Today, mesmerizing black metallers Häxanu premiere the new track “Ephòdion”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Totenpass, set for international release on February 7th via Amor Fati Productions. Hear Häxanu‘s “Ephòdion” in its entirety here:
During the early spring of 2020, Häxanu made their bolt-from-the-blue debut, Snare of All Salvation, courtesy of Amor Fati. Despite their newness, the duo included extremely prolific multi-instrumentalist Alex Poole – renown for his long-running Chaos Moon as well as Krieg, Skáphe, Ringarė, and Guðveiki among many others – and vocalist/lyricist L.C. of Lichmagick. Indeed, the record bore Poole’s distinctive touch, a stargazing surge that was equal parts violent hysteria and shimmering mysticism: undeniably black metal, but also subtly unique.
And so it goes with Totenpass, the duo’s second full-length together. With somber acoustics clearing the palate and preparing the listener for the spectral immersion to follow, Häxanu here command a more classic style of black metal that has equal footing in Nordic snow and Hellenic melody. One could qualify Totenpass as a more triumphant counterpart to its not-inconsiderable predecessor, and you’d not be wrong. However, press on into that snow (and melody) and one will find a wider canvas of emotions and sensations here, an almost-unquenchable thirst that courses through the album’s seven-song/46-minute runtime. And while Snare of Salvation introduced a literally massive 17-minute title track, Totenpass finds Häxanu embracing the epic to an even greater degree, obviously with this album’s closing title track but more so the 10-minute “Sparagmos” and the nearly 15-minute couplet of “Thriambus” and “Threnoidia.” Thankfully, the urgency found on that first album is still clear and present here, no matter the length of track nor texture being explored.
An invitation to the dear listener to “receive thine inheritance and renew thy covenant with the flesh and the blood of the now,” as L.C. succinctly puts it, Häxanu continue their enviable ascent with Totenpass.
Also hear the previously revealed “Death Euphoria” HERE at Amor Fati‘s official YouTube channel. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Today, Polish black metallers Terrestrial Hospice premiere the new track “Memoir” . The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Caviary to the General, set for international release on February 10th via Ancient Dead Productions on CD and cassette tape formats. Hear Terrestrial Hospice‘s “Memoir” in its entirety here:
Forming in 2018, Terrestrial Hospice quickly set to work on their first EP, Universal Hate Speech, released later than year by the esteemed Shadow Records. It’s not surprising that the feverish winds of creativity blew across the duo, as Terrestrial Hospice is the work of two veteran members of the black metal scene, most prominently drummer and driving force Inferno, who’s the erstwhile drummer for Behemoth and Azarath as well as lately playing guitar in Witchmaster. In any case, Universal Hate Speech was a terrorizing tease at a mere 20 minutes, and the duo followed it with the deathblow of their debut full-length, Indian Summer Brought Mushroom Clouds, during that cursed year of 2020. The album was truly titled, and then some: there was no submitting to it, only the act of being flayed alive.
Now, Terrestrial Hospice return with an album arguably even more extreme: Caviary to the General. Compared to its quick ‘n’ concise predecessor, Caviary to the General is undeniably a more expansive spin at 46 minutes; with nine songs instead of the seven on Indian Summer Brought Mushroom Clouds, Terrestrial Hospice are more able to display the full fathom of their flaying strength. Indeed, Caviary to the General caustically keeps the duo’s sound unyielding – a dark, dirty, devastating blast of classic Nordic-style hate steeped in the ancients – but somehow intensifies that berserker flourish so endemic to their native Poland, even with a wider variety of tempos employed. The recording, in kind, is confrontational but never faked: there’s no punching in of parts or copy/paste “production” techniques; the ultraviolence here is very real, and very overwhelming. Despite that unapologetically OTT approach, Terrestrial Hospice never forget actual songwriting – they shift speeds with deftness and dynamics, utilizing their full arsenal – nor the power of RIFFS, which flow and explode in equal measure across Caviary to the General. And perhaps the most surprising aspect of the album is the occasional and ever-so-subtle incorporation of eerie synths into their barbed-wire attack: at once remarkably vintage 1996 and palatably modern.
