CANDLELIGHT TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY – Candlelight’s American office turns 10 in 2011! In celebration we will be having sales via our official webstore all year long. Visit the store regularly for details. Also in celebration, Candlelight has partnered with Decibel Magazine to present special monthly profiles and interviews with some of our biggest artists. You can read these monthly installments by regularly checking out their very informative site at http://www.decibelmagazine.com

THE MEADS OF ASPHODEL – Metal Hammer Magazine says, “elusive, eccentric, and very, very English, The Meads of Asphodel have been warping the boundaries of black metal since their inception.” Live4Metal says, “their quirky Englishness, mixed with their flirtation with black metal and of course their crusty punk underbelly never fails to both amuse and impress.” Released January 11, The Murder of Jesus The Jew is now finally available for North American fans. This musical documentary is unlike any other you will hear this year. Definitely worth checking out!

HAVOK – The Denver-based thrashers are now readying to return to action. Time Is Up, HAVOK’s second album, is set for release March 29. A special pre-order promotion launched this week for the record via Candlelight’s official webstore, and next week the band kicks off their first tour in support of the new record. The tour, alongside Malevolent Creation, will have HAVOK performing across the US. The band hopes to see you at one of the shows. Dates for the tour are:

2/12/11 Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC
2/13/11 Ottobar – Baltimore, MD
2/14/11 Buddha’s Place – Virginia Beach, VA
2/15/11 Warehouse 66 – Stamford, CT
2/16/11 Bogie’s – Albany, NY
2/17/11 Championships – Trenton, NJ
2/18/11 Evening Star – Buffalo, NY
2/19/11 Harpo’s – Detroit, MI
2/20/11 Another Hole in the Wall – Steger, IL
2/22/11 Reggie’s Rock Club – Chicago, IL
2/23/11 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
2/24/11 The Annex – Madison, WI
2/25/11 Fubar – St. Louis, MO
2/26/11 Riot Room – Kansas City, MO
2/27/11 Marquis Theater – Denver, CO
2/28/11 Club Vegas – Salt Lake City, UT
3/01/11 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
3/02/11 Branx – Portland, OR
3/04/11 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
3/05/11 Cheyenne Saloon – Las Vegas, NV
3/06/11 The Clubhouse – Tempe, AZ
3/08/11 Reno’s Chop Shop – Dallas, TX
3/09/11 Emo’s – Austin, TX
3/10/11 Riverside Warehouse – Shreveport, LA

ZYKLON – The career-spanning 3-CD set, Storm Manifesto, is now in North American stores. Over the course of their three solid recordings, Norway’s ZYKLON impressed metal fans worldwide. Formed in 1998 by then-Emperor guitarist Samoth and drummer Trym Torsten (the duo teaming with Secthdamon and Destructor of Myrskog; Daemon from Limbonic Art appeared on one album), ZYKLON quickly and permanently made a lasting mark on extreme metal. Storm Manifesto features previously unavailable material.

KRYOBURN - New Mexico’s KRYOBURN finally make their return with their second album, Three Years Eclipsed. Five years separate this and their debut, Enigmatic Existence. Vocalist/guitarist Todd Brashear shares, “it took us a while to get this done. With all the changes we’ve had going on in the past couple of years, we had to find our legs again.” Produced by Tue Madsen (Dark Tranquillity, Moonspell), Three Years Eclipsed finds the band expanding their musical base, now adding progressive flairs to their intense metal sound. It is sure to peak the curiosity of new listeners. Three Years Eclipsed is available in stores now.

ABSU – Announced late last year, ABSU will share the stage with Immortal on six select American shows in mid-February. Band leader/drummer Proscriptor recently conducted an interview with Noisecreep and made comment regarding the band’s forthcoming album, Abzu. “We are working on the final touches. It’s composed and arranged. It’s the most maniacal collection of songs. It will include the standard topics I’ve discussed but we’re test driving a new kind of musical theme.” The band plan to enter the studio shortly after the completion of dates with Immortal and look for an autumn release. Dates with Immortal are:

2/19/11 Gramercy Theater – New York, NY
2/20/11 Sonar – Baltimore, MD
2/21/11 Mr. Smalls Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA
2/22/11 The Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
2/24/11 Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
2/26/11 Backstage Live – San Antonio, TX

