Pop & Rock Novedades

In den frühen 2000er Jahren, mit zwei Alben in ihrer Diskographie, waren PANZERCHRIST auf dem Weg, der größte Name in der dänischen Death Metal-Szene zu werden. Aber sie brauchten ein makelloses viertes Studioalbum, um das zu schaffen und ihren Namen an der Spitze der Nahrungskette zu zementieren. Hier kommt "Room Service"! Aufgenommen in den Antfarm Studios mit Tue Madsen am Mischpult, produzierten die Dänen eine erstaunliche Reihe von Death Metal-Songs, die einer ganz neuen Generation als Einführung in das Genre dienen sollten. Neben dem ultrabrutalen Gesang von Bo Summer (Illdisposed) wurde Rasmus Henriksen (der eigentliche Gitarrist von Illdisposed) rekrutiert, um den Rhythmus für Solist Frederik O'Carroll vorzugeben, während Exmortems ungemein talentierter Schlagzeuger Reno Hilligsø "Killerich" Killerich zusammen mit Bassist und Panzerchrist-Visionär Michael Enevoldsen, alias Panzergeneral, den Takt angab. Nun wird dieser brutale Death Metal-Klassiker erstmals auf Vinyl veröffentlicht, und zwar in wertvollem schwarzem 180-Gramm-Vinyl, limitiert auf 300 Exemplare. Der Sound wurde zudem von Tue Madsen in den Antfarm Studios komplett neu gemastert.

Es gibt nur wenige Bands in der Metal-Szene, die als Pioniere, wahre Wegbereiter und Anführer musikalischer Bewegungen gelten können. Als PANZERCHRIST 1996 mit ihrem Debütalbum "Six Seconds Kill" eine geschwärzte Form des Death Metal in Skandinavien einführten, machten sie sich neben Vader und Bolt Thrower einen Namen unter den Stilpionieren in Europa. Im Laufe der folgenden Jahre hinterließ das dänische Kollektiv ein gutes Dutzend unerbittlicher Alben, die keinen Gegner auf der Strecke ließen und zahllose Truppen in ihre Reihen holten, darunter auch begeisterte Pressevertreter. Leider wurden auch Panzerchrist von Lineup-Schwankungen geplagt, so dass es nach "7th Offensive", das 2013 erschien, ein Jahrzehnt lang still um die Band wurde. Das neue Album "Last Of A Kind", das in den Antfarm Studios aufgenommen und von Tue Madsen produziert
wurde, löst beide Probleme - die Stille im Panzerchrist-Lager und die Lineup-Instabilität - indem es neues Blut mit Erfahrung in der Szene und genug Blutvergießen im Kopf hinzufügt, um ein Album zu machen, das den Namen der Dänen verdient... Und dann noch etwas. Die Wut, die Härte und die Schnelligkeit, die die Seele von Panzerchrist ausmachen, sind hier, unberührt und gekrönt von einem neuen Sinn für Bösartigkeit, verkörpert von Sonja Rosenlund Ahls bösartigen Vocals. Ja, Sir, Panzerchrist sind zurück, aber nicht nur zurück: sie sind zurück mit einer Rache und einer wahnsinnigen Menge an Interessen in Bezug auf die einjährige Schuld, die sie uns schulden!

Kapitel 3 der "The Suns of Perdition"-Tetralogie, ein unverwechselbarer Sound zwischen rabiatem Black Metal und geschmolzene Post/Dark Metal Melancholie. Massiv und hypnotisch!

Kapitel 3 der "The Suns of Perdition"-Tetralogie, ein unverwechselbarer Sound zwischen rabiatem Black Metal und geschmolzene Post/Dark Metal Melancholie. Massiv und hypnotisch!

Das aktuelle Papa Roach Album Ego Trip - nun endlich auch auf Vinyl mit aufwändigem Pop-Up-Gatefold Sleeve erhältlich.

