On June 30th internationally, Dying Victims Productions will release Spellforger’s explosive debut EP, Upholders of Evil, on 12” vinyl format.
Hailing from Indonesia, Spellforger began in early 2020, highly influenced by early proto-black metal such as Celtic Frost, early Slayer, Bathory, Possessed, and also modern black metal-influenced thrash metal bands such as Cruel Force, Deathhammer, Condor, and Inculter. And since most of the members are a huge fans of the old-school style of death metal, Spellforger‘s music also bears some slight ’90s death metal influences, as well.
Spellforger was formed by Demi Raldi (AKA Middernacht), and then he also invited a close friend named Jamie (AKA Carrion), who is also guitarist in the black metal bands Ashtarothum and Neurotic of Gods. Together, they then invited a veteran black metal drummer named Yaya (AKA L. Tchort), who has been involved in the black metal scene since the mid ’90s. Some time after, Spellforger was finally formed, with Middernacht recruiting a friend named Fauzan (AKA Horrifier) to fill the position of bassist even though his real skill is playing drums.
A few weeks after the band had formed, Spellforger started to write their first single, “Pestilentia,” and it was recorded three weeks later without any rehearsal. The song was widely well-received with black/thrash fans, with some viewing the band as giving a new, fresh injection into their local metal scene – this because Indonesia (in this case, Bandung) is widely known for its huge death metal scene, mainly focused on the brutal/slam style, which has largely been overdone. Instead, Spellforger wanted to revive the spirit of old-school metal within their local scene, bringing a strong anti-poser attitude in their music and lyrics. The band are also against any other sort of trends that’ve been going on for quite some time within that local scene.
Alas, Spellforger released their debut EP, Upholders of Evil, on CD in early spring 2021 via Personal Records. Bearing six tracks in 22 minutes, Upholders of Evil is a fresh blast of old air, the band honoring the ancient ways – actual songwriting, live playing, unpolished recording – with utmost aplomb whilst never reeking of “retro” regressionism. The record reaped widespread acclaim, and came to the attention of Dying Victims, who are now releasing it on the format it so rightly deserves: VINYL!
Simply put, this is METAL played by METAL maniacs – and Dying Victims is indeed home to nowadays’ most maniacal metal. If anyone needed further convincing, the title alone to Upholders of Evil should say more than enough, as Spellforger likewise exude a tangible evil here: never overwrought nor overly obvious, this atmosphere authentically harkens to those ancient forebears.
No other words needed: Spellforger’s Upholders of Evil will at last spread its black magick on vinyl!
In the meantime, hear a special medley here:
Cover and and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Spellforger’s Upholders of Evil 1. Upholders of Evil 2. Lord of Possession 3. Metal Crusaders 4. Curse Of The Lycans 5. Black Spellcrafters 6. Pestilentia
Today, Signal Rex announces April 30th as the international release date for Teufelsberg‘s highly anticipated debut album, Ordre du Diable, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
Hailing from Poland and making their public debut with the demo Ancient Darkness Triumphant in 2020, Teufelsberg are a band out of time. The modern “black metal underground” is a vacant void to be shunned, spit upon; for the duo, the elder ways of black metal militancy reflected in the Polish underground during the glorious ’90s are to be proudly upheld. And upheld they did with a successive split with comrades Minnesjord last year, once again through the auspices of Signal Rex, in the process building their own dead Christ commune.
And now, Teufelsberg fortify it further with their full-length debut, Ordre du Diable. No great changes have been made, thankfully – cold and grim is their march, rendered in raw-yet-clear tones that remarkably retain an era-authentic vibe – but the now-trio’s songwriting has undoubtedly advanced, moving at many speeds and effortlessly evincing a focus that’s fiery and finessed in equal measure. Further, their integration of synths is subtle and tasteful, coloring Ordre du Diable in rich hues of velvety purple emanating from deepest black. More simply stated, Teufelsberg deliver a record that could’ve easily come out in 1995: that same mysticism is alive and well here, and DEAD.
