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ARCHED FIRE Return with New Single ‘So Far’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 19, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: ARCHED FIRE. Leave a comment
Photo by AF

So far, so good… Oh f**k!

Arched Fire is back with a banger! The new single “So Far” reveals a rarely seen side of the Finnish metal band. 

LISTEN to ‘So Far’ single: https://push.fm/fl/arched-fire-so-far

–Music: Ari Väntänen / Kristian Herkman / Mika Rytilahti
–Lyrics: Kristian Herkman
–ISRC: FI3FC2588202
–Cover art by Kristian Herkman
–Band logo by Ari-Pekka Lehtisalo
–Recorded in Finland & Italy
–Mixed and mastered by Marvin T / Tide Studio, London

“I went through Kristian’s demo folder and found this gem of a song that had been lying there for a while already”, says Ari Väntänen. “I thought it had a great hook and that it would be cool to release something different for a change. I mean, we aren’t really known for pretty ballads, are we?” 

More mournful than pretty, the song weighs on you like a looming storm until it exploding into a thundering middle part followed by cathartic final choruses, a gem of a song indeed. 

And the lyrics, you ask, what are they about? This is not a love song, that’s for sure.

“The is song about the difficulties in communication. It relates to the false consensus effect, individualism, conformism and neurodiversity”, says Kristian Herkman, the man behind the music and the lyrics.

“In some societies you have to be like the others to cope,” the singer elaborates. “Some people are neurotypical and some are not. Sometimes neither have the best social skills.”

There certainly is room for improvement. Maybe emotional intelligence and structured communication should be subjects in school.

“People like different things and usually they like familiar things,” Kristian continues. “People fear uncertainty, so they want to be in control. Money is power and conformity makes the masses easier to control. The more you know, the more you know what there is yet to understand.”

The temporary line-up on “So Far” is Kristian Herkman (vocals, lead guitar, kantele, 12 string acoustic guitar), Ari Väntänen (rhythm guitar), Mika Rytilahti (bass), Miika Niemelä (keyboards) and Fabio Alessandrini (drums).

Line-up:
Kristian Herkman: vocals
Ari Väntänen: guitar
Mika Rytilahti: bass
Miika Niemelä: Keyboards
Fabio Alessandrini: drums

https://archedfire.com
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialArchedFire
https://www.instagram.com/arched_fire_official
https://archedfire.bandcamp.com

HYPERION Unleash New Single/Video ‘Yet We Still Fight’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 19, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: HYPERION. Leave a comment
Photo Credit: Paolo Cavanna

Italian metal squad, HyperioN, have released the official visualizer for “Yet We Still Fight,” the third single from upcoming album, Cybergenesis. Watch the visualizer here: youtu.be/j6LtOrkrBr4

“Yet We Still Fight” is also available on Bandcamp and all other platforms. Click to listen at: music.imusician.pro/a/4gyCVpSg

HyperioN return with new LP, Cybergenesis, a dark sci-fi concept album for fans of traditional Heavy Metal. Fighter Records will release the album on January 15, 2026. Album pre-orders are available now at: hyperionbandheavy.bandcamp.com/album/cybergenesis

Cybergenesis, HyperioN’s third full-length album, is eight tracks of powerful, dynamic Heavy Metal!

The concept of Cybergenesis fits seamlessly with the fiery heavy metal therein. A daring expedition into a space-time rift ends in disaster, awakening the Choir, an ancient alien hive mind from an alternate dimension, and plunging humanity into a desperate war for survival. On an Earth enslaved by the Choir’s army of cyborgs, a former commander is reborn as the Rhizome Rider, leading a rebellion from within and sacrificing himself to free humanity.

Rooted in classic sci-fi, from Star Trek to Ghost in the Shell, Cybergenesis tells a story of resistance and sacrifice, where the human spirit defies impossible odds.

The album’s striking cover artwork was hand-painted on canvas by English artist Ryan T. Hancock, renowned for his work with bands such as Seven Sisters, Blood Star, and Stormborn. HyperioN chose a handcrafted, non-AI artwork to give Cybergenesis a tangible and authentic visual identity.

