Lamb of God
Photo: Epic Records

Of all of Lamb of God's albums, 2006's Sacrament was perhaps the least political.

Coming on the heels of 2004's anti-war opus Ashes of the Wake — a furious and relentless musical onslaught that was just as scathing in its lyrical attack on the Bush administration — Sacrament was a more personal offering, with frontman Randy Blythe deliberately steering clear of politically charged themes. But on the Virginia metallers' next one, Wrath, Lamb of God sort of return to form, setting their sights on the outgoing president, but using the experiences of others to make their point.

"It's not as soapbox-y, though, and not as rant-y about the government — it's more about personal experiences," guitarist Mark Morton told Metal File. "We've met a lot of people and fans who've served in these wars that are going on around the world, so it's a little more personal, tying the worldview into how it affects individuals. And then there's stuff that has nothing to do with CNN at all. There are songs on this record that talk about our experiences, and are aimed at certain people we've met along the way, who, through jealousy or whatever, found some reason to betray us or turn their back on us or try to stab us in the back. As you have success, people kind of turn against you sometimes, so there are a couple of songs directed at those people. Hopefully, they'll know who they are."

According to Morton, Lamb of God decided well before even writing a single note for Wrath — which has been set for a February 24 release — that they wanted to make a record that sounded nothing like Sacrament, and the guitarist feels they were able to do just that.

"We usually try to do something fresh every time," he said. "This one, I think, is deliberately a little more raw and more aggressive than Sacrament was. Sacrament was a really, really dynamic record on every level, and the songs were all over the place — it was also heavily produced. This one's really raw and real-sounding, from every angle, and we're celebrating imperfections on this record. We're choosing what takes stay on the record based more on their character and personality than how completely mechanically precise they are. It's more about vibe and attitude in the takes than it is about, 'Wow, that was perfect.' It's the perfect ones that get thrown away, because they're just too sterile."

For Wrath, LOG called upon longtime friend and associate Josh Wilbur to produce, opting not to rely on Machine (who'd produced Ashes and Sacrament) a third time. Morton admitted that Wilbur is something of a novice when it comes to major label productions, but feels it worked to the band's advantage.

"Josh is someone who has been in the camp for quite some time," Morton explained. "He worked heavily on Sacrament, engineering the drums and my guitars; he also mixed the live audio for [2008's] 'Walk With Me in Hell' DVD. He's not new to us — he's new to the producer's seat, and he's just done a great job. It was part of our strategy. Certainly, nothing was broke with Machine, who is a phenomenal producer and still a good friend — but this time around, from a purely artistic standpoint, to serve our purpose of trying to really do something a little different, I think it made the most sense to get another angle on the production aspect of it. Josh was the perfect fit, because he already knew us and was familiar with how we play and how we write music and how we record it."

Morton said the record will feature between 10 and 12 songs, and that the band plans on playing at least one new track this December, when it heads out with Metallica for a three-week run of West Coast and Canadian gigs. What should fans expect from the new material?

"The guitar tones are a little cleaner than normal," he said. "We're kind of getting into this mind-set that clean is heavy. Clarity is a lot heavier than oversaturated. It's just real raw and natural and organic-sounding, which, in itself, is kind of revolutionary these days, when kids are making pro audio-sounding recordings in their dorm rooms, on their laptops, and cutting and pasting verses and choruses. It's no longer cutting edge to make a completely space-aged, robotic-sounding record. I think it's almost fresh now to make one that sounds like an actual band played it. Don't get me wrong — it still sounds airtight and rehearsed, because it is all those things. But it's just real."

Morton said he's not sure how fans will respond to the stuff, because some of the band's fans aren't familiar with LOG's entire body of work.

"It's really going to depend on where they came in to the process," he said. "It seems like we gained a lot of fans on Sacrament, and I think those folks will maybe be taken aback a little bit by how aggressive this record is. The fans who came in a little earlier won't be as surprised by that, unless they're surprised that we've returned to that sort of approach. We're not denying Sacrament by any stretch of the imagination — it was just time for something different.

"There had been a lot of stuff we were trying to get out of our system on Ashes and Sacrament, and it took a couple of records to do that," Morton continued. "With that out of our system now, we seemed to just gravitate back towards the things that were the initial genesis of the band, which was really just that cathartic, sonic release. There's a lot of that going on on this record, for sure."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Earth Crisis has wrapped the recording of their Century Media Records debut. Guitarist Scott Crouse says the guys are "very excited for everyone to hear what we've come up with," and hints that, while it sounds cliché, "it truly could be the best Earth Crisis release to date! No really, I know every band says that when they finish something new, but ... really!" ...

