Imagine the scene: you’ve passed out in a graveyard because you had one too many shots of bourbon last night, and you wake up to a world where every day is literally Halloween… Do those slow-moving figures in the corner of your eye remind you a bit of the fiends from that black-and-white Romero movie you’ve watched too many times?
Under the light of a full moon, you head back home only to realize your old friendly neighborhood is now swarming with witches, and there’s a sacrifice going on behind every window. Finally, back in your own bed, you can’t sleep because the flapping sounds of batwings keep you awake, and you still can’t get rid of that image of the totem in the shadows that wasn’t there yesterday…
For some, this could be the most nightmarish scenario to witness, but to the death rockers of Black Totem, it’s the very (un)life they live and breathe every single day with their third full-length album, “III: Sacrifice Tonite.”
Take a horrific trip through the ten tracks of pure vintage audio horror, guaranteed 100% free from modern-day CGI and cheap jump scares. “III: Sacrifice Tonite” brings back the good old days of rocking and catchy as hell blues punk, where Screamin’ Jay Hawkins shakes hands with old-school doom metal, and Samhain and The Misfits. Guitarist and vocalist Spit Poison and bassist Vera Wolf preach these unholy sermons together, never forgetting just the right amount of “WOOOO’OS,” while Tony Cash assaults the drums with human bones and lead guitarist Sam Hate channels the very best of John Christ‘s rocking solos.
Black Totem’s new album “III: Sacrifice Tonite” is out today digitally and on 300 copies of limited black vinyl.
Today, pan-international darkwave duo Nox stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut album, Entity. Set for international release on June 7th via Neuropa Records, hear Nox‘s Entity in its entirety here:
Nox is a brand-new project between Inmesher (Rope Sect) and Lykaios (Hemelbestormer, Lhaäd, Rituals of the Dead Hand). While both men are known for post-punk and metal, respectively, Nox sees them taking their first steps into the wider electro scene, wielding a similar-yet-different darkness to their more-renown bands. Elements of synthwave, industrial, and dubstep are chopped & screwed to their (DARK) design.
Entity is the duo’s debut album, comprising eight songs across 43 minutes of shimmering, mysterious energy. With pulsing but never-overpowering beats, in service of atmosphere as much as songwriting, Nox dive headlong into a mirror world of subtly torched tones – some scavenging among the gravel, even despite being electronic, while others ascend into the ether on wings of mesmerizing melody – where the listener is guided through moonlit back streets, crumbling edifices of modernity, and a strange sense of futurism that feels apocalyptic and enticing in equal measure. Atop it all are the hauntingly soothing vocals of Inmesher, narrating that listener’s journey (or perhaps narrating the hitherto-unexplored regions of his soul) and creating a unique disconnect that separates Nox from so many treading the hard-electro boards; Entity definitely isn’t the usual retrowave / outrun worship. Underlining this crucial link to humanity is the duo’s cover of Placebo’s “The Bitter End,” which is dubstep in form but something sublime in content.
Trainspotters will already know of Neuropa’s work with the scene stalwarts Carpenter Brut, which serves as a handy reference here, but Nox is equally recommended to fans of Crystal Castles, ADULT., Kavinsky, Sixth June, Kontravoid, or even Nine Inch Nails. Entity is but their first steps on this path…where will it end?
Also see & hear the recently revealed video for “Once Now Gone” exclusively HERE, courtesy of InvisibleOranges.com. Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Nox (Germany/Belgium)’s Entity 1. Black Nebula 2. Once Now Gone 3. Flesh and Bones 4. Escape the Light 5. Seven Days of Rain 6. The Bitter End (Dream Mix) 7. Broken Circle 8. The Triple Goddess
Today, Sepulchral Voice Records announces July 26th as the international release date for Mayhemic‘s highly anticipated debut album, Toba, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
Over 70,000 years ago, an event of horrific proportions brought earth’s life to the edge of existing. Known as the Toba eruption, a monstruous super-volcano spat forth brimstone and fire and put the world under the fangs of a massive volcanic winter. Here and now, writing the year 2024, we finally get the audiomantic equivalence to this catastrophe absolute.
