Denmark's Iotunn releases new album, 'Access All Worlds', worldwide

Launches video for "The Weaver System"

Album artwork by: Nicole Kantor (Testament, Atheist, Hatebreed, Soulfly, etc.)

Today (February 26th), Denmark's Iotunn has released their new full-length, Access All Worlds, via Metal Blade Records. For a preview of the record, a video for the album track, "The Weaver System" (produced by Costin Chioreanu - Twilight Media - twilight13media.com), can be viewed at: youtu.be/8Wsm-4PP3Cg

Iotunn comments: "'Weaver' has been in our creative loops for several years since back when Jesper came up with the very first clean guitar part. We always knew it would appear on our debut album. For us, it's an album highlight on its own terms, and to this day, it still sounds fresh to us. With Jón's vocals and lyrics, the composition has found its home, and when Costin did his visual art and film, 'Weaver' got weaved into new spheres and perspectives. We are very proud of this collaboration and hope you'll like what you see and hear!
Additionally, we are now ready to have the entire album released for takeoff. We present to you the whole voyage of 'Access All Worlds' and encourage you to come with us and spend one focused hour listening to 'Access All Worlds' from the first to the last note. We believe that we have created seven distinctive worlds constituting one world - one album, seven songs, for all of us who love listening to full albums!"

Purchase and stream Access All Worlds in full now at: metalblade.com/iotunn - where the album is available in the following formats:

- digipak-CD
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- "deep space" marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- "moonscape" marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- red / black dust vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- "uranus" blue / white marbled vinyl (US exclusive)

Formed in 2015, Iotunn (which is old Norse for "Giant") entered the scene with their acclaimed EP, The Wizard Falls (2016), which was mixed by Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Morbid Angel, Blind Guardian, Rainbow) at Sweet Silence Studios. After some line-up changes, the band found their voice and narrator in March 2018: Jón Aldará (Hamferd), plus bassist Eskil Rask (Sunless Dawn) in October 2019. The quintet - completed by Jens Nicolai Gräs (guitars), Jesper Gräs (guitars), Bjørn Wind Andersen (drums) - then began work on their first full-length and Metal Blade Records debut: Access All Worlds.

Mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström (In Flames, At the Gates, Dimmu Borgir) at Fredman Studios, Access All Worlds is seven songs driven by creative curiosity and artistic honesty, that also initiate feelings and reflections. An epic, cosmic and contemplative journey of energetic beauty and ferocity, Access All Worlds reflects on human existence, set in a storyline following daring space travelers. The music is grounded in roaring, colorful drumming and crushing bass, while the sonic horizon is painted with a vast spectrum of guitar-driven expression, all overarched by narration through diverse vocals. "We wanted to make an epic, strong and atmospheric yet rocking record both musically and lyrically. Jón came with the idea based on space travelers trying to find answers to the apocalypse, which reflects many of the impressions, feelings and thoughts human life holds that originates from something vast, mysterious, chaotic and breathtakingly spectacular. Everything just went berserk regarding the album theme. Is everything occurring in the lyrics just a dream? Is the album an allegory for any individual's chapters in life? Where does the album actually start and end? Stuff like that. We find that the album can be interpreted in various ways. For us, the album is a truly exciting journey, and we hope it will be for the listener as well, on his or her own terms", says guitarist Jens Nicolai.

Access All Worlds track-listing
1. Voyage of the Garganey I
2. Access All Worlds
3. Laihem's Golden Pits
4. Waves Below
5. The Tower of Cosmic Nihility
6. The Weaver System
7. Safe Across the Endless Night

Photo credit: Nikolaj Bransholm

Iotunn line-up:
Jón Aldará - vocals
Jens Nicolai Gräs - guitars
Jesper Gräs - guitars
Eskil Rask - bass
Bjørn Wind Andersen - drums

Iotunn online:
https://www.facebook.com/iotunn
https://iotunn.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.instagram.com/iotunn
 

WŸNTËR ÄRVN stream new ANTIQ album at NoCleanSinging.com - features members of AORLHAC, DAWN OF A DARK AGE+++

Today, black metal-inspired neofolk/neoclassical act Wÿntër Ärvń stream the entirety of their highly anticipated second album, Abysses, at heavily trafficked web-portal NoCleanSinging.com. Set for international release on March 1st via Antiq on vinyl LP format, hear Wÿntër Ärvń's Abysses in its entirety exclusively HERE.

