Chilean metal elite Slaughtbbath stream the entirety of their long-awaited second album, Alchemical Warfare, at heavily trafficked web-portal NoCleanSinging.com. Set for international release on September 6th via Hells Headbangers, hear Slaughtbbath's Alchemical Warfare in its entirety exclusively HERE. For a decade and a half now, Slaughtbbath have prolifically pursued a fierce 'n' fiery vision of total black/death METAL. With a rich yet uniformly exemplary discography, this power-trio have laid waste to the underground across a myriad demos, splits, EPs, and 2013's now-classic debut album, Hail to Fire. Allied with Hells Headbangers since 2016, a split 7" with Grave Desecrator followed that summer, with September 2017 seeing the release of the Contempt, War and Damnation compilation, which precluded the band's first-ever North American tour alongside fellow Chilean labelmates Communion. Slaughtbbath have kept quiet since then, studiously brewing the firestorm that is Alchemical Warfare. A consolidation of the band's beyond-considerable strengths as well as an extension of them, Alchemical Warfare was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Pablo Clares at DM6 studio in Santiago, Chile during 2017/2018. Here, Slaughtbbath are at the peak of their powers, pulsing with both bestiality and burliness alike, and yet exhibiting a nuanced songwriting nous that is second to none. Their sulphurous maelstrom is a veritable meat-grinder of South American darkness lo these past four decades, both reverent of the past whilst forging an even-darker future, and Alchemical Warfare finds the band hitting a fever pitch, its nine-song/36-minute runtime both succinct and satisfying. Each track invokes utter possession - a hypnotic diabolism, perhaps, in spite of the often-frantic tempos - but Slaughtbbath possess the prolific experience to convey that diabolism in a dynamic manner. If anything, Alchemical Warfare is the band's best-produced record to date, and a survey of its song titles suitably convey the occultic austerity within: the title track, naturally, as well as the closing trifecta of "Amulets of Carnage," "Celestial Overthrow," and "Ascension to the Dragon's Throne," as well as the ever-epic "Rejoined Into Chaos." However, especially at this point in time and the career high-point that is Alchemical Warfare, it is important to underline the unique differences in Slaughtbbath makeup. For one, the band hail from San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, a small countryside town with no scene at all, whereas most Chilean bands hail from the bigger cities; in fact, early on, Slaughtbbath were branded "rural black metal" when they played live. Secondly and relatedly, they've not once ever strived to "sound South American," much less do there exist any other Chilean bands doing a similar thing musically or lyrically. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, Slaughtbbath have maintained a solid line-up and kept up constant activity - both on record and on the live front - all these years while most bands disappear, fade, change members, come back, or form new bands with the same line-up to fit into the new trend. The Slaughtbbath name is thus iron-fisted, inexorable, and immaculate With more eyes than ever on the Chilean black/death scene, it's high time that the leaders separate themselves from the followers. Slaughtbbath firmly and furiously take the torch and lead the way forward with Alchemical Warfare. Get fully burned exclusively HERE, courtesy of NoCleanSinging.com. Pre-order info can be found at Hells Headbangers' Bandcamp HERE. www.facebook.com/slaughtbbath www.hellsheadbangers.com www.facebook.com/hellsheadbangers
0 Comments
Australian black metal band Hope Drone are streaming the entirety of their new album Void Lustre via Decibel. The album is set out now. Take a listen here: https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2019/08/29/full-album-stream-hope-drone-void-lustre/ Not from dark Norway, as you might expect from this kind of music, but from sunny Australia, the quartet Hope Drone will release their third album Void Lustre on August 30th 2019. In 2012 the band gave their first sign of life with the digital single "From Mimas To Phoebe". The following year, the self-titled debut was released on OSCL (Australia) and Moment Of Collapse. In their Australian homeland, the band played from now on as a solid support for Deathwish or Relapse bands. Consequently, their second album "Cloak Of Ash" (2015) was also released on Relapse. With this album, the band finally managed to establish themselves at the top of the league of