Preordine

Ukrainian blackened death/doom metal formation 1914 return with unrelenting force on their fourth studio album, Viribus Unitis, Latin for "With United Forces." Far more than a historical reference to the personal motto of Franz Joseph I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the title reflects the band’s resilience through war, loss, and upheaval – a powerful symbol of survival and solidarity. Releasing on November 14, 2025 via Napalm Records, Viribus Unitis builds on the band’s acclaimed conceptual approach, pushing even deeper into emotional and musical intensity.

Continuing their chronicle of World War I, 1914 shift their focus slightly, from the raw portrayal of death and destruction to themes of camaraderie, endurance, and the emotional landscapes of those who endured the horrors. While previous releases like The Blind Leading the Blind (2018) and Where Fear and Weapons Meet (2021) centered on the futility and finality of war, Viribus Unitis explores the human bonds forged under fire and the strength of those who returned: broken, changed, yet still alive.

Musically, 1914 remain true to their identity – brutal mixture of blackened death metal, slow-burning doom, and ambient war soundscapes. This time, however, their sound gains a broader dynamic range, with soaring melodic leads, orchestral textures, and haunting clean vocals that provide dramatic contrast to the crushing heaviness. One of the album’s highlights is a collaboration with Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride and High Parasite on “1918 Pt. 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape),” whose mournful voice adds a solemn, almost liturgical quality to this elegy of grief and brotherhood on the front lines.

Viribus Unitis deepens 1914’s commitment to historical authenticity, both lyrically and conceptually. Told through real events and personal accounts of a Ukrainian soldier in the K.u.K. army, the album traces a timeline from 1914 to 1919, painting a grim journey through the war’s rise, climax, and hollow aftermath.

From the brooding opener “War In” to the bleak closer “War Out (The End?)”, each track captures a moment in time: the brutal “1914 (The Siege of Przemysl)”, the frostbitten “1915 (Zwinin Ridge)”, the crushing Alpine combat of “1916 (Südtirol Offensive)”, and the madness of “1918 Pt. 2: POW (Prisoner of War)” featuring Christopher Scott of Precious Death.

The album ends with “1919 (The Home Where I Died),” featuring Rome’s Jerome Reuter, a haunting portrait of a soldier who survived the war, but not its shadow. This emotional song deals with the soldier's will to live and his family values, seeing him escape from captivity to finally return home to embrace his wife and daughter. 1914 fuse blackened death metal, doom, and atmospheric textures with dramatic flourishes and guest vocals, creating their most dynamic and emotionally resonant record to date.

Ukrainian blackened death/doom metal formation 1914 return with unrelenting force on their fourth studio album, Viribus Unitis, Latin for "With United Forces." Far more than a historical reference to the personal motto of Franz Joseph I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the title reflects the band’s resilience through war, loss, and upheaval – a powerful symbol of survival and solidarity. Releasing on November 14, 2025 via Napalm Records, Viribus Unitis builds on the band’s acclaimed conceptual approach, pushing even deeper into emotional and musical intensity.

Continuing their chronicle of World War I, 1914 shift their focus slightly, from the raw portrayal of death and destruction to themes of camaraderie, endurance, and the emotional landscapes of those who endured the horrors. While previous releases like The Blind Leading the Blind (2018) and Where Fear and Weapons Meet (2021) centered on the futility and finality of war, Viribus Unitis explores the human bonds forged under fire and the strength of those who returned: broken, changed, yet still alive.

Musically, 1914 remain true to their identity – brutal mixture of blackened death metal, slow-burning doom, and ambient war soundscapes. This time, however, their sound gains a broader dynamic range, with soaring melodic leads, orchestral textures, and haunting clean vocals that provide dramatic contrast to the crushing heaviness. One of the album’s highlights is a collaboration with Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride and High Parasite on “1918 Pt. 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape),” whose mournful voice adds a solemn, almost liturgical quality to this elegy of grief and brotherhood on the front lines.

Viribus Unitis deepens 1914’s commitment to historical authenticity, both lyrically and conceptually. Told through real events and personal accounts of a Ukrainian soldier in the K.u.K. army, the album traces a timeline from 1914 to 1919, painting a grim journey through the war’s rise, climax, and hollow aftermath.

