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

Interview - Radogost - "We play music first of all for our own, from natural need of realisation"

Radogost is a Polish folk metal act, founded in Brenna in 2006 by Łukasz "Mussi" Muschiol (guitarist and formerly vocalist) and a drummer Łukasz Goszyk. Since then, they released 2 longplays, a demo, and played around a Poland and also abroad. I asked Łukasz a handful of questions about band's history, music and some non musical things. See below for answers, and then search their music. Radogost's work is really worth to check!

1. Hello Łukasz! Let's start this interview from the very beggining. How has it happened that you had founded this band? I remember that in one interview you said that you were really inspired by the scandinavian scene. And what about slavic inlfuences? Did you have interest in our ancestors' believes before You founded Radogost?
Hello, I was never planning to listen or play folk metal, but after solicitations of my friend drummer, Łukasz Goszyk, I tried to do it and that's how were put foundations of Radogost. Of course I was interrested in Scandinavia, mostly in black metal scene. Everything bounded with folk was a total embarrasment and commercial crap for kinders for me.
Slavic believes and influences were never strange for me, but foundation of the band automatically caused a bigger interrest in native culture.
2. On your demo "Dwa Hektary Żywego Lasu" there is no doubt that the more influencial band for You was Korpiklaani. You even made a cover of their song. Did You appreciated their music so much? And what's your opinion about their latest works?
Yes, that's true, the music of Finns was very appreciated by us. I remember well when I've seen the video for "Wooden Pints" for a first time, I was aghast that I will play something like this. It was hard to me to tolerate jolly singing of drunk Korpiklaans, but desire of having a band and playing was strong enough to put together our different musical tastes.
I don't follow Korpiklaans, and don't know about their current works, but I suppose that they play their own music. They succeded in what they're doing, they dreams became true, and that's the most important.

  

 3. The demo I've mentioned was realesed by the band, like every later album. The reason is that nobody wanted to release your music, or maybe ther is something else?

We always tried to interrest labels, but maybe we weren't lucky enough, or we appeard a bit to late. It's hard to say. We will keep trying, and maybe we'll reach the goal.
4. One more question about your demo - it is available for free download on your official website. Many "true" metalheads try to fight against everythink connected with the words "mp3" and "internet". I see that your attitude is completely different. I am also curious what do you think about the fact, that your latest album was put on the youtube in very short time.
We play music first of all for our own, from natural need of realisation. Fact that there are people who appreciate our work make us happy, we don't want to limit them access. We don't fight internet, there is no way to win with it, and if anyone want he can buy our CD  to put it proudly on the shelf .
5. On your first longplay, "W Cieniu Wielkiego Dębu", you created your own style. How do you rate this album in retrospect? Is there anything you would change on it?
When I was writing "WCWD" I was already a fan of folk metal, I felt and I knew how I want to play. This is the album without any influences, from heart and bones true from the beggining to end. I like this CD, it's good, slavic, concrete and with clear message. If I could change enything, it would be sound.
I will risk to say, that "WCWD" is the most slavic album of Radogost. I don't assume that I will create something as concrete and unequivocal in the future.
6. I like very much lyrics, which appeared on your first LP. How important to you is this part of your creativeness? You know, many folk metal bands totally don't care about lyrics, writing only things about drinking beer and chasing enemy with the sword in the hand.
Excatly, many bands have dramatically low level of lyrics, though metal bands always could boast about their texts. I wouldn't make it if we had shallow lyrics, we tried to talk something more in each track. We have songs about drinking and fighting with a sword, but everything is written with some deeper approach.
7. OK, now we will talk about your latest CD "Dark Side of the Forest". First change that could be noted is usage of english lyrics. Usually bands decide to do this to collect more fans abroad. How it looks with you? And how CD was rated by polish fans?
It was an experiment, I wanted to do something different. The opinions about CD are different but I think that a new album will be done in Polish.

8. New album, inspite of some more intensive moments with usage of blast-beats, is way more classical, heavy metal. Your growls also appears rarely, and most of vocals are done by Marcin "Velesar" of Goddes of Sin. So how had this material been created? Did Marcin influnced you to do everything in more traditional heavy metal way?
Marcin's vocal caused that this album sounds in more heavy metal way, it is the issue of voice's tone. Tracks were mostly written before Marcin came to the band. Entirety can surprise every fan of previous Radogost's CDs. It looks like I do not like to write similar albums.
9. There was created a video to song "Watra". It is a second video in band's history. Was it worth it to make it? I know that You weren't happy with your previous clip ("Pieśń o Rycerzach z Czantorii")...
If we look at money and time that we had while making this "Watra" video, I can certainly say that I am proud. We had only 2 days with only couple of ours for shooting it, yet the final result is good. We owe it mainly to our friends from Białogród, Rafał Soliński and a group Inferis. The old clip was a competition that we accidentaly take part in, without our permission. Funny story. 
10. In this moment you are in the tour. Tell me, how do you feel about it? The audience is good?
I like very much to play concerts, we are the concert band, we revel and have fun with an audience. There is OK with frequence, as the polish condtions, we often play with Percivals (Percival Schuttenbach - an unknown and unpopular supporters, who play before band Radogost, often called "a gay support" :)), we're getting well and we like each other.

11. OK, to sum everything up - how do you rate bands past and it's current condition?
In the past we lack of exprerience in playing live. Currently a band is in good condition, everything works well. It's mainly because of musician's skills and experience. It would be best to check it out for your own on some concert.  
12. What are your plans in the future? You prepare material for a new CD? And will new tracks have english lyrics?
A new CD is completed in 90%, it will be in Polish. The plan is to divide album into two completely different parts when it comes to music, as well as lyrics.
13. And now a handful of non-musical questions. Many musicians playing pagan/folk metal belongs to neopagan movements -  slavic, asatru etc. What do you think about this? Or maybe you take a part in such movement?
I am not a part of any neopagan movement. I have many friends who are reconstructors or active slavic pagans, but I prefer to spend my energy on the band, and by that remind people about old times. 
14. And last, less seriuos question. What was the last good book you have read, last good album you have heard and last good movie you have watched?
This is the hardest question. Lastly I was reading self-developing books e.g. Johnson Spencers' "Who moved my cheese?". Films that stucked in my mind are "Yuma", "Pokłosie" and "Bobule". In albums case it will be a great embarassment, it is "Spadochron" by Mela Kotulek :) and new Finntroll's album with brass section.
15. OK, that's everything from my side. Thanks very much for this interview and good luck in the future! Last word is traditionaly yours.
Thank you very much, greetings and see you on the concerts! Lets swear on the sun! [orgin. "Klnijmy się na słońce!", Vlad.].

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Photos: band's archive.
Interview by Vladyka 2013. Please do not copy this interview without HA'Z permission. Respect the copyrights!