Bio: Ozark Shaman is a one man black metal band from the shadowy fringes of Ozark, Missouri. Brad Nailling handles all instruments and production while the music features his wife Madeleine Nailling on viola.
Blending raw black metal aggression with electronic synth and atmospheric folk elements the musical themes explore spirituality, cosmicism, war, history, and human struggle while highlighted by the banjo as the core folk element, delivered in Scruggs-style picking.
From the Sagas of old, to the halls of Valhalla, from Danish and Germanic battlefields with their bloody battles and fierce warriors, Danish warriors VANIR are back and have put together, without compromise, a new epic album, with a fascination with our common origins, and the blood spilled throughout history. Few bands have more authority to do so: Vanir is one of Denmark’s most well-known and prominent Viking melodic death metal bands. The group has, since it’s inception, released five full-length albums very well received by the media and the avid supporters of the genre. But one can say, without much hesitation, their sixth effort “Sagas” is their best yet.
“Sagas” will be re-released in CD, LP (two different colours, each limited to 300 units) and digital formats via Mighty Music on March 11th, 2022. Pre-orders available here. https://targetshop.dk/vanir
A first digital single from the album, "Dødsfærd", will be released on January 7th.
Through WDR Rockpalast, the people from the Summer Breeze Festival are streaming the shows from many bands that performed between 2017 and 2019 (check the YouTube video below). Among the bands presented in the stream are EQUILIBRIUM, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, DORO, MESHUGGAH, POWERWOLD, DIRKSCHNEIDER, BLOODBATH, HAMMERFALL, KREATOR and many more. You can check the shows below these lines:
PROTOKULT have been defining folk/pagan metal since 2009 when they released their debut album “Ancestral Anthems”, since then they have created three additional uncompromising and relentless albums with their fifth “Transcending The Ruins” coming out on October 1, 2020.
An introduction to this new offering comes with the single “Feed Your Demons”, which the band explains in their own words: ““Feed Your Demons'' was probably the last song written for the record, we needed something fairly simple, heavy and to the point. I pictured a groovy yet haunting female folk bridge in the middle and wanted some extra aggression too. One of the more personal songs from the album, it deals with the fragility and vulnerability of what makes us human, I.E addictions, shame, and hopefully learning to cope with so-called vices. It’s not a song that supports addiction but essentially, controlling your demons if you absolutely HAVE to feed them on occasion.”
Over two years in the making, “Transcending The Ruins” is a rush, meant to be enjoyed either as a whole journey or at any entry point, the band ensures. Approaching this record with a bit more maturity and consistency, the result is heavier, faster, darker.
Inspired and fascinated by various metal genres alongside folk-culture, after a few years of experimenting, Protokult was meant to fuse the two together while paying homage to the past, Bacchanalian festivities and honouring the underground.
For fans of Arkona, Korpiklaani, and Nightwish, the record pulsates from start to finish yet incorporates the massive dynamics, ambience and dashes of folk-melodies that the band has become known for.
“Feed Your Demons” can be heard at the following links:
Martin Drozd – guitar, vocals, keyboards, additional percussion, jawharp; Ekaterina Pyatkova- vocals, recorder,; Kaveh Afshar – drums; Jack Neila – rhythm and lead guitar; Dave Slowiak – bass, gang vocals
Live Band Line Up:
Martin Drozd – guitar and vocals; Dave Slowiak – bass and backup vocals; Ekaterina – vocals, recorder and synth, Jack Neila – guitar; Kaveh Afshar – drums
Guest musicians: Quinn Strahl – electric violin; Matt Hilden (Vesication) – vocals; Joe Feral- vocals; Jesse Harvey (Ammo) – vocals; Cristina Marcu – operatic vocals; Ewelina Ferenc- folk vocals
Belgian black folk viking metal masters ANCIENT RITES will re-release their "Blasfemia Eternal" album on July 24th. The album, originally released in 1996, was ANCIENT RITES´ second full length release, and the successor to their debut album "The Diabolic Serenades" from 1994. The re-release will come in a 6 panel digipack and will be done through Soulseller Records. More info on:
Finnish blackened folk metal masters FINNTROLL are streaming a new track, "Ormfolk". The tune is part of the band´s new album "Vredesvävd" that will be released on September 18th through Century Media Records.
French folk black metal band TROLLHEART has just released a video for the tune "Dark Troll". The track is part of the band`s debut album "Once Upon a Troll" released on May 16th through Infinityum Productions. The video story was done by Nicolas Foucault and it was directed by Sébastien Godard
and mixed and mastered by Michel Hejazy from Bastaing Studio. More info here:
Bandcamp: https://trollheart.bandcamp.com/releases
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrollheartOfficial/
Canadian folk black metal band HEXENKLAD, featuring former ECLIPSE ETERNAL vocalist Voldamares, are streaming the track "Returned". The tune is part of the band´s debut album "Spirit of the Stone". The album will be released through CDN Records on July 28th. You can check "Returned" below.
ESPAÑOL
La banda canadiense de folk black metal HEXENKLAD, con el ex vocalista de ECLIPSE ETERNAL Voldamares, han puesto en línea un nuevo tema "Returned". El tema es parte del álbum debut de la banda "Spirit of the Stone".El álbum será editado a través del sello CDN Records el 28 de julio. Pueden escuchar "Returned" debajo.
