HOOKWORM HOMICIDE UNLEASHES FULL STREAM NEW EP "VIOLENT NATURE"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

From the outset, the band set out to push the boundaries of extremity in every form, blending the relentless brutality of death metal with the sinister, grotesque atmosphere of horror, and a scathing critique of the human condition. Their sound is characterized by bone-crushing breakdowns, guttural vocals that sound like a tormented soul lost in an abyss, and slamming riffs that make listeners feel like they’re caught in the jaws of a predator. The band was forged in the steel guts of the American Midwest, where the blistering winds of Wisconsin howl through decaying urban sprawl and the grinding, oppressive hum of industrial decay serves as the perfect soundtrack for the band's ferocious assault on the senses. Hookworm Homicide is a direct reflection of their mindset: a metaphor for the parasitic nature of life, and the way brutal, mindless violence can consume not just individuals but entire cultures. It’s about survival in a world where morality is a decayed relic, a world where species turn on their own kind in a desperate fight for dominance. Their music is inspired by the most primal, animalistic instincts—fueled by themes of parasitism, corruption, decay, and the unrelenting cycle of death. Hookworm Homicide continues to explore the most twisted, brutal, and philosophical corners of humanity's collapse. Their future is paved in destruction, and their music will remain the soundtrack to an inevitable, merciless end.

Link to Full EP Stream:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfvS-itwuCE

Links to Hookworm Homicide:

https://linktr.ee/hookwormhomicide

DEAD SLOW HAND ANNOUNCE NEW EP FOR 2025

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Czech-English black metal duo Dead Slow Hand are set to release a brand new EP in 2025. The pair are known for their dark, atmospheric sound shrouded in a fog of rot. The duo Rotting Jacob and O who is a new singer who has the voice of a demon that will take you into a soundscape that will engulf the listener with its raw and unfiltered vision. Following their debut EP Dark Underground, which featured five original tracks, Dead Slow Hand plans to continue making uncompromising music with a distinctive approach to black metal and a DIY feel.

Dead Slow Hand is a Czech-English Black Metal duo, originally formed as a one-man band by Rotting "deadface" Jacob. .After Jacob injured his vocal cords, he recruited Englishman O, whose vocal expression fits him perfectly. The duo's sound is ominous, dark, atmospheric and shrouded in a putrid fog. Without traditional lyrics, Jacob's raw vocals on previous recordings and haunting soundscapes create a powerful yet universally immersive listening experience that matches his intensity and image as an artist. O brings the same powerful and dynamic approach to his vocal style and dark lyrics. Yet he remains true to the original vision that drives Dead Slow Hand, while bringing his demonic charisma full of pain. Following Dead Slow Hand's debut EP, Dark Underground, which features five haunting tracks, the two are also planning to release a new EP in 2025. Influenced by legends such as Gorgoroth, Mayhem and Burzum, Dead Slow Hand remain true to their 90's Nordic Black Metal roots while bringing a fresh perspective to their sound. Dead Slow Hand exemplify a DIY ethos that delivers fiercely independent music.

https://www.facebook.com/666DeadSlowHand666

https://www.instagram.com/deadslowhand/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6k3il3cS6xIywkZC958Kxv

https://www.youtube.com/@deadslowhand

U KRONAKH RELEASE NEW SINGLE "NIGHT VISIONS FADE"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

U Kronakh, Ukrainian atmospheric black/death metal band, has set March 21, 2025, as the international release date for their third full-length album, The Archaic Dance of Winds, which will be released via Archivist Records.

To give you a taste of what’s to come, the single "Night Visions Fade" has been released and is now available on all streaming platforms worldwide: https://linktr.ee/Night_Visions_Fade

In 2020, Artem "Voidger" founded U Kronakh as a studio one-man band project in the genres of atmospheric black metal and death metal.

The musical concept of the band has remained consistent across three albums: a harmonious blend of atmospheric black metal, death metal, and lyrics predominantly dedicated to the raw mysticism of the Carpathian Mountains and events of ancient times.

For the recording of the debut album's vocals and drums, session musicians "Monolith" (Colotyphus, Ezkaton) and "Lycane" (Colotyphus, Ezkaton, etc) were invited. 

This lineup was also used to record the second album and an EP.

The debut album, Stonewounds, was released in 2021 and marked the first attempt to combine death metal elements with raw atmospheric black metal, along with a significant portion of melodic inclusions. The inspiration for the album was drawn from the raw, misty forests of the Carpathians during the author's hiking trips. Many photographs taken during these excursions were later used for the design of all the albums, a task handled by Ksenia "Wintersomnia."

