Posts Tagged ‘Prophecy Productions’

Listen: ‘Ayam (instrumental)’ (full album) by DISILLUSION

Posted: 10 November 2024 in Albums, Recommended Streams and Videos
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German avant-garde metal pioneers DISILLUSION release and stream the limited instrumental edition of their acclaimed current album Ayam released on November 8, 2024.

DISILLUSION commented: “We are stoked that our first instrumental album ever is finally seeing the light of day”, singer and guitarist Andy Schmidt wrote. “The idea for this concept already came up during the recording of Ayam. We wanted to metaphorically let the music do all the talking. An abundance of details and intricacies within the tracks have now shifted to the foreground. This allows a quite different perspective on the album and illuminates previously hidden facets. Hopefully, you will find this as exciting as we do. Enjoy!”

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Two years after the release of Ayam, the fourth DISILLUSION full-length will have spun on record and CD players, and also been streamed countless times. Every melody, rhythm pattern, and note will have been listened to again and again. And yet, there are still many musical ‘secrets’ waiting to be uncovered and treasures to be found. 
With Ayam (Instrumental), DISILLUSION offer their most dedicated followers a beautiful map to find some of the hidden gems. Without the magnificent vocals, other aspects of the songs begin to shine, and new aspects of each track come to the fore. Nothing has been added from the original songs, only the vocals have been taken out of Ayam.

Who are we? Where do we go? These are the kind of existential questions that have arisen for many of us during these last years and that have also been haunting DISILLUSION during the creation of "Ayam". Without a chance to perform live and their personal lives also being affected by many restrictions the focus of the German avant-gardists shifted fully towards their band and the creation of new songs as well as recording. The effect is audible: Ayam sounds richer, even more multi-layered, and fully matured compared to the already highly praised previous releases. Yet the intricacies of their music are never just a means to an end, but more than anything all the complexity is subjugated to serve the inner feeling and cinematic aspect of each song itself. 

The thematic questions and multi-dimensional layers of the songs are also reflected in the album title Ayam. The word derives from Sanskrit and means "This One". Pronounced in English it sounds like "I am", while reading it backwards turns it into "Maya", which is neither an accident nor explained by the band that obviously likes to offer riddles.

While DISILLUSION stuck closer together, they were also searching their hearts whether it was time to change old habits and try out something new. This led to the excellent decision to leave the mix of the album to different ears than the bands’ for the first time. Their choice could not have been better as renowned producer Jens Bogren (OPETH, KATATONIA, MOONSPELL) once again worked his exciting magic and enhanced their already unique sound by shining a sonic spotlight to the most important aspects such as the vocals.   

Founded around singer and guitarist Andy Schmidt in the East Germany city of Zwickau in 1994, DISILLUSION pulled the rare trick of already becoming a staple in the field of avant-garde melodic death metal with the release of their full-length debut Back to Times of Splendor in 2004. The Germans have always been driven to seek new challenges and find new ways to evolve their music, which was exemplified by the following album Gloria that took radical musical steps in several directions at the same time. Gloria was far ahead of its time in terms of composition and sound, which becomes apparent when compared to GOJIRA’s masterpiece Magma for example that came out a decade later.

Despite their early success, DISILLUSION took a creative hiatus until suddenly returning in 2016 with the single ‘Alea’ and a new line-up that had changed in several positions. Quite likely even to the band’s surprise, a large and loyal fan base had formed during the decade of their absence, which showed in sold out shows and a highly successful crowdfunding campaign to realise a new album, which the Germans repeated for Ayam.

When The Liberation was released in 2019, critics described the album as a logical continuation of Back to Times of Splendor. Its songs reflected 15 years of additional experience in the musical development of Andy Schmidt. The Liberation turbo-charged all of DISILLUSION’s best qualities: the perfect interplay of massive metal with moments of pure euphoria and quiet introspection that create a sonic rollercoaster ride of passionate emotions.

