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UNRAVEL - Debut album via Testimony Records - Details and first song revealed
Testimony Records proudly presents "Eras Of Forfeit" - the debut full-length of their new signing UNRAVEL!
Crawling from the gutters of Perth, Western Australia in 2014, UNRAVEL exhume the brutally-primal sledge hammer of Old School Death Metal, and ravage it with the violent, political consciousness of Grindcore and Hardcore Punk to sonically smack the heck out of punters in their path.
"Eras Of Forfeit" will be released on 13th April 2018 on CD, limited Vinyl (100 x transparent red/black marbled, 200 x black - both versions including DIN A1 artwork poster) and in digital formats.
The album is garned with an amazing artwork by renowned artist Dan Seagrave and was tracked in the band’s hometown by Cam Murphy at Opaque Recording, mixed by Taylor Young at The Pit Recording Studios (Nails, Xibalba, Twitching Tongues etc) and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Obituary, Poison Idea, Gehenna, High On Fire etc).
A first track, "Fostering The Festering Spawn", and pre-order options are available at these locations: https://testimonyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/unravel-eras-of-forfeit + http://testimonyrecords.bigcartel.com
Tracklist:
1. Arbitraitor
2. No Validation For Violation
3. Reign Of Wasps
4. Carcinogenesis
5. Sycophant
6. Isle Of Rot
7. Perpetual Servitude
8. Scorched
9. Fostering The Festering Spawn
10. Mortals’ Thirst
11. Vermankind
http://www.facebook.com/unravelmetal / https://www.facebook.com/testimonyrecords
BLACK CYCLONE - Join Gates Of Hell Records
 Gothenburg, Sweden thrashers BLACK CYCLONE have inked a deal with Gates Of Hell Records for the physical release of their first full-length album, “Death Is King”. The album was released by the band in digital format in early 2018.
Originally formed in 2009, BLACK CYCLONE’s sound initially channeled black metal on their “Chaos Brigade” (2012) and “Under Your Hoof” (2013) demos, eventually morphing into all-out, vintage thrash, which is displayed across “Death Is King”, an album stocked with surges of speed, NWOBHM-styled guitar solos, twisting power metal and the animated, sky-scraping vocals of Linus Johansson, who also handles vocal duties in TRIAL.
“After we settled on thrash metal, it all felt right and we were ready to record BLACK CYCLONE’s first album,” comments bass guitarist Per Andreasson. “The changes in style were just a result of what we wanted to play in different periods of time.”
The songs on “Death Is King” are the result of many years of work, songs that were accordingly, re-written to suit BLACK CYCLONE’s ever-evolving sound. “Now that we have found our style, it’s time to begin this journey,” says Andreasson. “We just thought that ‘Death Is King’ had a nice ring to it and it’s easy to remember. The name comes from the opening track of the album, ‘Death Is Crowned As King’, which we thought would be a too long name for the album title. The lyrical themes differ from song to song, everything from Cthulhu and anti-religion to anarchy and anti-establishment.”
“Death Is King” will be released on April 27th on CD and vinyl.
https://www.facebook.com/blackcycloneband
THE OSIRIS CLUB - New single "The Hopeless Distance"
London's THE OSIRIS CLUB keeps on encompassing the worlds of progressive rock, metal and post-punk with their new single titled 'The Hopeless Distance'.
https://youtu.be/eVzeMQhL5_A
This particular track is inspired by Robert Aickman's short story 'Choice of Weapons' and it is finally available on all digital services!
Stream & Download: https://believemusic.lnk.to/TheHopelessDistance
The band comments on the single: "Drawing on ‘Robert Aickman’s’ short story; ‘Choice Of Weapons’…the songs highlights the perils of Lust, Obsession, Jealously and Fixation.The song focuses on the mind of Malcolm Fenville, a man destroyed by his obsession with Dorabelle, a mysterious woman he meets by chance. His intrigue unfolds into a fixation, only to be rewarded with Dorabelle's unrequited love…finding Fenville falling into a sickness that no modern medicine can cure."
