On November 17th internationally, Personal Records is proud to present Cruel Fate‘s highly anticipated second album, Destin Cruel, on CD format.
Conjured in 2015 in the frozen landscapes of Canada, Cruel Fate released their first demo soon after their inception, followed by a full-length in 2019 (A Quaternary of Decrepit Night Mares), a split album in 2021 with fellow Canuck death-dealers Expunged, and the Live Necropsy live tape in 2022. As impious apostles of the old vanguard, Cruel Fate worships at the altar of ’90s greats such as Unleashed, Grave, Benediction, and Bolt Thrower, while lacing the chalice’s blood with their own blend of ferocious, stomping death metal.
Now wielding the French language as a bludgeoning battle axe, Cruel Fate unleashes their second full-length, Destin Cruel. Cleanly produced yet cold & crushing, Cruel Fate‘s sophomore album is a tour de force of classic death metal songcraft, comprising rolling-tank grooves, judiciously parceled bouts of speed, slipstreaming breakdowns, and a haunting lead or five. Nothing fancy or flashy, nor does it need to be: simply, Destin Cruel quickly makes its point in a half-hour and gets out, devastating the listener in the process. This release is sure to tighten the quartet’s steel grip on the throat of maniacs worldwide.
In the meantime, hear the brand-new title track “Destin Cruel”
Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Cruel Fate’s Destin Cruel
1. Triomphe de la Mort 2. Vampire Boréal 3. Destin Cruel 4. Transit Sidéral 5. Descente aux Enfers 6. Feu Christique 7. L’Usurpateur
After releasing the ambient Timewave Zero record last year to critical acclaim, the cosmic death metal outfit returns with Luminescent Bridge, a 12” maxi single that features a brutal and epic metal track on Side A and an ethereal, cosmic instrumental composition on Side B, with a total running time of nearly 20 minutes.
Tracklisting: Side A – ‘Obliquity of the Ecliptic’ (08:55) Side B – ‘Luminescent Bridge’ (09:39)
Both tracks were recorded at Rocky Mountain Recorders Studio (Denver, Colorado) with Chris McNaughton and mixed as well as mastered by Arthur Rizk (Kreator, Cavalera Conspiracy, Power Trip). The cover artwork was made by Steve R. Dodd.
‘Luminescent Bridge’ (12” maxi single) is out today worldwide and comes in the following format variants:
BLACK 12” MAXI SINGLE (AVAILABLE AT ALL OUTLETS)
TRANSP. LIGHT BLUE 12” MAXI SINGLE (LIMITED TO 500 | AVAILABLE AT UPCOMING NORTH AMERICAN TOUR WITH CANNIBAL CORPSE/MAYHEM/GORGUTS)
The band is also proud to share the official music video for “Obliquity of the Ecliptic” (Side A) today!
The video was filmed by Mirko Witzki (www.witzki.vision) at legendary Meistersaal at Hansa Studios (Berlin) and completed with visual effects by Miles Skarin (Crystal Spotlight / www.crystalspotlight.com) who is already familiar with Blood Incantation’s video for ‘Inner Paths (to Outer Space)’.
BLOOD INCANTATION ill also bring their cosmic fused death metal to North America in September and October along with metal legends CANNIBAL CORPSE, MAYHEM, and GORGUTS!
Today, Teutonic black metallers Hagatiz premiere the new track “Drown in Darkness” . The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Cursed to the Night, set for international release on October 11th via Amor Fati Productions. Hear Hagatiz‘s “Drown in Darkness” here:
Hailing from Germany, Hagatiz are a new formation of old souls: Dauþuz‘s Semgoroth, Häxenzijrkell‘s MK, and the ever-profilic Odium Aeternum (Abythic, Haimad, Lunar Chalice, Mysteria Mystica Aeterna et. al.). Together, these scene veterans reveal Cursed to the Night, Hagatiz‘s first public recording.
Fully formed, as to be expected from such a stellar lineup, Hagatiz‘s debut album comprises pure, uncompromising BLACK METAL steeped in the ancients: no more, but definitely no less. The point is not to “be” anything other than authentically old-school black metal in the best ’90s tradition, from Scandinavia and across to Germania and even on to the Eastern Bloc. Raw without being ineffectual, dark and haunting yet brimming with just enough melody, Cursed to the Night is a work of total passion and spirit; that Hagatiz make it seem so effortless is perhaps unsurprising, but it’s remarkable nevertheless. There is no “thinking” involved in this experience, only feeling – and such was the way it was as the ’90s drew to a close and pure hearts heeded the call to head deeper underground. It’s not inaccurate to say that Hagatiz could’ve been released on such era-embodying vanguards as Sombre, Drakkar, or Solistitium, so authentic is this essence and atmosphere…but again, only FEELING Cursed to the Night is real.
