Finnish MERCURY CIRCLE have released a new music video for ‘Black Mirrors’, taken from their first full-length album “Killing Moons”, released in 2021 on Noble Demon. Watch the video below.
MERCURY CIRCLE, born as a brainchild in 2018 by Iconcrash’s and Swallow the Sun’s Jaani Peuhu, offers dark rock infused with electrifying synth wave and slow, epic doom. Truly a genre of its own, the band is establishing their very own kind of “New Doom” – think “Sisters Of Mercy and The Cult shaking hands with Depeche Mode and Cathedral”. Within their own microcosm, the songs tell a story of an ever-repeating journey from painful departures to new beginnings, hope and promises echoing loss and regret.
In June 2020 MERCURY CIRCLE announced the release of “The Dawn Of Vitriol”, the band’s first EP, to be released on August 14th on Noble Demon (Digital) and The Vinyl Division (Vinyl + Digipack CD).
MERCURY CIRCLE are: Jaani Peuhu – Vocals, Guitars, Synths (Iconcrash, Swallow the Sun, Hallatar) Jussi Hämäläinen – Guitars, Synths, Backing vocals (Hanging Garden, The Chant) Juppe Sutela – Guitars (To/Die/For) Ande Kiiski – Bass (Sleep of Monsters, Rytmihäiriö) Jaska Raatikainen – Drums (Children of Bodom)
Praised by fans and critics alike for their outstanding 2020-EP “The Dawn of Vitriol“, Finland’s MERCURY CIRCLE have unleashed their hotly anticipated debut full-length record, titled “Killing Moons”! With 10 brand new tracks spanning over 63 minutes, the band’s brand new record is a deeply powerful and majestic piece of music – truly representing a genre of its own – and one that will take the listener on an all-absorbing trip into yet unimaginable spheres.
In support of the new album and to celebrate the release in glorious style, MERCURY CIRCLE just shared a new video clip for the track “Like Matches”, with a special guest appearance by none other than Cammie Gilbert of mighty Oceans of Slumber.
Watch the video for “Like Matches” here:
Founded by producer and musician Jaani Peuhu, who paused his activities in SWALLOW THE SUN for the band’s upcoming album cycle in order to fully concentrate on MERCURY CIRCLE, the Finnish five-piece is by far no stranger to the scene and features former and current members of well-known acts such as CHILDREN OF BODOM, TO/DIE/FOR, HANGING GARDEN and SLEEP OF MONSTERS. Thematically inspired by daily life with all its dark facets and challenges, “The original idea for the album concept was to make it some kind of a gateway that opens up a path away from everyday life leading somewhere where we can be free from all the stress, grief, Corona or any other worldly worries” Jaani Peuhu explains.
He continues:”This idea of escapism is very basic and true to music, but it turned out to develop a deeper and more complex meaning for me during the writing process. I had to cope with the difficult reality that my father, a brilliant musician himself, was no longer in this realm anymore because of Alzheimers disease. I often wonder where he is, roaming in his own head. I imagine that he is free to travel in space and time and do whatever he wishes there, like destroying planets or having a good time in a spiritual world… all while this disease is erasing a lifetime of memories. Many of us are looking for ways to flee the state we’re in, others don’t have the choice to stay, and even more so, can’t find the way back to the everyday life because they can’t remember it. This is where the term Killing Moons comes into play. It is derived from Echo & the Bunnymen’s The Killing Moon. It had been sitting in my head for a long time and transformed into one of the album’s most personal songs a bit by accident. When I sang the first demo songs in gibberish English, the words Killing Moons made its way into the lyrics and somehow started to resonate with me: The MOONS as a measure of time and the KILLING as a way of erasing the lived years – or the escape from everyday life, as in killing time by reading a good book. As a band, we also created a strong visual story around Jaska’s interest in space and science, as well as around my way of living with energies, spirits and occults. Our daily lives with losses and broken hearts play an important part in our music and lyrics and those concepts help when thinking about what we want to say with our instruments and arrangements.So, you can think of the album title in terms of my personal story, but honestly, I’d rather you create your own story and world with us.“
“Killing Moons”, the debut album by MERCURY CIRCLE, is out now on Noble Demon and available for purchase at THIS LOCATION
Born as a brainchild in 2018 by ICONCRASH‘s and SWALLOW THE SUN’s Jaani Peuhu, and featuring members of CHILDREN OF BODOM,SLEEP OF MONSTERS & more, October 8th will see the release of “Killing Moons”, the highly anticipated debut album by Finland’s very own MERCURY CIRCLE. Featuring ten enthralling tracks, which differ wildly in expression and sonic aesthetics, the band’s upcoming record is a deeply powerful and majestic piece of music, truly representing a genre of its own. Dark metal infused soundscapes with powerful synth and electro waves are the breeding ground for a unique journey filled with painful departures to new beginnings, a spectacle in which hope and promises echoing loss and regret.
