Ferentes Tenebris/Corpore Insepulto/2019 EP Review

  Ferentes  Tenebris  are  a  band  from  Mexico  that  plays  a  progressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  ep  "Corpore  Insepulto".

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  heavier  riffing  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  the  music  also  getting  very  progressive  sounding  at  times.

  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  clean  playing  is  also  brought  into  the  later  tracks  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  small  amount  of  clean  male  vocals  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  introspection,  misanthropy  and  darkness  of  the  human  condition.

  In  my  opinion  Ferentes  Tenebris  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gates  Of  Hell"  and  "Reverie".  8  out  of  10.

https://ferentestenebris.bandcamp.com/releases

Ritual Laceration/I/Caligari Records/2019 EP Review

  Ritual  Laceration  are  a  band  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  dual  bass  form  of  bestial  black  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "I"  which  will  be  released  on  June  28th  by  Caligari  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  war  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  dual  bass  guitars  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  bestial  growls  as  well  as  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  short  in  length.

  Elements  of  harsh  noise  and  grindcore  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.  The  music  also  slows  down  at  times  but  keeping  the  main  focus  on  a  very  fast  and  brutal  style  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  the  longest  song  being  over  2  minutes.

  Ritual  Laceration  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  war,  and  bestial  black/death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  noise  and  grindcore  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ritual  Laceration  are  a  very  great  sounding  bestial  black  noise  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Decimation  Spear"  and  "Claws".  8  out  of  10.

https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/i   

Hate Manifesto/Herald Of Triumph/Helter Skelter Productions/2019 EP Review

  Hate  Manifesto  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  war,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "Herald  Of  Triumph"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Helter  Skelter  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into a   very  fast  and  raw  war  metal  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  bestial  growls  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  elements  and  a  small  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffing.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  music  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  modern  and  old  school  influences  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction  and  towards  the  end  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard.

  On  this  recording  Hate  Manifesto  remains  true  to  the  mixture  of  war,  black  and  death  metal  from  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  hatred  and  genocide  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hate  Manifesto  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  war, black  and  death  metal,  you should  check  out t his  ep. RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Herald  Of  Triumph"  and  "The  Deification  Of  Your  Extinction".  8  out  of  10.

https://hatemanifesto.bandcamp.com/

Darkthrone/Old Star/Peaceville Records/2019 CD Review

  Norway's  Darkthrone  have  returned  with  a  new  album  which  shows  the  music  going  into  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  doom  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Old  Star"  which  will  be  released  on  May  31st  by  Peaceville  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Vocals bring  in  some  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams before  evolving  into  more  of  a  first  wave  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  elements  of  doom  metal  are  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Elements  of  death  and  traditional  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style.

  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and  90's  but  still  also  sounds  very  modern  at  the  same  time.  When  fast  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  closer  to  their  earlier  albums,  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  heavier  direction  and  this  recording  brings  in  a  different  style  from  the  band  that  has  not  been  attempted  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  philosophical  and  satanic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Darkthrone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t heir  current  material,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Hardship  Of  The  Scots"  and  "The  Key  Is  Inside  the  Wall".  8  out  of  10.

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Vuzem/Ortus/Casus Belli Musica/Beverina/2019 EP Review

  Vuzem  where  a  band  from  Austria  that  played  a  medieval  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "Ortus"  which  will  be  released  in  August  as  a  joint  effort  between  Casus  Belli  Musica  and  Beverina  and  consists  of  2  songs  they  recorded  in  1996 for the 'A.B.M.S Norici Obscura Pars' compilation album.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  ep  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  tracks  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in a   decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  synths  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  medieval  atmosphere  as  well  as  adding  in  touches  of  dungeon  synth  and  clean  vocals  are  also  added  on  the  second  track,  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  demonic  voices  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Vuzem  played  a  style  of  black  metal  that  was  very  raw,  atmospheric  and  medieval  for  its  time  while  showing  a  more  underground  style  than  they  stuff  they  did  when  they  evolved  into  'Hollenthon'.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  medieval  tales.

  In  my  opinion  Vuzem  where  a  very  great  sounding  medieval  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Invocation". 8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrjqcKSdL2A&feature=youtu.be   
  

Ancient Hostility Interview

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


Imber: Ancient Hostility is a collaboration between SadVoice and I. He lives in Ukraine and I live in the States, so he sends me the music he writes via email so I can record the vocal parts. We’ve done some music before, so this was something we’ve been wanting to do together for over a year. AH is heavy, dark, and melodic in parts, and I think his writing style is unique in black metal pairs well with my concepts, lyrics, and vocals.


