Black Metal News

ARCHGOAT new album – first song disclosed

Intimately tied to their roots, ARCHGOAT‘s coming mini album channels the rawness and devastation of the debut EP “Angelcunt” (1993) in four gruesome new compositions. “All Christianity Ends” is a brutally-focused reminder that while the infamous Finnish Black Metal legends continue to evolve, develop and even refine their hellish sound over recent full-lengths, the elemental building blocks of classic ARCHGOAT remain sequenced in their DNA.

As a first devilish evocation, Debemur Morti Productions present the opener ‘Ascension Towards The Promethean Fire‘. Listen to the track via Bandcamp or here:

Tracklist:

01. Ascension Towards The Promethean Fire
02. Crown Cloaked With Death
03. Nightside Prayer
04. The Semen Of Anti Mastery

“All Christianity Ends” was recorded between June 4th and 6th, 2021 and sound engineered by Teemu Velin. Ritual Butcherer is responsible for the production. The cover art was, as tradition demands, created by Chris Moyen (Thorncross Design), while the layout was done by Kontamination Design.

The mini album will be released on CD, vinyl (including an exclusive DMP edition) and digitally, accompanied by high-quality merchandise, on April 22nd. Pre-orders are possible via the label’s EU, US and Bandcamp shops.

ARCHGOAT crawled from the deepest pits of hell to form in 1989, a demonic trio consisting of the brothers Ritual Butcherer and Lord Angelslayer on guitars and vocals/bass respectively, as well as Blood Desecrator on drums. After a pair of demo tapes, ARCHGOAT shook the Black Metal world in 1993 with the release of their debut EP “Angelcunt (Tales of Desecration)“, showcasing a relentless and bestial blend of Black and Death Metal. With a growing dissolution with the Black Metal scene at large, and a disagreement with their then record label Necropolis Records over the terms of their debut record, ARCHGOAT vanished from scene in late 1993.

In 2004 the gates reopened anew. ARCHGOAT returned to finally release their long-lost material the following year, and then their first official full-length, “Whore of Bethlehem“, in 2006. Since then they have released two more albums, “The Light-Devouring Darkness” in 2009 and “The Apocalyptic Triumphator” in 2015 under Debemur Morti Productions, as well as a series of splits, EPs, and compilations. Between releases they have carved out a reputation for their malevolent live rituals, storming the shores of Europe, the United States, and Mexico alongside bands such as BEHEXEN, BLACK WITCHERY, and HELL MILITIA.

2018 saw ARCHGOAT unleash their satanic opus “The Luciferian Crown“, their second full length under Debemur Morti. An ungodly black sacrament of a kind that only ARCHGOAT can craft, “The Luciferian Crown” is a testament to what Black Metal should be, bestial, unrelenting, and unholy. Black Metal changed, ARCHGOAT did not, and it is their capable hands that shall carry the black flame forward for years to come.

In 2020, the live album “Black Mass XXX” adequately captured the angelslaying chaos present during their gig in Paris in September 2019. The recorded concert was part of ARCHGOAT‘s 30-year anniversary gig series and a worthy addition to their discography. With “Worship The Eternal Darkness” (out November 2021), the Finnish Black Metal band will cement their well-earned reputation for being one of the most consistent bands the scene has ever seen. ARCHGOAT‘s fifth album is, once again, a unique synthesis of occult Finnish Black/Death Metal, harsh Punk, primal Thrash and Grindcore.

​|| Debemur Morti Productions ||

Website | EU shop | US shop Facebook | Bandcamp | Youtube | Instagram

German black metal vanguard Chaos Invocation premiere new track

Today, German black metal vanguard Chaos Invocation premiere the new track “Curses Upon You”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated fourth album, Devil, Stone & Man, set for international release on March 24th via W.T.C. Productions. Hear Chaos Invocation‘s “Curses Upon You” in its entirety here:

By now, Chaos Invocation should require little introduction. Formed in 2004 and releasing three increasingly celebrated full-lengths via W.T.C., Chaos Invocation have steadily become a pillar of Germany’s long-potent black metal underground. Their last album, 2018’s Reaping Season, Bloodshed Beyond, was an iron-fisted smash through more dynamic corridors, with their sinuous and serpentine black metal taking on a more heightened (but no less muscular) melodic aspect. As the world has fully turned to shit, Chaos Invocation thus cover that iron fist with a grime unfathomably dark and dreadful. Indeed, Devil, Stone & Man is the record deserving of these times – or rather, vice versa.

Perhaps as a counterreaction or at least parallel development to that dynamic predecessor, Devil, Stone & Man is inarguably Chaos Invocation‘s most direct and aggressive album to date, and one give horrific power through its massive & molten production, which handily challenges those naysayers who claim true black metal can’t palatably possess “professional” recording. Its ultraviolence twists and turns but ever moves forward, downward, diving across dazzling depths and heights with the ease of masters. Truly, Chaos Invocation‘s already-sturdy songwriting has been given an uptick in detail and nuance here, sounding sweeping and ceremonial as it does teeth-gnashingly harsh and harrowing. A whirlwind, a vortex, both and beyond: Chaos Invocation have been qualified as these before, but now one can add world-eating dreadnought to that list, as well, with Devil, Stone & Man.

