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Remastered and joined together in a single release, the first two Nest EPs see the light again! Fabled Lore and Hidden Stream, originally released in 2000 and 2003, will finally be available on vinyl as part of a comprehensive reissue work via Avantgarde Music!

Nest is an atmospheric folk / acoustic group from Finland, formed in the summer of 1999, mainly focusing on the use of the Kantele, a traditional Finnish instrument. The project, led by multi-instrumentalist and visual artist Aslak Tolonen (also member of Syven and several others), has always kept a shy behaviour, releasing three studio albums along the quarter of a century and playing selected live gigs.

Fabled Lore / Hidden Stream is the first instalment in Nest's vinyl and cd reissue schedule on Avantgarde Music and will be followed by the releases of Woodsmoke, Trail of the Unwary (with bonus) and Mietteita - this last one for the first time ever receiving a physical release.

For something to be “ecstatic,” the feelings and emotions it evokes must transcend what one tends to experience most regularly in their lives. Ecstatic joy isn’t just happiness; it’s a feeling of jubilation which impacts one emotionally and in a metaphysical, arguably spiritual sense too. Although it has long been associated with connotations of the dark and macabre, extreme music has the ability to be a powerful mode of expression for these feelings of absolute bliss, overwhelming love, and awe-inspiring sublimity. Extreme emotions no less and those which black metal quartet Agriculture evokes with its ecstatic subversion of the subgenre’s tropes.

What was initially a meeting and subsequent series of jam sessions between Kern Haug and Daniel Meyer, two musicians in the Los Angeles underground noise scene, would eventually manifest as a shared vision to portray the sublimity of the human experience through the vehicle of heavy music. Following the additions of veteran guitarist Richard Chowenhill and bassist / vocalist Leah Levinson to the band’s lineup, this idea would crystalize into the “ecstatic black metal” backbone of Agriculture’s music, first heard on the band’s 2022 debut EP, The Circle Chant.

With Agriculture’s self-titled record and first full-length LP, it’s abundantly clear that the band’s use of heavy music to showcase the most resplendent emotions and moments of the human experience has a far deeper meaning. Woven between the flurries of soaring tremolo picking, crescendoing guitar harmonies, celebratory screamed vocals, thoughtful improvisation, and meditative atmospheric passages is the record’s mission statement to experience the wonders and joys of both the esoteric and physical world.

With his second official full-length, "The Funeral of Being" (2003), XASTHUR mastermind, multi-instrumentalist, and singer Scott Conner aka Malefic walked further down the harsh, raw, frightening, and yet also melancholic path that set his band apart from most of the US black metal scene. Despite its unique and solitary approach, "The Funeral of Being" is still widely held to constitute a cornerstone and classic of the American underground. XASTHUR were originally conceived by Scott Conner in California, USA in the year 1995. The project started out in the vein of bleak black metal in the tradition of the Nordic second wave. Over the course of nine albums and a host of split-singles, EPs, and occasional demos, XASTHUR's individual, particularly depressive style became highly regarded within the extreme genre. In 2010, Scott announced the end of XASTHUR and returned with an acoustic dark folk project under the banner of NOCTURNAL POISONING. In 2015, the American artist returned to the name XASTHUR, but insisted that his black metal days were over. On his so far latest album, "Inevitably Dark", XASTHUR have partly lifted the self-imposed ban on black metal, simply because Conner felt like it and therefore did it.

On the ninth full-length with the tell-tale title of "Subject to Change", XASTHUR took a musical leap of faith: Mastermind, multi-instrumentalist, and singer Scott Conner abandoned black metal as a form of musical expression for the time being, and turned to something stylistically rather comparable to acid folk and neofolk instead. Keeping the minimalistic approach of his previous albums, but embarking on a long journey through the dark underbelly of the American dream, Conner created his own brand of dark Americana. XASTHUR were originally conceived by Scott Conner in California, USA in the year 1995. The project started out in the vein of bleak black metal in the tradition of the Nordic second wave. Over the course of nine albums and a host of split-singles, EPs, and occasional demos, XASTHUR's individual, particularly depressive style became highly regarded within the extreme genre. In 2010, Scott announced the end of XASTHUR and returned with an acoustic dark folk project under the banner of NOCTURNAL POISONING. In 2015, the American artist returned to the name XASTHUR, but insisted that his black metal days were over. On his so far latest album, "Inevitably Dark", XASTHUR have partly lifted the self-imposed ban on black metal, simply because Conner simply did like he felt.

