Haissem/Aeon Citadel/2026 FUll Length Review

 

  Ukraine's  solo  project  Haissem  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2026  album  "Aeon  Citadel"  which  will  be  released  on  March  27th.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  one  track  also  adds  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  into  the  background.

  On  this  recording  Haissem  continues  to  expand  on  the  melodic  and  old  school  style  he  has  introduced  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  U.F.Ology,  and  misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Haissem  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Authenticity  Of  Pious  Disdain"  and  "Alien  God  Emanation  -  The  Feathered  Reptiles".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/haissemband/

Haissem/Pure Devil As Thou Art/2025 Full Length Review

 

    Ukraine's  solo  project  Haissem  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  melodic  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  album  "Pure  Devil  As  Thou  Art"  which  will  be  released  some  time  in  2025.

 

   A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  tracks  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  while  the  album  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs.

  On  this  recording  Haissem  goes  for  a  more  melodic  and  old  school  style  of  black  metal  that  is  also  more  aggressive  then  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Satanism  and  Left  Hand  Path  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Haiseem  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Origins  Of  Spineless  Flesh"  and  "A  Phantom  Infection".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/haissemband/    

Haissem/Khaos Ebony Fame/More Hate Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Ukraine's  solo  project  Haissem  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  atmospheric,  melodic  and  progressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2024  album  "Khaos  Ebony  Flame"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  More  Hate  Productions

  Ambient  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Melodies  are  also  added  into a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  and  symphonic  moments.

  At  times  the  album  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast b eats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  technical  style.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  of  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  elements  and  ritualistic  chants  are  also  added  on  the  outro.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Left  Hand  Path,  Anti  Cosmic,  Egyptian,  Norse  mythology  and  Chaos  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Haissem  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric,  melodic  and  progressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sui  Generis"  and  "Tiamtu".  8  out  of  10.

  : https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Haissem/3540410350

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmblu1oXfBU 

      

Haissem/A.C.T-Ad CorTenebrarum/Tragedy Productions/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Ukraine's  solo  project  Haissem  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  melodic,  atmospheric  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2023  album  "A.C.T-Ad  Cor  Tenebrarum"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Tragedy  Productions.  

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  synths  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  symphonic  feeling  when t hey  are utilized,  death  metal  growls  also  be  heard  at  times.

  The  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.  Classical  guitars  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  one  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can be   heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  At  times  the album  also  gets  progressive  sounding  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Haissem  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic,  progressive  and  symphonic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Amalgam"  and  "Purgatoreal".  8 out  of  10.

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Haissem/A Sleep Of Primeval Ignorance/Satanath Records/Exhumed Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  an  album  from  Ukraine's  solo  project  Haissem  which  showed  the  music  going  for  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  meta  and  the  album  was  released  in  2022  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  and  Exhumed  Records  and  called  "A  Sleep  of  Primeval  Ignorance"

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  When  clean  playing  is  utilized  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  faster  sections  of   the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  synths  also  adding  in  some  symphonic  touches  when  they  are  utilized,  orchestration,  Gregorian  chants  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Haissem  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Shade  Upon  The  Forsaken  Grave"  and  "At  The  Trail  To  Devastated  Infinity".  8  out  of  10.

https://satanath.bandcamp.com/album/sat338-haissem-a-sleep-of-primeval-ignorance-2022    

Haissem/Philosofiend/Satanath Records/Exhumed Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Ukraine's  solo  project  Haissem  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  his  music  going  for  more  of  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Philosofiend"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  and  Exhumed  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  Swedish  influences.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  A  couple  of  the  songs  also  introduces  clean  playing  and  classical  guitars  onto  the  album  along  with  some  whispered  vocals also  being briefly  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Haissem  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "An  Inspiration  For  My  Inner  Carnifex"  "Despising  The  Infidels"  and  "Archetype  Of  Malice".  8  out  of  10.

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Haissem/Kuhaghan Tyyn/Satanath Records/2020 CD Review

  Haissem  are  a  solo  project  from  Ukraine  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on this  recording  plays  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Kuhaghan  Tyyn"  which  was  released  by  Satanath  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  melodic  and  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody. 

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Melodic  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  atmospheric  sounding  synths  also  being  utilized  at  times.  Orchestral  elements  and  folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  one  track  also  bringing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording.

 The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  when  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  towards  the  end  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Ukrainian  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Haissem  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Tide  Dominion"  and  "Aokigahara".  8  out  of  10.

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Haissem Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

Haissem’s birth was  completely  occasional . The project did appear due to dispute consequences .The matter is that in 2012 , I was a member of pop-rock group and we’d been recording the album that time . Some of songs were heard by my close friend , a true metal head , with whom I’ve played in my first death-metal band . I was told by him that I never will be able to play metal as good as I did it before and ‘’ all this pop-rock is total shit !!!’’ . I retorted and he bet 100 $ against me . I had one track composed , then second , then third …my appetite was growing up proportionally to the quantity of composed songs , and  the whole album was finished at last . Then I’d entered the studio and finished  what I’ve begun . This was the story of  Haissem’s beginning . Money still not mine , actually …

2.You have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past ?

I suppose , that I won’t find quite right words to describe . It’s not my prerogative to judge about the sound’s difference comparing it with my previous releases ; I leave it to the judge of fans , of people who’ve heard the albums that were released before . Haissem  as much as possible  tries  to sound like my favorite bands .

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored  on both  the full lengths and ep?

Actually , there’s no lyrical conception here at all . All the lyrics are fictional and imaginary . No Satanism , no devilworship etc… On the first release there were the stories about the destructive power of fire , about God  victimizing  himself  for nothing’s  hair , the story of mysterious mountain Kholat Syakhl from my point of view , and of people who get  into labyrinth where everything was going on vice versa (this theme conditionally unites the last three tracks and I consider  it  as tryptich). The second release was conceptional in a way, from the lyrical point of view . It was describing all the incarnations of human hatred within the mind of man . There’s a long preamble straighly concerning to  lyrical  making  of ‘’Hatavism’’ - my second release . The new release’s lyrical theme is about the mortality of us , about the subjection to all the possible kinds of temptations , about the Dark Power ruling the world now and self-destruction of humanity  . By the way , the first single – “The Dividing One”  -  is out already .

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Haissem'?

 Read “Haissem” vice versa and everything becomes clear about this title .)

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the cover artwork of the new album?

The cover art has been made by Marusja Tikhiro , a photo artist from my native town Donetsk .In my opinion ,it is a hundred percent reflection of the title – Panacea For A Cursed Race . What kind of cure is necessary for such kind of race ? – The answer is obvious : of course , it is Death . But there is an interesting fact : due to Marusja’s vision , a girl with a flag-adored scythe and tied eyes symbolizes the birth of spring …the birth of new life . In a way , it’s right ‘cause death is the beginning of new life .

6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work by yourself?

Yes , I am open for collaboration with other musicians but companions still detected not . I’m planning to attract the session musicians for next release . In addition , last year I’ve recorded guest vocals for one track of the debut full-length of my friend’s black metal project  . I’ve also written almost all the lyrics for his release . So I’m totally  open for proposals and collaborations.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Certainly , I do look for , I do search for the proper label . I’ve sent approximately 150 submissions and requests to the different kinds of labels – from the top ones to almost unknown ones . It’s a pity , but  the result  leaves  much to be desired at the current moment .

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

Mainly there was pretty good feedback . It was nice to read/hear  it  and realize that my labours were for good reason  . But  the criticism has been occurred also it was concerning  my vocals  . My singings and screams turned out unsutable for the definite groups of fans . But so be it , what’s done is done …  I didn’t have the aim  to satisfy all the tastes that exist . Errare humanum est. There is no band in the world liked by absolutely everyone .

9.Are you or have you been involved with any other bands or musical projects?

I  play in  pop-rock band “Ampula Seven”  (I didn’t give up this rotten business,ha-ha)  ,  writing all the music and lyrics there and playing guitars , bass and keyboards . Also I have doom/death project  “Sunset Forsaken” done by myself  too . The debut album called “ Chameleon Waters”  is on the mixing stage now . I’m an active session musician , I do arrangements , write lyrics for some of our local projects and bands .

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

It ‘s difficult to say ; with the passage of time it will be clear .  Especially considering the fact , that there is very complicated and unstable  political situation in the East of  Ukraine  where I live . For now I only  wish my albums to be published and heard by fans . Either digitally and physically . And , of course , the opportunity and inspiration to create more and more .

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?

Suppose , there is no sense to enumerate them ‘cause it will take a lotta printspace . Old Man’s Child , Rotting Christ , Cradle Of Filth , Satyricon , Behemoth , Katatonia , Moonspell , Paradise Lost , My Dying Bride , Opeth , Dark Tranquility are some them. But it’s just a  little top of this  iceberg . In general , I listen tons of music of absolutely different genres .

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Reading the books mostly , sometimes cooking . But largely owing to my workload   ( my civil profession is miner , I work 500 meters down the ground )  there is no enough time  left  for hobbies . Music   takes the main part of my free time . The rest does take my family .


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

I wish all the people who read your zine and personally you a lotta health , wealth and endless fortune !!! Be human but stay metal !!! Cheers !!!

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Haissem/Panacea For A Cursed Race/2018 Full Length Review

  Haissem  are  a  solo  project  from  Ukraine  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2018  album "Panacea  For  A  Cursed  Race"  which  will  be  released  in  the  spring.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  and  synths  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling.

  Grim  black  metal  screams  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  the  tracks  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  some  clean  playing,  clear  vocals  and  synths  also  returning  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  and  growls  are  also  used  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard.

  Haissem  plays  a  style  of  melodic  black  metal  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  era,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Haissem  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  melodic black  metal  solo  project  and  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  album.RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Drown  Within  Temptation"  and  "Thy  Evil  Hath  No  Limits".  8  out  of  10.

  https://haissem.bandcamp.com/