Metal 78 Items

During a European tour by HADES, it became apparent that the band would soon disband. Guitarist Dan Lorenzo formed NON-FICTION with Dan Nastasi (MUCKY PUP, DOG EAT DOG), who subsequently recorded an EP. However, the line-up carousel was to turn again and HADES and WATCHTOWER singer Alan Tecchio and bassist Kevin Bolembach (later SEVEN WITCHES, JACK FROST and others) came on board.In 1991, the debut 'Preface' was released on Grand Slamm Records, in Europe on Steamhammer/SPV. At the time, the band's doom metal leanings must have puzzled many fans of HADES and WATCHTOWER, while fans of this style remained ignorant at a time without the Internet. It is astonishing that certain trademarks of HADES can still be found in the music of NON-FICTION (see also the 1995 reunion album by HADES). In 1992, the second album 'In The Know' was released, which is considered a fan favourite and was only released on CD at the time. Once again, the cover artwork is reminiscent of the art of Hipgnosis (Pink Floyd, UFO etc.), which also applies to 'It's A Wonderful Lie', released in 1996. The band's third and final album is a little more experimental, but otherwise continues the familiar style.As HADES were active again at this time, the subject of NON-FICTION was regrettably shelved. Both HADES and WATCHTOWER (with Alan Tecchio) are - sporadically - active again today and quite a few fans hope that NON-FICTION will also make another appearance. The musical continuation, albeit a little more modern, is currently Dan Lorenzo‘s band PATRIARCHS IN BLACK, which is successful in the USA. 1. INTROFUCTION2. PICTURE IMPERFECT3. LOVE, LIKIN, NOTHING4. BIG BLUE FLU5. BLACKENED BLUES6. FURIOUS MAN-GO7. SOMEHOW8. A VERSION9. SOCIAL LIES10. CHIPMUNK FUNK11. DECEPTION VS. REALITY12. SAD & DONE13. INTO THE GROUND14. WAXING PATHETIC15. REASONS16. TRUE / FALSE17. SPENT

The world of ENDON is one of constant evolution and revolution. The Tokyo-based ensemble of Taichi Nagura, Koki Miyabe, and Taro Aiko have made a name for themselves with their relentless exploration of sonic extremes in the vein of artists such as the Boredoms and Merzbow. The resulting music is a powerful emotional release for both artist and listener. Their commitment to evolution and dystopian noise as a playground for exploration and pure expression carried them through the recent departure of their drummer Shin Yokota and the tragic death of brother and band member Etsuo Nagura in 2020. Where some might have tried to replace members, ENDON"s core pressed forward with an autobiographical work exploring these changes and the shifts in their lives. Honest and raw emotions delivered with uncompromising sonic intensity, Fall of Spring is a thrilling tidal wave of sound and raw emotions born of the psyche of three individuals musically congregating into one tumultuous voice.Fall of Spring captures the electricity and unpredictability of ENDON"s live performances in vivid detail. The album harnesses the power of their storied performances through unpredictable movements, deft arrangements and an exhilarating textural palette. By imbuing their sound with raw feeling at every edge of obliteration, the trio are able to create what they call "organic music with inorganic material." For ENDON, those moments of suspense and surprise are the core of their music. As with their shows, Fall of Spring is a vessel for band and audience to share moments, to suspend time and move through grief and pain, and to bask in catharsis and resilience. ENDON continues to be a mercurial force in the world of extreme music.

Rockabye Baby! transforms timeless rock songs into beautiful instrumental lullabies. The soothing sounds of the glockenspiel, vibraphone, melltoron and other instruments will lull your baby into a sweet slumber.

On this album, they’ll enjoy Metallica’s biggest anthems without the pesky earplugs you didn’t bother to wear growing up. We’ve turned down the volume from an eleven to a two, and made the bed ourselves. Say your prayers little one. Tonight the sandman will be gently rocking you to sleep with these essential masterpieces of rock n roll.

SECOND ATTACK was CROSSFIRE’s second album

Over the course of a couple of years in the mid-1970s, several musicians from the St. Louis, Missouri area gave notice to club and festival crowds that they were there to rock the house down. Their cover and original songs were accentuated by a bedrock rhythm section, heavy guitar riffs and tasty solos, topped off with powerful vocals. Rockers that witnessed them agree—Back Jack created solid songs and high-energy performances.

