Search "monokle+saints" 191 Items

OFFICIAL REPRESS ON LIMITED EDITION BLACK AND FROSTED CLEAR VINYL!!!Smash cyberpunk hit Perturbator crashed onto the scene with an insane force. A perfect rehash and improvement upon 1970s and 1980s analog synthesized film scores – recounting Escape from New York, Halloween, and Blade Runner – Perturbator became known as the face of dark synthwave.“Lustful Sacraments” is the Parisian artist's fifth album originally released in 2021. 1. Reaching Xanadu2. Lustful Sacraments3. Excess4. Secret Devotion (ft. True Body)5. Death of the Soul6. The Other Place7. Dethroned Under a Funeral Haze8. Messalina, Messalina9. God Says (ft. Hangman's Chair)

Robb Weir, Tygers of Pan Tang founder and keeper of the flame, was at a cross roads. He had tried to keep the Tygers alive with differing lineups but now he was in the position of seeing his hopes dissolve completely as the band were unable to find just the right vocalist. He was determined to give it one more chance and the band cast around for a new front man. He knew that this was possibly his last chance. Enter Jack Meille, resident of Florence and possessor of a set of pipes that could notonly do justice to the Tygers back catalogue, but crucially, create the hard rock melodies essential to the band’s sound for the future.There was always something about that original release though that bothered the band: the sleeve. It was felt that it didn’t do the band justice. Step in Andy Pilkington, responsible for the last two Tygers albums’ covers. He was asked to create a cover that would sit happily alongside the quality seen in other Tygersalbum sleeves. They also felt that the sound required a new mix and called upon the services of trusted friend and producer Marco Angioni to add the necessary sheen to an already fine sounding album. A bonus track, “Don’t Say Rock’n’Roll Is Gonna Die” has also been added to the re-issue. 1. Rock Candy2. Cry Sweet Freedom3. Live For The Day4. Let It Burn5. If You See Kay6. Hot Blooded7. Devils Find A Fool8. Winners and Losers9. Cruisin’10. Bury The Hatchet11. Dark Rider12. Don’t Say R’n’R Is Gonna Die (bonus track)

SHADOW KINGDOM RECORDS is elated to reissue the seminal sophomore album of Italy’s BULLDOZER, The Final Separation.Italy's BULLDOZER is a name that commands respect and awe. In the thrash and black metal underground of the 1980s, they were the uncompromising counterparts to legends like Venom and Motorhead. Known for their raw energy and wild performances, BULLDOZER carved their niche with ferocious anthems and a chaotic aesthetic. Their frontman, AC Wild, epitomized the band's untamed spirit. They were the definition of a cult band before the term became a staple in metal lore. Simply put, there was, and is, only one BULLDOZER.The BULLDOZER saga continued with unrelenting force with the release of their second album, The Final Separation, in 1986. From the first explosive riffs of the title track, The Final Separation cements itself as a powerhouse of relentless thrash and blackened fury. The album is a maelstrom of aggressive riffs, thunderous drumming, and AC Wild's unmistakable snarls. With tracks like "Ride Hard - Die Fast" and "We are...Italian," BULLDOZER showcased their ability to blend high-speed ferocity with anthemic choruses, creating a sound that is both punishing and infectious. 1.The Final Separation 04:532.Ride Hard - Die Fast 04:013.The Cave 04:354.Sex Symbols' Bullshit 03:335."Don" Andras 03:066.Never Relax! 05:377.Don't Trust the "Saint" 04:308.The Death of Gods 10:10

Limited Gatefold LP version on 180g transparent vinyl, with 4-page lyrics booklet (777x)Tusmorke, arguably the most atavistically trollish, acid-drenched musical act ever to come out of the kingdom of Norway makes yet another eternal return, this time to take the fellow traveller on a subterranean expedition to the kingdom of the Fair Folk! Dawn of Oberon is the band's 12th album, released 12 years after their debut "Underjordisk Tusmorke" (2012). 12-12-12 - That makes this album twice as occult as 666. The band says: "This record is a testament of a tumultuous time. We had a new drummer, Kusken, and keyboard player, Herjekongen, in 2022 and immediately started working on the epic Dawn of Oberon. This behemoth had been wallowing about since the start of the millenium, never quite finding its shape and form. We thought of this as a trial by fire to galvanize the new members. During jams at rehearsals and concerts, new themes emerged, resulting in a sort of sequel in the form of Dusk of Tawblerawn part 1-5. Kusken decided to quit after just 8 months but agreed to document the time we had spent together. All the music was recorded in our rehearsal space and studio in 2022-2023. The record is a manifestation of our Peter Pan syndrome; our aesthetics and ideals remain unchanged for the last 25 years. Never grow up, just grow old. This time we go away with the fairies all together, to the far-away land of the far-out mind.

”The Last Will and Testament” is a concept record of sorts. A restless musical journey in a way mirroring my own relationship with music as a consumer of it," narrates band leader Mikael Åkerfeldt. "I pick up something here, dismiss something there. I worship and I hate music at the same time. This ambivalence leads me down some type of creative path of my own and then, all of a sudden, a collection of songs has been written. Best case scenario, these songs are good enough to impress the band. Good enough for the ”powers that be” in terms of the industry. Good enough for ”you”?! I love this record. I have to say it (write it). Maybe I’m proud even? There are some familiar ingredients in there I suppose. Most of our music has sprung from the same source, so I guess it’s not much of a shocker if it’s going to sound like ”us”. I’m a bit in awe of what we did with ”The Last Will and Testament”. It feels like a dream. There is some ”coherence" and ” songwriting skills” I hope, but what do I know? I tend to favour the ”strange” over the ”obvious”, but I feel like I’m in the minority, and that’s fine. So…fair warning! Don’t expect an instant rush (as per usual), but if you do ”get it” (have you got it yet?) right away, that’s ok too!" 1-01 - §1 (00:05:57)1-02 - §2 (00:05:34)1-03 - §3 (00:05:11)1-04 - §4 (00:07:05)1-05 - §5 (00:07:35)1-06 - §6 (00:06:04)1-07 - §7 (00:06:28)1-08 - A Story Never Told (00:07:10)

The Gates of Slumber return with a new album out in November on Svart Records

“I never intended to pick up with The Gates of Slumber ever again in 2014. While I did start the band and wrote most of the first album it was never intended to be a one man show.” -Karl Simon, 2024

Indiana’s True Doom Metal legends The Gates of Slumber return with their sixth album out in November via Svart Records. The self-titled album is the band’s first full length offering since The Wretch from 2011.

The Gates of Slumber was formed by Karl Simon in 1998. Various people were in and out of the group between 1998 and 2001, when the Blood Encrusted Deth Axe demo was recorded with Jamie Walters aka Dr. Phibes/Athenar (Boulder, Midnight) on drums and bass. In 2003 Jason McCash took over the bass duties and was a long-time member of the band until his untimely demise in 2014, after which Simon decided it was time to call it quits. That was until 2019 when the renowned metal festival Hell Over Hammaburg wanted to bring the band back on stage to perform at the festival’s 2020 edition. Simon reformed the band with its original member Chuck Brown on drums and Steve Janiak on bass and got back to work. “We’d been asked several times to play Hell Over Hammaburg. But there was no “we” to play. The germ of the idea started. We started re-learning songs from the first LP. It wasn’t too long into the rehearsals that we started coming up with new songs.”, states Simon.

After a reunion tour was finished, Covid kicked in to slow down the process. Half of the album was already written but the remaining half took its time, and the songs were left to stew in their juices. With bastard heavy songs honoring the Doom Metal greats Saint Vitus and Penance, straight forward bangers, lyrics inspired by the Black Death and John Carpenter’s The Fog, The Gates of Slumber is a truly crushing album and a must listen to any Doom Metal fanatic.

Having toured with Pentagram, Reverend Bizarre, Cathedral, Slough Feg, Earthride, and Weedeater in addition to getting praised by Decibel Magazine such as “The Gates of Slumber have quietly gone about the business of becoming one of the best heavy metal bands in the world.”, it’s safe to say The Gates of Slumber play some of the heaviest metal on this planet.

