Today, ancient deathrashers Boundless Chaosstream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut album, Sinister Upheaval. Set for international release on January 19th via Dying Victims Productions, hear Boundless Chaos’ Sinister Upheaval in its entirety here:
Hailing from Germany, the land ever brimming with ancient thrash metals, Boundless Chaos was begotten in the year of 2017 when M.F., P.K, T.B., and M.J. heaved bloody deathrash straight up from the ashes of hellfire. With a brutal barrage of drums, slashing guitars, and throbbing bass-lines, they unapologetically worship the sound of the old. In 2019, E.M. completed the force. Now whole, Boundless Chaos have been spitting the hellish gospel of chaos, upheaval, fire, and antifascism across an EP in 2020 and then two splits in 2020 – one with Idle Ruin, the second with fellow Germans Reign in Blood.
Still, the best was yet to come, and it’s now arrived in Boundless Chaos’ debut album, Sinister Upheaval. Aptly titled, Sinister Upheaval is a ravaging onslaught of deathened thrash built upon a blazing foundation of early Dark Angel, Possessed, Texas’ Devastation, Sepultura’s Schizophrenia, and of course, Sodom’s Persecution Mania (and even Agent Orange!). Here, Boundless Chaos stick to their tried ‘n’ true formula, but simply maximize the muscle and tighten the execution; when graced with a well-rounded (yet requisitely dirty) production, the result is nothing short of powerful. And adding to the Chaos is Malte Gericke (Sijjin, ex-Necros Christos), who does guest vocals on “Guillotine.” No gimmicks, no modernity, no non-metal influences – just straightforward & straight-ahead THRASH METAL from the unholy years of 1986 and ’87, torched to a crisp, and set to conflagrate YOU!
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Boundless Chaos’ Sinister Upheaval 1. Down 2. High Tension 3. Arson from Beyond 4. Kromer’s Whistle 5. Guillotine 6. Tyrant’s Call 7. Blasphemous Rupture 8. Rip out the Roots 9. Demons Unchained
VLTIMAS are legends of the underworld. Any good Satanist knows to bow down and worship at the horned feet of David Vincent (ex-Morbid Angel), Rune Eriksen (ex-Mayhem) and Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy). Their debut was greeted with a rapturous procession of devil horns. But with their new album, these gods of dark, extreme metal have ascended to truly epic heights.
Today, VLTIMAS are releasing the album’s hellacious second single, exclusively premiered by Metal Obs France.
You can watch the visualizer, made by Aimed & Framed right now:
Some metal songs prefer to slowly unfold before blowing out your ear drums. But rest assured, “Scorcher” is not a slow burn. Sure, the guitars lure you in with a smoky seance. Once Rune tightens those chords into icy black tremolo picking though, VLTIMAS take off like a bat out of hell. The amps crank up; Flo fires off blast beats that are hot enough to singe an angel’s wings, while David Vincent unleashes a miles-long battle cry.
“Satan laughs as worlds collide”.
His growl is so massive, so heartless, you’d better believe that he’s talking about himself.
“‘Scorcher’ brings to life a fantastic story of the great purge that’s coming our way”, says Vincent. “Humanity has been sleepwalking toward this reckoning for centuries. There will be no refuge, nor mercy granted”.
VLTIMAS have been making grand declarations of war for more than 30 years, but the lead single off EPIC isn’t just another offering at the altar of madness.
“I spread my misery, biblically evolved”, David Vincent sings on “Miserere” in a baritone that’s so monstrous it could summon an army of the dead.
The drums speed ahead mercilessly, mowing down all onlookers under a barrage of surgical blast beats, as riffs hail from all directions with enough firepower to shatter bulletproof glass.
Tracklist 1. Volens Discordant (1:02) 2. EPIC (4:35) 3. Miserere (3:51) [WATCH] 4. Exercitus Irae (4:01) 5. Mephisto Manifesto (05:05) 6. Scorcher (03:21) [WATCH] 7. Invictus (5:30) 8. Nature’s Fangs (3:52) 9. Spoils of War (5:54) Total runtime: 37:16
Extreme metal powerhouse VLTIMAS (pronounced ‘uhl-tuh-mas’) assault metaldom once more with their highly-anticipated sophomore album, EPIC, through Season of Mist. Featuring Norwegian guitarist Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen (ex-Mayhem, RUÏM), American vocalist David Vincent (ex-Morbid Angel), and Canadian drummer Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy), the multinational quintet, rounded out by Dutch bassist Ype TVS (ex-Dodecahedron) and Portuguese guitarist João Duarte (Corpus Christii), continue to venture down their path. Moored by strength and integrity, VLTIMAS fortified their signature with wicked invention, as applauded by Decibel Magazine, BangerTV, Louder, and many others, on their debut, Something Wicked Marches In (2019). Singles “Miserere,” “Scorcher,” and “Invictus” showcase a band of musicians at the top of their game, united in their pursuit of oneness.
