Thursday, February 13, 2025

Scheusal/Urwahn/Purity Through Fire/2025 Full Length Review

 

   Scheusal  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2025  album  "Urwahn"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Purity  Through  Fire.

  
  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.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  first  wave  grunts  and  second  wave  black  metal  screams.

  
    Spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  some  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  melody.  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  old  school  style  when  they  are  utilized  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.


  
 Schuesal  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  to  2000's  tradition  as  well  as  adding  in  a  touch  of  the  first  wave  era  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  darkness,  folklore  and  supernatural  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Scheusal  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  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Der  Giftler"  "Der  ewige  Pilzkult"  "Der  nachtmahr"  and  "Der  Spiegel  im  Abgrund".  8  out  of  10.

Vintras Interview

 

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


_Vintras is a musical conduit for my misery and depression. An outlet where I can process it, focus it into music and put it to one side for a short while. The devil makes work for idle hands so I make work for myself. _


2.You have your first full length coming out in March, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the  recording?


_It is best described as Black Metal but my intention was to also cultivate the atmosphere of dark 80s New Wave bands - hence the Ultravox cover - which I find have a uniquely cold and bleak atmosphere without being overtly 'heavy' musically. I happened to be listening to a lot of it as I worked on this project. Much of the melody and chord progressions found within that genre lend themselves to Black Metal so it seemed to cross-pollinate. It was never the goal with Vintras to create traditional raw or primal BM but to use the palette that Black Metal affords in terms of tempos, drum beats and vocals as a language and foundation to build upon. We both have considerable experience in creating music through other projects so we wanted the album to sound huge and create a sense of atmosphere and cold distance without losing clarity. _


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

_The lyrics on 'Timescarred' are an exploration of passing time, physical decay, and spiritual decline in the shadow of wavered belief and broken hope. A yearning for elemental truth and the rhythm of a natural tradition and a mourning for the passing of lost power; ancient and profound. Each song is a contemplation of fate and future and a lament of failure and weakness, seen through various masks and reflected upon various selves. Time may heal but it leaves its scars._


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

It is taken from Eugène Vintras; a 19th Century petty criminal turned 'messiah' who said he was visited by angels and claimed to be the reincarnation of Prophet Elijah. He was a con man who founded two cults and adopted the inverted cross as his symbol, dabbling in the occult before being jailed for fraud. To be named for such a man seemed fitting given our worldview and serves as a reminder of the futility of our achievements in life. Supposedly great men are often nothing more than an illusion in the eye of the beholder while the lowest and most base amongst us can be hailed as prophets by the gullible and delusional if the circumstances are right. Ultimately, the search for meaning, power and riches ends in the same grave whether you are a beggar or a messiah.


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

_It is a piece called 'The Study of the Pain' by Devinez. It was A.A.L that drew my attention to her work and as soon as I saw it I knew it was an ideal companion piece to the music._


6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

Timescarred, and by extension Vintras, was just the music I wrote over the course of two years that happened to be the darkest of my life. As I decided to take it forward and record it properly I asked A.A.L to be a part of it as he is an exceptional vocalist and lyricist that I trusted could bring something to the music and vision that I simply couldn't do alone. The same goes for the drums; I used a renonwned session musician as I wanted the performance to be at a higher level than I was ever going to be capable of. I'm also not a fan of using programmed drums!_I don't intend for Vintras to be a 'band' per se as the music is a reflection of my own mindset and therefore cannot be written by committee. If we ever perform live I will look into assembling a full lineup but there are no plans for that at the moment._


7.So far very little is known about the band, do you prefer to keep a   lower profile?


_Yes. Despite the music being deeply personal, I don't feel there is anything to be gained from having our 'personality' attached to it. You can only ever be disappointed when you learn more about the artist themselves._


8.The new album is going to be released through both 'War and Void Wanderer Productions', how did you get on contact with these labels?

_I was looking for a specialist BM label to handle the release as it is hard to get a foothold self-releasing with an anonymous project that doesn't play live! Thankfully Void Wanderer liked the music and were happy to work with us, and invited War Productions to be a part of it._


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

_So far not too many have heard of us! But I have been very happy with the positive response to the first preview track 'In Death's Dream' that we released in January._


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

_I am in the process of writing a second Vintras album and it is a refinement of, and hopefully improvement on, what can be heard on 'Timescarred'. I only write for Vintras when I am in the right (wrong?) mindset and this seems to be the sound that comes out. If it doesn't sound like Vintras then it simply won't be considered for this project._


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?

