Chinese Mongolian NINE TREASURES to Release “Seeking the Absolute” Full-Length Album on October 24th, ‘Real Dream’ Video / Single Out Now

Posted by tarjavirmakari on August 22, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by Hattoo

Chinese Mongolian progressive metal outfit Nine Treasures will unleash their Seeking The Absolute full-length on October 24th via Metal Blade Records, today unveiling the record’s first single and pre-orders.

Formed by vocalist/guitarist Askhan in 2010 in the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia in China, NINE TREASURES delivers a unique combination of heavy metal and traditional Mongolian instrumentation, utilizing both conventional vocals and Mongolian throat singing. Guitars, bass, and drums collide with indigenous string instruments including the balalaika and the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), resulting in a sonic kaleidoscope that follows no set template. Playing 100-plus festival shows and headlining gigs per year in Asia, to audiences of up to 50,000, and with four albums to their name, NINE TREASURES are at the top of their proverbial game and ready to conquer North America. Seeking The Absolute is their first record for Metal Blade, and first LP to have a worldwide release.

“On Seeking The Absolute, we tried to capture the things that truly excite us deep inside; those unforgettable moments when your mind swings wide open to infinite possibilities,” says Askhan. “You open a brand-new realm for yourself, unfamiliar, yet incredibly thrilling. At the same time, it’s like an enormous puzzle, and to complete it, you also need calm reflection and meticulous analysis. That’s why we look upon it as ‘seeking the absolute.’“

The band takes its name from a group of objects referenced in ancient Mongolian poems, and in their music, lyrics, and visuals, the band touches on the mythology and fairy tales of their homeland. But the band’s songs contain more universal references, too, explains Askhan, a practicing Buddhist. “Lyrically, [title track] ‘Seeking The Truth’ for example is about holding onto faith and seeking the ultimate truth of the universe. That’s something I’ve personally been striving for in recent years so in many ways, this song is a message to myself. A kind of self-encouragement. But I also hope it can bring strength to others, too.”

NINE TREASURES moves easily from a straight-up headbanging style to the more atmospheric progressive style. Guitar-wise, Askhan uses a lot of Mongolian playing techniques and songwriting logic into his playing and is excited for the “fresh blood” it adds to the band’s sound. The quintet’s varied approaches and universal messaging will allow them to tour with any musically progressive band, be it Amon Amarth or Tool.

The first single from Seeking The Absolute is “Real Dream,” a song written while the band was in Los Angeles. “‘Real Dream’ marked a turning point for the band,” says Askhan, “it felt like stepping into a new dimension. Through this song, we rediscovered our confidence and broke through a long creative bottleneck. It truly felt like a rebirth. We explored every possible structure, piecing together the perfect arrangement through endless trial and error. And in the end, we got exactly what we had envisioned – it was all worth it.”

Find pre-orders at: metalblade.com/ninetreasures

Seeking The Absolute Track Listing:
01. Until Now
02. Indecision
03. Yellow-Black Storm
04. Steel Falcon
05. Real Dream
06. The Ultimate Evolution
07. Just Like You
08. Lonely Old Horse
09. Seeking the Absolute

NINE TREASURES:
Askhan – guitars, vocals, balalaika, tovshuur
Orgil – bass, backing vocals
Saina – balalaika, backing vocals, guitars
Namra – drums
Nars – morin khuur, backing vocals

https://ninetreasures.net
https://www.facebook.com/ninetreasuresofficial
https://www.instagram.com/ninetreasures
https://x.com/NineTreasures

SOULS OF DIOTIMA to Hit The Studio Next Week, Recording Fifth Album with Swedish Maestro Oscar Nilsson

Posted by tarjavirmakari on August 22, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Italian metallers SOULS OF DIOTIMA will enter the legendary Studio Bohus in Sweden at the end of August to begin work on their fifth album. The band will do so under the watchful eye of producer Oscar Nilsson at the legendary Studio Bohus.

Speaking about this significant moment in the band’s history, frontwoman Claudia Barsi has said:
“This new record feels like a deep dive, both creatively and emotionally. After twenty years together, we feel we have found new ways to tap into what really makes us tick. Our first productions, which are absolutely fantastic, always followed that classic female metal trend, perhaps following certain well-known canons, and today we have arrived at such an awareness that we are finally able to create something that is really ours and to be and present ourselves to the audience as we really are.

With that in mind, we made the decision that, from this album onwards, our guitarist, Fabio Puddu, will be contributing vocally with me. For me, this is incredibly exciting.”

