Posts Tagged ‘Taake’

NORWEGIAN BLACK METALLERS TAAKE SET TO EMBARK ON THEIR FIRST NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Posted: April 15, 2015 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES, TAAKE
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Despite a history spanning over two decades, iconic Norwegian Black Metallers TAAKE have never previously  toured in North America, but  that is about to change with the band set to headline their first ever tour of the continent in June of this year.  Joining them on the thirteen-date tour will be US bands WOLVHAMMER for the whole tour, and YOUNG AND IN THE WAY for selected dates.  Routing as follows:

With Wolvhammer
14 June,  Brighton Music Hall , Allston, MA
15 June,  Théâtre Plaza  Montreal, QC
16 June,  Hard Luck,  Toronto, ON
17 June,  The Loft,   Lansing, MI
18 June, The Foundry, Lakewood, OH
19 June,  Altar Bar,  Pittsburgh, PA
20 June,  Cobra Lounge, Chicago, IL
21 June  Riot Room, Kansas City, MO
With Wolvhammer and Young And In The Way
22 June,  Fubar, St Louis, MO
23 June,  Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
24 June,  New Mountain, Asheville, NC
25 June,  Metro Gallery, Baltimore, MD
26 June,  Saint Vitus, Brooklyn, NY

With their signature Helnorsk Svartmetall sound, which succeeds in staying  true to its Black Metal roots , whilst at the same time providing a freshness and originality that is all too often lacking today,  TAAKE has risen to iconic status not only in Norway, but world-wide.  Founder Hoest has proved time and again that his reputation as one of the best frontmen around is more than well-deserved.

“Stridens Hus”, the band’s sixth-full length, was released on Dark Essence Records at the end of last year, and in the same year TAAKE also released the  four-track “Kulde”  MCD on Svartekunst Produksjoner  and limited to 700 copies.

More information about TAAKE can be found on the band’s website at http://taake.svartekunst.no/  or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/taakeofficial

The official video for the track “Nordbundet” from the TAAKE album “Noregs Vaapen” can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/OAIIbnrYC7Q

Eight  tracks from TAAKE can be heard below and on the band’s SoundCloud page at http://soundcloud.com/taake-official/sets/taake

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Taake Website: http://taake.svartekunst.no/
Taake on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taakeofficial
Taake WebShop: http://svartekunst.bigcartel.com/
Svartekunst Produksjoner: http://svartekunst.no
Taake Management & Booking: Propulsion Music http://www.propulsionmusic.no/
email: bjornar.erevik.nilsen@gmail.com

Dark Essence Records contact and promo: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records G+: google.com/+DarkessencerecordsNo
Dark Essence Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords

DARK ESSENCE RECORDS SIGNS NORWEGIAN BLACK METALLERS ORKAN

Posted: March 30, 2015 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Bergen-based Dark Essence Records, one of the fastest growing and most respected Norwegian labels,  have announced the signing of Black Metallers ORKAN, and are set to release the band’s sophomore full-length album “Livlaus” later this year.

ORKAN’s four-man lineup was formed in 2008 by TAAKE’s live guitarist Gjermund Fredheim and ex- BYFROST drummer Rune Nesse.  Having been joined by former GRIMNORTH  bassist Sindre Hillesdal and frontman Einar Fjelldal (ex-GRAVEMACHINE),  ORKAN released their debut full-length album “Crimson Canvas” in 2012.

Whilst “Crimson Fields” is, as described by the band, “a self-financed, thrashy album”, ORKAN have left this sound behind them and taken their musical vision in a much darker direction, taking the classic Norwegian Black Metal sound and incorporating into it influences from many other genres, to create atmospheric melodies with haunting vocals and intense blastbeats.

