Mar 01 2010 - STIGMA's First Single From "Concerto for the Undead" Available for Streaming
Italian horror-inspired extreme metal act STIGMA has unveiled its first single, "Prove You Are a Man!"Coming off of the band’s sophomore effort Concerto for the Undead, the track features a guest appearance by Jon Hunt (ex-DEAD TO FALL). "Prove You Are a Man!" is available exclusively at MetalSucks.net for streaming and will also be available at the band’s MySpace Page starting Wednesday, March 3rd.
Concerto for the Undead was produced at Fear Studio by ex-BLEEDING THROUGH and current BRING ME THE HORIZON guitarist JonaWeinhofen and was mixed & mastered by Scott Atkins (BEHEMOTH, CRADLE OF FILTH, SYLOSIS).This sophomore effort is due out April 30th in Europe, May 3rd in the UK and May 4th in North America via PivotalRockordings. The album features lyrics centered on the cult-classic comic book series Tales from the Crypt and includes guest vocal appearances by Jamie Hope (ex-THE RED SHORE) and Jon Hunt (ex-DEAD TO FALL).Artwork for the album features stunning comic illustrations of the band’s now patent horror themed lyrics and was created by Andrea Berton of Corefolio Design (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WINDS OF PLAGUE).
Jan 31 2010 - STIGMA Unveils New Album Title, Artwork, Tracklist and Release Dates
Italy’s STIGMA has set Concerto for the Undead as the title for its follow up to 2008’s When Midnight Strikes! The sophomore effort is due out April 30th in Europe, May 3rd in the UK and May 4th in North America via Pivotal Rockordings. Concerto for the Undead features lyrics centered on the cult-classic comic book series Tales From the Crypt and includes guest vocal appearances by Jamie Hope (ex-THE RED SHORE) and Jon Hunt (ex-DEAD TO FALL). The tracklist is as follows:
1. Chop His Head Off! 2. Prove You Are a Man! 3. …And They Died Happily Ever After! 4. A Monstrous Feeling 5. The Undertaker 6. What About a Terror Ride 7. 3000 Years and Still Keeping it Real 8. A Grave Situation 9. Beat Me Maestro, Eight to the Dead! 10. Doctor Skeleton
Concerto for the Undead was produced at Fear Studio by BRING ME THE HORIZON guitarist Jona Weinhofen and was mixed & mastered by Scott Atkins (BEHEMOTH, CRADLE OF FILTH, SYLOSIS). Artwork for the album features stunning comic illustrations of the band’s now patent horror themed lyrics and was created by Andrea Berton of Corefolio Design (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WINDS OF PLAGUE). Parts 1 and 2 of the band’s studio diaries can be viewed below:
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-dtmhVqQpc&feature=related
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAca81omC8U
Links: Stigma Official Website - http://www.stigmahc.com Stigma Official Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/stigmahc
Dec 09 2009 - STIGMA Enters Studio and Announces Guest Appearances, Video Available
Italian horror-themed
deathcore act STIGMA recently entered Fear Studio to record the band’s
followup to 2008’s When Midnight Strikes!, due out next year via Pivotal
Rockordings.The album, which is being produced by BRING
ME THE HORIZON
guitarist Jona Weinhofen, will be mixed by Scott Atkins (BEHEMOTH, CRADLEOFFILTH, SYLOSIS, GAMMABOMB) and will feature guest
appearances from Jamie Hope (THEREDSHORE) and Jon Hunt (Ex- DEADTOFALL).A video blog documenting the initial
phases of the recording process is available at the link below:
STIGMA’s 2008 debut album, When
Midnight Strikes! was recorded at Db Studios with producer Ettore
Rigotti
(DISARMONIA MUNDI)
and was mixed and mastered by Alessandro Vanara (DISARMONIA MUNDI,
SLOWMOTION APOCALYPSE)
and featured guest appearances from TimZlinsky (THE CLASSIC
STRUGGLE),
Alberto Zannier
(SLOWMOTIONAPOCALYPSE),
Ivan Odorico
(SLOWMOTIONAPOCALYPSE),
and MikeLunacy
(DARKLUNACY).
