The first month of the year has come and gone. January brought those of us in Seattle some typically ass-sucking winter weather, though it wasn’t nearly as bad as the brutality dished out by the weather gods on our metal brothers and sisters in the Midwest and Northeast of the U.S. And of course, our readers ins places like Russia, and Finland, and Sweden are probably laughing their asses off reading our complaints about our winter weather. So, we’ll just shut up about that.
Besides, January brought all sorts of great new metal to our tender ears, so who gives a shit about the weather anyway? And you know what else January brought? It brought news of still more metal goodness on the way — great bursts of audio sunshine in our collective futures that will part these winter clouds and leave them whimpering in cloudy tatters.
Okay, maybe we should leave poetry to the poets and just get on with this next monthly installment of METAL IN THE FORGE, where we collect news blurbs and press releases we’ve seen over the last 30 days about forthcoming new albums from bands we know and like, or from bands that look interesting, even though we don’t know them yet. And in this post, we’ve cut and pasted the announcements and compiled them in alphabetical order. Look for your favorite bands, or get intrigued about some new ones:
AJATARRA: “AJATTARA — the Finnish band featuring former AMORPHIS frontman Pasi Koskinen (a.k.a. Itse Ruoja Suruntuoj) — will release its seventh album, Murhat (“Murders”) on February 2 via Osasto-A Records. Murhat is available for streaming in its entirety on the AJATTARA Facebook page.” (much more after the jump . . .)
ALL SHALL PERISH: “Oakland, California extreme metal band All Shall Perish are currently nearing completion of their fourth album and follow-up to their 2008 release, Awaken the Dreamers.”
ARTILLERY: “Danish thrash metal veterans ARTILLERY have completed work on their sixth album, My Blood, at Medley Studios in Copenhagen for a March 21 European release via Metal Mind Productions (April 5 in the U.S. through MVD and March 9 in Japan via King Records).”
AUGURY: “Sonic Unyon Metal will reissue Concealed, the first album from the progressive death metal outfit AUGURY, on March 8. Originally released in 2004 via Galy Records, this updated version features a fully remastered recording of the album, also expanded to include two bonus tracks from the band’s 2006 demo. This definitive edition will also be packaged in a new digipak format, designed by Sven de Caluwé of ABORTED.”
AVANTASIA: “AVANTASIA — the project led by EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet — is putting the finishing touches on its two-disc DVD, The Flying Opera – Around The World In 20 Days, for an early March release via Nuclear Blast Records in Europe and Avalon Marquee in Asia.”
BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE: “Georgia-based metallers BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE will release their fourth album, Celestial Completion, on March 29 via Solid State Records. The CD was produced by Matt Goldman (UNDEROATH, THE CHARIOT, COPELAND) and contains 11 tracks.”
BLACKGUARD: “Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based sympho/black/folk/power metallers BLACKGUARD (formerly PROFUGUS MORTIS) have set Firefight as the title of their sophomore album, due on March 29 via Victory Records.”
BLOTTED SCIENCE: “Instrumental extreme metal triumvirate BLOTTED SCIENCE, featuring guitarist Ron Jarzombek (WATCHTOWER, SPASTIC INK, MARTY FRIEDMAN), bassist Alex Webster (CANNIBAL CORPSE, HATE ETERNAL) and drummer Hannes Grossmann (NECROPHAGIST, OBSCURA), is preparing to enter the studio to begin recording a new EP, The Animation Of Entomology, for a tentative late 2011 release.”
BORN OF OSIRIS: “Chicago-based progressive metal hybrid BORN OF OSIRIS will release its third full-length album, The Discovery, on March 22 via Sumerian Records. The CD was recorded at BOTA Studio in Lake In The Hills, Illinois and was mixed by Jason Suecof (ALL THAT REMAINS, TRIVIUM, DEVILDRIVER). ”
THE BRONX CASKET CO.: “THE BRONX CASKET CO., the side project of OVERKILL bassist D.D. Verni and SEVEN WITCHES guitarist Jack Frost, will release its new album, Antihero, on January 25 via eOne Music.”
BURZUM: “Fallen, the eighth album from BURZUM, will be released in North America on April 5. The album is the second to be released via Varg Vikernes’ imprint Byelobog Productions (via Candlelight for the territory). Fallen features seven new compositions by the controversial Norwegian musician, each adding another storied journey to the celebrated BURZUM legacy.”
BYFROST: “Norwegian blackened thrashers BYFROST have inked a deal with Germany’s AFM Records, who are set to release the band’s sophomore album before the summer. Of Death, will be recorded at the Conclave and Earshot Studios in the band’s home town of Bergen, and will be produced by ENSLAVED’s Herbrand Larsen and VULTURE INDUSTRIES’ Bjornar Nilsen, who had also produced BYFROST’s debut album.”
CANNIBAL CORPSE: From an interview with Alex Webster: “We have no plans to tour in 2011. We are currently home in the Tampa Bay Area writing our next album, we’ll record it in September so that will leave us with an early 2012 release. So, we’ll probably wait to tour until the album is released.”
