Swedish Metal band VANHELGA and , Osmose Productions reveals the cover and track listing for Vanhelga's highly anticipated fifth album, Fredagsmys.
Set for international release on June 29th on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
True to their own words, their fifth full-length - and first for Osmose - is the continuing exploration of the darker sides of reality and another experiment in how to find its purest expression: using sarcasm combined with overall schizophrenic mood changes between pitch-black hopelessness and cheerful euphoria, but still keeping a level of seriousness Vanhelga has come to be a force to be reckoned with.
First track sample to be revealed shortly.
- Tracklist -
1. Sömnparalys 2. Psykotisk självinsikt 3. Varde mörker 4. Ensam mot alla 5. Förpassad till misär 6. Två blir ett 7. Keep the window closed 8. RIP (Relationship in pieces) 9. Feels like breathing in sulfur 10. You are temporary 11. Fredagsmys
Swedish black metallers Avslut finally brought us their debut album Deceptis, and what an album this is! It's hard to pin point exactly what makes Avslut unique and what makes them part of a larger plan, but one thing is certain, they sure do not tend to disappoint.
Deceptis is filled with everything a solid black metal record should have these days, from mid tempo groovy tunes to extraordinary captivating melodies and more blistering fast furious tracks. The album has a very sharp tone that reminds me of the early days of Gorgoroth, but it dosen’t quite stop there as the music tends to be more well balanced on this time around. Following from their debut mini EP Vanskapt that came out in 2016 Avslut has leaped a long way from it but also making it clear what you could expect from their new opus. Without basing too much on older material or backstory Avslut is an interesting newcommer to the black metal scene that was formed in the suburbs of Stockholm in 2016 by Christian and Oscar who shared the same vision to create proper black metal.
What makes Avslut unique is that they sing in their native tounge Swedish and while some may argue that black metal lyrics may sometimes be tricky to understand, Avslut makes a change with Christians quite clear singing voice and prononciation. With chilling riffs and crushing musical production Avslut can best be described as a lethal weapon to excecute humanity.
With beautiful tremolo solos and strong melodic lines Avslut manages to convince nearly anyone and they surely know what it means stand for blood, fire and death. With a playing time nearly 44 minutes the album is a real welcome to the more die hard fans of black metal as well as the newer fans of the genre. Deceptis is one of the most solid black metal records you'll have a chance to hear in today's flooded scene, and I strongly encourage you all to pick up a copy and support the madness. I'm also sure that we can expect even more greatness from them in the future.
Having just celebrated their 25th Anniversary with a show in their home town of Bergen, Norwegian Black Metallers TAAKE will make a welcome return to Japan where they are set to play four dates in July. Supporting TAAKE on the tour will be BLOODSHOT DAWN from the UK, and REMISSION and SEPTIK PIGGERY from Australia. Routing is as follows:
26 July: Soma, Osaka,
27 July: Imaike 3 Star, Nagoya
28 July: Cyclone, Tokyo,
29 July: Cyclone, Tokyo
TAAKE's "Norwegian style and sound, comes down to the perfection by TAAKE's iconic frontman and founder Hoest, whom has been keeping the spirit of Norwegian Black Metal alive for a quarter of a century, both in the studio and on the stage, whilst never allowing the icy, dangerous edge, much beloved by Black Metal fans, to stagnate.
Hoest's delivers a powerful presence on stage which easly dominates any stage on which he sets foot on,
combined with solid live lineup of experienced and skilled musicians, and an extensive back catalogue to draw from, does indeed always help.
Taake is a band you must witness live to properely understand the value.
