Today, Invictus Productions announces June 3rd as the international release date for Grave Infestation‘s highly anticipated debut album, Persecution of the Living, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
Formed in 2018, Grave Infestation wasted no time in making their presence in the underground felt far and wide. Recorded as a power-trio, the band’s debut demo, Infesticide, was originally self-released in late 2018 and then picked up for wider release by Invictus. On evidence of that opening 23-minute salvo, it’s not difficult to understand why: Grave Infestation wielded a gutsfucking sound that near-effortlessly synthesized every slice of darkness of death metal’s pivotal late ’80s era. Death metal diehards took notice, and then the second demo, Infestation of Rotting Death, consolidated that enviable standing, now revealing the band as a quartet.
Alas, as doom enveloped the earth, Grave Infestation was lurking in wait, brewing their full-length debut. And it arrives with the force of a nuclear payload in the form of Persecution of the Living. Reprising a couple re-recorded songs from the preceding demo, the presciently titled Persecution of the Living wastes no fucking time in getting in and absolutely flaying the listener alive. The foundation remains much the same – from the malignant tendrils Morbid Angel cast across the Tampa scene to the buzzsaw bulldoze of the contemporaneous Swedish scene, the ancient foundation of Necrovore, Repulsion, and Sadistic Intent to Carcass’ godly first two albums – but Grave Infestation exhibit a frightening clarity in their jackhammering attack. Some could call it a “clean(er)” iteration of their strident sound; others might view that cauldron with focus and finesse, as eerie melodies occasionally bubble up from the muck; but whatever tag you put on it, Persecution of the Living represents a professional-yet-powerful statement to the wider metal world. Darkness, death, DOOM: herald the grand arrival of Grave Infestation!
Witness that arrival with the brand-new track “Slaughter, Then Laughter” here:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Grave Infestation’s Persecution of the Living 1. Intro 2. The Conquest of Pestilence 3. Slaughter, then Laughter 4. Persecution of the Living 5. Can You See the Pale Horseman in the Distance 6. Plague of Crypts 7. Death of the Last Individual 8. Human Jigsaw Puzzle 9. Eternal Oblivion 10. Outro
After nearly a decade of silence, French underground black metal band HELL MILITIA have now returned with a brand new album, titled ‘Hollow Void’. The first song of the new record is now streaming at the official Season of Mist Youtube Channel. Feast your ears upon“Dust of time” here:
The band’s new full-length will be released via Season of Mist Underground Activists on March 18. Pre-orders are available HERE. Pre-save the album HERE.
The band comments: “10 years have passed since the release of ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ and the more things change, the more things stay the same. “Dust of Time” is the first song to be presented and it is a diary of all events that took place in the years that have passed since. It is a summary of bitter days, unshakable religious faith, urban filth, decay, death worship and an extremely bitter aftertaste.”
The cover artwork was created by Manuel Tinnemans // Comaworx and can be found below, together with the tracklist.
Tracklist: 1. Lifeless Light (04:21) 2. Genesis Undone (04:22) 3. Dust of Time (05:47) 4. Within the Maze (04:09) 5. Hollow Void (04:57) 6. The Highest Fall (05:18) 7. Kingdoms Scorched (04:54) 8. Veneration (04:39) 9. Corruption Rejoice (05:50) Total: 0:44:17
Ten years have eclipsed since ‘Jacob’s Ladder’, HELL MILITIA’s last studio album. Black metal has wandered into unforeseen territory and simultaneously drifted back to its roots in that span, remaining entrenched as a polarizing but no less interesting force. Its increased visibility has become the carrot dangled in front of many bands seeking wider acceptance within the underground. But has also made it easier to identify the bands who, fundamentally, will forever uphold black metal’s venerable tenets of darkness and Satanism. Therefore, it is with little surprise that HELL MILITIA have risen to the occasion with their fourth long-player, ‘Hollow Void’.
HELL MILITIA’s absence can be explained through a mix of personal and intra-band turmoil. Line-up changes included members literally disappearing to the other side of the world. Vocalist RSDX went missing in action after his life took a dark turn. Side musical projects and new life endeavours eventually put the band on hold. But when HELL MILITIA (who are completed by guitarists Arkdaemon and Saroth, bassist S. and drummer Dave Terror) regrouped in 2018 for a few selected live shows, it helped lay the foundation for what would become ‘Hollow Void’.
As is now customary, the pandemic delayed the album’s recording. The band was rehearsing in Paris when global lockdowns began. And since some members of HELL MILITIA reside outside of France in Sweden and the Netherlands, it meant they had to wait out the first wave of the pandemic to start tracking later in 2020. HELL MILITIA eventually entered Studio Saint-Loup outside of Paris in the fall of 2020 to lay down drums. Additional instruments, vocals, and mix and mastering were conducted with producer/engineer BST at BST Studios through the summer and fall of 2021. According to RSDX, the tumult of recent years, the pandemic and real life’s comings-and-goings were perfect ammunition for ‘Hollow Void’’s creation.