The band's new album "The Wine-Dark Sea" will be released on 23rd February 2018 via Indie Recordings.
https://www.facebook.com/Osirisclub / https://shop.indierecordings.no
USURPRESS - New track "The Iron Gates Will Melt" unveiled
Prog-influenced Swedish death metallers USURPESS unveil a new song titled "The Iron Gates Will Melt". The track comes from the band's fourth studio album "Interregnum", set to be released on February 23rd in Europe and April 27th in North America on Agonia Records.
Listen to the song at: https://youtu.be/o3gpEJnymJU
This time, core members Stefan Pettersson (vocals, lyrics), Påhl Sundström (guitars, music) and Daniel Ekeroth (bass, music) are joined by jazz-fusion drummer Stefan Hildman and ambient/trance keyboardist Erik Sundström, and the outcome astounded even the band itself. "Interregnum" can be described as "an unholy mix between Camel and Bolt Thrower, that somehow works flawlessly", so be prepared for something quite out of the ordinary. And out of this world.
The album was recorded and mixed in the world-renowned studio Dugout Productions (Soilwork, Behemoth, In Flames, Dark Funeral, etc.) in the band’s hometown of Uppsala, Sweden.
Tracklist:
1. A Place in the Pantheon
2. Interregnum
3. In Books Without Pages
4. Late in the 11:th Hour
5. Ships of Black Glass
6. The Iron Gates Will Melt
7. The Vagrant Harlot
www.facebook.com/Usurpress / www.agoniarecords.com
DEMONICAL - New album announcement: "Chaos Manifesto"
 Swedish brutal, melodic, old-school death metal tyrants DEMONICAL, will emerge with a brand new, fifth studio album titled "Chaos Manifesto", on March 23rd in Europe and April 27th in North America via Agonia Records.
Listen to the first single "Towards Greater Gods" on YouTube, at this link: https://youtu.be/K6sNSADX_Fo
DEMONICAL arose from the ashes of formerly disbanded Centinex in 2006, and in comparison to its older sibling, executes death metal in a far more impetuous and melodic manner. "Chaos Manifesto" is a testament to that statement. After nearly five years since the release of the last full-length album "Darkness Unbound" (2013), the Swede's - now led by a new prominent death growler Alexander Högbom (October Tide, Centinex) - continue the traditional DEMONICAL path with fierce HM-2 driven death metal of utter brutality, yet return in a partially new, yet fully fit five-piece line-up.
From the violent album opener "A Void Most Obscure", via melodic mid-tempo anthems "Towards Greater Gods" and "Välkommen Undergång" (the band's first ever track is Swedish), all the way to the final song "Nightbringer", DEMONICAL once again prove that they're a force to be reckoned with in the extreme metal scene. The five-year gap between albums has not made the band become stale in ideas, either:
"Chaos Manifesto features some new elements and streaks the band hasn’t explored before" - comments bassist, Martin Schulman. "We have tapped an award-winning Swedish producer and we are confident that the album - which summons bits and pieces from all our previous releases - will become an improved quality-related chapter for Demonical, and push our Swedish Death Metal Darkness to a new level".
"Chaos Manifesto" was recorded in 2017 and both mixed and mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén (Terra Tenebrosa, Cult of Luna, Katatonia). The album artwork was designed by Karmazid (Urfaust, Wolfbrigade, Blaze of Perdition). Pehr Skjoldhammer of Alfahanne guest appears on vocals.
Tracklist:
1. A Void Most Obscure
2. Towards Greater Gods
3. Sung To Possess
4. Välkommen Undergång
5. Torture Parade
6. From Nothing
7. Unfold Thy Darkness
8. Death Unfaithful
9. Nightbringer (*Digipack CD exclusive)
www.demonical.net / www.agoniarecords.com
SACRAL RAGE prepares highly anticipated sophomore album
 Promising Greek speedsters SACRAL RAGE has started work on the follow-up to their 2015 “Illusions in Infinite Void” debut full-length for a 2018 release via Cruz Del Sur Music. The as-yet-titled album will be produced by SACRAL RAGE, with drum and guitar recordings taking place in Ignite Studios in Athens. The band will track vocals and bass in White Socks Studios and will have the album mixed and mastered by Stamos Koliousis at an undisclosed location in Norway.