“We wrote every bit of EPIC together at my ranch in Dime Box, Texas,” offers Vincent. “The writing sessions were as organic as they could be. There were times when, at the end of the night, Rune would take his guitar and play something ridiculous. Flo would play something even more ridiculous on top of it. I’d say to the guys, ‘I need to capture this.’ So, the magic [of VLTIMAS] is being in the same room together, discussing, playing, and recording music and everything else we’re doing together. We have unbelievable camaraderie.”
While the members of VLTIMAS are not atavists, their preferred creative methods are time-tested and battle-hardened. Technology has its place, but the group thrive when they’re together, not separated by the world. Eriksen, renowned as a riff innovator, is more effective when he’s got a highly capable sideman like Vincent or Mounier, whose drumming in Cryptopsy and his celebrated instructional Extreme Metal Drumming 101 DVD has proven to be a no-limits player, by his side. Whether it’s the moody, angular attack of “Miserere,” the wicked groove of “Mephisto Manifesto,” or the dark fury of “Nature’s Fangs,” the chemistry and enterprise of VLTIMAS is undeniable.
“The main goal [of VLTIMAS] is to be real,” Eriksen reveals. “To channel the very moment, to let true inspiration out. I don’t believe I ever set myself a goal on what an album should or needs to sound like before I or we write it because that means I have to compromise during the process. For EPIC, we focused on more direct songs, trimming the fat, as opposed to Something Wicked Marches In, which had a progressive and ‘playful’ flair.”
VLTIMAS was a profane concept—a constellation of riffs against a modest frame—when formed by Eriksen in 2015. After departing Mayhem in 2008 and putting his gothic doom outfit Ava Inferi to rest in 2013, the Norwegian’s fingers still itched with infernal fury. VLTIMAS was his vent, and when Mounier and Vincent joined, he finally had the cadre of professionals to make it a reality. Together, they devised complementary schemes and themes rooted in rightness. In a world gone mad, VLTIMAS had a vision. On Something Wicked Marches In, they commanded attention with metaphors about the apocalypse, the ancient goddess Lilith, and truth. Lyrically, EPIC spears into the very nucleus of strength through Vincent’s brio of double entendre and clever wordsmithing. The songs are designed to be heard, read, and interpreted—there are no shortcuts.
“Everything we’re doing and messaging is about strength and honor,” says Vincent. “These are the fundamentals that I incorporate into my life, which I believe in. I want to share with others, hoping they’ll incorporate strength and honor into their lives. I wouldn’t say I like spelling lyrics out. I use a lot of double meanings on purpose because I want to inspire the listener to think. I’m not a short attention span guy, and I don’t appreciate it. EPIC is holistic and meant to be experienced that way.”
EPIC was recorded by producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Grave Miasma) with engineer Jonathan Mazzeo (First Fragment, Sickening) at Arda Recorders in Porto, Portugal. VLTIMAS tracked the album throughout May 2023. Arellano also handled the mix and master. Like everything the band does, the main goal was to be honest. The maxim of no sample replacement or re-amping—EPIC was captured on outboard gear—was adhered to and enjoyed by the team. The result is a sonic expression that sounds like nothing else. From the crushing title track to the epic musicality of closer “Spoils of War,” EPIC is an absolute beast.
“Stress, long walks, too much alcohol, yet very focused once in the recording mode,” Eriksen says of the sessions. “We booked a month, but somehow, that flew by instantly. We worked up until the very end. I even added a few solos at my local Soundscape Studio in Almada, Portugal. Art unfolds, and once you think you are done, there’s always another idea popping up.”
VLTIMAS brought Italian artist Daniele Valeriani (Mayhem, Unanimated) to visualize EPIC. The aesthetic, as illuminated by music and message, was iconic boldness. The three-eagle head crest with three different crowns, accompanied by transfigured symbols of the Passion and the “impossible triangle,” projects effortlessly. In EPIC, the group will dominate. There’s no escape from “Miserere,” “Mephisto Manifesto,” “Scorcher,” and “Invictus.” Together, they thrust, by resolve and inventiveness, VLTIMAS into the uppermost echelons of extreme metal.
