Alastor/Wladmark/Winterblast Halls2016 12 Inch Review

  Alastor  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  has  been  around  for  20  years  and  plays  a  very raw  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Waldmark"  which  was  released  by  Winterblast Halls.

 A  very  fast  and  raw  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  grim  screams  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  style  of  the  genre.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  in  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  melodies  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  classical  and  acoustic  guitars  which  also  use  a  great  amount  of  finger  picking  and  full  chords,  spoken  word  parts  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  guitar  leads  are  done  in  more  of  a  melodic  style  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  you  can  also  here  all  of  the  musical  instruments that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  Alastor  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw,  traditional  and old  school  without  sounding  out  of  date  and  also  adding  in  a  good  sense  of melody,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  yet  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Alastor  are  a  very  great  sounding  traditional  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Old  Glacial  Lakes"  "The  Battle   Of  Infernal  Hymns"  and  "Fellwood".  8  out  of  10.

http://winterblasthalls.bandcamp.com/album/waldmark

Snogg Interview

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

Ulv: Snøgg is based on experimentation in improvisation within the dark genres such as black metal, drone, death metal, post metal… We are a duo and you never know what exactly to expect from us. We freeride through the wast musical fields not knowing the conditions of the weather and the snow, racing from the avalanches and jumping over cliffs. 


2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the ep?

Ulv: As I have said Snøgg is an experiment. This EP was also created in this manner. Firstly we recorded the drums, without knowing what the exact melodies and arrangement would be. Than I composed and recorded the guitars and most of the synths and Køzhl composed and recorded the bass guitar. At the end I added additional synths and vocals. The melodies and arrangement kinda represented my personal feelings, or should I say I recorded the melodies that felt right at the time. I think the main influences on that EP are early Ulver, late Darkthrone and Myrkur. The production is kept dark and dirty as we believe our music should be.


3.What are some of the themes you bring out with your musical style?

Ulv: Our musical style is very open. On the concerts we mostly improvise, using the themes from our released songs, videos and EP-s but never in the same manner, so practically our every show is different. I also experiment with my onstage equipment. That way we have a lot of room to fill with our personal feelings and reflections on the momentary situations. I don’t have the lyrics for the shows. I only wrote lyrics for the released songs, but on stage I sing what comes into my mind. So I sing about mythology, troubles of the modern world (politics, religion, the direction where we as a society are heading), my private life or sometimes I don’t even bother and just scream in anger or chant like a monk. Practically you and even us don’t know what to expect from next show. But nevertheless we mainly stay in traditional black metal with a lot of jumping into other styles of extreme music particularly drone/noise which in my opinion represents the duality more and more witnessed in today’s world (poor-rich, good-evil, capitalism-socialism, etc).


4.originally the band had a different name, what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Snogg'?

Ulv: The first few songs were released under the name Black Trail, which was written with 11 black boxes  - █████████████ .It was what you could see, a black trail. That was when I was still a one man band. Then I decided to make a multi person band out of it and during that process someone pointed to me that there already exist a black metal band representing itself with black boxes. To avoid being mistaken for that band and due to change in the functioning of Black Trail, we decided to change our name. Right at that time I went on a mountaineering trip in Norway, where I noticed a sign for a soccer club called Snøgg. The name immediately got my attention, because phonetically it sounds like slovenian word ‘sneg’ which means snow. When I googled it, I found out, this is a icelanding (and also, I believe old norsk) word for being swift. All the references seemed just right and when I came home I discussed about that name with Mørke and Køzhl (who was a full time member at the time) and they agreed with the idea, so we became Snøgg.


5.Currently the band is a duo, are open to bringing in other musicians again in the future or do you prefer to remain a duo?

Ulv: After one-man-band period I wanted to have a full line-up band with 5, 6 members. I had problems with finding the right people, but I found Mørke and Køzhl, so we were functioning as a trio for a while. When Køzhl had to leave the band due to lack of available time, Mørke and I decided to remain a duo and that opened the doors to experimentation. For the time being we like it that way, because it is easier to improvise with less people. However new ideas are always coming and we are open for collaboration. We already had Bagot from Cvinger featured as a theatrical performer on some of our mutual concerts. We also had Køzhl rejoining the band to record the bass lines for the ep and in beginning wanted to have some featured vocals there, but in the end decided not to.


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

Ulv: I guess our best performance was at Vratolom festival in our hometown Velenje last june, which was actually our first open air show and it was a blast. The show in Postojna last february was also really good, as I was really satisfied with the keyboard settings I used. Of course I must also mention the tour of Snøgg & Cvinger in december 2014, where the last show in Belgrade where we joined forces with two serbian black metal groups in a packed underground club Blue Moon was really exceptional.
On the stage we are both pretty much on the same spot throughout the gig, Mørke behind the drums and I on my workstation, where I have keyboards, computer, pedals, microphones… But we use other theatrical things, such as corpse paintings, candles, featured theatrical performances etc.


7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Ulv: For now we have booked the ep presentation which will be held in club eMCe place in our hometown Velenje together with another local black metal band Kholn on february 27. and a spot on Noise festival in Trbovlje, Slovenia in beginning of June. We are looking for more shows to represent this ep, there is an option of a balkan tour in the summer. However Mørke is just before releasing an album with his death metal band Carnifliate and they are having and planning quite a lot of concerts and I am currently working on the new album of my industrial band The Stroj, beside that we both play in a punk band Mr. Van Punk, that also has some shows booked in the summer, so we will see how much time will be left for Snøgg.


8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Ulv: Yes we are looking but not really actively. In Slovenia most of the underground bands are unsigned or we have labels that put you on their list with all the work left for you to do it. All our work is available for free on the internet, although we appreciate donations if you like the music.


