MORGOTH to release first ever live album/DVD, “Cursed To Live”, in June

MORGOTH, Germany’s most legendary death metal band, will release their first ever live album and DVD, Cursed To Live, in June 2012. Cursed To Live marks the band’s live documentation of their currently ongoing 20th anniversary celebration of their all-time classic album Cursed (released via Century Media Records in 1991). Cursed To Live will be released digitally in North America on June 26th, and their limited DVD+2CD will be available exclusively at CM Distro. The live show featured on the album was recorded at the band’s triumphant show headlining the Way Of Darkness Festival 2011, where MORGOTH performed an extensive set of 15 songs that mainly came from Cursed, among various other death metal classics.

The cover artwork for Cursed To Live (which intentionally alludes to the original Cursed artwork) was designed by the renowned artist Dirk Rudolph (RAMMSTEIN, IN EXTREMO, APOCALYPTICA), who also created the original artwork for Cursed 21 (!) years ago. The audio of the live recordings was mixed by legendary death metal producer Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, BLOODBATH, etc.) to sonic brilliance.

In regards to this upcoming release, MORGOTH comments: “By the end of June we will be finally releasing our career’s first-ever official live DVD / live album ‘Cursed to Live’. Get ready for the full power of MORGOTH during the 2011/2012 ‘Cursed’ reunion! The package’s main show is a 70 min. live recording of the ‘Way Of Darkness’ festival show that we played on October 7th, 2011 in Lichtenfels, Germany. Next to this main feature, we also added plenty of extra bonus-material for the DVD format (like the early, original promo clips and more recent live footage) and its companion bonus disc (composed of live songs from Rock Hard Festival and Wacken Open Air, both in 2011)…Watch out!”

MORGOTH’s initial Cursed album anniversary shows commenced in the summer of 2011, and the band played triumphant sets so far at prestigious festival events like Rock Hard Festival (Germany), Party.San Open Air (Germany), and Hellfest (France). They also appeared at Winternachtstraum Festival (Germany), Neurotic Deathfest (The Netherlands), and this past weekend’s Walpurgis Metal Dayz Festival (Germany), plus MORGOTH has already been confirmed for a string of shows in 2012, including appearances at Maryland Deathfest (USA), Summer Breeze (Germany), Brutal Assault (Czech Republic), a special club show in Greece– and the Barge To Hell cruise in the Caribbean. See below for a list of all upcoming dates:

MORGOTH Cursed Anniversary Reunion Live Dates 2012:
27.05.2012 – Baltimore (USA) – Sonar / Maryland Deathfest X
09.06.2012 – Athens (Greece) – Fuzz Live Music Club with EXODUS, OBITUARY, HEATHEN
14.07.2012 – Ballenstedt / Ostharz (Germany) – Rock Harz Festival
28.07.2012 – Steenwijk (The Netherlands) – Stonehenge Festival
10.08.2012 – Josefov (Czech Republic) – Brutal Assault Festival
17.08.2012 – Dinkelsbühl (Germany) – Summer Breeze Open Air
03.-07.12.2012 – Miami, FL (USA) – Nassau, Bahamas / Barge To Hell Cruise

In regards to the Barge To Hell Cruise, MORGOTH is also part of a competition with the company PAF (“Play Among Friends”, www.paf.com). To win 2 tickets to the Barge To Hell Cruise event, head over to PAF now. MORGOTH also recently re-interpreted the music theme from the slot machine “Dead Rich” for the PAF Talent Contest. Check it out here.

MORGOTH line-up 2012:
Marc Grewe – vocals
Harry Busse – lead & rhythm guitars
Sebastian Swart – rhythm guitars
Sotirios Kelekidis – bass
Marc Reign – drums

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KREATOR: “PHANTOM ANTICHRIST” LYRIC VIDEO NOW AVAILABLE.

KREATOR, one of Germany’s most enduring and prodigious thrash metal bands, have released a lyric video for the title track off their thirteenth studio album, Phantom Antichrist. Phantom Antichrist, KREATOR’s debut for Nuclear Blast, is due out in North America on June 5^th and was recorded in Örebro, Sweden at the famed Fascination Street Studio with renowned producer Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Soilwork).

The track listing for the jewel-case version is:
01. Mars Mantra
02. Phantom Antichrist
03. Death To The World
04. From Flood Into Fire
05. Civilization Collapse
06. United In Hate
07. The Few, The Proud, The Broken
08. Your Heaven, My Hell
09. Victory Will Come
10. Until Our Paths Cross Again

Phantom Antichrist’s limited edition digi-pak version will include a bonus DVD; a 2-LP vinyl edition will be available July 3^rd.

