Today, Osmose Productions and 20 Buck Spin announce May 26th as the international release date for Mournful Congregation‘s The Exuviae of Gods – Part II on CD, vinyl, and cassette tape formats. Osmose will handle the record’s release in Europe while 20 Buck Spin will handle its release for North and South America and Australia.
Mournful Congregation are back with a wall of sound of funeral doom, the band’s trademark since 1993. After rearing their doom-laden head from the primordial waters in 2022 with the release of The Exuviae of Gods – Part I, Mournful Congregation continue the parting of the waters with The Exuviae of Gods – Part II: two brand-new compositions, plus a brand-new re-recording of 1995’s “Heads Bowed,” featured on their second demo tape. Continuing the thematics presented on Part I, artwork is once again handled by Karmazid, bringing the monadic into the dyadic, thus perfecting the natural order of primordial principles…
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “The Forbidden Absym” here:
Preorder info for the Osmose version can be found HERE. Aforementioned cover artwork and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Mournful Congregation’s The Exuviae of Gods – Part II
1. Heads Bowed [12:25] 2. The Forbidden Abysm [8:47] 3. The Paling Crest [18:39]
Today, Helter Skelter Productions (distributed & marketed by Regain Records) announces May 26th as the international release date for Hate Manifesto‘s highly anticipated second album, ΑΠΟΣΤΑΤΗΣ, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
One of Greece’s best-kept secrets, Hate Manifesto formed in 2003 but, so far, have an extremely sparse discography. However, what they lack in quantity, they more than double-up on in quality. To Those Who Glorified Death, their debut album from 2017 – which Helter Skelter rereleased on a worldwide scale in early 2018 – displayed the shockingly extreme force with which Hate Manifesto could create their whirlwind of martial black/death. In 2019 came the aptly titled Herald of Triumph EP, which fully displayed the armament of their potential. Comprising four fierce ‘n’ fiery tracks in a swift ‘n’ decisive 17 minutes, Herald of Triumph was full-on shock & awe – CRUSH, KILL, DESTROY – with Hate Manifesto‘s chosen weapons being the iron-fisted surge of black metal and the muscular swarm of death metal, all rendered in rich, devastating tones. Of course, none of this should’ve come as a surprise given that the band is yet another work of the extremely prolific W.S.P., who also numbers such Helter Skelter cults as Caedes Cruenta, Black Blood Invocation, and Walpurgia among many others.
Now W.S.P. returns Hate Manifesto to the front with the full-length ΑΠΟΣΤΑΤΗΣ, and he’s joined by drum-god Simon “Bloodhammer” Schilling (Marduk, Eucharist). Picking up the pieces left behind by Herald of Triumph – or rather, the wreckage from the battlefield – ΑΠΟΣΤΑΤΗΣ (“Apostate” in English) is an immediately obliterating spin. Across eight songs in 38 minutes, the duo continue to create a martial sort of black/death that’s strict, cruel, and caustic. Is it “blackened death metal” or even “deathened black metal”? Appellations matter not when faced with this sort of iron-fisted attack, for its strength lies in the songwriting: W.S.P.’s riffs flow like acidic mercury, and Schilling’s drums race with deft dynamics. Indeed, for however harsh and austere Hate Manifesto‘s aesthetic is here, there’s a remarkably streamlined sensibility that lends infinite memorability to ΑΠΟΣΤΑΤΗΣ – and repeatability, as you’ll be compelled to press “play” and submit to their onslaught again and again. And when the rare burst of guitar solos come in? MADNESS!
Simultaneously classic and modern, Hate Manifesto continue their campaign of cruelty with ΑΠΟΣΤΑΤΗΣ!
Join that campaign with the brand-new track “Poison Infliction” here:
Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Hate Manifesto’s ΑΠΟΣΤΑΤΗΣ 1. Inauguration of Triumphal Ascension 2. Extinction Ordained 3. Poison Infliction 4. Purging the Seeds of Pestilence 5. Sworn to Hatred 6. Decimation Order 7. Deconstructing the Assemblage of Deception 8. Chains of the Oppressor pt II
Today, German rustic metallers Lucifuge premiere the new track “Physiognomy of Failure”. The track is the third to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated fifth album, Monoliths of Wrath, set for international release on April 28th via Dying Victims Productions. Hear Lucifuge‘s “Physiognomy of Failure” in its entirety here:
Since 2016, Germany’s have been steadily perfect an addicting style of blackened speed metalpunk, all guided by the iron fist of mainman Equinox. Come 2021’s fourth full-length Infernal Power, Equinox expanded Lucifuge to a full lineup, and it paid off in spades: the band’s first album under the banner of Dying Victims capped this signature sound with power and aplomb, exuding a new professionalism that somehow sounded dirtier than ever.
