Season of Mist is proud to announce the signing of blackened heavy metal band NITE! The San Francisco outfit will be releasing it’s second full-length via the label at a later date. Stay tuned for more!
NITE comments, “All of us in the circle of NITE are very excited to announce our signing with Season of Mist. We look forward to working with their talented and experienced team to bring our music to the unsuspecting masses. We are thrilled to join the label’s echelon of innovative artists whose legacy looms large over the history of modern heavy music.”
For a glimpse of what’s to come, check out NITE‘s Bandcamp and stream their 2020 debut album, ‘Darkness Silence Mirror Flame,’ HERE.
The San Francisco Bay Area has a history steeped in forward-thinking, technically dazzling metal, and NITE carries that torch with pride. Founded in 2018, their blackened heavy metal brand barrels towards the peril of an unknown future, while keeping one eye on the days when blistering leads once ruled the land. Guitarists Van Labrakis (Satan’s Wrath, Mencea) and Scott Hoffman (Dawnbringer, High Spirits) let loose galloping riffs and harmonies that evoke the classic sounds of the N.W.O.B.H.M., with Labrakis’ grizzled voice driving their dark, melodic metal into the modern era.
With Avinash Mittur (Wild Hunt) replacing founding bassist Bryan Coons in early 2021, he and drummer Patrick Crawford (Serpents of Dawn, Older Sun) make up a rhythm section that’s fierce yet breathlessly precise: a freewheel pounding reminiscent of the early days of heavy metal, with a Rickenbacker-powered roar fueling the low end. NITE’s debut full-length Darkness Silence Mirror Flame, released in March 2020 by Creator-Destructor Records, earned widespread praise. It showcased their fist-raising classic heavy metal that nearly every fan of the genre once fell in love with, but with a twisted and shadowy edge that the titans of old could never imagine. NITE is the flame of the past illuminating the darkness of tomorrow.
Lineup: Van Labrakis: Guitar / Vocals Scott Hoffman: Guitar Avinash Mittur: Bass Patrick Crawford: Drums
Blackened Industrial doom machine CULTED are now streaming their new full-length ‘Nous’ in full. The new offering will be officially released tomorrow February 26, and is now streaming here:
The band comments on the stream: “After years of repeated personal and psychological trauma, “Nous” was the response. It was created after extended periods of self-imposed isolation and psychic exorcism. Ritual fires of mind destroyed the burden of our collective past. From those ashes a new beginning was possible. In that beginning there was nothing, just existential nihilism. But from that nothing, Culted explored all facets of human endeavors. Nothing was out of bounds nothing was sacred; the religious, the philosophical, the metaphysical, all were fodder for exploration and contemplation. Culted embraced the results of those explorations and “Nous” is their interpretation using sound. Unlike previous efforts, ‘Nous’ traded the epic and thematic, soundtrack like delivery of the past and instead opted for a more “rock” oriented approach. Songs could be identified and enjoyed individually, while the album as a whole still retains a cohesive core that flows throughout. What remains is total, sonic annihilation.“
The artwork and album details for ‘Nous’ can be viewed below.
Track List: 1: Lowest Class [7:47] 2: Lifers [4:59] 3: One Last Smoke [4:45] 4: Ankle Deep [5:29] 5: Black Bird [5:28] 6: Opiate the Hounds [4:14] 7: Maze [8:07] 8: Crown of Lies [6:40] 9: The Grid [7:36] 10: Crush My Soul (Godflesh cover) [8:41] Total: 63:00
From the icy expanse of the Canadian prairies to the Nordic coast of Sweden, industrial blackened doom collective CULTED have long been innovators of creating music remotely, transcending both literal and metaphorical boundaries for over a decade. Michael Klassen and Matthew Friesen were first approached by Daniel Jansson to collaborate on an international project and come 2008, these ideas began to coalesce, with fellow Canadian Kevin Stevenson joining the cult. The band soon recorded and unveiled their first LP, Below the Thunders of the Upper Deep (2009), as well as the EP Of Death and Ritual (2010.)
