After celebrating the anniversary of the 1995 classic “Imaginations From The Other Side”, on December 18th, 2021 German metal stars BLIND GUARDIAN present you a special treat for Xmas as vocalist Hansi Kuersch explains: “In my opinion, Slade created the ultimate Christmas song with ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’, a timeless, jolly tune with the perfect dose of cheesiness and almost untouchable in its greatness. Usually, it is prohibited in the Kuersch household to play Christmas songs prior to the Advent season, but as it’s mid-November now, and I am just out of the studio doing this cover, I guess I’m breaking a tradition. What you are about to hear now, is our attempt at paying tribute to the glam rock Santa Clauses Slade and while the original version is just perfect, its chorus was tailor-made for Blind Guardian as we do understand quite well how to go big. So, why have sausages with potato salad when you can have the Xmas goose? Well, check it out yourselves and Merry Xmas Everybody!“
On January 29th, TRIBULATION will release their new album, Where the Gloom Becomes Sound, via Metal Blade Records (in North America) // Century Media Records (worldwide excluding North America). For a preview of the record, a video for the new single “Hour Of The Wolf” (directed by Gustav Ohman Spjuth / Fanny & Alexander Productions) can be viewed here:
Tribulation commented: “The Hour Of The Wolf is upon us! Feast your eyes on this, the second single of our upcoming album…”
The previously released single, “Leviathans”, can be heard at: metalblade.com/tribulation – where Where the Gloom Becomes Sound is also available for pre-order through Metal Blade USA.
Tribulation entered Linus Björklund’s Studio Ryssviken in April and exited (informally) nearly two months later. The group – guitarists Adam Zaars and Jonathan Hultén, Johannes Andersson (vocals/bass), and Oscar Leander (drums) – used the first 10 days of their studio time to rehearse. Once the bone-oil had sufficiently run its course, the group and co-producer Jamie Elton started to hammer into the rudiments of the recording process. Elton, who also serves as Tribulation‘s soundman and is a long-time friend, took the reins from Martin Ehrencrona, who helmed the 2018 Down Below sessions. Together, they crafted a well-appointed production, one that’s luxuriously grim and auricularly inviting. Where the Gloom Becomes Sound was then given to Grammy-nominated producer Tom Dalgety (Ghost, Rammstein) to mix at Psalm Studios. Once the mixing was finished – Dalgety would send over versions from his studio in Wales – Tribulation re-enlisted Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studios in Stockholm to master.
The band’s resulting fifth full-length indisputably elevates the Swedes to the highest echelons. The source of their glinting darkness: a yawning, bottomless rift deep within. “We immersed ourselves in the world of myth and magic,” says Zaars. “With a specific focus on elemental magic, and the elements, in general, from both the Western and Indian esoteric traditions, not the Buddhist four elements but the five elements. Myth and magic are obviously not something new in the world of Tribulation, but it got a bit more specific on this album. We just present it from a slightly different perspective.”
Where the Gloom Becomes Sound isn’t representative of monumental change, but rather the accrual of ambition over time in conjunction with continued exposure to and profound experiments with crossroads devilry. Being their most expressive and inventive album to-date, where it will take them is only to greatness and with reverence.
Where the Gloom Becomes Sound track-listing 1. In Remembrance 2. Hour of the Wolf 3. Leviathans 4. Dirge of a Dying Soul 5. Lethe 6. Daughter of the Djinn 7. Elementals 8. Inanna 9. Funeral Pyre 10. The Wilderness
As previously announced, guitarist Jonathan Hultén has amicably parted ways with Tribulation, and Joseph Tholl has taken his place. This new line-up (Johannes Andersson, Adam Zaars, Joseph Tholl, Oscar Leander) will hit the road in support of Where the Gloom Becomes Sound later next year. See below for all tour dates!
Tribulation live 2021: June 20, 2021 – Dessel (Belgium) – Graspop Metal Meeting June 15-17, 2021 – Gävle (Sweden) – Gefle Metal Festival Aug. 3-7, 2021 – Bergen (Norway) – Beyond The Gates Festival Sept. 12, 2021 – Stockholm (Sweden) – Macken Festival
Danish Death-Metal BAEST announce the release of their new studio album “Necro Sapiens” coming out on March 5th while dropping the bone-crushing first single “Abattoir”. The band comments:
“Necro Sapiens is ultimately the most BAEST-sounding record. The influences are there, but this is by far the record, where we sound the most like ourselves. The best BAEST there is!”
About “Abattoir: “Far from earth and out of reach, The Abbatoir lays the foundation of the necro sapiens enslaved existence. A nocturnal breed inhabits this parliament, who has one goal in sight; misanthropic and totalitarian domination.”
