Supergroup Cemetery Skyline (Dark Tranquillity, Insomnium, Amorphis, Dimmu Borgir) Shares a New Single and Video for “Violent Storm”


Photo credit: Sam Jamsen

Supergroup Cemetery Skyline – featuring Melodic Death Metal Royalty Markus Vanhala, Mikael Stanne, Santeri Kallio, Vesa Ranta, Victor Brandt – drops single/video, “Violent Storm!”  While you can check out “Violent Storm” on all digital platforms, make sure to watch the video that was filmed by Patric Ullaeus (rEvolver Film Company), as it documents a very special moment in the band’s history:Continue reading


Firespawn – The Reprobate


Formed in 2015 after the well documented dissolution and formation of Entombed and Entombed A.D., Swedish supergoup Firespawn (known briefly as Fireborn) comprises guitarists Victor Brandt (Entombed AD) and Fredrik Folkare (Unleashed), bassist Alex “Impaler” Friberg (Necrophobic), former Dark Funeral drummer Matte Modin, and of course, legendary Entombed vocalist L-G Petrov.Continue reading


Firespawn – Shadow Realms


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The concept of the “Supergroup” may date back to the sixties with bands like Cream and Humble Pie, but it’s one which only began to infiltrate the heavier end of the music spectrum in the late ’80s. It wasn’t until Down arrived with NOLA (Elektra) in 1995 that Metal fans started to recognise its increasing validity.

These days, Supergroups have been popping up with such regularity that you can barely get out of bed for tripping over one. The term has also been stretched enough over the years to incorporate smaller bands as well as the more famous names, even reaching into unlikely genre-specific corners such as Black and Death Metal.

Hailing from sunny Sweden, Firespawn (known until recently as Fireborn) consists of guitarists Victor Brandt (Entombed AD) and Fredrik Folkare (Unleashed), bassist Alex Friberg (Necrophobic) and drummer Matte Modin (ex-Dark Funeral). However, it is vocalist L.G. Petrov who will be the most recognisable face, being the long-serving frontman of Death Metal legends Entombed.

Shadow Realms (Century Media) opens with ‘The Emperor’, a track which hisses and boils with pure Blackened Death Metal aggression. Those more at home listening to Petrov’s distinctive “Death’n’Roll” style vocals will be punched squarely in the ears by the bladder-loosening ferocity of his untamed Death Metal roar. The more mid-paced ‘Imperial Burning’ stomps its way across your face next, it’s punishing groove just as effective as the slashing speed of the preceding track. ‘Lucifer Has Spoken’ will be familiar to some listeners as the band originally released it back in August. Another slow to mid-paced affair, a nicely atmospheric chanted Latin section and a great guitar solo make this one of the better tracks on the album.

The unrelenting speed returns with the brutal but fairly forgettable ‘Spirit of the Black Tide’ and is followed by the short acoustic interlude ‘Contemplate Death’. ‘All Hail’ is up next with its big drums and bigger chorus, and things continue forward in a positive, albeit straightforward direction. ‘Ruination’ is all bluff and bluster, however. Fast and aggressive but leaving the memory the moment it  finishes, while ‘Necromance’ looks set to be another throwaway track until it suddenly kicks into life halfway through. Bizarrely, ‘Shadow Realms’ is one of the album’s weaker moments. Considering title tracks are so often the lynchpin of a whole album, this one just doesn’t grab you at any point. It’s fast and heavy, but contains nothing to really sink your teeth into.

Instrumentally speaking, the Behemoth-esque ‘Ginnunga’ sounds great, but Petrov’s vocals really don’t do the song justice. Not poorly performed or particularly weak, his voice is just nowhere near as fearsome as it should be for a song like this. Closer ‘Infernal Eternal’ is another decent, if unspectacular cut but it does feature a magnificent played guitar solo, quite probably the best on the album.

Although certainly not a bad record, Shadow Realms is pretty basic, generic stuff which never really pushes itself as far as you would like. It’s ferocious enough, tightly played with a strong production, and there are moments when everything sounds like it’s suddenly going to fall into place and move up a couple of gears. Unfortunately, it never quite does.

 

7.0/10

 

GARY ALCOCK


Entombed AD Bassist Filling In For Six Feet Under On Upcoming Euro Tour


Bassist Victor Brandt of Entombed AD will fill in for Six Feet Under on the upcoming Hatefest Tour.

Bassist Victor Brandt of Entombed AD will fill in for Six Feet Under on the upcoming Hatefest Tour.

Six Feet Under have enlisted Entombed AD bassist Victor Brandt for their upcoming European HateFest Tour with Marduk, Vader and Hate as support, with Elsregen and Debauchery on weekend dates. Stream “Open Coffin Orgy” off of Crypt Of The Devil, out May 5, 2015 via Metal Blade Records.

Comments SIX FEET UNDER frontman Chris Barnes,

“Thanks to all the fans for the great response to the upcoming new SFU release, Crypt Of The Devil, and the first track, ‘Open Coffin Orgy.’ We are currently getting ready for our upcoming European tour with Vader and Marduk on HateFest. It will be a cataclysmic event. Do not miss it. Also for this run of dates we want to let you know that stepping in for our bass player, Jeff Hughell, will be Victor Brandt from Entombed. Steve Marco and myself are very much looking forward to sharing the stage with Victor while Jeff and his wife Fazi welcome the birth of their first child! It’s gonna be a great year for SIX FEET UNDER! Can’t wait to see you all soon!”

Adds Brandt:

“I am very proud and happy to step in for my good friend and Warwick brother, Jeff Hughell, on bass with the mighty SIX FEET UNDER for their upcoming tour in Europe. We’re gonna have a blast! See you in the pit and/or the bar.”

Six Feet Under w/ Marduk, Vader, Hate:
Apr 02: Hellraiser – Leipzig (DE)
Apr 03: Gasometer – Wien (AT) w/ Eisregen, Debauchery
Apr 04: Z7 – Pratteln (CH) w/ Eisregen, Debauchery
Apr 05: Weststadthalle – Essen (DE) w/ Eisregen, Debauchery
Apr 06: Garage – Saarbrücken (DE)
Apr 07: Club Vaudeville – Lindau (DE)
Apr 08: Rockfabrik – Ludwigsburg (DE)
Apr 09: Markthalle – Hamburg (DE)
Apr 10: Musichall – Geiselwind (DE) w/ Eisregen, Debauchery
Apr 11: Backstage – München (DE) w/ Eisregen, Debauchery
Apr 12: Postbahnhof – Berlin (DE) w/ Eisregen, Debauchery

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