CANNIBAL CORPSE: “Florida death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE are tentatively scheduled to release a new two-disc DVD set, “Global Evisceration”, on March 15 via Metal Blade. The band filmed two shows in May 2010 for the upcoming DVD.”
THE CRIMSON ARMADA: “Columbus, Ohio band The Crimson Armada has inked a deal with Artery Recordings, the joint venture between The Artery Foundation and Razor & Tie. The group will enter the studio this spring with producer Brian Hood (A Plea For Purging, Hope for the Dying) to record their 2011 Artery Recordings debut, titled Conviction, which will be released this summer.”
DARKEST HOUR: “Washington D.C.-based metallers DARKEST HOUR have completed work on their new album, The Human Romance, for a February 22, 2011 release via eOne Music. The CD was recorded at a North Carolina studio with producer (and SOILWORK guitarist) Peter Wichers.”
DEATH: “DEATH‘s seventh and final album, The Sound of Perseverance, will be reissued on February 15 in North America (February 21 internationally) via Relapse Records. The first in a series of official DEATH reissues slated for 2011, the LP has been remastered from the original studio tapes and expanded to include a second disc of previously unreleased demo material. The reissue will also include enhanced artwork and liner notes from the original cover artist Travis Smith as well as liner notes from DEATH guitarist Shannon Hamm and never-before-seen photographs from The Sound of Perseverance era. A special deluxe version of the The Sound of Perseverance reissue includes a third bonus disc of unreleased material and will only be available via Relapse mailorder and digitally via iTunes.”
DERANGED: “Swedish death metal masters DERANGED will enter Berno Studio in Malmö, Sweden in February to begin recording their eighth full-length album, Cut, Carve, Rip, Serve, to be released via Sevared Records.”
DEVILDRIVER: “‘Dead To Rights’, the first single from DEVILDRIVER‘s forthcoming fifth album, Beast, is available for free download at RoadrunnerRecords.com (free e-mail sign-up required). . . . Beast will be issued on February 22, 2011 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at Sonic Ranch studios in Tornillo, Texas with producer Mark Lewis (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, ALL THAT REMAINS) and was mixed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY) at his Backstage studio in Derbyshire, England.”
DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS: “Los Angeles-based extreme metal band DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS has set Satánico Dramático as the title of its first full-length album, set for worldwide digital release on February 23, 2011.”
FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING: “German death metallers FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING are working on material for their fifth album, tentatively titled The Art Of Coming Apart, for a late 2011 release. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include “Trapping The Unseen”, “Hours Of Suffering” and “Memorial Stone”.”
GRAYCEON: “Bay Area progressive rock/metal three-piece GRAYCEON has completed work on its third full-length album, All We Destroy, for a March 1 release. GRAYCEON is recognized as one of the most creative and unique forces within the Bay Area underground metal scene, on par with such contemporaries as LUDICRA, HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE, SLOUGH FEG, AMBER ASYLUM, ASUNDER and WORM OUROBOROS.”
ILLDISPOSED: “Danish extreme metallers ILLDISPOSED have set There Is Light (But It’s Not For Me) as the title of their new album, due in Europe on March 25 via Massacre Records. The band is currently recording the CD at Antfarm Studio in Århus, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (MOONSPELL, DARK TRANQUILLITY, GOREFEST, SICK OF IT ALL).”
INSISION: “Swedish death metallers INSISION have posted a video teaser for their upcoming EP, End Of All, due later in the year via the U.S. label Sevared Records. The CD was recorded at Off Beat Studio in Stockholm with engineer Anders Eriksson.”
MORDBRAND: “Swedish death metallers MORDBRAND have posted three songs —“Deliverance”, “Graveyard Revisited” and “Deathbound” — from their upcoming six-track 10-inch EP, due in the early spring via Me Saco Un Ojo Records. The songs will also be available via iTunes and Spotify.”
NEGURA BUNGET: “NEGURA BUNGET is putting the finishing touches on a new mini-CD, Poarta De Dincolo (English translation: “A Gate From The Above” or “Carrying From The Other Side”). The effort is being recorded once again at Negura Music studio and, as the title suggests, focuses on exploring the relation between worlds, either from above, under or beyond.”
NEGURA BUNGET: “Negura Bunget’s live DVD/2CD Focul Viu will be released by Lupus Lounge / Prophecy Productions on March 11th, 2011 (Germany and Austria) and March 14th (rest of the Europe). The material with a playing time of over 90 minutes was recorded back in December 2008 at a concert in Bucharest with the band’s classic line-up featuring Hupogrammos, Sol Faur, and Negru. Watch a trailer video for Focul Viu here: “Focul Viu” trailer”
NERVECELL: From the band’s press release: “It is with great pleasure to announce that we have set PSYCHOGENOCIDE as the title of our long-awaited new album, due for release late March 2011 in Europe through Lifeforce Records and Spellbind Records for the Middle East. The artwork has been a concept, which we have been working on for quite a while within the band and we are extremely proud of how it has turned out, perfectly matching the aggression and musical direction of the new album. PSYCHOGENOCIDE is scheduled to be mixed and mastered at Hertz Studios (Behemoth, Decapitated, Vader) in Warsaw, Poland by the Wieslawscy Bros.”
NEURAXIS: “‘Asylum’, a brand new track from Montreal-based death metallers NEURAXIS, is available for streaming at this location. The song comes off the band’s sixth album, Asylon, which will be released in North America on February 15, 2011.”
NOCTEM: “Spanish death/black metallers NOCTEM will enter Ultrasound studios in Braga, Portugal, in February with producer Daniel Cardoso to begin recording their sophomore album. According to a posting on the group’s MySpace page, the follow-up to 2009’s Divinity will be a ‘logical progression of the last album, full of new nuances and based in a darker sound and a more complex composition.'”
PRIMORDIAL: “Irish dark metal masters PRIMORDIAL are putting the finishing touches on their seventh studio album, Redemption At The Puritan’s Hand, with producer Chris Fielding (NAPALM DEATH, ELECTRIC WIZARD) for a tentative April release via Metal Blade Records.”
REVOCATION: “Revocation are currently recording their new as-yet-untitled full-length album at Damage Studios in Southbridge, Massachusetts with engineer Pete Rutcho. The follow-up to the band’s break-through Relapse Records debut Existence Is Futile is expected to see its release in summer 2011.”
RIGOR MORTIS: “Texas thrash metal veterans RIGOR MORTIS will celebrate their 25th anniversary this year with several special shows. . . . In other news, RIGOR MORTIS will record two new songs in February. These will be the first songs this lineup has recorded together since the band’s 1988 self-titled debut album. The groups plans to write and record enough songs in the upcoming months for a future full-length release.”
THE ROTTED: “London, England-based death metallers THE ROTTED have entered Parlour Studios to record the follow-up to 2008’s Get Dead Or Die Trying. Production duties are once again being handled by Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, DIMMU BORGIR, EVILE). . . . The as-yet untitled-album is set for a mid/late 2011 release.”
ROTTEN SOUND: “‘Plan’, a brand new song from Finland’s ROTTEN SOUND, is available for streaming on the band’s MySpace and Facebook pages. The track comes off the group’s new full-length album, Cursed, which will be released on March 15 via Relapse Records (except in Finland, where it will arrive on March 16 through Fullsteam Records).”
SINISTER: “Poland’s Metal Mind Productions will release an exclusive box containing the full discography of one of the best death metal bands around — Holland’s SINISTER — on February 14 in Poland, February 21 in Europe and April 5 in the USA. Entitled Altered Since Birth, the set contains eight studio albums, a live DVD, a compilation of demo tracks, plus a booklet containing a full biography based on an exclusive interview, the complete discography, lyrics to all songs and a selection of amazing archive photos.”
SUICIDE SILENCE: “Suicide Silence will soon enter the studio to begin recording a new full-length. Tracking will take place with producer/engineer Steve Evetts (Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die) and the yet-to-be-titled effort will hit stores this summer via Century Media Records.”
SUPREME PAIN: “Dutch brutal death metallers SUPREME PAIN, who feature in their ranks members of SINISTER, CONSOLATION, PUTREFIED and FONDLECORPSE, have inked a deal with Massacre Records. The band’s third album, Divine Incarnation was recorded at Soundlodge Studiosin Leer, Germany with producer Jörg Uken and is scheduled for release later in the year.”
SYLOSIS: “U.K. modern thrashers SYLOSIS will release their sophomore album, Edge Of The Earth, on March 11 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was produced by Scott Atkins, who previously worked with the band on 2008’s Conclusion Of An Age.”
SYMPHONY X: “Vocalist Russell Allen of New Jersey’s progressive metal masters SYMPHONY X revealed that the band has set Iconoclast as the title of its eighth album, due later this year via Nuclear Blast Records. When asked what stage of the recording/mixing process the new CD is in, Allen replied, ‘We are in post-production, so the album is pretty much almost done. At this point, mixes are being wrapped up and finalized and it’s off to mastering and should be ready for release in a few months — definitely first quarter of 2011.'”
TEXTURES: From the band’s blog: “We have started recording our fourth album at Split Second Sound studios in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The album will be produced by TEXTURES’ guitar player Jochem Jacobs, who also was responsible for the production of TEXTURES’ previous albums. . . . The yet untitled album will see its release in the fall of 2011 through Nuclear Blast Records.”
TROLLFEST: “True Norwegian Balkan metallers’ TROLLFEST have inked a deal with NoiseArt Records as well as the booking agency Rock The Nation. The band’s new album, En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral, will be released on April 29.”
THE UNGUIDED: “THE UNGUIDED — the new project featuring former SONIC SYNDICATE members Richard Sjunnesson (vocals) and Roland Johansson (vocals), along with current SONIC SYNDICATE guitarist (and Richard‘s brother) Roger Sjunnesson — will release a two-track digital and physical single entitled “Nightmareland” in February.”
VOMITORY: “Mighty Swedish death metallers Vomitory have finished the recordings for their anticipated eighth studio album entitled Opus Mortis VIII. . . . Vomitory’s Opus Mortis VIII will be released in the spring of 2011 via Metal Blade Records.”