PATRICIA THOMAS BAND MANAGEMENT

KARISMA RECORDS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM AND SINGLE FROM PSYCHEDELIC PROG FOLK ROCKERS TUSMØRKE

Posted: June 1, 2023 in KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Atmospheric Prog Rock, Folk, Folk Prog, Folk Prog Rock, Karisma Records, Norway, Prog, Tusmørke

TUSMØRKE ‘s last three concept-based releases delighted the legion of young music fans at which they were aimed (as well as a sizeable portion of grownups too). But now, the prolific Norwegian Psychedelic Prog Folk Rockers are back again, ready to unleash their anarchic brand of music on their adult fans with an eleventh full-length album titled “Hestehoven” that is definitely not for the faint hearted.

With “Hestehoven” TUSMØRKE have created a strange Fairyland where Satyrs and Nymphs indulge in brazen Bacchanals, and the unwary stranger is sucked into chance encounters with mildew-encrusted adult magazines that can be found carefully stashed away in the shrubs, and which are nothing short of erotic mysteries reminiscent of ancient fertility cults.

It is a world from which there is no turning back once you step on that wretched path that is fraught with danger and temptation. Warlocks cackle and witches blush, and a wise priest, who can see beyond the Lord’s Prayer, binds Old Eric to his bidding.

Due out on the 18th of August, fans have been given a first glimpse into the “Mysteries” of the album with the release of the track “The Cycle of the Gylfaginning”, about which the band says:

As it begins, so it will end; from destruction new creations arise. In the turning wheel of the seasons, all things take their turn again and again, take after take after take. There is no final take. After Ragnarok, life rolls on. Like the cycle of vegetation, Osiris, Balder or Jesus disappear to reappear. At the bottom of religion there is recycling.

“The Cycle of the Gylfaginning” can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of sources at

https://link.karismarecords.no/Tusmorke_Cycle-of-the-Gylfaginning

Named after the flower Coltsfoot “Hestehoven” is an album that seems to spring from the Underworld both in sound, with its chthonic aspects, as well as in its conceptual undertones, allowing the listeners to hum along as they witness a devil’s pact whilst peering through the keyhole of the local church. Or maybe rock out whilst riding a dog backwards, all the way to the witches’ Sabbath.

The artwork for “Hestehoven” has been specially commissioned from the highly acclaimed Norwegian artist Sverre Malling, and the track listing is as follows:

Cycle of the Gylfaginning
Hestehoven
Den behornede guden
Åndemaneren
Jeg klumser deg
Kyprianos
The Wicked Ways of Witches and Wizards

“Hestehoven” will be available in CD, Digital and Limited Edition Vinyl with 4 page Lyric Booklet formats and can now be pre-ordered from:

Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/kar254-tusmorke-hestehoven/
Bandcamp: https://tusm-rke.bandcamp.com/album/hestehoven
US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com

Life is never just sunshine and rainbows with TUSMØRKE, whose name means twilight in Norwegian, and it is never more true than with “Hestehoven”. However, what is true is that the band got it right when they say that the album is:

True Norwegian finger-clicking, butt-swinging. prog rock. No more, no less – but cerebral in excess! Spring has sprung! If it is all too much to bear, close your eyes and think about the flowers. Hail Pan.

More information about TUSMØRKE can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Tusmorke/

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tusmorke/
Bandcamp: https://tusm-rke.bandcamp.com
Band contact: tusmorke.booking@gmail.com
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Karisma Records on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KarismarecordsNor
Karisma on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records
Karisma Records on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karismarecords/
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/
Karisma Records US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com
Karisma Records BandCamp: http://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/music

VULTURE INDUSTRIES TO STREAM 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

Posted: May 25, 2023 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES, VULTURE INDUSTRIES
Tags: Avant-Garde, Avantgarde Metal, Dark Essence Records, Norway, Prog Metal, Vulture Industries

Well known for their wide appeal and their entertainingly theatrical, and hugely accessible stage antics, VULTURE INDUSTRIES recently celebrated their 20 years of existence with a special anniversary show in Bergen, Norway. Knowing that only a relative handful of their fans would be able to witness the show first-hand, the band made sure that their many fans world-wide would not miss out on this very special occasion by recording the whole event.

