Posts Tagged ‘Dark Essence Records’

momentumpr_zps8987768e

2015 proved to be an extremely successful year in terms of critically acclaimed releases for  Dark Essence Records, and the Norwegian label has decided to  kick  off 2016 with a tasty re-release, in digital format, of the debut full-length album from Icelandic Progressive Doom Metallers MOMENTUM.    “Fixation, at Rest” is set for release on the 15th January,  and the track ” Prosthetic Sea ” from the album can be heard at https://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records/momentum-prosthetic-sea

 

WIth the band’s sophomore full-length album “The Freak Is Alive” finding its way into a plethora of “Best of 2015” lists, it’s not such a surprising idea to let fans experience an album they may have missed the first time around.    Originally released in 2010, with the band’s then-lineup of Hörður Ólafsson on  Vocals & Bass, Ingvar Sæmundsson on Guitar & Backing Vocals, Kristján Einar Guðmundsson on Drums and Erling Orri Baldursson on Guitar.  The ten-track album was recorded at Island Studios by Axel Árnason and Studio Njallinn by Momentum in 2009 and mixed and mastered by Axel Árnason at Studio ReFlex in 2010

Artwork for “Fixation, at Rest” is by Hörður Ólafsson . Track listing as follows:

01 – Intro
02 – Metamorphose
03 – Holding Back
04 – Red Silence
05 – The Conduits Lead
06 – As The Skies Break
07 – Prosthetic Sea
08 – The Eye That Leads the Way
09 – Inspiration
10 – Fixation, at Rest

Momentum Fixation Artwork PR

With “Fixation, at Rest”, MOMENTUM  had very much left behind them their Black/Death Metal roots and developed a sound and an identity that is distinctly their own,  and which uses not just music and lyrics, but also frontman Hörður Ólafsson’s idiosyncratic artwork as an integral part of the band’s overall concept .

Now a trio, MOMENTUM’s lineup comprises Kristján on Drums,  Holaf on  Vocalsand Bass , and Ingvar on Guitar and Vocals.   It is a band whose sound is best described as the merging of atmospheric post-rock, reminiscent of ISIS and CULT OF LUNA, together with a level of bone-crushing heaviness broken up by soft singing and relaxed clean passages, intense vocals layered over discordant, staccato bursts, and mingling with eerie sound textures that explode into high-impact power chords, which bring to mind the work of NEUROSIS.

More information about MOMENTUM can be found on the band’s website at www.momentumiceland.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/momentumiceland

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A video of MOMENTUM playing the title track from their debut album “Fixation, at Rest” live at the Airwaves festival can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/hobUiT8qEvo

 

The DARK ESSENCE RECORDS SoundCloud player contains tracks from all the label’s releases and can be found below and at http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records/sets/dark-essence-records

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Website: www.momentumiceland.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/momentumiceland
Twitter: https://twitter.com/momentumiceland
BandCamp: http://momentum.bandcamp.com/
ReverbNation: www.reverbnation.com/momentumiceland
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/momentumiceland
Band Contact: momentumiceland@gmail.com
Dark Essence contact: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence Records Bandcamp: http://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence Records KlickTrack: shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords

Sulphur PR1

Seven years after the release of their last album, SULPHUR have once again signed with Norway’s Dark Essence Records, and are ready to announce details of what will be the Experimental Black/Death Metallers third full-length album.   Titled “Omens of Doom”,  the seven-track album is expected to hit the streets in February 2016.

With artwork by Romanian artist and designer Costin Chorineu, tracklisting for “Omens of Doom” is as follows:

  1. The Force of Our Fall
  2. Gathering Storms
  3. The Devils Pyre
  4. Plague and Pestilence
  5. Omens of Doom
  6. Rise of the Mushroom Clouds
  7. Alt Svartner

Sulphur AlbumArtwork

Formed in 2000 with current and former members of bands such as GORGOROTH, ENSLAVED, AETERNUS and   VULTURE INDUSTRIES,  SULHPUR’s demo “A Relic For The Damned”  demonstrated the direction the band would be taking, which lies between Death and Black Metal with a progressive twist, but the band lay dormant for a few years, until they returned with a second demo and an altered lineup and eventually signed to Osmose Productions for the release of their debut studio album “Cursed Madness” in 2007.

