Archurahl/Albtraum/Jems Label/2022 EP Review

 

  Archurahl  are  a  solo  project  form  Turkey  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  ep  "Albtraum"  which  was  released  by  Jems  label.

  Dark  sounding  synths  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  guitar  noises  before  introducing  grim  yet  depressive  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction.  During t he  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can b e  heard  which  also  gives  the  ep  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  clean  playing  can  also be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks.   A  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  the  ep  closing  with  a  couple  of  instrumentals.

 

   Archurahl  plays  a  style  of  black  metal t hat  is  very  raw,  depressive  and  diverse  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  nihilism,  mental  illness,  soul  and  hatred  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Archurahl  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  depressive  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Brutal  Murder  Victims"  and  "Maybe  These  Efforts  Are  All  In Vain".  8  out  of  10.

  

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XTY8F4SdL8WPWb54tR1ZB?si=k_Ds-3uuSIufCRaAdo67lg&utm_source=copy-link

    

Sadomassacre/Demo 2022 Review

 

  Sadomassacre  are  a  musical  project  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  raw  and  old  school  mixture  of  black,  thrash  metal  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  demo.

  A  very  dark  yet  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  demo  while  also  introducing  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording.  Keyboards  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  short  in  length.  at  times  the  songs  also  capture  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  as  well  as  mixing  in  elements  of  thrash  metal  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.,  most  of  the  demo  also  sticks  to  a  faster  direction  and  only  a  small  amount  of  sow  or  mid  tempo  directions  can  be  heard.

  Sadomassacre  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  very  raw  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  punk  and  thrash  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death,  occultism,  sex  and  alcohol  themes.      

  In  my  opinion  Sadomassacre  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  mixture  of  black,  thrash  metal  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  musical  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Caverns"  "Asmodeus  Torture"  "Cult  Slaughter"  and  "Medusa;s  Cries".  8  out  of  10.

  https://sadomassacre.bandcamp.com/releases    

Xenomorph Interview

 

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

 

Thank you, I am greatly honored to be interviewed by you. The Xenomorph Nihilistic Rustbelt Black Metal project was born out of a purely isolated individual’s struggle to overcome and dominate a miserable and oppressive environment, eventually taking the form of black metal music artform to convey these themes and experience.

 

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous demo and singles?

 

The full length is an ultimate realization of the project, the previous demos and singles were very much a gestational and testing ground for what Xenomorph was capable of.

 

3.You refer to your music as being 'nihilistic rustbelt black metal', can you tell us a ,little bit more about this term?

 

Yes, NRBM is a term to describe black metal that has taken form within the urban decay and horrid ugliness of the industrialized central United States; the failure of one to find natural beauty within this realm, instead choosing to embrace and find strength from the laborious indentured servitude so ubiquitous here.

 

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

 

Xenomorph has and will continue to explore topics such as the application of Nietzche’s will to power; reconciling a deep confusion about one’s own nature; harnessing of dangerous and negative emotions, hatred of abusive authority, acceptance of nihilism as a meaningful philosophy, and describing personal experiences that have spanned the very globe itself.

 

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

 

Xenomorph, Greek for “Strange or Alien Changer” has been the creator of this project’s alias for 2 decades under different art forms and endeavors. Besides the reference to the creature born from HR Giger’s imagination, the artist relates much to a being who is merely born into the world, and forced to undergo morphosis in rapidly fluctuating environments.

 

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

 

The artwork done by renowned artist Rotting Reign, was concepted as a nightmare aesthetic of an industrialized world of brutal labor, ubiquitous decay, environmental ugliness, and total isolation. Cavan at RR produced an absolute masterpiece from this commission by myself.

 

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

Thus far, I have attempted to learn as much on my own as possible, and have relished the struggle of self recording and producing, but have recently learned to reach out for help from more talented musicians and artists than myself to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome.

 

8.Recently you where a part of a split with 'Wolfraven', what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording?

 

Wolfraven reached out in the early days of demo recording, and featured an undeniably unique industrialized sound, as well as similar outlook on the general plight of those damned to eternal labor. The split was an excellent opportunity to be exposed to fresh sounds and production styles that carried over strongly into the Rustwelt album released this year. I remain good friends with Wolfraven.

 

9.You also have done some 'Gorgoroth' and 'Shining' covers, what was the decision behind doing your own versions of their songs?

