Pop & Rock News

Side F: Etched

ARCHITECTS is a band who've never shied away from challenging the world around them. After suffering the loss of co-founder /guitarist Tom Searle to cancer in 2016, the band returned to the road and the studio in 2017 releasing the hit track 'Doomsday', that ended up on the BBC Radio 1 playlist and went on to be one the bands most successful songs. Long lauded as some of modern metal's most progressive-thinking minds, for the past decade, the quintet have pushed boundaries, redefined genres, and never feared having to question themselves in order for their art to leave its mark on this earth. ARCHITECTS, is a band like few others; The quintet all practice a vegan lifestyle, tour with a consciousness about their footprint on the world, and devote time and energies to environmental causes. Their 8th studio album, Holy Hell is the return to the studio for a band that have come through the grieving process with more drive and determination than ever before. Drummer Dan Searle- Desbiens takes on the helm as lyricist and writes music with his bandmates vocalist Sam Carter, guitarist Adam Christianson, bassist Alex Dean and new guitarist Josh Middleton.

BURNING WITCHES, founded in 2015, are not just one of the hottest exports from Switzerland. Well no, the Swiss girls are one of the most interesting newcomers in Old School Heavy Metal to emerge in the past few years. The band already bewitched the scene press with their first single 'Burning Witches' (2016) and the 'Demo of the month' slot in German Metal Hammer and Rock Hard. For sure, their bruising Heavy Metal, which also includes influences from Power and Speed as well as traditional Metal, thrills with great songwriting from band founder Romana and vocalist Seraina who is often compared with the legendary Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST).

It's not surprising that so much talent led to a spectacular self-titled debut album that was released in 2017, that caught the attention of Nuclear Blast Records, who quickly signed the band. Laziness or downtime are words nobody involved in BURNING WITCHES knows and so, the next witching masterpiece is already brewing in the steel cauldron. The book MALLEUS MALEFICARUM (a.k.a. THE HAMMER OF THE WITCHES, in German: 'Hexenhammer') that legitimated the witch hunting in 1486 is the lyrical centerpiece. It is about oppression, violence against the weak and manipulation of fact - all of which are more relevant than ever. The new album 'Hexenhammer' was again produced by the same team as it's precursor 'Burning Witches' in the Little Creek Studio with Pulver (PRO PAIN, DESTRUCTION) and DESTRUCTION's legend Schmier. The witches circle hasn't existed long but is already starting to cast it's spell.

Cult Leader is a chaotic band from Salt Lake City, Utah. 'A Patient Man' was recorded and engineered by Kurt Ballou at God City Studios (Converge, Nails, High On Fire). From the first hits of opener 'I Am Healed' Cult Leader take listeners on a sonic rollercoaster ride. Much of the album follows this blueprint. Songs like 'Curse of Satisfaction', 'Craft of Mourning', and 'Share My Pain' are driven by a weave work of unorthodox metallic riffing and fueled by hyper-aggressive percussion. While the tech- nical proficiency is impressive, it's in their use of dynamics where they truly shine. The album contains four beautifully brooding epics; 'To: Achlys', 'A World of Joy', title track 'A Patient Man', and 'The Broken Right Hand of God'. Each one of them carries a maturation and sense of melody that few 'extreme' bands have within their arsenal. Proving that aggressive music still has much to offer the world in terms of originality, creativity, and emotion.

David Holmes was drawn to DIE HEXEN by their 'magical sensibility that has both shades of dark and light, which is something that always appeals to me in music'. After featuring in his edition of the famed Late Night Tales compilation with a take on the original suicide song 'Gloomy Sunday', DIE HEXEN returns to expand upon their dark ambient journey towards transcendence with an eagerly awaited debut album.

DIE HEXEN's genre eschewing synth driven compositions draw inspiration from the disturbing beauty of Hieronymus Bosch's artwork and several brushes with death, evoking a spirit who traverses realms of the underworld to bring forth knowledge of an Ancient past and in doing so, to reveal the not so distant future.

The Garden of Unearthly Delights transports the listener through strange visions of darkness, beauty, creation, destruction, death & rebirth. An exorcism of body, gender, tribe towards a place of ultimate transcendence.