Track Listing:

  1. Deafening
  2. Rewire, Rebuild
  3. Yet We Still Fight
  4. The Shackles of Chronitus
  5. Blood Over Chrome
  6. Grain of Sand
  7. Rhizome Rider
  8. The Whole of Time

Credits:

  • All lyrics written by Davide Cotti. All music written by Davide Cotti except track #02 (written by Davide Cotti and Francesco Madonna) and track #07 (written by Francis Dipasquale and Davide Cotti).
  • Production, recording, mixing and mastering by Davide Cotti.
  • Vocals recorded by Antonio Inserillo.

Line-up:
Davide Cotti – Guitars
Francesco Madonna – Drums
Max Morelli – Vocals
Simone “Nega” Cauli – Bass
Francis Dipasquale – Guitars

HyperioN were formed in 2015 by drummer Jason Beghelli and guitarist Davide Cotti to play traditional heavy metal, drawing inspiration from bands such as Metal Church, early Queensrÿche, and Judas Priest, while adding their own personal touch.

The band quickly gained attention with their debut album Dangerous Days (2017), released via Spanish label Fighter Records. The album was warmly welcomed by critics and gave HyperioN the chance to share thestage with established Italian acts such as Tarchon Fist, Black Phantom, and Rain.

After the recording of the second album, founding drummer Jason Beghelli stepped down for personal reasons and was replaced by Francesco Madonna. In 2020, the band released Into The Maelstrom, again on Fighter Records. The album received excellent reviews worldwide, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of all live promotion plans. Despite the circumstances,  HyperioN  significantly expanded their fanbase across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe through platforms like Bandcamp, finally returning to the stage in 2021.

This first era of the band came to a turning point in 2021, when several lineup changes reshaped HyperioN’s identity. Long-time bassist Antonio Scalia left the band, and after a long search Simone Cauli joined in September 2022. Just a week earlier, guitarist Luke Fortini had

departed, but the vacant role was swiftly filled by Francis Dipasquale (from thrashers Dypron). With the lineup restored, work began on new material, only to face another setback in spring 2023 when vocalist Michelangelo Carano decided to leave.

After months of auditions, HyperioN found the missing piece in singer Max Morelli, known for his work with Signum Draconis and Ladykiller. With this new and revitalized lineup, Hyperion completed the writing and production of their third album Cybergenesis, a record that represents both continuity and rebirth. Although only guitarist Davide Cotti remains from the original formation, he has always been the main composer and driving force behind the band, making sure HyperioN’s sound stays true to its roots: driving riffs that ignite into bursts of speed, soaring yet gritty vocals, and melodic hooks that make every chorus memorable.

More info: linktr.ee/hyperionband

METALITALIA FESTIVAL 2026 Announces PARADISE LOST, CORONER, AMENRA, CYNIC, SADIST + More

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 19, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: METALITALIA FESTIVAL. Leave a comment

Metalitalia.com, in collaboration with MC² Live and Live Club, is pleased to announce the first confirmations for the thirteenth edition of the Metalitalia Festival, set to take place on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026 at the Live Club in Trezzo sull’Adda (Milan). As always, the event will be preceded by an exclusive Warm Up Party on Friday 25 September at the legendary Bloom in Mezzago, with full details to be revealed in the coming months.

Artwork by Clod The Ripper

True to tradition, the festival will once again offer a full-scale experience, featuring a rich musical programme packed with international acts and exclusive performances. Fans can also look forward to the ever-popular free meet & greets with all artists, a wide metal market, and the return of Metalitalia Ink, the area entirely dedicated to tattoo and body-art culture.

Below are the first bands confirmed for this edition:

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

Headlining the Saturday bill will be PARADISE LOST. It is a true honour for us to welcome a band that has shaped our tastes as listeners and written a defining chapter in European metal history. The pioneers of gothic metal for this occasion will present a special “by request” show, with a setlist chosen by the fans. Additional information about the voting system will be announced later.

Also performing on Saturday are AMENRA, one of the leading forces in the post-metal landscape. The Belgian collective typically cathartic and visceral performance is set to take on an even more monumental form within the Live Club.

