Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

STORMRULER To Release Dark Fantasy Inspired Debut “Under The Burning Eclipse”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 9, 2021

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: STORMRULER. Leave a comment

Sharpen your blades and prepare for war with fast-rising USA black metal export STORMRULER! The St. Louis-based two-man project – featuring the dark lyrical genius and deft skill of guitarist/vocalist Jason Asberry and drummer Jesse Schobel – have built a noteworthy subterranean following since their formation. Thus, the band has signed a worldwide record deal with Napalm Records and will release their stunning debut full-length, Under The Burning Eclipse, on May 28, 2021!

STORMRULER combines unrelenting black metal atmosphere and vision from varying metal genres with a brutal, modernized twist of inspiration culled from high-fantasy and history. Listen carefully – you may just be able to identify themes from some of your favorite stories, games and more…

Featuring 19 tracks alternating between ominous instrumental ambience and incendiary black metal riffs and fury, the album tells harrowing tales of war, death, victory and defeat, and delivers an unmatched, hellscaped auditory experience. This is proven evident on first single “Reign Of The Winged Duke” – a searing track made rich with blackened thrashy blastbeats, infernal riffage and powerful progressions as it tells the tale of an immortal magical beast. Its accompanying video sees STORMRULER donning their finest armor and swords, readying for battle!

STORMRULER offers about the track:
“‘Reign Of The Winged Duke’ is a great lead off track because we feel it most strongly represents our overall sound. The imagery of the song lends itself well to video performance too!”

Watch the epic music video for “Reign Of The Winged Duke” HERE

The banners of imperial black metal brigade STORMRULER are flown high! Creeping in like menacing sonic smoke, instrumental ambient intro track “Shine Of Ivory Horns” launches directly into opener “Reign Of The Winged Duke”, instantly careening into a cascade of pummeling drums and charred riffage. Under The Burning Eclipse evenly ebbs and flows between warning mystical atmosphere and ghastly action, evident on the likes of blackened headbobbers “Age Of Steel & Blood”, “Dawn Of The Eternal Fire” and unrelenting 8+ minute title epic “Under The Burning Eclipse”. Standout burner “Of Hollowed Souls & Distant Flame” looks to the north with archaic screams and memorable, colossal progressions, while combat-ready tracks like “At The Cliffs Of Azure City” incorporate ruminations of classic heavy metal combined with scorched, war-torn percussion. The album traverses desolate musical peaks and valleys before closing with the otherworldly brutality of “Fear The Old Blood” – a non-stop onslaught of black metal attack – and ambient, acoustically-driven finisher of olde “Fields Of Mortal Shame”. Under The Burning Eclipse is a solid hour of fantasy-laden, grim fables transfixed in blackened scourge. Fans of extreme metal will not want to miss this debut offering from the mighty STORMRULER!

STORMRULER adds about the album:
“We sought to take all of the elements we love about black and death metal and make the album we always wanted to hear. Early on, we formulated the idea to compose interludes between the songs to segue the moods, yet maintain a cohesive nature. As long-time fans of dark fantasy and historical warfare, it seemed like the proper path lyrically.”

Pre-Order Under The Burning Eclipse HERE

STORMRULER comments on signing to Napalm Records:
“We are thrilled to embark upon this journey with a solid label like Napalm Records. Many bands that have inspired us have found their home on Napalm in the past and presently. We hope to forge our own path amongst their legacies!”

Sebastian Münch, A&R, Napalm Records adds:
“STORMRULER is living proof that excellent black metal is not an entirely Scandinavian business! Under The Burning Eclipse is probably the best black metal album of the last 10 years!”

STORMRULER also recently signed with Hard Impact Management, led by Maurizio Iacono (Ex Deo, Kataklysm)! Maurizio says:
“When Sebastian at Napalm called me up to check out STORMRULER, I immediately saw the fire and did not hesitate to make them part of the Hard Impact family. Scandinavia was the birthplace of black metal, but I think America is now crafting some of the most forward thinking black metal bands in the world. STORMRULER has the work ethic and the songwriting magic to compete amongst the best in the genre, and I look forward to helping develop them to their full potential.”