The Gates of Slumber return with a new album out in November on Svart Records

“I never intended to pick up with The Gates of Slumber ever again in 2014. While I did start the band and wrote most of the first album it was never intended to be a one man show.” -Karl Simon, 2024

Indiana’s True Doom Metal legends The Gates of Slumber return with their sixth album out in November via Svart Records. The self-titled album is the band’s first full length offering since The Wretch from 2011.

The Gates of Slumber was formed by Karl Simon in 1998. Various people were in and out of the group between 1998 and 2001, when the Blood Encrusted Deth Axe demo was recorded with Jamie Walters aka Dr. Phibes/Athenar (Boulder, Midnight) on drums and bass. In 2003 Jason McCash took over the bass duties and was a long-time member of the band until his untimely demise in 2014, after which Simon decided it was time to call it quits. That was until 2019 when the renowned metal festival Hell Over Hammaburg wanted to bring the band back on stage to perform at the festival’s 2020 edition. Simon reformed the band with its original member Chuck Brown on drums and Steve Janiak on bass and got back to work. “We’d been asked several times to play Hell Over Hammaburg. But there was no “we” to play. The germ of the idea started. We started re-learning songs from the first LP. It wasn’t too long into the rehearsals that we started coming up with new songs.”, states Simon.

After a reunion tour was finished, Covid kicked in to slow down the process. Half of the album was already written but the remaining half took its time, and the songs were left to stew in their juices. With bastard heavy songs honoring the Doom Metal greats Saint Vitus and Penance, straight forward bangers, lyrics inspired by the Black Death and John Carpenter’s The Fog, The Gates of Slumber is a truly crushing album and a must listen to any Doom Metal fanatic.

Having toured with Pentagram, Reverend Bizarre, Cathedral, Slough Feg, Earthride, and Weedeater in addition to getting praised by Decibel Magazine such as “The Gates of Slumber have quietly gone about the business of becoming one of the best heavy metal bands in the world.”, it’s safe to say The Gates of Slumber play some of the heaviest metal on this planet.

Ars Veneficium, one of Belgium’s most prominent black metal acts is back with their 3rd full length album “The Lurking Shadow of Death”, 4 years after the release of their 2nd full length album “Usurpation of the Seven”. With their new album The Lurking Shadow of Death it is clear that Ars Veneficium has not taken the song writing for granted and managed to overthrow their previous work once more with delivering only the best of their best on this record. From the compositions to the production to the artwork, one can undoubtedly say that this is their best work thus so far. The lead guitars by Ronarg deliver some amazing melodies variated with some aggressive chords where the bass guitar (once again) plays some beautiful underlaying solo notes to create that extra atmosphere which is more or less the Ars Veneficium signature by now. The drum work has been delivered by no one else than Flo Musil (Theotoxin) who blasts his way throughout the album with some outstanding, highly skilled details giving the extra punch that this album absolutely deserves. The vocals by S. are more furious than before and deliver a much wider range and diversity which lifts the whole album to a new level. With The Lurking Shadow of Death, Ars Veneficium has delivered an absolute beast of a black metal album that every fan of old school, satanic or melodic black metal would appreciate! Raging black metal filled with atmosphere, melodies and pumping energy! A must have! 1. Death is Light2. Eye to Eye with the Devil 3. De Glorie van Dood 4. One with the Cosmos5. Into the Void 6. My Tomb Under the Stars7. Pale Image of I

Limited smoke colored vinyl LP pressing. La Raza is the sixth studio album by heavy metal band Armored Saint, originally released in 2010. Armored Saint reformed the entire Symbol of Salvation lineup to record La Raza in 2009 after an eight-year hiatus.

Known for the monolithic force of their music and their inventive production techniques, The Body"s albums are benchmarks in the expansion and evolution of heavy music. Tightly packed with deceptively nuanced arrangements and exhilarating, challenging distortion, their compositions are possessed of an unmistakably singular sound. The Crying Out of Things is no exception; a culmination of all that The Body have done before, highlighting their mastery of dynamic and monumental music that pushes toward the unmistakable sound of oblivion. The Body have produced a wealth of groundbreaking collaborations with the likes of Full of Hell, Thou, Uniform, BIG|BRAVE, OAA, and Dis Fig. The duo"s benchmark albums have, over the past 2 decades, changed the perceptions and directions of heavy music. The Crying Out of Things" embrace of noise is a comprehensive display of the multitude of expressions possible with abrasive sound, a skill that The Body have pioneered and refined. "I think for us the key to the way we use noise is, it"s not the only element," says Buford. "You"ve gotta really listen if you"re into noise. But it also has to have dynamics. Where, say, BIG|BRAVE (who have a similar ethos) expresses it in this more intellectual, minimalist way, The Body comes from an instinctual, maximalist way. We"re trying to cover it ALL." The Body stand alone in their ability to connect disparate influences and collaborators into a wholly original, potent and singular work. Alongside producer/engineer Seth Manchester, the duo"s voracious and omnivorous musical appetites have pushed the studio as an instrument into new avenues to conjure profound feelings from the music. The Crying Out of Things cements The Body"s place as a leader of heavy new music, their boundless creativity, their defining ability to convey anguish, created with a visceral clarity to devastating impact.

Known for the monolithic force of their music and their inventive production techniques, The Body"s albums are benchmarks in the expansion and evolution of heavy music. Tightly packed with deceptively nuanced arrangements and exhilarating, challenging distortion, their compositions are possessed of an unmistakably singular sound. The Crying Out of Things is no exception; a culmination of all that The Body have done before, highlighting their mastery of dynamic and monumental music that pushes toward the unmistakable sound of oblivion. The Body have produced a wealth of groundbreaking collaborations with the likes of Full of Hell, Thou, Uniform, BIG|BRAVE, OAA, and Dis Fig. The duo"s benchmark albums have, over the past 2 decades, changed the perceptions and directions of heavy music. The Crying Out of Things" embrace of noise is a comprehensive display of the multitude of expressions possible with abrasive sound, a skill that The Body have pioneered and refined. "I think for us the key to the way we use noise is, it"s not the only element," says Buford. "You"ve gotta really listen if you"re into noise. But it also has to have dynamics. Where, say, BIG|BRAVE (who have a similar ethos) expresses it in this more intellectual, minimalist way, The Body comes from an instinctual, maximalist way. We"re trying to cover it ALL." The Body stand alone in their ability to connect disparate influences and collaborators into a wholly original, potent and singular work. Alongside producer/engineer Seth Manchester, the duo"s voracious and omnivorous musical appetites have pushed the studio as an instrument into new avenues to conjure profound feelings from the music. The Crying Out of Things cements The Body"s place as a leader of heavy new music, their boundless creativity, their defining ability to convey anguish, created with a visceral clarity to devastating impact.

DEAD ICARUS is Alex Varkatzas (ex-Atreyu), Gabe Mangold (Enterprise Earth) and Brandon Zackey. An uncompromising, brutal, impassioned, confessional assault, Dead Icarus are set to release their debut album ZEALOT. “To me, Dead Icarus means freedom and fun,” says frontman Varkatzas. “There are no rules. There are dark moments in life, but Dead Icarus is a way through all of it for us. It’s a way to navigate and quantify those negative emotions. I’m just so proud of what we’ve made.” 1. The Unconquerable2. Bearing Burdens and Saving Skin3. Zealot4. 1 Million Days5. Temptation’s Kiss6. Fountains of Death7. Casting Spells8. Hell Opens Its Mouth9. Vada Retro Satana10. Secrets In The Dark11. Betrayal Shaped Daggers

"Every decade they say that it's the last generation for metal. It never is, and it never will be. As I write this review, I'm listening to Of God's & Monsters debut album. It gets me like Dio's - Holy Diver did the first time I heard it. Sons of Armageddon is that good, period. With vocals akin to the late great Ronnie James Dio. And, with this cast of multi-talented musicians, the caliber of traditional heavy metal and melodic power metal music you get here, is simply mind-blowing! (Timothy Gaines - Bass - Stryper, Dean Castronovo -Drums - Journey / Bad English / Hardline, Joey Tafolla - Guitar - Leatherwolf / Hardline / Jag Panzer, Kevin Goocher (Vocals) - Omen / Final Decree / Phantom X) The CD was released in March 2020, this is the first time this metal treasure is available on vinyl - Black Vinyl and Red Vinyl! Each album comes with a 12x12 insert and a 24x24 poster of the band. Packaging includes excellent band pics and lyrics. Castronovo stands out as an incredibly tight drummer, and the lyrics are all about beasts, dragons, sword and sorcery. In other words, this is US melodic metal perfection!

