Veljak norveške black metal scene Abbath se letošnje poletje znova odpravlja na turnejo po Evropi. Turneja z imenom Return to the Raven Realms Tour bo nekaj posebnega zlasti zaradi tega, ker se bo Abbath z bandom sprehodil skozi cel katalog komadov, ki jih je kot član legendarnih Immortal soustvaril med 1992 in 2009. 1. avgusta se bo karavana ustavila tudi na Dunaju, in kot pravi Abbath, bo celotna turneja nekaj posebnega:

»I can’t wait to get back on stage this summer to perform some old favorites that I haven’t played for a long, long time. Mark my words – it’s going to be loud and epic!«

Kanadska heavy metal zasedba Withering Scorn, katere člana sta tudi brata Shawn in Glen Drover, pripravlja material za drugi celovečerec, ki bo nasledil prvenec Prophets Of Demise iz leta 2023. Shawn Drover o novem materialu:

»At this point, this is where we're at. I've got three songs done for drums completed, and we started working on song four today; Glen and I started working on this intro piece to song four, where it's got this whole intro thing and stuff. And so we worked that out. And that's where we're at in terms of music as well. We just started song four. Glen still has a couple of songs to do for keeper guitars and so does Joe for bass. We haven't even approached the lyric process or the singing yet. Once we get far enough ahead, that's when we'll start to tackle that. Once I hear keeper guitars, then I start to assemble lyrics. I need to kind of hear the finished product of certainly the drums and guitars, if not bass as well, so I get inspired to write lyrics. That's kind of how I work with that.«

Progresivni death metal duet Iapetus sporoča, da je podpisal pogodbo z založbo Willowtip Records. Band je trenutno v fazi priprave materiala za tretji album, spodaj pa lahko preberete izjavo banda ob začetku sodelovanja z novo založbo:

»We are honored, humbled, and thrilled to announce our partnership with Willowtip Records - to join their incomparable roster, both past and present, and to stand alongside so many incredible bands that we have long admired both as fans and peers.Willowtip is and has always been dedicated to pushing the boundaries of metal - to championing the off-beat and the unfamiliar - and so we feel resolutely at home beneath their legendary, ever-innovative banner. This partnership is, for us - and in so many ways - a perfect fit. We could not be more excited for the endeavors ahead.

Writing for our next album has been ongoing for years, and is still well underway - while it's still too far-off for specific details, we can promise that it will be our darkest record yet - an 80+ minute conceptual rumination on hopelessness, mortality, and meaning in an uncaring cosmos. More news will become available as the album progresses.

And, as always, our unending gratitude for the continual support of our fans across the globe - if you haven't already, check out some of our new, outstanding labelmates - An Abstract Illusion, Countless Skies, Hath, Slugdge, The Anchoret, and more!

Cheers, and Happy New Year!«

Britanski progresivneži Sky Empire predstavljajo najnovejši single Wayfarer s prihajajočega albuma The Shifting Tectonic Plates of Power – Part One. Tracklista albuma, ki ga lahko že prednaročite, je takšna:

Prolegomenon: The Encomium of Creation
On The Shores of Hallowed Haven
The Emissary
Into My Father’s Eyes
Wayfarer
The Last Days of Planet Fantasy
House of Cards

Thrash metalci Annihilator sporočajo, da so do konca posneli prihajajoči dolgometražec. Snemali so ga v Watersound Studios v Združenem kraljestvu, več informacij pa bo znanih kmalu. Spodaj si lahko preberete še izjavo vodje zasedbe Jeffa Watersa:

»Deep, deep into the lush, tropical forests of Durham, UK, lies a studio that... well, basically makes fkn music! I just finished another record yesterday... man, the last 4 years have seen me make 4 records! Yesss... Can't wait for you to hear the 3 you haven't heard. AND 1 more record to do, as well, making it 5 records in 5 years... on a roll, I must say! Then, time to tour and enjoy my latter years! Haha! Work is fun as heck but I will have done my time in HEAVEN/HELL by the end of 2024!

