Metal 145 Items

Norway´s masters of blackened sonic evil, 1349, are finally back with a deadly vengeance. Four long years after the release of the masterpiece “Demonoir”, the band returns with a new full-length album this fall. “Massive Cauldron of Chaos” is set to be released on September 29 through Indie Recordings worldwide, except for North America, where Season of Mist will be handling the album.

Founded in Norway in 1997, 1349 have remained a constant influence on the Norwegian black metal scene. With a penchant for lightning speed riffing, blazing drums, and apocalyptic lyrics, the band has trail-blazed the underground, surpassing many of their peers through brute musical force. Following a quintet of landmark albums, 1349 is set to re-establish their dominance in worldwide extreme metal scene. “Massive Cauldron of Chaos” leave no doubt as to their intentions. Not looking back, but constantly evolving and challenging our perceptions as to what to expect from an extreme metal band. Comments the band: "We entered the studio with an idea of putting everything that 1349 has ever been about into a cauldron, stir it well, and pour in some fresh ingredients - as well as some strange old ones - and come up with our most potent elixir ever. And we brought the spirit to match the ambitious attempt. Boil, boil, toil and trouble...Behold! We have made the most delightfully intoxicating and dangerous potion you can dream of. FEEL THE FIRE! And Hail Hell."?

1349 will tour Europe this fall, make sure not to miss the Aural Hellfire as it blaze through your neighborhood!

Clear Red Vinyl Edition.

To celebrate the return of 1349 with their new album "The Infernal Pathway" on Season Of Mist, Indie Recordings present special limited edition repress of their 2014 album "Massive Cauldron of Chaos"

The Rifts is the 3rd album of Swedish duo A Swarm of the Sun and was originally released in 2015. The Rifts is sombre and brooding, heavy and melancholic, crushing and fragile in equal measure: a bleak and beautiful journey through the battered inner landscapes of the heart and soul: a dolorous tale of lost hopes, dreams falling apart, final moments of clarity and redemption... and appositely reflecting the current state of the world 5, years after its release – isolation. The Rifts is the sonic manifestation of a heavy black cloud of abstract yet overwhelming feelings, thoughts, hopes and fears-- a collection of intimate reflections on a very specific, profound and personal struggle which needs to stay somewhat untouchable and diffuse, as further verbal explanations would be divesting this immense work of art of its sheer and raw emotional impact. What initially was a handful of piano sketches, nine song titles, a few lines of lyrics and a notebook full of script-like visual references slowly evolved into something much more dense and layered. Karl Daniel Lidén (The Old Wind, ex- Terra Tenebrosa) was added to the lineup on drums, and he also recorded the album. The sessions culminated with the recording of the pipe organ. The result is absolutely massive, overwhelming, cinematic and pummeling; a sinister foreboding of the emotional truths at the core of this tremendous album. A Swarm Of the Sun is Erik Nilsson and Jakob Berglund. In 2007 the debut EP The King of Everything was released, followed by the critically acclaimed full-length album Zenith in 2010. The Rifts was written and produced by the band and recorded by Erik Nilsson, drums performed and recorded by Karl Daniel Lidén at Studio Gröndahl, mixed and mastered by Magnus Lindberg (Cult of Luna, Refused, Pg.lost). Further contributing musicians are Anders Carlström (The Isolation Process) on bass, Anna Carlsson on vocals, Minna Heimo on pipe organ and Robin Bergh (Aoria) on vibraphone. All artwork and videos directed and produced by the band's own Jakob. Why are we releasing this, 5 years later? Because everyone here at Pelagic agrees that in the nebulous world of post-metal, The Rifts is one of the 5 best albums ever made. We're honored to add this masterpiece to our catalogue.

Scottish metal pirates Alestorm return to their ships and release their glorious fourth album, 'Sunset On The Golden Age'.