In sports or on the faculty benches, we call them ‘false beginners’. If Mandibula is their first death metal band, the musicians all have a loaded CV in independent and innovative music. Let’s say they advance masked, which suits well their new disturbing and morbid universe.

The band is only one entity, a secret society made up of five members: vocalist FK, bassist RC, drummer AP and guitarists NC and ALG. They never highlight their background when presenting Mandibula. But if we do some research, we may discover that they have already been seen or heard in very different contexts: La Colonie de Vacances, Les Agamemnonz, Pyjamarama, John Makay, Spelterini and probably a dozen others...

False beginning but true body! At each of their appearances, they deliver an intense session of crass and brutal death metal, with profuse riffing, grindcore aggressions and noise music asperities. Geographically dispersed in a large swamp that connects the Loire, the Seine and the Somme rivers to eastern France, the mercenaries of Mandibula only meet to commit their misdeeds: record music, mistreat stages and observe the march of humanity towards its anthropophagic extinction.

Scandinavian death metal band Thorium strikes back with a vengeance. New album “The Bastard” to be unleashed. Their 6th album since the formation in 1997.“It wasn’t in the cards, but in Spring this year I felt incredibly inspired to write an album that would go back to the very beginning of Thorium. Make the album that was the natural follow up from our debut album – or actually go even further back and make an album that was supposed to be our actual debut album. At least in my head. When we played in South America at Septembro Negro Festival in September last year I meet up with my old friend Martin Schulmann (Centinex and Demonical) and that sort of triggered something in me. Martin was a part of the original Thorium line-up. And so was Jonas Lindblood from Taetre (now Puteraeon) who I have kept in touch with during the years. So I was like. Fuck it. Let’s make “The Bastard” album – the original debut album from Thorium”, Thorium-founding MHA says. 1. Eclipsed2. Over The Mountains3. Nightside Serenade4. Pest5. Not Equals6. It All Comes Back To Me Now7. Underground8. Infamy9. Legacy Of The Forgotten Path10. Mesmerize (bonus track)

Scandinavian death metal band Thorium strikes back with a vengeance. New album “The Bastard” to be unleashed. Their 6th album since the formation in 1997.“It wasn’t in the cards, but in Spring this year I felt incredibly inspired to write an album that would go back to the very beginning of Thorium. Make the album that was the natural follow up from our debut album – or actually go even further back and make an album that was supposed to be our actual debut album. At least in my head. When we played in South America at Septembro Negro Festival in September last year I meet up with my old friend Martin Schulmann (Centinex and Demonical) and that sort of triggered something in me. Martin was a part of the original Thorium line-up. And so was Jonas Lindblood from Taetre (now Puteraeon) who I have kept in touch with during the years. So I was like. Fuck it. Let’s make “The Bastard” album – the original debut album from Thorium”, Thorium-founding MHA says. 1. Eclipsed2. Over The Mountains3. Nightside Serenade4. Pest5. Not Equals6. It All Comes Back To Me Now7. Underground8. Infamy9. Legacy Of The Forgotten Path10. Mesmerize (bonus track)

The unique post-progressive metal act Mother of Millions is finally back with their new album, "Magna Mater," which is the follow-up to 2019's acclaimed album "Artefacts.". The album has a significantly heavier approach than its predecessors, without losing an inch of the emotional nerve, which has become synonymous with the band and can make even the most cold-hearted people burst into tears during Mother of Millions' intense live performances. The album offers nine brand new tracks that take the listener on a musical, lyrical, and emotional roller-coaster. Mother of Millions says about the album:"Magna Mater is without a doubt our heaviest and most intense album so far, both conceptually and musically. It's a record in which all emotions become unexplored lands and become rituals before we accept them as our own. Magna Mater is an album about loss, but it is ultimately about life. It's a big part of who we are, and we hope you'll enjoy the ride." 1. INSIDE2. FERAL3. MAGNA MATER4. CELESTIAL5. LIMINAL6. THE LINE7. HALO8. IRAE9. SPACE

Beasto Blanco was founded by Chuck Garric and Chris Latham. They set out to create a raw, powerful rock & roll band with a blistering, theatrical live experience. Then came Calico Cooper, rock vixen and offspring of Garric's boss, legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper, and a renegade German rhythm section, and Beasto Blanco's inimitable sound and image was born.Blood, sweat and gas fuel Beasto Blanco's explosive rock sound. A band and an audience united in an inseparable bond of musical thunder and sensational spectacle: welcome to the world of Beasto Blanco. Whether under the spotlights of huge arenas or headlining packed theatres and clubs, the band's mission is unwavering: to create an immersive experience where everyone is welcome to join an extended family whose support is unconditional and authentic.At the helm of Beasto Blanco is a powerful triumvirate. Band co-founder, frontman, lead singer and guitarist Chuck Garric, distinguished by his considerable legacy as a touring and recording musician, including 22 years playing bass with Alice Cooper, is a creative force of nature. "Beasto Blanco is my inner beast, my Hulk, my wolfman, the thing I turn into when I step onstage", he says.Calico MachineGirl Cooper is the band's high priestess and serves as an inspirational archetype. "I get approached by women who say, 'Thank you for being so strong and so powerful'"'she explains. Her interaction with Chuck - who she's known for chasing around the stage with a spiked baseball bat - captivates the audience with a dynamic that blurs the line between combat and romance. "We're not just a band, we're a lifestyle".The future is a beast and we are here to ride it. – Chuck Garric 1. Run For Your Life2. Nobody Move3. Heavy Is The Head4. Unreal5. Kill Us Off With A Smile6. Slide7. Skull Rider8. Lowlands9. Diamond In The Dirt10. Bad Thoughts11. Fight

Göden, the spiritual successor of Death Doom legends Winter, returns with a new album out in May 2024

Göden is back, and on their latest album the sound is heavier than ever. Creator Stephen Flam is best known for his previous work with the band Winter, whose sludgy dirge earned a cult following for decades to come. Göden is the spiritual successor to Winter. One could say Celtic Frost is to Triptykon what Winter is to Göden. Their debut album, “Beyond Darkness” stood on its own in creating a distinctive world.

Now, four years later, they explore new sonic territories with their second album, “Vale of the Fallen”. While "Beyond Darkness" was a concept album that propelled listeners into space, whether inner or outer, “Vale of the Fallen” brings us back to twisted reality. Their more in-your-face approach should only intensify the experience-much like a walk through a post-apocalyptic landscape in the bleakest imaginable conditions.

Sound-wise, Stephen Flam's heavier-than-life riffs, Vas Kallas' sardonic delivery and Tony Pinnisi's keyboards create oppressive atmospheres atop Jason Frantz's powerful drumming, while in contrast Margaret Murphy’s violin weaves ghostly motifs. Like its predecessor, “Vale of the Fallen” features interludes which provide brief respites between some tracks, only to return to the crushing heaviness in yet another avalanche of sound.

This might be your favorite album of 2024.

