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Back in stock - Extreme Metal and Dark music
digipack
With Panopticon’s 5th full-length album, Kentucky, Austin Lunn pushed the boundaries and blurred the lines between melodic US black metal and folk driven Americana. Bluegrass, with its high and lonesome sound and cultural and emotional significance, provided the perfect backdrop for Austin’s lyrical exploration of the Kentucky's rich cultural heritage and unique environment as well as coal miner's plight to stand up against the cruelty of a greed driven fossil fuel industry as they struggled to organize a union to fight against horrific working conditions. The album is about more than just coal mining history...it is a love letter to the " blue grass state" and the beautiful people and places contained within its borders.
"Zeitlang" is the harsh debut full-length of Bavarian black metal act GRÀB featuring founding vocalist Grant. The former DARK FORTRESS frontman has written the entire concept album in a local dialect of Germany's southernmost Alpine state.
GRÀB, which means “old and grey”, are lyrically telling the story of an old man, who has chosen to withdraw from society into an isolated cottage deep in the mountains, where he reflects on his life while his death edges ever closer. The story on "Zeitlang" ("Yearning") begins in his early childhood with the song 'Nachtkrapp' ("Night Raven") and continues all the way to his end, which is illuminated by the track 'A Gråbliacht' ("A Grave Lantern").
Musically, GRÀB are picking up the Norwegian strands of early GEHENNA, ULVER, and DARKTHRONE as well as being inspired by German NAGELFAR and LUNAR AURORA. Yet true to their topic, the Bavarians include traditional local elements, which is instrumentally expressed by the use of hammered dulcimer, zither and alphorn.
Vocalist and Bavarian poet Grant views "Zeitlang" as his personal musical legacy. Join the singer and GRÀB on their equally intimate and forceful quest into the dark and stark places of the human mind and Alpine nature where there are no safe spaces.
GRÀB offer both, continuity and change, on their sophomore full-length "Kremess". The Bavarian black metal project founded by vocalist Grànt continues to revolve lyrically around tales and traditions narrated in the local dialect of Germany's southernmost Alpine state: Bavaria. "Kremess" means 'funeral feast' in that language and death plays a leading role on this album. Musically, GRÀB still feature a prominent traditional instrument of their region, the hammered dulcimer. This gets combined with particularly Norwegian strands of black metal such as early GEHENNA, ULVER, and DARKTHRONE as well as taking inspiration from German pioneers of the genre namely NAGELFAR and LUNAR AURORA. Adding to the local sonic colours are many fresh ideas and sounds that came with English guitarist Gnàst, who has replaced previous main songwriter Grain in the meantime. A host of guest musicians including members of EMPYRIUM, TRIPTYKON, and DARK FORTRESS among others has further enhanced the musical spectrum. GRÀB, meaning "old and grey" in the local dialect, were conceived by former DARK FORTRESS frontman Grànt who wanted to bring a particularly Bavarian expression to black metal. The earlier collaboration between Grànt and guitarist Grain resulted in the release of the debut full-length "Zeitlang" in 2021, which channelled the black metal spirit of the early 90s much to the delight of both critics and fans. With "Kremess", GRÀB are infusing Bavarian black metal with new power that is bound to expand their growing empire far beyond the borders of their homeland.
Digibook CD with UV spot varnish and golden hotfoil embossing on cover, booklet and bonus track "Asaland".
FALKENBACH were originally conceived as a solo-project by Vratyas Vakyas and officially came into being with the "Læknishendr" demo in 1995. After the interlude of their fourth album, which partly featured reworked earlier material, the next full-length from the German composer and multi-instrumentalist who was again joined by musicians appeared to be a summary of all the elements from his previous works. "Tiurida" (2011) put the emphasis on the band's epic melodic pagan metal side, which was generously spiced with some earlier black metal elements. The album still evokes an overall impression of confident and experienced songwriting. FALKENBACH had reached the point where they not only exactly knew their musical destination but also how to get there.
Digibook CD with UV spot varnish and golden hotfoil embossing on cover, booklet and bonus track "Skirnir".
FALKENBACH were originally conceived as a solo-project by Vratyas Vakyas and officially came into being with the "Læknishendr" demo in 1995. With the fourth full-length, "Heralding – The Fireblade" (2005), the German released material that was originally intended for the debut album, but due to production issues got delayed and later re-worked. This meant a somewhat hybrid album that to the delight of their early fans had more of the black spirit of the legendary first full-length " …En their medh riki fara…" (1996), but also featured the matured pagan metal sound, which FALKENBACH had gained over the course of the following two albums.
Digibook CD with UV spot varnish and golden hotfoil embossing on cover, and booklet.
FALKENBACH were originally conceived as a solo-project by Vratyas Vakyas and officially came into being with the "Læknishendr" demo in 1995. On his third full-length, "Ok nefna tysvar Ty", the German continued to navigate straight along the course that he had set on the previous two releases. This meant a further reduction of obvious black metal elements, while adding more melodic and folkish parts. Yet musically as well as in their lyrics, FALKENBACH firmly went on to spearhead the pagan metal style that became so very popular only a few years down the road. Vratyas Vakyas starting to work with guest musicians from this album on, gave his sound more of a band feeling as well.
Digibook CD with UV spot varnish and golden hotfoil embossing on cover, and booklet.
FALKENBACH were originally conceived as a solo-project by Vratyas Vakyas and officially came into being with the "Læknishendr" demo in 1995. When FALKENBACH's second album " ...Magni blandinn ok megintíri..." appeared in 1998 it offered a refined, matured and more melodic continuation of the blackened pagan metal style that took influences from both Bathory and the second wave of Nordic black metal, which the German multi-instrumentalist had established two years earlier on the debut full-length " …En their medh riki fara…" (1996). " ...Magni blandinn ok megintíri..." is widely considered to be an important milestone of its genre.
Comes in digibook packaging with a gold foil logo on the front. It has a 12-page booklet inside.
Track 8: The Heralder is marked as a bonus track.
MINT COPY, BLACK VINYL 2014 PRESS ON CENTURY MEDIA