To coincide with a full tour of the United States this August, on July 21st internationally, Hells Headbangers will release a new 7″ EP from Italy’s Barbarian. Simply self-titled, this new two-song banger presents Barbarian at their roughest, rowdiest, and arguably heaviest yet. Riding high on the critical acclaim afforded their first album for Hells Headbangers (and third overall), Cult of the Empty Grave, Barbarian go from strength to strength, taking the blackened traditional metal of that album and here firing it full of a dangerous octane. Both tracks – “Simulacra of the Ageless Need” and the telltale “Stench of God” – are both brand-new and exclusive to this release, featuring the band’s new lineup, so get ready for summer slaughter with the Barbarian 7″!
A statement from the band reads: “Barbarian are ready to hit US soil for the first time and defile stages all over the country! Our axes are already honed and our bone knives sharpened, so if you want it ugly and obtuse, join us for the absolute Regressive Metal desecration!”
The updated list of full dates & venues for Barbarian’s summer American tour are as follows :
August 4 – Chicago, IL @ LiveWire Lounge
August 5 – Milwaukee, WI @ Frank’s Power Plant
August 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ Hexagon Bar
August 7 – Rapid City, SD @ West Dakota Improv
August 9 – Seattle, WA @ Highline Bar
August 10 – Portland, OR @ Twilight Cafe
August 11 – San Francisco, CA @ RS94109
August 12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Five Star Bar
August 13 – Las Vegas, NV
August 14 – Lost Lake, Denver, CO
August 15 – Kansas City, MO
August 16 – St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
August 17 – Cincinnati, OH @ Rake’s End
August 18 – New York, NY @ Metal Kingdom
August 19 – New Carrollton, MD @ El Gran Chaparral
August 20 – Worcester, MA
August 21 – Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
August 22 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Rock Room
August 23 – Nashville, TN – The East Room
August 24 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
August 25 – Philadelphia, PA
Further updates to follow shortly. Currently, the track “Simulacra of the Ageless Need” is streaming at Hells Headbangers’ Bandcamp HERE, where the Barbarian 7″ EP can be preordered. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Barbarian (Italy)’s Barbarian EP
1. Simulacra of the Ageless Need
2. Stench of God
I am sure most of you guys know about classic Swedish Death metal bands like Dismember and Entombed, however, not everyone knows about Death metal Legends Sarcasm, who only managed to record one full length back in the glory days of Swedish Death metal (Burial Dimensions). Today I spoke with lead singer Heval on why it took so long for them to record their full length – the changes in the scene from then to now and much more – read on
* Congratulations on the release of your second album it was a long time coming – why the long delay from Burial Dimensions to Within the Sphere of Ethereal Minds?
Thanks! Well, the simple answer is that the band didn’t exist between 1994-2015, we reformed the band in 1997 just for one gig but we didn’t have any plans to write new material back then. Our old stuff was re-released several times and we got a bit bored by that and thought something new has to be released so we started writing new material again in 2015 which led to the album “Within the Sphere of Ethereal Minds” It won’t take 17 years to the next album I can assure you that lol
We recorded our debut album “Burial Dimensions” in 1994 but we broke up just after the recording
* Can you tell the readers a little bit about the history of the band for those who don’t know
A very long story short, The band was formed in 1990 by me and Fredrik Wallenberg, after a period of line-up problems etc we started to release some demotapes from 1992-1994. We recorded our debut album “Burial Dimensions” in 1994 but we broke up just after the recording and the album remained unreleased and unheard for 17 years. We’ve had our share of setbacks of course, members quitting and dying but still we managed to manifest an album which we are truly proud of.
