Welcome to CROM new chapter. “Into The Glory Land ” is the first output since Walter “Crom” Grosse (ex-Dark Fortress) signed his epic heavy metal project to From the Vaults, and only a foretaste for what will follow later in the middle of 2022. Two brand new songs of pure epic heavy metal and three emotional acoustic tracks will show both sides of the music Crom is standing for since 1997. “Into The Glory Land” EP is the logical further development since the last output “When Northmen Die” and the first official release with Crom’s first complete line-up ever.
“Into The Glory Land” will be released in digital and LP formats by From The Vaults on December 3rd, 2021. Pre-orders are available here.
“Into The Glory Land” tracklist: 1. Into The Glory Land 2. Riding Into The Sun 3. The Hanging Tree 4. Wings Of Fire – acoustic version 5. Song To Hall Up High
Whilst playing with German melodic black metallers Dark Fortress, Walter “Crom” Grosse began working on a solo-project that was worlds apart from the raw aggression normally associated with the genre in which he started. The more the work progressed, the more Grosse realised that he much preferred to forge his own musical path, a path where melody is the defining factor, and, following on from the positive response to his debut EP “The Fallen Beauty”, he decided to focus his attention solely on the band that had become Crom.
Grosse has never made any secret of his admiration and respect for Quorthon. Like many other musicians, he is influenced by the epic melodies of the legendary Bathory, but, unlike many, he has allowed the influence to subtly shade, rather than define, the musical content. Crom has an individuality that can only be described as, well… “CROM”!
Delicate acoustic guitars are counter-pointed by crushing metal riffs. A powerful vocal performance is accompanied by melodies that are in turn poignant or majestic. With his use of choirs, epic arrangements, skilful transitions, and stirring melodies, Grosse is able to conjure up images of mighty warriors and lost loves; epic struggles and tragic personal losses; despair and ultimate salvation.
After three albums (“Vengeance” in 2008, “Of Love And Death” in 2011 and “When Northmen Die” in 2017) Crom is now ready for a new chapter in its career, signing a new record deal with From The Vaults and looking ahead the release of the new EP “Into The Glory Land”.
Only days remain until English extreme metal legends and pioneers of goregrind and death metal CARCASS release their massively anticipated album, “Torn Arteries,” that’s out this Friday,September 17th from Nuclear Blast Records. Today, the band has revealed a new trailer in which they discuss the songwriting behind the record. Watch below.
Dance of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstances March No. 1 In B)
Eleanor Rigor Mortis
Under The Scalpel Blade
The Devil Rides Out
Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment Limited
Kelly’s Meat Emporium
In God We Trust
Wake Up And Smell The Carcass /Caveat Emptor
The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing
Ferocious and uncompromising in their execution, CARCASS’s ability to intricately dissect the innards of death metal, and display them for us to sonically understand has been their point of excellence for over three decades. In 2019 the band released their first single in over 5 years “Under The Scalpel Blade,” followed by a 4 song EP entitled “Despicable” (October 2020), setting a potent precedent for the full length album coming in September: “Torn Arteries.” With the album title itself referencing an old demo created by original drummer Ken Own back in the 80’s, “Torn Arteries“sits as a bookend on the modern side of the CARCASS discography, connecting directly back to where everything began over 30 years ago.
The album artwork also rings reminiscent of the grotesque photography that appears on classic CARCASS album covers like “Reek Of Putrefaction“ of “Symphonies of Sickness.” Artist Zbigniew Bielak traveled outside his normal wheelhouse to bring forth a time lapsed set of photos showing vegetables shaped like a heart, rotting over time upon a white plate. This form of artwork was influenced by Japanese Kusôzu, meaning: ‘painting of the nine stages of a decaying corpse.’
“It’s very clean, white, which we’ve never done before,” explains vocalist and bassist Jeff Walker, “it doesn’t look evil, or typically death metal, but I like how clean it is; almost like a coffee table book.” This new album presents images, lyrics, and sounds that so distinctly scream CARCASS, but ferry us into a new era of production, songwriting, and art all together.
