Ancient Malignity/Dehumization Dawn/Inhuman Assault/2024 Full Length Review

 

   Ancient  Malignity  are  a  band  from  Nevada  that  plays  a  bestial  mixture  of  war,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Dehumization  Dawn"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Inhuman  Assault.

  A  very  apocalyptic  sound  starts  off  the  album  which  also  adds  in  some  harsh  noises  and  power  electronics  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Vocals  are  mostly  bestial  death  metal  growls  while  war  metal  elements  and  raw  tremolo  picking  can  also   be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style  and  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.

  Ancient  Malignity  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  classic  era  of  war,  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  apocalypse,  death,  hate,  violence,  dystopian  and  disease  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ancient  Malignity  are  a  very  great  sounding  bestial  mixture  of  war,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Indoctrination  Terror  Offense"  "Dystopian  Subjection"  "Algorithmic  Brainwash  Entity"  and  "Viral  Hysteria  infliction".  8  out  of  10.

  http://inhumanassault.bandcamp.com/album/dehumanization-dawn

www.facebook.com/ancientmalignity

  

Aorlhac/La cité des vents/Les Acteurs de L'Ombre Productions/2024 Album Re-Issue Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  France's  Aorlhac  which  showed  the  music  going  for  a  raw,  melodic  and  epic  style  of  black  metal  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  2010  and  called  " La  cité  des  vents"  and  will  be  re-issued  in  September,  2024  by  les  Acteurs  de  L'  Ombre  Productions.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  medieval  style  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast b eats.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  vocals  range  from  grim  to  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length. 

   Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  folk  instruments  onto  the  album  and  as  the  recording  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard,  growls  are  also  utilized  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  Occitan  History  and  Medieval  times. 

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aorlhac  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  melodic  and  epic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Le  bûcher  des  Cathares"  "Sant  Flor,  la  cité  des  vents"  and  "Les  enfants des  limbes".  8  out  of  10.

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Aorlhac/À la croisée des vents/Les Acteurs de L' Ombre Productions/2024 EP Re-Issue Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  an  older  ep  from  France's  Aorlhac  which  was  originally  released  in  2008  and  went  for  an  epic,  melodic  and  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  the  recording  is  called  "À  la croisée  des  vents"  and  will  re-issued  in  September,  2024  by  Les  Acteurs  de  L'Ombre  Productions  with  3  bonus  tracks.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a medieval  touch  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  a  couple  of  songs  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  more  of  a  melodic  style,  clear  vocals  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental  which  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  folk  instruments.

  On  this  recording  Aorlhac  went  for  more  of  a  raw,  melodic,  epic  and  medieval  form  of  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  Occitan  History  and  Medieval  Times.   

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aorlhac  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  epic,  melodic  and  medieval  black  metal,  you  should  check  o0ut  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "La  guillotine  est  fort  expéditive"  "Aorlhac"  and  " Les Charognards  e t la  catin".  8  out  of  10.

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Infernal Cult/Necessity Of Unreal/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Czechia's  Infernal  Cult  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  raw  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "Necessity  Of   Unreal"  which  will  be  released  in  october.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  atmospheric  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of melody.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim    sounding  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  some  depressive  touches  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  one  song  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  album.

  On  this  recording  Infernal  Cult  goes  for  more  of  a  raw,  melodic  and  traditional  style  of  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  need  for  transformation  and  spiritual  renewal.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Infernal  Cult  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  melodic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Necessity  Of  Unreal"  and  "Crossing  The  Path  Of  Enlightenment"  and  "Wanderer".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/InfernalCult

https://www.instagram.com/reainfernalcult

      

Likno/Self Titled/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Likno  are  a  duo  from  Greece  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  titled  and  self  released  2024  album.

  A  noise  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drones  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  songs  also  add  in a   good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  the  album  also  mixes  in  both  modern  and  old  school  influences  along  with  one  track  also  atmospheric  sounding  synths  into  the  music  as  well as  the  flutes  also  bringing  in  elements  of  folk  music  when  they  are  utilized,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  one  track  is  also  an  instrumental  which  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.   

