PREORDER

After 2 years of touring North America, Europe, Russia, Asia and Australia, The Ocean have resurfaced with what could be their deepest and most trailblazing piece of work to date, Pelagial: a progressive musical journey, written, recorded, mixed and to-be-performed-live as one single 54-minutes piece of music. Mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Witchcraft) at Fascination Street Studios in Örebrö, Sweden, Pelagial is set to be released on April 26th / 29th (Europe) and April 30th (North America / world) through Metal Blade.

This is the preorder for a special acrylic boxset edition of the album, released through Pelagic Records. These heavy acrylic boxes contain the CD digipak and an extra DVD; which will be "buried" underneath 5 thick acrylic layers, coloured in different hues of blue, each layer reflecting one of the 5 pelagial depth zones.

These acrylic layers and boxes will be silk-screen printed by hand with artwork by Martin Kvamme. The combined effect of the patterns that we will print onto the individual layers, and the material thickness (up to 2 cm!), will create a 3D visual effect when the layers are stacked on top of one another, and looked at from different angles and in different lighting conditions. To be fair, we don't really know exactly how this will come out at this point - it is an experimental art project and we are prepared for surprises (and for adapting the print design if need be).

We only have some crappy mockups at the moment (click the thumbnail!), but this should give you at least a rough idea of what this will look like. We will post updates as soon as there's new stuff to show!

The sheer weight of these boxes is more than 1kg per box! Manufacturing is extremely difficult and expensive, hence the high price.
Given the possibility of unforeseeable difficulties with the production and shipment of 3,5 tons of acrylic layers, we cannot guarantee a definite shipping date at this point. If everything goes according to plan, we will ship end of April.

In any case, every one who preorders will receive a download link for the album by email on the release date!!! So even if you may have to wait a week or 2 for your physical boxset to arrive, you'll have the album already. We believe it'll be worth the months of time and $$$ invested, and hope you appreciate our efforts to offer our loyal fans who order from us directly something truly special. We're quite sure that this is one of the most unique packagings in the history of record packagings

This boxset also comes with an extra DVD featuring a 5:1 dolby surround mix of the instrumental version of Pelagial, and the Pelagial movie by Craig Murray. This movie, which is the meticulous work of shooting, cutting and editing for a whole year, completes the holistic music and visual art project that is Pelagial. For the full experience of the album, you must see the film!

• strictly limited to 1000 copies
• 2 CDs (vocal and instrumental album): 108 minutes of new music!
• 1 DVD (a 54 minutes movie by Craig Murray and a 5:1 dolby surround mix of the album; DD and DTS)
• 2 booklets and an extra O-Card with UV spot gloss print
• special ltd. acrylic box with 5 silk-screened acrylic layers!

After 2 years of touring North America, Europe, Russia, Asia and Australia, The Ocean have resurfaced with what could be their deepest and most trailblazing piece of work to date, Pelagial: a progressive musical journey, written, recorded, mixed and to-be-performed-live as one single 54-minutes piece of music. Mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Witchcraft) at Fascination Street Studios in Örebrö, Sweden, Pelagial is set to be released on April 26th / 29th (Europe) and April 30th (North America / world) through Metal Blade.

• 2 CDs (vocal and instrumental album): 108 minutes of new music!
• 2 booklets and an extra O-Card with UV spot gloss print

this is the "standard" digipak version of the album (which isn't all that "standard", really)... the same that comes with the ltd. box sets.

After their critically acclaimed debut album Look and Behold (Pelagic Records 2011), Lo!, hailing from Sydney, Australia, are now back with their second album Monstrorum Historia... and it really is a monster of an album, an angry beast spitting nails and fire in every direction. One of the refreshing things about this band is the way they weave different styles of music into their own, heavy garment: there are plenty of faster parts, relentlessly driven by heavy-hitting drummer Adrian Griffin's extraordinary playing, but there are also slow, doomy, atmospheric passages that suck the listener into Lo!'s dark cosmos. There are anthemic metal riffs, but there is also the energy of the more abrasive side of hardcore in their songs, represented by bands like Cursed or Black Breath...

“Lo! have come to remind you of glorious times, times when Mastodon were using samples of Jurassic Park to kick off their records”,Metal Hammer (UK) wrote about Look and Behold, and Big Cheese added: “this gang of Australian brawlers sound like Beecher and Converge going at it in a cage match… sludgy hardcore hasn't sounded this good in ages!”

Good things are lined up at the band's horizon: after a very active year 2012 in Australia, including shows with Russian Circles, Doomriders, Sleep and The Ocean, Lo! are finally coming over to Europe this spring – to support Cult of Luna and The Ocean on their upcoming tour. Lo! have also been confirmed for a performance at Roadburn and Impetus Festivals in April. Make sure to check them out live, as they are truly a sight to behold on stage!

