Archive for Cult of Luna

Cult Of Luna & Julie Christmas – Mariner

Posted in Review with tags , , , , on 4th April 2016 by Paul Macmillan

Cult Of Luna & Julie Christmas
Mariner
Released 08th April 2016
Post metal
Released via Indie Recordings

photo Mariner frontcover-2.jpg

Well, ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is most certainly another Cult Of Luna album; the lonely soundscape of life crying out in the aftermath of some inconceivable apocalypse. Musically, they have never strayed far from their original sound, bleak and haunting in the most wonderful way. The addition of Julie Christmas on Mariner, however, makes this a stand-out release from their catalogue, and may well give rise to debate among long term fans.

On the one hand, it is strange and possibly uncomfortable for those less open-minded to hear the, dare I say, modern pop element that has been brought into play. Given the absolute roasting that Myrkur received in the not too distant past, it seems like there may be potential for some to start warming up their online flamethrowers on first contact. On the other hand, maybe that edge is now broken in metal, and the introduction of this alien instrument could be mostly welcomed for what it is; an extra floor in the crumbling tower of hopelessness that is COL.

I suppose there is a third set of characteristics at play here, though. Unlike Myrkur, COL are not black metal, part of the family tree which frequently displays cracks of intolerance and elitism. Nor is Christmas unfamiliar with the heavier end of the music pool. Whereas Amalie Bruun comes from what could be called a 90s pop-rock background, Christmas is more akin to someone rejected from Babes In Toyland for being ‘a bit too mental’.

It may feel like too much time has been spent here on discussing this one feature, but it really does make a significant difference to the COL sound, and I believe it’s a positive one. The end result is beautifully heavy music, which surpasses the band’s previous efforts in some ways, and true fans will no doubt grow to embrace it, even if they are initially unsure. Absolutely Cult Of Luna. Absolutely something new.

4/5

Paul Macmillan

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Five reasons why you must go to Damnation 2013!

Posted in Editorial/Opinionated with tags , , , , , , , , , , on 3rd October 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

It’s under a month now until 2013’s edition of the UK’s darkest festival Damnation tears Leeds a new one, so Valkyrian Music editor and general Yorkshire patriot Nico Davidson has listed five reasons why you must attend Damnation 2013.

5. Yorkshire!

As you already know, Damnation is hosted in Leeds, West Yorkshire which is another reason that Yorkshire is the best county in all of the UK and of course, Yorkshire has contributed a bit to the history of metal, which pioneering bands such as My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost hailing from Yorkshire, as well as NWOBHM Saxon. Throw in Damnation into the mix and Yorkshire is definitely one of the most metal places in the UK.

If you’re unsure why Yorkshire is great or metal as fuck, then you’re probably a Lancastrian.

4. Value For Money

Given the epic line-up that is gracing this year’s Damnation, which festival director Gavin McInally described as “the best line-up so far”, the event offers a damn lot more for your money than a lot of UK events – Especially at £34 a ticket!

3. The Fourth Stage

So, unless you’ve been living in a hole or under a rock in the middle of Lancashire, you’ll be aware that this year, Damnation has added a fourth stage, which will be a blasphemous temple dedicated to doom and sludge, which means more kick ass bands to go see. Or less bands if doom and sludge aren’t your cup of tea, but they’re mostly likely are.

2. Probably The Heaviest Festival In The UK

Yeah, I said it. Damnation is probably the heaviest festival in the UK, as well as being the darkest. Anyone who’s ever been to Damnation before knows exactly what to expect but if a Damnation virgin and love your music heavy and dark, then this year’s edition is not one to miss! Plus, with it being held in Yorkshire, what more could you ask for… Aside from…

1. Carcass!

So, Carcass recently released their new album, Surgical Steel via Nuclear Blast. So, that means there’ll be a lot of new material as classic tunes that they’ll be blasting out as they lay unholy waste to the Jagermeister stage this year. Of course, if Carcass aren’t your thing then there’s other bands you can get hyped up about, but we’ll discuss that in another article.

Damnation Festival will take place on 2nd November at Leeds University Union. Tickets are priced at the low price of £34 and are available at this location.

