After 16 years of delivering punishing, extreme heavy metal, California's Abscess has decided to call it quits. The band's sixth and final studio album, Dawn of Inhumanity, was released in March on Peaceville Records.

Abscess drummer/vocalist, Chris Reifert, issued the following statement: "Greetings, sickos. We need to inform you that Abscess has officially broken up. The reason for this is that Clint Bower has left the band for personal reasons, and out of respect to him and to all who have supported us for these 16 years, we have decided to call it a day. Without Clint Bower, there can be no Abscess, so we won't even try to cheat anyone with something that is not the real thing. Dawn of Inhumanity has become our final statement, and we feel that it is the perfect way to close the Abscess chapter, since we must do so. Thanks to all of you who were and still are proud to call yourselves Abscess Freaks!"

While Abscess has been officially laid to rest, the legendary Autopsy has been resurrected as a full-time focus. Autopsy recently played at the eighth annual Maryland Deathfest, and has headlining performances scheduled for the Party San Open Air and the Hole in the Sky festivals this summer.

Autopsy comments: "As many of you know, for years it has been repeatedly stated that Autopsy was over with and done for good. While that was indeed true for a long span of time, it is no longer the case. Autopsy has come to the solid realization that the time is now right to resume their mission of gore soaked death metal brutality and to fulfill this mission with maximum intensity. Make no mistake about it, Autopsy is not about reliving the past, basking in nostalgia or riding on efforts from years long gone. The band is hungry to devour fresh minds and souls and has been amassing an arsenal of new and deathly material to unleash upon those who also hunger for such brutality. The surgical instruments are being sharpened and a pure death metal assault of the most horrific order is underway as you read these very words. On behalf of the band, thanks goes out to all who relented and simply would not allow this beast to remain in the grave. Your persistence will be met with unspeakable and unapologetic sonic atrocities. Let the blood flow...."