Taake - Stridens Hus - Review,info and tour dates

Taake - Stridens Hus Dark Essence Records Release : 8 December 2014 

 After the traditional 3 year wait the sixth album is complete,  as you might have noticed they released a 4 track EP named 'Kulde' recently,  which contained  the tracks Det Fins En Prins,Stridens Hus,Cold & Manndaudsvinter, the last one was something I never had expected and was my favorite way back. 

Nicely done and without loosing it's nerve.

Whilst enjoying 'Kulde' and overall satisfied with it, all of a sudden I find 'Stridens Hus' like a punch i the face, mainly because I thought I knew what to expect after listening to 'Kveld' which I assumed was a good pointer on what to expect, and I just want to point out that 'Kveld' & 'Stridens Hus' are two separate releases even though the ep contains two album tracks.

  

Behold, it's Taake we're talking about,  somehow Hoest always manage to put some new elements from his personal taste surprisingly well into their classical well-known musical warfare and the reason to why I'm still listening and respect the band, they dare to do what others don't.

There are few bands I know of who are, or has been capable of keeping the listeners attention like this for such a long period

Once again, Hoest plays all the instruments himself, but this time the Taake live band has contributed to the recording, alongside producer Bjørnar E. Nilsen.

 

 While most bands fade away or develops into something so progressive it's hard to even recognize the band, Taake marches straight forward pushing many boundaries while standing steady to what we know as Taake.

'Stridens Hus' reveals in itself an intense energy and a nerve that shines throughout the album.

Especially the vocals and guitars variate more then previous releases and do the unexpected expected.

Normally you would end up shaking your head and wonder what they're trying to achieve. 

In this case everything blends so natural in a twisted, yet brilliant way, and it's what makes Taake what it is . 

I can't imagine other bands doing what Hoest manage to do here. 

Few bands manage to pull of something like this without loosing their identity.

 

This is the reason why Taake remain strong and keep their position at the top of the league. Stridens Hus carries influences from thrash,punk,old unholy black metal, and even some eighties sounding riffs that could fit into a Swedish dance music band.

It's hard to explain these wonderful contrasts in words.

 It's a solid and unique album that can take the listener far away into the sound scape if you want, still an easy to like and outgoing album in many ways though.

 Fans of the more old school Taake have no reason to despair 'cause it's still what it is, these elements he combines just make it more entertaining,at times melodic and it's like he's slowly breathing life to a new genre, I know that is big words, but listen to this one closely a few times lean back and you will know what I'm talking about.

Few bands manage to stay so close to the roots while on the other hand being so innovative and creative at the same time. Hoest once again shows how it's done properly! 

Tracks

1. Gamle Norig
2. Orm
3. Det fins en Prins
4. Stank
5. En Sang til Sand om Ildebrann
6. Kongsgaard bestaar
7. Vinger

  Band website: http://taake.svartekunst.no/                                              Label website: www.darkessencerecords.no  Confirmed shows:
14.NOV2014: TAAKE - Black Flames of Blasphemy - Helsinki (FI)
05.DES2014: TAAKE - John Dee - Oslo (N)
23.JAN2015: TAAKE - Hulen - Bergen (N)
01.MAY2015: TAAKE - Karmøygeddon - Koppervik (NO)
25.JUL2015: TAAKE - Stonehenge Festival - Steenwijk (NL)
14.AUG2015: TAAKE - Rockstadt Extreme Fest - Rasnov (RO)

Kaotoxin Records Releases Posthumous INSAIN EP Enlightening the Unknown

French metal juggernaut Kaotoxin Records has given worldwide release to Enlightening the Unknown from the recently disbanded butchers INSAIN.    

This chaotic and explosive swansong is a fitting end to a band whose career was cut short,  but impact is difficult to deny. The EP is available as a digital download and on limited edition (1,000 copies only with no repress) DigiSleeve CD.   

Stream and purchase Enlightening the Unknown at listen.kaotoxin.com.

Order INSAIN merch and the band's full-length debut, Spiritual Rebirth at shop.kaotoxin.com. 

