Releases
Hypocrisy/Pain frontman Peter Tagtren will have a special guest appearance on the upcoming Children of Bodom disc…West Virginia’s thrashers Byzantine have posted two tracks, “Nadir” and “Expansion and Collapse,” from upcoming album, Oblivion Beckons on the band’s MySpace page…. Paths of Possession (featuring Cannibal Corpse’s vocalist) will release their third album The End of the Hour on October 16 through Metal Blade Records… Poland’s Vesania, whose lineup includes Orion (Behemoth) and Daray (Vader), will release their third album, Distractive Killusions on November 20 in the U.S. and November 30 in Europe through Napalm Records…

Swedish thrash band Corporation 187 has landed a deal with Anticulture Records. The group’s third album, Newcomers of Sin, is tentatively due before the end of the year… With their American tour completed, Katatonia is prepping for writing/pre-production mode… Black Mark will reissue all 12 studio albums from Swedish black metal pioneers Bathory on limited-edition picture vinyl. All discs will be “hard-covered by a collection sleeve” and will be made available on November 19…

Abysmalia, a one man (Jouni Koskela) progressive thrash outfit, is currently writing for its second release with a street date in early 2008... Norway thrash band Manifest has landed a deal with Morningstar Records, and the new album Hedonism will be released November 26 in Norway and in early 2008 in the rest of Europe. No American date has been provided… Sweden’s Nifelheim will release Envoy of Lucifer, on November 19 via Regain Records.

Worthy old school news
Legendary San Francisco Bay Area thrashers Forbidden will reunite for several shows in 2008. Russ Anderson (vocals), Craig Locicero (guitar), Paul Bostaph (drums), Matt Camacho (bass) and Glen Alvelais (guitar) will take part, and the show will be a must see… Reactivated British extreme legends Carcass has been confirmed for next year’s installment of the Wacken Open Air festival, set to take place July 31 - August 2, 2008 in Wacken, Germany…

Personnel
Gorgoroth bassist King of Hell has been spending time with former Anthrax member, Rob Caggiano for an-unnamed project… Florida-based death metal band Malevolent Creation has recruited drummer Fabian Aguirre as the replacement for recently departed Dave Culross. Handling bass duties on the road will reportedly be Marco Martell, who has previously toured with the band.
Swedish melodic death/black metalist Devian - who feature in their ranks former MARDUK members Legion (vocals) and Emil Dragutinovic (drums) after their departure from Marduk - have posted the second “webisode” documenting the recording process for the group’s debut album, Ninewinged Serpent. It’s due October 22 via Century Media … Singer Wade Black (Crimson Glory, Seven Witches) has teamed up with former King Diamond guitar master Pete Blakk, drummer Jesse Martillo (Crimson Glory) and bassist Chris Baylor to form Diasterpeace.

Signings
Soilent Green has signed with Metal Blade Records…

Fun Quote Extreme or Not
Slash says his autobiography treats Axl Rose fairly. It’s just a shame Rose can’t do the same for the fans when it comes to the Axl-fronted “Gn’R tribute band.”

Black Metal Documentary
“Murder Music: A History of Black Meta” is an in-depth documentary about the history of black metal - the most controversial and misunderstood arm of heavy metal’s complex genealogy. It will be free to view at rockworld.tv. The 64-minute documentary was written by rock journalist Malcom Dome. It eschews much of the tabloid sensationalism that shrouded the genre in the early to mid-’90s, focusing instead on the music itself - an element thus far overlooked by the mainstream media. Bands featured in the film are likes of Mayhem, Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Satyricon, Venom and Sabbat…

Nothing’s free
Jammie Thomas, a 30-year old single mother has been ordered by a jury to pay $220,000 to six record companies in a downloading court case. The record companies alleged she shared 1702 songs in all from bands like Guns N’ Roses and Opeth. The breakdown is $9250 for each of the 24 songs they focused on in the case. That’s some expensive tuneage…

Obituary/Alabama Thunderpussy - Granada Theater, 10/4/07
Richmond, Virginia’s Alabama Thunderpussy ignited the crowd with their hard-driving, guitar-fueled set consisting mostly of songs from latest effort Open Fire. Kyle Thomas’ powerful voice shined on crushing song “The Cleansing” and on stoner-rocking track “The Beggar,’” while guitarists Ryan Lake and Erik Larson kicked it in high gear on “Valor” and “Open Fire.” Bryan Cox (drums) and Mike Bryant (bass) kept the tempo firing on all cylinders. While every song was electric, the set’s highlight was a killer rendition of Whitesnake’s “Still Of The Night,” that really got the crowd fired up.
With the energy level already high Florida death metal legends Obituary took the stage, sending the crowd into a moshing frenzy. Their pulverizing set consisted of songs from latest effort Xecutioner’s Return - like the scorching “Second Chance,” “Evil Ways” and “Face Your God,” as well as classics “Slowly We Rot,” “Slow Death” and “Stand Alone.” The band was as tight as ever as evidenced in John Tardy’s venomous vocals and guitarist Ralph Santolla’s mesmerizing fretboard acrobatics. The metal gods were truly shining down on the Metroplex this night. (Travis Tutwiler)

