Ergholae Somptator/Mille vertiges fondent sur les âmes vides/Code666/2021 CD Review

 

  Ergholae  Somptator  are  a  duo  form  France  that  plays  a  very  avant  garde,  dissonant,  experimental  and  progressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Mille  vertiges  fondent  sur  les  âmes  vides"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Code666.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  dissonant  structures.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  style  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  avant  garde  and  experimental  elements  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments, a  couple  of  tracks  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clear  vocals  and  keyboards  and  the  album  also  closes  with  an  instrumental.   

  Ergholae  Somptator  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  avant  garde,  dissonant,  experimental  and  progressive  sounding  without  ever  losing  any  of  the  raw  and  brutal  aggression  that  is  presented  throughout  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  nature,  time,  humanity  and  the  unknown.

  In  my  opinion  Ergholare  Somptator  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde,  dissoanant,  experimental  and  progressive  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "La  mort  bientôt  jouit"  "La  difformité  des  étoiles  sombres"  "Aux  silhouettes  désolantes"  and  "Hantise".  8 out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/ergholaesomptator
https://ergholaesomptator.blogspot.com/

https://ergholaesomptator.bandcamp.com/       

K Amon K/Arca Ende Aeterna/Code666/2021 CD Review

 

  K  Amon  K  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black  metal  and  blackgaze  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Arca  Ende  Aeterna"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Code666.

  A  very  fast,  raw  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  at  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Synths  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  clean  playing.

  Elements  of  shoegaze  and  psychedelia  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  when  they  are  utilized  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  semi  clean  approach  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  personal  journeys.

  In  my  opinion  K  Amon  K  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  post  black  emtal  and  blackgaze  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Le  Bruit  et  I'Enfer"  "Voyageurs"  and  "Le  Serpent  dans  I'Eclipse".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/kamonkofficial

Doodswens/Nactvrees/Svart Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Doodswens  are  a  duo  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Nactvrees"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Svart  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  tradition.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length. 

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  field  recordings,  nature  sounds  and  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  on  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  interludes.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  album  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times.

  Doodswens  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  old  school  in  the  90's  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in   Dutch  and  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  life,  death  and  reaching  enlightenment.

  In  my  opinion  Doodswens  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  Mijn  Bloed"  "Eindzicht"  and  "Lichtvrees".  8  out  of  10.

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Autumn Nostalgie/Ataraxia/Northern Silence Productions/2021 CD Review

 

  Autumn  Nostalgie  are  a  solo  project  from  Slovakia  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Ataraxia"  which  was  released  by  Northern  Silence  Productions.

  Clean  shoegaze  style  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  synths  also  give  the  songs  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  all  of  the  music  also  sticking  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  as  well  as  one  of t he  tracks  also  being  an  ambient  instrumental.

  Autumn  Nostalgie  plays  a  style  of  post  black  metal  that  is  vey  atmospheric  sounding  as  well  as  adding  in  elements  of  shoegaze  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  metaphysical  and  philosophical  problems  from  other  points  of  view.  

  In  my  opinion  Autumn  Nostalgie  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  post  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Memento  Vivere"  and  "Ataraxia".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: autumnnostalgie.bandcamp.com
Facebook: facebook.com/Autumn.Nostalgie. Official

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gphfy5zrH3o

Starving For Death/An Unkindness Of Ravens/Xivu Arath Producitons/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Starving  For  Death  are  a  solo  project  from  China  that  plays  an  atmospheric  and  depressive  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "An  Unkindness  Of  Ravens"  which  was  released  by  Xivu  Arath  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.  On  some  of  the  tracks  the  vocals  also  go  for  a  more  deep  and  grim  approach  along  with  some  melodies  also  being  added  into  the  guitar  riffing  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  tragic  sounding  keyboards  onto  the  album  as  well  as  the  tremolo  picking  also  giving  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  when  it  is  utilized,  as  the  recording  progresses  a  brief  use  of  operatic  female  vocals  are  also  added  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  hopelessness',  death,  depression,  darkness  and  betrayal  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Starving  For  Death  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  depressive  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Landscapes  Of  Solitude  And  Despair"  "Winter  We  Shall  Fear"  "As  Death  Approaches"  and  "Dark  Winter  Queen".  8/5  out  of  10.

