Italijanski progresivni black metalci Hortus Animae so v obliki besedilnega videosota objavili live posnetek za komad The Bless Of Eternal Bleeding, ki je del ploščka Waltzing Mephisto. Ta je letos star 20 let, zato se je band odločil za njegovo ponovno izdajo s pomočjo založb Symbol of Domination in BlackHeavens Music.

Album Waltzing Mephisto 20th Anniversary bo izšel 31. oktobra na dveh ploščkih:

CD 1 – Waltzing Mephisto
Enter (Part 1)
Enter (Part 2)
A Lifetime Obscurity (Part 1)
A Lifetime Obscurity (Part 2)
Springtime Deaths
Souls of the Cold Wind
Welcome the Godless
Freezing Moon including Terzo Incontro and Tubular Bells (Mayhem / Il Balletto di Bronzo / Mike Oldfield covers)
A Feeble Light of Hope
You're Dead (Part 1) (Norma Tanega cover) [bonus track]
You're Dead (Part 2) (Norma Tanega cover) [bonus track]

CD 2 – Godless Years Live
A Dream of Wolves in the Snow (Cradle Of Filth cover)
Locusts
God and His Disgusting Children
Chamber of Endless Nightmares
At the End of Doomsday (Parts 2 & 3)
Aqualung (Jethro Tull cover)
Medley (I - In Adoration of the Weeping Skies / II - Cruciatus Tacitus / III - Souls of the Cold Wind)
There's No Sanctuary
Across the Sea of Pain
The Bless of Eternal Bleeding
Raining Blood (Slayer cover)
Aqualung (Jethro Tull cover) [bonus track]

Ameriški heavy/doom metalci Cirith Ungol so naznanili, da s koncem leta 2024 ne bodo več koncertirali. Tukaj izjava banda:

»After careful deliberation, we have decided that 2024 will be the final year that Cirith Ungol will be performing live. Having taken a 25 year long hiatus, we could never have imagined the tidal wave of love and support that would come from all of you upon our return. From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank every one of you, who has attended our shows and supported our music. We are immensely proud of the work we have created in the past few years, and are beyond excited about our latest epic album, Dark Parade.

Legions, this is your rallying call. If you've never had the opportunity to see the band live, or if you want to see us perform once more, 2024 is your year. We will be announcing shows worldwide in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for news.«

Veljaki norveškega black metala Satyricon sporočajo, da se po petih letih zatišja naslednje leto končno vračajo na koncertne odre. Poleg koncertnih aktivnosti, ki bodo sicer osredotočene na festivale širom Evrope, zasedba že pripravlja material za novo ploščo, ki bo nasledil zadnjo izdajo Satyricon & Munch. Izjavo banda si lahko preberete spodaj:

»We are pleased to confirm that we will return to the stage for the first time in five years in the summer of 2024. We will be focusing on the European festival run and have no touring plans outside of that currently. At the moment, we are working on a new album scheduled for a May 2024 release. The art exhibition and album “Satyricon & Munch”, was an intense and all-consuming project for the record books, but it is history now and we have been working on all these new things behind closed doors for almost a year. We’re delighted to soon share it, we really look forward to playing both brand new and old songs for you, and once again being able to hear you sing, scream and chant as the army you are. We will publish all dates once they have been confirmed and approved to publish. This will be great!«

Avtor fotografije je Marko Faletič.

Nemški blackened death metalci Sulphur Aeon predstavljajo komad Usurper Of The Earth And Sea s prihajajočega albuma Seven Crowns and Seven Seals, ki izide 13. oktobra pri Ván Records. To bo njihov četrti studijski celovečerec in obsega naslednje naslove:

Sombre Tidings
Hammer from the Howling Void
Usurper of the Earth and Sea
The Yearning Abyss Devours Us
Arcane Cambrian Sorcery
Seven Crowns and Seven Seals
Beneath the Ziqqurats

Nemši veterani Grave Digger sporočajo, da jih je po štirinajstih letih zapustil kitarist Axel Ritt. Razlogi za razhodi niso znani, izjavo banda lahko preberete spodaj:

»From now on Grave Digger and guitarist Axel Ritt are going separate ways. We would like to thank Axel for his many years of engagement and wish him, personally and musically, only the best.«

Španski heavy metalci Slowburn so razkrili, da bo njihov drugi studijski album z naslovom Fire Starter izšel 17. oktobra pri založbi Fighter Records. Plošček prinaša teh deset komadov:

Psycho War
Exiled
The Beast
On Fire
I'm Revenge
Two Years
Touch the Sky
Last Chance
Falling
The Price of Liberty

Industrijski death metalci The Amenta iz Avstralije bodo 19. oktobra pri Debemur Morti Productions izdali EP z naslovom Plague of Locus. To bo bandov skupno že šesti EP oziroma že kar deseta studijska izdaja po vrsti. Poleg intra in avtorskega komada Plague of Locus bo prihajajoči EP vseboval samo priredbe:

Intro
Sono L'Antichristo (Diamanda Galas cover)
Asteroid (Killing Joke cover)
Angry Chair (Alice in Chains cover)
Plague of Locus
A Million Years (Wolf Eyes cover)
Crystal Lakes (Lord Kaos cover)
Rise (Halo cover)
Totem (Nazxul cover)
Black God (My Dying Bride cover)

