One of Norway’s most creative black metal bands DIMMU BORGIR released the groundbreaking ‘Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia’ in 2001. DIMMU BORGIR celebrate this seminal album by releasing a brand-new sonic experience. ‘Blessings Upon The Throne Of Tyranny’ has been remixed and remastered using modern methods, to create an altogether more improved listening experience with contemporary production quality.
Stream ‘Blessings Upon the Throne of Tyranny’ (Remixed & Remastered) here. Pre-Order Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (Remixed & Remastered) here.
Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (Remixed & Remastered) is available as a 3 LP Box, CD Digipak and digital. Dust Of Cold Memories includes extensive bonus material, which includes the pre-production of Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia and instrumental rehearsals.
Conceived in the heart of the Norwegian black metal scene in 1993, DIMMU BORGIR quickly broke free from the boundaries of the genre, daring to combine a traditional raven black sound with opulent symphonic orchestration. Soon they turned into pioneers of their field, forging groundbreaking albums such as Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997), Spiritual Black Dimensions (1999), or Death Cult Armageddon (2003), invading the entire world with headline tours and eventually turning into the most influential act of their genre after nine full-length studio releases. After their last two successful albums Abrahadabra and Eonian, new music from DIMMU BORGIR follows with their remixed & remastered version of Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia which was originally released in 2001.
Today, DIMMU BORGIR are also releasing their album Northern Forces Over Wacken which was originally available on the Forces Of The Northern Night DVD, on a range of limited edition vinyl avialable via Nuclear Blast.
Melodic death metal force BRYMIR are set to release their upcoming studio album and take a stand with Voices In The Sky, to be unveiled on August 26, 2022 via Napalm Records!
Today, after unleashing the official first single and album opening title track, “Voices in the Sky”, the Finnish five-piece – featuring lead guitarist Joona Björkroth (Battle Beast), frontman, writer and producer Viktor Storm Gullichsen, drummer Patrik Fält (Feastem, ex-Afgrund), guitarist Sean Haslam and bassist Jarkko Niemiunveils – presents the second exciting new single, entitled “Herald of Aegir”.
The passionate offering comes along with a visually palpable lyric video and skillfully portrays BRYMIR’s multifaceted nature, combining tight guitar lines and delicate orchestration with a dark and raging melodic death metal storm fueled by Viktor Gullichsen furious vocal attack. The song´s storyline is a mythology-adorned stance against the destruction of our environment and the pollution of our oceans, a strong message transported throughout their music.
Viktor Gullichsen on the album and second single: “Growing up in Finland, the land of a thousand lakes, I’ve always had a special relationship with water. I spent a big part of my childhood in the archipelago, eating what fish we caught – but today the fish are mostly gone and if we keep polluting the oceans there will soon be nothing left. This song is a reminder that we are approaching a point of no return, especially for some of the more sensitive species. The song’s title refers to salmon, the finest catch of our ancestors and the greatest beast lurking in the depths of the Baltic Sea – but perhaps they won’t be around for much longer… Treat our oceans with respect – or the Herald of Aegir will get you!”
Voices In The Sky marks a hefty next level creation in the vein of Ensiferum, Wintersun and Children Of Bodom, but serves as a more modernized answer to the melodic death metal equation with massive production, deep grooves and air-tight technicality. Nevertheless, BRYMIR continues to draw inspiration from traditional genres like folk and classical music, all brought together perfectly at the hands of the band and producer mastermind and singer Viktor Storm Gullichsen at JKB Studios, with mastering helmed by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios.
After the album opening title track, BRYMIR‘s outrageous outburst continues with full speed on “Forged in War”, featuring additional vocals of live session guitarist Antti Nieminen, who also contributes to folk metal-reinforced “Far From Home”. “Seeds of Downfall”, the record’s most aggressive and gloomy track, doesn’t lack once in the majestic arrangement arena – merging with heroic choirs and, together with “Landfall”, represents the technical brilliance of the unit at its best. Heavily catchy “Fly with Me” proves the band’s remarkable ability to combine immense, clear, earworm choruses with furious growls and heavy breakdowns, while tracks like “Herald of Aegir” – a mythology-adorned stance against pollution of our oceans – and “Rift Between Us” approach the more power metal-inflamed facet of the Finnish juggernauts while still rooted in the melodic death metal segment. The excursion continues with heartfelt “Borderland”, featuring intense lyricism underlined by the poem “My Testament” by renowned Ukrainian poet Taras Schevchenko.
