Blood Harvest Records sets November 10th as the international release date for Serpentrance’s debut mini-album, The Besieged Sanctum, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
Originally released as a limited-edition cassette in early 2015, The Besieged Sanctum introduced this Russian cult to the international underground with a lurking menace. Comprised of members hailing from such elite hordes as Pseudogod, Ill Omened, and Sickrites, Serpentrance create a swirling, sulfurous maelstrom of ritualistic black/death trance. Both seemingly improvised and militantly martial, The Besieged Sanctum heaves its hulking mass in a deceptively doomed manner: always a sense of vertigo engulfs the listener, no matter the tempo – from sub-atomic crawl to blastbeaten bestiality – and textures bleed in and out like a lingering fog. Now amended with an exclusive bonus track, the 31 minutes comprising this new Blood Harvest version creates a gestating womb of eldritch dread and incantory solemnity.
Enter The Besieged Sanctum with Serpentrance HERE
Preorder info can be found HERE.
Cover and tracklisting are as follows
Tracklisting for Serpentrance’s The Besieged Sanctum
1. Sin
2. The Aphotic Temples
3. Among The Timeless Tombs
4. The Tongueless Oracle
5. The Funeral Mass Of The Abhorrent
Midnight contributes an exclusive cover of D.R.I.’s “I Don’t Need Society” for a hurricane relief benefit. Available as an exclusive Bandcamp download-only track, all profits from Midnight’s “I Don’t Need Society” cover will be donated to the Red Cross in their efforts to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey.
A statement from Midnight mainman Athenar reads: “Being wild nutty metalist/punkoid/scumball/rockheads blah blah blah, we all feel we don’t need society. But like it or not, we are a part of society…I think? Maybe not, but anyway, here’s an interpretation of ‘I Don’t Need Society’ by one of my all-time favorite Texas bands, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles! So, instead of buying a pair of those used soiled panties off of Ebay or that 13-inch-long unsanded dildo that you’ve had your eye on for quite some time now, use that cash to help out some folks in the Lone Star State who may need a pair of soiled panties or a dildo of some sort.”
In other Midnight news, the band recently revealed the first track from their highly anticipated third album, Sweet Death and Ecstasy, which will be released later this year on 2CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats via Hells Headbangers. Titled “Penetratal Ecstasy,” hear the first taste of Sweet Death and Ecstasy HERE
By now, Midnight need no introduction. Guided by the twisted muse of Athenar since 2003, this Cleveland cult have been slaying the metal/punk underground with their own, highly addictive brand of lust, filth, and sleaze, subsequently building up a sizable catalog and garnering a rabid fanbase. While there’s certainly fanatics for the band’s early EP work, it was Midnight’s debut album, Satanic Royalty – released to international fanfare in 2011 by Hells Headbangers – that entered the band’s name into the annals of “classic.” Never one to rush things (nor drop an EP along the way), Midnight continued their underground dominance with No Mercy for Mayhem in 2014, further perfecting their signature sound. Now, with their massively anticipated third album, Sweet Death and Ecstasy, Athenar and co. return with their darkest and most daring effort yet.
Granted, upon the first detonating chords of opener “Crushed by Demons,” it would be fair to assume that Sweet Death and Ecstasy is simply classic Midnight…until the tracktime nearly doubles what a characteristic track of theirs would be. This is no mere bloat, though: bookended by two of the band’s longest songs to date, Sweet Death and Ecstasy lays bare a more anguished ‘n’ aggravated Midnight, forever in thrall to the usual subjects (LUST, FILTH, SLEAZE) but speaking a slightly different, altogether-more-poisonous tongue. It both charges harder than ever – even harder than the band’s early EP work, arguably – and also puts on the brakes to bang ‘n’ clang in a manner most foul. Indeed, Midnight truly deliver Sweet Death and Ecstasy in a swift 32 minutes, and it’s absolutely addicting. What’s more, the CD version will feature a bonus disc that’s a 12-song live rehearsal recorded in 2015 by Commandor Vanik. There’s no dawn for Midnight…ever!
Osmose Productions sets October 27th as the international release date for Caïnan Dawn’s highly anticipated third album, F.O.H.A.T.
Once again, Caïnan Dawn have probed the infinite resonance of the everlasting chaos. Through seven tracks with strong atmosphere, the cosmic substance F.O.H.A.T reveals the mysterious link between Mind and Matter. F.O.H.A.T is the personified electric vital power, the transcendental binding unity of all cosmic energies, on the unseen as on the manifested planes. This is the final of a reversed path that was ending with Nibiru, the destructor, and followed by thAVMIAL, the twins.