* Like you guys I was there during the very beginning of the Death Metal scene (and the Black metal scene) Can you explain what those days were like? (Hunting through records store for hours on end to try and find new bands, pen friends around the world sending new music by cassettes, etc)
Well for me it was very easy to find new stuff back in the day, I was fortunate to have a record store in my home town, Uppsala, it was called Expert and every metal album could be found there in the 80s, all the the obscure stuff that was released back then. And most of them were on sale just weeks after they were released, and still they kept bringing in all those cool albums. I remember I bought LPs like the first Necrodeath, the No Mercy album, the Raging Death compilation and almost all the New Renaissance titles and tons of others for just 3-4 bucks each. I bought everything that looked extreme back then, and I didn’t even listened to the stuff before buying them and I thought everything was awesome. There was a record store in Stockholm as well, Heavy Sound, but they were a bit more expensive than Expert, but Heavy Sound had lots of demotapes, I bought lots of those there. And there were also some awesome post order places you could find great stuff. I started with serious tape trading during the demo days of our band, I got cool stuff from all over the place, and it was very easy to find like-minded people, but the process was slow, you could wait weeks for mails to arrive but it was magic in its own way, even though I prefer this “new” way of finding stuff with internet and all. So yeah we were pretty much obsessed with that whole death metal scene back then, I wasn’t into that second wave of black metal scene so much, but we were big fans of the 80s black metal though.
* Sweden has been a hot bed of amazing metal for many years now – why do you think a country that is smaller than New York City produces so many great bands?
We have lots of spare time here I guess. And when it’s so dark and cold here most of the time there’s not much to do than write songs and rehearse and consume lots of alcohol. There were tons of great swedish bands from the 80s to mid 90s, there are some good newer underground bands of course, even though it’s nothing compare to what once was. And unfortunately a lot of commercial and cheezy crap metal also.
Some of them evolved, they turned into death ‘n’ roll which I really disliked
* What would you say were the biggest differences between American and European Death metal bands back in the glory days?
The American bands were more technical, and many of them had their own unique sound in my opinion. I preferred those bands over European bands which I also liked but many of them, especially Swedish had the same sound and I was bored by that after a while. And when some of them evolved, they turned into death ‘n’ roll which I really disliked. And there were those few bands who really did their own thing, like Afflicted for instance who I truly liked, but none of those didn’t get the attention they deserved because they didn’t sound like all the others. Some of that early melodic death metal were genuinely good in my opinion, but that also turned into cheeze after a few years. But there were also some really good and exciting underground bands from Europe back in the day, especially from Finland. UK and Holland had some great stuff to.
I would have probably laughed at how amateurish we were and then left to see the first Black Sabbath show or something.
* If you had a time machine and could go back to 1990 again what do you think you would have done different with the band?
Actually I wouldn’t do anything different . I don’t believe in regrets and re-doing stuff. I would have probably laughed at how amateurish we were and then left to see the first Black Sabbath show or something.
* You’ve been making music a long time now – what are your thoughts and feelings on modern digital recording gear?
I love it, it’s so much easier to record an album today like so much other stuff. That’s what it is all about, it has to be easier with time. And a lot more fun.
* Are you surprised by the resurgence of vinyl and to a lesser degree the cassette format?
No, I knew those formats would wake up again. When everything is served and easy to find, people eventually get bored by that and want a physical product in their hands and shelves. That’s a major part of the hobby, especially for metal heads. But Compared to how much vinyl sold back in the glory days it’s nothing but still it’s good to see that more people are buying it. And especially tapes.
* How did the deal with Dark Descent come about?
They re-released our first album together with all our demotapes, and did a great job, so I asked Matt if Dark Descent would be interested in releasing the new album also, he said yes and the deal was made. They did a terrific job on these releases, and they also released my other band, Third Storm.
We are all players in this eternal cosmic saga which we direct and co-create
* Songs like “Silent Waves Summoned Your Inner Being” feel very metaphysical – what are your views on the Universe, creation and our evolutions as souls?
We are always on the right path in this universe, there is no way to lose, even if we sometimes let the physical part of us believe that. But well-being is the order of the universe and the most important law. And right after the departure from the physical we are more than we were before and universe is expanding because of all that is, and we are all players in this eternal cosmic saga which we direct and co-create. We will never get it done and we can never get it wrong. The whole album is metaphysical yes, and “Silent Waves Summoned Your Inner Being” especially is a message from your inner being, saying that, you choose, no matter what, and you will choose to come back and experience more of the contrasts and all the levels of variety, because more is the nature and core of the energy stream that is your inner being.
* What are your favorite metal bands to come out of the last say 10 years?