Produced by Jarle Jovda Moe, who also made the “New Lords of Light” video, and featuring a multi camera and multi track production, the show included not only favourites from the band’s previous releases, but also tracks from the upcoming fifth full-length studio album “Ghosts from the Past”. It is, in other words the perfect opportunity for fans old and new to take stock of how far the band has come over the years and reminisce about the past.

The show, will be streamed in three separate segments, the first being on the 26th May at 20:00 Central European Time, and can be watched on the Band’s YouTube channel below and at https://youtu.be/t8opjxwtfRU

Parts 2 and 3 of the show will be shown at 20:00 on the 03 June and 10 June respectively.

“Ghosts from the Past” itself will be released on Dark Essence Records on the 16th June, and is easily VULTURE INDUSTRIES’ strongest album to date. It marks a new direction for the band, one that leans towards the harder side of rock, and draws upon a wide range of influences. However, the quintessential VULTURE INDUSTRIES sound that makes the band so distinctive is still there for all to hear.

Recorded at the Conclave & Earshot Studios “Ghosts from the Past” was produced by the band and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street. With album artwork by Kim Holm and artwork for the singles by Costin Chioreanu, track listing is as follows:

New Lords of Light
Saturn Devouring His Young
This Hell is Mine
Deeper
Right Here in the Dark
A Strangers Curse
Tyrants Weep Alone

“Ghosts from the Past” will be released in CD, Digital and Vinyl formats and is now available to pre-order from the foillowing:

Webshop: https://darkessencerecords.no/kar255-vulture-industries-ghosts-from-the-past/
BandCamp: https://vultureindustries.bandcamp.com/album/ghosts-from-the-past
North American Webshop: https://darkessence.indiemerch.com

Unusually, VULTURE INDUSTRIES lineup has been together since the band’s beginning and comprises Bjørnar Erevik Nilsen on vocals and keys, Eivind Huse on guitars and vocals, Øyvind Madsen on guitars, Kyrre Teigen on bass and vocals, and Tor Helge Gjengedal on drums.

More information about VULTURE INDUSTRIES can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/vultureindustries/ and on the band’s website at http://www.vulture-industries.net/

The band is currently finalising more festival appearances and tour dates, but in the meantime the following shows have been confirmed:

16 Jun – Vaterland, Oslo (NO)
17 Jun – Good Omens, Trondheim (NO)
28/29 Jul – Artmania Festival, Sibiu (RO)

A video for the single “This Hell is Mine” by artist Kim Holm, which is especially interesting because it is a time-lapse insight into the work he put into creating the album artwork for “Ghosts from the Past”, can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/9uL2YfDshuY

Additional Information
VULTURE INDUSTRIES
Website: http://www.vulture-industries.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vultureindustries
Bandcamp: https://vultureindustries.bandcamp.com
Webshop: https://vultureindustries.bigcartel.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBSajmM4gDMC8Tt41pc2BAw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vultureindustries/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VultureIndustr1
Band Contact: bjornar@vulture-industries.net
Management: bjornar@propulsionmusic.no
Booking: benny@doomstarbookings.com
DARK ESSENCE RECORDS
Dark Essence contact: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records Bandcamp: http://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/
Dark Essence Records YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DarkEssenceRecords
Dark Essence Records Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkessencerecords/
Dark Essence Records Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarkEssenceRec
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence Records Webshop: https://www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence Records North American Webshop: https://darkessence.indiemerch.com
Dark Essence Records Australian Webshop: https://www.heavymetalmerchant.com/bands/d/dark-essence-records/

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS RELEASES FIRST SINGLE FROM UPCOMING SOLSTEIN ALBUM

Posted: May 23, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Chill-Out, Funk, Fusion, IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, Jacob Holm-Lupo, Jazz, Prog Rock, Solstein, Soul

With SOLSTEIN’s self-titled debut full-length album due out on the 7th July, Is it Jazz? Records have today released a single that gives fans a taste of what they can expect from multi-instrumentalist Jacob Holm-Lupo’s new project.

