Today, legendary Finnish death metal masters Purtenance premiere the new track “Vicious Seeds of Mortality”
The track hails from the band’s highly anticipated EP, Paradox of Existence, set for international release on September 12th through Xtreem Music.
After returning to a five-piece lineup, Purtenance began to work on new tunes, which were recorded during the first half of 2017, and are now released as an EP that follows their trademarked heavy old-school Finnish death metal for which they’re known since their inception in 1989. Cover artwork was once again made by Chris Moyen, who’s done every Purtenance cover artwork since their debut album, Member of Immortal Damnation, in 1992.
The first track from the EP, “In the End Only Death Will Remain,”HERE.
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Purtenance’s Paradox of Existence
1. In the End Only Death Will Remain
2. Vicious Seeds of Mortality
3. Paradox of Existence
4. Nekro Orgy
Today, Iron Bonehead Productions sets November 3rd as the international release date for Kawir’s highly anticipated seventh album, Exilasmos, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
Since 1993, Kawir have been one of the unsung pillars of the classic Greek black metal sound. While the names Rotting Christ, Varathron, and Necromantia are incredibly important to that style’s foundation, it was Kawir who kept the faith during the ’90s and into the new millennium. In 1994, the then-young band released two pivotal 7″s, Eumenides and a split with Japan’s Sigh – on the pivotal Cacophonous Records, no less – and then followed those up in 1996 with the To Cavirs MLP, which is the first truly pagan-oriented record to hail from the Greek black metal scene. With that mini-album, Kawir set about on a Hellenistic crusade to celebrate their native gods and mythology in their lyrics and sartorial presentation. From the late ’90s onward, the band continued to remain prolific, perpetually committed to fine-tuning their idiosyncratic craft, culminating in underground classics Arai (2005) and Ophiolatreia (2008). Although 2012’s Ισόθεος featured a cross-continental lineup, the album further solidified Kawir’s status as unique icons in the black metal underground.
Then, just last year, Iron Bonehead released the massively acclaimed Father Sun Mother Moon, which saw Kawir return to an all-Greek lineup and recast their classic sound in a whole new light, and now they continue that forward momentum with the fiery Exilasmos. If the 64-minute Father Sun Mother Moon was the sound of Kawir indulging their most epic expanses – always with power and poignancy, it must be said – then the 42-minute Exilasmos is its punchier and more restless counterpart. Across its six characteristically cascading tracks, Kawir take a decidedly darker and more aggressive turn, racing into the fray in a manner most mid ’90s (or To Cavirs, as it were) but never losing the inherently heroic aspect so crucial – and so engaging, after all these years – to their Hellenic sound. Supplementing that dark heroism is the addition of a fulltime keyboardist in Aristomache, who lends mystical light and shade to the band’s surge ‘n’ swell. Further coloring the windswept wildness of Exilasmos are an endless supply of dramatic solos from guitarists Melanaegis and founder Therthonax.
But, as ever with Kawir, the sonic portrait they paint is imbued with a deep lyricism hailing the Greek pantheon. In the case of Exilasmos, the record is conceptually about the tragic dynasties of the house of Lavdakides (Oedipus Tyrannus) and the house of Atreus. Both dynasties nearly exterminated themselves, and all these violent and inhuman acts brought forth the wrath of Zeus and the curses were consequently laid upon the whole bloodline. “Exilasmos” in Ancient Hellenic Language means calming down the gods’ wrath, so it perfectly describes the tragic events featured in the namesake album.
Recorded at Esoteron Studio in Athens and mixed and mastered by Esoteric’s Greg Chandler at Priory Studio, Exilasmos is yet another gleaming jewel in the rich Kawir canon. Long may they ascend Mount Olympus! Begin that ascent with a special promo video for the new track “Agamemnon”
Today, black metal enigmas Reverorum ib Malacht stream their highly anticipated third album, Ter Agios Numini. Set for international release on August 18th via The Ajna Offensive, stream the entirety of Ter Agios Numini HERE.
Reverorum ib Malacht’s newest offering, however, isn’t all that new, having been composed and compiled and reworked and redesigned over the past 10+ years, kept lingering in a haunted and purgatorial state until just a few months ago. Therefore, those who came to understand and marvel at the likes of Ur-kaos and De Mysteriis Dom Christi will find Ter Agios Numini to be equally as dense and vast and inspired. And yet, Ter Agios Numini reveals another complex dimension of the band, all the while being unapologetically Reverorum ib Malachtian: cryptically, murkily terrifying and simultaneously cathartic with moments of sublime remoteness.
