Cutting clarity

On his second album with the mystical title „The Raven’s Shadow“ BLOODRED mainman Ron Merz celebrates his optimally proven BLACKENED DEATH METAL mix, which he has been refining successful as a one-man-project since 2009.

[ Pic: Stefan Heilemann • Heilemania ]

Connoisseurs know: the absolutely determined guitarist and singer does his thing here again like only few protagonists in the heavy music guild. In addition, the man with a penchant for pithy breakwater riffs keeps his team loyal:
Alexander Krull, known from Atrocity and Leaves‘ Eyes, who has repeatedly done excellent work for BLOODRED in his Mastersound Studio, is again responsible for the hammer-strong and also enormously dashing overall sound of „The Raven’s Shadow“.

[ Artwork: Stefan Heilemann • Heilemania ]

TRACKS:
1. The Raven’s Shadow 06:37
2. Immense Hall Of Agony 04:08
3. Hör Den Tod 04:54
4. Blood On Thy Hands 03:31
5. Raise The Mound 04:37
6. We Who Ruled The North 05:41
7. Shadow Warrior 05:51
8. Under This Sun 05:30
9. The Northstar Whispers (To The Blacksmiths Son) 09:06

total: 49:55 min.

The overpowering drum attacks were again recorded by the highly clocked Joris Nijenhuis, who is also beating the skins for Atrocity and Leaves‘ Eyes.

The current successor to the 2016 debut album „Nemesis“ shines with sovereign material, for which a deliberate attempt was made to break up the usual structures of the songs – the classic ‚verse-refrain-strophe-refrain‘ pattern is therefore rarely found on this album. The Scandinavian-grimpy appearing structures could therefore be made as varied as permanently interesting.

„Blood On Thy Hands“ pays homage to the unforgotten cult sound of old Hypocrisy. The nine compositions on „The Raven’s Shadow“ show the assiduous work of the unswerving idealist from Baden-Württemberg at the highest level so far.

Thus, besides hauntingly gripping thunderstorms of rhythm, especially the melodies have been polished to be much more catchy and lasting. Captivatingly majestic songs like the invigoratingly triumphant „We Who Ruled The North“ bear witness to this in uplifting perfection.

[ Pic: Stefan Heilemann • Heilemania ]

LINE-UP:
Ron Merz • Vocals, Guitars, Bass Joris Nijenhuis • Drums

Even with inevitably catchy power numbers like „Shadow Warrior“ and „Immense Hall Of Agony“ BLOODRED 2020 presents itself both internationally fully competitive and in a trendless, timeless appearance. And in the wonderfully culminating final track „The Northstar Whispers (To The Blacksmith’s Son)“ the talent for impressive, dramatic epic reveals itself.

Apropos, timeless: the raven has been regarded as a messenger of death, especially in the Nordic myths and legends, from time immemorial until today – an exciting topic, which can be found in many a song on the new album.
BLOODRED pays homage to this truly wonderful and all too often misunderstood animal in a musically captivating way – may the berserk tracks on „The Raven’s Shadow“ lift their dark wings to the heights of the scene just as mystically and fascinatingly! (Markus Eck)

⚡📢
𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐃 • 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙤 & 𝙋𝙍 Action:
https://www.metalmessage.de/Promotion_BLOODRED_en.php
⚡📢

DISCOGRAPHY:
2014 • The Lost Ones (EP)
2016 • Nemesis (Full-length)
2020 • The Raven’s Shadow (Full-length)

 BLOODRED is available for interviews via phone, Skype & e-mail

BLOODRED • Online:
          

E-MAIL:
contact@bloodredband.com

Liner Notes by Ron Merz to the new songs:

1. The Raven´s Shadow
The raven is the symbol of death and thus defines the subject underlying most of the songs. Poetically described in the poem by William Watson, the raven swings up to bring death on silent wings.

