BONDED BY BLOOD And HATCHET Added To SOILWORK / JEFF LOOMIS North American Tour

BONDED BY BLOOD and HATCHET have announced their participation in the North American Infinity Tour 2013, headlined by SOILWORK and JEFF LOOMIS.

Commented Bonded By Blood: “We are very excited to join up with Soilwork on their North American tour, 55 show from coast to coast alongside with Jeff Loomis and our friends Blackguard who we had an epic tour with last year. We look forward to seeing our good friends, family and fans on the road as well as making new friends and fans. Keep your eyes open for a date near you and we hope to see you all there! Cheers, beers and good times ahead!”

Bonded By Blood’s latest album, The Aftermath, has been released in July 2012 via Earache Records. A video has been shot for the album song Crawling In The Shadows.

Hatchet recently premiered the video for the track Signals Of Infection. You can watch both videos below.

As the previously released track Fall From Grace, Hatchet’s Signals Of Infection comes off the band's new album Dawn Of The End and can be downloaded at this location. Dawn Of The End is set to be released March 5, 2013 via The End Records.

ROCK HARD Startet Internet-TV Mit Diskussionsrunde Zur Zukunft Der Musik

Rock Hard On Air nennt sich ein neuer Kanal beim Internetsender putpat.tv, der von dem Dortmunder Verlag Rock Hard journalistisch begleitet wird.

„Neben den von der Redaktion ausgewählten Clipstrecken, die rund um die Uhr laufen, werden wir auch regelmäßig Interviews, Clip-Premieren und Reportagen senden“, freut sich Herausgeber Holger Stratmann über das neue Format.

In der Vergangenheit hatte das unabhängige „Rock‘n‘Roll-Medienhaus“ mit bewegten Bildern bereits große Erfolge erzielt, so z.B. mit Rock Hard Video (Media Control Charts 1991-1996) und der dem Heft beigelegten DVD-Serie Rock Guerilla.tv (seit 2005).

„Es dürfte spannend werden, wie sich das Thema „Filesharing“ in einer gut vernetzten Szene wie der Rock & Metal-Subkultur entwickeln wird. Als klassischer Vermittler zwischen Fans, Musikern und Plattenfirmen können wir Musikmedien einen fruchtbaren Dialog anstoßen“, kommentiert Stratmann die Diskussionsrunde aus dem Dortmunder Club Domicil.

Teilnehmer waren Kai Hansen (Sänger/Gitarrist Gamma Ray, Unisonic), Antje Lange (Europa-Chefin Century Media Records), Daniel Neumann (Piratenpartei), René Bogdanski (Gitarrist The Very End, Agentur Social Media Konzepte), sowie Manfred Tari (Musikbusiness-Website pop100).

Die Zukunft der Musik
Sendetermine (Start jeweils 20 Uhr):
14./21./27.3. (Teil 1)
15./22./28.3. (Teil 2)
rockhard.de/tv

Für Rock Hard-Leser gibt es vorab eine Printversion in der aktuellen Ausgabe Nr. 310, einen Videotrailer könnt ihr hier sehen:

SODOM Reveal Cover And Track Listing For New Album Epitome Of Torture

SODOM have revealed the cover artwork and track listing for their new album, Epitome Of Torture.

The album was produced by Waldemar Sorychta (a.o. EXUMER, THE VERY END), whose expertise as a sound engineer and audio magician thoroughly benefitted Sodom’s 2010 release, In War And Pieces. 

Tom Angelripper: “Waldemar is an exceptional producer, who always succeeds in evening out an artist’s weak spot and promoting his strengths. He doesn’t let you get away with anything, he knows all our weak spots. Which occasionally makes working at the studio a little demanding, but at the end of the day it’s all worthwhile, as the result shows.” The Sodom frontman describes the sound on Epitome Of Torture as “hard-as-nails and contemporary, without ignoring our tried-and-tested old-school attitude.”

The new album will be available worldwide through Steamhammer / SPV in four different formats: as download, a limited-edition DigiPak including two bonus tracks and a poster, in a regular jewel case and as a double gatefold colored vinyl with three bonus tracks.

Epitome Of Torture is set to be released April 26 Germany, April 29 Europe, May 7 North America.

