The Proof OV HELL...

Ov Hell, a new "super-group" of Norwegian Black Metal artist consisting of noticeable personalities such as Shagrath (Dimmu Borgir)on vocals , King ov Hell (God Seed, I, Sahg, ex-Gorgoroth) on bass, Frost (Satyricon) on drums, Ice Dale (Enslaved) on guitar, and Teloch (Nidingr, God Seed, touring guitarist for 1349) on guitar. Ov Hell has completed work on their first studio album. "The Underworld Regime" is due in early February 2010 via Indie Recordings. The tracks were recorded at Earshot Studio.

"The Underworld Regime" was produced by Herbrand Larsen and mastered in Livingroom studios by Espen Berg and Shagrath, under the influence of the swine flu and Streptococcus, November 2009. King wrote all of the music for the album, while Shagrath wrote all lyrics with contributions from Silenoz and Sarah Owens. The Underworld Regime track listing is as follows:

1. Devil’s Harlot
2. Post Modern Sadist
3. Invoker
4. Perpetual Night
5. Ghosting
6. Acts of Sin
7. Krigsatte Faner
8. Hill Norge

Two rough-mix sample tracks from "The Underworld Regime" can be heard on the band's MySpace page.

www.myspace.com/ovhell

Here's a sample of the blasphemy to come:

Ov Hell - Devil's Harlot (The Underworld Regime):

Evangelion - Spreading the Good Gospel (of the Horns)!

Behemoth is a Polish blackened death metal band from Gdańsk, formed in 1991. They are considered to have played an important role in establishing the Polish extreme metal underground. Until the late 1990s, the band played traditional black metal with heathen lyrical content, but soon changed to that of occult and thelemic themes written by their lead vocalist Nergal and Krzysztof Azarewicz. With the release of their album Satanica (1999), the band showed their presence in the blackened death metal scene, while retaining their own signature style characterized by the drum work of Inferno, multi-layered vocals and Nile-esque Middle-Eastern influences. Even though Behemoth has been labeled as death metal, black metal or thrash influenced, the band (mainly Nergal himself) has mentioned that they do not want the band to be labeled, allowing them to maintain artistic freedom with their music.

Behemoth may at some point become banned from playing in their native country, Poland. In July 2007 the All-Polish Committee for Defense Against Sects distributed a list of bands that allegedly promote Satanism and murder to many Polish officials. Critics of this policy primarily see this as a violation of free speech, with the most scathing criticism generally eminating from within the metal community. As of present, the list has not gone into effect, and Behemoth is still allowed to play in Poland freely, but the band provoked further controversy in February 2008 when an official complaint had been registered by the committee, which cited a bible-tearing incident on behalf of band frontman Nergal at a concert in September 2007.

Though their music can take on sort of an avant garde, discordant, and dysrhythmic tone, Behemoth play some complex syncopatic masterpieces. Sort of similar to those found in classical music.

Current members:
Adam "Nergal" Darski - vocals, guitars, acoustic guitar, synthesizer, programming (1991 - present)
Tomasz "Orion" Wróblewski - bass guitar, backing vocals (2004 - present)
Zbigniew Robert "Inferno" Promiński - drums (1997 - present)
Patryk "Seth" Sztyber - guitars, backing vocals (2004 - present)

Here's a track from, the soon-to-be-released album, Evangelion entitled Ov Fire and the Void. Take listen, and I hope you enjoy. Thanks.

Process of Guilt

Process of Guilt is a wonderful Doom/Death band from Portugal. Similar in style to bands like early -My Dying Bride, Draconian, Daylight Dies, etc... They have a wonderful new album coming out this year called Erosion, which I've been privy to hearing... and I must say that it's a really good album. Here's a song from their album called Renounce. The song is Fragments... enjoy!