Göden, the spiritual successor of Death Doom legends Winter, returns with a new album out in May 2024

Göden is back, and on their latest album the sound is heavier than ever. Creator Stephen Flam is best known for his previous work with the band Winter, whose sludgy dirge earned a cult following for decades to come. Göden is the spiritual successor to Winter. One could say Celtic Frost is to Triptykon what Winter is to Göden. Their debut album, “Beyond Darkness” stood on its own in creating a distinctive world.

Now, four years later, they explore new sonic territories with their second album, “Vale of the Fallen”. While "Beyond Darkness" was a concept album that propelled listeners into space, whether inner or outer, “Vale of the Fallen” brings us back to twisted reality. Their more in-your-face approach should only intensify the experience-much like a walk through a post-apocalyptic landscape in the bleakest imaginable conditions.

Sound-wise, Stephen Flam's heavier-than-life riffs, Vas Kallas' sardonic delivery and Tony Pinnisi's keyboards create oppressive atmospheres atop Jason Frantz's powerful drumming, while in contrast Margaret Murphy’s violin weaves ghostly motifs. Like its predecessor, “Vale of the Fallen” features interludes which provide brief respites between some tracks, only to return to the crushing heaviness in yet another avalanche of sound.

This might be your favorite album of 2024.

Who’s to say if we’re to believe Pablo Picasso’s theory that “art washes away from the soul the dust from everyday life”, However, only a fool would deny the simple processes of guitar string to amplifier or microphone to magnetic tape/WAV file can be more than merely a hobby or an idle pastime. This is a cathartic endeavour that reflects and refracts the daily joys and tribulations to elevate and elucidate. Such is the case with the second solo album by Kavus Torabi, The Banishing.

Who’s to say if we’re to believe Pablo Picasso’s theory that “art washes away from the soul the dust from everyday life”, However, only a fool would deny the simple processes of guitar string to amplifier or microphone to magnetic tape/WAV file can be more than merely a hobby or an idle pastime. This is a cathartic endeavour that reflects and refracts the daily joys and tribulations to elevate and elucidate. Such is the case with the second solo album by Kavus Torabi, The Banishing.

"Symphony for the Lost" is a live album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost, released in 2015. It was recorded at the Plovdiv Theater in Bulgaria, accompanied by the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra. This album features an epic performance of the band's hits, fusing dark metal with the majesty of a symphony orchestra. The unique atmosphere and powerful performance make "Symphony for the Lost" a memorable listening experience for fans of metal and classical music. Disc 1LP-Side A1- Tragic idol 5:102- Last regret 4:593- Your own reality 4:224- Over the madness 5:42LP-Side B 1- Joys of emptiness 4:042- Victim of the past 5:133- Soul Courageus 3:464- Gothic 6:224- The Black Token 5:19Disc 2LP-Side C1- The enemy 4:102- Erased 4:023- Isolate 4:134-Faith divides us, death unites us 5:00LP-Side D 1- One second 3:522- True belief 5:143- Say just words 4:464- The last time 3:50

HELLS HEADBANGERS is proud to present FUNERAL STORM's highly anticipated second album, Chthonic Invocations.It was but 2019 when FUNERAL STORM made their grand entrance onto the international metal stage with their acclaimed debut album, Arcane Mysteries, courtesy of HELLS HEADBANGERS. While their history goes back to 2001, activities didn't begin in earnest until 2012, and hard graft became their watchword. But it was Arcane Mysteries that majestically consolidated all of FUNERAL STORM's considerable promise into one grand statement of classic Greek black metal in an authentically early '90s style. It certainly didn't hurt that that debut album featured Varathron founder Necroabyssious on vocals. Two years came a split 7" with Greek comrades Synteleia, appropriately titled The Ancient Calling, also courtesy of HELLS HEADBANGERS.That split featured a scaled-back lineup of Necroabyssious and guitarist Arcania and founding guitarist/bassist/drum-programmer Wampyrion, and thus fortified does FUNERAL STORM's second full-length follow. Likewise appropriately titled, Chthonic Invocations further explores the steadfast theme of the Cthulhu mythos. More specifically, FUNERAL STORM's second album in general focuses on death, in every form, for Arcania and Wampyrion were totally isolated during the lockdown and Necroabyssious was heavily infected with Covid-19 to a point where the band didn't know what would happen. However, after he was healed, Necroabyssious delivered an exceptionally aggressive performance, suiting to his bandmates' more surging yet more mystical music. Truly, Chthonic Invocations sounds like FUNERAL STORM 666%, and harkens even further into the ancient past: to say that the album could've been released in 1993 on Unisound is an understatement to end all understatements. But again, just like its full-length predecessor, Chthonic Invocations easily avoids lazy "throwback" status on both the strength of its songwriting and its era-authentic synths, handled by both Arcania and Wampyrion. 1.Whispers From The Beyond2.Behold the Dark 06:433.The Void 05:254.Funeral Pyre5.The Epitaph of the Dead6.The Covenant of Old7.Mistress of the Night (The Gathering Begins)8.The Calling of the Father

When it says Master, you get Master. The new album “Saints Dispelled” is 100% Master! Now kneel before the Master! One of Death Metal’s founding bands, Czech Republic-based Death/Thrashers Master have been at the forefront of the style from the very beginning, being one of the first bands to ever adopt to this style back in the genre’s infancy. Now forty years on from the start and reaching album number fourteen (!), the titans offer forth this crushing new release “Saints Dispelled”. Master, a.k.a. the Motorhead of Death Metal, give us another viscous Death Metal offering in 2024. They have mastered what it means to produce high octane, ear drum bursting, unrelenting Death Metal once again. With a discography one can not count on two hands, they have rarely skipped a beat in producing the fast paced brutality we all so love and enjoy, and “Saints Dispelled is no exception, maybe we would rate it among their better albums (time will tell). This clearly is not the kind of album you can listen to listen to while reading a nice book and drinking some warm tea. Between the pounding drums, merciless riffing, and, of course, Speckmann’s wonderfully hideous vocals, “Saints Dispelled” does nothing short of furiously, punishing your mind. Start to finish, the album consistently splits your spine and breaks your neck with the mightiness of Master ‘s perfect idea of what old school Death Metal means. To elaborate: “Saints Dispelled” will, figuratively and literally, rip your face off, sew it back on, and rip it off again. As this is clearly a competent and highly professional act that knows what they’re doing, this is nicely displayed here with an album that has a lot to like about it, which makes this a wholehearted recommendation not only for fans of the band but all those who enjoy this ravenous style of old-school Death/Thrash metal.

New album - what we can say? I believe everyone will love it! 3rd album from project featuring original Totalitär members

Scandinavian jawbreakers Harmagedon offer up a nightmare future on their debut album Dystopian Dreams, with a refreshingly modern concoction of melodic death metal and crust punk.

Three piece riff machine from Stockholm Sweden, Harmagedon is a raw festering carcass of dynamic grind and roll. Featuring members of Martyrdöd and Freedom raising hell once again, Harmagedon’s debut record Dystopian Dreams is a fusion of heaviness that is difficult to pin down but makes all the damn sense in the world! With focus on primal minimalism but maximum animalism, Dystopian Dreams is the ground zero of an explosive power trio summoning raw energy into being. With no frills and no gimmicks, just relentless heaviness, Harmagedon is a matured brew of “crust punk” or “d-beat” (“kängpunk” for the diehards) infused with ravishing death-metal. Dystopian Dreams is made by adepts of distortion and grime to be imbibed by connoisseurs of rage and chord-fury.

Recorded live at their own studio, Dystopian Dreams was conjured with the help of Fred Forsberg of Mass Worship at the controls, capturing Harmagedon’s wildfire and blending this dense stew together. With the addition of Magnus Lindberg of Cult of Luna mastering it, Dystopian Dreams has that exceptional flavour of a future classic, where all the cogs and wheels of this merciless weapon fire on all cylinders.

Black Sabbath, Entombed, Neurosis & High on Fire spring to mind, as the calibre of Harmadgedon’s riff whirlwind is of the finest quality, the antithesis of royalty but epic and majestic in delivery. Dystopian Dreams’ hulking magnetism leads you expertly to headbang and worship at the altar of timeless metal, without the slightest remnant of doubt.