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ENSLAVED SIGN WORLDWIDE DEAL WITH NUCLEAR BLAST

Nuclear Blast is proud to announce the addition of progressive/psychedelic black metal band ENSLAVED to their worldwide roster.  After two successful campaigns in North America with Nuclear Blast USA (via exclusive license from Norway’s Indie Recordings) for their past two albums, 2008’s Vertebrae and 2010’s Axioma Ethica Odini, ENSLAVED have signed a worldwide deal.

 

From their home base in Norway, the band comments:

“We’re very, very (yes, very) pleased and proud to sign this deal with Nuclear Blast worldwide.  We’ve already worked with Nuclear Blast US through our two latest albums and our personal friendships with NB guys and gals on both sides of the Atlantic are even older.  There’s no drama – we take great pride in the fact that there seldom is with us; it is simply a matter of one contract ending and us going for what seems to be our best option at this point in time and space.  This time, the best choice for ENSLAVED is changing things up somewhat.  We’re excited to see what the mixture of passion and professionalism at Nuclear Blast can do with the ENSLAVED name in the years to come.  There is no doubt that the level of ambition, the experience and seriousness about what we do form perfect common ground for ENSLAVED and Nuclear Blast.  We’re in the process of making a new album that will initiate our new partnership.  Watch out for the approaching wave of news about that.  For now, let’s just say that the album will be an absolute (Nuclear) blast!”

Gerardo Martínez, Label Manager for Nuclear Blast USA, adds:

“ENSLAVED is one of the most amazing bands to ever come from Norway.  We’ve had the pleasure of working with them on their last two albums in North America, and from this day forth, worldwide.  Looking forward their new masterpiece to be unleashed to the masses later in the year!”

ENSLAVED’s new album will be released this fall.

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WATAIN Announce Additional U.S. Headlining Dates
Band To Appear At Dark Realm Records In-Store Tomorrow

Swedish black metal legion WATAIN — who are currently waging their Satanic rituals upon the masses on the inaugural Decibel Magazine Tour alongside Behemoth, The Devil’s Blood and In Solitude — today announce additional headlining dates  which will include stops in Poughkeepsie, New York,

Cleveland, Ohio, Joliet, Illinois, Columbus, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan. Additionally, the band will take part in an in-store appearance tomorrow, April 25 at Dark Realm Records in Downey, California prior to their performance at the House of Blues in Hollywood. More info available HERE.

Following the trek, WATAIN will unleash their previously announced new DVD, Opus Diaboli. The production commemorates the band’s 13 years of chaos by providing a visual and audio documentation of their ceremonial anniversary concert performance in Stockholm and the long years of physical, intellectual and spiritual work leading up to it. Opus Diaboli is an epic 90-minute journey into the forbidden realms of wild-hearted Satanic metal and the manifestation of a unique band that has truly chosen a path few have ever dared to tread upon. View the first official trailer at THIS LOCATION. Opus Diaboli marks the the first release on the band’s own label His Master’s Noise, a name originating from Bathory who had it in mind for their own label back in the early 1980s. Opus Diaboli will be unleashed in North America on June 5, 2012.

WATAIN on the Decibel Magazine Tour 2012
w/ Behemoth, The Devil’s Blood, In Solitude [remaining dates]
4/24/2013 Ruby Room – San Diego, CA ** WATAIN Only
4/25/2012 House of Blues – Los Angeles, CA
4/26/2012 Nile Theater – Phoenix, AZ
4/27/2012 Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
4/28/2012 Oklahoma City, OK – The Diamond Ballroom w/ Cannibal Corpse, Exhumed.
4/29/2012 White Rabbit – San Antonio, TX
5/01/2012 Orpheum – Tampa, FL
5/02/2012 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA

5/03/2012 Valarium – Knoxville, TN ** WATAIN Only
5/04/2012 Amos Southend – Charlotte, NC
5/05/2012 Ram’s Head – Baltimore, MD
5/06/2012 Trocadero Theatre – Philadelphia, PA

5/07/2012 Club Infinity – Buffalo, NY ** WATAIN Only
5/08/2012 Opera House – Toronto, ON
5/09/2012 Club Soda – Montreal, QC
5/10/2012 Imperial – Quebec City, QC
5/11/2012 Palladium – Worcester, MA
5/12/2012 Irving Plaza – New York, NY

WATAIN Headlining Dates
5/14/2012 The Loft – Poughkeepsie, NY
5/15/2012 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
5/16/2012 Mojoe’s – Joliet, IL
5/17/2012 Al Rosa Villa – Columbus, OH
5/18/2012 Harpo’s –Detroit, MI

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Chaos Recs to Release Zombiefication’s Reaper’s Consecration EP in Mexico 4/30/12

Chaos Records will release the Reaper’s Consecration EP from Mexico’s rotten death metallers ZOMBIEFICATION in Mexico only on April 30th. The EP follows the acclaimed Midnight Stench LP (Chaos Records), which was released in 2010 by the two-piece, maggot-eating death machine in celebration of three decades of sickness.

