Norway’s SLEGEST are shortly to head to the studio to record what will be the band’s third full-length album.
All the new material has been written and rehearsed, and an early April date has been set for SLEGEST to begin recording, with Bjørnar E. Nilsen (VULTURE INDUSTRIES, BLACK HOLE GENERATOR) at the helm in his Conclave and Earshot Studios in Bergen. According to the band, the new album will show a different side of SLEGEST:
“Riff and sinestry ladies and gentlemen! We have as always turned our eyes inwards to make music. Nevertheless the new songs show a different side of SLEGEST, stained with the music we grew up with – the traditional heavy rock of the 80’s. At the same time we have had an almost ridiculous focus on the SLEGEST sound, so those of you who are into that won’t be disappointed. When the time comes, let this one spin in the face of life itself!”
It is anticipated that the new, as yet to be named, album will be finished by the end of May, with the release on Dark Essence Records sometime in the Autumn.
As well as working on the new album, SLEGEST have also been in Stavanger to record two tracks for an upcoming Limited Edition 7″ Vinyl. Titled “Lagnad i E”, it will contain four tracks, two of which will be new, and two of which were recorded live.
Set to be released in May on RhinoRat Recordings, and with artwork by Renathe H. Bryn, tracklisting for “Lagnad i E” is as follows:
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 “Helnorsk Svartmetall ” sound, honed to perfection by TAAKE’s iconic frontman and founder Hoest, 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 powerful presence, which dominates any stage on which he sets foot, coupled with a live lineup of experienced and highly skilled musicians, and an extensive back catalogue to draw from, has always ensured that TAAKE’s performances are an experience that is guaranteed to enthral.
TAAKE’s seventh full-length album “Kong Vinter” was released on Dark Essence Records at the end of 2017 and is available, along with the band’s other releasesn and exclusive merchandise, from the following, as well as all the usual retailers:
Norwegian Experimental Post Metallers KRAKOW have today revealed the following tantalising facts about their upcoming fourth full-length studio album titled “minus”, which is set for release on Karisma Records on the 31 August:
minus
mi·nus \ˈmī-nəs\
preposition
less by the subtraction of; decreased by.
lacking or without.
adjective
involving or noting subtraction.
algebraically negative.
less than; just below in quality.
Informal. having negative qualities or characteristics; inferior.
Mycology. (in heterothallic fungi) designating, in the absence of morphological differentiation, one of the two strains of mycelia that unite in the sexual process.
Informal. a person or thing with no apparent abilities, usefulness, etc.
Six songs. Nine singers. Three guitarists. Two drummers. One bassist. KRAKOW is back with a new album, summarized in title as minus. The result of laborious and intense work over the course of a year, with two and a half albums’ worth of music chiselled down to one perfected collection of songs, the band is finally ready to reveal details of its upcoming album.
With themes spanning from outer space to the hidden worlds deep below, travelling in time from distant future to nearer past like an inverted space odyssey, we are taken on a journey through stories, as much a reflection of those we tell as a revelation of those we won’t.
Stunning visually, a complete physical design inspired by the music and defined by the patterns that shaped those songs, the vinyl and CD editions promise to be gems as suited to the stereo as to the shelf above it.
And the music, as always stretching towards the outer borders of any attempted genre definition covers the heavy, the subtle, the melodic, the atonal, the groovy, the absolutely ungroovy, the dense, the airy, the naked, and, always, always, that wall of sound where no light can escape before the singer stands there alone with his last story. There are guests, they bring glitz and rock n’ roll as well as a grounding force towards the mountain core. There is beauty, and there is rotten decay, like a lush forested island in a lake of septic water. There are monsters and there are saints, and none of them reveal themselves, we must find those cracks on our own.
It’s a collection of contradictions, is what we’re saying. It’s a KRAKOW album.
KRAKOW’s next live appearances will be at Inferno Metal Festival in Oslo on the 31 March and at Bergenfest on the 12 June.
Dark Essence Records have inked a deal with Norwegian Occult Hard Rockers ACÂRASH, and will release their debut full-length album on a date as yet to be announced.
Formed in Oslo in the fall of 2016, ACÂRASH’s lineup is comprised of Sølve Sæther on drums, Lukas Paulsen on guitars and Anlov P. Mathiesen on bass and vocals. Founded on the pillars of the 80s and 90s avant-garde rockers THE VOID, ACÂRASH draws its inspiration from a variety of sources, including bands such as LONELY KAMEL, ZECTION8, FAUSTUS and DEEP REST.