Španski thrash metalci Holycide so s komadom War Broadcast Live napovedali EP z naslovom Bazookiller, ki bo izšel 12. septembra pri Xtreem Music. Seznam pesmi:

War Broadcast Live
Bazookiller
Modern Day Dictator
Five Year Plan (D.R.I. cover)

Domači grinderji Glista bodo 1. septembra pri On Parole Productions izdali svoj drugi celovečerec z naslovom The »Never Apologise for Defending Yourself From Being Violated« Album. Ta bo vseboval 15 komadov:

Kastriraj - Kontroliraj
Kraljica mraka
Trigger Threshold
Disturbing.Industrial.Yearning
Someone Did Something
Pastor of Muppets (a.k.a. Traktor)
The “Never Apologise for Defending Yourself From Being Violated” Blues
Svi na ulice (skidat guzice)
Touch Scream
5th Horseman of the Apocalypse
Potion of dializa
Self-Hell-Sell-Help
Zadajam si rane
Kleines Arschloch
Twoface

Finski death metalci Baron so podpisali z založbo Transcending Obscurity Records, pri kateri bodo izdali prvenec Beneath The Blazing Abyss.

»Hello and greetings from Finland! We're thrilled to announce that our debut full-length album, Beneath The Blazing Abyss, will be released through Transcending Obscurity Records later this year. It's a record that we have been tirelessly working on since 2018, and after what felt like an eternity, we are bursting with excitement to share it with the world.«

Francoski black metalci Seth sporočajo, da se vračajo h koreninam, saj so ponovno združili moči z založbo Season of Mist. Plod tega sodelovanja bo sedmi dolgometražec zasedbe, ki naj bi izšel naslednje leto. Spodaj lahko preberete izjavo banda:

»We are part of the very first bands to have signed SOM. While the genesis of our parntership dates back to 1997, we’ve yet inked another deal 23 years later that shall unleash the true heir of La Morsure de Christ. Now, we’ve been recording opus # 7 in Paris for nearly a month. The full-length is soon to be complete and sent to the label!«

Francoze boste lahko letos ujeli tudi pri nas, saj bodo 12. septembra skupaj z Attic in ...And Oceans nastopili v kranjskem TrainStationu.

Nemški progresivni death metalci Alkaloid sporočajo, da so se razšli s kitaristom Dannyjem Tunkerjem. Spodaj lahko preberete celotno izjavo banda:

»We are sad to announce that Danny Tunker left Alkaloid almost 2 years ago. After going through some profound personal tragedies which had little to do with the band, he decided to adjust course and step away to focus on other endeavours. There was no drama and we all support his decision.

After some time for reflection, we decided to make this new album with the four of us. There was plenty of material as always, and we are delighted to have one of Danny's songs on the album at least. It's one of our more insane tracks, and we look forward to sharing it with you all soon!

Danny will be sorely missed. We remain good friends, wish him the best of luck in his new incarnation, and of course hope to work together again in the future in whatever form.«

Black metal veljaki Marduk s singlom Blood of the Funeral napovedujejo Memento Mori, studijski album številka 15, ki bo izšel 1. septembra pri Century Media Records. Tracklista:

Memento Mori    
Heart of the Funeral
Blood of the Funeral
Shovel Beats Sceptre
Charlatan
Coffin Carol
Marching Bones
Year of the Maggot
Red Tree of Blood
As We Are

Thrash metalci Annihilator sporočajo, da so do konca posneli prihajajoči dolgometražec. Snemali so ga v Watersound Studios v Združenem kraljestvu, več informacij pa bo znanih kmalu. Spodaj si lahko preberete še izjavo vodje zasedbe Jeffa Watersa:

»Deep, deep into the lush, tropical forests of Durham, UK, lies a studio that... well, basically makes fkn music! I just finished another record yesterday... man, the last 4 years have seen me make 4 records! Yesss... Can't wait for you to hear the 3 you haven't heard. AND 1 more record to do, as well, making it 5 records in 5 years... on a roll, I must say! Then, time to tour and enjoy my latter years! Haha! Work is fun as heck but I will have done my time in HEAVEN/HELL by the end of 2024!

Btw., Annihilator was started Dec 1984... 2024 would be 40 years since I wrote "Crystal Ann" and John Bates and I wrote the first version of 'Alison Hell'.«

Avtor fotografije: Blaž Grünfeld.

Heavy metal legende W.A.S.P., ki smo jih lahko pred nedavnim ujeli na enem izmed naših odrov, sporočajo, da bo nov album luč sveta ugledal poleti naslednje leto. To je pred kratkim v intervjuju za radijsko oddajo The Five Count radio show potrdil vodja zasedbe Blackie Lawless.

»From the time the U.S. tour ended [last December], we went straight back in the studio and we were working really hard to try to get it ready for August of this year, but it's just not gonna happen. It's one of those kinds of things that… I think we've got a big fish on the hook, and I don't wanna let it go before it's ready. I was talking to the guy that does the mixing for our records yesterday, and he asked me what I thought. And I said the best I could tell him would be spring of next year that we'll be ready for him. So if he starts in the spring, that means the soonest it would be ready would be summer.« 

Avtorica fotografije: Dominika Torkar.