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


Imber: That’s something SV would have to answer since he composes all of the music.


3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?


Imber: The whole concept of AH is violent human nature and history so I write about torture and the fact that humans have always and will always kill each other. We’ve evolved to do so. We are all unique so we have divisive ideals that lead to war, genocide, torture etc. and this is something that will continue to happen. “Primal Urge for Bloodshed” means exactly that, our primal urge to kill each other.


4.On the press release they where a quote from Hegel, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in philosophy?


Imber: People can relate certain views and ideas to a philosophy in history, so my concepts on hate and violence in human history can easily be connected to certain teachings. I definitely have an  interest in it because I don’t think questions of our existence should be simplistic. People come from every corner of the earth with different cultural backgrounds, but our commonality continues to be violence and hate.


5.Both of the band members are also involved with other musical projects and, what is it that you bring into the music of 'Ancient Hostility' that you are not able to do with your other groups?


Imber: I had always done cosmic themes in my main projects before AH, so conceptually this is different for me and I love exploring this side.


6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ancient Hostility'?


Imber: What I spoke of before with the concept. Ancient Hostility references the violence and hate between humans since the dawn of our existence.


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


Imber: Alex Shadrin of Nether Temple Design did the art for the cover and did a great job at referencing torture in the art like I wanted.


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


Imber: We will observe that after the release of the full album.


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?


Imber: SadVoice continues to make music for his project Inner Suffering and I am working on a full length album with Aludra, so we are actively doing music outside of AH.


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


Imber: I hope to see it create its own path in black metal becoming well defined and more intense as long as SV stays with me for it


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


Imber: We both listen to a variety of artists but it’s the combination our musical tastes and styles that create what AH is.


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


Imber: I’m just glad to have a musical partner that has made the journey of creating this album so enjoyable. He puts the feeling behind my concepts.

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Nebula Orionis/To Keep The Flame Burning/Casus Melli Musica/Beverina/2019 CD Review

  Nebula  Orionis  are  a  solo  project  from  Russia  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  instrumental  cosmic  and  cinematic  mixture  of  atmospheric  post  black  metal  and  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  album  "To  Keep  The  Flame  Burning"  which  will  be  released  in  June  as  a  joint  effort  between  Casus  Belli  Musica  and  Beverina.

  Ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  a  very  cosmic  and  cinematic  atmosphere.  Programmed  beats  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  music  is  instrumental.

  Elements  of  post  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  music  is  mostly  dominated  by  synths  and  the  songs  go for  more  of  a  symphonic  and  atmospheric  approach  to  the  genre  as  well  as  some  guitar  riffing  also  being  brought  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.

  On  this  recording  Nebula  Orionis  remains  true  to  the  cosmic  and  cinematic  mixture  of  atmospheric  post  black  metal  and  ambient  from  his  previous  release  while  also  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Nebula  Orionis  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  instrumental  atmospheric  post  black  metal,  cinematic  music  and  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "To  Keep  The  Flame  Burning"  and  "Transmission".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9auUfFSgT-c 

    

LSCOD Interview

For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
A little about the foundation of LSCOD, it is a depressive black metal  project, published recently in January of this year (2019), even though the ideas emerged from the middle of the last year, it was until January that it was created as such, the main idea it was only to launch an album that would contain themes that narrated a story, like a single CD after the project would die, however it changed after a talk with Death from Indirect Euthanasia, in which it was concluded that the project not only would be born, In the same way, it would continue even after the first EP. The first EP manages different styles that can range from raw depressive black metal to something more emotional melodic, each song narrates to fragment; each song represents an emotion that’s why they can become different from each other.

2. So far you have released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording? As mentioned above, the EP has a quite varied style, ranging from Depressive Raw Black Metal (in the case of the ROOM theme) to black metal depressive melodic, on the track Sink in Dementia, Why? because each track represents an emotion, the Ira, sadness, loneliness, desperation, reflected in the instrumental tracks as well as in the vocal execution

