LAMASHTU Unleash First Chapters of Music Book ‘The Story of Eli’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 25, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Sweden’s female-fronted symphonic metal powerhouse LAMASHTU continues to push creative boundaries with the release of a genre-defying concept: a music book. Titled The Story of Eli, the band will unveil the first three chapters of this immersive audio experience on April 29–30 and May 1.

Part audiobook, part soundtrack, The Story of Eli invites fans to dive into the rich lore and haunting beauty of the Lamashtu universe. Combining narrative storytelling and original music, this innovative format transforms their 2021 Swedish-language novel Eli and its companion album Tro (Lamashtu’s third release) into a compelling new form of musical expression.

“There are many ways to tell a story,” says frontwoman and writer Sandra Mattsson. “This music book is about merging art forms to deepen the emotional impact — it’s not just music, and it’s not just a book. It’s a complete experience.”

These are the first three chapters (of seven) of the original story, and the band is eager to know if fans want the rest.

Credits:

  • Written by Sandra Mattsson
  • Translated by Ian Manning
  • Production: Ian Manning (recording, mixing, mastering)
  • Narration: Elias Hartwood
  • Directed and engineered by Elias Hartwood, Hartwood Voiceover, LLC
  • Text © 2025 Sandra Mattsson & Vildhallon Publishing
  • Production © 2025 Sandra Mattsson, Ian Manning & Lamashtu

Listen to “The Story of Eli – A Music Book” on all major platforms starting April 29.

Buy the original Swedish book Eli: Vildhallon Webshop
Explore more of Elias Hartwood’s work: eliashartwood.com
Check out Eldritch Bass: eldritchbass

As if that weren’t enough, Lamashtu is also gearing up to: Re-release their third album, Tro, in English this July + Drop a brand-new single, “Bli Min” in August to mark their 10th anniversary.

Stream their latest album Längtan: Listen here
CD available via Aural Webstore

Stay tuned for more announcements and updates:
www.facebook.com/lamashtudarkness
www.instagram.com/lamashtu_official
www.lamashtu.se

RONNIE ROMERO Shares Live Video ‘I’ve Been Losing You’ from Upcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 25, 2025
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Legendary singer Ronnie Romero is pleased to share the live version of “I’ve Been Losing You”, taken from his upcoming live album, “Live At Rock Imperium Festival”, set for release on May 23rd, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.

“Live At Rock Imperium Festival” sees Romero delivering an impressive musical performance in front of a huge passionate audience, in one of the biggest European festivals, the Spanish Rock Imperium Festival, including songs from the first solo and some other highlights like the Dio cover “Rainbow In The Dark”.

Pre-Order “Live At Rock Imperium Festival” HERE

Ronnie Romero commented on the new single, by saying: “This is probably the song from my solo album the people enjoy and sing along the most in our shows! Catchy and melodic Hard Rock. This is a song I wrote a few years ago, way before I was thinking of a solo album, so it makes me feel very proud, and happy that everyone can listen to it now!”

Talking about the album, he added: “I really wanted to have a live album out, to show everybody how much I enjoy playing music and the capabilities of the musicians I have by my side! It is also a step forward in my solo career. And no better place than my beloved Rock Imperium Festival in Spain! Thanks a lot to Frontiers Music, Manu Giménez, Andy C, and my band for making this possible! I hope that everyone will enjoy this performance!”

The tracklist is mostly based on Ronnie’s latest solo album “Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters”, which marks the first time that Romero has been involved with 100% of the songwriting on an album he sings on. 

Romero also co-produced the album with Andy C., marking another first for Romero. While these ‘firsts” certainly add to the excitement for the album, it is the songs that truly take center stage. Romero’s voice is completely at home on this diverse, hard rockin’ set which is certainly going to please any fan of his vocal style and his work with his other bands. 

Romero’s voice and prolific musical activity have brought him to the forefront of the hard rock/metal scene where he can be seen/heard with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, The Michael Schenker Group, Lords of Black, The Ferrymen, Sunstorm, and the recently launched Elegant Weapons with Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner. With an impressive discography already under his belt, “Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters” is arguably the crown jewel of Romero’s recorded output thus far. 

“Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters” follows Romero’s first two solo albums, both covers albums. 2023’s “Raised On Heavy Radio” saw Romero paying tribute to legendary artists from the metal world like Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept, Metallica, and more. It also featured special guests like Gus G. (Firewind, Ozzy Osbourne), Chris Caffery (Savatage, Spirits of Fire), Roland Grapow (Masterplan, Helloween), and more. 

