Month: October 2022

Crippled Black Phoenix release music video for ‘Bonefire’

CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX are proud to unveil their brand new music video for ‘Bonefire’, which is taken from the band’s freshly released album ‘Banefyre’. The new offering can now be viewed here:

The band comment on the video: “We gift to you a musical curse on the miserable ruling class politicians! Again, working with Guilherme was a total pleasure and a complete win. He got the vibe and the intensity spot on. Plus, he raised the bar a whole lot with production value, so what we have is basically a little cult horror film, telling the story of Bonefire. The ruling class getting some just karma in the flames.“
The album can still be ordered from the Season of Mist shop HERE.
The album can be streamed on your favourite platform HERE.

The cover artwork of ‘Banefyre’ and further album details can be viewed below!

Track-list
1. Intro/Incantation For The Different (2:49)
2. Wyches And Basterdz (4:57)
3. Ghostland (5:43)
4. The Reckoning (6:49)
5. Bonefire (4:36) [WATCH]
6. Rose Of Jericho (13:47)
7. Blackout77 (7:37) [WATCH]
8. Down The Rabbit Hole (10:32)
9. Everything Is Beautiful But Us (4:36) [WATCH]
10. The Pilgrim (6:19)
11. I’m OK, Just Not Alright (10:05)
12. The Scene Is A False Prophet (15:13)
13. No Regrets (4:30)

The thread that binds CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX’s bold and towering discography — a dozen studio albums, a half-dozen mini-albums, a handful of compilations and swaths of bootlegs — could not be more apropos circa 2022. Since its 2004 creation by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Justin Greaves, CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX has served as the voice for the voiceless, whether it be animals, the unequal and the different. Greaves and longstanding vocalist and lyricist Belinda Kordic have often proffered that these beings cannot fend for themselves. Henceforth, CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX’s mission has been to shed light on the human condition and the inequalities that befall humankind and its creatures. Their battle marches on with their latest studio album, Banefyre. 

Banefyre follows 2020’s Ellengæst — an effort that found CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX employ a series of notable guest vocalists alongside Kordic, prompting Metal Hammer to describe it as their “most cohesive and emotionally devastating record.” Kordic is now paired with Swedish vocalist Joel Segerstedt, who made his CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX debut last year via the “Painful Reminder/Dead is Dead” single. Piano, synth and trumpet player Helen Stanley and additional guitarist Andy Taylor complete the lineup. Greaves says Stanley and Taylor “fit so well creatively,” which has made CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX feel like a band when making plans and decisions. 

Also central to this is Segerstedt. According to Kordic, the vocalist and lyricist lives a mere five minutes from her in Sweden and has quickly integrated himself into the band. “What I like about Joel is that he’s a good person,” she says. “There’s no fakeness with him; he has cajones. He’s not a bitch-talker, either. I can’t handle people who don’t have a backbone, but Joel is real and can speak his mind.” 

“I like how Joel has come in and spoke for himself,” adds Greaves. “He’s in the band for the right reasons. I see him the same way as Belinda — she took an interest in the whole artistic thing behind CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX, like the vocals, lyrics, artwork and aesthetic. It’s the same with Joel. He has taken an interest in all of those things. In the past, we had people who didn’t contribute artistically and only cared about what they got out of the band. But Joel is really proactive and takes the initiative.” 

Greaves assembled 13 songs (including “No Regrets,” a bonus track for his new project with Kordic, Johnny the Boy) imbued with the depth and introspection that will reinforce CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX’s standing as a band that defies genre. The album was tracked at Chapel Studios in South Thoresby, Lincolnshire, with vocals cut at Monolith Studio and Kapsylen Studio in Stockholm, Sweden. Kurt Ballou handled mixing in GodCity Studios in Salem, Massachusetts — a pivotal move in determining the album’s overall sound. 