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

Ulv: I must say that it was better than I expected. I felt like many black metal listeners would find this mixing of genres not ‘trve’ because we are not a typical black metal band. I think in every city we have been to there were some people extremely excited with our music and the way we are performing it. The ep hasn’t had much of a feedback yet, but thus far it has been mainly positive, but I have heard criticism about quality of production, about which I don’t care much about, because dark, dirty production was what I was aiming at while producing this ep.


10.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Ulv: Yes, of course. We are both in a punk band Mr. Van Punk which is special because we arrive with the van, we start the generator, guitarist and bassist get out of the van, drummer stays inside and we begin to play. We can pack in less than 5 minutes and move to another location. This is great for performing on various locations in the summer, not so great in the winter. :)
Beside that Mørke plays in a death metal band Carnifliate that are about to release their first full album. They have won Natečaj Botečaj, a competition for young bands last may and are performing heavily since.
I am working on a new album of my industrial band The Stroj. It has been a very good year for this band, we had quite a few shows and a video that stayed on the top of video charts called Točka, held by Slovenian national television. I am also active in a dark electro group of djs called Sikk.ru. As a matter of fact, today Mørke plays with Carnifliate in Postojna, I play with The Stroj in Ljubljana and other members of Sikk.ru perform in Velenje, so yeah, we are pretty active.


11.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Ulv: Maybe next year. With Snøgg it is always a mystery. We wanted this to be full album, but we created an ep due to lack of time. When the stars will be right and when we will have enough time, we will release our next thing but I cannot tell if it will be a full album or just another ep. I think the amount of genres we experiment with is quite huge already so I think we will stay in this improvising direction. But it might happen that the next thing will be something completely different.


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?

Ulv: As I mentioned before I guess early Ulver, late Darkthrone and Myrkur influenced the most on the ep. For the life performances, there are of course many other influences. Mørke has huge knowledge about death and black metal and I know a lot about experimental rock, sludge metal, drone, post rock/metal, so I guess our influences are somewhere around these boundaries. I am listening to many different genres not only in rock and metal but also in electronic music, hip-hop, ethno so it really depends on how I am feeling.


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

Ulv: Experimentation is a key to novelty.

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Vargstuhr Interview

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

It is an atmospheric black metal project linked with nature and environmentalism, and in which tracks are full of contrasts.





2.In April of 2015 you had released your first demo, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

First of all, the music evokes landscapes and, therefore also the sound plays a crucial role in the atmosphere. I opted for a raw, cold and sharp sound, because the scene takes place in an icy landscape where life has to struggle to survive.



3.Each track on the album has a concept involving wolves, can  you tell us a little bit more about your song lyrics?

First of all, it´s a conceptual album that tells a wolves pack story which fights to survive the hard Winter. The first song, “Howling 1: The Wolf Pack, Sköll´s sons”, is the main character´s presentation: the wolf pack and its social spirit. Musically, this song has a folk and pagan touch that realize the connection between nature and wolf.

“Howling 2: Running on the Snow”, it´s the presentation of the scene where the action take place: a frozen landscape covered by the snow.

“Howling 3: Howlings in the Night”, Here the wolves greet to Winternight with their howlings.

Howling 4: Winter Hunger, The wolves are possessed by hunger, and then they cross their huntzone border.

“Howling 5: The Hunt, in Search of the Prey”. Once there, they find prey traces and then the hunt starts: they follow the trace, encircle the prey, but it belongs to a sheperd.

“Howling 6: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted”. Turn the tables, and the hunter becomes the hunted. The sheperd follow the wolfpack with his shotgun.

“Howlings 7: Wolf blood”. The sheperd shoots and the bullet hurt the alpha wolf, which dies over the snow.

“Howling 8: Wolf Cup, a New Era”. A wolf cup born in the wolf pack.

“Howling 9: Wolf Lair” This track is instrumental, but it imagines how the wolf cup grows and plays.

“Howling 10: Running Between the Trees”. The Winter ends and it closes the circle.



If you want, you can read the lyrics in the next link: http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Vargstuhr/Howlings/523176



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

It is a mix between "Varg" (“wolf” in Swedish) and a variation of my real name.



5.With this project you record everything by yourself, how would you compare working solo to a full band?

I´ve weighed up the pros and cons. On the one hand, when you're alone only depend on yourself, so you can work at your own pace and do what you like, without give any explanation. But on the other hand, you can´t enjoy the variety of ideas as if you were in a band where several minds are synchronized, nor there is the coexistence of rehearsals, neither the possibility of gigs, so everything is more personal and introspective.



6.On the album you also bring in a good amount of folk instruments but also keep in the aggression, do you feel this makes your music stand out a bit more?

As I said, it is a project related to environmentalism, hence I confront the mechanical and technocrat future/present with a traditional past, whereon the human beings were more rooted in the nature (romantic idealization of the past), then, composing with a touch of folk music is relevant to achieve that goal.



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

I can not answer this question because I have left the distribution to the records companies which have released the album: Depressive illusion (CDr) and black death productions (cassette), but I have facebook and youtube pages and I can tell you that the followers´ nationalities are varied and balanced, in other words, the Spanish audience has lesser weight.



8.What is going on with your other musical projects these days?

Muert are composing their third LP and Schwarzwald are recording their first LP. But also, I 'm writing new stuff for the second album of Vargstuhr



9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

I´m going to record the Vargstuhr´s second album, under the title of “Dystopia”. It will be, again, a program music and a conceptual album, but focusing in the impact of the human being over the nature, and in a dystopical and technocratic future society.



10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are your listening to nowadays?

Bands: Ulver (early), Agalloch, Wolves in the throne room, Enslaved, Taake, Satyricon (early), Shinning… Musical styles: atmospheric black metal, blackgaze, depressive black metal, avantgarde black metal…



11.Does Paganism pay any role in your music?