Songs like Reptilian and Controlled Chaos groove and churn, but pack a hell of a concrete punch, with nihilistic, gravelled guitars and spewing vocals of molten brimstone.

Guitarist and vocalist Tim Rosenquist says:

“Controlled Chaos is about propaganda actions and distractions but Reptilian is about how hard work makes you into this emotionless beast of a being. That song is best served blasting on the factory floor or in the car on your way to the office! Reptilian’s themes are at the core of what Harmagedon is about”.

Look to the masters to deliver true heavyweight metal when the current scene lacks enough muscle and teeth. From a band made up of underground titans, Harmagedon is drawn from the well of eternal heaviness, living in death forever, what nightmares are made of.

Harmagedon is:

Tim Rosenquist - Guitars & Vocals

Magnus Berglund - Bass

Jens Bäckelin - Drums

Scandinavian jawbreakers Harmagedon offer up a nightmare future on their debut album Dystopian Dreams, with a refreshingly modern concoction of melodic death metal and crust punk.

Three piece riff machine from Stockholm Sweden, Harmagedon is a raw festering carcass of dynamic grind and roll. Featuring members of Martyrdöd and Freedom raising hell once again, Harmagedon’s debut record Dystopian Dreams is a fusion of heaviness that is difficult to pin down but makes all the damn sense in the world! With focus on primal minimalism but maximum animalism, Dystopian Dreams is the ground zero of an explosive power trio summoning raw energy into being. With no frills and no gimmicks, just relentless heaviness, Harmagedon is a matured brew of “crust punk” or “d-beat” (“kängpunk” for the diehards) infused with ravishing death-metal. Dystopian Dreams is made by adepts of distortion and grime to be imbibed by connoisseurs of rage and chord-fury.

Recorded live at their own studio, Dystopian Dreams was conjured with the help of Fred Forsberg of Mass Worship at the controls, capturing Harmagedon’s wildfire and blending this dense stew together. With the addition of Magnus Lindberg of Cult of Luna mastering it, Dystopian Dreams has that exceptional flavour of a future classic, where all the cogs and wheels of this merciless weapon fire on all cylinders.

Black Sabbath, Entombed, Neurosis & High on Fire spring to mind, as the calibre of Harmadgedon’s riff whirlwind is of the finest quality, the antithesis of royalty but epic and majestic in delivery. Dystopian Dreams’ hulking magnetism leads you expertly to headbang and worship at the altar of timeless metal, without the slightest remnant of doubt.

Songs like Reptilian and Controlled Chaos groove and churn, but pack a hell of a concrete punch, with nihilistic, gravelled guitars and spewing vocals of molten brimstone.

Guitarist and vocalist Tim Rosenquist says:

“Controlled Chaos is about propaganda actions and distractions but Reptilian is about how hard work makes you into this emotionless beast of a being. That song is best served blasting on the factory floor or in the car on your way to the office! Reptilian’s themes are at the core of what Harmagedon is about”.

Look to the masters to deliver true heavyweight metal when the current scene lacks enough muscle and teeth. From a band made up of underground titans, Harmagedon is drawn from the well of eternal heaviness, living in death forever, what nightmares are made of.

Harmagedon is:

Tim Rosenquist - Guitars & Vocals

Magnus Berglund - Bass

Jens Bäckelin - Drums

No Future, No Past – Svart Records set to release a compilation of the lost treasures of Finnish speed and thrash metal in October



The roots of speeding thrash metal stretch out to the early and mid 80’s. It did not take long for the waves arising from the shores of California, central Europe and the United Kingdom hit Finland hard as well. The guiding light of Finnish thrash metal from that era was Stone from Kerava, but the entire scene that was bubbling beneath the surface was surprisingly vivid for such a small country. As the old saying goes, in the late 80’s there was not a single town in Finland without a speed metal band.



These dozens – or hundreds, to be more precise – of vivacious bands formed by the long-haired youth didn’t just stay in the basements of their parents’ houses. Soon the youth centres of every county and open-minded venues such as the legendary Lepakko in Helsinki would arrange wild speed and thrash metal gigs. Studios run by more experienced musicians such as Timo Tolkki from Stratovarius were fully booked by hungry young bands eager to record their future metal classics. Many bands released 7” singles and demo tapes by themselves or with support from a record company, yet most of them permanently stayed at the demo stage through the golden era of the eighties.



Svart Records is set to release a compilation of the absolute top tunes culled from these sought-after, long-lost demo tapes and singles on vinyl and CD in October. No Future, No Past – Finnish Speed & Thrash Metal Explosion combines the strongest, rarest, and most obscure Finnish metal tracks from the years 1986-1992.



Backgrounds of the bands presented on the compilation differ a lot from one another. Vendetta and Damage were born from the ashes of the members’ previous hardcore and punk bands. A.R.G. and Catalepsy got their feet in the door fast of record companies such as Poko Records and Megamania, while other metal acts from that time simply faded away. After a few decades passed, some bands saw it fit to restart their careers, Sacred Crucifix and The Hirvi being examples of such comeback artists.



No Future, No Past – Finnish Speed & Thrash Metal Explosion 1986–1992 will be released on October 13th on a limited 2LP vinyl edition and CD version. The compilation is packed with 18 remastered tracks of pure Finnish metal mayhem and accompanied by a booklet that contains band histories, photos, and song details. The compilation’s predecessor Real Delusions: Finnish Speed & Thrash Metal Explosion 1987-1991 was released in 2018 and its limited vinyl edition was sold out in a heartbeat, so get this rare gem now before it’s too late!

Pulverizing grindcore meets raging powerviolence perfection. Need we say more? Horrible Mess collects everything Hatred Surge recorded between 2005 and 2007. This is the first time these tracks have been available on vinyl since they were originally released.

Limited edition of 500 copies. Comes with a massive 12-page booklet cram packed with photos and in-depth liner-notes of the wild tales from back in the days of Swedish Heavy Metal Rock. A mind-bending musical discovery! The long-lost and previously unreleased music and history of northern Sweden’s legendary hard rock / proto-metal champions active between 1969-1972. Subliminal Sounds swings open the portals to the long lost, ultra-rare, and previously unreleased, music and history of Sweden’s loud and hairy underground hard rocking champions. Get ready for some seriously jaw dropping, skull crunching Swedish’s hard rock/heavy psych from the totally stoned 1970s. This is a tasty new release in our series: “The Swedish Hard Rock Underground – A Smorgasbord of Heavy Sounds”!

Red flame with black hues vinyl, limited to 300 copies.In the fall of 2016, Jacob Lee (Hellish Form, PlasticBag FaceMask) and Stephen Muir (Cabin Fire) wanted to form a bleak and abrasive grindcore band with sludge and black metalinfluences. Inspired by acts such as Trap Them, The Secret, and Rotten Sound, Jacob and Stephen formed Elder Devil as a DIY studio project with Stephen providing vocals and lyricswhile Jacob handled music and production. They released their first EP Graves Among the Roots (Medusa Crush Recordings) in 2017 and followed up with the full length The LightDimmed Eternal (Crown and Throne Ltd./Roman Numeral Records) in 2019. Shortly after, Elder Devil began playing as a full band with good friends Ryan Urquidez (dontcryformeimalreadydead, Cabin Fire) on bass and Pete Ruacho (Amenthes, Nani SS) ondrums. Their 2021 EP, Fragments of Hell (PlasticSkull Records/SludgeLord Records), marked their first release as a full lineup.On signing with Prosthetic, Elder Devil says: "It's both exciting and humbling to be working with a label as prolific as Prosthetic. It's an honor to be among the great bands and alumni from Prosthetic's past and present. We really can't wait for people to hear the songs for our upcoming Prosthetic full length debut."

Das norwegische Psychedelic- / Stoner-Rock Trio Saint Karloff präsentiert seinen neuen Longplayer 'Paleolithic War Crimes', der auf Majestic Mountain Records erscheint.
Eine absolute Empfehlung für Fans von Bands wie Black Sabbath, Fu Manchu oder Kyuss.

