Cult Of Fire to Perform with Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague at Brutal Assault



In a unique tribute to Czech classical composer, Bedřich Smetanat, black metal band, Cult Of Fire will join their forces with the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague. Together they will deliver a special set commissioned by Brutal Assault, an experience not seen at the festival before, and rarely elsewhere. Keep reading below for more details.
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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


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


Aura Noir – Aura Noire


Formed in Norway in 1993, Aura Noir was the brainchild of Ulver and Ved Buens Ende drummer Aggressor (aka Carl-Michael Eide). A project originally created for just himself (he was the sole musician on the band’s initial 1994 demo), Eide was joined by former Lamented Souls bassist Apollyon (aka Ole Jørgen Moe) the same year. Recording a second demo and a six-track EP, the pair recruited legendary Mayhem guitarist Blasphemer (aka Rune Eriksen), and drawing inspiration from the likes of Venom, Slayer, Bathory and Celtic Frost, released their debut album, Black Thrash Attack (Malicious) in 1996.Continue reading


Dødheimsgard – A Umbra Omega


dodheimsgard-a-umbra-omega

I’m going to just come right out with it – I’ve never really seen the appeal of Dødheimsgard (I refuse to call them DHG – that’s non-negotiable). Their third album 666 International created a considerable wave in the late 90’s Black Metal scene, heralding a cyber-future that had the fans wiping off their panda-paint and buying glowsticks and leather trench-coats, but neither it, nor its equally feted follow-up Supervillain Outcast (both Moonfog), really clicked for me. The “progression” seemed too forced, the electronic elements awkwardly realised and the whole thing just a little too redolent of the Emperor’s new clothes.

I point this out simply because I’m about to lose my shit over A Umbra Omega (Peaceville), and I want to make it clear that I’m not just buying into the general consensus here – with this one, they’ve finally caught my attention.

Despite opening with the glitchy, fragmented electronics of ‘The Love Divine’, one of the first things that becomes apparent about A Umbra Omega is that the “cyber” elements of the last two albums have been dialled down noticeably, replaced with a much broader selection of influences. The songs move jaggedly but with surprising fluidity through Jazz breaks, modern classical music, more restrained electronics and some good, old-fashioned box-of-angry-wasps Scandinavian Black Metal.

It will doubtless anger some fans to say this, but there’s something almost backwards-looking or quaint about A Umbra Omega’s approach to progression. The face of “avant-garde” Black Metal in 2015 is very different to what it was in 1996, and Dødheimsgard’s approach still owes more to the carnivalesque playfulness of Arcturus or goth-tinged drug babble of Ved Buens Ende than DeathSpell Omega or Blut Aus Nord’s chaotic black-hole worship (this review brought to you by hyperbole.com). This is by no means a criticism – indeed, Dødheimsgard remind us of the one thing that the newer style of “experimental” Black Metal bands often forget to include in their time-shifting trans-dimensional horror; character. Despite how wacky things get here, there’s a constant sense of personality, wit and style that pervades each track on A Umbra Omega, drawing together what could otherwise be disparate musical elements into a genuinely effective whole.

As I observed in my recent review of the new <code> album, being weird is ultimately a fool’s quest – each year it gets harder and yields diminishing rewards. Perhaps that’s where Dødheimsgard lost me on previous releases – being experimental and breaking new ground seemed to be the primary objective – but on A Umbra Omega they sound like a band who’ve come to terms with their own weirdness and focussed on the task of writing a really excellent set of songs around it, rather than showing off how wacky they are. A genuine master-class in why Black Metal can still be interesting without having to choose between retro-traditionalism or forced experimentation.

9.0/10

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RICHIE HR