Metal News For Friday the 13th

~ DARKTHRONE Launch new Record Label ~

DARKTHRONE members Nocturno Culto and Fenriz have teamed up with the U.K.'s Peaceville Records to form their own label, dubbed Tyrant Syndicate Productions.

Commented Nocturno Culto: "Tyrant Syndicate Productions is a result of a collaboration with Peaceville on the one hand and Fenriz and myself on the other. The general running of the label has fallen on me, mostly as I'm much more involved in technology than Fenriz, and besides, I want to do it. When the Peaceville people were interested in setting up a label for us, our mind began to circle around what to do with what can be called our extended music-related freedom, and we soon had a plan.

"We are aiming for exclusive releases only. We want high-credibility underground bands, both known and unknown. Time is working FOR US now, and we have all the time in the world. Tyrant Syndicate Productions will prove to the metal community that we have the ability to release what is supreme metal. The first band we have signed is AURA NOIR from Oslo, with their new album 'The Merciless'. This masterpiece will be an indication on the quality-level we are aiming for, and therefore it's our responsibility to follow things up after this release. Since our releases go through the usually Peaceville channels, the result will be a high-quality, well-distributed product that will have great impact wherever you can get these products. And luckily, there are still loads of great metal-acts left in the world...."

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~ BELPHEGOR: 'Lucifer Incestus' Deemed Too Offensive For German Market ~

Due to the offensive nature of the lyrics and illustrations found within BELPHEGOR's latest CD, "Lucifer Incestus", the Bavarian Youth Welfare Services has put forth a proposal to ban the release. This procedure, which is currently awaiting approval by the Federal Inspection Authority for Youth Endangering Media in Bonn, Germany, will result in an "indexing" of the album - "a blatant form of censorship that declares it illegal, takes it off the market, and prevents further sales in its current packaging," according to an official statement from the Austrian death/black metal band. Consequently, the album (both the limited edition 8-page digpack and the regular jewel case edition), complete with its lavishly elaborated booklet and published lyrics, will be taken off the German market in the very near future.

BELPHEGOR have started rehearsing and writing material for their fifth full-length album, tentatively due in March 2005 through Napalm Records. Drummer Torturer, who had left the group in December 2003, is said to once again be working with the band and will appear on "some new songs" on the upcoming CD.

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~ DAVID VINCENT Rejoins MORBID ANGEL ~

Bassist/vocalist David Vincent will be rejoining MORBID ANGEL for their rescheduled tour of South America following the departure - for the second, and apparently final, time - of the group's most recent frontman Steve Tucker. "MORBID ANGEL and World Management would like to thank Steve Tucker for his contribution on several MORBID ANGEL records as well as multiple great tours," reads a posting on the group's web site. "We all wish him well and are sure he will succeed in his new endeavors."

Tucker had the following to say regarding his decision to leave the group:

"After many problems and much discussion with the people around me, the people I trust, I have decided it is necessary for me to step away from MORBID ANGEL. It has been a long trip with a lot of great shows and I have made many friends along the way. The MORBID ANGEL fans that not only accepted me, but reveled in my being a part of the band, have been the greatest thing about my time in MORBID ANGEL, they are the reason I came back to the band.

"There are many reasons for me leaving the band, personal reasons, musical reasons and very logical reasons. All of which will stay between me and the band. MORBID ANGEL existed many years before I came along and will for many more I am sure.

"I have enjoyed playing with some great musicians and touring with some great bands and meeting some incredible people all over the world. To all these people I say 'Thank You' and we will meet again.

"I am not done with the music business by any means, I will now be moving into other areas of the business, things I have always enjoyed, but didn't have time for. I will be moving into much more recording, production and management...

"Again, thank you to all of the fans for 8 years of making my hour and a half of stage time so brilliant!!!

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~ CARNAL FORGE Announce New Singer ~

Swedish thrashers CARNAL FORGE have announced the addition of singer
Jens C. Mortensen (LEECH, ex-REVOLVER, SLAPDASH) to the group's ranks. Mortensen joins the band as the replacement for Jonas Kjellgren, who left CARNAL FORGE earlier in the month after a seven-year, five-album stint with the group.

CARNAL FORGE's new studio album, "Aren't You Dead Yet", was released earlier this week in the U.S. through Century Media. 12 songs were recorded and mixed at Studio Underground for the follow-up to last year's "The More You Suffer", with the new material being described by guitarist Jari Kuusisto as "[picking] up from where the last album stopped. The new songs are a little bit more aggressive, but all of you that liked our previous albums won't get disappointed."

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~ Former MARDUK, DARK ANGEL Members To Join Forces In New Project ~

Former MARDUK members Legion (a.k.a. Erik Hagsted, vocals) and B.War (bass) will be joining forces with guitarist Jim Durkin (DREAMS OF DAMNATION, ex-DARK ANGEL) in a new death metal project. The band, which will be based out of Los Angeles, is "only a recording project, on paper at this point," Durkin said. "I wrote a song for them, but we have not done anything yet. I look forward to making music with them. But my main focus is and always has been DREAMS OF DAMNATION. Everything revolves around DREAMS OF DAMNATION for me."

A name for the group has not yet been determined.


B.War quit MARDUK earlier this year to move to Los Angeles (from Sweden) to be with his family. Legion and his family will also be relocating to Los Angeles later this year.

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~ German Black Metallers NARGAROTH Announce One-Off Show ~

German black metallers NARGAROTH will perform a special, last-minute, one-off show at Baroeg in Rotterdam, Holland on Friday, August 20. Also set to appear are LUGUBRE and TARIA. A flyer for the show can be viewed at:

http://www.uniqueleader-europe.com/nargaroth.jpg

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~ SEAR BLISS To Release DVD Later This Year ~

Hungarian black metallers SEAR BLISS filmed their 10-year anniversary show in Budapest in February 2004 for an upcoming DVD, tentatively due later in the year. The group have just issued their fourth full-length album, "Glory and Perdition", through Red Stream, Inc. The follow-up to 2002's "Forsaken Symphony" was recorded at the HSB studio and features a guest appearance in a couple of tracks by former MAYHEM/TORMENTOR vocalist Attila Csihar. An album release show is scheduled for September 10 in Budapest, to be followed by a Dutch mini-tour.

With regards to Attila's involvement with the new record, SEAR BLISS bassist/vocalist András Nagy recently told Metal Coven webzine, "Attila is a longtime friend of mine. I always loved his extreme voice. I think he is definitely the most unique vocalist in this genre. I always planned to invite him to do some vocals for SEAR BLISS. We asked him to contribute to the 'Grand Destiny' and 'Forsaken Symphony' albums too but he wasn't available at that time as he has many projects abroad and he was always busy with them but this time it came true and the result is just perfect."