 

Gorgoroth remains the chief influence on Xenomorph black metal, and the song covered was one of the first I learned when I picked up guitar in the summer of 2020 during the pandemic quarantine. Shining, quite differently, is not a favorite influence but the song covered, Black Industrial Misery, was an enormous influence on the development of NRBM, both thematically and musically.

 

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

 

I am open to being signed, but remain wary of unneeded assistance or the desire for clout, any label relationships must be borne out of mutual benefit for the fans.

 

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

 

Response to Xenomorph black metal has been humbling in its scope, since the demo was released, I have personally sent nearly 100 orders of demo tapes and merch to countries all over the world as well as locally here in the US, and as far as Indonesia and Australia. For this interest and support, I am eternally grateful, and hope to continue providing even more meaningful and authentic music to future fans.

 

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

 

Improving my craft in musicianship is a total priority for the foreseeable future. Within 5 years I hope to bring Xenomorph to live performances, but until then, much work must be done to bring this to fruition.

 

13.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?

 

Chief influences will always be Burzum, Gorgoroth, Mayhem, Bathory, Emperor, Leviathan and Judas Iscariot. For their range of style and highest and best uses of the art form known as black metal. In recent years I have gone completely underground, listening exclusively to what is being put out in the local underground scene such as Stakedriver, Ends Embrace, Pyromancy, Fomalhaut, Alghol, Till, Gates of Mourning, Valdrin and Clenching Shadow.

 

14.How would you describe your views on Satanism?

 

Satanism is a key feature of my music and personal life. Only in the sense that Satan was recorded in biblical mythology as the one encouraging knowledge and self-reliance over blind faith and obedience to spiritual authority. Often times I grow weary of the stale cliches associated with Satanism, and hope to provide the scene with new interpretations of this cornerstone element of Black Metal.

 

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

 

Again, thank you very much for taking this time to listen to my music, and I hope to encourage individuals to support the underground black metal scene, where a rich  community and authentic sense of belonging can be found.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWstL37WfGM

https://www.instagram.com/rotting_reign/

Trinitas/Total Heresy/Van Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Trinitas  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  Germany  and  Sweden  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Total  Heresy"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Van  Records.

  Voices  and  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 b eats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  yet  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in t he  90's  second  wave  era.

  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.  A  minimal  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  demonic  sounding  growls.

   Most  of  the  music  sticking  to  a  more  power  chord  driven  direction,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  direction  and  also  add  in  a  more  melodic  style  at  times  along  with  most  of  the  music  always  staying  on  the  heavier  or  primitive  side.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Luciferian,  Horned  Gods,  Necromancy,  Anti  Christianity,  Darkness  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Trinitas  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tomb  Of  The  Misanthrope"  "Supernova  Lucifer"  "

Ulvhedner/Legd/Hellstain Productions/2022 Full length Review

 

  Ulvhedner  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  pagan  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Legd"  which  was  released  by  Hellstain  Productions.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  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.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  one  song  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  clear  pagan  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  vocals  also  have  their  grim  moments.  As  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  is  also  utilized  briefly  and  female  vocals  are  also  added  on  the  closing  song.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Norwegian  and  cover  the  hardship  of  the  old  farmers  life  in  the  winter-land  of  the  north.  

  In  my  opinion  Ulvhedner  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Andre  Kapittel:  Vonlaushet"  "En  Storm  Der  Ute"  and  "Til  Siste  Ende".  8  out  of  10.

  Website: https://www.ulvhedner.no

Bandcamp: https://ulvhedner.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ulvhedner
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-U3YPIDvJ29omUtf7cjy0A
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Q5QoAzucasukzp8pAUe9p?si=7Q5QJGQZSBmRhl8Z9LJPPw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ulvhedner.official/ 

      

Gnipahålan/I Nordsk Vredeslusta/Purity Through Fire/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Gnipahålan  are  a  solo  project  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  synth  oriented  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  album  "I  Nordsk  Vredeslusta"  which  will b e  released  in  September  by  Purity  through  Fire.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.