Completing this first announcement are the Ukrainians 1914, one of the most compelling contemporary acts in the European extreme metal scene. Known for their dynamic fusion of black, death, and doom metal and their concept entirely rooted in World War I, they promise a deeply immersive live experience.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

Sunday’s headliners will be CORONER, the legendary Swiss techno-thrash formation now stronger than ever thanks to the widespread acclaim of their impressive comeback album “Dissonance Theory“. It will be an honour to welcome them back to the Live Club for what promises to be a masterful performance.

As co-headliners, we are equally proud to confirm Florida’s CYNIC, pioneers of all things technical and avant-garde within the death–thrash spectrum. Paul Masvidal’s band will perform a special show focused on their first two full-length albums: the seminal “Focus” and the equally celebrated “Traced in Air” – an elegant journey into their early legacy.

Also joining Sunday’s programme are SADIST. With two headliners of such calibre, it felt natural to extend the invitation to a group that has helped shape the history of Italian death metal and is widely regarded as a cult name internationally. For the occasion, Tommy, Trevor and company will perform a set dedicated to their masterpiece “Tribe“, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026.

Many more bands, exclusive shows and full details about all the additional festival features will be announced in the coming weeks!

At a time when everything seems to be getting more expensive and the cost of living keeps rising, we are proud to highlight that – despite the current situation – ticket prices for the festival have remained unchanged from last year. It’s a concrete commitment to keeping the Metalitalia Festival accessible to all fans, without compromising on the quality and ambition that have always defined the event.

DAY 1 – Saturday 26 September 2026
PARADISE LOST – Special show “by request”
AMENRA
Tba
Tba
1914
Tba
Tba
Tba

DAY 2 – Sunday 27 September 2026
CORONER
CYNIC – “Focus” & “Traced in Air” Special show
Tba
SADIST – “Tribe” Special show
Tba
Tba
Tba
Tba

Tickets:

  • Single-Day Ticket: Pre-sale €49 + fees | At the door €60
  • 2-Day Pass + Warm-Up Party: Pre-sale €79 + fees | At the door €90
  • Tickets available from now via Vivaticket, Ticketone, Ticketmaster, and TicketSMS.
  • Presale: https://www.metalitalia-festival.com/en/biglietti/

Info:

METALITALIA FESTIVAL – http://www.metalitalia-festival.com – http://www.facebook.com/Metalitalia.comFestival
Supported by:
EMP Mailorder – http://www.emp-online.it
Time To Kill Records – http://www.timetokillrecords.com

NERVE STAR Release Debut Single ‘Precious Rock’ (A side) / ‘Hard Rain Falling’ (B side) from Upcoming Album “White Hot”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 19, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: NERVE STAR. Leave a comment

NERVE STAR has released their debut single Precious Rock (A side) / Hard Rain Fallin’ (B side), out now, new album ‘White Hot’ set for release 27th February 2026. 

  • Precious Rock – The A-side of our first single and a cover of the 1985 US band Axtion Metal track that doesn’t slow down for one second.
  • Hard Rain Fallin’ – B-side of our first single and a cover of the 1970 Proto Metal track by Sir Lord Baltimore

Buy here: https://linktr.ee/Nervestar

NERVE STAR are a hard rock/heavy metal band which took form in 2021, playing a blend of 70’s hard rock, 80’s heavy metal, NWOBHM and some punk thrown in the mix, with unrelenting riffs, big drums, thumping bass and loud guitars. 

Throughout the year, the line up began to solidify with Joss Thorley from Manchester on Bass and Chris Billinghurst from Maidenhead on Lead Guitar and they settled on a band name ‘Nerve Star’. It wasn’t possible to rehearse together so some cool tracks were selected and sent out, with initially ten songs home demoed. 

After a couple of changes as they sought to find the ideal line up, in 2023 they brought in a great singer from the South of England, Matt Oakman, and things instantly moved into another league. With Matt on board, they searched around for a second reliable and gifted rock/metal guitarist and drummer, contacting Janne Stark, who loved all the tracks. He had done it all as both a producer and guitarist in Metal, Prog and NWOBHM bands since the 1980’s and recorded and produced his own albums and was a perfect partner for Chris on guitar, they now had their own version of the dual leads of Thin Lizzy.

With all Janne’s experience and solidity, it meant that sessions were completed in days rather than months at his studios in Sweden and everything started to take off. Janne introduced the band to Peter, a band colleague and great drummer from Karlsham in Sweden, so when Peter ‘Trumpeter’ Svensson jumped on board, the line up was complete.
 
In Spring 2024, with demos completed, they started full recording sessions with Janne and Peter in Sweden and Joss, Chris and Matt with Ras at Raw Studios in England. This continued through 2024/25 until all 13 tracks were completed. 
 
For the final track on the album track that was recorded, one of their guitar heroes was asked if he would like to contribute. Tony Bourge, the heavy metal riff master from the 1970’s Welsh band ‘Budgie’ who was responsible for killer riffs on tracks such as Breadfan/Crash Course In Brain Surgery (covered by Metallica), In For The Kill (Van Halen) and many more. Tony had previously contributed on several Bandolier Kings albums with Janne and agreed to help on one of his own 80’s classic tracks ‘Richard III’, that he originally wrote and recorded with Welsh rockers ‘Tredegar’. Tony recorded all his guitar parts in Wales and sent them across. All three lead guitarists can be heard on this epic track, which is the closer on the upcoming album.
          
Album ‘WHITE HOT’ (HYPER04) will be released in late February 2026 on all formats: 
Vinyl LP (8 tracks), CD and Digital/Streaming Album (13 tracks) and distributed in the UK by RSK Entertainment via Proper Distribution. UK gigs and later European festival appearances will follow.

NERVE STAR:
Janne Stark – Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Chris Billinghurst – Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Joss Thorley – Bass Guitar
Matt Oakman – Vocals
Peter ‘Trumpeter’ Svensson – Drums & Percussion
 
Producer: Mike Dixon (Thin Lizzy-UK Tour 75 / Sensational Alex Harvey Band-British Tour 76)
Recorded/Mixed by: Rasmus Bom Andersen  (Diamond Head) at Raw Studios, UK
Mastered by: Andy ‘Hippy’ Baldwin  (Oasis/Blur) at Metropolis, London

FEUERSCHWANZ & LORD OF THE LOST Release Live Video for ‘Lords Of Fyre’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 19, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: FEUERSCHWANZ, Lord Of The Lost. Leave a comment
[Photo Credit: VDPictures]

FEUERSCHWANZ and LORD OF THE LOST are bringing live energy to the holiday season with a new version of their shared song, “Lords Of Fyre”. The powerful live rendition of the 2024 hit single was recorded at the closing show of their impressive co-headline tour, also named LORDS OF FYRE, in Düsseldorf, Germany in October of 2025. The crowd’s enthusiasm adds to the single that connected two of Germany’s biggest metal bands shortly after the releases of their successful albums, Knightclub (#2 on the Official German Album Charts) and OPVS NOIR Vol. 1 (#3 on the Official German Album Charts). Both albums were released in August and both featured the studio version of “Lords Of Fyre”. LORD OF THE LOST have even followed up with another album since: OPVS NOIR Vol. 2 was revealed just last week, again via Napalm Records.
 
FEUERSCHWANZ and LORD OF THE LOST on “Lords Of Fyre”:
“LORDS OF FYRE – the anthem of friendship between two bands, forged on stage and now unleashed in an epic live version!

Their co-headline tour might be over, but both FEUERSCHWANZ and LORD OF THE LOST are headed for the road again soon. FEUERSCHWANZ are starting their “Knightclub Tour” in March, taking it to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, and Poland, supported by Miracle Of Sound. In April, they will be playing shows in Latin America, igniting the medieval metal fire in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina, before returning for the festival summer to play Europe’s biggest stages. LORD OF THE LOST are headed to North America for their “Dark Winter Tour” in January and February, and will also be playing Australia before their “TOVR NOIR” takes them all the way through Europe in the spring. After the 2026 festival season, LORD OF THE LOST will take a break from touring for at least a year to focus on new creative projects within the band and songwriting. All dates for both acts can be found below.

FEUERSCHWANZ Live 2026
 
KNIGHTCLUB TOUR
Support: Miracle Of Sound
12.03.26 DE – Saarbrücken / Garage
13.03.26 CH – Zürich / X-TRA
14.03.26 DE – Wiesbaden / Schlachthof
15.03.26 DE – Geiselwind / Eventhalle
19.03.26 DE – Hamburg / Docks
20.03.26 DE – Oberhausen / Turbinenhalle
21.03.26 DE – Osnabrück / Hyde Park
22.03.26 FR – Paris / Elysée Montmartre
25.03.26 PL – Warsaw / Progresja
26.03.26 AT – Vienna / Gasometer
27.03.26 DE – Dresden / Alter Schlachthof
28.03.26 DE – Stuttgart / Wagenhallen
 
26.04.17 MX – Mexiko-Stadt / Circo Volador
26.04.19 CO – Bogotá / Ace Of Spades
26.04.21 CL – Santiago / Teatro Cariola
26.04.23 AR – Buenos Aires / El Teatrito
 
LADIES KNIGHT 2026
w/ Special Guest Burning Witches
08.05.26 DE – Heidelberg / Halle 02
 
Festivals 2026:
09.05.26 DE – Braunschweig / Rock in Rautheim
16.05.26 DE – Rastede / MPS Rastede
24.05.26 DE – Oranienburg / Pfingst Spectaculum
18.06.26 FR – Clisson / Hellfest
20.06.26 BE – Dessel / Graspop Metal Meeting
27.06.26 DE – Dischingen / Rock am Härtsfeldsee
02.06.26 ES – Viveiro / Resurrection Fest
18.07.26 CZ – Zlin / Masters Of Rock
01.08.26 DE – Bückeburg / MPS Bückeburg
04.09.26 DE – Luhmühlen / MPS Luhmühlen
 
LORD OF THE LOST Live 2026
 
DARK WINTER TOUR – USA & CANADA 2026
Co-Headliner Tour w/ The Birthday Massacre
Special Guest Wednesday 13
19.01.26 US – Baltimore, MD / Baltimore Soundstage
20.01.26 US – Philadelphia, PA / Theatre of Living Arts
21.01.26 US – New Haven, CT / Toad’s Place
23.01.26 US – New York, NY / Irving Plaza
24.01.26 US – Worcester, MA / The Palladium
25.01.26 CA – Montreal, QC / Beanfield Theatre
26.01.26 CA – Toronto, ON / Danforth Music Hall
28.01.26 US – Cleveland, OH / House of Blues
29.01.26 US – Cincinnati, OH / Bogart’s
30.01.26 US – Detroit, MI / St. Andrews Hall
31.01.26 US – Chicago, IL / Concord Music Hall
02.02.26 US – Minneapolis, MN / First Avenue
04.02.26 US – Denver, CO / Summit Music Hall
05.02.26 US – Salt Lake City, UT / The Complex
07.02.26 US – Los Angeles, CA / The Fonda
08.02.26 US – San Francisco, CA / UC Theatre
 
Australia 2026
19.02.26 AU – Brisbane / Crowbar
20.02.26 AU – Melbourne / Max Watts
21.02.26 AU – Sydney / Crowbar
22.02.26 AU – Adelaide / Lion Arts
 
TOVR NOIR 2026
Special Guests:
AD INFINITUM [∞]
DOGMA [†]
LEAGUE OF DISTORTION [x]
12.03.26 NO – Oslo [∞]
13.03.26 SE – Gothenburg [∞]
14.03.26 SE – Stockholm [∞]
16.03.26 FI – Tampere [∞]
17.03.26 FI – Helsinki [∞]
19.03.26 EE – Tallinn [∞]
20.03.26 LT – Vilnius [∞]
21.03.26 PL – Warsaw [∞]
22.03.26 PL – Kraków [∞]
24.03.26 AT – Vienna [∞]
25.03.26 HU – Budapest [∞]
27.03.26 GR – Athens [∞]
28.03.26 BG – Sofia [∞]
29.03.26 RO – Bucharest [∞]
09.04.26 NL – Amsterdam [†] [X]
10.04.26 FR – Paris [†] [X]
11.04.26 FR – La Roche-sur-Yon [†] [X]
12.04.26 FR – Toulouse [†] [X]
14.04.26 ES – Madrid [†] [X]
15.04.26 ES – Barcelona [†] [X]
17.04.26 FR – Lyon [†] [X]
25.04.26 CH – Pratteln [†] [X]
26.04.26 IT – Milan [†] [X]
06.05.26 CZ – Prague [†] [X]
07.05.26 DE – Herford [†] [X]
08.05.26 DE – Cologne [†] [X]
09.05.26 DE – Stuttgart [†] [X]
 
