Today, upstart death metal cult Perihelion Gnosis stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut demo, Syzygial Summoning. Set for international release on February 18th via Caligari Records on cassette tape format, hear Perihelion Gnosis‘ Syzygial Summoning in its entirety here:
Perihelion Gnosis is the work of Canadian musican Caleb Simard. Although one could say the band is entirely Simard’s vision since he writes all the music and plays every instrument, uniquely, he has help from a close friend to flesh out the totality of Perihelion Gnosis: lyrics, concepts, themes, and even artwork and logo were done by said friend, who Simard considers “in the band” even if he doesn’t play or write any actual music.
As for the music itself, Perihelion Gnosis exists on the fringes of the weirdest, wildest death metal. Going from sludge to skronk, backwards riffing to black-hole propulsion, zero-BPM doom to atonal death, Syzygial Summoning sounds very much like its namesake, all wrapped in richly shuddering tones exceptionally advanced for a first recording. Imagine a malformed spawn of Disembowelment and Cianide, informed by demo-era Demilich, and you’re getting nearer to Perihelion Gnosis…but not quite exactly there.
As could be expected from such a description, Perihelion Gnosis‘ lyrics – again, written by mainman Simard’s close friend – go great lengths to match content with form. By and large, the lyrics are inspired by cosmic horror, the fear of the unknown and unknowable, the infinite vastness of space and how very insignificant the human existence is seen at a larger scale. All lyrics are set in the same universe that’s constantly being built upon in new songs, with returning characters and storylines. A concept EP is planned that will feature concepts and characters introduced on Syzygial Summoning and upcoming releases.
Want to know what a “Syzygial Summoning of His Pale-Skinned Majesty (Sacrifice of the Neverborn)” or “Nebular Hypothesis (The All-Mother’s Cyclical Un-Birth; Genesis of the Swarm)”? Then dive in (and try to survive) Perihelion Gnosis‘ debut demo!
Preorder info can be found HERE at Caligari‘s Bandcamp. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Perihelion Gnosis’ Syzgial Summoning 1. Syzygial Summoning of His Pale-Skinned Majesty (Sacrifice of the Neverborn) [5:52] 2. Nebular Hypothesis (The All-Mother’s Cyclical Un-Birth, Genesis of the Swarm) [5:45]
Today, Putrid Cult sets March 30th as the international release date for Nekkrofukk‘s highly anticipated fourth album, Mysterious Rituals in the Abyss of Sabbath & Eternal Celebration of the Blakk Goat.
One of the most iconic bands of the modern Polish metal underground, for nearly a decade now, Nekkrofukk have been pursuing an extremely dark ‘n’ deranged form of blackened doom that harkens back to black metal’s earliest and most unorthodox days. Nekkrofukk is the sole work of ultra-prolific maniac Lord K., renown for DeathEpoch, Goathrone, and Deathvasstator among many others. But ultimately, Nekkrofukk is his most personal vehicle of expression, and hereby has he spit disgust upon the cross over the course of four EPs, three full-lengths, and even a live album.
The triumph of death rises again in the form of Nekkrofukk‘s fourth full-length, Mysterious Rituals in the Abyss of Sabbath & Eternal Celebration of the Blakk Goat. Demanding much from the listener but caring not one bit for one’s comfort, the tongue-twisting Mysterious Rituals in the Abyss of Sabbath & Eternal Celebration of the Blakk Goat sees Lord K. taking Nekkrofukk in a direction that’s both catchier and more evilly experimental. Like Beherit and Barathrum drowning together in glue or Faustcoven covering Mortuary Drape and Mystifier simultaneously, matters move malevolently and s-l-o-w-l-y here, yet the wealth of textural twists applied puts Nekkrofukk in rarefied company. Of course, it’s massive and ugly – or, simply, MASSIVELY UGLY – and keeps its nose firmly within the closed borders of heavy metal, but that doesn’t mean Mysterious Rituals in the Abyss of Sabbath & Eternal Celebration of the Blakk Goat sacrifices any otherworldly experience. Indeed, to “experience” Nekkrofukk here is to submit to sin and the darkest of arts, to open one’s third eye and be blinded by boundless darkness absolute. Or, one could merely be CRUSHED underfoot by the album’s ominous plod & pound…it matters not to Lord K.