Influential Los Angeles-based doom metal group Saint Vitus was formed in 1979, with Black Sabbath and Black Flag noteworthy references. Seventh album COD, from 1992, made former Count Raven frontman Christian Lindersson lead vocalist, the guitars now texturally layered, and the drums bathed in heavy reverb, hearkening older styles of metal. Overall, it’s a testament to underachieves and burnouts everywhere, directly addressing their fans as the ‘Children of Doom’ of the title. This is an underrated album for all discerning doom metal lovers, and unmissable for those who seek a fuller understanding of St Vitus’ progression.

Fire and brimstone from Icelandic Black Metal band Altari, as their volcanic new album Kröflueldar erupts via Svart Records on 14.04.23. Named after a series of eruptions that happened at Krafla in Iceland in 1975, Kröflueldar represents the constant threat of ash that Altari’s music lives under. Kröflueldar was a 9 year series of eruptions, and since the album took almost 9 years to create, Altari felt that it was a fitting title for their scalding and ferocious music.

Fans of Craft, Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord and the more well known Icelandic Black Metal bands like Misþyrming and Sinmara will revel in digging into Kröflueldar’s rotten soil, but there is something far more experimental and avant-garde to be reaped within the whirlwind of sound that Altari produces. With their foundations of sound in the classic eras of early Judas Priest, songs like Leðurblo?kufjandinn call to mind the discordant soundclash of bands like Voivod, Virus and even Sonic Youth in the interplay of melody and disharmony. The bewildering, but utterly charming frenzy of taking the raw sound of metal to the limits breaks through from Altari’s literal geological location in a landscape in constant upheaval. Guitarist and Vocalist Ó.Þ.Guðjónsson notes that; “bands such as Blue Öyster Cult, Interpol, Killing Joke were a big inspiration for us as well for the use of clean guitars as the sound for leads. I expressed a desire to find some balance between the overdriven rhythm and melodic yet clean leads. These bands helped us find that.”

It is through these uncommon and almost blasphemous influences that Altari proves to be a rare gem in the much vaulted Icelandic Black Metal crown, giving Kröflueldar the dna of a band that feels they have so much potential and fervor brewing up in their molten kiln. Tracks like Sy?rulu?ður with the vocals of Gyða Margrét are as delicate and subtle, cloaked in smoky atmosphere, as they are dark and brooding, giving hints of bands like This Mortal Coil and Cocteau Twins.

When Guðjónsson states that the intention was an “overall desire for us to get away from the sound that has been a gateway for others here in the scene” they imbued Kröflueldar with a beguiling essence that’s hard to pin down, but magnetically unique. The co-production work of Stephen Lockhart, a staple of the Icelandic Black Metal scene and sound, is of quality but something very different from his signature work, born from what Guðjónsson describes as a need for a “new sonic approach,” Kröflueldar’s sonic eruptions, from the low earthy rumblings to the cacophonic and epic high notes, feels thoroughly worked but raw enough to be unsettling in the new ground it uncovers. Svart Records head honcho Tomi Pulkki expands on the reasons behind his new signing, saying that; “I found their approach refreshingly idiosyncratic in the way it mixes cleaner sounds with distortion. Altari brings something new to Black Metal and that is a rare thing these days”.

Adorned with the psychedelic album cover by guitarist K.R.Guðmundsson, which evokes the storms that come when a volcano erupts, Kröflueldar is a worthy song of praise to the wild and destructive threat of nature unleashed.

Fire and brimstone from Icelandic Black Metal band Altari, as their volcanic new album Kröflueldar erupts via Svart Records on 14.04.23. Named after a series of eruptions that happened at Krafla in Iceland in 1975, Kröflueldar represents the constant threat of ash that Altari’s music lives under. Kröflueldar was a 9 year series of eruptions, and since the album took almost 9 years to create, Altari felt that it was a fitting title for their scalding and ferocious music.

Fans of Craft, Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord and the more well known Icelandic Black Metal bands like Misþyrming and Sinmara will revel in digging into Kröflueldar’s rotten soil, but there is something far more experimental and avant-garde to be reaped within the whirlwind of sound that Altari produces. With their foundations of sound in the classic eras of early Judas Priest, songs like Leðurblo?kufjandinn call to mind the discordant soundclash of bands like Voivod, Virus and even Sonic Youth in the interplay of melody and disharmony. The bewildering, but utterly charming frenzy of taking the raw sound of metal to the limits breaks through from Altari’s literal geological location in a landscape in constant upheaval. Guitarist and Vocalist Ó.Þ.Guðjónsson notes that; “bands such as Blue Öyster Cult, Interpol, Killing Joke were a big inspiration for us as well for the use of clean guitars as the sound for leads. I expressed a desire to find some balance between the overdriven rhythm and melodic yet clean leads. These bands helped us find that.”

It is through these uncommon and almost blasphemous influences that Altari proves to be a rare gem in the much vaulted Icelandic Black Metal crown, giving Kröflueldar the dna of a band that feels they have so much potential and fervor brewing up in their molten kiln. Tracks like Sy?rulu?ður with the vocals of Gyða Margrét are as delicate and subtle, cloaked in smoky atmosphere, as they are dark and brooding, giving hints of bands like This Mortal Coil and Cocteau Twins.

When Guðjónsson states that the intention was an “overall desire for us to get away from the sound that has been a gateway for others here in the scene” they imbued Kröflueldar with a beguiling essence that’s hard to pin down, but magnetically unique. The co-production work of Stephen Lockhart, a staple of the Icelandic Black Metal scene and sound, is of quality but something very different from his signature work, born from what Guðjónsson describes as a need for a “new sonic approach,” Kröflueldar’s sonic eruptions, from the low earthy rumblings to the cacophonic and epic high notes, feels thoroughly worked but raw enough to be unsettling in the new ground it uncovers. Svart Records head honcho Tomi Pulkki expands on the reasons behind his new signing, saying that; “I found their approach refreshingly idiosyncratic in the way it mixes cleaner sounds with distortion. Altari brings something new to Black Metal and that is a rare thing these days”.

Adorned with the psychedelic album cover by guitarist K.R.Guðmundsson, which evokes the storms that come when a volcano erupts, Kröflueldar is a worthy song of praise to the wild and destructive threat of nature unleashed.

”Ritual, though, is a hotter, more raw proposition, expressionistically blowing the lid off Finnish stoicism. It is very exciting.” - Steve Lake, the Wire Nov 89

Gargantuan volcanoes erupting with primal force, fountains of molten lava bursting sky high and massive boulders hurtling capriciously through the air. These potent and violently alluring images in the documentary series The Living Planet captivated Raoul Björkenheim's imagination in 1986. The search for a band name had come to an end.

-”I was mesmerised. The name Krakatau sounded like a drum fill to me”.



After studying at the Helsinki Conservatory for a year and the Berklee College of Music in Boston for three, Björkenheim relocated to Finland where he played in bands with Jone Takamäki, Antti Hytti and Tom Nekljudow, and later went on to work with composer and drummer Edward “Eetu” Vesala (1945-1999). His always original and highly demanding Sound & Fury workshops were a pivotal hotbed in the local improvised music scene, but after four years of Vesala's strict leadership Björkenheim felt a need to leave Sound & Fury behind and direct all of his attention towards Krakatau.



The lineup on the first album “Ritual” consisted of reed virtuosos Jorma Tapio and Tapani Rinne, the bassist Sampo Lassila and two drummers, Michel Lambert and Heikki “Lefty” Lehto. “Krakatau’s debut album was very challenging to make, as I felt that it might be my one and only chance to record my own music, so I wanted it to be as intense and effective as possible”, says Björkenheim, “I was lucky enough to work with an incredibly talented cast of musicians. I can still listen to the album and feel satisfied that it really works. The first guitar solo illustrates what was to become my modus operandi: to try and play the electric guitar in unexpected ways.”



