Today, Finnish black metallers Hollow Woods premiere the new track “Night Burns Through”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants, set for international release on February 2nd via Signal Rex. Hear Hollow Woods‘ “Night Burns Through” in its entirety here:
In many ways, Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants is a natural continuation of Hollow Woods‘ debut album, Cold Winds Cleave the Earth, from 2021. Familiar elements – pure & proud BLACK METAL, done with personality and charisma – are recast in more varied ways. The production across the album is a bit more airy compared to that debut, but still far from overly polished. Likewise, overt aggression is dialed down a bit to make room for more epic passages, where acoustic guitar gives support to powerful clean vocals. As no doubt presaged by the album’s title, lyrical themes here deal with nature mysticism, atavism, and specifically slash-and-burn as a metaphor of personal growth unburdened by the past. For the first time, select passages of lyrics are published as ciphers for the song’s themes. To usher in Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants, Hollow Woods will be performing at the Howls of Winter fest in Estonia during February 2024.
Also hear the previously revealed “Burial Fires” HERE at Signal Rex‘s Bandcamp. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Hollow Woods’ Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants 1. Ancient Graves 2. Beneath the Dying Tower 3. Night Burns Through 4. Halls of Idle Breath 5. Interlude / Among Ruins 6. Burial Fires 7. Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants
Track taken from Carrion’s album “Morbid Nailgun Necropsy”, out via Wormholedeath Records.
Carrion is a Death Metal band founded by Mathieu Vander Vennet, Sven Van Severen, and Jan Van den Berghe in Hansbeke (Belgium) in 2008. Carrion lineup: Sven Van Severen (vocals) Mathieu Vander Vennet (guitar) Jan Van den Berghe (bass) Nico Veroeven (drums) Frederic De Schepper (guitar)
Track taken from the band’s album Afterlife, out via WormholedeathStream “Afterlife”: orcd.co/afterlifealbum
The concept album Afterlife depicts an interdimensional being that stalks life in our universe because it represents a threat to existence itself. And the human species, or at least what it has become after the events described in the previous creations of Angel Rising, is now its target. The cover shows the hero, Asai, struggling with a horde of undead, and unaware of the even greater danger that awaits him. Angel Rising is a one-man Death Metal project started in Marseille in 2020. Its main influences come from the old-school thrash/death scene (Sepultura, Metallica, Death). Still, it also gives pride of place to modern and progressive elements combined with a very technical and virtuoso approach.
STRATUZ emerged onto the metal scene in 1984 and quickly solidified their position as Venezuela’s most revered metal band. Their debut album, “In Nomine…” released in 1995, catapulted them to recognition and acclaim. Following a triumphant European tour in 1999, they signed with LSP-Company and released “Spirit Seduction,” which marked a new chapter in their musical journey. After a hiatus, the band reunited in 2019, pouring their passion into the creation of “Osculum Pacis,” which was unleashed upon the world in 2022. The album garnered international praise, securing the top spot on the Jacquin Ravens Top 50 Metal chart and earning accolades as the best work of 2022 by esteemed journalist Roberto Palmitesta and Metal Pedia.
Italian Horror Death Metal band TENEBRO, have just released a free listening & download 2-song EP titled “La Bestia Dell’Isola Maledetta“, available here:
Track list for “La Bestia Dell’Isola Maledetta” is as follows:
01. Ingurgita le Vittime 02. Viscere
The 2nd album of TENEBRO “Ultime Grida Dalla Giungla” was released back in November 21st, 2023 through Xtreem Music on CD, 12″LP & Cassette formats and it’s still available here:
Today, ancient deathrashers Boundless Chaos premiere the new track “Rip Out the Roots”. The track is the third to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Sinister Upheaval, set for international release on January 19th, 2024 via Dying Victims Productions. Hear Boundless Chaos’ “Rip Out the Roots” in its entirety here:
Hailing from Germany, the land ever brimming with ancient thrash metals, Boundless Chaos was begotten in the year of 2017 when M.F., P.K, T.B., and M.J. heaved bloody deathrash straight up from the ashes of hellfire. With a brutal barrage of drums, slashing guitars, and throbbing bass-lines, they unapologetically worship the sound of the old. In 2019, E.M. completed the force. Now whole, Boundless Chaos have been spitting the hellish gospel of chaos, upheaval, fire, and antifascism across an EP in 2020 and then two splits in 2020 – one with Idle Ruin, the second with fellow Germans Reign in Blood.