  Likno  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric  and  aggressive  sounding  as  well  as  being  very  different  for  the  genre.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  cultural  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Likno  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Likno"  and  "White  Wings".  8  out  of  10.

  bandcamp: https://likno.bandcamp.com/album/likno

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Likno/61561544237336/

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liknoband/

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Likno_band

Himinbjorg/The Fall Of Valhalla/Adipocere Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Himinbjorg  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  more  of  an  aggressive  and  melodic style  of  viking  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2024  album  "The  Fall  of  Valhalla"  which  will b e  released  in  September  by  Adipocere  Records.

 

  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  done  in  a  mixture  of  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  clear  pagan  singing  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  a  couple  of  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  

   When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  recording  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  spoken  words  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  tracks,  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  Himinbjorg  focuses  more  of  a  modern,  melodic  and  aggressive  style  of  viking  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Scandinavian  Mythology  and  Vikings. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Himinbjorg  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  aggressive  and  melodic  viking  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Pathetic  Men  Show"  "The  Fury  Talk"  and  "The  Colour  Of  Truth".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/himinbjorg/

  

    

Betelgeuse Interview

 

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

Greetings Occult Black Metal Zine, Betelgeuse born in 2018 between the lost forests of Los Ángeles and multiple experiences in the town of Collipulli, Chile  (Chili), the land of the end of the world as our indigenous ancestors named it. As a one-man black metal band founded by multi-instrumentalist Felipe Cadenas, inspired by nature, the mystical and our ancient Chilean history. By 2022, Betelgeuse released their first demo titled Opresor, edited by the label “Untrueness Prods” from Los Ángeles. That released demo tells stories about our native peoples and how their customs and traditions have been subjected to Christian thought. By then, the formation included Felipe Cadenas on vocals and main composition, in the company of the musicians of Blood Oath as live support. From that support Ignacio Riveros (also Antagonyze y Blood Oath) remains as the lead guitarist of the band. Later, in 2023, they began recording “Bajo el Amparo de la Putrefacta Cruz” with the collaboration of Benjamín Soto from Blood Oath on drums. That same year, the bassist Matías Astudillo, and the drummer Nicolás Cavada  and guitarist Álvaro Mora, the last two also from Antagonyze, were added to the formation; keeping Ignacio Riveros on guitar and in charge of mixing and mastering.

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

In this work we focused on achieving a more raw and violent sound in which our lyrics are in tune with the music. We tried to give it a more defined sound that would maintain a cold and cavernous atmosphere and reflect the essence of our land. Rhythmically the songs are faster, leaving aside the atmospheric nature of our demo, although we have songs that have long instrumental passages. We usually accompany these with chaotic reverberated voices and guitars to make more sense of the theme of the album. We consider this work an improvement in the sound quality, song writing and content compared to the first demo.

3.A lot of your lyrics cover Nature and Mysticism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

We live in a very large country, characterized by very varied landscapes and climates. We are from the southern area, surrounded by mountains and dense forests. Here, for thousands of years, our ancestors lived. Some of them are still among us...

Our music tries to reflect this culture that we consider an elemental part of our own being, and bring to know how the natives live in harmony with nature and their own beliefs.

4.Lyrically you also cover the ancient history of Chile, which historical events from your from country have you covered so far with the songwriting?

The most known history of our country is a violent and cruel one since the arrival of the christians conquerors and colonists, who came to "civilize" the tribes and teach them to be more "humans". Under this politics, the cristian massacred to the natives, raped the women and childreen, and detached them from their culture. This is reflected in the song "Genocidio" for example. In this song we relate the Selknam genocide, a tribe who lived in the extreme south of our country, also called the fire people, due to their capability to create fire in a hard and very cold climate. The christian colons, under the church and local government allowed the hunt of the natives, offering coins to the "human hunters" for each ear or tit from a dead Selknam. The survivors were thrown into rotten cells where they died of disease, or sold as slaves and taken to human museums in Europe for exhibition. Jemmy Button was one of them. Also we pay tribute to the Mapuche people who are the tribe that actually remain living in our zone. These natives fought around 500 years against the Spanish conquerors and have resisted the oppression since then.

5.You have also mentioned a hatred for Christianity, can you tell us a little bit more about your hatred for this religion?

