DORO, HOLY MOSES, KREATOR, DYING FETUS, DUST BOLT AND MORE CONFIRMED FOR WACKEN OPEN AIR 2023 !!

 

PRESS RELEASE:

We have a series of unique anniversary and farewell shows, one of the most famous German metalcore bands, the finest thrash and death and other exquisite gems. But see for yourself!

Beyond The Black

Shooting Stars? Germany’s new Frauleinwunder revelation?  In only seven years Beyond The Black stripped off all labels and became one of the hottest acts around the globe. Metal-Princess Jennifer Haben enchanted the fans worldwide and album by album the band climbed the stairway to the heaven - to be not a follower but now one third of the holy trinity of Female fronted Symphonic Metal. Let’s welcome them back on our stages and celebrate with them the release of their newest self-titled oeuvre out in January! 

Doro „40th Anniversary”

If you never stood in a crowd and raised a flaming lighter towards the stage while the lyrics to “Für Immer” touched your heart and soul - have you even lived?! No other female singer has shaped metal music like Doro. And that is not only for her smash hit, that became our soundtrack if we missed home or a loved one but for her bite, her good vibes, her uniqueness, her neverending output of high energy music that has accompanied some of us for all our musical journeys. Incredible 40 years on stage feel like an electric rush and to witness Doro and band presenting her career in a once in a lifetime headliner show will probably be one of THE most memorable shows of W:O:A 23. All hail the Queen! 

Dust Bolt

Thrash Metal from Bavaria might not be where you usually place it, but if you never heard of Dust Bolt you clearly lived under a rock the last 10 years. Being the young teenage dirtbags they were, they won our Metal Battle 2011 and then set out to conquer the world. Amongst their crusades were US and Canada tours with legends Obituary and Exodus. This year they are working on becoming legends themselves: New bandmember, new songs, new beginnings! Best place to present the whole package: Wacken 2023!

Dying Fetus

“Doesn’t matter what you say, we are against it” - This could be a motto Dying Fetus are grounding their brutal death-metal on since their birth in the early nineties. Cancerous they have been fiercely creating a counter-culture soundtrack that bites through various styles but remains merciless. This year they finally decided to dangle a carrot in front of the hungry crowd in form of a new track, after staying in their womb for five years. We are excited to hear the new album that is supposed to drop in 2023.  

Heaven Shall Burn

Thuringia in Germany is known for its dark forests and the old word jugglers Goethe and Schiller. Maybe that is the perfect soil for one of the most prolific Metalcore bands to sprout into the world like jack’s beanstalk. Heaven Shall Burn’s message remains authentic and highly political. Their lyrics are more important than ever, their sound versatile, highly intelligent without losing that round-house kick directly in the face. We are proud that Wacken and HSB has become such a strong union during their journey and are more than excited to see them now grace one of the top spots of our billing list!

Holy Moses „Last German Open Air“

Heavy, heavier, Sabina Classen! If you are a true metalhead your path had to cross this dark queen and her army. Many times we welcomed Holy Moses on our stages and every show has been a unique and memorable experience. I guess you can say that Holy Moses and Wacken have become quite a dream team and it is with more than a black tear in our eyes to announce that this will be their last German Open Air show ever. Expect the unexpected! If you know Sabina, you can be sure of that! 

Kreator

Mille Petrozza ist ohne Zweifel einer der interessantesten Frontmänner im Metal: Er ist seit 40 Jahren Frontröhre von Deutschlands größtem Thrash-Export Kreator, taucht seine Zehen gehne mal in eine Reihe genreübergreifender künstlerischer Unternehmungen, ist seinen Wurzeln in seiner Heimatstadt mehr als treu geblieben und nimmt auch kein Blatt vor den Mund, lieber mal eine Yogamatte und ein gutes Buch der wilden Aftershow-Party vorzuziehen (oder am Ende eben beides zu machen ;-) ). Kreator sind „Kult“ und festigen mit jedem neuen Album ihren Status als solcher. Sie haben gerade „Hate über alles“ veröffentlicht und wir hoffen, dass sie akzeptieren, wenn wir im Gegenzug „Love über alles für Kreator“ antworten.