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Ofermod/Mysterium Iniquitatis/Shadow Records/Regain Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Sweden's  Ofermod  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  occult  black  metal  style  of  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Mysterium  Iniquitatis"  which  will  be  released  in  December  as  a  joint  effort  between  Shadow  and  Regain  Records.

  Stringed  instruments  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  some  blast beats  also  being  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams.  Elements  of  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  choirs  and  clean  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of t he  album.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  music  also  being  rooted  in  a  classic  European  style  and  the  closing  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  ritualistic  spoken  word  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Luciferianism,  Chaos-Gnosticism,  Qliphotic  Magick  and  Sitra  Ahra  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ofermod  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mysterium  Iniquitatis"  "When  the  Blacksmith  Killed  The  Shepherd"  and  "Loyal  To  Belial".  8/5  out  of  10.

https://regainrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mysterium-iniquitatis  

  

Skvm/Voidwailer/Corrupted Flesh Records/2021 Cassette Review

 

  Skvm  are  a  solo  project  from  Portland,  Maine  that  plays  a  red  &  anarchist  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Voidwailer"  which  will  be  released  on  casstte  on  Halloween  by  Corrupted  Flesh  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  At  times  the  music  also  captures  a  very  lo-fi  atmosphere  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  short  in  length.  The  music  also  mixes  a  lot  of  90's  influences  in  with  a  more  modern  and  primitive  anarchist  style  along  with  the  songs  also  having  their  repetitive  moments  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  and  war  samples.

 Some  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  but  keeping  the  main  focus  on  a  more  faster  and  raw  musical  direction  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  one  of  the  later  songs  also  adding  in a  brief  use  of  home  made  percussions  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction,  the  recording  also  closes  with  a  cover  of  Sepultura's  "Anticop"  which  also  adds  in  death  metal  growls  and  raw  guitar  leads.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  anarchy,  anti  fascism  and  the  people's  revolutions  past,  present  and  future.

  In  my  opinion  Skvm  are  a  very  great  sounding  red  &  anarchist  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Flailing"  "Revolt  Part  one"  "Voidwailer"  and  "Anticop".  8  out  of  10.

  https://corruptedfleshrecords.bandcamp.com/album/voidwailer

    

          

Siren's Bay Interview

 

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

Hi! First of all thanks for this interview, it really means a lot for an upcoming artist. 

I’m Alessandro, I’m from Italy and Sirens Bay is my solo project. I’ve been playing and making music in one form or another for years now, starting with my high school grindcore band and some electronic music I made along the way. I had put guitar - and music making in general - aside for a long time before I felt the need to start making music again.

Thus, this solo project. I wanted to incorporate different influences from many genres I listen to and that have shaped me both as a music fan and a musician. Ulver’s Bergtatt is my all time favorite album, and that’s the kind of atmosphere I’m going for. You can say my music is black metal, there’s blast beats and tremolo picking, but it’s not Burzum or Emperor. I don’t go for dissonance or dark atmospheres as much, for example, I try to take a more melodical and evocative approach.

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

As I was saying, my music is definitely rooted in black metal. I tried to stray away from traditional black metal though, both in composition and sound. I wanted the tracks to tell a story, to paint a picture. There’s atmosphere but there’s also aggressiveness, there are blast beats but there are more acoustic, mellow passages. There’s a bit of all my influences, from black metal, to post rock and post metal, but I strive to find my own voice.

I want my music to be “raw”, in the sense that it’s not too polished. There’s some mistakes here and there but I left them in because I think there’s beauty in imperfection. I wanted this EP to sound more like a live performance than a surgically crafted, perfectly produced record, and that’s why the majority of guitar parts you hear in the EP are first takes. I’m not a great musician, so going for feel over technical proficiency was my best bet, you could say. I really, really hope this comes across and that my music has something to tell.

3.So far all of the music has been instrumental, are you open to using vocals or lyrics on future releases?

I took this stylistic choice out of necessity: I’m not a good singer (or screamer, at that), so I thought I’d used this weakness to my advantage trying to be as evocative as possible with music alone. I have no plans to incorporate vocals in my next releases, but maybe that can change, who knows? For now, I want my tracks to be like postcards, a little picture that, along with the track titles, tries to share an image, or an emotion.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Siren's bay'?

