 [Photo Credit: Krisztina Mate] Ever since bursting onto the scene in 2000, Budapest’s Bornholm has been an unstoppable force in the black and pagan metal scene. Touring with household names like Ex Deo, Varg, Arkona and many more, the Hungarian four-piece powerhouse has made a name for themselves with spectacular live shows and four tremendous studio albums. Now, Bornholm are ready to take their career to another level with leading Austrian metal label Napalm Records as a strong partner by their side! Listen to Bornholm’s Primaeval Pantheons in full HERE Bornholm singer and guitarist Sahsnot about signing to Napalm Records: “The time has come to bring you some great news. We spent the last two years working harder than ever. In the meantime, the world changed completely, but it had no influence on us at all. We began to work on our next record - we have the toughest, longest and most unforgettable work period behind us. As a result, we have signed with Napalm Records, currently one of the best and strongest record labels. It means huge progress for us and we hope the new record will live up to its hopes. We are really grateful for them as they put their trust in the record and the band. A new era begins in our lives and I think we’ve found our place.” New music from Bornholm’s upcoming fifth studio album via Napalm Records will be announced soon! Bornholm are:
Bornholm online:
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 Swedish black metal powerhouse Burning Darkness has joined the Dutch extreme metal label Non Serviam Records and will release their sophomore full-length album, “Dödens Makt” in July. The band states: “We are very happy to announce that we've signed to Non Serviam Records who will be releasing our new album Dödens Makt. The collaboration of NSR and Burning Darkness have the makings of becoming a mutually advantageous one. The label has proved to have an eye for digging up great upcoming bands and putting them in their spotlight. We have been making our relentless Swedish black metal for a long time and we think our new album is our absolutely strongest work yet. It is with great confidence we release it via NSR. Our old supporters are sure to be pleased and we're certain we'll gain many new fans with this new release. NSR's prior work with other bands tells us the album will get the exposure it deserves. Furthermore, the integrity of picking bands for their roster should ensure metal fans of the quality of our music”. Ricardo Gelok, Non Serviam Records owner, adds: “I have known Burning Darkness for years. The drummer and me were talking a while ago, and he told me that the band was recording a new album. So I asked him to send me a promo when all was recorded. After receiving the new songs the label offered the band a deal. It’s a real pleasure to work with a band like Burning Darkness, they are eager to get their fans hear this new opus”. Founded in late 1999, Burning Darkness released several demos and played in their country, becoming a tenacious live act. They recorded the debut album “The Angel of Light” in 2014, which was released 3 years later, getting amazing reviews worldwide. Recently they finished their sophomore album “Dödens Makt” (The Power of Death) which will be released in July via Non Serviam Records. More details will follow soon. Burning Darkness are:
Burning Darkness online:
Belarusian black metallers Khandra release new track of upcoming album 'All Occupied by Sole Death'22/4/2021  Belarusian black metal band Khandra have released the second brand-new track of their upcoming album 'All Occupied by Sole Death'. The new record will be out on Season of Mist Underground Activists on May 28, 2021. Listen to the band's title-track 'All Occupied by Sole Death' via the official Season of Mist YouTube channel HERE. 'All Occupied by Sole Death' is available for pre-orders at the Season of Mist shop HERE.