More precise than paganism, rather it is to speak over an anti-technical, ecological and unscientific view; in other words, a vision on which the nature were not an object that you could handle at will, nor broke up in simplifications which do not allow that it moves us.



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

Thank you very much for your work and effort; and greetings to the readers of your webzine.

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Frostbite Interview

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

Frostbite is a band active in the Montreal metal scene since 2012. We were initially more of a classical typical Black Metal band but as we progressed and line-up changed, we evolved into a more progressive Black n' roll genre.


2. So far you have released an ep and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?


They are both completely different in my opinion, The EP was made with the initial line-up. The full-length album was initially supposed to come out a year or so after the release of the EP but right after it's release, our drummer was forced out of the country due to a visa problem and the other guitarist quitted the band. So it took quite some time to reform under a different line-up, the project almost died at some point, also had to part our ways with the original singer/bassist. In the end though, we reformed with new musicians who all had different musical backgrounds and influences, which brought us to redo all the songs a bit differently, also approaching composition a different way. Which explains the difference between the 2 releases.


3. You label your music as 'progressive black'n'roll' can you tell us a little bit more about this term?


To be honnest, I'm not a fan of having to label everything. I wouldn't say we're Black Metal, we also don't really fit the melodic death metal genre in my opinion. We put a little bit of all our influences in the writing process and don't really care what people will call it. Progressive Black'n'roll is sort of a made up label that I feel resumes the best what we do but people can call it whatever they want!


4. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?


The lyrics mainly revolve around the brutality of society, inhumanities, inner struggles and the existence that is beyond us. Lyrics are also intentionally a bit abstract and could be interpreted a different number of ways.

5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Frostbite'?


The band's name was our original singer's idea, I don't really think there is a huge story behind it, except maybe inspired by our harsh Quebec winters...


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


We have had the opportunity to play with some very amazing bands like Abigail Williams and Negura Bunget, as well as some up and coming like Dreadnought from Denver, The Visit from Ottawa and of course all the local bands. We enjoy every show we get to play. It is great to share the stage with talented musicians no matter if they are a small local band or a bigger touring band.


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


So far we have a few shows planned but nothing major yet as of a tour.


8. Can you tell us a little bit more about the deal you have signed with 'Tmina Records'?


We are happy to have good European representation joining Tmina and currently have a deal for the release of Etching Obscurity. We have also been joined on with the PR team Black Element out of Ontario for our North American representation.


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


At this point it is too soon to tell really. It really depends on what genre of black metal you refer too. I don’t think we are going to do as well with people that just enjoy raw black metal. We would be more in the melodic, ambient or atmospheric black metal area fan. With those we have had a very positive response so far. It will be more telling once the full album is out.


10. Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?


I play live for Bane (black/death metal originally from Serbia) But right now we are looking for a live drummer so the band is a bit on the ice as for live performances but we have a 3rd full-length album coming up. The other members are not currently in any other active projects.


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


Definitely more progressive, probably more clean parts, but only time will tell. We only just started writing stuff for the second album.


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?


We are influenced by many musical styles, everything from metal, punk, rock to classical, jazz and prog and a lot in between and far beyond. Each of the band members have many different influences they bring to the table and each of us bring a different side of the spectrum to it.


13. Does Occultism play any role in your music?


Not really. We did have more of a Satanic imagery in the past but nowadays we don't really focus on that. It is an interest of mine amongts others but I wouldn't say it really influences the writing. I find the human being much more interesting.


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


Thanks for listening, feel free to reach us  on facebook (facebook.com/frostbitemontreal) or our official websitewww.frostbitemetal.com.

Akoman Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
1.            At the moment, our priority is the third full-length album. We have almost finished writing songs. This album will definitely be the most dark and grimly of all that we have ever recorded, and reminds of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas and Mysterion Tes Anomias. We spent a lot of time to write songs using only the best reefs, and I am sure that this album will be the best. The lyrics devoted to the Luciferian triad Samael - Lilith - Cain and their reflection of my self-universe. That's what I always say - the study of himself in terms of the Left Hand Path. I am not interested in primitive blasphemy or anti-christianity, I wonder to self-iniciation path. So the lyrics are very personal, it shows own experience.

    2.How would you describe the musical sound of the newer music and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
2.            We have gained more sound recording experience, etc. As for the sound, I was always interested doing something new and never repeated, because I hate when records sound the same. I like what we're doing, more bloodthirsty and predatory.

    3.In the beginning the lyrics where heavily influenced by Michael W. Ford, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this author?
3.            Michael W. Ford interested me when I first encountered work dedicated to the Persian Ahriman. It was around 2009. His view of the western esoteric tradition seemed very exotic. One of his works «Luciferian Witchcraft» had a great impression on me, especially at a time when we were writting debut album, now it is one of my favorite authors. I like how it reveals Luciferian aspects from different perspectives, both theistic and atheistic, using psychological and magical approach.

    4.I also know that you have an interest In Thelema, Kabalah, Eastern and African cults as well vampires, witches, and werewolves, can you tell us how you got interest in the Occult and also how has your interest has evolved over the years?
4.            Satanism to interest me in the early 00-ies. Later, interest to occult orders such as the Order of the Golden Dawn, Ordo Templi Orientis, Dragon Rouge, etc. So I got acquainted with works by authors such as Aleister Crowley, Kenneth Grant, Thomas Karlsson, elements of Kabbalah and plunged into a serious study of the Tarot, meditation for arcana and observe their manifestation in the spiritual and material terms. When I began to study the works by Michael W. Ford, it was around 2009, his research into ancient cults inspired me to explore exotic magical practices such as the African religions Palo, Voodoo and Santeria, Persian, witchcraft Yatuk Dinoih, Egyptian Seth and of course Luciferianism. Austin Osman Spare, he is very charismatic and talented and went against the traditions and developed its own system of Zos Kia Cultus, sigils and fundaments for Chaos Magic, very difficult for an unprepared reader. Now I still interested in tarot and Luciferianism.

