First of all, I went to the Maryland Deathfest VII a couple weeks ago and had a blast! Great bands (Destroyer 666 and Bolt Thrower TWICE, two of my favorites), lots of great people, some of whom I've been talking to for a couple of years but had never met face to face, and a lot of good promotion and trades on behalf of the label.

Some new stuff coming up:

The illustration for Ares Kingdom is about 95% finished (just have to add some text and a couple of other details) and has been approved by the band. It is a very large watercolor over pen drawing, and will be included in the CD, gatefold LP, and maybe other things such as a poster and t-shirt. Probably the best band I've ever worked for. If you like death/thrash metal and haven't checked them out, you need to, and maybe some of you overseas can see them on their European tour with Nocturnal Graves this fall!

Starting a couple of other projects. I'm sketching for the cover for a 7" split EP between Graveyard and Redimoni, great death and thrash metal bands from Spain. I'm going to put a lot of effort into this, as it's great promotion for myself as well as the two bands (plus I'm fond of the Redimoni guys and their music), and will be the first full color acrylic painting I've done for a cover.

I'm also taking a shot at doing an illustration for IDIB's shirt, which will be difficult as the band and my label partner have to all agree on it.

Also in the works is something secret... which hopefully I can reveal soon.

On the non-metal side of things, I graduated with my associates in commercial art (Communication Design at CVCC)! It's taken me a while (3 years of classes and another year and a half procrastinating).

My beehives are doing well, some more than others, and I might check for honey soon. Hopefully the bear doesn't come around this year, as it caused a lot of pain and misery for me last year. Hopefully we have a good amount of honey which we can make a lot of mead from.

There's a few things coming out soon that I've illustrated for or will be shortly.

Faustcoven's two albums are to be re-released on glorious double gatefold vinyl. The standard versions will have a poster, and the limited die-hard versions will have a patch, sticker and either colored or picture disc vinyl. They will be released on Nuclear War Now!, probably the best vinyl label in the world. The second album has the artwork I've already done, and the first album will have an alternate cover and artwork that I'm working on.

Rising From Below the Earth is out now by the way. They did a great job on using my artwork on the layout, and the album it's self is AMAZING (in the old school black/doom vein). It's popping up on a lot of best of 2008 lists, and Fenriz from DARKTHRONE is talking about Faustcoven inseveral recent interviews, including a Myspace blog soley on Faustcoven.

The drawing of the burning church I did for Kult ov Azazel will be featured in thier new album's interior some time this year, probably sooner that later as most of the music/art is done, I beleive.

The Gravewurm shirts that I did the artwork for are at the printers now. Even though they'll be printing more after they run out of the first batch, it'll still be in very limited runs.

The logo for Withersoul is done, and awaiting approval. Once the full rez files are in thier hands, they'll be using in on a bunch of merch. I might approach them about doing the artwork for their full length too if I have time.

I'm talking to Ares Kindom about doing some thing for them. They are one of the better bands I've been listening too lately, staggeringly epic death/thrash, and I am extremely happy to get any response from them period, let alone get to have my artwork associated with them.

And finally, at least for now, I'm starting my own record label!!!! Or at least with my friend Andrew, the guitarist from Towards Global Holocaust. I'll have the money to put out some of my own releases on the label, starting with a lavishly illustrated In Death I Become t-shirt. Andrew with be putting all of the TGH stuff out on the label as well. After that we will both work to put out a 7" split between IDIB and Withersoul, and the next IDIB full length which is almost finished in the writing phase. Hopefully it will have a proper studio production, although nothing too slick or fake sounding. After that who knows.

As always I am excited to promote a new album featuring my artwork. Faustcoven's new album "Rising From Below the Earth" is available right now for preorder on the Barbarian Wrath message board (www.barbarianwrath.org) and will be made available for purchase soon.

Sample songs can be found on Faustcoven's myspace page- [link]

My friends in In Death I Become are set to release their new album, The Splendour of Emtiness, this weekend. It contains 6 lengthy death/doom tracks and will have a fairly big insert with several of my illustrations. Check them out at [link]

Also check out my other friends/clients-
Faustcoven- [link]
Caliginosity- [link]
War Without Reason- [link]

The album that I did the art for has been pressed last week and was made available last Friday. I was finally able to get my copies yesterday, and I can say that I can't be more pleased how it came out. Detail, color and typography all reproduced to my specifications. If any one wants one (the music is also up to standard as professionally recorded quality death metal) they're $8 (plus shipping if applicable) and can get them either from the band or me.

[link]