Month: October 2023

TEUFELSBERG stream new SIGNAL REX album

Today, Polish black metallers Teufelsberg stream the entirety of their highly anticipated second album, Pakt mit dem Teufel. Set for international release on October 31st via Signal Rex, hear Teufelsberg‘s Pakt mit dem Teufel in its entirety here:

Since their ascent from time’s abyss in with the public debut with the 2020 demo Ancient Darkness Triumphant, Poland’s Teufelsberg have stood against the modern world – and namely, the modern “black metal underground.” Using their noble Polish roots as an unshakable aesthetic foundation, the horde lit fires for the olden days with each successive recording, culminating in both a covenant with Signal Rex and their debut album, Ordre du Diable, during the early half of 2022.

Keeping those fires blazing brightly and blacker than ever, Teufelsberg return their second full-length strike, Pakt mit dem Teufel. As cold and grim as ever, the band here spelunk among corridors rich in the treasures of pre-internet black metal, integrating not only their ancient Polish idiom but also contemporaneous Nordic and Hellenic ones. In a sense, there’s a sense of deja vu…initially, as the deeper one dives among Teufelsberg‘s treasures, the more those jewels shimmer in a manner uniquely the band’s own. As ever, the horde’s raw-yet-clear tones and attendant execution are superlative for their defiance against prevailing trends, and the full might of their mysticism is surely felt every second of this six-song/38-minute album.

“Pakt mit dem Teufel was signed in blood somewhere in Poland during the full moon in 2022,” the band declare. “Teufelsberg continues to follow the path of Unholy Black Metal. The funeral bell carries its song bathed in moonlight. It calls impure souls to the top of the Devil’s Mountain, calls to make a pact and worship HIM.”

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Teufelsberg’s Pakt mit dem Teufel
1. Hunger etter synd
2. Der ruf des Mephistopheles
3. Gospel of Diabolical Freedom
4. La Beauté du Diable
5. Noc Walpurgii, Lucyfera Dar!
6. Wpiekłowstąpienie (in Herrlichkeit inmitten der Flammen)

MORE INFO:
www.teufelsbergbm.bandcamp.com

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

GEISTAZ’IKA set release date for new SIGNAL REX album, reveal first track

Today, Signal Rex announces December 8th as the international release date for Geistaz’ika‘s highly anticipated second album, Midnatsbøn ved Djævelens Port, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.

Hailing from Denmark’s revitalized (and rising) black metal underground, the shadowy entity known as Geistaz’ika revealed their first public recording, Trolddomsejd i skovens dybe kedel, at the very end of 2018, but only digitally. So impressed by its windswept wonder, Signal Rex eagerly stepped forward to release this debut album unto the worldwide stage less than a year later.

Five years on from that fresh breath of old air, Geistaz’ika return with their second album, Midnatsbøn ved Djævelens Port. Continuing the windswept wonder of its not-inconsiderable predecessor, Midnatsbøn ved Djævelens Port lays bare an even-more-poignant landscape of mysticism and melancholy. Here, Geistaz’ika put pronounced emphasis on delicate acoustics, amplifying their already dynamic sound, still recalling the likes of both the Norwegian Perished and Hades but also early Isvind, Helheim, and Ulver. But to reference such immortal names only underlines the authentically ancient ground upon which Geistaz’ika walk, and they duly back up such bravura with their most windingly epic songwriting yet; two tracks on Midnatsbøn ved Djævelens Port top 10 minutes each, with the closing “Fortabt Moribund” just eking past 20 minutes. Uniquely, the band even incorporate the “singing” saw into their foggy atmospheres, which are already dense with a swirling blanket of choirs. Fittingly, the production across the album carries the aura of classic Nordic black metal circa 1995 – otherworldly to the extreme, but nevertheless the work of actual humans (and actual bass guitar can be heard, too) – with the mastering courtesy of Henri Sorvali and Trollhouse Audio no doubt helping.
Not so much a rejection of the modern “black metal” scene as it simply ignores the last 25 years of such, Geistaz’ika continue creating their own solemn, sensorial world with Midnatsbøn ved Djævelens Port. To celebrate this new album’s release, Trolddomsejd i skovens dybe kedel is concurrently being reissued by Signal Rex.