    5.Originally the band was known as 'Funeral', what was the cause of the name change?
5.            The main reason for the name change was my desire to reflect self-development. Akoman is very well suited to what I want to convey by music, the key word is "mind". Also was important the original name. Funeral was underground band consisting of adolescents, while Akoman reveals the serious themes, so the name change was inevitable.

    6.What are some of the best shows that the band has the band play so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
6.  It is very controversial. At concerts, we tried to create ritualistic atmosphere, but the public is often not ready for such a show. People come to concerts to relax, have a beer, etc. and I do not like it. My favorite performance is show in the beginning of 2013, when we controlled everything and the people were focused on what we were doing. We decorated the concert hall dry branches and roots brought from the forest, were also candles and candlesticks, we wanted to bring the coffins, but we were not able to deliver them. Of course there were corpse paint and other attributes of Black Metal. Now I am not interested to shows, but perhaps in the future we will perform at some private events, without casual visitors.

    7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
7.  At the moment, we are focused on studio work.

    8.Recently you where a part of a split with 'Сказ', what are your thoughts on the other band that have participated on the recording?
8. They are my friends and one of the band members is now Akoman member also. We communicate and support each other, and this split was friendly. Their music is different from what I do, but with this album we show respect for each other.

    9.You also did a 'Black Funeral' cover, what was the decision behind doing your version of one of their songs?
 9. The main reason is feel a spiritual connection and inspiration from their music. I think this is one of the bands that made the greatest impression on me and I wanted to express my respect and esteem.

    10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
10. I did not get negative reviews. But I think the main reason why our music has not become popular among the many of fans of Black Metal is its dark and predatory spirit in music, but that is our nature.

    11.Are any of the band members involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
11. Our drummer (DLL) is a member of Through, Ancient Funeral Cult and Сказ. I prefer only Akoman.

    12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
12. I'm interested to the ritual elements of industrial and ambient. I think that such experiments would make our music more hypnotic and the atmosphere even darker.

    13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
13. Next album was influenced Mayhem «De Mysteriis Dom Satanas», Ofermod, Ondskapt and Malign, "orthodox" reefs style etc. As for my musical preferences, they are very diverse, but mostly is industrial, electronic and ritual music, rock music of the 70's, black / death metal, etc.

    14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
14. Black Metal is only a form, look deeper and try to find the source from which comes the music. Thanks for the interview!

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Carthaun Interview

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



The recording of „Staub und Schatten“ took some time because we have done all by ourselves. We started recording in the very end of 2014 and finally it was released on NORTHERN FOG RECORDS in december 2015.
There had been a change in the line up because our former guitar player (“DS”) moved to another part of Germany so we had to replace him (with “P”). Since then we have played gigs in Italy, Switzerland, Denmark and of course in several German cities.


2) 2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?


We just call it Black Metal. Like always we tried to keep the music varied and not too one-dimensional. It´s always a mixture of (sometimes very) fast and (sometimes very) slow parts. We don´t want to focus too  much on one direction. But of course there are songs who are just fast/slow, cause it fits to the riffs/lyrics. In future we will go on this way.


3) 3.Since 2005 it usually takes a few years before a new recording comes out, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps in between releases?



 On one hand there had been line up changes between the releases and all who are involved in CARTHAUN had a lot to do with jobs and families, so there was (and is) no chance in spending each hour on music. Creating new songs takes some time, too.
Besides that we are not interested in releasing stuff every year. There are more than enough releases coming out every day/week/month so there’s no reason to hurry.

4) 4.The lyrics are based upon famous writers of past and present themes, can you tell us a little bit more about who these authors are?

 It doesn´t matter who these authors were/are nor where they come/came from or for what they stand/stood. It´s just important that it appeals to me, having the music in mind. That’s the reason why themes ranges from propaganda-poems over romantic themes up to anti-war lyrics – the only important thing by choosing lyrics: it has to go under my skin!

5) 5.I know that the band name is from an old German artillery cannon, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the wars that have happened in your home country?

Our interest in war does not depend on our fatherland. The situation leading to World War 1 for example are unthinkable for nowadays people. It is frighteningly and fascinating at the same time. People in that time did not have a choice – most even didn´t think that it’s necessary to have one. They just had to deal with it. Apart from that human abysses rise in times of war or just chaos – quite good time to get an idea of that by looking around in the EU nowadays.

6) 6.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 prefer small gigs in gloomy locations. For us this is the way our music, or Underground Black Metal in general, should be presented. Playing on festivals during sunshine or acting on big stages with lot of lights is not really attractive – of course we played the one or the other festival or a gig in a venue, that doesn´t fit our imagination – we are not fussy at all– but we prefer a dark, shabby, small, nebulous stage, no showlight, just some torches, blood and dirt – that’s where we feel home!

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

There are several live gigs planned and more will be. We prefer playing two or three shows around weekends instead of playing a whole tour. Organizers can get in contact for second half of 2016.

8) 8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of black metal?

We do not care much about that and therefor don´t have a real idea about it. The feedback we get is mainly positive but for us it is much more important that we are satisfied with ourselves and with what we are doing. We know that there are lots of people who aren´t into CARTHAUN  cause we are not using that typical cliché and therefore we are not that stereotyped nowadays Black Metal band.

9) 9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

None of us is involved in other active bands/projects these days.

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

There are no special plans – and never where. Time will tell what happens in the future. We are not willing to plan too much. But quite sure we will go on.