By 2009 SULPHUR had found their home with Dark Essence Records, and released their critically acclaimed sophomore album “Thorns in Existence”.   Now, with a lineup that includes  Thomas Skinlo Høyven on Vocals, Øyvind Madsen on guitars, keys and programming, Vegard Hovland on bass, Erik Hæggernes on  drums and guitarist Martin Lynn Ytrøy who replaces VULTURE INDUSTRIES’  Eivind Huse,  SULPHUR is back with a brand new album that features guest appearances from producer and VULTURE INDUSTRIES’ frontman Bjornar Erevik Nilsen as well as Eivind Huse.

SULPHUR’s next live appearance will be on the 19th February at Blastfest in Bergen, Norway.

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

Sulphur PR2

Fan-filmed footage of SULPHUR performing at Karmoygeddon Arctic Festival can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/StQt-ZBipYQ

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SULPHUR’s 2009 album “Thorns in Existence” can be heard below and at https://sulphurnorway.bandcamp.com/

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SULPHURBAND
Band Contact: oyvind@vulture-industries.net
Dark Essence Records contact and promo: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence Records Bandcamp: https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords

 

Helheim PR2

Norwegian Viking Metallers HELHEIM are streaming the whole of their eighth full-length album “raunijaR” ahead of the 4th December release date on Dark Essence Records.  You can listen to “raunijaR”, which is being  streamed exclusively on Terrorizer Magazine, at http://www.terrorizer.com/news/helheim-stream-new-album-raunijar

The follow up to 2011’s “Heiðindómr ok Mótgangr”, “raunijaR” brings to a close the “Åsgards Fall ” storyline that began with the EP of that name in 2010, and also completes the themes that have woven their way in and out of HELHEIM’s music since the very beginning.  Featuring  ALFAHANNE’s Pehr Skjoldhammer and Norwegian musician William Hut on guest vocals, as well as additional guest musicians on violin, piano and horns,  the album  was recorded at the Conclave & Earshot Studio by VULTURE INDUSTRIES’ Bjørnar Nilsen and mastered  by ENSLAVED’s Herbrand Larsen.  Artwork for the album is by HELHEIM’s  H’grimnir of www.coverart.no.   Track listing on “raunijaR” as follows:

  1. Helheim 9
  2. raunijaR
  3. Åsgards Fall III
  4. Åsgards Fall IV
  5. Odr

Helheim raujnaR ArtworkPR

“raunijaR” is available to pre-order from http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/product/helheim-rauniar-cd-t-shirt-bundle or https://helheim.bandcamp.com/

Over their twenty plus years of existence, HELHEIM’s lineup of  V’gandr on bass and vocals, H’grimnir on  guitar and vocals, Hrymr on  drums and Noralf on guitars have made use not just of story lines taken from folklore, but they have enhanced these with the use of traditional instruments to give a realistic Viking feel to their epic music, which many acknowledge to be one of the most authentic , if not the most authentic, in the genre.  They have spent their time wisely between their last release and the recording on “raunijaR” , honing and developing HELHEIM’s dark and atmospheric sound, and further enhancing it with  additional clean vocals by V’gandr , which now allows the two vocalists to combine their clean vocals to add yet another interesting new dimension to the  band’s sound.

V’gandr  recently gave his insights  on the new album:  “The  opening track “Helheim 9” is actually the last in the line of the HELHEIM tracks where Hrymr in particular has been the creative force.  He has  combined his unique creativity and symbolism in a way that overwhelms everything that came before, and  the result is a truly fitting closure.

“The title track “raunijaR”  continues on from Helheim’s “Heiðindómr ok Mótgangr”, and has a relentlessly driving sound that showcases the confrontational,  yet familiar,  black metal sound in the vein of “Dualitet og Ulver”.  “Åsgards Fall” Parts 3 and 4 will be the final and vital link in the completion of the theme that was begun in both lyrical and musical terms with the “Åsgards Fall” MCD. Closing the album is “Odr”, a solemn track that gives the album an ending full of the grandeur and respect that it deserves”.

