OccultBlackMetalZine: August 2011

Clandestine Blaze/Night Of The Unholy Flames/Northern Heritage/2000 CD Review

Clandestine Blaze are a band from Finland that plays a very raw and primitive form of unholy black metal and this is a review of their 2000 album "Night Of The Unholy Flames" which was released by Northern Heritage.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast raw and primitive sounding black metal riffs and there are little to no lead guitars or solos present on this recording.

Vocals are mostly grim sounding black metal screams with some deep growls being thrown in at times, while the lyrics cover Satanism, Darkness and Death with one song being written in Finish, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion this was a great album from Clandestine Blaze and if you are a fan of raw and primitive sounding unholy black metal, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Cross Of Black Steel" "Night Of The Unholy Flames" and "Aikakausi On Lyhyt". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Bandcamp

Octinomos/Fuckhole Armageddon/Necropolis Records/Baphomet Records/2001 CD Review

Octinomos are a 1 man project from Sweden that plays a very heavy and brutal form of black/war metal and this is a review of their 2001 album "Fuckhole Armageddon" which was released as a joint effort between Necropolis and Baphomet Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a lot of brutal sounding blast beats being thrown in at times, while the bass playing has a very strong and powerful with some fast riffing that dominated throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast black/war metal riffs that are very heavy and brutal sound with somewhat of a thrash feel being utilized at times and there are little to no guitar solos or leads present on this recording.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with a brief use of clean singing vocals being used on one song, while the lyrics cover Armageddon, anti Christianity and hateful themes, as for the production it has a very heavy, powerful and brutal sounds with all of the musical instruments being very easy to hear on this recording.

In my opinion this was a great album from Octinomos ansd if you are a fan of brutal and fast black/war metal, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Fuckhole Armageddon" "Wipeout" and "thermonuclear Salvation". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Octinomos/5499

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Azrael/Into Shadows Act 1: Denial/Moribund Records/2003 CD Review

Azrael are a band from Minnesota that plays a very dark and avant garde form of black metal and this is a review of their 2003 album "Into Shadows Act 1: Denial" which was released by Moribund Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a good amount of blast beats being thrown in at times, while the bass playing has a very heavy and dark sound with some avant garde black metal riffing with some bass leads being thrown in at times as well as the use of a contra bass, as for the synths when they are utilized they bring a very dark and avant garde feel to the music.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast black metal riffing that is very dark and raw sounding mixed in with a lot of dark sounding distortion that add to the avant garde feel of the music as well as a good amount of dark sounding melodies while the lead guitars are very primitive and distorted black metal guitar leads when they are utilized, as for the acoustic guitars they use finger picking to bring a very dark and avant garde sound to the music.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some occasional spoken word passages as well as some mournful cries, while the lyrics cover darkness, occultism and the philosophy of Nietzsche, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion this was the most black metal sounding album that I have heard from Azrael and they did go more avant garde sounding on later releases, but if you are looking for some primitive, dark and raw sounding avant garde black metal, you should check this album out. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Dominion Of Abyssmal Crypt" "Holiness Embodiment" and "Unseen Emptiness". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Azrael/13835

Mordaehoth/Bloedwraak-Verdoem al't Christelijk Leven/New Era Productions/2002 CD Re-Issue Review

Mordaehoth are a one man band from the Netherlands that plays a very raw and primal form of viking/pagan/black metal and this is a review of their 2000 promo demo "Bloedwraak-Verdoem al't Christeliik Leven" which was re-issued by New Era Productions during the year of 2002.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some occasional blast beats, while the bass playing sounds very powerful and strong with some primitive sounding black/pagan black metal riffs that dominate throughout the recording, as for the synths they are only used briefly to enhance the darkness of the music.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast viking/pagan/black metal riffs that are very dark, primitive, epic and raw sounding while the lead guitars are very distorted and melodic sounding pagan/black metal guitar leads, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they sound very primitive with full chords and arpeggios that give the music a very dark and medieval feel.