Against the modern world, torches raised aloft, Teufelsberg are coming to a church near you with Ordre du Diable!
Take this torch with the brand-new track “Malign Incantation” here:
Cover artwork, courtesy of JRMR Artworks, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Teufelsberg’s Ordre du Diable 1. Devil’s Praetorians [6:25] 2. Malign Incantation [4:14] 3. Procession of Dying Cherubs [4:20] 4. In The Glare Of Funeral Moon [5:31] 5. Fiat Luceat Lux [6:31] 6. Teufelsberg [7:04]
Today, black metal classicists Serpentshrine premiere the new track “Satanic Rituals of the Perverse”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Allegiance to the Myth, set for international release on April 22nd via Signal Rex. Hear Serpentshrine‘s “Satanic Rituals of the Perverse” in its entirety here:
Formed in 2015 and hailing from the United States, Serpentshrine are a black metal power-trio literally out of time. Theirs is a sound that proudly and authentically heralds the ancient ways of the 1990s. Raw and rabid but not without a certain nightsky majesty to their blitzed attack, Serpentshrine are poised to elevate themselves out of self-imposed obscurity with the release of their second full-length, Allegiance to the Myth.
Indeed accurately titled, Allegiance to the Myth recalls trace elements of a grand host of noble influences: from prime Throne of Ahaz and Thy Primordial to equally debut-era Ancient and Enthroned, from Malicious-era Gorgoroth and earliest Immortal to old Primigenium and Isvind, Serpentshrine transport the listener to forgotten realms and glorious times. However, such foundational stones would be for naught if it weren’t for the trio’s skillful songwriting and impassioned execution – the former spanning speed and swirl with deftness and nuance, the latter emitting an otherworldly aspect whilst retaining tangible physicality – altogether making Allegiance to the Myth a record that could be respectably placed within such an archaic timeline.
The way forward is to reject modernity: Serpentshrine hereby swear Allegiance to the Myth.
Swearing Allegiance with the previously revealed “Fathomless Rapture” HERE at Signal Rex‘s Bandcamp, where the album can be preordered. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Serpentshrine’s Allegiance to the Myth 1. Ancient Ophidian Lords 2. Satanic Rituals of the Perverse 3. Blaze of the Narthex 4. Queen of the Crimson Moon 5. Fathomless Rapture 6. Witchduck 7. Desecrating the Crown 8. Impaling the Weathered Cross
Today, Iron Bonehead Productions announces June 1st as the international release date for a brand-new mini-album from Runespell, Sentinels of Time, on CD and 12″ vinyl formats.
By now, Runespell should require little introduction. Since this Australian entity’s public unveiling in 2017 with the Aeons of Ancient Blood demo – released by Iron Bonehead, as well as all successive recordings – Runespell has sharpened its sword and quickly, with three albums arriving like clockwork every year: Unhallowed Blood Oath (2017), Order of Vengeance (2018), and Voice of Opprobrium (2019). Although 2020 didn’t see the release of a full-length, a split album with the reanimated Forest Mysticism tided over the bloodthirsty until the arrival of fourth LP Verses in Regicide in 2021, arguably Runespell‘s best-produced and -executed album to date.
This is all not to suggest that mainman Nightwolf is hasty or careless with his creations; rather, the Runespell aesthetic is so etched in iron, so forged in blood, that this mystical & mesmerizing soundworld takes on its own life. And so it goes with the brand-new mini-album Sentinels of Time. Serving as something of a companion to the monolithic ‘n’ majestic Verses in Regicide, Sentinels of Time is every inch as epic and engrossing as its predecessor. Two of the mini’s tracks easily top 10 minutes, with another just over eight minutes; and while those luxurious-yet-portentous waves of blood/fire/death undulate and crash with the same Runespell‘d intensity and immensity, one could argue that Verses in Regicide sees Nightwolf in a slightly more solemn mood. But, all the same, the steel is sharper than ever and wielded like that of a master, reaching a crescendo of battlefury with that aforementioned eight-minute title track, at last concluding with eerily beautiful instrumental lament “A Drakkar’s Last Journey.”
