MORE 2011 SICKNESS (PART 6)

Damn, I’m finally able to go outside without shivering and being beaten about the head and shoulders with high winds and rain blowing sideways. That must mean it’s June in Seattle!  And so it is. A largely dismal May is behind us, the Seattle Mariners are astonishingly only a game and a half out of first place in their division (that’s baseball for you outlanders), and the summer lies ahead.

What else lies ahead? A bunch of new metal, of course. And because it’s the beginning of a new month, we’re bringing you another installment of METAL IN THE FORGE, in which we collect news blurbs and press releases we’ve seen over the last month about forthcoming new albums from bands we know and like (including occasional updates about releases we’ve included in previous installments of this series), or from bands that look interesting, even though we don’t know their music yet. In this series, we cut and paste those announcements and compile them in alphabetical order.

Remember — this isn’t a cumulative list. If we found out about a new album during April or preceding months, we wrote about them in previous installments of this series. So, be sure to check the Category link called “Forthcoming Albums” on the right side of this page to see forecasted releases we reported earlier. This month’s list begins right after the jump. Look for your favorite bands, or get intrigued about some new ones.

THE ACACIA STRAIN: “Massachusetts metallers THE ACACIA STRAIN will release their first live album on June 21 via Prosthetic Records. The Most Known Unknown is a double-disc set, limited to 5,000 copies, and coming out just in time for the band’s first appearance on the long-running Vans Warped Tour. The music on the album comes from two separate shows — a sold-out concert at the Worcester Palladium in December 2008 and a gig at the much smaller and more intimate Waterfront on the band’s home turf of Holyoke, Massachusetts — which were documented on 2009’s The Most Known Unknown DVD.”

ALL SHALL PERISH: “Audio samples of all the tracks that appear on This Is Where It Ends, the fourth full-length album from ALL SHALL PERISH, can be streamed in a YouTube clip. The CD will be released on July 26 (North America) and July 29 (Europe) via Nuclear Blast Records.”

ALMAH: “Brazilian progressive power metal band ALMAH — the side project of ANGRA members Edu Falaschi (vocals) and Felipe Andreoli (bass) — will enter Norcal Studio in São Paulo, Brazil today (Monday, May 2) to begin recording its third album for a September release. 10 songs are being tracked for the effort, which was composed by the entire band and is described in a press release as ‘really heavy and up-to-date with less influences of typical melodic metal.'”

BARREN EARTH: “Finland’s progressive death/doom maestros BARREN EARTH have entered Helsinki’s Sonic Pump Studios to record the follow-up to last year’s highly acclaimed debut album, Curse Of The Red River. The band has written 12 new songs, and is currently laying them down with engineer/co-producer Jukka Varmo. Dan Swanö (KATATONIA, OPETH) will once again be at the mixing helm. The album is due for release in autumn 2011 on Peaceville Records, and the artwork will be made by Paul Romano (MASTODON).”

BATHORY: “Black Mark has set a July 18 U.K. release date for a limited-edition BATHORY vinyl box set. The collection, which is being released in honor of the band’s late mastermind Quorthon, contains the following:  Three double gatefold LPs ; 48-page booklet; BATHORY “Goat” poster (70x100cm); Picture-disc recreation of the original BATHORY “yellow goat” 1984 pressing of the band’s debut album.”

BURY YOUR DEAD: “Slaughterhouse Five, a brand new song from BURY YOUR DEAD, can be streamed at YouTube. The track comes off the band’s new album, Mosh & Roll, which is scheduled for release on August 2 via Mediaskare Records.”

DECAPITATED: “Polish technical death metal band DECAPITATED have set Carnival Is Forever as the title of their fifth studio album, due later in the year via Nuclear Blast Records.”

ENTHRONED: “Belgian black metallers ENTHRONED have inked a new deal with Regain Records. The band is currently writing material for its new album for a late 2011 release. Commented the group: ‘We’ve been working on the successor to ‘Pentagrammaton’ for the last months and even if there’s still some parts of the book to be written, the overall idea looks very promising.'”

EVILE: “British thrashers EVILE will release their third album, Five Serpents’ Teeth, on August 29 via Earache Records. The CD was recorded at Parlour Studios in Kettering, U.K., with producer Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, DIMMU BORGIR), who also worked on the band’s previous CD, 2009’s Infected Nations.”

GLORIOR BELLI: “Metal Blade Records has announced the signing of France’s GLORIOR BELLI. The band’s new album, The Great Southern Darkness, will be released in the fall.”

GORGOROTH: “Under The Sign Of Hell 2011, the re-recording of GORGOROTH‘s third album, will be released by Regain Records on June 20. On the LP, Pest and Infernus repeat their roles as vocalist and guitarist/bassist, respectively, from the original 1996 recording, while Tomas Asklund handles the drums. As for the still-untitled next GORGOROTH album consisting of new material, the band states that ‘66,6 % of the material has now been written, and work on the album is continuing at a steady pace. If all goes according to plan, the album will be recorded later this year.'”

GRIEF OF EMERALD: “Swedish death/black metal band GRIEF OF EMERALD will release its fourth album, The Devils Deep, on June 3 through Non Serviam Records. The first CD to feature the group’s current lineup sees GRIEF OF EMERALD ‘increase[ing] the power by adding some new intricate songs, boosting harmonies with haunting keyboards, tight double-bass drumming, backed by a massive guitar sound and haunting vocals, plus superb packaging,” according to a press release.'”