Festivals 2026:
18.04.26 BE – Durbuy / Durbuy Rock
24.04.26 DE – Thallichtenberg / Hexentanz
22.05.26 DE – Eichstätt / Open Air am Berg
14.08.26 FR – Carhaix-Plouguer / Motocultor Festival
21.08.26 DE – Oelde / Oelde Open Air

FEUERSCHWANZ are:
Johanna – violin, hurdy-gurdy
Hauptmann – vocals, guitar
Ben – flutes, bagpipes, guitars, vocals
Hans – guitar
Jarne – bass
Rollo – drums
Yennefer – dance & performance
Hela – dance & performance
 
FEUERSCHWANZ online:
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
NAPALM RECORDS

LORD OF THE LOST are:
Chris Harms – Vocals, Guitar
Pi Stoffers – Guitar
Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler – Guitar, Synths
Klaas Helmecke – Bass
Gerrit Heinemann – Piano, Synths, Percussion
Niklas Kahl – Drums
 
LORD OF THE LOST online:
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
LORDSHOP
NAPALM RECORDS

BIZARREKULT Announces Absorbing New Album “Alt Som Finnes”, Out February 20th

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 19, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: BIZARREKULT. Leave a comment
Photo by Radmila Volchenkova

True to the spirit of black metal, Roman V. started Bizarrekult as a lone wolf. Moving to the genre’s birthplace in Norway twenty odd years ago inspired him to bend but not break with tradition. Bizarrekult’s previous albums reflected on his childhood and changing place within the larger world, all while honing a grim yet luminar vision for the future. His upcoming third album also emerged from a deep personal crisis. Only this time, on Alt Som Finnes, he’s not alone in confronting all there is.

Today, Bizarrekult is announcing Alt Som Finnes by premiering the frighteningly tense video for the album’s lead single with No Clean Singing. While “Blikket Hennes” is tormented by never-ending self-doubt, Dødheimsgard vocalist Yusaf “Vicotnik” Parvez leads Roman out of its mental labryinthe – if only for a moment.  

“I was not ready for all of this”, Roman says about Alt Som Finnes. “None of us are, when the time comes. But at the end of this journey, it seems to have all been worth it. The music gave me hints as to where to go and what can be”.

Watch the video for “Blikket Hennes” at No Clean Singing.

Alt Som Finnes comes out February 20, 2026 on Season of Mist Underground Activists. Pre-order & Pre-save: https://orcd.co/bizarrekultaltsomfinnes

In keeping with Norwegian tradition, Bizarrekult can be as cold and raw as early Darkthrone, as eerily melodic as Enslaved, or as blistering in its beauty as Borknagar. Alt Som Finnes (All There Is) upholds that classic, manic energy of old-school black metal. “Blikket Hennes” buzzes like a mind plagued, hounded by sharp twisting riffs, pained screams and a steady pounding of double bass.

“Your conscience never sleeps’”, Roman explains. “It judges and evaluates everything you do. You will never be able to get away from it; it will pierce you day and night, for good and bad”.

As the punishing headwinds behind “Blikket Hennes” signal a change in the atmosphere, like a break in the clouds, Dødheimsgard vocalist’s Yusaf Parvez appears from behind the torrential melody with soothing cleans. It’s a welcome respite before the mental fog returns.

The video for “Blikket Hennes”  was directed by Natalia Drepina (@mourneress). It stars Pavel V. Boldyrev (@somebodyawful) and Natalia Drepina.

