Metal 241 Items

This is the Deluxe Box Set of Metallica’s all new album “Hardwired…To Self-Destruct”. The box set contains a three 33 1/3 RPM limited edition colored 180 gram vinyl LP disc set (version exclusive to this product), digital download, lithograph photo print and also “Hardwired...To Self-Destruct” themed buttons.

Back in 2012, heavy music gods Metallica regained control of their entire back catalogue and launched their own label called Blackened Recordings. Now, they're using this imprint to launch a massive vinyl reissue campaign.

Back in 2012, heavy music gods Metallica regained control of their entire back catalogue and launched their own label called Blackened Recordings. Now, they're using this imprint to launch a massive vinyl reissue campaign.

The astonishing new layout was done by Z. Bielak (Ghost, Mayhem, etc.), and includes four brand new illustrations specially made for this legendary album. Z. Bielak has stayed true to the ideals of the era (it was originally scheduled for release on vinyl in 1993); this 2LP Gatefold with illustrated pockets has been respectfully remastered for vinyl by Iver Sandøy; preserving every bit of original dynamics. Enslaved`s 1st full-length album was co-produced with the legendary Pytten in the world famous Grieghallen Studio in Bergen, Norway. It was originally released on Deathlike Silence Productions, an Oslo based independent record label founded in the late 1980s. The infamous label was run by Euronymous, the late mastermind and guitarist behind Black Metal pioneers Mayhem. This album has lyrics in Icelandic, and is a tribute to the Norse landscape, history and mythology. The compositions and production matches these themes with long horizontal songscapes, dense atmospheres and winds from the past. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, and did their first demo “Yggdrasill” in the summer of 1992, while the legendary mini-album “Hordanes Land” was released the year after in 1993. “Vikingligr Veldi” came in the spring of 1994 and is Enslaved’s landmark debut album.

Uncovering the intensity and the metal inherent in non-metal, the avant-garde and anti-traditionalist inclinations of Finland’s ORANSSI PAZUZU have always had transcendental goals at heart. Through the rabbit hole and out the other side to 2020 with the release of their fifth album “Mestarin kynsi”, (“The Master’s Claw”). Inking a deal with German-based industry giants Nuclear Blast, ORANSSI PAZUZU subvert the idea of world domination to open a conceptual discourse on indoctrination and propaganda itself. Their psychological nightmare evolves a philosophical and earnest tone, where occult future meets troubled reality.

This edition will be released with new cover artwork and includes a different version of "Skulls And Candles" and the song "Toledo", which was originally released only on the 4 way split with Weedpecker, Spaceslug and Major Kong. Stoner/Doom band from Poland. Founded in late 2010 in Lublin. Released their debut album "Magick Rites" in 2012 followed by "Black Arts, Riff Worship & Weed Cult" in 2014, "Children of the Haze" in 2017, "4 Way Split" with Weedpecker, Major Kong and Spaceslug in 2019, " Sign Of The Devil" in 2020 and "Reality Dagger"(EP) in 2021. Smoking, rehearsing and touring. Their main inspirations are: old movies, 70s music and magical herbs. They tune low and play slow!

”Ritual, though, is a hotter, more raw proposition, expressionistically blowing the lid off Finnish stoicism. It is very exciting.” - Steve Lake, the Wire Nov 89

Gargantuan volcanoes erupting with primal force, fountains of molten lava bursting sky high and massive boulders hurtling capriciously through the air. These potent and violently alluring images in the documentary series The Living Planet captivated Raoul Björkenheim's imagination in 1986. The search for a band name had come to an end.

-”I was mesmerised. The name Krakatau sounded like a drum fill to me”.



After studying at the Helsinki Conservatory for a year and the Berklee College of Music in Boston for three, Björkenheim relocated to Finland where he played in bands with Jone Takamäki, Antti Hytti and Tom Nekljudow, and later went on to work with composer and drummer Edward “Eetu” Vesala (1945-1999). His always original and highly demanding Sound & Fury workshops were a pivotal hotbed in the local improvised music scene, but after four years of Vesala's strict leadership Björkenheim felt a need to leave Sound & Fury behind and direct all of his attention towards Krakatau.



