Northern electronic metal group Skies Turn Black will be embarking on their ‘Ascend To The Skies’ UK Tour and will be taking fellow UK metalists Andromedous out with them in April 2025 as co-headliners.
One or 2 dates may be added closer to the tour so watch this space or follow Skies Turn Black on Facebook for updated info.
Current Tour Dates: April 10 | Outpost | Liverpool April 12 | Levels | Swindon April 13 | Grand Central | Manchester April 14 | Bannerman’s | Edinburgh April 15 | The Lubber Fiend | Newcastle April 16 | Sidney & Matilda | Sheffield April 17 | The Electric Banana | Weston-Super-Mare April 20 | Lvls | London
Skies Turn Black are: Jamie Jordan – Vocals/Guitar Xander Isles – Vocals/Keytar George Turner – Guitar Danny Woodhead – Bass Rob Halliday – Drums
Svar is a one-man black metal project founded in 2020 in Krakow (PL) by Kamil “Hexed” Bolesta. By concept, it is melodic black metal thematically revolving around the pagan beliefs of the Slavs. In 2021, Svar released first EP called “Behind the Veil”. A year later, the second EP “Under a Sky Full of Thunder” – a concept record centered around the theme of the Slavic God Perun. After two years of working on new material comes the milestone of the project in the form of a first full album entitled “In the Land Called Night”. This record was released digitally, tape and CD on November 29th, 2024 by Polish label Via Nocturna.
After the great feedback of the debut album by both fans and reviewers, Kamil decided to follow up and released the debut on vinyl format. Vinyl mastering was done by Arkadiusz “Aro” Jabłoński at Monroe Sound Studio (Illness, Masachist, Woe Unto Me). Release date is set up on March 28, 2025. Order the album at Via Nocturna webstore (here).
Today on Atmospheric Black Metal Albums Youtube channel the premiere is taking place of lyric video to the open track from debut album.
Heavy-hitting metal act 40 Cycle Hum returns with their blistering new single, “Seven Stitches,” released via TLG | ZOID and distributed by Virgin Music Group. This latest offering cements the band’s reputation for delivering intense, thought-provoking music that resonates deeply with fans of metal.
Brandon Mitchell, the band’s vocalist states, “Every Scar tells a story.
This song is about how succumbing to the lure and temptation we commonly face is a fool’s game with a price that, more often than not, leaves us wounded, broken, and in need of proverbial ‘Stitches’.”
“Seven Stitches” is now available on all major streaming platforms. For more information on 40 Cycle Hum, including upcoming releases and tour dates, visit their official website and follow them on social media.
In a world overwhelmed with musical diversity, ideology and artistic bias, it can sometimes be a daunting task seeking out those talents truly worthy of praise. Let’s face it – everyone is aware that it should all be about the music, but in a society that thrives on social media influencers, overblown pop star frenzies dictating everything and force feeding social & corporate money making gimmicks, the music has regrettably taken a back seat. Still there are those few uncompromising musicians scattered among us that prefer to rely on good old-fashioned brow-beating hard work rather than succumb to the prefabricated mainstream success that is so prevalent in today’s modern musical arena.
Enter 40 Cycle Hum, whose genuine approach to writing and performing is sure to cause fans and industry types everywhere to stand up and take notice. This latest powerhouse offering boasts a massive punch and will no doubt have even the most docile fans throwing their fists to the air. Produced and engineered by Stevo Bruno (Five Finger Death Punch, Motley Crue, Prong), and mastered by the late great George Marino of Sterling Sound. The album features 12 scorching tracks including “Seven Stitches”, “Get Up”, “Home”, and “Back In The Day”. In addition the CD is packaged with original artwork by famed horror director Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Lords of Illusion, Gods & Monsters). 40 CYCLE HUM is the long awaited triumphant follow-up to the band’s 2006 debut, Secret Skin!
The band’s inception featured Singer/Frontman/Guitarist Brandon Mitchell, Guitarist Rocky George (of Suicidal Tendencies/ Infections Grooves), Bassist Mike Duda (of W.A.S.P., and Drummer Francis Ruiz (Buckcherry) who were involved in much of shaping the band’s direction and songwriting approach. The industry would then call on Rocky George and Mike Duda to fulfill their responsibilities in their other respective bands. Mike was called back to W.A.S.P., and Rocky was called to FISHBONE.
