Norway’s TROLLFEST has today released a video teaser for the band’s upcoming fifth full-length album.  With artwork by the Swedish  cartoonist Jonas Darnell, who originally created the iconic metal duck from TROLLFEST’s “Villanden” album, and design by Terje Johnsen,  the 13-track “Brumlebassen” is set for release on NoiseArt Records in August of this year in both limited edition digipack format and gatefold vinyl.  The video can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-EXKg6KDjM or below.

With a line up that includes current and former musicians from bands as varied as URGEHAL, PANTHEON I, UNTIME, MELCH, HALLUCINATIONS, POWERSWORD and SARKOM, TROLLFEST’s members bring with them not only a wealth of experience and the skill to make use of instruments like the accordion, the banjo and the saxophone, but also a sense of diversity that allows the band to create a sound that is distinctly its own.  Whilst “True Norwegian Balkan Metal” goes some way towards describing the TROLLFEST sound – hinting as it does at the extreme end of metal, with a good pinch of local traditional folk – it doesn’t really go the whole way towards capturing the sense of fun and sheer exuberance with which the band tackles everything it does, whether it involves playing in the studio or performing live, where the fan’s circle pits have become legendary.

Having just completed an extensive European tour, TROLLFEST is set to play a series of festivals over the summer including ExtremeFest in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and Fosch Fest in Italy in July, and MetalCamp in Slovenia in August.  In the Autumn the band will set out on the Heidenfest tour along with WINTERSUN and KORPIKLAANI.  More information about TROLLFEST can be found on the band’s website at http://www.trollfest.com

Below you can see the official video teaser for the upcoming TROLLFEST album “Brumlebassen”

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Web Site: http://www.trollfest.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/trollfestofficial
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/trollfest
WebShop: http://trollfest.bigcartel.com/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/trollfest
ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/trollfest

Time to unveil the new promo photos and you must be wondering why there are two of us missing.  Well, we’ve had to bid a fond farewell to two of our members whose personal and work commitments meant that they could no longer dedicate the amount of time needed for a band that’s as active as TrollfesT.  So please join us in wishing PsychoTroll and St Beinhard lots of luck for the future.  We have lots of musicians waiting to fill in on stage for us, some of whom you know and love, some of whom you don’t know yet, but you’re bound to love them once you do.

And don’t worry everyone, as you can see from the photo we’ve been celebrating the next phase in TrollfesT’s career.  All of us are having the time of our lives not only because we get to play the music we want.  Not only because we get to work with the fantastic people at our label NoiseArt,  our Booking Agency Rock the Nation and our Manager Patricia Thomas.  Not only because we get to travel round and share the stage with some fantastic bands.  But also because we get to meet all of you (well some of you anyway), and you are the best fans that any band could have.

So put our party photo up on your screens, blow up a few balloons, put on your party hats and pretend you’re sitting round the table with us making a mess of your beards with the cream cakes and getting happily drunk on the beer (naked hairy legs optional).

Skäll everyone to a bigger, brighter, and better future with Trollfest.

Love, kisses, hugs and other manly things from

Trollmannen
Mr. Seidel
Manskow
Drekka Dag
Trollbank

And remember, as Drekka Dag is saying below “TrollfesT wants YOU” – or Trollmannen will break your window.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Web Site: http://www.trollfest.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/trollfestofficial
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/trollfest
WebShop: http://trollfest.bigcartel.com/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/trollfest
ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/trollfest

Norwegian Black Metallers RAGNAROK have inked a deal with Agonia Records and are set to enter the Endarker Studios on the 24th June to record what will be their seventh full-length album.  At the production helm will be studio owner and MARDUK bassist Devo.  The as yet untitled album is due for release later this year.

Commenting on the decision to sign with Agonia, founder and drummer Jontho had this to say:  ”Everyone in Ragnarok is delighted to be signing with Agonia Records. It’s been a long haul to find the right label, with a lot of offers to sift through, but what impressed us about Agonia was the immediate reply to any of our questions together with a willingness to work with the band as a team, and, most importantly, they recognise the wisdom of allowing Ragnarok the freedom to be themselves”.

