The Swedish black metal one-man-band Leviathan will release their second album, “Förmörkelse” on October the 12th, 2020 through Nebular Carcoma. It’s 18 years since the last debut album, “Far Beyond the Light” was released. Phycon, the man behind Leviathan, did handle the drums in the bands Armagedda and Volkermord.
Hiidenhauta, who plays folk-influenced black metal, has released his third studio album through Inverse Records. Hiidenhauda's third album, “Riivin”, is most easily compartmentalized in folk-influenced black metal, but above all it is a balanced ensemble of Finnish devil that exudes the band's ability to regenerate and transform. Once again, Hiidenhauta is like a story he created: earthy, raw, angry, but also sounding like the endless beauty of nature.
The gentlemen around growling myth-lover Dolk have yet again accomplished a nice piece of Viking steel with powerful Pagan Metal accents. The ingenious four are all for sublime mid-tempo rhythms, intricate structures, guitar staccati, majestic melodious anthems and the resprective atmosphere. This always works for the devoted fan, and I am moved by the intensity and dignity of their performance. It is impressive to see how they always manage to stay within the limits of their elite "Nordkunst" cult, and yet add some fresh and crispy touches. "Heimgang" is a class of its own. Unique.
Devoted to the classic 90’s black metal atmospheres, Polish black metallers ODIUM HUMANI GENERIS musical concept is enriched by intense urban depressive themes and some very personal lyrics. Their sound, influenced by the likes of Mgla, Taake and Lifelover, has a lot of intriguing twists, while songwriting features impressive riffing that often shapes a truely melanchonic atmosphere. Formed in Lodz, Poland in 2015, the band has released “Zmora” demo-tape in 2018 and shared the stage with the likes of Uada, Mortiis, Pillorian and Malokarpatan, delivering stunning live performances and making themselves known in the prolific Polish black metal scene. In 2020 ODIUM HUMANI GENERIS signed a two albums record deal with Cult Of Parthenope label and will release their new opus “Przeddzień” in October 2020.
Fjord was created in 2019 by Archon von Fjord from Onda Makter. A solo project that is a homeage to nature and paganism. Join the journey!
Hate Them is the ninth studio album by Norwegian black metal band, Darkthrone. It was released 10 March 2003 by Moonfog Productions. Like their subsequent release, Sardonic Wrath, the album had an electronic intro and outro created by Lars Sørensen (aka LRZ) from Red Harvest. The cover image was the work of Eric Syre from Thesyre, and incorporated images of the Sagrada Família Catholic church in Barcelona.
Legions of the North is the seventh studio album by the Viking metal band Månegarm. It was released in 2013.
With thirty years of active, nefarious service under their bulletbelts, NECROPHOBIC are undisputed legends of the death and black metal underground. “Dawn of the Damned” is undoubtedly the most imaginative and creative album of the band’s career to date. Once again recorded in collaboration with Fredrik Folkare of death metal icons UNLEASHED, it’s an album that proclaims its creators’ idiosyncratic approach to hammering their infernal point home.
"German Dark Metal pioneers NACHTBLUT will release their sixth studio album Vanitas on October 2nd 2020 via Napalm Records. The listener will be drawn into the band’s musical maelstrom in a classifying NACHTBLUT manner: hard riffs, Askeroth’s incisive vocals, rousing melodies and profound, candid lyrics. Three years after the previous album Apostasie was released, NACHTBLUT returns with even more vigor and might.
Isengard was the solo-project initially started in 1989 by Fenriz – one the key driving forces behind Norwegian legends Darkthrone – because he had many musical ideas to explore that didn’t strictly fit in with the style and music of his main band. Under the Isengard moniker, Fenriz released 2 albums encapsulating doom, death, black & Folk/Viking metal in the shape of ‘Vinterskugge‘ & ‘Høstmørke‘, & finally we welcome the third addition to this cult project. Everything on ‘Vårjevndøgn’ was performed and engineered by Fenriz himself. The tracks were all recorded between 1989 & 1993 using the infamous Necrohell Studios, notable for recording Darkthrone’s classic ‘Transilvanian Hunger’ & ‘Panzerfaust’ albums. ‘Vårjevndøgn’ was mastered by Jack control at Enormous Door.
Formed in 1991 Norway's Enslaved have released 14 full length records over their nearly 30 year career. The band's 2020 album Utgard is a record brimful with northern magic and shows them at a stage where simply everything they touch turns to gold. Icy black metal anthems walk hand in hand with refined prog rock gems and primordial, dark folk sorcery
On October 2nd, ANAAL NATHRAKH will release their 11th full-length, Endarkenment, via Metal Blade Records.
On their authentic masterpiece Zeichen, the Wolves from VARG return to their roots and embark on a journey further down a new road. Forget anything you have seen or heard about them in the past few years and embrace the new album as a reboot of a band that never ceased to evolve and has gotten rid of everything superfluous. This seventh full length release marks a new era for the Wolves, haunted by wild battles, death and bloodlust - a resurrection from the fields of pagan metal, pairing razor-sharp melodic death riffs with Freki's furious vocals. Within the first seconds of the album opener breaking loose, VARG pulls the listener into the year “793” that heralded the ferocious era of the Vikings. In contrast, "Fara Til Ranar", including additional female vocals, is a melancholic, captivating saga about the Nordic sea goddess Rán, who pulls wandering sailors down into her wet grave. "Verräter", on the other hand, emphasizes the suffering and vengeance towards former allies with rapid guitar leads and ultimately the album culminates in the mighty title hymn “Zeichen”. In addition to the ten new tracks, the mediabook contains a bonus CD featuring alternative versions of each song the band recorded with renowned guest musicians from Eluveitie, Nachtblut and Equilibrium among others. Looking at the final opus, it's not surprising why VARG took four years after the publication of Das Ende Aller Lügen (which hit number 17 on the German charts) to regather their forces, and today, Zeichen shows that Freki, Fenrier, Morkai and Garm consciously took their time to realign their inner compass and are not afraid of musical and intellectual freedom.
Recorded during 2017-2020. All instruments and voices by Grim666.
"Our 7th full-length “Where the Word Acquires Eternity” is a concept album dedicated to the events that took place in our native city of Kharkiv in the 30s of the XX century – the times called Renaissance of Ukrainian culture. By that time, in the end of 1920s, a residential multi-storey house was built by cooperative of writers. Externally the house was built in the shape of the letter С and was named Будинок “Слово” (a House “Word”). In most Slavic languages the word “Слово” means “Word”. A whole galaxy of Ukrainian writers, playwrights, poets, publicists, actors and public figures lived here until mass repressions against Ukrainian cultural figures began in 1933. This tragic page of history is known as the “Executed Renaissance”. Almost all the residents of the House “Slovo” were subjected to repression: some were shot, some were exiled, and some committed suicide. The walls of the writer's House “Slovo” still preserve the atmosphere of stone cells, which have become “custodies” for their residents."Recorded, mixed and mastered autumn 2019 - spring 2020 in Viter Music Studio, Kharkiv, Ukraine. All music written by Jurgis, except 'Crystals of the Fall' by Jurgis / Helg. Produced and arranged by KHORS.
