BraveWords.com has received the following press release:

As the sun sets over the prairies on August 21st, 2010, a new tradition will rise up and crush everything Albertans once knew about the sonic sound scape of their home province. Pitch Black Magazine is honoured to present the first Alberta Metal Awards, an evening in celebration of those homegrown heavy metal artists who have greatly contributed to the musical genre and to our province's cultural diversity.

"We tried to think of a way that we could give back to the bands and fans that have supported us since we published our first issue in May 2009,” says Pitch Black editor Pamela Porosky. “Putting on a metal show of epic proportions, of course, came up, which evolved into the Alberta Metal Awards, and we’ve been planning ever since.”

King and Dr. Gore, the co-hosts of Calgary's own heavy metal podcast Vinland Radio, are signed on to emcee with their own unique brand of sardonic commentary, while live musical performances from bands from across the province will entertain between awards presentations, and exemplify some of the extraordinary talent to be found within our borders.

Red Deer's AWKWARD SILENCE (pictured at left), Edmonton's DEATH TOLL RISING, Lethbridge's PSYCOMANTIUM, and Calgary heavyweights KILYAKAI are signed on as the main musical guests, each bringing their own unparalleled sound and style to the stage at the event's host venue, The Distillery, located in downtown Calgary.

Add in some aerial acrobatics by the gravity-defying Cruella Steele, Alberta's only heavy metal pole dancer, some killer door prizes and – of course – one of a kind awards made of solid metal, and we're pretty sure some serious headbanging fun will be had by all, and many horns will be raised as we salute heavy music makers in our province in such categories as Best Metal Album, Best Album Production and Best Live Band.

"Winners will be chosen based on nominations by Alberta-based metal artists, and respected members of Alberta’s metal community at large in the fields of publishing, promotion, and other areas of expertise," Porosky explains. "Decisions will be made based on quality and commitment, with the winner in each category determined by the number of nominations."

Porosky continues, "Because there is such a familial aspect to Alberta's heavy metal community, we wanted bands to be able to further support each other. Having them directly involved in the nomination process was extremely important to us when we were first trying to figure out how to make those decision and how to select award winners in a as unbiased a way as possible.

"The only exception will be the Fan Favourite award, which will be nominated and voted on by readers," she adds, emphasizing that even though the awards show is being organized and presented by the magazine, they are not specifically “Pitch Black” awards.

“These awards belong to everyone: the bands, the fans, all the hard-working people that run the venues, serve the drinks, book the shows in the first place and promote them. It really is a strong community that I feel so lucky to be a part of.”

Through generous donations from local heavy metal supporters, audience goers will have the chance to win their own "awards," including a group pole dancing session courtesy of Cruella Steele, a professional band photo shoot from Changeling Photography, and swag packs from your favourite Alberta bands. More will be announced as sponsorship details are confirmed.

Tickets for the Alberta Metal Awards are just $10 and will only be available at the doors, which swing open at 7 PM on the night of the

event.

Keep an eye on Pitch Black Magazine's official Facebook page for updates, including a complete list of award categories and nominees.