11) 11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

One of the main influences for sure is Black Metal from the early/mid 90ies. We are into that music up to 20 years now. But of course we are influenced by every sound we listen to. We are not only into (Black) Metal. There’s much more that might grab you by the balls if you listen to it – we stopped only listen to (black) metal quite early and would advise anyone to do the same – life is to short to be narrow-minded.
Apart from music there’s literature, movies and last but not least experiences in our life that  have an impact on what we are doing.

12) Get in touch for gigs, cd´s and merch. Trading is welcome! For those who missed some highfalutin philosophical maxims: Take more drugs! Be less stupid!
NEVER STOP MADNESS!!!

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Vakslen/Crucifucked/Merdumgiriz/2016 CD Re-Issue Review

  Vakslen  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  both  Norway  and  the  United  States  that  plays  a  very  raw  form  of  black'n'roll  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2013  album  "Crucifucked"  which  was  re-issued  in  2016  by  Merdumgiriz.

  Harsh  noise  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  distorted  power  electronics  and  after  a  few  seconds  melodic  chants  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  after  a  minute  the  music  starts  getting  more  heavy  and  melodic  as  well  as  adding  in  black  metal  screams  that  are  a  little  bit  more  different  than  most  bands  of  the  genre.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  anger  in  the  screams  while  also  being  grim  at  times  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  raw  style  of  black  metal  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  porno  samples  along  with  the  music  adding  more  melody  into  the  riffing  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  very  dark  and  melodic  when  they  are  utilized.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  rock  music  and  punk  are  added  onto  some  of  the  tracks  and  there  is  also  a  great  amount  of  diversity  to  be  heard  throughout  the  whole  recording  and  one  of  the  later  song  brings  in  militant  style  beats  and  spoken  word  samples  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  and  they  also  bring  in  covers  from  Bathory  and  Alice  Cooper  before  closing  the  album  with  a  couple  of  original  tracks.

  Vakslen  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  a  raw  style  of  old  school  black  metal  and  they  change  things  around  by  adding  in  experimental,  rock  music  and  punk  elements  to  create  a  very  original  approach  to  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the lyrics  cover  Hateful,  Anti  Religious,  Satanism,  Sluts,  Darkness  and  Politically  Incorrect  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vakslen  are  a  very  great  sounding  black'n'roll  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Anti  Muslim  Hate  Speech"  "White  Pride-Black  Art"  "Seig  Fucking  Heil"  and  "666  lashes".  8  out  of  10.  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vakslen
Bandcamp: http://vakslen.bandcamp.com

 

Nihilo Machina Interview

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

Well, we're a black metal band based out of New Brunswick, Canada. Everything came together by accident really. Myself (James) started writing this album not knowing it would become a full album. I contacted Matt after I had a couple songs and asked if he'd play some solos on the material. After a few months we had the bones of a whole album. We tracked it all in my home studio over about 10 months just the 2 of us.

2.In September you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Well we obviously take a very melodic approach. A lot of guitar harmonies, some keys here and there. Lots of really fast parts and some really doomy slow parts. We spent a long time getting harmonies and song structures to work. We are both big fans of older melodic black metal like Dissection and Old Man's Child. So that was what came out really.

> 3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

I (James) wrote most of the lyrics but Matt wrote Disillusion. I approached him early on about writing a lot in nihilism. It's something we've both studied and spent a lot of time thinking about. The songs get more specific into that however. For example, Vacuous Lexicon is about the illusion of meaning within language and Pendulum of Apathy describes "time" as an apathetic enemy of human experience. The title track, "The Last Messiah" is based on an essay of the same name by Peter Zapffe. I'd like to get into the meaning of that. But I'd suggested reading the essay then listening to the song. Too much to get into in a short time.

> 4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nihilo Machina'?

Well it translates from Latin as the "Nothing Machine." Which obviously reflects the lyrical content of the album and how both Matt and I feel about most things.

> 5.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain a duo?

We are currently in the process of adding 2 more members to our lineup.

> 6.Has the band done any live shows or is this strictly a studio project?

We have not played any shows yet. We are working with these 2 other guys to get the music to the stage this year sometime. A drummer and a bass player that I've known for a long time.

> 7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for label or have received any interest?

We have been actively looking for some label or distro. Nothing yet.

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

We seemed to pick up a following in Russia somehow. We've sold a handful of digital copies of the album out there and it's being rampantly pirated there as well. Otherwise we are selling mostly in our native Canada with a few albums being sold in other countries.

> 9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Matt has been involved with his original band Black Frost for years now. They used to be an active touring band. But these days they do mostly studio recordings.

I (James) play in a rock band called The Head Is Dead as well. We are currently in a hiatus and will be starting work on a new album this year.

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

We started writing for another EP or album already. It'll be a bit more technical I think. But it will remain melodic. Also we want to tour the material.

> 11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I can't speak for everything Matt listens to and he's not with me right now but we have pretty similar taste in metal. Which is why our album sounds the way it does. We both like older more melodic black metal. Early Dimmu, Dissection, Emperor, etc.

I tend to listen to a wide variety of music. Anything from folk to death metal.

> 12.What are some of your non musical interests.

We live in a small town. So there isn't much else to be interested in. Movies. Alcohol.

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

Yeah, the album is out digitally right now. But we're going to be selling physical copies starting in March and you can preorder it on our bandcamp page.

Http://nihilomachina.bandcamp.com

Thanks for checking us out!

Nan Elmoth Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Deathweaver: I started Carcharoth in around 2008 around the time I returned from living fairly isolated in northern Idaho. Everyone I knew from living here before had moved away or didn't want shit to do with me so I retreated into making music. I had realized by then that I hate human society and its people, and would like to see it and them destroyed. All music I create is inspired by that hate and by the sense of loss of what was. I carry the banner of Satan and am willing to fight, kill and die under that banner.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
Deathweaver: Hammer Of The Moon is inspired by my travels through nature and that's how I've structured it. A lot if people go out in the woods who are hippies, and if course they project their sentimental ideas of love and peace on nature. If only they could feel his badly the earth would love for them to die. They would kill themselves on the spot, which of course we would take joy in. A lot of so called black metal bands have taken a love and peace attitude toward their fellow man. We of course stand against vehemently.

