Straight from the oven, through your eardrums hits a newborn called Cardinal Fleet! This quartet from Finland was formed to explore music without any genre limitations – with a focus on the heavier soundscape of course.
Their first release “The Heat” is influenced by the early 2000s skate punk style, taking you straight back to the Tony hawk’s pro skater-era. So, now it’s time to turn up the volume, grab your old skateboard and take it for a ride!
Singer and bass player Samuli Rasmus tells about the song:
“Even though glimmers of light may seem distant in times of darkness, they may shine brighter momentarily than you can imagine. And that’s the story ‘The Heat’ wants to tell you. So, take your first steps on the path of deserted dreams, which is all too familiar for most of us. Don’t worry, you won’t need a map. It would just misguide you.”
FUNERAL returns with their latest soul-crushing masterpiece, Gospel of Bones. This is no mere album; it is an emotionally wrenching journey into the abyss of sorrow and the resilience of the human spirit.
As the funeral doom metal genre’s unwavering custodians, FUNERAL channels the haunting beauty of life’s bleakest moments into an auditory requiem, echoing with the weight of existence and the fleeting nature of solace. Gospel of Bones is crafted with the fervor of those who have walked through the valley of shadows, embodying the mournful elegance that has defined Funeral’s legacy since their inaugural notes in the early ’90s.
Anders Eek, the steadfast heart and soul of FUNERAL, leads this somber procession with compositions that draw from the inexhaustible well of personal grief and unerring perseverance. Each track alluding to the trials and tribulations faced over the years, meticulously composed during the relentless solitude of 2020’s pandemic.
Eirik Krokord, a professionally trained baritone opera singer known for his prowess in the works of Richard Wagner, and Ingvild Johannessen, the ethereal violinist, bring an unparalleled depth to this opus with their hauntingly beautiful performances. Their contributions bridge the chasm between doom metal’s visceral rawness and the classical, folk-infused elegance, particularly highlighted by the inclusion of the traditional Norwegian Hardanger fiddle.
A collaborative effort enriched by the venerable producer Børge Finstad at Toproom Studio, is woven with threads of misery, pain, and loss. Each composition, from lead single My Own Grave to Procession of Misery, serves as a dirge, an elegy for the lost and the broken. Notable guest performances from Øyvind Rauset and Espen Ingierd further amplify the album’s melancholic depth, with their distinctive styles resonating much like the mournful tolls of a distant church bell.
Gospel of Bones is out October 18th on Season of Mist.
Tracklist: 1. Too Young To Die (8:39) 2. Yestertear (5:57) [WATCH] 3. Procession of Misery (9:51) [LISTEN] 4. These Rusty Nails (7:28) 5. Ailo’s Lullaby (2:18) 6. My Own Grave (7:17) [WATCH] 7. To Break All Hearts Of Men (9:05) 8. Når Kisten Senkes (8:02) 9. Three Dead Men (7:49) Total runtime: 1:06:31
Cover Art by Tristan Diaz Bastie
Melancholy. Pain. Loss. Solitude. Those had been just some of doom metal main themes ever since bleak pouring rain and the sound of church bell in the distance gave birth to the genre on BLACK SABBATH self-eponymous debut over five decades ago. But how many musicians have actually been bearing in their very flesh those gut-wrenching feelings?
Anders Eek – FUNERAL’s founding member, drummer and indisputable leader since 1991 – doesn’t particularly see it as a badge of honour, but he’d be the first to admit that somehow, the “death and loss we had to go through over the years were extremely painful yet inspiring, as a musician and as a human being.” And indeed, ever since their very first rehearsal in a basement in their hometown of Drammen, just outside of Oslo, Funeral had been ridden with problems and tragedy. Originally inspired by CATHEDRAL, CANDLEMASS, BLACK SABBATH, TROUBLE etc, they very quickly set out to create the most depressing and slowest form of doom/death possible at a time when their home country was being hailed as the birthplace of black metal. They went through several labels over the years, only to see them bust soon afterwards. Plagued by recurrent line-up problems, they even lost two of their key members Einar André Fredriksen (bass) and Christian Loos (guitar) in 2003 and 2006, respectively, to suicide and overdose.
