Month: December 2017

Interview with Cavernlight Wisconsin Crushing Doom Metal

There is nothing more crushing than Doom metal done right. Today I spoke with Wisconsin based Doom band Cavernlight. It took a while but we finally made this one happen!

* So I have been checking out the new tracks on your bandcamp – absolutely crushing stuff – so how did you guys get into playing doom?
We’ve all been into slow, atmospheric, heavy music for varying periods of time. But it’s a constant favorite amongst us all. Playing this way just came natural when we got together.

* Not a lot of people realize its probably harder to play really really slow and keep it interesting as opposed to super fast – what’s the secret in putting together a good song but keeping it so slow and pulverizing?
I don’t think there’s any real secret for us. We just try to spin a certain feeling or emotion into the songwriting process. And yeah, playing slow can be difficult. But just like playing a blazing fast tempo, it becomes easy in time.

The early Southern Lord catalog really turned my head

* People were shocked when Lee Dorrian left Napalm Death (the worlds fastest band) to play in Cathedral (the world’s slowest band? {well at least the first album}) What was the gateway band for you guys as fans of the genre ?
Our personal doom tastes all vary greatly. I personally don’t click much with what most people consider the “classic doom” sound. It wasn’t until the early 2000s when I started to dig what was going on, and it was mostly US bands like Asunder, Khanate. The early Southern Lord catalog really turned my head.

* Outside of doom artists what would you say are the major musical influences on Cavernlight?
Jason Molina (of Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Company), Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Barn Owl, Neurosis

As the album was completed I realized the record meant too much to me

* You guys made some leaps and bounds from your demo – how did the deal with Gilead come about?
Gilead Media is actually my own label. Initially I was intent on not releasing the Cavernlight material myself, but as the album was completed I realized the record meant too much to me. I only approached one other label to release it when everything was said and done. They weren’t interested, so I did it myself.

* In writing the songs for this record – how did you start? With a guitar riff? With a mood you want to convey? Please explain
Much of the songwriting comes from a mix of those things, a mood transposed through guitar. That’s generally our basis. From there we flesh out the remainder of the song together as a group. Scott and I then write all of the lyrics and vocals as we come up with a concrete formula for the song.

* How was the recording process for this album was it analog to digital or did you guys choose the all digital route? if money was no object would you record full analog like the old days?
We went all digital, but the final mixes were dumped to tape and then re-imported for mastering to give it a small amount of analog quality. I personally would opt out of recording on tape at any point, as any real-time editing can be done so much more efficiently digitally and studio time costs are quite high.

* As far as I am aware you guys tend to play more events than tour in the traditional sense – has any of the band done national touring before (in other bands) and if not is that something you guys have planned for the future?
I toured a couple times in my youth and I’m not a fan. Two of our members are fathers, I run my own business, and the other guy is very focused on his own creative visual work. And I think it’s safe to say none of us are particularly interested in touring and playing every night. We much prefer to play shows infrequently.

I spent much of my youth driving to Chicago for shows

* When you think of Metal scenes, Oshkosh isn’t one of the first places that springs to mind – is there a scene there and if not where do you guys go to travel for shows? Milwaukee? Chicago? Canada? (I recall the guys in Deadbird telling {they were from little rock Arkansas} that it would be nothing for them to drive the 8hrs or so to New Orleans to catch a touring act yet people in NYC might think twice about a subway ride to Brooklyn in case the next tour the band plays Manhattan ha ha)
A metal scene? Not particularly, although there are some great bands from around the area. The art scene is indeed rich here, but it’s a small college town so many people just leave when they’re done with school. There are a number of very talented musicians, but most people here seem to be content writing music for themselves and playing with people they’re close to. I spent much of my youth driving to Chicago for shows, frequently visiting the Fireside Bowl in Chicago.

* Outside of playing music – what is worth checking out in Oshkosh? Local microbreweries? etc (I used to go to the Milwaukee metal fests in the late 90s early 2000s even then Milwaukee had some great local breweries)
Honestly, Oshkosh is a weird place. Only half the band lives in town here, it’s just sort of where we operate out of. There isn’t much in terms of destinations in town, it’s not a tourist hotspot or anything. There are places that have their charms, and businesses run by some wonderful, passionate people. And of course a couple small craft breweries, but overall it’s the sort of place you seem to find yourself and not a place you typically travel towards intentionally.

