Asgrauw/Oorsprong/Zwaertgevegt/Hiddlen MarlyProduction/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Netherlands's  Asgrauw  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a review  of  their  2024  album  "Oorsprong"  which  will be   released  on  Halloween  as  a  joint  effort  between  Zwaertgevegt  and  Hidden  Marly  Production.

  A  very  sci-fi  orientated  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  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.

  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  yet  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.  Synths  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album.

  A  couple  of  the  songs  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  introduced  on  the  album  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  at  times  the  vocals  also  bring  in  more  of  a  deep  and  demonic  touch.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Dutch  and  cover  tales  of  creation  and  the  dawn  of  civilization.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Asgrauw  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eridu"  "Weeral"  and  "Heimwee".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/Asgrauw

https://www.instagram.com/Asgrauw/

Ottone Pesante Interview

 

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

Ottone Pesante is an instrumental, experimental trio with the following lineup: trumpet, trombone and drums.

We started the project almost 10 years ago with the idea to explore the possibilities to play as heavy as we can with our instruments. OP released 3 albums (Blasphemy Set In Stone, Apocalips, DoomooD), 2 EPs (Ottone Pesante, …and the Black Bells Rang) and one Split. We love to perform live and we played around 500 shows all over Europe. 

2.Recently you have released a new album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Our musical style is always evolving. 

On this record we used different musical styles in order to make the listener perceive the concept behind the album. You can find some very heavy riffs tracks (Late Bronze, Sons Of Darkness, Teruwah) some more cinematic (Battle of Qadesh), something more orchestral (Men Kill) and others totally crazy (Slaughter, Seven). All these different styles of songs are melted together to make the listener understand the idea behind the project and this album. 

3.The band avoids the use of any traditional metal instruments but still maintains an aggressive style, can you tell us a little bit more about the decision behind using brass instruments?

We (Paolo and Francesco) started the band ‘cause we were (are) big metal fans but we play trumpet and trombone…we had the idea to combine these two passions and try to make heavy music with a totally strange lineup for this genre. After almost 10 years we’re still enjoying it a lot and we are full of ideas to work on. We’ve found that brass instruments works very well with effects and still maintains a very distinctive sonic character.

4.The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you have covered with the new release?

Scrolls of War is the first chapter of a trilogy about the history of brass.

The concept of the album takes inspiration from a document dated I century AC found in Qumran (Palestine) found at the end of the ’40s of 20th century. In this document is written in a very precise way how the final battle between the army of the lights against the army of darkness will be. There are many references to how the battle will take place and how the brass instruments plays a fundamental role in accompanying it. We thought it was a sign of how history continues to repeat itself incessantly considering the lates war regarding the areas in which this document was found..

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

The artwork is made by Alessandro Canu, an italian artist who collaborated with some bands we know and we had immediately the idea to ask him for the cover art. We told him the concept behind this record and what came out was just great. We love that cover and it’s perfect for that record, It lets you fully get into the idea of ​​the album.

6.On the new album you also had a couple of quests, can you tell us a little bit more about who they are and also their contributions to the recording?

We have the honor to have 2 very special guest on this album: Lili Refrain and Shane Embury.

We always wanted to collaborate with Lili and on “Battle Of Qadesh” we found the right song to do it. The contribution of Lili is stunning and absolutely fundamental. 

Shane Embury appears on “Late Bronze Age Collapse” playing synths in a very unique way. We met him in 2016 during a festival in Italy (SoloMacello) and we immediately became friends. For this track we asked him if he wanted to add some strange and crazy sounds and he accepted. The result is just fantastic in our opinion. 

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

One of our best show was at Brutal Assault 2022, we had a great audience on that particular event and it will always be in our hearts.

The live performance of OP is very intense: we really like to perform and we certainly don’t save energy when we do it.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

We’ll be on tour from the 17th of October

17/10 Lubjana (SLO)

18/10 Budapest (HU)

19/10 Ostrava (CZ)

20/10 Prague (CZ)

21/10 Plzeň (CZ)

22/10 Leipzig (DE)

23/10 Bischofswerda (DE)

24/10 Wroclaw (PL)

26/10 Urbino (IT)

21/11 Donaueschingen (DE)

22/11 Dour (BE)

23/11 Hilversum (NL)

24/11 TBA

25/11 Aachen (DE)

26/11 Rostock (DE)

27/11 Hamburg (DE)

28/11 Hildesheim (DE)

29/11 Kassel (DE)

30/11 Halle (DE)

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of underground metal?