Khandra have furthermore unveiled the cover artwork and tracklist for 'All Occupied by Sole Death'. The artwork was made by Chris Kiesling (Misantropic Art). Shrouded in a veil of mystery and death, Belarussian black metal act Khandra are soon to release their new offering ‘All occupied by sole Death’ upon mankind. Characterized by aggressiveness, dissonance and by creating a strong sense of atmosphere, the band’s third assault seamlessly fits in with the wave of black metal fronted by MGŁA and Blaze Of Perdition. Khandra’s first revelations were perpetrated in October 2017 under the banner ‘All is of no avail’ which subsequently merged with its successor ‘There’s no division outside existence’ in October 2018. These seeds sprouted even more fatal progression of metastases which transformed into ‘All occupied by sole Death’. Khandra [xɐnˈdra] is a term to describe deathly ennui over the nothing. With that in mind, one can expect ‘All occupied by sole Death’ to be a dark and cold work of art. The musical vessel here is a result of expression that has no bonds with any personal emotion of social nature. Line-up:
Links:  Belarusian black metal band Khandra have released the first track from their new album 'All Occupied By Sole Death'. The new record will be out on Season of Mist Underground Activists on May 28, 2021. Listen to the band's first single "Irrigating Lethal Acres with Blood" at the Season of Mist YouTube Channel HERE. 'All Occupied by Sole Death' is available for pre-orders at the Season of Mist shop HERE. Khandra have furthermore unveiled the cover artwork and tracklist for 'All Occupied by Sole Death'. The artwork was made by Chris Kiesling (Misantropic Art). The album was recorded at Cavum Atrum Studio, produced by sound engineer Dmitry Romanovsky and mixed / mastered at and by Studio Forz, Dmitry Haladko.
Shrouded in a veil of mystery and death, Belarusian black metal act Khandra are soon to release their new offering ‘All occupied by sole Death’ upon mankind. Characterized by aggressiveness, dissonance and by creating a strong sense of atmosphere, the band’s third assault seamlessly fits in with the wave of black metal fronted by MGŁA and Blazee Of Perdition. Khandra’s first revelations were perpetrated in October 2017 under the banner ‘All is of no avail’ which subsequently merged with its successor ‘There’s no division outside existence’ in October 2018. These seeds sprouted even more fatal progression of metastases which transformed into ‘All occupied by sole Death’. Khandra [xɐnˈdra] is a term to describe deathly ennui over the nothing. With that in mind, one can expect ‘All occupied by sole Death’ to be a dark and cold work of art. The musical vessel here is a result of expression that has no bonds with any personal emotion of social nature. Line-up:
Links:  Greek metal masters Nightfall are now streaming their brand new opus 'At Night We Prey' in full in advance of the release date. The new offering is set for release on March 05, 2021. The album can now be streamed via the official Season of Mist YouTube channel HERE. The link may be freely spread throughout your channels. The album can be ordered in various formats HERE. Vocalist Efthimis comments on the stream: "This album is made of anger and hope. Anger about all those stereotypes built around serious subjects affecting all, like depression; and hope for things to change for the better. We sing for younger generations to break down old misconceptions about mental disorders. Music in this album is not following a linear pattern, but rather tries to catch the entire spectrum of mood swings one is experiencing, while in this state. It is a blend of fast and slow parts, heavy and heavier passages, in a natural progress from start to end. Enjoy it and let its message root in you."
It has been seven long years since the world was last blessed with new music from the melodic blackened death metal stalwarts of Nightfall. While the band has been absent from the scene since the release of 2013’s Cassiopeia, their legacy has not been forgotten. Comprising the holy trinity of Greek metal – along with Rotting Christ and Septicflesh – Nightfall was the first extreme act in the country to sign an international deal, introducing the world to the burgeoning Mediterranean scene in the early 90s. Now, the band is plotting a triumphant return with At Night We Prey, the darkest and latest chapter of Nightfall’s already storied career. During the first decade of Nightfall’s lifespan, the band headlined stages across Europe. Thereafter, went on to dominate international festivals such as Brutal Assault, Sonisphere, and Wacken, the latter of which the band solidified their legacy as the first ever Greek band to earn an envied spot at the renowned festival. The band eventually made the decision to switch to a studio act before they went completely silent. When reflecting upon the sudden disappearance