Black Metal
Katatonia Announce Fall 2022 North American Tour
Katatonia have announced a fall 2022 North American tour with support from The Ocean Collective and Cellar Darling. The outing is Katatonia’s first on North American shores since 2017. Dates kick off November 9th in Washington, D.C., and run through December 10th in Tampa, Florida. Ticket pre-sales for select dates go live Wednesday (August 24th) at 11 a.m. local time. General on sale begins Friday at 11 a.m. ET. You can pick up tickets via Ticketmaster. Advertisement Related Video ”North America! We are very pleased to announce that we are coming back to your shores for a full headline tour,” commented Katatonia frontman Jonas Renske via a press release. “Support will come from our talented friends in The Ocean Collective and Cellar Darling. We haven’t toured North America since 2017, so ...
R.I.P. Stuart Anstis, Former Cradle of Filth Guitarist Dead at 48
Former Cradle of Filth guitarist Stuart Anstis has died at the age of 48. Anstis joined the UK extreme metal band in 1995 and contributed to some its most significant albums and EPs: 1996’s Dusk… and Her Embrace; 1996’s V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein EP; 1998’s Cruelty and the Beast; and 1999’s From the Cradle to Enslave EP. Anstis would exit Cradle of Filth in 1999 due to artistic differences and go on to form his own project, Bastardsun. The news of Anstis’ passing came via his wife, Antoinette, via a Facebook post: “Stuart Anstis 2/5/1974 – 21/8/2022. Rest in Peace, you were too beautiful for this world me Lover. Nothing will ever be the same again. Love Always and ever your Antoinette. Until we meet again…” Related Video Cradle of Filth mastermind Dani Filth also posted a t...
Goatwhore Announce New Album, Unleash Blackened Thrash Ripper “Born of Satan’s Flesh”: Stream
Goatwhore are returning with a new album, Angels Hung from Arches of Heaven, on October 7th via Metal Blade Records. Upon the LP’s announcement, the New Orleans band offered up the video for lead single “Born of Satan’s Flesh.” A vicious brew of blackened thrash and death metal is Goatwhore’s M.O., and “Born of Satan’s Flesh” hits that multi-genre intersection at blinding speeds. Guitarist Sammy Duet rains down precision riffs while frontman Louis Ben Falgoust II spouts blasphemies through his bellowing snarl. The accompanying performance clip offers a glimpse at what it would be like to witness the brutality live. The band again tapped producer Jarrett Pritchard (Exhumed, 1349) and tracked the new album primarily at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana under pandemic restrictions....
Devil Master Announce Summer 2022 North American Tour
Devil Master will embark on the Summer 2022 “Hungry Jaws of Hell” North American tour in support of their recently released new album, Ecstasies of Never Ending Night. The Philadelphia outfit, which combines black metal with punk sensibilities, will hit the road starting July 8th with an appearance at Necro Fest in Brooklyn, New York. The itinerary runs through a July 23rd show in Washington, D.C. and is highlighted by a trio of Midwest shows with Hulder in the middle of the outing. Tickets for Devil Master’s upcoming shows are available via Ticketmaster. In addition to their own headlining shows, Devil Master will then take on a major support role for My Chemical Romance on three bills: Philadelphia (August 29th), Houston (September 27th), and Dallas (September 28th). Advertisement Relate...
Trivium’s Matt Heafy Shares New Ibaraki Song “Rōnin” Featuring My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way: Stream
Trivium frontman Matthew Kiichi Heafy has unveiled the new song “Rōnin” from his solo black metal project Ibaraki, and it features guest vocals from My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way. It’s the third single from Ibaraki’s debut album Rashomon, arriving May 6th. Produced by Ihsahn, the album and song see Heafy melding a black metal sound with the melodic sensibilities of his past metal output. “Rōnin” exemplifies the double-edged blade of melody and harshness that has defined the Ibaraki singles so far. Interestingly, it’s Heafy providing the clean vocals, while Way delivers the screams. Advertisement Related Video “‘A rōnin is a masterless warrior,” said Heafy via a press release. “The final two full compositions on Rashōmon see a significant shift musically. The album as a whole — with...
Devil Master Announce New Album, Unveil Video for “Acid Black Mass”: Stream
Devil Master have announced their eagerly anticipated sophomore album, Ecstasies of Never Ending Night. Ahead of the April 29th release date, the Philadelphia-based band has shared the video for lead single “Acid Black Mass.” The new album sees Devil Master exploring a more mystical and darkly numinous path in lieu of the self-described “childish Satanism” of their debut album. This is best exemplified in the album art for Ecstasies, which depicts an enchanting fantasy-scape. That doesn’t mean the band has dropped its core black metal and punk rock influences. Devil Master once again tap into the infernal majesty of Celtic Frost and raw street punk of GISM on “Acid Black Mass,” though the overall arrangement and playing is tighter and more atmospheric. A DIY camcorder-shot video of the ban...
Watain Drop Off Co-Headlining North American Tour with Mayhem Due to Visa Issues
Mayhem and Watain’s North American co-headlining tour was set to be one of the year’s strongest exhibitions of infernal black metal. Unfortunately, Watain won’t be making the trip due to visa issues. Watain are known for their occult, ritualistic live shows, which are thus treated with a near-religious reverence by their dedicated fanbase. The Swedish band only make it stateside ever so often, and to make matters worse, the tour was meant to support a new album, The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain, out April 29th. File this one under agony. The band shared a lengthy statement explaining the situation via Facebook: “We regret to inform you all that, due to reasons entirely beyond our control, we’re forced to cancel our participation in the upcoming US Tour with Mayhem and Midnight, for which ...
Trivium’s Matt Heafy Announces Debut Ibaraki Album, Shares “Akumu” Featuring Nergal: Stream
Trivium frontman Matthew Kiichi Heafy has announced Rashomon, the debut album from his black metal solo project Ibaraki. The Ihsahn-produced LP arrives May 6th via Nuclear Blast. Ahead of the release date, Heafy shared the second single from the project, “Akumu,” which features guest vocals by Behemoth’s Nergal. It was co-written by Heafy and Ihsahn, with Nergal translating the lyrics into his native Polish. “‘Akumu’ translates to ‘nightmare’ — and with this piece, I encourage the listener to work to find their interpretations of what they feel from the lyrics, music, and the haunting visuals of the music video,” Heafy remarked in a press release. “I have always been fascinated by Sagazan’s ‘Transfiguration,’ and for years, I have wanted to pay homage to his works with a performance art pi...
Trivium’s Matt Heafy Debuts Black Metal Project Ibaraki with First Single “Tamashii No Houkai” Feat. Ihsahn: Stream
Trivium frontman Matthew Kiichi Heafy has unveiled his new black-metal solo project Ibaraki, sharing the video for debut single “Tamashii No Houkai” featuring Ihsahn. Ibaraki — the name for a Japanese demon taken from feudal legend — celebrates Heafy’s Japanese heritage and appreciation for the music of Ihsahn. It was the Emperor founder that inspired Heafy to embark on the path of black metal, acting as a friend and mentor. The mutual appreciation between the two artists led to collaboration, with Ihsahn producing the Ibaraki material. “Tamashii No Houkai” is only the first of numerous songs “assembled over months and years,” and Ihsahn himself appears on the song. Advertisement Related Video The track opens with a gust of Nordic black metal. Incorporating harsh and clean vocals, Heafy so...
Midnight Announce New Album Let There Be Witchery, Share “Szex Witchery”: Stream
Midnight, the one-man metal project of multi-instrumentalist Athenar, has announced a new album, Let There Be Witchery. Lead single “Szex Witchery” is available now ahead of the LP’s March 4th release date. Under the Midnight moniker, Athenar has proliferated a brand of blackened heavy metal where sodomy and blasphemy reign. For the uninitiated, the new song “Szex Witchery” is a perfect introduction to the Midnight’s Motörhead-playing-black-metal assault. This is “music to start fights to,” as record label Metal Blade so gently puts it. “I always want it to be loud and nasty,” Athenar said via the label’s press release. “That kinda thing never gets old with me. How funny will that look to see me at age 77 — if I reach that point — sitting on the porch blasting Hellhammer?” Advertisement Re...
Behemoth and Arch Enemy Announce Co-Headlining 2022 North American Tour
Behemoth and Arch Enemy are joining forces for the co-headlining “North American Siege” tour this spring. Napalm Death and Unto Others (formerly known as Idle Hands) will support the outing, making for a stacked bill of extreme metal. The tour spans 19 shows and kicks off on April 16th in Tempe, Arizona, running through a May 15th date in Los Angeles. Tickets go sale Friday (January 21st) at 10 a.m. local time and can be purchased via Ticketmaster, with pre-sales beginning tomorrow (January 20th). “To say that we are dying to return on the road would be an understatement!” remarked Behemoth frontman Nergal. “In fact, we’ve never been more hungry to reunite with our legions… not only to bring young of the hottest extreme metal touring lineups in a long time but also to bring you new Behemot...
Mayhem and Watain Announce 2022 North American Tour
Norwegian black metal legends Mayhem and Swedish black metal veterans Watain are teaming up for a co-headlining 2022 North American tour. Blackened speed metal band Midnight will serve as support. The tour, dubbed “The Sanguine Sodomy of North America,” kicks off March 7th in San Francisco and runs through an April 3rd show in Joliet, Illinois. Tickets go on sale this Friday (November 19th) via Ticketmaster, with pre-sales beginning Thursday. In a press release, the two headliners stated, “Mayhem and Watain are delighted to announce that what is to become known in history as the sanguine sodomy of North America is set to take place in the spring of 2022, with both our bands at the helm and with the infamous Midnight joining us as special guests. Advertisement They added, “We hereby in...