Nov 04 2009 - SKYFIRE Post New Song from 'Esoteric'
Swedish progressive death metallers SKYFIRE has posted the track “Under a Pitch Black Sky,” which comes off of the group's new album, "Esoteric," on the band’s Official Myspace Page (www.myspace.com/skyfiremusic). Additionally, a two-part track-by-track video, in which Martin Hanner (bass, keyboards), Johan Reinholdz (guitar), Andreas Edlund (guitar, keyboards), and Joakim Karlsson (vocals) sit down to discuss "Esoteric," was recently made available for viewing on YouTube. They are located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN9vPDmRnB0 (Part 1) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwnswCJmqdk (Part 2).
"Esoteric" was released on September 14 in the U.K, September 18 in Europe, and October 13 in North America via Pivotal Rockordings. A digital-only EP, entitled "Fractal," also came out in July. It contains material written between 2004's "Spectral" and the "Esoteric" album. Both the EP and full length are available through all major digital retailers such as iTunes, Napster, Amazon, and Spotify.
SKYFIRE is set to embark on a tour of the U.K. this November with FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE. Dates are available at the band’s MySpace.
Oct 19 2009 - SKYFIRE Post Part 2 of "Esoteric" Track by Track Video
Swedish progressive death metallers SKYFIRE has posted the conclusion of a two-part webisode in which members Martin Hanner (bass, keyboards), Johan Reinholdz (guitar), Andreas Edlund (guitar, keyboards), and Joakim Karlsson (vocals) sit down to discuss the group's latest album, "Esoteric." The video can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwnswCJmqdk
"Esoteric" was released on September 14 in the U.K, September 18 in Europe and October 13 in North America via Pivotal Rockordings. A digital-only EP containing material written between 2004's "Spectral" and "Esoteric" was also release in July. The EP is available through all major digital retailers.
SKYFIRE will embark on a tour of the U.K. in November with FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE. The full tour itinerary will be announced shortly.
Oct 01 2009 - SKYFIRE on Deciblog: Top 5 Most Underrated Melodic Death Metal Albums
Exclusive to Decibel magazine's Deciblog this week, SKYFIRE bassist Martin Hanner gives
an exclusive rundown of his Top 5 Most Underrated Melodic Death Metal Albums:
SKYFIRE's
latest album, Esoteric, is set for North American release on October
13th. The band's first full-length
release in four years, Esoteric
portrays
an invigorated SKYFIRE firing on all cylinders, their alternately progressive / melodic death metal
setting new standards for songwriting invention and technical prowess. So far, the international press is
taking notice:
"A hyper-energetic sound
that practically DEMANDS listener attention" – Zero Tolerance
"It is impossible to deny the
intelligence and sheer class at work here" – The Convivial Hermit
"Even for those sick of melodic
death metal and generally unimpressed by power metal, Esoteric is a surprisingly solid album" – Metalsucks.net
"One of the more undervalued
melodic death metal bands...Esoteric
[is] a clear-cut winner" – Blistering.com [8/10 rating]
"I’m a
sucker for well-written music, and Skyfire have done their homework" – Worm Gear webzine
"The songs and musicianship are
the real stars here" – Seaoftranquility.org [4/5 rating]
"Each song has a life and
identity of its own yet clearly stays within the structure of the album’s
overall personality…Excellent work" – MetalPsalter.com [4/5 rating]
"Awesome…worth your hard-earned
money" – Minacious webzine
"A band with class and
talent" – Absolute Zero Media webzine
Oct 01 2009 - SCOTT ATKINS TO MIX NEW STIGMA ALBUM, BAND PARTS WAYS WITH GUITARIST
Fresh from their “Ok Then, Let’s Shred” European
tour, Italian deathcore specialists STIGMA have been holed up in pre-production
for their as-yet-untitled sophomore release which will be produced by former
BLEEDING THROUGH and current BRING ME THE HORIZON guitarist Jona Weinhofen and
mixed & mastered by Scott Atkins (BEHEMOTH, CRADLE OF FILTH, SYLOSIS,
IGNOMINOUS INCARCERATION).
Additionally, STIGMA has parted ways with guitarist
Morgan Ferrua and will enter the studio this November as a four piece. The
group recently stated:
"After nearly seven years together we decided to part ways with our
guitar player Morgan. There's no bad blood between us, we'd
like to thank him for the time he spent in the band and wish him the
best in whatever he'll do in the future.
“We'll record the new album as a four piece; in the meantime we'll look
for the right shredder to join the band.
We're all really satisfied with the new songs, totally focused on the
upcoming recordings and we truly believe this new one will reduce our
debut to dust! Get excited, this is just the beginning, news and new shows coming
soon!"
