Today, old-metal standard-bearers Nekromantheon reveal the new track “Thanatos.” The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated third album, Visions of Trismegistos, set for North American release on April 30th Hells Headbangers on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats (Indie Recordings will be handling all other territories). Hear Nekromantheon‘s “Thanatos” in its entirety here:
Behold the Visions of Trismegistos! After nine long years stirring the cauldron in the underground, Nekromantheon finally re-emerged from the depths with their most ferocious record to date!
Visions of Trismegistos is a long-awaited metal assault, bringing forth the spirit of old metal once again. Recorded in Chaka Khan Studio and various locations around Oslo by the members of Nekromantheon themselves using mostly old, analog equipment to get that warm, genuine sound, Visions of Trismegistos feels like a lost opus from the glory days of the ’80s, when thrash, death, and black metal were merged into one unholy trinity. Yet, it is a fresh and vital testament of a band at the height of their abilities who stand out amongst their peers.
With Visions of Trismegistos, Nekromantheon are ready to resurrect the ways of the ancient with their fresh take on old-school extreme metal!
Nekromantheon started out in early 2005 with only one goal in mind: to play fast, evil, and dirty thrash metal in the way of the old gods. Influenced by the classics of Slayer, Sadus, Kreator, Dark Angel, and Sepultura, they unleashed their attack on modern metal.
After the release of the We’re Rotting EP in early 2007, the band had already built a name for themselves in the underground scene. As the band got more and more focused on capturing the spirit of the ’80s, guitarist Arild “Arse” Myren Torp and drummer Christian “Kick” Holm started building their own recording studio. Shortly, their very own KickArse Studio was ready in Kolbotn, Norway, the hometown of the mighty Darkthrone.
With their own creative pit available, their first full-length, Divinity of Death, was released shortly. This intense evocation of evil turned some heads indeed, and earned the band a spot at Maryland DeathFest 2010 and the highly prestigious yet extremely underground Live Evil Festival in London the same year.
In 2012, Nekromantheon released their second album, Rise, Vulcan Spectre, elevating the level of ferocious, darkened thrash metal to unknown heights. The release was an unholy offering to summon the old ways of metal, being held up to underground classics from the ’80s. It was an intense, analog-sounding record that showed no mercy. Rise, Vulcan Spectre was met with raving reviews and went on to receive a Grammy for Best Metal album 2012.
Nekromantheon, unaffected by the “success,” continued to play underground concerts and festivals that they deemed suited for their concept, and continued to keep a low profile throughout the years, playing selected shows and slowly working on new material. As the members were active and creative in bands like Obliteration, Black Viper, Flight, Deathhammer etc, and they have an extremely self-critical way of writing music within Nekromantheon, the follow-up record took years and years before it materialized. We believe Visions of Trismegistos is worth the wait.
Hear the next proof for yourself with the brand-new track “Thanatos” HERE. First proof can be found with the previously revealed “The Visions of Trismegistos” HERE. Preorder info for Hells Headbangers‘ North American editions can be found HERE for the CD and HERE for the vinyl. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Nekromantheon’s Visions of Trismegistos 1. The Visions of Trismegistos 2. Scorched Death 3. Seven Rulers of Fate 4. Thanatos 5. Dead Temples 6. Zealot Reign 7. Neptune Descent 8. Faustian Rites
Today, speed metal upstarts Bonehunter premiere the new track “Digital Evil”. The track hails from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Sexual Panic Human Machine, set for international release on August 4th via Hells Headbangers.
In 2015, this Finnish power-trio unleashed the surprise hit of the summer in their debut album, Evil Triumphs Again. Word of mouth spread like wildfire about the record’s simple-yet-supremely-evil pleasures, and Bonehunter soon became one of the most talked-about performances at Hells Headbangers’ Hells Headbash 2. The album was both a sincere homage to earliest/best Bathory and an extension of it, as if the very soul of a young Quorthon had been reborn in these far-north miscreants. Even today, Evil Triumphs Again is held in high regard by many the world over, but the best is yet to come in Sexual Panic Human Machine.
