The following information was posted on Black Lotus’ official MySpace page:

It’s been almost two years since the release of “Harvest of Seasons” and Black Lotus is working hard on preparations for their third album.

There have been some line-up changes, as Nick Engwer & Adam Angus are off to pursue endeavours in other parts of the country. Jasper van der Veen has picked up the bass again, like he did on “Light Subsides”.

Black Lotus has signed with Canada-based Runic Era Records to release their next full-length, “Darkest Before the Dawn”, which is scheduled to be recorded this Fall. There will be CD & LP versions of the new album, set for release this winter.

There is also a split 7″ underway with Spain’s LUX DIVINA! Futher news on this will be posted soon.

myspace.com/blacklotusmetal

“Leere”, according to the Google Translator, translates to ‘empty’. While Thorngoth have succeeded in creating an incredibly dark and hostile atmosphere, this album is anything but empty.

When I woke up this morning it was dark – signalling that summer was over. Ok, so I do get up at Stupid O’Clock, but that’s not the point…. The point is that Thorngoth’s “Leere” is the perfect soundtrack to a chilly September morning (in fact, I think it would be an even better soundtrack to a snow-covered January morning). It’s harsh, oppressive and full of undisguised venom – I love it.

Musically, Thorngoth fall very much into the Black Metal tag. However, their brand of Black Metal is executed to such an impressive degree that it easily separates them from the crowd. All in all, “Leere” is well worth having a listen to – especially if you give it your undivided attention. Albums are often able to take the listener on a musical journey, and musical journeys don’t come more treacherous than this. An incredibly pleasurable assault on the senses.

thorngoth.de

Rating: 89%

From the 1st September, “Nattestid” and “Bjoergvin”, the first two albums from TAAKE, are once again available on vinyl thanks to Bergen-based Dark Essence Records, who are re-releasing these much sought after collector’s items. “Nattestid” was first released eleven years ago, and “Bjoergvin” eight years ago, and both were limited to a pressing of 500 copies. The 2010 editions will come with new artwork and gatefold covers, and will include an A2 poster. Both albums will be limited to 500 copies available world-wide.

Long recognised as one of the bands that define the essence of True Norwegian Black Metal, with its icy Nordic riffs and founder Hoest’s intense stage performances, TAAKE is set to headline the upcoming Dark Essence Records 2010 tour later this year. The eleven date tour has been arranged to give TAAKE, and fellow label-mates HELHEIM, VULTURE INDUSTRIES and SULPHUR a chance to play in front of audiences that have rarely, if ever, seen the bands before. Dates for the tour as follows:

Thursday 28 Oct- Glazart, Paris, France
Friday 29 Oct – Korigan, Luynes/Marseille, France
Saturday 30 Oct – TBC, Switzerland
Sunday 31 Oct – Carlito’s Way , Milano, Italy
Monday 01 Nov – Pieffe Factory, Gorizia, Italy
Tuesday 02 Nov – Akademija Club, Belgrade, Serbia
Wednesday 03 Nov – Daos Club, Timisoara, Romania
Thursday 04 Nov – Art Club, Trnava, Slovakia
Friday 05 Nov – Channel Zero, Ljubliana, Slovenia
Saturday 06 Nov – Božkov, Hospoda Pod Kopcem, Plzen, Czech Republic
Sunday 07 Nov – K17, Berlin, Germany

More information about TAAKE can be found at myspace.com/taakeofficial

Below you can see the official video for the track “Umenneske” from the album “Taake”

The following message was posted on Black Metallers Kampfar’s Official MySpace earlier today:

Things are brewing

Greetings

Kampfar are currently in the latter stages of writing the follow-up to 2008′s Heimgang album. We will enter Abyss Studio with Peter Tägtgren and release is expected in Spring 2011. Stay tuned, the witches are coming!

Kampfar

myspace.com/norsepagans

Singer’s main goal is to raise awareness and get people involved by registering to be a bone marrow donor

Since news on Nergal’s recent health issues has been released, the band, management, and label has received an overwhelming response from fans and bands all over the world asking how they can directly help Nergal.

In response to everyone offering his or her help in terms of setting up benefits and shows to raise money for the frontman of the Polish blackened death metal band BEHEMOTH, Nergal has issued the following statement:

I haven’t intended to manifest myself in any way and, especially at this stage, to share my feelings or any other news with the world for obvious reasons. It is simply too early for it. But it was YOU who provoked me to say a few words. Regarding my personal low opinion of humankind, I’m shocked by the reaction to my illness. I actually expected NOTHING yet received feedback which surpassed all expectations. I want to ensure you I read EACH mail I receive, although I’m unable to reply to all of them. The power of your words is pure magic and I thank you all for it. You are a gigantic indestructible army that truly inspires me in this difficult time. The fact is that a fight with this illness is going to last for many months. Most of this time I will spend in hospital and I will go through various psychophysical states. If you know the history of Behemoth you also know we achieved everything by hard work and a steely determination. The same goes for my private life. I happen to be a strong son of a bitch. I have no faith but rely on a 100% victory and I am sure I will get out of it stronger than ever. Sun Tzu in his ‘Art of War’ said that if you know your enemy and yourself the result of a thousand battles will not surprise you… I enter the ring with this Nietzschean attitude and I will leave it as a winner, as usual. Just watch and see!

So I want to emphasize that Behemoth will by no means goes through any hibernation state. Obviously all concert plans must be postponed until some unknown point in the future, but things are happening! Lately our newest video for ‘…Alas, Lord is Upon Me’ has premiered and stirred up quite a storm in mass media, which fills us with utter pride. Plus we’ve just finished the project of our new DVD; Evangelia Heretika is a three disc release, a real encyclopedia of Behemoth with nearly 5 hours of material and a bonus audio CD that will be out in November (Metal Blade US – Nuclear Blast Europe). Expect an experience of visual madness as we went to hell and back to make it! Our official Webstore has been functional for a couple of days and official merchandise and some very exclusive stuff can be bought there. At the beginning of 2011, Peaceville in Europe and Metal Blade in US will reissue the EPs with new artwork, bonuses, liner notes, and more. As you can see, despite a complicated situation and difficult circumstances we’re remaining active wherever we can.

Finally, I want to comment on some opinions which, provoked by religious circles, lead to far-fetched and inaccurate interpretations. I was surprised to hear my illness became a pretext for some people to embark on their own crusade. Opinions suggesting I might come closer to God or abandon my ideals and grovel to the only correct world view in this country not only surprised but also frightened me. This is a typical example of supporting one’s own views by preying on someone’s misfortune. ‘He fell ill so he will convert to Christianity, he will discover the religion he fought against is actually close to him.’ Halt! Why should the illness change my point of view? It is true this is a difficult time for me and the thoughts of ultimate matters are hard to chase away. But the idea that I will change my opinions, priorities, and values as a consequence of my illness sounds as if someone regards my head, and not my body, ill. Suggesting I might convert are ridiculous. To what would I convert? After all, I know Christian mythology pretty well, not only in its literary version, and I find nothing good, creative or beautiful in it. I read books better and wiser than the Bible. War, blood, blackmail, rapes, incest, pedophilia, zoophilia, collaboration and treachery – each page emanates with evil. Some may say I don’t understand the message of the Bible. I’d rather say the Christianity is nothing more than a rusty and archaic structure that is going to fall down any moment. It lasts only because of the gullible that follow the shepherd blindly; without any questions, without any consideration, not to any promised land, but to an intellectual slaughter. So, I say to those, who see some chances to break my rules, and myself because of the illness: over my dead body!

Nergal’s official view on benefit concerts, fund raisers, etc. is focused on marrow donations as a whole issue, not his specific situation. If you want to help Nergal the best thing you can do is set up a marrow drive or register to be a bone marrow donor. Every person that registers to be a donor increases the chances of survival for Nergal and every other person out there suffering from the same illness.

To learn more about how you can register to donate marrow check out: marrow.org Fans wanting to help out, register for the marrow program, or have questions on running a marrow drive may contact the organization Music Saves Lives by email at iCare@musicsaveslives.com or visit Music Saves Lives at musicsaveslives.org

Info taken from Behemoth’s Official Newsletter.

behemoth.pl

Yesterday, Hamerex revealed the track names for their forthcoming album, “Rites Of Passage”, on their official forum on Loucifer Speaks. The message posted was as follows:

As we’ve started working to some degree in recording our debut album ‘Rites Of Passage’ which we revealed the title of last year, and that there’s some ideas floating about, we’re revealing the full track listing of the album due to be released next year.

Aftershocks Of Death
The Headless Horseman
Stalker
Hypnotise
The Lycan
Rites Of Passage
Army Of Darkness
To The End
The Gates Of Hades
Waste Away

This will be the very last time we will be recording these songs (The Headless Horseman we’d have actually recorded for the 4th time) so we’re going to be putting every effort we possibly can into each song and do them justice, to have them sound the way they’re meant to heard. This is going to be our first big release so we’re also hoping to plan a couple of singles and hopefully videos to go with them. We’re currently planning the album cover with the James Mullet who designed the Into War and the Lycan covers which will be revealed nearer the time of its release.

As the fans have done us proud, a big thank you to everyone who supported Hamerex last night (28th August) and put us through to the Semi Finals of the Castleford Battle Of The Bands, we want to do you all proud with this release and make it worth buying.

We’ll be giving regular updates on progress and even possibly a competition related to the album.

Click here to view the original forum thread.

Official forum: met.al/hamerexforum

myspace.com/hamerex

The weather may be shit, but at least on this Bank Holiday you can pick up some cheap Mammothfest tickets!

Until the 1st of September the folks at Mammothfest are offering you the chance to get your ticket for £30, either you can collect them from us to save postage, or we can post them out or pick them up on the day.

This is the last opportunity to get your ticket cheap, as on the door they will be full price as normal.

Click here to get your tickets!

The line-up looks a bit like this: Entombed, Abgott, Beholder, CiLiCe, Breed 77, Divine Chaos, Furyon, Godsized, Here There Be Monsters, Infestation, Lithurgy, Malefice, Massai, Mutant, Mnemic, Orange Goblin, Puresist, Reign of Fear, Scamp, Stone Circle, Sylosis, Sybreed, This Means War, Terrathorn, Ted Maul, Xerath.

“Omnipotence” is a concept album. There, I said it. But, don’t let that little word scare you off… it’s ok, you can stop hiding behind the sofa now, because Imperial Conquest have tackled the concept album in such a way that you’ll be begging to hear more. The basic idea of the story here centres around the lead character – a leader/conqueror who, having taken over his own world, sets to work on achieving omnipotence. Hence the name of the album

Not only is this a great excuse to tell a pretty decent story, it’s also an opportunity to listen to some fantastic Black Metal. There is always the concern that when an album is focused to heavily on telling a story or getting a message across, that the music will suffer. Thankfully, on this release, this isn’t the case. Instead you’re treated to some gritty and anger-filled vocals and amazingly good guitar work… and there’s also some pretty insane drumming to boot! The album contains it’s fair share of tempo changes, so you’re never left feeling bored.

With The Victorious Arise” Imperial Conquest really impressed me, but this time they’ve really upped their game. Every element of this album has been put together with such precision that it’s near-impossible not to be blown away.

If you’re not listening to Imperial Conquest yet… Why the hell not?

Rating: 97%

myspace.com/imperialconquestfl

Having recently completed a string of UK dates in support of their Anarchogram EP, UK Punk Death Metallers The Rotted are set to bring their brand of Blastbeat ‘n’ D-Beat madness to Europe this November with Misery Index, Grave, Arsis and The Last Felony. Catch this heavyweight lineup in the following cities:

01.11.10 Netherlands Zaandam @ Kade
02.11.10 Germany Bochum @ Matrix
03.11.10 Germany Hamburg @ Markthalle
04.11.10 Germany Kassel @ Kulturfabrik Salzmann
05.11.10 Germany Berlin @ K17
06.11.10 Poland Zabrze @ Wiatrak
07.11.10 Germany München @ Feierwerk
08.11.10 Slovakia Bratislava @ Randal Club
09.11.10 Czech Rep Ostrava @ Boomerang
10.11.10 Austria Wien @ Viper Room
11.11.10 Slovenia Ljubljana @ Gala Hala
12.11.10 Italy Bruneck/Bolzano @ Ufo
13.11.10 Italy Vicenza @ Mac2
14.11.10 Italy Rome @ Init Club
15.11.10 Switzerland Luzern @ Schüür
16.11.10 TBA
17.11.10 Spain Barcelona @ Mephisto
18.11.10 Spain Madrid @ Ritmo & Compas
19.11.10 Spain Bilbao @ Santana 27 Blue
20.11.10 TBA
21.11.10 France Paris @ Glazart
22.11.10 UK London @ Relentless Garage
23.11.10 Ireland Dublin @ Whelans
24.11.10 UK Plymouth @ White Rabbit
25.11.10 Belgium Gent @ Minus One
26.11.10 Netherlands Tilburg @ 013
27.11.10 Germany Leipzig @ Theaterfabrik

Buy Anarchogram low price or as part of a package deal direct from the band, here:
therotted.com

http://www.reverbnation.com/therotted

After selling out the London O2 Arena for their gig on 13th October, Guns N’ Roses have now announced that they’ll be playing an additional show there on 14th October. Tickets are due to go on sale this Friday (27th August).

Sebastian Bach has also been confirmed as the opening act for the UK dates. Looks like someone listened to all of Baz’s UK Twitter Army and our #BachinUK hashtags!

myspace.com/gunsnroses
facebook.com/gunsnroses
twitter.com/gunsnroses
sebastianbach.com
twitter.com/sebastianbach
facebook.com/sebastianbach