CULMEN is a solo black metal project, founded at the beginning of 2022, by Dany “+” Cuentas (Katari, Haylli, Kamaq). The precise style of the band combines traditional and genuine black metal of the early 90’s where “+” adds gloomy ingredients in the guitars and the atmosphere in general, thus giving a sinister aura of mysticism and darkness. Culmen‘s sound easily evokes cosmic and surreal scenarios, a precise combination for the band’s theme that surrounds philosophical and dreamlike themes, being abstraction as the main theme.
So far, the band has a 2-track single and a recent 6-track EP titled “De Un Soplo La Creación“, a work commissioned from the From Deepest Records label and which will be released as CD on May 12, 2024.
Tracklist:
1. Relativamente Estático (Intro) 2. Viene De Eones 3. Cayendo 4. Infinitas Esferas 5. Ver 6. ¡Oh, Gran Maestro Nuclear! (Outro)
Music for EP was recorded between 2022 and 2023. All was mixed and mastered at Unholy Light Studio. Cover art is titled “Sobre Un Fondo Relativamente Estático” and was done by Dany Cuentas.
Dany Cuentas comment: “The purpose of “De Un Soplo La Creación” is to show part of my cosmovision from the perspective of an alter ego “+”, a wise old man who, exhausted from questions, only raves answers and conclusions.“
As part of the promotion of the release, two songs were made available online.
Metalheads everywhere are still having a hard time deciding whether to crown Ontological Mysterium or The Enduring Spirit as the best album of 2023. They don’t have to choose any longer, because Horrendous are going on tour with Tomb Mold.
Let your chariots ride this summer with two of this generation’s most celebrated death metal bands. The tour starts in Tomb Mold’s native cavern of Toronto before blazing into Horrendous’ hometown of Philadelphia. From there, these kindred spirits will crush their way down the East Coast before spinning heads during a final transcendent performance in Brooklyn, New York.
“Ever since an all-too-brief weekend stint of live shows in 2018 with the masterminds behind Tomb Mold, we’ve dreamed of uniting forces for something greater”, Horrendous says. “Six years later, the time has finally arrived! Join us in our pilgrimage across Canada, the Midwest, the South and the East Coast as we tour in celebration of Ontological Mysterium and The Enduring Spirit. You don’t want to miss what will surely become a historic moment for genre-defying, boundary-pushing, thought-provoking death metal”.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 26 at 10 am local time, at this location.
Tomb Mold and Horrendous Enraptured By Fate’s Tangled Thread Tour July 4 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace July 5 – Montreal, QC @ Les FouFounes Electriques July 6 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East / Downstairs July 7 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts July 9 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups July 10 – Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary July 11 – Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle July 12 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies July 13 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club July 14 – Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar July 16 – Austin, TX @ The Lost Well July 17 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada July 18 – New Orleans, LA @ Siberia July 19 – Atlanta, GA @ Boggs Social & Supply July 20 – Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub July 21 – Miami, FL @ Gramps July 23 – Greenville, SC @ New Radio Room July 24 – Raleigh, NC @ Chapel of Bones July 25 – Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club July 26 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery July 27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Monarch
Ontological Mysterium is a labyrinth. The deeper in you go, the more this album twists and churns, luring you toward some monstrous final battle. The riffs on the title track slice like the blades of an Apache helicopter, while the battle cry that opens “Cult of Shaad’oah” will make you feel like you’re about to carve up a volcano full of giant, flaming snake warriors.
“Somehow these guys can take Iron Maiden, mesh it with ’90s prog-influenced death metal masters like Atheist, dispense with traditional metal song structures and create something that you’ve never heard before”, writes Metal Injection.
Lambgoatsays “Ontological Mysterium is a pholosophical treat cloistered within some of the most ravenously delectable death metal you could subject yourself to this year, perhaps ever”.
Melbourne’s most intriguing progressive metal band TERAMAZE has revealed today, the first single, “Standing Ovation,” from their highly anticipated 11th full-length album, ‘Eli: A Wonderful Fall From Grace,’ that’s set for release on May 24th via Wells Music.