In support of their upcoming album, MERCURY CIRCLE just shared a new and epic lyric video for the track “The Gates Wide Open”, streaming here:
“I wrote this song as the opening track of the album so it has this long hypnotic intro which introduces the atmosphere of the whole album. It puts you into a mind-travelling state and takes you on the journey that is ‘KILLING MOONS’” band mastermind Jaani Peuhu states.
“Killing Moons” will be coming out on October 8th through Noble Demon and is available for pre-order HERE
Tracklist:
The Gates Wide Open
Black Mirrors
You Open Up The Earth
Killing Moons
Seven Archangels
Call On The Dark
Avalanche
An Arrow
Like Matches
Death Poem
MERCURY CIRCLE are: Jaani Peuhu – Vocals, Guitars, Synths (Iconcrash, Swallow the Sun, Hallatar) Jussi Hämäläinen – Guitars, Synths, Backing vocals (Hanging Garden, The Chant) Juppe Sutela – Guitars (To/Die/For) Ande Kiiski – Bass (Sleep of Monsters, Rytmihäiriö) Jaska Raatikainen – Drums (Children of Bodom)
Following their critically acclaimed “The Dawn Of Vitriol” EP (2020), MERCURY CIRCLE have shared a brand new song from their upcoming and highly anticipated debut album, “Killing Moons”, which is slated for release on October 8, 2021 via Noble Demon!
Born as a brainchild in 2018 by ICONCRASH‘s and SWALLOW THE SUN’s Jaani Peuhu, and featuring members of CHILDREN OF BODOM, SLEEP OF MONSTERS & more, MERCURY CIRCLE create a diverse blend of dark rock infused with electrifying synth wave and slow, epic doom. On their upcoming full-length album, MERCURY CIRCLE unleash ten enthralling tracks, which differ wildly in expression and sonic aesthetics. “Killing Moons” is a deeply powerful and majestic piece of music – truly representing a genre of its own – and one that will take the listener on an all-absorbing trip into yet unimaginable spheres.
After the previously released first single, “You Open Up The Earth”, MERCURY CIRCLE have shared a brand new video clip for the goth rock opus “Black Mirrors“ today! Watch the video here:
“John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was an Anglo-Welsh mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, teacher, occultist, and alchemist. He was the court astronomer for, and advisor to, Elizabeth I, and spent much of his time on alchemy, divination and Hermetic philosophy,” band mastermind Jaani Peuhu reveals. “The lyrics for Black Mirrors are a mixture of matters of the heart and occultism. In the beginning we hear a prophecy from Nostradamus before plunging into a dark and delusional world – a place for the abandoned heart, where light is reflected from John Dee’s black mirror. Musically it’s more in vein of goth rock than doom metal. When writing the song I envisioned how Queen with a goth rock twist would sound. I’m a fan of big choruses and 80’s goth beats. Add a little bit of spiderwebs and whispers in French and you’re good to go!“
Tracklist:
The Gates Wide Open
Black Mirrors
You Open Up The Earth
Killing Moons
Seven Archangels
Call On The Dark
Avalanche
An Arrow
Like Matches
Death Poem
“Killing Moons” will be coming out on October 8th through Noble Demon and is now available for pre-order HERE
[Photo by Laureline Tilkin, digital retouch by Danna]
In support of their upcoming album, slated for a release in the Fall of 2021 on Noble Demon, Finland’s “New Doom” – collective MERCURY CIRCLE has unleashed a brand new video clip for the track “You Open Up The Earth”!