after a steady rise from the underground, vocalist and founding member Efthimis Karadimas explained that it was due to an all too familiar beast – depression:- “It's because of depression that kicked in as early as mid-00s. I can write for hours and get into details about stuff gone wrong or mistreated situations, but the basis of all discouragement to move on has been depression and the effort required to get over it.” Despite the dark days, Karadimas did not abandon music entirely, moving on to form The Slayerking, a gothic doom metal band that has released two agonizing full-length records between 2016-2019. Alas, the abrupt departure of the band was not the final “goodbye” as Nightfall has been reinvigorated with a new line-up and coveted deal with Season of Mist. Karadimas has reunited with original Nightfall guitarist Mike Galiatsos, who helped define the band’s sound during the early years. With the addition of drummer and producer Fotis Benardo (ex-Septicflesh) as well as guitarist Kostas Kyriakopoulos (The Slayerking), the band is finally ready to release the tenth studio album At Night We Prey. In addition to the long-awaited new music, Season of Mist will also be re-issuing the band’s original albums that were produced by Holy Records back in the 90s. This is not the only news the band has to share as Nightfall has also vowed to finally perform again. “We are gonna play these live, including stuff never played live before,” says Karadimas. Adding: "‘At Night We Prey' is a very dark and personal effort, tackling the topic of Karadimas’s battle with depression. “A beast I have experienced its teeth deep into my soul, I decided to come out and share that experience with metalheads. This is the least I can offer now to the big fight against depression. If we do not stop this, it will eat us all alive. Share your pain, speak openly about it. This is the only way to kill the demons in your mind.” Line-up Efthimis Karadimas : Bass, vocals Mike Galiatsos : Guitar Kostas Kyriakopoulos : Guitar Fotis Benardo : Drum https://www.instagram.com/nightfallband https://www.facebook.com/nightfallbandofficial  Indian metal artist Demonstealer collaborates with jazz / fusion drummer Gino Banks and bass prodigy Mohini Dey for new single 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' After dropping a well received EP 'And This Too Shall Pass' in December 2020 Indian metal veteran, Demonstealer is back with a new single. The song titled 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' which means 'And thus always to tyrants' sees an unusual collaboration with jazz / fusion drummer Gino Banks and bass prodigy Mohini Dey. The track itself is an old school death metal song and both guest musicians given it a unique twist bringing in their own flair and style. The artwork for the song has been done by well known artist and drummer of Indian metal band Gutslit, Aaron Pinto aka The Art of Kidsquidy. While ex-Demonic Resurrection guitar player Daniel Kenneth Rego has mixed and mastered the song. An official play-through style video has been released for the song as well here: https://youtu.be/49nsECqqbOQ Demonstealer comments: 'I've known Gino for years through my old day job as artist relations manager for Furtados Music and I've always wanted to jam or work with him so when he posted a tweet saying he was accepting songs to drum to I knew I had to send him something, I asked if he was up to play on a metal song and he said yes. He really smashed it on the track and I knew I wanted Mohini to play on it because they do a lot of gigs together but I didn't know how to ask her, thankfully Gino played her the song and she agreed to play on it. I couldn't be happier with the end result it's been a blast working with these stellar musicians'. The song is out now on all digital platforms and can be purchased and streamed at:- https://demonstealer.bandcamp.com/track/sic-semper-tyrannis  Polish pagan alchemists Varmia – who pay tribute to their Baltic roots by combining black metal with traditional instruments such as the goat horn and the tagelharpa – will release their third album (and M-Theory Audio debut), “Bal Lada,” on March 12th. The artwork, which was designed by percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Piotr, can be viewed below. The album can be pre-ordered on CD and limited-edition 2LP coloured vinyl at www.smarturl.com/varmia. Band founder Lasota speaks of the new release: “The album title 'Bal Lada' is a wordplay. It's most obvious in Polish, but should translate well in other languages as well. It means both 'ballad' and 'Lada's ball'. The term 'ballad' could refer to a literary form, but is also understood as a sad song. 