Vocals are all grim sounding black metal screams with some pagan chanting and occasional clean singing being used at times as well as some whispered vocals, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of Dutch and English with themes that cover Asataru, Paganism and Anti Christianity, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Mordaehoth are a very good raw and primitive sounding viking/pagan/black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Walburga's Nacht" and "Wodans Zonen". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Bandcamp

Obtained Enslavement/Soulblight/Napalm Records/1999 CD Review

Obtained Enslavement where a band from Norway that played a very dark and atmospheric form of black metal and this is a review of their 1999 album "Soulblight" which was released by Napalm Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a good amount of blast beats being thrown in at times, while the synths bring a very dark, epic and atmospheric sound to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast dark/black metal riffs that are very melodic sounding at times, while the lead guitars are very melodic and epic sounding black metal guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some mournful cries being thrown in at times as well as a small use of deep growls being used on one song, while the lyrics cover darkness and witchcraft, as for the production it has a very strong, professional and powerful sound to it.

In my opinion Obtained Enslavement where a very good dark/atmospheric black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Dark Night Of Souls" "Soulblight" and "The Goddess Lake". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Bandcamp

Profanum/Flowers Of Our Black Misanthropy/Astral Wings Records/1996 CD Review

Profanum where a band from Poland that played a very atmospheric and primitive form of ns/occult/black metal and this is a review of their 1996 album "Flowers Of Our Black Misanthropy" which was released by Astral Wing Records.

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with some occasional fast playing and blast beats, while the keyboards bring a very dark and atmospheric feel to the music, as for the bass playing and it has a very dark and primitive sound that you can hear throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast primitive black metal riffing that is very dark and evil sounding with some epic sounding melodies being utilized at times and there are little to no guitar solos or leads present on this recording, as for the acoustic guitars they use finger picking and full chords to bring another dimension of darkness to the music.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some spoken word passages, while the lyrics Paganism, Occultism, Satanism and Darkness, as for the production it has a very raw, dark and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Profanum where a very good atmospheric satanic/occult/ns black metal band and this was their most black metal sounding album before they went into a more classical direction and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Gates Of Armageddon" "The Gathering Of Funeral Gods" "Tears Of Chors" and "Under A Black Wings Of Emperor". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Spotify

Tsjuder/Kill For Satan/Drakkar Productions/2000 CD Review

Tsjuder are a band from Norway that plays a very raw and primitive form of Norwegian satanic black metal and this is a review of their 2000 album "Kill For Satan" which was released by Drakkar Productions.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a great amount of blast beats being thrown in at times, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and you can hear the musical instruments since it sounds very powerful.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast black metal riffs that are very brutal, heavy, raw and primitive sounding with somewhat of a black/thrash feel at times mixed in with some dark sounding melodies and there are little to no lead guitars or solos present on this recording.

Vocals are all high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some occasional deep growls, while the lyrics cover Satanism, Necromancy, Demonology, Occultism and Anti-Christianity, as for the production it has a very dark, heavy, raw and primitive sound while still being professional enough up to the point where you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion Tsjuder are a very good raw and brutal sounding Norwegian satanic black metal band and if you are a fan of this band you probably already own this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Necromancy""Raping Christianity" "Kill For Satan" and "Sodomizing The Lamb". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Blazemth/For Centuries Left Behind/Abstract Emotions/1995 CD Review

Blazemth where a band from Spain that played a very atmospheric and primitive form of black metal and this is a review of their 1995 album "For Centuries Left Behind" which was released by Abstract Emotion.

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with some occasional fast playing and not much in the way of blast beats, while the keyboards have a very epic and atmospheric feel to them, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times you can hear the musical instrument.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast raw black metal riffs and there are little to no guitar solos or leads present on this recording.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some occasional spoken word passages, while the lyrics cover Mysticism, darkness, warriors and battle honour, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive feel to it.

