Today, black metal noiseniks Brakel premiere the new track “Kwadeplas”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Wranger Wanen, set for international release on May 1st via Signal Rex. Hear Brakel‘s “Kwadeplas” in its entirety here:
The first full-length recording of Belgium’s Brakel, Wranger Wanen comprises nine songs across a time-evaporating / stretching 27 minutes. Signposts among raw black metal’s elite exist here – be it Black Cilice, Candelabrum, Múspellzheimr, or those orbiting the Signal Rex-endorsed Clandestine Circle of Aldebaran – but beneath the alternately shocking / shimmering soundfield bubble torched debris of power electronics. Hateful and ghoulish in equal measure but utterly alien in effect, the ghostly surge of in-the-red decibels across Wranger Wanen get wrangled into obscene shapes; with all those indeterminate pulses underneath, sometimes Brakel‘s sound approaches the mechanistic…if the Industrial Revolution was visualized in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, such is the expressionist horror on display.
No identities, no fun, no past, no future: Brakel assault the unsuspecting with Wranger Wanen.
Also get assaulted by the previously revealed “Tegen Geweten” HERE at Signal Rex‘s official YouTube channel. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Brakel’s Wranger Wanen 1. Overdal 2. Kwadeplas 3. Grauwkraal 4. Tegen Geweten 5. Dwaalrag 6. Oude Maart 7. Blâan 8. Zonderling En Drang 9. Nevel Neer
Today, Osmose Productions releases the surprise comeback album of legendary French black metallers Mütiilation, Black Metal Cult, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
2024… More than 30 years after its infamous creation, the black heart of Mütiilation is still pumping its poison.
Risen from the ashes, unexpected for decades… Meyhnach, in his unpredictable wisdom, resurrected the legend and brought back Mütiilation to the earthly plane to deliver its seventh spawn. A dark masterpiece of black metal that surpasses the hopes of the mortals, Black Metal Cult is certainly the culmination that punctuates Mütiilation‘s career.
The myth is alive, the Devil’s among you…
In the meantime, stream Black Metal Cult in its entirety here:
Order info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Mütiilation’s Black Metal Cult
1. Black Metal Cult [5:59] 2. Hominicide [6:58] 3. From the Plains of Ice and Death [7:19] 4. Into the Cursed Necropolis [7:31] 5. The Fall of Islam [8:48] 6. The Mirror of Disillusion [6:02]
Norwegian Black Metal Titans 1349 Team Up with Folk-Black Vanguard Kampfar for a Tour That Promises to Ignite the European Underground.
In a union that promises to reshape the contours of black metal, Norwegian titans 1349 are joining forces with the revered Kampfar for the highly anticipated 1349 & Kampfar – 2024 EU Co-Headline Tour. A ceremonial gathering of black metal’s most fervent apostles, ready to spread the gospel of Aural Hellfire and pagan might across Europe.
1349, known for their unwavering dedication to the essence of black metal, have continually evolved while respecting the genre’s roots. From their formation in the ashes of Alvheim in 1997 to their groundbreaking releases like ‘Hellfire’ and ‘Massive Cauldron of Chaos,’ 1349 have cemented their status as a powerhouse of Norwegian black metal. Their journey has been one of relentless touring, including memorable stints opening for metal legends CELTIC FROST, and achieving milestones such as scoring a nomination for a Norwegian Grammy. Their sonic evolution, marked by ventures into ambient darkness and collaborations with icons like CELTIC FROST’s Tom Gabriel “Warrior” Fischer, exhibits an innovative spirit that refuses to stagnate. In 2018, the band’s creative prowess was further recognized when they were chosen to set Edvard Munch’s paintings to music, resulting in the eerie masterpiece Dødskamp.
As 1349 continues to summon the beast of the abyss with their ferocious live performances, this tour marks a new pinnacle in their relentless advance. Alongside the equally formidable Kampfar, this co-headline venture is set to be a beacon for fans of true, unadulterated black metal. They’ll be bringing along special guests Afksy across all 23 EU dates.