Beginning in 1971 as Trellis, the band members changed their name to Back Jack when they saw the bumper sticker that Kim McKinney’s dad, Jack McKinney, distributed during his election bid for the Mayor of Pacific, Missouri, home of the core three-piece band: Kim McKinney, Mike Collier, and Hans Myers (rip).

The 1974 version of Back Jack was active from very early 1974 to late-fall of 1974. The core three-piece band, Collier, McKinney, and Myers, recorded several tracks during their tenure and four of those tracks are included on this release. Temporary band members not on the recordings were Gary Reed (piano, Rip), Greg Witt (guitar, keyboards), Paul Cockrum (guitar), and Bill Niehoff (drums).

The four-piece, 1975 version of Back Jack was a merging of members of Back Jack 1974 (Mike Collier and Kim McKinney) and another local band, Osage Lute (Jeff Ballew and Mike Lusher). They were active from late-fall of 1974 to late-summer of 1975. Four of the tracks on the Back Jack LP were recorded by these four musicians.

A punishing, progressive post-hardcore unit based out of Chico, California, Hail THE SUN employs a lethal blend of blastbeats, breakdowns, and technical riffage. Wake, originally pressed on Blue Swan Records in 2014, was reissued by Equal Vision Records in 2017.

Finally back in print! One of our most sought after albums "Hour Of The Nightingale" by Trees Of Eternity is soon to be available on vinyl once again.

Born out of the partnership of singer-songwriter Aleah Starbridge and guitarist-composer Juha Raivio, Trees of Eternity began as a quiet acoustic collaboration but then sprouted into a full band, with the Norrman brothers (ex-Katatonia, October Tide) on stringed instruments and the ubiquitous Kai Hahto on drums.

Three years of work on the group's debut album were tragically cut short when Aleah passed away during the album's final post-production phase. The work got finished, and Svart Records are proud to present it to the world once again to honor the legacy and artistry of Aleah Starbridge. Cover art is by the incomparable Fursy Teyssier (Les Discrets). Juha and Fursy had long nightly conversations about the ethereal magic of Aleah, and Fursy's work manages to capture the essence of the album perfectly. "The art contains such power and calm beauty, so many hidden messages. It is mystical in the same way that Aleah always was", comments Juha Raivio.

"This is a celebration of the music, lyrics and life of Aleah, who so tragically and suddenly crossed the bridge of stars and left this world so young and so early. There really are no words to describe the ultimate weight of the darkness, or the rays of the brightest of light that this album holds within its songs and lyrics. In so many ways this album turned out to be the most important album I've done in my life, and we both loved it from the first note to the last as we wrote it.

We were very proud to record "Hour of the Nightingale" together with our friends, band mates and amazing musicians, Kai Hahto, Mattias and Fredrik Norrman who all played their hearts out on this album. And working with another good friend Jens Bogren producing, recording, mixing and mastering the album we’re ready to take this music to the world and play it to you all. Sadly, that never happened... But this is the point where we can finally start this long journey and celebrate our Queen Aleah Starbridge whose words and music will live forever on."

-Juha Raivio

Trees of Eternity are:

Aleah Starbridge: vocals Juha Raivio (Swallow The Sun) : guitar Kai Hahto (Nightwish, Wintersun) : drums Mattias Norrman (ex-Katatonia, October Tide): bass Fredrik Norrman (ex-Katatonia, October Tide) : guitar

Svart Records proudly present Swallow The Sun's magnum opus "Songs From The North I, II & Iii" vinyl reissue

Swallow The Sun, Finnish Death-Doom band hailing from the city of Jyväskylä, released their sixth studio album "Songs From The North I, II & Iii" back in 2015 via Century Media. This 5LP monolith is now getting the reissue treatment by Svart Records for the first time with the original album art and presented in a glorious box set. Containing a booklet and with three different vinyl color variants, this soon-to-be-collectors-item is pressed in limited quantities and will be available on June 14th 2024.