“[EPIC is] old meets contemporary, a symbiosis of all the great things we love about extreme metal,” offers Eriksen. “All combined into one album.”
“I want to be as emotional and honest [with VLTIMAS],” Vincent adds. “I want to tell stories; I want to have the themes that appeal to me; I want to have some messaging that someone can take away, in this case, strength. EPIC is strength.”
Lineup David Vincent – Vocals Rune Blasphemer Eriksen – Guitars Flo Mounier – Drums Ype TVS – Bass João Duarte – Guitars
Recording studio ARDA Recorders
Producer Jamie Gomez Arellano
Sound engineer Jonathan Mazzeo
Mixing and mastering engineer Jaime Gomez Arellano
Mixing and mastering studio Arda Recorders, Orgone Studio
Brodequin come with a long and sordid history. Jamie and Mike Bailey have been banging people’s heads together since 1998. Their first album catapulted the brothers far beyond their kingdom of Knoxville, Tennessee. But after seizing the throne as one of the most brutal rulers in all of metal, the band disappeared into the shadows.
Today, after 20 years, Brodequin are returning with Harbinger of Woe. The band’s fourth album lives up to their namesake. It’s dark and torturous, but also technically exquisite. Heck, some might even call it a work of art.
Watch the medieval video for “Of Pillars and Trees”, which was created by Matti Way of From the North Films here:
“Of Pillars and Trees” is classic Brodequin. Mike’s riffs churn like severed limbs through a meat grinder. New drummer Brennan Shackelford pings his cymbals with all the murderous intent of a spiked mace. Heck, the death growls are nasty enough to make you think that Jamie is sucking the blood of his enemies through a straw.
As with every Brodequin song, “Of Pillars and Trees” is rooted in real events. “This song finds its inspiration in the historical practices that involved the utilization of trees for the purpose of torture and execution”,” Jamie explains. “Among the myriad methods employed, a prominent example was the affixing of an individual to a pillar, or, more commonly, a tree trunk through the use of long iron nails”.
But “Of Pillars and Trees” also branches out into new territory for the band. “The creation process for ‘Pillars’ started out much like any other Brodequin track”, Mike says. “It wasn’t until the mid-section came together that it began to diverge. I wanted to slow things down a bit but add some depth with multiple guitar tracks instead of just droning a single riff. As the layers were being written, I kept hearing a synth pattern in my head. But instead of using an actual synth, I recreated what I was hearing on my guitar, using plenty of reverb and delay to get the tone as close to what I was imagining as possible”.
Tracklist 1. Diabolical Edict (3:29) 2. Fall Of The Leaf (2:33) 3. Theresiana (3:03) 4. Of Pillars and Trees (4:03) [WATCH] 5. Tenaillement (2:53) 6. Maleficium (3:09) 7. VII Nails (2:17) 8. Vredens Dag (3:20) 9. Suffocation in Ash (3:05) 10. Harbinger of Woe (4:04)
After signing with Season of Mist in 2022, Brodequin re-issued their entire discography on LP and CD.
“Relentless, barbaric intensity” – John Gallagher (Dying Fetus), who named Instruments of Torture one of the most brutal albums ever.
“Kicks in like a sledgehammer” – Metal Rage raved over Methods of Execution
“A merciless massacre” – Power Metal praised Festival of Death.
The Middle Ages might’ve brought the world out of The Dark Ages. But for every compass or printing press, those enlightened thinkers were also responsible for inventing the most torturous devices in human history. None were more brutal than the brodequin. Not only did the French use this instrument to cripple their victims, but to squeeze their legs to the point where bone marrow would spill out of their wounds.
You could say the same about Brodequin. The band come with their own long and sordid history. Brothers Jamie and Mike Bailey have been playing brutal death metal since 1998. Putting his history degree to good use, Jamie’s lyrics are inspired by real historical events, staying true to death metal’s core thematic pillars of dismemberment, torture, abuse and murder. But their artwork broke from genre’s generic splatter illustrations by digging into intricate period woodcuts and beautifully grotesque oil paintings.
