NILE mainman Karl Sanders has issued the following update:
"We are currently finishing the mixes on the new NILE album, entitled 'Ithyphallic', our first album for Nuclear Blast [Records]. So far we have been nothing but thrilled to work with the entire cast at Nuclear Blast; they have treated us exceptionally well and have given the band a ferocious and inspirational new lease on life. Dallas [Toler-Wade, guitar/vocals], George [Kollias, drums] and I are convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that this new record contains our best material yet, and Neil Kernon [producer] is working overtime to ensure that every single blasphemous note is heard in alll its primal savagery.
"There are nine songs and one short acoustic piece, two of which are epic length songs, yet overall a wide range of tempos, some doomy, exotic elements as well as some unbelievably fast and catchy metal. A few songtitles: 'Language of the Shadows', 'Even the Gods Must Die', 'The Infinity of Stone', 'Ithyphallic', 'Papyrii Containg the Spell to Preserve its Possessor Against Attacks from He who is in the Water'.
"We are, as could be expected, very much looking forward to our upcoming Australian tour. Our last tip down under went exceptionally well and we can't wait to play again for the rabid Aussie metal fans. We will also indeed be bringing the NILE brand of ithyphallic metal to the uninitiated masses at the summer Ozzfest, and, quite welcomely, playing our own NILE headlining shows for the off Ozz days. We are also anxious for the European NILE fall tour that is in the works where we will finally be able to play a nice long NILE set covering a wide range of material from all our albums."
NILE's new album is being recorded at Sound Lab Studios in Columbia, South Carolina. The band's last CD, "Annihilation of the Wicked" album, was released in May 2005 via Relapse Records. A video for the album track "Sacrifice Unto Sebek" was shot on location in Atlanta, GA by director Chad Rullman (MASTODON's "March of the Fire Ants", THE AGONY SCENE) for Supercollider Films.
Dan Roem of TimesCommunity.com reports: For the first time in 11 years, Ozzfest will not stop at Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia during its annual touring cycle.
When dates for the 24-city tour were released March 13, many in the local heavy metal community — including former Woodbridge resident Chris Adler, the drummer for the tour's co-headlining band LAMB OF GOD — were stunned to find out there would be no Bristow show.
"I was disappointed," said Adler, who now lives in Richmond, along with the rest of the band, which includes his brother Willie on rhythm guitar. "We wanted to play at home."
Adler added that his band had no say in what venues Ozzfest would play when they signed on to be OZZY OSBOURNE's direct-support act.
Fourteen bands have signed on to Ozzfest so far, with one more main-stage band to be announced. Finland's LORDI is the only other scheduled main-stage act as of press time.
Ozzfest shows are played every other day to allow headliner and tour namesake Ozzy to rest his body and voice for a full day between performances.
So while there are open dates on the itinerary near Philadelphia (Aug. 22), Pittsburgh (Aug. 24) and Charlotte (Aug. 28), Ozzy's one-day-on, one-day-off schedule does not allow the festival to stop in Virginia before it ends Aug. 30 in Florida.
"That's ridiculous," said Manassas resident Ahmed Hamed, who attended Ozzfest at Nissan Pavilion during the last three years. "Eleven years and all the sudden...what's up with that, anyway?"
Nissan Pavilion's marketing director Rob Muller said Ozzfest's national bookers, not the venue's personnel, are the ones who decided to skip Stone Ridge.