Masterplan “20th Anniversary”

There once was rumble in Deutschland and one of the biggest metal bands smashed like a pumpkin on the wall to pieces and “Bam!” just like that Roland Grapow and Uli Kusch left Helloween and formed Masterplan. No surprise that nothing bad could come out of these genes and Masterplan became a steady pillar on the seas between melodic and power metal. After 20 years Masterplan are still going strong and will salute us with new and old material and Swedish powerhouse Rick Altzi on vocals. You all know what that means! 

Universum 25

I guess you could call this a true supergroup: Robert Rhein (In Extremo), Rupert Keplinger (Eisbrecher), Pat Prziwara (Fiddler’s Green), Gunnar Schroeder (Dritte Wahl) und Alex Schwers (Slime). Powering rock guitars, atmospheric electronica and “Frei Schnauze” lyrics in the style of protest-songs that need to be sung and heard again: This is Universum 25.

VV

Here comes the return of the dark prince! Five years after a a flood of tears marked the split of Finnish Dark Rock Superstars HIM, we welcome Ville Valo, who modestly just calls himself VV now, back on the scene to fill the black infinite hole he himself created. Noone has ever managed to come close to the distinct Gothic Rock and even though we already know that his solo-return is going to be nothing like a HIM revival, we will hold the heartagrams on our wrists proud in the air! 

BLACK ALTAR, ACHERONTAS, OFERMOD RELEASE SPLIT "DRAKONIAN ELITISM"

 

PRESS RELEASE.

Odium Records today bring news to blight the forces of light's hopes for 2023! On June 21st they will unleash Drakonian Elitism, an album that brings together the insidious evil of Ofermod, Acherontas and Black Altar. The full statement from the black caverns of Odium Records is below...

"Οn this sacred Yule, Odium Records proudly announces Draconian Elitism by Ofermod / Black Altar / Acherontas, the newly crafted split-release that will be released next year. A glorious covenant, exalted to the eyes of the Old Gods, taking spirit, flesh and bones, to seal a congregation regressing back in the victorious days of the genre, while thrusting forth to the victories to come.

The spawn of this insatiable gathering will be unleashed upon the mundane plains on 21st of June, on the blessed day of the Summer Solstice, as a digipack CD, LP, limited wooden box, digital, t-shirts and longsleeve garments, to fulfil and quench the thirsts and needs by every aspect, no less than the quality that such an offering deserves. Glimpses to the formats will be soon revealed to the masses.

It shall be a very special opus in the form of a split release, dedicated to the untold Mysteries of the Draconian Path, consisting of X new anthems of Orthodox Black Metal and lasting approximately 53 minutes. Thus, severing every tie the participants have set until forth, to form a deified monstrosity of terrors as well as an offering to the Victory of the Draconian Ways, above, beyond and astride Life and Death, a journey within theurgy and deification alike begins.

The cover artwork to enclose this opus into mortal shell was crafted and created by the infamous Daniele Valeriani, known for his formidable work with several powerful artists and individuals of the genre."

 

Tracklist:

Ofermod – Intro

Ofermod – VinumSabathi

Ofermod – Agios Ischyros Belial

Ofermod – AtavisticChants of Levitation

Black Altar – Via Draconis

Black Altar – In the Labyrinths of Sithra Achra

Black Altar – The Oracle of Divine Madness

Black Altar – Outro

Acherontas – Intra Psyche

Acherontas – Astra Magia

So raise your voices and hail the coming darkness - prepare for the onslaught!