1349 & Kampfar Co-Headline – 2024 EU Tour:
01 October: Leipzig, DE @ Anker 02 October: Berlin, DE @ SO36 03 October: Aarhus, DK @ Voxhall 04 October: Gothenburg, SE @ Filmstudion 05 October: Stockholm, SE @ Kolletkivet Livet 07 October: Helsinki, FI @ Aaniwalli 08 October: Tallinn, EE @ Helitehas 09 October: Riga, LV @ Melna Piektdiena 10 October: Warsaw, PL @ Proxima 11 October: Kraków, PL @ Kamienna 12 12 October: Vienna, AT @ Vienna Metal Meeting 13 October: Budapest, HU @ Barba Negra 15 October: Prague, CZ @ Futurum 16 October: Munich, DE @ Backstage 17 October: Milano, IT @ Slaughter Club 18 October: Colmar, FR @ Le Grillen 19 October: Aarburg, CH @ Musigburg 20 October: Oignies, FR @ Tyrant Fest 22 October: Weiher, DE @ Live Music Hall 23 October: Paris, FR @ Le Petit Bain 24 October: Bochum, DE @ Zeche 25 October: Amstelveen, NL @ P60 26 October: Maastricht, NL @ Samhain Festival
1349 States: ““Little did we know, more than four years ago, that by the time we would again go on tour in Europe, the continent was to be hit by a pandemic and a war. We have entered a time where grim realities have already become manifest, and a still deeper darkness hangs over us and has started its descent. To lend from our own songtitles, Pandemonium War Bells chime in the distance, threatening to become louder. It has become imminent to understand and take in the gravity and let the darkness sink in, and 1349 might just be the perfect soundtrack. Especially now, as we are about to release a particularly sinister and eerie album. We look forward to travel out to the Continent again and feel how the new songs work live in all their demonic splendour, as well as performing songs from our history and share their energies with both old fans and new. We are also pleased to be sharing the stage with fellow Norsemen Kampfar and our Danish brothers in Afsky who will join us on our journey southwards.“
Before embarking on this colossal tour, 1349 ascended new heights of darkness with their seventh studio album, The Infernal Pathway.
Emblazoned with the audacious tagline, “AURAL HELLFIRE,” the album maps a descent into darkness and chaos, marking the band’s continued dedication to bridging the old school with the avant-garde. The layered intensity of tracks such as Dødskamp or Striding the Chasm bespeak the band’s ability to create expansive soundscapes that echo with ultra-fast aggression and chilling ambients.
Current plans envision a brand new release to descend upon the black metal realm later in 2024. Stay tuned for the next chapter in the 1349 saga, where the AURAL HELLFIRE we experience, grows deeper and darker.
Norwegian black metal titans 1349 have returned with their long awaited seventh full-length: The Infernal Pathway. The album promises a journey through chaos and madness, darkness and peril, terror, and annihilation.
1349 is AURAL HELLFIRE. That has been, and continues to be, the primary concept since the band first rose from the ashes of Alvheim in 1997. Conceived around the founding members – vocalist and former drummer Ravn, guitarist Tjalve, and Seidemann on bass – 1349 completed their line-up with the addition of guitarist Archaon in 1999 and SATYRICON drum-legend Frost in 2001.
When their debut Liberation was unleashed in 2003, the Norwegians took the world by storm with their intense blend of old school black metal soundscapes and ultra-fast aggression. Further assaults followed in rapid succession. Beyond the Apocalypse (2004) and Hellfire (2005) cemented the band’s reputation as one of the strongest acts in the scene.
Upon the departure of founding member Tjalve, who decided to focus on his band PANTHEON I, 1349 have since continued as a four-piece – occasionally adding guest guitarists. Extensive touring aided the growth of their now massive following when the four-piece opened for reunited metal legends CELTIC FROST in North America in 2006.
Impressively demonstrating that holding true to the principles of the genre do not mean nostalgia and stagnation, 1349 widened their sonic palette with Revelations of the Black Flame (2009), which was co-mixed by CELTIC FROST mastermind Tom Gabriel “Warrior” Fischer. This inspired a newfound ambient darkness from the band, which was further explored on Demonoir (2010).
Massive Cauldron of Chaos (2013) was the next milestone in the Norwegians merciless advance, scoring excellent reviews and a nomination for a Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannprisen). The release sparked more festival shows as well as extensive touring, bringing 1349 to Australia and New Zealand. In 2018, the Munch Museum and Innovation Norway chose 1349 as one of four bands to create a song based on the paintings of Edvard Munch. As a result, the single Dødskamp was released earlier this year.
After performing a fiery show at Norway’s Inferno festival this year, 1349 started recording in Amper Tone studios and Studio Nyhagen with engineer Jarrett Pritchard. Thus, The Infernal Pathway was born, a sonic parallel to summoning and unleashing the beast of the abyss in all its fearsome, ferocious, and powerful splendour.
On March 29th, NoEvDia will release Verberis‘ highly anticipated third album, The Apophatic Wilderness.