  Most  of  the  tracks a re  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  clear  vocals  can  also b e  heard  at  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Some  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and r aw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  darkness,  death,  mysticism,  war  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Gnipahålan  are  a  very  great  sounding synth  orientated  old  school  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I  Stormens  led"  "I  Blodets  Svarta  Dunkel  del  I"  and  "nordens  Majestat".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/_gA1OpEpm5U    

Mons Veneris/Inversados d'Um Abismo de Podridao/Signal Rex/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Mons  Veneris  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  old  school  and  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Inversados  d'Um   Abismo  de  Podridao"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Signal  Rex.

  Dark  yet  melodic  sounding  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  clear  vocals  van  also  be  heard  briefly  which  also  evolve  into  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  songs  also  mixing  in  a  lot  of  90's  influences  and  at  times  the  music  gets  very  lo-fi  sounding.

  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.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  clear  vocals  also  returning  on   some  of  the  alter  songs.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  distorted  style  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  some  influences  from the  French  Black  Legions  and  the  classic  Portugal  proto  black  metal  era.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Portuguese  and  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Darkness  and  Destruction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Mons  Veneris  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "As  garras  do  Velho  Escrito"  "O  do  Fosso  da  Vida"  and  "Discipulo  do  Mal".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/jmUDbzKw1Us    

Ends Embrace/We Will Never Die/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Ends  Embrace  are  a  solo  project  from  Scottsdale,  Arizona  that  plays  an  indigenous  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2021  album  "We  Will  never  Die". 

  Apocalyptical  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  Native  American  style  instruments  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast b eats  can  also b e  heard.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  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  old  school  influences  along  with  the  tremolo  picking  also  giving  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  when  they  are  utilized  in  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  album  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples,  clean  playing  can  also b e  heard  on  the  closing  teack.

  Ends  Embrace  plays  a  style  of  indigenous  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  sounding  and  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  style.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Navajo  Lore,  Culture  and  the  effects  organized  religion  has  had  on  their  communities. 

  In  my  opinion  Ends  Embrace  are  a  very  great  sounding  indigenous  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ripped  Away"  "As  Time  Comes  To  An  End"  and  "The  House  Of  God  Burns".  8  out  of  10.

  Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ACxtyUPT7k1ZodUPXgVdw?si=0PRYCufCTBunqlmdcmiWxg

Bandcamp- https://endsembrace.bandcamp.com

Linktree- https://linktr.ee/endsembracemusic            

Armnatt/Immortal Nature/Signal Rex/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Portugal's  Armnatt  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  raw  and  old  school  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Immortal  Nature"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Signal  Rex.

  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  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. 

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.  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  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  at  times  but  keeping  the  focus  mostly  on  a  power  chord  driven  style  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  On  this  recording  Armnatt  remains  true  to  the  raw  and  old  school  black  metal  direction  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Armnatt  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Immortal  Nature"  "Black  Flame"  and  "Infinite  Darkness".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/MFAYDVA4_no

Vasileys/Phenomena/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Vasileys  are  a  solo  project  form  Greece  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  cosmic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2022  album  "Phenomena".

  Drum  beats  and  atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.  The  only  track  that  is  present  on  this  recording  is  also  more  than  30  minutes  in  length  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  a  very  lo-fi  atmosphere  at  times  and  all  of t he  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem.

  Distorted  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  Guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  also  bring  in  more  of  a  primitive  style  as  well  as  the  guitars  also  being  utilized  in  a  style  that  is  very  rare  for  this  genre  which  also gives  the  album  more  of  an  experimental  edge  and  most  of  the  recording  also  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  direction.

  Vasileys  plays  a  style  of  black  emtal t hat  is  very  raw,  atmospheric,  cosmic  and  experimental  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  star  systems,  nebulas  and  the  Cosmic  Creation.

  In  my  opinion  Vasileys  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  cosmic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  8  out  of  10.

  https://vasileys.bandcamp.com/album/-

https://www.facebook.com/Vasileys-105279652277358  

Aerdryk/Met De Drietand Op Mijn Huid/Amor Fati Productions/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Aerdryk  are  a  solo  project  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  epic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  album  "Met  Drietand  Op  Mijn  Huid"  which  will b e  released  in  August  by  Amor  Fati  Productions.

