Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
During the late 80s and early 90s, the record label Nuclear Blast had the brilliant idea of compiling multiple death metal bands together on one release.
Entitling the compilation series “Death… Is Just The Beginning“, each new volume was an essential means of sharing lesser-known, but soon-to-become-legendary acts, with the masses. For many of those extreme metal-loving fanatics, it was the first place they heard such bands as Pungent Stench, Kataklysm, Hypocrisy, or Dismember.
Some of the past editions would be accompanied by subsequent VHS formats (DVD in recent years) that shared official videos, live performances, interviews, and more from these bands.
Eventually, these compilations would wane, though Nuclear Blast continued to excel at signing bands to the label and releasing their albums. Thankfully, the absence of these introductory packages to the heavy music underground is about to be rectified.
Nuclear Blast announces the unearthing of the series with “Death… Is Just The Beginning MMXVIII“, set to arrive on October 19th. The upcoming installment will contain a variety of contents, including re-recordings of classic tracks, as well as Nuclear Blast bands performing covers of classic songs from other Nuclear Blast artists. Some tracks are demos and rarities of previously released and unreleased songs.
“Death… Is Just The Beginning MMXVIII” – Tracklist:
01. BENEDICTION – Tear Off These Fucking Wings (unreleased demo of new song)
02. KATAKLYSM – The Awakener (re-recorded)
03. HYPOCRISY – They Lie (THE EXPLOITED cover)
04. THE SPIRIT – Illuminate The Night Sky
05. MEMORIAM – The War Rages On (demo)
06. INSIDIOUS DISEASE – Soul Excavation (unreleased new song)
07. POSSESSED – Abandoned (unreleased demo of new song)
08. THY ART IS MURDER – The Son Of Misery
09. IMMOLATION – Morbid Visions (feat. Max Cavalera) (SEPULTURA cover)
10. NAILED TO OBSCURITY – King Delusion (unreleased new song)
11. BLEEDING GODS – Beloved By Artemis
12. DECAPITATED – Sane (Meshuggah cover)
13. AENIMUS – Before The Eons (unreleased new song)
14. PARADISE LOST – Frozen Illusion (previously released Japanese only b-side)
15. CARCASS – A Wraith In The Apparatus
16. BRUJERIA – Viva Presidente Trump! (previously only available on digital and vinyl)
“Death… Is Just The Beginning MMXVIII” is adorned with original cover artwork created by Blake Armstrong, with a layout by Marcelo Vasco. It will be available in a CD jewel case, limited edition cassette, and colored vinyl, with long sleeve shirt, T-shirt + CD bundle, and mail-order edition box set also available.
Pre-order the compilation now at THIS LOCATION.
See a related, special tour announcement below this video trailer.
Just in time for the resurrection of the “Death… Is Just The Beginning” series comes a tour announcement with connections to the compilation.
There will be an upcoming European “Death… Is Just The Beginning Tour” with KATAKLYSM, HYPOCRISY, and THE SPIRIT taking place. Here’s the itinerary, while dates and details for a North American edition of the tour with a revised lineup will soon be revealed.
Oct 18 – Wiesbaden, GER – Schlachthof
Oct 19 – Stuttgart, GER – LKA Longhorn
Oct 20 – Munich, GER – Backstage
Oct 21 – Zlin, CZE – Masters Of Rock Cafe
Oct 23 – Budapest, HUN – Barba Negra
Oct 24 – Vienna, AUT – Arena
Oct 25 – Wroclaw, POL – Zaklete Rewiry
Oct 26 – Geiselwind, GER – MusicHall
Oct 27 – Milan, ITA – Live Music Club
Oct 28 – Pratteln, SWI – Z7
Oct 29 – Lyon, FRA – Ninkasi Kao
Oct 31 – Madrid, SPA – Sala Mon
Nov 01 – Barcelona, SPA – Razzmatazz 2
Nov 02 – Limoges, FRA – CC John Lennon
Nov 03 – Paris, FRA – La Machine du Moulin Rouge
Nov 04 – Antwerp, BEL – Trix
Nov 05 – Hamburg, GER – Docks
Nov 06 – Gothenburg, SWE – Tradgarn
Nov 07 – Stockholm, SWE – Fryhuset
Nov 09 – Helsinki, FIN – The Circus
Nov 10 – Tampere, FIN – Pakkahuone
Nov 12 – Copenhagen, DEN – Pumpehuset
Nov 13 – Leeuwarden, NET – Neushoorn
Nov 14 – Berlin, GER – Kesselhaus
Nov 15 – Dresden, GER – Eventwerk
Nov 16 – Oberhausen, GER – Turbinenhalle 2
Nov 17 – Leipzig, GER – Hellraiser