Prepare for a journey beyond eternity. Kaos, Theos, Kosmos… Begin that journey with the new track “Ylem”
Additionally, a teaser for F.O.H.A.T can also be viewed at HERE.
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Caïnan Dawn’s F.O.H.A.T
1. Kaos Theos Kosmos
2. Ylem
3. Mara
4. Fohat
5. Thule
6. Fathomless
7. Om
Dunkelheit Produktionen sets November 27th as the international release date for the utterly savage debut mini-album from a shocking newcomer in the fast-rising Indian black metal scene: Kapala’s Infest Cesspool.
Formed in the depths of Kolkata, India, Kapala have had one – and only one – objective since its formation: to play the most intense and bestial musick and annihilate the cesspool. Inspired by such legends such as Goatpenis, Revenge, Black Witchery, Blasphemy, Conqueror, and many other violent entities, Kapala seek to wage total sonic warfare with a strong obsession for the concept of “Survival of the Fittest.” And indeed, they accomplish that in the swift ‘n’ decisive 20 minutes comprising their first public recording, Infest Cesspool.
A true power-trio that’s more like a three-man war machine, Kapala seek to crush, kill, and destroy all in their path with overwhelming violence and totally OTT intensity. Their arsenal of shredded decibels is bountiful, as each riff and drum hit becomes its own weapon, unleashing wave after wave after unmitigatedly annihilating wave. Stripped to only the barest essentials and with a rawness pushed well past the red, Infest Cesspool quickly becomes its own blown-out, charred-beyond-redemption landscape, unforgiving and unrelenting and unforgettably so.
There will be nothing left but scorched earth and eviscerated eardrums after this Infest Cesspool has been wiped clean – Kapala’s martial dominance will prevail! The first iron fist can be heard with the new track “Homosapiennihilation”
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Kapala’s Infest Cesspool
1. Intro (To War)
2. Homosapiennihilation
3. Kapalik Hellstrike
4. Thermobarik Spear
5. A. K. S
6. Outro (Atrocity Cacophony)
Hells Headbangers announces the signing of Chile’s Communion. The first fruit of this union shall be TWO albums released simultaneously: their debut album, At the Announcement, to be released by the Sinister Flame but with distribution by Hells Headbangers; and the band’s second album, The Communion, to be released exclusively by Hells Headbangers. Both albums shall be released on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
One of the most cult bands in the shit-hot South American black/death scene, for nearly a decade now, Communion have been cultivating a mystique and work ethic like no other. Staunchly DIY and largely rejecting the gross machinations of the European “metal” industry, Communion have built up a sparse yet strangely vast body of work comprising myriad short-length releases – sometimes, true “singles” in that the release will feature only one track – that are either self-released or released through vocalist/bassist Deathmessiah’s Proselytism label, which has become ground zero for the very best in nowadays South American black/death. Despite their often-short runtimes, each Communion release is its own special world, ranging the rich history of South American metal, from its blackest, most sulfurous depths to its most traditional, headbanging heights. That one band can encompass a relatively expansive swath of sounds whilst remaining uniquely rigid and focused in their attack has endeared the band to legions the world over, all of whom await each Communion release with bated breath and cherish it as a true artifact.
A statement from Deathmessiah reads: “Many people ask us why we haven’t been signed and released any album before. Well, the truth is that we have been ripped off by an ex-member who played drums and owns a studio called DM6, and after being kicked out of the band, he magically ‘lost’ our first-album tracks – only voice needed to be recorded, and we previously paid 50% in advance – and also ripped off my label with other recordings I paid in advance, too, and from which we never got any fucking tracks or money back. All that made us waste YEARS of work, and my label got really financially affected, too. But now, after I found the right souls to work with and after being in the depths of the underground releasing demos after demos and playing in several countries through South and North America, we are attacking once more now with twice as much strength!”
Continuing, Deathmessiah reveals, “Besides that, when we entered again to record with a newer lineup, our recordings took a lot of time in the mixing so we could get a personal sound that will remain as dark, ferocious, and professional as we could achieve. We worked hard on the lyrics, which are totally straightforward. Both albums are linked lyrically. What we want to say with them in the end is to ‘keep ever open eyes,’ and there’s nothing better to sing it with total destructive and hypnotic metal.”
