Transubstans picks up Dödaren

Transubstans Records has signed Swedish heavy rockers Dödaren and will be releasing the band's debut full-length "Maen" this coming December.

New Three Seasons album in November

Look for the new album "Understand the world" from Swedish retro/psych-rockers Three Seasons to be released on November 14 via the always-reliable Transubstans Records.

The Brimstone Days - I need soul (video)

From The Brimstone Days' upcoming 7" split with Bulldog Mack, due out in September via Transubstans Records.

Transubstans Vinyl Club #4: The Brimstone Days / Bulldog Mack

The 4th volume of Transubstans Records' 7" Vinyl Club will feature heavy boogie-rockers The Brimstone Days and Bulldog Mack. Look for it in September.

Odyssey - Pyramids (video)

Kick-ass heavy rock from Odyssey off their forthcoming album "Abysmal despair", due out May 16 via Transubstans Records.

darXtar - Tired nature (video)

New heavy psychrock out of Sweden from darXtar off the band's forthcoming record "Aged to perfection", due out May 14 via Transubstans Records. Kind of a similar vibe to Baby Woodrose if that's your thing.

Odyssey - Wicked witch (video)

Transubstans Records, once again delivering the best heavy stoner jams Scandinavia has to offer. Odyssey is their latest signing and this is the band's new single "Wicked witch", the first from their upcoming album "Abysmal despair", due to be released on May 16.

Darxtar to release new album in May via Transubstans

Swedish spacerockers Darxtar will be releasing their new album "Aged to perfection" on May 14 via Transubstans Records, both on CD and vinyl. This will be their first release for the esteemed Malmö-based psych/hardrock specialist label and their 7th full-length release since founding the band back in 1989.

Two new splits on the way from Transubstans

Upcoming releases in Transubstans Records' monthly vinyl singles club:

02/06 - Electric Moon (GER) / Hypnotized Not Paralyzed split
03/14 - Black Pyramid (US) / Odyssey split

Swich Opens - Mirror man

Preview a new track from the upcoming Switch Opens album "Joint clash", due out this coming February via Transubstans Records.

Transubstans to reissue "Garden of Mysteries"

Transubstans Records will be reissuing cult Swedish prog/folk act In the Labyrinth's debut release Garden of Mysteries" this coming January. Preview a clip above and/or head here for more details: http://www.inthelabyrinth.com/CD-GardenOfMysteries.html

Transubstans to release Noctum CD

Transubstans Records will be catering to the vinyl-impaired by compiling Swedish metal act Noctum's two records, "The seance" and "The fiddler" -- both previously released on wax via High Roller Records, onto one CD for release on December 14. If you dig occult metal with a retro vibe ala Mercyful Fate or Witchcraft, you should definitely check these dudes out.

Chillihounds
Shake your skull
Transubstans Records

One huge pet peeve I've had for years is bad band fonts. You'd think we've passed the era when people realised that distorted grunge fonts, or using the airbrush on photoshop to fuck up your logo looks god-fucking-awful. To top it off, bands pair it with a pixelated rock icon, skulls or flames or whatnot. Done in the right way, it's not bad, but more often then not, it reveals a band's minimal sense of creativity -- like they're just as maladjusted as the next office cretin when it comes to determining a "rock-look". Now that I've got that outta my system, onto the next order of business: what the fuck is wrong with this band's name? If they're attempting to use the word, "chilli" to suggest "hot, fiery, red" or whatever stereotypical rock-associated adjectives that went through their beer-fizzled brains, coupled with "hounds" it makes absolutely no sense. They might as well be thinking "Chillidogs".

I envision only two scenarios in which I'd affirm this band; a) if I were sitting in some backyard blues bar in the middle of Memphis -- wait-a-minnit, I forget that'd be demographically impossible seeing as these guys sing as white as turkeys -- ok, ok so in the middle of bumfuck Texas, and I was really, REALLY drunk on Bourbon and on a date with a super hot cowboy. If Chillihounds were the house band, I probably wouldn't mind. The second would be if Kenny Powers were their frontman, and they dressed like Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Unfortunately there's zero irony and zero invention. It's winter up in those northern parts, and picturing a surplus of dudes jamming and "kicking ass" kinda makes me wanna cry. It's as if they've lifted as many AC/DC, Kiss or Thin Lizzy riffs as possible and plastered it with your typical slick-back testosterone-fueled Swedishness. Even their song titles bleed of unoriginality. As much as I hate standing in the way of good ol' fashioned fun and laudable classic rock-throwbacks (AC/DC cover band Big Balls for example, rules) -- their sound emanates of beer bongs, ordering cowboy hats on eBay and fucking young girls that've stepped outta Paradise Hotel. Just as I think I might tip over in the way of nodding to a song, tracks like, "Back in the game" make me wallow in misery. I read somewhere that they're attempting to be "classic rock for a new generation." Please. It's harry as hell.
- Ann Sung-an Lee

Three Seasons 7" preview

Preview a bit of the upcoming Three Seasons 7" "Escape", the first entry in Transubstans Records' new monthly singles club. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Three Seasons 7" in the works

Swedish rockers Three Seasons will be releasing a new 7" entitled "Escape" this coming fall via Transubstans Records.