SPELLBOOK To Release ‘Deadly Charms’ In September

York, Pennsylvania vintage proto-metal purveyors SPELLBOOK will release their sophomore full-length, “Deadly Charms”, this September via Cruz Del Sur Music.

The follow-up to 2020’s “Magick & Mischief” was recorded in February at Developing Nations in Baltimore, Maryland, with producer/engineer Kevin Bernsten. The album also marks the SPELLBOOK recording debut of their two new guitarists, Les Yarde and Patrick “Patty” Benton.

“The material has new life injected into it while still maintaining the adventurous ’70s hard rock sound we strive for,” says drummer Nick Zinn. “It certainly helped Les and Patty love ‘Magick & Mischief’ and its no-rules approach. Yet, at the same time, ‘Deadly Charms’ does seem a bit more focused. We love how the overall vibe has a more anthemic feel.”

According to Zinn, the lyrical themes on “Deadly Charms” lean much heavier on horror and reality than the fantasy and fiction approach found in “Magick & Mischief”. The David Thiérrée (BEHEMOTH, MORTIIS, IHSAHN)-created artwork capably showcases these topics.   

“The cover depicts an open spell book spewing forth witches, devils and other ghastly things,” notes Zinn. “These are all subject matters within ‘Deadly Charms’ songs. We’ve been fortunate to work with so many great artists over the years on different albums dating back to our WITCH HAZEL days and enjoy the excitement of a new artist on each project we do.”

“Magick & Mischief” was released in the thick of the global pandemic. While it put a premature end to the band’s touring plans, it immediately cultivated a feverish critical following. Teeth Of The Divine called it “one of the best and most original heavy metal albums that seems like it was recorded in the ’70s and just received an updated remastering.” At the same time, Toilet Ov Hell noted, “This record is stuffed to bursting with hooky, moody riffs, stuffed like a filing cabinet full of promising leads.”

The run-up to the release of “Deadly Charms” will find SPELLBOOK busy with a myriad of projects — including some much-desired plans to hit the road.

“We are working on shooting videos for a few songs off the record,” says Zinn. “Once the album is released, we really want to tour this time around. This new lineup has been gigging for a little while now and is eager to play these new songs anywhere and everywhere we can.”

“Deadly Charms” track listing:

1. 1928

2. Rehmeyer’s Hollow

3. Goddess

4. Pandemonium

5. Her Spectral Armies

6. The Witch Of Riley Creek

7. Deadly Charms

8. Night Of The Doppelganger

9. Out For Blood

MYTHOSPHERE Feat. PALE DIVINE and Ex-FATES WARNING Members Signs With CRUZ DEL SUR MUSIC; Debut Live Appearance Scheduled for MARYLAND DOOM FEST

Cruz Del Sur Music is proud to announce the signing of MYTHOSPHERE, the band founded by PALE DIVINE guitarist/vocalist Dana Ortt and drummer Darin McCloskey. The pair are joined by their PALE DIVINE bandmate Ron McGinnis (bass) and none other than former FATES WARNING guitarist Victor Arduini. Their debut album will be released in 2023.


MYTHOSPHERE’s origins began in 2020 when Ortt and McCloskey started working on material intended to be the continuation of BEELZEFUZZ. Their songs came to fruition in 2021 once the pandemic subsided, prompting Ortt to reach out to Arduini to lend his identifiable brand of lead guitar playing. McGinnis was the natural choice for bass, thus completing MYTHOSPHERE, an outfit steeped in traditional metal and doom history that promises to live up to its lofty billing.

“I see it as Dana’s project,” says Arduini. “He is the primary songwriter and instrumentalist. I get to interpret the songs and come up with my own ideas and sounds. It’s great to see the merging of our two unique playing styles and how it forms something new. I’ve learned that when you do a project on your own, it will only represent your musical approach which is cool for a solo project. But Dana allowed an outside influence and I think we are both very pleased with how this came out. I can’t say enough about the band. Darin and Ron are both very passionate and committed to the music. They are very involved in the writing process and are great musicians.