“I love the album so much because it was a different approach with the production,” says Greaves. “For my part, it was a little bit of a reaction. I didn’t want to do the same warm, safe CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX album. I’m aware that when we did [2012’s] I, Vigilante, everyone wanted I, Vigilante again. As it so often happens with this band, people complain about the next one, then grow into it. Ellengæst is like I, Vigilante. It’s a shorter album. It hit the mark and was done really well, but everyone will expect another Ellengæst. I feared that, but I care enough not to make another Ellengæst. It’s the right thing to do. That’s why we got Kurt to mix it — we wanted that analog, raw power. Even though the album has mellow moments, those are edgy as well. We just didn’t want to do the same album twice. We’re never going to be a band that people can rely on.” 

Greaves’ summation of his band notwithstanding, his distinctive guitar playing and enduring knack for immersive songwriting is the propellent behind the haunting, chant-laden “Ghostland,” pensive “The Reckoning” and forlorn “Everything is Beautiful but Us,” the band’s spot-on analysis of the retreat of humankind indoors during the pandemic that revealed nature’s priceless beauty. The album is also stocked with no less than four ten-minute-plus cuts (“Rose of Jericho,” “Down the Rabbit Hole,” “I’m Okay, Just Not Alright” and “The Scene is a False Prophet”) that are intermixed with drama and melancholy. 

It all ties into Banefyre’s central theme of the persecution of people who are deemed “different” by society. The album title is a play on the song “Bonefire” that Kordic named and wrote lyrics for. In classic CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX fashion, Greaves turned it into the Olde English translation to represent the bonfires that engulfed witches and politicians through the 15th and 18th centuries, hence, the name Banefyre. 

The album begins with “Incantation for the Different,” which was written and orated by Chicago-based witch, artist, author and occultist Shane Bugbee, who, according to Greaves, “brought us some positive, dark energy.” Banefyre then delves into the Salem Witch Trials (“Wyches and Basterdz”), fox hunting in Great Britain (“The Reckoning”), politicians of an unscrupulous and dishonest kind (“Bonefire”) and the New York City Blackout of 1977 (“Blackout77”). 

Greaves says Banefyre’s topics may have a decidedly negative and pessimistic tone, but a glimmer of hope and joy remains. “There’s always the random bits, but overall, Banefyre is about the people who have suffered because they are different. The album covers inequality and oppression, like ‘Incantation for the Different,’ which is about overcoming when you’re put down because you’re not like everyone else.”  

In true CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX fashion, the Lucy Marshall-created Banefyre cover leaves plenty to the imagination, depicting four animals seated at a table — interacting and dressed like human beings. “It’s sort of like Planet of the Apes showing what animals could do to humans,” says Greaves. “The cover was specially commissioned and is unique to the album. It’s incorporating all the classic CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX elements with the love for animals and twisting the narrative around.”  

CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX’s reputation was built on the back of their studio albums and live shows. The pandemic prevented the band from supporting Ellengæst, but it did provide them additional time to bring in new members to their live configuration. 

“We’ve done one show since 2019,” says Greaves. “We are going to do something in Europe this year. Hopefully, we can get back on track. We’re also going to do something in the States — that’s not just talk, we’re actually going to do it. It’s well overdue. The live band is fucking amazing. We have the five of us and now we have Jordi [Farré] on drums, Paco [Fleischfresser] on synth and a really good friend of mine, Matt Crawford on bass. 

“We did the Leipzig show and even though the rehearsals were better than the show itself, that lineup, our live band, is so good. Because we haven’t been under pressure to put a live band together since 2019 and spent so long talking to people, we’ve got a better band from those results. Out of disaster, we’ve got quite a good, positive thing.” 

Line-up
Justin Greaves : Guitars, Drums, Bass, Samples, Saw
Belinda Kordic : Vocals, Percussions
Helen Stanley : Grand Piano, Synthesisers, Monochord, Trumpet
Andy Taylor : Guitar, Baritone Guitar, 12 String Guitar
Joel Segerstedt: Vocals, Guitar

www.facebook.com/CBP444
www.instagram.com/cbp_444
www.crippledblackphoenix.net
https://evilgreed.net/collections/crippled-black-phoenix
https://crippledblackphoenixsom.bandcamp.com
https://riseupandfight.bandcamp.com

FORMLESS OEDON sign with MEMENTO MORI, prepare debut album

In their endless quest to push and support current underground acts that perpetuate the odor of vintage death metal, Memento Mori are extremely thrilled to announce a new signing: Formless Oedon, from the Philippines. 

