Today, Osmose Productions announces January 31st, 2025 as the international release date for the highly anticipated third album of Russia’s Pyre, Where Obscurity Sways, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
After four long years of silence and absence in the fog of the pandemic and war, like a heavy sledgehammer rushing towards your head, Russia’s Pyre return with their third full-length murderous opus, Where Obscurity Sways.
With the unique, fresh-sounding production but yet traditionally made in the old-school vein, along with the new level of performance, the new album delivers mid-tempo darkness and colder atmosphere of their previous album, complemented by classic phrases of band’s well-known high-speed crushing low-tuned rattling riffage with obscure melodies and solos and surely recognizable signature frantic voice.
In the meantime, see & hear the brand-new video “Murderous Transcendence” here:
Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Pyre (Russia)’s Where Obscurity Sways
1. Where Obscurity Sways [4:34] 2. From The Stygian Depths [3:13] 3. Domains Of The Nameless Rites [4:48] 4. Wandering… [1:06] 5. Murderous Transcendence [5:19] 6. Writhing Souls [4:34] 7. Chanting Ancient Incantations [2:52] 8. Pestilential Fumes [3:43] 9. Descending… [1:27] 10. Prognostic Of The Apocalypse [3:36]
Horrific Honorifics Number Two (2), an unapologetic declaration of reverence, sees CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX laying bare the influences that have long seared their spirits with incandescent defiance. Within Horrific Honorifics Number Two (2), the band transforms seminal tracks such as Fugazi’s Blueprint and Laura Branigan’s Self Control into haunting renditions that challenge the listener to peer into these classics through a new, unflinching lens. The intricate layers woven by founder Justin Greaves and Belinda Kordic’s haunting melodies envelop each note with authenticity and raw power.
Joined by old companions and new kindred souls, the album is a canvas of rich soundscapes echoing the tumultuous symphony of human tales. Each reinterpretation swells with the unmistakable CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX essence, striking a perfect balance between honoring the legacy of its predecessors and carving its own path of revolution.
Listen to the full new Horrific Honorifics Number Two (2) here:
Their upcoming double album, The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature and Horrific Honorifics Number Two (2), commemorates two decades of relentless introspection and unyielding rebellion.
The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature An album which exhumes and resurrects their buried treasures, reworking and re-recording iconic tracks that have weathered the storms of time. These anthems – imbued with the rawness of old friends and new allies – surge with renewed vigor, challenging the very essence of complacency. Anthem such as We Forgotten Who We Are or the lead single Goodnight, Europe, completely re-imagined.
Horrific Honorifics Number Two (2) An albums which serves as a dark homage to the musical titans who ignited their spirit, with visceral covers that explode into life. With tracks like the searing rendition of New Model Army’s Vengeance and the haunting introspection of Laura Branigan’s Self Control, this album is a collection of CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX‘s masterful rendition of classic songs which have inspired them over the years.
The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature + Horrific Honorifics Number Two (2) is out November 29 on Season of Mist.
Tracklist: 1. We Forgotten Who We Are (11:17) 2. You Put The Devil In Me (6:18) 3. 444 (7:23) [LISTEN] 4. Goodnight, Europe (Pt2) (8:37) [WATCH] 5. (-) (4:39) 6. Song For The Unloved (14:22) 7. Whissendine (6:58) 8. Blizzard Of Horned Cats (4:43) Total runtime: 1:04:21
Tracklist: 1. Vengeance (4:16) 2. Self Control (5:23) [LISTEN] 3. Blueprint (4:03) [LISTEN] 4. And That’s Sad (6:52) 5. Hammer Song (4:52) 6. When A Blind Man Cries (3:22) 7. My Pal (3:51) 8. Goin’ Against Your Mind (8:53) Total runtime: 41:36
The thread that binds CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX’s bold and towering discography — a dozen studio albums, a half-dozen mini-albums, a handful of compilations and swaths of bootlegs — could not be more apropos circa 2022. Since its 2004 creation by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Justin Greaves, CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX has served as the voice for the voiceless, whether it be animals, the unequal and the different. Greaves and longstanding vocalist and lyricist Belinda Kordic have often proffered that these beings cannot fend for themselves. Henceforth, CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX’s mission has been to shed light on the human condition and the inequalities that befall humankind and its creatures. Their battle marches on with their latest studio album, Banefyre.
