", the single, was released as a special digipack in Europe on February 27 and in Germany on February 24 via AFM Records/Soulfood.

THEATRE OF TRAGEDY's new album, "Storm", will be released in Germany and Switzerland on Friday, March 24 via AFM Records. The rest of Europe will follow on Monday, March 27. A U.S. release date will be announced later. The CD was produced by Rico Darum and mixed by Greg Reely (PARADISE LOST, FEAR FACTORY, FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, SKINNY PUPPY, etc.) at The Green Jacket studios in Richmond, B.C., Canada. The limited edition will have one bonustrack called "Highlights". More soundclips will follow soon.

THEATRE OF TRAGEDY's new album will be the group's first to feature singer Nell (THE CREST), who replaced Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull (currently in LEAVES' EYES) in early 2004.

As previously reported, Norway's GOTHMINISTER have been confirmed as the support act for THEATRE OF TRAGEDY on their upcoming European tour. GOTHMINISTER will appear on all shows except the Norwegian dates. Germany's CATASTROPHE BALLET will be additional support on the Hannover and Frankfurt shows. A complete list of currently confirmed tour dates can be found at this location.

Kerrang.com is currently offering an exclusive look at the video to TRIVIUM's new single, "Dying In Your Arms", which features footage from the band's recent shows across the world. Check it out at this location.

Having recently arrived in the U.K., TRIVIUM set up on Wednesday (March 1) at Bradford Rio's for some last-minute rehearsing before their U.K. tour. However, all did not go as planned as frontman Matt Heafy explains in the following e-mail posted on the Roadrunner Records U.K. web site:

"So, we were rehearsing at Bradford Rio and the next thing we knew the doors opened and a few hundred kids were there outside listening and soon close enough to watch us rehearse, this was supposed to be a rehearsal, pre-production day. I explained to the people that gathered that we just got to the U.K. and we gotta rehearse so we are sorry to be boring and we continued to rehearse more, we then decided we would have some fun and then called kids up to sing and jam with us a bit we did some METALLICA, MAIDEN, TRIVIUM songs and more, it was fun and everyone seemed to enjoy it, I know we did! It was incredible!! Afterward we hung out for about an hour and a half and chilled."

Reactivated Finnish melodic extreme metal band ETERNAL TEARS OF SORROW mastered their fifth album, "Before the Bleeding Sun", earlier today (March 2) at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland.

"What a ride this has been," the band write on their web site. "We started writing material for this album in late October 2004, that's 16 months ago. And now, we're finally here. The mastering sessions are taking place today, and the artwork for the album will be finished within a week, too. Still, you and we have to wait for eight more weeks. That's when the album comes out. But compared to the 16 months we've already spent on this album, 8 weeks is practically nothing, isn't it?"

As previously reported, "Before the Bleeding Sun" is tentatively scheduled for release April 26 via Spinefarm Records. The CD was recorded at Tico-Tico Studios in Kemi and at Note-On Studios in Kuopio and marks the group's first release to feature lead guitarist Risto Ruuth (also in SCYRON) and keyboardist Janne Tolsa (also in TAROT).

Commented the band: "The album is damn heavy but still more diverse and more melodic than any of our previous albums. The whole process has rarely been so easy and rewarding for us before, all the pieces really clicked together this time."

"Before the Bleeding Sun" track listing:

01. Sweet Lilith of My Dreams
02. Another Me
03. Red Dawn Rising
04. Upon the Moors
05. Sakura No Rei
06. Sinister Rain
07. Lost Rune of Thunder
08. Tar Still Flows
09. Angelheart, Ravenheart (Act I: Before the Bleeding Sun)

Guest vocalists: Lead vocals by Jarmo Kylmänen (SCYRON) and Miriam "Sfinx" Renvåg (RAM-ZET). Backing vocals by Jarmo Kylmänen, Miriam Renvåg, Tony Kakko (SONATA ARCTICA) and Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH, TAROT).

Canadian death metallers KATAKLYSM have posted their video for the track "Crippled & Broken" at this location. The clip was filmed last month in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with Maurice Swinkel of Lowlife Media, with additional footage that was shot in remote parts of Holland. "Crippled & Broken", the band's first video from their new album, "In the Arms of Devastation", focuses on a war veteran suffering from the post-war syndrome.

As previously reporte, KATAKLYSM have entered the German national album chart at position No. 76 with their latest offering, "In the Arms of Devastation". The CD was mixed in Denmark by acclaimed producer Tue Madsen.

KATAKLYSM are scheduled to film a video for the track 'To Reign Again' with acclaimed director Maurice Swinkel of Lowlife Media (who recently completed the band's clip for the track "Crippled & Broken"). The new video will be filmed during the band's perfromances and touring activites at the No Mercy Festivals in April and will be released later in the year.

Norway's TRAIL OF TEARS will enter Soundsuite Studio in Marseille, France on June 25 with producer Terje Refsnes to start recording their as-yet-untitled fifth album. The band expect to spend six weeks tracking the effort for a late 2006 release via Napalm Records.

Commented vocalist Ronny Thorsen: "It will be a bigger-sounding album, for sure more orchestrated and symphonic. We are extremely satisfied with the pre-productions we have done and have strong faith in the material! We are also looking forward to work with Terje Refsnes again for the first time since 2002's 'A New Dimension of Might' album."

TRAIL OF TEARS's latest album, "Free Fall Into Fear", is available now on Napalm Records. The follow-up to "A New Dimension of Might" was recorded at Dub Studio with producer Endre Kirkesola (GREEN CARNATION, BLOOD RED THRONE).

As the release of the new Lacuna Coil album, "Karmacode", is drawing nearer, Centurymedia.com has posted a stream of the disc’s first single, "Our Truth", to tide over the masses until "Karmacode" is released on April 3rd 2006. Get on http://www.centurymedia.com, European Headquarters and check the media section. Lacuna Coil will officially release their new single "Our Truth" on March 6th 2006 on Century Media in Europe with a March 13th release for the UK. The single will be available in different formats including the track "Without A Reason" which is as exclusive to the single as the "Our Truth" radio-mix and the Jack Dangers remix. The accompanying video for "Our Truth" was directed by Fort Awesome, a brand-new directorial duo whose individual credits include Queens of the Stone Age, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Chevelle and more.

On some other news Lacuna Coil will embark on a massive six-week U.S. tour this March as direct support to Rob Zombie. This trek kicks off in mid-March and runs through early May. The band has also been confirmed to play at this years Download Festival at Donington Park in June with rock giants Guns N’ Roses and Metallica confirmed as headliners next to Korn, The Prodigy, Deftones, Clutch, Trivium, Bullet For My Valentine, InMe, Within Temptation and Hatebreed.

Finnish goth-metallers TO/DIE/FOR have parted ways with guitarist Mika "Alli" Ahtiainen. The group's official statement on the matter reads as follows:

"With sad hearts, TO/DIE/FOR has had to let their guitarist Mika 'Alli' Ahtiainen go.

"After playing and touring together for years, it just became obvious that we needed to go our separate ways. This was a decision Alli and TO/DIE/FOR made together and we hope you will respect our decision.

"There is no big drama involved, nor is there anyone to blame. Sometimes things just go the way they need to go and the inevitable must be faced. What had to be done is now done and we must continue on our own paths and see where the road will take its travellers. This is not easy for anybody to comprehend or accept at this point, we know that, but let's try and not make these times any harder than they already are for anyone of us. To make things calmer and easier, TO/DIE/FOR must also state that they are NOT looking for any replacement guitarists at this point. They will proceed with the recordings of their fifth album as planned.

"TO/DIE/FOR wishes all the best to Alli, as does Alli for TO/DIE/FOR and TDF fans."

TO/DIE/FOR last year parted ways with guitarist Juppe "J.P." Sutela and replaced him with SOULRELIC axeman Antza Talala.

TO/DIE/FOR are continuing work on the follow-up to the "IV" album, available now on Spinefarm Records/Soulfood. The follow-up to 2003's "Jaded", "IV" was recorded at Sonicimage studios in Kouvola, Finland and was mixed at Finnvox studios in Helsinki with Mikko Karmila.

The current TO/DIE/FOR lineup is rounded out by vocalist Jarno "Jape" Perätalo, ex-NEW DAWN FOUNDATION drummer/ex-TO/DIE/FOR drum tech Santtu Lonka, ex-H.I.M./NEW DAWN FOUNDATION keyboardist Juska Salminen, and bassist Jarkko "Josey" Strandmann (ex-NEW DAWN FOUNDATION).

Dutch female-fronted metal band AFTER FOREVER have parted ways with longtime label Transmission Records. The group's official statement on the matter reads as follows:

"Today, record company Transmission send a press release in which several factual errors occur.

"Transmission reports that they are putting an end to the cooperation with AFTER FOREVER. This decision however, had earlier already been made by the band by not accepting Transmission's offers to extend the contract or to renew it.

"AFTER FOREVER found it was time for a cooperation with a new partner. Most important reasons for this decision are Transmission's approach to promotion and marketing, especially abroad. Also, in the last period of time, Transmission's support and involvement had been minimal. The recent European tour (January) made this clear to us once again with relation to press promotion and local supply of CDs. Also, the two-year-old pictures sent with this latest press release is evidence of no real involvement with the band.

"AFTER FOREVER will be playing at several festivals in Belgium, Luxemburg and The Netherlands. In the second half of this year, they will also tour through Latin America again, like they did in 2005. Next to several venues and clubs, the band will perform at three large festivals in Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and Mexico City.

"For our fans, we think it is good to know that several large labels, both national and international, have shown interest in a cooperation with AFTER FOREVER. Therefore, we can only conclude that Transmission is a bad loser."

AFTER FOREVER's fourth full-length album, "Remagine", was released last year through Transmission. The follow-up to 2004's "Invisible Circles" was recorded at Excess studio in Rotterdam, Holland and was mixed by Sascha Paeth and Philip Colodetti at the Gate studio in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Sweden's GADGET have completed recording their new album, "The Funeral March".

GADGET proudly carry the grindcore torch forward with "The Funeral March". More than a devout collection of blasting beats, sweltering guitars and real-world lyrics, "The Funeral March" incorporates sinister melodies and a keen sense of dynamics to an already explosive mix.

"The Funeral March" track listing:

1. Choked
   
2. Feed on Lies
   
3. Requiem
   
4. I Am
   
5. Tristessens Fort
   
6. H5N1
   
7. Day of the Vulture
   
8. God of Led
   
9. Everyday-Ritual
   
10. Vägen till Graven
    
11. Illusions of Peace
    
12. Black Light
    
13. Out of Pace
    
14. Let the Mayhem Begin
    
15. Bedragen
    
16. The Anchor
    
17. Tingens Förbannelse
    

"The Funeral March" is scheduled for a May 2 release date in North America (May 8 internationally). Photos taken by the band and crew during the recording session can be viewed at this location.

Finland's KALMAH have entered the national album chart in their home country at position No. 38 with their latest effort, "The Black Waltz". View the whole chart at this location.

The follow-up to 2003's "Swampsong", "The Black Waltz" is available now on Spinefarm Records. The album marks the group's recording debut with keyboardist Marco Sneck (POISONBLACK). The band's current lineup is as follows:

• Pekka Kokko - Guitar, Vocals
  
• Antti Kokko - Lead Guitar
  
• Janne Kusmin - Drums
  
• Timo Lehtinen - Bass
  
• Marko Sneck - Keyboards
  

U.K. death metallers CANCER have once again called it a day. The following is the official statement on the matter from the group's drummer, Carl Stokes:

"Due to the lack of comitment to the band from John Walker [guitar, vocals], CANCER is no more. Carl Stokes wishes to thank every one who has supported the band with its return, and say sorry to anyone who is disappointed with this decision. However, Carl is working on another band called HAIL OF FIRE. The band will feature ex-CANCER members Dave Leitch (lead guitars), Barry Savage (lead guitars), Ian Buchanan (bass), mysef on the skins, and newcomer Rob Lucas on vocals. This band is more brutal than the last CANCER albums, although I am very proud of them. It's time to get back to the straight-ahead ferocity."

CANCER last year released a "comeback" studio album, entitled "Spirit In Flames", on the Copro label. The group's first full-length studio album (fifth overall) since 1995's "Black Faith" was recorded over a three-week period at Philia studios in Henley on Thames, England. An EP, entitled "Corporation$", preceded the "Spirit In Flames" CD and was also released through Copro. Included on the effort was the group's cover version of the CELTIC FROST classic "Dethroned Emperor".

CANCER's most recent lineup included Stokes, Walker, bassist Adam Richardson, and guitarist Dave Leitch (PULVERISED). Leitch replaced Rob Engvikson in 2004 after Rob left the group to focus on his long-running ASATRU project (which has since been renamed DANELAW).

John Foxworthy of Garage Radio recently conducted an interview with SEPULTURA frontman Derrick Green. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Garage Radio: What would you say to those who tell you that thrash is a dead genre or just noise?

Derrick: "That's okay. I mean, that's the one thing that I really like about underground music. It's that not everyone likes it. You have to open your mind and investigate. You have to read lyrics to really know what the person is saying. There has to be something that really grabs you about it. I think it's great that people can have their own opinions. I think it's these opinions that really feed the fire of wanting to do something different. At least when you hear people saying, 'I'm not really into that,' and I'm like, 'Yeah ... you don't have to be, because there are a lot of people that are.' It's not the type of music where you're trying to please everybody. I think it's something you do foremost for personal satisfaction, where people relate to it and it becomes better. It becomes something flowing."

Garage Radio: When you hooked up with SEPULTURA, did you feel like you had some big shoes to fill?

Derrick: "Definitely. Consider the fact that they had so many years as a band ... and so many albums. They were from the same country with the same language. They had time to grow and evolve. They didn't start off as like SEPULTURA just starting off. It's like they started off as people saying, 'God, this is horrible!' like they did in Brazil. People weren't listening to that style of music. They had all these different factors. It wasn't just the singer. It was much more than that, because the band has always been 'the band,' not just one person. I felt this immense amount of responsibility and I think that this happened gradually to really grow into it because I was lucky enough to not really know how big it was ... I think that in that way it was really lucky for me. As time went on I think that we all knew it would take time to evolve and grow. It's really like starting over again with a different combination of people and just getting used to playing with a different structure."

Garage Radio: Besides the conceptual idea, musically SEPULTURA's made huge leaps. Do you feel like, on this album ["Dante XXI"], you guys have totally evolved as a band?

Derrick: "Definitely. In every aspect. It's the first time we've actually produced the album ourselves. We brought in orchestra strings and horns and really wanted to create the soundtrack vibe, the vibe of the book ... the sinister feeling and I think we pushed ourselves in every aspect. We had no idea what people were gonna think. We were here in Sao Paulo, working away in the studio with this crazy idea. I think that's the best part, not thinking so much about the outside. We could have told people ahead of time they're just like, 'What? That's nuts!' I think the fact that we're able to trust ourselves and have that confidence really shows that we've evolved."

Garage Radio: You've never been into catering to the mainstream. I'm thinking this album's going to appeal to a wider audience than SEPULTURA's used to. Do you think this'll attract a lot of new fans?

Derrick: "Definitely. I think that's the one thing that's so exciting about growing with the band. There were all these new fans coming about, as far as really young kids. And, for a band that's older ... like 22 years ... there aren't that many bands out there with that many years that are able to attract younger fans. That's amazing to me! I love that factor, because I remember being that age and being a fan of music. I know how exciting it can be. I've actually watched it grow as far as younger fans ... especially in Brazil ... and I think it will attract, I hope it really does attract a lot of people."

Read the entire interview at www.garageradio.com.

InsideOut Music has pushed back the projected release date of the new OSI (OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INFLUENCE) album, entitled "Free", to April 21 from the previously announced March 31. The CD will once again feature FATES WARNING guitarist Jim Matheos, ex-DREAM THEATER keyboardist Kevin Moore and DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy, with FATES WARNING/ARMORED SAINT bassist Joey Vera guesting on five tracks. A special-edition double CD of "Free" is scheduled for release in Europe on April 24.

"Free" track listing:

01. Sure You Will (03:46)
02. Free (03:20)
03. Go (04:16)
04. All Gone Now (05:13)
05. Home Was Good (05:03)
06. Bigger Wave (04:30)
07. Kicking (03:52)
08. Better (04:06)
09. Simple Life (04:00)
10. Once (06:34)
11. Our Town (03:20)

Musicians:

Jim Matheos - guitars, keyboards and programming
Kevin Moore - vocals, keyboards and programming
Mike Portnoy - acoustic drums
Joey Vera - bass on "Sure You Will", "Free", "All Gone Now", "Bigger Wave", "Kicking"

"Free" Special Edition Double CD:

CD 1:

01. Sure You Will (03:46)
02. Free (03:20)
03. Go (04:16)
04. All Gone Now (05:13)
05. Home Was Good (05:03)
06. Bigger Wave (04:30)
07. Kicking (03:52)
08. Better (04:06)
09. Simple Life (04:00)
10. Once (06:34)
11. Our Town (03:20)

CD 2:

01. OSIdea 9 (03:33)
02. Set It On Fire (03:42)
03. Communicant (03:47)
04. When You're Ready (demo) (03:09)
05. Remain Calm (04:08)
06. Old War (01:06)

Acclaimed Swedish prog-metal band ANDROMEDA will release their third album, "Chimera", on June 23 via Massacre Records. Several audio samples from the CD, which was released in Japan on January 21 via Marquee/Avalon, can be heard online at this location.

"Chimera" track listing:

01. Periscope
02. In the End
03. The Hidden Riddle
04. Going Under
05. The Cage of Me
06. No Guidelines
07. Iskenderun
08. Inner Circle
09. Blink of an Eye

ANDROMEDA's debut album, "Extension of the Wish" (2001), was re-released in Europe via New Hawen/Century Media. The new version features vocals by new singer David Fremberg, a new mix and two bonus tracks, previously only released in France by NTS. The title of the re-release is "Final Extension (Re-Release of 'Extension of the Wish')".

The cover artwork for SODOM's upcoming self-titled album has been posted online at this location.

"Sodom" is scheduled for release in Germany on April 21, in Europe April 24 and in the USA May 9. "Every band needs a self-titled album at least once in their career," band mastermind Tom Angelripper points out, adding that the twelve new tracks will contain pure thrash metal in its most dynamic incarnation. "We have to apologize to our fans that the album didn't come out sooner, but the work on our DVD, 'Lords of Depravity Part I', was so time-consuming that things took a little longer than expected." However, the band featuring singer/bass player Tom Angelripper, guitarist Bernemann and drummer Bobby Schottkowski will make the long wait worthwhile for their fan community with an offering that could hardly be more straightforward or determined. "We wanted to prove to the world what we can do, that's why we decided to roll up our sleeves and pool our strengths."

The current SODOM lineup has proved to be the most consistent in the band's history. "The team Angelripper/Bernemann/Schottkowski will celebrate its anniversary this year: We've been together for ten years," explains Tom, who is determined to continue to sail into the wind with his band in an increasingly short-lived world, not deviating from his present course when it comes to SODOM's lyrics. "I've always written about things that go on in the world, the injustice and mistakes that happen everywhere. I know that you can't change anything politically, but I would at least like to make clear where I stand and raise people's awareness of those deplorable states of affair."

"Sodom" was recorded and mixed at the premises of an old friend: Andy Brings. The former SODOM guitarist produced the new album at his Midas Twins studios in Hagen, Germany, together with sound engineer Haan Hartmann, bringing out the best in the musicians. "Andy did a great job and really lured the optimum performance out of me," states Tom. "Our new album proves that you don't necessarily have to go to an American studio to get a good sound."

"Sodom" was mastered by Eroc, drummer with German rock cult band GROBSCHNITT.

"Sodom" track listing:

1. Blood On Your Lips
   
2. Wanted Dead
   
3. Buried In The Justice Ground
   
4. City Of God
   
5. Bibles And Guns
   
6. Axis Of Evil
   
7. Lords Of Depravity
   
8. No Captures
   
9. Lay Down The Law
   
10. Nothing To Regret
    
11. The Enemy Inside
    Bonus track for Japan:
    
12. Kamikaze Terrorizer
    

SODOM are scheduled to tour Eastern Europe as early as April 2006, and Angelripper promises an extensive tour of Germany and Europe this coming autumn: "It's high time we celebrated a real thrash metal party again with our fans."