Somewhat of a polymath, DIE HEXEN has already shown their prowess with live performances part music/part performance art spectacle, as an avant-garde filmmaker and as an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, sound designer and film scorer.

DIE HEXEN's divergent interests from Japanese Butoh theatre to Wiccanism, Shamanism, celestial mysticism and time travel informs their method, as they explain themself; 'The compositions I write are not written, at least not by me. They appear to me as audio/visual hallucinations. I can hear, visualise, and feel the whole composition before me. My hands know instinctively what notes to play and like a stream of consciousness, voices emerge. Having suffered severe head trauma that resulted in a heightening of the senses, the theme of death is an increasingly present theme in my work. With this, my perception of death and what is beyond changes as I contort between this world and the next physically and mentally, musically and visually. Working with music or film, my vision is one. The calling to express these auditory hallucinations is inevitable'.

Carver City is the commercially and critically successful fourth album by CKY. It's a concept album about the fictional town, a holiday resort plagued by crime. The experimental album is different from their previous alternative metal albums. Synthesizers playing a prominent role on the album, while drummer Jess Margera plays rhythms compared to the 80 neo prog rock/metal. Their unique sounds can be heard in the versatility of this record. The album was recorded by guitarist Chad Ginsburg and he does a great job of balancing the instruments and vocals, ensuring that each individual part is audible and crisp.

Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop is the fifth studio album by one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock, Jeff Beck. Together with keyboard player Tony Hymas and drummer Terry Bozzio he recorded this album. They won the award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1990 Grammys for this release. The instrumental fusion tunes are diverse and on no other album Jeff tried out mixing so much musical styles. His excellent guitar play and the memorable melodies marks this release as one of his finest albums. 'Behind the Veil' is a subtle song, leaning on a reggae groove and Beck's lower register statements. The more sensitive tune 'Where Were You' makes Beck almost sing the melody on his guitar. The album is wonderful produced and a strong addition to his impressive catalogue.

The first pressing of Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop is available as 1.000 individually numbered copies on transparent blue coloured vinyl.

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- FIRST PRESSING OF 1.000 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON TRANSPARENT BLUE COLOURED VINYL

Look My Way is the third studio album by the hardcore punk band Madball. On the raw hardcore album they focusing on the hard life of the streets. Full speed guitar riffs expanding the screams/raps by Freddy Cricien. The overall power of the music is heavy and in balance with the depth of the lyrics. From the breakdown in 'Cut Off' to the aggressiveness of 'Moment of Truth', it's all truly Madball.

The American hardcore punk band Agnostic Front formed their side project Madball in the late '80s. Frontman Roger Miret let his brother Freddy Cricien perform the lead vocals.

Look My Way is available as a limited edition of 1500 Individually numbered copies on silver coloured vinyl. The package includes a 4-page booklet.

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- INCLUDING 4-PAGE BOOKLET
- LIMITED EDITION OF 1500 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON SILVER COLOURED VINYL

Low was the first Testament release not to feature two of its founding members Alex Skolnick (guitar) and Louie Clemente (drums). But even without their company they created a true masterpiece. They replaced Skolnick with death-metal prodigy James Murphy (Death, Obituary, Disincarnate), and put drummer Mike Tempesta (Exodus) behind the kit. The dark and raging sounds represent some of their best work. This thing is utterly crushing from the second you hit 'play,' full of choppy, claustrophobic riffs that are somewhere between thrash and death metal.

Testament is often credited as one of the most popular and influential bands of the thrash metal scene, having sold over 14 million albums worldwide. In their early years they supported legendary acts such as Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Anthrax, Megadeth, Overkill, Judas Priest and Slayer. They also gained critical recognition for embarking on the European Clash of the Titans tour with Slayer, Megadeth and Suicidal Tendencies. To this day, the band continues to record and perform live.

Low is available as a limited edition of 1.500 Individually numbered copies on coloured (solid orange & yellow mixed) vinyl.

