BORKNAGAR Unleashes NEW Single "Roots"!

Norwegian avantgarde metallers BORKNAGAR are now premiering their first single off their much anticipated new studio album, 'Urd' (due out March 26th in Europe and March 27th in North America), via Decibel.com. Go check out the enthralling track "Roots" at the link below.

BORKNAGAR's mastermind Øystein G. Brun checked in to comment about the song:

"In regards to the depth, diversity and magnitude of our new album, 'Urd', it almost feels painful to slice off just a tiny bit of the bloody roast for the very first official 'starter'. I would argue that each and every song on the new album stands on solid ground, but as usual with our music, the songs empower each other in the context of a full album.

That said, 'Roots' is probably the song on the album that gives you the most representative impression of 'Urd'. Musically it contains most of the elements that framework the musical universe of BORKNAGAR, and lyrically this song is gnawing on the very spine of our lyrical tradition. Hope you enjoy this song, the first tiny glimpse into our new opus. The beast is about to be unleashed..."

The album's artwork was designed by Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco (www.P2RDESIGN.com), who has not only already worked on the band's previous Universal release, but also with artists such as SOULFLY, BELPHEGOR, EINHERJER, and KEEP OF KALESSIN. The mixing duties for the album were taken care of by Jens Bogren at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios (OPETH, PARADISE LOST, KATATONIA, etc.).

The track-listing for the album is below.

1. Epochalypse
2. Roots
3. The Beauty Of Dead Cities
4. The Earthling
5. The Plains Of Memories
6. Mount Regency
7. Frostrite
8. The Winter Eclipse
9. In A Deeper World


BORKNAGAR is:

- Øystein G. Brun: Clean & Electric Guitars (Cronian, ex-Molested)
- Vintersorg: Grim Vocals, Clean Vocals & Choirs (Vintersorg, Fission)
- Lars A. Nedland: Keys, Clean Vocals & Choirs (Solefald, ex-Carpathian Forest)
- Jens F. Ryland: Lead Guitars (ICS Vortex)
- ICS Vortex: Bass, Clean Vocals & Choirs (ex-Dimmu Burgir, Arcturus, ICS Vortex)
Drums and percussion on 'Urd' were performed by David Kinkade (Soulfly, ex-Malevolent Creation)

BORKNAGAR Live 2012:

- 4/4-7: Oslo (Norway) - Inferno Festival
- 4/13-14 - Lichtenfels (Germany) - Ragnarök Festival

Related links:
Click here to listen to Borknagar's "Roots"
Official Site of Borknagar
Borknagar on MySpace
Borknagar on Facebook
Century Media Records

DRAGONFORCE To Perform At The "New England Metal & Hardcore Festival"

Today, MassConcerts, who are the organizers of the annual music festival dubbed as "The New England Metal & Hardcore Festival", announced that DRAGONFORCE will be performing on the second day of the 14th edition of this annual music fest. The festival is scheduled to take place on the weekend of April 20-22, 2012.

"The New England Metal & Hardcore Festival", is the largest and longest running Metal and Hardcore festival in the United States. Since its inception in 1999, the festival has gathered some of the most established musical acts in Heavy Music, as well as upcoming artists within the Heavy Metal and Hardcore genres.

The following artists will perform at the 2012 edition of the "New England Metal and Hardcore Festival":

- Friday, April 20:

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
THE ACACIA STRAIN
OCEANO
ALL SHALL PERISH
NILE
SKELETONWITCH
LIONHEART
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE
FIRST BLOOD
MOLOTOV SOLUTION
THE CONTORTIONIST
REIGN SUPREME
CONDUCTING FROM THE GRAVE
FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY
INCENDIARY
PALEHORSE
HOUR OF PENANCE
LEGION
RELENTLESS

- Saturday, April 21

ALL THAT REMAINS
DRAGONFORCE
OVERKILL
IWRESTLEDABEARONCE
PROTEST THE HERO
PERIPHERY
BANE
SHIPWRECK
CRUEL HAND
ABORTED
BLACKGUARD
THE MONGOLOIDS
BELGARDOR
SYSTEM DIVIDE
NAYSAYER
THE GREENERY
DIAMOND PLATE
ROTTING OUT
EXPIRE
ELITIST
TRUMPET THE HARLOT
MANNERS
MALEFICE

- Sunday, April 22

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
EVERY TIME I DIE
VANNA
FOR TODAY
CHELSEA GRIN
SLEEPING GIANT
STICK TO YOUR GUNS
ATTILA
ON BROKEN WINGS
MYCHILDREN MYBRIDE
FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS
TEXAS IN JULY
UPON A BURNING BODY
VOLUMES
LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES
HUNDREDTH
NO BRAGGING RIGHTS
COUNTERPARTS
GIDEON

Tickets for the festival will go on sale this Friday (December 16) at 10 a.m. Ticket prices are: $40 (Friday), $45 (Saturday), and $40 (Sunday) or $115 (three-day pass).