Formless Oedon came into being in late 2019 when founder/songwriter Rozel decided to re-ignite an old project that he had envisioned way back in 2014, which he later put on hiatus after facing difficulties in finding dedicated bandmates with the same passion for death metal. The band was originally started as a three-piece act comprised of fellow bandmates Jonathan and Andrei from local thrash metal group Desolator. The band owes much of their style and sound to old Finnish bands such as Demigod, Purtenance, Rippikoulu, and Convulse and other legendary bands including (but not limited to) Incantation, Dead Congregation, and Immolation. An EP titled Deathless Luminosity was recorded in December 2019 and released in March 2020, during the peak of the pandemic in their country. The EP garnered the attention of the underground scene in their home country as well as overseas. With nationwide borders finally relaxing restrictions and live shows slowly returning to life, the band now aims to finally carve their piece of sonic history into the scene by releasing their debut album, actively playing live shows, and taking the underground by storm.

Memento Mori will unleash the CD version of their debut full-length on April 24th, 2023. Further details to follow in the coming months. For more info, consult the links below.

MORE INFO:

www.facebook.com/formlessoedon
www.formlessoedon.bandcamp.com

www.memento-mori.es

VAULTWRAITH reveal first track from new HELLS HEADBANGERS album

Today, horror metal occultists Vaultwraith reveal the new track “Of Skeletons and Metal.” The track is the first to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated third album, Decomposing Spells, which should see release by year’s end via Hells Headbangers. Hear Vaultwraith‘s “Of Skeletons and Metal” in its entirety here:

After being locked away and condemned from humanity for what seemed like an eternity, the vile and mad apparition-musician, The Vaultwraith, returns yet again with nothing but the ultimate revenge and vengeance on his foul and diseased mind!

His skeletal hands clawed through an ancient compendium of dark horror stories culled from the most frighteningly EVIL depths that included the diabolically devilish “Mabille de Lancre,” a femme-FATAL death-queen of the highest order, as well as a carnivorous coven of wicked perversions and pure Satanic slavery! A hell on mortal Earth comes to life in the tale of a family destroyed by a self-righteous lunatic who kills in the name of her “Lord,” while a deceptively beautiful but ultra-violent seductress strikes down her weak prey with a mighty stroke of a blood-drenched scythe to satiate her midnight lusts! 

The terror-tales continue when a ghastly spirit from beyond traps the soul of pure innocence in one of the darkest ghost stories ever told, all before a possessed hearse hauntress, a necro-obsessed Succubus, and the Vaultwraith‘s rising of an undead army of skeleton warriors determined to annihilate existence brings everything to a final conflagration of flames… 

With a true European-horror atmosphere and metallic-laced riffs conjuring BLACKENED HEAVY METAL, complete with Exorcist-vomiting and shrieking vocals from HELL, Vaultwraith’s third album, Decomposing Spells, is a 10-track album filled with nothing but the most catchy, memorable, and melodic guitar-solo-drenched songs of pure SKELETONIZED HORROR METAL that you can possibly imagine! From the infamous Hells Headbangers…the record label that IS proof of the Devil’s power!

Release date, cover, and tracklisting for Decomposing Spells to be revealed shortly. For more info, consult the links below.

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/vaultwraith

www.hellsheadbangers.com

FUNERAL HARVEST stream SIGNAL REX debut album – features members of BEYOND MAN, NATHR+++

Today, Norwegian/Italian black metallers Funeral Harvest stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut album, Redemptio. Set for international release on October 31st via Signal Rex, hear Funeral Harvest‘s Redemptio in its entirety here:

A pan-international quartet featuring members from Norway and Italy, Funeral Harvest formed in 2016 and unleashed their first public recording the very next year. Tellingly titled Bunker Ritual Rehearsal, this first strike was auspicious to say the very least, and quickly built a name for Funeral Harvest in the underground. Their raw ‘n’ robust black metal sound was rooted in the ancient ways but never regressive – in fact, its ghoulish hostility was perversely refreshing. An epic digital single followed in 2019, but it was 2020’s self-titled EP, released to widespread acclaim by Signal Rex, where Funeral Harvest indeed began to reap: a grim ‘n’ graven culmination of all that’s come before and all that lies ahead. 

