UK death/doom titans My Silent Wake stream the entirety of their highly anticipated new album, There Was Death. Set for international release on February 16th via Minotauro Records, hear My Silent Wake’s There Was Death in its entirety exclusively HERE.
My Silent Wake are a critically acclaimed death/doom band hailing from the southwest of England. In a vast and prolific catalog, their brand-new full-length There Was Death features some of My Silent Wake’s heaviest works to date. Recorded, mixed, and mastered during the autumn of 2017 at 13 Sound in Somerset and Priory Studios in Sutton Coldfield with doom legend Greg Chandler of Esoteric, the album also features guest growls and screams from Greg along with a cover by renowned Finnish artist Juha Vuorma.
My Silent Wake were formed in 2005 by founder member Ian Arkley of Seventh Angel / Ashen Mortality and has featured a variety of musicians over the years. My Silent Wake have toured Europe, including 2010’s tour with Norway’s In Vain, and in recent years have played at various festivals and gigs with Draconian, The Vision Bleak, and Saturnus to name a few.
There Was Death is the tenth studio album from the band. My Silent Wake have also appeared on split albums with The Drowning and Pylon.
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for My Silent Wake’s There Was Death
1. A Dying Man’s Wish
2. Damnatio Memoriae
3. Killing Flaw
4. Ghosts of Parlous Lives
5. Mourning the Loss of the Living
6. There Was Death
7. Walls Within Walls
8. No End to Sorrow
9. An End to Suffering
MY SILENT WAKE lineup
Ian Arkley – vocals and guitar
Addam Westlake – bass
Gareth Arlett – drums
Simon Bibby – keys and vocals
Mike Hitchen – live rhythm guitar
Ukrainian black metal icons, DRUDKH are streaming the second track of their forthcoming new album, ‘Їм часто сниться капіж’ (They Often See Dreams About The Spring), which will hit the stores on March 9th 2018.
The song, “U Dakhiv Irzhavim Kolossyu…” is based on a poem by Ukrainian writer Maik Yohansen, who was murdered by the Soviets in 1937 .
Artwork and album details of ‘Їм часто сниться капіж’ (They Often See Dreams About The Spring) can be viewed below.
DRUDKH are a black metal legend. True to the values of this extreme genre, the enigmatic Ukrainians refuse to follow the rock ‘n’ roll rulebook and provide no answers, no statements, no shows – all that matters to them is their music.
The sound of DRUDKH is equally based on a solid foundation consisting of the by now traditional Nordic variant of this style as on the band’s highly distinct individual “Slavonic” interpretation of it.
Yet at the same time, DRUDKH have constantly evolved, shifted, and morphed their musical approach while holding true to the original course. It is therefore no surprise that their forthcoming eleventh full-length, ‘They Often See Dreams About the Spring’ (which is a translation of the original Ukrainian title) brings another slight correction to the general direction. Where previous album ‘A Furrow Cut Short’ (2015) basically followed on the harsh and old school lead of its predecessor ‘Eternal Turn of the Wheel’ (2012), DRUDKH’s new masterpiece offers a more atmospheric and melodic feel that rather points towards the cinematic soundscapes of ‘Autumn Aurora’ (2004).
In their ongoing metamorphosis, DRUDKH seem to have abandoned the slightly progressive and lighter tone of ‘Handful of Stars’ (2010) for the time being. This does not mean it can never return… The Ukrainians have for example revisited their early legacy from the Nordic black metal inspired debut ‘Forgotten Legends’ (2003) several times, but also occasionally brought back the folklore influences that had characterised ‘The Swan Road’ (2005). On ‘Blood in Our Wells’ (2006) some progressive elements surfaced clearly for the first time, while the instrumental and partly acoustic ‘Songs of Grief and Solitude’ (2006) was followed by a sharp turn on the bleak and brutal album, ‘Estrangement’ (2007). DRUDKH’s celebrated highlight, ‘Microcosmos’ (2009) finally appeared to tie up the different strands of their previous works, before a new cycle started with the next albums.
DRUDKH’s latest albums and split-singles have drawn heavily from 20th century Ukrainian poetry for lyrical inspiration and ‘They Often See Dreams About the Spring’ continues this trend. Poetic gems from Bohdan Ihor Antonych, Maik Yohansen, Vasyl’ Bobyns’kyi and Pavlo Fylypovych have been unearthed by the band and brought back to life on this album. ‘They Often See Dreams About the Spring’ delivers black metal poetry at its best. Let your ears hear and your mind wander…
Blood Harvest Records sets April 13th as the international release date for Black Mass Pervertor’s highly anticipated new mini-album, Life Beyond the Walls of Flesh, on CD, 12″ vinyl, and cassette tape formats.
