Phobia streaming new song

And yes, there’s more new music for today. This time it’s Orange County grindcore stalwarts, Phobia who have posted another fresh cut from their new album Remnants of Filth, streaming over at Brooklyn Vegan. ‘Dementia Having Overdose’ sees the band on their usual searing form with a new line-up again with new guitarist CC Loessin.

Remnants of Filth is the band’s first LP in four years and is the follow-up to last year’s split 7” with Abaddon Incarnate. Scott Hull is behind the desk for this album’s production so needless to say with this line-up now steady that the cards all seem to be falling into place for an impressive LP in Remnants of Filth. Have a listen HERE.

New Sigur Rós track

Sigur Rós have released a second new song from their forthcoming record, Valtari. Last month they released 'Ekki Múkk', a wondrous taster but this new song, ‘Varúð’ is even more intensely beautiful where the band is exploring more vast string arrangements, a feature which is supposedly to feature strongly throughout the whole album. Stereogum are streaming the song now, which was debuted on BBC Radio 6, and was recorded by a listener. Check it out HERE.

What are Old Man Gloom up to?

Today the recently reunited Old Man Gloom linked this video on their Facebook, which is posted on the Hydra Head Youtube. It’s a very vague and ambiguous 15 second clip, constantly flashing the word NO. What does it mean? New material or is it just a preview clip hyping their upcoming live shows?

10 years of Alive or Just Breathing

Killswitch Engage have made plenty of headlines in the first few months of 2012. Long-time vocalist Howard Jones left the band after almost 10 years of service, and in the following months the inevitable happened and original vocalist, Jesse Leach, the lungs behind Alive of Just Breathing, re-joined the band. There’s a poetic sense of coming full circle writing this. Next month marks the tenth anniversary of Alive or Just Breathing, an important and influential record, whichever way you slice it. Now, Jesse is back in the fold, and re-debuted with the band live last weekend. It seems fitting that the tenth birthday of the album is coupled with the return of Killswitch’s prodigal son.

As stated, Alive or Just Breathing was, and is, an important record. It was an album that kick-started the entire modern American metal wave of bands, like Unearth and All That Remains, and while those bands have their own place, good, bad or indifferent, there’s no comparison to Killswitch Engage. Prior to 2002, KSE had released one album, the self-titled, on Ferret Records, as a four-piece. Adam D was still on drums and it was the first time we truly heard the primal fierceness of Jesse Leach, previous work with Corrin and Nothing Stays Gold just didn’t hack it, but he came out of his shell on the self-titled. Listen to the raw and primeval ‘Soilborn’ and the original recording of ‘Temple From Within’ for proof.

2002

Born from the ashes of Overcast and Aftershock, and the 90s hardcore scene of Boston in general, Killswitch drew all these influences into that record and when it came time to record Alive or Just Breathing, these influences had multiplied with greater measures of metal and even more melody. The Gothenburg melodic death metal of At The Gates, Dark Tranquillity and In Flames added another dimension to the band. This started a new surge of metalcore, more so of what we know metalcore to be now; of course, metalcore existed long before that. Alive or Just Breathing on the other hand started a whole new chapter, both loved and maligned.

I have my own personal affinity for this record. I was 11 years old when it came out, pretty young I feel for being exposed to it. It was by accident that I saw the video for ‘My Last Serenade’, arguably the album’s centrepiece, and it blew me away. I was just getting into metal, and very slowly getting into it at that, having only just bought my first Metallica and Iron Maiden albums as well as some other albums that I just can’t bring myself to admit to having bought. But I had never heard anything like ‘My Last Serenade’ before, of course I hadn’t. At the time, I found it difficult to comprehend the emotion and raw beauty behind Jesse’s voice in the chorus and as for his crushing bark in the verses, well that was completely new to me.