Wow, last ten years, , I try to check out as many metal bands I can and have found many great new ones past years, let’s see, I would say some of them are Sulphur Aeon, Exmortus, Tribulation, Dopelord, Phobocosm, Tau Cross, Khemmis, Hail Spirit Noir, Vektor, Ancient Empire, Atlantean Kodex, Crypt Sermon, Eruption, Satan’s Hallow, Eternal Champion and many more. Some of them are perhaps more than 10 years old, I don’t know, but they’re relatively new to me. And there are also some great traditional heavy metal bands that have risen these past years which I think is awesome.
* What can we expect from Sarcasm for the rest of 2017?
We will do some shows in Sweden the second half of the year, and a tape box-set will be released by Darkness Shall Rise in august, besides that we’re working on some new songs for the next album.
* Any final words?
Yeah man, thanks for this interview and see you soon, cheers!
thanks
Today, Portuguese black metal cult Ordem Satânica stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut album, Monte da Lua. Set for international release today via Signal Rex, hear Ordem Satânica’s Monte da Lua in its entirety here
Hailing from the rawest core of the thriving Portuguese black metal scene, Ordem Satânica are possessed by a hideous grimness that’s utterly hypnotizing. Despite not belonging to Portugal’s Black Circle (Mons Veneris, Vetala, Irae), Ordem Satânica’s sound is comparably chaotic and necrotic, bleary and blown-out. And yet, the trio possess a deceptive sense of melody, malformed and miasmic, dissonant and distressed, that favorably reminds of France’s immortal Black Legions from the dark days of the 1990s. For verily, this BLACK METAL from an ancient time – AGAINST the modern world, and against the modern “black metal” scene.
To date, Ordem Satânica have built a coveted canon of thoroughly underground works, each more challenging and cantankerous than the last. Just earlier this year, this enviable escalation of aesthetic antagonization reached its apotheosis with Signal Rex’s release of the In Aeterna Crudelitate cassette – like the old ways/days, limited to only 66 copies and selling out almost immediately. But alas, Ordem Satânica transcend all prior with Monte da Lua, the most mesmerizing distillation of their crude-yet-cultivated art. Stripped completely bare and blown out in an almost brittle manner, Monte da Lua is a windswept travail across desolation and disgust, ever inwards and maybe even backwards. Modernity doesn’t exist here; there is only the past, which passed before it began. Time stands still here, and the listener is powerless against Ordem Satânica’s evocations of a better/worse world.
When there are still revisionist reveries for the early ’90s boom of black metal, which inevitably died a slow death, there are bands in this millennium who harness that very real, very primordial power, and the raw Portuguese scene is currently at the forefront
Tracklisting for Ordem Satânica’s Monte da Lua
-LADO A-
1. Belial os Bosques e o Pentagrama
2. Monte da Lua
3. Lagoa da Serpente Eterna
4. Pelo Misticismo…
-LADO B-
5. Negras aparições
6. Tempestades Nocturnas e Invocações Satânicas sob os céus de Sintra
7. Solstício de Inverno
8. Entre Árvores Sombrias
Canadian black metallers Kafirun premier a new song “Eschaton” off their highly anticipated debut album, of the same name, Eschaton. Set for international release on June 26th via Seance Records.
A deeply occultic work, Eschaton explores the end of the manifested world – an apocalypse that brings the end of all life and begets the opening of a new beginning through death – and opens this portal through thoroughly dizzying, manically majestic black metal. Finding that elusive balance between the resolutely raw ‘n’ primitive and the dynamically complex, Kafirun create a constantly shapeshifting maelstrom of macrocosm-crushing chaos and (dis)order. Across seven tracks within a concise ‘n’ cutting 42 minutes, the quartet portray a bold vision, and one whose maturity belies the band’s brief existence so far.
Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Kafirun sprung to deathly life in in 2014. The band’s first release was an EP titled Death Worship – a title which has served to guide Kafirun’s prevailing principles – and was released on cassette format that same year, garnering a strong and positive response across the worldwide metal underground. A year later, another EP followed, titled Glorification of Holy Death – again, another telltale title – which released by the band digitally and as a very limited CD. This release brought the band further in their sinister journey towards total cosmic death. Alas, just last year, both EPs were jointly reissued as The Worship and Glorification of Holy Death compilation, which was quickly followed by a split 7″ with Austria’s Transilvania.