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Reverorum ib Malacht’s Ter Agios Numini
1. Synestesi
2. Long into the Time Beyond
3. Reverorum ib Malachtum
4. Dwellings are His that Die
In their endless quest to push and support current underground acts that perpetuate the odor of vintage death metal, on October 23rd, Memento Mori is proud to present War Possession’s highly anticipated debut album, Doomed to Chaos. Hailing from the black metal hotbed of Greece, War Possession indeed features a number of scene veterans within their ranks, including current and past members of such bands as Embrace of Thorns, Merciless Crucifixion, and Wargoat. Since the band’s beginnings in 2008, they’ve been possessed by an unwavering desire to craft and perform punishing, war-themed DEATH METAL impervious to trends and modern standards, combining corpulent, ominously slow riffs with blasting brutality soaked in a blackened ambience. References to be made are the olden endeavors of Bolt Thrower, Demigod, Treblinka/Tiamat, Incantation, Therion, Archgoat, Imprecation, and Asphyx. But while they’ve quietly made an impression across a demo, split, and EP, at long last, War Possession reveals its most devastating assault in Doomed to Chaos.
Totaling 10 tracks in a lean ‘n’ mean 40 minutes, Doomed to Chaos begins its slow lurch into undead life with an ominous intro, setting the stage for the audial apocalypse to come. War-torn atmosphere established, War Possession soon kick into caustic ‘n’ crunch gear with a proud ‘n’ powerful pulse not unlike a Panzer tank. No more and certainly no less, the band evince totally pure, unapologetically untarnished DEATH METAL songwriting that finds the right balance between linear and labyrinthine. Engaging the listener (and enemy!) at every decimated turn, the sonic canvas of Doomed to Chaos soon becomes a battlefield, as each song plays out the stark drama so endemic to war. Or, if you simply listen and prepare to be flattened, never giving a thought to their thematics, War Possession lurch ‘n’ lunge in a most classic way, even down to the early ’90s-style production (with mastering by The Crypt’s Ted Tringo). Completed by equally classic, era-accurate artwork by Fendieart, Doomed to Chaos is diehard death metal for death metal diehards – for victory!
Feel the first opening fire with the new track “Operation Neptune.”
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for War Possession’s Doomed to Chaos
1. March into Hell (Beyond the Chaos Gate)
2. Operation Neptune
3. God of a Wicked Mind
4. Verdun Hell
5. Doomed to Chaos
6. War Is the Father and King of All
7. Slapton Sands Tragedy
8. The Sword of Stalingrad
9. Haunted by Carnage
10. Mass for the Dead
Iron Bonehead Productions sets October 27th as the international release date for Sacrocurse’s highly anticipated second album, Gnostic Holocaust, on vinyl LP format.
Following hot on the heels of their Destroying Chapels 7″ for Iron Bonehead last year, Gnostic Holocaust sees Sacrocurse going from strength to strength and reaping their most ravenous whirlwind yet. Whereas the Destroying Angels EP introduced the live lineup that’s been in place for a couple years now, Gnostic Holocaust is the first full-length display of the band’s true power and potency. Here, Sacrocurse take all their original rudiments – bestial propulsion, immediately memorable songwriting, and mind-melted solos – and adds even more insanity and ritualism, more red-eyed and rabid than ever. It’s quintessential South American-style black/death witchery, but given a dosage of Ross Bay-steeped sturm und drang. What’s more, while the power-trio are just as apt to blast away at dangerous speeds, there’s expert pacing in their down-tempo death-marches, giving further iron-fisted thrust to what is truly a Gnostic Holocaust. Fan the flames of zealotry and prepare for Sacrocurse’s Gnostic Holocaust!
Check the new track “Maze of Serpents.”