It was at that time guitarist Mark Zavon (Kill Devil Hill), and Bassist Kenny Lefort joined the fold and began forging a new path ahead. As fate would dictate, the musical climate changed among other developments, and eventually resulted in the band members pursuing other musical endeavors.
While the guys have individually and collectively paid their dues, and have been a part of many musical collaborations and bands, the fact that what they created together is “worthy”. Worthy of being heard, shared, loved by true music fans, but also worthy of being performed and recognized along side of their established musical cohorts & peers. With the band members having remained in touch with each other and remaining active in the music world, the universe has now set the stage to allow 40 Cycle Hum to share the great music they have created!
“Music is a tough business; the cards are stacked against you before you even get started. But if you’re in it for the right reasons it becomes its own reward. We all have to pay the bills, but at the end of the day, nothing beats doing something you really love.”
Originality is a scarce thing in music anymore, although once in a while there are definitely worthwhile exceptions. 40 Cycle Hum are no different than other musicians in that the are a product of their influences, but by combining their influences, they make music that remains fresh and relevant to today’s listeners.
The album features 12 Scorching tracks including “Seven Stitches”, “Get Up”, “Home”, “Back In The Day”. In addition the CD is packaged with original artwork by famed horror director Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Lords of Illusion, Gods & Monsters). Let the revelry begin!
Hellenic black metal iconoclasts LUCIFER’S CHILD unveil their anticipated third studio album “The Illuminant” in its entirety. The album was released on March 28th via Agonia Records.
Stream the album here:
After a seven year slumber which LUCIFER’S CHILD slipped into following its last full-length record “The Order” – a slumber veiled in shadow and silence – the Greek black metal quartet reawakens the fire which never fully ceased to burn or amaze. In a phoenix-like reprise, the group channels the heights of its esoteric ponder and the depths of its harrowing despair into “The Illuminant”.
The album marks a profound evolution in LUCIFER’s CHILD sound, aspiring to “a journey deeper into the abyss and the emotions, where the extreme meets the melodic, and the unseen becomes manifest,” points out co-founder/guitarist George Emmanuel (ex-Rotting Christ, ex-Chaostar, Necromantia). “Our new album represents a bold evolution in our sound. It is an intense journey that blends the dark, the emotion, and the melody. With eight blasphemous tracks, it is both a reckoning and a revelation, a fire that consumes but also renews. This is our revelation, and we can’t wait to share its intensity across the stages.”
“The Illumimnant” was produced, mixed and mastered by George Emmanuel at Pentagram Studio (Demonical, Septicflesh, Necromantia) with the exception of drums which were recorded at Pale Blue Dot Studios. The album’s cover artwork was hand-drawn by Daniele Valeriani (Dark Funeral, Mayhem).
Tracklisting: 1. Antichrist 2. As Bestas 3. The Serpent And The Rod 4. Ichor 5. Righteous Flama 6. Curse 7. The heavens die 8. And all is prelude
LUCIFER’S CHILD was formed in 2013 in Athens (Greece) by said George Emmanuel and bassist Stathis Ridis (ex-Nightfall). The duo quickly expanded into a quartet, with vocalist Marios Dupont (Karma Violens) and drummer Nick Vell (Chaostar), and released the debut album “The Wiccan” in 2015. Encouraged by the album’s reception, which entailed a string of festival dates (inc. Inferno Festival, Blastfest and Incineration Festival), they delivered a follow-up record titled “The Order” (2018). The album successively emphasized the band’s classic black metal approach, heavy on atmosphere and replete with dark aesthetics, all the more highlighted by Daniele Valeriani‘s cover artwork. The music video for the album’s title song hit over 150k streams on YoutTube and over 500k on Spotify. The collision of Brazilian occultism & Hellenic blasphemy ensues blistering sonic impressions on “Under Statn’s Wrath” – the band’s last output, recorded in alliance with Mystifier and released in 2022. Intact since its formation, LUCIFER’S CHILD line-up welcomes a new bassist on the upcoming album “The Illuminant”, Kostas Gerochristos.