Swallow The Sun was established in 2000 by Juha Raivio. The band's Death-Doom style focuses on both melody and atmosphere, while also moving around more gothic and black metal territories. "Songs From The North I, II & Iii" is an epic triple album of Gloom, Beauty, and Despair. It depicts the three different facets of the band's style with Gloom being the death/doom album, Beauty mostly acoustic and folksy material, and Despair the funeral doom album.

Iron Maiden hit the Palladium in New York City for a stop on their "Beast On The Road" tour. Bruce Dickinson had to ask the crowd to calm down or they wouldn’t play, seeing as the place was overpacked with fans pouring in through the fire exits. Iron Maiden is one of the most iconic and influential heavy metal bands of all time. As pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal, they became hugely successful in the early 80’s. Despite a lack of mainstream radio airplay Iron Maiden have remained consistently popular, selling out stadiums to this day.

High Roller Records, picture disc, ltd 500, handnumbered, lyric sheet, deluxe plastic bag, mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony in March 2021.

High Roller Records, picture disc, ltd 500, handnumbered, lyric sheet, deluxe plastic bag, mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony in March 2021.

High Roller Records, picture disc, ltd 500, handnumbered, lyric sheet, deluxe plastic bag, mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony in March 2021.

Mean Jesus sits in the middle of seven cities on the East Coast, and a few genres. Hardcore, punk, and post punk ebb and flow throughout, with heavy tones intermingled with melodic riffs. Fast breaks give way to slow builds. The vocals cover a wide range of topics and emotions, but one thing is certain: these guys are serious about writing solid records. Mean Jesus has hit the nail on the head and erected a fine-standing metaphor for what it means to be DIY.

Mean Jesus sits in the middle of seven cities on the East Coast, and a few genres. Hardcore, punk, and post punk ebb and flow throughout, with heavy tones intermingled with melodic riffs. Fast breaks give way to slow builds. The vocals cover a wide range of topics and emotions, but one thing is certain: these guys are serious about writing solid records. Mean Jesus has hit the nail on the head and erected a fine-standing metaphor for what it means to be DIY.

After many years of silence, the legendary death metal force of Necrophagia, one of the very first death metal acts, has reawakened. The band’s revamped line-up have signed to Time To Kill Records for the release of the their final album, “Moribundis Grim”. In the years of 2016-2018, the band’s last line-up - Killjoy, Serge Streltsov, Shawn Slusarek and Jake Arnette - composed and started recording what became their final opus, “Moribundis Grim”. Unfortunately in 2018 Killjoy passed away before finishing the album. In 2022 with the help of special guests and former Necrophagia members - John McEntee from Incantation, Titta Tani (ex Goblin) and Mirai Kawashima from Sigh - the album was finally completed. In a way, it is quite sensational to see another Necrophagia album released at this point in time, meaning 40 years after their first demos were released!

After many years of silence, the legendary death metal force of Necrophagia, one of the very first death metal acts, has reawakened. The band’s revamped line-up have signed to Time To Kill Records for the release of the their final album, “Moribundis Grim”. In the years of 2016-2018, the band’s last line-up - Killjoy, Serge Streltsov, Shawn Slusarek and Jake Arnette - composed and started recording what became their final opus, “Moribundis Grim”. Unfortunately in 2018 Killjoy passed away before finishing the album. In 2022 with the help of special guests and former Necrophagia members - John McEntee from Incantation, Titta Tani (ex Goblin) and Mirai Kawashima from Sigh - the album was finally completed. In a way, it is quite sensational to see another Necrophagia album released at this point in time, meaning 40 years after their first demos were released!

“iii” represents a dark and gloomy moment for the band. The songs on the last album changed gig after gig and led to this new phase of the band. An increasingly characteristic voice is the master together with the inevitable and recognizable guitar riffs, which have always been the trio’s trademark. This new creature will drag you into the eternal clash between the sacred and the profane, a characteristic that has always populated the traditions of the valley dominated by Mount Cancervo.

“iii” represents a dark and gloomy moment for the band. The songs on the last album changed gig after gig and led to this new phase of the band. An increasingly characteristic voice is the master together with the inevitable and recognizable guitar riffs, which have always been the trio’s trademark. This new creature will drag you into the eternal clash between the sacred and the profane, a characteristic that has always populated the traditions of the valley dominated by Mount Cancervo.