Metal News.

· On Fri 4 April, to celebrate the birthdays of Obdurate Seduction members Ben Farrelly and Tanya Schneyder, there'll be a show at the Enigma Bar featuring that band, as well as Se Bon Ki Ra, Taunt and Day of Wrath.

· On Sat 12 April, there'll be an all-ages show at the Underground featuring One Step Beyond, Sonic Euphoria, Nevaehnatas, Hybrid Illusion and Pitchfork. Doors open at 7 PM.

· A reminder that on Sat 19 April, local metal band Octanic will be launching their debut EP 'Industry' at Live on Light Square, the venue formerly known as Viva, Night Train and a whole host of other names. Supporting the group will be Skintilla, Art In Exile, Black Orchid (the band formerly known as Chalice) and newcomers Satoria. The event is 18+ and has a relatively early start for such a show, with the first band on at 7:30.

· A couple of events have been planned for this month and next to help the "West Memphis Three", a trio of young metalheads who were convicted in 1994 of the mutilation and murder of three eight year-old boys. Many believe the accused (one of whom was sentenced to death, the other two to life imprisonment) innocent, considering the evidence used to convict them flimsy if not altogether non-existent. To help raise awareness of their plight, there'll be a screening of a two-part movie about the case, 'Paradise Lost', at the Mercury Cinema on Sat 12 April. Doors open at 6 PM for a 6:30 screening. Be aware that 'Paradise Lost' is R-rated and contains graphic scenes. Also, on Sun 25 May, there'll be an all-ages benefit show at the Crown and Anchor Hotel featuring Tzun Tzu, Order of the Buzzard, Altars and Treachery. Doors open at 5 PM. For more information on either event, go to www.myspace.com/wm3adelaide.

· In a bizarre piece of news from Mexico, several hundred heavy metal, skate punk and alternative rock fans were involved in a fight with emos in the centre of a city called Querˇtaro last month. More than a thousand youths took part in the brawl, which, surprisingly enough, saw only four people injured; twenty-eight people, meanwhile, were arrested. The fight is thought to have been linked to a recent Internet campaign against emos, which have been portrayed as homosexuals and accused of giving the towns in which they live a "bad image".

· What is it with metal musicians and dodgy-sounding horror movies right now? Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson has become another metal musician to dabble in films, co-writing the script of a "supernatural horror-thriller" entitled 'Chemical Wedding'. Due to receive its premiere screening at this year's Cannes Film Festival in May (and open in British cinemas at the end of the same month), the film stars English actor Simon Callow as a reincarnation of infamous compatriot, Aleister Crowley, a black magician who dubbed himself "the wickedest man in the world".

· Also on the movie front, another black metal documentary is currently in production. Entitled 'Light in Darkness - Nemesis Divina', it differs from other films on the aforementioned metal subgenre in that it focuses on that most contradictory of creatures: the Christian black metal band. From the sounds of it, the film will concentrate on the Scandinavian Christian BM scene, looking at such bands as Crimson Moonlight, Admonish and Frosthardr.

· On a similar topic, plans are underway to release Gorgoroth's first-ever DVD in June. Entitled 'Black Mass Krakow 2004', the DVD will consist largely of video footage of an infamous show the band put on in the aforementioned Polish city on the first of February 2004. Outraging both religious folk and animal rights activists (and putting the band in danger of imprisonment for "offending religious feelings", a criminal offence in conservative Catholic Poland), the show had the band playing on a blood-drenched stage that had also been adorned with sheep's heads (which vocalist Gaahl insists had been procured from a butcher) and crucified nude models. Damn, why don't we ever get shows like that out here?

· A number of bands have recently bidden farewell to members. First up, Britain's Biomechanical have seen guitarist Chris Van Hayden depart to concentrate on his own band, Chaosgenesis. The London-based progressive metal outfit (which actually had all but one of its original lineup leave last year over a dispute with vocalist John K.) currently have no plans to replace him, intending instead to leave all guitar duties in the hands of remaining guitarist Gus Drax. Over in the States, Derek Roddy has left Tennessee experimental metal band Today Is The Day, apparently as a result of a dispute over money. Roddy, who's also had stints in a host of other metal bands (some of the better-known ones being Nile, Hate Eternal and Malevolent Creation), was the group's drummer, though apparently never considered himself an "official" member. Replacing him for the time being will be a Mike Rosswog, who's had some previous involvement with the band, and also used to play in a group called Circle Of Dead Children. Finally, and also in the US, Texan "mythological occult metal outfit" Absu have shed guitarist Vastator, who quit as a result of musical and personal differences. Taking his place will be guitarist/keyboard player Zawicizuz.

· And going from bands losing members to ones breaking up altogether, Michigan metalcore outfit Still Remains have just announced their imminent dissolution. The group (whose second album, 'The Serpent', came out last August) have decided to break up for "personal reasons", though insist in a press statement that they "don't hate each other or want to punch each other in the face". At this point, their last show looks like being in July, at a festival in Illinois.

James Brazel (jbr09171@bigpond.net.au)