More information, regarding guest appearances,
studio reports, and live dates will be announced in the coming months.Stigma’s follow up to 2008’s When Midnight Strikes! will be released
via Pivotal Rockordings worldwide next year.
Sep 16 2009 - SKYFIRE Post Part 1 Of Track-By-Track Preview For “Estoeric”
Swedish progressive death metallers SKYFIRE recently revealed part one of a two-part track by track video in which members Martin Hanner (Bass, Keyboards), Johan Reinholdz (Guitar), Andreas Edlund (Guitar, Keyboards), and Joakim Karlsson (Vocals) sit down to discuss the group’s upcoming album, “Esoteric.” Watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN9vPDmRnB0. SKYFIRE recently revealed UK tour dates with FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE in November. Visit Skyfire’s Official Myspace Page for more on upcoming SKYFIRE live activity.
“Esoteric” is scheduled for release September 14 in the U.K, September 18 in the rest of Europe, and October 13th in North America via Pivotal Rockordings. SKYFIRE released a digital-only EP entitled "Fractal" in July via Pivotal Rockordings. "Fractal" contains material written between 2004's "Spectral" and the "Esoteric" album. The EP is currently available through all major digital retailers.
Aug 19 2009 - SKYFIRE to support FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE in the UK
Swedish progressive death metallers
SKYFIRE will support Italy's neo-classical tech-death masterminds FLESHGOD
APOCALYPSE on the first leg of their UK tour. Confirmed dates are as follows
with more to be announced:
11/19: Margate, The Westcoast Bar
11/20: Brighton, The Freebutt
11/21: London, The Underworld
11/22: Bristol, The Croft
Bassist and songwriter Martin Hanner
comments:
"We are absolutely thrilled to be
back on the road after all these years, especially with a band as cool as
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE. We might not be the most brutal band on this tour, but I
think our music has translated well in the past to fans with more extreme
tastes. Those who followed us from the beginning knew our first ever tour was with
BLOOD RED THRONE and THYRFING. We hope that FLESHGOD fans check us out and
SKYFIRE fans check them out as well! Rest assured, for this tour we will be
playing the heaviest songs in our catalog! For those of you who do not live in
the UK and cannot make it out to these shows, we will try to make it out to
other parts of Europe in the not-too-distant future, so don't despair!"
"Esoteric," the long-awaited follow-up
to 2004's "Spectral" is set to be released October 13 in North
America (Koch/Listenable Records distribution), September 14 in the U.K. and
September 18 in the rest of Europe via Pivotal Rockordings.
SKYFIRE recently released a four-song,
digital-only EP entitled "Fractal" in July via Pivotal Rockordings,
which is made up of songs that were written between 2004's "Spectral"
and the "Esoteric" album. The EP is currently available through all
major digital retailers.
Jul 27 2009 - STIGMA Announces European Tour Dates and New Album Recording Dates
Italian deathcore specialists STIGMA will head into the studio this November to record the band's follow-up to 2008's "When Midnight Strikes!" with former BLEEDING THROUGH and current BRING ME THE HORIZON guitarist Jona Weinhofen handling production duties. Vocalist Vlad makes a statement on the band's collaboration with Weinhofen
"We'll be hitting the studio in November and we're beyond stoked to say that we'll work with the almighty Jona Weinhofen, to make sure we'll reduce "WMS!" to dust and come out with a beast of an album! Keep yourself updated, cause we've other big surprises coming up!"
Additionally, STIGMA will embark on a European tour with SHADOW LAW (August 23rd - August 27th) and CRIMSON FALLS (August 28th - September 6th). The tour will make stops at the legendary Ieperfest and the TEXTURES-headlined Chap'hell Festival. Vlad adds:
"We're happy to say that we'll finally hit Europe this summer, after succesful trips to the UK, Austria, Belgium and Holland, we're really looking forward to play songs out of our debut "When Midnight Strikes!" as well as a brand new song that will be featured in our second record."
