Steve Bruder Des Lichts

ATRONOS set release date for new PURITY THROUGH FIRE album, reveal first track – features members of MAVORIM, EISENKULT, AD MORTEM, DRUDENSANG+++

Today, Purity Through Fire announces December 21st as the international release date for Atronos‘ second album, Erwachen, on CD, A5 digipack, and vinyl LP formats.

It was but the autumn of last year when Atronos released their celebrated debut album, Fehde, through the stronghold of Purity Through Fire. Despite the seeming newness of the band, Atronos felt like old souls, and for good reason: mainman Henker is a prolific underground veteran whose current bands include labelmates Ad Mortem as well as Drudensang and Blodskut. Joining him was erstwhile Mavorim / Eisenkult vocalist Baptist, and together they made Fehde an utterly invigorating attack of folkish black metal fury. Earworming to the Nth degree, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more powerful and professional iteration of modern roots-oriented German black metal than Atronos‘ debut album.

Keeping their swords aloft, Atronos return to the fray with an even-more-massive second album. Aptly titled Erwachen, Atronos‘ second full-length is an expansive, skyscraping clarion call to all pagan souls. Not for nothing is the final track titled “Transformation,” for while the trio (Eisenkult drummer Valfor has joined the lineup) retain the melancholic / heroic melodicism of Fehde, Erwachen embarks upon an altogether-more-epic journey into classic ’90s-rooted pagan black metal. Thus do such touchstones as Windir, Thyrfing, and Norway’s Hades get integrated into Atronos‘ staunchly Teutonic foundation, but spit back out as a literally MASSIVE landscape of triumph and tragedy, endless forests and even-more-endless dreams. The layering of synth choirs is especially key here; with the more measured gait Atronos move at on Erwachen, so do the fog-thick swells of sound take their time to absorb the listener into their forgotten realms. As such, it’s not surprising that the album comprises five songs in 41 minutes: the ideal makeup for maximum immersion. But lest one think that the trio are totally committed to taking their (epic) time, Henker and crew can still rabble-rouse with the best of their German brethren – but the final destination here is the throne of the old gods rather than the beer hall. Witness the glorious splendor of Atronos‘ Erwachen!

Awaken with the brand-new track “Was uns so schrecklich hasst” here:

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Atronos’ Erwachen
1. Was uns so schrecklich hasst [6:36]
2. Alles geht dahin [5:51]
3. Tobsucht [8:01]
4. Erwache [11:02]
5. Transformation [8:47]

MORE INFO:
www.atronos.bandcamp.com

Greece’s SAD set release date for new PURITY THROUGH FIRE album, reveal first track

Today, Purity Through Fire announces December 23rd as the international release date for the highly anticipated eighth album of Greece’s Sad, Black Metal Craft, on CD, A5 digipack, and vinyl LP formats.

Since 2005, Greece’s Sad have been a madly prolific bastion of pure ‘n’ cold black metal. Their canon is vast and varied – VERY relatively so, given that this is all-caps BLACK METAL after all – with the longstanding duo of instrumentalist Ungod and vocalist Nadir exploring the darkest corridors of their souls every step of the way. They’ve did so across a half-dozen albums for such esteemed labels as Drakkar, Obscure Abhorrence, and Old Temple among others as well as a dozen splits, but then joined forces with Purity Through Fire in 2020 for the release of their seventh album, Misty Breath of Ancient Forests.

Indeed, that album was aptly titled, for it saw Sad delivering their most ancient work in many moons. But the Greek duo are ever surprising, and nearly four years later do they emerge from the shadows with the fully-fuck-off Black Metal Craft. It’s no accident that the album is titled such, as it reasserts the purity at the very heart of the Sad aesthetic and strips it to the fucking bone with ghoulish violence. Raw and rippling, here Sad somehow inject the melancholic melodicism of its Misty predecessor and then stir the maelstrom to a swirling boil, remaining hypnotic and locked-in whilst managing to gallop forth from time to time in a manner most regal. Put another way, Black Metal Craft could serve as a love letter to the late ’90s heyday of Sombre Records or the aforementioned Drakkar, so old & cold its aesthetic (and, again, unapologetic its title). Purity Through Fire is thus the most fitting stronghold for Sad‘s eternal black metal craft!

