USURPER: Autographed Copies Of 'Threshold Of The Usurper' Up For Grabs

Guitarist/founder Rick Scythe of Chicago's now-defunct band USURPER has issued the following update:

"Due to popular demand, we just posted two new songs (actually old songs but 'new' in the sense that we've never posted them online before... and in all actually, not really due to popular demand, since only one guy requested them was our old drummer, Andy Von Chaos).

"The songs are 'Metal Lust' and 'Utopian Nightmare', both of which are from our 2003 Earache album, 'Twilight Dominion'. If you've never heard them before, the first one's a classic metal anthem that USURPER performed at nearly every show since 2003. The other one ('Utopian Nightmare') was a B-side, which originally appeared on the B-side of the 45 'Metal Lust' single (Which was only available in Asia at the time of 'Twilight Dominion''s release). We later included the song on all U.S. and European versions of 'Twilight Dominion' after the original U.S./Europe pressings sold out.

"Also: We just received the shipment of 'Threshold Of The Usurper' vinyls and CDs from Finland last week. So this week myself (Rick Scythe) and General (vocals) are going to autograph about 50 vinyls and 50 CDs and put them up right here, exclusively on the MySpace page. This will be the ONLY place to get a signed copy of this release by the two founding members/song writers of USURPER and the quantities will be extremely limited. We should have the PayPal info and all the pictures and ordering info posted next week. Please DO NOT send a message asking questions about, they will NOT be answered. If you would like to be considered for reserving a copy, leave a comment to this blog. If not, please check back in about a week or so.

To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the "Threshold of the Usurper" CD, USURPER has teamed up with Finnish label Primitive Reaction to reissue this classic effort.

"Threshold..." was originally released in 1997 on Necropolis Records and quickly became one of the band's most legendary releases. This was the album that put USURPER on the map with the metal media and was the first CD that was promoted by both U.S. and European tours.

"Threshold of the Usurper" was originally a mini-CD, but for the reissue the band has included three bonus tracks to make this version a full-length release.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Necrocult Pt 1 (The Metal War)
02. Slavehammer
03. Black Funeral (MERCYFUL FATE cover)
04. The Dead Of Winter
05. Threshold Of The Usurper
06. Anno Satanas (demo version)
07. Stormtroopin' (TED NUGENT cover; previously unreleased)
08. The 13th Son (previously unreleased)

The reissue will be available on February 15 as both CD and gatefold vinyl and will include extensive liner notes, an extensive interview with Rick Scythe and General Diabolical Slaughter, never-before-seen photos and new artwork by Juha Vuorma ("Skeletal Season" artist).

USURPER will sell a limited-edition CD and vinyl version through MySpace autographed by Rick Scythe and General Diabolical Slaughter.

Previous releases of "Threshold of the Usurper" by year, label and format:

1997: Necropolis Records (USA) CD
1998: Merciless Records (GER) picture disc vinyl
1999: Mystic Records (POLAND) split cassette with WAR ("Total War")
2001: Blackend/Plastic Head (UK) split CD with USURPER's "Skeletal Season" album
2007: Primitive Reaction (FINLAND) CD/gatefold vinyl