Nekkrofukk have stood as one of the pillars of Putrid Cult since the beginning, and the blood pact grows even thicker with the heightened expectations placed upon Mysterious Rituals in the Abyss of Sabbath & Eternal Celebration of the Blakk Goat. If you want blood, you got it!
First blood can be drawn with the brand-new tracks “The Great Beast Speaks” and “Kkursed Gathering on Sabbath” here:
Cover art and tracklsiting as follows :
Tracklisting for Nekkrofukk’s Mysterious Rituals in the Abyss of Sabbath & Eternal Celebration of the Blakk Goat 1. The Great Beast Speaks [1:44] 2. Summoning of Azrael [5:44] 3. Kkursed Gathering on Sabbath [7:10] 4. Devil’s Blood Injekktion [6:20] 5. Spiewajac Psalmy Smierci [6:01] 6. Vlci Zena [5:46]
Today, Hammer of Hate announces April 2nd as the international release date for Sielunvihollinen‘s highly anticipated fourth album, Teloituskäsky.
Formed in 2011 initially as a solo project, over the course of three albums and a handful of splits, demos, and EPs, Sielunvihollinen have come to be standard-bearers of pure ‘n’ proud Finnish black metal. While neither shying away from the spotlight nor intentionally cultivating an air of mystery, Sielunvihollinen‘s catalog over the past decade has come to speak of itself – thoughtful songwriting, impassioned performances, a totality of form meeting content – and with their development into a full band unlike so many other black metal “projects,” they’ve also become a considerable force on the live front.
Now, like clockwork, two years after its full-length predecessor comes Sielunvihollinen‘s fourth album, Teloituskäsky. Translated into English as “Execution command,” Teloituskäsky indeed burns with deadly precision, display a clarity of focus and (of course) execution that’s startling to behold. Riffs attack right from the off, but gnaw at the heartstrings with a plaintive melodicism equal parts tragedy and triumph. Rhythms race and march with apparent ease, deftly shifting tempos as the song requires and inciting emotion as needed. Vocals are a fury of Finnish invective and darkness, and yet the language is universal when spat forth with such charisma and (again) clarity. In fact, to qualify Teloituskäsky as Sielunvihollinen‘s cleanest-recorded work would not be inaccurate: their iron fists are now lined with velvet. However, that uptick in professionalism does nothing to dampen the band’s fires; if anything, Sielunvihollinen‘s inherent catchiness simply goes into overdrive here.
Authentically steeped in ’90s classicism whilst trampling the graves of the present, Sielunvihollinen continue their ascent to the upper echelons of international black metal with Teloituskäsky!
Join their ascent with the brand-new track “Murtunut peili” here:
Today, Australian black metal cult Pestis Cultus stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut album. Set for international release on February 12th via Signal Rex, hear Pestis Cultus’ Pestis Cultus in its entirety here:
Formerly known as Snorri – who delivered a demo and EP through Signal Rex as well as a split through brother label Harvest of Death, all during the years 2016 and 2017 – Pestis Cultus is the renewed audial manifestation brought forth by three lifetime friends and musicians from Perth, Australia, whose works have already been deeply carved in the worldwide underground black metal scene across various other projects. However, now officially as Pestis Cultus, the trio hold firm to the hideousness which marked Snorri’s sadly short-lengthed recordings but ripen that rottenness to an exquisitely foul degree.
Indeed, the sound of Pestis Cultus is like that of a moss-covered gravestone exploding – in violent fast-forward and tortured slow-motion simultaneously. Proudly raw in their exploits but by no means unrehearsed – quite the opposite, in fact – Pestis Cultus exhume ancient expressions of black metal and proceed to profane them in their own style and with their own voice. That voice & style could blithely be summarized as “putrid-satanic-necro-terrorizing-black (death) metal,” proudly from Australia and in its purest form, but lurk within the 31 minutes comprising their first full-length and one will find catacombs and corridors bursting with rancid, rebel spirit: the past only exists not to be tethered to, but to defile and exploit at will. In short, Pestis Cultus is paradoxically uncompromising and open-minded, fuck-off traditional and FUCK-YOU unorthodox.