In my opinion Blazemth where a very good primitive atmospheric black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "It;s Suffering Age" and "Majesties Of War". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Blazemth/2751

Evilwar/Self Titled/Somber Music/2004 CD Review

Evilwar where a band from Brazil that played a brutal form of black/war metal with a death metal edge and this is a review of their self titled 2004 album which was released by Somber Music.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a great amount of blast beats being thrown in at times, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they sound very powerful.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffing that combines black/war metal with death metal as well as a great amount of thrash metal influences being thrown in at times mixed in with some occasional melodies, while the lead guitars are very chaotic black/death metal guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some deep death metal growls, while the lyrics cover Satanism, Occultism, Anti Christianity and War, as for the production it has a very strong, heavy and powerful fell and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion Evilwar where a very good black/war metal band with a death metal edge and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "EvilWar" "Unholy War" "Damned The Weak" and "Christian's Nightmare". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Evilwar/1099

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Mephistopheles/Songs Of The Desolate One/Last Episode/1999 CD Review

Mephistopheles where a band from Germany that played that played a very atmospheric form of black metal and this is a review of their 1999 album "Songs Of The Desolate Ones" which was released by Last Episode.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a good amount of blast beats being thrown in, while the keyboards bring a very dark and atmospheric feel to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very strong and powerful tone that is very easy to hear on this recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast black metal riffing that is very melodic at times and on occasion has a thrash and traditional metal feeling to it, while the lead guitars are very dark and melodic sounding black metal guitar leads and solos.

Vocals are a mixture of black metal screams mixed in with some deep growls and clean singing vocals along with some occasional spoken word passages, while the lyrics cover Satanism, Darkness and Anti Christianity, as for the production it has a very powerful and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Mephistopheles where a very good atmospheric black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Kurgan Supremacy" "Opaque Fortress" and "Northern Eternity". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Mephistopheles/4850

Legacy Of Blood/The Fall/Stong Survive/2003 CD Review

Legacy Of Blood where a band from Poland that played that played a very raw and primal form of atmospheric ns/black metal and this is a review of their 2003 album "The Fall" which was released by Strong Survive.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some occasional blast beats, while the synths bring a very dark and atmospheric sound to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very strong and dark tone with primitive black metal riffing that dominates throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast raw black metal riffing that also utilizes some dark sounding melodies and there are little to no guitar solos or leads present on this recording, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they use finger picking and full chords to give the music a very dark and medieval feel.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some deep growls and clean singing female vocals with a spoken word passage being used on the last song, while the lyrics cover National Socialism and White Pride, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Legacy Of Blood where a very good and original sounding atmospheric ns/black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Stronghold" "March Across Europe" "Fatherland" and "Ancient Rights". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Last.fm

Agalloch/Pale Folklore/The End Records/1999 CD Review

Agalloch are a band from Portland, Oregon that plays a form of dark metal that is very black metal influenced with a touch of depressive melodies and folklore and this is a review of their 1999 album "Pale Folklore" which was released by The End Records.

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with not much in the way of fast playing or blast beats, while the bass playing has a very strong and powerful sound with riffs that dominate throughout the whole entire recording, as for the keyboards when they are utilized they bring a very nature like, depressing, epic, dark and atmospheric feel to the music.

Rhythm guitars range from slow to mid paced progressive black metal riffs that also utilize a good amount of melodies and doom metal influences as well as a gothic rock feeling, while the lead guitars are very dark and melodic sounding guitar solos, as for the acoustic guitars they use full chords and finger picking to bring a very dark, progressive and depressing sound to the music.

Vocals are mostly black metal screams mixed in with some clean singing male and female vocals, while the lyrics cover nature, dark and depressing themes, as for the production it has a very strong and powerful sound to it.

In my opinion this was a great album from Agalloch and if you are a fan of this band, you probably already own this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "She Painted Fire Across The Skyline" and "Dead Winter Days". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Winter Of Apokalypse/Solitary Winter Night/Moribund Records/2004 CD Review

Winter Of Apokalypse are a band from Portland, Oregon that plays a very raw and grim form of satanic black metal and this is a review of their 2004 album "Solitary Winter Night" which was released by Moribund Records during the year of 2004.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the bass playing sounds very dark and strong with some primitive black metal riffing.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast black metal riffing that is very dark and raw sounding while the lead guitars are very chaotic and primitive sounding black metal guitar leads.

