Friday, June 2, 2023

Deinonychus/Insomnia/My Kingdom Music/2022 CD Re-Issue Review

 


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Netherlands's  Deinonychus  which  shows  the  music  expanding  on  their  suicidal  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  2004  and  called  "Insomnia"  which  was  re-issued  in  2022  by  My  Kingdom  Music  as  a  part  of  the  "Bleak  &  Vile"  box  set.


  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  depressive  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  at  times  the  keyboards  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.


  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts.  When  clear  vocals  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  goth  metal  style  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a lot  of  blast  beats.


  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  fast  riffing  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  mid  tempo  sections  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  depression  and  death  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Deinonychus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  suicidal  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMRNDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "We  Have  Uncovered  A  Question  And  We  Must  Unearth  The  Answer"  and  "Reasons  To  Open  Tour  Eyelids  And  Awake  The  Apocalypse  Iris  Is  Telling  You".  8  out  of  10.


  

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Thursday, June 1, 2023

Deinonychus/Monument/My Kingdom Music/2022 CD Re-issue Review

 


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Netherlands's  Deinonychus  which  shows  them  expanding  on t heir  suicidal  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in 2002  and  called  "Monument"  which  was  re-issued  in  2022  by  My  Kingdom  Music  in  2022  as  a  part  of  the  "Bleak  &  Vile"  box  set.


  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  returns  on  later  songs.  Keyboards  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times  while  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  good  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.


  Vocals  are  mostly  done  in  a  very  angry  and  depressive  black  metal  style  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  long and  epic  in  length.


  Tortured  cries  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  the  music  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  dark  metal,  when  clear  vocals  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  more  of  a  goth  metal  style  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Candlemass's  "Ancient  Dreams".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Mythology  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Deinonychus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  suicidal  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Salus  Deceived"  "Selek  From  Menes"  "Arrival  In  Mesopotamia"  and  "Ascension -  The  40th  Day  After  Easter".  8  out  of  10.


  

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Deinonychus/Self Titled/My Kingdom Music/2022 CD Re-Issue Review

 


  This  is  a  review  of  a  self  titled  recording  from  Netherlands's  Deinonychus  which  shows  the  continuing  to  expand  on  their  suicidal  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  2000  and  re-issued  in  2022  by  My  Kingdom  music  as  a  part  of  the  "Bleak  &  Vile"  box  set.


  A  very  distorted,  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.   


  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Elements  of  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  recording.


  Some  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  clean  goth  metal  style  singing  into  the  music.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  depression  and  suicide  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Deinonychus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  suicidal  and  depressive  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Inspiring  Vulnerable  Thought"  "This,  A  Murder  Of  Crows"  and  "The  Hollow  Cage  of  my  Ribs".  8  out  of  10.


  

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Deinonychus/Ark Of Thought/My Kingdom Music/2022 CD Re-Issue Review

 


  This  is  a  review  of  another  older  recording  from  Netherlands's  Deinonychus  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  suicidal  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1997  album  "Ark  Of  Thought"  which  was  re-issued  in  2022  by  My  Kingdom  Music  as  a part  of  the  "Bleak  &  Vile"  box  set.


  Slow  doom  metal  riffing  and  suicidal  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  cries  start  off  the  album  while  all  of t he  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.


  Clean  playing  is  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  while  the  keyboards  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling.


  At  times  the  music  also  adds  in  some  gothic,  symphonic  and  dark  metal  touches  along  with  most  of  the  songs  also  sticking  to  a  slower  direction,  the  sounds  of  fire  burning  can  also b e  heard  briefly  and  the  album  closes  with  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  pain,  sorrow  and  sadness  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  album  from  Deinonychus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  suicidal  and  depressive  black,  doom  and  dark  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Revelation"  "Serpent  of  Old"  and  "The  Fragrant  Thorns  of  Roses".  8  out  of  10.


  

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Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Deinonychus/The Weeping Of A Thousand Years/My Kingdom Music/2022 CD Re-Issue Review

 


  This  is  a  review  of  another  early  recording  from  Netherlands's  Deinonychus  that  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  suicidal  music  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  1996  and  called  "The  Weeping  Of  A  Thousand  of  Years"  which  was  re-issued  in  2022  by  My  Kingdom  Music  as  a  part  of  the  "Bleak  &  Vile"  box  set.


  Atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.


  All  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  suicidal  cries  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.


  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling   along  with  the  riffing  also  utilizing  melody  at  times.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  dark  metal  touches.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  horror,  antireligion  and  depression  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Deinonychus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  depressive  and  suicidal  black,  dark  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Gathering  Of  Memories"  "I  Have  Done  As  You  Did"  and  "The  Gothic  Statue".  8/5  out  of  10.