Gaze deeply into Devil, Stone & Man‘s stark cover artwork – courtesy of BMS Illustration – and one will begin to understand where Chaos Invocation are coming from, and where they are going. Will you follow them to The End?


Begin following with the previously revealed “Strike of the Dominator’s Fist” HERE at W.T.C. Productions‘ official YouTube channel. Aforementioned cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Chaos Invocation’s Devil, Stone & Man
1. Strike Of The Dominator’s Fist
2. A Stranger’s Pale Hand
3. Diabolical Hammer
4. Odonata Fields
5. Where We Have Taken The Cross
6. Triple Fire
7. Curses Upon You
8. The Revolting Abyss


MORE INFO:

www.facebook.com/chaosinvocation

www.w-t-c.org

Shape of Despair premiere new album ‘Return to the Void’

Finnish funeral doom icons Shape of Despair are now premiering their entire new album ‘Return to the Void’. The record will be released tomorrow, February 25 via Season of Mist.

Listen to the new album here:

‘Return to the Void’ is available in the Season of Mist shop on CD and vinyl HERE. The album will be available on all digital streaming platforms tomorrow. Add the album to your library HERE

The cover artwork which was created by Mariusz Krystew. It can be found below together with the tracklist.

Tracklist:
1. Return To The Void (09:14)
2. Dissolution  (08:59)
3. Solitary Downfall (11:06)
4. Reflection In Slow Time (08:08)
5. Forfeit (08:00)
6. The Inner Desolation (11:48)
Total: 0:57:15

Finnish funeral doom icons SHAPE OF DESPAIR return from the wintry Nordic gloom on their new album, Return to the Void. Between the success of the majestically downtrodden Monotony Fields (2015) and today, the members of SHAPE OF DESPAIR have been composing (glacially) and otherwise ensconced writing/performing with their other projects like FINNTROLL, IMPALED NAZARENE, THROES OF DAWN, and COUNTING HOURS. The Finns have never been or found the need to be prolific, however. The race into the cold darkness is a contemplatively unhurried task. Return to the Void is musically and thematically that same journey, one of perpetual solitude and aching hopelessness, driven straight into the heart of frigid twilight. As ever, this is cheerless music for sunless days.

“Not long after Monotony Fields, I started composing for Return to the Void,” says guitarist/founding member Jarno Salomaa. “At first, the title song sounded too primitive. I thought I would make a solo album out of it, but after a while, the song reminded me of older RAVEN material. Naturally and eventually, it started to feel like a SHAPE OF DESPAIR song.”

SHAPE OF DESPAIR was formed out of the ashes of RAVEN in Helsinki in 1998. Actually, the transformation into the present-day moniker wasn’t as violent as it sounds. A simple name change—initiated by Salomaa—coincided with the Finns’ developing predilection for protracted if icy metal. SHAPE OF DESPAIR’s grand debut, Shades of… (2000), was proof that the fledgling sextet’s stately doom was already ascendant. From there, the Helsinkians morphed in membership but continued their funereal march into legend with Angels of Distress (2001) and Illusion’s Play (2004) before hibernating for almost a decade. While Return to the Void is the natural follow-up to Monotony Fields and represents over six years of songwriting development, the main narrative (and indeed the timely return of drummer Samu Ruotsalainen) is rooted in the past.

“Return to the Void isn’t the follow-up to Monotony Fields in the traditional sense,” Salomaa says. “As stated, the songwriting goes way back to the first music we put together for RAVEN. I will say my approach has changed after all these years of making music. I found new and different ways to shape the arrangements and my compositions. What matters most, I think, is that it still has the SHAPE OF DESPAIR atmosphere.”

Return to the Void is no doubt SHAPE OF DESPAIR. From the void-gaze of “Dissolution” and gelid beauty of “Reflection in Slow Time” to the collapsing cathedral in “Forfeit” and the void-fall that is the stunning title track, the Finns have outdone themselves, overcoming the heights of previous lighthouse tracks “Woundheir,” “Angels of Distress,” and “Sleep Mirrored” with surprising ease. Funeral doom is often narrow in scope, but Return to the Void defiantly opposes that with its massively scaled and forlornly inspired valleys and angelic (powered by Natalie Koskinen’s empyrean vocals) peaks. Coupled with Henri Koivula’s caliginous lyrics, SHAPE OF DESPAIR provides a masterclass display of a genre expansive and filmic.

“Return to the Void is a title we thought would best describe the album,” says Koivula. “It is a return for us in many ways. We were heading [musically] towards early SHAPE OF DESPAIR. Plus, Samu’s back in the band. Overall, my lyrics have a red line through them—a sense of solitude and depression. The state where you find that everything has lost its meaning. There is no past or future, only this one moment drifting near the firmament.”

The Return to the Void project started in 2020 and continued through May 2021. Production duties were wrested from the previous producer Max Kostermaa and in-sourced to the band directly. Ruotsalainen, Salomaa, Koivula, and Miika Niemelä engineered, respectively, at Beat Domination Studios, D-Studios, and Doom Cave Studios. The group also looked inside their ranks for mixing, handing the job off to [drummer] Ruotsalainen (FINNTROLL, METSATÖLL). The mastering was given to award-winning ace Svante Forsbäck (VOLBEAT, RAMMSTEIN) at Chartmakers West in Espoo. If the previous SHAPE OF DESPAIR productions were huge, Return to the Void is unfathomably massive. One listen to “Solitary Downfall” and the album’s crushing egress “The Inner Desolation,” and it’s readily apparent that SHAPE OF DESPAIR have crafted a temple of sound to ruminate the cruelty of existence.

“We recorded the album on our own, which allowed us the freedom to record whenever and however long we wanted,” says Salomaa. ”Everything was done in late winter, with the mixing taking place between February and March of 2021. We had a couple of weekends to mix with Samu, but most of it was done without us. The mastering was then finalized in May 2021. [The sound is] mainly raw but still heavy. The main focus was to keep our sound world intact. I think this album sounds the most accurate we’ve ever wanted our albums to sound.”

SHAPE OF DESPAIR’s next steps are to release Return to the Void via Season of Mist. The striking cover art via long-time design partner and silent member Mariusz Krystew (David Galas, Thor’s Hammer) is yet again a reminder that the Finns are as visually engaging as they are compositionally and lyrically. That they mixed old and new for Return to the Void is proof that there’s purpose and meaning to Salomaa’s ill-lit aesthetic. Once the album is released and protocols pending, Shape of Despair hope to hit the road where they’ll pontificate their wintry despondency from the stage to audiences near and far.

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/shapeofdespairofficial
https://www.instagram.com/shape_of_despair
https://twitter.com/shapeofdespair
https://shapeofdespair.bandcamp.com/

Swedish black metal stalwarts Ultra Silvam stream new Shadow album

Today, Swedish black metal stalwarts Ultra Silvam stream the entirety of their band’s highly anticipated second album, The Sanctity of Death. Set for international release on February 25th via Shadow Records (distributed & marketed by Regain Records), hear Ultra Silvam’s The Sanctity of Death in its entirety here:

It was but March 2019 when Sweden’s Ultra Silvam displayed the full furl of their powers with the debut full-length The Spearwound Salvation. In a mere deadly 28 minutes, the power-trio swiftly ‘n’ succinctly asserted their identity, proudly upholding their home country’s history of melodic black metal during the glorious ‘90s but driving toward something uniquely their own – and VIOLENTLY so. In fact, Ultra Silvam’s execution alone was palpitating: every ringing chord, every bashed drum, and every slaughtered tongue bled an authenticity that was refreshing to behold. The fact that they lock-welded such unsafe (and unsterile) execution to dazzling ‘n’ dynamic songwriting made The Spearwound Salvation all the more impressive.

A daunting task, indeed, but Ultra Silvam return to eclipse that feat with their second full-length, The Sanctity of Death. As suggested by its title, The Sanctity of Death bears a more regal aspect to the band’s undulating coils of coruscating violence…but “regal” is only relative here. For Ultra Silvam let loose with a whole host of more wholly HEAVY METAL moves that are turned into tornado-like torrents of black metal classicism. Verily, The Sanctity of Death slices and swaggers with addicting aplomb, the band seemingly drunk on their own power as they dole out teeth-gnashing screeds of sin, salvation, and swallow-your-soul darkness. It’s more immediately memorable and more incredibly finessed, as that crazed execution of yore remains but has been tightened up ever so slightly, allowing these eight bangers & clangers to create an all-enveloping atmosphere of delirium and dementia. You’ll be winded after the album’s over, perhaps, but emboldened by bountiful visions of a dread future – and one worth returning to again, and again, and again.

Possession guaranteed, then, The Sanctity of Death is the natural follow-up to The Spearwound Salvation, brewing in the minds of Ultra Silvam ever since. Featuring recording by Devo Andersson (Marduk) in Endarker Studio, Norrköping, and mixing & matering by Marco S. Vermiglio at The Forge Music Production and completed by compelling cover art by Samuel E. Thomas (Set33), The Sanctity of Death is Ultra Silvam’s grandest strike yet!

Preorder info can be found HERE at Regain Records‘ Bandcamp. Aforementioned cover art and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Ultra Silvam’s The Sanctity of Death
1. Dies Irae
2. Sodom vises himlafärd
3. The Sanctity of Death
4. Tintinnabuli Diaboli
5. Förintelsens andeväsen del II: Den deicidala transsubstantiationens mysterium
6. Black Soil Fornication
7. Incarnation Reverse
8. Of Molded Bread and Rotten Wine

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/ultrasilvam

www.shadowrecords.se
www.regainrecords.se
www.facebook.com/shadowrecords.se

American death metallers Cryptum stream the entirety of their new EP Vile Emergence

Today, American death metallers Cryptum stream the entirety of their highly anticipated new EP, Vile Emergence. Set for international release on February 24th via Caligari Records on CD and cassette tape formats, hear Cryptum‘s Vile Emergence in its entirety here:

Hailing from Illinois, Cryptum was formed in the spring of 2020 towards the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This group of long-time friends, armed with a strong adoration for thrash and death metal, envisioned a band that encapsulated their favorite aspects of these genres while balancing a perfect blend of both old-school and new-school death metal. Their influences span the mosh-laden riffs of Exodus and the pummeling brutality of Suffocation to bands that offer stranger riffs within vintage death metal, such as Pestilence, Immolation, and Morbid Angel, all contributing to Cryptum‘s sound.
 
