Metal News

· On Sat 1 Nov, there'll be a free show at the Crown & Anchor Hotel featuring Dawn Of Retribution, a death/ thrash band from Geelong, as well as locals Imminent Psychosis and Altars. The first band takes the stage at 10 PM.

· They split briefly at the beginning of last year; now, Melbourne's Gospel Of The Horns have disbanded again, and this time, it looks as if the break-up will be permanent. Announcing the group's latest split (their third to date) was longtime member Mark Howitzer, who said "after 16 years of beer, sweat and hell, I have decided to bring Gospel Of The Horns to an end. The time is right to move on to new horizons, and we are content in knowing that we have given everything we had in our arsenal." The band will play their last show in early December, when they'll support Sweden's Grave at the latter act's Melbourne show.

· In news of yet another musician's life being cut short by drugs, former Marilyn Manson bass player Gidget Gein (real name Bradley Stewart) was recently found dead of a suspected overdose in his LA home; he was 39. Gein was a member of Marilyn Manson during the Nineties before problems with drugs led to him being replaced by Twiggy Ramirez; after his expulsion from the band, he went on to form a group called the Dali Gaggers, as well as pursue a variety of other artistic endeavours. Also passing away recently was Grip Inc. vocalist Gus Chambers, who committed suicide at the age of 52. Formerly a member of a number of British punk bands, Chambers emigrated to America, where he formed Grip Inc. with Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and German guitarist Waldemar Sorychta. Later returning to his native England, he joined a punk band called Mantra Sect, which was still active at the time of his death. Friends and bandmates appear mystified by his suicide, claiming he gave no indication he was unhappy with his life.

· To the growing list of metal musicians dabbling in (often dubious-sounding) movies can now be added Lamb Of God front-man D. Randall Blythe, who'll be appearing in a horror/ thriller flick entitled 'The Graves'. Describing how he got a role in the movie, which was written and directed by a former comic book writer named Brian Pulido, Blythe insisted "they didn't give me a part because I'm Randy from Lamb Of God. I tried out for that, did a few video interviews, sent some tapes, and then went to Arizona to try out in front of the producers."

· Chicago death/ doom metal band Novembers Doom have bidden adios to longtime drummer Joe Nunez, claiming that "reasons both personal and musical" were responsible for his departure and replacing him will be old drummer Sasha Horn, who last recorded with the band on its 1999 release, 'Of Sculptured Ivy And Stone Flowers.' Also parting ways with their drummer are Finnish Gothic metal band To/Die/For, who've let their drummer of four years, Santtu Lonka, go, allegedly because of a lack of motivation on his part. Lonka has been replaced by a guy called Toni Paananen.

· Demonic Resurrection are a band from Mumbai (Bombay), India, who were featured in the recent heavy metal documentary, 'Global Metal'. Starting in 2000 as a symphonic metal outfit, they've since diversified their sound and their material is now a mix of death, thrash, black and power metal. They have five reasonably long tracks posted up on Myspace; to check out their stuff, go to www.myspace.com/demonicresurrection.

James Brazel (jbr09171@bigpond.net.au)