Banefyre follows 2020’s Ellengæst — an effort that found CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX employ a series of notable guest vocalists alongside Kordic, prompting Metal Hammer to describe it as their “most cohesive and emotionally devastating record.” Kordic is now paired with Swedish vocalist Joel Segerstedt, who made his CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX debut last year via the “Painful Reminder/Dead is Dead” single. Piano, synth and trumpet player Helen Stanley and additional guitarist Andy Taylor complete the lineup. Greaves says Stanley and Taylor “fit so well creatively,” which has made CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX feel like a band when making plans and decisions.
Also central to this is Segerstedt. According to Kordic, the vocalist and lyricist lives a mere five minutes from her in Sweden and has quickly integrated himself into the band. “What I like about Joel is that he’s a good person,” she says. “There’s no fakeness with him; he has cajones. He’s not a bitch-talker, either. I can’t handle people who don’t have a backbone, but Joel is real and can speak his mind.”
“I like how Joel has come in and spoke for himself,” adds Greaves. “He’s in the band for the right reasons. I see him the same way as Belinda — she took an interest in the whole artistic thing behind CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX, like the vocals, lyrics, artwork and aesthetic. It’s the same with Joel. He has taken an interest in all of those things. In the past, we had people who didn’t contribute artistically and only cared about what they got out of the band. But Joel is really proactive and takes the initiative.”
Greaves assembled 13 songs (including “No Regrets,” a bonus track for his new project with Kordic, Johnny the Boy) imbued with the depth and introspection that will reinforce CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX’s standing as a band that defies genre. The album was tracked at Chapel Studios in South Thoresby, Lincolnshire, with vocals cut at Monolith Studio and Kapsylen Studio in Stockholm, Sweden. Kurt Ballou handled mixing in GodCity Studios in Salem, Massachusetts — a pivotal move in determining the album’s overall sound.
“I love the album so much because it was a different approach with the production,” says Greaves. “For my part, it was a little bit of a reaction. I didn’t want to do the same warm, safe CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX album. I’m aware that when we did [2012’s] I, Vigilante, everyone wanted I, Vigilante again. As it so often happens with this band, people complain about the next one, then grow into it. Ellengæst is like I, Vigilante. It’s a shorter album. It hit the mark and was done really well, but everyone will expect another Ellengæst. I feared that, but I care enough not to make another Ellengæst. It’s the right thing to do. That’s why we got Kurt to mix it — we wanted that analog, raw power. Even though the album has mellow moments, those are edgy as well. We just didn’t want to do the same album twice. We’re never going to be a band that people can rely on.”
Greaves’ summation of his band notwithstanding, his distinctive guitar playing and enduring knack for immersive songwriting is the propellent behind the haunting, chant-laden “Ghostland,” pensive “The Reckoning” and forlorn “Everything is Beautiful but Us,” the band’s spot-on analysis of the retreat of humankind indoors during the pandemic that revealed nature’s priceless beauty. The album is also stocked with no less than four ten-minute-plus cuts (“Rose of Jericho,” “Down the Rabbit Hole,” “I’m Okay, Just Not Alright” and “The Scene is a False Prophet”) that are intermixed with drama and melancholy.
It all ties into Banefyre’s central theme of the persecution of people who are deemed “different” by society. The album title is a play on the song “Bonefire” that Kordic named and wrote lyrics for. In classic CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX fashion, Greaves turned it into the Olde English translation to represent the bonfires that engulfed witches and politicians through the 15th and 18th centuries, hence, the name Banefyre.
The album begins with “Incantation for the Different,” which was written and orated by Chicago-based witch, artist, author and occultist Shane Bugbee, who, according to Greaves, “brought us some positive, dark energy.” Banefyre then delves into the Salem Witch Trials (“Wyches and Basterdz”), fox hunting in Great Britain (“The Reckoning”), politicians of an unscrupulous and dishonest kind (“Bonefire”) and the New York City Blackout of 1977 (“Blackout77”).
