News: Taake, Aeternus and Slegest to tour in May

Dark Essence Records will have three of their bands touring together for ten days in May: Taake, Aeternus and Slegest.

Dates are as follows:

Thu 08: Le Ferrailleur, Nantes, FR
Fri 09:  Le Divan du Monde, Paris, FR
Sat 10:  The Garage, London, UK
Sun 11:  Soundcontrol, Manchester, UK
Mon 12:  Ivory Blacks, Glasgow, Scotland
Tue 13: 013, Tilburg, NL
Wed 14: Club From Hell, Erfurt, DE
Thu 15: Rock It, Aalen, DE
Fri 16: Helvete, Oberhausen, DE
Sat 17: TBC

Read more in:

http://www.darkessencerecords.no/

News: Nocturnal Breed

Nocturnal Breed will release a new album on the 11th of March in Europe, and on the 18th of March in North America through Agonia Records, and it will be called Napalm Nights.
Terrorizer Magazine is streaming a song from the same, called Cursed Beyond Recognition, in the form of a video, and you can now watch it here:

http://www.terrorizer.com/news/streams/nocturnal-breed-premiere-new-song-exclusively-terrorizer/

You can also listen to the first revealed song here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeUDEgNg4Bw&feature=youtu.be

And to the second revealed song here:

http://soundcloud.com/agoniarecords/nocturnal-breed-speedkrieg

Napalm Nights tracklist:

01 - The Devil Swept The Ruins
02 - Speedkrieg
03 - Cursed Beyond Recognition
04 - The Bitch of Buchenwald
05 - Napalm Nights
06 - Thrashiac
07 - Dawn Campaign... Flamethrower Ridge
08 - Under The whip
09 - Dragging The Priests
10 - Krigshisser 


Line-up:

S. A. Destroyer - bass, vocals
Axeman I. Maztor - guitars
Tex Terror - drums, vocals
V. Fineideath - guitars
Nocturno Culto - guest vocals

E.A. Rattlehead - guest guitars

Napalm Nights will be available in digipack CD, limited double black vinyl in gatefold sleeves (with insert with lyrics and A2 poster), limited double military green vinyl (with insert with lyrics, A2 poster and laser-cut full color patch) and digitally.

You can pre-order it here:

http://www.agoniarecords.home.pl/index.php?pos=shop&lang=en

Read more in:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nocturnal-Breed-OFFICIAL/250907411181

Gig TOMORROW! OTARGOS + VEHEMENT + PREMATURE BIRTH + VATIGAL SURRD @ The Black Heart, London

Dear readers, tomorrow, the 21st of February, there will be this nice gig in London. Lachryma Christi will be there.

Stage times:

7:15 - 7:45 - VATIGAL SURRD
8:15 - 8:45 - PREMATURE BIRTH
9:00 - 9:40 - VEHEMENT
10:00 - 11:00 - OTARGOS

News: Inferno

The Czech Grammy Awards just nominated Inferno's latest album Omniabsence Filled By His Greatness for the best Hard &Heavy music category. The 23rd annual ceremony of Ceny Anděl will be held on April 14th in Prague.

You can see the full list of nominees here:

http://www.cenyandel.cz/news/nominace-zanrove-ceny-akademie-popularni-hudby-cen-andel-2013/

You can also find a review for Omniabsence Filled By His Greatness here:

http://lachrymachristizine.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/review-infernos-omniabsence-filled-by.html

And you can even stream it here:

http://agoniarecords.bandcamp.com/album/omniabsence-filled-by-his-greatness



Read more in:

https://pl-pl.facebook.com/pages/Inferno/322975231147644

News: Enthroned

Black Metal band from Belgium Enthroned are scheduled to release a new album on the 15th of April, through Agonia Records, and it will be called Sovereigns.
Sovereigns will be available in: digipack CD, black vinyl, bone-white vinyl with green splatter limited to 100 hand numbered copies and exclusive BOX CD limited to 333 hand numbered copies (including: the new album released in exclusive jewelcase edition, embroidered patch (8cmx10cm), flag (42cmx59.4cm) and a lighter with band's logo).

