Black Metal

Sólstafir release stunning video for “Bláfjall”

SÓLSTAFIR are now premiering a stunning new video for the track “Bláfjall”, taken from their latest released full-length ‘Berdreyminn’. The video is now streaming here:
SÓLSTAFIR comment: “Here it is, our 3rd video by the almighty Bowen Staines. After we did our last video with Bowen, “Lágnætti” we talked about for years to make another video together. As usual, adventures are like magnets when we join up forces, and this one was no different. We are super proud of the result, and yet again, Bowen shows that he is the master of this game. Enjoy Bláfjall.”
Director Bowen Staines ads to the story: “‘Bláfjall’ was produced and filmed in Iceland from August – October 2018, and edited until April 2019 at the Don’t Panic Films studio in Massachusetts. While originally shot in 4K, the finished product was then scanned in its entirety onto 35mm film. ‘Bláfjall’ tells the story of a mind overtaken with grief, and the mental gymnastics often employed to circumvent grief in order to avoid confronting it. 

Everyone has their secret sorrows which the world knows not; wounds that never show on the body. In ’Bláfjall’, these wounds take the form of memories relived in the present, yet altered by the knowledge of what will come in the future. If grief were sentient, it would attack these memories with the voracity of a virus slowly destroying a computer hard drive, or an illness ravaging a body. 

Pre-production for ‘Bláfjall’ started almost two years ago, and the first day of principal photography began in Hvalfjörður, Southwest Iceland. Predictably, it was so windy (a 115kg dolly track blew over), that I had to rewrite that day’s five-page shotlist in the trunk of Addis’s Jeep.

The rest of the video came together wonderfully, thanks to our cast of Flosi Þorgeirsson (HAM, Glerakur), Bella Morgan, Palli Banine, and Minerva Geirdal. The only other notable thing that happened during this production were the days leading up to crashing that infamous Mercedes. 

The car was an automatic, and the transmission slipped like butter. The momentum from the slightest forward acceleration, say, at a stoplight, would send the gearshift flying back into first gear, and the engine redlining; there is no sound quite like doing 40 on the highway in first gear. I was heading to pick up Flosi in Reykjavík, when suddenly I was doing 60kph in reverse while still going forwards, with the whole car transforming into an industrial noise album. 

The day we filmed the crash, we’d spent hours lining the car up, bracing the steering wheel properly, and closing the roads. It looked like it was dead-on, and then it wasn’t. It missed the other car by centimeters, veered off the road, hit an embankment on the side of a someone’s driveway, cleared the entire driveway, went through a fence, and crashed into a rock in front of a horse stable. The next try was dead-on. 

A heartfelt ‘Thank You’ to everyone who was involved with the making of Sólstafir’s ‘Bláfjall’. To the guys in the band: thank you for trusting me so unconditionally, and allowing me to tell this story with your music. As always, it is a true pleasure to create with you.

We hope that you enjoy watching this as much as we enjoyed making it. 
Takk fyrir okkur.”

Video credits
Don’t Panic Iceland: Bowen Staines SOLSTAFIR
20 Jul 19 Laukaa (FI) John Smith
10 Aug 19 Schlotheim (DE) Party.San 2019
Track-list 1. Silfur-Refur (6:54)
2. Ísafold (4:59)
3. Hula (7:07)
4. Nárós (7:23)
5. Hvít Sæng (7:22)
6. Dýrafjörður (7:32)
7. Ambátt (8:08)
8. Bláfjall (8:00)
Music will always be inspired by the environment in which it is created. With its incredible array of highly diverse landscapes ranging from white glaciers via volcanic bizarreness, moss-green bubble-fields, deep fjords, and frost-cracked mountains to black beaches, Iceland has shaped a host of astonishingly original and fiercely individual bands such as SIGUR RÓS, BJÖRK, and SÓLSTAFIR.
 
SÓLSTAFIR embody the ever-turning wheel of seasons with their shifting light, darkness, and colours, extreme Northern climate, the stark contrasts, the closeness of beauty and deadly forces of nature, the impressive sceneries that have the bones of ancient gods enshrined in them like hardly any other band in every aspect of their existence.
 
SÓLSTAFIR are not like any other band. Their latest album, ‘Berdreyminn’ underscores this statement. As its title “a dreamer of forthcoming events” aptly describes, the four Icelanders have taken their already impressive evolution one step further. The band has continued to amalgamate haunting melodies, psychedelic phases, as well as strong undercurrents of classic rock and hard rock with echoes of their metal past. Yet SÓLSTAFIR‘s focus is not on style but pure emotion. ‘Berdreyminn’ is eclectic by a conscious choice to make feelings audible and transform taste as well as texture to sound. Genre borders are not broken but simply ignored. Musical influences are gathered from a wide range of sources, re-arranged, and woven into new patterns.  Melancholy, longing, anger, joy, pleasure, pain, and other emotions are fulling this album. 
 