Vocals are all grim sounding black metal screams, while the lyrics cover Satanism, Luciferian, Paganism, Anti Christianity and Darkness, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Winter Of Apokalypse are a very good raw and grim sounding satanic black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Dark Sinistral Path" "True Pagan Hearts" and "Black Metal Of Death". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Winter_of_Apokalypse/29225

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Infernum/Taur-Nu-Fuin/Astral Wings Records/1995 CD Review

Infernum where a band from Poland that consisted of members of Graveland that played a musical style that I would describe as being raw atmospheric ns occult black metal and this is a review of their 1995 album "Taur-Nu-Fuin" which was released by Astral Wings Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the keyboards are very dark and atmospheric sounding, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast raw black metal riffs that are very dark sounding with some occasional epic sounding melodies being used at times and there are little to no guitar solos or leads present on this recording, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they sound very dark and primal sounding with full chords being used.

Vocals are all grim sounding high pitched black metal screams, while the lyrics cover Luciferian, Germanic Paganism, National Socialism and Occultism with the lyrics being written in a mixture of English and German, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Infernum where a very good raw atmospheric ns/occult/black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Ancient Order" "Gammadion" and "Cathari Sects". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Official website

Forgotten Tomb/Songs To Leave/Selbstmord/2002 CD Review

Forgotten Tomb are a band from Italy that plays a very dark and depressive form of black metal that also has a doom metal edge to it and this is a review of their 2002 album "Songs To Leave" which was releasedby Selbstmord.

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with occasional fast playing and blast beats, while the synths when they are utilized bring a very dark avant garde feel to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast raw depressive black metal riffs that also utilize influences from doom metal with some slow soft playing being used on occasion while the lead guitars are very depressive and melodic sounding guitar leads.

Vocals are all high pitched black metal screams that have a very depressive feel to them with some occasional spoken word passages being thrown in at times as well as a brief use of deep growls being used on one song, while the lyrics cover dark and depressive themes, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive feel to it.

In my opinion this is a great album from Forgotten Tomb and if you are a fan of this band, you probably already own this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Solitude Ways" and "Disheartenment". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Tumulus/Hymns And Drges/Mock/Cold Winter/Hammerheart Records/1995 CD Split Album Review

This is a review of a split album between Germany's Tumulus and Norway's Mock which was released by Hammerheart Records in 1995 and we will start of the review with Tumulus from Germany that played a very atmospheric form of pagan/black/folk/death metal with their side being called "Hymns And Dirges".

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with not much in the way of fast playing or blast beats, while the keyboards bring a very dark atmospheric pagan feel to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times you can hear the musical instrument.

Rhythm guitars range from slow to mid paced riffing that combines black metal with doom metal while the lead guitars are very melodic and primitive sounding viking metal guitar leads, as for the acoustic guitars they use finger picking to bring a very dark and medieval feel to the music.

Vocals are a mixture of clean singing male and female vocals with some deep black/death metal growls being thrown in at times as well as a brief spoken word passage, while the lyrics cover Asataru and Germanic Mysticism, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Tumulus where a very good viking/atmospheric/folk/black/death metal band and while this is not a style that is usually covered by this zine I still feel this was a great band with the best music on this split and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Smoke Of My Sacrifice" and "A Vikings Last Journey".

Now we will review Mock from Norway that played a very raw and primitive form of viking/black metal and their side of the split "Cold Winter".

Drums range range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the bass playing has a very powerful tone with riffs that dominate throughout the recording, as for the synths they are only used on the last song to bring an epic and atmospheric feel to the music.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast raw viking/black metal riffs while the lead guitars are very primitive sounding viking/black metal guitar leads.

Vocals are all high pitched black metal screams, while the lyrics cover Asataru thems, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Mock where a very good raw viking/black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Bonded by thy Blood" and "Northern Sins". RECOMMENDED.