But somehow, Eek never surrendered, but instead overcame all those obstacles by releasing over the years a slab of classics, each with its own, distinct personality, from the utter misery of the delicate yet none-so-extreme 1995 debut album ‘Tragedies’ to the more melodic and accessible 2001 gothic/doom masterpiece ‘In Fields Of Pestilent Grief’ or 2012 symphonic masterpiece ‘Oratorium’. Still, after the 30th anniversary concert in Oslo, april 12th 2022, also featuring the original singer Toril Snyen on the track «taarene», “life got in the way” as Anders puts it. “Some of us had kids, others moved out. Even I had quite a lot of things going on in my personal life and, at least for a while, maybe less drive to keep on carrying on the weight of the band on my shoulders. I never stopped writing music though because it’s something I’ve always done anyway.
2021 sees the band releasing Praesentialis in Aeternum (something along the line of “here eternally”) as a “natural progression. Guesting on opening track ‘Ånd,’ the first single off the record, is Lars Nedland, Sindre’s own brother of BORKNAGAR and SOLEFALD fame. It’s also the first album for their new partner, Season of Mist.
In 2020 Eek started writing what was to become the album Gospel of Bones, to be released in October 2024.
In 2022 Singer Sindre Nedland was replaced by the professionally trained baritone opera singer Eirik Krokfjord (specialized in the works of Richard Wagner), known from both the Norwegian Opera Choir, as well as having several leading roles in operas both in Norway and abroad.
Violinist Ingvild Johannessen also joined the ranks, and the band moved away from programmed orchestration, and recorded all strings analogue.. This time around also incorporating the traditional Norwegian instrument the Harding fiddle, which is a key element throughout the entire upcoming album, moving the band slightly towards a more «folk» sound, combined with the classical opera-vocals of E. Krokfjord. Hopefully building bridges between both metal music, folk- rock and classical music.
Roughly 20 tracks were composed throughout the Covid pandemic(9 of whom made it to the studio), and yet again recorded and mixed at Toproom Studio, by Børge Finstad.
Violinist Øyvind Rauset, from the cult Norwegian folk-rock band FOLQUE, is performing on 2 tracks as a guest musician, as well as Espen Ingierd, with his very distinct singing-style in the vein of John Lennon, Michael Gira (SWANS)etc from cult doom/death band BEYOND DAWN singing on 2 tracks.
The album also contains an instrumental cover song , written by Kjetil Selvik, and is a melancholic piece only consisting of harding fiddle and church organ.
The lyrical content of the album is an autobiography of life’s mishaps of drummer/composer A. Eek, and deals with real darkness, misery, pain and loss. A Gospel of Bones.
Over the past few weeks, Desertfest Berlin has already revealed some of the first, top-class names for their eagerly awaited 2025-edition, including prog-and psych-rock overlords ELDER playing their groundbreaking “Lore” album in its entirety, New Orleans sludge legends EYEHATEGOD, Sweden’s stoner rockers LOWRIDER or Norwegian blues rock favs THE DEVIL AND THE ALMIGHTY BLUES and more.But today, Desertfest Berlin even doubles down on all expectations, and proudly presents its first proper line-up announcement for THE riff party of the year, with many more to follow:
Desertfest Berlin will take place between May 23 – 25, 2025 at Columbiahalle and Columbia Theater. While the Early-Bird tickets sold out in within hours, regular passes are now available at: www.desertfest-tickets.de
International power metal band Asterise is set to release the second studio album ‘Tale of a Wandering Soul’ on December 6th 2024 via Inverse Records. The second single ‘Twisted Ferryman’ features Tristan Harders (Terra Atlantica) & Sozos Michael (Gloryhammer, Eons Enthroned) on vocals.
Bartlomiej Mezynski comments: “The second single, Twisted Ferryman, blends melodic riffs with neoclassical passages, while the lyrics tell the story of embarking on a new journey, sailing forward with the titular ferryman. When it comes to capturing the essence of sailing, no vocalist comes to mind more than Tristan Harders of Terra Atlantica. His voice perfectly complements the song, infusing it with a true nautical vibe. To top it off, Sozos Michael delivers irresistibly catchy choruses, culminating in a stunning a cappella duet between Tristan and Sozos. Don’t miss it!”