Labeled as “a band you need to watch out for in 2021″, by Metal Hammer UK, and featuring members of Swallow The Sun and Children Of Bodom, Mercury Circle is creating a diverse offering of atmospheric and dark music where the songs differ wildly in expression and sonic aesthetics. Dark metal infused soundscapes with powerful synth and electro waves are the breeding ground for a unique journey filled with painful departures to new beginnings, a spectacle in which hope and promises echoing loss and regret.
Following their latest, critically acclaimed EP “The Dawn Of Vitriol” ( August 14th, Noble Demon / The Vinyl Division), Mercury Circle is about to get ready for the release of their highly anticipated debut studio album, due out in September via powerhouse label Noble Demon. To shorten your wait for Mercury Circle‘s first full- length, the band has just released a first and enthralling album single, one that will most likely leave you with a hunger for more! Watch the epic, new music video for “You Open Up The Earth” here:
“This song is a reflection of how things take seat in our lives uninvitedly and change our fate forever“, the band explains and continues: “Especially during these times of incredible adversity we hope to give a voice to the feelings those situations elicit while they oftentimes leave us speechless.”
With a versatile arrangement of sounds, and a message that couldn’t have been more fitting in these days, it almost seems as if it’s no surprise that this track has become the first harbinger to the album, as founder and mastermind Jaani Peuhu reveals:
“At a pretty early stage in the writing process I started feeling that You Open Up The Earth had to be the opening single of the album. Not only made the message of the song sense considering the state the world has been in for more than a year now, but it also seemed like a good introduction to the record: Combining heavy, dark and melodic elements with a little piece of our unearthly atmosphere and a big chorus. We had more than 20 songs to choose from for the album and most of the tracks were about to be dropped from the record at some point, but this one felt like an important piece of our debut the whole time since I wrote it.”
He continues: “There was a funny situation during the recordings of You Open Up The Earth when I was working on the string arrangements and realized that we need violins to compliment Teemu Mastovaara’s super cool cellos. I mentioned it in our band chat and then our guitar player Jussi casually answered that he could play them… Although he hadn’t played in years he recorded the most beautiful violin tracks for this special song. My bandmates keep on surprising me with their talent! We have this mentality that everybody can do everything and there are no bad ideas. We try out every idea and even if it doesn’t work it might lead us to something that actually does and sounds amazing. We don’t want to play safe. Been there, done that. Never again. Not with this band.“
Pre-save “You Open Up The Earth” to the library of your preferred streaming service or add it to your favorite playlist RIGHT HERE
[Photo by Laureline Tilkin, digital retouch by Danna]
Following their critically acclaimed debut EP “The Dawn Of Vitriol“, released on August 14th via Noble Demon, today MERCURY CIRCLE unleashed a brand new video for the track “Our Funeral (Like Xmas)” (get the single HERE), a song exclusively featured on “Noble Demonic Metal – Chapter 1“, a brand new label sampler by Noble Demon, celebrating its first anniversary (available HERE)!