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- LIMITED EDITION OF 1.500 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON COLOURED (SOLID ORANGE & YELLOW MIXED) VINYL

Aiwanese Heavy Metal Band Chthonic, Which Is One Of Its Kind, Finally Comes Up With Its New Album Battlefields Of Asura Five Years After. In The Past Five Years, The Five Members Of The Band Have Turned New Pages Of Their Lives, With The Lead Vocalist Having Organized A New Political Party And Being Successfully Elected To A Seat In The Taiwanese Parliament, They Never Forget Their Promise To Their Fans About A New Album. This Time, They Even Invited The Hong Kong Diva Denise Ho To Work With Them, To Produce A Uniquely Taiwanese-style Heavy Metal.

The 11 New Songs Is An Adventure. It's A Journey With Taiwanese Immortals. What Await Ahead Are Full Hostility, Murderous Emotions, Walls Of Iron That Are Difficult To Conquer, Lusts And Desires That Are Not Easy To Bid Farewell Too, But There Are Also Courage That Inspires Infinity. At The End Of The Adventure, It Turns Out Of A Quest For The Perpetual Prajna. When You Feel Tears On Your Face, You Would Realize That This Is Where All The Stories Told In Chthonic's Past Albums Come From.

Although This Is An Album About Taiwanese Immortals Showing Off Their Muscles And Elves Fighting, But Everyone Could Find An Exit For Their Anger, A Way To Heal Their Wounds, And Find The Power For Rebirth

Anthrax' Thrash Metal-Klassiker STATE OF EUPHORIA erscheint jetzt als 30th Anniversary Edition auf CD und Vinyl!
Neu remastert von dem langjährigen Schlagzeuger Charlie Benante und mit bisher unveröffentlichten Outtakes aus dem bandeigenen Archiv und seltenen Demos. Produziert von der Band selbst und Mark Dodson, enthält sie Fan-Favoriten wie "Be All", "End All", "Antisocial" und "Who Cares Wins". Auf dem hinteren Cover des Albums befindet sich ein Parodiebild
der Band von Mort Drucker, bekannt für sein Artwork in der Zeitschrift Mad. Diese Neuauflage enthält Liner Notes von Metal Hammer Redakteur Alex Milas sowie Bilder von persönlichen Stücken aus dem Bandarchiv.

On the eve of the release of Black Heaven, their debut for Nuclear Blast Records, Earthless turned in this incredible live performance in San Francisco on March 1st,
2018, captured released on vinyl by Silver Current Records. Since their inception seventeen years ago, this band has become an icon of 21st century heavy music
and a cult unto themselves. On From The West the band's signature high-volume drive and unbridled horsepower create an almost mantra-like repetition as a framework for infinite improvisation. That, and beer-can crushing, fist-pumping riffs and solos delivered by an unstoppable rhythm section. This album is a complete, hypnotic, psychedelic experience in a way that remains totally unique to the
band's virtuosic expression. A live album that captures the band at peak powers and a quintessential fan piece from one of the best live rock bands in the world. Album tracks includes looser, rawer versions of Black Heaven favorites, a nearly twenty minute version of their instrumental titan 'Uluru Rock,' and a blazing cover of Led Zeppelin's 'Communication Breakdown.' The album jacket is also a meticulous reproduction of the band's favorite TMOQ (Trademark Of Quality) Zeppelin bootleg.

Helltown , the forthcoming third album by Electric Citizen is, in many
ways, a homecoming. While the title may seem fittingly metal (if not
exceedingly so), it actually has real relevanc: Helltown
, while also multidimensional, is named after the Cincinnati, OH, neighborhood
in which the band lives, practices, and where the album was written,
recorded and mixed. Now known more prosaically as Northside,
Helltown earned its name in the 1800s due to its reputation for rowdy
taverns frequented by the neighborhood of factory workers and
immigrants.
Inasmuch as this album is an ode to the band's home and its buried
past, it also represents a return to the grittier sound of their 2014 debut,
Sateen. Furthermore, it marks the return of original bassist
Nick Vogelpohl, who rejoins vocalist Laura Dolan, guitarist
Ross Dolan and drummer Nate Wagner. It's a fun, tough, dirty rock 'n' roll
album.The band's 2016 album Higher Time was an expansive and somewhat
cleaner effort mixed by Black Keys engineer Collin Dupuis
. It was a landmark moment for the band earning considerable press praise—
Consequence Of Sound named it in the 20 Most Anticipated Albums
of 2016 with 'the most breakout potential of all the young bands on
this list.' And, the band's endless touring since the first album earned
them stints opening for acts like Pentagram, The Crazy World of
Arthur Brown, Fu Manchu, Budos Band, and Wolfmother.
What sets Electric Citizen apart from contemporary heavy
counterparts is their songwriting. The band writes
concise, three-minute, heavy rock songs. While others might now be following suit,
when they started, most bands of their ilk were content writing drawn-
out slow doom dirges. Regardless, none can deliver quite like Electric
Citizen: Laura Dolan's captivating star-power, Ross Dolan's perfect
tone and riffs, Wagner's pugilistic and swinging beats, glued together
by Vogelpohl's gliding bass lines.

