[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiDN47TccXw&]

Pre-Order “Return to Helios”

From the docks, out of Sweden’s southmost harbor, IMMINENCE rises like the tide. The quintet conquers stage after stage with precision, presence and pure commotion to not leave anyone untouched in the audience. 
Their six-stringed progressive post metalcore is as heavy as admiralty-pattern anchors and the atmosphere as endless as the seven seas whilst the lyrics reflect the deepest parts of their minds.
With heavy weight references like Swedish WALKING WITH STRANGERS and American AUGUST BURNS RED, IMMINENCE keeps to unrestrainedly climb the wave of metal that will wash over the genre.

The post Exclusive Premiere | Imminence “Return to Helios” appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.

Artist:  Thy Art is Murder
Album:  Hate
Genre:  Deathcore
Label:  Nuclear Blast
Release: April 2, 2013 (North America)

Click for Full-Resolution

While I already sound pessimistic, I come to you with good tidings, Thy Art is Murder is more than your average Deathcore band. With bands like Whitechapel and Winds of Plague making some of the largest influences on the scene, and not to mention the gravity that the passing of Mitch Lucker (Suicide Silence) has had on people across the spectrum, it often becomes difficult to stand out.  After playing Hate a few times, I see that TAIM combines technicality with melody much like that of a talented Melodic Death Metal band.  But this is far from Melodeath, so before the elitist begin to rant, just know that you can expect something more than just breakdowns, repetitive down-tuned riffs, and generic gutturals. 

Personally I got some grindcore vibes throughout the album, which reminded me of the newer style of Cattle Decapitation.  The open track “Reign of Darkness” is approachable and interesting, with fast and brutal drums provided by Lee Stanton.  The guitar work is technical, with some sweeps and scales thrown in to add melody to the “in your face” approach to opening up the album.  “Shadows of Eternal Sins” has subtle hints of black metal thrown in which is a bit refreshing, since songs like these really begin to merge together is played consecutively.  “Defective Breed” sounds more like a Death Metal song, a bit reminiscent of Decrepit Birth, if there wasn’t already enough pulsating metal in Hate. 

The boys in Thy Art is Murder have brought us something a bit off the beaten path for those who followed the footsteps of Suicide Silence.  They turned back the clocks and brought out the original influences from Suffocation, and making their breakdowns more than just a change in time signature that sounds hardly more interesting than a lawn mower.  It could be something in the water, over there in the Southern Hemisphere, or it could be an understanding that music is only music if it has substance.  And substance shouldn’t just be borrowed, it should be made.  That’s what Thy Art is Murder has done, they’ve created Hate, a great attempt at refreshing a rapidly staling genre.  Expect these Aussies to bring forth hatred in a venue near you with the Nuclear Blast team behind them every step of the way.  Crack open a Foster’s and begin the Hate!

 Check out our interview with THY ART IS MURDER 

The band has a request for you!

Vote for us to open the Summer Slaughter tour 2013! If we win, it will be our first US tour which means we can all hang out and go fucking mental! Vote here: http://bit.ly/taim-summerslaughter

The post Music Review | Thy Art is Murder brings us Hate! appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.

Artist:  Finntroll
Album:  Blodsvept
Genre:  Pagan/Folk Metal
Label:  Century Media
Release: April 2, 2013

Click for High-Resolution

Since their first release, Midnattens Widunder, in 1999, their black metal style has been incorporated in each album, but not always at the same density. That terminology implies a weight that black metal carries, and that’s exactly what it does.  It adds a certain atmosphere that can shroud and lead through a song.  This was very evident on Finntroll’s last release, Nifelvind, but it carries over into Blodsvept in a different fashion.  It’s less dense, allowing more room for the folk/humppa melodies to provide more than just a fun sound to troll-hop around to when no one is looking.  Now that troll-hop adds a groove that feels almost as natural as it is otherworldly.  

The title track “Blodsvept,” was made  streamable online last month on Valentine’s Day, which I’m sure we all used to woo our dates.  It opens up the album with  ominous sounds and encroaching footsteps that end with a sudden, crunchy, delicious growl to break into the beginning of the song.  It’s a bit different than one would expect, yet it has a familiar sound, if that makes sense.  It’s a combination of that layered repetition of dark sounds found in the song “Födosagan” from their second album, Jaktens Tid and the aggressive riffage in “Mot Skuggornas Värld” from 2010′s Nifelvind.  

I find that Finntroll has always had a bit of a mischievous sound infused with their music, like these trolls are up to no good! “Mordminnen” feels like there is an influence from American Big Band/Swing music with its fun jazz line, though the traditional jazz instruments sound like they’ve received some trollish modifications.  ”Häxbrygd“  is just one fantastically evil song about witches brewing a devilish broth.  If played live, the crowd should break into tribal dancing moshes filled with mass hysteria as Vreth commands his menacing growls over all in sight.  

The rest of the album follows a similar suit, jazz-influenced with hints of punk rock, and of course the ever-so welcoming folk metal assault that this band so graciously provides.  ”Ett Folk Förbannat“ paints an atmosphere of insanity, full of dynamics, and the impending urge to dance lurking its head around every beat.  The death march of “När Jättar Marschera” merges Beast Dominator’s hard-hitting drum beats with Trollhorn’s catchy troll synths.  