Wÿntër Ärvń is a France-based neofolk/neoclassical act highly inspired by '90s black metal, and is currently composed of two musicians: Wÿntër Ärvń (strings, percussions, vocals) and Vittorio Sabelli (clarinet and arrangements). The selfsame Wÿntër Ärvń also plays in the black metal act Aorlhac, while Vittorio Sabelli is the founding member of Italian history-based avant-garde black metal band Dawn of a Dark Age. Together, as Wÿntër Ärvń, their music mostly consists of acoustic instruments, classical guitars, and percussion willing to translate into sound the very inner emotions of its creator. Nostalgia, melancholy, anger, joy, or hope are mainly expressed through Wÿntër Ärvń's music in a vibe that might refer to black metal and extreme music feelings.

Abysses is the second album of Wÿntër Ärvń, and it marks a strong evolution from the the first opus, Au Devant Du Gouffre, released in 2018 via Antiq. Where the first album was deeply negative and dark, Abysses is more luminous in every way. The sound, the compositions, and the vibe convey something more hopeful from the composer but retains the melancholy and the nostalgia deep within. This album welcomes a second musician into Wÿntër Ärvń with the arrival of Vittorio Sabelli on clarinet. Many guests appear on this album, all from the French black metal scene.

Antiq is a label dedicated to the fully coherent concept of making music through sound, image, video, and attitude. They have been putting their entire existence into it since 2009. Over the years, Antiq have been identified as producers of not only perfectly coherent lyrics and themes through music, but also conceptual art and, of course, the manufacturing of beautiful objects. The label tries as much as it can to work with French creators, and if possible, with the smallest and most serious structures.

In the meantime, hear Abysses in its entirety exclusively HERE, courtesy of NoCleanSinging.com. Preorder info can be found HERE at Antiq's Bandcamp. Cover artwork, courtesy of Maena, and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Wÿntër Ärvń's Abysses
1. Nocturne II
2. Sentiero Dell'Eternita
3. Aux Aurores
4. Nocturne III
5. Contemplation
6. Abysses
7. Marcheurs de Mondes Dissonants [Xasthur cover]
8. Quand Tombe le Jour



MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/wynterarvnneofolk



www.antiqrecords.com
www.facebook.com/antiq.label 
www.antiqofficial.bandcamp.com

 

Belgian Heavy Metal Band WarDogs released their first lyric video.....!!!

 

On the 4^th of January 2020, the Belgian Heavy Metal Band WarDogs released their first of three newly recorded singles on their YouTube Channel.

For the this first track, Patrick Bateman, the band created a good-looking Lyric Video with a healthy dose of levity:

https://youtu.be/Ubu05LsNPSU

This groove laden song is heavily influenced by the 2000 movie AMERICAN PSYCHO which shines through in the lyrical content and the imagery being used.

WarDogs about this song:  “Metal music is a great tool for expressing a lot of things. For example, your frustration with the deceitful politicians of the world or to tell the story of some epic Viking battle.  But you know, sometimes …  you just want to write a song about your favorite movie! So that’s what we did”.

WarDogs is mostly inspired by many old-school Heavy Metal bands and brings a varied mix of genres that appeals to Metal Veterans and newcomers alike!  

Discover WarDogs on their official YouTube page:

 http://tinyURL.com/WardogsBE

 

On Streaming Platforms:

Spotify

 

Apple Music and iTunes

Deezer

 

and connect on:

https://www.facebook.com/WardogsBE

Streaming Now! Plague Weaver's New Album “Ascendant Blasphemy”

For fans of Rotting Christ, Varathron, old Samael, Triptykon, Dissection

Streaming Now! Plague Weaver's New Album “Ascendant Blasphemy”

Album Stream Premiere via Decibel Magazine

New Album “Ascendant Blasphemy” Out Feb 26th, 2021

 

Melded together in the vein of classic black metal, but giving nods to other genres including death, grind and doom, Toronto's Plague Weaver has been honing their craft delicately since they started out in 2018. Beginning with an excellent atmosphere, and budding riff ideas on the self-titled EP, then taking a big leap in 2020 with “Through The Sulphur Eyes” with a doomy traditional black metal style. Now in 2021, with their first full length “Ascendant Blasphemy”, they have created three leaping bounds between releases, in both the music and the production. The band talks about the album:

“We take influence from a wide spectrum of genres. Black metal is definitely not the limit – we also look to death, grind, doom, and heavy metal, along with a plethora of non-metal genres. The only real common denominator is whether or not we like it! You can hear a huge death/grind influence in JC’s ‘black metal’ vocals, while RM’s riffing style is much more reminiscent of 1st wave black metal, especially Greek bands.”

“Ascendant Blasphemy” contains a lot of musical variety across the album, and still enough consistency to hold everything together, overall it is a pretty cold journey from start to finish. The album’s tracks are quite diverse in terms of tempo, and sonic tone. There are equal parts mid and fast-paced tracks, with a couple of slow, doomy ones near the end, to help bring everything to a close. This album confidently pulls the listener in a few choice directions. With confident composition, the instrumentals lay a framework for powerful, diverse, and seemingly uncontrolled vocals. The riff-driven style is bound to attract some death metal listeners in addition to BM heads looking for something grim to bang their heads to.