Death-metal morticians Cannibal Corpse have dubbed their forthcoming LP Evisceration Plague. Set for a February 3 release, bassist Alex Webster claims that the band's goal "has always been to try and make each new album we record our heaviest," and he feels "we've been able to achieve this goal, and I think our fans will agree." Look for the set to include a dozen tracks, including "A Cauldron of Hate," "Carnivorous Swarm" and "Skewered From Ear to Eye." ...

United Nations have booked their first-ever live performance for January 20 at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. The band will perform as part of the "Demand in DC: Applauding the Empowerment of People Thru Art/ Photo/ Film/ Music" event; Anti-Flag, the A.K.A.s, and Ruiner are also on the bill. ...

The Red Chord have decided to take a break from writing material for their next album to play a few shows with Overcast and Architects. You can catch them November 9 in Holyoke, Massachusetts; November 14 in Portland, Maine; and November 15 in Poughkeepsie, New York. ...

The Number Twelve Looks Like You christened their forthcoming LP Worse Than Alone; that record will be in stores February 10. They have also booked a bunch of shows with the Fall of Troy, Warship and Black Houses. That tour kicks off November 28 in Salt Lake City, and runs through December 14 in Tacoma, Washington.

• Lamb of God
• Cannibal Corpse
• Earth Crisis

Earth Crisis
Photo: Mediaskare

For six long years, the members of Syracuse, New York, vegan straight-edge hardcore outfit Earth Crisis — which called it quits in 2001, only to re-form last year — have been busy doing other things.

Frontman Karl Buechner, for instance, has spent much of his time working with his other band, Freya, while guitarist Scott Crouse and drummer Dennis Merrick moved out to the West Coast to pursue new interests. But Earth Crisis have never forgotten about their ideals.

"I've never thought of us as a political band, because when people think of that term 'political band,' they either assume you're right-wing or left-wing — but we've always come from our own direction, more of a spiritual source," Buechner explained. "Personally, I'm not very impressed with either [political] party in the States right now. It seems like there are a lot of simple solutions, and neither side seems to be headed towards them."

Nonetheless, Earth Crisis' personal politics — on environmentalism, human rights, animal rights and sobriety — will likely shape Buechner's lyrics, as the reunited band continues to write songs for what will be its first new album since 2001's Last of the Sane. "But our message, it's one I feel all people can support, no matter what religion they follow or what side of the political spectrum they associate themselves with," he said.

So, for longtime Earth Crisis fans, this next album — which the band has yet to title — won't sound too far off from EC of old. "We've got six songs [written] so far, and hopefully, we'll record them this year," the singer said of the LP, which the band hopes to have in stores sometime in '09. "Hopefully, we'll be playing some of these new songs we've written on this tour we're on [with Sworn Enemy, Shai Hulud, Terror, Down to Nothing and Recon, which runs through March 23 in Albany, New York]. People ask me what the songs sound like, and the best way to describe it is it's a mixture between [1995's] Destroying the Machines and [1998's] Breed the Killers. Stylistically, it's most like songs from those albums."

For Earth Crisis, the timing is ripe for their return, and with any luck, the band will reinvigorate what's been something of a monotonous hardcore scene these last few years — and teach the young kids out there, trying to make it in the metal game, just how it's done. The reunion also has the band excited about catching up with old friends.

"We made some genuine friendships over the years with bands that we toured with and people we stayed with — scenes we played year after year," he said. "Now, a lot of these people we're going to be seeing are dads or moms and have legit jobs — people who are e-mailing us and telling us they're stoked to see us come out. I think that's going to be fun."

Admittedly, though, Buechner's not so sure younger audiences will be as enthusiastic about Earth Crisis' resurrection — but he's positive members of the bands that are popular today will be psyched.

"Our goal as a band was to write songs that appeal to our taste in music, and a lot of other bands, to an extent, will take elements from groups that inspired them and fuse it into their sound," the singer said, without naming names. "Certain bands will sound similar to bands they grew up listening to, and that's almost inevitable. Our goals are the same as they were back in 2001. Hopefully, we can make our old fans happy and get some of the younger guys into some of these ideas too."

Plus, today's hardcore scene isn't as vital as it was back when EC cashed their chips in. But Buechner believes there's still good hardcore groups to be heard — fans just need to find them.

"There's plenty of quality hardcore out there, but a lot of the bigger labels now are not supporting and nurturing the genuine hardcore bands," he said. "They're just going for the easy sell, for shock-value stuff, where these guys basically wear a costume and their music is pop — anything that will sell to seventh- and eighth-graders. Hardcore brought us up, it taught us a code of ethics, and it gave us a scene — a group of friends to unify with, to accomplish things with. I want us to be able to nurture that.