And now, “what lies ahead” is finally here with Funeral Harvest‘s first full-length. Elegantly titled Redemptio, the band’s debut album is grand and garish, ceremonial and seditious, in equal measure. With a rejuvenated lineup that features erstwhile Beyond Man guitarist alongside vocalist/guitarist Lord Nathas, bassist &alt;, and drummer Ond, Funeral Harvest‘s attack continues to be undeniably physical, but whereas a wobbly between hypnotic possession and demonic headbanging took hold prior, Redemptio races and rewinds from nearly chaotic violence to smoked-choked repose, creating a delirium that’s impossible to resist. That the exceptionally professional production seemingly amplifies this swarming sensation is only part of spellbinding potion; at every (crooked) turn, there exists a bestial impulse barely tamed, but the order in which they’re delivered is anything but random. Razor-sharp songwriting is at a premium, then, as Funeral Harvest judiciously keep their constructions taut and terrorizing: the nine-song album races to the finish in a swift-yet-satisfying 31 minutes.

Both more ghoulish and muscular than ever, Funeral Harvest revitalize elder expressions of Norwegian black metal with Redemptio. Kneel and receive their sacrament.

Cover artwork, courtesy of Artem Grigoryev, and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Funeral Harvest’s Redemptio
1. Opus Cælestis
2. Fire Sermon
3. Antithesis
4. Principum et Finis
5. Soli Ego Gloria
6. Womb of Snakes
7. The Crimson Night Tide
8. Sorath
9. Libera per Ignem


MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/funeralharvest

www.signalrex.com
www.facebook.com/signalrex

Symphonic black metal formation …AND OCEANS are now unleashing a brand new music video and track

Symphonic black metal formation …AND OCEANS are now unleashing a brand new music video and track; ‘The Collector and His Construct’! The song is taken from the band’s upcoming album “As in Gardens, so in Tombs”, which will be released on January 27, 2023 via Season of Mist.

Listen to ‘The Collector and His Construct’ here:

The album can be pre-ordered HERE, and pre-saved HERE.

…AND OCEANS comment on the track: “The Collector comes in many forms and faces. Some are whispers in the wind and water, some come with threats of eternal fire, others just have a craving for remains as a propellant for rebirth and some even claim that it will split you up one picture frame at the time. 

This album also has many faces. Our second single from the upcoming album is a bit more in the style of our last album. Straight forward and in your face without too many twists and turns. Fits just about right for the pre-sales to start etc. before we can dive deeper into weirder stuff again in the material to follow.“

…AND OCEANS are furthermore revealing the cover artwork, which is created by Adrien Bousson, and can now be viewed below, together with the track list and further album details.

Tracklist:        
1. As in Gardens, so in Tombs (4:17)
2. The Collector and His Construct (4:36) [WATCH]
3. Within Fire and Crystal (5:52)
4. Carried on Lead Wings (5:14)
5. Likt Törnen Genom Kött (5:10)
6. Cloud Heads (4:19) [WATCH]
7. Wine into Water (3:57)
8. Inverse Magnification Matrix (4:50)
9. The Earth Canvas (4:11)
10. Ambivalent God (7:44)
Bonus:
11. Samlarens Valv (3:49)
12. Third Eye Catalyst (4:28)
Total: 58:27

It’s rare for a band to commandingly return with their best effort to date, but Finland’s …And Oceans are here to prove that 2020’s Cosmic World Mother was the sound of creative floodgates bursting through into a new body of water, an ocean if you will. Well, that was their pinnacle up until their new album, As In Gardens, So In Tombs, is let out into the world. Everything that …And Oceans’ first full-length in 18 years did well – blistering symphonic black metal, heady themes that dealt with the connection between philosophy and psychics, and …And Oceans’ trademark adventurous songwriting – As In Gardens, So In Tombs manages to eclipse and recontextualize. It’s the sound of a band seizing every ounce of momentum and upping the ante in every way. While …And Oceans has never written the same album twice, in many ways, their latest sounds like an opportunity for the Finnish group to pick up and improve upon what they started. Symphonic black metal is never this fun, free, and fantastic. 

