Inquisition Live in Auckland

Inquisition Live in Auckland

Inquisition, a black metal band originally from Columbia but now based in the US are playing the King's Arm Tavern in Auckland on 6/6/12 (6 years too late!). I haven't heard of them before but having listened to their latest opus "Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm" I'm hooked. So hopefully will manage to see them, even if it is a wednesday (why do these shows have to be a weekday???). Support by Vassafor, Anno Domini Mortis & Winter Deluge. Show brought to you by Chaos NZ Metal productions

more info

Nuclear Blast Iphone/Ipod touch app. What? No Windows Mobile app?

Got this in my email the other day about Nuclear Blast's new Iphone/Ipod app. It will give the users/fans updated news, music videos and samples straight to your Apple Product.

It annoys me that there is no Windows Mobile app, but I guess the Iphone is the flavour at the moment. Oh well, I won't miss out much anyway since I'm on the Nuclear Blast mailing list

If you don't have itunes installed, the link above will bring you to the itunes download page (like me)

Belphegor completes work on new album

Wow, another Belphegor album in the works....

Austrian blackened death metal outfit BELPHEGOR have completed their work on the eighth full-length studio album, Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn, due later this year via Nuclear Blast Records.

Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn was recorded at Andy Classen's (LEGION OF THE DAMNED, DEW-SCENTED, NEAERA, ASPHYX) Stage One Studios in Kassel, Germany.

Commented frontman Helmuth:
"With these nine compositions/arrangements, we continue to piss on the damn mainstream. It's BELPHEGOR to the highest; the hymns are extremely varied, more intense and epic than ever, [and] there are new elements and structures added. Also, we used some haunting samples here and there, to give the album a cold and ritualistic feel."

He continued...
"On Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn, you will hear my most fucked up vocals to date; also the lyrical content is offensive and insane. The witch/devil concept is amazing to work with and we used alot of original chants/ incantations from archaic scripts."

BELPHEGOR has tapped Brazilian artist Marcelo Hvc to handle the graphics for the new album. Marcelo has already begun working on the cover art and "some magickal images," according to a press reelase.

Added Serpenth:
"The idea is to capture the okkultic orgiastic processions from the Broken Mountain, the Walpurgis night in the images."

Norwegian Embassy in US watches Enslaved on tour

Wow, talk about commitment to the arts. Read this in the CM (Century Media) newsletter. Looks like the Norwegian Embassy in Washington DC saw Enslaved & Opeth while they were playing there. Don't know if any of them were fans but just shows how open the Norwegians are. They did mention that Enslaved & Opeth are a 'death metal' band, which are NOT TRUE (now anyway). Enslaved are now a 'progressive metal' band while Opeth I'd say are the same, previously 'viking metal' & 'death/doom metal' were the respective musical styles.

If only Malaysia's Government was as supportive as this and not just saying Black metal is a cult and is Haram...

Norwegian Embassy makes it metal

By: Kiki Ryan and Jeff Dufour
Washington Examiner
05/29/09 12:05 AM EDT

You can’t say the Norwegian Embassy doesn’t take seriously its commitment to supporting the country’s art. Even when that art happens to be death metal.
On Wednesday night, the Norwegian death metal band Enslaved played the 9:30 Club, its first show in D.C. (Sample lyrics, for the uninitiated: “As we emerged/From darker dungeons/Splendor of yellow hells/Expanded swollen eyes.”) And, to the crowd’s surprise and delight, there were a group of embassy staffers in the VIP section, getting a shout-out from front man Grutle Kjellson.
Anne Myklebust, a cultural adviser at the embassy, said she and four of her colleagues went to see the show. But that wasn’t by any means the beginning of their support. She said the embassy helped the band out with funding for its U.S. tour. So “they asked if they could see the embassy,” and Wednesday afternoon, the band met with Ambassador Wegger Strommen for an hour.
Did they wear suits?
“No,” Myklebust laughed. “They wore their road wear of T-shirts and shorts. But the ambassador wore a suit.”
The second half of the night’s bill: Swedish metal band Opeth. So were any staffers from the Swedish Embassy on hand? “We know them pretty well, but we didn’t see any of them,” Myklebust said.
The Swedish Embassy was closed Thursday afternoon, so we couldn’t confirm that no one attended. But maybe the Norwegian Embassy just rocks harder.
CM news letter via washingtonexaminer

KATAKLYSM - GUITARIST DETAINED BY FEDERAL AGENTS!

Canada's KATAKLYSM recently returned home after two separate very successful shows in St-Petersburg and Moscow, Russia. Unfortunately, upon arriving in America guitarist Jean-Francois Dagenais was pulled from line at customs and detained by federal agents.

