EINAR SOLBERG – frontman of Norwegian rock mavericks Leprous – is pleased to announce the release of his debut solo album ‘16’ on June 2nd, 2023. Wildly diverse, but spiritually rooted in Einar’s well-established musical world, ‘16’ is an album that brims with surprises and spinning curveballs and features a collection of intimate but extravagant collaborations.
Solberg has also released the video for “Grotto”, the first single to be taken from the album, a track written alongside Magnus Børmark, best known as a member of Norwegian alt-folk troupe Gåte. It also features Keli Guðjónsson (Agent Fresco) on drums, Tor Egil Kreken on bass, Raphael Weinroth-Browne (Leprous touring member) on cello & Chris Baum (Bent Knee) on violin.
Although active on the live front ever since their foundation in 2006, Serbian Black Metal commando KOLAC have released their latest official material “Zauvek crni” 9 years ago in 2014, so it is about time for their new, third full-length album to be unleashed later this year in collaboration with Pest Records.
KOLAC‘s upcoming official effort will be a special one: a self-titled loose concept record featuring 9 new tracks plus intro revolving around the usage of stakes (Kolac in Serbian language) as punishment methods in the Middle Ages and beyond. Primarily a traditional Black Metal band, KOLAC allows plenty of Thrash Metal touches to enrich their compositions, and the result is a combination of primal fury and energy, with darkened melodies and rhythmic diversity.
Here’s what the band had to say about their upcoming album and collaboration with Pest Records: “It is but a pinnacle… The memory from the time we’ve made the initial contact fades. Pest Records has ever supported us and when it came to searching for an honest, dedicated label that shares our passion for dark soundscapes, there were obvious pointers. Through various forms of collaboration to the finalization of this agreement, we do not only hope, but are actually certain that we have found a reliable partner to help spread our wings further. We are beyond honored to be on Pest Records! Long awaited new music from Kolac is well on its way. Look out for pest’s new breed!”
A three tracks advance promo is to be released in short time, but in the meantime check out the band’s live ritual:
KOLAC will perform at the Metal Fest in Sarajevo, Bosnia on Saturday, the 25th of February. More info HERE.
Immerse yourself in the captivating sounds of Greek psychedelic stoner rock druids VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY as they take you on a journey to uncharted territories with their first live album, Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020), set to be released on March 3, 2023 via Napalm Records.
The latest single from the album, “Zvara,” is a powerful showcase of the band’s unique musical style, blending the best of psychedelic and stoner rock into a cohesive and hypnotic soundscape. Accompanied by a mesmerizing live video, the track transports you into a trance-like state as you are taken on a journey through hypnotic instrumentals and transcendental atmospheres. Get ready to be amazed as the song switches to a fast upbeat groove, featuring an incredible clarinet solo performance. Jam along with VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY as they navigate through the cosmic territories of Greek psychedelic stoner rock.
VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY gather their strengths from Greek nature and cosmic spirits, letting it flow right into their phenomenal psychedelic stoner rock. Delivering amazing performances, the band ascends forth to create their first live album, Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020). With their short but very mesmerizing discography, the live show is centered around the band’s most recent studio album, Age of Aquarius (2019), as they play the album in sequence and spice it up with songs from their debut album and singles. Starting with the fascinating “Welcome”, “Age of Aquarius” and “Part V” all in sequence, VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY represent their ability as great storytellers underlined by great visuals. The band then jumps straight into their debut album, Riza (2014), playing “Nova”, “Perdikomata” and “Skaros”. Fans are blown away from the dedication of the clarinet, bagpipe, and guitar! Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020) presents the sextet’s attention to detail with great production, amazing musicianship, a bombastic live presence, and the yearning to play more amazing shows in the future. This won’t be the last time VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY will transcend fans into the heavens of Mount Olympus – this is only just the beginning!
Pre-Order your copy of Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020) NOW
Formed in 2007, Epirus-based VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY have delivered an explosive performance to the big stage with their infusion of heavy psychedelic rock and folk instruments! After the band released their promising debut album, Riza (2014), the Greek musicians followed up with the game-changing album, Age of Aquarius (2019) – catapulting them straight to the biggest rock festivals and numerous sold-out shows in the biggest music scenes in Greece. Followed by this year’s tour through Europe, psychedelic stoner rockers VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY proved to their fans once more that they are ready to start this exciting next voyage.
Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020) Tracklist: CD 1:
After three successful singles where STARGAZER confirmed to be at the forefront of classic heavy metal/hard rock in Norway, it’s now time for “Heartbroken”, one of the ballads of the upcoming album “Life Will Never Be The Same”. And the Norwegian quintet lives up to expectations: Scorpions chills, Blackmore-inspired guitar solo, and the Tore André Helgemo vocal tone, which always manages to pay homage to Ronnie James Dio without being a copycat.
One of the most heartfelt ballads of the year from one of the best heavy metal/hard rock albums in the latest times.
STARGAZER have teamed up with Metal Shock Finland to premiere “Heartbroken” for Finnish territory, enjoy it here:
After their previous release “The Sky is the Limit”, Norwegian band Stargazer entered the radar of connoisseurs of the hard rocking world. The group was loudly hailed as one to watch. They received a lot of great reviews all over the western world and were, back then in late 2019, ready to take on the world for serious touring. But serious touring saw an abrupt end due to Covid-19 for almost every band in 2020-21, with Stargazer being no exception.
The nordic five-piece didn’t lose their spirit and, diligently, took the downtime to start penning their next album. Produced by guitar player William Ernstsen and vocalist Tore André Helgemo, “Life Will Never Be The Same” is the result of those dark times with a silver lining ahead. Engineered by William at Jedimasterstudios, Trondheim, and mixed and mastered in Medley Studios, Copenhagen, by Soren Andersen (Glenn Hughes, Electric Guitars, etc), “Life Will Never Be The Same” is exactly the kind of album that you’d expect from a matured Stargazer and then some.
The five-piece powerhouse hammers on with Scandinavian vibes that consists of virtuosity and a vintage sound with a modern twist. Firing on all cylinders in combination with the sense of good melodies, great riffs, solos and songwriting handcraft. With one of rock’s best voices and one of the best blues-based hard rock guitar players around today. All this on top of a rock steady hard groove with killer rock songs such as “Live My Dream”, or down to the most tender and heartfelt tunes, as for example the single “Live Today”, with emotions worn on their sleeves.
“Life Will Never Be The Same” is the sound of Norwegian classic hard rock flagship, and Stargazer sets sail again with this third release in their discography. One to change their life – and yours – for good.
“Life Will Never Be The Same” will be released on digital, digipack CD and gatefold double LP (black vinyl, limited to 500 units) via Mighty Music on March 3rd, 2023.
Lineup: Tore André Helgemo – vocals, rhythm guitar William Ernstsen – lead & rhythm guitars Sondre Bjerkset – keybards Jomar Johansen – bass Svend Skogheim – drums
Photo by Benedetta Gaiani – The Hurricane Photography
NERVOCHAOS continue the inexorable countdown to their new studio album “Chthonic Wrath”, this time with the digital single “Taphephobia”. The song, based on the phobia of being buried alive, starts in a really heavy mode, with a somber ambient, and continues in a growing mode. The Brazilians capture like almost anyone else the claustrophobic and desperate feeling of waking up inside a coffin and to realise that you were buried alive.
Today Metal Shock Finland has a pleasure to premiere for Finland NERVOCHAOS’ “Taphephobia” video, enjoy the premiering below.
July 2021. Pandemics was still hitting hard the entire globe, specially Brazil, where deaths exceeded the 30 thousand. Local death metal big guns NervoChaos were home for far too long. Being used to tour most of the year and not having that chance, due to Covid-19 related constrictions, the band had a brand new album entirely written and ready to record, even before their current album at that time, “All Colors Of Darkness”, hit the shelves. Not ones to wait for the perfect music industry timing or sit on their arses, the Brazilians got themselves in the Abracadaver Studio, with producers Addasi Adassi and Adriano Daga (Angra, Almah, Torture Squad, etc) and recorded what was to be their next album. “Chthonic Wrath” was born.