“The whole recording process took longer than expected, but as life took its turn straight up until the vocal recordings, the timing was exactly what it needed to be,” he says “A lot of these experiences were included in the lyrics, giving an honest reflection of what was going on. Bitter days, unshakable religious faith, death, contempt for life, urban filth and an even more bitter aftertaste turned into the toxic cocktail we called ‘Hollow Void’. Still, the pent-up energy increased to a point it just had to explode. We put all that energy back into the album. Now that everything is recorded, we await the date we can unleash this on this world. We will keep the energy at this level until it’s time we can perform it.”
The resultant effort is perhaps HELL MILITIA’s most strident effort to date. The band’s orthodox, unrelenting approach is a broadside to the black metal scene at large. Dense chord swaths, a whirling barrage of blast-beats and RSDX’s nihilistic, scathing vocals coalesce into an album that exploits the true nature of black metal: Savage, unforgiving and grim.
“We wanted to make a much more aggressive approach this time,” confirms the vocalist. “A true-to-form, punch-in-the-face comeback album. We wanted to combine the dissonant riffs of ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ with the raw and filthy sound of our first album, ‘Canonisation of the Foul Spirit’ and include some new elements. I think we succeeded in this, as it is much more raw, aggressive, yet catchy and 100 percent recognizable as HELL MILITIA.”
The events of the last few years provided no shortage of lyrical topics for RSDX. The nihilistic, unforgiving concepts heard on the band’s previous full-lengths remain very much intact, albeit coming across far more prescient in a world on a fast-track toward its own demise. However, RSDX notes that his lyrics on ‘Hollow Void’ are a combination of him looking inward as well as outward toward a world that fills him with disgust
“The lyrics are the universe of HELL MILITIA, and at times, also a diary of all events of the last couple of years,” he says. “It is a summary of bitter days, fanatic unshakable religious faith, urban filth, decay, death worship and an extremely bitter aftertaste. It has traditional Satanism and a contempt for life at its very core.”
Indeed contempt, Satanism and a total disregard for human life have been the primary thread of HELL MILITIA’s musical output since they emerged on the scene in 2001 via the ‘SPK Kommando – We Hope You DIE’ split alongside fellow French black metal holdovers Antaeus, Eternal Majesty and Deviant. The band’s lauded and influential ‘Canonisation of the Foul Spirit’ would follow four years later, establishing HELL MILITIA as one of the leading purveyors of the 2000s French black metal wave. 2010’s ‘Last Station on the Road to Death’ and 2012’s ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ followed, bringing them even closer to black metal’s true, raw spirit. As evidenced by ‘Hollow Void’, the last ten years have done little to HELL MILITIA’s approach.
“We are still the old, bitter radical individuals whose masks are off,” closes RSDX. “What the scene does is of no concern or interest to us. We are in contact with bands and individuals we respect. The rest of the world can keep their watered down, non-ideological form of black metal. Black metal to us means the same as it did when the band was founded: A vessel of strong expression in music and ideology with unshakable faith at its very core. If a band doesn’t have that, it’s not black metal. I may approach life differently now that I’m in my 40s than when I was in my 20s, but the attitude and radical stand on what black metal should be has not changed.”
Today, Primitive Reaction announces September 24h as the international release date for the highly anticipated third album of Finland’s Azazel, Aegrus Satanas Tecum.
Formed in that fateful year of 1992, Azazel are among the first black metal bands to hail from Finland – and undoubtedly, one of the most cult. The band released a demo in 1993 and a mini-album in ’96, but then receded into the shadows and misery for many years. Following a split album in 2011, however, the black flame of Azazel was burning brightly once again, resulting in the full-lengths Jesus Perversions (2012) and Witches Deny Holy Trinity (2015). And while it would seem that the shadows of misery ensnared the band again, some demons never die…
Now, at long last, those shadows recede and reveal Azazel‘s long-awaited third album, Aegrus Satanas Tecum. Immediately and righteously recognizable as Azazel, Aegrus Satanas Tecum is a unique record in that it bridges all the band’s eras whilst opening new portals into the black beyond. Here, one will find the near-bestial filth & fury of Jesus Perversions alongside the more haunting and even stately sensations of Witches Deny Holy Trinity. But, like anything in Azazel‘s wild & weird world, ramshackle insanity runs riot – and often – and thus is a variety of songcraft employed to mangle the mind and ruin the spirit. And yet, the finesse with which Azazel accomplish this, playing something “primitive” but in clear & cutting fashion (and vice versa), bespeaks some strange magick on the band’s part and lends even more staying power to their ever-uncompromising sound. Above all, Aegrus Satanas Tecum is an album that’s equally early ’90s as it is NOW: Azazel are more undead than ever.
