Happy/Sad News: NHR Records R.I.P. Sale – All CDs $2

Posted by valleyofsteel on

So I’ve just discovered some unfortunate news: Canadian independent label/distributor NHR Records is being forced to close down, due to the declined state of the music industry.

 

We at NHR Records have worked diligently over the years to adjust to the shrinking markets and we would like to thank everyone for their support over the 8 years we were in business. Unfortunately however, our operations have been affected harder than most with the decrease in volumes and general market softness in recent years. We have done everything that we can to sustain our business, but have come to the point where no other course of action was possible.
We are officially closing our business down June 29, 2012.

Again, we would like to thank all the bands and labels we have been in contact with or partnered with over the years. We would like to also expecally thank our customers past and present for all their support! With out you there would not have been a label.

The NHR Records Crew

 
However, if there is anything positive that can be said about this development, it would be the fact that all in-stock CDs have been temporarily slashed to just $2 plus shipping, but only through the end of this weekend.

 

 
This sale includes all NHR releases (Evil Wrath, Geimhre, Grendel, Grim Winter, Hot Graves, Keller, King, KRV, Overthrow, Primal Dawn, Skagos, Snowfall, Svartskog, Wurm) as well as dozens of other distro titles.

Click here to start shopping, but hurry, the sale ends on 17 June!

Coming Soon: A Band of Orcs’ New Album on Vinyl Picture Disc – Pre-Order Now to Help Fund the Pressing!

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California’s A Band of Orcs would love to release their forthcoming self-titled album in the huge, full-color glory that is a double-LP picture disc vinyl format. They would also love to come to your house and slay you and your family, then steal all your gold and eat all your food. They don’t seem too particular about which of those things takes place, but I suspect you might have strong feelings about one or the other.

Fortunately, the band has decided to give you the opportunity to help ensure the first outcome can happen — which would also ensure that you are spared during the orcs’ eventual quest for world domination. If that sounds appealing to you, here’s how it works…

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Yet Another TrollfesT Update: TONS of Free Shit Available with New Album!

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Is it just me, or does it seem like we’ve gone a little troll-crazy lately? Over the past couple of months, there have been quite a few posts about the “True Norwegian Balkan Metal” band TrollfesT…

We’ve had the revealing of the artwork for their upcoming NoiseArt Records album, Brumlebassen (shown above) as well as information about the story behind the troll-in-a-bee-costume character; later we learned about the release date (24 August) and watched a video teaser for the album, just to name a few.

Well, as it turns out, the merry band of trolls have even more surprises hidden up their sleeves! (Do trolls have sleeves?)

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In Memoriam: Woods of Ypres Merchandise Available to Benefit Family of David Gold

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The following information comes from Clawhammer PR:

On Dec 21, 2011, there was a shock wave felt around the world when David Gold of Ontario’s Woods of Ypres died on Highway 400. In loving memory of this immensely talented artist and beautiful human being, the family of David Gold has made available a range of merchandise bundles at this location.

Paypal information is included, so please make a purchase in memory of the man that meant so much to so many with his creative, emotionally deep contribution to music. All proceeds from the sales are used to cover funeral costs and other expenses resulting from David’s death.

David’s mother Esther Gold wrote about her son in her e-mail to us and we are honored to assist in spreading the word.
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In Case You Missed It: Stangala – Boued Tousek Hag Trau Mat All

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Stangala – Boued Tousek Hag Traou Mat All (05 December 2011, Solitude Productions)

 
Good afternoon, Readers. How are you? This day has been dragging on forever, and I’m so glad it’s finally ending! There seems to be no amount of coffee sufficient to keep me alert today — no matter what I do, I feel like I’m stuck in slow motion and surrounded by fog. This morning I was feeling pretty terrible but then I took some allergy pills, and now I’m feeling… nothing. Just sort of dazed. Which would be totally fine if I didn’t have to be at work, and even then it might not be so bad if my job didn’t revolve around numbers and thinking and stuff. Times like this, I feel pretty nervous to come back the next day, because I’m always afraid I’ll hear about some big mistake I made where, like, I forgot how to add and I ended up being off by a million dollars someplace, or that I totally zoned out and missed a step, and some important thing didn’t get paid on-time or whatever.

Ugh, it would totally hurt my head just thinking about it, except for the fact that at the moment I am more or less incapable of feeling any pain. So, nevermind.

Do you ever have days like this? It’s actually not so bad, like being all cozy inside a drug-induced cloud. Of course, in this particular instance, those drugs are ones that were legally purchased from a pharmacy (actually I think they’re even Wal-Mart brand, how stupid is that), but, whatever. This afternoon I’ve been listening to some equally tripped-out, hazy, cloudy music, and I thought just maybe you’d like it if I shared it with you — keep on reading and then give it a listen; maybe you won’t even need any chemical substances to feel like you’re in an altered state!