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS - The Los Angeles-based band returns to the road in March alongside Rotten Christ and Melechesh for a massive North American tour. The band will be performing selections from their latest album In the Absence of Light. The Gauntlet notes, “In the Absence of Light is Abigail Williams’ best work to date.  It’s mercilessly honest, and timelessly critical, in an era where so much metal should be forgotten.” Prior to their dates with Rotting Christ, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS will travel to Mexico for the first time. Dates are:

3/04/11 Discoteque Organic – Guadalajara, Mexico
3/05/11 Circo Volador – Mexico City, Mexico
3/06/11 Ibex Bar – Monterray, Mexico
3/08/11 Broadway Joe’s – Buffalo, NY
3/09/11 Jaxx – West Springfield, VA
3/10/11 Champions Bar & Grill – Trenton, NJ
3/11/11 Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY
3/12/11 Rocko’s – Manchester, NH
3/13/11 Webster Theater – Hartford, CT
3/14/11 Crazy Donkey – Farmingdale, NY
3/15/11 Petit Campus – Montreal, QC
3/16/11 Mod Club – Toronto, ON
3/17/11 Blondie’s – Detroit, MI
3/18/11 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
3/19/11 Reggi’s Rock Club – Chicago, IL
3/20/11 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
3/22/11 The Republik – Calgary, AB
3/23/11 Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB
3/25/11 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
3/26/11 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
3/27/11 DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
3/28/11 Chain Reaction – Anaheim, CA
3/29/11 Key Club – Los Angeles, CA
3/30/11 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
3/31/11 UB’s Bar – Mesa, AZ
4/01/11 The Nat Ballroom – Amarillo, TX
4/02/11 Marquee – Tulsa, OK
4/03/11 Rail Club – Ft. Worth, TX
4/04/11 Emo’s – Austin, TX
4/05/11 Walter’s – Houston, TX
4/07/11 Brass Mug – Tampa, FL
4/08/11 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
4/09/11 Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC
4/10/11 The Casbah – Charlotte, NC

BURZUM - Fallen will see North American release via Candlelight on April 5. The album is the second since Varg Vikernes’ release from prison. The album features seven new compositions, each adding another storied journey to the celebrated BURZUM legacy. The album’s musical focus joins sounds of BURZUM’s early releases with key elements of 2010’s Belus. The striking and classical nature of the album’s cover art is new for BURZUM. A special pre-order promotion will launch via Candlelight’s official webstore on February 15.

CRUACHAN – Ireland’s CRUACHAN are set to reignite the Pagan metal flame with the release of their new album, Blood on the Black Robe. Set for release April 19, it is the band’s first new album in nearly four years. Founder/vocalist Keith Fay noted, “we are reborn,” on signing with Candlelight early August of 2010. “Returning to our musical roots, we hope to stamp our mark on what we started but also spearhead its revival.” Blood on the Black Robe is a more urgent and darker recording. It features eleven new songs that both old and new fans can embrace. It features guest performance from former vocalist Karen Gilligan.

SCION ROCK FEST – Candlelight is again proud to have performers at the upcoming Scion Rock Fest. Philadelphia’s WOE will make their west coast live debut alongside Morbid Angel, Obituary, Agalloch, Atheist, Municipal Waste and more. WOE is expected to play selections from their acclaimed second album Quietly, Undramatically that was released late last year. England’s ANAAL NATHRAKH were just confirmed as an additional performer, marking only the second time the band will perform on US soil. No word yet if the band will perform selections from their forthcoming album Passion, now confirmed for North American release on May 17th. Tickets for the festival are already sold out but there is a waitlist if you’d like to try your luck. Visit http://www.scionrock.com.

NOW AVAILABLE – Current new releases from Candlelight include label debuts from DEMONIC RESURRECTION, EASTERN FRONT, OBSIDIAN and HORNED ALMIGHTY. All were released January 25 in North America and are available now via our official webstore. Also available is the debut from THE WRETCHED END (featuring Samoth/Emperor-Zyklon), WINTERFYLLETH, KRIEG and OCTOBER TIDE (featuring Fredrik Norrman/Katatonia).

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