Right from the start, even with the album title itself, Sexual Panic Human Machine is a different Bonehunter and one not merely replicating past glories. For one, the trio abandon the “tribute” aspect of the debut and drive deeper into what made that ancient metalpunk sound work: hooks, heaviness, and hellish drive. For another, the cauldron-born evil of that debut gives way to a more earthly, seedier-side-of-the-tracks evil where no lust nor perversion is turned away. From there, Bonehunter dive headfirst and headlong into a raucous yet well-oiled attack that, more often than not, lands well within the bounds of shredding speed metal: the chrome chassis gleams, but the engine pumps pure, black disgust. Leaner and most definitely meaner, this Sexual Panic Human Machine nevertheless never loses sight of that devilish FUN which made Evil Triumphs Again such a modern classic. Stocked with brand-new arsenal, awaken the machine with Bonehunter!
A statement from the band reads: “Sexual Panic Human Machine is a nasty, violent slab of cyberdelic metalpunk anthems, and we are proud to be working alongside Hells Headbangers again to get this record in the hands of people who appreciate our noisy devil gospels!”
Tracklisting for Bonehunter’s Sexual Panic Human Machine
1. Intro (Awaken the Machine…)
2. Enter the Satan’s Dimension
3. Digital Evil
4. Electric Nightmare
5. Doom Desire
6. Devil Science
7. Spectre of Sex Vengeance
8. Substance Creator
9. Sexual Panic Human Machine
BURY THE MACHINES has released the official video for “Beneath My Wrath,” a song from the recently released Wicked Covenant EP. In the words of Cvlt Nation: “The driving force behind ‘Beneath My Wrath’ is a soaring amount of heavy melodic sonics that is highly addictive.” Check out the video
BURY THE MACHINES released the Wicked Covenant EP, the follow-up to the 2016 full-length Barbwalker, on June 9. Featuring three new tracks, extreme multi-tasker John E. Bomher, Jr. (I KLATUS, ex-YAKUZA) explores the extent of his mechanical abilities and penchant for creating melodic, hypnotizing songs of depth and character. Seeing release on cassette, compact disc and digital formats, Wicked Covenant will see the dark of night through Long Beach, CA based label Midnite Collective. The EP will be available on CD, Cassette, and digital formats.
In a modern culture of do-it-yourself ethics, viral videos and unfettered access to an endless amount of knowledge, BURY THE MACHINES has sought to define a new niche in a body of people and artists hungry for fresh, unadulterated material. Mapping out the peaks and valleys of sonic waves, BURY THE MACHINES discover a rhythmic groove and unique beauty amidst the uncountable tumultuous echoes of today’s world wide web of noise. Breathing life into his machines, Chicago native John E. Bomher, Jr. (I KLATUS, ex-YAKUZA) masterfully conducts movements of immense weight acting as the heart to his cables, like veins, flowing with signals as blood pumping warmth and being into his body of mechanical, electronic appendages. Ultimately seeking to return the soul to machine-based music, John has created this project as a vessel of travel to take a listener from this world to one beyond, to where his ghosts and spirits rest, Buried with the Machines.
As a one-man solo incarnation, BURY THE MACHINES has performed alongside Helen Money (Thrill Jockey), Glaare (ft. ex-Ancestors and current Buried At Sea, Deth Crux, Black Mare members), Endon and Spell (Canada). Readily available to engulf viewers in its sinister soundscapes, BURY THE MACHINES is prepared for offers including local, touring support and one-off festival appearances
Its not often you get younger bands who’s skills are so good they can play like they are geezers from the 80’s glory days of metal (Sumerlands and Eternal Champion are two that spring to mind) I have to admit I first heard about these guys on the news as their good friend who did some backing vocals for them is a politician and his enemies falsely accused him and by default the band of being Nazis (due to runic s’s they had in their logic) but after seeking them out and listening to their tunes I became a fan – today I spoke with their guitarist Matt – read on!
