Italy’s Mortuary Drape will reissue two of its classic albums on CD and vinyl through Peaceville Records in 2013, starting with Tolling 13 Knell on May 27, plus Buried in Time to follow June/July. Each release has been fully remastered, with work overseen by the band, including bonus tracks on each release, plus updated layout.
Often regarded as one of the band’s strongest works, the Tolling 13 Knell album delivers an eerie concoction of evil metal riffing and dark occult atmosphere to unnerving effect. This reissue also contains extra tracks in the form of re-recorded versions of the infamous ‘Doom Return’ demo songs. These new versions were recorded during the Tolling 13 Knell sessions.
“It’s a great pleasure that Peaceville Records have taken these two reissues into consideration. I personally thank Paul and all the label’s staff,” said long-standing and sole-remaining member, Wildness Perversions.
“I’ve enriched these two re-releases with new bonus tracks and unpublished photos. I have also taken care of the reissues’ layouts myself, trying to make them more captivating. I’m also sure that now they could have a better distribution, wider than before, satisfying all our fans all over the world which with the previous printings couldn’t get these parts of our discography.
“We are looking to release a ‘best-of’ album containing songs from all our records, and the new album (played by the new line-up) is going to be finished in April 2013. Stay tuned on our websites to know more about all our new releases and to check out the next gigs”.
Cult band Mortuary Drape was formed in Italy in 1986 as a trio. Highly inspired by the dark arts and combining early influences from the old metal gods, Mortuary Drape developed its own unique style, defining itself as black occult metal. After releasing the demo ‘Necromancy’ in 1987, which spread the band’s name throughout the underground, it was not until 1992 that the first official release surfaced with Into the Drape. This was followed by the debut full-length album, the classic All the Witches Dance, in 1994.
Mortuary Drape has recently been busy recording its latest, as yet unnamed album, as well as performing some high profile shows across the globe.
Las Vegas’ Avenger of Blood reformed last year and self-released their Spawn of Evil 3-song EP/demo to rave reviews, metal radio play and enthusiastic responses from fans. Since the band has continued to play shows locally with bands such as Overkill and Gravehill.
Currently Avenger of Blood is putting the finishing touches on material for their full-length, which they have announced will be recorded in May at Arcane Digital Studio in Phoenix, AZ with producer Ryan Butler (Landmine Marathon, Exhumed, Misery Index). The band is looking for a label to release it.
“We feel that Ryan is the best person for the job and we are very excited to work with him!” exclaims guitarist Brandon Gulling. “We will reveal more updates on the recording and the album artwork as we get closer to entering the studio.” Read the rest of this entry »
So let it be written so it shall be done. VIGILANCE ARE BACK!
“Under Sulphurous Skies”, a brand new single from VIGILANCE, can be streamed below (link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMSBusO55B4). “Under Sulphurous Skies” comes off VIGILANCES’ debut album, “Queen of the Midnight Fire”, which is scheduled for release on May 14, 2013 on Metal Tank Records
VIGILANCE guitarist Gilian Adam tells: “After months of hard work, the album is done. Rok Zalokar did a great job and we are very much excited to finally give you a taste of what is to come. The gates have been opened, the torches have been lit. Follow if you dare.”
Prepare for a voyage beyond mortal knowledge.
More information in regard can be obtained by visiting the renewed site at www.metaltankrecords.com
Heaven and Hell Records will be releasing the complete recorded works from North Carolina death thrashers FALSE PROPHET on CD as part of the Lost Relics collection.
Formed in the late 1980s FALSE PROPHET would quickly become one of North Carolina’s leading metal bands and grew into one of the East Coast’s most fierce thrash/death metal acts by the early 1990s. Their first self-titled demo, released in 1989, saw the band gain attention throughout the underground. But it wasn’t until the release of their full-length, Second Death, in 1991 that the band began to gain mass critical praise from critics and peers. Many throughout the metal community saw FALSE PROPHET as the next Morbid Angel.
MADE IN IRON (formerly known as Power Slaves) are proud to announce they will be returning to Montreal on May 4th at L’Olympia and May 25th in Quebec City at Théâtre Capitole with its renowned Iron Maiden tribute show that showcases an experience like no other homage in North America. Experience 1984 Iron Maiden once again!
“The Last Spire” to be released April 30th in North America
UK doom legends, CATHEDRAL, will be releasing their final album, The Last Spire, next month. In addition to the album, the band also recorded their final music video, which is streaming now at youtube.com/cathedral.
Tower of Silence was inspired by classic cult British film institutions such as “Amicus” and “Hammer House of Horror”, Tower of Silence was shot on location during the British Winter of 2012 at Gunnersbury Park Tower, London. It features a guest appearance from Purson’s Rosalie Cunningham, who places a symbolic black orchid on the tombstone of each member in the clips closing scenes. Directed by UK based Paraffin City Productions, Tower of Silence will be the last full production promo video ever made by this British doom metal institution and is taken from their final album, The Last Spire.
ABIOTIC recently completed a music video for Facades with director Dan Drescher. Fans will recall the band worked with Drescher for their previous video, Vermosapien. The video will be completed soon, and the band has released a making of to give fans a glimpse of the creative process. Watch ABIOTIC’s making of Facades now on metalblade.com/abiotic.
ABIOTIC is among bands in a poll to open this year’s The Summer Slaughter Tour! Fans can vote for ABIOTIC to open the tour on facebook HERE. Voting ends on March 31st. The band has also launched a contest with Orange Amplification! Enter to win merch and a signed Symbiosis CD via facebook.com/OrangeAmps.
Brazil-based metal band ALMAH is confirmed as a participant of ROCK IN RIO 2013, one of the biggest and most important musical festivals not only in Brazil, but in the whole world. Rock in Rio 2013 will join such names as Metallica, Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, Muse, Sepultura, Helloween, Alice in Chains and many others.
ALMAH will play on September 19th, METALLICA’s headline day, at the same stage with SEBASTIAN BACH, ROBIE ZOMBIE, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, HIBRIA.
ALMAH’s frontman and founder Edu Falaschi tells: “Thanks a lot to all our dear fans and friends who supported the idea of ALMAh at Rock in Rio 2013! It will be a very special show with songs from our new CD (coming soon!), new vibes, new life! Thanks for all your love and support! Let’s rock with our friends from HIBRIA!!! Let’s support NEW WAVE OF BRAZILIAN HEAVY METAL (NWOBHM)!”
Nowadays, Rock In Rio is a series of annual events in four cities: Rio De Janeiro (Brazil), Lisbon (Portugal), Madrid (Spain) and Buenos Aires (Argentina). The first festival took place in Rock in Rio in 1985 and was attended by a record-breaking audience of 1.380 million people. Still, it’s one of the biggest and the most influential musical events in the world. Official Rock In Rio website: http://www.rockinrio.com.br/
At the moment, ALMAH is finishing pre-production of new songs for its fourth CD. More news is coming soon.
20 years ago, DARK TRANQUILLITY released their first album and till this day, D.T. is considered one of the most viable and important bands within the scene they helped define. Melodic death metal fans from across the word will be ecstatic to learn that their 10th full length, entitled Construct, will be released on May 27th in Europe and May 28th in North America. The band is now ready to reveal the track-listing as well as the cover art, which perfectly catches the spirit of the new masterpiece by one of Gothenburg’s finest. Construct will also feature artwork throughout by the band’s own guitarist, Niklas Sundin.
DARK TRANQUILLITY has this to say about Construct:
“The selected few people that so far have been granted the privilege of hearing the full album are uniformingly convinced that ‘Construct’ is the strongest and most exciting D.T. album in a long time, and who are we to disagree? While still bearing the unmistakable mark of the dark tranquillity, the record is probably our most different and diverse offering since 1999′s ‘Projector’. For now, we’re pleased to share the track-list, trailer and sleeve design with you, but the first musical preview will appear in the near future.”
Pasadena, CA’s GYPSYHAWK have announced that they will support VALIENT THORR on tour this summer! Serving as the openers on the tour will be RAMMING SPEED. The tour will begin on June 12th in Charlotte, NC and hits cities throughout east coast and Midwest before wrapping up on July 6th in Raleigh, NC. Additional shows before and after the shows with VALIENT THORR are in the works and will be announced shortly.
Guitarist Andrew Packer comments on the tour: “Valient Thorr are one of the most kick ass bands rocking hard out there right now. I hear they’re all awesome dudes and know what partying is supposed to be about so we’re absolutely pumped to be supporting them. Ramming speed have been on my turntable quite a bit the last year so I’m really excited for them too. This tour is going to be a brachiosaurus stomping on boxes of TNT.” Read the rest of this entry »
With a new release in the works, Vital Remains returns to Canada with their 24 years of experience, high-class musicianship and a dedication towards their musical style that is hardly rivaled today and continuously slams a spiked fist into the face of every trend rearing its ugly head.
