Band Profiles - Profiles of classic Texas metal bands.
	Interviews - Conversations with the people who made it happen.
	Galleries -  T-Shirt Gallery, Flyer Galleries, Vinyl Gallery, Band Photos, Ticket Gallery, Etc.
	Audio - Demos, rehearsal tapes, and live performances.
	Video - Rare video presented high quality streaming media.
	Articles - Editorials by TMU staff.
	TMU - Why TexasMetalUnderground.com exists
	News Archive - All of our past updates.
	Links - Sites you should visit.
	Contact Us  - Email us here at TMU. Got a question? Send it in.
	Guestbook - Post your comments and suggestions.
	Merchandise - Buy texasmetalunderground.com T-shirts and more!

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UPDATES

(check the archive for older updates)

5-15-08

 

Ripper Interview - Classic Houston-based horror-metal band Ripper has been resurrected by guitar fiend Rob Graves, who is in the final stages of preparing to unleash the first new material from the band since the mid-1980's. As with the 2003 reissue of Ripper's 1986 classic '...And The Dead Shall Rise' LP, the new album will be released by Italy's Black Widow Records. Read our revealing chat with Graves as he comments on how it feels to finally record and release these songs after a 22 year wait, as well what the future holds for Ripper.

Audio Section Update - Exclusive samples from the upcoming Ripper album 'The Dead Have Rizen'.

5-9-08

 

Call off the authorities!  Despite a protracted period of inactivity texasmetalunderground.com is alive and well. As summer approaches, lots of surprising and interesting developments are currently brewing in the world of classic Texas metal...

After months of resistance and foot-dragging, we have finally joined the rest of the world on Myspace. The myspace.com/texasmetalunderground page will primarily serve as a portal to this site and a tool to remain in close contact with classic Texas metal fans worldwide. It remains the goal of texasmetalunderground.com to serve as a repository and archive of the classic Texas metal scene through exclusive interviews, flyer & t-shirt galleries, audio & video downloads, rare photos, and other related ephemera. It’s a constant work in progress...stay tuned!

 

WatchTower once again has an official website after an extended interim with no net-presence. The new site, entirely built and maintained by Equitant (former guitarist/bassist for Absu), contains a wealth of information about the legendary band as well as a great media section with rare photos, video, and audio.  Check out the official site at this location: www.watchtowerband.net

Militia and Devastation - Heeding the pleas of metal fans worldwide, two Texas metal giants have reformed.  Both bands will be making their first trek to European soil in the coming months with Devastation playing the Thrash Assault 3 Festival in Wuerzburg, Germany on October 11, 2008 and Militia tearing up the Keep It True XII Festival in Laudia-Konigshoffen, Germany on April 24, 2009.  Militia will perform with an all original lineup for the first time in 24 years, while Devastation has conscripted guitarist Walter Trachsler of Rotting Corpse to fill in for the unavailable Dave Burk. Rumors of a possible series of Texas dates featuring both bands have been circulating since the reformation announcement.  We will keep you updated of any developments.

 

Houston horror-metal band Ripper has been resurrected by guitar fiend Rob Graves, who is in the final stages of preparing to unleash the first new material from the band since the mid-1980's. As with the 2003 reissue of Ripper's 1986 classic '...And The Dead Shall Rise' LP, the new album will be released by Italy's Black Widow Records. Stay tuned for exclusive comments from Graves as well as mp3 samples from the new album.

 

Coming soon...an exclusive interview with Matrix/Assalant bassist Darren Keeling.

11-21-07

Militia Interview - Militia co-founder / bass player Robert Willingham endured our marathon grilling session to bring forth a definitive look at one of Texas' most enduring underground metal bands.  Robert lays out the history of the band, the intense live shows, and his personal take on that elusive $1300 EP. He also was generous enough to open his personal scrapbook and allow us to publish never-before-seen live and promotional shots in an exclusive gallery. Additionally, clips from both Militia demos and The Sybling EP are available in our Audio section and rare Video clips from 1985 are now available for streaming.

 

Band Galleries Update - A great assortment of photos from the collection of Militia bassist Robert Willingham.

 

Coming soon...Houston-based Ripper has been resurrected by guitar fiend Rob Graves, who is in the final stages of preparing to release the first new material from the band since 1986! Stay tuned for MP3 samples.

  8-23-07

Classic Texas Metal Weekend - Due to an unprecedented aligning of the planets there will be no fewer than three classic Texas metal bands making live appearances this weekend.  Rigor Mortis will be playing live for the first time since their February 2006 tour with a show this Friday, August 24 in Fort Worth, followed the next night with a gig in Austin.  Rigor Mortis recently unveiled a killer updated version of their classic logo.