High Roller Records, reissue 2023, black vinyl, ltd 250, insert

High Roller Records, reissue 2023, aqua blue/ white splatter vinyl, ltd 250, insert

High Roller Records, reissue 2023, black vinyl, ltd 250, insert

High Roller Records, reissue 2023, white w/ yellow & red "fire splatter"vinyl, ltd 250, insert

Founded in 1990 in Helsinki, Finland-based melancholic metal masters AMORPHIS wrote music history, incl. classic albums like f.e. their debut The Karelian Isthmus (1992), their breakthrough Tales From The Thousand Lakes (1994) and Eclipse (2006), their first album with the new vocalist Tomi Joutsen, which marked the beginning of a new era in the band‘s history. Regardless of their relentless touring schedule, they secretly returned to the studio to write and record their forthcoming, twelfth record with famous producer Jens Bogren (SOILWORK, KREATOR etc.) at his Fascination Street Studio in Örebro. The result of this two-month recording session is once again a heavy, melodic statement, called Under The Red Cloud . During the recordings, the sextet was joined by some famous guest musicians: Chrigel Glanzmann (ELUVEITIE) played flutes on 'The Four Wise Ones', 'Death Of A King' and 'Tree Of Ages', Martin Lopez (ex-OPETH drummer) played percussions on 'Death Of A King' and Aleah Stanbridge (TREES OF ETERNITY) sang guest vocals on 'The Four Wise Ones', 'Sacrifice' and 'White Night'. “It was a great honor to have such talented musicians appearing on Under The Red Cloud ,“ guitar player and founding member Esa Holopainen comments. “Each one of them puts his/her personality and character in the very right spot.“ The whole recording process was a time full of extremely intense work for AMORPHIS. “It was the first time, that I woke up at 08.00am to start recordings. They went on until 06.00pm in the evening - every day! But the result was definitely worth it,“ the guitarist continues. “It was a great experience and Jens made us playing more aggressive and working really hard“, drummer Jan Rechberger adds. Jens Bogren also handled the mixing and mastering of Under The Red Cloud . A perfect example for the variety and feel is the first single 'Death Of A King'.It starts with an oriental melody & crashing drums, and has a lot of dynamics.

As with a choice few truly great bands, the first self-financed cassette recording by Cathedral - made available in October 1990 - was a pioneering underground masterpiece in its own right; the sound of a young band exploring its newfound chemistry, finding confident variations on a flawless list of influences and cultivating a sound and style that would prove hugely inspirational throughout the 1990s and beyond, being a major influence on everyone from Electric Wizard through to Reverend Bizarre.
Where most demos are little more than a dry run for the first album, "In Memoriam" still has its own distinct and important identity in the Cathedral canon. The debut LP that followed, "Forest Of Equilibrium", has a sombre, devout, melodic and mystical grandeur all of its own - but 'In Memoriam' has a far murkier, earthier, more deathly intent. Creepy, cryptic and bowel-looseningly heavy, it represents the first time that the doom metal stylings of Trouble, Saint Vitus, Pentagram and Witchfinder General had been rendered in a new, more extreme metallic form. At the beginning of the new decade, it was really only Cathedral who were proud to assert the influence of true doom metal - a perennially unfashionable genre, but especially in a turn-of-the-decade metal scene so obsessed with speed, technicality, brutality and modernity.

In their ten years of existence, Child Abuse have become much more than a jarring name. The NY trio has fused elements of Noise, Death Metal, Free Jazz, and Grind (among other things) into something entirely their own, all the while becoming one of the most innovative, and polarizing bands in New York. Trouble in Paradise, the band's third full-length release, expands on their forays into uncharted musical territory. “After hearing Child Abuse the trio's moniker seems more like a reference to violence inflicted by a toddler rather than upon one. The group's growled vocals, manic riffs and copious double-kick drumming nod to death metal. These loopy tones align with TIM DHAL’s fuzzed-out bass and Orran Canfield’s dense, swinging beats to create a highly technical sound that's also weirdly playful.”—Time Out New York

Tearing down the barriers of extreme metal limitations, Code have taken a daring plunge into the unknown following their urge for further unhampered expression, and have delivered a dynamic progressive post-rock album that is sure to cause a stir.

