Guitarists Tchort (CARPATHIAN FOREST, ex EMPEROR, ex BLOOD RED THRONE) and BloodPervertor (CARPATHIAN FOREST, APOSTASY, ex NEONGOD) have launched a new band named THE 3rd ATTEMPT, which CARPATHIAN FOREST fans will recognise as the title of a track from the “Black Shining Leather” album.
Commenting on the decision to launch a new project BloodPervertor had this to say: “We are both the kind of musicians who very much enjoy what we do, both in the studio and on stage, and we wanted to be more active live than CARPATHIAN FOREST has allowed us to be over the past couple of years”. Tchort added: “Our fans and people in the business know that we bring hunger and passion to the table, and that we are all about quality and professionalism, and everyone should expect nothing less from THE 3rd ATTEMPT”.
Having formed the band at the beginning of 2014, the two guitarists have a full-length album already written, and are currently looking to complete the lineup ready to begin recording and prepare for live appearances. Tchort and BloodPervertor will both be leaving CARPATHIAN FOREST in order to give their full attention to the new band.
More details about the band will be revealed shortly. In the meantime, information about THE 3rd ATTEMPT can be found on the official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/the3rdattemptofficial
Norwegian Black Metallers CREST OF DARKNESS have released a lyric video for the track “From the Dead” taken from their sixth full-length album “In the Presence of Death”, which was released last year on My Kingdom Music. The video can be seen below and on the band’s YouTube channel at http://youtu.be/xKQPoDB8860
CREST OF DARKNESS is the dark offspring of frontman and bassist Ingar Amlien, who formed the band in the mid-nineties at a time when the popularity of his then-band CONCEPTION was at its height. Amlien had always wanted to more fully explore his interest in Vampirism and Satanic ideology, and to do this he realised that he would have to move away from the Progressive side of Power Metal, and CREST of DARKNESS is the vehicle he chose. Using his passion for sonic brutality to create an intense form of Black Metal that makes use of Death and Epic Metal and even a hint of the Gothic, Amlien has, over the years, been able to develop a sound that is unmistakably CREST OF DARKNESS in its intensity.
Aside from preparing CREST OF DARKNESS to hit the stage again, Amlien is also working on new material for the band’s next album, and has hinted that there will be some significant news coming from the CREST OF DARKNESS CAMP very soon. He is also currently working on a new album with ROQUEFIRE, the Hard Rock band for which he plays bass.
Swedish Depressive Black Metallers VANHELGA have explained the concept behind their upcoming tour in their home country later this month which they will undertake along with KALL and HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY. “It is”, says founder and bassist J Ottoson, ” a rather unique event in which we use music to portray the grey, and on occasion, somewhat miserable everyday existence of the average Swede. Having said that, we can assure the fans that the shows themselves will be far from being grey experiences, but we have always found it interesting that other nationalities believe that the Swedish people are gloomier and more reclusive than others, and we thought that it would be interesting to explore this phenomenon further in front of Swedish audiences. We have called the tour ‘Svensk Uppgivenhet’, which is a classic phrase meaning “Swedish Melancholy”, or as some prefer to call it “Swedish Resignation”.
More information about the individual tour dates can be found in the Events section of VANHELGA’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/officialvanhelga Routing for the ‘Svensk Uppgivenhet’ tour as follows:
19 May: Göta Källare, Stockholm (with local supports)
21 May: Club Medusa, Stockholm
22 May: L’Orient, Linköping
23 May: Göta Hof, Gothenburg
24 May: Kulturhuset, Norrköping
VANHELGA’s third full-length album “Längtan” was released at the end of last month in digipack format by the German label Art of Propaganda, and the 12″ vinyl version is set to appear on Sweden’s Carnal Records on a date to be announced shortly. “Längtan”, which translated means “Longing”, and, in the case of the album, explores the longing for death in order to attain a truly free existence, is currently being streamed in its entirety by Terrorizer Magazine and can be heard at http://www.terrorizer.com/news/streams/stream-vanhelgas-new-album-langtan-exclusively-terrorizer
VANHELGA is a band that fits just as well in the Black Metal genre as it does in what is described as DSBM both in sound and subject matter. Something that they ably illustrated in the recently released video for the track “Där Evigheten Inväntar Mig” from the new album. Formed in Linköping, Sweden, in 2001, today’s lineup includes founder J. Ottosson, aka 145188 (former live session musician for LIFELOVER and ex-SKOGSTRON) on Bass, Guitars and Vocals, J. Gabrielson (ESKAPI, ex-LIFELOVER) on Vocals, J. Ejnarsson (TAKETH) and Wadström (ex-SKOGSTRON) on guitars and D. Franzén on drums. The video for “Där Evigheten Inväntar Mig” can be seen on VANHELGA’s YouTube channel at http://youtu.be/N1fiCNTUi3I
In October VANHELGA will once again team up with HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY for a series of shows in Germany alongside AGRYPNIE. Routing as follows:
22 Oct: Steinbruch Theater, Darmstadt
24 Oct: From Hell, Erfurt
25 Oct: K17, Berlin
26 Oct: Bambi Galore, Hamburg
The official video for the track ” Där Evigheten Inväntar Mig “, from VANHELGA’s 2004 full-length album “Längtan “, can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/N1fiCNTUi3I
Although the band’s recorded output has lain virtually dormant since 2004 when Dark Essence Record re-released their 2001 classic “The Pulse of Decay”, things are definitely starting to stir in the HADES ALMIGHTY recording front, so much so, in fact, that Dark Essence have renewed their contract and are planning to release a new album from the legendary Norwegians.
Formed in 1992 by guitarist Jorn (DOMINANZ, ex-OLD FUNERAL, ex-IMMORTAL, ex-AMPUTATION), and drummer Remi, HADES ALMIGHTY became a fully functioning band with the arrival of Janto on Bass and vocals, and Nagel on guitar and the release of their first demo “Alone Walkyng”. A series of further releases followed, but it was the appearance of “Pulse of Decay” that really catapulted HADES ALMIGHTY to the forefront of the Black Metal genre, by demonstrating their ability to convey the real darkness that lies within human passion.
With today’s lineup of Janto, Jorn and Remi, HADES ALMIGHTY have proved time and time again in the live arena that they are a force to be reckoned with, and that they rightly deserve to be called “the heaviest Black Metal three-piece in the world”. With another two of the band’s albums “…Again Shall Be” & ” Dawn Of The Dying Sun”, being released on CD and vinyl in 2010, calls from fans for new material have been increasing, and with work on a new album progressing well, it looks like those calls will, at long last, be answered.
The official video for the track “Submission Equals Suicide” from HADES ALMIGHTY’s album “The Pulse of Decay” can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/QOeTGUwcz98
Formed in Linköping, Sweden, in 2001 by musicians looking for an outlet for their own expression and creativity rather than having to perform other people’s music, VANHELGA’s distinctive, and at times unsettling, sound straddles the divide between the Black Metal and DSBM genres. Today’s lineup includes founder J. Ottosson, aka 145188 (former live session musician for LIFELOVER and ex-SKOGSTRON) on Bass, Guitars and Vocals, J. Gabrielson (ESKAPI, ex-LIFELOVER) on Vocals, J. Ejnarsson (TAKETH) and Wadström (ex-SKOGSTRON) on guitars and D. Franzén on drums.
