BAZUndergroundUpdates CCXLIII
It’s the last week before Christmas and our writers Julia Katrin and Tom Osman are excited as ever!
So, let’s see what’s out there…
IGNEA In collaboration with Bloodstock Open Air, Ukrainian melodic metal band Ignea have just released the full set of their Bloodstock Open Air Festival show, recorded this previous August! Head over here right now to watch the full energy set!
NOISEPICKER British avant doom-post duo Noisepicker is preparing to release their second album, The Earth will Swallow the Sun on March 21st via Exile on Mainstream Records, and have now unveiled its cover art, track listing, and lead video/single What You Deserve! Head over here right now to check out the video, here to find the track on all streaming services, and of course over here to place your pre-order!
LANDMVRKS French metalcore powerhouse Landmvrks has unleashed a powerful one-two punch with the release of their double single Sulfur and Sombre 16, as a glimpse into their upcoming fourth album The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been! The new album is set for release on April 25th 2025 via Arising Empire, but you can head over here to check out the Sulfur/Sombre 16 video, and here to stream and pre-order the album!
HAVUKRUUNU Finnish black metal outfit Havukruunu will be releasing their full-length Tavastland on February 28th via Svart Records, and so in advance of the release, the group has unveiled a majestic new video for the record´s title track! Head over here right now to watch the video for Tavastland¸and of course over here for streaming and purchasing!
BEYOND THE BLACK Some groups are more into planning way ahead of time to give us a lot of time to become aware of their appearances and get tickets, and Beyond the Black is definitely one of those groups! Having just announced their next European headline tour, the Rising High Tour is going to kick off in January 2026 and tickets are already on sale! Head over here right now to check out the dates, locations, and of course get your hands on those tickets!
TÝR Faroe Islands-based folk metal collective Týr will be returning to Nort American stages this winter on the second leg of the Battle Ballads tour! Commencing on February 13th in Brooklyn, New York, the leg will close on March 5th in Joliet, Illinois, and additional support will be provided again by Æther Realm! Tickets are already available so make sure you have quick hands and head right over here to claim some!
WHITECHAPEL Returning to North American stages this spring on a month-long headlining tour is no other than Whitechapel! The Hymns in Dissonance tour runs from March 18th from Raleigh, North Carolina, through April 19th in Atlanta, Georgia, and support will be provided by Brand of Sacrifice, 200 Stab Wounds, and Alluvial! The journey follows Whitechapel´s recent sold out run with Lorna Shore, so keep your eyes open this coming Friday when tickets go on sale!
TALES OF BLOOD “Christmas time, mistletoe and BRUTAL DEATH METAL!!” As Christmas trees are being decorated left and right, why not enjoy some pulverising death metal in the form of Tales of Blood and their newly-released Breath of Repugnance on Great Dane Records. Listen to the album in full here for a big meaty slab of metal of death that is old school.
HÄXKAPELL While for many the approaching new year means Christmas celebrations, in the realms of black metal there’s a very different atmosphere. But if you thought this would mean all black metal bands going into hibernation, you’d be dead wrong. January 17th sees the release on Nordvis of Om jordens blod och urgravens grepp by Sweden’s Häxkapell—a Satanic celebration in folk and black metal. You can listen to the first track from the album here and pre-order a copy on CD or vinyl for some absolutely non-Christmas cheer.
SELVANS Mixing black metal and Italian folk, Selvans Haruspex will release his third (and billed to be final) album under the Selvans moniker, Saturnalia, on the 31st of January on Avantgarde Music. Adding an orchestra and choir alongside Selvans and his band, it is clear the aim is to see the project go out with a bang. Two tracks from the album are available to listen to here, meanwhile you can pre-order the album on vinyl, CD and cassette—with several limited, special edition options.
Having to pay gigantic sums for international postage is a real gear grinder. While it’s our default setting to link Bandcamp pages in the case of new and pre-releases, we thought it would be helpful to add some online stores that might provide a useful alternative.
So if you see a release you fancy, but it’s being sold in a far off land and you don’t want to fork out on exorbitant shipping, see if any of the links below can remedy the situation.
Dark Essence (Norway) Dark Essence (US)
Direct Merch (Australia)
eOne Heavy (EU) eOne Heavy (UK) eOne Heavy (US)
Metal Odyssey (EU) Metal Odyssey (US)
Napalm Records (Germany)
Prophecy Productions (Germany) Prophecy Productions (US)
Rough Trade (UK) Rough Trade (US)
Season of Mist (EU) Season of Mist (US)
Southern Lord (EU) Southern Lord (US)
Throne Records (World)
Transcending Obscurity (EU) Transcending Obscurity (US)
So this year is soon coming to an end, but there is nothing to worry about as labels and bands out there continue as ever to work hard on bringing us all of the shows and goodies they possibly can!
By Julia Katrin and Tom Osman
**Please support the underground! It’s vital to the future of our genre.**
#WeAreBlessedAltarZine
#TheZineSupportingTheUnderground
