Only Death Is Real: An Illustrated History of Hellhammer and Early Celtic Frost will be published by Bazillion Points in November, 2009. Authored by former Hellhammer and Celtic Frost mainman Tom Gabriel Fischer with cooperation from Martin Eric Ain, the large-format 288 page hardcover will feature over 300 photos documenting the dawn of death metal and black metal.

Here's the book blurb: "Hellhammer's adolescent hardships were played out in dramatic and sometimes violent episodes set in small villages around Zurich, Switzerland, during 1983 and 1984. The ultimate insider document of the earliest era of death metal and black metal, Only Death Is Real documents this unique and cataclysmic moment in modern music history with hundreds of never-seen vintage images, classic artwork reprinted by kind permission of HR Giger, a full visual reference to Hellhammer promotional material, flyers, and memorabilia documenting the birth and evolution of extreme metal—all supported by sharp-tongued oral accounts direct from Tom G. Fischer, Martin Ain, Stephen Priestly, Steve Warrior, and other survivors of the Hellhammer inner circle."

Looks like it will be an interesting book. Bazillion Points has put out some really good releases in their brief history. Too bad Fischer left Celtic Frost again last year. They had a really nice comeback, but apparently couldn't keep it going.

Between honing their chops on high profile tours and the new members, Job For A Cowboy has upped the ante on both musicianship and songwriting. Ruination is potent and intense death metal, very technical with some grind elements. Songs like “Regurgitated Disinformation” are fast and dense, but also have enough melody and groove to be memorable.

No matter the tempo, Job For A Cowboy rarely lets up on the brutality. They let the intensity build up to near suffocation, then ease up or insert enough of a groove to grab a breath of air before diving back into the extremity. The album closer, the title track, begins with a slower, almost mainstream sounding intro with some catchy guitar parts, and maintains that tempo throughout, showing they can also keep things interesting at a less breakneck pace.

Read the complete Job For A Cowboy - Ruination Review

(CD cover courtesy Metal Blade Records)

New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands were still very strongly represented in 1982, although their time dominating the list was coming to a close. More extreme bands started making their presence known, including one that helped spawn the genre of black metal. There was also a U.S. band in the top 10 whose lead singer would testify in front on Congress a couple years later as part of the PMRC hearings. The band at the top of the 1982 list also appeared in both 1980 and 1981. Check out our list, then post your choices for best metal albums of 1982 in the comments field below.

Best Heavy Metal Albums of 1982

Children Of Bodom will return to North America this fall in support of their latest CD Blooddrunk. Support on the tour will be provided by The Black Dahlia Murder and Skeletonwitch.

Children Of Bodom made headlines this past May when the band was forced to cancel the tail end of its spring North American tour with Lamb of God after frontman Alexi Laiho broke his shoulder and suffered internal bleeding as a result of a tour bus mishap. After performing ten live dates with the serious injuries, the toll became too much for the guitarist to endure and COB made the decision to cut the tour short. Now, after rest and a successful recovery, Laiho and COB are back with a renewed vigor and ready to return stronger than ever before.

2009 Chiildren Of Bodom Tour Dates:
September 18 Providence, RI Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
September 19 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
September 20 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
September 22 Quebec City, QC Captiole Theatre
September 23 Montreal, QC Metropolis
September 25 Kitchner, ON Elements
September 26 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
September 27 Chicago, IL House Of Blues
September 28 Minneapolis, MN Epic
September 30 Winnipeg, MB The Garrick
October 1 Saskatoon, SK The Odeon
October 2 Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall
October 3 Edmonton, AB EEC
October 5 Vancouver, BC The Commodore
October 6 Seattle, WA Showbox Market
October 7 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre
October 9 San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom
October 10 Pomona, CA The Glasshouse
October 11 Pomona, CA The Glasshouse (Holy Grail also supports)
October 12 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre
October 14 Honolulu, HI Pipeline Cafe

Tour Dates For Other Heavy Metal Bands

The power metal genre as a whole really took off in the late '80s with help from bands such as Helloween and Gamma Ray. The '90s continued this momentum, thanks to Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, Hammerfall, and Dragonforce. Metal fans became infatuated with the speedy solos and soaring vocals, along with lyrics describing mystical creatures, magic, and vast fantasy worlds. Throughout the years, there have been a few key albums that have defined power metal and brought a growing spotlight on the genre.

Essential Power Metal Albums

(Helloween photo courtesy SPV Records)

Over the years, Obituary has added in groove metal elements, sticking with mid-paced material that aims for intensity and sheer heaviness over breakneck speed. Darkest Day continues this direction, with the majority of the thirteen songs driven by razor sharp rhythm guitar work from the always-reliable Trevor Peres and the strong dynamic between the Tardy brothers. The band has perfected the art of keeping a balance between hostile restraint and outright aggression, while keeping things from getting stale by adding in powerful percussion to “Blood To Give” and an extended introduction on “Your Darkest Day.”

Lead guitarist Ralph Santolla doesn’t sound as incongruous as he did on Xecutioner's Return, adding a technical edge to Obituary’s sound, while keeping things grounded enough not to fall into over-indulgent territory. The production is also much improved over their last album. While the guitars still sound distorted and muddled at times, the mix is evenly balanced between all the instruments.

Read the complete Obituary - Darkest Day Review

(CD cover courtesy Candlelight Records)

Vader is set to headline the Monsters Of Death Tour, which begins November 4, 2009 in Baltimore, Maryland. Supporting bands include Decrepit Birth, Warbringer, The Amenta, S.W.W.A.A.T.S. and Augury.