“Do you not recognize the trials requested of you? Do you not hear the swarms of voracious flies? Do you not smell corruption’s fetid perfume? As moths to candle flame, so compelled and beguiled to be blind to your annihilation in the Devil’s fires.”‘
With The Apophatic Wilderness, Verberis reveals an image of man cast into the house of Abaddon. Three formidable compositions totaling 41 minutes proceed from 2022’s Adumbration of the Veiled Logos, recounting an entanglement of hubris, submission, worship, and ruin.
As with the past two releases, The Apophatic Wilderness was recorded by the constellation of DA with JSM, NH, and MP. This time, the essence of germanium transistors and magnetic tape imbues the sonic spectrum and provides an aura of vintage viscerality.
While collaborating once more with Ars Alchymiae and Magnus Lindberg, further control was relinquished to achieve a final product reaching beyond the capacities of the band’s core alone. In this respect, mixing was by the hands of Richard Behrens, whereas layout and typography came forth from an open grave.
Take heed in the apophatic wilderness.
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Labyrinthine Privation” here:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Verberis’ The Apophatic Wilderness 1. The Emptying of God [10:57] 2. Labyrinthine Privation [10:23] 3. Arteries Unto Ruin I [11:37] 4. Arteries Unto Ruin II [8:28]
Today, mystic black metallers Darkestrah stream the entirety of their highly anticipated seventh album, Nomad,. Set for international release on March 29th via Osmose Productions, hear Darkestrah‘s Nomad in its entirety here:
On Nomad, their seventh full-length album, Darkestrah venture further on their chosen path of Epic Shamanic Black Metal. Sharp black metal riffing and traditional Central Asian melodies, verses from Kyrgyz epic poetry, and visions of spiritual quests are all woven into the fabric of this new opus.
With a new lineup consisting of long-term veterans and fresh blood, Darkestrah have never been in better shape.
Preorder link can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Darkestrah’s Nomad
1. Journey Through Blue Nothingness [2:12] 2. Kök-Oy [8:00] 3. Nomad [9:29] 4. Destroyer of Obstacles [9:28] 5. Quest for the Soul [9:43] 6. The Dream of Kojojash [4:51] 7. A Dream That Omens Death [1:45]
Today, Hells Headbangers announces May 10th as the international release date for Desolus‘ highly anticipated debut album, System Shock, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
In lieu of this announcement, Desolus will embark upon a month-long North American tour with labelmates Spiter starting in late May. Full list of confirmed dates & venues as well as tour poster are as follows:
5/24 Fri – Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus 5/25 Sat – Cambridge, MA – Middle East / Upstairs 5/26 Sun Montreal, QC – Piranha Bar 5/28 Tue Ottawa, ON @ Dominion Tavern 5/29 Wed Toronto, ON @ Bar Orwell 5/30 Thu – Cleveland, OH @ No Class 5/31 Fri – Detroit, MI @ Outer Limits Lounge 6/1 Sat – Chicago, IL @ Reggies / Music Joint 6/2 Sun – Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray Arcade 6/3 Mon – Davenport, IA @ Raccoon Motel 6/5 Wed – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive 6/6 Thu – Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon 6/7 Fri – Boise, ID @ The Shredder 6/8 Sat – Portland, OR @ The High Water Mark 6/9 Sun – Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt 6/10 Mon – Seattle, WA @ Belltown Yacht Club 6/11 Tue – Olympia, WA @ Cryptatropa Bar 6/12 Wed – Eureka, CA @ Savage Henry Comedy Club 6/13 Thu – Oakland, CA @ Stork Club 6/14 Fri – Los Angeles, CA @ Knucklehead Bar 6/15 Sat – San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick 6/16 Sun – Las Vegas, NV @ The Griffin 6/17 Mon – Tempe, AZ @ The Beast 6/19 Wed – El Paso, TX @ Rockhouse 6/20 Thu – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger 6/21 Fri – Austin, TX @ The Lost Well 6/22 Sat – Dallas, TX @ Double Wide 6/23 Sun – Tulsa, OK @ Whittier Bar 6/25 Tue – St Louis, MO @ The Sinkhole 6/26 Wed – Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle 6/27 Thu – Pittsburgh, PA @ Shred Shed 6/28 Fri – Washington, D.C. @ Pie Shop 6/29 Sat – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
Hailing from the Mid-Atlantic United States, Desolus formed in 2019 at the beginning of the pandemic. Inspired by Sodom, Kreator, and Dark Angel, Jimmy Frost (guitars and vocals) and Vivek Rangarajan (bass and vocals) wrote songs as an outlet for the feeling of what seemed to be the end of times. As time went by and the dust settled, they traveled north to Baltimore, where they recorded a series of demos with Sebastian Phillips (Exhumed / Noisem / Castle Freak). Phillips engineered and tracked drums on these demos in hopes to release it for the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) metal scene. While recording these songs, they met Travis Stone (percussion), a former member of Noisem and current member of Pig Destroyer. Stone heard the songs and was on board as soon as the first riff played. Soon after, he began rehearsing with the band day in and day out until they were ready to take their music to the streets. Desolus gained traction within the DMV music scene over the span of a few years and began traveling across the United States to spread their love of old-school thrash.
