Archive for the ‘KARISMA RECORDS’ Category

Fresh from inking a deal with Norwegian Prog Rockers MAGIC PIE, Karisma Records have today announced details of what will be the band’s fourth full length album, which is set for release on the 25th of May in CD and digital formats, and, at a later date, on vinyl.  Titled “King For A Day”,  the album was mixed and mastered by Rich Mouser (SPOCKS BEARD, TRANSATLANTIC, NEAL MORSE, DREAM THEATER etc.) at The Mouse House Studios in Los Angeles,  and contains six tracks of melodic, epic, and, on occasion, heavy, Prog Rock, that showcases superb vocal harmonies and skilled musicianship .  Artwork for the album is by Chris van der Linden of Linden Artworks.

Track listing for “King For A Day” as follows:
1 – Trick Of The Trade (6:09)
2 – Introversion (12:24)
3 – According To Plan (6:35)
4 – Tears Gone Dry (12:14)
5 – The Silent Giant (5:22)
6 – King For A Day (27:29)

With a lineup that consists of songwriter and producer Kim Stenberg on guitars and vocals,  lyricist and melody co-writer Eirikur Hauksson (well known for his work with artists such as ARTCH, KEN HENSLEY and KERRS PINK)  on lead vocals and guitar, Eirik Hanssen on vocals and guitar, Jan Torkild Johannessen on drums,  Erling Henanger on keyboards and backing vocals and Lars Petter Holstad on bass and backing vocals, MAGIC PIE was formed in Moss, Norway in 2001.  The band’s blend of Classic Prog and ’70’s Hard Rock,  inspired by bands such as SPOCKS BEARD, DREAM THEATER, GENESIS, PINK FLOYD, THE FLOWER KINGS, TRANSATLANTIC, KANSAS, DEEP PURPLE, YES etc., has made MAGIC PIE a household name on the Prog Rock scene, and “King For A Day” is a much anticipated album amongst fans.

MAGIC PIE will play two shows in Norway to celebrate the release of “King For A Day”, the first being  at the Parkteatret in Moss on the 13th May and the second at We Låve Rock In Hurum 2015 at the Holm Gård in Holmsbu, on the 23 May.  Additional live and festival appearances will be announced soon.

More information about MAGIC PIE can be found on the band’s website at http://www.magicpie.net/  or on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/magicpieband

Fan-filmed footage of MAGIC PIE performing at ROSfest can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/HY_JNuK8AmI

Tracks from all of Karisma Records releases can be heard below at http://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/sets/karisma-records

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Karisma Records KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Magic Pie Website:  http://www.magicpie.net/
Magic Pie on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/magicpieband
Magic Pie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/KimStenberg1975
Management and Booking:  JT@magicpie.no

Karisma Records have inked a deal with Norwegian Prog Rockers MAGIC PIE, and are set to release the band’s fourth full-length album on the 25th May.  As well as the new album, information about which will be released shortly, Karisma will also be re-issuing the band’s three previous albums – 2005’s “Motions of Desire”, 2007’s “Circus of Life” and 2011’s “The Suffering Joy” –  later this year in both CD format, and, for the first time, in vinyl format as well.

Formed in 2001 in Moss, Norway, MAGIC PIE has become a household name to Prog fans around the world with their blend of Classic Prog and Hard Rock inspired by bands such as SPOCKS BEARD, DREAM THEATER, GENESIS, PINK FLOYD, THE FLOWER KINGS, TRANSATLANTIC, KANSAS, DEEP PURPLE, YES etc.

MAGIC PIE’s lineup consists of songwriter and producer Kim Stenberg on guitars and vocals,  lyricist and melody co-writer Eirikur Hauksson on lead vocals and guitar, Eirik Hanssen on vocals and guitar, Jan Torkild Johannessen on drums,  Erling Henanger on keyboards and backing vocals and Lars Petter Holstad on bass and backing vocals.  It’s a lineup where experience and superb musicianship combine to create epic prog rock with top notch vocal harmonies.

More information about MAGIC PIE can be found on the band’s website at http://www.magicpie.net/  or on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/magicpieband

Fan-filmed footage of MAGIC PIE performing at ROSfest can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/HY_JNuK8AmI

 

Tracks from all of Karisma Records releases can be heard below and at http://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/sets/karisma-records

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Karisma Records KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Magic Pie Website:  http://www.magicpie.net/
Magic Pie on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/magicpieband
Magic Pie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/KimStenberg1975
Management and Booking:  JT@magicpie.no

 

“City of the Sun”, the debut full-length album from Norwegian Prog Rockers SEVEN IMPALE is now also available on vinyl courtesy of Karisma Records, who also released the album in CD format earlier this month.   Recorded and produced at the Solslottet and Duper Studio by Iver Sandøy, known for his work with bands such as ENSLAVED and KRAKOW, “City of the Sun” has been earning this young band much critical acclaim.

