Steve Bruder Des Lichts

Doom-death titans Druid Lord premiere new track “Last Drop of Blood”

Today, doom-death titans Druid Lord premiere the new track “Last Drop of Blood” The track hails from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Grotesque Offerings, set for international release on January 19th, 2018 via Hells Headbangers. Hear Druid Lord’s “Last Drop of Blood” in its entirety HERE.

The band’s first record for their new label home, Grotesque Offerings is both a consolidation and intensification of Druid Lord’s ever-considerable strengths. Eerie and utterly crushing doom/DEATH metal, Druid Lord soak their molten creations in obscure, horror-inspired lyrics from beyond the grave. Across the 50 mysterious minutes comprising Grotesque Offerings, they evoke the haunts of old from where shadows conjure spells of gloom. Druid Lord are grounded in the darkest and most underground death metal, of course, but take considerable influence from old horror films, particularly the atmosphere cloaking the classic movies of Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava, Dario Argento, and John Carpenter. It’s a deceptively simple formula, but one that’s done with masterful subtlety and a graven sense of purpose: simply, they LIVE IT, breathing deeply the true, timeless essence of supernatural horror. And that stark simplicity – the leads that linger like fog, the gutted low-end, the stunning sense of dread-inducing melody – is absolutely bewitching within these Grotesque Offerings.

Druid Lord was formed in the scorching wastelands of Orlando, Florida in 2010 by Pete Slate (Acheron, Equinox) and Tony Blakk (Acheron, Equinox, Diabolic) and original drummer Stephen Spillers (Equinox). Orlando has always been known to be the birthplace of Mantas/Death, and Druid Lord take pride in that fact. From the beginning, the band’s intent is to create crushing songs that take inspiration from early death metal (Possessed, Necrovore, Autopsy) and the heavy riffing of ’70s and ’80s doom bands like Cirith Ungol, Winter, Candlemass, and Black Sabbath. “I had played for years with my own black/death band Equinox playing fast-type music, but I felt it was time for a change and get back to my roots,” states Slate. “Being that we’re huge old-school horror maniacs, we also wanted to combine that feeling of dread with heavy music.”

Druid Lord released their debut album, Hymns for the Wicked, in 2010. Second guitarist Ben Ross joined the band right after its release; his sick riffing added to the Druid Lord style. Since then, the band has put out countless split CDs and 7″ EPs, which have gained them worldwide attention. The band went through some various changes over the course of 2015, but with current drummer Elden Santos, Druid Lord have found the perfect fit to complement their brand of crushing music.

Now armed with the support of Hells Headbangers, Druid Lord are set to spread their supernatural sickness far and wide. Truly, Grotesque Offerings is the record that’s been gestating within the Druid Lord consciousness since the beginning; now, it has awoken and spreads its leathery wings of doom ‘n’ gloom. Haunted castles, witchcraft, the occult, the living dead, dark folklore, and cryptic stories: no ancient stone is left unturned here. With suitably macabre cover art courtesy of Slaughtbbath’s Daniel Corcuera, Grotesque Offerings is a mini-classic in the making – hark the arrival of the new doom/death lords!

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Druid Lord’s Grotesque Offerings
1. House of Dripping Gore
2. Night Gallery
3. Spells of the Necromancer
4. Evil That Haunts This Ground
5. Black Candle Seance
6. Creature Feature
7. Into the Crypts
8. Murderous Mr. Hyde
9. Last Drop of Blood
10. Final Resting Place

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/druiddeathcult

APOLOGOETHIA stream INVICTUS debut mini-album

Spanish metal occultists Apologoethia stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut mini-album, Pillars. Set for international release on November 24th via Invictus Productions, hear Apologoethia’s Pillars in its entirety HERE.

Apologoethia was spawned way back in 2012 as a side-project of J.B. in order to develop some ideas that didn’t fit both musical and stylistically with his main band, Spain’s Graveyard. After an intense period of composition, the style that now exists as Apologoethia was born. Sometime in 2014, J.B. asked J.F. to lay down some drum patterns that would fit with the riffs, the tempos, and complement the overall feel, atmosphere, and vibe that the songs needed and demanded. With all the material already prepared, shaped, and sharpened, it was time to develop the conceptual side of the band, creating some lyrics that would fit with Apologoethia’s atmosphere and dark ‘n’ macabre approach. After a meticulous search, L.O. was brought into the band, knowing that his writing and conceptual skills would work perfectly with the band’s aesthetics and purposes.

