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Posts Tagged ‘Prog’

KARISMA RECORDS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM FROM PSYCHEDELIC PROG FOLK ROCKERS TUSMØRKE

Posted: May 30, 2024 in KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Folk Rock, Karisma Records, Norway, Prog, Psychedelic, Psychedelic Prog Folk Rock, Tusmørke

Twelve albums in twelve years! We could only be talking about Norway’s Psychedelic Prog Folk Rockers TUSMØRKE, whose output is not only prolific, but also original and fantastical. It ranges from concept based trilogies aimed at young music fans, to the creation of entire worlds (some, you might say, even a little on the naughty side) that beguile audiences with both their music and their lyrical themes. Themes that frequently contain cleverly disguised serious messages about the times in which we live.

So what does TUSMØRKE have in store for us with their twelfth full-length album? Well the title “Dawn of Oberon” offers up quite a large hint that some kind of mystical realm is involved, and indeed, this time we are swept off on a subterranean expedition to the Kingdom of the Fair Folk.

And the thinking behind it? Best if we allow TUSMØRKE to describe it in their own way:

“Dawn of Oberon” is a manifestation of our Peter Pan syndrome, with our aesthetics and ideals having remained unchanged for the last 25 years.

This time we go away with the fairies all together, to the far-away land of the far-out mind. Never grow up, just grow old.

Once again the highly acclaimed Norwegian artist Sverre Malling has provided the artwork for the album, which is set for release on the 30th August.

Tracklisting for “Dawn of Oberon” is as follows:

Dawn of Oberon
Born to be mild
Dwarven Lord
Midsommernattsdrøm
People View
Troll Male

The actual recording of the album was not exactly straightforward (actually, is anything ever straightforward with TUSMØRKE?) As the band explains:

This album is a testament to a tumultuous time. It was 2022 and we had a new drummer, Kusken, and keyboard player, Herjekongen, and we immediately started working on the epic that was to become “Dawn of Oberon”. This behemoth had been wallowing about since the start of the millennium, never quite finding its shape and form.

We thought of this as a trial by fire that would galvanize the new members, and, during jams at rehearsals and concerts, new themes emerged, resulting in a sort of sequel in the form of Dusk of Tawblerawn part 1-5. Kusken decided to quit after just 8 months, but agreed to document the time we had spent together. All the music was recorded in our rehearsal space and studio in 2022-2023.

“Dawn of Oberon” will be available in CD, Digital and Limited Edition Milky Clear Vinyl formats and can be pre-ordered now at:

Smartlink to various services – https://orcd.co/oberon
Bandcamp – https://tusm-rke.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-of-oberon
Webshop – https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/

TUSMØRKE is band whose joie de vivre translates extremely well into live performances, and fans will be able to witness it for themselves when the current lineup of Herjekongen on Keyboards, Brennesle on Drums, Krizla on Flute and vocals, and Benediktator on Bass and Vocals, hit the stage on the following dates (more to come).

07 June: Hulen, Bergen
08 June: Offentlige Bibliotek, Bergen (Bydyra)
15 June: Kampen Bistro, Oslo
27 June: Pomorfestivalen, Vardø (Bydyra)
31 August: Release gig (details to be announced)

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

Below you can see the official video by Aleksander U. Serigstad for the track “Tøyens Hemmelighet” from TUSMØRKE’s 2018 album “Fjernsyn i Farver”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tusmorke/
Bandcamp: https://tusm-rke.bandcamp.com
Band contact: tusmorke.booking@gmail.com
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Karisma Records on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KarismarecordsNor
Karisma on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records
Karisma Records on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karismarecords/
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/
Karisma Records US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com
Karisma Records BandCamp: http://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/music

PROG ROCKERS AIRBAG RELEASE NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

Posted: May 10, 2024 in KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Airbag, Bjorn Riis, Karisma Records, Norway, Norwegian Prog, Norwegian Prog Rock, Prog, Prog Rock

The 14th June 2024 marks the day that Karisma Records will release “The Century of the Self” the sixth full-length album from AIRBAG, one of the most prominent Prog Rock bands to have emerged from Norway in the last few decades.

And, in anticipation of that day, the label has released a second single from the album. Titled “Awakening”, this is what the band had to say about the track:

“Awakening” is one of those songs that reflects on the band’s past, with strong ties to albums like “Identity” and “All Rights Removed”, whilst at the same time venturing into new sonics and production. Lyrically, “Awakening” is a message of hope in a time where se seem to stray away from caring for each other and allowing social media to create a destructive diversion.

“Awakening” can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of services at:

https://orcd.co/airbag-awakening

A video for the track “Awakening” by Crystal Media (known for their work with songwriter/producer Steven Wilson, amongst others) can be seen below

“The Century of Self” is an album that stands as a testament to the artistic vision and enduring creativity that AIRBAG bring to their music. Touching on themes such as cancel culture and the rewriting of personal histories, it is a reflection on modern society’s zeitgeist, and a poignant commentary of today’s world, which is steeped in fear and condemnation.

Recorded at Subsonic Society, Airbag Studio, and Riis Studio, and expertly produced, mixed, and mastered by Vegard Kleftås Sleipnes, “The Century of Self” features guest appearances by Kristian Hultgren on bass on “Dysphoria” and “Tear it Down”, Ole Michael Bjørndal on guitar on “Dysphoria”, “Tyrants and Kings” and “Tear it Down” and Simen Valldal Johannessen on keyboards on “Tear it Down”.

With artwork by Asle Tostrup, track listing on “The Century of the Self” is as follows:

01. Dysphoria
02. Tyrants and Kings
03. Awakening
04. Erase
05. Tear It Down

“The Century of the Self” will be released in CD, Limited Edition Digisleeve CD and Digital formats, as well as three different LP version -Black Vinyl LP, Limited Edition Red Vinyl LP and Limited Edition Black and Red Splatter Vinyl LP.

It is now available to pre-order from:

Bandcamp: https://airbagsound.bandcamp.com/album/century-of-the-self
Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/
US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com/

With this latest album, AIRBAG’s lineup of Asle Tostrup on vocals, keyboards and programming, Henrik Bergan Fossum on drums, and Bjørn Riis on guitars, bass, keyboards and backing vocals, lead the listener on a sonic journey through introspection and intensity.

Opening with the track “Dysphoria”, with its mesmerizing depths, “The Century of Self” is filled with the irresistible vocal hooks and virtuoso lead guitar work for which AIRBAG has become synonymous the world-over.

From the haunting crescendo of “Tyrants and Kings,” to the introspective balladry of “Awakening” we are led towards the foreboding depths of the single “Erase” that builds from a hypnotic bass line into a powerhouse of heavy refrains, setting the stage for the epic conclusion of “Tear it Down”, a 14 minute opus that goes from serene moments of reflection towards the heaviest musical landscapes AIRBAG has ever produced.

AIRBAG has been confirmed to play three shows in Poland in October and two shows in the Netherlands in November. More shows will be announced in due course

Poland
17 Oct: Stary Manez, Gdansk
18 Oct: Klub Progresja, Warsaw
18 Oct: Klub Kwadrat, Krakow

Netherlands
01 Nov: De Cacaofabriek, Helmond
02 Nov: Poppodium, Boerderij

More information about AIRBAG can be found on the band’s website at http://www.airbagsound.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/airbagsound

A lyric video for the track “Erase” can be seen below

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
AIRBAG
Website: www.airbagsound.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airbagsound
YouTube: www.youtube.com/airbagsound
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airbagsound/
Airbag Booking: bjorn@airbag.no
KARISMA RECORDS
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records contact: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Karisma Records Bandcamp: https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com
Karisma Records on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KarismarecordsNor
Karisma Records Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarismaRecords
Karisma on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no
Karisma Records US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com

PROG ROCKERS AIRBAG REVEAL DETAILS, NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO FROM UPCOMING SIXTH FULL-LENGTH ALBUM

Posted: April 11, 2024 in KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Airbag, Karisma Records, Norway, Prog, Prog Rock, Progressive

It’s the news Prog fans have been waiting for since 2020 when AIRBAG released their last album “A Day at the Beach”, because, on the 14th June 2024 Karisma Records will release “The Century of the Self”, the sixth full-length album from the Norwegian masters of Prog.

With AIRBAG’s trademark fusion of mellow introspection and dynamic energy, “The Century of the Self” promises to carry the listener on an auditory journey like no other, and, for those eager to assuage their thirst for new material from the band, Karisma Records have released a single from the album.

Titled “Erase” this is what AIRBAG had to say about it:

“Erase” is probably one of the heaviest songs we’ve ever written and it was the first we wrote for the new album. It pretty much defined the mood and theme for the rest of the material. “Erase” is a comment on the whole cancel culture and how everything we don’t like just gets wiped out. It really is a frightening concept and we tried to capture some of that brutality and force in the music and production.

“Erase” is available to stream or download from a variety of services at https://fanlink.tv/Airbag-Erase

A lyric video for “Erase” by Crystal Media (known for their work with songwriter/producer Steven Wilson, amongst others) can be seen below

Delving into the themes of cancel culture and the rewriting of personal histories, AIRBAG’s lineup of Asle Tostrup on vocals, keyboards and programming, Henrik Bergan Fossum on drums, and Bjørn Riis on guitars, bass, keyboards and backing vocals, have, with “The Century of the Self”, created much more than just a sonic odyssey. It is a reflection of our modern zeitgeist, offering a poignant commentary on a world steeped in fear and condemnation.

As the album unfolds, it transports the listener on a voyage through introspection and intensity. Starting with the mesmerizing depths of the opening track “Dysphoria”, each of the five tracks on “The Century of the Self” captivate the listener with the irresistible vocal hooks and virtuoso lead guitar work that has become synonymous with the Airbag sound.

From the haunting crescendo of “Tyrants and Kings,” to the introspective balladry of “Awakening” we are led towards the foreboding depths of the single “Erase” with its echoes of AIRBAG’s much-acclaimed work on the album “Disconnected”.

“Erase” builds from a hypnotic bass line into a powerhouse of heavy refrains, setting the stage for the epic conclusion of “Tear it Down.” Clocking in at a staggering 14 minutes, this opus traverses serene moments of reflection towards the heaviest musical landscapes Airbag has ever produced.

Standing as a testament to AIRBAG’s enduring creativity and artistic vision, “The Century of the Self” was recorded at Subsonic Society, Airbag Studio, and Riis Studio, and expertly produced, mixed, and mastered by Vegard Kleftås Sleipnes.

With artwork by Asle Tostrup, and featuring Kristian Hultgren on bass on “Dysphoria” and “Tear it Down”, Ole Michael Bjørndal on guitar on “Dysphoria”, “Tyrants and Kings” and “Tear it Down” and Simen Valldal Johannessen on keyboards on “Tear it Down”, track listing on “The Century of the Self” is as follows:

01. Dysphoria
02. Tyrants and Kings
03. Awakening
04. Erase
05. Tear It Down

It is now available to pre-order from:

Bandcamp: https://airbagsound.bandcamp.com/album/century-of-the-self
Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/
US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com/

More information about AIRBAG can be found on the band’s website at http://www.airbagsound.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/airbagsound

DETAILS OF THE SECOND OF SIX RELEASES FROM THE BACK CATALOGUE OF PROG LEGENDS WHITE WILLOW REVEALED

Posted: February 15, 2024 in KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Jacob Holm-Lupo, Karisma Records, Prog, White Willow

Following its plan to release a total of six albums from the back catalogue of WHITE WILLOW, Karisma Records have announced that the 12th April will see the second album from the Norwegian Prog Legends hit the streets.

First released in 1997 “Ex Tenebris” followed the release band’s first album “Ignis Fatuus” which had been recorded by the by-now disbanded original lineup of WHITE WILLOW. As such, Jacob Holm-Lupo intended it to be a solo album, but, realising that it was heading in a more progressive direction than originally anticipated, “Ex Tenebris” became a full-blown White Willow production.

With only a shoestring budget at the band’s disposal, the recording itself was, by necessity, quick and dirty, but nevertheless there was a certain charm to the natural drum ambience and the overall “first takes only” feel to the album.

Overall, “Ex Tenebris” ended up being a more stripped-down, somewhat darker album than its predecessor, with more electric guitars and synths and a marked absence of krumhorns or renaissance vocal groups. In fact, the album has become a bit of a cult favourite with the band’s fans, and signposted WHITE WILLOWS’S first step towards something more original than the retro-styled psych-folk of “Ignis Fatuus”.

The songs themselves range from almost neo-progish mini-epics like “Leaving the House of Thanatos””, to the acoustic balladry of “The Book of Love” and “Thirteen Days”, and the more overtly gothic sound of ” A Strange Procession” and “A Dance of Shadows”.

For its re-release “Ex Tenebris” has undergone meticulous remastering by WHITE WILLOW’s own Jacob Holm-Lupo and is available for first time on vinyl. Complete with the original classic cover art “Ex Tenebris” will be available in CD, Digital and Limited Edition Double LP in transparent blue vinyl.

Tracklisting, for “Ex Tenebris”, which has a slight variation in the track order of the CD and LP versions, is as follows:

CD TRACKLIST: LP TRACKLIST:

Leaving the House of Thanatos 01. Leaving the House of Thanatos
The Book of Love 02. The Book of Love
Soteriology 03. Helen and Simon Magus
Helen and Simon Magus 04. Thirteen Days
Thirteen Days 05. Soteriology
A Strange Procession 06. A Strange Procession
A Dance of Shadows 07. A Dance of Shadows

“Ex Tenebris” is now available to pre-order from:

Webshop: karismarecords.no/shop/
Bandcamp: whitewillow.bandcamp.com
US Webshop: karismarecords.indiemerch.com

WHITE WILLOW was formed in 1992 by guitarist Jacob Holm-Lupo, who at that time was a member of the POLICE/BRUCE HORNSBY-inspired pop band THE ORCHID GARDEN, and keyboard player Jan Tariq Rahman from local jazz-rock/prog rock band DUGGVÅTE DVE.

It was a case of two musicians coming together see if they had any kind of songwriting chemistry, and, whilst sitting on the floor playing acoustic guitar and clavinet, produced the track “Snowfall” which convinced them that they could, indeed, come up with something worthwhile.

WHITE WILLOW’s history, however, was never simple, with members having come and gone over the years and only Holm-Lupo having remained with the band since its inception, whilst WOBBLERS Lars Fredrik Frøislie has been a mainstay since 2001.

The band’s sound too has undergone changes, but it’s safe to say that it is frequently centered around female vocals and an expanded instrumentation that usually includes a host of analogue synthesizers, mellotron, woodwinds and strings, in addition, of course to traditional rock instrumentation.

Now, exclusively a studio project, WHITE WILLOW is noted for featuring guest appearances from prominent musicians such as Norway’s guitar hero Hedvig Mollestad, or internationally renowned klezmer clarinetist David Krakauer.

By the time the re-release project is finished, Karisma Records will have released all six of the following albums:

Ignis Fatuus – 1995 (released Nov 2023)
Ex Tenebris – 1997 (due for release April 2024)
Sacrament – 2000
Storm Season – 2004
Signal to Noise – 2006
Terminal Twilight – 2011

More information about WHITE WILLOW can be found at https://www.facebook.com/whitewillowband/

A video for the track “Kansas Regrets” from WHITE WILLOW’s 2011 album “Terminal Twilight” can be seen below

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitewillowband/
Holm-Lupo Lydproduksjon: www.duderanchstudio.com
Karisma Records contact: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Karisma Records Bandcamp: https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com
Karisma Records on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KarismarecordsNor
Karisma Records Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarismaRecords
Karisma on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records
Karisma Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Karisma Records US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com

PROG ROCKERS AIRBAG AND KARISMA RECORDS RENEW LONG-STANDING COLLABORATION

Posted: February 1, 2024 in KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Airbag, Karisma Records, Norway, Norwegian Prog Rock, Oak, Prog, Prog Rock

With their sixth full-length album well on its way to completion, Norwegian Prog Rockers AIRBAG will continue their journey with Karisma Records who have worked alongside the band since the very start.

It has been a collaboration that has stood both the band and the label in good stead over the past couple of decades, as AIRBAG explained:

We’re very excited to continue the strong partnership with Karisma Records. They’ve supported the band since the beginning, always with a firm understanding and belief in what we create. We really can’t wait to release our new album!

Formed in the mid 2000’s by five high school classmates, AIRBAG’s lineup today still includes two of those original members, Asle Tostrup on vocals and Bjørn Riis on guitars, plus Henrik Bergan Fossum on drums.

Since its inception, the band’s ability to blend diverse musical styles and sounds, with a strong narrative listening experience, has seen AIRBAG earn the plaudit as one of the most important bands to have emerged from the Norwegian prog scene over the past decades.

Karisma Records themselves are equally as enthusiastic to continue working and growing the relationship with AIRBAG as AIRBAG is enthusiastic about continuing to work and grow with the label:

We’re super happy to continue our journey with Airbag for their next albums. The band has been an integral part defining and growing Karisma Records for many years now, and it has been a privilege to see the band develop. Working with Airbag is always a pleasure, both professionally and personally. Having heard the master for the upcoming album, we can promise you yet another awesome piece of work!

AIRBAG will be appearing at the Cosmpopolite Scene in Oslo, Norway, along with label-mates OAK, on the 10th February. Details at https://www.facebook.com/events/298621546507344/

More information about AIRBAG can be found on the band’s website at http://www.airbagsound.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/airbagsound

A video of AIRBAG performing in Quebec in 2019 can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/3fFoN-JJr-U

KARISMA RECORDS REVEALS NEW SINGLE FROM THE FINAL PART OF THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN’S AIROEA FANTASY TRILOGY

Posted: January 17, 2024 in KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Father Robin, Jordsjø, Karisma Records, Norway, Prog, Prog Rock, Samuel Jackson Five, The Chronicles of Father Robin, Tusmorke, Wobbler

All things have a beginning, a middle and an end, and so it is with the fantasy trilogy by Norwegian Prog Rockers THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN, who follow the adventures of the mystical creature Father Robin over the triple concept album “The Songs & Tales of Airoea”.

Starting out with “Book I: The Tale of Father Robin (The State of Nature)” which was released in September of 2023 and is set on the land , followed by the December release of “Book II: Ocean Traveller (Metamorphosis)”, which takes place on the sea, we now come to 2024 and the much-anticipated release of “Book III: Magical Chronicle (Ascension)” which takes place in the Cloud Lands in the Sky and is due to hit the streets on the 23 February.

And today, Karisma Records have released the opening track from the album as a single. Titled “Magical Chronicle”, it is a vocal driven track full of lush harmonies and clear references to prog classics such as GENTLE GIANT, YEZDA URFA and the Canterbury Scene.

“Magical Chronicle“, can be downloaded or streamed from a variety of services at :

https://link.karismarecords.no/TCOFR_MagicalChronicle

The lineup of THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN (or TCOFR for short) draws its members from some of the most respected bands on Norway’s Prog Rock scene, and as a result you will find musicians from WOBBLER, JORDSJØ, TUSMØRKE and seasoned post-rockers THE SAMUEL JACKSON FIVE in its ranks.

Emerging during 1993-94 from what was left of the band FANGORN, and inspired in large part by the classic bands and albums that were part of the 1970s progressive music scene, it took thirty years for TCOFR to complete “The Songs & Tales of Airoea”, trilogy.

The result of these thirty years of work is the creation of a whole fantastical world through which Father Robin travels and undergoes a whole series of adventures spanning three decades and told through 18 songs spread out over the three albums.

Contributors to the Trilogy include Thomas Kaldhol (MT. MELODIÉ, THE SAMUEL JACKSON FIVE), Lars Fredrik Frøislie (WOBBLER, IN LINGUA MORTUA, WHITE WILLOW), folksinger Aleksandra Morozova (MT. MELODIE, OSLO PHILHARMONIC CHOIR), Kristoffer Momrak (ALWANZATAR, TUSMØRKE, LES FLEURS DU MAL), Håkon Oftung (JORDSJØ) and illustrator Lars Kvernberg.

Tracklisting on “Book III: Magical Chronicle (Ascension)” (which follows on directly from Books I and II) is as follows:

13. Magical Chronicle
14. Skyslumber
15. Cloudship
16. Empress of the Sun
17. Lost in the Palace Gardens
18. Epilogue

“Book III” will be released in CD, Digital and LP formats and is available to pre-order from:

Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/
Bandcamp: https://fatherrobin.bandcamp.com
US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com

“Book III” makes a fitting closing chapter to the trilogy, starting off as it does with the upbeat “Magical Chronicle”, followed by the atmospheric “Skyslumber”, and “Cloudship”, the soaring prog ballad that YES never wrote. The album then explodes into the dynamic psych-rocker “Empress of the Sun”, a song full of energy and contrast that eventually slides into a keyboard lead middle part that is reminiscent of THE DOORS at their most adventurous.

The closing part of “Book III” begins with “Lost in the Palace Gardens” a track that starts off with a beautiful acoustic guitar part that not only brings to mind British folk bands such as STEELEYE SPAN, but also the guitar work of a certain JIMMY PAGE. The track follows up with vocal parts where the voices of Andreas Prestmo and Aleksandra Morozova flawlessly complement each other, making it a perfect culmination of this highly ambitious body of work.

THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN are set to appear at the 21st International Art Rock Festival Minnuendö at the Peralta Auditorium in Navarra, Spain on the 11th May.

More information about THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN can be found on the band’s website www.fatherrobin.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheChroniclesofFatherRobin

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN
Website: www.fatherrobin.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChroniclesofFatherRobin
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thechroniclesoffatherrobin?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
KARISMA RECORDS
Promo and other information: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records contact: post@karismarecords.no
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Karisma Records Bandcamp: https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com
Karisma Records on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KarismarecordsNor
Karisma Records Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarismaRecords
Karisma on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no
Karisma Records US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com

DARK ESSENCE RECORDS RELEASE NEW SINGLE FROM UPCOMING MADDER MORTEM ALBUM

Posted: January 12, 2024 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Americana, Dark Essence Records, Extreme, Heavy, Madder Mortem, Metal, Norway, Post Metal, Prog, Rock

With the release date of MADDER MORTEM “Old Eyes, New Heart”, fast approaching, Dark Essence Records have today revealed a new track from the album. Titled “Unity”, it is, according to the band:

A song about not lying to oneself, facing reality head-on and with honesty. Musically, “Unity” blends Muse-ish excess with Eastern rhythmic and melodic influences and a sing-along chorus, all wrapped in a very Madder Mortem mix of heaviness and atmosphere.

“Unity” can be downloaded or streamed from a variety of services at:

https://link.darkessencerecords.no/Madder-Mortem_Unity

Set for release on the 26th January, “Old Eyes, New Heart” is the eighth full-length album from MADDER MORTEM, a band that has never sought to fit into any particular category, but has preferred rather to draw upon styles such as Prog and Metal, Rock and Extreme, much to the delight of their many fans.

With “Old Eyes, New Heart”, MADDER MORTEM’s lineup of Agnete M. Kirkevaag on vocals, BP M. Kirkevaag on guitar & vocals, Anders Langberg on guitars, Tormod L. Moseng on bass and Mads Solås on drums have created a work that follows many unexpected directions ranging from post-metal heaviness to soft Americana grooves and everything in between

Recorded and produced by BP M. Kirkevaag, the album is an exploration of hope, disappointment, and the ambivalence between them. It is, essentially, music that comes from old hearts and deep roots, with new eyes open to the unlimited possibilities of 12 notes. But, as always, MADDER MORTEM’s intention is to write a good, honest song. And with “Old Eyes, New Heart” they have succeeded admirably.

But it is also an album whose creation has not been without turmoil, and with it also came the heartbreak that was felt at the death of Jakob Kirkevaag, the much-loved father of band members Agnete and BP, and a man whose unfailing support has been so important to MADDER MORTEM from its very inception almost 30 years ago.

“Old Eyes, New Heart”, is, in fact, dedicated to Jakob, an artist in his own right, who sadly did not live long-enough to see or hear the finished work. However, his contribution to the band lives on, because, with the help of MADDER MORTEM’s long-time collaborator, the artist and video producer Costin Chioreanu, two of Jakob’s original paintings were adapted to form the cover art for “Old Eyes, New Heart”.

“Old Eyes, New Heart”, will be available in CD, Digital, and Limited Edition LP formats in White Vinyl (limited to 250 copies) and Blue Vinyl (limited to 250 copies), and can now be pre-ordered from:

Webshop: https://darkessencerecords.no/kar270-madder-mortem-old-eyes-new-heart/
BandcampL https://maddermortem.bandcamp.com/album/old-eyes-new-heart
US Webshop: https://darkessence.indiemerch.com

Tracklisting on “Old Eyes, New Heart” is as follows:

Coming from the Dark
On Guard
Master Tongue
The Head that Wears the Crown
Cold Hard Rain
Unity
Towers
Here and Now
Things I’ll Never Do
10. Long Road

A release party for will be held at the Rockefeller / John Dee / Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway on the 3rd February, and fans will also be able to see MADDER MORTEM perform at this year’s Inferno Metal Festival in Oslo on Saturday 30th March.

A video by Patrick Scantlebury for “Towers” the recently released first single from “Old Eyes, New Heart” can be seen below and at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzf7cvrk3jU

More information about MADDER MORTEM can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mmortem or on the band’s website at http://www.maddermortem.com/

KARISMA RECORDS REVEALS ALBUM DETAILS AND SINGLE FROM THE FINAL PART OF THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN’S AIROEA FANTASY TRILOGY

Posted: December 15, 2023 in KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Adventures, Fantasy, Folk, Karisma Records, Norway, Prog, Prog Rock, Progressive, Psychedelia, The Chronicles of Father Robin, Trilogy

The 23 February sees the release of “Book III: Magical Chronicle (Ascension)”, the final album in the CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN’s Airoea fantasy trilogy.

Chronicling the journeys of Father Robin through the mystical world of Airoea, the trilogy tracks the adventures of our indomitable hero who finally reaches the end of his travels, (or should that be travails?) in “The Songs & Tales of Airoea – Book 3: Magical Chronicle (Ascension)” in which he explores the Cloud Lands in the Sky.

With fans of Prog Rockers CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN (TCOFR for short) curious to see what will befall Father Robin as he embarks on his final trek, Karisma Records have today released a single from the album.

Titled “Empress of the Sun” the track can be downloaded or streamed from a variety of services at

https://link.karismarecords.no/TCOFR_EmpressoftheSun

“Book III” makes a fitting closing chapter to the trilogy, starting off as it does with the upbeat “Magical Chronicle”, a vocal driven track full of lush harmonies and clear references to prog classics such as GENTLE GIANT, YEZDA URFA and the Canterbury Scene. Followed by the atmospheric “Skyslumber”, and “Cloudship”, the soaring prog ballad that YES never wrote, the album then explodes into the dynamic psych-rocker “Empress of the Sun”, a song full of energy and contrast that eventually slides into a keyboard lead middle part that is reminiscent of THE DOORS at their most adventurous.

Tracklisting on “The Songs & Tales of Airoea – Book III” (which follows on directly from Books I and II) is as follows:

13. Magical Chronicle
14. Skyslumber
15. Cloudship
16. Empress of the Sun
17. Lost in the Palace Gardens
18. Epilogue

Rising from the remains of the band FANGORN, and Inspired mainly by the classic bands and albums that were part of the 1970s progressive music scene, THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN emerged during 1993 – 94, coming up alongside contemporaries such as ÄNGLAGÅRD, ANEKDOTEN, WHITE WILLOW and LANDBERK.

Featuring a veritable all-star team of members drawn from some of the most revered progressive rock bands from Norway – WOBBLER, JORDSJØ, TUSMØRKE and seasoned post-rockers THE SAMUEL JACKSON FIVE, it took thirty years for TCOFR to complete their concept Trilogy.

The result is a cohesive triple concept album spanning three decades and featuring a total of 18 songs, spread out over three albums. Contributors to the Trilogy include Thomas Kaldhol (MT. MELODIÉ, THE SAMUEL JACKSON FIVE), Lars Fredrik Frøislie (WOBBLER, IN LINGUA MORTUA, WHITE WILLOW), folksinger Aleksandra Morozova (MT. MELODIE, OSLO PHILHARMONIC CHOIR), Kristoffer Momrak (ALWANZATAR, TUSMØRKE, LES FLEURS DU MAL), Håkon Oftung (JORDSJØ) and illustrator Lars Kvernberg.

With “Book I” having been released in September and “Book II” in December of 2023, “Book III” will be available in CD, Digital and LP formats, whilst the complete Trilogy is available as a Deluxe Limited Edition Triple Coloured Vinyl Box Set on Old Oak Records.

Pre-orders are now available from:

Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/
Bandcamp: https://fatherrobin.bandcamp.com
US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com

More information about THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN can be found on the band’s website www.fatherrobin.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheChroniclesofFatherRobin

MADDER MORTEM RELEASE NEW SINGLE FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

Posted: December 13, 2023 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Alfapokalyptic Rock, Americana, Avant-Garde, Dark Essence Records, Extreme, Grunge, Madder Mortem, Norway, Post Metal, Prog, Rock

Five years after the release of “Marrow” MADDER MORTEM will be back on the 26th January 2024 with their 8th full-length album “Old Eyes, New Heart”, and, whilst fans wait for its release, Dark Essence Records has today debuted a single taken from the album.

Titled “The Head That Wears The Crown” MADDER MORTEM explained that this track is

A typical example of how Madder Mortem’s song writing works, combining an intensely melodic, nearly baroque verse with a down-tuned, heavy-handed riff-based refrain very suitable for banging your head. The lyrics deal with how there are some lines that will not be crossed and some things that will not be handed out for free, not even for love”.

“The Head That Wears The Crown” can be downloaded or streamed from a variety of services at:

https://link.darkessencerecords.no/MadderMortem_THTWTC

Eschewing any attempts at genre-categorisation, MADDER MORTEM’s lineup of Agnete M. Kirkevaag on vocals, BP M. Kirkevaag on guitar & vocals, Anders Langberg on guitars, Tormod L. Moseng on bass and Mads Solås on drums, are able to draw fans from fields as diverse as Prog and Metal, Rock and Extreme, and a few more besides.

Recorded and produced by BP M. Kirkevaag, “Old Eyes, New Heart” is chock full of surprises and finds MADDER MORTEM skillfully following a wide range of directions that range from post-metal heaviness to soft Americana grooves and everything in between.

Tracklisting on “Old Eyes, New Heart” is as follows:

Coming from the Dark
On Guard
Master Tongue
The Head that Wears the Crown
Cold Hard Rain
Unity
Towers
Here and Now
Things I’ll Never Do
Long Road

Lyrically and musically, “Old Eyes, New Heart” deals with hope, disappointment, and the ambivalence between them. It is music from old hearts and deep roots, with new eyes open to the unlimited possibilities of 12 notes, but always with the desire to write a good, honest song. Which makes it unmistakably MADDER MORTEM.

It will be available in CD, Digital, and Limited Edition LP formats in White Vinyl (limited to 250 copies) and Blue Vinyl (limited to 250 copies), and can now be pre-ordered from:

Webshop: https://darkessencerecords.no/kar270-madder-mortem-old-eyes-new-heart/
BandcampL https://maddermortem.bandcamp.com/album/old-eyes-new-heart
US Webshop: https://darkessence.indiemerch.com

The making of “Old Eyes, New Heart”, has not just been a long journey for the MADDER MORTEM, it has also been a hard one, filled with turmoil, and, for band members Agnete and BP, one that ended in heartbreak following the death of their beloved father Jakob, a man whose support was intrinsic to the launch of the band’s career almost 30 years ago.

An artist himself, Jakob contributed two paintings for “Old Eyes, New Heart”, which, with the help of artist and video producer Costin Chioreanu, a long-term collaborator of the band’s, Jakobs’ work was adapted to form the cover art of the album. Sadly he did not live long enough to hear the finished work which dedicated to his memory.

A video by Patrick Scantlebury for “Towers” the recently released first single from the album can be seen below and at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzf7cvrk3jU

More information about MADDER MORTEM can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mmortem or on the band’s website at http://www.maddermortem.com/

DARK ESSENCE RECORDS REVEALS FIRST SINGLE FROM UPCOMING VESTINDIEN ALBUM

Posted: December 8, 2023 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: Bergen, Black Metal, Dark Essence Records, Hardcore, Norway, Old School Metal, Prog, Psych Rock, Punk, rock n roll, Vestindien

As work on VESTINDIEN’s sophomore full-length album “Verdande” nears completion, Dark Essence Records has managed to give fans of the band an early Christmas present by releasing one of the finished tracks as a single.

Almost three years on from the release of VESTINDIEN’s 2020 debut full-length “Null”, the new single, titled “Forbi Stillheten”, bridges the gap from where the band were then, to where they are today.

“Null” served to introduce fans to VESTINDIEN’s unique approach to a dark, harsh and sinister old-school metal sound, and whilst “Forbi Stillheten” is still very much rooted in metal, this time it also references 60s psych and 70s prog.

Described by the band as “A hymn to the people who see the world as something they belong to, rather than something that belongs to them”, “Forbi Stillheten” can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of services at:

https://link.darkessencerecords.no/Vestindien_ForbiStillheten

Formed in 2009 and named after the last known brothel (now a museum) in Bergen, VESTINDIEN had a reputation as an up-and-coming hardcore band with a heavy metal twist, and a solid following eager to witness VESTINDIEN’s frenetic live shows. But one year after the release of their 2011 EP “We are the Lords of Hellfire”, the band inexplicably called it a day.

Several years later VESTINDIEN re-emerged with a more introverted, and less hardcore and aggressive, approach to their music. Hints of the band’s hardcore roots were still discernible, but VESTINDIEN’s sound had manifested itself into a dark shroud that conjured up the essence of black metal, punk and old school rock’n’roll. As a result “Null” was filled with songs that were dark, desperate and desolate, but also packed hard punches of energy and groove.

Details of the new album itself are still being kept under wraps, but we can reveal that “Verdande” was written in a basement in Bergen, as well as on a secluded island in the Barents Sea. The latter’s location out in the open sea, has literally, and figuratively, given VESTINDIEN more air and space do develop their music, without sacrificing any of those claustrophobic and chaotic roots from the underground.

VESTINDIEN’s lineup is comprised of Slettsnok on vocals, guitars and synth, Fader War and Henrik Paulsen on guitars, Karl Johan Johannessen on drums, Petter Beyer on synth and Pål Eirik Veseth on bass, and more information about the band can be found on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Vestindien/

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MADDER MORTEM RELEASE NEW SINGLE FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

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