Now, with that swift ‘n’ decisive experience behind them, Kafirun are set to unleash their first full-length work, Eschaton, under the auspices of Seance Records. Sonically painting the eternal void of death, Eschaton perversely brims with an illuminating light, devouring the cosmic light of life and everything within, scurrying through the sort of black metal whose radiance is so obsidian as to consume energy as austerely as it expends it; verily, it is death of the self and all reason. In this moment which is eternal yet transitory, a new and pure energy grows within the womb of chaos, and which ignites the source of a new aeon, a flame needless of air to exist. A new true god that breeds its new self, purified and sanctified in chaos without an end nor a beginning: here stands Kafirun.
Although the moniker Kafirun stems from Islam – meaning disbelievers or infidels and is mentioned over a hundred times in the religious text and verses – the band state that “in our lyrics, we do not have anything about Islam at all. Our concept is about death and nothingness. We try to not use generic occult notions. Surely, we are influenced by the old beliefs, the occult, myths, esoteric ideas, and the Luciferian path, but we try to create our own concepts. Death is the only true god, and it is the only god that reveals itself to living things. So we explore death, nothingness, and what lies beyond the boundaries of the flesh. Some things are incomprehensible to a man and can only be experienced through death. So Kafirun is against the monotheistic dogmas and submission to their teachings on a philosophical level. It is a flame, an idea for a total chaotic new beginning on the individual level.”
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Kafirun’s Eschaton
1. Lord of Blessed Murder
2. Eschaton
3. Omega Serpent
4. Divine Providence
5. Prophetic Death Trance
6. Ephemerality of the Flesh
7. Omnipresence
Boston Death Metal quintet SOUL REMNANTS will release its third album, Ouroboros, July 21 on eOne/LifeBlood. A concept album revolving around a futuristic, dystopic war amongst all mankind, Ouroboros is the SOUL REMNANTS’ most ambitious recording to date. While the new album is more dynamic than its predecessors, it still maintains the uniquely crushing style that SOUL REMNANTS has cultivated over its career.
So few emerging bands in this day in age can pride themselves on being a Death Metal band, committing to the title, uncaring of consequence and fostering the ability to stick to the slime that creeps down the walls of all hyperbolic underground musical trends. Hailing from the Boston-area and beyond, within the depths of New England, SOUL REMNANTS catalyze a major point that Death Metal is by far the most punishable to all.
Track Listing:
1. Mechanical Synapse Modulations
2. Regurgitated and Consumed
3. Depravity’s Lock
4. Walled City
5. Mental Tourniquet
6. Echoes of Insanity
7. Dissolving into Obscurity
8. Decomposition
Today, Svart Records sets August 18th as the international release date for Kimi Kärki ‘s highly anticipated second album, Eye for an Eye.
Kimi Kärki is a Finnish cultural historian, guitar-player, and singer-songwriter. Known for his versatile guitar playing and somber compositions for Reverend Bizarre, Lord Vicar, Orne, E-Musikgruppe Lux Ohr, and, most recently, Uhrijuhla, Kärki has developed his recognizable playing style within doom metal, progressive, folk, and electric ambient scenes. This variety of mostly underground styles reflects the open and intuitive approach to music, which is in the very heart of Kärki’s craft.
Eye for an Eye is Kärki’s second singer-songwriter album. It is a follow-up to The Bone of My Bones, a 2013 effort that was also released by Svart Records. When the first one was built on 12-string guitar foundation, this time, things are even more intimate, personal, and heartfelt; the songs are played with warm nylon string tones that come closer to the listener. But that heart is supported by a rich decoration of other sounds and harmonies.
The stories told on this record are romantic, in the old meaning of the world. They have their origins in both lived life and what could be called the Dreaming, but also resonate the culture that surrounds the dreamer. Both the pain and the joy are real. Give these songs some time and they might heal you a bit, just like they healed the songwriter himself. Please listen loud, and preferably when you can forget everything else for a while. Even the silences speak volumes here.