"Hardcore will last forever, but it's just not trendy, and it could never be trendy, because when it's genuine, it's substance," he said. "What's going to sell more: records with an 'X' on the cover or CDs with an inverted pentagram or a pot leaf on them? I think it's pretty obvious."

The rest of the week's metal news:

After waiting years for word on when we might be able to expect their new album, Metallica have finally revealed that they'll be finished tracking the effort in six weeks; the band would like to have the record in stores this fall. Drummer Lars Ulrich told Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson on his BBC6 radio program that he likes "what I've heard so far. I'm not one of the great sellers of 'the new record's the best thing we've ever done and it sh--s all over the last record and it's way heavier.' I'm not a great believer in all that horsesh--. I like it, and I'm one of Metallica's harshest critics. So far, it feels pretty good, but there's still plenty of time to f--- it up, so let's see what happens." ...

We here at Metal File don't usually go the "blind item" route, usually because it drives us mad when other news organizations do it. But we've heard a rumor that's too good to pass up — and we can't be more specific than that. Let's just say one of the country's best-known metal acts looks to be parting ways with its major label and plans to return to its original label home in the next few months. We'll keep you posted and bring you more as it's made official. ... The dates for this year's Summer Slaughter Tour — featuring the Black Dahlia Murder, Vader, Despised Icon, Aborted and Cryptopsy, among others — have been announced. The trek gets under way in Detroit on June 20 and will wrap July 28 in Chicago. ...

In other tour news, Overkill, Toxic Holocaust and Warbringer will be hitting the road together in the fall. The jaunt begins September 25 in Houston, Texas, and runs through October 18 in Sayreville, New Jersey. ... Sad news this week: Black Death drummer Phil Bullard reportedly died — way back on February 6 — after a long battle with colon cancer. He was 59 and is survived by two daughters, Philicia and Earlicia; four grandchildren; and two sisters. ...

A May 27 release date has been set for former Emperor frontman Ihsahn's debut solo album, which will be called angL. The nine-track offering will feature a special guest appearance by Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt, on the track "Unhealer." ... Floridian blackened metal outfit Kult Ov Azazel have updated fans on the progress they've been making on Destroying the Sacred, the band's forthcoming fourth LP. The band plans to record the effort this fall and claims the record will boast a Possessed cover. Other songs set to appear on the album include "Prelude to Holocaust," "The Plagues of Mankind" and "The Lucifer Principal."

• Earth Crisis
• Metallica
• The Black Dahlia Murder

Warbringer
Photo: Century Media

As with any vocation, there's a learning curve to being a touring musician. There are lots of important skills to master in order to be a consummate professional. And there are many mistakes to be made along the way, as Warbringer singer John Kevill learned at a recent gig in Poughkeepsie, New York, where his band was opening for Exodus.

Onstage, Warbringer tore it up like they always do, but after the show, on Exodus' bus, Kevill demonstrated his relative inexperience. The 21-year-old singer had eaten pizza for dinner and already consumed a few beers when Exodus lead guitarist Lee Altus poured him a particularly strong beverage that isn't available in the U.S.

"I drank it and went, 'Oh, that's brutal,' and they asked me if I wanted another," recalled Kevill before a show in Milwaukee on the last week of the Exodus tour. "I decided I couldn't be a b---h in front of Exodus, so I took it and I ended up throwing up all over [drummer] Tom Hunting's shoes. They all laughed their asses off. And afterwards they said, 'Usually when you drink this, you're supposed to water it down.' "

Kevill may not have his exotic-drinks game down quite yet, but when it comes to old-school thrash metal, he and his bandmates are as fast and skilled as many of the groups that inspired them, such as Exodus, Kreator and Testament. Warbringer's full-length debut, War Without End — which came out earlier this month — is a hail storm of jagged riffs, jackhammer beats and caustic screams. And while the band is firmly entrenched in the new wave of American thrash metal — which includes Black Tide, Fueled by Fire and others — Kevill insisted Warbringer were never interested in capitalizing on any sort of musical trend.

"There's a lot of hype about it right now that makes it more of a novelty than I like," the singer said. "But I think it's ultimately a really good thing that people are getting into metal that doesn't suck. There's no reason that old-school metal shouldn't be played anymore. I enjoy listening to that more than what's coming out today."

Warbringer's seeds were planted in 2005 in Ventura, California, when Kevill was at a friend's house listening to Manowar. Inspired by the galloping beats and thunderous rhythms, the two decided to form a band that was just as primal and powerful. "You know how on that first album [1982's Battle Hymns] Manowar signed a pact in blood?" Kevill said. "Well, we decided to do that, too, because we wanted to make sure we didn't flake out and suck."