  A  very  dark y et  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  epic  sounding  synths  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments.  A  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  which  also  gives  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in Flemish  and  cover  Flemish  Folklore  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Aerdryk  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  epic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mijn  Boetedoening"  "Met  Drietand  Op  Mijn  Huid"  and  "Doodgeboren".  8  out  of  10.

  www.amor-fati-productions.de

www.amorfatiproductions.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/amorfatiprod   

  

Northern Krig Interview

 

Interview: Northern Krig with Erik Lund

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

Northern Krig was founded in Oslo in 2021 and, essentially, is the continuation of the band Skyrsdag, which had been around since 1996. With „Erik Lund“(guitar) and „Morfran“(vocals), founding members of Skyrsdag have now returned after a lengthy hiatus since 2003 to celebrate raw, oldschool Black Metal.

Recently you have released an EP, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Our style definitely can be described with the Black Metal of the 90s. Raw, not perfectly mixed or mastered. We also reject many contemporary bands of the genre that have become radio-friendly. Of course, there are some bands that have greatly influenced us and our music, such as “Bathory” or “Hellhammer”. Our songs are usually in the Icelandic or Norwegian language, rarely in English.

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

Definitely Satan and misanthrophy. The demise of the Christian church is also very important to us - Christians have taken our gods and our beliefs and they have to pay for it. We rarely use pagan influences. In general, we have a profound aversion to mankind that we definitely want to express.

The band formed out of the ashes of 'Skyrsdag', what was the cause of splitting up the previous band and forming a new one?

Well, Morfran had a little trouble with the law and was incarcerated for a few years – shit happens. We are back now and our work together can continue. Moving forward with the project without him has never been an option, as Morfran is an integral part of the band.

  What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Northern Krig'?

Krig“ translates to „war“. The band name „Northern Krig“ is a reference to the war we wage against christianity and mankind.

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

Well, the artwork is quite simple. The photograph is an older one that had been taken coincidentally in Selfoss, Iceland a while back, close to Morfran’s flat. We had lots of fun and a really good time back then. It was taken at a time during which Morfran was in rehab and we were making plans for our new project. 

 Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?

We had a small tour around Europe and three shows in Iceland and Norway. At this point in time, our singer unfortunately is not stable enough for any live performances. I am currently working on new songs with Jonar and Mikkel, which will be heavily influenced by Noise, Raw and Depressive Black Metal. Nevertheless, there are no plans for any live gigs in the near future. 

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

That is correct, at the moment we are not signed with any label. Even though we have been approached by several labels, we have decided to not sign with anyone or plan any live performances due to the volatile nature of Morfran’s situation. In principle, we are open to labels selling and promoting our material, but we’re also doing our own thing and, quite frankly, we are not talking about some pop-bullshit here. We don’t really need all of that. We will see what the future holds.

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

Well, we don’t really advertise much. Even though we are not famous, there are people around the globe that listen to our music. The majority of those listeners are located in Scandinavia. We definitely appreciate people listening to Black Metal in this day and age. That is our message, and we want to contribute to it. 

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

Mmmmh… full length or EP, who cares really. We make music. There is a new song („Self-Destruction From The Nether Void“) which has already been released. We are also currently working on more songs, but we don’t earn our living with our music. There will definitely me some development this year, so stay tuned. For the future, we will have to work out if Morfran can handle the vocals for the new songs. Maybe we will also see an old acquaintance from Skyrsdag return. That is about all that can be said at the moment. 

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?

Haha, well, we are are very different when it comes to our tastes and influences. Jonar enjoys older stuff like ““MC5“, “Thorns”, “Bathory“or older “Mayhem“-songs. Mikkel is pretty much the same, with the addition of some oldschool punk such as “Circle Jerks”. Morfran listens to “”Darkthrone””, “”Burzum”, “”Leviathan””, “”Semen Drenched Slave Of The Devil”” and a lot of Noise. I myself, of course, like the classics from the 90s. At the moment, I am still listening to “”Hellspell””, friends of ours who sadly had been grossly underrated. Moreover, ““Isengard””, ““Nattefrost”” and ““Abruptum”” are always a welcome listen. 

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

Don’t let others fuck with you, stay true to yourself and don’t let your mind be poisoned by all the broken people out there. Do your own thing and live your culture, 

Erik Lund, Northern Krig

Deezer

Instagram

Spotify

Confession Interview

 

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

 

Confession as a band with current band members was formed in 2020, but the idea of the band is much older than last two years. The band is creating kind of extreme metal music based on black and death metal, as well as on other styles.