This hatred or rather questioning that we have of this religion is born mainly because of what we live, living in a very Catholic country it is easy to see the fragility of this religion. It is not a secret that pedophile priests remain in total impunity only with a poor shame, if they have it. The more they try to teach you how to be a morally good person according to their dogmas, the more you realize that they only want to protect their interests and maintain their status of power over the people who choose to follow them on their religious path.

6.I know that the band was named after the red supergiant star, does the band also have a huge in science?

Since childhood, one begins to have curiosity about space, you know, you are in nature and you raise your head and you can appreciate the infinity of our sky in the tranquility of the night. We really like the knowledge that humanity can generate, whether scientific or humanistic, we believe that behind every man developing knowledge there are dreams that motivate him to achieve his goals, that manages to be inspiring when creating.

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

The band's artwork is made by a great friend of the band called Matias Bruna (A.M.B.R.U.N.A). It represents a little of each of the 8 songs in the creation of the cover. We have the clergy that represents how Catholicism tries to judge, but we find priests that are simply demons, which is how we perceive them as agents of all evil. On their altar we have the figure of a goat dressed in the clothing of a priest, this one tries to represent a liberation from Christian thinking. This figure is spreading his word and those who listen to it are a couple of children. The message falls on them, they must choose who to follow. And on his cross a dying Jesus Christ as a corpse, which is the representation of the current church in decline.

8.Originally the band started out as a solo project, what was the decision behind expanding into a full line up?

The answer is simple, the passion to make the project grow and to form it with friends who share the same interests and support us when composing our music. We want people to see our shows as a cohesive band and to be able to transmit the energy and feeling firsthand live. Here in Los Angeles we have created a nice circle of comrades who love extreme metal, and the collaboration and support between us will always be. We take the opportunity to share our support for local bands such as Necrobastard, Rotten Malefice, Invasión Eterna, Antagonyze, Blood Oath, Feretro, so forth.

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

We recently played a show at Eternal Pain lll on Saturday, August 17, 2024, in the city of Los Angeles. We prepared a repertoire in which we played almost all of our LP plus songs from our demo. For this show we wanted to personify each of our songs in a different way. For example, in the song impunity that talks about child abuse by priests, our vocalist sang that song in a priest's suit, or in the song genocide he dressed in a cloak that represents the indigenous cultures of our land. For each song and live performance we used some visual reinforcement that is in accordance with our lyrics, in addition to using original instruments in songs from our demo such as Trutruca or Pitrifilca.

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

We are currently promoting our latest work in a series of dates. We are in talks for upcoming shows in more cities in our country and in this way promote our show and our album.

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

By now, 08-27-24, the album is few days away from being officially released by Adirondack Black Mass. Within the current diffusion we have been able to appreciate good comments about our music, through the platforms on which it has been released. In addition, we have received a lot of support and good reviews from the Chilean scene in general.

12. What is going on with 'Blood Oath' these days which also shares a couple of the same members?

We are very good and close friends. Although we share some members, we also have some family ties. Blood Oath are currently working on a new project that will be officially announced shortly, and it is a collaboration with other Chilean bands. It is also worth mentioning that we have members of bands such as Antagonyze who released their full length at the beginning of the year through Chaos Records (MEX); Invasion Eterna who released their debut EP last year and are currently releasing a promo; Caos Bell which is another project from the area that is taking shape. Betelgeuse includes members of these bands and we are a circle of friends who are in constant support and commitment to grow our projects and deliver good music for our listeners. It is worth mentioning that Blood Oath, Antagonyze and Invasión Eterna have recorded their releases at Estudio Chains, a recording studio created and personally equipped by Felipe Cadenas.

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

Speaking about the future, we are already thinking about what our next compositions will be for 2025, which will tell another aspect of Chilean history. We like to have motivation and clear ideas when creating something new and we want our next works to be better and better for our listeners. As for our shows, we are looking for new ideas to add and keep our show fresh.

14.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?

There is a lot of South American music with a folkloric character that we like. In terms of rhythm, melody and harmonics, they are very complex and quite exciting, especially in the way they write their lyrics. This can be connected in a certain way with black metal when telling stories, although they are totally opposite genres, we can find similarities. I think Betelgeuse is that, from bands at the beginning of black metal which defined a raw, atmospheric, cold sound with folkloric sounds from their own lands.