modern post-black metal bands. For their third album "Void Lustre", the quartet took a little more time. The five songs consistently continue the band‘s path. Nothing is rushed here. Slowly and deliberately, atmosphere and tension build up and then end in a blast-beat thunderstorm. The sound is not strictly bound to (black metal) conventions and oscillates between ambient, post-rock, drone and post-hardcore and sludge elements. "Void Lustre“ is not a blind rage, but a thoroughly breathtaking and intense album. If you are looking for a related band, you will find them at Deafheaven and Wolves In The Throne Room, but Altar Of Plagues and Downfall Of Gaia are also mentioned here. Hope Drone is: Chris Rowden (Guitar, Vocals) Karl Hartwig (Guitar, Noise) Aaron Pickersgill (Bass) Francis Keil (Drums) https://www.instagram.com/hopedroneband Greek Black Metallers Synteleia stream Hells Headbangers debut at "Decibel" magazine's website28/8/2019 Greek black metal classicists Synteleia stream the entirety of their striking debut album, Ending of the Unknown Path, at Decibel magazine's website. Set for international release on August 30th via Hells Headbangers, hear Synteleia's Ending of the Unknown Path in its entirety exclusively HERE. Although a relatively new band, Synteleia breathe the breath of the ancients and maintain an authentically classic Hellenic black metal style. Naturally, the influence of the Greek "Big Three" (Rotting Christ, Varathron, Necromantia) looms large, but also within the Synteleia sound can one detect traces of early Septic Flesh, Thou Art Lord, and Nightfall. Above all, despite being grounded in the early '90s, Synteleia exhibit a vital fire and freshness of approach which makes Ending of the Unknown Path truly timeless. Synteleia was founded in 2015 by guitarist Drakon Hesperion and vocalist Nyctelios. Being devoted followers of the Greek black metal scene for more than 20 years, they started composing original stuff, heavily influenced by the pioneers of the scene - Rotting Christ, Varathron, Horrified, Necromantia, Thou Art Lord, and more. With the addition of Septis (bass/keys) and the assistance of Amdusias and Oort (also members of the Greek death metal band Plague), in June 2016, Synteleia entered the studio to record their first demo, Astral Blasphemies. In January 2017, the band made its debut appearance at the Extreme Assault II Festival at Modu club, Athens. In the summer of 2017, followed by a change in line-up, Cronios joined the band as the lead guitarist, and with the assistance of Nick "Yngve" on drums, the band started rehearsing for the Under the Pagan Moon Fest, taking place at Gagarin club, Athens, on November 4th, 2017, together with Kawir and Horn. The recordings for the debut album, Ending of the Unknown Path, started in December 2017 and went until late summer 2018. During the recordings, Synteleia appeared at the Horns Up III Festival at Trikala and Black Death Holocaust Night at Remedy club, Athens. The band’s latest live performance has been at the Lords of the Void Festival at Temple club, Athens, on October 26th, 2018, with Varathron and Disharmony. A statement from the band reads: "Synteleia are proud to announce Hells Headbangers Records to be our rightful partner, regarding the release of our debut album. We feel obligated to stay true to our ideals and beliefs, and cooperating with a genuine underground label that fully understands and supports our old-school Hellenic black metal aesthetics, taste, and philosophy feels the best way to repay all those who have entrusted us with their support and confidence. We are honoured to be a member of HHR's unholy legions." Indeed, old-school Hellenic black metal aesthetics are alive and well with Synteleia as they take you to the Ending of the Unknown Path! The full path is laid before you exclusively HERE, courtesy of Decibel, North America's only monthly metal magazine. Pre-order info can be found HERE at Hells Headbangers' Bandcamp. www.facebook.com/synteleia www.hellsheadbangers.com www.facebook.com/hellsheadbangers Finnish speed metal cult Excuse stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut album, Prophets From the Occultic Cosmos, at heavily trafficked web-portal CVLTNation.com. Set for international release on August 2nd via Shadow Kingdom Records, hear Excuse's Prophets From the Occultic Cosmos in its entirety exclusively HERE. One of Finland's hottest newcomers, Excuse began to make a name for themselves with their EP Goddess Injustice. Released to critical acclaim in 2016 by Shadow Kingdom, Goddess Injustice largely introduced the fierce foursome to the international