Gelap Pekat

Members of ANTHRAX will take part in a meet-and-greet and clinic at the new Best Buy musical instruments store at Union Square in New York City on Sunday, November 15 at 2:00 p.m.

For more information, see the poster below.

ANTHRAX (featuring singer John Bush) is confirmed for the 2010 edition of Austrlia's Soundwave Festival, which will kick off on February 20 in Brisbane.

The dates are as follows:

Feb. 20 - Brisbane, AUS - RNA Showgrounds
Feb. 21 - Sydney, AUS - Eastern Creek Raceway
Feb. 26 - Melbourne, AUS - Melbourne Showgrounds
Feb. 27 - Adelaide, AUS - Bonython Park
Mar. 01 - Perth, AUS - Bassendean Oval

In a recent interview with Kerrang! magazine, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian stated about the band's recent appearance at U.K.'s Sonispherefestival , "It went better than I even hoped it would go. I'd been waiting four years for that moment that we had on [August 1] to have John Bush back in the ranks, and it was an unbelievably, magnificently emotional hour of my life; it was really amazing."

When asked about the likelihood that John Bush will rejoin ANTHRAX on a permanent basis, Ian replied, "It's obviously what we want, and I think this is just hopefully the first of a couple of steps to make it happen. The show went great — we all had a great time; John had a fucking blast — and hopefully this is now... the foot's in the door to make this happen again. But it's absolutely what we want to happen. I don't really see any other possibility."

ANTHRAX parted ways with singer Dan Nelson in July due to what has been described as "personal differences." As a result, the band canceled 10 European shows and pulled out of a U.S. tour with SLIPKNOT which was scheduled to take place in August and September.

ANTHRAX's manager, Izvor Zivkovic of Split Media, told BLABBERMOUTH.NET on July 21 that the band's new album, "Worship Music", which was previously due in Europe on October 23 via Nuclear Blast Records, will now be "pushed back to a later date." According to Ian, Dan Nelson's tracks will most likely be erased from the CD, which was mixed at a New Orleans studio by Dave Fortman (a former member of UGLY KID JOE who has also worked with artists such as MUDVAYNE, EVANESCENCE).

Sweden's HELLFUELED will release its fourth album, "Emission Of Sins", on November 27, 2009 via Black Lodge Records. The CD was recorded over a seven-week period at Leon Music studios with producer Rikard Löfgren (DEATHSTARS, SPARZANZA).

"Emission Of Sins" track listing:

01. Where Angels Die
02. Am I Blind
03. I Am The Crucifix
04. A Remission Of My Sins
05. Save Me
06. Lost Forever
07. For My Family And Satan
08. In Anger
09. End Of The Road
10. Stone By Stone
11. Moving On (instrumental)

Check out audio samples at this location.

Commented the band: "Producer Rikard Löfgren [felt] totally right for us and we [worked] as a team on making some new arrengements and stuff on the songs. It almost [felt] like recording the first album again now with a new producer and studio."

HELLFUELED's third album, "Memories in Black", was released in early 2007 via Black Lodge Records. The CD was recorded at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden with producers Fredrik Nordström and Patrik J. Sten. Swedish multi-instrumentalist/artist Snowy Shaw (MERCYFUL FATE, KING DIAMOND, DREAM EVIL) to created the artwork and took photos for the album.

The debut album from Brazilian dark metallers OF THE ARCHAENGEL, entitled "The Extraphysicallia", will be released in late November via Sleaszy Rider. The CD was mastered at The Cutting Room studio (AMON AMARTH, OPETH, GORGOROTH, PAIN, PARADISE LOST, CHROME DIVISION) in Sweden.

"The Extraphysicallia" features a guest appearance by ROTTING CHRIST frontman Sakis Tolis. Sakis can be heard providing guest vocals on the track "Water Flows Through The Slimy Walls".

"The Extraphysicallia" track listing:

01. Black Raven
02. Water Flows Through The Slimy Walls
03. Ascending Coils To Lead
04. Platino
05. Sun Shaped Archangel
06. With the Dragon's Hand
07. The Silence of the Dead Things
08. Consent to the Devilish Fantasies
09. Leaving the Inebriant Well

The "The Extraphysicallia" cover artwork, which can be viewed below, was created by Seth Siro Anton, SEPTICFLESH's vocalist and bassist. Seth had previously worked with EXODUS ("The Atrocity Exibition"), PARADISE LOST ("Paradise Lost", "The Enemy", "Requiem"), MOONSPELL ("Night Eternal") and SOILWORK ("Sworn to a Great Divide"), among others.

