Trzeba
przyznać, że Nuclear Winter Records weszli w nowy rok na pełnej piździe.
Kasetowe wydanie Pestilenght, potem Chapel of Samhain a teraz Endless Loss.
Wszystkie te trzy pozycje to śmierć metal najwyższych lotów, choć każdy z nich
w innym wydaniu. Australijski twór, którego debiutu mam właśnie niebywałą
przyjemność słuchać, to gruzowy wpierdol czystej wody. Cały materiał zamyka się
tutaj w niecałych trzydziestu minutach. (Czytaj dalej...)
Zanim zabrałem się za tę
płytkę, już praktycznie miałem mokro w galotach. Excarnated Entity to bowiem
ansambl złożony z byłych lub obecnych muzyków takich hord jak Anhedonist,
TriumvirFoul, Vassafor, Ash Borer, Dagger Lust, czy Mortiferum. Jakby tego było
mało, ich pierwszy pełny album pod swe skrzydła wzięła Nuclear Winter Records,
a wiadomo, że label ten rzadkich popłuczyn nie wydaje. No i miałem kurwa rację. (Czytaj dalej...)
Fani
kompaktowego nośnika mogą zacierać ręce. Na 5 maja Personal Records
zapowiedziało edycję tego 18-minutowego materiału na srebrnym dysku, który do
tej pory był jedynie dostępny na winylu dzięki Nuclear War Now Records. Myślę,
że wszyscy fani zespołu jak i miłośnicy bardziej pokręconych dźwięków przez pół
roku zdążyli się zapoznać z tym minialbumem. (Czytaj dalej...)
Today, mystical black metallers Magistraal premiere the new track "Waar leed zich eeuwig voedt" at the Black Metal Streams YouTube channel. The track is the first to be revealed from the band's highly anticipated debut EP, Fantoom van de Deemsterburcht, which will be digitally self-released on April 16th internationally; the EP will also be available through Zwaertgevegt on vinyl format as one half of a split release. Hear Magistraal's "Waar leed zich eeuwig voedt" in its entirety exclusively HERE.
Magistraal: a jet-black concoction sprung from the depths of the Shadow Mountains, fashioned in the gruesome sight of the eight hateful eyes of Shelob and beautified by the enchanting fingers of Fëanor, maestro of architecture. Cultivated by two opposing, ancient powers: she is mistress of the cold, dark, drizzly existence and embittered by a lonely exile, cast into a darkness where her shrill voice was banished for an eternity; he was a powerful designer of splendor, an inventor of works of art and a superior preserver of light, a perfectionist whose work proved to be a refuge for the apostate.
In reality, the duo - originating from the Netherlands - do not want to reveal much about themselves, comparing a presence in the scene to an enigmatic and mystical existence of black metal in the '90s, reawakened in 2023. Magistraal is an expression of fantasy, dreamscapes, the power of imagination, emotion and kinship, audible in hidden lyrics underpinned by an atmospheric-yet-raw approach to workings in dark music.
The duo's first expression is the EP Fantoom van de Deemsterburcht, penned and crafted in 2023. Here, Magistraal cultivate a wide arsenal of tempo, rhythm, and instrumental styles for the listener - where the title track "Fantoom van de Deemsterburcht" and the eruption of "Waar leed zich eeuwig voedt" are presented with overwhelming violence, the centerpiece of this allotment of music is a constructive opus of 11 minutes of growing madness in the form of "Mijn branded licht." Dutch evil produced in three depraved episodes, each embracing its own godless theme, but which merge into a creeping, lugubrious muck.
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track "Waar leed zich eeuwig voedt" exclusively HERE, courtesy of the Black Metal Streams YouTube channel. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Magistraal's Fantoom van de Deemsterburcht
On April 5th internationally, Personal Records will release The Rottening's highly anticipated debut EP, Seeds of Death, on CD format. And today, the Death Metal Promotion YouTube channel streams the EP in its entirety. Hear The Rottening's Seeds of Death in its entirety exclusively HERE.
In the leadup to its international release this Friday, hear Seeds of Death in its entirety exclusively HERE, courtesy of the Death Metal Promotion YouTube channel. Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
“The Spawn of Lycaon” is the savage new single from Oakland, California-based blackened thrash metal crew PHANTASMAL ABYSS. The song is now premiering exclusively at No Clean Singing. Stream it HERE.
Born from the simmering cauldron of Oakland, California's death metal scene, PHANTASMAL ABYSS was started by guitarist and front woman Dara Santhai (ex-Serpent Crown, Larvae) and drummer Todd Wilkinson. Pulling from their shared interest in all things extreme metal, they blend a lethal dose of blackened thrash, melodic-death, and the occasional foray into black 'n roll.
Dara Santhai's otherworldly vocals call from the dark like a banshee roaming an abandoned abbey, while Wilkinson’s pummeling beats provide the barbaric foundation for Santhai's brutal riffage and scathing leads.