Wolfchant is a band formed in St. Oswald, Germany in August 2003 by Lokhi, Gaahnt, Skaahl and Norgahd. Wolfchant's lyrics deal with legends and folk tales from Nordic Mythology. In August 2005 they signed a record contract with CCP Records. With the first full length album Bloody Tales of Disgraced Lands (2005) the band gained supra-regional respect. In February 2007 Nattulv became member of Wolfchant after former bass guitar Gaahnt quit the band for familiar reasons. Nattulv was replaced by Bahznar, who will be on their upcoming album Determined Damnation which is set for release sometime in 2009.

Until then, enjoy this song from the upcoming album... World in Ice!

Classical Italian Brutal Death Metal...

(taken from Willowtip Records site)

Willowtip Records has officially signed Rome, Italy group FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE. Previously signed to Neurotic Records, the band is set to release it's debut album Oracles via Willowtip in 2009. Featuring current members of Hour Of Penance, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE play death metal with a "classical" approach; inspired by Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation, and infuenced by J.S. Bach and L. Van Beethoven.

You can learn more by visiting their page at www.myspace.com/fleshgodapocalypse.

Nothing exists but you...

Recently I posted a link on my blog. Upon watching it, it piqued my curiosity, so I decided to hunt the story down. It’s The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain. Upon reading it, I came upon the following quote:

In a little while you will be alone in shoreless space, to wander its limitless solitudes without friend or comrade forever--for you will remain a thought, the only existent thought, and by your nature inextinguishable, indestructible. But I, your poor servant, have revealed you to yourself and set you free. Dream other dreams, and better! You perceive, now, that these things are all impossible except in a dream. You perceive that they are pure and puerile insanities, the silly creations of an imagination that is not conscious of its freaks - in a word, that they are a dream, and you the maker of it. The dream-marks are all present; you should have recognized them earlier. It is true, that which I have revealed to you; there is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven, no hell. It is all a dream - a grotesque and foolish dream. Nothing exists but you. And you are but a thought - a vagrant thought, a useless thought, a homeless thought, wandering forlorn among the empty eternities!


I wondered what exactly was Twain trying to get at here. Then, after a few minutes, it donned on me. The quote sounded like an analogy of DEATH. To me anyway. This got me thinking… what if death is like becoming a disembodied thought?

Years ago I thought it would be great to exist in such a state. No pain of a body and anything you could dream up was your very reality. But now, a little older, I wonder: if I were a dream and realized it, would I have the same desires? Would I want to dream the same dreams? Probably not. Like winning the lottery at 80 years old. What good does it do you then? Life is sickening and hollow. More and more I struggle to find the purpose, particularly on a personal level but I fall short. I think I see the answer... I'll have to ponder on it some more. Maybe one day; probably the last ones; I'll have these thoughts more organized and coherent. Perhaps I’ll leave a book for the world, and hopefully some über religious group won’t get a hold of it and burn it.

A new world will arise from the sea... Naglfar sets sail.

It's not a secret. I've been a fan of mythology since I was old enough to read. Among my favorite is Nordic Mythology, especially the tale of Naglfar.

Naglfar was a ship made entirely from the fingernails and toenails of the dead. During Ragnarök, Naglfar will be freed from the land and sailed to Vígríðr, the battlefield, by Hrym along with an army of jötunn. The ship will lead hordes against the gods in the last war at the end of time, before a new world will arise from the sea.

Now, flash forward to the year 1992 in Umeå in the far north of Sweden where the bitter cold nights of
winter arrive much earlier and linger longer than ever. In cool Stockholm the two friends Kristoffer W. Olivius (bass) and Jens Rydén (vocals) start to lay down the keel of the band Uninterred.

Shortly, thereafter, Naglfar raised up from the depths and sailed toward the battlefield. Now, as a complete outfit, they enter legendary Abyss Studio (owned/operated by Peter Tägtgren of Hypocrisy/The Abyss/ Pain/Bloodbath/etc... fame) in 1995 to record their first album entitled Vitra. Now, 14 years and five albums later, Naglfar is still going strong. Granted, their last album came out in 2007 (Harvest), I patiently await the release of their next album.

In the meantime, you should get to know this wonder, albeit underrated, METAL force. To get you started, click the video below and enjoy:

Naglfar - The Perpetual Horrors (from the album Pariah)