Some album news for you this fine Thursday :)
Enslaved
Tomorrow Sept. 23, the first ever official vinyl version of Enslaved legendary debut album Vikingligr Veldi will be released. Discover the astonishing new layout done by Z. Bielak (Ghost, Mayhem, etc.), which includes four brand new illustrations specially made for the album. Z. Bielak has stayed true to the ideals of the era (it was originally scheduled for release on vinyl in 1993) and this 2LP Gatefold with illustrated pockets has been respectfully remastered for vinyl by Iver Sandøy; preserving every bit of original dynamics.
Artist Zbigniew M. Bielak says about his work for the album:
“I see ‘Vikingligr Veldi’ album as a landmark of its time, inseparably tied to the era’s opulently imaginative yet sparsely presented aesthetics – with booklet images (you can see an example of it above) from ‘Transilvanian Hunger’ or ‘Hvis Lyset Tar Oss’ coming to mind instantly. When we set out to work on this reissue, I suggested preparing four song illustrations to enchance narrative of the lyrics. It was a welcome non-surprise to learn that Ivar and Grutle had much of the detailed imagery in mind when working on the album already, so it was a pleasure to have own hand guided by a well outlined concept.”
You can order the extremely limited edition album here.
Wardruna
*Whilst technically not album news, it’s Wardruna so I’m making an exception
On October 6th, Wardruna will release an official music video and single for the song “Raido” from their upcoming album Runaljod – Ragnarok. The video is filmed, directed and produced by Finnish photographer Tuukka Koski and his team at Koski Syväri in the stunning surroundings of Sandhornøya in northern Norway. You can check out a teaser for the video below:
Forever Still
With their untamed female lead vocals and haunting melodies, the new wildfire named Forever Still started to spread from Denmark and is ready to burn down every shore with their first studio release Tied Down out on October 21st. The band now published their second album trailer and in this clip, singer Maja Shining speaks about the writing of her lyrics and explains where the inspiration for the album came from. You can check out the video below:
Crator
NYC Death Metal Outfit Crator are proud to announce the official release of debut album The Ones Who Create : The Ones Who Destroy. Featuring drummer John Longstreth (Origin), vocalist Jason Keyser (Origin), guitarist Jeff Leifer (Tentacles), and session bassist/engineer Colin Marston (Krallice), Crator plays a belligerent anti-form of technical Death Metal. Those seeking a truly fresh, mind-bending, and utterly destructive brand of Tech-Death are strongly encourage to give this band a listen. Ready yourself for the sounds of subterranean howls, clashing machinery, putrefied harmonies; in other words, the sounds of an accursed death force sharpening its blades for 2016! You can check out the monstrous album below:
Maschine
Young British progressive rockers Maschine have announced the release of their second studio album Naturalis for the 18th November 2016 on InsideOutMusic. The follow-up to the band’s debut Rubidium, this is the first to feature drummer James Stewart (Vader) & keyboardist/vocalist Marie-Eve de Gaultier. Lead guitarist & vocalist Luke Machin had this to say:
“I’m very proud of what we’ve done in the studio this time, we were very aware that the songs had to be the best we could do. After all, it does represent us at this point in time, and we were determined that everything about it should be the best that could be done.”
The 6 tracks that make up the main album fit into a loose concept. Machin continues:
“This is basically about natural events. It’s something I’ve been thinking about and working on for some time. My interest really began with the Japanese tsunami in 2011. It had such a far reaching effect on so many people. Once I had the idea for the album fixed in my head, the whole thing just snowballed. But what I didn’t want this to be was a record about natural disasters. That can be such a dark subject. What I wanted to emphasise was that there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope for mankind. And that’s the vibe I wanted to come through.”