The monochrome artwork perfectly represents the spirit of Monstrorum Historia. The CD version comes in a nice digipak printed on the rough side of the cardboard. Pelagic Records is also offering a limited silk-screened Roadburn poster,  www.pelagic-records.com/poster.

PREORDER - will ship April 20th

From the darkest parts of Northern Sweden, THE OLD WIND blows... raw and cold, just like its origin and heritage. This constellation of 5 is a new project incepted, after years of absence from the live-scene, by Tomas Liljedahl, former vocalist of the legendary BREACH, who must be counted as one of the most visionary and influential bands of the past 2 decades - a band without whom none of all these newer sub-genres of heavy music that have the word „post“ in them, would exist.

Tomas wrote and recorded every instrument on Feast On Your Gone all by himself: „TOW started growing in my mind when I was in need of theraphy. I´ve had a couple of really dark years, and I needed to project the hard times through something... and I found that writing words and music were the best way to get these demons out of my system“, comments Liljedahl. Make no mistake about it, Feast On Your Gone is a vile, cold, ugly record.

Originally incepted as a studio project, Liljedahl soon realized that these rough, abrasive songs needed to be performed live, with a real band. And so he teamed up with his former BREACH band mates Niklas Quintana (guitar) and Kristian Andersson (bass guitar), added drummer Karl Daniel Liden to the lineup and asked Robin Staps of Pelagic Records & The Ocean to join on 3rd guitar. „BREACH was probably THE one most important band for me ever, period. So when Tomas asked me to join his new band, I felt honored of course. The prospect of playing some shows with these guys in the future is very exciting, to say the least“, comments Staps.

This album is the first sign of life of a band which consists of old veterans of the European heavy music scene – still, a juvenile band that has not yet played a single live show! “Rehearsals are scheduled for May 2013, and everyone of us is really pumped to get this going”, says Liljedahl.

The CD version comes in a 3-panel digipak.

Danish post rock 5-piece The Shaking Sensations' upcoming album "Start Stop Worrying" will be released March 22nd (GAS) / 25th (Europe). For the follow-up to critically-acclaimed "East Of Youth", the band has teamed up with producer Matt Bayles (ISIS, Mastodon, Caspian, Russian Circles). The result is a more mature sound, emphasizing the heavier side of their sound, whilst keeping its oftentimes ambient and dreamy quality.

"...The Shaking Sensations’ embrace of post-rock’s minimalist stylings precludes genuine innovation, but their fuzzy meditations brilliantly conjure frustrated hopes and longings. For those skeptical about the notion of this genre, these young Danes may prove its territory with possibilities yet to be mined...", Prog Magazine (UK) wrote,

and Big Cheese (UK) added: "They are part of what I hope is a new generation who take bands like Mono as an influence as much as they do Godspeed and are ready and willing to carry the torch for expressive instrumental based rock music to a new legion of fans"; and gave the album a 4 out 5.

The Shaking Sensations have been touring extensively in the last couple of years, supporting acts such as Caspian, And So I Watch You From Afar and Russian Circles. For fans of EF, Explosions in the Sky, Caspian, Efterklang, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mono..

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Swiss trio Coilguns are set to release their debut album "Commuters" on February 22nd (GAS) and 25th (rest of Europe) CD & digital formats; and March 15th (GAS) / 18th (rest of Europe) vinyl. The CD version comes with a 5-panel digipak which folds out in the shape of an upside down cross

"Commuters" was entirely recorded live, every song in one take. The incorporation of synths and more guitar and bass loops has added more depth to their original punky yet heavy sound. Some tracks on the album are featuring up to 5 guitar players at the same time. No overdubs or edits have been made on this record except for the vocals.

Coilguns have been pushing their boundaries to find a unique and most certainly odd sound, and by simplifying their songwriting, they've intensified and emphasized their heavyness.

Preorders will ship by February 12th.

"What's all the fuss about?", Decibel Magazine asked... well, it's about FAMILY!

A new leader of the Brooklyn pack, FAMILY combines lush classic rock flavor with modern progressive heaviness on its astonishing debut album, Portrait. The balance Family strikes is one perfected by precious few bands. To bring the vibes of our forefathers -- the finesse, the hooks, the grooves of say, Led Zeppelin -- into the modern day metal underground; to take a classic rock sense of musicality and use it to make something that’s fiercely original, crushingly heavy and not “retro” at all... this is a fine line indeed, a delicate tension that is rarely achieved.