Far from being a band who sits on their collective asses, PHANTASMAL ABYSS spent the pandemic honing their venomous first strike, the aptly titled “Visions of the Abyss” which features Andrew O’Neil (Mondo Drag) on bass. Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Greg Wilkinson in the legendary Earhammer Studios, “Visions of the Abyss” is six tracks of searing extreme metal inspired by retro horror, chilling Lovecraftian myth, and grisly true crime.
Considering their relatively short time together, PHANTASMAL ABYSS has already shared the stage with some of the underground's leading up and coming bands: Wayfarer, Bewitcher, Nite, Death Cave, and Yatra to name a few, while simultaneously executing their first DIY west coast tour in the spring of 2022.
In 2023 PHANTASMAL ABYSS was joined by Rafael Martinez (Black Cobra, 16, Acid King) on bass as they went on the road to support the physical release of their album “Visions from Abyss”.
The band has recently recorded the single “The Spawn of Lycaon”, which was mostly self recorded, with some help from recording engineer Scot Proctor, and mastered again at Earhammer. This recording captures a more raw and live sound of the band.
Today, German rustic metallers Lucifuge premiere the new track "Gates of the Eternal Night" at heavily trafficked web-portal MetalBite.com. The track is the second to be revealed from the band's highly anticipated sixth album, Hexensabbat, set for international release on May 24th via Dying Victims Productions. Hear Lucifuge's "Gates of the Eternal Night" in its entirety exclusively HERE.
Since 2016, Germany’s Lucifuge 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.
However, it was 2023’s Monoliths of Wrath where Lucifugefurther spit-shined their sound and took it in a newer but no-less-parallel direction: classic, ripping-FAST thrash of ‘80s gods Sodom, Kreator, Exodus, and of course Slayer. Thankfully, Lucifuge keep that sonic shift going with their sixth full-length, Hexensabbat. Ditching more its predecessor’s complex song structures, Hexensabbat heaves toward the gates of Hell with a greasy gallop that brings back a bit of the black while honoring the nether-realms of still-stuck-in-the-‘80s thrash and speed metal. True, those aforementioned gods still hold a place in Lucifuge’s current sound, but more so can one detect the likes of Exciter, Razor, Iron Angel, and even later ‘80s Gang Green, the Exploited, and Crumbsuckers. Put another way, if Monoliths of Wrath was spiritually akin to a Combat Records release, then Hexensabbat would definitely come out on Combat Core, so straightforward and rancorous is its all-pistons-pumping surge. Plus, more than a bit of Lucifuge’s old-school grit is back in full force, which makes the album’s slightly melodic-yet-malevolent riffing sound majestic – and, most importantly, not render Hexensabbat a total retro retread.
Leaner, meaner, and keeping the 1987 faith alive, Lucifuge command you to honor the Hexansabbat!
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track "Gates of the Eternal Night" exclusively HERE, courtesy of MetalBite.com Also hear the previously revealed "Into Eternal Sleep" exclusively HERE, courtesy of Deaf Forever magazine. Cover artwork, courtesy of Kerbcrawlerghost, and tracklisting are as follows:
Today, Primitive Reaction announces May 31st as the international release date for a new mini-album from Windswept, Der eine, wahre König, on CD, 12" vinyl, and cassette tape formats.
Windswept is yet another creative vehicle for the esteemed Roman Saenko, known worldwide for his pioneering work in Drudkh and Hate Forest among others. While most of his musical creations stem from black metal, thankfully, Windswept is consistent in this regard and unapologetically restrictive, retaining Saenko's characteristically hypnotic riffing coasting atop a wintry atmosphere.
Now, after a couple albums with Season of Mist, Windswept join forces with Primitive Reaction, who released the debut album of his Precambrian project in 2020, with the brand-new mini-album Der eine, wahre König. Uniquely, this four-song / 28-minute recording features two equally esteemed vocalists - Winterherr of Paysage D' Hiver, and Meilenwald of Ruins of Beverast - with both men splitting duties evenly. Indeed, with such a structure, Der eine, wahre König is a portrait of evenness: unwavering, unflinching, immovable, engrossing. Movement manifests in subtlety, as is Saenko's stock in trade; further and deeper listens reveal a wealth of nuance even if it's not always apparent. All four tracks comprising the record feature all-German lyrics, evoking a different-yet-related sense of austerity from the mainman's proudly Ukrainian ruminations, and both vocalists rise to the challenge of pushing their respective throats to the limit whilst remaining rooted to Windswept's core consistency. That Der eine, wahre König attacks from the very first second and successively expands, concluding with the near-11-minute "Jedes Todes Lohn," and retains its astute balance of urgency and epicness speaks to Saenko's never-faltering mastery.
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track "Jedes Todes Lohn" HERE at Primitive Reaction's official YouTube channel. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Windswept's Der eine, wahre König
Nazwę
Selbst słyszałem przynajmniej kilkukrotnie przy okazji rozmów koncertowych czy
innych spotkań towarzyskich, jednak jakoś nigdy nie było okazji sprawdzić, czy
to faktycznie coś warte. Może dlatego, że jestem za wygodny, albo za leniwy, i
jak mi ktoś czegoś nie podsunie pod nos, to samemu szukać mi się nie chce. Ale
kiedy w skrzynce wylądował mi najnowszy album tego tworu, to wyjścia już nie
miałem i zabrałem się za odsłuch. (Czytaj dalej...)
To już czwarty album
tego niezbyt znanego zespołu ze Sztokholmu. Co prawda został on nagrany w 2022
roku, lecz dziewiętnastego stycznia wznowił go na CD wyżej wymieniony label. Znajduje
się na nim sześć utworów utrzymanych w klimatach pagan-black metalu, ale nie
tylko. (Czytaj dalej...)
Choć Indonezja jest jednak z najludniejszych krajów
na świecie to tamtejsza scena muzyczna kojarzy mi się przede wszystkim z całą
masą gównianych, slamujących zespołów, które niespecjalnie się od siebie różnią
oraz z awangardowym Kekal, któremu zdarzało się tworzyć mocno niegłupie
dźwięki. Exhumation jest kolejnym rodzynkiem tamtejszej, metalowej sceny i
zdecydowanie daleko mu do brutalnego death metalu. (Czytaj dalej...)
Today, Invictus Productions announces May 24th as the international release date for the highly anticipated debut album of Canada's Reversed, Wildly Possessed.
Arising from Vancouver’s potent extreme metal mire, Reversed initially materialized in 2015 through a dedication to the spirit of real death metal and a rabid obsession with death. Guided more by passion than execution, this collection of well-honed ghouls quickly fell into a sepulchral trance to channel a singular form of necrotic, razor-lined heavy metal devilry.
Dying to crack open the tomb, Reversed harnessed and released the Widow Recluse demo tape into the wild in 2018 via Muerto En La Cruz and the recently closed Temple of Mystery. Showcasing the band’s gestating lunacy, the demo revealed shades of black, death, and thrash violently assembled into a refined vision of chaotic mayhem - a runaway train barely remaining on the rails. Due to wild demand, this was immediately followed by vinyl and CD versions on Temple of Mystery in 2019.
Afterward, a string of live shows displayed the wretched results across Western Canada and the USA, playing alongside Aura Noir, Morbid Saint, Antediluvian, Witch Vomit, and more. What followed was a period of cloistered writing and conspiring while the world writhed in torment by the festering plague.
Two rough tracks destined for the eventual debut album were recorded in the Reversed ritual space and released on limited tape by Bent Window Productions. This was to be fully realized on the Reversed debut LP, Wildly Possesed, heralding the dawn of a more aggressive and voracious worship of the ultimate extreme metal essence - 1986 - where labels of death, black, speed, and thrash were interchangeable.
The album was recorded at the infamous Fiasco Bros. Studios where Blasphemy recorded their legendary albums, mixed and mastered by Marco S. Vermiglio at The Forge Music Productions, and set to unleashed by infamous Irish underground devotee Invictus Productions in Spring 2024.
In the meantime, see & hear a video for the brand-new track "Final Death" HERE at Invictus' official YouTube channel. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Reversed (Canada)'s Wildly Possessed
Italian doom/psych riffers Cancervo’s third record, III, is out now (on 29 March) via Electric Valley Records. On the album, the Italian trio continues the tradition of chronicling the myths surrounding Monte Cancervo — the Bergamo-based mountain that stands as the inspiration behind the band’s moniker as well as the thematic backdrop for their music.
Cancervo derived their name from an iconic mountain near Bergamo, nestled in a valley steeped in rich traditions and folklore. Charmed by the tale of a mythical creature, part dog and part deer, that roamed on Cancervo, three local heavy riff enthusiasts from San Giovanni Bianco formed the band as a homage to their cherished valley and its mystical legends.
Their 2021 debut, simply titled I, represents local places and myths. A complete instrumental outing, the album dabbles in sedating psych, deserted stoner/doom, and preternatural prog.
II, the sophomore album, released in 2023, continues Cancervo’s occult narratives of their land. In search of doom roots, the album takes more and more motivating forces from the early ’70s and passably abandons the psych moments of the first album. Unlike the first full-length, I, which was entirely instrumental, this record incorporates vocals on most tracks.
The new full-length, III, heralds a darker and more introspective phase for the band. Each track on the last album evolved from concert to concert, paving the way for this transformative phase. A distinct vocal presence emerges as the guiding force, alongside the inevitable and recognizable doomy riffs that have always been the trio’s trademark. This tale promises to immerse listeners in the timeless struggle between the sacred and the profane — a theme deeply ingrained in the folklore of the valley beneath the shadow of Mount Cancervo.
