From The Vaults is proud to announce the signing of epic doom/heavy metal band ALTAR OF OBLIVION. The Aarhus six-piece, who successfully released three full-length albums and four EPs since their inception in 2006, has been one of the most convincing acts in the traditional doom/heavy metal Danish scene and is now ready for a new chapter in their careers. The first Altar Of Oblivion battle under the From The Vaults banner will be a mini-album to be released this year.
“We just signed a record deal with Danish label From the Vaults, which will put out a five-track EP named “Burning Memories” in the summer of 2023, followed by our fourth full-length album “Proselytes of the Apocalypse“”, the band states. “Both sonic endeavors were recorded prior to the pandemic, and we can’t wait to have them unleashed upon old fans as well as new“.
Altar of Oblivion is an epic doom / heavy metal band from Aalborg, Denmark highly in the vein of the 80s style. Since their formation in the year 2006 (from the ashes of Summoning Sickness), they have released three full-length albums and four EPs, all very well regarded in the most traditional epic heavy/doom metal genre.
Now, in 2023, the sextet is preparing a brand new mini-album to be released this year.
Altar Of Oblivion is: Mik Mentor – vocals Martin Meyer Sparvath – guitar Jeppe Campradt – guitar C. Nørgaard – bass Danny Woe – drums Jannick Nielsen – keyboards
Following the success of their debut album “Unohdan sinut” (2021), Finnish black metal punks QWÄLEN will be releasing their second album, “Syvä Hiljaisuus”, on March 10th 2023 via Time To Kill Records.
After dropping the first single “Maailma Täyttyy Kuolleista” and the second single “Kaksi Hautaa”, today the band is premiering the track “Tähdet Tippuvat” at Black Metal Daily. Stream it HERE.
01. Sairaus (Intro) 02. Kutsu Minua Saatanaksi 03. Kuolleiden Kukkien Keolla 04. Syvä Hiljaisuus 05. Tähdet Tippuvat 06. Lopulta Kaikesta Joutuu Luopumaan 07. Kaksi Hautaa 08. Maailma Täyttyy Kuolleista
QWÄLEN became what it is in 2017. The band members share a passion for playing music in its various raw manifestations and their band backgrounds include Kürøishi, Nistikko, Dumathoin and Akma among many others. Punk background bleeds into the music connecting QWÄLEN’s interpretation of black metal into how the genre started decades ago. Simplicity, rawness, speed and honesty. These values were present in the beginning and the same values still hold true. Punk background especially shows live as the chaotic energy of hardcore punk clashes with the ritualistic nature of black metal.
Lyrical themes in the first album focused on self-portrayal, dealing with loss, building anew along with finding alternatives in abandonment, misanthropy and Satan. The second album ponders the sheep-like nature of humanity, the inevitability of destruction, the acceptance of being faulted and surrendering to a greater force.
The second album was recorded at Waiting Room recording studio in Tampere with Mikael Neves who has worked with the likes of Death Toll 80k and Tryer. Mikael also handled mixing duties. Mastering was done by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios. The new album reflects QWÄLEN’s vision and world more clearly than ever. Like a dirty knife. Painful and infectious.
Hardline extreme metal squad TO THE GRAVE have unveiled their powerful new single / video ‘Found Footage’ ahead of the release of new album, Director’s Cuts, out tomorrow (24th February) via Unique Leader Records.
The band comment: “This song is our attempt at a little storytelling, inspired by stories of Animal Liberation efforts gone wrong (as they commonly can), told from the perspective of someone at the heart of it.”
To The Grave have just completed a mostly SOLD OUT tour in Europe with Shadow Of Intent, Enterprise Earth and Angelmaker. More touring news to be announced soon.
One of Australia’s most uncompromising bands, To The Grave return with their heaviest album to date, both sonically and thematically. Since the release of their 2019 debut album Global Warning, the caustic five piece have garnered international success, with 2021’s follow-up Epilogue, a re-issue of Global Warning with bonus tracks, solidifying their position as “one of the country’s heaviest exports.” (Revolver).
To The Grave have steadily built an audience in the underground, accumulating more than 11 million Spotify streams, racking up over 5.4 million YouTube views, all whilst decimating live audiences alongside Parkway Drive, Polaris, CattleDecapitation, Thy Art Is Murder, Vulvodynia and Alpha Wolf.
Now, following a sold-out national headline tour in 2022 and revitalised by a new lineup, the band are more focused than ever, looking ahead to the release of their second album Director’s Cuts in February 2023.
The eleven tracks lyrically expose a societal and environmental hell on earth whilst pushing the boundaries of accessible extremity, full of barbed hooks, thick with atmosphere and drenched in groove. Razor-sharp guitars played with an exploratory approach – blending everything from whammy pedal squeaks and chiming cleans to death metal chainsaw tones – are entwined with live drums to give a level of dynamism that musically sets this band apart from the extreme metal pack, yet they maintain the weight of the heaviest bands today. Vocalist Dane Evans commands a multifaceted performance, bursting with vocal energy from throat-ripping dissonant screeches to low end gutturals.
At just over 44 minutes in length, Director’s Cuts is an album packed with ambition and conscience. To The Grave have never shied away from channeling the real horrors of animal cruelty and its impact into the violent, emotional intensity of their music. Songs such as ‘Red Dot Sight’, ‘Found Footage’ and ‘Cut Off The Head’ perfectly conjure images of a world gone astray.
Director’s Cuts was recorded by bassist Matt Clarke, with drums recorded live at The Brain Studios in Sydney and mixed and mastered by Lance Prenc at Prenc Audio (Void of Vision, Alpha Wolf,Polaris) in Melbourne with album photography by Animals Uncovered.
The band comment on the new album: “This is the refinement of our combined musical tastes, fuelled by our sadness and anger at the state of the world. We made the music we wanted to make without really considering how it would fit into any little genre boxes, because we knew if we loved it completely then everyone else would too. These songs are hard and heavy without being technical just for the sake of it.”
Watch the video to their first single ‘Red Dot Sight’, a hard-hitting track about anti-vegan public figures and the media perception against vegan activists, here: https://youtu.be/_eVHPX18kPc
Second single ‘Axe of Kindness’ continues the band’s strong vegan message, watch the video here: https://youtu.be/jY67FPBNQRE
To The Grave are: Dane Evans – Vocals Jack Simoni – Guitars, Programming Luke Ringin – Guitars, Vocals Matt Clarke – Bass, Vocals Simon O’Malley – Drums, Vocals
Following their latest, self-titled album (2020, AFM Records), today, FIREWIND have shared a music video for brand new single “Destiny Is Calling”!
In more than two decades, the iconic band founded by exceptional guitarist Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne, Arch Enemy, Dream Evil) enthralls heavy music fans with their exciting blend of hard rock and power metal. Razor-sharp riffs, big hooks and solos meet the incredible vocal skills of charismatic singer Herbie Langhans (Avantasia, Radiant, Seventh Avenue, amongst others), who joined the band in 2019.
While FIREWIND are currently on an extensive tour all over Europe (find all upcoming dates below!), they have just unleashed their hard rocking, new single “Destiny Is Calling”. Gus G comments:
“As we’re out on a massive 42-date European tour w/ Beast in Black, we thought it’d be a good time to finally give you guys some new Firewind music. We’ve been testing the new track live every night and the reception has been phenomenal.
The video was filmed on February 11th in Munich at Tonhalle in front of 2.000 screaming metalheads and we feel it captures the energy and mood of the song.
Crank it up and enjoy!”
Make sure to catch FIREWIND live at the following dates:
24.02.2023 UK Glasgow Cathouse 25.02.2023 IE Dublin Whelans 28.02.2023 DE Frankfurt Batschkapp 01.03.2023 DE Hannover Capitol 02.03.2023 DK Copenhagen Amager Bio 03.03.2023 DE Hamburg Gruenspan 04.03.2023 SE Malmö KB 05.03.2023 SE Stockholm Fryshuset Klubben 06.03.2023 NO Oslo Vulkan Arena 07.03.2023 SE Gothenburg Trädgårn 09.03.2023 DE Berlin Huxleys 10.03.2023 DE Leipzig Felsenkeller 11.03.2023 CZ Zlin Masters of Rock Café 12.03.2023 HU Budapest Barba Negra 14.03.2023 PL Krakow Studio 15.03.2023 PL Warsaw Progresja 16.03.2023 SK Bratislava Majestic Music Club 18.03.2023 RO Napoca Form Space 19.03.2023 RO Bucarest Quantic Club 20.03.2023 BG Sofia Hristo Botev Hall
FESTIVALS 2023 09.06.2023 DE Metal Frenzy Open Air 14.07.23 DE Blizzard Rockfest
29.07.2023 CZ Ostrava v Plamenech 04.08.2023 DE Helmfest 05.08.2023 AT Innrock Reloaded
FIREWIND is: Gus G. (guitars) Herbie Langhans (vocals) Petros Christo (bass) Jo Nunez (drums)
Newly remastered versions of classic PESTILENCE albums from the 80’s and 90’s are coming to an ample variety of physical formats on June 30th and to streaming platforms from February 24th. The Dutch progressive/technical death metal pioneers will have them re-issued on Agonia Records, who previously released the band’s last album, “Exitivm” (2021).
The re-release pertains to first four PESTILENCE albums, that had been remastered from scratch at Satanic Audio (Behemoth, Azarath) to significantly improve on overall sound quality, by engaging present-day studio equipment.
The album selection was influenced by the idea to provide a looking glass into the early days of death metal (as far as PESTILENCE‘s input is concerned) and into the dawning of a legendary group, who was essential in crafting and expanding technical death metal, alongside Death, Atheist and Cynic.
