Helldprod Records marks July 19th as the release date for Chapel Of Samhain’s debut album, Black Onyx Cave, in cassette format.
A path has been made for so long that desire gave birth to a new dimension of horror, where the graves awake at night and swallow the breathless.
Black Onyx stared into this abyss and sealed a left hand pact with Phoros to rot the alchemy upon the philosophical stone. These fumes wrecked the pillars of time and procreated a vicious ensemble of smothering tunes towards ruin baptized under the moniker CHAPEL OF SAMHAIN.
Totally architect in a monolithic vision and crafted in the sulfuric womb of lunacy both musicians accepted this challenge outside their other musical projects (Grog, Velório & Nethermancy) to embrace and celebrate the newborn spirits of the dead.
Wandering through the extreme and obscure catacombs of the old school metal scripts, traces of death, black with eerie symphonies gather for a mass of skull crushing hymns along with a choir of morbid enchantments that turn down the crosses for the CHAPEL OF SAMHAIN hordes as the ambiances grow thicker within the abyssic layers of doom.
Once entering Black Onyx Cave, an altar will rise as you will feel the mark and the creation force behind this unparalleled vortex meant to represent the seasons change within light and shadow as Man grows wither into His Mastery. Transmutation is the Key!
FFO early Morgoth, Profanatica, Teitanblood, Acheron and Imprecation.
After being released in CD ad LP (black vinyl) by the ominous Nuclear Winter Records, now is the time for the exclusive release in tape format by yours truly underground’s Helldprod.
Chapel Of Samhain’s Black Onyx Cave Tracklist:
Side A: 1. Charnel [04:59] 2. Flesh [05:18] 3. Pale [04:14]
Line-up: BLACK ONYX – artistic concept, veil composer, throat channeler, mineral conductor, and ignominious producer from the plainness infinity. PHOROS – mass ritual ensemble holistic architect and black hole summoner for all fiery production baptized in volcanic ashes.
On August 24th internationally, Personal Records is proud to present a brand-new mini-album from Vomitrot, Emetic Imprecations, on digipack CD format.
Vomitrot are a new one for Personal Records: extremely filthy, disgusting, and in-your-face CAVEMAN death metal, which only proves what the labels name means – a name that releases what it likes and does not pigeonhole to any genre or belief as long as the music is good and personal.
Forming in 2019, Vomitrot released their Rehearsal Demo MMXX in 2020 and, two years later, the debut album Rotten Vomit. Emerging from the primordial soup of boiling body fluids, the Swedish power-trio return nastier than ever with the release of Emetic Imprecations.
A stout recording at six songs in 26 minutes, Emetic Imprecations is almost so overwhelming that any second after that length would simply be too much to bear. Here, Vomitrot deliver a bizarre breed of vicious death metal, originating from an unholy mix of old-school death metal, war metal, and grindcore. The feverish riffs, the guitar tone that with cuts through your bones with the finesse of a rusty saw, the gut-wrenching vocals, the subsonic bass frequencies that stimulate the primal urge to dominate your enemies by making them gargle on their innards, and the schizophrenia-inducing hammering on the drums, purely driven by instinct and insanity – all components blend together disharmoniously into an explosive diarrhea of emetic madness and primal entropy.
Other bands may pose as “caveman,” but Vomitrot truly live it, and prove it with pustulent punctuation on Emetic Imprecations! Recommended for maniacs of early Incantation and Kataklysm, as well as Canada’s Cremation, Finland’s Abhorrence, and America’s Infester: YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!
First track to be revealed shortly. Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
On August 16th internationally, Stygian Black Hand in conspiracy with Invictus Productions are proud to present a brand-new mini-album from Horns & Hooves, Spectral Voyeurism. Stygian Black Hand will handle the 12″ vinyl and cassette tape releases while Invictus will handle the CD release.
The south Brooklyn skels Horns & Hooves return with a devious new mini-LP entitled Spectral Voyeurism. Chasing the high of their acclaimed debut album, I Am the Skel Messiah, miscreants Malebolge, Salpsan, and Orobas conjure the anguipedal demon Abraxas, as the trio presides over the unholy union between the Cockheaded demigod, the omnitumescent Satan, and the demicuck Christ. Perverse black metal ensues, taking unexpected thrusts into previously-untouched holes of sound and progressive segues, with both instrumentation and virility most uncommon to the genre but entirely sensible in the warped universe of Horns & Hooves. Highly recommended for fans of Absu, Nifelheim, Carnivore, Venom, and Sadistik Exekution.
