Portuguese melodic death metal act Moonshade has recently released on Bandcamp (link here) their second EP “Dream | Oblivion” (the first being “The Path Of Redemption”, from 2010). And even though the date is not certain yet, the band announces now that a physical format will be available “soon”.
I. A Bleak Sunrise (Intro) II. Dawn Of A New Era III. Goddess Eternal IV. The Depths Of Despair (Interlude) V. Genesis 3.5 VI. Fall To Oblivion VII. Into The Abyss (Outro)
Early last month, they’ve also released a lyric video for the first single “Goddess Eternal”:
Ben Parcell, one of Bridlington’s most famous pop-folk performers, has released his third full-length album, which is available for free download at Bandcamp (link here). More than a cover album, “Cover Stories Vol. 1” is a homage to artists who have influenced, supported and given advice to Parcell. Quoting the man himself: » I think it’s important to recognise local and roots music as we live in an age where the mainstream is mostly interested in chart music and the X Factor. While I wish all the best for artists who choose to take the talent show route, there are many local artists with amazing talents and superior songwriting skills, who don’t get that mainstream broadcast, but deserve it equally. I’ve been lucky enough to be granted permission by all of the artists on my album.« Like East-Yorkshire-based Edwina Hayes, who says: » A tireless supporter of local music, Ben has been an active participant in the East Yorkshire acoustic scene for several years now and I’m very honoured he has chosen to cover one of my songs.«
Along with Edwina‘s, “Cover Stories Vol. 1” features songs from Chris Helme (of the Seahorses), Ryan Spendlove, Sam McKie, Rob Bywater, Alastair Artingstall, Sophie Madeleine, Joe McCorriston and Mikee J. Reds.
Parcell will be performing the cover album live on The Fox’s Den Radio Show, Vixen 101 FM on Friday 25th April from 9 pm. And if you’d like to attend one of his shows, he’s the monthly resident artist at The Funny Onion, Bridlington, on the first Friday of every month. For more info, follow his official Facebook page here.
Brooklyn band Tombs announced that today is the day they enter the studio to begin the recording process of their new album, which will the follow up to their 2011 release Path To Totality. The three piece unit will be working with famed produced Erik Rutan (Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Hate Eternal) over the next two weeks at his Mana Recording Studio in St Petersburg, Florida. Tombs vocalist and guitarist Mike Hill comments:
The new material is darker and more extreme than the last record. The addition of bassist Ben Brand and guitarist Garett Bussanick have really stepped up the playing and musicianship to a new level.
Tombs have released two full-lengths and one singles/rarities collection via Relapse Records, all of which are available for streaming via Bandcamp here.
As most of their older releases are now largely unavailable, Troll have come to the decision to make thier entire back catalogue available for digital download via BandCamp. Available are the following:
Trollstorm Over Nidingjuv (1995)
Drep de Kristne (1996)*
The Last Predators (2000)
Universal (2001)
Drep de Kristne is considered to be one of the defining black metal releases. The only album not to be re-released in digital format is Neo-Satanic Supremacy (2010), as Napalm Record still own the rights to it. All the albums will come with new artwork and are available for the minimum price of 0.50 euros or as much more as the fans feel like paying directly to the band. The albums can be purchased from this location.
Commenting on the decision to digitally self-release what are effectively iconic albums, frontman and founder Nagash said:
In today’s economy labels are really reluctant to release anything that has appeared previously, even though it is no longer available and regardless of how much demand there is from the fans. Sure, you can find most things these days via illegal file-sharing sites, but if you want high quality sound versions, with the artwork, and without all the viruses and Trojans that come as “hidden extras” with illegal downloads, you are better off paying a few pence to buy it legally. At least that way you are actually supporting the bands, and we believe that REAL fans are getting tired of everyone trying to rip off the bands, and genuinely want to support them.
As well as being re-released in digital format, Drep De Kristne will also be released on vinyl as a limited edition Gatefold, in both black and gold versions. The vinyl will appear sometime in October, just in time for the band’s European tour, during in which the band will play the entire album live at a special afterparty at the Aurora Infernalis Festival in Arnhem on 26th October.
Full routing for the Incantations for the World’s End tour, with Dodheimsgard, Troll and Hetroertzen as follows:
Oct 16 – John Dee, Oslo, Norway
Oct 17 – Beta, Copenhagen, Denmark
Oct 18 – K17, Berlin, Germany
Oct 19 – Hoodoo Music Club, Prague, Czech Republic
Oct 20 – Channel Zero, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Oct 21 – Viper Room, Vienna, Austria
Oct 22 – Novara Rock & Roll Arena, Novara, Italy
Oct 23 – Glaz’Art, Paris, France
Oct 24 – Le Romandie, Lausanne, Switzerland
Oct 25 – Magasin 4, Brussels, Belgium
Oct 26 – The Stage, Arnhem, Netherlands
Oct 27 – Simplon Grote Zaal, Groningen, Netherlands
Glaswegian metal monsters Common Gods have revealed the artwork for their upcoming four-track EP Helveien which will be released this Sunday (4th August 2013) for free through BandCamp. The four track EP was recorded and produced at Devil’s Own Studio in Glasgow and the artwork was produce by Norderobring drummer and North of the Wall Festival organiser Alasdair Dunn. The release of Helveien coincides nicely with the band’s next gig at Pivo in Glasgow on Sunday.