With ‘Eli: A Wonderful Fall From Grace,’ Australia’s metallic innovators TERAMAZE continue to push their craft and the entire genre forward into the furthest realms of innovative sound. Replete with mind-blowing musicianship and mesmerizing songwriting, the band’s impending record is the final chapter in their Halo trilogy, following the storylines of 2015’s ‘Her Halo‘ and 2021’s ‘Sorella Minore.’
Commenting on the record’s continued epic saga, the band states:
“We began with a story of betrayal, love, and wonder told through the album Her Halo. We continued that tale through to a climactic finish with the epic suite Sorella Minore. And now, we have finally brought to you the third instalment of the Halo Saga, to bring the whole story together. We take you not forward in time, but to the very beginning…
Eli – A Wonderful Fall from Grace takes us to A Place Called Halo, the circus where it all began in the height of it’s popularity. Eli, a shipwreck survivor discovers the travelling tented landscape, and becomes the star attraction… but at a terrible price.
Along with a full length concept album, we finally release the short story that sparked this spell binding concept all those years ago.
Every story has a beginning, and so is Eli – A Wonderful Fall from Grace.”
Adding about the new single “Standing Ovation,” guitarist/vocalist Dean Wells says:
“‘Standing Ovation’ sounds like a thrilling anthem, capturing the excitement and energy of Eli’s journey to stardom. With its dynamic guitar riffs/solos and powerful vocal melodies, its a standout track within the story. It encapsulates the pivotal moment when Eli steps into the spotlight and commands the stage, earning the adoration of the crowd with his talent and charisma. It’s the kind of song that leaves a lasting impression and perfectly complements Eli’s rise to fame in the narrative.“
Tracklisting:
1. A Place Called Halo 2. The Will of Eli 3. Step Right Up 4. I Mantissa 5. Madam Roma 6. Standing Ovation 7. Hands Are Tied 8. A Wonderful Fall From Grace
About TERAMAZE:
Teramaze, the Progressive Metal Titans, captivate audiences with their intricate melodies, powerful rhythms, and thought-provoking lyrics.
Hailing from Australia, the band has solidified their place in the international metal scene with their unique blend of technical prowess and emotive storytelling.
Lead by guitarist, singer and founding member Dean Wells, Teramaze’s music weaves together elements of progressive, thrash, and melodic metal, creating a sound that pushes the boundaries of the genre.
Teramaze came to be known as one of the most prolific progressive metal bands boasting 3 full-length albums in the span of 12 months, from 2020-2021 during the global pandemic. These albums created a mass of new fans, as well as keeping the existing ones excited, engaged and craving more.
With critically acclaimed albums like ‘Esoteric Symbolism’, ‘Her Halo’ and ‘I Wonder’, Teramaze continues to surpass expectations, delivering intense and unforgettable live performances that leave audiences in awe.
In 2023 Teramaze played some great live shows, most notably, supporting Swedish metal outfit Avatar and headlining Prog Power Europe festival in the Netherlands.
Their new album ‘Eli: A Wonderful Fall from Grace’, further showcases their evolution as a band and solidifies their status as one of the most diverse and conceptual acts in modern progressive metal.
South-West UK’s dark rock outfit, Neon Fields, presents the music video for “Meant To Be,” a hauntingly beautiful track with a sinister twist, from their self-titled album released via Epictronic worldwide.
“Meant To Be” is a love song, but not quite the kind you’d expect. This captivating track explores the depths of unrequited love, where obsession takes center stage. A relationship of pure delusion, formed in the mind of a stalker, convinced that they are meant to be…
Neon Fields’ self-titled album, available on all digital platforms here: orcd.co/neonfieldsalbum, is a sonic odyssey that blends industrial rock with atmospheric synths. Fronted by passionate vocals, the band creates a sophisticated soundscape that captivates audiences with its cinematic quality and darkly creative narratives.