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Waiting for Creation”here:
Cover artwork, courtesy of Karmazid, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Horns & Hooves’ Spectral Voyeurism 1. Pleromic Birth (Intro) [1:23] 2. Spectral Voyeurism [5:22] 3. Shallow Blue (Hesitation) [2:44] 4. Waiting For Creation [7:38] 5. Dust [7:16]
Lead single “Hope Shatters” is an anthem for our dying era
Touring North America with Zeal & Ardor
“These shrouded and mysterious artists may hide their faces and their identities but their feelings and passion is out for all the world to see” – Metal Injection
“Terrifying at times, but beautiful, almost like life” – New Noise
GAEREA arrived shrouded in mystery. The masked sensations emerged from pandemic limbo with a vision for black metal that was guided not by myths or pagan beliefs but a purging of emotion. Existential dread still pulses through the Portuguese band’s blood, but their upcoming fourth album signals a shift in psychology.
With Coma, Gaerea are no longer strictly a black metal band. Instead, they’re breaking to the forefront of extreme metal. Though their new album was produced by trusted confidant Miguel Tereso, it broadens the band’s signature sound by taking it in two seemingly opposed directions. There are more moments of intense beauty, but they only heighten the ensuing blows.
The world may be as hopeless as the album’s lead single declares. But with Coma, Gaerea have returned to prove that they are only the band who can guide us into the darkness.
Coma comes out October 25, 2024 on Season of Mist.
When Gaerea secretly gave everyone a sneak peek at their new album back in April, they set the world ablaze. Now, with the first official single off Coma, they’re ushering in the immediate aftermath. Hope Shatters opens with a lone guitar that wails like a siren before a whirl of blast beats sucks the world back into the band’s vortex.
“Welcome to the urban abyss“, their unnamed vocalist pronounces. “Where dreams turn to rust”.
Gaerea aren’t afraid to embrace harsh realities. There’s clean singing on Coma, but the swarming darkness of “Hope Shatters” is only punctured by cries of agony. Even when the song collapses under its blistering heaviness, the melody hangs perilously in the air, like a swaying chandelier, before it’s smashed to pieces by hammering bass and concussive drum fills.
Still, perhaps Gaerea have uncovered a shred of hope from beneath the blackened wreckage. As “Hope Shatters” meets its end, the band push ahead through the ashes with a triumphant, headbanging riff. “Enter the maze through the never-ending haze”.
With Hope Shatters, Gaerea deliver an anthem for our dying era.
The video for Hope Shatters was produced by Grupa 13 and directed by Dariusz Szermanowicz.
Tracklist 1. The Poet’s Ballet (7:39) 2. Hope Shatters (4:05) [WATCH] 3. Suspended (5:02) 4. World Ablaze (3:29) [WATCH] 5. Coma (5:19) 6. Wilted Flower (5:50) 7. Reborn (3:51) 8. Shapeshifter (6:24) 9. Unknown (4:24) 10. Kingdom of Thorns (4:45) Total runtime: 50:54
To usher in this new era, Gaerea are touring behind Coma later this year when they come to North America with Zeal & Ardor and ZETRA.
The band will also be performing “World Ablaze”, “Hope Shatters” and other songs from their new album at several European summer festivals, along with two special dates with Behemoth and Testament.
Gaerea North American Tour 2024 with Zeal & Ardorand ZETRA
Arist Presale: July 17 @ 10 am Local Time Local Presale: July 18 @ 10 am Local Time General Ticket Sale: July 19 @ 10 am Local Time
November 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer [TICKETS] November 24 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge [TICKETS] November 25 – Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall [TICKETS] November 27 – Montreal, QC @ Le Studio TD [TICKETS] November 28 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House [TICKETS] November 29 – Detroit, MI @ The Majestic [TICKETS] November 30 – Milvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre [TICKETS] December 2 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue [TICKETS] December 3 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall [TICKETS] December 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre [TICKETS] December 6 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre [TICKETS] December 7 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge [TICKETS] December 9 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox [TICKETS] December 10 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre [TICKETS] December 11 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom [TICKETS] December 13 – Berkeley, CA @ US Theatre [TICKETS] December 14 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory [TICKETS] December 15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom [TICKETS] December 17 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk [TICKETS] December 18 – Dallas, TX @ Studio at The Factory [TICKETS]
Gaerea with Behemoth & Testament July 21 – Warsaw, PL @ Progresja Summer Stage July 23 – Kosice, SK @ Kulturapark
Additional Gaerea European Summer Dates July 20 – Fridek – Mistek, CZ @ Dark Session Fest July 25 – Ljubljana, SI @ Tolminator August 1 – Rasnov, ROU @ Rockstadt Extreme Fest August 8 – Kotka, FI @ Dark River Festival August 30 – Volos, GR @ Golden R Festival
Behind black shrouds of obscurity and desolation, the performers of GAEREA deliver their odes in cascading maelstroms of aggression and beauty. Emerging from the age of pandemic to whatever awaits humanity next, the dark horde remains on the frontlines of the next generation of extreme metal. With an EP and three albums to their name, GAEREA has rapidly distinguished themselves from the thousands of bands toiling away in the underground. Brewing their cauldron of sound from a recipe of pounding black-metal blast mixed with a touch of harrowed, reflective longing, many devotees of the darkened arts have flocked to their banner. With the emergence of third full-length album Mirage, those numbers certainly grew.