Also hear the previously revealed “Demimonde” HERE at Amor Fati‘s official YouTube channel. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Hagatiz’s Cursed to the Night 1. The Gathering 2. Demimonde 3. Echoes from the Afterlife 4. Everlast in darkest Night 5. Scourge beneath the Skin 6. Drown in Darkness 7. Necrovoid
Today, Chilean tech-death metallers Blood Oath stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut album, Lost in Eternal Silence. Set for international release on September 15th via Caligari Records and Raise the Dead Records – Caligari will handle the CD and cassette tape versions while Raise the Dead will handle the vinyl version – hear Blood Oath‘s Lost in Eternal Silence in its entirety here:
Formed in 2015, Chile’s Blood Oath have been a study in patience and persistence. During their first year of existence, the band released a rehearsal recording as well as a two-song promo EP. A couple more years would follow before Blood Oath would release their official debut, an EP titled The Line Between. Initially, that EP would be released domestically on cassette, but later in the year did Unspeakable Axe pick it up for CD release. Here, the then-quintet displayed a brazen mastery of technical death metal, but the darkest and more barbaric extremes of such. If one could imagine Death’s Human meeting Sextrash’s Sexual Carnage, Blood Oath possessed that potential.
Alas, a hiatus ensued and their lineup pared down to a quartet, but at long last, Blood Oath have arrived with their full-length debut: Lost in an Eternal Silence. Evocatively displayed by its cover artwork courtesy of Daniel Hermosilla / Nox Fragor, Lost in an Eternal Silence is a clandestine plunge into sulfurous, deeply entrenched energies. Upping both the barbarism AND technical wizardry of its EP predecessor, Blood Oath‘s debut album melds mind-melted songwriting – angular, askew, but somehow surprisingly melodic – with a pitch-black atmosphere and utterly gnarly production. That latter element undeniably separates the Chileans from so many squeaky-clean contemporaries, but make no mistake that their attack is superlative in its precision; it’s thankfully/uniquely wrapped in a thick-as-a-brick recording style that suggests an astute understanding of turn-of-the-’90s aesthetics. Cyclonic rhythm work guides the riffing as hauntingly bent leads dot the treacherous landscape, fretless bass eerily often taking center stage, and effects are liberally (and effectively) utilized for further diabolic drama. More than anything, Lost in an Eternal Silence fries synapses with shapeshifting yet always-linear movement, beckoning the listener down into those catacombs…and, if one is of hardy constitution, emerging enlightened.
On evidence of Lost in an Eternal Silence, Blood Oath are a revelation for those into the cultest ends of tech-death. Maniacs of early ’90s Sadus, mid-’90s Cenotaph, or especially the works of The Chasm and Stargazer, meet your new gods!
Preorder info for the CD and tape versions can be found HERE at Caligari‘s Bandcamp. Preorder info for the vinyl version can be found HERE. Aforementioned cover art and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Blood Oath (Chile)’s Lost in an Eternal Silence 1. Beyond the Dimensional Gates 2. Sanctuary of Souls 3. Fateful Existence 4. The Sacrifice 5. Singularity 6. Reflections of Darkness 7. The Journey Into the Depths 8. Lost in An Eternal Silence
Today, Purity ThroughFire announces September 22nd as the international release date for Unholy Vampyric Supremacy, a brand-new MCD from Nachtgnawer featuring WolfSeer.
Hailing from the always-fertile Finnish black metal scene, Nachtgnawer are a power-trio who include among their ranks concurrent members of labelmates Licht des Urteils, Sacrificium Carmen, Coraxul, Riivaus, and Nôidva among others. Following a demo last year (which Purity ThroughFire reissued earlier this year), Nachtgnawer now unveil a special EP featuring fellow Finnish comrade WolfSeer. United in vampyric blood, Unholy Vampyric Supremacy isn’t so much a regular split release between the two entities as it is a collaborative record. The tracklisting alternates tracks between the two, with Nachtgnawer delivering black metal and WolfSeer ambient, but the way the seven-song/18-minute EP plays out creates a haunting (and, at times, jarring) fever dream.
For his part, WolfSeer has years of experience in dark ambient and dungeon synth under other monikers, but here does he deliver shamanistic soundscapes that seemingly reverberate from centuries away. Nachtgnawer are as nasty as you’d expect, given their considerable pedigree, but temper their traditional Finnish filth with copious amounts of cryogenic melody and a busier, more restless approach to songwriting. Sparse their discography may be so far, but Nachtgnawer are no doubt on the march… If you want blood, Unholy Vampyric Supremacy‘s got it!
