Fest Of Hades 2015

Taking place at Warehouse 23 on October 31st, Fest Of Hades is a hard rock / heavy metal festival with an impressive and diverse range of bands. Featuring Aonia, Hamerex, Sacrilege, Promethium, Kaine, Desolate Pathway, Scarlet Angel and Coyote Mad Seeds, it promises a full day of great live music.

Tickets are available from the Warehouse 23 website here.

Warehouse 23 website / Fest Of Hades

For more info visit the Facebook event page at here

Fest Of Hades on Facebook

Spires / Agonyst co-headline tour

A co headline tour featuring progressive death metal bands Spires and Agonyst has recently been announced, both bands are currently signed to Eulogy Media and will be playing various dates across the UK in April. For more information including links to specific event pages check out the info posted at the following link.

Spires + Agonyst tour thread on BPR

Name your price spotlight - Blacksoul Seraphim

Featuring members of Sorrowseed, Blacksoul Seraphim play a style of atmospheric doom metal reminiscent of bands such as Yearning, they're a fairly recent discovery but having recently released their second full length album on Bandcamp as a free / name your price download they're certainly worthy of attention if you're into mournful and atmospheric gothic doom. If this sort of thing floats your boat check this album out.

Hydra release lyric video

In preperation for their upcoming album 'Malachite Skies' German symphonic metal band have made a lyric video for the song 'CCC (Swath of Destruction)', featuring Liv Kristine. The album will be available later this month, but this will hopefully whet your appetite.

Name your price spotlight - Across Tundras

Exactly what is says on the tin, the "name your price" spotlight is something I'll feature on here from time to time, and the aim is to draw awareness to some good music on Bandcamp that you can either pay what you want for or get for free. It seems to be a pricing model adopted by quite a few bands and labels in an attempt to get their music to a wider audience, so with this in mind we figured it's good to help them achieve this while introducing you to some good music which won't cost you to hear it, although of course should you like what you hear and choose to donate I'm sure they'd appreciate it :-)

Starting off this feature then, I'll introduce you to Across Tundras, a band blending psychedelic style desert rock, doom, and a healthy dose of Americana. The most common sort of description I see of this band is Neurosis meets Neil Young, and this I think sums them up pretty well. Certainly unique, decent stuff, the link below will take you to their Bandcamp page where they have a lot of releases, including some of T.G. Olson's solo work, and most of it is available for whatever you wish to pay

Across Tundras on Bandcamp

This song here will give you a taste, and is a personal favourite, hope you enjoy it anyway :-)

Arise From Ashes debut album

Some may remember last year we featured The Wolves Of Avalon on our forum as they released the excellent 'Boudicca's Last Stand'. Well, two of their members have gotten together to form a black metal band, Arise From Ashes. Their debut album is available to stream on Bandcamp now, and you can pick it up there pretty cheaply in physical or digital from if you like what you hear.

Tea, Crumpets & English Metal

Global Metal Apocalypse have recently released a 49 track compilation of English metal, featuring a wide variety of bands, each one representing their own county. It's available on Bandcamp as a name your price download and whatever you choose to give will be donated to Animal Health Trust.

Tea, Crumpets & English Metal (Bandcamp)

Whyzdom release new single

Whyzdom are all set to release their album 'Symphony For A Hopeless God' on 17th of February, in the meantime though there is this single 'While The Witches Burn' which you can here below. Hope you enjoy it.

Review roundup (Chris Appleton, Vexillum, Divine Ascension)

Chris Appleton - 'Restless'

Chris Appleton, guitarist of Absolva and formely Fury UK is set to release the album 'Restless' on 2nd of February.

"For a man that hardly stands still long enough to take stock of the wake behind him and his band, to write, record and produce an album of this quality in the timescales that he has, is testament to the loyalty he has to his fans and the commitment to his trade."

Full review of Restless

Vexillum - 'Unum'

Italian power / folk metal band Vexillum have released 'Unum' on January 16th and we've also reviewed this album recently.

"I do feel that this album is a step up and I look forward to hear what else the band puts out. I found that each track gave me something different and could stand alone without the need to be part of the album to make sense"

Full review of Unum

Divine Ascension - 'Liberator'

Female fronted progressive metal band Divine Ascension, from Australia, released this album in November of last year, and you can find out what we thought of Liberator here.