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Sacrocurse’s Gnostic Holocaust
1. Just Fucking Die
2. Jaws of Hell
3. Spirit versus Flesh
4. Endless Khaoz
5. Kirie Eleison
6. Maze of Serpents
7. Empire of Sekmet
8. Triumphant Tribulation
9. Gnostic Holocaust
10. Vengeance Consumed
Today, Hells Headbangers reveals the cover art and tracklisting for Midnight’s highly anticipated third album, Sweet Death and Ecstasy. The album will be released later this year on 2CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
By now, Midnight need no introduction. Guided by the twisted muse of mainman Athenar since 2003, this Cleveland cult have been slaying the metal/punk underground with their own, highly addictive brand of lust, filth, and sleaze, subsequently building up a sizable catalog and garnering a rabid fanbase. While there’s certainly fanatics for the band’s early EP work, it was Midnight’s debut album, Satanic Royalty – released to international fanfare in 2011 by Hells Headbangers – that entered the band’s name into the annals of “classic.” Never one to rush things (nor drop an EP along the way), Midnight continued their underground dominance with No Mercy for Mayhem in 2014, further perfecting their signature sound. Now, with their massively anticipated third album, Sweet Death and Ecstasy, Athenar and co. return with their darkest and most daring effort yet.
Granted, upon the first detonating chords of opener “Crushed by Demons,” it would be fair to assume that Sweet Death and Ecstasy is simply classic Midnight…until the tracktime nearly doubles what a characteristic track of theirs would be. This is no mere bloat, though: bookended by two of the band’s longest songs to date, Sweet Death and Ecstasy lays bare a more anguished ‘n’ aggravated Midnight, forever in thrall to the usual subjects (LUST, FILTH, SLEAZE) but speaking a slightly different, altogether-more-poisonous tongue. It both charges harder than ever – even harder than the band’s early EP work, arguably – and also puts on the brakes to bang ‘n’ clang in a manner most foul. Indeed, Midnight truly deliver Sweet Death and Ecstasy in a swift 32 minutes, and it’s absolutely addicting. What’s more, the CD version will feature a bonus disc that’s a 12-song live rehearsal recorded in 2015 by Commandor Vanik. There’s no dawn for Midnight…ever!
Release date, preorder info, and first track to be revealed shortly. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Midnight’s Sweet Death and Ecstasy
1. Crushed by Demons
2. Penetratal Ecstasy
3. Here Comes Sweet Death
4. Melting Brain
5. Rabid!
6. Bitch Mongrel
7. Poison Trash
8. Before My Time in Hell
GORGUTS will kick off their European summer dates at Brutal Assault Festival in Jaromer, Czech Republic tomorrow, August 9th. Right after, the Canadian death metal pioneers will perform at Belgiums Ieper Festival, Vagos Metal Fest in Portugal, and Germany’s Summerbreeze before embarking on four special package shows, which are featuring GORGUTS alongside FALLUJAH, HAVOK, REVOCATION, and opener VENOM PRISON. After these special dates, the rampage continues with a regular tour in support of CONVERGE together with HAVOC and REVOCATION.
A full list of currently confirmed tour dates can be viewed below
GORGUTS
Festivals
09 Aug 17 Jaromer (CZ) Brutal Assault
11 Aug 17 Ieper (BE) Ieper Festival
13 Aug 17 Vagos (PT) Vagos Metal Fest
18 Aug 17 Dinkelsbühl (DE) Summer Breeze
GORGUTS
+Converge +Havok +Revocation
20 Aug 17 Wrocław (PL) Zaklęte Rewiry
21 Aug 17 Bratislava (SK) Majestic Music Club
22 Aug 17 Wien (AT) Arena
23 Aug 17 München (DE) Backstage Halle
24 Aug 17 Aarau (CH) Kiff
25 Aug 17 Paris (FR) Trabendo
GORGUTS will be performing in support of their previous albums as well as their critically highly acclaimed latest EP ‘Pleiades’ Dust’
The artwork of the EP that contains only its epic title track 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 the band 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 following in their 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).
Now GORGUTS return with their most experimental song so far that combines all their virtues into one massive masterpiece. Lean back and listen carefully!