Under The Burning Eclipse tracklisting:
1. The Shine Of Ivory Horns
2. Reign Of The Winged Duke
3. The March Onto Golden Lands
4. Age Of Steel & Blood
5. Culling Of The Blood Moon
6. Blood Of The Old Wolf
7. Journey To The Unknown
8. Under The Burning Eclipse
9. Prithee, Chosen
10. Of Hollowed Souls & Distant Flames
11. An Empire Of Ash & Dust
12. At The Cliffs Of Azure City
13. Illuminating The Ancient Sky
14. Dawn Of The Eternal Fire
15. A Message From A Foreign King
16. Mark Of The Valkyrie
17. Blood Ritual
18. Fear The Old Blood
19. Fields Of Mortal Shame

SKOLD’s New Industrial Metal Album ‘Dies Irae’ Gets Released Along With A Visually Stunning New Video

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 9, 2021

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: TIM SKOLD. Leave a comment

When TIM SKOLD, producer and former member of Marilyn Manson’s band, ex-KMFDM member, Motionless In White producer, and co-founder of Swedish metal act Shotgun Messiah, titled his new album Dies Irae – a Latin phrase meaning “Day Of Wrath” – not even he could have imagined what the fates had in store for 2021. Between political upheavals and violent revolts to a myriad of allegations against established heroes and icons, it seems a day of reckoning may indeed be coming, like a “black cloud on a dirty horizon.” That’s the image painted by SKOLD in the lead-off track to Dies Irae, the fifth and most aggressive album to date, “Dirty Horizon,” a heavy-as-fu*k metal anthem that grabs you by the throat with its opening riff and doesn’t let up for the entirety of its 4-minute running time. It’s a bold and powerful opening to the set, even as it suggests that this particular beginning is in fact the beginning of the end, “Goodbye and goodnight / Everything is alright / Blinded by starlight / Everything is fine / Just let it BURN.” And burn SKOLD does through nine more tracks of face-melting metal riffs, glorious keyboards and lyrical musings on death (“Terrified”), revolution (“The End Is Near”), romance (“Love Is A Disease”) and more.

SKOLD is also proud to announce a brand new video for “Dirty Horizon,” another collaboration between SKOLD and filmmaker/award-winning music video director Vicente Cordero. The two had collaborated previously on the sweeping, cinematic video for “Small World” from SKOLD’s 2019 album Never Is Now as well as on two haunting videos for Not My God – SKOLD’s other project with Psyclon Nine’s Nero Bellum – “Fiction” and “Sowing Discord.” The “Dirty Horizon” video finds SKOLD paying homage to the legendary film by fellow Swede Ingmar Bergman, the 1957 epic “The Seventh Seal.” Shot in the stone dungeon of the stunning Abbey Arroyo, the video has SKOLD performing dual roles as both the medieval knight and the physical manifestation of Death to whom the knight confesses. The result is a visual masterpiece of religious imagery, dark foreboding and the ancient struggle for meaning and redemption in a wrathful, fallen world.

Watch the video here:

As for SKOLD himself, after 3 decades of making music, he is determined as ever to remain true to his vision and defy audience expectations, saying “I really don’t know what people expect but I think that is a good thing. The idea is that if I just stick to doing my thing I will somehow retain the original enthusiasm and it is actually working, I’m literally getting more inspired the further down the rabbit hole I go. It’s getting scary.”

Dies Irae features artwork from hugely talented German artist Sebastian Nabel (https://sebastiannabel.com/) showcased beautifully on reverse-board digipak for CD plus a special limited edition vinyl edition with a reverse-board jacket and full-color inner sleeve housing a gorgeous CLEAR vinyl LP!