Romero’s first solo album, “Raised On Radio”, featured covers of classics that meant something special to Romero over the years and helped forge this talented singer’s musical style. Songs by legendary acts like Survivor, Bad Company, Foreigner, Queen, Led Zeppelin, and more were given Romero’s talented vocal treatment.

“Live At Rock Imperium Festival” Tracklist:

1.    Castaway On The Moon
2.    I’ve Been Losing You
3.    Chased By Shadows
4.    Ferryman
5.    Too Many Lies Too Many Masters
6.    Crossroad
7.    Not Just A Nightmare
8.    The Last Ship
9.    Vengeance
10.    Rainbow In The Dark

Line Up:
Ronnie Romero – Vocals
Jose Rubio – Guitars
Fran Gil Torres – Keyboards
Andy C. – Drums
Aurelian Dinca – Bass Guitar/Vocals

Follow RONNIE ROMERO:
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POSTMORTAL Unveil New Single ‘Decay of Paradise’ from Upcoming Debut Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 25, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Polish funeral death doom entity POSTMORTAL have unveiled the second taste of their upcoming debut album “Profundis Omnis” with an exclusive premiere of the single “Decay of Paradise”, now streaming at No Clean Singing.

“Decay of Paradise” offers a harrowing journey through slow-burning riffs, cavernous growls, and an overwhelming sense of sorrow — a compelling glimpse into the bleak expanse POSTMORTAL are poised to explore.

Stream the track at THIS LOCATION.

POSTMORTAL will release “Profundis Omnis” on May 9th 2025 via Aesthetic Death.

Meticulously crafted with an unwavering passion for the genre, this release sees the band channel the bleak, monolithic essence of funeral doom’s greats. With a deep understanding of the style’s fundamental elements, POSTMORTAL shape their sound into a crushing and immersive experience, delivering an interpretation that is both hauntingly atmospheric and devastatingly heavy.

Tracklist:

1. Fallen
2. Darkest Desire
3. Decay of Paradise
4. Prophecy of the Endless
5. Queen of Woe
6. The Masterpiece of the Thing That Once Was but Will Never Be

The idea to create a funeral doom band was born in 2015 during the Czech metal music festival Brutal Assault, where most original members of the band were present: Michał (guitar), Karol (guitar), Sludge (bass) and Kamila (drums).
In those days POSTMORTAL was officially created, joined soon by Dawid (vocals), and Sludge later replaced by Paweł. Rehearsals and writing of the first songs began and by late 2017/early 2018, the band were able to do two gigs in their hometown of Krakow, the only gigs to date.
In April 2018, Karol was replaced by Kamil and the band recorded the EP “Soil”. Shortly after these recordings, the drummer left the band.
Despite a lenghty search, it was not possible to find her successor and as a result the band went into hiatus.

In 2024, two original members, Dawid and Michał decided to reactivate POSTMORTAL as a two-person project with ideas and focus on creating a debut studio album. In the same year, “Profundis Omnis” was recorded, adapting tracks that were mostly written during the band’s early period.

Monolithic, bleak and primal – POSTMORTAL embraces the atmosphere of funeral doom overlords such as Thergothon, Tyranny, The Funeral Orchestra, Catacombs, Evoken.

Line-up:
Michał Skupień – music
Dawid Dunikowski – vocals, lyrics

https://postmortal.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/postmortalofficial

BLACKBRAID Reveals Details for Upcoming Full-Length Album “Blackbraid III”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 25, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by Wolf Mountain Productions

Since the explosive release of the critically acclaimed record, ‘Blackbraid II,’ indigenous black metal master BLACKBRAID has been diligently creating his next opus deep within the heart of the desolate Adirondack Mountains. Today, BLACKBRAID is pleased to now reveal the details of ‘Blackbraid III,’ which will be released on August 8, 2025 independently.

The captivating album artwork was created in collaboration with Adam Burke, who handled the painting, and mainstay Blackbraid album artist Adrian Baxter, who did the illustration. It can be found below along with the tracklist!

New music will be revealed very soon. Stay tuned…

In addition, BLACKBRAID has partnered with Fire in the Mountains Festival to curate a special pre-release event where festival attendees will get to hear the record ahead of street date, which will be revealed along with additional details soon! Fire in the Mountains will take place in Montana from July 25-27, 2025 at the Red Eagle Campground on the Blackfeet Nation Reserve. Artists who have already been confirmed to perform include Blackbraid, Wardruna, Old Man’s Child, Blood Incantation, and more, with additional bands TBA! Tickets are available HERE while the full lineup and all pertinent festival information can be found HERE.