2012

Several months passed and I finally bought the CD – Alive or Just Breathing. First off, the title grabbed me. It had so many connotations for my wee mind, what did it truly mean? And when I put that CD into my stereo and the intro of ‘Numbered Days’ kicked in, something definitely clicked with me. Again, I’d never heard anything like this before. It was heavier than anything I knew of and most importantly, impassioned – both in the melodic riffs and Jesse’s affecting vocals.

‘Just Barely Breathing’ is one of those goosebumps moments, an experience repeated throughout the record. ‘The Element of One’ is by far the album’s most melodic number and laid some groundwork for tracks in the future like ‘The End of Heartache’ and ‘The Arms of Sorrow’.  While songs like ‘Temple from the Within’ and ‘Rise Inside’ recalled their aggressive side back into the fray.

A lot has happened since Alive or Just Breathing came out. Jesse left the band, Howard Jones came in and stayed for nearly 10 years, and for three albums, the first of which being The End of Heartache, arguably as stunning as Alive or Just Breathing, and now Jesse is back. AOJB spawned a million and one copycat bands, all under the metalcore banner, a subgenre that has since meandered into atrocious and abysmal territory. Like any new movement, it has its resilient ones and some bands remain and others were a flash in the pan. Killswitch Engage, who formed in 1999, remain and while the direction they’ve gone since The End of Heartache has divided fans, their influence and importance remains intact. It’s difficult to imagine how modern metal would have been moulded in their absence. Ten years on from their breakthrough moment, the band is rejuvenated and must assert once again that importance with their sixth album. Several months ago, before any news of Howard’s departure, I posted an entry here stating that Killswitch need to make a darker, more abrasive, edgier album than ever before, and I firmly believe that they’ll go that way. The clips of last weekend where they played their first show back with Jesse Leach, fittingly at The New England Metal & Hardcore fest, showed a raw energy not seen from them for some time.

New England Metal & Hardcore fest last Sunday

New Gojira track

Gojira’s new album, L’enfant Sauvage is one of the most hotly anticipated of the year and while the record won’t land until June, you can stream the title track of the album now, thanks to Pitchfork. The song, which is indicative of the album as a whole, is a flurry of riffage, the kind that is instantly synonymous with Gojira and Joe Duplantier is vocally on fire. Wrap your head around ‘L’enfant Sauvage’, it’ll sate your appetite until the album arrives. 

The Great Old Ones - Al Azif

AntitheticRecords’ latest foray into the cosmic realms of black metal has led us to the ambiguously named The Great Old Ones. It may not come as a shock that their debut record Al Azif marks another captivating chapter in the tale of French black metal. Talk about a country truly delivering the awe-inspiring BM goods in recent years, and The Great Old Ones simply begins the opening of another chapter is this captivating tale.

Exploring concepts related to the writing of HP Lovecraft, his “cosmic horror” has clearly had a profound impact on how these Frenchmen explore sound, as Al Azif is, if anything, a cosmic journey, taking in worlds of emotion and fascination. The works of Lovecraft are certainly nothing new to metal, having been explored thematically before, but The Great Old Ones have a sound so vast, so dramatic in itself that the themes are somewhat secondary to the lush execution of the music itself.

Clearly inflected with elements of post rock and vast ambient soundscapes, The Great Old Ones occupy a vein not a million lightyears away from Altar of Plagues and Fen. Al Azif is totally individual though. There’s a rich melody that flows throughout and when it collides with the fierce shrieks and unrelenting blasts, it’s a blend that truly makes this album. Al Azif has so much to take in like the album centrepiece, 'Jonas' – a nine minute towering opus.

Much like the whole album, it strikes a balance between the exhilarating and the depressive. Al Azif has its moments of despondency but in equal measures it is combated defiant melodic crescendos. This is a black metal album that will drag you back and forth.

