Defenders Of The Faith, le forum Metal

Reformed Greek metallers NIGHTFALL have entered the studio to begin recording their new album, "Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants", tentatively due later in the year via an as-yet-undisclosed record label. Joining frontman and lyricist Efthimis Karadimas in the band's new lineup are Evan Hensley on guitar, Stathis Kassios on keyboards and Jörg Uken on drums.

Regarding the new CD title, the group states, "Tyrants represent the punishment accrued from our own actions, the allegoric way. But what about the first part of the title, Astron Black?

"The Astron refers to the bearer of light, the sun, life itself and phos that allows no secret to remain hidden for ever, the hope, the hunter, the ray slashing the monotony of nothing, the effort to breathe to cry to understand to communicate and ultimately to create, the god, the gods, the man!

"The Black refers to the endless, the eternal warm nest either within us or far above, the mystery, the epitome of arcane that asks to be conquered and the challenge that cannot be regretted, the deep, the soul attractor and fears the force’s being made of, the vessel of creation, the goddess, the womb, the woman!

"Astron Black is a fiction persona in human like body shape. Moving throughout centuries, being inspired and eventually driven by its needs and wills, this beast-cum-beauty and vice versa creature moves violently in harmonious circles known as Time. That Aenaon creature symbolises the opposite natures in universe, the duality that characterises every form of life and action whose motion generates aural waves, inking the pages of collective subconscious chronicles."

NIGHTFALL's seventh full-length album, "Lyssa: Rural Gods and Astonishing Punishments" was released in 2005 through Black Lotus Records.

Reformed Greek metallers NIGHTFALL — featuring frontman and lyricist Efthimis Karadimas alongside Evan Hensley on guitar, Stathis Kassios on keyboards and Jörg Uken on drums — have inked a deal with Metal Blade Records. The band's new album, "Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants", will be released later in the year.

Commented Karadimas: "NIGHTFALL are pleased and beyond excited to announce their signing of a recording contract with Metal Blade Records, one of the world's premier heavy metal record labels! It will be a pleasure to join the ranks alongside such fine and talented groups as SIX FEET UNDER, AMON AMARTH, GOD DETHRONED and classics such as SLAYER, MERCYFUL FATE, SACRED REICH, FATES WARNING, and LIZZY BORDEN, to name just a few. Although the ink on the deal is still fresh, it is safe to say that with Metal Blade behind them, NIGHTFALL will be charging ahead into the new decade at full speed!"

The cover artwork for "Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants", the new album from reformed Greek metallers NIGHTFALL — featuring frontman and lyricist Efthimis Karadimas alongside Evan Hensley on guitar, Stathis Kassios on keyboards and Jörg Uken on drums — can be viewed below. The CD is scheduled for release on August 31 (one day earlier internationally) via Metal Blade Records. The cover artwork was created by Travis Smith (OPETH, DEATH, NEVERMORE, KATATONIA).

Commented the band: "The front cover depicts the sea, the grand opposite of the sky-cum-space, and the means we humans are inventing to explore the unexplored. We are part of this universe and we use its planets to navigate, to tune our lives through the 'time' set by their motion, and who knows, may be to escape to some day in the future."

"Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants" track listing:

01. Intro
02. Astron Black
03. Astronomica / Saturnian Moon
04. Astra Planeta / We Chose The Sun
05. Ambassador Of Mass
06. The Criterion
07. Asebeia
08. I-I
09. Archon Basileus
10. Proxima Centauri / Dead Bodies
11. The Thirty Tyrants
12. Epsilon Lyrae

Everflow a écrit :2 titres complets en écoute sur ce lien : http://www.metalhammer.gr/magazine/

"Astron Black", the new video from Greek metallers NIGHTFALL, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants", which was released on August 31, 2010 (one day earlier internationally) via Metal Blade Records. The cover artwork was created by Travis Smith (OPETH, DEATH, NEVERMORE, KATATONIA).