If someone wants to fly us somewhere to play a great show, we won’t say no

* What touring goals do you guys want to achieve with Cavernlight? Play NYC? Play Hole in the Sky Norway? Hellfest? etc
Our only real goal with Cavernlight is to continue creating, that’s really it. We’ve already done more than we originally set out to do, so after this anything else is just going to happen as needed. If we need an outlet, if we feel the desire to play and record. Etc. If someone wants to fly us somewhere to play a great show, we won’t say no. But it’s not something we’re necessarily chasing.

* What can we expect from the band for the rest of 2017?
We’ve just played our first shows of the year, we hadn’t played out since Migration Fest in Olympia in August 2016. We’re writing for a possible split LP release, learning a couple covers for another potential split, and working on material for another new full length we intend to record in December 2018, possibly at Electrical Audio with Scott Evans at the helm. But we will see what happens there.

Surrender to your misery

.
* Good luck with the album release and any final words?
Surrender to your misery.

Hooded Menace announce special show at Roadburn Festival 2018

HOODED MENACE and Roadburn are now revealing that the Finnish doom raisers will perform their 2008 debut album, ‘Fulfill the Curse’ in its entirety at the 2018 edition of the festival in Tilburg, the Netherlands on the 19th of April.

HOODED MENACE have already announced that the release show for their forthcoming album, ‘Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed’ will be celebrated with special guests KRYPTS at Kuudes Linja in Finland’s capital Helsinki on the 9th of February.

See below for a list of all currently confirmed live-dates.

09 Feb 18 Helsinki (FI) Kuudes Linja (+Krypts)
19 Apr 18 Tilburg (NL) Roadburn Festival (‘Fulfill the Curse’ show)
28 Apr 18 Glasgow (UK) North of the Wall Festival (exact date tbc)

HOODED MENACE have previously premiered the second track taken from their new album, ‘Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed’, which is scheduled for release on January 26th, 2018.

The artwork of ‘Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed’, which has been created by Adam Burke (SÓLSTAFIR, PORTRAIT) and can be viewed below.

Track-list

1. Sempiternal Grotesqueries (10:38)
2. In Eerie Deliverance (7:05)
3. Cathedral of Labyrinthine Darkness (7:23)
4. Cascade of Ashes (6:43)
5. Charnel Reflections (7:48)
6. Black Moss (2:21)

Total playing time: 41:58

Doom has always been a style for a rather select but also very dedicated audience. Among the aficionados, HOODED MENACE have quickly become a household name for authenticity and excellence.

With their upcoming fifth album, ‘Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed’, the Finns continue to impress with immaculate songwriting skills and the perfect balance between harsh death metal fuelled outbursts and exquisite melodic melancholy.

HOODED MENACE were formed in Joensuu, Finland in 2007 by guitarist Lasse Pyykkö, who had also performed in the Finnish cult death metal band PHLEGETHON. The band has always avowed to the strong influence by early CANDLEMASS and CATHEDRAL as well as PARADISE LOST, AUTOPSY, ASPHYX, and WINTER. Their lyrics are often inspired by the classic 1970’s Spanish horror movie series ‘The Blind Dead’.

HOODED MENACE recorded a 2-track demo, ‘The Eyeless Horde’ in 2007, which was released on 7″ the following year. Their debut album ‘Fulfill the Curse’ was released in 2008 and the highly acclaimed sophomore full-length ‘Never Cross the Dead’ came out in 2010. HOODED MENACE remained in a highly creative mode and delivered ‘Effigies of Evil’ in 2012 and their latest milestone, ‘Darkness Drips Forth’ in 2015. With a penchant for classic vinyl, the Finns also released several split singles and EPs for example with ASPHYX and COFFINS.

HOODED MENACE toured in Europe and North America, and performed at many major metal festivals such as Hellfest, Roadburn, Maryland Deathfest, Tuska, and Party San Open Air among others.

Now the time has once again come, when HOODED MENACE unleash skeletal horror and sombre despair onto their craving audience. The dead shall ride on ‘Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed’ and the living shall rejoice!

www.facebook.com/HoodedMenace

Interview with Pittsburgh Metallers, Legendry

If you have been reading our site for awhile now you will know I am really into different cities music scenes. The Pittsburgh metal scene has been bubbling just under the radar for some time now and with Dave from 20 buck spin recently relocating from the west coast to Pittsburgh, I am sure only greater things are yet to come. One of the top metal bands coming out of Pittsburgh right now is Legendry, today I spoke to the boys in the band to learn more about them.