A month later, his friend bailed on their contract, but Kevill persevered. He found a guitarist named Viktor, and while he only lasted a couple of months, Viktor later introduced him to guitarist John Laux and his bass-playing brother, Andy. Then, Kevill recruited drummer Adam Carroll from another band, Zombie, and when Carroll decided to switch to guitar, they brought in his ex-Zombie bandmate Ryan Bates on drums. At first, the band called itself Onslaught, then they discovered there was already a British group with that name, and that it had released three influential thrash albums in the '80s.

"Some people gave us flak for not knowing that, but we were 17 and 18, and just discovering that music," Kevill said. "It's not like anyone gave us a thrash-metal encyclopedia. So Adam and I were looking anywhere we could find cool-sounding names, and we decided war and thrash metal are like peanut butter and jelly. So I was attaching the word 'War' to anything I could think of."

The band arrived at the "Bringer" suffix one day when Laux was flipping through a list of different monsters from the video game "Diablo II" and came across the screen name Painbringer. "We had already been [trying to come up with a name] for three hours, so we were like, 'Warbringer! Good enough. We're done.' "

Warbringer recorded a four-song demo and played shows in Los Angeles with Merciless Death, Fueled by Fire, Dekapitator and Toxic Holocaust. Then they wrote a new batch of songs and tracked their debut EP, One by One the Wicked Fall, in October 2006. The disc caused a buzz in the underground and earned Warbringer a deal with Century Media, which signed the band at the end of the year. Warbringer recorded War Without End in fall 2007 with veteran producer Bill Metoyer (Slayer, D.R.I.).

Warbringer recorded War Without End in July and August of last year, and for the most part, the tracking was smooth and without incident. The mixing of the album, however, was another story. "Bill spent a few weeks mixing the record, and then his computer took a massive crap and he lost everything he did and had to start over. We almost didn't get the record out in time."

At first, the band planned to call the record Combat Shock, then changed the title to War to End All Wars, a line from one of the featured song lyrics. But then they decided they didn't want the word "war" on their album cover three times, so they settled on War Without End — not realizing it was a line from Metallica's "No Remorse."

"When somebody pointed that out to us, we went, 'Ah, sh--, not again?' Kevill said. "But we decided to go with it anyway."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Metal File recently spoke with Earth Crisis frontman Karl Buechner on the band's upcoming reunion tour with Sworn Enemy, Shai Hulud, Terror, Down to Nothing and Recon, and he said the straightedge metalcore outfit will be recording new material. "We do plan on putting out a record," he confirmed. "We've got six songs so far, and hopefully, we'll record them this year. Hopefully, we'll be playing some of these news songs we've written [on the upcoming tour]." So how does the new stuff sound? "The best way to describe it is it's a mixture between [1995's] Destroying the Machines and [1998's] Breed the Killers," he said. "Stylistically, it's most like songs from those albums." The new Earth Crisis effort will be in stores early next year, he added. Look for our full interview with Buechner in a future Metal File. ... Canadian metal troupe Voivod will hit the studio in the spring to commence the recording of the band's final album, using material left behind by founding guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, who died in August 2005 from colon cancer. According to Voivod, they have 13 songs to work with. ...

He Is Legend have lost guitarist Mitch Marlow and replaced him with Worth Weaver (Friends for Hire). Marlow jumped ship after accepting an offer to join the recently reunited Filter. ... San Diego's Cattle Decapitation have begun writing material for their next LP, which could be in stores by year's end. The record will be the band's first with new drummer Dave McGraw, who joined the fold in the fall. ... The New England Metal & Hardcore Festival will turn 10 this year, and to celebrate, it has assembled an impressive lineup — perhaps one of the best in recent years. The festival, set for April 25-27 in Worcester, Massachusetts, will feature the likes of Megadeth, In Flames, Shadows Fall, Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, Ministry, Meshuggah, the Dillinger Escape Plan, Full Blown Chaos, Soilent Green, Brain Drill and Withered, among others. ...

The Sword, Slough Feg and Children will team up in the spring for a quick trip around the U.S. The tour kicks off April 14 in Lubbock, Texas, and runs through April 29 in Oklahoma City. The Sword's sophomore LP, Gods of the Earth, lands in stores April 1. ... Clutch have lined up a spring tour of their own, with Kamchatka opening all dates. The trek gets under way April 9 in Cleveland, and gigs are scheduled through May 3 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. ... There's some sad news coming out of the Machine Head camp this week: The band was forced to skip out on several dates on its tour with Hellyeah, following the passing of drummer Dave McClain's mother. "[We wish] to extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to the McClain family for the tragic loss of Dave's mother, Mary Douglas," the band said in a statement, adding that McClain will rejoin the band for its Friday night (February 15) show in Davenport, Iowa. ...