Svart Records will release an expanded double LP version of Krakatau’s Ritual. Limited to 500 copies and due out on March 24th, the album contains an album’s worth of previously unheard material recorded in 1987 in Studio Helsinki and at the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation studio.

No rock 'n' roll record has felt this mysterious and free-spirited in years. R.I.P. channels Jorge Ben's late-night, alcohol-soaked vibes (heard on 1970's Fôrça Bruta) and the rambling country-blues of Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline. - NPR

And just like that he did it again, vanished. At this point Krano is an expert in the art of disappearing, after the dust settles he retreats, fades away into the hills behind Valdobbiadene and shuts down communication. It took four years to rescue from the vaults ‘Requiescat In Plavem’, Krano’s 2016 country-psychedelic masterpiece, a Venetian songbook for the Piave river shrouded in mystery and wonder that turned heads across the music circuits. Seven years later he’s back with ‘Lentius Profundius Suavius’ an incredible collection of songs about loss, solitude, death, darkness (Profundius) and sweetness, devotion and friendship (Suavius). Absolutely aching with soul, these ten songs channel rollicking twang, cosmic electric americana, honky-tonk mystics, noir gothic and fuzzed out spiritual rock’n’roll. As some would say, only the good sh*t, a masterclass in songcraft and true loner folk.

Who knows how, but ‘Lentius Profundius Suavius’ was vaguely inspired by the work of Italian peace activist Alexander Langer, a forgotten hero that relentlessly worked on eliminating ethnic boundaries and fostered ‘togetherness’ and true values of solidarity and ecological renaissance. “Slower rather than faster, deeper rather than higher and gently rather than hard” was Langer’s motto and fittingly is the reason behind the album’s title.

Krano’s music runs free, transcends barriers, a distillation of broken dreams tinted in black and white, where having the blues is not just a feeling but something you can’t shake, a wayfaring outsider on a journey side by side with players like Bill Fay, Robbie Basho, Skip Spence, Dave Bixby, inevitably bound to burn in eternity.

“Damn if there isn’t some mystical appeal at work in these songs.” - Aquarium Drunkard

The Netherlands' premium progressive gothic metal artists The Gathering caught live on the stage of the legendary Paradiso in Amsterdam, 1999. The Svart Records official reissue comes on 180 gram vinyl, wrapped in a heavy gatefold jacket.



"It is a very good representation of where we stood back in 1998/99. We also didn’t do any overdubs so what you see is what you get. It’s a very honest document of what THE Gathering was like in 1999", says Hans Rutten of The Gathering,"It's very pure and I'm very proud of it, especially to see it finally reissued on vinyl after a first, very limited run in 2013."

The Netherlands' premium progressive gothic metal artists The Gathering caught live on the stage of the legendary Paradiso in Amsterdam, 1999. The Svart Records official reissue comes on 180 gram vinyl, wrapped in a heavy gatefold jacket.



"It is a very good representation of where we stood back in 1998/99. We also didn’t do any overdubs so what you see is what you get. It’s a very honest document of what THE Gathering was like in 1999", says Hans Rutten of The Gathering,"It's very pure and I'm very proud of it, especially to see it finally reissued on vinyl after a first, very limited run in 2013."

Slipcase reissue edition. Digitally remastered by Matt Bordin at Outsideinside studio. The last track involves two individual songs being superimposed upon one another, and can be heard in three different ways. The atmosphere is profoundly different from, say, ''Alkahest''. quite fitting for Italy's notoriously enigmatic and stylistically capricious doom maestro, really! The emphasis here is on torturous, droning, mammoth dirges, almost VITUS-esque in magnitude, but less anguished and desperate feeling Dark Doom project founded by Paul Chain in 1984, after the split of Death SS. During this project's activity, over 50 different musicians cooperated under direction of the founder and bandleader.In 1987 the name was shortened to Paul Chain, and Chain started experimenting with other forms of music

In four short years of existence, Green Lung have risen from the murk of the UK heavy underground to become a true cult band with a devoted following. Debut album Woodland Rites, released independently in early 2019, quickly garnered attention, resulting in a single being named ‘Track of the Week’ in the Guardian, plays on Daniel P. Carter’s Radio One Rock Show, a tour with fellow UK heavies Puppy and festival appearances across Europe.

This brought the band to the attention of the wider music industry, and after multiple offers from a variety of labels, the band decided to stay true to their roots and sign with the Finnish audio wizards at Svart Records, home to several of their doomy inspirations including Reverend Bizarre and Warning. Svart’s deluxe reissue of the album, and the preceding EP Free the Witch, sold out several pressings.

Two years later, the folk horror-obsessed fivesome have re-emerged from their mulchy catacombs armed with dozens of freshly-whittled riffs. Black Harvest, the sequel to Woodland Rites, is a more colourful reimagining of the band’s sound - Dawn of the Dead to its predecessor’s Night of the Living Dead.

Recorded at Giant Wafer Studios in rural mid-Wales over the course of two weeks with longtime producer Wayne Adams (Petbrick, Big Lad), it’s a more expansive and textured record than anything the band have done before, boasting a cinematic quality and more attention to detail. All samples were sourced from the local countryside and from instruments found in the studio, including the haunting opening vocal of ‘The Harrowing’ which was recorded on a whim after the band broke into the local church (the organ can be heard creaking in the background). The album was recorded in late autumn, and the seasonal atmosphere seeped into the music, which is redolent of mists, falling leaves, and the crumbling glory of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries of London, the city the band call home.

The album also soaks in new sonics beyond the ‘Black Sabbath meets Brian May’ blueprint of what went before. ‘The Harrowing’ takes the band’s tradition of instrumental opening tracks to dizzy new heights, like Atomic Rooster jamming with Boston, while ballad ‘Graveyard Sun’, based on the folklore around the ‘Highgate Vampire’, adds gothic synth lines that would give Type O Negative pangs of jealousy. That’s not to say the hooks n’ heaviness approach that made the band’s name isn’t here in abundance, as the Sabbath-meets-Purple chug and groove of revolutionary lead single ‘Leaders of the Blind’ and the Hammer Horror riff frenzy of ‘Upon the Altar’ prove. Closer ‘Born to a Dying World’ is unlike anything the band have written before; an endtimes ballad with an almost gospel feel, tying the band’s omnipresent nature themes to the Anthropocene.

Mastered by John Davis at Metropolis (Led Zeppelin, Royal Blood), Black Harvest comes packaged in stained glass artwork by renowned artist Richard Wells (Doctor Who, Dracula, Ben Wheatley’s In the Earth), and is available in gatefold vinyl and CD formats.

Five tracks of masterful, ritualistic, and pitch-black evil make up the entirety of Ng’ambu - an album which is meant to be interpreted as a hymnal to invoke and praise spirits - shows the band drenched in offerings to the bands personal connection and dedication to Quimbanda, the Afro-Brazilian diasporic belief system based around magic, rituals, and offerings. The band explains, “It is both an offering to our Cabula, that is our house, as it is to the spirits of Quimbanda themselves. In some sense we are turning what could otherwise be poison into medicine. It is a process of engaging, through struggle, with those aspects of ourselves and the world which live at the pivot point of chance and desire. It is about seeking agency even in the thistles of the road. Quimbanda is the fire by which we forge our iron and the strangling plantst that cure disease. Quimbanda is both the pox and the inoculation. Quimbanda is our anxiety and the motivation that anxiety produces. It is conflict and the strength that comes from engaging that conflict. People say, idle hands are the devil’s plaything, and so we have put those hands and The Devil to work.” For the band's sophomore release, Mehenet connects a powerful fury of black metal mastery to the deeply rooted sounds of New Orleans - by way of utilizing samples of the bustling French Quarter and by paying respect and praise to the cultural music of the city by incorporating congas, whistles, and bells. Recorded and mixed in 2019 by James Whitten at High Tower Recording in New Orleans, LA

Growing up with Bathory’s epic era in their hearts it was inevitable that the music Ereb Altor were to create was going to be influenced by their house gods. So with Bathory’s anthems as their spiritual foundation they set out to create an own branch of the so called ”Epic Viking metal” genre. However a few years after the inception of the band it went on hiatus and only after more than a decade Mats and Ragnar decided to breathe new life into their sleeping beauty. A recording was done late 2003 with some of the over ten years old songs (slightly modified). The demo was named “Awakening”. The songs were put online for people to listen and it was also pressed in aprox 100 copies with a color layout. The response was great but nevertheless n proper album was never unleashed, and the years passed... But in early 2007 Mats and Ragnar heeded the call from the one eyed old man and went into studio Apocalypse in Gävle to record a full-length album, without having a record deal, hoping that someone was willing to release it. Needless to say we at I Hate jumped at the chance, cause this is first class heavy metal, meaningful, epic, heavy, melodic, melancholic and true to the style created by Bathory, Scald and Doomsword with elements of Candlemass and Isole. Put simply; if you have the slightest affinity for musical grandeur ”By Honour” will put a berserkers grin on your face!