Despite leaning clearly towards an expression that can be described as rock today, SÓLSTAFIR have their roots in metal as their debut full-length ‘Í Blóði og Anda’ (2002), which translates as “In Blood and Spirit” still witnesses. Instead of today’s Icelandic gravel throated siren chants, frontman Aðalbjörn Tryggvason spat forth vitriolic crusty vocals and all strings were forged with black metal. Already their next albums ‘Masterpiece of Bitterness’ (2005) and ‘Köld’ (2009) marked stations of a continuous evolution. SÓLSTAFIR went further along their solitary path and obviously left any categorising box with the ground-breaking follow-ups ‘Svartir Sandar’ (2011) and ‘Ótta’ (2014), which received high critical acclaim and attracted new fans in equal measure, while managing the difficult feat of keeping most of their earlier following too.
 
SÓLSTAFIR have set sails to new horizons with ‘Berdreyminn’. Yet the Icelanders brought their home with them and the silhouette of their vessels remains easily recognisable. Welcome aboard on a new adventurous musical journey into uncharted territories. 
Line-up
Aðalbjörn Tryggvason: guitar, vocals
Svavar Austmann: bass
Sæþór Maríus Sæþórsson: guitar
Hallgrímur Jón Hallgrímsson: drums, backing vocals
 
Guest musicians
Brass, strings, and piano across the tracks
 
Recording: Sundlaugin Studio (IS), Birgir Jón Birgisson & Jaime Gomez Arellano
 
Mixing: Orgone Studio (UK), Jaime Gomez Arellano
 
Mastering: Sterling Mastering (US), Ted Jensen
 
Cover art: Adam Burke
 
www.solstafir.net
www.facebook.com/solstafirice

Shining embark on European tour!

SHINING are heading out for their first European tour in three years in honor of their 10th album ‘X – Varg Utan Flock’, which was released via Season of Mist last year. The ‘Return of the Enemy’ kicks off at the Helvete in Oberhausen (DE) on May 15, and sees the band traveling throughout 9 more countries before a final curtain at the Throne fest in Kuurne (BE) on June 9.

To make things even more intriguing, SHINING are preparing a longer set than usual and promise an event full of uncompromising darkness and perversion.  Join them in a celebration of the downfall of man! A list of all confirmed dates can be found below.
SHINING European tour
+SRD
15 May 19 Oberhausen (DE) Helvete (tickets)
16 May 19 Paris (FR) Nouveau Casino (tickets)
17 May 19 Nantes (FR) Le Ferrailleur (tickets)
19 May 19 Grenoble (FR) L’Ampérage (tickets)
20 May 19 Toulouse (FR) Connexion Live (tickets)
21 May 19 Madrid (ES) Caracol (tickets)
22 May 19 Barcelona (ES) Boveda (tickets)
23 May 19 Marseille (FR) Jas Rod (tickets)
24 May 19 Verona (IT) Pika Future Club (tickets)
25 May 19 Bologna (IT) Alchemica Music Club (tickets)
26 May 19 Munich (DE) Backstage (tickets)
27 May 19 Kranj (SL) Trainstation Subart (tickets)
28 May 19 Vienna (AT) Viper Room (tickets)
29 May 19 Budapest (HU) Blue Hell (tickets)
30 May 19 Krakow (PL) Zet Pe Te Club (tickets)
31 May 19 Poznan (PL) U Bazyla (tickets)
01 Jun 19 Leipzig (DE) Hellraiser Club (tickets)
02 Jun 19 Erfurt (DE) Club From Hell (tickets)
04 Jun 19 Mannheim (DE) MS Connexion Complex (tickets)
05 Jun 19 Copenhagen (DK) Hotel Cecil (tickets)
06 Jun 19 Hamburg (DE) Kronensaal (tickets)
07 Jun 19 Groningen (NL) Vera (tickets)
08 Jun 19 Utrecht (NL) Helling (tickets)
09 Jun 19 Kuurne (BE) Thronefest 2019 (tickets)

SHINING will be touring in support of their 2018 release ‘X – Varg Utan Flock’, which can be listened to in full here.

The artwork has been created by Kevin Rolly and is shown together with the album details below.
Track-list
1. Svart Ostoppbar Eld (7:11)
2. Gyllene Portarnas Bro (6:39)
3. Jag Är Din Fiende (7:05)
4. Han Som Lurar Inom (8:03)
5. Tolvtusenfyrtioett (2:53)
6. Mot Aokigahara (9:33) 
Total playing time: 41:24
Niklas Kvarforth is not the first artist struggling with mental illness and related issues. The erratic Swede is also not the first musician whose inner demons are part of the creative genius. Yet in the world of metal, his band SHINING remains as a unique and outstanding act in terms of talent and musical excellence.