2. Immense Hall Of Agony
This song was written under the impression of the terrorist attacks in Paris, the focus is on the massacre in the Bataclan. Every musician and music fan can imagine how one would feel in such a situation. That evening the Bataclan became an „Immense Hall Of Agony“

3. Hör den Tod
Depression is, unfortunately, still a largely not accepted illness, which is more than „just being a sad“. Again and again people end up killing themselves and freeing themselves from this condition (at least this is what they´re thinking). This song is about the way to suicide.

4. Blood On Thy Hands
Human sacrifices have been common in many cultures throughout human history. Regardless of whether in the Bible, in the Aztecs or Germanic tribes, one hoped such a deity to be weighed. No death was brutal enough, new ways of sacrifice were always invented. And so stained his hands with blood.

5. Raise The Mound
This song is a tribute to my late grandfather, a true workingclass gentleman. With the pictures of the burial of a Viking king I do him the honor.

6. We Who Ruled The North
In addition to the unconditional spread of the new faith, the Christianization of Scandinavia was above all a question of expanding power. The kings of that time bowed to Christianity and denied their old beliefs.

7. Shadow Warrior
Another song on „terrorism“. Here, however, written from the perspective of an assassin who, driven by hatred, spreads fear and terror in the middle of society.

8. Under This Sun
In contrast to all the dark lyrics, this song is supposed to show that there are many beautiful things in this world. Those who walk through nature with their eyes and ears open will discover many wonders. In addition, of course, this is also a request to fight against the destruction of our environment.

9. The Northstar Whispers (To The Blacksmith´s Son)
Vachel Lindsay is considered a founder of modern singing poetry, as he referred to it, in which verses are meant to be sung or chanted. This song is an attempt to implement his ideas.

MEDIA FEEDBACK:

►► The Raven’s Shadow • Album ◄◄

8,5 / 10
„… an impressive album … what BLOODRED have put on the chain some bands don’t succeed during their whole existence.“
(Zephyr’s Odem)

8 / 10
„… great sounding recording … if you are a fan of melodic and Blackened Death Metal, you should check out this album.“
(A Different Shade Of Black Metal)

7 / 10
„… an absolutely worth hearing album with some great moments …“
(KOBZR Magazine)

„Richly textured, wonderfully melodic, yet aggressive as hell … masterfully artistic and powerful … stands on its own as a wonderful musical journey into darkness and violence.“
(Brews And Tunes)

►► Nemesis • Album ◄◄

88 / 100
„… the atmosphere here is very cold … definitely a fitting sound … excellent …“
(Metal Archives)

8 / 10
„… sounds very professional for being a self released recording … if you are a fan of melodic, Blackened Death Metal, you should check out this album.“
(A Different Shade Of Black Metal)

8 / 10
„A really good album …“
(Time For Metal)

3,5 / 5
„… rough edges to really make things stick … never indulgent, but always adventurous, Merz makes a real statement with BLOODRED’s debut.“
(Metal-Rules)

„… tremendous … the riffs are powerful and embodied the roots of Black/Death metal in every passage … producing savage brutality with high paced double kicks and aggressive blast beats … a punishing work … fascinates me in its delivery and structure of each riff … strong and relentless attack … make you want to jump into the mosh pit.“
(Artemortifica)

„… frenzied and fierce … like a wildly whipping whirlwind.“
(Valley Of Steel)

„… the record is just awesome! You gotta have it! Well done Ron … very, very well done.“
(Aristocrazia)

„… BLOODRED has proven to be a massive surprise — filled with galloping riffs and hefty melodic sections that could easily hold appeal for people who love groups like Amon Amarth.“
(No Clean Singing)

„… one-man project of the special and outstanding class …“
(Sonic Seducer)

„A well-crafted smelting of black metal’s archaic … death metal’s careful exactitude that sounds unprocessed and up to date … exhibits the greatest sentiments of extreme metal as a whole.“
(Auto Erotic Asphyxium)

„… dynamic and energetic … effortlessly changing BLOODRED between mosh-able and expansive heroic moments … a remarkable album …“
(Franconia Metallum)

etc.

Of heroes & gods

The hot and courageous snorting fighter sounds of these deeply upright ones have developed into something very special until today. And not only the name of the band is an absolute program – even the foundation became a sworn ritual.