Related links:
New England Metal & Hardcore Festival

Compilation Of The New England Metal & Hardcore Festival Available NOW + Win A Trip To This Year's Fest!

It's that time of year again when the Metal community starts to gear up for the annual New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, taking place April 20th - 22nd in Worcester, MA. This year FYE & 'Stache Media have teamed up with MassConcerts to create the 2012 New England Metal & Hardcore FestivalCD sampler, featuring some of the bands playing this year's festival + more!

There is a contest running where one winner and a guest will receive a three-day pass to the festival, roundtrip airfare, and hotel accommodations. For details and official contest rules visit www.metalandhardcorefestival.com/Contest

The New England Metal & Hardcore Festival CD sampler is available at your local participating f.y.e. store (while supplies last). Get the sampler for FREE when you purchase a $9.99 CD in stores from the featured bands below.

New England Metal & Hardcore Festival 2012 Sampler Tracklisting:

1. The Black Dahlia Murder - "Moonlight Equilibrium" (featured on Ritual)
2. Skeletonwitch - "Reduced To The Failure Of Prayer" (featured on Forever Abomination)
3. For Today - "Devastator" (featured on Breaker)
4. Vanna - "Black Bones" (featured on And They Came Baring Bones)
5. Fit For An Autopsy - "The Juggernaut" (featured on The Process of Human Extermination)
6. Chelsea Grin - "The Foolish One" (featured on My Damnation)
7. Within The Ruins - "Versus" (featured on Invade)
8. Attila - "Payback" (featured on Outlawed)
9. Counterparts - "Jumping Ship" (featured on The Current Will Carry Us)
10. Gideon - "Virtue" (featured on Costs)
11. Christian Mistress - "Haunted Hunted" (featured on Possession)
12. Dr. Acula - "Party 2.0" (featured on Slander)
13. Wretched - "My Carrion" (featured on Beyond The Gate)
14. Emmure - "Solar Flare Homicide" (featured on Speaker Of the Dead)
15. Carnifex - "Until I Feel Nothing" (featured on Until I Feel Nothing)
16. Close Your Eyes - "Valleys" (featured on Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts)

* Bonus track included from Break Thru Artist: Imagine the Escape - "Reclamation" (featured on What Once Existed EP)



The following artists will perform at the 2012 edition of the "New England Metal and Hardcore Festival":

- Friday, April 20:

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
THE ACACIA STRAIN
OCEANO
ALL SHALL PERISH
NILE
SKELETONWITCH
LIONHEART
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE
FIRST BLOOD
MOLOTOV SOLUTION
THE CONTORTIONIST
REIGN SUPREME
CONDUCTING FROM THE GRAVE
FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY
INCENDIARY
PALEHORSE
HOUR OF PENANCE
LEGION
RELENTLESS

- Saturday, April 21

[Headliner to be announced January 2, 2012]
OVERKILL
IWRESTLEDABEARONCE
PROTEST THE HERO
PERIPHERY
BANE
SHIPWRECK
CRUEL HAND
ABORTED
BLACKGUARD
THE MONGOLOIDS
BELGARDOR
SYSTEM DIVIDE
NAYSAYER
THE GREENERY
DIAMOND PLATE
ROTTING OUT
EXPIRE
ELITIST
TRUMPET THE HARLOT
MANNERS
MALEFICE

- Sunday, April 22

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
EVERY TIME I DIE
VANNA
FOR TODAY
CHELSEA GRIN
SLEEPING GIANT
STICK TO YOUR GUNS
ATTILA
ON BROKEN WINGS
MYCHILDREN MYBRIDE
FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS
TEXAS IN JULY
UPON A BURNING BODY
VOLUMES
LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES
HUNDREDTH
NO BRAGGING RIGHTS
COUNTERPARTS
GIDEON

Tickets for the festival will go on sale this Friday (December 16) at 10 a.m. Ticket prices are: $40 (Friday), $45 (Saturday), and $40 (Sunday) or $115 (three-day pass).