10 year anniversary gatefold 2LP edition of Cult of Luna's take on Fritz Lang's Metropolis film, Vertikal.

"Somewhere Along The Highway" and "Eternal Kingdom" were inspired by the landscape of Västerbotten, the county we are from. We realised that there was only one way to go for us: to the city, into the future. Making a droney John Carpenter-esque album would be too easy and we’ve never been about taking the simple route. I was studying film at the time and had been floored by the aesthetic of German expressionism. This resonated perfectly with Erik Olofsson, who had just got into Italian futurism. This was a real challenge.

We put in a lot of effort to realize our vision of the stale, artificial city in all aspects of what an album is. The way we played guitar (only down strokes), the production, artwork and band photos, everything was done with the vision as a guide.

"Vertikal" is the album where we had the most precise vision of what we wanted to do and worked hardest to transform it from an idea into reality.

A lot of things happened during the years between "Eternal Kingdom" and "Vertikal" and I could continue writing for ages but this will do for now. Ten years have passed since its release and what felt like a rebirth of the band, the band that is still ongoing with new goals and missions.

It’s a full circle kind of thing. At the time we had no label and now we are releasing it on our very own. Life is strange.

Johannes Persson - Umeå December 2022

Cynic's vinyl reissues including bonus material to be released via Svart Records in February 2025

American progressive metal band Cynic's 2014 album Kindly Bent to Free Us 10 year anniversary edition out in February!

Cynic was formed in Miami, Florida by Paul Masvidal in 1987, incorporating elements of progressive rock, alternative, and metal. Their third full length offering Kindly Bent to Free Us is the final Cynic album to feature original drummer Sean Reinert and long time member Sean Malone on bass, who both passed away in 2020. Originally released on a 2LP version and mastered at 45rpm, Svart Records in co-operation with Cynic now proudly present the single LP edition of the album including a bonus track Earth Is My Witness for the first time on vinyl and a booklet with linter notes by Martin Popoff, lyrics, notation to the song Kindly Bent to Free Us, and more.

Paul Masvidal comments the reissue: “Kindly Bent to Free Us is reborn on vinyl for its 10th anniversary. This record holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. First, the songs and the journey they take, exploring inner realms as represented by the cover art. Then, there are the arrangements—raw and explosive—which R. Walt Vincent was so good at capturing the live energy we shared as a trio in the rehearsal room when these ideas were developed. There’s also something poignant about this being the last record the three of us would make together. It’s exciting to finally see The Earth is My Witness, which was previously only a bonus track on the box set, brought into this format for the first time.”

"If I'm giving anyone a heart-shaped box this year, that thing will have a copy of the freshly purchased Cynic album, Kindly Bent to Free Us in it. I personally feel like this is a much more grand gesture of love than any other." -Daniel Cordova, Metal Injection, 2014

Cynic's vinyl reissues including bonus material to be released via Svart Records in February 2025

American progressive metal band Cynic's 2014 album Kindly Bent to Free Us 10 year anniversary edition out in February!

Cynic was formed in Miami, Florida by Paul Masvidal in 1987, incorporating elements of progressive rock, alternative, and metal. Their third full length offering Kindly Bent to Free Us is the final Cynic album to feature original drummer Sean Reinert and long time member Sean Malone on bass, who both passed away in 2020. Originally released on a 2LP version and mastered at 45rpm, Svart Records in co-operation with Cynic now proudly present the single LP edition of the album including a bonus track Earth Is My Witness for the first time on vinyl and a booklet with linter notes by Martin Popoff, lyrics, notation to the song Kindly Bent to Free Us, and more.