Tolis G.Palantzas, manager of Sleaszy Rider, recently stated about OF THE ARCHAENGEL: "One of the most exciting things in the music business is to dicover some great, but unknown bands, it's like finding some hidden jewels... And listening for first time to this — unknown for me till then — band OF THE ARCHAENGEL, it was a huge surprise. These Brazilian dark metallers are a great band. They can mix so nice and smart many metal genres with gothic elements and compose some really great atmopsheres! The band's vision to make some steps forward to the metal scene, the great communication with us and their whole attitude, did it easier for us, to sign them in our label. Having a really good band like OF THE ARCHAENGEL on our roster makes our work more exciting and I hope that all the metal fans around the world will be at least so much enthousiastic as we are! After SEPULTURA and ANGRA, the next best band from Brazil is sure OF THE ARCHAENGEL!"

For more information, visit the band's MySpace page.

Austria's Stormbringer.at webzine conducted an interview with Baltimore death metallers DYING FETUS at this year's Way Of Darkness festival, which was held October 2-3, 2009 in Lichtenfels, Germany. Watch the chat below.

DYING FETUS will embark on a North American co-headlining tour with THE FACELESS in November. Dubbed "The Planetary Depravity Tour", the trek will also include BENEATH THE MASSACRE, VITAL REMAINS, ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY and more on select dates.

"Descend Into Depravity", the new album from DYING FETUS, sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 166 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 4 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Released on September 15 via Relapse Records, the follow-up to 2007's "War Of Attrition" was recorded at Wright Way Studios in the group's hometown with producer Steve Wright.

"Shepherd's Commandment", the new video from DYING FETUS, was shot in July in New York with director Kevin Custer (HATEBREED, TESTAMENT, SOULJA BOY, KINGDOM OF SORROW) of Toaster In The Tub.

DYING FETUS is currently on the road in Europe alongside CANNIBAL CORPSE. This jaunt also includes OBSCURA in the mainland followed by ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY and TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED in the United Kingdom.

Out of Norway's biggest and darkest metal bands rises OV HELL. This group of Satan's all-stars has been sharpening their teeth in some of black metal's most influential bands for many years. Known as key figures in bands such as DIMMU BORGIR and GORGOROTH, Shagrath and King have come together to bring forward a new chapter in Norwegian black metal history. OV HELL will carry on in the same tradition for which King and Shagrath are known, but the collaboration between the two will mark a new era for them both.

Frost, Ice Dale and Teloch have been recruited for the first full-length release. The album, whcih is due in early 2010 via Indie Recordings, will contain all of the power and blast beats worthy of their evil pedigrees. Expect an assault on all false gods and hypocrisy that is of this world today.

"The first OV HELL release will contain music I've worked on in my GORGOROTH and GOD SEED years," says King. "It's been a little hell to actually see this music form into a band, so the name of the band is quite suitable. Through the first song I got from Shagrath, I knew that he would be the perfect man to join forces with. He has strong individual qualities and a strong will to power. I am very positive that when we finish up this album it will be an album that won't sound like anything we have done before, and with a quality that won't stand back from anything presented in black metal earlier!"

"With both of our demanding music careers and other projects, timing was not on our side," adds Shagrath. "After last year's Inferno festival, King and I yet again joined forces to brainstorm our need to collaborate our passion for dark art. Over the course of the past year, King sent me demo ideas that were so inspiring it made me put my skeptic feelings aside. I wasn't sure if I wanted to have another black metal project but my unquenchable thirst to explore my darkest beast launched the birth OV HELL. The majestic OV HELL has become a band that reflects our roots, raw, ugly, arrogantly blasphemous with uncompromising truth from two influential Norwegian musicians needing to express our primitive side, straight out OV HELL."

Two new tracks, "Devil's Harlot" and "Ghosting", from the yet-untitled upcoming album, has been uploaded to the band's MySpace page.

OV HELL studio lineup:

* Shagrath (DIMMU BORGIR, CHROME DIVISION) - Vocals
* King (GOD SEED, GORGOROTH, JOTUNSPOR, I, SAHG, AUDREY HORNE) - Bass
* Ice Dale (ENSLAVED, I, AUDREY HORNE, TRINACRIA, DEMONAZ) - Guitar
* Frost (SATYRICON, 1349) - Drums
* Teloch (NIDINGR, GOD SEED, 1349, UMORAL) – Guitar

MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover has issued the following update:

"So, after such a great time in New Zealand, Oz and Japan, I was so excited about coming home for a few weeks to be with the family and just be 'normal' for a while.