Founded in 1977, Studio Bohus has hosted bands such as ABBA and Status Quo, gaining a legend all of its own. Since then, it’s become a haven for European metal acts, with bands like Avatar, Dark Tranquillity, In Flames, Europe, and more calling it home. And it’s precisely because of the importance of the place that the band decided to make documentary throughout their time in the studio, a documentary that will be shot by Emanuela Solinas.

Barsi continued when discussing the documentary:
“With the band, we decided to document our stay in the studio, because we feel that this album will bring a radical change to the band, musically. So, we think it’s extremely interesting to document, not only what will be the creative phases in the studio, but also our everyday life. We want our audience, new and old, to see the work that goes into the production of an album because we believe that the material meaning of a record release has been lost. People think it’s something that magically came out of nowhere, whereas there are hours and hours of hard work behind it. All this we want to document, and we believe that our fans will really enjoy it.”

SOULS OF DIOTIMA were formed by Giorgio Pinna and his brother in Sassari, Italy in 2004 and have released four studio albums and two singles under three different labels worldwide. The band has participated in tours and festivals abroad, headlining and sharing the stage with bands such as Obituary, Hatebreed, Stratovarius, Vision Divine, Dgm, Folkstone, Saurom and others. Souls of Diotima have also worked with many of Europe’s top producers, including Jens Bögren and Oscar Nilsson, who is their current producer. In 2017, SOULS OF DIOTIMA founded a record label in London: Diotima Records Music Management LTD.

“Janas”, their fourth studio album, was released on January 29, 2021, via Diotima Records/Rockshots Records. The album achieved great success with audiences and critics taking the band to a higher level of popularity and entering many charts within days of release. In October 2023, the band entered the recording studio in Göteborg. On 22 March 2024, Souls of Diotima surprisingly released a new single to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their artistic career. The song, for the first time in their career, is a cover of the well-known international artist, Phil Collins called “Another Day in Paradise”. The band will soon announce their 2026 tours and their presence at various festivals.

DISCOGRAPHY
“Another Day in Paradise” SINGLE (2024), via Diotima Records,
“Janas” (2021), via Diotima Records/Rockshots Records,
“The Sorceress Reveals-Atlantis” (2016), via Rockshots Records,
“Sentence of the Blade” SINGLE (2013),
“What Remains of The Day” (2012), via Revalve Records
“Maitri” (2011), via Copro/Casket Records

More details about the album’s name, themes and release date will be announced later.

Souls of Diotima are:
Claudia Barsi
Giorgio Pinna
Fabio Puddu
Manuel Dettori

More information:

Linktree
Website
Instagram
Facebook

HOSTILIA Announce New Album “Face the Fire” + Release First Single ‘P.T.D.’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on August 22, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo credit: Walter Hamilton

Freshly-signed thrash metal outfit Hostilia have announced the release of their brand new album Face the Fire. The new offering will be released on 24th October via Hammerheart Records, just before embarking on their tour with The Haunted that month.

Pre-orders for Face the Fire are now available here: https://hostilia.lnk.to/facethefire

The band comment on the track: “When it came to picking the first single, ‘P.T.D.’ was the obvious choice for all of us. It’s a full-throttle, take-no-prisoners thrash track with some unexpected twists and turns. We figured if a song feels like a punch in the face, it’s probably the perfect introduction to the album.“

The Swedish thrash metal band Hostilia was formed in Gothenburg in the fall of 2021, by brothers William (lead guitar) and Albert Lindeblad (drums) – just 18 and 14 years old at the time. Before the year was over, the band had released their first demo, which caught the attention of the underground. Several line-up changes followed, but everything fell into place when bassist Gabriel Sepúlveda, guitarist Petter Hernroth, and dynamic frontman Tim Angelini joined the ranks. The band had finally found a lineup ready to go all the way.

Since the beginning, Hostilia was set on pouring all their energy into becoming a ferocious live act. Their reputation spread fast, and in December 2023 they were handpicked to perform at the annual party at Restaurant 2112 – the Gothenburg bar owned by members of In Flames and The Halo Effect.

Among the guests was Jakob Herrmann, producer and owner of Top Floor Studios. There to enjoy the party, he left impressed and intrigued by the band’s songwriting and tight performance. Driven by curiosity, he offered Hostilia a chance to record at his studio – free of charge.

To test his gut feeling, Herrmann insisted on recording everything live in one room: no overdubs, no click tracks, no edits. The raw session exceeded all expectations and was released in December 2024 by Portuguese label Gruesome Records as All The Blood Spilt – The Top Floor Live Sessions, the EP captured the essence of Hostilia in full force. Each track was accompanied by a live-in-the-studio video.

In the summer of 2024, KISS legend Gene Simmons was looking for a young guitarist to join him on stage during his headline show at Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg. The Simmons team chose Hostilia lead guitarist William Lindeblad – on the very day of the concert. Just hours later, William stood on stage with his childhood hero, performing ‘I Love It Loud’ in front of 5,000 people – a song he had never played before.

Determined not to waste time, Hostilia began work on their debut album even before the EP was released. Drums were recorded and produced by Jakob Herrmann at Top Floor Studios. However, the band soon realized they wanted full creative control – and fearlessly chose to produce and record the rest of the album themselves, made possible by the band’s guitarist Petter Hernroth, at this point a certified sound engineer.

In November 2024, Hostilia joined Swedish heavy rockers Bombus as support act on a nationwide tour – an eye-opener for many unsuspecting metal fans across the country. By the tour’s end, Hostilia had been offered support slots with death metal legends Dismember and a tour supporting thrash icons The Haunted – both happening in the fall of 2025.

That same year, the band was featured with an interview and live footage in the critically acclaimed “Total Metal” exhibition in Stockholm – a tribute to Swedish metal past, present, and future. The segment was produced by world-renowned director Jonas Åkerlund. Swedish national TV also aired a piece about the future of metal in Sweden, with Hostilia as the example – including footage from their Top Floor live session videos.

What began as a simple ambition – to become a killer live band – may just have been the perfect strategy after all.

Hostilia tour dates
20 Sep – Black Nights & Heavy Nights Festival 2025 – Stavanger (NOR)
10 Oct – Dismember / Support: Impurity + Hostilia – Stockholm (SWE)
11 Oct – Dismember / Support: Hostilia + Impurity – Gothenburg (SWE)
30 Oct – The Haunted / Support: Eradikated + Hostilia – Uppsala (SWE)
31 Oct – The Haunted / Support: Eradikated + Hostilia – Örebro (SWE)
1 Nov – Vara In Rock Festival 2025 – Vara (SWE)
4 Dec – The Haunted / Support: Eradikated + Hostilia – Gothenburg (SWE)
5 Dec – The Haunted / Support: Eradikated + Hostilia – Norrköping (SWE)
6 Dec – The Haunted / Support: Eradikated + Hostilia – Gävle (SWE)
11 Dec – The Haunted / Support: Eradikated + Hostilia – Malmö (SWE)
12 Dec – The Haunted / Support: Eradikated + Hostilia – Jönköping (SWE)
13 Dec – The Haunted / Support: Eradikated + Hostilia – Karlstad (SWE)

Line Up: 
William Lindeblad: lead guitar
Albert Lindeblad: drums
Gabriel Sepúlveda: bass
Petter Hernroth: guitar
Tim Angelini: vocals

Follow Hostilia
INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | BANDBOND | YOUTUBE

CARACH ANGREN Release First Single + Video ‘Ik Kom Uit Het Graf’ from Upcoming EP “The Cult of Kariba”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on August 22, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by © Stefan Heilemann

Since they crawled out from their curious vault in 2003, Carach Angren have mastered the dark art of composing symphonic, blackened ghost stories. Now into their third decade, on their upcoming EP, the Dutch masters of horror are returning to the source that inspired their first album. The Cult of Kariba reveals the hidden intent behind the resurrection of its titular sorceress. On lead single “Ik Kom Uit Het Graf” (I Emerge From the Grave), the mysterious Kariba returns with vengeance.

The video for “Ik Kom Uit Het Graf” was produced and directed by Zoran Bihac.

The Cult of Kariba comes out October 17 on Season of Mist.

The Cult of Kariba is both a return and a continuation. The EP expands on Carach Angren’s first album Lammendam by entwining the sinister figure of Kariba within the folk tale of the White Lady. “Ik Kom Uit Het Graf” (I Emerge from the Grave) – which is their first song written entirely in Dutch – follows a man who was poisoned by Kariba, only to be summoned centuries later by an errant cult ritual. What unfolds is so sinister, it could only be composed by this group of evil masterminds. 