Voices In The Sky closes with both the nearly eight-minute epic “All as One” and a raging bonus cover of Dark Funeral’s “Diabolis Interium” that hits as grimly as the original. On this 11-track piece, BRYMIR combines the best of their defining elements to a greater good, showcasing that they are at the very top of their game and ready to enter the next level in their promising journey!
Voices In The Sky track listing: 1. Voices in the Sky 2. Forged in War 3. Fly with Me 4. Herald of Aegir 5. Rift Between Us 6. Landfall 7. Borderland 8. Far from Home 9. Seeds of Downfall 10. All as One 11. Diabolis Interium (Bonus)
[Photo Credit: Holger Fichtner & Patrick Schneiderwind]
After charting on #2 on the German album charts with their seventh studio album, Not The End Of The Road, in January, German rock sensations KISSIN’ DYNAMITE will finally embark to a German tour to celebrate their new album the way it was meant to be experienced – presented live on stage!
In conjunction with this announcement, the five-piece have released a new single taken from Not The End Of The Road, entitled “Only The Dead” – a smashing hymn luring with the addictive vocal textures of singer Hannes Braun accenting their high-voltage stadium rock sound. The song gets you in the perfect mood for big stages and chanting crowds! With “Only The Dead”, the band picks up where they left off at the #3 spot on the German Rock Radio Airplay Charts, achieved with their previous single “Not The End Of The Road”, which stayed in the top 10 for weeks.
KISSIN’ DYNAMITE on the single: “‘Only The Dead can be free from sorrow’ is a sarcastic truth: No matter how much you care about your mental health, in the end we’re only humans and literally can´t beat off ANY shit that comes our way. So the message to the people is quite simple: Don’t take everything so seriously all the time and don’t let it get too close to you. Just grin (like skeletons do) and you’ll feel better, no matter what is bothering you. Life is too short to be anxious and worried all the time. Start giving a shit!”
Founded in 2007, German heavy metal formation KISSIN’ DYNAMITE have made more than just a name for themselves in the scene: With six studio albums and various chart entries, the band established their trademark style – characterized by modern sound, massive anthems and catchy hooks paired with an 80s stadium rock attitude and eccentric look.
The new studio album, Not The End Of The Road, was produced, recorded and mixed by vocalist Hannes Braun (Südland Music) himself, who has also worked with bands like Santiano, The Kelly Family and Beyond The Black. Mastering was completed by Grammy Award-winning producer Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, known for his work with bands like Volbeat and many more.
Ande Braun on the new album: “Not The End Of The Road is an album that accurately describes our experiences as a band since Ecstasy in 2018. First and foremost, we highlight with songs like “Not The End Of The Road”, “What Goes Up”, “Yoko Ono” and “Only The Dead”: We’re up for it, we’re pulling together and we want to reach the rock Olympus! Titles like “Coming Home”, “Gone For Good” and “Scars”, on the other hand, deal with real feelings like loneliness, homesickness and sadness, which are also part of life.”
Hannes Braun adds: “With Ecstasy, we already didn’t make any compromises and just wanted to compose music that speaks from us. Not The End Of The Road seamlessly picks up exactly here.”
KISSIN’ DYNAMITE live in Germany – Not The End Of The Road 2022/23
17.12.22 DE – Memmingen / Kaminwerk 26.12.22 DE – Geiselwind / Music Hall 27.12.22 DE – Munich / Tonhalle 29.12.22 DE – Berlin / Columbiatheater 30.12.22 DE – Filderstadt / Filharmonie 05.01.23 DE – Hamburg / Markthalle 06.01.23 DE – Wiesbaden / Schlachthof 07.01.23 DE – Cologne / Live Music Hall
With Not The End Of The Road, KISSIN’ DYNAMITE set another milestone in their successful discography: In guitar-driven power metal fashion, the tune of the intro and title track “Not The End Of The Road” prepares the listener for a thrilling road trip and new anthems straight from the heart of the KISSIN’ DYNAMITE universe. Crusher “What Goes Up” takes its listener into the truly spectacular soundscapes that make stadiums shake and convinces with Aerosmith-like guitar attacks and an anthemic hook. But KISSIN’ DYNAMITE are also not afraid to show their mellower side, as heard on delightfully tranquil tracks like “Good Life” and “Gone For Good” – not only showcasing the almost calm touches pervading the melodies, but also presenting the softer side of Braun’s vocal repertoire. While tracks like “No One Dies A Virgin” and “Yoko Ono” symbolize catchy party hymns, standouts “Coming Home” and “Defeat It” underline their origins of stadium rock without being pigeonholed. “Voodoo Spell” manifests the variety of the band and their different influences – starting with strong dark rock elements, the song becomes an opus that easily competes with the biggest stadium giants. The album’s closer, “Scars”, proves once again that KISSIN’ DYNAMITE can reach the depths and showcase lyrical vulnerability – an impressive ending that screams to be played live.