Titled “Hamada”, the track features SOLSTEIN’s core lineup of Stian Larsen (MARTE EBERSON, SMITH KOMMA JOHN) on lead guitar, Keith Carlock (STEELY DAN, TOTO) on drums and Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEL) on bass, rhythm guitars and keyboards. Joining them on “Hamada” are American synth wizard Bill Bressler on lead synth and Fender Rhodes, Martin Windstad (KURT NILSEN, BIGBANG, ANE BRUN) on percussion, and INA A who provides some wordless vocal harmonies.

The name “Hamada” is partly inspired by plane trips over the breathtaking landscape of the Eilat Desert. On the Eastern side you can see the red rocks of Jordan, whilst the high plains desert landscape of the Hamada of the Eilat Desert are directly beneath you, and the endless deserts of the Sinai are to your West.

“Hamada” can be downloaded or streamed from a number of services at

https://link.isitjazzrecords.no/Solstein_Hamada

SOLSTEIN was formed after Holm-Lupo and Carlock had collaborated with legendary guitarist Georg Wadenius on a track for Holm-Lupo’s DONNER project. Finding that together they jelled, the duo decided to expand the lineup with the addition of Larsen and keyboardist Brynjar Dambo (WHITE WILLOW).

Inspired by jazz-rock, funk, prog rock and chill-out, SOLSTEIN’s is an instrumental form of rock, where jazz harmony combines with proggy arrangements and soul/funk grooves. The end result is laid back and elegant, oscillating between funky fusion and rock, where all the musicians involved are given free rein to do whatever they feel the music needs and feels right to everyone

The album itself is accessible yet adventurous, colourful, groovy and engaging. It melds the groovier side of fusion with elements of prog and funk, but which, rather than having the standard 2020s fusion sound, tends more towards the funkier, more melodic spectrum that brings artists like THE CRUSADERS, IDRIS MUHAMMED, early BOB JAMES and 70s HERBIE HANCOCK to mind.

“Solstein” will be available in CD, Digital and LPC formats and can now be pre-ordered from:

Bandcamp: https://solstein.bandcamp.com/album/solstein
Is it Jazz Records: Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/

“Solstein” was mixed and given pristine analogue mastering at Holm-Lupo’s Dude Ranch Studio, and with artwork by Martina Wilek, track listing is as follows:

Intersection
Oriental Folk Song
Southwester
The Night Owl
Siriusly
February 9^th
The Creeper
Hamada

For those curious as to where the name SOLSTEIN comes from, the word actually means Sunstone, and it refers to a relatively rare rock containing copper-red crystals, which, when seen from different angles refracts the light in a very beautiful way. The most significant deposits of the rock are found along the southern coast of Norway where Holm-Lupo lives and runs his studio.

More information about SOLSTEIN can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband

Additional Information
Solstein
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband
Band Contact: aslanlupo@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact: post@isitjazzrecords.no

THRASH METAL VETERANS NOCTURNAL BREED REVEAL NEW VIDEO AND SINGLE FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

Posted: May 12, 2023 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Dark Essence Records, Metal, Nocturnal Breed, Norway, Thrash, Thrash Metal

Norway’s NOCTURNAL BREED is a band that has never been afraid to show its influences and wears them proudly on its sleeves, and never more so than in the track “Knights of Denim” which Dark Essence Records has chosen to release as a single from the upcoming album “Carry the Beast”.

“Knights of Denim” hits you right out of the gate, its devastating riff transporting the listener back to the glorious heyday of British Heavy Metal. Galloping Iron Maiden riffs, melodic dual guitar solos and thundering drums merge with a delicate synth work that enhances that 80’s heavy metal feeling.

