“No Tan En Vivo En Mexico”, the “live” album from Thrashers DEAD TROOPER, which was released digitally earlier this year, has been snapped up by Norway’s HELLISH RECORDS, who are set to release the vinyl version in September.   The vinyl, which will include the original cover artwork by Danny Larsen, is not, strictly speaking, a “live” album in the accepted sense of the word because it was, in fact, recorded live in the studio when the band recorded a run-through of what would have been their entire set at the upcoming Wild Metal Festival in Mexico, rather than on stage.

Unfortunately the Wild Metal Festival never really happened due to torrential rain which closed down the event before most of the bands could play, including DEAD TROOPER themselves, who at least managed to get through one and a half songs before the heavens opened.  The band then ended up in a local biker bar, where they, together with local musicians and some eminent guests, performed a set for the sheltering fans.  Having returned and realised that the quality of the run-through recording was of a very high standard, DEAD TROOPER decided to name it “No Tan En Vivo En Mexico”, which translated means “Not-So-Live In Mexico” and release it as thank you for the hospitality and incredible welcome they received from the fans.

Oslo-based DEAD TROOPER, who describe themselves as playing “groovy, aggressive thrash metal”, recently announced that BLODSPOR’s Andreas Stenvoll would be taking over the role of bassist, which was recently vacated by Tor R. Stavenes, whose work with other bands such as 1349 no longer left him sufficient time to dedicate to the rapidly growing thrashers.  They’ve also recently been auditioning guitarists and were surprised by the large numbers who actually applied as the result of a “recruitment” video the band had released.   An announcement about the new line up is expected shortly.  Altogether it has been a very busy period for DEAD TROOPER, with work almost completed on the band’s sophomore full-length album which features guest appearances by some of Norway’s extreme metal elite.  A label is currently being sought.  More information about DEAD TROOOPER can be found at http://www.deadtrooper.com/

Below you can see a video of  DEAD TROOPER performing ”Reaping of Your Cries” live at the Inferno Festival 2012 Kick Off

 

Additional Information
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/deadtrooper
Website: http://www.deadtrooper.com/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/DeadTrooperOfNorway
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/deadtrooper
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/deadtroopermetal
Band Contact & Booking: band@deadtrooper.com
Management & Booking: patriciathomas@btinternet.com
Hellish Records: http://www.hellishrecords.no/

Whilst not known for actually naming any of their tracks, SUCHTHAUS, the brainchild of sculptor and stage designer Spacebrain, have released a video of a track from the band’s debut album “The Dark Side and the Bright Side”, which they have called “DownTown Train”.  The track itself features SKITLIV’s Maniac both on vocals and in the video itself, and it is the first time that the legendary frontman has appeared on a track with his former MAYHEM colleague Hellhammer since splitting with the band several years ago and forming SKITLIV.  The “DownTown Train” video, which is directed and produced by Spacebrain and features Maniac as the Jesus-loving white trash main character can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOZ_8rvYF5k and below.

Commenting on the track itself and on the video Spacebrain, who has largely left behind his days as a sculptor to create music which is then visualised through video, had this to say: “The track started out with me on guitars and bass, which I multi tracked.  I played it to my old friend Maniac and he liked it the moment he heard it, so much so, in fact, that he agreed to perform guest vocals on the track, and within 15 minutes of hearing it he’d written the lyrics.   We decided to add some drums, but finding a drummer within our circle of acquaintances who was available and could follow the complex jazz beat we wanted wasn’t easy.  In the end we realised that Hellhammer was probably the only drummer up to the task.  On this occasion Hellhammer used none of the triggers and gadgets he would normally have used and recorded it on the kind of drum kit that LED ZEPPLIN’s John Bonham used, which gave his playing a much jazzier feel.  He recorded his part in one take, after which Hellhammer and SUCHTHAUS decided to work more closely together in the future”.

SUCHTHAUS itself is formed of the nucleus of Spacebrain and Fruen, with a fluid line up that varies as the fancy takes them, whilst the list of guests and collaborators on “The Dark Side and the Bright Side”, which was released in December of last year on Rollabigone Records, is as eclectic as the band itself.  Aside from Maniac and Hellhammer, you will find CURRENT 93’s David Tibet, Ingvar Magnusson of SKITLIV, Fredrik A. Juell of BURNING RUBBER and BERSERK BASTARDS, and Sibob Jawara who has sung the world-over but had never used a microphone before recording with SUCHTHAUS.

