Mad About Rock

  Notorious black metal collective WATAIN has issued the following statement: Ladies and gentlemen, followers, allies and supporters, this is a solemn transmission from the Temple of Watain. We hereby announce that in III years’ time - upon our 30th anniversary - Watain’s eighth and final full-length album will be released. The album will mark the closure of a thirty-year-long magical Work, the last crossroad of Watain, after which the band will cease to exist. The ending of a triad of decades during which we have shared our sacred path through this strange world with you, our loyal audience, on a steady course towards the beckoning darkness of The End. Over the course of the next three years, the reasons for this will be spoken of and accounted for. But for now we just want to say this: Have our songs and our art not always dealt with finitude and mortality, with DEATH and the beyond? Now it is time to claim our own conclusion, and shape it as we have shaped our stage and our ...

  Fortress Festival, one of Europe’s biggest black metal festivals, has revealed two more bands for its fourth edition set to take place at Scarborough Spa on 30-31 May 2026. London's Akercocke will perform a worldwide exclusive full album set of their acclaimed 2003 release, “Choronzon”. The album was praised by the scene when it was released, with many publications naming it album of the year, including Kerrang! and Terrorizer. Formed in 1997, the band is known for their extreme sound that blends death, black and progressive metal elements. Akercocke said: "Akercocke will perform Choronzon, in full, at this historic venue. As we begin the countdown to May 2026 we invite all to join us in celebrating Choronzon at this truly special event." Joining the bill are Norwegian black metal duo Whoredom Rife, who will headline the Ocean Room. Formed in Trondheim in 2014, the band is a part of the contemporary Norwegian black metal scene, creating a sound that pays homage to the g...

  Revered metal publishing house Cult Never Dies will release a brand new book about the Finnish black metal band Moonsorrow on 30 September 2025. Entitled “Home of the Waves: Conversations with Moonsorrow” and written by devoted Moonsorrow fanatic Grilo do Demo (the person behind the Unofficial Moonsorrow Biography, the Epic Heathen Podcast, and the Verisivut Moonsorrow Fanzine), this exhaustive hardback offers an unparalleled and candid look at one of the most respected and influential pagan metal bands. The book covers the band's history, from the founders' childhood through their early demo period, gradual line-up additions, increasing touring activity, and their extensive discography. It is built around exclusive and in-depth interviews with all band members: Ville Sorvali, Henri Sorvali, Marko Tarvonen, Mitja Harvilahti, Janne Perttilä, and what is believed to be the only interview with Markus Eurén. The book explores Moonsorrow’s history, lyrical and visual themes, compo...

  Fortress Festival has revealed further new names to complete the line-up for the 2025 edition of the biggest black metal event in the UK. Dödsrit will now make their UK debut in the Grand Hall at Fortress Festival after having to withdraw from the 2024 bill. Expect a wall of soul-tearing riffing and D-beat-infused vigour on the main stage next year. The 2025 edition will see the seated theatre stage transform into a candlelit atmospheric escape on the Fortress Saturday (31 May) for attendees seeking something different in their music. Darkher, a haunting trip through the mind and spirit of founding member Jayn Maiven; Osi And The Jupiter, a neo-folk project from Ohio, United States, consisting of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Sean Kratz; and a returning Sylvaine, the solo project of Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Kathrine Shepard, all make up the bill for the new stage in 2025. The theatre stage will revert to accommodate industry speakers on the Fortress Sunday (1 June) ...

  Fortress Festival has revealed the final line-up and poster for the 2025 edition of the biggest black metal event in the UK. Closing the line-up are four additional bands: Fen, Autumn Nostalgie, Crimson Throne and Nemorous. UK atmospheric black metallers Fen will perform a UK exclusive full album performance of their 2009 debut album “The Malediction Fields”. “‘The Malediction Fields’ era was an incredible time for us”, said the band. “We were feeling our way through the genesis of the band, defining our sound and very much doing things on our own terms. It was an exciting period of discovery, experimenting with ideas, textures and ambience as we observed the post-black metal sound and ‘blackgaze’ scenes emerge around us.” Fen added: “What better place to celebrate our history and perform that album in full than at Fortress Festival? An event almost tailor-made for the atmospheric, reflective-yet-furious ambiences we were looking to create. To do so with Agalloch as headliners – ...

  Norwegian black metallers 1349 and Danish one-man project Afsky have been revealed as the next band confirmations for the 2025 edition of Fortress Festival. 1349 will headline the main stage on Saturday, 31 May 2025, following the release of their eighth studio album "The Wolf And The King” on 4 October 2024 via Season Of Mist. The band was formed in 1997 by Ravn, who recruited bassist Seidemann and now-former guitarist Tjalve to help him pursue the vision of recapturing the original spirit of black metal. The longstanding lineup of Ravn, Seidemann, guitarist Archaon and drummer Frost (also of Satyricon) has been in place since 2001 and will bring their trademark crushing black metal to Fortress Festival. Afsky will bring his melancholic and depressive Danish black metal to the Scarborough shore with the live band on the Fortress Festival main stage. The band was set up in 2015 by Ole Pedersen Luk and has three albums under his belt, with the latest “Om hundrede år” released in ...

  In a striking blend of heavy metal and traditional Taiwanese culture, Efflore, one of Taiwan's strongest emerging metal bands, has released a new single titled "Ì-À-Koo (The Chair Oujia)." The song brings to life a nearly forgotten Taiwanese divination ritual, casting a spotlight on a unique cultural practice that has largely disappeared in modern times. The ritual of "Ì-À-Koo" involved unmarried women using an overturned chair, adorned with symbolic items, as a conduit to communicate with spirits. This ancient form of divination, similar to the Western Ouija board, is believed to have once been a common practice among young women in Taiwan. However, as the years have passed, the ritual has faded into obscurity, known by only a few. Efflore's new single not only revives this fascinating piece of Taiwanese history but also incorporates traditional instruments such as the Yue Qin, also known as the Moon Guitar, and percussion typically heard in Taiwanese t...

  A UK and international debut from the Finnish band and the only show outside of Finland until at least 2026 Standard weekend tickets on sale via FortressFestival.co.uk/tickets Moonlight Sorcery has been revealed as the next exclusive act to perform at the 2025 edition of Fortress Festival. This will be an international exclusive set, a UK and international debut and the only show outside of Finland until at least 2026 from the Finnish band. The band commented: "The slumber in frost and cold is over. We are honoured to perform at Fortress Festival as our first international show and we are looking forward to sharing this moment with the audience. It is time to present our Majestic Symphonies of the Nightside!" The band’s debut album “Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle” was released in September 2023 via Avantgarde Music to critical acclaim and landed on many “best of 2023” lists. The album was mixed and mastered at Unisound by legendary producer and musician Dan Swanö. Fortre...

  Fortress Festival has revealed a further four exclusive performances set to take place during the 2025 edition. Akhlys, Grift, Selbst and Perennial Isolation join Agalloch, Ulcerate, Forteresse, RUÏM, The Great Old Ones, Spirit Possession, Perchta and Belore, for what is promising to be another extraordinary weekend for black metal fans. Akhlys, who have just released their fourth album “House of the Black Geminus” to critical acclaim, will perform a 2025 UK exclusive set at Fortress Festival. Following the release of “Despondency Chord Progressions” earlier this year, the South American project Selbst will bring its music to a UK stage for the very first time with a UK debut and exclusive set. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of its debut album “Syner”, Grift will perform the album in full with a UK exclusive set. Perennial Isolation will perform its iconic 2021 album “Portraits” in full in what will be a UK debut and exclusive performance from the Barcelona-based atmospheric bl...

  Only a few days after revealing Forteresse for its line-up, Fortress Festival now confirms four more exclusive performances set to take place during its 2025 edition. The Great Old Ones, Spirit Possession, Perchta and Belore join the festival’s already impressive line-up of Agalloch, Ulcerate, Forteresse and RUÏM. The Great Old Ones and Spirit Possession will perform UK exclusive shows, while it will be a UK debut and exclusive show for both Perchta and Belore. Fortress Festival will take place on the weekend of 31 May - 1 June 2025 at Scarborough Spa. Standard weekend tickets are on sale: https://www.fortressfestival.co.uk/tickets New Zealand unorthodox death metallers Ulcerate will perform a UK exclusive set following their recently released “Cutting the Throat of God”. RUÏM - with iconic former Mayhem guitarist and Vltimas founder, Blasphemer - will perform a UK debut and exclusive show. Agalloch will perform a 2025 European exclusive headlining show; their first in the UK sin...

  The Swedish black metal band Bathory was formed in 1983 and is considered a pioneer of black metal and Viking metal. Because Bathory is such an influential and intriguing band (they never even did a proper tour, as they stopped performing live early on in their career!), Spanish metal journalist José Luis Cano Barron decided to release an unofficial but definitive biography of Bathory. The book From Hades to Valhalla... BATHORY—The Epic Story by José Luis Cano Barron was originally written in Spanish, but fortunately, thanks to Pagan Records and Monomaniax, the book has now been translated into English for the first time, so it can reach a wider audience! The book dives into the history and career of the revered band Bathory's journey from their early black metal roots to their Viking metal mastery and makes for an interesting read across its 156 pages and also features rare photographs of the creative leader of the band, Thomas Börje Forsberg who was known as Quorthon, he was th...