1. “Malleus Maleficarum” (1988) – a monument of early-day death metal heavily mixed with thrash, whose release precedes Death‘s “Leprosy” by a month. Debut album with Martin van Drunen (Apshyx) on vocals.
2. “Consuming Impulse” (1989) – the beginning of all things great for PESTILENCE. Introduced into Decibel Magazine’s hall of fame in 2013, the album marked a shift to heavier, more haunting and then-buzzing death metal. It also boosted PESTILENCE into international recognition and placed them at the forefront of the scene of the time with Death, Obituary, Sepultura and Morbid Angel.
3. “Testimony of the Ancients” (1991) – first album to assume Patrick Mameli‘s double role (guitarist/vocalist) and first to establish a trademark ingredient of PESTILENCE’s core sound formula. Recorded at the legendary Morrissound Studios (USA) and regarded as a progressive death metal classic.
4. “Spheres” (1993) – the album broke the mold at a time the metal scene wasn’t ready to appreciate its uniqueness or recognize its future impact. Underestimated at first, the bold conjunction of jazz fusion and progressive/technical death metal had eventually been lauded as a move ahead of its time, and had influenced a lot of bands, including Gorguts, Necrophaigst and Obscura.
Christchurch, New Zealand extreme metal band BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS have today announced the upcoming release of their fourth studio album, titled Rejecting Obliteration, due out via Prosthetic Records on May 19. The lead single, Methlehem, and its accompanying music video is out now.
Speaking on Rejecting Obliteration‘s announcement, Stuart Henley-Minchington (guitar and vocals) comments: “Exposing our most vulnerable selves and exploring harrowing territory both musically and lyrically, we created an album with a certain catharsis to it that we feel is a testament to our resilient nature. Inspired by some of the most personal challenges of our lives and the events that shaped us since the release of our previous album Nightmare Withdrawals, Rejecting Obliteration stands as a defiant body of music bursting with a philosophy and energy that we can all overcome whatever stands in our path toward healing.”
Vocalist, Stace Fifield adds: “Our first offering from Rejecting Obliteration comes in the form Methlehem. The lyrics meander the dimly-lit corridors of religious fanaticism, shining a spotlight on the stark similarities that can be drawn between drug addicts and those who devote their lives to their deity. The church is a cartel and billions are hooked on their premium product. Visually, we teamed up with award-winning director Amber Beaton to direct a video that would stitch the lyrics to the music, conjuring the dark and claustrophobic dimension that the song aggressively commands.”
Navigating cycles of abuse and trauma, whilst actively reaching for resolution through resilience, BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS‘ aptly titled Rejecting Obliteration is a testament to and declaration of endurance through hardships and loss. Lyrically conceived by Stace Fifield and Stuart Henley-Minchington, Rejecting Obliteration’s ten tracks share a common narrative thread of finding identity and light outside of personal hurt and psychological harm. The pair’s primary focus on inner strength and resilience serves as an unwavering foundation of who the band are in essence.
BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS’ penchant for converging avant-garde progressive metal with caustic technicality and grinding intensity remains intact on tracks such as Hallucinative Terror and The Waves, thanks in large part to Nick Smith (bass), Henley- Minchington and Ben Atkinson (guitar)’s intuitive playing styles that come from well over a decade of friendship and life together in the band. Elsewhere, album closer Caustic Burns seethes with dissonant chords and a commandeering performance from Fifield on vocals – whose presence looms large over Rejecting Obliteration’s more harrowing cuts, whilst conveying a rare vulnerability for technical death metal on the album’s more diaphanous passages.
Upon completing the recording of Rejecting Obliteration, BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS sought the mixing expertise of Samuel K Sproull in Melbourne, Australia before handing mastering duties to Grammy Award winner Alan Douches at West West Side Music. The results of the technical team behind the album led to a production sound that retains the more barbarous aspects of the band’s sound and breathes life into the group’s ever growing progressive inclinations. Rejecting Obliteration’s cover art neatly ties together the core theme of cyclical trauma thanks to a commissioned piece from Eliran Kantor (Thy Art is Murder, Psycroptic, Archspire and more), designed to create an endless loop when applied to a printed surface.
Whilst despairing in it’s subject matter Rejecting Obliteration refuses to concede to a predestination of further anguish, opting instead to shun all notions of defeat, which in and of itself is vital to BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS’ long fought for and claimed identity.
Rejecting Obliteration tracklist: 1. Monolith 2. Methlehem 3. Hallucinative Terror 4. Rejecting Obliteration 5. Wraith 6. Cicada 7. Funeral Smiles 8. The Waves 9. Hands of Contrition 10. Caustic Burns
BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS is: Stace Fifield – Vocals Stuart Henley-Minchington – Guitars, Vocals Ben Atkinson – Guitars Nick Smith – Bass Tim Stewart – Drums, Percussion (recording only)
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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
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Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 