Shop

Bone White vinyl version limited to 100 copies.

Includes 12-page A5 booklet and A2-size poster.

Remastered 10th Anniversary re-release of SYLVAINE's debut album.

Limited Digipak CD with album download

Returning from time apart to a world forever changed, dread-fuelled duo A SWARM OF THE SUN bring with them their fourth studio album, ‘An Empire’; its brooding, yet beautiful, melancholic narrative arc allows the band to dig ever deeper into desolation whilst a newfound lyrical focus adds a tenderness that is both harrowing and heartwarming at once.

With the early bones of forthcoming ‘An Empire’ tabled by events beyond their control in 2019, Erik and Jakob came together years later and scrapped them in favour of creating something entirely new; something distinctly different to break the cycle, defy categorisation and reflect the uncomfortable uncertainties of the times we now live in. The result is astounding; continuing the thread of narrative composition seen on ‘The Woods’, ‘An Empire’ is a six-track tale told in four distinct movements that are nothing short of devastating, from plaintive piano ballads to raw, full-band fury.

Limited to 200 numbered copies.

Sepulchral Voice, 2 panel digipack, poster booklet

‘Burning in Celestial Poison‘ is not only a statement and lesson in audio-violence, it is a 44 minutes long manifest of radical DEATH Metal causing mental lacerations and chaos! A record supposed to shock, because of its ecstatic ruthlessness and massive fanatical malevolence, hovering deep below the compositions. It opens the doors to a world that is so unbelievable vast, that you risk to lose yourself in it, its depths defy exegesis. 4 curses are woven into 4 hymns of utter death-magic, which will lead you into the black abyss of the grand divine. The album was again produced by master Arthur Rizk, who cuts through all expectations with extraordinarily dense and destructive fidelity and production. ‘Burning in Celestial Poison’ sounds like created with the magick, formulas, codes and keys of a world beyond.

Formed in New York circa 1988, Winter played slow, deep and hard nuclear doom with a crust punk rawness, that came across like Hellhammer jamming with Amebix. Their penchant for mammoth sized and funeral-paced, wasteland droning has become a touchstone reference for bands across the whole spectrum of underground metal.

Their pre-internet infamy led to Winter demos being tape- traded in hallowed adoration by fans and bands alike, gaining notable fans such as Fenriz from Darkthrone. Deserving of their special place in the pantheon of one-off classic albums, the Swans-like noise and down-tuned Earth-like riffs of "Into Darkness" went on to spawn countless doom and sludge bands, being an influence for an entire doomed generation.

The Winter come-back show at Roadburn Festival in 2011 was massively anticipated and held a captivated audience. Packing out one of The Netherlands largest stages, that particular Winter show, after many years in obscurity is a rare event that is still highly regarded today. The band is a rare jewel amongst collectors, and audiences alike.

"Into Darkness" was a gateway drug to the dark depths of sludge metal, and now awaits a whole new throng of acolytes who bow down before the throne of heavy doom. Svart Records is proud to re-release it once more, putting the album back in print for a new generation of listeners. Eternal Winter awaits!

With just four compilation tracks and one 7" EP issued in the early 1980s, Hollow Ground did have a rather low profile at the time of the original New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. However, their first and only single »Flying High« (issued on the collectable Guardian Records label) became an instant collector's item. Today copies with the scarce picture sleeve fetch rather insane prices. Before the release of the single Hollow Ground had recorded the four songs 'Rock On', 'Fight With The Devil', 'Flying High' and 'The Holy One' for the Guardian compilation album entitled »Roksnax«. Hollow Ground carried on to record more material (such as 'Promised Land', 'Easy Action', 'Rock To Love' and 'Loser') but an album deal was not on the cards. As a result singer Glenn Coates left to join local rivals Fist. As a result, Hollow Ground split up in mid-1981. With 21 songs the Hollow Ground anthology album on High Roller Records contains virtually everything the band has ever recorded professionally. In comparism to some of the more conservative-sounding New Wave Of British Heavy Metal acts at the time (for example Fist), Hollow Ground did show a lot of promise. Guitarist Martin Metcalf knows why: “I think we had a wider range of influences as opposed to just heavy bands, we took things from all over the rock spectrum. We were like sponges soaking everything up, from the funk of Aerosmith, the hard-rock of Montrose to the proginess of Rush.” The song 'Fight With The Devil' was chosen by Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich for his »N.W.O.B.H.M. '79 Revisited« compilation released in 1990. Hollow Ground have recently played two re-union gigs: 2007 at Headbangers Open Air in Northern Germany and in late February 2014 at Newcastle's own Brofest.

Comes in gatefold vinyl sized sleeve.
Included free 8 page full colour collectors booklet.