3.Your lyrics cover 'Earth Worship' and 'Ancient Wisdom', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
Deathwaever: I have already covered it in a lot of ways so far, but I will say that there was a time when human life should exist, but it has long since past because of our quest for comfort and lack of conflict.

4.Originally the band was known as 'Carchorath' what was the decision behind the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nan Elmoth'?
Deathweaver: There was a French dsbm band with the same name as us and people kept confusing bands, so I changed it. Nan Elmoth means "valley of starlight" in elvish. It is also the place where the black metal blades were forged in Tolkien's Simarillion, so I think it should be fairly self explanatory.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Deathweaver: We try to make each site better than the one before. Our stage presence is all about the worship of death. We have been known to wear human ashes, and I self lacerate, both to wear my own blood on my face, and as a form of ritual sacrifice.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Deathweaver: I personally would love to do a tour, but for now, we play when asked. I enjoy playing live. It is a good way of communicating my hatred.

7.So far you have been a part of split's with 'Indemus' and 'Maldicion', what are your thoughts on the other bands that have participated on the recordings?
Deathweather: I have nothing to say other than I suggest that those who read this give them a listen and form their own conclusions.

8.You have also done a cover of Burzum's "The Crying Orc', what was the decision behind doing your own cover of this song?
Deathweaver: Burzum is to be worshipped. End of story.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or heave received any interest?
Deathweaver: Most labels are more interested in rebooting careers these days, but any exceptions to this rule can feel free to make an offer.

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and pagan metal?
Deathweaver: It is too soon to tell.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Deathweaver: The next Nan Elmoth album will be much darker. I will leave the rest up to imagination.

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 personally heavily worship the old Norwegian bands, especially Burzum and Darkthrone. Graveland is another huge one for me. Lately I've been listening to a lot of Gorgoroth and Motörhead. Almost too much. Of course we definitely have contemporaries here in California that we are heavily influenced by, including Xenotaph, Ehecatl and Defacrator just to name a few. We are of course saddened by the splitting up of Torture Chamber. They were huge in influencing our stage show. Outside of metal I listen to a bit of prog rock and neofolk, and lots of classical music.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
Deathweaver: That is for the most part irrelevant.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Deathweaver: Thanks for giving us this interview, and for those reading this, we hope you all someday kill yourselves in the name of Satan. Burn everything you own. Including your lives.

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Empheris Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?



Hail! Actualy we are trying to get fit together with news quad. We played first gigs, recorded Gehennah cover for „Tribute to Gehennah” and slowly new album hatches in pain.



2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?



- ¾ of Empheris are old motherfuckers, so don’t expect modern music! We still walk on the way Venom/Bathory started. Whatever there is XXI century, and we can’t use analog studios, cause they don’t even exist. That’s pity. I am wondering how many bands would stay on stage if there wouldn’t be digital recording.



3.While there has been plenty of releases over the years most of them have been splits, what was the decision behind going into this direction?



There were no decisions to record splits with other bands. It was done, that’s all. Behind all of this releases were unique story. Most of bands we recorded splits, are our friends and all was agreed personaly and often under the influence of alcohol. And for example after „Rock na bagnie open air fest” around 4 AM by the table (partialy under the table) we were talking with buddies from Wishmaster and agreed to record a split. Plan was that Empheris will play in Wishmaster style (Evil Heavy Metal with influences of Mercyful Fate), and Wishmaster will play like Empheris. After few months split was ready and released. I would like to mention that during this fest (it was it's first edition) one man died, and after the fest took place, there were some explosives found, fortunatelly they didn’t explode. As you can see we recorded plenty of splits, so we can tell a lot of stories.



4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?



Until recently most of lyrics wrote guitarist Wit, but he left the band. His lyrics were mostly about death, necroism, and similiar subjects. My lyrics for Empheris oscillate around Lovecraft, old myths and cults. Our poetry always made some coherent whole.



5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Empheris'?

- Blood, Fire, Death!!!!



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



You know, every show is some kind of celebration for us, and we are always honored to play. We always give 100% of us – but every band says the same thing, so lets skip this. We realy enjoyed to play in Gdańsk, where came a lot of maniacs. Every show was fucking awsome. Doesn't matter  if it's a small club or an open air or show in Berlin beside Inquisition, with whom we had great afterparty or beside Rotting Christ and Varathron (Hail Brothers!!!), Aura Noir, or one of my fulfill dreams: show beside Possessed and long chit-chat with Jeff Beccera!!!



7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?



Yes, we have touring plans, but it’s to early to say something closer. You know, Empheris isn’t a touring group – we can play 5-7 shows in row, but this isn’t serious tour in compare where you play whole month day by day. Personally I experienced that kind of tour with one of my past bands – it was fucking awesome. But actualy we have our own families, kids, jobs… so it’s really hard to leave all behind and start serious tour. But single shows – yes! Until June we are planning to visit whole Poland, maybe some shows in Germany, Slovakia, but this is still in plans (now is only January).



8.Can you tell us a little bit more about the many bands that you have shared splits with over the years?



Nooooo!!!! Morbid Execution, Warfist, Embrional, Wrath, Nocturnal Vomit, Grotesk, Revelation Of Doom, Thanathron, Wishmaster, Beast Petrify, Cryptic Rites. Most of them are still my friends, and I still have contact with them. Value of these unofficial manager releases is priceless. I can tell, that few splits was abandoned because of lack of involvement of publishers. The split that didn't happen and I regret it the moost was split with Kommandant. Both bands recorded materials, cover was ready with all graphics, but label (fuck off and die!!!) was delaying the release forever. We decided to abandon the project.