 

2.Recently you have released your first album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

 

First album is placed mainly between two styles - black and death metal. As you can hear, there is a bit of keyboard music on the album as well. We don't like to categorize music but we would describe it as a dark music with very big influences of those two musical styles. Our goal was to create an interesting album, very hard and heavy with powerful sound and what's most important for us - dark, gloomy, depressive atmosphere.

 

3.Some of your lyrics cover occult themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?

 

Well, there is an interest in dark side or dark arts in general. I personally like very much paintings like those one from polish artist Zdzislaw Beksinski - they have been created mostly in the second part of 20th century. They are showing death, suffering, depresion and other similar feelings in a very modern way, also using metaphor. We are also inspired from medieval paintings showing motives of death, devil, war etc. Paintings are generally very good source of inspiration in our opininion.

 

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

 

There are mainly topics from human history and past in general. As we know, there were a lot of wars and plenty of death, cruelty and suffering in everyday life in the past. It's about death and transformation between life and death in "Devilish Passage" for instance, or there is a reference to war and death which is main product of human race - you can read about that in the title song "Coloured by the Red Flames of Fire".

 

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

 

The name "Confession" as a name of the band appeared in my - Yorgal's mind over ten years ago. It means for us exactly that, what the meaning of the word is. Over the music and lyrics we confess our thoughts, emotions, feelings. Everything what's inside us, inside of our souls. Music, art in general is a kind of confession in our opinion. By creating any kind of art, you have to put your feelings and emotions into it, only in this way it is true and honest - by confessing your inner self.

 

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

 

The name of the art is "Triumph of Death". It was painted by dutch artist Peter Bruegel in 1562, you can seen it in Museum Prado in Madrid. It presents death in a little bit grotesque form as skeletons, but with real typical human scenery. The art fits very well to our lyrics and to be honest - this painting was an inspiration for our lyrics as well.

 

7.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding your lineup or do you prefer to remain a duo?

 

We want definitely to get a full member band. Our next goal is to find a good drummer and a bass player. We know that it's not gonna be easy, but it's very important to us to have a full lineup in the near future. It will give us an opportunity to play gigs and will hopefully bring more creativity into the band.

 

8.So far very little is known about the musical project other than than the bandcamp and metal archives pages, do you prefer to keep a lower profile?

 

No, we would like to spread and develop our profiles - facebook page has already been created. We simply need more time to take care about all of these media, that's it.

 

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

 

Our goal is to get signed with some label in the future and release "Coloured by the Red Flames of Fire" more officially. We received some offers to release the album already, but it's too early to say something more about that, as not any details with any label are agreed yet. Right now we do small promotional actions by ourselves and hopefully in the next couple of month some agreement will be finalized.

 

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

 

At the moment our album is not very known yet due to lack of professional promotion, but those who heard the album give us very positive feedback. Mostly the opinions are similar - the album is melodic,atmospheric and heavy at the same time. Most of the listeners are also satisfied with the sound quality and production. We are happy about that as the album has been recorded in a professional studio with a professional sound engineer.

 

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

 

It is not an easy question to answer:) We don't know what will happen in the future and which direction will be taken, but for sure it will always be a metal music. Confession is a metal band and we will go in this direction in the future. We can maybe say something about the second album which is planned to release at the end of next year (hopefully). I suppose it will be some kind of continuity of the first album as we have some riffs or even whole parts of the compositions which are similar to "Coloured by the Red Flames of Fire". From lyrical point of view- we also feel that the concept and themes from the first album have potential to be continued on the next one.

 

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

 

Well, our influences are coming mainly from metal music of course - both old school metal such as Metallica, Sepultura, Iron Maiden and also black/death metal - bands such: Vader, Emperor, Mayhem... Answering to your question about music listened by us nowadays - our vocalist Szczepan is always deep in metal music, trying new stuff and coming back to the old bands. I don't listen to the old bands too much, have a couple of bands and albums which I like the most and these are mostly albums recorded in the last 10 -15 years. I also like electronic music - it brings some inspiration too what you can hear in the keyboard part of the album.

 

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

 

Yes, we would like to thank you for an interest in our album, review and of course for this interview. For everybody who is interested - in 3-4 weeks CD's will be printed out, so if you want a "physical" version of the album, it will be available. Thanks to everybody who listen to Confession music and support us. Stay strong and open minded!!!

 

Yorgal.