Eitr Ist Das Neue Projekt Von Mastermind Nachtzeit, Dem Mann Hinter Dem Ambient Dark Metal Projekt Luster.
Hädafärden Führt Uns Zurück In Die Zeit Der Nordischen Götter Und Den Tod Von Balder, Der Vom Immer Hinterhältigen Loki Geleitet Wird. Während Die Wellen Des Schelmischen, Verspielten Synthesizers Über Unsere Sinne Hinwegspülen, Werden Wir Nach Asgard Transportiert. Sind Wir Jetzt Loki Oder Nur Beobachter In Seinem Spiel Der List Und Des Betruges
- Epischer Und Düsterer Dungeon Synth / Dark Ambient - Genau Das Richtige Für Fans Von Burzum!

Second live album originally released in November 2003 by Epic Records. The album was recorded across 2 live show in the band's hometown of Los Angeles, on September 12th/13th 2000. The release was delayed due to the band breaking up/3 members forming Audioslave. 16 track double LP pressed on standard black vinyl with download code insert. Marketing.

Fourth and final studio album, originally released in December 2000 by Epic Records. A 12 track album of covers including songs by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Eric B & Rakim, EPMD, Cypress Hill, Devo, MC5 and more. Pressed on standard black vinyl with download code insert. Marketing activity.

When writing about A New Kind Of Horror in the record's liner notes, Anaal Nathrakh vocalist Dave Hunt is succinct in his description: "This is not a happy album, it is bitter, vengeful, sarcastic, sardonic, violent, terrified and horrified, terrifying and horrifying in equal measure. Above all, it is human, and all that that entails. It's as sincere as we could make it." Those exposed to the ten tracks comprising the band's tenth full-length will be unable to deny the truth to these words, for lyrically, musically and sonically it is a punishing listen mired in darkness and seething with raw emotion. With multi-instrumentalist Mick Kenney pushing their distinctive hybrid of symphonic black metal, death metal, industrial and grindcore ever forward, Hunt draws lyrical inspiration primarily from the horrors of the First World War, contemporary politics, and the letters of D.H. Lawrence, creating one of the most powerful, timely and unique releases of 2018.

When writing about A New Kind Of Horror in the record's liner notes, Anaal Nathrakh vocalist Dave Hunt is succinct in his description: "This is not a happy album, it is bitter, vengeful, sarcastic, sardonic, violent, terrified and horrified, terrifying and horrifying in equal measure. Above all, it is human, and all that that entails. It's as sincere as we could make it." Those exposed to the ten tracks comprising the band's tenth full-length will be unable to deny the truth to these words, for lyrically, musically and sonically it is a punishing listen mired in darkness and seething with raw emotion. With multi-instrumentalist Mick Kenney pushing their distinctive hybrid of symphonic black metal, death metal, industrial and grindcore ever forward, Hunt draws lyrical inspiration primarily from the horrors of the First World War, contemporary politics, and the letters of D.H. Lawrence, creating one of the most powerful, timely and unique releases of 2018.

Fifth full length album from Crossfaith the Osaka, Japan-based heavy metal band formed in 2006. The album is set in an alternate near-future. Angels are the ruling class and they maintain their world order through the use of AI and technology, but this process dehumanises people and turns them into drones. The release follows their 2015 album Xeno which reached #14 on the Japanese Oricon chart and earned praise from Kerrang, Rock Sound, Metal Hammer, and support from BBC Radio 1.

