Ethereal confirmed to headline Infernal Orchestra stage at Northern Symphony

Liverpool's black metal legion Ethereal have been announced as the headliner for the Infernal Orchestra stage at Northern Symphony Festival. Bombarding audiences around the UK for over a decade, they have become one of the most prominent acts on the British black metal scene, showing no mercy as they unleash their unique, tactically executed brand of symphony metal.

Showcasing Ethereal's most focused, dynamic, and explosive work to date, Opus Aethereum advances beyond the sound of their past and demonstrates their scope and potential for the future. The album is aggressive, extreme, and ridden with urgency; the rhythms shift in an instant from inhuman speeds to slow, doom-laden passages. Eerie symphonic soundscapes intertwine with pulverizing riffs and hypnotic guitar melodies, accented by vocals delivered with malice and hateful vitriol. Opus Aethereum is the manifesto of a band set on rising to the forefront of UK black metal scene - and beyond.

Announced alongside Ethereal for the Infernal Orchestra stage are German metallers Hydra, who formed in the autumn months of 2013. The band's upcoming album, which is set for release on 20th February this year, will fetaure Leaves' Eyes frontwoman Liv Kristine. This will mark Hydra's first time in the UK.

Hydra was formed by Chris Diefenbach and Lisa Rieger in October 2013. The first ten songs, which primarily fall into the category of melodic metal, took shape within a matter of months. One thing was clear to both Lisa and Chris: this was song material with potential that simply had to be released. Both of the Regensburg musicians are old hands in the scene: Chris was a live guitarist for the band Burden on their 2011 Germany tour (to name one example) and Lisa has also seen many different corners of Germany with the symphonic metal band Terrateya and other musical projects.

Northern Symphony Festival is the UK's first ever festival dedicated purely to the varying forms of symphonic metal and boasts a line-up that features the best of the UK's symphonic metal scene as well as samples of the European scene. 

Northern Symphony will be held at The Venue and The Riverside in Selby, North Yorkshire on 4th April 2015. Advance tickets are available for £10 from http://northernwyntermusic.bigcartel.com

Black metal legends Hecate Enthroned confirmed for Norway's Blastfest

British black metal legends Hecate Enthroned have been confirmed to partake in Norway's Blastfest in February. The band's dark, cold and mystifying sound is a sure fit for the landscapes of Norway.

Hecate Enthroned emerged as one of the most intense bands to come out of the Black Death Metal scene. Dedicated to delivering their own brand of truly evil metal with little regard to politics or the trends of popular demand. 2013 saw the band sign a new album deal with Italian label Crank Music Group and the release of their highly anticipated studio album Virulent Rapture, which was praised highly by the press. 

Tickets and further information about Blastfest are available from this location.

Hecate Enthroned online:

http://hecateenthroned.com
http://facebook.com/hecateenthroned

[Review] Control The Storm - Beast Inside

Hailing from Bristol in the UK are melodic metallers Control The Storm. With an appearance at the UK's biggest metal festival, Bloodstock, under their belts and their new vocalist, Kate Norris, Control The Storm are set to take 2015 by... Well, storm. Beast Inside is set to be the second release for the Southwest-based six piece.

Days Of Days opens up the album with a crashing partnership of drums, keys and guitars before the hypnotic vocal melodies sail their way in on the raging seas of music. The keys and vocals glide ever so elegantly, side by side. Hysteric Silence keeps the thundering ferocity of the drums and graceful steps of the keys and vocals with a handsome combination of guitars and bass. The occasional scream allows the song a crepuscular dimension, that melds gently into the music.

The chorus of guitars skillfully begins the third track of the album: Believe, building up the tension before the action-filled riffs come crashing down like the executioner's axe. Kate's vocals shine out exceedingly on during in this song. No Chance At All is enticed forward by an alluring yet haunting dance played across the keys, leading the way for the tactful use of guitars and charming vocals. Falling has a gentler, more cautious sound that shows a dove-like dynamic to Control The Storm's cadence,depicting a landscape of emotion with music as the colours.

Nothing Hurts blasts forth like a combination of Nightwish and Rhapsody of Fire. However the energetic leap of vocals and driving licks soon change this, Although the song has a misty, sombre change of pace near the end. The celestial stepping of keys introduces the poignantly emotional track Stronger, which is another example of the band's talent, swaying from silky to heavy with each passing verse. Whereas False Eternity enjoys the comforts of an entirely stygian sound, summoned like an ethereal apparition by the bewitching musicianship.  