“There simply was no point in history that was more brutal than the medieval period,” says Jamie. “At the same time that such barbarity was deployed, there was also an explosion in fine art, architecture and music. It all comes to feed our identity as a band”.
Brodequin’s first album catapulted them far beyond their kingdom of Knoxville. “This band has stuck out in the underground with relentless, barbaric intensity”, says Dying Fetus’ vocalist and guitarist John Gallagher, who named Instruments of Torture one of the most brutal death metal albums ever. Festival of Death put another flesh-tearing arrow in their quiver (“Some of the fastest, most brutalizing death metal ever recorded” – Sputnik Music). But after sieging festival stages across Europe with Methods of Execution, the band had to be put on ice.
“We had a series of deaths in our family”, Jamie explains. “Mike and I knew we had to step away until we had the time and were at a place mentally to give Brodequin the attention it deserved.”
Now, after 20 years of peaceful silence, Brodequin have returned with fresh instruments of torture. The Brothers Bailey are back with a new drummer, a new label and their long-awaited fourth album.
“Brodequin had been away for so long that I was stunned by the level of interest from fans and record labels”, Jamie says. “Before playing Hellfest, the band was approached backstage by a metalhead rocking a Brodequin t-shirt who happened to work for Season of Mist. Soon enough, they were hitting it off with Michael Berberian. The rest, as they say, is history.
“We all hung out for hours”, recalls Jamie. “The extraordinary level of enthusiasm shown toward our music made Season of Mist the obvious choice”.
As has been the case with this band for their entire career, Harbinger of Woe lives up to its name. Lead single “Of Pillars and Trees” is classic Brodequin. Mike’s distorted guitar chords churn like limbs through a meat grinder. The way Brennan Shackelford pings, blasts and flays his snare through “Suffocation in Ash” with the all encompassing speed of a sandstorm. Jamie’s growls are so phlegmy, so rotted, that to drag them out from whatever dark bowel movement spawned them would make an executioner sick to their stomach. And yet — somewhere deep inside all that carnage hides a terrifying beauty. The title track leaves you deaf, dumb and blind, begging on your knees in the face of a punishing, almighty riff.
“This album is a journey into this lost period of history where brutality and beauty coexist. Beauty, in the arts the were created, but also the beautiful brutality that was needed to engineer deadly devices like the brodequin”.
With Harbinger of Woe, Brodequin reclaim their throne as the most brutal band in all of death metal.
Line up: Jamie Bailey: Bass/Vocals Mike Bailey: Guitar Brennan Shackelford: Drums
Recording Drums recorded at Brennan’s Drum Room in Dallas, Texas.
Guitar, bass and vocals recorded at Navarre 24 in Harriman, Tennessee
Producer and sound engineer Mike Bailey
Mastering studio and engineer Brad Boatwright
Mixing studio and engineer Josh Welshman
Artwork Original artwork done by Jose de Brito. Additional elements by Jamie Bailey.
Today, Regain Classics (distributed & marketed by Regain Records) announces March 15th as the international release date for long-overdue reissues of Silver Mountain‘s cult first two albums, Shakin’ Brains and Universe, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
Hailing from Malmo, Silver Mountain are a unique entry into the rich history of Swedish heavy metal. As no doubt indicated by their moniker, the band’s sound was heavily indebted to the Dio-fronted era of Rainbow – of course, the still-going province of ex-Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore – which, at their time of inception in 1979, was something of an old-fashioned sound as heavy metal itself was coalescing into a worldwide movement with its own harder-edge style and image. Nevertheless, even during those nascent times, a great deal of hard rock was lumped into the wider “metal” category (and vice versa), underlining the links between the two, and often helping elevate many bands in popularity.
Silver Mountain released a 7″ single in 1979 and then a demo the following year, both with an early lineup that saw only vocalist/guitarist Jonas Hansson continuing. Eventually, he found the classic Silver Mountain lineup with brothers Anders Johansson and Jens Johansson – drums and keyboards, respectively – and bassist Per Stadin. This lineup would record the band’s first album, 1983’s Shakin’ Brains, and then the band would be nearly overhauled for the next album, 1985’s Universe. Together, regardless of lineup, both albums are widely regarded as Silver Mountain‘s best work. Although the band would release another album in 1988, Silver Mountain effectively came to end (much like many ’80s hard rock/metal bands did) in 1993. And although there’d be a reunion album in 2001 – and they still continue to play shows to this day – Silver Mountain‘s first two albums are THE classics in the band’s catalog, etched-in-time documents of early Swedish heavy metal.