In the meantime, hear the brand-new Nachtgnawer track “Sword & Chalice” here:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Nachtgnawer featuring WolfSeer’s Unholy Vampyric Supremacy 1. WulfSeer – Catching the Inner Self Through Demonized Veil 2. Nachtgnawer – Ouroboros – Diaboli 3. WulfSeer – Pariah, Your Soul 4. Nachtgnawer – Sword & Chalice 5. WulfSeer – No Role to Perform 6. Nachtgnawer – Black Spears of Misanthropy 7. WulfSeer – Banshee Scream!
Black metal affront NGANGA have revealed the first single from their upcoming EP, Phthisis, due out September 29th. “Lunar Chains”, while aggressive, explores a new side of the band, with layers and dimension woven with the classic black metal sound. Stream it here:
The band shares: “‘Lunar Chains’ explores the progressive side of our band, in which we utilize dual guitar harmonies, rhythm and tempo changes to reflect the consequences of humanity going against nature.”
On their new album, NGANGA calls forth a relentless barrage of cacophonous sound straight from the fiery depths. The five track album is named Phthisis, which is another word for tuberculosis. The title makes perfect sense when vocalist Eyn explodes onto the opening track “Absent Light,” spitting venomous bile in every direction. The album is not without its calmer moments, however, calling attention to NGANGA’s innate ability to cultivate a variety of emotions and atmospheric textures through their music. Nowhere is this more clear than on the second track, “Wound.” Still, the trend continues throughout the album, providing listeners with a momentary but satisfying view into the spectacularly dark and twisted world of NGANGA.
Originating from Raleigh, North Carolina, NGANGA is an up and coming black metal group with four members. They have managed to captivate listeners with their intricate fusion of chaos and beauty. The band draws inspiration from various sources such as WEAKLING, YELLOW EYES, KRALLICE, REVOCATION, and BEYOND CREATION. Through their varied inspirations and massive talents, NGANGA has created a musical landscape that breathes new life into traditional black metal, injecting it with fresh energy amid dark and atmospheric undertones.
NGANGA was originally formed as a duo by vocalist Eyn and drummer Jordan King, The band then expanded its lineup by enlisting Charles Meyer to handle lead melodies for their 2022 demo, De Muerte. The demo was very well received, with Invisible Oranges even including it on the best of list for the year 2022. The exceptionally positive reception to De Muerte led the band to welcome Nate Stokes, guitarist of NOCTOMB, into their ranks. This addition marked a turning point in the band’s evolution as they began writing and recording their highly anticipated debut album, Phthisis.
Having gained a dedicated following within the North Carolina black metal scene and completing two successful tours along the East Coast, NGANGA has firmly established itself as a powerful presence in the underground. As they prepare to unleash their unique style of black metal to a wider audience, NGANGA is poised to make a significant impact on the music scene.
NGANGA is:
Eyn – Bass / Vocals Jordan King – Drums Charles Meyer – Guitar Nate Stokes – Guitar / Vocals
Album Credits:
Recorded and Mixed by Colin Swanson-White Mastered by Colin Marston Logo drawn by Mario Colon Album Art by Awo Prosatega
Today, autumnal black metallers Waldgeflüster reveal the new video “The Pit,” a cover song of comrades Panopticon. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated new mini-album, Unter bronzenen Kronen, set for international release on September 29th via AOP Records. See & hear Waldgeflüster’s “The Pit” video in its entirety here:
Founded fittingly in autumn 2005, Waldgeflüster have steadily perfected an individual mix of melancholic and nature-bound topics, rendering homage to black metal and its complexity with every note and every word of their lyrical songs. Began as a solo project of German multi-instrumentalist Winterherz, Waldgeflüster released its first demo, Stimmen im Wind, during the summer of the following year. In 2009 came the band’s debut album, Herbstklagen. The sound of Waldgeflüster was able to capture the recondite might of nature by harmonic but also overwhelming melodies, while the lyrics underlined the projected thoughts and feelings and therefore perfected the record. With his brother P., Winterherz created the concept record Femundsmarka – eine Reise in drei Kapitel in 2011. After the release of the follow-up Meine Fesseln, as of August 2014, Waldgeflüster transformed from a solo endeavor into a full band, with live musicians Arvagr, Domi, Markus, and Thomas finally joining the band as full members.
Thereafter, in 2016 did Waldgeflüster join with the Swedish label Nordvis and released their first split with their brothers Panopticon, shortly followed by the highly praised album Ruinen that same year. In 2019, the successor record, Mondscheinsonaten, was released to yet more acclaim, further exploring the trademarks of Waldgeflüster but always reaching for new territories.