Belgian black-metallers Gorath have wrapped recording their third LP, Misotheism. The effort will feature seven songs, including "Apophasis," "Abufihamet" and "Metempsychosis." ... Black-metal maestros Theudho have also concluded the recording of their next record, which they've named Cult of Wuotan. The set, due in stores next month, will feature 11 tracks, including "Terror Cimbricus," "Silence Reigned Over the Bog" and "Prophecies in Flames." ... New Zealand death-metallers Dawn of Azazel have parted ways with drummer Martin Cavanagh, and the band says the decision was mutual. "Together [we] have had so many killer times on the road," the band said in a statement, "however, we all felt that it was best for us to separate at this point." No additional information has been provided about the split, but the band has already found a replacement in Jeremy Suckling (Scorcia).

• Warbringer
• Earth Crisis

Enemy of the Sun
Photo: The End Records

Plenty of metal bands seesaw between polar opposites, contrasting red-eyed rage with summery, hope-filled melody. But few explore the numerous emotional shades between black and white, and even fewer do so while experimenting with Spanish, Asian, Middle Eastern and classical music. Juggling so many styles and moods is a challenge on which accomplished producer and Enemy of the Sun guitarist/songwriter Waldemar Sorychta thrives.

"The goal isn't just to mix so many different influences and sounds, but to put them together with this very heavy stuff and have them fit perfectly," he said. "The music that we make doesn't just sound like a gathering of parts — all the sounds ... work together in a straight line."

The debut album by Enemy of the Sun, Shadows (out January 22), is multifaceted and complex, filled with abrupt rhythm changes and genre shifts. Yet, regardless of the schizophrenic sound, the songs hold together with crafty transitional phrases and stanzas that shuttle the music from intro to outro without the listener feeling the turbulence.

"I think it works so naturally, because I'm always open to every kind of music and enjoy everything that allows you to really hear the feeling behind it," said Sorychta, who also has Grip Inc., Eyes of Eden and other bands on his résumé. "Every good song should tell you a story without you even knowing the lyrics. And I believe in putting many different moods in the music because you don't live your life in one constant mood. Every day, you have different experiences, so you will find many things in the songs — anger, happiness, but most of all, excitement. Everybody in Enemy of the Sun feels the music and is deeply inside of every song."

Sorychta implemented some of the musical ideas of Enemy of the Sun — named after Neurosis' 1993 album — in Grip Inc., which released four albums between 1995 and 2004. In 2005, Grip went on indefinite hiatus when their drummer, Dave Lombardo, returned to his original band, Slayer. At first, Sorychta focused on producing other bands, including Lacuna Coil, Samael, Tiamat, Moonspell and the Gathering. Then he started looking for new bandmembers for a fresh project.

The first recruit was drummer Daniel Zeman, who was recommended by a friend. After a quick jam session, Sorychta knew he was on the right path. "I was really amazed, because this guy can play with groove and also play fast as hell, so I can basically do any kind of music I wish. It was paradise for me as a composer because I knew I wouldn't have to set any boundaries."

Next came Jules Naveri, a Finnish singer who can scream like a tortured demon and croon like a pop singer. Sorychta met up with Naveri after checking out his local band.

"I invited him to play with us, and he amazed me even more than I expected," Sorychta said. "When he sings [melodically], it's very strong and very nice, but when he shouts or screams, it's fierce. Some people ask me if I have three different singers in this band, because his voice is so diverse."

Enemy of the Sun cemented their lineup with Sorychta's friend Alla Fedynitch, an accomplished composer and pianist who also plays bass. Once the roster congealed, the band entered the studio to start recording songs for Shadows, an album that reflects the duality of human existence and the inherent darkness of mankind.

"Some lyrics are a bit political, some are personal, but none of them are saying, 'Oh, life is wonderful. You just have to live with flowers around,' " Sorychta said. "That is bullsh--. Of course, the lyrics have always had a positive message, but they're about understanding that there's a lot of terrible things going on around us. Sometimes to watch the news is the most terrible thing in the entire day. After five minutes, you can come close to puking because you go, 'It is not possible. That's all human beings.' "

Rather than become overwhelmed by such harsh reality, Sorychta turns his aggressive feelings into creative expression. "Even when I'm in a very angry situation, which is where some of this brutal music comes from, there's always this release. And then I say, 'Well, you can't always be angry. That's not the way to change something.' So, I think you have to always try to think positive and make a change within yourself by putting energy in everything you do."