Tracklist:
1. A Malevolent Force Stirs (1:16)
2. Draw Blood (5:18)
3. The Resurrection of Kariba (4:45)
4. Ik Kom Uit Het Graf (4:51) [WATCH]
5. Venomous 1666 (4:37)
Full runtime: 20:48

With the upcoming EP The Cult of Kariba, CARACH ANGREN return to the story that first defined their identity. Drawing from historical legends and obscure regional folklore, the band revisits the myth of the White Lady from Schinveld, this time expanding it with a new, sinister figure: Kariba. Inspired by real poems, forgotten theatre plays, and occult symbolism, this EP introduces a hidden cult intent on resurrecting Kariba—a poisoner and alleged witch whose spirit carries a legacy of vengeance. The Cult of Kariba explores this narrative with a blend of haunting atmosphere, cinematic scope, and blackened aggression.

Formed in 2003 in the southern province of Limburg in the Netherlands, Carach Angren began as a collaboration between keyboardist Clemens “Ardek” Wijers and vocalist/guitarist Dennis “Seregor” Droomers, both of whom played together previously in the band Vaultage. Inspired by the power of narrative in metal and the theatricality of classical music and film scores, the duo decided to forge their own path, infusing black metal with symphonic arrangements and elaborate storytelling. The name “Carach Angren,” drawn from Tolkien’s Middle-earth mythology, reflects their fascination with language, lore, and dark fantasy.

Their 2008 debut Lammendam introduced the band’s signature narrative style and conceptua ldepth. Based on a regional ghost story, the album tells of a woman whose tragic death in a burning castle gave rise to a haunting figure—the White Lady—seen roaming the forests of Schinveld. This story became the thematic foundation for the band’s identity. It was followed by Death Came Through a Phantom Ship (2010), inspired by maritime legends and ghost vessels, and Where the Corpses Sink Forever (2012), which addressed the horrors of war and its psychological aftermath.

By 2015, Carach Angren further pushed their boundaries with This Is No Fairytale, offering a raw, unfiltered look into domestic abuse and trauma through the lens of twisted fairy tale tropes. In 2017, Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten centered around a haunted girl and her cursed music box, with each track unraveling the lives of characters who meet tragic ends. Their sixth album, Franckensteina Strataemontanus (2020), drew from the life of controversial alchemist Johann Conrad Dippel, blending science, superstition, and historical horror into one of their most layered works to date.

Now, with The Cult of Kariba, Carach Angren reconnect with their original concept while expanding its narrative universe. The EP draws inspiration from archival poems and lesser-known local legends, particularly the figure of Kariba: a mysterious woman remembered as both a poisoner and a sorceress. The songs unfold as a sequence of events involving an underground cult in Schinveld, beginning with “A Malevolent Force Stirs,” where villagers secretly gather for ritual. “Draw Blood” follows the first act of violence, revealing the cult’s sacrifice. “The Resurrection of Kariba” explores both the ceremony to awaken her and the backstory of her grief and execution. With “Ik Kom Uit Het Graf,” the victim of her past betrayal returns from the grave in a violent act of revenge. The EP concludes with “Venomous 1666,” where Kariba’s spirit is fully reborn,consuming the living and sealing the fate of those who called her back.

Produced with precision and narrative cohesion, The Cult of Kariba ties together myth, horror, and folklore in a tightly crafted five-part journey. Rather than simply revisiting the setting of Lammendam, Carach Angren expand the story with additional historical context, new characters, and an even darker tone.

Lineup
Seregor – Vocals, guitar
Ardek – Keyboards, orchestra

Production & Recording Credits
Main compositions by Ardek.
Pre-production, orchestral arrangements and keyboards by Ardek.
Vocals by Seregor, recorded at Tidal Wave Studio, Germany.
Backing vocals by Ardek.
Drums performed by Gabe Seeber, recorded at Mayhemeness Recording Studio.
Bass guitar, drums written by Ardek.
Guitars tracks 2,3 written by Seregor.
Guitars tracks 4,5 written by Ardek.
Lyrics tracks 1, 2, 5 by Ardek.
Lyrics track 3 by Ardek & Seregor.
Lyrics track 4 by Seregor.
All guitars and bass guitar performed and recorded by Patrick Damiani at Tidal Wave Studio, Germany.
Mixed & Mastered by Patrick Damiani at Tidal Wave Studio, Germany.
Vinyl Mastered by Robert Schmidt, 24-96 Mastering, Germany.

Guest Musicians
Solo violin tracks 2, 5 performed and recorded by Nikos Mavridis.
Voice overs done by Tim Wells.
Wolf howl track 3 by Frodo Wijers.

Lyrics proofreading done by Sylvy Notermans.