Labeled as “a band you need to watch out for in 2021″, by Metal Hammer UK, and featuring members of Swallow The Sun and Children Of Bodom, MERCURY CIRCLE is creating a diverse offering of atmospheric and dark music where the songs differ wildly in expression and sonic aesthetics, establishing their very own kind of “New Doom”. While the band is working on their upcoming full length record right now (to be released in early 2021), they felt the need to take a break from the album sessions and to release something different, as Jaani Peuhu explains:
“Although I’m not a fan of Xmas songs, I found myself with the perfect opportunity to write one in the midst of everything going on in the world today. In parts, 2020 felt almost apocalyptic. Sadly, Christmas is the busiest day of the year for police, ambulances and paramedics in Finland and I’m afraid that this year might break all the records of domestic violence and suicide cases because of the pandemic. But since 2020 has already turned so much on its head, there’s hoping this year’s outlook on the holidays could prove me positively wrong. Compared to the heavy and dark sound of upcoming debut album, “Our Funeral (Like Xmas)” is the most uplifting song we have ever created. We wanted to take a groovier and happier approach to the music while the lyrics stayed on the gloomier side. We hope you enjoy it!
Happy Holidays! – Jaani, Jussi, Ande, Jaska and Juppe“
Watch the video for “Our Funeral (Like Xmas)” here:
“Our Funeral (Like Xmas)” is exclusively featured on “Noble Demonic Metal – Chapter 1“, the brand new label sampler by Noble Demon, celebrating its first anniversary!
In probably the most darkest year in the history of music business, the new and dedicated record label for all that is heavy has proven that they came to stay. in its first year of existence. Surprising the metal world with a first sign of life of Finnish melancholic metal band DAWN OF SOLACE (fronted by Wolfheart-phenom Tuomas Saukkonen) after almost 14 years, Noble Demon has released the first single of the following album WAVES in November 2019.
The German label specializing in heavy rock and metal continued to show its variety of taste and an ever growing, eclectic artist roster with constantly new signings in the genres of Death Metal, Thrash Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Rock, Black Metal, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Sludge, Modern Melodic Metal up to Melancholic Metal and Darkwave. New top notch studio albums saw the light of day by artists from all over the world such as Kaunis Kuolematon, Mercury Circle, Jaded Star, Gomorra, Night Crowned, Humavoid, No Raza, Tulkas, Red Moon Architect, The Vice, S.O.R.M and Plaguestorm.
Critically acclaimed by both fans and the press, the label is convinced that it’s heading in the right direction and will surprise the scene with many more upcoming, outstanding releases in 2021 which will also include several brand new signings to the already exquisite roster!
To celebrate its first birthday together with their growing and loyal fanbase, Noble Demon has just released an exciting label compilation on December 18th to end the year in sinister style.
“Noble Demonic Metal – Chapter 1” is showcasing the decent variety of metal styles the label is currently covering uniting the Noble Demon roster family under their black X-mas tree. Cover artwork is contributed by renowned designer Gyula Havancsák (Accept, Sabaton, Ensiferum, Grave Digger, Wintersun, Annihilator and many more) who‘s also responsible for the Noble Demon label logo and Gomorra’s album cover artwork.
Tracklist: 1. Dawn of Solace – Lead Wings 2. Night Crowned – Reborn 3. No Raza – Sail In Rot 4. Gomorra – Gomorra 5. The Vice – To Each His Own 6. Mercury Circle – The Beauty Of Agony 7. Humavoid – Aluminum Rain 8. Tulkas – OGC 9. Red Moon Architect – Rise 10. Jaded Star – Female Fronted 11. Kaunis Kuolematon – Kylmä Maa 12. S.O.R.M – Gypsy Queen (re-recorded) 13. Plaguestorm – Fire Within 14. Dawn of Solace – Numb (Live Cabin Version) 15. No Raza – Reborn 16. Gomorra – Hope For The Righteous 17. The Vice – White Teeth Rebellion 18. Humavoid – Lidless 19. Tulkas – The Beginning Of The end 20. Red Moon Architect – Dethrone The Darkness 21. Jaded Star – A Pain All Mine 22. Kaunis Kuolematon – Hautajaiset 23. S.O.R.M – House Of The Rising Sun 24. Plaguestorm – The Bringers Of Death 25. Mercury Circle – Our Funeral (Like Xmas)
Noble Demon would like to thank all their artists, partners, fans and friends for their support and trust and is wishing everyone a healthy and relaxed year’s end and a successful and more joyful 2021!