_As mentioned previously, the 80s new wave bands are a massive influence (I once jokingly described Vintras as Big Country with blast beats), as well as gothic/doom metal such as early Katatonia/Anathema/My Dying Bride and a range of Black Metal bands. I listen to all of this stuff regularly, plus a tonne of Heavy/Death/Thrash metal and all sorts of old rock & pop from day to day. _


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


I hope you enjoy the album. If so then please spread the misery!


 vintras1.bandcamp.com/album/timescarred-2


Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Mortui Vultus Interview

 


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


1. Our music is a blend of post-black metal with elements of post-rock, post-metal, screamo, and shoegaze. Overall, it can be categorized as blackgaze, although we don’t limit ourselves to any specific genre. We strive to create an atmospheric and emotionally rich sound that balances between dark aggression and melancholic contemplation.


2.In January the band released their first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?


 2. The process of finding someone to mix our music turned out to be quite long. We tried working with different options, but often the result was either overloaded with compression or simply didn’t match our sound.


Eventually, a friend of ours offered to help – initially, we planned to mix only a single, but we liked the result so much that we decided to continue working together and entrusted him with mixing the entire album. That’s how our creative collaboration began.


In terms of sound, we were inspired by bands that influenced us at the time, including Deafheaven, Nothing, Asunojokei, Oathbreaker, and Alcest.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?


 3. The album’s lyrics reflect the state of a person affected by war. Most of the texts are fragments of an internal dialogue, where thoughts, emotions, and attempts to make sense of what is happening intertwine.


One of the key themes is hope—it constantly emerges in this dialogue, like a glimmer of light amidst darkness. Hope that all this will end one day, that the world will regain its former shape. But with each passing day, it seems to slip away, slowly dissolving in a reality filled with anxiety and despair.


At the same time, the lyrics convey a struggle for inner resilience—attempts to find something positive, to grasp onto meaning, to keep the motivation to continue living and moving forward despite the surrounding chaos.


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


4. The name Mortui Vultus translates from Latin as “Dead Face.” It symbolizes the state of a person constantly troubled by internal struggles. This face appears lifeless, detached, artificial—like a mask hiding deep exhaustion, emptiness, and loss of meaning.


The name reflects not only personal feelings but also the condition of many people around the world who have lost their bearings and cannot find their way.


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


 5. The album cover is a photograph taken by our friend from Dnipro, who also works for one of Ukraine’s major media outlets. She visited us in Odesa, and during a walk along the seashore, she captured a moment: our guitarist Sasha was standing by the water with our mutual friend, looking at the sea.


This photograph seemed like the perfect visual representation of the album’s atmosphere. Symbolically, the sea represents the unknown, an uncertain path stretching before a person. The figures in the image embody people standing in front of this vast uncertainty, while the horizon fading into the distance symbolizes hope—distant and elusive, yet something we continue to strive for.


6.Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?


 6. Since the band’s inception, we have been actively performing in our city and across Ukraine. Now, we are organizing a tour across the country, with all proceeds going to support our friends on the front lines—whether through humanitarian aid or financial assistance.


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


 7. At the moment, we are not signed to a label, though initially, we wanted to release our album under one. We reached out to several labels, but the terms of cooperation didn’t suit us, so we decided to promote our music independently.


However, we are open to collaboration. We would be interested in working with a label that could help with merchandise production, concert organization, and, of course, financial support for recording our next album. By the way, we are already working on new material and plan to release our second album soon.


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


 8. This question is a bit unusual because audience reaction is not our main priority. However, on the other hand, we do care about how people perceive our music.


Right now, we are not well-known in Western media or Europe in general, but in Ukraine, we have received positive feedback. People praise the atmosphere of our music, our live performances, and note that the band has potential and a drive for growth.


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


9. We definitely hope to continue evolving—both in terms of the quality of our music and expanding our audience. We would love not only to perform in Ukraine but also to play shows in Europe and even America.


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?


10. Various genres have certainly influenced our music, especially blackgaze. Each of us listens to different styles, which helps us take an unconventional approach to songwriting—both in terms of arrangements and tonality.


Some of the bands that have inspired us the most include Deafheaven, Alcest, Albrave, Asunojokei, Oathbreaker, and Whirr.