Since 2007, in addition to their steady stream of studio recordings, Waldgeflüster have become a prolific live force, playing many shows throughout Europe and the world, including such highlights as the Summer Breeze and Ragnarök festivals, a festival organized by Hammerheart Brewing Company in the US, and a full European tour during spring 2018 with Angantyr and Ereb Altor.
In 2021, Waldgeflüster joined the highly acclaimed roster of AOP Records, who will take care of the future endeavors of the band. That same year, the first fruit of this union brought forth the release of their sixth full-length record, Dahoam, which reached #49 on the official German album charts. Dahoam is now followed now the new mini-album Unter bronzenen Kronen: a collection of four autumnal songs, including two covers, showing Waldgeflüster further perfecting their sound and drawing the listener ever deeper into their world of melancholy.
As the band state, “We are thrilled to unveil our latest endeavor, a heartfelt compilation of songs to accompany the embrace of autumn. This collection, although not a full-length album, tries to capture the essence of the season when the leaves turn into shimmering hues of bronze, gold, and red – a sonic reflection of the bittersweet melancholy that seeps into our bones and hearts during this time.
“We reimagine three existing songs—one of our own, and two masterpieces from extraordinary artists— and looked at them from a different angle, casting a new light upon their inherent beauty. Additionally, there is a new composition, delving into the realization that our own questions, flaws, and enigmatic uncertainties endlessly circle back to us, leaving an eternal imprint upon our hearts.
“We invite you to tread alongside us through the bleakness of our everlasting woods,” they conclude, “to find solace and respite, resting your weary heads beneath the majestic crowns of bronze that adorn these trees.”
Also hear the previously revealed title track “Unter bronzenen Kronen” HERE, also at AOP Records‘ official YouTube channel. Cover artwork, courtesy of Oliver König, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Waldgeflüster’s Unter bronzenen Kronen 1. Unter bronzenen Kronen [8:07] 2. The Pit [7:18] 3. Herbst befiel das Land 2023 [7:48] 4. Black Flies [4:57]
Today, Swedish black metal elite Mephorash premiere the new video “I Am”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated fifth album, Krystl-AH, set for international release on November 10th via Shadow Records (distributed & marketed by Regain Records) on CD and cassette tape formats; the double-LP vinyl version will be released on November 17th. See & hear Mephorash‘s “I Am” video in its entirety exclusively HERE:
A statement from the band reads: “The video is a very proud monument of ours, as it is completely envisioned, directed, filmed, and edited by our own hands, except for a few visual effects made by Lokavision. It has always been our goal to be in total control of the creative process, and making this music video completely ourselves is a big stepping stone towards that. We truly hope all of our fans will enjoy this premiere as much as we did creating both the song and the video. Shem Ha Mephorash!” Single artwork, courtesy of José Gabriel Alegria Sabogal, is as follows:
“Out of the depths and from the makings of Shem Ha Mephorash, we are now proud to present to you all the birth of a new era of Mephorash in the form of our upcoming new album, Krystl-AH. This will be a wholly new chapter within the creative process of ours, involving a new way for us to look upon the way we write our lyrics and compose our music…”
Indeed, such is the way of Sweden’s Mephorash. With a wealth of underground experience and an ever-restless but always-tactical manner of making music, their ascent up the ranks of international black metal has been decisive and well-earned. Although their catalog since their formation in 2010 has always been of sterling quality, it was 2019’s aforementioned Shem Ha Mephorash – a literally MASSIVE album at 74 minutes, released to widespread acclaim by Shadow Records – where Mephorash dramatically claimed their throne. And upon evidence of the forthcoming Krystl-AH, they’re not likely to relinquish that throne any time soon.
“We have made the decision to try and step away from the commonalities of traditional ‘black metal,’ and have instead sought to find inspiration from the depths within ourselves, making this a work of deep and personal significance for us,” the band continue. “It will dive ferociously into a myriad of topics, ranging from the mysteries of the ‘Krystl-AH,’ the gnosis of light, and divine narcissism to tantric sexual magic, and also dive deep into the traumatic and yet blissful events that created the project now known as Mephorash.”