It allows me to focus on what I enjoy doing and not have to put the weight of the entire project on my shoulders.”

“From my perspective, I’m just reacting to what Dana presents,” adds McCloskey. “We will work off the basic ideas he presents and sometimes work out the arrangements together. Other times, Dana will have everything pretty well mapped out. I think there’s a bit of nuance from previous bands, but there’s also a progression into some uncharted territory which makes things really exciting!”

MYTHOSPHERE recorded their as-yet-titled debut album at Tiny Castle Studio in Towson, Maryland, with producer/engineer Noel Mueller. Arduini tracked at his home studio and delivered his parts to the rest of the band. “The music would be best described as an expansion of where BEELZEFUZZ left off,” says McCloskey. “A bit less doom as the songs have deeper progressions with soundscapes and melodic overtones which were brought into the mix by Victor creating a whole new vibe and listening experience.

For the here and now, MYTHOSPHERE will make its live debut on June 24 at the Maryland Doom Fest. That gig will be followed by an appearance at the New England Stoner and Doom Fest on October 7. Fans will be given a sneak preview of MYTHOSPHERE’s debut album and will also be treated to some surprises from their past.

“We’ll be playing the songs we’ve recently recorded for the album and experimenting with the setlist and finding out what songs will go over the best in a live setting,” closes McCloskey. “We are also looking to include a bit of BEELZEFUZZ into the set that matches the vibe of our new music and Victor’s signature guitar playing. He brings a new element of depth and color to the songs.”

DARK FOREST To Release ‘Ridge & Furrow’ EP In October

Heralded British traditional metallers DARK FOREST will release the five-song “Ridge & Furrow” EP this October via Cruz Del Sur Music. The follow-up to 2020’s “Oak, Ash & Thorn” was recorded at Hellfire Studios in the Midlands of England with producer Ajeet Gill.

Founding DARK FOREST member, guitarist and primary songwriter Christian Horton used his pandemic downtime wisely. The extra, unexpected free time allowed him to craft new DARK FOREST material between full-length releases. Horton’s burst of creativity coincided with the eventual (and much-needed) re-opening of pubs across England that led to the band resuming live activity. But the immediate future brings “Ridge & Furrow”, a project that has taken on special meaning for Horton that offers the perfect segue to the band’s next full-length album.

“As I began to write new material during 2020, it occurred to me that if we could get enough songs to form an EP and have it recorded and released by 2022, it would be the perfect thing to mark the occasion of the band’s 20th anniversary,” says Horton. “This is one reason why the project began to take on a personal significance. As the founder of DARK FOREST, it would serve as a milestone on the band’s journey and is why I decided to handle a lot of aspects of the record myself, including the artwork. The EP became a project that was close to my heart and I also wanted to bring back something of the early DARK FOREST atmosphere, as I used to do the art back then too, to create a kind of symmetry between points in time.”

The five songs contained herein are classic DARK FOREST. Josh Winnard’s effortless vocal delivery rouses the band’s impenetrable wall of melody and might. The EP format also allowed Horton and the rest of DARK FOREST (completed by second guitarist Patrick Jenkins and drummer Adam Sidaway) to spread the creative wings a bit — and include a fan favorite from their past.

“The music is still very melodic and lead guitar-driven, but there’s a good mixture of material for a short record,” says Horton. “Each song has a different mood and feeling. There’s high-octane, up-tempo and there’s stoic and reflective. We also decided to include a re-recording of an old DARK FOREST classic ‘Under The Greenwood Tree’, which was always a live favorite and befitting an EP that marks an anniversary. It felt like the song which truly encapsulates the spirit of DARK FOREST.”

“Ridge & Furrow” track listing:

  1. Skylark
  2. The Golden Acre
  3. Ridge & Furrow
  4. Meadowland
  5. Under The Greenwood Tree