Superia vocalist, Athera

Personnel and Studio
Susperia vocalist Athera (Pal Mathieson) sustained a heart attack (with complications) on March 9 and will be looking at three to five months recovery time … Bible Black, the new Swedish band featuring members of King Diamond and Memory Garden, has been putting the finishing touches on their debut album, The Black Swan Epilogue with a May 4 release through Vic Records…

Obituary has completed work on their yet untitled album for a tentative May/June release through Candlelight Records… Sweden’s Avsky is currently in the studio recording its third album titled Scorn… Aborted guitarist BST (a.k.a. Sébastien Tuvi) and drummer Daniel Wilding have formed new black/death metal project, The Order of Apollyon... ABSU played SXSW and is reportedly on tour.

Infernus from Gorgoroth has been victorious in a ruling by the Oslo City District Court regarding the band’s trademark case.

Signings
Scythian has signed a one-album deal with Necroterror Records… Reactivated seminal technical metal pioneers Atheist and Atlanta, Georgia’s Gnostic (featuring three members of Atheist) are now with France’s Season Of Mist Record. Ava Inferi, the Portugal-based band whose lineup includes Norwegian guitarist Rune Eriksen (a.k.a. ex-Mayhem guitarist/songwriter Blasphemer), will release its third album, Blood Of Bacchus, on May 25 via Season Of Mist…

Tour Dates
Several great tours are stopping by the Ridglea Theater - Kataklysm, Napalm Death on April 29, Kreator, Exodus, Belphegor and Warbringer on, May 7 and then the biggie, Testament on Thursday, June 4… A Florida death metal tour package that would include Obituary, Morbid Angel, Deicide and Six Feet Under is currently in the works…

Long Time Coming
Varg Vikernes (a.k.a. Count Grishnackh) will soon be a free man. The former Burzum mastermind is currently serving a Norwegian prison term for the August 1993 murder of Mayhem guitarist Oystein Aarseth (a.k.a. Euronymous) and setting fire to three churches. In September 2008, Vikernes’s fourth application for parole was denied, but a couple of weeks ago he finally received a message, that after almost 16 years in prison, he will be released. For a more in-depth look at the Norwegian church burnings of the early 1990’s, look into the Lords of Chaos – The Rise Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground. The book also discusses the early beginnings of black metal…

SuiDakrA’s Arkadius - captivated the crowd Photo: Travis Tutwiler Jeff Walker of Carcass Photo: Travis Tutwiler Samael’s Vorph at Ridglea Photo: Travis Tutwiler

SuiDakrA - Ridglea Theater, 3/6/09
The 2009 Pagan Knights Tour made a stop at Ridglea Theater and showcased some great metal. Tyr headlined the show with their mix of Viking, folk and prog-metal, while Scotland’s Alestorm injected its Pirate metal to great cheers on songs like “Captain Morgan’s Revenge.”
It was Germany’s SuiDakrA that truly captivated the crowd with their powerful performance consisting of four songs from new release, Crogacht, as well as classics like “War Tunes” and the instrumental “Dead Man’s Reel.” Lars (drums) and Marcus (bass) kept the thundering rhythm on “Isle Of Skye,” while Arkadius (vocals/guitar) and Sebastian Levermann (guitar) complemented each other on “Conlaoch.” Hard to believe it was only Levermann’s second show with the band, because he fit right in. DFW fans were singing along to songs new and old, and let SuiDakrA know that they need to make it back to Texas again. (Travis Tutwiler)

Metal Up Your Ass Festival - Ridglea Theater, 3/21/09
What better place to hold the Third Annual Metal Up Your Ass Festival than the Ridglea Theater. Wesley, Richard and the rest of the staff know how put on a great metal show and hosting this daylong event was no exception. The metal started pumping at 1 PM with our own Dead Rising and Blood Stained Carpet. Psycroptic was the first national act to hit the stage and bludgeon the crowd before giving way to Veil Of Maya and Decrepit Birth.
Switzerland’s Samael enjoyed some Texas love from the growing crowd. Then heavy hitters White Chapel, Suffocation and Suicide Silence got the mosh pit warmed up for the main event - Carcass. It was the band’s first DFW appearance since reuniting after a 13-year hiatus, and the packed house went nuts. It was a brutally great day of metal at one of the area’s premier venues. (Travis Tutwiler)

Cycle Of Pain - Cycle Of Pain, Reform Records
Cycle Of Pain is a fresh, funky mix of tunes that will have you moving and bouncing along from opener “5” to the end. With its heavy bass and tribal grooves, distorted vocals and soulful, blazing solo, it’s a great jam. John “JD” DeSevios (bass) of Black Label Society is responsible for the disc’s outstanding low-end groove on tracks like “Dead Man Walking.” Greg Locascio (vocals) provides plenty of soul to give songs that needed flair, while Joe Taylor (guitar) shreds, chugs and adds some bluesy vibes on “M.” The band gets help from Zakk Wylde (BLS/Ozzy), Sen Dog (Cypress Hill), Russell Allen (Symphony X) and Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory). Check out the hip-hop funk of “Do My Work,” the killer guitar groove of “Reign Down” and the stirring “I See Heaven.” Be sure to catch Cycle Of Pain at the Palladium on April 25 with Black Label Society and Sevendust. You won’t want to miss these guys. KKKKKK (Travis Tutwiler)