Eric Peterson, bekannt als Gitarrist von der Thrash Metal Bay-Area Legende Testament, gründete 2000 sein sein Symphonic Black Metal Nebenprojekt DRAGONLORD, eine Supergroup der besonderen Art, mit Keyboarder Lyle Livingston und jetzt Ex-Mitglieder Steve DiGiorgio von Testament
und Jon Allen von Sadus. DRAGONLORD bringen Petersons typisches Thrash-Geriffe mit dem verspielten Gothic-Feeling moderner Black-Metal-Bands wie Dimmu Borgir und Cradle of Filth
zusammen, gespickt mit subtilen Anspielungen auf Black Metal-Originale wie Venom oder Mercyful Fate.
Die Entwicklung von DRAGONLORDs ersten beiden Alben ("Rapture", 2001 und "Black Wings of Destiny", 2005) hin zum cinematographischen Triumphzug über brutalen Blastbeats, den man auf "Dominion" findet, war immens. Peterson selbst singt, spielt Gitarre und Bass; Livingston arrangiert Keyboards und Klavier; das Schlagzeug-Wunderkind Alex Bent (Trivium) übernimmt die Rhytmusfraktion; und Celtic Metal Sirene Leah steuert die weiblichen Vocals und Chöre bei.
Dominion wurde von Eric Peterson selbst produziert, assistiert von Ton-Ingenieur & Mixer Juan Urteaga

The Spider's Lullabye is the sixth studio album by King Diamond released in 1995. Unlike other King Diamond albums, it is not a full concept album. Only half the songs form a single plot. It was also the first King Diamond album to be released on the Metal Blade label. The Spider's Lullabye is the first album to feature guitarist Herb Simonsen, bassist Chris Estes and drummer Darrin Anthony.

Pushing both the death metal and progressive elements of their signature sound harder than ever, The Outer Ones represents Revocation at their boldest, most aggressive and most complex. "I knew that I wanted to go in a darker direction, and this is our most death metal album to date," states vocalist/guitarist Dave Davidson. "Sometimes when death metal bands go down the prog route they lose some of that edge, but we wanted to keep the aggression at the forefront of what we do while still pushing our boundaries." Moving away from the societal and historical themes that informed 2016's Great is Our Sin, this time Davidson has immersed himself in the fantastic, evoking one of the great writers of the sci-fi/horror genre. "The title is my ode to H.P. Lovecraft and the entities of pure cosmic horror that rule that universe he created. Since the new music we were writing was so evil and spacey in sections it seemed to be the right title to fit the overall vibe. But while the lyrical content is largely influenced by such writings, in every allegory there is of course some reflection of the real world, so I enjoy writing in a way that could have one overlaying meaning and then another deeper, symbolic meaning as well." While the four members of Revocation - Davidson, guitarist Dan Gargiulio, bassist Brett Bamberger, and drummer Ash Pearson - are spread around North America without the convenience of being able to jam, this does not impinge on the creative process. If anything, this ensures that they make the most of the time spent together, and they maintained an even greater level of quality control than on The Outer Ones predecessors. "The songs came together pretty naturally, however, this album has the most revisions to riffs and song structures that we've ever had. I had a lot of material written, and had a good amount of time to work on it between tours, so I used that time to really dissect every part of each song. I might be feeling one riff one day and then the next day have some sort of revelation and would go in a totally different direction. All of those revisions definitely benefitted the final product." True to Davidson's promise that it is their most death metal release, its abrasiveness is evident on first exposure to both devout followers and those new to Revocation. Destroying all comers with opener "Of Unworldly Origin", the fury that seethes through this and the tracks that follow is palpable, and much of it makes for deeply uncomfortable yet always compelling listening

A compelling abrasive shoegaze band, dealing with the aesthetics of contrasting sounds. Heavy like a gloomy dream yet soothingly vibrant. The vulnerable soft floating voice of Manchester's Isa Holliday underneath layers of grungy shoegaze soaked noisepop, seeking shelter from an f'ed up world. They debuted live in March 2017, released 'Ease' their first e.p. in May 2017 through Flood, White Russian and Dingleberry Records. Played Roadburn festival 2017 in The Netherlands, Fluff fest in Czech Republic, toured Germany, Belgium, France, Holland, UK, Hungary. Played shows with bands like Brutus, Oathbreaker, Sleepmakeswaves, Turnover, Nothing.... all of this in their first six months of being an active band. The band recorded their debut LP 'Aurora' towards the end of 2017 at The Ranch Production house in Southampton with Neil D. Kennedy who produced bands like Milk Teeth, Creeper, Boston Manor,... 'Aurora' was mastered at The Atomic Garden by Jack Shirley known for his work with Deafheaven, Oathbreaker, The Smith Street Band.... Slow Crush are bridging boundaries with their own distinct sound between Shoegaze, Postrock, indierock, Heavypop, postpunk and Grunge.