  Pagan Records and Monomaniax will release the English-language edition of “From Hades to Valhalla… BATHORY - The Epic Story”, the unofficial but definitive biography of one of the most influential metal bands of all time. Written by renowned metal journalist José Luis Cano Barron, this comprehensive tome delves into the band's illustrious career, offering an uncensored and carefully researched account of its groundbreaking music and enduring legacy. “From Hades to Valhalla… BATHORY - The Epic Story” will be available from 29 May 2024, and can be pre-ordered via Pagan Records here: https://tinyurl.com/24puj3ft Originally published in Spanish, “From Hades to Valhalla… BATHORY - The Epic Story” has been translated into English, making this essential work accessible to a wider audience. With 156 vibrant pages packed with rare photographs, illustrations, and reproductions, the book chronicles Bathory's journey from their early black metal roots to their Viking metal mastery, paint...

  Fortress Festival, the highly anticipated UK black metal gathering, unveils a stellar line-up for its first-ever and unique side programme, Fortress Forum, taking place alongside the thunderous band performances across the weekend of 1-2 June 2024 at Scarborough Spa, North Yorkshire, UK. Tom G Warrior: Warrior in Black This year’s programme boasts a true legend of the scene as Celtic Frost and Triptykon mastermind Tom G Warrior participates in an exclusive keynote interview conducted by Dayal Patterson, the renowned author, journalist and founder of publishing house, Cult Never Dies . Documenting Black Metal and the Evolution of UKBM: A Panel Discussion Delving into the rich tapestry of black metal, a panel discussion featuring Dayal Patterson, Jackie Smit of Into The Necrosphere Podcast , and The Watcher of Fellwarden and Fen promises a fascinating exploration. The session will see Patterson discuss his latest book, "Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult - The Restored, Expanded ...

  PAINFUL introduce a third and final single from the dark abysses of humanity before the imminent release of their concept album Nefarious Monarchy. As we are used to from the black/death metallers, the record, which will be released in the 20th year of the band's own history (more precisely: on May 25, 2024), provides a closed narrative framework. The four take on the role of observers without the filter of religious or political ideology, and this time present us with the gruesome events in between the lines of the French Revolution chapters in our history books. The new single Reign of Terror is dedicated to La Terreur, the period from fall 1793 to spring 1794, during which the Jacobins around Robespierre were able to torture and execute up to 40,000 people by decree of the Convention. In the song, PAINFUL deal with a revolutionary phase in which bloody cruelty clashed so blindly and destructively with the zeitgeist of the Enlightenment that to this day we meet fundamental chan...

  UK Folk Horror outfit FORLORN explore the element of Earth with their new single ‘Creatress’, which is out now on all platforms. ‘Creatress’ heralds a new dawn for the band after they closed their ‘Sæl’ cycle on a high note in 2023. The track is a marriage of symphonic black metal, bone-rattling low guitars, neck-snapping groove, and ambient soundscapes that further blurs the lines of genre. Centred around the element of Earth and inspired by the ancient norse deity Moder, ‘Creatress’ draws parallels between humanity’s relationship with Mother Earth and women in modern society. Female empowerment has been a core theme that has developed across Forlorn’s offerings; ‘Creatress’ honours the ancient matriarch, a societal archetype often disregarded as worthless, particularly in modern day society. Speaking of ‘Creatress’, vocalist Megan Elliott comments: “This new offering marks the beginning of a new, experimental and visceral journey for Forlorn. ‘Creatress’ delivers an empowering ...

  The new album by black/death metallers PAINFUL, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2024, is due to be released this spring. To shorten the waiting time for fans until Nefarious Monarchy will reign on May 25th, another album single is now available in advance – this time with a lyric video. While the first single Liberty (Dies), the fastest song on the album, was a throwback to the band's roots, PAINFUL now present themselves once again in a black metal vein, albeit with a more sustained, opulent tone: Remaining Shadows is a powerful mid-tempo roller that is occasionally reminiscent of one of PAINFUL's great early influences – SATYRICON: The song is firmly embedded in the context of the concept album, which is dedicated to the dark side of the French Revolution and the human abysses that became evident within it. In the immediate aftermath of the Revolution, France was engaged in armed conflicts with several neighboring states. What went down in the history books...