“I think as our 7th album, it does stand out from the others both sonically and stylistically,” says Walker. “You can definitely tell that it’s CARCASS; when you drop that needle on the vinyl, when you hear that guitar tone, you can tell it’s Bill Steer, but each album is always a product of its time.”
With “Torn Arteries,” each track stands unique from the rest in its approach to guitar, bass, vocals and drumming, along with all the finer details. Filthy and dominating guitar work creates thick layers of tone and melody, piling on top of each other like the weight of dead flesh in tracks like “Kelly’s Meat Emporium.”
“The working title for Kelly’s was originally ‘Stock Carcass,’” laughs Walker. “We knew that one was a real meat and potatoes track for the album.” Meanwhile the elevated speed and catchy beat in “Dance of Ixtab” tell a robust and airier story, one that is certain to get a reaction from live crowds. “We built this song around the beat. We had an approach to each song that was a definite idea. It’s all about ‘what haven’t we done before?’”
Recording and Production for “Torn Arteries” wasn’t as simple as sitting down for a few weeks and knocking it all out, but rather spread out over the course of approximately 1 year bouncing back and forth between England and Sweden. Initially, drummer Daniel Wilding did session work in Sweden at Studio Gröndahl with David Castillo while guitars were recorded at The Stationhouse with James Atkinson in Leeds, England. Eventually needing some form of residential location to finalize vocals, bass, and other guitarwork, the band headed back to studio Gröndahl in Sweden to continue work in a very relaxed atmosphere with Castillo. “There was no real big plan to do it this way, the process just organically grew on its own,” says Walker.
Most will find that the only real struggle when indulging in “Torn Arteries“ is fighting the desire to start it over the second it finishes. It covers substantial new ground for a band with such a reputation, while still retaining that addictive, time honored CARCASS sound that has come to represent the face of true death metal.
DOLD VORDE ENS NAVN are now revealing the video ‘Er det måneskinn?‘ (“Is It the Moonlight?”) as the second single taken from their forthcoming debut album “Mørkere” (“Darker”), which has been scheduled for release on November 12. The Norwegian black metal veterans have previously unveiled the coverart, tracklist, and further details of their new full-length that can be viewed below.
The video clip ‘Er det måneskinn?‘ is available here:
DOLD VORDE ENS NAVN comment: “Within the lyrics of ‘Er det måneskinn?’, which translate as ‘Is It the Moonlight?, the moon serves as a parable pertaining to the visible and the hidden form”, tells vocalist Vicotnik. “The real topic here is the conflict within those opposing worlds, both externally and internally. The greater the number of conflicts that we are subject to, the more tools we need to develop to face the adversity.”
Credit Filmed by Håvard Jørgensen Edited by Łukasz Jaszak
Tracklist 1. Jeg vil ha det mørkere 2. Løgnens abstinenser 3. Det falt et lys i min mørke krok 4. Determinismens paradoks 5. Ensomhetens rytter 6. Arvesynden 7. Er det måneskinn 8. Syke hjerter
Recorded and mixed by Matias Aaveren at Toproom Studios, Ski, Norway Mastered by Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering, California, USA Produced by Dold Vorde Ens Navn
Artwork and layout by Łukasz Jaszak Album cover photo by by Ann-Karin Jørung
With “Variola Vera”, their second full-length studio release, Psychedelic Rockers HIMMELLEGEME have come up with an album that uses heavy riffs, chilling melodies, and melancholy-laden lyrics to create a timeless sound that is dark and otherworldly. Highly appropriate for an album whose underlying theme is the impact that humans have had on this planet of ours.
As a final taste of what “Variola Vera” has to offer fans ahead of its October 1 release, Karisma Records have today released a fourth and final single from the album. Titled “Agafia”, the track can be streamed or downloaded from various services at this location.
It is a single about which the band, whose influence, drawn from both Blues and Atmospheric Prog Rock, is undeniable, had this to say:
“Agafia” is a track where the name and lyrical content are based on Agafia Lykova, the Russian woman who has been living alone in the inhospitable Russian wilderness since the late 80s. She was a part of a family who had been forced to flee government persecution because they had not wanted to be a part of their new ideologies. It’s about how she is forced to live more like modern humans, being torn between a more modern life and her fear of God and the society that left her.