metal underground - with a nuclear-powered bang! A finely honed missile of speed metal majesty, Excuse's sound on that EP in many ways recalled the classic Canadian gods Sacrifice and Razor, but there were hints of greater glories to come. And at last, they've arrived with the presciently titled Prophets From the Occultic Cosmos. Whereas Goddess Injustice suggested some darkly melodic leanings, Excuse's first full-length expands that arsenal considerably. Here, the six songs comprising Prophets From the Occultic Cosmos stretch out to epic lengths - one even hitting double digits, the climactic 10-minute closer "Watchtower of the Trans-Dimensional Pathway" - and take the listener on a wild, winding ride. The evil 'n' sleazy surge on which Excuse made their name still exists, but has now been tuned into a wholly more dynamic beast, able to reflect haunting moodiness and spacey horror alike. Suitably, co-guitarist Oskar Lindström's vocals have a conspicuous amount of echo placed upon them, suggesting the inter-dimensional struggles of a narrator literally lost in space. Likewise, fellow guitarist Anselmi Ahopalo's leads take centre stage here and weave an almost storytelling aspect, much in the way that classic heavy metal songwriting should, evoking both triumph and tragedy but remaining equally hummable throughout. Completing the totality is album's production, which locates the perfect balance between grit and gleam. So many young bands blow their proverbial wad during the demo/EP days and peter out by the time their debut album comes. Not so for Excuse, who have been able to transform their earlier youthful energy into enviably advanced maturity with Prophets From the Occultic Cosmos. Behold these Prophets' coming! The full herald of that coming can be heard exclusively HERE, courtesy of CVLTNation.com. Preorder info can be found HERE at Shadow Kingdom's Bandcamp. www.facebook.com/excuseofficial www.shadowkingdomrecords.com www.facebook.com/shadowkingdomrecords Brazilian Extreme Metal veterans Holocausto stream new album via "Legacy" magazine's website23/7/2019 War metal pioneers Holocausto stream the entirety of their highly anticipated sixth album, Diário de Guerra, at Legacy magazine's website. Set for international release on July 31st via Nuclear War Now! Productions, hear Holocausto's Diário de Guerra in its entirety exclusively HERE. Holocausto were among the very first extreme metal bands to form in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, a city now recognized for spawning one of the most crucial regional styles of extreme metal. Along with Sepultura, Sarcófago, Mutilator, and a handful of other bands, Holocausto played a particularly sinister-sounding strain of deathrash (or deathcore, as they used to call it in 1987), which, owing to the evil edge it exhibited, is now regarded as an early expression of the then-emerging black metal movement. Holocausto was arguably the most primal of the group, with reckless riffs balanced on the brink of abandon, held together by sheer feral intensity. Holocausto stood out from their peers due to the band’s fascination with themes related to the atrocities of war and a sound perfectly suited to the subject matter. After releasing their classic debut full-length, Campo de Extermínio, Holocausto’s sound changed drastically. Led by Rodrigo Führer, and no longer playing the same frenzied and primitive style, Holocausto shifted toward a conventional thrash metal sound for its sophomore album before veering into more polished, technical, and even industrial-influenced metal in the early 1990s. Holocausto’s output since that time has been sporadic, but through the years, Campo de Extermínio has retained its power, assuming a rightful place in the canon of Brazilian extreme metal. In 2016, the original Warfare Noise line-up of the band reunited to resurrect its old sound for the unanticipated and superb War Metal Massacre album. Last year’s Guerra Total demo, featuring the same line-up as Campo de Extermínio, was nothing short of astonishing. Holocausto proved that it is possible for a band to reclaim the youthful intensity of its earlier recordings after straying far from the original sound, a feat that almost no band has successfully accomplished. With Diário de Guerra, Holocausto has arguably produced the finest Brazilian deathcore / black metal album in about 30 years. It is a vengeful and violent exploration of human horror. The raw, razor-wire sound of Valério Exterminator’s guitar is wound around the pummelling fury of the bass and drums, delivered by Anderson Guerrilheiro (Insulter) and Armando Nuclear Soldier (Insulter, Mutilator, and Sarcófago). The album is relentless, each riff a savage outburst, each song an unyielding attack. Directing the assault are the vocals of Rodrigo Führer, whose snarling, dictatorial growls accentuate the band’s misanthropic tendencies. In keeping with the classic Holocausto sound, the songs here are unrestrained, and, at times, appear to be capable of flying off the rails, but the band always manages to harness the chaos and cacophony in a way that is quintessentially Brazilian. For any fans of the early Brazilian pioneers, Diário de Guerra will sound almost like an unearthed lost recording from that era featuring all the hallmarks that defined the genre. Hear all of it for yourself exclusively HERE, courtesy of Legacy, Germany's premier extreme metal authority. www.facebook.com/Holocaustowarmetaloficial-286356221705593 www.nwnprod.com www.facebook.com/pages/Nuclear-War-Now-Productions/114864651994141 Black metal band Gates to the Morning are now streaming the entirety of their debut album Return To Earth via Metal Injection. The album will be released this Friday. The band commented:- "After a long wait we are very proud to finally release our debut full-length Return To Earth. It is a 14 track concept album that lyrically and conceptually deals with the challenges and triumphs, pitfalls and mountaintops of a journey of enlightenment. I am proud of all the musicians who played on this record and of all the different sounds and moods we were able to capture, it is an exciting beginning to the band looking ahead to a very creatively active future." Listen to the album in full here: https://metalinjection.net/av/new-music/gates-to-the-mornings-new-album-return-to-earth-is-a-jazzy-metal-masterpiece Gates To The Morning are a New Jersey post black metal band driven by the singular vision of Sean Meyers. Having started as a bedroom black metal project whilst still attending Montclair State University for Jazz Performance, Meyers started to collect material in 2016 for what would become the bands debut, Return To Earth. Pulling from a myriad set of influences, ranging from Opeth to Art Blakey by way of Tool, Gates To The Morning have rapidly refined a sound that is wholly their own and speaks to a dark unreality. Full of bombastic imagery and transcendent choruses, Gates To The Morning is finally taking form. With his jazz background balanced with a long history in the infamous New Jersey DIY scene, Meyers hoped to create something powerful and thoughtful with Return To Earth. Fully invested in his work, he found himself recording drums at Backroom Studios with Kevin Antreassian of The Dillinger Escape Plan and then collaborating with friends to finish the studio process both at Backroom Studios and in various home setups. It was during this process that he chose to embrace the ethereal vocals of Meg Moyer for the project in addition to his own, further growing the bands sonic palette. The end result, and consequent live band, features performances from a variety of players, ranging from childhood friends to fellow jazz musicians. Return To Earth is a concept album with lyrics orbiting around the twin concepts of challenge and triumphs, the pitfalls and mountaintops found on a journey of awakening and enlightenment. This opening ululation is powerful and deeply emotional, hinting at much more to come from these Garden State musicians. After years of deliberation and struggle their unique sound has finally come together. Gates To The Morning are plotting their first live shows around the release of Return To Earth and are steeling themselves for the stage. Tracklisting: 01 King Obscure 02 Terra Incognita 03 Surveying Forgotten Landscapes 04 My Star 05 Crossing The Abyss 06 Freezing the Sundials 07 Chapel Perilous 08 Crestfallen 09 Haunting The Third Chamber 10 Chasing Shadows 11 Two Winters 12 Steadfast 13 Rekindled 14 Return to Earth https://gatestothemorning.bandcamp.com/releases https://www.facebook.com/gatestothemorning/ French melodic metallers Ezox stream brand new album 'One Last Breath'; out now on digital and CD16/7/2019 As announced a few weeks ago and after already unveiling the official music video of the single "For Today" and then releasing their new album 'One Last Breath' for CD & Digital, French melodic metallers EZOX just streamed the full-record over YouTube. In addition to the album full-stream, the official 4K music video for the single "For Today" is still up on YouTube too while physical and digital versions of the album are both available on bandcamp. Stream the whole record on YouTube | Buy your copy on Bandcamp ...For the record...
