Funeral Rain Press Corps

Genre: Blackened Thrash
Label: Indie Recordings
Format: Digital Stream (Earsplit PR)

One band that I’ve known about forever but have never checked out is Aura Noir, and I’m now kicking myself in the ass for not checking them sooner. It’s no wonder why they come up a lot when it comes to talks about black metal meeting thrash. These guys make a perfect example of the genre.
Parts of this remind me of a version of Metallica with actual balls. Parts remind me of Venom worship. And parts even remind me of Darkthrone’s The Cult Is Alive album. Granted, it’s not like Aura Noir are legitimate friends with Darkthrone or anything.
There isn’t really much to say. Fast, faster, and fastest riffs fill this album from front to back, and a disgusting necrotic stench emanates from every vocal. Solos are ear piercing and finger breaking, drums are deep with some snare click and fast, and the bass compliments rather than takes any form of front seat. This is fucking awesome!
If you want your thrash punked up with a nice coat of blackened grave dirt, this album is for you.
8 out of 10.

Out To Die Tracklisting:
1. Trenches
2. Fed to the Flames
3. Abbadon
4. The Grin from the Gallows
5. Withheld
6. Priest’s Hellish Fiend
7. Deathwish
8. Out To Die

Out To Die Personnel:
Aggressor – Vocals/Guitar
Apollyon – Vocals/Bass/Drums
Blasphemer – Guitar

Aura Noir Official.
Aura Noir on Facebook.

Norwegian pioneers in blackened death metal, Fester have revealed the cover art and tracklisting for their forthcoming new album, A Celebration Of Death. The band’s first offering of new material in 17 years, A Celebration Of Death will be out in early 2012 through Abyss Records. In an exclusive premier, Bravewords.com is now streaming the track “Rites of Ceres.” Visit this location to experience the return of Fester!
The cover for A Celebration Of Death was painted by artist Eliran Kantor (Testament, Sodom, Atheist, Sigh, Anacrusis). The rest of the layout was done by Joce of Industrie Chimere Noire (Portal, Ghäst, Total Holocaust). The core members of the band, bassist Jon Bakker (Kampfar), vocalist Thomas Andersen and guitarist/vocalist Bjørn “Tiger” Mathisen, all made the following comments regarding the album:

“A Celebration Of Death is a whirl of flavours hitting you all at once. All the varieties makes you spin the tracks over and over again. A real treat for the fans of Black, Death and Doom. The mix of musicians makes everything really original, but all in all Fester reeks through it all.” – Jon Bakker

“For me personally, A Celebration of Death has the ultimate lyrics evolving the theme of death, and it manages to pull all my aggression just to the edge, without turning over “ – Thomas Andresen

“Have you ever felt the sensation of darkness and death embracing you, and that you actually welcome it? Like love, death comes in all different shapes and sizes, and I really feel that we have captured our feelings around the theme. It’s darker and more melancholic than our previous releases, but it’s FESTER no doubt!” – Bjørn “Tiger” Mathisen

Tracklisting:
Rites of Ceres
The black tower
March of death
I’ll hunt you down
Metalized
Jeg spytter på deg
Last day of battle Pt.I
Last day of battle Pt.II
A Face for a funeral (bonus)
Rites of Mortiis (Remix of Ceres by Mortiis)

In addition to Bakker, Andersen Mathisen, A Celebration Of Death also features Audun Kleive (session drums), Raymond Pellicer (additional guitars, programming and synth), Eivind Aarseth (additional guitars), Guido Saint Roch (guest vocals on “Metalized”) and Mortiis (Dark Converter). For more on Fester, visit the band’s Facebook page. Norway’s atmospheric masters have returned to once again change the face of black/death metal. Prepare yourselves…

Where: Starlite Room, Edmonton, Alberta
When: October 7, 2011

Last night I was expecting only to see one band, Alcest, but as it turns out I got to see two.

Junius opened up the show with their brand of American post metal. Isis, Pelican, and Deftones all smashed up together into a gorgeous, heavy blend. These guys are phenomenal live, and even Mrs. Blaspheme is a certified fan now. I hope they feel their reception was good enough for them to come back to Edmonton soon, because I know I’ll be there, at the front. We definitely grabbed one of their CDs on out way out, The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist, as well as a pair of patches.