Hailing from the infinitely fertile Finnish black metal underground, Black Mass Pervertor is one of that scene’s best-kept secrets. Although their discography is sparse so far, the band’s history stretches back to 1998; some demo recordings were circulated privately during the mid-2000s until their first public release, the One-Way Pleasure EP, saw release in 2007. Back then, the Black Mass Pervertor sound was crude and grinding; it was their long-awaited debut album, 2016’s Phanerosis, where their aesthetic started to shape into being. That recording certainly retain some crudity from the early days, but saw the trio shape their filth into a finely honed war-machine.
Now, with the successive Life Beyond the Walls of Flesh, filth and finesse reach a fever pitch. Bowing reverentially to their oft-overlooked forebears Belial, Barathrum, and especially early Impaled Nazarene whilst nodding to the early-Noughts work of Horna, Sargeist, and Behexen, Black Mass Pervertor create a veritable time-machine tornado of Finnish black metal history. Across seven deceptively catchy mini-anthems in a compact 20 minutes do the power-trio work their black magick, whipping forth a fury that nevertheless manages to evoke an atmosphere most sulfurous; indeed, not for nothing is a track like “Unorthodox Methods of Magick” titled the way it is. And yet, there’s simultaneously a sense of Satanic glee here – you could call it “fun” – that fortunately manages to sidestep the cornier connotations of such a word.
Want to find Life Beyond the Walls of Flesh? Then let Black Mass Pervertor strip you bare! Start “Imbibing the Seas of Darkness” HERE
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Black Mass Pervertor’s Life Beyond the Walls of Flesh
1. Imbibing the Seas of Darkness
2. The Golden Spears
3. Suffering, Our Everlasting Bliss
4. Unorthodox Methods of Magick
5. Behind All His Atrocious Deeds
6. Chains of Guilt
7. The Forbidden Path
Signal Rex sets April 30th as the international release date for a special compilation from Ljáin, Endasálmar og klofnar tungur, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
Hailing from the white-hot Icelandic black metal scene, Ljáin is a relatively newer work of the prolific H.V Lyngdal, most known for Icelandic scene-spearheaders Wormlust. Indeed, some similarities between that band and Ljáin can be heard across the two EPs that comprise Endasálmar og klofnar tungur – spiraling, almost-improvisatory songwriting, bleary atmosphere, bug-eyed performance – but Lyngdal definitely shows a new side of himself here. In many ways, Ljáin is the alpha to Wormlust’s beta, foregoing the smoother, more ambient-intensive moments for hideous, hallucinogenic overload. Blown-out and bellicose, reveling in the murk and chaos whilst navigating a clear-cut path to oblivion, the seven songs comprising Endasálmar og klofnar tungur are grim, black metalled abandon taken to their penultimate end.
And yet, sombre delicacy nevertheless exists within Ljáin’s soundworld; tracks occasionally dip and disintegrate into forlorn lullabies, all before the inevitable jet-propulsion into another miasmic vortex. And underneath it all reside strange reverberations that, in the skillful hands of Lyngdal, are anything but accidental: haunting ghosts of fractured memory, wandering endlessly in search of a home. All is sonic confrontation – and there is simply no escape.
Compiling both the Endasálmar and Klofnar tungur EPs from 2016, Endasálmar og klofnar tungur is a convenient and above all compelling introduction to the upside-down world of Ljáin. Light a candle and embrace the shadows…
In the meantime, hear the track “Svartigaldur” HERE
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Ljáin’s Endasálmar og klofnar tungur
1. Eilíf þjáning
2. Svartigaldur
3. Hlekkir holdsins
4. Endasálmar
5. Klofnar tungur
6. Úr vansköpuðum draumum
7. Með blóði þínu
Tracks 1-4 from Endasálmar
Tracks 5-7 from Klofnar tungur
Season of Mist are proud to announce the signing of CIRCLES. The Australian progressive extremists will release their highly anticipated next album through the label in 2018.
CIRCLES guitar player Ted Furuhashi comments: “We’re stoked and honoured to be teaming up with Season of Mist. It’s been great vibes all round and we know they’re invested in our music as much as we are. It’s been a while but we’re ready to smash it and show you guys what we’ve been up to!”
On further news, CIRCLES have joined label mates NE OBLIVISCARIS on their Australian tour at Fowler’s Live in Adelaide last night. A list of all remaining shows can be found below.
