Personnel
Former Blind Guardian/Savage Circus drummer Thomas “Thomen” Stauch has joined German industrial/gothic/rock band Seelenzorn… Arch Enemy/Carcass guitarist Michael Amott has inked a deal with Dean Guitars… Dimmu Borgir guitarist Galder will not be taking part in the Blackest of the Black Tour due to a recent addition to his family. Taking his place will be Susperia guitarist Cyrus, a long-time friend of the band. Ex Vader drummer, Dariusz “Daray” Brzozowski will be handling those duties.... After a two-year break, guitarist Ronald Bekking, pianist Hans Grotenbreg and bassist Jeroen Paul Thesseling (Obscura/ex- Pestilence) have resumed work on new recordings for their project Ensemble Salazhar… The former Dark Angel and current Dreams of Damnation guitarist has joined the reactivated Southern California metal band Ruthless… Sinamore has parted ways with guitarist Tommi Muhli… Elimi bassist Verrot committed suicide. No other information has been provided…
Slayer’s Kerry King
Photo: Randy Bookout
The Showdown’s Josh Childers
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Releases
Slayer will perform their classic 1986 album Reign In Blood in its entirety at the Hammersmith Apollo in London on Oct. 30, during the band’s The Unholy Alliance: Chapter III European tour. The following night they’ll play a different set, to be filmed for an upcoming DVD… The Roundhouse Tapes, the new DVD from Sweden’s Opeth, will be released in the UK on Peaceville Records on November 10, and November 11 in the states…
Arch Enemy will release a new DVD+CD set, Tyrants Of The Rising Sun: Live In Japan, in Europe on November 24 and in North America on November 25 via Century Media. The DVD contains a live show filmed in Tokyo earlier this year, an in-depth 40-minute road-movie feature and promotional videos shot for the band’s latest album, Rise Of The Tyrant…
Reactivated thrashers Whiplash are in final stages of recording their long-awaited CD, Pitbulls In The Playground. It’s due in early 2009 followed by a summer tour… Ohio’s Skeletonwitch has completed its debut video from “Beyond The Permafrost,” which saw an October 2007 release through Prosthetic Records. It combines live footage from Stuart’s Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio, and additional narrative footage from various locales in southern Ohio from earlier this summer. The b-roll footage was wrapped in September…
Notable Shows
Reunited Texas thrashers Devastation has been added to the Soulfly tour with Bleed the Sky and Incite… The tour played Dallas’ Granada Theater on November 3… British extreme metal band Cradle of Filth will team up with Norway’s Satyricon and Greece’s Septicflesh for a North American tour in January/February. The tour stops at the House of Blues in Dallas on February 17…
San Francisco Bay area thrashers Exodus will play their classic, legendary 1985 album, Bonded By Blood, in its entirety at El Corazon in Seattle on November 12. The band recently completed work on a re-recording of Bonded By Blood, produced by guitarist Gary Holt and titled Let There Be Blood…
Must See Show
Kreator, Exodus, Belphegor, Warbring and Epicurean will tour North America April 7 through May 17, 2009, with a stop at the Ridglea Theater Thursday, May 7…
Growling Workshop
Vocalist Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity will host a couple of growling workshops in Gothenburg. Topics include the fundamentals of growling/screaming techniques as well as how to maintain vocal stamina and clarity in a touring situation….
Dimmu Borgir — The Invaluable Darkness DVD, Nuclear Blast
The Invaluable Darkness DVD is a two dvd/one cd set that offers live footage, pictures, six of the bands videos and a live audio cd of the P3 Session performance from NRK Studio 19 in Oslo, Norway. The second DVD also includes three live songs from this performance and from the Wacken Open Air Festival in 2007. There’s also a gold album presentation for In Sorte Diaboli, a picture gallery including promo photos, live shots and pictures from the road, as well as six videos. The first DVD is a live concert from the Invaluable Darkness Tour, filmed at their homecoming show in Oslo, as well as those filmed in Berlin, and London. This package is a great visual look into the band’s theatrical stage shows and powerful music.
(Travis Tutwiler)
Gojira — The Way Of The Flesh, Prosthetic Records
This is a heavier progression from the band’s breakthrough release From Mars To Sirius. Elements of double bass and low-end rhythms are still there, as evident on “Yama’s Messengers” and “All The Tears,” but the vocals and music are darker. Vocaliist Joe Duplantier says the theme is “about death itself. It’s also about the immortality of the soul.”
“Vacuity” is about finding yourself, while the environmentally-conscious “Toxic Garbage Island” deals with pollution of our seas. There are plenty of crushing tracks, but the true standout is “Adoration For None,” featuring guest vocalist Randy Blythe (Lamb Of God). Catch Gojira at The Palladium on Nov. 28 with In Flames, All That Remains and 36 Crazyfists.
(Travis Tutwiler)
The Showdown — The Door, 10/8/08
The four-piece from Tennessee made a stop in Big D to pulverize The Door with tracks from the pummeling new Back Breaker. Sporting the Confederate Dimebag Guitar, Josh Childers joined Eric Koruschak (bass) and AJ Barrette (drums) on opening instrumental, “The Beginning.” Singer David Benton helped the band kick it up a notch on the slamming “Hammer Of The Gods.” As the crushing track “Disillusionaire” was cranked out, the crowd shoved their way to the stage like a stampede — prompting Benton to state that “every show in Dallas has been sick.” The band closed with “Back Breaker,” dedicated to former high school friend/current Dallas Cowboy Jason Witten. Getting the crowd going was the chorus of Pantera’s “I’m Broken,” which finished “Back Breaker.” It was one hell of a set. (Travis Tutwiler)
