BW&BK; has received the following SLAGMAUR press release:

Skrekk Lich Kunstler, the new album from Norwegian black metallers Slagmaur has been released on the band’s own Nekk Brekk label, after a series of events that have made everyone involved in the release wonder if it might actually be cursed.

The band’s manager commented: “All kinds of things seemed to happen during the recording of this album. Some were amusing, some were irritating, and some were strange to say the least, particularly as this has been an intensely personal album for General Gribbsphiiser, much more so than any of the others the band has produced. He set out to express his beliefs through music, and when those beliefs are as extreme as his, and when you are the perfectionist that he is, it is by no means an easy task, and there is a usually a price to pay, as any serious musician will tell you. Let’s just say that the making of Skrekk Lich Kunstler took its toll on all of us in one way or another.”

Regarding the decision to release through their own label, rather than Black Hate Productions, she continued: “It started off with a disagreement between the band and Black Hate, with Black Hate having some concerns over, amongst other things, the rather unorthodox view of the creation theory expressed by General Gribbsphiiser in the album. Once that was sorted out, Black Hate was hit with year-end budgetary issues, which meant the release would have had to be delayed until next year. Rather than wait we decided to release it on Nekk Brekk instead. Fortunately our relationship with Black Hate is excellent, and we were able to use their original slot at the pressing plant, together with their distribution, so that at least was one less thing to worry about.”

Remaining true to the Black Metal ethos the band grew up with, Slagmaur has taken that ethos and created a unique sound that is a dark, twisted, and at times, downright frightening journey into the mind of Slagmaur’s creator, the multi-instrumentalist General Gribbsphiiser. The actual identity of the band members is unclear. Gribbsphiiser himself remains a shadowy figure, and the band are notoriously reluctant to talk either about themselves, or their music, and, on the rare occasion they allow themselves to be photographed, he, together with drummer Lt Wardr and vocalist Aatselgribb are heavily disguised. Nevertheless, with its chilling, complex, and multi-layered sound that has the ability to draws the listener in on many different levels, Slagmaur is considered by many to be one of the best, and most original, of the new generation of Black Metal bands that are currently emerging from the Norwegian scene.

Three tracks from Skrekk Lich Kunstler, together with other material, can be heard on the band’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/slagmaur.