Commented video director Achilleas Gatsopoulos: "We decided not to go safe and continue with the shadow-puppet approach for the second video too, even though there is still a lot of space for experimentation within that. Instead, I came up with an entirely different style that would add yet another facet to the complex task of visualizing NIGHTFALL's music. Working with the lyrics and with Efthimis' conceptual guidance, I set up a vast backdrop of space and time for our characters to inhabit, incorporating various planetary and astronomical elements. The characters include mythical deities such as Gaia, Prometheus, Venus / Pandora, as well as Astron Black, who symbolizes mankind and its progress through time. The video also incorporates Pandora's myth from Hesiod's Theogony. Gaia gives birth to stars and deities, to Prometheus. Prometheus stole the fire (also a metaphor for knowledge and practical thought) and gave it to man. Zeus punished Prometheus by binding him to a rock where the great eagle would come and eat his intestines every day. As an act of revenge on mankind, he creates Pandora, the first woman. Here we present Venus Pandora, who also possesses the power of sexual desire over man. Her curiosity proves fatal, as she opens the urn bestowed to her by the Gods, unleashing all evils upon mankind, leaving only hope inside.

"The style of the video brings together various elements such as stylish costumes, live action footage and CGI, adding a modern approach to the ancient but timeless imagery of our characters and situations.

"I truly believe that once again we managed to successfully recreate and enhance the lyrical and musical themes and create something unique that will stand the test of time stylistically."

Greek symphonic metallers NIGHTFALL have launched a landing page featuring the artwork and a new song off their upcoming album, "Cassiopeia". Go to this location to check out the pre-order possibilities and the lyric video for "Oberon & Titania".

NIGHTFALL singer Efthimis Karadimas stated about the "Cassiopeia" concept: "'Cassiopeia' has a specific thesis and though its name is linked to both the constellation and the mythical character of Andromeda's mother, it refers to arrogance as leading characteristic of the human race; the outcome of this and the overweening state of affairs are so popular these harsh days everywhere. The entire world seems to be shifting from its previous position to a new one and all and each one of us that used to feel like masters of our destiny are now starting to wonder about when, where and how this transition will end. It may be a punishment like Cassiopeia and Andromeda who claimed themselves more beautiful even to nereids suffered, or it may be just another change. Time will certainly tell."

Regarding "Oberon & Titania", Karadimas said: "The song is based on Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer's Night Dream' couple; He is the king of fairies and she is the fairy queen. Despite their apparent close relationship, they end up forcefully using their powers and skills against each other; like maniacs blinded by light of passion and haughtiness they drag themselves to the lowest dungeons of nature. It is the ceaseless passion between two beings; passion that unites before it destroys anything around it once unleashed. It is true we are nothing when it comes to sustaining our gratefulness in front of desire. We are born broken in a dilute world poets' admiration cannot disguise. And none can break the broken."

"Cassiopeia" will be released on January 18, 2013 via Metal Blade Records in Europe. The recordings for the CD took place in four different places, something NIGHTFALL is quite familiar with. Vocals and keys were recorded in Greece (Soundflakes studios and Cyberia) while the drums got hammered down in Germany in the Soundlodge studios. Guitars and bass were recorded in the U.S. in Nashville, Tennessee in the Boomcave studios.

More than on the previous album, "Astron Black & The Thirty Tyrants", in "Cassiopeia" the spirit of old-school heavy metal larks in almost every riff, with MERCYFUL FATE's and KING DIAMOND's guitar style having its top notch, always the NIGHTFALL way.

"Cassiopeia" track listing:

01. Phaethon
02. Oberon & Titania
03. Colonize Cultures
04. The Nightwatch
05. Stellar Parallax
06. Hubris
07. The Reptile Gods
08. Hyperion
09. Akhenaton, The 9th Pharaoh Of The 18th Dynasty
10. The Sand Reckoner
11. Astropolis

NIGHTFALL is:

Efthimis Karadimas - Vocals
Evan Hensley - Guitar
Constantine - Guitar
Stathis Ridis - Bass
Stathis Kassios - Keyboards
Jörg Uken - Drums

Greek melodic metal masters, Nightfall, will be releasing their new full-length, At Night We Prey, on March 5 via Season Of Mist, making it the band's debut to the label. The band has shared the first single from the new effort, "Darkness Forever". A lyric video for the song can be found below.

Vocalist Efthimis Karadimas comments on the track: "This song was originally inspired by Isaac Asimov’s nouvelle Nightfall. It is called 'Darkness Forever' because of its analogy to what one experiences when in deep depression. Hope seems to be nowhere near and help from others is never enough to bridge the gap between shattered psyche and real world. Incapacity to communicate this harsh condition, to explain what all is about, is suffocating. And as all beings struggling to breathe, reactions are neurotic and violent."