The second album, Night Devours Being (Ніч Поглинає Буття), was written before the release of the debut but was only released in 2024. It continued and developed the ideas of the debut album but was slower, rawer, and more atmospheric. Thematically, the album combines a metaphorical depiction of primordial nature with reflections on ancient perceptions of the cosmos and humanity’s place in the universe.

In 2024, for the recording of the band’s third album, The Archaic Dance of Winds (Архаїчний Танець Вітрів), Vitalii "Wormwood," known for his work with other Ukrainian black metal bands, was invited as the vocalist.

Like its predecessors, The Archaic Dance of Winds continued the experiment of blending genres, becoming a fusion that disregarded any "rules" or "genre markers," as the author believes creativity exists precisely for such freedom. The updated sound and new musical accents added a unique charm to the band's work.

For more info:

https://ukronakh.bandcamp.com/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5z3uyxvAUSRWNfWQbcvWfF

https://www.instagram.com/u_kronakh

https://www.facebook.com/ukronakh

https://archivist-records.com/

BLOOD CULT RELEASE "WE´RE GONNA TAKE YOUR SOUL"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Blood Cult

We’re Gonna Take Your Soul

14 February 2025

Hailing from the darkened fields of rural Illinois, BLOOD CULT has carved a niche for itself with a sound that's as deeply rooted in the local folklore as it is in the heavy metal lexicon. The band, masterminded by J.R. Preston since its inception in 1994, has earned a reputation for blending Southern Rock, Blues, and Country/Western with black metal, creating a unique genre: Redneck Black Metal. This February 14, 2025, in the United States BLOOD CULT is set to release their most anticipated album yet, We're Gonna Take Your Soul, under Witches Brew and Illinoisan Thunder.

We're Gonna Take Your Soul is not just an album; it's a narrative woven from the threads of the 80s and 90s Satanic Panic, a personal and societal critique packaged within nine tracks that total a running time of 33 minutes and 14 seconds. Each song is a story, an exploration of defiance, and a rebellion against the conventional. From the foreboding allure of "Demon Seed" to the introspective depth of "Love," BLOOD CULT delivers a sonic journey through the darker side of American culture.

The album opens with "Demon Seed," setting the tone with its heavy riffs and haunting vocals, embodying the spirit of a curse veiled as music. It's followed by "No Escape from Rock," a track that reminisces about the era when heavy metal was the scapegoat for societal ills, celebrating its unapologetic devilish roots. The title track, "We're Gonna Take Your Soul," is the epitome of the album's theme, with falsetto vocals that challenge the listener to embrace the inherent divide in metal music tastes.

Tracks like "Bully" and "Playground Creeper" delve deeper into the consequences of the Satanic Panic, addressing the darker realities of religious extremism and societal fear-mongering. Meanwhile, "The Devil’s Child" pays homage to the powerful women of the metal scene, and "In the Full Moon" revives the punk roots of BLOOD CULT, offering a raw and energetic sound that harks back to the band's early days.

Produced, mixed, and engineered by J.R. Preston himself at Tjolgtjar Studio, the album also features his work on vocals, guitar, bass, synth, keyboard, organ, and drums. Mastering was handled by Diego Acosta Ruiz, ensuring that each track delivers the crisp, powerful sound that fans expect. The album cover, crafted by Jeff Zornow, captures the eerie essence of BLOOD CULT’s thematic focus.

"We're Gonna Take Your Soul" promises to be a cornerstone in BLOOD CULT’s discography, a blend of musical innovation and thematic boldness. It's an album that not only challenges the norms but also invites listeners to explore the depths of their own perceptions of music, culture, and the occult. With this release, BLOOD CULT continues to redefine the boundaries of black metal, ensuring their influential legacy in the metal world remains as enduring and provocative as their music.

About BLOOD CULT:

BLOOD CULT, the sole creation of J.R. Preston, stands as a defiant pillar in the underground metal scene. Emerging from the rural depths of Moweaqua, Illinois in 1994, the band has sculpted a niche sound dubbed "Redneck Black Metal," uniquely combining elements of Southern Rock, Blues, and Country/Western with the aggressive tones of black metal. This fusion not only defines their sonic identity but also reflects the band’s deep roots in the lore and landscape of rural America.

Over the years, BLOOD CULT has become synonymous with innovation and authenticity, unafraid to blend seemingly disparate genres and themes. The band's lyrical content draws heavily from local stories and legends of Illinois, painting vivid narratives that explore the darker, often overlooked aspects of rural life. Their music carries a raw, unpolished grit, a signature of their commitment to unfiltered artistic expression.