Greaves says Banefyre’s topics may have a decidedly negative and pessimistic tone, but a glimmer of hope and joy remains. “There’s always the random bits, but overall, Banefyre is about the people who have suffered because they are different. The album covers inequality and oppression, like ‘Incantation for the Different,’ which is about overcoming when you’re put down because you’re not like everyone else.”
In true CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX fashion, the Lucy Marshall-created Banefyre cover leaves plenty to the imagination, depicting four animals seated at a table — interacting and dressed like human beings. “It’s sort of like Planet of the Apes showing what animals could do to humans,” says Greaves. “The cover was specially commissioned and is unique to the album. It’s incorporating all the classic CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX elements with the love for animals and twisting the narrative around.”
CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX’s reputation was built on the back of their studio albums and live shows. The pandemic prevented the band from supporting Ellengæst, but it did provide them additional time to bring in new members to their live configuration.
“We’ve done one show since 2019,” says Greaves. “We are going to do something in Europe this year. Hopefully, we can get back on track. We’re also going to do something in the States — that’s not just talk, we’re actually going to do it. It’s well overdue. The live band is fucking amazing. We have the five of us and now we have Jordi [Farré] on drums, Paco [Fleischfresser] on synth and a really good friend of mine, Matt Crawford on bass.
“We did the Leipzig show and even though the rehearsals were better than the show itself, that lineup, our live band, is so good. Because we haven’t been under pressure to put a live band together since 2019 and spent so long talking to people, we’ve got a better band from those results. Out of disaster, we’ve got quite a good, positive thing.”
The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature & Horrific Honorifics Number Two(2) are a double album celebrating the 20 year existence of CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX.
Original Credits: All tracks on Horrific Honorifics Number Two(2) are covers of various artists.
Vengeance Originally recorded by New Model Army, Written by: Sullivan/Morrow
Self Control Originally recorded by Laura Branigan, Written by: Giancarlo Bigazzi, Raffaele Riefoli, Steve Piccolo
Blueprint Originally recorded by Fugazi, Written by: Canty, Lilly, MacKaye, Picciotto
And That’s Sad Originally recorded by NoMeansNo, Written by: NoMeansNo
Hammer Song Originally recorded by Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Written by Alex Harvey
When A Blind Man Cries Originally recorded by Deep Purple, Written by: Gillan, Glover, Blackmore, Lord, Paice
My Pal Originally recorded by God, Written by: God, Joel Silbersher)
Goin’ Against Your Mind Originally recorded by Built To Spill, Written by: Doug Martsch, Jim Roth, Brett Nelson, Scott Plouf
Self Control Belinda Kordic – Vocals Justin Greaves – Drums, Guitars Andy Taylor – Baritone Guitar Helen Stanley – Synth Wesley J. Wasley – Bass
Blueprint Ryan Patterson – Vocals Justin Greaves – Drums, Guitars Helen Stanley – Piano Wesley J. Wasley – Bass
And That’s Sad Justin Greaves – Drums, Guitars, Vocals Wesley Wasley – Bass, Vocals
Hammer Song Belinda Kordic – Vocals Justin Greaves – Drums, Guitars Andy Taylor – Guitar, Acoustic guitar Helen Stanley – Synth, Hammond Wesley J. Wasley – Bass
When A Blind Man Cries Belinda Kordic – Vocals Justin Greaves, Drums, Guitars Andy Taylor – Guitars Helen Stanley – Piano Kostas Panagiotou – Hammond Wesley J. Wasley – Bass
My Pal Belinda Kordic – Vocals Justin Greaves – Drums, Guitars, Backing Vocals Wesley J. Wasley – Bass
Goin’ Against Your Mind Justin Storms – Vocals Justin Greaves – Drums, Guitars Andy Taylor – Guitar Wesley J. Wasley – Bass
Recorded in 2023 at: Chapel Studios, Lincolnshire Engineered by Pieter Rietkerk
Additional Vocal Sessions at: Kapsylen Studio, Stockholm Engineered by Jörgen Jugglo Wall. House Of Foto, Louisville, KY Engineered by Ryan Patterson
Additional Production Credits: Mixed by Pieter Rietkerk Mastered by Magnus Lindberg Produced by Justin Greaves
Today, Portuguese speed thrash black metal kings Filii Nigrantium Infernalium stream the entirety of their highly anticipated fifth album, Pérfida Contracção do Aço. Set for international release on November 29th via Osmose Productions, hear Filii Nigrantium Infernalium‘sPérfida Contracção do Açoin its entirety here:
Open the mouth of Hell: Filii Nigrantium Infernalium, classic Portuguese maniac black metal pioneers, deliver their fourth album for Osmose.