Rounded out by a booming ‘n’ ghostly recording sharpened by Henri (Moonsorrow) Sorvali’s mastering, layout by Heresie Graphic Design Studio, and intro & outro featuring the one and only Mortiis, Pestis Cultus’ self-titled debut album is a stunner highly recommended for old souls and restless ones alike.
. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Pestis Cultus’ Pestis Cultus 1. Lazarus 2. Into the Endless Darkness 3. Black Mass 4. Cursed 5. Black Tongue Hymn 6. H.H.L 7. Abel de la Rue 8. To the Old Ruins 9. Apocrypha
Today, uprising black/death/doom cult Ordo Cultum Serpentis stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut EP, Derej Najash. Set for international release on February 12th via Signal Rex on cassette tape format, hear Ordo Cultum Serpentis‘ Derej Najash in its entirety here:
Ordo Cultum Serpentis are a new cross-continental entity comprising V (South Korea) and Fr. Der Cadaver (México). Together, the duo create an ambient sort of blackened death-doom – or perhaps deathened black-doom? Or doomed black-death? Either way, such words as BLACK and DEATH and most especially DOOM apply to the band’s first public recording, Derej Najash.
Ritualistic from the opening notes to the bitter end, Derej Najash is composed of two epic-length tracks across 27 total minutes. Moments of tense quietude linger, but then are jarringly ripped asunder by expulsions of grinding bestiality, all before dragging the tempo down into the abyss. The doom is thus megaton-sized, and crushes the listener’s spirit and very being with its all-encompassing density. Haunting moans and ritual bells also drift across the soundfield, putting Derej Najash further beyond the realms of normalcy or complacent listening. The sum effect is that Ordo Cultum Serpentis are sonic titans just beginning their inexorable march to the end…
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Ordo Cultum Serpentis’ Derej Najash 1. Chapter 1 [13:17] 2. Chapter 2 [13:20]
Today, Chaos Records is proud to announce the signing of Morbid Messiah. The first fruit of this union shall be a new 22-minute EP, Disgorged in the Coffin.
Hailing from Mexico, Morbid Messiah was formed in 2015 by guitarist Roberto Trejo, vocalist José Rivas, and drummer Anubis Sandoval after they moved from Cancún to Guadalajara, Jalisco. Morbid Messiah started to play without a bassist until September 2016, when Guillermo López joined the band.
Morbid Messiah‘s debut EP, In the Name of True Death Metal, was released in October 2016 by the band independently on CD and in January 2017 by Godz Ov War Productions in a cassette tape edition limited to 100 copies. Their debut album, Demoniac Paroxysm, was recorded on April 2018 at MAT Studio (as the first release) and released by Memento Mori on CD and by Unholy Prophecies on vinyl in two different colors.
Morbid Messiah played in the first edition of Total Death Over Mexico City alongside Dead Congregation, Atomicide, Evil Priest, Of Feather And Bone, Antebellum 666, Infernal Conjuration, and Ascended Dead.
Anubis Sandoval left the band in 2018 due to personal differences. Saúl Anzaldo joined the band as an official member on March 2019.
Demoniac Paroxysm was released for the very first time on cassette in January 2021 by Goatthrone Records and a CD digipack reissue by Ablaze Productions with extra live songs and re-mastered music. In the Name of True Death Metal is in progress to be re-released on cassette by Life After Death Productions.
About Morbid Messiah‘s forthcoming Disgorged in the Coffin and their signing with Chaos Records, a statement from Trejo reads: “This one will be heavier, deeper, and will contain more sickness and madness than the other recordings. It will contain six songs, each one with a lot of meaning for Morbid Messiah and a very raw production in artwork and music engineering.”