"Enlightening the Unknown is quite irresistible, a dangerously addictive venture which brings a sigh at the loss of a band once probably destined to be a giant of metal."
[10/10] - RingMaster Reviews

"This is an EP that will appeal to any metalhead that has an appetite for brutality and chaos. Insain, with this EP, seem to be saying that they would rather go out with a bang than any other way." - Axis of Metal

 

                                         www.facebook.com/insaindeath

 www.kaotoxin.com  

www.facebook.com/kaotoxinrecords

kaotoxinrecords.bandcamp.com

twitter.com/#!/kaotoxinrecords  

www.youtube.com/user/kaotoxin

ACHERON: Kult des Hasses Out Now; Album Preview, Interview Video Now Playing at Decibel Magazine

Underground Death Metal legends ACHERON are back with a vengeance in the form ofKult des Hasses. The band's newest long-player, and first since inking a deal in blood with Listenable Records, is by far their most relentless and devastating.  

New Noise Magazine's Eric May called the disc "absolutely essential," while Alice Roques of RockRevolt Magazine states "the album as a whole is a blood drenched sonic landscape full of decadent morsels of musical flesh." Decibel Magazine is getting in on the action as well with their exclusive album preview/video interview featuring ACHERON founder Vincent Crowley. Check it out at this location.    

Kult des Hasses is available on CD and vinyl formats at the link below:

http://shop.listenable.net/category.php?id_category=164   

On Kult des Hasses, ACHERON founder Vincent Crowley has been joined on this album by longtime drummer Kyle Severn and guitarist Art Taylor. Also appearing on the record as a guest lead guitarist is Ricktor Ravensbruck from the bands WOLFPACK 44, ELECTRIC HELLFIRE CLUB and WOLFEN SOCIETY. Kult des Hasses was recorded in Cleveland, Ohio at Bad Back Studios and mixed and mastered by Dan Swano of Unisound.  

Guest vocalists on Kult des Hasses include Kam Lee (Ex-MASSACRE, THE GROTESQUERY and BONE GNAWER), Jim Lippucci (SOULLESS), John McEntee (INCANTATION/FUNERUS), Jill McEntee (FUNERUS), Ash Thomas (ESTUARY/FAITHXTRACTOR) and Zdenka Prado (ESTUARY).

"Numerous songs are charged and possessed by twisted, vile riffs, chaotic yet sometimes melodic solos and that underlying atmosphere which, when seperated completely from the burgeoning instrumentation, could well be mistaken for the background noise of a Satanic ritual." [4/5] - SputnikMusic.com

"Whether Kult des Hasses is the band's strongest effort to date we will leave for others to decide, but for death metal with the bravery and skill to be so much more, this is one magnificent offering." [9/10] - RingMasterReviews

 

  

Vincent Crowley - bass, vocals

Kyle Severn - drums

Art Taylor - Guitar

 

 www.facebook.com/pages/Acheron/128581467223407
www.twitter.com/acheronband

   www.listenable.net 

www.listenable.netshop.listenable.net
www.facebook.com/listenablerecs

MONSTERWORKS: Universe Streaming in Full at Zero Tolerance

Universe, the latest offering of  brilliance from UK supermetal outfit MONSTERWORKS, is now streaming in its entirety at the online portal for Zero Tolerance Magazine. A full week ahead of its March 11 release date, the album that HeavyMetalICU.com praises for being "a cosmic roller coaster ride of emotion, musical styles and psychedelic mind blasting" is now making the internet a better place for music fans at ZTMag.com . Last month, MONSTERWORKS released a music video for the track "Voyager." Footage for the video is taken from various documentaries about the Voyager space mission and the "grand tour" of our solar system undertaken by its two spacecraft. Voyager 1 is the furthest from Earth of the two probes and has now entered interstellar space.  The video is now playing at this location.  13.7 billion years in the making, Eat Lead and Die Music is pleased to announce the impending release of MONSTERWORKS' Universe on March 11, 2014. The album will be available as a download and special-edition, numbered digipak 5.1 surround mix on DVD signed by the band, with lyric booklet.     Read the complete set of lyrics from Universe at the link below.  (PDF will open in new tab) http://public.supermetal.net/Monsterworks-Universe-Lyrics_140127.pdf     "Universe is a basket of musical treats including psychedelic candy, melodic rock cookies and delicious slices of space metal. The heart of death and thrash beats strongly behind the compositions, but every track brings forth something startling and captivating." - A Metal State of Mind Get in touch at ClawhammerPR@gmail.com regarding interviews, reviews and airplay.

www.supermetal.net  www.facebook.com/monsterworks

Arvas (Nor) Into The Realm Of The Occult

Release dates : 29.11.2013 USA & UK, 02.12.2013 EUROPE

Arvas has just released their second opus named 'Into The Realm Of The Occult'
If you heard their debut  Blessed From Below...Ad Sathanas Noctum' released 2009,
this is a big step forward in the right direction for the band.
V-REX: Guitars - Bass - Vocals

This time with some 'small' line-up changes , Bloodlust on guitars so that main man V-Rex could focus more on the vocals. Otherwise I think it's the same studio line-up at least on this album. If I'm not wrong V-Rex has decided to do all the instruments himself for the 3'rd full-lenght.


