Cult Of Fire to Perform with Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague at Brutal Assault



In a unique tribute to Czech classical composer, Bedřich Smetanat, black metal band, Cult Of Fire will join their forces with the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague. Together they will deliver a special set commissioned by Brutal Assault, an experience not seen at the festival before, and rarely elsewhere. Keep reading below for more details.
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Inferno Metal Festival Announces Official Art Exhibition



Inferno Festival Norway has officially announced the Inferno Art Exhibition, a journey through different mediums, exploring the minds of artists across their personal worlds of creativity, inspiration and imagination. The exhibit will take place from March 27-31 at Clarion The Hub Hotel, and will be open for public access on the opening day and weekend. Keep reading below for more information.
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Gorgoroth Replace At The Gates at Inferno Metal Festival


Inferno Metal Festival has announced that Gorgoroth has been added to the lineup, headlining the Friday, after At The Gates cancelled all of their upcoming live appearances. Taking place from March 28-31, 2024 across several venues in Oslo (NO), the event has opened refund requests for the Friday. Keep reading below for more information.
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Abbath, Darvaza, Devil Master, Dødheimsgard, Grand Magus, Impaled Nazarene, Khold, Primordial, Triumph Of Death and More Booked for Brutal Assault 2024


 

The blackest wave of black metal will undoubtedly come from a act whose name speaks for itself: Abbath will play the songs of ImmortalAll fans of the dark genre will also enjoy Triumph Of Death, who, led by Tom G. Warrior (Triptykon, Celtic Frost), will once again play the songs of the legendary Hellhammer. The strongest Norwegian wave with an inimitable style will come with the underground cult Tulus and the personally connected Khold, experimental and avant-garde tones with Dødheimsgard / DHG and Ved Buens Ende, and the Nidrosian-connected Darvaza will put on a wild show. Continue reading


Me And That Man, Mantar, Befouled and More Added to Inferno Festival 2024


Norway’s Inferno Metal Fest have announced another batch of artists for their March 2024 lineup. Now joining the bill – which already features At The Gates, Candlemass, and many others – are Me and That Man, Mantar, Befouled, Zustand Null, and Visegard. Find out more about these new additions in the article below.

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Inferno Metal Festival 2024 Books At The Gates and More


At The Gates – 2022 – Credit: Rich Price Photography

Norwegian metal festival, Inferno, recently revealed the second raft of bands added to their 2024 lineup. Additionally, they have just announced At The Gates will be joining the fray. As in previous years, the bill, spread across several Oslo venues, comprises of classic acts and newcomers, largely from the realms of extreme metal. 

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Borknagar, Sólstafir, Finntroll, Keep of Kalessin, Crypta and More are Booked for Inferno Festival 2024


 

Inferno Metal Festival is now revealing the first wave of bands for its 2024 edition, taking place from March 28-31, 2024 across several venues in Oslo (NO). So far, the iconic festival is revealing a mixture of classic bands as well as some vital and exciting new-comers! The current lineup is as follows:Continue reading


Khold – Til Endes


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Norway has long been known for its black metal output, championing artist producing both true black metal and more diversely inspired acts pushing the boundaries to create exciting new combinations. Khold are a band that has placed themselves distinctly towards the latter.

Mixing in a heavy dose of rock n roll set against a grim dissonant backing, Khold have created a distinctive sound that sets them apart from black metal purists while still retaining an oppressively darkened atmosphere. Guitar riffs weave their way over a prominent rattling bass lines tied together by Gard’s rasped vocals. The majority of the album remains mid-paced, particularly opening songs ‘Myr’ and ‘Ravnestrupe’, contrasting this however are later tracks ‘Dommens Arme’, ‘Avund’ and ‘Hengitt’ that race through towards the closing of the album.

While Khold have crafted a great sound for Tel Endes (Peaceville), the album’s real issue is with their unwillingness to stray from it at any point. All of the tracks maintain a similar atmosphere making the final section of the album a chore to get to and reducing any memorable features the album might contain. The vocals and guitars may vary their material, but the tone is maintained throughout reducing the impact of any contrast in the bands material and creating very little opportunity for the listener to really grasp onto something unique about an individual track.

