News from this week!

German black/pagan metallers HANGATYR released their new album called "Elemente". You can purchase it via Nocturnal Empire or at the band's store. 

Listen to their music here.

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SUFFERING IN SOLITUDE is an young american band playing death/doom metal with post-rock influences. At the end of this year (31.12) you can purchase their debut album entitled "A Place Apart" (six tracks / 29 minutes of music) via Domestic Genocide Records

Check out their music here.

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News from the belarussian pagan./folk metal bands - Gods Tower:

We did it! GODS TOWER "Raven Tales" boxed set is out now!!!

8xDLP boxed set containing all GODS TOWER full-length albums and demos is released. With your priceless help we worked on this huge release more than 100 days. Here's the result. All those who made the preorder will get their limited sets soon. From today, the regular version of boxset with bonus A2 poster and 24-page biography\photo booklet will be available atwww.possession.ru
Hurry up, only 250 copies left!

Also we present new GODS TOWER 7'' EP "Roll Out" with 2 exclusive brand new tracks. Only 120 copies from 333 left already! Every copy of this EP includes an invite code for World of Tanks game. You can listen to this EP atwww.possessionproductions.bandcamp.com for free.

the boxset price: 139 USD + postages
the EP price: 12 USD + postages

We want to thank everyone who believed and supported our initiative! We sincerely believe that these releases will met your expectations. Wait for your parcels and then listen to amazing GODS TOWER music on vinyl. OYHRA!!!

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Since 6th of December you can purchase a demo of bulgarian blackened doom metal metallers from UPYR. You can buy it as a CD from band's bandcamp or as a limited cassete from Serpent Eve Records.

Listen to their music here.

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Icelanders from Skálmöld released their first DVD/live album called Skálmöld & Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands. The band had played there together with an Icelandic Symphonic Orchestra (if I am correct). You can buy it directly from the band (Facebook).

You can also watch a fragment of this concert here.

Irminsul - "Fäder" (2013)

Irminsul 

"Fäder"

Purity Through Fire

2013

Many people say that a reviewer must be objective in his work. That no matter how much he doesn't like certain genres of music he have to rate band's music by looking at their skills, sensitivity etc. 

Well, I guess that you know why I had written such an introduction. The music of this swedish horde is defenitely not something that I like. Moreover - the tunes that they are presenting belongs to the category called "Damn, not this again...". Partly is is my fault, because I searched this album by myself. I saw a cover, I've listen to a beginning of the first track and said "well, maybe it'll be good." Well, in my opinion it is not. I know that you will call me an internet-warrior, poser etc. But I gave some time to find something interesting here, so I will write what's following. 

The first track is indeed not bad - especially guitar riffs are quite interesting, even if not revolutionery. Yet the first groop that came to my ears were those keyboard-violin tunes in the backgruound. In some places they sound like a more frugal version of Nightwish or some Sonata Arctica thing.

Well, unfortunetely the band seems to really like that kind of playing, because already in the second song they are turning into more power-metal style. When I hear sweet keyboards, female nice vocals and sad riffs mixed with harsh vocals I know that this is not something for me. I even understand the idea of oldschool power metal in vain of Manilla Road, but I can't stand Sonata Arctica-like things mixed with music inspired by older Ensiferum albums. For me it is a pure horror! But a real horror is a track number three, where a singer decides too to do some sweet melodies. And it goes like this for almost whole album - sometimes it's more power metal, sometimes it's more similar to Ensiferum. By the way I am very curious where other reviewers hear on "Fäder" some folk influences. Those sweet-like-hell acoustic guitars and maudlin violin and fluet motifs have nothing bounded with folk music. That's just my opinion, but if a band wasn't promoted as a thing for fans of Falkenbach, Skyforger or Manegarm I propably wouldn't listen to it.

 I must also confess that this is the first album that I couldn't dare to listen integrally - I had to make a break in the mid. This is a good conculsion what I think about this album - for me it is just a waste of time. I hate such a mix of sweetness and brutality. Brutal things should be brutal, and sweet thing should be called pop music. 

If you don't vomit with a rainbow when you hear a music of mentioned below bands, you can check this album. Otherwise stay away from it. BTW I wish Irminsul all the best in the future - but I hope that I won't meet your music in my life anymore. That would be best for us all.

Rate: not-very-high/10

Vladyka

A Youtube "videoclip":

Tracklist:

1. Stupagraven

2. Nattramn

3. Galgaman

4. Hagridden

5. Letters from the Past

6. Bäckakarlens dans 

7. Clades Variana 

8. Ölbänk 

9.  Neverending Story (Limahl cover) 

Total time: 52:15

Arkona (PL) - new album

New album of polish pagan black metal band ARKONA called "Chaos.Ice.Fire" will be released 30th of December 2013 via Hellfire Records.Contact: mail@arkonahorde.pl
hellfirerecords@gmail.com

Hooded Menace - new EP

Hooded Menace announced that "Labyrinth of Carrion Breeze" 12" EP drops in early January on Doomentia Records.
Until then, keep doom dancing to the sample:
https://soundcloud.com/user376189116

 

 

Kampfar on tour

In support of "Djevelmakt", KAMPFAR are proud to announce the Spreading the Plague MMXIV tour. After a year with one single live appearance the band is eager to launch the new songs in a killer live set that'll also be studded with old hits from their catalogue, and will hit the road in March and April 2014.

For Kampfar this is just the beginning of a year that will see them visit several continents and bring their music to more people than ever before.
With them on this tour will be Polish extreme metallers HATE, who on the tail of their 2013 album SOLARFLESH, have proven again to be in the elite of the current extreme metal scene.

The two bands that complete this offering have toured with KAMPFAR before. US avantgarde black metallers Velnias are again bringing their esoteric and powerful show to Europe, while ISKALD are back with a potent fourth album in "Nedom og Nord" and will hit the stage in fervent form as part of this prime tour package.