Cryptum‘s debut demo, Enter the Cryptum, was a meat-and-potatoes death metal offering with hints at what they eventually hoped to achieve in future releases. Clocking in at under 10 minutes, it laid the foundation for the sound they continue to expand upon with every new song. The three tracks showcased everything from their fast-paced, mosh-worthy passages to Morbid Angel-inspired riffs, all with nasty and punishing riffs throughout.
 
Hot on that first demo’s heels is the new EP Vile Emergence, which is a more refined version of what Enter the Cryptum had to offer. Here, Cryptum have further consolidated their songwriting to help bring a more defined and individual sound to their music while still maintaining their overall style and old-school influence. Swift and satisfying, Vile Emergence comprises four songs in 16 minutes, laying waste and getting the fuck outta there. Enter the Cryptum again and behold its garish new grime!

Preorder info can be found HERE at Caligari‘s Bandcamp. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Crytpum (USA)’s Vile Emergence
1. Torrent Of Infinite Time
2. Volitional Sacrilege
3. Dead Celestial Bodies
4. Vile Emergence

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/cryptumcrew

www.caligarirecords.com
www.facebook.com/caligarirecords

IN APHELION premiere new video – features members of NECROPHOBIC

Today, black/death titans In Aphelion premiere the new video “Requiem” here:

. The track is the third to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Moribund, set for international release on March 11th via Edged Circle Productions.

“The song ‘Requiem’ is all about letting the dead in,” says the band. “To embrace the memory of those we have lost. To listen to their voices that echoes through time. To never forget. It’s about letting life go and death come. We will ring the bells, we will mourn, and eventually we will follow.” About the video, “To make a video clip for such a somber and serious song, we could think of no other way than filming our yearly visit to Skogskyrkogården in Stockholm where most of our relatives and friends rest. The video led us to Quorthon and L.G. Petrov’s final resting place, among others. It’s a tribute to those we hail and those we will never forget.”

A veritable treasure trove of Swedish black/death royalty, In Aphelion are a power-trio originally formed in 2020 by longtime Necrophobic guitarist Sebastian Ramstedt on vocals, guitar, and bass with prolific drummer Marco Prij. In 2021, with the advent of their debut demo, fellow Necrophobic guitarist Johan Bergebäck joined, making the unholy trinity complete. An impossibly auspicious first start, In Aphelion‘s first demo – despite being limited to a mere 50 copies – landed the band a deal with Edged Circle, first resulting in the teaser-length EP Luciferian Age and now a grandiose hour-long debut album, Moribund.

Indeed, while the spectre of classic blackened death metal for which Sweden is known looms large over In Aphelion, it must be stressed that these gentlemen are THE grand architects of that incredibly influential and ever-enduring sound. And not ones to rest on their laurels, with In Aphelion do both Ramstedt and Bergebäck unfurl new vistas of the imagination whilst respectably remaining within that noble tradition. Simply put, this is timeless HEAVY METAL might painted in purple-blue hues but beaming with brilliant colors beyond.

Point proof is In Aphelion‘s first full-length recording, Moribund. While two tracks – “Luciferian Age” and “Draugr” – were forecasted on the aforementioned Luciferian Age EP, Moribund majestically displays the full bounty of In Aphelion‘s seemingly infinite powers. Longer, stronger, more deathly, more blackened, more METAL, more of literally everything: Moribund is a veritable monolith of awe-inspiring songwriting and impassioned performance. Breathtaking opener “World Serpent (Devourer of Dreams)” lives up to its namesake – and then some – and duly sets the stage for all that follows for the next 59 minutes. Rise, fall, rise even higher, marching and racing and spiraling and dazzling with every step: In Aphelion exercise a wealth of texture and nuance across these ten tracks, all whilst remaining razor-sharp and as finessed as it comes. It’s not hyperbole here to suggest that In Aphelion in general and Moribund in particular handily challenge the sacred tomes of the ’90s – again, it must be reiterated that two of those architects are in this band – but the epic-yet-effervescent manner in which this timeless black/death is rendered puts both in rarefied territory, and refreshingly so. And, just like the swift & satisfying Luciferian Age, Moribund is likewise given a grippingly powerful mix & mastering by Unleashed’s Frederik Folkare.

Luciferian Age teased with its truncated makeup, but now Moribund grandly declares the arrival of In Aphelion as kings!

