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.
Sweden’s self-styled “Alfapokalyptic” Rockers ALFAHANNE, whose ability to marry Black Metal, Classic Rock and Punk with good old Rock n Roll creates a sound that is unmistakably theirs, have released a 7″ single on Iron Fist Productions.
The single follows the traditional format of two tracks. Side A being a new original ALFAHANNE composition titled “Kontroll”, whilst side B is a cover of “Dom Andra”, a track by KENT, one of Sweden’s most popular bands. It is available to order direct from Iron Fist Productions via the label’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ironfistproductions1/
A video of the live version of “Kontroll”, filmed in ALFAHANNE’s rehearsal studio, can be seen below and on YouTube at https://youtu.be/2ge–DO2J6c
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Formed in 2010, ALFAHANNE’s debut full-length album “Alfapokalyps” appeared on Dark Essence Records in 2014 and was followed by “Blod Eld Alfa” in 2015. “Det Nya Svarta”, the band’s third full-length release hit the streets in April 2017 on Indie Recordings. ALFAHANNE’s lineup of Pehr Skjoldhammer on Vocals and Guitar, Fredrik Sööberg on Guitars, Niklas Åström on Drums and Jimmy Wiberg on Bass was recently augmented by the addition of Stefan Eriksson on keyboards.
It is a lineup whose skill, experience, and personality speaks volumes when you realise that the band are able to attract guest performers such as TAAKE’s Hoest, SHINING’s Niklas Kvarforth, HELHEIM’s V’gandr, KVELERTAK frontman Erlend Hjelvik, Spellgoth from HORNA and TURMION KÄTILÖT, Nattfursth from SORHIN, KAMPFAR’s Dolk, David Lindh from YVONNE and BRODER DANIEL and Sanrabb from GEHENNA, not just on their albums, but also on stage.
ALFAHANNE are set to bring their high-energy, charismatic, stage show to Stockholm Slaughter in April, the Karmoygeddon Metal Festival in Norway in May, as well as to Gamrocken in Sweden later the same month, whilst in August they will hit the stage at Wacken Open Air in Germany.
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/
Karisma Records have good news today for fans of PLENTY who have waited three decades for a new release from the band that was formed in 1986 from the remnants of the eccentric Liverpool-based Post-Punk ensemble A BETTER MOUSETRAP and the Art Rockers from Warrington, AFTER THE STRANGER, and is the immediate predecessor to Tim Bowness’ NO-MAN band. Because today they bring you two tracks from the upcoming album “It Could Be home” . One is a single release for the track “Hide” and the other is a lyric video for the track “Every Stranger’s Voice”.
Of “Every Stranger’s Voice” Bowness has this to say:
“Every Stranger’s Voice” was one of the last songs written by Plenty during its first incarnation and dates from 1990. It’s one of the grand ‘doomed romantic ballads’ that partly defined Plenty and early No-Man. I always felt it was one of the strongest songs we’d come up with, but it had the misfortune of emerging in the month that No-Man got its first record and publishing deals so was abandoned very shortly after being written. Michael Bearpark’s searing solo on the track is a real highlight for me. Bob Hodds’ atmospheric video ambiguously captures the emotional ‘force of nature’ that drives the lyric”.
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With regard to the single “Hide”, Bowness went on to say:
“”Hide” is one of the few Plenty pieces that betrays the band’s origins as part of the thriving Liverpool Post-Punk/Art Pop scene of the 1980s. It was written in 1987 and was an important part of the live performances we did at the time. All two of them! I always liked the fact that the song itself hid a dark lyric about mental illness and the desire for retreat behind a jaunty and propulsive musical facade. As I croon about someone’s tragic decline and stasis, Brian and David’s playing exudes something joyous and surprising. The lyric was inspired by a friend who also provided part of the inspiration behind No-Man’s Animal Ghost”.
“Hide” is available from all the usual streaming and download services details of which can be found at http://phonofile.link/hide
“It Could Be Home”, which features PLENTY’s most enduring lineup of Tim Bowness on vocals, Brian Hulse on guitars and keyboards, and David K Jones on bass, was recorded between the spring of 2016 and the summer of 2017, when the band got together once more to re-record their 1980 catalogue of 16 songs, along with one completely new one
“It Could Be Home” Remains faithful to both the spirit of the original recordings, and the era in which they were written, with PLENTY re-writing some of the lyrics and streamlined some of the song arrangements in order to finally produce “It Could Be Home”. It is an album that showcases the origins of the styles that were subsequently to become the trademarks of Bowness and NO-MAN. Significantly, it also reveals a variety of shades to Bowness’ singing, as Jones’s powerful bass playing and Hulse’s inventive guitar parts and pulsating electronics, push his vocals into territories he has rarely explored since the 1980s.
It is an album that could, essentially, be described as a re-discovered gem of the Art Pop genre in which PLENTY’s cover of THE ROLLING STONES’ “As Tears Go By” is given a radical synth-heavy overhaul, “Hide” and “Climb” possess a driving Post-Punk energy, while pieces like “Foolish Waking” and “Strange Gods” anticipate the timeless atmospheric melancholy of Bowness’ music and the direction which it is taking. “The Good Man”, the band’s first new song in 27 years, provides a seamless link between PLENTY’s past and its present.