To maximize the listening pleasure, Kärki again decided to invite some friends to contribute additional guest vocals. Patrick Walker is best known as the emotional vocalist and songwriter of both Warning and 40 Watt Sun, and John Richardson — who just released his superb debut album on Svart Records — is an old-school musician and the Professor of Musicology at University of Turku. He was already heard on the first album, just like the two stunning female vocalists, Anna-Elena Pääkkölä and Pirita Känkänen, whose clear harmonies juxtapose Kärki’s somber delivery. The album was again engineered by Joona Lukala. The collaboration with this sharp-eared audio wizard helped Kärki to realize the ambitious aural stories as intended — enjoy Eye for an Eye.
First track premiere and video both to be revealed shortly. Cover and tracklisting
Tracklisting for Kimi Kärki’s Eye for an Eye
1. Entangled in Pleasure
2. Augurs of Winter
3. Lustful, Wrathful, Sullen
4. Beyond Distance
5. Good Things in Life
6. The Load We Carry
7. Spearhead
8. The River of Shadows
9. The Last Wave
Seasons of Mist Records have been on a roll lately and their new dark melodic metal signing Deathwhite just adds to their already amazing roster:
Season of Mist are proud to announce the signing of DEATHWHITE. The enigmatic bringers of darkness will release their debut album, ‘For a Black Tomorrow’ via Season of Mist.
The band comments: “We are incredibly honoured to join the Season of Mist roster. DEATHWHITE started in 2012 as a basic studio project with the aim of playing dark metal in the vein of some of our most beloved bands. To have one of metal’s leading independent labels take an interest in us is far beyond our expectations. We now turn our attention to the proper release of our first full-length, ‘For a Black Tomorrow’, and look forward to among other things, our first live performances, and a strong as well as enduring partnership with Season of Mist.”
Formed in 2012, DEATHWHITE were created in part to follow on the path first explored by dark metal torchbearers such as ANATHEMA, KATATONIA, MY DYING BRIDE, and PARADISE LOST.
The band’s ‘Ethereal’ EP (2014) successfully established a template of melodic, clean vocals alongside melancholic, but heavy riffing. Their debut created an early buzz within the metal underground that grew significantly with the following ‘Solitary Martyr’ EP (2015), which was hailed by critics as “thick with emotion” and “wonderfully engrossing.”
Backed by such praise, DEATHWHITE spent 2016 writing and recording their first full-length under the supervision of producer and engineer Shane Mayer. ‘For a Black Tomorrow’ was originally scheduled for release in March of 2017, but after signing to Season of Mist the release has now been slated for early 2018.
While we mainly cover black metal and death metal here at Bruders Des Lichts we are also just fans of good ol heavy metal too. One of the newer power metal bands these days keeping the scene going is Pyramaze based in Denmark – today I spoke with American born keyboard player Jonah – read on
* First off congratulations on your new album Contingent its great to see you guys back without a 7 year break this time
Thank you so much for having me! Its good to be more consistent these days, thats for sure.
* How do you feel the song writing process differed on this album compared to Disciples of the Sun?
I think Disciples of the Sun was more about us getting our footing and testing the waters with this new lineup. Even though it came out fantastic, I still think we got a little lucky haha. With Contingent, we knew what we were capable of going into the writing and recording process and I think with that confidence comes some serious productivity. We are for sure firing on all cylinders these days.
I’m a big fan of writing strong melodies and chord progressions and building the song around that.
* If I am not mistaken you wrote about half of the album this time around? How do you approach songwriting , start with a keyboard riff and build out? Or do you start with a guitar part?
Actually it was more like a third of the album. I wrote Nemesis, Kingdom of Solace, The Tides That Wont Change, and the two instrumental tracks. I don’t really have a set way of writing a song. I think if I did it would get stale. Sometimes I start by sitting at the piano and I just start playing, or maybe Ill be sitting in the studio and I come up with a cool idea on the spot. I’m a big fan of writing strong melodies and chord progressions and building the song around that.
* How does a guy from Vermont end up playing in a Danish metal band?
