INJURY FORCES BALFOR GUITARIST TO QUIT THE BAND

Ukrainian Black Metallers BALFOR, whose new album “Barbaric Blood” is due out on Pulverised Records during 2010, issued a statement today announcing that guitarist AGNARR has been forced to quit the band following a recent injury that is serious enough to stop the guitarist performing both live and in the studio. BALFOR founder and front man THORGEIR commented: “We are very sorry that this has happened t o AGNARR. It’s a terrible thing when a musician is no longer able to play, and he is one of those musicians with a natural talent and a lot of experience. We hope that he will be able to overcome the effects of the injury and eventually be able to return to playing. BALFOR is certainly going to miss both his musicianship and his companionship”.

DRAGON-T, former guitarist with the Thrash Metal band HELL:ON, will replace AGNARR. “Once again we have been lucky in our search for a guitarist. DRAGON-T is as skilled as AGNARR, both live and when it comes to recording, and the fact that he was available just when we needed him was a stroke of good fortune for us”. His first live appearance with BALFOR will be at the Metal Heads Mission Festival in Kiev on the 18^th April, where BALFOR are due to headline. Upcoming live dates for BALFOR as follows:

18 April: MHM, Sky Hall Club, Kiev, UA
22 May: Hot Jam Club, Lugansk, UA
23 May: Vorovskogo Club, Dimitroy, UA
06 July: Rockmaraton Festival, Pecs, HU

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/balforhorde
Web Site: http://www.balfor.info
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/balforofficial
ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/balfor
Band Contact: balforhorde@gmail.com
Management: http://www.myspace.com/viewfromthebacksofmirrors
Label: http://www.pulverised.net
Label Contact: calvin@pulverised.net

BYFROST, GRAVDAL, HELLISH OUTCAST CONFIRMED FOR HOLE IN THE SKY 2010

In alphabetical order! BYFROST, GRAVDAL and HELLISH OUTCAST have all been confirmed to appear at the Hole in the Sky Festival to be held in August, in Bergen, Norway.

BYFROST are scheduled to play at the Incoming Event, on the 24th August, at the Garage venue.

GRAVDAL and HELLISH OUTCAST will appear at the Hits for Kidz event, on the 28th August, also at the Garage venue. This event is one of the very few Metal events world-wide that has no entry age limit.

BYFROST on MySpace: www.myspace.com/byfrostmetal

GRAVDAL on MySpace: www.myspace.com/gravdal

HELLISH OUTCAST on MySpace: www.myspace.com/hellishoutcast

VULTURE INDUSTRIES HEAD TO ROMANIA IN THE AUTUMN

VULTURE INDUSTRIES, the Norwegian avant-garde metallers, will head to Romania for the first time this autumn, to take part in a special event on the 16^th October at the Silver Church Club in Bucharest. Billed by the organisers as a “Labyrinthic Metal Evening”, the bill also includes Sweden’s SHINING and Germany’s THE VISION BLEAK, as well as NIGHTINGALE, INDIAN FALL and KISTVAEN.

Currently putting the finishing touches to VULTURE INDUSTRIES’ forthcoming album is Bjornar E. Nilsen (BLACK HOLE GENERATOR), who, aside from being the band’s front man, is also a producer, and who, together with ENSLAVED’s Herbrand Larsen and Arve Isdal, co-owns the Conclave and Earshot Studios where the album is being recorded. Larsen will also be helping with the production of the 7-track album, which is a follow up to the 2007 debut “The Dystopia Journals”, and is due for release on DARK ESSENCE RECORDS during the first half of this year.

Bergen-based VULTURE INDUSTRIES comprises a line up that includes some of the most experienced musicians on the local scene. Aside from Nilsen himself on vocals, synths and programming, band members include Øyvind Madsen (SULPHUR, ex-ENSLAVED, sessions guitars for DEATHCON) and Eivind Huse (SULPHUR, ex-SYRACH) on guitars, Kyrre Teigen on bass and Tor Helge Gjengedal (MALICE IN WONDERLAND, ex-SULPHUR, ex-TAAKE) on drums.

Commenting on the new album, Nilsen had this to say: “The new material generated a special excitement amongst the band while we were working on it in the studio, because it became obvious to everyone involved that we had developed a sound that is very distinctly and unmistakably VULTURE INDUSTRIES. The songs are longer than our previous ones, with the shortest one clocking in at 5 minutes, and we are very much looking forward to introducing them to a live audience”.

