Category: Announcement

“Oorsprong” delves into the existential journey of modern man, exploring the disconnection from our ancestral roots and the quest to rediscover our origins. The album’s narrative is inspired by the Annunaki, the ancient deities said to have come from the sky. Through a blend of storytelling and music, Asgrauw weaves a tale that highlights the legacy of these celestial beings and offers a perspective on the modern age as seen through their eyes, culminating in a dramatic portrayal of humanity’s fate.

Asgrauw takes you through the stories of Anu and Alalu, Enki and Enlil, but also those of Gilgamesh and Nergal for example. How centuries of struggle for land and gold drove exotic species to turn primates into a slave civilization and by portraying themselves as devine beings, could keep them under control.

“Oorspong” is not just an album; it’s a sonic odyssey that transports listeners to the dawn of civilization. Asgrauw’s music serves as a conduit to the past, where myth and history converge. Each track is a chapter in a grander tale of creation, power, and the indomitable spirit that persists through the ages. Prepare to be immersed in a world where gods walk among men, and the quest for control over the earth’s riches leads to the rise and fall of empires. This is Asgrauw’s most ambitious project yet, a testament to their evolution as artists and storytellers.

True to their ethos, Asgrauw has crafted “Oorsprong” entirely in-house, with the band members writing, recording, and mixing the album themselves. This hands-on approach ensures the preservation of their unique identity and sound, which has been a hallmark of their work since inception.

This new album promises to be a continuation of Asgrauw’s tradition of thematic and sonic exploration.

Album name: Oorsprong
Genre: black metal
Type: Vinyl / CD/ MC / Digital
Label: Zwaertgevegt, Hidden Marly Production
Release date: 31/10/2024

Established in 2010, Asgrauw has become a name synonymous with authenticity within the genre. Known for their atmospheric and second-wave black metal sound, Asgrauw adds a unique twist to their music, creating a fast-paced yet hostile ambiance that has captivated fans for over a decade.

Asgrauw has touched on various themes in the past, such as negative thoughts and feelings, apocalyptic settings, death cults, local myths and even death itself.

Asgrauw has arrived at its sixth full-length album, musically a successor to Façade but with a new theme. This time Asgrauw has delved into the past, not contemporary history but that of ancient civilizations and what may have happened before on this earth.

Kaos – Bass, Vocals & Words
Vaal – Guitars & Vocals
Batr – Drums & Synths

Recorded & Mixed  – Batr
Mastered – Devi Hisgen 
Artwork – Ronarg 
Photography – Batr
Lyrics – Kaos
-additional lyrics on Erfenis – Vaal
Samples – Dify

Prepare for yet another offering from the Dutch Zwotte Kring collective. Sharing multiple musicians between them, Meslamtaea and The Color of Rain decided to join forces for a split EP.

The Color of Rain:
For fans of: Harakiri for the Sky, Cynic, Revocation, Ulcerate, Deathspell Omega, A Forest of Stars, Mgla

Line up:
Gerhans Meulenbeld – guitars and compositions.
Floris Velthuis – drums, bass and synths.
Devi Hisgen – vocals and keys.

Meslamtaea:
For fans of: Dodheimsgard, Ved Buens Ende, Fleurety, Sear Bliss, Imperial Triumphant

Line-up:
Floris Velthuis – guitars, bass, drums, vocals and keys.
Ward Theunissen – vocals.
Izzy op de Beeck – horns.
Gerhans Meulenbeld – lead guitars.

Mixing and mastering by Floris Velthuis and Devi Hisgen.
logo and artwork by Bram Bruyneel

Album name: Nihil Vincit Omnia
Genre: black metal, post-black, extreme metal
Type: Vinyl / Digital
Label: Zwaertgevegt
Release date: 28/06/2024
Order HERE

Meslamtaea is an expressive and experimental black metal band from the Netherlands. Their unique style is characterized by jazz-passages, expressive vocals and a diversity of atmospheres. Ranging from aggressive to psychedelic and dreamy. Trumpets are frequently used in the music. Their style is influenced by Fleurety and Ved Buens Ende and a number of jazz fusion bands. The lyrics paint a negative worldview and are often dystopian in nature.

Meslamtaea is now a quartet since the band has been joined by Gerhans who provides guitar solos. Just like Floris, he is part of The Color of Rain and they joined forces to produce a split record. Four new tracks have been recorded, all of which represent a cold and dark urban landscape where the downside of humanity reigns supreme.

For fans of: Dodheimsgard, Ved Buens Ende, Fleurety, Sear Bliss, Imperial Triumphant

Line-up:
Floris Velthuis – guitars, bass, drums, vocals and keys.
Ward Theunissen – vocals.
Izzy op de Beeck – horns.
Gerhans Meulenbeld – lead guitars.

Mixing and mastering by Floris Velthuis and Devi Hisgen.
logo and artwork by Bram Bruyneel

Album name: Nihil Vincit Omnia
Genre: black metal, post-black, extreme metal
Type: Vinyl / Digital
Label: Zwaertgevegt
Release date: 28/06/2024
Preorder HERE

Even though both acts have a very different approach to their music, they’ve both proved to bring something new to the table, seamlessly blending different subgenres into a sound that is inherently their own. Lyrically, Nihil Vincit Omnia is a very dark and nihilistic view of the world and humanity. Musically, both bands have furthered their experimental and eclectic style. The Color of Rain have upped the ante and produced an offering that’s even more symphonic and dark than their debut album Oceans Above. Meslamtaea has broadened its jazz-like qualities with dissonant and alienating melodies and rhythmic patterns not unlike those found in fusion. An exciting and brooding offering, showcasing two of the most unorthodox acts in Dutch extreme metal.

TCOR started during the corona pandemic, when life once again proved to be fragile and meaningless. This feeling of insignificance inspired founder Gerhans Meulenbeld to create the band. As a growing contempt for humanity and its ridiculous attempts to understand everything developed, his desire to create was fueled. Using his broad love for different metal styles, The Color Of Rain quickly became an exciting combination of atmospheric black metal and technical death with progressive passages. Floris Velthuis and Devi Hisgen joined and quickly their first offering Oceans Above was written. The album came out in 2023 through Void Wanderer Productions to great critical acclaim.

For fans of: Harakiri for the Sky, Cynic, Revocation, Ulcerate, Deathspell Omega, A Forest of Stars, Mgla

Line up:
Gerhans Meulenbeld – guitars and compositions.
Floris Velthuis – drums, bass and synths.
Devi Hisgen – vocals and keys.

Mixing and mastering by Floris Velthuis and Devi Hisgen.
Logo and artwork by Bram Bruyneel

Album name: Nihil Vincit Omnia
Genre: black metal, post-black, extreme metal
Type: Vinyl / Digital
Label: Zwaertgevegt
Release date: 28/06/2024
Preorder HERE