Lead single “Cloud Heads” is a great introduction into the magic and serves as a statement of intent. Swirling melodies, blastbeats that sound like the rumbles after The Big Bang, and ethereal symphonic touches result in a song that’s equally fierce and pleasant to take in. A kinder, gentler (but not gentle) version of …And Oceans.

“’Cloud Heads’ is certainly one of my favorites!” vocalist Mathias Lillmåns shares. “It was sort of an icebreaker song. It was one of the first songs we wrote straight after Cosmic World Mother was finished, and the first lyrics I wrote for the album. It was the song that paved way (or broke the ice) for the rest of the album.”

Part of the reason the band even needed to “break the ice” with this record is the pace at which their last was written, as guitarist Timo Kontio acknowledges:

“Well for me starting to do Cosmic World Mother was more nerve wrecking and even in doubt whether we should make new music or not. In the end it was quite an easy project to do, to our relief. So when we started to make this album, it was more relaxed and more or less go with the flow mentality. We had the first ‘difficult comeback album’ done, and everything came quite easily! It was really refreshing to make this kind of music after so long.” 

“I was only supposed to produce guitars for Cosmic World Mother,” Lillmåns adds, “but a month before the recordings were supposed to start, my phone suddenly rang. I could sense that this phone call was going to be important when I saw it was Timo calling. I was asked to join the band and also to write lyrics for the whole thing. Immediately when I saw the first version of the [album] cover, I got this vision of what the concept of the album would be, and I wrote most of the album in sort of a frenzy with the next few weeks.” 

“It’s strange with the new album,” he continues, “because I have always been forced to use tight deadlines for myself when writing music or lyrics. It seems I need the pressure to create something I’m happy with. Also, for some reason I get most done when traveling, I used to take trains to nowhere just write sometimes back in the day! This time there were no pressure, no traveling, and I was not on the edge of a burn out, and it went smoother than ever before! The lyrics just kept on coming, not as fast and not in such a trancelike frenzy as the last album, but good stuff on a steady basis.”

So while Cosmic World Mother was the sort of ravishing fever dream of an album that poured out of …And Oceans in fits and starts, As In Gardens, So In Tombs was the result of the band taking the time to sweat the small stuff. The result can be found everywhere – melodies are brighter, the orchestral elements feel more essential, and Lillmåns’ vocals have swallowed a mushroom (in a garden or tomb?) as done a Mario-like levelling up. Even in the way the album sounds, As In Gardens, So In Tombs sounds warmer, the kind of record meant to be played while walking alone in nature. That sense of measured purpose was very intentional as Lillmåns notes:

“[The record] definitely feels grander and more melodic. I think stepping up the production also was something that helped in this sense! Having Juho Räihä at SoundSpiral Audio taking a bigger role in the recording and having it sent over to Tore Stjerna at NBS Production definitely made it sound more massive and took a load off our shoulders to focus on the music itself!”

Who could’ve guessed that leaving the musicians to focus on the music would have good results?

As noted earlier, musically and thematically, everything about Cosmic World Mother was rapidly birthed from its creators. The themes of that record weighed heavily on the band and carried over into this record. Cosmic World Mother was about how energy is eternal and how only changes form. This record doubles down on that notion by focusing on how humanity’s energies toward enlightenment are often the same path, even if we have different languages, religions, customs, etc. I have this vision of us all playing different levels of a video game but ending up at the same ending. Energy is the most efficient recycler in the universe. So where and how did Lillmåns find inspiration to write the lyrics for this album? Did he end up walking gardens and pacing graveyards? 