Sovereigns tracklist:

01. Anteloquium
02. Sine Qua Non
03. Of Feathers and Flames
04. Lamp of Invisible Lights
05. Of Shrines and Sovereigns
06. The Edge of Agony
07. Divine Coagulation
08. Baal al-Maut
09. Nerxiarxin Mahathallah 

Line-up:

Nornagest - lead vocals & lead guitars
Phorgath - bass
Neraath - lead guitars
Menthor - drums
ZarZax - rhythm guitar

Read more in:

https://www.facebook.com/Frater.Silurian

News: Mayhem

Norwegian Black Metal band Mayhem will be releasing a new album on the 23rd of May (27th May in North America) through Season of Mist, and it will be called Esoteric Warfare. This album will be preceded by a new single called Psywar, a 7" vinyl that is scheduled to come out on the 25th of April (29th of April in North America. You can now stream a lyric video for the same here:

Close-Up (SE)
Decibel (US)
Inferno (FI)
Lords of Metal (NL)
LOUD! (PT)
Metal Hammer (DE)
Metal Hammer (UK)
Musick Magazine (PL)
NRK Pyro (NO)
Rock Hard (IT)
Rock Overdose (GR)
This is Rock (ES)
VS Webzine (FR)

The B-side of the Psywar is made of the From Beyond the Event Horizon demo, a track taken from the band's 2012 Budapest sessions. The single will be available in different editions, featuring art from Zbigniew Bielak (WATAIN, GHOST) and Costin Chioreanu (ULVER, IHSAHN). It will be pressed across several different colored vinyl editions, all limited to 500 copies and you can already pre-order yours at Season of Mist's e-shop

The Zbigniew Bielak edition (top row) is numbered and the Costin Chioreanu edition (bottom row) is also available as a vinyl + T-shirt bundle.

Read more in:

www.season-of-mist.com/

Review: GIG Cradle of Filth & Behemoth + In Solitude + Inquisition + Svarttjern @ The Forum, London, UK

So, review for this gig. Lachryma Christi wasn't supposed to review this, LC went there for personal enjoyment. However, after some messages asking for the review, here is a short one. Yes, short because Lachryma Christi missed part of the first and last band.
So first band, Svarttjern. Even though LC only managed, for personal reasons, to see their performance during the last song, it seemed quite nice. Their posture and look was OK, more aggressive than the sound though. Music is good anyway, nice Black Metal, no noise, nothing bothering or boring. Was actually a shame that LC didn't see it from the beginning.
After Svarttjern came Inquisition. That was indeed a very good show. The two men band really perform perfectly. The music is good, the sound was good, they are very "neat", very professional, very sober. Really good show, to see again in the future, hopefully.
Following band, In Solitude. Boring, completely out of the blue, nothing to do (in terms of music) with the rest of the bands. Even in their context (some cheesy boring rock) they would have been quite boring. Nothing to offer, apart from boring and cheap almost imitation of good rock bands. Guitars were extremely loud. Weird and bad choice. 
Cradle of Filth were next. They played a very good set, loads of old songs, some more recent stuff, but nothing like "too much". Started the whole thing with Midian introduction At the Gates of Midian, which works SO GOOD live, even though the album is not that great. Then they also played Cthulhu Dawn, also from Midian. There were songs from The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, Cruelty and the Beast and some more recent stuff as mentioned already.
Pleasant, sound was OK. Dani Filth was bouncy as always, making a huge effort for people to react, just as last year. Lachryma Christi could hear enthusiastic fans of old Cradle of Filth singing along with Dani Filth and singing over the guitar riffs and keyboard melodies. So this is the proof that all that people who say "Oh I don't like Cradle of Filth anymore" or "Cradle of Filth live sucks", always end up in their shows anyway and sing! The same faces, the same so tough and true Black Metalers. This is good though. Cradle of Filth might have had some strange and unfortunate ideas during their journey, but their good stuff is still good stuff, and they still play their good stuff live. And there is also the myth of the unrecognizable songs etc. That is not true, let's be honest. 
When Lachryma Christi thought that Cradle of Filth would end their show with their worst song Her Ghost in the Fog, they actually surprised the crowd, coming back for a small enchore starting with the Ave Satani "intro", and then their best song Funeral in Carpathia. Was a good ending. 
Last band, headliners Behemoth. What to say about Behemoth? They play their role. They go there, play their music, no mistakes, nothing to complain about. Quality of sound was good. Nothing new to offer, more of the same. If you like Behemoth you would have found it amazing. If not, not. Lachryma Christi left after two songs. 
Lachryma Christi has no pics for this. If you have some, and if you wish to share them, you can always leave a comment with a link, or if you want to see them posted together with this article (they will be credited of course), you can e-mail lachrymachristizine@gmail.com