As savage and acidic as ever but proving they’re not a one-trick pony, Terrestrial Hospice obliterate past and present with Caviary to the General.
Also hear the previously revealed track “In the Streams of Phlegethon” HERE at the Black Metal Promotion YouTube channel. Also see & hear the recently revealed trailer for Caviary to the GeneralHERE at Ancient Dead Productions’ official YouTube channel. Cover artwork, courtesy of Mentalporn, and UPDATED tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Terrestrial Hospice’s Caviary to the General
1. Rat In A Burning Cage [3:21] 2. In The Streams Of Phlegethon [5:11] 3. December Night [4:11] 4. Extinction Delight [6:05] 5. Verminous Spawn [4:09] 6. The Last Dance [6:40] 7. Memoir [5:10] 8. Path To Mahasamadhi [5:47] 9. Ars Moriendi [4:58]
Today, Argento Records and Not Kvlt Records announce March 26th as the international release date for Lamp of Murmuur‘s highly anticipated third album, Saturnian Bloodstorm. In lieu of this announcement, we premiere the new track “Conqueror Beyond the Frenzied Fog.” Hear Lamp of Murmuur‘s “Conqueror Beyond the Frenzied Fog” in its entirety here:
Since 2019, a spectral entity earthly summoned as Lamp of Murmuur gradually ascended as one of the furthermost esteemed and sought-after luminaries within the rawest, crudest innards of black metal. Such following and public awareness do not stand as a certitude merely grounded on good music.
In a niche that presently perceives clear signs of overabundance and counterfeit expression, Lamp of Murmuur prospered, particularly owing its opulence to a vision that didn’t establish itself after an easy pathway – one of exploring a microclimate towards exhaustion – instead displaying there were no guidelines for the artistic manifestation behind the distressing specter behind it.
From the raw lo-fi approach of the band’s beginnings to the gothic and melodic overtones trailed on recent times, Lamp of Murmuur redefines itself yet again with a fervorous new declaration of strength and vigor, a ghastly beast under the title Saturnian Bloodstorm.
From its very early storming chords, one faces a frantic swaying of rabid riffs and intricate rhythm segments, a visceral trail of electrical magnetism. An ardent, restless voice narrates this offering with poisonous might and nocturnal fever conjoined with the six-string sharpness, expanded through a razor-sharp sound production, blazing with a dynamic edge, organically mixing cleanness and aggression in a mantra of potency and (un)pure fanaticism.
Inspired by the core edge and raging solemnity of black metal’s history, Saturnian Bloodstorm is as varied as it is organic, offering tumultuous instrumental proficiency under fast, raging bursts of sonic aggression intertwined with brilliant mid-tempo sections, ever epic and ice-cold in its riffing extravaganza.
Set to be released through Argento (Europe) and Not Kvlt (USA), Saturnian Bloodstorm stands as an opus of black metal might, hailing The Seven Spears of Fever with raging chaos, an eternal spark of flaming delight. [text by Mário Souto]
Preorder info to be announced shortly. Cover artwork, courtesy of Karmazid, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Lamp of Murmuur’s Saturnian Bloodstorm
1. Conqueror Beyond the Frenzied Fog [6:59] 2. Hymns of Death, Rays of Might [7:46] 3. Seal of the Dominator [6:46] 4. Descending From the Aurora [1:03] 5. In Communion With the Wintermoon [8:19] 6. Saturnian Bloodstorm [9:08]
After releasing their beautiful snowy video for Disintegrate I, Portuguese death/doom duo OAK, (with members of GAEREA) are proud to present their fiery second single ‘Disintegrate II’ of their second full-length “Disintegrate”. The album will set foot on this trembling world on the 10th of February 2023.
‘Disintegrate II’ is an extraction taken from the full album which consists of one song.
As the album represents one of the many elements of this earth, the band handpicked the next element in line for their video: Fire! The official music video can be enjoyed here:
OAK comments: “A circle of fire surrounds a pillar of blood that dissipates into the air. The red ashes float lightly and scatter the soul across the flames. This excerpt “Disintegrate II” explores the darkest emotions in a violent, earth-shattering approach.”
OAK previously revealed the title, coverartwork and tracklist of “Disintegrate”. All the details can be found below.