Based in Brooklyn, Family is comprised of two native New Yorkers and two Deep Southerners, bringing together a wealth of musical influences and life experiences. Guitarist, primary songwriter, and native Manhattanite Steven Gordon writes for preeminent music blog MetalSucks. Second guitarist Joshua Lozano, a Queens native, was employed for years at the legendary CBGB, and also plays with avant-black metallers Cobalt and former Swans vocalist Jarboe.

'Nuff said! Now Listen to "Bridge & Tunnel", which recently premiered on the deciblog... and then listen to the track "Bobsky" here

In late October, KHOMA (Umeå, Sweden) will release All Erodes, the epilogue to the highly acclaimed albums Tsunami (2004), The Second Wave (2006) and A final Storm (2010). All Erodes features 9 previously unreleased songs written between 2002 and 2012 and will be released in a strictly limited edition on vinyl with silk-screened cover art!

- “We ́ve recorded a lot of material for every record that we have had to leave out or didn’t have time to finalize... but we really like all these songs and wanted to do something with them... the idea is that 'All Erodes' – spanning songs from all three stages – will sum up and close this part of Khoma's history”, says guitarist Johannes.

KHOMA was born in Umeå in 2003, melding the aggression of the long established local hardcore scene and the burgeoning pop scene. The band - consisting of several members of Cult of Luna and P.G Lost – soon became a breathing space where the different styles could merge.

After "The Second Wave" (Roadrunner) and "A Final Storm" (Selective Notes / Pelagic), here is Khoma's latest offering: a harsh, emotional & intense blend of sweeping melodies and roaring guitars!

Comes in a mat 3-panel digipak with 2 pockets for CD and booklet.

this is a preorder. CDs will ship by October 20th.

"The Serpent, The Prophet & The Whore" was inspired by a novel by J.G. Rawls entitled The Chronoception; and the prevalent themes of falling from grace, primal fear, physical pain, loneliness and mystical visions resonate loud and painfully within this Swiss quintet's second album.

The music was composed with these themes in mind and thus emerged darker and more tortured than what the band had done before, driving the contemplative aspects of their sound towards even bleaker aural landscapes, while pushing its violent side further towards armageddon...

Comes in a slick 3-panel digipak with extra metallic colours + booklet

After tours and shows with Crowbar, Sleep, Unsane, Red Fang, Torche, Boris, Russian Circles, The Ocean and Valient Thorr, here is the next round of salvoes from the Earthship! The band's 2nd full-length „Iron Chest“ is a vile beast of an album, spitting iron nails in every direction. Earthship's heavy custom sound has clearly grown and reached a new level of intensity.

As Rocksound (UK) put it, „It's pretty clear that Earthship are on the course for greatness“.Comes in a slick 3-panel digipak with extra metallic colours!

"a hugely promising debut that is a forcefully atmospheric blend of thick, weighty riffs, dreamy ambient soundscapes and desolate noise (...) There's a wealth of moods and styles that are subtly woven into Abraham's fabric and exploited in the most effective of ways." - Terrorizer

"Powerful, atmospheric, dark, meditative, angry, forceful" - Visions, 9/12

"brick-heavy riffs meet a mighty but at all times delicate rhythmic base, flanked by psychedelic guitar lines and desperate vocals that at numerous moments are also delivered in a clean way... a husky debut." - Rock Hard, 8/10

"This is so intense that it almost hurts physically. ABRAHAM devour their listeners and suck them down in their maelstrom of hatred and desperation" - Metal Hammer, 5/7

"ABRAHAM create a challenging, holistic post-sound in the truest and best sense of the word" - Legacy, 12/15

"Since Samael and Celtic Frost, the end of all times has not been sung about in a more charming way" - Intro

EF's brilliant 2nd album (2008) features 58 Minutes of epic instrumental music, spread out over 6 tracks. If you haven't heard it yet, here's your chance!

Swedish postrock icons EF deliver an array of beautiful, lengthy instrumental songs on their 3rd and latest full-length album (2010).

"It’s a revisit to the strengths of Mogwai, the tones and soundscapes of Explosions In The Sky, and the more successful vocal inclusions in the genre – a distant Sigur Ros comparison is fair, though more in line with The Album Leaf and recent Eluvium - never drawing attention to the singers individually, while making better the whole of the atmosphere of the music at hand... They clearly know their f'ing post-rock." - Sputnik Music

EF's first album in a nice mat natural cardboard digipak packaging; remixed and remastered 2012!