Also see & hear the previously revealed video for “World Serpent (Devourer of Dreams)” exclusively HERE, courtesy of InvisibleOranges.com. Also hear the previously revealed “Draugr” HERE at Edged Circle‘s Bandcamp, where the album can be preordered. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for In Aphelion’s Moribund
1. World Serpent (Devourer of Dreams)
2. Draugr
3. Let the Beast Run Wild
4. Luciferian Age
5. This Night Seems Endless
6. He Who Saw the Abyss
7. Moribund
8. The Origin
9. Sorrow, Fire & Hate
10. Requiem

IN APHELION lineup
Sebastian Ramstedt – vocals & lead guitars
Johan Bergebäck – rhythm guitars
Marco Prij – drums

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/inaphelion


www.edgedcircleproductions.com

DAUÞUZ set release date for special version of last AMOR FATI album, reveal new video

Today, Amor Fati Productions announces April 1st as the international release date for a special version of Dauþuz‘s acclaimed fourth album, hereby titled Vom schwarzen Schmied: Bergkgesænge, on CD format. The tape version will be released by Helhallen Tonträger. 

Since their bolt-from-the-blue debut In finstrer Teufe in 2016, Germany’s Dauþuz have created a rich and vibrant catalog. Their black metal is proud and purist but by no means blinkered; the ancient ways are revered, for sure, but new vistas of the imagination open up when Dauþuz commit their stories to tape. And those stories largely focus on mining, both across their native land and the whole of Europe, further enriching their olde-worlde appeal.

Late last year, Dauþuz released their masterful fourth album, Vom schwarzen Schmied, once again via the auspices of Amor Fati. Translated into English as “Of the Blacksmith,” Vom schwarzen Schmied was arguably the band’s most focused recording to date, evincing a totality that could only come from Dauþuz. While an all-consuming darkness and lyrical despair characterized the record, its utterly epic landscape and absolutely invigorating melodicism made Vom schwarzen Schmied a paradoxically “uplifting” experience, fully bringing to life the saga of the blacksmith.

And the mining blacksmith seems to be a revenant – and once again, he returns to tell the story in a musically different version. During the recordings of Vom schwarzen Schmied, the idea arose among the duo of Dauþuz to re-record the vocals in their entirety: completely clean, with additional choir passages and keyboards, but also the whole sound, mix, and mastering was reworked. From the perpetual darkness of the Dauþuz pit, a somewhat-different yet still-solid chunk of Mining Black Metal now appears, bearing the title Vom schwarzen Schmied: Bergkgesænge. Truly its brother album’s equal, Vom schwarzen Schmied: Bergkgesænge both re-affirms and expands the band’s brilliant cosmology, striking ever deeper into the past but always with an undeniably refreshing air…straight from the deepest mines, of course. Taste the German steel of MINING BLACK METAL, now in a cleaner & more choral constitution!

Begin tasting that cleaner & more choral German steel – and seeing it before your very eyes – with a special video for the re-recorded version of “Der Bergschmied II: Der Eid” here:

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Dauþuz’ Vom schwarzen Schmied: Bergkgesænge

1. Der Bergschmied I: Mein Berg
2. Der Bergschmied II: Der Eid
3. Der Bergschmied III: Desperatio
4. Der Bergschmied IV: Zauberwerk
5. Der Bergschmied V: Sagenlieder
6. Der Bergschmied VI: Cognitio
7. Der Bergschmied VII: Der Frevel
8. Der Bergschmied VIII: Sargdeckel

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/DauthuzBM

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

ABBATH announce European tour with WATAIN

Norwegian metal titans ABBATH are now announcing a brand new co-headlining tour with Swedish black metal outfit WATAIN! The ‘Chariots of Fire’ tour will kick off at the Elysee Montmartre in Paris (FR) and will wreak havoc in 13 more countries before a final curtain at the Vanha venue in Helsinki (FI). A full list of confirmed shows can be found below.

Special guests will be TRIBULATION and BÖLZER during all shows. Tickets will be on sale starting Wednesday February 16th @ 10:00 CET!

ABBATH/WATAIN co-headline
+TRIBULATION +BÖLZER
15.09.2022 – FR – Paris – Elysee Montmartre 
16.09.2022 – DE – Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle 
17.09.2022 – DE – Munich – Backstage  
18.09.2022 – IT – Milan – Live Club 
20.09.2022 – FR – Toulouse – Le Bikini  
22.09.2022 – PT – Lisbon – Lisboa Ao Vivo 
23.09.2022 – ES – Madrid – La Riviera 
24.09.2022 – ES – Barcelona – Apolo  
25.09.2022 – FR – Lyon – Transbordeur  
27.09.2022 – CH – Zurich – Komplex 457 
28.09.2022 – DE – Filderstadt – Filharmonie 
29.09.2022 – NL – Tilburg – 013  
30.09.2022 – UK – London – Earth 
02.10.2022 – BE – Antwerp – Trix 
04.10.2022 – DE – Hamburg – Markthalle  
05.10.2022 – DK – Copenhagen – Amager Bio 
06.10.2022 – NO – Oslo – Rockefeller 
07.10.2022 – SE – Stockholm – Fallan 
09.10.2022 – FI – Helsinki – Vanha

ABBATH recently released the title track of their upcoming album ‘Dread Reaver‘, which can be viewed via the the official Season of Mist YouTube Channel HERE. 