* Congrats on the album its killer – how old are you guys? As you definitely are well versed in classic metal riffs and leads
Cheers! We’re all approaching our mid-30s. So when we were first getting into metal we were listening to 80s and early 90s rock/metal. Even the cartoons, kid’s TV shows and computer games around that time were unintentionally metal! So I think that subconsciously had a big influence on why we were drawn to awesome cheesy metal riffs and harmonised guitar solos.
* Can you give us a brief history of the band? There really isn’t that much online about you guys
We’ve all played together in previous band over the years; I used to play in a tech-metal band called Tangaroa with Si (drummer) between 1998 – 2008. I also played in a band called 222 with Si. There have been smaller, more unknown projects me Si and Paul(guitar) have been involved in.
After years of trying to push myself creatively, trying to push myself to write unusual, unconventional metal with crazy time signatures, discordant bizarre scales, I wanted to write music purely for fun. I wanted to have fun with all the metal clichés that created the foundation of my guitar playing. Pay homage to all the influences that shaped my guitar playing style at an early age.
It was late 2015, Paul and I started to get together every weekend, we’d drink his crazy homebrew and play guitar. We had no goals other than wanting to write music for fun! There were times when we were jamming ideas and we’d both have to stop in hysterics because one of us would throw in a ridiculously cheesy harmony or melody!
I’d take the ideas back home, start creating song structures, write accompanying synth parts and program drum ideas.
We inevitably got Si involved and he started learning the drum parts. Soon after we asked Rob if he wanted to take on vocal duties. We’d worked with Rob in a covers band/party band called Stephen Hawkwind.
* What bands got you into metal growing up?
Originally it was a lot of 80s and early 90s rock metal that you’d typically expect; Especially Iron Maiden and Guns n Roses for me… Metallica, Megadeth, Ozzy, Sabbath, Aerosmith, Whitesnake, Slayer, Queen, AC/DC, Dio, Kiss, Def Leppard, Dream Theater, Queensrÿche, Motorhead, Meatloaf, Pantera.
Then came the mid-90s – most metallers won’t admit their musical guilty pleasures from around that time haha!
In the late 90s and onwards our musical tastes drastically expanded, we started getting into a lot of extreme and experimental styles of metal.
* How many years have you being playing guitar and did you take lessons at all or all self taught?
I started playing guitar when I was about 12 years old, I had guitar lessons for the first year then I was self-taught. So I’ve been playing 22 years!! I think I should be a lot better considering I’ve been playing for 22 years (!!!) but I reached a stage about 10 years ago where I felt comfortable with my technical abilities and have enjoyed focusing on creativity and writing.
We wanted our artwork to tick a lot of the cheesy metal stereotype boxes
* How did you come up with the idea for the album cover art? Who painted it for you? What’s the feedback been like?
He-Man!!! Haha! That’s the majority of the feedback we’ve had!! We wanted our artwork to tick a lot of the cheesy metal stereotype boxes; swords, castles, buff metal warrior, dragons, skulls, lightning…
The He-Man similarities weren’t intentional, but it goes back to what I mentioned earlier how we’re obviously unconsciously influenced by 80s culture!
The artwork was done by a friend of ours, Andy Sykes, AKA Hexjibber. We wanted the artwork to reflect the music; to be on the blurred line of – is this serious or not?! A lot of people seem to ‘get it’ and have said they really like the artwork.
They had an agenda and they weren’t going to let facts get in the way of a good smear story, right?!
* So what was the story with that accusation that you guys were nazis? Storm in a teacup? Political assassination of your mate or what?
Yeah, a blatant smear campaign! The tabloid scum were happy to throw us under a bus to get to Richard Burgon!!
We’ve known Richard Burgon (politician/Shadow Justice Secretary/Labour MP for East Leeds) for a long time. He’s a huge metal fan and genuinely decent, honest guy. He used to put on an all-dayer in Leeds that Tangaroa used to play every year.
A few months back we went to see Gojira in Leeds. Rick was asking about Dream Troll and asked if he could do a guest spoken-word piece on the album. I immediately agreed, not only because I love his political speeches but also because of the absurdity of the Shadow Justice Secretary doing a guest piece on a metal album by a band called Dream Troll!!!
