Finnish Folk Metal Superstars Korpiklaani don't seem to need any rest! After playing an extensive European tour with Turisas and Trollfest in support of their latest studio album 'Kulkija' ('Wanderer'), the band is about to kick off an 8-show Australian & New Zealand run (w/ Troldhaugen) tomorrow. But before the sextet continues their current touring cycle with a North American co-headline tour with their label mates in Eluveitie in September/October, Korpiklaani will perform a string of European festival gigs. In anticipation of these upcoming summer dates - starting at Metalfest Open Air, Pilsen (CZ) on June 2nd - the band has unleashed a brand new lyric video for the Czech version of their all-time favourite 'Beer Beer', which can also be found on the tour edition of 'Kulkija'. Check out 'Bír Bír' [ft. Fleret] over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4drIAMzV7qg

Fleret comments:-

      "The cooperation with Korpiklaani on the Czech version of their hit song 'Beer Beer (Bír Bír)' convinced us that even folk metal superstars like them can be nice guys with stellar manners. Not only did they prove this during the rehearsal at the Masters Of Rock Café in Zlín but also on the Masters Of Rock 2018 festival stage where we played with them after only one rehearsal of their song 'Vodka', our song 'Vizovice' and then - we believe we can say - our common song 'Beer Beer (Bír Bír)' with the Czech lyrics of our lyricist Jan Mrlík. That was a remarkable and exciting experience for us and hopefully for Korpiklaani as well. Korpiklaani, thanks to all of you!"

The track will be available digitally from Friday, May 24!

KORPIKLAANI live:

'The Wayfarers Australia & New Zealand Tour 2019' w/ TROLDHAUGEN

18.05. NZ Wellington - Valhalla *SOLD OUT*
19.05. NZ Auckland - Whammy Bar
21.05. AUS Brisbane - The Triffid
22.05. AUS Sydney - Manning Bar
23.05. AUS Canberra - The Basement
24.05. AUS Melbourne - Max Watt's
25.05. AUS Adelaide - Enigma Bar
26.05. AUS Perth - Amplifier

02.06. CZ Pilsen - Metalfest Open Air
21. - 23.06.  LT Varniai - Kilkim Žaibu
05.07. F Colombier-Saugnieu - Plane ‘R Fest
06.07. D Ballenstedt - Rockharz Open Air
12.07. UA Kiev - Atlas Weekend
26.07. SLO Tolmin - MetalDays
01. - 04.08. RO Rasnov - Rockstadt Extreme Fest
02. - 03.08. FIN Tampere - SaariHelvetti
17.08. F St. Nolff - Motocultor Festival

'Wanderers Towards Rebirth - Kulkija Ad Ategnatos' w/ ELUVEITIE, GONE IN APRIL

19.09. USA Tampa, FL - The Orpheum
20.09. USA Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
21.09. USA New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
22.09. USA Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
23.09. USA Austin, TX - Come and Take It Live
24.09. USA Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill
26.09. USA Mesa, AZ - Club Red

27.09. USA Los Angeles, CA - Regent Theater
28.09. USA Oakland, CA - Metro Operahouse
29.09. USA Portland, OR - The Bossanova Ballroom
30.09. CDN Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
01.10. USA Seattle, WA - El Corazon
03.10. USA Denver, CO - Summit
04.10. USA Lincoln, NE - The Royal Grove

05.10. USA Minneapolis, MN - The Cabooze
06.10. USA Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
07.10. CDN Toronto, ON - The Opera House
08.10. CDN Ottawa, ON - Brass Monkey
09.10. CDN Montréal, QC - Théâtre Corona
10.10. CDN Québec, QC - Impérial Bell
11.10. USA Worcester, MA - Palladium

12.10. USA Reading, PA - Reverb
13.10. USA Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
14.10. USA New York, NY - PlayStation Theater

Are you a traveller or a wanderer? Be part of Korpiklaani's journey around the world! Use the hashtag  #KorpiklaaniWayfarers on Twitter and Instagram, and your photos will appear here:
http://nblast.de/KorpiklaaniWayfarers

www.korpiklaani.com
www.facebook.com/korpiklaani
www.nuclearblast.de/korpiklaani

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have signed Lithuanian Death / Doom brutal beasts  Stranguliatorius and are set to release their new album entitled "Rope, Soap, Tabouret" December 28th on CD and Digital formats. Below is the official description:
 