Pre-orders for ‘Dread Reaver’ are available in the Season of Mist shop HERE. Pre-save the album HERE.

ABBATH will be playing in support of their upcoming album ‘Dread Reaver’, which will be released on March 25, 2022. The cover artwork, which was created by Bjørn Stian Bjoarvik and Francisco Munoz, and further album details can be found below.

Tracklist: 
1. Acid Haze (04:51)
2. Scarred Core (03:29)
3. Dream Cull (04:15) WATCH HERE
4. Myrmidon (04:33)
5. The Deep Unbound (04:05)
6. Septentrion (04:30)
7. Trapped Under Ice (03:59)
8. The Book of Breath (04:35)
9. Dread Reaver (04:43) WATCH HERE
10. Make my day (04:16) 

The ravens gaze ominously from above. The seas roar in anticipation. The mountains creak yet again. ABBATH’s remarkable new album, Dread Reaver, is upon us all. Two years in the making, ABBATH’s third full-length is the culmination of everything before it. A fusion of debut Abbath (2016) and follow-up Outstrider (2019), the aptly titled Dread Reaver extends its fantastical fangs outward and drives its cloven hooves onward. Indeed, there’s nothing like an ABBATH record. This is the darkest metal for epic journeys and ancient battles. Comprised of eight riveting tracks and a red-hot cover of METALLICA’s “Trapped Under Ice,” Dread Reaver shows ABBATH triumphing over all trials and tribulations, riding hard into merciless glory as the one and only “Lemmy of black metal.”

ABBATH was formed by Olve Eikemo (aka Abbath) in Bergen, Norway, in 2015. After splitting with vaunted extreme metallers IMMORTAL, the beguiling frontman and storied songwriter only had one path: ABBATH. Years before, he had proven that venturing out of the IMMORTAL constellation was not only plausible but doable with the I project, a short-lived, one-album (Between Two Worlds) band featuring notable musicians from IMMORTAL, ENSLAVED, and GORGOROTH. Indeed, once Eikemo was free of IMMORTAL’s ’s shackles, he was able to assemble a cadre of like-minded conspirators for his solo debut album, Abbath. So crucial was Abbath that the Norwegian Embassy in the UK ran a music/culture piece, while in Norway, the album was nominated for a Spellemannprisen (Norwegian Grammy). Metal Hammer Germany even gonged Abbath with its Best Debut award. Follow-up album, Outstrider, was equally lauded. Billboard’s coverage sent shockwaves through the rock/metal scenes, while Kerrang! labelled it “dominating and creative,” awarding it 4Ks. Decibel also heaped praise on Outstrider, giving it the Best New Noise trophy. The new album Dread Reaver will yet again lionize ABBATH as leader of the frost-bitten pack.

Powered by Abbath’s creative musical imagination, Dread Reaver runs riotously out of the gate. The album’s edifice affords tracks like “Acid Haze,” “Scarred Core,” “The Deep Unbound,” and the album’s closing title track ample room to champion the extremes of black metal, heavy metal, and hard rock. While there are nods to NWOBHM greats, thrash metal’s luminaries, and black metal icons, Dread Reaver is unmistakably ABBATH. There is no other fingerprint. Paired with thought-provoking lyrics based on the historical figure of Othryades, ABBATH’s third album not only shouts exultant but reads like an ancient pyrrhic tale steeped in violence, sorrow, and grit. The idea of a Dread Reaver—a fearless duelist—can also be read as a metaphor for life’s actions and subsequent struggles. Be warned: Dread Reaver is ABBATH at his most menacing and accomplished.

Dread Reaver was produced by Endre Kirkesola, ABBATH, and Dag Erik Nygaard at Dub Studio in Kristiansand and Bergen Lydstudio, respectively. Kirkesola and Nygaard also engineered. Mixing was performed by ABBATH and Kirkesola, while the mastering was done by maestro Maor Appelbaum (FAITH NO MORE, ROB HALFORD) at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in Los Angeles. The goal was to field a storming production that sat firmly at the crossroads of Abbath’s heroes KISS, MOTÖRHEAD, MANOWAR and BATHORY. From the anthemic thrust of opener “Acid Haze” and the epic pound of “Dream Cull” to the rampaging “The Book of Breath” and the wicked cover of METALLICA’s “Trapped Under Ice,” Dread Reaver sounds as massive as Norwegian mountain and as fiery as the depths of Hell. Truly, the recording line-up of Abbath (guitar, bass, vocals), Ukri Suvilehto (drums), Ole André Farstad (guitars), and Mia Wallace (bass) found their sonic muse.

If “Ace of Spades” catapulted MOTÖRHEAD to fame and notoriety, then Dread Reaver will find ABBATH atop the metal’s gigantic heap, the spoils of icy blood, scorching sweat, and steely tears at his feet. As “Myrmidon” states, “Die with a smile, stare glassy-eyed up / At boiling skies! / Valkyries descend to gore-caked fen / Fallen warriors arise!” Lightning strikes thrice with ABBATH’s incredible Dread Reaver!