After Junius awed the crowd, Alcest took the stage with a very warm reception. There were quite of people there for Alcest, rather than the headliner. Neige and his full band (I wondered if he would have a band as the albums are pretty much just him and drummer Winterhalter) were quite the atypical stereotypes of Frenchmen: quiet and polite, rather than loud and polite. And not a cigarette was lit once the whole set! I wish I could have filmed Neige say “We are Alcest from France”, it was the perfect introduction to them.

This is another band that Mrs. Blaspheme has come to love, just as I told her she would. Shoegaze and black metal combine to create a mesmerizing effect on the listener, and the viewer too. I wondered how Alcest would translate live, and they translate just fine. Deep fog shrouded them most of the time, with blue backlighting outlining their obscured forms, but on occasions where the fog dissipated, the whole band was smiling, really feeling the music and the crowd. Along with the Junius CD we left with Le Secret on vinyl and Écailles De Lune Digipak CD.

After Alcest Enslaved were going to play, but we had to leave before then. Which, I must say, is not to slight Enslaved. Rather it’s because we work too much and had been up at four in the morning and had to get up again at five. So a late night was not going to be possible, as my eyes were heavy before Junius even. Also, to be honest, we’ve seen Enslaved before, opening for Dimmu Borgir on their last trip through town, and it was awesome. So hopefully they come back again soon because I would love to see them again. Sorry guys. Next time.

In all, it was a near perfect night. The only blemish on the proceedings was the “7 o’clock” doors (7:45ish) and the 9:15 start time. If only Starlite actually opened their doors when they said they would. Also, if only they weren’t still purporting that Ghost were to be playing the show. Junius were their replacements.

French vanguard Alcest, responsible for the influential Souvenirs d’un Autre Monde and its masterful follow-up Écailles De Lune, are set to tour North America once again beginning later this month. Opening as direct support for Enslaved, Alcest begin the 19-date trek on September 23rd in Springfield, Virginia and conclude it on October 14th in West Hollywood, California, extensively traveling through Canada in between. Ghost were originally slated to be among the tour package, but unfortunately had to drop off recently due to visa complications. Here are the confirmed dates/venues:

September 23 – Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
September 24 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theatre
September 25 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
September 26 – Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East
September 27 – Québec City, QC @ Impérial
September 29 – Montreal, QC @ Café Campus
September 30 – Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
October 1 – Columbus, OH @ Outland Live
October 2 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
October 3 – St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
October 5 – Winnipeg, MB @ WECC
October 6 – Regina, SK @ The Exchange
October 7 – Edmonton, AB @ The Starlite Room
October 8 – Calgary, AB @ Dickens
October 10 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
October 11 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
October 12 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
October 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
October 14 – West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour

As announced earlier, Alcest have revealed the title to their third album as Les voyages de l’âme (English: “The journeys of the soul“). The record is tentatively scheduled for early 2012 release through Prophecy Productions, with further release news to announced shortly. Alcest are widely credited with bringing in a dreamier, more shoegazing element into extreme metal the past few years, influencing many others to follow in their wake. Surely, Les voyages de l’âme will be yet another monumental release for the band, cemeting their modern legendry that much more.

Genres: Black Metal, Black ‘n’ Roll
Label: Indie Recordings

True Norwegian black metal combined with the progressive mindset of Opeth and the straight forward approach of good old rock results in the great combination that is V (vee, not five).

Strong riffs that evoke black metal as well as some elements of death, thrash, and punk form the basis of the songs. There are even some forays into a folk metal territory, which is just fine by me. I love that stuff.

The songs themselves, unlike Opeth’s epics, rarely make it much past the five minute mark, with only “The Other And The Look” reaching the 10:31 mark. All of them are well crafted, thoughtfully arranged to lead you from beginning to end, rather then start you on a journey and then just drop you off somewhere lame, and all of them follow a great progression through the album as well, meaning listening from beginning to end gives you the impression of something larger in scope, while still having distinct individual songs to listen to. Plus, no riff overstays its welcome, no drum beat is unnecessary, no bassline a third wheel, the keys are always a nice coloring to the music, and Sture’s vocals are always a good overlay. In other words, it’s full of wonderful songcraft. These men know their shit.

If you’re a fan of Immortal, I, Ritual, Morgul, Black River, and their like, then V is right for you.

9 out of 10.

Vreid on Facebook.