Set for release on Karisma Records in CD, Digital, LP and Limited Edition Blue Vinyl formats on the 27th April, “It Could Be Home” is mixed and instrumentally augmented by Norwegian producer Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEL), and mastered by THE PINEAPPLE THIEF’S Steve Kitch. The album also features contributions from former PLENTY guitarist Michael Bearpark, pianist Peter Chilvers (BRIAN ENO, KARL HYDE) and NO-MAN violinist Steve Bingham.
With artwork by Carl Glover, tracklisting on “It Could Be Home” is as follows:
As Tears Go By (Rolling Stones cover)
Hide
Never Needing
Broken Nights
Foolish Waking
Strange Gods
Every Stranger’s Voice
Climb
The Good Man
It could be Home
“It Could Be Home” is now available to pre-order in CD and Vinyl versions from the following:
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.
Hot on the heels of their surprising children’s album, released on Karisma Records in late 2017, Norwegian Psychedelic Prog Folk Rockers TUSMØRKE are set to release “Fjernsyn i farver”, their sixth full length album, on the 4th May.
Never having been a band that is afraid of anyone, or anything, even the extremely complex, and rather baffling theories of existence, TUSMØRKE are happy to tackle any subject matter they perceive to be significant, and are quite prepared to wrestle their musical way through ideas that they barely comprehend. Which brings us to the somewhat mind-blowing concept on which “Fjernsyn i farver” is based.
Or maybe that should be “concepts” because “Fjernsyn i farver”, which translated means “Colour Television”, is loosely based on the two concepts of Light and Time and their relationship with reality. Or, as the band explains:
“Everything we see is a reflection made by light from the sun hitting an object. The reflected light is registered by our eyes, but the reflection is also sent out in all other possible directions, travelling at the speed of light. The unobstructed reflections would travel forever onwards into space, therefore, theoretically, if we could devise a means to move faster than light, we could overtake these reflections and view them again, seeing history backwards.
“The second idea is that light is invisible until it hits something and is reflected back, creating an image in colour which the human eye can see. So if there were no physical objects to reflect the light, there would be an eternal totality, a darkness of sorts, since light would not be seen”.
“Fjernsyn i farver”, which will be available in Dikipak, Digital Download, 12″ Vinyl and Limited Edition Purple Vinyl formats, is served up with TUSMØRKE’s brand of psychedelic prog folk, so that whilst the ideas may seem a little “out there”, the music is very accessible and, as always, interesting.
With artwork by Linn Solveig Halvorsrød and design by Tom Korsvold., tracklisting on the album us as follows:
Fjernsyn i farver (Colour Television)
Kniven i kurven (The Knife in the Basket)
Borgerlig tussmørke (Civil Twilight)
3001
Death Czar
Tøyens hemmelighet (The Secret of Tøyen)
“Fjernsyn i farver” is now available to pre-order from the following:
Featuring members of WOBBLER, JORDSJØ and ALWANZATAR, TUSMØRKE’s lineup fields an almost dizzying variety of instruments, and is comprised of Benediktator on Bass, vocals, Glockenspiel and percussion, Krizla on Flute, vocals, electronics and percussion, The Phenomenon Marxo Solinas on Minimoog Model D, Korg CX3, William de Blaise on harpsichord, Steinway & Sons Grand Piano, Hohner Clavinet D6, Mellotron M400, Hammond C3, Wurlitzer 200 and Solina String Ensemble, and HlewagastiR on Drums and percussion.
In a surprise announcement today that will please fans of Kim Ljung of SEIGMEN and ZEROMANCER, not only did Karisma Records reveal that they would be releasing the sixth full-length album from Ljung ‘s LJUNGBLUT project, they have also released an exclusive new single which will not be available on the album.
Titled “Alt godt”, the single is a stripped down and melancholy song imbued with the characteristic Ljungblut sound. “Alt godt” is produced by Ljungblut, mixed by Terje Johannessen and mastered by Chris Sansom. With a cover photo by Julia Beyer and band photos by Christian Roth Christensen, “Alt godt” is available from the 12th February from all digital streaming and download services. It can be heard at http://phonofile.link/ljungblut-alt-godt
Formed by Ljung in 2005 in Tønsberg, Norway, as a vehicle for songs that he felt didn’t fit in with either SEIGMEN or ZEROMANCER, LJUNGBLUT became a fully fledged band in 2011 with the addition of full-time members, some of whom had collaborated on LJUNGBLUT’s first two albums. Joining Ljung (keys and vocals) are Dan Heide on guitars, Ted Skogmann on drums , Joakim Brendsrød on keys , and Sindre Pedersen on bass.
With five independently released albums under their belts, LJUNGBLUT are set to release their much-awaited sixth full-length album, which will be titled “Villa Carlotta 5959”, on Karisma Records in the fall of 2018.
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
PATRICIA THOMAS BAND MANAGEMENT 