Track listing for “City Of The Sun” as follows:

1. Oh, My Gravity!
2. Windshears
3. Eschaton Horo
4. Extraction
5. God Left Us for a Black-Dressed Woman

The album itself is clearly rooted in early Classic Progressive Rock, but its five musically complex tracks reflect the variety of musical disciplines and influences the band’s six musicians bring to the mix, giving each track a distinct identity of its own.   Classical orchestra and big band, metal and jazz, rock and electronica all blend together to give SEVEN IMPALE a sound that lifts the band up from the mundane and formulaic that all too often pervades the genre today.

Formed in Bergen, Norway, in 2010,  SEVEN IMPALE’s lineup consists of  Stian Økland on vocals and guitars, Fredrik Mekki Widerøe on drums, Benjamin Mekki Widerøe on sax, Tormod Fosso on bass, Erlend Vottvik Olsen on guitar and Håkon Vinje on keyboards.  More information about SEVEN IMPALE can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale

Both the vinyl and CD versions of “City of the Sun” are available from Karisma Records at http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/

Fan-filmed footage of SEVEN IMPALE’s appearance at this year’s Inferno Festival can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/zuc667tB3U4

 

Tracks from Karisma Records releases, can be heard below and at https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/sevenimpale
NRK: http://www.nrk.no/urort/Artist/SevenImpale/default.aspx
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Karisma Records KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords
Seven Impale Vinyl: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/product/seven-impale-city-of-the-sun-vinyl
Karisma Records SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records

 

Having released FATAL FUSION’s  sophomore album “The Ancient Tale” in CD and digital versions in November of last year, KARISMA RECORDS are now set to please lovers of vinyl and Classical Prog Rock by releasing the album as a double gatefold edition.   The five-track album was produced by the band themselves with some additional help from Karisma Records and ENSLAVED’s Herbrand Larsen.  Track listing as follows:City of Zerych

I.  City of Zerych
II. Halls of Amenti
III. The Divine Comedy
IV. Tears I’ve Cried
V. The Ancient Tale

Reaction to “The Ancient Tale”, which is a follow up to the band’s  first full-length album “Land of the Sun”, which won the Prog Awards “Best Debut Album of 2010”, shows that FATAL FUSION is a band with  a wide appeal that is not limited to Prog fans alone, paying homage as it does to the greats of Rock and Prog  from the 70´s such as Genesis, Camel, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Rainbow.

FATAL FUSION’s distinctive sound comes from a blending of elements from different musical genres, including Rock, Metal, Blues, Jazz, Latin, Space Rock, Classical Music and above all Progressive Rock.  Add to this the band’s use of classical instruments, synths, mellotron and hammond organ, and it is easy to understand how the lineup of Audun Engebretsen (drums), Erlend Engebretsen (keyboards), Knut Erik Grøntvedt (vocals), Lasse Lie (bass) and Stig Selnes (guitars) is able to create such varied soundscapes.

More information about FATAL FUSION can be found at http://www.fatalfusion.com/

Live footage of FATAL FUSION playing the track ” City of Zerych” from “The Ancient Tale” live during the release concert  can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/3d3qpD7MXxA

 

Tracks from all of Karisma Records releases can be heard below and at http://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/sets/karisma-records/

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Karisma Records KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords
Fatal Fusion Vinyl: http://www.karismarecords.bigcartel.com/product/fatal-fusion-the-ancient-tale-2-x-vinyl
Website: http://www.fatalfusion.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fatal-Fusion/49222763785
MySpace: https://myspace.com/fatalfusionmusic
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/thefatalfusion
ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/fatalfusionmusic
Fatal Fusion on Karisma: http://www.karismarecords.no/fatal-fusion-2/

 

Karisma Records has today debuted  “Oh My Gravity!”  the opening track from “City of the Sun”, the debut full-length album from Norwegian Prog Rockers SEVEN IMPALE.  The album itself, which was  recorded and produced at the Solslottet and Duper Studio by Iver Sandøy, who has produced bands such as ENSLAVED, KRAKOW, etc.,   is due for release in September of this year, and “Oh My Gravity!” can be heard abpve and at https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/seven-impale-oh-my-gravity

With a relatively young lineup SEVEN IMPALE consists of  Stian Økland on vocals and guitars, Fredrik Mekki Widerøe on drums, Benjamin Mekki Widerøe on sax, Tormod Fosso on bass, Erlend Vottvik Olsen on guitar and Håkon Vinje on keyboards, and was formed in Bergen, Norway in 2010.