And as forecasted last year by their short ‘n’ sweet split with Italian comrades Bunker 66, Lucifuge continue to spit-shine that sound with Monoliths of Wrath. Immediately upon pressing “play” on this fifth full-length, it becomes clear that Equinox and crew are taking their sound in a newer but no-less-parallel direction. Unapologetically more technical than their more idiomatic “metalpunk” past, Lucifuge’s latest LP is not lacking for speed – in fact, it’s FASTER – but this much-more-directly thrash-oriented record takes sonic cues from classic Sodom, Kreator, Exodus, and of course Slayer. Thankfully, we’re still entrenched in the ‘80s here, but more accurately 1987 rather than 1984. Likewise, the evil, blasphemic, and anti-religious themes are retained throughout the whole record, but Monoliths of Wrath sees Lucifuge integrating some almost-atmospheric black metal passages in between. So, while it definitely follows from the aforementioned full-length and split, Monoliths of Wrath involves much more complex song structures overall, which are given maximum power through the production: full-bodied and “pro” but hardly soft, Lucifuge’s first foray into a proper recording studio (rather than the practice room) makes a huge difference in highlighting their new dynamics and tempo variation. Oh, and did we mention the BREAKDOWNS? Seriously, this is a timewarp to ‘87, in the best possible way!
So, a blast from the past, but differently: Lucifuge have truly nailed their own sound and direction with Monoliths of Wrath.
Also hear the previously revealed “Before the Altar of Famine and Desire” exclusively HERE, courtesy of MetalBite.com, as well as the previously revealed “From Cosmos to Chaos” exclusively HERE, courtesy of Deaf Forever magazine. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Lucifuge (Germany)’s Monoliths of Wrath 1. From Cosmos To Chaos 2. The Cult Of Infinity 3. Before The Altar Of Famine And Desire 4. Visions Of Death 5. Enemies Of The Sun 6. Dissolving Into God 7. The Art Of Putrescence 8. Resources Of Self Destruction 9. Physiognomy Of Failure 10. The Path To Perdition 11. Delirium And Debauchery [CD-only bonus track]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Please circulate through all relevant channels
Today, Dutch black metallers Ossaert stream the entirety of their highly anticipated new mini-album, Offerdier. Set for international release on April 7th via Argento Records, hear Ossaert‘s Offerdier in its entirety here:
The ever-thriving Dutch underground is a constant propellant of evocations overflowing with genuine black metal fervor. A name synonymous with such enigmatic allure is Zwolle’s solitary endeavor, Ossaert.
Following two full-length tomes, the prolific wraith manifests itself yet again with a stint of uniquely profane savor, an act of unshackling spiritual puissance under the sign of Offerdier.
Throughout four unhallowed musical creations, Ossaert ravishes the dark night of the soul with a purge of tenebrous black metal where the ether is enraptured by immense guitar riffs, piercing as rusty daggers plunging through the inner self, sustained by dynamic pulsing drumming, as diverse as it stands overtly organic and robust. Such traits blossom by way of a well-balanced aural quality, granting an oppressive essence on reckless blastbeating passages, yet making room for contemplative, further atmospheric sections.
In the center of such intense turmoil, an ecstatic narrator bewails in delight death of the self, rejoicing the feeble ways of the gods’ will, liberating the soul of its chains. As an act of real blasphemy, this howling voice exults true liberation, for it is wholly achieved by utmost destruction. There is no way back. [text by Mario Souto]
Cover artwork, courtesy of Reuben Sawyer, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Ossaert’s Offerdier
1. De Lichtkrans en de Waan [7:53] 2. Ritueel I [4:07] 3. Ritueel II [4:47] 4. Het Geschenk en het Bestaan [6:10]
Psychedelic/avant-garde black metal outfit HENGET are now releasing a guitar playthrough video for the single ‘I Am Them’. The track is taken from their debut album “Beyond North Star”, which will be unleashed on May 19, 2023 via Season of Mist. The playthrough is now streaming here:
Pre-orders are still available HERE. The album can be pre-saved on various digital platforms HERE.
