BYFROST DEBUTS TRACKS FROM FORTHCOMING RELEASE. ALBUM DETAILS REVEALED

Posted: May 18, 2011 in BYFROST, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
0

Blackened Metallers BYFROST have debuted two tracks from the band’s second full-length album “Of Death”.   The 8 track album, which is due for release on AFM Records in June in both CD and LP formats, was recorded at the Conclave & Earshot Studios in the band’s home town of Bergen, Norway, and was produced by ENSLAVED’s Herbrand Larsen together with BYFROST, and co-produced by ENSLAVED guitarist Ice Dale. Mastering was carried out by Knut Fug Prytz at the Magica Mastering Studio.  Artwork and Design are once again in the hands of Christian Sloan Hall, known for his work with bands like DIMMU BORGIR and SLAYER.   The two tracks “Of Death” and “Buried Alive” can be heard on the SoundCloud player above. Track listing for “Of Death” as follows:

1. May the Dead Rise
2. Eye for an Eye
3. Buried Alive
4. Of Death
5. Full Force Rage
6. Shadow of Fear
7. Sorgh
8. All Gods are Gone

 Formed in 2007 by front man and guitarist HeavyHarms and bassist R.I.P Meister, the band’s first release was the “Byfrostmetal” EP, which appeared in 2008 whilst the band was still a four piece.  The debut full length album “Black Earth” was released in 2010, by which time BYFROST had become a three piece, and had been joined on drums by Mads Liletvedt (HELLISH OUTCAST).  “Black Earth” marked the continuing cooperation between the band and ENSLAVED members Ice Dale, who guested on the album, and Larsen, who, aside from producing both full-lengths, also features on two tracks on the upcoming “Of Death”.

BYFROST are scheduled to appear at this year’s Pary.San Festival in Germany and the Bloodstock Festival in the UK in August and this will be the first time that fans outside of Norway will be able to see the band perform tracks from the new album.  “Of Death” itself is set for release on the 24th June in Germany, and will hit the streets worldwide on the 27th.  More information about BYFROST can be found at http://www.myspace.com/byfrostmetal

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
MySpace: www.myspace.com/byfrostmetal
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BYFROST
Twitter: www.twitter.com/byfrostmetal
ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/byfrost
Band Contact: byfrost@live.no
Management: patriciathomas@btinternet.com
AFM Records: http://www.afm-records.de

BLACK METALLERS WRATH PASSION SIGN LICENCE AGREEMENT WITH PSYCHO 78s CO-ED ROLLER DERBY TEAM

Posted: May 11, 2011 in OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
0

WRATH PASSION, the Black Metal band formed by Daniel Markussen in Lofoten, Norway in 2007, has signed a licensing deal with the PSYCHO 78s, the American, no-holds barred co-ed Roller Derby team from New Jersey.   Started in 2009 by Razor De Rockefeller, the 78’s have grown to become one of the most exciting, hard-hitting and crowd pleasing teams in the world of modern Roller Derby, specialising in full-contact games with no penalties and no clock-stops, and one simple rule “do unto others as you’d have done unto you”.

Commenting on what at first sight seems like an unlikely hook up, Coach Spooky, Head Trainer for the PSYCHO 78s said: “Our no-bullshit take on the game and love of brutality on the track has made us a one of a kind team, and a team that WRATH PASSION fits perfectly with.  The 78s are hard hitting and in your face, and the music of Wrath Passion is the perfect backdrop for the high pace, the bloodshed, and the roar of the crowd”.

Markussen, for whom WRATH PASSION is a vehicle for expressing his unique take on life, was himself a little surprised at the turn of events that led to him sign a license deal that would allow the 78s to use three tracks – “Creatio Ex Nihilo”, “Christian Extermination” and “Black Hole”  on DVD, events, live performances and exhibitions. “The game was completely new to me, and I have to admit that sports don’t particularly interest me as a rule, but I found this brutal and bloody variation of the Roller Derby fucking fun to watch and I was happy to allow the 78s to use WRATH PASSION’s music”.