Still, the best was yet to come, and it’s now arrived in Boundless Chaos’ debut album, Sinister Upheaval. Aptly titled, Sinister Upheaval is a ravaging onslaught of deathened thrash built upon a blazing foundation of early Dark Angel, Possessed, Texas’ Devastation, Sepultura’s Schizophrenia, and of course, Sodom’s Persecution Mania (and even Agent Orange!). Here, Boundless Chaos stick to their tried ‘n’ true formula, but simply maximize the muscle and tighten the execution; when graced with a well-rounded (yet requisitely dirty) production, the result is nothing short of powerful. And adding to the Chaos is Malte Gericke (Sijjin, ex-Necros Christos), who does guest vocals on “Guillotine.” No gimmicks, no modernity, no non-metal influences – just straightforward & straight-ahead THRASH METAL from the unholy years of 1986 and ’87, torched to a crisp, and set to conflagrate YOU!
Also conflagrate with the previously revealed “Guillotine” exclusively HERE, courtesy of MetalBite.com, as well asthe previously revealed “Down” exclusively HERE, courtesy of Deaf Forever magazine. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Boundless Chaos’ Sinister Upheaval 1. Down 2. High Tension 3. Arson from Beyond 4. Kromer’s Whistle 5. Guillotine 6. Tyrant’s Call 7. Blasphemous Rupture 8. Rip out the Roots 9. Demons Unchained
In anticipation of greater, more horrific things to come in the new year, we proudly bring you the “Divinations” split 7” between Aberration and DiabolicOath, two rising forces of US surrealistic extreme metal darkness. The twelve-minute split has been teased revealing a minute-long sample of each of the band’s respective tracks, remarking that the collaborative effort is “evil to the core, as raw and filthy as week-old roadkill, and as oppressive and abyssal as it is berserk, but it’s technically accomplished as well as disturbing and disorienting.“
This two-song declaration of war upon human psyche showcases the two US-based sorcerers of omnipotent aural terror in complete command of control of their respective crafts as they summon each their own staple idealization of humongous and hallucinatory black/death deformations. “Divinations” serves as a precursor and taste to what’s to come, namely the spring 2024 release of the bands’ two new full length albums, Aberration’s colossal “Refracture”, and Diabolic Oath’s still secretive but completed second full length abomination.
The Divinations split is officially slated for a January 5 2024 release date on 7″ vinyl and digital formats worldwide via Sentient Ruin
The Behaviour is excited to announce the release of the album, A Sin Dance. The album is available worldwide on all streaming platforms. Recorded throughout 2022, this album features seven new tracks entirely written, arranged, and performed by Der Baron M. Kilpatric.
These songs are the first to showcase Kilpatric’s unique songwriting style and wide ranging musical abilities. Culled from a wealth of material written over the past few years, these were specifically selected for their dynamic, eclectic, and diverse nature to give but a taste of what is to come. “A Sin Dance”: here
The Behaviour is a gothic inspired post-alternative rock group created by Der Baron M. Kilpatric in 2020. The album was entirely written, arranged, and performed by Kilpatric himself. While currently located in New England, this album culminated from his time residing in Colorado and the Midwest while marinating in the sounds of Jeff Buckley, Soundgarden, Slint, Killing Joke, Pink Floyd, Leonard Cohen, my bloody valentine, David Bowie, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and countless others.
The Behaviour as a perfect and effective representation of the sounds, melodies, and noises heard in his head and ringing in his ears for quite some time. While being a catharsis, purging, and execution of shadow work in its purest form of expression, this record is merely a prologue.
The music is dark and melancholic on the surface, yet underneath the richly textured layers are introspective messages of redemption, healing, and renewal found through experienced loss and traumas.
In this interview, we talked with The Behaviour about his musical influences, future plans, trajectory, among other curiosities. Check it out!
What can you say about this new release? This album was many years in the making. I started writing it in 2020, and began the recording process in 2022. It came about by a combination of things – separation, loneliness, the pandemic, loss, trauma, longing, sobriety, and became a healing process in doing so. Shadow work in its purest form. After being the drummer in a number of groups on many different levels over many, many years, I thought it was time to step up and out from behind the kit and take the reins completely. I wanted to prove, to myself more than anyone, that it could be done. To create something that was pure and organic, with many aural and lyrical textures, meanings, and layers. I aimed to utilize the universal language to truly exemplify what drives me, what makes me who I am, for all to see and hear out on display in sheer vulnerability. It is definitely introspective and emotional, as well as giving glimpses of perspectives faced outwards. I hope that is conveyed.