TAAKE's seventh full-length album "Kong Vinter" was released on Dark Essence Records at the end of 2017 and is now available, along with the band's other releases, and exclusive merchandise, from the following, as well as from all the usual retailers:
Bandcamp: https://taake.bandcamp.com/
EU Webshop: www.darkessencerecords.no/webshop/
US Webshop https://darkessence.aisamerch.com/
Svartekunst Produksjoner: http://svartekunst.bigcartel.com
More information about TAAKE can be found on the band’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/taakeofficial or on their website at http://taake.svartekunst.no/
The official video for the track “Nordbundet” from the TAAKE album “Noregs Vaapen” can be seen at http://youtu.be/OAIIbnrYC7Q
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Taake Website: http://taake.svartekunst.no/
Taake on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taakeofficial
Taake Bandcamp: https://taake.bandcamp.com
Taake WebShop: http://svartekunst.bigcartel.com/
Svartekunst Produksjoner: http://svartekunst.no
Taake Management & Booking: Propulsion Music http://www.propulsionmusic.no/
email: bjornar@propulsionmusic.no
Dark Essence contact: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence Records Bandcamp: http://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DarkEssenceRecords/videos
Dark Essence Records Webshop: https://www.darkessencerecords.no/shop/
Dark Essence Webshop North America: https://darkessence.aisamerch.com
Dark Essence Records KlickTrack: shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Finland's symphonic metal band NIGHTWISH have released their brand new best-of compilation “Decades” on March 9th through Nuclear Blast to celebrate more than two decades of their career. It’s only right, then, that this milestone should be celebrated with an extensive world tour! Currently touring North America, the band are pleased to announce their special guests for the upcoming European shows this November and December will be up and coming heavy metallers BEAST IN BLACK, led by former BATTLE BEAST guitarist Anton Kabanen. Full tour dates are below.
“There’s absolutely no better way to wrap up the year than this massive tour with NIGHTWISH,” says Anton. “Moreover, this is beyond words and our wildest dreams. We promise to give you our very best and to make these shows unforgettable!”
If you want to know what to expect from them, check out their latest videos:
‘Blind And Frozen’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N4tXf3Ensw
‘Beast In Black’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdlAZj5iDc8
‘Born Again’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZcWVsDSqpE
‘Zodd The Immortal’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXkszF8Kq0Q
“Decades: Europe 2018”
w/ BEAST IN BLACK
02.11. S Gothenburg – Partille Arena
05.11. D Berlin – Max-Schmeling-Halle
06.11. D Hamburg – Barclaycard Arena
07.11. B Antwerp – Lotto Arena
09.11. D Oberhausen – König-Pilsener-Arena
10.11. F Paris – AccorHotels Arena
11.11. CH Geneva – Arena
13.11. SK Bratislava – Incheba Expo Arena
14.11. D Munich – Olympiahalle
16.11. D Leipzig – Arena
17.11. PL Krakow – Tauron Arena
20.11. H Budapest – Arena
22.11. CH Zurich – Hallenstadion
23.11. D Nuremberg – Arena
24.11. D Stuttgart – Schleyer-Halle
27.11. D Saarbrücken – Saarlandhalle
04.12. I Milan – Medionalum Forum
05.12. D Frankfurt – Festhalle
Band: Hinayana
Album title: Order Divine
Release date: 19 March 2018
Label: Self-Released
Tracklist:
01. Gateway
02. The Window
03. Arise
04. Order Divine
05. Revelation
06. Return To Nothing
07. Conduit Closing
Texas is known for a lot of things but doom/death metal or anything melodic are not one of those things for the matter. When I think of Texas I think of brutal death metal bands like Devourment, Viral Load,... or about some desert rock, stoner and sludge/doom stuff. Even more exciting is the fact that this band, Hinayana, seem to be quite fresh on the scene, until now they released only one demo, Endless, in 2014, and four years later they return with their debut full-lenth release.
Hinayana was originally created as a one man project by vocalist/guitarist Casey Hurd, but later lead its path to full flagship of talented musicians, and now we get Order Divine which is everything you want it to be, it's quite fast, dynamic, melodic, heavy, powerfull, and just enough gloomy at times and absolutely beautiful, with its own unique sound. While slightly borrowing some elements from Swedish melodic death metal acts such as Arch Enemy or Hypocrisy to name a few, they manage with ease to capture all the greatness of each band that influenced them into their own blend of doom/death, although because of quite fast paced rhythms one may say it's perhaps closer to melodic death metal.
Hinayana made an album that is surely bound to spin for ages in your player if you are a fan of darker, very melodic, a bit faster and groovy versions of doom metal. Order Divine is characterized by deep growling vocals, captivating melodic guitar lines, thick powerful rhythmic line, several mood changes and some amazing gloomy synths, all of this is perfectly reflecting in the amazing "Return To Nothing". This four-piece band really created an amazing record that in my opinion is destined to stand the test of time, it's an album which also shines because of good production.