Originally formed as a one-man project, WRATH PASSION’s line up today includes, Markussen, who plays all instruments, and vocalist Anton van Niekerk (VERKRAG). Using layers of hidden, or occult, knowledge to create a deeply sinister atmosphere, WRATH PASSION’s music also attracted the attention of film producers 3DT Productions last year,  who used some of the band’s tracks on the soundtrack  to  their Grindhouse Thriller  movie “The Back Room”.  More information about WRATH PASSION can be found at http://www.facebook.com/wrathpassion, whilst more info about the PSYCHO 78’s can be found at http://www.facebook.com/psycho78s

Below you can see the official video for “Creatio Ex Nihilo”, one of the WRATH PASSION tracks that will be used by the PSYCHO 78s

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Band Contact: 666@wrathpassion.com
Website: http://www.wrathpassion.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/wrathpassion
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wrathpassion
ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/wrathpassion

LIVE VIDEO OF TAAKE AT SWR BARROSELAS FESTIVAL APRIL 30 2011

Posted: May 2, 2011 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS
0

TAAKE’s appearance at the SWR Barroselas Festival on the 30th April was streamed live.  For those who missed it, you can watch it below.

SHINING ANNOUNCES OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW

Posted: April 20, 2011 in OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES, SHINING
0

The following announcement was issued by SHINING front man and founder Niklas Kvarforth:

“Guitarist Fredric Gråby has left the ranks of SHINING today because he no longer felt able to continue playing.  Unfortunately this means that we have been forced to cancel our appearance at the Ragnarok Festival this month as there is not enough time for a new guitarist to learn the material.

“We are also pleased to announce that Christian Larsson, who has been playing bass with the band for some time on a temporary basis, has now has joined SHINING as a permanent full-time member”.

Niklas Kvarforth
20th April 2011

SHINING INFORMATION

Shining on MySpace: www.myspace.com/shininghalmstad

Shining on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shiningofficial

Shining on ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/shining

PR: patriciathomas@btinternet.com

TAAKE SET TO RELEASE MCD AS PRELUDE TO FULL-LENGTH. TRACK PREMIERED.

Posted: April 20, 2011 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
0

TAAKE, one of Norway’s leading Black Metal bands, is set to release an MCD on the 26th of April which will serve as a taster for the new full-length album later in the year.  “Kveld” contains five tracks, four of which are classic TAAKE songs which have been especially recorded live in the studio with the band’s current live line up, and a new track, “Nordbundet”, which will also feature on the upcoming fifth full-length album “Noregs Vaapen”, which is due for release in September of this year.  Track listing for “Kveld” as follows:

1. Nordbundet
2. Motpol
3. Hordalands Doedskvad 1
4. Over Bjoergvin graater Himmerik 4
5. Nattestid ser Porten vid 1

“Kveld” will be released in Digipack format and limited to 500 copies on founder and front man Hoest’s own label Svartekunst Produksjoner.  The digital version of the MCD will be available through Dark Essence Records, who will also release “Noregs Vaapen” later in the year.  “Kveld” was recorded at the Conclave and Earshot Studios in Bergen with producer Bjornar E. Nilsen, and the track “Hordalands Doedskvad 1” can be heard at http://soundcloud.com/patriciathomas/taake-hordalands-doedskvad-1 or below:

TAAKE is due to play several festivals this year, including Party.San Open Air in Germany, Metal Camp in Sloveina and the SWR Barroselas Metal Fest in Portugal.  Additionally, the band will hit the road on the 21st of April for a short tour with fellow Dark Essence Records label mates, Extreme Prog Metallers VULTURE INDUSTRIES, where fans will be able to get hold of the MCD, which is not being distributed through normal channels, in advance of the release date.  Tour dates as follows:

Thur 21 – K17, Berlin (DE)
Fri 22 – Festung, Bitterfield (DE)
Sat 23 – Heidens Geweld, Dynamo, Eindhoven (NL)
Sun 24 – Le Menhir Chevelu, Brest (FR)
Mon 25 – VULTURE INDUSTRIES only (+ ENSLAVED & NEGURA BUNGET), Nouveau Casino, Paris (FR)
Sat 30 – TAAKE only, SWR Barroselas MetalFest, (PT)