The sea has been a big part of my life. We come from water, we’re actually made of water, and I’ve been fascinated by the sea for as long as I can remember. So of course my music also had to do with the sea! Sirens are mythological creatures known to entice men with their song, and that’s what I wanted my music to be: a bay, a little place where you could just sit on the sand, watch the tide rise and recede while the music takes you somewhere else. 

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

The artwork is another thing I wanted to be different from other releases in the genre. I stumbled upon Joel Hedstrom’s profile on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sadboi_illustrations/) and his style really resonated with me, I knew THAT’s what I was going for. I wanted the siren to be represented not as a monster, but a weirdly fascinating creature whose song you cannot resist, and I think Joel absolutely nailed it.

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

I’m in my thirties, I have a family and a very time consuming job: I barely have time for making music as it is, I wouldn’t really have time to work with other musicians, but that does not mean that I wouldn’t like it. Though, having complete freedom on my project creative choices is a very important part of why I prefer to work solo. 

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

I haven’t received any request (yet!) but after all the EP isn’t officially out until 31st October, so who knows. Im not actively looking for a label at the moment, but I’m not against it at all. Promotion and being able to provide physical media is something a solo artist usually has difficulties doing, and having someone help with that would be really great. 

After the EP is out, I’ll probably reach out to some label and see if they’re interested in it, or in a future release. Fingers crossed!

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

The EP has only been on Soundcloud now, so it didn’t have much exposure, but I’ve been sharing it with people and they seem to like it. I’ll try to promote it as best as I can and see if people enjoy it. 

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

I’m already working on the next release, which has been my dream project: a concept album based on The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge. It’s my favorite book and I will try to recreate it in music, though I know it’s been done before. I’ll try to do my best to convey the kind of atmosphere Coleridge manages to create. 

The music will definitely be more complex: I will be adding more sounds than just guitar and ukulele, there’ll most likely be strings, piano and more synths. I hope I can make it work!

Don’t have a timeline yet, but a work so huge could easily take many months. I will keep you posted!

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?

I already cited Ulver as my main source of inspiration, but black metal has always been a huge part of my musical journey: from Emperor to Deathspell Omega, from Alcest to lesser known but incredibly talented artists like Unreqvited, whose music I love deeply. I grew up with progressive rock like Jethro Tull, metal and punk but I’ve also always listened to electronic music. I love acts like Boards of Canada, Tim Hecker and Rival Consoles, for example, even though you can’t hear it in my own music.

As of late I’m mostly listening to underground black metal and blackgaze, anything atmospheric is my bread and butter these days. Frostnatt, Grimoire, All the Cold… Lots of incredibly talented artists in the scene now, it’s very inspiring.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

My main other interest is reading: books, comics, everything. I’m big into fantasy and sci-fi, but I’ll gladly read a good crime novel. Though, I’m starting to fill every corner of the house with books, so I’ll probably have to use my Kindle more, or we’ll run out of space.

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

I would first of all like to thank you again for featuring me, it means the world for a new act like me, and being given a bit of space to chat and share opinions, along with music, is invaluable. I hope your readers get a chance to listen to the EP and they like it!

Cheers, stay safe and healthy everyone!

I would like to thank you AGAIN, you've been really kind to feature me like this. Hope the EP gets listened and people like it!

And I hope you'll be interested in reviewing my next release when it will be done :)

Alessandro

Instagram.com/sirensbaymusic

Morguiliath/Occult Sins, New Unholy Dimension/Osmose Productions/2021 CD Review

 

  Morguiliath  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  an  occult  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Occult  Sins,  New  Unholy  Dimension"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Osmose  Productions.

  A  very  dark  yet  ritualistic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  whispers  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals a re  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  and  the  songs  also  add  in a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Demonology,  Chaos  and  the  annihilation  of  all  monotheistic  beliefs  and  all  forms  of  religious  cults.

  In  my  opinion  Morguiliath  are  a  very  great  sounding  occult  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pass  Away"  "Aborted  Inquisition"  and  "Ghouls  Sphere".  8/5  out  of  10.

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The Wolf Garden Interview

 

Occult Black Metal Zine Interview with Omnio from The Wolf Garden

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 last two-and-a-bit years have been really hard, what with COVID-19 and the lockdowns here in the UK, but it did give us a chance to dig in and write more. I suppose having the extra time in the studio lent itself to the process, as we didn’t feel like we had to rush it and we could focus a lot more on crafting the sound that we wanted.

Now the album is finished and released, we are absolutely overwhelmed with the positive response. It seems that the hard work paid off! The limited-edition physical copies in the UK sold out within 24 hours so it was really quite humbling. 

Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from your previous ep? 

The album is a musically and thematically more mature than the EP. I feel that we were still at that stage where we were looking at solidifying the overall sound of TWG, and on the EP we hadn’t quite got it yet. With “Woven of Serpent’s Spines” we could really dig in to experimenting with guitar tones and making the whole album flow together. 

It was never intended to be a conceptual album, but it ended up that way! We haven’t tried to be overtly black metal, or death or doom, we have just written the music that we felt was our best. We are still using a lot of nature sounds and trying to create an atmosphere – we tell stories with our songs, so atmosphere and setting is so important. We want the albums to be an experience that the listener can get lost in, rather than just a collection of single tracks.

The lyrics on the new recording are also a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you have covered with this release? 

So, the album tells the story of a traveller, lost and unsure of his path. He hears a sort of siren’s-song calling to him through the woods, and meets with his fate along the way. All seems certain, but as the album progresses and it becomes clear that all is not as it seems.

You also have lyrics that cover Norse Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic and also how has your interest evolved over the years with this path? 

My interest in Norse mythology goes way back, especially given the ties to England from the Danes who settled here. The lyrics this time around are purely to reinforce the story of the album, rather than to allude directly to any specific part of the Edda. Marina (Maus), who performs the spoken word on Seeress did an exceptional job of the Icelandic translation. She is multilingual and has always been on hand to help me out with some of the Norse stuff. I think that we will continue to use Norse mythology within the writing for the future, but it may not be as obvious!

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Wolf Garden'? 

Well, I wanted something that would tie into the music and lyrical themes that I so often write, in this case nature reclaiming the earth, and I also didn’t want to have a name that screamed BLACK METAL! At everyone, so we went with TWG. The nature elements are there, wolves are obviously cool, and it conjures an image in people’s minds.

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

It’s a painting by the Russian artist Ivan Shishkin, called ‘The Dark Wood’, from the late 19th century. It just draws the attention of the viewer in, and because of the journeying aspect of the album, the winding stream and the depths of the woods stretching on out of sight really fits.

Originally the band started out as a duo but recently expanded into a trio, can you tell us a little bit more about the decision behind bringing in another member? 

Originally, I started the band as a project with my good friend Adam Stanley, who you can hear doing clean vocals on the first track of the EP, but he is already a music teacher and a session member of so many other projects that it wasn’t feasible for him to commit full-time. Valtiel and I had played in bands in the past and he was a natural choice to ask, thankfully he said yes.

We decided to get another guitarist in the band to add another layer of depth and influence to the writing, and Exarch has been a friend of mine for years and years. He’s always writing amazing metal, so again it was an easy decision to ask him. Although he isn’t on the album, from now on all TWG records will be as a trio. It also means that the next album might not take three years to write with two of us!

Would the band be open to the idea of doing live shows if the opportunity came around? 

We don’t currently have any plans to play live, but it’s also not been at the forefront of our minds, what with the world’s situation. Never say never though. We may pop up at any moment on a stage near you.

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

It’s really been astounding. The USA seems to be the majority of our fanbase, whereas I suppose we expected more Scandinavian countries to be the majority, given the genre. Either way, we are very humbled to have such a fanbase, so, thank you all for the support!

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

We have no plans to go anywhere with our music but forward, and now that we have the sound engrained to the point where we are happy with the band’s musical identity, you can expect more atmosphere, more depth, and of course, more metal. I don’t see TWG incorporating EDM into the sound in the near future.

What are you listening to nowadays? 

I listen to a lot of genres, I don’t really tie myself into one particular place with music, there’s so much to listen to. But recently I’ve had bands like Hammock, My Dying Bride, NOFX, A-ha, Infernal Coil, Carcass and Morwinyon on regular rotation. 

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

Just that it’s a pleasure to have spoken to you, and again, thank you to all who support the band and our releases. There’s definitely more to come! Hails!

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Earthwomb/Becoming Immanence/2021 EP Review

 

  Earthwomb  are  a  band  from  Peru  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2021  ep  "Becoming  Immanence".

