Recorded, mixed & mastered by J.H at Mayhem (CPH).
Additional chaos & decadence by Anders M. Jørgensen.
SHADOW RECORDS (distributed & marketed by REGAIN RECORDS) is proud to present AKEFAL’s striking debut EP, Opus Darkness, on CD and 12” vinyl formats.
AKEFAL are a new entity hailing from Denmark/Sweden’s ever-thriving black/death scene, and include among their ranks members from such esteemed cults as ULTRA SILVAM, TAPHOS and BLOT & BOD. However, on evidence of their debut EP, Opus Darkness – not to mention the preceding demo, The Repository of Stolen Fire – AKEFAL are their own band entirely, and one utterly DANGEROUS to behold!
At once deeply classic and shockingly modern, AKEFAL’s attack on Opus Darkness is unrelentingly wild and unremittingly weird, but all done in service of chaos eternal. In just four songs across a shock ‘n’ awe explosion of 11 minutes, AKEFAL evoke the lawless surge of Angelcorpse, Katharsis, and Morbid Angel but flay the senses with an OTT overload of feral frequencies ala The Third Eye Rapists or Necrovore. Which is all to say that Opus Darkness mangles the mind and body in equal measure, with clanging chords bending backwards at obscene angles and detonations of solo squall adding tension and terror, all fuzzed out in a manner that recalls the antagonistic glory of G.I.S.M. If all this sounds like “too much” of TOO MUCH, then it probably is, and AKEFAL are thus not for you: If you are a false, do not entry!
Appended to this edition of Opus Darkness is the aforementioned three-song The Repository of Stolen Fire, delivering the ultimate first strike of AKEFAL in a mere 20 minutes. SHADOW RECORDS is devilishly pleased to be working with this horde for future assaults on humanity and good taste.
The album description mentions an “emotional apex.” That’s really the difference between Stare and the band’s previous albums. Ulcerate was always supremely technically proficient. I just didn’t care all that much. Their growth has come from making music you will feel. Metallurgical Fire
Blistering blackened death metal with haunting melody lines throughout. The melody never overcomes but rather gives hypnotizing testimony to the churning rhythms threatening to pull the listener below the waves. This is music by which to summon the Great Old Ones. Robert Royer
At just 27 minutes, there's an onslaught of shred in this tumultuous blend of death metal and black metal from Italy. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 7, 2017
I came accross Black Curse, and their first demo, on Greg Biehl / No Gleaming Light YT channel in late 2019 and a bit later, in 2020, as it was covid, a whole lot of time was spent at home listening to music.
In April 2020, I took a slap in my face. The songs that were already on the demo, with the new production here were so insane, it dragged me to hell. Black Curse is definitely one of the most violent band I listened in the last years. Next-level Black-Death metal for sure ! drs_dramm