Continuing, Trejo says, “Now, more than two years after Demoniac Paroxysm was released, Morbid Messiah is ready to start to work in complicity with Chaos Records to spread the death, filth, and all the sonorous darkness around the world and to infect everybody in a very deep and insane state of mind. Expect nothing but vile, raw, fast, deep, and sick death metal. We are the legions of death.”
Release date, cover, and tracklisting for Morbid Messiah‘s Disgorged in the Coffin to be revealed shortly. For more info, consult the links below.
Today, Hells Headbangers announces March 31st as the international release date for The Ancient Calling, a special split 7″ between Funeral Storm and Synteleia.
Aptly titled, The Ancient Calling brings together two newer old-style Greek black metal hordes, both of whom have released celebrated debut albums via Hells Headbangers in 2019: Funeral Storm with Arcane Mysteries and Synteleia with Ending of Unknown Path. Funeral Storm are up first with “Mistress of the Night,” a pulsing stream of sumptuous mystery. Of especial note is that the drum machine used on this track is the exact same one used during the ’90s at Storm Studio for such Hellenic classics as Rotting Christ’s Thy Mighty Contract and Non Serviam, Varathron’s Walpurgisnacht, and Nergal’s The Wizard of Nerath among many others. Not to be outdone, Synteleia bring more mystery with the moody “Stellar Return.” Epic in its narrative, simmering in its tension, and then bringing it all home in climactic fashion, the track poignantly underlines the traditional heavy metal element so intrinsic to the early Greek black metal style.
Fittingly, the cover art for The Ancient Calling was done by none other than Panos Sounas, who did the classic cover art for Necromantia’s first two albums, Crossing the Fiery Path and Scarlet Evil Witching Black. The past is fully alive with Funeral Storm and Synteleia – hail Hellas!
Hear for yourself by streaming The Ancient Calling in full here:
Also see & hear a lyric video for Funeral Storm‘s “Mistress of the Night”
cover and tracklisting as follows:
Tracklisting for The Ancient Calling 1. Funeral Storm – Mistress of the Night 2. Synteleia – Stellar Return
Today, Blood Harvest Records sets April 30th as the international release date for Perilaxe Occlusion’s striking debut EP, Exponential Decay, on 12” vinyl format.
A duo hailing from Toronto, Perilaxe Occlusion are utterly world-eating given their seemingly sparse membership. Released at the very end of 2020 on cassette and CD, the band’s three-song Exponential Decay debut provides a swift ‘n’ assertive introduction to those world-eating ways.
Death metal for death metal maniacs by death metal maniacs, Exponential Decay combines gooey, viscous riffing with slamming propulsion, vaguely sci-fi atmosphere with black emanations from beyond, straddling a unique line between the knuckle-dragging and the cerebral. And yet, within its three surprisingly epic tracks, the 22-minute EP retains a vastness of approach that suggests further spelunking to come; the stark ‘n’ stylish cover provides more clues. Altogether, Perilaxe Occlusion approximate their tongue-twisting moniker and mangle minds ready for bent death metal par excellence.