Commented vocalist Maurizio Iacono: "Well, this was one odd week especially yesterday. First, we finally flew out to Russia for the first time and we didn't know what to expect. There's always been this grim picture painted of that country to us. Having said that, we thought we'd arrive under dark skies, with rain and depressed looking people everywhere. Instead, we arrived to sunshine and enthusiastic people that looked happy and energetic and we were through customs in matter of minutes. So I said to myself, 'This will be interesting.' We were soon greeted there with open arms by the promoters and we were off. We played St-Petersburg first then Moscow. The shows were fantastic and everything was top notch. Fans knew all the lyrics and went ballistic! We even had Russian special forces soldiers stage diving! It was just a crazy, all-around good time and the shows were packed! I could have stayed there another week but we said our goodbyes and headed back home.

"We arrived in Washington D.C. with a layover to Chicago where I live now (the rest of the band still live in Montreal). So we grabbed our bags and went through immigration with no problems, as expected. As we're waiting in line for the customs exit, some uniformed guy grabs J-F and takes him away with his bags. We assumed it was just a random check.

"So we make our way to our next gate for our plane and realize it's been over an hour and there's still no sign of J-F. This was 4 p.m. I go back to the customs area and the place is deserted. At this point, we started worrying and asking questions but we received no answers. We decide to board our plane at 4:30 p.m. with still no sign of him. Someone from United Airlines tells me finally he won't be joining our flight but still no reason is given. At this point I'm like, 'What the fuck is happening?'

"So we jet out of D.C. and get back to Chicago where the guys were staying over at my house until today to go back to Canada. After fruitless calls to the airport we just decided to wait for some sort of sign of life. That sign came at 11 p.m. in Chicago at O'Hare airport.

"Apparently, Washington customs official grabbed J-F and threw him in a room with only one chair and a table. He was there for five hours until they finally talked to him and they told him that he was wanted internationally and by the U.S. government. I could have imagined his face when they told him this, it must have been priceless. People that know J-F know he couldn't hurt an ant. He's one of the most down-to-earth and sweetest people you could meet. After a few hours of denying everything, Interpol sent in a picture and that picture didn't match his. What happened was that there was another Jean-Francois Dagenais that is listed in the FBI's most wanted list and they thought they'd caught him. I mean, what the fuck!? He was given a tap on the shoulder and apology and rebooked to Chicago! Even though we were really worried, all of us laughed it off at the end. It's just ironic that we expected this to maybe happen in Russia, but in the end it ended up happening right here at home!"

Napalm Death new video on Myspace

Napalm Death never seem to give up! Their 14th album was recently released. They've made a music video for the title track Time Waits for No Slave and released it on Myspace a few days ago. I've a big fan of early Napalm Death but lost interest when they went a bit experimental on Diatribes etc. They are now back to their Grindcore roots.

This video did dissapoint me a bit. It seems like a metalcore/nu-metal video than Napalm Death. What do you think?


NAPALM DEATH - Time Waits For No Slave

Sabbat UK confirmed for Download festival

WOW! Sabbat have reformed and are playing festivals. This is excellent news. After a bit of research, it seems that they have reformed since 2006 and played in a few festivals, one of them was Day of Darkness which was done in Co. Laois, Ireland in 2007! Dammit! I missed to see them. They've also reissued History of a time to come & Dreamweaver to coincide with their reformation. Cradle of Filth has even covered Hosanna in Excelsis before and are one of their influences.

Sabbat are the first ever metal band that I ever listened to when I was 11. I used to live in Kangar, Perlis at the time in a 'Taman' or housing estate. I would cycle behind a mates' house and I could hear this racket and shrieking vocals. WTF?! I thought..... I borrowed the tape History of a Time to Come) from that mate (Thanks Zam Gemuk!) It sent goosebumps over me just listening for the first time ever this weird, violent music. This stuff is scary! The lyrics were crazy, such blasphemy! Hosanna in Excelsis, For those who died etc... This is great music!

Anyway, they've been confirmed for the Download festival which is in Donnington Castle on 14th June, this weekend!

News via blabbermouth.

Sabbat (UK) official site

Leave a comment on your 1st time ever listening to a metal album...

Varg Vickernes aka Count Grishnackh is free!

Count Grishnack era Black Metal Burzum

Never thought I'd see the day that Cunt Krishna (what the Mayhem hordes called him! hehe) is out of prison. I thought he just stole a Volvo with some guns and would kill some people in Norway. Yes that was true, but that was back in 2003. Only 5-6 years ago. Now it seems he's ready to be released from prison and live a normal life with his French wife and son. 16 years for murder of Euronymous, church burnings and attemped escape/grand theft auto/guns without permit. Norway seems cool!! Hehehe.

Euronymous

I liked his music though, early stuff not the ambient shit he did while in prison, from Filosefem onwards. The old Burzum shreds, like Aske EP, which was sold as Feeble Screams from Forrest Unknown if I remember correctly.