With their 2nd studio album „Acid Mist tomorrow“, French metal experimentalists HYPNO5E create a unique musical realm. You could call it „ambient metal“ or „fusion metal“; there is the airy playfulness of modern day′s CYNIC in their songwriting, but the melodic, mellow side is only half of the picture. The other side is dark and crushingly heavy, but the airy serenity always comes back at one point: this is what makes „Acid Mist Tomorrow“ so interesting and captivating.

After 2 full US tours and more than 200 shows alongside bands such as GOJIRA and even ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, HYPNO5E are no longer just a „French phenomenon“. The 4-piece′s live shows display a holistic approach to the arts: with video projections and conceptual lighting being an integral part of the spectacle, HYPNO5E create a mesmerizing atmosphere that sucks the listener into their dark cosmos. The band was recently seen supporting legendary fusion metallers CYNIC across Europe.

"Acid Mist Tomorrow" trägt eine emotionale Dimension mit sich, die nur wenige Veröffentlichungen aufspannen können. Schwermütig, trostlos, geradezu verzweifelt klingen die knapp 52 Minuten - und das zu jeder Zeit absolut authentisch, konsequent und Gänsehaut verursachend." - Metal.de, 10 / 10 

Lo!′s unpolished, abrasive sound calls up the image of a derailed freight-train, crushing everything in its path, ripping up the soil before coming to a flaming halt in the middle of the lifeless Moroccan hammada... Lo! - hailing from Sydney, Australia - follow bands like Old Man Gloom on their path down the dirt-trail of sludgy, noisy hardcore - but the band finds their own distinct sideways soon. That′s why "Look and Behold" sounds surprisingly fresh, from the first feedback of opener "Hath" to the last waning cymbals of closing track "Fire at the Child Actor′s Guild". Atmospheric electronic interludes such as the elegiac "Seraphim" or "Doth" give the listener some space to take a breath in between the assault of mighty groove-riffs and berserk drum attacks and further add to the diversity of the whole damn thing.

"a sludgy and abrasive (though delicious) stew, seasoned with all kinds of exotic time signatures and a hint of Mastodon" - Blunt Magazine

"Seltsamer Name, coole Musik! LO! kredenzen uns auf ihrem ersten Full-Length-Werk ein reizvolles Postcore-Abenteuer, das sich im Spannungsfeld zwischen Cult Of Luna, Breach und Burst bewegt. Die Combo agiert rhythmisch sehr agil und variabel, Genre-artiges, stereotypes Riff-Gewalze sucht man auf "Look And Behold" größtenteils vergebens. LO! wechseln gerne und häufig das Tempo, der Ideenreichtum ist beachtlich und die Jungs schaffen es mühelos, ihre Musik fließen zu lassen. Es ist der Kontrastreichtum, der LO! anders macht. Abgerundet wird diese mitreißende Scheibe von einer transparenten, kraftvoll pushenden Produktion, die sämtliche Instrumente inklusive des facettenreichen Gesangs bestens beleuchtet. Klasse!" - Rock Hard (8 / 10)

LAST COPIES EVER !!!!

This strictly limited silver-foiled cardboard CD box (1000 copies) contains 2 digipaks: the "Heliocentric" and the "Anthropocentric" album. Also included are 2 extra CD called "Heliocentral" and "Anthropocentral"; which are fully mastered instrumental versions of the albums.

THE BOX

• silver hot foil-stamped cardboard box, exclusive artwork by Martin Kvamme

INSIDE THE BOX

• • "Heliocentric" and "Anthropocentric" digipaks (ltd. European deluxe edition, Metal Blade Records). Each digipak comes with 3 revolving transparent & silver-/gold-foiled PVC dials attached to the front of gatefold with a screw, showing the sun / earth, the orbits of the planets revolving around the sun / earth, and the zodiacs. These dials can be manually turned.
  • 2 extra instrumental CDs "Heliocentral" and "Anthropocentral"
• click on the cover image to get an idea of this super-lavish packaging !!!

(ltd. edition digipak CD + extra instrumental CD) 

• "Heliocentric" digipak (ltd. European deluxe edition, Metal Blade Records). Comes with 3 revolving transparent & silver -printed PVC dials attached to the front of digipak with a screw; depicting the sun, the orbits of the planets revolving around the sun, and the zodiacs. These dials can be turned by hand!
• the CD is held by a cardboard "constellation finder
• 9 tarot-style cards inside with images by painter Franisco de Hollanda and lyrics on backside

• standard jewel case version
• 2 CDs: one full-length with special black CD metallizing; one 3" CD with printed plastic frame

"Epic in scope and flawless in execution, "Precambrian" reinforces The Ocean as one of the most exciting names in modern heavy music. Behold mind-blowing metal on a wagnerian scale." - Rock Sound (UK), 9/10

"Full of cinematic breadth and orchestral majesty, it's easy to get lost in the album's 80 minutes of rhythmic sea changes and powerful riffing. The Ocean excel in their idiosyncratic nuances and hammering insistence on this Teutonic paean to Earth's geology" - Revolver (USA), 4/5

"... engrossing to the point where words don't necessarily matter: The Ocean do for earth science class what Mastodon did for Melville: make learning brutal" - Decibel (USA), 9/10

(Metal Blade Records, 2005)

• 52:55 minutes.