Personally, while I was answering these questions, songs from bands like Rotten Malefice, Nigromancia, Antagonyze, Blood Oath, Invasion Eterna, Violeta Parra, Inti-illimani, Victor Jara were played.

I'm currently listening to old albums like HammerHeart by Bathory, Battles in the North by Immortal, Soulside Journey by Darkthrone, Hvis Lyset Tar Oss by Burzum, Hoagascht by Lunar Aurora, 1184 by Windir, among others that have been heard these days. On behalf of our members, in conversations or meetings names like Ulcerate, Storm Keep, Bolzer, Mgła, etc. come up.

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

For those who listen to Bajo el Amparo de la Putrefacta Cruz, they question Christianity not as a way of mockery but because it is a cancer to human thinking. The meaning of Betelgeuse is attributed to the red supergiant in the constellation of Orion. According to its characteristics, it can be believed that the star exploded, will explode at this moment or within the next few years and, such an event will be visible from Earth. In the same way that this star presents us with 3 possible events, Christianity that spreads throughout the world will be extinguished by us in our present or future generations will do so; just as the star released a hellish fire, Christianity would embrace its own doom in a blanket of flames from which it will not be able to escape.

Greetings and hold fast the black flame!

https://www.instagram.com/betelgeuse.blackmetal/

https://adirondackblackmass.bandcamp.com/album/bajo-el-amparo-de-la-putrefacta-cruz

https://betelgeuse.ffm.to/bajoelamparodelaputrefactacruz

Angr/III/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Russia/Belarus's  duo  Angr  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  aggressive  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "III".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.

 

 Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  in  more  of  an  aggressive  yet  modern  style.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  dissonant  moments,  dark  soundscapes  and  synths  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track  briefly  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.  

  On  this  recording  Angr  remains  true  to  the  aggressive  style  of  black  metal  that  they  have  introduced  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  abyss  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Angr  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  aggressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Dark  Pulsation  Of  The  Abyss".  8  out  of  10.

  Link Social:

FB PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083303294479
IG PAGE: https://www.instagram.com/primordial_woods/

METAL-ARCHIVES for more info:
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Primordial_Woods/3540510493

Primordial Woods/Icore/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Primordial  Woods  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2024  album  "Icore".

  

   Keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Angry  shouts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  faster  parts  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a r aw  feeling  and  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.

  

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  

    A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  a  couple  of songs  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.  One  track  also  adds  in  some  session  work  from  Kjiel  from  Notturno  as  well  as  tone  song  also  being   an  instrumental  and  the  recording  closes  with  a  Nirvana  cover  which  also  adds  in  some  clean  singing.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  Nature,  Mankind,  Paganism  and  Spirituality  themes.

 

  

    In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Primordial   Woods  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Invalidatas  Boni  Indomiti"  and  "Icore".  8  out  of  10.

  Link Social:

FB PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083303294479
IG PAGE: https://www.instagram.com/primordial_woods/

METAL-ARCHIVES for more info:

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Primordial_Woods/3540510493 

Alioth Borealis Interview

 

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

Alioth Borealis is atmospheric USBM with ambient elements, founded in 2021 by Vastarien in Cleveland, Ohio.  Conceptual and lyrical themes of cosmic horror are drawn from weird fiction and other dark literature and film.  Listen alone, at night, preferably staring up into the stars or down into watery depths. The new album, “Beyond the Stars / Below the Waves,” explores the unfathomable depths of these abysses.  It will be released on cassette by Jems Label on August 30th.  Two new singles and a music video are streaming now.  

2.You have a new album coming out towards the end of August, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?  

The new album is the first proper full length release, mixed and mastered, unlike the previous strictly lo-fi outings.  It still has raw, weird, and slightly “off” elements, but it represents an expansion of the atmospheric cosmic black sound explored on the “Obscure Splinter of the Infinite” EP.  

Although technically still a solo project, most of the songs include a session collaborator or two.  The main step forward is the incorporation of a human drummer rather than the programming used on earlier releases.  Jesse Greenfeather plays on the bulk of the songs and added a pummeling muscularity not present previously.  The new release also includes varied vocal techniques, more layering of synth and piano parts and interludes, and a guest vocalist on a track.  To me, it still sounds like AB, just expanded, more organic, and more fully realized.  