     "Stranguliatorius make their Horror Pain Gore Death Productions debut with the filthy album "Rope, Soap, Tabouret"! Born in the stinking primordial land of Lithuania, Stranguliatorius present a raw old school blend of Deathgrinding Doom madness. "Rope, Soap, Tabouret" is loaded with cut-throat crusty riffs, head smashing blastbeats and face-melting growls of torment. Stranguliatorius are thirsty for blood, and hungry for flesh... ready to bash your brains in, then deliver your corpse to the surgeons of the morgue, to be gutted and buried in an unmarked grave! A must have release for fans of early Carcass, Coffins, Anatomia, Haemorrhage, Impetigo, Asphyx, Unleashed, Autopsy and Bolt Thrower"

Pre-order the CD for only $10 with free shipping at http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/store/hpgd185.html

Pre-order the Digital Download for only $6.66 at https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/rope-soap-tabouret

Pre-order the T-Shirt for only $15 at https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/merch/stranguliatorius-rope-soap-tabouret-t-shirt

Listen to the track "Morgue Surgeons" at https://youtu.be/hv10GaRj_Cw

HPGD Official Website: http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/
HPGD on BandCamp: http://hpgd.bandcamp.com/
HPGD on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/horrorpaingoredeath/posts/
HPGD on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/horrorpaingoredeath
HPGD on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hpgd666
HPGD on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/horrorpaingoredeath/videos

Romanian new age melodic metal group Scarlet Aura have been forced to re-organize their proposed tour of the US due to visa issues out of their control (read more on their Facebook page …here). Not to let a bad situation get them down, the band have managed to secure dates in Eastern Europe running from September 22nd to October 25th, so the US loss becomes Europe’s gain. Scarlet Aura will play numerous dates covering Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania featuring tracks from their forthcoming album Hot’n’Heavy to be released via Sliptrick Records on December 11th. Lucky punters attending the show will have an opportunity to buy the album prior to the official release date direct from the bands merchandise stand.

Tour dates:

22.09 | Ruse, BG
28.09 | Kiev, UA
29.09 | Zhelty Vody, UA
30.09 | Zaporozhe, UA
01.10 | Krivoy Rig, UA
02.10 | Kharkov, UA
03.10 | Elec, RUS

04.10 | Voronezh, RUS
05.10 | Bryansk, RUS
06.10 | Ivanovo, RUS
07.10 | Kolomna, RUS
08.10 | Obninsk, RUS
09.10 | Moscow, RUS
11.10 | Riga, LV

12.10 | Liepaja, LV
13.10 | Alytus, LT
25.10 | Suceava, RO

Hot’n’Heavy | Released Dec 11th, 2018 on Sliptrick Records Hot’n’Heavy

Scarlet Aura are:

Aura Danciulescu – Lead Vocals
Mihai Danciulescu – Lead guitar/Vocals
Rene Nistor – Bass
Sorin Ristea – Drums

Official Website | Facebook | Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | VK | On Sliptrick

The 'Releases Of The Year' series are albums chosen by myself as the best release from each country / dependency known to have an official release in the year 2017. These are alphabetized in country order so are easy to navigate. Each award has national flag featured alongside the band name, 'Release Of The Year' and Facebook link (where provided).

Season of Mist are proud to announce the signing of Erdve. The freshly conceived Lithuanian experimental hardcore collective will release their debut full-length, 'Vaitojimas' through Season of Mist.

The band comments: "Since Erdve is a very young name, this collaboration is proof that it is all about what matters the most - the music itself. We certainly did not have any expectations that the record could be presented to a wider audience, yet we are extremely proud and happy that our desire to create something meaningful for ourselves has procured a relationship with a record label which believes in artistic value. This partnership is a huge achievement in our creative lives and will set a strong basis for us to communicate our music, ideas, and artistic identity further on. We are incredibly thankful to Season of Mist for this opportunity.''

When Erdve formed in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius in 2016, the band had a clear aesthetic vision of creating a unique heavy sound that experimented with elements from hardcore, sludge, and black metal, yet was not bound by any unwritten "rules" surrounding those genres.    