Model
Lara Mauve

Follow Carach Angren:
Website: https://www.carach-angren.nl/
Bandcamp: https://carachangren.bandcamp.com/music
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/carachangrennl/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carachangren
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/carachangren
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carachangrenofficial
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7sJC2WkTzn7gqUhVfP9sOm
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/257491
Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/4568274
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/carach-angren/279550516

GODIVA Release New Live Video for Superbeast’ + Announce Upcoming Shows

Posted by tarjavirmakari on August 22, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Dark symphonic force GODIVA unleashes a new chapter of sonic wrath with the release of “Superbeast (Live at Laurus Nobilis 2024)”, a visceral live video capturing the band’s performance at one of Portugal’s most iconic metal festivals. Ferocious, haunting, and theatrically charged — this release is a testament to the band’s commanding presence on stage.

As the echoes of Laurus still linger, GODIVA prepares for their long-awaited debut tour in Greece. The Damnation Over Greece tour will mark the band’s first-ever shows in the country, with the following dates:

November 20 – Larisa
November 21 – Ioannina
November 22 – Athens
November 23 – Patra

Produced by Angels PR Music Promotion, these shows promise a full-scale sonic ritual, merging orchestral grandeur with unrelenting metal energy.

Before heading east, GODIVA will deliver two final live performances in Portugal for 2025:

August 23 – Milagre Metaleiro (Pindelo dos Milagres)
October – Faro Alternativo Festival (Faro)

Both shows are expected to be massive farewells to the Portuguese stages this year, before the band vanishes into the dark to complete their upcoming album.

Expect the unexpected. GODIVA continues to march forward — one hymn of damnation at a time.

More info:
https://www.godivaofficial.com/
https://www.facebook.com/godivaofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/godiva.official/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCqTsx6cKjVizdd-hcMQ7rw
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0EWhw4c6P69wnocTFLc79N
https://godivaofficial.bandcamp.com/

MYSTHICON Release Second Single ‘Unbearable Silence’ from Upcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on August 22, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

MYSTHICON is a band founded in 2015 by former Lux Occulta guitarist G’Ames, who invited musicians from the bands Vader, Batushka, Hate, Kalt Vindur and other musicians such as Tomasz Gilewski and guest Jerzy “U.Reck” Głód (Lux Occuta) to collaborate on the recording of their first album.

In September 2020, the debut album “Silva – Oculis – Corvi” was released on cassette, CD and vinyl, and right now, after 5 years of silence band is back with new release! 

In 2023, G’Ames, together with the guitarist from the old line-up Szymon Hadała, began working on material for the second album of the Dukla band. The new music combines many elements from different metal subgenres, and in terms of atmosphere, refers to the roots and origin of the musicians, taking into account the unique surroundings of the Dukla forest areas as well as the new band members coming from the Low Beskids and Bieszczady Mountains.

This is how a new album was created, entitled “Bieśń” (i.e. a collection of stories, songs and legends from the Dukla region and its surroundings).

G’Ames comments new album “Bieśń“: “The album contains 6 tracks. It is a fusion of classic black metal with elements of progressive music and doom metal. In terms of sound, it is a combination of a traditional approach to black metal while maintaining a classic style and a modern look at music production. The album ends with a cover of “Creation” from the first demo of the legendary Lux Occulta performed in a completely new arrangement. The album features several guests playing unusual instruments for black metal, namely the hurdy-gurdy and the double bass, which fuel the phenomenal atmosphere of the entire release.“

Music for album “Bieśń” was mixed and mastered by Adrian Mięsowicz at Tribe Five Studio (Karpathian Relict, KSU). Cover artwork was done by Michał “Xaay” Loranc (God Dethroned, Kamelot, Karl Sanders, Nile, Turbo). The photo session was done by Tomasz Gilewski and Łukasz Zajdel, while the logo was designed by Primeval Era Rising (Graveland, Vader). The album features several guests: Jacek Głód (acoustic guitar), Marcin Chatys (double bass) and Wojciech Miller (hurdy-gurdy). Release date is set up on September 23, 2025 and will be released on digital format (pre-save), CD (pre-order) and at a later date on vinyl.

Below you can watch video to the second single from upcoming album “Bieśń“. Video was done by Mateusz Zawada.

TRACKLIST:

  1. Shapes
  2. Unbearable Silence
  3. We Are The Worms
  4. Na Naszej Krwi
  5. The Storyteller
  6. Creation (Lux Occulta cover)

LINE-UP:
Grzegorz “G’Ames” Kapłon – guitar
Szymon Hadała – guitar
Mateusz “Bacchus” Zawada – bass
Andrzej Czujko – drums
Tharthaq – keyboard
Adrian Mięsowicz – vocal

More information: Facebook | Bandcamp | Youtube