The lineup on the first album “Ritual” consisted of reed virtuosos Jorma Tapio and Tapani Rinne, the bassist Sampo Lassila and two drummers, Michel Lambert and Heikki “Lefty” Lehto. “Krakatau’s debut album was very challenging to make, as I felt that it might be my one and only chance to record my own music, so I wanted it to be as intense and effective as possible”, says Björkenheim, “I was lucky enough to work with an incredibly talented cast of musicians. I can still listen to the album and feel satisfied that it really works. The first guitar solo illustrates what was to become my modus operandi: to try and play the electric guitar in unexpected ways.”



Svart Records will release an expanded double LP version of Krakatau’s Ritual. Limited to 500 copies and due out on March 24th, the album contains an album’s worth of previously unheard material recorded in 1987 in Studio Helsinki and at the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation studio.

limited edition 180 gram vinyl

New supergroup that consists of guitarist Mike Crain (Retox), bassist Justin Pearson (The Locust, Head Wound City and Retox), drummer Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer and Fantômas) and vocalist Mike Patton (Faith No More and Fantômas).

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

Dutch death-metal band God Dethroned was formed in 1991 by vocalist /lead guitarist Henri Sattler with several friends and released their debut demo in 1991, recorded and mixed at Franky's Recording Kitchen (Asphyx, Severe Torture). God Dethroned released their debut on the German label Shark in 1992 entitled ‘The Christ Hunt’. The critics in the underground were marvelous, sales however not that good due to the poor promotion / distribution. It’s been re-issued in a very limited edition on Slaters own label in 2000 (Cold Blood Industries), which sold out rather quickly. The band split up after The Christ Hunt and Satler formed other bands… However he returned to mighty God Dethroned in 1996.With a new lineup they scored a deal with Metal Blade, which issued The Grand Grimoire in late 1997. After that album God Dethroned released seven full length albums on Metal Blade and is recently reactivated after a two year hiatus.

sampled by BDP, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J ...

High Quality, Coloured Vinyl, Gatefold Sleeve, Limited Edition,180gr. Green Vinyl / Ltd To 1000x
With the debut CD in the stores for just a month, the eclectic thrash metal band Soulfly did their first concert at the Dynamo Open Air in May 1998. At that time, this massive event in The Netherlands was the world’s biggest metal event. On this show, Soulfly played songs from their debut as well as Sepultura classics like Beneath The Remains and Roots Bloody Roots. Guests on this very special show include Chino Moreno (Deftones) and Benji Webbe (Skindred).

The Night Creeper is the new album by Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats. Contained within are ten tracks of the type of sonic psyche-frazzling heaviness and blood-drenched pop that have made Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats one of Britain’s great cult bands.
Recorded at Toe Rag studios in early 2015 with engineer Liam Watson (White Stripes, Tame Impala, Electric Wizard), their fourth opus The Night Creeper, finds the quartet in full-on death-tripping, third eye-widening mode. Here songs ooze louche evil over flesh-melting riffs that creep like hot magma bubbling up through the earth’s crust at their own malevolent pace. This album is in no hurry to destroy you. But it will. It will.
In an age when the word is over-used, Uncle Acid are indeed a true cult. Everything they do is covert, their movements crepuscular, the loyalty they inspire fervent. Every sneering melody and every piece of artwork is loaded with meaning, designed to be pored over. Their press coverage is deliberately limited but doesn’t prevent them selling out US tours or joining Black Sabbath at their personal request. They only reveal what they want to reveal: chiefly that Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats began as a studio project circa 2009 in Cambridge, the wild concept of Kevin Starrs. The rest is academic.
And now comes The Night Creeper, Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats’ darkest journey yet.

