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Second press... reissued by Prophecy prod on behalf of Kunsthall (manufatured by Optimal)

BLACK VINYL

Back in the mid 2000’s Norwegian Black Metal was but a faint memory. With the originators treading different paths from where it all started, a craving for what once was needed to be refueled. A small group of individuals from Trondheim, Nidaros found each other and reignited that flame. Through the same malicious intent of creating havoc yet again, distancing ourselves from the current Norwegian ‘scene’, the Nidrosian movement began. This was never meant to be a selling point, nor has it ever been a gang mentality.

It’s simply a handful very different individuals treading the same left hand path, dabbling with aspects of Black Metal unheard of since the glory days. I won’t go into details and incriminate people around me like a certain Count once did, but let’s just say the stories are endless and something we fondly look back at to this day, and dare I say the spirit of old still runs deeply through our veins.

The reason why all projects that flourished from our band of brothers sound different, yet firmly rooted in Black Metal, is due to each project having different masterminds. Everyone contributed by aiding each other. Several demos and projects arose, but one specifically stood out by far very early on. A project that to this day stands like a pillar of Norwegian Black Metal history; KAOSRITUAL.

The band was founded, rehearsed and recorded based off our interpretations of early 90’s Black Metal. The era of murder, arson, Black Magick and spite. I firmly believe what you hear on these recordings, are the same chaos that fueled the originators, and is as genuine as the old classics. I was sitting right there alongside H. "Sarath" Dalen, while he recorded this on tape in the basement of our record store Apocalyptic Empire, in the heart of Nidaros back in 2005. Reminiscing back, I’ll never forget the intense atmosphere, dedication and focus the band had, something I’ve never experienced since, just like their live shows. Nothing will ever compare. The store was very much exactly what Helvete was in the 90’s: a record store ran by us for us, with a basement where recordings were happening non stop, even during the opening hours. The basement was a collective ground for us where lifelong friendships arose, parties ensued, and inspirations were endless. Imagine locking up a bunch of miscreants devoted to the same cause, with no boundaries, no thought or respect for anyone, just all focused on one thing: BLACK METAL. This was always for ourselves, hence why releases are so sporadic. I am truly grateful to not only having been there throughout the beginning, but to have been granted the exclusive right to release several of these gems, and to be able to call these genuine artists and individuals my close friends to this day.

We present to you the restored version of the one and only KAOSRITUAL - Svøpt morgenrød, plus the infamous Rituell katarsis demo and more, remastered by our friend M. of MGLA/No Solace. A special thanks to him for adding his magick to these incredible recordings, and I want to personally thank Blix and Tvedt for letting me finally unleash this upon the world.

Limited edition of 333 copies on sea blue/black marble vinyl, incl. gatefold cover, logo sticker and download.

BLACK VINYL

With a seemingly endless dungeon full of heavy metal influences channelled through Darkthrone’s dynamic riff-machine, plus increasing inspirations taken from their own back catalogue, Darkthrone has become very much its own beast within the metal world. Though sprinkled with atmospheric touches, such as synthesisers and mellotron, the Darkthrone sound remains stripped to the core, primitive and organic.

Astral Fortress was recorded at Chaka Khan Studios in Oslo, the same location used for the Eternal Hails album, with Ole Øvstedal and Silje Høgevold.

From their formation back in 1986, to becoming one of Norways’s finest musical exports (with a number of highly revered black metal masterpieces released in the early 1990s helping to solidify their legacy), Darkthrone has continued to evolve and challenge in equal measure, throughout their illustrious recording career spanning over three decades. And now, the ever-productive duo of Nocturno and Fenriz continue their own metallic saga with a new selection of fine, vintage sounding headbanging classics in the making. 

Norwegian duo, Darkthrone, return with their first new studio material since 2013’s triumphant The Underground Resistance.

An eclectic mix of free-spirited 80’s fuelled blackened heavy metal, all executed in Darkthrone’s trademark raw and organic style, Arctic Thunder was recorded & produced by the band themselves, with the sessions conducted at Darkthrone’s old rehearsal unit, “The Bomb Shelter”, which they had originally used during 1988-1990.

180g black vinyl (includes mp3 download)
 

Clear Vinyl

"Thulêan Mysteries was made passively, in the sense that I never intended to make a new album; I just made music every now and then and at one point realized that I actually had enough to release it all on an album. When asked to do so I figured: why not? It was a good idea. The music is a little bit of this and a little bit of that, transcending any genre, and perhaps belonging to many different genres. The intention with it was always to create a certain atmosphere, often related to an idea or a situation. Since my true passion has never been music, but actually tabletop role-playing games, I figured I should make this an album intended for that use; as background music for my own MYFAROG (Mythic Fantasy Role-playing Game). Hopefully you will get a sense of Thulê when you listen to this, like always with Burzum, ideally when on your own. I hope you will enjoy this soundtrack to Thulê, to Mother Nature and life itself" – Varg Vikernes