Blending hard rock, doom and black metal, ACÂRASH is a band that embraces tradition yet manages to forge a sound that it uniquely theirs. It is a sound where esoteric poetry and ritualistic contemplation are central to the music, and mirror the nuances in both sound and musical contrasts.
With their debut album, Acârash reinvents and preserves, delivering a record that explores and develops the boundaries of rock and metal, and naturally alternates between raw catchiness, dark introspection, and progressive playfulness.
Whilst full details of the album, which will be titled “In Chaos Becrowned”, will be announced shortly, it can, however, be revealed that it has been recorded, mixed and mastered by Ruben Willem at the Caliban Studios in Oslo, to produce a sound that fits the sharp delivery and the crispness of the music to perfection.
A series of short teaser videos from ACÂRASH’s debut full-length album “In Chaos Becrowned” can be seen on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pg/acarash/videos/
Having remained fairly quiet since the release of their 2012 debut album “Epistolae Obscurorum Virorum”, RATTENFÄNGER, whose lineup is comprised of musicians from bands such as DRUDKH, BLOOD OF KINGU, HATE FOREST and DARK AGES, are hard at work rehearsing new material for their follow up, which will be released on Dark Essence Records on a date as yet to be confirmed.
Formed in Ukraine, RATTENFÄNGER’s lineup includes Thurios on guitars, Krechet on bass, Vlad on drums and keyboards, and Roman on guitars and vocals, and they hint that fans can expect the sophomore album, which will be recorded during the summer and autumn of this year, to be more ambient, but heavier and more aggressive than the debut.
The name RATTENFÄNGER is taken from the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin (Rattenfänger von Hameln), who was hired by the townsfolk of Hameln, Germany, to rid the town of the rats that had overrun it. Unfortunately he is deceived and cheated of his payment, and he exacts a dreadful revenge on the citizens.
Regardless of whether they take place in an intimate club setting, or large festival arenas, TAAKE’s shows, like TAAKE’s albums, have, over the years, garnered high praise from fans and critics alike, and, with last year’s visa woes behind them, and all band members having received their delayed visas, the band will be bringing their ” Helnorsk Svartmetall ” to the US once again for a series of 17 dates in March and April of this year.
Supporting TAAKE on the tour will be Seattle’s KING DUDE. Routing for the tour, which includes one date in Canada, is as follows.
03/24 New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge
03/25 Boston, MA – Middle East
03/26 Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
03/27 Baltimore, MD – Soundstage
03/28 Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theater
03/29 Lexington, KY – Cosmic Charlie’s
03/30 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
03/31 Kansas City, MO – Riot Room
04/01 Denver, CO – Globe Hall
04/03 Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music (no King Dude)
04/05 Mesa, AZ – Club Red
04/06 San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
04/07 Los Angeles, CA – 1720
04/08 Petaluma, CA – Phoenix Theater
04/09 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater
04/10 Seattle, WA – El Corazon
04/11 Vancouver, BC – Red Room
One of the most iconic bands on the Norwegian Black Metal scene, TAAKE’s seventh full-length album “Kong Vinter”, released on Dark Essence Records at the end of 2017, further cemented the reputation of its enigmatic founder and frontman, Hoest, as one of those rare artists who manage to keep alive the old Norwegian spirit of Black Metal, in what has nowadays become a multi faceted, and fractured, genre. And, not only does he succeed in keeping the original genre alive, he also manages to breathe fresh life into it, with the introduction of new, and sometimes surprising, elements into the band’s music, whilst at the same time ensuring that it never loses that icy, dangerous, edge.
With a live lineup of skilled, and highly experienced musicians, TAAKE is a force to be reckoned with on the live circuit. Hoest’s charismatic persona and powerful presence dominate the stage, and his high octane performances, combined with an extensive back catalogue from which to draw the band’s set, means that TAAKE’s shows are not just unique, but also varied.
“Kong Vinter” and other TAAKE releases and merchandise are available from all the usual retailers as well as from the folllowing:
It’s been well over two months since The 3rd ATTEMPT promised that the second instalment of their track-by-track concept video would appear within days of the December release on Dark Essence Records of their second full-length album “Egocidal Path”. The two-part video was intended to give a very personal insight into frontman and lyricist Ødemark’s emotionally charged, and highly personal lyrics, with the first part describing the first four tracks on the album, and the second highlighting the last four tracks.
Unfortunately, a series of problems and mishaps caused the second part to be delayed until now, because, as Ødemark explains, “Everything went fucking wrong. It really did. Every single step of the creation of this two-part video was hit by either technical issues, a computer breakdown, lack of time, and of course, the inevitable noob mistake. It could be said that the whole process was a series of disasters, but perhaps that’s why I couldn’t be more proud of the final outcome.
“This has been my first video creation ever, I had a vision and the motivation, and in order to make it happen I began learning all the technical stuff there is to learn about every aspect of video making (animation, recording, lights, editing, post production, encoding etc.) Add to this the fact that I had 0 Budget, so all the costs came from my already empty pocket. But anyway, if there is no money, it has to be replaced by ingenuity and knowledge, and I wouldn’t let anybody interfere with it or give me a hand. I was set on proving I could do it all myself – and I did!”.
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The 3rd ATTEMPT was formed by former CARPATHIAN FOREST guitarists Tchort (GREEN CARNATION) and BloodPervertor (OPUS FORGOTTEN) and, aside from Ødemark on vocals, the band’s lineup is completed by Tybalt (FORTID, DEN SAAKALDTE) on drums. “Egocidal Path” is the follow up to the band’s 2015 debut album “Born in Thorns”, and, with it, according to Tchort, the 3rd ATTEMPT took a ” huge leap towards the true sound and identity of the band. While our debut album “Born in Thorns” represented the CARPATHIAN FOREST era of our song writing, “Egocidal Path” is a newly written album that is more aggressive, tighter, and in-your-face. It also showcases the fantastic drumming skills of Tybalt (FORTID, DEN SAAKALDTE) and the vocal range and creativity of Ødemark”
Ødemark himself explains what he sought to achieve with the two concept videos: ” I wanted to give a visual context to our music, and, at the same time, give as much of an insight into the thinking behind the lyrics without it being a written explanation that nobody bothers to read anyway. This lead me to creating what you are now seeing. Yes, I do give a general idea of what each song is about, but I don’t set out to explain the lyrics line by line, I want those who are interested to discover things for themselves.
“As regards the visual content, I decided to create a two completely different scenarios. With the first video, I wanted to convey the sense of chaos associated with the self-destructive lifestyle aspect of Black & Roll, and to do this I had to adopt a “0 tolerance for political correctness”. So if the mere sight of the naked human body or drugs offends you in any way, if you do not want to see the whole of what life involves without getting “offended”, well, this one is not for you. Life is, what life is, with or without your personal approval. With its hints at decadence and personal corrosion, the first video contains a lot more symbolism. The barbed wire and the pain is real though, and people can decide for themselves what it all means.
“For the second Video, I wanted something radically different, I didn’t want people to have to drink twice from the same cup. I needed to create a more realistic scenario as I wanted to depict depression, madness, confusion, mysticism, and make it more personal. I almost went too far with the cutting in the last scene, it all ended up with a pool of blood behind the scenes – too much adrenaline, jeeze!”
“Egocidal Path” is available in CD and Digital formats, with the vinyl version available soon from all the usual retailers as well as from the following:
A video, by Lukas Jaszak , for the track “I’ll Do It Now” from The 3RD ATTEMPTS album “Egocidal Path” can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/Ca0WwsIq0cs
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The newly re-edited version of Part I of the “Egocidal Path” concept video can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/ud3fME7cAN8
With a genuine pride and belief in their Norse heritage, HELHEIM have spent over 25 years honing their craft, and making use of old Norse legends and traditional instruments to rise far above the plethora of bands that make up the genre, and who succeed in coming across as mere cartoon-like parodies of the real thing.
And the start of 2018 certainly finds HELHEIM’s lineup of V’gandr on bass and vocals, H’grimnir on guitar and vocals, Hrymr on drums and Noralf on guitars reaping the rewards of all their hard work and dedication to their craft, with two excellent pieces of news. Starting off with a nomination for the 2017 Spellemann Award (the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammy’s) in the Metal category for their ninth full-length album “landawarijaR” which was released on Dark Essence Records in January of last year.
The album, which was recorded at the Conclave and Earshot Studios in Bergen, and produced by Bjornar E. Nilsen (VULTURE INDUSTRIES, BLACK HOLE GENERATOR) and mastered by Herbrand Larsen (ENSLAVED), includes guest vocals from William Hut, Morten Egeland (NARROWHEAD), Pehr Skjoldhammer (ALFAHANNE), Bjornar E Nilsen and Ottorpedo. Through “landawarijaR’s” music and lyrics, as well as through the two accompanying videos, HELHEIM express the need to include the Norse Heritage into modern life by emphasising the importance, mystery and never-changing wonder of the Runes.