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?
Mainly depression and loneliness, the desire to want to be with someone and not being able to do it, when you can only listen to your own thoughts, and even if you want to get out of that hole you know you will always come back.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'LSCOD'?
Originally the project would have another name "Lizzy", when I managed my old page "Sadner Productiones" I published some fragments of the songs that come in the Album (Room and Cherophobia) under that name. However at the moment of formalizing it I decided to change it, is in itself a phrase "Lord Sadner Cannibal of Dreams", Sadner is the name I have given to my subconscious, it is like a dream inside a dream that is ending with me, for that reason the word "cannibal", is like Sadner the lord who will devour the dreams, something like that, even before that was the meaning, it would be "Lizzy and Sadner Cannibals of Dreams", in the end only change the words but not the meaning to me.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep?
Camila is the name of the girl, I was looking for a cover for the album and I was found with the opportunity to use that photograph that the girl kindly granted me permission, I think that in a certain way, it reflects that feeling of despair that is experienced when a person suffers depression, or worse yet Cherophobia, afraid to be happiness

6.With this project you record most of the music by yourself, are you open to working with a full band or do you prefer to work solo?
I have never been in a band, it is a great responsibility and for academic or now work situations I find it a bit complicated to work with a group. The project is completely solitary, I record most of it when I can have a free time or sometimes I just start to compose, I think it's better for me it's like a therapy at the end, and it's my own emotions. But I don't rule out the possibility to collaborate with other projects, such is the case of the recent album of Iindirect Euthanasia (IE), in which I have collaborated as a leading voice in one of his songs

7.On the ep you also had done a 'Lifelover' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?
I was hesitant at the beginning, in fact the cover would be of the theme "I Love (to hurt) You", but I felt that the theme had to adapt to the history of the album, and this complies with that requirement, besides it´s one of my favorites and with which I met the band

8.You also had a couple of quests on the ep, can you tell us a little bit bit about who they are and also their contributions to the recording?
B Smith, is now a great mate, member of several projects, such as Veils of Fog or Silhouette, I had heard his voice in Veils of Fog, I liked it and felt that it should somehow be in the album. Death, I was grateful to him for help me to gotten up this project even when I thought not to do it, when I was thinking to abandoning Necrological, however he motivated the creation of it and as a thank you wanted him to take part in

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of depressive black metal? I think it's very good, I didn't really expect it to grow that way, I've seen some sites on the network where the EP has already been published and I really didn't expect it, I thought it would just be a project that would stay there, forgotten, in anyone's memory. It's also the reason why I have decided to continue with it and start working on material for a future

10.What is going on with 'Necrological these days?
Necrological is going through a pause moment, another demo was going to be released in January, but the recordings have not been finished yet, because I started working with LSCOD and because I'm currently looking for small spaces of time to continue with both , maybe in a short time the material of Necrological is published at the end, but I still do not know, since these days I also have run out of space to record.

11.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future? I still do not have a date to release a full lenght album, there are some pending projects, first, to publish a demo in which the LSCOD genre will be fixed, to finish the Necrological Demo and maybe the birth of a new project in collaboration with my partner Death. In the same way other appearances of LSCOD with other bands are expected, but that will be detailed later.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an infleunce on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
The music of LSCOD in the EP does not have a fixed style, it is very varied, it takes references from Shinning, Existence Disappear, Potemtum and Solitude, etc. I seek as such a raw sound, with wild voices, but at the same time sounds that make you feel sadness, insane, that is reflected in the lyrics, which is a whole. the genres that I usually listen to are Depressive Black, Black Doom, Symphonic Black, shoegaze, ambient, atmospheric, something of Black Death etc. in my music I try to make a mix of Depressive Black with Symphonic sounds, to create tetric and desperate atmospheres. Some of the bands that could be said to refer to: Belphegor, Potemtum and solitude, Vanhelga, Apati, Intig, Batushka, Lifelover, Alene Misanthopi, Dymna Lotva, Ofdrykkja, Existence Disappear, Photophobia, Lifelover and more

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
"... The more time passes, I feel I can tolerate people less ..." (Faceless), I would like to close with that phrase, it is something that travels through my mind many times. Soon there will be more LSCOD material and the birth of a new project in collaboration with my partner Death, same emotions, Major rudeness

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Nrvk/Thghtlss/Van Records/2019 EP Review

  Nrvk  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  goes  into  more  of   an  occult  black  metal  style  with  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "Thghtlss"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Van  Records.

  Ritualistic  sounding  synths  and  bells  start  off  the  ep  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  whispers  and  shouts  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  he  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  modern  style  as  well  as  having  its  melodic  and  atmospheric  moments.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times  as  well  as  some  dissonant  structures.