Whilst the prevailing influence throughout “City Of The Sun” clearly lies within the Classic Progressive Rock genre, SEVEN IMPALE’s music actually transcends several genres fearlessly and with deceptive ease.  The five musically complex tracks that form the album are each distinctly different,  something that only a lineup of musicians from a variety of disciplines as diverse as classical orchestra and big band, metal and jazz, and rock and electronica, could hope to create.

Track listing for “City Of The Sun” as follows:

1. Oh, My Gravity!
2. Windshears
3. Eschaton Horo
4. Extraction
5. God Left Us for a Black-Dressed Woman

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

The whole of SEVEN IMPALE’s 2013 EP can be heard below and at https://soundcloud.com/sevenimpale/sets/seven-impale-ep

 

Tracks from Karisma Records releases, can be heard below and at https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/sevenimpale
NRK: http://www.nrk.no/urort/Artist/SevenImpale/default.aspx
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisman/Dark Essence Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Karisma Records SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records

 

Not only is ARIBAG guitarist BJØRN RIIS releasing a debut solo album, but he has also drawn the artwork that will be used for the cover, aided and abetted by AIRBAG frontman ASLE TORSTRUP who designed the cover.  Titled “Lullabies in a Car Crash”, the album is set for an Autumn release on Karisma Records, who recently debuted RIIS track “Stay Calm”, which can be heard above and at https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/bjorn-riis-stay-calm

According to RIIS, “Lullabies in a Car Crash”, which will be co-produced by long-time AIRBAG collaborator Vegard Sleipnes  and will feature AIRBAG’s  Henrik Fossum on drums and Tostrup who will provide programming,  is very much a personal album.  Like many musicians who work in established bands, a solo album is an opportunity to explore different musical directions that might not necessarily fit in with their primary band’s material. It is an exploration that RIIS very much relishes, and he considers that some of the material he has produced for “Lullabies in a Car Crash” is some of his best to date.

More information about BJØRN RIIS can be found on the guitarist’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BjornRiisGuitarPage

A video teaser for “Lullabies in a Car Crash” can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/6MQBMgvGr-Q

 


Tracks from all of Karisma Records releases can be heard below and at http://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/sets/karisma-records

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Karisma Records KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Bjørn Riis on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BjornRiisGuitarPage

 

 

 

 

Having recently announced that AIRBAG guitarist BJØRN RIIS  would be releasing his first solo album, “Lullabies in a Car Crash”,  in the Autumn, Karisma Records have today debuted a track from the album.  The track, “Stay Calm”, can be heard above and on the Karisma Records SoundCloud page at https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/bjorn-riis-stay-calm

“Lullabies in a Car Crash”  will be co-produced by long-time ARIBAG collaborator Vegard Sleipnes  and will feature AIRBAG’s  Henrik Fossum on drums, as well as vocalist Asle Tostrup, who will provide programming.  RIIS recently commented on his reasons for embarking on a solo venture, and how he felt about working outside of AIRBAG:   “I’m excited, it has been an interesting journey doing everything by myself. This is not a huge departure from the AIRBAG sound or format, but it is a chance for me to explore different directions and musical ground that might not have fit the band. It’s a personal album and I think some of the stuff is my best work to date.”

More information about BJØRN RIIS can be found on the guitarist’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BjornRiisGuitarPage

“Stay Calm” can be heard at https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/bjorn-riis-stay-calm or embedded using the following code:

A video teaser for “Lullabies in a Car Crash” can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/6MQBMgvGr-Q

 

Tracks from all of Karisma Records releases can be heard below and at http://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/sets/karisma-records

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Karisma Records KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Bjørn Riis on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BjornRiisGuitarPage

 

With a critically acclaimed Digital EP released by the band  last year as a taster of things to come, Karisma Records has set a release date of September 2014 for SEVEN IMPALE’s debut full-length album “City Of The Sun”.  Recorded and produced by Iver Sandøy (ENSLAVED, KRAKOW, etc.) at the Solslottet and Duper Studio,  “City Of The Sun” consists of five musically complex tracks, each distinctly different one from the other, and transcending several genres with their range and variety, but whose roots clearly lie within Classic Progressive Rock.

Formed in Bergen, Norway in 2010, SEVEN IMPALE’s relatively young lineup consists of  Stian Økland on vocals and guitars, Fredrik Mekki Widerøe on drums, Benjamin Mekki Widerøe on sax, Tormod Fosso on bass, Erlend Vottvik Olsen on guitar and Håkon Vinje on keyboards.   What sets the band apart from many of the new arrivals on the scene is the sheer diversity of musical disciplines that the members bring with them.  From classical orchestra to big band, metal to jazz and rock to electronic, SEVEN IMPALE have fused all their experience and influences and created a sound that is uniquely theirs.  Their appearance over the past year at festivals as diverse as the Oslo Jazz Festival and Inferno Festival, and the positive reaction of such different audiences,  is a tribute to how successful their sound is.