J.R. Preston, the driving force behind BLOOD CULT, is a multifaceted artist whose contributions to music extend beyond performances. He is an ordained minister with a background in Gnosticism, a founder of the Church of Tjolgtjar—an occult research collective—and a creative force in animation and graphic arts, having worked with notable figures in professional wrestling and film. His artistic endeavors reflect a deep engagement with the esoteric, the spiritual, and the culturally subversive.

BLOOD CULT’s discography, marked by albums such as We Who Walk Behind the Rows and We Are the Cult of the Plains, showcases a progressive evolution in sound and thematic depth, culminating in their latest release, We’re Gonna Take Your Soul. This album not only captures the essence of their signature style but also serves as a commentary on the cultural phenomenon of the Satanic Panic of the 80s and 90s.

Throughout its existence, BLOOD CULT has maintained a fierce independence, operating under J.R. Preston's own label, Illinoisan Thunder, to produce and release their music. This autonomy has allowed for an unapologetic preservation of their creative vision, solidifying BLOOD CULT's status as icons in the metal underground, revered for their bold defiance and innovative blend of musical traditions.

Album Credits:

Producer: J.R. Preston

Recording Studio: Tjolgtjar Studio

Engineer: DAAR

Mastering: Diego Acosta Ruiz

Mixing: J.R. Preston

Album Cover Artist: Jeff Zornow

Tracklist:

1.Demon Seed 03:52  

2.No Escape from Rock 03:21  

3.We're Gonna Take Your Soul 04:18  

4.I'll Never Go Away 03:30  

5.Bully 03:03  

6.Playground Creeper 03:08  

7.The Devil's Child 05:11  

8.In the Full Moon 03:08  

9.Love 03:43

https://www.facebook.com/bloodcult

https://www.illinoisanthunder.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/j.r.preston

AVERSED RELEASE NEW SINGLE: "LUCID DECAPITATION"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Massachusetts’s AVERSED share more new music from their forthcoming album. Today, the group’s new digital single and music video “Lucid Decapitation” makes its way online, showcasing their intense, progressive, and blistering performance https://youtu.be/9TjOiIcje-s

"In 1905, French physician Dr. Jacques Beaurieux performed an experiment on prisoners condemned to die by guillotine. Immediately after his subjects were decapitated, he called out their names seeking to determine to what extent and for how long consciousness remained in their detached skulls,” explains drummer Jeff Saltzman. “In ‘Lucid Decapitation,’ we explore the horrifying prospect of being subjected to such a test, and our world’s hunger for knowledge, regardless of the cost. What does it feel like to be a head, detached from your body? Can science ever be justified in performing such grisly experiments?"

Interesting themes for an interesting album that takes extreme, gothic and melodic death metal inspirations and builds them to create something uniquely AVERSED. “Lucid Decapitation” follows up “Cross To Bear” https://youtu.be/lUatQbOXUlU which weaved wondrous awe with righteous anger and left fans anxious for more new music.

‘Erasure of Color’ will be in stores and online March 21, 2025 and pre-orders are now available on CD, limited-edition (300) smoke colored vinyl and exclusive limited (100) cassette at https://lnk.to/aversed

Packaged with intriguing artwork from Adam Burke (Unto Others, Gatecreeper, Cloak) of Nightjar Illustration, and self-produced by guitarists Alden Marchand and Sungwoo Jeong with orchestrations composed/arranged by Vikram Shankar (Redemption, Silent Skies, Pain Of Salvation), the album is mixed by AJ Viana (Wormhole, Hath, Cognitive) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Code Orange, Obituary, 200 Stab Wounds) at Audiosiege.

AVERSED formed in Boston with guitarist Sungwoo Jeong and bassist Martin Epstein remaining the sole members from the early days. By 2016, with the additions of drummer Jeff Saltzman (now also of Allegaeon) and guitarist Alden Marchand, the band released their impactful EP, ‘Renewal,’ demonstrating their ambition and future promise. Their blend of extreme instrumentation and tender melodicism was highlighted with 2021’s full-length CD, ‘Impermanent,’ displaying further growth, musicianship and potential. Now joined by Sarah Hartman on vocals AVERSED are armed with a new album full of rage and yearning. ‘Erasure of Color’ presents a glimpse of hope and beauty on a backdrop of raging, mournful Gothic Extreme Metal.

https://instagram.com/aversedmetal

https://facebook.com/aversedmetal

https://aversed.bandcamp.com/music

www.m-theoryaudio.com