CDs

European import Sleevepac CD.

1. Rotted Futures
2. Excelsior
3. City Swine
4. Atomic Age
5. Transmission to Mercury
6. Alphaville
7. The Greater Good

Bonus tracks
8. Experiment (Voivod)
9. Happy Home (The Residents)

Being one of the fastest rising stars in avant garde metal music, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, proudly presents their fourth studio album Alphaville. With their upcoming record, the metal trio from New York once again proves their matchless technical excellence and breathtaking musical craftsmanship. Small wonder that no other that the ingenious artist and illustrator Zbigniew M. Bielak contributes one of his best creations so far to this magnificent masterpiece.

Singer and guitarist Zachary states on Imperial Trumphants fourth studio album: " Alphaville - this new album is the pinnacle of our combined efforts as a band. It is the most refined version of our current state of creation. (…) Alphaville is our most proud achievement to date. Welcome to the dawn of the new Roaring 20s."

01. In Hell Is Where She Waits for Me
02. Goat of Departure
03. Into the Everblack
04. Raped in Hatred by Vines of Thorn
05. Phantom Limb Masturbation
06. Control
07. Blood Mine
08. Every Rope a Noose
09. Their Beloved Absentee
10. Map of Scars

The Black Dahlia Murder's sixth full-length album, Everblack, will be released worldwide in June 2013. The album art for Everblack was painted by renowned artist Nick Keller and recording was completed at Audiohammer Studios (lead guitars and vocals), Rustbelt Studios (drums), and Regal Fecal (guitar and bass). Mixing was handled by Jason Suecof and Ryan Williams, mastering was completed by Alan Douches at West Westside. Trevor Strnad's horror-inspired lyrics persist on Everblack, beginning with In Hell is Where She Waits for Me, a reference to the murder from which the band took for their moniker.

01. Receipt
02. Vlad, Son of the Dragon
03. Abysmal
04. Re-Faced
05. Threat Level No. 3
06. The Fog
07. Stygiophobic
08. Asylum
09. The Advent
10. That Cannot Die Which Eternally Is Dead

The problem of dropping a record as career-defining as 2013's Everblack is that the bar is set so high following it up is a galling task. That The Black Dahlia Murder's response to such a challenge comes in the form of the devastating Abysmal serves to once again demonstrate why they are considered one of the most vital bands in contemporary death metal. "Once the record started to come together we knew it was going to be something special," states vocalist Trevor Strnad. "It's more urgent, it has more dynamics, it's a more emotive record, and it has a more raw, angry sound to it. It's still million mile-per-hour death metal, but when you invest so much thought and emotion into what you're creating you end up with a record that does stand out, and we can hold our heads up high and say yeah, this is our best work."

At this stage in the game, with typically modest aspirations, Strnad is more interested in maintaining their longevity than shifting records, and if the band never gets any bigger than they are right now he will "die happy a hundred times over". However, this does not mean there is anything even vaguely resembling an end in sight. "We're still young at heart and I feel like the evolution of the band still has a long way to go. I don't see a ceiling on what we can do, and there will be no end. It's just going to be a constant ongoing fight to make better music and be a better band, and it's always going to be time to kick ass."

1. Age of Quarantine
2. 2020
3. Life on Earth
4. Violence and Destruction
5. Chaos in the Streets
6. Cro-Fusion

To close out this year of international turmoil and disease, the band has announced the six-song EP "2020". CRO-MAGS also released the EP's title track, venting all the frustration and rage, CRO-MAGS style, at the unprecedented chaos of this year.

The record itself is unintentionally 20 minutes and 20 seconds, and plays out more like a time-capsule look into the dumpster fire known as the year 2020.

CRO-MAGS founder Harley Flanagan explains: "Just by coincidence we recorded 20 minutes and 16 seconds of music, so we simply added a few seconds of real-world chaos.

"The album cover is meant to look like a calendar — seven squares across, with one picture from 2020 per day. Inside the booklet there are 12 pictures, one for each month of 2020; and the back is a shot of something I have never seen before in my life — a totally empty New York City.

"Coronavirus, quarantine, empty streets, brutality, burning buildings, violence and destruction: 2020 is a year none of us will ever forget.”

The anticipated new album from Florida's melodic death metal band The Absence, includes 11 blistering new tracks. Digipak CD. Mastered by Jonas Kjellgren (Hypocrisy, Immortal, Scar Symmetry). Includes members of Venom Inc., Massacre, Soulfly/Cavalera Conspiracy and more.

1. Coffinized
2. Future Terminal
3. Choirs of Sickness
4. Radiant Devestation
5. Cathedral Dawn
6. Black Providence
7. Discordia
8. Treacherous
9. This Consuming Nocturne
10. Aperture Expands
11. Faith in Uncreation

*PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A PRE-ORDER PRODUCT ESTIMATED TO SHIP ON OR AROUND SEPTEMBER 16, 2021. IF THIS PRODUCT IS IN YOUR ORDER, YOUR ENTIRE ORDER WILL NOT SHIP UNTIL IT IS AVAILABLE.*

Tracklisting:
The Conjurer
The Reticent
The Antagonist
The Wanderer

1. A Face in the Glare 04:59
2. Ravening Iron 05:01
3. Skullseeker 04:13
4. War at the Edge of the End 04:45
5. Coward's Keep 05:54
6. Worms of the Earth 04:29
7. The Godblade 02:17
8. Banners of Arhai 05:41

The highly anticipated second studio album! Produced, mixed and mastered by Arthur Rizk, "Ravening Iron" has the massive sound that epic heavy metal needs nowadays; faithful to the past, yet fresh and exciting with Eternal Champion’s unique identity and aesthetic in full presence. The 8 tracks are glorious and uplifting, with heavy riffs, synths, a hard and pounding rhythm section, narrating stories and legends from the depths of time and fantasy.

“We’re all living a unique historical period in 2020 in which we move away from each other, keep our distances, and lose touch,” explains frontman Kevin Calì. “Everyone feels that need to return to the light and get out of this moment that makes us feel imprisoned. That’s why we released ‘Lightbringers’ as the first song.”

He continues, “It was written and recorded during lockdown. We knew we wanted to come back to our fans with a track that could hit them hard, bringing back our very own sound from The Gift of Life record and modernizing it. The result is a positive, deep, and energetic song with tight, fast riffs but also some atmospheric and reflective moments in full Dreamshade style. It’s an emotional charge that hits you straight to the heart from the very first listen.”

Calì finishes, “The title speaks for itself. What better way to restore hope and strength in our listeners than a song with this vibe? The lyrics urge today’s generations to take care of one another and the beauty that surrounds us. It’s also an invitation for young people to reflect on the future. I believe we have a commitment to find a balance in life, to always try to improve ourselves, and take care of this Pale Blue Dot.”

The album’s title is inspired by Carl Sagan’s book Pale Blue Dot.
“We were looking for something that could hold the meaning of both the importance and the futility of certain values as we know them,” the band shares. “A distant look at humanity and our planet as a whole, as everything that’s important for us on Earth seems just so insignificant in the great scheme of things, compared to the universe. Selfishness and individualism have no place in the bigger picture, and this makes more and more sense to us as we wrote the record just before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of it was recorded and produced during lockdown, with a very different approach and experience than what we’re used to.”

The record was mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated producer Jacob Hansen in Denmark, who also worked on 2013’s The Gift of Life.

The album includes two features — New York-based Italian pop singer Rose Villain and Darkest Hour’s John Henry.

The closing song “Save This” boasts a very special collaboration — the band included gang vocals from 517 Dreamshade fans from 70 different countries, all shared through WhatsApp. Because #technology.