Of this classic pair, Shakin’ Brains is the most obviously Rainbow-indebted. A great deal of this is due to Jens Johansson’s stellar keyboard work, which here runs the gamut of highway-starlit to medieval and plenty of points in between, but always rising. Particularly when he leans on gritty organ tones, it provides even more punch to Silver Mountain‘s mostly uptempo attack here. Of course, “attack” is a very relative word: on tone and texture alone, the majority of Shakin’ Brains is within the wider hard rock umbrella, but the quartet sure kick up a raucous party across the album’s 40-minute runtime. Nevertheless, shades of early heavy metal dot the landscape, with the darker and more epic punch of “King of the Sea” and “Keep On Keepin’ On” closing out the album in fine fashion. Even though they’d been going for four years by that point, Silver Mountain here evince a remarkable amount of raw power.
Compared to the preceding Shakin’ Brains, Universe is the more conventionally “metal.” Perhaps due to the closing moodiness of Shakin’ Brains or (more likely) or the band trying to catch up with the commercial strides heavy metal had made by the mid ’80s – or, most likely, the near-overhaul of lineup which saw Christian Mentzer come in on lead vocals, Mårten Hedener on drums, and Erik Björn Nielsen on session keyboards – Silver Mountain‘s second album immediately features a darker tone, slicker production, and more magickal synths. Similarly, whereas that first album saw the band largely sticking to their ’70s-rooted sound and playing at “A Light in the Black” uptempo, much of Universe stomps and struts to a radio-ready mid-tempo, albeit one likely too dark & dramatic for airplay. But make no mistake, this tradeoff worked in spades, as the guitar leads became more narrative and the keyboard work colors them with mystery and sometimes spaciness. What results is a strangely time-locked recording that sounds remarkably fresh today.
Out of print for nearly 15 years, Silver Mountain‘s cult-classics Shakin’ Brains and Universe will both at long last see a worldwide reissue on all formats courtesy of Regain Classics. Run with the wolf AND bark at the moon!
Both albums are currently streaming at Regain Records‘ Bandcamp. Preorder info for Shakin’ Brains can be found HERE, and preorder info for Universe can be found HERE. Respective covers and tracklistings are as follows:
Tracklisting for Silver Mountain’s Shakin’ Brains 1. 1789 2. Aftermath 3. Always 4. Necrosexual Killer 5. Destruction Song 6. Vikings 7. Looking For You 8. Spring Maiden 9. King Of The Sea 10. Keep On Keepin’ On
Tracklisting for Silver Mountain’s Universe
1. Shakin’ Brains 2. Universe 3. Call Of The Lords 4. Handled Roughly 5. Why 6. Help Me 7. Walking In The Shadow 8. Too Late 9. Niagara
EAL Productions will release the highly anticipated third album of Portugal’s Angrenost, Magna Lua Ordem Mística.
Emerging from northern Portugal in the formative years of the second wave of black metal, Angrenost has been defined not by output but by its unorthodox evolution. With roots planted by Pursan and A. Ara, the project has been a vessel for exploring the evil within man, free from the constraints of the prevailing scene or current trends.
The reunion of Pursan with A. Ara, alongside Erdsaf and M. Skúlason, has yielded Angrenost’s most mature and inspired offering to date: Magna Lua Ordem Mística (“The Mystical Order of the Great Moon”). A work full of bygone tradition, elevated by a mastery of sound, as well as words and spirit that make it shine with a distinct light.
The album invites listeners to walk a contemplative path across the ephemeral nature of existence. It is a narrative of humanity’s voyage from the still waters of the immaterial plane into the mortal sphere of chaos and corruption – a world where the celestial bond fractures and the soul of Man encounters raw embodiments of the diabolical.
Magna Lua Ordem Mística stands at the crossroads of tradition and modernity, blending esoteric lore with the intricacies of composition. It represents a sincere and powerful display of everything that makes black metal an obscure and sinister art form.