Tour dates: 20.04.2025 – Dark Easter Metal Meeting DE 15-16.05.2025 – Dat Unland Fier Fest DE 27.05-07.06.2025 – Latin America TBC 18.09.2025 – Metal Im Woid DE 08.10.2025 – House Of Metal SWE
Swedish death metal force UNDECAYED will unleash their long-awaited debut album, “In Death’s Image”, on May 21st, 2025, via Lethal Scissor Records.
Despite their origins, the band eschews the traditional HM-2-driven Swedish sound in favor of a raw and relentless approach deeply rooted in the ferocity of ’90s American death metal, recalling the percussive onslaught of Suffocation and the unholy aggression of Deicide. However, the album does not shy away from the merciless intensity of certain European acts, channeling the sheer force of early Sinister, Aeon and Severe Torture into a blistering assault of unfiltered death worship.
Likely the first album ever released with the word ‘death’ in the title of every song, “In Death’s Image” takes its thematic obsession to another level: in one track, the word for ‘death’ is even sung in 19 different languages. The album’s lyrics paint a grim and absolute vision of annihilation—”Death” arrives on Earth in a physical form, surpassing any concept of a god, to extinguish all existence. No one and nothing is spared: humans, animals, vegetation, water, air—everything dies. There is NO hope for life.
The first single “Death’s Only Demand” is now streaming HERE.
Tracklist:
1 – The World Shall Know Only Death 2 – Death’s Only Demand 3 – The Descendants Of Death 4 – In Death’s Image 5 – Death Shall Come (Death Shall Prevail) 6 – Death’s Pallid Coat 7 – World At Death’s Door 8 – Entreating Death In Vain 9 – The Greatest Death
All music composed by Mikael Bergman All lyrics written by Tony Richter Cover artwork by renowned artist Jon Zig
UNDECAYED was formed in August 2008 by Tony Richter (vocals) and Mikael Bergman (guitars) as a result of lineup issues in their respective bands, 9th Plague and Disromance. The two had played together in several bands throughout the ’90s and early 2000s, most notably Gardens of Obscurity and The Darksend. Initially, Richter and Bergman were joined by Disromance drummer Johnny Augustsson. Bassist Christoffer Svensson joined in 2009, and in 2014, drummer Jesper Leidbring replaced Augustsson.
The idea that every song should include the word “death” in its title emerged in 2010, both to emphasize that this was true DEATH metal and because such a concept had never been done before. The demo “The Triumph of Death” was recorded in late 2010 and released in January 2011. It was then decided that no further demos would be released before the debut album.
Over the years, family matters, work commitments, health issues, the loss of two rehearsal spaces, and lineup changes all contributed to periods of forced inactivity and delays. It wasn’t until the Covid-19 pandemic that the band was finally able to complete their album “In Death’s Image”.
Line-up:
Tony Richter – vocals Mikael Bergman – guitars Christoffer Svensson – bass Jesper Leidbring – drums
Over the past 16 years, This Gift Is a Curse have pushed the edges of underground metal to violent extremes. Last month, the sludgy Swedes extended their blackened reign of terror with Heir, which cracked the Top Ten of their home country’s album charts.
“Records like Heir are few and far between these days”, wrote New Noise in a 4/5 star review. “it’s a lot to stomach, even for those that can handle the heaviest of heavy metals”.
Today, This Gift Is a Curse are releasing a new video for “Void Bringer”, Heir‘s slow-burning, soul-crushing finale. In black and white, the video carves a harrowing path toward transcendence through ritual, hallucination and descent.
The video for “Void Bringer” was directed and produced by visual artist Lars Kristoffer Hörmander(@larskristo). The storyline was created in collaboration with This Gift Is a Curse vocalist Jonas A. Holmberg.
Next month, This Gift Is a Curse are ushering Heir onto the stage in front of their home crowd when they open for Gaerea.
Get tickets HERE to see them in Stockholm on April 19.
