Grogaldr/Kommodus/Howling Sanguine Truimph/Goatowarex/2019 Split Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  U.S.A's  Grogaldr  and  Australia's  Kommodus  called  "Howling  Sanguine  Truimph"  which  will  be  released  on  December  28th  by  Goatowarex  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Grogaldr  a  solo  project  that  plays  a  very  raw form  of  black metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  fast  and  raw  sound  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  having  a  good  mixture  of  old  school  and  modern  influences  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  melody.

  Throughout  his  side  of  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  a  very  hypnotic  and  minimalist  atmosphere.  The  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and lo-fi  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Grogaldr  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Boiling  Seed,  Howling  Spirit".

  Next  up  is  Kommodus  a  solo  project  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  raw  form  of  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  dark  yet  atmospheric  sound  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  most  of  his  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  some  depressive  elements  in  the  music.

  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  amount  of  90's  influences  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style  as  well  as  having  their  melodic  moments.  Clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  mid  tempo  and  fast  parts,  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Roman  Paganism  and  War  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Kommodus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "March  of  The  Leper  Legion".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  raw  black  metal.  8  out  of 10.

http://grogaldr.bandcamp.com/album/howling-sanguine-triumph
http://kommodus.bandcamp.com/album/howling-sanguine-triumph

             

Kommodus Interview

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

Kommodus is the bitter catharsis and dark ancient reveries of the Infernal Emperor – Lepidus Plague. Raw Black Metal from Australia.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the demo?

Filth.



3.Can you tell us about some of the lyrical topics and subjects you covered on the demo?

The ancient world, my own ancestry and bloodline, and the destruction of humanity and self.



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

A stylised spelling of the Roman Emperor – Commodus. A corrupted, morally bereft and megalomaniacal dictator. It seemed a fitting title for a project ostensibly concerned with the darker elements of the Roman Empire and Roman lineage.



5.On the demo, you recorded everything by yourself, do you feel this gives your more room to be creative with your musical style?

I didn’t play drums on the recordings, session hammering was performed by T.R.J. However, having handled everything else I believe that having a solo project allows you to make more unique and passionate music, as no compromises are made with other artists (not very insightful I know). I also believe having the limitations of yourself makes things interesting, as I’ve always been in bands previously with seriously proficient and skilled musicians – which I am not.



6.The demo was released on 'Lupine Lineage Records', can you tell us a little bit more about the label?

This is a banner for me to release my own music under. At this stage I want to control everything.



7.On the demo you had also done a cover of Burzum's ‘War', what was the decision behind doing your own version of this song?

It’s a classic that I’ve wanted to learn for a long time, so I recorded a version for the demo. It’s descriptions of wintery battlegrounds and bloodied dying soldiers are congruous with the lyrics and subject matter of the rest of the release.



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

Well it hasn’t reached many yet, but it seems to be mostly positive.



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

I just want to continue creating, and using Kommodus as a vessel to express my frustrations, hatred and visions of a more ideal world.



10.What are some of the bands or musicals styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? Black Metal’s 90’s Scandinavian pioneers, Florida Death Metal, Thrash, Hardcore, the list goes on. I try to keep Kommodus incredibly insular and to not be too conscious of influence, though it is at times inevitable, I’ve been listening to Leviathan, Judas Iscariot and Byyrth lately. USBM! .



11.How would you describe your views on Paganism?

I am an atheist. However Paganism, as well as the Abrahamic religions and other spiritual beliefs, all have iconography and tales which I find to be creatively inspiring to varying degrees. Roman paganism as well as the Rome creation myth are a central focal point of Kommodus.

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

Keep on fighting the world.

Bandcamp

Instagram

Kommodus/Will To Dominate All Life/Lupine Lineage Records/2017 Demo Review

  Kommodus  are  a  solo  project  from  Australia  that  plays  a very  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  demo  "Will  To  Dominate  All  Life"  which  was  released  by  Lupine  Lineage  Records.

  Werewolf  shapeshifting  along  with  acoustic  guitars  and  folk  instruments  start  off  the  demo while  ritualistic  chants  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  raw  feeling  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  tradition  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

 When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  noisy,  melodic  and  chaotic  fashion  while  as  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  melodies  at  times  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  spoken  word  parts  are  also  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  of   the  black  metal  screams  bringing  in  a  more  depressive  and  suicidal  edge  and  there  is  also  a  cover  of  Burzum's  "War".

  Kommodus  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  traditional  sounding  in  the  90's  tradition,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Roman  Paganism,  War  and  Suicide  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Kommodus  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wolves  Of  Rome"  and  "Spiritual  Sickness  And  The  Suffering  Soul".  8/5  out  of 10.

http://www.kommodus.bandcamp.com