Layered into the mix, and delivered with true passion and feeling, are Destroyer’s snarled, aggressive vocals, and what you get is a NOCTURNAL BREED track “par excellence” which can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of services at

https://link.darkessencerecords.no/Nocturnal-Breed_Knights-of-Denim

Accompanying the “Knights of Denim” single is a lyric video by Temira de Temirin that acts as the perfect foil for the track, and which can be seen at https://youtu.be/3dJGaIbZSkQ

With Front Cover & Logo Adaption by Andrej ‘Maggot Meister’ Bartulovic & All Things Rotten., track listing for “Carry the Beast” is as follows:

Carry the Beast
Thrash Metal Hate Saw (The Last Act of Terror)
Knights of Denim
Salt the Wounds
Atomic Cruiser
Raise the Flag…And the Hordes will Follow
Nosferata
Lady Vampire
I Ain’t Marching Anymore
I Felt Nothing (CD bonus track)
Trench Fever (CD bonus track)
Blitzhammer (CD bonus track)

Recorded at the Necrolab Studios and at NOCTURNAL BREED’s private “Bunker Studios” “Carry the Beast” will be available in CD, Digital, Vinyl and Limited Edition Transparent Red vinyl and Cassette on the 23rd of June, and can now be pre-ordered from the following:

BandCamp: https://nocturnalbreedofficial.bandcamp.com/album/carry-the-beast
Webshop: https://darkessencerecords.no/shop/
US Webshop: https://darkessence.indiemerch.com/

Formed in 1996 by S.A. Destroyer (aka Svartalv – ex. GEHENNA, SATYRICON) NOCTURNAL BREED was, for him, not just an homage to the Thrash, Speed and Heavy Metal waves of the 80’s, it was also an antidote against the softening of attitudes within the Metal genre, and the growing commercialisation of the Black Metal scene.

Twenty-seven years later, and now a formidable trio, age has not softened NOCTURNAL BREED in the slightest. Together, S.A. Destroyer on Vocals and Bass, T. Terror on Drums and Vocals and I. Maztor on Guitars, serve up some fearsome shredding with a large helping of outstanding old-school heavy metal, in what will be the band’s seventh full-length studio album.

“Carry the Beast” reflects on a lot of those darker aspects of humanity that have crept to the forefront of society over the past 2-3 years. It is an album in which the intensity of its compositions is apparent throughout, creating a work that is so full of unbridled hate that it feels as raw as an open wound.

Recorded without the use of modern equipment “Carry the Beast”, is effectively a wholehearted look back at what inspired the band and the original extreme metal scene, evoking in the listener all those emotions that come with the time-honoured traditions of Metal.

More information about NOCTURNAL BRED can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Thrashiac777NocturnalBreed

VULTURE INDUSTRIES RELEASE NEW VIDEO AND SINGLE FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

Posted: May 11, 2023 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES, VULTURE INDUSTRIES
Tags: Avantgarde, Avantgarde Metal, Dark Essence Records, Extreme Metal, Norway, Vulture Industries

With VULTURE INDUSTRIES’ fifth full-length album “Ghosts from the Past” set to hit the streets on the 16th June, Dark Essence Records have released a new single taken from the album, along with an accompanying video.

According the the band’s Bjørnar Erevik Nilsen, the single, titled “This Hell is Mine” , is an older track, written from an entirely different perspective, but relevant in a whole new way today, as he explains:

This track was based on some old lyrics I had written many years ago. Originally written in praise of the simple and austere toiling on the land. Today, though, “This hell is Mine” can be seen as a tribute to unyielding resistance against invasion and oppression.

“This Hell is Mine” can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of services at

https://link.darkessencerecords.no/Vulture-Industries_This-Hell-is-mine

The video for the single is by artist Kim Holm, and is especially interesting because it is a time-lapse insight into the work he put into creating the album artwork for “Ghosts from the Past”. It can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/9uL2YfDshuY

“Ghosts from the Past” was recorded at the Conclave & Earshot Studios and was produced by the band and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street. With album artwork by Kim Holm and artwork for the singles by Costin Chioreanu, track listing is as follows:

New Lords of Light
Saturn Devouring His Young
This Hell is Mine
Deeper
Right Here in the Dark
A Strangers Curse
Tyrants Weep Alone

It will be available in CD, Digital and Vinyl formats and can be pre-ordered now from the following:

Written at a time when the band was undergoing considerable changes in their personal lives, and coupled with the arrival of the Pandemic, VULTURE INDUSTRIES admit that they struggled somewhat to find a sense of direction and that, as a consequence, “Ghosts from the Past” took longer to write than expected.

