British black metallers THE MEADS OF ASPHODEL have announced, "we have found a new home in the form of legendary label Candlelight Records."

According to the label, "The Meads Of Asphodel was a project conceived by Metatron in 1998 who envisaged a unique myriad of colliding musical styles tethered to a black metal spine. After three well received demos the band signed to Supernal Music in 2000, and the debut album,

The Excommunication of Christ appeared in 2001. The narration/ intro was voiced by AC Wild of cult Eighties Italian black metal band BULLDOZER. Here began the bands long association with HAWKWIND, as Huw Lloyd Langton played lead guitar on two tracks, including a cover of Hawkwind ‘Assault And Battery’.

Whilst musically the Meads veered away from the icy monotone fuzz blasts of what could be cited as traditional black metal music, lyrically the band were, and are black metal. In 2002 the Jihad 3-track promo was submitted to Supernal Music. The concept was fashioned around the September 11th atrocity. Supernal Music coupled these tracks with two MAYHEM tracks [with Dead on vocals] and released the split 10” vinyl [limited to 666].

The second album, Exhuming The Grave Of Yeshua, was released in 2003 and featured guest musicians Huw Loyd Langton and Alan Davey [Hawkwind], Deorth [RAGNAROK UK], Mirai [SIGH] and Paul; Carter [THUS DEFILED]. The album was released to great reviews. In 2004 the Mill Hill Sessions album was released. This was a collection of live in the studio tracks.

During late 2004/ early 2005 the band crafted the Damascus Steel album with input from Mirai [Sigh], Max Rael [HISTORY OF GUNS], and new associate, Alisa Coral from Russian Space rock band SPACE MIRRORS. The albums concept concerns the evil in human kind and the wanton slaughter in the name of God or whatever reason. The album is a return to the Jihad aesthetics. A cover of LOUIS ARMSTRONG’s ‘Wonderful World’ and Hawkwind's ‘Sword Of The East’ are recorded, plus a new version of the demo track ‘Death And Darkness’, re-named ‘Beyond Death And Darkness. The additional use of violinists, cellists, a trumpet player, sitar and tamba players, female vocalists, makes this the, most organic and involved Meads album ever conceived. In 2006, the Welcome To Planet Genocide MCD appeared and was a continuation of the Damascus Steel theme. Featuring 2 x discharge tracks.

While Metatron works on the lyrical concept to the Murder Of Jesus The Jew album and JD Tait weaves his musical loom, the release of the Life Is Shit limited vinyl EP appears [with original Ruts guitarist, Paul Fox who died in 2008] in 2007, and the Early Years CD in 2009 [a collection of the bands demo’s].

To maintain the underground affinity the band have maintained a split release with fellow UK black Pagan metal act OLD CORPSE ROAD appears in 2010.

Stay tuned for further updates. More on the band at this location.