Related links:
New England Metal & Hardcore Festival

BORKNAGAR Reveals Album Cover & Tracklisting For 'Urd'

Norwegian avant-garde Metallers BORKNAGAR are now unveiling the cover artwork for their much anticipated NEW studio album, 'Urd', set to be released on March 26th, 2012 in Europe as well as March 27th, 2012 in North America via Century Media Records.

The album's artwork was designed by Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco, who has not only already worked on the band's previous 'Universal' release, but also with artists such as Soulfly, Belphegor, Einherjer, and Keep Of Kalessin.

BORKNAGAR's mastermind Øystein G. Brun comments on the artwork:

"The cover and design for 'Urd' is spot on when it comes to portraying the very core of the band. This time around we wanted an earthly expression through our cover and general design to support and empower the main themes on the album. You can almost smell and feel the texture of the old Norse wooden carvings - still there is a sophisticated and eclectic approach to the expression that entwines perfectly into the music. Marcelo Vasco enhanced our ideas into brilliance, he painted the face of the beast that is about to be unleashed..."

BORKNAGAR has recently finalized mixing duties for the album with Jens Bogren at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios (Opeth, Paradise Lost, Katatonia, etc.). The track-listing for the 'Urd' is as follows:

1. Epochalypse
2. Roots
3. The Beauty Of Dead Cities
4. The Earthling
5. The Plains Of Memories
6. Mount Regency
7. Frostrite
8. The Winter Eclipse
9. In A Deeper World

The band previously explained the album title and its overall concept as follows:

"Our previous album was called 'Universal' and where should we go after an album title with such a magnitude? Well, we decided to head back home to earth. We really wanted to get back to the core of the band, where it all started - the admiration and pondering about nature and mankind's place therein. 'Urd' is the name of one of the norns that according to northern mythology stands under Yggdrasill and weaves the lifeline of mankind. 'Urd' is representing the past, while 'Verdande' is representing the present and 'Skuld' is representing the future. You might very well say that this is an ancient expression of what we today know as DNA. And I have always been very fascinated by the fact that parts and bits of our DNA actually derive from the very beginning of time. All living creatures are somewhat connected to the very first organic cell. That is some of the story behind the album title..."

BORKNAGAR is:

- Øystein G. Brun: Clean & Electric Guitars (Cronian, ex-Molested)
- Vintersorg: Grim Vocals, Clean Vocals & Choirs (Vintersorg, Fission)
- Lars A. Nedland: Keys, Clean Vocals & Choirs (Solefald, ex-Carpathian Forest)
- Jens F. Ryland: Lead Guitars (ICS Vortex)
- ICS Vortex: Bass, Clean Vocals & Choirs (ex-Dimmu Burgir, Arcturus, ICS Vortex)
Drums and percussion on 'Urd' were performed by David Kinkade (Soulfly, ex-Malevolent Creation)

BORKNAGAR Live 2012:

- 4/4-7: Oslo (Norway) - Inferno Festival
- 4/13-14 - Lichtenfels (Germany) - Ragnarök Festival

Related links:
Official Site of Borknagar
Borknagar on MySpace
Borknagar on Facebook
Century Media Records

BORKNAGAR Completes NEW Studio Album! Album Title & Release Dates Announced!

Norwegian Avant-garde Metallers BORKNAGAR have finalized mixing duties for their upcoming studio album with Jens Bogren at acclaimed Fascination Street Studios (Opeth, Paradise Lost, Katatonia, etc.) in Sweden, and they have now checked-in to announce that the long awaited NEW effort will be titled 'Urd' and is to be released on March 26th, 2012 in Europe as well as March 27th, 2012 in North America via Century Media Records.

BORKNAGAR's mastermind Øystein G. Brun has checked-in with the following message:

"Well, our new album 'Urd' was finished in mid-December and all in all we spent about 6 months to record, produce and mix it. In the 'Bork-World' this isn't really long, but I can assure you that we have never before invested so much time, energy and effort into one single production. It has been a tough, yet inspiring ride. Since June 2011 I have constantly been working with this album, recording, editing and so forth - day and night. The same goes for my comrades, never before have we made an album where everybody in the band has been so heavily involved and dedicated as this time around. 'Urd' is surely the peak of our musical journey so far and we are extremely proud to have made this giant of an album! It's massive, it's emotional, it's fast, it's slow, it's epic, and it's progressive...all the ingredients that we have crafted our musical world on! And not to mention the 'golden threesome' on vocals (Vintersorg, Mr. Vortex and Lazare) really shines on this album...Do I need to say more?!"