However, the resulting album is, without a doubt, their strongest to date. While “Ghosts from the Past” has that unique sound that is so recognisably VULTURE INDUSTRIES, the fact that it leans towards the darker side of hard rock also marks a change of direction for the band.

Mirroring all the chaos of today, “Ghosts from the Past” is a reflection of the fear of a world spinning out of control, and the sense of powerlessness that results when the world order begins to fall apart, only to be replaced by autocratic warlords, whose only aim in life is to expand their own power and legacy.

As a band that can boast that it still retains the same members it had when it started twenty years ago, VULTURE INDUSTRIES lineup of Bjørnar Erevik Nilsen on vocals and keys, Eivind Huse on guitars and vocals, Øyvind Madsen on guitars, Kyrre Teigen on bass and vocals, and Tor Helge Gjengedal on drums, have drawn on a myriad of influences for “Ghosts from the Past”. From dust-riddled Spaghetti Westerns accompanied by Ennio Morricone, past the monochrome melancholia of apocalyptic post punk, through deep valleys and steep hills shrouded in progressive darkness, and a Nordic Noir looking to solve the unexplained murder of the truth. It is, in fact, a piece of their collective soul.

With a wide appeal both on stage and with their studio output, VULTURE INDUSTRIES have carefully honed their stagecraft, earning the band a well-deserved a reputation as a theatrical and hugely entertaining live act, one that is currently firming up its 2023 touring schedule. Confirmed upcoming dates are as follows:

16 Jun – Vaterland, Oslo (NO)
17 Jun – Good Omens, Trondheim (NO)
28/29 Jul – Artmania Festival, Sibiu (RO)

Dark Essence Records recently released the single “New Lords of Light” from “Ghosts from the Past”, and a video for the track, filmed and edited by Jarle Hovda Moe and with stock video from Carnival of Souls, can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/FB4d8lMEeLg

More information about VULTURE INDUSTRIES can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/vultureindustries/ and on the band’s website at http://www.vulture-industries.net/

BUSHMAN’S REVENGE JOINS IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS

Posted: April 26, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Bushman's Revenge, IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, Jazz, Jazz Rock, Norway

Norwegian Jazz trio, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE, whose music mixes the energy of Rock with the freedom of Jazz in a way that is exciting and exhilarating, have inked a deal with Is it Jazz? Records for the release of their eleventh full-length album.

Formed in 2003, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s lineup of Even Helte Hermansen on Guitar, Rune Nergaard on Bass, and Gard Nilssen on Drums, have had two decades in which to explore different paths and sounds, and, in doing so, they have succeeded in creating a genre all of their own.

With 10 critically acclaimed albums under their belts, and over 300 live appearances throughout the world, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE have earned a fearsome reputation, with Jazzwise commenting that they are “Insanely good! As if Jeff Beck was backed by Elvin Jones“, whilst David Fricke of Rolling Stone said that they were “Like a Marshall amp version of John Coltrane’s “Interstellar Space“

In addition to the new album, this year also marks their 20th anniversary as a band, and having been described as one of the most exciting live bands out there, well known for their explosive energy and telepathic interplay, fans can expect a lot of celebrating on the part of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE in the coming months!

BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s new album will be titled “All The Better For Seeing You”, and full details regarding its release will be revealed shortly.