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Final bands announced for Damnation 2013

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 25th September 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Doom and sludge lords Conan, Black Magician and Iron Witch are just three of the final lot of bands announced for this year’s Damnation Festival and are cast of the newly added fourth stage. The Liverpudlian trio cement the newly added doom worshiping stage with the likes of Moss, Mourning Beloveth, Slabdragger and Palehorse in the bunker-like venue which is aptly named Mine.

Death metallers Dyscarnate and Diamanthian complete the extreme orientated Terrorizer stage, with Rotting Christ, Voices, Vallenfyre, Negura Bunget and The Afternoon Gentlemen. These lot will no doubt test the integrity and structure of the Riley Smith Hall where as Polish post-rockers Tides From Nebula add the finishing touches to the eclectic Eyesore Merch stage which will also be graced by the legendary Cult Of Luna, as well as Crippled Black Phoenix, The Ocean, Rosetta, Year of No Light and finally Dirge.

Of course, Damnation wouldn’t be complete without its premier Jagermeister Stage that boasts as its headliners Carcass, with the likes of Katatonia, Twilight Of The Gods, God Seed, Shining and SSS. Festival director Gavin McInally said:

Not only is this by far the best line-up we’ve ever put on, but it is also the most pleasing as we’ve been able to add a fourth stage with the support of fans who’ve bought so many tickets so early in the year while reducing the number of our much-hated clashes too.

If doom, sludge and post-metal is your thing, you’ll be able to watch every band from Iron Witch to Cult of Luna without wandering more than 20 yards while fans more interested in the Terrorizer and Jager stages will be able to catch the likes of Shining, Negura Bunget, God Seed, Vallenfyre, Katatonia, Rotting Christ and Carcass in one relentless day of music.

At just £34 a ticket, we believe this line-up deserves a ‘Sold Out’ plaster across it and with five weeks of sales to go, that’s our target, so please keep up the support.

Damnation will take place on 2nd November at Leeds University Union. Tickets are available for £34 from LeedsTickets, the official Damnation website or the official Damnation Festival Facebook page.

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Her Dying Regret stream Legacy in full at Two Guys Metal Reviews

Posted in News with tags , , , , on 12th September 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

With less than a week until the release of Legacy, Her Dying Regret have teamed up with the guys at Two Guys Metal Reviews to stream the EP in its entirety.

The EP can be streamed at this location.

Legacy Track Listing:
01 Intro
02 Ashes
03 All Judge, No Jury
04 The Shallow
05 Legacy
06 The Last Lie
07 The Filthy Truth

Her Dying Regret online:

http://facebook.comherdyingregret

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Katatonia – Dethroned And Uncrowned

Posted in Review with tags , , , , , on 9th August 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Katatonia
Dethroned And Uncrowned
Released 9th September
Ambient/Atmospheric
Released via Peaceville Records

Kings of the Swedish metal scene, Katatonia have been regarded by many as the forerunners of doom with last year seeing the release of the band’s ninth studio album Dead End Kings, which was praised throughout the metal community. A year on and Katatonia are ready to release a new and redefined version of their ninth album: Dethroned And Uncrowned.

The dreary vocal lines and misery-soaked pianos begin The Parting which is made by entrancing by the rainfall of acoustic guitars, gently easing their way through the song. The subtle orchestrated passages add to the strength of the emotion that flows throughout the track. The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here features a hypnotic vocal melody that glides with a certain mystique and elegance alongside the haunting pianos and tides of acoustic guitars. The piano sections in Hypnone are truly spine-chilling,  whereas as the guitars add an element of warmth to the song which is countered by the could vocals.

The Racing Heart is a slow, emotive song displaying the staunch use of vocals clearly, mixing them almost breathtakingly with the orchestrated sections and guitars. Buildings and Leech sail down similar routes, over subtle waves of misery and other emotion. The vocals on Ambitions sound colourless compared to the other tracks but this adds to the forlorn sound of the guitars and piano. The destitute soundings of Undo You show a change in the album whilst staying in the same vein of the album as well, something that is carried on by Lethean.

First Prayer sound eerily upbeat when played against the rest of the album but there is still that twang of despair that screams through the guitars and the album comes to its dreary finish with Dead Letters, which like the preceding track, is more upbeat in comparison to the other songs. The vocals prove to be at their most prominent on this final track, injecting new life into the album.