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

Fan-filmed footage of ORKAN playing the track “Deus Vicit” from their debut album “Crimson Canvas”, at the Ferrailleur in Nante during their tour with TAAKE and HELHEIM in 2003 can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/farFAII2D-g

 

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
Dark Essence Records contact and promo: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records G+: google.com/+DarkessencerecordsNo
Dark Essence Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords
Orkan on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ORKANMETAL
Orkan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/OrkanOfficial
Band Contact and Booking:  orkanband@gmail.com

TAAKE TO HEADLINE THE DARK ESSENCE RECORDS LABEL NIGHT AT INFERNO FESTIVAL IN A LINEUP THAT INCLUDES GALAR, KRAKOW AND MOMENTUM

Posted: March 23, 2015 in DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, GALAR, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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DARK ESSENCE RECORDS will once again be showcasing some of its bands at Inferno Festival this year, with a lineup that includes TAAKE, GALAR, KRAKOW and MOMENTUM –  all bands who have recently released new albums on what is one of Norway’s most respected and growing labels.  The event will take place on Wednesday the 1st of April at Blå in Oslo, Norway.

For fans of  Norwegian Black Metal TAAKE needs no introduction.  After more than two decades of writing and performing his Helnorsk Svartmetall, frontman and founder Hoest still produces music which, whilst staying true to its roots,  manages to remain fresh, original and relevant in a genre that  is sadly lacking in all three attributes these days.    The band released its sixth full-length album  “Stridens hus” in December of last year, and proved once again that Hoest has lost none of his intensity and unpredictability, either in the studio or on the stage.

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

With their third full-length album “De gjenlevende” barely over a week old, GALAR is a Black-Folk Metal  band that is not scared to use non-traditional metal instruments including both a string quintet and a horn quartet.  These unusual elements are ideally suited to the epic nature of the six-track concept album and to the band’s music in general. GALAR’s  founders M. Kristiansen (screams, guitars and bass) and A. B. Lauritzen (clean vocals, bassoon and grand piano) recently announced that they had expanded the band’s lineup to include drummer Tomas Myklebust (ex-EMANCER, live session drums with VULTURE INDUSTRIES and VRIED), and have also added live session member Pól Nolsøe Jespersen on lead guitars.  Inferno Festival will be the first time fans will get a chance to see the new lineup on stage.

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

Formed in Bergen, Norway in the fall of of 2005, and their third full-length album “amaran” released in February of this year, KRAKOW’s lineup of highly skilled and experienced musicians consists of Kjartan Grønhaug on guitars, René Misje on guitars and vocals, Frode Kilvik (AETERNUS, VITHR) on vocals and bass,  and Ask Ty Arctander (KAMPFAR) on drums.   The Experimental Post Rockers will be back on the Blå stage with their dark, melodic and mysterious music, perfectly performed with the band’s usual intensity and dynamism.

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

Making their DARK ESSENCE RECORDS debut at Inferno this year will be one of the label’s more recent signings, Icelandic Progressive Doom Metallers MOMENTUM, whose sophomore full length album “The Freak is Alive” was also released in February.  MOMENTUM’s blend of atmospheric Post-Rock is reminiscent of Isis and Cult of Luna, with a Neurosis-esque level of bone-crushing heaviness interspersed with soft vocals and relaxed clean passages.  The band’s lineup consists of frontman Holaf, the man responsible for both MOMENTUM’s  lyrics and artwork, on vocals, bass and sitar, Ingvar Sæmundsson on guitar and vocals, Kristján Einar Guðmundsson on drums, and Sigurður Árni Jónsson on guitar and vocals.

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

Tracks from TAAKE, GALAR, KRAKOW and MOMENTUM can be heard below and at https://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records/sets/inferno-festival-2015-with 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Dark Essence Records contact and promo: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records G+: google.com/+DarkessencerecordsNo
Dark Essence Records Webshop: http://karismarecords.bigcartel.com/
Dark Essence KlickTrack Store:  http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords

ALFAHANNE BEGINS WORK ON NEW ALBUM AND HINTS AT WHAT TO EXPECT

Posted: September 3, 2014 in ALFAHANNE, DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Sweden’s self-styled Alfapokalyptic Rockers ALFAHANNE, whose debut full-length album was released earlier this year on Dark Essence Records, are back in the studio preparing for their next album.  With guest vocalists like TAAKE’s Hoest, SHINING’s Niklas Kvarforth and HELHEIM’s V’gandr on their debut “Alfapokalyps” – names that make most fans of extreme metal sit up and take notice – many are wondering what the band will pull out of its bag for its follow up, so guitarist Fredrik Sööberg took time out from working on the new material to give a hint about what to expect.

“ALFHANNE  has never been a band that does things the way others do them. So when it comes to the process of recording a follow up album to “Alfapokalypse” we do it our way, regardless of expectations.  We  do not record demos or pre-productions. We just jam the shit out of our equipment until we have a song we feel we can perform properly on an album. Then we record it.  As with “Alfapokalyps” we record the material  live and most often it is the first take that ends up on the album. We believe that if we can’t get it right straight away, who are we to call ourselves musicians?

“ALFAHANNE is not about perfection and order.  Quite the opposite. We are about emotions and chaos. The process of writing new material is as always quite easy for us. After releasing our first album we had so much inspiration left in us that we  just kept going. Always inspired by the darkness that lies within the depth of humanity and the rotten illusion of our society. The songs just pop up like a big middle finger in the face of the world.

“As I write this, August has come to a close and we are about halfway through the recording, which, again as with “Alfapokalyps”, we are doing on our own, in our own Dödskult Studio, and we will continue the recording process  during this fall/winter when we are not busy playing live. We can also reveal that our new album will have guest appearances by vocalists who we find suitable for our particular style of music, which we call Alfapokalyptic rock.  As far as the sound is concerned  we just have one thing to say:  ALFAHANNE is always ALFAHANNE and we will always have our own distinctive  sound. One thing we can safely say, however, is that this  album will for sure be the best album released since “Alfapokalyps”. ”

ALFAHANNE can claim a  lineup of musicians that have been on the Black Metal scene since the early ’90’s in bands such as VINTERLAND and early MAZE OF TORMENT , and Pehr Skioldhammer on Vocals and Guitar, Fredrik Sööberg on Guitars, Niklas Åström on Drums and Jimmy Wiberg on Bass have proved well-able to win over audiences wherever they have played, which includes a series of festival appearances during 2014.  Formed in 2010, ALFAHANNE’s sound is a high energy mix of Black Metal, Classic Rock and Punk, a sound that was interesting enough to convince SHINING to join the band on the 2013 7″ split “Grym” release, after which, ALFAHANNE  joined the formidable roster of Norway’s Dark Essence Records.

Upcoming appearances confirmed for ALFAHANNE as follows:

12 Sept, John Dee, Oslo (supporting VULTURE INDUSTRIES)
27 Sept, Morkaste Smaland Festival, Metropol, Hultsfred, Sweden
07 Nov, On the Rocks, Helsinki, Finland
08 Nov, Dog’s Home, Tampere, Finland
19-21 Feb, Blastfest, Bergen, Norway (exact running order TBA)
09 May, Incineration Festival, London, England

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

Fan-filmed video of ALFAHANNE performing the track “Indiehora”  from their 2014 album “Alfapokalypse”,   live on stage with HELHEIM’s V’gandr  can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/ZUZpioeW_Gk

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Alfahanne on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alfahanneofficial
Alfahanne on Reverbnation: www.reverbnation.com/alfahanne
Alfahanne on YourTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzlnEhv8tEx2GNRAqVduRMQ
Alfahanne on SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/alfahanne
Band Contact: nickeastrom@hotmail.com
Management & PR: patriciathomas@btinternet.com
Booking: toni@thedamager.com
Dark Essence Records Contact and Promo: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no

HELHEIM’s V’GANDR TO MAKE GUEST APPEARANCE AT THE DARK ESSENCE RECORDS INFERNO FESTIVAL EVENT

Posted: April 11, 2014 in ALFAHANNE, DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES, SLEGEST
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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

The track “Såld På Mörkret” from ALFAHANNE’s album ”Alfapocalyptic Rock” and  which features TAAKE’s Hoest on guest vocals can be heard below and at http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records/alfahanne-s-ld-p-m-rkret

 