In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Med Korstegn og Grådkvalt Fadervor” here:

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Geistaz’ika’s Midnatsbøn ved Djævelens Port
1. Mareredet Hyrdetime [1:40]
2. Bestænkt af Syndens Vievand [13:17]
3. Med Korstegn og Grådkvalt Fadervor [9:01]
4. Asken fra Hendes Brænden [4:27]
5. Fortabt Moribund [20:04]

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

DEATHCODE SOCIETY reveal first video from new OSMOSE album

Today, black/death sophisticates Deathcode Society reveal the new video “Scolopendra.” The track is the first to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Unightenment, set for international release on November 24th via Osmose Productions. See & hear Deathcode Society‘s “Scolopendra” video in its entirety here:

The pale light that shines in a kingdom of darkness could be just another deadly lure…

After a debut album showing the will to re-ignite the flame of a sophisticated and emphatic approach of extreme metal, yet still deeply rooted in the second wave of Scandinavian black metal, Deathcode Society are back with Unlightenment, a merciless dive into the aphotic zone, as the cover artwork by Kjell Age Melland shows.

Epic and eerie, the seven songs explore the depth of the human mind through a restless and tempestuous music melting together a brutal metal instrumentation with orchestral arrangements, choirs, synths, and concrete samples.

With lyrics bathed in dark surrealism – two of them being rendering of poems by Andrew Joron and René Daumal – Unlightenment is a musical journey through the Other Side and this gloomy maze where psychosis, murderous urges and mystical obsessions endlessly wander.

Preorder info can be found HERE. Presave link can be found HERE. Aforementioned cover artwork and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Deathcode Society’s Unenlightenment

1. Scolopendra 5:56
2. Shards 7:29
3. La nuée 6:10    
4. Scales 8:20
5. Mazed Interior 6:10
6. À la néante 10:13
7. Narcosis 7:51


MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/deathcodesociety

www.osmoseproductions.com

HELFRÓ Release Soul-Stirring Second Track ‘Ildi Óhreins Anda’

Icelandic black metal ensemble HELFRÓ are back with their sophomore album Tálgröf – a project inspired by the dark manifestations of the human mind. The sickness of humankind is explored through intense rhythmic passages, fusing the extremities of traditional death metal together with sombre, introspective lyrical convictions.

On the second single ‘Ildi Óhreins Anda’, meaning Oxygen for the Unclean Spirit in English, a melodic, chugging groove is set while shrieking vocals howl away on humanity’s exceptional ability to deceive. The track ultimately culminates in Tálgröf‘s most destructive sounding drums & supersonic tremolo-picked guitar.

“The lyrics for this song revolve specifically about lying. How lying to others can benefit your cause and help throw people off the trail as you plan to do them harm, and how lying is a right that the manipulator should exercise whenever they can,” says Ragnar. “Lying is the foundation of their success, the oxygen that they breathe to survive.”

Watch the visualizer video for ‘Ildi Óhreins Anda’, created by Jeffrey V. Daniels here:

Tálgröf comes out 1 December.

Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/helfro-talgrof
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/talgrofpresave

Track-list

1. Jarteikn (3:30)
2. Fláráð Fræði (04:01) [WATCH VIDEO]
3. Fangelsaður í Tilvist að Eilífu (03:48)
4. Þögnin Ytra, Kyrrðin Innra (04:43)
5. Guðlegt Réttlæti (05:13)
6. Sindur (02:28)
7. Ildi Óhreins Anda (03:58) [WATCH VIDEO]
8. Traðkandi Blómin í Eigin Hjartagarði (03:21)
9. Minning um Morðingja (04:23)
Total: 35:25

Formed amidst the haunting landscapes of Iceland, HELFRÓ is a formidable force in the world of blackened death metal. With their relentless aggression, atmospheric soundscapes, and compelling songwriting, they have carved their own path in the metal scene.

The journey of HELFRÓ began when guitarist and songwriter Ragnar Sverrisson sought to bring his musical visions to life, Drawing inspiration from the bleakness of Icelandic winters, the mysticism of nature, and the chaos of the human experience. HELFRÓ‘s debut album, aptly titled “Helfró“, was released in 2020, marking the band’s official entry into the world of extreme metal. With a relentless barrage of blast beats, crushing riffs, and haunting melodies, the album showcased their ability to seamlessly blend aggression and atmosphere.