As if the most glorious days of thrash metal never had ceased to exist, Chilean aggressors Mayhemic come up with a debut combining utmost power and speed, intertwined with incredible musicianship and songwriting of sheer brilliance.
The young quartet has pushed it hard since the beginning with numerous live shows – sharing stages with names like Marduk and Krisiun, among others – countless rehearsals, and an evolution which can be only labeled as stunning. From the well-produced and -structured No-Life demo up until the total speed mayhem and maniacal fury of the Mortuary Feast of Skeletons EP and the “Volcanic Blast” single, the time is now for Mayhemic‘s first full-length madness.
Comparisons do mostly suck, but for those unfamiliar with their earlier output, imagine the ravage of old Sodom, the speed kill of Merciless and old Sepultura, all combined with Kreator’s best moments of high-class thrash as on Pleasure to Kill till Extreme Aggression. Big words without doubt, but listen to Toba and the rest is self-explanatory.
If you need your dirty white high-tops, skinny jeans, and leather jackets as sharp as in the ’80s, this is the perfect soundtrack to bang your heads to Hell.
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Triumph Portrait” here:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Mayhemic’s Toba 1. Kollarbone Crushed Neanderthal 2. Extinction & Mystery 3. Valley Of The Thundra 4. Triumph Portrait 5. Eschatological Symphony 6. Hazardous Prowler 7. Olduvai’s Lullaby 8. Toba
On July 30th internationally, W.T.C.Productions is proud to present True Black Dawn‘s highly anticipated third album, Of Thick-circling Shadows.
True Black Dawn are a cult band above all “cult” bands. Come the Colorless Dawn, that record marked the second (or even third) era of the band. See, back in 1992 when they first formed, True Black Dawn were simply “Black Dawn” years before a no-name American band threatened legal action. A handful of demos were released that decade before their classic debut album, Blood for Satan, arrived in 2001. A tense hiatus followed before a very strange three-way split Enochian Crescent and O came at the end of 2005, signaling a shift – or fucking with their audience, or the underground, or whoever – from the filthy & furious Finnish black metal of their preceding work to something almost industrialized and inhuman, wild and boundless and unorthodox no matter how you qualify it. Thus, when Come the Colorless Dawn surprisingly arrived, heralding the band’s official return after a couple teasing festival performances, True Black Dawn had largely drawn those two (challenging) poles together – and started on a new path equally powerful and poignant.
And so it goes with Of Thick-circling Shadows, an extrapolation / intensification of all that came before but with yet another subtle-yet-significant sonic shift: majestic, mesmerizing melody of a most purple-blue hue. It’s not disingenuous to suggest that True Black Dawn here are drawing together that elusive balance (or at least juxtaposition) of the “classic” and the “modern,” given the cold-metal contours they continue to icily erect which particularly imparts the latter. But that balance / juxtaposition isn’t solely relegated to ’90s melodicism / industrialized textures; across a bulk of Of Thick-circling Shadows, the intensity is pushed well into the blastbeaten red – truly, founding vocalist Wrath sounds like he’s being torn apart – while the subtlest dusting of synths tastefully heightens / deranges the vortextural violence circling that spidery, spiraling melodicism. Thus does the title make sense, at least within the album’s sonic aesthetics, while the psychedelically smeared artwork (courtesy of Jukka Siikala and Babalon Graphics) provides ample visual cues for what the listener is getting into when he enters these Thick-circling Shadows.
All this grimy grandeur is given palpitating, Technicolor clarity courtesy of Tore Stjerna’s mastering, making the streamlined orthodoxy of Come the Colorless Dawn both a conclusion to that era of the band and a springboard into a new one. Have True Black Dawn, some 30-plus years after their formation, delivered their masterwork with Of Thick-circling Shadows? Only time will tell…but the present is as dark and daunting as the album’s namesake.