Containing only seven tracks it’s a pure goldmine for those who seek that extra thing to spice up their day or week for the matter, although one might be thinking that the album needs a few spins it doesn't get any better than this, you can start at any track and you are bound to be subjected to their amazing mesmerizing crushing brutal but highly addictive melodic doom/death metal. I'm also pretty confident that this record will please just about any fan of doom and death metal as well.
The Finnish/Greek melodic/atmospheric doom/death metal band Aeonian Sorrow was formed by the female singer/songwriter Gogo Melone in September 2015 and is about to release their debut album. Gogo is accompanied by some renowned musicians like are drummer Saku Moilanen (Red Moon Architect), vocalist Alejandro Lotero (Exgenesis), guitarist Taneli Jämsä (Ghost Voyage, Hukutus) and bassist Pyry Hanski (Mörbid Vomit, Before The Dawn,...). Soon after the creation the band started its journey into the world of sorrow in order to start writing materials for their first album.
Band: Aeonian Sorrow
Album title: Into The Eternity A Moment We Are
Release date: 11 April 2018
Label: Self-Released
Tracklist:
01. Forever Misery
02. Shadows Mourn
03. Under The Light
04. Memory Of Love
05. Thanatos Kyrie
06. Insendia
07. The Wind Of Silence
08. Ave End
Into The Eternity A Moment We Are brings us eight beautiful melancholic tunes and if you are familiar with bands like Swallow The sun or Red Moon Architect then you know what you are in for. Aeonian Sorrow shares all the typical trademark styles of Finnish doom metal but also has the ability to stand on its own. This is indeed not just another doom record but a very great step towards bigger things. Melodic and fragrant are perhaps two words that best describe this album, going from raging mid tempos to utter slow down tempo.
One thing that I find interesting is that every Finnish doom band seems to go for the same patterns on each record, the same regards to the vocals, nothing wrong with that, but it does sometimes feel like you are hearing the same band over and over again. The production is what you expect from a Finnish band, that warm fuzzy guitar tone that seems to haunt every doom metal band from Finland. Although it's not too much of a coincidence since they worked with the same producer that worked already with bands like Wolfheart, Red Moon Architect, etc. I always thought there are some things in common with Wolfheart already when I first heard this album.
To sum up the album, it’s a beautiful melodic doom/death record with that Finnish melancholy inherited in there. It was composed and produced by musicans who surely know their craft, there's no doubt about that. Into The Eternity A Moment We Are is and will be a gem, I can easily say that it's one of the best doom metal albums released so far in 2018. I was quite surprised about it, despite sometimes feeling a bit repetitive, the listeners will get what they wants and if you’re like me a total doom lover despite origin, this album will become a must have in your doom collection. Be sure to keep an eye on this release!
Swedish Heavy Metal giants SABATON- who are well known for writing music based on wars, historical events and heroism. Their songs usually have a grand appeal that draws influences from classic Heavy Metal of the 80’s with a subject that strongly defines their music alone. We are interacting with Pär Sundström; the band’s bassist and the only other original member alongside Joakim Brodén. Excerpts:
MJM. Hello and first of all thank you for taking the time to chat with us. How are you doing today?
Pär: I am fantastic, we have had a few weeks of non touring which we have used wisely to work on future music. At the moment, we don’t have so much more to reveal but at least the songwriting started!
“We are more away from our families than most people”
MJM. Your last album ‘The Last Stand’ came out 2016; how has the response been?
Pär: Fantastic, we are absolutely excited about how fans enjoyed our latest album. To be able to play more than half of the album every night and see that the fans love it is great. It means that we do not rely on songs we wrote in the past but still have the ability to write new songs that is great.
MJM. Being almost constantly on the road, touring; how do you balance time with your personal life?
Pär: We live very closely with the band and it’s a part of everything we do. We ensure that all members have a good life and we make the best of the free time we have. We are more away from our families than most people but still there are a lot who have it more harder than us.
MJM. Sabaton has quite a spread discography having put out as much as 10 full lengths so far with ‘The Last Stand’, how do you go about when it comes to choosing songs for a tour or live set list?