In my opinion this was a great split album with 2 really great viking/black metal bands and I would recommend this album to all fans of this subgenre. RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/tumulus/6904
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Mock/12311

Enochian Crescent/Telocvovim/Woodcut Records/1997 CD Review

Enochian Crescent are a band from Finland that plays a very raw and atmospheric version of occult black metal and this is a review of their 1997 album "Telocvovim" which was released by Woodcut Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times you can hear the musical instrument, as for the keyboards when they are utilized they bring a very dark and atmospheric sound to the music.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast black metal riffing that is very raw with some melodies being used at times as well as influences from other styles of metal in addition there is some brief slow soft playing being used on a couple of songs, while the lead guitars are very dark and melodic sounding black metal guitar leads and solos.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some occasional ruff doom metal style vocals from the early 90's Swedish era as well as the occasional spoken word ritualistic passage in addition there is a brief use of clean singing vocals being used on one song, while the lyrics cover Enochian Magick, Satanism, Anti Christianity, Chutulu Mythos and Shamanism, as for the production it has a very dark, powerful and heavy sound to it.

In my opinion Enochian Crescent are a very good atmospheric occult black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Closed Gates Of Tomorrow(The Cold Harvest)" "A Wolf Among Sheep" "When Tears Run Dry" and "Black Fame Of Satan Burning". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Official site @ archive.org

ReverbNation

Order Of The Ebon Hand/XV: The Devil/Seasons Of Mist/2005 CD Review

Order Of The Ebon Hand are a band from Greece that plays a very brutal form of Left Hand Path/Occult/Black Metal and this is a review of their 2005 album "XV: The Devil" which was released by Season Of Mist.

Drums range from mid paced to fast drumming with a great amount of blast beats being thrown in at times, while the synths bring a very dark, avant garde and occultic sound to the music when they are utilized and on one song there is a brief use of the saxophone which is something that is very rarely utilized in black metal, as for the bass playing it has a very strong and powerful tone with heavy riffing that dominates throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from mid paced to fast raw black metal riffs that are very brutal at times and utilize some melodies while the lead guitars are very distorted sounding black metal guitar leads and solos.

Vocals are all high pitched black metal screams that have a depressive and grim feel at times along with the occasional use of spoken word ritualistic passages, while the lyrics cover Goetia,The Dark Side of The Cabbala, Hermeticism, Tarot, Baphomet, Rituals, Anti Christianity and Darkness, as for the production it has a very dark, heavy, powerful and professional sound.

In my opinion Order Of The Ebon Hand are a very good avant garde sounding brutal occult black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "For Marchosias" "Gateway To Silence" "The Visitors" and "Spellbound". RECOMMENDED BUY.

YouTube

Evol/Dies Irae/Beyond Productions/2001 Demo Compilation CD Review

Evol where a band from Italy that played a very dark form of atmospheric pagan/occult/black metal and this is a review of their 2001 demo compilation "Dies irae" which was released by Beyond Productions.

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with not much in the way of fast playing or blast beats, while the synths bring a very dark, atmospheric and ritualistic sound to the music in addition on one song there a re some folk instruments utilized that bring a feeling of the dark ages to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times you can hear the musical instrument.

Rhythm guitars range from slow to mid paced black metal riffing that is very dark and simple sounding with a doom metal feel at times while the lead guitars are very slow and primitive sounding guitar leads that utilize some dark melodies, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they use finger picking to bring a very dark and medieval feel to the music.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some male and female spoken word ritualistic passages along with the occasional use of deep growls, while the lyrics cover Witchcraft, Celtic Paganism, Occultism and the writings of H.P Lovecraft, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Evol where a very good atmospheric pagan/occult/ritualistic/black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Return Of The Horned King" "Sorrow Of The Witch" "Sad Doom Of A Dark Soul(Chutulusumgal's Presence)" and "Witchlord". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Demonized/Self Titled/Osmose Productions/2003 CD Review

Demonized where a band from Mexico that played a very heavy and brutal combination of black/death/war metal and this is a review of their self titled 2003 album which was released by Osmose Productions.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a lot of brutal blast beats being thrown in, while the bass playing has a very powerful tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffing that combines the most brutal elements of black, death and war metal, while the lead guitars are very distorted sounding black/death metal guitar leads and solos.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some deep death metal growls being thrown in at times, while the lyrics cover Blasphemy, Satanism, Goat Worship, Necronomicon, Black Magick, Occultism, Sodomy and Anti-Christianity, as for the production it has a very dark, heavy, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Demonized where a very good war/black/death metal hybrid and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Legions Of Horns" "Goat Triumph" "Wardemonic Sodomy" and "Magick Obscure". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Demonized/14406

Primordial/Imrama/Hammerheart Records/2001 CD Re-Issue Review

Primordial are a band from Ireleand that plays a very dark version of atmospheric Celtic/Pagan/Black Metal and this is a review of their 1995 album "Imrama" which was re-issued by Hammerheart Records during the year of 2001.

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with some occasional fast playing and blast beats and on one song there is some tribal percussion being utilized, while the keyboards bring in a very dark and atmospheric sound to the music when they are utilized in addition the folk instruments bring a Celtic/Pagan feel to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very strong and powerful tone with dark riffs that dominate throughout the album.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast epic dark/pagan/black metal riffing that has a doom metal feel at times with some melodies being used at times, while the lead guitars when they are utilized are very melodic and dark sounding guitar leads, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they use full chords to bring a dark folk music feel to the music.

Vocals are a combination of high pitched black screams, clean singing vocals and some spoken word passages, as for the lyrics one song is written in Gallic with the most being written in English with themes that cover Celtic Paganism, dark themes and on one song they utilize some poetry from Baudelaire, as for the production it has a very dark and heavy sound but you can still all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion this was a great album from Primordial and if you are a fan of this band, you probably already own this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Infernal Summer" "The Fires" "Let The Sun Set On Life Forever" and "The Calling". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Ishtar/Krig/Hammerheart Records/1999 CD Review

Ishtar where a band from Sweden that played a very, dark, cold form of atmospheric black metal and this is a review of their 1999 album "Krig" which was released by Hammerheart Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the synths bring a very dark and atmospheric sound to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very strong and powerful tone with dark sounding riffs that dominate throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast black metal riffing that is very raw sounding and melodic at times, and there are little to no guitar solos or leads present on this recording, as for the acoustic guitars they use finger picking to bring a dark sound to the music.

Vocals are all high pitched black metal screams with some occasional clean singing female vocals being thrown in at times as well as the occasional spoken word passage, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of Swedish and English with themes that cover darkness and coldness, as for the production it has a very strong and powerful sound while retaining a sense of rawness.

In my opinion Ishtar where a very good atmospheric black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Shadow Warrior" "Damnation" and "Vinterfrost". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Ishtar/12851

Mortuus/De Contemplanda Morte/Ajna Offensive/2007 CD Review

Mortuus are a band from Sweden that plays a very Occultic form of Left Hand Path Black Metal and this is a review of their 2007 album "De Contemplanda Morte" which was released by Ajna Offensive.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some occasional blast beats being thrown in at times, while the bass playing has a very strong and powerful tone with dark riffing that dominates throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast black metal riffs that are very dark sounding while the lead guitars are very dark and melodic sounding black metal guitar leads that do not turn into guitar solos, as for the synths when they are utilized they bring a very dark funeral like occultic/avant garde feel to the music.

Vocals are all grim sounding black metal screams with a spoken word ritualistic passage being used on one song as well as a brief use of clean singing vocals, while the lyrics cover Death Worship, Darkness, Occultism and the dark side of the Caballa, as fro the production it has a very heavy and powerful sound where you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion Mortuus are a very good occult black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Penetrations Of Darkness" and "The Constant Descent Of Seraphim". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Frostkrieg/Majestic Eines Kalten Elements/Nykta Productions/2003 CD Review

Frostkrieg are a band from Germany that plays a very raw and primitive form of black metal with a touch on nature and this is a review of their 2003 album "Majestic Eines Kalten Elements" which was released by Nykta Productions.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some occasional blast beats, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they have a very powerful sound, as for the synths they are only used to enhance the darkness of the music and are not overdone.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast raw black metal riffs that also utilize melodies at times as well as some thrash riffing, while the lead guitars are very primal sounding black metal guitar solos and leads, as for the acoustic guitars they use finger picking to bring a dark sound to the music.