Visit Ofermod on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OfermodOfficial

Visit Black Altar on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/blackaltar

Visit Odium Records on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/OdiumRex/

Visit the Odium Records Bandcamp page https://odiumrecords.bandcamp.com/

Discover the Drakonian Coven here  https://linktr.ee/DrakonianCoven

SKARTHIA RELEASE "LEGACY"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Release Date: 21st November 2022

FFO: At The Gates, Sylosis, Lamb of God

Location: London, UK

Formed in 2009, Skarthia is a melodic death/groove metal band from North London, UK. Their debut album, "Retaliate", was released in March 2012 to much critical appraisal. The band toured the album throughout the UK with a career-defining set at Bloodstock Festival 2015. During this time, their sophomore release, "Legacy", underwent writing and pre-production, being recorded twice, with the final set of recorded songs released in November 2022. The album was mixed by David Caplinger of Soothsayer Audio (Shattered Sun, Karybdis) and mastered by Mike Kalajian of Rogue Planet Mastering (Machine Head, A Day To Remember, The Devil Wears Prada, Silverstein). The lifecycle of recording was tumultuous, the band was held together purely by the love of the music alone. They completed the recording in 2020 before mixing and mastering it that same year. As with the recording, having the artwork designed in line with the band's vision was also tricky and required a year of work. The sheer passion in the face of what was lost is heard in the music recorded on the album. The blood, tears and anguish were shared amongst all involved. However, this resulted in a sound brimming with sonic power. The album's lyrics deal with pre-determination, the personal destiny that appears in cycles. Birth to death, human nature, sins of the father passed down and repeated. The album cover comprises 8 sections around a circle with a supernova in the middle. These sections (including the middle) each relate to a song on the album.

Check out this video!

https://youtu.be/hSE9pttG3KY

Skarthia - Skylone

Follow the band on Spotify and add them to your playlists!

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ORzKFcN54uF8IVxxZQKhr

Support them on Bandcamp and add them to your collection!

https://skarthia.bandcamp.com/album/legacy

Follow the band at these links:

https://linktr.ee/skarthia

https://www.facebook.com/Skarthia/

https://www.instagram.com/skarthia/

https://www.youtube.com/skarthia

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ORzKFcN54uF8IVxxZQKhr

https://skarthia.bandcamp.com/

SIGNS PREYER RELEASE "III"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Release Date: 12-11-2022

FFO: Black Label Society, Pantera, Red Fang, Monster Truck

Location: Italy

Signs Preyer's "III", was born after Eric (second guitarist) left the band after 10 years of activity. The Signs Preyer then from a quartet becomes a trio. As soon as Eric left the band, perhaps transported by the sense of revenge or to make up for the pain, the trio immediately produced 5 unreleased songs. They brought live a couple of these, joining them to a rearrangement of the old songs of the other 2 albums, given the lack of a guitar than before. The feedback of the new trio line-up seemed to be even more welcome than the previous quartet and hundreds of congratulations from the audience encouraged the band, always very close to his fans. The other 5 tracks were not long in coming, but unfortunately, the Covid 19 slowed the process of realization moving the release to 12 November 2022. Another factor that slowed down production was that Signs Preyer wanted a record that was as authentic as possible and so they decided to record it live, except for the vocals, solos and some reinforcement. But the heart of the album is undoubted that it was recorded live, so at a minimum and tiny error of a single component, the song had to be played again. In this album, they tried to get out of all the schemes they had previously explored, trying to give rise to a new sound of the new line-up.

Check out this video!

https://youtu.be/NMuS7s_DNYc

Signs Preyer - MY SOLITUDE (Official Video)

Follow the band at these links:

Website: https://linktr.ee/signspreyer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SignsPreyer/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@signspreyer

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/28gFd8aRMlU7UX8Kfl7DxB

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/signspreyer/

Other: https://music.apple.com/it/artist/signs-preyer/516147021

NOTHGARD RELEASE "SYMPHONIA DEORUM"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Symphonia Deorum

by Nothgard

Label: Apostasy Records

Tracklist:

1.Elysium

2.Aquila

3.Falling Skies

NOTHGARD mastermind Dom R. Crey always aims for rich melodies and cohesive compositions that also have a lot of class and finesse to them. With “Symphonia Deorum” he puts the neoclassical component that has always been a part of NOTHGARD’s songs into the foreground. Together with classic arranger Corvin Bahn (with whom Crey also worked during the sessions for ‘Dominion Of Cain’ and who already worked with artists like LORD OF THE LOST, WITT, GAMMY RAY…) he went back to 2011’s “Warhorns Of Midgard” to create a ‘classical brother’ to the band’s debut. The three compositions have an epic vibe to it and remind of film soundtracks while they still have Crey’s signature unmistakably. ELEINE’s singer Madeleine Liljestam delivered guest vocals on the song ‘Falling Skies’ which is undeniably the centerpiece of this EP. All three new compositions were mixed by Dom R. Crey in his own Splendid Wave Studios to ensure the right sound for this orchestral experience! Benjamin Lawrenz (NINO DE ANGELO, LORD OF THE LOST...) handled mastering duties while none other than Chris “The Lord” Harms (LORD OF THE LOST) did the mix for the orchestral version of ‘Dominion Of Cain’ himself which is featured as a bonus track on the physical copies of “Symphonia Deorum”.

releases February 17, 2023

https://nothgard.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Nothgard

https://www.instagram.com/nothgardofficial

https://twitter.com/Nothgard

https://www.facebook.com/apostasyrecords

https://www.instagram.com/apostasyrecords/

SHORES OF NULL RELEASE "THE LOSS OF BEAUTY"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Rome’s Shores of Null has a fourth album coming out next year, to expand their discography of melancholic doom. “The Loss Of Beauty” goes back to the usual full-length structure with different tracks, after the immersive experience of 2020’s “Beyond The Shores (On Death And Dying)”, which consisted of a single 38-minute track. Each of the upcoming singles released in anticipation of the release are accompanied by a series of videos by Sanda Movies. The first single is “Nothing Left To Burn”, which the band comments on:

“This song was originally written in 2018 and recorded in 2019, with the intent of releasing it the next year, but then we changed our minds and released “Beyond The Shores” instead. So this song was kept secret until today, almost frozen in time, and it’s so cathartic to be finally sharing it with you, both song and video, which is by far the most complex visual piece we’ve ever done, and for this, we must thank Martina and the Sanda Movies crew for the amazing work. It is a song about the burden of life, its endless struggles, and suffering, with the awareness that our existence is only transitory”.

Watch and listen to the music video for “Nothing Left To Burn” - https://youtu.be/wuP14Dgx4F4​

Those who have been following Shores Of Null from the very beginning know that their influences touch many genres, and those who loved “Quiescence” and “Black Drapes For Tomorrow” won’t be disappointed. The band considers “The Loss Of Beauty” to be the natural evolution of those records, while “Beyond The Shores (On Death And Dying)” represents a slight detour from the main road. Those who have known them from “Beyond The Shores” might find this new offering a bit different, faster in tempo, but still very gloomy and melancholic.

“The Loss Of Beauty” is melancholic dark metal with a wide range of influences, from gothic metal to doom metal and melodic black/death metal, with frequent use of vocal harmonies and deep growls. It is recommended for fans of Paradise Lost, Amorphis, and Enslaved.

“The Loss Of Beauty” is due out March 24th, 2023.

Album pre-order (Digital, CD, Vinyl) - https://linktr.ee/thelossofbeauty​

Track Listing:​

1. Transitory - 1:20

2. Destination Woe - 4:52

3. The Last Flower - 4:59

4. Darkness Won't Take Me - 4:14

5. Nothing Left To Burn - 4:55

6. Old Scars - 4:23

7. The First Son - 2:17

8. A Nature In Disguise - 6:26

9. My Darkest Years - 4:56

10. Fading As One - 5:19

11. A New Death Is Born - 4:54

Album Length: 48:40

Bonus Tracks (CD and digital only)