  

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Deinonychus/The Silence Of December/My Kingdom Music/2022 CD Re-Issue Review

 


  Deinonychus  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  suicidal  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1995  album  "The  Silence  Of  December"  which  was  re-issued  in  2022  as  a  part  of  a  box  set  called  "Bleak  &  Vile"  which  was  released  by  my  Kingdom  Music.


  Keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in elements  of  doom  metal.


  Spoken word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental.


  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling  as  well  as  some  suicidal  cries  also  being  utilized  at  times,  whispers  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  occultism,  Darkness  and  Depression  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Deinocychus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  depressive  and  suicidal  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I,  Ruler  Of  Paradise  In  Black"  "Under  the  Autumn  Tree"  and  "My  Travels  Through  The  Midnight  Sky".  8/5  out  of  10.


  

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Asbjorn Daemonium de Noctis Interview

 




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


Of course. I am from south Wales (UK not Australia) and I seem to go by the moniker Asbjorn mostly (although my real name too). I from the black metal band Black Pyre, and recently the atmospheric black metal band Ofnus too. I have dabbled in a few other musical things, but nothing as serious as those two. I'm a multi-instrumentalist, although I am a vocalist first.


So, the solo project! Well, it was born out of a number of reasons. As much as I love creating music as a group, sometimes you want the sole input because of a vision you have. And that vision, you cannot possibly compromise on. As well I wanted to differ slightly in theme from say Black Pyre. So, I opted to create music alone with a very specific vision. 


The solo project focuses initially on connection with nature, and everything following has branched a little more into general black metal themes. I feel this creative output has enabled me to explore some slightly different avenues, and future releases will continue that. 



2.So far with this project you have released a full length, split and a couple of singles, musically how do they differ from each other?


The full length, Primordial Forest, really focuses on a theme. I guess you can call it a concept album. It is, in a sense. The album was all written rather rapidly, and each solo fully improvised. For this album I wanted songs more memorable and melodic compared with what I had written prior for Black Pyre. 


The production on the album is clean enough, although these days I'm not quite happy with it. You'll notice the use of sampled drums. This was not by choice. I would have preferred a drummer, but could not secure something I wanted. Now, I could have drummed myself, yes, but at that time I did not have the facilities to practise or record myself to the standard I needed. I may in future re-visit to record drums au natural. 


The split... That one was a strange time in my life that I would rather not revisit too much. It definitely embodies a low point for me and I needed to convey my dissatisfaction with my life. I longed for change, but the change was not what I had hoped for. I became someone whom in hindsight I find abhorrent. I have since de-listed my end of the split as I would prefer to forget about it and all that went with it. 


The recent single Utter Death is really about my distaste for religion. It's somewhat of an atheistic outlook, but also a musing on the indoctrination of organised religions, especially of Christianity. Not a hugely original theme, but I was inspired after visiting Rome and marvelling at the Catholic centre of the world, but couldn't help seeing the brutality on which is it was built. Utter Death also has a change of sound to the previous music. It's definitely a rawer sound, featuring some real drums too, but the feel is more authentically old school, more Norway. I think this is in part owed to my recent trip to Norway to play Northern Deception Festival with Black Pyre. 



3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored with this solo project so far?


As touched on, the full-length album is really about the forest and silent introspection one does whilst sat amongst the plants. It's about our connection with nature through the spiritual and astrological realms. It's about the soul's tether to the aethers of the wilds, it's about tranquillity amongst the trees, it's druidic, it's about Paganism. It's funny in a way, because I'm not a Pagan myself nor am I spiritual. But I've always found a deeper connection with the forest and found that intertwining it with spiritualism would make it more relatable to my experience. 


The recent single Utter Death focuses on religion. It focuses strongly on the sheer farcical nature of religion, but also of the frauds who worship "the devil". This is about how we kill in the name of religion and see hate in other's eyes. This is about free will and free thinking. I'm a way, it's LaVeyan (atheistic) as opposed to theistic. I've always identified with the tenets of LaVeyan Satanism, although I don't practice. 



4.With some of your other projects you have also covered some satanic and occult topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?


Yes, indeed. I do have an interest in the darker arts and occultism, even though I don't strictly believe in it. It's fascinating for me to study. I enjoy to read about the history and culture surrounding occultism in the past, but also find out about alleged rituals and demonic texts. 


