Disonantna/ekstremna pank zasedba Slugpit iz Ljubljane bo 15. maja izdala debitantski EP Mentally Unengaged, za katerega je produkcijo, miks in mastering opravil Anže Čanžek, naslovnico EP-ja pa je naslikal Sant V. Schreiber. Bandov logo je oblikoval Chris Kiesling (Misanthropic-Art).

Band bo prvi komad razkril v sredo ob 23. uri v oddaji Desadovnjak na Radiu Študent. EP Mentally Unengaged prinaša komade:

Goat Obliteration Machine
Scum
Sonic Eradication
Machete Carnage
Phantasmal Fist
Sentient Gas

Avtorica fotografije: Ronja Matijevec Jerman

Nemški simfoničarji Xandria predstavljajo najnovejši video za komad Universal. Gre za popolnoma svežo stvaritev, ki je na nek način tudi posledica dobrega odziva oboževalcev na prejšnjo ploščo The Wonders Still Awaiting, ki je izšla pred enim letom.

Hrvaška stoner/doom/sludge metal zasedba A Gram Trip je napovedala EP z naslovom If We Leaf Tomorrow. Ta bo izšel 23. aprila in bo prinesel tri komade:

Dead Air
Quiet Nights
Seven Leaf Artillery

Perujski heavy metalci Ladrón del Fuego in bobnar Klemen Markelj so posneli pesem Miedo. Sodelovali so še: Jorge Revoredo (komponist), Airin Chávez Zárate (vokal), Sebastián Palma Castillo (vokal), John Peña (kitara), Gianmarco Magnani (ilustracija) in Armando Alva (mastering in animacija).

Kanadska heavy metal zasedba Withering Scorn, katere člana sta tudi brata Shawn in Glen Drover, pripravlja material za drugi celovečerec, ki bo nasledil prvenec Prophets Of Demise iz leta 2023. Shawn Drover o novem materialu:

»At this point, this is where we're at. I've got three songs done for drums completed, and we started working on song four today; Glen and I started working on this intro piece to song four, where it's got this whole intro thing and stuff. And so we worked that out. And that's where we're at in terms of music as well. We just started song four. Glen still has a couple of songs to do for keeper guitars and so does Joe for bass. We haven't even approached the lyric process or the singing yet. Once we get far enough ahead, that's when we'll start to tackle that. Once I hear keeper guitars, then I start to assemble lyrics. I need to kind of hear the finished product of certainly the drums and guitars, if not bass as well, so I get inspired to write lyrics. That's kind of how I work with that.«

Italijanske simfonične death metalce Fleshgod Apocalypse, ki so nedolgo nazaj nastopili v Ljubljani, je zapustil ustanovni član/basist Paolo Rossi. Paolo je bil kot mnogi drugi glasbeniki v času koronavirusne pandemije namreč primoran poiskati službo zunaj glasbenega sektorja. Ko pa je življenje počasi stopalo v normalne tirnice, je Paolo skušal usklajevati novo službo z bandom, kar pa se je žal izkazalo za nemogoče. Prevladala je nova kariera, in Rossi se je odločil zapustiti zasedbo. Fleshgod Apocalypse bodo nadaljevali kot kvintet, Francesco Paoli, trenutni kitarist zasedbe, bo prevzel dolžnosti basista, Veronica Bordacchini (klaviaturistka in back vokalistka), pa bo prevzela še clean vokale. Pripeta fotografija je zadnje darilo oboževalcem zasedbe, gre pa za delo vizionarskega fotografa Francesca Esposita.

Italijani Neid so priredili komad Rebels Today…, ki ga v originalu izvajajo Comrades. Priredba je del prihajajočega EP-ja Still Offensive.

Znana je časovnica jutrišnjega koncerta Kataklysm, Fleshgod Apocalypse in Stillbirth v Kinu Šiška. Ta zgleda takole:

19.00 vrata/blagajna
19.45 Stillbirth
20.40 Fleshgod Apocalypse
21.45 Kataklysm

Danski thrasherji Artillery so minuli petek izdali live album Raw Live (At Copenhell) in besedilni video za komad The Challenge – Live at Copenhell.

Ženevski progressive/blackened death metalci Dyssebeia so posneli videospot za skladbo Hatch s prvenca Garden of Stillborn Idols, ki so ga jeseni izdali pri založbi Transcending Obscurity Records.

Lansko leto je enočlanska black metal zasedba Blackbraid, ki svojo inspiracijo išče v zgodbah ameriških staroselcev, izdala album Blackbraid II. Po krajšem premoru pa zdaj idejni vodja Sgah’gahsowáh sporoča, da je že začel delo z novim albumom, ki bo nosil ime Blackbraid III. Podrobnosti za zdaj še ostajajo skrivnost. Celotno izjavo Sgah’gahsowáha pa lahko preberete spodaj:

»I realize it has been several weeks since I posted on this account which is unusual for me. Rest assured the silence is a temporary but necessary one. The solitude of winter has always been an integral part of my writing and this year is no different.

That being said it should not surprise you that I have recently begun work on a third full length, Blackbraid III. The details of this release are still largely unknown and there is much work to be done in the coming months, just know that my lack of social media presence during the writing process is a necessary one.

As the winter wanes on I will make more updates on the new album as the process progresses. As always, thank you all for your endless support, I promise this is only the beginning.«

Kataklysm so objavili video za komad Goliath z aktualnega samonaslovljenega albuma iz lanskega leta.

Drugi mesec, natančneje 15. februarja, pa jih lahko ujamete v živo, kjer bodo skupaj s Fleshgod Apocalypse in Stillbirth nastopili v Kinu Šiška, ki bo tudi začetek evropske turneje Europe Vs Goliath Tour 2024.

Znani so še zadnji nastopajoči na letošnji izvedbi festivala Tolminator, ki se bo odvijal med 24. in 28. julijem v Tolminu. Kot četrti in zadnji headliner so potrjeni Electric Wizard! Na glavnem odru bodo nastopili Jungle Rot in Dödsrit, na underground odru pa Stillbirth, Dust Bolt, Monochromatic Black, Mezzrow, Nemesis, Infest, Dusk in Dezaztre.

Poleg že omenjenih na festivalu igrajo še zasedbe Natural, Battlesword, Public Grave, False Crown, Carrion, Patroness, Behind Bars, Astral Paralysis, Chronic Hate, Nekrodeus, Total Annihilation, Contractkiller, Slave To Sirens, Thy Legion in Eternal Struggle, od domačih bandov pa Kamra, Samperium, Dethrone The Corrupted in Sovrag.

Znan je tudi že razpored nastopajočih po dnevih in naslednji teden gre v prodajo omejeno število dnevnih vstopnic. Festivalske vstopnice so na voljo na tej povezavi.

Danski thrasherji Artillery so posneli besedilni video za By Inheritance – Live At Copenhell, ki je del prihajajočega live albuma Raw Live (At Copenhell). Plošček bo izšel 2. februarja pri Mighty Music.

Nemški heavy metalci The Night Eternal sporočajo, da je band iz osebnih razlogov zapustil Jones Nühlen.

»Unfortunately we have to inform you that Jones decided to part ways with The Night Eternal due to personal reasons. We‘re still good friends, so there‘s no bad blood and we respect his decision. Being a founding member, Jones was notorious for his catchy bass lines through all of our releases so far and we want to thank him sincerely for the great times we had.
There‘s a last chance to catch The Night Eternal with its original line-up on stage at Endzeit Festival on January 27th, so give Jones the honor and get your tickets!
For THE SATANIC PANIC TOUR starting on February 1st, our good friend Jannik will take over the bass duties.«