GAEREA met a challenge when releasing their second album during the pandemic, the aptly titled Limbo, to excellent world reception. In the meantime, they found the total suspension of interactive life as it was previously known to be the perfect breeding ground for further creation and making.
Sizzling with ambition from day one, GAEREA may present one unique face to their audience, masked and enshrouded, but the truth is they have not remained changeless.
As their previous album name Mirage suggests, the inability to trust what our senses are telling us could be construed as one of the album’s central themes. Rather than constrict their art to mythological references or anti-religious tropes, GAEREA instead plumb the depths of the human experiences of isolation and suffering.
Just two years since Mirage was released, GAEREA is here, erupting with intensity, casting forth black ashes over the world yet again.
Their latest release, Coma, has finally surfaced, marking a pivotal shift. From this point forward, everything changes. It’s time for GAEREA to bridge the gap between underground metal and the elevated realm they’ve attained. With Coma, GAEREA emerges from the underground scene, ascending towards a permanently lasting position at the head of the table.
An emotional gateway to a dark black metal scene, a guide to salvation, pain, despair and letting go. Moving up, into the blackness that is above. GAEREA is the answer, the only answer.
Within ‘Coma’s’ ten tracks lies an individual narrative, each with its own tale to unveil. Collectively, they blend nuances of aggression, tranquility, solitude, and fervor.
Boasting a superior production that threads the needle between caustic and clarity, GAEREA yet again admit their loyalty to producer Miguel Tereso of Demigod Recordings for the production of Coma. Together they created the birth of ‘Coma’, the new era for metal mankind. Distinguishing themselves ever more so, the Vortex handpicked their artist Nathan Lorenzana with a clear assignment to create their mesmerizing cover artwork. Months of hand drawing the image with a ballpen lead to this masterpiece which dipped his name into ‘Coma’.
The beauty of GAEREA lies in the directness and simplicity found within their florid tapestry of extremity and aggression. Whether it is in the less-polished aural dynamite of Mirage, or in the lustrous textures of Coma, GAEREA is building a mighty edifice of metal. With talons dipped in the inky blood of black metal and scraped across the flesh of human suffering, GAEREA is leading a charge into the future of darkness, and all those who find beauty and power in the dark side of existence would do well to take heed.
Recording Studio Demigod Studios at Redbox Studios
Production Credits Produced by GAEREA Recorded by Miguel Tereso at Redbox Studios Mixed and Mastered by Miguel Tereso at Demigod Studios
Today, Spanish death metallers Krypticy stream the entirety of their highly anticipated second album, The Non-Return. Set for international release on July 22nd via Memento Mori, hear Krypticy‘s The Non-Return in its entirety here:
Krypticy was founded by main composer Alex Guerrero (vocals/guitar) in Málaga, back in 2013. The band’s debut EP, Necronomicon, captured their fondness for old-school death metal, most specially of the Floridian kind (Morbid Angel, Obituary, Death, Cancer). By the time they released their debut full-length, Hideous Being, a few years later, the band was already exhibiting a larger range of influences (Suffocation, Malevolent Creation, Deicide, Decapitated) and had begun to play live, sharing the stage with bands such as Lapidated, Avulsed, Wormed, Aposento, and Necrophiliac, among others.