Alas, what results is a hysteric-yet-nuanced plunge into the realms of madness. Exploring the dark side of human knowledge, an introspection through different cultural, ascetic, and religious approaches mankind explored throughout centuries past, Apologoethia here construct ceaselessly roiling monoliths of diabolical metal mania. Comprised of four equally treacherous labyrinths/songs, Pillars unfurls its mysteries with a perversely restless ease, pitching headlong from lumbering doom chunder into frothing, ferocious South American-styled chaos and often back again (or in reverse, or both), all of it betraying a boundless vision heeding the darkest energies coursing through heavy metal. Within, stretches of clean-toned tension crop up, deliriously setting the stage for further onslaught to commence.

Rounded out by rich ‘n’ robust production, Pillars marks a none-more-auspicious debut for a name that shall soon be spoken of far and wide: behold the birth of Apologoethia.

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Apologoethia’s Pillars
1. Pillar I (De fundamenta spiritus)
2. Pillar II (De humanae natura)
3. Pillar III (De absentiae vitae)
4. Pillar IV (De aeterno praesentia)

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/oraculum.chile

Erdve reveal title-track and details of forthcoming new album

ERDVE are premiering the title-track of their forthcoming debut full-length, ‘Vaitojimas’, which has been scheduled for release on the 9th of February 2018.

The Lithuanian experimental hardcore outfit is now exclusively releasing “Vaitojimas” here:

ERDVE comment: “Our debut album’s title-track, ‘Vaitojimas’ is also the very first song that we wrote. The song signifies the core, essence, and attitude of ERDVE and sounds as it is – a pounding statement of primal violence, which is lyrically explained in the context of religious justification.”

ERDVE are also releasing the cover-art and album details of ‘Vaitojimas’, which can be viewed below.

Track-list
1. Vaitojimas (5:48)
2. Išnara (7:43)
3. Prievarta (6:17)
4. Apverktis (4:49)
5. Pilnatvė (7:04)
6. Atraja (5:19)
Total playing time: 37:00

Heavy insanity drips atmospherically out of every crack and crevice of ‘Vaitojimas’, which translates as “gibberish moaning”. The album revolves around a concept of an emotional void filled without any moral barriers to self-satisfy the inner degenerate ranging from the ordinary to the criminally insane. This idea is turned into melodies, rhythm, and sound by ERDVE.

When ERDVE formed in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius in 2016, the band had a clear aesthetic vision of creating a unique heavy sound that experimented with elements from hardcore, sludge, and black metal – yet was not bound by any unwritten “rules” surrounding those genres.

ERDVE’s members had already been active in their local scene and performed in various acts such as NYKSTA, SRAIGĖS EFEKTAS, and SPIRALE. A self-made tape version of their debut made its rounds in underground circles and the Lithuanians received the rare honour of being picked straight out of the dreaded demo pile by virtue of their musical strength and compelling quality.

The core ideas behind ERDVE are translated into lyrics, visuals, and sound by in-depth reflection on concepts such as domestic violence, utmost disgusting behaviour, crimes against humanity, and extremism.

With ‘Vaitojimas’, ERDVE are planting a fresh Baltic landmark, a largely unexplored region, into the international metal scene so far. Begin your journey into the new Lithuanian darkness!

www.facebook.com/erdvelt

Line-up
Vaidotas Darulis: guitar, vocals
Kristijonas Nenartavičius: guitar, soundscapes
Karolis Urbanavičius: bass
Valdas Voveraitis: drums

Gorguts bassist releases play-through video for complete ‘Pleiades’ Dust’

Colin Marston has released a remarkable play-through video for the complete ‘Pleiades’ Dust’ EP via his own YouTube channel. You can admire the GORGUTS master of bass working his six-stringer at the link below.

GORGUTS’ latest, highly acclaimed latest EP ‘Pleiades’ Dust’, which consists of one epic track is still available in various formats via the Season of Mist shop and also streaming in its entirety below.

The artwork of the EP was created by renowned Polish artist Zbigniew M. Bielak and can be viewed below.

Canada’s long-running and much loved craftsmen of technical death metal are returning with a 33-minute song. Entitled ‘Pleiades’ Dust’ this complex, image evoking, and masterly arranged eponymous track fills an entire EP. Expect the unexpected, when it comes to GORGUTS.