Die-cut slipcase, gatefold jacket with UV details and pockets flooded in black.
16-page booklet with UV details,
2 double-sided inserts with UV details,
Double-sided A2 poster,
 

in deluxe Digipak with gold foil incl. 12-page booklet.

For over three decades, Tolis brothers Sakis and Themis have carved a blackened path through the metal world. Architects of the Hellenic black metal, ROTTING CHRIST have been blending histrionic atmospheres, mesmerizing choirs, and neo-classical arrangements for 35 years.
Now, the Greek metal legends present their 14th studio album: ‘Pro Xristou’. Translating to “Before Christ” in Greek, this album is a fervent tribute to the last Pagan kings who stood resilient against the Christian tide, safeguarding ancient values and knowledge. Dive deep into the legacies of figures like Flavius Claudius Julianus and Nordic mythological kings through tracks such as "The Apostate" and "Ygdrassil".
‘Pro Xristou’ encapsulates the essence of Rotting Christ's signature style - a melodic symphony with moments of unyielding harshness.

For fans of NIGHTFALL, MOONSPELL, SEPTICFLESH, PRIMORDIAL, VARATHRON.

Green Vinyl

Genre-defying Dutch death metal legends PESTILENCE have singled-out and re-recorded twelve emblematic anthems from across their 38-year career into "Levels of Perception".

Patrick Mameli - whose signature vocal, guitar and songwriting skills constitute the hallmark of PESTILENCE - finds "Levels of Perception" to be a testament to the band's role in death metal's progression. "I've always wanted to do a best-of album, because it would mean that I've achieved something in the past; something that still has its value today," Mameli reflects. "To be able to choose from songs that I composed in the distant past, transporting them into the now, with the line-up of the recordings that consisted of Michiel van der Plicht (drums), Rutger van Noordenburg (guitar) and Joost van der Graaf (bass) - I found this to be of great value and sheer awesomeness."

Re-recording of the tracks has not only managed to breathe new life into them - half thanks to new line-up, and other half by implementing subtle changes which reflect Mameli's matured vision and refined with years of experience aesthetic - but also sets them apart from cheap, unimaginative compilations, by unifying the album's sound as befits a full-length release. "The album's title is Levels of Perception. Why? Because this is what has happened with the songs," Mameli explains. "Performed by different musicians, with their own views, musical abilities and interpretations, shining a new light on them. So here we are with new Levels of Perception."

Gloss UV-lacquered jacket with black pocket.
Includes a 12-page A5-size booklet and poly-lined inner sleeve.

Re-release including bonus tracks “Les Sévices de la Peste’’ et ‘‘Corpus et Anima’’.

When SETH released their legendary debut “Les Blessures de l’Âme” in 1998 it was greeted with enthusiasm by reviewers and fans alike. The French combined harsh but melodic Black Metal with a well thought out concept on vampirism. The fiendish shrieks and rasps of vocalist Vicomte Vampyr Arkames combined with the fierce and cold buzzing of the crushing guitars delivered the ideal sound for their artistic expression. Brutal, dark and surprisingly catchy “Les Blessures de l’Âme” creates gothic atmospheres supported by intelligent keyboard textures. The album quickly gained the status of a cult classic that is hard to find as it is long sold out.

Formed in 1989 after Johnny Hedlund was kicked out of NIHILIST (who split up and reformed as ENTOMBED to avoid firing him directly),
UNLEASHED are credited to be one of the first death metal groups to write songs about Viking/Scandinavian history and heritage instead of the more typical subjects like death and gore.
Since these times UNLEASHED can be counted as one of the leading acts of the Scandinavian death metal scene.

On this compilation you can find every song the band recorded before their classic debut album Where No Life Dwells from 1991!

It includes The Utter Dark (3 songs), Revenge (3 songs) and the complete Bielefeld recording session (7 songs) which contains songs from the And The Laughter Has Died… 7“ EP,
the Century Media Promo Tape and songs from the Century Media compilation In The Eyes Of Death.

A long in-depth interview with Johnny Hedlund held especially and exclusive for this compilation.