CIRCLES Australia
+NE OBLIVISCARIS
09 Feb 18 Adelaide (AU) Fowler’s Live
10 Feb 18 Melbourne (AU) Max Watt’s
14 Feb 18 Canberra (AU) The Basement
15 Feb 18 Newcastle (AU) The Cambridge Hotel
16 Feb 18 Sydney (SU) Manning Bar
17 Feb 18 Brisbane (AU) The Triffid
24 Feb 18 Perth (AU) Jack Rabbit Slim’s
CIRCLES are pushing forward the evolution of heavy music. Their intricacy, the emotional heart-string pull of their lyrics, precision, and the sheer force of their output, places them in a class all of their own.
With guitarist Ben Rechter assuming the role of melodic vocalist and fellow band members Tetsuya Furuhashi on guitar, bassist and master of screamed vocals Andrew Patton as well as drummer David Hunter providing a maelstrom of musical brutality, CIRCLES are a force to be reckoned with.
Throughout their two releases, ‘The Compass EP’ (2011) and ‘Infinitas’ (2013), CIRCLES constantly broke new ground and introduced fresh elements to heavy music and djent as a genre. They have gained unanimously positive reaction from fans and critics across the globe via these records as well as their remarkable live performances, which have seen them take the stage at some of the most prestigious festivals and on tours alongside some of the world’s finest.
CIRCLES’ previous European tours have included Euroblast Festival, as well as supporting slots for THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, MONUMENTS, and AFTER THE BURIAL. In Australia, the band toured as direct support to acts such as PERIPHERY, FEAR FACTORY, NE OBLIVISCARIS, and TWELVE FOOT NINJA.
Fast forward to 2018, Melbourne alternative progressive rock and metal powerhouse CIRCLES are set to circumnavigate and conquer the world with their new signing and a brand new record in hand will see its release in the latter half of this year.
Iron Bonehead Productions sets May 4th as the international release date for Death. Void. Terror.’s striking debut album, To the Great Monolith I, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
NO ORIGIN. Received from the ominous, great monolith and expressed in pure sound. NO ORDER. The recordings presented by the entity Death. Void. Terror. transcend the conventions of “composition” and “performance” in modern music culture and instead reduce the creation to its essence, stripped of convolution and excess, until all that remains is a singularity of blackness, harvested from those who have engaged in its creation.
The recordings contained on To The Great Monolith I are not songs. This is not music that has been rehearsed, honed, and tailored to fit a preconceived notion of what is acceptable in humanist genre confines. Instead, the aim is to achieve the most pure expression of the “unconscious” and to confront the listener with authentic ritual experiences, captured directly as they were conducted by the practitioners involved. These are sounds completely hostile to man, an exploration of the surreal.
Like resonating cries of the void piercing through the air, as incandescent stone upon human skin. No origin. No order. Death. Void. Terror.
Tracklisting for Death. Void. Terror.’s To the Great Monolith I
1. (——-) [24:16]
2. (—-) [16:46]
With an EP and an LP in their arsenal, Swedish arctic black thrashing trio SINIESTRO has already marked their advent phenomenal in the extreme metal realm.
The diabolical troop is all set to excavate their sinistrous crypt further with the upcoming EP “Arcitc Blood”, to be unleashed this May 2018 through BLACK LION RECORDS.
Siniestro presents the first teaser of the forthcoming video “Arctic Blood”, the title track of the EP.
VIRVUM have announced an extensive European tour in support of their label mates NE OBLIVISCARIS this spring, where they will also be joined by American tech death outfit ALLEGAEON.
The Swiss tech death shooting stars comment: “We’re extremely excited to be hitting the road with our good friends in NE OBLIVISCARIS, finally getting to tour the UK, and bringing ‘Illuminance’ to more countries that we’ve never played in before!”
See below for a list of all currently confirmed shows.
