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With their fifth album "The Stillness of Dissolution", AUSTERE embark on a dark journey that leads through the abyss of time, the inevitable return of order to chaos into the black void. In the words of the poet: everything that arises is worth that it perishes. The new album brings an overall blacker feel to their sound. This slight change of course does not constitute an easy nostalgic return to the old days as AUSTERE remain within the framework of the more mature and defined version of their particular style of depressive black metal, which reflects their greater experience and evolution as artists. AUSTERE arose from a solo-project run by multi-instrumentalist and singer Desolate alias Mitchell Keepin who joined forces with drummer, keyboard player, and vocalist Sorrow aka Tim Yatras in 2005. Signature frost-bitten guitars, alongside high-pitched screams and wails marked AUSTERE's debut album "Withering Illusions and Desolation" (2007). The sophomore album "To Lay like Old Ashes" followed in 2009 and still featured a raw sound but with a refined production. At this point in time, both musicians decided to focus on other projects and AUSTERE went into hibernation until the duo reformed in 2021. The number of followers had only grown during their absence through word of mouth. AUSTERE are back in black with "The Stillness of Dissolution", yet the Australians also keep all the subtle shades of grey that turn the ongoing evolution of their music into a thrilling experience of new sonic spaces of dark matter.

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. 

“The Long Defeat” unfolds over three parallel storylines told via three different mediums. Two in writing: the lyrics, as well as a fable. The third speaks through the artwork – two metres’ worth of maniacally detailed visions depicting the same premise its written content draws from. All three are fundamentally entwined but diverging in narrative, each complementing or contradicting the others.

It is the band's first release of new material since their 2010 album Paracletus.

DEATHSPELL OMEGA “The Furnaces of Palingenesia” CD/LP

11 songs, 45 minutes, recorded live and mixed on analog gear, 2018

Emily Highfield’s one woman project Suldusk has woven the acoustic tones of Dark/Neo Folk with elements of Post Rock and Atmospheric Black Metal to create a powerful panorama of shimmering guitars, haunting melodies and atmospheric density on her debut album “Lunar Falls”. 

The album’s undercurrent theme is about living on the margins, and the intolerable suffering and sacrifice in the quest for identity. Nature provides much of the lyrical inspiration as the source of refuge and guidance throughout this quest. It is dedicated to the memory of Aleah Starbridge. “The Elm” is an adaptation of Aleah’s and Juha Raivio’s song “Sinking Ships”.

Anthesis is a groundbreaking new album from Australia's @suldusk444 formerly a one woman project and now a full band. Mixed by Troy Mccosker (Ne Obliviscaris) and mastered by Thomas Johansson (Soilwork), Anthesis is a true game changer for the heavy genre, blurring lines and dissolving the boundaries of heavy music as we know it today. A synthesis of dark folk and a myriad of heavy genres, Anthesis creates a resonance which alights both the shimmers and the shadows from the deepest woodlands.

Digipack

Gatefold Clear LP w 24 page booklet.

Jewelcase

“Avvik” translates to anomaly or deviation. And even though Taake have been recognized as an important act within the Norwegian Black Metal scene for decades, they have always stood on the outside of main currents of black metal, a scene once founded by deviants and outcasts. In this context, “Avvik” also refers to this particular collection of songs, as the album compiles tracks which never really fitted in to any of the Taake releases, and hence ended up on three split-10” with Whoredom Rife, Deathcult and Helheim, released on different labels. “Avvik” collects the Taake tracks from the three split-10” releases for a limited digipak cd release. All tracks have been remixed and remastered for a digital release, and some of the remixes have some surprising guest appearances. Exclusively for this release, Dr Mikannibal of Sigh did Taake the honour of adding her saxophone to a slightly longer version of the Sisters of Mercy cover “Heartland”. Also, live guitarist Gjermund have done a very special acoustic version of the classic track “Nattestid ser Porten vid I”, which is exclusive for this release. “Avvik” closes one chapter for Taake and opens for a new one.

New full-length CD! with Xasthur. Spanning over 50 minute in length, and contains all new material recorded in 2004! 8 tracks in total + 1 intro