"The Force" is the second studio album by English thrash metal pioneers Onslaught, originally released in 1986. More successful than their previous album, "Power From Hell", The Force is considered a thrash metal classic by fans and critics. Fast paced drumming, a huge variety of riffs from tremolo picked insanity to chugging heaviness, and a vocal performance that truly gives the genre a good name! Influencing bands such as Exodus, Slayer and Metallica, Onslaught played a big part in defining the death metal genre!

Japan’s fearless multi-instrumentalist and cultural provocateur Keiji Haino
has made a career out of his free-form musical improvisations and diverse
collaborations. Whether deconstructing American blues to a few rogue
notes hanging across chasms of empty space in his solo endeavors, sparring
with the nebulous fringes of psychedelia in Fushitsusha, or teaming up with
musicians like Faust, Boris, Jim O’Rourke, Stephen O’Malley, John Zorn,
and Peter Brötzmann for ?eeting aural experiments. Haino’s work is never
pre-planned or structured, but rather a completely spontaneous exploration
of chemistry, texture, and dynamics.
SUMAC’s tenure is much younger than Haino’s, though guitarist/vocalist
Aaron Turner has covered a similarly large swath of musical territory across
numerous projects and collaborations, from the sedated drones of recent
projects with Daniel Menche and William Fowler Collins to the modern
compositions of Mamiffer and all the way back to the restless evolutions of
post-metal stalwarts ISIS. With his cohorts Nick Yacyshyn (Baptists, Erosion)
on drums and Brian Cook (Russian Circles) on bass, Turner has dissolved
the rigid forms of heavy music, searching for a balance between disciplined
precision and unhinged musical barbarism, crafting music that vacillates
between meticulously detailed instrumentation and uninhibited forays into
oblique abstraction.
For American Dollar Bill - Keep Facing Sideways, You’re Too Hideous To Look
At Face On, Keiji Haino and SUMAC met up in Tokyo’s Goksound recording
studio to track a series of unrehearsed, completely non-premeditated
sessions. Captured across several reels of tape, the collaboration harnessed
Haino’s tension-inducing use of empty space on songs like “I’m over 137%
a love junkie, and it’s still not enough” while pushing SUMAC’s dissident
metal vocabulary on “What have I done (I was reeling in something white...)”.
Throughout the course of its hour-plus length, American Dollar Bill pushes
and pulls at the strictures of metal and bends the stylistic formalities of
improvised music to create a sonic purge unencumbered by convention.

Thou has always been a force of raw energy and unapologetic dissent, defying easycategorization and challenging listeners to confront the complexities of existence.Though often lumped in with New Orleans sludge bands like Eyehategod and Crowbar,Thou transcends genre boundaries, drawing inspiration from a diverse array ofinfluences spanning from `90s proto-grunge icons like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, andSoundgarden (all of whom they've covered extensively) to the raw intensity of obscure`90s DIY hardcore punk found on labels like Ebullition, Vermiform, and Crimethinc.Their latest record Umbilical, Thou's first full-length release of original music sincetheir 2018 Sacred Bones debut Magus, is their firmest nod to the latter - a record filledwith mosh-ready riffs, heavy breakdowns and scathing vocals. The band's aesthetic andpolitical impulses have always been punk and like anyone embroiled in the subcultureThou have been exploring what it means to exist within and without a rigid morality.That exploration takes thematic center on Umbilical and their self-assessment is asharsh as that of the world around them.