More information about HELHEIM can be found on the band’s website at  http://www.helheim.com or on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/helheimnorway

The official video for the track “Dualitet og Ulver” from HELHEIM’s MCD “Åsgards Fall”, which features a guest appearance from TAAKE’s Hoest, can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/P_fw_nsSHeA

Tracks from all of HELHEIM’s releases can be heard below and at https://soundcloud.com/helheimofficial/sets/helheim-player

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Helheim Website: http://www.helheim.com
Helheim Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/helheimnorway
Helheim  YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/frosjo
Helheim SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/helheimofficial
Band Contact: helheim@helheim.com
Dark Essence Records contact and promo: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence Records Bandcamp: https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords

Dark Essence Records have today debuted a track  from “raunijaR”, the upcoming album from Norwegian Viking Metallers HELHEIM.   With the album due to hit the streets on the 4th December, the title track “RaunijaR” can be heard below and at https://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records/helheim-raunijar

“raunijaR”  which will be the band’s eighth full-length release, is the follow up to 2011’s “Heiðindómr ok Mótgangr” and  was recorded at Conclave & Earshot Studio by VULTURE INDUSTRIES’ Bjørnar Nilsen and mastered  by ENSLAVED’s Herbrand Larsen.  Artwork for the album is by HELHEIM’s  H’grimnir of www.coverart.no.

Track listing on “raunijaR” as follows:

1 – Helheim 9
2 – raunijaR
3 – Åsgards Fall III
4 – Åsgards Fall IV
5 – Odr

Since the release of “Heiðindómr ok Mótgangr”, HELHEIM have been busy expanding their unique take on VIking Metal.  The band have been building even further on what is over twenty years of experience and have created an album that not only  brings to a close the “Åsgards Fall ” storyline that began with the EP of that name in 2010, but also completes the themes that have woven their way in and out of HELHEIM’s music since the very beginning.

Along with HELHEIM’s lineup of  V’gandr on bass and vocals, H’grimnir on  guitar and vocals, Hrymr on  drums and Noralf on guitars, “raunijaR” features  ALFAHANNE’s Pehr Skjoldhammer and Norwegian musician William Hut on guest vocals, as well as additional guest musicians on violin, piano and horns,  giving the album an epic feel.  The band’s trademark dark and atmospheric sound has been further enhanced  by the fact that V’gandr himself has been expanding and perfecting his clean vocals, something that allows the two vocalists to combine their clean vocals to add yet another interesting new dimension to the  band’s sound.

V’gandr  recently gave his insights  on the new album:  “The  opening track “Helheim 9” is actually the last in the line of the HELHEIM tracks where Hrymr in particular has been the creative force.  He has  combined his unique creativity and symbolism in a way that overwhelms everything that came before, and  the result is a truly fitting closure.

“The title track “raunijaR”  continues on from Helheim’s “Heiðindómr ok Mótgangr”, and has a relentlessly driving sound that showcases the confrontational,  yet familiar,  black metal sound in the vein of “Dualitet og Ulver”.  “Åsgards Fall” Parts 3 and 4 will be the final and vital link in the completion of the theme that was begun in both lyrical and musical terms with the “Åsgards Fall” MCD. Closing the album is “Odr”, a solemn track that gives the album an ending full of the grandeur and respect that it deserves.”

HELHEIM will make a special appearance at  BlekkMetal Festival which runs from the 13th to the 15th November at USF Verftet in Bergen.  The one-off event is billed as a tribute to the birth of the Norwegian Black Metal scene, and will hark back to the atmosphere, bands, art and individuals from the scene pre 1994.  HELHEIM will perform their debut album “Jormundgand” on Saturday 14th to mark the 20th Anniversary of its release.   They will also be interviewed live on stage along with ENSLAVED, and will be discussing how their lyrical narratives and their musical craft have been influenced by their Viking roots and traditions.

Included on the BlekkMEtal  bill are veteran bands such as TAAKE, KAMPFAR, AETERNUS, HADES ALMIGHTY, GEHENNA, ENSLAVED, and brand new bands such GAAHLS WYRD, and a special onetime only reunion of the legendary OLD FUNERAL.   Also appearing will be The C.L.A.S.P. Ritual /Dirge Rep  – a tribute band  consisting of legendary musicians such as Dirge Rep himself, Skagg, Gaahl, Garm and many more.