From the brooding opener “War In” to the bleak closer “War Out (The End?)”, each track captures a moment in time: the brutal “1914 (The Siege of Przemysl)”, the frostbitten “1915 (Zwinin Ridge)”, the crushing Alpine combat of “1916 (Südtirol Offensive)”, and the madness of “1918 Pt. 2: POW (Prisoner of War)” featuring Christopher Scott of Precious Death.

The album ends with “1919 (The Home Where I Died),” featuring Rome’s Jerome Reuter, a haunting portrait of a soldier who survived the war, but not its shadow. This emotional song deals with the soldier's will to live and his family values, seeing him escape from captivity to finally return home to embrace his wife and daughter. 1914 fuse blackened death metal, doom, and atmospheric textures with dramatic flourishes and guest vocals, creating their most dynamic and emotionally resonant record to date.

Gold vinyl

Three years after their crushing debut Defiled In Oblivion, Castrator return with Coronation Of The Grotesque, an album that not only exceeds all expectations but leaves them shattered in its wake, firmly cementing the band among the North American death metal elite. 

Reissue 2025 on Darkness Shall Rise 

Remastered for vinyl from the original recordings by Patrick W. Engel of Temple of Disharmony.

Gatefold-sleeve with UV-varnish on the cover.
Including a huge 20-page 12” booklet with an in-depth interview (divided into 4 parts, this is part 2) with Shamaatae and many never seen before pictures.
An A2 poster will be added to every vinyl too.

The LPs are limited to 500 copies in total.

Reissue 2025 on Darkness Shall Rise 

Remastered for vinyl from the original recordings by Patrick W. Engel of Temple of Disharmony.

Gatefold-sleeve with UV-varnish on the cover.
Including a huge 20-page 12” booklet with an in-depth interview (divided into 4 parts, this is part 2) with Shamaatae and many never seen before pictures.
An A2 poster will be added to every vinyl too.

The LPs are limited to 500 copies in total.

NORDIC METAL

HELHEIM, founded in Bergen, Norway in 1992 were eager to establish themselves in the Norwegian Black Metal scene and released their first demo in 1993. Heavily influenced by BATHORY and including a cover of VENOM`s “Countess Bathory” to pay tribute to one of their foremost influences, the first demo, while being an interesting document of the time and showing potential, still lacked the depth and ambition of their later work.

Their second demo entitled Niðr Ok Norðr Liggr Helvegr and released in 1994 marked a major leap in style and quality. With a for a demo unusually long playing time of nearly 50 minutes, HELHEIM`s second effort saw the horde introducing female vocals, folk and Viking elements and even trumpets. Obviously influenced by compatriots ENSLAVED, it featured non-linear compositions and a unique sound. This demo is considered a landmark in Norwegian Metal and far surpasses the typical expectations of a demo release. It`s with Niðr Ok Norðr Liggr Helvegr that HELHEIM found their sound and catapulted themselves to the forefront of Norwegian Black Metal.

Remastered from the original DATs by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony.

A long and detailed new interview about the time from 1992-1997 was conducted with the band exclusively for these current reissues.A long and detailed new interview about the time from 1992-1997 was conducted with the band exclusively for these current reissues.
The jewel-case CD comes with a 20-page booklet including the interview and many never before-seen pictures.

NORDIC METAL

HELHEIM, founded in Bergen, Norway in 1992 were eager to establish themselves in the Norwegian Black Metal scene and released their first demo in 1993. Heavily influenced by BATHORY and including a cover of VENOM`s “Countess Bathory” to pay tribute to one of their foremost influences, the first demo, while being an interesting document of the time and showing potential, still lacked the depth and ambition of their later work.

Their second demo entitled Niðr Ok Norðr Liggr Helvegr and released in 1994 marked a major leap in style and quality. With a for a demo unusually long playing time of nearly 50 minutes, HELHEIM`s second effort saw the horde introducing female vocals, folk and Viking elements and even trumpets. Obviously influenced by compatriots ENSLAVED, it featured non-linear compositions and a unique sound. This demo is considered a landmark in Norwegian Metal and far surpasses the typical expectations of a demo release. It`s with Niðr Ok Norðr Liggr Helvegr that HELHEIM found their sound and catapulted themselves to the forefront of Norwegian Black Metal.

Remastered from the original DATs by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony.