Wolfheart`s music embraces the sheer force and beauty of Finnish nature with fiery passion. The four piece from Lahti labeled its epic and harsh sound 'Winter Metal' which is indeed a thrilling score to nocturnal soul-searching in deep, snowy forests. The fourth album Constellation Of The Black Light proves to be uncompromising and dives headfirst into Black Metal, Nordic Death Metal, soaring melodies and complex arrangements as on the opener 'Everlasting Fall' ¬- the start of a colossal journey that these Finns embark on with their typical melancholy. They have a knack for sparse piano parts ('The Saw') and the guts to be dramatic ('Defender'). So Wolfheart succeeds in finding the right balance between Extreme Metal and a little Doom romance: a demanding work of art that is second to none. 'Raw Finnish Coldness - Death and Doom freeze to Winter Metal!'

Vermutlich eines der besten Metal Alben im Bereich Crossover aus Thrash und Death Metal! 'The Ten Commandments' ist möglicherweise die großartigste Kombination von Death und Thrash Metal, die jemals komponiert wurde. Das Album ist voll mit schneller und energetischer Gitarrenarbeit, was klar ist denn Malevolent Creation gelten als 'Slayer on acid'. Sie liefern nicht
unbedingt viele neue Ideen, aber was sie wirklich von anderen unterscheidet ist Bret Hoffmanns einzigartige und intensive Gesangsperformance. Malevolent Creation gehörte zu den Pionieren und formierte sich 1987, und diese Platte ist ein ziemlich heftiges Album, das im September 1990 abgeschlossen wurde. Jeder Death Metal Fan muss dies haben, es besitzt sämtliche Komponenten, um ihm einen Klassikerstatus zu verschaffen. Produziert von Scott 'Death' Burns, verfügt das Album über
ein überragendes Cover-Artwork von Dan Seagrave. Es ist schnell und furios und voller gewalttätiger und anti-religiöser Texte, mit großartigen Songtiteln wie 'Multiple Stab Wounds' und 'Thou Shall Kill!'. Es gibt einfach keinen schwachen Track auf 'The Ten Commandments', was diese Platte zu einer Pflichtreise für jeden in die Welt des Old School Death Metal macht

San Francisco-based post-black metal act Bosse-de-Nage have returned to The Flenser for their fifth studio album titled Further Still. This latest album sees the band eschew the sprawling arrangements and hypnotic repetition of their previous efforts in favor of tight, propulsive song structures. It is deliberately succinct in approach while maintaining the band's unique lyrical style set to unpredictable melodies.

Bosse-de-Nage takes their name from a character in the book The Exploits and Opinions of Dr. Faustroll, Pataphysician by the French symbolist author Alfred Jarry. They recorded their first demo in 2006, which was subsequently released on cassette by Aesop Dekker's The Funeral Agency label. Their first album was recorded the following year, but the band became inactive for awhile, and their debut sat on the shelves until The Flenser released it in 2010. This sparked new life into the project and they recorded and released two more self-titled albums over the next two years. In 2012 BDN released a split EP with fellow Bay Area 'blackgaze' upstarts Deafheaven. They subsequently released their monstrous and surreal masterpiece, All Fours (Profound Lore), in 2015 to critical applause. Further Still sees the band refine their multitude of ideas, distilling them to their most basic forms yet retaining their idiosyncratic footprint.