'Lada' or 'Lado' is an ancient deity associated with both Baltic and Slavic cult heritage. She and/or he was most likely responsible for harmony, fertility and well-being. The title represents our take on the medieval dance of death concept and its depiction in the danse macabre allegory - the 'bal' of life forces, circle of cycles, primal lusts, desires and thus deprivations and metamorphoses of flesh and spirit. This is a ritual dance in the oldest forest on one hand, but it's also a whole universe's life and death cycle on the other. The lyrics are mainly in Polish, but with some elements of ancient Prussian language. The cover art and graphic design is made by our band member Piotr, who plays all the ethnic instruments on the album. Follow the Moon and walk into the silent woods of Warmia.” Varmia recorded their previous albums – 2017's “Z Mar Twych” and 2018's “W Ciele Nie” – in culturally significant remote locations throughout their native Poland. “Bal Lada” continues that practice, as the 10 tracks of ominous and atmospheric pagan black metal contained within were tracked in a makeshift studio set up by the band in an old 19th-century manor in Northern Poland, where they performed while playing together as a live unit with no sound editing. A video documenting the album's recording can be seen at this location: https://youtu.be/o9DnynINIo8.  Varmia recently unveiled a taste of the sounds to be found on “Bal Lada” with the premiere of the music video for the first single from the record, “Bielmo”. The visually stunning tribute to the band's home region can be viewed at https://youtu.be/ujzPY7NmeXQ. Additional previews of “Bal Lada” will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Varmia was formed in 2016 by vocalist / guitarist / composer Lasota with a mission of fusing black metal with musical influences that pay tribute to the ancient Baltic tribes of the historical Warmia region of northern Poland. Vocally, harsh growls shroud the band's music and native Polish lyrics in a visceral aura, the only breaks occurring when using the traditional, ancient technique of “whitevoice” clean singing as utilized during ancient East-Central European rituals, rites of passage and festivals. Meanwhile, the power of the band's metal influences are enhanced on “Bal Lada” by traditional ethnic instrumentation of the Baltic Rites via sounds of tagelharpa, goat horn, wood tuba and krivula. The result is a compelling mix of dark metallic sounds that channel the spirit of early Enslaved, Satyricon and Wolves in the Throne Room and folk elements that drive acts such as Wardruna. Varmia is: Lasota - guitars, vocals Alle - bass, backing vocals Svarrge - drums Piotr - percussion, tagelharpa, goat horn, wood tuba, krivula, backing vocals www.facebook.com/varmiaband https://varmiaband.bandcamp.com Cuban black metallers Mephisto sign with Wormholedeath Records & unveil 'Pentafixion' artwork11/1/2021  Cuban black metal pioneers, Mephisto, are about to release their newest album Pentafixion via Wormholedeath Records. Mephisto have been active since 1997 and left their mark on the Cuban metal scene with their unique sound and style. The band will unleash their first single soon. Mephisto states about signing with Wormholedeath Records:- "On behalf of all members of Mephisto we wish to announce that we have been offered a contract with the long established and well respected Italian label WormHoleDeath Records.It is our pleasure to announce that after some discussion, Mephisto have accepted the offer and now enthusiastically join the label. We can’t wait to start working with the team at WormHoleDeath after following their label and their artists for many years. To now be considered part of this family is a long awaited dream come true. We are excited to be bringing our style of Cuban Black Metal to the world thanks to the relationships WormHoleDeath has with its partners including Warner / Chappell Music Holland BV and The Orchard Inc. (Sony Music Ent). We look forward to our first release with Worm Hole Death which is our full length album “Pentafixion”, an album that we have been working on for the best part of 2 years. Who knows, maybe the back catalogue will be released sometime on WHD too! We’d like to officially thank Carlo from WHD for being so passionate about securing us to the label. The work and dedication shown by him is incredible! From finding us in Subtle Death Magazine, to reaching out to its editor (Omar Vega) to contact us, to the late night calls to our management (in Australia), all the way through to walking us through the deal. We couldn’t be happier knowing that our music and our career are in great hands with WHD. So what can you expect from us now? Well just because you can see the mountain doesn’t mean the climb has finished. Now the hard work begins to reward our fans for their patience waiting on our new album and to show WHD that the new kids on the block came to kick heads and take names." Look out world…. Mephisto, the pioneers of Black Metal in Cuba have just been unleashed on the world and it’s all thanks to WormHoleDeath Records!