Dates are as follows:
August 22nd - Peter Pan, Bellinzona, Switzerland August 23rd - Escape, Wien, Austria August 24th - Randal Club, Bratislava, Slovakia (w/ Trigger The Bloodshed, Annotations of Autopsy and more) August 25th - Rockhouse, Salzburg, Austria August 26th - De Rots, Antwerp, Belgium August 27th - Le Select, Lille, France August 28th - Ieperfest, Leper, Belgium (w/ Darkest Hour and more) August 29th - Chap'Hell Fest, Chapelle, Belgium (w/ Textures and more) August 30th - Musik Bunker, Aachen, Germany August 31st - Lyon's Hall, Lyon, France September 1st - Club Heaven, Santander, Spain September 2nd - Baracudas, Madrid, Spain September 3rd - Bar Darkness, Valencia, Spain September 4th - United Club, Torino, Italy September 5th - Deathcrusade Festival, San Quirino, Italy
"When Midnight Strikes!" was released on March 24 in the UK, March 25 in the USA, and March 28 in the rest of Europe through Florida's Pivotal Rockordings. The album was recorded at Db Studios with producer Ettore Rigotti (DISARMONIA MUNDI) and was mixed and mastered by Alessandro Vanara (DISARMONIA MUNDI, SLOWMOTION APOCALYPSE) and features guest appearances from Tim Zlinsky (THE CLASSIC STRUGGLE), Alberto Zannier (SLOWMOTION APOCALYPSE), Ivan Odorico (SLOWMOTION APOCALYPSE), and Mike Lunacy (DARK LUNACY).
Jul 18 2009 - SKYFIRE 'Esoteric' North American Release Date Delayed
Pivotal Rockordings has pushed back the North American release date for Esoteric, the long-awaited fourth album from Swedish progressive death metallers SKYFIRE, to October 13h. The push is due to a scheduling issue and does not affect the UK (September 14th) and European (September 18th) release dates. The album will be distributed via Koch Distribution, in cooperation with Listenable Records. A pre-order package for ‘Esoteric’ which also includes a t-shirt, guitar pick and CD opener is now available at http://www.smcincorporated.com/skyfire/.
The 4 song digital-only EP ‘Fractal’ released earlier this month is now officially available for legal download at iTunes, Napster, Amazon and CDBaby among many other digital music stores.
Jul 06 2009 - SKYFIRE Digital-Only EP Now Available for Download
The 4 song digital-only EP ‘Fractal’ from Swedish progressive death metallers SKYFIRE is now available for legal download at http://cdbaby.com/cd/skyfire. It is currently being processed by iTunes, Napster and many other mp3 stores for sale via their respective stores in the coming weeks.
The band spent over 5 years writing new materials since its last release. Unleashed a few months before the band’s full length magnum opus titled ‘Esoteric,’ the digital-only ‘Fractal’ release represents the band’s best material written between 2004 and 2009. ‘Fractal’ serves to thank long time fans who have patiently waited for new material with songs that would have otherwise never seen the light of day. Among its four songs is also a preview track from ‘Esoteric’ aptly titled “Esoteric” as a taste of the full length onslaught to follow suit and is also available for listening on the band’s Myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/skyfiremusic). The songs on ‘Fractal’ utilize the same epic bombast as ‘Esoteric’ while simultaneously maintaining the melancholic attitude heard on 2004’s ‘Spectral.’
The tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered at the band's Powernest Studios with new members Joakim Karlsson (vocals; MARK:BLACK) and Johan Reinholdz (guitars; ANDROMEDA, NONEXIST) with the exception of “Esoteric” which was mixed and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY, SONIC SYNDICATE, ZONARIA, THE ABSENCE). ‘Fractal’ not only provides diehard fans with some exceptional songs that would have otherwise never been released, it is also the first taste of new SKYFIRE material which will be continued on the band’s Esoteric full length out on September 8th in North America, 14th in the UK and 18th in Europe via Pivotal Rockordings.
Jun 29 2009 - SKYFIRE Announce Release Dates and Comment On New Album
After 5 years of computer failure, illness, lineup-changes and countless other obstacles, Swedish progressive death metallers SKYFIRE will triumphantly return to unleash their long awaited 4th album "Esoteric" this September 8th in North America, 14th in the UK and 18th in Europe via Pivotal Rockordings. Bassist Martin Hanner comments on the band's new album which features 10 epic new songs, some of which utilizing up to 70 individual tracks each:
"For this album, we were heavily inspired by bands like SYMPHONY X and BAL-SAGOTH; bands that write epic and catchy songs at the same time. We really thought long and hard about how we can make this new record as epic as possible without it coming off as cheesy and we then carefully began writing the subtle choir and orchestra parts to accompany the already bombastic music. This took quite some time, but we are pleased with the final result. The writing and overall planning for this CD took years and we literally weren't finished writing until right after all the recording was done.