11.What are some of your non musical interests?


 11. Besides music, each of us has our own interests. For example, I (Lev, the vocalist) am into visual arts and drawing.


Our guitarist Sasha works in SEO—he’s an SEO specialist and really enjoys it. Another guitarist, Ilya, works in game development—he’s a game designer and has even created a horror game.


Our bassist Tolik, however, doesn’t seem to have any particular hobbies aside from music—just like our drummer, Semyon.


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


 12. Thank you so much for your questions and for helping us promote our music. This really means a lot to us. We hope to see you at festivals or concerts in different countries someday.


Our main message is to remind people that war is still ongoing in Ukraine. Even while answering these questions, several rockets hit my city. And I want people outside of Ukraine to remember this. We are losing an entire generation, and that is terrifying.


Right now, it is crucial for us as musicians to have our voices heard not only in Ukraine but also across Europe. Thank you for your support.


Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Necrochakal/Golgothian Orgies Of Bestial Lust/Floga Records/2025 Full Length Review

 


  Necrochakal  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  war,  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Golgothian  Orgies  Of  Bestial  Lust"  which  will  be  released  in  march  by  Floga  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.  Elements  of  thrash  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  the  brutality  of  war  metal.


  Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  which  mix  both  the  first  and  second  wave  era's  together  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  A  small  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  album  also  adding  in  touches  of  early  90's  death  metal  at  times.  


 When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  raw  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing and  growls  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  album  as  well  as  one  song  also  being  an  acoustic  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  desecration,  sacrilege  and  violent  rituals.


  In  my  opinion  Necrochakal  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  mixture  of  war,  black, death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Satanas  Rebirth"  "Golgotha  Necromancer"  and  "Son  of  Loss...Judas  Goat".  8  out  of  10.


  https://www.instagram.com/necrochakal    

Nyktmyst/Self Titled/Irone Bonehead Productions/2025 EP Review

 


  Nyktmyst  are  a  solo  project  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  very  misanthropic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  titled  2025  ep  which  will  be  released  in  march  by  iron  Bonehead  Productions.


  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a r aw  feeling.  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.


  Acoustic  guitars  and  clean  playing can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style  along with  some  clear  vocals  also  being  utilized  on  one  of  the  tracks  and  a  couple  of  the  songs  are  instrumentals,  spoken  words  are  also  added  towards  the  end.  


  Nyktmyst  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw,  misanthropic  and  old  school  sounding  as  well  as  being  more  diverse  then  many  bands or  projects  in  this  genre.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  devilry,  death  and  mysticism  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Nyktmyst  are  a  very  great  sounding  misanthropic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Viandante"  and  "Portal  Tomb".  8  out  of  10.


  http://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/nyktmyst-portal-tomb

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090975504743

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Grima/Nightside/Napalm Records/2025 Full Length Review

 


  Russia's  Grima  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Nightside"  which  will  be  released  on  February  28th  by  Napalm  Records.


  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  folk  instruments  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along while  synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  a  few  death  metal  growls.


 Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  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  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.


  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  clean  playing  and  folk  instruments  also  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  as  well  as  some  clear  singing  and  acoustic  guitars  also  being  introduced  on  later  tracks.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism  and  Nature  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Grima  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beyond  The  Dark  Horizon"  "Impending  Death  Premonition"  and  "Mist  And  Fog".  8 out  of  10.


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NAPALM RECORDS


    

Manifestum Darkness/Desecration Rotten Corpse/Death To Pieces Records/2025 Full Length Review

 


  Manifestum  Darkness  are  a  band  from  Mexico  that  plays  a  bestial  mixture  of  war,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Desecration  Rotten  Corpse"  which  was  released  by  Death  To  Pieces  Records.


  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  bestial  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast beats,  raw  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the early to mid 90's era.


  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  songs  also  add  in a   good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  also  avoiding  the  use  of  any  solos  and  leads  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction. 


  Manifestum  Darkness  plays a   musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  era  of  war,  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  blasphemy,  perversion,  evil  and  darkness  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Manifestum  Darkness  are  a  very  great  sounding  bestial  mixture  of  war,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Baptized"  "Evil  Domain"  and  "Segregation  Of  The  Morbid  Cross".  8  out  of  10.


  https://www.facebook.com/people/Manifestum-darkness/100064140368032/