In the meantime, hear the brand-new video “Algol” here:
Aforementioned cover artwork and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for True Black Dawn’s Of Thick-circling Shadows 1. Algol 2. The Depths of the Looking Glass 3. Night and Names 4. The Wind from the Red Cloud 5. Fish, Sin and Soma 6. Body-without-Soul 7. Worlds in the Mirror 8. Palace of Ash 9. Volaverunt 10. The End of Our Age
Darkness Shall Rise Productions is proud to present Aivvass‘ Spiritual Archives (Occult Rites I+II) collection on CD and cassette tape formats. Both EPs, Occult Rites I and Occult Rites II, shall be released separately on 12″ vinyl. The CD and tape versions will be released internationally on July 18th while the two vinyl EPs will be released on August 15th.
Permanently on the lookout for new blood, Darkness Shall Rise are delighted to proffer its latest discovery.
Having concocted their curious amalgam in secrecy for several years, Germany-based Aivvass come out of the shadows to reveal their aptly titled EPs Occult Rites I & II. Named after the non-corporeal being which Aleister Crowley claimed to have dictated his “Liber AL vel Legis,” it takes no wonder that the obscure band’s creations are profoundly steeped in Thelemic magick and occult lore.
Expertly oscillating between bludgeoning heaviness and acoustic serenity, the compositions of Aivvass take the listener on a stunning ride between polarities. Mellow neofolk accompanied by clean singing are effortlessly intertwined with down-tuned doom riffs and evocative growling of a bestial nature. The predominantly mid-paced songs, like the masterfully crafted “Lucifer” or “Witchcraft,” unfold a meditative quality by means of numerous repetitions of each arrangement. Adding to the atmospherically dense recordings are various samples including invocations by The Great Beast himself.
Fiends of the dark arts and aficionados of obscure sonic manifestation alike: COME TO THE SABBATH!
In the meantime, stream Spiritual Archives (Occult Rites I+II) in its entirety here:
Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Aivvass’ Spiritual Archives
1. Aivvass 2. Satan 3. Baphomet 4. Lucifer 5. Crucifixion 6. Witchcraft 7. Cremation of Care 8. The Ghoul [Pentagram cover]
Darkness Shall Rise Productions is proud to present Ulvehunger‘s highly anticipated debut album, Retaliation, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats. The CD and tape versions will be released on July 18th while the vinyl version will follow on August 15th.
When merited veterans of Norwegian death / black metal conspire to breathe life into a new entity, you know you are in for a real treat.
Ulvehunger‘s Retaliation – the outcome of a joint effort by L.J. Balvaz (Balvaz, Cadaver, Disgusting) and K.B. Fletcher (Disgusting) together with none other than the equally legendary Frost (Satyricon, 1349) and Anders Odden (Cadaver, Order, Satyricon live) – has Norwegian death / black metal written all over it.
Tracks like “Desecrator,” “Consumed by Hate,” or “Rise From the Shadows” convince with memorable riffs that are razor-sharp and remorselessly attacking yet melodious and melancholic at the same time. Pushed ahead by Frost’s unmistakable drumming and L.J. Balvaz’s scornful sermons, Retaliation is a dynamic, ravenous beast of an album.
Retaliaton was recorded in Tomb Studio (Order, Witch Club Satan) and produced by Anders Odden, with mastering by Patrick W. Engel at Temple Of Disharmony.
Ulvehunger, despite being steeped in the tradition of classic outputs by compatriots Carpathian Forest, Darkthrone, or Gorgoroth, deliver without being a carbon-copy of said bands. Ulvehunger have managed to create a worthy addition to the endless list of masterpieces from Norway no adherent of the genre can afford to miss out on.
In the meantime, stream Retaliation in its entirety here:
Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Ulvehunger’s Retaliation
1. Desecrator 2. Sacrifice 3. Leave Them In Disgrace 4. Consumed By Hate 5. Castle Of Blood 6. Forces Of Doom 7. Declaration Of War 8. Rise From The Shadows 9. The Mighty Pentagram 10. Covenant Of Pestilence
In a tumultuous sea of static universes, a monumental sonic wave ripples across the cosmos — WORMED releases their latest single, Protogod. A track set to recalibrate the molecular composition of sound waves. Immerse yourself in the chasms of twisted quantum fabric and galactic chaos, as Protogod emerges from the forthcoming album Omegon — a sonic enigma engineered for the seekers of the abstruse and the warriors of the obscure.