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



Huh, dude, I don’t know how to refer here and how to put up an answer to your question. At the beginning of Empheris I stood against any web activity for promotion. I sent first releases only for classical paper zines (hmm…today still 90% of my promotional mail goes there, haha!) and I attached promo with my own „R’Lyeh’ zine” and post it worldwide. You are asking me about feedback – I' ll answer like a politician: always was fucking awesome. But still I am saying the truth…but there were reviews, where some people said „oh man, those guys are so ugly!” haha



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



Tomek split up Hazael and he is playing only in Empheris. Steyr is playing in Hell Patrol and soon he will play few shows around south Poland – they are also preparing to record some new stuff. Burner of the Cross is playing also in Chanid, and Bonif ocassionaly records bass parts for many diferrent projects of ex-guitarist Wit, like Necroist, Omnemogram, Eris. I am slowly preparing to start new „R’Lyeh’ zine” #13, Hellish is suspended (Beldaroh is touring with Besatt whole the time, Morbid from Throneum moved to Norway – lean years). Waroath I am playing with Wened (Venedae + 100 other projects) is composing some new material…at last I have to go to Bytom again and scream a bit like guest vocal in Det Gamble Besatt or Besatt. Fuck – I wrote most about me, but about me I know most!



11.When can we expect another full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?



- Fuck off! New full length should have been in 2009. From this year we experience fucking problems with squad, with material, with all other shit. Every year another problem comes up. In 2012 we had material for 2 discs album, but even this collapse… Worst of all were personal changes in guitarist and drummer position. I hope 2016 will be the year we stay a bit longer in studio.



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?



We are listening all kinds of metal (of course except nu metal and post-something – it’s misunderstanding). Everything we were listening in our life influence us. Bathory, Venom, Celtic Frost, Possessed…A lot of Thrash, Death, Black Metal, classic Heavy, and so on. In exact moment during answering your question, I am listening Destruction’s Infernal Overkill…Bonif likes most american thrash and death metal. Tomek if my informations are certain, idolatrously honors Judas Priest and Morbid Angel. Steyr and Burner of the Cross are fanatics of war metal.



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



Thanks for interview! Good luck with Occult Black Metal’ zine!!! If anyone has any questions about Empheris or R’Lyeh’ zine, feel free to write me: Adrian, P.O. Box 20, 02- 919 Warsaw 76, POLAND. hellishband@o2.pl. 666!!!

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Wampyric Bloodlust Interview

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

Greetings!  I started Wampyric Bloodlust in the end of year 2009 on the “ruins” of my past project called Spirit of Night, after listening to a lot of the Finnish project known as Satanic Warmaster. Bought myself a guitar (before that I took instruments from my friends) and began writing music. So, this is how it all started. I play Black metal with different varieties such as Doom, a lot of keyboards but I always try to make an accent on the melodies and the combination of cheerfulness and melancholy.



2. How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?

I am still fascinated with the specific Black Metal timbre, tremolos, fast and high pitched string notes – this entire still fascinates me and it can be found on each album of WB. Although they all differ – from the lyrical themes to the sound itself. As I mentioned before I try to make an accent on the melodies and use high, heartrending vocals.



3. Your lyrics deal with Satanism, Occultism and vampires; can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

Well, all those lyrical themes aren’t listed by me, but by the person who updates the MB page on metal-archives. I don’t want to say that it’s all not true…Still there aren’t all the themes I use in my work. I can talk a lot about all of this, but will cut a long story short: I am attracted by different things in Satanism and other things despite the variety of forms of each theme. Obviously I deny LaVey’s “Satanism” and other subcultural and personal habits of atheists who use the esthetic of Satanism to cover up their “progressive” views.

I stopped using Occultism a few years ago dues to a few reasons.

Vampires are simply a great folk image and a wide theme. Sadly nowadays to me it looks rather mawkishly and uninteresting.


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

I could come up with a fancy explanation but in reality it’s just a personalized name, which reflects one of the main lyrical themes...


5. Currently the band is a solo project, are you open to working with other musicians again in the future?

I’m always open to work with others and look forward to it. I lived in the big city for two years, but all my attempts to play in band didn’t result in much. The band was either not serious enough, without the required passion to write music, and lots of other reasons… Where I live now – easier to say I’m the only one interested in making music. But collaboration with other musicians is always a plus and the Internet provides such a possibility. OftendifferentpeoplerecordedstuffforWB. For example in my other project named Theoroth (https://www.facebook.com/winterwyvernepicabm/) my close friend from Scharfrichter will perform clean vocals on a song from the upcoming album.

6. The last album was self released but you have also been on a label before, would you be open to working with another label again in the future?

Actually I received a lot of proposals to release my music on physical format since the release of “Reborn” and even before it. But the proposals are always from dubious labels, with low-quality printing and so on. Today it’s easier for me to upload my music on bandcamp and receive money directly. More to it – I upload my music so you can either download it for free or download and pay as much as you like. As simple as it may be, I don’t give a damn about the money for my music. About CD releases – I have plans to make small amounts of self-released but soulful copies with lots of exclusive bonuses. Don’t actually plan to release music on labels. These are different times and I’m not too upset about the death of physical formats. Music – that’s the main thing.



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

All negative comments on all my projects are either from my friends or my compatriots. You know, “our people” have a very rotten mentality, when it’s easier to spit in the musician’s face either than to support him. And after that they wonder why everyone around is so angry and dissatisfied… But I appreciate and listen to the opinion of my friends (sometimes some, sometimes less).



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

A lot of things: WB will for sure release something this year. An album or a long planned compilation with a lot of unreleased stuff, old versions of released songs, covers.  Something will be for sure.