PAPA ROACH liefern mit Ego Trip ihr bisher vielfältigstes Album ab und vermischen Themen aus Rock, Rap, Alternative und Pop in ihrem ureigenen authentischen Stil auf ihrem 11. Album. Zu den Tracks gehört "Swerve" mit Jason Aalon von Fever 333 und Sueco, der Rock-Hit "Kill The Noise", das hymnische "Dying To Believe" und der
neueste #1 Mainstream Rock Hit "No Apologies".

Die Band überschreitet weiterhin traditionelle Grenzen, an die
sich die meisten Bands kaum herantrauen, und schuf eine
der vielfältigsten Diskographien der Rockmusik.

Über die letzten zwei Jahrzehnte hat sich Papa Roach als echter Trendsetter im Heavy-Genre etabliert: Sie wurden für zwei Grammys nominiert, tourten weltweit mit allen von Eminem bis Marilyn Manson und erschufen die Nu-Metal-Hymne »Last Resort«, die siebzehn Jahre nach Erscheinen noch immer auf Heavy Rotation in den Rock-Radios läuft.

Dennoch markiert das neunte Album der Band »Crooked Teeth« die Rückkehr zu ihren ursprünglichen – hungrigen – Wurzeln. Aufgenommen wurde das Album mit den aufstrebenden Produzenten Nicholas »RAS« Furlong und Colin Brittain in einem kleinen Studio in North Hollywood. Furlong und Brittain sind mit der Musik von Papa Roach aufgewachsen und haben die Band dazu inspiriert, sich auf einige der Tugenden zu besinnen, die sie an Papa Roach immer besonders gemocht hatten – allen voran die bemerkenswerte Rap-Technik von Frontmann Jacoby Shaddix.

Über die letzten zwei Jahrzehnte hat sich Papa Roach als echter Trendsetter im Heavy-Genre etabliert: Sie wurden für zwei Grammys nominiert, tourten weltweit mit allen von Eminem bis Marilyn Manson und erschufen die Nu-Metal-Hymne »Last Resort«, die siebzehn Jahre nach Erscheinen noch immer auf Heavy Rotation in den Rock-Radios läuft.

Dennoch markiert das neunte Album der Band »Crooked Teeth« die Rückkehr zu ihren ursprünglichen – hungrigen – Wurzeln. Aufgenommen wurde das Album mit den aufstrebenden Produzenten Nicholas »RAS« Furlong und Colin Brittain in einem kleinen Studio in North Hollywood. Furlong und Brittain sind mit der Musik von Papa Roach aufgewachsen und haben die Band dazu inspiriert, sich auf einige der Tugenden zu besinnen, die sie an Papa Roach immer besonders gemocht hatten – allen voran die bemerkenswerte Rap-Technik von Frontmann Jacoby Shaddix.

Symphony For The Lost is a live album by the doom death metal band Paradise Lost, recorded at Ancient Roman Theatre of Philippopolis in Plovdi, Bulgaria on the 20th of September 2014. The sound quality is perfect and they have done a great job capturing one of the most memorable shows of their career. Paradise Lost have used orchestration in the studio many times over the years, and when it came to choosing the setlist, they selected some of those along with tracks they thought would lend themselves well to classical arrangements. The result is a wide-ranging collection of songs.

Music For Nations release - 25th Anniversary reissue of the 5th and most critically acclaimed album by Paradise Lost. With some commercial success already amassed, this release solidified the band’s reputation as ‘The European Metallica’, delivered their most commercially successful project and firmly reserved their seats at the top table of British metal. Also long regarded as their most accomplished work amongst fans, this special anniversary edition also sees the much anticipated first vinyl pressing since the original release. The 25th Anniversary edition features the remastered mix taken from 2011’s Legacy CD and digital release. Additionally it comes furnished with new liner notes from journalist and long standing fan Nick Ruskell, a never seen before dive into the record’s lyrics and themes from vocalist Nick Holmes and further memories from the band. The CD edition will also come with an additional bonus disc of rarities. The LP is a limited pressing deluxe 2 LP set on heavyweight transparent blue vinyl. Specialist marketing.