This single renders a voyage through time, density, and reality, echoing WORMED’s enduring lineage in liberating mind-bending brutal metal. Protogod reverberates as a cosmic scream, enunciated through Krighsu’s revived quantum syndicate.
Delve into the celestial trenches as Protogod orchestrates the transformation of cosmic paradigms. Every note promises a paroxysm of revelation, with layers of aggressive instrumentation synonymous with the auditory assault only WORMED can engineer. They traverse through the spectral realms of aural brutality while preserving the narrative of Chryms’ divine legacy.
Space – the final frontier. Yet, when WORMED reach out into the void, the results sound far more like a dark space opera inhabited by bizarre aliens, genetically and technically evolved meta-humans struggling for power and survival in galactic empires. Now, the nano-technological war has been unleashed in the void to defeat the last sower of human life, Krighsu!
Odd-time signatures, avalanches of breaks and complex rhythmical as well as melodic patterns will excite every aficionado of extreme technicality, while growls down-tuned strings and double-bass assaults will more than satisfy extreme metal connoisseurs. While being outstandingly skilled musicians WORMED are avoiding any self-indulgent show of prowess for its own sake. Instead, the five-piece from Madrid clearly lays its emphasis on creating atmospheric songs, which develop and grow along the underlying story.
Originating from Spain’s capital Madrid in 1998, WORMED immediately made an impact in the death metal scene with the release of their ‘Floating Cadaver in the Monochrome’ MCD (1999). Following a promo CD under the title ‘Voxel Mitosis’ (2001), the first studio album ‘Planisphaerium’ received high acclaim by critics and fans alike in 2003. In the wake of their debut full-length, the Spanish received invitations to international festival shows and touring around the globe. WORMED performed in Japan alongside GORATORY and VOMIT REMNANTS and afterwards hit Europe with MALIGNANCY and DESPONDENCY.
A creative hiatus, partly due to line-up changes and filled with re-issues of their previous released as well as the single ‘Quasineutrality’ (2010) finally ended, when their sophomore album ‘Exodromos’ came out in 2013. On their third full-length ‘Krighsu’ (2016), the fast-rising Spanish Sci-Fi tech death prodigies are telling a dystopian cosmic story with lyrics and music joined into an overarching concept. Its intense brutality, dissonant dynamic riffing, and tremendous heaviness combined with an amazing futuristic concept, which introduced the character Krighsu – last human in the cosmos, harvested top reviews and saw WORMED headlining in the US and co-headlining in Europe.
In the summer of 2019, WORMED brought their ultra-technical cosmic sonic onslaught to new heights on their 4-track EP ‘Metaportal’, released through Season of Mist. Praised as a monstrously satisfying addition to their catalogue, the EP bridged the gap between their previously released 2016 ‘Krighsu’ and their newest project. Atmospheric yet faithful to the skull-crushing mindboggling textures they’ve given fans over the years, ‘Metaportal’ allowed WORMED to come to terms with the loss of Guillermo Calero in 2018 and move forward.
On ‘Omegon’, WORMED’s upcoming 2024 release, they continue the story of Krigshu, a timeline hacker entangled in manipulation by cosmic forces. As viciously as the aggression they bring on their technically impressive instruments, Krigshu battles his way to unlock the mysteries of Omegon, a mysterious cosmic substance holding ultimate power. With 9 tracks of ultimate interstellar chaos, a story unfolds and WORMED prove yet again that they reign supreme on the technical death metal genre.
Recording Studio BlackStorm Studios (Karrantza, Basque Country)
Production Credits Ekaitz Garmendia – Producer & Sound Engineer Mixed & Mastered by Colin Marston at Menegroth, The Thousand Caves (Queens, NY, USA) Editing by Simon Da Silva at The Empty Hall (Madrid, ES)
Available Formats: Digital Download CD Digipak 12″ Vinyl Gatefold – Black 12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – White 12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Transparent Blue 12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Blue, Black & White Marbled
On May 31s internationally, Chaos Records is proud to present Black Wound‘s highly anticipated debut album, Warping Structure, on CD format. And today, they stream the album in its entirety. Hear Black Wound‘s Warping Structure in its entirety here:
Following a trio of demos, a split, and an EP since their formation in 2021, Sweden’s Black Wound at last reveal their debut full-length, Warping Structure, consisting of six tracks of dense, murky, cavernous death metal. Clocking in at just over 40 minutes, the trio here sound like they’ve spent an unhealthy amount of time in the deepest, dankest subterranean hovel, with only humankind’s darkest nightmares for company.
