ALBUM REVIEW: Frozen Dawn – The Decline of the Enlightened Gods


Having been around for fifteen years, the Spanish black metal act Frozen Dawn has been experimenting with sounds that are inspired by nineties Scandinavian black metal bands – mostly the ones that come from Norway and Sweden – such as Satyricon, Dissection, Darkthrone, Dark Fortress, Watain, and Necrophobic.

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Maryland Deathfest to Return in 2024


Gorguts at MDF 2014, photo by Hillarie Jason Photography

In a statement posted on social media, Maryland Deathfest has announced they will return! After a hiatus for 2023 the fest will return from May 23rd to May 26th, 2024. In a message to fans the co-founders of MDF discussed the hiatus and the the return as well as new dates for 2024. MDF 2024 will be their 20th fest in Baltimore. They did announce that aftert the upcoming London Desertfest, they are discontinuing all other festivals they have put on, Netherlands Deathfest, California Deathfest, and more will be no more. You can read a statement from the co-founders Ryan and Evan, below. MDF has operated for almost 20 years, put on 19 fests, and expanded to a global footprint, all while giving a greater voice to Death Metal, Avant-Garde Metal, Stoner Doom, and more genres, perhaps as much or more than any fest in the world. Continue reading


Maryland Deathfest and Their Related Metalfests to Go On Hiatus in 2023


Gorguts at MDF 2014, photo by Hillarie Jason Photography

In a statement posted on social media, Maryland Deathfest is going on hiatus after the next MDF event in May 2022. That means in 2023 all of their related festivals are going on hiatus, including MDF, Netherlands Deathfest, California Deathfest, and more. You can read a statement from the co-founders Ryan and Evan, below. MDF has operated for almost 20 years, put on 19 fests, and expanded to a global footprint, all while giving a greater voice to Death Metal, Avant-Garde Metal, Stoner Doom, and more genres, perhaps as much or more than any fest in the world. Continue reading


California Deathfest Announces Complete 2022 Lineup


 

From the makers of Maryland Deathfest, California Deathfest 2022 (aka CDF VI) has confirmed its final bands for the fest to complete its killer bill. The event takes place January 28-30 at 1720 E 16th St in Los Angeles, CA and features Autopsy, Pentagram (Chile) Onslaught, Mortician, Skinless, Vile, Sacramentum, Decrepit Birth, and more!Continue reading


Inferno Festival Canceled for 2021, Dates for 2022 Announced


Sad news as the 2021 edition of the legendary extreme metal annual event Inferno Festival in Oslo, Norway has been canceled due to the ongoing covid-19 outlook and restrictions this spring. The festival has put out a statement canceling, offering to roll over tickets and offer a refund period as well. Bands booked for 2021 that have reconfirmed for 2022 include Kreator, Mayhem, Venom, Ihsahn, Kampfar, Ved Buens Ende, Vreid, Cadaver, Myrkskog, Entombed AD, Asphyx, Benighted, Bølzer, Dark Fortress, Tulus, Whoredom Rife, Djerv, Hamferd, Dyscarnate, The Great Old Ones, 1914, Sylvaine, Asagraum, Nyrst, Isvind, From The Vastland, Regarde Les Hommes Tomber, Nachash, Ulvehyrde, Kosmos Brenner, Sovereign, Gnida, Eridu, Zifir, Solbrud, Xenoblight, Oranssi Pazuzu. Read the statement from the festival here:

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Inferno Festival 2020 Has Been Cancelled Due To Coronavirus Restrictions


Sad news as one of the greatest metal festivals in the world, and a favorite of Ghost Cult, Inferno Festival 2020, set to take place in Oslo, Norway has been totally canceled. The fest was to feature Kreator, Mayhem, Triumph of Death, Amorphis, Venom, Gorgoroth, Marduk, Ihsahn, Kampfar, and many more! According to a message from the festival, “all public events in Norway are banned until the end of April, and this period might be extended. The health authorities estimate 4-5 months. So, there are no chance that we can make Inferno happen this year.” See a message from the fest here: Continue reading


NEW MUSIC FRIDAY: February 28th New Music Releases


 

Purchase And Stream All The New Music Released Today!

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Triumph of Death, Amorphis, Asphyx, Oranssi Pazuzu, and The Great Old Ones are The Final Bands Booked for Inferno Metal Festival 2020!


Events Center, Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV 8/17/19

Inferno Metal Festival has booked its final five bands for the 20th anniversary in 2020, and they are all legends. Triumph of Death (Hellhammer/Celtic Frost band led by Tom G. Warrior), Amorphis, Asphyx, Oranssi Pazuzu, and The Great Old Ones will perform at the fest in Oslo, Norway next spring, on 9-12 of April. The full lineup and details can be found below. Continue reading


Alkaloid – The Malkuth Grimoire


Alkaloid-The-Malkuth-Grimoire

In recent times there seems to have been a near endless influx of overtly technical, progressive metal bands, all seemingly trying to prove more complex than the next and in too often the case at the expensive of actual, memorable songs. New outfit Alkaloid do have a few aces up their sleeves however; namely Christian Muenzner and Hannes Grossman, formerly of tech masters Obscura. Joining them is a cast of huge pedigree containing members of the likes of Aborted, Noneuclid and Dark Fortress.

Debut album The Malkuth Grimoire (Apostasy) certainly proves a bold statement of intent, proving insanely complex throughout as it constantly veers through death metal, more melodic passages and even a Between The Buried & Me sense of jazz progression at times, ever changing throughout. ‘Cthulhu’ proves one of the albums more straightforward offerings with a mostly traditional death/doom metal foundation with layers of futuristic keys and notes on top. As technically impressive as it all is, it does require your full attention and several listens to begin to fully grasp and take it all in, and with its huge duration that in itself can be a tricky undertaking.

It may not be a ground breaking album in and of itself, as many its components and influences are easy to trace, many of which coming from its own alumni. That being said, it is all pulled off with precision and culminates in a promising debut, with enough skill involved to become a true heavyweight in the progressive Metal genre. Far from the most catchy or accessible, and its running time comes close to the ridiculous, but regardless, a very strong and very cohesive effort from an all star cast with a huge pedigree.

7.0/10

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CHRIS TIPPELL


Aklaloid Streaming The Malkuth Grimoire


Alkaloid. Photo Credit: Christian Martin Weiss

Alkaloid. Photo Credit: Christian Martin Weiss

German extreme progressive metal supergroup Alkaloid is stream their debut album The Malkuth Grimoire below.

Consisting of a pedigree of extreme musicians, including current and former members of Necrophagist, Obscura, Spawn of Possession, Aborted, Dark Fortress, God Dethroned, Blotted Science and Noneuclid, Alkaloid set out to push the boundaries of progressive, extreme music on their full-length debut. The group also decided to self-record and self-release The Malkuth Grimoire via a successful crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.com.

ALKALOID is:

Morean (Dark Fortress, Noneuclid) – ¬Vocals, Guitars
Christian Muenzner (Spawn of Possession, Ex¬-Obscura, Ex¬-Necrophagist) ¬- Guitars
Danny Tunker (Aborted, Ex¬-God Dethroned) ¬- Guitars
Linus Klausenitzer (Obscura, Noneuclid) ¬- Bass
Hannes Grossmann (Blotted Science, Ex¬-Obscura, Ex¬-Necrophagist) –¬ Drums

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