Cat.no.: FR90LP
Format: LP

WHITE2 was originally released in 2003 by Southern Lord as a CD and very limited 3-sided LP edition of 540 copies (in a white sleeve with a sticker , packaged in an embroidered pillowcase and contained a sleeping pill)

For these reissues SUNNO))) returned to the original full length unedited premasters /final mixes and brought them to Matt 'The Alchemist' Colton at Alchemy Mastering in London for a complete high resolution 88K/24bit mastering . The bottom end is deeper and more intense, low mids are lusher , high frequencies are smoother and the stereo image is vastly improved, seeming more 3 dimensional spacially and more dynamic.

SUNN O))) co-founders Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson originally conceived the WHITE albums to be 'acoustic' but the sessions at Fontanelle's Magnetic Park studios in Portland Oregon quickly took a far different route toward the psychedelic and the electronic/synthetic, with trance and drone experiments.

The WHITE2 album was notably the first collaboration with the Hungarin singer and legend Attila Csihar, which has since begat a long and fruitful creative story of the O))) ethos. With the WHITE albums SUNN O))) took a bold step toward the experimental and highly collaborative path the concept of the group has travelled since. Together with Attila WHITE2 featured the extraordinary talents of the special guests JOE PRESTON, REX RITTER & DAWN SMITHSON.

Along with WHITE1 the album brought SUNNO))) forth from the shadows of the earth unto the broader cosmic spheres, arriving at a truly transcendent note with the pairing of the 'DECAY' tracks featuring Attila. And the sky cracked open.

Leagues Beneath is the first release immediately following Sleep’s long-prophesied, critically-acclaimed opus The Sciences. Recorded as a part of a series of songs for Adult Swim, this 12” single is a testament to what has made The Sciences such a success: bottomless tone, spacetime-melting riffs and a unparalleled aural experience from start to finish. Leagues Beneath is a full 17 minute plunge, now available to experience on black vinyl.

Since its inception in 2014, Eigenlicht has existed as an entity with reverence for the world both seen and unseen. Each member of the project has chosen a path dedicated to the study of either the natural world or the fundamental nature of knowledge and existence. Their music is built upon experiences of the past and a striving for knowledge to come. The band explains its origins thus:

'Eigenlicht arose from a failed pilgrimage, everything discarded and given to dissolution, no treasure to bring back and no nobility nor honor to salvage. But upon its opening that void immediately invited torrential winds, which assembled a collection of persons intimately bound by shared ideals and goals, at the opportune moment, in the nexus of our spiritual home in the valley of the Oracle. Thus a new direction was set and the process spontaneously fell into place. Each movement forward a self-overcoming, each a step toward inner nobility. Love and sentiment discarded into the crucible of roiling chaos. Seeking triumph even in failure, moving from impermanence to the eternal. Honoring loss as sacrifice, failure as wisdom; seeking a savage grace steeped in myth and a determination to ascend the slopes of sanguine gods.'

With its debut EP in 2015, Sacral Regicide, Eigenlicht began to draw the attention of many who hold an interest in underground U.S. black metal. This early impact was in some part due to the members' previous work in Skagos, Fauna, Ekstasis, and other well-known projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. On SELF-ANNIHILATING CONSCIOUSNESS we see the work on Sacral Regicide standing as a foundation—but all aspects evolving with an impassioned urgency. Synth-laden dooming tones set the stage for an intense journey through a domain of ethereal black metal highlighted with majestic instrumentation to accompany the shrieking wails and chaos. A journey best described in the band's own words:

'Self-Annihilating Consciousness is an exploration into the realm of gnosis that both illuminates and destroys, that draws out the truth of Being even as it ruptures our conceptions of Self and Other. Molded around a black metal core, it spills open at times into angular meditations, cosmic thralldom, and orgies of ecstatic metallic fervor. The album coheres around mind-altering revelations that bring a mirror to the invoker only to then shatter the reflection. Logos wrestles with Abyss in an eternal struggle over who will properly wield the blazing sword of intangible truth.'

There have been many bands that have pushed the boundaries of extreme metal. When breaking down walls, the results are usually always evident. New England based black metal act, Infera Bruo do so at a much more subtle, much less obvious way. Featuring members of Trap Them, Cul de Sac, and Pillory, the quartet takes discordant riffs, blast beat drums and moving harmonies and takes the listener on a journey who doesn't realize his or her whereabouts until after the album is over. Infera Bruo isn't progressive for the sake of being progressive, they just do what comes natural. Cerement, the band's third full length LP is a testament to that. Vocalist and guitarist, Galen Baudhuin elaborates, 'On Cerement we aimed to streamline our sound and get to the root of a primordial blackened energy while still following our experimental instincts' The album was produced by Baudhuin and mastered by Brad Boatright. It contains 8 tracks of at times, warm and lush, while at others, harsh and cold, black metal. Acoustic guitars interplay with jarring electrics. While all of this in of itself would create a black metal masterpiece, what sets the band well above their peers are the beguiling riffs found throughout the album. If Voivod were to have grown up listening to Emperor, one could say they would sound very similar to Infera Bruo.

Melting faces since 2009 - STONED JESUS wouldn`t dare to show up at your party without a solid slab of stoner rock! But make no mistake with this Ukrainian trio: this ain`t your average desert session! Fourth album Pilgrims is a rather multi-faceted affair mixing groove with noise rock elements, lots of proggy infusions and maybe even a sick bass line reminiscent of good old Deftones (- Thessalia'). Giants such as Mastodon and Melvins come to mind since STONED JESUS can`t be pigeonholed.

In the early 80's when Suicidal Tendencies started, punk rock was not very welcoming to 'new ideas', especially from a new crew that were obviously not worried about fitting in. But SxTx wasn't there to be 'accepted' and not only played their own STyle of Cyco Punk, but reinvented the DYI attitude to a level never seen before with their distinctive look and sound. For 35 years ST hasn't worried about what other bands or people were or weren't doing. About what was cool or trendy at the time. They didn't ask for permission, nor did they care who it offended. They did what they wanted, but most importantly for the right reason, cause it's what they felt, not cause they wanted to be liked. That didn't make things easy. They were banned in L.A., Police riots and harassed by various "Authorities" and even the Secret Service got into the act, "dropping in" and paying singer Mike Muir a "visit". Soon after the PMRC got into the act. As would many others, but the music played on, and ST became the soundtrack to an army of Cyco's Worldwide...to Punx, Thrashers, Metallers, Skaters, Surfers, Moto and other extreme athletes all found motivation in the ST sound to stand on their own and blaze their own trail. Cyco Punk Lives on! There's no time machine to go back (and thank goodness for that). This will be a full on Cyco Punk record taken to a whole new level with the legendary drummer Dave Lombardo brutally beating the songs and sound that is made to get your Slam On!

Die New Yorker Death Metal Legende Pyrexia kehrt mit ihrem neuesten und wohl brutalstem Album Unholy Requiem zurück.
Das Album, das von Gitarrist Chris Basile bei Subsonic Audio aufgenommen, gemischt und gemastert wurde, zeigt die Band wieder zu ihrem dreckigen, pulverisierenden, klassischen Sound zurückkehrend.
Unholy Requiem ist nicht als einfaches Reminiszenz-Album zu verstehen. Pyrexia demonstrieren, dass sie immer noch den Brutal Death Metal-Sound dominieren, dessen Geburtshelfer sie einst waren.
Diese 9 Tracks gnadenlosen Terrors zeigen, dass die Band weiterhin entschlossen ist sich weiter zu entwickeln und die Messlatte für extreme Musik weiter anzuheben.
Dieses Album mit mitreißenden Grooves und Riff-geladener Gewalt ist nichts anderes als vertonte Brutalität. Pyrexia haben einmal mehr bewiesen, dass sie jede Auszeichnung verdienen und zementieren ihren Platz an der Spitze des Brutal Death Pantheons.

SIDE B 1. Wipeout 2. Milestone 3. Eden In The Rain 4. Twin Shadows 5. Daybreak 6. Faint (feat. Masato from coldrain)
- EX_MACHINA' ist das mittlerweile fünfte Studioalbum von Crossfaith und Nachfolger des gefeierten Xeno

Crossfaith aus Osaka bringen ihr fünftes Album raus. Die in Japan lebende Heavy-Metal-Band beschreibt in ihrem neuen Album - EX_MACHINA' eine Traumwelt in der nahen Zukunft, in der
Engel an der Macht sind, die die Menschen zu Maschinen machen und die Weltordnung verändern.