Never shy about his personal afflictions, Niklas Kvarforth is once again baring his tortured soul with ‘X – Varg Utan Flock’. His anger, his confusion, his pain, and his torment are all becoming tangible on the tenth album in the band’s long history. For a point of reference, the legendary ‘V – Halmstad’ release probably offers the most appropriate comparison. Yet all the influences SHINING fused into their previous masterpiece, ‘IX – Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends’ (2015) are also still present. Eclectic influences from progressive rock, jazz, classical music, and even faint traces of pop have left their mark. 

In addition to the broad musical spectrum on display, Niklas Kvarforth’s deeply emotional laments emerging from the dark depths of his twisted mind go beyond the usual scale of metal bands in their great vocal scope and variety. 

Founded in 1996 by Kvarforth, SHINING self-released ‘Submit to Self-Destruction’ in 1998 and spawned the term “suicidal black metal” with this debut 7″. A couple years after first full-length, ‘I – Within Deep Dark Chambers’ (2000) and sophomore album, ‘II – Livets Ändhållplats’ (2001) had cut deep marks into the underground scene, Niklas replaced his whole crew, which started a continuous cycle of line-up changes. With MAYHEM drummer Hellhammer on board, ‘III – Angst’ (2003) and ‘IV – The Eerie Cold’ (2005) began to gather major press attention. At the same time, SHINING focused on bringing their vision and often controversially received live performances to Europe. Yet Kvarforth’s mental health led to cancellations, physical and psychological fights within the band, and finally a break-up. Not content to let things rest after his breakdown, the restless singer returned with new members and the acclaimed masterpiece, ‘V – Halmstad’ in 2007. By then SHINING had reached headliner status and toured with other great acts such as SATYRICON and MAYHEM. Several line-up changes later, the Swede recorded two albums in one session: ‘VI – Klagopsalmer’ was released in 2009, to be followed by ‘VII – Född Förlorare’ two years later. The band also received their first gold disc for the single ‘Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel’ in Sweden. After rotating more musicians in and out, SHINING returned with ‘Redefining Darkness’ (2012) and a less aggressive, yet more sinister sound. Before signing to Season of Mist, the band released the project ‘8 ½ – Feberdrömmar I Vaket Tillstånd’, which featured six of Kvarforth’s favourite vocalists. In August 2014, SHINING entered Andy LaRocque’s Sonic Train Studios to record their ninth album, ‘IX – Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends’ as the sum of Niklas Kvarforth’s musical evolution and experience. More line-up changes and breakdowns followed.

Yet Niklas Kvarforth clawed his way up from the depths once more and returned to Andy LaRocque and Sonic Train Studios to record another album. The result, ‘X – Varg Utan Flock’ is a musical masterpiece far beyond simple genre limitations and a shining tribute to the achievement that a troubled mind is capable of when driven by a passionate will to excel and overcome. Listen with respect.

www.shiningasylum.com
www.facebook.com/shiningofficial

Recording line-up
Niklas Kvarforth: vocals 
Marcus Hammarström: bass 
Peter Huss: guitar
Euge Valovirta: guitar 
Jarle Byberg: drums 

Current line-up
Niklas Kvarforth: vocals 
Peter Huss: guitar
Marcus Hammarström: bass
Frank Schilperoort: drums

This Gift Is A Curse release third new track of forthcoming album

THIS GIFT IS A CURSE are now releasing the third new track, taken from the band’s upcoming album ‘A Throne of Ash’, to be released via Season of Mist on June 14. The dark track “Monuments for Dead Gods” can now be viewed here:
The band comments on the track: 

“‘Monuments for Dead Gods’ is a dark sludge metal epos that pays homage to the inner destructive forces that seem to inhabit all humankind. A never-ending turmoil that both drives man and in the end, lead him to his inevitable doom. Both on a personal level and as a collective, the lyrics tell about a protagonist who finds himself falling in a complete darkness, not really knowing how or why he ended up there. He then performs a ritual to get free from this captive state, uttering ancient words into the abyss as well as carving old forbidden symbols into the framework of reality. Doing so manages to awake a dead star, creating a black hole and setting in motion the destruction of the world.

“‘Life,’ he learns, was just a great mirage set inside a cold and crumbling inner universe. The ‘dead gods’ in this story are the former truths that ruled his life. Among the shattered ruins of his own mind and as everything he knows is breaking apart by the seams, he can finally see it clearly; there is no big truths nor lies, there is no end nor beginning – only a great void as we go into oblivion. The song and its underlying storyline is beautifully interpreted with great passion and perceptiveness by visual artist / video maker Chariot of Black Moth.”
The artwork and track-list for ‘A Throne of Ash’ can be viewed below.
Track-list
1. Hæma (2:38)
2. Blood Is My Harvest (4:54)
3. Thresholds (3:51)
4. Gate Dweller (4:42)
5. Monuments for Dead Gods (6:41)
6. Wolvking (4:52)
7. I am Katharsis (3:11)
8. In Your Black Halo (Mass 317) (5:49)
9. Wormwood Star (7:55)
Total: 48:07
The experience that is ‘A Throne of Ash’ consists of poisoned blood, dying flesh and the dark ash from the charred body of man – both on a physical and astral plane with the underlying notion that nothing that transpires in what we call ‘reality’ has a greater meaning.  