More information about Ragnarok can be found on the band’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ragnarokofficial or on the website at http://www.ragnarokhorde.com

The following video is a fan-made tribute to RAGNAROK, in which they perform the title track from the 2010 album “Collectors of the King”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ragnarokofficial
Website: http://www.ragnarokhorde.com
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/ragnarokofficial
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/ragnarok
ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/ragnarokhorde
Management: http://patriciathomasmanagement.com/
Management Contact: patriciathomas@btinternet.com
Label: http://www.agoniarecords.com

You may have seen the teaser photos we’ve been running recently on our Facebook page, so here is the story behind them and your chance to win a TROLLFEST prize.

With the summer coming up, lots of you will be going on holiday, or attending festivals or doing whatever it is you do in summer, so we thought you might like to have even more fun by striking a Black Metal pose in front of a landmark, or not so much of a landmark even, and link the photo on the TROLLFEST Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/trollfestofficial , which we will then upload onto the Strike A Pose album and people can vote for their favourite photo by liking it.  The photos with the most likes will win a TROLLFEST prize, so get all your friends to like your photo or make them suffer horrible consequences if they don’t.

If you’re not sure what a Black Metal pose is Trollbank and Mr Seidel have put aside the massive fees they can command by modelling for glossy magazines (that would be fashion magazines, not porn magazines dear readers) and struck some poses for us so you get the idea.  A couple of photos you can see on this page, the rest on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150900722078560.441917.32576468559&type=1

The closing date for photos will be 31 August, and then we will have another couple of weeks before announcing the winner to allow later photos to catch up.  If you’re not going on holiday, don’t worry, just pose wherever you are.  ONE PHOTO PER PERSON ONLY PLEASE.

What will be the prize you are asking yourselves?  Well, we aren’t going to tell you just yet, but it will be something TROLLFEST and therefore it’s bound to be awesome.

So let’s have some fun, get striking and good luck everyone.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Web Site: http://www.trollfest.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/trollfest
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/trollfestofficial
ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/trollfest
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/trollfest
WebShop: http://trollfest.bigcartel.com/

Norwegian Dark Metallers AETERNUS are set to enter Bergen’s Conclave and Earshot Studios in June together with producer Bjornar E. Nilsen (VULTURE INDUSTRIES, BLACK HOLE GENERATOR) to begin recording the band’s seventh full length album.  The album, to be titled “And the Seventh His Soul Detesteth”, will be released on Dark Essence Records later this year.

Formed in 1993 in Bergen, and with six full length albums under their belts, AETERNUS is one of the pioneers of what the band calls “Dark Metal”, meshing the sounds of Black Metal and Death Metal with superlative guitar playing and occasional haunting, melodic interludes.  Of the original line up, only founder, guitarist and frontman Ares remains, but he has put together a new and formidable line up, bringing onboard drummer Phobos (GRAVDAL, GALAR,  MALSAIN) and guitarist Specter (GRAVDAL, live session guitarist GALAR & VULTURE INDUSTRIES).  Session live bass is handled by Skyggen (TORTORUM, live session guitarist GORGOROTH).  The  new lineup will hit the stage at the Hub and Heuy Metalfest at De Azijnfabriek in Roermond, Netherlands on the 19th May, with an exclusive set showcasing tracks from AETERNUS’ first two albums “Beyond the Wandering Moon”  and  “And So the Night Became”.

Commenting on the re-emergence of the band, seven years after the release of their last album “Hexaeon”, Ares said “Time seems to just pass by without you realising.  Although AETERNUS hasn’t seemed to be very active recently, I have been writing and working on new material, and we have chosen ten tracks for the new album which we have been rehearsing ready for when we enter the studio.  I’m not going to say much about them except that Phobos and Specter have brought their own approach to things without losing any of the heaviness, power and intensity that people have come to expect from AETERNUS.  It’s a whole new era for the band, and we can’t wait to get going”.  More information about AETERNUS can be found on the band’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Aeternusofficial

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/Aeternusofficial
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/AeternusNorway
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/aeternusnorway
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/aeternusnor
Dark Essence Records: http://www.darkessencerecords.no/
Band Contact and Booking: areslives@hotmail.com
Press & PR: patriciathomas@btinternet.com or post@karismarecords.no

 

 