“I went back to gardens, moved away from the city into the nature. I always felt like I needed to be in a dark place to create lyrics that came from the heart, ‘when the body suffers, the mind flowers,’ kind of state. This time I was at ease, and it was surprisingly efficient. I usually don’t want to spoil too much and having people to think for themselves, but yes, I had the time to sit down and read during the pandemic and came to some conclusions (as in nature, so in books). I think it’s a very calming thought, that whatever happens, whenever it happens, makes no difference. We have always and always will be a part of the circle of eternal energy; we have always existed and will always exist in some form. A notion that became ever so clear when reading up on different religions, worldviews, customs, and philosophies.”

Recording Studio: 
Drums & Bass at D-studio
Guitars & Vocals at SoundSpiral Audio
Keyboards & electronics at Ryijy’s cave.

Producer/Sound engineer: Juho Räihä
Mix/Master: Necromorbus Studio / Tore Stjerna

Line-up:
Timo Kontio – Guitar
Mathias Lillmåns – Vocals
Teemu Saari – Guitar
Pyry Hanski – Bass
Kauko Kuusisalo – Drums
Antti Simonen – Keyboards

Cover artwork: Adrien Bousson
Bio: Nick Senior
Pictures: M.Laakso

Pre-sales:https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/AndOceansShop
Pre-save:https://orcd.co/andoceans-gardens

MYSTERIA MYSTICA AETERNA stream new IRON BONEHEAD album – features members of LUNAR CHALICE+++

Today, black metal mystics Mysteria Mystica Aeterna stream the entirety of their highly anticipated second album, The Temple of Eosphoro. Set for international release on October 28th via Iron Bonehead Productions, hear Mysteria Mystica Aeterna‘s The Temple of Eosphoros in its entirety here:

Formed in 2020 and emerging with their debut album a year later, Mysteria Mystica Aeterna is the work of supremely prolific duo Frater Noxathra (vocals, strings, keys) and Frater Odium Aeternum (drums), both of whom concurrently helm now-labelmates Lunar Chalice. As Mysteria Mystica Aeterna, they are aptly monikered, for their black metal is a very literally ancient and mystical one, harkening to the most cobwebbed dungeons of ’90s black metal, particularly in southern Europe

Now, just a year after their Into the Kingdom of Shadows debut, Mysteria Mystica Aeterna return to the darkest past with The Temple of Eosphoros. Immediately, the mysticism is a spellbinding and sumptuous one, the warm winds of old Hellas and Italy and even fantastical France (Osculum Infame’s classic Dor-Nu-Fauglith is close kin) blowing through the listener’s soul with power and poignancy. The duo’s surge is a grim but fully physical one; much like their Greek aesthetic forebears, Mysteria Mystica Aeterna do not forsake bass nor thickness of riff. Likewise, the alternately haunting/ceremonial synths are applied with aplomb, but never threaten to overshadow the central surge. Most of all, The Temple of Eosphoros features engaging songwriting that’s simple yet sublime, and thankfully stretched toward more epic lengths for maximum immersion. Enter that temple and be forever enthralled…

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Mysteria Mystica Aeterna’s The Temple of Eosphoros
1. Temple Entrance [1:15]
2. The Holy Heaven Of Will [8:11]
3. Thou, Whose Mouth Is A Flame [6:19]
4. Thelema [2:06]
5. The Mysteries Of Death [7:35]
6. The Temple Of Eosphoros [10:01]

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/spectralwhisper

Italian barbarians Necromutilator stream the entirety of their third album

Today, Italian barbarians Necromutilator stream the entirety of their highly anticipated third album, Oath of Abhorrence here:

Set for international release on October 28th via Osmose Productions on CD format – the vinyl LP version will follow later this year.

Necromutilator exhume their axes and hammers, striking the third full-length album, this time by the claws of the mighty Osmose Productions. Ripping riffs, bursting artillery, blood-spilling bass pulsation, and vomit from the infernal pit for eight hymns of black death and damnation, all forged in Satanic power and hammering darkness throughout endless morbidity.

Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover artwork, courtesy of the legendary Chris Moyen, and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Necromutilator’s Oath of Abhorrence

1. Raise The Necroapocalypse
2. Cremation Sorcery
3. Great Lord Of Desecration
4. Altar Of The Final Sodomy
5. Temple Of Execrating Death
6. Baphomet’s War Fire
7. Enthroned Upon Megiddo
8. Malevolent Blood

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/necromutilator666

www.osmoseproductions.com

Portugal’s IRAE to release new 20-year anniversary album thru SIGNAL REX, reveal first track

Today, Signal Rex announces December 23rd as the international release date for a special anniversary recording from Portugal’s legendary Irae, Assim na Terra como no Inferno, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.

By now, Irae should require little introduction. Since the dawn of this cursed millennium, mainman Vulturius has prolifically pursued a singular vision of RAW BLACK METAL that includes five full-lengths and countless split releases with likeminded comrades. As such, Irae have almost singlehandedly invigorated Portugal’s black metal scene, particularly the rawer iteration of it. And since the band’s blood pact with Signal Rex deepened in 2020 with the release of the landmark Lurking in the Depths LP last summer and followed the next year with the EPs Korona Winter Rehearsal of Darkness & Evil and Dangerovs Magick Zpells from the Mesziah of Death and a split LP with comrades Ordem Satânica and Wømb most recently, there’s no sign of Irae‘s black flame being extinguished anytime soon.

Of course, the black flame has been burning brightly since the very beginning, and 20 years after the cult’s formation, Irae present a special anniversary album titled Assim na Terra como no Inferno. Featuring seven exclusive songs across 40 minutes, Assim na Terra como no Inferno is both new and old: the ancient spirit revitalized in the putrid present, archaic energies reignited with a passion that simply refuses to relent – and, amazingly, only gets better with time. Truly, it is some strange magick that Irae manages to sound more vital than ever, both embodying the post-millennial Portuguese sound and pushing it to greater, more deranged lengths with that unquenchable flame. Utterly haunting and harrowing whilst exhibiting some of Vulturius’ most nuanced songwriting to date, Assim na Terra como no Inferno is as grim and splendorous as it gets. Those who were immersed in the black metal underground in the mid ’90s will find these sounds nostalgic; newcomers will thrill to the taboo sensations those sounds arouse. The past is truly alive…

As Vulturius explains, “It was in the fall of 2002, with experience brought from other bands and projects, the ideas that have followed me since ’95/’96 flow and quickly turn into lyrics, titles, and songs, when I wrote and immediately recorded it on tape in my room, the first four songs by Irae, which turned out to be the first demo Spreading the Wrath of Satan. I went through all the processes since a young age listening to rock and heavy metal on music videos and tapes to thrash metal, some death metal, until I heard those dark rumors and listened to the first black metal records from the second wave of black metal. It touched me instantly and became a purpose and something that I wanted to follow as a fan, as a musician. Now, after 20 years, I’m still doing it with the same devotion as ever. As time goes by, I thought about something special for this celebration, and nothing is better than a record with new songs glorifying and honoring the dark past of black metal, back when it was dangerous, magical, mystical, and exciting like in the mid ’90s era. Therefore, honoring those times, here’s my take, about what I’ve been following since.” Long may Irae reign!

In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “V Caminhv Primitiv” here:

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Irae (Portugal)’s Assim na Terra como no Inferno
1. V Caminhv Primitiv
2. Pvr tempvz de Decadênzia
3. Relíqvia de Espinhvz
4. Zangrandv v Rebanhv… Uma Melodia de Loboz
5. Majestade de Sangue
6. Símbolos do Império
7. Enforcamento 


MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/IRAE666

www.signalrex.com
www.facebook.com/signalrex

OFDRYKKJA reveal second track new AOP RECORDS album – features COLDWORLD member

Today, sonic iconoclasts Ofdrykkja reveal the new track “The Cleansing.” The track is the second single from the band’s highly anticipated fourth album, After the Storm, set for international release on November 25th via AOP Records . Featuring ColdWorld mainman Georg Börner, hear Ofdrykkja‘s “The Cleansing” here:

It is no secret that the music of Ofdrykkja has never sounded quite the same. As the Swedish trio strive to keep evolving on a personal level, this is naturally reflected in their music, as well. While 2019’s preceding Gryningsvisor was more of a traditional atmospheric/ambient black metal album, the aptly titled After the Storm ventures away, off the beaten path, and proceeds to distance itself from some of the more traditional elements that are usually prominent in metal music. 

