Mondvolland Complete Work On Sophomore Full-Length Album

When MONDVOLLAND was formed in 2006, the musical emphasis was firmly orientated towards folk, but now, with two releases behind them and the completion of their sophomore full-length album, the band has very clearly developed and expanded its sound and direction to become an atypical Black Metal band that occasionally nods in the direction of avant-garde and post metal, but  whose melodies are clearly defined and whose sound is immediate and accessible.  Add to that vocals that are a mix of screams, deep grunts and varying styles of clean vocals, and you have a band that moves seamlessly and expertly through a number of extreme metal genres.

The new  seven-track album, for which a label is currently being sought,  will be called “Kwade Vaart” and was recorded at the E-Sound Studios by Asher de Vries (FLUISTERAARS), while mixing and mastering is by MONDVOLLAND bassist/vocalist Mickeal.   The title is the modern Dutch equivalent of “quade vaert”, which translated means “wicked” or “evil"  journey”, and is inspired by local folk stories that explore the subjects of poisoning, death in battle, fratricide and witch hunts.  The band's name itself  is taken from the Dutch "mond volland", meaning "mouth full of earth", and comes from a local folk story that recounts how giants created the hills of Montferland in the Gelderland region of the Netherlands, the home of the  band's original founders.

“Kwade Vaart” will be the third release from MONDVOLLAND, whose lineup comprises Mickeal  (session live musician in HEIDEVOLK, APOPHYS, SEMISTEREO) on bass and vocals,  MJWW  (WEDERGANGER) on guitar and  vocals,  Nico on drums and Bauke (AM TUAT) on guitar. The band's first full-length album, “d’Olde Roop”,  appeared on Apollon Records in 2010 and has since sold out.  This was followed in 2012 by the 3-track EP “Pestvogel”,  in both digital and CD format.

MONDVOLLAND will also feature on an international musical project initiated by DRUDUKH's Roman Sayenko which will be released on Season of Mist. The split vinyl release will contain exclusive and previously unreleased tracks from ten bands in all, including DRUDKH, PRIMORDIAL, KAMPFAR and WINTERFYLLETH amongst others.   Whilst some of the tracks are renditions of traditional songs from the bands' respective countries, some are a personal exploration of  their own  heritage.  Titled "One and All, Together, For Home" the release date has been set for the 23rd May in Europe and 27th May in North America.  Additionally MONDVOLAND will be taking part in an upcoming project titled "Elemental Nightmares".  More information about the project can be found here.

MONDVOLLAND's  “Pestvogel” EP can be heard below.

VIRUS TO HEADLINE THE "AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT" TOUR WITH FELLOW IRREGULARS VULTURE INDUSTRIES, KRAKOW & MONDVOLLAND

Details of the “And Now For Something Completely Different Tour” with a four-band line of experimental/avant-garde bands headed by VIRUS have been announced today.  Joining the cult Norwegians will be fellow countrymen VULTURE INDUSTRIES and KRAKOW along with the MONDVOLLAND from the Netherlands.  Confirmed dates on the December tour as follows and anyone interested in booking the two remaining dates should contact bjornar@propulsionmusic.no:

Fri 07 Dec:  Willemeen , Arnhem (NL)

Sat 08 Dec: Ferrailleur,  Nantes (FR)

Sun 09 Dec: Glazart,  Paris (FR)

Mon 10 Dec: Markthalle, Hamburg (DE)

Tue 11 Dec:  The Underworld,  London (UK)

Wed 12 Dec: TBC

Thu 13 Dec: Orto Bar,  Ljubljana (SLO)

Fri 14 Dec: Gaswerk Kulturzentrum, Winterthur (CH)

Sat 15 Dec: TBC

VIRUS was formed in 2000 by guitarist / singer Carl-Michael "Czral" Eide (AURA NOIR, former / founder member of ULVER, SATYRICON, DØDHEIMSGARD, CADAVER etc., along with bass player extraordinaire Petter "Plenum" Berntsen (AUDIOPAIN) and drummer Einar "Einz" Sjursø (LAMENTED SOULS, INFERNÖ,ex BEYOND DAWN), with the intention of taking key elements of Czral's former avant-garde black metal band VED BUENS ENDE further into weirdness and farther from metal. Through three critically acclaimed album releases Czral's unique dissonant guitar flavour and song writing has fascinated, puzzled and ensnared listeners worldwide, not least thanks to the live performances (as a 5-piece) the band have undertaken since early 2011, including Sonisphere, Brutal Assault, Hole In The Sky, Aurora Infernalis etc.