Set for release in both CD and vinyl formats, the digi pack version of “Längtan” will hit the streets through the German label Art of Propaganda on the 28th April, while the LP version will appear on Sweden’s Carnal Records on a date to be announced shortly. The title itself means “Longing”, and is an exploration of the concept that death is not the end of existence, but rather the beginning of true freedom, without all the restraints placed on us by society. Death, therefore is to be “longed for” rather than feared. Artwork for the twelve-track album, which is available to pre-order at http://www.art-of-propaganda.de/shop/index.php, is by the Spanish artist Juanjo Castellano. Track listing for “Längtan” as follows:
1. Svartsint ömhet
2. Där evigheten inväntar mig
3. Evig förändring
4. Med mina andetag
5. Joyless
6. Låt snön falla
7. Kärleksförklaring
8. Vansinnesvardag
9. Narkotisk uppgivenhet
10. Eternal night
11. Förbarma
12. Exploderande känslostorm
VANHELGA recently release a video for the track “Där Evigheten Inväntar Mig”, which depicts, through disturbing images, the story of a man who wakes up in a confused state and with the dawning realization that he may have tortured and killed his best friend. The video for “Där Evigheten Inväntar Mig” can be seen below and on VANHELGA’s YouTube channel at http://youtu.be/N1fiCNTUi3I
Additionally, the band also released a digital single taken from the track “Längtan” . The single, “Där Evigheten Inväntar Mig”, which means “Where Eternity Awaits Me”, can be found on VANHELGA’s own BandCamp page at http://vanhelga.bandcamp.com/album/d-r-evigheten-inv-ntar-mig
VANHELGA are set to play a series of dates in their native Sweden in May along with HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY and KALL. Routing as follows:
21 May: Club Medusa, Stockholm
22 May: L’Orient, Linköping
23 May: Göta Hof, Gothenburg
24 May: Kulturhuset, Norrköping
Whilst in October they will once again team up with HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY for some shows in Germany alongside AGRYPNIE. Routing as follows:
22 Oct: Steinbruch Theater, Darmstadt
24 Oct: From Hell, Erfurt
25 Oct: K17, Berlin
26 Oct: Bambi Galore, Hamburg
Norwegian Black Metallers RAGNAROK have announced an amicable parting of the ways with their frontman Hans Fyrste. Fyrste, who has been with the band since 2005 and performed vocals on two of their seven full length albums – 2010’s “Collectors of the King” and the latest release “Malediction” – is cutting back on his musical activities due to other personal and job-related commitments, which had already affected his ability to tour with RAGNAROK at the end of last year. His last live appearance with the band was at this year’s Blastfest festival in February.
In a statement the frontman explained his decision: “The decision to leave RAGNAROK, has been an extremely hard one to make. Jontho and Brigge brought me in to the horde in 2005, and this still stands as my biggest achievement as a musician. Personal circumstances have made it so that I will not be able to dedicate myself to RAGNAROK, as much as it requires. It is with a heavy heart that we have come to an agreement, and I am pulling out of the band.
“All words fall short compared to how grateful I am for have taken part in this journey.Over the years we have experienced so many great achievements, and I would never have been without any of them. Being able to tour around the world, from Siberia to Rio de Janeiro, with supporting, passionate and faithful friends and fans in every city, has been a humbling experience. Every step of the way has also brought with it impressions, educating me to be a stronger person. Also learning so many new things, evolving to be the vocalist and human being I am today.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has made this journey possible. Without all my great friends and fans out there, nothing of this could have ever happened. Thank you! And finally, of course, thank you Jontho, DezeptiCunt and Bolverk. Thank you for all the great times on and off the stage. Thank you for everything we have gone through together. Thank you for the brotherhood and support! I leave RAGNAROK as a humble man, and wish my brothers all the best in the future.
Hans Fyrste…. ”
Founder and drummer Jontho had this to say about Fyrste’s departure “After 20 years you come to expect these things as an inevitable part of being in a band. Sooner or later there comes a time when all musicians must take a hard look at their lives and take decisions based on family and work commitments. Hans Fyrste felt that he could not give the amount of dedication that RAGNAROK asks of its members, and that it would be fairer all round to call it a day, and that is very much to his credit. He has been a real asset to the band. We have watched him grow over the years to become a great frontman and we wish him all the best for the future”.
Formed in 1994, and celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year, RAGNAROK are unfazed by the departure of their frontman and have begun work on what will be their eighth full-length album. The band played their first North American show in November last year, and are scheduled to headline at the Sick Midsummer Festival in Austria in July. They have not yet disclosed who will replace Hans Fyrste in the lineup, which, aside from Jontho on drums, includes DezeptiCunt on Bass and Bolverk on guitars. “Let’s just say that we are looking at various options, some of which might come as a bit of a surprise to RAGNAROK fans, but we’re not prepared to say more at this time”, commented Jontho.
DARK ESSENCE RECORDS plans to make their annual Inferno Festival event a little different this yea when they join forces with sister label KARISMA RECORDS to showcase two of their bands each at Blå on Wednesday 16th April. “We are always conscious of the fact that while many of Dark Essence’s artists such as TAAKE tour frequently, and fans in Europe have a good chance of seeing them live, the Karisma artists tend to tour much less, so we thought that this year we would open up the event to give their fans a chance to see some of them, and introduce them to Dark Essence’s fans at the same time”, commented the label’s Martin Kvam.
