Black Metal News

APOKALYPTIC RAIDS set release date for new HELLS HEADBANGERS album – streaming now

Today, Hells Headbangers sets October 11th as the international release date for Apokalyptic Raids‘ highly anticipated fifth album, The Pentagram, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.

A veritable underground institution, Apokalyptic Raids have become a hallowed name among diehards the world over for one simple-but-special fact: they started as an unapologetic Hellhammer-worship band (and very early Celtic Frost, too) but have transcended their obvious influences into something that actually adds to that legendary canon rather than merely ripping it off. And, as of this year, they’ve been gloriously succeeding for 20 years now.

Although these Brazilian bastards have released a half-dozen EPs the last five years, it’s been a far-too-long eight years since the last Apokalyptic Raids album, Vol. 4 – Phonocopia, so to say that The Pentagram is long overdue is quite the understatement. And of course, they DELIVER, which is not surprising given that they’ve gone back to the classic 2004-2007 lineup of Leon Manssur “Necromaniac” on guitars and vocals, Vinicius Canabarro “Hellpreacher” on the bass, and Pedro Moraes Rocha “Skullkrusher” on the drums.

“The last 10 years have been a blast here,” explains Manssur. “We did extensive touring -Brazil three times, Europe twice, South America also twice, many one-off gigs – yet we stayed behind in renewing our discography. Don’t get me wrong – composition went on frantically. We took notes and demoed many ideas. Sincerely, this album is just a (new) beginning, and the next one is already on the make…”

Adorned with characteristically iconic artwork courtesy of close comrade Umberto, The Pentagram is indeed a new beginning, but one that reverently adheres to Apokalyptic Raids‘ iron-clad past. Perhaps not surprisingly, the album’s compositions span a good decade and a half – “There are songs from last year, and there are songs that were composed 10+ years ago,” Manssur reveals – but as always, it sounds 666% like Apokalyptic Raids. Tons of galloping hard-chargers, lots of dirtiness, more metal attitude than is healthy, and even a moody epic in closer “The Story of Pope Joan”: no fucking sellout, and no quarter given.

“With all the things that happened inside and outside the band, the idea of starting anew has grown up,” Manssur continues. “We hate those albums when the band thinks they have become more ‘mature’ and then…wimp out. Wimping out is a consequence of ego shit. No, not again in this scene today, not in 2018. Meanwhile, many bands of the 2000s generation went on to greatness, and that raised the ante in a way that pushed us forward.”

Within their now-sizable catalog, especially one so rich with rottenness, it’s both comforting and freshing that Apokalyptic Raids would make their long-awaited return to the full-length front one that’s purely “back to basics.” And it’s not just idly titled, either, as Manssur explains: “The new album being simply called The Pentagram is a statement of simplicity, less is more, keep it simple, rustic – whatever you call it. And yes, still tuned to E flat, so it’s safe to hear and being able to get the riffs. It’s all about the riff – old as fuck and fresh as fuck!”

He adds, “Of course we have took risks. There is an epic heavy metal song, like some pieces we did before, but with new twists. The planning was long, the execution was quick, and that’s it. We always try to get a good balance of ‘quick gratification,’ though not instant, and ‘risk.'”

Lastly, there are the lyrics to The Pentagram. Concludes Manssur, “Fenriz [Darkthrone etc] once wrote we were doing more personal lyrics. And that is true, given we are old metalheads full of shit, except that we don’t want to get stuck there and to preach too much. So, on this album, you will find statement after statement of ‘upward’ feelings – the words ‘victory’ and ‘triumph’ are recurring. Not that it could ever spoil the anger! Strange in a Hellhammer-worshiping band? Maybe, maybe not. And I love/hate playing a nameless style. It is and it is not black, death, heavy, speed, thrash, etc. It’s HELL. It’s HELL Music. Find that out, love it or hate it – danger is a good part of the fun.”