Some of the top Norwegian tattoo artists will be present at the event, and will be available for appointments, including, Colin Dale, Kai Uwe Faust and Tor Ola Svennevig, three Viking  tattooists who work entirely by hand, without the use of machines.   Art exhibitions, movies and guest speakers will also be featured at the event.  More information about the BlekkMetal Festival, as well as ticket details can be found at www.blekkmetal.com

More information about HELHEIM can be found on the band’s website at  http://www.helheim.com or on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/helheimnorway

“raunijaR” is available to pre-order from http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/product/helheim-rauniar-cd-t-shirt-bundle or https://helheim.bandcamp.com/

The official video for the track “Dualitet og Ulver” from HELHEIM’s MCD “Åsgards Fall”, which features a guest appearance from TAAKE’s Hoest, can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/P_fw_nsSHeA

Tracks from all of HELHEIM’s releases can be heard at https://soundcloud.com/helheimofficial/sets/helheim-player

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Helheim Website: http://www.helheim.com
Helheim Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/helheimnorway
Helheim  YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/frosjo
Helheim SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/helheimofficial
Band Contact: helheim@helheim.com
Dark Essence Records contact and promo: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence Records Bandcamp: https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords

Dark Essence Records will follow up their release of MOMENTUM’s sophomore full-length album “The Freak Is Alive”, with a trip into the band’s past and the digital release of their debut album “Fixation, at Rest” on the 15th January.

“Fixation, at Rest” was originally released in 2010, with the band’s then-lineup of Hörður Ólafsson on  Vocals & Bass, Ingvar Sæmundsson on Guitar & Backing Vocals, Kristján Einar Guðmundsson on Drums and Erling Orri Baldursson on Guitar.  The ten-track album was recorded at Island Studios by Axel Árnason and Studio Njallinn by Momentum in 2009 and mixed and mastered by Axel Árnason at Studio ReFlex in 2010

Artwork for “Fixation, at Rest” is by Hörður Ólafsson . Track listing as follows:

01 – Intro
02 – Metamorphose
03 – Holding Back
04 – Red Silence
05 – The Conduits Lead
06 – As The Skies Break
07 – Prosthetic Sea
08 – The Eye That Leads the Way
09 – Inspiration
10 – Fixation, at Rest

Formed in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 2003, originally as a Black/Death metal project, MOMENTUM’s first  releases included “The Requiem” EP appearing in 2006,  and the “Your Side of the Triangle”in 2008.  The release of “Fixation, at Rest”, saw the band leave their roots behind them and develop their own sound and identity.   By the  time “The Freak Is Alive” was released on Dark Essence in 2015, frontman Hörður Ólafsson was ready to take the listeners on a surreal journey through the subconscious with his use of artwork, lyrics and concepts.

Now a trio, MOMENTUM’s lineup comprises Kristján on Drums,  Holaf on  Vocalsand Bass , and Ingvar on Guitar and Vocals.   It is a band whose sound is best described as the merging of atmospheric post-rock, reminiscent of ISIS and CULT OF LUNA, together with a level of bone-crushing heaviness broken up by soft singing and relaxed clean passages, intense vocals layered over discordant, staccato bursts, and mingling with eerie sound textures that explode into high-impact power chords, which bring to mind the work of NEUROSIS.

More information about MOMENTUM can be found on the band’s website at www.momentumiceland.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/momentumiceland

A video of MOMENTUM playing the title track from their debut album “Fixation, at Rest” live at the Airwaves festival can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/hobUiT8qEvo

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Website: www.momentumiceland.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/momentumiceland
Twitter: https://twitter.com/momentumiceland
BandCamp: http://momentum.bandcamp.com/
ReverbNation: www.reverbnation.com/momentumiceland
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/momentumiceland
Band Contact: momentumiceland@gmail.com
Dark Essence contact: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence Records KlickTrack: shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords

Dark Essence records have announced the signing of Norwegian Viking Metallers MISTUR, and will be releasing the band’s sophomore full-length album at a date as yet to be announced.  Hailing from the fjords and mountains of Sogndal, an area which has now taken on an almost legendary status in the world of Norwegian Extreme Metal, MISTUR’s sound mixes the melodic and the atmospheric together  with the rawness of Black Metal.  With their  Viking-related lyrics written in Norwegian, MISTUR is the perfect fit for a label that can boast of bands such as TAAKE and HELHEIM amongst its roster.

Formed as a metal project in 2004 by Espen Bakketeig and Andre Raunehaug , it quickly became apparent to the duo that there was a demand for the band to perform live, and a full lineup was put together.  MISTUR’s first release was the 2005 demo “Skoddefjellet”, which immediately attracted the  attention of both the public and the critics.  This was followed by  band’s debut full-length album  “Attende”, which appeared on the German label Einheit Produktionen in 2009.