Representing Dark Essence will be two bands whose recent releases have been getting rave reviews from press and fans alike. First up will be SLEGEST, the new project from former VREID guitarist Ese, who has skilfully blended classic heavy rock and old-school black metal to produce a sound that is both dark and sinister, and with an unmistakably down and dirty catchy groove that weaves its way through the music. Originally started as a one-man project, once the debut full-length album “Løyndom” was released at the end of 2013, it quickly became clear that the demand from fans to see SLEGEST perform live was such that Ese was persuaded to form a fully functioning band. More information about SLEGEST can be found at https://www.facebook.com/slegest
The official video for the track “Ho Som Haustar Aleine” from SLEGEST’s “Løyndom” can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/ti8XokQakEw
Joining them will be Sweden’s ALFAHANNE, whose lineup includes members of bands such as VINTERLAND and early MAZE OF TORMENT, and who have come together to play what they themselves have called ”Alfapocalyptic Rock”, a fascinating and hard-hitting mix of Black Metal, Classic Rock and Punk with some Goth influences . Their high-energy live performances have garnered them much praise. Making a guest appearance on stage with ALFAHANNE, will be HELHEIM’s V’gandr who performed vocals on one of the tracks from the band’s new album “Alfapokalyps” . It is a tribute to ALFAHANNE that they were able to attract not only V’gandr to make a guest appearance on the album, but also Dark Essence label-mates Hoest from TAAKE and Niklas Kvarforth from SHINING. More information about ALFAHANNE can be found at https://www.facebook.com/alfahanneofficial
Making an appearance for Karisma will be two bands, representing the new and the established. Lovers of Prog Rock cannot fail to recognise the name of AIRBAG, a band known the world-over for an exquisite musical craftsmanship that enables its musicians to create a sonic experience ranging from massive walls of sound, to ambient textures and soulful soundscapes, both in the studio and on stage. The release of AIRBAG’s third full-length album “The Greatest Show on Earth” at the end of last year confirmed the band’s status in the world of prog, earning them many accolades. Inferno will be one of the very few chancesthat to catch this incredible band live this year so it is an opportunity that should not be missed. One for fans of ANATHEMA. More information about AIRBAG can be found at http://www.airbagsound.com/
The second of the Karisma bands is one of their latest signings, SEVEN IMPALE. The release of the digital EP “Beginning/Relieve” last year gave an indication of the multi-faceted nature of these young musicians. With its member drawn from a range of disciplines including classical orchestra, big band, metal, jazz, rock and electronic music, their sound ranges from progressive and jazzy to the softer and more melodic to the harder and edgier. They bring a freshness and enthusiasm to their live performances, and it is anticipated that their debut full-length album later this year will more than meet expectations, setting them apart from many other new arrivals on the scene. If you are a fan of Norway’s SHINING, SEVEN IMPALE is definitely a band you will want to check out. More information about SEVEN IMPALE can be found at https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale
Scheduled performances for the Dark Essence Records / Karisma Records artists at Inferno Festival, which will take place at Blå, Brennereiven 9C, Oslo, Norway, on Wednesday 16th April as follows:
With their new album “Längtan” due for release on the 28th of April, Sweden’s VANHELGA have today revealed more information on what will be their third full-length release. Taking longing and death as its theme, “Längtan” explores the idea that death is not an ending, but the beginning of a life free from all the strictures imposed on us by society, and that death should be something to be longed for, rather than feared. The album will be released in CD format on the Art of Propaganda label on the 28th April, and in vinyl format on Carnal Records on a date as yet to be confirmed. Artwork for “Längtan” is by the Spanish artist Juanjo Castellano.