1. Judo Killer
2. Sea Savage 
3. Miami Supercops 
4. She’s Not My Mother, Todd
5. Ironblood
6. Lords Of The Hellfire Club
7. Sheer Khan 
8. Rusty Jaw
9. Monsterizer
10. Ready, Steady, Goat!
11. Electric Pentacle
12. Gone Haywire

"It's completely silly lyrically. Not all bands gotta be serious/evil. The band has the musical chops to keep it interesting. I was expecting to not like this, but the band and songs hold up well." - Bart

1. We Were The Keepers 
2. Frozen Gaze 
3. Directive 
4. Deadlands 
5. As The Kingdom Drowns 
6. Beyond The Black 
7. Upon These Stones 
8. Momentum of The Void 
9. You Belong Here, Below 

1. Establish Dominance 
2. Know Your Place 
3. Dogknotted 
4. Fountains of Bile 
5. No More Heroes 
6. Beating Those We Despise 
7. Gnaw Their Bones 
8. Irate 
9. Showering Teeth

01. Arbiters of the Apocalypse
02. Theatre of Horror
03. Monolithic Ignorance
04. Crumbling Imperium
05. Communion
06. The Exaltation
07. Profanum Vulgus
08. Copernican Heresy
09. Only the Spineless Survive
10. Cleaving Giants of Ice
11. Altar of Sacrifice

1. De Oproeping Van Middeleeuwse Duisternis 00:46
2. Heksensabbat 02:35
3. Bestial Form Of Humanity 04:06
4. Implements Of Hell 05:35
5  Into The Crypts Of Rays 03:47
6. Heksensabbat 05:26
7. Bestial Form Of Humanity 04:50
8. Implements Of Hell 07:44
9. Unholy Divine (CD bonus track)
10. Inferring The Light (CD bonus track)

European digipack import.

Tracks 1-5 originally released as "Rehearsal 8/13/18" (2018).
Tracks 6-8 originally released as "Ascending the Raven Stone" (2018).
Tracks 9 and 10 originally released as "Embraced by Darkness Mysts" (2019)

1. Maggot Casket 
2. Body in the Basement

3. She Was Already Dead
4. Digested Desire 
5. Ruptured in Purulence

"All tracks are Great! the Carcass cover of "Ruptured" is a bonus!! ROT ON!" -mr_fugazzi

1. The Hive 03:43
2. Scattering The Flock 05:28
3. Archfiend 05:42
4. Numbing Agents 03:18
5. Fracked 03:51
6. The Gift You Gave 05:30
7. Invidious 04:26
8. Spastic 03:56
9. Entombed By Wealth 04:08
10. A Visitation 05:44
11. Dyers Eve (Metallica Cover) 05:15

1. Upon Frigid Winds 03:21
2. Creature of Demonic Majesty 03:32
3. Sown in Barren Soil 04:42
4. De Dijle 06:32
5. Purgations of Bodily Corruptions 04:23
6. Lowland Famine 05:26
7. A Forlorn Peasant's Hymn 06:02
8. From Whence an Ancient Evil Once Reigned

"Best in the land" - Ben Bryant

1. Enter The Hall 02:27 

2. Pestilence Reigns 04:33
3. Deathonomics 03:42
4. Existence Is Futile 04:50
5. The Brain Scramblers 03:11
6. Across Forests and Fjords 04:16
7. Re-AniManiac 03:18
8. Dismantle The Dictator 03:57
9. Anthem Of The Betrayed 05:16
10. Leviathan Awaits 04:47
11. The Tragedy Of Modern Ages 07:04

REVOCATION blends world class musicianship with a pronounced technical flair; songs twist, turn, and stop on dime as dizzying solos dance with thrash metal's razor-sharp precision. "Existence is Futile" transcends all of modern metal’s sub-genres and firmly establishes REVOCATION as one of the finest new metal bands of the 21st century.