This is actually Dead who is dead and apparently Euronymous ate his brain and used a piece of skull for a necklace

Varg Vikernes (a.k.a. Count Grishnackh), the former BURZUM mastermind who was convicted of murdering MAYHEM guitarist Oystein Aarseth (a.k.a. Euronymous) in August 1993 and setting fire to three churches, is a free man.

"I can confirm that I have been released from prison," Vikernes told Norway's Dagbladet.

News from Blabbermouth via Dagbladet

Congratulations to Jairo Talak Desecrator!

This entry is a bit different. Jairo of the (in)famous band Mi Scusi hailing from Sabah, Malaysia, is getting married as reported in this post! Congratulations bro on your engagement & future wedding. Mi Scusi will be the entertainment for the wedding as he says. Horror Rock at it's best.

Even though we haven't met face to face, I kinda feel that I know him well through his postings at his blog & also on MetalTerus forums. If I was back in Malaysia during that time, I would love to go to Membakut.

All the best in married life. Semoga kekal ke anak cucu!

If you need any tips on marraige, you can ask me! hehehe or Abg Ben, since he's quite productive...

Dimmu Borgir comics? WTF?!!

Well Dimmu Borgir will be immortalized as comics according to this press release from Nuclear Blast. They just keep getting bigger & bigger but to me, their music has gone down with their increased popularity. Even Shagrath has now an A-list (or is it C?) girlfriend/fiancee and going to fashion shows. At least he's not gay like Big Gay'All of Gor'gay'roth or is he?



Terminal Press and Nuclear Blast Records have teamed up for one of the most brutal comics of the year with "Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress." This is the first in a series of books influenced by the lyrical, artistic and musical concepts from Nuclear Blast’s polarizing roster of bands translated into the comic medium by the creative teams at Terminal Press.

Three reluctant men are chosen to quest to the Dark Fortress in a desperate attempt to protect their land from a growing evil. Despite a legend warning that the harsh land built upon lava fields is actually the gateway to Hell, they make their way across the treacherous path, encountering horrors, madness and death along the way. The three men will either survive the journey and learn the secret behind the legend of the Dark Fortress, or meet a most gruesome demise.

"Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress" utilizes the artistic vision and lyrical themes of the biggest Black Metal band in the world, DIMMU BORGIR, to create a powerful and thought-provoking fantasy horror comic book.

"I am artistically influenced and more passionate about metal music than any other genre or medium” says Terminal Press publisher and writer Brian Ferrara. “This is a project that I have always wanted to do and have thought about for years. I wanted to bring metal bands into comics in a way that would do them justice. These are books for fans of the bands, but they will also be able to stand on their own."

"Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress" is written by Brian Ferrara (Silent Assassin, Debbie Does Dallas), with art by Narek Gevorgian (Silent Assassin, Tell Them Johnny Wadd is Here).

A "Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress" preview book containing original artwork and pin-ups created specifically for this edition will be available as a San Diego Comic Con Exclusive at the Nuclear Blast Records booth (#116). The Limited Edition print run will only be available at the convention and through TerminalPress.com.

"Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress" will be available later this year from Terminal Press. A promo image is available here.

Enslaved - Team up with Gibson Guitars!

Wow, Enslaved just gets better & better. From the humble beginnings with Osmose productions and currently with Nuclear Blast, Norways Enslaved have gone a long way! Not your typical Viking metal band nowadays - more progressive. No wonder the boys have officially inked a deal with Gibson! Listen to their latest album - Vertebrae.


In the world of extreme music, Norways ENSLAVED have always been a force to be reckoned with - and one that will not rest on its laurels: After almost two decades in the game, ENSLAVED have developed and widened their scope of pure dark music, incorporating progressive and atmospheric structures in their brand of Black Metal, giving Pink Floyd a make-over in hell, if you will.

To achieve this sound between depth and brutality, Ivar Bjornson (guitar), Grutle Kjellson (bass) and Ice Dale (guitars) have been using GIBSONs for a long time - so long in fact, that’s it’s time to make this partnership official:

GIBSON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS welcomes ENSLAVED to the family!

Comments the band:

“For any youngster GIBSON is a name held in great reverence; from the point you decide to become a guitarist onwards. When we saw Jimmy Page, Ace Frehley, Euronymous or Slash making magic happen on their GIBSONs, there was no turning back: it had to be a GIBSON.

Sure, you could catch us red-handed buying a pair of Levi’s lookalikes to save a buck, but with the guitars and basses there’s no question. We are where we dreamed of being back then, we’re recording albums and travelling the world to play live.

Loyalty surely paid off; now we have been admitted into the exclusive tribe of GIBSON endorsed artists. The guitar work and sound is one of ENSLAVED’s most distinctive features – it can only sound like that with GIBSON, as simple as that."

ENSLAVED’s latest opus Vertebrae was released in September 2008, the band is currently preparing for the festival season and is currently on tour with Opeth in North America.