For any black metal fan looking at straying into the move diversely inspired music making its way out of Norway at the moment, this is certainly an album to take an hour out for. The blackened groove coupled with clean production makes this a decent piece of work but the repetitive nature of the riffs and the atmosphere still leave it lagging behind many other bands working in the same area today.

 

6.0/10

Khold are too Khvlt for Facebook

 

CAITLIN SMITH


Anaal Nathrakh – Desideratum


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Relentless anarchic nihilistic violence spews from the bowels of Anaal Nathrakh once more as eighth album, and first for Metal Blade, Desideratum continues the bands legacy in fine style. Very few bands are this consistent over so many albums, but the fire rages deep and wild in Irrumator (Mick Kenney) and V.I.T.R.I.O.L (Dave Hunt), as the Black Country pair return with another lesson in pure musical ferocity.

Starting out as a black metal band, but one that sought to leave the second-wave behind by inflicting a vat of putrid filth on a dying scene, as Anaal Nathrakh have mutated chronologically and musically, the infiltration of industrial hostility and the development of Hunt’s cleaner vocals alongside his possessed throat-ripping for effect and choruses has seen a refinement of their sound. But this refinement hasn’t led to any sacrificing of intensity at the altar of progression; Desideratum, with its khold (sic) black metal motifs, down-tuned riffing, scatter-gun percussion, pseudo-anthemic choruses and sonic gargantuanism, hurtles with the dedicated purpose of a killing machine.

An interesting development to their sound sees a proliferation of frost-bitten blackened metal lines decorate various tracks, particularly on early pair ‘Unleash’ (a very appropriately titled first track proper) and ‘Monstrum In Animo’, tributes to Dissection, and the achievement of the vision Mayhem had on A Grand Declaration Of War (Necropolis) meshed with the revelation of what Fear Factory could have become.

The trick that Anaal master more than most is that this isn’t mindless raging at the dying of the light, theirs is not the beserker, but more and more they are demonstrating an exquisite ability to balance unadulterated extremity with a melodic touch (just a touch, mind) as with calculated intent they cleverly build layers and subtle touches to their barbarism, all with an eye firmly on the current, the modern, the relevant, such as the tar-thick contemporary riffing of the title track. Arriving halfway through the album ‘A Firm Foundation Of Unyielding Despair’ sounds like the bastard mutant offspring of the most intense of Slipknot and Satyricon.

Variety and quality are prevalent throughout; ‘Sub Specie Aeterni (Of Maggots and Humanity)’ is punk as fuck and venomous, before ‘The Joystream’ descends in a cascade of black metal, breakdowns, Goth/Industrial samples and splutters and a strong chorus, with a melancholic Katatoni(a)c lead, a softening kiss in a maelstrom. Yet even then, the intensity shows no sign of letting up, make no mistake, as, on Desideratum, Anaal Nathrakh have realized the beautifully disgusting union of extremity and massive back-splitting, carcass-gutting hooks.

The lion has long since devoured both dragon and child, but has now outgrown the underground and is ready to overwhelm the universe.

8.5/10

Anaal Nathrakh on Facebook

 

STEVE TOVEY


Incubate Festival Report


incubate festival 2013 posterLet’s tell you something about Incubate first; This cultural circus settles itself in Tilburg every year for a week. With art and theatre and music of various kinds, lectures and general cultural goodness it’s known to turn every pub into a venue. It’s not particularly known as a metal festival, however enticing us with a black metal Friday this year, billing names such as Immortal and Mayhem, we couldn’t resist to take a peek. This year Susanne Maathuis and Kaat van Doremalen will brave the tidal wave of different cultural influences to report on the darker and louder sides of this wonderful festival. On the 20th of September they were set up for a good night of some old-fashioned (and some new stuff) black metal. And even took a look at some nice doom on Sunday.Continue reading