According to Spacebrain SUCHTHAUS is “a reflection of our own musical preferences and you can’t therefore squeeze it into some particular genre.  Every track on “The Dark Side and the Bright Side” has its own individual character – the atmosphere changing with our mood and the amount of drugs and alcohol we consume while we’re making the sounds and it varies from the very dark to the very bright.  Most tracks are an experiment with sounds, and we start each one with no plan or idea of where the piece will lead us. Some tracks are made as a one man project; others have 7-8 contributors.   The best way to describe what we do is that instead of making visual sculptures, we try to make sound sculptures, although we do visualize them with the help of videos”.  More information about SUCHTHAUS can be found at http://www.suchthaus.no

The “DownTown Train” video by SUCHTHAUS can be seen below:

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Website: http://www.suchthaus.no
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suchthausofficial
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/suchthaus/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/suchthaus
Band Contact and Booking: trash@spacebrain.no
Press Contact: https://patriciathomasmanagement.com/
patriciathomas@btinternet.com

 

TROLLFEST has today announced that the limited edition Digipack version of the band’s upcoming fifth full length album “Brumlebassen” will feature bonus download content that includes 100 minutes of videos, screen savers and MP3s as well as a much requested translation of the lyrics which are normally written in the band’s own mix of Norwegian and German.  The download content will be accessible through a unique personalized code which will be printed on each individual Digipack.  A promo video about the download has also been released and can be seen below.

Full download content as follows:
Video – The  Making Of Brumlebassen (37 min)
Video – Heidenfest Tour Diary (63 min)
English translation of all the Brumlebassen lyrics
Screensavers/Wallpapers
Skogsfest (mp3) – exclusive previously unreleased song
The MetalCamp song (mp3) – exclusive previously unreleased song

Due for release on NoiseArt Records on the 24th August, the album, which will also be available in Gatefold vinyl format,  will once again feature storylines and characters from the universe created by TROLLFEST which is inhabited by an assortment of crazy, fun-loving and mead-fuelled trolls, and which is once again brought vividly to life in the artwork of Swedish cartoonist Jonas Darnell who originally created the iconic metal duck from TROLLFEST’s “Villanden” album, and designer Terje Johnsen.

TROLLFEST, which includes members from some of Norway’s foremost Black and Extreme metal bands and plays what they themselves describe as “True Norwegian Balkan Metal”, which veers between extreme metal and folk metal and all points in between, will play a series of festivals over the summer including ExtremeFest in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and Fosch Fest in Italy in July, and MetalCamp in Slovenia in August.  In the Autumn the band will set out on the Heidenfest tour along with WINTERSUN and KORPIKLAANI.  More information about TROLLFEST can be found on the band’s website at http://www.trollfest.com

Below you can see the official promo video for the download content of “Brumlebassen”

 

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

Dark Metallers AETERNUS, who are currently in the studio with producer Bjornar E. Nilsen recording what will be their seventh full-length album,  have joined forces with the UK based Mythology Agency who will represent the band’s booking interests world-wide outside of their home country of Norway.  Mythology ‘s Mark Lewis stated: “For many years AETERNUS have been a driving force in the Norwegian underground, quite possibly one of the first (second wave) bands to understand the limitations of the term “Black Metal” whilst retaining their destructive heaviness and dark aesthetic with authenticity. This is a criminally underrated band despite having an incredible back catalogue and dedicated fans throughout the world. There can be no doubt that a re-appreciation of their work by the metal press is long overdue – and as a result this is exactly the type of band that excites me personally. With a refreshed line-up and much anticipated new album being recorded Mythology are extremely proud and excited to being working with the band. “With wisdom we walk, with might we slay!

AETERNUS was formed in Bergen in 1993 by guitarist and frontman Ares and is one of the pioneers of what the band calls “Dark Metal”, which meshes the sounds of Black Metal and Death Metal with superlative guitar playing and occasional haunting, melodic interludes.  With seven years between the release of the band’s last album “Hexaeon” and the upcoming “And the Seventh His Soul Detesteth”,  which is set for release later this year on Dark Essence Records, AETERNUS re-emerged recently with a new lineup that includes GRAVDAL members Phobos on drums and Specter on guitars.  Following a stunning live comeback performance at the Hub and Huey festival in the Netherlands last month Ares commented, “Talking to Mark convinced us that he understood exactly what AETERNUS was all about, and the collaboration with Mythology couldn’t have come at a better time because AETERNUS is back with a vengeance and ready not only to remind our old fans of what they have been missing, but also show a whole generation of new fans the intensity and power that AETERNUS brings to everything we do.”   More information about AETERNUS can be found on the band’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Aeternusofficial


Fan-filmed footage of AETERNUS at the Hub & Huey Festival in May 2012 can be seen below

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

Love, kisses, hugs and other manly things from

Trollmannen
Mr. Seidel
Manskow
Drekka Dag
Trollbank

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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