Niklas Kvarforth’s SHINING has debuted a track from the recently announced EP “Lots of Girls Gonna Get Hurt” which contains cover songs from KATATONIA, KENT, IMPERIET and POETS OF THE FALL.  The debut song from the four-track EP is KATATONIA’s “For My Demons” from the album “Tonight’s Decision”.  The track can be heard above or on the band’s SoundCloud page at http://soundcloud.com/shining-official/for-my-demons-katatonia-cover

According to a recent statement by SHINING founder and frontman Niklas Kvarforth “Lots of Girls Gonna Get Hurt”, which is due for release on Spinefarm Records on the 16th May, is definitely not a change of direction for the band. It was recorded at the same time as the band’s as yet untitled eighth album, and represents some of the artists and music that SHINING’s members like and listen to.  The fact that some SHINING followers will be ill at ease with the material is, according to the band, irrelevant.

In other news, SHINING has also recently opened its own Web Shop because of the difficulty fans were having getting hold of Official band merchandise.  Apart from regular items, the shop, called Shining Legions, will stock exclusive merchandise which will not be available anywhere else.  Shining Legions can be found on the band’s new website at http://www.shininglegions.com

More information about SHINING can be found on the band’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/shiningofficial

The official video for the track “Förtvivlan Min Arvedel” from the SHINING album “VII / Född Förlorare” can be seen below:

 

SHINING INFORMATION
Shining on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shiningofficial
Shining Webshop: http://www.shininglegions.com/products
Shining Website: http://www.shininglegions.com
Shining on SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/shining-official
Shining on MySpace: www.myspace.com/shininghalmstad
Official  YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/OfficialShining
Shining on ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/shining
Management: nelli.ahvenlahti@gmail.com
PR: patriciathomas@btinternet.com

Thrashers DEAD TROOPER have announced that BLODSPOR’s Andreas Stenvoll will be taking over the role of bassist which was recently vacated by Tor R. Staveness whose work with other bands such as 1349 no longer leaves him sufficient time to dedicate to the rapidly growing  DEAD TROOPER.  Stenvoll, an old friend of the band and a former member of TROLL, has already started rehearsing and confirms that his work with BLODSPOR will not be affected.

As well as the new bassist, DEAD TROOPER are also looking to recruit a guitarist to replace long-time member Birger Larsen, and are currently preparing to audition.  The band has, in fact, released a short video to give would-be applicants a taste of what to expect from its members.  Commented founder and frontman Meister Muller:  “We made a video because we thought it was important to give applicants an idea of what kind of personalities we have.  We like to enjoy what we’re doing, so if you have a tendency to be po-faced it’s definitely not the band for you.  However, I will stress that we have big plans for DEAD TROOPER, and we are deadly serious about our music, so, aside from great skills, we are also looking for someone who is prepared to commit not just their time, but also their soul, to the band. Auditions will take place in Norway and if chosen you must be available to rehearse on a regular basis in the Oslo area”.   Anyone interested in applying can contact DEAD TROOPER either though their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/deadtrooper or via email to deadtrooper@live.com

DEAD TROOPER, who describe their music as “groovy, aggressive thrash metal”, recently released the “live” album “No Tan En Vivo En Mexico”, which was inspired the band’s appearance at Mexico’s Wild Metal Fest last year and which was rained off after only one and a half songs into the set.  The album is actually a live studio recording of the set the band intended to play at the festival, and was digitally released in March of this year as a thank you to all the Mexican fans they met in a biker bar when the festival was called off, and for whom they played an impromptu set.  Negotiations are currently under way to release a vinyl version of “No Tan En Vivo En Mexico”, and DEAD TROOPER are currently looking for a label to release the band’s next full-length album. More information about DEAD TROOOPER can be found at http://www.deadtrooper.com/

The video below shows DEAD TROOPER playing the track “Reaping of Your Cries” at the recent Inferno Festival Kick Off.  It can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bn0ph2tqMg  or embedded using the following code

The video below shows DEAD TROOPER playing the track “Reaping of Your Cries” at the recent Inferno Festival Kick Off.

 

The “recruiting” video for the new guitarist can be seen below

 

Additional Information
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/deadtrooper
Website: http://www.deadtrooper.com/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/deadtroopermetal
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/DeadTrooperOfNorway
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/deadtrooper
Band Contact & Booking: band@deadtrooper.com
Management & Booking: patriciathomas@btinternet.com