MENTAL CRUELTY have released a new reimaged single taken from their upcoming digital deluxe edition of the album “Zwielicht”, out December 13 th. Pre-order the deluxe edition of “Zwielicht” here!
MENTAL CRUELTY comments on the new song:We are thrilled to unveil the re-imagined piano version of SYMPHONY OF A DYING STAR , beautifully arranged by the talented MISSTIQ. This rendition brings the song full circle, returning it to its origins as a piano melody, yet with a renewed sense of depth and emotion. The uplifting and cinematic qualities of the original track shine through in this arrangement, showcasing the song’s ability to connect with listeners on a more intimate level. Misstiq’s masterful touch breathes new life into the composition, allowing the piano to carry the weight of the melody and reveal nuances that may have been hidden before. This version offers a fresh perspective while staying true to the heart and soul of the song.
In a thrilling display of blackened deathcore prowess, OV SULFUR is proud to announce the release of their latest single “Hivemind,” featuring Lukas Nicolai of MENTAL CRUELTY. This release precedes their highly anticipated co-headline “Beyond the Eternal Tour” across North America with MENTAL CRUELTY. “Hive Mind” can be streamed on any of your favorite platforms HERE.
“Hivemind” showcases OV SULFUR’s consistent stance against conventional religious narratives and herd mentality, a theme that aligns seamlessly with MENTAL CRUELTY’s established defiance in their music. Chase Wilson, OV SULFUR’s guitarist, describes the track as a blend of intricate technical riffs and a unique swing, emphasizing its departure from traditional metal norms. “‘Hivemind’ is Ov Sulfur’s rallying cry against the herd mentality that has turned religion from hopeful to hateful for centuries—to the point where it’s basically part of its ethos,” Wilson explains. “The song takes a cue from its celebration of avoiding the typical, stylistically, by taking a left-hand path: embracing off-kilter swing in its dramatic chorus, contrasted with some of their most technical riffing. Lukas Nicolai of Mental Cruelty really elevated the brutality. It’s an honor to have our Century Media labelmates and fellow blackened deathcore leaders on a song with us ahead of our co-headlining tour across North America.”
Lukas Nicolai, MENTAL CRUELTY’s vocalist, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration: “I said it before and I’m going to say it again: joining Mental Cruelty has been an awesome journey so far. Furthermore, having two Century Media heavy hitters join forces on a co-headline tour in North America is the biggest highlight of this journey so far. I am so stoked to go on tour with the guys in Ov Sulfur, Ghost Bath and Extermination Dismemberment.” “And now to have the opportunity to feature on ‘Hivemind’ is a cherry on top. It was really fun to record this one! I can’t wait to go berserk with Ricky live—though I might try to get up there for ‘Stained in Rot’ haha.”
OV SULFUR and MENTAL CRUELTY are barreling toward the first dates of their “Beyond the Eternal Tour,” marking a significant moment for both bands. This tour will be OV SULFUR’s inaugural co-headlining venture and MENTAL CRUELTY’s first in North America.
The tour will kick off on February 7th in Mesa, AZ, and conclude on March 9th in Las Vegas, NV. Joining them will be the haunting GHOST BATH and the intense EXTERMINATION DISMEMBERMENT. Revolver is running an exclusive giveaway for tickets and VIP passes. Enter HERE.
OV SULFUR comments on the tour: “This tour is not just a series of shows; it’s a demonstration of blackened deathcore’s evolution. We’re honored to share the stage with MENTAL CRUELTY, GHOST BATH, and EXTERMINATION DISMEMBERMENT. Expect a night of unrelenting metal.”
MENTAL CRUELTY adds: “We’re thrilled to bring our latest work, ‘Zwielicht,’ to North American fans. Teaming up with OV SULFUR, GHOST BATH, and EXTERMINATION DISMEMBERMENT ensures a diverse and intense experience for all attendees.”