With the band solidifying their lineup by the end of 2022 – Guerrero alongside Pancho Vázquez (drums), Thomas Schenk (bass/backing vocals), and Sergio Álvarez (guitar) – Krypticy signed with Memento Mori for their sophomore full-length. And now it arrives, bearing the ominous title The Non-Return. As forecasted by its stark cover artwork (courtesy of Cardaver Art) and cryptic nomenclature, The Non-Return sees Krypticy aiming to push the limits their already consolidated sound. Undoubtedly still tried & true DEATH METAL, there’s nevertheless a strive for something more spiritual here, as the quartet seek an evolution towards a more unique personality whilst retaining the classic edge that always defined Krypticy‘s approach to the genre. Mind you, this isn’t doublespeak for going all-out “prog” or leaving behind death metal altogether (and still calling it such); rather, the band have begun to more fluently speak different dialects within the same language, producing a multilingual approach that can only but strengthen the sum effect. So, while the traditional tropes of late ’80s thrashing and early ’90s grinding are well and accounted for, there’s a markedly angular aspect to Krypticy‘s songwriting on The Non-Return, which works up a fever & fury when riffs and riffs and RIFFS attack, one mercilessly after the other, the rhythm section surging and staying linear and ultimately producing a memorability that easily evades verse/chorus structures.
So, for those who willingly have their minds warped by such unfussy sleepers as Suffocation’s Pierced From Within, Malevolent Creation’s Stillborn, Decapitated’s The Negation, and Diabolic’s Infinity Through Purification, prepare to arrive at your destination with Krypticy‘s The Non-Return!
Aforementioned cover artwork and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Krypticy’s The Non-Return 1. Infected Pharaoh 2. Hypatia’s Heresy 3. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4. The Void 5. The Water Street Butcher 6. UGH! 7. Krypticy 8. Virgins Recently Fucked Sacrifice
With the resounding chants of Christopher Juul, Maria Franz, and Kai Uwe Faust, HEILUNG does not merely perform; they invoke. Their rituals, veiled in the essences of forgotten landscapes, pull you into a realm where the primordial and the modern collide. Their sonic enchantments, crafted with ancestral breath and iron’s cold kiss, transcend the mere act of listening, pulling you into a communal trance born of earth and stars.
Prepare, kindred spirits, as the Nordic collective declares their upcoming voyage, Albion, Eiru ok Erop Ferdhast, an odyssey through the mists of history and the echoes of old.
HEILUNG’s rituals are not bound by the constraints of traditional performances; their ceremonies cultivate an atmosphere where time shifts and bends. Steeped in throat singing, rhythmic sacraments of bone and hide, and the flickering dance of firelight, their evocations at places like the legendary Red Rocks have already etched unforgettable marks on the threads of time.
Albion, Eiru ok Erop Ferdhast – EU 2025 Spring Tour: 7 March: Helsinki, FI @ Ice Hall 9 March: Stockholm, SE @ Hovet 12 March: Oslo, NO @ Spektrum 14 March: Aarhus, DK @ ACC 16 March: Copenhagen, DK @ Black Box 19 March: Oberhausen, DE @ Turbinehalle 21 March: Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion 23 March: Esch-sur-Alzette, LU @ Rockhal 15 April: London, UK @ O2 Brixton Academy 17 April: Dublin, IR @ 3Arena 19 April: Edinburgh, UK @ O2 Academy 21 April: Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo 23 April: Lille, FR @ Zenith 25 April: Lyon, FR @ Halle Tony Garnier 27 April: Milan, IT @ Teatro Arcimboldi
Step into the eternal cycle. Tickets, gateways to this transcendent experience, can be summoned through the following link:
HEILUNG don’t play shows. They perform a ritual. Every performance begins with Kai Uwe Faust leading Christopher Juul, Maria Franz and the rest of the Nordic collective in an ancient prayer. Soon after, the audience is swept into rapture, swayed by incense and throat singing, primordial rhythms, subtle electronic textures, a mesmerizing light show, an army of warriors and bursts of fire.
Since they began in 2015, Heilung have been paving melodic paths to the past with their unique and mystifying sound. Evading all conventional genre tags and the confines of any specific labels, the group aptly self-describes their sound as “amplified history,” emphasizing their ability to connect modern society with the rudiments of humanity’s beginnings through music.
“Our ancestral Nordic civilizations did not just pop up, exist and disappear in isolation”, says Faust, a throat singer and one of Heilung’s three composers. “With singing these primordial songs we want to give tribute to these cultures, reconnect to the beginnings and remember that we all, from East to West, from past to present, are connected through the exchange of ideas and inspiring each other”.