  On  this  recording  Nrvk  goes  into  more  of  a  modern  and  ritualistic  style  of  occult  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  black  work  and  qliphotic  tunnels.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Nrvk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Womb  Of  Lilith".  8  out  of  10.

 https://www.facebook.com/NarvikOfficial 



    

Laetitia In Holocaust/Fauci Tra Fauci/Third I Rex/2019 CD Review

  Laetitia  In  Holocaust  are  a  duo  from  Italy  that  plays  an  raw,   melodic  and  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Fauci  Tra  Fauci"  which  was  released  by  Third  I  Rex.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  solos  are  done  in  a  melodic  style.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  modern  and  old  school  influences  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  avant  garde  style  piano's  and  clean  vocals  can  be  heard  before  going  back  to  a  heavier direction.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  mythological  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Laetitia  In  Holocaust  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw,  melodic  and  avant  garde  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Through  The  Eyes  Of  Argo"  "The  Elders  knew"  and  "Gods  in  The  Swarm".  8  out  of  10.

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Uburen/And The Mountains Weep/2019 CD Review

  Norway's  Uburen  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  viking  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "And  The  Mountains  Weep".

  Battle  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  are  mostly grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  tremolo  picking  riffs  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.  As  the  album  progresses  the  riffs  also  start  utilizing  a  small  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  also  being  done  in  a  melodic  style.

  Most  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  except  for  one  track  where  the  music  also  speeds  up  briefly  and  introduces  blast  beats  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Vikings  and  Norse  Mythology  along  with  one  song  being  written  in  Norwegian  and  another  track  attacking  Islam.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Uburen  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  viking  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Remembrance"  "Fredlaus"  "Valkyri"  and  "Into  The  Void".  8  out  of  10.

https://uburen.bandcamp.com/releases
https://open.spotify.com/artist/05piGk6N8G495RPMAbRMtO
https://www.youtube.com/user/UburenOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/uburen_official/



  

Annihilus Interview

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

I've spent most of my life playing drums in punk bands in Chicago--currently I'm the drummer in a kind of minimal noise rock project called Luggage (https://luggagechicago.bandcamp.com/). I've had a fascination with black metal for a long time, and always wanted to try my hand at making that king of music. I took inspiration from some of my favorite solo-black metal projects and holed up in the Luggage practice space with my friend Michael Grant who has a lot of experience making solo demos, and just had him mic everything up quickly and with as little fuss as possible, and went for it.

2.So far you have released one ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?

Some of my favorite black metal recordings are all made by one person, projects like Xasthur, Burzum, and Deadlife. So I tried to channel some of that energy when writing and recording these songs.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored with your music so far?

I by no means consider myself a lyricist, so most of the words to my songs are adapted from comic books and movies I really like.

4.On your song titles you have a period in between each other, do the songs have any secret meaning?

These four songs were more or less recorded as a demo, so the titles are essentially phrases I was using as working titles in their abbreviated form.

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

Annihilus is one of the greatest foes of the Fantastic Four. He's a reptilian alien creature born in the Negative Zone whose only reason for living is to hate and destroy humanity. Pretty freaky dude, I'd say.

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

The cover of the tape available through Corpse Torture Records was designed by the dude who runs the label, Lance.

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

Musical collaboration is one of the things that makes me happiest. Writing and recording with my band is my favorite thing in the world to do. Doing something completely on my own was definitely a huge step outside of my comfort zone, so it was super exciting to challenge myself in that way, and it's been really rewarding so far.

8.I have noticed that there is very little information about the solo project online with no facebook pages and any mentions of the project other than the bandcamp and metal archives page, is it intentional to keep the project from being done on the media pages?

Annihilus might creep onto social media at some point soon, but in its current, infantile phase, I'll just let the music speak for itself.

8.The cassette was released on 'Corpse Torture Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Corpse Torture is a tape label in England that does a whole bunch of hyper-limited runs of extreme metal releases. Lance heard my demo on Bandcamp and asked to release some copies.

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

No one has called me a poser yet, so I'd say so far, so good.

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

I already have a good handful of new songs recorded. I'm currently looking for a good home for a second release. The new songs are similar to the first batch: lo-fi, crispy, blown-out. I'd like to one day take a stab at bringing Annihilus to a proper studio...but I also fear going too pro might lose the rawness that is so vital the great black metal.

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?

Like I said earlier, Xasthur, Burzum, and Deadlife are my big three as far as influence for this project. I think Subliminal Genocides by Xasthur is the best black metal record created on American soil. The depth of beauty and epic scope achieved on that record blows my mind every time I hear it. I listen to a lot of black metal in the my day-to-day, but I also love sludge metal, like Melvins and Eyehategod and Yob, and I'm also a pretty serious hip-hop head. This Wu Tang 25th anniversary hype has me jamming 36 Chambers, Liquid Swords, and Only Built for Cuban Linx nonstop lately.