3.A lot of your lyrics cover Cosmic Horror  and is also inspired by the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and Thomas Ligotti, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in their work?

If asked I speak about the project as follows: “A chanting circle of dark beings beckon an ancient terror that threatens existence. Shapes loom forth in a dimension without coordinates while strange new constellations appear in the night sky.  Gaze into the cosmic abyss and contemplate the cold horrors and soul-shattering beauty of the universe.”

Metal and HP Lovecraft have been together since the early days of our forefathers in Black Sabbath.  Every metal fan should read his collected works.  Many AB themes come from his ideas, particularly that there are dark things in space, and right here on earth, that are too terrible and immense for us to understand.  It is better to just avoid these thoughts, but some of us seek the knowledge against our better judgement.  The song, “Dagon,” includes lyrical excerpts from that HPL short story and explores the dismal consequences of learning too much.   I personally don’t want to know the answers to the questions of the universe that so many obsess over.  

I find it hard to argue with the way HPL puts things in perspective (to paraphrase): we are small and insignificant, we don’t matter, the universe doesn’t care about us, and we will not and could never understand it… 

Thomas Ligotti is the heir apparent to HPL with added pessimism.  The sound of Alioth Borealis represents the atmosphere of his tales.  The album opener, Andromeda, is meant to evoke his uncanny universe.  His are the darkest, strangest stories of all.  The music of “Aguirre” was composed after reading his short story “Nethescurial” and dreaming of ancient cults and obscure, untamed locations.

I’m a voracious reader of weird fiction, horror, sci-fi, and other dark genres - and other literary influences appear on this album - William Faulkner’s Southern gothic, Joseph Conrad’s heart or darkness, and Brian Evenson’s alien apocalyptica.  

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

This project was born of plague during the pandemic.  One positive I found during the shutdown is that I had a lot of free time to be creative and contemplative.  One night, staring at the Great Bear in the night sky, I recalled an old folk tale that said “When the star of Alioth leers through the Aurora Borealis, evil is afoot.”  Thinking back, I don’t know if I heard this in real life or in a dream, but it doesn’t matter.  The band name came to me soon after, as I continued to focus my mind on the malevolent presence of that star.  I was reading lots of weird fiction and cosmic horror, as always, and writing lyrics and concepts in that vein, so the name made sense to me.  During the recent electromagnetic storms, I finally witnessed the star though the lights, which affected me deeply.

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

The artist is a Russian painter, Valentine Kulakov, and you can see his work on his instagram, @degenearts.  When I first saw his surreal, nightmarish paintings, the style immediately struck me as the perfect compliment to the songs I was working on.  He is heavily influenced by the same weird fiction authors that I read religiously.  The cover painting depicts Robert W. Chambers’ “king in yellow” but it also reminds me of HP Lovecraft’s “Dagon.”  As much as I love stark, shadowy album covers, I wanted to do something different for this release.  The swirling, colorful, almost psychedelic look invites closer study of its details.  Prepare to spend a while on this artist’s page when you dig into his work. 

In regards to the visual aspect, I should also mention the music video I recently released for the song “The Mausoleum of All Hope and Desire.”  Smara Kand shot dark, beautiful footage in the Austrian Alps and tells a story of a search for forbidden knowledge.  Very much a tale of Necronomicon/Nethescurial.  

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1c29VWaq2Hw

6.With this project you record mostly everything by yourself, are you interested in working with a full line up or do you prefer to work solo?

To expand on my answer from a previous question.. I did find it very exciting to collaborate with other musicians on this release.  I plan to continue AB in this manner.  I would also like to include a few more guest vocalists on future releases, even in a duet format on a song.  I will do much more collaboration in general.  

7.What are some of the best shows that you have played with this project so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

There has been only one live performance from Alioth Borealis, which was a noisy experimental ritual set, played for a select few in a strange location, with an unusual setup.  This was released as “Wall of Teeth/Black Noise.”  Although it was not really representative of the sound or direction of AB, the results were disconcerting, extreme,  and interesting to me.  

(I decided that this kind of departure would be better suited for another project, so I started Night Feeder to use as an outlet for my wilder or more obscure impulses, with its only rules being that the theme is vampirism and the mood is dark.  I think this will allow me to get weird, extreme outsider things out of my system and keep more of a strict focus on AB’s specific sound.)  