The title track, which is the opening chapter of this cosmic tale, sets such an imposing tone straight away. It’s this powerful atmosphere that reveals to you immediately that Al Azif is indeed something special. With a suitably slick and pristine production, this album simply sounds vast and beautifully airy and ethereal. France’s black metal elite may very well have to make another seat available at their roundtable for The Great Old Ones. While Al Azif is only the band’s debut, it still resonates with an enlightened air and what this band do next should be watched with an intrigued and attentive eye.

8/10

New Cellgraft track

Floridian grinders Cellgraft have posted a new song from their forthcoming new LP, their first full-length. The track is called ‘Conduit Conversion’ and can be streamed below. It’s 41 seconds long, no surprise there, and it’s brutal grinding at its finest. I really enjoy everything this band has done, and their last release, a split 7” with Drainland, re-affirmed that so this LP should be one of the grind highlights of the year.

Roadrunner Records closing UK offices

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Roadrunner Records UK, the offices and HQ of the label’s European operations is to shut its doors. One can assume the move is down to financial losses, but closing the entire headquarters for Europe is quite a huge move. Roadrunner was partially acquired by Warner Music in recent years, eventually leading to a complete takeover. Warner appear to be cutting costs but the news still comes as a shock, especially on the same day that the label announced a partnership with Irish company Owjo for its Sign Me To Roadrunner site. HERE are more details on that. There are no figures yet on how many people have lost their jobs or how many have been relocated within Warner. Some of Roadrunner’s bands have been chiming in on Twitter about the news. Trivium’s Matt Heafy has been vocal about it this evening, see below. This blog post will be updated once more news comes in.

UPDATE: According to Lambgoat, Roadrunner is also closing its Canada offices in further cost cutting measures. 

UPDATE 2: Cees Wessels, the founder of Roadrunner Records, has stepped down as CEO of the label and 16 staff have been let go from the US offices, so these cutbacks are hitting Roadrunner worldwide (Report from Billboard). It's definitely sad to see Wessels, the man who was there from the beginning leave. It's believed (according to Metal Sucks) that many of the tasks, once run by Roadrunner staff that have been let go, have been transferred to Warner Music staff.

New Martyrdöd track

Swedish crust band, and Southern Lord’s latest signing in the field, Martyrdöd will release their first album with the label next month called Paranoia. Right now they’re streaming a new song for your enjoyment – ‘Köttberg’ on Pitchfork. Of course the track is a hectic maelstrom of d-beat fury, with caustic vocals and searing metallic riffs along with some breakneck lead playing. Paranoia comes out May 22nd. Click HERE to listen to the song. 

Pick up the new issue of Molten

A quick reminder to pick up the new issue of Molten, with Rammstein on the cover. Inside you’ll find my two cents on the new Meshuggah album as well as reviews of new albums from Wodensthrone, OSI, The Wretched End and much more. On the live review front there’s Alcest, Suffocation and Rammstein. Get it now!

Split Cranium - Split Cranium

So members of Isis and Circle have a new hardcore band, Split Cranium. But is it any good or just an indulgent side project? Click HERE for the review.

Storm Corrosion release first video

At long bloody last! We can hear a full Storm Corrosion song. To say this project has been highly anticipated would be the understatement of the century. The collaboration between Mikael Akerfeldt and Steven Wilson has been in the making for over ten years, but what does it sound like? Well, it doesn’t take anything explicitly from the sounds of Porcupine Tree or Opeth, but is rather a unique sound inflected with flourishes of the men’s respective bands. There are no drums, there are no riffs, Storm Corrosion’s first song ‘Drag Ropes’ is a ten minute atmospheric soundscape journey. There are delicate guitar lines and faint percussion, and of course Mikael and Steven’s delicate soothing vocals, all of which build methodically in captivating tension. The two have clearly taken much inspiration from the ambient sides of their love of 70s prog and there are even some sparse sounding atmospherics that are oddly reminiscent of moments on the last maudlin of the Well album, Part The Second. What happens on Storm Corrosion’s album, out on May 8th, is anyone’s guess at this stage.

