Month: March 2021

NEKKROFUKK stream new PUTRID CULT album

Today, black-doom deviants Nekkrofukk stream the entirety of their highly anticipated fourth album, Mysterious Rituals in the Abyss of Sabbath & Eternal Celebration of the Blakk Goat. Set for international release on March 30th via Putrid Cult. Hear Nekkrofukk‘s Mysterious Rituals in the Abyss of Sabbath & Eternal Celebration of the Blakk Goat in its entirety here:

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!

Preorder info can be found HERE at Putrid Cult‘s Bandcamp. 

Cover and tracklisting are 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]

MORE INFO:
www.nekkrofukk.bandcamp.com

www.putridcult.pl 
www.facebook.com/putridcult 

THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNIR set release date for new EISENWALD album

On May 28th internationally, Eisenwald is proud to present The Flight of Sleipnir‘s highly anticipated seventh album, Eventide, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
 
The Flight of Sleipnir are one of the metal underground’s most unique and consistently compelling bands. Forming in Colorado in 2007, this hydra-headed ensemble has built an always adventurous canon that defies easy categorization but always is in service of The Muse. For them – and, of course, suggested by their moniker itself – The Flight of Sleipnir‘s creation stemmed from a desire to explore ethereal and progressive sounds with themes that reflect upon the rich literature of ancient Scandinavia. On their vast canvas do they paint with tones of doom, prog, black metal, folk, post-rock, and even country; to date, their sonic paintings have been released by such labels as Napalm, Northern Silence, and now Eisenwald, who released 2017’s critically acclaimed Skadi and who will endeavor to reissue the band’s crucial early work.
 
But, The Flight of Sleipnir‘s muse is very much of the present, as much as it reverentially draws inspiration from the past: what matters most is that Now, and in this present arrives Eventide. Arguably the band’s starkest and sparsest work to date, Eventide is an audial rumination on the vast mysteries of nighttime. Its cover depiction of the stars and nightingale are visual springboards for where The Flight of Sleipnir whisk the listener into the sprawling beyond of sleep and darkness, of dreams and impossibility; Eventide‘s artwork suitably keeps apace with the band’s continually elegant standards of visual presentation, always delivered by founding drummer/vocalist David Csisely. With the opening notes inviting the listener forward with a brave sense of warmth, the album begins building patient vistas of splendor, tension, and release. Always moving in a most labyrinthine manner, The Flight of Sleipnir‘s strident density is ably balanced by the band’s exploration of dynamics, here on Eventide allowing for an even-greater emphasis on simmering softness – and the results are beautiful, breathtaking, and absolutely cathartic. Their ensemble playing is simply astounding: this is the work of a true BAND, of master musicians putting their considerable instrumental expertise to endlessly evocative use in service of The Song…and yes, The Muse.
 
We sleep, we dream, we exist on another plane of understanding…shadow worlds or alternate realties? And how do we dependably arrive at them? The Flight of Sleipnir lead the way with Eventide.

First track premiere to be revealed shortly. Aforementioned cover art and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for The Flight of Sleipnir’s Eventide
1. Volund
2. January
3. Thaw
4. Bathe the Stone in Blood
5. Harvest
6. Servitude

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/theflightofsleipnir

www.eisenton.de
www.facebook.com/eisenwaldofficial
www.youtube.com/eisenwaldofficial
www.twitter.com/EisenwaldHammer
www.instagram.com/eisenwald.official

UNGFELL set release date for new EISENWALD album, reveal teaser

On April 30th internationally, Eisenwald is proud to present Ungfell‘s highly anticipated third album, Es grauet, on CD and vinyl LP formats.

Switzerland’s Ungfell have established themselves as an unstoppable force of intricate yet undeniably immersive riff fury in a scene that frequently replaces memorable songwriting with pseudo-intellectual gibberish. Affiliated with the formidable Helvetic Underground Committee, Ungfell has provided the unsuspecting masses with music that is undeniably engaging and yet challenging, delving into local lore and legends with a depth and a knack for wit that is rarely seen in contemporary extreme metal music.