‘Disintegrate’ speaks about the ascension to another mental and physical state. After a lifetime of carrying the weight of the world upon its shoulders, this creature is ready to transcend into another state in space and time even if that means to disappear, to be disintegrated.
In the darkness of the earth, all the way up through the barren valleys of the Portuguese Mountains, a deep grunt slowly emerged. A rumble, the shaking of the ground, the approach of something dark, something new. OAK surfaces, grew, and unveiled its unearthed deep seeded roots. With the birth of their first full-length album “Lone” the band began to take shape and set the base to their existence, like roots breaking concrete. Ready to unleash their giant full-length album “Disintegrate”, this giant will never fall.
In this current landscape of deathdoom bands, OAK has crowned itself king with their signature sound of dragging earthy growls, deepening despair and atmospheric riffs. During the writing process of the ‘Unsettling Whispers’ album of GAEREA, the drummer and guitarist found each other in writing more agony-filled riffs, dragging drums and deepen growls. The power of the duo was gargantuan from the start and never stopped since.
Once or twice a week OAK created the mood for some intimate and immersive sessions with almost no light and without premade riffs or compositions. Hours on end, the band explored and grew. The result was a very slow, drawn-out sound, with guitar lines that breathe and allow air between notes and chords, while the drums oscillate between minimalist beats, bursts of blast beat and double pedal. The voice comes from the depths and puts a huge emotional charge on the instrumental, narrating the feelings of a tired colossus that carries the weight of the world’s existence. It grows organically, almost intuitively.
OAK is a band that allows them to explore a wider range of ideas without losing its identity. “We can have clean guitars, clean vocals, distortion, deep grunts, whispers, slow beats, blast beats, ghost notes and all this glues together nicely. We always wanted it to be a duo because of how fluid our jams have always been and this freedom we get when writing for OAK is really one thing that drives us.”
The story to “Disintegrate” is as aptly as it’s music. The burden and liberation of the Giant, through music and lyrics. “Suddenly, a giant could be heard walking slowly with the weight of the world on his back.” This new narrative is about the liberation of the giant, which after the end of its cycle, will melt under the sun, while its soul leaves its body and floats, glimpsing the present and remembering the past in a few moments. Carrying the weight of the world, is the perfect representation of OAK’s music; hurtful, meaningful, helplessness and unearthing. It’s not surprising the album was recorded as one long story that needed to be told without a single interruption.
OAK is a mysterious tree which keeps on growing, clawing their roots into the scorched earth while unleashing their giant “Disintegrate” on this earth via record label Season of Mist.
“We continue our jam sessions and writing more and more. We will grow further with each release in the attempt of making our sound almost visible/cinematic.” We need to tell the story of this giant’s burden and liberation through our music and lyrics. We feel like there are much more to be told.“
Whether it is in the hurtful and pure dynamic of their album or the mesmerizing story, the giant of OAK has set foot on this earth and is here to stay.Lineup: Guilherme Henriques – Vocals/Guitars Pedro Soares – Drums
Recording line-up Guilherme Henriques – Vocals/Guitars Pedro Soares – Drums Lucas Ferrand – Bass
Recording studio: Stone Sound Studio Producer/Mixing engineer: Ricardo Oliveira Mastering studio and engineer: Stone Sound Stydio by Ricardo Oliveira
Today, archaic black metallers Cursed Excruciation stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut album, Arcane Diabolism. Set for international release on January 13th via Iron Bonehead Productions on vinyl LP format, hear Cursed Excruciation‘s Arcane Diabolism in its entirety here:
Hailing from Brazil and forming in 2020, Cursed Excruciation is the sole work of one Trance of the Undead, who antagonized trendies last year with his selfsame Trance of the Undead project’s Chalice of Disease debut album via Iron Bonehead. Whereas that band hails the banner of malodorous black/death, Cursed Excruciation is an expurse of sonic sodomy from southern climes circa 1993 – specifically, landmark records like Necromantia’s Crossing the Fiery Path and Mystifier’s Göetia. And yet, whereas black metal as an artform and culture owes so much to those two albums, time has proven that they’re incredibly difficult to replicate, be it songwriting, production, or especially aura.