While Heilung features authentic and archaic instrumentation that ranges from rattles and ritual bells to human bones and throat singing, their captivating brand of music is far from primitive. Producer and founding member Christopher Juul implements subtle electronic elements that elevates the musical atmosphere and provides a more in-depth and layered soundscape.
Indeed, Heilung’s success has been unprecedented, achieving milestones in its few short years of existence that many do not see in a lifetime. The collective already had rapidly been growing a buzz upon the self-release of their first full-length Ofnir in 2015, but their dizzying upward trajectory really took off from the moment they set foot on the stage at Castlefest in 2017 for the now-legendary debut of their live ritual. Luckily for those who were not fortunate enough to bare witness to this magical event, the full ceremony was captured on film, having since been viewed by tens of millions of fans across the globe.
As Heilung trekked across Europe and brought their mystifying experience to new audiences, talk of this new band and their stunning ceremony made way to Season of Mist label owner Michael Berberian, who quickly offered the band a record contract after seeing their undeniable musical impact for himself.
By 2019, Heilung launched their second full-length record, Futha, which contrasted the masculine and battle-heavy themes of their debut with a feminine counterpart that celebrated fertility and female energy. Upon the first week of the record’s release, it graced the Billboard charts with coveted numbers, debuting at #3 on the Heatseekers Charts and #4 on the Billboard World Music Chart, placing on a total of seven Billboard charts while meeting critical-acclaim from the press on a global scale.
Their music has even appeared in places that extend far beyond typical concert venues. From hit television series like Game of Thrones and Vikings to video game giants like Conqueror’s Blade VII: “Wolves of Ragnarök and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II to the blockbuster Robert Eggers film The Northman, Heilung’s music has risen far above the underground and has transcended into a greater world. Even a global pandemic couldn’t slow down Heilung’s success; it only strengthened them and gave them the gift of time to complete work on their third album. In English, Drif translates as “Gathering”. The music embodies this philosophy by tying together the beginning of civilization with today’s modern society.
Heilung now perform their rituals all over the world. They sold out their first North American tour in 72 hours. Upon returning to the United States in 2021, they were greeted by another sold-out crowd, this time at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. This performance will be released on vinyl, CD and Blu-Ray in 2024, along with another performance at the Apollo Theatre in Hammersmith, London.
During the lead-up to the new LIFAs, Heilung will embark on headlining tours of Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Along the way, they will cast their spell over more of the world’s biggest stages, including Roskilde Festival, Download Festival and Glastonbury. But no matter where they are, Heilung always begin their performance with a humbling reminder of where we all come from.
“Remember, we are all brothers. All people, beasts, tree and stone and wind, we all descend from the one great being that was always there, before people lived and named it, before the first seed sprouted.”Line-up: Kai Uwe Faust Christopher Juul Maria Franz
Savage Lands are still buzzing after their performance on the main stage at Hellfest. Today, the musician-run 501(c) 3 non-profit is thrilled to announce that the festival is donating one million Euro to support their ongoing reforestation efforts in Costa Rica and Europe!
“This is a historical move by Hellfest and a great signal to the music industry”, says musician-turned-activist Sylvain Demercastel, who founded Savage Lands with Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren. “Such an extraordinarily generous donation from a renowned festival is just another example of the many ways that the metal community supports each other”.
Hellfest’s donation is just one part of a five-year partnership. Savage Lands will continue to host a booth on the festival grounds. This year, Bill Hudson (I Am Morbid), members of Dimmu Borgir and other metalheads stopped by their booth to learn more about the green zones, nature sanctuaries and other biodiversity preservation projects that they are building in Costa Rica. The non-profit has protected 60,000 square feet of rain forest using 100% of the royalties from their music.
“As a non-profit, we depend on the support of our listeners, other organizations and fellow artists”, Sylvain says.
Many of their famous friends showed up to support Savage Lands at Hellfest. Sylvain was backed by familiar faces in Florian Pons (Loco Muerte) and Poun and Etienne Treton (Black Bomb A). Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) and Daniel de Jongh (Textures) joined for their entire set, which kicked off with “The Last Howl”, a fitting tribute to the endangered howler monkey. Chloe Trujillio hopped on for the blackened groove of “Black Rock Heart”, followed by Silje Wergeland (The Gathering) who sang along to the band’s new melancholic single “No Remedy”.
Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy) and Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ) pledged their support via video. So did Maria Franz from Heilung, who are also partnering with Savage Lands. The Nordic collective are donating $1 for every ticket sold on their US tour to support the non-profit’s reforestation efforts.