THIS GIFT IS A CURSE vomit forth a steady stream of pitch-black venomous hate. The Swedes passionately demonstrate that black metal remains fertile ground for new sounds. Combining elements of hardcore and sludge with influences from occult black metal as well as drone, ‘A Throne of Ash’ sets a new benchmark for vitriolic viciousness and massive sonic onslaught. The third full-length of the band from Stockholm has turned out to be a vision of darkness that seeks its equal. 

THIS GIFT IS A CURSE were founded in Stockholm by a fateful chance meeting of vocalist Jonas A. Holmberg and drummer Johan Nordlund in late summer 2008. The duo soon recruited guitarist Patrik Andersson and Lars Gunnarsson on bass. In March 2010 the Swedish four-piece entered the legendary Sunlight Studios (ENTOMBED, KATATONIA, TIAMAT, DISMEMBER and many more) and recorded their self-titled debut EP with the aid of producer Tomas Skogsberg. ‘This Gift Is A Curse’ (2010) was well received in the underground and led to the band being invited to perform many shows in their homeland and Europe.

During the second half of 2011, THIS GIFT IS A CURSE recorded their first full-length ‘I, Gvilt Bearer’ at a secret location north of Stockholm. Their producer Magbjork (MELEEH, CHILDREN OF FALL) moved his studio to this specific location to allow the band to unlimited record possibilities. Released in 2012, the album caused a buzz that reached beyond the underground and quickly sold out its first pressings. More touring followed during the next two years.

In 2014, THIS GIFT IS A CURSE teamed up with Magbjork once again to record ‘All Hail The Swinelord’ in an abandoned house close to Stockholm.   After the release in 2015, a few Scandinavian and European tours followed before the band decided it was time to go back into the void to write new music. This process started with the recruitment of a second guitarist in order to push the sonic experience even further. David Deravian, hailing from steel town Eskilstuna, joined the cursed ranks of THIS GIFT IS A CURSE in 2016, adding fresh creative blood and new musical input to the sonic pot. As the new material took form, the band not only booked studio time with the great W. Blackmon of the Overlook Studios in Gävle (SE), but also kept their roots by recoding parts of the album at Norra Begravningsplatsen in Stockholm.

Including producer MAGBJORK to the whole process once again to get the right ‘grit and grievance’ into the sound. Afterwards, mastering was done by none other than Magnus Lindberg (CULT OF LUNA, TRIBULATION, ALCEST etc).  This new monstrous black beast is a dark journey written in a barrage of heavy and intense riffing, ferocious blast beats, nightmarish soundscapes, ritualistic howls and occult themed vocals. Brace for impact!

Line-up 
P. Andersson: guitar, vocals
D. Deravian: guitar, vocals
L. Gunnarsson: bass, vocals
J. A. Holmberg: vocals
J. Nordlund: drums

www.facebook.com/thisgiftisacurse
www.thisgiftisacurse.com
www.thisgiftisacurse.bandcamp.com
www.instagram.com/thisgiftisacurse

DEATHWHITE enter studio to record sophomore album ‘Grave Image’!

Enigmatic dark metal outfit DEATHWHITE have entered the studio to record their sophomore full-length, ‘Grave Image’. The music is being recorded at Cerebral Audio Productions with producer/engineer Shane Mayer, who also recorded the band’s debut ‘For A Black Tomorrow’ while the vocals are being tracked at Erik Rutan’s Mana Studios with Art Paiz serving as engineer. When all is said and done, ‘Grave Image’ will be mastered by Dan Swano,

Regarding the upcoming album, the band comments:

“We have spent the better part of the last six months fine-tuning and agonizing – for lack of a better term — over the ten new compositions that will comprise ‘Grave Image.’ We have been operating with the benefit of hindsight and perhaps, best of all, more familiarity with one other, which has led to songs that are heavier and superior to our previous efforts. While this may sound like typical pre-album release fodder, we believe it to be true considering the amount of time and effort we have poured into making ‘Grave Image’ a reality. We are also operating with an expanded lineup — a second guitar player has joined the fold, thus adding a new dimension to the guitar department and subsequently enhancing the DEATHWHITE sound.

We are grateful to once again be working alongside Shane Mayer for the album’s tracking — his attention to detail and meticulous nature is second-to-none. Due to new geographical realities, we will track vocals at Erik Rutan’s immaculate Mana Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida, with engineer Art Paiz overseeing the sessions. Once recording and mixing are complete, the album will be sent across the pond to the legendary Dan Swano for mastering, a gentleman we hold in infinite regard for past musical works and production acumen.