Enter Cursed Excruciation‘s debut full-length, Arcane Diabolism. Making good on the promise of two demos last year, Trance of the Undead somehow manages to channel the aura of both aforementioned landmarks simultaneously – and, in the process, reveal an identity all his own. Hulking and lurking, surging sulfurously with a primal power that’s exceptionally nuanced, Arcane Diabolism is truly titled: literally Olde Worlde is this black metal, entrancing as it is engaging. Cursed Excruciation cast spells at once ugly and ceremonial, seemingly crude in their dungeonic plunge but transcendental in final effect; physicality is real and wielded freely, just as it was in those fiery days of the early ’90s. Unshackled from orthodoxy but bound by the Devil’s power, all the witches will dance when Cursed Excruciation speak their Arcane Diabolism. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Cursed Excruciation’s Arcane Diabolism 1. The Call… (Intro) 2. Initiation (The Oath of Darkness) 3. Goetic Glorification 4. The Sorcerer of Antioch 5. Daughters of Nyx 6. Beast of Fire 7. Black Altar Sacrifice 8. The Rapture (Outro)
The pagan black metal project UNFELLED from Australia (with members of WOODS OF DESOLATION, DRUDKH) is releasing their full-length album ‘Pall of Endless Perdition’ on the 10th of March, 2023! In celebration of this news, the band shares their first offering “The Opposer” with a mesmerizing music video which can be found here:
UNFELLED comments on the release: “Perhaps the archetype of the album’s focus, ‘The Opposer’ musically and lyrically fuses fury and valour, whereby through death one may remain Unfelled.”
Pre-orders for ‘Pall of Endless Perdition’ are now available HERE. Pre-save the album on streaming services HERE.
UNFELLED is also releasing the artwork (created by Yag Mort) and tracklist for ‘Pall of Endless Perdition’ and can be viewed down below.
Track-list ‘Pall of Endless Perdition’: 1. An Epoch in Bloodshed (5:50) 2. The Opposer (4:39) 3. Wreathed Wings (4:08) 4. Veil of Perdition (6:13) 5. Transcendent Legacy (4:33) 6. Evanescent (3:13) 7. A Diadem Embattled (7:31) Total – (36:07)
Emerging Pagan black metal project UNFELLED is rising from the underground to release its debut full-length, ‘Pall of Endless Perdition.’ Designed by the same mastermind behind Woods of Desolation, the project serves as a vicious and violent counterpart to its elegant and melodic predecessor, showcasing muti-instrumentalist D.’s impressive musical duality.
Formed in 2016 as a project of D. (WOODS OF DESOLATION, REMETE), UNFELLED first emerged with the solo demo offering ‘Beneath Distant Skies’ at the end of 2017. Expanding the line-up in 2020, fellow veterans Mitch (Austere, Dearthe) and Vlad (DRUDKH, WINDSWEPT) were enlisted on vocals and drums respectively, completing the vision for the band.
Moving forward as a three-piece, the forthcoming full-length sees UNFELLED pursuing heavier, more aggressive territory, yet never entirely eschewing the sense of melody and atmosphere established on the debut demo. “Musically weaving together fury and triumph, aggression and melody, the lyrics predominately center on bloodshed, war & death – the threefold cloak beneath which lies eternal darkness,” says Unfelled about the offering.
Now, upon joining forces with Season of Mist, UNFELLED is ready to unleash ‘Pall of Endless Perdition.’ Without question, this record is certain to leave its black mark upon the masses.
Greek blackened death metal masters NIGHTFALL are now premiering a new lyric video for the track ‘Mean Machine’ which was originally recorded by THE CRAMPS in 1994. The track was recorded by NIGHTFALL in December 1996 in Tico Tico studios, Finland and served as a bonus track to the “Lesbian Show” album.
Vocalist Efthimis Karadimas comments: “Mean Machine is the first ever song I listened by the Cramps. Its filthy sound and performance might well be described as a spit to the face of anything normal out there. Lyric-wise I’d say it is more about accepting the role of the bad guy, rather than trying to prove the opposite. 90s were wild in terms of social approbation. I felt connected to that song for somehow it made me feel it was like we were the “mean machines”, the outcasts, the bad guys, people did not want to have any connection with. The Cramps have ceased to exist, but thanks to Burton’s Wednesday Netflix series, they are beautifully haunting our dreams again. Mean Machine’s our tribute to them. We share it with you untouched, right from the depths of XX Century.”