Tracklisting 1. Interlúnio: O Arco escuro e a Seta de prata 2. Côncava: Fornalha lunar… os abismos da Manifestação 3. Crescente: No fio de lua, o Enforcado 4. Corcunda: Da prata gibosa, a foice do Mago 5. Água Real: Na ampulheta o Diabo, enxofre por firmamento 6. Disseminadora: Caverna solar… os breus da Contemplação 7. Minguante: No coração de pedra, a fortaleza do Ermita 8. Balsâmica: Nos fumos esquecimento, dédalos de enxofre
On March 15th internationally, Dying Victims Productions will release Armagh‘s highly anticipated third album, Exclamation Po!nt, on CD and vinyl LP formats. And today, Wepremiere the new track “Masters of Time.” Hear Armagh‘s “Masters of Time” in its entirety here:
Formed in 2012, Armagh are a heavy metal force based in Satanic City Warsaw and Necropolis Navis. Mixing classic heavy metal from the ’70s and ’80s with proto-black metal, Armagh are the creators of First Wave Only movement, which unites several Polish bands delivering old-school metal – among them, labelmates Gallower and Sexmag but also Torpor, Wielki Mrok, and R.I.P. – with primal severity in their sound and message.
Truly, Armagh are a maniac maniac’s band, idiosyncratic mainlining such noble influences as Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Motörhead, KISS, Manilla Road, early Slayer and Megadeth, W.A.S.P, Bathory, Dissection, Running Wild, KAT, and the NWOBHM in general into something authentically rustic and effortlessly unique. But it was their second album, Serpent Storm – originally self-released in 2022, but then released on vinyl the next year by Dying Victims – where they had their breakout moment. A true record collector’s record, Serpent Storm displayed its power and personality at every turn, coming from an alien place – one where Battle Cry, Another Perfect Day, Haunting the Chapel, Chinatown, Under the Sign of the Black Mark, and Born Again all simultaneously play in perfect, hellish harmony – but evincing a wild and weird but never belabored alchemy that was simply peerless.
Now, two years later, Armagh stir up their cauldron once again with their third album, Exclamation Po!nt. This record features a wholly reconstructed lineup, with founding frontman/guitarist Galin Soulreaper now joined by fellow guitarist Vikk Vandall, bassist Tom CultCommander, and drummer Al Atom Smasher. As such, it’s a far more collaborative effort than the largely Soulripper-written Serpent Storm, with each new member adding their own fiery flair to an altogether less-immediate but much-more-mysterious album: Tom CultCommander’s spacey & hypnotic bass work (a Hawkwind influence is detectable across the record, as is a faint whiff of Rush), Vandall’s impulsive & spring-loaded leads, and the jazzy, Bill Ward-esque drumming of Atom Smasher. Less is indeed MORE here!
Just as wild and weird as its mighty predecessor but perhaps eating subtler, sweeter fruits, the deliberately demonstrative Exclamation Po!nt dives deeply into moodier and mustier waters, sounding impossibly older than even Serpent Storm. It’s all unmistakably Armagh, but if LP#3 proves anything (and loudly), it’s that these Polish maniacs are operating at the height of their powers – and, again, as a full band this time. No dynamic is too severe, no construct too off-kilter, no speed shunned: with greater emphasis on harmony vocals and Soulreaper’s lonely-warlock tones guiding the listener into a misty, mystical wonder-world, Exclamation Po!nt weaves a plaintive-yet-powerful spell that traverses the whole spectrum of human experience. And perhaps it’s there that Armagh in general and Exclamation Po!nt in particular excels – that it’s undeniably human in construction and execution, but its journey (and destination) is otherworldly to the splendorous extreme. Or, cutting out the fancy words, what we have here is heartfelt, handmade heavy metal: no modern, no trends, no way!
No longer the “sleeper hit of the year,” Armagh are prepared to punctuate “best of 2024” conversations already with Exclamation Po!nt!
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Armagh’s Exclamation Po!nt 1. Rough Edges 2. Masters of Time 3. Aftermath 4. Between the Sides 5. The Portal 6. Rapid Str!de 7. This !s New A 8. Enough for Now
Today, Wolves of Hades and Argento Records announce March 28th as the international release date for Verwoed‘s highly anticipated second album, The Mother, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
The journey of the Dutch enigmatic Verwoed has been one in continuous synergy with sonic exploration and innovation. This blazing entity returns with a much-anticipated fourth release and second full-length album, an awe-inspiring and utterly immersive experience in creative profundity by the title of The Mother.
The past has already witnessed the virtuous way Verwoed contemplated and traveled through unfathomable aural stratospheres brimming with feeling, intensity, and a sense of visceral commitment. The Mother perceives the Utrecht project as taking a step further in the direction of the abyss, an epic of splendor and imposing nature, bursting with emotion in the form of striking riffs that offer an electrical pallet of eclectic, evocative, and utterly cathartic songwriting.
Aided by a superbly captured production, the sonic quality of The Mother is drenched in dynamics with an organic power felt in the deepest depths of the dark night of the soul. Such character is overflown through a musical tapestry that is both complex and emotionally resonant, whether by the incredibly enticing and pulsing drumming performance, driven with and by a sense of variation and symbiosis, or the fervorous sensation purveyed by the electric traits aforementioned and the passionate and brutally ardent vocals, offering a visual representation of the poignant scope contained within each track.
To be released by Wolves of Hades and Argento Records on March 28th, The Mother invites the listener to a mesmerizing and innermost experience, a monument to introspective realms, a prayer of blood and fire conveyed with raw momentum.
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “The Child” here:
Cover artwork, courtesy of Joost Vervoort, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Verwoed’s The Mother
1. A Prayer of Blood and Fire [4:04] 2. The Mother [9:32] 3. Seven Trumpets [1:55] 4. The Child [6:55] 5. The Madman’s Dance [8:14] 6. A Choir of Null and Void [4:39] 7. Death in a Rosary [8:25]
In April, underground legends Deceased will embark upon an eight-date tour supporting Vio-lence, who’ll be playing their classic Eternal Nightmare debut in its entirety. Says founding frontman King Fowley, “Looking forward to a week-long touring jaunt in April. Getting out for a handful of shows before we go in to record the new record Children of the Morgue, a one-hour journey into the world of the dying! These shows looking like our only ones till summer, so if you wanna come out and rock, by all means do so.” Full list of tour dates as well as poster art are as follows:
April 5 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East April 6 – Brooklyn, NY @ Monarch April 7 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts April 8 – Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar April 10 – Cleveland, OH @ The Winchester April 11 – Cincinatti, OH @ Legends April 12 – Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary April 13 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies
During the tour, Deceased will have for sale the new Hells Headbangers CD editions of 2000’s Supernatural Addiction (yellow disc) and 2018’s Ghostly White (blue disc). Additionally, Hells Headbangers‘ vinyl reissue of 1995’s The Blueprints of Madness is slated for September.
Elaborating on their upcoming Children of the Morgue, which should see release sometime this summer through Hells Headbangers, King Fowley says that Deceased‘s eighth album will be “a continuous, no-break-between-songs, one-hour concept album on dying and all that it entails. The darkest record we’ve written to date – 100% Deceased, and proud as fuck of what we have come up with this time around!
Release date, cover art, and tracklisting for Children of the Morgue to be revealed shortly. For more info, consult the links below.
Today, Iron Bonehead Productions announces March 22nd as the international release date for Moon Incarnate‘s striking debut album, Hymns to the Moon, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
Moon Incarnate are a new band of old souls, forged with single-minded focus. The band features the duo of Christian Kolf (Valborg) and Matin Vasari (Beyondition), who together wrote, recorded, and produced their debut album over the course of two years in their hometown of Bonn, Germany, with Peter Scartabello (Sky Shadow Obelisk) recording his drum tracks in Providence, Rhode Island, home of H.P. Lovecaraft.
Suitably, Moon Incarnate‘s sound was born out of love for the early works of the Peaceville Three – Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Anathema – as well as early Amorphis, Tiamat, Katatonia, Samael, and Moonspell. Powerfully patient and starkly streamlined, their Hymns to the Moon full-length lumbers forward with eerie, awe-inspiring ease: massively heavy, entrenched in moonlit atmosphere, and rendered in rich, vintage tones courtesy of mastering by Armin Rave (Pavor). As forecasted by both moniker and album title, Moon Incarnate‘s Hymns to the Moon indeed delves into classic gothic horror themes while always paying tribute to Mother Moon.
Whether one’s a maniac for early doom-death or simply heeds the call of horror in heavy metal, you will FEEL the chill in your bones with Moon Incarnate‘s Hymns to the Moon!
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “The Tempest” here:
Tracklisting for Moon Incarnate’s _Hymns to the Moon_ 1. Hymn To The Moon 2. The Tempest 3. A Knight’s Death 4. Nemesis 5. A Graveyard In My Soul 6. Minotaur 7. The Kraken
Renowned French black metal entity MERRIMACK continues to unravel the enigmatic tapestry of their upcoming album, ‘Of Grace and Gravity’, with the release of their second single, Dead and Distant Clamors.