Crushing, demented production and compositions. Blasphemous, disconcerting artwork by cult artist Paolo Girardi. Forged out from the pandemic, this masterpiece is raw, baroque, and complexly straight to the point, an unpredictable, insane labyrinth of sound and words.
Sacrilegious and offensive speedthrashblackmetal, grotesque sinister gloom, venomous sarcasm ranging from old-school heavy metal to dark sharpened doom and relentlessly wild blasting beats’ devastation.
Preorder info can be found HERE. Aforementioned cover artwork and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Filii Nigrantium Infernalium’s Pérfida Contracção do Aço 1. Beata Fornicanda [2:50] 2. Holocausto Molto Vivace Ma Non Troppo [4:30] 3. Negros Hábitos [4:24] 4. Cristo.Rei.Animal. [4:14] 5. Pérfida Contracção do Aço [5:50] 6. Comes Carne [5:30] 7. Má Criação [4:09] 8. Vaticanale [9:45] 9. Chuva Dourada [3:47]
Today, vampiric black metallers Order of Nosferat reveal the new track “At the Sea She Longs for His Return.” The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated sixth album, Towards the Nightrealm of Orlok, set for international release on December 25th via Purity ThroughFire. Hear Order of Nosferat‘s “At the Sea She Longs for His Return” in its entirety here:
By now, those well versed in the crimes of Purity ThroughFire should be well aware of Order of Nosferat. Emerging from the shadows in early 2021, the duo of Count Revenant and Anzillu released TWO full-lengths that year: Necuratul and Arrival of the Plague Bearer. And while both underground veterans are no strangers to black metal, the variety they unleashed with Order of Nosferat was most definitely OLD, in every sense of the word: undead vampiric black metal had truly arisen! Like (vampiric) clockwork, two more full-lengths followed the next year – Nachtmusik in March and Vampiric Wrath Unleashed in December – proving that their bloodthirst could not be sated. While 2023 was relatively quiet, Order of Nosferat “only” released a split album with Lunar Spells, showing a more nuanced and atmospheric side to their vampirism.
Alas, 2024 has proven to be predictably bountiful for Order of Nosferat, as The Absence of Grace arrived as the snows began to melt – and now, as those snows soon take hold, so does yet another full-length. Titled Towards the Nightrealm of Orlok, on LP#6 do the duo of Revenant and Anzillu return to misery and comfort, regressing their black metal further back to somewhere around 1997-1999. Whereas The Absence of Grace moved at a more measured pace and utilized a unique production style – crisp and cutting but somehow brittle, exceptionally ethereal in its effect – Order of Nosferat kick up the pace again, galloping triumphantly into the night in search of prey. The production’s equally brittle, but authentically vintage: the fuzz ‘n’ buzz recalls old French vampires like Blessed in Sin, Winter Funeral, and Osculum Infame, esteemed company and spiritual forebears for this particular (and pure) style of black metal. And while the duo have always had exquisitely moonlit synths, aiding and abetting their melancholia, they truly meld into something majestic here, indeed taking the listener Towards the Nightrealm of Orlok. Christmas day shall hereby be a bloody one, courtesy of Order of Nosferat!