As for working with Hells Headbangers and The Sinister Flame, “With my label work, I have been in contact with Hells Headbangers and The Sinister Flame for many years. We’e been working together arranging trades since the early 2000s, and I know they are 100% into metal and dedicated to their unholy work, and that’s what really counts for me and for the future of Communion, which will forge two more albums, The Ordeals and Take This Torch. These labels have spread our name before we signed with them and supported my work in many ways, and I truly believe they’re not afraid to show and be themselves as record labels and persons, instead of following a sheep-minded world that’s trying to turn you into an ignorant coward. So, let’s celebrate the funeral of mercy with pure WITCHING METAL!”
As a prelude to the imminent double-album attack, Communion shall be embarking upon their first North American tour this month, alongside new Hells Headbangers comrades (and fellow Chilean tyrants) Slaughtbbath.
Confirmed dates are as follows, as well as tour poster:
September 8-9 – Wings of Metal Festival, QC
September 12 – Worcester, MA
September 13 – Brooklyn, NY
September 14 – Philadelphia, PA
September 15 – Cleveland, OH
September 16 – Chicago, IL
September 17 – Hamtramck, MI
September 20 – Buffalo, NY
September 21 – Toronto, ON
September 22 – Sherbrooke, QC
September 23 – Considered Dead Festival, QC
Release date, cover art, and preorder info for both albums to be announced shortly. In the meantime, Communion have just revealed two brand-new tracks : “Secret Rites,” from At the Announcement,
Satanic speed metallers Hammr reveal the new track “Satanic Raid” at Hells Headbangers’ official YouTube channel. The track hails from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Unholy Destruction, which shall be released later this year on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette formats via Hells Headbangers.
Hammr was formed in Cleveland, Ohio by J. Hammer in 2013. As a strictly solo endeavor, Hammr recorded a full digital-only demos album, which caught the attention of several labels. From there, the band went on to release the Hammr EP in 2015, first digitally and then on cassette tape through Hota Rex, the latter of which quickly sold out. Other plans for releases were delayed due to label managers going to jail as well as the usual financial delays, which led J. Hammer to start releasing demo singles directly to the metal people. It was during this time that he met the folks behind Hells Headbangers and also Demona founder Tanza Speed, who both took a lot of interest in Hammr. Once he received the offer, J. Hammer decided to hold off on recordings for other labels, and use some of his demos and new material for the imminent debut album, Unholy Destruction.
Ever aptly titled, Unholy Destruction is the grand culmination of the Hammr aesthetic. Built on a proud foundation of early Bathory, Celtic Frost, Iron Angel, Discharge, early Slayer, Sodom, and Venom, Hammr lets loose a wild ‘n’ loose blast of what J. Hammer has dubbed “Satanic speed,” which, in his own words, “combines fast speed metal riffing with D-beat drums and relentless arrangements. This isn’t a quick-startup, Lemmy-worshiping metal/punk band that we see a lot of; Hammr goes for your throat and doesn’t give a fuck about that shit.” Indeed it does go for the throat – relentlessly and rabidly, possessing the listener’s very body and soul as each galloping charge detonates upon pressing “play.” The solos fly fast and free from Midnight’s Commandor Vanik, instilling that very lawlessness so often missing from heavy metal these days. It’s raw and rivetheaded to the very end, locating that elusive point between heavy metal glory and hardcore punk fury, and reveling in the moment while simultaneously clutching tightly to rock-solid songwriting. And, above all, it compels – nay, DEMANDS – repeat plays, so total is that possession.
No politics, no party, no drinks: Unholy Destruction is Hammr’s declaration of independence for all the fellow lone-wolves out there. With mixing done by Commandor Vanik and mastering by Toxic Holocaust maiman Joel Grind, Unholy Destruction is bound to be one of the hottest debut albums in recent memory!
Cover and tracklisting are as follows.
Tracklisting for Hammr’s Unholy Destruction
1. Intro
2. Satanic Raid
3. Under Black Command
4. Eternal Prey
5. Desecrator
6. Sadistic Poison
7. Death Reign
8. Unholy Destruction
9. Demonic Rites
10. Into the Pentagram
11. Final Sacrifice
Invictus Productions, in conspiracy with The Ajna Offensive, is proud to present Malokarpatan’s highly anticipated second album, Nordkarpatenland. Invictus shall be handling the album’s release in Europe, while Ajna will be handling North America. Fittingly, Nordkarpatenland shall be released on Halloween on both sides of the Atlantic.
