DARKTHRONE: ‘A Blaze In The Northern Sky’ 20th-Anniversary Edition Coming In November
Reposted from Blabbermouth.net
DARKTHRONE began in the late ’80s as a thrash/death metal act and progressed through technical death/doom metal experimentation to become legends of the black metal world and one of the original leading bands of the Norwegian scene, as well as inspiring a whole generation of metal bands.
“A Blaze In The Northern Sky”, DARKTHRONE’s second album, was originally released in 1992 and was without question the blueprint release for the black metal scene, spearheading the evolution of the early second wave movement in Norway and beyond. It was hailed on release as an album of true scene-shifting greatness, following their more death metal-centered debut, “Soulside Journey”.
The album saw a whole new blacker than black DARKTHRONE, new names, new cold and stripped down sound and highly visual black and white artwork. Fenriz claimed at the time, “This is the new DARKTHRONE. The old DARKTHRONE is dead.” So great was the hunger and need for DARKTHRONE that it meant absolutely nothing to critics and fans alike that the band hardly ventured out to play live. On the contrary, this only added to the mystique of the band, and saw them, in the eyes of the fans as very much “keeping it real” with their completely uncompromising approach.
Due on November 5 via Peaceville, this special edition of “A Blaze In The Northern Sky” marks 20 years since the album’s original release, and contains an additional CD featuring Fenriz talking about his memories and recollections of the album’s construction as the music plays in the background. This edition is also presented in digibook format with extra liner notes from Fenriz and Nocturno Culto, plus rare and previously unseen images. Also contains video interview with Nocturno and Fenriz from 2003.
Disc 1
01. Kathaarian Life Code
02. In The Shadow Of The Horns
03. Paragon Belial
04. Where The Cold Winds Blow
05. A Blaze In The Northern Sky
06. The Pagan Winter
* Video interview with Nocturno and Fenriz
Disc 2
* Same as above tracks, but with commentary from Fenriz
For more information, go to this location.
DRACONIAN Announces New Singer
Reposted from Blabbermouth.net
Swedish doom metal band DRACONIAN has issued the following update:
“It has been nearly a year since last we braced the stages and said our goodbyes to [singer] Lisa [Johansson]. We had no intent of collecting dust and taking up old man’s hobbies, so we set out to find a new female singer. For a band such as DRACONIAN, this is no easy task and quite possibly the reason it has taken what seems to be ages. We thank our friends and fans greatly for their patience and a great thanks to everyone who took the time to apply for the position. We rifled through more than a hundred applications from countries far and wide and ended up finding a suitable singer in the most unexpected country of them all.
“The Horde is pleased to announce our newest member, Heike Langhans — all the way from South Africa. She has since relocated to Sweden in order to join the band and has fit it superbly. She’s a true doomster at heart and brings an even greater emotional flair to our sound. Our journey thus continues and writing for the new album has already begun.
“As fall approaches, we ready ourselves for some serious rehearsal, recording and tour planning. We look forward to seeing you all out there again!”
Added Langhans: “I will start off by saying that Lisa will be dearly missed. Replacing a voice such as hers is a concept foreign to most fans, myself included. I’ve listened to DRACONIAN for many years and share the same sentiments as you do. She will never be forgotten and we wish her well for the future.
“That being said, this is a new era for DRACONIAN and one to look forward to.
“My joining has not been an easy process. Dealing with embassies, migration boards and countless authority figures has delayed the joining process slightly, but we do what we can and remain patient. All in the name of doom.
“The last few months have been busy indeed. Traveling back and forth, rehearsing and getting to know my new surroundings has been exciting and hard work. I used to believe it can’t be done, but I’ve proved to myself and others that everything we are passionate about in life is worth fighting for.
“As a new member, I have prepared myself for the positive as well as the negative, but would like to thank all the kindness I’ve received so far from fans upon the release of DRACONIAN’s LAKE OF TEARS tribute song, ‘Demon You/Lilly Anne’. Though my part in it was not big, it’s a little taste of things to come. I’m immensely excited to share a stage with these like-minded individuals and to touch the hearts of people all over the world with our musical poetry.”
DRACONIAN’s latest album, “A Rose For The Apocalypse”, was released in June 2011 via Napalm Records. The cover artwork was created by Seth Siron Anton (PARADISE LOST, KAMELOT, ROTTING CHRIST, MOONSPELL).
DESTRUCTION: Second ‘Spiritual Genocide’ Trailer Released
Reposted from Blabbermouth.net
The second trailer for “Spiritual Genocide”, the 30th-anniversary album from German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION, can be seen below. Due on November 23 via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was recorded at Gernhart Studios in Troisdorf, Germany with engineer Martin Buchwalter and was mixed by Andy Classen. The album features guest appearances by Thomas “Angelripper” Such (SODOM), Andreas “Gerre” Geremia (TANKARD) and Ol Drake (EVILE). In addition, the “Mad Butcher”/”Release From Agony” lineup of DESTRUCTION — featuring guitarist Harry Wilkens and drummer Oliver Kaiser — reunited for one song.
“Spiritual Genocide” track listing:
01. Exordium
02. Cyanide
03. Spiritual Genocide
04. Renegades
05. City Of Doom
06. No Signs Of Repentance
07. To Dust You Will Decay
08. Legacy Of The Past (feat. Andreas “Gerre” Geremia, Thomas “Angelripper” Such)
09. Carnivore
10. Riot Squad
11. Under Violent Sledge
Limited-Edition Digipack Bonus Tracks:
12. Princess Of The Night
13. Carnivore (feat. Harry Wilkens, Oliver Kaiser)
DOWN: ‘Witchtripper’ Video Released
Reposted from Blabbermouth.net
DOWN’s video for the song “Witchtripper” can be seen below. The clip was filmed at the end of August.
“Witchtripper” comes off DOWN’s new EP, “Down IV Part I – The Purple EP”, which sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.
“Down IV Part I – The Purple EP”, DOWN’s first in a series of four EPs to be released over the next few years (with a year between EPs), each touching on a different aspect of the band’s sound, came out on September 18. It will be followed by the second collection of songs early next year, around the time of a planned U.S. tour. EPs three and four are scheduled for later in 2013.
“Down IV Part I – The Purple EP” heralds the sound of DOWN going back to its roots, with influences from BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS and WITCHFINDER GENERAL.
The track listing for the effort is as follows:
01. Levitation
02. Witchtripper
03. Open Coffins
04. The Curse Is A Lie
05. This Work Is Timeless
06. Misfortune Teller
For more news and updates, head down to http://heavymetaltribune.tumblr.com/