In the meantime, the entirety of The Pentagram is streaming
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Apokalyptic Raids’ The Pentagram
1. Necromaniac (is Back)
2. Satan Laughs
3. Victory Beyond Imagination
4. The Ghost of the Hammer
5. My Triumph
6. Occult & Real
7. Letter From Lucifer
8. Keep My Grave Open
9. The Story of Pope Joan
MORE INFO:
www.apokalypticraids.com

Greek black metal classicists Synteleia premiere new track

Today, Greek black metal classicists Synteleia premiere the new track “Ithaqua, thy Mighty Storm” The track hails from the band’s striking debut album, Ending of the Unknown Path, set for international release on August 30th via Hells Headbangers. Hear Synteleia‘s “Ithaqua, thy Mighty Storm” in its entirety HERE.
Although a relatively new band, Synteleia breathe the breath of the ancients and maintain an authentically classic Hellenic black metal style. Naturally, the influence of the Greek “Big Three” (Rotting Christ, Varathron, Necromantia) looms large, but also within the Synteleia sound can one detect traces of early Septic Flesh, Thou Art Lord, and Nightfall. Above all, despite being grounded in the early ’90s, Synteleia exhibit a vital fire and freshness of approach which makes Ending of the Unknown Path truly timeless.

Synteleia was founded in 2015 by guitarist Drakon Hesperion and vocalist Nyctelios. Being devoted followers of the Greek black metal scene for more than 20 years, they started composing original stuff, heavily influenced by the pioneers of the scene – Rotting Christ, Varathron, Horrified, Necromantia, Thou Art Lord, and more.

With the addition of Septis (bass/keys) and the assistance of Amdusias and Oort (also members of the Greek death metal band Plague), in June 2016, Synteleia entered the studio to record their first demo, Astral Blasphemies. In January 2017, the band made its debut appearance at the Extreme Assault II Festival at Modu club, Athens. In the summer of 2017, followed by a change in lineup, Cronios joined the band as the lead guitarist, and with the assistance of Nick “Yngve” on drums, the band started rehearsing for the Under the Pagan Moon Fest, taking place at Gagarin club, Athens, on November 4th, 2017, together with Kawir and Horn.

The recordings for the debut album, Ending of the Unknown Path, started in December 2017 and went until late summer 2018. During the recordings, Synteleia appeared at the Horns Up III Festival at Trikala and Black Death Holocaust Night at Remedy club, Athens. The band’s latest live performance has been at the Lords of the Void Festival at Temple club, Athens, on October 26th, 2018, with Varathron and Disharmony.

A statement from the band reads: “Synteleia are proud to announce Hells Headbangers Records to be our rightful partner, regarding the release of our debut album. We feel obligated to stay true to our ideals and beliefs, and cooperating with a genuine underground label that fully understands and supports our old-school Hellenic black metal aesthetics, taste, and philosophy feels the best way to repay all those who have entrusted us with their support and confidence. We are honored to be a member of HHR‘s unholy legions.”

Indeed, old-school Hellenic black metal aesthetics are alive and well with Synteleia as they take you to the Ending of the Unknown Path!

Continue on that path with the previously revealed track “Missioner of Sorrow” HERE at Hells Headbangers‘ Bandcamp, where the album can be preordered,  as well as the previously revealed “Daemonica Infernalium” HERE at Hells Headbangers‘ official YouTube channel.

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Synteleia’s Ending of the Unknown Path
1. Daemonica Infernalium
2. Dark Summoner of Yog-Sothoth
3. Ending of the Unknown Path
4. Three Oaths to Dagon
5. Ithaqua, thy Mighty Storm
6. Celephais
7. Missioner of Sorrow
8. Many Masks of Nyarlathotep
9. The Black Goat Rites
MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/synteleia

Chilean metal elite Slaughtbbath premiere new track

SLAUGHTBBATH premiere new track at CVLTNation.com

Today, Chilean metal elite Slaughtbbath premiere the new track “Amulets of Carnage” The track hails from the band’s long-awaited second album, Alchemical Warfare, set for international release on September 6th via Hells Headbangers. Hear Slaughtbbath‘s “Amulets of Carnage” in its entirety exclusively HERE.

SLAUGHTBBATH premiere new track at CVLTNation.com

For a decade and a half now, Slaughtbbath have prolifically pursued a fierce ‘n’ fiery vision of total black/death METAL. With a rich yet uniformly exemplary discography, this power-trio have laid waste to the underground across a myriad demos, splits, EPs, and 2013’s now-classic debut album, Hail to Fire. Allied with Hells Headbangers since 2016, a split 7″ with Grave Desecrator followed that summer, with September 2017 seeing the release of the Contempt, War and Damnation compilation, which precluded the band’s first-ever North American tour alongside fellow Chilean labelmates Communion.