Tracklist: 1. Kingdom (5:43) [WATCH] 2. No Sun, nor Moon (8:17) 3. Void Bringer (9:17) [WATCH] 4. Death Maker (4:26) 5. Passing (2:17) 6. Seers of No Light (5:52) 7. Cosmic Voice (6:51) 8. Vow Sayer (6:00) 9. Old Space (8:42) 10. Ascension (9:17) [LISTEN] Total runtime: 1:06:44
There’s an abyssal depth reaching far below – where light is devoured by shadow, and silence is torn asunder by cacophony. Down below, there thrives a beast most foul and majestic. This beast, known among the living as THIS GIFT IS A CURSE, has clawed its way through the bedrock – leaving a trail of desolation and awe in its wake. As 2025 dawns bleak and uncertain, the beast prepares to unleash its latest apocalypse, ‘HEIR.’
Since its infernal birth, THIS GIFT IS A CURSE has been a harbinger of the end times for the conventional and the mundane. A cataclysmic fusion of black metal ferocity, sludge-laden doom, and a haunting ambience straight from the depths of the nether, has torn apart stages and souls alike. Now, with ‘HEIR,’ they stand poised to cast the world into a new age of darkness.
THIS GIFT IS A CURSE were founded in Stockholm by a fateful chance meeting of vocalist Jonas A. Holmberg and drummer Johan Nordlund in late summer 2008. The duo soon recruited guitarist Patrik Andersson and Lars Gunnarsson on bass. In March 2010 the Swedish four-piece entered the legendary Sunlight Studios (ENTOMBED, KATATONIA, TIAMAT, DISMEMBER and many more) and recorded their self-titled debut EP with the aid of producer Tomas Skogsberg. ‘This Gift Is A Curse’ (2010) was well received in the underground and led to the band being invited to perform many shows in their homeland and Europe. During the second half of 2011, THIS GIFT IS A CURSE recorded their first full-length ‘I, Gvilt Bearer’ at a secret location north of Stockholm. Their producer Magbjork (MELEEH, CHILDREN OF FALL) moved his studio to this specific location to allow the band to unlimited record possibilities. Released in 2012, the album caused a buzz that reached beyond the underground and quickly sold out its first pressings. More touring followed during the next two years. In 2014, THIS GIFT IS A CURSE teamed up with Magbjork once again to record ‘All Hail The Swinelord’ in an abandoned house close to Stockholm.
After the release in 2015, a few Scandinavian and European tours followed before the band decided it was time to go back into the void to write new music. This process started with the recruitment of a second guitarist in order to push the sonic experience even further. David Deravian, hailing from steel town Eskilstuna, joined the cursed ranks of THIS GIFT IS A CURSE in 2016, adding fresh creative blood and new musical input to the sonic pot. As the new material took form, the band not only booked studio time with the great W. Blackmon of the Overlook Studios in Gävle (SE), but also kept their roots by recoding parts of the album at Norra Begravningsplatsen in Stockholm. Including producer MAGBJORK to the whole process once again to get the right ‘grit and grievance’ into the sound. Afterwards, mastering was done by none other than Magnus Lindberg (CULT OF LUNA, TRIBULATION, ALCEST etc).
THIS GIFT IS A CURSE defies the transient trends of music, instead choosing to carve its path with the bones of the fallen. Their forthcoming album, ‘HEIR,’ is a relentless pursuit of the extreme, a mosaic of human suffering and the dark beauty that lies within. As the album prepares to sear its mark upon the world, one thing is clear: There will be no heirs to the throne of darkness that THIS GIFT IS A CURSE occupies. The crown is theirs alone, forged in the fires of creation and destruction, a beacon for those who dare to walk the shadows.
Line-up: Jonas A. Holmberg – Vocals Patrik Andersson – Guitars, Vocals David Deravian – Guitars Lars Gunnarsson – Bass, Vocals Christian Augustin – Drums
Recording Studio: The Overlook Studio, Gävle, Sweden
Production Credits: Produced, Engineered & Mixed by William Blackmon at The Overlook Studio. Mastered by Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studios, Stockholm, Sweden. Guitars recorded at Laard studios and House of Inge Studio. Engineered by Daniel Noring and TGIAC. Bass recorded at Cold Barn with the help of Daniel Noring. Vocals recorded at Cold Barn by TGIAC.
Guest Musicians: Laura Morgan (of Livmødr) – Vocals on Kingdom (Track 1), Old Space (Track 9) & Ascension (Track 10).
Cover Art: Jonas A. Holmberg / House of No Light .317 (Instagram)
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
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 