 

Also on Saturday, August 25 the second installment of the 'Bang Your Head Fest - USA'  will take place in Houston.  Featured headliners will be Helstar and Solitude Aeturnus.  Helstar is celebrating their recent signing to AFM Records which will release a 'Best Of" CD containing re-recorded classics and two brand new tunes.  Solitude Aeturnus is releasing a highly anticipated DVD on Tuesday, August 28 that contains footage shot this past February in Warsaw, Poland.  A preview of the DVD can be seen on YouTube at this location.

Click on images for more information

Audio Section Revamp - as part of our continuing site overhaul we have tweaked the format of our audio pages to make them more readable and faster loading.  Additionally, we have added quite a few new cover scans of rare demos.  More rare audio updates coming soon...stay tuned.

 

Coming soon...Houston based Ripper has been resurrected by guitar fiend Rob Graves, who is in the final stages of preparing to release the first new material from the band since 1986! Stay tuned for MP3 samples.  Also, a new exclusive interview with bassist Robert Willingham from the legendary Militia.

7-18-07

Oblivion Knight Interview - Bassist Steve Sexton sheds some light on the somewhat murky history of Oblivion Knight, a band that shares both a musical and spiritual bond to the classic Texas metal scene. Sexton fills us in on his time spent in San Antonio during the spring of 1987, his personal connection to the Texas scene and the people in it, and his current musical endeavors.

 

Merchandise Section Update - We have added the highly-acclaimed DVD 'Rotting Corpse - Circus Of Fools' to our inventory. This feature length documentary provides a great overview of one of Texas' first Thrash Metal bands from their lowly mid-eighties origin in Arlington, Texas through their successful run of reunion shows in 2005. A great film that showcases not just a noteworthy underground band, but also the height of the classic Texas metal scene as a whole. Read a great review of the DVD at Metal-Rules.com.  First pressing almost sold out!

6-27-07

Video Section Update - Our video section had undergone a major upgrade with a renewed focus on providing the highest quality video possible.  To mark the video section relaunch we have uploaded some rarely seen footage of WatchTower's 1990 European Tour.  In the Spring of 1990 (March 10 through April 9) WatchTower teamed up with Noise Records labelmates Coroner for a trip across the European continent that took them to France, Germany, Austria, United Kingdom, and The Netherlands.  These videos capture the raw energy, excitement, and spontaneity of a band on its first (and only) overseas tour.  It would be over ten years later that the band would make a triumphant return to Germany with an amazing performance at the 2000 Bang Your Head!!! Festival in Balingen.  New videos will be added frequently.  Stay tuned...

 

Coming soon...an exclusive interview with Steve Sexton, bassist and songwriter for legendary Texas (by way of Alabama) prog-metal pioneers Oblivion Knight!  Also, guitar fiend Rob Graves (formerly of Houston horror metal psychos Ripper) is back with a new project, the aptly named Tombztone.  Killer metal that we are proud to debut at texasmetalunderground.com with exclusive MP3's.

5-16-07

Classic Ticket Gallery - New gallery section featuring rare tickets from the classic era of Texas metal.  These stubs represent a cross-section of shows that took place across Texas throughout the 1980's and into the early 1990's.  A big thanks goes out to Robert Deleon of San Antonio who provided us access to his great collection.

1-5-07

T-shirt Gallery Update - More than 20 classic Texas metal t-shirts have been added to the archive.  Among the updated galleries are several rare WatchTower items, as well as seldom seen Final Assault, Devastation, and Angkor Wat shirts.  As a note of warning, the index page is huge.  Those with dial-up connections may have to wait a minute or two for it to fully load.

 

Flyer Gallery Update - We have added 11 new galleries to our extensive Texas metal flyer archive.  This update brings the total number of classic Texas metal gig flyers on the website to over 350.  Thanks goes out to all who have contributed.  We have also redesigned the flyer gallery navigational structure to be more intuitive and quicker loading.

 

Though quiet for much of the last quarter of 2006, there has been significant activity behind the scenes at texasmetalunderground.com.  Some extensive excavation has allowed us to unearth many hidden Texas metal gems that we plan to share with all of you in 2007.  Our backlog of updates stretches for miles with stacks of rare photos, audio, and video waiting to be unleashed.  Stay tuned for all of it in the coming months.

8-25-06

Audio Section Update - Exclusive audio downloads from the Helstar - Remnants Of War twenty year anniversary show.  The show, which took place in June 2006, was part of the 4th annual Robb's MetalWorks Showcase in San Antonio.  Helstar proved once again why they are respected as one of the best progressive powermetal bands not just in Texas, but in the entire world.  Let's hope the band can find time in 2007 to make the promise of new Helstar music a reality.