The second piece of news may not be new to HELHEIM’s US fans, but certainly their European fans will not know yet that a track from the band has been used in a high-profile CBS TV series, which has been snapped up by SKY for the UK market – with news still awaited regarding its appearance in other European and Scandinavian countries. The series, SEAL Team, stars DAVID BOREANAZ (Bones, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and follows the exploits of an elite S.E.A.L. team. The track “Jormundgand”, from HELHEIM’s album of the same name, which was originally released in 2006 and re-released on Dark Essence Records in 2008, features in Episode 7. Titled “Borderlines” the track forms the music to a couple of (somewhat controversial) torture training scenes!
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The two videos directed by Guilherme Henriques, for the tracks”Baklengs mot intet” and “Ymr” from the album “landawarijaR” can be seen below on YouTube
It’s almost five years now since AETERNUS released their last album “…and the seventh his soul detesteth” on Dark Essence Records, but fans of the veteran Norwegian Dark Metallers will have something to look forward to next year as the band has just announced that they plan to begin recording their new album in early January. Not only will this be the band’s eighth full-length album, it will also serve to celebrate AETERNUS’ 25th Anniversary.
As with its predecessor, the new album will be recorded at Bergen’s Conclave & Earshot studios, and will be produced by Herbrand Larsen, who previously co-produced AETERNUS’ “Shadow of Old” and “Ascension of Terror” albums. The album will be released on Dark Essence Records in 2018.
One of the pioneers for the “Dark Metal” genre, AETERNUS was formed in 1993 by guitarist and frontman Ares. Aside from Ares, today’s lineup includes Phobos (GRAVDAL) on drums and KRAKOW’s Eld on bass. The band’s sound is one that combines features from both Black Metal and Death Metal, interspersed with haunting, melodic interludes, all topped off with skilled musicianship.
Commenting on what will be their 25th Anniversary release, the band had this to say: ” We`ve been working on new material for four years now, so it feels very good to know that we are finally ready to get the best of it recorded and released the same year that we mark our 25 year anniversary! So expect only the best! And before you know it we’ll also be back on stage performing the songs live as well!”
Whilst it has become fairly standard these for bands to release promo videos that feature excerpts of tracks from their upcoming releases, Norwegian Black Metallers the 3RD ATTEMPT have approached the whole thing in a slightly different way. Not only does the video give fans an insight into the sound of the album, but it also features a voice-over by frontman and lyricist Ødemark himself, describing to fans the concept behind each track.
The video, produced by Ødemark, and featuring snippets of the first four tracks from “Egocidal Path”, will be the first of two, with the second one, featuring the remainder of the tracks, appearing before the December 1st release of the album on Dark Essence Records. It can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/MnPPn74G1iU
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“Egocidal Path” will be the second full length album from the band formed by former CARPATHIAN FOREST guitarists Tchort (GREEN CARNATION) and BloodPervertor (OPUS FORGOTTEN) and whose lineup also includes Ødemark on vocals and Tybalt (FORTID, DEN SAAKALDTE) on drums. It will, as Tchort recently explained, be an album that more clearly defines the band’s sound:
“With “Egocidal Path” we take a huge leap towards the true sound and identity of the 3RD ATTEMPT. While our debut album “Born in Thorns” represented the CARPATHIAN FOREST era of our song writing, “Egocidal Path” is a newly written album that is more aggressive, tighter and in-your-face. It also showcases the fantastic drumming skills of Tybalt (FORTID, DEN SAAKALDTE) and the vocal range and creativity of Ødemark, allowing the listener to slip into his personal universe of wrath, ego, human spite and the glory of suicide”.
With artwork by the Brazilian artist Rafael Tavares, tracklisting for “Egocidal Path” is as follows:
Blood, Dope and Black N Roll
Into the Light
Reflections about Knives
Egocide
I’ll do it now
The Disciples
Black Metal Alchemist
The Oath
The 3RD ATTEMPT also recently gave fans a first taste of what to expect by releasing a video of a track from “Egocidal Path”. The video, by Lukas Jaszak , for the track “I’ll Do It Now” can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/Ca0WwsIq0cs
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“Egocidal Path” will be released in CD, Digital and LP formats, is now available to pre-order from the following:
PATRICIA THOMAS BAND MANAGEMENT 