THE UK DOOM LEGENDS PERFORMING TRACKS FROM THEIR CLASSIC
DEBUT ALBUM LIVE IN BRADFORD, 1989
Creators, pioneers & purveyors of the whole Gothic Doom Metal scene which
subsequently came to prominence in the early 90's, Britain's Paradise Lost rose
from humble Northern roots to become one of the UK's leading artists in the
metal genre throughout the decade & beyond, remaining as relevant & revered as
ever to this day after a career spanning over three decades. The band's first two
albums were released on Peaceville, in the shape of 1990's influential deathly
debut 'Lost Paradise', followed up by the more atmosphere- focussed genre
classic, 'Gothic' in 1991.
'Live Death' features a band still in their formative years, with an early showcase
of their raw potential from Bradford Queens Hall, 1989, in their home county of
West Yorkshire, England. From an era of what was still an evolving & blossoming
extreme metal scene, Paradise Lost already displayed an advanced maturity to
their compositions & a developing style of their own, as the quintet perform a set
containing tracks featured on their debut album, the masterpiece of death metal
that is 'Lost Paradise', with tracks such as 'Frozen Illusion' & 'Rotting Misery'.
This edition of 'Live Death' is presented on black vinyl, featuring the original cover
art.

This 2016 vinyl edition comes in Picture Disc LP with Gatefold Jacket, limited to 400 copies. Originally released in 2009, "Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us" was Paradise Lost's 12th studio album and meant a comeback to early days. As one of the top most influential doom/gothic bands of all times, we should expect no less. Opening track "As Horizons End" followed by "I Remain" are just the beginning of an album showing Paradise Lost were back again, this time to stay.

"Symphony for the Lost" is a live album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost, released in 2015. It was recorded at the Plovdiv Theater in Bulgaria, accompanied by the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra. This album features an epic performance of the band's hits, fusing dark metal with the majesty of a symphony orchestra. The unique atmosphere and powerful performance make "Symphony for the Lost" a memorable listening experience for fans of metal and classical music. It's a fantastic LP Gatefold Picture Disc edition limited to 475 copies!!

35th ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF THE GENRE-DEFINING OPUS OF ATMOSPHERIC DEATH/DOOM
FROM THE UK METAL LEGENDS. ON LIMITED CORONA VINYL WITH
ADDITIONAL 4 PAGE BOOKLET & REMASTERED AUDIO

Paradise Lost formed in 1988 in West Yorkshire, UK, when vocalist Nick Holmes & guitarist Gregor Mackintosh came together with the idea of taking metal beyond the conventional styles of the time. They were influenced by acts such as Candlemass, Celtic Frost & Morbid Angel, & concocted a unique atmosphere of their own as a result. This was already apparent when their debut album ‘Lost Paradise’ appeared on Peaceville Records in 1990, & blended death metal with doom & some melodic elements, but it wasn’t until their follow-up album, ‘Gothic’, that the band truly made its mark.

Recorded in late 1990/early 1991 at the renowned Academy Studios in Yorkshire (responsible for classic albums from bands such as My Dying Bride, Anathema, Cradle of Filth, among many others), ‘Gothic’ was the album responsible for a whole sub-genre: Gothic Doom Metal, upon its release in 1991. Creating a more sombre & atmospheric form of dark extremity, with the introduction of Gregor Mackintosh’s highly distinctive & unmistakable lead guitar melodies, Paradise Lost established themselves as among the pioneering UK bands of the early nineties, becoming highly influential to a generation of subsequent greats.

This new edition of ‘Gothic’, marking the album’s 35th anniversary, is presented on limited corona vinyl, with remastered audio courtesy of Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studios. The release also includes a four page booklet containing recollections from the band on the period & the shaping of the album, as originally featured in 2021’s ‘The Lost & The Painless’.