In an age of a postulated clash of cultures, mastermind Luc Lemay delivers a piece of music that is conceptually and lyrically based on the “House of Wisdom”, a medieval library based in Baghdad and at the heart of the Golden Age of Islam with its many scientific breakthroughs in various fields of learning. As Luc comments: “It is a story about curiosity, beautiful minds and sadly, about how man destroys great discoveries and achievements.” Musically there is more narrative feeling as each section is introduced in such a way that every riff has the space to evolve like a character in a story.

The stunning cover art created to reflect this concept has been specially created by renowned Polish artist Zbigniew M. Bielak (MAYHEM, GHOST, ZHRINE et. al.).

Few extreme bands can boast the pedigree of GORGUTS. During their early days as part of death metal’s first wave, they created a legacy of legendary releases including their debut album ‘Considered Dead’ (1991) and its more experimental and technical follow-up ‘Erosion of Sanity’ (1993). After a hiatus of five years, Luc Lemay returned with a new line-up, which released the highly acclaimed and seminal third full-length ‘Obscura’ (1998). By then GORGUTS had been busy at expanding and redefining the language of death metal. With a new line-up that left Lemay as the sole original member, the next milestone album was released under the title ‘From Wisdom to Hate’ (2001).

Yet again, GORGUTS went into hibernation, while their musical legacy continued to inspire and thrive as their native Quebec became a focus for technical death metal with acts such as CRYPTOPSY, NEURAXIS, and BEYOND CREATION to name but a few that followed in GORGUTS’ footsteps. After more than a decade of silence, mastermind Luc Lemay unleashed ‘Colored Sands’ (2013) with an all-star line-up including Colin Marston (BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS), Kevin Hufnagel (DYSRHYTHMIA), and John Longstreath (ORIGIN, SKINLESS), who has in the meantime been replaced by Patrice Hamelin (QUO VADIS, BENEATH THE MASSACRE).

With ‘Pleiades’ Dust’, GORGUTS have released their most experimental song so far that combines all their virtues into one massive masterpiece. Lean back and listen with ears open wide!

Line-up
Luc Lemay: Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Kevin Hufnagel: Rhythm & Lead Guitar
Colin Marston: Bass
Patrice Hamelin: Drums

SPITE set release date for INVICTUS debut, reveal first track

Invictus Productions sets February 2nd, 2018 as the international release date for Spite’s highly anticipated debut album, Antimoshiach.

In the tenth year of Satan’s millennium, the temple of Spite began its erection. Three warnings from the depths have since been issued: a demonstration of the rites of desecration, an exhibition of countless blasphemy, and a declaration of the binding of the lord in the pentagram’s grasp. The seventh horn has now sounded and the Devil’s minyan is ready to carry the Antimessiah across the continents of Earth to spread the abominations of Hell. Evil Satanic war awaits the world. Huddle together, ye lambs, and whimper at the coming of the Antimoshiach.

A work of sanctimonious austerity, unquenchable desire, and irascible hysteria, Antimoshiach is black heavy metal filtered through the inscrutable, idiosyncratic prism of Spite. Cauldron-born and cantankerous, the riffs flow fast and freely, stacking upon each other like devilish arsenal but woven together in a manner most narrative. Blustery aggression remains at the fore – it is HEAVY METAL, after all, albeit blackened to a crisp – whilst a blind eye is never turned to nuance nor dynamics. As such, the recording’s completely analog and breathes a sort of aromatic mustiness that’s both aeons old and utterly fresh; you simply FEEL this, everywhere, within and without. And that’s to say nothing of the incensed diction of mainman Salpsan, whose oratory raises the hackles and fully drives home the occultic portent of Antimoshiach.

Hark! The dawn of Satan’s millennium is already at hand, and Spite is ushering forward its ominous, earth-devouring eclipse with Antimoshiach. Where do you stand?

Prepare for the first reckoning with the new track “The Shield of Abraham” HERE

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Spite’s Antimoshiach
1. The Devil’s Minyan
2. The Shield of Abraham
3. Vision of the Merkabah
4. False Magic
5. Second Death
6. Upon Funeral Stone
7. The Hope (Of Coming Armageddon)
8. Antimoshiach

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/spitedesecration

Finnish doom cultists Hooded Menace unveil second new track

HOODED MENACE are premiering the second amazing track taken from their forthcoming new album, ‘Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed’, which is scheduled for release on January 26th, 2018.