Recording line-up: 
Abbath – Guitar, bass & vocals
Ukri Suvilehto – Drums
Ole André Farstad – Lead & acoustic guitars
Mia Wallace – Bass on Acid Haze, Scarred Core, The Deep Unbound & Dread Reaver

Recording studio: Recorded in Dub Studio / Additional recordings: Bergen Lydstudio

Links:
www.facebook.com/abbathband
www.abbath.net
www.instagram.com/abbath_official

ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ – the rebirth of Acherontas – premieres new track

Today, ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ – the rebirth of Acherontas – premiere the new track “Belial – The Enn of Beliya’al. The track is the second to be revealed from The Seven Tongues of ΔΑΗΜΩΝ, the band’s first album under the banner of ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ, set for international release on March 14th via Zazen Sounds. Hear ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ‘s “Belial – The Enn of Beliya’al” in its entirety here:

Mysticism, magic, occult arts and rituals, all of which are driving factors behind ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ, are also the most adequate words that can be used to describe the band’s image, sound, and lyrics. The band is considered as one of the leading representatives of the second wave of Greek black metal, heavily influenced by the original Hellenic metal scene, retro rock (especially ’70s rock), and occult/spiritual philosophy & activism.
 
ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ was brought to life in 1996 by V.P.Sorcerer and was ever since true to its internal tenets and traditions, which deemed the band as a “Magickal Coven, dedicated to the Ancient Sumerian Mysteries of Drakonian Blood.” According to the band, “Many traditions embrace these ancient sources as footprints and take form in our Void as Astral Vampirism, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, Dream Workings, and Luciferian Magic.” V. P.Sorcerer continues: “True sorcery is not an art, it’s science… in order to dare, we must know; in order to will, we must dare. We must will to possess empire, and to reign, we must be silent. We are real to those with eyes to see…”

Their Magickal Coven commences the Third and ultimate cycle of its manifestations, embodying its final reincarnation in the novel external form of ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ. After a 15-year-long second period of esoteric culmination, the Coven of ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ now enters the next alchemical stage of its existence. Transforming and shapeshifting into a yet-unexplored aspect of the same Entity, a new Seal is unveiled, channeling the hidden forces into the future of our Great Work: ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ is revealed.

A compass of feverish devotion unto the omnipotent and everlasting, the Gateway to the Sinister Arts that glorify the Other. Seven rays conjoined within a seal of apparition, whereupon all weak aspects of the Self fall into disarray, surfacing the Iron facet of spiritual survival across the planes of the uncharted Netherworlds. A map, a weapon, and ceremonial ornament of the Seven Archons, molded and reforged to signify the Eternal Hunt of blood-ridden Aeons.
 
ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ commented on the new album: “The new Opus, bearing the fiery symbolic crown of The Seven Tongues of ΔΑΗΜΩΝ, unto the realms of matter. The sands of creation shall shift once again, as the new album of the Coven signifies the sail towards new horizons, fertilizing the grounds with blessed sonic resources to bear fruits on spiritual levels. Seven pacts with powers unknown to mortal men, yet to be known to the elevated individual that chooses to follow the thread beyond mortality. Seven pathways to the Inner Sanctum, grasping a harsh lesson, a taunt of spirit and soul, benign and glorifying.

“The Coven places this newborn Opus upon the altars of the Seven Gods, paying tribute to the forces of the Other that have inspired its course over the decades. The listener is set to be reached by this reverence, since this reverence is set to extend within the listener and let him become one with the multidimensional becoming that is assigned, this Mission of Seven Hells and Seven Destinations. This is a new era of continuity, forging all the bestial aspects of the Past to a shining athame that shapes the Future.”

Also hear the previously revealed “Hecate – Queen of the Crossroads” HERE at Zazen Sounds‘official YouTube channel. Cover artwork, by Maximilian Pirner (1854-1929), and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ’s The Seven Tongues of ΔΑΗΜΩΝ
I. Lucifer – Breath of Fire
II. Leviathan – The Fervent Scales In Reverence
III. Belial – The Enn of Beliya’al
IV. Satan – Exaltation of Unbeing
V. Choronzon – Webs of Alienation
VI. Hecate – Queen of the Crossroads
VII. ΔΡΑΚΩΝ – ΑPOTHEOSIS

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/breathoffire61
wwww.aheroncoven.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/ZazenSounds

HELL MILITIA release new song “Genesis Undone”

French underground black metal band HELL MILITIA are now unleashing the second new song from their upcoming record ‘Hollow Void’. The track “Genesis Undone” is now streaming here:

HELL MILITIA comment: “The song is very much inspired by the world crumbling right below our feet. While the topic is nothing new, the results have never been so close. All that matters right now is to accelerate the end and welcome a lifeless symbol among the ruins.”

The band’s new full-length will be released via Season of Mist Underground Activists on March 18. Pre-orders are available HERE. Pre-save the album HERE.

The cover artwork was created by Manuel Tinnemans // Comaworx and can be found below, together with the tracklist.

