Konklave/Zmarchrob/Sepulchraphon Samizdat Records/2022 Split Cassette Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  cassette  between  Czechia's  Konklave  and  Zmarchrob  which  was  released  by  Sepulchraphon  Samizdat  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Konklave  a  solo  project  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  sound  along  with  some  whispers  a  few  seconds  later  which  evolve  into  grim  black  metal  screams. Keyboards  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  all  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  either  a  slow  and  mid  tempo  direction  and  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Czech  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Konklave  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  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  "Ministrat".

  Next  up  is  Zmarchrob  who  returns  with  his  raw  and  old  school  style  of  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  high  pitched  black  metal screams  are  also  very  huge  part  of  his  side  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  Gregorian  chants  also  being  utilized  for  a  few  seconds.  

On  the  second  track  the  music  also  goes  into  more  of  a  faster  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling,  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  era.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Czech  and  cover  medieval  and  witchcraft  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Zmarchrob  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Posledni  soud".

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

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Zmarchrob/Exhumator/Setkani okultni/Screwtape Records/2022 Split Cassette Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  cassette  between  Czechia's  Zmarchrob  and  Exhumator  called  "Setkani  okultni"  which  was  released  by  Screwtape  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Zmarchrob  a  solo  project  who  returns  with  is  raw  and  old  school  style  of  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  while  ritualistic  sounds  can  also be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  tremolo  picking  also  giving  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  Melodic  chants  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  direction,  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  and  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Czech  and  cover  Occultism,  Wizardry,  Darkness  and  Medieval  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Zmarchrob  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Shemhamforash".

  Next  up  is  Exhumator  a  solo  project  that  plays  a  satanic  form  of  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  rain  and  thunder  sounds  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  music  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  era.  One  of  the  tracks  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  plating  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  his  side  of  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Czech  and  cover   Satanism  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Exhumator  are  a  very  great  sounding satanic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "V  Kruhn  Bloudime".

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

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Zmarchrob/3540468382#      

Zmarchrob/Sedmero hříchů/2021 CD Review

 

  Czechia's  Zmarchrob  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  raw  and  old  school  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2021  album  "Sedmero  hříchů".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  raw  tremolo  picking  a  few  seconds  later.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  synths  can  also be  heard  briefly  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can be  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  recording.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  melodic  chants  can  also  be  heard

  On  this  recording  Zmarchrob  remains  true  to  the  raw  and  old  school  style  of  black  metal  that  he  has  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Czech  and  cover  Demonology  and  Occultism  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Zmarchrob  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  old  school  black  emtal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pýcha (Superbia)  Lucifer"  "Hněv  (Ira)  Satan"  and  "Lenost  (Acedia)  Belfegor".  8  out  of  10.

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Zmarchrob/Yersenia pestis/2020 Full Length Review

 

  Zmarchrob  are  a  solo  project  from  the  Czech  Republic  that  has  been  featured  before  in  the  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  album  "Yersenia  pestis".

  A  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  tradition.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized,  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  ritualistic  sounding  bells. 

  On  this  recording  Zmarchrob  remains  true  to  the  raw  and  old  school  style  of  black  metal  that  he  had  established  on  his  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  the  songwriters  native  tongue  and  cover  wizardry,  witchcraft,  medieval  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Zmarchrob  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Zmarchrob-Yersenia  pestis"  and  "Svedectvi  sienske".  8  out  of  10.

https://zmarchrob-666.bandcamp.com/album/zmarchrob-yersinia-pestis-3     

Zmarchrob Interview

1. For those that never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Zmarchrob is a one-man project that was created last May. It is a minimalist form of making music, which is created in a small home studio. It's Black Metal as I feel it.

2. In May you had released your first demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
I have been doing this musical style with breaks for almost thirty years, so choosing a style for the project was easy.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?
The lyrics contain themes of witchcraft, the medieval countryside, haunting legends and various dark stories.

4.Originally the musical project was known as 'Signum Diabolicum', what was the cause of the name change?
I founded Signum Diabolicum sometime in 1995. Originally a three-member band, it has grown to five members over time. We have officially released three demos, all of which can be listened to on YouTube. Sometime in late 2004, the band fell silent. Some members still play music, but do a different style. After a long pause, I decided to make my own project and used my nickname as the name, with which I present the entire period of my work.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Zmarchrob'?
When I was a vocalist in the band Sacrifice for Nerthus. I was nicknamed Zmarchrob. This is an inexperienced young devil from the book "Advice of the Experienced Devil" by the writer C.S. Lewis. I was a little over twenty at the time, I was the youngest in the band, but my zeal was devilish. Since then, this nickname has lived with me and I have been happy to use it for my project.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the demo cover?
I have always been fascinated by old woodcuts with a medieval theme. They are very inspiring to me. That's why I created one for the demo cover. I already have other ideas and I would like to use them for my next production.

7.With this project you recorded everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?
So far, the independence suits me. I have the opportunity to create when I have the mood and time for it. But that doesn't mean I don't want to work with anyone in the future. I leave this open.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
After placing the recording on Bandcamp, I was approached by several PRs. But I was not very interested in their offers. I would rather work with someone who is exclusively dedicated to the underground form of Black Metal music. I have not yet received such an offer.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
It is true that mostly fans from abroad react and there were not so many domestic ones.

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
This demo is a bit like the creation of Signum Diabolicum and in the future I want to blend my music even more with blasphemy and darkness. You will be one of the first to own the next record.

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?
I think I was influenced by the early Bathory, Hellhammer, Venom, Darktrone and others. Even today I like to return to these veterans. Recently I like recordings from Archgoat and for example Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult.

12.Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music?
Probably yes, but not radically. In my texts, I focus more on the lives of ordinary people who experience extraordinary stories. They also experience them with devils and witches.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughs? 
Maybe just "Black Metal Forever!"
Thanks. Hi

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Zmarchrob/Black Metal Forever!/2020 Demo Review

  Zmarchrob  are  a  solo  project  from  the  Czech  Republic  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  demo  "Black  Metal  Forever!".

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  demo  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  era.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  on  some  tracks  along  with  the  riffs  also  utilizing  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  at  times.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the music  also  capturing  a  very  lo-fi  atmosphere  at  times.  A  couple  of  songs  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  melodic  chants  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  nature  sounds  and  clean  playing  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  first  wave  and  thrash  metal  elements  can  also  be  heard,  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Czech  and  English  and  cover  darkness,  occultism,  folklore  and  black  metal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Zmarchrob  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mlha"  "Certuv  mlyn"  "Thrashing  Black"  and  "Black  Metal  Forever!".  8  out  of  10.

https://zmarchrob-666.bandcamp.com/releases