Alcatraz Festival is a strong and outspoken supporter of the local, Belgian music scene and shared over the weekend their “Under One Flag” selection of amazing Belgian bands for the 2025 edition of the event!
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News Posts
Danish prog doom metal band Alkymist unleashed its third album ‘UnnDerr’ through Indisciplinarian, fairing into new horizons while retaining the psychedelic and progressive trademarks!
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Belgian atmospheric black/doom metal act Splendidula released their new standalone single ‘Behind My Semblance’, with matching lyric video, out now via Argonauta Records!
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Dawn Of Solace announces new album ‘Affliction Vortex’ to be released in February 2025 via Noble Demon and shared the first single and video with ‘Murder’!
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The enigmatic Italian doomsters of Messa have signed to the worldwide roster of Metal Blade Records for the next chapter of their careers! Having caught them live last April at this year’s edition of Desert Hel, they’re more than worth your time checking them out and we wish them all the success they can get from this move!
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Death-doom outfit Barren has unveiled their latest single ‘L’appel du Vide’, the second track from their highly anticipated debut album ‘The Hanged Man’, set for release on October 31st via Skull House Records!
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Finnish masters of melancholy Swallow The Sun unveiled yet another single of their upcoming album ‘Shining’ last week with ‘MelancHoly’! Mark October 18th in your calendar for the official release of the album via Century Media Records!
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Inferno Metal Festival confirmed Satyricon, Rotting Christ, Attan, Uma and Dizmal for next year’s edition! Get your tickets and book your hotel asap!
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Finnish doom metal act Grain Of Pain unveiled a lyric video for the track ‘Can’t Be Fallen’ last week, a track from the recently released debut album ‘The Moon Lights The Way’, out since May via Noble Demon!
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Portuguese post-metal outfit Sinistro unveiled a captivating music video for their second single ‘Elegia’ from their upcoming studio album ‘Vértice’, set for release in October via Alma Mater Records!
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Album Reviews
Norwegian gothic/doom sextet Funeral conveys a sonic requiem on their seventh studio album “Gospel of Bones” out via Season of Mist since October 18th.
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Tenth studio album “Sunraven” from these Swedish heavy doomsters conveys the majesty of Grand Magus and evokes a relentless quality, in sounding all-powerful, and majestic. Out since yesterday, October 18th, via Nuclear Blast!
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Swallow The Sun’s ninth studio album “Shining” mixes all the elements and ingredients of their recent works together, displaying the shifting tides of heaviness and a melodramatic style of gothic doom into again a milestone of excellence for the Finns, out tomorrow via Century Media Records.
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The long-awaited second album “Ancient Doom Metal” by the Russian epic doom metal act Scald captures the pondering power of bands like Manowar and Candlemass, the mystical and a true Viking tradition in honor of Bathory. Out now via High Roller Records since last Friday, July 26th.
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Know, oh prince, that in the years following their self-titled debut, there was an age undreamed of for Stygian Crown. Hither came ‘Funeral for a King’, their sophomore record, heavy riffed, soaringly vocaled. Fists in the air, with gigantic melodies and gigantic doom, to tread the beer-drenched stages of your summer festivals under their sandaled feet. Taken from the Cruz del Sur Chronicles.
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Japanese death/doom four-piece Coffins return with their most anticipated album “Sinister Oath”, released on March 29th via Relapse Records, and deliver a dark and oppressive piece, highly recommended for fans of Autopsy, Asphyx, and Hooded Menace!
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20 Buck Spin brings forth the full-length album “Chytridiomycosis Relinquished” of the Est Yorkshire death doom quintet Slimelord. The seven epic songs reach the peaks of innovative composition defining the mysteriousness of the music, out since last Friday!
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Kings of cavernous death doom Spectral Voice return with one of the year’s most monolithic albums. “Sparagmos” borders into the spectral realms and portrays the band’s unique take in a more crushing and dismal manner, released via Dark Descent Records on February 9th.
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Montréal-based death metal band Phobocosm shows great intellect in blending the modern dissonance with cavernous death doom style. The third album “Foreordained” was released via Dark Descent Records yesterday, December 8th.
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20 Buck Spin presents the latest split album “Starpath”, unfolding the blissful serene and grim nature of Dream Unending and Worm in a special release, integrating the light side of yin and the dark side of yang in a beautiful symmetry. Out on November 24th.
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In 10 days, Kortrijk in Belgium, will turn the heavy up again with Hell’s Balls Belgium, just like they do every summer with Alcatraz festival. In case you weren’t sure yet why you should go, here are what we think are valid reasons for you to be there…
What are you the most excited about of this year’s editions of the festival? Let us know in the comments!
The summer festival season is over, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of exciting fests happening over the next couple of months this autumn/winter in Finland, starting with Cult of Darkness today, Helsinki Techfest, and HKI SKEPU FEST VI this month still, Pakanafesterit in October, Hellsinki Industrial Festival and Melancholy Mass Festivals in November, and John Smith Rock Frozen in December! And for the beer and music lovers, several Masis Beer & Metal events spread over the next couple of months all over Finland! Go get your tickets now!
With about a week to go, we put together 10 reasons why we think you should consider to still get yourself a ticket for Alcatraz 2024 and join in with the fun! With a stellar line-up, including some of the best the Belgian scene has to offer and a great organization trying to improve your festival experience year after year, it’s promising to be one hell of a weekend again!
The second day of Tuska 2024 will get at least as exciting as the day before, we highly recommend you don’t sit out on the shows of Ankor, VOLA, Solence, St. Aurora, Make Them Suffer, I Am Your God, Bring Me The Horizon and The Abbey!
Tomorrow it’s again that time of the year: Tuska weekend is upon us! If somehow you weren’t convinced yet that you need to go, here are 10 reasons we believe should be enough motivation to still get a ticket if any are available still! Going from a great line-up, to Tuska KVLT, Tuska Expo expanding further and simply an amazing atmosphere! See you there!
In Helsinki and still looking for something to do this weekend? Don’t hesitate and start your festival season early by going to Desert Hel 2024 that has a stellar line-up with Finnish bands Heezer, Orbiter, Polymoon, Kairon; IRSE!, Dome Runner, Skyjoggers, Mansion and Maan Tomu and excellent visitors from abroad with Italian doom rockers on the rise Messa and stoner rock legends Truckfighters! If that doesn’t convince you enough, be sure to read more details on why we think you should go!
Samoht was clearly somewhat inspired by dark Americana and country inspired music looking at his albums of the year 2023 list featuring artists like Dorthia Cottrell, Osi and the Jupiter, Wayfarer and The Coffinshakers, but also massive albums by bands like Frozen Soul, Serpent’s Oath, SLOW, OAK, Smoulder and Bell Witch!
Our resident extreme metal reviewer Mazen has a selection of stellar (mostly) black and death metal releases as his favorite of the year with Sulphur Aeon, Varathron, Moonlight Sorcery, Cruciamentum, Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Asphodelus, Marduk, …And Oceans, and Cirith Ungol!
The summer festival season is over, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of exciting fests happening over the next couple of months this autumn/winter in Finland with Helsinki Techfest and Kaamos Metal Cruise already this weekend, HKI SKEPU FEST V, Lost In Music, Steelchaos, Hellsinki Industrial Festival 2023, Fall Fest 2023, Black Box Mikkeli, Melancholy Mass Festival 2023 and Unholy Winter Fest!
With less than 2 weeks to go, we put together 10 reasons why we think you should consider to still get yourself a ticket for Alcatraz 2023 and join in with the fun!