Their debut was good ,but somehow I felt like it was too polished and 'out of the book' when it came to playing also very predictable at times which ended up with fewer listens than the average album.

On the new one though,they have a much more solid sound and a more agressive approach which fits the band very well.
At first listen you might think that this is nothing special ,but I promise that if you give this album a chance and have a few more listens a whole new world (of darkness) will reveal itself slowly which for me is a good thing as I get more entertainement for the money.

Musically they have much more variation than on ther debut and even though it's harder and more agressive this time they have left room for some good melodies in between.
'Into The Realm Of The Occult' contains much more thrash elements than before and as said this fits the band perfectly.

The vocals are overall more agressive and the drummmer is drumming like never before
and all of these elements has results on the final impact of course.
In my opinion this is by far their best so far and if they continue this way we have surely have something to look forward to.

Highly recomended !

Blodhemn "I had the need to create something agressive"

I first noticed Blodhemn a while ago while listening to their EP "Brenn Alle Bruer" & found it to be pretty good,but maybe a bit monotous.

When they released "Holmengraa" in 2012 I was pretty amased how much better they sounded.

So I decided to take a chat with them to tell us abit about more about what going on in the Blodhemn camp these days.

When i listen to Holmegraa the first thing I notice is the brilliant production & much better songwriting,what happened?

-The great production is caused by two things, a bigger studio budget and gathered experience from the recording of Brenn alle Bruer.

When writing Holmengraa I had a clear focus on how I wanted the album to sound. I wanted it not to be as "straight forward" as Brenn alle Bruer but varied and with with elements not  often heard in black metal.

What does your lyrics deal with,do you have any agenda behind your lyrics/music?

The lyrics often evolve around hateful and violent themes. But there is also parts of history, nature and special sites around the world. I have agendas, but I'll keep them to my self.

When & how did Blodhemn start up?

I started Blodhemn in the summer of 2004. The reason for starting Blodhemn was that there were nobody with the same interest in this kind of music at the island where I lived at the time, so I found out that I might as well do everything my self.

What was the reason you ended up playing the music you do,was it planned or did it just turn out that way?

In the beginning I had a need to create something aggressive. From there it has been a natural growth out of my hands.

What's the worst/best  imaginable thing you could end up with as a band now?

The worst thing would be to not have a complete live line-up and be unable to play live.

The best thing would be to have the possibility to play live-shows around the world.

Do the members of Blodhemn play in any other bands?

Blodhemn's live-drummer Felix plays in Fjordfader and Gorefetish.
Skroemt and Hauk has no other active bands at this time, as far as I know.

Where do you see Blodhemn in 5 years?

I don't speculate about that, but what I can say is that I will keep doing the same as always and           wherever that brings Blodhemn, I don't know.                                                                             

Are there any gigs/tours planned?

 We are planning a releaseparty for Holmengraa at Garage, Bergen the 28th of July supported by Dauden and Cockroach Agenda.

Besides that, no official plans at this point.

How did you get into metal and what inspired you to start Blodhemn and was there any bands you were inspired by?

There was alot of bands that led me to the metal genre, but I guess that the most important album was  Metallica's `Master of Puppets`.

I started Blodhemn because I had no one to play my kind of music with with back in the days. I lived on a isolated island at the time and there was no people with the same interests as me. Therefore I found out that I might as well do it all myself.

How has the response been to your latest album?

The response has been great! People obvious like `Holmengraa`. People from all over the world reveiws, buys and listens to the album. I find all this positive response motivating.

I've read some people compare you to Taake,do you see that as positive or negative?

It doesn't bother me. As an artist you will always be compared with other bands or artists to generate pointers to what style one plays.
 

What's your thoughts on the metal scene today and if you were to recommend an album to someone new to metal ,what would that be?

I am not too updated on the metal scene in Bergen but I think that Cockroach Agenda and Arvas are both promising acts and i am looking forward to hear their upcoming releases.

Dissection – The Somberlain/Storm at the light's bane