“Accomplished”? Perhaps? Ancient? Always. Azazel may be predictably unpredictable, but Aegrus Satanas Tecum proves that their twisting saga is far from over…
Hear for yourself with the brand-new track “Demons Attack the Nun’s Chapel” here:
Cover artwork, courtesy of the legendary Chris Moyen, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Azazel (Finland)’s Aegrum Satanas Tecum 1. Invocation (Hail the Ancient Ones) 2. Jesus Christ Impotent Rotting Saviour 3. Welcome to Church Bizarre 4. I Worship Him 5. Demons Attack the Nun’s Chapel (Aegrum Satanas Tecum) 6. Incubus Rises Again 7. Succubus, My Infernal Vampire Spirit 8. In Nomine Dei Nostri Satanas
Those fine folks at Season of Mist Records decided to stream the full Withered album “Verloren” that is released tomorrow, June 25th today. YUSSS! For those of you who don’t know S.O.M. don’t really sign many US BM bands so you know Withered have got to be good to the green light from these guys. The record sounds Huge great production and lots of twists and turns in the song writing to keep you on your toes (You know what I am talking about)
Check out the full album here:
WITHERED vocalist/guitarist Mike Thompson and artist Paul Romano recently gave a behind-the-scenes look and in-depth interview on the creation of the unique album artwork. The detailed article, which is accompanied by an exclusive video clip and photos, can be viewed HERE. Further details for ‘Verloren’ can be found below.
Tracklist 1. By Tooth In Tongue (8:22) 2. The Predation (6:55) 3. Dissolve (4:33) 4. Casting In Wait (5:29) 5. Passing Through… (2:37) 6. …The Long Hurt (3:55) 7. Verloren (4:29) 8. From Ashen Shores (8:21) Total: 44:41
From its inception, WITHERED has been an outlier, a perplexing charge of extremity which the metal scene has never been able to put its finger on.
“We want to compound new elements into every album,” posits guitarist/vocalist Mike Thompson, “and we’re definitely a band for metal nerds. Our audience seems to be the old-schoolers who are absorbed by this stuff every day and jaded folks of a certain age. Industry types and peers tend to get it, but that’s about it.”
Thompson’s self deprecating assessment of his creative output might be part gentlemanly humility talking or a harshly realistic take on WITHERED’s cult status, or somewhere in between, but with an impressive body of work fanned out over the course of 18 years and five albums which have weathered as many trends, the Atlanta quartet continues to confound and refuses to compromise. New album, Verloren is the band’s most daring and iconoclastic work yet, one that spits in the eye of complacency and exists as a contrarian masterstroke.
Originally formed by Thompson and ex-guitarist/vocalist Chris Freeman in 2003 following a spell in local grind institution Social Infestation (alongside Mastodon’s Troy Sanders), WITHERED’s initial goal was to re-write black, doom and death metal modes and mores. To that end, the band has achieved that goal as their sound and aesthetic refuses to clearly state which subgenre they call home. Over the course of its history, WITHERED has generated more questions than answers about who they are and what they do. They’ve toured with the varied likes of Mastodon, High on Fire, Dismember, Grave, Vital Remains, Possessed, Watain, Mayhem, 1349, Krallice, Skeletonwitch and Danzig. Their live show provides an air of never-know-what-you’re-gonna-get mystery. See them on one occasion and it’s a DIY kick in the gut with stripped down, rehearsal room bareness appropriately complementing the lunacy. The next time they get in the van they’ll do so accompanied by rigged up columns of light cloaking the stage in bloody reds and searing whites. And with Verloren, the band’s forthcoming fifth album, Thompson and his band mates – drummer Beau Brandon, bassist Rafay Nabeel and fellow guitarist/vocalist Dan Caycedo – continue to nudge both thematic and sonic goalposts by providing relatable food for thought while retaining the adversarial fire that has powered the engine since the start.
“There’s a philosophical introspective approach to the subject matter that informs our writing style. We’re trying to create an atmosphere that complements the themes and that’s something we’re trying to circle back around to on Verloren.”
WITHERED’s first album, 2005’s Memento Mori, generally speaking, tackled the subject of mortality and the grieving process that follows significant loss, trauma and tragedy. Album number two, 2008’s Folie Circulaire was, as Thompson describes, “more existentialist, nihilistic and Nietzsche-ian” while 2010’s Dualities was an exploration of Jungian psychology and the shadow self. As alluded to in the title, 2016’s Grief Relic started into the U-turn back towards the exploration of the role and impact of grief as the men of WITHERED themselves entered that stage of life in which older family members, friends and childhood heroes were passing away, expectedly and otherwise. Five years on, Verloren rounds out the turn with a sinister sound and an area of study more akin to a deep therapy/counseling session instead of the usual gore and lore that often emboldens extreme music.
“Rafay wanted to use the theme of ‘missing’,” explains Thompson, “which was broad and abstract, so I dialed it down to be more about this outlook I’ve developed over the years about how each of us have a ‘Love Well.’ Every bit of love you get from your parents, your upbringing and your learning how to receive and experience love in relationships and through experiences contributes to the well. Your traumas counterbalance that and take away from it, especially when foundational core elements take a hit, like the untimely loss of a parent. That’s one of life’s unique puzzle pieces and when that piece is removed it’s never going to be replaced.
“We’re equipped with a certain capacity – our wells are filled to a certain level – and when you start getting smacked with traumas, whatever you have in that well – your defense mechanisms – can get worn down pretty quickly, especially for someone who has never really known love because of a broken home, difficult relationships or whatever. Each one of us in WITHERED carry unique traumas that we’ve focused this new record on. For me, most of my significant losses are from older wounds that I’ve dealt with through WITHERED from the very beginning, but with this being the first album with Dan and Rafay, it’s like a new exercise for them to really focus on the things they’ve been carrying around.”
Verloren translates to “missing” from German and relates not just to the friends, family and pieces of the member’s lives and hearts that have, and will go, missing as the time ticks on unfettered, but also, in the face of the global pandemic, just how much the activity of being in a band has been missed by everyone who took the write/record/tour cycle for granted. Verloren demonstrates a topical uniqueness; one that discusses the stuff everyone from the steeliest of black metal cape wearers to the gore-obsessed death metal crushers and everyone playing in a band or not has had to – or will have to – confront at some point. By leveling the elitist playing field so often found in extreme metal underground attitudes, Verloren offers a more holistic experience, elevating WITHERED by being unafraid to discuss topics that fly in the face of what most would connect to the sounds they make.
“About two years before I started WITHERED,” Thompson recalls, “I went through a series of traumas where I was forced to take stock of and define my foundational ‘puzzle pieces’ that could be taken away and what the trauma and grief is going to look like when I lose close family and/or friends I truly care about. Ironically, one I didn’t face until recently was WITHERED. No one ever thought that not being able to play shows or tour because of a pandemic was even feasible. I processed the idea of losing WITHERED and playing music and touring and everything else around the time of Grief Relic when two guys quit the band and I lost a lot of steam and inspiration. Luckily, Beau was there to kick my ass and shake me out of it. When it comes to this album, there was an initial suffering of anxiety because of the uncertainty in the world and the fear of losing this album because we put a lot into it, are super proud of it and it is the best WITHERED album yet. It’s important for my inspiration and motivation to go forward. It takes so much effort for us to create a record, the thought of it for it to all be for naught or potentially be wasted just destroys me.
“Surprisingly, we haven’t had a lot of push back on these themes, though I would love to take on that conflict!” he laughs. “For most people, metal is purely aesthetic, a grandstanding ‘f-you!’ to society and an adolescent rebellion kind of thing. But at the same time, we do get positive feedback from the people who have looked a bit deeper and done some research. We just want to be honest. We used to make the joke when we go out on tour, especially in the early days when deathcore was all the rage and we’d be on these weird package bills, that ‘Hey, we’re WITHERED and we’re here to bum you out.’ We’re not a party band or a shock band so you don’t get the fun aspect from us when going to a show. I’ve always been frustrated that we’ve never been able to communicate our super-realism and the different perspectives of life. If I want to sing about how much gratitude I have for my mother in a roundabout way, then whatever, we’ll do it!”
As WITHERED enters its third decade, they’ve drawn a more insular and conclusive line in the sand. The band has forged further forward with the process of eschewing typicality, including not utilizing any of the usual producer suspects to help sculpt Verloren. Instead, they flew the flag of independence by again going down the route of self-production with Thompson himself taking the bull by its horns.
“We get a little bit more deliberate every time around and starting with Grief Relic we decided not to hire anyone to help produce and filter it through a particular lens. We started self-producing and I kind of took the reins on that last time and more so this time and also when it came to selecting who was going to engineer [Raheen Amlani at Orange Peel Recordings], then mix [Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios] and master it [Jarrett Pritchard]. The trick is to find someone who loves Times of Grace as much as they love Clandestine and His Hero is Gone, Napalm Death and all the way out to later Enslaved and can balance all those things. If it’s truly honest and truly communicating the intention of a song, then it’ll be powerful, heavy and generate emotion.”
Verloren also revisits WITHERED’s traditional methodological step of sitting down and looking at the present state of metal before consciously lashing out against what’s taking up most of the broader public’s attention.
“We’re constantly looking for something new to do. We love genre bending and putting D-beats next to funereal riffs next to black metal blasts and heavy doom riffs and figuring out how to make it all work and make sense with whatever vibe we’re trying to nail down. For this one, I wanted to lean back into the funereal doom world. I got burnt out when doom – especially southern doom, being a southern band – was the word of the day around the time of our first two records. We basically ran in the other direction and got away from doing any full-on doom parts for a while. I wanted to come back around to that, so we went back to bigger stuff like My Dying Bride for the couple of eight minute epics on the album [album opener “By Tooth in Tongue” and closer “From Ashen Shores”]. Also, for the first time in my life and against my better judgment, I decided to write clean vocals and I’m singing on two songs. They’re kind of buried in the mix a little bit because I’m still self-conscious about them, but they were the only things that made sense for the parts we wrote. I tried to fight it, but nothing extreme was accomplishing the goal. On top of that, we go the other way where three of the songs have some super crusty and grind elements. Part of why I asked Dan to join the band was because I knew he would get the sludgy, crusty side of things and help me cultivate that better in WITHERED. On the album, ‘The Predation,’ ‘Dissolve’ and ‘Casting in Wait’ are his. Those would be the twists on this album because we’re always trying to write what we think is missing and what we want to hear in heavy music after sitting down and looking at the landscape of what’s out there.”
And despite being deliberate oppositional in the subject matter they choose to explore and express, how much of their hearts and souls they choose to strip bare for fickle crowds and grind against whatever current musical grain the rest are cruising along, the determination, seriousness and importance of WITHERED in each member’s lives hasn’t ebbed. In fact, it’s only been magnified with time and circumstance. Having been forced into a year off from normal band life has made it clear how vital WITHERED is for everything from creative expression, social networking, wanderlust, overall personal sanity and moving forward.
“Personally, I’m very, very fortunate with regards to my family and others being supportive and taking what I do seriously. Looking back, I could be really selfish and headstrong about music. My family got so used to it that they would volunteer to schedule dinners and family events around rehearsals and practice because they were able to glean how important this was to me and how seriously I took it. Even moving out into the real world with the professional realm of things and the jobs that we have had in order to keep this going, I’d say it’s taken more seriously now than ever. We’re constantly challenging ourselves to progress and carve our own path. WITHERED is a permanent part of my life, it’s what I expect to be there. I’ve built so much on it and I’ve somehow been able to weave it into my life to where it’s a defining part of me as well. This isn’t rock star fantasy camp, although the other weekend I was bored, missing travelling and sitting around so I took the band van out and just drove out for three hours, turned around and came home!”
Guest Musicians: Ethan McCarthy (Primitive Man) on “Passing through…” which is a noise track done under his “Many Blessings” nomenclature using field recordings Mike Thompson made at a family funeral.
THY DARKENED SHADE • AMESTIGON • INCONCESSUS LUX LUCIS • SHAARIMOTH A four-way collaborative album comprised of 15 songs of stygian devotion, spanning over 90 minutes of music. Executed by four of the most uncompromising and zealous bands.
“We are The Murderer’s black seed, eternally. A conjoined working to receive further blessing of the Sinister Gods.”
After years of blood, sweat, and sacrifice, W.T.C. Productions is proud to announce the release of SamaeLilith: A Conjunction of The Fireborn, set for international release on June 30th on double-CD and double-LP vinyl formats. This is a conceptual split release, with each band focused on venerating a different aspect of The Bloodline of Fire, culminating in a recording that works as a cohesive whole, even greater than the sum of its individual parts.
These are four sonically very different bands, each pushing the limits of what is known and expected of their art, whilst still honoring tradition. However, there is a common thread that ties this seamlessly together. This is particularly apparent when reading the lyrics – since despite being written independently, the language used throughout is cohesive in the strange and unusual choice of vernacular. It is almost as if the words were penned by a single unseen hand.
SamaeLilith is the outcome of an unyielding and timeless fervor that dwells deep within the hearts of all artists involved. Indeed, it is this very same shared formless essence from where this work derives, manifesting itself as a veritable and blessed poison – A Conjunction of The Fireborn.
To complete this work, Vamperess Imperium has created a magnificent piece of art to adorn the cover of the album, a striking piece of artwork to give visual representation for each of the four sides of music and their respective holy currents, as well as a lavish layout design to unite the words and music contained within.
SamaeLilith: A Conjunction of The Fireborn was recorded between 2007 and 2020, but even though the split has been in the works for quite some time and the obstacles along the way have been numerous, this release has been definitely worth the wait.
In the meantime, hear a sample track from each band here:
Aforementioned cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for SamaeLilith: A Conjunction of the Fireborn 1. Thy Darkened Shade – Murderer’s Black Seed 2. Thy Darkened Shade – Undead Lineage 3. Thy Darkened Shade – Daathian Reveries and Gamaliel Revelations 4. Thy Darkened Shade – Return of the Ancient Ones 5. Amestigon – The Slant Serpent 6. Amestigon – Maelstrom Into The Lower Octave 7. Amestigon – The Tortuous Serpent 8. Inconcessus Lux Lucis – Phantoms from the Land of Nod 9. Inconcessus Lux Lucis – The Osseous Gulf 10. Inconcessus Lux Lucis – Sabbatical Thaumaturgy 11. Inconcessus Lux Lucis – Liminal Terror (The Witch’s Curse) 12. Inconcessus Lux Lucis – Into Feral Fumes of Sanctification 13. Shaarimoth – From The Gates Of Death 14. Shaarimoth – Flows The Blood Of Retribution 15. Shaarimoth – And Salvation Everlasting
This week we spoke to Serge from Automb – 2020 – 2021 has been a weird time for all of us but as some of us imploded through the shut downs or too much food and booze others of us kept busy and creative during the down time, Serge from Automb is one of those – starting a side project called Selfgod – here is our first interview with him on Selfgod. New music for us to check out to come soon
Life’s been very hard and weird for me through the pandemic. Probably the worst year of my life
How have you been holding up during this crazy pandemic?
Life’s been very hard and weird for me through the pandemic. Probably the worst year of my life. Due to health issues last year (non covid) and of course the darkness of the pandemic and lock downs. Cancelling tours etc.
I would say this is the best material I’ve ever written.
I have heard one demo from Self God what can we expect for the album? The debut Selfgod album will feature material I wrote for Necrophagia and Automb. A good combination of Black and Death Metal. More emphasis on the death metal. A lot more catchy riffs and more symphonic elements. I would say this is the best material I’ve ever written.