12. Underwater Oddity - 4:18

13. Blazing Sunlight - 1:57

Shores Of Null is:

Davide Straccione - Vocals

Gabriele Giaccari - Guitars

Raffaele Colace - Guitars

Matteo Capozucca - Bass

Emiliano Cantiano - Drums

For more info: Spikerot.com/ | Shoresofnull.com | Facebook.com/shoresofnull | Instagram.com/shoresofnull | Twitter.com/shoresofnull​

​

About: Shores of Null stand out from their contemporaries with their ability to blend seemingly disparate elements into their sound, overwhelmingly heavy and soothing at the same time: blackened aggression stands alongside gothic-doom sections without either sounding out of place. Their music can be both melancholic yet majestic, made of chorale-like guitar textures across the instrument’s entire range, sustained by a powerful rhythmic section and punctuated by a refined mixture of clean and growled vocals, along with extensive use of pleasing vocal harmonies which have become the band’s trademark through the years.

The Rome-based metal band has been an unwavering presence within the metal underground since their musical outset in 2013, churning out three impressive records: the melodic and somber “Quiescence” (Candlelight, 2014), the darker and more complex “Black Drapes For Tomorrow” (Candlelight/Spinefarm, 2017), and finally their most ambitious work to date “Beyond The Shores (On Death And Dying)” (Spikerot Records, 2020), a 38-minute long opus which continues to prove the band’s willingness to go off the beaten path while creating their ultimate doom manifesto.

The band’s fourth album "The Loss Of Beauty", recorded during the same sessions of “Beyond The Shores”, is expected to be released in March of 2023.

BLOOD OF ANGELS RELEASE "SPILLAGE"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Release Date: October 31, 2022

FFO: Lamb of God, Amon Amarth, Pantera

Location: Tampa, Florida USA

Inspired by the burgeoning local metal scene of Tampa, Florida, Blood of Angels are making their mark on the genre that has guided them through the darkest of times. With local town heroes such as Cannibal Corpse and Nasty Savage inspiring down that path, Blood of Angels blend death, black, thrash and lashings of power metal into a high-octane frenzy. Above all, the band combines their musical prowess and instrumental talents to make social commentary on public mistruths and the atrocities committed against humanity.

Band members, Randy Reyes (vocals), Aaron Robinson (guitars), Jonathan Rushford (drums), and the Maggot (bass) have been united under the Blood of Angels umbrella since the fall of 2015. They boast an abundance of experience as both musicians and songwriters, with 80 active years in the industry between them.

Utilizing thought-provoking lyrics akin to influential performers such as Dark Tranquility, Slayer, Cradle of Filth and Slipknot, they make music to fulfill the goal of creating concept albums that hold deep meaning.

Their EP release of "Rise of the Fallen Gods” (2017) achieved widespread critical acclaim and won numerous independent music awards. Blood of Angels was honored the “Best Metal/Hardcore Song” at the 16th Annual Independent Music Awards. Additionally, they went on to win “Best Metal Song”, “Best Metal EP”, and “Best Metal Video for the August 2017 Akademia Awards. To top it off, they were pronounced “Metal Band of the Year” at the 5th Annual International Music and Entertainment Awards.

With the signing to their new label Biohazardous Records, Blood of Angels has finished their forthcoming single, “Spillage” which will be released on Halloween October 31, 2022. This single is a hard driving blend of the bands thrash metal and death metal influences. The band will be spending 2023 recording their follow up to their 2020 album titled “Failure of Faith.”

Their success stems from their ability and bravery to step away from the pressures and expectations of metal music, allowing them to dictate their own identity, visions, and creativity. The goal for Blood of Angels? To play for as many people as they can, informing, motivating, and enlightening them, as well as creating masterpiece albums that match their artistic vision.

