Monday, December 31, 2012

Aetherium Mors/Drenched In Victorious Blood/2012 CD Review


  Aetherium  Mors  are  a  band  from  the  U.K  that  plays  a  very  fast  and  aggressive  form  of  black  metal  with  death  metal  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Drenched  In  Victorious  Blood".

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  heavy  and  aggressive  sounding  with  a  good  amount  of  death  metal  influences  and  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  black/death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  classical  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  on  the  last  song  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to enhance  the  darkness  that  is  coming  out  of  the  music.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  black  metal screams  along  with  a  brief  use  of  deep  death  metal  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Luciferian,  Darkness,  and  Anti  Christian  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Aetherium  Mors  are  a  very  great  sounding  black  metal  band  with  death  metal  and  melodic  edge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  style,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Luciferian  March"  "The  Fall  Of  God"  and  "Annihilating  Fire".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://aetheriummors.bandcamp.com/album/drenched-in-victorious-blood

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Hacavitz/Katun/Moribund Records/2007 CD Review


  Hacavitz  are  a  band  from  Mexico  that  plays  a  very  heavy,  aggressive,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  hybrid  of  black,  death  and  war  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2007  album  "Katun"  which  was  released  by  Moribund  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  are  very heavy  aggressive,  brutal,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  combining  black,  death  and  war  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  chaotic  sounding  black/death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals range  from  high  pitched  black metal  screams  to  deep  blackened  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  some  shamanistic  sounds  of  mixture,  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Spanish  and  English  and  cover  Satanism,  Aztec,  Mayan  and  Occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Hacavitz  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy,  brutal,  aggressive,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  hybrid  of  black, war  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Regnum  Satani(In  League  With  Satan  We  Ride)"  "Summoning  Self-Destruction"  "Ride  Thee  Nebulah"  and  "Serpents  Ov  Smoke".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Sonic Reign Interview


1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?




I am currently busy doing the last works on the artwork and band photos. And of course we are happy that „monument in black“ will finally be released.









2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?





Every album represents a snapshot of the time when the songs were written. So this fact alone always leads to some differences. I can't and won't say that "monument in black" is better or worse than our debut album "raw dark pure" Both stand for themselves. In my eyes the songwriting for "monument in black" was more natural since we wrote most of the songs together in the rehearsal room and not everyone for himself at home.







3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?





Many of the lyrics were written by the former Dark Fortress vocalist Azathoth. His lyrics deal a lot with hatred, death, despair, fears. Mine deal with freedom of mind and personal revolution of the individual.

These catchwords may not sound thrilling but I think the lyrics have a lot to offer when you really get into them.









4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?





We chose the name since we wanted to combine old-school elements with modern elements just like the style of music we wanted to play. "Sonic“ has a modern sound, while "reign" sounds more old-school. It's that simple.







5. There has been a 7 year gap between the last album what was going on during those years?





The recordings for "monument in black" were finished already autumn 2011 so the gap was not THAT big. Since then we were looking for a label to release it. The years until 2011 brought many changes. E.g. I moved some hundred kilometers away from our studio so it was not possible to rehearse that much. And then we are lazy bastards you must know.







6. Has the band been able to play out live or is this a studio project?





We just record albums and never played live so far. I think we will stick to that. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to keep our dramatic speed in recording albums.







7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?





We are a pretty unknown band so there's no worldwide level. But the feedback we received so far was mostly very good.







8. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?





Azathoth will join the band in the next release. It is a one-release-experiment we want to do to get some new inspiration. You know sometimes the motivation to do music needs to be refreshed. We'll see what kind of music we'll do to fit his new lyrics. Yet no new music is done.







9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?





When we started we wanted to do music like Satyricon (specially "rebel extravaganza“) or Emperor. Behemoth is another band I really love. Besides that I listen to a shitload of music of various styles. Turbonegro, Enslaved, Kvelertak, The Vision Bleak, Megadeth, Pink Floyd, Wolfmother, Stellar Master Elite and so on and so on...







10. Does Occultism play any role in your music?





Nah, not really. Maybe in a few parts of the lyrics. But this does not happen intentionally.







11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?





I love to go hiking, and to travel with my old VW-bus and to barbecue and get drunk.







12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?





I thank you for your support. Check us out here http://www.facebook.com/sonicreign





Friday, December 21, 2012

Ptahil/The Almighty Propagater Of Doom And Despair/Wraith Productions/2012 CD Review


  Ptahil  are  a  band  from  Indiana  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  mixes  raw  and  primitive  sounding  satanic/occult  black  metal  with  doom  metal  and  punk  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "The  Almighty  Propagatar  Of  Doom  And  Despair"  which  was  released  by  Wraith  Productions.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  tone  with  some  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  riffing  and  brings  a  classic  metal  punk  sound  to  the  music,  as  for  the  sound  effects  when  they  are  utilized  they  bring  an  evil  psychedelic  sound  to  the  music.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  raw  and  primitive  sounding  black  metal  with  punk  and  doom  metal  to  give  the  music  an  old  school  sound  while  retaining  the  darkness  of  modern  day  satanic  occult  black  metal  bands  as  well  as  going  back  to  the  early  80's  roots  and  there  are  little  to  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording. 

  Vocals a re  mostly  early  80's  style  black  metal  screams  and  growls  with  some  more  modern  high  pitched  screams  and  deep  demonic  growls  along  with  some  ritualistic  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Darkness,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  present  on  this  recording  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ptahil  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Satanicus  Sabbathicus"  "Pact  With  The  Devil"  and  "Hell  Spells  And  Satanic  Rituals".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/PTAHIL/106323233876
http://www.reverbnation.com/ptahil

Yayla Interview


1. Can you tell us a little bit about the project for those that have never heard of you before?





On the surface, Yayla is a musical project that makes heavy hearted and powerful music. It is a narrative, philosophical, depressive journey saturated with sound and feeling. Music to sanctify those who are in the deepest dark.










2.How would you describe your musical sound?




The dark form of dark content. Since I play completely different genres on and within albums, I would describe it simply as a very sorrowful and dense sounding trancelike metal alongside shooting dark ambient. Sometimes these two styles are fused together. In terms of sound, the future holds different horizons










3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?




Various subjects. To tell outright my own interpretation of my work would maybe take away from the sort of experience that I want to create with Yayla. After all, the things I feel before, whilst and after the writing of lyrics are my personal interpretations of what I experience interacting with the work. This experience is only just as valid if not less than what other people might interpret. The lyrics for Nihaihayat are actually going to be released as a print within the CD packaging. It is only a matter of time before people post it online and make their own interpretations which I eagerly look forward to.










4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?




The word has a literal meaning in Turkish, it is used to describe a certain geographical landscape. My humble opinion on what Yayla is, it is the reflection of my feelings within the paradigm that is Yayla. It is legit to call it a parallel universe or existence. But at the same time, this paradigm is way too vague in my head to be called that, or in other words, I do not feel adequately aware of its nature. It has its roots in the entirety of my mind, ergo the entirety of my thoughts. But as said before, it is but the reflections of my thoughts in the paradigm. The essence is, some of these reflections are able to grow in that paradigm, and try to become, whereas others, and the ones that reach out of its boundaries, they either stagnate or dissolve into oblivion. Those that feel the need to grow the most, grow until they become Yayla albums.










5. Currently the project is solo, have you thought of forming a full band or do you choose to remain solo?




Yayla actually started out as a two piece, and we have demos from that period. Nowadays I compose, conceptualize and play the music myself. The recording/mixing/mastering involves a friend called Cristobal Urbina without whom, Yayla would not be sounding like Yayla. As far as actual composition and performance ( a.k.a creative collaboration) goes, the only way I see it ever happening at this point is if I recruit that same person from the start again. Until then, I have no problem remaining solo. Yet, I never say never.










6. The new album is coming out on Merdumgiriz Records, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support that they have given you so far?




I co-own this label with a manager. I was looking for a label with my demo back in 2009, only sent the demos to the highest regarded metal labels. One of the labels told me there was no way anyone was going to release such music and that if I'd like to see it out so much, to release it myself. I have told this story to a friend of mine who said we should get together and start an art company. It started there, but then he decided to call it quits halfway and I found myself alone again. From there, I asked the previous Yayla member Merdumgiriz to help manage the label, he has been taking care of promotion and talking to people and all that stuff which leaves more room for me to make films, photography, music and art for the label.









7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?




Surprisingly very positive. Usually for my work in other areas of art, peoples’ feedback is of the "beauty hidden in unrelenting rawness" nature. Unsurprisingly for my music, people say it is very fascinating but very hard to listen to. Which at first glance does not make sense, but after a while it does... Reminding me of how I used to be ravished by rave music when I was 7 years old, yet had a hard time digesting the aggression. So far as reviews go, they have been very positive and entertaining. Few months ago Merdumgiriz sent me a batch of many reviews that have been made so far, it was like reading a psychoanalytic report of myself. I had a good time reading what people seemed to think to say the least.









8. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?




I am currently working on a rock album for a feature length narrative film that I have shot and been editing. This album is not going to be released as Yayla but under some other name, and I will probably be making more of it in the future. After that, first thing is to make another Yayla album. This time it is going to be a slower and a more pastoral sounding music. Afterwards, I will make two more Yayla albums one of which will most probably be acoustic and the other one will be a gnawing and extremely bleak black metal/ambient album. All these albums and more are composed, I just need to find the time and space to produce them.










9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?




That question is wider than meets the eye. And if I do not filter this answer I am sure some metalheads will be alienated when they hear last night I listened to the album Guilty by Streisand two times. Moreover, I think as far as I can see, all the bands that I listened to and liked, even some that I did not like have influenced my music. The main six bands that I grew up on thanks to my mother and father are Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Scorpions, Gipsy Kings. When I was 8 I started listening to Metallica and they are pretty much the main influence on me choosing metal as an artistic medium. In my teens came death and black metal and I am still listening to and making it. The influences are pretty apparent there, take it from Bathory (include his rock albums and viking albums) sweep across the globe and bring it till today. Nowadays I am listening to a lot to Neverdays; another band that we have on Merdumgiriz. Not many knows them but this one man band makes one of the finest acoustic music ever made. Other than him, I found out about Nocturnal Poisoning few days ago and been listening to it, Depressive Silence is another recent find which I love.










10. Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music?




None whatsoever. I am not saying I will never directly use the schools of thought or philosophical cosmoses of the ones before me but I currently choose not to. I have spoken about Occultism to friends of mine who are deep into it. Very good people with whom I have the best time philosophizing and creative thinking. They have been telling me about their ways and how the way they live and think effects their work. The idea seems interesting, and I do not think submission and discipline is unfruitful, but what I have been faced with so far would not seem to float my boat. Moreover, I do not think I am currently able or willing to perform the loyalties such teachings require, simply because I am afraid of disappointment and having to deal with the hatred that comes with it. But I do have my own ever growing school of thought about existence and death, which plays a great role on all the art I make.










11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?





I am more of a filmmaker than a musician, but we have not yet put out my films. Festivals are not showing any interest in them so far. I am guessing this is because I do not have friends in the film world and simply because my films are long and monotonous like my music. In any case, very soon a short film for Nihaihayat will be released online and my two long experimental films Fear Through Eternity and Adana; GOTCTIWKM will both be released on DVD. Other than that I am into photography and art in general. I do write a lot also, but it is long down the road before I find a proper way of releasing it. All my other work can be sampled through www.merdumgiriz.org




12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?




Thanks for the interest, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who is supporting my work. More is to come, towards new horizons!

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Behexen/My Soul For His Glory/Moribund Records/Hammer Of Hate Records/2008 CD Review


  Behexen  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  primitive  form  of  satanic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2008  album  "My  Soul  For  His  Glory"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Moribund  Records  and  Hammer  Of  Hate  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  synths  which  are  only  utilized  on  the  intro  bring  a  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sound  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  with  some  melody  and  thrash  influences  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times,  while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  high  pitched  and  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  deep  demonic  growls  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  Gregorian  chants,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Rituals,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Behexen  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  primitive  satanic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Born  In  The  Serpent  Of  The  Abyss"  "Cathedral  Of  The  Ultimate  Void"  and  "And  All  Believers  Shall  Be  Damned".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Zyklon/World Ov Worms/Candlelight Records/2001 CD Review


  Zyklon  where  a  band  from  Norway  that  had  many  well  known  members  from  that  scene  with  a  musical  style  that  combine  Norwegian  black  metal  with  some  death  metal  and  industrial  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2001  album  "World  Ov  Worms"  which  was  released  by  Candlelight Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars,  as  for  the  sound  effects  they  bring  an  industrial  sound  to  the  music  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  synths.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  Norwegian  style  black  metal  with  death  metal  with  a  great  amount  of  heavy  and  melodic  riffing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  Florida  style  death  metal  guitar  solos and  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  to  deep  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of   industrial  style  vocals spoken  word  samples  in  addition  there  is  a  brief  use  of  clean singing  being  utilized  on  the  last  song,  while  the  lyrics  cover  anti  Christianity,  violence  and  war  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  great  sounding  recording  from  Zyklon  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  probably  already  own  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hammer  Revelation"  "Zykloned"  and  "Worm  World".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Adorned Brood Interview


1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?




Currently we are up in the air, flying over the Atlantic Ocean and heading to Brazil. We just had breakfast and are very excited to play our first show in South America soon. Everything is doing very good with the band and we're very happy to get a lot of good resonance on our new album Kuningaz.



2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous  recordings?



Kuningaz is a very hard album. It is harder than our last CDs "Hammerfeste" and "Noor" have been. This is a result of the fact that our new drummer Mischa likes to play fast and hard stuff. Besides that, it is also an album which features a lot of acoustic instruments and folk parts. This time we got some support from Mario Pontigo, who is a friend of our flutist Anne. He played and wrote most of the viola lines. We think that the contrast between hard metal and folk is a very strong element of Kuningaz. It is also a very melancholic album. This might be a result of the problems we had with our former label.

Kuningaz could be seen as a link between old Adorned Brood songs and our newer material. It is very atmospheric like our older recordings, but it is also modern. We see it as a consequent development of our style.



3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?



On Kuningaz, we tried to write about modern topics and everyday life issues and to combine these topics with the ancient myths. The song "A War Poem" even deals with love. But of course we also wrote about the Gods, Odin and warriors again.



4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?



The name Adorned Brood means the ‘wolf in a sheepskin’. We're tried to explain our music in two words.



5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?



That is not easy to answer, because there have been a lot of shows that we enjoyed, such as the Wacken Open Air or Ragnaroek festival for example. But not only the big festival gigs are much fun. Smaller gigs with a more familiar atmosphere can also be great, but the last gig that was really awesome was at the "Wave Gotik Treffen" in Leipzig, Germany this year.

The crowd was really going wild there!



6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?



Yes. A tour is already planned and there are also some festival shows confirmed for next year. Check out our homepage for all dates so far: http://www.adornedbrood.de/de/live/

A lot of more shows are being planned and will be announced soon.





7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your new album by fans of pagan metal?



Most of the reviews we got were really good. We already got some top ratings. It seems like a lot of people worldwide enjoy "Kuningaz". We also got many mails from fans that congratulated us on our new songs. There are a lot of different facets in the songs and for that fact it seems like all the people have differing favorite songs.



8. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?



We did not think about that yet and it is something we can't answer by now. At the moment we are concentrating on rehearsing the new material and on playing live.



9. What are some band or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?



Of course we are influenced by Pagan Metal and Black Metal. But we also listen to 80s style rock, progressive music, classical music and Jazz. Every one of us has a different individual taste and adds his own style to our music.

Some of our favourite artists are: Arkona, Enslaved, Knorkator, Empyrium, Eluveitie, The Devils Blood, In Flames, Opeth & Dark Tranquility.



10. how would you describe your views on Paganism?



To live with and from the nature and to respect all living beings is most important for us. Paganism is not just a word, but a way of life.



11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?



Everyone of us has got different interests:

Frost: Family, chilling with friends

Football!!!

Mischa: Philosophy

Thorsten: Family, meeting and celebrating with friends, technical topics, psychology, nature

Jan: travelling, reading





12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview/



Thanks a lot for the interview!!



Hey metalheads and Pagan metalfans: Check out our new album Kuningaz and feel free to visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Adorned.Brood See you at our shows.



Stay Brood!

Horna/Musta Surma/Vihan Vuodet/Moribund Records/2006 Split CD Re-Issue Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Finland's  Horna  and  Musta  Surma  called  "Vihan  Voudet"  which  was  originally  released  by  Grieventee  Productions  in  2004  and  re-issued  by  Moribund  Records  and  we  will  start  of  the  review  with  Horna  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  I  would  describe  as  being  raw  and  primitive  sounding  satanic  black  metal.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  in  the  true  black  metal  tradition  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  melody   and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal screams  that  have  a  depressive  sound  to  them  at  times  along  with  some  deep  demonic  growls  being  utilized  at  times  in  addition there  is  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  being  utilized  on  one  song,  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  Satanism  and  Occultism  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Horna  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hel"  and  "Surun  Ikuistmi  Henki".  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Musta  Surma  a  band  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  primitive  form  of  satanic  black  metal.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  primitive  black  metal  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  Finnish  style  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  in  the  old  school  tradition  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times  which  utilizes  some  atmospheric  parts  as  well  as  some  thrash  influences  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  some  deep  demonic  growls  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  Darkness  and  Satanism  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.  Satanism  themes,  as  for  the  production it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Musta  Surma  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  primitive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kuolonmrysky"  and  "Usvan  Lapset".  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  Finnish  black  metal.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Horna/3231
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Musta_Surma/4301

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Throcult/Stormbringer-Conjuration Of The Nighthorde/Crash Music/2004 CD Review


  Throcult  where  a  band  from  Denver,  Colorado  that  played  a very  fast,  aggressive  and  heavy  form  of  black  metal  with  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2004  album  "Stormbringer-Conjuration  Of  The  Nighthorde"  which  was  released  by  Crash  Music.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  thrown  into the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  heavy,  aggressive,  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  with  some  death  metal  influences  being  thrown  in  the  riffing  at  times  as  well  as  some  melody  as  well  as  a  brief  use of  soft  and  clean  playing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  some  deep  blackened  death  metal  growls  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Darkness,  Occult  and  Satanic  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  album  from  Throcult  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  aggressive  and  fast  and  aggressive  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Order  Of  The  Lunar  Temple"  "On  Demon  Wings"  "Unholy  Perversions"  and  "Star  From  Sirius".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Throcult/2050

Funebris/Triumph Of The Everlasting Fire/Last Episode Productions/2001 CD Review


  Funebris  where  a  band  from  Germany  that  played  a  very  old  school,  raw  and  primitive  form  of  evil  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2001  album  "Triumph  Of  The  Everlasting  Fire"  which  was  released  by  Last  Episode  Productions.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  and  some  death  and  thrash  metal  influences  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  they  are  only  utilized  on  the  last  song  and  they  use  finger  picking  to  add  some  darkness  to  the  music.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  some  deep  death  metal  growls  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  evil,  and  anti christian  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Funebris  where  a  very  great  sounding  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Funeral  Anthem"  "Cathedral  Of  Sin"  "Apocalypse  Of  A  Dark  Age"  and  "Triumph  Of  The  Everlasting  Fire".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Funebris/8235

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Yayla/Nihaihayat/Merdumgiriz/2013 CD Review


  Yayla  are  a  1  man  band  from  Turkey  that  plays  a  mixture  of  dark  ambient  and  raw  and  primitive  sounding  depressive  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Nihaihayat"  which  will  be  released  by  Merdumgiriz.

  Drum  programming  ranges  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  beats,  while  the  synths  bring  a  very  dark  ambient  and  atmospheric  sound  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a very  dark  tone  with riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  with  a  depressive  feeling  being  utilized  at  times  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  range  from  high  pitched  and  deep  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  evil  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Yayla  are  a  very  great  sounding  ambient  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Through  The  Sigil  Of  Hate"  and  'Disguises  Of  Evil".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Sonic Reign/Monument In Black/Apostasy Records/2013 CD Review


  Sonic  Reign  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  modern  day  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Monument  In  Black"  which  will  be  released  by  Apostasy  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  modern  day  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  heavy  while  also  retaining  some  raw  and  primitive  elements  as  well  as  some  melody  in  the  riffing, while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  have  a  black'n'roll  feeling  to  them.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  some  spoken  word  elements  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  to  it  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  y  opinion  Sonic  Reign  are  a  very  great  sounding  modern  day  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Clouds  Over  The  Desert"  "Monument  In  Black"  and  "Dali  Nightmare  Injected".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Black Autumn/The Advent October/Bylec Tum./2012 EP Review


  Black  Autumn  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  I  would  describe  as  being  ambient  black  metal  with  some  doom  metal  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  ep  "The  Advent  October"  which  was  released  by  Bylec  Tum.

  Drum  programming  ranges  from  slow  to  mid  paced  beats,  while  the  synths  bring  a  very  atmospheric  and  dark  ambient  sound  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  ambient  black  metal  with  doom  metal   as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  and  there are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  full  chords  to  enhance  the  darkness  that  is  coming  out  of  the  music.

  Vocals  are  mostly  deep  doom  metal  growls   mixed  in  with  some  deeper  depressive  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  a  brief  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes,  as  for the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion t his  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Black  Autumn  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Advent October"  and  "Dead  As  Martyrs".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Saturday, December 15, 2012

Crebain/Leviathan/Split/tULMULt/2004 Split CD Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  San  Francisco,  California's  Crebain  and  Leviathan  which  was  released  by  tULMULt  in  2004  and  we  will  start  of  the  review  with  Crebain  a  1  man  project  which  plays  a  very  raw  and  primitive  from  of  depressive  black  metal.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  depressive  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  with  some  thrash  influences  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  some  melodic  parts  and  there  little  to  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  high  pitched  black  metal  screams,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive  and  satanic  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  with  the  songs  not  being  either  too  short  or  long  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Crebain  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  primitive  depressive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sorrow  Of  The  Ancients"  and  "Glorious  Age  Of  Satan".  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Leviathan  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  their  musical  style  being  fast,  heavy,  raw  ad  primitive  sounding  atmospheric/depressive  black  metal.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  being thrown  into  the  music,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  as  for  the  synths w hich  are  only  utilized  briefly  they  bring  a  dark  ambient  sound  to  the  music.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  atmospheric/depressive  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal screams  with  some  spoken  word  parts  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive  and  occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  Leviathan  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ruminating  In  Hatemagick"  and  "Blood  Angel"  which  is  a  Von  cover.  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclussion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  USBM.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Crebain/9081
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Leviathan/9562

 

Impurity/Into The Ritual Chamber/Cogumelo Records/1996 CD Review


  Impurity  are  a  band  from  Brazil  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  primitive  form  of  occult  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1996  album  "Into  The  Ritual  Chamber"  which  was  released  by  Cogumelo Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  with  somewhat  of  an  old  school  feeling  being  thrown  into the  riffing  as  well  as  some dark  sounding  melodies  being  utilized  at  times,   while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  dark and  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  enhance  the  darkness  that  is  coming  out  of  the  music.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  being  utilized  on  one  song  in  addition  one  song  has  a  spoken  word  ritualistic  passage,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Crowley,  Paganism,  Baphomet  and  Anti  Christian  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Impurity  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  primitive  occult  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Baphomet  Sheild"  and  "Iao  Treasury".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Menhir/Die Ewigen Steine/Ars Metalli/1997 CD Review


  Menhir  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  form  of  pagan  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1997  album  "Die  Ewigen  Steine"  which  was  released  by  Ars  Metalli.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  blast  beats,  while  the  keyboards  bring  a  very  epic  and  atmospheric  sound  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  pagan/black  metal  riffs  that  are  not  either  too  primitive  or  mainstream  sounding  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into the  riffing,  while   the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  pagan  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  classical  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  to  give  the  music  a  medieval  sound.

  Vocals range  from  whispers,  clean  singing  pagan  vocals  to  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Germanic  Paganism  with  a  couple  of  the  songs  being  written  in  German,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Menhir  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  pagan/black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Winter"  "Warriors  Of  The  North"  and  "Paganlord".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Martyrium/L.V.X. Occulta/Merciless Records/1994 CD Review


  Martyrium  where  a  band  from  Germany  that  played  a  very  raw  and  primitive  form  of  occult  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1994 album  "L.V.X  Occulta"  which  was  released  by  Merciless  Records.

  Drums range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  synths  which  are  only  used  on  intros  bring  a  very  dark,  ritualistic  and  occult  sound  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  in  the  early  90's  tradition  with  no  melodies  as  well  as  somewhat  of  an  early  death  metal  feeling  in  addition  there  is  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing  being  utilized  on  one  song  and  there  are  little  to  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording,  as  for  the  classical  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  enhance  the  darkness  that  is  coming  out  of  the  music.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  some  spoken  word  ritualistic  passages,  clean  singing  female  vocals  and  whispers,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Crowley,  Luciferian,  Satanism,  Sumerian  and  Egyptian  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Martyrium  where  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  primitive  occult  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Atum's  Speech"  "Enuma  Elish"  "Lucifer  Rising"  and  "Into  Midnight  Silence".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Martyrium/9656

Friday, December 14, 2012

Hollenthon/Domus Mundi/Naplm Records/1999 CD Review


  Hollenthon  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  melodic  form  of  black/dark  metal  with  some  folk  music  and  death  metal  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1999  album  "Domus  Mundi"  which  was  released  by  Napalm  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  fast  playing  or  blast  beats,  while  the  keyboards  bring  a  very  epic  and  atmospheric  sound  to  the  music  with  some  influences  from  classical  music  mixed  in  with  some  folk  instruments,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  black/dark  metal  riffs  that  utilize  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  death  metal  influences  in  the  riffing,  while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  are  very  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads  that  have  a  Celtic  folk  music  feeling  to  then.

  Vocals  range  from  high  pitched  black  metal  screams,  deep  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  war  shouts  and  spoken  word  parts  being  utilized  on  a  couple  of  songs,  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Gallic  and  cover  Celtic  Pagan  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Hollenthon  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  Celtic  folk  music  and  dark/black  metal  with  a  death  metal  edge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hinc  Illae  Lacrimae"  "Nom Omnis  Moriar"  and  "Lex  Talionis".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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