Ragana is a duo whose members alternate duties on drums, guitar, and vocals to produce some of the most unique and affecting dark music in metal today. The two-piece came together in 2011 in the DIY punk scene of Olympia, WA and are now based in Olympia and Oakland, CA. In their time together so far, Ragana have self-released five albums and teamed up with genre-favourite Thou for a split release in 2018. The following year, Ragana released their heralded We Know That The Heavens Are Empty EP and have quietly been working on new music ever since. The band signed with The Flenser in late 2022 and now present their forthcoming debut album for the label, Desolation’s Flower. On Desolation’s Flower, Ragana draws upon a number of influences from the flora and fauna of their Pacific Northwest origins to the darkly nostalgic folk of Mt. Eerie and, yes, their Olympian forebears Wolves In The Throne Room, synthesising them into an experimental, highly idiosyncratic take on black metal. Held together by an intense focus on raw emotion and haunting atmospherics, Ragana shifts seamlessly from tender, mesmerising vocal harmonies to piercing, heart-ripping screams and back again, yielding music that is heavy, beautiful and punishing all at once. Written over the past few tumultuous years, Desolation’s Flower is the band’s most devastating effort to date, containing seven incantations of loss, rage, pain and hope. Expertly engineered by the masterful Nicholas Wilbur at the Unknown Studio in Anacortes, Washington (Planning For Burial, drowse, Divide and Dissolve, Have a Nice Life), the album serves as the culmination of the past decade plus of the band’s ethos and execution.

"In Search of Sanity" is the third studio album by English thrash metal band Onslaught, originally released in 1989. With several changes in the band's line up, including the addition of legendary Grim Reaper vocalist Steve Grimmett and their longest song to date "Welcome to Dying", the album contains a more polished sound than previous Onslaught albums. "In Search of Sanity" was incredibly successful, peaking at #46 in the UK charts while the single "Let There Be Rock" peaked at #50, a great accomplishment for an underground thrash metal band!

Svart Records unveils “Sutra”, the new album from grand master avant-garde overlords Yakuza.

Formed in 1999, Chicago based heavy hybridizers Yakuza, are in a genre all of its own, which Pitchfork describe as a “a specialized and strange alloy”. So eclectic and hard to pigeon-hole, their music has been described over the years as everything from avant-garde metal, progressive metal, alternative metal to experimental rock, jazz metal, art metal and post-metal. Incorporating psychedelic rock jams that sprawl into heavy, sludging Doom with jazz influences, while also incorporating breakneck grind riffs and grooves, makes Yakuza’s new album “Sutra” a long awaited and insanely enjoyable feast of frequencies.

From their break-out debut album “Amount to Nothing” in 2000, which was met with critical acclaim, Yakuza have been a phenomenon in the world of heavy music, hot on the tongues of those who know. Their second album “Way of the Dead” in 2002 landed Yakuza a deal with Century Media and worldwide notoriety, securing them live slots with like-minded progressive heavyweights like Candira, Opeth, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Lacuna Coil and Mastodon. Several albums of top tier eccentric metal followed with “Samsara” in 2006 which was recorded by Matt Bayles (Isis, Botch, Pearl Jam) and featured Sanford Parker, and Mastodon’s Troy Sanders, the jazzier and spaced-out “Transmutations” in 2007, and “Of Seismic Consequence” in 2010 and “Beyul” in 2012 respectively released on cult underground label Profound Lore. With a diamond back-catalogue of flawless genre breaking metal, having no stylistic constraints, Yakuza are maestros of highly creative, extreme music, ever ahead of the game.

Over 10 years after their last release, Yakuza have returned with “Sutra” losing none of their expansive and wildly artistic approach to pushing the boundaries of heavy music. “Sutra” leans in on redefining the limits of heavy and eclectic metal, with songs like Echoes From The Sky’s epic sung vocals and zig zagging slabs of juggernaut riffing, all sewn together with Voivod chords and King Crimson structures, never coming apart but embracing the delightfully chaotic. Like John Coltrane jamming with Napalm Death, Bruce Lamont (saxophone, clarinet, vocals) has discussed an appreciation for Pink Floyd, Huun Huur Tu, Peter Brötzmann, Battles, Enslaved, Brighter Death Now, George Orwell, Ethiopian music, and Blut Aus Nord, perfectly picking up on the multifaceted angles that Yakuza exhibits.

Standing in a world utterly of their own making, Yakuza’s unique mind-melting post-rock has never felt more ripe and fitting for the current state of the planet. A thinking person’s extreme and inventive metal band. Listen to "Sutra" and have your expectations and understanding of heavy music turned upside down and inside out.