Hailing from Finland, while Embryonic Slumber may be a brand-new entity in name, the duo are longtime veterans of the underground: Vargrav / Druadan Forest mainman V-Khaoz and Hellwind Inferion, an incredibly prolific drummer but more recently known as the vocalist for both Sargeist and Desolate Shrine. And while what they create together as Embryonic Slumber may show slight shades of their collective pasts, the resulting recording – the full-length In Worship Our Blood is Buried, the band’s bolt-from-the-blue debut – handily transcends comparisons altogether.
On evidence of this fully-formed first creation, Embryonic Slumber are indeed aptly monikered. Theirs is a dense-yet-sumptuous swell of sound, “cosmic black metal” in form and content, but finessed and nuanced to such a sterling degree that this debut album safely evades the cliches endemic to this idiom. Indeed, In Worship Our Blood is Buried moves like a long-obscured fog ominously emerging from a spectral void both above and below. Its soundwalls may feel like purple velvet, but the sheer enormity of their paradoxically spacious swell feel suffocating and liberating simultaneously. Likewise, the moments of placid quietude bespeak a simmering tension bound to burst at any given moment…or build ever high, slowly yet inexorably, toward the very cosmos itself. At the end just as at the very beginning, all one can do is submit to In Worship Our Blood is Buried and allow Embryonic Slumber to be your stargazing guide.
In the meantime, hear the brand-new tracks “I am the Storm” here:
and “Mortify Your Servant” here:
Preorder info for the CD version can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Embryonic Slumber’s In Worship Our Blood is Buried 1. Intro – Blood, Dust and Twelve Thrones [3:21] 2. Unwavering Flame [10:41] 3. Seven Streams of Sidonay [3:34] 4. Mortify Your Servant [9:42] 5. An Oath of Devotion [11:25] 6. I Am The Storm (bonus track) [4:49]
Today, black metal enigmas Hænesy reveal a stark & haunting new video for “Fate of the Depth.” The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Garabontzia, set for international release on February 28th via Purity ThroughFire on digipack CD format; the vinyl LP version will follow later. See & hear Hænesy‘s brand-new “Fate of the Depth” video in its entirety here:
Hailing from Hungary, Hænesy are one of the black metal underground’s best-kept secrets. Those who have been fortunate to tune to the mysterious band’s radar, however, have been enthralled ever since… The Mortals demo in 2017 set the stage – actually credible “post-black metal” without any of the quasi-genre’s cliches, but with maximum fire and creativity instead – and the debut album Kutruzsa blew that stage apart a year later. Another year later came the aptly titled split Earth and Space with Russian comrades Moondweller, further displaying Hænesy‘s bountiful fire and creativity.
Alas, a fever pitch is reached with their second album, Garabontzia. The fact that Purity ThroughFire is releasing any record with the “post” appellation should speak volumes about Hænesy‘s credibility, both past and especially present. And indeed, that present is an immense (and immensely BREATHTAKING) one to behold, as Garabontzia almost-effortlessly reveals one startlingly beautiful landscape after another, each one ruptured with ripples of soul-reaping violence and skyscraping melody in equal measure. The paradox of utilizing supposedly unorthodox means to create music of a most pure and Spartan aspect is not lost on Garabontzia; in fact, as Hænesy prove across the album’s seven-track/44-minute runtime, it drives deeply into the very heart of BLACK METAL itself – and then pumps it with rich, new blood. Put another way, the album feels very old despite reveling in the “new”…or is that vice versa?
Many questions, few concrete answers, and therein the enigma of Hænesy finds full bloom. Behold a new era of reckoning with Garabontzia!
Begin beholding that new era with the previously revealed “Asphyxia” HERE, also at Purity ThroughFire‘s official YouTube channel. Cover artwork, courtesy of Rodrigo Almanegra, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Hænesy’s Garabontzia 1. Fate of the Depth 2. Sinking Deep for a Hidden God 3. Path to the Weeping Hollow 4. Létrontás 5. Drowning of the Final Intellect 6. The Archives 7. Asphyxia
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.
