Black Metal News

Der Weg Einer Freiheit join Primordial and Moonsorrow on European tour

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT are announcing a European touring package that is already promising to be a black highlight of 2018! The fast rising German black metal innovators will be joining Ireland’s finest, PRIMORDIAL and Finnish black pagans MOONSORROW on an extended tour in April next year.

Please find a list of all currently confirmed shows below.

Vocalist Nikita Kamprad comments: “As huge fans of PRIMORDIAL, we are announcing with great pleasure that we will support the Irish legends on their upcoming tour alongside MOONSORROW. We appreciate the chance to be part of this great package and can hardly wait to present our latest album ‘Finisterre’ to new audiences all around Europe. Get your tickets now and see you in April!”

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT
+PRIMORDIAL +MOONSORROW
12 Apr 18 Leeuwarden (NL) Neushoorn
13 Apr 18 Tilburg (NL) 013
14 Apr 18 Paris (FR) Trabendo
15 Apr 18 Brugge (BE) Entrepot
16 Apr 18 London (UK) Islington Assembly Hall
17 Apr 18 Esch-sur-Alzette (LU) Kulturfabrik
18 Apr 18 Pratteln (CH) Z7
19 Apr 18 Ludwigsburg (DE) Rockfabrik
20 Apr 18 Leipzig (DE) Hellraiser
21 Apr 18 Praha (CZ) Akropolis
22 Apr 18 Kosice (CZ) Colloseum
23 Apr 18 Budapest (HU) Barba Negra
24 Apr 18 Wien (AT) Szene
25 Apr 18 München (DE) Backstage (Halle)
26 Apr 18 Aschaffenburg (DE) Colos-Saal
27 Apr 18 Bochum (DE) Matrix
28 Apr 18 Hamburg (DE) Markthalle

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT will be touring in support of their latest album, ‘Finisterre’, which is still available in various formats via Season of Mist: http://smarturl.it/DWEFinisterre.

Please find artwork, track-list, and further information below.

1. Aufbruch (9:49)
2. Ein letzter Tanz (13:49)
3. Skepsis Part I (5:05)
4. Skepsis Part II (5:36)
5. Finisterre (11:13)

The musical puzzle that adds up to become DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT turns into something more complex – yet also clearer defined on the band’s fourth studio album, ‘Finisterre’. The original pieces are still in play: the aggressive German directness akin to ENDSTILLE and a penchant for brooding melancholy as embodied by IMPERIUM DEKADENZ. Spiralling psychedelic moments comparable to DEAFHEAVEN and WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM also find their place – as well as a knack for majestic melodies that shows parallels in Swedish black metal spearheaded by MARDUK and DARK FUNERAL.

Yet while DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT are clearly progressing along the lines laid out by their previous acclaimed effort, ‘Stellar’, the band has found a way to make these pieces fit more seamlessly. ‘Finisterre’ flows together into a coherent picture that stresses the Germans’ unique approach and sound. This album marks the point where DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT turn their various influences into a work entirely of their own expression despite never trying to cover up their roots. This impressive maturity has been reached through several stages.

Founded in 2009 by guitarist Nikita Kamprad and vocalist Tobias Jaschinsky,DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT garnered early attention with their self-released debut ‘Der Weg einer Freiheit’ (2009), which quickly sold out and was re-issued with new drum tracks a year later. Following the ‘Agonie’ EP (2011), their second album ‘Unstille’ (2012) already cored international acclaim. In the aftermath of this record, co-founding member Tobias left and main songwriter Nikita Kamprad took over his vocal duties.

The frontman was first heard on third full-length ‘Stellar’ (2015), which sawDER WEG EINER FREIHEIT gaining traction across the pond as well as expanding their European base. Having performed along such diverse acts as WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, NEAERA, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, AMENRA, CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX, and DOWNFALL OF GAIA as well as playing prestigious festivals such as Graspop, Hellfest, Resurrection, Roadburn, Summer Breeze, and Wacken has honed the band’s songwriting skills to razor-sharp precision.

‘Finisterre’ clearly stands at the apex (for now) of the steep climb that DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT have taken. This German star is finally shining in full black.

www.derwegeinerfreiheit.de
www.facebook.com/derwegeinerfreiheit

The Great Old Ones embark on tour with Gaahls Wyrd and Auðn

THE GREAT OLD ONES will kick off their tour with headliner GAAHLS WYRD and label mates AUÐN at the Matrix in Bochum, Germany tonight!

The French Lovecraftian cultists will hit the road in support of their latest album, ‘EOD – A Tale Of Dark Legacy’.

A list of all confirmed dates including festival shows can be viewed below.