HENGET guitarist Jesse comments: “Sauna, the holiest man-made temple. The place where Finns used to enter and exit life. Nowadays it can also mark a place where instructional videos, such as this, are made. Prepare your kantele, let the spirit of Löyly embrace you and be ready to shred like a 21st century Väinämöinen!“
HENGET have previously released the cover artwork and further album details for “Beyond North Star”.
Track-list: 1. Dive (4:35) 2. I Am Them (4:01) [WATCH] 3. Henkivallat (4:31) [WATCH] 4. The Great Spiral (5:52) 5. Beyond North Star (5:19) 6. Lovi (5:09) 7. Nouse (3:52) 8. The Chalice of Life and Death(4:23) Total: 37:42
The creation process has always been a very fascinating riddle isn’t it? After all, there’s no strict formula. Some spent weeks, months or even years meticulously working on every tiny detail over and over again until it feels perfect while others just have to let it all out, no matter how it all comes out, it just has to. And no, no matter how hard you try, you can’t force it. You just can’t. You need to have that vision, that unstoppable yearning to turn your dreams into reality.
King Aleijster de Satan has long stopped asking himself all those questions. Although he’s only thirty-four years old, the Tampere based Finn is a bullet-proof veteran of the black metal scene: he used to run and sign bands for Saturnal Records. He also ran the Blackvox studio from 2013 to 2020 where he recorded multiple bands. Purely on the musical front, besides being the long-time standing frontman of Saturnian Mist he also because various experiences, in Arvet among others. But with the industrial rumblings of King Satan, he’s learnt to expand his mind and look over all those useless fences to see what lied beyond. In the end, it’s all about being free both as an individual and as an artist, to go where your instincts and muse take you, no matter what.
And nothing encapsulates more this quest for freedom than HENGET. As a matter of fact, it lies at the very center of it as most of the music AND lyrics were on purpose improvised on the spot. Ever tried to capture lightning in a bottle? King Aleijster de Satan and his comrade Jesse Heikkinen just did with HENGET first album, Beyond North Star, Heikkinen having proved to be quite a versatile artist since dabbling with ‘progressive esoteric folk’ with Iterum Nata, the equally ‘out there’ Hexvessel or The Abbey.
“When I got in the studio to do the vocals, I only had various notes, sometimes hastily written on a small piece of paper and more or less some kind of loose structures to go with it. Most of them I gathered in between 2016 and 2019 after, let’s say experimenting quite a bit. I admit natural psychedelics and other shamanic methods influenced me a lot to reach another level of consciousness, besides my long interest towards the occult and mysticism. Those weren’t meant to get lost into but instead to be used as mere tools to help me opening new doors in my brain, a bit like a shaman would do when engaged in a ritual to reach a trance like of state. That’s also why I booked a two weeks session just for the vocals: I needed that amount of space to really dive in my subconscious. Overall, that was one of most intense recording experience I ever had but I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone because the toll you have to pay once it’s done is pretty heavy.”
Originally, the pair planned to unite in Saturnian Mist but then, Jesse “had to move to another city and it made things too complicated. But we still wanted to work together as he is probably the best songwriter I know. And since I had this idea for this other thing where I knew I wanted to push the limits and go over the edge in terms of songwriting, I needed somebody of his calibre.” “Indeed, Aleijster approached during summer 2021” confirms the multi-instrumentist. “He had a quite clear vision of what kind of concept he wanted to do lyrically speaking for a long time. It did coincide with my own desire to express something personal yet aggressively, an urge I hadn’t felt in a long time. Based on his background, we agreed this should happen within some kind of black metal frame but without still paying attention to much conventions or rules. I was given free rein to do whatever I felt like and I quickly realized I wanted it to be quite intuitive while making sure the music would be as crazy as possible, like some typhoon swallowing everything in its path… So using mostly vintage instrumentation, I recorded most of the music by myself in my own studio, pushing the button ‘rec’ and then totally letting myself go, following Aleijster ‘automatic writing’ method and ending up with some pretty interesting result.”