Since 2007, everything at EISENHAUER has been revolving around the timeless ideals, values and powers that have always been embodied by impressively booming electric guitars.

On the second album with the striking title „Blessed Be The Hunter“, the four men present themselves with mature material from the most interesting side of playing culture so far.

[ Artwork: Gabriel Turner Byrne ]

TRACKS:
01. Priestess Of Delight 05:25
02. Gods Of Pain 07:07
03. Release The Beast 5:58
04. Sun Under My Breast 01:06
05. Wild Boar Banner 04:52
06. Ghost Warrior 04:58
07. Ode To The Hammer 05:35
08. Mountain 05:04
09. Tyrannus 02:54
10. Cult 06:36

total: 49:10 min.

Their heroically charged to the point of bursting, doomy and typically Teutonic Heavy Rock with a continuous, catchy and melodic Metal edge captivates with the seal of approval ‚Real Handmade‘.

Everything is ceremonially crowned by Waxe’s exceptional masculine voice: a singer who is thoroughly inspired by his cause, who rides the high walls of sound and symbolically leads his companions through the deepest valleys.
Waxe always bows down before big, dark and soulful voices like Ronnie James Dio, Glenn Danzig, Eric Wagner, Jim Morrison and Johnny Cash.

Ase, who also put his heart and soul into „Blessed Be The Hunter“, brings in his resolutely commanding bass lines as energetically as if he had been born for it alone. His art on the thick strings lacks neither the necessary power nor dexterity.

And with the impressively effective Johann, EISENHAUER have a powerful heavy worker as hammering machine in the line-up, who, like a war drummer, leads all songs into the decisive battle.

[ Pic: Gabriel Turner Byrne ]

LINE-UP:
Christian ‚Waxe‘ Wagner • Vocals, Guitar
Simon Bihlmayer • Guitar
Thomas ‚Ase‘ Aschermann • Bass
Johann Bechteler • Drums

Influences from giants like Black Sabbath and Dio are unmistakable, and EISENHAUER add a pinch of Trouble, Samhain/Danzig and In Solitude in a well-dosed way. The quartet’s powerful overall sound is rounded off with partly massive nuances of Grand Magus and Manilla Road, which brings a delicious touch of obscure moods.

And the ten compositions on „Blessed Be The Hunter“ also provide heaps of pithy, roaring dynamics with deliberate cross-references to acts like Cro-Mags, Slayer and Sacred Reich.

In 2020, EISENHAUER will be united for timeless and unadulterated HEAVY METAL in its purest form, carrying the heroic sagas of a generation believed lost to the campfires of our time. Serious musicians are at work, who know exactly what they want to hear as fans – without looking at degraded images or wandering along worn out retro sound paths.

The at any time comprehensible and often catchy guitar work convinces basically by its emphatically massive appearance and well-considered structuring – but the axe duo Waxe and Simon also knows how to shine at times with wonderful, blissfully harmonious solos that you can’t get out of your head.

„Blessed be the hunter“ is the motto of this – not only musically – diverse album. Frontman and songwriter Waxe likes to share his exciting stories of the new release with the listeners:

„In ‚Sun Under My Breast‘ we sail through dark, demonic times, when it is better to have the sun under your chest. The hammers are proudly crossed in ‚Ode To The Hammer‘ and in ‚Tyrannus‘ we face the haughty tyrants with hope. In ‚Gods Of Pain‘ there are epics about the creation and destruction power of the gods; a warrior gets between the powers, a man who fights shoulder to shoulder with his sword brothers under the wild boar banner in ‚Wild Boar Banner‘ and defies the gods to please them. Our hero faces the wrath of the gods and is finally ambushed and killed by the traitor king. In ‚Priestess Of Delight‘, however, he is brought back to life by the priestess of joy and sent back from the realm of the dead to take revenge on the traitorous king. A ghost warrior who in ‚Ghostwarrior‘ marches forward unstoppably along skull-paved paths to answer the haunting call of his inner beast in ‚Release The Beast‘. Enter the temple of fiery blood, stone and steel with this hunter,“ demands Waxe, full of inner fire.