Tracklist:
1. Lifeless Light (04:21)
2. Genesis Undone (04:22)
3. Dust of Time (05:47)
4. Within the Maze (04:09)
5. Hollow Void (04:57)
6. The Highest Fall (05:18)
7. Kingdoms Scorched (04:54)
8. Veneration (04:39)
9. Corruption Rejoice (05:50)
Total: 0:44:17

Ten years have eclipsed since ‘Jacob’s Ladder’, HELL MILITIA’s last studio album. Black metal has wandered into unforeseen territory and simultaneously drifted back to its roots in that span, remaining entrenched as a polarizing but no less interesting force. Its increased visibility has become the carrot dangled in front of many bands seeking wider acceptance within the underground. But has also made it easier to identify the bands who, fundamentally, will forever uphold black metal’s venerable tenets of darkness and Satanism. Therefore, it is with little surprise that HELL MILITIA have risen to the occasion with their fourth long-player, ‘Hollow Void’. 

HELL MILITIA’s absence can be explained through a mix of personal and intra-band turmoil. Line-up changes included members literally disappearing to the other side of the world. Vocalist RSDX went missing in action after his life took a dark turn. Side musical projects and new life endeavours eventually put the band on hold. But when HELL MILITIA (who are completed by guitarists Arkdaemon and Saroth, bassist S. and drummer Dave Terror) regrouped in 2018 for a few selected live shows, it helped lay the foundation for what would become ‘Hollow Void’.

As is now customary, the pandemic delayed the album’s recording. The band was rehearsing in Paris when global lockdowns began. And since some members of HELL MILITIA reside outside of France in Sweden and the Netherlands, it meant they had to wait out the first wave of the pandemic to start tracking later in 2020. HELL MILITIA eventually entered Studio Saint-Loup outside of Paris in the fall of 2020 to lay down drums. Additional instruments, vocals, and mix and mastering were conducted with producer/engineer BST at BST Studios through the summer and fall of 2021. According to RSDX, the tumult of recent years, the pandemic and real life’s comings-and-goings were perfect ammunition for ‘Hollow Void’’s creation.

“The whole recording process took longer than expected, but as life took its turn straight up until the vocal recordings, the timing was exactly what it needed to be,” he says “A lot of these experiences were included in the lyrics, giving an honest reflection of what was going on. Bitter days, unshakable religious faith, death, contempt for life, urban filth and an even more bitter aftertaste turned into the toxic cocktail we called ‘Hollow Void’. Still, the pent-up energy increased to a point it just had to explode. We put all that energy back into the album. Now that everything is recorded, we await the date we can unleash this on this world. We will keep the energy at this level until it’s time we can perform it.”

The resultant effort is perhaps HELL MILITIA’s most strident effort to date. The band’s orthodox, unrelenting approach is a broadside to the black metal scene at large. Dense chord swaths, a whirling barrage of blast-beats and RSDX’s nihilistic, scathing vocals coalesce into an album that exploits the true nature of black metal: Savage, unforgiving and grim.

“We wanted to make a much more aggressive approach this time,” confirms the vocalist. “A true-to-form, punch-in-the-face comeback album. We wanted to combine the dissonant riffs of ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ with the raw and filthy sound of our first album, ‘Canonisation of the Foul Spirit’ and include some new elements. I think we succeeded in this, as it is much more raw, aggressive, yet catchy and 100 percent recognizable as HELL MILITIA.”

The events of the last few years provided no shortage of lyrical topics for RSDX. The nihilistic, unforgiving concepts heard on the band’s previous full-lengths remain very much intact, albeit coming across far more prescient in a world on a fast-track toward its own demise. However, RSDX notes that his lyrics on ‘Hollow Void’ are a combination of him looking inward as well as outward toward a world that fills him with disgust. 

“The lyrics are the universe of HELL MILITIA, and at times, also a diary of all events of the last couple of years,” he says. “It is a summary of bitter days, fanatic unshakable religious faith, urban filth, decay, death worship and an extremely bitter aftertaste. It has traditional Satanism and a contempt for life at its very core.”

Indeed contempt, Satanism and a total disregard for human life have been the primary thread of HELL MILITIA’s musical output since they emerged on the scene in 2001 via the ‘SPK Kommando – We Hope You DIE’ split alongside fellow French black metal holdovers Antaeus, Eternal Majesty and Deviant. The band’s lauded and influential ‘Canonisation of the Foul Spirit’ would follow four years later, establishing HELL MILITIA as one of the leading purveyors of the 2000s French black metal wave. 2010’s ‘Last Station on the Road to Death’ and 2012’s ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ followed, bringing them even closer to black metal’s true, raw spirit. As evidenced by ‘Hollow Void’, the last ten years have done little to HELL MILITIA’s approach.

“We are still the old, bitter radical individuals whose masks are off,” closes RSDX. “What the scene does is of no concern or interest to us. We are in contact with bands and individuals we respect. The rest of the world can keep their watered down, non-ideological form of black metal. Black metal to us means the same as it did when the band was founded: A vessel of strong expression in music and ideology with unshakable faith at its very core. If a band doesn’t have that, it’s not black metal. I may approach life differently now that I’m in my 40s than when I was in my 20s, but the attitude and radical stand on what black metal should be has not changed.”

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/hellmilitiaofficial
https://www.instagram.com/hellmilitiaofficial