Vocals are very grim sounding high pitched black metal screams with some clean singing being used on occasion, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of German and English with themes that cover Paganism, Anti-Christianity, Darkness and Nature, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Winterkrieg are a very good raw atmospheric nature orientated black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Night, The Light And The Flame" "Rex Sanguinis" "In The Shadow Of The Horn" which is a Darkthrone cover and "Lords Of Chaos". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Frostkrieg/17204

I Shalt Become/Wanderings/Moribund Records/2006 CD Re-Issue Review

I Shalt Become are a 1 man band from Chicago, Illinois that plays a very depressive form of black metal with a dark ambient feel and this is a review of their 1998 album "Wanderings" which was re-issued by Moribund Records in the year of 2006.

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with the fast drumming being used only on the cover tunes, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times you can hear the musical instrument, as for the synth which is only used on the cover tunes, intro's and outros it has a very dark ambient sound to it which adds to the atmosphere of the music.

Rhythm guitars range from slow to mid paced raw depressive black metal riffs that have an ambient feel to them with the faster riffing only being used on the cover tunes while the lead guitars are very distorted and depressive sounding black metal leads that do not turn into guitar solos.

Vocals are all grim and depressive sounding black metal screams, while the lyrics cover dark and depressive themes with a touch on nature, as for the production it has a very dark, primitive and raw sound to it.

In my opinion this was a great album from I Shalt Become and if you are a fan of this band, you probably already own this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Funeral Rain" "Labyrinthe" "Insects" and "The Heavens Drop With Human Gore" which is a Judas Iscariot cover. RECOMMENDED BUY.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Falkenbach/En Their Medh Riki Fara/No Colours Records/1996 CD Review

Falkenbach are a 1 man band from Germany that plays a very atmospheric from of Viking/PaganBlack Metal and this is a review of their classic 1996 album "En Their Medh Riki Fara" which was released by No Colours Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some occasional blast beats, while the keyboards and folk instruments gives the music a very dark atmospheric pagan and medieval feel, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast Pagan/Viking/Black Metal riffs that are very raw, epic and melodic sounding, while the lead guitars are very melodic and epic sounding Viking Metal guitar solos and leads, as for the classical guitars when they are utilized they bring a very epic pagan/medieval feel to the music.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams and clean singing viking metal vocals, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of German and English with themes that cover Asataru, Anti Christian and Heathen themes, as for the production it has a very dark and raw sound to it.

In my opinion this was a great album from Falkenbach and if you are a fan of this band, you probably already own this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Heathen Pride " "Ultima Thule" and "Into The Ardened Awaited Land". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Godkiller/The End Of The World/Wounded Love Records/1999 CD Review

Godkiller are a 1 man band from Monaco that started out as being more raw black metal in the beginning but evolved into a more industrial influenced dark metal band with this recording and this is a review of their 1999 album "The End Of The World" which was released by Wounded Love Records.

Drum programming ranges from slow to mid paced beats, while the keyboards and samples bring a very dark, atmospheric and industrial sound to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow to mid paced riffing that combines black metal with dark metal and industrial, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding dark metal leads.

Vocals range from grim black metal screams to more industrial style vocals along with some occasional spoken word passages as well as some clean singing being utilized on the last song, while the lyrics cover dark and depressive themes, as for the production it has a very dark and heavy sound to it.

In my opinion Godkiller are a very good atmospheric industrial style dark/black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Inner Pain" "Day Of Suffering" "Nothing Left But Silence" and "De Profundis". RECOMMENDED BUY

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