Dethroned And Uncrowned creates an atmospheric yet dark tranquillity, allowing for ambiance to create and set new moods and stir new emotions. It’s an interesting change in direction for Katatonia but one that have no difficulty with following and no that has breathed new life into their sound.

4/5

Nico Davidson

Katatonia online:

http://www.katatonia.com
http://www.facebook.com/katatonia

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Cult of Luna, SSS and Voices added to Damnation 2013, The Sontaran Experiment no longer playing Damnation

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 29th May 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Sweden’s masters of post-metal Cult of Luna have promised what they can only describe as a crushing wall of sound and light after being confirmed to headline a stage at Damnation Festival 2013.

They will be joined at the ninth instalment of the UK’s finest day of metal, hosted at Leeds University Union, on Saturday, November 2nd, by Liverpool’s crossover thrashers SSS and London’s black metal quartet Voices.

The trio bolster an eclectic bill which already includes the legendary Carcass, Crippled Black Phoenix and Moss as well as exclusive UK shows by Negura Bunget and Vallenfyre. Cult of Luna said:

Cult of Luna return to the UK after a sell out show at London’s Garage in January. The band will fly in for a standalone performance as they continue promoting the Fritz Lang Metropolis inspired Vertikal, their first album in over 5 years. Expect a heavy, crushing and richly textured wall of sound and light to bring Damnation to a close in spectacular fashion.

SSS front man Foxy is looking forward to taking the Jagermeister Stage for a full thrash assault. He said:

It’s a great honour to be asked back to Damnation Festival. We have a block of new noise to from our forthcoming LP to let loose on the unsuspecting. Take a deep breath… once we start we don’t stop!

And Sam Loynes of Voices added:

We shall be bringing our exhibition of obsession to this year’s Damnation Festival, alongside some truly exceptional bands. We plan to deliver only the most vividly extreme of music for this opportunity we have been offered. It’s an honour to play the UK’s leading extreme music festival.

After announcing their spilt, The Sontaran Experiment will no longer play the festival.

Tickets for Damnation Festival 2013 are on sale now, priced £34, available from: Leeds Tickets , the official Damnation Festival website at this location or the official Damnation Facebook page.

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The Moth Gatherer stream new album, A Bright Celestial Light

Posted in Featured, News with tags , , , , , , on 11th April 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

The unconventionally – and emotionally – sounding metal duo The Moth Gatherer have made their entire new album available for streaming prior to release date. The debut full-length entitled A Bright Celestial Light will hit the shops on CD and vinyl on April 16th worldwide via Agonia Records. It can now be listened to in full at this location or down below.

The Moth Gatherer is recommended for fans of music in the vein of Neurosis, Pelican, Breach or Cult of Luna. “We just want our music to be an emotional explosion,” comments Alex, the band’s co-founder. “A lot of the songs is about death, missing people you loved who have passed away and losing hope in mankind. We want the music to make you feel like you can move mountains with it. I wish for that when people hear our recording, they start to dream away.”

Tracklist:
1. The Water That We All Come To Need
2. Intervention
3. A Road of Gravel and Skulls
4. The Womb, The Woe, The Woman
5. A Falling Deity
The band is: Alex Stjernfeldt and Victor Wegeborn, who both handle guitars, bass, electronics, vocals and drums.

Retail pre-orders for A Bright Celestial Light are being taken now at this location.

More on the band at the following links:

http://www.facebook.com/TheMothGatherer
http://www.themothgatherer.com/

 

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Cult Of Luna return to the UK in 2013

Posted in News with tags on 5th October 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Cult of Luna will return to tour in 2013, showcasing their first studio album in five years, entitled Vertikal.

The album is due to be released at the beginning of the year, and is thematically influenced by the film Metropolis, described as “a hypnotic backdrop of machinery and repetition”.

The band commented "We realise fans have been waiting for what seems like an age for us to return to the live arena properly, but we were not keen on playing shows before we had the new material ready. There have been changes, and we wanted to come back on our own terms with something completely new. It is very important for us to transpose the idea of a new album into the live setting, to not tread water, and to include the fans in what we’ve been working on; you will be hearing this very soon."

Tickets for the Damnation organised Glasgow show will be on sale this Monday (October 8th) here.

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