The reaction is usually pretty good, a lot of metal fans or even non metal fans like our music.

We make heavy music but in a different way, this allows even very different listeners to enjoy what we do.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We still don’t know exactly, we have many different ideas about it.

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?

OP music is influenced by the metal we listened to: from Messhuggah to Carcass, from Napalm Death to At The Gates, Katatonia…

We include different musical inspirations like avant-garde music, ambient, brass bands and electronic music too.

Nowadays: Colin Stetson, Liturgy, Gridlink, Ex-Eye, Sons of Kemet..

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

With OP we hope to inspire other musician to think outside of the box and create something never heard before.

Thanks a lot for this interview and for showing interest in our music, we really appreciate it!

www.ottonepesante.it

Total Hate/Forthcoming Age of The Reaper/War Anthem Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Germany's  Total  Hate  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  very  raw  and  misanthropic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Forthcoming  Age  of  The  Reaper"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  War  Anthem  Records.

  A  very  epic  orchestra  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and r aw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  All  of  the  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  old  school  tradition  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  soloes  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  raw  yet  melodic  style  along  with  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times.  

  Clean  playing  is  also  added  on  one  track  along  with  acoustic  guitars  and  synths  also  being  utilized  briefly  as  well  as  one  song  also  being  an  instrumental  and  the  album  also  closes  with  an  Urgehal  cover..  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Misanthropy,  Hatred,  Death  and  Blasphemy  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Total  Hate  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  misanthropic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eternal  Lust  For  Blood"  "Burn  With  Your  Prophet"  and  "Downfall  of  Tolerance".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/totalhate666

https://www.instagram.com/totalhate_official

https://youtu.be/5zC9JRd7X9o

  

Burial Oath/The Cycles Of Suffering/Redefining Darkness Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Cleveland,  Ohio's  Burial  Oath  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  occult  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "The  Cycles  Of  Suffering"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Redefining  Darkness  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  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  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  songs  also  add  in  influences  from  both  the  old  school  and  modern  era's  of  the  genre.  Melodies  are  also added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  synths  into  the  background  briefly,  clean  playing  is  also  added  on  a  couple  of  the  later  tracks  as  the  album  progresses.

  On  this  recording  Burial  oath  goes  for  more  of  a  raw,  aggressive  and  traditional  style  of  occult  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Paganism,  Death  and  Suffering  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Burial  Oath  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Voidhanter"  Howling  Promethean  Winds"  and  "Pagan  Fires".  8 out  of  10.

  https://burialoath.bandcamp.com/

    

Septuagint Interview

 

 1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band sine the recording of the new album?

We are rehearsing for the upcoming live shows, working on the tape and vinyl releases, as well as some new material.

2.In September you released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous ep and splits?

I think it is the most complete work of the band so far. There are some obvious elements from our previous releases like the aggression of our first EP or the mid tempo slow burn style of the split releases for example but in a more refined, more diverse and more mature execution.

3.This is also your first release in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

I think we just took our time to realise our vision before we would start working towards it’s  materialisation. I had listened the impressive first demos sent to me by C. during 2019 but then it took time for the rest of us to work on the material and to add our own input and energy.

4.A lot of your lyrics cover Occultism and Left Hand Path themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?

I actively started my journey in the occult arts in 2009 and ever since it has altered the course of my life. I believe that Black Metal is an extension of our inner exploration, trials and errors, pushing boundaries along with the dark gods -all that reflects upon it. Me and C. share similar ground and views and along with V. we have been a true brotherhood since 2011 and our releases as a band have been very consistent thematically, even though I joined the band in 2022. Sic luceat lux. For Lucifer my soul thou have carved.

5.The band started out as 'Declaration Holocaust', how does the music of 'Septuagint' differ from the stuff you released under the original name?