More information about BUSHMAN’S REVENGE can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580

A video of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s appearance at 2022’s Cologne Jazzweek can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/lHRbDsu56J4

Additional Information
Bushman’s Revenge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushmansrevenge/ Band Contact: Gardnilssen@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact: post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS REVEALS DETAILS OF UPCOMING ALBUM FROM JACOB HOLM-LUPO’S SOLSTEIN

Posted: April 21, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Funk, Fusion, Jazz, Jazz Prog Rock, Jazz Rock, Prog, Prog Rock, Rock, Solstein, Soul

SOLSTEIN came into being after multi-instrumentalist Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEL, DONNER) and drummer Keith Carlock (STEELY DAN, TOTO, JOHN LEGEND, STING) had collaborated with legendary guitarist Georg Wadenius on a track for Holm-Lupo’s DONNER project. The collaboration between the duo worked so well that they decided to come together again on a whole album.

Joining Carlock and Holm-Lupo are up-and-coming guitarist Stian Larsen and keyboardists Brynjar Dambo (WHITE WILLOW) and Bill Bressler, and together they form a project that is inspired by jazz-rock, funk, prog rock and chill-out. The sound they produce is an instrumental form of rock, where jazz harmony combines with proggy arrangements and soul/funk grooves. The end result is laid back and elegant, oscillating between funky fusion and rock.

Given some of the member’s prog backgrounds, there are also echoes of the jazzier side of prog, but, more than anything, SOLSTEIN is a playground for the musicians, where everyone was given free reins to do whatever they felt the music needed. If it put a smile on everyone’s face, it was deemed right.

The result is a self-titled album that is accessible yet adventurous, colourful, groovy and engaging. It melds the groovier side of fusion with elements of prog and funk, but which, rather than having the standard 2020s fusion sound, tends more towards the funkier, more melodic spectrum that brings artists like THE CRUSADERS, IDRIS MUHAMMED, early BOB JAMES and 70s HERBIE HANCOCK to mind.

“Solstein” was mixed and given pristine analogue mastering at Holm-Lupo’s Dude Ranch Studio, and with artwork by Martina Wilek, track listing is as follows:

Intersection
Oriental Folk Song
Southwester
The Night Owl
Siriusly
February 9^th
The Creeper
Hamada

“Solstein” will be released on Is it Jazz? Records on the 7th July in CD, Digital and LPC formats and is now available to pre-order from:

Bandcamp: https://solstein.bandcamp.com/album/solstein
Is it Jazz Records: Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/

The name SOLSTEIN means Sunstone, and it refers to a relatively rare rock containing copper-red crystals, which, when seen from different angles refracts the light in a very beautiful way. The most significant deposits of the rock are found along the southern coast of Norway where Holm-Lupo lives and runs his studio.

More information about SOLSTEIN can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband

Additional Information
Solstein
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband
Band Contact: aslanlupo@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact: post@isitjazzrecords.no

JAZZ ROCKERS THE VERGE SIGN WITH IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS

Posted: April 18, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Drone, Extreme Improvisational Rock, Free Form Jazz, Improvisation, IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, Jazz, Jazz Rock, Noise, The Verge

Another new band that is packed to the brim with experienced musicians from the Norwegian music scene has found its way onto Is It Jazz? Records, the Bergen-based offshoot of Karisma Records that is developing a reputation for nurturing some of the latest and best arrivals on the Jazz scene, as well as attracting some very well-established artists.

The band in question is THE VERGE, a four-piece unit that started life whilst its members were studying at the Jazz Academy in Trondheim.

Comprised of Emil Storløkken Åse (PHOENIX, EMIL STORLØKKEN ÅSE SOLO) on Guitars , Aksel Rønning (COSMIC SWING ORCHESTRA, AKSEL RØNNING TRIO) on Saxophone and Flute, Alf Høines (CARAMEL 11, LEON RØSTEN TRIO)on Electric Bass, and Ingvald Vassbø (KANAAN, JUNO) on Drums, THE VERGE’s lineup is very definitely not short of creativity and enthusiasm.

Together they have created an intense and energetic debut album that draws its inspiration from extreme improvisational rock and dreamy noise/dronescapes, and offers more than a nod in the direction of free form jazz. It is an album that promises to be vibrant and multifaceted, one where the ability of the individual musicians to interact with one another is front and centre.