Paul Masvidal comments the reissue: “Kindly Bent to Free Us is reborn on vinyl for its 10th anniversary. This record holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. First, the songs and the journey they take, exploring inner realms as represented by the cover art. Then, there are the arrangements—raw and explosive—which R. Walt Vincent was so good at capturing the live energy we shared as a trio in the rehearsal room when these ideas were developed. There’s also something poignant about this being the last record the three of us would make together. It’s exciting to finally see The Earth is My Witness, which was previously only a bonus track on the box set, brought into this format for the first time.”

"If I'm giving anyone a heart-shaped box this year, that thing will have a copy of the freshly purchased Cynic album, Kindly Bent to Free Us in it. I personally feel like this is a much more grand gesture of love than any other." -Daniel Cordova, Metal Injection, 2014

Since their 2008 debut Ritual IX, the ensemble known as Dark Buddha Rising has mastered its craft album by album, show by show. Ominous riffing, colossal doom, swirling psychedelia, repetition, repetition, repetition. The recipe is carved in stone, yet it leads to different endings—or bottomless shafts. Tension, tension, tension, lunacy. Inversum, their fifth studio full-length, is the opening of the Third Cycle of Dark Buddha Rising. It acts as an initiation for the new members V. VATANEN (guitar, vocals) and J. SAARIVUORI (keyboards), and is the first release through Neurot Recordings. Most of all, Inversum is the first album recorded, produced and mixed by the band themselves in the depths of the Wastement, the asylum of eternal feedback. The process that led to the manifestation of the Inversum, heavily guided by both intuition and determination, takes the band’s musick further down its chosen path. Inversum is a monument built upon the foundation of their past work and is sculpted with the initial principles of Dark Buddha Rising to celebrate the Black Arts of Psychedelia. Hold tight. The winds are gathering.

Limited 200 copies silver vinyl. Die-cut cover sleeve. Black metal remains a musical chimera. From its fiery beginnings this extreme style proved to be as diverse as productive. German sons of this northern spawned darkness often display a penchant for bold aggression and directness as embodied by ENDSTILLE and NEGATOR. These virtues are also embraced by DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT. Yet the band does not simply follow heavily trodden paths. Adding fragile moments of psychedelic meandering, these Germans have also been compared with WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM or DEAFHEAVEN. An extra dose of melancholy points towards their named influence IMPERIUM DEKADENZ and there are far more details to be discovered within the many layers of their harsh but strongly melodic new masterpiece 'Stellar'. Recorded at Ghost City studios, the Germans third full-length is now ready to hit the world with irresistible force. Get ready and brace for a massive black impact! Recommended if you like: Wolves In The Throne Room, Endstille, Deafheaven, Imperium Dekadenz.

For the first time in their diverse second act, they allow themselves to be a rock band, freed of adornment and embellishment. As much as Carlson’s guitar has always been the focal point of Earth’s music, it’s been surrounded by consistently diverse instrumentation. Here the dialog between Carlson and Davies drumming remains pivotal, underpinned by the sympathetic bass of Bill Herzog (Sunn O))), Joel RL Phelps, Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter) and thickened by additional layers of guitar from Brett Netson (Built To Spill, Caustic Resin) and Jodie Cox (Narrows). Perhaps the largest left turn on Primitive And Deadly, though, is the prominence of guest vocalists Mark Lanegan and Rabia Shaheen Qazi (Rose Windows) who transform the traditionally free ranging meditations of Earth into something approaching traditional pop structures.

On “Rooks Across the Gates,” a song stylistically the closest to the folk inspired modality of Angels Of Darkness, Carlson stretches out into some of his most lyrical playing to date, creating an almost symbiotic relationship between his performance and the vocals of old friend Mark Lanegan. “From the Zodiacal Light,” meanwhile, takes the late 60s San Franciscan/freaked-out jazz-rock transcendence of The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull and quickly re-appropriates that sound into a musky torch song for the witching hour.