VIRVUM Live
+DODECAHEDRON +ZHRINE
17 Feb 18 Sint-Niklaas (BE) De Casino
VIRVUM Tour
+NE OBLIVISCARIS +ALLEGAEON
25 Mar 18 Dublin (IE) Voodoo Lounge
27 Mar 18 Glasgow (UK) Audio
28 Mar 18 Nottingham (UK) Rescue Rooms
29 Mar 18 Manchester (UK) Rebellion
30 Mar 18 London (UK) The Dome
31 Mar 18 Eindhoven (NL) Dynamo
01 Apr 18 Köln (DE) MTC
02 Apr 18 Wiesbaden (DE) Schlachthof
04 Apr 18 München (DE) Backstage
05 Apr 18 Leipzig (DE) Naumanns
06 Apr 18 Hamburg (DE) Headcrash
07 Apr 18 Aarhus (DK) Royal Metal Fest
08 Apr 18 Göteborg (SE) Sticky Fingers
09 Apr 18 Oslo (NO) Blå
10 Apr 18 Stockholm (SE) Fryhuset Klubben
12 Apr 18 Helsinki (FI) Nosturi
13 Apr 18 Tallinn (EE) Tapper
14 Apr 18 Vilnius (LT) Rock River Club
15 Apr 18 Poznan (PL) Pod Minoga
17 Apr 18 Bielsko Bia?a (PL) Rudeboy Club
18 Apr 18 Kosice (SK) Collosseum
19 Apr 18 Budapest (HU) Dürer Kert
20 Apr 18 Brno (CZ) Melodka
21 Apr 18 Wien (AT) Escape Metalcornen
22 Apr 18 Retorbido (IT) Dagda Club
23 Apr 18 Baden (CH) Kulturlokal Werkk
26 Apr 18 Barcelona (ES) Razzmatazz 2
27 Apr 18 Madrid (ES) Nazca
29 Apr 18 Nantes (FR) Ferrailleur
01 May 18 Paris (FR) Gibus
02 May 18 Nancy (FR) L’Autre Canal
On previous news, VIRVUM have released a bass play-through video featuring the track, “Tentacles of the Sun”.
Artwork, track-list, and further info on ‘Illuminance’ and VIRVUM can be viewed below.
Track-list
1. The Cypher Supreme (2:36)
2. Earthwork (4:31)
3. Illuminance (9:00)
4. Ad Rigorem (4:32)
5. Tentacles Of The Sun (4:55)
6. Elemental Shift (2:41)
7. I: A New Journey Awaits (1:43)
8. II: A Final Warming Shine: Ascension And Trespassing (10:28)
Total playing time: 40:26
When a relatively unknown Swiss band released their debut album ‘Illuminance’ in 2016, only insiders suspected the massive impact it would stir. Yet it was on the strength of this release that VIRVUM were offered to sign on Season of Mist. Now their new home is reissuing ‘Illuminance’, which is to be available on vinyl for the first time.
VIRVUM were founded by childhood friends in 2007 and since then the aspiring and hard-working musicians continuously fine-tuned and honed the tracks of their first full-length to match their burgeoning skills.
VIRVUM first got noticed when guitarist and main songwriter Nic Gruhn happily took the offer to join a European tour with California’s progressive death metal pioneers FALLUJAH while also opening for such renowned bands as SUFFOCATION and CEPHALIC CARNAGE in 2013. On the return of their guitarist, VIRVUM immediately set out to perform as many shows as possible in order to establish the band in Europe.
In 2015, a first single entitled ‘Internal Howl’ attracted immediate attention and, that same year, VIRVUM were picked to internationally support big names such as DYING FETUS, FLESHGOD APOCALPYSE, and DEFEATED SANITY among others.
In advance of their self-released debut full-length, VIRVUM received a massive response for the song premieres of “Ad Rigorem” and title track in 2016, while the album was highly acclaimed by critics and fans alike.
With their professional attitude, the exceptional technical prowess of each individual musician, and last but never least the outstanding collective songwriting skills, the Swiss are now ready for the next step. While VIRVUM create a new monstrous record in studio, their amazing debut ‘Illuminance’ is made available again.
Track-list
1. The Cypher Supreme (2:36)
2. Earthwork (4:31)
3. Illuminance (9:00)
4. Ad Rigorem (4:32)
5. Tentacles Of The Sun (4:55)
6. Elemental Shift (2:41)
7. I: A New Journey Awaits (1:43)
8. II: A Final Warming Shine: Ascension And Trespassing (10:28)
Total playing time: 40:26
W.T.C. Productions sets March 30th as the international release date for Ascension’s highly anticipated third album, Under Ether.