Now, at long last is Desolus‘ imminent debut album ready. Titled System Shock, the power-trio’s first full-length consists of nine ripping songs featuring themes of horrors beyond this world, Satanic science fiction, and a dystopian future that is seemingly within arm’s reach. While there’s no shortage of bands still thrashing like the 1980s never ended, Desolus immediately and irrevocably prove that they’re indeed the Real Deal: System Shock pumps adrenaline and stirs bloodlust with an energy and elan that are impossible to ignore – and even more impossible to deny. But beyond the band’s energy overload is a deeply ingrained understanding of what made those aforementioned legends of Sodom, Kreator, and Dark Angel so vital: strong songwriting, and the razor-sharp execution to back it up. Each member here is superlative with his given instrument, locating that elusive middle point between ultra-tight and ultraviolent, and the trade-off vocals between Rangarajan and Frost in particular impart a madman’s touch to this already overflowing buffet of high-speed metal. Add to this an absolutely devastating production courtesy of Phillips and System Shock becomes mandatory listening for those who fly high the flag of hate and still feel persecution mania. Desolus are here to reanimate the graves of the old gods!
In the meantime, hear the previously revealed title track “System Shock” HERE at Hells Headbangers. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:HERE‘ official YouTube channel.
Tracklisting for Desolus’ System Shock 1. System Shock 2. From Man to Machine 3. Curse Of The Technomancer 4. Metal Fetishist 5. The Arrival 6. The Invasion Begins 7. Interlude (Hidden Track) 8. Sea Of Fire 9. The Sigilite 10. Panopticon
Dark Descent Records is set to unleash Armageddon Patronage, the second album from Copenhagen’s purveyors of ‘accursed death’ STRYCHNOS.
The follow-up to 2022’s breakout debut A Mother’s Curse delivers the expected onslaught of uncompromising black/death metal. Armageddon Patronage features a guest appearance by Michael Poulsen (Volbeat, Dominus).
The band has shared the first track off Armageddon Patronage, “Winds Warning the Final Storm.” Stream it now here:
Armageddon Patronage embodies the immense drive of a band operating at full throttle, refining their distinct blend of extreme metal bound to no god, master, or genre. Following a string of intense and blood-stained festival performances STRYCHNOS is now the name on the underground’s lips. Propelled by this vast momentum, the band toiled tirelessly to record and release Armageddon Patronage less than two years after their debut.
“This release will showcase a natural continuation of what A Mother’s Curse began,” reflects bassist/vocalist Martin Leth Andersen. “The band seeks to refine and push further key elements from the debut – in ways of both aggressiveness and the more atmospheric parts. This follow-up also showcases an array of new details like alternative instrumentation, vocal variations, intros, outros, and a couple of noticeable guest appearances.”
Rare is the band within these realms that improves so exponentially with each new release. Do not miss the flight of STRYCHNOS… for one may never know how long the underground can contain them.
Armageddon Patronage will be out May 17 on CD, cassette, vinyl, and digital formats. Pre-order at:
4) Endless Void Dimension (featuring Michael Poulson)
5) Pale Black Birds
6) Stanken Af Dyd
7) Sweeping Storm of Suicide
8) Nattevandrerinden
Armageddon Patronage was recorded and mixed by Lasse Ballade at Copenhagen’s Ballade Studios, and mastered by none other than Necromorbus’ infamous Tore Stjerna.
SLAUGHTERSUN have released the dark and macabre new track “Ready Cell Awaits”. Discordant and entwining dissonant leads make for a hauntingly heavy track. Watch your back, or you might not make it out alive.
Vocalist Justin Hillman comments:
“‘Ready Cell Awaits’ takes the listener on the journey of sitting in a cell, awaiting execution and searching desperately for anything spiritual to cling to in order to relieve the anguish.”