BAEST come from Aarhus in Denmark and have successfully established themselves as one of the country’s most promising metal acts in recent years. While deeply rooted in straight-forward classic death metal inspired by genre legends like Dismember, Entombed, Morbid Angel, Death, and Bolt Thrower, the 2015 formed band evolved from a Danish underground phenomenon to an internationally touring act (2018 tour with Abbath, 2019 EU/UK trek with Decapitated). Also, at festivals like Summer Breeze, Copenhell, Ruhrpott Metal Meeting, Roskilde, they left audiences impressed and begging for more. After their already praised debut album “Danse Macabre” the band took it to the next level in 2019 and delivered “Venenum” where they refined their already steamroller-like signature sound.
With the expectation-bar already set so high for their next record BAEST truly drops their most anticipated and most important album so far. Stay tuned for more info!
Tourdates with Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals 7/24/2021 St. Petersburg A2 green concert (RU) 7/25/2021 Moscow, Adrenaline Stadium (RU) 7/29/2021 Tolmin Metal Days (SL) 7/30/2021 Saint maurice de gourdans, Sylak Festival (FR) 7/31/2021 Utrecht, Tivoli (NL) 8/1/2021 Oberhausen, Turbinenhalle (DE) 8/4/2021 Budapest, Barba Negra (HU) 8/5/2021 Belgrade, Beogradski Sajam (SRB) 8/6/2021 Sofia, Yunak (BG) 8/7/2021 Brasov Rockstad Extreme Fest (RO) 8/9/2021 Vienna, Simm City (AT) 8/10/2021 Krakau, Studio (PL) 8/11/2021 Jaromer, Brutal Assault Festival (CZ) 8/13/2021 Derbyshire, Bloodstock Festival (UK) 8/14/2021 Kortrijk Alcatraz Festival (BE)
Necro Sapiens Tour Dates: 25.02 SE Malmo, Plan B* 26.02 SE Gothenburg, Valand* 27.02 SE Stockholm, Slaktkyrkan* 04.03 DK Aalborg, Skråen 05.03 DK Turbinen, Randers 06.03 DK Horsens, Horsens Ny Teater 12.03 DK Holbæk, Elværket 13.03 DK Kongens Lyngby, Templet 18.03 DK Herning, Fermaten 19.03 DK Roskilde, Gimle 20.03 DK Sønderborg, Sønderborghus 25.03 DK Silkeborg, Kedelhuset 26.03 DK Esbjerg, Tobakken 27.03 DK Odense, Posten 01.04 DK Copenhagen, Pumpehuset – Sold out 02.04 DK Copenhagen, Pumpehuset – Few Tickets 03.04 DK Aarhus, Train 07.04 DE Hamburg, Headcrash 08.04 NL Haarlem, Patronaat 09.04 NL Leeuwarden, Neushoorn 10.04 NL Nijmegen, Merleyn 11.04 BE Hasselt, MOD 12.04 UK London, The Black Heart 13.04 UK Manchester, Satan’s Hollow 14.04 UK Glasgow, Audio 15.04 IR Dublin, The Grand Social 16.04 IR Belfast, The Deer’s Head 17.04 WL Cardiff, Fuel 18.04 BE Roeselare, De Verlichte Geest 21.04 DE Wiesbaden, Kesselhaus 23.04 SW Winterthur, Gaswerk 24.04 DE Munich, Feierwerk 25.04 AT Vienna, Escape 29.04 CZ Ostrava, Barrak Music Club 30.04 CZ Prague, Orthodox Club 04.05 DE Leipzig, Naumanns 05.05 DE Berlin, MuF 06.05 DE Berlin, Cassiopeia 07.05 DE Hannover, Lux 08.05 DE Köln, MTC 04.06 PL Mystic Festival 29.07 SL Metal Days 06.08 BG Sofia, Unak 12.08 CZ Brutal Assault Festival 9-12.06 SE Sweden Rock
Internationally esteemed heavy rock and metal record labels Napalm Records Handels GmbH and SPV GmbH are pleased to announce that they have joined forces, combining decades of renowned expertise and passion for music, their artists, and those who inspire it all – the fans. Napalm Records’ acquisition of SPV was completed at the end of November 2020 and represents a logical step in the Austrian company’s global strategy.