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into a   heavier  direction  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Melodies  are  also added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  some  clean  playing  and  synths  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  couple  of  instrumentals  can  also  be  heard.  

  Earthwomb  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric,  melodic  and  modern  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature,  energy,  war,  time  and  space  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Earthwomb  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fractal  Phenomenon"  and  "Vital  Flux".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/2YRmziH
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2YRKU8r
Apple Music: https://apple.co/2YXES64
Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/3AQAXol

Hunters Moon/The Great Pandemonium/Hells Headbangers/2021 CD Review

 

  Hunters  Moon  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  an  ancient form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "The  Great  Pandemonium"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Hells  Headbangers.

  Melodic  yet  heavy  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later.  When  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a raw  feeling  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  era  second  wave  Scandinavian  influences  along  with  all  of  the  music  also  sticking  to  a  heavier  direction,  growls  can  also b e  heard  briefly  as  well  as  some  whispers  and  cants  on  the  closing  song.

  Hunters  Moon  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  melodic,  aggressive,  traditional  sounding  and  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  with  some  modern  touches.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  inspired  by  John  Milton's  "Paradise  Lost". 

  In  my  opinion  Hunters  Moon  are  a  very  great  sounding  ancient  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Storm  of  Hail  And  Fire"  "Bridge  over  Chaos"  and  "Hearse  For  A  Barren  Earth".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/hgux0fKihZU

        

Mortal Vail Interview

 

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

A.1.Hey There, It's great to be with occultblackmetalzine, I want to thank you for the outstanding review on the self titled. These days have been very odd to say the least. Wrapping up the final stages of the new release. Things get a bit serious at this point for sure. Mostly getting a feel for how this all works with so many people involved. As far as production goes.

Q.2.You have a new album coming out soon, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

A.2. Good one, well honestly, its quite different, again as far as production goes as in the first album was sort of a compilation of all the songs that I had faith in up until that point. I made mortal vail up winter of 2011 and made a little demo with 3 tracks. Then life's passions pushed me in different directions. So ultimately I had a rawer outlook on things, so when we started back up late summer 2019 I compiled this list of different tracks I wanted to give to the world. So I just sort of soon as I thought they were complete I put them out September 2nd 2020 under the harvest moon. After reflection for a few months I gained a new level of seriousness and Mortal Vail was reanimated inside of a circle and through the black arts became, well what it is. Now the music still holds the dark eerie quality but the production, everywhere from the female voice is now replaced by what I call the Coven, its a duo of very talented female opera singers. There combined name is december. So, its differs in the fact that Mortal Vail has matured quite a bit since the last release.

Q.3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the new album and how would you describe your progress as a songwriter over both of the releases?

A.3. The new albums topics are taken directly from a shade of my existence. Mainly since the last release like I said I feel I've matured, as far as really focusing on what I want to say, and now that we've grown in popularity and Ive become friends with other musicians that are simply amazing at what they do. I take it very seriously now to show them, "Hey check this out." And of course the music is half as important but lyrics,  lyrics is what pushes the ideas into faces and saying "look this is who I am." So i feel I've definitely grown with these new tracks and so have my lyrics from the last release.

Q.4.The lyrics on the first recording where a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you explored with the release?

A.4. Oh yes the self titled or as some call it, "The Dream." Well first of all its supposed to only appeal to people who are already into the Imagery and type of music it is because you know as well as I do Black Metal is an acquired taste, though also like any fine wine the rewards are 10 fold. So, it was made for people who are already into this stuff so as they listen to it and read the lyrics, they can relate. So its meant for a good stereo system or earphones, a phone sounds a bit off but with the former, it starts off with the character falling asleep, that what the heartbeat and then some of the drums between tracks is. Then you can hear December giving little hints to the lyrics she will say later, there's laughing all of the actions of an anxious mind falling asleep. Then the tracks sort of tell who this guy is and what his world is like. Religion, Inner Politics, and love & hate. And even things this semi average guy is into such as "Dark Portrait" is about his explorations into The 16th century blood countess. He sees a painting of her and is drawn in and spit out at the end of the track. Then there's what happens at the end. That dark thing. Then he delves into even darker themes. Then he awakes at the end. And all of us who can relate to this stuff can reflect upon the moral side and usually draw positive conclusions from each track.