European Merch Store: Impericon

INCLUDES:
=================== 
• Limited Slipcover 
• CD Jewel Case

=================== 

TRACKLIST:
01. No Gods But Our Flesh
02. Maelstrom Prison
03. Simian Hive
04. From Exile to Exaltation
05. Vile Genesis
06. Mesmeric Horror
07. Carving Thine Kingdom
08. Heirs of the Descent

*PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A PRE-ORDER PRODUCT ESTIMATED TO SHIP ON OR AROUND SEPTEMBER 10, 2021. IF THIS PRODUCT IS IN YOUR ORDER, YOUR ENTIRE ORDER WILL NOT SHIP UNTIL IT IS AVAILABLE.*

1. Cretin 03:03
2. Cradle Robber 04:24
3. Harlot 02:51
4. Dissolution Ritual 04:37
5. Conjuring the Cataclysm 04:33
6. No Funeral 03:55
7. Fractal Entity 01:43
8. Chaos of Forms 04:30
9. The Watchers 04:12
10. Beloved Horrifier 04:09
11. Dethroned 04:57
12. Reprogrammed 04:03
13. Surprise! You're Dead! 02:11 (Faith No More)

1. Macrocosmos 05:44
2. Aeon 04:22
3. Serpentine 04:41
4. Contagion 04:20
5. Chaosphere 04:35
6. Shadows of Infinity 05:02
7. Pendulum 04:12
8. Primordial 05:12
9. Ethereal 04:09

Macrocosmos tells the story of future humans travelling a distant solar system who discover evidence that the universe is a simulation. The word Macrocosmos refers to the existence of larger "universes" that encompass our tiny known universe. This album took about 5 years in total to complete, and we're extremely proud of the final result. It's by far a big step up for us in terms of production, and the songs are all just as carefully crafted as they were on our first album "Apotheosynthesis". We hope you will enjoy listening as much as we do!

1. Divine Apprehension
2. Suffer No Fool
3. Brainwave
4. This World (2014)
5. Hammer of Doubt (2010)
6. Armageddon Blues
7. Lake of Fire
8. The Evil Beat
9. Acid
10. Questions
11. Vultures

To commemorate 10 years as a band, Dark Operative is proud to present “Opening Fire: 2008-2014,” a complete collection of Power Trip’s earliest non-LP output. The release documents the self-titled 7”, “This World” (from “The Extermination Vol: 2” LP compilation on Flatspot Records), “Hammer of Doubt” (2010 version from “America’s Hardcore” LP compilation on Triple B Records), and the entirety of “The Armageddon Blues Sessions.” All tracks have been lovingly remastered by the band’s longtime producer Arthur Rizk with the release being rounded out by stunning artwork from Portland illustrator Matt Stikker.

1. Carnival of Vulgarity 
2. The Sword of Uncreation 
3. Condemned by Discontent 
4. Netherworld Reality 
5. The Isle of Disenchantment 
6. Of Dull Eyes Borne 
7. Psycroptipath 
8. Beneath the Ground We Dwell 
9. The Labyrinth 

*PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A PRE-ORDER PRODUCT ESTIMATED TO SHIP ON OR AROUND AUGUST 20, 2021. IF THIS PRODUCT IS IN YOUR ORDER, YOUR ENTIRE ORDER WILL NOT SHIP UNTIL IT IS AVAILABLE.*

1. Lunar Maniac
2. Canadian Denim Mountain Attack
3. The Wolves of Ossory
4. Hammer of the Underworld
5. The Crimson Proof
6. Abracadabra
7. Leering Crystal Effigies
8. Grail
9. Teeth of the Dawn
10. Hit the Lights

1. The Blade 05:57
2. Rather Be Dead 04:42
3. Shadows and Light 03:54
4. Blood Offerings 05:34
5. Empty Hands 04:22
6. Beneath 05:01
7. Breathing Machine 04:57
8. Layers of Darkness 05:28

Blood Offerings is Oakland, CA-based old-school death metal merchants Necrot's debut album. An onslaught of buzz-sawing riffs and spine-rupturing rhythms - an authentic, sonic bludgeoning delivered in the same realm as Bolt Thrower and Autopsy.

1. Soul Sacrifice
2. Executioner's Tax (Swing Of The Axe)
3. Firing Squad
4. Nightmare Logic
5. Waiting Around To Die
6. Ruination
7. If Not Us Then Who
8. Crucifixation

The second crushing, soul-mangling, neck-bustin' album from Texas hardcore thrashers Power Trip. Quite possibly the best thrash album you will have heard in the last decade. Their raw energy, musical proficiency, perfect song structure, rich tones, fierce riffs, persecution, and collective attitude have seeded them as one of the most prolific underground staples in the US metal, punk, and hardcore scenes.