Lachryma Christi's playlist for the week

Cradle of Filth - The Manticore and Other Horrors
Behemoth - The Satanist
Agalloch - Pale Folklore
Legion of Doom - For Those of the Blood
Drudkh - Forgotten Legends
Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Symfonia  
Summoning - Dol Guldur
Wyrd - Huldrafolk
Nargaroth - Herbstleyd
Vlad Tepes / Belkètre - March to the Black Holocaust

Gig, TONIGHT! Cradle of Filth & Behemoth + In Solitude + Inquisition + Svarttjern @ The Forum, London, UK

Cradle of Filth & Behemoth in tour, as you must know. Tonight, gig in London. Lachryma Christi will be there.

• 5.00pm // Doors
• 5:30pm // Svarttjern
• 6:15pm // Inquisition
• 7:00pm // In Solitude
• 8:00pm // Cradle Of Filth
• 9:45pm // Behemoth 

News: Den Saakaldte

Den Saakaldte will release their debut album called All Hail Pessimism on the 17th of February through Agonia Records, for the first time in LP format. They are also entering studio to record their new album which will be called Kapittel II: Faen i Helvete. Release date will still be announced.

As for All Hail Pessimism, it will be re-released on 250 limited edition black and coloured Gatefold 2 LP vinyls. The first 50 copies come as deep purple vinyl and 200 copies as black vinyl.

Pre-order yours here;

http://www.agoniarecords.home.pl/index.php?pos=shop&lang=en

Read more in:

https://www.facebook.com/densaakaldte 

News: Dornenreich

Dornenreich issued a statement saying that their eighth album which will be called Freiheit (to be released through Prophecy Productions) will be the last one for a long while.
You can read the statement by Eviga below:

"Dearest friends and companions,

We are approaching the finishing touches on the visual side of “Freiheit (Freedom),” Dornenreich’s eighth studio album which will be entrusted to you this spring – in the 18th year of our band history.

Soon we will present first samples!

As the cover art suggests, “Freiheit” is an album of thresholds, of transitions, of transformations; an album that makes a bold move towards the whole range of human emotion, thought, and being. This album is dedicated to the depth, diversity, and elemental beauty of being.

In my own personal view, “Freiheit” is an album of a great, encompassing power that unfolds itself as a whole and that makes me grateful and free as an artist and as a human being. Many things come full circle on this very album.

At the same time, “Freiheit” feels like a parting right now.

And as much as I feel that we will never stop to create artistically, and as much as it may be possible that this album will be seen as just a departure from a certain artistic evaluation or orientation, there are a lot of indications at this moment that “Freiheit” is going to be Dornenreich’s last studio album for quite some time.

Dornenreich, as I have stressed time and again, is obliged to life. And I am convinced that our expression, in its musical and lyrical essence, is timeless and develops its emotional urgency especially within a live context – thus, we will return to the stages for very special performances in the next years.

So this is by no means an absolute farewell. It is merely the end of a long journey, a homecoming, a discovery - that one day may be the starting point of another journey, another transformation ... life will tell.

And now join us in anticipation of this year, of this eighth Dornenreich album which is so valuable to us, and of the spring tour when we all shall meet again!

With gratitude, love, and respect

Eviga"

Read more in:

http://www.prophecy.de/

News: Tyrants Blood

Tridroid Records will be releasing their first digital work, which is a compilation of songs from the past of the band Tyrants Blood and it will be called Coven.
The album will be released on the 18th of February and it comes with a downloadable PDF of liner notes written by guitarist Marco Banco.
You can pre-order yours here:

http://tyrantsbloodtridoid.bandcamp.com/

Read more in:

https://www.facebook.com/TridroidRecords