Founded in 2013 in South-East of France, EZOX is a melodic metal four-piece which spend its first year as a band to write some songs and find its own musical path. EZOX's first effort official 'Crawl To Paradise' compiling the works written between 2014 and 2018 is a bewitching journey through violence and melodies of an announced disaster that sounds like crushing waves... A few months only after the release of the EP, Ezox entered the studio to record a new album released worldwide on May/June 2019. For fans of In Flames, Dissection, Parkway Drive, Trivium, Thy Art Is Murder... Chilean Trad Metallers Hemisferio stream Dying Victims debut at "Decibel" magazine's website7/7/2019 Chilean traditional metallers Hemisferio stream the entirety of their highly anticipated debut album, Anacronía, at Decibel magazine's website. Set for international release on July 8th via Dying Victims Productions. Hear Hemisferio's Anacronía in its entirety exclusively HERE. Hailing from the cult metal hotbed of Chile, Hemisferio have been prodigiously perfecting their iron-clad craft since 2015. A couple singles kicked off their heavy metal march, soon followed by a split tape with Chilean comrades Asedio in 2016. With momentum building, those early singles found their way onto 7" vinyl format, that same year, and then capped off by rough 'n' rowdy live album. Afterwards, vocalist Pedro Antonio departed and was replaced by Carlos Contador. With that line-up firmly in place, Hemisferio make their grand entrance onto the worldwide stage with Anacronía. Suitably, this debut album encapsulates all the magic, mystery, and might of their aesthetic thus far, except rendered in rich, era-authentic analogue. Indeed, Hemisferio create a truly ancient sound that encompasses many early '80s metals: the NWOBHM taking creative flight, the first rustic rumblings of the contemporaneous US power metal scene, Teutonic metal burning brightly in the night before revving into thrash overdrive, and even Scandinavia's oft-overlooked contribution to the heavy metal lexicon during this era. However, even in their native tongue, Hemisferio's passion pours forth across each of these nine anthems in the making, with moody-yet-majestic solos flying fast and free, underpinned by a subtle yet no less dynamic rhythm section. And as prefaced by the preceding single from last year, Carlos Contador proves to be a commanding frontman, his tone and delivery bleeding the hard-fought/wrought pathos intrinsic to early, working-class metal. Gaze into the crystal ball, raise thy sword, and rev that motorcycle, for Hemisferio have arrived with Anacronía! Hear the full sound of that arrival exclusively HERE, courtesy of Decibel, North America's only monthly metal magazine. www.facebook.com/hemisferiochile www.dying-victims.de www.facebook.com/dyingvictimsproductions Russian Pagan Metallers Intothecrypt stream Ordo MCM debut via "Legacy" magazine's website21/6/2019 Russian pagan metallers Intothecrypt stream the entirety of their striking debut album, Vakor, at Legacy magazine's website. Set for international release on June 21st via Ordo MCM, hear Intothecrypt's Vakor in its entirety exclusively HERE. Although an otherwise-new name, having been formed in 2016 as a studio project, Intothecrypt feature members of Russian cult band Scald: guitarist Ivan "Harald" Sergeev, bassist/vocalist Ilia "Velingor" Timashev, and drummer Aleksand “Ottar” Kudryashov, all of whom also played in Russian folk metal band Tumulus. The main goal of Intothecrypt is to create dark, extreme music which includes elements of Scald, Bathory, old-school doom/death, black metal, and Northern folk music. So, one could understand Intothecrypt as an extension of where Scald could've gone but also a separate entity unto itself. Uniquely, Intothecrypt's lyrics are based on a peculiar combination of Slavic and Finno-Ugric mythologies which emerged in the North and North East regions of Ancient Rus when Slavs settled there and made contact with Finno-Ugrians and their culture. The songs are written from the viewpoint of a shaman who lived at a crossroads of cultures and combined both Slavic and Finno-Ugric believes and magical practices. Some of Intothecrypt's lyrics are in English; the rest of them are based on Ancient Russian grammar, with the use of Ancient Russian, Finno-Ugric and Russian dialectal vocabulary. A significant contribution to the music of Intothecrypt was made by Gervald (project KI.EN.GI) and other guest musicians. In 2017, Intothecrypt created a four-song demo. A year later, the band finished their debut album, Vakor. Epic and expansive, Vakor creates a colourful canvas during its hour-long duration, with its kaleidoscopic landscape taking in pagan metal, folk, prog, traditional black/death, and of course that magical touch of Scald and their pagan-era forebears