Beastianity
Track One: Skull Sky Dome (Hexxen)
Beastianity exist as a rogue family unit who operate from the Dark Dark Green Lodge. They strive to share power with the aim of Uniting StrayAliens across the Nine Worlds. Organic and adaptable, Beastianity moves freely in the spaces between the spaces at a pace that is untrackable and unmissable all at once.

“Skull Sky Dome (Hexxen)” is the first single to be released from the forthcoming second album LokiCountry. This unique version has been mixed especially for Hex Magazine and appears courtesy of Praise Dog Publishing Pty Ltd, Australia 2009, (all rights reserved).

Sieben
Track Two: Hail the Spirit
Original version (“Ogham the Spirit”) appeared on Sieben’s Ogham Inside the Night album (2005), Remixed July 2009 at Redroom Studio, Sheffield, England. Written, performed and produced by Matt Howden. Published by Universal.

www.matthowden.com
www.youtube.com/mhsieben
www.last.fm/music/Sieben?ac=sieben
www.myspace.com/matthowden7

Irij
Track Three: Domovoj
IRIJ is a one-woman-folk project brought to life by Meri Tadic in autumn 2006.

Her compositions range from mere instrumentals all the way to a cappella songs. Inspired by her own Slavic roots, a love for nature and life itself, as well as a certain melancholy which could be ranked somewhere between joy and sorrow, the music sounds bewitching and bright, but dark and plain at the same time.

Irij is mentioned in the Slavic mythology (as far writings have been traced) with many different, almost oppositional meanings. On one hand it is the celestial residence of old pagan gods such as Lada and Veles. On the other hand it is described as the materialistic world. The Here and Now. The world you can see and touch. Her music catches up with what is in between, a world between the worlds.

On the first EP, which will be released by the Austrian label AHNSTERN in late summer 2009, Meri played all the instruments and also recorded everything by herself at home. It’s a journey through a Slavic soul devoted to tradition and sincerity.

Apart from that Meri is the violinist of the Swiss pagan metal band Eluveitie, with whom she has released four albums and played many shows all over Europe and North America.

www.myspace.com/irij
wwww.myspace.com/ahnstern

Official contact: irij@yahoo.com

Allerseelen
Track Four: Wo Die Wilden Kerle Wohnen
Vocals: Sabinita
Text, Tonkunst: Gerhard Hallstatt

aorta (at) gmx (dot) at
www.myspace.com/allerseelen

Aorta c/o Petak, Postfach 778, 1011 Wien, Austria.

wo willst du hin
was ist Dein Ziel

wo alles glistert
alles glitzert

wo die wilden Kerle wohnen
eingebunkert in Kavernen
tief im Eis

where do you want to go
what is your destination

where everything is glistening
everything is glittering

where the wild boys live
bunkered inside caverns
deep inside the ice

Sangre Cavallum
Track Five: Gado Meu
Sangre Cavallum is a pagan ensemble that plays folk tunes and heroic songs based on the Callaecian heritage, from the Northern Portuguese and Northwest Spain regions.

:Ruhr:Hunter:
Track Six: waniyetu~wintruz
composed, performed, recorded & produced by ~chet w. scott~

recorded at glass throat recordings of cascadian soil, upon & throughout the full moon of august mmix.

instrumentation:
ritual frame drum with horse hair beater, northern long horns, large tubular bells, blackened walnut/cedar & old growth redwood flutes, thunder gong, ritual black bear bladder & deer antler rattles, black bear/cascadian rain & spring bird environmental recordings, winter’s breath chants.

“waniyetu~wintruz&#8221 is an early version taken from the forthcoming 3xcd full length trilogy entitled:

:embrace:mother:earth:
:hail:father:sky:
:honor:our:sun:

the craft will feature as the initial movement to disc three :honor:our:sun: which supports & glorifies the seasonal cyclic flow. i want to thank the folks at hex for gifting me this chance to present an early glimpse into the next album for :ruhr:hunter: since the release of moss & memory mmvi.

the :ruhr:hunter: raven talon wheel logo & music are copyright protected.

for more information please visit:
glass throat recordings
www.myspace.com/ruhrhunter

with much love & warmth,
~chet w. scott~
august 14th, mmix.

Hamramr
Track Seven: Ik Gaskapjan Ita
Sounds – Cody Dickerson & R. Sinclair
Gothic Text – Cody Dickerson
Recorded 2006 across the Pacific Northwest by Cody Dickerson & R. Sinclair
Mixed 2009 at Vigrid Studio by R. Sinclair
Contact – hamask@gmail.com
www.myspace.com/hamramr

Svarrogh
Track Eight: The Wheel of Dazhbog
Music and Lyrics by Dimo Dimov.

Recorded in winter 2008, Munich.

This pagan folklore chanson is deeply inspired by the Slavic heritage of the Balkan realms.

www.myspace.com/svarrogh

Andrew King
Track Nine: Christmas Song
(Traditional, Roud 1170, from the singing of the Copper Family of Rottingdean and Peacehaven, Sussex).

Andrew King: Vox, samples
Hunter Barr: Keyboards, samples

Recorded at Retina II, London on August 1st 2009.
Produced by Andrew King & Hunter Barr, Mastered by Hunter Barr.

Photo © Aïda Faramín Rodríguez

It was my great good fortune to meet and record the late Bob Copper (1915-2004) on numerous occasions during his last decade, and though his songs are safe in the hands of his children and grandchildren, I have made this recording as my own small tribute to this great and good man.

For more on the Copper Family see: www.thecopperfamily.com
For more on Andrew King see: www.myspace.com/AndrewStewartKing

At the Head of the Woods
Track Ten: Winter’s Will
Barren branch, Overhead
Froze from life, To rest you’ll tend

Sleeping deep, Drained of power
Wake in spring, To grow and flower

Until your thaw, From winters’ will
You stand and wait, Dead and still

Written, Performed and Engineered by James Woodhead July 2009

www.myspace.com/attheheadofthewoods

Steve Von Till
Track Eleven: Brigit’s Cross
Music and lyrics by Steve Von Till

Steve Von Till – voice, acoustic guitar
Joe Goldring – electric guitar
Doug Adams – fiddle

Recorded by Desmond Shea at the Deaf Mute Trust Company.

Holy man, don’t waste your breath on me.
I don’t seek what you lost.
We don’t need your superstition.

Keep your poison out of our well.
It’s bitter to the taste.
We’ve been drinking here for thousands of years.

I left my blessing — on the Brigit’s Cross.

Our old ways are as snakes.
They live deep in the clay.
No man with a crooked stick can drive them away.

He drove our gods into the sea.
At least so they say.
Let me tell you friend, we’ve given up your ghost.

I left my blessing — on the Brigit’s Cross.

I live my days by the quartered wheel,
Woven from the straw.
Harvest gold reflects the sun.

I left my blessing — on the Brigit’s Cross.

Ironwood
Track Twelve: Love in Death
Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Ironwood invoke spiralling atmospheres and dark vistas with their unique fusion of progressive|folk|metal.

The song “Love In Death” is an exploration of loss and grief in the milieu of turning seasons. Leaves fall, frost forms, life stills – yet there may nevertheless be some slim hope for a new quickening.

Praise for Ironwood’s debut album :Fire:Water:Ash: –

“IRONWOOD sind einzigartig magisch … Zu schön für diese Welt … 9.5/10 [IRONWOOD is uniquely magical … too beautiful for this world … 9.5/10].” – SirLordDoom, Metal District.

“[T]ruly extraordinary … this is a must have album… jump straight into the deep end and get your hands on this. 9.5/10.” – Mitch Booth, Metal Obsession.

“Ein Meisterwerk ist „:Fire:Water:Ash:” … 9/10.” – Chrischi, Burn Your Ears.

“I hear a lot of music at HH HQ and Ironwood really stands out as authentic and a project starting with integrity and individual vision rather than adhesion to a musical style. [Ironwood] are certainly pushing “pagan metal” ahead leaps and bounds.” – Malakhi Thorn, Heathen Harvest.

Wardruna
Track Thirteen: Hagal
Sowing New Seeds, Strengthening Old Roots.

Wardruna is a Norwegian musical constellation set out to explore and evoke the depths of Norse wisdom and spirituality. Musically Wardruna has its main focus on the cultic musical language found in the near-forgotten arts of galdr, seidr and the daily acts of the cultic life, mixed with impulses from Norwegian / Nordic folk music and music from other indigenous cultures.

The debut album entitled gap var Ginnunga is the first in the planned Runaljod trilogy that will interpret the runes of the Elder Futhark. The subsequent albums will be entitled Yggdrasil and Ragnarok. Each album will feature eight runes, but not in accordance with the order of the three aettirs (families), which is most commonly used. gap var Ginnunga features the following runes:

• Hagal
• Bjarkan
• Thurs
• Jara
• Laukr
• Kauna
• Algir
• Dagr

Recordings partly took place outdoors at locations relevant to the different runes. The instruments we use are mainly old and historical instruments, such as deer-hide frame drums, ceremonial drums, mouth harp, clove / hoof rattles from deer and goat, bone flute, goat and cow horns, Hardanger fiddle, and bowed lyres. More unconventional inputs like trees, stones, water, fire etc. were also employed to enhance the nature of the rune being ‘portrayed’.

Keeping in mind that there will always be a certain room for disagreement and discussion when working with the runes. I would like to emphasize that in my songs it is not necessarily a goal for me to approach the respective rune from every conceivable angle, nor to cover all of the different aspects of it. Rather, the focus is on the core of each rune and the qualities that serve the whole concept and purpose of Wardruna best: sowing and nurturing new seeds and strengthening old roots!

– Kvitrafn

Waldteufel
Track Fourteen: Winternacht
A Summery sketch for a Winter night. Inspired by an unreleased L’Acephale work.

Winternacht ist ein Gedicht von Nikolaus Lenau (1802-1850).

For the realization of this project, Waldteufel was: MW (Harmonium, Santour, Stimme, Bartgeklirre).

Ein Produkt der Deutsch-Kaskadischen Freundschaft.

Für Will-I … and thanks to RNT for the Santour.

Waldteufel WWWeb: www.waldteufel.net

A Minority of One
Track Fifteen: Black Winter’s Wheel
a minority of one for this recording is jason hovatter craban.
bull roars, electric bass, and voice.
lyrics borrowed from art bear’s 1979 album winter songs – trk 9 – the winter wheel.