No other words needed: Runespell continue their campaign of grim grandeur with Sentinels of Time!
The first offensive of that campaign can be found with the brand-new track “Claws of Vanagandr” here:
Tracklisting for Runespell’s Sentinels of Time 1. Claws of Vanagandr [10:57] 2. Memories of Steel [11:38] 3. Sentinels of Time [8:10] 4. A Drakkar’s Last Journey [3:03]
Today, Iron Bonehead Productions sets June 1st as the international release date for Lunar Chalice‘s highly anticipated debut album, Transcendentia: The Shadow Pilgrimage, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
Formed in 2019, Lunar Chalice comprise prolific veterans of the German metal underground. Under the alluring moniker Lunar Chalice, the band quickly set upon a slew of releases, first with the Walpurgis Dance demo in 2019 and the Night Poetry EP right after, exhibiting a subtly refreshing approach to classics-minded black metal. The next year came the even-stronger Medieval Cults of Heresy EP, thus setting the stage for the band’s debut full-length.
Taking a relatively longer time given their feverish creativity, Lunar Chalice now deliver the grand statement of their so-far-undiscovered powers, Transcendentia: The Shadow Pilgrimage. With one steel-toed boot planted under a funeral moon and the other in a world without end, Lunar Chalice give a masterclass in stripped-down songwriting rich in nuance and dynamics. Their black metal is like a boulder gathering momentum down a mountain and rumbling across valleys; the movement is inexorable, and portends doom, and simply cannot be stopped. Lunar Chalice, in effect, extend a spectrum of black metal sonics that’s feral and unhinged on one hand and mercilessly martial on the other; that their almost-overwhelmingly physical onslaught is deliberately (and eerily) clipped betrays both a depth of vision and a rare grace in a landscape usually laden with filth. Which isn’t to say that Transcendentia doesn’t sound “dirty” (it does), but rather that that’s not the overarching thematic – that there’s a sense of ceremony or even regality at play here. Credit due to the absolutely madman vocals of bassist E.I.-M., who more often than not channels a clean tenor that’s more disturbing than most “black metal” vocals.
Past, present, and future: Lunar Chalice‘s vision encompasses all on Transcendentia: The Shadow Pilgrimage.
Open thine eyes to the brand-new new track “Calix Cum Velum” here:
Today, Iron Bonehead Productions sets June 1st as the international release date for a brand-new mini-album from America’s Crucifier, Say Your Prayers, on CD and 12″ vinyl formats.
One of the longest-running entities in the American underground, Crucifier was formed in 1990 by vocalist/drummer Cazz Grant. While myriad lineups would come and go – and the band’s eventual debut album, Stronger Than Passing Time, wouldn’t be released until 2003 – Crucifier have kept consistent to their blasphemous, blackened death metal style steeped in the truly ancient and most underground ways.
Now, four years after their last recording (the full-length Thy Sulfur Throne on High), Crucifier return to ruin everyone’s day with a five-song/26-minute mini-album titled Say Your Prayers. Primal but not primitive, weird and wandering but fully locked-in and never forgetting the METAL aspect, the quartet create a ghastly, grimy experience here, with Grant’s vocals in particular stunning in their diabolic delirium. Furthering that delirium are the mind-mangled leads by Spencer “Madman” Murphy, also aided by Grant, altogether proving that Crucifier‘s eldritch sound is eternal.
Concluded by a Carnivore cover, Crucifier never stop the madness, so Say Your Prayers!
Begin never stopping the madness with the brand-new track “Into Ash” here:
Tracklisting for Crucifier (USA)’s Say Your Prayers 1. My Soul to Take [6:20] 2. Foul Deeds Will Rise [5:44] 3. Into Ash [3:18] 4. Chime of the Goat’s Head Bell [3:59] 5. Jesus Hitler [Carnivore cover] [5:52]
Season of Mist is proud to announce the signing of UNFELLED, the pagan black metal project from WOODS OF DESOLATION mastermind and multi-instrumentalist D.!