Hear for yourself by streaming Exponential Decay in its entirety here:
Cover and tracklsiting as follows:
Tracklisting for Perilaxe Occlusion’s Exponential Decay 1. Death Bias Alpha 2. Skeletal Bifurcation 3. Rigid Body Displacement
On April 30th internationally, Dying Victims Productions will release Bunker 66’s highly anticipated fourth album, Beyond the Help of Prayers, on CD and vinyl LP formats. And today, wereveal the new track “To the Gates of Death / Lair of the Profaner.” Hear Bunker 66‘s “To the Gates of Death / Lair of the Profaner” in its entirety here:
Since 2007, Italy’s Bunker 66 have been proudly (and prolifically) flying the flag of ‘80s metalpunk, all in the beloved power-trio format. Of course, the joint influence of Motörhead and Venom looms large, but equally so do homeland heroes Bulldozer, the UK’s Warfare, early Running Wild, early Bathory and Slayer, later Anti-Cimex, metal-era Gang Green, and any ‘80s recordings from Discharge and Exciter. With this robust and rust-covered foundation firmly in place, Bunker 66 recorded a trio of cult albums for High Roller Records as well as a grip of splits with the likes of Italy’s Barbarian and Morbo, Brazil’s Whipstriker, and most recently Scotland’s Vuil. Simply put, they’re a cult band for cult fanatics – and we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Now, a couple years on from that last-mentioned split with Vuil comes Bunker 66’s long-awaited fourth album, Beyond the Help of Prayers. The band’s first full-length in four years and second with the lineup of co-founders vocalist/bassist Damien Thorne and drummer Dee Dee Altar alongside ex-Schizo guitarist J.J. Priestkiller, Beyond the Help of Prayers is a refreshing blast of old air! Right from the opening, galloping minutes of “To the Gates of Death – Lair of the Profaner,” this is 666% Bunker 66 through and through – all those above influences, all sliced and diced with the deft touch of devotees, but always brimming with a charisma that’s undeniable – and thereafter do the hits keep on coming. But, while one could say that Beyond the Help of Prayers is business as usual for the band (and we’d still love it), the album sees Bunker 66 taking on subtly more epic touches, ones that feel almost swords & sorcery without being obvious about it, or perhaps the post-apocalyptic wasteland vibes of Dee Dee Altar’s time in Children of Technology played a significant role? Naturally, the trio keep their noses deep within their realms of the black here, and while they’re undoubtedly dirtier and more blasphemous than ever, Bunker 66 arguably receive their best-sounding production on Beyond the Help of Prayers, which thankfully only maximizes their power that much more.
You can’t teach old dogs new tricks, and the same be said – STUNNINGLY – for Bunker 66, for they’re Beyond the Help of Prayers!
Cover and tracklisting as follows:
Tracklisting for Bunker 66’s Beyond the Help of Prayers 1. To The Gates Of Death / Lair of the Profaner 2. The Blackest Of Omens 3. The Rite Of The Goat 4. Summon The Evil Lords 5. At Our Master’s Behest 6. Malicious…Seditious 7. Regret Every Breath 8. Die On Monday 9. Beyond The Help Of Prayers
Norwegian Black ‘n Roll brigade VREID have announced the release of their new album ‘Wild North West’, which will be released on April 30th via Season of Mist.
The band’s ninth record is not just a collection of songs, but a concept album that developed alongside an entire movie. Throughout eight chapters the listener will be taken on a journey deep into the mountains, to a dark place where the borders between reality and fantasy fade and where death is only one step behind you: The Wild North West.
VREID songwriter and bass player Jarle Hváll Kvåle comments: “Ever since February 2020, we have been working like hell on this new project. The only short break was when we hosted the livestream from my mountain farm last summer. This project has become all-consuming, and the hours we put into it is just insane. Most of the music was written during winter/early spring least year, and lyrically I started to work on this concept story. Then, me and movie producer Håvard Nesbø who did the lyric videos for «Lifehunger» and produced our livestream started talking about taking things further. I brought up this wild idea of doing a series of music videos, one for each song and then build these together as a movie. A movie that is the actual album. Håvard who has no limits on his lunacy jumped on board, and we never looked back.
This became the most creative adventure I have ever worked on. The whole process of writing music, recording and mixing it, writing lyrics, making the script for the movie, the actual filming and editing it and working on the design all got tangled up in one twisted world, where all these elements influenced and colored each other. It’s given a whole new dimension to our art. The result is ‘Wild North West’. This as DIY as it gets, and it’s OUR story.
With ‘Wild North West’ we have the whole legacy in our backpack, but with new adventures and visions fulfilled. From the most extreme and intense we have ever done to a heavy and melodic world where we open new doors. VREID‘s origin is rooted in the blend of the aggressive 80ies metal, the grooving 70ies heavy rock and the northern black metal of the 90ies. This is our DNA and this is the spirit of Sognametal.
Welcome to the Wild North West.”