Utilising elements normally found in the Metal genre “City Of The Sun” shows just how unafraid SEVEN IMPALE  are to explore much harder soundscapes than one would normally expect from  Progressive Rock, whilst the use of the saxophone, enables the band to showcase jazz elements in their music. There is no doubt at all that SEVEN IMPALE challenge the standard genre boundaries, in much the same way that Norwegian SHINING and JAGA JAZZIST have done before.

Track listing for “City Of The Sun” as follows:

1. Oh, My Gravity!
2. Windshears
3. Eschaton Horo
4. Extraction
5. God Left Us for a Black-Dressed Woman

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

The whole of SEVEN IMPALE’s 2013 EP “Beginning/Relieve” can be heard  on the player at the top of the page and at https://soundcloud.com/sevenimpale/sets/seven-impale-ep

Tracks from Karisma Records releases, can be heard below and at https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/sevenimpale
NRK: http://www.nrk.no/urort/Artist/SevenImpale/default.aspx
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisman/Dark Essence Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Karisma Records SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records

 

Karisma Records announced today that they have inked a deal with AIRBAG guitarist BJØRN RIIS for the release of his debut solo album.  The album, which will be titled “Lullabies in a Car Crash”,  will feature AIRBAG’s  Henrik Fossum on drums, whilst the band’s vocalist Asle Tostrup will provide programming. Long-time Airbag collaborator, Vegard Sleipnes, is set to co-produce the album together with RIIS.   “Lullabies in a Car Crash” is expected to appear on Karisma Records in the Autumn of this year.

Commenting on his solo venture, BJØRN RIIS had this to say: “I’m excited, it has been an interesting journey doing everything by myself. This is not a huge departure from the AIRBAG sound or format, but it is a chance for me to explore different directions and musical ground that might not have fit the band. It’s a personal album and I think some of the stuff is my best work to date.”

More information about BJØRN RIIS can be found on the guitarist’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BjornRiisGuitarPage

A video teaser for “Lullabies in a Car Crash” can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/6MQBMgvGr-Q

 

Tracks from all of Karisma Records releases can be heard below and at http://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/sets/karisma-records

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Karisma Records KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Bjørn Riis on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BjornRiisGuitarPage

 

Norwegian Prog Rockers AIRBAG are set to play three more shows before taking a break from live appearances whilst their vocalist Asle Tostrup embarks on a year-long trip around the world.  The shows will take place on the 24th May at the Progresja Music Zone in Warsaw, the 25th May at the Klubie Studio in Krakow and a newly announced show is set for the 14th June at the John Dee in Oslo, where they will be joined by Karisma Records label-mates FATAL FUSION.  “It’s something that Asle and his girlfriend have been planning for a long time” commented the band, “and finally they are able to do it.  It’s the journey of a lifetime and we will hopefully be receiving updates on his progress throughout their trip”.

It is expected that the band will start performing live again towards summer/autumn 2015, and in the meantime they will begin working on new material for their next album.  According to AIRBAG, even their vacationing vocalist will be participating in the process thanks to modern technology.  The band have also hinted that there will be some interesting news coming up soon, but have given no indication yet as to what this will be about.

AIRBAG’s third full-length album “The Greatest Show on Earth”, was released at the end of last year on Karisma Records, and demonstrates an edgier side of the band, with the inclusion on some heavier passages.  However, AIRBAG’s musical craftsmanship is still very much to the fore with a trademark sound that encompasses massive walls of sound, ambient textures and soulful soundscapes.  The band’s lineup consists of Bjørn Riis (guitars, keyboards, backing vocals, bass, co-producer), Asle Tostrup (vocals, keyboards, programming, producer, graphic design), Henrik Fossum (drums), Jørgen Hagen (programming, keyboards) and Anders Hovdan (bass).

More information about AIRBAG can be found on the band’s website at http://www.airbagsound.com/

A video of AIRBAG playing “All Rights Removed” live in Oslo when the band supported Marillion on the Scandinavian leg of their world tour can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/iwK_hpJAPPA

 

Tracks from all of Karisma Records releases can be heard below and at http://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/sets/karisma-records

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Karisma Records KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords
Website: www.airbagsound.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Airbag/21137836128
MySpace: www.myspace.com/airbagsound
YouTube: www.youtube.com/airbagsound
Airbag Management: Jørn Terje Larsen,  jt@airbagsound.com