Comments guitarist Marios: “The music retains the classic SACRAL mixture of tech madness/aggressiveness with the addition of more complex structures at times, along with a darker vibe and more layered sounds than the previous one. In terms of composition/arranging of the songs, the way we worked haven’t changed since our last work. The only difference was that we had to overcome and re-invent aspects of ourselves in order to present something different and fresh from our previous works.”
SACRAL RAGE’s sound — a blend of tech thrash in the vein of CORONER mixed with the sci-fi aura of VOIVOD and the melodic class of HELSTAR — has taken on a more aggressive form according to Marios, even finding the band going down even darker paths than before. “It’s like we expanded every aspect of ‘Illusions...’ with this one. The songs came out bigger than expected without losing the character and the sound of the band. Lyrically, we present stories of the near (or not) future and visions of a traveler that wanders through time.”
The positive reception to “Illusions…” helped spread the SACRAL RAGE name throughout Europe and included several key festival stops along the way. Aware of the expectations for their sophomore album, Marios feels like it’s time for SACRAL RAGE to assert their place in the heavy metal underground.
“With our second release, we aim to make the next step for the band and participate in bigger festivals, as we believe that our live performance is one of our strong points,” he closes. “We also hope that our music will be unleashed on much more people than before.”
https://www.facebook.com/SacralRage / www.cruzdelsurmusic.com
PULVER - 7-inch debut via Gates Of Hell Records
 German classic metal hybrid PULVER will release their self-titled debut 7-inch on April 20 via Gates Of Hell Records, a sub-label of Cruz Del Sur Music.
Recorded by Heiner Kunkel at Dreiklang Audio in the band’s hometown of Aschaffenburg, the 7-inch was mixed at Big Snuff Studio in Berlin by Richard Behrens. The recording took place roughly a year after PULVER‘s 2016 formation, showcasing a band adept at harnessing the rawness of NWOBHM with the melody and power of traditional and progressive metal.
“Our origin is pretty basic,” notes vocalist David Fröhlich. “There isn’t really a huge hard rock/heavy metal scene in a small city like ours, so everyone pretty much knew each other anyway. One day in late 2016, we decided to start jamming and pretty soon noticed that everything fits together quite well, so we continued until the point where we found the songs presentable enough to release a demo and here we are now!”
PULVER plans on following up the release of the 7-inch with the recording of their first proper full-length, along with other activities, according to Fröhlich. “We’re gonna play a lot of shows, meet new people on the road and have some fun!”
For fans of Motorhead, Fist, Iron Maiden and early NWOBHM. Awesome cover artwork by Karmazid!
“Pulver” 7-inch track listing:
A side:
Howl
B side:
Salvation
Twilight Magic
www.facebook.com/pulverheavymetal / http://www.gatesofhellrecords.com
FUNERAL LEECH - Demo Re-Release via Testimony Records
 Testimony Records proudly announces "The Funereality" - the debut demo tape of New York City Deathers FUNERAL LEECH!
Originally published in 2017 by the band itself, the demo will now be re-released on limited red tapes (20 copies worldwide) and clear tapes (80 copies worldwide).
The Testimony Records version comes with an exclusive bonustrack entitled “The Void” and will be out on 1st March 2018. You can already stream "The Funereality" in its entirety and pre-order through Bandcamp and the label's store.
https://testimonyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/funeral-leech-the-funereality-tape-incl-bonus-track / http://testimonyrecords.bigcartel.com
Tracklist:
1. Downpour
2. Left To Rot
3. Banished To Be
4. The Void (Bonustrack)
https://www.com/Funeralleech
SACRED LEATHER - New Single "Power Thrust" premiere at Invisible Oranges
Indianapolis Classic Metal renegades SACRED LEATHER are proud to announce the Invisible Oranges premiere of "Power Thrust," the first single from forthcoming Cruz Del Sur Music album "Ultimate Force", to be unleashed on 23rd February 2918 via Cruz Del Sur Music.