VREID have furthermore unveiled the cover artwork and tracklist of ‘Wild North West’. The cover was created by Remi Juliebø (Deformat Design) and can be found below.
Tracklist: 1. Wild North West (05:23) 2. Wolves at Sea (05:14) 3. The Morning Red (05:42) 4. Shadows of Aurora (05:20) 5. Spikes of God (04:10) 6. Dazed and Reduced (04:55) 7. Into the Mountains (05:20) 8. Shadowland (09:53) Total: 0:49:23
From its tumultuous inception, the Norwegian metal scene has always been about pioneering. While embracing the illustrious black metal history as part of their musical heritage, the many iconic bands have now evolved in various directions. Leading the black ‘n roll movement in Norway, VREID are the perfect example of that. The band arose in 2004 from the ashes of WINDIR after the tragic perishing of Terje ‘Valfar’ Bakken. The Sognametal legends declared the mission of exploring new musical paths, which they have pushed to even greater heights on their new record ‘Wild North West’.
The ninth record is not just a collection of songs, but a concept album that developed alongside an entire movie. Throughout eight chapters you will be taken on a journey deep into the mountains, to a dark place where the borders between reality and fantasy fade and where death is only one step behind you: The Wild North West. Not just in sheer size of the project but also in terms of music videography, creativity, and determination, VREID have done something truly unique and lifted their art to a new dimension.
On the concept, founder and bass player Jarle Hváll Kvåle states: “Wild North West is a concept story about life itself and its eternal shadow: death. It is built around the world of our fictional character E, but it is surely inspired by my own life, my band’s life, historical events and many tales that have inspired me over the years. Is it a true story or fictional? I would have to say both, and sometimes is hard tell the difference.”
‘Wild North West’ features the most extreme and intense work of the band to date, as well as heavy and melodic rock songs. These influences have always been a part of VREID’s DNA, and it is this combination that makes up the spirit of Sognametal. A remarkable homage to that same musical spirit is the song “Into the Mountains”. The ideas for that track were written in 2002 by Jarle ‘Hváll’ Kvåle and Terje ‘Valfar’ Bakken (WINDIR). Inspired by these ideas, Hváll wrote the song and included the original demo keyboard tracks from 2002, recorded back then by Valfar.
VREID have always chosen a course of constant evolution that is marked by thematically denoted phases regarding their often historically inspired lyrics. This became particularly clear with albums ‘I Krig’ (2007) and ‘Milorg’ (2009), which both revolved around concepts dealing with resistance and liberation of Norway during World War II. With their following three records, the pitch black brigade returned to their Norse roots on ‘Sólverv’ which received high critical acclaim in 2015.
In 2018, the Norwegians teamed up with Season of Mist for their previous full-length ‘Lifehunger’, a record that successfully blended elements of 70’s rock, 80’s classic metal, and Norwegian black metal and which featured a remarkable guest contribution from SÓLSTAFIR’s vocalist Addi Tryggvason on the track “Hello Darkness”.
VREID have hammered out their success partly by being a heavily touring band. The four-piece performed more than 500 shows in 25 countries so far. Their everlasting march to conquer new territories has led the Norwegians to headline tours in Europe, North America, Japan, and India.
The band’s onward march did not come to a halt in 2020, a year that will go down as devastating for the international music scene. VREID launched their own beer, which turned out to be the biggest success of the Balder Brewery as the first batches were sold out immediately. Instead of waiting to be able to tour again, the Norwegians invited the fans to their home region and hosted a massive streaming concert among the beautiful mountainous surroundings of the Sognefjord. The concert, ‘Into the Mountains of Sognametal’ took place in June 2020 was viewed by over 140.000 people from more than 40 countries.
In 2021, VREID will once more invite the fans to their dark, cold, and wild universe but tread carefully as from these haunted mountains, no man can descend.
Recording studio: Studio 1184 & Nabolaget Studio Producer / sound engineer: Jarle Hváll Kvåle / Anders Nordengen Mixing studio and engineer: Jarle Hváll Kvåle / Helge Bentsen Mastering studio and engineer: Fascination Street by Tony Lindgren