Order the album: https://orcd.co/skold_dies_irae

Track List:1. Dirty Horizon 2. Unspoken 3. The End Is Near 4. Terrified 5. Love Is A Disease 6. This Is The Way 7. Silicon Dreams 8. As Above So Below 9. Kill Yourself 10. Goodbye

VARMIA Unveil Dramatic And Conceptual Music Video For ‘Ten Blask Co Po Nim Śmierć’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 9, 2021

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: VARMIA. Leave a comment

Ahead of this Friday’s release of their third album (and M-Theory Audio debut) “bal Lada,” Polish pagan black metal group VARMIA have unveiled the music video for their latest single, “Ten Blask Co Po Nim Śmierć” (English translation – “the gleam and then death”) The conceptual video – depicting a compelling visual tale of a Polish villager roaming through the forest in an attempt to heal his ailing lover – was shot in the band’s native region of Warmia in northern Poland, and can be viewed below.

CD and limited-edition brown-marble double-LP editions of are available for pre-order www.smarturl.com/varmia or in Poland https://vianocturna.com/varmia-bal-lada-cd-p-1844.html

“We have been awaiting this moment for over two years now,” explains singer/guitarist Lasota. “When we started shooting this music video nobody realized that it will take so much time. So many things changed in that period. First of all, we never thought that the content of that picture will be so… prophetic. The script was written long before anybody used the term Covid or pandemic. Yet here we are. The times have put a new interpretation to our piece. Funny how the world powers can manipulate your original intentions. Keep your eyes wide open when staring straight into the gleam… and then death. This massive production wouldn’t be possible if not for the co-operation with our friend, DOP, co-writer and co-producer Łukasz Gracz.”

VARMIA pays tribute to their Baltic roots by combining black metal with traditional instruments such as the goat horn and the tagelharpa. All of their albums to date have been recorded in culturally significant regions throughout their native Poland, including the 10 tracks of ominous and atmospheric pagan black metal that compose “bal Lada.” The recording process for their new album saw the band setting up a makeshift studio inside a culturally significant 19th Century manor in northern Poland, with all instrumentation recorded while playing together as a live unit with no sound editing. VARMIA recently posted a behind-the-scenes video detailing the recording process for “bal Lada,” including footage of guitarist/vocalist/band founder Lasota recording his vocals outdoors in a northern Poland forest. This clip can be viewed at https://youtu.be/PsXDwzH23PQ.

In recent weeks, VARMIA unveiled two other tracks from “bal Lada”, both of which are currently streaming at https://varmiaband.bandcamp.com/ and available for immediate download with pre-orders of the full album. The video for the first single from the new record, “bielmo”, is a stunning visual montage of the band’s home region, and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/ujzPY7NmeXQ. The video for “Upperan” – featuring a guest performance from Polish “whitevoice” vocalist Jagna – was recorded live in a local castle with no overdubs or post-production sound editing, and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/0ydYs0vR7bg.

VARMIA was formed in 2016 by with a mission of fusing black metal with musical influences that pay tribute to the ancient Baltic tribes of the historical Warmia region of northern Poland. “bal Lada” is the group’s third album following 2017’s “Z mar twych” and 2018’s “W ciele nie.” Vocally, harsh growls shroud the band’s music and native Polish lyrics in a visceral aura, the only breaks occurring when using the traditional, ancient technique of “whitevoice” clean-singing as utilized during ancient East-Central European rituals, rites of passage and festivals. Meanwhile, the power of the band’s metal influences are enhanced on “bal Lada” by traditional ethnic instrumentation of the Baltic Rites via sounds of tagelharpa, goat horn, wood tuba and krivula. The result is a compelling mix of dark metallic sounds that channel the spirit of early Enslaved, Satyricon and Wolves in the Throne Room and folk elements that drive acts such as Wardruna.