At once recognizably Ofdrykkja and something quite different altogether, the ever-solemn After the Storm plaintively emphasizes the band’s traditional Swedish folk side, along the way incorporating elements of post-rock, neofolk, and even dark pop. Mesmerizing and magical is this blend, but the band’s roots are never far away; in fact, Ofdrykkja argue the spirit of metal is still prominent across After the Storm. Naturally, the somber mood and atmosphere is one thing that has remained constant in their music throughout the years, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon, but never without the presence of hope. After the Storm gorgeously displays this presence, becoming a beam of light piercing through the darkness. Call Ofdrykkja what you will, but even at their quietest and most restrained, their power and poignancy is unchallenged.

Hear the previously revealed “The Mære” HERE, also at AOP Records‘ official YouTube channel. Cover artwork, courtesy of Maéna Paillet, and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Ofdrykkja’s After the Storm
1. The Light
02. Hårgalåten
3. The Mære
4. After the Storm
5. The Cleansing
6. Själavandring
7. Beyond the Belt of Orion

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/ofdrykkja 

www.aoprecords.de

ORDER OF NOSFERAT set release date for new PURITY THROUGH FIRE album, reveal first track

Today, Purity Through Fire announces December 21st as the international release date for Order of Nosferat‘s highly anticipated fourth album, Vampiric Wrath Unleashed, on CD, vinyl LP, A5 digipack, and cassette tape formats. 
 

By now, those well versed in the crimes of Purity Through Fire should be aware of Order of Nosferat. Emerging from the shadows in early 2021, the duo of Count Revenant and Anzillu released TWO full-lengths that year: Necuratul and Arrival of the Plague Bearer. And while both underground veterans are no strangers to black metal, the variety they unleashed with Order of Nosferat was most definitely OLD, in every sense of the word. Undead vampiric black metal had truly arisen!

Anzillu

Of course, the duo wasted no time spreading their infection further, as third album Nachtmusik arrived in March 2022 – and yet again do Order of Nosferat deliver another full-length, keeping their feverish activity to two albums a year…for now! Bearing the ever-apt title Vampiric Wrath Unleashed, this is the sound of Order of Nosferat at their most rabid and bloodthirsty, raging forward with a barely contained violence and fully vintage rawness that harkens to such late ’90s French gems as Osculum Infame’s debut album or especially Winter Funeral’s first demo. And yet, while the pace has quickened (just like the heartbeat of a vampire’s next victim), there’s another tasteful dusting of moonlit synths, and the melodicism has shifted from sad to nostalgic. Essentially, it’s more of Order of Nosferat, but proves that their plausibly idiosyncratic version of VAMPIRIC BLACK METAL is seemingly inexhaustible. Inexorable is their march, and it’s more triumphant than ever: this is Vampiric Wrath Unleashed! Begin marching with the brand-new title track “Vampiric Wrath Unleashed” here:

Cover artwork, courtesy of Vhan Artworks, and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Order of Nosferat’s Vampiric Wrath Unleashed
1. Shadows over Wisborg
2. A Howl from the Forbidden Tower
3. Vampiric Wrath Unleashed
4. Fog Hides the Secrets of the Forlorn Kingdom 
5. …of Treachery and Bloodshed
6. The Lone Lord 
7. The Abyss of Thousand Nights
8. Whispers from the Master’s Tomb
9. Hunting Eyes of Fury
10. As the Sunrise Ends My Everlasting Sorrow

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/Order-of-Nosferat-101630385169968