Bandcamp

Xenomorph/Rüstwelt/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Xenomorph  are  a  solo  project  from  Cincinnati,  Ohio  that  plays  a  musical  style  he  describes  as  being  'nihilistic  rustbelt  black  metal'  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2022  album  "Rüstwelt".

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples  and  synths  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark y et  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Spoken  word  parts  also  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  the  album  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts .

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  introduced  on  the  album  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  recording  closes  with  a  cover  of  Shining's  "Schwarzes  Industrielles  Elend".  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Nihilism  and  Satanism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Xenomorph  are  a  very  great  sounding  nihilistic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a f an  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Domicillary  &  Despair"  "Corroded  Sentinels  of  Putrid  Carrion"  and  "Omega  Doom".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWstL37WfGM

https://xenomorph8472.bandcamp.com/album/r-stwelt   

Lustre/A Thirst For Summer Rain/Nordvis Production/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Sweden's  solo  project  Lustre  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  atmospheric  style  of  ambient  black  metal  from  his  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  album  "A  Thirst  For  Summer  Rain"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Nordvis  Production.

  Ambient  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  while  also  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  all  of  the  drum  beats  also  being  programmed  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  The  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  vocals  also  taking  a  backseat  to  the  guitars  and  keyboards  to  focus  on  the  atmosphere  and  only  appearing  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  On  this  recording  Lustre  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  style  of  ambient  black  metal  that  he  has  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  hope,  faith  and  inspiration  through  dark  times.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Lustre  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  ambient  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Quiescence"  and  "Thirst".  8  out  of  10.

   http://www.facebook.com/lustresweden  

        

Eosphorus/From Fire Into Birth/WormHoleDeath Records/2022 EP Review

 

  Eosphorus  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  melodic,  satanic  and  occult  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  ep  "From  Fire  Into  Birth"  which  will b e  released  on  July  29th  by  WornHoleDeath  Records.

  A  very  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can b e  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in a  lot  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style.  One  of  the  tracks  also  introduces        clean  playing  and  melodic  vocals  onto  the  recording  and  the  closing  track  is  also  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  recording  Eosphorus  remains  true  to  the  melodic,  satanic  and  occult  style  of  black  metal  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Devil  Worship,  Occultism  and  Death  themes.

  

    

Fiume Nero/Lovecraft Cap. 2/Broken Bones Records & Promotion/Vacula Productions/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Fiume  Nero  are  a  duo  from  italy  that  plays  a  Lovecraft  themed   and  anarchic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Lovecraft  Cap.  2"  which  will  be  released  in  August  as  a  joint  effort  between  Broken  Bones  Records  &  Promotion  and  Vacula  Productions.

  Horror  movie  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim y et  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  and  as  the  album  progresses  keyboards  also  make  a  brief  return.

  Fiume  Nero  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  goers  back  to  the  90's  second  wave  era  of  the  genre.  The  production  sounds  very raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  are  inspired  by  the  writings  of  H.P  Lovecraft.

  In  my  opinion  Fiume  Nero  are  a  very  great  sounding  Lovecraft  themed  and  anarchic  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Necronomicon"  "Memento  Mori"  "Abel  Foster"  and  "Mors  ominia  vincit".  8  out  of  10,.

  Sito: https://sites.google.com/view/fiumenero

Blog: https://fiumenero.blogspot.com/

Bandcamp: https://fiumenero1.bandcamp.com/

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/it/artist/5565673-Fiume-Nero

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fiumeneroblackmetal

     

Angrrsth/Czort/W Czeluść/Godz Ov War Productions/2022 Split Album Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Poland's  Angrssth  and  Czort  called  "W  Czeluść"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Godz  Ov  War  Productions  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Angrssth  a  band  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw  and  aggressive  form  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  fast  and  raw  sound  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  their  side  of  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Shouts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  one  of  the tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Throughout  their  side  of  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  and  clear  vocals  also  being  utilized  briefly,  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  and  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Polish  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Angrssth  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  raw  and  aggressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Petla".

  Next  up  is  Czort  a  band  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal.

 

 Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  fast  and  raw  sound  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Throughout  their  side  of  the  recording  you  can  also  heat  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  music  also  sticking  to  a  heavier  direction  and  at  times  the  vocals  also  get  deep  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and r aw  while  the  lyrics  cover  blasphemy,  evil  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Czort  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  melodic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Ofiara".

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

  Angrrsth

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Czort

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