Today, old-metal standard-bearers Nekromantheon reveal the new track “Thanatos.” The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated third album, Visions of Trismegistos, set for North American release on April 30th Hells Headbangers on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats (Indie Recordings will be handling all other territories). Hear Nekromantheon‘s “Thanatos” in its entirety here:
Behold the Visions of Trismegistos! After nine long years stirring the cauldron in the underground, Nekromantheon finally re-emerged from the depths with their most ferocious record to date!
Visions of Trismegistos is a long-awaited metal assault, bringing forth the spirit of old metal once again. Recorded in Chaka Khan Studio and various locations around Oslo by the members of Nekromantheon themselves using mostly old, analog equipment to get that warm, genuine sound, Visions of Trismegistos feels like a lost opus from the glory days of the ’80s, when thrash, death, and black metal were merged into one unholy trinity. Yet, it is a fresh and vital testament of a band at the height of their abilities who stand out amongst their peers.
With Visions of Trismegistos, Nekromantheon are ready to resurrect the ways of the ancient with their fresh take on old-school extreme metal!
Nekromantheon started out in early 2005 with only one goal in mind: to play fast, evil, and dirty thrash metal in the way of the old gods. Influenced by the classics of Slayer, Sadus, Kreator, Dark Angel, and Sepultura, they unleashed their attack on modern metal.
After the release of the We’re Rotting EP in early 2007, the band had already built a name for themselves in the underground scene. As the band got more and more focused on capturing the spirit of the ’80s, guitarist Arild “Arse” Myren Torp and drummer Christian “Kick” Holm started building their own recording studio. Shortly, their very own KickArse Studio was ready in Kolbotn, Norway, the hometown of the mighty Darkthrone.
With their own creative pit available, their first full-length, Divinity of Death, was released shortly. This intense evocation of evil turned some heads indeed, and earned the band a spot at Maryland DeathFest 2010 and the highly prestigious yet extremely underground Live Evil Festival in London the same year.
In 2012, Nekromantheon released their second album, Rise, Vulcan Spectre, elevating the level of ferocious, darkened thrash metal to unknown heights. The release was an unholy offering to summon the old ways of metal, being held up to underground classics from the ’80s. It was an intense, analog-sounding record that showed no mercy. Rise, Vulcan Spectre was met with raving reviews and went on to receive a Grammy for Best Metal album 2012.
Nekromantheon, unaffected by the “success,” continued to play underground concerts and festivals that they deemed suited for their concept, and continued to keep a low profile throughout the years, playing selected shows and slowly working on new material. As the members were active and creative in bands like Obliteration, Black Viper, Flight, Deathhammer etc, and they have an extremely self-critical way of writing music within Nekromantheon, the follow-up record took years and years before it materialized. We believe Visions of Trismegistos is worth the wait.
Hear the next proof for yourself with the brand-new track “Thanatos” HERE. First proof can be found with the previously revealed “The Visions of Trismegistos” HERE. Preorder info for Hells Headbangers‘ North American editions can be found HERE for the CD and HERE for the vinyl. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Nekromantheon’s Visions of Trismegistos 1. The Visions of Trismegistos 2. Scorched Death 3. Seven Rulers of Fate 4. Thanatos 5. Dead Temples 6. Zealot Reign 7. Neptune Descent 8. Faustian Rites
French black metal pioneers SETH are now revealing the cover artwork and album details for their upcoming record ‘La Morsure du Christ’.
The history of black metal formation SETH and Season of Mist spans back to the early days of the French metal scene. The band’s debut ‘Les Blessures de L’Ame’ (1998) was one of the first releases on the label. This album is now regarded as a cornerstone in French black metal, pioneering the usage of their native tongue on a black metal record. SETH has lit up the flame of those early days again with ‘La Morsure du Christ’, which can be seen as sequel to the highly acclaimed debut.
The record is set for worldwide release on May 7, via Season of Mist. Presales will start soon.
The band comments: “Our sixth album, written in a typically traditional nineties black metal, has been crafted as a faithful sequel to our 1998 debut album Les Blessures de L’Ame, released at the time by Season Of Mist. La Morsure du Christ offers seven tracks, all written in Alexandrine French poetry, to be unleashed as a tribute to the second anniversary of Notre-Dame de Paris devastating blaze.“
Tracklist: 1. La Morsure du Christ (05:54) 2. Métal Noir (04:55) 3. Sacrifice de Sang (06:25) 4. Ex-Cathédrale (06:49) 5. Hymne au Vampire (Acte III) (07:25) 6. Les Océans du Vide (07:05) 7. Le Triomphe de Lucifer (05:57) Bonus tracks 8. Les Océans du Vide – Synth Version (04:25) 9. Sacrifice de Sang – Synth Version (03:14) Total: 0:52:05
The history of black metal formation SETH and Season of Mist spans back to the early days of the French metal scene. The band’s debut ‘Les Blessures de L’Ame’ (1998) was one of the first releases on the label. This album is now regarded as a cornerstone in French black metal, pioneering the usage of their native tongue on a black metal record. SETH has lit up the flame of those early days again with ‘La Morsure du Christ’, which can be seen as sequel to the highly acclaimed debut.
The release of ‘Les Blessures de L’Ame’ quickly gained international attention and SETH built a solid fanbase. The French blasphemers signed a two-release deal with Osmose Productions and participated on the MAYHEM cult tribute album ‘Originators of the Northern Darkness’ alongside IMMORTAL and BEHEMOTH. The second full-length ‘The Excellence’ came out in 2000 and featured a contribution from none other than Fenriz (DARKTHRONE), who wrote the lyrics for the song ‘Let Me Be The Salt In Your Wound’.
Shortly after, the group recorded their third album ‘Divine-X’ (2002) at the Excess Studios in Rotterdam (EPICA, AFTER FOREVER, SINISTER). This record demonstrated the ability of the band to mix gloomy and violent atmospheres and received extensive coverage from the international metal press at the time.
Returning to the Netherlands to record the fourth album ‘Era-Decay’ (2004), two new members joined the ranks of SETH: vocalist Black Messiah and guitarist Cyriex. Afterwards, the band was invited to play at the prestigious Inferno festival in Norway in 2005.
A long hiatus followed, until the band returned in 2011 to play an exclusive show in Germany with the German cult act BETHLEHEM. The band re-joined the ranks of Season of Mist, eventually releasing ‘The Howling Spirit’ (2013) and embarking on a European tour with PESTILENCE. Several appearances at major festivals followed, including Hellfest and Graspop Metal Meeting, concluded by a Canadian headliner tour with new vocalist Saint Vincent (BLACKLODGE).
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of ‘Les Blessures de L’Ame’ in 2018, SETH exclusively performed the entire album at festivals in Switzerland, Canada (Messe de Morts) and Belgium (Thronefest). The French label Les Acteurs de l’Ombre productions released a live recording of these shows, called ‘20 ans de Blasphème’. The band’s new line-up featured members of LOUDBLAST, ARKHON INFAUSTUS and MELTED SPACE.
With the flame of SETH burning strong again, the French black metallers started writing new material. On the new record ‘La Morsure du Christ’ (a double meaning title: literally « The Bite of Christ » and phonetically « Christ’s death is certain »), they return to their original sound, employ French alexandrine verse in their lyrics and choose a striking image as an album art. The blazing inferno of the Notre-Dame de Paris is depicted on the cover, an event that shuddered the world on April 15, 2019. The release of the record marks the 2nd anniversary of the event.
It’s a powerful picture that conveys the very essence of ‘La Morsure du Christ.’ In a world moving further away from religion and spirituality, the demise of this landmark symbolizes the end of the Christian reign and the ultimate betrayal of God. From the ashes of the cathedral, a godless world will come into being.
Line-up: Guitar – Heimoth (Sinsaenum) Drums – Alsvid (ex-Enthroned, AdPatres) Vocals – Saint Vincent (BlackLodge, Vorkreist) Bass – Esx Vnr (Arkhon Infaustus, ex-Merrimack, ex-Glorior Belli) Guitar – Drakhian (ex-Loudblast, Griffar) Keys – Pierre Le Pape (Melted Space)
Brooklyn/New Jersey metal formation TOMBS are now sharing a brand new music video for the song “Secrets of the Black Sun,” which is taken from 2020’s full-length, ‘Under Sullen Skies.’
The video, which was created by Aimed and Framed, can be viewed here:
TOMBS‘ latest record ‘Under Sullen Skies, was released in November 2020. Listen to the album at the official Season of Mist Youtube ChannelHERE or order a copy in the shop HERE.
The cover artwork for ‘Under Sullen Skies’ was created by Valnoir and can be found below, together with the tracklist.
Tracklist: 1. Bone Furnace (04:49) 2. Void Constellation (04:55) 3. Barren (05:31) 4. The Hunger (04:30) 5. Secrets Of The Black Sun (07:08) 6. Descensum (04:32) 7. We Move Like Phantoms (01:45) 8. Mordum (04:21) 9. Lex Talionis (04:29) 10. Angel Of Darkness (06:53) 11. Sombre Ruin (04:13) 12. Plague Years (06:59) Total: 1:00:05
There’s a line from Mike Hill’s audiobook/tour diary of ANODYNE’s 2004 European tour in which the gravel-throated frontman affirms, “I will always outwork you.” In that case, Hill was referring to an incident in Germany early on during a six-week long overseas jaunt with his previous band. In actuality, however, he could have been talking about any instance between when he first picked up a guitar as a teen and the present. Whether it’s his history dating back to previous bands OTIS, ANODYNE, KING GENERATOR or VERSOMA, his ongoing solo work in VASILEK, the more recent SCORPION THRONE project or his thirteen year reign as the driving force and nerve center of post-black metal institution TOMBS, hard work is second nature and nothing will keep the guitarist/vocalist from creative endeavor and expression. And it’s not just music in which his propulsive work ethic has gleaned results: Hill also is the CEO and roast master at Savage Gold Coffee (a labelling nod to TOMBS’ 2014 album of the same name), the host/producer/creator of the Everything Went Black podcast, host and producer of Gimme Radio’s Metal Matters flagship podcast, the creator and co-host of horror podcast Necromaniacs as well as a stalwart in the print and online journalism world covering music and MMA fighting. His is, has been and always will be a life steeped in dedication and with unassailable drive in the cross hairs. And despite the world being put on pause, Hill refuses to curtail his innate determination and ongoing tenacity with the result being TOMBS emerging with the next chapter in its impressive catalog and growing legacy: the band’s fifth full-length, ‘Under Sullen Skies’.
“The week VERSOMA broke up in 2007, I started TOMBS,” he says, recalling how, characteristically, the band started before any dust was permitted to settle. “The initial rehearsals ended up being the bulk of material that showed up on the first [self-titled] EP. The intent from the beginning was to get back to playing music I wanted to hear and to not be so concerned with genre or satisfying anyone else’s desires. It was to do music on a personal level and be a reflection of the darkness I’ve felt throughout my life.”
Formed in the gritty corners of pre-gentrified Brooklyn, NY, 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 Hill’s musical muscle memory by previous bands. “The canon of music TOMBS has created has spanned several different genres, but I’ve always had it my intent for there to always be a certain amount of violence and hardness lurking the background.”
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. Despite then-being part of the Relapse Records family, the band struck out with the intent of self-releasing the EP in order to retain as much independence as contractual obligations would allow – retaining the digital and publishing rights while eventually licensing the record back to Relapse. 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. Following a parting from Metal Blade, the band – now completed by drummer Justin Spaeth, guitarist Matt Medeiros and bassist Drew Murphy, who are also 3/4ths of New Jersey death metal crew KALOPSIA – quickly found a home on Season of Mist and issued the ‘Monarchy of Shadows’ EP literally a week before the world went into Coronavirus lockdown.
“The original strategy assumed we would be on the road for most of 2020,” says Hill with a lamenting laugh. “We had a sick tour with Napalm Death planned right after the EP’s release. We were going to record the new full-length before the tour and have it come out in the fall. There was all kinds of tour talk and plans and 2020 would have been a tour-de-force of TOMBS activity in the United States and Europe. Obviously, none of that is happening, but we’re still going ahead with the record.”
Of course they are. Throw a hurdle in front of Mike Hill and he’ll never shy at rolling up his sleeves and taking on the challenge. Even with the world in shutdown mode, Hill is still brimming with enthusiasm about the input and work ethic of the current TOMBS lineup and how Spaeth, Mederios and Murphy stepped up to the plate in the creation of ‘Under Sullen Skies’.
“Everyone contributes on this record and the door has always been open for others to do so. There has always been this misconception that I’m some sort of tyrant always telling people what to do and play. The fact of the matter is that most of the time I outwork people; that’s just the way I am. No one is ever going to outwork me on any level in any area of my life and I was always coming up with material. Now, I have these maniacs in the band who are equally motivated and there’s a whole new life injected into TOMBS. That’s awesome and I love it. These days we’ll try anything and we actually write stuff and throw it out because it’s not perfect. It’s more like a writing committee, which I really appreciate. It’s not just me writing everything. It’s a big difference from ‘The Grand Annihilation’ which was basically a solo record.”
‘Under Sullen Skies’ is this lineup’s second kick at twisting black metal’s DNA around dank emotional corners, psychological turmoil and the urban underbelly all of which is unavoidably coloured and touched by the present-day status of life on this here Earth.
“The album’s title came during all this and the sort of post-apocalyptic world we’re living in,” Hill explains. “It encapsulates an overall feeling of gloom and depression which is pretty much how we’ve been living for most of this year. The title was the last piece to fall into place. I remember standing on the roof of the building I was living in at the time on a grey day and it was raining – actually, it wasn’t even raining; it was a half-assed attempt at rain! – and depressing and I just thought, ‘What a sullen sky’ and it just stuck with me.”
The album starts with “Bone Collector,” a furious blast of melodic black metal that shifts gears towards an anthemic fist-pumping slog through the goth rock-thrash metal VENN DIAGRAM. “Void Constellation” takes as many cues from Peaceville Three gloom and doom as it does the death metal stomp of OBITUARY and INCANTATION. “Descensum” mines the various well-worn parts of Ride the Lightning for influence before blasting the doors open with some startlingly spacious chromatic single-note atonality. As the album progresses, further textures and moods are employed via acoustic instrumentation and keyboards as well as sampled soundscapes all butting heads with furious second wave black metal and sly to nods to death rock heroes SISTERS OF MERCY and FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM, all of the band’s motivations and interests being dropped into the chameleonic pair of tracks closing the album, “Sombre Ruin” and the appropriately titled “Plague Years.”
“‘Barren’ stands out as the song that’s most collaborative,” notes Hill. “Justin wrote the bulk of the riffs on that one, that sort of NWOBHM/SCORPIONS ending part is something I came up with, Matt added a bunch of guitar harmonies over it and Drew’s bass is laid thick underneath. That one is one of the biggest group efforts and one of the strongest songs on the record.
“I explore a lot of the archetypes that are used in folklore on this record, like werewolves and vampires which I’ve always been interested in, and on a song like ‘Secrets of the Black Sun’ I talk about the finite nature of our time on this planet, that nothing is really permanent and being aware of that whether as an individual or as a civilization, which I guess fits in with the pandemic and the changes that are going on. There are all kinds of other people, civilizations and creatures that have come and gone long before us and if you think about it over a long enough time span, everyone’s life expectancy goes down to zero.”
The new album not only sees Hill expanding his creative and collaborative comfort zone by wholly embracing the offerings of his band mates, but he’s also let down the drawbridge to allow folks from beyond the immediate TOMBS family to include what he describes as “mad guest spots.”
“There’s Cat Cabral, who does the spoken word piece on ‘Angel of Darkness.’ She’s not a musician per se; she’s more from the occult and witchcraft world. I’ve been friends with her for a really long time and she’s a great resource for esoteric knowledge. She’s also an actress who has done plays and commercials and been in films, so I figured she’d be the perfect person to deliver dialogue in an emotionally deep way, and be good at taking direction. Ray Suhy from SIX FEET UNDER rips the guitar solo in ‘Barren’ and that solo is its own masterpiece, in my opinion. BLACK CROWN INITIATE and former TOMBS live guitarist Andy Thomas contributed a guitar solo in ‘Void Constellation.’ Todd Stern from PSYCROPTIC plays the solo in ‘Mortem.’ Sera Timms from IDES OF GEMINI and BLACK MATH HORSEMAN does guest vocals on ‘Secrets of the Black Sun.’ We’ve got INTEGRITY’s Dwid Hellion singing the chorus on ‘The Hunger’ and BLACK ANVIL’s Paul Delaney also doing a couple of verses on ‘Angel of Darkness.’ So, yeah, there are a bunch of people on there and it’s like a community effort which I enjoy. I like involving people I respect and having them be a part of the whole thing.”
After spending his entire adult life navigating the pitfalls and pratfalls of the industry for expressive and creative opportunity, Hill has amassed an impressive legacy, one that ‘Under Sullen Skies’ contributes to admirably and irreverently. Like most, the extreme music underground lifer and veteran is probably justified in approaching the future with very muted optimism, but while the world works at screwing its head back on straight, Hill is going to do what he wants to do as well as he possibly can. Uncertainty may reign at the moment, but Hill and TOMBS are still going to do their thing and will be content to please themselves in the process. If anyone else happens to be along for the ride, then welcome aboard.
“’Under Sullen Skies’ is a dark and introspective album,” he asserts. “It’s not a happy record that anyone is going to use to get pumped up on a Friday night. We wanted to pull out the stops, go full-on and make a nice body of work. I could care less if anyone likes the band or not because I’ve been through so many ups and downs with this thing that I don’t give a fuck if people enjoy the music. I know I like it, I know the guys in the band like it and we’re just rocking and rolling. This record and the EP came out about as close as I could imagine to what I have in my brain about how this band should sound. The whole trajectory of the band has had each record never quite hitting, but ‘Monarchy of Shadows’ and ‘Under Sullen Skies’ have both really come out how I envisioned the songs to be.”
Line-up: Mike Hill – guitars, vocals, electronics, synth Matt Medeiros – guitars Drew Murphy – bass, vocals Justin Spaeth – drums, guitars, electronics, synth
Guest Musicians: Cat Cabral – Spoken Word Dialog on “Angel of Darkness” Paul Delaney (BLACK ANVIL) – additional vocals on “Angel of Darkness” Dwid Hellion (INTEGRITY) – additional vocals on “The Hunger” Todd Stern (PSYCROPTIC) – guitar solo on “Mordum” Ray Suhy (SIX FEET UNDER) – guitar solo on “Barren” Andy Thomas (BLACK CROWN INITIATE) – guitar solo on “Void Constellation” Sera Timms (IDES OF GEMINI, BLACK MATH HORSEMAN) – additional vocals on “Secrets of the Black Sun”
Recording and Mixing: Fright Box Studios, Clifton, NJ, USA
Today, Helter Skelter Productions (distributed & marketed by Regain Records) announces April 11th as the international release date for Neromega’s striking debut mini-album, Nero Omega, on CD and 12” vinyl formats.
Neromega is a gathering of Italian musicians from Rome who have been active for over 25 years in different bands and musical contexts, yet knew each other since the mid ‘90s and always shared a passion for a certain kind of musical vibe/themes and high-quality songwriting.
Neromega’s debut mini-album, Nero Omega, was initially released in October 2020 on cassette tape in limited quantities, and now Helter Skelter are releasing it on a worldwide scale. And for good reason: Neromega meet at the crossroads of early Black Sabbath, Italian doom, and progressive/psychedelic rock of old. Yet, they find their own unique path by being more than a sum of their elements, their sound equally reeking of doom, Italian giallo/noir/horror morbidity, and Covid-19. With Nero Omega will one find three original songs and a cover of Balletto di Bronzo’s “Un posto,” all of it wrapped in the dulcet tones of their native tongue. The 25 minutes of Nero Omega are but a taste of Neromega’s forthcoming debut album.
In the meantime, stream Neromega in its entirety here:
cover and tracklisting as follows:
Tracklisting for Neromega’s Nero Omega 1. Solitudine [8:02] 2. Pugnale Adore [6:36] 3. Morte Nella Fede [4:31] 4. Un Posto [4:52]
Norwegian metal icons ABBATH have entered the studio for the recording of their third full-length. The band is currently residing in the Dub Studio in Kristiansand, Norway with producer Endre Kirkesola. The album is due later this year and promises to be hard, heavy, catchy and huge.
More details of the release will be posted soon, stay tuned for updates.
The previous ABBATH record ‘Outstrider’ was released on July 5, 2019 via Season of Mist. Listen to record below.
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.
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.
Released in 2019, ABBATH exceeded everyone’s expectation with the sophomore full-length ‘Outstrider’. The record sees a maturation in sound, delivering a tighter, well-rounded offering from the band as they come into their own identity.
Today, Saturnal Records announces April 23rd as the international release date for Hymnr‘s highly anticipated debut album, Far Beyond Insanity, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
Hymnr is an entity, a formation that created itself. The music, the story, the concept of Hymnr is its own tale of the tragic path that has led the world, humanity, and religion down this downwards spiral that this cosmic plane has become.
Hymnr is a conceptual formation, anguishing forth these old tales of how it all ended up here.
What Hymnr is, no one can tell, but the individual mind of the ones who are willing to take this journey. It needs to be felt, heard, and seen…
Saturnal Records wholeheartedly encourages the intrepid to embark upon the journey that is Far Beyond Sanity. Indeed can it be felt, heard, and especially seen, within the spirit and across the subconscious: Hymnr is spectral black metal vibrance beaming with unimaginable might. How Far Beyond Sanity will you go?
Take the first step with the brand-new track “Part I” here:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Hymnr’s Far Beyond Sanity 1. Part I [10:42] 2. Part II [8:10] 3. Part III [13:03] 4. Part IV [12:02]
Today, Caligari Records sets March 30th as the international release date for Můra‘s striking debut EP, Doom Invocations and Narcotic Rituals, on cassette tape format.
Můra are a brand-new Czechian entity featuring members from The Tower and Sekeromlat. And while the quartet’s debut recording is a “mere” two songs, Mura totals 20 minutes and drags the listener deep into an abyss of sepulchral-cum-bestial DEATH.
Můra utterly punish with a world-eating sound that patiently reveals its horrors. From zero-BPM doom lumbering into swirling death metalled cacophony, from caveman-primitive throbs into tense ‘n’ hypnotic tropes betraying a wealth of nuance, Doom Invocations and Narcotic Rituals unfurls a wide-screen canvas of dread, disease, filth, foulness… What’s more, the recording is rough and raw yet remarkably massive; even taking the EP on its production alone is an overwhelming experience in itself.
And this is but the start for Můra! More horrors to come, and Doom Invocations and Narcotic Rituals is thus recommended for maniacs of Temple Nightside, Antediluvian, Grave Upheaval, Encoffination, and the modern Danish death metal scene.
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Chambers of Decay” here:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Můra’s Doom Invocations and Narcotic Rituals 1. Chambers of Decay [11:03] 2. Pest Procession [8:33]