HOODED MENACE mastermind Lasse Pyykkö comments: “We are excited about Metal Injection exclusively premiering a second track from our forthcoming album. Built of labyrinthine riffs and floating passages, ‘In Eerie Deliverance’ is sure to doom you into sweet oblivion. Our special thanks go to Jemma McNulty from COLTSBLOOD for the female voice in the middle section of the song. We owe you!”

HOODED MENACE have previously released 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

Recording line-up
Harri Kuokkanen: vocals
Lasse Pyykkö: lead, rhythm and acoustic guitar, bass
Teemu Hannonen: rhythm guitar
Pekka Koskelo: drums

Current line-up
Harri Kuokkanen: vocals
Lasse Pyykkö: lead, rhythm and acoustic guitar
Teemu Hannonen: rhythm guitar
Otso Ukkonen: drums
Antti Poutanen: bass

Guest musician
Jemma McNulty (COLTSBLOOD): female voice on “In Eerie Deliverance”

Heilung sign to Season of Mist

Season of Mist are proud to announce the signing of HEILUNG. The enigmatic Danish trio will release its next album as well as reissue of their debut full-length, ‘Ofnir’ through Season of Mist.

HEILUNG comment: “We are very grateful for the opportunity to work with Season of Mist. They give us the possibility to be artistically independent, and respect the spiritual nature of our art.”

An artistic impression telling what this mysterious band is about, is given in this official video for the song “Krigsgaldr”, which largely features animated Scandinavian rock carvings

HEILUNG have furthermore released a pro-shot of their full stunning live show, ‘LIFA’, which was recorded at Castlefest 2017

HEILUNG means “healing” in the German language and this also describes the core of the band’s sound. The listener is supposed to be left at ease and in a relaxed state after a magical musical journey that is at times turbulent.

HEILUNG reaches far back in time to the Northern European iron age and Viking period to create their sound experience. The band utilizes many means – from running water via human bones, reconstructed swords and shields up to ancient frame drums as well as bronze rings – in their songs.

HEILUNG’s lyrics contain original texts from rune stones, preserved spear shafts, amulets, and other ancient artifacts. Furthermore the band uses poems, which either deal with historical events or are translations and interpretations of the original texts.

HEILUNG have self-released their debut full-length, ‘Ofnir’ in 2015 and a live album, entitled ‘LIFA’ in 2017.

Any attempt to link the band with or bring their music into a modern political or religious context is pointless, since HEILUNG try to connect their listeners with a time before the coming of Christianity and modern political ideologies.

Line-up
Kai Uwe Faust
Christopher Juul
Maria Franz

www.facebook.com/amplifiedhistory

Black/Death berzerker Infernal Blast streams its striking debut EP, Wolves Elitism Speech,

Today, black/death berzerker Infernal Blast streams its striking debut EP, Wolves Elitism Speech. Set for international release today on cassette tape via War Arts Productions, hear Infernal Blast’s Wolves Elitism Speech in its entirety exclusively HERE.

Hailing from France, Infernal Blast is a one-man project hailing violence, war, and hatred for humans. Aptly titled, Wolves Elitism Speech is an unremittingly savage blast of infernal frequencies. Like a nuclear warhead trained on its target, with the one and only goal being total fucking decimation, Infernal Blast unleash a jackhammering torrent of warfare noise steeped deeply in the war metal tradition and especially Sarcofago’s OTT epitaph, Crust. The latter is especially accomplished through the usage of utterly blitzed drum-programming: dehumanization, with no human feelings or emotions, and no hope and particularly no mercy. Nothing here is remotely geared toward normcore metal assimilation; these six songs spend 18 minutes breaking down and then shattering even the hardiest constitution. Simply, no one gets out alive from Wolves Elitism Speech. And this is just the beginning for Infernal Blast…

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Infernal Blast’s Wolves Elitism Speech
1. Destruction Process
2. No Redemption No Remorse
3. Abhorrent Vermin
4. Wolf Hunting
5. Organized Attack
6. Cauterization And Berserker Rage

further info
www.war-arts-productions.com

LEVIATHAN To Release ‘The First Sublevel Of Suicide’ Next Month

Ascension Monuments Media is proud to announce the first of several new releases from acclaimed black metal output LEVIATHAN, dubbed The First Sublevel Of Suicide and due out Dec. 1.