There’s something strangely seductive about the eight tracks included on Beyond North Star, as if the listeners were invited to enter some alternative and colourful place, dangerous and scary yet always otherworldly. Some may argue that all along you will most likely cross there the ghosts of Dødheimsgård, Arcturus or King Crimson. But Aleijster remains pretty reluctant to label it but “if we really need to, I guess it’s avant-garde black metal.” After hesitating with Henkivallat (‘spiritual realms’), which they ended up using as a songtitle instead, the name HENGET was chosen because of its double meaning as it can be translated both as ‘life’ but also ‘spirits’, “a perfect name for an occult band”. Beyond North Star is a “loose” concept album, like one long journey, even if the songs are not exactly tied up together. Something the 70’s prog rock loving Jesse is quite happy with while its title is a reference to that actual spiritual journey the listeners are about to undertake. One they will never forget.
Three ambitious music videos in total have been shot already to promote the album and HENGET has gathered a full line-up in order to start playing live. Saturnian Mist drummer Ville Rissanen was the first one to be asked, soon followed by Lasse Launimaa, a teenage years friend of Jesse who also plays in cult symphonic black metal band Thyrane on keyboards.
Line-up: King Aleijster de Satan – Vocals Jesse J. Heikkinen – Guitars, additional keys Lasse J. Launimaa – Keyboards Ville J. Rissanen – Drums
Today, Signal Rex announces May 5th as the international release date for Ordem Satânica‘s highly anticipated fourth album, Perpetuum Satanas, on vinyl LP format.
The name Ordem Satânica should be more than familiar to those who follow the crimes of Signal Rex, or indeed the Portuguese black metal underground, which has risen to international prominence in the past decade. In that time, the shadowy collective have released a flurry of recordings, first as demos and splits and then the monumental Monte de Lua debut album in 2017 – each one grimmer and more ghastly, more hypnotizing and harrowing, as the one that preceded it – firmly establishing OrdemSatânica as modern-day atavists and furthering the infamy of their Aldebaran Circle (Trono Além Morte, Occelensbrig, Voëmmr, and Degredo et. al.).
And while it had been four long years since an album arrived – and two years since their split with Adytum, all via Signal Rex – Ordem Satânica slipped by the full-length Perpetuum Satanas at the very end of 2022 on tape. Now that fourth full-length fittingly finds release on vinyl to carry forward its malignant march. Indeed, Ordem Satânica are locating an elusive magick here where the harsh & harrowing soundfield of olde sees something like refinement, rendering their bewitching black metal in its most penetrating form. Whereas “refinement” in many bands’ hands spells a death knell, in Ordem Satânica‘s, it’s ever so subtle and only intuitive – an effortless grasp at primordial energies that are then harnessed into spiraling screeds of hauntingly tuneful obsidian. Verily, the band’s always-understated melodicism takes on more prominence across Perpetuum Satanas, giving their no-less-demonic pulse an exceptionally ethereal quality: the gutters boil over, and the fumes rise like wraiths to torment the chaste and pure. It is with no hyperbole, then, to state this is arguably Ordem Satânica‘s finest work.
Hear for yourself with the brand-new track “O Sacrifício Final (para Satan)” here:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Ordem Satânica’s Perpetuum Satanas 1. Trilho Ceremonial 2. Cidade dos Mortos 3. Templo de Merda Humana 4. Putas, Sémen e Sangue 5. Sob a Influência… de Satan 6. Vermelha Visão de Outrora 7. Moribundo Sicário de Satan 8. O Sacrifício Final (para Satan)
Cathartic black metal outfit GAEREA have announced new European tour dates! The Vortex Society will not only bring darkness to various club shows during this run, also festivals will receive the mark of ‘Mirage’. A full list of confirmed dates, including festival appearances and ticket links, can be found below.