NUCLEAR BLAST Celebrate Women’s History Month With Awareness Campaign

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 9, 2021

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: Awareness Campaign, Nuclear Blast, Women's History Month. Leave a comment

There’s no denying it, the metal world is full of strong women running the business; on stage as artists, in offices as magazine editors, behind the scenes as managers, tour managers, agents and promoters- and the list is far from complete. Despite having a mostly male outlook, the metal community in 2021 is as diverse as ever and still continously growing and developing. In celebration of Women’s History Month starting today, Nuclear Blast Records is launching an awareness campaign on their socials to spotlight inspiring women across all countries and industry positions, alongside no-less inspiring men willing to support female empowerment in the scene. Over the month of March, the worldwide leading metal label will share portraits of metal heads to help inspire other women and men with diverse profiles and stories. For this purpose, many great figures in the metal community such as NB artists Doro Pesch (DORO) and Olof Mörck (AMARANTHE), actress and musician Jessica Pimentel andentrepreneur Kim Dylla have submitted personal shoutouts sharing their journey in metal, their experiences of working in the scene throughout the years and their advice to all female metal heads around the world.

ELUVEITIE – Breathe
“I will be gone, I will be reborn
Behold, I have fought my fight, I’ve run my race”

CELLAR DARLING – Challenge
“This is the sound, this is the sound, this is the sound hear me shout it out loud!”

BATTLE BEAST – Push It To The Limit
“Nothing gonna stop you
Going for the back of beyond“

DORO – Do You Like It
“Would you like a woman who could never, ever get enough
Would you like a woman who is strong and tough”

BURNING WITCHES – Maiden Of Steel
“At the end of all things we will get what we deserve
So fight for your dreams and fight for what you believe”

AMARANTHE – Strong
“Cause I know I can heal almost anything
Because I am stronger than I’ve ever been”

Tiffany Cantegrel, head of label marketing, stated about the campaign:
“Participating in making metal even more inclusive matters to me. For non-metal heads – including women, the metal community can look difficult to access while most of the testimonials we received actually highlight how supportive it is. We enjoyed giving birth to this project with a 100% feminine task force at Nuclear Blast, across different countries and teams. The response we got from all those inspiring people was impressive and stimulating, we are proud to be women in metal!”

But the Nuclear Blast campaign doesn’t stop at the bottom of your Instagram feed: We want to invite all metal heads to participate in showing the diversity of metal and share their stories and shoutouts, using the hashtag #womeninmetal.

“Everyday at Nuclear Blast, we’re building a very diverse label with people coming from all cultures, countries, gender, age. That’s what makes the power of the label: It is the connection between people sharing the same passion no matter who you are, your gender or where you come from. Women are leaders, are creators, are artists, managers and we’re standing together for equality and respect“, says Jerome Riera (Label Manager NB EU).

Marcus Hammer (MD NB EU) adds: „During this month, we want to give a platform to all the women of metal via the channels of Nuclear Blast and celebrate their leadership in many ways.“

For over 30 years, Nuclear Blast Records has been the worldwide institution in heavy metal, extreme music, and hard rock. Founded in 1987, Nuclear Blast has established a trusted global reputation with numerous Billboard album chart entries, high-profile tours, and continual signings of new & heritage acts. The label boasts a roster of over 150 bands. Acquired by Believe in 2018, Nuclear Blast artists benefit from Believe’s in-house technology & data organization providing global distribution and digital marketing solutions. Nuclear Blast has offices in Los Angeles, London, Hamburg, and Paris as well as talent scouts in Australia, Brazil, Finland, Italy, Sweden, amongst others. www.nuclearblast.com

THE VINTAGE CARAVAN Release Second Single + Official Video For “Crystallized”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 9, 2021

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: THE VINTAGE CARAVAN. 1 Comment

Icelandic modern prog/psych trio THE VINTAGE CARAVAN have unveiled their second single, “Crystallized”, cut from their upcoming album, Monuments, out April 16, 2021 via Napalm Records. Those who have not hopped THE VINTAGE CARAVAN train yet will be convinced with “Crystallized”: the nearly six-minute joyride is injected with blues, prog rock and even funk-inspired elements, showcasing the band’s palpable, dynamic talent and mastery of varying inspired influences of the past while maintaining a fresh approach.