Twisted Truth truly lets rip with an overbearing introduction of melodic guitar passages before sailing in safer waters with a darling combination of keys and vocals, though when the guitars return once more they are less melodic, allowing the keys to entrance with their medleys instead. The album comes to its final chapter with the title track, Beast Inside, a snarling maelstrom of experimental riffs, nuclear medleys and dangerous vocals. As the expression goes, "save the best for last" and that is certainly the case with this song.

Though a few aspects of the album feel stale and outdated, Beast Inside, is a breath of fresh air in a scene that has become so stagnant with bands trying to replicate the sound of the bigger acts. Control The Storm have forged their own individual sound which burns bright throughout this album.

Control The Storm online:

http://controlthestorm.com
http://facebook.com/controlthestorm 

Delain announce Bloodstock 2015 appearance

Dutch metallers Delain, who were formed by former Within Temptation keyboardist Martijn Wesserholt, have been announced to appear at this year's Bloodstock Festival in the UK on the Sophie Lancaster stage. The Bloodstock appearance follows the band's November 2014 sold-out UK tour.

Delain vocalist and frontwoman Charlotte Wessels said on her official Facebook page:

So happy to finally announce that we'll be playing BLOODSTOCK Festival this year smile emoticon Having written our previous records title track "We Are The Others" about Sophie Lancaster it will be an extra important and special occasion for us to headline the Sophie Lancaster stage and meet up with our friends at The Sophie Lancaster Foundation ("Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred & Intolerance Everywhere!") again. We look forward to rocking out at Bloodstock Festival and hope to see many of you there!

Delain online: 

http://delainmusic.nl
http://facebook.com/delainmusic

Whorion confirm appearance at Nummirock 2015

Finnish death metallers Whorion have recently announced that they will be playing this year's Nummirock Festival in Finland. They'll be joining the likes of Arch Enemy, Amaranthe and many, many more.

Nummirock Festival 2015 will take place from 18th-20th June in Nummijärvi, Finland. Further information can be found at this location.

Whorion online:

http://whorion.com
http://facebook.com/whorion

Control The Storm premier new song: Hysteric Silence

Control The Storm, who are described as Bristol's finest "female-fronted" metal band, have recently premiered their new song Hysteric Silence which is available for streaming down below.

Since unveiling their new vocalist, Kate Norris last year, 2015 has began shaping up to be a good year for the Bristol-based quintet with a short UK tour in March and an appearance at the UK's first symphonic metal festival: Northern Symphony. Control The Storm's tour dates for March are as follow:

11th - The Hatchett Inn, Bristol
12th - Grand Central, Manchester
13th - Zephyr Lounge, Leamington Spa
14th - Metal Temple Festival, Brighton
15th - Level 3, Swindon

Control The Storm online:

http://controlthestorm.com
http://facebook.com/controlthestorm

Aonia announce first ever European show

British dual-soprano fronted septet Aonia have announced their first ever European show to take place later this year. The show will take place in Brussels, Belgium at Rock Classic. Aonia will be supporting French melodic metal band Alwaid whom they shared the stage with at Valkyrian Festival 2014. Further information about the show can be found here.

Aonia will also be appearing at this year's Dames of Darkness Festival on 9th May in Bilston, near Wolverhampton supporting Norwegian titans Sirenia. Further information about The Dames of Darkness Festival can be found at this location.

Aonia online:

http://aonia.co.uk 
http://facebook.com/aoniauk

Reign Of Sirius and Seventh Sin announced for Northern Symphony Festival

Dutch band Seventh Sin, who toured the UK last year with Edenbridge, have been announced to play the Steel Opera: Main Stage at the UK's first ever symphonic metal festival - Northern Symphony. British extreme metallers Reign Of Sirius have also been confirmed for the Infernal Orchestra Stage alongside the likes of Edenfall and Scandelion. The latter of which made their UK debut last November at the Valkyrian Festival.

And speaking of debuts, Northern Symphony will be the live debut of cyber metal duo Quietus - the new project from Cryptic Age members Jenny Green and Hallam Smith, The event will also be the festival debut of A Clockwork Opera.

Northern Symphony Festival will take place on 4th April 2015 at both The Venue and The Riverside in Selby. Billed so far for the event include the likes of Winter In Eden, Ravenage, Control the Storm, Scandelion, Divided We Fall and more. Tickets are priced at £10 and are available from http://northernwyntermusic.bigcartel.com.

Further information about the festival can be found at this location.