Tickets are on sale now so go secure your spot in the pit for the “Beyond the Eternal Tour.” Tickets can be found HERE.
Dates: 02/07 Mesa, AZ @ Nile Underground 02/08 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad 02/09 Ft. Worth, TX @ Haltom Theater (Side Stage) 02/10 Austin, TX @ Come And Take It Live 02/11 Houston, TX @ Scout Bar 02/13 Orlando, FL @ Conduit 02/14 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Purgatory) 02/15 Greensboro, NC @ Hangar 1819 02/16 Baltimore, MD @ Metro 02/17 Manchester, NH @ Jewel 02/18 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Meadows 02/20 Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theatre * 02/21 Toronto, ON @ Hard Luck * 02/22 Cleveland, OH @ The Foundry 02/23 Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving 02/24 Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary 02/25 Chicago, IL @ WC Social Club 02/27 Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck 02/28 Denver, CO @ Roxy Theater 03/01 Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon 03/02 Richland, WA @ Ray’s 03/03 Spokane, WA @ The Big Dipper 03/04 Seattle, WA El Corazon 03/05 Portland, OR @ Dante’s 03/07 San Francisco, CA @ Neck Of The Woods 03/08 Los Angeles, CA @ 1720 03/09 Las Vegas, NV @ The Usual Place *No EXTERMINATION DISMEMBERMENT
MENTAL CRUELTY have released a majestic new visual offering for the opening tracks “Midtvinter” and “Obsessis a Daemonio” from their latest album, Zwielicht.
MENTAL CRUELTY comments on “Obsessis a Daemonio”: Obsessis a Daemonio is a song inspired by medieval age manuscripts describing exorcisms. Watch out to not get haunted yourself after watching the video. It’s a story of a spiritual battle between a priest and a demon of his past. An epic fight of the light vs. the dark – who will triumph in the end? Decide by yourself! Get ready for a bombastic performance in an original antique monastery library setting!
Zwielicht, the fourth full-length album from MENTAL CRUELTY, is now available via Century Media Records.
Dive into a dark and intense world where Hell’s power reigns supreme. Stream “Obsessis a Daemonio” and Zwielicht now HERE; the new and epic music video (produced by Aurora Motion Pictures) can be watched below.
MENTAL CRUELTY comments on the album release: “Let us embrace a new era of darkness by bringing the “black” into blackened heavy music. Join us on the way down to infernal gates of hell to be rebirthed back to life. The album contains the most mind-bending variety of different heavy musical influences and sounds. Epic symphonic orchestras accompanied by slam breakdowns; this will have it all. Inspired from metaphors written by nature, death, and inner demons.
We can´t put into words the level of excitement we feel by releasing this album to you. We hope you feel the same way! Thank you for being with us and stay tuned for even more news!”
Across four releases, beginning with 2016’s Pereat Mundus EP, MENTAL CRUELTY has woven together a violent tapestry of black metal, death metal, deathcore, and a madness of their very own. With 2021’s landmark LP, A Hill To Die Upon (Unique Leader), the German quintet not only set a new standard for themselves, but also the genre as a whole.
Rising from the ashes of personal and professional chaos, MENTAL CRUELTY spent the first half of 2021 seeking out a voice to continue to cement them as an uncompromising force in the German metal scene. After locking in Lukas, the band (rounded out by guitarists Nahuel Lozano and Marvin Kessler, bassist Viktor Dick and drummer Danny Straßer) reemerged bloodied but unbowed, ready to continue on their path to becoming an international force.
Armed with new vocalist Lukas Nicolai, MENTAL CRUELTY usher in a new epoch of unlight and grim determination that’s at the heart of their upcoming album, Zwielicht (translated in English as “Twilight”). Once again working with producer and mixer Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Ov Sulfur, Signs of the Swarm The Browning), they’ve pushed their sound to new blacker intensities forged in emotional riffing, heavy “back to the roots” breakdowns, and epic orchestral arrangements that surpass the already elite standards that have become synonymous with their name.