Secondly, the animated video is stunning piece of work, directed by Jessica Cope. Entangled in the song is a concept of lost love, taken away in some rather twisted circumstances, all of which is revealed in the 10 minute video you can watch below. The music and visuals very much complement each other to superb effect.

Woods of Desolation confirms new EP

Over the weekend, Australia’s Woods of Desolation confirmed some details for a forthcoming EP this year and a notable guest appearance to boot. Drummer, Vlad of Ukrainian black metal pagans Drudkh, and also Old Silver Key, will play guest drums on the as-yet-untitled EP. Here are the details released via the Woods of Desolation Facebook:

“Secretly planned for some time, I can now confirm the next Woods of Desolation chapter shall be a very special, conceptual EP featuring guest drums performed by Vlad of Drudkh/Old Silver Key! Further news and info will follow when it is available, until then, please spread the word and get ready!”

Whirr - Pipe Dreams

Pipe Dreams is the first album from Californian shoegazers Whirr, featuring Deafheaven’s Nick Bassett. The dreamy rock outfit has crafted a sublime debut full-length on Pipe Dreams. Click HERE for the review.

New ZOM track

Well, don’t I feel silly. I was at The Siege of Limerick two weeks ago and didn’t see ZOM, due to catching some bands on the other stage. I didn’t feel bad at the time; I’ve seen ZOM a handful of dozens of millions of times now, even seeing them just the weekend prior at Dublin Day of Death. There they played with some ripping new stuff, and did so again at The Siege. The new material sounds immense, viciously immense of course, and now there’s a video of one such new song, ‘Ethereal Frost’, performed at The Siege. As far as I know, the band is planning a 7” for their next release, which will be the follow-up to their demo cassette released late last year.

In the Hearts of Emperors post teaser clip

Swedish post metal band, In the Hearts of Emperors have posted a very brief teaser clip for the forthcoming split LP with Russia’s Reka. The one minute and a half long clip plays with some bare acoustic guitars and once again utilises some spoken word passages. Last year the band gave us their debut release in the shape of a split LP with Downfall of Gaia. A storming release, from both sides, In the Hearts of Emperors laid down some impressive foundations for the future. Watch the clip below and click HERE to listen to their side of the Downfall of Gaia split.

Wolfbrigade - Damned

One of Swedish crust’s finest Wolfbrigade are back with a new LP – Damned, their first with Southern Lord. Frankly, they aren’t missing a step and the record is a thrashing d-beat massacre. Click HERE for the review now.

Justin K. Broadrick reveals Valley of Fear

Justin K. Broadrick has done it again and started another new project. That’s about 597,142 now, I think. Releasing his new electronic album under the pseudonym JK Flesh, Posthuman already this year, the Birmingham extreme metal legend has just released a new album with Valley of Fear, a collaborative project with Matthew Bower and Samantha Davies, better known as Skullflower.

‘Serpent’s Trail’ is the first salvo of the new self-titled album that you can listen to below. Inexorably rooted in noise, the track opens with a wave of caustic distortion before the semblances of drums become audible, followed by crunchy guitar soundscapes, which build and build in intensity. Sans vocals, Valley of Fear appears to be another Broadrick project where he explores the fine lines between music and noise.

Behold... The Arctopus are back

Almost in a rather quiet fashion, entirely unlike their music, Behold… The Arctopus returned yesterday with a new song posted online. While Colin Marston isn’t working on the new Gorguts and Dysrhythmia albums or producing whatever other deadly shit he’s working on these days, the man has somehow managed to revive his schizophrenic tech metal side project and presumably, a new album isn’t too far off. The song is taken from the album title Horrorscension and the Bandcamp page gives a December 12th release date. Surely that’s not right? Anyway, listen to these three and half minute hail of technical dissonance below.