Aside from Bakketeig (VREID (live), ex- SIGTYR) on Synths, Vocals and Programming,  and Raunehaug (EMANCER, ex-SIGTYR)  on Guitar, today’s lineup includes Oliver Øien on Vocals, Stian Bakketeig (VREID, ex WINDIR, ex COR SCORPII) on Guitar,  Ole Hartvigsen (EMANCER, KAMPFAR) on Bass, and Tomas Myklebust (EMANCER (live), VREID (live), GALAR)  on Drums.

MISTUR are set to appear at Blastfest in Bergen on the 17th February, and will join Dark Essence Records label-mates the 3rd ATTEMPT, LUCIFER’S CHILD and ORKAN at the label night at Inferno Festival in Oslo on the 23rd March.

More information about MISTUR can be found on the band’s website at http://www.mistur.no/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Mistur-334339291694

Tracks from all of Dark Essence Records Releases can be heard below and at https://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records/sets/dark-essence-records 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Mistur Website: http://www.mistur.no/
Mistur Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Mistur-334339291694
Band Contact and Booking: mistur@mistur.no
Dark Essence Records contact and promo: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence Records Bandcamp: https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords

Over four years have passed since HELHEIM released their last album, and now the veteran Norwegian Viking metallers are set to release their eighth full-length album on the 4th December on Dark Essence Records.    Titled  “raunijaR”, the album was recorded at Conclave & Earshot Studio by VULTURE INDUSTRIES’ Bjørnar Nilsen and was mastered  by ENSLAVED’s Herbrand Larsen.

In the intervening years between 2011’s critically acclaimed “Heiðindómr ok Mótgangr” and the upcoming release of “raunijaR” , HELHEIM have been both experimenting with, and building on, their unique take on the Viking Metal genre.  As well as completing the themes that have woven their way through HELHEIM’s music since the very beginning,  it is with “raunijaR” that the band completes the “Åsgards Fall ” storyline that began with the EP of that name in 2010.

HELHEIM’s lineup comprises V’gandr on bass and vocals, H’grimnir on  guitar and vocals, Hrymr on  drums and Noralf on guitars.  V’gandr himself has been expanding and perfecting his clean vocals, and now, when the two vocalists combine to sing clean vocals new elements are added to the band’s sound.   Guest  vocals on “raunijaR” come from ALFAHANNE’s Pehr Skjoldhammer and Norwegian musician William Hut,  with additional guests performing on violin, piano and horns to further enhance HELHEIM’s dark and heavy atmospheres and create a truly epic masterpiece.

Artwork is by H’grimnir from www.coverart.no.  Track listing on “raunijaR” as follows:

  1. Helheim 9
  2. Raunijar
  3. Åsgards Fall III
  4. Åsgards Fall IV
  5. Odr

Commenting on “raunijaR” V’gandr had this to say:  “The  opening track “Helheim 9” is actually the last in the line of the HELHEIM tracks where Hrymr in particular has been the creative force.  He has  combined his unique creativity and symbolism in a way that overwhelms everything that came before, and  the result is a truly fitting closure.

“The title track “raunijaR”  continues on from Helheim’s “Heiðindómr ok Mótgangr”, and has a relentlessly driving sound that showcases the confrontational,  yet familiar,  black metal sound in the vein of “Dualitet og Ulver”.  “Åsgards Fall” Parts 3 and 4 will be the final and vital link in the completion of the theme that was begun in both lyrical and musical terms with the “Åsgards Fall” MCD. Closing the album is “Odr”, a solemn track that gives the album an ending full of the grandeur and respect that it deserves.”

In  November HELHEIM will make a special appearance at  BlekkMetal Festival which runs from the 13th to the 15th November at USF Verftet in Bergen.  The one-off event is billed as a tribute to the birth of the Norwegian Black Metal scene, and will hark back to the atmosphere, bands, art and individuals from the scene pre 1994.  HELHEIM will perform their debut album “Jormundgand” on Saturday 14th to mark the 20th Anniversary of its release.   They will also be interviewed live on stage along with ENSLAVED, and will be discussing how their lyrical narratives and their musical craft have been influenced by their Viking roots and traditions.