Not The End Of The Road track listing: 1. Not the End of the Road 2. What Goes Up 3. Only the Dead 4. Good Life 5, Yoko Ono 6. Coming Home 7. All for a Halleluja 8. No One Dies a Virgin 9. Gone for Good 10. Defeat It 11. Voodoo Spell 12. Scars
With today’s single release, German metal giants BLIND GUARDIAN throw ‘Violent Shadows’ on these hot summer days. In this pulsing track, the band delivers another epic track foreshadowing the release of their new album The God Machine– out on September 2nd via Nuclear Blast Records. ‘Violent Shadows’ is an onslaught of thrashy riffs and relentless drumming, presenting itself as one of the most straight forward bangers of the album.
The song is supported by a performance video impressively capturing the band’s live charisma. Serving as a perfect appetizer for BLIND GUARDIAN‘s live shows this summer and autumn, check out the video here:
Singer Hansi Kürsch states: “Since our WWW Virtual Wacken Performance, Violent Shadows threw a massive, already overpowering shade on the expectations of ‘The God Machine’. We were pretty aware of the effects that the number would develop. The message is quite clear in my opinion: We’re able to go straight forward! With the single release you get a very concise impression of the album’s precision and intensity. Just one more thing: Everybody who thinks that the wait for the remaining five songs isn’t worth it, is completely wrong! Every single song is a firework and shines even brighter in context. Remember my words, enjoy ‘Violent Shadows’ and pre-order The God Machine. Today, September 2nd’s already yesterday.”
The God Machine marks another pinnacle in BLIND GUARDIAN’s impressive discography by not attempting to pretend it is still the nineties yet instead successfully relying on the muscle memory of this period. It is a gripping, addictive and brilliantly arranged album in the tradition of records with which BLIND GUARDIAN reached for the stars in the 90’s; yet, by no means, is it a throwback. The God Machine represents the heart and soul of BLIND GUARDIAN’s timeless metal in the here and now, unifying the bards’ past, present and future secrets in one consistent, well thought out masterpiece.
31.07. UK Durham – Dominion Festival 05.08. ES Villena (Alicante) – Leyendas del Rock XV 07.08. RO Râșnov – Rockstadt Extreme Fest 19.08. DE Giessen – Giessener Kultursommer 20.08. DE Dinkelsbühl – Summer Breeze Festival 02.09. DE Saarbrücken – Garage 03.09. DE Memmingen – Kaminwerk 04.09. CH Pratteln – Z7 05.09. DE Frankfurt am Main – Batschkapp 06.09. DE Stuttgart – KA 08.09. DE München – Backstage 09.09. DE Dresden – Alter Schlachthof 10.09. DE Neuruppin – Kulturhaus 11.09. DE Berlin – Huxleys Neue Welt 13.09. DE Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle 14.09. DE Köln – E-Werk 16.09. DE Osnabrück – Hyde Park 17.09. DE Osnabrück – Hyde Park 10.-17.10. ES Barca Trencada – Full Metal Holiday @ Iberostar Club Cala Barca 12.10. NL Sittard – Poppodium Volt 13.10. DE Hamburg – edel-optics.de-Arena
Today, diabolical black/death metal squadron BELPHEGOR have finally unleashed their new studio album called The Devils in its entirety. Their twelfth full-length proves to be one of the strongest and most elaborate records in the group’s career. Mixed & mastered at renowned Fascination Street Studios by Jens Bogren, The Devils sounds absolutely crushing and dynamic, sonically pushing the immense variety of the eight tracks to new heights.