The king of neo-classical shred guitar, legendary guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen, will soon return to stages across North America for a headlining tour in support of his new album SPELLBOUND; SPELLBOUND was released in December, 2012. The trek will kick off in Cleveland, OH at the House Of Blues on Wednesday, April 24th and will feature an eclectic mix of classic tracks, as well as new material from SPELLBOUND and his previous studio album, RELENTLESS. Please see below for the itinerary, more dates to be announced.
In other news, Malmsteen will soon add another achievement to his already impressive career: his first-ever book, the official autobiography Relentless: A Memoir. Written by Malmsteen himself, the book chronicles his journey from humble beginnings in Sweden to contemporary life as one of the world’s greatest guitarists. The book will be released on Monday, May 6th via Wiley Publishing and can be pre-ordered here. Of the new book, Malmsteen commented, “I’ve been very fortunate to have a career with extraordinary highlights. It’s been a life-long dream to document these stories. I can’t wait for the release of my book so that fans can read my story in my own words.” As if a new record, new tour and new book weren’t enough to keep the guitar legend busy, Malmsteen is also very proud to introduce www.relentlessshred.com, his brand new guitar tutorial website. At www.relentlesshsred.com fans and players worldwide at every level can log on to learn from the master himself.
For nearly three decades, Grammy-nominated Swedish guitar icon Yngwie Malmsteen has been amazing audiences with dazzling technical speed and ability. Malmsteen‘s signature style of playing, which combines elements of seemingly disparate styles of music – metal and classical, spawned the now commonplace genres of heavy metal known as “shred guitar” and “neo classical” and earned Malmsteen the title “the Paganini of heavy metal”. Malmsteen was the first guitarist to have his own Fender signature guitar model (even before Eric Clapton). He has graced the cover of more than 200 magazines worldwide, has won every guitar award imaginable and to date, has sold millions of records. Time named Malmsteen one of the “Top Ten Greatest Electric Guitar Players”, an honor he shared with the likes of Les Paul, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. “Guitar Hero” enthusiasts know they have arrived when they are bestowed with the Yngwie Malmsteen award in the Xbox 360 version of “Guitar Hero 2″. The award signifies a 1000+ note streak in succession.
It’s been quiet in the AYREON camp for the past couple of months, but Arjen Lucassen has broken his silence to reveal that the title of the eagerly anticipated forthcoming new album will be The Theory Of Everything, and that it will be a double album! Aiming for a tentative release at the end of this year, Arjen had this to say about the album’s progress:
“I’ve finished recording demos of the music, and am now about halfway finished with the lyrics. It’s going to be a double album, so there is a lot to write! It’s extra challenging as well, because lyrically I’ve left the old AYREON universe behind and have to create a new one from scratch. I’m really excited about the line-up and how everything is PROGressing so far.”
Legendary Bay Area thrash metallers DEATH ANGEL will enter AudioHammer Studios next month to begin recording the follow up to their 2010 release, Relentless Retribution. Guitarist Rob Cavestany recently checked in to give the following update:
“After nearly 3 years of nonstop touring for Relentless Retribution, we are about to enter the studio to record our seventh album! We are playing the final show of the Relentless Retribution Tour on March 31 in Holland, fly home for a few days of final pre-production rehearsals in Oakland, then begin tracking in Florida on April 8.
Relentless turned out the way we wanted so we we’re taking it to the next level with the same team. The new album will be done at AudioHammer Studios with Jason Suecof and I producing. We had a blast doing the last record there and now we know each other better and how well we work together… plus the album cover art is being done by Brent Elliot White who did Relentless Retribution. Let’s just say we have a good feeling about this one. Read the rest of this entry »
With the weather across the UK reaching sub-zero temperatures, what would be more fitting for a midweek gig than a trio of Scandinavian delights?
The Electric Ballroom in Camden is quite a step up in size since Kvelertak’s last adventure over here, but the hype around the band’s upcoming album ‘Meir’ has managed to fill it to the brim by the end of the night.
With Kvelertak fusing such an array of influences from various different sub-genres, it was difficult to predict what kind of bands would wake up such a mixture of fans in the audience. Both appear to take a more sludgey approach which seems a little sedate for whats to come later on in the night but an interesting exhibition of Scandinavian metal nonetheless.