Also hear the previously revealed title track “Towards the Nightrealm of Orlok” HERE at the Black Metal Promotion YouTube channel. Cover artwork, courtesy of Vhan Artworks, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Order of Nosferat’s Towards the Nightrealm of Orlok 1. …Far Away to the Land of Ghosts 2. Crossing the Shadowland 3. Towards the Nightrealm of Orlok 4. At the Sea She Longs for His Return 5. Blood is Life! 6. Into Pale Shadows and Ghostly Dreams 7. Where the Werewolf Haunts the Woods 8. Beyond the Eternity Gates I Wait 9. Don’t Leave [Gummy Boy cover]
Today, idiosyncratic metallers Hexenbrett premiere the new track “Imotep”. The track is the third to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Dritte Beschwörung: Dem Teufel eine Tochter, set for international release on December 20th via Dying Victims Productions. Hear Hexenbrett‘s “Imotep” in its entirety here:
It was but May of the cursed year of 2020 when Hexenbrett truly came into their own with their shockingly masterful debut album, Zweite Beschwörung: Ein Kind zu töten, courtesy of Dying Victims. While the enigmatic duo of Josto Feratu and Scarlettina Bolétte had definitely turned heads with the Erste Beschwörung demo in 2019, their debut album’s idiosyncratic kaleidoscope of Varathron, Jean Rollin, Danzig, Goblin, and Van Halen emerged as completely unique and unlike little else around.
Predictably unpredictable, Hexenbrett returned the following year with Intermezzo dei quattro coltelli nudi, a crazed ‘n’ crazy EP that was the result of canceled concerts and tours. As suggested by its title, the record was no “beschwörung” but, rather, an intermezzo: for the first time in the then-brief history of Hexenbrett, this EP did not feature performances by the duo but, instead, the live line-up for 2020 – of course, under the watchful eyes and ears of the clandestine couple. A split EP with fellow Austrian eccentrics Hagzissa followed in 2022, with the duo returning to recorded format.
Josto and Scarlettina continued to refuse playing live but managed to recruit musicians to perform their music on live stages. Their recruits recently finished the IN CONCERTZIONE 2024 European club tour with labelmates Deathstorm. During that time, Josto and Scarlettina laid the finishing touches on what would become Hexenbrett’s second album.
Now, at long last, comes that second full-length to eclipse all that came before. Titled Dritte Beschwörung: Dem Teufel eine Tochter, Hexenbrett’s second album is a devilish and drama-filled rollercoaster ride through cult metal and cult cinema alike. Arguably more so than their previous recordings, Dritte Beschwörung: Dem Teufel eine Tochter truly encapsulates their demi-tag of “The Sound of the Bloody Iris,” for a wide panoply of sounds and sensations swarm the listener, wrapping them in a wild and bewildering but above all kaleidoscopic headspace that easily avoids simple categorization.
While other bands are usually influenced by heavyweights of heavy metal music like Judas Priest or Bathory, Hexenbrett take their main inspiration from Euro cult cinema and soundtracks; some of the most important names are Sergio Martino, Jess Franco, Jean Rollin, Bruno Nicolai, and Alessandro Alessandroni. One will readily hear that influence here in the prominent usage of vintage synths as well as chimes – the latter both beautiful and ominous – as readily as one will hear guitar leads that are alternately haunting / heroic. But the salient point is that Dritte Beschwörung: Dem Teufel eine Tochter moves in a most filmic fashion – metallic, sure, but this is far, FAR from your Normal Metal Music.
As such, Dritte Beschwörung: Dem Teufel eine Tochter is an amalgamation of love and hate, and represents the duality of birth and death. Its purpose is to enable listeners to escape; it strangles and stabs the status quo of normality. Normality is surrender – escape with Hexenbrett!
Begin escaping with the previously revealed “Wozu die Angst” exclusively HERE, courtesy of NoCleanSinging.com, as well as the previously revealed “Um Mitternacht” exclusively HERE, courtesy of Deaf Forever magazine. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Hexenbrett’s Dritte Beschwörung: Dem Teufel eine Tochter 1. Um Mitternacht 2. Dem Teufel eine Tochter 3. Marisa 4. Imhotep 5. Wozu die Angst 6. La Plese De La Nuit 7. Leder im Nachtverkehr 8. Denn der Tod lächelt nicht 9. Sette Gocce Rosse Su Velluto Verde
On November 27th internationally, Darkness Shall Rise Productions is proud to present a special vinyl 12″ compiling two crucial new demos, Fessus‘ Pilgrims of Morbidity and Kill the Lord‘s Decrowned II: Trinity Ablaze. And today, they stream the split album in its entirety. Hear Fessus and Kill the Lord‘s Pilgrims of Morbidity /Decrowned II: Trinity Ablaze in its entirety here:
Austria’s Fessus are a festering new entity (de)composed of dwellers from the Viennese underworld. With their first demo Pilgrims of Morbidity, Fessusdeliver the best death metal any Austrian band has come up since the glorious days of Pungent Stench, Miasma, or Disastrous Murmur – period. This is rotten and morbid death metal at its foulest that fans of Necrophagia and Autopsy will revel in with perverted pleasure.