In 2013, sophomore full-length Oblique to All Paths was released upon being written, recorded, and produced in various closets, basements, dens, and domiciles. After forming a union with Season of Mist, CULTED continued their down-tempo exploration of blackened and industrial soundscapes with 2019’s mini-album, Vespertina Synaxis; A Prayer for Union and Emptiness, which was inspired by the isolation, alienation, and damnation that dominates the rime-encrusted lands CULTED inhabit. Now, the band is ready to unleash their most devastating and personal opus yet, Nous.
Nous was born in turmoil after members of the band endured a period of extreme personal experiences, both psychological and physical. The creation process was informed by disease, death, and the resulting existential crises. Instead of predetermining the direction CULTED would take with their third full-length, the band allowed the music to speak for itself as it came together organically. Nous was a result of its creators attempting to destroy or ignore the egoic (that chatter and everything outside of pure consciousness that attempts to sabotage you of peace and rob you of the moment) and instead, opening themselves up to the unidentifiable and nameless muse of sound.
CULTED further explores their relationship with doom, black metal, and industrial on yet another experimental effort in which the band’s collective agony is translated into something both nihilistic and tangible through dissonant soundscapes. Each song is a nightmare in the abyss, dragging the listener through caverns of inexplicable darkness and suffering.
Exemplifying the themes, meditations, and diatribes of the human condition, Nous, which roughly translates to “common sense” or “practical intelligence,” explores both the religious and conspiratorial processes of the mind within the framework of critical thought. According to biblical scripture, Satan convinced Eve that the most powerful of conspirators – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – were secretly trying to keep the first humans shrouded in a veil of ignorance, preventing them from becoming “like God” and “knowing good and evil.” Eve became the first in a long line, from Gnostics to flat-earthers, to believe powerful forces were withholding secret information. Nous attempts to know God or the inner essence or principles of created things by means of direct perception. Nous must be carefully distinguished from reason as it does not formulate abstract concepts or argue them using deductive reasoning, but rather, it understands divine truth by means of immediate experience. Thelema of the gods.
To further solidify these introspective concepts, the cover art is an interpretation of the Temptation of St. Anthony who was one of the first monks to retire to the desert to devote himself to fasting and prayer, which is an often-repeated subject in the history of art and literature, especially concerning the supernatural temptation reportedly faced by Saint Anthony during his sojourn in the Egyptian desert. The art encapsulates both the music and lyrical concept, visually.
CULTED is now inviting you to open your mind, abandon your religion, and to join the cult on this existential and devastating journey.
Season of Mist are pleased to announce the signing of Russian Karelian Neofolk outfit THEODOR BASTARD. The band will release their brand new album via the label.
THEODORE BASTARD comment on the signing: “We are very happy to share this great news with you – Theodor Bastard band has become a part of the world of Season of Mist. It is a very big event for us. Living in the deep of the wild Karelian forests on the edge of the Ecumene, we can now reach the audience all over the world and tell the myths and legends of our North through our music. We thank the whole team of Season of Mist so much. We were an indie band for over 20 years and all our lives we learned and did everything ourselves. From recording albums to selling them. From manufacturing merch to organizing tours. We have a lot of experience in this, but Season of Mist is the first label really attracted us with its concept and its approach. And we entrust them our music and our future. We know that together we can achieve more.“
In further news, Season of Mist are proud to simultaneously announce the release of the re-issues of ‘Vetvi’ (2015) and the recently released masterpiece ‘Volch’ya Yagoda’ (2020). Listen to the entire THEODOR BASTARD catalogue HERE.
More info and Hi-rez pictures of the band can be found HERE Check out some of the artisic videos THEODOR BASTARD deliver HERE
THEODOR BASTARD‘s music is set out to take listeners to unexplored and other worlds. From the cold and twilight realms of the marshy swamps of taiga and mossy tundra, to unexplored places where the earthly plane and the spiritual world are separated only by a thin ghostly veil. For over twenty years THEODOR BASTARD have been known for their amazingly serious attitude to the world beyond that very frontier.
THEODOR BASTARD is one of Russia’s most unusual bands representing the electronic Karelian neofolk genre. Also elements of dark wave and trip hop are present in the band’s music. The message doesn’t carry out everyday problems and is mainly focused on mythology and shamanism. The hallmarks of the band are the unique and bewitching lead vocals of multi-talent Yana Veva and the impeccable sound producing skills of Fedor Svolotch, founder of the band who created the band 20 years ago.