Slaughtbbath have kept quiet since then, studiously brewing the firestorm that is Alchemical Warfare. A consolidation of the band’s beyond-considerable strengths as well as an extension of them, Alchemical Warfare was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Pablo Clares at DM6 studio in Santiago, Chile during 2017/2018. Here, Slaughtbbath are at the peak of their powers, pulsing with both bestiality and burliness alike, and yet exhibiting a nuanced songwriting nous that is second to none. Their sulfurous maelstrom is a veritable meat-grinder of South American darkness lo these past four decades, both reverent of the past whilst forging an even-darker future, and Alchemical Warfare finds the band hitting a fever pitch, its nine-song/36-minute runtime both succinct and satisfying. Each track invokes utter possession – a hypnotic diabolism, perhaps, in spite of the often-frantic tempos – but Slaughtbbath possess the prolific experience to convey that diabolism in a dynamic manner. If anything, Alchemical Warfare is the band’s best-produced record to date, and a survey of its song titles suitably convey the occultic austerity within: the title track, naturally, as well as the closing trifecta of “Amulets of Carnage,” “Celestial Overthrow,” and “Ascension to the Dragon’s Throne,” as well as the ever-epic “Rejoined Into Chaos.”

However, especially at this point in time and the career high-point that is Alchemical Warfare, it is important to underline the unique differences in Slaughtbbath makeup. For one, the band hail from San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, a small countryside town with no scene at all, whereas most Chilean bands hail from the bigger cities; in fact, early on, Slaughtbbath were branded “rural black metal” when they played live. Secondly and relatedly, they’ve not once ever strived to “sound South American,” much less do there exist any other Chilean bands doing a similar thing musically or lyrically. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, Slaughtbbath have maintained a solid lineup and kept up constant activity – both on record and on the live front – all these years while most bands disappear, fade, change members, come back, or form new bands with the same lineup to fit into the new trend. The Slaughtbbath name is thus iron-fisted, inexorable, and immaculate

With more eyes than ever on the Chilean black/death scene, it’s high time that the leaders separate themselves from the followers. Slaughtbbath firmly and furiously take the torch and lead the way forward with Alchemical Warfare.

The first torch can be witnessed with the previously revealed “Resuscitated by Immortal Scorn,” which can be heard both HERE at Hells Headbangers‘official YouTube channel as well at the label’s Bandcamp HERE, where the album can also be preordered. 

Aforementioned cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Slaughtbbath’s Alchemical Warfare
1. Ritual Bloodbath
2. Resucitated by Immortal Scorn
3. Cavern of Misanthropy
4. Prophetic Crucifixion
5. Rejoined Into Chaos
6. Alchemical Warfare
7. Amulets of Carnage
8. Celestial Overthrow
9. Ascension to the Dragon’s Throne
MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/slaughtbbath

UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN set release date for new IRON BONEHEAD album, reveal first track

Iron Bonehead Productions sets October 18th as the international release date for Unaussprechlichen Kulten‘s highly anticipated fifth album, Teufelsbücher, on CD and vinyl LP formats. Also on the day of release shall Iron Bonehead reissue the band’s cult second album, 2008’s People of the Monolith, on vinyl LP format as well as a special compilation of their 7″ EPs and their live performance at last year’s inaugural Never Surrender Fest, curated by Iron Bonehead and Nuclear War Now!

For 20 years now, Unaussprechlichen Kulten have built a commanding canon of eldritch death metal DARKNESS. From their early demos to later splits and especially their preceding four full-lengths – not least of which, 2014’s Baphomet Pan Shub-Niggurath and 2017’s Keziah Lilith Medea (Chapter X), both released by Iron Bonehead to widespread critical acclaim – this Chilean cult have explored the furthest reaches of primordial dread and ancient mysticism, all through pure ‘n’ authentic Metal of Death. And now, a whole two decades after their formation, Unaussprechlichen Kulten continue to push themselves toward the beyond with the mesmerizing Teufelsbücher.

Although one can easily say that Teufelsbücher encompasses the signature Unaussprechlichen Kulten aesthetic – songwriting that slithers through the slime with a preternatural grace, execution that’s barbaric and crusted in mud and blood, production that plumbs the foulest ends of the sonic spectrum – uniquely, this fathomless fifth full-length is arguably the band’s densest and most dissonant work to date. Unleashing morbid fascination regarding superstition and witchcraft, Unaussprechlichen Kulten once again suffuse their increasingly angular ruminations with a thoroughly researched thematic grounding.

Teufelsbücher – literally, “The books of the Devil,” written in German – had their pinnacle since the end of Luther’s existence in 1545, until 1604. During that consolidation period of the amendment, with 39 original copies, they are in great deal the precursors from the great house of witches. The Devil acquires strength step by step, which will reach its zenith in the 16th and 17th centuries when Europe granted an enormous attention to the Devil. The Teufelsbücher sentenced sharply that every mortal committing a sin would inevitably fall under the powers of the lord of Hell. Written with the purpose of denouncing vices and sins back then, theologists and inquisitors wanted to contribute on this particular fight against evil writing treaties where nature, knowledge, cunning, and the power of Satan were questioned, and where means were established to fight spells, omens, charms, vane healers, the notorious art, etc. Through hundreds of pages, prodigious, fantastic, wonderful, and scary stories were included, as well. However, along with revealing their own perversion finally instead of warning men, they ended up causing fascination and unleashing morbid fascination regarding superstition and witchcraft.

With this quite-literally medieval foundation firmly in place, Unaussprechlichen Kulten proceed to plow through 42 minutes of exceptionally epic and challenging territory. Totaling six stout labyrinths of song, Teufelsbücher twists and turns in diabolically obscene / obscenely diabolical ways, retaining immediacy and urgency despite those daunting song lengths. No less feral and frightening than before, Unaussprechlichen Kulten bend the listener’s mind (and body) to their unholy will, slipstreaming with a devilishly nuanced grace paradoxically at odds with their blunt-force trauma. Of course, hallucinogenic tension reaches a fever pitch here on Teufelsbücher, as the powerless listener pleads for sweet release…only to find ever-more-treacherous territory, each barb more gnarled than the last.

Unaussprechlichen Kulten have built a nigh-unchallenged canon that takes all the urgency ‘n’ ugliness of classic death metal and upends it into the realm of high art. When, this late into their career, they could easily coast into crowd-pleasing catchiness, these revered Chileans take the path less travelled and speak ever stranger tongues: verily, Teufelsbücher.

Begin speaking their dense, dissonant language with the new track “Cranquiluria” here:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Unaussprechlichen Kulten’s Teufelsbücher
1. The Evil Out of Control
2. Keziah Lilith Medea
3. Cranquiluria
4. A Search and an Evocation
5. Flapping Membraneous Wings
6. Necromancy and Torment
MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/Unaussprechlichen-Kulten-609345889079874

EHLDER set release date for NORDVIS debut – features member from LIK, ARMAGEDDA, and LÖNNDOM

Today, Nordvis Produktion announces October 4th as the international release date for Ehlder‘s striking debut album, Nordabetraktelse, on CD and vinyl LP formats.

Although an otherwise-new entity, Ehlder‘s roots are nearly as old as the forests of their native Sweden: Ehlder is the latest creative face of the ever-prolific Graavehlder (formerly known as Graav), who’s co-guided such cult entities as Armagedda, Lönndom, and the recently resurrected LIK. As such, Nordabetraktelse bears Graavehlder’s unmistakable magick – ancient, solemn, almost monastic. Black metal on the surface, but only barely; beneath that foundation, in the dirt and gravel and of the earth, exist a woodland mysticism and mesmerizing songcraft beyond compare.

Put more directly and indirectly, as Graavehlder explains, what Lönndom awoke has been passed on into the spirit of Ehlder, instilling the idea that there’s always two ways to look upon a tree: you have the visible part above ground and then the part that isn’t visible, which you know to exist, so you have to acknowledge them both without deceiving yourself. Proudly pagan in outlook, Ehlder has thus been forming itself for many years through adversities, through ancestors, through time and the idea of what lies ahead. In his estimation, Graavehlder has only borrowed tunes and words that’ve already been written in one way or another, but it’s been interpreted into Ehlder and the band’s first public recording, Nordabetraktelse. This is the platform for Ehlder to release the animal within, to hail the fire, animals, spirits, brothers and sisters, pride, family, and heritage. This is the old reborn anew.