With Ayam, DISILLUSION again sail among the stars to new stellar constellations of heavy sounds. While staying true to their general course, the German avant-garde pioneers also continue dropping anchor to explore new planets sparkling in space with a multitude of radiant sounds. Ayam offers exciting evolution rather than radical revolution, and DISILLUSION’s new musical forms and means are most beautiful and astonishing to behold. This album is a golden ticket to join the extraordinary journey of a life-time. Please feel free to check-in anytime you like. And with Ayam (Instrumental) you can even take the scenic route!

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Listen: ‘Whispering Void’ by Whispering Void

Posted: 25 September 2024 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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Summer has come to an end, all swallows have left the north, and autumn is already knocking on doors and windows with gusts of wind and rain. When the first leaves are falling, it is also time for melancholic tunes. WHISPERING VOID has the perfect offer for this darkening season: the eponymous song that gave the collective of renowned musicians from Norway’s west coast their name. ‘Whispering Void’ is taken from their forthcoming debut album At the Sound of the Heart, which has been scheduled for release on October 18, 2024.

WHISPERING VOID comment: “Lyrically, ‘Whispering Void’ combines all the elements of this album”, vocalist Kristian Espedal reveals. “The slow, gracious movements of the music evoke the innocence of natural beings moving through a forest, as acted out by the vocals in the verses. This song also features our third ‘outside’ collaborator, Matias Monsen from the band DROTT is playing the cello.”

Listen to this gloriously epic tune here:

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Listen: ‘A Slow Decay’ by Nachtmystium

Posted: 7 September 2024 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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US Black Metal innovators NACHTMYSTIUM drop the next advance single ‘A Slow Decay’ taken from their forthcoming ninth album Blight Privilege. The full-length has been scheduled for release on All Saints’ Day, November 1, 2024.

NACHTMYSTIUM comment: “The song ‘A Slow Decay’ concerns itself with the disintegration of society that is going on all around us”, mastermind Blake Judd muses. “It does not even matter which side you are on. We are all being played.”

Listen here:

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Watch: ‘The Voice of What Whispers’ by Trelldom

Posted: 28 August 2024 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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When iconic Norwegian vocalist Gaahl, revived TRELLDOM he did the only thing that could ever be expected from this exceptional artist: the unexpected. Hardly anybody could have predicted the stylistic shifts and the twists and turns of the forthcoming new full-length: …by the shadows…

A few weeks back, TRELLDOM opened their set at this year’s edition of Bergen’s Beyond the Gates festival followed the introduction via By the Shadows with the new opening track ‘The Voice of What Whispers’. This avant-garde jazzy yet relentlessly driving song conjured looks of confusion, fascination, and even rapture onto many faces in the crowd. Now the band releases ‘The Voice of What Whispers’ as the third single in the shape of an equally unexpected yet fascinating video. Who would have thought to see a Japanese horror style clip from a Norwegian band with deep roots in the black metal scene?

Watch the video here:

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Listen: ‘Vinden Vier’ by Whispering Void

Posted: 22 August 2024 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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The collective of renowned musicians from Norway’s west coast known as WHISPERING VOID is releasing the single ‘Vinden vier’ (‘The Wind Sanctifies’) that features ABBATH guitarist Ole André Farstad. The track is taken from their forthcoming debut album At the Sound of the Heart, which has been chalked up for release on October 18, 2024.

Hear ‘Vinden Vier’ here:

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WHISPERING VOID comment: “This song began to form when I repeated the words ‘Vinden vier’, which is kind of a play on words”, vocalist Kristian Espedal explains. “This can mean ‘The Wind Sanctifies’ but it can also be read as: ‘The Wind Unites’. As the lyrical loop goes on, it also becomes ‘Vi er vinden’, which means ‘We Are the Wind’. Then Lindy added her wonderful vocals in a 70s or even 60s style. At first, she just sang the ghost vocals, but once we had set the lyrics for the song, she also gave her voice to them. We all felt that this song also needed more of an Eastern energy, which is the very reason as to why we invited Ole André Farstad to play guzheng and Indian slide-guitar. This has added even more of that late 60s vibe to the song and I really like the result.”