As far as future live performances from Alioth Borealis, we shall see.  A vision for the live show exists but it’s very specific and I must free up the time needed to make it a reality.   It may emerge at some point.  

8.On the new album you also have some session work done by members of 'Veska' and 'Cloak', can you tell us a little bit more about their contributions to the recording?

Jesse Greenfeather plays session drums on most of the songs.  I gave him some skeletal ideas for the drum parts but he brought a performance that took the tracks to another level.  He also mixed the album.  He’s an old friend who also plays in several other (insanely good) projects - Burial Oath, Wyld Timez, and Goatchamber to name a few.  He has played live drums for Uada and is currently touring with Cloak.  Cloak is one of the current greats - and Burial Oath’s output is as good as black metal gets (I am highly anticipating their new album and tour).

Pittsburgh’s shadowy Veska are a favorite underground black metal band of mine.  I wanted to include a guest vocalist for one song on the new album.  He was my first choice and I’m glad he accepted and we could make it happen.  He sings on, and wrote the lyrics for, my favorite song on the album, “Aguirre (River Below, Stars Above)” which is a fever dream about a jungle expedition plunged into chaos and megalomania (based on the Werner Herzog film).  Also be sure to check out Veska’s catalogue and ripping new single.   

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

I’ve been happy with the response so far.  I feel it’s an unusual-sounding black metal project, so I am pleased that a small group of others have made a connection with it.  The underground metal community is surprisingly close-knit and supportive despite being strewn across the globe.  There are listeners and musicians I’ve connected with in places that seem very strange and exotic to me.  I do make this music for myself primarily, but if even one person takes this dark trip with me, I am satisfied. 

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

With AB, I would like to create more music in the vein of the new album.  I want to continue with this sound and plan to focus on writing songs that work within a similar framework.  The next album may be thematically 100% Ligotti.  I have recorded (vocals especially) in strange, stressful, or even dangerous settings - I want to do more of that. 

I plan to record vocals for a few other metal projects, one of which will be very aggressive.  More to come on those.  

Side project, Night Feeder, has a raw black metal/noise album recorded, “Children of the Night,” which will release on Halloween.  

I also have a full album of synth/electronic “black ambient drone” material recorded.  I’ll probably release that at some point, but maybe under another moniker.  

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

The 90s Norwegian black metal bands and USBM like Black Funeral primarily influence the sound.  Vocally my inspirations are Dead and Attila.  Not that AB sounds like any of these Old Gods, but they are always in my head.  I was a piano player before anything else - so keyboard-based music is also always in my mind - and bands like Type O Negative and Faith No More that masterfully incorporate synth and piano.  

I definitely have a ravenous musical appetite, consuming as much as possible at all times.  Black metal above all, but I listen to everything and I mean that - classical, noise, edm, narcocorridos, classic rock, reggae, country, rap, jazz, Egyptian percussion.. I need to hear all of it.  Influences from all these probably creep into what I do. 

I think we are experiencing a golden age of extreme metal right now.  Saidan and Spectral Wound put out mind-blowingly good albums this year.  Recent albums by Ascalapha, Charon Kruk, Alghol, Bloody Keep, Bloody Run, Guyod, Skuggor, Ofstingan, Atomic Witch, Deapscufa, and Lord Humongous are all carrying the torch/pushing the envelope and get heavy rotation from me.  I actually feel anxiety due to the fact that I don’t have time to listen to all the great metal that comes out constantly.  I might be much more prolific in my own output if I didn’t have such a long list of bands I need to hear.  

I can’t talk about this topic without saying that Witch of 1692’s sole release, “Impious Mysterial Hymn” might be the most influential and ideal black metal album to me.  Sit in the forest alone at night and listen to that one.  

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

Thank you very much for the thoughtful interview questions.  This is the first in-depth interview for Alioth Borealis and I’m glad it was with Occult Black Metal Zine, one of the best metal blogs.  Never stop promoting the black arts!

Listeners can follow AB on instagram for all updates.  Pick up a copy of the tape from www.jemslabel.com and stream the music anywhere.  