First track premiere to be revealed shortly. Preorder info can be found HERE. 
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Ehlder’s Nordabetraktelse
1. Stridskall
2. Ändlös
3. Döden I En Döende Kropp
4. Hedningadrapa
5. Gammelmod
6. Tagen
7. Varerytm I Varganord
MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/ehlder

Esoteric reveal album title and cover artwork for ‘A Pyrrhic Existence’

UK Doomsters ESOTERIC have unveiled the cover artwork and track list of their new album ‘A Pyrrhic Existence’. The record is set for worldwide release  on November 8, via Season of Mist. The long-awaited follow up to 2011’s ‘Paragon of Dissonance’ was recorded earlier this year at vocalist/guitarist Greg Chandler’s Priory Recording Studios in Birmingham.

Regarding the new record, the band comments: “‘A Pyrrhic Existence’ is an album that deals with some of the darkest sides of the human psyche and the harsh realities of existence.  The concepts of the lyrics deal with death, suffering, tragedy, lies and the breakdown of the human psyche.  The title is a reference as to how existence can be perceived as something that inflicts so much devastation on the survivor, that it becomes tantamount to defeat. The music is a progression from previous albums, and is of an extremely psychedelic and experimental nature.  It can be likened to a vicarious journey through the twisted passages of the broken mind.”
The artwork and tracklist of ‘A Pyrrhic Existence’ can be found below. The cover artwork was created by Lisa Schubert.
Tracklist

CD1            
1. Descent (27:39)
2. Rotting in Dereliction (15:51)
3. Antim Yatra (04:40)
Total: 0:48:10

CD2
4. Consuming Lies (15:16)
5. Culmination (19:03)
6. Sick and Tired (15:46)
Total: 0:50:05
ESOTERIC live
07 Dec 19 Madrid (ES) Madrid is the Dark Festival
For nearly thirty years ESOTERIC have been pushing the limits of sonic intensity. From the mind-bending darkness of their 90’s double albums ‘Epistemological Despondency’ and ‘The Pernicious Enigma’, to the expansive epics found on their recent opuses ‘The Maniacal Vale’ and ‘Paragon of Dissonance’, they have never compromised their initial aim – to unleash aural mayhem on unsuspecting listeners. Late 2019 sees the release of their most accomplished work to date, ‘A Pyrrhic Existence’.
 
Begun in the post-industrial decay of Birmingham in 1992, the band initially took influence from personal excursions into inner space, contemporary death metal, and their own warped take on 70’s progressive and psychedelic music. The early years saw them perform live infrequently, often to perplexed (and sometimes hostile) audiences. The prevailing ethos in the underground, and indeed heavy music in general in the early 90’s was one of speed. Along with a few of their contemporaries scattered across the globe, ESOTERIC eschewed this in favour of slow building intensity, extended and multi-layered compositions, and free form noise breaks. A foreboding and pervasive sense of unease permeated the early recordings – this was truly dark music. Throughout the 90’s the band remained very much in the underground, perfecting their craft, unmoved by trends or the expectations of the fickle masses.

Albums such as ‘The Pernicious Enigma’ and ‘Metamorphogenesis’ saw them develop and refine their sound, evolving naturally, never appearing contrived. Problems finding dedicated members meant decreased activity in the late 90’s – finding a suitable drummer proved particularly difficult.

2003 saw the band rejuvenated. With the line-up complete for the first time in years, and signing to Season of Mist for the release of their fourth album ‘Subconscious Dissolution into to Continuum’, they performed their first live shows since 1997. The growing interest in the style of music ESOTERIC had been peddling without compromise since 1992 meant more opportunities to perform on stage, something the band has relished. ESOTERIC has developed into a formidable and respected live act, playing tours and festivals throughout Europe and beyond, sharing stages with bands and artists including AHAB, ALCEST, SWALLOW THE SUN, MAYHEM, EMPOREROR  and festivals such as Brutal Assault, SWR Barroselas, Hell’s Pleasure, Damnation Festival, Madrid is The Dark, and many more.

Released in 2008, ‘The Maniacal Vale’ proved to be the bands most ambitious and successful album to date, simultaneously honouring the chaos of the earlier releases whilst expanding into territory that at first glance may seem at odds with the bands ethos, yet has always lurked within their compositions – namely, a sense a melody and grandeur. Having been hinted at on previous albums, this side of the band was fully realized. This was followed in 2011 by ‘Paragon of Dissonance’, an album equal to its predecessor in compositional scope and ambition.

2019 will see the release of the bands seventh opus, ‘A Pyrrhic Existence’, 98 minutes of new material that once again expands on the bands sound, yet retains elements of all their preceding works. It is a culmination of 27 years of uncompromising dedication to their craft – detailed and layered compositions and a high level of musicianship, foreboding production, and equal measures of utter darkness and melodic diversity. The current line up consists of Gordon Bicknell (Guitar since 1992), Mark Bodossian (Bass since 2003), Greg Chandler (Guitar and vocals since 1992), Joe Fletcher (Drums since 2007), and Jim Nolan (Guitar since 2009).

www.facebook.com/esotericukofficial
www.instagram.com/esoteric_uk
www.esotericuk.net
www.esotericuk.bandcamp.com

Line-up
Greg Chandler: Vocals, Guitars
Mark Bodossian: Bass, synths
Joe Fletcher: Drums
Jim Nolan: Guitars
Gordon Bicknell: Guitars

Cover art: Lisa Schubert

1349 announce new album ‘The Infernal Pathway’ and premiere new song

Norwegian black metal masters 1349 have announced the release date of their new album. The record, titled ‘The Infernal Pathway’ was recorded in Amper Tone studios and Studio Nyhagen with engineer Jarrett Pritchard earlier this year. ‘The Infernal Pathway’ will see a worldwide release via Season of Mist on October 18, 2019.

The band are furthermore premiering a brand new song, called “Enter Cold Void Dreaming”, which is streaming here:
The cover artwork of ‘The Infernal Pathway’ has been created by Jordan Barlow and can be viewed below, together with the tracklist.
Tracklist
1. Abyssos Antithesis (5:30)
2. Through Eyes of Stone (3:24)
3. Tunnel of Set VIII (0:47)
4. Enter Cold Void Dreaming (3:59)
5. Towers Upon Towers (4:50)
6. Tunnel of Set IX (1:06)
7. Deeper Still (4:13)
8. Striding the Chasm (6:11)
9. Dødskamp (5:01) (album edit)
10. Tunnel of Set X (0:53)
11. Stand Tall in Fire (8:09) 1349 have previously announced a European tour with ABBATH and VLTIMAS. Find the full list of confirmed shows below.
1349 festivals
04 Aug 19 Rasnov (RO) Rockstadt Extreme Fest
30 Nov 19 Parma (IT) Black Winter Fest XII

1349
European tour w/ ABBATH and VLTIMAS
23 Jan 20 Weimar (DE) Uhrenwerk
24 Jan 20 Bochum (DE) Matrix
25 Jan 20 Nijmegen (NL) Doornroosje
26 Jan 20 Antwerpen (BE) Trix
27 Jan 20 London (UK) Islington Assembly Hall
28 Jan 20 Paris (FR) La Machine Du Moulin Rouge
29 Jan 20 Nantes (FR) Stereolux
30 Jan 20 Toulouse (FR) Metronum
31 Jan 20 Barcelona (ES) Salamandra
01 Feb 20 Madrid (ES) But
02 Feb 20 Lyon (FR) Nikasi Kao
04 Feb 20 Mannheim (DE) MS Connexion Complex
05 Feb 20 München (DE) Backstage
06 Feb 20 Luzern (CH) Schüür
07 Feb 20 Parma (IT) Campus Music Industry
08 Feb 20 Brno (CZ) Fleda
09 Feb 20 Warschau (PL) Progresja
11 Feb 20 Berlin (DE) Festsaal Kreuzberg
12 Feb 20 Hamburg (DE) Kulturpalast
13 Feb 20 Copenhagen (DK) Amager Bio
14 Feb 20 Gothenburg (SE) Tradgarn
15 Feb 20 Stockholm (SE) Fryhuset Klubben
Norwegian black metal titans 1349 have returned with their long awaited seventh full-length: ‘The Infernal Pathway’. The album promises a journey through chaos and madness, darkness and peril, terror and annihilation.
 