UNFELLED comments on the signing: “Very pleased to announce that Unfelled has signed to Season of Mist. It is a privilege to be able to release our debut full-length with a label such as Season of Mist, and we look forward to working together.“
For a glimpse of what to expect, check out UNFELLED‘s music here:
For frequent updates on the recordings and the band in general, check out UNFELLED‘s Facebook!
Formed in 2016 as a project of D. (WOODS OF DESOLATION, REMETE), UNFELLED first emerged with the solo demo offering “Beneath Distant Skies” at the end of 2017.
Expanding the line-up in 2020, fellow veterans Mitch (AUSTERE, DEARTHE) and Vlad (DRUDKH, WINDSWEPT) were enlisted on vocals and drums respectively, completing the vision for the band.
Moving forward as a three-piece, the forthcoming full-length, recorded through 2020-2021, sees UNFELLED pursuing heavier, more aggressive territory, yet never entirely eschewing the sense of melody and atmosphere established on the debut demo. In 2021, UNFELLED proudly joined forces with Season of Mist who will release the album.
Today, German black metal vanguard Chaos Invocation stream the entirety of their highly anticipated fourth album, Devil, Stone & Man. Set for international release on March 24th via W.T.C. Productions, hear Chaos Invocation‘s Devil, Stone & Man in entirety here:
By now, Chaos Invocation should require little introduction. Formed in 2004 and releasing three increasingly celebrated full-lengths via W.T.C., Chaos Invocation have steadily become a pillar of Germany’s long-potent black metal underground. Their last album, 2018’s Reaping Season, Bloodshed Beyond, was an iron-fisted smash through more dynamic corridors, with their sinuous and serpentine black metal taking on a more heightened (but no less muscular) melodic aspect. As the world has fully turned to shit, Chaos Invocation thus cover that iron fist with a grime unfathomably dark and dreadful. Indeed, Devil, Stone & Man is the record deserving of these times – or rather, vice versa.
Perhaps as a counterreaction or at least parallel development to that dynamic predecessor, Devil, Stone & Man is inarguably Chaos Invocation‘s most direct and aggressive album to date, and one give horrific power through its massive & molten production, which handily challenges those naysayers who claim true black metal can’t palatably possess “professional” recording. Its ultraviolence twists and turns but ever moves forward, downward, diving across dazzling depths and heights with the ease of masters. Truly, Chaos Invocation‘s already-sturdy songwriting has been given an uptick in detail and nuance here, sounding sweeping and ceremonial as it does teeth-gnashingly harsh and harrowing. A whirlwind, a vortex, both and beyond: Chaos Invocation have been qualified as these before, but now one can add world-eating dreadnought to that list, as well, with Devil, Stone & Man.
Gaze deeply into Devil, Stone & Man‘s stark cover artwork – courtesy of BMS Illustration – and one will begin to understand where Chaos Invocation are coming from, and where they are going. Will you follow them to The End?
Aforementioned cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Chaos Invocation’s Devil, Stone & Man 1. Strike Of The Dominator’s Fist 2. A Stranger’s Pale Hand 3. Diabolical Hammer 4. Odonata Fields 5. Where We Have Taken The Cross 6. Triple Fire 7. Curses Upon You 8. The Revolting Abyss
Today, NoEvDia releases DeathSpell Omega‘s highly anticipated The Long Defeat.
Stand witness to The Long Defeat! Hearken to the first emanation of the third era of DeathSpell Omega: 44 minutes of black metal enacted through five instalments. Recorded live by the French power trio in July 2021. Bile and venom distilled and added until the leaves fell.
The Long Defeat unfolds over three parallel storylines told via three different mediums. Two in writing: the lyrics, as well as a fable. The third speaks through the artwork – two meters’ worth of maniacally detailed visions depicting the same premise its written content draws from. All three are fundamentally entwined but diverging in narrative, each complementing or contradicting the others.