Erdve's members had already been active in their local scene and performed in various acts such as NYKSTA, SRAIGĖS EFEKTAS, and SPIRALE.  

The core ideas of Erdve are translated into lyrics, visuals, and sound by in-depth reflection on concepts such as domestic violence, utmost disgusting behaviour, crimes against humanity, and extremism.

Erdve will release their debut album, 'Vaitojimas'' on Season Of Mist in 2018.

Line-up

Vaidotas: guitar, vocals
Kristijonas: guitar, soundscapes
Krizas: bass
Valdas: drums

www.facebook.com/erdvelt

On September 30, 2016, Finnish Metallers Re-Armed will release The Era of Precarity will be released internationally via Finland's Saarni Records. The physical core of the album is packed into a stylish digipak, which is made from ecological materials. The band has pledged to donate 50 cents from the sale of every copy to Karma Ry (organisation), which supports elder people and young adults in band's home-town area with their activities to prevent disenfranchisement.

Check out The Era of Precarity album teaser at this location.

The band has released the following statement about the new album:

          "The Era of Precarity is fully conceptual album where each track dives into a dystopian-world that you would never want to live in. The album reflects decadent elements of our society and challenges the listener to think what kind of world we want to live in now and in the future . All the major conflicts of the 21st century are still solved with warfare and the interesting question is; 'Do we really want to leave this perishing world as a legacy to our descendants?'

          Therefore the message is current and very serious. While you're listening to the record we recommend you to leave larping clothes, drinking horns and mythological characters into the depths of your imagination. The world is here and right now."

The band's previous release, Total Lack of Communication was released in 2015, and followed with tours of China and Baltic countries.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

2/9 @ Blackpool, Järvenpää FIN
3/9 @ 15bar, Seinäjoki FIN
9/9 @ Bar Rock Bear, Vantaa FIN
16/9 @ Lepakkomies, Helsinki FIN
23/9 @ Katse, Jyväskylä FIN
24/9 @ Vernissa, Tikkurila FIN
6/10 @ Sala Rocksound, Barcelona ES

8/10 @ C.C. Valdefierro, Zaragoza ES
9/10 @ Sala Matisse, Valencia ES
11/10 @ Sala Metalarium, Badajoz ES
12/10 @ Sala Silikona, Madrid ES
14/10 @ Pikne Baar, Tallinn EE
15/10 @ Lemmys, Kaunas LT
16/10 @ Metro Club, Vilnius LT

http://www.re-armed.net
http://www.facebook.com/rearmed
http://twitter.com/ReArmedOfficial
http://www.youtube.com/user/ReArmedOfficial

The Dutch symphonic metal stars EPICA are ready to release the second studio trailer for their upcoming masterpiece The Holographic Principle. In this new clip, the band shows its work and experimentation with many new instruments and how it affected the depth and diversity of their new sound: https://youtu.be/HzqHyRu1oSc

"Recording this album felt like being a kid in a candystore", states Keyboarder Coen Janssen. "Never before have we used more live-instruments. Recording them ourselves and hearing the music come 'alive' like that is an indescribable feeling! I'm sure these efforts make this album our best yet!"

In case you missed the first trailer, where EPICA spoke about their songwriting process and revealed their first song snippets, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/LSlEVPjG7rg

EPICA's new masterpiece The Holographic Principle will be released via Nuclear Blast on September 30th, but you can already see the track-list here:

Don't miss EPICA on tour!

06.08.  LT       Zarasai City - Roko Naktys

The band's own EPIC METAL FEST:

01.10.  NL        Tilburg - Epic Metal Fest Netherlands
15.10.  BR       Sao Paulo - Epic Metal Fest Brazil

EPICA + POWERWOLF

12.01.  D         Wiesbaden - Schlachthof
13.01.  D         Cologne - Palladium
14.01.  D         Ludwigsburg - MHP Arena
16.01.  CH       Geneve - Salle Des Fetes De Thonex
17.01.  CH       Zurich - Volkshaus
18.01.  IT         Milan - Live Club
20.01.  D         Munich - Tonhalle
21.01.  A          Vienna - Gasometer
24.01.  PL        Warsaw - Progresja
25.01.  D         Berlin - Huxley's
27.01.  D         Oberhausen - Turbinenhalle
28.01.  CZ        Prague - Forum Karlin
01.02.  BE        Brussels- Ancienne Belgique
03.02.  UK       London - o2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
04.02.  F          Paris - Le Zénith

More dates coming soon...!

