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

Grim Reaper "Rock You To Hell (2008 Reissue, Remastered, Heavy Metal魂 Series, Japan, BMG Entertainment, BVCM-35519)"

Rock You to Hell is the third studio album by the British heavy metal band Grim Reaper, released in 1987 under the RCA label. This was the band's final album for 29 years (until the release of Walking in the Shadows in 2016, under the name Steve Grimmett's Grim Reaper), and their last one to feature guitarist Nick Bowcott, bassist Dave Wanklin and drummer Marc Simon. Grim Reaper gained brief mainstream critical and commercial success with this album, due to the regular airplay of "Rock You to Hell". The song's music video, which featured the band EZO in jail and a cameo by Joey Belladonna of Anthrax, received rotation on MTV's Headbangers Ball and album-oriented rock radio stations.

Tracklist:

1. Rock You to Hell 04:03   
2. Night of the Vampire 03:49  
3. Lust for Freedom 04:26   
4. When Heaven Comes Down 04:22
5. Suck It and See 02:34   
6. Rock Me 'till I Die 04:42  
7. You'll Wish That You Were Never Born 04:06
8. Waysted Love 04:17   
9. I Want More 04:50

Time:  37:09

- Issued with Obi strip.

- Part of the label's Heavy Metal魂 series.

- JVC K2 24 bit mastering.

Recording information:

- Recorded at Long View Farm Studios, North Brookfield, MA.

- Mixed at Atlantic Studios, NY.

- Mastered at Masterdisk, Peekskill, New York, USA.

- Max Norman – producer, engineer, mixing at Atlantic Studios, New York City, arrangements, backing vocals

- Kerry Roher, Jesse Anderson, Claude Achille, Ellen Fitton – assistant engineers

- Garry Sharpe – cover artwork

Grim Reaper "Rock You To Hell (USA, RCA Records, 6250-2-R)"

Rock You to Hell is the third studio album by the British heavy metal band Grim Reaper, released in 1987 under the RCA label. This was the band's final album for 29 years (until the release of Walking in the Shadows in 2016, under the name Steve Grimmett's Grim Reaper), and their last one to feature guitarist Nick Bowcott, bassist Dave Wanklin and drummer Marc Simon. Grim Reaper gained brief mainstream critical and commercial success with this album, due to the regular airplay of "Rock You to Hell". The song's music video, which featured the band EZO in jail and a cameo by Joey Belladonna of Anthrax, received rotation on MTV's Headbangers Ball and album-oriented rock radio stations.

Track listing

1. "Rock You to Hell" L: Nick Bowcott, Steve Grimmett M: Bowcott 4:01
2. "Night of the Vampire" L: Grimmett M: Bowcott 3:45
3. "Lust for Freedom" L: Grimmett M: Bowcott 4:26
4. "When Heaven Comes Down" L: Bowcott M: Bowcott 4:23
5. "Suck It and See" L: Grimmett M: Bowcott 2:34
6. "Rock Me 'till I Die" L: Grimmett M: Bowcott 4:43
7. "You'll Wish That You Were Never Born" L: Bowcott, Grimmett M: Bowcott 4:06
8. "Waysted Love" L: Paul DeMercado M: Bowcott, DeMercado 4:18
9. "I Want More" L: Grimmett M: Bowcott 4:52

Time:  37:09

Comes in a smooth sided jewelcase with an 8 page booklet of lyrics & credits.

Recording information:

Recorded at Long View Farm Studios, North Brookfield, MA.

Mixed at Atlantic Studios, NY.

Mastered at Masterdisk, Peekskill, New York, USA.

Max Norman – producer, engineer, mixing at Atlantic Studios, New York City, arrangements, backing vocals

Kerry Roher, Jesse Anderson, Claude Achille, Ellen Fitton – assistant engineers

Garry Sharpe – cover artwork

Grand Prix "Samurai [1993 Reissue, Remastered, Japan, BURRN! Legendary Masters Series, Chrysalis, TOCP-8086]"

Grand Prix were an English hard rock and pop rock band, active between 1978 and 1984 and notable for featuring two future members of Uriah Heep.

Grand Prix were founded in 1978 under the name Paris. They changed their name to Grand Prix in 1980 with the lineup of Bernie Shaw on lead vocals, Michael O'Donoghue on guitar, Ralph Hood on bass, Andy Beirne on drums and Phil Lanzon on keyboards. All five members performed harmony vocals, while Lanzon would contribute the occasional lead vocal, as illustrated on such songs as "Which Way Did the Wind Blow?".

Samurai is their third album, released in 1983.

Tracklist:

1. Give Me What's Mine ギヴ・ミー・ホワッツ・マイン 2:57
2. Shout シャウト 3:05
3. 50 / 50 フィフティ・フィフティ 4:14
4. Here We Go Again ゴー・アゲイン 4:18
5. Countdown To Zero カウントダウン・トゥ・ゼロ 4:38
6. Somewhere Tonight トゥナイト 3:39
7. High Time ハイ・タイム 3:38
8. Never Before ネヴァー・ビフォー 4:03
9. Freedom フリーダム 3:12
10. Samurai サムライ 7:17

Recording information:

Produced by: John Eden

Mixed by: Grand Prix, Guy Bidmead & John Eden

Recorded at: Highland Studios, Inverness, UK.