Included on the BlekkMEtal  bill are veteran bands such as TAAKE, KAMPFAR, AETERNUS, HADES ALMIGHTY, GEHENNA, ENSLAVED, and brand new bands such GAAHLS WYRD, and a special onetime only reunion of the legendary OLD FUNERAL.   Also appearing will be The C.L.A.S.P. Ritual /Dirge Rep  – a tribute band  consisting of legendary musicians such as Dirge Rep himself, Skagg, Gaahl, Garm and many more.

Some of the top Norwegian tattoo artists will be present at the event, and will be available for appointments, including, Colin Dale, Kai Uwe Faust and Tor Ola Svennevig, three Viking  tattooists who work entirely by hand, without the use of machines.   Art exhibitions, movies and guest speakers will also be featured at the event.  More information about the BlekkMetal Festival, as well as ticket details can be found at www.blekkmetal.com

More information about HELHEIM can be found on the band’s website at  http://www.helheim.com or on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/helheimnorway

The official video for the track “Dualitet og Ulver” from HELHEIM’s MCD “Åsgards Fall”, which features a guest appearance from TAAKE’s Hoest, can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/P_fw_nsSHeA

Tracks from all of HELHEIM’s releases can be heard below and at https://soundcloud.com/helheimofficial/sets/helheim-player

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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
Dark Essence Records contact and promo: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence Records Bandcamp: https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords

Having just released a new album from LUCIFER’s CHILD, Norway’s Dark Essence Records today announced that they have signed a second band from Greece, namely Psychedelic Prog Black Metal trio HAIL SPIRIT NOIR.

Formed in Thessaloniki in 2010, HAIL SPIRIT NOIR’s lineup is composed of Haris (KATAVASIA, TRANSCENDING BIZARRE?)  on Synths, Theoharis (TRANSCENDING BIZARRE?, REX MUNDI,) on guitars and vocals, and J Demian (BLACKDRAWN, DOL AMMAD, WARDRUM TRANSCENDING BIZARRE?) on bass and acoustic guitars.  The band’s debut full-length album “Pneuma” was released on Code666/Aural Music in 2012, followed by the sophomore album “Oi Magoi” in 2014.

Describing their sound as “retro, yet modern”,  HAIL SPIRIT NOIR are currently working on their 3rd full length album, which will be released on Dark Essence Records on a date as yet to be specified.  Will it be, in the band’s own words, “a psychoprog black metal album of trippy melodies and satiric ecstasy” like their last album?  Watch this space!

More information about HAIL SPIRIT NOIR can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Hail-Spirit-Noir-260062670728238/

Tracks from all of DARK ESSENCE RECORDS releases can be heard below and at http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records/sets/dark-essence-records

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hail-Spirit-Noir-260062670728238/
Band Contact: transbizarre@yahoo.com
Dark Essence Records contact and promo: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence Records Bandcamp: https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords

For the many fans of HADES ALMIGHTY the long wait is finally over as the band is set to release a new EP, the first studio release from the band since 2001.  The three-track Digi EP, titled “Pyre Era, Black!” will hit the streets on Dark Essence Records on the 23 October and serves as an introduction to a new era for the legendary Norwegian band, as well as a taste of what to expect from  what will be the band’s fifth full-length album which is due for release next year.

Photography for the artwork for “Pyre Era, Black!” is by Christian Misje.  Track listing as follows:

1.  Pyre Era, Black!
2. Funeral Storm
3. Bound

Last year it was announced that founding member and vocalist/bassist Janto was quitting the band on the best of terms, and that co-founders,  guitarist Jorn (ex-DOMINANZ, ex-OLD FUNERAL, ex-IMMORTAL, ex-AMPUTATION)  and drummer Remi,  would be searching for a replacement.  The replacement chosen  turned out to be no stranger to  black metal fans when it was revealed that Ask Ty (KAMPFAR, KRAKOW) would take on vocal duties  and that once again HADES ALMIGHTY would be making its mark as one of the great Norwegian Black Metal bands.

Originally formed in 1992 as HADES, the band changed their name to HADES ALMIGHTY in 1998 due to the pre-existence of a US band of the same name.  Things on the recording front have been quiet in the fourteen years since the release of HADES ALMIGHTY’s  fourth full-length album, “The Pulse of Decay”, but  the band itself has not let the grass grow too long under their feet by being relatively active on the live scene.  Nor, it would seem, have they lost any of their studio skills as “Pyre Era, Black!” amply demonstrates.