How was the recording process of the album? Since being written while residing in the shadow of the majestic Rocky Mountains of Colorado, I chose to record it in the Midwest with the invaluable assistance and expertise of a very talented recording engineer, Scott Mackey, who has been a dear friend of mine for decades. Due to logistical reasons, we recorded over the weekends for several months throughout the summer and fall of 2022. It was very laid back, allowing us to spend more time than what would be normally allowed in a formal recording studio under limited budget and time constraints. This opened up many more possibilities to explore, such as the deep layering and textures that make this album so unique, and try different experimental techniques and approaches. There were some additional things I did at home and in various locations to add some touches that make this album best listened to loud and/or on a very good stereo system or headphones, which is the way I like to hear my favorite records that have influenced me.
If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick? “Strangelic”.
What’s your favourite band? It is always very difficult to pick just one, but in the scope and totality of the vastness of their catalogue, I would choose Pink Floyd.
Who or what inspires you to write songs? I am inspired by personal experiences, things I have endured, reflections on things occurring around me, thoughts toward the future. Hoping to find healing and transformation into a better human being by and through the notes, frequencies, rhythms, and melodies I hear in my head and hopefully thereby transmitting and transmutating them to and for the listener as well. It is an innate natural occurrence to do these things, not really having a conscious choice in the matter. It is who I am.
Whom would you like to feature with? Like your dream collaboration? For those still living, it would be a dream to collaborate with David Gilmour, Nick Cave, Jaz Coleman (Killing Joke), Michael Gira (Swans), David Eugene Edwards (Wovenhand), Ken Andrews (Failure), Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star), Diamond Galas. For those now passed, it would have been Jeff Buckley, David Bowie, Chris Cornell, Leonard Cohen, Mark Lanegan.
How is the independent and underground scene in your country? From what I can tell, here in the US it is very much thriving and possible to be an independent and/or underground artist now more than ever, with so many resources and tools widely available to do so. Touring can be difficult, as traveling across the US entails large fuel, lodging, and food costs, and if you are trying to do so on your own, starting from scratch to build a fanbase, your guarantees can be smaller and make this difficult. There are also “buy-on” options for opening slots with more established acts, and this can even further your expenses. Another caveat for independent artists is that the more equal playing field of streaming and exposure has created a flooding of the “market,” making it inundated with so many artists that it has become more difficult to stand out and be heard above or even as much as others. It comes down to how well your resources are, and the usual typical “right place/right time”, with regards to your music being heard by and resonating with the right person to help spread your art/message. I think this is not just limited to my country. Certain algorithms in this streaming age should help make this more possible as well, but again you are always up against the major labels and artists
with a far more vast amount of influence and resources.
What are your plans for the future? Writing and releasing more music! As I said, there is an arsenal of songs waiting to be more explored, as well as a few covers I want to interpret to put out there. Continuing to reach a new audience in any way is never ending, and perhaps I would like to bring The Behaviour to a new dynamic by presenting it live at some point. I do not desire to tour as I once did, being on the road for months at a time. The climate of that environment has changed drastically since I last did it, and it is far more difficult to make a living at it now with costs and expenses, while also being away from your loved ones and trying to have stability and security. But we’ll see. I am definitely not opposed to doing one-off dates, like festivals or something of that nature.
Today, Californian death metal Cro-Magnons Dipygus premiere the new track “The Dover Demon”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated third album, Dipygus, set for international release on January 22nd, 2024: Memento Mori will handle the CD version while Crypt of the Wizard will handle the vinyl version. Hear Dipygus‘ “The Dover Demon”in its entirety here:
Since the dawn of the Paleolithic age, mankind has recorded spectacular scenes of death, whether in scenes of cannibal feasts crudely etched on cave walls, massacres immortalized in glyphs adorning monuments of the ancient kingdoms, or in chance recordings of grisly accidents, compiled and sold on home video to those with a thirst for that which is denied to them by our “civilized” society. Spawned in the contaminated sewers of Santa Cruz, California in 2013, Dipygus began as a four-piece mutation performing rudimentary styles of death metal, a sonic evolution of the tradition continued from the time of Cro-Magnons. A 2015 demo recording, the earliest surviving documentation of the band, reveled in unexplained and bizarre events, including peculiar methods of whale carcass disposal and otherworldly monsters from on and off the silver-screen.
After a lineup change in 2016, Dipygus recorded the Long Pig Feast EP, which featured terrifying rites, ritual mutilations, and ominous sightings of a Mesozoic relic in the heart of the Congo. Their debut album, Deathooze, slowly de-composed in the murky shallows of powerplant runoff in the Monterey Bay, ultimately being recorded in 2018. Though quickly banned in over 16 countries, Dipygus‘ debut album attracted immediate attention among slime fetishists and similarly deviant circles. Placed appropriately alongside the Fiji mermaids and other grotesque artefacts found in curio cabinets of modern-day antiquarians, Deathooze continued the band’s exploration of inexplicable incidents, mysterious beasts, and shocking carnage, including genuine audio recovered from a fatal attack at the hands of an ape gone mad!