Osaka's derbste Death Metal Sickos sind zurück und nach zwei sehr erfolgreichen Demos nun finally mit dem lang ersehnten Debüt Album 'Everything Belongs to Death'. Das Album beinhaltet 10 klassische Florida Death Metal Songs, ein Ohrenschmaus für Fans von frühen DEATH, GORGUTS oder SKELETAL REMAINS.

PARASITE INC. sound anno 2022 both harder and softer, faster and slower at the same time, more modern and yet again more 80s than ever before! Musical contrasts, which are no novelty with PARASITE INC., because after all, the Swabians surprise since the beginning of their career again and again with their somewhat different interpretation of the Melodic Death Metal genre.
During the pandemic, ten songs were created in the band's own studio under the title "Cyan Night Dreams", which show a consistent musical development towards an even more independent sound garb. The result is a varied album, which comes along harder and more aggressive than the predecessor, but at the same time brings the melodic facets of the band even more to the fore.
From songwriting, to production, to graphic design, the German melodeathers once again developed an overall concept that perfectly reflects the dark mood of the songs. The mixing and mastering was done this time by Aljoscha Sieg and Seb Monzel from

(DIGIPAK)
WW ex-Japan ex-USA 4251981701806

(VINYL)
WW ex-Japan ex-USA 4251981701813

Pitchback Studios (among others Eskimo Callboy, August Burns Red), where already the last studio album, as well as the live concert was refined by their internationally appreciated work in the mastering process. The album was supported by the Initiative Musik as part of the "Neustart-Kultur-Programm".

Pariah’s cult album re-issued! “Blaze of Obscurity” brings you pure Thrash Metal fury! Satan changed their name to Pariah in 1988-1989. There’s Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, the list seems almost endless. Sub-genres are important in metal and bands are quickly classified and labeled. Pariah (the last re-incarnation of Satan) is one of few bands that are difficult if not impossible to classify. Is it Heavy metal? NWOBHM? Thrash Metal? Pariah did not make it easy to describe their sound. It might be too sophisticated to simply label it Heavy Metal, which in its infancy was a rather simple affair.

They don’t sound like any Metal band out there, perhaps discounting some of the more aggressive and technical ones, and then the signature NWOBHM sound is added. The guitar playing by Russ Tippins and Steve Ramsey is undeniably what defines Pariah as well as Satan in the past. Undeniably, Satan has gone a long way; from humble NWOBHM beginnings, to Experimental/Melodic Mettal (in Blind Fury) and something that could be described as a NWOBHM/Thrash Metal hybrid (“The Kindred”). It’s as if they’ve been experimenting trying to find their identity, and theyfinally found it. Stylistically, “Blaze of Obscurity” could be seen a step back to “Suspended Sentence”, but this time around they got everything right, down to the last note. Those who have heard Satan know what to expect: great guitar playing.

And sure enough, “Blaze of Obscurity” is a demonstration of guitar mastery and is overall a very guitar-driven album, with plenty of mind-boggling riffs and solos are all over the place, but more importantly, it’s a demonstration of some amazing songwriting as well. This is easily Pariah/Satan’s creative peak and one of the most consistent albums I’ve ever heard, featuring eight great and conceptually perfect songs with lyrics that come across as sophisticated and thought-provoking. It is not fair to put the entire spotlight on Tippins and Ramsey though since the drumming and bass work from Sean Taylor and Graham English really shines. The rhythm is fast and tight, keeping it focused, aggressive and intense till the end. Vocalist Michael Jackson (yes, that’s his name) has to be commended too as this is easily his careers best performance.

