If there was any question who would rise to the top of the occult rock heap, Castle leaves no-one guessing on their second full length, "Blacklands". Written and recorded over a span of 4 months in San Francisco, Castle's Blacklands pulses like a raw nerve and manages to remain organic amidst a crushing heaviness of guitar rock orchestration. Produced by Billy Anderson (Neurosis, Sleep, Eyehategod) whose musical pedigree speaks volumes (literally!) and a release date of April ? on Germany's uber dark art house Van Records, Blacklands is an electrifying mix of rock, metal, psych and doom that promises to be one of the highlights of the year in heavy music. Castle's "witch thrash" sound began as a solo project for guitarist, songwriter and producer Mat Davis. Along with his wife, vocalist and bassist, Elizabeth Blackwell and longtime collaborator and drummer Al McCartney, Davis formed the band in 2010 to record Castle's debut "In Witch Order" for Germany's Van Records. The album received much acclaim from the underground press and made Metal Hammer Norway's best of the year as well as Roadburn Festival's newcomer of the year amongst other accolades. With shows in the past alongside Blood Ceremony, Orchid and Kylesa, Castle will be kicking off their release for Blacklands this spring with a tour through Germany and the Netherlands followed by dates in Europe, Canada and the U.S. .
Verdunkeln is a black metal band that was founded and is located in Germany. The band consists of Gnarl (guitars and vocals) and Ratatyske (drums), both of whom also play in Graupel.
Verdunkeln’s self-titled debut full-length (2005) was previously an unreleased demo called “Untergang”. They released “Einblick in den Qualenfall” in 2007.