More: „Live and celebrate the cult in ‚Cult‘! Awaken your own God within you, touch the rainbow bridge, become indestructible and strong like a mountain in ‚Mountain‘. Blessed Be The Hunter – blessed be love, life, passion and death. Let the steel sing!“

Painter, graphic designer and photographer Gabriel Turner Byrne, who is also based in Kaufbeuren and hails from Tucson, Arizona, was inspired by this, which led to a truly outstanding, thematically representative front cover of the new longplayer „Blessed Be The Hunter“.
That Turner Byrne, according to his long-time friend Waxe, ‚lives what he paints‘ gets radiated in an inspiring way by the mystical motif. Eisenheads unite! (Markus Eck)

 EISENHAUER are available for interviews via phone, Skype & e-mail

EISENHAUER • Online:
       

E-MAIL:
ch.w.wagner@web.de

⚡📢
𝐸𝐼𝒮𝐸𝒩𝐻𝒜𝒰𝐸𝑅 • 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙤 & 𝙋𝙍 Action:
https://www.metalmessage.de/Promotion_EISENHAUER_en.php
⚡📢

MEDIA FEEDBACK:

►► Blessed Be The Hunter • Album ◄◄

tba

►► Horse Of Hell • EP ◄◄

5 / 5
„… ‚Horse Of Hell‘ … in short, the song really captured me … because besides the really well done instrumental parts, it’s especially this incredibly brilliant voice that Christian ‚Waxe‘ unpacks here … both in content and musically far ahead and the change more towards riffy rock is perfect … especially the vocals are the final touch and for an own production the whole thing is also very good.“
(Harte Musik DE)

4,5 / 5
„… in the end, everything feels like a mix between Swedish Mustasch and German Rammstein but still manages EISENHAUER to their advantage to have his own twist on it all …“
(Get Metal)

9 / 10
„… sometimes similar to the hazy Stoner Metal or Doom landscapes Black Sabbath or Candlemass would unleash … ‚Eisenhauer‘ is a perfect example with its smoke filled riffs of pure glory between bouts of Heavy Metal speed and a sixties Rock guitar solo with matching mono sounding cleaner distortion about four minutes in, signaling a change to subtle early Iron Maiden heights similar to ‚Hallowed Be Thy Name‘ in so many ways … one of the more vital releases to sneak through the underground for 2015.“
(Apochs)

4 / 5
„Energetically and powerfully (especially vocally) the silver disc ‚Horse Of Hell‘ turns its rounds in the player and apart from audible borrowings from Running Wild or Iron Maiden in the song ‚Never Surrender‘ EISENHAUER remain quite independent and musically consistent over the length of the EP.“
(Deep Ground)

85 / 100
(Underground Zine)

85 / 100
(X Reviews)

8 / 10
„What makes this album stand out are the vocals, as they contain some of the most interesting vocal combinations I have heard lately … they range from simple melodic singing to some full scale Heavy Metal singing … the guitars are compressed and really good to hear in the choruses … contains four songs with about 25 minutes of material, but even with this maybe short length of the album, it does not lack in quality in both songwriting and mixing departments.“
(Dutch Metal Maniac)

78 / 100
„EISENHAUER is an original band … I liked very much the blend of Heavy and Doom Metal they play … with influences from Southern, Speed and Thrash Metal … I also loved their calm atmospheres and their melodies … that’s why I think ‚Sail My Soul‘ and ‚Horse Of Hell‘ are two great songs … and also the other two are very good … ‚Horse Of Hell‘ is a very good EP … and I gave it 78, on a maximum of 80 for the release shorter than half an hour.“
(Heaven Of Heavy Metal)

7,5 / 10
„Great EP !“
(Metalhead IT)

7,5 / 10
„Meanwhile the steel beater’s disc accompanies me almost every time I drive … extremely thick reef work … fat and broad-legged … friends, that sounds so much like Grand Magus that I would put EISENHAUER right as the opening act of the next tour of the Swedes.“
(Metal Talks)