From album to album, THEODOR BASTARD carefully and masterly combine many different exotic and traditional instruments. The special northern atmosphere of their albums is created with Nordic nyckelharpa and jouhikko, primeval flutes created from tree roots and shamanic percussion.
“We live in the north of Russia in Karelia, which has a difficult fate” states band leader Fedor Svolotch. He continues: “This is a harsh northern region with unpredictable nature, with spruce and pine forests. Bears are found here. Moose and hare come straight to my house. In Karelia there are beautiful cliffs and clear lakes with fresh water. These are our personal places of power, the places where stones and winds are talking to us. Singing for us a songs of the northern harsh nature”.
THEODOR BASTARD consists of 6 musicians, turning their performances into a dark magic act that sends the audience back to Northern musical traditions, to the Karelian and the Russian folk. The musicians use a lot of electronic devices and ethnic instruments, but also use their own hand-made instruments from stones, human bone and the roots of Karelian birch.
Formed in 2007 in New York City, Black Metal troupe BLACK ANVIL released their debut album ‘Time Insults the Mind’ in September 2009. After a re-release of their acclaimed 2009 debut, BLACK ANVIL unleashed their first proper full-length ‘Triumvirate’ in September 2010. Recorded with engineer ‘General’ George Fullan (The Rolling Stones, Dream Theater) at Mark ‘The Animal’ Mendoza’s (Twisted Sister) Diamond Drop Studio, ‘Triumvirate’ received critical acclaim and was hailed as an “all-around monster metal album.”
‘Triumvirate’ was followed in 2014 by ‘Hail Death’, a 70-minute journey of intensity that further established BLACK ANVIL as a modern Black Metal powerhouse and was praised by many publications. Constantly bringing their live ritual to the masses, BLACK ANVIL has participated in numerous high profile tours with black metal legends such as Mayhem, Watain, Urfaust and Marduk as well as dates with Aura Noir, Nachtmysticum, Eyehategod and Cannibal Corpse. Additionally, the band has appeared at various festivals including the Scion Rock Fest (US), Beyond The Gates in Bergen (NO) and the renowned Roadburn Festival (NL).
In 2017, BLACK ANVIL dropped their fourth studio-album ‘As Was’ the staggering 50-minute follow-up to 2014’s ‘Hail Death’. Atmospheric and melodic without relenting on any of the ferocity that BLACK ANVIL have always been known for, ‘As Was’ seamlessly weaves through eight monumental passages of extreme metal art. More diverse, complex, and thought-provoking than anything they’ve done before, ‘As Was’ is a stellar representation of modern Black Metal and of BLACK ANVIL‘s continuous progression and songcraft. Featuring cover art by Metastazis (Behemoth, Watain, Morbid Angel) and recorded at Menegroth by Colin Marston (Krallice, Gorguts, Panopticon) with mixing and mastering done by Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio (Tribulation, Funeral Mist, Watain).
Belgian death metal outfit
CARNATION have begun building the foundation of their next
massive aural soudscape by entering the studio for their upcoming second full
length. The band have kicked off their recordings at the Hertz Studio in
Białystok, Poland.
CARNATION comment on the
recording: “The first step in recording the second Carnation album has already
been completed. Our drummer Vincent Verstrepen has been hard at work to finish
recording his drum parts at the Hertz Recording Studio in Bialystok, Poland. The
foundation has now been laid… And the remaining instruments and vocals are set
to be recorded during the next couple of weeks in our trusty Project Zero
Studio. Be prepared for our second offering of unrelenting death metal
madness!”
For further updates on the recording process, follow the band
on the Facebook or Instagram account!
CARNATION latest
record ‘Chapel of Abhorrence’, was released in 2018 and can be listened to in
full here! The cover artwork and album info can be viewed below.
Track-list 1.
The Whisperer (6:16) 2. Hellfire (4:17) 3. Chapel of Abhorrence (3:23) 4. The Unconquerable Sun
(4:10) 5. Disciples of Bloodlust (3:28) 6. Hatred Unleashed (3:23) 7.
Plaguebreeder (3:45) 8. Magnum Chaos (4:41) 9. Sermon of the Dead (4:38) 10. Fathomless Depths
(5:38) 11. Power Trip (4:02) Total playing time:
47:41
Embrace the new death metal
overlords with their death metal offering, ‘Chapel of
Abhorrence’!