Get your tickets here: www.epica.nl/tour

EPICA VIP upgrades are available here: www.epica.soundrink.com


www.epica.nl
www.facebook.com/epica
www.nuclearblast.de/epica

Season Of Mist are proud to announce the signing of Kontinuum. The Icelandic-wave influenced ambient rockers will release their next full-length on this label.
 
Regarding their signing, Kontinuum confessed that they: "are very pleased to announce our signing with Season of Mist. To us it is important to work with people that we connect with. People that relate to our creative output and vision. This is why we look forward to our future cooperation with Season of Mist."

Kontinuum were conceived with the aim to create hypnotic and spiritual musical noise in Reykjavik, Iceland in the year 2010.
 
After sending demo tracks of their debut album 'Earth Blood Magic' to a few labels, a first deal was quickly struck. Kontinuum wasted no time and entered Sigur Rós' Sundlaugin Studio in the Icelandic town Mosfellsbær in order to begin record their first full length, which was released in 2012.

'Earth Blood Magic' received rave reviews across the board and was voted rock album of the year in Morgunblaðið, Iceland. 

The band played numerous shows in 2013 and established a reputation as a powerful live band. 

Kontinuum started working on their sophomore album in 2014. A first single titled "I Huldusal" was released the same year and received substantial radio play in Iceland, while even topping the charts of the island's largest alternative rock radio station.

'Kyrr' hit the stores in April 2015 alongside the brand new single "Breathe". Following the release of their second album, Kontinuum embarked on two tours in Germany and performed at several festivals including the prestigious Roadburn Festival (Netherlands), Eurosonic Festival (Netherlands), Icelandic Airwaves and Eistnaflug Festival at home, and Lithuania's Devilstone Festival.

www.facebook.com/KontinuumICE
www.instagram.com/KontinuumCult
www.twitter.com/Kontinuum_ICE

Berserker is a melodic metal band from Vilnius, Lithuania. Their new album “Dark Worlds Collide” was recorded, mastered and mixed in 2015 by Rimtautas Piskarskas from “Muzikos Laboratorija”, a Vilnius-based recording studio.

The bands' songs reflect inner and outer battles. Inner fights are personal emotions, mixed feelings, etc. Outer fights are social injustice, industrialization, destruction of the wild nature, etc. The album features 7 songs and 2 interludes.

Current line-up:

Agnieška Volček [Vocals]
Kristina Semionova [keyboard]
Kšištof Jusel [Guitar/Growl]
Mažvydas Vrubliauskas [Guitar]
Georgijus Kirilovas [Drums]
Roman Semionov [Bass]

https://itunes.apple.com/it/album/dark-worlds-collide/id1125030208
http://www.berserker.lt

Long awaited album "Dark Worlds Collide" will be released on June 30th via Sliptrick records!

Berserker is a melodic metal band from Vilnius, founded on the 7th of March, 2009. The name of the band is bound to the Viking era; Berserk (berserker) – is known from historic tales as a fearless Scandinavian warrior.  Bands songs also reflect inner and outer battles. Inner fights are personal emotions,  mixed feelings. Outer fights are social injustice, industrialization, destruction of the wild nature.

Berserker vision – music, which combines epic melodies, apocalyptic lyrics, strong and expressive vocals to bring every listener to his own unearthly, magical, fantastic reality

Berserker often plays various gigs in Lithuanian and foreign clubs, festivals, charitable events. Countries visited so far: Latvia, Estonia, Belarus and Poland.

In the 2014 the band participated in a project “Muzyczne Rodowody”, with a result of a CD with mix of local music, which included Berserkers "W jedności nasza siła”.

Album “Dark Worlds Collide” was recorded, mastered and mixed in 2015 by Rimtautas Piskarskas from “Muzikos Laboratorija”, Vilnius based recording studio. Album features 7 songs and 2 interludes.

https://www.facebook.com/BerserkerOfficial
https://www.youtube.com/user/BerserkerOfficial
https://twitter.com/berserkerlt
http://www.berserker.lt/
https://www.reverbnation.com/berserkerofficial