Few phrases in the heavy underground offer as immediate an association as “Finnish trad doom,” and while if you weren’t thinking about Reverend Bizarre before, you probably are now, Turku five-piece Harvest Bell are on something of a different wavelength, avoiding some of the Sabbath worship in favor of more classically progressive fare. It’s a fine line, maybe, but the distinction works out to be somewhat less minute with the actual audio itself, as Harvest Bell showcase in “Salutation” below. Word has just come down the PR wire that the band will release their next outing, an EP called Wheel of Foretaste, through Italy’s Bloodrock Records.

Bloodrock Records — of course named for the heavy ’70s rock band from Texas — is somehow affiliated with Black Widow Records, but I don’t know exactly what the nature of that relationship is. Both seem to put out some cool stuff. While I dig into that matter and see what I can find out, dig the announcement of the signing and Wheel of Foretaste release below, which the band sent over:

HARVEST BELL has made a record deal with Italian BLOODROCK RECORDS

Finnish doom rock group Harvest Bell has made a record deal with Italian BloodRock Records. As a result the band will be releasing an EP called Wheel of Foretaste in both vinyl and CD formats.

Founded in 2006, Harvest Bell combines heavily rolling riffs with atmospheric melodies strewed with a touch of psychedelia. Harvest Bell has previously released Wooden Stone EP. The band’s lineup is Jussi Helle (vocals), Petri Härmä (guitar), Tuomas Heinonen (guitar), Jarno Mäkinen (bass) and Juho Alhola (drums).

www.facebook.com/harvestbell
https://www.facebook.com/pages/BLOODROCK-RECORDS/219395768131029
http://bloodrockrecords.blogspot.com/

Harvest Bell, “Salutation”

There might be bands for whom switching out a guitarist or two is no big deal, but for the kind of doom-for-doomers that Italian drunkards Doomraiser proffer, it’s a considerable change. With Giulio and Montagna in tow, Doomraiser will unveil what they’re calling “Drunken Mark III” at a series of shows starting this weekend in Rome. 

Doomraiser‘s latest release is a 2013 split with Caronte on BloodRock Records, and their last full-length, Mountains of Madness, came out in 2011 through Black Widow Records, unrepentantly basking in classic Sabbathian riffage and heavy downer grooves.

Extra ultra doomy PR wire info and the title-track of that album follow here, just in case you needed a little doom to get you through the rest of your day as we all do from time to time (like all the time):

DOOMRAISER announce LINE-UP CHANGE

DOOMRAISER announce the Drunken Mark III line-up. The Italian doom metal band is glad to introduce the new twin axes Giulio and Montagna. The guys come from experiences in bands such as VII Arcano, Nerodia and Cielo Drive. Giulio and Montagna will be officially introduced during the next 3 live gigs of the band: Friday October 11 at the Hardsounds Festival 2013 (the event will celebrate the first 10 years of activity for the webzine); Friday October 25 at Freakout Club in Bologna; Saturday October 26 at Lo-Fi Club in Milan for the festival “Macigni” (together with Monumental and Satori Junk).

Doomraiser send an enormous hug to Drugo and Willer for their contribution and efforts in these years of shows, recordings, rehearsals, fun, hangout, drinking and eating. You are still part of the Doomraiser family.

DOOM ON!

Drunken Mark III line-up (L-R):

MONTAGNA – guitar
BJ – bass
PINNA – drums
CYNAR – vocals/synth
GIULIO – guitar

www.facebook.com/doomraiser

Doomraiser, “Mountains of Madness” from Mountains of Madness (2011)