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 title track from AIRBAG’s album “The Greatest Show on Earth” can be heard below and at:  http://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/airbag-the-greatest-show-on

 

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

The title track from SEVEN IMPALE’s  “Beginning/Relieve”  EP can be heard below and at http://soundcloud.com/karisma-records/seven-impale-begining-relieve

 

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:

Seven Impale: 20:20
Slegest: 21:25
Alfahanne:  22:30
Airbag: 23:45

SLEGEST

ALFAHANNE

 

AIRBAG

SEVEN IMPALE

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Dark Essence Records: http://www.darkessencerecords.no/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Karisma Records: http://karismarecords.no/www.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/sevenimpale
Contact and Promo Requests: post@karismarecords.no

TAAKE ANNOUNCES ITALIAN MINI TOUR AND ADDITIONAL EUROPEAN DATES IN RUN UP TO TOUR WITH AETERNUS AND SLEGEST

Posted: March 13, 2014 in AETERNUS, DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES, SLEGEST, TAAKE
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Norwegian Black Metallers TAAKE are set to play a short tour in Italy in April, as well as three additional dates in Europe in the run up to the previously announced European tour with DARK ESSENCE RECORDS label mates – the veteran Dark Metallers AETERNUS and SLEGEST, the new project from former VREID guitarist Ese.

Full routing for all the upcoming dates as follows:

ITALIAN MINI TOUR
29 April: Traffic Live Club, Rome
30 April: Cycle Club, Calenzano
01 May: Circolo Colony, Brescia
02 May: Tipogragfia Club, Pescara
03 May: Demode Club, Modugno

EUROPEAN TOUR (with local supports)
05 May:  GalaHala , Ljubljana, Slovenia
06 May:  Viper Room, Vienna, Austria
07 May:  Alte Kaserne , Zurich, Switzerland

EUROPEAN TOUR WITH AETERNUS AND SLAGESTT
08 May: Le Ferrailleur, Nantes, France
09 May:  Le Divan du Monde, Paris, France
10 May:  The Garage, London, UK
11 May:  Soundcontrol, Manchester, UK
12 May:  Ivory Blacks, Glasgow, Scotland
13 May: 013, Tilburg, Netherlands
14 May: Club From Hell, Erfurt, Germany
15 May: Rock It, Aalen, Germany
16 May: Helvete, Oberhausen, Germany
17 May: Huggins Awakening Fest, Devil’s Corner, Leffinge, Belgium (without AETERNUS)

Having celebrated TAAKE’s 20th Anniversary last year with the release of “Gravkamre, Kroner og Troner”, a 20-song, 2 CD collection of rarities, the contribution that frontman and founder Hoest has made to the Black Metal scene, both in terms of recording and performing, is immeasurable.  Time has not stood still for a band that is not afraid to take risks, but which has always remained true to its roots.  Whilst many new Black Metal bands have steadfastly refused to move away from the generic formula that frequently risks sinking the whole genre into a sea of platitudes and unoriginality, TAAKE has shown that Black Metal is still very much alive, fresh, original and thriving.

More information about TAAKE at https://www.facebook.com/taakeofficial

The official video for the track “Nordbundet” from the TAAKE album “Noreg’s Vaapen” can be seen below and at http://youtu.be/OAIIbnrYC7Q

 

Tracks from all of TAAKE, AETERNUS and SLEGEST releases on DARK ESSENCE RECORDS can be heard below and at http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records/sets/taake-aeternus-slegest

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Propulsion Music http://www.propulsionmusic.no/
Tour info: bjornar@propulsionmusic.no
Press contact: martin@propulsionmusic.no
Taake Website: http://taake.svartekunst.no/
Taake on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taakeofficial
Taake on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/taakeofficial
Taake WebShop: http://svartekunst.bigcartel.com/
Svartekunst Produksjoner: http://svartekunst.no
Taake Management & Booking: Propulsion Music http://www.propulsionmusic.no/
Dark Essence Records contact: post@karismarecords.no
Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no
Dark Essence SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dark-essence-records
Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords
Dark Essence Records KlickTrack:  shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords

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