News from this week

From TRIPTYKON:
'Triptykon's second album, Melana Chasmata (rough translation: "black, deep depressions/valleys") will be released on April 14 (Europe) and April 15 (North America), 2014, through Century Media Records/Prowling Death Records Ltd.

Like its predecessor Eparistera Daimones, the album was produced by Triptykon's singer/guitarist Tom Gabriel Warrior and guitarist V. Santura and recorded and mixed at V. Santura's own Woodshed Studio in southern Germany as well as at Triptykon's rehearsal facilities in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2013 and 2014. Those who have already heard Melana Chasmata have described it as "atmospheric, dark, diabolical, and dramatic", "diverse, epic, and doomy, but on an entirely different level", "a fierce boulder of abhorrence", or "very heavy and yet very aesthetic at the same time".
 
Melana Chasmata will feature nine songs, at a playing time of around 67 minutes.'

Check out band's music here.

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From DORNENREICH:
'Dearest friends and companions,

We are approaching the finishing touches on the visual side of "Freiheit" (Freedom), Dornenreich's eighth studio album which will be entrusted to you this spring – in the 18th year of our band history.

Soon we will present first samples!

As the cover art suggests, "Freiheit" is an album of thresholds, of transitions, of transformations; an album that makes a bold move towards the whole range of human emotion, thought, and being. This album is dedicated to the depth, diversity, and elemental beauty of being.
In my own personal view, "Freiheit" is an album of a great, encompassing power that unfolds itself as a whole and that makes me grateful and free as an artist and as a human being. Many things come full circle on this very album.

At the same time, "Freiheit" feels like a parting right now.
And as much as I feel that we will never stop to create artistically, and as much as it may be possible that this album will be seen as just a departure from a certain artistic evaluation or orientation, there are a lot of indications at this moment that "Freiheit" is going to be Dornenreich's last studio album for quite some time.

Dornenreich, as I have stressed time and again, is obliged to life. And I am convinced that our expression, in its musical and lyrical essence, is timeless and develops its emotional urgency especially within a live context – thus, we will return to the stages for very special performances in the next years.

So this is by no means an absolute farewell. It is merely the end of a long journey, a homecoming, a discovery - that one day may be the starting point of another journey, another transformation ... life will tell.

And now join us in anticipation of this year, of this eighth Dornenreich album which is so valuable to us, and of the spring tour when we all shall meet again!

With gratitude, love, and respect

Eviga'

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French Celtic medieval band Stille Volk from Pyrénées has announced the release of its sixth full-length studio album “La Pèira Negra“. The new album will be out in May 2014 by Holly Records, 20 (!) years after the band’s birth and 5 years after their previous work “Nueit de Sabbat“. “La Pèira Negra” will have 9 songs, including a cover on Mercyful Fate’s “Come to the Sabbath“. Several guest musicians participated (Barbarian Pipe Band, Gae Bolg and Didier Bignalet) that have provided exemplary work to make this new album a real orgy-mineral, exploring all the intricacies of pagan and primal music: epic, tortured melodic declamation, hypnotic, powerful mystic… Stille Volk have revealed the album tracklist and a video teaser that you can watch here.

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German acoustic dark folk band NEBELUNG has announced the release of its second full-length album “Palingenesis” via Temple of Torturous. The album will be released in 3 different editions: CD in a 3-panel digifile with hot-foil embossing, double black LP in a Gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves, limited to 400 copies and double clear LP limited to 100 copies. CD edition will be out on February 18th and both vinyl editions on March 18th, 2014. The band has already revealed the cover artwork by Sphæra Satvrni Art, the album tracklist and the official video for the song “Mittwinter” that you can watch below.

Derived from the Greek words for ‘birth’ (genesis) and ‘again’ (palin), the term Palingenesis refers to a variety of concepts of rebirth and recreation, ranging from the stoic idea of the continuing recreation of the cosmos, the christian belief in spiritual regeneration through baptism, or the originally Pythagorean concept of the souls’ transmigration into a new body. Nebelung take up the energy behind these concepts, using them as archetypal images for mans’ eternal strive for spiritual perfection in a meditation on death and decay, transformation and renewal.

More than two years on the making, the release of “Palingenesis” defines a new era for Nebelung. Where it's predecessors had been singing the hymn of autumn and night by the means of simply structured melancholic folk songs, “Palingenesis” takes on a different approach, transcending the boundaries of lyrics and song, sparing light and reason, and letting the music take on a direct and unaltered way to the depths of the subconscious. “Palingenesis” is a deep and transforming listen, with tracks built up like Mantras, tucking the listener into a dense and detailed tapestry of subtly woven, intertwining melodies and drones, rich in detail and structure, and incorporating such a variety of acoustic instruments as both classical and steel stringed guitars, cello, accordion, Indian harmonium, hammered dulcimer, glass harp, percussion and voice.

Check out band's music here.

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Since now you can order a split of RAUS! and PERUNWIT, entitled 'Under the Sign of The Black Sun'. Raus! is a new project of Shadow from Black Altar, while Perunwit is one of the oldest pagan metal hordes in Poland. The album was released via Odium Recs.

Watch a promo video here: