HOST RELEASE VIDEO FOR "HIDING FOR TOMORROW"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Dark wave duo HOST (Greg Mackintosh and Nick Holmes) have released a new video for 'Hiding From Tomorrow', the second single from their upcoming debut album IX. This new offering is a brooding cut of stark goth rock, akin to the works of Siouxise and the Banshees and The Sisters of Mercy.

Vocalist Nick Holmes comments "'Hiding From Tomorrow’ was one of the first songs we wrote for the Host project and although the title would suggest otherwise, it was written a few years prior to the pandemic.  With that in mind, I was thinking about the things that keep you awake at night, and although life is something that should never be taken for granted, uncertainty is a big part of it, and none of us know what’s around the corner."

Watch the new video for 'Hiding From Tomorrow' here: https://youtu.be/tgTfc1Ju2X0

Stream 'Hiding From Tomorrow' on all platforms and pre-order IX on various formats now from: https://HOST.bfan.link/host-single2

About HOST

The origins of HOST do not trace back to the 1999 PARADISE LOST album bearing the same name but instead to the West Yorkshire music clubs of the mid-to-late 1980s. While Holmes and Mackintosh were already certified heavy metal fanatics (“metal thrashing mad” as Holmes equates), they were equally drawn to the New Wave and Goth music scenes. The pounding rhythms, sublime melodies and undercurrent of darkness drew them in, creating immediate earworms and a desire to delve further.

Mackintosh finally put plans into motion during the pandemic for a venture that would merge his penchant for sound design with the moods and atmosphere of 1980s dance-pop and Goth. The project was originally a solo pursuit until he asked Holmes, his longtime PARADISE LOST songwriting partner, to join. 'HOST' was selected as the name as a tip of the hat to the aforementioned album that found PARADISE LOST in an unprecedented period of experimentation that eschewed their metal roots and also challenged their fanbase in ways like never before.

“We always stood by 'Host' as an album,” says Mackintosh. “This project is not totally connected to that album, but some of the ideas are extrapolated. We’re taking the basic premise and trying it out now. And, really, it was something fun and interesting for us to do. We’ve been doing PARADISE LOST for a long time and got an itch to try something different from where PL is now. I could take PL down this route again. Who knows? It may happen if we live long enough, but I thought, ‘Why not now?’ I had the time to do it.”

MALAURIU RELEASE "DE NATURA OBSCURITATIS"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

MALAURIU - De Natura Obscuritatis

by Remparts Productions

Tracklist:

1.MAULAURIU - Red Goat rises 03:31

2.MALAURIU - Putridarium 04:47

3.MALAURIU - The Locust 05:09

4.MALAURIU - De Natura Obscuritatis 14:44

In 2013 Malauriu started its journey into music by playing raw black Metal with some atmospheric influences. The lyrics were written in their own Sicilian dialect. Then they back and forth between atmospheric black Metal and crust. The last incarnation of Malauriu is a path through ambient and experimentation. Their music is a constant juggling between evolution and regression. They let the chaos guide them and, ultimately, they follow no scheme.

With “De Natura Oscuritatis” the band has found a balance between the Malauriu from the past and the one of the present time.

The title of the EP comes from the ambient track, the fourth one, and the darkness arising from the sounds of this composition, a journey to the bowels of the earth.

The songs are influenced by their land, Sicily. The first song is linked to a Sicilian legend between sacred and profane, the second to the world of the catacombs, the third one speaks of a female figure, the first poisoner in history

“Black Metal is a spiritual dimension, the abyss inside us all”

Recorded between Phonoputìa Studio / Carcossea Cave / Schizoid Lair during the first 2022's semester.

Contact: malauriuofficial@gmail.com

Video for the dark ambient track "De Natura Obscuritatis" is here :

youtu.be/pcBuqvKxDM4

If you want the streaming only please head towards the band's label blackmassprayers.bandcamp.com/album/de-natura-obscuritatis  

released October 3, 2022

Felis Catus. Vocals, keyboards and guitars

Schizoid. Guitars and bass

Marbas. Drums

Logo and artwork by Azmeroth Szandor

www.facebook.com/AzmerothGraphicDesigner

https://rempartsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/malauriu-de-natura-obscuritatis

https://www.facebook.com/malauriuofficial

https://www.instagram.com/malauriublackmetal/

AUTUMN TEARS RELEASE "THE GLOW OF DESPERATION"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Neo-Classical Band AUTUMN TEARS Reveals The Glow Of Desperation

After the highly acclaimed 2020 double album The Air Below The Water, AUTUMN TEARS is thrilled to present their newest offering The Glow of Desperation, featuring 64 minutes of brand new music, presented as a limited CD and digital download. 

"To put it simply enough, the theme of the album to be construed is that sometimes we get so desperate that it actually manifests into luminescence. All of the songs actually deal With some form of hope and desperation."

The Glow of Desperation features a fully orchestrated, classical ensemble as well as:

Classical / opera singer & composer Caroline Clarke (Trovatori),

Singer / songwriter Tamar Singer (Zeresh, Cruel Wonders, Necromishka),

Singer / composer / vocal coach Anne "Anaé" Laurent (Anaé & The Petrichor, Adrana),

Tenor opera vocalist Darren Clarke (Trovatori),

Lead vocalist Agnete Mangnes Kirkevaag from the legendary

  Norwegian progressive metal act Madder Mortem

Mark Garrett from the avant garde, progressive metal act Kardashev

Classical / opera singer Ann-Mari Edvardsen Alexis, best know as the Former vocalist of Norwegian doom metal / avant-garde band The 3rd and the Mortal (Nightswan, Painting on Glass, In This Room). 

Also returning is singer / songwriter Brona McVittie. 

Analog mastering by Michael Venia from Sound Mixology. 

The CD features a 20 page lyric booklet lavishly illustrated with paintings by award winning artist Marcela Bolívar - http://www.marcelabolivar.com

Follow the band at these links:

https://www.facebook.com/TheTrueAutumnTears

https://open.spotify.com/artist/32WFfO8pMkrpupMgDiXlDE?si=VR6ePdo8R-uPKGNniK6P2g

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkKsJaicCl1nPIKZOdawhpA

DAME SILÚ DE MORDOMOIRE RELEASE "A WORLD OF SHADOWS"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

DAME SILÚ DE MORDOMOIRE - "A World of Shadows"

Release: 30th October | Preorder & Full Stream: 9th October

Format: CD in 6 Panel DigiPak lim. To 100 copies | Pro tape, black with 5-Panel Jcard in clear case lim. to 50

Tracklist:

1. Alone Among the Misty Hills

2. Melancholia

3. Grim Banners

4. Voyageur

5. Kingdom of Liars

6. Douceur de la Dernière Pierre

7. Moonlight Rider

8. Snowfall

Snow - Frost - Forests. The wind is howling, you are alone in the frozen night. Explore this feeling of emptiness, resilience, and of profound unity. This album depicts a darker and more melancholic atmophere. At the crossroad between dungeon synth, darkwave and neoclassical, it weaves magical links between the genres.

Let yourself be guided by DSDM's deep voice. Grimm banners are now approaching - Ride the dragon, it's time to fight!

Band Links:

https://dame-silu-de-mordomoire.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SiluDeMordomoire/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVRRUAta3LewOU6BSaK2b-A

Promo Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRCRZ6HKPqA

REVIEW: LUDMILA - LUDMILA

 

LUDMILA - LUDMILA (Independent, 2000)

Produced By: Ludmila

Tracks: 1- Orma gravida, 2- Falena, 3- Iova, 4- Dochodjaga, 5- Nuda Quiete

Cover Art by Ludmila

Here we have this amazing project whose two members are Paola Bianchi (voices) and Luca Valisi (bass and drum machine). The main thing on this recording are the atmospheres that are created through the interesting sound that Luca extracts from his bass and from the angelical voices and harmonies that Paola delivers through the five tracks on this MCD. The drum machine gives a mechanical / industrial feeling to some of the tracks that contrasts a lot with the calid voice of the great Paola, this gives an interesting feeling of tension and release to each of the tracks here. There is some clean guitar in many parts of the songs, and this guitars play interesting arpeggios or open chords in order to add a darker feeling to the songs. This is really a project to don´t miss a step!!

Favorite tracks: The five

Contact: http://stage.vitaminic.it/ludmila2/

REVIEW: TACTILE GEMMA - TACTILE GEMMA

 

TACTILE GEMMA - TACTILE GEMMA (Season of Mist, 2001)

Produced By: Rune Sørgård

Tracks: 1- Chimeras, 2- Creepy Crawlies, 3- Blackberry Jam, 4- Heal, 5- Mellow Pillow, 6- Through Your Eyes, 7- Whiz, 8- Serpentarium, 9- Miss Loona´s Speech, 10- Quite Quiet, 11- Deep, 12- Come Eclipse, 13- Blackberry Jam (1998 promo)

Engineered by Rune Sørgård

Recorded at Rune´s Place

This CD is an absolute masterpiece. Here we have the talent of Rune Sørgård doing all the compositions and playing all the instruments to create this atmospheric and climatic, yet weird release. The keyboards and programming are all over the place and we have many strange melodies through all the CD. Plus, we have Ann Mari Edvardsen (The 3rd and the Mortal) and Monika Edvardsen (Atrox) handling all the vocal duties and doing an amazing job (this women have an incredible vocal range that allows them to do all this twisted melodies that Tactile Gemma´s music needs). The combination of all the melodies and atmospheres makes this a great release with a lot of experimentation. This is an essential recording.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.season-of-mist.com

REVIEW: AESMA DAEVA - THE EROS OF FRIGID BEAUTY

 

AESMA DAEVA - THE EROS OF FRIGID BEAUTY(Root of All Evil Records, 2002)

Produced by Aesma Daeva

Cover Art by Aesma Daeva

Tracks: 1- Lysander, 2- Devotion, 3- In My Holy Time, 4- The Eros of Frigid Beauty, 5- Overature, 6- The Minstrel Song, 7- Lysander II

This is Aesma Daeva´s second full length album and if the first one "Here Lies One Whose Name Was Written in Waterwas excellent this one is better. Here you have all the elments that have made John Prassas a reknowned composer....here you have the ethereal melodies, the cold female vocals, the beautiful atmospheres and the darkness of the feelings that this music provoques on everyone that listens to it. Here John has gone beyond boundaries adding a lot of harmonies and elements that were in the previous album but this time they are multiplied by ten adding new sides an d perspectives to Aesma Daeva´s music. Here John has shown us all his compositional skills and has improved the sound when compared to the previous album making the music sound deeper and more introspective. Just one thing more....you have to got this album!!!!!!!!!!!

Favorite tracks: All the CD. As always Aesma Daeva delivers the best.

Contact: www.rootofallevil.com

REVIEW: LORD WIND - RITES OF THE VALKYRIES

 

LORD WIND - RITES OF THE VALKYRIES (No Colours Recs., 2002)

Produced by Darkens

Tracks: 1- Winged Helmets; 2- the Ancient Beginnings; 3- Prophecy of the Norns; 4- Father of Wisdom; 5-Atlantean Monument; 6- Rhinemaidens Lamentation; 7- Dance of War; 8- Horn of Summoning

Lord Wins id a project of Darkens from the almighty black metal band Graveland. But the music here is completely different from this band. In fact here we have climatic orchestral pieces with big influence from nordic music. In fact listening to this CD is like walking in an ancient dark forest full of pagan myths and beings. The compositions have a great feeling with those chants that can be listened almost through all the CD and the combination of ancient sounds with this keyboard melodies. There is a lot of use of minor tonalities in the tracks and that makes the feeling of the music contained here darker or more sad. This is great music to listen with your eyes wide shut and I think it would be a great soundtrack for some ancient-times movie. One of the recordings of the month.

Favorite tracks: The whole CD. I liked a lot the compositions. This music and orchestration showcases the skills that Darkens has .

Contact: www.no-colours-records.de

REVIEW: THIS VALE OF TEARS - EXCEED

 

THIS VALE OF TEARS - EXCEED (Black Rain Recs., 2001)

Produced by This Vale of Tears

Tracks: 1- Exceed, 2- The Wind, 3- No More, 4- Flame, 5- Alone in the Shower, 6- Silence, 7- If I die (Resurrection mix), 8- My Distance, 9- Higher Spirits, 10- Inside Out, 11- Exceed (Iva vs. Ganesh edit)

What is this? A strange rhythm opens this CD, then come the vocals and then come the keyboards playing some oriental melodies over this electronic beats. Then enter the guitars with some sort of industrial feeling. Great and original !! It is great to listen the melodies done by guitars and keyboards since the first track. The vocals are strange, sort of with a punk influence and it sounds weird over the music that the band does. There are a lot of electronic elements and the drums are programmed giving an eerie sound to all of the tracks. I liked certain Tangerine Dream influences that I think that this band has. They mix it with distorted guitars and with really climatic moments being really originality. Check this band if you like originality and experimentation. Favorite tracks: "No More", "Silence" and "Higher Spirits". Contact: www.blackrain.de

REVIEW: RA - SINNOCENCE

 

RA - SINNOCENCE (Tribal Prods., 2001)

Produced by Tribal Productions

Recorded at Studio Box, Romania

Artwork by Valeriu Dudau

Tracks: 1- Medusa Child, 2- Sinnocence, 3- Nothing, 4- Hate, 5- My Goddamn Soul, 6- The Great Wide Shut, 7- Seductie, 8- Everything, 9- Just Wonders

Ra´s music is climatic and strange. Sort of a mid paced gothis music with distorted guitars. I hear some influences of Type o Negative in the vocals but Ra´s music has a bigger emphasis in atmospheres and extremely climatic tracks. I really liked this stuff, specially in the parts that where a crescendo is made going from a very climatic keyboard part to maybe a chorus like in the song "Sinnocence". The guitars give that metallic edge that Ra´s music deserve to have a good balance of power and magnificence. One thing to remark is that despite being very dark and heavy the tracks here have a lot of hooks designed to make things more interesting to the listener. I have not listened other releases from Tribal Prods. Before but judging by this recording and the one by Illegal Operation, I think that they release great music! Favorite tracks: "Medusa Child", "My goddamn Soul" and "Everything". Contact: www.tribal-productions.com

REVIEW: AESMA DAEVA - HERE LIES ONE WHOSE NAME WAS WRITTEN IN WATER

 

AESMA DAEVA - HERE LIES ONE WHOSE NAME WAS WRITTEN IN WATER (Roor of All Evil Recs., 2001)

Produced by Nick Copernicus

Tracks: 1- O death (Rock me Asleep), 2- Downvain, 3- Stay, 4- Disdain, 5- Introit, 6- when I have Fears that I may Cease to be, 7- Luceat Eis, 8- Introit II, 9- Communion, 10- Sanctus, 11- Darkness, 12*- Darkness (Stromkern)

Spectacular CD!! This one of the best CDs of the month. Combining dark metal with a lot of orchestration and keyboards and some electronic elements. Also there is the spectacular voice of Rebecca Cords making this CD an experience in beauty. There a re a lot of elements of classical music (that is not strange because guitarist Jon Prassas is classically trained) and the music is very heavy in some parts and very subtle in others. There is always a predominance here of vocal harmonies that make Aesma Daeva´s a trully original band. This CD was originally released by Ascension Recs. in germany and now is released in America by Root of All Evil. Favorite tracks: The whole album. Contact: www.rootofallevil.com

REVIEW: CURTAIN - SECOND FLOOR PARADISE

 

CURTAIN - SECOND FLOOR PARADISE (Warlord Records, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded and Mixed at Lonesome Studio by Alain Grandiere.

Mastered at Actis Studio

Artwork by Curtain and Gilles Boyer.

Track List: 1- Second Floor Paradise, 2- Our Last Dance, 3- Push The Trigger, 4- Slow Down, 5- Under Your Spell

Well, this is surprising because this French band starts as an electronic band in the beginning of their first tracks before entering into a more gothic side of their music with interesting rhythms and songs that could be hits if well managed. Obviously as I told you the music is full of keyboards and electronics....let me think abot Paradise Lost´s "Host". The vocalist has a vocal range very similar to the one of Depeche Mode´s David Gahan...that is a vocalist who dominates de medium range and does his work to make this songs instant hits. The thing that amazed me most here is how dark are the tracks, because the heavy use of keyboards and clean guitars added to the vocals and combination of real and electronic drums creates a dark atmosphere giving a sense of oppression and beauty at the same time in tracks like "Our Last Dance". Favorite tracks: "Second Floor Paradise", "Push the Trigger" and "Our Last Dance". Contact: www.multimania.com/curtain

REVIEW: ATTRITION - EPHEMERA

 

ATTRITION - EPHEMERA (INCIDENTAL MUSIC VOL.II) (Invisible Recs., 2001):

Technical Data:

Recorded on location at The Cage - March-Dec 1993.