More information about TAAKE can be found at http://taake.svartekunst.no

Below you can see the official video for the track “Umenneske” from the album “Taake”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Taake on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/taakeofficial
Taake Website: http://taake.svartekunst.no/
Svartekunst Produksjoner: http://svartekunst.no
Taake Management & Booking: Propulsion Music http://www.propulsionmusic.no/
Dark Essence Records: http://www.karismarecords.no

DETAILS OF SOPHOMORE ALBUM FROM PROG METALLERS 66CRUSHER REVEALED

Posted: April 17, 2011 in 66CRUSHER, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
0

Norwegian Progressive Metallers 66CRUSHER have announced the details of their sophomore album ”Blackest Day”,  which is scheduled for release on Misanthropica Enterprises on the 20th May.   This is the second release from 66CRUSHER on the San Diego, California, based label, which had previously released the band’s much acclaimed debut album ”Truth Unmasked”.  Guitars, vocals, bass and keys on ”Blackest Day” were recorded by the band themselves, but the rest was handled at Bergen’s Conclave and Earshot Studios, by two of Norway’s leading producers and musicians.  Bjornar Nilsen (VULTURE INDUSTRIES, BLACK HOLE GENERATOR), known for his work with HELHEIM and TAAKE, amongst others, recorded the drums, whilst the mixing was done by Herbrand Larsen (ENSLAVED, AUDREY HORNE). Track listing for ”Blackest Day” as follows:

1  Blackest day
2  Recreated reality
3  Unsaid
4  Concept of elimination
5  Recreated reality
6  Borderline
7  Shipwrecked
8  Diminished mind
9  Us beneath the sea

Incorporating Progressive Elements combined with Classical Metal and Thrash, 66CRUSHER, whose music has been decscribed as ”brilliant, brutal and beautiful”, was formed in the late 1990’s in Bergen, Norway, by frontman and guitarist Jarle Olsvoll and former DEVAR drummer Håkon Obdsaija Bergstad.  It wasn’t until 2001-02, when  guitarist Jonny Wolf and bassplayer Øystein Kummen joined the ranks, that the band really started to take off, releasing a couple of demos and playing local dates.  In 2007 Misanthropica Enterprises signed the band and released ”Truth Unmased”, which led to more live appearances, including the national final of Wacken Metal Batttle.  In 2009 Wolf left the band and was replaced by Martin Legreid of HELLISH OUTCAST, a highly respected guitarist, who is regarded by the new generation of fans as the godfather of Bergen’s Thrash/Death Metal scene.

66CRUSHER will launch ”Blackest Day” with a show at Hulen in Bergen on the 20th May.  More information about the band can be found at http://www.66crusher.com

Below you can see the official promo video for the track “Blackest Day”.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/66crusher
Website: http://www.66crusher.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/66crusher
ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/66crusher
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/66crusher
Band Contact & Booking: mail@66crusher.com
Management & Booking: patriciathomas@btinternet.com


SHINING TO TOUR FINLAND. KVARFORTH INTERVIEW TO STREAM ON U.S. COMMUNITY RADIO

Posted: April 11, 2011 in OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES, SHINING
0

“Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel” from “VII / Född Förlorare”

 

Swedish Extreme Metallers SHINING have confirmed that they will play a four date tour of Finland, home to their label Spinefarm Records, in May of this year.  The tour is set to coincide with the release of their seventh full length album “VII / Född Förlorare”, which in English means “Born Loser”, and which is scheduled for world-wide release on the 25th of May.  Dates for the Finland tour as follows:

Wed 11 May – Yo-Hall, Tampere
Thur 12 May –   Lutakko, Jyväskylä
Fri 13 May – Henry’s Pub, Kuopio
Sat 14 May – Nosturi, Helsinki

SHINING founder and front man Niklas Kvarforth will also be featured on U.S. Community Radio this weekend in an interview with DEREK RICE for his “Raise the Dead” show on the KDVS, Davis 90.3FM station.  The show will air at 12:00 a.m. PT / 09:00 a.m. Central European Time on Sat 16th April and can be streamed live at http://www.kdvs.org/ . The show will later be archived and will be available at http://www.kdvs.org/show-info/1656?date=2011-04-16

SHINING recently debuted the track “Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel”, from the long-awaited “VII / Född Förlorare”, after announcing an amicable split from Indie Recordings and a move to Spinefarm Records.  Guests on the album include WATAIN’s Erik Danielsson, Chris Amott of ARCH ENEMY, Peter Bjärgö of ARCANA and Nordman, one of Sweden’s biggest pop stars.  Kvarforth also confirmed that due to the growth of the band and the various plans that were being made, he wanted to concentrate all his efforts on SHINING, and, with the exception of MANIAC’s band SKITLIV, where he is the guitarist, he would no longer be involved in any other projects except for the occasional guest appearance.

More information about SHINING, can be found on the band’s MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/shininghalmstad

Below you can see SHINING performing the track “I och med insikt skall du förgå” from the IV album “The Eerie Cold”, live at Party.San 2009. © Party.San Open Air 2009.

 

SHINING INFORMATION
Shining on MySpace: www.myspace.com/shininghalmstad
Shining on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shiningofficial
Shining on ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/shining
PR: patriciathomas@btinternet.com

BLACK-FOLK METALLERS GALAR ANNOUNCE LIVE DEBUT

Posted: April 10, 2011 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, GRAVDAL, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
0

Since the release of their second full-length album “Til Alle Heimsens Endar” last year, Norwegian Black-Folk Metallers GALAR have been recruiting live members and preparing to take the band live.  With founders M. Kristiansen (screams and rhythm guitar) and A. B. Lauritzen (clean vocals and bassoon) now having been joined by Specter (GRAVDAL, AETERNUS) on lead guitar,  Phobos (GRAVDAL, AETERNUS, MALSAIN) on drums and Simon Futterlieb on bass, GALAR will make its live debut on the 19th April at the legendary Elm Street Rock Cafe’ in Oslo.  Also appearing will be Dark Essence Records label-mates SULPHUR and the Oslo band FORCEFED HORSEHEAD.

Starting out originally as a two-man studio Project in Bergen, GALAR used guest musicians from a variety of musical genres to record “Til Alle Heimsens Endar”, an album with the sound and feel of both black metal and folk metal.  The title can be translated as “Until the End of All Worlds” and is a concept album based around Snorri Sturluson’s history of Norwegian kings the “Heimskringla”.   As well as their live drummer Phobos, other guests on the album include Ricardo Odriozola on first and second violins, Hans Gunnar Hagen on viola, Siri Hilmen on cello, Morten Nome on double bass, and Cecile Langlie on female vox.

GALAR’s live debut in their home town of Bergen will take place on the 29th April at the Ungdomsklubben Bizarre supported by one of the new generation of local upcoming Black Metal bands HADENS and Hardcore Thrashers QUAVILA. More information about GALAR can be found on the band’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/galarmetal

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Booking & Band Contact: galarmetal@gmail.com
GALAR on MySpace: www.myspace.com/galarmetal
GALAR on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Galar/161537332115
GALAR on ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/galarmetal
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/darkessencerecords

HELHEIM TO STREAM RELEASE CONCERT LIVE

Posted: April 8, 2011 in HELHEIM, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
0

Above is the track “Viten og Mot (Stolthet)” from the album “Heiðindómr ok Mótgangr”.

With their new album “Heiðindómr ok Mótgangr” already out in Norway, and with a world-wide release date set for the 23rd May, Norwegian Viking Metallers HELHEIM will stream the entire set of their release party concert live.  Far from being an ordinary set, the show will be much longer than usual, and will involve the use of two drum kits, concert drums, timpani and French horn players, as well as state of the art VJ’ing and the best sound and light technicians available in Norway.  With several superb guest artists also due to make an appearance, the whole event promises to be something very special.   The concert will take place on Saturday 09th April at the Kvarteret in Bergen, and can be watched at http://www.helheim.com/live/ Streaming will commence at 22:00 Central European Time and the concert itself will start at 22:30. To check the time in your area you can use http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