Epitome Of Torture track listings:

Limited Edition Digipak:
01. My Final Bullet 04:40
02. S.O.D.O.M. 03:46
03. Epitome Of Torture 03:31
04. Stigmatized 02:56
05. Cannibal 04:19
06. Shoot Today – Kill Tomorrow 04:01
07. Invocating The Demons 04:25
08. Katjuscha 03:43
09. Into The Skies Of War 03:51
10. Tracing The Victim 04:46
11. Waterboarding 05:06 (bonus track)
12. Splitting The Atom 04:28 (bonus track)

Jewel Case:
01. My Final Bullet 04:40
02. S.O.D.O.M. 03:46
03. Epitome Of Torture 03:31
04. Stigmatized 02:56
05. Cannibal 04:19
06. Shoot Today – Kill Tomorrow 04:01
07. Invocating The Demons 04:25
08. Katjuscha 03:43
09. Into The Skies Of War 03:51
10. Tracing The Victim 04:46

2LP (coloured vinyl):
LP 1 / Side A
01. My Final Bullet 04:40
02. S.O.D.O.M. 03:46
03. Epitome Of Torture 03:31
LP 1 / Side B
04. Stigmatized 02:56
05. Cannibal 04:19
06. Shoot Today – Kill Tomorrow 04:01
LP 2 / Side A
07. Invocating The Demons 04:25
08. Katjuscha 03:43
09. Into The Skies Of War 03:51
LP 2/ Side B
10. Tracing The Victim 04:46
11. Waterboarding 05:06 (bonus track)
12. Splitting The Atom 04:28 (bonus track)
13. Ace Of Spades 02:36 (bonus track)

BEYOND THE BLAZE Metal Radio Show Now On TOP ROCK RADIO

BEYOND THE BLAZE metal radio show, hosted by DJ Valkyrie, aired on Hard Rock Radio Live over the past 5 years.

The station has closed its broadcasting doors mid February - but of course that doesn’t stop neither DJ Valkyrie nor the show!

Beyond The Blaze has found a new home on TOP ROCK RADIO and continues to bring you special interview guests from around the globe weekly.

Next shows are scheduled for March 1 (Simon Hall of BEHOLDER) and March 8
(Julz Ramos of HATCHET).

Get your full dose of METAL and join DJ Valkyrie on toprockradio.com!

HATCHET Present First Ever Video Signals Of Infection

You can now bang your heads to Signals Of Infection, the first video from San Francisco Bay Area thrashers HATCHET. As the previously released track Fall From Grace, Signals Of Infection comes off the band's new album Dawn Of The End and can also be downloaded at this location.

Commented HATCHET guitarist Julz Ramos: "We wanted to do a simple and effective video for this song. Being that it is our first one, we didn't want to go overboard and try and do something we weren't experienced to do yet and have it not come out awesome looking. So we went with a basic performance piece taking influence from some of our favorite thrash videos of the late '80s early '90s - VIO-LENCE, DEATH ANGEL,OVERKILL and DEMOLITION HAMMER, to name a few.

Hopefully it gives an insight into what its like being up close and personal with us when we're performing Plus it's an awesome 'film noir'-type style. Props to our director and editor Wayne Marsala of Greyhaven Productions."

The Dawn Of The End cover artwork has been illustrated by All Things Rotten and the album is set to be released March 5, 2013 via The End Records. Pre-order it on iTunes and get exclusive bundle packages from The Omega!

Dawn Of The End track listing:
01. After The Dark
02. Silenced By Death
03. Screams of The Night
04. Fall From Grace
05. Revelations Of Good And Evil
06. Signals Of Infection
07. Dawn Of The End
08. Sinister Thoughts
09. Welcome To The Plague
10. Vanishing Point

SLAYER / LOMBARDO Controversy - Dead Serious Or LICH KING Style

By Featured Artists

Numerous discussions have been going on amongst SLAYER fans around the globe since DAVE LOMBARDO released his statement on being replaced for the band’s current Australian tour two days ago.

Slayer retaliated that “we do not agree with Dave Lombardo's substance or timeline of events” in a statement on Blabbermouth yesterday.

To know that there’s probably no other band on the planet being taken as serious by fans as Slayer is almost general knowledge. No show worldwide can justifiably be classified as metal without someone screaming “SLAYYYEEERRR!!!” and others joining in.

How dead serious the matter can be discussed shows best on the The United Church Of Slayer Facebook page where arguing had reached a degree at which one can hardly speak of “united” fans.

For either of us in the business, TESTAMENT’s Alex Skolnick has the wisest counsel:

Re:Slayer-Not my place (or anyone else's really) to comment on others' business. But as a fan & friend of the band, u hate 2 see falling out

— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) February 21, 2013

Again, a completely different approach comes from U.S. thrashers LICH KING. A band to be taken dead serious music wise, but handling lyrics and their public statements with a wink - that is not understood by everyone.

Naturally, Lich King have their own and unique approach to the ongoing controversy and just issued an open letter to Dave Lombardo on their Facebook page.