GAAHLS WYRD posted a tour trailer on Facebook at the link below.
www.facebook.com/gaahlswyrd/videos/1520820757972477

THE GREAT OLD ONES
+GAAHLS WYRD +AUÐN
01 Dec 17 Bochum (DE) Matrix
02 Dec 17 Vosselaar (BE) Biebob
03 Dec 17 Paris (FR) Petit Bain
04 Dec 17 Toulouse (FR) Metronum
05 Dec 17 Madrid (ES) Chango
06 Dec 17 Barcelona (ES) Boveda
07 Dec 17 Marseille (FR) Jas Rod
08 Dec 17 Milano (IT) Circolo Svolta
09 Dec 17 Bologna (IT) Alcemica Music Club
10 Dec 17 Zürich (CH) Werk 21
12 Dec 17 München (DE) Backstage
13 Dec 17 Wroclaw (PL) Firlej
14 Dec 17 Erfurt (DE) From Hell

THE GREAT OLD ONES Festivals
15 Dec 17 Berlin (DE) Columbiahalle (De Mortem Et Diabolum)
16 Dec 17 Eindhoven (NL) Eindhoven Metal Meeting 2017

THE GREAT OLD ONES will be touring in support of ‘EOD, A Tale of Dark Legacy’. This concept album has been composed as a sequel to H. P. Lovecraft’s literary masterpiece “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” and has broken free into this world on January 27th 2017.
Artwork and track-list can be viewed below.

Track-list
1. Searching For R. Olmstead (introduction)
2. The Shadow Over Innsmouth
3. When The Stars Align
4. The Ritual
5. Wanderings
6. In Screams And Flames
7. Mare Infinitum

It is with great trepidation that I am writing these lines. Something is lurking at the stairs below and I hear its scratching shuffle coming closer. This horror began when a book arrived in a torn envelope; its sender unknown. I should have heeded the warning of its title, ‘EOD – A Tale Of Dark Legacy’, yet curiosity got the better of me and on opening its pages an unearthly music crept into my soul.

The sound of harsh strings filled the room, ripping and screaming yet strangely melodic in an eerie and twisted way. A male voice, raw and grinding was rasping words of evil into my ears. And rhythms were pounding mercilessly. I was terrified, but could not turn away from a majestic beauty haunting each track that seemed to rise from the bottomless abyss beneath the sea.

As their name implies, THE GREAT OLD ONES are heavily inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Like the sinister novels and stories of the American gothic horror icon, the music of the French act delves into the forbidden, dark, haunting, and violent spheres of art. Their forthcoming third album, ‘EOD – A Tale Of Dark Legacy’ marks another big step in the band’s fast rising career.

THE GREAT OLD ONES emerged from the old parts of the ancient Aquitanian harbour city of Bordeaux – as famed for its secrets as for its deep red wine – in the year 2009. Their first album, ‘Al Azif’ was recorded and mixed by Cyrille Gachet (YEAR OF NO LIGHT) and mastered by the renowned Alan Douches (MASTODON, TOMBS, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN). After it was let loose on an unsuspecting world in April 2012, the reactions of critics and fans were unanimously positive, which opened previously locked doors to perform alongside acts such as AURA NOIR, FORGOTTEN TOMB, NEKROMANTHEON, BORGNE, TEMPLE OF BAAL, and ISOLE to name but a few – as well as being invited to the prestigious Hellfest Open Air in France.

THE GREAT OLD ONES followed up with their second full-length ‘Tekeli-li’, which garnered even higher praise and unlocked further opportunities like a show at the acclaimed Roadburn Festival, opening for BEHEMOTH in their homeland, returning to Hellfest, and supporting SHINING in France as well as label-mates DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT across Europe.

Now the Bordelais have gone further down the path leading to insanity by unleashing their highly anticipated third album. ‘EOD – A Tale Of Dark Legacy’ keeps the promise of luring its listener deeper into darkness which each new track. Weaving a sinister yarn that constitutes a sequel of Lovecraft’s only story to be published as a book, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”.

Advanced and melodic black metal of haunting beauty with lyrics inspired by H.P. Lovecraft result in a perfect match. Just listen and you will find out what waits down there…

www.facebook.com/thegreatoldones
www.thegreatoldonesband.com

Grim black metallist Ieschure streams her highly anticipated debut album, The Shadow,

Today, grim black metallist Ieschure streams the entirety of her highly anticipated debut album, The Shadow. Set for international release today via Iron Bonehead Productions, hear Ieschure’s The Shadow in its entirety HERE.

Ieschure is a one-woman black metal formation from Rivne, Ukraine, founded by Lilita Arndt in early 2016. With lyrical themes solely focused on occultism, witchcraft, and death, Arndt set to work on her first public recording, The Shadow, which was created during 2016-2017. Although seeing the light now, The Shadow is a melancholic and nostalgic work of pure black metal that could’ve been released 25 years ago.

Breathing a similar essence of the founding early ’90s wave, Ieschure conjures an immediately captivating spell of exquisite grimness and bitter majesty. In a seemingly time-stretching 34 minutes, The Shadow indeed approximates its title, wrapping its ethereal embrace around the spellbound listener with an utterly cryogenic splendor, never ceasing its hold nor relinquishing any joy. The soundfield may be distant and withered – and unapologetically raw, of course – but Ieschure exudes a keen grasp of dynamics which allows every note (and the notes “between the notes”) to ring out in the night sky with an eeriness all her own.