ICS VORTEX: “Norway’s ICS VORTEX, the project led by the former DIMMU BORGIR and current BORKNAGAR member, has signed a worldwide deal with Century Media Records for the release of its debut album, Storm Seeker. Due on August 22 in Europe and August 23 in North America, the CD ‘takes the musical elements from [ICS Vortex‘s] 10-plus years of experience withDIMMU BORGIR as well as the legacy of the classic bands with whom he is still active (BORKNAGAR, ARCTURUS and LAMENTED SOULS), topping things off with his signature clean vocals in order to make Storm Seeker become a perfectly balanced axe, whether a song is cutting fast, or dicing slow.'”

ISIS: “ISIS, who disbanded in May of last year, is set to release a series of five live albums that span the Los Angeles-by-way-of-Boston band’s thirteen year career.  The digital releases begin with Live I 9.23.03, a four-song, forty-minute recording from a performance at The Fillmore in San Francisco, which will be available on May 31. Each subsequent recording will be released at two week intervals.”

THE KONSORTIUM: “”Lik Ulven”, a brand new song from Norway’s THE KONSORTIUM, is available for streaming. The track comes off the band’s self-titled debut album, which is scheduled for release on June 24 via Agonia Records. The effort will be available as a limited heavy vinyl, digipack CD and a limited fan metal pack CD. The Konsortium was recorded over a one-year period at SOS Studio in Stavanger and Crystal Canyon Studio in Oslo and it features Teloch from MAYHEM and NIDINGR on guitar, and guest vocals by Erlend Hjelvik from KVELERTAK.”

LOCK UP: “Extreme metal supergroup LOCK UP will release its new album, Necropolis Transparent, on July 1 in Europe and July 12 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. Necropolis Transparent will feature guest appearances by HYPOCRISY/PAIN mainman (and one-time LOCK UP vocalist) Peter Tägtgren along with Jeff Walker (CARCASS, BRUJERIA).”

MALEFICE: “U.K. modern metallers MALEFICE will release their third full-length album, Awaken The Tides, in the U.K. on July 18, in the rest of Europe on July 15, and in North America on August 2 via Metal Blade Records. The 10-song effort was recorded at The Face studios in Reading with drums laid down at Fortress Studios in London. All tracks were mixed and mastered by Justin Hill.”

MEGADETH: “MEGADETH has tapped Johnny K (full name: John Karkazis; DISTURBED, SEVENDUST, MACHINE HEAD, STAIND) to produce the band’s new album, tentatively due this fall via Roadrunner Records. The drum tracking for the CD began earlier this month, with the entire recording process expected to be completed by the time the group hits the road this summer as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival with DISTURBED and GODSMACK.”

MORS SUBITA: “Finnish metal quintet MORS SUBITA will release its debut album, Human Waste Compression, this summer via an as-yet-undetermined record label. According to a press release, the CD will contain ’11 tracks of aggressive, melodic and groovy metal.'”

NAPALM DEATH: “Grindcore progenitors NAPALM DEATH have entered Parlour Studio in Kettering, U.K. with longtime producer Russ Russell to begin recording their 14th album for a tentative October release via Century Media Records.”

OPETH: “Swedish progressive metallers OPETH have set Heritage as the title of their tenth album, due in September via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded earlier this year at Atlantis studios (formerly Metronome studios) in Stockholm. Mixing duties were handled by OPETH vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt and Steven Wilson (PORCUPINE TREE). The new material has been described by the band as ‘good.'”

PATHOLOGY: “San Diego’s PATHOLOGY will enter Lambesis Studios in the band’s hometown this summer with producer Daniel Castleman (IMPENDING DOOM, AS I LAY DYING, WINDS OF PLAGUE) to begin recording its new album for a fall release.”

SOULDRAINER: “Swedish death metallers SOULDRAINER have inked a deal withViciSolum Productions. The band’s second full-length album will be released in the fall.”

SUICIDE SILENCE: “California deathcore masters SUICIDE SILENCE will release their new album, The Black Crown, on July 12 via Century Media Records. The CD was recorded with heavyweight producer Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, EVERY TIME I DIE, HATEBREED) and features the following songtitles, among others: “Human Violence”, “Cancerous Skies” and “Fuck Everything”.”

TEXTURES: “Dutch progressive metallers TEXTURES recently entered Split Second Sound studios in Amsterdam to begin recording their fourth album for a fall release via Nuclear Blast Records. The as-yet-untitled CD is being produced by TEXTURES guitar player Jochem Jacobs, who helmed all of the band’s previous albums.”

UNEARTH: “Massachusetts metallers UNEARTH will release their new album,Darkness In The Light, in Europe on July 4 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded at Zing Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts with producer (and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist) Adam Dutkiewicz. Sitting in on drums during the sessions was Justin Foley of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE/BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED.”

VEIL OF MAYA: “Prior to their appearance at this year’s edition of The Bamboozle festival, which was held April 29 – May 1 at the New Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Chicago’s VEIL OF MAYA was busy in the nation’s capital demoing new material with their great friend and Sumerian labelmate Misha Mansoor (PERIPHERY) for their as-yet-untitled new record that will be dropping in the fall.”

WARBRINGER: “Los Angeles thrashers WARBRINGER entered the studio on April 18 with producer Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SYMPHONY X, SEPULTURA, HATEBREED) to begin recording their third album for a late 2011 release via Century Media Records.”

YOUR CHANCE TO DIE: “Red Cord Records has announced the signing of the South Carolina-based female-fronted melodic death metal band YOUR CHANCE TO DIE. The group’s second album, Suscitatio Somnus, will be released on August 16. The CD was recorded with renowned producer Jamie King (THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD, THE HUMAN ABSTRACT, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME).”