The EP is limited to 500 copies in Slimline CD with lyrics and exclusive artwork, and was recorded at Revolution Studios, Irapuato, Mexico by Lord Brave (DIES IRAE, MAJESTIC DOWNFAL and AGONY LORDS). Mixing and mastering was done at Necromorbus Studios in Stockholm, Sweden by Tore Sterjna.

Reaper’s Consecration will be released worldwide through Pulverised Records at a date to be announced. Please contact earsplitpr@aol.com for more information and promo availability. Digital promos are available for Mexican media by contacting clawhammerpr@gmail.com.

Listen to “Dead Today, Dust Tomorrow” on the Chaos Records Soundcloud page.

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CATTLE DECAPITATION: Exclusive “Kingdom of Tyrants” Video Premiere.

Today prime horror one-stop, Bloody Disgusting, hosts the exclusive premiere of “Kingdom of Tyrants” from CATTLE DECAPITATION’s forthcoming Monolith Of Inhumanity studio offering. The disturbingly twisted 9-minute mini-film was directed by Mitch Massie with live band footage shot in San Marcos, California by Tyson Montrucchio.

Comments singer Travis Ryan: “We’ve kicked around the idea of doing a mini-film out of a song that has a big intro for years now and when I saw Mitch Massie’s work on one of our friends’ videos, we knew he would be the one to pull it off. We had no idea he would bring it to a level such as this though. The ‘Kingdom of Tyrants’ mini-film completely leveled our expectations. Having given him director styles I would have liked to see used such as Matthew Barney, Harmony Korine and Ridley Scott, I still never assumed we would have received something so in line with what we had in mind for this as what you see here with this video. It’s disturbing. It’s thought-provoking. It’s 100% CATTLE DECAPITATION and in the direction we’ve been heading. Massie is the man and this is by far the best video we’ve ever had the pleasure to be a part of.”

Adds director Mitch Massie: “I acknowledge that I will rightfully burn in some subdivision of Hell for even attempting a rough tribute to Kubrick, but at least I will make Hell a home with CATTLE DECAPITATION and a few other damned risk-takers as neighbors. When Travis and I spoke about the concept it was a comforting fact that he too had reservations about picking fruits from the Kubrick tree. It wasn’t until the first night of production was over and we sat down to watch the shaky rough footage when a rather sardonic thought sparked the flint that ignited the funeral pyre in me, ‘fuck it, while we are here, as parts of our generation that dry-humps references in an over-saturated landfill of technological trinkets — where nothing is sacred — anyway, we might as well bury the rest of the masters in the filth they inspired in us and enter our homes justified. I’m a soulless ginger anyway so what do I care about these new risks of damnation when I never had a chance to begin with?’ Every move made in a music video production is dictated only by the song and when listening to the ‘The Monolith’ and/or ‘Kingdom of Tyrants’ can one truly feel it is anything but a beautiful damnation? I will never know but can only hope that I married images with the song so well that the monolith may swing back around with a chance to evolve, or completely de-evolve into some foul animal, and do another damned project for this incendiary and all around amazing band.”

Witness the cinematic sickness at THIS LOCATION. 

An achievement that stands out as one of the most volatile, ambitious, and impossible-to-pigeonhole records of 2012, Monolith Of Inhumanity is set for a North American release on May 8, 2012. Produced by Dave Otero of Denver’s Flatline Audio, the 11-track recording sees the progressive grind purveyors exploring innovative new techniques in song writing without abandoning their signature formula of confrontational audio wreckage. In addition, Monolith Of Inhumanity features a host of guests including Mike Majewski of Devourment (guest vocals on “Projectile Ovulation”), Lenard Leal of Cephalic Carnage (backing vocals by on “A Living, Breathing Piece of Defecating Meat”), The Cephalic Carnage Community Men’s Choir, consisting of all current Cephalic members and alumni Jawsh Mullen and Zac Joe (gang choir vocals on “The Carbon Stampede”), and ambient and noise interludes by Los Angeles’ most extreme decimator of sound, John Wiese. As with all of the band’s releases, Monolith Of Inhumanity revolves around a central concept, building upon Ryan’s potent distaste for contemporary civilization and the damage wrought in the name of progress. A concept inspired in part by 2001: A Space Odyssey is once again captured in the cover art by longtime collaborator Wes Benscoter, depicting a bleak apocalyptic future and the regression of mankind into apes.

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