Listen to “Ready Cell Awaits” here:
About SLAUGHTERSUN: Drawing musical, lyrical and creative influences from the likes of DEMILICH, GORGUTS, CANNIBAL CORPSE and AT THE GATES, to name a few, SLAUGHTERSUN create their own take on the death metal subgenre. Band founder Ben Karas (WINDFAERER) initially began writing for SLAUGHTERSUN back in 2017, but it wasn’t until 2022 that Karas was able to fully dedicate time and energy into the band. The band’s line-up soon came together comprised of Karas’ THANK YOU SCIENTIST band mate Cody McCorry, along with Jason Quinones (TOMBSTONER) and Justin Hillman (CRANIAL DAMAGE). In 2023, SLAUGHTERSUN began to rehearse and record in their full form and soon turned to preparing their debut “Fall of the Firmament”.
SLAUGHTERSUN is: Justin Hillman – Unearthly Wails Ben Karas – Treble Strings Cody McCorry – Bass Strings Jason Quinones – Hammer Battalion
Today, Chilean death metallers Coffin Curse premiere the new track “Reeking Filth of Ages” . The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, The Continuous Nothing, set for international release on April 22nd via Memento Mori. Hear Coffin Curse‘s “Reeking Filth of Ages” in its entirety here:
Although Chile’s Coffin Curse came into being in 2012 as a side-project of Inanna‘s Max Neira, it didn’t take long for the band to assert their own identity. A demo was released that same year, to be followed by a handful of EPs and splits, all before culminating in Coffin Curse‘s debut album for Memento Mori, Ceased to Be. A fresh breath of old air, Ceased to Be was as exemplary of 1990 death metal than it was 2020 “death metal.” In their “regressive” / elevated state of mind, DEATH METAL back then possessed charisma and songwriting, chops and more than a bit of madness. Maybe class, too? Compared to so much riff-salad wank that’s followed, Coffin Curse were indeed classy.
Now, four years later, Coffin Curse are back to reassert that classiness with The Continuous Nothing. Thankfully, LP#2 is a logical continuation of that not-inconsiderable debut: timeless, taut, and terrorizing, actual songwriting is pushed to the fore with ceaselessly catchy riffing and an abundance of haunting-the-chapel leads. Also thankfully, Coffin Curse are unafraid of displaying their influences here – Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Immolation during their turn-of-the-’90s heydays, as well as the viciousness of founding fathers Possessed, Massacre, and Chile’s Pentagram – but once again, the duo’s charisma pushes The Continuous Nothing into the realm of inspired rather than “inspired by,” as each of the album’s nine songs surges & slices with maximum memorability and quite-literally-dangerous execution. But, through it all, The Continuous Nothing engages because of its classic / classy songwriting and none-more-powerful production, where each instrument is organic and almost-overwhelming in its true-to-life physicality. No popcorn or punch-ins here!
Once again, Daniel Hermosilla (Nox Fragor Art) provides the dark-psychedelic icing on the cake with his cover artwork. For those who worship such vital follow-ups as Legion, Retribution, and Blessed are the Sick, Coffin Curse‘s The Continuous Nothing is for you!
Also hear the previously revealed “Bacchanal of the Mortal” HERE at Memento Mori‘s official YouTube channel. Aforementioned cover art and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Coffin Curse’s The Continuous Nothing 1. Thin the Herd 2. Bacchanal of the Mortal 3. Deceased Races 4. Reeking Filth of Ages 5. Primitive Doctrines Crushed 6. Mauled by Unseen Atrocities 7. Among the Suffering Souls 8. The Dead’s Deafening Silence
Today, atmospheric black metallers Acathexis stream the entirety of their highly anticipated second album, Immerse. Set for international release on March 20th as a joint release between Amor Fati Productions and Extraconscious Records, hear Acathexis‘ Immense in its entirety here:
Sometimes in a band’s history, there’s a moment where the calm comes after the storm – when their first output burns brightly, making itself almost impossible to compete with. To simply repeat it would be a mistake, so it’s time to change. A significant change, but not in the core of the music, just a change in tonalities, from harsh to smooth, from pained to beautiful…
This is not the case with Acathexis.
Jake, Dany, and Déhà return with their searing style of atmospheric black metal. Like the ebb and flow of the human experience, light-speed blastbeats interweave with introspective passages to express a flurry of emotions and energy, with heartrending screams, harsh guitars that veil solemnity, produced triumphantly but with the mark of each member imprinted clearly upon it. They haven’t changed, and they have much more to say with the sound which has become their signature.
Produced between their three studios in Argentina, USA, and Belgium, the intercontinental band managed another tour de force with distance and discipline that, six years later, makes Acathexis a band that is more than just the coalition of members behind Mare Cognitum, Los Males del Mundo, or Silver Knife, but a beast of its own.
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Acathexis’ Immerse 1. Dreams of Scorched Mirrors [11:39] 2. Adrift in Endless Tides [12:38] 3. The Other [9:37] 4. A Slow, Weary Wind [15:58]