‘Blackbraid II’ can now be streamed everywhere or ordered via Bandcamp or the official merch stores in USA and EU.

Blackbraid is a solo indigenous black metal project from from the depths of the Adirondack wilderness creating music as raw and powerful as the mountains from whence it came… 

Tracklist:

  1. Dusk (Eulogy)
  2. Wardrums at Dawn on the Day of my Death
  3. The Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag
  4. The Earth is Weeping
  5. God of Black Blood
  6. Traversing the Forest of Eternal Dusk
  7. Tears of the Dawn
  8. Like Wind Through The Reeds Making Waves Like Water
  9. And He Became the Burning Stars…
  10. Fleshbound (Lord Belial cover)

Creator of Blackbraid: Sgah’gahsowáh

‘Blackbraid III’ Album Credits:
Composed & performed by Sgah’gahsowáh
Drums, recording, mixing & mastering by Neil Schneider
Guitar solo in “God of Black Blood” performed by Randy Moore
“Fleshbound” originally composed by Lord Belial
Painting by Adam Burke
Illustration by Adrian Baxter
Visual development & graphic design by Wolf Mountain Productions

Shop/Pre-order:
Official Merch Store (USA)
Official Merch Store (EU)

Follow // Listen: Bandcamp – Spotify – Apple Music – YouTube – Instagram

PRIEST Reveal Single for Chris Isaac’s ‘Wicked Game’ from “Gothic Noir” Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 25, 2025
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Hot on the heels of Cleopatra Records’ Goth Top 100 countdown, Sweden’s mighty Priest usher in the next generation of dark rock, a lush, cinematic cover of Chris Isaac’s “Wicked Game” – a heartfelt homage to David Lynch’s Wild at Heart movie, wherein the original track appears.

An electronic project started by former members of the Grammy Award-winning metal band Ghost, the enigmatic Priest skillfully translate Isaac’s country-esque guitars and rhythms into haunting Moog synthesizers and 80’s LinnDrum-sounds.

Priest says: ”We think it’s one of the best pop songs ever written and we were very happy when Cleopatra asked us to do a cover of this kind. We covered some unexplored territory for Priest here. I will always see the dark highway in Wild at Heart when I hear it.”

Priest is touring the USA between July 1 to August 3 — tickets on priestnexus.com

Stream Wicked Game here: https://orcd.co/priest_wickedgame

“Wicked Games” can also be heard on Gothic Noir, a thrill-packed deep dive into both the music’s sainted past and it’s immediate future.  

No less than six of the 19 tracks are exclusive to Gothic Noir, including vivacious offerings from Buzz Kull, Soviet Soviet, Lamori (brilliantly tackling Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl”), Shad Shadows and Deus Ex Lumina, reimagining George Michael’s “Careless Whispers.”

They are joined by the cream of Cleopatra’s goth community, including Chris McCarter’s IKON; Gene Loves Jezebel; The Mission (the immortal “Severina”); Razed In Black; Batcave arch-glamsters Sexagisma; punk pioneers The Damned; Fear Cult; Miranda Sex Garden; and Christian Death – artists who, across a variety of guises, devoured almost 25% of the Top 100.

Elsewhere, Ministry shine a light on the darkest corners of their Squirrely Years with a 1982 demo of “Work For Love”; and with Joy Division, A Flock of Seagulls and UK post-punk marvels 1919 also on board, Gothic Noir promises to completely reinvent your listening plans as we heard into summer.

But – as Sexagisma put it on the foot-stomping preview of their own forthcoming album, c’mon, c’mon, it’s MONSTER FUN!