Evolving with the advent of the sophomore album, Tálgröf, listeners can expect even more ferocity as HELFRÓ dives deeper into death metal territory while not straying to far from the signature ice-cold climactic tremolo riffing notable of their previous work. Characterized by its ferocity, the new album also carries introspective and thought-provoking themes, reflecting the band members’ willingness to explore the depths of the human experience. HELFRÓ is destined to leave an impact on the realm of extreme music, captivating audiences with their unique brand of Icelandic metal.

Line-up:
Ragnar Sverrisson: Drums, Vocals, Songwriting
Simon Thorolfsson: Guitars, Bass, Vocals, Arrangements

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/talgrofpresave

Pre-order:https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/helfro-talgrof

Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelfroIce
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helfromusic/
Bandcamp: https://helfroofficial.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3LNnSSzoPPdyJT437coBFn

ONE OF NINE stream WOLVES OF HADES debut

Today, medieval black metallers One of Nine stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut album, Eternal Sorcery. Set for international release on October 27th via Wolves of Hades, hear One of Nine‘s Eternal Sorcery in its entirety here:

Listen.
Here is One of Nine 
An image Shrouded in Unlight. A sound Enchanted by the Mother of Strangling Doom. 
One of Nine
Unfaced, and unlit. They present here their efforts, a collection of tales. An offering to the perilous realm and the Great Tyrant of Utumno!    
Eternal Sorcery!
Eternal Sorcery!
Eternal Sorcery!    

Eight pummeling hymns of dark majesty, with every note echoing the burden of piety to the Black Foe of the World.

No remorse will be found in the wailing vocals, coupled with intricate guitar work – blazing with catchy-yet-somber melodic leads and acoustic lines. 

And no rest will be felt in the rhythmic, percussive assault – a symbiotic swirling of song and sorcery.    

Come and see! As they journey through sonorous blood and fire, as they carry the glorious spark of olden days into unknown eons, with an iron will and a fervor that shines beyond the pathetic perimeters of time and space, into a vortex of Black Medieval Sorrow!   

Eternal Sorcery will drag the pitiable listener from the windless Sundering Sea to the Forgotten South of the World, beyond the borders of the sun-lit lands, to that final realm, where the dark nets of enshrouding gloom drape eternal.


They are One of Nine!
This is Eternal Sorcery!


Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for One of Nine’s Eternal Sorcery

1. Lurkers of the Half-Light
2. The Silence of Heaven
3. Dark Magic River
4. Mother of Shadows
5. Moonlit Sacrifice
6. God Chain
7. Wrathful Rebirth
8. A Hunter Rides The Night

More info – click here

OERHEKS stream new AMOR FATI / BABYLON DOOM CULT demo

On October 28th, Amor Fati Productions, in conspiracy with Babylon Doom Cult, will release Oerheks‘ third demo, Valkengebed; Amor Fati will handle the 12″ vinyl version while Babylon Doom Cult will handle the tape version. And today, we stream the demo in its entirety. Hear Oerheks‘ Valkengebed in its entirety here:

In seemingly swift succession, Belgium’s Oerheks have invigorated ancient Flemish black metal – pagan in approach, recalling stories as olde as the Hageland – across two demos, 2022’s Cagghenvinna and Landschapsanachronismen earlier this year. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that this newcomer has displayed so much mastery early on: Oerheks is another, keenly focused creative guise of the ever-prolific Hans Cools, renowned for labelmates Silver Knife as well as Hypothermia among many others. But, on evidence of the forthcoming Valkengebed demo, the band is very much set to be held in as high regard as Cools’ myriad other works.

Set to be released on October 28th – the night of the Hunting Moon, as an ode to the two hunters on which its lyrics focus – Valkengebed is a startling expansion of the Oerheks sound. Impossibly ethereal, almost sensually so, Valkengebed is an epic, two-song/27-minute work of dynamic songwriting and dense-yet-spacious layers. Valkengebed translates to “Falcon’s prayer,” the Dutch word for the moment falcons/kestrels hover in the air, searching for prey on the fields below, which is an apt metaphor for the sonic approach of the demo as a whole and its opening title track. Second track “Blauwe Vleugels” translates to “Blue Wings,” referring to the blue herons roaming the fields and marshes of Kaggevinne. Both birds serve as silent witnesses of the Kaggevinne area throughout the ages; their hegemony over the skies, the grandeur of their flight, and the inner peace they bring over the fields and forests of Kaggevinne are encapsulated by Oerheks‘ continually cresting black metal here, indeed imparting a levitational aspect that’s liberating despite the deeply traditional approach. The synth work alone is staggering, but the manner in which Cools incorporates it into the whole of the demo makes Valkengebed the band’s most awe-inspiring recording yet.

