CD

Russian blackgaze duo Olhava is back with their new studio album. Frozen Blooom is the natural follow-up to self-titled Olhava (2019) and Ladoga (2020), and integrates some dronescapes the band experimented on Never Leave Me Alone (2020), the drone version of their debut.

Multi-instrumentalist Andrey Novozhilov and drummer Timur Yusupov describe their new journey with words of thoughtful contemplation: “When winter is just starting to fade and give some space to the first steps of spring… When life starts to reappear and the very early flowers peek through the thawing soil, a sudden drop of the temperature can leave them petrified and frozen back again, punished by the “Queen of Fields”. This statuesque dead beauty, being infinitely alive and dead at the same time is the main metaphor of this album. Frozen Bloom is about unfulfilled dreams. About how we sacrifice everything today for some abstract “tomorrow”, which may never come. But tomorrow and yesterday don’t exist – only this very moment of static contemplation is real”.

Frozen Bloom is Olhava’s fourth opus in three years, and here the duo took some different routes compositionally. Two of the four tracks are traditionally storm-like blackgaze passages, while the other two are leaning towards a more meditative drone experience. The album also features A. Lunn, who kindly agreed to record an electric guitar solo as well as acoustic parts and choral parts on “Frozen Bloom I”.

Frozen Bloom was recorded at Olhava home studios, as well as at the local rehearsal space. Mikhail Kurochkin took care of mixing and mastering.

Re-release, no re-master, with original (optimized) layout.

Originally released in 2008, Lost Horizons of Wisdom is a hauntingly mystical black metal album, with just the right dose of ambiance mixed into the sonic journey. The album's evocative nature is matched by its flawless lo-fi production of ghostly guitars, ethereal synths, and classic 90`s aesthetics to create a truly atmospheric black metal record.

15 years anniversary edition.

Already in the early days „The Stars Are Dead Now“ was advanced with two additional tracks, followed by multiple re-issues showcasing the interest in this recording.CD in classic jewelcase with 4-page booklet on thick stock, decorative obi strip. Silver print on natural black card stock

Ov Shadows is a Black Metal band from Gothenberg, Sweden. Rising from the ashes of "Waning", a band that all four members previously played in, Ov Shadows introduced their sound with the 2016 self-released EP "Monologues" before releasing its first full-length album "The Darkness Between Stars" in 2018.

This summer, Ov Shadows returns with their second full-length and first release on Hypnotic Dirge Records. Entitled "I Djävulens Avbild" (In the Devil's Image), the new record presents Ov Shadows at an unprecedented ferocity and forward-momentum, and apparently very intent on proving that to their listeners immediately, as pummeling drums and a heavy galloping riff fill the speakers within seconds of the opening track "Den Eld Som Tär Och Förvrider."

Throughout "I Djävulens Avbild, the pace hardly ever lets up, instead taking you on an all-out sensory assault. The combination of infectious riffs, recurring hooks, blastbeats, and tortured vocals create an enveloping claustrophobic and dark dissonance, as if a shroud has covered your face and defined forms have turned to shadows. Despite its unrelenting nature, the details really shine through on "I Djävulens Avbild" thanks to its clear production, precise musicianship, and deliberate flow. 

Digipack 3 Panels limited to 500 Copies

Pure Fucking French Black Metal.

6 Tracks for 28 min.

Collectors Digipak edition with hot foil embossing and tight booklet.

KANKAR make their first grand statement with 'Dunkle Millennia', the duo's debut full-length. Immediately recognizable as KANKAR but bolstered on every level - songwriting, performance, production - Dunkle Millennia literally bristles with an electricity that's undeniable. For a band still (proudly) black metal, the KANKAR of now here evince an artistry that spans decades and even genres; one can detect trace elements of classic death metal, pagan metal, traditional metal, and even rock 'n' roll within the album's succinct-yet-expansive 45-minute runtime, and yet all of it's spliced and diced in a most fluid manner, and not once ever schizophrenic. In fact, the muscular-yet-finessed interplay between vocalist/guitarist/bassist Stríð and drummer Plágan suggests an almost symbiotic relationship, each ever-unfolding passage walking/surging down a thorny path but with the route known only to KANKAR. Even with these increasingly tricky detours, the 11 component songs of Dunkle Millennia never suffer from information overload or convoluted expressions of such: everything is always felt, darkly and dynamically. Credit that feel to the gleaming(ly powerful) production of Markus Stock (Helrunar, Bethlehem, Empyrium, Secrets of the Moon etc.) at his renown Klangschmiede Studio E.

Solbrud is known for performing at unique locations, with special care for lights and props, which now results in ‘Levende I Brønshøj Vandtårn’; a carefully curated live double album and video. Recorded inside Brønshøj Water Tower in Copenhagen at two totally sold-out nights. The tower is known for its brutalist architecture and unique acoustics – 15 seconds of natural reverb, which creates a fitting atmospheric backdrop for the monumental sound of the band. On top of that, the tower was freezing cold, amplifying the nature of the music.

The full concert consists of 8 tracks, including songs from all three previous Solbrud albums. Some have been rearranged, taking the special acoustics into account, while others blast through in their original form. In addition to their set, the new song ‘Sjæleskrig’ was added to their setlist, which resonates hauntingly in the great tower’s reverberance.

‘Levende I Brønshøj Vandtårn’ was recorded on November 23rd and 24th 2019 and mixed by Marcus Ferreira Larsen (Demon Head) at No Master's Voice. Mastered by Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Morbid Angel, Rainbow, etc.) at Sweet Silence Studios.

Time-travel to the glorious nineties Norwegian Black Metal era with the epic debut album "Drapsdalen" of VALDAUDR!

VALDAUDR roots on the Black Metal project Cobolt 60, which was initiated by guitarist Død (Blood Red Throne, ex-Satyricon) back in 2000. Though the music is a continuation of Cobolt 60, VALDAUDR is something different as new vocalist Vald (also known from his works with Blood Red Throne) has a totally different vocal style and even puts on some clean vocals here and there. It’s still old school and primitive Black Metal, but with some folk elements and epic themes. Think of Darkthrone meets early Ulver meets Primordial! On their debut album “Drapsdalen” Rune Nesse (Taake – live) handled the drums and also took care of the mix.

Digipak with 20-page booklet

t has been seven long years since the world was last blessed with new music from the melodic blackened death metal stalwarts of NIGHTFALL, but now the band is plotting a triumphant return with ‘At Night We Prey’, the darkest and latest chapter of NIGHTFALL’s already storied career.

‘At Night We Prey’ is a very dark and personal effort, tackling the topic of frontma, Efthimis Karadimas’s battle with depression. “A beast I have experienced its teeth deep into my soul, I decided to come out and share that experience with metalheads,” Karadimas laments. “This is the least I can offer now to the big fight against depression. If we don’t stop this, it will eat us all alive. Share your pain, speak openly about it. This is the only way to kill the demons in your mind.”