So before I explain the accusation I’ll give you some context.
Last year, we were posting song names on Facebook, replacing the word ‘roll’ with ‘troll’ …Silly wordplay:
God gave rock and troll to you… long live rock n’ troll… you can’t kill rock and troll… We sold our soul for rock and troll… We built this city on rock and troll… For whom the bell trolls… etc…
To continue the joke, I thought about photoshoping a parody album cover of one of the above titles. The simplicity of the Sabbath-We Sold Our Soul, cover made that one an obvious choice. I made the pastiche/parody album cover, uploaded it… That was it…
Fast-forward to April 2017. Rick uploaded a photo of himself announcing his spoken-word collaboration with us. The Tory-backed tabloids saw it and started digging… They found the Sabbath parody cover on our social media pages, from which they were able to fabricate a ludicrous scenario where we ‘delight in Nazi symbols’ and claim that we spell our name in German military font, complete with an umlaut over the letter ‘o’…!!!
Leading up to the release of the tabloid article on the night of the 15th April, we were informed of the accusations and the impending article. Rick and the Labour Party press office had already provided The S*n with an explanation and context of the image including photos of the original Sabbath cover. But they had an agenda and they weren’t going to let facts get in the way of a good smear story, right?!
* How would you compare the metal scene when you guys were growing up to today’s scene?
It would be unfair for me to compare today’s metal scene to the scene when I was growing up as I was way more involved in it back in the day! I’m a retired veteran now haha, soon to make a comeback and probably complaining about how it “wasn’t like this back in my day!!” – “these kids with their beatdowns and 9 string guitars!!”.
A lot of experimental extreme metal on Relapse Records pushing the creative boundaries
* If you had a say in the matter do you think you would rather have been in a teen back when you guys were growing up or a teen today? (me personally I am glad I was a teen back then and not now)
That’s a tricky one! When I was young I would do anything to get my hands on new music. Buying a new album was a real luxury back then! I would try and copy as much music from friends onto tapes or buy cheap records at car boot sales, stay up to watch Headbangers Ball or listen to the Radio One Rock show… I can’t imagine what it would have been like to have YouTube and Spotify back then! It would have been great…… or would it?! When music is so freely available it loses its value; it’s doesn’t feel as special anymore! Music is so disposable now.
Also, during the 90s, rock and metal music was changing A LOT! It was an exciting time for music, even up until the late 90s with a lot of experimental extreme metal on Relapse Records pushing the creative boundaries and some great new melodic metal bands like Children of Bodom.
So I’m glad I experienced evolution of rock and metal throughout the 90s, even if it did include the birth of nu-metal! I wouldn’t change it.
* Yorkshire has always had a great metal scene – how is the metal scene in Leeds these days?
It’s still going strong. We’ve definitely got our fair share of extreme metal bands and metal bands of a heavier nature here in Leeds, so I’m not sure how Dream Troll will fit in when we start gigging …But, I’ve got to confess – I’m almost 35 now! I’m not as involved in the Leeds music scene as I was 10-15 years ago!
A recent highlight in the Leeds metal scene was the return of Canvas after 17 years! Their album ‘Lost in Rock’ has to be one of my favourite albums of all time! A real hidden gem in the rock world. A very weird album – it’s definitely not for everyone! Si, Dream Troll drummer, was asked to join
Canvas and was set to be part of their reunion until he broke his arm in a motorbike accident at the end of last year.
There are still a lot of interesting bands coming out of the Black Metal scene
* What are your thoughts on more modern metal genres like Deathcore and Black Metal?
I’m not a big fan of Deathcore… I love Black Metal though! Emperor are one of my all-time favourite bands. There are still a lot of interesting bands coming out of the Black Metal scene; loads of great experimental Black Metal.
I’m a big fan of many other modern metal genres, bands like Meshuggah, Dillinger Escape Plan, all of Devin Townsend’s work, Ephel Duath, Textures, Car Bomb, Destrage, Soilwork, Behemoth, Mastodon, Bodom, Brutal Truth, Dimmu Borgir, Morbid Angel, Napalm Death, Gojira… I’m very open-minded to new styles of music.