GAEREA comment trek: “The Undying Mirage shall march once again over Europe this Summer! In June, the Vortex Society will hunt several new Countries alongside a selection of massive Festivals. 15 Mind bending Nights of Cathartic Horror Soundscapes await. Join us!“
GAEREA will be playing in support of their latest album ‘Mirage’, which was released on September 23, 2022 via Season of Mist. The album can still be found in various formats HERE and streamed on all digital platforms HERE
GAEREA 08 Apr 23 Oslo (NO) Inferno Festival 2023 [TICKETS] 30 Apr 23 Hengelo (NL) Bloodshed Fest 2023 [TICKETS] 07 Jun 23 Budapest (HU) Durer Kert [TICKETS] 08 Jun 23 Belgrad (RS) Zappa 09 Jun 23 Zagreb (HR) Klub Mochrava 10 Jun 23 Vicenza (IT) Revolution Club [TICKETS] 11 Jun 23 Torino (IT) Ziggy Club 12 Jun 23 Zurich (CH) Dynamo, Werk 21 [TICKETS] 13 Jun 23 Pratteln (CH) Z7 [TICKETS] 14 Jun 23 Mainz (DE) Schon Schon [TICKETS] 15 Jun 23 Arnhem (NL) Willemeen [TICKETS] 17 Jun 23 Copenhagen (DK) Copenhell [TICKETS] 18 Jun 23 Gothenburg (SE) The Abyss [TICKETS] 21 Jun 23 Krakow (PL) Kamienna12 22 Jun 23 Warsaw (PL) Hydrozagadka 24 Jun 23 Spalene Porici (CZ) Basinfire Festival [TICKETS] 25 Jun 23 Ferropolis (DE) Full Force Festival [TICKETS] 07 Jul 23 Velké Mezirici (CZ) Fajtfest [TICKETS]
08 Jul 23 Jablunkov (CZ) Rock Café Southock 14 Jul 23 Anyksciai (LT) Devilstone Festival [TICKETS] 29 Jul 23 Freissenbuttel (DE) Burning Q Festival [TICKETS] 05 Aug 23 Brasov (RO) Rockstadt Festival [TICKETS] 11 Aug 23 Derbyshire (UK) Bloodstock Open Air [TICKETS] 12 Aug 23 Kortrijk (BE) Alcatraz Festival [TICKETS] 18 Aug 23 Dinkelsbuhl (DE) Summerbreeze Festival [TICKETS] 24 Aug 23 Eisfeld (DE) Wolfzeit Festival [TICKETS] 26 Aug 23 Walbrzych (PL) Metal Mine Festival [TICKETS]
The cover artwork for ‘Mirage’, which is created by the SAROS Collective, can be found below along with the track-list and further album details
Behind black shrouds of obscurity and desolation, the men of GAEREA deliver their odes in cascading maelstroms of aggression and beauty. Emerging from the age of pandemic to whatever awaits humanity next, the Portuguese horde remains on the frontlines of the next generation of extreme metal. With an EP and two albums to their name, GAEREA has rapidly distinguished themselves from the thousands of bands toiling away in the underground. Brewing their cauldron of sound from a recipe of pounding black-metal blast mixed with a touch of harrowed, reflective longing, many devotees of the darkened arts have flocked to their banner. With the emergence of third full-length album Mirage, those numbers are sure to grow.
Underground metal itself is a strange and cyclical beast. Trends come and trends go. But at no point in the genre’s history have we borne witness to what happened to the world in 2020. GAEREA met this challenge by releasing their second album, the aptly titled Limbo, to excellent world reception. In the meantime, they found the total suspension of interactive life as it was previously known to be the perfect breeding ground for further creation and making. As the troupe’s main songwriter elaborates, “I lost two precious years of my life, years that I would rather have spent touring and growing as an artist. But they were crucial for us, these years, because not too many bands stayed relevant and productive. The pandemic gave us the time to make the best release we could. All the promo-shoots, interviews, videos, we all had time to prepare for everything. Mirage was the product of a sudden inspiration. The basic parts were written over about two weeks.”
Such a stunning admission goes to show that art is fickle, and the artist is merely a vessel through which the sweet sorcery we call music may flow. It can mute itself to frustrating silence – or it can explode into being regardless of all consideration. For this band on the rise, it is most certainly the latter. Sizzling with ambition from day one, GAEREA may present one unique face to their audience, masked and enshrouded, but the truth is they have not remained changeless. “We are not the same band who recorded Limbo,” he insists. “We are more eager to take on the world. If the pandemic taught us anything it is that nothing is certain.”
This lack of certainty plays heavily into newest creation Mirage. As its name suggests, the inability to trust what our senses are telling us could be construed as one of the album’s central themes. Rather than constrict their art to mythological references or anti-religious tropes, GAEREA instead plumb the depths of the human experiences of isolation and suffering. “The concept, the subject, of each song is everyone, you, me . . . if people were alone together in Limbo, in Mirage they are truly alone. Nobody is truly real until they are alone.”