1349 is AURAL HELLFIRE.  That has been, and continues to be, the primary concept since the band first rose from the ashes of Alvheim in 1997.  Conceived around the founding members – vocalist and former drummer Ravn, guitarist Tjalve, and Seidemann on bass – 1349 completed their line-up with the addition of guitarist Archaon in 1999 and SATYRICON drum-legend Frost in 2001.
 
When their debut ‘Liberation’ was unleashed in 2003, the Norwegians took the world by storm with their intense blend of old school black metal soundscapes and ultra-fast aggression. Further assaults followed in rapid succession. ‘Beyond the Apocalypse’ (2004) and ‘Hellfire’ (2005) cemented the band’s reputation as one of the strongest acts in the scene.
 
Upon the departure of founding member Tjalve, who decided to focus on his band PANTHEON I, 1349 have since continued as a four-piece – occasionally adding guest guitarists. Extensive touring aided the growth of their now massive following when the four piece opened for reunited metal legends CELTIC FROST in North America in 2006.
 
Impressively demonstrating that holding true to the principles of the genre do not mean nostalgia and stagnation, 1349 widened their sonic palette with  ‘Revelations of the Black Flame’ (2009), which was co-mixed by CELTIC FROST mastermind Tom Gabriel “Warrior” Fischer. This inspired a newfound ambient darkness from the band, which was further explored on ‘Demonoir’ (2010).
 
‘Massive Cauldron of Chaos’ (2013) was the next milestone in the Norwegians merciless advance, scoring excellent reviews and a nomination for a Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannprisen). The release sparked more festival shows as well as extensive touring, bringing 1349 to Australia and New Zealand. In 2018, the Munch Museum and Innovation Norway chose 1349 as one of four bands to create a song based on the paintings of Edvard Munch. As a result, the single ‘Dødskamp’ was released earlier this year.  
 
After performing a fiery show at Norway’s Inferno festival this year, 1349 started recording in Amper Tone studios and Studio Nyhagen with engineer Jarrett Pritchard. Thus, ‘The Infernal Pathway’ was born, a sonic parallel to summoning and unleashing the beast of the abyss in all its fearsome, ferocious and powerful splendor.
 
Gearing up for a full U.S. tour in the fall, and a European tour with ABBATH and VLTIMAS in 2020, more events will unfold, making this a banner year for 1349.

https://www.facebook.com/1349official/
https://www.instagram.com/1349official/
www.legion1349.com

ADVENT SORROW set release date for new WEREWOLF album, reveal first track

Today, Werewolf Records, in conspiracy with Hells Headbangers, sets September 27th as the international release date for Advent Sorrow‘s highly anticipated second album, Kali Yuga Crown, on CD and vinyl LP formats.

One of Australian black metal’s best-kept secrets, Advent Sorrow have been in a perpetual state of refinement for a decade now. In 2015, the band released their debut album, As All Light Leaves Her, a haunting ‘n’ hovering slice of prime DSBM. Since then, Advent Sorrow have been planning a grand rebirth, and it arrives at last with Kali Yuga Crown: a bolder, more muscular iteration of total solitude & inner destruction. As suggested by its cover art and especially its title, Kali Yuga Crown steps forward toward Advent Sorrow at their most Alpha – richer, rougher, more well-rounded, yet exuding an arrogance suitable for their newfound finesse – and a sound that poignantly straddles the skyscrapingy epic and remorselessly violent. Truly panoramic, this is black metal that breathes an atmosphere of past, present, and future; no easy, trendy sonic signposts here nor safe digestion for ears weaned in the social media era. Roots to Advent Sorrow‘s earlier days have surely been planted across Kali Yuga Crown, but the foremost importance is its destination: song titles like “Wolfhook and Weapon,” “With Conviction,” “Caesar,” and most definitely “Death in Magic Antagonism” should say more than enough. And with this record, Advent Sorrow have indeed arrived.

