Happy Fucking Monday. What else is there to say about a Monday? On this Monday, I actually do have a few more things to say. Specifically, I want to tell you about three new sharp shards of metal I heard (and saw) this morning: new videos from Evocation (Sweden) and Koldbrann (Norway) and a new song from Sons of Aeon (Finland).
EVOCATION
Evocation’s new album Illusions of Grandeur is out now on Century Media. I’m a big fan of this band, and have really enjoyed the new album. This morning DECIBEL premiered an official video for the song “Divide and Conquer”. It was filmed by German director Carlo Oppermann in an abandoned hospital in Offenbach, Germany, with interspersed scenes from World War II and Evocation performing the song.
As you listen to this awesome song, you will be forgiven for thinking you’ve heard the second coming of Amon Amarth.
http://www.facebook.com/EvocationSwe
SONS OF AEON
This band includes former Swallow the Sun drummer Pasi Pasanen, plus two members of Ghost Brigade (guitarist Wille Naukkarinen and Ghost Brigade guitarist Tommi Kiviniemi on bass), vocalist Tony Kaikkonen from Code for Silence, and guitarist Tapio Vartiainen. The last time I wrote about Sons of Aeon was March 2011, where the subject was their excellent, free, debut EP.
The band have now finished their debut album, which will be self-titled and is scheduled for digital and CD release on January 18 by Lifeforce Records and on vinyl when next March 11 rolls around. The album is available for pre-order here. Today, the band started streaming one of the new tracks, “Faceless”.
It vividly reminds me why I got so enthusiastic about Sons of Aeon last year. The music is deliciously dark melodic death metal sure to produce neck sprain, with a grim, doomy, extended intro followed by a galloping rampage that will catch you up in its claws. This should be a very cool album.
http://www.facebook.com/sonsofaeon
KOLDBRANN
Koldbrann’s roots go back to the band’s founding in 2001 in a Norwegian town named Drammen. Their name is one I know, but until today I don’t believe I had ever heard their music. They’ve finished recording their most recent album Vertigo, which will be released in North America by Season of Mist’s Underground Activists Division on January 22 (January 25 elsewhere). It can be pre-ordered at the Season of Mist E-shop, either in CD format or as a gate-fold double LP available in black and transparent vinyl.
Koldbrann released a 7″ vinyl single for one of Vertigo’s songs, “Totalt Sjelelig Bankerott”, with an exclusive track named “Kasjtjeijs Svøpe” on the B side. Unfortunately, the vinyl is sold out, but today I saw a music video for “Totalt Sjelelig Bankerott”, directed by Effektor and featuring guest vocals by Erlend Hjelvik from Kvelertak.
I love the song. It thrashes, it rocks, it bites, it’s packed with a king’s ransom of infectious riffs, and the guitar-driven melodies are memorable. It blows cold and hot and hard. One more album to go on the must-listen list.
http://www.facebook.com/koldbrannofficial/