3. Slaves of Nil
4. The Shifting Equilibrium
5. Removing the Common Bond
6. Horde in Devolution
7. Blood Stained Lineage
8. Immortal Army of One
9. Initiate

Entering 2015, THE 69 EYES just announced the release of »The Best Of Helsinki Vampires«, a full best-of collection, spanning a quarter of a century of band history. From the early days of fame with »Wrap Up You Troubles In Dreams« (1997), to the stardom of the latter years with »Devils« (2004) and »Back In Blood« (2009), »The Best Of Helsinki Vampires« features 28 tracks and will be out on April 10, 2015 via Nuclear Blast.

1. The Blade 05:57
2. Rather Be Dead 04:42
3. Shadows and Light 03:54
4. Blood Offerings 05:34
5. Empty Hands 04:22
6. Beneath 05:01
7. Breathing Machine 04:57
8. Layers of Darkness 05:28

Blood Offerings is Oakland, CA-based old-school death metal merchants Necrot's debut album. An onslaught of buzz-sawing riffs and spine-rupturing rhythms - an authentic, sonic bludgeoning delivered in the same realm as Bolt Thrower and Autopsy.

1. Scavenger Of Human Sorrow 06:56
2. Bite The Pain 04:29
3. Spirit Crusher 06:47
4. Story To Tell 06:34
5. Flesh And The Power It Holds 08:26
6. Voice Of The Soul 03:43
7. To Forgive Is To Suffer 05:55
8. A Moment Of Clarity 07:25
9. Painkiller 06:02

DEATH, the heavy metal institution founded, realized, and helmed by legendary guitarist Chuck Schuldiner, released its final studio album The Sound of Perseverance (’98) to massive worldwide critical acclaim. The Sound of… is the masterstroke of one of metal’s true pioneers and innovators, and indeed worthy of the worship, adoration, and accolades that announced its original release (’98). Now remastered, repackaged and featuring over an hour of newly unearthed and previously unreleased material(extra tracks and early demos), this is the definitive edition of this timeless classic.

1. Consume Control 03:56
2. Contagious Pain 04:10
3. Into the Labyrinth 03:25
4. The End 03:45
5. Cycles of Pain 04:33
6. Scattered 03:11
7. Rebirth in Chaos 04:49
8. The Abyss 05:05

"Heavy, melodic, groovy, catchy, stellar musicianship, great production....this band/record has it all. Favorite track: Rebirth in Chaos." - Brian

1. Clarity Through Deprivation 4:04
2. The Warmth Within The Dark 3:40
3. Your Last Breaths 4:36
4. Return To The Abyss 3:56
5. The Violation 3:42
6. ...Of The Dark Light 3:42
7. Some Things Should Be Left Alone 3:23
8. Caught Between Two Worlds 4:23
9. Epitaph Of The Credulous 3:59

...Of the Dark Light is the eighth studio album by American death metal band Suffocation, released on June 9, 2017, via Nuclear Blast. It is the band's first album to feature guitarist Charlie Errigo and drummer Eric Morotti, and their final album to feature original vocalist Frank Mullen.

1. Machine Screw 0:39
2. Christian Woman 8:57
3. Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All) 11:14
4. Fay Wray Come Out And Play 1:02
5. Kill All The White People 3:23
6. Summer Breeze 4:49
7. Set Me On Fire 3:29
8. Dark Side Of The Womb 0:27
9. We Hate Everyone 6:50
10. Bloody Kisses (A Death In The Family) 10:55
11. 3.0.I.F. 2:05
12. Too Late: Frozen 7:50
13. Blood & Fire 5:32
14. Can't Lose You 6:05