As if that wasn’t enough starpower, for their grand finale, Savage Lands brought out Jesper Liveröd (Nasum) Alejandro Montoya (Cultura tres) Billy Graziadei (Biohazard) and Shane Embury (Napalm Death) for a bloody, screaming rendition of “Roots”.
“I’ve known Andreas for such a long time,” says Shane Embury. “It was great sharing the stage with him and all of these wonderful musicians. Meeting and becoming friends with Sylvain and the rest of his band was a beautiful experience.
“Making true creative connections like this is so important” Shane continues. “That’s a big part of what draws me to Savage Lands. We are connected with every living thing on this planet and their organization is helping to preserve nature’s treasures. I’m happy to be a part of such a truly important cause”.
Some of the artists who performed with Savage Lands at Hellfest have already committed to working on their upcoming album, which will be released by Season of Mist. In the meantime, Sylvain and Dirk are still looking for more festivals and other prominent members of the metal community to join the army of trees.
“Our goals are attainable” Sylvain says. “By converting the land that we purchase into nature sanctuaries, Savage Lands will help set a precedent for environmental activism. But we must act quickly. Ecosystems are still under attack. If we don’t, then there won’t be any wildlife left to save”.
Just listening to their music helps support Savage Lands. 100% of their song royalties fund the non-profit’s preservation efforts in Costa Rica.
Tracks 1. “The Last Howl” (5:48) [WATCH] 2. “Black Rock Heart” (4:54) [WATCH] 3. “No Remedy” (4:24) [WATCH]
Artists occasionally support causes through donations to organizations. With SAVAGE LANDS, Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren teamed up with his guitar-wielding friend Sylvain Demercastel to create their own US 501(c)3 non-profit.
Savage Lands raises money for reforestation and the creation of sanctuaries free of human destruction in Costa Rica. Using their own royalties, donations and other fundraising efforts, the organization builds nature sanctuaries, establishes green zones and other land preservation projects. They partner with other non-profits, scientists and forest engineers, as well as Decibel Magazine and Season of Mist.
“If you want to make a difference, take action! Our greatest hope with Savage Lands is that it will inspire you to join us, and if you can, to start your own initiative to help preserve animals, forests, and our planet”, says Dirk.
Blood Feast has been transformed yet again. Nearly five years in the making, with many twists and turns along the way, the band’s fourth album, Infinite Evolution, will see international release via Hells Headbangers on July 12th on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats. And today, they stream the album in its entirety. Hear Blood Feast‘s Infinite Evolution in its entirety here:
Continuing on from 2017’s The Future State Of Wicked, the band keeps the thrash vicious, as one would expect. Yet, this time out, the boundaries are expanded. There have been changes in the ranks, as original guitarist Adam Tranquilli has now added lead vocal duties, and co-guitarist/producer CJ Scioscia has taken on more of the songwriting. Drummer Adam Kieffer remains (he came onboard for the band’s 2019 EP Chopped, Sliced & Diced), while bassist extraordinaire Mike LePond of Symphony X lent his impressive talents on the low end.
Songs such as “Outbreak,” “Never Will I Die,” and “Of Hell” retain the Blood Feasttradition of fast and furious. However, the limits are pushed out a bit further into a tech/prog direction on “Eye Of Glass” and album closer “The Chosen.” With a production straddling the line between modern and old school, Infinite Evolution shows diversity, yet without sacrificing the speed or heaviness.
With the lineup now solidified by the addition of Dave Kramer on bass, Blood Feast is itching to get these songs aired in public. New adventures await, and new frontiers are ready to be conquered. Infinite Evolution is the key to the journey.
Also see & hear the previously revealed video for “Outbreak” HERE, also at Hells Headbangers‘ official YouTube channel. Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Blood Feast’s Infinite Evolution 1. Crafting Carnage 2. Ravaging The Loins Of Mary 3. Never Will I Die 4. Of Hell 5. Eye of Glass 6. Outbreak 7. The Preacher 8. Evilution 9. The Chosen
From the crucible of France’s shadowed past, where the streets once echoed with the shrieks of the condemned, emerges an album that summons the spirit of insurrection and rebellion. SETH, the heralds of French black metal, return with their seventh full-length opus, La France des Maudits. This is no mere collection of songs; it is a revolutionary symphony that calls upon the echoes of fallen angels and the flame-lit guillotine.
SETH invokes the blood-stained history and mystic fall of a long-standing kingdom to create a soundtrack of defiance. Their latest creation, La France des Maudits, is an intricate tapestry of shadows, drenched in the wine of condemned men and the blood of saints. This black metal gospel speaks to the damned and the outcast, those who refuse to kneel before divine decay and instead, rise like wraiths in the night.
With tracks like Et Que Vive le Diable ! and Dans le Cœur un Poignard, SETH carves out the anthems of resistance for a new age. These songs capture the raw, unyielding fury of a world on the brink of an apocalypse – a realm where the downtrodden rise in defiance against celestial oppression.
Be prepared, for their audacious crusade is not for the faint-hearted. The full album premieres here:
La France des Maudits is out July 14, on Bastille Day, through Season of Mist.
“With their seventh full-length release, SETH certainly stands as a flagship of the French black metal scene.” – Legacy Magazine
“Seth has never been a one-dimensional band, but this time there seems to be more happening than ever before.” – Rock Tribune
“So much to absorb as far as the visceral components of the record: somber, triumphant and soulful – a fists-clenched, eyes closed type of an album…”- Metal Bite
“The spirit of rebellion in SETH is accompanied by dark romance and a certain eerie melody.” – Metal.de
Tracklist 1. Paris des Maléfices (5:09) 2. Et Que Vive le Diable ! (5:35) [WATCH] 3. La Destruction des Reliques (5:51) 4. Dans le Cœur un Poignard (5:30) [WATCH] 5. Marianne (2:59) 6. Ivre du Sang des Saints (5:37) 7. Insurrection (7:33) [WATCH] 8. Le Vin du Condamné (8:06) 9. Initials B.B. (Serge Gainsbourg Cover) (Bonus Track) (3:49) Total runtime: 46:22
In the solemn shadows of a lyrically resurrected Paris, where the whispers of revolution still haunt the cobblestones and the phantom caress of the guillotine’s blade lingers in the air, stands a band – not merely of musicians, but of modern Marats, Robespierres in leather and lace, anointed with the spirit of insurrection. SETH, the harbingers of a dark yet fervidly awaited dawn, are poised once more to unleash a tempest upon the sanctified silence of the contemporary music scene with their newest auditory uprising, La France des Maudits.
The history of black metal formation SETH and Season of Mist spans back to the early days of the French metal scene. The band’s debut Les Blessures de L’Ame (1998) was one of the first releases on the label. This album is now regarded as a cornerstone in French black metal, pioneering the usage of their native tongue on a black metal record.
The release of Les Blessures de L’Ame quickly gained international attention and SETH built a solid fanbase. The French blasphemers signed a two-release deal with Osmose Productions and participated on the MAYHEM cult tribute album Originators of the Northern Darkness alongside IMMORTAL and BEHEMOTH. The second full-length The Excellence came out in 2000 and featured a contribution from none other than Fenriz (DARKTHRONE), who wrote the lyrics for the song Let Me Be The Salt In Your Wound.
Shortly after, the group recorded their third album Divine-X (2002) at the Excess Studios in Rotterdam (EPICA, AFTER FOREVER, SINISTER). This record demonstrated the ability of the band to mix gloomy and violent atmospheres and received extensive coverage from the international metal press at the time.
Returning to the Netherlands to record the fourth album Era-Decay (2004), two new members joined the ranks of SETH: vocalist Black Messiah and guitarist Cyriex. Afterwards, the band was invited to play at the prestigious Inferno festival in Norway in 2005.
A long hiatus followed, until the band returned in 2011 to play an exclusive show in Germany with the German cult act BETHLEHEM. The band re-joined the ranks of Season of Mist, eventually releasing The Howling Spirit (2013) and embarking on a European tour with PESTILENCE. Several appearances at major festivals followed, including Hellfest and Graspop Metal Meeting, concluded by a Canadian headliner tour with new vocalist Saint Vincent (BLACKLODGE).
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Les Blessures de L’Ame in 2018, SETH exclusively performed the entire album at festivals in Switzerland, Canada (Messe de Morts) and Belgium (Thronefest). The French label Les Acteurs de l’Ombre productions released a live recording of these shows, called 20 ans de Blasphème. The band’s new line-up features members of LOUDBLAST, ARKHON INFAUSTUS and MELTED SPACE.