Additionally, we are in discussions for future live shows, something we’d like to do more of during the lead-up to ‘Grave Image’s’ eventual release. In the meantime, we will be working towards the album’s completion as well as finalizing its cover art, of which will be revealed at a later date.”
DEATHWHITE released their debut album ‘For A Black Tomorrow’ via Season of Mist in 2018 which can be listened to in full here! 

The artwork and details of the album can be viewed below.
Track-list
1. The Grace of the Dark (4:06)
2. Contrition (4:11)
3. Poisoned (4:56)
4. Just Remember (4:44)
5. Eden (4:13)
6. Dreaming the Inverse (5:01)
7. Death and the Master (6:25)
8. Prison of Thought (5:25)
9. For a Black Tomorrow (4:13) 
Total playing time: 43:26
American metal is often associated with its rather brutal side in Europe and often taken to involve the terms “death” and “core” by default. With their first album ‘For A Black Tomorrow’, DEATHWHITE masterly demonstrate that hard sounds from overseas can also be dark, emotional, and subtle. Although the Americans come with an already well matured style very much their own, some rough comparisons are offering a sketchy idea on which paths DEATHWHITE tread.
 
To say that they combine the melancholic depth of GHOST BRIGADE with a sense of drama that would fit MOONSPELL and a pinch of AMORPHIS for added taste is of course not fully correct, but might give suitable hints.

Formed in 2012, DEATHWHITE were created in part to follow on the path first explored by dark metal torchbearers such as ANATHEMA, KATATONIA, MY DYING BRIDE, and PARADISE LOST.

In 2014, the ‘Ethereal’ EP successfully established a template of melodic, clean vocals alongside melancholic, but heavy riffing. This debut created an early buzz within the metal underground that grew significantly with the following ‘Solitary Martyr’ EP (2015), which was hailed by critics as “thick with emotion” and “wonderfully engrossing”.

Backed by such praise, DEATHWHITE spent 2016 writing and recording their first full-length under the supervision of producer and engineer Shane Mayer. Listen and let ‘For A Black Tomorrow’ seduce you to delve deep into its enthralling darkness!

www.deathwhite.com
www.facebook.com/deathwhiteofficial


Line-up: The band does not provide line-up information.

Guest musicians
Joe Bonaddio: guitar solo on “Death and the Master”
Shane Mayer: guitar solo on “For a Black Tomorrow”

BÜTCHER announce tour dates and festival appearances for the summer

Today, infernal blackened speed metal act Bütcher announce a stream of tour dates and festival appearances for the rest of the spring and this summer, and beyond. The Belgian band is currently preparing their new album, which will be their first with new label home Osmose Productions.

A statement from the band reads: “Pure, unpolished, fast, heavy, epic, blackened speed metal – Bütcher is stoked beyond belief to announce the signing of the band to Osmose Productions! A label we hold in the highest regard because of its vision and its integrity, two terms that we do not take lightly! We will work like maniacs to surpass our debut album, Bestial Fükkin’ Warmachine, and Osmose Productions will give us the chance to do just that. Join the Bütcher speed metal legion and hopefully see you guys on the road for a live metal meltdown!

Looking for a live metal meltdown? Current tour dates and festival appearances are as follows:
BÜTCHER – A Lesson in Steele & Sulphur 2019
10/May Strassbourg (FR) Molodoi
11/May Martigny (CH) Caves Du Manoir
25/May Drenthe (NL) Pitfest
30/May Alvesta (SE) Muskelrock
01/Jun Antwerp (BE) Antwerp Metal Fest
07/Jun Biskupice (PL) Black Silesia Open Air
08/Jun Berlin (DE) Cassiopeia
09/Jun Hamburg (DE) Bambi Galore 
15/Jun Daun-Rengen (DE) Der Detze Rockt Open Air
06/Jul Trutnov (CZ) Obscene Extreme Open Air
24/Aug Oberhausen (DE) Helvete
14/Dec Eindhoven (NL) Eindhoven Metal Meeting 
A burnt off’ring to the godz of speed metal – that is what Bütcher is all about. Well, we call it speed metal because it’s one of the few genres within the realm of metal might that hasn’t been contaminated by the need to sound polished as pop, the idea of fitting in on every bill, by being progressive or other overrated contemporary conceptions. As Bütcher, we present you a furious frenzy of speed, black & heavy metal – all brewed in a cauldron of analog & vintage recording material. An acquired taste in these modern times, but surely to be savored by metal maniacs that have an affection for Agent Steel, Celtic Frost, Nifelheim, Venom, Exciter, Darkthrone, Manowar, Deströyer 666, Slayer, and the likes. 

Let us not bore you too much with past details. Suffice to say that the reincarnation of the band started in 2014 after a long hiatus. We existed between 2002-2007 with a dedicated local following and crazy live shows to boot, yet nothing but two forgettable demo recordings to show for it. We simply disbanded, but every time we kept meeting each other, the metal hammer of old kept striking the anvil. 