In the meantime, hear the brand-new title track “Black Metal Craft” here:

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Sad (Greece)’s Black Metal Craft
1. Black Metal Craft
2. Crimson Haze
3. Believe In Evil
4. Catacombs Of Thoughts
5. Sickening Euphoria
6. The Fortune Teller
7. Blissful Horizon
8. Winds of Grief

HINSIDES premiere new track – features members of ULTRA SILVAM

Today, Swedish black metallers Hinsides premiere the new track “Hinsides hörs djävulsklockans urklang”. The track is the third to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Hinsides hörs djävulsklockans urklang, set for international release on December 15th via Shadow Records (distributed & marketed by Regain Records). Hear Hinsides‘ title track “Hinsides hörs djävulsklockans urklang” in its entirety here:

Released during the summer of 2021, Hinsides‘ Under Betlehems brinnande stjärna debut LP was a firestorm of freezing filth. Undeniably necrotic as per the earliest birth-pangs of Scandinavian black metal, peer within that piercing sound and you will have found a wealth of fascinating and fearless twists to ancient black metal tropes. Here, Hinsides revealed themselves to be more melodic and magisterial than they hinted at on their earlier split with comrades Monstraat, but nevertheless kept the attack fucking FERAL and utterly unreal in sum effect. Perhaps all this was unsurprising given that the band is the sole work of M.A. from the esteemed Ultra Silvam…but either way, a new (and harrowing) horde worth reckoning had arrived with acidic aplomb.

Now Hinsides return with an even-stronger (and -stranger) work in Hinsides hörs djävulsklockans urklang. The band’s second full-length titularly translates to “From beyond the ancient chime of the devil bell is heard,” and a more apt approximation of Hinsides‘ ever-expanding sound cannot be found. Joined by Ultra Silvam drummer L.A., M.A. brings back the church bells of the preceding album and goes gonzo with them; at nearly every (crooked) turn, there tolls a bell of doom, summoning dread powers from that Beyond. More concretely, those sinuous peals of eeriness provide complementary / contrapuntal color to Hinsides‘ most rippling ‘n’ roiling black metal yet. But heed the METAL aspect of “black metal” here: the duo devilishly construct dark headbangers that soon whip forth into a state of possession, with starkly melodic leads flying fast and free, altogether creating a (dark, devilish) narrative flow that’s exceptionally unique for something so necro. Underlining that Devil’s Heavy Metal aspect of Hinsides hörs djävulsklockans urklang is the guest appearance of Jonas Hansson from olde-worlde hard rockers Silver Mountain, dropping a solo into “I nekromisantropisk harmoni.” Bringing that aspect to a boil is the cover of the Plasmastics’ “The Damned,” which Hinsides malevolently make their own (and which can only be found on physical copies of the album).

The bells of doom toll even louder with the splendor of archaic witchcraft and devil worship: Hinsides‘ Hinsides hörs djävulsklockans urklang concludes the year with frightening finality!

Also hear the previously revealed tracks “Djävulshymn” and “I nekromisantropisk harmoni” HERE at Regain Records‘ Bandcamp, where the album can be preordered. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Hinsides (Sweden)’s Hinsides hörs djävulsklockans urklang
1. Hinsides hörs djävulsklockans urklang
2. För dödens storhet
3. Djävulshymn
4. I nekromisantropisk harmoni
5. 666 stötar mot himmelens port
6. En stympad människa
7. The Damned (Plasmatics cover) !!ONLY ON PHYSICAL COPIES!!

www.shadowrecords.se
www.regainrecords.se
www.facebook.com/shadowrecords.se

RITUAL CLEARING stream ETERNAL DEATH debut album

Today, New England black metallers Ritual Clearing stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut album, Penitence. Set for international release on November 17th via Eternal Death, hear Ritual Clearing’s Penitence in its entirety here:

Ritual Clearing have returned, building off of the cold depravity of their 2020 demo and now unleashing their debut full-length effort, Penitence. Continuing their unholy alliance with Eternal Death, this new record showcases six epic tracks of dark, brooding black metal. The band’s noble influences they displayed across that well-received first demo – Bathory, Sacramentum, and Lord Belial – have been built upon and refined here, revealing riff labyrinths not unlike the cult ’90s work of Sorhin but further fleshed out by bouts of nearly hardcore-punk mania and especially a raw hideousness not unlike their American brethren in the Black Twilight Circle. Still, Ritual Clearing and clearly their own masters, and the alternately linear / darting depths of Penitence open wide to devour the listener in hypnotic, harrowing splendor. Still as melodic-yet-cutting as ever, it’s not surprising that the album was written during the grim landscape of the global plague; there’s an undeniable sense of dread across Penitence, laced with a resigned melancholia (sickly) colored by opportunely timed acoustics. Fucking RIFFS for days, Ritual Clearing provide this offering as the overture to a sick and dying world.   

Preorder info can befound HERE at Eternal Death‘s Bandcamp. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Ritual Clearing’s Penitence
1. Burn [8:15]
2. Penitence [3:40]
3. Cold, Forever [6:53]    
4. Deathfog [5:15]
5. Void [6:46]
6. Mensis [7:42]


MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/ritualclearing

www.eternal-death.com
eternaldeath.bandcamp.com

Portugal’s ANGRENOST set release date for new EAL album

On November 17th internationally, EAL Productions will release the highly anticipated third album of Portugal’s Angrenost, Magna Lua Ordem Mística.

Emerging from northern Portugal in the formative years of the second wave of black metal, Angrenost has been defined not by output but by its unorthodox evolution. With roots planted by Pursan and A. Ara, the project has been a vessel for exploring the evil within man, free from the constraints of the prevailing scene or current trends.

The reunion of Pursan with A. Ara, alongside Erdsaf and M. Skúlason, has yielded Angrenost’s most mature and inspired offering to date: Magna Lua Ordem Mística (“The Mystical Order of the Great Moon”). A work full of bygone tradition, elevated by a mastery of sound, as well as words and spirit that make it shine with a distinct light.

The album invites listeners to walk a contemplative path across the ephemeral nature of existence. It is a narrative of humanity’s voyage from the still waters of the immaterial plane into the mortal sphere of chaos and corruption – a world where the celestial bond fractures and the soul of Man encounters raw embodiments of the diabolical.

Magna Lua Ordem Mística stands at the crossroads of tradition and modernity, blending esoteric lore with the intricacies of composition. It represents a sincere and powerful display of everything that makes black metal an obscure and sinister art form.

Full stream to be revealed the day of release. Cover and tracklisting is as follows:

Tracklisting for Angrenost’s Magna Lua Ordem Mística
1. Interlúnio: O Arco escuro e a Seta de prata
2. Côncava: Fornalha lunar… os abismos da Manifestação
3. Crescente: No fio de lua, o Enforcado
4. Corcunda: Da prata gibosa, a foice do Mago
5. Água Real: Na ampulheta o Diabo, enxofre por firmamento 
6. Disseminadora: Caverna solar… os breus da Contemplação
7. Minguante: No coração de pedra, a fortaleza do Ermita
8. Balsâmica: Nos fumos esquecimento, dédalos de enxofre



MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/people/Angrenost/100027317757291



EAL Productions is distributed via NoEvDia


American black metallers Azathoth’s Dream premiere new track

Today, American black metallers Azathoth’s Dream premiere the new track “The Moor”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Nocturnal Vampyric Bewitchment, set for international release on December 8th via Iron Bonehead Productions on vinyl LP format. Hear Azathoth’s Dream‘s “The Moor” in its entirety here:

Azathoth’s Dream are a brand-new entity hailing from the United States. On one hand, the one-man band’s sound is undeniably late ’90s French vintage, maintaining a similarly necrotic-yet-aristocratic mysticism not unlike Osculum Infame, Bekhira, Winter Funeral, and very early Seth. On the other, one could liken Azathoth’s Dream to the uprising of raw vampiric black metal in the U.S., spearheaded by Sanguine Relic, Vampirska, early Lamp of Murmuur, and Geist of Ouachita among others. Either way, one listen to the aptly titled Nocturnal Vampyric Bewitchment and one will be indeed bewitched by the band’s melancholic-yet-feral spell…or duly repulsed by it. There’s no other way; just like those stratifying days of the 1990s, you either understand this as BLACK METAL – and stand with it – or you stand against it. It matters not to Azathoth’s Dream: the empty castle’s drawbridge is down, and one need only enter if the spirits are willing.

Hear the previously revealed “A Millennia Perished” HERE at Iron Bonehead‘s Soundcloud. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Azathoth’s Dream’s Nocturnal Vampyric Bewitchment
A1 Malignant Faith
A2 Instatiable Sanguine Thirst
A3 The Grave
A4 The Moor
A5 Extinguish the Light
B1 Ritual Exsanguination
B2 A Millennia Perished
B3 Winter Dawn
B4 Phantasm

AVRÆ LVNÆ premiere new track – features members of WAMPYRIC RITES, WINTERSTORM, DUNGEON STEEL, GRYMMSTALT+++

Today, neon metallers Avræ Lvnæ premiere the new track “Ntdd Strl”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Ntdd Strl, set for international release on December 8th via Signal Rex. Hear Avræ Lvnæ‘s title track “Ntdd Strl” in its entirety here:

Avræ Lvnæ are a power-trio hailing from the still-rising Ecuadorian black metal scene. Fronted by Wampyric Strigoi – mainman of  Wampyric Rites, who’ve had a huge hand in shaping that scene, as well as Grymmstalt, Winterstorm, and Dungeon Steel among many others – Avræ Lvnæ also feature erstwhile   Wampyric Rites / Dungeon Steel drummer Eblis Destructor and one Geist der Natur on guitar and bass. Uniquely, the band brand their black metal “neon metal,” which isn’t as garish as it sounds; rather, they draw to the fore the shimmering, stained-glass textures of mystical black metal, making for a mesmerizing (and MELODIC) display of psychedelic obsidian.

Now, after a compilation appearance and demo last year, Avræ Lvnæ conjure the full fathom of their dazzling powers with the debut album Ntdd Strl. Containing a beguiling set of phonetically challenging song titles – or rather, a certain “code” to decipher – Ntdd Strl makes its point plainly and poignantly with an immediately sumptuous feast of sonics. Actually-gorgeous synths play a prominent role here, weaving in and out of the frequently chorused guitars, whose reverberating melodies penetrate the soul with ease and elan. Vocals are a suitably emotive ululation from both space and tundra, psychic or otherwise, where stargazing mysteries are writ large and wondrously. Whereas so much of the Ecuadorian style of black metal seethes with rabidity and rawness, there’s an almost aristocratic air to Avræ Lvnæ here, or at least a synthesis of classic cosmic and medieval BM idioms – and that “space” is indeed space, for their textures allow ample room to immerse oneself without being onslaughtered by that rabidity & rawness. Thus, one could reference early Abigor, Gehenna, and Ragnarok as well as later Lunar Aurora, Evilfeast, and Midnight Odyssey, ​but Avræ Lvnæ are raising the banners for NEON METAL ​high and proud!
 