The verdict: “Blaze of Obscurity”: the level of musical genius expressed here, along with near flawless songwriting, is more than enough to skyrocket it to heights reserved only for classics. Probably not your choice for some light listening those quiet Sunday evenings, but those who take a more serious, intellectual approach when selecting their music will find very much to appreciate here.
Tracklisting

Sie können auf eine treue, langjährig erspielte Gefolgschaft zählen und sind aus dem Metalcore-Bereich längst nicht mehr wegzudenken: Die seit 2003 aktiven Abräumer aus dem australischen Byron Bay veröffentlichen mit "Reverence" ihr sechstes Studioalbum und damit den Nachfolger zum umjubelten Langspieler "Ire" von 2015. Der setzte die Messlatte für kommende Aufnahmen ziemlich hoch, doch die fünf Brachialrocker aus Down Under meisterten die Hürde mit links. Ganz nach dem Motto: Wer Wind sät, wird Sturm ernten. In den Worten von Frontmann Winston McCall stellt sich das so dar: "'Reverence' ist das ehrlichste und persönlichste Album, das wir je erschaffen haben. Es wurde durch Schmerz, Opfer und Überzeugung geboren, mit dem ultimativen Ziel vor Augen, nicht nur das auszudehnen, wofür Parkway Drive musikalisch stehen, sondern auch, wer wir als Menschen sind." Kurz: Auf den zehn Stücken herrscht Nackenhaare-Aufstellgarantie! Genrekonventionen spielen dabei eine untergeordnete Rolle.

In the kitchen of the Byron Bay home of Winston McCall stands a
refrigerator, adorned on one side by a quote from Tom Waits: "I want
beautiful melodies telling me terrible things."This, the PARKWAY DRIVE
vocalist says, is a pretty good summation of himself
It holds true, too, as one of the guiding principles behind Darker Still, the seventh
full- length album to be born of this picturesque and serene corner of northeastern NSW, Australia, and the defining musical statement to date from one of
modern metal's most revered bands.Darker Still, McCall says, is the vision he and
his bandmates – guitarists Jeff Ling and Luke Kilpatrick, bassist Jia O'Connor
and drummer Ben Gordon – have held in their mind's eye since a misfit group of
friends first convened in their parents' basements and backyards in 2003. The
journey to reach this moment has seen Parkway evolve from metal underdogs to
festival- headlining behemoth, off the back of close to 20 gruelling years, six
critically and commercially acclaimed studio albums (all of which achieving Gold
status in their home nation), three documentaries, one live album, and many,
many thousands of shows.
While Darker Still remains irrefutably PARKWAY DRIVE, it finds the band sonically
standing shoulder to shoulder with rock and metal's greats – Metallica, Pantera,
Machine Head, Guns N' Roses – as much as it does their metalcore
contemporaries. "I wanted a classic guitar tone for this record," explains Ling, who
credits much of his inspiration to the connection his riffs have with a crowd in a
live setting.
Emerging from the darkness of the past few years, this is the true face of
PARKWAY DRIVE: redefined and resolute, focused in mind and defiant in spirit.

Während sich die australischen Metal-Juggernauten Parkway Drive auf eine Welttournee vorbereiten, um ihr 20-jähriges Bandjubiläum zu feiern, kündigt Epitaph Records die Veröffentlichung der Debüt-EP der Band aus dem Jahr 2004 an, zum ersten Mal auf Vinyl. Diese erweiterte Version von Don't Close Your Eyes enthält die ursprünglichen 8 Tracks der ersten EP der Band und zusätzlich Bonustracks von ihrem Split-Album mit I Killed the Prom Queen und von den Compilation-Alben What We've Built und True Till Death, Volume I.

Parkway Drive stammen aus der australischen Küstenstadt Byron Bay und stürmten aus ihrer ruhigen Umgebung heraus, um eine explosive Mischung aus komplizierten Metal-Riffs, heftigen Breakdowns und emotionaler Hardcore-Spannung zu bieten. Mit den Chartstürmern Horizons (2007) und Deep Blue (2010) entfachte die Band regionales Feuer, bevor sie 2012 mit Atlas den internationalen Markt eroberte. Mit Ire (2015) führte die Gruppe Clean-Gesang in ihr Werk ein, und auf Reverence (2018) und Darker Still (2022) bewegte sie sich weiter in Richtung eines melodischeren, aber nicht weniger aggressiven Metal-Stils.

