2-CD hardcover book (18 x 18cm, 60 pages) with excl. bonus CD with 8 bonus tracks

DYMNA LOTVA are taking a quantum leap in their rapid musical evolution with their fourth album "Vyraj". The rebellious Belarus dissidents are powerfully demonstrating that they are far more than a 'one-trick pony' in every conceivable artistic aspect. Although "Vyraj" is still based on a solid foundation of black and post-black metal, DYMNA LOTVA move far beyond any easy labelling by also drawing inspiration from doom, heavy, and progressive metal, while venturing even deeper by incorporating elements from electronic music, goth, and folklore. The album is a cornucopia of great songs that are atmospherically dense and invite the listener onto an emotional roller-coaster ride from the darkest depths of depression and fear, via raw anger and defiance, to heights of ecstatic exhilaration. "Vyraj" is a musical kaleidoscope with ever changing patterns and sonic colours of remarkable beauty – that often dissolves into captivating melodies that at times even achieve a pop-like appeal. DYMNA LOTVA continue to carry the torch of rebellion, which is only natural as the founding members had to flee their native Belarus due to political persecution and continued attempts by the Lukashenka regime to censor and suppress their art. Yet on "Vyraj", they put their lyrical focus elsewhere. The album's main concept could be described as 'Belarusian ethno-astronomy.' In Slavonic legends, the starry sky is associated both with the afterlife and with journeys, which becomes closely intertwined with the musicians' personal experience of forced emigration. This idea is captured in the album title "Vyraj", which is a mythical realm to where birds migrate for the winter, and where the souls of the departed find their final rest. DYMNA LOTVA take another big step with "Vyraj" in their breathtakingly rapid artistic evolution. It is easy to predict that this unique and highly original band will soon appear on even bigger festival billings and European stages.

DYMNA LOTVA are taking a quantum leap in their rapid musical evolution with their fourth album "Vyraj". The rebellious Belarus dissidents are powerfully demonstrating that they are far more than a 'one-trick pony' in every conceivable artistic aspect. Although "Vyraj" is still based on a solid foundation of black and post-black metal, DYMNA LOTVA move far beyond any easy labelling by also drawing inspiration from doom, heavy, and progressive metal, while venturing even deeper by incorporating elements from electronic music, goth, and folklore. The album is a cornucopia of great songs that are atmospherically dense and invite the listener onto an emotional roller-coaster ride from the darkest depths of depression and fear, via raw anger and defiance, to heights of ecstatic exhilaration. "Vyraj" is a musical kaleidoscope with ever changing patterns and sonic colours of remarkable beauty – that often dissolves into captivating melodies that at times even achieve a pop-like appeal. DYMNA LOTVA continue to carry the torch of rebellion, which is only natural as the founding members had to flee their native Belarus due to political persecution and continued attempts by the Lukashenka regime to censor and suppress their art. Yet on "Vyraj", they put their lyrical focus elsewhere. The album's main concept could be described as 'Belarusian ethno-astronomy.' In Slavonic legends, the starry sky is associated both with the afterlife and with journeys, which becomes closely intertwined with the musicians' personal experience of forced emigration. This idea is captured in the album title "Vyraj", which is a mythical realm to where birds migrate for the winter, and where the souls of the departed find their final rest. DYMNA LOTVA take another big step with "Vyraj" in their breathtakingly rapid artistic evolution. It is easy to predict that this unique and highly original band will soon appear on even bigger festival billings and European stages.

DYMNA LOTVA are taking a quantum leap in their rapid musical evolution with their fourth album "Vyraj". The rebellious Belarus dissidents are powerfully demonstrating that they are far more than a 'one-trick pony' in every conceivable artistic aspect. Although "Vyraj" is still based on a solid foundation of black and post-black metal, DYMNA LOTVA move far beyond any easy labelling by also drawing inspiration from doom, heavy, and progressive metal, while venturing even deeper by incorporating elements from electronic music, goth, and folklore. The album is a cornucopia of great songs that are atmospherically dense and invite the listener onto an emotional roller-coaster ride from the darkest depths of depression and fear, via raw anger and defiance, to heights of ecstatic exhilaration. "Vyraj" is a musical kaleidoscope with ever changing patterns and sonic colours of remarkable beauty – that often dissolves into captivating melodies that at times even achieve a pop-like appeal. DYMNA LOTVA continue to carry the torch of rebellion, which is only natural as the founding members had to flee their native Belarus due to political persecution and continued attempts by the Lukashenka regime to censor and suppress their art. Yet on "Vyraj", they put their lyrical focus elsewhere. The album's main concept could be described as 'Belarusian ethno-astronomy.' In Slavonic legends, the starry sky is associated both with the afterlife and with journeys, which becomes closely intertwined with the musicians' personal experience of forced emigration. This idea is captured in the album title "Vyraj", which is a mythical realm to where birds migrate for the winter, and where the souls of the departed find their final rest. DYMNA LOTVA take another big step with "Vyraj" in their breathtakingly rapid artistic evolution. It is easy to predict that this unique and highly original band will soon appear on even bigger festival billings and European stages.

White Vinyl

Clear Vinyl

Black Vinyl

HULDER is a dark black metal project from the United States, driven by the creative partnership of Hulder and Necreon, whose three albums to date have steadily drawn the project toward more expansive and collaborative territory. ‘Verbolgen’, released jointly by Season of Mist and 20 Buck Spin, marks a decisive turn: the first HULDER record on which Necreon steps fully into his role as co-leader rather than session contributor. Rooted in ancient nature worship, ancestral rite, and the shadows of pre-Christian tradition, ‘Verbolgen’ moves through nine tracks that trade in both the severity and the strange, wintry beauty that have always defined HULDER 's sound. The writing has grown more layered here, drawing on a wider palette of instrumentation: hurdy gurdy and additional keys from Keld bring an almost processional weight to certain passages, while Ianuaria's session flute drifts through the album like smoke across still water. Two drummers divide the record between them, Vapula and Vrolok each bringing their own character to their respective tracks, and the sum of it is a rhythm section that feels alive to the album's shifts in mood and tempo. The mix, handled by Ahti Kortelainen at Tico Tico Studio in Finland, gives the record an earthy, resonant quality that suits its themes of blood, soil, and the settling of old debts. Even the visual identity signals a new chapter: the cover art, painted by Morrigan, is her first work created for a metal band in nearly three decades, with an updated logo crafted by Jannicke Wiese Hansen. Three of the album's songs are sung in Flemish, lending ‘Verbolgen’ a peculiar, incantatory dimension that sets it apart from anything in HULDER's back catalogue. For fans of BATHORY, DISSECTION, MOONSORROW

HULDER is a dark black metal project from the United States, driven by the creative partnership of Hulder and Necreon, whose three albums to date have steadily drawn the project toward more expansive and collaborative territory. ‘Verbolgen’, released jointly by Season of Mist and 20 Buck Spin, marks a decisive turn: the first HULDER record on which Necreon steps fully into his role as co-leader rather than session contributor. Rooted in ancient nature worship, ancestral rite, and the shadows of pre-Christian tradition, ‘Verbolgen’ moves through nine tracks that trade in both the severity and the strange, wintry beauty that have always defined HULDER 's sound. The writing has grown more layered here, drawing on a wider palette of instrumentation: hurdy gurdy and additional keys from Keld bring an almost processional weight to certain passages, while Ianuaria's session flute drifts through the album like smoke across still water. Two drummers divide the record between them, Vapula and Vrolok each bringing their own character to their respective tracks, and the sum of it is a rhythm section that feels alive to the album's shifts in mood and tempo. The mix, handled by Ahti Kortelainen at Tico Tico Studio in Finland, gives the record an earthy, resonant quality that suits its themes of blood, soil, and the settling of old debts. Even the visual identity signals a new chapter: the cover art, painted by Morrigan, is her first work created for a metal band in nearly three decades, with an updated logo crafted by Jannicke Wiese Hansen. Three of the album's songs are sung in Flemish, lending ‘Verbolgen’ a peculiar, incantatory dimension that sets it apart from anything in HULDER's back catalogue. For fans of BATHORY, DISSECTION, MOONSORROW

Second press

Limited edition, gatefold colored vinyl with transparent "black ice" vinyl

From the mind of Gore Metal pioneer Matt Harvey, LEFT TO DIE pays homage to Chuck Schuldiner's revolutionary Metal band, DEATH. 

Initium Mortis, the upcoming new album from LEFT TO DIE, sees the DEATH-inspired supergroup—including original DEATH members Terry Butler (OBITUARY) and Rick Rozz (MASSACRE)—joining Harvey (EXHUMED, GRUESOME) and Gus Rios (GRUESOME) to capture DEATH's deep, die-hard-only catalog.

Featuring tracks like Arcangel, Witch of Hell, and Legion of Doom expertly executed in the now, Initium Mortis is a must-have for DEATH fans and collectors alike.   

"For Initium Mortis we wanted Death fans who had never heard these demo songs to hear them with good production," says Harvey. "Most of these early demos were poor quality, often recorded on a boom box, so by the time someone got a demo through tape trading it was almost inaudible!
We think these tracks are a good representation of the birth of Mantas/Death. This is ground zero - where it all started: three 15 year-old kids creating Death Metal history, and even within these choice cuts from the demo days you can hear the evolution of the music."

"Left To Die went from a thought to doing a full US tour in about 3 months! Pretty remarkable if you ask me," says Butler. "We wanted to play the early material for the fans that weren't able to see the first albums in a live setting. There are many young fans at our shows that are hearing the foundation that DEATH stands on to this day live for the first time! With Matt channeling the best Chuck Schuldiner out there and Gus playing the material perfectly and respectfully we hit the road and haven't looked back."

Ultimately, LEFT TO DIE celebrates a seminal band and the camaraderie of the genre's most extreme corner of music. "First off I would like to thank Gus, Matt and Terry for making Left To Die happen. It's been an honor and pleasure working with them for the past few years and beyond," says Rozz. "It's really cool to be able to hear these tunes from 1984 properly! Old-school Death fans are going to dig this release. Cheers & Peace."

From the mind of Gore Metal pioneer Matt Harvey, LEFT TO DIE pays homage to Chuck Schuldiner's revolutionary Metal band, DEATH. 

Initium Mortis, the upcoming new album from LEFT TO DIE, sees the DEATH-inspired supergroup—including original DEATH members Terry Butler (OBITUARY) and Rick Rozz (MASSACRE)—joining Harvey (EXHUMED, GRUESOME) and Gus Rios (GRUESOME) to capture DEATH's deep, die-hard-only catalog.

Featuring tracks like Arcangel, Witch of Hell, and Legion of Doom expertly executed in the now, Initium Mortis is a must-have for DEATH fans and collectors alike.   

"For Initium Mortis we wanted Death fans who had never heard these demo songs to hear them with good production," says Harvey. "Most of these early demos were poor quality, often recorded on a boom box, so by the time someone got a demo through tape trading it was almost inaudible!
We think these tracks are a good representation of the birth of Mantas/Death. This is ground zero - where it all started: three 15 year-old kids creating Death Metal history, and even within these choice cuts from the demo days you can hear the evolution of the music."

"Left To Die went from a thought to doing a full US tour in about 3 months! Pretty remarkable if you ask me," says Butler. "We wanted to play the early material for the fans that weren't able to see the first albums in a live setting. There are many young fans at our shows that are hearing the foundation that DEATH stands on to this day live for the first time! With Matt channeling the best Chuck Schuldiner out there and Gus playing the material perfectly and respectfully we hit the road and haven't looked back."

Ultimately, LEFT TO DIE celebrates a seminal band and the camaraderie of the genre's most extreme corner of music. "First off I would like to thank Gus, Matt and Terry for making Left To Die happen. It's been an honor and pleasure working with them for the past few years and beyond," says Rozz. "It's really cool to be able to hear these tunes from 1984 properly! Old-school Death fans are going to dig this release. Cheers & Peace."

Smoke marbled vinyl limited to 300 copies

Limited box set incl. 2CD artbook edition, gatefold LP (excl. "galaxy" metallic vinyl), bonus LP (8 tracks, 48 minutes), music cassette (excl. beige-coloured in clear/black case), 4 art prints (30x30 cm) and a poster (450 copies available)

Expanded edition of Oslo black metal cultists Isvind's 1996 debut full-length, incl. the tracks from the self-titled 7" EP.

LP (black) incl. polylined inner sleeve, Din A2 poster and protection sleeve (250 copies available)

Transparent turquoise 12" vinyl (33 rpm) in gatefold.
Limited to 100 copies worldwide.

TODOMAL emerged from the arid heartlands of eastern Spain in 2020, forging a deeply personal sound from the solemnity of doom metal, the sweep of cinematic rock and the quiet weight of lived experience. ‘Graveyards of Joy’ is the third album from this Anglo-Spanish duo, and the closing chapter of a trilogy that began with ‘Ultracrepidarian’ (2021) and deepened with ‘A Greater Good’ (2023).
Written in solitude following personal tragedy, ‘Graveyards of Joy’ channels grief, anger and hard-won hope into nine tracks of slow-burning, widescreen doom. The music breathes: vast Hammond-driven passages give way to desolate folk, Morricone-like strings open onto dusty, cinematic plains, and heavy, uncompromising riffs anchor songs that never lose sight of melody. Lyrically, the album conjures a landscape drawn from the ghost towns and depopulated provinces of rural Spain, a terrain that is raw, honest and untamed. Loss runs through every song, but so does the search for something on the other side.
This is a record that balances the dramatic with the delicate, the dark with light, and arrives fully formed: a DIY work of striking emotional depth and modern, alternative edge.

For fans of Katatonia, Candlemass, Anathema, Hamferð.

CD in Digipak with 12-page booklet.

TODOMAL emerged from the arid heartlands of eastern Spain in 2020, forging a deeply personal sound from the solemnity of doom metal, the sweep of cinematic rock and the quiet weight of lived experience. ‘Graveyards of Joy’ is the third album from this Anglo-Spanish duo, and the closing chapter of a trilogy that began with ‘Ultracrepidarian’ (2021) and deepened with ‘A Greater Good’ (2023).
Written in solitude following personal tragedy, ‘Graveyards of Joy’ channels grief, anger and hard-won hope into nine tracks of slow-burning, widescreen doom. The music breathes: vast Hammond-driven passages give way to desolate folk, Morricone-like strings open onto dusty, cinematic plains, and heavy, uncompromising riffs anchor songs that never lose sight of melody. Lyrically, the album conjures a landscape drawn from the ghost towns and depopulated provinces of rural Spain, a terrain that is raw, honest and untamed. Loss runs through every song, but so does the search for something on the other side.
This is a record that balances the dramatic with the delicate, the dark with light, and arrives fully formed: a DIY work of striking emotional depth and modern, alternative edge.

For fans of Katatonia, Candlemass, Anathema, Hamferð.

IMMOLATION is a true genuine Death Metal legendary band .
The band uses riffs written in dissonant harmonic patterns, often dueling between the two guitars, typically over complex rhythm and drum patterns for an undeniably unique and an absolutely diabolical result .

IMMOLATION is a true genuine Death Metal legendary band .
The band uses riffs written in dissonant harmonic patterns, often dueling between the two guitars, typically over complex rhythm and drum patterns for an undeniably unique and an absolutely diabolical result .

Limited edition of the entire discography of Mistress Of The Dead. that contain all the 15 CDs (4 albums - just for this boxing) + booklet of 35-40 pages and a coffin-shaped box ( wooden box made of birch )

Please see complete list of albums here at this link

11 full-length albums + bonus CD recorded specially for this edition. New artwork. Complete and strictly limited edition of 300 copies of the discography in the Book of Elffor.

Media Condition: Near Mint 
Sleeve Condition: Mint 

more info

Qualche graffio sulla supericie del dischetto

(NOTA BENE, IL TESCHIO NELLA FOTO E' DECORATIVO E NON FA PARTE DEL BOX)

"The Northern Silence Years" Box-Set compiles the three albums the band released under Northern Silence Productions (which were also licensed to Nuclear Blast USA).

It is limited to 100 copies and includes:

- "Moonlover" DigiCD
- "Starmourner" DigiCD
- "Self Loather" DigiCD
- flag (100cm x 55cm with the "Reaper" artwork)
- woven logo patch
- logo metal pin
- sticker with the "Reaper" artwork
- handnumbered certificate

Vinyl :NM

Sleeve VG++  

sealed

clicca qui per info

Gatefold embossed cover, double black vinyl

This special edition comes with an exclusive silkscreened hand-printed and numbered slipcase, printed innersleeve, 12-page 12"x12" booklet and a download card. Pressed on exclusive gold nugget heavy vinyl. Limited to 102 copies.

#076/102

Triple LP in trifold cover! Neon orange vinyls, 200 copies limited

Please note: mock-ups are purely indicative computer graphics: the final product sometimes varies considerably

The Burning Circle and Then Dust is Lycia’s fourth studio recording, originally released on double CD via Projekt Records in 1995. Save for a small CD re-release in 2006 by Silber Records, the album has never been reissued since. It is hence with great pride that here at Avantgarde Music we officially announce a new edition of one of Lycia’s masterworks from the ‘90s, due out on 2CD as well as triple LP, making this the first Burning Circle vinyl release ever.
Mike VanPortfleet himself commented: “After several years of doing more synth oriented material I wanted a return to my guitar roots (in particular English post punk and 4AD). Lycia started as a guitar based band and I wanted to reaffirm that with disc one, which was originally going to be the release. I was also listening to a lot of shoegaze then, which inspired a return of making the guitars, as opposed to the synths, the focal point of the atmospherics.”.
Many things have been said about the album along the last twentyeight years, and the band chose the following to describe the record.
Per Projekt.com. - The Burning Circle And Then Dust was a groundbreaking point in Lycia’s career. It marked a shift from more atmospheric music towards song-oriented music with tracks like “Pray” & “Slip Away.” It marked the first collaborations between Mike VanPortfleet & Lycia members David Galas & Tara Vanflower. It marked the transformation of Lycia into a honed out live touring machine.
Per Pandamonium Magazine via Projekt.com. - Moving back into more formal song structures, Burning Circle returns to true song-writing, and places equal emphasis on guitar as the electronics. However, the music is as intense and powerful as ever, conjuring up vast vistas of soundscapes which are captured in delicate webs of song and structure. Songs like “Pray” are positively dance friendly, while others find Lycia moving towards the fertile ground of darkpop. breathtaking in scope and beauty, exultant in vision, exhilarating in sensory delight. Lycia have arrived.
Per Ned Raggett of AllMusic - a high point of American dark rock and the band's greatest and most ambitious work.

Test pressing:  5 numbered copies

Test pressing, numbered  X/5 copies

the heirs of Nortt?

Raging,repetitve yet diverse black/death metal
with a discreet yet ever present droning vibe.
Hypnotic and hysterical,channeled through the virtues
of a sharp,
strict but eventually warm sound production,
Υπνωσίνοσις provides a sonic guidance to the subsconscious and beyond!

8 panels digipack

Exactly 8 years after June 2010's 'The Grave of Civilization' Void of Silence are back with a brand new album.
Although still based on the classic Conforti/Zara line-up core, the new album features again a new lead vocalist (Luca Soi, of Arcana Coelestia and Visthia past).
 

4 panels digipack with booklet!
you can preorder it now but this is not a limited edition or anything.
will be in stock on the 2nd week of February

"This what I call imagination and talent employed to produce true art. I have chills from that song and it is followed up “Curse”, a hymn filled with almost nothing but black voices, gasps, growls, hissing, vomit-like emanations, ghost-like screams of anguish – this album is a journey I assure you. I am mentally exhausted. A brilliant release that takes many elements you have heard, many you have not and combines them in a unique way that makes this record an absolute must own."
 

New Mini-CD 7 tracks of blasphemy
 

These songs revolve around the transformation from man to The Übermensch (German for "Overman, Overhuman, Superman, Superhuman), through the purification of the fire and the metaphor of the warrior, mainly taking inspiration from parts of Vijnanabhairava as well as personal experiences of meditation.

Fire is the main element manifested by Shiva, seen as a purifying factor and dissolving, regenerating and annihilating.
In this case also seen as the awakening of a burning and dissolving energy, which brings chaos and destroys the boundaries of mortality to reach immortality.

Ascolta su BandCamp

Digipack limited to 500 Copies
Orchestral Fantasy Music / Epic Dungeon Synth

“Show My Mercy” is an EP about the remorse that humans will feel, when they are stuck in the swirl
of karma made by themselves. Blinded by fury, greed, sorrow, heading for their destruction step by step.

The digipak comes as four-sided panel with booklet-sleeve and eight-sided booklet.

“Our goal – call to blight the life existance. Our weapon – weaknesses and vices of human scum.”
Virvel Av Morkerhatet, Ukraine: a hard atom that represents the defect of the human thought, that is multiplied by self-destruction of transcendental consciousness. Anticosmos through Black Magic.
We know you dreamt about a violent and ruthless edge of Ved Buens Ende, if we can figure this out in our minds.
This is a record that will not leave you indifferent and will nail your soul, a marvellous mix of avantgarde metal and evil fury where every second minute is unpredictable although not pushing too much over the reasonable boundaries of experimentation that every black metal band should safely keep….

Ascolta su BandCamp

Icy winds and solitary woods - the debut of one man project Skuggor

"Where Sun Resigns" is the third album of ambient black metal band Skuggor. An evocative exploration of shadowy forests, hypnotic introspection, and the profound sorrow of fading light. Immersing listeners in a soundscape of melancholic melodies and raw intensity, the album weaves themes of meditation and darkness into an ethereal sonic journey that captures the essence of nature's mystique. From haunting riffs to immersive ambient passages, "Where Sun Resigns" invites the listener to embrace the beauty in sorrow and find solace in the depths of shadow.

Avantgarde Music is proud to announce their collaboration with Saidan, an Eastern horror-themed band from Nashville, TN.

Born in 2020, Saidan released three studio albums so far, mixing the weird, over-the-top aesthetic of visual kei with fast, melodic riffing in the vein of labelmates Moonlight Sorcery.

Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memories Wrist is the fourth studio album born from the minds of multi-instrumentalist Splatterpvnk and drummer Hundosai, a new chapter in the narrative concept that links together all Saidan releases. In the band’s own words, Fangdriller follows the story of a student named Junko, depressed and miles away from the people she loves. In the depths of her isolation, she finds comfort in a mysterious cult called Ethereal Blood. But unbeknownst to Junko, her anguished seclusion has made her the perfect victim.

1. 666 (Hohelied der Wiedererweckung) 07:01
2. Thy Horror 04:04
3. Raped by Demons/Massacrament 04:31 [
4. The Black Grail 05:18
5. Lunar Castles (Harvest) 05:16
6. Nazarene (Into the Flame) 05:53

2026 reissue !

'An Undying Love For A Burning World' is the first new release from Neurosis in a decade, and a potent statement of intent and rebirth - one that marks the first new steps of resolve and resilience.

'An Undying Love For A Burning World' is an epic album of colossal hypnotism - beautiful, fearsome and utterly compelling in a way that only Neurosis can be. Aaron Turner (Sumac, Isis) joins the band on vocals and guitar, a name whose legacy is intertwined with the band’s own and a true kindred spirit.

Neurosis have never been afraid of change, and here they embrace endless regeneration, surrendering to the emotional exorcism through heaviness and distortion that their music incites. Just as the universe tends towards balance, Neurosis’ cacophony of noise, rhythm and dissonance always resolves towards moments of beauty. The addition of Turner's powerful vocals and wildly creative and unhinged approach to guitar proves to be a vital force as Neurosis find themselves again at the mercy of evolution and expression.

The album was recorded by Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City, Sumac, and Great Falls) at Studio Litho in Seattle during three weekends this winter, and mixed in three days just six weeks before release at Evan's Antisleep Audio in Oakland.

Austin Lunn’s journey carried Panopticon from the urban density of Louisville to the remote northern reaches of Minnesota. It is here, surrounded by a landscape both inspiring and endangered, that “Det hjemsøkte hjertet” took shape. The album follows an elder hermit in the final week of his life, interweaving childhood memories with a lament for an ecosystem transformed by modern encroachment.

Dense, atmospheric, and unmistakably cinematic, “Det hjemsøkte hjertet” (‘The Haunted Heart’) shifts from the icy aggression of earlier works into something richer and more saturated – a palette of purples and burning oranges fading into dusk. The folk instrumentation once associated with Panopticon has largely receded, giving way to tones reminiscent of Neil Young & Crazy Horse.

The metal foundation remains, but the record’s strength lies in composition rather than speed: layered arrangements, long-form dynamics, and a strong narrative undercurrent. A full orchestral presence runs throughout, with Charlie Anderson’s string performances adding both gravity and movement. Each song features a different guest vocalist – Aaron Charles (Falls Of Rauros, Rhun), Jan Evan Åsli (Vemod), and Jan 'Winterherz' Van Berlekom (Waldgeflüster) among them – introducing distinct colours without compromising cohesion.

Morning Star finds Këkht Aräkh arriving at a truer, more refined version of himself. Recorded between Berlin and Stockholm, the album emerges from a period of intense personal and artistic growth, blending aggressive black metal passages with immersive, textured soundscapes that feel both intimate and vast. 

Julinko, nome d’arte di Giulia Parin Zecchin, è da tempo uno dei segreti meglio custoditi della scena sperimentale del nord-est italiano, con tre dischi che hanno contribuito a definire la sua inconfondibile mescolanza di heavy psychedelia, slowcore e dark ambient. In Naebula ciò che colpisce davvero è la potenza e l’intensità della sua voce, un’arma di forza innegabile, capace di trasformarsi in un mezzo di fervore grezzo o librarsi con grazia in un delicato lamento. Il suo approccio non convenzionale risplende in brani come ‘Jeanne De Rien’, dove una cadenza ritmica da marcia funge da colonna sonora portante per un lungo mantra che sfiora quasi il territorio del powpow. ‘Peace Of The Unsaid’ sfrutta la propria struttura aritmica per creare spazio, un’ode notturna e crepuscolare che raggiunge le vette della forza intima di Sinéad O’Connor, pur mantenendo una dolce compostezza. Che si tratti di urla glaciali e assassine o di una vitalità dal tono quasi gospel, brani come ‘Cloudmachine’ o ‘Kiss The Lion’s Tongue’ sembrano attingere tanto alla tradizione del minimalismo europeo, con l’uso dei droni e della ripetizione, quanto a quella dei canti popolari come inni, dove armonie modali cedono il passo a un’ apparente stasi. Un altro elemento chiave nella scrittura di Julinko è la fusione impeccabile fra il suo approccio minimalista e quelle trame dense ereditate da un lontano retaggio di outsider metal, un noir lynchiano spinto all’estremo o esorcismi senza parole attraversati da correnti profonde. 

Scritto e interpretato interamente da Julinko, ‘Naebula’ dispiega e avvolge i suoi incantesimi in spirali sonore creando la colonna sonora perfetta per ossessione, desiderio e contemplazione, un mondo abitato da grandi come Meredith Monk, Diamanda Galás e Jarboe, artiste diverse ma tutte guidate dalla ricerca della più pura e cristallina forma di catarsi.