All pre-orders were shipped out yesterday - Bundles, shirts, CD's, everything!
However, I will be in Saskatchewan from August 14-30 so all incoming orders from today until August 30 will be mailed out in the first few days of September.
Album notes:
Ov Shadows is a Black Metal band from Gothenberg, Sweden. Rising from the ashes of "Waning", a band that all four members previously played in, Ov Shadows introduced their sound with the 2016 self-released EP "Monologues" before releasing its first full-length album "The Darkness Between Stars" in 2018.
This summer, Ov Shadows returns with their second full-length and first release on Hypnotic Dirge Records. Entitled "I Djävulens Avbild" (In the Devil's Image), the new record presents Ov Shadows at an unprecedented ferocity and forward-momentum, and apparently very intent on proving that to their listeners immediately, as pummeling drums and a heavy galloping riff fill the speakers within seconds of the opening track "Den Eld Som Tär Och Förvrider."
Throughout "I Djävulens Avbild, the pace hardly ever lets up, instead taking you on an all-out sensory assault. The combination of infectious riffs, recurring hooks, blastbeats, and tortured vocals create an enveloping claustrophobic and dark dissonance, as if a shroud has covered your face and defined forms have turned to shadows. Despite its unrelenting nature, the details really shine through on "I Djävulens Avbild" thanks to its clear production, precise musicianship, and deliberate flow. The few times where the record does slow down become quite memorable due to the contrast. The use of powerful percussion and austere bass create a trance-inducing atmosphere while discordant tremolo-picked melodies soar overhead creating a wonderful juxtaposition that crescendos into catharsis.
"Ov shadows is about exploring and embracing the dark aspects that dwell within us all – your ‘shadows-self’ as Carl Jung expressed it. Our vision is to create an atmospheric Black Metal guided by chaos and darkness."
Tracklist:
1 - Den Eld Som Tär Och Förvrider (6:26)
2 - Blasfemiskt Crescendo (6:24)
3 - Under Dödens Vingar (5:44)
4 - Anakoretens Gap (5:07)
5 - I Djävulens Avbild (6:09)
6 - Spotsk (6:34)
7 - Av Kunskap Krönt Till Gud (6:34)
Total: 42:57
Reviews:
"Where the album really excels is in creating a a dreadful atmosphere. RA (bassist and singer) delivers his growls and shrieks with the kind of skill that you’d expect from the likes of Gaahl or Erik Danielsson. Combined with the dissonant melodies and the furious drumming, it’s really the stuff of nightmares."
-Metal Blast
"No matter how many times you listen to his record, each time you hear it something new triggers your curiosity. A song like 'Blasfemiskt Crescendo' is an instant classic with its tremolo melodies and super-fast drums, but I underestimated a song like 'Under Dödens Vingar', which is a slower-paced song that eventually became so beautiful and cinematic.
-My Music Path
"Ov Shadows show themselves to be masters of the craft. The album is an exceptionally intense listen, certainly in the running for the best and most visceral release in this style this year."
-Moshpit Nation
"Ov Shadows take no prisoners on this 43 minutes onslaught of furious and enshrouding black metal. Their approach to songwriting perfectly balances out melody and atmosphere, resulting in a sound that is both extremely dark and epic. There is a strong progressive and forward-thinking element to their monumental compositions that made me think of bands such as Enslaved. Together with the melodic riffery in the vein of Dark Funeral and Immortal and the pervasive dark atmosphere, I Djävulens Avbild is a dynamic and well-composed mixture of all the things that make black metal such a powerful style of music."
-Unstille Magazine
"Ov Shadows’ ability to blend atmosphere and aggression is a signature of I Djävulens Avbild, and one of the reasons that I find this album so compelling. Lots of bands can play fast, but Ov Shadows combine this with good songwriting, a grasp of dynamics and atmosphere that works well, and an insidious melodic approach, to produce music that strikes hard, but that also has enough depth to stay with you."
We are launching pre-orders for Marche Funèbre' fourth full-length album "Einderlicht" today! Coincidentally, today is also Bandcamp Friday, meaning Bandcamp has waived all of their fees today, so it would be the perfect day to place an order in order to leave a bit more money for the band and label.
The Belgian quintet has built a steady reputation of making a unique blend of eclectic doom death metal, and their new album proves to be the pinnacle of their growth.
Today, we reveal a third track from the forthcoming Ov Shadows record "I Djävulens Avbild" - out next Friday! This will be the last premiere before the album release. Thanks to Unstille Magazine for hosting!
"Ov Shadows take no prisoners on this 43 minutes onslaught of furious and enshrouding black metal. Their approach to songwriting perfectly balances out melody and atmosphere, resulting in a sound that is both extremely dark and epic. There is a strong progressive and forward-th...
We are launching pre-orders for the DLP edition of the upcoming Marche Funèbre album today! Released through The Vinyl Division, Hypnotic Dirge will be distributing a limited amount, specifically for North American customers. We're asking Europeans to order directly from The Vinyl Division (based in Spain) in order to save on shipping!
It is with great excitement that we are finally premiering a track from Marche Funèbre's upcoming fourth full-length album "Einderlicht", due for release on September 25 through Hypnotic Dirge, Solitude Productions, and The Vinyl Division.
The song in question is "When All is Said", the longest track on the album, and also one that has received a visual treatment courtesy of an engaging lyric video crafted by Absynthe Moon Films.
Thanks once again to No Clean Singing for hosting this premiere ...
"Today, we have the distinct honor of premiering the track Den Eld Som Tär Och Förvrider by Ov Shadows. The torturous nightmare of a track is the opener from the upcoming sophomore full length release I Djävulens Avbild coming soon from the Swedish band in collaboration with Hypnotic Dirge Records.
I love dissonant black metal, well dissonant metal in general. On I Djävulens Avbild,...
The phenomenally good Texas-based prog/death band Wills Dissolve are returning with their second album, set for release on August 28th by Hypnotic Dirge Records. It's an endlessly fascinating 32-minute single piece that narrates the interstellar journey of an astronaut in search of a new home for the last remnants of humanity.
We are launching pre-orders for Wills Dissolve' second full-length album "Echoes" today!
Following on the comet tail of their debut album "The Heavens Are Not On Fire...", Wills Dissolve direct their gaze upon the cosmos once again in “Echoes”, their sophomore album presented as a 32 minute exploration of the loneliness and sacrifice of astro-technological advancement. Though once again rooted in progressive metal, “Echoes” incorporates a wide range of styles to tell the tale of an ast...
We are launching pre-orders for Ov Shadows' second full-length album "I Djävulens Avbild" today!
This time around, we opted for less items in the bundles but improved the quality of the main items included. The CD is presented as a 4 panel digipack with an 8 page booklet, complete with 4/4 print (no unprinted sections between the panels) and 18pt cardboard stock rather than the standard 15pt, so the digipack itself should be sturdier and thicker. The official shirt for "I Djävulens Avbild" h...
Here is the first premiere from the forthcoming Ov Shadows album "I Djävulens Avbild", streaming exclusively on No Clean Singing
"The title of the song is “Under Dödens Vingar” (Under the Wings of Death). Immediately, the music surrounds us with dense waves of tremolo’d riffing accompanied by enormous drum detonations and heavyweight bass pulsations. The music has a majestic but sorrowing resonance that immerses the senses, its wrenching gloom shredded by caustic shrieks and increasin...