Q.5.You also mentioned some interest in the works of Nickola Tesla, do you feel he was ahead of his time and ripped off by plenty of corporations to cover up the fact he was exploring technology that most people where not ready for at the time?

A.6. Well I haven't delved to deeply into Tesla, though I do feel that Thomas Edison took his alternate current Idea because his D.C. was setting complete blocks on fire. Then Tesla died broke and was sort of forgotten about for several decades. The Manhattan project is a crazy story in itself. Like I said I don't know enough about it to make a judgment though your question is quite interesting, I will look into those things. I mostly mentioned him because on that album the songs are laid out in 3 acts of 3 songs each, a magical 9th gate if you will and wanted people to know there are so many hidden cryptic within the #1.Music #2.Lyrics #3.Artwork, all combined create a portal for one to step into.

Q.6.You also cover some occult themes with your lyrics, what eras of the occult do you have an interest in and what are some of the ancient grimoires and authors you have explored so far?

A.6. Recently I've had a special vested interest for the Golden Dawn. Though at current that is all I can say on that. And you completely right we are almost brimming over with Occult themes. They mostly covered a Leveyan outlook, though today the Satanic church and the whole movement has become something that it wasn't in the beginning. Now there Extra political. And that's not something were particularly concerned creatively with at present. Now ancient Grimoires, now that is something we are completely consumed with. Particular lately "The Clavicula Salomonis Regis", has been invaluable to us and has opened so many gateways and doors of understanding. That is the translation by by S. L. MacGregor Mathers in 1889. Not the Joseph Peterson version, that sadly cost ten times more, though omits half. The Omitted "Sixth and Seventh books of Mosses" dark witchcraft. Which mirrors Solomons. The Egyptian book of the Dead and how to travel the duat. One of my new tracks is called "Psuedomonarchia Daemonium" which is named after a book by Johann Weyer. Its a book of dead spirit names and my song is about the same but more of we all have dead names written all over us symbolically, from our inner past. It mirrors the book "Ars Goetia" which is the first chapter of the "Lemegeton" and many more but mostly I've been consumed in those titles lately and they mirror in my new lyrics.

Q.7.You have also mentioned an interest in horror and dark fantasy, what are some of the movies or literature from these genres that have had an influence on your songwriting?

A.7. Well Everything from Tolken, to R.A. Salvators Drizzt books, especially the first 3. There so dark and mirror our everyday world to such a degree it is hard to tell the 2 apart. Clive Barkers Dark horror has been invaluable and I correspond with him frequently. Theres a new track called The Unconsumed that has themes from 'The ScarletGospels.' H.P .Lovecraft is a nicessity.Tanith Lee R.I.P. holds a special place for us, her "Secret books of Paradys,' are simply amazing. In face The first story out of the trilogy is called, "Malice in Saffron." Though the song was written long before I read that book or recorded A tale of Revenge. It was simply titled "Malice" in its first incarnation. There's so many that have contributed to my song writing outlook that I'm sure I'm forgetting some but these I highly recommend.

Q.8.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

A.8. On the new album cover is an incarnation of our female singers , "December," Basically a woman starring in contemplation and being haunted by something in the direction the photos being taken. You can see it in her eyes. And just behind her through the curtains you can see the dawn is approaching and reality is setting in and the endless possibility's of the night are shattered. It basically captures that moment. Sort of at the last super when jesus is supposed to have said, "one of you will betray me." Strictly metaphorically speaking.

Q.9.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?

A.9. Well live yes, I have a couple session drummers I work with and bassist and sound engineer. But as far as recording and the writing process "Mortal Vail" is a very personal entity.  And has become something more, that's why I speak in third person about it. Although there are some aspects I simply could not do, That's where ''The coven of December' came from, and also Italy. So full time just her. Though I do have 100% plans in the  feature for other artist of the same genre to feature parts of various nature. When the stars align correctly, Cuthulu shall awake, so to speak.

Q.10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

A.10. Hard to say at this early stage. Im still getting my foot in the door as far as advertising. And this is a very touchy type of music, you either love it or hate it. You either like raw or better production level. So were still trying to make the world aware, well black metal fans. That's strictly who we make it for. So I think after the second album is out and the right people hear it and then find that the first one is rawer, it will please most. But at this early stage we have a bit over 1k fallowers on our fb band page. I have 100% faith we will flow in popularity over the next few years, we just have to expose it to the right people because it's not for everyone.