If veterans of the German underground team up, you are in for a treat. On their first demo – here amended with two additional tracks – Kill the Lord perform death metal heavily inspired by Swedish masterpieces from the ’90s. Presented with a bludgeoning production, Decrowned II: Trinity Ablaze will leave any old-school death metal adherent thirsting for more.
Preorder info can be found HERE. Respective covers and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Fessus’ Pilgrims of Morbidity / Kill the Lord’s Decrowned II: Trinity Ablaze
1. Fessus – Acidic Secretion 2. Fessus – Pilgrims of Morbidity 3. Fessus – Unmoored 4. Kill the Lord – Kill The Lord 5. Kill the Lord – Food For Worms 6. Kil the Lord – Di(Stress)ed 7. Kill the Lord – Sacrificial Blaze
Today, Iron Bonehead Productions announces January 31st, 2025 as the international release date for Balefire‘s striking debut mini-album, self-titled Balefire, on 12″ vinyl format.
Balefire is a new project of Chuck Sherwood, longtime bassist of Incantation and former bassist of Blood Storm. Fittingly, with Balefire do Sherwood and crew stoke the fires of ancient-style Satanic death metal. Comprising six songs in 15 minutes, the band’s self-titled first statement surges & churns with malevolent intent, retaining a sooty sound that’s old-school but never belabored. Aesthetic signposts include Sadistic Intent, ’90s Vader, Peru’s Mortem, Finland’s Belial, Mexico’s Cenotaph, and even earliest Incantation themselves. Familiar yet fiery in its execution, songwriting straightforward but subtly atmospheric, Balefire is an understated triumph of timeless, trend-free values.
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Sands of Gemini” here:
Today, Purity ThroughFire sets December 25th as the international release date for a worldwide edition of Vspolokh‘s third album, Mertvozem / Мрьтвоземъ, on CD and A5 digipack formats.
Formed back in 2004, what Vspolokh lack in quantity of recordings, they ably make up for in quality of vision. In the ever-vast field of Russian black metal, Vspolokh stand strong, maintaining the triumphant-yet-tragic element so endemic to the best quarters of that scene whilst just as equally evincing a patiently plied style of songcraft that’s consistent with their judiciously spare discography.
Purity ThroughFire released Vspolokh‘s debut album, Печаль о прошлом, in 2010 and then two well-regarded splits in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Alas, silence ensued until 2020, with the release of Помре. Thankfully, no great changes were made to their rigorous aesthetic – strident physicality but never overly exerted, a subtly hummable melodicism that never wanders near the saccharine, a view toward epic constructions without any bloat – and now they continue that still-extended trajectory with their third album, Mertvozem / Мрьтвоземъ.
Originally released in the Russian market this November, Mertvozem / Мрьтвоземъ is arguably Vspolokh‘s strongest work to date. Their alternately surging / swaying attack is more muscular than ever, with that physicality taking on a nearly world-eating aspect at times. Those moments of aggression are strategically deployed, delivering sweet release – or vice versa – after the spiraling segments of bittersweet beauty, betraying all the bloody tragedy spilled on Russian soil over so many centuries. Everything moves with almost monk-like patience, but that slow-burn movement is mesmerizing no matter the tempo.Laid upon a framework of utterly HUGE production, Mertvozem / Мрьтвоземъ irrevocably recasts Vspolokh as a unique sort of pagan black metal that’s somehow modern – and plausibly, powerfully so.
Today, Purity ThroughFire sets December 25th as the international release date for Mavorim‘s highly anticipated fifth album, In Omnia Paratus, on CD, A5 digipack, double-LP vinyl, and cassette tape formats.