Pär: Its getting harder and harder to select songs for live sets. But we are happy as long as we can focus on a lot of songs from the latest release. We cannot play 4 hour sets every night so it is always a compromise which older songs fit in. We try to rotate and always get in some older and unexpected songs to vary also!
“The 2012 big lineup change was a result of no chance the previous 13 years of the band where we held together”
MJM. Sabaton is known for covering world war topics of various kinds; is there any war or happening in the world you haven’t yet covered?
Pär: There are many current wars that we are not covering for the reason that we like to stay away from current warfare. We tell about historical events and not about what is happening today. There is a chance we will in the future sing about conflicts that are happening today. But first they must be solved in one way or another, become history and then we can tell that story!
MJM. Being one of the leading and heavily touring bands in Europe; the life style must be quite hard with being on the road and stressful times as well; could that also be a reason perhaps for the line-up changes for Sabaton over the years?
Pär: The 2012 big lineup change was a result of no chance the previous 13 years of the band where we held together, but people grow and change priorities of their lives.
It is hard for people to imagine this life before they try it and it is definitively not for everyone. For me personally it is great since I am a very simple person without too tight connection to any place or anyone in the world.
SABATON – Sparta (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)
MJM. Sabaton has been around for a long time what are your best moments in your career with Sabaton?
Pär: There are lots of fantastic times. And we have done great shows in our lives. But to see a number one chart position in our home country is something that is hard to deny as a fantastic feeling. When it comes to shows, I’m not so interested in numbers, I remember many sweaty tight club shows as well as the arena shows. But one thing that was a big highlight for me personally was after the big lineup change in 2012 when we did our first show and saw that it actually works great now!
MJM. How would you compare Carolus Rex with your last two albums- Heros And The Last stand; musically and lyrically?
Pär: Carolus Rex of course has a completely different lyrical theme, being a concept album about Swedish history. I would also say that it is one of the albums that I have something I would like to change afterwards. I think it is too much of everything. We overuse the might of choirs and mighty orchestral arrangements in every song. The album gives not much room to breathe. On the same time I hold the Swedish version of the album as the highest.
The other two albums you mentioned are both written where we started to include new members in songwriting and I think that was a big leap musically.
MJM. How does the writing process for each album start? Do all guys get together and share your ideas or is it mainly Jaoakim and Per who is known as being the main composer for Sabaton or does anyone in the band incorporate their ideas too?
Pär: An album starts with me and Joakim who sits and discusses the possible themes. Joakim is the main songwriter who would later go ahead and create the majority of the songs by himself or with other people. And finally me and Joakim would be writing the lyrics when we are close to recording times.
MJM. Which of the recent tracks would you say is your personal favourite?
Pär: Shiroyama, and Winged Hussars for sure!
MJM. Aside from playing at various European festivals you also have a festival in your own home town ‘Falun’ called ‘Sabaton Open Air’ how did that idea come to life?
Pär: I wanted to make something more than just a show. Its my way of doing things that I always wanna push everything to the max. So the festival started with a one day event with mainly local bands and evolved into what is now a 4 day open air event with 2 stages.
MJM. What sparked your interest to write about War?
Pär: We always were interested in war, history. And when we were looking for a theme for our music this seemed very close at heart. I personally think it fits great with the music and the lyrical theme.
MJM. Which era of the wars would you say is the most interesting? What provokes that idea in you?
Pär: World War two is my favorite since it involved so many different kind of warfare. Water, air and land plus it was a time of very quick inventions and since it was fought on several continents and with lots of countries there are many stories. But also it is the first really good documented war. Films, photos and stories are quite accurate compared to previous war stories.
MJM. Out of all stories you’ve read and researched, what was the hardest war to research about? Or rather found great fascination with?
Pär: Sometimes the themes only are a few local rumors in a part of the world and we have to do a lot of research and try to dig out what actually happened. It happens if we find a interesting idea without any information about it. Today, its much easier than when we started to write songs about war in 2004. Internet made it easier to seek the info and to connect with the necessary people!
MJM. Out of all festivals that you played how would you compare the European festivals vs the Swedish festivals as well as audiences?
Pär: I think the major festivals are many times similar no matter which country they are in. Only our own festival is something different since it gathers the most dedicated fans from all around the world.
MJM. It was great talking to you. Thank you for your time! All the best!