US metalcore band WRISTMEETRAZOR has announced their debut UK tour dates, with tickets on sale now. Joining WRISTMEETRAZOR on their UK Degeneration tour dates are Long Goodbye (members of Creak) and Divine Hatred, with full dates and details below.
Speaking on the tour announcement, WRISTMEETRAZOR‘s Justin Fornof (vocals) comments: “It’s been a long time coming, but we’re excited to finally cross the Atlantic and play to our friends and fans overseas in January.”
WRISTMEETRAZOR tour dates: UK Degeneration tour ^ w/ Long Goodbye *w/ Divine Hatred
Following the release of their 2021 sophomore effort, Replica of a Strange Love, the WRISTMEETRAZOR line-up went through of metamorphosis with Justin Fornof abdicating his role on bass in favour of lead vocals – bringing Userelaine (bass) and Nate Billmyer (guitar) to the fold in the process. Extensive North American touring soon followed with stints on the road among the likes of Seeyouspacecowboy, Traitors, Eighteen Visions and festival appearances at Furnace Fest and Code Orange’s Code World, respectively.
Having solidified and fine-tuned the strengths of their latest incarnation onstage, the newly upgraded quintet found themselves with a renewed focus leading into Degeneration’s gestation period. During this moment of rare quiet WRISTMEETRAZOR sought the production, engineering, mixing and mastering skills of Randy Lebeouf (The Acacia Strain, Dying Wish, Kublai Khan). Ushering themselves into near total isolation in the woods of New Jersey, the writing and recording process for Degeneration was one of acute solitude, only leaving the studio’s cabin three times during the 30 day lock-in between almost non-stop 12 hour recording sessions.
Degeneration’s backdrop of self-imposed seclusion bore fruit as the album’s lyrical focus began to develop. Whilst there are still traces of WRISTMEETRAZOR’s established world of Nietzchian philosophy and twisted romanticism, Fornof found himself gravitating towards themes of misanthropy, apoplexy, and moral, political and religious hypocrisy within society. With WRISTMEETRAZOR’s ire pointed outwards rather than inwards, societal degeneration is explored through allegorical tales of mechanical decline and system failure that pull together to reveal a larger picture of the band’s disdain for humankind’s more repulsive traits.
Songs such as Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead, DogdayGod and The Greatest Love Offering in the History of the World reference intentional exits from society and sordid real life stories of assassination, against deftly woven industrial and EBM influences with groove based nu-metal flourishes at the fore. Degeneration’s post-apocalyptic production values lend a cold and methodically calculated quality to WRISTMEETRAZOR’s new skin, without losing the visceral core of their identity.
Seeking to ensure a fully realised aesthetic to represent the absurdity of seeking justice in an unjust world, the cover was put together by Philadelphia, PA visual artist Alex Eckman-Lawn (END, Dim Mak, Woe). Merging what was once flesh with machine and technology, Degeneration’s visual presentation is a towering counterpart to WRISTMEETRAZOR’s bleakest album to date.
Degeneration tracklist: 1. Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead 2. Static Reckoning 3. Trepanation 4. Xeroxed Reflection 5. DogdayGod 6. Love Thy Enmity 7. Culled and Forgotten 8. Synthetic-51n 9. No Ceremony 10. The Vanity Procession 11. Negative Fix 12. Greatest Love Offering in the History of the World
Volcano Records & Promotion is thrilled to announce the release of HOLE IN THE FRAME’s new single, titled “Oppression Live 2024”, available from October 18, 2024, on all digital platforms.
This live track, powerful and groove-driven, highlights the expressive strength of the Southern Italy-based band, showcasing their signature crossover groove metal style. With influences from bands like Pantera, Korn, and Slipknot, “Oppression Live 2024” delves into themes of both personal and societal oppression. The live version emphasizes the struggle of man against the passage of time and the chains imposed by modern society. The track conveys a sense of anguish and rebellion, while also offering hope, as humanity strives to break free from these oppressions. Formed in 2014 in Molise, the band has built a solid reputation with their hard-hitting and aggressive sound, blending elements of heavy metal and nu metal. With “Oppression Live 2024”, Hole in the Frame solidify their place in the Italian metal scene with a unique and unmistakable style.
Don’t miss the chance to listen to “Oppression Live 2024” and explore the sonic universe of Hole in the Frame, check out the video here:
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
Ads
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 ) 