Furthermore, he explains the album title within the band's historical context as follows:

"Our previous album was called 'Universal' and where should we go after an album title with such a magnitude? Well, we decided to head back home to earth. We really wanted to get back to the core of the band, where it all started - the admiration and pondering about nature and mankind's place therein. 'Urd' is the name of one of the norns that according to northern mythology stands under Yggdrasill and weaves the lifeline of mankind. 'Urd' is representing the past, while 'Verdande' is representing the present and 'Skuld' is representing the future. You might very well say that this is an ancient expression of what we today know as DNA. And I have always been very fascinated by the fact that parts and bits of our DNA actually derive from the very beginning of time. All living creatures are somewhat connected to the very first organic cell. That is some of the story behind the album title..."

BORKNAGAR is:

- Øystein G. Brun: Clean & Electric Guitars (Cronian, ex-Molested)
- Vintersorg: Grim Vocals, Clean Vocals & Choirs (Vintersorg, Fission)
- Lars A. Nedland: Keys, Clean Vocals & Choirs (Solefald, ex-Carpathian Forest)
- Jens F. Ryland: Lead Guitars (ICS Vortex)
- ICS Vortex: Bass, Clean Vocals & Choirs (ex-Dimmu Burgir, Arcturus, ICS Vortex)
Drums and percussion on 'Urd' were performed by David Kinkade (Soulfly, ex-Malevolent Creation)

BORKNAGAR Live 2012:

- 4/4-7: Oslo (Norway) - Inferno Festival
- 4/13-14 - Lichtenfels (Germany) - Ragnarök Festival

Related links:
Official Site of Borknagar
Borknagar on MySpace
Borknagar on Facebook
Century Media Records

Lineup Revealed For The 2012 New England Metal & Hardcore Festival!

Today, MassConcerts, who are the organizers of the annual music festival dubbed as "The New England Metal & Hardcore Festival", announced the lineup for the 14th edition of this annual music fest. The festival is scheduled to take place on the weekend of April 20-22, 2012.

"The New England Metal & Hardcore Festival", is the largest and longest running Metal and Hardcore festival in the United States. Since its inception in 1999, the festival has gathered some of the most established musical acts in Heavy Music, as well as upcoming artists within the Heavy Metal and Hardcore genres.

The following artists will perform at the 2012 edition of the "New England Metal and Hardcore Festival":

- Friday, April 20:

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
THE ACACIA STRAIN
OCEANO
ALL SHALL PERISH
NILE
SKELETONWITCH
LIONHEART
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE
FIRST BLOOD
MOLOTOV SOLUTION
THE CONTORTIONIST
REIGN SUPREME
CONDUCTING FROM THE GRAVE
FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY
INCENDIARY
PALEHORSE
HOUR OF PENANCE
LEGION
RELENTLESS

- Saturday, April 21

[Headliner to be announced January 2, 2012]
OVERKILL
IWRESTLEDABEARONCE
PROTEST THE HERO
PERIPHERY
BANE
SHIPWRECK
CRUEL HAND
ABORTED
BLACKGUARD
THE MONGOLOIDS
BELGARDOR
SYSTEM DIVIDE
NAYSAYER
THE GREENERY
DIAMOND PLATE
ROTTING OUT
EXPIRE
ELITIST
TRUMPET THE HARLOT
MANNERS
MALEFICE

- Sunday, April 22

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
EVERY TIME I DIE
VANNA
FOR TODAY
CHELSEA GRIN
SLEEPING GIANT
STICK TO YOUR GUNS
ATTILA
ON BROKEN WINGS
MYCHILDREN MYBRIDE
FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS
TEXAS IN JULY
UPON A BURNING BODY
VOLUMES
LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES
HUNDREDTH
NO BRAGGING RIGHTS
COUNTERPARTS
GIDEON

Here is what Killswitch Engage singer Howard Jones had to say about being part of next years festivities: "Yup, trouble's brewing. It's been great to have time off, but now it's back to business. All the guys in Killswitch are truly excited to be playing New England Metal & Hardcore Festival again. It's like old times: hanging out with your friends, but they have mustaches now. Come on out, bring a friend and let's make some sweat!"


Tickets for the festival will go on sale this Friday (December 16) at 10 a.m. Ticket prices are: $40 (Friday), $45 (Saturday), and $40 (Sunday) or $115 (three-day pass).

Related links:
New England Metal & Hardcore Festival