This contradictive tension between a band pushing itself ever-forward whilst surveying their history is reflected in the albums twin recording locales. The foundation of the record was laid in the mystic desert highlands of Joshua Tree, California where Earth recorded hour after hour of meditations on each track's central theme at Rancho de la Luna. Upon returning to Seattle these were edited, arranged and expanded upon at Avast with the help of long-term collaborator Randall Dunn (who was previously at the helm for the Hex, The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull and Hibernaculum sessions).

5th Part of the B.E.A.S.T. Series The full EP contains 5 new gory grind attacks from Embalming Theatre plus one awesome VICTIMS cover version. The picture vinyl are housed in a big full colored foldout poster, the picture edition version is limited to only 400 copies.[ENG]5. Teil der B.E.A.S.T. Serie Die komplette EP enthält 5 neue blutige Grind-Attacken von Embalming Theatre plus eine geile VICTIMS-Coverversion. Die Picture Vinyls sind in einem großen, farbigen Faltposter untergebracht. Poster untergebracht, die Picture Edition Version ist auf nur 400 Exemplare limitiert.

The Apocalypse Manifesto is the third album by the Belgian black metal group Enthroned, released in 1999 - NOW Re-issued!!

The Apocalypse Manifesto is the third album by the Belgian black metal group Enthroned, released in 1999 - NOW Re-issued!!

Limited edition of 300 copies on black vinyl. 'Graceful Pandora' is the first single taken from the album 'Those Horrors Wither'. The music on the 7-inch perfectly represents the sound of the band, as it blends various influences (Voivod, Tool, Deathspell Omega ... ) and showcases the matured personality of a band at its creative peak.

Limited to 400 copies and housed in a gatefold sleeve with a free poster. With 'Those Horrors Wither', FOSCOR expand the boundaries of black metal into a sound that combines the darkness of black and doom metal, progressive influences and majestic instrumental passages.

Black/White Split vinyl

The duo of Godflesh, Justin K Broadrick and Ben Green, augmented by Machines, are seen as a pivotal entity in the world of 'heavy' music, impacting entire cultures of heavy music since the bands inception in 1988. It is regarded as a cultural icon, and its impact can be felt across generations of 'heavy' music, both mainstream and underground. It is credited as being one of the first bands to cross old British industrial music with down tuned primitive minimal metal, accidentally pioneering the 'industrial metal' sound, yet the band has so much more to offer than what that term displays.

The second album and classic Hfts album completely new re-recorded with Krimh (Septic Flesh) on drums. This album will blow everything away and finally includes the song "Mad World"

High Roller Records, reissue 2022, black vinyl, ltd 500, printed inner sleeve

High Roller Records, re-issue 2023, orange/ blue bi-color vinyl, insert, ltd 200

High Roller Records, reissue 2023, black vinyl, ltd 150, lyric sheet

High Roller Records, reissue 2023, blue w/ white & red splatter vinyl, ltd 150, lyric sheet

Love Metal (Clear Vinyl) - HiM

Razorblade Romance (Clear Vinyl) - HiM

Received a 7.9 rating from Pitchfork. In their brief career, Australia’s Impetuous Ritual has already been recognized as one of the mightiest death metal entities in the underground today, alongside such likeminded acts as Portal (with whom Impetuous Ritual shares two members) and Mitochondrion. From their leveling, jaw-dropping live performances to the devastating, ultra-brutal, occult-driven style showcased on their Relentless Execution of Ceremonial Excrescence debut album, no death metal on the planet captures the vibe, attitude and aesthetic of Impetuous Ritual. With their anticipated follow-up to Relentless Execution, the band takes their sound even further into the depths of horror and depravity. Limited to 500 copies.

The masterful progressive sludge metal outfit Intronaut (usa) released their fifth album in 2015. This long sold out piece of underground art now makes a quick comeback in a limited-to-999 copies edition on double purple vinyl, wrapped in a gatefold jacket.

Sealed copy!

White vinyl