Zwielicht has come. MENTAL CRUELTY’s reign of darkness has begun!
“Nordlys”, MENTAL CRUELTY‘s newest offering describes the tale of the Nordic afterlife, where ancient deities and restless spirits reign with almighty wrath. Follow the journey of souls rising up to heaven, but beware the phantoms of the afterlife and the omen of bane; the “Nordlys” may be listened to HERE; the awesome music video (produced by Aurora Motion Pictures) can be watched below.
Mental Cruelty comments on the new single: “The song “Nordlys” is about ancient sagas of the northern lights, interpreted differently by Vikings and Norwegian tribes. These tales interpreted the lights in the sky in different ways. We should approach new situations positively, remembering fear often lies in our heads. Musically, it’s not a typical Mental Cruelty song, with an acoustic guitar intro and orchestration setting the mood. The song ends with a guitar riff that will make you want to headbang.”
Armed with new vocalist Lukas Nicolai, Mental Cruelty usher in a new epoch of unlight and grim determination that’s at the heart of their upcoming album, Zwielicht (translated in English as “Twilight”). Once again working with producer and mixer Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Ov Sulfur, Signs of the Swarm The Browning), they’ve pushed their sound to new blacker intensities forged in emotional riffing, heavy “back to the roots” breakdowns, and epic orchestral arrangements that surpass the already elite standards that have become synonymous with their name.
Mental Cruelty comments on the upcoming album: “Let us embrace a new era of darkness by bringing the “black” into blackened heavy music. Join us on the way down to infernal gates of hell to be rebirthed back to life. The album will contain the most mind-bending variety of different heavy musical influences and sounds. Epic symphonic orchestras accompanied by slam breakdowns; this will have it all. Inspired from metaphors written by nature, death, and inner demons.
We can´t put into words the level of excitement we feel by announcing this album to you. We hope you feel the same way! Thank you for being with us and stay tuned for upcoming news!”
Zwielicht is coming. Mental Cruelty’s reign of darkness is just getting started.
Zwielicht, the latest full-length album from MENTAL CRUELTY, will be made available via Century Media Records on June 23. The remarkable very “Black Metal” Blackened Deathcore anthem “Forgotten Kings” may be listened to HERE; the awesome music video (produced by Aurora Motion Pictures) can be watched below.
MENTAL CRUELTY comments on the new single: “This song is inspired by the Greek Prometheus saga or comparatively the story of the Lost Sinner from Dark Souls. It tells the story of a man that is shackled to a mountain summit. He stands for the feeling of being trapped and isolated and feeling guilty about it. The evil chord progressions combined with huge orchestral ornaments and fast-paced blast beats will give you a feeling of listening to almost old-schoolish Black Metal with a modern twist.”
They add on the album release: “Let us embrace a new era of darkness by bringing the “black” into blackened heavy music. Join us on the way down to infernal gates of hell to be rebirthed back to life. The album will contain the most mind-bending variety of different heavy musical influences and sounds. Epic symphonic orchestras accompanied by slam breakdowns; this will have it all. Inspired from metaphors written by nature, death, and inner demons.
We can´t put into words the level of excitement we feel by announcing this album to you. We hope you feel the same way! Thank you for being with us and stay tuned for upcoming news!”
Zwielicht Tracklist:
Midtvinter
Obsessis a Daemonio
Forgotten Kings
Pest
Nordlys
Mortal Shells
Zwielicht
Symphony of a Dying Star
The Arrogance of Agony
A Tale of Salt and Light
Across four releases, beginning with 2016’s Pereat Mundus EP, MENTAL CRUELTY has woven together a violent tapestry of black metal, death metal, deathcore, and a madness of their very own. With 2021’s landmark LP, A Hill To Die Upon (Unique Leader), the German quintet not only set a new standard for themselves, but also the genre as a whole.