More information about the album, including release dates, will be revealed shortly, and in the meantime Ingvald expressed THE VERGE’s delight at joining Is It Jazz? Records.

Myself, Emil, Alf and Akse are really looking forward to releasing our debut album on Is It Jazz? Records. I´ve been a long time fan of Karisma Records and it´s an honour and a privilege to be on the same label as so many other great artists that we admire and draw inspiration from.

More information about THE VERGE can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065744882524

Additional Information
The Verge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065744882524
Band Contact: ingvaldvassboe@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact: post@isitjazzrecords.no

DARK ESSENCE RECORDS ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF NEW ALBUM FROM THRASH METAL VETERANS NOCTURNAL BREED

Posted: April 18, 2023 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Dark Essence Records, Extreme Metal, Metal, Nocturnal Breed, Norway, Thrash, Thrash Metal

When S.A. Destroyer (aka Svartalv – ex. GEHENNA, SATYRICON) formed NOCTURNAL BREED in 1996 he saw the band as both an homage to the Thrash, Speed and Heavy Metal waves of the 80’s, as well as a reaction against the softening of attitudes within Metal in general, and the growing commercialisation of the Black Metal scene.

What followed was plethora of releases, culminating with the band marking its 25th Anniversary in 2021 with the release of their “Face Your Aggressor” double album.

Today NOCTURNAL BREED continues to spread terror and destruction in its wake, but this time in the form of a trio, which, aside from S.A. Destroyer on Vocals and Bass, includes T. Terror on Drums and Vocals and I. Maztor on Guitars. And you can rest assured that their shredding is pure, fearsome, NOCTURNAL BREED, with some outstanding old-school heavy metal thrown into the mix.

And with the new lineup comes a brand new album, the band’s seventh to be precise, which will hit the streets on Dark Essence Records on the 23 June. Titled “Carry the Beast”, the album is a wholehearted look back at what inspired the band and the extreme metal scene. The fact that it was recorded without the use of modern equipment evokes in the listener all those emotions that come with the time-honoured traditions of Metal.

Reflecting a lot of the darker aspects of humanity that have crept to the forefront of society over the past 2-3 years, the fearsome intensity of the compositions tears its way mercilessly through “Carry the Beast”, creating an album full of unbridled hate that feels as raw as a war wound.

“Carry the Beast” was recorded at the Necrolab Studios and at NOCTURNAL BREED’s private “Bunker Studios”.

With Front Cover & Logo Adaption by Andrej ‘Maggot Meister’ Bartulovic & All Things Rotten., track listing for “Carry the Beast” is as follows:

Carry the Beast
Thrash Metal Hate Saw (The Last Act of Terror)
Knights of Denim
Salt the Wounds
Atomic Cruiser
Raise the Flag…And the Hordes will Follow
Nosferata
Lady Vampire
I Ain’t Marching Anymore
I Felt Nothing (CD bonus track)
Trench Fever (CD bonus track)
Blitzhammer (CD bonus track)

“Carry the Beast” will be available in CD, Digital, Vinyl and Limited Edition Transparent Red vinyl and can now be pre-ordered from the following:

BandCamp: https://nocturnalbreedofficial.bandcamp.com/album/carry-the-beast
Webshop: https://darkessencerecords.no/shop/
US Webshop: https://darkessence.indiemerch.com/

As ever, NOCTURNAL BREED would like the last word:

Give’em Hell, take no shit from anyone, and Carry the Beast with splendour your own way!

METAL TO THE BONE!

More information about NOCTURNAL BRED can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Thrashiac777NocturnalBreed

NOCTURNAL BREED’s 15th Year Anniversary video for the track “Resistance is Futile” can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/DRzu4haJyeI

NEW DOUBLE SINGLE FROM FOLK PROG ROCKERS LUMSK UPCOMING ALBUM REVEALED

Posted: April 14, 2023 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Dark Essence Records, Folk Prog, Folk Prog Rock, Folk Rock, Lumsk, Norway, Prog Rock

“Fremmede Toner”, from Norwegian Folk Prog Rockers LUMSK, is a long way from being your average album because all its twelve tracks are actually in pairs, with each individual pair taking as their base one poem and revisiting it in two different, yet beguilingly similar, ways.