While Declaration Holocaust still holds a dear memory of the past, music wise was quite different since we had little to no access to proper equipment until we released promo 2010. D.H.’s approach to black metal was more focused on the aggressive aspects of the music rather than the more complete musical and spiritual approach of the Septuagint releases.

6.I know that the bands was named after the Koine Greek translation of the bible, which aspects of this book have you cover in the songwriting?

We chose the name as a form of sacrilege rather than a lyrical concept. Many are bewildered by that choice since the Septuagint is a book that carries a certain spiritual outlook and yes the old testament is indeed a christian book, yet we used its name glorify ΔΙΑΒΟΛΟΣ (the Slanderer, the Devil, Belial,Satan and his countless facets) as the terrible driving force of antinomian iniquity.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

It was created by Elias Kaselas a very unique artist who made it while listening to the album demos. We believe it represents the music that accompanies it 100%.

Elias had complete freedom to create his own visual representation of the album.

It was crucial for us that he had his own time and inspiration to work on this piece of art.

8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We never were an actual active band in terms of live shows. We chose our performances carefully and gave 100%.

But if had to pick one out it would definitely be Thessaloniki,Greece along with our brothers from Kult of Taurus and death metal lunatics of Godless. It carries a great significance to me since it was the first show we had and the atmosphere was crushing and “just right”.

Now while we rehearse for upcoming shows we focus mainly on the power we evoke during those shows. Expect nothing less than an aggressive and ecstatic performance.

9.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

We have some shows planned for 2024-2025 with the first one being on the 8th of November supporting the legendary Mortuary Drape.

As for touring, we do plan on doing.

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

So far really positive.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We are trying to figure that out as we want to push our boundaries and perhaps the boundaries of the genre. We will see.

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

Black Metal is sacred to us, we actively follow and listen most of the serious releases constantly. Besides that I personally don’t listen to a lot of metal anymore I tend to find more interesting releases in other genres. I will always love the old metal classics though and rarely revisit them as they will stand as monuments forever.

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

Thank you !

AMSG!

https://www.facebook.com/Septuagint666

https://www.instagram.com/septuagint_official

AldricH Interview

 

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

- First of all, my project serves as an outlet for me. When I write my songs and share my thoughts, I feel a sense of emotional relief, and I want to share this with others. Perhaps it will also help them in some way.

2.So far you have released 2 ep's, musically how do they both differ from each other? 

- They differ in scale and immersion in the atmosphere that I want to create

3.So far all of your music has been either instrumental or added in choirs, are you open to adding harsh vocals into the future? 

- Although I'm more keen to create instrumental music, my vocals will definitely be in the next works. In the first two works, my vocals were superfluous.

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

 - Just a name, no more

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

- A graphic drawing showing a path away from this place that is difficult to see.

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

 - In general, I am willing to work with others, but I prefer working alone.

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

 - No

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

- In general, I was well-received for the sound and atmosphere.

9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future? 

- Creating capacious and meaningful albums inspires me, I don't like to be sprayed. But in the future there will be more large-scale work - this is a must

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? 

- Bands like Burzum, Silencer, Shining, Emperor had a very big influence on me at the time. I listen to different groups, both well-known and not so well, for example, from those who often include Mgla, Watain, Elderwind, Mora Prokaza, Путь.

11.What are some of your non musical interests? 

- I like to read books, go to the woods, play games

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

 - Live in peace and love each other. See you soon :)

https://linktr.ee/aldrichmusic

Paysage D'Hiver/Die Berge/Kunsthall Produktionen/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Switzerland's  solo  project  Paysage  D'Hiver  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  very  raw,  epic  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2024  album  "Die  Berge"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Kunsthall  Produktionen.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  deep  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling.  At  times  the  music  also  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  synths  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  high  pitched  yet  grim  sounding  screams  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  riffing  also  has  its  repetitive  moments  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  the  album  also  brings  in  a  few  instrumental  tracks.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swiss  and  is  a  concept  album  based  upon  a  mysterious  protagonist  known  as  "Der  Wanderer"  and  the  themes  being  heavily  focused  on  death.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Paysage  D'Hiver  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  epic  and  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Urgrund"  "Transzendenz  II"  and  "Giphel".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/PaysagedHiver.Official