Mephisto are:
The band Mephisto was founded in September 1997 in the city of Holguín, Cuba. Mephisto was the first Cuban metal group to combine a multitude of organic and orchestral sounds to emerge as the pioneers of the Black Metal genre in Cuba. Building on their unique sound, the band continued to push contemporary boundaries by appearing on stage in full make-up and costumes, another pioneering first, which caused a great movement within the national scene. With momentum building, 2018/2019 saw Mephisto welcome international representation with a view of developing a larger global following. Immediately Mephisto rebranded their image, logo and on stage style whilst simultaneously moving towards a more digital platform to facilitate the advancements in technology being felt throughout the music industry. With a grittier live performance harkening back to a more traditional hard edged Mephisto appearance, old fans and new ones alike, resonate with the Pioneers of Cuban Black Metal. Accepting invitations to appear at "The Beast in the Undercity”, Pinar del Rio, Bayamo Musicfest and Romerias de Mayo festivals, Mephisto quickly expanded these shows to encompass the entire nation; kicking off their “Haciendo Metal Cuba” tour in mid March 2019. Completing the run of dates in early May 2019, Mephisto once again returned to the studio to continue the development of their highly anticipated 2020 album “Pentafixion”. The band’s first single from this album titled “Pentafixion” was completed with filming for the complementing video clip also undertaken. The video was shot on location in Havana by renowned Producer and Film Maker Victor Vinuesa (Vitiko) and demonstrates perfectly Mephisto’s professionalism, dedication and passion to their craft. Following up on this single, Mephisto under took it’s first tour of Nicaragua in late 2019 selling out venues and building a new fan base in the heart of Managua. A national tour of Cuba is now slated for mid 2021 before returning to Nicaragua for a run of dates later in 2021.  Exactly two years after the release of their debut full-length album, Cern Sol, Romanian Black Metal band Genune announce the follow-up material, a second full-length album titled Inert & Unerring scheduled to be released in the Spring of 2021 in collaboration with Loud Rage Music. Here's what the band had to say about the new album: "Inert & Unerring contains tracks that are compositionally more akin to one another, but it otherwise follows the same stylistic choices seen in our previous album. Without going into detail, its theme revolves around identity and the past, exploring the notion of heritage through different lenses. Inert & Unerring is not a concept album, as the lyrics don’t have any plot or characters to follow along, they’re instead composed of images and perceptions put into words, to allow for personal interpretation. The title is taken from a novel written by Arthur Koestler, that is relevant to the subject matter of this album." More details on Inert & Unerring are soon to be revealed. In the meantime Cern Sol is still available for streaming and download directly from the band: https://genune.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/genunebm https://linktr.ee/loudragemusic  Belgian black metal horde Serpents Oath are releasing a haunting new video for the track 'Leviathan Speaks', taken of their recently announced debut album 'Nihil', which will be released on December 4th through Soulseller Records (GORGOROTH, ANCIENT,..). Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/rNk_fzDiyvg The band comments on the song: "Leviathan Speaks refers to the path of enlightenment where you strive to be touch with your innermost Self, the ritual process that is called awakening the Dragon. The song describes the moment from the Dragon's (Leviathan) point of view, when it speaks in order to allow the Dragon to move through you and in that moment become a living God."
Vocalist Tes Re Oth adds that:- "In the video - designed by Aimed & Framed - this is represented in the 4 elements: water (represented by blood), air (represented by smoke), earth and fire coming together. The fire element is used a lot more as it signifies lighting the internal fire. The skull in the video is a symbol of Death, however not Death as the destroyer of life but as the carrier of transformation." The opus was mixed & mastered at the renowned Stage One Studio with Andy Classen (Belphegor, Legion Of The Damned). The amazing artwork came courtesy of Néstor Avalos, known for his work for bands like Dark Funeral & Bloodbath. Serpents Oath is: Daenum - Guitar Tes Re Oth – Vocals Draghul - Drums |
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