Impossibly, Warping Structure sees Black Wound cranking up the aural brutality a couple notches. Everything goes up to that mythical eleven: the vocals, the guitars, the bass, all layered over the pummeling drums in a way that it feels like all light has been extinguished and suffocation seems inevitable. Teasingly, the crawling, doomier interludes provide some form of relief before the ferocious, relentless wall of sound overwhelms again.
Make no mistake, Warping Structure is a punishing journey, but once you’re immersed in Black Wound‘s bleak hellscape, you’ll find it to be an immensely satisfying listen. Maniacs for Spectral Voice, Teitanblood, and Winter are wholeheartedly encouraged to immerse themselves in this subterranean hovel!
Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
On August 2nd internationally, Personal Records is proud to present Mourners Lament‘s highly anticipated second album, A Grey Farewell, on CD format.
Formed in 2004, Mourners Lament are a doom-death metal band hailing from Viña del Mar, Chile. During their first years, they released a demo in 2004 and then an EP, Unbroken Solemnity, in 2008. Those two recordings launched the quintet onto numerous gigs within the Chilean doom scene, some of them with classic bands like Poema Arcanus and Mar de Grises.
Lineup changes followed during the next handful of years, as Mourners Lament underwent a minor period of silence while preparing what would be their debut album. Titled We All Be Given, the band’s first full-length would first be released in 2016 by esteemed national label Canometal Records, and then later the next year internationally through Hammerheart Records. Between the two editions, Mourners Lament established themselves as a considerable new(er) name in the wider doom-death scene.
After the debut album’s initial release, Mourners Lament continued playing live shows in their native Chile, climbing to a higher position in the national doom scene. Later on, two new members took over drums and vocal duties, and a new lineup was established in 2019, which continues to this day. This new-look Mourners Lament brought fresh sounds and spirit to the band, resulting in the new EP Grieving at a Distance in 2022 and their first adventure in European territory that same year.
After the Euro tour, which included an appearance at the renowned Dutch Doom Days festival, the band started the process of a new album. At last here, A Grey Farewell easily eclipses its not-inconsiderable full-length predecessor. Here, Mourners Lament erect a towering monument to misery: six songs in nearly 65 minutes, the album is an emotional and DARK journey across a majestic & melancholic landscape. Undoubtedly, it’s pure DOOM-DEATH by definition – riffs crush and then reverberate, rhythms lumber before nearly disappearing into darkness, guttural vocals either meld with both or play counterpart, and icy, almost-sensual synths flow with subtlety and a quiet power – but Mourners Lament prove to be masterful songwriters, patiently building arcs that unfold dark drama and bittersweet emotion, and then seamlessly threading the whole experience together as one unified work that’s equally spacious and suffocating. That there’s a bit more polish here only makes A Grey Farewell that much better, particularly given the band’s penchant for dynamic quietude.
The raw-yet-rich emotion of the earliest days of the Peaceville Three – Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Anathema, altogether THE eternal template for doom-death metal – can still be a fertile field for inspiration. It would not be hyperbole to suggest that A Grey Farewell is perhaps one of the best modern examples of pure doom-death that imparts its own personality. Some 20 years after their formation, Mourners Lament have truly arrived!
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Towards Abandonment” here:
Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Mourners Lament’s A Grey Farewell
1. Towards Abandonment [10:58] 2. Changes [13:27] 3. Ocaso [7:26] 4. The Clear Distance [12:29] 5. In A White Room [9:18] 6. Mass Eulogy [10:22]
In the ever-evolving saga of extreme metal, few bands have stirred as much respect as VLTIMAS. Comprising legends David Vincent (Morbid Angel), Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen (Mayhem, Aura Noir) and Ype TVS (Dodecahedron), this supergroup has carved a niche for themselves that breaks all boundaries of extreme metal. Their latest album, EPIC, showcases their dark, overpowering artistry, filled with tracks that push limits. Released March 15 on Season of Mist, VLTIMAS are now set on lighting up stages across Europe.