Remastered by Martin Bowes at The Cage, January 2001.

Art: Mark P. Lomax. Design by John Bergin,

Track List: 1- The Long Wait, 2- A Great Desire, 3- The Big Lie, 4- Wetenscap (Dream #9), 5- Lang Zal Jij Leven

This Attrition CD is completely different from "The Hidden Agenda". Where in that recording rhythmic patterns and bass drum were all over the place, here you have more atmospheric sounds, and climatic work. This are soundscapes made by the total experimental brain of Mr. Martin Bowes who si in charge of all the music here. Fans of this kind of electronic music will be delighted (perhaps this will be a little dark from them because of the heavy use of keyboard chords to create obscure atmospheres and the use of industrial sounding drums). Very interesting but for open minded persons. Favorite tracks: "A Great Desire" (with noisy intro followed by electronics) and "The Big Lie" (like a science fiction movie soundtrack). Contact: www.attrition.co.uk or www.invisiblerecords.com

REVIEW: ATTRITION - THE HIDDEN AGENDA

 

ATTRITION - THE HIDDEN AGENDA (Invisible Recs., 2001):

Technical Data:

Recorded and mixed at The Cage - 1992-1993.

Produced by Martin Bowes and Mark Beswick.

Remastered by Martin Bowes at the Cage, 2000.

Art: Mark P. Lomax.

Track List: 1- Lip Sync (Xenophobia Edit), 2- Agenda Station, 3- The Deadline, 4- This Great Design, 5- Sister Teresa, 6- The Silent Mind, 7- The Cage, 8- The Mercy Machine, 9- The Next Day (re-visited), 10- His Latest Flame, 11- Lip Sync (reprise), 12- The Third House, 13- A Wing and a Prayer.

Well, in fact I like this kind of music: electronic sounding with lots of electronic and programming that is not designed to dance and shake your body. This is done to experiment with sounds that are not so common (eventhough "Lip Sync" would not be out of place in some weird rave). The voice here reminded me in some places of the guy in Rammstein, but this was recorded when that band didn´t even exist. There are a lot of industrial sounds here butthe fundamental here is the sound of electronic drums with that interesting ganme of female and male vocals that make the sound darker. I don´t know what Attrition is doing nowadays but I would like to listen new material from them to see how they have evolved since this CD. Contact: www.attrition.co.uk or www.invisiblerecords.com

REVIEW: DREAMCHILD - LA FEE VERTE

 DREAMCHILD - LA FÉE VERTE (Independent - 2000): An a capella female voice opens this record with a short song called "The Stolen Child" that takes us to the spectacular "La Fée Vertewith Cheryl Wanner´s voice getting into each space of your soul, thanks to her power of expression. Dreamchild is a duo formed by Cheryl on vocals, harp, bass and kalimba and, Frank Gerace on guitars. The result is an introspective work with a permanent search for climatic textures. Through all the songs we can see the combination of instrumentation and the diferent states of mind that the songs transmit, ("Capacochea" for example transmits to me something like desolation, while "Nimueis a more dynamic song with some percussive touches). Dreamchild is a really creative outfit with a music that we can describe as céltic/experimental/ambient…something original!!! The distinctive element are Cheryl´s vocals full of inflexions (to give you an idea is like a mix between Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance), Björk and Francesca Nicoli (Ataraxia). I hope to listen more from this duo in the future because they caught my atention from the beginning to the end of this CD. This is for those who search originality (they also include a Beatles, "Cry baby Cry"). Favorite tracks: All, Contact: www.dreamchildmusic.com or seahorse@us1.channel1.com  .