Finnish black doom folk metal band Wyrd will release their new album "Death of the Sun" on March 16th. The new album is the ninth full length release by the band and the follow up to their "Kalivägi" album released in 2009. "Death of the Sun" will be released through Moribund Records and will feature the following tracks:
1.Death of the Sun
2.Man of Silent Waters
3.The Sleepless and the Dead
4.Pale Departure
5.The Pale Hours
6.Inside
7.Cursed Be the Men
8.Where Spirits Walk the Earth
9.Rust Feathers
ESPAÑOL
La banda finlandesa de black doom folk metal Wyrd lanzará su nuevo álbum "Death of the Sun" el 16 de marzo. El nuevo álbum es el noveno larga duración de la banda y el sucesor de su "Kalivägi" lanzado en 2009. "Death of the Sun" será editado a través del sello Moribund Records y contendrá los siguientes temas:
Norwegian folk viking black masters Borknagar will release their new album "Winter Thrice" on January 22nd. The new album is the band´s tenth studio album and the follow up to their "Urd" album released in 2012. "Winter Thrice was mixed and mastered at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden and a video was made for the track "Winter Thrice". "Winter Thrice" will be released through Century Media Records and will feature the following tracks:
1. The Rhymes of the Mountain 2. Winter Thrice 3. Cold Runs the River 4. Panorama 5. When Chaos Calls 6. Erodent 7. Noctilucent 8. Terminus 9. Dominant Winds
ESPAÑOL
Los maestros noruegos del folk viking black Borknagar lanzarán su nuevo álbum
"Winter Thrice" el 22 de enero. El nuevo álbum es el décimo disco de estudio de la banda y el sucesor de su álbum "Urd" lanzado en 2012. "Winter Thrice" fue mezclado y masterizado en los Fascination Street Studios en Örebro, Suecia y un video fue hecho para el tema "Winter Thrice". "Winter Thrice" será lanzado a través del sello Century Media Records y contendrá los siguientes temas:
1. The Rhymes of the Mountain 2. Winter Thrice 3. Cold Runs the River 4. Panorama 5. When Chaos Calls 6. Erodent 7. Noctilucent 8. Terminus 9. Dominant Winds
German folk black metal band Aethernaeum will release theiur new album "Naturmystik" on October 2nd. The new album is the band´s second full length release and the follow up to their debut album "Wanderungen durch den Daemmerwald" released in 2013. "Naturmystik" will be released through Einheit Produktionen and will feature the following tracks:
1.Die Stimme der Wildnis
2.Heimreise (Ein Requiem)
3.Umarmung der Einsamkeit
4.Die Waldschamanin
5.Der Baumpercht
6.Jenseits der Mauer des Schweigens
7.Im Zyklus der Jahreszeiten
8.Aus Silberseen…
9.Erdenzauber
New Jersey black folk metal band Windfaerer will release their new album "Tenebrosum" on September 22nd. The new album is the band´s second full length release and the follow up to their "Tribus" album released in 2010 and their EP "Solar" released in 2012. "Tenebrosum" will be released independently and will feature the following tracks:
1. Celestial Supremacy 2. Finisterra 3. Tales Told in Oblivion 4. Santería 5. The Everlasting 6. Morir en el olvido 7. The Outer Darkness
A classic from Amorphis "Tales from the Thousand Lakes" released in 1994 through Relapse Records. Also released in their "Black Winter Day" EP in 1995.
Russian folk pagan doom blck metal band Alkonost will release their new album, entitled "Tales of Wanderings" on August 19th. The new album is the band´s tenth full length album and the follow up to their "Сказки странствий" album released in 2013. The album is the English version of the band's 2013 album "Сказки cтранствий" and was fully re-worked and re-arranged for English lyrics and all female leading vocals are performed by the band's new vocalist Ksenia Pobuzhanskaya. "Tales of Wanderings" will be released through Beverina Productions and will feature the following tracks:
Garden State folkloric black metal band Windfaerer have just released a lyric video for the track "Finisterra" (check it below). the tune comes from the band´s new album "Tenebrosum" that will be released later in 2015. The album is the follow up to the band´s 2012 EP "Solar" and was recorded at Frightbox Recordings and mixed and mastered by Rob Torres.
Scotish atmospheric folk black metal band Saor will be re-releasing their debut album entitled "Roots" on November 21st. The reissue will be done through Northern Silence Productions and will feature one extra track, an Ainshval cover entitled "Pictic Pride". The album will feature the following tracks:
Atmospheric black folk metal from Denver are releasing a lyric video for the track "Children of the Iron Age". The track comes from the band´s new album that has the same title. The album, recorded at Flatline Audio Studios in Colorado, was released on July in an independent way. The album will be released through Prosthetic Records on November 24th. "Children of the Iron Age" was mastered by Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation) and features the following tracks:
1.The Earth Only Endures
2.Forests Ash by Dawn
3.Toward Mountains
4.The Elemental
5.Stormcall
6.Children of the Iron Age
7.A Place Among Stars
8.Skysong
Tracks: 1- Croi Dorcha na Coille; 2- Stormgod; 3- Magtuired; 4- Cursus; 5- At Dusk We Rise
This is a really climatic and epic CD! The vocals are closer to black metal but the guitars prefer to play riffs with melodies than doing superfast one note riffs. This recording is powerful, and the main thing here are the great arrangements that the band makes on each song. I can feel some Emperor and Enslaved influences here and there but this guys play their music in a completely different way than this bands. The guitarists are extremely heavy contrasting with the vocalist that sometimes uses clean vocals in a really effective way. I would have mixed a little bit louder the snare drum and bass drum to make a little bit more crushing the result. The overall result is really good for those who love dark music.
Favorite tracks: "Stormgod" and "At Dusk We Rise".