Q.11.Currently you are signed to 'Horrorscope Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

A.11. Horroscope Records is a small and humble label that are 2 brothers. Jacob Collins is who approached us, and though he's just getting started we have faith in him as well. He started his company in 2018. With a some Death Metal projects. We will be happy to see them again soon.

Q.12.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

A.12. Exploring the full ideas of the concept album or Dark opera if you will. Being crystal clear on my ideas and how to portray them and still keep what makes 'Mortal Vail' what its is. fine tuning my composing.

Q.13.What are you listening to nowadays?

A.13. Lately Ive been listening to "Death" a lot especially the last album. "Darkend" from Italy. "Darkend Nocturn Slaughtercult." Vivaldis four seasons, especially the 3rd act of Summer. "Morgul." Also Bathorys,"The Return."

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

A.14. I am eagerly anticipating for all black metal fans to hear the new stuff. I have been setting on some of it for close to a year and will be happy to see everyone's reaction on how much Ive put into it, simply for them. So they can reflect upon these songs and gain a new profound understanding of themselves. Which is what its all about. I want to thank you and your platform for your time and patience and hopefully we can chat again soon. ty.  And has become something more, that's why I speak in third person about it. Although there are some aspects I simply could not do, That's where 'The coven of December' came from, and also Italy. So full time just her. Though I do have 100% plans in the  feature for other artist of the same genre to feature parts of various nature. When the stars align correctly, Cuthulu shall awake, so to speak.

https://mortalvail.bandcamp.com/album/mortal-vail

Darkwoods My Betrothed/Angel Of Carnage Unleased/Napalm Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Darkwoods  My  Betrothed  are  a  band  from  Finland  that h as  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  epic  from  of  black  emtal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Angel  Of  Carnage  Unleashed"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Napalm  Records.

  Epic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  which  also  have  their  deep  and  grim  moments  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  clean vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  symphonic  sounding  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoked  word  parts  and  as  the  recording  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  paganism,  war,  famine  and  plague  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Darkwoods  My  Betrothed  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  epic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  Evil,  Sickness  And  Grief"  "In  Thrall  To  Ironskull's  Heart"  and  "Black  Fog  And  Poison  Wind".  8/5  out  of  10.

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Signs Of The Dying Summer/Oto jest Pustka/Godz oV War Producitons/2021 CD Review

 

  Signs  Of  The  Dying  Summer  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Oto  jest  Pustka"  which  will b e  released  in  November  by  Godz  Ov  War  Productions.

  A very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can b e  heard.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  synths  also  giving  the  album  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  when  they  are  brought  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  all  of  the  drum b eats  also  being  programmed,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length. 

  Signs  Of  The  Dying  Summer  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric  and  depressive  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Polish  and  cover  Nihilism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Signs  Of  The  Dying  Summer  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  depressive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I"  and  "VI".  8 out  of  10.

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Zmarlym/Druga Fala/Godz Ov War Productions/2021 CD Review

 

  Zmarlym  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  very  modern  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Druga  Fala"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Godz  Ov War  Productions.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  also  being  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  also  introducing  clear  vocals  onto  the  album.

  Touches  of  industrial  and  electronic  music  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  some  of  the  drum  beats  also  being  programmed  as  well  as  some  of  the  fast  riffing  also  adding  in  some  raw  tremolo  picking,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Polish  and  cover  urban  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Zmarlym  are  a  very  great  sounding  modern  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Druga  fala"  and  "Spacer"  and  "Czy  to  już...".  8  out  of  10.

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Cien/Redemption/Godz Of War Productions/2021 CD Review

 

  Poland's  Cien  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  depressive  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Redemption"  which  will be  released  in  November  by  Godz  Of  War  Productions. 

  Dark  soundscapes  and  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  yet  depressive  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  One  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  as  well  as  a  later  tracks  also  introducing whispered  vocals  into  the  music,  at  times  the  vocals  also  get  very  deep  and  angry  sounding  and  the  music  also  has  its  progressive  moments.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  spirituality,  misanthropy  and  nihilism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Cien  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  depressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Hour  of  Justice"  and  "Virtues  of  Death".  8 out  of  10.

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