Hecate Enthroned "Virulent Rapture [Italy, Crank Music Group, CRK-003]"

Virulent Rapture is the fifth studio album by British band Hecate Enthroned, and their first album of new material since 2004's Redimus. It was released on 25 November 2013 via Crank Music Group, being their first album to be so, as well as their only release with vocalist Elliot Beaver and first with drummer Gareth Hardy on the line-up, who replaced long-time vocalist and drummer Dean Seddon and Robert Kendrick, respectively (both were fired in 2012).

The album was initially announced on a 21 January 2013 interview with webzine RoarRock.

The band announced on their official Twitter on 8 July 2013 that the new album was finished, "aside from some mixing and mastering issues", and that they were "looking at a self-release in the next few months". According to the band by then, the album was scheduled to be released on late November or early December 2013.

On 18 September 2013, Hecate announced they signed to a new label, Crank Music Group, and that it would release their album circa November.

On 23 October 2013, the artwork for Virulent Rapture was unveiled via Blabbermouth.net, and its release date was revealed as being on 25 November 2013. On the same day, a small, 21-second teaser of the track "Unchained" was posted by Crank Music Group on their official YouTube channel.

The track "To Wield the Hand of Perdition" was released online (via Crank Music Group's YouTube channel) on 19 November 2013.

Sarah Jezebel Deva, famous for her work with Angtoria and Cradle of Filth, provides additional vocals for the album's self-titled track.

On 20 June 2014, a music video was made for "Abyssal March". It is Hecate Enthroned's first music video since "An Ode for a Haunted Wood", made in 1995.

Track listing

The album's track listing was unveiled by Crank Music Group on their official website on 28 October 2013.

1. "Thrones of Shadow" 4:46
2. "Unchained" 4:37
3. "Abyssal March" 4:08
4. "Plagued by Black Death" 7:59
5. "Euphoria" 4:43
6. "Virulent Rapture" (feat. Sarah Jezebel Deva) 5:30
7. "Life" 5:19
8. "To Wield the Hand of Perdition" 3:05
9. "Of Witchery and the Blood Moon" 5:33
10. "Immateria" (instrumental) 3:05
11. "Paths of Silence" 6:43

Time:  55:28

All music written by Hecate Enthroned.

Recording information:

Recorded during 2013 "in a never ending hell" at Velocity Raptor Studios, Birkenhead UK.

Co-produced/engineered by Hecate Enthroned.

Mastered at KKDigital recording studio.

Mike Smith – production, engineering, mixing

Kami Kopat – mixing, mastering, graphic layout

Néstor Avalos – cover art

Hecate Enthroned "Upon Promethean Shores (Unscriptured Waters) (EP, USA, Death Records, 3984-14139-2)"

Upon Promeathean Shores (Unscriptured Waters) is an EP and the first studio release by the British symphonic black metal band Hecate Enthroned. It was released by Blackend Records on 7 July, 1995. This is essentially their An Ode for a Haunted Wood demo reworked and released as the first album under their record label.

Stylistically this found the band in a more "true" black metal sound, with squashed production, growled vocals, raging tempos, blast beats and symphonic arrangements. Accusations of the band being a "Cradle of Filth rip-off" began to manifest as the band's name got bigger.

The album was remastered and re-released in 1998 by Blackend with two bonus tracks and a different cover art.

A music video was made for the track "An Ode for a Haunted Wood".

A picture of the famous ruins of the Whitby Abbey was used as the cover.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Jon Kennedy; all music is composed by Hecate Enthroned (Kennedy, Nigel, Marc, Mark Watson-Jones, Steve, Andy O'Hara – 1995).

1. "Promeathea (Thy Darkest Mask of Surreality)" 2:15
2. "The Crimson Thorns (My Immortal Dreams)" 4:26
3. "A Graven Winter" 7:30
4. "To Feed Upon Thy Dreams" 6:46
5. "An Ode for a Haunted Wood" 7:13
6. "Through Spellbinding Branches (Deepest Witchcraft)" (instrumental) 2:08

Time:  30:18

The EP is, essentially, a remastering of their "Ode for a Haunted Wood" demo. In the year between the demo's recording and the band's signing to Blackend, they changed their bassist, drummer and keyboardist, and new members Paul, Michael and Craig are erroneously referred to their at-the-time current roles in the album booklet with former members Mark, Steve and Andy getting just a mention.

The Death Records printing has a typo on the CD case spine: the title is misspelled as "Upon Prometheau Shores".

Recording information:

Recorded in summer 1995.

Remixed in winter 1995 at Academy Studios, Dewsbury, Yorkshire.

Co-produced and co-mixed by Hecate Enthroned.

Art direction by Hecate Enthroned and pod communication.

Robert "Mags" Magoolagan – production, mastering

Simon Marsden – cover art

Various Artists "Blackend: The Black Metal Compilation Volume 3 (UK, Blackend, BLACK007DCD)"

Blackend: The Black Metal Compilation Volume 3 is a Black Metal compilation, released in 1997.

Tracklist:

CD 1

1. Emperor   –  Thus Spake The Nightspirit 4:29
2. Hecate Enthroned  –  Danse Macabre 4:00
3. Enthroned  –  The Ultimate Horde Fights 4:42
4. In The Woods...  – I Am Your Flesh 7:05
5. Amsvartner  –  Behind The 100 Years Gate 6:50
6. Mayhem  –  Cursed In Eternity 5:09
7. Fatal Embrace  –  Drowned In The Crossway Water 3:03
8. Cultus Sanguine  –  Shadows Blood 4:31
9. Enslaved  –  The Man From Hordaland 5:19
10. Rotting Christ  –  Out Of Spirits 4:07
11. Borknagar  –  The Winterway 7:51
12. Usurper  –  Slavehammer 2:50

CD2

1. Dimmu Borgir  –  Spellbound (By The Devil) 4:09
2. Enthroned  –  Dusk Of The Forgotten Darkness 5:13
3. Lord Belial  –  Enter The Moonlight Gate 5:13
4. Diabolical Masquerade  –  Astray Within The Coffinwood Mill 4:08
5. Amduscias  –  Sacrifices Within Me 3:37
6. Hecate Enthroned  –  The Spell Of The Winter Forest 6:51
7. Prophanity  –  Walking Through Fire 4:28
8. Ragnarok  –  En Verden Av Stein 3:59
9. Limbonic Art  –  Through Gleams Of Death 8:00
10. Thy Serpent  –  Of Darkness And Light 4:53
11. Tartaros  –  Images Of The Mystic Sphere 4:35
12. Old Man's Child  –  What Malice Embrace 5:13

Issued under license from Plastichead.

Album title:

- "Blackend The Black Metal Compilation Vol.3" (spines);

- "Blackend The Black Metal Compilation Volume 3" (CDs);

- "Blackend III" (front cover).

Some artist names have been printed as following:

- "Bork Nagar" (booklet, CD);

- "In The Woods";

- "ragnarok" (back cover);

- "Old Mans Child" (back cover), "Old Mans' Child" (booklet).

Track 2-08 title printed as following: "En Verden Au Stein".

Hecate Enthroned "The Slaughter Of Innocence, A Requiem For The Mighty (UK, Blackend, BLACK004CD)"

Hecate Enthroned is a Welsh Symphonic black metal band formed and based in Wrexham. They formed in 1993 as a blackened death metal act under the name Amethyst, changing their name to Daemonum later on. In 1995 the band changed its name to their current one and embraced a symphonic black metal style that was constantly compared to early Cradle of Filth, although since 1999 their work has strayed from their earlier symphonic black metal style and has incorporated more elements of melodic death metal.

The band's name alludes to the Ancient Greek goddess of magic and necromancy, Hecate.

The Slaughter of Innocence, a Requiem for the Mighty is the debut full-length album by British band Hecate Enthroned. It was released 15 May 1997, via Blackend Records, and was also their last release to feature Paul Massey on bass and Marc on guitars, and their first to feature long-time drummer Robert Kendrick.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Jon Kennedy; all music is composed by Hecate Enthroned (Kennedy, Nigel Dennen, Marc, Paul Massey, Michael Snell, Rob Kendrick).

1. "Goetia" (instrumental) 1:24
2. "Beneath a December Twilight" 6:50
3. "The Spell of the Winter Forest" 6:47
4. "Aflame in the Halls of Blasphemy" 5:41
5. "A Monument for Eternal Martyrdom" (instrumental) 2:59
6. "The Slaughter of Innocence, a Requiem for the Mighty" 4:49
7. "At the Haunted Gallows of Dawn" (instrumental) 3:38
8. "Christfire" 4:18
9. "Within the Ruins of Eden" 5:57
10. "The Danse Macabre" 3:42
11. "The Beckoning (An Eternity of Darkness)" (instrumental) 1:05

Satanicus symbol and Baphomet / Kaos by Jon and Marc.

"Christfire" art by Paul.

"Goetia" and "At the Haunted Gallows of Dawn" art by Michael.

Co-designed and co-laid out by Hecate Enthroned.

Comes with a 12-page booklet.

Recording information:

Recorded from January 20th to February 3rd 1997 under a full moon.

Co-mixed by Hecate Enthroned.

Various Artists "Blackend IV"

Blackend 4 is a compilation album from Metal Blade Records, focusing on Black Metal. Released in 1998.

Track list:

CD1

1. Witchery   Witchery
2. Myrkskog A Poignant Scenario Of Death
3. Usurper Dismal Wings Of Terror
4. Hecate Enthroned Thy Sorrow Bequeathed
5. Primordial Autumns Ablaze
6. Thorns The Dicipline Of Earth
7. Emperor    Decrystallizing Reason
8. Prophanity Awaiting The Valkyries Arrival
9. Odium  Towards The Forest
10. Misfortune The Prophecy
11. Ashes Son Of Mourning
12. Opeth The Amen Corner

CD2

1. Limbonic Art A Demonoid Virtue
2. Enslaved    In Chains Until Ragnarok
3. Myrkskog A Macabre Fanfare To The Devil
4. Behemoth The Past Is Like A Funeral
5. Peccatum I Breathe Without Access To Air
6. Diabolical Masquerade     Riders On The Bonez
7. Darkwoods My Betrothed  Inside The Circle Of Stones
8. Thy Serpent Circle Of Pain
9. Witchery Awaiting The Exorcist