12.Does Satanism and Occultism play any role in your music?

Personally I'm about as atheist as they come, so it's very important to me that I keep my music completely apolitical and areligious.

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

Thanks for listening.

https://annihilus-sounds.bandcamp.com/

Frostmoon Eclipse/The Legacy II/Black Tears Of Death/2019 CD Compilation Review

  Frostmoon  Eclipse  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  interviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  compilation  album  "The  Legacy  II"  which  was  released  by  Black  Tears  Of  Death.

  Classical  guitars  start  off  the  compilation  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  classical  guitars  also  return  on  some  of  the  later  songs  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Most  of  the  music  sticks  to  its  90's  roots  without  following  any  modern  style  without  sounding  out  of  date.  One  track  also  introduces  flutes  onto  the  recording  briefly  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  and  as  the  compilation  progresses  atmospheric  sounding  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  A  later  song  also  brings  melodic guitar  leads  into  the  music  along  with  one  of  the  later  songs  is  an  instrumental  and  the  compilation  closes  with  one  live  track  and  Emperor  and  Impaled  Nazarene  covers.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  and  the  negative  aspects  of  life.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collection  from  Frostmoon  Eclipse  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of melodic  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Of  A  Dead  Universe"  "Newborn  Misery"  "In  The  Vault"  and  "Beyond  the  Great  Vast  Forest".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp

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LSCOD/Cherophobia/2019 EP Review

  LSCOD  are  a  solo  project  from  Mexico  that  plays  a  very  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019 ep  "Cherophobia".

  A  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melancholic  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  depressive  suicidal  black  metal  screams  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  synths  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.

  One  of  the  later  tracks  is  also  a  'Lifelover'  cover  while  demonic  growls  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  along  with  some  clean  playing,  clear  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  and  as  the  ep   progresses  a  brief  use  of  rain  and  thunder  sounds  can  be  heard  and on  the  closing  track  the  music  speeds  up  briefly  along  with  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  LSCOD  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  depressive  sounding  and  focuses  more  on  atmosphere  than  rawness.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  LSCOD  are  a  very  great  sounding  depressive  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "ROOM"  and  "Sink  In  Dementia".  8  out  of  10.

https://lscod.bandcamp.com/album/cherophobia



  

Violés Par Les Cygnes/I/APHN Records/2019 CD Review

   Violés  Par  Les  Cygnes  are  a  duo  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  noise  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "I"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  AHPN  Records.

  Harsh  noises  and  power  electronics  start  off  the  album  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  A  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style.

  Elements  of  dark  ambient  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  the  harsh  noise  sounds  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Depressive  screams  and  cries  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  When  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  drones  and  field  recordings  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  the  album  progresses  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  lo-fi  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Violés  Par  Les  Cygnes  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  noise  and  dark  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "II"  and  "V".  8  out  of  10.

AHPN Records @ Bandcamp

  

Trench Warfare/Hatred Prayer/Transcending Obscurity Records/2019 CD Review

  Trench  Warfare  are  a  band  from  Austin,  Texas  that  plays  a  mixture  of  war,  bestial  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Hatred  Prayer"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  War  sounds  and  synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very   fast  war  metal  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  mid  80's  death/thrash  metal  style.

  Black  metal  screams  and  bestial  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in a  very  chaotic  style.  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  some  of  the  faster  tremolo  picking  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  synths  return  on  the  closing  track  briefly.

     Trench  Warfare  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  war,  bestial  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  darkness,  evil,  anti  religion,  death,  destruction,  hatred  and  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Trench  Warfare  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of   war,  bestial  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Decimate  Legions"  "Astral  Projection"  "Behead  Muhammad"  and  "Hatred  Prayer".  8  out  of  10.

Official Site

Official Bandcamp



 



  

Mystic Ethan/From Hell To The Abominable Human Race/2019 Full Length Review

  Mystic  Ethan  are  a  band  from  Brazil  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "From  Hell  To  The  Abominable  Human  Race".

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  style  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  Dark  sounding  melodies can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Some  of  the  riffs  also add  in  a  touch  of  black'n'roll  and  a  touch  of  punk  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  sticking  to  a  very  old  school  style  when  they  are  utilized.