Track Listing:

  1. Truly Madly Deeply – Buzz Kull
  2. Iris – Soviet Soviet
  3. Leaders Of Men (Martin Hannett Sessions) – Joy Division
  4. Wicked Game – Priest
  5. Black Roses (2024 Single Version) – IKON
  6. Severina – The Mission
  7. Brown Eyed Girl – Lamori
  8. Serpent Queen – Gene Loves Jezebel
  9. Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) – A Flock Of Seagulls
  10. Spectre (Love is Dead) (Kill Shelter Remix) – Christian Death
  11. Work for Love (1982 Demo) – Ministry
  12. Anxiety – 1919
  13. Careless Whisper – Deus Ex Lumina
  14. Strangers in the Night – Shad Shadows
  15. Shadow of Love (Live) – The Damned
  16. Monster Fun (Bat Cave Deadly Mix) – Sexagisma
  17. Are You The One? – Miranda Sex Garden
  18. Share This Poison – Razed In Black
  19. She Loves Me Not – Fear Cult

CD/VINYL: https://cleorecs.com/search?q=gothic+noir
DIGITAL: https://orcd.co/gothicnoir

THE LION’S DAUGHTER Announce Farewell Show

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 25, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by: Chris Bauer

Whether it was a Dog Shaped Man, the Midnight Animal or a hospital run by werewolves, not even the most nightmarish creatures could tame The Lion’s Daughter. What began in the mid-2010s as a horror-stricken, blackened and sludgy trio rabidly evolved into a frightening, futuristic, synth-metal foursome.

“They clearly still reside in the extreme end of metal’s mutation pool”, Decibel wrote upon initiation into the band’s Future Cult.

Now, after two decades and five skin-tillating albums, The Lion’s Daughter are going out on their own terms.

“Bands are not supposed to last forever”, says guitarist, synth player and vocalist Rick Giordano. “It’s been 18 goddamn years. We’ve done every single thing we ever set out to do. Each of us will continue to play music (and more than likely with each other), but this thing called The Lion’s Daughter…well, we did that already. 

“Some bands don’t know when to quit, and we don’t want to be one of those bands”, Rick continues. “Instead of trudging along for another X amount of years, we’d rather go out with a bang and play one last show with our friends! And we’re going to donate every dime from that show to Stray Rescue. Hating people and loving dogs has always kinda been our thing”.

The Lion’s Daughter will play their final show on June 21 in the band’s hometown of St. Louis, Missouri at Off Broadway. They’ll be joined by local doomsayers Fister, the recently reunited Sine Nomine, mighty progressive sludgers Path of Might, and freshly blackened death metal band Furnace Floor. All proceeds from the show will benefit Stray Rescue of St. Louis.

“This isn’t a sad thing”, Rick emphasizes. “Bands SHOULD end, and we’re raising money for pups”.

The Lion’s Daughter Farewell Show
A benefit for Stray Rescue of St. Louis.
Presented by 4 Hands Brewery
w/ Fister, Sine Nomine, Path of Might & Furnace Floor

Saturday, June 21 @ Off Broadway
3509 Lemp Ave.
Saint Louis, MO 63118

Doors @ 7pm | Show @ 8 pm
$15 General Admission
All Ages (21+ w/ valid ID to drink, $3 surcharge if under 21)  

Since their first benefit show in 2014, The Lion’s Daughter have raised more than $25,000 for Stray Rescue.   

Get tickets – Donate 

The Lion’s Daughter’s albums Existence Is Horror, Future Cult and Skin Show are out now on Season Mist. Order here.

For the first part of the band’s career, The Lion’s Daughter were deeply rooted in horrifying, existential, blackened sludge metal. But upon initiating their third album, the St. Louis trio abandoned all tradition. With its sinister synths, Future Cult could’ve easily served as the score to a Dario Argento film.

For their follow-up, the band played it even less safe. While glossy on the surface, Skin Show revealed all the shame, abuse and desperation of a snuff film.

Finally, for what would end up being The Lion’s Daughter’s grand finale, they kept trying things they’ve never done before – clean vocals, guitar solos – while remaining horrifyingly honesty. The horrible creature on the cover of Bath House may look frightening.
“But it’s also clearly in pain and also afraid”, said frontman Rick Giordano. “It’s the perfect image to represent whatever the fuck ugly thing lives in my head. On this record, it’s no longer hiding behind a mask… it is loose and it’s right outside your fucking house”.    

Wherever they roared, The Lion’s Daughter birthed a fitting soundtrack for the end of us all.

Line-up:
Rick Giordano – Vocals, Guitars, Synths
Erik Ramsier – Drums
Scott Fogelbach – Bass
Aaron Akin – Guitars

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thelionsdaughterstl
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLionsDaughterSTL
Facebook: http://facebook.com/thelionsdaughter
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2MXIj83IHyp9FUT3V6mxGB
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-lions-daughter
Deezer:https://www.deezer.com/es/artist/5149043
Bandcamp: http://thelionsdaughter.bandcamp.com/