Preorders

Earlier this spring, SCHEUSAL released their debut album, Urwahn, under the banner of PURITY THROUGH FIRE. Raising those banners again, the so-far-mysterious entity strikes while the iron's red-hot with Fressfeind. Thankfully, not much has changed here on this second full-length. Pure 'n' proud Teutonic black metal is still the order of the day, but just like Urwahn did so stridently, Fressfeind further twists SCHEUSAL's unique iteration of German steel. Maybe going the martial-folkish direction more thoroughly, maybe running routes that are even more restless - whatever headspace you enter Fressfeind, the one-man band goes for the fucking throat, mischievous as ever. Indeed, that apt descriptor encompasses the mainman's vocals again, as the same crew of characters - the screamer, the shouter, the hooligan, the imp, the devil - all fight for breath here on this ever-shifting landscape. That landscape is painted with a production that's raw and rotten and yet somehow crisp and crystalline, making these nine screeds of mania all the more absurdly engaging and antagonizing.

Formed in Orleans in 2022, Les Bâtards du Roi is a melodic black metal band evolving in a medieval framework. Set in a devastated world, this project tells the story of the brothers who committed regicide, the act that plunged the kingdom into decay and torment. From this initial situation, the protagonists embark on a spiritual journey of self-examination in a tortured landscape. This is the story of the beginning of their exile.

For the first time ever, Noregs Vaapen has been remixed and remastered from the original multitrack recordings, bringing new clarity and depth to one of Taake’s most celebrated works. This collector’s edition comes in a 20-page deluxe Digibook, complete with lyrics and rare, previously unpublished photos from the album’s recording sessions. To mark the occasion, the set also includes the first official Taake DVD: the band’s anniversary concert where Noregs Vaapen was performed in its entirety – raw, uncompromising, and captured in full. Originally released in 2011, Noregs Vaapen is the fifth studio album from Norway’s black metal institution Taake – and often hailed as their strongest. It sees Hoest sharpening his trademark riffs, melodies, and biting vocals, while weaving in unexpected turns: black’n’roll grooves, chilling mellotrons, and even the now-legendary banjo solo. Songs like the anthemic Nordbundet, the relentless Myr, and the infamous Orkan have long since earned their place in the pantheon of True Norwegian Black Metal. While Hoest is once again behind all music, lyrics, instruments, and vocals, the album also features contributions from Taake’s then live-lineup — Thurzur, V’gandr, Aindiachai, and Gjermund — alongside a rare gathering of prominent guests: Nocturno Culto (Darkthrone), Attila Csihar (Mayhem), Demonaz (Immortal), Bjørnar Nilsen (Vulture Industries), and Skagg (Gaahlskagg, Deathcult).

Since 2005, Greece's SAD have been a madly prolific bastion of pure 'n' cold black metal. Their canon is vast and varied - VERY relatively so, given that this is all-caps BLACK METAL after all - with the longstanding duo of instrumentalist Ungod and vocalist Nadir exploring the darkest corridors of their souls every step of the way. They did so across a half-dozen albums for such esteemed labels as Drakkar, Obscure Abhorrence, and Old Temple among others as well as a dozen splits, but then joined forces with PURITY THROUGH FIRE in 2020 for the release of their seventh album, Misty Breath of Ancient Forests, and again in 2023 for Black Metal Craft.

Proudly remaining in the PURITY THROUGH FIRE stronghold, SAD return with their ninth(!) album, Fullmoon's Bestial Awakening. While its title might be something of an aesthetic misnomer - this is NOT bestial metal, thankfully - Fullmoon's Bestial Awakening does keep intact the nastiness of Black Metal Craft, making for a complementary record to its cantankerous predecessor. SAD here are characteristically unconcerned with anything in "black metal" during this millennium, still harkening to the glorious late '90s heyday of Sombre Records or the aforementioned Drakkar and yet tempered with the wisdom & resolve surely established by a band who've been around 25 years now. No more but definitely no less, Fullmoon's Bestial Awakening is raw & ripping orkishness shot through with a touch of the melancholic but all stirred malevolently, where hypnotic speed - cruise, gallop, headbang, or any combination thereof - often rights itself into something somewhat regal or at least triumphant. And just like that not-inconsiderable predecessor, SAD's ninth full-length similarly stretches toward the epic, encompassing eight songs in 55 minutes of righteous obsidian splendor. Cold, old, and still no surrender!

A5 digipack 

Since 2005, Greece's SAD have been a madly prolific bastion of pure 'n' cold black metal. Their canon is vast and varied - VERY relatively so, given that this is all-caps BLACK METAL after all - with the longstanding duo of instrumentalist Ungod and vocalist Nadir exploring the darkest corridors of their souls every step of the way. They did so across a half-dozen albums for such esteemed labels as Drakkar, Obscure Abhorrence, and Old Temple among others as well as a dozen splits, but then joined forces with PURITY THROUGH FIRE in 2020 for the release of their seventh album, Misty Breath of Ancient Forests, and again in 2023 for Black Metal Craft.

Proudly remaining in the PURITY THROUGH FIRE stronghold, SAD return with their ninth(!) album, Fullmoon's Bestial Awakening. While its title might be something of an aesthetic misnomer - this is NOT bestial metal, thankfully - Fullmoon's Bestial Awakening does keep intact the nastiness of Black Metal Craft, making for a complementary record to its cantankerous predecessor. SAD here are characteristically unconcerned with anything in "black metal" during this millennium, still harkening to the glorious late '90s heyday of Sombre Records or the aforementioned Drakkar and yet tempered with the wisdom & resolve surely established by a band who've been around 25 years now. No more but definitely no less, Fullmoon's Bestial Awakening is raw & ripping orkishness shot through with a touch of the melancholic but all stirred malevolently, where hypnotic speed - cruise, gallop, headbang, or any combination thereof - often rights itself into something somewhat regal or at least triumphant. And just like that not-inconsiderable predecessor, SAD's ninth full-length similarly stretches toward the epic, encompassing eight songs in 55 minutes of righteous obsidian splendor. Cold, old, and still no surrender!