As much as he enjoys Enemy of the Sun, Sorychta doesn't completely write off an eventual Grip Inc. reunion. He harbors no ill feelings toward any of the bandmembers, and if Lombardo were to become available, another meeting of the minds might be inevitable. However, as fond as Sorychta is of music he wrote with Grip, he has no intention of disbanding Enemy of the Sun.

"Enemy is a very good family, and I feel very comfortable there," he explained. "The music and this band is the result of 100 percent passion, and that is the most important thing. The music is not made to prove something — it's just made because it has to exist."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Terror plan to enter a recording studio in two months with producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall) to begin tracking their next LP. The band said in a statement that the material "that we have demoed already is without a doubt the hardest and best Terror sh-- ever." While fans are waiting for the yet-untitled album, Terror have jumped on the bill for the annual Superbowl of Hardcore, which is set for April 5 in New York. The partial lineup also includes Agnostic Front, Madball, Backfire and Fahrenheit 451. More details about the fest will be announced in the coming weeks. Terror will also hit the road next year with seminal New York hardcore outfit Earth Crisis. The latter band is apparently back in action, as it has lined up several tour dates for '08. The trek — which will also feature Sworn Enemy, Shai Hulud, Down to Nothing and Recon — kicks off February 29 in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is expected to run through March 12 in Hollywood. Additional dates will be announced over the coming weeks. ... Candlemass and Daylight Dies will tour together this spring. The trek is set to launch May 19 in Springfield, Virginia, and run through June 7 in Fort Worth, Texas. ...

Set Your Goals are down a member following the departure of guitarist Dave Yoha. A statement from the band claims Yoha was tired of touring and expressed a desire to leave. "We support him and there are no hard feelings," the remaining bandmembers explained, adding that they've known about the shift for about a month and have been quietly auditioning potential replacements. ... Soilent Green's forthcoming new album has been set for an April 15 release through Metal Blade. The record was produced by Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Goatwhore). ... Throwdown's Dave Peters recently hit the studio to record a guest vocal for Soulfly's forthcoming new album, which is expected in stores this summer. The yet-untitled record will also feature a guest appearance from David "Evil D" Vincent of Morbid Angel fame. ... Singer Ellen Hoffman has parted ways with Bloodlined Calligraphy after joining the band a little more than a year ago. "Sometimes you just have to 'know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em,' " Hoffman said in a statement. She added that she quit the band because of "personal reasons and stuff beyond my control." ... Pelican, Unearthly Trance and Black Cobra will be road companions this spring, as they are planning to head out for a tour that begins February 28 in Chicago. Dates are scheduled through March 15 in Louisville, Kentucky. ...

New York death-metallers Suffocation have lined up a few dates in support of their forthcoming Roadrunner-issued The Best of Suffocation, which hits stores January 29. The band has booked just six gigs, the first of which is set for February 23 in Sayreville, New Jersey. ... Demonical, the Swedish death-metal band that features past and present members of Centinex, Grave and others, have announced the departure of singer Ludvig Engellau. He bailed due to "musical and personal reasons," according to a statement. The band plans to carry on with a session singer and will find a full-time replacement early next year. ... Finnish metal act Kalmah have finished recording their fifth, yet-untitled full-length, which should be in stores sometime early next year. Guitarist Antti Kokko said in a statement that the disc "will be guitar-driven, raw-sounding, more riff-oriented but melodic, as [a] Kalmah album always is. The band is very pleased with the result, and I guess we are doing the best album so far. I know it is a cliché to say, but I believe we are damn right about it." ...

The oft-delayed debut LP from Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta's Kingdom of Sorrow side project has been slated for a February 19 release through Relapse. According to a statement from Jasta, the yet-untitled offering "crushes." "I pushed myself to become a better vocalist, and wrote and expressed myself lyrically in a totally different way than I have before," he added. ... Death-metallers Necrophagia have enlisted Slipknot's Mick Thomson for their forthcoming album, Death Trip 69, which should be ready for a summer release. Thomson contributes lead guitar parts to the effort. ... Drummer Rich Hoak claims reunited seminal grindcore act Brutal Truth have written 10 songs for their comeback LP, some of which "are the most brutal bizarre grinders ever, and we are totally psyched," according to a statement. No word yet on when the material will surface, but we'll keep you posted. ... A February 12 release date has been set for Texas black-metallers Averse Sefira's forthcoming LP, Advent Parallax. The disc was helmed by producer Tore Stjerna, who has worked with Watain in the past.