Check out this video!

https://youtu.be/ha0rZBHNF_8

Spillage

Follow the band at these links:

Official Website: http://www.bloodofangels.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bloodofangels1

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bloodofangels

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bloodofangels1

Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/bloodofangels1

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/bloodofangels

LAMORI RELEASE "REQUIEM"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Release Date: November 18th 2022

FFO: HIM, Paradise Lost, Lord of the Lost

Location: Aland Islands, Finland

Short Bio: LAMORI has been developing their own take on the goth rock genre for over 10 years now. Combining gothic rock and metal with electronics and dark wave to produce their own neon-lit flavor. Founded in 2009 on the Aland Islands of Finland, the constellation has stayed unchanged – however, their sound is ever-evolving.

Follow them on Spotify and add them to your playlists!

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0QXFxWrLzjCOJtiQG9SQG2

Follow the band at these links:

https://www.facebook.com/lamorimusic

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0QXFxWrLzjCOJtiQG9SQG2

STEELWINGS RELEASE "STILL RISING"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Release Date: November 25 , 2022

FFO: Saxon, Judas Priest, AC/DC

Location: Sweden

STEELWINGS play classic hard rock/heavy metal with roots firmly from the eighties. They were formed in 1982 and were part of the FWOSHM (First Wave Of Swedish Heavy Metal) The band played a lot of shows during this time and the music was mainly spread by tape-trading. In 1983 the band went to England and recorded two songs, the song “Live Your Life” is featured on their ‘Metal Plated’ compilation album. They also appeared on the charity record Swedish Metal Aid, together with other Swedish heavy rockbands such as Europe, Treat and Heavy Load. The last album before their hiatus - "Steelwings" - was released on LP and CD in 1989.

Mike Amott of Arch Enemy , who saw STEELWINGS as a young kid back in the mid 80’s, stated: “They were the real thing, all dressed up and with big lights and homemade pyrotechnics!”.

In 2007 the new era for STEELWINGS begun, when the band was asked to perform on the 700 years anniversary festival of the city of Markaryd .

2019 STEELWINGS released their comeback album "Back", on CD and red vinyl. The album was well received and put the band back on the hard rock map.

After a long band history, STEELWINGS now have joined forces with Pure Steel Records for the worldwide release of their strong new album called "Still Rising".

The current line-up features the founding members Tommy, Michael and Gert-Inge. 

Check out this video!

https://youtu.be/PQPnm7rct_s

Hell or High Water

 Follow the band on Spotify and add them to your playlists!

https://open.spotify.com/album/0WByT1BvxCMXcLjiMMdi0L

Support them on Bandcamp and add them to your collection!

https://puresteelrecords.bandcamp.com/album/still-rising

Follow the band at these links:

https://album.link/s/0WByT1BvxCMXcLjiMMdi0L

https://puresteelrecords.bandcamp.com/album/still-rising

https://www.facebook.com/steelwings.sweden

https://open.spotify.com/album/0WByT1BvxCMXcLjiMMdi0L

FUGIT RELEASE "MORPHOGENETIC FRACTAL HOLOGRAM"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Release Date: Feb 03, 2023

FFO: Alcest, Violet Cold, Lantlos, Heretoir

Location: Italy

Fugit is a one man band from Italy, created by Andrea Milan. Formed in 2014 as a way to cope with the human condition, Andrea's music speaks from personal experiences to science to our place and purpose in this massive thing called The Universe.

Follow the artist at these links:

https://linktr.ee/fugit

https://www.facebook.com/fugitofficial/

RADIANT BLACK RELEASE "EPOQUALYPSE"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Israeli Progressive/Melodic Death Metal band Radiant Black released their debut EP «Epoqualypse». The release was produced by Rafael Meissonnier, and mixed/mastered by Widek at "Widek Studios".

https://radiantblack.bandcamp.com/album/epoqualypse

Radiant Black was formed in 2022 in Israel by Rafael Meissonnier. Influenced by death metal together with progressive and melodic music, guitarist Raphael Meissonnier has teamed up with vocalist Voiicide to create the project's first concept EP.

https://www.facebook.com/RadiantBlackOfficial/