Sun Devoured Earth / Wounder split

Sometimes the joy of a split is found in bringing together two bands that sonically differ but still share an aesthetical understanding. Latvian dark shoegazers Sun Devoured Earth and the UK’s depressive rock outfit Wounder, with dabbles of black metal, have created one such instance. The former muscle large, imposing walls of sound; yes, it’s a clichéd description at this stage but true. The latter on the other hand, as “depressive” would hint, delve into the murkiest depths.

Despite those differences the bands still revolve their aural aesthetics around bleak, melancholic atmosphere. Sun Devoured Earth create harsh dirges, festering with gloom. It’s a sound that is by no means new, rather treading in familiar realms but still managing to keep their side of the split interesting in some ways.

First track proper, ‘How Hard We’ve Tried’ captures the essence of the band with spectral vocals that at time can almost be inaudible, lost in the wash of atmospherics, which is contrasted by the faint post-punk of ‘Bright Days’.

Wounder on the other side serve equal levels of palpable dejection. Vocally, they’re quite similar to Sun Devoured Earth and there are moments that recall Mortifera in their slow harrowing waves of guitars but so often the harsh noisy moments scream out for some intense searing BM-esque screeches and wails to pierce through the eerie melodic soundscapes.  Instead, the monotonous clean vocals can become dreary, and not in the oh-so-right sense that a release like this aims for. This is heard on the drab side opener of ‘Leave Me Swinging’.

Instrumental, ‘Filth’ has more of the palpable energy and intensity that we yearn for with towering guitars and unremitting drum hammering that soon descend into some beautifully hypnotic and serene passages. ‘Cleaner’ then is another rich instrumental track, dripping with despondency, it’s around now it becomes rather clear that this band’s greatest strength is conjuring evocative soundscapes, sans vocals. End of My Days further proves this, bringing their side to a close.

This is a split with some merit to be found but both bands have their flaws too. However, what they do with their future respective releases may be expanded upon, with the foundations laid here.

6/10

Ides of Gemini - Constantinople

Latest Neurot Recordings’ signing Ides of Gemini will release their debut album, Constantinople next month. The “dream doom” trio’s effort is wholly impressive one to start so click HERE for the full review.

Altar of Plagues - The Siege of Limerick, Dolan's Warehouse 8/4/12

The seventh instalment of the biannual Siege of Limerick has been, unsurprisingly, a resounding success. With a bill that featured some of the finest Irish bands from each corner of the island, including a stunning set from Shardborne, possibly their best yet, From the Bogs of Aughiska providing something genuinely different during the day and Rites totally delivering the sludgy goods as well as Germany’s Valborg delighting with their progged out death/doom. All of that pales in comparison though to the headliners – Altar of Plagues, the Siege’s biggest headliners yet.

Photo: Bad Reputation

The Cork post black metal outfit have truly earned the enigmatic status that they currently enjoy, all galvanised by last year’s lauded Mammal record. With a set spanning over an hour, the band straight away captivate all on hand when the solemn opening of 'Neptune Is Dead' begins to enter. Launching into the hypnotic blastbeats and corrosive, pained vocals, the 18 minute oeuvre is a sight and sound to behold.

Followed by 'Earth: I As A Womb' and 'II: As A Furnace', the band take us back to their jaw dropping White Tomb record. Dave Condon and James O’Ceallaigh’s vocals sound utterly revolting, their vitriol is just palpable, complemented by drummer Johnny King holding down a relentless barrage of blasts. His performance is near flawless, despite being lost behind a smog of lights and stage smoke that completely hide the drum kit from view.

Finally, it’s the lush 'Feather & Bone', which eventually breaks into something of an improv towards the song’s end, Dave Condon takes the mic away from the stand and with it being difficult to see with all smoke, creates a some harsh noise with what looks like a beer can placed to the mic. Meanwhile, James discards his guitar to take up an extra floor tom to add more to the tribal drums already reverberating around Dolan’s. To call it a dramatic close is quite the understatement.