Don’t get them wrong (again...): Lich King’s drummer Brian Westbrook has neither quit the band nor has he been sacked! The letter is just a damn classy joke that might help certain individuals to put the whole controversy back into perspective.

I laughed myself to tears while having first coffee and listening to South Of Heaven this morning, and hopefully you enjoy it just as much! Here you go:

An open letter to Dave Lombardo

Mr. Lombardo

What with your contract woes with Slayer, it seems you are now no longer a member. Well, Dave, they say with every door that closes, another opens. A big door with our logo on it has just swung wide.

That's right, you just got called up to the big leagues. We'd like to invite you to drum for Lich King.

We are the world's premier unsigned western Massachusetts thrash metal band, and a position with us carries a great deal of clout and privilege. In addition to the twelve dollars we can give you out of our pay split after EVERY SHOW, we are willing to offer you a signing bonus of ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS and one (1) gift certificate for $20 at Red Robin.

Your duties will include
• Drumming
• Hauling gear
• Driving long hours on tour
• Providing us with a practice space because ours belongs to our current drummer Brian
• Booking tours (also a Brian duty)
• Recording and producing our albums (Brian again)
• Telling Brian he's fired

If you accept, there will of course be an audition. We can't just let you in without seeing what you can do. Practice up on any three of our songs. We can send you the mp3s to practice to (we will deduct the 99 cents per song from your future earnings) and can schedule your audition at your convenience.

We await your response.
Cordially
-Tom, Dave, Joe & Rob
LICH KING

Statement From DAVE LOMBARDO Regarding SLAYER Australian Tour 2013

DAVE LOMBARDO will not be part of SLAYER’s upcoming Australian tour. 

He has issued the following statement on his Facebook page:

I want to personally apologize to all of our fans in Australia who have bought tickets for the tour expecting to see me in my usual place on the drums.

So that you all know the truth, as of the end of the business day on February 14th, I was notified that I would not be drumming for the tour in Australia. I’m saddened, and to be honest I am shocked by the situation.

Last year, I discovered 90% of Slayer’s tour income was being deducted as expenses including the professional fees paid to management, costing the band millions of dollars and leaving 10% or less to split amongst the four of us. In my opinion, this is not the way a band’s business should operate. I tried rectifying it by letting my band mates know, and Tom and I hired auditors to figure out what happened, but I was denied access to detailed information and the necessary back up documents.

I spent the Christmas and New Year holidays realizing I had toured all over the world in 2012, but yet, had not been paid (except a small advance) or provided a proper accounting for a full year's sweat and blood. On top of this, I was told that I would not be paid until I signed a long form contract which gave me no written assurance of how much or on what basis management would deduct commissions, nor did it provide me access to the financial budgets or records for review. It also forbade me to do interviews or make statements having to do with the band, in effect a gagging order.

Last Monday, I sat down with Kerry and Tom to rehearse for Australia and to propose a new business model that I felt was the best way forward for Slayer to confidently protect itself so we could do what we do best . . . play for the fans. Kerry made it clear he wasn’t interested in making changes and said if I wanted to argue the point, he would find another drummer. On Thursday, I arrived at rehearsals at 1 pm as scheduled, but Kerry did not show. Rather, at 6:24 pm I received an email from the lawyers saying I was being replaced for the Australian dates.

I remain hopeful that we can resolve our issues. But once again, I sincerely apologize to all of our fans in Australia who spent their money expecting to see the 3 of us original Slayer members.

I look forward to seeing you in the future.

Sincerely,
Dave Lombardo

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM Has Returned To Metal Blade Records

Via Metal Blade Records

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, arguably one of the most influential and prominent acts from thrash metal's birth in the early 80's, has returned to Metal Blade Records to release their new album, Ugly Noise, on April 16, 2013.

You can now listen to the title track at metalblade.com/flotsamandjetsam.

Ugly Noise is the band’s eleventh full-length album, their first release on Metal Blade since 2001, and the follow up to their 2010 album, The Cold. The record also heralds the return of original members Michael Gilbert on guitar and Kelly David Smith on drums, who haven’t recorded with Flotsam and Jetsam since High in 1997.

Flotsam and Jetsam’s Kelly Smith comments on working with Metal Blade: “We have just inked a distribution deal for the release of Ugly Noise through Metal Blade Records. Ugly Noise will be released worldwide in late March / early April of 2013. It was the obvious choice for us after our long-standing relationship and Metal Blades 30 year history of metal. You can’t match what they can do with 30 years of experience behind them. We are excited and looking forward to working with MB in 2013.”

Also, tune into Liquid Metal on SiriusXM this week for a Flotsam and Jetsam interview & Liquid Metal Takeover! Kelly Smith, Eric AK and Michael Gilbert stop by the SiriusXM NYC studios to talk to Jose Mangin about their new album, Ugly Noise, and their current comeback tour with Testament and Overkill. After the hour interview special, the guys host a Liquid Metal Takeover picking out their go-to metal songs.

Tune in to listen:
Thurs, 2/21 @ 5pm ET / 2pm PT
Sat, 2/23 @ Noon ET / 9am PT
Sun, 2/24 @ 9pm ET / 6pm PT

EXTREMEFEST 2013 - Further Bands Confirmed

"2012 marks the unholy birth of the one and only EXTREMEFEST – the first issue of the festival sated the bloodthirst of thousands of extreme metal fans over the course of three days!

We partied with big names of the scene and sweated in countless circle pits …over 70 bands with a stylistic variety ranging from black, death, thrash, grindcore all the way to modern deathcore sounds decided to drop by. Unbeatable, you say?

Fear not: bands like BEHEMOTH, KATAKLYSM, LEGION OF THE DAMNED, THYRFING, GRAVE, TANKARD, VADER, ENSLAVED and many more will make sure that you’ll get the most brutal party in this solar system at EXTREMEFEST 2013!"

Today the following further bands have been confirmed:

CARACH ANGREN
If you dig classic black metal mixed with symphonic elements, you surely will have come across Dutch band CARACH ANGREN! Their sound is often compared to that of early DIMMU BORGIR, and their sombre and majestic songwriting impressed an ever-growing fan base on albums such as Death Came Through A Phantom Ship (2010). CARACH ANGREN recently thrilled with Where The Corpses Sink Forever (2012).

DESCENDING
DESCENDING are hailing right from the heart of Greece – Athens! Founded in 2007, these guys indulge in modern death and thrash metal with melodic hooks guaranteed to get you addicted! After the release of their new opus magnum New Death Celebrity early 2013 and a planned tour with Greek comrades SEPTICFLESH, shooting stars DESCENDING will make an appearance at the EXTREMEFEST!

MALIGNANT TUMOUR
Czech act MALIGNANT TUMOUR was one of the first bands in their home country to belch out extreme sounds in the early 90s. The raw songwriting of their early years has now evolved to balls-out “Dirty Metallic Crust’n’Roll” – an infectious and groovy mixture! The brand new MALIGNANT TUMOUR album Overdose And Overdrive will be released early 2013.

VIBRION
VIBRION can proudly claim to be one of the first death metal acts ever to emerge from Argentina! Quite a while ago these guys relocated to Belgium though to indulge in their hefty brand of raw death and thrash metal. In 2012, the old school brigade unearthed the exhaustive box set The Contagion Decade – and now it’s time for their return on stage (and to the studio)!

KADAVERFICKER
KADAVERFICKER means CORPSEFUCKER – quite the subtle band name, right? These Germans have been dealing in death metal and grindcore since the early `90s, or as the band likes to call it: “Nekrokore”! Obviously their lyrics are more in the “City Of The Living Dead” vein than “Pretty Woman”, and after a long hiatus KADAVERFICKER finally returned in 2012 with Exploitation Nekronation!

Watch the latest EXTREMEFEST trailer:


Get your ticket or your Extreme Pack (special offer incl. ticket, T-Shirt and CD for 69,- €) at hardticket.eu.

EXTREMEFEST FOR EXTREME PEOPLE - 3 days, 2 stages!
May 23 - 25, 2013 / Schwarze Heide - Flugplatz Hünxe / Germany

extremefest.eu
hardticket.eu
facebook.com/Extremefest
Follow @extremefests

ONSLAUGHT Announce Album Release Date And European Tour

UK thrashers ONSLAUGHT have announced September 13, 2013 as the worldwide release date for their sixth studio album.

The follow-up to 2011's Sounds Of Violence will once again be recorded, mixed and co-produced by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, Denmark. Recording sessions are set to commence on May 18 and the album will be released via AFM Records.

Commented Onslaught guitarist Nige Rockett: "It's awesome to be making another album with Jacob Hansen. There was never gonna be anyone else considered, simply because of the way Jacob works on a personal level and the incredible dynamics of his final mixes. We just know it's gonna be totally immense.

The writing is 90% complete and it's sounding very, very cool. I'm not gonna say it's 'louder, faster, heavier’ than anything we've ever done because that's a little bit cliché these days. All I will say is that it's very fresh, it's old school and it's ferocious. The rest we'll leave up to you guys to decide."

Onslaught will headline the first SLAUGHTERFEST across Europe in October, with German cult thrashers EXUMER, M-PIRE OF EVIL and death metal legends MASTER completing the bill.

Fans will have the opportunity to take part in meet-and-greet events on selected dates.