On their third full-length album, Es grauet, Ungfell abducts listeners on a sonic journey detailing moral ambivalence and treachery. Set in a seemingly idyllic rural village in pre-modern times, all is not as it seems. Tragedy strikes the town in the form of a horrific, grisly murder. Unfounded accusations lead the town further astray, while these occurrences of debauchery exceed the comprehension of the local inhabitants. Alas, evil lurks where you may least expect it… The story unfolds, accompanied by ravaging riffs and gripping songwriting that appropriately underline the complex-yet-harrowing narrative. Es grauet shows Ungfell at their most ambitious and most audacious, featuring incredibly dynamic and warm production values, emphasizing atmosphere even more than previous releases and managing to complement the story being told.

First track premiere to be revealed later this week. In the meantime, hear a special teaser here:

Cover artwork, courtesy of Robbie C. Ward, and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Ungfell’s Es grauet
1. Es grauet überm Dorf (Wie s niemert het chönne ahne)
2. Tyfels Antlitz (Wie e Huerä zwei Chind empfanget)
3. D Schwarzamslä (Wie us däne Goofe Pfaffä wärdet)
4. Mord im Tobel (Wie en hinterhältige Mord begange wird)
5. S Chnochelied (Wie e Beschuldigti gfoltered wird und Visione bechunnt)
6. Stossgebätt (Wie das Wyb als Häx hygrichtet wird)
7. D Unheilspfaffä vom Heinzäbärg (Wie Tod und Verdärbe uf das Dorf iistürzt)
8. S Fälsebräche (Wie s Böse begrabe wird)

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/ungfell

www.eisenton.de
www.facebook.com/eisenwaldofficial
www.youtube.com/eisenwaldofficial
www.twitter.com/EisenwaldHammer
www.instagram.com/eisenwald.official

Germany’s ODAL set release date for new EISENWALD album, reveal first track

On April 23rd internationally, Eisenwald is proud to present the highly anticipated fifth album of Germany’s Odal, Welten Mutter, on CD and vinyl LP formats.

Formed in 1999, for over 20 years now, Odal have been a pillar of Germany’s richly varied black metal scene. At once staunchly traditional but never blinkered by self-imposed boundaries, Odal breathe the essence of the ancients whilst exhibiting a vibrancy that’s refreshingly youthful. Their discography is deep and full of gems, beginning in the very underground days when black metal had gained traction with the mainstream as the 1990s plugged on and a new movement began in earnest to uphold the genre’s core values. There stood Odal, pagan-hearted and stout, releasing early works through such super-cult labels as Sombre. Eventually, in 2016, the band would find a fitting home with Eisenwald for the release of their fourth album, Geistes Unruh. Even this many years on, Odal’s creativity was as feverish as ever.

And that momentum continues stronger than ever with Welten Mutter, Odal’s fifth full-length overall and second for Eisenwald. Equal turns triumphant and tragic, Welten Mutter is proud ‘n’ pure black metal at its poignant best, ripp(l)ing with a melodicism that’s graceful and heartstrings-pulling but never overwrought. An eternal flame seems to burn over and under all here, as energy is not in short supply, but dynamics are never sacrificed in the process; the interplay between the longstanding duo of Taaken and A.D.D. is fluid and flawless, and conveys a very tangible urgency that makes each of these seven rousing hymns even more breathtaking. Granted, while Odal’s melodicism here is much more on the melancholic side, there’s a uniquely uplifting aspect to it. Perhaps that’s due to the lyrical themes underpinning Welten Mutter: translating to “World’s Mother” in English, they deal deeply with nature are dedicated to Nordic mythology, specifically with the creation of the world(s) on earth and for the gods. As such, Welten Mutter is arguably Odal’s most pagan-oriented album, but thankfully, their version of pagan black metal safely evades all the cliches usually associated with such an appellation.

At once authentically retro and uncompromisingly adventurous, Welten Mutter stands tall as Odal’s defining statement in a world too often fixated on the “new” and frequently too blurry about the past. With robust mastering courtesy of Greg Chandler and fittingly majestic cover art courtesy of DDD, Welten Mutter will rise!