CD 1:
And The Forests Dream Eternally
1. Transylvanian Forest
2. Moonspell Rites
3. Sventevith Storming Near The Baltic (version 94)
4. Pure Evil And Hate
5. Forgotten Empire Of Dark Witchcraft
6. With Spell Of Inferno
7. Hidden In The Fog
8. Sventevith Storming Near The Baltic (version 97)
CD 2:
Sventevith
1. Chant Of The Eastern Lands
2. The Touch Of Nya
3. From The Pagan Vastlands
4. Hidden In The Fog
5. Ancient
6. Entering The Faustian Soul
7. Forgotten Cult Of Alderon
8. Wolves Guard My Coffin
9. Hell Dwells In Ice
10. Transylvanian Forest
CD 3:
Grom
1. Intro
2. The Dark Forest (Cast Me Your Spell)
3. Spellcraft And Heathendom
4. Dragon’s Lair (Cosmic Flames And Four Barbaric Seasons)
5. Lasy Pomorza
6. Rising Proudly Towards The Sky
7. Thou Shalt Forever Win
8. Grom
CD 4:
Pandemonic Incantations
1. Diableria (The Great Introduction)
2. The Thousand Plagues I Witness
3. Satan’s Sword (I Have Become)
4. In Thy Pandemaeternum
5. Driven By The Five-Winged Star
6. The Past is a Like Funeral
7. The Entrance To The Spheres Of Mars
8. With Spell Inferno
9. Chwala Mordercom Wojciecha

1. Manifest Decimation 04:33
2. Heretics Fork 04:02
3. Conditioned To Death 03:22
4. Murderers Row 03:52
5. Crossbreaker 03:46
6. Drown 04:45
7. Power Trip 03:52
8. Hammer Of Doubt 06:26

Drawing from the sacred texts of the Cro-Mags, Vio-lence,Leeway, Exodus, and Nuclear Assault, Texas savages Power Trip have unleashed their debut album with Southern Lord. They leave in their wake a multitude of crushed generic and feeble contemporaries. POWER TRIP don’t emulate they properly channel the old-school energy of the old cross-over gods and add their own brand of modern thrash warfare. ""Manifest Decimation"" was recorded/produced by Arthur Rizk (War Hungry, Mother of Mercy, Inquistion). The recording is absolutely face-peeling and will ensure maximum head-banging from the hordes.

1. Human Stew 
2. Flesh Eating Deceased 
3. Verses of Perversion 
4. Drowning In Rot

"Heavy, so heavy!!! Dark guitar tones, brutal vocals. A must for any fan of death metal!!!" -Kenneth Escobedo 

1. Deprived 
2. Spiritual Penury 
3. Deliverance from the Flesh (A Perverse Ritual of Atonement)
4. Depraved 
5. Inexorable Incineration (We Must Burn)

"A great piece of Death metal from what is an amazing year for the scene, this is in my top 10 of 2020, a year that sucked so much but gave us some heavy as f**k death metal to help us forget the madness outside and embrace the depravity inside.
Listen out for the bass drops in spiritual penury, insane.
Absolutely love the artwork." -Degenerate

1. Grotesque Head 
2. Burning Sulphur
3. Riddled With Parasites 
4. Iron Age Virility 
5. Skills and Ruthless Tactics

Killer US death metal, the likes of which you haven't heard since the heady days of early Deicide and Cannibal Corpse.

Back in Blood is the ninth studio album from Finnish goth rock band The 69 Eyes and their first to be released via Nuclear Blast in Europe and The End Records in North America. The album was recorded in both Helsinki and Los Angeles and produced by Matt Hyde. The cover art was designed by Estevan Oriol. Lyrically, the whole album deals with themes of vampires and blood.