If existential dread could be turned into sound, GAEREA have carved their own philosophical path through its stygian tunnels. It isn’t Satan, demons, death, or even suicide that is waiting for us there. “What if people finally reached their goal,” he posits, “to end their suffering, and instead of dying they find themselves in a new reality, lost in a big city they were once a part of – they don’t know if anyone else is still alive. They are alone inside their own world.” This theme of being alone in a world full of familiar scenes, unable to end things and unable to reach anyone else, might well terrify the listener more effectively than any glimpse into the imagined hellscapes of our nightmares. Being isolated in your own world is the real nightmare, and GAEREA strum the chords of this horror with nuance and a miserable grace.
Boasting a superior production that threads the needle between clarity and causticness, GAEREA unwaveringly admit their loyalty to countryman and producer Miguel Tereso of Demigod Recordings. “Miguel is fantastic,” enthuses the band’s primary composer. “He comes from a brutal death metal background. I thought if this guy can pull off a punchy, modern, but still authentic production with a slam / death metal band, I wonder what he can do with a band like GAEREA. He has a vision for a sound, and that is what I really like. He is not a black metal fan, but it’s this very external set of ears and eyes from a guy who really knows his craft, and he brings all of that to our sound.” The fruits of this union are quite evident, as the turbulent moods of the title track are so wonderfully tossed between tension-building moments, and the explosive payoffs which set GAEREA apart from so many who try but come up short
Tormented leads and building riffs sit atop some seriously explosive drumming, waxing and waning, on “Arson,” a tempest of moods and one of the album’s centrepieces. Emotion, at times sounding triumphant in brilliantly wrought guitar leads, is skewered by vocals that bustle with shattering despair. The dichotomy is magnificent to behold. GAEREA’s composer makes no mistake. “I want to hear the throat on the album, and if we are a vocals-driven band, I don’t want to over-process them during the recording. Striking that balance is one of the beauties for me in this record.”
In a world that increasingly elevates the shallow and the narcissistic, GAEREA pursues an artistic struggle of inward isolation, honest self-examination, and a dogged refusal to bow to the void that awaits. Thus, the persistence of their shadowed visages, draped in the masks which codify their anonymity while also creating a reliable extreme metal brand that fans can appreciate, especially in the live setting. “GAEREA are truly ourselves when we put these masks on, and we transcend into something different, and primitive,” he asserts. “It still makes total sense, and this band would not be a band anymore if we ever dropped the masks.”
As GAEREA prepares the release of Mirage, the world has resumed functioning, and as it lurches onward into its bleak future, one could stipulate that the pressure may be on to continue its rise amid the clamor of this renewal of activity. Does this challenge intimidate GAEREA? “We want to do better, but I don’t feel any pressure because we are in very good hands with the people we work with. We are building a strong team that really cares for us, stage-wise, promotional-wise, website and sales-wise. We are building a very structured confident teams that aims for the same goals we do. What I truly care about is continuing our ever-growing concept of the band GAEREA, and not becoming sterile, and I would not want people to be unaffected by our music. In the end we’re trying to express something within ourselves, and I don’t want it to be too complicated.”
The beauty of GAEREA lies in the directness and simplicity found within their florid tapestry of extremity and aggression. Whether it is in the less-polished aural dynamite of their self-titled EP, or in the lustrous textures of Mirage, GAEREA is building a mighty edifice of underground metal. With talons dipped in the inky blood of black metal and scraped across the flesh of human suffering, GAEREA is leading a charge into the future of darkness, and all those who find beauty and power in the dark side of existence would do well to take heed.
WE ARE GAEREA.
Recording Studio: Demigod Recordings Producer/Sound engineer: Miguel Tereso Mix/Master: Miguel Tereso (Demigod Recordings)
Today, Italian death metallers Valgrind premiere the new track “Millennium of Night Bliss” . The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated fifth album, Millennium of Night Bliss, set for international release on April 24th via Memento Mori. Hear Valgrind‘s title track “Millennium of Night Bliss” in its entirety here:
By now, those who follow the dark deeds of Memento Mori should be well familiar with Italy’s Valgrind. Despite forming all the way back in 1996 and releasing three demos and an EP before going on hiatus in 2002, it was the 2012 debut album Morning Will Come No More where Valgrind kicked off their activities – and there’s been no looking back. With steadfast dependability and ever-so-slight “progression” each time, these Italians have quietly become stalwarts of classics-minded death metal that isn’t completely blinkered by the past. Yes, their influences largely remain the same – foundational Morbid Angel, Pestilence, Death, Nocturnus, Possessed, Monstrosity, and Immolation – but Valgrind have increasingly sought their own muse, becoming more personal in lyrical approach whilst keeping their attack trend-free DEATH METAL.