So you guys have a great sound – I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are not 18 y.o. guys who just discovered metal thru their older brothers Iron Maiden records right? How old is everyone in the band and how did you all get into metal?
Vidarr (guitar and vocals):
Thank you! I’ve been into metal and heavy rock since I was very young. I started out listening to my dad’s The Who and Frank Zappa records and cassette tapes. I started getting into metal with Metallica’s first four albums, then got into the progressively more extreme subgenres starting with Slayer, Overkill, Kreator, Sodom and Obituary, finally developing an interest in black metal like Darkthrone, Burzum, and Bathory. Throughout this time I also got into a lot of Helloween, early Hammerfall, Manowar, and generally medieval fantasy inspired power metal, always searching for a representation of that atmosphere in metal.

Evil St. Clair (bass):
I discovered metal at about ten years old. My parents would take me to the record shop. When I saw the cover of Ozzy Osbourne, Diary of a Madman I had to buy it. I was always into creepy stuff and that album cover was the coolest thing I ever saw, and the love of Metal just grew from there.

Kicker (drums and percussion):
Thanks for the compliments and the opportunity. I discovered Metal when I was about 13 or 14. I went to a Catholic school back then and was being told about all the evil in the music industry and things of that sort. One day my cousin and I found Slayer – Seasons in the Abyss and King Diamond – Abigail hid away in his tape collection. We listened to them and thought it was the coolest shit we ever heard and it just went from there. Definitely not 18! I’m 39.

* Can you give me a brief history of the band? From the little I know you guys formed in 2015 but I am guessing this isn’t your ‘first rodeo”?? right?
Starting in 2004 I created a solo project called Defeat, for which I learned to play drums and bass. I recorded a demo and two full length albums for Defeat in a folk/black metal style.

Legendry started when I moved north of Pittsburgh to New Castle, PA and began jamming with our original bassist, Choo. As our jamming progressed, we found that our interests in progressive rock and melodic sensibilities were both original and taking on their own form. Choo introduced me to Kicker, and we instantly hit it off musically, so we began writing the songs which eventually became the Initiation Rituals demo. Immediately following this demo, Choo left the band, which left us without a bassist and unable to play shows for a time. We decided to start tracking the Mists of Time album as a studio project, with myself on bass. We made contacts at this time with Non Nobis Productions of Portugal, who have done the CD release for both Mists of Time and CD/LP for Dungeon Crawler (along with Underground Power Records of Germany). After Mists of Time was released, Choo rejoined the band for a brief
period, but was eventually replaced by Evil St. Clair, who has played with us for all live performances and played bass on the Dungeon Crawler album.

The concept behind Legendry is to create a medieval fantasy world, using primarily rock/metal instrumentation, without relying on synthesizers to create an epic feel. I wanted to create a kind of Hawkwind type space-rock vibe, but with a barbaric fantasy tone instead of a spacey sci-fi tone.

* I presume the name Legendry is a play on Legendary and Foundry? Who came up with the name and what is the meaning behind it?
Actually, that is not at all where the name comes from. While many internet search engines think that you are spelling “legendary” wrong when you type “legendry”, it is in fact a word meaning “a body of legends”.

I found the word used in Robert E. Howard’s essay The Hyborian Age, where he uses it in the phrase “shrouded by the mists of legendry”. This became both the source for the band name and part of the inspiration for the title of our first album, “Mists of Time” (although that is a typical sort of phrase).

We actually had the opportunity to work with Arthur Rizk of both bands on the mastering for the Dungeon Crawler album

* What are your thoughts on all this new younger bands like Eternal Champions etc. embracing the “classic metal sound” of the 80s?
I think it is great! With the wave of younger bands bringing attention to the genre, it allows many of the great older bands to see how important they are to us. So many of these obscure, yet classic, albums have been reissued, and so many of these bands have reunited to play on some of the big true metal festivals of the world.

We had a chance to play with Eternal Champion and Sumerlands last July, and they were very supportive of what we are doing. We actually had the opportunity to work with Arthur Rizk of both bands on the mastering for the Dungeon Crawler album. He did a fantastic job with it, and we are very glad to have worked with him on it.

* How long have you been playing guitar and what bands were inspirational in you starting?
It must be around 27 years: crazy to think it’s been so long! My biggest inspiration early on had to be Richie Blackmore of Deep Purple and Rainbow. As I got older, I’d say guitarists like Frank Zappa and Robert Fripp would be the most important inspiration for me. I love endless soulful guitar solos, so when I eventually discovered Manilla Road, Mark Shelton became another huge influence.

We had the honor to open for them when they came to Pittsburgh on that tour

* I recently caught Manilla Road when they did their last US tour. They have to be an influence on you guys ?
Absolutely! Before Legendry I had been working on a cover of their song, “Necropolis” for the next Defeat album. A full band version of that cover ended up on Mists of Time when my focus shifted to Legendry.