Just last year, Invictus brought Malokarpatan’s debut album, Stridžie dni, to worldwide attention. Although originally released in limited editions in late 2015, the album’s bewitching charm soon entranced all who heard it; some even consider it a modern classic. With its filthy-yet-atmospheric sound half steeped in primitivism and half steeped in a strange, sincere desire to push black metal in weirder, more personal directions, Malokarpatan were proudly carrying on the spiritual legacy of vanguard Eastern Bloc bands like Root and Master’s Hammer – but, of course, with their own idiosyncratic touch. But as mighty ‘n’ mesmerizing as Stridžie dni may be, the now-quintet take the listener to the hinterlands of the grotesque and glorious here across Nordkarpatenland.
Truly a trip to the darkest corners of Eastern European folklore, Nordkarpatenland suitably stretches itself across more and weirder sonic landscapes. Whereas Stridžie dni steeped itself in the grit and grime of rural life, from witchcraft to drunkenness, there’s a more stately and ominous aspect to Nordkarpatenland that suggests a none-more-tweaked ambition on the part of Malokarpatan, as they push the extremes latent to their witching metal further and further, wilder and more wanderlusting. Not for nothing did they record the album at the very same studio the mighty Master’s Hammer recorded their infamous The Mass demo: exuding space and shade as well as iron-fisted force, Nordkarpatenland sees Malokarpatan matching form with content in a most masterful fashion. Simultaneously more direct and more refined than its no-less-powerful predecessor, Nordkarpatenland drinks even more deeply from the ancient well of Heavy Metal Wisdom, pushing forward a masterclass in timeless metal songcraft and epic storytelling alike whilst never losing the delirium-inducing iconoclasm the band made its foundation from day one.
No retro, no future, “on the surface” vs. “far below that surface,” and once again pulled off without the least bit of self-consciousness or cloying insincerity: simply, Malokarpatan are just being, and Nordkarpatenland simply EXISTS. Except, this is a world like no other. How far and free will you roam in Nordkarpatenland? Enter with the new track “V hustej hore na stračích nohách striga chalupu svoju ukrýva (Within the dense woods, the witch is hiding her hut on magpie legs)”
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Malokarpatan’s Nordkarpatenland
1. Nordkarpatenland
2. V okresném rybníku hastrman už po stáročá vyčína
(In the provincial pond, a water goblin has been raging for centuries)
3. Ked starého Bartolína ze šenku na táčkach zvážali
(When old Bartolín was driven back home from the tavern on a wheelbarrow)
4. Ked svetlonosi započnú v močariskách nazeleno svícit
(When will-o’-the-wisps begin to shine green in the bogs)
5. Nedlho po púlnoci opacha sa doplazila z dzíry
(Not long after midnight, the abomination has crawled out of the hole)
6. V hustej hore na stračích nohách striga chalupu svoju ukrýva
(Within the dense woods, the witch is hiding her hut on magpie legs)
7. Ked gazdovi upeleší sa v chyži nezdoba zmok
(When a bugger kobold settles down in the farmer’s household)
8. V rujnovej samote pocichu dumá lovecký zámek zvlčilého grófa
(In October’s solitude, silently the hunting chateau of the wolfish count is brooding)
9. Na horárni ve folvarku šafári rohatý jáger
(A horned jaeger governs the gamekeeper’s lodge in the uplands)
10. Ve starém mlyne čerti po nocách mariáš hrávajú
(Devils are playing whist at nights in the old water mill)
Iron Bonehead Productions sets December 1st as the international release date for Ieschure’s highly anticipated debut album, The Shadow, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
Ieschure is a one-woman black metal formation from Rivne, Ukraine, founded by Lilita Arndt in early 2016. With lyrical themes solely focused on occultism, witchcraft, and death, Arndt set to work on her first public recording, The Shadow, which was created during 2016-2017. Although seeing the light now, The Shadow is a melancholic and nostalgic work of pure black metal that could’ve been released 25 years ago.
Breathing a similar essence of the founding early ’90s wave, Ieschure conjures an immediately captivating spell of exquisite grimness and bitter majesty. In a seemingly time-stretching 34 minutes, The Shadow indeed approximates its title, wrapping its ethereal embrace around the spellbound listener with an utterly cryogenic splendor, never ceasing its hold nor relinquishing any joy. The soundfield may be distant and withered – and unapologetically raw, of course – but Ieschure exudes a keen grasp of dynamics which allows every note (and the notes “between the notes”) to ring out in the night sky with an eeriness all her own.