Parkway Drive sind auch nach 20 Jahren immer noch eine Naturgewalt und einer der Top-Headliner in der harten Musikszene. Don't Close Your Eyes lässt die Anfänge der Band wieder aufleben und ihre größten Fans werden sich freuen, dieses Album endlich auf Vinyl zu haben.

"Ire" bleibt dem klassischen Parkway-Drive-Sound treu, dennoch haben die elf neuen Stücke deutlich mehr Tiefe als alles andere, was die im Sommer 2003 gegründete Band bislang abgeliefert hat. Damit liegt es nahe, das Album als konsequent-mutige und neugierig-kreative Weiterentwicklung zu charakterisieren. Diesbezüglichen Einsatz lassen Sänger Winston McCall, die beiden Gitarristen Luke Kilpatrick und Jeff Ling, Bassist Jia O"Connor sowie Schlagzeuger Ben Gordon auch im "echten Leben" nicht missen.

The hotly anticipated follow-up to 2007"s Horizons, Deep Blue raised the bar in every conceivable way. While maintaining the band"s uncompromising metallic-hardcore style at its core, it pushed into exciting new realms, drawing from a wider scope of influence, incorporating everything from anthemic pop-punk to bloodcurdling death metal. With improved musical abilities and a thoroughly inspired approach to songwriting, Parkway Drive has tied the music and lyrics together into one all-encompassing concept. "It"s basically about the search for truth in a world that seems to be devoid of that," says vocalist and lyricist Winston McCall, explaining the narrative running through Deep Blue. "The story is told through the eyes of a man who wakes up and realizes that his life is a lie and nothing he believes in is real. So he tries to find the truth within himself and his journey takes him to the bottom of the ocean and back again."

The new EP from the UK's fastest rising Death Metal band (who are here to Party). Formed in 2010, Party Cannon quickly gained attention for pairing uncompromising brutality with an irreverent, high-energy aesthetic. What began as a no-rules take on extreme metal evolved into one of the genre's most recognizable and entertaining acts. Armed with the upcoming Subjected To A Partying, Party Cannon are ready to unload their most refined and aggressive material to-date this March: an EP chock-full of crushing slam riffs and their signature sense of fun. Shortly after release, Party Cannon will also co-headline the 2026 "UK/IE VOMITOUR" with Internal Bleeding, which will feature headline-length sets and rotating slots each night

Das 2021 vom ehemaligen Type O Negative/Danzig-Schlagzeuger Johnny Kelly und dem Gitarristen und Riffschreiber Dan Lorenzo (Hades/Non-Fiction) gegründete Duo hat einige herausragende Künstler für sein neues Album gewinnen können. Auf dem neuen Werk gibt es die üblichen doomigen Riffs, aber das Duo ist auch ein paar Risiken eingegangen. So gibt es hier und da akustische Gitarren, Geige und Flöte, aber natürlich auch jede Menge harte Riffs.

Für viele Fans auf der ganzen Welt gilt Paul Di’Anno bis zum heutigen Tag als der einzig wahre Maiden Frontmann. Während seiner langen Solokarriere veröffentlichte er auch zwei Alben auf Metalville Records. "In Memory Of" enthält, neben den Highlights aus diesen beiden Alben, zwei bisher nie in physischer Form veröffentlichte Songs. Dazu bietet das Booklet unveröffentlichtes Fotomaterial sowie exklusiv für dieses Album verfasste Liner Notes durch den bekannten Rock Hard Autor und Maiden-Biografen Matthias Mader.

Für viele Fans auf der ganzen Welt gilt Paul Di’Anno bis zum heutigen Tag als der einzig wahre Maiden Frontmann. Während seiner langen Solokarriere veröffentlichte er auch zwei Alben auf Metalville Records. "In Memory Of" enthält, neben den Highlights aus diesen beiden Alben, zwei bisher nie in physischer Form veröffentlichte Songs. Dazu bietet das Booklet unveröffentlichtes Fotomaterial sowie exklusiv für dieses Album verfasste Liner Notes durch den bekannten Rock Hard Autor und Maiden-Biografen Matthias Mader.