Norwegian progressive/power metal band COMMUNIC, who feature in their ranks ex-SCARIOT members Oddleif Stensland (vocals) and Tor Atle Andersen (drums), have completed work on their sophomore album, entitled "Waves of Visual Decay", at Hansen studios in Ribe, Denmark.

Commented the band: "The album will be close to an hour long, so the songs are all from 6-10 minutes and contains a good mix of some heavy stuff and a few more mellow songs. There will be some edits of some of the songs since most of them are to long to be played on radio or make a video of, so that's the reason for the edits. No bonus songs this time, as we didn't have time to get it done."

"Waves of Visual Decay" track listing:

01. Under a Luminous Sky
02. Frozen Asleep In the Park
03. Watching It All Disappear
04. Fooled by the Serpent
05. Waves of Visual Decay
06. My Bleeding Victim
07. At Dewy Prime

Irish folk metal band CRUACHAN entered Sun Studios in Dublin on January 17 to begin recording their fifth album, tentatively due later in the year via Greece's Black Lotus Records. Vocalist Keith Fay has issued the following update on the recording sessions:

"Yes, we have finished the new album. Jesus Christ, the production on 'Pagan' was shite, wasn't it? Glad to say that this is the best production I have ever been involved with, the sound is top top quality! Many thanks to Gail Liebling [producer] for his endurance. The release date has not been sorted, neither has the title but we will work on this [as soon as possible]. Martin Walkyier [ex-SKYCLAD] was meant to sing on it but had to pull out at the last minute due to personal things at home, I had a chat with him, he feels really bad about it but to be honest he has much more important things to worry about right now. The song he was meant to do is called 'Diarmuid and Grainne'. When I hear it now, I actually think I'm glad he couldn't make it, you'll see why. Maybe we will do something in the future. Next project is the CRUACHAN Scat porn DVD."

CRUACHAN's upcoming album will be their first CD for Black Lotus, with whom they inked a deal in June 2005. The band's final release for their previous label, Karmageddon Media, was scheduled to be a reissue of their 1994 "Celtica" demo, featuring unreleased tracks, including "Timmy", which has been performed live at quite a few CRUACHAN shows.

CRUACHAN's fourth full-length album, "Pagan", was recorded and mixed at Radio Na Life Studios in Dublin, Ireland with producer Al Cowen and is the follow-up to 2002's "Folk-Lore". The cover artwork for "Pagan" was created by John Howe, the leading JRR Tolkien illustrator and the conceptual artist from the "Lord of the Rings" movies.

BEAUTIFUL SIN, the new project featuring ex-HELLOWEEN/GAMMA RAY and current MASTERPLAN drummer Uli Kusch, have completed work on their debut album, "The Unexpected", due in May via AFM Records. The CD was produced by Kusch in 2005 in Belgium and Norway and was mixed by Tommy Hansen at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark.

BEAUTIFUL SIN — whose lineup is rounded out by guitarist Jørn Voggo Lofstad and bass player Steinar Krokmo (both from PAGAN'S MIND), a relatively unknown Belgian female singer by the name of Magali Luyten, and keyboardist Axel Mackenrott from MASTERPLAN — describe "The Unexpected" as "a journey through twelve various metal songs with a dramatic touch and two unexpected instrumentals." The CD also includes a remake of "The Departed Sun Is Going Down" from HELLOWEEN's "The Dark Ride" album in its original form (and presumably under a different title) and a cover of the song "Die Diktatur der Angepassten" from the German band BLUMFELD.

"The Unexpected" track listing:

01. Lost
02. This is Not the Original Dream
03. Take Me Home
04. I'm Real
05. The Spark of Ignition
06. Closer to My Herd
07. Give Up Once for All
08. Brace for Impact
09. Pechvogel
10. Metalwaves
11. The Beautiful Sin
12. Le Reve Originel (bonus track)

The Japanese version of the album will feature the bonus cut "She is Made of Rain".