Talent for crafting swirling, grooving sonic journeys aside, the peculiar “Crystallized” music video truly showcases that these youngbloods are anything but one note. Displaying their noteworthy knack for slow-build humor, the video depicts the band waking up under very bizarre circumstances, eventually trying to find their way back home. On the flipside, the video provides a bold commentary on technology gone wrong. Watch this one ‘til the end!

THE VINTAGE CARAVAN vocalist/guitarist Óskar on the new single “Crystallized”:
“‘Crystallized’’ is the second single and second track on Monuments. Lyrically, the song is about a man travelling alone in a car through a blizzard in Iceland during a red weather warning. Eventually he loses his way and leaves the car and walks out into the unknown and disappears. Unfortunately, these lyrics were inspired by the many people who travelled our dangerous and unpredictable island and did not make it, so this is a warning song of sorts.”

Óskar adds:
“We don’t take ourselves too seriously when it comes to videos. We take the music very seriously, but we like funny music videos. Our friends from the rock band Volcanova make a special appearance at the end of the video, they are great! We buried ourselves in the black desert sand for a few hours for your pleasure. Enjoy!”

Watch/listen to the new single “Crystallized” HERE:

[The video was recorded by Nicholas Þór Helgason, who also directed the videos for ‘Crazy Horses’ ‘Babylon’ and ‘On The Run’.]

On 11 diverse tracks, this trio from Reykjavik truly cast a spell on fans of bewitching, guitar-driven classic and blues rock influences. The album opener, “Whispers”, clearly showcases the band’s musical progression without sacrificing their tried-and-true, retro-inspired sonic trademark. “Crystallized” convinces with light blues influences, encircling the listener in enchanting guitar lines and quickly rising to the full extent of its power while evoking anecdotes of retro nostalgia. “Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind” takes its listener on a blistering ride through pounding drums, intense guitar solos and an undeniably catchy chorus, while tracks like “This One’s For You” represent a stunning blueprint in THE VINTAGE CARAVAN’s musical universe with unconventional, surprisingly calm melodies and Óskar’s gripping, tranquil vocal power. In contrast, bold drumming merges with fast-paced riffs, enveloping an impressive galloping vortex and pronouncing tracks like “Dark Times” and “Said And Done” as top notch rock pieces. The soft plugging, atmospheric sound of album closer “Clarity” symbolizes the crowning culmination of a 60-minute journey through the eternal landscapes of Iceland and the poetic lyricism of the trio.

With their new studio-album Monuments and its captivating, stellar arrangements, these rising stars definitely know how to put their very own stamp on the retro rock wave!

Pre-Order the new album Monuments NOW

THE VINTAGE CARAVAN electric concert stream:

Bridging the time until their official release, THE VINTAGE CARAVAN will perform an exclusive electric concert stream on March 27, 2021. They’ve teamed up with vVenue to produce a completely new experience, and are set to perform some well-known favorites, as well as exciting new tracks off the upcoming album!

Pre-order your tickets HERE or HERE!

Catch THE VINTAGE CARAVAN live with OPETH:

14.09.22 – ET – Tallinn / Helitehas
15.09.22 – LV – Riga / Palladium
16.09.22 – PL – Warsaw / Progresja
17.09.22 – PL – Wroclaw / A2
19.09.22 – CZ – Prague / Forum Karlin
20.09.22 – AT – Wien / Arena
21.09.22 – HU – Budapest / Barba Negra
23.09.22 – RO – Bucharest / Arenele Romane
24.09.22 – BG – Sofia / Universiada
26.09.22 – HR – Zagreb / Culture Factory
27.09.22 – IT – Milan / Teatro Degli Acrimboldi
28.09.22 – IT – Rome / Ostia Antica

Chilean NUCLEAR Release New Video ‘Hatetrend’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 9, 2021

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: Nuclear. Leave a comment

Old school thrashers NUCLEAR have just made available a new video. The new delivery is a lyric video of the song “Hatetrend” off their new album “Murder Of Crows” released 3 months ago via Black Lodge Records/Pollution Distribution.