In the photos, SPV Managing Director Frank Uhle on the left, Napalm Records CEO Markus Riedler on the right
Long-established company SPV, founded in 1984 by Manfred Schütz, along with its current subsidiary labels such as Steamhammer (featuring a roster including Sodom, Running Wild, Magnum, Axel Rudi Pell, Rage) and Long Branch Records (featuring artists such as Agent Fresco, The Intersphere, The Hirsch Effekt, Silvertomb, A Pale Horse Named Death), is now part of the Napalm Records family. The company’s current location in Hannover, Germany and the SPV team around Managing Director Frank Uhle will maintain their structure and, in regard to new distribution partners and labels, be expanded in the future.
Napalm Records CEO Markus Riedler states: “The continuation and expansion of SPV GmbH as a distributor and the strengthening of the in-house labels are our major priorities. We will combine all forces, and link them with the power and worldwide network of Napalm Records in order to positively shape the future together. The employees of SPV are music-savvy, extremely experienced experts who are needed, now more than ever, to survive in these turbulent times on the international market. Together with Managing Director Frank Uhle and his team, we will seize the opportunities that currently present themselves and face the ever-growing challenges that the modern music market brings with it. In the ever-changing music landscape, we will continue to deliver our strong digital setup alongside our partners The Orchard, and also continue to provide strong physical product distribution for both our retail partners and the fans worldwide via our mailorder stores. We have purposefully launched and implemented this major project under difficult conditions in 2020. This was a great team effort, for which I would like to thank everyone involved, in particular to the attorneys Prof. Pascal Charles Amann (Napalm Records) and Joris Brand (SPV). For Napalm Records, this acquisition is without a doubt an extraordinary, historic moment!”
SPV Managing Director Frank Uhle adds: “With Napalm Records, we have found a synergistically perfect partner for our artists, bands and labels. The international setup and the additional reach and power of Napalm‘s marketing capabilities mean an important upgrade for SPV in tackling future tasks. I look forward to working with Markus Riedler and the affiliated teams to further strengthen and expand our position in the market.”
Enigmatic dark metal outfit DEATHWHITE has shared a brand new video for the title track of their latest album, ‘Grave Image.’ The video, which was made by Guilherme Henriques, is available HERE.
Comments the band: “The themes reflected in both the video and song are indicative of the world we currently occupy — the pandemic of 2020 simply amplified those matters. The havoc wrought upon this planet via the denial of science and facts will have an adverse effect for generations to come. As suggested in the accompanying lyrics for ‘Grave Image’ the song, these wanton acts are far from an illusion, but instead are now a part of everyday, real life.
“With 2020 about to bow out, we are looking toward the future, namely our third studio album, as well as the ongoing promotion of ‘Grave Image.’ We are currently deep in the throes of demoing and immensely look forward to putting the finishing touches on these compositions. The early verdict is that these songs are slower, doomier, and, dare we say more ‘atmospheric’ than before.
“We would also be remiss if we did not thank those who supported Deathwhite in 2020. We are forever in your debt.”
‘Grave Image’ was released earlier this year and has so far been named one of the best metal albums of 2020 by Heavy New York, Dead Rhetoric, and A&P Reacts.
‘Grave Image’ can be streamed/downloaded/ordered at THIS LOCATION.
[Frontwoman Lena Scissorhands in the studio | Photo Courtesy of INFECTED RAIN]
International modern metal band INFECTED RAIN is thrilled to announce that they have entered the studio to begin recording their upcoming fifth full-length album! Frontwoman Lena Scissorhands has issued an official update from the studio, hinting at what’s coming next with their music and conceptual themes.
INFECTED RAIN’s Lena Scissorhands says: “Working on the new album is like a breath of fresh air for us! We needed this like never before! So much to say, so much to talk about… This challenging year gave us a lot to think about on a personal and social level. Every song here is painfully sincere and raw, digesting it might take you a minute.”
In anticipation of the upcoming music, the Moldovan frontrunners have revealed a brand new “singthrough” video featuring a passionate studio performance by Lena Scissorhands of the hard-hitting track “Taphephobia”, cut from their most recent full-length album, Endorphin.
INFECTED RAIN’s next release will follow their aforementioned latest full-length album, Endorphin, released in 2019 and featuring multi-faceted fan favorites such as “The Earth Mantra”, “Passerby”, “Lure”, “Storm”, “Black Gold” and more. Fierce screams and growls, heavy riffs and pounding beats combined with ingenious samples make INFECTED RAIN’s style an energetic blend of the best modern metal styles the heavy music scene currently has to offer. Formed in 2008, the band made their first appearance on stage in the same year, performing a concert dedicated to Slayer. Countless shows all over Europe and Russia followed, alongside headlining slots at some of Europe’s biggest festivals, until they gained the well-deserved attention of leading rock and metal label Napalm Records. INFECTED RAIN has released two EPs, several singles and four critically acclaimed full-length records to date.
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 ) 