Shaytan Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1. I formed the Horde Shaytan in April 2015. The proposal is to make a Black Metal fast and dense. I initially looked for the guitarist Claudius and together we composed "Ishtar" and "Lords of Hell", then invited the bassist Alan N. and the drummer Getúlio.


2.Can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
2. We chose this style because it is heavier and we also opted for a sharper recording where you can listen to all the instruments without losing the aggressiveness of Black metal, and live faithfully what you hear on the cd.

3.Your lyrics go into Assyrian, Babylonian and Sumerian Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this subject?
 3. Yes, I speak in my letters on this subject, for it is a fascinating mythological strand. The way these ancient civilizations lived, their rituals and their history are incredibly influential and creators of magic.

4.With the band name and some of your other lyrics you also go into Satanism, can you tell us how you got interested in the dark arts?
 4. Yes, Shaytan means Satan in Arabic, the opponent. The mythology on board is part of ancient Mesopotamia, region of present-day Iran, the Middle East itself. Sumerian rituals have influenced many satanic sects. I became interested in the black arts for the self-knowledge they give me. Like "Goetia," "Chaos Magik," and other strands of the left-hand path that teaches us that the satanic way is the path of total freedom.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover?
 5. The cover of the EP Ancient Shadows displays the demon "Ugallu", one of the monsters created by Tiamat. In the epic of "Enuma Elish" tells how he helped rebuild the world from the corpses of opponents. It is also a symbol of protection, in amulets it appears with the demon "Lulal".

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
6. All shows are very intense and full of energy. We try to convey to the audience all the fury of our music, and the audience responds by shaking all the time.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

7. We have some shows scheduled in our state. There are no proposals for concerts that interest us at the moment, since many do not favor the band, and we do not accept being used by opportunist producers.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
8. We are an independent band for now. Of course it would be great to sign with a respected and professional seal, but for now we are totally independent.


9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
 9. Ancient Shadows EP has been released on digital platforms and on the internet. We have received many positive responses from fans and some labels have shown interest in our work. In Mexico the label "Alexia Records" released earlier this year our EP Ancient Shadows.

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. We are preparing a Full length, we intend to release until the end of 2019, we have all the songs ready and we are recording. Also in January we will record our first video clip.

11.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?

11. The old school bands like Dark Throne, Celtic Frost. I'm currently listening to quite a bit of Dead Can Dance, Basil Poledouris, plus underground metal bands.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

12. First of all I want to thank you for the space and support, the work that Occult Black Metal Zine performs is super important. I also want to thank everyone who attends our shows, everyone who bought the EP and merchandising, that helps us a lot. "THE FLAME DOES NOT BURN ME, I AM THE FIRE".

Grey Aura/De bezwijkende deufd/Tartarus Records/2019 Demo Review

  Grey  Aura  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  experimental  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  demo  "De  bezwijkende  deufd"  which  will  be  released  in  2019  by  Tartarus  Records.

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  black  metal  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly angry  shouts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  bringing  in  more  of  a  dissonant  yet  melodic  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  at  times  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  some  of  the  tracks  while  clean  vocals  when  they  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  avant  garde  feeling  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  vocals  start  getting  more  tortured  and  tormented  sounding.

  Grey  Aura  plays  a  style  of  post  black  metal  that  is  very  experimental  and  atmospheric  sounding  while  still  being  very  aggressive  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Dutch  and  are  inspired  by  the  writings  of  Zazimar  Malevich,  Wassilly  Kandinsky,  Georges  Bataille  and  Arthur  Rimbaud.

  In  my  opinion  Grey  Aura  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental and  atmospheric  post  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "De  onnoemelijke  verleidelijkheid  van  de bezwijkende  deugd"  and  "Sierlijke  schaduwmond".  8  out  of  10.

Myrholt/Nordland/Myrholt Design/2018 Full Length Review

  Norway's  Myrholt  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  Norwegian  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  album  "Nordland"  which  was  released  by  Myrholt  Design.

  Raw  yet  melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  very  fast  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  is  very  heavily rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  style.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  grim  spoken  word  parts  when  they  are  utilized  briefly  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  synths  can  also  be  heard  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  some  of  the  more  modern  atmospheric  style.

  Myrholt  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  Norwegian  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Norwegian  and  cover  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Myrholt  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  Norwegian  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fra  Morketid  Mot  Solgangbris"  "Svopt  i  Kulde"  and  "Fra  Ragnarok  til  Indre  Stillhet".  8  out  of  10    

Mavorim/Silent Leges Inter Arma/Purity Through Fire/2018 CD Review

  Mavorim  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  an  raw  and old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2018  album  "Silent  Leges  Inter  Arma"  which  was  released  by  Purity  Through  Fire.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  elements  of  ambient  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the  guitar solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  melodic  tone  briefly  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  they  close  the  album  with  an  ambient  outro.

  Mavorim  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  old  school  in  the  90's  tradition, the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  death,  murder,  hate,  paranormal  activities,  paganism  and  German  folklore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mavorim  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Das  Fleisch  der  Engel"  "Heimatboden"  and  "Der  Told  wolt  ich  sein".  8  out  of  10.  

Organ/Everything Is Pared Down. Minimal Expectations/Duplicate Records/2018 CD Review

  Organ  are  a  band  with  members  from  Norway  and  Italy  that  plays  a  very  progressive,  experimental  and  instrumental  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Everything  Is  Pared  Down.  Minimal  Expectations"  which  was  released  by  Duplicate  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  gets  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  at  times  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Industrial  elements  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  blast beats  can  also  be  heard  when  the  music  speeds  up  along  with  most  of  the  music  being  instrumental  and  also  capturing  an  improv  atmosphere  as  well  as  being  very  progressive  at  time  and  as  the  album  progresses  fast  tremolo  picking  is  added  onto  the  recording  and  it  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling,  one  track  also  introduces  harmonicas  onto  the  recording.

  Organ  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  experimental  and  progressive  sounding  along  with  most  of  the  music  being  instrumental  while  female  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  at  times  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Organ  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  and  progressive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "II"  "IV"  and  "VII">  8 out  of  10.

  

Call OfThe Red Forest/Tell Your Fears/2018 EP Review

  Call  Of  The  Red  Forest  is  a  solo  project  from  Greece  that  plays  an  instrumental  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2018  ep  "Tell  Your  Fears".

  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  field  recordings  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  distorted  yet  melodic  style  as  well  as  some  the  tremolo  picking  giving  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.
 
All  of the  music  is  instrumental  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  all  of  the  drum  beats  being  programmed  as  well  as  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  short  in  length  with  the  average  being  around  2  minutes  and  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  ep  progresses  synths  and  classical  guitars  are  added  onto  the  recording..


  Call  Of  The  Forest  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  all  instruemntal  and  diverse  while  also  having  its  raw  moments  and  mixing  in  some  acoustic  and  classical  guitars  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  lo-fi  sounding.

  In  my  opinion  Call  Of  The  Red  Forest  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tenebris"  Ritual"  and  "Black  Attack".  8  out  of  10.

Shadow's Mortuary Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
-We are a black metal band called Shadow's Mortuary located in Oulu (nothern Finland). We started the band with Ovda in 2013 and plan was to play straight-forward black metal with melancholic influence. Later we needed a guitarist and bassist to play our songs in live. Raum came to play guitar and Kaos for bass in 2017. Our first ep Kylmään Hautaan was released digitally in august 2015. First Full-lenght Tulen Valtakunta came out in november 2018 through label called Purity Through Fire.

2.Recently you have released your first full length album, what are some of the things the band had done different musically on this recording that you where not able to do on your previous ep's?
- In the EP, all songs were  composed for two guitars at beginning when there was only Void and Ovda in the Band. At that time, we had no bigger future plans, just trying to make songs to see does it work at all. Vocals were recorded but never exactly performed in rehearsals example. When we gathered the rest of the band and started rehearsals Void noticed that He could'nt get the right feeling on vocals. The energy was missing what Void was looking for, so He decided to choose a different vocal style to make it happen. Guitars was re-arranged for single guitar and vocal style has changed so much that there was major change in sound comparing the Ep and full-length sound.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores on the new release?
- In Tulen Valtakunta album lyrics are dealing with darkness, insanity of humankind, anti-religious themes and hatred mainly.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Shadow's Mortuary'?
-Shadow's Mortuary name is about dark sides of a humankind that lies deep in subconsciousness. The name is inspired by the ”Shadow archetype” coined by Carl Jung.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented
on the new album cover?
-Tulen Valtakunta album artwork symbolizes the name of the album which means in english "Realm of Fire". Candles on fire,  fire which is one of the very powerful elements that exist in our universe.


6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
-We haven't played live yet but I can promise that our stage performance will be aggressive and atmospheric.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
- There is two confirmed shows coming at this point in Finland. One in december 2018 @Tukikohta, Oulu and second in february 2019 @Ilokivi, Jyvöskylä.

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of black metal?
- Feedback has been mainly great around the world. It has been great to see that the finnish language is not a problem for the fans to enjoy our music.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
- Basic elements that makes our sound will be in place at future also but of course there will be development in us as musicians all the time. We are currently working with new songs for second full-lenght album and if everything will go as planned the album will see the daylight in 2019.

10.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?
- Black metal and Dark ambient are the main musical genres that our main composer Void  listens to daily. Some example bands Void  prefers Gorgoroth, Horna, Cosmic Church and Ajattara from black metal; from dark ambient there will be Raison d'être and The Haxan Cloak.

11.How would you describe your views on Satanism and Occultism?
- I have been reading quite a lot of satanic and occult literature in past years.these are very fascinating topics to read.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or
thoughts?
- Check out our debut album and if you like it or not give us a feedback and come to see our shows.
Best Regards: Void/Shadow's Mortuary