But if 2020’s Memento Mori-released Condemnation signaled a sea-change for Valgrind – an undeniably “something,” a never-belabored uniqueness, despite mostly still sounding like the same band – then they certainly continue this sterling development with Millennium of Night Bliss. Indeed, there’s a creepiness of aura and a more supernatural lyrical bent that fuel Valgrind‘s fifth album, and the power-trio duly whip forth a vortex of dark ‘n’ dazzling technicality and jaw-dropping chops. Everywhere you turn across the nine-song/38-minute work, there’s some slipstreaming portal opening up into another into another ad infinitum; one could say Millennium of Night Bliss isn’t so much a “complex” record (although it is) as it’s one of rippling darkness and dementia. Truly, Valgrind sound mental here, as the blazing angularity and “tunefully atonal” intensity hearken to such once-slept-on classics as Immolation’s Here In After and Morbid Angel’s Formulas Fatal to the Flesh. However, the Italians still continue to exert their own identity, adding just the right amount of melody (don’t worry: it’s VERY slight!) and making the remarkably crisp ‘n’ clean production work entirely for them.
Could Millennium of Night Bliss be Valgrind‘s best record yet? Put in the work and lose thyself in its labyrinths, and surely will you see the night-blissful truth!
Also hear the previously revealed “Teshub” HERE at Memento Mori‘s official YouTube channel. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Valgrind (Italy)’s Millennium of Night Bliss 1. Teshub 2. Banished by Celestial Harmonies 3. Millennium of Night Bliss 4. Tenebra Corona Mundi 5. Dark Winds of Avalon 6. Lament of the Black Penitents (Glory Is the Sun of the Dead) 7. Oracle of Death 8. Fear from Beyond 9. The Path to the Temple of Black Ash
Over the last three years Swiss Black Metal band AARA have crafted an epic tripartite interpretation of Charles Robert Maturin‘s 19th century Gothic novel, “Melmoth The Wanderer“. With concluding installment “Triade III: Nyx“, this trilogy comes to a mesmerizing and truly ominous end. The new album, which consists of six elegant and powerful melodic Black Metal hymns, is officially released via Debemur Morti Productions. Listen to it here:
Well known as vibrant and restless artists, composer Berg has already allowed us a glimpse into AARA‘s musical future:
“The successor to “Triade III: Nyx” is already composed. There are no plans yet when the album will be ready, but I think it will come in 2024. Thematically, we break away from a literary concept and turn to more real events, but everything in due time…“
Vocalist and lyricist Fluss adds:
“It will not again be about a work of literature, but instead be a concept album inspired by a historical occurrence. We will probably try rather to create an atmosphere than to retell a story. Otherwise, we will certainly continue to adapt literary or historical themes for AARA. We do not know yet what it will concretely be. A spontaneous inspiration will probably decide that!“
“Triade III: Nyx” achieved second place in German print mag Legacy‘s soundcheck and was awarded the “dynamite” certificate by Rock Hard Italy. More words of praise can be found throughout the metal press:
“AARA bring to a close this thunderous trilogy that began just two years ago and now concludes with “Triade III: Nyx,” the most immersive of the Melmoth trio. That they deliver this final chapter with fervor and Black Metal force that swallows you whole makes the impact undeniable and something to which you will have no choice but to submit.” (Meat Mead Metal)
“If you like intensity and uncompromising aggression elegantly wrapped around melancholy, check out this release.” (Infernal Masquerade)
“In conclusion, “Triade III: Nyx” is an excellent example of modern atmospheric black metal. […] A dark, powerful and diverse record with remarkable melodies and a captivating atmosphere.” (Metal Bite)
The album is officially released on CD, vinyl and digital. Band merchandising (t-shirt, zip hoodie, patches) accompanies the release. Orders are possible via the label’s EU, US and Bandcamp shops.