Theoroth (ex-ЗимнийДракон) – perhaps this project became my main one. Keyboard music but with a notable influence from Black Metal. Something like Epic/Atmospheric Black – all the lyrics and the whole concept of the project are based on a fictional universe that I work on since childhood. A full-length is almost ready and there are planned a few split releases.

There is also Time Heals Nothing – a depressive project, in which I planned to play canon and plaintive depressive black metal, but in result I released a demo tape in 2013 and it all just stopped. But basically I don’t rule out the possibility of a new release in the near future. A friend of mine, leader of Genesis Mortis (awesome black/death metal from Saint Petersburg) wrote the lyrics for one of my funeral tracks, so be sure to wait for something new.



9. Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

Actually I never thought I would be working on music. And it continues on for seven years straight. And I don’t feel tired at all. It’s just one of those things worth living for.





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?

First of all it is Satanic Warmaster. Without him I wouldn’t have started playing the guitar and wouldn’t have answered all of these questions for you. After that, I’d say Immortal had an influence on my music. But it’s hard to call them pure Black Metal, I wouldn’t say that they ever played it, but the mood of their music had a great impact on me. “Battles in the North” was the first album with raw production that I’ve heard. From the most recent I can mention Caladan Brood. Pure genius! But in general I listen not only to metal music. It’s important that the music has at least some kind of melody and internal content (I don’t like the word “atmosphere” because it covers nothing, but if you like, you can call it atmosphere).



11. What are some of your non-musical interests?

Books. Since childhood I love reading very much. This is one of the few things I pay for. I don’t even pay for the music, never bought anything, but I always buy books up to now. My other interests aren’t too far from music. Basically I only work with music, read books, work and sleep. I’m quite the boring type.



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

I see a lot of sanctimony in the music world nowadays. When people try to be someone they are not. Trying to be “true” – means to kill your real self as a creative unit. Be yourself. Listen to what you like, do what you like. Don’t search for easy ways – follow your own path.

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Snogg/Self Titled/2016 EP Review

  Snogg  are  a  duo  from  Slovenia  that  plays  a  free  ride  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled  2016  ep.

  Natural  noises  along  with  programmed  beats  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  weird  sounding  spoken  word  parts  which  also  leads  up  to  some  ambient  and  atmospheric  sounding  synths  being  added  into  the  recording  as  well  as  the  sounds  of  children  playing  and  the  music  is  very  avant  garde  and  experimental.

  After  awhile  distorted  guitars  make  their  presence  on  the  recording  and  also  mix  in  some  melodic  yet  depressing  guitar  leads  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  briefly  when  the  music  speeds  up.

   They  also  add  in  clean  singing  operatic  vocals  into  some  parts  of  the  song  which  is  over  26  minutes  in  length  as  well  a s going  into  many  different  directions  musically  ad  the  track  also  alternates  between  both  the avant  garde  and  metal  parts  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  bring  in  more  of  a  raw  style  of  black  metal  and  toward s the  end  melodic  guitar  leads  are  adde d into  the  music.

  Snogg  plays  an  improv  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  raw  black  metal  while  also  bringing  in  more  of  an  original  avant  garde  and  experimental  approach  to  the  genre,  the  production  sound s very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Snogg  are  a  very  great  sounding  free  ride  black  metal  band  and if  you  are  looking  for  something  that  is  very  different,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  8  out  of  10.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Snøgg/426176524127093   

 

FT-17/Marcellin s' en va-t-en guerre/2016 Full Length Review

  FT-17  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Marcellin s' en va-t-en guerre".

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  the  recording  starts  bringing  in  more  of  a  dark,  heavy,  and  melodic  musical  sound  along  with  some  tragic  sounding  piano's  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  angry  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  the  music  also  brings  in  military  war  music  and  battle  samples  at  times  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  use  blast  beats  and  brings  in  more  of  a  raw  style of  black  metal  and  throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

   As  the  album  progresses  spoken  word  parts  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  a  later  track  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  and  classical  guitars  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  clean  singing  vocals  and  another  song  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  the  influence  of  death  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  at  times  and  the  last  song  brings  in  operatic  female  vocals.  

  FT- 17  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  can  be  raw  at  times  while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  melodic  style  and  the  piano's  also  makes  the  songs  stand  out  a  bit  more,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  yet  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  World  War  I  and  Historical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  FT-17  are a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  melodic  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "La  fluer  au  fusil"  "L'enfer  de  verden"  and  "La  derniere  tranchee".  8  out  of  10. 

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The Nightstalker/All For A Promise/Wolfshade Records/2015 CD Review

  The  Nightstalker  are  a  solo  project  from  Belgium  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  keyboard  and  ambient  style  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2015  album  "All  For  A  Promise"  which  was  released  by  Wolfshade  Records.

  A  very  dark  ambient  keyboard  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  guitar  leads  and  grim  whispers  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  that  also  introduces  black  metal  vocals  onto  the  recording  while  also  keeping  around  the  keyboard  sound.

  Clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  goth  and  dark  metal  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  instrumentals  present  on  the  album  while  some  of  the  later  tracks  add  in  a  touch  of  dungeon  synth  and  when  of  the  later  guitar  solos  adds  an influence  of  post  black  metal  to  the  recording  and  the  whole  album  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  while  the  music  speeds  up a   bit  on  the  last  track  and  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.

  The  Nightstalker  creates  another  slow,  keyboard  orientated  black  metal  album  which  remains  faithful  to  the  musical  style  that  he  has  established  on  previous  recordings,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  continue  the  concept  of  the  fallen  angel  "Nightstalker'  and  his  story.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  The  Nightstalker  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  keyboard  orientated,  ambient  black  metal,  you  should  enjoy  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fight  Under  the  Rain"  "The  Diversion"  "I  Miss  Her"  and  "Army  Of  Darkness".  8  out  of  10.  

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