Fans can expect some of the novelty of any good black metal show with Plague Weaver. With the exception of the corpse paint, they check most of the boxes for any black metal favourite, with a few added flavours of our own. They are recommended for fans of (old) Samael, Varathron, and Watain.

The entirety of “Ascendant Blasphemy” will be revealed on February 26, 2021, and before it officially drops, Plague Weaver has teamed up with Decibel Magazine for its full stream premiere HERE.

Album pre-order via PlagueWeaver.bandcamp.com.

Lyric Video - “Nothing Is Sacred” - YouTube
Lyric Video - “Deicidal Usurper” - YouTube

Spotify

Track Listing:
1. Nothing Is Sacred (5;24)
2. Lay Fire (4:34)
3. Blood Runs Not (4:17)
4. Seek To Betray (4:34)
5. Upheaval and Arson (5:29)
6. Of Quivering Doves (4:34)
7. Deicidal Usurper (4:37)
8. In Exitium Caeli (4:41)
Album Length: 38:12


More Info:
Facebook.com/plagueweaver
Instagram.com/plagueweaverband
Twitter.com/plagueweaver 
EPK


About:

Plague Weaver is a black/doom metal band hailing from Ontario, Canada. The band was birthed in 2018 as a solo project by RM whom released two EPs, 2019's self-titled debut and 2020's ‘Through the Sulphur Eyes’. Both releases displayed traditional black metal roots delivered through a modern, doom-inspired atmosphere.

Joined in 2020 with the addition of new vocalist JC taking care of lyrics and vocal arrangments, Plague Weaver started its next chapter as a duo and quickly began work on creating punishing, grim, riff-driven black metal for the next assault entitled 'Ascendant Blasphemy'. Set for release in 2021, their first full length is an evolution from its predecessors. More aggressive, and riff-driven but without abandoning Plague Weaver’s doom-inspired roots that can be heard on such tracks as ‘In Exitium Caeli’ and ‘..of Quivering Doves’. Overall, there’s a lot of musical variety across the new record, and a consistency to hold everything together, from start to finish. The album’s lyrics are a loose concept written by JC that follows a series of Satanic philosophies or questions considered from a Satanic perspective, illustrated to a loose fictional ideal. This album aims to invigorate and distress the listener.

"Ascendant Blasphemy" is due out February 26, 2021.

- 30- 

"Plague Weaver's new single, "Nothing Is Sacred", comes from the band's upcoming release Ascendant Blasphemy. If there is any better song to help capture the feeling that everyone around the world has had through 2020, this is it. "Nothing Is Sacred" is a slow burn of death-doom, slow, grudging instrumentals entwined with harsh, raw black metal growls." - Metal Injection

"Musically, the song (Deicidal Usurper) we’re presenting today changes course as if leading us through a cilling ancient labyrinth strewn with bones. After a somber, classically inspired piano overture, the music ignites in a storm of thundering drums, hurtling bass notes, and feverish riffing that creates a conjunction of menace and madness. In the midst of this marauding assault, a hellish choir lifts its harrowing, unhinged voices in a union of blood-curdling screams and voracious roars and howls. There are points at which the music turns corners, slowing in its grim assaults. In the first of those, the bass murmurs and eerie arpeggios ring out as a prelude to a kind of chilling, bone-shaking march. At the next, a serpentine guitar solo slithers from the darkness, creating an occult and hallucinatory vision in which misery dwells. And at the end, a harpsichord instrumental weaves a concluding mysterious spell." - No Clean Singing

"Ascendant Blasphemy is a solid album for fans of largely mid-paced, compositionally adventurous black metal. It shows a lot of growth and maturity from the previous EPs and is well worth a listen." - Metal Observer

"Ascendant Blasphemy is an exercise in churning Doom riffs mixed with blasting tremolo picking to establish a thick, sulphurous atmosphere of desolation and dread that's not too far removed from a mix of Runemagick and Culted if you added in the occasional blast beat... Vocalist JC is also a real find, not only because his growls and snarls are venomous and spiteful, but also because he multitracks himself and writes the vocal lines for each track slightly out of sync with each other, which makes him sound like a chorus of hatred and despair that really stands out as a highlight of the album. If you're looking for Black/Doom that's as good as it gets, then start the year off right with this dragging nightmare of a debut." - The Metal Crypt

"The songs have an epic and atmospheric character and despite its modernity, Ascendant Blasphemy will appeal easily to the orthodox Black metal fans." - Jupiter Variations