Please note: Due to a mistake at the pressing plant, all first press “Triade III: Nyx” LPs come with the slipcase included with the exclusive DMP version. The two editions differ solely through the colour of the vinyl.
Switzerland’s AARA was founded in 2018 by vocalist Fluss and multi-instrumentalist Berg to create art highly influenced by atmospheric Black Metal. Sporting an epic, classical feel, their sweeping compositions aim to take the listener through the darkest alleys of human existence.
Soon after releasing their debut record “So fallen alle Tempel” in early 2019, AARA joined forces with Debemur Morti Productions, releasing their mosaic EP “Anthropozän” that same year.
Barely a year after their debut, AARA unveiled a new full-length record in April of 2020. A conceptual look into Europe’s Age of Enlightenment, “En Ergô Einai” sees AARA take their accomplished sound to new heights of mature artistic expression. Opened with a haunting acoustic intro courtesy of Vindsval (BLUT AUS NORD), “En Ergô Einai” is a triumph of fluid melodic euphoria and classical elegance, setting an even higher watermark in a bright, young discography. The third album and beginning of a trilogy, namely “Triade I: Eos“, was released in March 2021. In this epic and dramatic new work of art, AARA are interpreting the Gothic novel “Melmoth The Wanderer” (1820) of Irish writer Charles Robert Maturin. Venturing forth into the next chapters of Maturin‘s work, AARA crafted the second part of their trilogy, “Triade II: Hemera“. The six tracks of brutally melodic, top-tier Black Metal was released in May 2022. The third and final album of the Melmoth trilogy sees the light of day on March 31st, 2023.
Today, Swedish black/death legends Unpure stream the entirety of their LONG-awaited fifth album, Prophecies Ablaze. Set for international release on March 31st as a joint release between Invictus Productions and The Ajna Offensive, hear Unpure‘s Prophecies Ablaze in its entirety here:
Sweden’s Unpure are the very definition of a CULT band. Formed in that fateful year of 1991, the band spread their black-leather wings across three demos before the momentous release of their self-titled debut album in 1995. A quiet classic that built in stature over the years to come, Unpure followed up the elevated primitivism of Unpure with three more albums over the next decade – a patience pace, yes, and a further refinement of their jet-black metal into something thrashier or at least more speed metalled but something truly Unpure. No “party blackthrash” here: always, the iron fist of vocalist/bassist Kolgrim guided their muse into occult waters, tastefully and trend-free. However, those waters largely stayed dormant aside from infrequent gigs, following the release of 2004’s World Collapse, with only a couple new songs arriving on a retrospective compilation…but the legend of Unpure continue to grow with each successive generation.
Now, Unpure are prepared to scale the throne that’s rightfully theirs with their long-awaited comeback album, Prophecies Ablaze. Although both men have been in the lineup since 2011, Unpure‘s fifth album marks the recorded arrival of two new guitarists, Watain’s Pelle Forsberg and Degial’s Hampus Eriksson, as well as erstwhile Degial drummer Emil Svensson (who joined the band in 2019), and their fire is immediately felt: Prophecies Ablaze is indeed aptly titled, for the intensity is sharp and seething and very much burning. A black/death conflagration as it were, Unpure‘s attack is upratcheted to an enviable degree, very much sounding like the same band that stoked legions for the past three decades but one that more so sounds impossibly incensed and almost youthful. Credit that to a seamless melding of songwriting and execution, where the former races with both grandeur and grime while the latter exudes lawless abandon and stoic clarity alike, altogether displaying a muscular brand of black METAL that’s as timeless as ever. And mention must be made of the production across Prophecies Ablaze: “razor-sharp” might be a meaningless cliche by now, but this recording’s razors are deadly precise and absolutely bloody!
No other words needed: Unpure have returned, and Prophecies Ablaze is every inch the record they needed to return with. With eyes to the sky and hearts inflamed, prepare for the benediction of classic Swedish darkness!
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Unpure (Sweden)’s Prophecies Ablaze 1. Megalithic Gateways 2. Northern Sea Madness 3. Small Crooked Bones 4. The Witch Of Upsala 5. Beyond the Nightmares 6. His Wrath and the Red Soil 7. Prophecies Ablaze 8. Endtime Dictator