CARNATION equals blistering death metal
madness from Belgium. Early 2013, guitar player Jonathan Verstrepen created the
band to show his appreciation for the old school death metal legends from the
‘80s & early ‘90s. Vocalist Simon Duson, bass player Yarne Heylen, guitar
player Bert Vervoort, and drummer Vincent Verstrepen were summoned to complete
the band, and it didn’t take long until the chemistry between this quintet to
hit critical mass.
2015 marks the year that the first offering entitled
‘Cemetery of the Insane’ was released upon the masses. Tracks such as “Explosive
Cadavers” or “The Rituals of Flesh” take you back in time to the better days of
shredding riffs, neck-breaking drums, and skull-crushing guttural
vocals.
The live rituals that followed were executed with stone cold
merciless aggression. CARNATION delivered their bloodbath at
select festivals across Europe during 2015 and 2016. Their next journey led them
to distant Asia for their first tour across mainland Japan. This resulted in the
infamous ‘Live at Asakusa Deathfest’ recording (2017). These releases, combined
with their reputation as a notoriously impressive live act, drew the attention
of fans worldwide and provided CARNATION with the opportunity
to perform at several European festivals and saw the band touring alongside
PESTILENCE during their special Brazilian tour in April 2018.
Tombs sign to Season of Mist and premiere new song
Season of Mist are proud to
announce the signing of Brooklyn black metal formation TOMBS.
The band will release their new EP ‘Monarchy of Shadows’ on February 28, 2020.
The first self titled track is now streaming
TOMBS mastermind Mike Hill comments: “I’ve been a huge fan of
Season of Mist for years, so I feel honored for TOMBS to be
joining the label. The rest of the guys share the same sentiments. ‘Monarchy of
Shadows’ is a full on display of the new era of the band. Ferocious, brutal, but
with an intense introspection. This is the best work that we’ve done to date.”
The cover artwork for ‘Monarchy of Shadows’ was created
by Valnoir and can be found below, together with the tracklist.
Tracklist 1. Monarchy of Shadows (07:32) 2. Once Falls the Guillotine
(04:44) 3. Necro Alchemy (05:47) 4. Man Behind the Sun (06:02) 5. The
Dark Rift (05:58) 6. Path of Totality (Midnight Sun) (04:44) Total:
0:34:47
Brooklyn black metal formation TOMBS has emerged with the next chapter in the band’s impressive catalog and growing legacy, ‘Monarchy of Shadows’. The EP features six brand new songs on which the four piece is bristling with a combination of ages-old anger and newfound energy.
Formed in the gritty corners of pre-gentrified Brooklyn, NY, in 2007, TOMBS’ early mandate was steeped in the harshness and atonality of black metal but dosed with trace amounts of the varied influences and inspirations ingrained in founder Michael Hill’s musical muscle memory by previous bands (VERSOMA).
Those early years delivered splits and singles, the highly revered ‘Winter Hours’ debut in 2009 and Decibel’s 2011 Album of the Year, ‘Path of Totality’. Never one to sit still, ‘Path of Totality’ was followed by appreciable and impressive amounts of touring in accordance with the lauding afforded by critics and fans and the braying of foes, which only served as fuel for Hill’s perseverance.
‘Savage Gold’ came three years later after which a restless Hill began nudging TOMBS’ black metal base into territories populated by gothic and death rock artists like FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM and SISTERS OF MERCY as well as avant-garde purveyors Caspar Brotzmann and LIVE SKULL while never forgetting – or being able to – scrape the grime of NYC from under his fingernails. The addition of a second guitar and live keyboards/samples brought a fuller sound and allowed noise sequences and soundscapes to be brought to the live show.
It was around the time of 2016 ‘All Empires Fall’ EP that TOMBS punctuated its iconoclastic spirit and thought process. A one album stint in 2017 under the Metal Blade banner birthed ‘The Grand Annihilation’ into the world where TOMBS took broader and more daring steps into buffering black metal with morose melody, sullen death rock and classic Metallica chugging.
Australian blackened death metal
outfit EARTH ROT are now unveiling the cover artwork and album
details of their upcoming opus ‘Black Tides of Obscurity’ which will be released
on March 06, 2020 via Season of Mist.
