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By Brian McLean
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Personnel
Ian Jones, the original guitarist for New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) legends Blitzkrieg passed away on August 10 after a long illness. Jones handled rhythm guitar duties on the band’s 1981 seven-inch Ep, Buried Alive, released by Neat Records… He also co-wrote the classic track “Creeping Death,” made famous by Metallica on their Creeping Death EP… God Seed / Gorgoroth frontman Gaahl has retired from music… For the first time since 1986, Hades’ classic Resisting Success lineup will reunite for two shows in April 2010. This will mark drummer Tom Coombs' first appearances with the band since 1994’s Exist To Resist CD. Guitarist Scott LePage (who played bass on Saviorself and The Downside in 1999 and 2000) will handle lead guitar duties for the first time since recording Resisting Success… Los Angeles thrashers Warbringer have parted ways with bassist Ben Bennett. Andy Laux has rejoined the band.
Dimmu Borgir has parted ways with both I.C.S. Vortex [bassist, clean vocalist] and Mustis [keyboards]. However, they’re still working on the next album and are excited to start a new chapter in their legacy. Visit the band at www.DIMMU-BORGIR.com and www.myspace.com/DIMMUBORGIR
Shows
Some great touring shows are slated for the Ridglea Theater in coming months. For starters, see Moonspell and Samael Thursday, November 5 followed by Heathenfest on November 17. That one features Switzerland's Eluveitie, Austria’s supreme black metal blasters Belphegor, Scotland’s Alestorm, Finland’s Kivimestan Druidi and Vreid…
After nearly a three-year absence, Hypocrisy returns to the Ridglea Theater on November 15. On November 29, Marduk returns to the DFW after a several-year absence with Pittsburgh old school thrashers Mantic Ritual. It will be Mantic’s sixth American tour, this time for their debut album The Executioner. It’ll be the band’s third appearance in Fort Worth…
Studio and new releases
Triptkon, the group formed by Tom Gabriel Warrior after his departure from Celtic Frost in 2008, started studio-recording sessions for a first album in mid-August 2009. It’s tentatively titled Eparistera Daimones… Demonica, the solo project of Mercyful Fate guitarist Hank Shermann, has finished mixing its untitled debut album…
Evangelion, the ninth full-length studio album from Poland’s Behemoth, sold 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 56 on The Billboard 200 chart… Hypocrisy will release A Taste of Extreme Divinity, in Europe on October 23 and in the U.S. on November 3… Austria’s Belphegor has completed work on their eighth full-length CD, Walpuprgis Rites – Hexenwahn, slated for October 9 in Europe and October 20 in North America… Immortal will release All Shall Fall, in North America on October 6 and in Europe on September 25… Tim Ripper Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Yngwie Malmsteen, Beyond Fear) has completed vocal tracks for the debut album from Charred Walls of the Damned, the new project led by Richard Christy…
Marduk will release their eleventh album, Wormwood, in the U.S. on October 13 via Regain Records… Slayer’s upcoming 11-track disc titled World Painted Blood is slated for an early October release date through American Recordings / Columbia Records…
Road Trip
Motorcycle enthusiast, Exodus vocalist Rob Dukes, has embarked on his third cross-country bike trip, departing New York City on August 30. Unlike Duke’s previous trek that reached the four corners of the United States (totaling 14652 miles over a six week period), this trip will only clock in at 4500 miles.
Print Media
A new Metallica biography titled All That Matters, is scheduled for release in October via Plexus Publishing. Written by Paul Stenning, the 320-book is "the first all-access biography to detail Metallica’s entire history from early childhood through to the present day.” Reportedly, it’s based on exclusive interviews with band members and those closest to them…
CD’s
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Behemoth – Evangelion, Metal Blade Records
Behemoth has delivered a monster in Evangelion, which made its debut on the Billboard charts at #56. “Ov Fire And The Void” is a slower-than-normal track for the Polish trio but still boasts rapid-fire bass drums along with an ominous guitar riff. “The Seed Ov I” is a low-end chugging tune that kicks into overdrive during the guitar solo. There are still plenty of blistering tracks like the pulverizing “Defiling Morality Ov Black God” or the mix of speed and utter despair found on “He Who Breeds Pestilence.” The most captivating track is the epic closing “Lucifer,” which features plenty of guitar work and is somewhat catchy in an evil sort of way. With Evangelion, Frontman Nergal and company have truly unleashed one hell of a black metal masterpiece.
 (Travis Tutwiler)
Nazxul – Iconoclast, Moribund Records
This Australian black metal outfit delivers plenty of sinister, dark metal to make you feel a true sense of hopelessness. Scowling vocals are found throughout — whether on the slow, ominous title track or the up-tempo “Symbol Of Night & Winter (Ancient Lords).” In the true sense of most black metal, the drums are overbearing and somehow feel the need to have non-stop, hyper-speed, double bass throughout every song. You can’t help but zero in on the drums on every track, which makes each seem monotonous. It gets old quick and takes away from a potentially strong disc.
(Travis Tutwiler)
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..since 1997!