That's right - FREE ADMISSION!!!  It's FREE WEEK in Austin.  No reason not to fill the place up!  See you there!

We're running a special on the newest MILITIA shirt, featuring the inverted Sybling design.  The shirts are $13 shipped to USA, $15 to Canada/Mexico, and $19 worldwide.  Combine the RELEASED CD and save $$$!  Get both for $21 shipped to USA, $23 to Canada and $25 worldwide.
Full details and all other MILITIA merchandise is can be found on our all-new Merch Page. Click here or on the above images to check it out.  (Proceed past External Link Alert)

And in case you're wondering, the proceeds for MILITIA merchandise will help cover expenses related to the ongoing work on our new album. So you're not only supporting MILITIA, you're also helping us complete this project and get a brand-new MILITIA album out in a timely manner.

We sincerely appreciate your support. THRASH TO DESTROY!!

It's been a week since our trip to Germany, and the experiences are still ringing through our minds.  For MILITIA, this has been the ultimate highlight, a real dream come true.  We already miss being there.

There is nothing quite like arriving to the site of Keep It True and seeing the largest assembly of true metal fans we've ever seen.  It reminded us of the days of the Texas metal scene from the mid-80's.  Honestly, some of us felt out of place, since we don't look as metal as we used to!  But it didn't take long to feel right at home.  Everybody we talked to was very nice and welcoming to us.  It is still strange to be known by people so far away, especially since we're virtually unknown in our own hometown!

It was nice to relax on Friday, take in the environment and check out the other bands.  We also had the opportunity to meet several of our myspace friends in person including Tobias, who was the winning bidder on the infamous Ebay auction of Phil's Sybling EP.  His $3000 purchase is the catalyst that prompted us to reunite and ultimately landed us in Germany.  We visited with friends from France, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Mexico, Finland, Slovenia, Spain, Italy and probably a few others.

On Saturday, it was our turn to hit the stage.  We were relaxed and ready.  It was such a thrill to look out at the Keep It True crowd and finally play for the very fans that had kept MILITIA alive when we thought we had been forgotten.  The time on stage went quickly and just like that, we were done.  But it was such a blast and will be a memory we will never forget!  There's no more fitting name for this event that KEEP IT TRUE.  Nowhere else is there such a hunger for true metal!

On Sunday, we headed to Frankfurt with the guys from ASKA, where we had a show at Die Halle.  We were not expecting much of a crowd, being the day after KIT.  But people started showing up and before long, there was a good crowd.  ASKA got things rolling with a powerful set of songs, including a request from the crowd for a song that wasn't planned.  But being true pros, they pulled it off flawlessly.  By the time we went on, the energy in that place was incredible.  I don't know if it's the small atmosphere of Die Halle or what, but it was the most energetic performance we've had since reforming.  And kudos to the sound man, who set up one of the best monitor mixes ever.  The sound was KILLER!  We could actually hear ourselves playing tight!!  It was at this show that the first new MILITIA song in 23 years was unveiled, entitled "And The Gods Made War".  We managed to pull it off without any noticeable issues.  There was no time limit, and eventually, we played all our songs and we were done.  Or so we thought!  We had no more songs, so if we were going to do an encore, we'd have to play one a second time.  Mike asked them what they wanted to hear, and they said "The Sybling".  That one is an instrumental, so Mike announced that he had never seen MILITIA live, so he joined the crowd while we played.

This show was a very special surprise.  It was set up by Wolfram Kuper, who is an old friend of the band.  He visited Texas back in 1986 and experienced the Texas metal scene first hand.  Wolfram contacted us a few months before our trip and offered to provide transportation from the airport to our hotel and to do some sightseeing.  He made sure we were on time wherever we went.  Plus the Die Halle show!  MILITIA would like to say a big THANK YOU to Wolfram for everything.  He went above and beyond for us, and we are very grateful and appreciative.

Germany is a beautiful country.  The countryside is breathtaking, the villages are picturesque, and the cities are so CLEAN!!!  And all the people are very friendly, even to us "English-speaking-only" types.  There is such a contrast in the way people live and relate to one another compared to here in the USA.  We found it to be quite refreshing.  Americans tend to be quite proud of being Americans, but the citizens of Germany have much to be proud of.

Thank you to everyone who we came in contact with while in Germany.  Each of you made this experience that much more memorable.  We're already looking forward to our next visit, hopefully sooner than later!

-Robert/MILITIA

Here are a few reviews of RELEASED, the complete collection of MILITIA recordings from 1984-86 (you'll have to copy & paste the links)

LotFP - Matt Johnsen - http://lotfpmetal.blogspot.com/2009/01/militia-released.html

Metal Temple - http://www.metal-temple.com/review.asp?id=3550

From Rock Hard Magazine - Wolfram Küper

Translation:
The Texas Metal followers from the eighties will never understand, why Militia never made it bigger with their success. Only 100 happy people became lucky enough to be the owner of the legendary 3-Song-EP "The Sybling", a release which nowadays is one of the rarest collectors items in the scene. 23 (!) years later and record offers on e-bay the EP is released again. The release features also all nine songs from the two demos and other rare material- the legacy of the band. The material shows that the band from Austin was -beside Watchtower- the best Texas-Progressive-Band. They conquered new horizons and had with Mike Soliz a real outstanding frontman. For sure the band will be one of the highlights for the forthcoming KIT-Festival. Be there to get the album at the merchandise stand or be too late again.
Cult! 9,5 out of 10 points.

••Let us know if you see any other reviews and we'll post them here

As you may know, only 100 original copies of Militia's "The Sybling" EP were created, making it an ultra-rare collectible.  We thought it would be cool if we could try and account for all of them.

At the time "The Sybling" was released, Militia had four members.  Each of us received our own personal copy (Phil sold his in Dec 2007).  We also know of an individual who threw away his entire record collection, a collection that included one of the original EPs.  Another copy was a casualty of being sat on and broken!

If you own one of the originals, we'd like to add you to the Official Registry.  Once verified, your EP will be assigned a number.  And if any of us happen to cross paths with you, we'll be glad to sign your copy. 

In order for us to verify if you own an actual original, respond to this blog and we'll let you know where to send photos.  Let us know how you got your copy and how long you've had it.

If, for whatever reason, you would rather remain anonymous, that's no problem.  Just email us on the Myspace page - if verified, your copy will still be given a number, but we'll conceal your identity.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Militia

9/21/09 UPDATE:

OK, here's what we've got so far:

Mike Soliz, Austin, TX - 1
Tony Smith, Austin, TX - 2
Robert Willingham, Hutto, TX - 3
Our good friend requesting anonymity, Texas - 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Wes Weaver, Houston, TX - 9
Leslie C., Round Rock, TX - 10
Rob Doom, Houston, TX - 11
Scott TMU, Austin, TX - 12
An Ebayer in Germany (Phil's original) - 13
Anonymous, Germany - 14
Anonymous, Switzerland - 15
Frank, San Antonio, TX - 16
Rudy Martinez, San Antonio, TX - 17

Subtracting the two copies that are lost forever, there are at least 81 more out there. Let us know if you have an original 12".