• Earth Crisis
• Averse Sefira

It Dies Today
Photo: Jeremy Saffer

It Dies Today frontman Nick Brooks didn't mean to write a concept album — but his band's forthcoming album, Sirens, ended up being just that. The LP's title, he said, was inspired by the trio of Greek mythological creatures that were often portrayed as having the heads of women and the bodies of birds.

"The Sirens would call mariners to their death by singing songs," Brooks explained. "[The record is] all about temptation and how it affected everybody in our lives — between substance abuse, infidelity and stuff like that. And that's pretty much what every song on the record is about."

Some of the material, Brooks said, was inspired by his own struggles.

"My drinking was a problem," he said. "At one point, I lost my voice really bad because of it. I basically f---ed over my band because of all the crap I was into. I had just started drinking [at age 22] and it became quite a problem."

Brooks, who had been straightedge for the majority of his adult life, began drinking during 2005's Ozzfest. "I was drinking big time, because it's like, what am I supposed to do for 12 hours a day? After we play, I'm gonna get drunk and go watch [Iron] Maiden." At one point, during the recording of Sirens (due Tuesday), Brooks said he made "a huge ass" of himself during a party at producer GGGarth's house.

"There were all these actors there and the founder of [a large movie studio] there, and I got drunk, and I said a lot of very offensive things to certain people — a certain actor, the [studio boss] — and tried to fight his assistant," the singer said. But "it was a good night," he joked.

While Brooks says he's gotten his drinking under control, he did booze it up during the filming of the video for the first single from Sirens, "Sacred Heart [Sacre Coeur]." The clip was helmed by director Christoffer Salzgeber (Mudvayne, Soulfly) in downtown Los Angeles in the Poodle Parlor, a vintage warehouse that's served as the backdrop for several recent metal videos. The video, inspired by true events, involved loads of "hot girls," Brooks said. Oh, and alcohol.

"It's a very interesting video," he said. "[It's] a celebration of getting over a sh--ty relationship by parting with a bunch of hot girls. And we all went out and partied afterwards."

The Buffalo, New York, band began working on Sirens in December and wrote material for the effort over the course of six months. The album was originally intended for release last month, but the band's label, Trustkill, bumped it to next week so it could beef up promotion. And now "we're just honestly really excited to get it out because we're really stoked on it and couldn't be happier with what we've done.

"We wanted to write thrashier songs because there are only so many breakdowns you can just put in a song that don't need to be there," Brooks continued. "I think it's getting kind of redundant. As far as the more metal songs on the record go, we wanted to make them a lot thrashier and use a lot of melody too. There's something for everybody on this record. There are solos, thrash parts — I'm really happy with the way it came out. I think it's a different kind of heavy than our last record. I do think it's our smartest record and, with the amount of time and effort we put into it, if you aren't getting better with every record, you probably shouldn't be in a band."

Brooks said he's thrilled to be releasing an album like Sirens during what he feels is an "exciting time for metal."

"I am excited to be in a metal band now because, you look at Lamb of God and Avenged Sevenfold, and I mean, [Avenged are] on 'TRL' shredding solos," he said. "We kind of just do our own thing and hope for the best. We don't have any unrealistic goals of selling millions of records. It's just like, we love what we're doing, and if kids like what we're doing, that's fine."

It Dies Today will be on the road with Silverstein, Aiden, He Is Legend and Prom Queen through November 25 in Albany, New York. The tour rolls through Milwaukee Friday night (October 13).

The rest of the week's metal news:

While there's been no official confirmation from the band, erstwhile hardcore legends Earth Crisis have reunited — at least for one gig. The straightedge act has been added to the bill for the second annual Maryland Metal and Hardcore Festival in Baltimore on January 27. The event will also feature Sworn Enemy, Full Blown Chaos and Subzero, among others. Earth Crisis got back together in 2001 for Hellfest. ... It seems as though Life of Agony's hiatus is nearing its end. The band has booked three live gigs — LOA's first of 2006. On November 24, they'll play the Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York, and two days later, will take the stage inside the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. The band will also play December 3 at the Crocodile Rock Cafe in Allentown, Pennsylvania. ... Cradle of Filth will launch a two-month U.S. tour in January to support their new album Thornography, which drops Tuesday. Exact dates will be announced soon. Finnish goth-metal band the 69 Eyes, who recently released the best-of collection Framed in Blood: The Very Blessed of the 69 Eyes, will open all shows. ... Cattle Decapitation have enlisted ex-Dying Fetus drummer Kevin Talley to pound the kit during the band's upcoming North American trek. Talley will be quite busy on the tour, pulling double duty with Cattle and openers Daath. Lair of the Minotaur and Goatwhore are also on the bill. The tour kicks off November 16 in El Paso, Texas, with dates booked through December 10 in Ogden City, Utah. ...