“Epic Prophecy for Europe” 2024 Tour Dates: 26 September: Bucharest, ROM @ Metal Gates Warm-Up Party 27 September: Sofia, BUL @ Mixtapes 28 September: Vienna, AUT @ Szene Wein 30 September: Graz, AUT @ Explosiv 1 October: Ostrava, CZE @ Barrak 3 October: Budapest, HUN @ A38 4 October: Venice, ITA @ Revolver 5 October: Rome, ITA @ Traffic 6 October: Milan, ITA @ Slaughter 8 October: Leipzig, GER @ Hellraiser 9 October: Luzern, SUI @ Schuur 10 October: Mannheim, GER @ MS Connexion 12 October: Manchester, UK @ Academy 3 13 October: Bristol, UK @ Thekla 14 October: Dublin, EI @ The Academy 15 October: Belfast, EI @ Limelight 2 18 October: Sheffield, UK @ Corporation 20 October: London, UK @ Underworld 24 October: Herford, GER @ Kulturwerk
In their latest offering, EPIC, VLTIMAS craft a masterpiece that is both a ferocious onslaught and an intricate work of art. With songs like Miserere and Scorcher, EPIC lives up to its name, delivering a maelstrom of relentless riffs, thunderous drumming, and Vincent’s iconic growls that showcase the band’s ability to meld their legendary talents into something uniquely powerful. The album’s production, handled by Jaime Gomez Arellano at Arda Recorders, captures the raw energy and sophistication of their sound, making EPIC an immersive experience.
Tracklist 1. Volens Discordant (1:02) 2. EPIC (4:35) 3. Miserere (3:51) [WATCH] 4. Exercitus Irae (4:01) 5. Mephisto Manifesto (05:05) 6. Scorcher (03:21) [WATCH] 7. Invictus (5:30) [LISTEN] 8. Nature’s Fangs (3:52) 9. Spoils of War (5:54) Total runtime: 37:16
Extreme metal powerhouse VLTIMAS (pronounced ‘uhl-tuh-mas’) assault metaldom once more with their highly-anticipated sophomore album, EPIC, through Season of Mist. Featuring Norwegian guitarist Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen (ex-Mayhem, Aura Noir), American vocalist David Vincent (ex-Morbid Angel), and Canadian drummer Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy), the multinational quintet, rounded out by Dutch bassist Ype TVS (ex-Dodecahedron) and Portuguese guitarist João Duarte (Corpus Christii), continue to venture down their path. Moored by strength and integrity, VLTIMAS fortified their signature with wicked invention, as applauded by Decibel Magazine, BangerTV, Louder, and many others, on their debut, Something Wicked Marches In (2019). Singles “Miserere,” “Scorcher,” and “Invictus” showcase a band of musicians at the top of their game, united in their pursuit of oneness. “We wrote every bit of EPIC together at my ranch in Dime Box, Texas,” offers Vincent. “The writing sessions were as organic as they could be. There were times when, at the end of the night, Rune would take his guitar and play something ridiculous. Flo would play something even more ridiculous on top of it. I’d say to the guys, ‘I need to capture this.’ So, the magic [of VLTIMAS] is being in the same room together, discussing, playing, and recording music and everything else we’re doing together. We have unbelievable camaraderie.”
While the members of VLTIMAS are not atavists, their preferred creative methods are time-tested and battle-hardened. Technology has its place, but the group thrive when they’re together, not separated by the world. Eriksen, renowned as a riff innovator, is more effective when he’s got a highly capable sideman like Vincent or Mounier, whose drumming in Cryptopsy and his celebrated instructional Extreme Metal Drumming 101 DVD has proven to be a no-limits player, by his side. Whether it’s the moody, angular attack of “Miserere,” the wicked groove of “Mephisto Manifesto,” or the dark fury of “Nature’s Fangs,” the chemistry and enterprise of VLTIMAS is undeniable.