That feeling of both ceremony and celebration is immediately felt upon pressing “play” to Krystl-AH. Another literally massive album, the 68-minute Krystl-AH moves with an ominous beauty – breathtaking, brilliant, and yet suggesting vast, frightening mysteries beyond its wide-ranging scope. A suitably vast army of damned angels serve as the backing choir to these seven incredibly epic compositions; soul-stirring leads rise and fall with grace, while sonic spaces open up and deftly subtle layers of strings, synths, and acoustic guitars flesh out this almost sensual experience – nothing ever in a rush to find its destination, only ever the feeling of being IN THE MOMENT, patient and complete. This soundfield alone serves a distinct backdrop separating Mephorash from conventional “black metal,” far closer to a classical score but no doubt infused with the central energies of true religious black metal. It’s not incorrect to suggest that one could get lost in any one of these epics – in fact, two top 10 minutes each – but it’s a journey that infinitely rewards the intrepid and inquisitive, those who wish to surpass their personal Rubicon to receive illumination…and damnation.
“We have been diligently carving out and perfected this project for the last four years,” they conclude, “through anger, love, hate, tears, sweat, pandemics, and pure chaos in all its shapes and forms to make this a reality. So now we are so incredibly proud to finally be able to present to all of you who have been waiting ever so patiently…Krystl-AH. Shem Ha Mephorash!”
Also hear the previously revealed title track “Krystl-Ah” HERE at Regain Records‘ Bandcamp, where the album can be preordered. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Mephorash’s Krystl-AH 1. Krystl-Ah [7:38] 2. Gnosis [10:19] 3. Catoptrophilia [6:45] 4. Soma Yoni [8:44] 5. Chysallís [7:43] 6. I Am [9:17] 7. Mephoriam [16:41]
Today, Wolves of Hades announces October 27th as the international release date for One of Nine‘s striking debut album, Eternal Sorcery, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats. Listen. Here is One of Nine An image Shrouded in Unlight. A sound Enchanted by the Mother of Strangling Doom. One of Nine Unfaced, and unlit. They present here their efforts, a collection of tales. An offering to the perilous realm and the Great Tyrant of Utumno! Eternal Sorcery! Eternal Sorcery! Eternal Sorcery!
Eight pummeling hymns of dark majesty, with every note echoing the burden of piety to the Black Foe of the World.
No remorse will be found in the wailing vocals, coupled with intricate guitar work – blazing with catchy-yet-somber melodic leads and acoustic lines.
And no rest will be felt in the rhythmic, percussive assault – a symbiotic swirling of song and sorcery.
Come and see! As they journey through sonorous blood and fire, as they carry the glorious spark of olden days into unknown eons, with an iron will and a fervor that shines beyond the pathetic perimeters of time and space, into a vortex of Black Medieval Sorrow!
Eternal Sorcery will drag the pitiable listener from the windless Sundering Sea to the Forgotten South of the World, beyond the borders of the sun-lit lands, to that final realm, where the dark nets of enshrouding gloom drape eternal.
They are One of Nine! This is Eternal Sorcery! In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Mother of Shadows’ HERE:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for One of Nine’s Eternal Sorcery
1. Lurkers of the Half-Light 2. The Silence of Heaven 3. Dark Magic River 4. Mother of Shadows 5. Moonlit Sacrifice 6. God Chain 7. Wrathful Rebirth 8. A Hunter Rides The Night
Today, Amor Fati Productions announces October 31st as the international release date for Netherdom‘s striking debut album, Forsaking, Forseeking, on vinyl LP format.
A bolt-from-the-blue debut from a veteran of the black metal underground, Netherdom is an entirely solo endeavor, but the sound across Forsaking, Forseeking is quite vast. Featuring a unique style of production – flat yet full, raw yet refined – Netherdom whip forth a spacious, spectral style of black metal that equally nods to the ancients and the palatable end of modernity. From touchstones like Ulver’s Bergtatt to Paysage d’Hiver’s Winterkälte to even Black Cilice’s Banished From Time and Voidsphere’s To Sense, To Perceive, the shadowy entity nevertheless explores his own visions, firmly within the pantheon of black metal but by no means exclusively tethered to it. The 41-minute album itself features three epic tracks, with the second side taken up by the monolithic, nearly-24-minute “To Forsake Remnants of an Existence Bereft of Meaning” – indeed, altogether the ideal length for maximum immersion in this alternately astral/wintry realm. To stand before each of these tracks is stultifying; to contemplate that each could reverberate infinitely within the darkest recesses of the soul – be it an “astral realm,” a “wintry realm,” or even some combination of the two – that riffs could be elongated and looped infinitely, mesmerizing into a vortex of splendorous impossibility, makes Forsaking, Forseeking all the more truly titled. Netherdom is the end, and the beginning. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Netherdom’s Forsaking, Forseeking 1. Lured By All That Is Forsaken [9:27] 2. In The Depths Of The Fog [7:54] 3. To Forsake Remnants Of An Existence Bereft of Meaning [23:33]