   As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  ritualistic  soundscapes  and  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction as  well  as  a  later  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  dark and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Philosophy  and  Misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mystic  Ethan  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "From  Hell  To  Abominable  Human  Race"  "Obsesser  Spirit"  "Infernal  Voyage"  and  "Satanas".  8  out  of  10.

https://mysticethan.bandcamp.com/releases 

  

Sarinvomit/Eggs Of Gomorrh/Enconium Of Depraved Instincts/Krucyator Productions/Atavism Records/2019 Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Turkey's  Sarinvomit  and  Switzerland's  Eggs  Of  Gomorhh  called  "Enconium  Of  Depraved  Instincts"  which  will  be  released  in  July  as  a  joint  effort  between  Krucyator  Productions  and  Atavism  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review with Sarinvomit  whoe  returns  with  their  mixture  of  war,  black,  death  and  thrash  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  while  the faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in a  great  amount  of  blast beats  and  war  metal  elements.  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  angry  shouts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Elements  of  death  and  thrash  metal  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while t he  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  last  2  tracks  are  recorded  live.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  satanism,  blasphemy,  anti  religion  and  nuclear  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Sarinvomit  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  war,  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Glorious  Night  Of  Deccal"  and  "Pandemonic  Radiation  Descends".

  Next  up  is  Eggs  Of  Gomorrh  who  return  with  their  mixture  of  war,  black  and  death  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  war  orientated  drones  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  war  metal  feeling.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  with  a  bestial  touch.

  Elements  of  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  their  side  of  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  last  2  tracks  where  recorded  live  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  slow  or  mid  tempo  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  torture  and  perversion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Eggs  Of  Gomorrh  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  war,  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Redemption  Martyr"  and  "Whore  Of  Sodom".  8  out  of  10.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  war,  black,  death  and  thrash  metal.  8  out  of  10.

https://mailchi.mp/6ae3169daae7/eggs-sarin-1   

Kapala/Termination Apex/Dunkelheit Produktionen/2019 EP Review

  Kapala  are  a  band  from  India  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  bestial  mixture  of  war,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "Termination  Apex"which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Dunkelheit  Produktionen.

  A  war  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  the  riffs  also  using  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  war  metal.  Vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  bestial  growls  and angry  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Sounds  of  war  and  air  raid  sirens  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  movie  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  music  always  sticks  to  a  raw  and  brutal  direction  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in a   touch  of  noise.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  death,  genocide  and  human  filth  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Kapala  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  war  or  bestial  black/death metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Martial  Dominance"  and  "Vomit  The  Phosphorus".  8  out  of  10.

http://dunkelheitprod.bandcamp.com/album/termination-apex     

Kludde/In de Kwelm/Consouling Sounds/2019 CD Review

  Kludde  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  second  wave  influenced  style  of  black  metal  with  some  elements  of  sludge,  doom  metal,  punk  and  crust  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "In  de  Kwelm"  which  was  released  by Consouling  Sounds.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  tremolo  picking  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodic.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  more  of  a  modern  and  melodic  style  with  the  music  also  mixes  in  some  elements  of  black'n'roll  at  times.

  Elements  of  crust  punk  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music  while  some  of  the  slower  riffing  shows  an  influence  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  along  with  the  black  metal  side  of  the  music being  mostly  rooted  in  the  90's  style,  the  closing  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Belgian  and  cover  folklore  tales  from Flanders,  pain  hatred  and  fear  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Kludde  are  a  very  great  sounding  black  metal  group  with  some  elements  of  sludge,  doom  metal  and  crust  punk,  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kludde  Iv"  "Poesjkapelle"  and  "De  Laatse  Reis".  8  out  of  10.


https://www.facebook.com/kluddeband  

        

Deathspell Omega/The Furnaces Of Palingenesia/Norma Evangelium Diaboli/2019 CD Review

  France's  Deathspell  Omega  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  avant  garde  and  dissonant  style  of  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "The  Furnaces  Of  Palingenesis"  which  will  be  released  on  May  24th  by  Norma  Evangelium  Diaboli.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  dissonant  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.Vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  technical  sounding  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the music  also  mixing  in  avant  garde  structures  in  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  most  of the  music  is  very  guitar  orientated and  the  guitar  leads  are  done  in  a  very  technical  and  dissonant  style  without  ever  turning  into  solos.  One  track  also  introduces  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  as  the  album  progresses,  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical,  metaphysical  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Deathspell  Omega  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Fires  Of  Frustration"  "Imitatio  Dei"  "Standing  On  The  Work  of  Slaves"  and  "You  Cannot  Even  Find  The  Ruins...".  8/5  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-sNygFHM9M