Following their debut album, Dipygus was conjoined with an additional member, and began a new exploration in search of secrets hidden in the jungles of lost continents, where life is cheap. After successful initiation into the shadowy world of black-market cuisine, an agreement was reached with Memento Mori for the release of Dipygus‘ second full-length, Bushmeat. Showcasing more exotic and repulsive themes of the supernatural and taboo, Bushmeat presented an uncensored and unrelenting spectacle, with each element of the previous work irresponsibly taken to a further extreme. A prime cut of raw and grueling terror, it was fit for consumption by headhunters, body-snatchers, toad-venom junkies, cargo cultists, aquatic ape theorists, disaster tourists, carriers of tropical disease, voodoo practitioners and orgone revivalists only.
All others having since been warned, Dipygus return to time primordial with an elegantly self-titled third album. Suitably graced with evocative cover art courtesy of Hayden Hall, Dipygus thrusts the helpless listener into a psychedelic jungle of grisly delights. At ten songs in 41 minutes, the quartet qualify their most lengthy recording yet with maximum delirium and characteristically crushing execution. Everything here feels MASSIVE – tone, feel, supernatural aura – yet somehow simultaneously exhibits a spacious quality that’s unsettling to the Nth degree. Perhaps that’s due to Dipygus‘ increasingly twisted songwriting, neither “tech” nor improvisatory, but a certain “elevated caveman” aspect that pushes primitivism toward mind-bending ends. Fleeting-yet-haunting leads also play a part in Dipygus‘ menagerie of malodorousness, exacerbating the psychotic reactions in their humid, hellish jungle, and even touches of way-back synths get mangled within, melting into the fuckton heaviness of Dipygus‘ riffing.
Ever wanna hear the most tripped-out moments of Autopsy, Impetigo, and especially Nuclear Death taken to their ILLogicial conclusion? Then enter Dipygus‘ self-titled album…if you dare!
Hear the previously revealed “Perverse Termination” HERE at Memento Mori‘s official YouTube channel. Aforementioned cover art and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Dipygus’ Dipygus 1. Perverse Termination (Bulb of Force) 2. AquaGenesis 3. Monrovia, LR 1990 4. Vipers at the Pony Keg 5. Огромный Кальмар (Ross Sea Trawler) 6. Bug Sounds II (Megascolides australis) 7. The Dover Demon 8. Rat Lung-Worm 9. Sacral Brain 10. The Ochopee Skunk Ape
Today, sci-fi sleaze/tech-thrashers Kontactreveal the new video “Doppelgänger.” The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Full Contact, set for international release on January 19th, 2024 via Dying Victims Productions. See & hear Kontact’s “Doppelgänger” video in its entirety here:
Borne out of metal and bred for the purpose of learning, The Alien (ex-Blackrat) conceived of Kontact with then-bandmate Sven Nilson (Antichrist [Sweden], ex-Mystik). A surrogate cult of memberz was necessitated by the great dying of 2020AD, during which The Alien was imprisoned in its home continent of “Canada,” where the group yet persistz. Joined by Matt B1257+12Z (Traveler) and Morh Morf Xela (Hrom) on guitarz, as well as a yet-unidentified force “Unknown” (Chieftain) on drumz, Kontact began broadcasting obscure and ancient signalz throughout the underground, influenced by the mythic teachingz of Manilla Road, Accept, Master’s Hammer, and otherz.
Now finally ready for transmission, Full Contact is Kontact’s primum opus, a compendium of stellar hymnz meant to hasten the arrival of the world beyond. Bent backwardz yet strangely (or eerily) approachable, Full Contact inhabits a neon-hazed utopia/dystopia where sleaze metal fuses DNA with tech-thrash – where busyness and commerce collide in resplendent sci-fi dayglo. “Weird” and “wild” are merely human wordz to describe Kontact’s highly idiosyncratic approach, but to them, such loaded terms exist in star-planes far, far from their orbit. Rather, the eight clusters of crushing & collapsing tonez and robot/reptilian vocalz – in other words, eight “songs” – flow with a finesse that seems second nature; hookz are thus immediate, but not always easy. Kontact make this metal for themselvez, and you listen. You might then take on a transformation: an astral vampire, an emperor of dreams, a bloodchild, a watcher at the edge of time, or simply one into heavy leather. All is possible here, as infinite as the stained-glass synthz percolating across the album. Either way, you WILL feel the force of Full Contact head on…or head off!