Rising from the ashes of personal and professional chaos, MENTAL CRUELTY spent the first half of 2021 seeking out a voice to continue to cement them an as uncompromising force in the German metal scene. After locking in Lukas, the band (rounded out by guitarists Nahuel Lozano and Marvin Kessler, bassist Viktor Dick and drummer Danny Straßer) reemerged bloodied but unbowed, ready to continue on their path to becoming an international force.
Armed with new vocalist Lukas Nicolai, MENTAL CRUELTY usher in a new epoch of unlight and grim determination that’s at the heart of their upcoming album, Zwielicht (translated in English as “Twilight”). Once again working with producer and mixer Josh Schroeder (LORNA SHORE, OV SULFUR, SIGNS OF THE SWARM, THE BROWNING), they’ve pushed their sound to new blacker intensities forged in emotional riffing, heavy “back to the roots” breakdowns, and epic orchestral arrangements that surpass the already elite standards that have become synonymous with their name.
Zwielicht is coming. MENTAL CRUELTY’s reign of darkness is just getting started.
Remember to catch Mental Cruelty on their first show this year supporting Heaven Shall Burn together with Any Given Day at their show in their hometown Karlsruhe on AUG 19th.
Mental Cruelty line-up: Lukas Nicolai – Vocals Nahuel Lozano – Guitars Marvin Kessler – Guitars Viktor Dick – Bass Danny Straßer – Drums
Earlier this week, MENTAL CRUELTY dropped a surprise teaser for fans, hinting at upcoming music plus the identity of their new vocalist. Now, the band is releasing two new tracks – “Symphony of a Dying Star” and “Zwielicht” – to coincide with their news today, revealing their singer: Lukas Nicolai [of Sun Eater (formerly known as Impale)]. Stream “Symphony of a Dying Star” and “Zwielicht” here; watch the video (directed by Marvin Kessler and produced by AMP) for both singles HERE
Mental Cruelty comments: “The first song ‘Zwielicht’ (old German for twilight), which serves as the intro, is a poem written by Marvin (guitars) and it’s about the demon called depression that slowly creeps into your body to a point where it takes full control over your life. The poem comes from a very personal place and serves as a way of letting go and processing hard and dark stages of life in the past. Musically, the song is heavily inspired by classic Nordic folk songs and was recorded with ancient instruments that you wouldn’t quite expect in this kind of music. ‘Symphony Of A Dying Star’ serves as the continuation of ‘Zwielicht’ musically as well as lyrically. We accompany a wanderer on his journey through a winter landscape. All life around him seems to be trapped in hibernation and eternal ice while a surreal feeling of deafness creeps up on him. The winter itself serves as a metaphor for loneliness, the end of all things and the transience of life. At some point, all things start to fade away and it is the fate that will overtake us all once when standing on the threshold between life and death. The whole concept of this 2-track song is about letting things go and die to make place for a new start and a new beginning. We couldn’t quite play shows and work on new music as we wanted to the last two years due to the pandemic and having to find a new vocalist, so we wanted to make a cut and a new beginning.”
Across four releases, beginning with 2016’s Pereat Mundus EP, Mental Cruelty has woven together a violent tapestry of black metal, death metal, deathcore, and a madness of their very own. With 2021’s landmark LP, A Hill To Die Upon (Unique Leader), the German quintet not only set a new standard for themselves, but also the genre as a whole.
Rising from the ashes of personal and professional chaos, Mental Cruelty spent the first half of 2022 seeking out a voice to continue to cement them as an uncompromising force in the German metal scene. After locking in Lukas Nicolai, the band (rounded out by guitarists Nahuel Lozano and Marvin Kessler, bassist Viktor Dick and drummer Danny Straßer) reemerged bloodied but unbowed, ready to continue on their path to becoming an international force.
Armed with new vocalist Lukas, Mental Cruelty usher in a new epoch of unlight and grim determination that’s at the heart of their upcoming album – which will be announced soon. Mental Cruelty‘s reign of darkness is just getting started…
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