Itnuveth/Cult Of Self Destruction/Black Viking Alliance/Nihil Verum Nisi Mors/Base Record Production/Double Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  double  split  album  between  Spain's  Itnuveth  and  Cult  of  Self  Destruction  called  "Black  Viking  Alliance/Nihil  Verum  Nisi  Mors"  which  was  released  by  Base Record  Production  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Itnuveth  who  return  with  their  viking  and  pagan  style  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the split  starts out  with  some  epic  sounding  synths which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  grim  black  metal  screams.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  clean  vocals  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  The  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Viking  battle  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  deep  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length. The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Mythology,  Warriors,  Battles  and  Witchcraft  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Itnuveth  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  viking  and  pagan  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Exile"  and  "On  The  Edge  of  Morning'.

  Next  up  is  Cult  Of  Self  Destruction  who  return  with  a  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  dark  sounding  intro  while  spoken  word  samples can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  Deep  growls  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  at  times  as  well  as  some  clean  guitars  also  being  utilized  briefly.

  Blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  briefly  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  giving  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  but  keeping  the  main  focus  on  more  of  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  style  throughout  most  of  the  tracks,  Gregorian  chants  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  dealing  with  pestilence,  death  and  plagues. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  From  Cult  Of  Self  Destruction  which  shows  the  music  moving  away  from  a  more  raw  style of  black  metal  and  going  into  a  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Danse  Macabre  (The  Plague)"  and  "Memento  Mori  (The  Death)".

  In  conclussion  i  feel t his  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  pagan,  viking,  black  and  blackened  doom  metal.  8  out  of  10.  

Mondfinsternis/Galdrastafir/Crush The Desert Records/2019 CD Review

  Mondfinsternis  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  started  out  with  a  more  pagan  style  of  black  metal  but  on  this  recording  have  evolved  into  more of  a  mixture  of  Nordic  ritual  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Galdrastafir"  which was  released  by  Crush  The  Desert  Records.

  Ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  epic  atmosphere  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Fol  instruments  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs  while  throat  singing  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  at  times.

  When  grim  whispers  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  black  metal  feeling  without  the  use  of  any  distorted  instruments.  Nature  sounds  are  also  added  into some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  ritualistic  sounding  at  times  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  stringed  instruments.

  When  percussion's  and  drums  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  shamanistic  feeling  while  all  of  the  tracks  sound  very  different  from  each  other  as  well  as  most  of  the  tracks  being  instrumentals.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  song  themes  focus  on  Nordic  Paganism  and  Rituals.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Mondfinsternis  and  while  the  music  is  no  longer  in  a  black  metal  style,  I  can  still  see  fans  of  dark  ambient,  ritual  and  pagan  orientated  music  enjoying  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Deprun"  and  "Vegvisir".  8 out  of  10.

 https://crushthedesert.bandcamp.com/album/mondfinsternis-galdrastafir

    

Erancnoir Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
1. Erancnoir was born to picture the autumnal or/and hibernal landscapes and metaphors found within them.

2.So far you have released 3 albums with this musical project, how have all of the albums differed from each other so far?
2. I wrote those albums in a period of 3 years. So, a slight change in sound with each album was inevitable. Production-wise, the quality of the first album was intentional, as I wanted to capture the real feel of winter, and thus recorded most parts of the music in mountains of northern Iran.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored with your music so far?
3. Lyrics are mostly works of haiku and wander around themes of autumn and winter, while also using metaphors of life in between the words.

4.You are also involved with some other bands and musical projects, what is it that you bring into the musical of 'Erancnoir' that you are not able to do with your other groups?
4. Erancnoir is more personal and darker than the other projects of mine. Also, it differs in the theme and sounds.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Erancnoir'?
5. Erancnoir is the name of the entity representing my inner thoughts and emotions. It's the other side of me. It has no exact meaning. It was just a brain wave.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
6. The artwork on the self-titled album represents pieces of a painting by famous Iranian poet and painter, Sohrab Sepehri, who has inspired my view on the world a lot.

7.In 2018 alone you had at least released 9 albums all together with your musical projects, do you spend a great  amount of time writing and creating music?
7. I don't spend that much time on writing and creating, although I always have raw ideas in mind. I rather like to do things fast and (usually) in a single take. The reason for the great number of releases was that some of the works were written before, or even produced, yet not published until that time.

8.You have done both solo projects and full line ups, how would you compare the two?
8. In Iran, full line-ups don't work for someone who has a thirst for creating and publishing new music. Also, it's costly and sometimes even dangerous. Besides, working solo gives me the space I need to create what pleases my ears and soul.

9.Can you tell us a little bit more about 'Ardawahist Kollective'?
9. Ardawahisht Kollective is the collection of all projects I'm involved in. I thought that a platform to promote all my musical endeavors was more than needed. So I created Ardawahisht in order to gather my sounds in a 'circle' of sorts and give listeners a taste of full-Iranian underground extreme music.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
10. It’s been ok. I mean, I don't have the same amount of advertisement and promotion of my works like other projects in the genre. And me being Iranian, sometimes worsens the situation, because of the worldwide view on Iran. But there have always been people who have supported me from the beginning. And that's joyous for me: have real listeners and those who enjoy this kind of sound.

11.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that you are a part of?
11. They all await some fresh ideas to be put in new music! We'll see which one comes first.

12.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
12. I have no clear view of the future. What I plan to do, is to show the listeners of this genre around the world a fresh view on Iranian extreme (and atmospheric) metal music. On a personal level, I continue to express myself in new and different sounds.

13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
13. There are a lot of artists that had a spark of influence on me; but I am mostly inspired by works of atmospheric metal music, among them Lustre, Burzum, Alcest, etc. to name a few.

I don't listen to metal music that much anymore. I rather prefer electronic and ambient sounds these days.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
14. Nothing remarkable. Thank you for the interview. Eternal hails!

Ars Moriendi/La solitude du pieux scelerat/Archaic Sound/2019 CD Review

  Ars  Moriendi  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  dark  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  album  "La  solitude  du  pieux  scelerat"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Archaic  Sound.

  Dark  soundscapes  and  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  while  atmospheric  sounding  synths  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  along  with  some  clean  vocals  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Elements  of  doom  and  dark  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  an  acoustic  track  is  also  added  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  darkness,  religion  and  suffering  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from Ars  Moriendi  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  progressive  black  and  dark  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "La  solitude  du  pieux  scelerat"  and  "Venefica  Part.  II  Per  flammae".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMoyAfpDGPo

Ungoliantha/The Howl In The Waste/2019 EP Review

  Ungoliantha  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw  form of  black  metal  with  some  orchestra  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  ep  "The  Howl  In  The  Waste"  which  will  be  released  in  may.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  using  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Epic  sounding  keyboards  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times  while  the  songs  are  heavily  influenced  by  the  90's  style  but  keeping  it  modern.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Spoken  word  parts  and  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  the  ep  progresses  along  with  one  track  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Lord  Belial's  "Hymn  Of  The  Ancient  Spirit  of  The  Forest".  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  mysticism  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ungoliantha  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  black  metal  with  orchestra  elements,  you  should  check  out this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Old  Blind  Man"  and  "Ghost  Wanderer".  8  out  of  10.

https://ungoliantha.bandcamp.com/album/the-howl-in-the-waste
 
https://www.facebook.com/ungoliantha/

Faunus/When Eerie Whispers Bridge Human Fate/2019 Full Length Review

  Faunus  are  a  solo  project  from  Greece  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  atmospheric  black,  doom,  post  metal  and  shoegaze  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released 2019  album  "Wen  Eerie  Whispers  Bridge  Human  Fate".

  Ambient  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  while  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  A  good  amount  of tragic  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  also  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  in  epic  in  length  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  briefly.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  black  emtal  screams.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  elements  of  post  metal  and  shoegaze.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  coverthe  Greek  lore  of  old  days,  where  creatures  of  nature  act  as  a  bridge  between  now  and  the  future,  foretelling  human  fate.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Faunus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric,  black,  doom,  post metal  and  shoegaze,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sacrifice"  and  "Revelation".  8  out  of  10.

https://faunusband.bandcamp.com/album/when-eerie-whispers-bridge-human-fate              

Vortex Of End/Ardens Fvror/Osmose Productions/2019 CD Review

  Vortex  Of  End  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  had  an  album  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  aggressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Ardens  Fvror"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Osmose  productions.

  Dark  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  and  melodic  chants  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Some of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  ritualistic  soundscapes  are  also  added  into  the  music  at  times.  One  track  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording  and  at  times  the  vocals  also  get  very  semi  melodic  sounding,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Evil,  Death  and  Revelation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vortex  Of  End  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Venomvs  Tongue"  "Ira  Dei"  and  "Satvrnian  Ascension".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/vortexofend