7,5 / 10
„‚Horse Of Hell‘ is an above average job …“
(Arte Metal)

7 / 10
„… teutonic steel á la Grand Magus … cool riffs, rhythmic vocals with melodic choruses … ‚Eisenhauer‘ is a band anthem that could not be more teutonic … simply fits and does not look fake …“
(Reaper Zine DE)

7 / 10
„The quartet from Kaufbeuren plays a proper riffing Metal, which lives from the beautiful singing of Christian Wagner … with his deep timbre he could not only start with Grand Magus tomorrow morning … a mixture of Grand Magus and Falconer … ‚Never Surrender‘ knows no stopping until the band anthem ‚Eisenhauer‘ is played … powerful and powerful, full of power the words ‚Eisenhauer, like my hammer, bang your eisenhead‘ sound and also the Iron Maiden influences look more than clearly around the corner … therefore EISENHAUER are a band you should definitely keep an eye on … ‚Heavy hammer strikes the steel‘.“
(Streetclip TV)

7 / 10
(Soil Chronicles)

7 / 10
„… makes me think of traditional Heavy Metal, maybe with a dash of New Wave of British Heavy Metal … a little bit of Saxon mixed with the slower Iron Maiden songs …“
(Metal Temple)

„… all have a slightly teutonic touch, which shines through after the opener ‚Sail My Soul‘ with its powerful stomping riffs and tempo changes … with an acoustic touch the noble sluggish, but also quite varied title track is rung in, before the rather straight ‚Never Surrender‘ is added … in battle-cry style, the hook-heavy setting of the band name puts an end to this appetizer …“
(Crossfire Metal)

„The guitar work on ‚Horse Of Hell‘ is second to none and it gives this band’s Heavy Metal/Thrash sound a sweet touch of Rock and Roll! With Christian ‚Waxe‘ Wagner’s voice serving as the cherry on the top of this metallic treat, EISENHAUER whips out four tracks of instantly enjoyable Metal that is all at once classic and modern in it’s approach … had I actually managed to compile a ‚Best Of‘ list for 2015 this EP would have made the cut as it’s the complete package: top notch songwriting and performances that is balanced out by a stellar production!“
(Heavy Metal Time Machine)

„Never underestimate simplicity. As UK bruisers Grifter so eloquently pointed out ‚the simplicity of the riff is key‘ and this is a lesson that German metal band EISENHAUER have taken to heart … simplicity is nothing to be scared of and, when coupled with a powerful sense of identity and a genuine enthusiasm for the genre, as exemplified here it can be a most potent weapon indeed … ‚Horse Of Hell‘ is a great EP with classically styled, Dio-aping artwork, hard hitting riffs, solid production and memorable riffs … this is definitely one for the denim ‘n’ leather brigade to savour and it certainly gave my neck a good workout!“
(Sonic Abuse)

„Regarding the style it took me back to my early days – the time when I started listening to Metal … yes, I grew up with Bon Jovi, Metallica, Accept and U.D.O. … and this EP sounds like that … for me all songs are aurally suitable … unleash the retro horse of hell!“
(Bad Black Unicorn)

„The guitarists Christian ‚Waxe‘ Wagner and Simon Bihlmayer enchant the listener already at the opening ‚Sail My Soul‘ with wonderful melodies … the same goes for the vocals of Waxe, who, just like the guitars, scores with unconventional melodies … tracks like ‚Horse Of Hell‘, ‚Eisenhauer‘ with a hammer solo or ‚Never Surrender‘, which is even quicker at the end, are perfectly arranged from the first bars to the last chord and played to the point … extremely strong … contains no bad song, is bursting with creativity and is very varied …“
(Franconia Metallum)

„Very well its sounds a bit of old school style and also a lil bit blended by the catchy Rock’n’Roll and thrashing melodies … nice guitar works especially the solo parts … Teutonic Thrash might be one of their influenced I guess.“
(Antonio Moliterni)

