Funeral Rain Press Corps

In support of their latest masterpiece, Erebos, Polish extremists Hate are set to take North America by storm with a massive tour that kicks off in two days (March 9th) at Jaxx in Springfield, VA. For the first leg of the tour, Hate will team up with Rotting Christ, Melechesh, Abigail Williams and Lecherous Nocturne for 30 shows. For the second tour, which begins on April 18th, Hate will support Sepultura, Belphegor and, on select shows Nevermore, during a 38-show run covering the US and Canada. The band has also been confirmed to play some extra concerts between the mentioned tours. The Hate North America invasion will contain altogether 76 shows in the period of three months! Bandleader ATF Sinner comments,

“We’ve been looking for such an opportunity for years. It’s going to be the biggest and most prestigious tour we’ve taken part in, and we just can’t wait to be there to spew Erebos songs on the crowds! I know such a long tour is a challenge, but I’m sure we’re well prepare for it. It’s gonna be our second tour in North America after last year’s raid with Hypocrisy which was a great experience for us.”

Hate North American Tour Dates

with Rotting Christ, Melechesh, Abigail Williams and Lecherous Nocturne:
March 9 @ Jaxx – W. Springfield, VA
March 10 @ Championship Bar & Grill – Trenton, NJ
March 11 @ Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY
March 12 @ Rocko’s – Manchester, NH
March 13 @ The Webster Theater – Hartford, CT
March 14 @ Crazy Donkey – Farmingdale, NY
March 15 @ Petit Campus – Montreal, QC – CANADA
March 16 @ Mod Club – Toronto, ON – CANADA
March 17 @ Blondie’s – Detroit, MI
March 18 @ Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
March 19 @ Reggie’s Rock Club – Chicago, IL
March 20 @ Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
March 22 @ The Republik – Calgary, AB – CANADA
March 23 @ Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB – CANADA
March 25 @ El Corazon – Seattle, WA
March 26 @ Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
March 27 @ DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
March 28 @ Chain Reaction – Anaheim, CA
March 29 @ The Key Club – Hollywood, CA
March 30 @ Brick by Brick – San Diego, CA
March 31 @ UB’s Restaurant & Bar – Mesa, AZ
April 1 @ The Nat Ballroom – Amarillo, TX
April 2 @ The Marquee – Tulsa, OK
April 3 @ Rail Club – Ft. Worth, TX
April 4 @ Emo’s – Austin, TX
April 5 @ Walter’s – Houston, TX
April 7 @ Brass Mug – Tampa, FL
April 8 @ The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
April 9 @ Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC
April 10 @ The Casbah – Charlotte, NC

with Sepultura, Belphegor, Keep of Kalessin, Neuraxis and Bonded by Blood:
April 18 @ The Opera House – Toronto, ON
April 19 @ Imperial de Quebec – Quebec City, QC
April 20 @ Club Soda – Montreal, QC
April 22 @ The Palladium – Worcester, MA
April 23 @ Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
April 24 @ The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
April 25 @ The Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
April 26 @ Tremont Music Hall – Charlotte, NC
April 27 @ The Club At Firestone – Orlando, FL
April 28 @ Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
April 29 @ The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
May 1 @ Clicks – Tyler, TX
May 2 @ Scout Bar – Houston, TX
May 3 @ Trees – Dallas, TX
May 5 @ Jake’s – Lubbock, TX
May 6 @ Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
May 7 @ The Clubhouse (feat. D.R.I.) – Tempe, AZ
May 8 @ Club DV8 (feat. D.R.I.) – Tucson, AZ
May 9 @ House Of Blues – San Diego, CA
May 10 @ The Knitting Factory – Reno, NV
May 11 @ The Grand Ballroom At Regency Center – San Francisco, CA
May 12 @ Hawthorne Theater – Portland, OR
May 13 @ El Corazon – Seattle, WA
May 14 @ The Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA
May 16 @ Gothic Theater – Englewood, CO
May 18 @ Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
May 19 @ Reggie’s Rock Club – Chicago, IL
May 20 @ Blondie’s – Detroit, MI
May 21 @ Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY
May 22 @ Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH

w/ Nevermore, Keep of Kalessin, Neuraxis, and Bonded by Blood:
May 23 @ Expo Five – Louisville, KY
May 24 @ The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
May 26 @ The Zoo – Winnipeg, MB
May 27 @ The Exchange – Regina, SK
May 28 @ Dickens – Calgary, AB
May 29 @ Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB
May 31 @ Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC

Notice to the reader: there’s two shows in Edmonton, one in March, one in May. Expect two show reviews from myself, with tons of photos.

Genres: Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Black Metal
Label: Mortal Music

Another killer release from the small but strong label Mortal Music, Withering Soul’s mix of melodeath and symphoblack is something just short of stunning. It sounds more like a band from the UK or Scandinavia, but these dudes are from Chicago(!).
Throat ripping vocals are coupled with great blast beats and gorgeous, dark gothic keyboards, with furious guitar and bass riffs that will shatter car windows and your very soul.
They’re pretty much perfect for fans of Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Behemoth, Dark Tranquillity, and Abigail Williams.
Favorite tracks are “Posession of Deception (Part 2)”, “The Sequitor”, and “Lifeless They Lie”.
The album is coming out in March, grab it.
8 out of 10.

Withering Soul on Facebook.
Withering Soul on MySpace.

Advent of Bedlam has just posted the brand new music video for the track, “The Stench of your Faith”, cut from the band’s 2010 release, Behold the Chaos, recorded at Cavan Studio and produced by the band’s guitar player Max Gutierrez while the artwork was created by Alex Hoffman of Cypher Visual (Behemoth, Abigail Williams, Suicide Silence, All Shall Perish).
The video was shot by Lunas Films Inc. and edited by Andres Carrillo from Pandemonium TV based on the band’s proposed concept.
The clip was premiered on Sunday, February 07th 2011 during that night’s Pandemonium Television show by VM Latino in Costa Rica. However band’s friends, fans and colleagues were able to watch the video on Saturday, January 29th during the video’s release party held in Casa Rock Bar, Heredia Costa Rica.
“The Stench of your Faith” video clip is now available in Advent of Bedlam’s official YouTube channel and have post it in their official website and social media sites as well.

Candlelight Records today confirms September 28 as the North American release date for In the Absence of Light, the second full-length album from black metallers Abigail Williams. Recorded at Conquistador Studios in Cleveland, Ohio, the album was mixed by Peter Tagtgren (Dimmu Borgir, Immortal, Celtic Frost) and features artwork by Farron Kerzner (Nachtmystium, Lightning Swords of Death).

In The Absence of Light is true to the rules of black metal. The vocals are harsh and shrill, sounding like the product of a lacerated larynx. Guitars buzz, rip and roar alongside articulate, rapid licks and blazing solos. Drums slam and crash like exploding mortar shells, whether battering with blast beats, double-bass rolls or syncopated snare hits. And there is just the right amount of haunting keyboard washes, a noted difference to the band’s previous album In The Shadow of a Thousand Suns. Vocalist/guitarist Sorceron notes, “There is a lot less keyboards on the new songs. I like keyboards, but before we started this record we decided to get rid of a lot of them because we wanted to do something different.”

The album presents new band members, guitarist Ian Jekelis and drummer Ken Bedene. Joining Sorceron after Abigail Williams‘ final tour in support of In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns last fall, the trio quickly got to work writing material that would become In the Absence of Light. The album’s eight songs contain far more urgency then the band’s previous material; songs written exclusively by Sorceron.

