Candlelight Records Signs EASTERN FRONT
June 3, 2010, 14 years ago
Candlelight Records has announced the signing of UK black metallers EASTERN FRONT.
Holocaust and Krieg formed Eastern Front at the end of 2006. With an interest in the Second World War, and its effect on Europe, they were interested in exploring the history, through music; and from a subjective, personal and emotional, point of view. Eastern Front takes a new approach to black metal – which has been labelled “War Torn Black Metal”. Musically, they retain a traditional black metal sound but experiment with other genres, like doom, death, folk and classical, to create a range of different atmospheres in their songs. Each song evokes the emotional experiences of battle, encompassing hope, pride, comradeship, misery, sorrow and victory.
Within a few months of forming, Eastern Front recorded a demo CD, Promo 2007, to get other people’s opinions about the music. Due to the decision to ‘release’ the tracks and market the CD online, the CDs (limited to 350 copies) quickly sold out and the overall response was extremely positive. This encouraged the band to start working on further material to create a live set and tour. In the meantime, the demo tracks, and the further release of the track 'Blood On Snow' raised the band’s profile to the extent that they beat over 150 other bands to be voted “The Metal Underground’s “Best Unsigned Metal Band 2007”.
'Blood On Snow', the title track from the forthcoming debut album, was inspired by Gunter K. Koschorrek’s book Blood Red Snow: The Memoirs of a German Soldier on the Eastern Front. The song was recorded on Remembrance Sunday (11th November) 2007 and, along with its promotional video that has been played on American TV channels, has been responsible for generating considerable interest in Eastern Front.
In April 2008 the band featured on Total Rock Radio and had a two-hour feature on the station, which included interviews, airplay and a competition to win Eastern Front merchandise.
Eastern Front’s music also features in the Vertigo Films production“Faintheart. From over 300 bands of all musical genres, Faintheart’s director, Vito Rocco, short-listed Eastern Front and four other bands to face a public vote - which Eastern Front won. The film was released in UK Cinemas in January 2009 and on DVD in February 2009. 'Blood on Snow' also features on the soundtrack album released by EMI Records, alongside songs by SAXON, HUMAN LEAGUE, TENPOLE TUDOR and KATIE MELUA.
Eastern Front continues to tour. Having played throughout the UK alongside bands like PRIMORDIAL, BELPHEGOR, SWALLOW THE SUN, SHINING, TAAKE, SKYFORGER, PRIMAL FEAR, BLAZE BAYLEY, BRAINSTORM, INSISION, HATE HELHEIM, AVERSE SEFIRA, OBTEST, HECATE ENTHRONED, and DESECRATION gaining very positive reviews in major webzines and magazines. They also embarked on their first tour of Europe, September 2008, supporting LORD BELIAL and GRAVEWORM. This tour included festival dates in Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary.
Eastern Front returned to Romania August 2009 to headline “Stay Metal Forever Festival 2009” in Bucharest and in September 2009 they were the main support band to Blaze Bayley on the “Best of British Night” at Metalfest 2009 in Dudley, UK.
The end of 2009 leading into the beginning of 2010 saw Eastern Front being main support to HULDREFOLK, OBTEST and Belphegor in London and playing at the Causing Chaos for Cancer Fest 2010 in Newcastle.
Eastern Front recently finished recording their debut album, Blood On Snow, at Andy La Rocque’s (KING DIAMOND) Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden. Blood On Snow was then produced by Anders Backelin (Lord Belial) in March 2010.
Eastern Front are now signed to Candlelight Records and will release their debut album later in the year. This album features a track by Les Smith (ANATHEMA) and Brian Moss (DFA) titled 'Dvenadtzat Kilometrov ot Moskvy' and is sure to take UK black metal to the next level. The band had this to say "Eastern Front are very proud to have signed to the well-respected Candlelight Records. Candlelight Records have always been our target label for our album releases due to the number of great artists and albums they have unleashed on the world, which includes, Emperor, Opeth, Enslaved, Obituary, Absu and 1349. To now be part of this on going army of successful artists is a great achievement for our band. We feel that Candlelight Records respects and understands our artistic outlet and goals and with this new alliance we hope to take Eastern Front and U.K Black Metal to the next level."
More on the band at this location.