How did you come up with the name Self God? It was very hard to come up with a name that wasn’t taken. Everything I thought of was already a band. I came up with the title Selbtsgott in German for an Automb song which translates to “Selfgod”. It represents the whole Pagan vibe I was trying to go for and there was another band with that name but it wasn’t very big and wasn’t active so I figured I can take that name.
Musically is the band going to be a drastic departure from Automb or just an extension of that band? Probably an extension with more flavors so to speak. I was going to use this material for the 3rd Automb album originally.
Lyrically what are the themes for self god going to be about? More paganism stuff or self empowering stuff or? Lyrically it’s mostly about Slavic paganism, self spiritually and just about the pagan age in Europe. Still have some lyrics to finish. But that’s what I got so far.
I follow mostly Slavic Paganism since I’m Slavic and I’m from Ukraine
Speaking of Paganism what path do you follow? I follow mostly Slavic Paganism since I’m Slavic and I’m from Ukraine and I also follow my own path which is a mixture of everything.
Gear wise do you plan on using any different gear from your Automb days? Gear wise it’s gonna be all completely different. I recently became endorsed by Dean guitars so I’m going to be using strictly deans. Also I got an endorsement from a very well known amp company. Can’t say yet who it is since there hasn’t been an announcement but ya I won’t be using my old amp rig again. Very excited to use this new gear
What can we expect next from Self God? You can expect a total Blackened Death metal sonic pagan assault
Any final words? I want to thank all the fans who supported me in Necrophagia and Automb. You’re support is everything to me and without you I wouldn’t be anywhere but my bedroom. So thank you all so much! Stay positive and stay metal. Also huge thanks to Alex from Brudders. Cheers.
Today, Swedish thrash cult Insane premiere the new track “At Dawn They Die”. The track is the third to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Victims, set for international release on April 30th via Dying Victims Productions. Hear Insane‘s “At Dawn They Die” in its entirety here:
For over a decade now, Sweden’s Insane have inconspicuously built a catalog of dark ‘n’ dirty thrash metal worth reckoning. That they’ve gone largely unnoticed by all but diehard thrashers is a crime, and attributable more to the sheer abundance of metallic options still coming out of their homeland rather than any lack of quality. In fact, across Insane’s two EPs, three demos, one split, one compilation, and especially 2017’s Evil debut album, one will be hard pressed to find a more strident iteration of ripping ancient thrash.
And Insane continue sticking to their (strident, ripping) guns with their second full-length, Victims. Lyrically focused on the dark world of Swedish murderers, Victims indeed evokes a darker aspect than the already-dark Evil predecessor; the harmonic dual-guitar action sends well-timed shivers down the listener’s spine. But just like that preceding LP, here do Insane show their mastery of epic songcraft, as the majority of the tracks again top five minutes whilst exhibiting that exhilarating rush so crucial to thrash, winding along wildly and ever so slightly touching upon more “tech” textures. If anything, the band engage and challenge in equal measure here, feeding manna to musos and rivetheads alike. Likewise, their iteration of thrash is a multilingual one, varyingly nodding to classic Canadian and German tropes and especially those that have been budding in the wider Scandinavian region more recently and also more “back in the day.”
A unique aspect to Insane that the quartet continue on Victims is the full-bodied, almost rock ‘n’ roll-ish production: warmly analog but not faked, gritty and dirty but never belabored, and thankfully, nothing ear-piercingly overdriven like so much pizza thrash. Essentially, Victims is for those who like their thrash dank and pure and, above all, well-crafted.
If thrash as a whole has its waves of popularity/oversaturation, depending on the year, Insane remain resolute as perpendicular maverick ready to challenge the passé and played-out. If you’re ready for their bandwagon to start rolling, become one of their Victims NOW!
Jump on that bandwagon with the previously revealed “The Sword” exclusively HERE, courtesy of Zero Tolerance magazine, and the previously revealed “Sinister Night” exclusively HERE, courtesy of Deaf Forever magazine. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Insane (Sweden)’s Victims 1. Maximum Force 2. The Sword 3. Cruel Command 4. The Theme (Victims) 5. Sinister Night 6. At Dawn They Die 7. Sanitarium 8. Skullcrusher 9. Oblivious Void 10. Tormented Breath
Today, Helter Skelter Productions (distributed & marketed by Regain Records) announces June 22nd as the international release date for Lord Mortvm’s striking debut album, Diabolical Omen of Hell, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
Hailing from Norway, Lord Mortvm is a mysterious new entity that plays unapologetically dark, drugged-out, and Satanic black-DOOM. The band’s debut album, Diabolical Omen of Hell is aptly titled, for it is indeed both totem and portal, journey and also destination. This beginning is your END.
Over Diabolical Omen of Hell’s 40-minute runtime, many moods and nuances become apparent as the album rides inexorably through that atmospheric vastness. The Lord is very experienced and a master of his craft; not a moment is wasted, and each note is carefully placed and assembled for maximum impact and invites the deepest contemplation. Yes, these are songs for thinkers, whether they are catalysts for internal introspection or external philosophical reflections. They are almost phrases, and they are delivered holistically to sculpt not just a collection of songs, but an immersive proof of an entire album, ebbing and flowing and taking us through the cerebral seas of misery and death.