Begin feeling that force with the previously revealed “Blood Child” exclusively HERE, courtesy of Deaf Forever magazine. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Kontact’s Full Contact 1. Emperor of Dreams 2. Doppelgänger 3. Heavy Leather 4. (Return of the) Astral Vampire 5. Ixaxar 6. Watcher at the Edge of Time 7. Bloodchild 8. Spectral Fire
Today, Finnish black metallers White Death reveal the new video “Deathstruction.” The song is a bonus track from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Iconoclast, set for international release on December 29th via Werewolf Records on CD and cassette tape formats; the vinyl LP version will follow next year. In advance of that release date, White Death‘s Iconoclast is now streaming in its entirety. See & hear the NSFW video for “Deathstruction” here:
Stream Iconoclast in its entirety here:
For a decade now, Finland’s White Death have built a small-yet-formidable canon of work that’s come to define modern underground black metal in their nation. It’s no secret that Finland has possessed one of the most potent black metal scenes from the early ’90s onward, and with each new generation that picks up the torch, some are contenders and others are just content to uphold “the Finnish sound.” White Death took their time with deploying demos and then their debut album, simply self-titled, but they occupied a unique position between those poles: steeped in noble tradition, but exuding a confidence and charisma that rendered White Death an exceptionally nasty work even with its considerably cleaner production. Three years of silence followed between the release of that debut album and the three-song Promo 2020, which included an Enochian Crescent cover – an inspired choice from an oft-unsung legend, and a portent of grandeur to come.
“Everyone knows the curse of the second album, because the first demo or album is always best,” smirks White Death frontman Vritrahn. “People ask and hope us to do this or do that, and when we put out a few preview songs, there were complaints about sound, for example. So, not to please anybody, we bought the smallest and worst-possible amplifiers from the second-hand store just to ruin fucking great riffs and drown all the best things on this album under muddy noise.” Black humor, perhaps, for White Death‘s forthcoming Iconoclast is anything but “worst-possible” or “muddy.” Rather, the Finns take the ripped-raw dungeonic recesses of the deepest catacombs of the ’90s black metal underground and raise them to triumphant, terrorizing heights. It’s a unique disconnect in that the soundfield (and, more so, execution) exudes rippling filth coupled with pulsing nastiness, but the songwriting itself surges with a majestic melodicism that’s equal parts euphoria and eulogy – or, rather, beautiful battle fury and its ultimate tragic ending. What’s more, they move at many speeds here, shifting with ease and elan; that White Death don’t solely stick to the stock Finnish Tempo and instead make their acceleration almost effervescent lends an even-more-unique quality to the album. As such, Iconoclast keeps their hearts authentically ablaze with the underground spirit whilst unshackling themselves from the ghettoized thinking that mostly serves to keep the mongrel hordes within safe, status-quo boxes. A record for Black Metal People, but those who hate Black Metal People: truly, Iconoclast!
“This new album is like the Anttila catalog,” concludes Vritrahn with yet more black humor. “They sell all kinds of shit, from toys to furniture. The Anttila underwear pages were the most masturbated magazine in Finland. If you know what to search, you can find it. You just need to try a bit harder to cum, but eventually, you will.”
Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for White Death (Finland)’s Iconoclast 1. Born From the Unholy Fire (Part II) 2. Iconoclast 3. Aal Apam Li Aamnuk 4. Strife For Blood 5. Life in Death 6. To Die a Thousand Times 7. Summum Bestiae 8. Phosphoros 9. Concerto of Sodomy 10. Celestial
VLTIMAS recently unveiled their upcoming album ‘EPIC’ with the release of the first single Miserere. To be released on the 15th of March, 2024 – VLTIMAS are ready to ascend to truly epic heights.
Now, VLTIMAS are ready to take to the stages across Europe, flexing their metal might to fans on seven unique dates in March of 2024.
VLTIMAS ‘EPIC’ European Tour2024 23 March: Enschede, NL @ Metropool [TICKETS] 24 March: Drachten, NL @ Iduna [TICKETS] 26 March: Hamburg, DE @ Logo [TICKETS] 27 March: Copenhagen, DK @ Hotel Cecil [TICKETS] 28 March: Fredericia, DK @ Tøjhuset [TICKETS] 29 March: Oslo, NO @ Inferno Fest [TICKETS] 31 March: Athens, GR @ Kyttaro Live
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) 7. Invictus (5:30) 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
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