Vader guitarist/vocalist Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek: “Metal always was and still needs to be a brotherhood. All we were doing [in the past] to support the music and the scene was cooperating with other bands. Natural selection decides if a band is really dedicated or if it's just an episode. Not much has changed today, actually. Even if the so-called ‘metal music business’ changed some rules, there will still be those who play with passion and those who want success. It is not us who wanna be ‘a judge,’ so we always try to tour with bands we have a good relationship with. A good time and a friendly atmosphere is important for all of us. I only hope that everybody will enjoy the tour and will come away with good lessons from it... like we in Vader always do.”

The Monsters of Death Tour will mark the North American debut of Vader's live line-up: Vocalist/guitarist Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek (Guitar/Vocals), guitarist Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka (Decapitated), bassist Reyash and drummer Pawel Jaroszewicz (Soul Snatcher). Vader’s new album Necropolis will be released in the U.S. & Canada on September 22nd. Recorded at Hertz Studios in Bialystok, Poland with the Wieslawski Bros., Tue Madsen mixed the album at Antfarm Studios in Denmark.

Vader, Decrepit Birth, Warbringer, The Amenta, S.W.W.A.A.T.S., and Augury Tour Dates:
11/04/09 Sonar – Baltimore, MD
11/05/09 The Palladium – Worcester, MA
11/06/09 Webster Underground – Hartford, CT
11/07/09 The Blender Theater @ Gramercy – New York, NY
11/08/09 Fou Founes Electriques – Montreal, QC – Canada
11/09/09 Imperial de Quebec – Quebec City, QC – Canada
11/10/09 Mod Club – Toronto, ON – Canada
11/11/09 Penny Arcade – Rochester, NY
11/12/09 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
11/13/09 The Pearl Room – Mokena, IL
11/14/09 Rave – Milwaukee, WI
11/15/09 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
11/16/09 Royal Albert Arms – Winnipeg, MB – Canada
11/17/09 The Exchange – Regina, SK – Canada
11/18/09 The Underground – Calgary, AB – Canada
11/19/09 Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB – Canada
11/20/09 Roll-A-Dome – Prince George, BC – Canada
11/21/09 Bourbon – Vancouver, BC – Canada
11/22/09 Sugar – Victoria, BC – Canada
11/23/09 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
11/24/09 Satyricon – Portland, OR
11/25/09 Regency Grand Ballroom – San Francisco, CA
11/27/09 Jumping Turtle – San Marcos, CA
11/28/09 Chain Reaction – Anaheim, CA
11/29/09 The Key Club – Hollywood, CA
11/30/09 U.B’s – Mesa, AZ
12/01/09 The Rock – Tucson, AZ
12/02/09 Gator’s – Farmington, NM
12/03/09 Club Vegas – Salt Lake City, UT
12/04/09 Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO
12/05/09 Marquee – Tulsa, OK
12/06/09 Scout Bar – San Antonio, TX
12/07/09 Scout Bar – Houston, TX
12/09/09 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
12/10/09 Peppermint Beach Club – Virginia Beach, VA
12/11/09 Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC
12/12/09 Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA
12/13/09 The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA

Killswitch Engage is a natural progression for the band. While still packing plenty of punch and aggression, their melodic side is even more developed on this CD. “The Return” is a ballad, with almost all clean vocals from Howard Jones. There are a few other songs that are some of the most accessible Killswitch Engage has done.

Tracks like “Light In A Darkened World” are more in the vein of recent Killswitch, with pummeling drums and screaming vocals easing up into memorable riffs and melodic singing. The twin guitars of Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel are excellent throughout, whether it’s dishing out thrashy riffs, harmonies or fills. “Save Me” especially showcases their chops and versatility.

Read the complete Killswitch Engage - Killswitch Engage Review

(CD cover courtesy Roadrunner Records)

With the weather heating up, the metal releases also heated up in June. There's a lot of experience on this month's top five list, which features artists with a lot of past success. They prove their present output is still high quality. Bands on the list include well-known acts like Dream Theater and Killswitch Engage alongside underrated groups like Slough Feg and Coalesce. Take a look at my list, then post your selections for the best CDs released in June.

June 2009 Best Heavy Metal CDs

Previous Monthly Best Metal CDs Lists:

• January 2009 Best Heavy Metal CDs
• February 2009 Best Heavy Metal CDs
• March 2009 Best Heavy Metal CDs
• April 2009 Best Heavy Metal CDs
• May 2009 Best Heavy Metal CDs

(CD cover courtesy Nuclear Blast Records)

In Flames has announced a North American headlining tour beginning in September. Openers include Between The Buried And Me, 3 Inches Of Blood and The Faceless.

In Flames Tour Dates:
9/18/09 Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
9/19/09 Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
9/20/09 Reno, NV - The New Oasis
9/31/09 San Francisco, CA - The Regency Center At The Grand Ballroom
9/22/09 Pomona, CA - The Fox Theatre
9/23/09 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
9/25/09 Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete Street Amphitheatre
9/26/09 San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit
9/27/09 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
9/29/09 Knoxville, TN - Valarium
9/30/09 Louisville, KY - Expo Five
10/1/09 Millvale, PA (Pittsburgh) - Mr Smalls Theatre
10/2/09 Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
10/3/09 Boston, MA - House Of Blues
10/4/09 Philadelphia, PA -Trocadero
10/5/09 Washington DC - 9:30 Club
10/6/09 Charlotte, NC - Amos Southend

Tour Dates For Other Heavy Metal Bands

(photo courtesy E1 Entertainment)