NIGHTFALL‘s latest release ‘At Night We Prey’ was released on March 05, 2021 via Season of Mist and is still available in various formats HERE. The cover artwork and track list can be found below.
Track-list 1. She Loved the Twilight 2. Killing Moon 3. Darkness Forever 4. Witches 5. Giants of Anger 6. Temenos 7. Meteor Gods 8. Martyrs of the Cult of the Dead (Agita) 9. At Night We Prey 10. Wolves in Thy Head Total: 46:10
It has been seven long years since the world was last blessed with new music from the melodic blackened death metal stalwarts of NIGHTFALL. While the band has been absent from the scene since the release of 2013’s Cassiopeia, their legacy has not been forgotten. Comprising the holy trinity of Greek metal – along with ROTTING CHRIST and SEPTICFLESH – NIGHTFALL was the first extreme act in the country to sign an international deal, introducing the world to the burgeoning Mediterranean scene in the early 90s. Now, the band is plotting a triumphant return with At Night We Prey, the darkest and latest chapter of NIGHTFALL’s already storied career. Unlike past efforts, the band abandons any gothic aesthetic, traversing more into a melodic assault that calls to the sounds of Gothenburg, displaying an obvious maturation from the band that showcases their most serious, evolved, and tightest effort to date.
During the first decade of NIGHTFALL’s lifespan, the band headlined stages across Europe. Thereafter, went on to dominate international festivals such as Brutal Assault, Sonisphere, and Wacken, the latter of which the band solidified their legacy as the first ever Greek band to earn an envied spot at the renowned festival. The band eventually made the decision to switch to a studio act before they went completely silent. When reflecting upon the sudden disappearance after a steady rise from the underground, vocalist and founding member Efthimis Karadimas explained that it was due to an all too familiar beast – depression. “It’s because of depression that kicked in as early as mid-00s. I can write for hours and get into details about stuff gone wrong or mistreated situations, but the basis of all discouragement to move on has been depression and the effort required to get over it.” Despite the dark days, Karadimas did not abandon music entirely, moving on to form THE SLAYERKING, a gothic doom metal band that has released two agonizing full-length records between 2016-2019.
Alas, the abrupt departure of the band was not the final “goodbye” as NIGHTFALL has been reinvigorated with a new lineup and coveted deal with Season of Mist. Karadimas has reunited with original NIGHTFALL guitarist Mike Galiatsos, who helped define the band’s sound during the early years. With the addition of drummer and producer Fotis Benardo (ex-SEPTICFLESH) as well as guitarist Kostas Kyriakopoulos (THE SLAYERKING), the band is finally ready to release the tenth studio album At Night We Prey. In addition to the long-awaited new music, Season of Mist will also be re-issuing the band’s original albums that were produced by Holy Records back in the 90s. This is not the only news the band has to share as NIGHTFALL has also vowed to finally perform again. “We are gonna play these live, including stuff never played live before,” says Karadimas.
At Night We Prey is a very dark and personal effort, tackling the topic of Karadimas’s battle with depression. “A beast I have experienced its teeth deep into my soul, I decided to come out and share that experience with metalheads,” Karadimas laments. “This is the least I can offer now to the big fight against depression. If we do not stop this, it will eat us all alive. Share your pain, speak openly about it. This is the only way to kill the demons in your mind.”
Today, Amor Fati Productions announces February 22nd as the international release date for the second demo from Oerheks, Landschapsanachronismen, on 12″ vinyl format.
It was but the late summer of 2022 when Oerheks made its public debut with Cagghenvinna, released on vinyl by Amor Fati. At the time of the demo’s release, Oerheks was a shadow-shrouded newcomer who concurrently made its debut alongside kindred spirits Aerdryk. Yet, despite this seeming newness, Cagghenvinna exhibited a truly ancient spirit: black metal from the deep heart of the Flemish Hageland, recalling stories as olde as the woods it spiritually roamed.
Now, emerging with the two-song/25-minute demo Landschapsanachronismen, Oerheks is revealed as the latest work of the prolific Hans Cools, renowned for labelmates Silver Knife as well as Hypothermia among many others. Remarkably, this epic short-length sees Cools exhibiting a raw desperation and urgency that’s blanching to behold. Yes, the black metal is still ancient as ever – arguably more so, in fact, firmly situating itself among the pagan touchstones of the mid ’90s – but what Oerheks imparts across Landschapsanachronismen is roiling melancholy merging with understated triumph. Both 12-minute tracks are as massive and majestic as the other, and the record’s flat-yet-full soundscape seems perfectly suited to these misty ruminations. Most remarkable of all, perhaps, is that this demo sounds even older and newer than its not-inconsiderable predecessor: truly, a timeless path well worth embarking upon. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Oerheks’ Landschapsanachronismen 1. Een Eenzaat in het Landschap [12:35] 2. Een Oude Wijsheid werd hier Geveld [12:15]
Today, Helter Skelter Productions (distributed & marketed by Regain Records) announces a partnership with cult kings Beastmaker for an extensive reissue campaign of the band’s many (and crucial) EP releases. In lieu of this announcement, Beastmaker also confirm that they have returned from their self-imposed hiatus and will be recording new music and playing shows again – as always, on their own terms.
Formed in 2014, Beastmaker began with a flurry of activity and only intensified that activity over the next five years. Following two demos and an EP, the power-trio then released two albums – Lusus Naturae (2016) and Inside the Skull (2017) – through Lee Dorrian’s esteemed Rise Above Records. Naturally, that pairing proved fruitful, for Beastmaker were indeed cut from a doomed cloth, but Beastmaker founder Trevor Church (who’d soon form the equally prolific Haunt) showed he had so much more to his vision than sticking within scene boundaries. Thereafter, between 2017 and 2019, the band released a staggering 11 EPs before breaking up, with another EP – Body and Soul – released posthumously in 2020.
Now, longtime fans Helter Skelter Productions step forward to reissue this goldmine of Beastmaker godliness on all formats. The reissue campaign will include Body and Soul joined with the bonus material on the Who Is This? compilation, thereby making it a full-length, and which will be released on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats. Then, EP. 1 and EP. 2 will be joined together on CD and tape formats, followed by the pairings of EP. 3 and EP. 4, EP. 5 and EP. 6, EP. 7 and EP. 8, and finally EP. 9 and EP. 10: thus, full-length releases for all, and each on vinyl and tape formats. All ten of these EPs will also be available on a special 5CD boxset. This reissue campaign is tentatively slated to start in April and then conclude by November; release dates and preorder info to be revealed in time.
A statement from Church reads as follows: “I’m very excited to announce that the EP collection from Beastmaker will see a new pressing from Helter Skelter / Regain Records. This collection of work shows the artistic vision of horror I had writing in my home studio during 2015-2018. I was watching so many old horror movies during these times to inspire the song craftsmanship. Mario Bava always a huge inspiration in my music. The imagery of poster lobby cards also played a part of the writing process during these times. I’ve booked a festival for 2024, and Beastmaker will rise from the coffin once again. Thanks to all the fans that have supported us during our hiatus. We are not gone! Rather, we have descended further underground waiting for the right time.”
In their endless quest to push and support current underground acts that perpetuate the odor of vintage death metal, Memento Mori are extremely thrilled to announce a new signing: Obscurial, from Malaysia.
Obscurial is one of the most promising, up-and-coming death metal bands from Asia, being spawned in the sewers of K-Hell (Kuala Lumpur) back in 2019 and breaking into the local underground scene with Exaltation, their debut 2020 demo. Funeral, Burial and Rites, the band’s opera prima in full-length format, was self-released in December 2021, helping them obtain more recognition and following in the underground death metal community. Obscurial‘s approach to timeless death metal includes gut-wrenching riffs, somber melodies, and a dismal atmosphere influenced by the likes of Brain Dead, Grave Miasma, Morbid Angel, Bloodbath, Incantation, Dismember, Deicide, Grave, and Soulside Journey-era Darkthrone.
Memento Mori will unleash the CD version of their second full-length during the first half of 2024. Further details to follow in the coming months. For more info, consult the links below.