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Nachtmystium – Predator Phoenix

Posted: 7 August 2024 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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Prophecy Productions – 6th August 2024

Christopher Nosnibor

I tend to give releases a wide berth if there’s anything that could be construed as iffy about them or the artist or anyone else involved, not because I’m fearful of controversy, but simply feel it better not to provide a platform. Of course, some will argue that silence is tantamount to complicity – and I’m painfully aware of the extent to which that it’s true that many bad things happen while no-one speaks out. But I like to think that overall, my positions on matters of politics and beyond are fairly obvious on account of what I do cover, and some of the discussions around them, and I’m not about to virtue-signal with a list of releases by abusers and shady shits which have landed in my inbox to be immediately deleted.

But this one stood out. I sift through emails and divide them into ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘maybe’ for review, and have a separate flow for those that I’ll likely not have time or energy to review, but might be posting as a stream.

I’d never heard of Nachtmystium, but was intrigued to learn that they were back, although the tone of the press release struck me as a little different, more muted, perhaps: ‘…after all that was said and done, mastermind Blake Judd aka Azentrius is still standing. Not only that, but Judd has clawed himself back from the abyss of a most extreme life imaginable to a much more quiet, observant, and matured artist and person… His return will not be met with universal applause – even from the black metal scene. For anybody following the tumultuous career of Blake Judd and his pioneering band that has pushed the borders of their genre into new territories, this comes hardly as a surprise.’

But the video… on first play, I figured it was perhaps a Day Today or Brasseye type spoof, or that Nachtmystium was the Bad News or Spinal Tap of Black Metal. But no. Comparatively cursory research reveals Blake Judd’s long history of junkiedom, thieving, scamming, fraud, and unpaid bills, not to mention connections to the National Socialist Black Metal scene – something Judd is on record as renouncing and denying direct involvement with, but saying ‘We don’t oppose people’s right to be ‘NS’ or whatever… Even though I personally, my band(s) and my label have absolutely no interest in being a part of that scene, I will ALWAYS take their side when it comes to their freedom of speech being imposed upon.”

Freedom of speech has become a battle ground like no other in recent years , and thanks to social media, it’s a debate that’s taken the ugliest, most divisive of shapes, largely splitting along lines of left and right, with the left calling out fascists and twats, with the right calling the left fascists and twats for wanting to suppress their right to be fascists and twats. But, just as opposing Antifa is, effectively to align oneself as being Profa, to say ‘hey, free speech, it’s their right to be nazis’ is not only spineless, but a tacit statement in support of the nazis, even if it’s one born out of ignorance of just how much harm their ‘free speech’ can cause – and I find it hard to believe any adult could truly be that ignorant nowadays.

So, to return to the video… it contains some stills of the man himself, treated with grainy effects overlayed, with some lyrics flashed up, flickering, as the main focus of the visuals to what is, in real terms, some pretty standard black metal. But throughout, presented as ‘cuttings’, snippets of comments from social media and various other sources, essentially decrying what a deplorable scumbag he is.

It seems perverse that while he’s growling about ‘the return of a rightful might’, there are comments to the effect of ‘fuck this guy’ and ‘he owes me so much money’ to ‘good luck, Prophecy’. And against snippets reporting on his jail time and drug addiction, he snarls ‘No remorse, no remorse’.

Prophecy is a label which has released countless fantastic acts, and continues to do so, but I can’t help but feel that this is something of a mis-step – not even releasing new work by Nachtmystium, necessarily, but the pitch may be rather misjudged. These aren’t a few ‘oops’ moments – which should be approached apologetically even if they were – but to market the release in a way which celebrates all of this? Even if intended humorously – which there’s nothing to indicate that it is – it’s not very funny for the victims of his wrongdoings. And yes, they are victims, however desperate his drug plight or whatever at the time.

Musically, ‘Predator Phoenix’ is fine, and although the title seems both dubious and self-aggrandising, it’s par for the course in black metal. But the way this comeback is being heralded… not cool, man, not cool.

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Watch: ‘Vi finnes’ by Whispering Void

Posted: 23 July 2024 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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The collective of renowned musicians from Norway’s west coast henceforth known as WHISPERING VOID is releasing their first ever video single ‘Vi finnes’ (‘We Exist’) taken from their forthcoming debut full-length At the Sound of the Heart. The album has been slated for release on October 18, 2024.