EARTH ROT comment:
“A morbid hallucination of the inevitable end. Heralded by titanic black
waves, monstrous tentacles spill forth from the abyss, accompanied by a total
fracturing of the mind. Hanging black in the heavens, an all-seeing spectre of
the adversary confirms our darkest fear: doom is coming for us all. It is with
much excitement we reveal the title and artwork for our upcoming Season of Mist
debut release, Black Tides of Obscurity with artwork by the exceptional Khaos
Diktator Design. To celebrate the album release, we’ve handpicked lineups of the
best that Australia’s underground metal scene has to offer. Direct support comes
from South Australia’s most blasphemous sons: Christ Dismembered.”
Track-list 1.
Dread Rebirth (5:57) 2. New Horns (4:14) 3. Towards A Godless Shrine
(5:39) 4. Unparalleled Gateways To Higher Obliteration (5:16) 5. Ancestral
Vengeance (4:21) 6. The Cape Of Storms (4:03) 7. Serpent’s Ocean
(4:31) 8. Mind Killer (3:29) 9. Unravelling Vapour Of Sanity (5:14) 10.
Out In The Cold (2:43) Total 0:45:27
EARTH ROT are
furthermore announcing a special run of Australian release shows for ‘Black
Tides Of Obscurity’. A list of all confirmed dates can be found below.
EARTH
ROT Release shows 06 Mar 20 Perth (AU) The Boston 07 Mar 20
Brisbane (AU) Crowbar 08 Mar 20 Melbourne (AU) Bendigo Hotel 09 Mar 20
Adeleide (AU) Jive Bar
It’s not all prog that comes from the land down under! EARTH ROT; Australia’s blackened death metal machine, with an old-school undercurrent and a sense of grim relentless groove. It is hateful, harmful, sinister and melancholy noise shaped by the world around you.
Since the inception in 2014, EARTH ROT have pulled no punches, recording, releasing and touring heavily across Australia, Asia and Europe with no intent of settling for anything less. Their debut album ‘Follow The Black Smoke’ was released in the same year, quickly followed by the ‘Chthonian Virtues’ EP (2016) and the second full length ‘Renascentia’ in 2017.
Cultivating their sound in direct support of legends in the realms of black metal and death metal, around the world. The band embarked on heavy tours together with acts like FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, PSYCROPTIC, VADER and MARDUK.
The past five years has seen EARTH ROT quickly develop into a complex beast, dwelling in the deepest of pits. And this beast is ready to be released upon the masses…
Line-up: Jared Bridgeman – vocals, bass Tom Waterhouse – guitar, backing vocals Colin Dickie – guitar Daniel Maloney – drums
American blackened rockers CLOAK are premiering the second track from their new album. The song “Into the Storm” is streaming below. The new record, ‘The Burning Dawn’, is set for worldwide release on October 25.
CLOAK comment: “‘Into The Storm’ is one
of our most aggressive and epic songs to date. We wanted the visuals to be just
as unnerving and majestic as the music itself. Once again, this video was
produced and crafted fully by the band members. Now revel in the ecstasy of
darkness unbound!”
The artwork of ‘The Burning Dawn’ has been created
by Adam Burke and can be viewed below, together with the
tracklist.
Track-list 1.
March Of The Adversary (1:33) 2.The Cleansing Fire (5:19) 3. A Voice In
The Night (5:09) 4. Tempter’s Call (5:46) 5. Into The Storm (6:41) 6. Lifeless Silence (6:50) 7. The
Fire, The Faith, The Void (4:19) 8. On Poisoned Ground (4:59) 9. Where The
Horrors Thrive (8:26) Total playing
time: 49:03
Unyielding darkness and brutality emerge from the deep south of the United States. Atlanta, GA based quartet CLOAK blend the sounds of black metal, rock ‘n’ roll, and homegrown Southern sludge to create their own unique and menacing sound.
Their debut full-length, ‘To Venomous Depths,’ (2017) was met with critical acclaim upon its release. Decibel Magazine placed it at #20 among their “Top 40 Albums of 2017,” solidifying the band’s place among the heavy metal elite. Now, CLOAK is back with ‘The Burning Dawn,’ a riff-heavy and groove-laden follow-up that proves the band are still rife with fresh ideas.