Bathory. Each of the album's ten main songs weaves a fantastical spell that immediately penetrates the soul and stirs the imagination. At once, Intothecrypt is emblematic of Russia's reigning pagan metal paradigm and defiant of it, creating a tapestry of glory entirely their own. Apart from the main members of Intothecrypt – Harald, Velingor, and Ottar – the following musicians took part in recording this album: Gervald on sound effects, percussion, and backing vocals and Marina Sokolova of Sedmaya Voda on vocals, altogether making for a truly unique and collaborative experience. Completed by Andrey Andreev’s cover artwork, Intothecrypt's Vakor is a timeless tale of past, present, and perhaps future! Fully ponder the future exclusively HERE, courtesy of Legacy, Germany's extreme metal authority. INTOTHECRYPT main line-up Ivan "Harald" Sergeev – guitars Ilia "Velingor" Timashev – vocals, bass Aleksandr "Ottar" Kudryashov – drums and percussion Guest musicians Gervald (KI.EN.GI project) – backsound, keyboards, back vocal Marina Sokolova (SEDMAYA VODA) – vocals Maria Chirkova (ROS’ band) – vocals Kuchma (TUMULUS band) – vocals Kurbat (TUMULUS band) – vocals www.ordomcm.com www.facebook.com/OrdoMCM Malta's death metallers Beheaded posted an advance stream of their new album "Only Death Can Save You", which came out yesterday on Friday, June 14th via Agonia Records. Listen to the record at this link: https://youtu.be/PW0G6qqZ4kc Forged from the darkest depths, "Only Death Can Save You" breathes violence and marches fearlessly down its death metal path. Summoning the visceral classic and the caustic edge of later death metal, the new punishing album spreads its aural horror with razor sharp precision. To explain the title & concept of the new album, the band commented:- "With 'Only Death Can Save You' our intent was to artistically delve into the deepest, darkest corners of the human psyche and follow a creative path into the obscure frame of mind a person has when facing death, which, is the ultimate most terrifying experience and yet the only ‘salvation’ from life. This is a concept reflected in the lyrics and also captured in the album’s artwork". On song writing & recordings, they added:- "Having had a stable line up since the release of our last offering 'Beast Incarnate', also meant that we could work more as a unit this time around with all members giving a much stronger contribution to the song writing. This also includes our drummer Davide Billia who’s responsible for the recording process of the album and this was a key factor in nailing the sound, timbre and tone we wanted to give to this album". "Only Death Can Save You" was recorded and mixed at Mk2 Recording Studio, run by the band's drummer, Davide Billa. The album was mastered at Hertz Studio in Poland. Cover artwork was painted by Daniel Corcuero (Nekronikon). Beheaded rolled into life in 1991 with Malta as a backdrop to its caustic roots of death metal. Drawing inspiration from death metal hailing from Europe and the US at that time, and diving head on in the tape trading, zine and snail mail networks, Beheaded furnaced its demo "Souldead" in 1995. With its strong statement and character, both European and worldwide record deals preceded the final cementation of the band as a placeholder in the extreme music scene. With six official releases under its belt, respect was gained through the energetic live set tying its relentlessness to its pure death metal inner sanctum. Several tours and festivals in Europe, US and Asia have channelled this thick skinned aural punishment to crowds all over, bringing more and more devoted followers. Years ahead have taken the tinge of freshened vigour and Beheaded is ready to deliver death metal of the highest calibre. Their last album, "Beast Incarnate", was released in 2017. Formats: - Jewelcase CD, - Black LP, - Neon Violet LP, - T-shirt, - Digital. Line-up: Frank Calleja - voice David Cachia - bass Grech Omar - guitars Simone Brigo - guitars Davide Billia - drums Pre-orders:- http://agoniarecords.com/beheaded Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeheadedMT Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeheadedMT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beheaded_since_1991/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BeheadedOfficial Website: http://agoniarecords.com Webshop: http://tinyurl.com/agoniashop Facebook: https://facebook.com/agoniarecords Twitter: https://twitter.com/agoniarecords SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/agoniarecords Bandcamp: https://agoniarecords.bandcamp.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/agoniarecordsofficial YouTube: http://youtube.com/AgoniaRec |
If you enjoy reading this content, please consider a donation Donate© 2011-2023
Global Metal Apocalypse Archives
December 2022
Categories
All
|