Watch the video here:

WHISPERING VOID comment: “The main lyrics in this song are in Norwegian, more specifically in an Eastern dialect of Norwegian, and this creates a slippery and almost untrustworthy character”, vocalist Kristian Espedal writes. “The title, ‘Vi finnes’ means ‘we exist’, but the lyrics are about us never existing. The words are about the morning, which is an opportunity, and about the hours, which are the repetition of everything that happens all the time but is never the same. There is much hopefulness in this song, and at the end even a bit of suffering. When the lyrics move into English, they steer into a different direction. Ferrucio came up with the idea for the video. The lady in this film is observing life from the past. I like the very subtle connection to the lyrics.”

Lindy-Fay Hella adds: “I love the vibe of the video”, the vocalist enthuses. “I like that there is a connection with the song’s lyrics, but it also adds a new dimension to it. The haunted house in this video is situated in my neighbourhood and the lady in the video is one of my best friends. She really fits this song. I feel somewhat reminded of the fairy tale ‘Goldielocks and the Three Bears’.”

WHISPERING VOID album cover "At the Sound of the Heart"

Listen: ‘Exit Existence’ by Trelldom

Posted: 17 July 2024 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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TRELLDOM drop ‘Exit Existence’ as the next single taken from the legendary Norwegians’ forthcoming new full-length: …by the shadows… has been scheduled for release on September 13

TRELLDOM do neither comment on their music nor explain their art.

Listen to ‘Exit Existence’ here:

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Listen – ‘Under the Lake’ by HEXVESSEL

Posted: 16 July 2024 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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Finnish black metal act HEXVESSEL have set their signatures under a multi-album deal with Prophecy Productions.

HEXVESSEL will release their seventh studio full-length via the label and have already been confirmed for this year’s edition of Prophecy Fest.

HEXVESSEL comment: “I am a fiercely independent minded artist and Hexvessel has its own sound, ideology and spiritual path”, vocalist and guitarist Mat ‘Kvohst’ McNerney explains. “I wanted a label that would respect, care for and nurture that wild art spirit. I have known and been friends with Martin Koller, Stefan Belda, and Prophecy for many years. We go back to the origin of Hexvessel and our first live shows abroad and they have always supported my work. I felt we would always be destined to work together in a creative aspect and I am proud to now come under the banner of a label that stands for true beauty in art and creative music.”

Prophecy Productions state: “We are all thrilled to welcome a long-time friend and outstanding artist such as Mat McNerney and Hexvessel to our roster”, the label’s founder Martin Koller writes. “Hexvessel are in many regards the perfect fit for Prophecy Productions as their highly individualistic and ever evolving music is exciting as hard to pin down and limit to only one genre.”

Listen here:

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HEXVESSEL comment on the digital single: “I actually started writing ‘Under The Lake’ as the first song for our return to black metal before the other parts of Polar Veil took shape”, mastermind Mat McNerney reveals. “Although it was always a favourite of mine, ‘Under the Lake’ still remained unfinished. This was partly due to the fact that its theme was neither polar nor set in wintertime, which meant that the song did not sit well with the rest of the album. Instead ‘Under the Lake’ is about summer hikes into the secluded and remote deep fell areas where you will find bottomless clear lakes or ‘saivo’. In Sámi beliefs, saivos (sáiva) were thought to be homes to the deceased as well as various spirits and deities. The Sámi word sáiva was used to refer to a holy lake or fell, and the spirits residing in it. It could also denote a dwelling of the deceased or anything sacred; depending on the context. A saivo, like our own world, was usually believed to exist beyond a hole at the bottom of a lake, with another identical lake upside down. To me, this is a perfect metaphor for looking at the world. There is a deeper meaning out there, if you look hard enough. ‘Under the Lake’… there is another lake. I am glad that this personal favourite of mine finally comes to see the light of day. It happens in the preternatural summer in which we announce our pact with Prophecy!”