This is music for when the light has truly died and human life ceases to move; it is the reverberation of nocturnal existence, many and terrible its denizens. Will you enter The Shadow with Ieschure?

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Ieschure’s The Shadow
1. Intro – Shadows from the Great Beyond
2. Eternal Wheels of Life
3. Mystic Schizophrenia
4. Condemned to Death
5. What Waits in the End
6. Before the New Dawn Comes
7. Outro – Through the Chaos of Voices

Auðn kick off tour with Gaahls Wyrd and The Great Old Ones

AUÐN are about to kick off their tour with headliner GAAHLS WYRD and label mates THE GREAT OLD ONE as support at the Matrix in Bochum, Germany tomorrow, Friday, 1st of December.

The Icelandic black metal shooting stars will be touring in support of their latest full-length, ‘Farvegir Fyrndar’, which has been freshly released on November 10th.

A list of all confirmed dates including festival appearances can be found below.

AUÐN comment: “We are extremely thrilled to have landed in Germany this morning, where we will start our tour with GHAALS WYRD and THE GREAT OLD ONES in that hard working city of Bochum. Tomorrow marks the very first date when we will premiere our new material on European soil! See you somewhere on the road!”

GAAHLS WYRD posted a tour trailer on Facebook at the link below.
www.facebook.com/gaahlswyrd/videos/1520820757972477/

AUÐN
+GAAHLS WYRD +THE GREAT OLD ONES
01 Dec 17 Bochum (DE) Matrix
02 Dec 17 Vosselaar (BE) Biebob
03 Dec 17 Paris (FR) Petit Bain
04 Dec 17 Toulouse (FR) Metronum
05 Dec 17 Madrid (ES) Chango
06 Dec 17 Barcelona (ES) Boveda
07 Dec 17 Marseille (FR) Jas Rod
08 Dec 17 Milano (IT) Circolo Svolta
09 Dec 17 Bologna (IT) Alcemica Music Club
10 Dec 17 Zürich (CH) Werk 21
12 Dec 17 München (DE) Backstage
13 Dec 17 Wroclaw (PL) Firlej
14 Dec 17 Erfurt (DE) From Hell

AUÐN Festivals
15 Dec 17 Berlin (DE) Columbiahalle (De Mortem Et Diabolum)
16 Dec 17 Eindhoven (NL) Eindhoven Metal Meeting 2017
13 Jan 18 Reykjavík (IS) Iðnó (+Hamferð)
18 Jan 18 Groningen (NL) Eurosonic Noorderslag
20 Jan 18 København (DK) BETA2300
09 Mar 18 Reykjavík (IS) Gamla Bíó (Oration MMXVIII)
30 Mar 18 Oslo (NO) Inferno Festival 2018

AUÐN will perform live in support of their latest highly acclaimed full-length, ‘Farvegir Fyrndar’, which has hit the stores on the 10th of November.

Víðir Mýrmann Þrastarson created the artwork of ‘Farvegir Fyrndar’, which can be viewed below.

Track list
1. Veröld Hulin (6:24)
2. Lífvana Jörð (4:06)
3. Haldreipi Hugans (8:04)
4. Prísund (4:03)
5. Ljósaslæður (6:37)
6. Blóðrauð Sól (4:27)
7. Eilífar Nætur (5:42)
8. Skuggar (5:14)
9. Í Hálmstráið Held (5:20)

Total playing time: 49:57

For all its beauty, Iceland can be a sinister place where furious elements rage teaching fear but also inspiring human creativity. Hailing from the village of Hveragerði in the south of the volcanic island, AUÐN are the latest offspring from the burgeoning black metal scene in this land of ice and snow to set their dark sails for foreign shores.

With their second full-length, ‘Farvegir Fyrndar’ (literally meaning “Ancient Riverbeds” – with a long tail of untranslatable subtext), AUÐN continue their fast ascent. Unlike the majority of their blackened brethren from the country’s capital Reykjavik, this young band does not base its sound more or less on DEATHSPELL OMEGA worship, but rather reaches back to a more classic second generation black metal approach for inspiration.

AUÐN deliver haunting melodies and beautifully frozen atmospheres – as opposed to the jarring and caustic blunt force trauma that has brought this remote place in the Northern Atlantic to the black metal forefront of late

Founded in the bleak winter of 2010, AUÐN’s talent was quick to be recognised. The band got invited to Iceland’s main metal event, the Eistnaflug Festival and won the local Wacken Metal Battle contest in 2016, while making it to the top 3 at the main event. Performances at the prestigious Inferno and Roadburn Festivals followed in 2017.

With ‘Farvegir Fyrndar’, AUÐN not only demonstrate the impressive progress of their songwriting skills but also deliver a clear definition of their very own black sound. Warning: this album grows with every spin and will take a long time to even come close to any limit!

Line-up
Aðalsteinn Magnússon – guitar
Andri Björn Birgisson – guitar
Hjalti Sveinsson – vocals
Hjálmar Gylfason – bass
Sigurður Kjartan Pálsson – drums

www.facebook.com/audnofficial

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!

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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”