Rounded off by impressive artwork created by Seth Siro Anton, The Devils marks the band’s fourth collaboration with one of metal’s most talented and prolific artworkers. Ultimately, The Devils is an album that musically builds upon BELPHEGOR’s trademark sound, in essence a combination of traditional death and black metal deeply rooted in the 90’s, yet boasts with intricate compositions and detailed arrangements underlining their outstanding position within the international extreme metal circuit.
Blending German, Latin and English lyrics, lead single ‘Totentanz – Dance Macabre’ is as ferocious as it gets with its insane barrage of blast beats, spiteful lyrics, and sinister guitar melodies. ‘Glorifizierung des Teufels‘ (‘Glorification of the Devil’) and ‘Virtus Asinaria –Prayer‘ offer epic, mid-paced grandeur, chanted vocals and choirs adding new shades of black to their stylistic palette. The title-track or ‘Damnation – Höllensturz‘ prove to be more complex pieces, shifting moods and tempos with ease and expanding BELPHEGOR’s blasphemous onslaught with fascinating twists and turns.
A Music Video For The Album’s Title Track Will be Released On Tuesday, August 2nd. Stay Tuned!
HELMUTH comments: „Hail! I think the greatest strength of this twelfth BELPHEGOR album are the many new elements incorporated into our unrelenting soundwall, which illuminates the offering shine with an evil ritualistic light. We tried to push the boundaries as musicians and as a band to bring the eight soundcollages to a new level of “Diabolical Black Death Metal” extremity. An intense atmosphere was our goal.
“THE DEVILS” is the perfect demonstration of how we wanted to sound in the year 2022, every aspect expressing what we seek within BELPHEGOR! In Musick, Helmuth”
THE DEVILS tracklist
The Devils
Totentanz – Dance Macabre
Glorifizierung des Teufels
Damnation – Höllensturz
Virtus Asinaria – Prayer
Kingdom Of Cold Flesh
Ritus Incendium Diabolus
Creature Of Fire
Blackest Sabbath 1997 *
*re-recorded medley of ‘Blackest Ecstasy’ and ‘Blutsabbath’ from 1997’s “Blutsabbath” album
BELPHEGOR LIVE: 04.08. – GER – Wacken Open Air 14.08. – UK – Derbyshire, Bloodstock Festival 20.08. – FRA – St-Nolff, Motocultor Festival 26.08. – GER – Crispendorf – Wolfszeit Festival 27.08. – AUT – Gloggnitz, Metal Escalation Festival 23.09. – MEX – Monterrey, Mexico Metal Fest 22.10. – AUT – Linz, Wildstyle & Tattoo Messe 13.11. – FRA – Oignies, Tyrant Fest
Pain Is Forever And This Is The End, the latest full-length from German metal duo MANTAR out now on Metal Blade Records, reached the #2 spot on the Official German Album Charts! The record charted in Switzerland, Austria, and the US as well.
#2 Germany #45 Switzerland #60 US (Current Hard Music Albums) #69 Austria #84 US (Top New Artists)
Additionally, the band has just unveiled a playthrough for the track “Of Frost And Decay.” Check it out HERE.
Founded in 2012, MANTAR stands among the leading forces in extreme metal within the last ten years. The band’s most diverse and multifaceted album to date, Pain Is Forever And This Is The End sees the band taking things to an entirely new level, the songs boasting more melody and an array of guitar tones, influenced in no small part by the artists the pair covered on 2020’s Grungetown Hooligans II collection which featured MANTAR interpretations of songs from the likes of L7, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, and The Jesus Lizard, formative bands from their respective youths Lyrically, the songs delve deep, pondering a variety of uncomfortable questions about mortality, spirituality, and the illusion of “belonging” in a world that’s unraveling and growing more fragmented by the day.
Watch MANTAR‘s previously released videos for “Grim Reaping” HERE, “Odysseus” HERE, and “Hang ‘Em Low (So The Rats Can Get ‘Em)” HERE.
Pain Is Forever And This Is The End is available on CD, LP, and digital formats. Preview and purchase the record at: metalblade.com/mantar
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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
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 