ASPHAGOR - Pyrogenesis CD

A new milestone! After the albums "Havoc" (2010) and "Anti" from 2013, which was described as one of the strongest black metal outputs from Austria, the path is clear for the third longplayer "The Cleansing" of the Austrian exceptional Black Metal act Asphagor. For this output, which documents a unique and logical evolution of the band, the successful collaboration with Patrick W. Engel from the Temple Of Disharmony Studio was continued to produce a successor that satisfie the high expectations - and exceed the high mark, which was set with "Anti". One can rightly say that with "The Cleansing" another milestone has been reached and this album will probably be one of the most intelligent and impressive Black Metal releases of the year 2018. Without getting lost in unneccesary production gimmicks, Asphagor create an overall work that is capable of creating an atmospheric density that enthrall you out over the entire 60-minute playing time of the album and leaving you back breathless and deeply impressed.

Thrilling Black Metal highlight!  Den aus dem Schwarzwald stammenden und 2019 gegründeten Black Metaller von Nocturnis gelang es bereits mit ihrer 2020 in Eigenregie veröffentlichten EP "Aporia" für Aufsehen zu sorgen und machten in vielen Reviews mit Höchstnoten auf sich aufmerksam. Die Band versteht es Dunkelheit und Melancholie sowie Atmosphäre und Brutalität zu vereinen und damit das schwarze Herz eines jeden Black Metallers im Sturm zu erobern.  Beim vorliegenden Album handelt es sich um ein Konzeptalbum, welches die Geschichte eines jungen Soldaten im ersten Weltkrieg erzählt, der aufgrund von erlebten Gräueltaten von seinem Gewissen in einen nicht minder erschütternden inneren Kampf getrieben wird, den er letztendlich verliert. „Unsegen“ wurde von Gitarrist Vincent Padrutt aufgenommen und produziert und von Christoph Brandes in den Iguana Studios gemastert und stellt technisch und musikalisch zweifellos ein Black Metal Highlight für alle Freunde des Genres dar.  TRACKLIST 1. Am Rande 2. Unsegen I 3. Unsegen II 4. Niedergang 5. Reue 6. Zerrissenheit

BLACK FUCKING METAL! Since 1997, HYEMS have been celebrating Black Metal, which, oscillating between hymns and disharmony, is repeatedly thwarted by a snotty punk attitude. The band resists the commercially promising temptations of modern styles and reflects in their music on what once tipped the scales for their foundation: the fascination for Black Metal of the 90s. Free of any aspirations for success, vanity and any expectations of the future. With "Anatomy of Failure" the band presents their ninth release, which "belongs by far to the best we have ever done" as frontman A.E.J. emphasizes. The album, which was recorded and produced in the Tobe Studio in Siegen, not only impresses with its musical authenticity, but is also based on a sophisticated content. The lyrics deal with an interdependent individual and collective failure that leads to catastrophes of different kinds. Inspired by historical examples, but also deeply personal experiences of the musicians. The lyrics do not describe, they accuse this failure. They are highly political and show the middle finger to anyone who conjures up such a failure, or who surrenders to this failure.

A revelation between rawness and atmosphere ! With "Blessed By The Light Of A Thousand Stars", the German black metallers Servant present an impressive and incredibly mature debut album, which stylistically undoubtedly stands on the shoulders of the great Scandinavian black metal bands. On closer inspection, this is hardly surprising, as the band is basically based on the remains, btw with main songwriter Farago a protagonist of Ancient Wargod, who were already active in the 90s. For whose reunion, never came to pass, the first rough song ideas were intended. In the course of the last 5 years, these ideas matured, also thanks to new comrades-in-arms, into the present album, which has a sound outfit in which the compositions unfold their full effect. The band uses the full range of stylistic means available in the genre and does also not renounce bombastic passages with choirs, keyboards and orchestral support, as well as parts that are deliberately kept raw and "monotonous". Contentwise the 9 tracks are not only inspired by modern Satanism, but also by the human emotional world and the longings associated with it. The longing for death, the desire for transience, elevation of the self, as well as the search for the meaning of life with the help of various religious and occult teachings are just a few examples to describe the approach of the lyrical part. The opulent work was recorded and produced by mastermind Farago himself, while the sound was given the finishing touches by Guano Apes drummer Dennis Poschatta during mastering at the Katzbach Studio in Göttingen. TRACKLIST 1. Negate The I 2. Death Meditation 3. The Ultimate Occult Worship 4. Foreshadowing Rite 5. Hymn To The Latest Days 6. Incantation Of The Old Ones 7. Destruction And Recreation 8. Ecclesia Obscuri 9. Blessed By The Light Of A Thousand Stars running time: 43:18 min

Nourishment for black souls! The German black metallers from Caradras came together around 2013 before releasing their now sold-out four-track EP "Ex nihilo" in 2015. In the years that followed, the band devoted themselves to extensive live activities before plunging into the work on this debut longplayer. "Schattenkönige" was recorded and mixed entirely by the band themselves, the mastering was done by Markus Stock (Empyrium, The Vision Bleak) at Klangschmiede E. The result is an album whose 8 songs captivate and inspire the listener with a special basic mood, without the band having to deviate from their chosen path with experiments alien to the genre. The quartet's rather classic black metal is raw and authentic over the entire playing time of a good 55 minutes. With M.D. (Helrunar), a guest singer could also be won for the recordings, who selectively enriches the atmosphere of the album enormously with his impressive voice. "Schattenkönige" is an album that should be warmly recommended not only to purists of the genre. TRACKLIST 1. Im Nebel 2. Siegel, gebrochen 3. Schattenkönige 4. Kettenhund 5. Prometheus 6. Drums in the Deep 7. In den Grüften 8. Von den Sternen running time: 55:01 min Line-up Caranthir - Vocals Dominik Winter - Gitarre, Vocals Maximilian Stiefermann - Bass Pelle - Drums

The return of „Ancient History“ A stone chamber. Smell of mould, sand and age. Darkness, torches, fading artwork on the walls. Steps lead deeper into the stone. 3000km away from the Valley of the Kings, in 2015 a band have set themselves the tasks to merge the atmosphere of ancient Egypt musically into a classic Black Metal fundament. Under the banner of the lion-headed god MAAHES (the lord of darkness, winds and slaughter) they stepped out of the catacombs and with a unique stage show they have already been guests at festivals like the Wolfszeit or the Ragnarök Festival. Conceptually as well as musically, the quintet shows that they know how to shoulder the burden of extreme metal history. Just as the protagonist of their concept album "Reincarnation" escapes from the captivity of the ancient Egyptian underworld and resurrects successfully at the end, Maahes stylistically fight their way through a quarter of a century of extreme music history. If you think about legendary albums like "Storm of the Light's Bane", "Deathcult Armageddon", "At the Heart of Winter" or "God hates us all", you are probably not too wrong. But the band also allows itself cross-references in Death Metal or Heavy Metal in order to realize its compositional ideas without disturbing barriers. Anno 2020 it is now time to unleash this result of their work so far on mankind. "Reincarnation" was already produced in 2018 and was recorded in various studios, including Studio Wustrack (a.o. Vroudenspil). Drumrecordings, mix and mastering took place under the direction of Florian Dammasch at "Nightside Audio" in Solingen (a.o. Eïs, Ash Of Ashes). The debut is completed by the artwork of Brazilian artist Caio Caldas/Cadiesart (Dragonforce, Doro, a.o.).

70s rock with blast beats! The idea behind Vāmācāra (Sanskrit for: "left hand path“) was from the beginning to unite oriental and western music, aesthetics and philosophy. After the band was formed in 2015, N. (drums, percussion) and A. (vocals, guitar, bass) impressively demonstrated this approach in 2017 with their EP "Mantras for the Manifold". The present debut album "Cosmic Fires: The Enlightenment Reversed" resembles a union of black, doom and death metal mixed with psychedelic and stoner rock. It should come as no surprise that the musical versatility is also reflected with lyrics in different languages (English, Greek, Polish and Turkish). Those who need stylistic pigeonholes can also describe the whole thing as "70s rock with blast beats". In any case, Vāmācāra offer an extraordinary listening experience! Recorded by Ali Orhan at Tonstudio SH in Kiel and Jan Bzinkowski at Hear Studio in Warsaw, the whole thing was finally mixed and mastered by Jörg Uken at Soundlodge Recordings, who gives the production a fitting and impressive sound. Let yourself be captivated by the raw black and death metal sound with doom and psychedelic elements as well as a 70's rock foundation that always shines through. TRACKLIST 1. Tara of the Cremation Grounds 2. Alchemical Symbolism 3. Vintage Filth Merchants (Yaşlı Pislik Tacirleri) 4. Moonbeam Trails 5. Rat Saliva 6. Brought up by the Moon