Diving into the abyss of existential questioning, Dead and Distant Clamors explores themes of cosmic disarray and the profound uncertainty that surrounds our existence. The intense lyrical journey confronts the forces that shape our world and the relentless struggles against the inevitable. MERRIMACK echoes a sonic barrier that mirrors the tumultuous nature of our lives, set against a backdrop of relentless black metal fury.
The lyrics, a poetic manifestation of cosmic chaos, delve into the mysteries of existence and challenge the established norms. Vocals lines like:
“Who proclaims, who decides, who announces the end of the orations?“
and:
“Captive of forms that vitrify again this side of reality.“
serve as thought-provoking inquiries into the very fabric of our existence as a species.
Dead and Distant Clamors presents MERRIMACK‘s signature blend of atmospheric black metal, intricate compositions, and raw, unbridled energy. The track unfolds like a dark cosmic ballet, invoking emotions that range from despair to defiance.
This new single can now be experienced by all:
‘Of Grace and Gravity’ is out March 8, 2024 on Season of Mist: Underground Activists.
Here’s what MERRIMACK have to say about the release of Dead and Distant Clamors:
“This song pays tribute to old-school black metal, embracing its desperate atmosphere and incorporating haunting, slow sections reminiscent of a depressive waltz. Guitars engage in a conversation around a hypnotic crescendo, while the vocals articulate the inevitable possibilities of decay. Expect nothing less than a pure homage to the essence of darkness.”
Track-list 1. Sulphurean Synods (6:42) [WATCH] 2. Sublunar Despondency (7:07) 3. Dead and Distant Clamors (5:35) [LISTEN] 4. Wounds that Heal (6:44) 5. Starving Crowns (8:05) 6. Under the Aimless Spheres (7:01) 7. Embalmer’s Wine (6:59) Total: 48:13
MERRIMACK are back with their new album ‘Of Grace and Gravity’. Their third release for Season of Mist arrives after the re-print of their long sold-out debut ‘Ashes of Purification’, which followed the sizeable impact that their last album, ‘Omegaphilia’, had on the Black Metal Scene.
MERRIMACK can be categorised as extreme traditionalists that are driven by a burning desire to hone their skills and striving to bring their art to perfection. The band was founded by guitarist Perversifier a.k.a. Amfortas in 1994 with a clear vision to keep the black metal flame burning as an act of aesthetic terrorism – as adamantly based in the underground as opposed to any attempts to co-opt, commercialise or turn the style into a self-parody. Introduced by a number of demo recordings (‘Prologue’ – 1995, ‘Act 1’ – 1995, ‘Horns Defeat Thorns’ – 2001) and split releases (with Hirilorn in 1998 and Sargeist in 2002), the French gained respect in the scene by remaining true to their words.
Although MERRIMACK decided to reach out to a larger audience with the release of their first full-length ‘Ashes of Purification’, the Parisians did not sever their roots with the underground at any time. With the following albums, ‘Of Entropy and Life Denial’ (2006) and ‘Grey Rigorism’ (2009), MERRIMACK closed ranks with the most influential, active, and authentic acts of the French black metal scene. Their classic combination of harsh sound with epic structures appealed to critics and fans alike and put the band on their celebrated first US tour with MARDUK and NACHTMYSTIUM in 2009.
After recording ‘The Acausal Mass’ (2012) in the legendary Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, DESTRÖYER 666) again, MERRIMACK embarked on a European tour with Norwegian icons MAYHEM and accepted invitations to prestigious festivals such as Hellfest in their native France, Germany’s Party-San Open Air and Summer Breeze as well as Montreal’s Messe des Morts in Canada. With their previous album, ‘Omegaphilia’, MERRIMACK were breathing fresh life into an exhausted genre. While ignoring epithets such as progressive, post-, and avant-garde, the French focused on razor-sharp songwriting, captivating melodies, and close to perfect arrangements.
The ensemble now presents their latest album ‘Of Grace and Gravity’, an aural journey where grotesque assemblies of roosters and goats languish at the foot of heavens. Wallowing guitars and hypnotized passages of blasting drums collide with gravity-bound atoms in oblivious occlusion. MERRIMACK, in their enigmatic mastery, expose the futility of belief in occult ministries and slashes at the mask of the sky. The listener, questioned in their faith of the shadows and occult idols. Dare believe in the sulfurous whispers echoing through this blackened masterpiece.