Legendary hard rockers UFO have posted the following message on their official web site:

"Phil [Mogg, vocals] has just returned from Vinnie's [Moore, guitar] house in Delaware where he and Vinnie have been working on songs for the new album. In mid-March, all the bandmembers are due to arrive in Hannover, Germany to start rehearsing and developing the twelve songs that have resulted from the writing sessions. In late March/early April the actual recording will take place. The drums will be recorded in Hannover and the rest in Celle, near Hannover. The aim is to deliver the finished tracks to the record company sometime in May and then there will be some festivals in the summer. SPV plan to release the new album in late summer/early autumn, and then the band is due to begin touring in October. Andy [Parker, drums; who recently rejoined the band] is in fantastic shape and we all can't wait to finally start working!"

UFO recently released a live CD/DVD, "Showtime", via SPV. The set was recorded at Pumpwerk in Wilhelmshaven, Germany on May 13, 2005.

HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak has posted the following message on the group's official web site:

"The Winter Olympics 2006 are over, and it ended on a high note for us: Sweden beat Finland 3-2 in the ice-hockey final, in a very exciting and nerve-racking game. Actually, the Finns were the most impressive team in this tournament, winning every match decisively until the final round and easily beating the second best playing team this year, Russia, in the semi-finals. But the Swedes played a beautiful game on the ice, cutting the Finns short on almost every occasion. I know our neighbors in the east (or west, for that matter…) won't agree with me, but it was a most fitting end to the XXth games, with Sweden winning their seventh (!) gold medal. Congratulations to everyone who made this the by far most succcessful Winter Olympics for our nation. And thanks for the great memories! I have only one question: what am I supposed to fill my days with now? :-)

"Well, maybe writing a little music would be a good start. Actually, we have more or less completed half the songs for the album, scheduled to be released in the end of October this year. I have a very good feeling about this, the music so far is very varied and, I think, of high quality. My gut tells me we will be building on the foundation of 'Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken' and expanding the horizons of what is HAMMERFALL even further. You all will find out eventually. I will post more news on this as we go, with some song titles and such in the coming months.


HAMMERFALL's latest album, "Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken", was released in March 2005 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2002's "Crimson Thunder" was produced and mixed by Charlie Bauernfeind (BLIND GUARDIAN, HELLOWEEN).

Long-running Italian black/thrash metallers NECRODEATH have announced the addition of rhythm guitarist Pier Gonella (LABYRINTH) to the group's ranks. Gonella joins the band as the replacement for Claudio, who recently left NECRODEATH for personal reasons.

NECRODEATH have finished recording their sixth studio album, "100% Hate", and will fly to Sweden in the near future for the final mastering. The follow-up to 2003's "Ton(e)s of Hate" was recorded at Outer Sound studios in Rome and features a guest appearance by VENOM frontman Conrad" Cronos" Lant.

Cronos had the following to say following his recording session: "I've liked NECRODEATH since their first album — great intensity and enthusiasm, as well as heavy as fuck. It was a pleasure to record my voice for one of their new songs. Their new album promises to be a monster-sized slice of intense metal. Can't fuckin' wait. Hell yeah!!!"

Due on April 17 via Scarlet Records, "100% Hell" is described in a press release as "the most diverse NECRODEATH album to date, containing 10 furious tracks spanning from the fast thrashing assault of the mid-eighties to the groove-oriented sonic holocaust displayed with the latest efforts."

"100% Hell" (view cover artwork at here) track listing:

01. February 5th, 1984
02. Forever Slaves
03. War Paint
04. Master Of Morphine
05. The Wave
06. Theoretical And Artificial
07. Identity Crisis
08. Beautiful-Brutal World
09. Hyperbole
10. 100% Hell

Download an MP3 of the song "Forever Slaves" at this location.

NECRODEATH's current lineup is completed by vocalist Flegias (CADAVERIA), guitarist Andy (ANDRASTA), bassist John (CADAVERIA, DYNABYTE, RAZA DE ODIO) and drummer Peso (RAZA DE ODIO).