Devin Garret Townsend must be one of Canada’s most active persons within the Extreme Metal scene. As teenager, he played in a couple of bands, and one of those, called Noisescapes, drew attention of Steve Vai, who asked him to help him out with his upcoming album.
First of all: no massive introduction, for everyone knows this band, and nobody will accept the current Metal scene without the influence once initiated by these Englishmen. I was extremely ‘into’ this band’s music in the beginning of their history (I sort of lost it after Gothic / Icon), but the band for sure is one of the most popular and influential acts on Mater Terra Metalica.
Lamia Culta are a project from the city of Lviv, Ukraine, formed almost a decade ago. The first album was called Patre Satane (self-released in 2009, re-released in 2011 via More Hate Productions from Russia) and brought a bombastic, majestic and occult form of Symphonic Black Metal. In mean time, however, Lamia Culta evolved from a band (which included former / current / session / live members from e.g.
Austria’s Irdorath were formed about eight years ago and shortly after the recording of the demo Erwachen, the band signed to Black Lava Records. Soon Irdorath (after a couple of line-up changes) and this label released the debut full album Götterdämmerung. Then things went relatively silent and except for some live performances, nothing happened (except for another change in line-up) - until 2012.
I honestly had never heard of FŌR before (even though there uses to be a full length, called Kundaz), but ‘they’ do really surprise me with the vinyl-record Blakaz Askǭ Hertô (and as from now on I am searching for that debut!). The concept deals with the witch Gullveig and the Ulfhamir, the bloodline of wolves and the whole spiritual histories behind it. No, it’s not original anymore, but it does fit once again!
Deadend In Venice were formed in 2008. After two demos, which were pretty well received in, especially, their home country Germany (in that period, the band performed live on stage in support of acts like Finntroll and Tristania, which strengthened their upcoming ‘popularity’), the band was able to record their debut full length with Disillusion’s Andy Schmidt (Kick The Flame Studio) (title: See You On The Ground; label: Casket Music).
Three years after the debut full album Perpetual Decline, Portuguese trio Scarificare (Njord-d, Inverno-b, and Quetzalcoatl-g/v) return with the sophomore album Postulado (which means something like ‘principle’, if I’m not mistaken), available in a limited edition of 500 copies only.
Putrefact are a Mexican death commando with current, former, live and session musicians from bands like Hacavitz, Disgorge, Morbosidad, Impiety, Raped God 666 etc. (i.e. bassist / vocalist Hugoreincarnation, and the Garcia-brothers Exxxecutioner and Necrodekapitator, resp. drummer and guitarist / vocalist).
This compilation supports the local scene of the Baden region. The project started with Rise Of The Griffin in 2008, and now continues with a second sampler, called Flight Of The Griffin. Two additions: 1) a griffin is a heraldic beast, symbol for the Baden region (amongst others), and 2) the compilation’s subtitle is taken from the eighties Metal band Griffin.
Belgium’s Marche Funèbre were formed more than six years ago with the intention to pay tribute to the Old School Doom-Death scene. Both the EP Norizon (2009) and the full length To Drown (2010) (also released via Shiver) proved that this band indeed did pay honour to the earliest years with grandeur and conviction. Of course the Lowlands (i.e.
