BENEDICTION To Release 'Killing Music' In The Summer

British extreme metallers BENEDICTION have set "Killing Music" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in June/July via Nuclear Blast Records, with whom the band recently re-signed. "Why break something if it is not broken?" the group wrote in a statement sent to BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "We have been a team for nearly 17 years and see no reason to end that relationship. Markus (label manager) has championed this band from the beginning, [and] he is devoted to the music. Look how far he has come since starting in his bedroom at his parents' house — over 80 employees in Germany alone!!!"

"Killing Music" will mark the recording debut with the group of new drummer Nick Barker (CRADLE OF FILTH, DIMMU BORGIR). "This will be our first new release since 2001," the band write. "It took so long because we just didn't jell with any other drummers — Nick is the man."

Following the album's release, the band will be appearing at festivals worldwide over the summer, followed by a full-blown world tour starting in September. The "No Reunion Needed" tour is "going to last a long time," according to the band. "We are calling it that because we are seeing so many bands reforming purely because extreme music is becoming popular again," they write. "We have been here since day one. We — along with our fanbase — have rode the ups and downs of this business and taken the rough with the smooth and still carried on regardless of trends."

With regards to the musical style on "Killing Music", the band said, "The new album has a few new styles on it, along with the punk/death riffs that we like so much. The drumming on our new tracks totally transformed the songs. Nick is awesome on that bastard kit of his."

As previously reported, BENEDICTION have been confirmed as one of the headliners of the 2006 edition of the Fuck the Commerce festival, set to take place May 25-27 at MZA (Mehrzweckhalle) in Luckau, Germany.