1. 'monstrously huge' - Revolver, USA, 5 / 5
2. *record of the month* december 2005 - Close Up Magazine, Sweden
3. 'The Ocean is the future!' - Rock Tribune, Belgium, 95 / 100
4. 'Complex, overwhelming and mercilessly tight, this is a spot of pain barrier demolition your ears wont forgive in a hurry.' - Kerrang!, KKKK
5. 'a vast and intimidating piece of work... a spiky and cerebral modern metal odyssey.' - Terrorizer, UK

(Pelagic Records, 2009 reissue)

• 60 minutes of music
• new vocals by Mike Pilat, remixed, remastered
• entirely new artwork by Martin Kvamme
• deluxe edition, comes with black slipcase including special print colors and additional artwork and illustrations by Martin Kvanmme

THE OCEAN's first instrumental album (2003).

'an eminently listenable piece of work, with skilful attention to mood comparable to soundtrack music.' - Kerrang!, UK, KKKK

'brimming with ingenuity, passion and a driving sense of urgency. As invigorating as a breath of fresh sea air, this is a treasure that's begging to b discovered.' - Rock Sound, UK

This EP has a total of 6 tracks by 2 different THE OCEAN-related side-projects!

Coilguns is guitarist Jona Nido, drummer Luc Hess and bass player / vocalist Louis Jucker, all of who also play in THE OCEAN. The 3 tracks on this split CD are merely a first sign of life of this promising new outfit. For fans of Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan or Death From Above 1979. The band will be on tour throughout Europe in September.

K U N Z is nothing less and nothing more than The Ocean Collective’s current rythm section, consisting of Louis Jucker (bass / vocals) and Luc Hess (drums). K U N Z stands for minimalist instrumentation, exuberating live-improvisations and the sheer raw energy of good old 3-minutes noise-rock songs. The band is known for experimenting with different live set-ups; playing on moving plattforms, in the middle of the room or trapped in cages.

"EARTHSHIP surge ahead like a nuclear-powered icebreaker through the Barents Sea, laden with mighty riffs, tons of groove and home-brewn whiskey. JOIN The "EARTHSHIP′s bearded crew, led by captain Jan Oberg (former drummer of THE OCEAN) for a ride through the vast black sea of doom and prog n′ roll.

„Exit Eden has bags of groove and melody to complement the raw agression of Oberg's thunderous riffs and barbed vocal attack. On this evidence, it's pretty clear that Earthship are on course for greatness.(7/10)“ - ROCK SOUND (UK)

"Fetter Scheiß! Das Debüt strotzt nur so vor mächtigen Riffwänden, dreckigen Grooves und so einigen Songperlen... Fans von Bands wie MASTODON, BARONESS, ACID BATH oder GHOST BRIGADE sollten hier goldrichtig liegen.“ (9/10) – HEAVY

„EARTHSHIP positionieren sich mit ihrem Debütalbum „Exit Eden“ als eine der wortgewaltigsten deutschen Antworten auf US-Futter der Mastodon/ Baroness/ Kylesa/ Torche-Liga und machen das mehr als ordentlich“ - ROCK HARD

• debut EP by this instrumental Swiss powerhouse - super heavy load!
• featuring members of KNUT, MUMAKIL and NOSTROMO
• supported BARONESS in Europe in January 2010
• deluxe digipak with special print colors, artwork by SELDON HUNT
• special 3"inch CD with plastic frame

this compilation has the song "Asslickers, Inc." by THE OCEAN on it (written and recorded end of 2008 and thus far unreleased...).

Compilation - 2xCD featuring mainly unreleased tracks by THE OCEAN, GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT UFOMAMMUT, WHITE HILLS, TAINT, KONGH, OMEGA MASSIF, U.S.CHRISTMAS, GNAW THEIR TONGUES, MUMAKIL, WHEN ICARUS FALLS, ACROSS TUNDRAS, ICOS [now MONACHUS], OCOAI, FARFLUNG, IMPURE WILHELMINA, TIME TO BURN, THE POISONED GLASS, KALVRIA, KINGDOM, TESA, KODIAK, KEHLVIN, JUCIFER and more.