"Halloween is right around the corner and in my house that of course, means having another 'pumpkin-carving contest' — Guys vs. Girls (for the record, I suck at carving anything, but we all still enjoy doing this). My kids are now adults, so we do this more for the little trick or treaters now. As well, we have a solid day of watching horror movies (one of my favorite things to do on earth-going to see 'The Stepfather' today at the movie theatre) and basically just having a good Halloween.

"Anyways, enough of that...

"The upcoming Canadian Carnage Eastern Canada tour will have us starting out in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, so my top priority (besides the shows) is going to see the new 'Trailer Park Boys' movie! I am such a huge fan of this TV series, I simply cannot wait to go and watch this movie. Actually, about half of our crew want to go see the movie as well with me, which will be fun. Add to this the KILLER sea food available and the fact that I have yest to venture this far east in Canada, this all equates to a great tour leg for me.

"As with the Japan leg of the tour, I will be updating quite a bit on my TheLiveLine page, so check in with me if you want to hear the latest 877-388-3786.

"In closing, it is also so great to be back in North America, so I can watch my Steelers pummel all those who dare step in their way. (Are you reading this, DD???)"

Bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such of veteran German thrashers SODOM has completed work on a book named "Buer i.W.". According to a posting on the band's MySpace page, "The book is about the changes in Tom's hometown Buer. Buer is one of the most beautiful parts of Gelsenkirchen, Germany, where Tom was born. He's collecting a lot pf postcards from Gelsenkirchen and in the book you can see the change of seasons."

If you want to purchase this limited book, you can order it at www.musicatweb.com.

SODOM headlined the "Chris Witchhunter Tribute Concert" on April 11 at Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen, Germany. The event honored late SODOM drummer Chris Dudek (a.k.a. Witchhunter), who died on September 8, 2008 due to vital organ failure.

The band's latest album, "The Final Sign of Evil", was released as a double vinyl package on February 1, 2008 via SPV Records. The LP features re-recordings of the material from the German thrashers' classic first EP, "In the Sign of Evil", plus no less than seven bonus tracks, all of which were originally written during the "In the Sign of Evil" era or earlier but were never officially released. As a special bonus, the album features return appearances by Witchhunter and guitarist Josef "Peppi" Dominic (a.k.a. Grave Violator), both of whom were featured on the original 1984 EP.

Canadian thrash metal veterans ANNIHILATOR will release their new DVD, "Live At Masters Of Rock", on the following dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland: October 30
Europe: November 2
Australia: November 2
USA, Canada, Asia: to be announced

The cover artwork for the set — which was filmed/recorded on July 11, 2008 at the Masters Of Rock festival in Vizovice, Czech Republic — can be viewed below.

A press release reads as follows: Prepare to experience Canada's ANNIHILATOR. Known as one of the premiere live metal acts for three decades now, ANNIHILATOR are captured live in the hot, Czech Republic summer of 2008. The band hits hard with mint, metal masterpieces, ranging from early metal classic records like 'Alice In Hell', 'Never, Neverland' and 'Set The World On Fire', to powerhouse records like 'King Of The Kill', 'Waking The Fury', 'Carnival Diablos' and from 2007’s acclaimed release 'Metal'. Performing live in front of 30,000 metalheads, this sold-out concert dvd is the purest example of why ANNIHILATOR are touted as one of the best metal bands of our time."

Lineup:

Dave Padden - Guitar, Vocals
Jeff Waters - Guitar, Vocals
Ryan Ahoff - Drums
Dave Sheldon - Bass

DVD:

01. Intro
02. King Of The Kill
03. Blackest Day
04. Operation Annihilation
05. Clown Parade
06. Set The World On Fire
07. I Am In Command
08. Never, Neverland
09. Fun Palace
10. Phantasmagoria
11. W.T.Y.D.
12. Wicked Mystic
13. Alison Hell
14. Shallow Grave
15. Credits

CD:

01. Intro
02. King Of The Kill
03. Blackest Day
04. Operation Annihilation
05. Clown Parade
06. Set The World On Fire
07. I Am In Command
08. Never, Neverland
09. Fun Palace
10. Phantasmagoria
11. W.T.Y.D.
12. Wicked Mystic
13. Alison Hell
14. Shallow Grave

ANNIHILATOR mainman Jeff Waters commented in May 2009 on the reports that the band's record label, the Hanover, Germany-based SPV, had submitted an application to commence insolvency proceedings on May 25 — roughly equivalent to Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. He stated, "I wish them [SPV] all the best and they have given us metal fans some great releases for a long time.