When the album was finished, we had a long discussion with our label regarding what to do about bonus tracks. Both parties agreed that the songs we wrote for this album are too special to be broken up for different territories. So instead we decided to include the old 'Within Reach' demos as bonus tracks. These are literally the first legitimate SKYFIRE recordings ever, and as you'll soon see, the first and only time you'll hear SKYFIRE with a clean singer. Even though the songwriting and especially the lyrics are immature, we think these songs will be cool for a lot of fans who might have wondered what we sounded like all those years ago. These tracks were NEVER made available to the public until now."
Hanner also reveals the concept behind the stunning artwork for “Esoteric,” which was designed by by Pär Olofsson (THE FACELESS, PSYCROPTIC, SPAWN OF POSSESSION) with layout handled by CULT OF LUNA’s Erik Olofsson:
"The cover is basically a guy who is being initiated by a cult. You can choose to interpret the guy in pain as he is being burned alive by the cultists just so he can join, or you can interpret the guy as having achieved the power he sought, and he is screaming out of bliss and not pain. It relates to the title because a lot of us would think that what he is doing is kind of ridiculous- why would anyone want to join a cult? But people do strange things and they have their own subjective, esoteric sense of understanding that to the rest of us, is strange or crazy. I think we ALL in some shape or form have esoteric practices that a lot of other people don't 'get,' whether it's believing in something or even listening to metal music."
May 19 2009 - SKYFIRE Post New Song and Announce Digital-Only EP Details
SKYFIRE Post New Song and Announce Digital-Only EP Details
Swedish progressive death metal act SKYFIRE has made its new song “Esoteric,” available for download on their myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/skyfiremusic.
The band will release a 4-song, digital-only EP entitled 'Fractal’ in July via Pivotal Rockordings. 'Fractal' is made up of songs that were written between 2004’s 'Spectral' and their yet-to-be-released September 2009 'Esoteric' album. SKYFIRE bassist Martin Hanner comments on the band's decision to release the EP:
"Since we spent way too much time in the studio writing and recording and too little time giving anything back to the fans, we discussed with our label about releasing a few songs we wrote in 2005 or so. We recorded, mixed, and mastered these alongside the ‘Esoteric’ songs with new vocalist Jocke and guitarist Johan in order to make them available to our fans. We knew these songs weren't going to make our full length, because by the time we had signed a deal, we were flowing with new ideas. However, letting these songs go unreleased was always something sad for us, so it's awesome that they will be available to the fans digitally with exclusive artwork and everything.”
'Fractal' marks the first official SKYFIRE release to feature new members Johan Reinholdz (guitars; ANDROMEDA, NONEXIST) and Joakim Karlsson (vocals; MARK:BLACK). All music was recorded, mixed and mastered at Powernest Studios with the exception of the track "Esoteric," which was mixed and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY, SONIC SYNDICATE, ZONARIA, THE ABSENCE). Vocals for all tracks were produced by THE FORSAKEN guitarist Patrik Persson.
'Fractal' tracklisting:
1. The Land of the Wolves 2. Bereaved in Denial 3. The Transgressor Within 4. Esoteric (‘Esoteric’ album preview track)
Skyfire: Joakim Karlsson (Vocals) Martin Hanner (Bass, Keyboards) Andreas Edlund (Guitars, Keyboards) Johan Reinholdz (Guitars) Joakim Jonsson (Drums)
Links: Official Skyfire Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/skyfiremusic Official Reverbnation Page: http://www.reverbnation.com/skyfiremusic Pivotal Rockordings: http://www.PivotalAlliance.com
May 07 2009 - New SKYFIRE song to be premiered next week
Swedish progressive death metallers SKYFIRE will premiere the song “Esoteric” on The Entropy League podcast via METAL INJECTION’s podcast network on Monday May 11th. The track comes off of both the band’s Esoteric full-length due out in August/September and the still-to-be-announced digital EP due out in June/July. The podcast will be available at http://www.metalinjection.net on May 11th.
The follow-up to 2004's Spectral, Esoteric was recorded at SKYFIRE’s own Powernest Studios in Gothenburg and was mixed and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY, SONIC SYNDICATE, ZONARIA). Album art for Esoteric was created by Pär Olofsson (THE FACELESS, PSYCROPTIC, SPAWN OF POSSESSION) with layout handled by CULT OF LUNA’s Erik Olofsson.