Signal Rex sets October 13th as the international release date for is proud to present Megalith Grave’s From Effigies Past, a compilation of the band’s super-rare demo tapes. Playing “Raw Putrid Black Metal” exclusively, this one-man band has built up a sizable discography devoted to the darkest past of the ancient black metal underground. Strictly limited to 200 copies, the From Effigies Past CD compiles the demos Insidious Dark (2011), Through Clandestine Thickets (2012), and Embittered Isolation (2013). Totaling 14 tracks in an hour, here Megalith Grave unleashes a torrent of utterly dead, impossibly grim BLACK METAL done the way in the days before social media and “diehard” vinyl, before the veil of mysticism was pulled back to reveal normal human beings. This is not entertainment; this is pure disgust. “This filth came from the deprivation of this human cesspool which we live in. Solitude and hate feed me the desires to create this abomination,” says mainman Gamol. Hearing is believing, so enter From Effigies Past at your own peril…
The first step can be taken with the track “The Retribution of Life and Death”
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Megalith Grave’s From Effigies Past
1. Intro
2. The Retribution of Life and Death
3. As a Forlorn Shade Drifts
4. In a Time of Darkness and War
5. Decomposing in Memories
6. The Divide Between Unknown Dimensions
7. Coronation In Decay
8. Epoch of Obscurity
9. Decrepit and Forgotten
10. Foreboding Passage to Infinite Truths
11. Embittered Isolation
12. As the Cold Winds Whisper
13. Relentless Animosity Against Human Life
14. Fading Desolate Entity
Tracks from 1 – 5 taken from Insidious Dark demo 2011
Tracks from 6 – 10 taken from Through Clandestine Thickets demo 2012
Tracks from 11 – 14 taken from Embittered Isolation demo 2014
Sentient Ruin Labortories is happy to present you with the final and ultimate form of Sutekh Hexen and BLSPHM’s 2014 infamous tape split – now finally available in vinyl format as a dual-colored 7″ enhanced by staggering DIY/hand made packaging.
Originally released by Dead Accents in 2014 as 50 hand-numbered cassettes, to coincide with Debacle Fest 2014, this release sees the two entities tread shadow and reap flesh at the peak of their game and in their period of maximum splendor. With each band spewing forth one spasm each of nerve-shattering audial terror, both movements can be seen as opposite sides of a dark prism which reflect light in different ways, but which both work in harmony to summon a darkened and wretched chasm of aural blight that envelops the listener like a ghostly deluge, wrecking unholy havoc upon their senses.
While this split saw Sutekh Hexen’s infamous abyss of raw black metal, harsh noise, and drone combust with unseen vigor, and BLPHM’s blackened industrial terror ascend to unthinkable qualitative heights, the original extremely limited tape vanished quickly from the market rendering the release both unfindable and somewhat forgotten – a fate much too unfair for such an iconic and masterful accomplishment in recent extreme underground music history.
As such we could not be happier to bring you the second and ultimate incarnation of this gloriously wretched split as a dual color vinyl 7″, elegantly enhanced by a die-hard hand made packaging consisting of a black heavy cardstock flap, each copy letterpressed one by one by hand with silver inks by Demian Johnston of BLSPHM himself. The standard and more widely available edition will be available as purple vinyl, while a limited edition black vinyl will also be available in extremely small quantities and with a slightly more elaborate look given by a letterpressed OBI strip. The staggering layout was designed by Sutekh Hexen founding member Kevin Gan Yuen using source imagery hand-drawn by surreal horror art luminary Stephen Wilson, while the original songs were remastered for vinyl by none other than James Plotkin himself.
Today, Iron Bonehead Productions sets October 20th as the international release date for Rope Sect’s highly anticipated second EP, Proselytes, on 7″ vinyl format.
Following hot on the heels of the dark-horse triumph that is Personae Ingratae – released this August on 12″ vinyl by Iron Bonehead – here, the German trio go from strength to strength, solidifying their idiosyncratic sound whilst offering daring new twists on it. Still a desolate fog of deathrock, dirty and lonerist, and uncaring for musical “progression” or conventional definitions of “excitement,” Rope Sect somehow make Proselytes sound perversely joyous (daresay danceable?) despite the supremely negative vibes being emitted. And, in fact, there is a positivism in such recalcitrance: Proselytes is thematically about enmeshing and lecturing proselytes. In the band’s words, “Old lives are fading, a new one is dawning. A second skin. The beginning of the end.” March forward, Proselytes, with Rope Sect.
“Quietus,” the A-side to the 7″, is currently streaming at Iron Bonehead’s Soundcloud
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Rope Sect’s Proselytes
1. Side A – Quietus
2. Side B – Proselytes
ROPE SECT is about seclusion.
Renunciation of society.
A dance on ruins.
A doomsday revel.
Naked spite.
Eleutheromania.
Obedience.
———
Venerate the rope!
Fear the rope!