Agonisingly, Altar of Plagues so rarely play their own country these days, this being their first Irish show in nearly two years. With the success of this absolutely captivating set, hopefully that will change. It needs to. And finally, The Siege of Limerick continues to grow and grow and bigger things must surely be around the corner for the eighth edition in October.

And here's some rough footage someone took of 'Earth: I As A Womb'.

Stream the new Mammoth Grinder 7"

Texan sludge grinders Mammoth Grinder, who have perhaps the most apt band name ever, are set to release a new three-track 7” In & Out / See Me Hang, and have posted the three songs online now for your consumption, including a cover of Amebix’s ‘Arise!’. The two new cuts are, as expected, brutal slabs of belligerence, taking in the band’s elements of grind, death metal and hardcore. As for the Amebix cover, well you can be the judge of that one… Have a listen to the three tracks below.

Torche - Harmonicraft

Torche are back. Praise the lord. New album, Harmonicraft is, of course, a fun record to say the least. So click HERE for all the details in the full review.

Dave Chandler, Saint Vitus interview

Needless to say, this interview was an honour. It's another one of the legends I tick off my list, as I had the chance to interview one Mr. Dave Chandler of Saint Vitus recently and the interview is online now for your reading pleasure. Click right HERE to check it out.

This guy is auctioning Mayhem’s Deathcrush for over 700 big ones

Yeah right HERE – $730, which is what the bid is at currently (as of 9.45pm), about €556, and there’s been 35 bids so far and five days to go. Ridiculous eBay auctions for records aren’t rare, but this was something I stumbled across earlier today and was quite taken aback by it. Record collecting can bring out the audacity of some sellers, but of course the bigger fools are those that actually buy the stuff. As the saying goes, if someone’s willing to buy it, someone’s willing to charge for it.

This is the first pressing of Mayhem’s 1987 EP, Deathcrush, a rather monumental release for black metal. This pressing was handled by the label Posercorpse, and has an original run of 1,000. Obviously, it’s used with the cover showing “some wear”.

I’ve hunted down a few ‘rare’ or out of print records but I could never really see the point in shelling out this much money for a record, nor have I understood how some (very few obviously) won’t settle for anything other than a first pressing. Of course, different strokes for diffent folk, I guess. But this Mayhem auction has me wondering is it really worth that much money? Perhaps I don’t know enough about pricing and valuing records, but it strikes me as far too much. Granted, Deathcrush is a benchmark. If I had somehow been in Norway in 1987 and picked up a copy, I would definitely hold onto it for sentimental value, but paying nearly $600 for a second hand copy?

But back to the question, is this record worth that much? Weigh in below and correct me if I’m wrong. Check out the auction HERE.

Wolfbrigade post yet another new song

Wolfbrigade just can’t seem to stop with the new songs. The Swedish crust bosses have posted a third taster track from their new album, Damned. ‘Ride The Steel’ is a furious number to say the least, and steps up the game even further following the two previous tracks. This tune is a longer number than the others and shows the other side of Wolfbrigade, all the while still bludgeoning with powerful vigour as always. Check out the other two songs – ‘Feed the Flames’ and ‘Peace of Mind’. Check out 'Ride the Steel' HERE.

Latest track from New Miseries streaming

Pennsylvania’s New Miseries are planning the release of new EP, I, Imperfect, shortly and have posted a new song online called ‘My Ruin’. Haunted by the ghosts of Converge and early Shai Hulud, these hardcore beasts seem set to drop a serious follow-up to 2010’s demo, I Am Without Me. At 2.42 minutes, the song is fury incarnate with all the hostile belligerence that you expect from this band.

Feistodon artwork revealed

Mastodon and Feist will release a split 7” on Record Store Day, April 21st. Mastodon will cover Feist’s ‘A Commotion’ while Feist will try their hand at ‘Black Tongue’. Check out the artwork below, this will be an extremely limited run, only available in participating record stores, and will definitely be one to pick up for collectors. Tower Records in Dublin are participating and may have copies. HERE is a full list of stores in Ireland.