 

Band Galleries Update - Gallery of pictures from the Helstar - Remnants Of War twenty year anniversary show.  This show marked the first time the Remnants Of War era lineup had shared a stage together in over twenty years.  These pictures are exclusive to texasmetalunderground.com and a big thanks goes out to Robb Chavez for his dedication and hard work in sparking the fire that would get Helstar burning once again.

8-18-06

Video Section Update - Added two excellent video clips featuring Solitude Aeturnus filmed back in June 2005 at the Robb's MetalWorks Showcase in San Antonio.  Both songs The 9th Day: Awakening and Falling are from their 1994 Pavement Records release Through The Darkest Hour.  This video update goes out to our friend and Texas metal fan Kyriakos Dikalfas.

 

Band Galleries Update - Gammcide captured live on the first date of their recent '20 Years Of Toxic Thrash' tour.  These Arlington, Texas based thrash fiends haven't lost a step when it comes to mind-bending guitar riffage and are in fact even tighter and more ferocious than when they started over 20 years ago.  They are currently writing material for a new album and if the new songs debuted on the mini-tour are any indication, be prepared to have your skull split wide open by the new release.

 

Coming soon...an exclusive interview with Steve Sexton, bassist and songwriter for legendary Texas (by way of Alabama) prog-metal pioneers Oblivion Knight!  Also, killer soundboard audio recordings from the recent Helstar 'Remnants Of War' era reunion show that took place in San Antonio in June 2006.

7-21-06

Video Section Update - In honor of several recent requests to make the Militia video from our archive available for download, we are reposting Metal Axe and making available for the first time Salem Square from the ultra-rare The Sybling EP.  This video was shot at the now legendary Unholy Book show in San Antonio, Texas on September 28th, 1985.  Stay tuned for more rare classic Texas metal video clips in the coming weeks.

 

Reunited thrash-legends Gammacide are gearing up to spill some toxic sludge across Texas on an early August mini-tour.  The band will play dates in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and Ft. Worth.  Having been hard at work writing material for a new CD, the band has plans to debut three or four brand new songs during the tour.  For a complete tour itinerary click here.  Dallas-based Harder Beat Magazine has a cool Gammacide article in their latest issue that can be viewed online at this location.

 

Rotting Corpse DVD - Circus Of Fools the long awaited Rotting Corpse documentary is now available for purchase.  This hour-long feature tells the story of one of Texas' first thrash metal bands, from their origins way back in 1984 to their 2005 reunion shows.  Full of rare archival videos and new interviews, this film is a cool snapshot of the 1980's Texas metal underground.  Ordering information and preview trailers are available at this location.

5-17-06

Alex Robles Interview - New interview with Final Assault / Vengeance vocalist Alex Robles (aka Alexander III).  Final Assault, with their power metal styling and stellar musicianship, has long been a favorite of fans of classic underground Texas metal.  In our exclusive interview Robles details the history of the band and offers a glimpse into the life of a metalhead growing up in South Texas in the 1980's.  Audio and Video clips accompany the interview.

 

Audio Section Update - Excerpts from Final Assault's rare 2nd demo recording from 1988.  Also, for the first time anywhere, killer clips from Robles' post-Final Assault project Vengeance.  Recorded in 1989, the Vengeance tape never received widespread distribution which is regrettable since it is easily the strongest material of Robles' career.  Great stuff for fans of classic Texas metal!

 

Video Section Update - Recently unearthed video of Final Assault playing live the day after Thanksgiving in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1985.

 

Band Galleries Update - Alex Robles generously opened his archive of rare pics to give us a great gallery of live shots, flyers, and newspaper clippings detailing the history of Final Assault and Vengeance.

 

Rotting Corpse DVD - Circus Of Fools the long awaited Rotting Corpse documentary is now available for purchase.  This hour-long feature tells the story of one of Texas' first thrash metal bands, from their origins way back in 1984 to their 2005 reunion shows.  Full of rare archival videos and new interviews, this film is a cool snapshot of the 1980's Texas metal underground.  Ordering information and preview trailers are available at this location.

5-10-06

Update to the Official 2006 RMW Showcase Announcement - Exclusive video promos for the upcoming RMW 2006 Showcase are now available for viewing.  Helstar members James Rivera, Larry Barragan, and Robert Trevino talk candidly about the recording of the classic 1986 Remnants Of War album and their thoughts on the upcoming June 10 reunion show.

