News: Sakis Tolis releases new solo song "Among the Fires of Hell"

Have you heard the new song of Sakis Tolis?

Sakis Tolis from Greek band Rotting Christ just released a song (title track) from his upcoming solo album, Among the Fires of Hell, and you may listen to it here:

The Art of Valgorth

Aldo Requena, also known as Valgorth, is an artist and illustrator from Argentina.

Valgorth has worked on the Barakacine film NECRONOMICON directed by Marcelo Schapces, and also with several projects for different bands, studios, and record labels such as LOST HORIZON, SKILTRON, BLACK MAJESTY, DESTRÖYER 666, WIZARD, PARAGON, HOLYHELL, MARTIN WALKYIER, MASSACRE RECORDS, and many more.

Recently, more precisely in November/2021, Valgorth had an exhibition in Europe organized by the Portuguese Black Metal band GAEREA, where he could display a series of paintings with a dark and surreal theme.

If you haven't seen his work yet, or if you have but want to see again, please check it out here:

http://www.valgorth.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AldoRequena/
https://www.instagram.com/valgorth.art/

Short Artist Bio
Aldo 'Valgorth' Requena is an Argentine artist best known for his work depicting a dark subject matter. With over a hundred designs published worldwide, his artwork has featured on albums, books, apparel, posters advertising, and film. He is the artificer of the art & texts used on the Necronomicon book for the Argentine movie NECRONOMICON. Requena runs Hammerblaze, a graphic design company that has done works for a variety of metal artists and labels of all calibers; from all around the globe. He has spearheaded projects with LOST HORIZON, SKILTRON, DESTRÖYER 666, PARAGON, WIZARD, DAVID SHANKLE (former MANOWAR), BLACK MAJESTY, GUILLOTINE (Sweden), IN-DEFILADE (Jon Vesano Nile), WACKEN METAL BATTLE, MASSACRE RECORDS, REMEDY RECORDS, VIC RECORDS and many more.

News: Hanormale signs with Zero Dimensional Records

Italian Experimental Black Metal band Hanormale, who focus mostly in Japanese Folklore, signed a deal with Zero Dimensional Records, who are actually based in Japan!

Here is what the band, led by Arcanus Incubus, has to say about it:

"Japanese folklore has always been a fundamental pillar of Hanormale, I am really happy to see that our passion for Japanese culture has aroused such interest there, where those stories had their origin"

Read more abour Hanormale here:

https://www.facebook.com/hanormale

Review: Agvirre's upcoming album "_ _ _ _ _ _"

Manchester post Black Metal band Agvirre will be releasing a new album on the 28th of January. 

Lachryma Christi had reviewed their EP Silence in 2020, and this album _ _ _ _ _ _ (pronounced as "Hidden") is somewhat different.

There is still the mental struggle in this release, but not as noticeable as on Silence, in my opinion. Silence was about mental illness, how it is experienced and felt, while _ _ _ _ _ _ is about how the mental illness manifests and feels in a more social and every day life context. How it feels with all the general society problems that we sometimes face. With pandemics and all the confinements the whole world has been through, as well as all the divisions that all this situation brought us, for sure many people will relate to this album. 

However, I found less struggle and more beauty in this album, than I did in Silence. I feel more the "everything will be alright in the end", than I actually feel the anxiety and difficult situation, when I listen to this album. And I think that is a good thing too.

What can you expect in terms of music? Well, _ _ _ _ _ _ has three tracks, and my favourite might actually be the first one, Urtica in Glass. It starts with conversation / conflict, passing to the more calm shoegaze kind of music (I am sorry, I hate this word "shoegaze", but had to use it, because that's what it is), and when you think the whole song will be like this, it suddenly turns into a very unexpected melodic and also aggressive Black Metal. I was quite surprised at this, and also pleased at the whole thing. I still am, after listening to it a few times. Each time brings me that same exact feeling of "how great is this?".

Second track is more quiet, shorter, and funnily enough, maybe it is the one that brings the sense of confusion and anxiety up more clearly. 

Third track is as furious and angry and dragged as the first one. As full of thought and feel.