In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “…um Ewiges zu schaffen” here:

Aforementioned cover art and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Odal (Germany)’s Welten Mutter
1. …um Ewiges zu schaffen
2. Hellwach schwelgend
3. Schattental
4. Der kalte Nächte Atem
5. Welten Mutter
6. Welten Geflecht
7. Erden Zeit

MORE INFO:
www.odal-horde.de

www.eisenton.de
www.facebook.com/eisenwaldofficial
www.youtube.com/eisenwaldofficial
www.twitter.com/EisenwaldHammer
www.instagram.com/eisenwald.official

ASCÈTE set release date for ANTIQ debut, reveal trailer

On May 28th internationally, Antiq is proud to present Ascète‘s striking debut album, Calamites & les Calamités, on digipack CD and vinyl LP formats.

Created by Torve and Patrie Moine towards the end of 2015, then joined by Olematus on bass and Ancien Temps on drums, Ascète is a band whose atmosphere is filled by the soil where it grew: Black Périgord, or its local name of Peirigòrd Nègre, in South West France. It embodies the grim face of Périgord’s ruined minor landmarks and its dark and strange folklore. Musically, Ascète creates a countryside black metal with a punk spirit, of which the music is carried by magnificent lines of melodic guitars and bass, drowning the whole towards cavernous dark depths of music, through which some epic lights still shine.

Calamites & les Calamités is the first full-length of Ascète. Through a rusty black metal, joyfully old, Ascète gives its vision of a forgotten and forlorn countryside, where the small, poor people of the rural lands slowly die in the shadow of indifference of big cities’ administrations. Melodic black metal with punk/Oi! influences, Calamites & les Calamités haunts us in ridiculously different Périgord legends, carried by the decadent proclamations howled in an almost ruined, out-of-age barn… (vocals were actually recorded there). The magnificent work on guitars and sound will carry you to a forgotten countryside, where an aging population, almost feral and animal-looking, discretely and suspiciously wanders in its misery among the remains of minor historical landmark monuments, which return to Earth, too: slower, maybe, but in the same definitive manner.

Antiq is a label dedicated to the fully coherent concept of making music through sound, image, video, and attitude. They have been putting their entire existence into it since 2009. Over the years, Antiq have been identified as producers of not only perfectly coherent lyrics and themes through music, but also conceptual art and, of course, the manufacturing of beautiful objects. The label tries as much as it can to work with French creators, and if possible, with the smallest and most serious structures.

In the meantime, see & hear a special teaser/edit for the seven-minute track “Courroux du Lébérou” here:

Cover artwork, courtesy of LaurineM (Borie de la Combe Noire), and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Ascète’s Calamites & les Calamités
1. Les Causses s’en Gaussent [6:44]
2. Danse de la Sénescence [6:48]
3. Courroux du Lébérou [6:49]
4. Sorlodais Huroux [5:32]
5. Héritiers de l’Austérité [1:59]
6. La Lanterne du Mort [8:37]
7. Calamites & les Calamités [10:07]

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/AscetePerigordNoir

www.antiqrecords.com
www.facebook.com/antiq.label 

NATTVERD set release date for new OSMOSE album, reveal first track

Today, Osmose Productions announces April 30th as the international release date for Nattverd‘s highly anticipated third album, Vandring. Vandring forms the final chapter of Nattverd‘s Black Death Trilogy, which includes the 2019 EP Skuggen and 2020’s full-length Styggdom.

According to the band – whose lineup is composed of Ormr on vocals and guitars,  Atyr on guitars, Sveinr on bass, Antichristian on drums, and Serpentr on guitars – Vandring is “a more dynamic album than our last, because we have challenged the core that is Nattverd, whilst at the same time staying true to the spirit that is the band. We have pushed some boundaries, which has resulted in more diverse tracks, that touch a lot on melancholy, and is even more aggression, with epic moments.”

As a taster of what to expect, a track from the album has been released as a single. The track, “Naar Taaken Fortaerer Alt,” which features Geir Bratland (Gerlioz of Dimmu Borgir, ex-God Seed) on piano, check it here:

.Additionally, a video by Grupa 13 also makes its debut, and can be seen HERE at the Black Metal Promotion YouTube channel. 