By now, the name Mavorim should be more than familiar to those who follow the crimes of Purity ThroughFire. Since the band’s formation in 2014, mainman Baptist has restlessly and relentlessly pursued his stark, austere style of black metal, resulting in four full-lengths and seven other shorter-length works. In just a decade, Mavorim have come to define – and influence – the new breed of German black metal that hearkens back to the old guard: Teutonic to the bone, harsh and harrowing yet heralding triumph.
Following a busy 2023 – the release of fourth album Ab Amitia Pulsae, plus Purity ThroughFire unearthed four full-length demos dating back to 2017, all of which directly preceded their Silent Leges Inter Arma debut album – Mavorim return with In Omnia Paratus. Picking up where its predecessor left off – Baptist’s subtle-yet-concerted integration of keyboards and other synth sounds, which altogether added an exceptionally dynamic contour to otherwise-straightforward aggression – In Omnia Paratus sees a stridently cleaner, more martial Mavorim. It’s a tradeoff that works in spades: the usually quick-galloping pace feels even more breathless and bravado-laden, and the synths swirl with even-more-magickal mysticism, still very much a secondary element but a crucial one nevertheless. As such, Baptist’s riffing feels fierier and airier simultaneously, a paradoxically ice-cold swoosh of heated hatred; the sharp ‘n’ taut drumming underpinning it all keeps a comparable clarity, making this one of the nastiest “clean” black metal records around. Which is all to say that Mavorim‘s content is consistent, righteously and remarkably so, even if the form becomes more refined. And it all comes to a dramatic climax in ten-minute closer “der letzten Sonne Untergang,” which is not to be missed. Bavaria über alles!
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Alles stirbt” here:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Mavorim’s In Omnia Paratus 1. In Omnia Paratus 2. Als der Menschheit Wille brach 3. Zerfall 4. Tu’ ich meine Augen zu 5. Stählerne Reihen 6. Ein fahles Ross 7. Aller Abart Gloria 8. Träume 9. Alles stirbt 10. Der letzten Sonne Untergang
Today, W.T.C. Productions sets January 21st, 2025 as the international release date for Membaris‘ highly anticipated sixth album, Black Plasma Armour, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
Forming in the dark, fateful days of 1999, Membaris have long been a lingering force within Germany’s oft-overlooked black metal underground. From the band’s very first demo in 2002 onward, Membaris have kept their feet firmly rooted in black metal’s foundational second wave, but always with an eye to expand upon that noble firmament. Reverence is key, as is passion, and the seamless, unselfconscious combination of both has become a hallmark of Membaris.
In that cursed year of 2020, Membaris emerged from the shadows after eight years with Misanthrosophie. Despite the darkness of the times, founding members Obscurus and Kraal unleashed a torrent of Technicolor black metal majesty – at the time, Membaris‘ strongest full-length work to date…until now, with Black Plasma Armour.
Tellingly titled, Black Plasma Armour is a fever-dreaming screed of kaleidoscopic aggression. Membaris waste no time kicking into the album, with the title track leading off proceedings – surging, spiraling, askew – before dazzling shapes outside the mien of black metal begin to come into recognition. Always shifting, forever churning, breathlessly passionate, the six stout tracks comprising the 44-minute record go many, MANY places as themes and textures flow into and out of each other. Each one is as memorable as the last, often hanging upon a yearning / desperate hook or crest of beautiful annihilation; it’s almost as if each climax is not enough, that another is right over the brink. Membaris‘ execution – searingly tight and yet recognizably human – lifts these creations higher / deeper, penetrating body and soul with a power that’s blanching. As the slipstream of Black Plasma Armour continues, it’s almost alarmingly easy to lose sight that this is, in fact, a BLACK METAL record: no compromise, but no boundaries. And as the closer “Onwards to the Last Blink of Reason” races to its cathartic conclusion, it’s a fitting summation of the journey just experienced and the next to begin, ad infinitum.
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Poet of Fire” here:
Cover artwork, courtesy of Stefan at Khaos Diktator Design, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Membaris’ Black Plasma Armour 1. Black Plasma Armour [7:07] 2. Threshold of a Dystopia [5:54] 3. SIGIL II (Star Ritual) [7:33] 4. N.O.V.A. [9:20] 5. Poet of Fire [7:00] 6. Onwards to the Last Blink of Reason [6:29]