Louder, harder, faster – and the backbone (R Hellshrieker, JA Pulsatör, PB Tormentor) gets back together with new shredmaster KK Ripper taking the lead, backed up by DB Deströyer. We really embraced our vision, stopped being content with just being local heroes, and we want to push through. Bring unadulterated metal pleasures to anyone that feels to crash, bang & wallop. The metal community is both united and fragmented, and while we have our convictions, we’ll let others be the judge of what’s what – but we know, feel, and see at live performances that Bütcher’s music and dedication to bringing the most energetic live show is sparking a fire in the audience. A fire that, more often than not, engulfs in a consuming blaze of metal mania.

Our first full-length album, Bestial Fükkin’ Warmachine, is aptly named when you consider the lack of edits, digital sound compression, or most modern recording techniques. Take a look at our stage wear, inspired on Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, Sarcofago, Sodom, Nifelheim, Living Death, Slayer… But above all, simply absorb the metal assault that we edged into black wax, burned into silvered jeweled discs as well as coded into streamable format. Yet, Bütcher is only getting started. By now being in the stable of worldwide force Osmose,we are eagerly writing material for our next album, and we keep trampling like a black steed straight from in our live performances… Onwards into battle, like Sentinels of Death!  

BÜTCHER lineup:
R Hellshrieker – screams, invocations & astral planes (vocals)
KK Ripper – morbid visions of 6-string elektrik kraft (lead guitar)
JA Pulsatör – bulldozing bass mayhem (bass)
PB Tormentor – apocalyptic drum raids (drums)
DB Deströyer – hellstorm of speed and vengeance (rhythm guitar)
MORE INFO:
www.butcherspeedmetal.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/B%C3%BCtcher-Speed-Metal-225752547610482

HOLOCAUSTO set release date for new NUCLEAR WAR NOW! album, reveal first track

Today, Nuclear War Now! Productions sets July 31st as the international release date for the highly anticipated sixth album of Brazil’s Holocausto, Diário de Guerra, on CD and vinyl LP formats.

Holocausto were among the very first extreme metal bands to form in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, a city now recognized for spawning one of the most crucial regional styles of extreme metal. Along with Sepultura, Sarcófago, Mutilator, and a handful of other bands, Holocausto played a particularly sinister-sounding strain of deathrash (or deathcore, as they used to call it in 1987), which, owing to the evil edge it exhibited, is now regarded as an early expression of the then-emerging black metal movement. Holocausto was arguably the most primal of the group, with reckless riffs balanced on the brink of abandon, held together by sheer feral intensity. Holocausto stood out from their peers due to the band’s fascination with themes related to the atrocities of war and a sound perfectly suited to the subject matter.

After releasing their classic debut full-length, Campo de Extermínio, Holocausto’s sound changed drastically. Led by Rodrigo Führer, and no longer playing the same frenzied and primitive style, Holocausto shifted toward a conventional thrash metal sound for its sophomore album before veering into more polished, technical, and even industrial-influenced metal in the early 1990s. Holocausto’s output since that time has been sporadic, but through the years, Campo de Extermínio has retained its power, assuming a rightful place in the canon of Brazilian extreme metal.

In 2016, the original Warfare Noise lineup of the band reunited to resurrect its old sound for the unanticipated and superb War Metal Massacre album. Last year’s Guerra Total demo, featuring the same lineup as Campo de Extermínio, was nothing short of astonishing. Holocausto proved that it is possible for a band to reclaim the youthful intensity of its earlier recordings after straying far from the original sound, a feat that almost no band has successfully accomplished.

With Diário de Guerra, Holocausto has arguably produced the finest Brazilian deathcore/black metal album in about 30 years. It is a vengeful and violent exploration of human horror. The raw, razor-wire sound of Valério Exterminator’s guitar is wound around the pummeling fury of the bass and drums, delivered by Anderson Guerrilheiro (Insulter) and Armando Nuclear Soldier (Insulter, Mutilator, and Sarcófago). The album is relentless, each riff a savage outburst, each song an unyielding attack. Directing the assault are the vocals of Rodrigo Führer, whose snarling, dictatorial growls accentuate the band’s misanthropic tendencies. In keeping with the classic Holocausto sound, the songs here are unrestrained, and, at times, appear to be capable of flying off the rails, but the band always manages to harness the chaos and cacophony in a way that is quintessentially Brazilian. 