The new Gojira album is coming...

At long last, Gojira will be releasing their new album, L’Enfant Sauvage on June 24th, and below is the seven minute studio footage teaser of the band recording the album. The clip provides myriad snippets of riffs, drums and vocals to whet your appetite. The album, which translates as The Wild Child, is the long overdue follow-up to 2008’s The Way of All Flesh, and will be the band’s first record with Roadrunner. The band were due to release an EP, with funds going to Sea Shepherd, as far back as late 2010, and for reasons still somewhat unknown that never happened save for the song, 'Of Blood and Salt' released, featuring Devin Townsend and Fredrik Thordendal. Needless to say, anticipation for this new record is high and after touring extensively with Metallica and now being signed to the biggest rock label in the world, it seems like Gojira are set for the stratosphere.

Stream new Ides of Gemini track

One of Neurot Recordings’ latest signings, Ides of Gemini have a new song, ‘Starless Midnight’ streaming now via Pitchfork HERE, taken from their debut full-length album, Constantinople. The band’s ethereal “dream doom” is a sound to behold with vocalist Sera Timms truly the focus of the band’s hypnotic music with her dense and captivating vocals. Constantinople will be released next month via Neurot and there’ll be the full record review very soon, so keep an eye out for that.

Agalloch complete new EP

Agalloch have finished recording a new EP entitled Faustian Echoes. The effort is one twenty minute track, which is “colossal” according to band. The band hasn’t confirmed any released date yet, but Aesop Dekker’s been updating his Twitter with some scant details, saying “extremely proud of this one”, so keep an eye on it as he may reveal more details. The EP is the follow-up to 2010’s highly esteemed Marrow of the Spirit.

OM to release new album in July

OM will return this June with their new record, Advaitic Songs in July, the follow-up to 2009’s glorious experience God is Good. The duo of bassist Al Cisneros and drummer Emil Amos will release the five song effort through Drag City, presumably furthering the band’s utterly hypnotic, meandering and meditative doom elegies. Advaitic Songs will be Amos’ second record with OM following the departure of long time drummer, and Sleep drummer, Chris Haikus. Check out the artwork below.

Pelican - Ataraxia/Taraxis EP

Pelican have returned with a new EP, Ataraxia/Taraxis. It's a very short effort that re-introduces the band after 2009's What We All Come To Need. Click HERE for the review.

Ihsahn album samples online

Ihsahn’s new album will be called Eremita and will be released June 18th through Candlelight. The album’s artwork can be seen below and Amazon are streaming some brief samples from the record HERE. Some saxophone can be heard so it is safe to presume that Shining’s Jorgen Munkeby is once again on board and a guest spot from Jeff Loomis has already been confirmed. Ihsahn concluded his trilogy of album, The Adversary, angL, and After in 2010 in simply stunning fashion so it’s under much anticipation as to where he goes next.

The samples given elude to some more heavy melodic elements heard on some clean singing on the snippet of ‘Something Out There’ while ‘Catharsis’ has harrowing, somewhat doomed-out passages with utterly pained vocals from Ihsahn.

Devin Townsend performs new acoustic song

As always, Devin Townsend is keeping busy and working on next record, Epicloud. He’s been teasing details regularly on this Twitter and finally we have something a little more substantial to sink our teeth into. It’s not a full new song but rather an acoustic version of a song that will be featured on Epicloud. ‘Back Where We Belong’ was recorded an intimate acoustic gig in Ottawa. Substantial details on Epicloud are still scant for the time being but Dev appears to be aiming for a September/October release.

New Fen track

British black metallers recently started work on their new album, Consequence, the follow-up to last year’s impressive outing, Epoch. The band posted this new clip to YouTube from a studio rehearsal of the new album’s title track. For such a recording, the quality is rather good and avoids any muddled trappings so you can really hear what the band is working on for this next record.