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"The viking metal skald, Burden of Ymir, has returned with a renewed sense of ferocity and a tale of myth, magick, and struggle on the epic sixth full-length album, The Long Winter."

Nightmares have never sounded so beautiful! Swedish grandeurs of melancholic heaviness, KATATONIA, return with Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State, set for release on June 6, 2025 via Napalm Records. Once again, the Stockholm-based unit masterfully navigates the tightrope act between nocturnal darkness and Scandinavian despair while subtly weaving a sense of hope into the listener’s heart. Since emerging in the early nineties, KATATONIA has projected a beacon of light for the forgotten and the lonely ones, offering solace to those willing to lose themselves in the band’s immersive soundscapes. From their roots in death-doom metal to the post-metal entity they embody today, their art remains as haunting as ever. Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State marks the next step in KATATONIA’s evolution, building upon the foundation of their previous album, Sky Void of Stars (2023). Crystal-clear production highlights the interplay between silence and intensity, while the contrast of heavy riffs, delicate guitar harmonies, ethereal synthesizers, and atmospheric nuances create captivating tension. Tracks like ""Thrice"" and ""Warden"" pulse with dynamic energy, while ""Lilac"" sees Jonas Renkse’s unmistakable vocals intertwining with hypnotic rhythms and progressive elements. A near-ceremonial piece, ""Wind of No Change"", merges subtle electronic textures with KATATONIA’s enigmatic soundscapes, while ""Temporal"" balances fragility and strength - its intense verses culminating in a soaring, emotionally charged chorus. The breathtaking ""Efter Solen"" (Engl. After the Sun), featuring Swedish lyrics, evokes echoes of Jonas Eika’s 2018 short story collection, with minimalistic yet striking instrumentation.

Even after more than 30 years, KATATONIA continues to redefine the emotional spectrum of their genre, effortlessly shifting between haunting vulnerability and commanding artistry. With sonic landscapes that evoke dystopia, inner demons, purity, and beauty alike, Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State stands as a testament to their enduring brilliance. The album was produced by Jonas Renkse, recorded by Lawrence Mackrory at NBS Audio and The City of Glass, mixed by Adam Noble, and mastered by Robin Schmidt at 24-96 Mastering.

Iconic Swedish metal band SHINING are set to release their self-titled Napalm Records debut, Shining, on September 15, 2023! Formed in 1996 and known as one of the most controversial and musically brilliant bands in the black metal scene and beyond, SHINING presents their eleventh offering that proves even darker and more brutal than ever before. According to the band themselves, Shining “will be a downward journey in stereo that will drown the world in a mesmerizing, inescapable darkness".

Ristampa per Peaceville

A cinque anni dall'uscita del loro acclamato album 
“Hospodi”, le icone del BLACK METAL polacco 
PATRIARKH (ex Batushka) tornano con il nuovo concept 
album “ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ” (il Profeta Elijah). Dopo una 
controversia legale per l’uso del nome, il cantante 
Bartłomiej “Варфоломей” Krysiuk ha rinominato la 
band Patriarkh e manda alle stampe quello che può 
essere considerato il nuovo album dei Batushka ed il 
primo lavoro su etichetta Napalm Records. Senza ombra 
di dubbio, i Patriarkh sono uno dei gruppi più eccitanti 
dell'attuale scena EXTREME METAL e sono ora più che 
pronti a portare la loro essenza di BLACK METAL arcano 
che fa tremare le ossa! Con otto composizioni nuove, 
l'album porta l'ascoltatore nel mondo di Eliasz Klimowicz, 
il profeta Ilja, un contadino analfabeta che fu il leader 
della setta ortodossa Grzybowska. I Patriarkh diffondono 
il loro vangelo con un arsenale di strumenti FOLK, come 
tagelharpa, mandolino, mandocello, ghironda e dulcimer 
a corde, e con un'orchestra sinfonica e cori. Come per i 
Batushka, la sacralità ortodossa si mescola con il BLACK e 
il DOOM METAL, ora ampiamente arricchito con la 
musica FOLK, il NEO DARK FOLK e persino la musica da 
film. La band utilizza l'intera tavolozza della musica 
ortodossa, avventurandosi nelle aree della monodia 
bizantina, del canto liturgico e della polifonia russa, 
adattando ordinatamente le melodie folk e liturgiche al 
proprio stile.  Tuffatevi nelle ombre più profonde con 
questo capolavoro del BLACK METAL e unitevi ai 
PATRIARKH in questa intrigante cavalcata! 

Digipak CD edition