It therefore follows that when revealing a new single from the album, there must be two tracks, as is the case with “Avskjed” and “Abschied” which can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of sources at:

https://link.darkessencerecords.no/Lumsk_Avskjed_Abschied

As the band explained:

Avskjed / Abschied is the second pair of songs (singles) taken from our upcoming album “Fremmede Toner”. This time the lyrics are the re-creation of the famous German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche´s “Abschied” by Norwegian author Andre Bjerke, as well as the poem in its original form. Just as Bjerke´s poems are translations and recreations and are quite familiar but not the same as the original, the songs also try to reflect each other in the same way. They will feel familiar but will still not be the same.

“Fremmede Toner” is the fourth full-length release from LUMSK, a band that was formed in 1999, just when the metal scene was exploring the use of regional folk traditions within music. With their use of heavy guitars, keyboard and organs, violins, session horns and female vocals, and a clear vision of the direction they wanted their music to take, LUMSK was in the right place at the right time.

Having garnered a considerable fan base and a stellar reputation, both at home and internationally, LUMSK released their third full-length album and promptly took a hiatus that was to last sixteen years.

Now, with their new album set for release on the 5th of May on Dark Essence Records, LUMSK’s seven-piece lineup includes Mari Klingen on Vocals, Siv Lena Laugtug Sæther on Violin, Eystein Garberg on Guitar, Roar Grindheim on Guitar, Espen Warankov Godø on Keyboards, Espen Hammer on Bass, and Vidar Berg on Drums.

Mixed by Rhys Marsh at Autumnsongs Recordings, and Mastered by Arnstein Fossvik at AudioMaster, “Fremmede Toner” is LUMSK’s most varied and intriguing work to date, demonstrating how the band’s unique blend of metal and Nordic folk music melds together with rich textures and clever arrangements.

Track listing is as follows:

Det Døde Barn
En Harmoni
Avskjed
Under Linden
Fiolen
Dagen er Endt
Das Tode Kind
A Match
Abschied
Under der Linden
Das Veilchen
The Day is Done

“Fremmede Toner” will be available in CD, Limited Edition Double LP in Gold and Turquoise vinyl and Digital formats, and can now be pre-order from the following:

BandCamp: https://lumsk.bandcamp.com/album/fremmede-toner
Webshop: https://darkessencerecords.no/kar215-lumsk-fremmede-toner/
US Webshop: https://darkessence.indiemerch.com/

Featuring works by some of the most famous European and North American poets, such as Nietzsche, Goethe, Swinburne etc., the album cover, by Per Spjøtvold, someone with whom the band has worked since the beginning, also reflects the “dual” concept of “Fremmede Toner”. A concept that the band recently described:

We stumbled upon “Fremmde Toner”, a collection of poems the by Norwegian Author André Bjerke in which he had translated and re-created poems from different English and German speaking poets, and we realised that not only did we want to write music for the Norwegian poems, but also to write music for the original poems themselves. The idea of the concept was not to create the same songs twice, but to make the songs mirror each other in a way, trying to somehow recreate the idea of a translation or re-creation. Thus, as with the poems themselves, the songs are not the same, but are, nevertheless familiar.

More information about LUMSK can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/lumskmusic

A video for the track “Trolltind” from LUMSK’s 2005 album “Troll” can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/qoifbhyp2BU

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lumskmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lumskband/
Band Contact: lumsk@hammersound.no
Dark Essence contact: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records Bandcamp: http://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/
Dark Essence Records YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DarkEssenceRecords
Dark Essence Records Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkessencerecords/
Dark Essence Records Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarkEssenceRec
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence Records Webshop: https://www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence Records North American Webshop: https://darkessence.indiemerch.com
Dark Essence Records Australian Webshop: https://www.heavymetalmerchant.com/bands/d/dark-essence-records/

PATRICIA THOMAS BAND MANAGEMENT

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