The vinyl edition of “The Dystopia Journals” will be released on the US label RAGNAROK RECORDS in the spring. More information about VULTURE INDUSTRIES can be found on MySpace at www.myspace.com/vultureindustries

VULTURE INDUSTRIES INFO:
Vulture Industries on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/vultureindustries
Vulture Industries Website: http://www.vulture-industries.net
Vulture Industries on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vultureindustries
Vulture Industries on ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/vultureindustries
Dark Essence Records: http://www.darkessencerecords.no

SCULPTOR SPACEBRAIN DESIGNS STAGE SET FOR MAYHEM’S INFERNO FESTIVAL APPEARANCE

Sculptor SPACEBRAIN (René M. Hamel) has once again teamed up with legendary Black Metallers MAYHEM, this time to design the stage set that the band will use for its appearance at his year’s Inferno Festival, in Oslo, Norway, on the Friday 2^nd April. SPACEBRAIN first worked with MAYHEM several years ago, designing the startling and aggressive sets that were such an integral part of the band’s live image, and, according to the sculptor, the set for Inferno will be “A crazy mixture of steel, blood and flesh. Think along the lines of Hellraiser, and you might get some sort of idea of what I have in mind”.

Aside from his work as a sculptor, SPACEBRAIN branched out into music in early 2007 when he took up the bass and joined SKITLIV, the blackened doom project of former MAYHEM front man MANIAC. It was his set design for SKITLIV that caused a stir at Inferno in 2008 when the curtains opened to show the band playing in a seemingly safe and cosy parlour setting, which contrasted sharply with the doom-laden riffs and unpredictable nature of the music and the musicians themselves.

Although his collaboration with MANIAC continues, with SPACEBRAIN applying his talents as an artist to work with the front man on a new video for the SKITLIV, the sculptor is no longer a part of the band, having left to concentrate on his own musical project, SUCHTHAUS, a band whose musical direction veers more towards an industrial sound, but which encompasses aspects from many genres. SUCHTHAUS’ line up includes DIE STIMMEN on vocals, SICK BARRETT on guitars and DJ FLASHBACK on “electric Lucifer”. SKITLIV guitarist Ingvar Magnusson has been known to make a guest appearance, and David Tibet (CURRENT 93) allowed the use of some of his work on the track “Indian Run” which can also be heard on SUCHTHAUS’ MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/suchthaus

German born SPACEBRAIN is now permanently based in Oslo and works from a large studio in the city, part of which has been turned into a venue knows as the Spacebunker, where some of his extraordinary sculptures and unique items from past stage sets, including some from the famous MAYHEM sets, are on display.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Spacebrain: http://www.myspace.com/spacebrainartfromhell

Suchthaus: http://www.myspace.com/suchthaus

Spacebrain: http://www.myspace.com/spacebrainartfromhell

The Spacebunker: http://www.myspace.com/spacebunker

Höllen Engel: http://www.myspace.com/putsatanachia

Spacebrain Contact: trash.spacebrain@werket.com

Consultant – Patricia Thomas Band Management: http://www.myspace.com/viewfromthebacksofmirrors

GRAVDAL DEBUTS TWO TRACKS FROM "TORTURMANTRA" WITH GUEST VOCALS FROM SHINING'S NIKLAS KVARFORTH

“Hydrestund I Helvete” and “Mishandlet”, two tracks from the forthcoming “Torturmantra” album from Norwegian Black Metallers GRAVDAL, are being debuted on the band’s MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/gravdal. Both tracks illustrate the new directions taken by the band that, without losing the distinctive GRAVDAL sound, has added new depth and variety to the original “in your face “Black Metal of the first album” Sadist. “Mishandlet”, is, in fact, the first time the band has written and performed a much slower track, which in this case deals with the pain of abuse. SHINING front man Niklas Kvarforth performs guest vocals on the track and delivers an intense and disturbing performance.

Part of the prolific Bergen music scene, GRAVDAL was formed in 2005 by guitarist Phobos (AETERNUS, MALSAIN, GALAR) and drummer Taakesjel (BIZARREKULT), and now includes Galge on vocals and Specter on guitars. “Torturmantra”, the band’s sophomore album, was produced by ENSLAVED’s Herbrand Larsen, and recorded by Larsen, Bjørnar E. Nilsen (VULTURE INDUSTRIES, BLACK HOLE GENERATOR) and Arve Isdal (ENSLAVED, AUDREY HORNE) at their Conclave and Earshot studios in Bergen. "Mishandlet" was recorded in Sweden at the Erebus Odora studios and produced by Peter Bjärgö. Artwork on the nine-track album is by the Norwegian artist Robert Høyem, who has worked with bands like SLAGMAUR and GALAR. “Torturmantra” is due for release on Unexploded Records within the next few weeks. Track listing as follows:

1. Hydrestund I Helvete

2. Slave

3. Eg E Ditt Helvete

4. Mishandlet

5.

6. Torturmantra

7. Pulsen Vakler

8. Klastrert På Ambolt

9. Slutt

GRAVDAL will be joined on bass by Dreggen (BLACK HOLE GENERATOR, AETERNUS, SWORN, ex-TAAKE), for the band’s appearance at the Inferno Festival in Oslo on the 31st March, at the Garage venue, and for the European tour with GORGOROTH and KEEP OF KALESSIN during April. Dates as follow:

Fri 09 - Belgium, Vosselaar @ Biebob

Sat 10 - Holland, Rotterdam @ Baroeg

Sun 11 - France, Paris @ Trabendo

Mon 12 - Germany, Hamburg @ Marx

Tue 13 - Germany, Cologne @ Essigfabrik

Wed 14 - Germany, Ludwigsburg @ Rockfabrik

Thur 15 - Italy, Milan @ Magazzini Generali

Fri 16 - Germany, Osnabrück @ N8

Sat 17 - Germany, Glauchau @ Alte Spinnerei

More information about GRAVDAL can be found on the band’s MySpace page, which has been redesigned by “Torturmantra” cover artist Robert Høyem, athttp://www.myspace.com/gravdal.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/gravdal

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gravdalofficial ;

ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/gravdal

Band Contact: info@gravdalsadist.com

Management: patriciathomas@btinternet.com

Booking: info@gravdalsadist.com or patriciathomas@btinternet.com

DEBUT ALBUM FROM MANIAC’S DARKWAVE SEHNSUCHT PROJECT RELEASED ON COLD SPRING RECORDS

“Wüste”, the debut album from SEHNSUCHT, the noise/darkwave/ambient project from Maniac (SKTILIV, MANIAC/LILES/CZRAL, BOMBEROS, VOLUSPA, SEPTIC CUNTS, TOTENKOPF, VERNICHTUNG, STATUS FATAL, ex MAYEHM) hit the streets on the 8th March, on Cold Spring Records. Recorded in Oslo, Tokyo and Heptonstall, “Wüste” was engineered and mixed by Maniac and Andrew Liles (NURSE WITH WOUND, CURRENT 93), with final mix and postproduction also by Liles. Released in a 6-panel digipak format, track listing on “Wüste” is as follows.

1: Sult
2: Cunt Queen
3: South of Cincinnati
4: Wüste
5: Tarn of Guilt
6: Good Morning Great Moloch
7: Stadt Der Engel Der Vernichtung
8: Tokyo Daymare
9: Hanging in English Gardens

One of the early pioneers of the Black Metal genre, and one of its most instantly recognisable vocalists for over 20 years, Maniac has, since quitting MAYHEM, concentrated on moving away from the genre for which he is most noted, so that he can develop and explore other musical avenues. Whilst his blackened doom band SKITLIV retains some vestiges of his Black Metal vocal style, SEHNSUCHT is a complete departure, forging as it does, a much more experimental path. Aside from Maniac himself on vocals, guitars, loops, electronics and field recordings, SEHNSUCHT includes in its line up experimentalist Andrew Liles on FX, electronics and sound-design, Vivian Slaughter (GALLHAMMER) on bass, alto sax, FX, vocals and backing vocals, and SKITLIV guitarist Ingvar Magnusson.