COINCIDING WITH THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF GODKILLER’S FINAL FULL-LENGTH ALBUM OF DARK METAL WITH INDUSTRIAL & ELECTRONIC ELEMENTS.

Formed in 1993 & hailing from Monaco, Godkiller was the vision of multi-instrumentalist & sole founding member, Duke Satanaël, who between 1996 & 2000 released an EP & 2 studio albums under the Godkiller name, commencing with the black metal cult classic debut 'The Rebirth Of The Middle Ages'.

Though initially more a death metal inspired act in the formative years, Godkiller quickly developed into a project fully engulfed in the spirit of 1990s black metal, bringing to mind acts like Emperor & Satyricon for the implementation of such strong atmospherics, though on later releases Godkiller incorporated more industrial & electronic elements into the compositions as part of its creative evolution.

‘Deliverance’ was Godkiller’s second studio album & final release before the project was laid to rest & ventured into a more electronic & industrially metallic direction for what could be considered a more contemporary & expressive take on Godkiller’s established brand of darkness.

Coinciding with the album’s 25th anniversary, this edition of ‘Deliverance’ is presented on CD format for the first time since its original release, including an eight page booklet with full lyrics.

Second press!! Gatefold sleeve, black ice vinyl

Mike Lamb (Sojourner) and Heike Langhans (Sojourner, ex-Draconian) are back with their personal gothic/doom project, Remina. The duo’s sophomore album, The Silver Sea, will follow their 2022 debut Strata and will be released on October 24th 2025 on CD and digital, once again via Avantgarde Music. Here follows the band’s statement.

The Silver Sea was written over the three year period following the release of our debut album Strata, and it is the product of the changes we experienced as both a band and on a personal level.

Remina took to the stage for the first time in 2023, and through this process we got to spend a lot of time in beautiful northern Italy bringing to life live versions of our songs with our excellent live lineup. The process of seeing how our sound translated to a live setting ultimately impacted how we approached this album. We didn't want to deviate from our vision for the band or the sound, but we did incorporate a much more musically 'direct' approach in the way the songs were written this time around. This was helped massively by the excellent drum tracking of Shayne Roos, who lifted our original ideas to an entirely new level. We are also honored to be joined by guest vocal spots from two musicians we greatly look up to, Mick Moss of Antimatter (Algol) and Tony Dunn of Sgàile (Vanta Ray).

On a personal level, we were dealing with the decision of having to uproot our lives in Europe and move back to New Zealand to be closer to family. The weight of the decision to move across the world, so far from the lives we had built, was reflected in the overarching themes and atmosphere of the album. While each song deals with its own subject matter, there is an overarching story running throughout as an invisible thread tying the album together. 

Sadism’s early era classic songs re-recorded! Chilean Death/Thrash Metal attack!

Chilean Death Metal veterans Sadism return with “Necrology (1997-2002)”, a reanimation of classics from their early era! This isn’t a greatest hits or a clean slate re-recording. Original tracks are left intact where it counts, stitched together with new takes that keep the grime and spirit fully alive.

Formed in Santiago in 1988, Sadism have stayed active through decades of Latin American and European tours, sharing stages with Death Metal royalty and building one of the most consistent legacies in South American Extreme Metal.

The artwork says it all. A throne, a specter, a clock ticking down. “Necrology (1997-2002)” is a cold reminder of what still lurks beneath and a loud warning that Sadism never left.

For fans of: Morbid Angel, Vader, Sadistic Intent, Malevolent Creation.

Sadism’s early era classic songs re-recorded! Chilean Death/Thrash Metal attack!

Chilean Death Metal veterans Sadism return with “Necrology (1997-2002)”, a reanimation of classics from their early era! This isn’t a greatest hits or a clean slate re-recording. Original tracks are left intact where it counts, stitched together with new takes that keep the grime and spirit fully alive.

Formed in Santiago in 1988, Sadism have stayed active through decades of Latin American and European tours, sharing stages with Death Metal royalty and building one of the most consistent legacies in South American Extreme Metal.

The artwork says it all. A throne, a specter, a clock ticking down. “Necrology (1997-2002)” is a cold reminder of what still lurks beneath and a loud warning that Sadism never left.

For fans of: Morbid Angel, Vader, Sadistic Intent, Malevolent Creation.

Gatefold Double LP with 12 pages booklet in vinyl size & UV spot laque

With their fourth full-length "Solastalgia", the German purveyors of soaring post metal work their way to their innermost core and deliver what is easily their most vulnerable and accessible record to date. "Solastalgia describes the grief over the loss of the natural world," the band explains. The very existence of such a term brutally exposes our alienation from this planet. While some of the albums’ songs deal with environmental issues, others focus on personal feelings and the challenges of human existence in a rapidly changing world. Heretoir has always been pure emotion. The pain of modern life set to music. And yet the desperate beauty of "Solastalgia" proves to be an unlikely source of comfort.
The joint songwriting of David, Matthias and Nils creates the new sound of Heretoir. After exploring their dark and grim side on "Nightsphere", Heretoir have gone in a different direction this time. The songs of "Solastalgia" cover a wide range of emotional and heavy music. From Modern Metal to Black Metal to Post Rock to maybe even Screamo. Whatever you want to call it: essentially, this is pure melancholy and a spark of hope in utter darkness.