Tracklisting as follows:
1. Svartsint ömhet
2. Där evigheten inväntar mig
3. Evig förändring
4. Med mina andetag
5. Joyless
6. Låt snön falla
7. Kärleksförklaring
8. Vansinnesvardag
9. Narkotisk uppgivenhet
10. Eternal night
11. Förbarma
12. Exploderande känslostorm
Formed in Linköping, Sweden, in 2001, VANHELGA’s lineup consists of founder J. Ottosson, aka 145188 (ex-LIFELOVER (live session musician), ex-SKOGSTRON) on Bass, Guitars and Vocals, J. Gabrielson (ESKAPI, ex-LIVELOVER) on Vocals, J. Ejnarsson (TAKETH) and Wadström (ex-SKOGSTRON) on guitars and D. Franzén on drums. The word “vanhelga” means “profane” and is a clear indication of the type of music the band plays. To define their style as “Black Metal” would be too simplistic because VANHELGA is a band that can be cold and sinister and at the same time produce distinctive melodies and moments of melancholia, all melded together in the perfect musical expression of the dark thoughts that inhabit the minds and souls of its creators.
VANHELGA are set to play a series of dates in their native Sweden in May along with HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY and KALL. Routing as follows:
21 May: Club Medusa, Stockholm
22 May: L’Orient, Linköping
23 May: Göta Hof, Gothenburg
24 May: Bryggeriet, Motala
Whilst in October they will once again team up with HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY for some shows in Germany alongside AGRYPNIE. Routing as follows:
22 Oct: Steinbruch Theater, Darmstadt
24 Oct: From Hell, Erfurt
25 Oct: K17, Berlin
26 Oct: Bambi Galore, Hamburg
VULTURE INDUSTRIES, DORDEDUH and BLUTMOND, three of the most exciting and innovative bands within the extreme metal genre are set to hit the road together during May on an eleven date tour that will take in countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece and Slovenia. As well as tickets being available from the usual ticketing agencies, special personalised tickets designed by the Romanian artist Costin Chioreanu, will be sold exclusively through the webshops of the individual bands. Each ticket will feature the name of the purchaser and will be signed by all the bands. Routing for what will be known as the “Branches” tour as follows:
With a career spanning 10 years and with over 100 shows under their belts, the live performances of Norwegian avant-gardists VULTURE INDUSTRIES are well known both for their technical skill and the eccentric and somewhat manic antics of frontman Bjørnar E. Nilsen, whose on-stage weirdness has garnered a multitude of fans for the band over the years. VULTURE INDUSTRIES released their third full-length album, “The Tower” on Season of Mist at the end of last year and have collaborated extensively the HAPPY GORILLA DANCE COMPANY in the “Turning Golem” project which is part concert rooted in the heavier segment of experimental/progressive metal and part theatre performance. The band’s video for “Lost Among Liars”, made together with CHOIREANU, recently featured at this year’s Kort and Kortkino Film Festival, Sandnes, Norway. More information about VULTURE INDUSTRIES can be found at http://www.vulture-industries.net/
After 15 years of musical dedication and innovation in NEGURA BUNGET, the founding members and principal song writers Hupogrammos and Sol Faur founded DORDEDUH in 2009. Following the path started with NEGURA BUNGET, DORDEDUH is taking the musical experience further by creating a fusion between a visionary approach of black metal, unusual traditional soundscapes and experimental progressive music. The musical vision is completed by a strong conceptual background that can be revealed by the band’s name itself that combines the word ‘Dor’, which means a yearning for something or a deeply felt the lack of something, together with the term for spirit ‘Duh’. More information about DORDEDUH can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Dordeduh
Since its formation in 2004 BLUTMOND has never been a band that has been happy to limit itself to a formulaic nod in the direction of a particular genre. Starting out as a Black Metal band and releasing their first full length album “Endzeit” in 2006, BLUTMOND quickly developed a reputation for their insane and provocative live shows, which, whilst raising their profile throughout Europe, also led them to realise that the time had come to create something that was more emotional and honest. With Code666/Aural Music picking up their sophomore full-length album, “Thirteen Urban Ways 4 Groovy Bohemian Days” appeared in 2010, followed at the end of 2012 by “The Revolution is Dead!”, once again on Code666. These two albums demonstrated that BLUTMOND was obviously forging ahead down a more avant-garde path, but one that definitely has a distinctive edge to it. More information about BLUTMOND can be found at https://www.facebook.com/blutmond.official
PATRICIA THOMAS BAND MANAGEMENT 