Vandring was recorded during March and April of 2020 at Velvet Recording in  Spydeberg, Norway, with producer Christer Krogh, who also mastered the album. Cover artwork, courtesy of Khaos Diktator Design and Ormr, and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Nattverd’s Vandring 1. Det Bloer Paa Alt Som Spirer
2. Martyrer Av Kristus
3. Naar Taaken Fortaerer Alt
4. Med Rive Og Lime
5. I Moerket Slumrer Ravnen
6. Gudsmenn, Deres Svik Erkjenn
7. Det Hvisker I Veggene
8. Langt Langt Der Borte I Det Fjerne

Vandring  will be available on CD, digital, vinyl LP (both black and limited-edition red versions), and tape formats, and is now available to pre-order from the following:
 

Bandcamp: https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/album/vandring
Osmose Productions Webshop: : http://bit.ly/nattverd-shop
 

Formed in the late ’90s, Nattverd is a band that has always preferred that its output be judged on purely musical merits, rather than on the past or future reputations of its extremely skilled and experienced lineup, and to this end, their true identities of its musicians have always been kept private. For more info, consult the links below:

 

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/nattverdofficial
www.devilryproductions.com/nattverd

www.osmoseproductions.com

Auðn and Sólstafir nominated for Icelandic Music Awards 2021

Icelandic black metal formation AUÐN and Icelandic post rock titans SÓLSTAFIR have been nominated for the Icelandic Music Awards 2021.

AUÐN‘s latest record ‘Vökudraumsins fangi’ and SÓLSTAFIR‘s ‘Endless Twilight of Codependent Love’ have both been nominated in the category rock album of the year. AUÐN‘s track “Eldborg” has furthermore been nominated as rock song of the year. Listen to the track HERE.

The winners will be announced on April 14. For more information on the Icelandic Music Awards, visit the website here.

‘Vökudraumsins fangi‘ and ‘Endless Twilight of Codependent Love‘ are still available in various formats in the Season of Mist Shop.

KHANDRA reveal new album details and release new track

Belarusian black metal band KHANDRA have released the first track from their new album ‘All Occupied by Sole Death’. The new record will be out on Season of Mist Underground Activists on May 28, 2021. Listen to the band’s first single “Irrigating Lethal Acres with Blood” here:

‘All Occupied by Sole Death’ is available for pre-orders at the Season of Mist shop HERE.

KHANDRA have furthermore unveiled the cover artwork and tracklist for ‘All Occupied by Sole Death’. The artwork was made by Chris Kiesling (Misantropic Art).

Tracklist:
1. Mute moleben (02:12)
2. Irrigating lethal acres with blood (06:29)
3. Nothing but immortality for aye (06:17)
4. In harvest against the Sun (07:03)
5. With the blessing of starless night (06:30)
6. Thanatos (08:21)
7. All occupied by sole Death (06:34)
Total: 0:43:26

Shrouded in a veil of mystery and death, Belarussian black metal act KHANDRA are soon to release their new offering ‘All occupied by sole Death’ upon mankind. Characterized by aggressiveness, dissonance and by creating a strong sense of atmosphere, the band’s third assault seamlessly fits in with the wave of black metal fronted by MGŁA and BLAZE OF PERDITION.  

KHANDRA’s first revelations were perpetrated in October 2017 under the banner ‘All is of no avail’ which subsequently merged with its successor ‘There’s no division outside existence’ in October 2018. These seeds sprouted even more fatal progression of metastases which transformed into ‘All occupied by sole Death’.

Khandra [xɐnˈdra] is a term to describe deathly ennui over the nothing. With that in mind, one can expect ‘All occupied by sole Death’ to be a dark and cold work of art. The musical vessel here is a result of expression that has no bonds with any personal emotion of social nature.

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/khandraofficial/
https://khandra.bandcamp.com/

MORTICULA REX set release date for new IMMORTAL SOULS / SATANATH album, reveal first tracks

Today, Immortal Souls Productions, in cooperation with Satanath Records, announces April 19th as the international release date for Morticula Rex‘s highly anticipated second album, Autumnal Rites.

Hailing from Sicily, Italy’s Morticula Rex is an evil death-doom band born in 2018 by the sick mind of Alessandro Wehrmacht (member of Daemonokrat and Religio Mortis) and influenced by bands such as Black Sabbath, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Carnivore, Mercyful Fate, Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Nasty Savage, Mayhem, At The Gates, Necrophagia, Darkthrone, Candlemass, and the whole old-school death/doom metal scene. The first full-length, Grotesque Glory, was composed, arranged, and recorded in a couple of weeks at Disharmony Studios entirely by A. Wehrmacht during November 2018. In the first few weeks of 2019, the album was released by Immortal Souls Productions. Two months later, Pavor Nocturnus (Hell Hunter, Eternal Suffering, 9th Gate) joins the band, and together they start drafting new stuff. In summer/fall 2020, they recorded a new album called Autumnal Rites.

Morticula Rex is back with a new lineup and a new masterpiece, titled Autumnal Rites. Seven tracks of the purest death-doom metal in the old fashion that will lead you into the darkest recesses of the human mind throughout an interweaving of inebriating cosmogonic visions, pre-Christian rites, deities of chaos, spiraling and distressing descents towards the abysses of fear. All surrounded by a decadent and autumnal cemetery-like atmosphere where the constant presence of death seizing the human soul acts as master. Strongly recommended for fans of Celtic Frost, Candlemass, Mortuary Drape, Type O Negative, Paradise Lost, and the whole old-school death/doom metal scene!

In the meantime, hear the brand-new tracks “Autumnal Rites” here:

and “The Silence Within” here:

Cover artwork, courtesy of Aleksander “Noctember” Prokophiev (Paint-it-Black Design), and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Morticula Rex’s Autumnal Rites
1. Scars
2. The Great Devourer
3. Autumnal Rites
4. They Come Out At Dusk
5. The Silence Within
6. Days Of Darkness
7. Sleeping Among The Dead

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/morticularex

www.immortalsouls.sk
www.facebook.com/ImmortalSoulsProductions

THANATOMASS set release date for new LIVING TEMPLE album, reveal first track

Today, Living Temple Records, in conspiracy with LVX MorgenStern, announces May 21st as the international release date for Thanatomass‘ highly anticipated second album, Black Vitriol & Iron Fire.

Thanatomass are a power-trio hailing from Russia. Their date of origin is unknown, but the band made their first public recording in late 2018 with the demo MMXV-MMXVI, which perhaps reveals some hints as to their origins. Initially self-released through their own LVX MorgenStern enclave, MMXV-MMXVI was a strikingly accomplished first assault, brimming with lawless darkness and ravenous devotion: vibrant ‘n’ violent black metal imbued with the eldritch energies of early thrash.

Not surprisingly, that demo soon saw other physical editions, including the CD version released by current conspirators Living Temple. In the interim, Thanatomass released their debut album, Darkest Conjurations, via Living Temple in late 2019, which saw them further malform those thrash influences into something both more barbaric and atmospheric, sounding simultaneously older and fresher than its not-inconsiderable predecessor.

At last, Thanatomass deliver their grandest work yet with Black Vitriol & Iron Fire. Both aptly titled as statement of intent and apropros description of its contents, Black Vitriol & Iron Fire powerfully and poignantly pulls together both central elements of black metal – that is, both the BLACK and especially the METAL – without sacrificing one over the other. In fact, the trio’s sheer urgency, energy, and lustful, lawless verve vividly embody the mania of classic metal possession and the taboo/boundary-breaking quest into the unknown that is the true occult experience. As such, Black Vitriol & Iron Fire exists both above and below; Thanatomass are merely providing the vessel.

Overwhelming and unquenchable, Black Vitriol & Iron Fire is a conflagration of flesh and spirit, desire and demise. Will you take this torch from Thanatomass?

Take the first torch with the brand-new track “Deathmass Extasis” here:

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Thanatomass’ Black Vitriol & Iron Fire

1. Funereal Ejaculation [6:46]
2. Deathmass Extasis [6:26]
3. Sulphureous Darkness [3:26]
4. Altars Of Nigromancy [6:07]
5. Phallvs Lvciferi [9:48]

MORE INFO:
www.lvxmorgenstern.bandcamp.com
www.soundcloud.com/lvxmorgenstern

www.living-temple.org 
www.facebook.com/livingtemplerecords