Norwegian/Polish blackened death metal act NAUMACHIA is currently recording new album. At the beginning of this year in Hertz Studio (Behemoth, Vader) Naumachia recorded drums, bass and rhythm guitar parts for their upcoming yet-untitled fourth album. You can already check the first studio report with new music in the background here:

The band is going to return to Hertz Studio in April to finish the recordings and focus on post-production. Lyrics for the new album will be written by Marcin Urbas (ex-Sceptic) who will also record vocal parts to one of the songs.

“The final outcome will be strong and clear. We’ve changed completely our sound of bass and guitars. Rhythm section sounds perfectly already at this stage. We’re having some surprises here and there – music sounds very fresh and vivid, has lots of melodies, blastbeats can be hardly spotted – seems like we’ve slowed down a bit. Almost everything was composed live. For many people is may be surprising album, but that’s exactly what we had expected. The compositions are great and we have no doubts that this will be the most mature effort of Naumachia. We’ve worked hard and long to achieve the sound we finally have”. – conclude Naumachia musicians.

Latest Naumachia album is “Black Sun Rising” released in 2009 via Witching Hour Productions.
More info about the band here – www.naumachia.pl oraz www.facebook.com/naumachiametal

Originating from Cracow/Poland artrock/ambient/alternative band HIPGNOSIS will soon have it’s studio albums released on vinyl. One of the most fascinating acts of progressive scene announes the release of studio discgraphy in October via Audiocave label (which recently released Alternative 4 debut album by the band of Duncan Patteson (ex-Anathema)). Both albums will be released in form of exclusive limited box containing three 180-gram vinyls and a enchanced booklet including paitings of Tomasz Sętowski, who created the artwork of “Relusion“, latest album of Hipgnosis. First LP will include debut album “Sky Is The Limit” from 2006, with exclusive instrumental version of song “Ummadellic” with violin parts. Other two LPs will contain second studio album “Relusion” released at the end of 2011.

Audiocave is a company not focused on profit but mostly on quality – both when it comes to packaging and repertoire – explains SeQ, drummer and founder of Hipgnosis. I’ve always dreamed of our albums released on vinyl and the time has finally come. Audiocave will release 300 strictly limited boxes. This is the perfect partner for this release, we wouldn’t be ablt to afford it on our own.

The latest album od HIPGNOSIS entitled “Relusion” was released at the end of last year via Hipgnosis-Art (distributed by Rock Serwis) and gained general acclaim, chosen on the 5th place of best albums from 2011 by Noc Muzycznych Pejzaży, most respected radio show woth progressive music in Poland.

Recently one of the keyboard players, ljon was forced to leave the band due to professional responsibilities (he is a nuclear physicist working for CERN in Genewa, Switzerland). However we were joined by Little Raven, my dream-come-true guitar player, whose style reminds of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour. He was already a session member during “Relusion” recordings and played two songs that completely amazed me. Now he joined Hipgnosis on regular basis, we’re already working on the first song which will possibly open the upcoming album – adds SeQ.

HIPGNOSIS has recently joined forces with Fantom Media PR/promo agency (www.fantom-media.com).

More information:
www.audiocave.pl
www.facebook.com/Hipgnosis.band
www.hipgnosis.pl

Georgia-based psych-sludge metal band KYLESA, Swedish melodic thrash/death metallers ENGEL and American black metal band INQUISITION have been confirmed for the 17th edition of Brutal Assault Festival.
Unfortunately SUICIDE SILENCE have been forced to cancel some of their summer  shows due to some term collision with their US tour. A partial compensation will be their club show in Prague (27/07/2012) conceived as a PreAssault Party (entrance for 150 Czk for BA ticket holders only). Other news is associated with Polish band RIVERSIDE which have also been forced to cancel their BA show due to their work on a new album.

As a substitue for both cancellation we come back with a quaternion of newly confirmed bands. You can look forward to Scottish deathcore band BLEED FROM WITHIN, California based mathcore representatives The HUMAN ABSTRACT and progressive-oriented bands from the UK The HAARP MACHINE and The SAFETY FIRE.
Full billing is as follows:

08.08. Root, Vildhjarta

09.08. Alcest, Arkona, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar, Decide, Dimmu Borgir, Engel, Heaven Shall Burn, Insomnium, Lock Up, Ministry, Morgoth, Nile, Sick Of It All, The Black Dahlia Murder, Toxic Holocaust

10.08. Amon Amarth, Converge, Darkest Hour, Gorguts, Hatebreed, Heathen, Kampfar, Machine Head, Municipal Waste, Napalm Death, Norther, Paradise Lost, Samael, Unearth, Vallenfyre, Warbringer

11.08. Aborted, Agnostic Front, At The Gates, Immortal, Kylesa, Moonspell, Six Feet Under, Sodom, Sólstafir, Textures,

The Oslo-based black/death metal act NAUMACHIA (originally from Poland), finally returns on stage with a fresh new line up. The new drummer Anders Johansen replaced Łukasz “Icanraz” Sarnacki (Hermh, Christ Agony). After releasing two albums with Empire Records (Wrathorn, Callous Kagathos) and a third one with Witching Hour Productions (Black Sun Rising), Naumachia is currently looking for a new label and they are working on a new album which is going to be recorded in the end of 2012 in Hertz Studio, Poland (Behemoth, Vader). Naumachia has just launched a new website, prepared by Michał”Xaay” Loranc, known for his collaboration with Behemoth, Nile and Kamelot. All information about the band is available here: www.naumachia.pl and http://www.facebook.com/naumachiametal

Here you can check the the song “Centurion” played live on tour with Rotting Christ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhL8RQjt2bA.

The band comments on their current status and plans: “We are very excited about composing new material. First effects are very promising. This time we are spending more time in our rehearsal room working together on arrangements. This gives us more possibilities and makes us better prepared for studio. We hear and feel the music better in every step of creation and we play the songs and riffs in many different ways to pick the most satisfying version. Our new drummer brings a lot of fresh energy, which will definitely influence the new songs. I’m sure that this new material will spread some real havoc accross Europe – this will be the new opening for Naumachia! Keep Metal!!!”.