Musically the song started its life as a loop Hein made with some delays, and then it just kept building up to what it is today. We wanted to make it sound epic, like a scene from a movie. This feeling is best described in the outro of the track.
Recorded from late spring through to the late fall of 2020 at Bergen’s Broen Studio, “Variola Vera” was produced by Anders Bjelland (ELECTRIC EYE / HYPERTEXT) who also handled the mixing and the mastering for HIMMELLEGEME’ s lineup of Aleksander Vormestrand (vocals, guitar), Hein Alexander Olson (lead guitar, slide, drums), Lauritz Isaksen (keys), Erik Alfredsen (bass, backing vocals, misc. instruments) and Leiv Martin Green (drums, backing vocals).
HIMMELLEGEME are quite adamant that although “Variola Vera” does indeed have a very definite theme running through it, it is not quite in the realms of a concept album, as the band explained:
The overall themes of the album are the impact we humans have on planet earth, and the destruction we leave in our wake wherever we go. Not only in regards to the planet itself, but also to the people inhabiting it. It’s not a concept album per se – the lyrics are fictional with roots in reality, but based on newer and older events seen from different viewpoints.
“Variola Vera” will be available in CD, Digital, and Limited Edition LP Formats, and it is now available to pre-order from:
With cover art by Samantha Muljat, track listing on “Variola Vera” is as follows:
Shaping Mirrors Like Smoke
Heart Listening
Blowing Raspberries
Brother
Let the Mother Burn
Caligula
Agafia
Variola Vera
HIMMELLEGEME are set to play a release concert for the album on the 2nd October at Det Akademiske Kvarter in Bergen, Norway. More details at www.facebook.com/events/432581201470635/
The official video for the track “Blowing Raspberries” from HIMMELLEGEME’s “Variola Vera” album can be seen at https://youtu.be/A1f6ihTE2II
Lifeforce Records is super stoked to announce the signing of Texas-based Blackened Death Metal outfit ALL LIFE DIES to the label’s roster.
Combining the best elements of Black and Death Metal with Jesse Santos’ unique vocal styles makes ALL LIFE DIES a fantastic addition to the Lifeforce Records roster and I’m very excited about the things to come. – comments head of Lifeforce Records, Stefan Luedicke
Corpus Christi (TX) – Formerly known as FALL and formed by Jessie Santos (Oceans of Slumber, Shattered Sun), ALL LIFE DIES brings a focus to influences that range from early Opeth, Insomnium, and Behemoth.
ALL LIFE DIES consists of Jessie Santos (composer, guitarist, vocalist), David Sanchez, Jr. (drums), Oceans of Slumber bandmate Semir Özerkan (bass, backing vocals), and Joseph Martin (guitars, additional backing vocals).
Ghost Dust is an introduction of what is to come from ALL LIFE DIES. It is a story of damnation, acceptance and longing that must be heard. The EP was mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis.
The band’s Lifeforce Records debut album is set to be released in spring 2022.
The band’s self-released EP entitled Ghost Dust will be released as a very limited physical version on Lifeforce Records and can be preordered HERE
Symphonic death metal rising stars NIGHTLAND are going to release their third record ‘The Great Nothing’ on November 19th on Scarlet Records.
The album will lead the listener through an outstanding extreme metal experience made of dramatic and epic melodies, blasting riffs and dreamy atmospheres enriched by massive orchestral arrangements.
Growling vocals and powerful choirs magnify the obscure and thrilling lyrical concept, making this amazing journey across the darkest deepness of the universe even more unique and sensational.
Tracklist is as follows:
1. The Conjunction of Benetnash 2. For Once My Name 3. Shade of a Lowering Star 4. Further 5. 101 Megaparsecs 6. The Great Nothing, pt. 1: Of Seeking and Straying 7. The Great Nothing, pt. 2: The Reliever 8. The Great Nothing, pt. 3: Pursuers of Absolution
‘The Great Nothing’ has been mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio in San Marino.
The beautiful and very evocative artwork – depicting the ascent in the sky of the nymph Callisto – has been created by Nightland’s founder and leader Ludovico Cioffi.
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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 ) 