It all sounds so very well coordinated and performed, and you may expect some instrument I believe it is trumpet. Do you remember when Necromantia came up with saxophone, many years ago? I had exactly the same feeling when I heard the trumpet in Agvirre. A completely "wow" feeling. It is really a good mix, sounds really good with the fast and angry music and desperate voice. The voice is something. So raw and sad and full of pain. 

The whole album is fantastic. _ _ _ _ _ _  is very introspective, emotional, sad at times, angry most of the times, and like a cry for help in many other times. 

It is beautiful. Indeed. 

And look at that cover art! How beautiful. It is by Dafydd Jones at Back Down Design. 

I don't usually mention these details, but since I started, let me finish:

_ _ _ _ _ _ was recorded, engineered and mixed by Joe Clayton at No Studio, Manchester.

Mastered by Magnus Lindberg at VRTKL Audio.

Brass arranged and performed by The River Versus

Tracklist for _ _ _ _ _ _:

1. Urtica In Glass (10:03)

2. _ _ _ _ _ _ (In Plain Sight) (3:39)

3. For El Dorado, Whenever I May Find You (9:01)

Lineup for Agvirre:

Badger - Drums and percussion
Dave - Bass
Frenchie - Vocals, synths, electronics and percussion

Ricardo - Guitar and backing vocals
Aaron, Alec and Jimmy (The River Versus) - Trumpets

Read more about Agvirre in:

https://www.facebook.com/agvirrewrath

https://agvirre.bandcamp.com/

News: Darkspace sign to Season of Mist

Swiss Black Metal band Darkspace just signed a deal with Season of Mist. 

The band will be re-releasing their entire back catalogue with reinterpretated artwork and a remaster for vinyl via Season of Mist later this year.

They are also working on their Dark Space III II.

Lineup:

Wroth - Guitars, vocals
Zhaaral - Guitars, vocals

Read more in:

www.darkcyberspace.com
darkspace.bandcamp.com

Review: Bat Magic's upcoming EP "Feast of Blood"

Greetings!

First of all, to those who actually celebrate(d) it, Happy 2022!

So let's start with a review to a very very very good EP that just got in my inbox. On the 4th of February, Vampyric Black Metal band from USA, Bat Magic, will be releasing their EP Feast of Blood. In fact, this is a reissue of their cassete, which was originally recorded in 2016. It will now be released through Babylon Doom Cult Records.

Feast of Blood has four tracks and I have heard the EP three times before writing this review (I am still listening to it), as I am a bit out of words about it. It is so good.

The Intro takes you to a complete different place, somewhere European, it is nearly "romantic" (it makes sense, believe me), and with a very very vampyric touch to it. 

And when you feel you are in a great atmosphere, comes the first track Blood Pact of Ordo Vampyr, thirsty, furious, fantastic, heavy, old school Black Metal. Not quite Black'n'Roll, but almost. It is really very good. 

The whole EP is in this same line, but each song is more surprising than the previous one, however making it a whole. 

But the song that for me is the best in this EP is the last one, Solis Corpis. A very good, bassy, fast, inspiring, solid, Black Metal song. Has some more slow bit towards the end, with a very emotional solo that will bring you goose bumps. So bloody good. Such a strong track.

These guys know what they do, so well. 

Don't expect the kind of somewhat "traditional" high pitched voice, because it doesn't exist here, but the dragged guttural voice you can hear matches only perfectly. Keyboards are on point, bringing the perfect feel.

The whole EP is very melodic, not raw but extremely powerful. Emotional, angry, aggressive and very very exciting. It is perfect and going straight to the best releases of 2022 for Lachryma Christi. The quality of the music and of the sound are indescribable. I am just so happy that this came through my inbox, and I am sure you will love it just as much as I do.

Lineup:

Vespertine Screech – Echolocatory Incantations
The Haunted Strigoi of Night – 6-Garroted Hell-Axe
The Ghastly Vrykolak – Possessed Cithern
He Who Drinks the Blood of Sleeping Babies – Ivory Merchant and Dealer
The Mighty Winged Necromancer – Cave Rumblings
The Impaler – Twin Stakes

Read more in:

https://www.babylondoomcultrecords.com/

https://ordovampyrorientis.com/