Fresh off a European tour, Dutch death metal legends PESTILENCE offer advance stream of their re-recorded best-of album, “Levels of Perception”, released on April 26th on Agonia Records. The album features twelve tracks from across the band’s 38-year career. The stream is available here:
Patrick Mameli – whose signature vocal, guitar and songwriting skills constitute the hallmark of PESTILENCE – finds “Levels of Perception” to be a testament to the band’s role in death metal’s progression. “I’ve always wanted to do a best-of album, because it would mean that I’ve achieved something in the past; something that still has its value today,” Mameli reflects. “To be able to choose from songs that I composed in the distant past, transporting them into the now, with the line-up of the recordings that consisted of Michiel van der Plicht (drums), Rutger van Noordenburg (guitar) and Joost van der Graaf (bass) – I found this to be of great value and sheer awesomeness.”
Re-recording of the tracks has not only managed to breathe new life into them – half thanks to new line-up, and other half by implementing subtle changes which reflect Mameli‘s matured vision and refined with years of experience aesthetic – but also sets them apart from cheap, unimaginative compilations, by unifying the album’s sound as befits a full-length release. “The album’s title is Levels of Perception. Why? Because this is what has happened with the songs,” Mameli explains. “Performed by different musicians, with their own views, musical abilities and interpretations, shining a new light on them. So here we are with new Levels of Perception.”
The drums for “Levels of Perception” were recorded by Michiel van der Plicht in 2021, during a live stream held in T Paard (The Hague, NL). “These recorded drum tracks were so awesome that we just had to use them, fine-tuning the guitars and bass,” Mameli comments. These and other re-recordings were done with Reaper behind the console at van der Plicht‘s own studio On Duty in Mijdrecht, NL. The latter engineered, mixed and mastered the album. “I’ve started to realize, after recording Exitivm, that when you can engineer, mix and master by yourself, the control over your own product is way bigger, through the honesty and passion for your own compositions; rather than hiring an engineer that has no feel for your music,” PESTILENCE’s frontman wraps up.
PESTILENCE was established in the Netherlands in 1986 and is considered to be a progressive death metal phenom, labeled on the same genre-defying scale as Death, Cynic and Atheist. The group is led by founder, guitarist and mastermind Patrick Mameli, who’s been the band’s binding factor through two breakups and reunions. Both a reinvention and a confirmation of everything the band has been standing for since 1986, PESTILENCE is more than ever breaking new grounds and exploring the further outposts of extreme metal on “Exitivm” (2021) – the last album, which landed on several Billboard charts; most notably including Billboard 200. In 2023, the band remastered & reissued its classic catalog, and announced “Portals” to be the title of its next studio album, which is currently in the works.
Tracklisting: 01. Horror Detox (Re-recording) 02. Mvlti Dimensional (Re-recording) 03. Mobvs Propagationem (Re-recording) 04. Sinister (Re-recording) 05. Dehydrated (Re-recording) 06. Dominatvi Svbmissa (Re-recording) 07. Land of Tears (Re-recording) 08. Necromorph (Re-recording) 09. Deificvs (Re-recording) 10. Twisted Truth (Re-recording) 11. Sempiternvs (Re-recording) 12. Ovt of the Body (Re-recording)
Upcoming shows: 25.05. SK – Surany, Songs Of Hate Festival 21.06. DE – Protzen, Protzen Open Air 22.06. BE – Dessel, Graspop 27.07. BG – Sofia, Sofia Metalfest 28.07. GR – Athens, Release Festival 10.08. CZ – Brutal Assault 26.10. NL – Sneek, Bolwerk
“Levels Of Perception” recordings musicians: Patrick Mameli – vocals and lead guitars Michiel van der Plicht – drums Rutger van Noordenburg – lead guitars Joost van der Graaf – bass
IRREVERENCE are just finishing their European tour, in support of their new album “Forsaken”, released on April 1st.
IRREVERENCE was founded in 1995 by Riccardo Paioro, which found in Davide Firinu the right person to start the project.
The band took advantage of the difficult period due to the pandemic and the consequent scarcity of live shows to compose new music. This resulted in what is the combo’s eleventh official release:
“FORSAKEN”. Recorded at ADSR Studios, the band’s new full-length consists of 9 tracks and can be described as a further compositional breakthrough for the Italian quartet. The new album saw the light of day on 1 April 2024 on all digital and streaming platforms, as well as in digipack version, and was supported by a European tour scheduled for the second half of April 2024.
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 ) 