We had the honor to open for them when they came to Pittsburgh on that tour, and it was really surreal to have that opportunity. They have had such an impact on me creatively, and I have to say I was quite nervous knowing that they would be hearing the songs I wrote. We met up with them after our set, and they were very supportive, kind people (as I expected they would be).

* Any preferences for guitars and amp set ups?
Yes, for sure. I am big on vintage gear and vintage sound. I play a limited edition American Standard Fender Strat through a Musicman 210 65 combo and a 212 RH cabinet, and Evil St. Clair uses a late 70s Fender Tele bass through a Fender Bassman 50 and a 215 cabinet. I think that this gives us a very unique sound, seeing these are blues rigs all around: I even use only the neck pick-up on my guitar, which is very uncommon in heavy metal. All of the effects that I use are analog as well.

The remake, however, was horrible

* I loved reading the Robert E Howard paperbacks when I was a kid growing up in the 70s – did you ever see the Conan Remake with Jason Momoa? If you did…thoughts? What about Kull with Kevin Sorbo (Me personally I liked the first Conan film and the Red Sonja film and at one point in the 90s they were planning to make King Conan with Arnie as an old and weary Conan but I don’t rate the remake at all)
I grew up watching the original Conan movies on TV, and of course I love everything about them (the effects, the atmosphere, Arnold, and most definitely the music of Basil Poledouris!).

The remake, however, was horrible. I have only seen it once, and tried to give it a second chance a few years later, only to stop it half way through. It wasn’t that Arnold wasn’t in it; it was just the overall cool-action-movie feel. They totally missed the mark.

Kull was a kind of cool movie, and it was kind of interesting to find out that the script was originally for the third Conan movie that they never made. Red Sonja was great, especially with the Ennio Morricone soundtrack, but the whining kid comic relief kind of got annoying at times.

* Every time I turn around it seems that the music scene in Pittsburgh just grows and grows – can you tell me a lil of what life is like there and why you think the music scene is so good?
Yea, there are definitely some great classic-styled metal bands in the area now, Lady Beast, and Argus among them. It has traditionally been more of an extreme metal town, so it’s good to see something more on the melodic side.

We’re admittedly not so active in the music scene there, though. While we all live reasonably close to the city and I grew up in the area, we all live about an hour outside of downtown right now (and I live opposite the band, making rehearsal nearly a two hour drive!).

* Have you guys done any major US tours yet? If not are they are the bucket list of plans for Legendry?
No, not yet. We would definitely like to do a small tour in the near future, but our personal and professional lives likely wouldn’t allow for anything extensive. We would love to eventually play in Europe at some of the heavy metal festivals there like Keep it True, but those possibilities remain to be seen.

* What can we expect from Legendry in 2018?
We will be setting up some shows in the near future, and potentially a short tour if the opportunity presents itself. We are also planning for the next album already, and have begun writing new material which we are hoping to record in the summer of 2018.

We are grateful to all of the fans for supporting our work

* Any final words?
Thanks for the support in doing this interview. We put a lot of work into the Dungeon Crawler album, and it’s great to see that people are really digging it so far. We are grateful to all of the fans for supporting our work; it means a great deal to us that there are people finding this music enjoyable.

CANDLE reveal first single, cover, tracklisting for new FIGHTER RECORDS album

Swedish epic heavy metal band Candle have launched the first single from their upcoming album, The Keeper’s Curse, as well as have revealed the cover artwork, made by Juanjo Castellano, and tracklist for it.

The Keeper’s Curse contains nine songs with a killer production, which shows a natural development from their recent debut demo EP. Candle plays a haunting and epic kind of heavy metal with healthy reminiscences to Mercyful Fate and some doses of US bands ala early Savatage, Fates Warning, and Cirith Ungol while never forgetting about godly NWOBHM in the vein of some early Judas Priest and Satan.

Candle’s The Keeper’s Curse will see the light on February 21st, 2018 on CD format through Fighter Records, while the vinyl version will come later on.

You can listen to “The Secret,” the aforementioned first single, HERE

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Candle’s The Keeper’s Curse
1. Intro
2. The Secret
3. Light at the En
4. Frozen With Fear
5. Betrayal
6. Dancing Lights
7. Embraced By Darkness
8. No Peace For My Soul
9. Vengeance

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/candlebandofficial

DEMONOMANCY set release date for new INVICTUS album, reveal first track

Today, Invictus Productions sets February 23rd, 2018 as the international release date for the highly anticipated second album of Italy’s Demonomancy, Poisoned Atonement.

For a decade now, Demonomancy have been steadfast pillars of the bestial metal idiom, perfecting it over the course of two EPs and 2013’s definitive debut album, Throne of Demonic Proselytism. However, whilst working with the same strident fundaments – ancient South American black/death, the rigorous Blasphemy/Beherit axiom, early proponents of metal primitivism like Profanatica and VON – hereby with Poisoned Atonement do the power-trio leave behind all pretenders and stake out a new, defiant claim of sulfurous metal magick.

Portended by the ominous new track on the 2016 split with Finnish comrades Witchcraft, Poisoned Atonement portrays a Demonomancy no longer bounded by subgenre dictates. Here, they explore all the craggiest corners of their songwriting acumen, finessing forth an endlessly burly yet richly dynamic soundfield that verily approximates the most mysterious echoes of the grand abyss. Smothering, mind-melting violence collides head on with vortextural ritualism, wild-child heavy metal abandon with austere, locked-in grind: Demonomancy not so much leave no stone unturned as they do simply CRUSH it into feeble dust under their massive, ever-masterful boots. To begin understanding the multi-layered miasma of Poisoned Atonement is to gaze deeply into its cover art…

As such, Demonomancy is the sublimation of primitive human impulses morphed into aural spears that suffocate consciousness in a perennial leprous embrace. Corrosive verses burn superficial organic tissues, revealing the pulsating flesh exposed in its primordial obscenity. In this atoning pilgrimage, the unbearable guilt gives birth to inner demons that lacerate the mendacious drape covering our hidden and irrational world. “We praise the morbid and forbidden Bestiality to be rejoined with our primeval dimension,” state the band. “We praise the diseased and torbid Spirit bounded by the mortal coil’s festering chains. The body is merely a monumental epitaph. Metal of Death – Methodical Chaos.”

Bow in fealty and begin your Poisoned Atonement with Demonomancy… Obeisance begins with the new track “Fiery Herald Unbound (The Victorious Predator)” HERE.

That aforementioned cover as well as tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Demonomancy’s Poisoned Atonement
1. Intro – Revelation 21.8
2. Fiery Herald Unbound (The Victorious Predator)
3. Archaic Remnants of the Numinous
4. The Day of the Lord
5. Poisoned Atonement (Purged in Molten Gold)
6. The Last Hymn to Eschaton
7. Fathomless Region of Total Eclipse
8. Nefarious Spawn of Methodical Chaos

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/officialdemonomancy
www.demonomancy.bandcamp.com

GOATKRAFT set release date for IRON BONEHEAD debut, reveal first track

Iron Bonehead Productions sets March 9th, 2018 as the international release date for Goatkraft’s shock & awe debut EP, Angel Slaughter, on CD and 12″ vinyl formats.

A power trio hailing from Norway, Goatkraft released the truly titled War Metal – Promo 2017 tape via Iron Bonehead before promptly setting to work on their first longer-length strike. And at 19 razing minutes, Angel Slaughter is indeed a short, sharp shock to the system that’s nevertheless fully satisfying and self-contained. Crude and rude and completely stripped bare of any remotely excessive adornment, Goatkraft are a study in stark, stultifying minimalism. Their punishing, primitivist surge hearkens back to the almighty Blasphemy, but truly finds its voice within the seething spite of Black Witchery; not for nothing do they conclude Angel Slaughter with a cover of that band’s eternal “Unholy Vengeance of War.” Barbaric black metal is the order of the day, then, done with nuclear-powered panache, red-eyed and regimented, and a true devotee’s lust for pure form. Indeed, the purity of violence – rabid, roiling, righteous – doesn’t come more distilled and undiluted than Angel Slaughter. Here begins the whirlwind of Goatkraft.

Feel its first gust with the EP’s title track HERE.

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Goatkraft’s Angel Slaughter
1. Intro
2. Angel Slaughter
3. Goatkraft
4. The Temple Of Infernal Fire
5. Holocaust Winds Of Blasphemy
6. Unholy Vengeance Of War (Black Witchery)

MORE INFO:
www.goatkraft.com

IRON VOID sign with SHADOW KINGDOM, new album set for next year

Today, Shadow Kingdom Records announces the signing of Iron Void. The first fruit of this union shall be the band’s highly anticipated third album, Excalibur. A mainstay of the UK doom metal scene, Excalibur is the album by which Iron Void D will truly be launched onto the world stage. The album shall be released during the first quarter of 2018 via Shadow Kingdom.

Iron Void was originally formed by Jonathan “Sealey” Seale and Andy Whittaker (Solstice, The Lamp of Thoth) in 1998 in order to create an old-school doom metal band, worshiping at the altar of doom legends such as Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Pentagram, etc. The band reformed in 2008, with the current lineup consisting of Jonathan “Sealey” Seale (bass & vocals), Steve Wilson (guitars & vocals), and Richard Maw (drums).

Iron Void’s debut EP, Spell of Ruin, was originally released on CD in 2010 and re-released in 2012 via Doomanoid Records. Their self-titled debut full-length album was released on CD in 2014 via Barbarian Wrath and released on limited-edition vinyl by Fear Me! Music in 2015. The critically acclaimed second album, Doomsday – recorded & produced at Skyhammer Studio by Chris Fielding (Conan, Winterfylleth, Electric Wizard) and mastered by James Plotkin – was released on CD via Doomanoid Records in 2015 and released on limited gatefold vinyl via Fear Me! Music in 2016.

With considerable live action in the past few years as well, and encouraged by the critical acclaim heaped upon Doomsday, Iron Void patiently set to work on Excalibur. Arguably the band’s magnum opus, Excalibur is an epic behemoth of Arthurian legend, emitting an atmosphere that’s truly medieval whilst sacrificing whilst sacrificing none of their trademark DOOMED-OUT heaviness. Here, across the album’s massive yet strangely concise 48 minutes, Iron Void weave old-as-time tales of myth and magic, all set to rumbling, dramatically dynamic doom metal. The album is sequenced together with a subtle sort of mastery, taking the listener on a journey into centuries past, all concluding with the stark ‘n’ stirring acoustic closer “Avalon.” As the final notes ring out, you’ll be reaching for the calendar to check what year it is!

Release date, cover, tracklisting, and preorder info shall be announced shortly, as well as the first track to be revealed from Excalibur. Consult the below links for more info.

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/ironvoid
www.ironvoid.bandcamp.com

VARGRAV set release date for WEREWOLF debut, reveal first track

Werewolf Records, in conspiracy with Hells Headbangers, sets January 26th, 2018 as the international release for Vargrav’s highly anticipated debut album, Netherstorm. The album shall be released on CD and vinyl LP formats.

Hailing from Finland, the band originated during starless nights in late 2015. As the vision calmly evolved and the cloak of obscurity relinquished, Vargrav was chosen to be illuminating sign for this act of black arts. During the formative years, the music also transmitted into a profound abyss, only to reincarnate as a sinister glow of the black flame. A demo version of the album was then unleashed during the summer of 2016, and after numerous contacts from different labels, Werewolf Records was immediately chosen to be the most suitable collaborator with which to work.

That album, now bearing the ominous and apt title of Netherstorm, is a blizzard-blown blast from the ancient past. “Symphonic black metal” may be a dirty word to some still, but back in simpler, more idealistic times, that appellation bore delicious fruit, and many long-cherished classics of the black metal canon have upheld that banner; more specifically, once upon a time, it was simply BLACK METAL. Vargrav bear witness to this fact, and create a swarming, densely layered maelstrom of medieval majesty and moonlit madness. Tangibly physical without sacrificing the finer nuances of synth layering, Netherstorm sweeps grandly across a cobwebbed landscape, distant ruins becoming the very listener’s landscape. It’s truly timeless magick, evoking the visionary works of old Obtained Enslavement, Dimmu Borgir, Abigor, Limbonic Art, and especially early Emperor, whose “Ancient Queen” is covered on the bonus 7″ which comes with the vinyl LP pressing of Netherstorm. The overture of a black-hearted storm has been sung and what has yet left uncovered shall be conquered…

Werewolf Records is a Luciferian metal temple founded in 1998. The wolfish cry from the Carelian battlegrounds, Werewolf Records releases black metal and other dark arts motivated exclusively by theistic Satanist views of the founder Werwolf. In this age when black metal’s worth is questionable, idealism and rigor are the exception when they should be the highest law. We uphold the law of the Wolf – the destruction of the weak and the false so that the original vitality of the dark magic art can continue to grow and create the foundations for an empire. Black metal is Will and Power. We deal with material that inspires us on our journey towards our own kingdom – a kingdom that is not yours, but bears a resemblance to the one there could be for you. Now in conspiracy with Hells Headbangers, the temple of Werewolf Records shall wage its war farther and wider than ever, with no spiritual surrender.

In the meantime, hear the new track “Shadowed Secrets Unmasked”

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Vargrav (Finland)’s Netherstorm
1. Netherstorm
2. Shadowed Secrets Unmasked
3. Limbo of Abysmal Void
4. Ethereal Visions of a Monumental Cataclysm
5. Obidient Intolerant Ensnared
6. Outro
7. The Glory Of Eternal Night (bonus)
8. Ancient Queen (bonus – Emperor cover)

+ WEREWOLF RECORDS temple +
www.neuntoter.org
www.facebook.com/werewolf.rex

Der Weg Einer Freiheit join Primordial and Moonsorrow on European tour

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT are announcing a European touring package that is already promising to be a black highlight of 2018! The fast rising German black metal innovators will be joining Ireland’s finest, PRIMORDIAL and Finnish black pagans MOONSORROW on an extended tour in April next year.

Please find a list of all currently confirmed shows below.

Vocalist Nikita Kamprad comments: “As huge fans of PRIMORDIAL, we are announcing with great pleasure that we will support the Irish legends on their upcoming tour alongside MOONSORROW. We appreciate the chance to be part of this great package and can hardly wait to present our latest album ‘Finisterre’ to new audiences all around Europe. Get your tickets now and see you in April!”

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT
+PRIMORDIAL +MOONSORROW
12 Apr 18 Leeuwarden (NL) Neushoorn
13 Apr 18 Tilburg (NL) 013
14 Apr 18 Paris (FR) Trabendo
15 Apr 18 Brugge (BE) Entrepot
16 Apr 18 London (UK) Islington Assembly Hall
17 Apr 18 Esch-sur-Alzette (LU) Kulturfabrik
18 Apr 18 Pratteln (CH) Z7
19 Apr 18 Ludwigsburg (DE) Rockfabrik
20 Apr 18 Leipzig (DE) Hellraiser
21 Apr 18 Praha (CZ) Akropolis
22 Apr 18 Kosice (CZ) Colloseum
23 Apr 18 Budapest (HU) Barba Negra
24 Apr 18 Wien (AT) Szene
25 Apr 18 München (DE) Backstage (Halle)
26 Apr 18 Aschaffenburg (DE) Colos-Saal
27 Apr 18 Bochum (DE) Matrix
28 Apr 18 Hamburg (DE) Markthalle

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT will be touring in support of their latest album, ‘Finisterre’, which is still available in various formats via Season of Mist: http://smarturl.it/DWEFinisterre.

Please find artwork, track-list, and further information below.

1. Aufbruch (9:49)
2. Ein letzter Tanz (13:49)
3. Skepsis Part I (5:05)
4. Skepsis Part II (5:36)
5. Finisterre (11:13)

The musical puzzle that adds up to become DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT turns into something more complex – yet also clearer defined on the band’s fourth studio album, ‘Finisterre’. The original pieces are still in play: the aggressive German directness akin to ENDSTILLE and a penchant for brooding melancholy as embodied by IMPERIUM DEKADENZ. Spiralling psychedelic moments comparable to DEAFHEAVEN and WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM also find their place – as well as a knack for majestic melodies that shows parallels in Swedish black metal spearheaded by MARDUK and DARK FUNERAL.

Yet while DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT are clearly progressing along the lines laid out by their previous acclaimed effort, ‘Stellar’, the band has found a way to make these pieces fit more seamlessly. ‘Finisterre’ flows together into a coherent picture that stresses the Germans’ unique approach and sound. This album marks the point where DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT turn their various influences into a work entirely of their own expression despite never trying to cover up their roots. This impressive maturity has been reached through several stages.

Founded in 2009 by guitarist Nikita Kamprad and vocalist Tobias Jaschinsky,DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT garnered early attention with their self-released debut ‘Der Weg einer Freiheit’ (2009), which quickly sold out and was re-issued with new drum tracks a year later. Following the ‘Agonie’ EP (2011), their second album ‘Unstille’ (2012) already cored international acclaim. In the aftermath of this record, co-founding member Tobias left and main songwriter Nikita Kamprad took over his vocal duties.

The frontman was first heard on third full-length ‘Stellar’ (2015), which sawDER WEG EINER FREIHEIT gaining traction across the pond as well as expanding their European base. Having performed along such diverse acts as WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, NEAERA, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, AMENRA, CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX, and DOWNFALL OF GAIA as well as playing prestigious festivals such as Graspop, Hellfest, Resurrection, Roadburn, Summer Breeze, and Wacken has honed the band’s songwriting skills to razor-sharp precision.

‘Finisterre’ clearly stands at the apex (for now) of the steep climb that DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT have taken. This German star is finally shining in full black.

www.derwegeinerfreiheit.de
www.facebook.com/derwegeinerfreiheit

The Great Old Ones embark on tour with Gaahls Wyrd and Auðn

THE GREAT OLD ONES will kick off their tour with headliner GAAHLS WYRD and label mates AUÐN at the Matrix in Bochum, Germany tonight!

The French Lovecraftian cultists will hit the road in support of their latest album, ‘EOD – A Tale Of Dark Legacy’.

A list of all confirmed dates including festival shows can be viewed below.

GAAHLS WYRD posted a tour trailer on Facebook at the link below.
www.facebook.com/gaahlswyrd/videos/1520820757972477

THE GREAT OLD ONES
+GAAHLS WYRD +AUÐN
01 Dec 17 Bochum (DE) Matrix
02 Dec 17 Vosselaar (BE) Biebob
03 Dec 17 Paris (FR) Petit Bain
04 Dec 17 Toulouse (FR) Metronum
05 Dec 17 Madrid (ES) Chango
06 Dec 17 Barcelona (ES) Boveda
07 Dec 17 Marseille (FR) Jas Rod
08 Dec 17 Milano (IT) Circolo Svolta
09 Dec 17 Bologna (IT) Alcemica Music Club
10 Dec 17 Zürich (CH) Werk 21
12 Dec 17 München (DE) Backstage
13 Dec 17 Wroclaw (PL) Firlej
14 Dec 17 Erfurt (DE) From Hell

THE GREAT OLD ONES Festivals
15 Dec 17 Berlin (DE) Columbiahalle (De Mortem Et Diabolum)
16 Dec 17 Eindhoven (NL) Eindhoven Metal Meeting 2017

THE GREAT OLD ONES will be touring in support of ‘EOD, A Tale of Dark Legacy’. This concept album has been composed as a sequel to H. P. Lovecraft’s literary masterpiece “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” and has broken free into this world on January 27th 2017.
Artwork and track-list can be viewed below.

Track-list
1. Searching For R. Olmstead (introduction)
2. The Shadow Over Innsmouth
3. When The Stars Align
4. The Ritual
5. Wanderings
6. In Screams And Flames
7. Mare Infinitum

It is with great trepidation that I am writing these lines. Something is lurking at the stairs below and I hear its scratching shuffle coming closer. This horror began when a book arrived in a torn envelope; its sender unknown. I should have heeded the warning of its title, ‘EOD – A Tale Of Dark Legacy’, yet curiosity got the better of me and on opening its pages an unearthly music crept into my soul.

The sound of harsh strings filled the room, ripping and screaming yet strangely melodic in an eerie and twisted way. A male voice, raw and grinding was rasping words of evil into my ears. And rhythms were pounding mercilessly. I was terrified, but could not turn away from a majestic beauty haunting each track that seemed to rise from the bottomless abyss beneath the sea.

As their name implies, THE GREAT OLD ONES are heavily inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Like the sinister novels and stories of the American gothic horror icon, the music of the French act delves into the forbidden, dark, haunting, and violent spheres of art. Their forthcoming third album, ‘EOD – A Tale Of Dark Legacy’ marks another big step in the band’s fast rising career.

THE GREAT OLD ONES emerged from the old parts of the ancient Aquitanian harbour city of Bordeaux – as famed for its secrets as for its deep red wine – in the year 2009. Their first album, ‘Al Azif’ was recorded and mixed by Cyrille Gachet (YEAR OF NO LIGHT) and mastered by the renowned Alan Douches (MASTODON, TOMBS, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN). After it was let loose on an unsuspecting world in April 2012, the reactions of critics and fans were unanimously positive, which opened previously locked doors to perform alongside acts such as AURA NOIR, FORGOTTEN TOMB, NEKROMANTHEON, BORGNE, TEMPLE OF BAAL, and ISOLE to name but a few – as well as being invited to the prestigious Hellfest Open Air in France.

THE GREAT OLD ONES followed up with their second full-length ‘Tekeli-li’, which garnered even higher praise and unlocked further opportunities like a show at the acclaimed Roadburn Festival, opening for BEHEMOTH in their homeland, returning to Hellfest, and supporting SHINING in France as well as label-mates DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT across Europe.

Now the Bordelais have gone further down the path leading to insanity by unleashing their highly anticipated third album. ‘EOD – A Tale Of Dark Legacy’ keeps the promise of luring its listener deeper into darkness which each new track. Weaving a sinister yarn that constitutes a sequel of Lovecraft’s only story to be published as a book, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”.

Advanced and melodic black metal of haunting beauty with lyrics inspired by H.P. Lovecraft result in a perfect match. Just listen and you will find out what waits down there…

www.facebook.com/thegreatoldones
www.thegreatoldonesband.com