Also, listen to all the sick bands on Jems Label and get your ticket to Jems Fest!

https://www.instagram.com/aliothborealis/

WarHymn/Occult Fire/Loud Rage Music/2024 EP Review

 

  WarHymn  are  a  band  from  Romania  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  occult  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  ep  "Occult  Fire"  which  was  released  by  Loud  Rage  Music.

  The  sounds  of  fire  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes a   great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  Clear  vocals  can  also b e  heard  at  times  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments,  ritualistic  spoken  word  parts  and  chants  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  WarHymn  remains  true  to  the  occult  style  of  black  metal  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Cain  and  Luciferian  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  WarHymn  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  occult  black metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Occult  Fire  (Lucifer's  Hymn)".  8  out  of  10.

    Bandcamp          

Trelldom/...by The Shadows.../Prophecy Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Trelldom  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "...by  The  shadows..."  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Prophecy  Productions.

  A  very  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  avant  garde  elements  a  few  seconds  later.  Dissonant  style  melodies  are  also  added  into  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding.

  Clean  playing  can  also be  hard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  vocals.  Saxophones  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  utilized  when  the  music  speeds  up  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  One  song  is  also  an  instrumental  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Clarinets  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  some  electronic  sounds  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  album  avoids  the  harsh  black  metal  vocals  of  previous  releases  and  another  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Trelldom  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Voice  Of  What  Whispers"  "Between  The  World"  and  "By  The  Shadows".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/Trelldom1992

https://www.instagram.com/trelldom_92/

Oakenthrone/Embers of Reverie/2024 Demo Review

 

  Oakenthrone  are  a  solo  project  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  an  epic  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2024  demo  "Embers  of  Reverie".

  Bell  sounds  start  off  the  demo  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  atmospheric  doom  metal  direction  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Both  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams.  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  synths  are  also  utilized  on  both  tracks.

  Oakenthrone  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  very  epic  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Oakenthrone  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  epic  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Communion".  8  out  of  10.

  Bandcamp: oaken-throne.bandcamp.com 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6lP1vgx1foaPNVLcLyeEc5?si=KG-w8iF8R42lJL9n83DD4Q

   

Aethyrick/Death Is Absent/EAL Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Finland's  duo  Aethyrick  have  returned  with  a new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  atmospheric,  melodic  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Death  Is  Absent"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  EAL  Productions.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  when  synths  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling.

  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  era  while  the  songs  also  add  in a   good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Most  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  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  couple  of  songs  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  playing.

  On  this  recording  Aethyrick  goes  for  more  of  an  atmospheric  and  melodic  style  of  black  emtal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  era  as  well  as  being  very  different  from  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  Reaper's  role  as  the  extinguisher  of  mortal  life.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aethyrick  and  if  y6u  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric,  melodic  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Fire  That  Sires  The  Sun"  and  "The  Hands  of  Fate".  8  out  of  10.

http://aethyrick.bandcamp.com/album/death-is-absent

www.aethyrick.com 

Qabr/Blasphemous Perversion/2024 EP Review

 

  Qabr  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  raw,  mid  tempo  and  satanic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  ep  "Blasphemous  Perversion".

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  ep  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in t he  classic  Finnish  tradition.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  spoken  word  parts are  also  added  on  one  song.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  focus  being  more  on  a  mid  tempo  direction,  synths  are  also  added  on  one  of  the  tracks  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Qabr  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw,  old  school  and  satanic  in  the  old  school  Finnish  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Darkness  and  Evil  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Qabr  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw,  mid  tempo  and  satanic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unleashed"  and  "I  Am  Satan".  8  out  of  10.

https://li.sten.to/qabr    

Vafurlogi/Í vökulli áþján/NoEvDiva/Oration/2024 Full Length Review

 

     Vafurlogi  are  a  band  from  Iceland  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Í  vökulli  áþján"  which  will  be  released  in  September  as  a  joint  effort  between  NoEvDica  and  Oration.

  Classical  guitars  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Vocals  are  a  mostly  growls  mixed  in  with  some  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  fast  riffing  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  to  early  2000's  era  mixed  in  with  some  modern  touches.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  The  tracks  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clear  vocals,  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Icelandic  and  cover  darkness  and  apocalyptic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vafurlogi  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Reikul  Vofa"  "Dreyrrauði"  and  "Duftið  Eitt".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/CWkwvdL2Dgg