For any fans of the early Brazilian pioneers, Diário de Guerra will sound almost like an unearthed lost recording from that era featuring all the hallmarks that defined the genre. Hear for yourself with the new title track “Diário de Guerra”
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Holocausto (Brazil)’s Diário de Guerra
1. Intro
2. Holocausto
3. Refugiados / Solução Final
4. Zona de Conflito (Faixa de Gaza)
5. Guerra Total Apocalipse
6. Símbolos da Discórdia
7. Intro
8. Diário de Guerra
9. Prisioneiro
10. Ocupação Hostil
11. Pelotão da Morte
12. Outro


MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/Holocaustowarmetaloficial-286356221705593

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

Today, Iron Bonehead Productions sets August 16th as the international release date for Hellvetron‘s massively anticipated second album, Trident of Tartarean Gateways, on CD and double-LP vinyl formats.

Hell’s serpentine maw unhinges and its venom-drenched jaws spew forth Hellvetron‘s long-awaited second full-length offering titled Trident of Tartarean Gateways – a baneful opuscule of ceremonial black metal ensorcelled by nine accursed spells formulated to awaken the primal current and rouse the chthonic Witch-Gods of the Tartarean Realms. Pay tribute to the Trident of the Left Hand; burn in sulfurous fire of the Torchbearer’s Witchflame, drink the holy poisons of the Scorpion Lord, and enter the ancient doorway to the Nightside Realm of Hell’s Queen. Nine sonic keys to unlock the gateways of Infernal Alkhemy await those who dare infuse their essence with the poisoned blood and magickal fire of Three Great Crowns.

Taste that poisoned blood and feel that magickal fire with the new track “Rite – Tartarean Gateways” here :
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Hellvetron’s Trident of Tartarean Gateways
I. Opening – Queen of the Void
II. Initiation – Lustful Witchcraft
III. Blessing – Anointed Under a Burning Throne
IV. Evocation – King of Thaumiel
V. Prayer – Draconian Witchblood
VI. Offering – Solar Dark God
VII. Rite – Tartarean Gateways
VIII. Conjuration- Blood of Ancients
IX. Transformation – Altar of Scorpions

More info :

www.facebook.com/IronBoneheadProductions

MISÞYRMING set release date for new NOEVDIA album

Today, Norma Evangelium Diaboli announces May 24th as the international release date for Misþyrming‘s highly anticipated second album, Algleymi.

Misþyrming hail from Reykjavík, Iceland. Since their formation in 2013, the band have put the Icelandic black metal scene on the international metal map, both with the sterling quality of their sparse-yet-momentous discography thus far as well as their spellbinding live performances across numerous festivals and tours of Europe. Although certain bands within that Icelandic black metal scene have been around slightly longer or have more prolific catalogs, it could be easily argued that Misþyrming are seen as Icelandic black metal’s leading light – or bringers of light, a veritable Lucifer made manifest in white-hot black metal flesh.

Much of this can be attributed to Misþyrming‘s debut album, Söngvar elds og óreiðu. Translated in English as “Songs of fire and chaos,” their debut album was aptly titled, and soon became a modern classic in the worldwide black metal scene, with its tentacles of influence eventually stretching beyond the underground. And understandably so, for its punishing and wrathful sound betrayed a uniquely melodic aspect that sacrificed no amount of infernal power so intrinsic to true black metal. As such, Söngvar elds og óreiðu landed 9th place on Noisey’s Top 100 albums of the year, outranking artists like their fellow Icelander Björk. The vinyl edition of Söngvar elds og óreiðusold out within two days and has been highly demanded by fans ever since, regardless of numerous repressings. In 2016, Metal Hammer – Europe’s biggest metal magazine – named Misþyrming as one of the Top 10 Icelandic bands.
But these accolades matter little, if at all, to Misþyrming. Ever restless but wisely patient in their creations, the full fruit of their artistic labor has now arrived with the stark and startlingly accomplished Algleymi. At once logically following from Söngvar elds og óreiðu whilst treading brave new paths, Misþyrming’s sophomore album is a kaleidoscopic worldwide of maverick black metal, Icelandic or otherwise. It retains for the relentless brutality of its debut predecessor while exhibiting a simultaneously taut and free-flowing muscularity. Similarly, the band’s bold melodicism has reached a grandiose new level here, as haunting atmospheres meld with properly anthemic elements, exhibiting space and shade with equal rapture. And that’s all to say nothing of the album’s production; recorded & mixed by the band at the Icelandic Black Metal HQ and mastered by the esteemed Jamie Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studios, Misþyrming here exhibit a swaggering professionalism that’s undeniably powerful and frankly unchallenged. From blasphemous ceremonies to a total rejection of humanity, Algleymi above all displays a maturity that safely evades the negative connotations otherwise associated with that word, especially within a black metal context.

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law,” and indeed do Misþyrming pursue that creed here – with a vengeance, unfettered and frightening. Adorned with cover art courtesy of the masterful Manuel Tinnemans,  Misþyrming have delivered another Great Work for the ages with Algleymi.

Full-album stream to be revealed during week of release. Preorder info can be found HERE at Norma Evangelium Diaboli‘s Bandcamp. 