“We let ourselves have much more room with writing this album, kind of a more open, free environment than any we have employed before,” reveals Sorceron. “We literally constructed the songs as we went. Ken would be in the drum room and Ian and I would be in the control room and we just played for hours. We would listen back and pick out what we thought was good and we put songs together. We recorded everything with much more ease and I think it has helped in capturing a very honest vibe.”

Formed in 2005, Abigail Williams have been called “a buzz band,” and “a band to watch.” They have endured more than their fair share of opposition, including revolving door member changes and in 2007 altogether disbanding. But through it all, the core of the band has kept a level head, a steady eye, and an unbridled passion for what they do. The band’s 2006 Legend EP and 2008 debut, In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns (produced by James Murphy and featuring Emperor drummer Trym Torson) have now sold a combined 35,000 in the US. The band has toured exhaustively including their most recent West Coast headlining dates.

Abigail Williams recently confirmed their first tour in support of In the Absence of Light. Kicking off September 29, the band will perform alongside headliners Immolation and Vader, as well as Lecherous Nocturne and Pathology, for four weeks. Tickets are on sale now.

Abigail Williams w/ Immolation, Vader, Lecherous Nocturne, Pathology
09/29/2010 Sonar – Baltimore MD
09/30/2010 Crazy Donkey – Farmingdale NY
10/01/2010 Club Hell – Providence RI
10/02/2010 Rocko’s – Manchester NH
10/03/2010 FouFounes – Montreal QC
10/04/2010 Mod Club – Toronto ON
10/05/2010 Peabody’s – Cleveland OH
10/06/2010 Blondie’s – Detroit MI
10/07/2010 Rave – Milwaukee WI
10/08/2010 Station 4 – St. Paul MN
10/10/2010 El Corazon – Seattle WA
10/11/2010 Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver BC
10/12/2010 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland OR
10/13/2010 DNA Lounge – San Francisco CA
10/14/2010 Whiskey A Go Go – W. Hollywood CA
10/15/2010 Galaxy Theatre – Santa Ana CA
10/16/2010 Ramona Mainstage – Ramona CA
10/17/2010 UB’s Bar – Mesa AZ
10/18/2010 The Rock – Tucson AZ
10/20/2010 Emo’s – Austin TX
10/21/2010 The Warsaw – Houston TX
10/22/2010 Marquee – Tulsa OK
10/23/2010 Uncle Pleasant’s – Louisville KY
10/24/2010 Volume 11 – Raleigh NC
10/25/2010 Jaxx – W. Springfield VA
10/26/2010 Montage Music Hall – Rochester NY
10/27/2010 Emerson Theater – Indianapolis IN
10/28/2010 Reggie Rock Club – Chicago IL

In the Absence of Light Track Listing:
1. Hope the Great Betrayal
2. Final Destiny of the Gods
3. The Mysteries that Bind the Flesh
4. Infernal Divide
5. In Death Comes the Great Silence
6. What Hells Await Me
7. An Echo in Our Legends
8. Malediction

Genre: Deathcore
Label: Earache Records

Taking several different influences from several different genres and ramming them together into one bag then brutally bludgeoning it to death, And Hell Followed With are pretty damn intense.
This is deathcore to the… uh… core… and as such the guitars are down tuned to Drop-H and palm muted in a chug and the drums are insane, clicky blast beats. There’s also some black metal keyboards, and even some blackened vocals to go with them. Gutterals and pig squeals that would normally be found in a pornogrind or cybergrind song are present, but for whatever reason don’t make me want to kick the vocalist in the face. There’s even hardcore vocals present too!
But while faced with the conventions of the trends in deathcore, And Hell Followed With also whip out some other influence and show it off, be it a classic rock solo done with thrash tones, tremolo picking, or even just a slower doom riff.
In the end, And Hell Followed With have a slightly stale album in Proprioception, but considering the vast amounts of influences that they are displaying and the fact that this is their second as far as I know, I think the next album will be better, and the fourth album will be just killer.
7 out of 10.

And Hell Followed With on MySpace.