Btw., Annihilator was started Dec 1984... 2024 would be 40 years since I wrote "Crystal Ann" and John Bates and I wrote the first version of 'Alison Hell'.«

Avtor fotografije: Blaž Grünfeld.

Hardcore veterani Will Haven so objavili nov single Diablito. Njihov nov album VII bo izšel 7. julija pri Minus Head Records.

Nemški death/doom metal band Voidhaven predstavlja skladbo The Desolate Throne s prihajajočega prvenca Lithic, ki bo v petek izšel pri založbi Ardua Music.

Kalifornijski hardcorovci Will Haven bodo 7. juljia izdali svoj sedmi studijski album z enostavnim naslovom VII. Zasedba je že predstavila prvi single 5 of Fire, razkrita pa so tudi naslovnica in imena komadov na ploščku.

Luna
5 Of Fire
For All Future Time
Evolution Of A Man
Paloma’s Blessing
Wings Of Mariposa
Diablito
No Stars To Guide Me
Feeding The Soil
La Ultima Nota

Nemški death/doom metalci Voidhaven napovedujejo prvenec Lithic. Ta naj bi izšel 9. junija pri Ardua Music in vseboval šest komadov:

Resting on Tombs
Sermon of Scorn
To Walk Among Ghosts
The Everblazing Picture
The Desolate Throne
Something Cruel Within

Nemški black metalci Der Weg einer Freiheit sporočajo, da bodo 19. novembra preko založbe Season of Mist izdali svoj 5. album z naslovom Noktvrn. Album bo izšel na različnih nosilcih zvoka in v digitalni obliki, naslovnico je izdelal Max Löffler, dražilnik najdete na priloženi povezavi, tracklista pa je naslednja:

Finisterre II
Monument
Am Rande der Dunkelheit
Immortal
Morgen
Gegen das Licht
Haven

Finska melodična doom/death metal zasedba Hanging Garden predstavlja nov besedilni video za skladbo Nowhere Haven s sedmega studijskega albuma z naslovom Skeleton Lake, ki je izšel konec prejšnjega tedna pri Lifeforce Records. Novemu albumu lahko v celoti prisluhnete na njihovem Bandcampu.

Tracklista albuma je naslednja:
Kuura
Faith
Nowhere Haven
Winter’s Kiss
When The Music Dies
Tunturi
Road Of Bones
Field Of Reeds
Skeleton Lake

Preko spletne strani The Ripple Effect lahko premierno prisluhnete tretjemu studijskemu albumu ameriških psihedeličnih doomerjev Book Of Wyrms z naslovom Occult New Age, ki bo danes izšel pri založbi Desert Records.

Štiričlansko zasedbo iz Richmonda v Virginiji sestavljajo Chris DeHaven (bobni), Sarah Moore Lindsey (vokal, sintetizator), Jay »Jake« Lindsey (bas, sintetizator) in Kyle Lewis (kitara).

Kanadsko-ameriška sympho-melo death metal zasedba Gone in April, ki se ji je pred časom na basu pridružil Steve Di Giorgio, je objavila video za pesem Haven. Skladba se nahaja na zadnjem, tretjem albumu z naslovom Shards of Light, video, ki je premišljeno postavljen v jamo, zatočišče pred virusom, ki se nezadržno širi, pa je režiral norveški umetnik Thomas Mortveit.

Znani basist Steve DiGiorgio je sodeloval s projektom ScreaMachine. Njegovo igranje boste slišali v komadu Wisdom of the Ages, pri katerem so sodelovali še s Herbiem Langhansom (vokal/Sonic Haven, Firewind).

Guru fretless basa in član thrash starešin Testament, Steve Di Giorgio, se je italijanskim heavy metalcem ScreaMachine pridružil pri tretjem digitalnem singlu zasedbe. Skladba Wisdom of the Ages bo na istoimenskem prvencu izšla 9. aprila pri založbi Frontiers Records. Poleg Di Giorgia je pri singlu sodeloval tudi Herbie Langhans (Sonic Haven, Firewind), ki je pesmi podaril svoj glas. Pesmi še ni mogoče slišati, vendar lahko album naročite tukaj.