Aforementioned cover art and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Misþyrming’s Algleymi
1. Orgia
2. Með svipur á lofti
3. Ísland, steingelda krummaskuð
4. Hælið
5. Og er haustið líður undir lok
6. Allt sem eitt sinn blómstraði
7. Alsæla
8. Algleymi
MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/Misthyrming

Abbath unleash second new track ‘Calm in Ire (of Hurricane)’

Norwegian black metal titans ABBATH are nowreleasing the second new track, taken from their upcoming full length ‘Outstrider’. The album is set for worldwide release on July 5, 2019. The new offering “Calm in Ire (of Hurricane)” is now streaming in the form of a lyric video
ABBATH tourdates
27 Jul 19 Steenwijk (NL) Stonehenge Festival 2019
24 Aug 19 Bergen (NO)  Beyond the Gates Festival
The coverartwork, which is created by Kim Holm and Olav Iversen, and the track-list for ‘Outstrider’ can be found below.
Track listing:
1. Calm in Ire (Of Hurricane) (04:32)
2. Bridge of Spasms (03:49)
3. The Artifex (04:09)
4. Harvest Pyre (04:12)
5. Land of Khem (04:08)
6. Outstrider (05:39)
7. Scythewinder (04:17)
8. Hecate (04:25)
9. Pace till Death (BATHORY cover) (03:41)
Total: 38:52
When Abbath announced that he had left IMMORTAL, it sent massive shockwaves through the metal scene. The iconic frontman had long become the “face” of the Norwegian black scene, his image synonymous with the genre. Upon releasing his debut album with his eponymous new band, ABBATH, in 2016, trve fans were satiated with a dose of icy, blackened fury.
 
Now, the Norwegian giant returns for round two, armed with a refined lineup and ready to strike with a sophomore effort that is sure to once again exceed the expectations of Abbath’s loyal fanbase. ‘Outstrider’ sees a maturation in sound, delivering a tighter, well-rounded offering from the band as they come into their own identity.
 
While there are moments that certainly channel the frosty hallmarks of IMMORTAL, there is no danger of ABBATH repeating that formula. ABBATH draws from NWOBM and melodic influences, adding a fresh new flavor to the sound that the band’s founder came to define.
 
‘Oustrider’ consists of eight, crushing original songs and concludes with a fiery BATHORY cover. The album promises a full-on aural assault from start to finish with frigid riffage and a robust pocket that are layered with vocals from one of the most identifiable voices in black metal. If you thought ABBATH came in hot with their last record, just wait until you hear this!

Line-up 
Abbath – Vocals & guitars
Ole Andre Farstad -Guitars
Ukri Suviletho – Drums
Mia Wallace – Bass

Colombian black metal cult Daemoni premiere new track

Today, Colombian black metal cult Daemoni premiere the new track
Abstersion’s Rite :
The track hails from the band’s long-awaited second album, Black Tyrant, set for international release on the symbolic date of June 6th via Goathorned Productions.

Hailing from Bogotá, Daemoni formed in 2009 and feature members who’ve cut a wide path in the Colombian extreme metal scene, including such bands as Horncrowned, Nosferatu, Divine Prophanity, Inoculation, and Disenterror among others. Biding their time patiently, the band made their first public recording with their debut album, Stillborn Redeemer, in 2011. No need for a demo, Daemoni burst into the underground with cold, iron-fisted malice here: Stillborn Redeemer tellingly featured a cover of Dark Funeral’s “Shadows Over Transylvania,” used with permission from Lord Ahriman, and suitably did the album brim with an ancient fire.

Years would pass, but Daemoni continued to be a force on the live front, supporting Colombian shows by such luminaries as Mayhem, Suffocation, Dark Funeral, Krisiun, and Vader among others, with 2018 bringing the band’s first European show in Madrid, Spain. Alas, the time to strike again is upon us and Daemoni eclipse the freezing fire of their debut with Black Tyrant. A more finessed ‘n’ focused work, Black Tyrant exudes an air of professionalism and daresay “maturity” that thankfully never threaten to neuter the primeval fury at the heart of Daemoni‘s aesthetic. Indeed, the album is aptly titled, for the band’s songwriting has reached a masterful level, wholly matching the more muscular aspect that guides these eight underworld hymns. Each instrument is clearly heard, robust but blood-red; the quintet are in the throes of demonical possession, but still retain a tightness of execution. And after 40 furious, fiery minutes, the listener shall likewise reach a state of demonical possession with Black Tyrant.

Graced with masterful artwork by Jenglot Hitam, at long last does Black Tyrant arrive, for black and tyrannical is Daemoni‘s reign!
Tracklisting for Daemoni’s Black Tyrant
1. Moriens Pulsatio
2. Abstersion’s Rite
3. Carnifex Christi
4. Plagues Embraced
5. Black Tyrant
6. Illucescente
7. Daemonios
8. Thirsty Underworld
MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/daemoniband