VIRUS is also set to release a mini album to coincide with the tour.  Titled “Oblivion Clock”, the album runs at over thirty minutes and features four new track and three bonus tracks that until now have only been available on extremely limited releases.  At the same time band will also be releasing a new vinyl edition of their sophomore album “The Black Flux”.  “Oblivion Clock”, together with a new line of VIRUS merchandise, will be available as a digifile CD on the tour, and is also already available to pre-order from virulentmusic.bigcartel.com along with the “Black Flux” vinyl. More information about VIRUS can be found on the band’s website at http://virusnorway.com/

The other three bands on the tour all bring their own very individual interpretations of the eclectic experimental/avant-garde genre.  VULTURE INDUSTRIES, whose style tends towards the more progressive and extreme, are fronted by Bjornar Nilsen, known for his manic theatrical performances which garner praise for the band wherever they appear.  They have just signed with Season of Mist for the release of their third-full length album, and will be debuting new material during the tour.  More information on VULTURE INDUSTRIES can be found the band’s website at http://www.vulture-industries.net/

KRAKOW, whose second full-length album “diin” was released on Dark Essence Records in September, could fit equally well within the post-rock, metal and stoner rock genres with a sound that ranges from dark, evocative and mesmerizing to fast, aggressive and heavy.  They recently added KAMPFAR drummer Ask Ty Arctander to their line up. More information about KRAKOW can be found on the band’s website at http://www.krakowofficial.com/

Rounding off the line up is MONDVOLLAND, who bring touches of Black Folk metal deeply rooted in ancient myths and traditions of the Eastern Netherlands to their music. The release of their “Pestvogel” EP earlier this year showed that MONDVOLLAND was embarking on a different route from their debut full-length “d’Olde Roop”, with the intention of breathing new life into the somewhat staid Pagan/Folk scene. More information about MONDVOLLAND can be found on the band’s website at http://www.mondvolland.com/

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Tour presented by Propulsion Music and the Mythology Agency

Propulsion Music | Mythology Agency

Tour Contact:  Bjornar Nilsen at Propulsion Music: bjornar@propulsionmusic.no

Virus | Vulture Industries | Krakow | Mondvolland

MONDVOLLAND RELEASES EP FOR FREE DOWNLOAD TO MARK CHANGE OF DIRECTION

When MONDVOLLAND’s debut full-length album “d’Olde Roop” was released in 2010, the Dutch band had its feet firmly planted in the Blackened Folk Metal field, both in terms of their sound as well as in a lyrical content that drew on ancient myths and traditions of the Eastern Netherlands. Now, with the release of their new EP “Pestvogel”, MONDVOLLAND has taken a slightly different road.  The subject matter still draws on the folklore - two of the three tracks on the EP are inspired by local folk tales, whilst the “Pestvogel”, or “Plague Bird” of the title track is the embodiment of the plague which decimated so much of Europe in centuries past. But with this release the band’s sound is much more oriented towards blending the traditional black metal vocals with clean vocals, giving “Pestvogel” and MONDVOLLAND a unique sound.  “Pestvogel” is released on the 28^th of January 2012 and is available for free download in MP3 format from the band’s website.

MONDVOLLAND was formed in 2005 by Martijn on guitars and vocals and Mickeal (HEIDEVOLK session member) on bass and vocals, with the intention of breathing new life into the Pagan/Folk Metal scene that had become somewhat staid and lacking in originality. In Dutch “Mond vol land” literally means “mouth full of earth” and stems from a local folk story in which giants created the hills and forests of Montferland, the birthplace of the band’s founders, and it was these old legends that originally inspired the duo, and continue to do so. MONDVOLLAND’s current line up includes Harold on guitar and KAMPFAR drummer Ask. Frontman  Martijn had this to say about the thinking behind the release of the new EP:  “We are now a solid, four piece unit, and we are very satisfied with the direction the band is taking.  We still retain our “folk” essence, but I would say that our sound is much “blacker” than it was before.  Our decision to release the “Pestvogel” EP as a free download is really based on giving our old fans a chance to get a feel for the new direction, and hopefully gain some new followers along the way”.

MONDVOLLAND is due to play at HEIDEVOLK’s release party on the 25^th of February 2012 at Luxor in Arnhem, and more information about the band can be found here.

Additional Information
Band Contact: info@mondvolland.com
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