It has always been my dream to play in a Metal band in Europe, so I guess you could say Ive just been following my dreams. Ive been signed with Pyramaze for 15 years now, since I was 19 years old. Ive been with Pyramaze since its inception and I simply sent an audition VHS tape over to Michael Kammeyer when he was forming the band and looking for a keyboardist. The rest is history.
* For those who are not aware can you give us a run down of the semi-recent line up changes and how you guys found Terje?
After Matt Barlow went back to Iced Earth, we had some struggles trying to find someone that could really fill those big shoes. We had Urban Breed for a short while, but he was unfortunately able to commit the time and energy required to make Disciples of the Sun. Jacob suggested Terje who had a full and powerful voice and we loved the demos he did for us so we went with Terje. We are glad we did because he has really been awesome and been a pillar in our newer sound!
* How did the deal with Inner Wound Recordings come about?
I think Michael actually had a contract on the table with Inner Wound before he left the band. We re-approached them once we had solidified our new line-up with Jacob and Terje and they were still excited about what we had planned. Inner-Wound is a fantastic label, and we are excited to see what the future holds!
We try leave our own personal beliefs and political views out of the equation
* A lot of the songs this time around paint a pretty bleak view of the future, for you personal how do you feel about the current information age? For example in the 80s punks used to fear “Big Brother is watching you” but fast forward 30 years social media has most of us happily giving up all our personal information on a daily basis, is this a good thing or can it only end in tears?
I really don’t think its as bad as some people make it out to be really. We try leave our own personal beliefs an political views out of the equation and focus on a positive message of unity and brotherhood throughout humanity. As with any big struggle, I believe it can be overcome by people coming together and fighting for whats right.
* I imagine you guys are big fans of sci fi movies – what are your favorite Post Apocalyptic films?
I love movies like Oblivion, Ender’s Game, Edge of Tomorrow, all the Super Hero movies etc. Basically any big Summer blockbuster with an awesome soundtrack!
* Have you seen the film Alien Covenant yet? If so what are your thoughts? Supposedly in a deleted scene Daniels (the main female lead) and James Franco’s character talk about why they are leaving the earth (environmental damage) to start a colony a good 7 light years away.
I’m embarrassed to say I actually haven’t seen it yet. I was on tour with the band MindMaze when it came out in theaters. Otherwise I would have seen it for sure.
The biggest mistake humanity can make is thinking we know all the answers.
* What are your thoughts on these Ancient Alien theorists that the Earth has played host to many advanced civilizations over the last few million years? Almost as if civilizations rise and fall over the millennia?
I think its very interesting and I really think anything is possible. The biggest mistake humanity can make is thinking we know all the answers.
* Due to the current state of politics in Europe and the US where would you prefer to live in an ideal world?
I love where I live right now (Minnesota) but I also love to visit Europe of course. My hope is that they can figure it all out over there and live in peace and harmony.
* Outside of Progpower fest in Holland what touring plans does the band have for the rest of 2017?
None as of right now, but we are always open to the possibility of a good festival or show!
* Any final words?
Thank you so much for the interview of course to everyone out there who has supported Pyramaze over the years. if you are just hearing about us now be sure to check us out on YouTube, Spotify, Itunes etc. Thank you!
The Father Of Serpents is an entity consisted of six souls, entwined with admiration for doom metal. Formed in 2015, by the members of the renown bands from the Serbian scene (The Hell/Awaiting Fear, Tamerlan, Rain Delay, Consecration), their purpose was to leave their name within the musical path paved by the old masters like My Dying Bride, Saturnus, Paradise Lost and Moonspell. Due to their professional approach and reputation beforehand, The Father Of Serpents quickly got a large amount of attention in Serbia and beyond. The band performed in Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania, supporting such names like Fear Factory, Attic, Mourning Beloveth, Caronte, Eye Of Solitude, and many more.
First album “Age Of Damnation” contains about an hour of apocalyptic atmosphere, presented through the gentlest of acoustic passages, in the most brutal and vicious parts. The album is consisted of ten tales of struggles against the very real monstrosities this world has created, as well as the parts of human beings, that such monstrosities have infected. These are the tales of spiritual survival, battles, wars, kicking, tearing, and biting in order to preserve at least some sanity, in the world, which has doomed us all to slavery, and connected us to a single mind-machine, in order to harvest us for any drop of quality, that we, as individuals, have.