Austin, Texas, metallers At All Cost have made it through the writing phase for their forthcoming studio offering, which is slated for release in 2007. No additional information on the LP has been revealed, but in the meantime, fans can catch the Cost in its home state on October 14 (Houston), October 20 (Austin), October 21 and 22 (San Angelo) and October 23 (Corpus Christi). ... Seemless will replace Soil on In Flames' upcoming North American jaunt, also with Lacuna Coil, starting December 5 in Norfolk, Virginia. The run ends December 19 in Kansas City, Missouri. ... Diecast will hit the road with Sepultura, Sworn Enemy and Suicide Silence starting November 16 in Phoenix. Dates run through December 22 in Pomona, California. ... Swedish death-metal act Impious are nearly finished recording their forthcoming album, Holy Murder Masquerade. The effort will include "The Confession," "Bound to Bleed (For a Sacred Need)," "Death on Floor 44" and "Three of One." No release date has been set yet for the disc. ... Stoner metallers Fu Manchu will release Hung Out to Dry, a four-song EP, November 28. The effort will boast two tracks from the band's forthcoming 10th LP, as well as a cover of Van Halen's "D.O.A." Only 3,000 copies of the EP will be pressed. The band will take the stage for the first time in 10 months on November 16 in Costa Mesa, California, and plan to debut several fresh tunes during the gig. ...

And now for some news that begs the question "What the hell took so long?" Metalheads will soon get the chance to enhance their cellular phones with Manowar ringtones. The band is asking fans to submit a list of their 10 favorite Manowar tracks to frontrow@manowar.com, and the results will determine which ringtones will be offered, although there's no word yet on when they will be available for download. Manowar's new EP, The Sons of Odin, will be released October 24. The disc will feature the title track from the band's upcoming full-length, Gods of War, "The Sons of Odin," an orchestral version of the new song "Odin" and live performances of "The Ascension" and "King of Kings," recorded at Earthshaker Fest 2005. A bonus DVD will include 5.1 mixes of the songs plus a 30-minute Manowar fan-convention documentary and rehearsal footage. ... Ex-Snot and Soulfly guitarist Mikey Doling has founded GridIron Records, a new label with former Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Kyle Turley. "[Once] I was in New Orleans on the bus drinking beers and Kyle comes on the bus and says, 'Who's the guy from Snot?' " Doling said. "I raised my hand like a schoolboy, thinking he was gonna kick my ass for something, but he freaked because he was a huge Snot fan. From there on we've been really good friends." Also partnering in the label are former Snot manager Nic Adler and Max Harris. The first two offerings from the label will be the debut by Doling's new band Invitro and an album by psychedelic-rock group the Hairbrain Scheme. Both discs will come out in early 2007 and can be previewed at MySpace.com/GridIronRecords. The label is also in negotiations with Asesino, ex-Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares' new band, and Los Angeles thrash band Instinct of Aggression. ...

The Showdown, who will release Temptation Come My Way on February 20, have welcomed drummer A.J. Barrette into the fold. The death-metal squad will hit the road later this month with Pillar and Day of Fire. The trek kicks off October 26 in Minneapolis, with dates booked through December 17 in Wichita, Kansas. ... Swedish doom-rockers Witchcraft — not to be mistaken with Swedish thrash band Witchery — will support psychedelic-metal band Danava starting October 23 in Seattle. Dates run through November 16. Witchcraft's most recent album Firewood came out last year. This fall the band will re-release its 2004 self-titled offering. ... Australian band I Killed the Prom Queen's debut, Music for the Recently Deceased, will come out in North America on November 14, and U.S. audiences can see them open for It Dies Today, Aiden and Silverstein starting November 17 in Norfolk, Virginia. Dates run through November 25 in Albany, New York. The band may not have used a bullet for their valentine, but its style of melodic metalcore should strike a chord with anyone who considers Atreyu saviors of teen angst. ... Eighties metalheads and S&M aficionados might remember Bitch, the Betsy Bitch-fronted Los Angeles band that performed gritty songs like "Be My Slave," "Live for the Whip" and "Leatherbound" before fading into obscurity. Well, following a lengthy hiatus, Betsy returned Thursday with a whip-smarting set at the Roxy in West Hollywood, California. MTV News hasn't heard anything about a new album, but reissues can't be far off.

• It Dies Today
• Earth Crisis
• Cradle of Filth
• The 69 Eyes
• At All Cost