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Back in stock - Extreme Metal and Dark music
The word “katechon” refers to the restraining force or entity tethering the Antichrist, and thus maintaining equipoise between existence and annihilation. Sonically and conceptually, Katechon exhibits the control, power, and restraint associated with the theological concept giving rise to the band’s name. At this point in the lineage of extreme metal, the lines between the various subgenres are nearly indistinguishably blurred. Bands emerging at this stage are almost certainly influenced by Black, Death, and Thrash metal in relatively equal parts in addition to drawing influence from genres outside the traditional spectrum of metal. This amorphous state, has led many bands to retreat into strict rehashing of formulaic retro approaches. Katechon, however, embraces the entropic merging of stylistic and aesthetic projections from the various branches of the genre and beyond. Under scrutiny since the release of its demo last year, Norway’s Katechon now presents its debut full-length recording. “Man, God, Giant” reinforces the sound presented on Katechon’s previous recordings*, but features superb production that amplifies the impact of the tracks. Each of the three songs featured on the demo is reworked and incorporated into the album. Katechon’s sound is an amalgamation of Black, Death, and Thrash metal, but played with a precision and authenticity that avoids dilution. Instead the result is frenetic and possessed, devoid of theatrics and self-indulgent virtuosity, and features highly proficient and intricate songwriting executed with precision. With philosophically oriented lyrics and adorned with an esoteric and surreal visual aesthetic, “Man, God, Giant” presents a unique vision for the future direction of metal in which an equilibrium must be maintained between rote rehashing of past trends and the indiscriminate collision of clashing styles and sounds. Katechon rests perfectly at this equilibrium point, holding at bay the forces of dissolution.
Individual songs tend to abruptly alternate between blisteringly-fast and hypnotically-languid tempos. In combination with the unsettling effect of these contrasting tempo shifts, the riffs further disorient the listener with their unyielding and cyclical progressions among atonal, tremolo-picked chords and dissonantly arpeggiated sequences of notes.
NEW and unaplyed but comes with a small "hit" on one cover's corner occured during shipment
the damage is truely unrelevant...
Golden Vinyls.
To understand the defining traits of Greek Black Metal, one need only to listen to “The Tressrising of Nyarthotep” by the mighty Varathron. This track, first appearing on the “genesis of Apocryphal Desire” demo, possesses all of the victorious grandeur and tragic melancholia that are the essence of the early 1990’s Greek Black Metal sound. Along with contemporary releases by Rotting Christ and Necromantia, Varathron’s demo material firmly established a style that is thoroughly Grecian in character. Thick with a damp and heavy Hellenistic darkness, Varathron explored a sound that was infused with the epic and the ancient. As with so much of the most evocative and potent Black Metal, the ancient currents are revealed through the expression of the modern. Varathron’s music is as mystical as it is visceral. The recordings on this compilation comprise the earliest seeds of what would become one of the greatest bands in the history of the genre. This collection contains all of Varathron’s work leading the band toward the creation of their monumental debut LP, “His Majesty at the Swamp.” The two demos, “Procreation of the Unaltered Evil” and “Genesis of Apocryphal Desire” reveal the steps that Varathron took that would later come to fruition on their first album. This collection also contains the more refined tracks that were utilized on their first vinyl releases – the “One Step Beyond Dreams“ EP and “The Everlasting Sins” tracks from the split LP with Necromantia – and three additional bonus tracks recorded during the early years. As with the forthcoming Rotting Christ demo collection that NWN! will soon release, the songs on this compilation of Varathron’s early recordings reveal the painstaking emergence of a band’s identity. Absorbed in the context of early works by Varathron’s Greek contemporaries, one also witnesses the development of a sound uniquely specific to a geographic region, so specific, in fact, that it is impossible to imagine such a multidimensional approach to Black Metal originating anywhere else. Both the Regular and Die Hard editions of this release will feature gatefold jackets with artwork by Manuel Tinnemans and layout by Tilmann Benninghaus as well as a 48 page zine booklet. The Die Hard edition will also come with a separate LP (with jacket) featuring the “Live at the Swamp” demo material. Originally released on tape in 2004, “Live at the Swamp” features a live recording and rehearsal recording from 1991. These recordings have been remastered and cleaned up by James Plotkin and the sound quality on this LP, although still quite raw, is markedly better than the original tape version.
clear yellow vinyl – 100 made
Fan Club Release. "Legion" tour.
Live City Square, MILANO December 9th, 1992.
Verify this album has been brough to you by those who are hiding in the dark.
Vinyl mastering executed in the shadow of the Great Pentagram. Special thanks to Gnozzy, Arja and the three Stooges.
Made in Singapore
E-L-R's sophomore full-length "Vexier" oscillates elegantly between velvet darkness and flaring bursts of high energy. The style of the Swiss has been dubbed 'doomgaze' and 'post-metal' and both terms apply loosely to the trio's meandering, down-tempo doom-epics. E-L-R's hypnotic phrases that are constantly varied and warped in repeating loops are reminiscent of shamanic rituals imbued with psychedelic colours. The trio weaves a subtle tapestry with diligence and persistence that depicts a labyrinth full of intricate details and hidden treasures.
If you want your old school metal to be something more than just blastbeat after blastbeat and vocals something more than muddy growling, TRAMALIZER is the right poison.
Limited to 513 hand-numbered copies
Norwegian dark ambient dungeon synth, from Havard Ellefsen.
Cold dark ambient music, originally created and recorded in 1997, witnessing new Mortiis direction, later presented on album “The Smell Of Rain”.
Recommended if you like Vond, Wongraven, Burzum, Cintecele Diavolui, Fata Morgana, N.A.O.S.