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Free Music Alert: Now You Can Download Vesperia’s Whole Demo for FREE

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Vesperia – The Swordsman Demo (Self-released, 01 May 2012)

 
Ladies and Gentlemen, if you’ve been paying attention to this blog over the past month, you’ve seen the name Vesperia a few times. That’s because this newly-renamed band has put together a brand-new demo to reintroduce themselves to the world, and each week throughout the month of May, they released a new track for free.

Well, now that they’ve all been made available, the whole four-track package can now be downloaded for free (or any price you choose), for your convenience. There’s also more stuff on the horizon for these guys — including a newly-added tour date and an upcoming live DVD!

So I’ve taken this opportunity to collect all the information I’ve previously shared about the band, combined it with the new stuff, and while I’m at it, I’ll say a few words about the music contained in the demo. Which, again, you can go download for free. Ready? Here we go…

 

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Congratulations: Kongh Signs to Agonia Records

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Although I only discovered them about a year ago, Sweden’s Kongh quickly became one of my favorite new bands.  Their brutally heavy, almost aggravatingly slow, brand of sludgey, droney post-doom really resonated with me from the first time I heard a track from their 2007 debut Counting Heartbeats.  Sadly, as much as I love that album (it can be streamed/downloaded on Bandcamp), I haven’t seen it available on CD anywhere.

However, I did snatch up a copy of its follow-up, 2009’s Shadows of the Shapeless, which was released in North America through Seventh Rule Recordings, as soon as I saw it at my local record store.  That’s an incredible album as well, so I am beyond excited to learn that they are nearly ready to begin recording a third album!

That announcement came yesterday (Wednesday, 13 June) morning, along with information about the band’s new record deal…

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In Case You Missed It: Greed & Rapacity – Loki Bound

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Greed & Rapacity – Loki Bound (9 April 2012, Milam Records)

 
Good afternoon, Readers! Time for another album review. It’s been a while since I’ve written one of these things; I hope I remember how…

 
With its roots in Australian soil, but being a collaborative effort between members (who are also involved with various other projects, including Azoth, Bleakwood, and Ironwood) living in both Sydney (NSW, AU) and Portland (OR, US) Greed & Rapacity have the goal of “channeling and venting the worst of human nature in sonic form” — not surprising, considering they have deadly sins as namesakes.

Following a demo in 2010, this spring the band’s debut EP Loki Bound was released on cassette by Milam Records (although it’s also available as a digital download, so don’t worry if you never bothered to get a new tape player after the batteries leaked and corroded your Walkman’s innards fifteen or twenty years ago).

The album was named for the god of chaos in Norse mythology, who was bound by the other deities for his mischievous crimes, and had a serpent suspended above him, from which venom would occasionally drip onto the captive, causing him to writhe in pain and agony.

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Upcoming Shows: What To Do In Pittsburgh TONIGHT (13 June 2012)

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EARTHRIDE featuring Vulture and Molasses Barge

at the 31st Street Pub

3101 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh (@ 31st St. Bridge)

 

9pm | 21+ only | $5

For well over a decade now, the mighty Earthride have been making quite a name for themselves in the world of doom metal — no small feat in the over-crowded Maryland scene. Their last album, 2010’s Something Wicked, was an absolute masterpiece, and they haven’t shown any signs of slowing down anytime soon…

     More Earthride info: Facebook, Myspace, Southern Lord (label)

Our neighbors from the south will be paying a visit to our fair city this evening, appearing alongside two of the best local acts in the sludge/doom milieu, Vulture and Molasses Barge!

     More Vulture info: website, Facebook, Innervenus (label)
PLUS, read the Valley of Steel review of their full-length debut Oblivious to Ruin here.

     More Molasses Barge info: Facebook, Myspace, Innervenus (label)
ALSO, I wrote up a quasi-review of one of the Barge’s shows here,
AND, check out this really cool interview with guitarist Justin Gizzi (courtesy Hellride Music) here!

     For further details about the show: see the Facebook event pages here and here, and the 31st Street Pub Facebook page here.

Upcoming Shows: What To Do In Pittsburgh This Weekend (08-11 June 2012)

Posted by valleyofsteel on

Hey, Pittsburgh-area friends.  Here is your weekly digest of shows and events that are happening in town.  There are some good ones coming up over the next few days, so listen up.

As always, a reminder: I can only write about what I know about — so if you work for a local promotion company, a venue, or a band, please be sure to get in touch with me with anything you want to share.

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