Conceptually, the record comes from a place below the surface where the sleepless and sinister dwell, and is absorbed by the darkest of dreams and the most primal desires. Musically, this exploration takes the gothic nuances of its predecessor while abandoning any hesitation in exchange for a more aggressive and vehement spirit.
While rippers like “On Poisoned Ground” and “Into the Storm” deliver a fury of soulful aggression, songs like “Lifeless Silence” and “The Fire, The Faith, The Void” offer a darker, gothic essence, ultimately displaying CLOAK’s multi-faceted and dynamic musical diversity. So, raise your fists and set fire to the world; this is ‘The Burning Dawn’.
HEILUNG are now updating their European tour dates, including the support acts on selected dates. LINDY-FAY HELLA will join HEILUNG in London, MIRA CETI PROJECT will be present during the Paris show and SANGRE DE MIERDAGO will join the band on selected dates. The exact schedule and support acts can be found below.
HEILUNG are furthermore proud to announce that the shows in Warsaw (PL), Essen (DE), Utrecht (NL), Brussel (BE) and Paris (FR) are already sold out. Tickets for the remaining shows are also running low.
HEILUNG European
tour 22 Oct 19 Palladium (PL) Warschau (Sold
out) 24 Oct 19 Berlin (DE) Admiralspalast (tickets)* 26 Oct 19 Essen (DE) Colosseum Theater (Sold out)* 28 Oct 19 Munich (DE) Circus Krone
(tickets)* 30 Oct 19 Prague (CZ) Divadlo Hybernia (tickets)* 01 Nov 19 Halle (DE) Händelhalle (tickets)* 03 Nov 19 Vienna (AT) The Vienna Globe (tickets)* 05 Nov 19 Zurich (CH) Volkshaus (tickets)* 07 Nov 19 Kiel (DE) Kieler Schloss (tickets)* 10 Nov 19 London (UK) Roundhouse (tickets)& 14 Nov 19 Utrecht (NL) Tivoli Vredenburg
(Sold out) 17 Nov 19 Brussels (BE)
Ancienne Belgique (Sold out) 20 Nov 19
Paris (FR) Elysée Montmartre (Sold
out)# * support: Sangre de Muerdago & support: Lindy-Fay
Hella # support: Mira Ceti
HEILUNG live 07
Sep 19 Selb (DE) Mediaval Festival 2019 17 Oct 19 Nancy (FR) Nancy Jazz
Pulsation Festival 19 Oct 19 Hameln (DE) Autumn Moon Festival 2019 06 Dec
19 Lviv (UA) Lviv State Circus 08 Dec 19 Kyiv (UA) Center of Culture and Arts
NAU 14 Dec 19 Copenhagen (DK) Amager Bio (Sold
out) 18 Feb 20 York (UK) Descended from Odin Festival (Exact date
TBA) 22 Feb 20 York (UK) Jorvink Viking Festival 10 Apr 20 Rouen (FR) Le
106 12 Apr 20 Toulouse (FR) Echos Et Merveilles Festival 16 May 20 Metz
(FR) Cire Musicale -Bam 20 Aug 20 St.-Nolff (FR) Motocultor Festival 2020
(Exact date TBA)
HEILUNG will be
touring in support of ‘Futha’ which was released on June 28, 2019. The cover
artwork and album details of ‘Futha’ can be viewed below.
On the meaning
of the album title, HEILUNG comment: “The majority of full
rune set inscriptions start with ‘Futha’, and is known to us as the first four
letters in all runic alphabets. It is considered that our forefathers saw magic
potential in engraving the full rune line, but there is also great significance
in the beginnings. Science has no key for the meaning of only engraving the
first couple of letters yet, but there is, of course, a surplus of theories. One
of the theories we found inspiration in, is that ‘Futha’ holds the meaning of
fertility and female gender. As ‘Ofnir’ focused on war and masculine notions,
the great healing power of female wild strength is evoked in Futha. Those who
have been present at a birth or have seen lionesses hunting know the spirit, and
we welcome and embrace it in the sounds that were born during the creation of
‘Futha’.“
“Ofnir” was a very masculine album. To create it, HEILUNG took a big part of the lyrics from preserved rune inscriptions on weapons and armour. “Futha” is the counterpart, the balance point, the feminine side. Here, the lyrics originate from old Icelandic poetry, in which the holy women chant magic spells and offer their blessings. Hence, female voices are more prominent on “Futha”.