Cannibal Corpse, Black Dahlia Murder, Red Chord, Goatwhore, The Absence - Rockyard - 9/09/07
At Metal Blade’s 25th Anniversary Tour stop in Ft. Worth, you got the feeling the label was making it known it was older than most of their artists’ demographic.
As opener, The Absence (with a soon-to-be-released second album, Riders of the Plague) made every effort to rip start the show. They were good, although it was obvious not many people had heard of them.
Goatwhore brought the Goth look (i.e. six-inch spikes lining the wrists, shins and guitar straps) - but not the sound.
Even for a band that’s sometimes difficult to understand on its albums, The Red Chord’s sound was so muddled, they were hard to watch. That was disappointing, as they were one of the main draws.
Before they ever took the stage, The Black Dahlia Murder was setting it off with anticipation. In support of their third CD, Nocturnal, they affectively solidified themselves as one of the most eccentric and intricate metal groups there is.
With Cannibal Corpse having been around almost as long as Metal Blade, these “pioneers” were a bit less enthusiastic. But that didn’t make them any less brutal. All in all, this show deserved a lot more than it got from its only visit to Texas. (Steven Goldsmith)

Machine Head, Arch Enemy, Throw-down, Sanctity - House Of Blues, 9/13/07
North Carolina band Sanctity kicked off The Black Tyranny Tour, performing songs from their debut release, Road To Bloodshed.
Throwdown followed, cranking out songs from new disc Venom & Tears. But the song that got the pit going was a cover of Pantera’s “A New Level.”
Next up was Sweden’s Arch Enemy, which kept the energy high as Angela Gossow roamed the stage delivering her potent growl. The crowd sang along to favorites “Dead Eyes See No Future” and “We Will Rise” and was treated to new songs “Blood On Your Hands” and “Revolution Begins” from upcoming release Rise Of The Tyrant.
The night definitely belonged to metal titans Machine Head. As house lights dimmed, the chants of “Machine F*#king Head” reverberated thoughout the venue, as the band took the stage for opener “Clenching The Fists Of Dissent.” Singer/guitarist Robb Flynn and his band mates - Phil Demmel (guitar), Dave McClain (drums) and temporary bassist Brandon Sigmund - bulldozed the crowd with classics “Take My Scars” and “Davidian” as well as new Dime-inspired “Asthetics Of Hate.” Machine Head delivered an incredible performance and left the crowd begging for more. (Travis Tutwiler)

As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us, Metal Blade Records
This San Diego quintet has unleashed a sonic assault with An Ocean Between Us. Tim Lambesis’ vocals are delivered with sheer power, as Nick Hipa and Phillip Sgrosso (guitarists) supply dizzying riffs over the modern thrash tempo forged by Jordan Mancino (drums) and Josh Gilbert (bass). AILD truly shines on the Slayer-esqe “Wrath Upon Ourselves,” the relentless “Comfort Betrays” and blistering “The Sound Of Truth.” Chock full of crushing breakdowns and acrobatic guitar leads, this intense collection is worth any listener’s time, and proves that AILD is a force to be reckoned with in the metal realm.
(Travis Tutwiler)

Five Finger Death Punch - The Way Of The Fist, Firm Music
From The Way Of The Fist’s opening track, it’s evident that 5FDP can throw down with the best of them. Nothing innovative or original but some crushing grooves that the get the blood pumping. Unfortunately the vocals take away from the ferocity and quality of the songs. Singer Ivan Moody uses a scream that’s a cross between old Slipknot (Corey Taylor) and wrestler Macho Man Randy Savage telling you to “snap into a Slim Jim.”
Moody also incorporates clean vocals that are similar to Scooter Ward (Cold), but Moody sounds unsure, as if he’s trying to find his own voice. The music is strong and worth a listen, if you’re patient enough to develop a taste for the vocals.
(Travis Tutwiler)

Through The Eyes Of The Dead - Malice, Prosthetic Records
With new vocalist Nate Johnson at the helm, TTEOTD has released Malice - a pummeling barrage of metal that grabs you by the throat and pounds you into submission. “As Good As Dead” features jackhammer-style rhythms, while “To Wage A War” takes a page from the Slayer school of thrash but with more brutality. The CD is fueled by Johnson’s guttural roar and Josh Kulick’s machine gun drum beats. The shear power and punishment of Malice will have you wondering what the license plate number was on the truck that just hit you. TTEOTD are staking their claim atop the death-metal heap.
(Travis Tutwiler)