This is music for when the light has truly died and human life ceases to move; it is the reverberation of nocturnal existence, many and terrible its denizens. Will you enter The Shadow with Ieschure? Begin the journey with the new track “What Waits in the End” HERE at Iron Bonehead’s Soundcloud. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Ieschure’s The Shadow
1. Intro – Shadows from the Great Beyond
2. Eternal Wheels of Life
3. Mystic Schizophrenia
4. Condemned to Death
5. What Waits in the End
6. Before the New Dawn Comes
7. Outro – Through the Chaos of Voices
Today, Dunkelheit Produktionen sets November 13th as the international release date for Sacrilegious Rite’s highly anticipated debut album, Summoned From Beyond.
Although a seemingly brand-new name, Sacrilegious Rite’s history stretches back to the ’90s, when the band was formed following the breakup of Captis Damnare, who were active from 1999-2010. The remaining members Sumnor Amdis and E.I.-M. moved on to take a new path matching their interests and visions more than Captis Damnare ever did or could do. Their possibilities were limited, although there was inspiration, for sure. Infernal Beast, the drummer, left the band after a year. Throughout this timespan, some songs were recorded and a few gigs were played. This lineup recorded that songs that comprised the split releases with the German black metal legends Ungod and Bolivian cult Bestial Holocaust.
After Infernal Beast dropped out of the band, a lot of experiments with the lineup were undertaken – without any success. For a while, Sacrilegious Rite went on hiatus because E.I.M. lost interest in being a musician for a while and Sumnor Amdis went to work on his other projects. On the edge of disbanding, a new drummer was installed. Sitrom Rogir came at the right time, bringing just the right amount of passion and fanaticism to the table to get the band going again. Again, some concerts were played, and Angra Mainyu, former bassist of Captis Damnare, joined the band in the vacant position on bass. At last, the lineup was complete. The now-quartet eventually recorded the demo Black Curses of Death and the tracks for the split CD with Goatblood and Dethroned.
With their lineup solidified and a number of live gigs under their bulletbelts, Sacrilegious Rite hereby present their first full-length, aptly titled Summoned From Beyond. A work of both grimy physicality and mystical aura, Sacrilegious Rite fully embody the ancient spirit of black metal’s yesteryears. By no means “retro”-minded nor completely against regressionism, the quartet conjure a pulsing bestiality cloaked in fog and sulfur, nodding as much to the early ’90s Greek scene as they do South American wildness from the ’80s. However, solid songwriting reigns supreme across Summoned From Beyond, and each of the eight central tracks (notwithstanding the mood-establishing intro and outro) patiently unfolds to envelop the listener in an orgy of vociferous violence and malignant majesty. Suitably, the recording balances robust rawness and lingering mystery alike, rivetheaded abandon and opaque splendor in equal measure. Further intensifying that orgiastic sensation, the album features a number of guest vocalists: Infernal Execrator’s Lord Ashir on “Sacrilegious Rite,” Adaestuo’s Hekte Zaren on “Remains of the Deceased,” and Bestial Holocaust’s Sonia Sepulcral on “Strigoicia.”
The past is alive, and it’s been Summoned From Beyond by Sacrilegious Rite! Begin the summoning with the new track “Deathstalker”
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Sacrilegious Rite’s Summoned From Beyond
1. Miss Nigra
2. Sacrilegious Rite
3. Coronatus Rex Mortis (Morbid King of Devastation)
4. Deathstalker
5. Nocturnal Blood Consecration
6. In Abscence of Light
7. Remains of the Deceased
8. I Believe
9. Strigoicia
10. The Lost Sheep
Spanish heavy metal warriors Vhäldemar reveal the cover artwork and tracklisting for their long-awaited fifth album, Against All Kings, which has been recorded during the first half of this year and was preceded by the release of a limited EP this past May entitled Old King’s Visions (part V).
Now Vhäldemar can proudly say they’re in front of the best album in their career, a powerful opus comprised of 11 true metal hymns full of memorable riffs, killer choruses, and awesome solos. Vhäldemar is such a fucking heavy metal beast, and Against All Kings will crush everything around!
Against All Kings is scheduled for international release on November 7th on CD and vinyl LP formats through Fighter Records.
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Vhäldemar’s Against All Kings
1. Metalizer
2. Old King’s Visions (Part V)
3. Against All Kings
4. Eye For an Eye
5. I Will Stand Forever
6. Vulcano
7. Howling at the Moon
8. The Last to Die
9. Walking in the Rain
10. Rebel Mind
11. Titans in D Minor