HEILUNG means “healing” in the German language and this also describes the core of the band’s sound. The listener is supposed to be left at ease and in a relaxed state after a magical musical journey that is at times turbulent.
HEILUNG reach far back in time to the Northern European iron age and Viking period to create their sound experience. The band utilises many means in their songs: from running water via human bones, reconstructed swords and shields up to ancient frame drums as well as bronze rings.
When HEILUNG self-released ‘Ofnir’ in 2015, the Danish band could hardly have anticipated the breakthrough success of their debut album. Spectacular live shows, strong critical acclaim, and a massive underground buzz added to the constantly high demand for this full-length are the reason why their new label Season of Mist did not hesitate to re-issue ‘Ofnir’ in several collector’s edition formats. HEILUNG‘s live album, ‘LIFA’ (2017) was released in parallel.
The word “Futha” is taken from an artefact, that is still controversially discussed. Big names in runology like Düwel and Heizmann can agree neither on the deciphering nor the meaning of the description.…The word is engraved in a gold bracteate from Skåne (SE), which was produced around 500-530 AD. It was discovered in 1831 and these medals or coins were divided into different categories by the Swedish archaeologist Oscar Montelius. The bracteate in question is a so-called C-bracteate named Schonen II-C (Schonen is the German Name of Skåne) with a horse and a face. The rune inscription is between the hind-legs of the horse. Interesting to mention here is the fact that the majority of full rune set inscriptions start with “futh“, which also is the first three letters in all runic alphabets. It is considered that our forefathers saw magic potential in engraving the full rune line, but there is also great significance in the beginnings. Science has no key for the meaning of only engraving the first couple of letters yet, but there is a surplus of theories. This brings us to a runic staff found in Bergen, which was given the rather unpoetic archaeological classification B011. It carries the inscription: “felleg er fuþ sin bylli Fuþorglbasm”, which means: “Lovely is the cunt, may the cock fill it up”. Also interesting is that the Högstena amulet, which we use in the song “Galgaldr”, has an alternative deciphering of the word “futh“, which in this context means “cunt”. All this leaves us with two hints: magic potential and the female genitalia. The great healing power of the female wild strength is evoked in “Futha”. Those who have been present at a birth or seen a lioness hunting, know the spirit. The spirit of the “wilde Weiber” (German), the wild wise women. “Futha” endeavours to connect to a time before the female was degraded to a birth-machine and carrier of eternal inherited guilt.
“Futha” was three years in the making and was finished for production and print at midwinter, the very darkest day of the solar year, the 21st in the 12th month at 21:00.
Any attempt to link the band with or bring their music into a modern political or religious context is pointless, since HEILUNG try to connect their listeners with a time before the coming of Christianity and modern political ideologies.
Line-up Kai Uwe Faust Christopher Juul Maria Franz
Enigmatic dark metal outfit
DEATHWHITE have wrapped the recording process for their
forthcoming second full-length album, ‘Grave Image’. The album was tracked in
April and May at Cerebral Audio Productions under the watchful eye of Shane
Mayer, with vocal tracking taking place at Mana Recording with engineer Art
Paiz. The album was mixed by Mayer, with Dan Swanö taking care of the mastering
process.
The band comments: “The recording process for ‘Grave Image’ was
seamless and enjoyable throughout, something we owe largely to the skills and
expertise of those so kind to assist us in making this album a reality. In
particular, we are indebted to Mr. Shane Mayer, whose production skills and
congenial nature is second-to-none. The sonic jump between our 2018 album ‘For a
Black Tomorrow’ and ‘Grave Image’ is quite evident, and we are eager to share
its contents in the near future. We are not too fond of clichés or typical
band-speak, but the songs on ‘Grave Image’ are heavier than anything we’ve
created before, but also include a wealth of new elements, some surprising…some
not.
Now that the album is in the proverbial can, we have turned our
attention to its cover art and related materials. Further details — as well as
release date — will be shared in due time.”
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!