Black Pyre especially had a focus on occultism. A lot of songs taking excerpts from grimoires and the black mass of a certain sect of theistic satanism. Ave Sathanas features one such excerpt. Another great example of demonic calling is Tenebrous Obituary, which is almost a prayer to deliver a soul of a late friend to rule in Hell. A nice thought at least, and although I may not believe in the whole "Heaven and Hell" ideas, it seems no harm to "hedge your bets" when faced with the end. 


Thinking again back to "Heaven and Hell", the Black Pyre song Hellfire is rather biblical. An alternate re-telling of the rapture. Angels and demonic forces interlocked in an epic battle. 



5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Asbjorn Daemonium de Noctis'?


Asbjorn, Demon of Night. 


I came up with the name on a whim. I liked the name Asbjorn, and wanted it to sound a little more "satanic". I think we may have been inspired by all those 90s bands who had to have pseudonyms. 



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


Of course. It is a photograph I took of the waterfall at devil's bridge in mid Wales. The old folklore story goes, an old woman tricked the devil into building the bridge and he never returned to Wales after that. A whimsical story, but the general air of the place felt different and perhaps a little special. Making it the cover felt right, as the place shown has some spiritualism and fit the forest theme. 



7.With this project you record everything by yourself but have experience working with musicians in other bands and projects, do you prefer to work solo?


A tricky question. It's really a yes and a no. With my solo work it is more that I have an uncompromising vision and am unbending in my application of the music. My solo work is released as such because I feel nobody else would fully comprehend it, and so it must be done alone. 


I do however, enjoy working as a unit too. There is something equally satisfying about creating a group effort. As with Black Pyre I would often write the underpinning structure to a song and the others would plug in, offering their respective instruments. Or some songs would be more of a group effort (in the cases of Aeon and Black Magic Heresy). For others, Olthigor (Olly) would write an underpinning and we would contribute and offer changes. 


For Ofnus it's a little different. Alyn writes the songs almost in their entirety. The drums and bass would then play around and find something to fit, similar to what was already written but with their own flair. I would then contribute the vocals in their entirety, writing the vocal lines and about 85% of the lyrics. I find it refreshing to work where I only need to input the vocals and the rest of the music is sorted for me. 



8.In 2021 you were a part of a split with 'Abyssielle', what are your thoughts on the other project that had participated on the recording?


That split, it was a darker time in my life as it was for them too. I did contribute to both elements, offering my vocals to the other half of the split. I will be amicable here - the other music was well made. I just no longer identify with the split myself and have since de-listed it. It contributed to a downward spiral for me, and I became a person I look back at and despise, so I could no longer bear to have it around. 



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


I think I have had a fairly positive response. People seem to enjoy what I make and for that I am very grateful. I make my music for me, and if other like it that is truly humbling. 


I think generally speaking Black Pyre has seen the best success internationally so far. But I think that is down to us investing more time in the promotion of that material. 



10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that you are a part of?


Black Pyre are working on a new album. It's written in principle; it just needs the other members to work on it and offer their spin. The new album will mark a minor shift in style to a slightly more melodic and riff focused style, but still wholly black metal. I think it will offer a more refined and better conceived album. Black Pyre is for fans of Mayhem, Watain, Satyricon, Dissection


Ofnus has completed their first album, which is due to release end of June on Naturmacht Productions. We are also well on the way to album 2. It is more atmospheric and melodic than anything I've done before, with much catchier tunes. As Ofnus we have secured a slot at Bloodstock this year too and are planning to tour the UK around late autumn / early winter. Ofnus is for fans of Alcest, Borknagar, Cân Bardd, Saor, Winterfylleth. 


11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?


A good question, and a tough one. I'm a realist; so I know music is unlikely to yield a fruitful career for me. I doubt I will need to give up a day job, but you never know. But for me, it's about the enjoyment. That fulfilment you get when you create something beautiful. So, it's unlikely I would ever stop music. I would just like to be in a position where my music is known by the community and hopefully widely enjoyed.



12.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 my influences shift around a lot. For Black Pyre it was always the old school Norwegian bands that inspired me. Over time my influences diverged and branched, both within and outside of black metal. For instance, Primordial Forest was heavily inspired by Asagraum, Watain, Necronautical, and Imperial (US). 


I think my style of vocals for Ofnus has been inspired by the likes of Grima, Borknagar and Rotting Christ, perhaps with a touch of non-black metal influence too. 


More recently, I've been listening to Opeth, At The Gates, Rotting Christ, Winterlore, Këkht Aräkh, Secret Stairways, and Weakling. 



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


I would like to thank you for having me for this interview! It has been a pleasure to indulge in a bit of soliloquy. 


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