 

Rotting Corpse DVD - Circus Of Fools the long awaited Rotting Corpse documentary is now available for purchase.  This hour-long feature tells the story of one of Texas' first thrash metal bands, from their origins way back in 1984 to their 2005 reunion shows.  Full of rare archival videos and new interviews, this film is a cool snapshot of the 1980's Texas metal underground.  Ordering information and preview trailers are available at this location.

3-1-06

Official 2006 RMW Showcase Announcement - Robb Chavez, creator/producer/director of San Antonio's award-winning Metal television show Robb's MetalWorks is making preparations now for his annual metal extravaganza known as the 'Robb's MetalWorks Showcase in San Antonio'.  This event, now in its 4th year, is an opportunity to present emerging local talent as well as deliver rare live performances by classic Texas metal bands.  In 2005, Chavez pulled off a major coup by bringing Solitude Aeturnus to the stage for their first Texas performance in years.  This year's event promises to be no different as Chavez has secured Houston based power-metal legends Helstar to headline the 2006 Showcase.  For the third year in a row, TexasMetalUnderground.com is proud to be the first to officially announce the Showcase lineup.  Read the exclusive press release at this location.

 

Band Galleries Update - As a companion to the Official Robb's Metal Works Showcase press release, TexasMetalUnderground.com is proud to present an exclusive gallery of vintage photos pulled directly from the Helstar archives.  Thanks to the band and RMW's Robb Chavez for sharing these marvelous photos.  Check them out at this location.

2-9-06

Video Section Update - We have had several recent requests to make the WatchTower videos from our archive available for download.  For a limited time we are reposting six of our past videos which showcase the band during their mid-1980's heyday with original vocalist Jason McMaster.  All of our footage comes from early generation sources and has rarely been seen in this quality.  In the coming weeks we will be offering some more rare, never before seen footage of the band in it's earliest incarnation with original guitarist Billy White.  Stay tuned for that...

 

Band Galleries Update - Reunited Dallas gore-thrashers Rigor Mortis made Austin the next-to-last stop on their recent tour that saw them playing dates up and down the West Coast.  By all accounts the tour was a success with positive reviews coming in from all sides.  The tour was capped off with a hometown gig at the first annual Texas Frightmare Weekend where the band was joined onstage by the undisputed king of horror movie gore H. G. Lewis.  Check out our exclusive gallery of photos from the Austin gig at this location.

 

Coming soon...an unprecedented interview with Alex Robles (aka Alexander III) from Corpus Christi underground legends Final Assault.  Our exclusive multi-media presentation will include ultra-rare unreleased audio from the band as well as newly unearthed video footage of Final Assault performing live in 1986!

11-4-05

Video Section Update - Rigor Mortis performing 'Wizard Of Gore' from their 1988 self-titled debut album on Capitol Records.  This footage comes from the first date of Rigor's current 'Re-Animate Tour' in Austin, Texas - October 21, 2005.

10-28-05

As the Rigor Mortis 'Re-Animate Tour' continues to barrel across Texas and beyond, we have updated the Band Galleries page with photo sets from their Austin and San Antonio shows.  The Austin date marked the first time the original lineup has played together in over 15 years!

 

In other Rigor Mortis news, the band recently made another appearance on KNON Radio in Dallas on the Hard Time Radio program to discuss the past, present, and future plans for the band.  We have made the audio from that great interview available at this location.

 

Old-school Texas thrashers Rotting Corpse have been putting some miles on their tour bus lately as well with shows in Austin, Houston, and Fort Worth.  They are sharing the stage with Rigor Mortis for several dates of the 'Re-Animate Tour' including the highly anticipated triple bill Saturday October, 29 in Fort Worth with Rigor Mortis, Gammacide, and Rotting Corpse.  Check out a gallery of photos from their recent Austin gig here.

 

To round out our Band Galleries updates we have added an awesome new photo set from the 3rd Annual Robb's MetalWorks Showcase in San Antonio which took place last July.  The event featured a headlining performance by Texas Doom legends Solitude Aeturnus, whose gigs have become increasingly rare over the past several years.  This years RMW Showcase was actually the only place to see the band play live in 2005.  Check out the gallery here.

9-30-05

The highly anticipated Rigor Mortis 'Re-Animate Tour' has added a couple of additional Texas dates and changed the previously announced venue of the Houston show.  The band has also booked a very special show in New York City, as bassist Casey Orr recently told Blabbermouth.net:

 

View the complete tour itinerary at this location.

 

On September 22, members of Rigor Mortis, Gammacide, and Rotting Corpse were interviewed on KNON Radio in Dallas, Texas.  Hard Time Radio host Thrashin' Alan spoke to each band about their reasons for reuniting, their current musical endeavors, and their upcoming live Texas dates.  For those who missed it, the entire one-hour interview can be downloaded here.