1. Tunnel Under The Tracks 01:21
2. Dark Train 01:11
3. Army of Cops 03:18 
4. Circle River 02:45
5. The Torture Fields 02:55 
6. Terminal Itch 01:13
7. Concrete Beast 03:21
8. The Adventures of Jason and JR 02:12
9. Mt. Skull 01:37 
10. Trap Door Man 01:15
11. The Last Song 02:40
12. House of Snakes 07:07

After six long, harsh years of absence, the mighty PIG DESTROYER have reassembled to eradicate eardrums and split skulls with their highly anticipated sixth full-length opus, entitled Head Cage (named after a grisly medieval torture device). A visceral vortex of animalistic rage and extreme sonic brilliance, Head Cage is a true work of extreme metal art, that with the addition of a bass player, is hands down their most dynamic and heaviest recording to date. Across twelve tracks, PIG DESTROYER weave together harrowing tales of philosophical dualities, touching on mortality and depression, fear and violence, and the darkest complexities of the human condition, all told through the distorted lens of delightfully transgressive vocalist/lyricist JR Hayes. Musically, the band continues to push the boundaries of metal, grindcore, noise and punk, ramping up the intensity and leaving you bludgeoned in a state of utter shock, all in less than 33 minutes.

Head Cage was recorded by guitarist Scott Hull at Visceral Sound Studios, mixed and mastered by Will Putney (Exhumed, Every Time I Die, Body Count) and features striking artwork by Mark McCoy (Full of Hell, Nothing) along with guest vocal appearances by Agoraphobic Nosebleed's Richard Johnson and Kat Katz plus Full Of Hell's Dylan Walker. PLAY AT MAXIMUM VOLUME!

1. Conjurer - Blood and Thunder (Mastodon)
2. Conjurer - Vermillion (Slipknot)
3. Palm Reader - Tire Me (Rage Against The Machine)
4. Palm Reader - Circles (Thrice)

There are numerous examples throughout history of cover songs revamping genre classics, whether it be with a modern and contemporary twist, or just paying tribute to an old favourite. With this in mind, over at Holy Roar HQ, we’re beaming with excitement to announce that Conjurer and Palm Reader have teamed up for a split release.

Boasting four tracks with two covers each, both bands tactfully pay tribute to some of the acts that introduced them to heavier sounds whilst simultaneously imprinting their own distinctive brands of noise to their selected songs. Conjurer tackle Slipknot’s ‘Vermillion’ and Mastodon’s ‘Blood and Thunder’ with blood thirsty metallic zeal, whereas Palm Reader caustically make Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Tire Me’ and Thrice’s ‘Circles’ entirely their own.

It’s sometimes easy to forget that outside of their respective discographies and relentless touring, both sets of musicians are first and foremost ardent heavy music fans. If nothing else, this small but mighty collection of covers is built precisely with the purpose of reimagining and recapturing that first listening experience of a beloved song.

1. Cannabis Corpse - The Inhalation Plague 02:41
2. Cannabis Corpse - Shatter Their Bongs 03:06
3. Ghoul - Inner Sanctum 05:05
4. Ghoul - Spill Your Guts 01:43

"I didn't think it was possible, but my boner is both terrified and extremely excited at the same time. Is there such a thing as a terror boner? If there is, these two magnificent bands together with give you the biggest terror boner of all. " -S810

1. Above the Water 07:22
2. Candlelight 07:19
3. Three Gates 06:37
4. Beyond the Door 09:00
5. Hunted 13:30

The first album from Denver’s Khemmis, ‘Absolution’, was released by 20 Buck Spin in July 2015 and slowly but surely steamrolled all that came in contact with its unforgettable heaviness and classic melodicism. Virtually unknown outside Denver upon release, the band gathered acclaim over the ensuing months and by year end had landed in the #9 spot on Decibel Magazine’s annual top 40 albums of the year, not a small accomplishment for a band on its debut album.

The new album ‘Hunted’ reveals a Khemmis fortified in its purpose and vision, forging an unrivaled synthesis between immense Doom riffs and Maiden-esque harmony. Overall song length has increased yielding more expansively arranged and dramatic storms of elegance and melancholy.

And yet Khemmis are not content to plod through a sea of tears, they are always a rock band first, in service to the movement of the song, even approaching a High On Fire like pace to open the pummeling ’Three Gates'. The lauded singing of vocalist Phil Pendergast reaches ascendent new heights on tracks like ‘Candlelight’ and ‘Beyond The Door’, while the tasteful use of harsh vocals remains, providing a dark foreboding contrast. The 13-minute title track once again closes the album with an epic stunner.