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

In the meantime, hear the new Advent Sorrow track “Verminblood” here:
Cover art, by Ogino Design, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Advent Sorrow’s Kali Yuga Crown
1. Verminblood
2. Wolfhook and Weapon
3. Spearhead
4. Kali Yuga Crown
5. Pestilence Shall Come
6. Caesar
7. Wells of Poison Water
8. Majesty Enshrined
9. With Conviction
10. Death in Magic Antagonism
MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/adventsorrow  

DRUADAN FOREST set release date for new WEREWOLF album, reveal first track – features VARGRAV mainman

Today, Werewolf Records, in conspiracy with Hells Headbangers, sets September 27th as the international release date for Druadan Forest‘s highly anticipated third album, Dismal Spells From the Dragonrealm, on CD and double-LP vinyl formats.

Hailing from Finland, Druadan Forest originally formed in 1998 and released three demos before receding into the shadows later in 1999. In 2016, the entity was reactivated and released an EP and then two albums and, most recently, a split album with The True Werwolf. Of course, between the two eras of Druadan Forest, sole creator V-Khaoz was not idle, prolifically playing drums for such bands as Azaghal and many others as well as his various solo-projects – namely, the almighty Vargrav, who’ve almost singlehandedly helped revive the symphonic black metal subgenre.

However, as Druadan Forest, V-Khaoz explores the most mystical, folkloric realms between the shadows of black metal and pure ambient music. Some might brand his approach as “dungeon synth,” but such a revisionist appellation sells short not only the man’s decades-deep investment in these realms, but more so that Druadan Forest thus far have safely eluded simple genre categorization: although most of the themes/textures stay consistent – fantasy, wonder, darkness, heroism, general grandiosity – no two recordings during Mk II of the band sound exactly the same.

Following that epic synth-heavy split with The True Werwolf in 2018, Druadan Forest delivers a more plaintive and stripped-down expression with the aptly titled Dismal Spells From the Dragonrealm. Whereas the full-length predecessor The Lost Dimension understandably maintained a slightly more optimistic air, here with Dismal Spells From the Dragonrealm does V-Khaoz plunge deeply into the darkest past, evoking dead-silent castles buried by time and dust. This expression of Druadan Forest is arguably his most dungeon synth-oriented thus far, but within those stricter, more traditionalist parameters does he create entrancing spells that duly transport the listener to forgotten realms. One need only give the album’s four component song titles a cursory read to see the landscapes that will soon unfold – “Unsung Spell of No Solace,” “Enthralled by Majestic Winters Eternally,” “The Seizure of Power in the Luminous Lands by the Hands of the Stalking Fiends,” and “No Stars Upon the Black Sea of Macrocosm” – with each track topping 16 minutes, altogether making for a 73-minute journey that feels even vaster than its epic length suggests.

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

In the meantime, hear the new 17-minute Druadan Forest track “Enthralled by Majestic Winters Eternally”

Cover and tracklisting as follows:

Tracklisting for Druadan Forest’s Dismal Spells from the Dragonrealm
1. Unsung Spell Of No Solace [19:26]
2. Enthralled By Majestic Winters Eternity [17:21]
3. The Seizure of Power in the Luminous Lands by the Hands of the Stalking Fiends [19:26]
4. No Stars Upon The Black Sea of Macrocosm [16:05]
MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/druadanforest  

NEX CARNIS set release date for new BLOOD HARVEST EP

Today, Blood Harvest Records sets September 27th as the international release date for a brand-new EP from Nex Carnis, Black Eternity, on 7″ vinyl format.

Hailing from Iran and with an album and demo to their name, Nex Carnis are a steadily rising force, wisely parceling out their releases – Black Eternity makes three total since 2012 – and delivering quality over quantity every step of the way. This new two-song 7″ is no different, and shows that Nex Carnis are effortlessly making their Metal of Death craft that much more powerful and provocative. Utterly dark and disgusting, hammering and dizzying in equal measure, Black Eternity indeed sounds much like its title and suitably drags the listener down into labyrinth after labyrinth of untold horror. And yet, for however vile ‘n’ virulent the band’s brand of death metal may be, there’s a strangely hummable magick to it that further elevates Nex Carnis‘ classicism. Behold Black Eternity and begin drowning in DEATH! Drums on this EP were recorded by Alvaro Sequeida (Occidens, Melektaus, Godagainst).

Pre order info here
Tracklisting for Nex Carnis’ Black Eternity
1. Last Gleams of a Fallen Conscience.
2. The Fathomless Caverns of Oblivion

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/nexcarnis