“The main goal [of VLTIMAS] is to be real,” Eriksen reveals. “To channel the very moment, to let true inspiration out. I don’t believe I ever set myself a goal on what an album should or needs to sound like before I or we write it because that means I have to compromise during the process. For EPIC, we focused on more direct songs, trimming the fat, as opposed to Something Wicked Marches In, which had a progressive and ‘playful’ flair.”
VLTIMAS was a profane concept—a constellation of riffs against a modest frame—when formed by Eriksen in 2015. After departing Mayhem in 2008 and putting his gothic doom outfit Ava Inferi to rest in 2013, the Norwegian’s fingers still itched with infernal fury. VLTIMAS was his vent, and when Mounier and Vincent joined, he finally had the cadre of professionals to make it a reality. Together, they devised complementary schemes and themes rooted in rightness. In a world gone mad, VLTIMAS had a vision. On Something Wicked Marches In, they commanded attention with metaphors about the apocalypse, the ancient goddess Lilith, and truth. Lyrically, EPIC spears into the very nucleus of strength through Vincent’s brio of double entendre and clever wordsmithing. The songs are designed to be heard, read, and interpreted—there are no shortcuts.
“Everything we’re doing and messaging is about strength and honor,” says Vincent. “These are the fundamentals that I incorporate into my life, which I believe in. I want to share with others, hoping they’ll incorporate strength and honor into their lives. I wouldn’t say I like spelling lyrics out. I use a lot of double meanings on purpose because I want to inspire the listener to think. I’m not a short attention span guy, and I don’t appreciate it. EPIC is holistic and meant to be experienced that way.”
EPIC was recorded by producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Grave Miasma) with engineer Jonathan Mazzeo (First Fragment, Sickening) at Arda Recorders in Porto, Portugal. VLTIMAS tracked the album throughout May 2023. Arellano also handled the mix and master. Like everything the band does, the main goal was to be honest. The maxim of no sample replacement or re-amping—EPIC was captured on outboard gear—was adhered to and enjoyed by the team. The result is a sonic expression that sounds like nothing else. From the crushing title track to the epic musicality of closer “Spoils of War,” EPIC is an absolute beast.
“Stress, long walks, too much alcohol, yet very focused once in the recording mode,” Eriksen says of the sessions. “We booked a month, but somehow, that flew by instantly. We worked up until the very end. I even added a few solos at my local Soundscape Studio in Almada, Portugal. Art unfolds, and once you think you are done, there’s always another idea popping up.”
VLTIMAS brought Italian artist Daniele Valeriani (Mayhem, Unanimated) to visualize EPIC. The aesthetic, as illuminated by music and message, was iconic boldness. The three-eagle head crest with three different crowns, accompanied by transfigured symbols of the Passion and the “impossible triangle,” projects effortlessly. In EPIC, the group will dominate. There’s no escape from “Miserere,” “Mephisto Manifesto,” “Scorcher,” and “Invictus.” Together, they thrust, by resolve and inventiveness, VLTIMAS into the uppermost echelons of extreme metal.
“[EPIC is] old meets contemporary, a symbiosis of all the great things we love about extreme metal,” offers Eriksen. “All combined into one album.”
“I want to be as emotional and honest [with VLTIMAS],” Vincent adds. “I want to tell stories; I want to have the themes that appeal to me; I want to have some messaging that someone can take away, in this case, strength. EPIC is strength.”
Lineup David Vincent – Vocals Rune Blasphemer Eriksen – Guitars Flo Mounier – Drums Ype TVS – Bass João Duarte – Guitars
Recording studio ARDA Recorders
Producer Jamie Gomez Arellano
Sound engineer Jonathan Mazzeo
Mixing and mastering engineer Jaime Gomez Arellano
Mixing and mastering studio Arda Recorders, Orgone Studio
Available Formats: Digital Download CD Digipak 12″ Vinyl Gatefold – Black 12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Gold & Black Marbled 12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Transparent Red & Black Marbled 12″ Picture Vinyl