Completed by stunningly sympathetic artwork courtesy of Business for Satan, Valkengebed marks an undeniable apex for Oerheks. To commemorate this ascent, Amor Fati and Babylon Doom Cult will concurrently compile all three Oerheks demos onto a double-CD set titled Grondslagen.

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Oerheks’ Valkengebed

1. Valkengebed [11:24]
2. Blauwe Vleugels [15:07]


MORE INFO:
www.oerheks.bandcamp.com

www.amor-fati-productions.de 
www.amorfatiproductions.bandcamp.com

Belgium’s HERZOG premiere new track – features Déhà

Today, Belgian black metallers Herzog premiere the new track “All Rites”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Furnace, set for international release on November 24th via Amor Fati Productions. Hear Herzog‘s “All Rites” in its entirety here:

Herzog is a new black metal entity hailing from Belgium, formed by Asgeir Amort years ago but never brought to life. A distilled version of their black art, working with shapes that should not go together, but they do so through a craftsmanship worth a thousand working devotees.

Taken under the wing of producer & madman Déhà and accompanied by drummer Hochofen, Herzog offer a unique form of black metal which cannot be compared to anything or anyone in the scene. “Complex, but transcendent” might be scratching the surface of Asgeir Amort’s craft: flawless riffing, possessed drumming, and unworldly screams which will take you on a dark journey through the mind of the creator.

Black metal being the foremost main weapon of the band, Herzog doesn’t shy away from the darkest of death metal sometimes, or even pushes you to a corner to make all your inner emotions implode. A debut album shattering a lot of veterans: this is Furnace.

Also hear the previously revealed “Haunted Tesseract” HERE at Amor Fati‘s official YouTube channel. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Herzog (Belgium)’s Furnace
1. Loss of Utopia
2. Acheminement
3. Melted Tesseract
4. Oath of Weakness
5. The Craftsmen
6. All Rites
7. Oath of I
8. Oath of Us

www.amor-fati-productions.de 
www.amorfatiproductions.bandcamp.com

New England black metallers Ritual Clearing premiere new track

Today, New England black metallers Ritual Clearing premiere the new track “Penitence”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Penitence, set for international release on November 17th via Eternal Death. Hear Ritual Clearing‘s “Penitence” in its entirety here:

Ritual Clearing have returned, building off of the cold depravity of their 2020 demo and now unleashing their debut full-length effort, Penitence. Continuing their unholy alliance with Eternal Death, this new record showcases six epic tracks of dark, brooding black metal. The band’s noble influences they displayed across that well-received first demo – Bathory, Sacramentum, and Lord Belial – have been built upon and refined here, revealing riff labyrinths not unlike the cult ’90s work of Sorhin but further fleshed out by bouts of nearly hardcore-punk mania and especially a raw hideousness not unlike their American brethren in the Black Twilight Circle. Still, Ritual Clearing and clearly their own masters, and the alternately linear / darting depths of Penitence open wide to devour the listener in hypnotic, harrowing splendor. Still as melodic-yet-cutting as ever, it’s not surprising that the album was written during the grim landscape of the global plague; there’s an undeniable sense of dread across Penitence, laced with a resigned melancholia (sickly) colored by opportunely timed acoustics. Fucking RIFFS for days, Ritual Clearing provide this offering as the overture to a sick and dying world.   

Also hear the previously revealed “Burn” HERE at Eternal Death‘s Bandcamp, where the album can also be preordered. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Ritual Clearing’s Penitence
1. Burn [8:15]
2. Penitence [3:40]
3. Cold, Forever [6:53]    
4. Deathfog [5:15]
5. Void [6:46]
6. Mensis [7:42]


MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/ritualclearing

www.eternal-death.com
eternaldeath.bandcamp.com

Finland’s MALICIOUS set release date for new INVICTUS EP, reveal first track

Today, Invictus Productions announces December 1st as the international release date for a brand-new EP from Finland’s Malicious, Merciless Storm, on CD and 12″ vinyl formats.

