News from this week

From russian ARKONA:

We can proudly announce, that the work on our new album "Yav" is finished and master CD was sent to Napalm rec. few minutes ago! Those 70 minutes of music took a lot of nerves, time and power, and now we finally can say: "Yes, we made it!". All musicians, who took part in album recording, showed the highest level of their musical skills. Sometimes we had to go back and learn how to play an instrument again, but now, when the whole work is behind, we can tell, that it is new step in our art and this 3-years long path is finished!

Listen to a teaser of 'Yav' here.

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From the true MAYHEM (taken from Metal Hammer website):

Seven long years after they dropped their malevolent and murky masterpiece, Ordo Ad Chao, black metal’s most notorious band and the true originals of Norwegian desecration, Mayhem, are back with a new, as-yet-untitled album due out at the end of May.

Thanks to the hardy folk at Season Of Mist Records, we can exclusively reveal the warning shot that is the band’s new single, Psywar, taken from the forthcoming missive, and comes complete with a bleak but visionary new lyric video courtesy of revered artist Costin Chioreanu (Spiritual Beggars, Oranssi Pazuzu, Vulture Industries and a host of Roadburn posters all showcasing his unique woodcut-on-LSD style) that recasts the notion of ‘industrial wasteland’ in brain-warping new forms.

Less overtly avant garde than Ordo Ad Chao, Psywar is still saturated with the kind of Stygian atmosphere and radioactive filth that Mayhem have made their own. Epic, defiling and utterly affecting it finds Attila Csihar, Necrobutcher, Hellhammer and new member Teloch primed to reopen black metal’s oldest and most putrid wounds and still drag the genre into its unruly slipstream. All hail, and unveil!

Listen to the track here.

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From greek NECROMANTIA:

Expected in April: NECROMANTIA - "NEKROMANTEION - A collection of arcane hexes" double cd
 
NEKROMANTEION is the sacred place where the art of NECROMANTIA (necromancy) is performed. A dark haven, hidden from the common eyes where the necromancer practice and evolves his magnum arcanum. Likewise this double cd compilation is a collection of almost all our works which are not included in our official albums, meaning demos, promos, splits, compilations, early works , covers e.t.c. It is the first time that all these rare gems are gathered in a double volume. NECROMANTIA was always a band who followed its own dark path music wise. We created, not followed . We influenced and gave shape to the musical directions of younger bands and musicians. With NEKROMANTEION we offer you a full view of our wanderings through the Abyss since our profane birth in 1989....Be not afraid to look into the Erevos, although you must know that Erevos will look back at you....rejoice"
The Magus 2014

This document will come with extensive booklet and will consist of the full recordings of: -Family of Dog (The Feast of Ghouls) 1990 -De Magia Veterum (The Dawn of Utter Darkness) 1990 -Faceless Gods 1990 -Evil Prayers 1990 -Lycanthropia 1990 -La Mort 1990 -Lord of the Abyss 1991 -The Feast of Ghouls 1991 -Evil Prayers 1991 -Lycanthropia 1991 -Spiritforms of The Psychomancer 1997 - My World, Your Hell 2001 - Death Rider (Omen cover) 2001 - The Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden cover) 2001 - The Demon's Whip (Manowar cover) 2001 - Mordor (Running Wild cover) 2001
NECROMANCY (Pre-Necromantia) - Visons of Lunacy demo 1989 -Thrashifixion - Shattered Bodies -Outbreak of Evil (Sodom cover) - Forbidden Rites -Nocturnal Cry

Listen to band's music here.

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Polish folk metal band RADOGOST announce that they were left by a singer Marcin 'Velesar' Wieczorek. Marcin thanks his ex-mates from the band for three intensive years with them, all the fans and bands' that Radogost was touring with.
The band announced also that the upcoming album will be something like 'back to the roots', sung by the old vocalist (and guitarist) Łukasz 'Mussi' again in polish language. More info about it - in nearest future.

Watch clip to 'Watra' from their last album (here). 