It’s not self-indulgent unnecessary guitar wankery, it’s really well thought out melodies and chords
* Are you guys familiar with the new wave of American bands that love the NWOBHM scene?
Yeah, the NWOTHM bands are great. I’m a huge fan of Eternal Champion and especially Sumerlands!! The Sumerlands album just keeps getting better; really nice natural warm production, fantastic song structures, and the guitar work (!!!!) – it’s not self-indulgent unnecessary guitar wankery, it’s really well thought out melodies and chords all intertwined. Love it!
Other bands that spring to mind… I’m really enjoying Visigoth, it’s so metal!! Lunar Shadow – Far from Light, sounds like a demo, but it has loads of great harmonies and melodies… Witchtower, Striker, Skull Fist are a few others that I’m enjoying at the moment.
Although Dream Troll aren’t trying to replicate the authentic old sound like a lot of the NWOTHM bands, we seem to get associated with the whole niche subgenre because of our obvious appreciation of the old rock and metal clichés and themes.
* What more can we expect from Dream Troll in 2017?
Gigs!!! I can’t wait to play some gigs! After Si’s motorbike accident, a small line-up change and getting a bassist, we’re finally preparing to play some gigs. We’re also in the middle of recording 3 new songs. We’ll be releasing one of the songs on a split 7”.
* Any final words?
We’re really keen to keep things moving – we’ve written loads of new songs, slightly different sound to the songs on The Knight of Rebellion, but they still have the signature Dream Troll catchy melodies, maybe inspired even more by 80s culture! Our new singer is helping us to evolve our sound and bringing a lot more to the band. We’ll be playing gigs soon, so promoters/bands, get in touch…
Seasons of Mist Records have been on a roll lately and their new dark melodic metal signing Deathwhite just adds to their already amazing roster:
Season of Mist are proud to announce the signing of DEATHWHITE. The enigmatic bringers of darkness will release their debut album, ‘For a Black Tomorrow’ via Season of Mist.
The band comments: “We are incredibly honoured to join the Season of Mist roster. DEATHWHITE started in 2012 as a basic studio project with the aim of playing dark metal in the vein of some of our most beloved bands. To have one of metal’s leading independent labels take an interest in us is far beyond our expectations. We now turn our attention to the proper release of our first full-length, ‘For a Black Tomorrow’, and look forward to among other things, our first live performances, and a strong as well as enduring partnership with Season of Mist.”
Formed in 2012, DEATHWHITE were created in part to follow on the path first explored by dark metal torchbearers such as ANATHEMA, KATATONIA, MY DYING BRIDE, and PARADISE LOST.
The band’s ‘Ethereal’ EP (2014) successfully established a template of melodic, clean vocals alongside melancholic, but heavy riffing. Their debut created an early buzz within the metal underground that grew significantly with the following ‘Solitary Martyr’ EP (2015), which was hailed by critics as “thick with emotion” and “wonderfully engrossing.”
Backed by such praise, DEATHWHITE spent 2016 writing and recording their first full-length under the supervision of producer and engineer Shane Mayer. ‘For a Black Tomorrow’ was originally scheduled for release in March of 2017, but after signing to Season of Mist the release has now been slated for early 2018.
Cruz Del Sur Music has inked a recording deal with Indianapolis’ SACRED LEATHER for the release of debut album Ultimate Force. With influences that are surely evident to any heavy metal purist, SACRED LEATHER’s music seems to emerge directly from the early 80s, mixing elegant and nostalgic hard rock/ proto metal with the most belligerent side of the traditional NWOBHM sound. The recording of Ultimate Force will start in early September for an expected February 2018 release.
SACRED LEATHER was created out of necessity, to summon the spirit of the Heavy Metal forefathers into an age mired in apostasies. Make sure to keep an eye out for the legion of leather! In the meantime, check out the band’s 2016 official video for “Prowling Sinner”
SACRED LEATHER is:
Wrathchild: vocals
The Devil’s Hellion: guitar
The Highway: guitar
Magnus Legrand: bass
Jailhouse: drum