Merely two months later, American producer Brendan Duffey, which worked previously with Nervosa, Angra and Andre Matos – to name just a few – got the 14 tracks to mix and master, and was utterly impressed. What NervoChaos achieved with “Chthonic Wrath” was their death metal essence, in all its brutality and technical prowess glory, but with hints of a renewed energy and heaviness. How could a group in their 26th year as a band be so hungry for more, passionated about death metal and still motivated enough to dig up riffs so vile, rhythm patterns so vicious and vocal attacks so violent that shake the listener to the ground? On top of it all, the subtle melody nuances and the superb acoustic guitar interlude (aptly named “Tomb Mold”) recorded by Brazilian traditional music researcher Ricardo Vignini. NervoChaos might be an experienced band with thousands of accumulated stage hours. Some might even call them “old”. But they’re nowhere near their descent of the central role in Brazilian – and South American – death metal and they keep firing all cylinders when it comes to no bullshit, truly angry extreme music.
The band gained cult status in the music scene due to their hard work over the past 26 years, offering a sonic extravaganza in their unique way. The group has tenth full-length studio album out, being the latest one “All Colors Of Darkness” – their first for Emanzipation Productions – released in 2022. NervoChaos is also constantly touring worldwide to support their releases, doing around 100 concerts per year – from clubs to big festivals, with everything in between.
“Chthonic Wrath” will be released on digital and CD via Emanzipation Productions on March 31st, 2023.
Following the release of their much acclaimed, chart-topping studio album, Death, Where Is Your Sting (October 2021, AFM Records), Swedish doom rock act AVATARIUM will not only embark on a European tour with SWALLOW THE SUN this Spring, but has just premiered a new music video for the album opening track “A Love Like Ours”! Says Marcus Jidell:
“This song was created together with one of the world’s most interesting and skilled cello players, Svante Henryson. When I was a teenager I saw him play one of Bach’s cello suites on a Yngwie Malmsteen concert, all alone on the big stage. I have loved his talent ever since and it’s an honour to work with him! I also hope you’ll enjoy this video, created by Niklas Palmklint and Jennie-Ann Smith, as much as I do.”
Almost 10 years ago, Candlemass legend Leif Edling made the doom metal world a darker and ultimately more interesting place with new band, AVATARIUM. Edling eventually left AVATARIUM‘s ranks due to health issues, but the band forged onward, and 2022 seen them capping off a prolific decade with their fifth studio album, Death, Where Is Your Sting, that is available at THIS LOCATION!
Ever since their impressive debut, AVATARIUM operated with the keywords “dark”, “heavy” and “poetic”, which best describes the Swedish outfit at its core. Yet they are somewhat unique within doom metal, fronted by Jennie-Ann, unintentionally breaking genre boundaries. She has learned a lot from working with Leif Edling, whom she affectionately refers to as The Master Of Doom, and Death, Where Is Your Sting, marks the first time Smith has written all the lyrics for an album. This is significant in that lyrics have always inspired the song arrangements in AVATARIUM.
Death, Where Is Your Sting was written over a two-year period, during the global pandemic. The album was produced by Marcus Jidell, mixed by Mats Valentin and Jidell, and was mastered by Svante Forsbäck.
Artwork: Erik Rovanpera
AVATARIUM Live: w/ SWALLOW THE SUN
23.04.2023 FR Montpellier Secret Place 24.04.2023 FR Lyon CCO Villeurbanne 25.04.2023 IT Milano Legend Club 26.04.2023 SLO Ljubljana Orto Bar 27.04.2023 CH Lucern Schüür 28.04.2023 CH Meyrin Undertown 29.04.2023 CH Martigny Caves Du Manoir 30.04.2023 DE Munich Backstage (Halle) 01.05.2023 HU Budapest Dürer Kert 02.05.2023 AT Vienna Viper Room 03.05.2023 CZ Prague Nova Chmelnice 04.05.2023 DE Berlin Hole44 05.05.2023 PL Gdansk Drizzly Grizzly 06.05.2023 PL Poznan U Bazyla 07.05.2023 DE Leipzig UT Connewitz
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Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
Click image to watch the video
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