Beginning life in 2007, this German black metal cult have been a patient study in fire and faith, to paraphrase their 2010 EP. Every step of the way, Ascension’s move has been deliberate and decisive, with nothing left to chance; truly, their canon has developed organically, but with a steadfast trajectory in mind. The first full fruition of their fire and faith came with their debut album, Consolamentum. Released in 2010 under the auspices of W.T.C., Consolamentum quickly became a modern classic of orthodox black metal. They once again precluded an album with EP, as Deathless Light followed in 2014 before the successive second full-length, The Dead of the World. Here, Ascension took their already iron-willed orthodoxy to greater heights/depths with an ambition that betrayed their young years as a band. And once again, they rightfully reaped critical acclaim for it. There was no turning back…
Indeed, Ascension have crossed their own Rubicon on Under Ether. Still staunchly BLACK METAL to the bitter end, here, the band’s unbridled ambition takes them on a journey to the most haunting hinterlands of their pitch-black sound. Like gleaming obsidian, Under Ether reflects (and refracts) a kaleidoscopic array of hues, each darker than the next. It all coalesces into a hideous swarm – or, to reference an ever-apt song title, “Pulsating Nought” – that, despite its usually teeth-gnashing intensity, displays a cool/calm/collected knack for dynamics: space and shade are laid bare across this treacherous landscape.
After the suitably stage-setting intro, each of these seven sins rushes onward with an almost-disarming ease, Ascension within the churning maelstrom directing its every malevolent move and sulfurous shudder. Further, they’ve expanded their melodic arsenal here, with evocative leads often taking center stage; other times, riffs are colored by cleaner tones that nothing less than soul-searing. Completing the totality of Under Ether is stalwart production, courtesy of Michael Zech and V. Santura: warm and feverish and totally analog, but possessing a palatable clarity that allows every detail to ring true. Gleaming obsidian, indeed…
With a full decade under their belts now, Ascension are no longer plucky newcomers; with Under Ether, they’ve truly become masters. Prepare to go under, deeper than ever… Begin the descent with a special teaser video HERE.
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Ascension’s Under Ether
1. Garmonbozia
2. Ever Staring Eyes
3. Dreaming In Death
4. Ecclesia
5. Pulsating Nought
6. Thalassophobia
7. Stars To Dust
8. Vela Dare
Today, Satanic speed metallers Hammr premiere the new track “Sadistic Poison”. The track hails from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Unholy Destruction, set for international release on February 23rd via Hells Headbangers. Hear Hammr’s “Sadistic Poison” in its entirety HERE.
Hammr was formed in Cleveland, Ohio by J. Hammer in 2013. As a strictly solo endeavor, Hammr recorded a full digital-only demos album, which caught the attention of several labels. From there, the band went on to release the Hammr EP in 2015, first digitally and then on cassette tape through Hota Rex, the latter of which quickly sold out. Other plans for releases were delayed due to label managers going to jail as well as the usual financial delays, which led J. Hammer to start releasing demo singles directly to the metal people. It was during this time that he met the folks behind Hells Headbangers and also Demona founder Tanza Speed, who both took a lot of interest in Hammr. Once he received the offer, J. Hammer decided to hold off on recordings for other labels, and use some of his demos and new material for the imminent debut album, Unholy Destruction.
Ever aptly titled, Unholy Destruction is the grand culmination of the Hammr aesthetic. Built on a proud foundation of early Bathory, Celtic Frost, Iron Angel, Discharge, early Slayer, Sodom, and Venom, Hammr lets loose a wild ‘n’ loose blast of what J. Hammer has dubbed “Satanic speed,” which, in his own words, “combines fast speed metal riffing with D-beat drums and relentless arrangements. This isn’t a quick-startup, Lemmy-worshiping metal/punk band that we see a lot of; Hammr goes for your throat and doesn’t give a fuck about that shit.” Indeed it does go for the throat – relentlessly and rabidly, possessing the listener’s very body and soul as each galloping charge detonates upon pressing “play.” The solos fly fast and free from Midnight’s Commandor Vanik, instilling that very lawlessness so often missing from heavy metal these days. It’s raw and rivetheaded to the very end, locating that elusive point between heavy metal glory and hardcore punk fury, and reveling in the moment while simultaneously clutching tightly to rock-solid songwriting. And, above all, it compels – nay, DEMANDS – repeat plays, so total is that possession.
No politics, no party, no drinks: Unholy Destruction is Hammr’s declaration of independence for all the fellow lone-wolves out there. With mixing done by Commandor Vanik and mastering by Toxic Holocaust maiman Joel Grind, Unholy Destruction is bound to be one of the hottest debut albums in recent memory!
Cover and tracklisting are as follows.
Tracklisting for Hammr’s Unholy Destruction
1. Intro
2. Satanic Raid
3. Under Black Command
4. Eternal Prey
5. Desecrator
6. Sadistic Poison
7. Death Reign
8. Unholy Destruction
9. Demonic Rites
10. Into the Pentagram
11. Final Sacrifice