Cover above and below. Tracklisting is as follows:
Tracklisting for DeathSpell Omega’s The Long Defeat 1. Enantiodromia [11:57] 2. Eadem, Sed Aliter [9:08] 3. The Long Defeat [8:35] 4. Sie Sind Gerichtet! [7:18] 5. Our Life Is Your Death [7:15]
It is time! Norwegian metal titans ABBATH are now streaming their brand-new album ‘Dread Reaver’ in advance of the release date! The new offering is going to be released worldwide on Friday the 25th of March 2022, but can already be listened to via the official Season of Mist YouTube Channel tonight at 8 PM CET
‘Dread Reaver’ is available in the Season of Mist shop HERE. Pre-save the album HERE.
ABBATH previously announced a European Tour with WATAIN, TRIBULATION and BØLZER in September and October 2022. A full list of confirmed dates can be found below.
ABBATH Live: 01 Jun 22 Moscow (RU) Izvestiya Hall 02 Jun 22 St. Petersburg (RU) Aurora 09 Aug 22 Josefov (CZ) Brutal Assault (Exact date TBA ) 13 Aug 22 Kortrijk (BE) Alcatraz Festival 2022 (Exact date TBA)
ABBATH + WATAIN + TRIBULATION + BØLZER 15 Sep 22 Paris (FR) Elysee Montmartre 16 Sep 22 Oberhausen (DE) Turbinenhalle 17 Sep 22 Munich (DE) Backstage 18 Sep 22 Milan (IT) Live Club 20 Sep 22 Toulouse (FR) Le Bikini 22 Sep 22 Lisbon (PT) Lisboa Ao Vivo 23 Sep 22 Madrid (ES) La Riviera 24 Sep 22 Barcelona (ES) Apolo 25 Sep 22 Lyon (FR) Transbordeur 27 Sep 22 Zurich (CH) Komplex 457 28 Sep 22 Filderstadt (DE) Filharmonie 29 Sep 22 Tilburg (NL) 013 30 Sep 22 London (UK) Earth 02 Oct 22 Antwerp (BE) Trix 04 Oct 22 Hamburg (DE) Markthalle 05 Oct 22 Copenhagen (DK) Amager Bio 06 Oct 22 Oslo (NO) Rockefeller 07 Oct 22 Stockholm (SE) Fallan 09 Oct 22 Helsinki (FI) Vanha
The cover for‘Dread Reaver’,which was created by Bjørn Stian Bjoarvik, can be found below together with the track list. The photos were made by Francisco Munoz.
Tracklist: 1. Acid Haze (04:51) 2. Scarred Core (03:29) 3. Dream Cull (04:15) WATCH HERE 4. Myrmidon (04:33) 5. The Deep Unbound (04:05) 6. Septentrion (04:30) 7. Trapped Under Ice (03:59) 8. The Book of Breath (04:35) WATCH HERE 9. Dread Reaver (04:43) WATCH HERE 10. Make my day (04:16)
The ravens gaze ominously from above. The seas roar in anticipation. The mountains creak yet again. ABBATH’s remarkable new album, Dread Reaver, is upon us all. Two years in the making, ABBATH’s third full-length is the culmination of everything before it. A fusion of debut Abbath (2016) and follow-up Outstrider (2019), the aptly titled Dread Reaver extends its fantastical fangs outward and drives its cloven hooves onward. Indeed, there’s nothing like an ABBATH record. This is the darkest metal for epic journeys and ancient battles. Comprised of eight riveting tracks and a red-hot cover of METALLICA’s “Trapped Under Ice,” Dread Reaver shows ABBATH triumphing over all trials and tribulations, riding hard into merciless glory as the one and only “Lemmy of black metal.”
ABBATH was formed by Olve Eikemo (aka Abbath) in Bergen, Norway, in 2015. After splitting with vaunted extreme metallers IMMORTAL, the beguiling frontman and storied songwriter only had one path: ABBATH. Years before, he had proven that venturing out of the IMMORTAL constellation was not only plausible but doable with the I project, a short-lived, one-album (Between Two Worlds) band featuring notable musicians from IMMORTAL, ENSLAVED, and GORGOROTH. Indeed, once Eikemo was free of IMMORTAL’s ’s shackles, he was able to assemble a cadre of like-minded conspirators for his solo debut album, Abbath. So crucial was Abbath that the Norwegian Embassy in the UK ran a music/culture piece, while in Norway, the album was nominated for a Spellemannprisen (Norwegian Grammy). Metal Hammer Germany even gonged Abbath with its Best Debut award. Follow-up album, Outstrider, was equally lauded. Billboard’s coverage sent shockwaves through the rock/metal scenes, while Kerrang! labelled it “dominating and creative,” awarding it 4Ks. Decibel also heaped praise on Outstrider, giving it the Best New Noise trophy. The new album Dread Reaver will yet again lionize ABBATH as leader of the frost-bitten pack.
Powered by Abbath’s creative musical imagination, Dread Reaver runs riotously out of the gate. The album’s edifice affords tracks like “Acid Haze,” “Scarred Core,” “The Deep Unbound,” and the album’s closing title track ample room to champion the extremes of black metal, heavy metal, and hard rock. While there are nods to NWOBHM greats, thrash metal’s luminaries, and black metal icons, Dread Reaver is unmistakably ABBATH. There is no other fingerprint. Paired with thought-provoking lyrics based on the historical figure of Othryades, ABBATH’s third album not only shouts exultant but reads like an ancient pyrrhic tale steeped in violence, sorrow, and grit. The idea of a Dread Reaver—a fearless duelist—can also be read as a metaphor for life’s actions and subsequent struggles. Be warned: Dread Reaver is ABBATH at his most menacing and accomplished.
Dread Reaver was produced by Endre Kirkesola, ABBATH, and Dag Erik Nygaard at Dub Studio in Kristiansand and Bergen Lydstudio, respectively. Kirkesola and Nygaard also engineered. Mixing was performed by ABBATH and Kirkesola, while the mastering was done by maestro Maor Appelbaum (FAITH NO MORE, ROB HALFORD) at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in Los Angeles. The goal was to field a storming production that sat firmly at the crossroads of Abbath’s heroes KISS, MOTÖRHEAD, MANOWAR and BATHORY. From the anthemic thrust of opener “Acid Haze” and the epic pound of “Dream Cull” to the rampaging “The Book of Breath” and the wicked cover of METALLICA’s “Trapped Under Ice,” Dread Reaver sounds as massive as Norwegian mountain and as fiery as the depths of Hell. Truly, the recording line-up of Abbath (guitar, bass, vocals), Ukri Suvilehto (drums), Ole André Farstad (guitars), and Mia Wallace (bass) found their sonic muse.
If “Ace of Spades” catapulted MOTÖRHEAD to fame and notoriety, then Dread Reaver will find ABBATH atop the metal’s gigantic heap, the spoils of icy blood, scorching sweat, and steely tears at his feet. As “Myrmidon” states, “Die with a smile, stare glassy-eyed up / At boiling skies! / Valkyries descend to gore-caked fen / Fallen warriors arise!” Lightning strikes thrice with ABBATH’s incredible Dread Reaver!
Recording line-up: Abbath – Guitar, bass & vocals Ukri Suvilehto – Drums Ole André Farstad – Lead & acoustic guitars Mia Wallace – Bass on Acid Haze, Scarred Core, The Deep Unbound & Dread Reaver
Recording studio: Recorded in Dub Studio / Additional recordings: Bergen Lydstudio
Producer / sound engineer: Endre Kirkesola / Dag Erik Nygaard Mixing studio and engineer: Abbath and Endre Kirkesola
Mastering studio / engineer: Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering – California – U.S.A