„… a very riff-oriented groovemonster with a full-time vocalist, who really stands out and gives this band a unique selling point … the sound is very traditional and you can hear a certain closeness to Grand Magus, and not only because of the singer! Since I am a very big fan of Grand Magus, it is obvious that EISENHAUER really blew me away … both thumbs up.“
(Swiss Attack)

„Mainly, solid Heavy Metal, based on Grand Magus’ legacy … give ‘em a listen and you won’t miss.“
(Metal Invader)

„With ‚Horse Of Hell‘ the Bavarian four piece EISENHAUER comes across gnarly, grumbling and thus setting himself a mark … three of four songs are catchy tunes that make the banger’s head move in raptures over and over again … teutonic Heavy Metal with a lot of potential.“
(Stahlseele)

„… after one listen I was hooked. The power they produce as well as the shear un- pretentiousness of their attack is a welcome change to mass of bands that are trying to use write riffs that are then compressed into a dizzying blur of four hundred notes in the span of four seconds … the great thing about EISENHAUER is the simplicity of everything they do … it’s a release that literally grabs the authentic roots of Heavy Metal and condenses its habitual fundamentals into an amazingly digestible and glorious effort … the quality of the music here is undeniable – this is heavy fucking Metal the way it was meant to be played. Highly recommended!“
(Absit Omen)

„EISENHAUER rides those songs in best tradition of Teutonic Metal along with NWOBHM which is quite significant to this record … I could put my opinion under heavy machine gun fire and defend it … believing this is really True Metal as sometimes people say about similar records … inheritance of German Metal is presented very strongly on the EP and such mix of influences slowly making a prince becomes a king.“
(Monarch Magazine)

„I can’t say enough how „Horse Of Hell“ satisfies those who are into traditional Heavy Metal, angling towards a future for the band in creating a legendary stamp of its own.“
(Vile Views)

„EISENHAUER is not a simple clone, but offer a compact and heavy Metal valuable, even for those who listened to Heavy Metal in many different ways.“
(Rock Garage IT)

etc.

Of Scottish iron

RUADH (which is pronounced ‚Roo-Ah‘ and translates to ‚red‘) is an Atmospheric Black Metal solo-project from Glasgow, Scotland.

[ Pic: Kim Copland ]

Drawing from the vast well of history, culture and mythology, musician and songwriter Tom Perrett set out to compose music purely to taste, creating an unmistakable atmosphere with the beating heart of old school Black Metal favourites of his, such as Windir, Bathory, Burzum and others, which should also appeal to fans of Saor, Winterfylleth, Panopticon and similar acts.

Tom was born and raised in one of the oldest Burghs in Scotland, which translates to ‚The red glen‘. The derivation of the name of the town is unclear but one theory is that the area was once a settlement of Reuther, an ancient king of the Scots, who ruled between 213 and 187 BC.

[ Artwork: Joan Llopis Doménech Illustrations ]

TRACKS:
01. Embers 10:01
02. The Rock Of The Clyde 10:20
03. Winters Light 09:01
04. Fields Of Heather 10:56
05. Only Distant Echoes Reign (Part 1) 04:44
06. Only Distant Echoes Reign (Part 2) 08:54

total: 53:55 min.

„The Rock Of The Clyde“ is an evolution from RUADH’s debut album „Sovereign“. It has a much more melodic feel, yet has more visceral elements too. Containing six tracks of epic, Scottish Atmospheric Black Metal with Folk elements, it is massive in both scope and scale, taking you through the Iron Ages in Scotland.

It also explores the history and mythology of the people of Scotland, conveying both sorrow and uplifting, almost heroic tones.

•

LINE-UP:
Tom Perrett • All Instruments, Vocals
Cieti • Female Vocals
Kimberly Copland • Bass
Philip Morrison • Drums

•

DISCOGRAPHY:
2019 • Sovereign (Full-length)
2020 • The Rock Of The Clyde (Full-length)

•
RUADH • Online:
        

E-MAIL:
redglenproductions@outlook.com

•

RUADH is available for interviews via phone, Skype & e-mail

Official PR Action:
https://www.metalmessage.de/Promotion_RUADH_en.php