Stream the song and read an interview with vocalist Dee Wrathchild at this location:
www.invisibleoranges.com/dustin-dee-wrathchild-boltjes
While time travel is merely a figment of the imagination, SACRED LEATHER's brand of steely, raucous and pure metal straight out of 1983, is not. Brandishing leather and chains, rafter-reaching vocals and scorching solos, SACRED LEATHER represent heavy metal in its truest form on their first full-length album.
CD Pre-order: goo.gl/Yb6Efp / Vinyl LP Pre-order: goo.gl/xX8Bp4
https://www.facebook.com/leathersacredleather / http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com
GATEKEEPER joins Cruz Del Sur Music
 Cruz Del Sur Music is proud to announce the signing of Canadian epic metal force GATEKEEPER. The band’s first full-length, “East Of Sun”, will be released this April worldwide on compact disc (including 2 bonus songs), vinyl and digital.
Originally formed in 2009 as a solo project by guitarist Geoff Blackwell, GATEKEEPER has assembled an impressive array of EPs and splits, including an appearance on Metal Blade’s “Metal Massacre XIV” where they contributed the song “Bell Of Tarantia”. Their signing to Cruz Del Sur will mark a new, exciting era for the band.
Comments Blackwell: “Cruz Del Sur has been a bastion for great heavy metal for a long time and it's a pleasure to be included alongside a host of bands that have been influences on our music and bands that we consider our contemporaries. Above all, Enrico [Leccese] has been extremely fair and willing to work with us so that we can present the album the way we've envisioned.”
Recorded over the span of six months at Harbourside Studios in Vancouver, Canada, “East Of Sun” was produced by Mike Rogerson, whose previous credits include ANNIHILATOR, AGGRESSION, 88 MILE TRIP and LOVERBOY, with additional production assistance provided by Angelo Boose, who, according to Black “stayed up through many all-night recording sessions with us.”
The “East Of Sun” title is a shortened version of a book of Scandinavian folk tales that parallels the content on the record where each song stands on its own. The album’s cover art was created by Duncan Storr, who has previously worked with SKYCLAD, RAGE and Cruz Del Sur’s own DARK FOREST.
“East Of Sun” boasts a mixture of older, unreleased material written by Blackwell which are complemented by live staples that have recently been updated. “It's pure heavy metal with a sword and sorcery flourish,” says Blackwell. “We wear our influences on our sleeves, but we don't want to be a pale imitation of them. We try to capture the spirit of what we love without copying anyone’s' notes. This album has our fastest song and it's got our biggest, most epic slow-burner and many songs in between. It has melodic electric guitar playing coupled with fierce riffs, thunderous rhythms, mystical acoustic passages and, of course, a unique and varied performance from our singer, Jean-Pierre. And these things are just the start.”
GATEKEEPER’s immediate plans include assembling live dates near their Vancouver home base and on the west coast of Canada. Currently, they are scheduled to play the Northwest Metal Fest in Seattle this March alongside Q5, HEIR APPARENT, GLACIER, WILD DOGS, SKELATOR, SUBSTRATUM and RIOT CITY. Aside from that, Blackwell says GATEKEEPER has its sights set on even bigger territories, namely Europe:
“With Cruz Del Sur on our side, I think it's just a matter of time before we cross into European soil, so beware!”
Line up:
Jean-Pierre Abboud - Lead Vocals, Chorus
Geoff Blackwell - Rhythm/Lead Guitar, chorus
Kenny Kroecher - Lead/Rhythm Guitar
David Messier, Bass guitar, chorus
Tommy Tro - Battery
https://www.facebook.com/gatekeepervinland / http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com
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