Blodsvept closes with a peculiar track “Midvinterdraken” and by peculiar I don’t mean that the song does not belong, rather, that is is a bit off the beaten path for Finntroll.  It’s a longer track that is very dense in atmosphere, extremely dark, but very grand.  It has such a large sound that it is almost like a Finntroll Epic, if only it was longer.  

What does it take to enjoy this album? Not much.  While there is definitely room for scrutiny in the more distinct change of sound from previous efforts, it should be embraced and understood.  Even though their instrumentals have pickpocketed from other less relative genres, the same Finntroll spirit of debauchery, bloodshed, and mischief runs through the veins of Blodsvept.  You can be assured that the Rivfader lore, masterfully crafted into their music by the original vocalist Jan “Katla” Jämsen, is still present in this release.  Should you get this album? Yes you should.  Whether or not the album meets your expectations is up to you, but you cannot go wrong in owning a copy of Blodsvept.  It’s familiar, fun, and fresh all in one.  And how often are you able to let out your inner troll? So go now and get blood swept!

The post Music Review | Finntroll’s Bloody Bloody Blodsvept appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.

FINNTROLL has now finished recording their 6th album, Blodsvept, which will be released via Century Media Records on March 25th in Europe and March 26th in North America! Recorded at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Blodsvept features cover artwork by the band’s own guitarist Skrymer (who also did the artwork for the band’s previous releases). This painting perfectly visualizes the musical aura of FINNTROLL that combines influences of black and death metal with folk music, ska, Latin music, psychobilly, and Klezmer in a unique and insane sonic assault.

Blodsvept track-listing:

1. Blodsvept
2. Ett Folk Förbannat
3. När Jättar Marschera
4. Mordminnen
5. Rösets Kung
6. Skövlarens Död
7. Skogsdotter
8. Häxbrygd
9. Två Ormar
10. Fanskapsfylld
11. Midvinterdraken

Via Century Media

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Swedish death metal legends HYPOCRISY have released the cover artwork, track list and the first single from their upcoming masterpiece End Of Disclosure! Listen to the title-track from the new album on the official HYPOCRISY Facebook page, or download the track from http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/label/music/band/about/70925.hypocrisy.html.

“This time I wanted to go back to basics,” commented Tägtgren. “I felt like we lost it for the last couple of albums. This one is straight to the point and more Hypocrisy than ever! Fast, heavy, and epic. Enjoy!”

Being on a par with their 90’s brute yet multifaceted masterpieces, End Of Disclosure leaves no room for breathers. It was produced by mastermind Peter Tägtgren in his Abyss Studios in Sweden, with artwork was done this time by Wes Benscoter (SLAYER, KREATOR, NILE, VADER, BLOODBATH). End Of Disclosure will be released March 22 (Europe) and April 2, 2013 (North America) via Nuclear Blast.

End Of Disclosure track listing:

1. End Of Disclosure
2. Tales Of Thy Spineless
3. The Eye
4. United We Fall
5. 44 Double Zero
6. Hell Is Where I Stay
7. Soldier Of Fortune
8. When Death Calls
9. The Return

Via Nuclear Blast

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Unofficial Album Artwork. Seems Legit

Hello friends!

Time for some album(s) news. Wintersun‘s Time is going to be two albums, titled TIME I & TIME II. We made this decision simply because of few reasons:

-    All the 80min of material won’t fit on a regular CD and we didn’t want to cut anything out.

-    We want you to be able to hear new material sooner and not wait any longer and we want to go on tour sooner.

-    The music is very full and complex, so listening this kind of “hard listening (not easy listening)” material straight for 80 minutes is a bit too much (even for me). Both albums will be approx. nice 40 min epic packages of fireworks.

-    We like the idea of releasing two albums within one year, so the band will stay more visible longer, which is important in these “modern times.” No more years of silence for us!

We hope you’lll approve our new little “plan” and support us when the “Time” comes!

The track listing for TIME I  looks like this:

TIME I

1. When Time Fades Away

2. Sons of Winter and Stars

I Rain of Stars

II Surrounded by Darkness

III Journey Inside a Dream

IV Sons of Winter and Stars

3. Land of Snow and Sorrow

4. Darkness and Frost

5. Time

TIME I mix is set to be finished by July, mastered in the beginning of July and released in early fall of 2012! TIME II will be released in 2013. Conception of album artworks, videos, live shows incl. rehearsals will keep us busy during the summer and I’ll also continue mixing TIME II meanwhile. We’ll be hopefully posting some videos and teasers during summer. Also some new live show announcements soon, so stay tuned for those!

We can’t wait for you guys to hear TIME I material and play it to you live! Have a great summer!

- Jari & Wintersun boys

WINTERSUN are confirmed to headline this year’s edition of the so-called HEIDENFEST tour kicking off in October supported by Korpiklaani, Varg, Trollfest and Krampus, before they go on touring the world. Further infos, dates and tickets on www.heidenfest.eu

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