Undoubtedly ‘Hunted’ is an album that will solidify Khemmis’s place at the vanguard of Doom’s most notable modern manifestations, in large part because they transcend the label itself. They’ve seamlessly blended their influences into an extraordinarily listenable album worthy of countless spins. With such a glut of music released nowadays, ‘Hunted’ stands apart, rewarding repeat listens with songs seared straight into the heart.

1. Bloodletting 06:24
2. Isolation 04:48
3. Flesh to Nothing 07:31
4. The Seer 06:02
5. Maw of Time 07:23
6. From Ruin 09:27

Anticipation was high for the release of ‘Hunted’ in 2016, the sophomore album from Denver’s Khemmis and follow up to acclaimed debut ‘Absolution’ . Rather than the all too common sophomore slump, Khemmis raised the stakes and blew everyone away with their rapidly progressing songwriting and production quality, culminating in ‘Hunted’ being named Album Of The Year for 2016 by Decibel Magazine.

Now in 2018, after wrapping up the Decibel Magazine Tour with Enslaved, Wolves In The Throne Room and Myrkur, the excitement for Khemmis’s third album ‘Desolation’, due June 22nd, is palpable across the metal spectrum. Fortunately, when you hail from a place known as the Mile High City lofty expectations come with the territory and the band has created what will come to be known as the definitive Khemmis classic.

From the stadium-sized opening notes of ‘Bloodletting’ it is immediately evident that Khemmis are again putting distance between themselves and their earlier influences to inform a sound that is singularly their own. ‘Isolation’, recently aired live on the Decibel Tour, is the album’s lead single and most immediate track, with the classic metal melodies the band have become revered for shining throughout. On epic closer ’From Ruin’ and throughout the entirety of the album, the lead vocals and melodies of Phil Pendergast are the clearest, most powerful and best arranged that the band has achieved. Working for the third time with Dave Otero at Flatline Audio in Denver, the band and producer now have the familiarity and mutual experience to arrive at the perfect symbiosis of songwriting, arrangement and production value.

While Khemmis are undeniably influenced by Doom and Classic Metal, to tag them with those labels doesn’t do justice to what’s accomplished on ‘Desolation’, a perfect representation of modern Heavy Metal in 2018 that integrates the past in a way only possible in the present. ‘Desolation’ is not just the best Khemmis record to date but a testament to the quality that Heavy Metal is still capable of.

1. Bad Ground 0:38
2. Untitled 0:21
3. Love You To Death 7:09
4. Be My Druidess 5:26
5. Green Man 5:48
6. Red Water (Christmas Mourning) 6:49
7. My Girlfriend's Girlfriend 3:46
8. Die With Me 7:13
9. Burnt Flowers Fallen 6:10
10. In Praise Of Bacchus 7:37
11. Cinnamon Girl 4:01
12. The Glorious Liberation Of The People's Technocratic Republic Of Vinnland By The Combined Forces Of The United Territories Of Europa 1:07
13. Wolf Moon 6:38
14. Haunted 10:07
15. Untitled 0:09

1. Consumed By Slow Putrefaction 
2. Drowned In Eldritch Slime 
3. Burst Coffin 

"fucking caveman shit 💀🤟🏼🥩 meaty ass riffs and some dope vocal vomit 🤮 this is what imagine it would sound like to have sex with the missing link." - Midwest Mourning

1. Rotting Away 
2. Interdimensional Abominations of The Dark Abyss 
3. Metamorphic Putrefaction 
4. Crushed at the Left Hand 
5. Funeral 
6. Stillborn Embryonic Death 
7. Chambers of Deprivation

"By the time Rotting Away fades away (along with the rest of your brain cells), you're gonna find yourself groovin' in the front yard wearing nothing but an adult diaper filled to capacity.

18 more minutes of death metal, plus a few minutes to clean up...it should give you just enough time to pretend like this never happened by the time the boys in blue arrive for a wellness check." - Metal Matty