Continuing the collaboration between Maniac and Cold Spring Records, also released on the same day is “Bloodletting”, a limited edition three-track 10” picture disc from SKTILIV. Side A, which is illustrated by part of a painting by David Tibet, features the track “Slow Pain Coming” (Cold Spring Mix) and opens with the intro “Who Will Deliver Us From Gold And Planets”, which is the piece of music usually used by SKITLIV as an introduction to live performances. “Who Will Deliver Us…” was created and recorded by David Tibet and Andrew Liles at the request Maniac, and is described as “an introductory collage destruct”. Side B is illustrated with a painting by the Norwegian artist Munch and features the extremely hard to find demo version of the track “A Valley Below”. The disc is strictly limited to 777 copies and will not be reprinted again.

More information about SEHNSUCHT can be found on the band’s MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/sehnsuchtofficial

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Sehnsucht on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sehnsuchtofficial
Sehnsucht on ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/sehnsucht
Skitliv on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/skitliv777
Skitliv on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skitlivofficial
Skitliv on ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/skitliv
Maniac/Liles/Czral on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/maniaclilesczralofficial
Maniac Management & Booking: patriciathomas@btinternet.com
Cold Spring: http://www.coldspring.co.uk email: info@coldspring.co.uk

NEW RELEASES FROM COR SCORPII, GALAR & SULPHUR ON DARK ESSENCE RECORDS

The 1st March sees three new releases from the Dark Essence Record label. “Monument” from Extreme Metallers COR SCORPII and “Til Alle Heimsens Endar” from Black-Folk Metallers GALAR, whilst SULPHUR’s “Thorns in Existence”, which first appeared in Norway in November of last year, gets its worldwide release.

COR SCORPII was formed in late 2004 by former WINDIR/ULCUS keyboard player Gaute Refsnes, who, following the tragic death of Terje "Valfar" Bakken, and the subsequent WINDIR farewell concert, felt that the time was right to focus some of his own musical ideas into a new band. COR SCORPII, as the band came to be called, plays music that blends melody with aggression, and the first demo, "Attergangar", was recorded in 2005 and was an immediate success. "Attergangar” has been re-mastered by ENSLAVED’s Herbrand Larsen at the Conclave and Earshot Studios in Bergen, and has been included in “Monument” as a bonus, making the entire album twelve tracks in total - twelve tracks that are played with skill and emotion. The first edition of “Monument” comes in a limited slip case format.

GALAR comprises a permanent two-man line up with M. Kristiansen on screams, guitars and bass and A. B. Lauritzen on clean vocals, bassoon and grand piano. For “Til Alle Heimsens Endar” they have called upon a set of contributors for that draws on notable artists from a variety of musical disciplines including Phobos (GRAVDAL, AETERNUS, MALSAIN) on drums, Ricardo Odriozola on first and second violins, Hans Gunnar Hagen on viola, Siri Hilmen on cello, Morten Nome on double bass, and Cecile Langlie on female vox. It is GALAR’s ability to mix blast beats and grim vocals, with haunting melodies played on a-typical instruments that enables the band to create an atmosphere with their music that is redolent of both traditional folk and the extremes of black metal. The first edition of “Til Alle Heimsens Endar” comes in a limited slip case format.

SULPHUR rose from the ashes of the nineties Black Metal outfit TAAKERIKET at the turn of the millennium, intent on following a path that lay between death and black metal, with a liberal sprinkling of progressive mindset. Comprising current and former members of bands such as GORGOROTH, AETERNUS, ENSLAVED and VULTURE INDUSTRIES, is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. The SULPHUR of today is fiercer and more challenging then ever before. The musical landscapes that the band is willing to explore are limitless and the resulting album, “Thorns In Existence”, is an album with touches of avant-garde that is willing to challenge, thrill and destroy the listener. Production by Bjørnar Erevik Nilsen at the Conclave & Earshot Studios (HELHEIM, TAAKE, THE BATALLION etc.) ensures that the album has the powerful sound the music deserves.

The above releases can all be bought from the Dark Essence Records Web Shop at http://karismarecords.no/catalog/

DARK ESSENCE RECORDS

Dark Essence contact: post@karismarecords.no

Dark Essence Records: www.darkessencerecords.no

Dark Essence on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/darkessencerecords

Dark Essence on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkessencerecords

COR SCORPII

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/corscorpii

Website: http://www.corscorpii.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=65816671

GALAR

MySpace: www.myspace.com/galarmetal

Website: http://www.galar.no

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Galar/161537332115 ;

SULPHUR

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sulphur666

Website: http://www.sulphur.no

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SULPHURBAND