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Live

07 AUG 2024 Jaroměř (CZ) Brutal Assault Festival
13 AUG 2024 Manchester (UK) Rebellion
14 AUG 2024 Brighton (UK) Chalk
15 AUG 2024 Sheffield (UK) Corporation
16 AUG 2024 London (UK) Oslo
17 AUG 2024 Bristol (UK) ArcTanGent Festival
24 AUG 2024 Dūburio Sala (LT) Mėnuo Juodaragis
6/7 SEP 2024 Balve (DE) Prophecy Fest
28 SEP 2024 Heidelberg (DE) New Evil Music Festival
23 OCT 2024 Berlin (DE) Kantine am Berghain
24 OCT 2024 Leipzig (DE) Soltmann
25 OCT 2024 Bruxelles (BE) Atelier210
26 OCT 2024 Paris (FR) Backstage by the Mill
27 OCT 2024 Maastricht (NL) Samhain
28 OCT 2024 Hamburg (DE) Hafenklang
29 OCT 2024 København (DK) Stengade
30 OCT 2024 Göteborg (SE) The Abyss
31 OCT 2024 Oslo (NO) Goldie
01 NOV 2024 Jönköping (SE) The Hush Hush Club
02 NOV 2024 Stockholm (SE) Hus 7

Listen: ‘Naakt’ by Vuur & Zijde

Posted: 14 June 2024 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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VUUR & ZIJDE (‘Fire & Silk’) reveal the closing track ‘Naakt’ (‘Naked’) as the final advance single taken from the Dutch blackened post-punk outfit’s debut full-length Boezem (Bosom), which has been set for release on July 12, 2024.

VUUR & ZIJDE comment on ‘Naakt’: "In finality, the sorrow is laid bare, and its nakedness is shrouded in cosmic fragility", vocalist Famke writes in psychological riddles. "Steadily waltzing into a conflagration, dissonance creeps in and opens the gateway towards the light – sharing your burden of grief."

Listen to ‘Naakt’ here:

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Love and heavy metal have always had a somewhat strained relationship as the former is at least nominally topic number 1 in pop music. It becomes even more complicated when black metal is involved, a genre in which hate is a major ingredient as much as blues musicians must have felt utter sadness.

This observation makes Boezem, the debut full-length of Dutch quintet VUUR & ZIJDE ("Fire & Silk") the more remarkable as the album revolves around themes of conditional and unconditional love – and the difference between those, the liberation of intimacy, and motherhood. This album politely abstains from going through the motions of tedious heavy metal clichés.

It might help that although the Dutch have deep roots in black metal and the five have been or still are members in such established bands as LASTER, NUSQUAMA, SILVER KNIFE, GREY AURA, WITTE WIEVEN, and TERZIJ DE HORDE, they have stylistically shifted from their 2020 split-album with IMPAVIDA in the meantime. Having grown from a trio to a 5-piece formation has brought a wider range of influences and ideas to the table. The changes are subtle but enough to locate a part of their sound in the evolving and exciting realms of post-black metal.

The black side of the music is mainly expressed through whirling drum attacks and buzzing guitar riffs. Yet there is a second strong pillar on which Boezem rests, as bands that started out as post-punk acts and developed into more dreamy, meditative sounds such as COCTEAU TWINS and even DEAD CAN DANCE are also named as a source of inspiration. And for the record, at least KILLING JOKE made the topic acceptable in the post-punk scene with their classic ‘Love Like Blood’. Synthesizer sounds and the beautiful voice of singer Famke naturally contribute to that side of VUUR & ZIJDE.

The vocalist is also responsible for various lyrics penned in Frysk (Frisian). The Frisian name and language go back to a North Sea Germanic tribe and survived through the middle ages. Today, the Frisian is still spoken in a few Dutch and German areas along the coast up to the Danish border. The other lyrics are written in Dutch.

With Boezem, VUUR & ZIJDE achieve a perfect balance between their contradictory poles. The aggressive side with elements of black metal that have been transformed into post-black metal contrasts with the light side of shoegaze, post-punk, and wave. Both are entwined in an endless dance that creates fascinating new music, which is at the same beautiful and yet full of thorns – just like a black rose.

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