It is an EP that hints at the pitch black, epic sound that originally made HADES ALMIGHTY so unique, but with additional new elements, not least the outstanding vocals of their new frontman that give the character and depth fans have grown to expect from the band.  There are some who might have wondered how Ask Ty, well known for his drumming skills,  would be able to handle vocals, but this is not his first outing behind the microphone, having performed vocals both in the studio and live for KAMPFAR and KRAKOW,  and “Pyre Era, Black!” demonstrates just how versatile he is.

HADES ALMIGHTY’s first live appearance with the new lineup will take place in the Netherlands at the Aurora Infernalis festival in Arnhem on the 24th October,  followed by an appearance at Bergen’s Black Metal and Tattoo festival BlekkMetal in Bergen on the 13th November

More information about HADES ALMIGHTY can be found on the band’s new Facebook page at at https://www.facebook.com/hadesalmightyofficial

The official video for the track “Submission Equals Suicide” from HADES ALMIGHTY’s album “The Pulse of Decay” can be seen below at http://youtu.be/QOeTGUwcz98

Tracks from all of DARK ESSENCE RECORDS releases can be heard below and at http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records/sets/dark-essence-records

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hadesalmightyofficial
Website:  http://www.hades-almighty.com/
Dark Essence Records contact and promo: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence Records Bandcamp: https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords

With their debut full-length album “Born in Thorns” newly released, the 3RD ATTEMPT, the new band from former CARPATHIAN FOREST guitarists Tchort (GREEN CARNATION, ex-CARPATHIAN FOREST, ex EMPEROR, ex BLOOD RED THRONE) and BloodPervertor ( ex-CARPATHIAN FOREST) have debuted a lyric video for the track “Sons of the Winter”.  With live footage shot by Svein Erik Nomeland of Artistfoto.no at  the band’s recent appearance at the Southern Discomfort Festival, and with still photography by Anders Berg and Paul Sigakis, the video can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/MUSsV_Ng-4M

The 3rd ATTEMPT was formed  in late 2014, immediately following the announcement by the two guitarists that they were quitting CARPATHIAN FOREST, one of Norway’s most iconic Black Metal bands.  The duo were driven to their decision by a need to work on a project that took them out of an environment where they felt they had been growing stale, and by the desire to once again feel the rush of creativity and enthusiasm they felt had been lacking over the past few years.

Former MIDNATTSVREDE vocalist  Ødemark  joined the band after an internet search that drew applicants from all over the world, both from new and well known bands, and the lineup was completed by drummer Tybalt (FORTID, DEN SAAKALDTE).  After considering a number of offers from various labels, the 3rd ATTEMPT inked a deal with Bergen’s Dark Essence Records which led to the release of “Born in Thorns” on the 25th September of this year,  in both CD and digital formats, with a vinyl edition set to be released in December.

Having already appeared at a number of festivals in Norway, the 3rd ATTEMPT will be joining label-mates TAAKE for a handful of dates on the band’s upcoming European tour and will support NIKLAS KVARFORTH’s SHINING on their Norwegian dates.  Confirmed upcoming live dates as follows:

05 Oct:  Razz 3,  Barcelona, Spain (with TAAKE + ORKAN)
06 Oct:  Caracol,  Madrid, Spain (with TAAKE + ORKAN)
08 Oct:  Glazart,  Paris, France (with TAAKE + ORKAN)
09 Oct:  Underworld,  London , UK (with TAAKE + ORKAN)
26 Nov: The Garage, Bergen, Norway (with SHINING)
27 Nov: Pokalen, Oslo, Norway (with SHINING)
28 Nov: Byker Grave Festival, Newcastle, UK
2016
19 Feb: Blastfest, Bergen, Norway

More information about the band  can be found on the band’s website at https://3rdattemptband.wordpress.com/ or on their  official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/the3rdattemptofficial

The track “Art of Domination” from the 3rd ATTEMPT’s album “Born in Thorns” can be heard below and at https://soundcloud.com/the-3rd-attempt/3rd-attempt-art-of-domination-1

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Website: https://3rdattemptband.wordpress.com/
Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/the3rdattemptofficial
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-3rd-attempt
Bandcamp: https://3rdattempt.bandcamp.com/
Band contact: tchort@online.no
Management & PR: patriciathomas@btinternet.com
Booking:  toni@thedamager.com
Dark Essence contact: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence Records KlickTrack: shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords