Lenax/Infection/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Nashville,  Tennessee's  Lenax  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  very  aggressive  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2025  album  "Infection".

  Ritualistic  bells  start   off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  also  introducing  harsh  vocals  onto  the  recording  which  evolve  into  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  old  school  era  as  well  as  being  very  modern  at  the  same  time  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  elements  of  black'n'roll,  spoken  words  are  also  added  on  a  few  songs  and  one  song  also  introduces  synths  and  clean  playing  onto  the  album,  and  a  later  tracks  is  also  .an  instrumental  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  esotericism,  individuality  and  cosmic  horror  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Lenax  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  aggressive  and  melodic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Worship  Hymn"  "We  Are  Legon"  and  "Those  Of  The  Forsaken".  8  out  of  10.

  https://linktr.ee/lenaxmetal

Lenax/Beneath The Chapel/2024 Single Review

 

  Lenax  are  a  band  from  Nashville,  Tennessee  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  track  plays  a  very  melodic,  old  school  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  single  "Beneath  the  Chapel"  which  will  be  released  on  May  17th  and  is  also  a  re-mix  of  one  of  the  tracks  from  their  previous  ep.

  Keyboards  start  off  the  track  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  song  while  also  giving  the  music  more  of  a  symphonic  edge.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal s creams  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in t he  mid  90's  era  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  this  track  Lenax  adds  some  symphonic  touches  to  their  melodic  and  old  school  style  of  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Cosmic  Horror  Themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  tracks  from  Lenax  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic,  old  school  and  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  single.  8  out  of  10.

  https://lenaxmetal.bandcamp.com/album/purity  

Lenax Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new ep?

Most recently we released a lyric video for the open track "Inversion", a bleak song about an alternate universe with no light. The live band is in rehearsal at the moment, and we are looking forward to hitting the stage in early 2024.

2.In October you released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Black metal is a diverse style, and I wanted to explore the space the genre had to offer. Sonically I want to take the listener on a journey that parallels the lyrics, which paint a picture of isolation, illumination, and self willed redemption. As someone who has a large influence from classic heavy bands such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, there is a dash of "Black n Roll" in there as well. 

3.Some of your lyrics cover Occultism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

I consider myself a practitioner, and the music is an output that results from that sort of work. I do make a point not to make an objective truth claim about my personal practice, nor do I have any interest in converting someone to my point of view. If I could give a brief answer that wouldn't take up your entire article, I consider myself a follower of the Left Hand Path. What that means can and should be unique to the individual.

4.Lyrically you are also inspired by the writings of H.P Lovecraft and Cosmic Horror, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his writings and also do you have an interest in the other authors that have expanded on the stories and self made mythology he has created?

I haven't yet read the countless other authors in the Cthulhu Mythos, but that is more a matter of available time. Where I have ventured out is in occult authors who use the mythos as a basis for praxis. You can find books on my shelf by Anton LaVey, Toby Chappell, Phil Hine, S Ben Qayin, and many more. The core ideas of strange gods, dream work, astral travel, and horror of the unknown become tools to the practitioner, and are ever present in the lyrics on the EP.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Lenax'?

This is a word that is meaningful to me that has been encoded to obscure its meaning, while also sent out into the world. In chaos magic circles, this is what you might call a "hyper sigil". 

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep?

Each song has a piece of art associated with it that attempts to capture the essence of the song. "Inner Dimension" for example shows a labyrinth in the mind, while "Of Greater Forces" depicts a man tapping into other worldly powers. Many of these pieces were partially created with AI, seeded by photographs that myself or those close to me had taken. 

7.You also have worked with musicians from other parts of the world, what impact has this had on the music?

The session musician thing was originally a means to an end, a way to help accelerate the home recording process. Working with them has had the unexpected effect of giving me a creative soundboard to exchange ideas. I actually utilized my Greek bass player for a spoken portion in one song, "Beneath the Chapel". There is an invocation in the middle of that song spoken in ancient Hellenic that we have left untranslated, sort of an easter egg for fellow practitioners. 

8.I have also read that you are working on future live shows, what can we expect musically once you finally hit the live stage?

As we have played in the rehearsal space as a four piece, the music is harsher, more energetic, and just plain better. One of the things I am excited about for example is splitting lead guitar duties with Silence, my right hand man. As a music fan I have always loved metal bands where both guitarists play lead. Also the addition or Profana from the band Blood Stained Dusk has been incredible. He is an absolute machine on the drum kit, and has made some real improvements to the energy and arrangement of the songs.

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

We are absolutely interested in working with a label but it has to make sense for all involved. I do have a small PR company I have partnered with, while I do all the social media work myself. Getting with a label would have to be a perfect storm of connections, mentorship, and a roster of bands that operate as a legion. If we hit those markers, then yes that would certainly be on the table. 

10.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

This one has been hard to gauge, as the sheer number of small or solo black metal bands is quite impressive. I can say that our biggest listening audience is in Mexico and South America, where metal is always a big deal. Also we received editorial coverage in a Danish music magazine along with a very positive review. Seeing kind words come from Scandanavian music critics is a super positive win for a new band.

11.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Ideally I want to at least write and record during 2024, and possibly release by the end of next year. Musically we will continue to be diverse, combining the bleak lyrics with melodic guitar work. I expect there to continue to be a common story thread, while exploring a few areas we didn't cover sonically on the EP. This will include some dissonant tones in the vein of Deathspell Omega or Blut Aus Nord, as well as an entire song in a constructed language extrapolated from the Yuggothic language from Lovecraft's Call of Cthulhu. 

12.What are some of the bands  or musical styles that you are currently listening to nowadays?

Ask any black metal fan this question and you get a long list of bands! I have an absolute love of Norwegian bands such as Mork, Khold, Kampfar, Borgarting, and Djevel. Along with that there are other bands that do things I find super creative and unexpected such as Negative Plane, Mephorash, and Mgla.

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

I love your occult themed focus in music reviews, and thank you for reaching out to us. If any of your readers dig the music, please drop a comment on any of our social media pages.

linktr.ee/LenaxMetal

Lenax/Purity/2023 EP Review

 

  Lenax  are  a  band  from  Tennessee  that  plays  a  very  old  school  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2023  ep  "Purity".

  Heavy  riffing  and  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  off  the  ep  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  while  the  songs  also  add  in a   good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Melodies  are  also  added  onto  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  some  modern  touches  at  times,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on a  couple  of  tracks  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  briefly  towards  the  end.

  Lenax  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  aggressive,  melodic  and  old  school  in  the  mid  90's  tradition  mixed  in  with  a  more  modern  approach  to  the  genre,  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  the  writings  of  H.P  Lovecraft.

  In  my  opinion  Lenax  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  old  school  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Shrouded  Sight"  and  "Of  Greater  Forces".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/jOpSTLEHkz0

linktr.ee/LenaxMetal