In the twilight year of 2021, within Paris’ shadow-ridden crypt, Studio Sainte Marthe, an album was birthed from SETH‘s tumultuous revelation, christened, La Morsure du Christ. Earning plaudits of wonder, it was no mere collection of hymns, but a solitary harbinger of deconstruction, a cataclysm of unseen proportions. Inspiration seeped from Notre-Dame de Paris—her skeletal frame ablaze in a 2019’s firestorm—an emblem of decaying faith for a godforsaken era. As heavy as the iron heart of a guillotine, La Morsure du Christ echoed through the chambers of 2021, reigning supreme in a multitude of international & French metal charts, as well as its inclusion on premier streaming platform playlists. Bold symphonies interwoven with razor-sharp lyricism and a sophisticated conceptual resonance that dared to envision black metal through a revolutionary lens.
Rooted deeply in the soil that once drank deeply of royal and commoner blood alike during the tumultuous fervour of the French Revolution, SETH presents their latest opus – a black metal gospel according to the damned and the outcast. An intricate tapestry of shadows and defiance emerges from the darkness of history’s recesses, swirling with the mists of apocalyptic visions and the ashes of fallen angels. La France des Maudits is a declaration of war, a call to arms for the souls still smouldering beneath the veneer of a world too long gripped in the cold hands of a moribund orthodoxy.
With the fractured bones of dead gods beneath their boots, SETH voyages through the forbidden and the occult, tracing the lines of ancient prophecies and the decadent whispers of La Grande Catin Écarlate, the scarlet woman of the apocalypse. Their songs, from Paris des Maléfices to Insurrection, resonate with the echoes of a Paris besieged not by armies, but by souls clamouring for liberation – a city where each stone tells a tale of defiance, where every shadow harbours the spirit of revolt.
Lyrically, La France des Maudits is dripping with the wine of condemned men and the blood of saints, narrating the epic saga of rebellion from the ashes of a fallen Notre-Dame. This is not the Paris of light, but of enlightening darkness, where the façades of grandeur crumble to reveal the raw flesh of true humanity, writhing in its eternal struggle against divine oppression. Here, in the very heart of darkness, SETH finds its muse among the cacophony of broken chains and shattered dogmas.Prepare to march beneath the banner unfurled by SETH, in the grand tradition of those unyielding souls who once stormed the Bastille and dared to dream of a world remade. La France des Maudits beckons – not to the gallows, but to glory.
Line-up Saint Vincent – Vocals (Blacklodge) Heimoth – Guitar (Sinsaenum) Drakhian – Guitar (ex-Loudblast, Griffar) Pierre Le Pape – Keys (Melted Space) EsX – Bass (Arkhon Infaustus, ex-Merrimack) Alsvid – Drums (ex-Enthroned, ex-Ad Patres)
Recording Studio Sainte Marthe Studio
Production Credits Mixed, produced & mastered by Francis Caste
On July 12th internationally, Invictus Productions will release Mages Terror‘s highly anticipated debut album, Damnations Sight, on CD and vinyl LP formats. And today, they stream the album in its entirety. Hear Mages Terror‘s Damnations Sight in its entirety here:
Mages Terror are built upon the fiery hunger of Illogium’s will to create a third psyche outside of Portal and Vomitor which would explore the devotion to the arts of thrashing ancient death and speed metal with the traditional essence. Elite levels of darkness and hate are fused with simplified, structured headbanging riffs, adorned with scathing vocals and a mix of shredding vs. haunting solos.
Alongside him is guitarist Rotten, hailing from the Brisbane death metal unit Pustilence, with his highly skilled virtuoso style of soloing, which offsets the atonal horror of the solo work by Illogium – a complementary guitar duo. Vocalist / bassist Stillborn, who also bleeds over from Pustilence, unleashes a scathing presence that commands over the dual fire. Drums are pounded by CY, who has graced bands in the past such as Mongrels Cross, Impetuous Ritual, and Consummation.
The year 2023 saw a demo under the guise of Vulgar Overlord, recorded via Tascam 4-track, rough and raw with a limited release of 80 red pro-cassettes (which quickly sold out). In November of the same year, with Aphotic Mote (of Portal) at the mixing helm, Mages Terror‘s debut full-length, Damnations Sight, was conjured, of which the results are stunning. Rich vintage and ripping guitar tones, huge drums, and nasty vocals are hammered down with conviction.
Invictus Productions have stepped up to release Mages Terror‘s Damnations Sight, marking a union of several years between the label and Australia’s heathen underground metal best.
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Mages Terror’s Damnations Sight 1. Serpent Bat 2. Paramount Specter Dust 3. Fane of the Slug Gods 4. Ruthless Guild 5. Presage 6. The Vomited Harvest 7. Master in the Black Cavern 8. Demon Bell 9. Vulgar Overlord 10. Damnations Sight