Swedish band Despite have just released the first single of their upcoming EPic, set to be released this autumn. Unexceptional”, which features former M.A.N. guitarist Rob Guz on the Indian string instrument esraj, is available for purchase on the band’s BandCamp, and if you pre-order EPic in the next few days, you’ll get a 25% discount. Meanwhile you can listen to it and check the lyrics on YouTube:
Evemaster, who feature Battlelore vocalist Tomi Mykkänen on guitar in their ranks, have added the entire discography to their official Bandcamp page. It includes the In Thine Majesty EP, Wither, Lacrimae Mundi, Lacrimae Mundi MMIV and III. Go to this location to check out the material. You can also listen to the entire album, III, below.
Evemaster launched their new official website here back in October 2012. Mykkänen commented with the following update: “If you happen to stumble upon these pages you might realise that the page layout has changed since the last time. And, blimey, you’re right! Started using WordPress here. Enjoy and join the mailing list. We have also started some promotion on III now that we finally got the rights from Supernova. Basically it means that we bought all the copies of the album from Supernova and started selling them ourselves and handling the promotion as well. We started co-operation with Inverse Records with distribution so go and ask your local shop for a copy. If they don’t have any shame on them and then go online and order a copy or two from some cool webshop or from us directly.”
“Erdgesänge” shows music in a more archaic style – influenced by living with nature and by many different cultures of the earth. It is about a more exotic sounding voice vibrating through an ancient time leavened by myths. Percussion rhythms symbolize the pulse of nature and the earth.
Agael / Lebensnacht “Apathologie” Split
(Ambient Black Metal)
Release Date: July 19, 2012
“Apathologie” (engl. Apathology) is an artistic creation of the two bands and is the process of freeing the soul from the prison called common life and start the true life. Lebensnacht and Agael are going two different ways. Lebensnacht sees only death as the final solution to free the soul, to be back close to mother nature and with that live truly. Agael on the other way is doing that with isolation and literally freeing itself from this world and life, to begin a new one. So this split album is about the final target to find true life but each band has its own path how to achieve it.
Track Listing:
1. Offenbarung
2. Vom Nichtsein
3. Remorphose
4. Die Letzte Geburt
5. Geboren
6. Im Käfig
7. Lebensnacht
8. Dem Ende Nah
Panic Records is streaming the new Burn Your Life Down EP “Don’t Try” in it’s entirety on their Bandcamp page. You can listen to the record in full here.
The EP is also available exclusively in digital format now through the Panic Records and Glory Kid Limited Bandcamp pages and webstores.
The physical format of Burn Your Life Down‘s EP “Don’t Try” is due out June 19th and preorders are being taken now for this very limited EP of 300 Vinyl Records, encased in a silkscreen package that comes with a silkscreened poster and digital download. To preorder, click here.
Burn Your Life Down‘s debut, “Don’t Try”, is none other than a prefect example of human dysfunction meets unorthodox musical scoring. Taking notes from head-cases like Kiss It Goodbye and Bloodlet, BYLD takes that school of thought and cultivates a hardened edge all on their own. Heavy grooves intertwine with bouncy riffs. All coupled with deranged vocal patterns that paint inkblots that ask you, “what does this look like to you?”
Band: Cyb3rnator
Album: Line of Fire EP
Release Date: 7th April 2012
Label: Unsigned/Self-Released
Genre: Dubstep
Cyb3rnatorwas originally thought up by gameboy fanaticTyla-Joeback in 2008. It wasn’t until 2011 that vocalist Katie joined, adding catchy melodic hooks to the 8-bit and gameboy dominated dubstep soundings ofCyb3rnator.Earlier this month,Cyb3rnatorreleased theirLine Of Fire EP via their BandCamp page. Before I carry on with this review, I’d like to state I know nothing about dubstep.
The EP starts off with Hello Roy Ritcher.The percussion sections of the track certainly do get the feet tapping away rhythmically, while the vocals have a slight Ayria sound to them. The gameboy sounds give the sound a bit of a funky Mario sound. The synth sounds have a very industrial feel to them, almost like a mash up of Zombiegirl and VNV Nation. The title track, Line Of Fire, follows next, beginning with a hypnotic piano medley before the first wave of danceable synth riffs march on the ear drums. The changes between synths and piano makes for an interesting combination, especially with the use of vocals and percussion.
The halfway point of the EP, Sunsets To No Regrets, starts with a well composed use of synths and 8-bit sounds, creating a very retro gaming atmosphere. The vocals sound stronger than the last two tracks, which is really saying something considering how powerful they are on the previous tracks. Sunsets To No Regrets would definitely have to be my favourite track. Nearing the end of the EP comes Lungs which begins with a semi-epic sound before the mesmerising 8-bit sounds come in topped with the catchy, melodic and staunch vocals. The final track, Burn, which features Robbie Burton, comes to choppy start but the track redeems itself later on when everything flows almost perfectly. Overall, the track feels like an 8-bit version of an industrial track. The vocals need some tweaking though as they feel like the most lacking part of the track, which is a shame considering how great they sound on the rest of the EP.
Considering the bad rep that dubstep, as a genre, has got and the way dubstep acts are dismissed as being “awful music” and “not real musicians”, I do believe that Cyb3rnator have got a bright future as a band. The EP is a near-masterpiece that fuses 8-bit with electro influences and very strong vocal work, and to be honest, I’m quite surprised I never discovered the band sooner. Hopefully, we’ll be hearing more from these guys soon.
4/5
Nico Davidson
Don’t forget, Cyb3rnator, are opening up Severed Heaven on 29th April at Shades Nightclub in Bridlington.
Panic Records is streaming the new Burn Your Life Down EP “Don’t Try” in it’s entirety on their Bandcamp page. You can listen to the record in full 
Valkyrian Music 