It was but October 2020 when Invictus released Malicious‘ long-awaited debut album, Deranged Hexes. With both band moniker and album title aptly-fucking-named, Malicious‘ Deranged Hexes completely upratcheted the band’s foundational sound – a car crash of cobwebbed evil and gibbering intensity, ranging the likes of Necrovore, ‘80s Possessed, and especially Mike Browning-era Morbid Angel to the earliest (and best) works of Sarcofago and Sepultura – to an insanely OTT level. In every respect, the record was the penultimate in blackened Metal of Death, and it was duly hailed for its dangerously unhinged demeanor.

Three years may’ve passed since that recording, but Malicious have only become more unhinged in the meantime. Witness the four-song Merciless Storm. Tauntingly titled once again, Merciless Storm picks up right where Deranged Hexes left off, but sees the Finns following a natural progression in all aspects. With a runtime of 11 minutes, it’s mercilessly / mercifully short and sweet, upping the violence and aggression to levels impossibly beyond that nuclear-powered debut album. And yet, the songwriting remains stout and streamlined and perhaps minutely more detailed and even palatably “refined.” If anything, Merciless Storm possesses a clearer soundfield, but that only amplifies the savagery to an insane degree, especially the ’80s Slayer-style solos. Nothing else to say: this is a fucking Merciless Storm!

In the meantime, hear the brand-new title track “Merciless Storm” here:

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Malicious (Finland)’s Merciless Storm

1. Merciless Storm
2. Invasive Terror
3. Ambient Sonic Annihilation
4. Chronic Quake

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/MaliciousFin

www.invictusproductions.net

AVRÆ LVNÆ set release date for SIGNAL REX debut, reveal first track – features members of WAMPYRIC RITES, WINTERSTORM, DUNGEON STEEL, GRYMMSTALT+++

Today, Signal Rex announces December 8th as the international release date for Avræ Lvnæ‘s highly anticipated debut album, Ntdd Strl, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.

Avræ Lvnæ are a power-trio hailing from the still-rising Ecuadorian black metal scene. Fronted by Wampyric Strigoi – mainman of  Wampyric Rites, who’ve had a huge hand in shaping that scene, as well as Grymmstalt, Winterstorm, and Dungeon Steel among many others – Avræ Lvnæ also feature erstwhile   Wampyric Rites / Dungeon Steel drummer Eblis Destructor and one Geist der Natur on guitar and bass. Uniquely, the band brand their black metal “neon metal,” which isn’t as garish as it sounds; rather, they draw to the fore the shimmering, stained-glass textures of mystical black metal, making for a mesmerizing (and MELODIC) display of psychedelic obsidian.

Now, after a compilation appearance and demo last year, Avræ Lvnæ conjure the full fathom of their dazzling powers with the debut album Ntdd Strl. Containing a beguiling set of phonetically challenging song titles – or rather, a certain “code” to decipher – Ntdd Strl makes its point plainly and poignantly with an immediately sumptuous feast of sonics. Actually-gorgeous synths play a prominent role here, weaving in and out of the frequently chorused guitars, whose reverberating melodies penetrate the soul with ease and elan. Vocals are a suitably emotive ululation from both space and tundra, psychic or otherwise, where stargazing mysteries are writ large and wondrously. Whereas so much of the Ecuadorian style of black metal seethes with rabidity and rawness, there’s an almost aristocratic air to Avræ Lvnæ here, or at least a synthesis of classic cosmic and medieval BM idioms – and that “space” is indeed space, for their textures allow ample room to immerse oneself without being onslaughtered by that rabidity & rawness. Thus, one could reference early Abigor, Gehenna, and Ragnarok as well as later Lunar Aurora, Evilfeast, and Midnight Odyssey, ​but Avræ Lvnæ are raising the banners for NEON METAL ​high and proud!
 
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “N l Mjstvs Nch” here:

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Avræ Lvnæ’s Ntdd Strl
1. Ntr – Cnstlcn d Rn
2. Ntdd Strl
3. N l Mjstvs Nch
4. Crpt Strl
5. Ls Strlls sn ls Js Csmcs
6. Scndnd ls Nfns Cnfn Strl
7. Ls Rgns Hnsptas dl Vnrs
8. Vtr – Cntlcn d Scrpn

MORE INFO:
auraelunae.bandcamp.com

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