“I’m not going to apologize for what you’re about to hear,” says the selfsame mainman of Lord Mortvm, “you’ve already been warned. All that’s left now is to wallow in this high-quality expression of tribulation and torment, and try to pick up the pieces…all hope is gone.”
Hope for the sweet salvation of the deliverance of death, then, and be swallowed by the black (w)hole of Lord Mortvm’s Diabolical Omen of Hell!
Get swallowed (w)hole by streaming the album in its entirety here:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Lord Mortvm’s Diabolical Omen of Hell 1. Altar Obscene [7:34] 2. Devil Doll [3:44] 3. Omega XII [7:17] 4. Children of Haze [5:29] 5. Sodomizing with Satan [6:22] 6. Merciful Lord [10:06]
Blackened Industrial doom machine CULTED are now streaming the second track of their new full-length album ‘Nous’. The new offering will be released on February 26, 2021 and the song ‘Black Bird’ can now be viewed in the form of a music video here:
The band comments on the video: “‘Black Bird’ is about enduring the hardships of existence with a core that’s been forged by fire,” says the band. “Culted sift through the psychological noise of existentialism with a sound that hints at merging the primal essence of two iconic albums, namely, Darkthrone’s ‘Panzerfaust’ and SWANS’ ‘The Great Annihilator.’ Culted, as both individuals and collective, symbolically sacrifice the ego to experience rebirth, and from those ashes arise with ‘Black Bird’.”
CULTED have previously revealed the artwork and album details for ‘Nous’ which can both be viewed below.
Track List: 1: Lowest Class [7:47] 2: Lifers [4:59] 3: One Last Smoke [4:45] 4: Ankle Deep [5:29] 5: Black Bird [5:28] 6: Opiate the Hounds [4:14] 7: Maze [8:07] 8: Crown of Lies [6:40] 9: The Grid [7:36] 10: Crush My Soul (Godflesh cover) [8:41] Total: 63:00
From the icy expanse of the Canadian prairies to the Nordic coast of Sweden, industrial blackened doom collective CULTED have long been innovators of creating music remotely, transcending both literal and metaphorical boundaries for over a decade. Michael Klassen and Matthew Friesen were first approached by Daniel Jansson to collaborate on an international project and come 2008, these ideas began to coalesce, with fellow Canadian Kevin Stevenson joining the cult. The band soon recorded and unveiled their first LP, Below the Thunders of the Upper Deep (2009), as well as the EP Of Death and Ritual (2010.)
In 2013, sophomore full-length Oblique to All Paths was released upon being written, recorded, and produced in various closets, basements, dens, and domiciles. After forming a union with Season of Mist, CULTED continued their down-tempo exploration of blackened and industrial soundscapes with 2019’s mini-album, Vespertina Synaxis; A Prayer for Union and Emptiness, which was inspired by the isolation, alienation, and damnation that dominates the rime-encrusted lands CULTED inhabit. Now, the band is ready to unleash their most devastating and personal opus yet, Nous.
Nous was born in turmoil after members of the band endured a period of extreme personal experiences, both psychological and physical. The creation process was informed by disease, death, and the resulting existential crises. Instead of predetermining the direction CULTED would take with their third full-length, the band allowed the music to speak for itself as it came together organically. Nous was a result of its creators attempting to destroy or ignore the egoic (that chatter and everything outside of pure consciousness that attempts to sabotage you of peace and rob you of the moment) and instead, opening themselves up to the unidentifiable and nameless muse of sound.
CULTED further explores their relationship with doom, black metal, and industrial on yet another experimental effort in which the band’s collective agony is translated into something both nihilistic and tangible through dissonant soundscapes. Each song is a nightmare in the abyss, dragging the listener through caverns of inexplicable darkness and suffering.
Exemplifying the themes, meditations, and diatribes of the human condition, Nous, which roughly translates to “common sense” or “practical intelligence,” explores both the religious and conspiratorial processes of the mind within the framework of critical thought. According to biblical scripture, Satan convinced Eve that the most powerful of conspirators – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – were secretly trying to keep the first humans shrouded in a veil of ignorance, preventing them from becoming “like God” and “knowing good and evil.” Eve became the first in a long line, from Gnostics to flat-earthers, to believe powerful forces were withholding secret information. Nous attempts to know God or the inner essence or principles of created things by means of direct perception. Nous must be carefully distinguished from reason as it does not formulate abstract concepts or argue them using deductive reasoning, but rather, it understands divine truth by means of immediate experience. Thelema of the gods.
To further solidify these introspective concepts, the cover art is an interpretation of the Temptation of St. Anthony who was one of the first monks to retire to the desert to devote himself to fasting and prayer, which is an often-repeated subject in the history of art and literature, especially concerning the supernatural temptation reportedly faced by Saint Anthony during his sojourn in the Egyptian desert. The art encapsulates both the music and lyrical concept, visually.
CULTED is now inviting you to open your mind, abandon your religion, and to join the cult on this existential and devastating journey.
Lineup: Matthew Friesen – guitar, bass, keyboards, noise and percussion Michael Klassen – guitar, bass keyboards, noise and percussion Kevin Stevenson – drums and percussion Daniel Jansson – Vocals and noise
Greek metal masters NIGHTFALL are now unleashing the first track of their brand new opus ‘At Night We Prey’. The new offering is set for release on March 05, 2021. ‘Darkness Forever’ can now be viewed here:
The new album is now available for pre-orders HERE.
Vocalist Efthimis comments on the track: “This song was originally inspired by Isaac Asimov’s nouvelle Nightfall. It is called ‘Darkness Forever’ because of its analogy to what one experiences when in deep depression. Hope seems to be nowhere near and help from others is never enough to bridge the gap between shattered psyche and real world. Incapacity to communicate this harsh condition, to explain what all is about, is suffocating. And as all beings struggling to breathe, reactions are neurotic and violent.”
NIGHTFALL have previously announced new European tour dates together with Draconian in March 2021! A full list of confirmed shows can be found below.
NIGHTFALL +Draconian 11 Mar 21 Warsaw (PL) Hydrozagadka 12 Mar 21 Gdansk (PL) Drizzly Grizzly 13 Mar 21 Berlin (DE) Nuke 14 Mar 21 Leipzig (DE) Hellraiser 15 Mar 21 Prague (CZ) Black Pes 16 Mar 21 Regensburg (DE) Eventhall Airport 17 Mar 21 Mannheim (DE) MS Connexion Complex 18 Mar 21 Dortmund (DE) Junkyard 19 Mar 21 Hamburg (DE) Kronensaal 20 Mar 21 Enschede (NL) Metropool 21 Mar 21 Rotterdam (NL) Baroeg 22 Mar 21 Antwerpen (BE) Zappa 23 Mar 21 Rennes (FR) Ubu 24 Mar 21 Paris (FR) Petit Bain 25 Mar 21 Wetzikon (CH) Hall of Fame 26 Mar 21 Paderno (IT) Slaughter Club 27 Mar 21 San Donà di Piave (IT) Revolver 28 Mar 21 Vienna (AT) Viper Room NIGHTFALL have furthermore revealed the cover artwork and album details of ‘At Night We Prey’.
Track-list 1. She Loved the Twilight 2. Killing Moon 3. Darkness Forever 4. Witches 5. Giants of Anger 6. Temenos 7. Meteor Gods 8. Martyrs of the Cult of the Dead (Agita) 9. At Night We Prey 10. Wolves in Thy Head Total: 46:10
It has been seven long years since the world was last blessed with new music from the melodic blackened death metal stalwarts of NIGHTFALL. While the band has been absent from the scene since the release of 2013’s Cassiopeia, their legacy has not been forgotten. Comprising the holy trinity of Greek metal – along with ROTTING CHRIST and SEPTICFLESH – NIGHTFALL was the first extreme act in the country to sign an international deal, introducing the world to the burgeoning Mediterranean scene in the early 90s. Now, the band is plotting a triumphant return with At Night We Prey, the darkest and latest chapter of NIGHTFALL’s already storied career.
During the first decade of NIGHTFALL’s lifespan, the band headlined stages across Europe. Thereafter, went on to dominate international festivals such as Brutal Assault, Sonisphere, and Wacken, the latter of which the band solidified their legacy as the first ever Greek band to earn an envied spot at the renowned festival. The band eventually made the decision to switch to a studio act before they went completely silent. When reflecting upon the sudden disappearance after a steady rise from the underground, vocalist and founding member Efthimis Karadimas explained that it was due to an all too familiar beast – depression. “It’s because of depression that kicked in as early as mid-00s. I can write for hours and get into details about stuff gone wrong or mistreated situations, but the basis of all discouragement to move on has been depression and the effort required to get over it.” Despite the dark days, Karadimas did not abandon music entirely, moving on to form THE SLAYERKING, a gothic doom metal band that has released two agonizing full-length records between 2016-2019.
Alas, the abrupt departure of the band was not the final “goodbye” as NIGHTFALL has been reinvigorated with a new lineup and coveted deal with Season of Mist. Karadimas has reunited with original NIGHTFALL guitarist Mike Galiatsos, who helped define the band’s sound during the early years. With the addition of drummer and producer Fotis Benardo (ex-SEPTICFLESH) as well as guitarist Kostas Kyriakopoulos (THE SLAYERKING), the band is finally ready to release the tenth studio album At Night We Prey. In addition to the long-awaited new music, Season of Mist will also be re-issuing the band’s original albums that were produced by Holy Records back in the 90s. This is not the only news the band has to share as NIGHTFALL has also vowed to finally perform again. “We are gonna play these live, including stuff never played live before,” says Karadimas.
‘At Night We Pre’y is a very dark and personal effort, tackling the topic of Karadimas’s battle with depression. “A beast I have experienced its teeth deep into my soul, I decided to come out and share that experience with metalheads,” Karadimas laments. “This is the least I can offer now to the big fight against depression. If we do not stop this, it will eat us all alive. Share your pain, speak openly about it. This is the only way to kill the demons in your mind.”