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Russian pagan folk metal band Руян (Ruyan) from Naberezhnye Chelny is ready to release its second full-length album “Лебедь Белая“. The new album will be released by the Russian label SoundAge Productions, but the exact released date isn’t announced yet. Руян were formed in 2009, presenting a harmonious combination of metal and folk music: gloomy and folksy guitar riffs, clean and growling female vocals by Daria “Rodonitsa” and traditional instruments. The band released its debut full-length album “Наследие – Heritage” in 2010. Their new album title “Лебедь Белая” translates to “White Swan” and the band has already unveiled its great cover artwork and the tracklist.

Listen to band's music here.
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The long-awaited debut album by uprising Dutch folk metal band Alvenrad will be released via the German label Trollmusic on April 4th in Europe and April 15th in the US. It is entitled “Habitat” and it contains nine powerful tunes, which combine the archaic charm of wooden folk & black metal with the enthusiasm of classic bands like Uriah Heep, Iron Maiden or Judas Priest. The album has been mastered by Markus Stock (Empyrium / Studio E) and will be published as noble digipak including a booklet with all lyrics, translations & liner notes by the musicians. Alvenrad have unveiled the cover artwork, the album tracklist, as well as their first official video for the song “Woudakoestiek” that you can watch below and get a first taste of their music.

Hailing from the mythic heart of the Veluwe, the Dutch duo Alvenrad offers a fresh blend of folk-influenced heavy metal. The nine lively tunes on its debut album “Habitat” root deeply in various traditions and like branches of a mighty tree they spread towards the sun, encouraging the listeners to follow them on an adventurous voyage on pathways untrodden by most contemporary bands. Alvenrad is a free Dutch translation of a kenning for the sun used in the Edda, approximately wheel of the elves. With the passionate help of brilliant guest musicians, Jasper Strik and Mark Kwint created a debut album reflecting the strong burning love for their “Habitat” – a home which is described through landscapes, literature, paintings, classical music and the wild mixture of them all. “Habitat” is for all music lovers who enjoy enthusiastic & powerful folk metal, especially fans of Vintersorg, Myrkgrav, Skyclad, Jethro Tull, Empyrium, Windir, Forefather and Borknagar should give this band a listen!


Watch an official clip here.
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Romanian barbarian folk metallers from Iasi GOD – The Barbarian Horde celebrate 20 years of existence. Given this occasion, the band will soon release an EP entitled “Zal Mox“, which will comprise 5 songs. It will serve as a preview for their upcoming new full-length conceptual album “Forefathers: A Spiritual Heritage“, scheduled for release towards the end of 2014! With the release of the EP, GOD has made plans for 2 tours. The first one is scheduled to run sometimes around April in the eastern and south-eastern cities, while the second is meant to cover some of the cities in the country’s center and western regions. The band has revealed “Zal Mox” cover artwork and tracklist and you can already listen to the song “Greuceanul” in their Bandcamp page below.

Listen to band's music here.

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Three last news via Metal Soundscapes

Rotting Christ - Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού (2013)

Rotting Christ 

Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού 

Season of Mist

2013

The previous album of this greek kommando was a big disappointment for me. It had many great riffs, but arranged in such a... Modern way that I really felt that they were extremely fucked up. It simply lost it's power thanks to that. Happily the new opus Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού is much better.
First of all the band came to their senses and once again recorded riffs with no strange arrangment. Thanks to that this release is more similar to "Theogonia" and some previous works. Just listen to the opening track "Xibalba" and you will understand how powerfull is the new material! Extremely fast tempos with massive sound goes into calmer, more ritualistic atmosphere. I don't like most of the "modern" metal productions, but in some way it fits pretty good for this band. Even a sound of drums is not as plastic and irritating as on "Theogonia", so no objections here. The riffing is very characteristic for this band - melodic, yet without no doubt still very extreme. And I must say that the vocals of Sakis are as wine - the older the better hehe.
The occult atmosphere is present in every song - it is created mainly by choirs and sometimes some weird style of singing ("Iwa Voodoo"). It sounds unique, really, 'cuz I don't know many bands that use traditional greek music in their music. So this is in plus. The peculiar track is "Grandis Spiritus Diavolos" with lyrics written in latin and choir singing for almost all the song. It even doesn't sounds dark or obscure just... Peculiar indeed. Also on the album we can find one song which is completely from the outside of metal world - a cover of traditional romanian song Cine Iubeste Si Lasa. This song is very dark itself, but arranged with the usage of piano and electric guitar sounds even more haunted... I could write here more about every song, but I think you already got the proper impression that I worship those tunes? Yeah, this album really seems to haven't even a single weak song. Sure, some of them are more listenable than the others, but taking it all together the album is a pure musical masterpiece. It kicks ass when it is suppossed to do it, and it hypnotize you from time to time with outstanding, unique climate...
So generally speaking the diversity of this album is something that I really enjoy, because I can listen to it replay after replay without being bored. But I can't stand only one thing. Each song tells a story (or is inspired) by many pagan cultures, from many places of the world and scattered widely in time. Sorry to say, but for me it doesn't make any sense. I understand to use the symbols of max two different cultures, but we've got here slavic demon Rusalka, Voodoo religion, Mayan underworlds, persian Ahura Mazda etc. I was wondering if I should reduce the rating, because it's really annoying when you can't identigy yourself with the lyrics. But I decided not to do it - after all the music is very smartly arranged and it is quite homogenous. So I leave for everyone if it's good or not. Beside the lyrics the album is really outstanding and defenitely worth you attention.

Rate: 9/10
Vladyka

A videoclip for "666":

Tracklist:

1. In Yumen - Xibalba

2. P'unchaw kachun - Tuta kachun

3. Grandis Spiritus Diavolos

4. Κατά τον δαίμονα του εαυτού 

5. Cine iubeşte şi lasă 

6. Iwa voodoo

7. Gilgameš 

8. Русалка 

9. Ahura Mazdā-Aŋra Mainiuu 

10. 666

Daemonia Nymphe - "Psychostasia" (2013)

Daemonia Nymphe

"Psychostasia"

Prikosnovenie

2013

Deamonia Nymphe is from Greece (although now they reside in London) and was founded in 1994 in Athens. The band is playing music inspired by ancient tunes and old greek poems praising Zeus and other olympic gods. "Psychostasia" is their 5th full-length album.

As you might guess looking on the title the music of those Greek is not a jolly melody but more soulful kind of playing. We can find here some more happier moments (with best example - "Deo's Erotas") but it always keeps some kind of dignity. Most of the time Daemonia Nymphe's creativeness is in many parts full of theatrical relish like e.g. very sensual track that I am listenning in this moment - "Selene's Awakening  Horos". Or the next song "Politeia of the Unnamed" with beautiful vocals performed by Evi Stergiou. Her voice is here the most important - it is creating an amazing, oneiric atmosphere. Sometime it can be even a bit disturbing ("Nature's Metamorphoses") and sounds like a soundtrack to some old mysteries. In those moments I am stunned and can't think completely about anything. I just listen to the music like hypnotised. I am not some kind of scatterbrained pussy but this music really stimulates reflections... The only problem with "Psychostasia" is that it's way too short - only 40 minutes. Come on guys, you spent five years to record this album! But from the other side I can simply press a replay button (which I do very often) so this can be forgiven. 

"Psychostasia" proves also once again that sometimes simple yet well played music can be much more interesting than some indistinct, complicated and avantgarde crap. The instrumental section based on greek folk instruments sounds really good. It perfectly cooperates with the voice of the female singer (and from time to time also male). And by the way - it's interesting to hear instruments that you have seen on vase paintings in school during history lessons :)

Daemonia Nymphe recorded again a perfect album, taking you back in time to the mysterious, ancient times... If you liked their previous works or you are simply a fan of  neofolk you should immediately get this album. It's a good alternative for all those celtic and nordic folk albums that are so popular these days.

Rate: 10/10

Vladyka

Tracklist:

1. Zephyros's Enlightening Anemos

2. Nemesis Rhamnousia 

3. Thracian Gaia

4. Selene's Awakening Horos

5. Politeia of the Unnamed

6. Deo's Erotas

7. Nature's Metamorphosis

8. Enchanting Oneiro

9. Psychostasia

10. Hypnos