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20 hours ago

UNISONIC - Limited Edition Coloured 7” Vinyl Edition Of Debut Single Available

Reposted from: Bravewords.com

UNISONIC, featuring former HELLOWEEN bandmates Michael Kiske (vocals) and Kai Hansen (guitars; GAMMA RAY) have released a limited edition 7” coloured vinyl edition of their first single, ‘Unisonic’, via EMP. Go to this location to order.

The band also features Mandy Meyer (guitars; ex-KROKUS, GOTTHARD) and PINK CREAM 69 rhythm section Dennis Ward (bass) and Kosta Zafiriou (drums).

Unisonic released their debut mini-album, titled Ignition, this month via earMUSIC/Edel. The band’s debut full-length album is expected in March, 2012.

The Ignition mini-album features the single ‘Unisonic’, plus one demo and the Helloween classic ‘I Want Out’ - Live In Japan. The new video, for ‘Unisonic’, can be seen below:



20 hours ago

1 note(s)

EPICA: Second ‘Requiem For The Indifferent’ Teaser Released

Reposted from: Blabbermouth.net

The second teaser for “Requiem For The Indifferent”, the forthcoming fifth full-length album from Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers EPICA, can be seen below.

Commented the band: “This time however we’re doing it like no one has done before, by weekly releasing an extra layer of music, giving our fans a little more insight in the complexity and the different aspects of EPICA’s music.

“Last week you could hear Ariën van Weesenbeek’s drums. This week we add Yves Huts’ bass.

“The next six weeks we will add layer by layer, and make the sample longer and longer. Through these videos we will also weekly release backstage pictures, pieces of the album artwork, tour updates, etc, to make the wait for the album just a little bit more bearable!”

“Requiem For The Indifferent” will be released on March 9 in Europe and four days later in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Gate Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany under the watchful eye of Sascha Paeth.

“Requiem For The Indifferent” track listing:

01. Karma
02. Monopoly On Truth
03. Storm The Sorrow
04. Delirium
05. Internal Warfare
06. Requiem For The Indifferent
07. Anima
08. Guilty Demeanor
09. Deep Water Horizon
10. Stay The Course
11. Deter The Tyrant
12. Avalanche
13. Serenade Of Self-Destruction

North American bonus tracks:

14. Twin Flames (Soundtrack Version)
15. Nostalgia

The artwork for the CD was created by Stephan Heilemann and can be seen below.

EPICA debuted a brand new song, “Storm The Sorrow”, during the band’s headlining concert last on January 12 at Metropool in Hengelo, The Netherlands. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Regarding the “Requiem For The Indifferent” album title, the band previously said, “This title refers to the end of an era. Mankind can no longer stick their head in the sand for the things that are happening around us. We are facing many challenges. There is an enormous tension between different religions and cultures, wars, natural disasters and a huge financial crisis, which is getting out of control. More than ever we will need each other to overcome these problems. As we are all connected; the universe, earth, nature, animals and human beings, this period in time will be the prelude to the end for those who still don’t want to, or simply won’t see it. ‘A Requiem For The Indifferent’, but also a possibility for a new beginning with great new chances!”

A CD-release party for the new EPICA album will be held on March 16 at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands.

EPICA will play the new album in its entirety, along with some older tracks, during the more-than-two-hour event. Pyrotechnics and special show elements will be added as well.

EPICA’s last album, “Design Your Universe”, landed at position No. 12 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

“Requiem For The Indifferent” teaser #2:



20 hours ago

2 note(s)

DANI FILTH Issues TEMPLE OF THE BLACK MOON Update

Reposted from: Blabbermouth.net

TEMPLE OF THE BLACK MOON, the new project featuring Dani “Filth” Davey (vocals; CRADLE OF FILTH), Rob Caggiano (guitar; ANTHRAX, THE DAMNED THINGS), Tom Cato Visnes (bass; a.k.a. King ov Hell; OV HELL, GOD SEED, GORGOROTH), John Tempesta (drums; formerly of WHITE ZOMBIE and now drumming with THE CULT) and Arve “Ice Dale” Isdal (guitar; ENSLAVED) spent time in Bergen, Norway earlier this month fine-tuning the material that is set to appear on the band’s forthcoming debut album.

Dani has released the following update via the official TEMPLE OF THE BLACK MOON Facebok page:

“Long time dead, my dear friends.

“Welcome to the TEMPLE OF THE BLACK MOON, wherein all your desires and deepest darkest fantasies become terrifying reality at the press of a stereo button.

“I’m writing to you now to let you in on exactly what is brewing with this band and the bunch of hellish reprobates contained therein.

“I, Dani Filth, third in line to the Baronet of Hades, have just returned from a week in Bergen, Norway, where TEMPLE OF THE BLACK MOON have been ensconced in a studio (which is simultaneously working on the new GOD SEED album, I hasten to add), putting the spit and polish to the album’s worth of music we’ve written.

“Thus far we have the following titles to confirm, with a further couple of corkers steaming down the pipeline soon…

* Beautifully Perverse
* Into The Void
* Don’t Call Up What You Can’t Put Down
* Infernal Desire Machine
* Alchemy, Myself And I
* Dark Eyes For Trouble
* C.N.T (All That’s Missing Is You)
* Persephone
* Last Of The Vampire Playboys
* Another Dead Thing Between Us
* Catch

“Everything is sounding great and we are hoping to secure management (we’re in the midst of discussions) and then a record deal in the foreseeable future, though no names can be uttered yet… I’m an absolute bugger when it comes to jinxes!

“My time in Bergen was a riot. I was lodging at Tom’s with Geir and Rob as well as Tom’s American girlfriend Stefanie, which proved a bit of a pileup when it came to using the bathroom every morning! Actually, that’s bearing in mind that we didn’t actually see the morning all week, save for the very last day when we had to pack down the gear early before Rob’s flight.

“After long stretches in the studio analysing music, playing music or reading old copies of European metal mags (plus the nights spent downstairs from the studio at The Garage rock bar, or at various people’s apartments partying), the mornings became obsolete almost overnight! Still, we managed to squeeze in some national press, including radio and a double spread in a national daily newspaper, plus we also managed a studio report with Metal Hammer Germany, playing the journalist Gunnar six demo tracks to whet his salubrious appetite.

“Highlights of the trip had to be the Friday night bar crawl (Rob getting locked outside the flat and not waking anyone until 10 in the morning, so okay, he got to see the dreadful hours), hearing Tom’s demons for real, the marathon wine drinking evening Saturday night, hanging out with a famous Norwegian actor called Helge Jordal and hooking up with friends from GOD SEED, DIMMU, ENSLAVED, SUSPERIA, TAAKE, BATTALION, IMMORTAL and SAHG, to name but a smattering. Oh, and watching the other guys (Geir, Rob, Tom and Ice Dale) handling backing vocal duties to proper comedic effect! They actually sound great, though….

“So that’s it for the time being fellow night owls. As up to date as it can possibly be. And hopefully next time I put gob to paper I will hopefully have news of an impending studio date, sample lyrics and even perhaps some demo material to air.

“How incredibly exciting!”

“Pyro”, the weekly hard rock/metal heavy metal show which airs on the national radio station NRK in Norway, recently conducted an interview with Filth, Caggiano and King. The five-minute chat, which includes audio snippets of songs that will appear on TEMPLE OF THE BLACK MOON’s forthcoming debut album, can be streamed at this location.

When asked about how the idea for the project came about, Caggiano said, “Years ago, I was in the U.K. working with CRADLE OF FILTH on the ‘Nymphetamine’ record. And I think it was at the end of the session, I was just about to go back to New York, I decided to stay in London for a couple of days. And GORGOROTH was actually playing. So I went to the show, and that’s when Tom and I met; it was back in 2005, I think. We got really drunk and we started talking about working on music together, doing something different. Prior to that, Dani and I were talking about possibly doing something. One thing led to another, Tom and I started working on music, and we realized that we worked really well together and it just came naturally… But the whole thing is, we’re all super busy with our other projects, so just scheduling has been a nightmare for a long time.”

Regarding the TEMPLE OF THE BLACK MOON sound, Dani said, “A lot of people have speculated, ‘Wow, it’s got a guy from CRADLE OF FILTH, ANTHRAX and [GORGOROTH].’ It’s got a real rock base to it; and I know it sounds strange [to say]. It’s heavy, but it’s not too extreme. It’s not [all] blast beats or anything like that, although we do have a couple of songs a bit like that — really fast. But it’s catchy. I don’t like using the word ‘commercial,’ because will think it’s watered down, sort of, power pop, or pop rock. I think it’s gonna surprise a lot of people. It’s really hard to put it into context and say, it’s a bit of CRADLE OF FILTH, ANTHRAX, GORGOROTH and THE CULT [laughs] … which sounds ridiculous.” Caggiano added, “I don’t think it sounds like any of our other bands. If it did, what would be the point?”

20 hours ago

HOUWITSER Rejoined By Original Singer

Reposted from: Blabbermouth.net

Dutch death metal veterans HOUWITSER have been rejoined by their original singer Mike van Mastrigt. In addition, the group has recruited Marten van Kruijssen (DICTATED, NIBIRUS) as its new drummer.

The new HOUWITSER lineup is currently writing songs for its sixth full-length album.

Vocalist Stan Blonk left HOUWITSER at the end of last year for personal reasons.

HOUWITSER’s fifth album, “Bestial Atrocity”, was released in 2010 via Sevared Records.

HOUWITSER 2012 is:

Mike van Mastrigt: Vocals
Michel Alderliefsten: Guitar
Richard Gielen: Guitar
Marten van Kruijssen: Drums
Ramon Ploeg: Bass

The band will travel to Russia in February to play some shows.

For more information, visit www.houwitser.nl.

20 hours ago

INTO ETERNITY: Second ‘Fukushima’ Teaser Posted Online

Reposted from: Blabbermouth.net

Regina, Saskatchewan-based Canadian extreme progressive metallers INTO ETERNITY have posted the second teaser containing studio and rehearsal footage of their new song “Fukushima”. The track was written about the Fukushima Daiichi, Japan nuclear disaster, a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. You can now watch the one-and-a-half-minute clip below.

INTO ETERNITY has recruited Amanda Kiernan of the Edmonton, Alberta-based metal band THE ORDER OF CHAOS as their new touring singer.

States Amanda: “This is a wonderful opportunity for me that I couldn’t pass up. I look forward to this experience. However, THE ORDER OF CHAOS will remain my number one priority.”

INTO ETERNITY vocalist Stu Block was recently recruited by power metal giants ICED EARTH, with whom he recorded the band’s latest CD, “Dystopia”.

As previously reported, Canadian label War On Music Records will issue several albums by INTO ETERNITY for the first time ever on vinyl. “Dead Or Dreaming” (2001), “Buried In Oblivion” (2004) and “Scattering Of The Ashes” (2006) will be made available, each as a limited LP release, starting in early spring 2012.

INTO ETERNITY’s signature sound has often been described as a hybrid of latter-day DEATH and CONTROL DENIED, combined with the technical stylings of DREAM THEATER.

Commented INTO ETERNITY singer/guitarist Tim Roth: “The new songs are coming along quite well and we’ll have two new songs finished and mixed in the upcoming weeks. So far five songs have been recorded (30 minutes) and we are looking forward to get working on the next batch of new INTO ETERNITY songs.

“2012 also brings some great news for vinyl-loving fans. Century Media contacted us about releasing our albums on vinyl. It has always been a dream of ours to have our collection put out on vinyl. Thanks to Charley at War On Music Records for finally making this dream a reality. I know a lot of fans have asked us over the years for vinyl, so this is really great news!”

INTO ETERNITY is among the confirmed bands for the 11th edition of the Manitoba Metalfest, set to take place February 24-25 at The Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Watch www.waronmusic.com for details and pre-orders for the the upcoming vinyl releases.

INTO ETERNITY last year released its first new material since 2008 in the form of a new song called “Sandstorm”. The track, which is available on iTunes and Bandcamp, features guest death vocals by Rob Doherty and marks the recording debut of Newbury, who was previously known in the western Canadian metal scene as a member of Edmonton, Alberta-based group DEATH TOLL RISING.

“Sandstorm” was written the day the USA took out Osama Bin Laden, and is inspired by the events that transpired.

INTO ETERNITY’s last album, “The Incurable Tragedy”, came out in 2008 via Century Media.

Teaser #2:



20 hours ago

The Way Of Purity – “Bitaback” EP – Release date announced

International Militant band THE WAY OF PURITY finally announced the release of a brand new EP titled “Biteback”, scheduled for Wormholedeath (a sublabel of Aural Music) for March the 26th 2012. The band have posted a new song online titled “Eternal Damnation to René Descartes”. The artwork (in digipack) has been created by Machine Room once again and can be viewed below:



The final tracklist is as follows:

-Keep Dreaming
-Reverse The Time
-Eternal Damnation to René Descartes

1 day ago

BLEEDING RED - ‘Frequencies’ Promo Video Posted

Reposted from: Bravewords.com

German death/thrash metal outfit BLEEDING RED will release their upcoming album, Evolution’s Crown, on March 23rd, 2012 via Black Bards.

A promo clip for the album track ‘Frequencies’ can be seen below:



Evolution’s Crown tracklisting is as follows:

‘Bloodforce’
‘The Running Man’
‘Nameless’
‘Wasted Screams’
‘Thoughtcrime’
‘Unmaster’
‘Involution’
‘Calm Before The Storm’
‘Tritoxine’
‘Frequencies’
‘Goddess Of Black’
‘Calling For Your Downfall’

Evolution’s Crown was produced, engineered and mixed by Roger Grüninger and Bleeding Red, while Achim Köhler will handle mastering duties.

Guitarist/singer Timo commented: “First of all, Evolution’s Crown represents mankind itself. If you take a closer look, the title is made of the “Top Of Evolution” and the “Crown Of Creation”. Both are expressions that come from contradictory ideologies. Now by mixing them up, we want to ridicule both of them, because for us, none of them has understood reality.”

1 day ago

7 HORNS 7 EYES Announce Release Date, Tracklisting For New Album

Reposted from: Bravewords.com

Progressive atmospheric death metallers 7 HORNS 7 EYES will be releasing their debut full-length album, Throes Of Absolution, in North America on April 24th, via Century Media Records. Featuring a guest appearance by Jeff Loomis (ex-NEVERMORE), the album has been many months in the making - but worth the wait.

In regards to the state of the band and their upcoming release, guitarist Aaron Smith comments: “7H7E has been on quite a journey since we embarked on recording this album, full of some big ups and downs - not the least of which being signed to Century Media/Basick Records, enduring a front-man change, re-recording all the album vocals, and sharing the stage with some great bands… and let me tell you - it feels amazing for us to know that we finally get to release this thing out into the world. Many of our fans have waited patiently for years for this record to drop, likely wondering at times if it ever even will, and we can’t thank them enough for sticking by us. Here’s to our fans and to 2012 being a great new year for 7 Horns 7 Eyes! See you on the road!”

A teaser trailer for Throes Of Absolution can be viewed below:



The complete tracklisting for the album is below.

Throes Of Absolution track-listing

‘Divine Amnesty’
‘Phumis: The Falsehood Of Affliction’
‘The Hill Difficulty’
‘Cycle Of Self’
‘Delusions’
‘A Finite Grasp Of Infinite Disillusion’
‘Vindicator’
‘The Winnowing’
‘Regeneration’

1 day ago

HIRAX To Release Not Dead Yet Compilation On Vinyl

Reposted from: Bravewords.com

Canadian vinyl label War on Music Records has announced the upcoming LP release of HIRAX Not Dead Yet, the classic album featuring both the first two full lengths, Raging Violence (1985) and Hate Fear & Power (1986).

The legendary Hirax were an influential group in the Los Angeles thrash/speed metal movement of the mid ‘80’s, performing alongside the ranks of heavyweights of METALLICA and MEGADETH in their early days. Their latest album La Rostro De La Muerte was released in 2009 through singer Katon W. De Pena’s own label Black Devil Records.

Originally release by Metal Blade in 1987, the Raging Violence/Hate Fear & Power combo sums up perfectly the raw energy and vicious metal force that Hirax was, and remains today.



Tracklisting:

Side A
‘Demons Evil Forces’
‘Blitzkrieg Air Attack’
‘Guardian Protector’
‘Bombs of Death’
‘Defeat of Amalek’
‘Raging Violence’
‘Call of the Gods’
‘Warlords Command’
‘Suicide’
‘Executed’

Side B
‘The Gauntlet’
‘Destruction & Terror’
‘Destroy’
‘Bloodbath’
‘Hate, Fear and Power’
‘Blind Faith’
‘Unholy Sacrifice’
‘Lightning Thunder’
‘The Last War’
‘The Plague’
‘Imprisoned by Ignorance’
‘Criminal Punishment’

Never before released in full on vinyl, Not Dead Yet will be made available spring 2012 as a gatefold LP featuring the iconic artwork of Pushead, including a four-page insert featuring rare photos and flyers from the era. Pressing limited to 1000 copies on classic black wax.

For more details visit Waronmusic.com.

1 day ago

AUTOPSY: ‘All Tomorrow’s Funerals’ Cover Artwork, Track Listing

Reposted from: Blabbermouth.net

Legendary San Francisco Bay Area gore grind act AUTOPSY will release its new collection, “All Tomorrow’s Funerals”, on February 28 via Peaceville Records. This monstrous 22-track effort contains all of AUTOPSY’s EPs remastered by the bandmembers themselves, as well as new cuts. Everything from “Retribution For The Dead” to the now-sold-out “The Tomb Within” will be presented on CD and DLP with all original artworks, liner notes from the band and new cover art from renowned artist Matt Cavotta.

“All Tomorrow’s Funerals” track listing:

01. All Tomorrow’s Funerals (new track)
02. Broken People (new track)
03. Mauled To Death (new track)
04. Maggot Holes (new track)
05. The Tomb Within
06. My Corpse Shall Rise
07. Seven Skulls
08. Human Genocide
09. Mutant Village
10. Horrific Obsession
11. Feast of the Graveworm
12. Funereality
13. Fiend For Blood
14. Keeper Of Decay
15. Squeal Like A Pig
16. Ravenous Freaks
17. A Different Kind of Mindfuck
18. Dead Hole
19. Retribution For The Dead
20. Destined To Fester
21. In The Grip of Winter
22. Sign of the Corpse

Commented the band: “[The] few new tracks for ‘All Tomorrow’s Funerals’ came out brutal and heavy as hell. Along with the newly written songs, we did a revamped version of ‘Mauled To Death’, which is the very last of the old songs that needed a proper album quality recording. This album will also contain all four EPs, all of which are out of print, as well as a compilation track from 1991, so the grand total is 22 tracks. It’s something we’ve wanted to do for quite awhile, getting all the loose chunks together in one place rather than having them split up and added on as bonus tracks here and there. Everything has been painstakingly remastered with the band’s guidance and sounds better and more crushing than ever. And don’t worry, we didn’t get carried away and ruin anything! Combine all that with killer new cover art from Matt Cavotta and we’ve got one hell of release.”

AUTOPSY is currently working on all new material for its next album, due out late 2012/early 2013. The band states, “We can definitely promise more of what you would expect from AUTOPSY. There will be no compromise and no holding back. If you want 100% pure death metal brutality, you will certainly get it.”

“Macabre Eternal”, the first full-length album from AUTOPSY since 1995’s “Shitfun”, sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 67 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

“Macabre Eternal” was recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California and includes AUTOPSY’s first 10-plus minute song “Sadistic Gratification”.

AUTOPSY had previously decided to make an official comeback after working together on two songs for the special 20th-anniversary edition of debut album, “Severed Survival”, in late 2008; the band having originally split before the release of its fourth album, “Shitfun”, in 1995. A five-song EP, “The Tomb Within”, came out last September and saw the original trio of Chris Reifert, Danny Coralles and Eric Cutler joined on bass by Joe Trevisano (ex-ABSCESS).