A long and detailed new interview about the time from 1992-1997 was conducted with the band exclusively for these current reissues.
The double-LP comes with a hugh 16-page 12” booklet including the interview and many never before-seen pictures.
An A2 poster will be added to every vinyl too.

Gold Vinyl

In 1993, in the midst of the second wave`s heyday, when numerous classic albums saw the light of day and many a blaze ignited the northern sky, GEHENNA were brought forth in Stavanger, Norway`s fourth largest city.
In the course of the same year their efforts resulted in their first and only demo Black Seared Heart which was released by the band on tape in very limited quantities.
The demo comprises 7 songs of which 3 are instrumentals serving as intro and outros respectively.
Although the demo reveals the members` at the time limited capabilites as musicians, it`s, by and large, a very enjoyable  first recording with lasting qualities. The sound is leagues above the average demo production since Black Seared Heart was recorded in a studio.
The moody songs – for the most part played in moderate tempo – are written in a way that reveals GEHENNA as talented songwriters even at this early stage.
Notably, the keyboards, whose remarkable melodies would go on to become one of the band`s trademarks were already present on the demo.

As an added bonus the rerelease of Black Seared Heart comes with an instrumental, a song recorded at the rehearsal-room and most importantly a  studio recording-session that was aborted before completion that was supposed to result in the band`s first EP First Spell.

The songs were completely new remastered by Patrick W. Engel at the Temple of Disharmony to ensure the best possible sound for this timeless Black Metal classic.

Luxurious hardcover digibook-CD.
It contains the new interview and many never before-seen pictures spread over a 28 pages booklet.

Released one year after their demo Black Seared Heart, it was First Spell that put GEHENNA on the map for real.
Originally released in 1994 by Metalion`s legendary label ‘Head Not Found’, the EP shows a band – even though only founded 1 year prior – already on top of their game. Each of the 5 tracks is a masterpiece in its own right. “The Shivering Voice Of The Ghost” or “Unearthly Loose Palace” – can it get more sombre than that?
Macabre and utterly dark, the highly original and memorable tracks are considerably enhanced by keyboardplayer extraordinaire Sarcana.
First Spell is one of the very best EPs ever done in Norway and belongs in every self-respecting Black Metal fan`s collection.

The songs were completely new remastered by Patrick W. Engel at the Temple of Disharmony to ensure the best possible sound for this timeless Black Metal classic.

Luxurious hardcover digibook-CD.
It contains the new interview and many never before-seen pictures spread over a 28 pages booklet.

Seen Through The Veils Of Darkness (2^nd Spell) is GEHENNA`s first full-length album which was originally released in 1995.
They kept their characteristic sound intact, yet stepped each and every element of their sound up a notch or two. The highly melodic sound which has over the years become one of the band`s trademarks, presents itself refined with subtle details.
For the first time, GEHENNA dare to incorporate fast-paced passages into their songs too.
Considering the high compositional level of the album, one is simply awe-struck by the band`s enormous development within only 2 years since GEHENNA`s inception.
Seen Through The Veils Of Darkness (2^nd Spell) is a symphonic Black Metal masterpiece and a highlight of the genre.

The songs were completely new remastered by Patrick W. Engel at the Temple of Disharmony to ensure the best possible sound for this timeless Black Metal classic.

Luxurious hardcover digibook-CD.
It contains the new interview and many never before-seen pictures spread over a 28 pages booklet.

Hailing from the atmospheric landscapes of Iceland, Gísli Gunnarsson is a visionary composer and multi-instrumentalist whose artistry transcends boundaries. Remaining rooted in modern classical, his music draws inspiration from various other genres such as post-rock, black metal, and shoegaze.

Gunnarsson’s newest record ‘Úr Öskunni’ is full of contrasts and represents a recent chapter in the composer’s life. Iceland’s raw beauty is an awe-inspiring to the eye, but the forces that shaped the island remain a real peril for the inhabitants

Crowned by the masterful artwork of Daniele Valeriani (Behemoth, Candlemass, Mayhem, Dark Funeral, Triptykon) and sonically woven into perfection by Christoph Brandes // Iguana Studios (The Spirit, Imperium Dekadenz, Necrophagist), the album rises as a tempest—raw, relentless, and animalistic in its intensity.