SEEN AND HEARD: TEMPLE OF VOID, AZARATH, SKULLDRAIN, TEHOM, VLADIMIR PAVELKA, DEVIL’S FORCE

 

I’m pressed for time today, but I wanted to get this round-up of news and new music posted not only because I’m excited about what’s in it, but also because if I wait, I know it will be overtaken by still more new releases that get me excited. So I’ve truncated my own blather, though I know that will cause weeping on a global scale.

TEMPLE OF VOID

Yesterday, Shadow Kingdom Records revealed Paolo Girardi’s cover art for the new second album by Detroit’s Temple of Void, entitled Lords of Death. And this, therefore, makes the second post today in which the Italian maestro’s artwork has appeared at the top of our page.

 

 

I’m pretty damned excited about the music, too, and if you don’t know why, listen to their debut album Of Terror and the Supernatural (2015). This band created doom/death of a high order.

 

 

However, it seems the death will receive more focus than the doom this time around, according to this excerpt from the press release we received:

“It’s still signature Temple of Void, to be sure, but Lords of Death emits an enviable amount of focus and forward momentum, with the band largely ditching the doomier tropes in favor of ones reflective of their all-consuming onstage power. Instead, Temple of Void emphasized the deathlier aspects of their debut, but pumped them full of addicting, headbanging energy.

“Put another way, whereas Of Terror and the Supernatural was doom with death metal, Lords of Death is death metal with doom. Fittingly, the production here is utterly CRUSHING, and once again recorded at Mount Doom in Detroit.”

Here’s the track list:

1. The Charnel Unearthing
2. Wretched Banquet
A Watery Internment
3. The Hidden Fiend
4. An Ominous Journey
5. The Gift
6. Graven Desires
7. Deceiver in the Shadows

https://www.facebook.com/templeofvoid
http://www.templeofvoid.bandcamp.com

http://www.shadowkingdomrecords.com
https://www.facebook.com/shadowkingdomrecords

 

 

 

 

 

 

AZARATH

Azarath was formed in 1998 by Inferno, the drummer of Behemoth, and he’s now joined by Bart (Armagedon, Damnation) on guitars, Necrosodom (Anima Damnata, Deus Mortem, ex-Infernal War) on vocals and guitars, and Peter (ex-Lost Soul) on bass. Six years after the last record, the new Azarath album In Extremis will be released on April 7 by Agonia Records. The cover art is by Marta Promińska (Hypnagogic Painting).

Today brought the release of a lyric video for the first single from the new album, “At The Gates Of Understanding”, and that’s the next item in this collection.

 

Pre-orders are available at:
Physical: http://tinyurl.com/preinextremis
Digital: http://tinyurl.com/inextredigi

Azarath on-line:
https://www.facebook.com/AzarathBand/
http://www.azarath.pl

Agonia Records:
http://agoniarecords.com
https://facebook.com/agoniarecords

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SKULLDRAIN

The next item in this collection includes artwork by another of my favorites, Costin Chioreanu. It appears on the cover of Hatred Rising, the new album by Sweden’s Skulldrain, which will be released by ViciSolum Records on April 14.

Skulldrain’s line-up includes guitarist Sami Mäki (ex-Undivine, ex-Altered Aeon), drummer Emil Berglin (FKÜ, Sorcery, Sordid Flesh), guitarist Eki Kumpulainen (Demonical, ex-Undivine), and vocalist/bassist Kristofer Elemyr (Ereb Altor, ex-Undivine, ex-Sectu).

What you’ll find below is a vicious thrash attack from the new album with the great name of “White Phosphorus Bombings“.

http://vicisolumrecords.com/album/hatred-rising

https://www.facebook.com/skulldrainmetal/

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEHOM

April 21 is the date that Blood Harvest Records has set for release of the debut album (on CD and vinyl) by another Swedish band, Tehom. The album’s name is The Merciless Light.

Drawing inspiration from the teachings of chaos gnosticism, Tehom have created satanic death metal that erupts from “the open vortex and raging nexus wherein the Black and the Red Dragon coils entwined, eternally seething and dreaming, within and without, beyond and between….”

The track you can hear below is “The Smoldering Vessels”.

Track List:

1. Absorbed Into The Will Of The Gre
2. The Smoldering Vessels
3. Faith From Water
4. Hearth Of Perdition
5. With Patience And Faith
6. Tehom Invocation
7. Voices From The Darkside

http://www.bloodharvest.se
http://www.bloodharvestrecords.bandcamp.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VLADIMÍR PAVELKA

Vladimír Pavelka is the solo project of one of the members (Infernalvlad) of the remarkable Czech bands Cult of Fire and Death Karma. Around the end of March the Beyond Eyes label will release a 7″ vinyl EP named Pod nočným závojom (“under the nocturnal veil”). Of the music, Vlad has written:

“On this 7″ you can find musical feelings, thoughts and joy which I experienced in my childhood – during the holidays with grandparents. Let the music transport you back to a more carefree time, when the biggest magic was happiness.”

Below you can listen to one of the song’s from this release, which is named “Brieždenie“.

https://www.facebook.com/Beyond-Eyes-Shop-685441734831296/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEVIL’S FORCE

Finally, I have for you another single by the band Devil’s Force, which is the solo project of Helltrain frontman Pierre Törnkvist. I wrote about the first single on New Year’s Day.

The name of the new one is “Let It Burn”, and I like it every bit as much as the first one. Both tracks will appear on a forthcoming album entitled Black Heavy Metal. Enjoy.

https://www.facebook.com/devilsforce/