Tracklist

1. Hun (02:58)
2. Blikket Hennes (06:18) [WATCH]
3. Avmakt (06:10)
4. Håp (06:22)
5. Drøm (04:42)
6. Verdens Verste (04:22)
7. Aversjon (05:24)
8. Tomhet (06:27)
Full runtime: 42:45

Picture the ocean from inside the eye of a storm. Each rising wave presents its own unique threat, churned by the changing of the tides. But no matter how far you sink below the surface, all there is to see is one continuous expanse of water. This is the tortured yet piercingly clear headspace from which post-black metal curio Bizarrekult slowly and painstakingly emerged with its absorbing third album Alt Som Finnes.

“I was not ready for all of this”, says Bizarrekult’s sole mastermind Roman V. “None of us are, when the time comes. But at the end of this journey, it seems to have all been worth it. The music gave me hints as to where to go and what can be”.

In keeping with black metal’s fiercely individual spirit, Roman began his life as Bizarrekult as a lone wolf. The one-man project started in 2006 as a musical accompaniment to the poetic verses he’d written since childhood. However, it’s official recorded debut didn’t come until fifteen years later, after he moved from Siberia to Norway. Living closer to the genre’s birthplace inspired him to bend but not break with tradition. Bizarrekult can be as cold and raw as early Darkthrone, as eerily melodic as Enslaved, or as blistering in its beauty as Borknagar.

“Norway has become my second home”, Roman says upon reflection. “The years that led to the revitalization of Bizarrekult were spent reflecting on myself and reuniting with the things that are important – art and creativity”.

On Bizarrekult’s first album, Roman looked back on his childhood and family life while also examining his changing relationship with the world at large. Released in 2021, Vi Overlevde (We Survived) was perceived as a beacon of hope amidst the second trying year of the pandemic. Charting near the top of Sweden’s biggest newspaper’s year-end list attracted the attention of Season of Mist, who released 2023’s more expansive follow-up Den Tapte Krigen (The Lost War) to further critical acclaim.

“…as Bizarrekult matures, so does its songwriting” wrote Angry Metal Guy. “The result is an album that flows like a stream through a dark forest”.

Alt Som Finnes (All There Is) maintains the classic energy of the old school. “Drøm” seeks to escape into the comfort of dreams, chased by frantic riffs and hallucinatory screams. “It’s in our dreams that we can finally relax from everything that happens during the daytime”, Roman says. “You can grasp at who you actually are, the meaning of yourself”. While Bizarrekult remains rooted in Norwegian black metal, the album strips away all defenses while adding more post-metal ambience. “Verdens verste” rails against consumerism with blistering grooves, while “Avmakt” surges and seethes in a fight for control before losing power amidst melodies that fall then fade like dying pinpricks of light.

As with Bizarrekult’s two previous retreats into the studio, Alt Som Finnes emerged from a deeply personal crisis. Only this time, Roman is not alone in confronting all there is. He’s  joined in his struggle by guest vocalists from Predatory Void, MØL and Dødheimsgard. Behind a steady pounding of double bass, lead single “Blikket Hennes” buzzes with the all-consuming darkness of a guilty conscience, only for Yusaf “Vicotnik” Parvez to enlighten with soothing cleans.

“I wrote to Yusaf not about music, but life and its difficulties”, Roman says. “It became a connection”.

No one emerges unscathed from Alt Som Finnes. But while riddled with regrets, album closer “Tomhet” breaks new ground as the first Bizarrekult song sung in English. “Am I alone like this? No, we are many”. It’s a damning realization, but also a call for all of us to become something greater.

Line-up
Roman V. — Vocals
Ignat P. — Guitars & Bass
Alexander P. — Drums

Production Credits
Recorded at Seaside Room.
Produced, mixed & mastered by Miguel Tereso at Demigod Recordings, Portugal.

Guest Musicians
Yusaf “Vicotnik” Parvez (Dødheimsgard) — Vocals on “Blikket Hennes”
Lina (Predatory Void / Cross Bringer) — Vocals on “Drøm”
Kim Song Sternkopf (Møl) — Vocals on “Tomhet”

Cover Art
Gravestench Art (https://www.instagram.com/gravestench_art/)

Photography
Radmila Volchenkova

Follow Bizarrekult
Bandcamp: https://bizarrekult.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bizarrekult/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bizarrekvlt/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Cj4Bc1WpdNZhGcKyQfWci/
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/bizarrekult/1455860457
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/11699593

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