"The good news is that I signed a deal with SPV, only a few weeks ago, releasing ANNIHILATOR from their contractual commitments to SPV, in return for a live DVD that we shot last [year] in the Czech Republic.

"SPV will be releasing the DVD soon (and it rocks; co-headlining in front of 30,000 metal maniacs!) but ANNIHILATOR are now free from the label and negotiating with others to release the new and finished 13th studio release."

ANNIHILATOR was honored in the "Favorite Metal Artist/Group" category at the 2009 Indie Awards (Independent Music Awards), which was held on March 14 at the Royal York Hotel (Canadian Room) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Also nominated in the "Metal" category were BISON B.C., CRYPTOPSY, CURSED and FUCK THE FACTS.

The Indies celebrate the best in independent music. Nominees are selected by committees of industry professionals from all areas of the music scene and winners are decided by a combination of public and industry voting.

For more information on the 2009 Indie Awards, go to this location.

ANNIHILATOR released its latest album, "Metal", in North America in January 2008 via SPV. The CD's ten new tracks were recorded by Jeff Waters (guitar, bass and lead vocals on one song), drum legend Mike Mangini and Dave Padden (longtime vocalist and touring guitarist/vocalist). The album features sensational performances by some of metal's finest players and ANNIHILATOR's good friends, like Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM), Danko Jones, Michael Amott and Angela Gossow (ARCH ENEMY), Corey Beaulieu (TRIVIUM), William Adler (LAMB OF GOD), Jeff Loomis, Jesper Strömblad (IN FLAMES), Steve "Lips" Kudlow, Anders Björler (THE HAUNTED), Jacob Lynam (LYNAM) and more.

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley's "It's Ace Down Under" tour is now scheduled for February 2010. The East Coast venues remain the same and all tickets bought for the October tour are valid for the rescheduled February shows.

Due to overwhelming demand, dates have also been added in Adelaide and Perth. Also planned is an expanded setlist, including some rarities, for Ace's fan base. The Spaceman promises the shows will be worth the wait. "I made [my new solo album] 'Anomaly' for my fans, and the response has been incredible," Frehley says. "I've never toured Australia as a solo artist, and I want to pull out all the stops."

Frehley is currently considering adding his biggest Australian KISS hit "Talk To Me", as well as the never-performed "Dark Light" (from KISS' "Music From The Elder") to his set. Ace also plans to reschedule his Japan dates after "Anomaly" has been released there (December 9 via Universal Music).

Fans who had tickets for the October shows and are unable to make the new dates can obtain a refund from ticketing agency.

New dates are as follows:

Feb. 01 - Perth, Australia - Metropolis Fremantle
Feb. 04 - Adelaide, Australia - HQ
Feb. 05 - Melbourne, Australia - Palace (formerly Metro)
Feb. 07 - Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre
Feb. 08 - Brisbane, Australia - The Tivoli

Tickets for Perth and Adelaide go on sale on Monday, November 2 at 9:00 a.m. from www.redanttouring.com, www.heatseeker.com.au, www.ticketek.com.au or Ticketek 132 849.

Tickets for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are on sale now. VIP meet-and-greet packages are available in all states.

Ace Frehley's new album, "Anomaly", is out now in Australia via Riot! Entertainment.

Frehley will guest on "Uncensored Net Noise" on Friday, October 23 beginning at around 9:30 p.m. EST.

You can listen to the program live via the Internet at this location.

"Anomaly" sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart.

In addition to the standard CD release, unique "Anomaly" packages were made available at Wal-Mart and Best Buy locations. The Wal-Mart version includes an Ace autographed tattoo while the Best Buy edition is printed on silver stock, like the KISS "Double Platinum" album.

Released on September 15 via Ace's own Bronx Born Records, with Rocket Science providing a full label service platform in the U.S., "Anomaly" was produced and recorded in Westchester County, New York between 2007 and 2009 and was mixed in Los Angeles.

Frehley last year spent time on the road fronting a band that featured second guitarist Derrek Hawkins, drummer Scot Coogan (ex-BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION) and bassist Anthony Esposito (ex-LYNCH MOB).

Photo below courtesy of AceFrehley.com

If you would like to spend Halloween (October 31) with Vinnie Paul Abbott (HELLYEAH, PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN), then all you have to do is be at the Clubhouse Dallas at 2250 Manana St. from 7:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. Vinnie will be there with lots of other special guests!

You must be 21 to get in with a valid ID. It's BYOB; no coolers, no ice, no cups or mixers. The cover is $25 and there is no guest list.

Please DO NOT go to Vinnie's house! There is no after-party there; do not go there!!!

There will be live music from some very special guests that have not yet been revealed.