Souldrainer, the Swedish Symphonic Death Metal troops, are pleased to announce their new album, Departure. It is safe to say that Souldrainer has created their heaviest and most well-crafted album to date. Surely, fans of the genre will not be disappointed. Souldrainer is the embodiment of the next breed of melodic death metal. With thickly layered rhythm guitars, atmospheric angel choirs, string ensembles, and ripping vocals, Souldrainer creates distinguished harmonic aggression that hits you harder than a brick-wall-in-your-face. Departure is a journey through your own dark fantasy where anything is possible, and we have made sure that every song will leave you with darkness, hopelessness, emptiness, anger and despair. Enjoy!

Limited Svart exclusive box set edition. The demo LP will not be available separately.

Hexvessel and Svart Records celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Hexvessel’s debut album Dawnbearer with a set of reissues, including CD, double vinyl plus an exclusive vinyl box set with a bonus LP containing demos and early versions of tracks on the album.

“Dawnbearer is a very important album for us, being our first album but also the first original album release for Svart Records. It’s also a very special record for our fans, and one that’s particularly close to my heart, in a world of its own when compared to the other records we have made. Considering that it’s been out of print now for some time, I’m delighted to be able to oversee a reissue of this album, together with original demos and out-takes, and liner notes showing the making of this album which carries the initial DNA of Hexvessel’s musical and spiritual journey”, says band leader Mat McNerney, “We haven’t touched a thing on the original layout, but added some bonus material for the limited edition, should you wish to own a luxury edition of this, our now classic debut.”

Hexvessel band was founded by English singer/songwriter Mat McNerney (Beastmilk, Grave Pleasures, Carpenter Brut etc) after he moved to Finland in 2009. Their style of music has been referred to as “forest folk” or as Noisey/Vice puts it: “Weaving English folk, lilting Americana, and mushroom-induced psychedelia”. Their debut album 'Dawnbearer' was released worldwide in 2011 on Svart Records and is considered to be an influential classic record of the modern Occult Rock revival. Highly popular with Hexvessel fans and unique in their catalogue, featuring guitars by Andrew McIvor (Code), violin work of Daniel Pioro (who works on Paul Thomas Anderson’s soundtracks with Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead), the early production work of Jaime Gomez Arellano (Ghost, Paradise Lost), and guest vocals from Carl Michael Eide (Virus, Ved Buens Ende, Aura Noir).

“Think Woven Hand, haunted ’60s/’70s pastoral folk, or a darker riff on Midlake. McNerney covers Clive Palmer’s post-Incredible String Band crew C.O.B. and successfully transforms and darkens Paul Simon’s “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes.” He quotes Crowley, Truman Capote, Isaac Babel, etc. Unlike black metal-ready folk, this is folk by a talented, ambitious black metal musician. But the energy’s there. As is the atmosphere.” - Stereogum

“(Part of) a new wave of bands who share many of the original occult bands' musical and philosophical characteristics, spearheaded by Ghost, from Sweden, and the Devil's Blood, from Holland – have begun to lure in a new generation of fans, predominantly from the metal scene, their names alone – Ancient VVisdom, Hexvessel, Blood Ceremony– point to a focused step back to the age of Wheatley and Hammer. ” - The Guardian (2011)

This is the story of the “lost” album. Shortly after The Small Hours had three tracks included on the Mods May Day '79 album, we went back into the recording studio to record an album of our own. Most of the songs were recorded in one take in London. At least one was recorded as a jam session while waiting for the sound engineer to adjust his settings. This gave the album the raw energy and drive of a live performance. We had everything: great songs, strong band dynamics and a large and enthusiastic live following. The only ingredient missing at the time was a record contract. So the tapes were mothballed and life moved on… until some 43 years later Carol Isaacs found a copy of the tape in the back of a cupboard. Carol sent it to Dizzy Detour, who in turn passed it to his genius sound engineer, James Perret. With 21st century technology, James was able to do a total remix of the sound adding double/ triple tracking, delay and echo. The result is an astonishing “virtual reality” of what the band would have sounded like live. As Neil Thompson would say, we had "Ingredient X”. A meld of the individual members of the band into a complete sound. The sound that was held together by a great drummer, the late Iain Shedden. As the saying goes," All things come to those who wait”. Thanks to Carol, Dizzy and James Perret, the wait is over.

Moon Colored Vinyl, limited to 500 copies. Swords and metal go hand in hand. That's what crossover thrash band High Command say, having turned heads with their debut album Beyond The Wall of Desolation (2019). But it's not solely metal music which influences the band, who cite the lustful violence of Robert E. Howard, Michel Moorcock, Jack Vance and many other legendary pulp writers of the 20th century as an impetus for their expansive storytelling. "People would also be surprised to hear we drew quite a bit of inspiration from the music of Ennio Morricone, especially in regards to writing some more of the epic, grandiose passages and chord progressions." says the band. Now, with their second album, Eclipse of the Dual Moons, the band take their love of storytelling a step further, deepening and widening the world of Secartha, the realm of High Command's songs. The band place themselves as omniscient narrators of the world they have created, and say that they are inseparable from Secartha and its people. "It's one thing to make a good metal record, but it's another to put on top of it a sort of overarching story that makes sense to listeners. The whole High Command project is enriched by lyrics articulating characters, a world, and trials faced within it. We want our records to be immersive and leave listeners with a feeling they've experienced something bigger than the music."

High Command returns with their second full length album Eclipse of the Dual Moons, arriving 25th November via Southern Lord and produced with Seth Manchester. Listen TO First Single "siege Warfare" Black Vinyl - Non-returnable. Swords and metal go hand in hand. That’s what crossover thrash band High Command say, having turned heads with their debut album Beyond The Wall of Desolation (2019). But it’s not solely metal music which influences the band, who cite the lustful violence of Robert E. Howard, Michel Moorcock, Jack Vance and many other legendary pulp writers of the 20th century as an impetus for their expansive storytelling. “People would also be surprised to hear we drew quite a bit of inspiration from the music of Ennio Morricone, especially in regards to writing some more of the epic, grandiose passages and chord progressions.” says the band. Now, with their second album, Eclipse of the Dual Moons, the band take their love of storytelling a step further, deepening and widening the world of Secartha, the realm of High Command’s songs. The band place themselves as omniscient narrators of the world they have created, and say that they are inseparable from Secartha and its people. “It’s one thing to make a good metal record, but it’s another to put on top of it a sort of overarching story that makes sense to listeners. The whole High Command project is enriched by lyrics articulating characters, a world, and trials faced within it. We want our records to be immersive and leave listeners with a feeling they’ve experienced something bigger than the music.” It’s not just a question of widening the world, which the band first started exploring on The Secartha Demos (2016); Eclipse of the Dual Moons sees High Command honing their process to a fine art “it’s like we started with chiseling a rock… this record is the moment the rock in question begins to look like an actual sculpture.”