"Divine Ascension have produced one hell of an album in 'Liberator', outstanding musicianship and sublime vocals combine in the well written and constructed tracks to provide the listener with eleven slabs of the finest Melodic Progressive Metal. Highly recommended listening."

Full review of Liberator

Khaelys release new album

French female fronted symphonic metal band have now released their second album 'Across The Ages', it's available in digital format only and at the moment is available as a free / name your price download via the Khaelys Bandcamp page. Hope you like this one :-)

Desolate Pathway on AiiRadio (24th Jan)

This coming Saturday sees UK epic doom band Desolate Pathway featured on AiiRadio, listen in to hear their incredible music, hear them talk about the theme for their next album, the follow up to the outstanding 'Valley Of The King' and share your questions with the band via AiiR Chat. For more information visit the event page on Facebook and find out more about the band on their official website, via the following links.

Saturday Flight Live - Facebook event page

Desolate Pathway website

Preview track from Norilsk

Soon to be released on Hypnotic Dirge Records is the debut album 'The Idea Of North' from Canadian death-doom band Norilsk.

“The Idea of North is a doom-death album crafted for the winter season: it has slow and crushing riffs, death growls, and atmospheric arrangements. An evocation of an ominous presence over a vast wasteland, “The Idea of North” is a massive offering that triggers the imagination. Its music draws comparison with doom-death bands such as My Dying Bride, Morgion and Ablaze in Hatred, but it also has a few atmospheric sludge/post metal elements reminiscent of Isis and Morne."

In anticipation of this release Hypnotic Dirge have once again issued a preview track from the album in the form of 'Japetus' and you can hear this song right here.



The full album is scheduled for release on March 10th, hope you enjoy the preview in the meantime.

Review roundup (Whyzdom, The Cyon Project, Symforia)

Recently reviewed on Black Phoenix Rising are the following albums :-

Whyzdom - 'Symphony For A Hopeless God'

Hailing from Paris, France, six piece symphonic metal band Whyzdom have the album 'Symphony For A Hopeless God' due to be released on February 17th.

"A full on assault on your senses with the Philharmonic and Symphonic arrangements. Symphony for a Hopeless God, is like an present, peel away the wrapping to find more delights underneath"

Full review of Symphony For A Hopeless God

The Cyon Project - 'Tales Of Pain'

'Tales Of Pain', the debut album from stoner rock / metal band The Cyon Project is another of our recent reviews, you can expect this one on January 27th

"Sometimes when a band tries different sounds across a whole album it feels like they haven't found their sound. I don't get that with this album. What I get is a solid performance on each song that carries a groovy main course across most of them."

Full review of Tales Of Pain

Symforia - 'Nocturnal Symfonies Of The Unholy'

We've also reviewed the 2014 EP 'Nocturnal Symfonies Of The Unholy' by symphonic occult metal band Symforia. This one is available on Bandcamp as a free / name your price download at the time of writing.

"If you like your metal full of blackness, evil sounding, and full of darkness all gelling together to create an atmospheric nightmare, then this EP is a very welcome addition to the genre"

Full review of Nocturnal Symfonies Of The Unholy

Hysterica

Hysterica are an all female heavy metal band from Stockholm, Sweden.

"In 2005 Bitchie had a vision of an all female metal band. She had played in many bands over the years, but this was going to be something totally different."

"The debut album 'Metal War' was released in 2009 and it is all a product of the creative Hysterica ladies. They wrote and produced it themselves. However they had a dream - that Peter Tagtgren would mix the album. The dream came true and the rest is, as they say, history. In 2009 Hysterica went on their first European tours. One short during the winter and a longer one during the fall"

"In 2010 Hysterica was presented with the award for best newcomer at the Swedish metal awards. A new album is in the making and will be recorded during the fall. Hysterica loves playing live and puts a lot of effort into making sure that the shows are rocking musically as well as visually. It has taken a few years with different members to form what Hysterica is today and ready to conquer the world."

A second album 'The Art Of Metal' was released in 2012 and as of late 2014 Hysterica have reportedly signed to a new label and are in the process of recording a new a EP.

Hysterica website
Hysterica on BPR

Dush

Dush are a female fronted Gothic/Industrial/Metal band from Montreal, Canada, formed around the duo of Mira (Lady Dush) vocals and Denis Keyboards, formed around 2006.

"A new musical realm is rising on the complex map of modern aggressive music. Staking out new ground amid thecountless categories of metal, the sound of bronze- intimate yet epic, fierce yet beautiful - has arrived. Its heralds are the two musical adventurers - the Queen, her Wizard and her Warrior - at the heart of Montreal's Dush...

The term "Bronze" is ideally suited to Dush. Brighter and warmer in appearance than most ordinary metals, Bronze is an alloy, a fusion of copper with one or more other, non - metal elements. Likewise, Dush temper their basis in the focus and ferocity of heavy metal and industrial music with components from outside the parameters of the genres- consider the pop inflections in the chorus of "Circles" or the enveloping, mesmorizing mysticism of "Numb". Moreover , among the physical properties of bronze is its resistance to rust, reflected in the timelessness of their sound."

Dush on Facebook
Dush on ReverbNation
DUSH on BPR

Day Of Rapture returns to Leeds

Day Of Rapture returns to Leeds once more on Saturday June 6th, with what looks to be the most extreme lineup ever featured at this event. Bands confirmed so far are brutal death / party slam band Party Cannon, French grind merchants Unsu, Geordie brutal death metallers Today The Sun Dies, also Black Skies Burn, a death / grind band from Oxford, crusty d-beat laden death metal from Winds Of Genocide, No Fucks Given, a local Leeds band mixing up grind, black, death metal and anything else they see fit, powerviolence mob Gets Worse also from Leeds, and grind band Shitkvnt from York.

More bands are to be announced including a headliner, and this will take place at Temple Of Boom in Leeds on June 6th, there's also a barbecue and cheap bar promised, what more do you want?

Check the Facebook event page here for more info on the event and the bands featured

Day Of Rapture Facebook event

Preview track from Dead Summer Society

Italian atmospheric doom / gothic metal band Dead Summer Society are set to release their next album 'So Many Years Of Longing' on March 22nd via Rain Without End / Naturmacht Productions. A preview song from this album has been made available to listen to on the label's Soundcloud page and can be heard here.

Tezaura

Introducing Tezaura, a five piece gothic rock / melodic metal band hailing from the Czech Republic. The band is characterized by clean vocals of charismatic lead vocalist Lori, large participation of keyboards and synths and simple dreamy melodies accompanied by unconventional show. They were formed in summer 2010 and released debut EP 'Dreaming' in spring the following year. A music video, 'Mechanical Ballerina' was soon released as a prelude to debut full length album 'Unleash The Butterflies' in September 2013.

The band has participated in gigs and festivals all across the Czech Republic as well as nearby countries, Notably Tezaura has supported bands such as Dope Stars Inc (IT), Desdemona (PL), Pathfinder (PL) and Kells (FR) and Tezaura is also the main organizer of music festivals Glacial Croon and Afterdark Fair.

The video for 'Mechanical Ballerina' can be viewed here.

For more info you can visit the following sites

Official website

Tezaura on Facebook

Tezaura on Twitter

Tezaura BPR topic

Annysia 'Nephilim' review

Annysia are soon to release their debut album 'Nephilim', epic fantasy metal telling stories of the realm of Nephilim. We have recently reviewed this album on the forum, to find out more and see what we thought of it follow the link below.

Annysia 'Nephilim' review

Introducing Ded Orse

Recently added to the forum, Ded Orse are a UK band who have been described as "the bastard son of Clutch and early Black Sabbath". They offer uncompromising songs, bludgeoning riffs, soaring vocals and you can hear a taste of what they sound like via the clip at the end of this post.

For more information on Ded Orse be sure to visit the forum topic.
Ded Orse on BPR

Khaelys offer first single 'Destiny' from new album 'Across The Ages'

French symphonic metal band Khaelys are set to release their second album 'Across The Ages' on January 24th, in the meantime they have offered the following track 'Destiny', the first single from this album and you can listen to the song here. Hope you like it!

SIG:AR:TYR

SIG:AR:TYR are a Canadian band, originally founded in 2003 by the then sole member Daemonskald and playing a unique style of metal which incorporates black, folk and viking metal along with plenty of acoustic and some ambient elements. Certainly a band I'd recommend to anybody into any of those styles, and especially to any Bathory fans out there. SIG:AR:TYR are due to release their fourth album 'Northen' fairly soon, it's one to look out for for sure and we'll keep you updated with any info on this.

For the Bathory fans amongst you here is a rare cover by SIG:AR:TYR of Song To Hall Up High by Bathory. Enjoy!

Visit SIG:AR:TYR's website at the following link.
SIG:AR:TYR

See the BPR forum topic and discuss anything to do with the band here.
SIG:AR:TYR on BPR

Listen to or buy SIG:AR:TYR on Bandcamp via this link.
SIG:AR:TYR Bandcamp

Clay Gods

Clay Gods are a 4 piece rock band from Gloucestershire, UK, formed in 2013 and play original songs with the occasional cover. Their music blends the power and dynamics of rock with the melodies of pop and features lyrics which are unafraid to look on the dark side of life.

Influences include The Who, Radiohead, The Smiths, Manic Street Preachers, The Killers and themselves, they have already played a number of blistering live shows at venues such as The Fleece and The Exchange in Bristol, 2015 will see them supporting Subset on the south-west leg of their British tour as well as releasing their debut album 'Shadow and Noise'.

Visit the band's website here.
Clay Gods

Keep updated with Clay Gods via the BPR forum topic here.
Clay Gods on BPR

Recent BPR interviews

As any of our regular forum members will testify we feature a good number of interviews on Black Phoenix Rising with bands of all genres from all over the world. Some of the ones we've done recently include the following.

Milady Rizzi Franklin - vocalist of Brazilian gothic / symphonic metal band RIZZI

Interview here

Hydra - a six piece symphonic / melodic metal band from Regensburg in Germany

Interview here

Khaos Theory - a four piece hard rock / metal band from Redditch in the UK 

Interview here

Cadaveria - vocalist and frontwoman of Italian gothic / black / horror metal band Cadaveria

Interview here

Vince Hempstead, guitarist from Desolate Pathway, an epic doom metal band from England 

Interview here

This is of course just a small selection of interviews featured on BPR and you can find many many more interviews worthy of your attention from both past and present on the main forum via the link below.

Black Phoenix Rising interviews

Goatchrist - 'She Who Holds The Scrying Mirror'

Hailing from Leeds and originally conceived as a one man band, Goatchrist have now acquired a full lineup and reissued earlier demo material in the form of 'She Who Holds The Scrying Mirror'. Recorded when original sole member Dominator Xul'Ahabra was just sixteen, we have a review of this release for you here.

She Who Holds The Scrying Mirror review

The album is available from Sixsixsix Music via the links provided below.

Sixsixsix Music Big Cartel

Sixsixsix Music Bandcamp

Here also is the title track of this album if you want to have a listen.

Preview track from Atten Ash

Atten Ash are a three piece atmospheric death - doom band founded by James Greene and featuring Barre Gambling (of Daylight Dies) and Archie Hunt (of Legion Of The Fallen). They are set to release their debut album 'The Hourglass' on February 19th via Hypnotic Dirge Records and you can hear the track 'Born' in full via the following Bandcamp link.




It promises to be a great album, if you want more information on this upcoming release or the band in general you can find out more on Hypnotic Dirge's Bandcamp page as well as check out any number of their other releases too, all are name your price downloads I believe.

Hypnotic Dirge on Bandcamp 

Spectral Procession demo

A recent discovery by myself is this excellent demo by black metal band Spectral Procession. Available as a free / name your price download from Bandcamp, it offers fast and fierce black metal which also has good atmosphere. It also gives me good opportunity to test this Bandcamp embedding thing on the new blog. Enjoy.

Welcome metalheads!

Greetings metalheads, and welcome to the new Black Phoenix Rising blog. We've decided to set this up as a companion site to the main Black Phoenix Rising forums, in the hope that we can use this as an additional means of getting news and updates regarding your favourite bands to you. Time will tell if this is going to work, but in the meantime keep an eye on this and if you have any suggestions or feedback on how to improve our blog or things you'd like to see on here feel free to get in touch.

Keep it metal! \m/

Regards,

Demoniac