“Heiðindómr ok Mótgangr”, is the natural sequel to the MCD “Åsgards Fall”, which was released on Dark Essence Records in November of last year.  The first edition of the album will include a bonus DVD which contains HELHEIM’s live shows from the Full Force and Inferno Festivals, as well as the official videos for ”Dualitet og Ulver”, ”Stones To The Burden” and ”Jernskogen”.  The nine track album features guest appearances from Hoest (TAAKE), who also appears in the ”Dualitet og Ulver” video,  Gunnar Emmerhoff (EMMERHOFF & THE MELANCHONY BABIES) amongst others.  “Heiðindómr ok Mótgangr”, was recorded at the Conclave and Earshot Studio in Bergen with producer Bjørnar Nilsen (VULTURE INDUSTRIES, BLACK HOLE GENERATOR) and was mastered by Herbrand Larsen (ENSLAVED).

More information about HELHEIM can be found on the band’s MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/helheimnorway

Below you can see the video of HELHEIM’s “Dualitet og Ulver” which features a guest appearance from TAAKE’s Hoest.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Helheim MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/helheimnorway
Helheim Website: http://www.helheim.com
Helheim Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/helheimnorway
Helheim  YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/frosjo
Band Contact: helheim@helheim.com
Promo & Additional Info: post@karismarecords.no

SHINING DEBUTS TRACK FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM; ALBUM DETAILS REVEALED

Posted: April 6, 2011 in OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES, SHINING
0

“Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel” from “VII / Född Förlorare”

 

Following on from the recent news that SHINING had parted company with Indie Recordings and signed with Spinefarm Records, the band has debuted a track from the forthcoming album “VII / Född Förlorare”, which in English means “Born Loser”.   The track, “Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel”, can be heard on SHINING’s MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/shininghalmstad

All the music and lyrics for “VII / Född Förlorare”, which is due for release on the  25th May,  were written by SHINING’s founder and front man Niklas Kvarforth, and the album was recorded over what the band describes as “three long years” inside the Slaughterhouse studios in Sweden, with Rickard Bengtsson once again producing.

Kvarforth himself defines the finished result as “THE” SHINING album. “It is”, he commented, “the natural successor to our fifth album “V/Halmstad”, rather than to our last release “VI/Klagopsalmer”, which I have always thought of as more of an experiment both in terms of writing and performance”.  “VII / Född Förlorare” includes an array of guest appearances, and here follows a track by track description of the album.

First song: “Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel” (Despair, My Heritage) marks the start of what promises to be the darkest album in SHINING’s career to date – and for a band that epitomises the exploration of darkness, the significance of that statement is self-evident. A video of the track is currently being made.

Second song: “Tiden Läker Inga Sår” (Time Heals Nothing). As well as being tortured behind the microphone throughout most of the song, WATAIN’s Erik Danielsson makes an appearance on vocals on a track whose atmosphere is evocative of Led Zeppelin.

Third song: “Människa O’Avskyvärda Människa” (Man Despicable Man) could perhaps be the most groovy, yet most sinister and dark song from SHINING. Chris Amott of ARCH ENEMY contributes a magnificent solo on the track.

Fourth song: “Tillsammans Är Vi Allt” (Together We Are All) sheds an entirely new light on the band with its melancholic structure and the use of a grand piano as the lead instrument.  The refrain is sung by Nordman, one of Sweden’s biggest pop stars.

Fifth song: “I Nattens Timma” (In The Night Hour). As can be expected with a SHINING album, there is always one track that differs from the rest, and this is the one, with only piano, mellotron and a guest vocal appearance by Peter Bjärgö of ARCANA.

Sixth song: “FFF” A track exploring family relationships, this is one of the most personal songs that Kvarforth has ever written.

More information about SHINING can be found on the band’s MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/shininghalmstad

Below you can see SHINING performing the track “I och med insikt skall du förgå” from the IV album “The Eerie Cold”, live at Party.San 2009. © Party.San Open Air 2009.

SHINING INFORMATION
Shining on MySpace: www.myspace.com/shininghalmstad
Shining on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shiningofficial
Shining on ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/shining
PR: patriciathomas@btinternet.com

 

Older Entries
Newer Entries