Featuring roughly 40 minutes of ferocious, abrasive and manically depressing negativity, The First Sublevel Of Suicide was entirely recorded by multi-instrumentalist Wrest on a four-track analog recorder between 2002 and 2003 to serve as demos for Leviathan’s 2003 full-length debut, The Tenth Sublevel Of Suicide. This is the first time that the full demo has been made available straight from Wrest’s vaults. The First Sublevel of Suicide is mastered by Ken Sorceron (Abigail Williams / ex-Lord Mantis).

“V tracks mixed directly from the withered cassette tapes from a failing analog IV trakk cassette recording device… the initial conjurings of where the entity,The Xth Sub-Level of Suicide’s spirit lies…” – Wrest

As Brave Words, Bloody Knuckles originally described in 2003, the tracks are “some of the most intimidating, disturbing, and mesmerizing black metal the scene has spawned over the last few years.” Metal Injection calls the 2003 album to be “essential black metal listening” and says the album is an “exercise in excruciating pain.” The lo-fi demos only add a darker and more sinister atmosphere.

Release dates: CD / Digital – December 1st, 2017 | LP – February, 2018

Track listing is as follows:

1. Scenic Solitude & Leprosy
2. The Bitter Emblem of Dissolve
3. He Whom The Shadows Move Towards
4. Mine Molten Armor
5. The Idiot Sun

Pre-orders are now available worldwide via Ascension Monuments Media HERE

Cloak release video for “The Hunger”

CLOAK are unleashing a music video for the track “The Hunger”, which is taken from the bands freshly released full-length, ‘To Venomous Depths’, which is out since November 10th.

CLOAK comment: “‘The Hunger’ symbolizes a hunt that begins, when one enters the untamed darkness and ventures far away from the security of light. This song is dedicated to those, who are not just attracted to the nightside, but those who are bound to it.”

CLOAK commented about their album: “To us, music is art and art is magic. It is transformative and primal in ways that cannot be simply explained. When we began writing ‘To Venomous Depths’, we knew that we were on to something special; something powerful and fervent. The further we dove into the creative process, the further we ventured into the lowest parts of our consciousness and the highest points of our souls so that every last bit of ourselves bled out into our music. Where we ended up is something that cannot be summarized, it can only be felt. We welcome the listener to join us in that feeling in the hopes that it destroys and revives you just as it has done to us.”

The Artwork of ‘To Venomous Depths’ has been created by Adrian Baxter and can be viewed below.

Track-list

1. To Venomous Depths / Where No Light Shines (7:53)
2. Within the Timeless Black (6:56)
3. The Hunger (6:10)
4. Beyond the Veil (6:42)
5. Death Posture (4:06)
6. In the Darkness, the Path (6:33)
7. Forever Burned (6:12)
8. Passage (2:47)
9. Deep Red (10:05)

Total playing time: 57:24

Atlanta, Georgia in the Deep South of the USA is probably not among the cities named as first suspects for a black metal influenced rock band to emerge. Yet there at the crossing of two old American railroad lines, CLOAK was conceived in the year 2013.

Their debut full-length, ‘To Venomous Depths’ is simply a perfect amalgamation of Nordic black metal with catchy hooks and melodic rock. And while the Americans are not claiming to be reinventing the wheel, their outstanding song-writing is catapulting this album to the top.

CLOAK have named DISSECTION, DEEP PURPLE, and FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM as main influences, but their harsh yet groove-fuelled sound has invited critics to draw comparisons with such acts as TRIBULATION, WATAIN, and YOUNG AND IN THE WAY.

After spending two years in the rehearsal room carefully preparing their material, CLOAK released a first sign of life in the shape of ‘Demo 2015’, which created an audible buzz in the US underground.

A two-track, self-titled EP followed in 2016, gaining the Americans worldwide attention and critical acclaim. In their short time of existence, CLOAK have already shared stages with renowned acts such as WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, WINDHAND, INTER ARMA, SATAN, and TAAKE.

It will not take CLOAK long to capture your interest, but with each new spin ‘To Venomous Depths’ will reveal new details that make their discovery worthwhile. There are no fillers on this debut album, just hits. Let’s rock this cool darkness!

www.facebook.com/cloakofficial

Line-up
Scott Taysom: voice, guitar
Max Brigham: guitar
Matt Scott: bass
Sean Bruneau: drums