CARACH ANGREN are premiering a stunning new video for the track “Charles Francis Coghlan” taken from their new album, ‘Dance and Laugh amongst the Rotten’, which is hitting the stores today, 16th of June.
CARACH ANGREN comment: “After months of incredible hard work, we are extremely proud to present our official horror video for ‘Charles Francis Coghlan’. Together with director Rick Jacops, we have relentlessly pushed all creative limits to transport the viewer into another terrifying dimension. Everything you see is real and produced as well as co-directed by us. Prepare to be obsessed and possessed!”
Video Credits
Produced by Carach Angren & Backstage Film Productions
Directed by Rick Jacops & Carach Angren
Actress: Amber Delahaye
Sound Design by Clemens Wijers Music Productions & Backstage Film Productions
Team: Brendan Gijzen, Stefan Wijers, Julien Wijers
Special thanks: Paul Kops, Ria Hendriks, Transportbedrijf Chris Wijers, Het Leukermeer, Merith Rooden
The cover art by Costin Chioreanu and track-list of ‘Dance and Laugh amongst the Rotten’ can both be viewed below
1. Opening (2:17)
2. Charlie (4:10)
3. Blood Queen (4:55)
4. Charles Francis Coghlan (6:07)
5. Song for the Dead (4:16)
6. In De Naam Van De Duivel (6:29)
7. Pitch Black Box (3:17)
8. The Possession Process (4:27)
9. Three Times Thunder Strikes (5:19)
Total playing time: 41:16
The Dutch masters of horror are back with their most flamboyant album so far. On ‘Dance and Laugh amongst the Rotten’, CARACH ANGREN are painting musical pictures that easily combine the grandiose depth of a Rembrandt with Van Gogh’s maelstrom of whirling colours and the utter madness of Bosch. This lusciously seductive danse macabre will drag you in and never let go.
CARACH ANGREN have employed all the sonic colours on their palette to dazzling effect. Their trademark whipping guitars are weaving harsh melodies and sinister soundscapes, which are beautifully contrasted by opulent keyboards and majestic orchestrations. That Till Lindemann (RAMMSTEIN) and Peter Tägtgren (PAIN) have called upon the composition talent of Clemens “Ardek” Wijers is a telling sign of his outstanding mastery of the craft. Another signatory counterpoint is provided by Seregor’s fierce rasping and shrieking vocals. Adding to the impact, Namtar has become a relentless driving force with his hard hitting yet intricate drumming. Each track on this album is a highlight on its own, while combined ‘Dance and Laugh amongst the Rotten’ simply shines.
CARACH ANGREN set out to tell ghost-stories with a set of paranormal cases recorded on the demo ‘The Chase Vault Tragedy’ (2004). This was soon followed by the official release of the ‘Ethereal Veiled Existence’ EP (2005) as a prelude to the haunting ‘Lammendam’ (2008). The Dutch had a clear vision of combining a dark baroque style of metal with horror based lyrical concepts. Their sophomore full-length ‘Death Came through a Phantom Ship’ (2010) witnessed the band setting sail to bring their eccentric and capturing live performances to audiences and festivals all over Europe. In the wake of third album ‘Where the Corpses Sink Forever’ (2012), the haunting had reached the Americas and started to spread rapidly. This recorded added a serious side to the lyrics of CARACH ANGREN. While firmly remaining in the horror genre, their tales revolve around the evils of war. This mature streak was taken a step further with the fourth full-length ‘This Is No Fairytale’, which is on the surface a darker variation of the “Hansel and Gretel” story from the Brothers Grimm collection, but also deals with the too real topic of child abuse in a dysfunctional family.
With ‘Dance and Laugh amongst the Rotten’, CARACH ANGREN are returning to “pure” storytelling with episodes that are centered on a girl playing a little too long with her Ouija board. The Dutch have pushed their unashamedly theatric style to a new intense height. You do not believe us yet? Press play and unleash these radiant ghosts into your home…