Paul Di'Anno's Warhorse release their 2024 debut full length album on vinyl now!. Led by the famed former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di'Anno (5/17/1958 - 10/21/2024)! Speaking about the album Paul Di'Anno said, "I'm looking forward to the release of 'Warhorse' and I hope you like it. By my standards, too much time has passed since the recording of this album and I can't wait to finally have this record in my hands." Warhorse members Hrvoje Madiraca and Ante Pupacic Pupi commented "Are you ready - Ready to rock? 'Cause we are ready - Ready to rock! As the song says! Enjoy the album, cheers!" The debut Paul Di'Anno's Warhorse album, called 'Paul Di'Anno's Warhorse', was recorded during 2022 and 2023 in Croatia and the UK... Paul sings like never before and in a way that will surprise and leave all his fans speechless, as well as heavy metal fans in general.

Crypt of the Wizard is proud to present Peace Vaults - I & II on vinyl and digital formats. New blood from the Viennese gutters. Amidst the vile and hostile ravines of sooted stone and waste filled waters is a glade to be found. Peace Vaults erect four pillars of crude and stoic Black Metal, guided by luring vocals and synth melodies, which shimmer like ominously kaleidoscopic light through cracks in the walls of rat filled sewers. Hissing through cracked and blackened feedback Peace Vaults produce jangly off-kilter rhythms, awash with raw metal energy and diffuse post punk lethargy. Frantically pulling chaotic drum patterns and howling guitar leads into rhythmic structure until, wild, they pull themselves apart again. This compilation of the band's two demo tapes rightly now presented on vinyl marks the beginning of an ongoing union between Peace Vaults and Crypt of the Wizard with new material due in the not so distant future

Pelican, the instrumental quartet whose singular vision of heavy music eschews classification, have announced their first full length in six years, Nighttime Stories, is due June 7th via Southern Lord Recordings.

The eight-song set marks the band’s first release written front to back with guitarist Dallas Thomas, who took over guitar duties upon founding member Laurent Schroeder-Lebec’s departure in 2012. In the process of writing the album the quartet endured a slew of realisations, tragedies, and glimmers of optimism that guided the creative process to the most potent work of their nineteen-year career.

Though the new material veers towards the darker tone characteristic of Pelican’s early songwriting, it’s hard to imagine a previous incarnation of the band writing songs as meticulously crafted and detail-oriented as those within Nighttime Stories, where the compositions recall everything from the triumphant call-to-arms of classic Dischord, to the vicious troglodyte battery of the Melvins, to the dynamic interwoven melodies of bottom-heavy indie cult heroes Chavez.

Nighttime Stories was an album title initially proposed for Tusk, the hallucinatory art-grind band that included Pelican members Trevor Shelley de Brauw, Larry Herweg, and Schroeder-Lebec, in addition to vocalist Jody Minnoch. The writing of Nighttime Stories was instigated shortly after Minnoch’s unexpected death in 2014, and some of the dissonant viscera and dark psychedelic structures that were characteristic of Tusk’s sound began to unconsciously inform the album’s direction. In homage to their departed colleague, Pelican applied the previously discarded title and pulled many of the song titles from notes Minnoch had sent to inspire the direction of the unrealized album. As the writing of Nighttime Stories progressed Thomas also experienced a heavy loss with the passing of his father, to whom the album pays tribute on opening track “W.S.T.” (on which Dallas performed his guitar parts on his father’s Yamaha acoustic).
 
Pelican have always excelled at vacillating between the savage sounds of various niches of metal underground and the more delicate and nuanced sounds of Midwest’s cerebral indie community, proving that they can make either end of the spectrum more vibrant and compelling through the art of contrast. With Nighttime Stories, the pendulum has swung back to the angst and ire of their younger years while delivering it with the nuance and wisdom that’s come with nearly two decades of writing and performing. Pelican head out on a ten date US tour in June with more dates in the works for later in the year (see dates below).