Hear the previously revealed “N l Mjstvs Nch” HERE at Signal Rex‘s Bandcamp. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Avræ Lvnæ’s Ntdd Strl
1. Ntr – Cnstlcn d Rn
2. Ntdd Strl
3. N l Mjstvs Nch
4. Crpt Strl
5. Ls Strlls sn ls Js Csmcs
6. Scndnd ls Nfns Cnfn Strl
7. Ls Rgns Hnsptas dl Vnrs
8. Vtr – Cntlcn d Scrpn

MORE INFO:
auraelunae.bandcamp.com

www.signalrex.com
www.facebook.com/signalrex


Swedish black metal elite Mephorash stream their new album

Today, Swedish black metal elite Mephorash stream the entirety of their highly anticipated fifth album, Krystl-AH. Set for international release on November 10th via Shadow Records (distributed & marketed by Regain Records) on CD and cassette tape formats – the double-LP vinyl version will be released on November 17th – hear Mephorash‘s Krystl-AH in its entirety here:

“Out of the depths and from the makings of Shem Ha Mephorash, we are now proud to present to you all the birth of a new era of Mephorash in the form of our upcoming new album, Krystl-AH. This will be a wholly new chapter within the creative process of ours, involving a new way for us to look upon the way we write our lyrics and compose our music…”

Indeed, such is the way of Sweden’s Mephorash. With a wealth of underground experience and an ever-restless but always-tactical manner of making music, their ascent up the ranks of international black metal has been decisive and well-earned. Although their catalog since their formation in 2010 has always been of sterling quality, it was 2019’s aforementioned Shem Ha Mephorash – a literally MASSIVE album at 74 minutes, released to widespread acclaim by Shadow Records – where Mephorash dramatically claimed their throne. And upon evidence of the forthcoming Krystl-AH, they’re not likely to relinquish that throne any time soon.

“We have made the decision to try and step away from the commonalities of traditional ‘black metal,’ and have instead sought to find inspiration from the depths within ourselves, making this a work of deep and personal significance for us,” the band continue. “It will dive ferociously into a myriad of topics, ranging from the mysteries of the ‘Krystl-AH,’ the gnosis of light, and divine narcissism to tantric sexual magic, and also dive deep into the traumatic and yet blissful events that created the project now known as Mephorash.”

That feeling of both ceremony and celebration is immediately felt upon pressing “play” to Krystl-AH. Another literally massive album, the 68-minute Krystl-AH moves with an ominous beauty – breathtaking, brilliant, and yet suggesting vast, frightening mysteries beyond its wide-ranging scope. A suitably vast army of damned angels serve as the backing choir to these seven incredibly epic compositions; soul-stirring leads rise and fall with grace, while sonic spaces open up and deftly subtle layers of strings, synths, and acoustic guitars flesh out this almost sensual experience – nothing ever in a rush to find its destination, only ever the feeling of being IN THE MOMENT, patient and complete. This soundfield alone serves a distinct backdrop separating Mephorash from conventional “black metal,” far closer to a classical score but no doubt infused with the central energies of true religious black metal. It’s not incorrect to suggest that one could get lost in any one of these epics – in fact, two top 10 minutes each – but it’s a journey that infinitely rewards the intrepid and inquisitive, those who wish to surpass their personal Rubicon to receive illumination…and damnation. 
“We have been diligently carving out and perfected this project for the last four years,” they conclude, “through anger, love, hate, tears, sweat, pandemics, and pure chaos in all its shapes and forms to make this a reality. So now we are so incredibly proud to finally be able to present to all of you who have been waiting ever so patiently…Krystl-AH. Shem Ha Mephorash!”

Preorder info can be found HERE at Regain Records‘ Bandcamp. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Mephorash’s Krystl-AH
1. Krystl-Ah [7:38]
2. Gnosis [10:19]
3. Catoptrophilia [6:45]
4. Soma Yoni [8:44]
5. Chysallís [7:43]
6. I Am [9:17]
7. Mephoriam [16:41]

MORE INFO:
www.mephorash.com 

www.shadowrecords.se
www.regainrecords.se
www.facebook.com/shadowrecords.se

BOUNDLESS CHAOS premiere new track, set release date for DYING VICTIMS debut

On January 19th, 2024 internationally, Dying Victims Productions will release Boundless Chaos’ highly anticipated debut album, Sinister Upheaval, on CD and vinyl LP formats. And today, we premiere the new track “Guillotine.“ Hear Boundless Chaos’ “Guillotine” in its entirety here:

Hailing from Germany, the land ever brimming with ancient thrash metals, Boundless Chaos was begotten in the year of 2017 when M.F., P.K, T.B., and M.J. heaved bloody deathrash straight up from the ashes of hellfire. With a brutal barrage of drums, slashing guitars, and throbbing bass-lines, they unapologetically worship the sound of the old. In 2019, E.M. completed the force. Now whole, Boundless Chaos have been spitting the hellish gospel of chaos, upheaval, fire, and antifascism across an EP in 2020 and then two splits in 2020 – one with Idle Ruin, the second with fellow Germans Reign in Blood.

Still, the best was yet to come, and it’s now arrived in Boundless Chaos’ debut album, Sinister Upheaval. Aptly titled, Sinister Upheaval is a ravaging onslaught of deathened thrash built upon a blazing foundation of early Dark Angel, Possessed, Texas’ Devastation, Sepultura’s Schizophrenia, and of course, Sodom’s Persecution Mania (and even Agent Orange!). Here, Boundless Chaos stick to their tried ‘n’ true formula, but simply maximize the muscle and tighten the execution; when graced with a well-rounded (yet requisitely dirty) production, the result is nothing short of powerful. And adding to the Chaos is Malte Gericke (Sijjin, ex-Necros Christos), who does guest vocals on “Guillotine.” No gimmicks, no modernity, no non-metal influences – just straightforward & straight-ahead THRASH METAL from the unholy years of 1986 and ’87, torched to a crisp, and set to conflagrate YOU!

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Boundless Chaos’ Sinister Upheaval
1. Down
2. High Tension
3. Arson from Beyond
4. Kromer’s Whistle
5. Guillotine
6. Tyrant’s Call
7. Blasphemous Rupture
8. Rip out the Roots
9. Demons Unchained

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/boundlesschaos

www.dying-victims.de 

VOËMMR set release date for new SIGNAL REX compilation, to play Invicta Requiem Mass

Today, Signal Rex announces December 9th as the international release date for a brand-new compilation from Voëmmr titled Negras sessões no abismo sul on CD and vinyl LP formats.

From their shadowy beginnings in 2017, Portugal’s Voëmmr have continued to be enigmas in a Portuguese black metal scene already possessing plenty of enigmas. Much of that enigma status hinges on the Aldebaran Circle, which includes the esteemed likes of Ginnungagap, Trono Além Morte, and Ordem Satânica, but Voëmmr‘s inclusion is nevertheless crucial. They proved that status with their full-length Nox Maledictus their very year of emerging from the void, but it’s the band’s successive recordings which proved how haunting and harrowing black metal could be.

That all blossomed in earnest with 2018’s Sombr Moebrd demo, which starts off the new collection Negras sessões no abismo sul. Rarely has organ-led black metal been this spectral and shimmering whilst portending horrific ideas from beyond the shade…indeed, the three-song recording sounds like the work of ghosts. On the second half of Negras sessões no abismo sul is the Voëmmr‘s most recent demo, Tordaebr Odr Daebr. Released in that cursed year of 2020, the four-song recording maintains that magickal & malnourished sound which they’ve made their own – and, it must be said, whilst continuing the cryptic dialect created by legendary French forebears Belketre – but pushing the dichotomy of beautiful / eerie to further, more perverse extremes. 

Calming before the dread sets in, Negras sessões no abismo sul is a timely reminder of Voëmmr‘s still-considerable powers, as they prepare to play this year’s Signal Rex-curated Invicta Requiem Mass and next year’s Howls Of Winter fest in Estonia.

In the meantime, hear the original tracks of Sombr Moebrd here:

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Voëmmr’s Negras sessões no abismo sul
1. Untitled I
2. Untitled II
3. Untitled III
4. Maesticae
5. Fogr mae Raedrae
6. Svwtae Tordaebr
7. Nesraetr odr Tvmlar

www.signalrex.com
www.facebook.com/signalrex