Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Exilium Noctis/Pactum Diaboli/Black Lion Records/2025 Full Length Review

 


  Exilium  Noctis  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Pactum  Diaboli"  which  will  be  released  in  may  by  Black  Lion  Records.


  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  orchestration  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.


  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  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  album  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments.


  At  times  the  music  also  gets  symphonic  sounding  along  with  some  whispered  vocals  also  being  used  briefly.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  melodic    style  and  a  couple  of  songs  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  vocals  and  spoken  words. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  religious  conflict,  the  human  soul  and  the  Faustian  pact  with  Mephistopheles.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Exilium  Noctis  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "All  Shall  Burn"  "God's  Demise"  and  "Rise  Of  Serpent".  8  out  of  10


  https://linktr.ee/exiliumnoctis

https://www.facebook.com/ExiliumNoctis

https://www.instagram.com/exilium_noctis  

Malum/Towards Nothingness/Hellstain Productions/2025 EP Review

 


  Malum  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  raw,  melodic  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  ep  "Towards  Nothingness"  which  will  be  released  on  April  18th  by  Hellstain  Productions.


  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  the  recording  is  also  heavily  rooted  in  the  modern  era.


  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  second  song  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  guitar  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilzied,  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly.


  On  this  recording  malum  goes  for  more  of  a  modern,  melodic,  raw  and  atmospheric  style  of  black  emtal  which  also  captures  some  of  the  old  school  aggression.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  pain,  rage,  existential  despair  and  dystopian  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Malum  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  melodic  and  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Towards  Nothingness".  8  out  of  10.


  https://www.instagram.com/norwegian_malum/

https://www.facebook.com/norwegianmalum
https://norwegianmalum.bandcamp.com/
https://spoti.fi/4cYdztI
https://youtu.be/8ks7c4c4o_A?si=edeE409d_HMaTIIu
https://hellstain.eu/collections/malum


 

Détresse/Pessimismes/Vendetta Records/2025 Full Length Review

 


  Détresse  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  Austria  and  Canada  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Pessimismes"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Vendetta  Records.


  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  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,    clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks.


  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.


   At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  some  clear  chants  also  being  utilized  briefly  as  well  as  the  closing  track  also  being  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  French  and  German  and  cover  catharsis  and  anxiety  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Détresse  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  atmospheric  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Der  Alte  Weg"  and  "Die  Ruhe  Tragt".  8  out  of  10.


  Bandcamp: https://detresse.bandcamp.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/detresse_official/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/detresse.official

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Solfatare/Asservis par I'espoir/Signal Rex/2025 Full Length Review

 


  Solfatare  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  very  dissonant  and  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Asservis  par  I'espoir"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Signal  Rex.


  Whispers  and  synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  dissonant  sounding  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffing.


  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  a  few  shouts  and  growls  while  the  album  also  add  in  a  lot  of  avant  garde  touches.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  on  the  album  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.


   A  couple  of  tracks  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  depths  of  existential  anguish  and  plunges  into  humanity's  long-lasting  quest  of  meaning...only  to  find  none.  


  In  my  opinion  Solfatare  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde  and  dissonant  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Des  monarques  anhedoniques"  and  "Quand  ton  cerveau  te  surine  le  crane".  8  out  of  10.


  facebook.com/Solfatare   

Fyrgast/Mistress Of Darkness/War Productions/2025 Full Length Review

 

     Sweden's  solos  project  Fyrgast  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2025  album  "Mistress  Of  Darkness"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  War  Productions.

  
   Drum  beats  and  heavy  riffs  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  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  recording  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.

  
   Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  style,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album.


  On  this  recording  Fyrgast  goes  for  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  old  school  in  the  90's  Scandinavian  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  personal  growth,  death  and  darkness  themes.

  
  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Fyrgast  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pale  Like  Death"  'Dead  Under  The  Moonlight"  and  "Embraced  By  The  Darkness  Cold".  8  out  of  10.

  https://fyrgast.bandcamp.com/album/is-och-k-ld

https://www.instagram.com/fyrgast/#     

Monday, April 7, 2025

Morningstvr Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the musical project since the recording of the new album?


 


---There has been a lot and I’m beyond grateful for it all, ive been focused on the upcoming west coast tour, and have been offered a few other tours, collaborative releases, I’ve been designing new merch too, other than that I’ve been just focusing on myself and the better life that is unfolding for me.


 


 




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




--- I’d say its similar but upgraded from my previous album, but vastly different from when I was under the umbrella of the other genre I started out under.


 


 




3.A lot of your lyrics cover Medieval Lore, Ancient Battles and Fallen Empires, can you tell us a little bit more about the songwriting?


 


--- Honestly, there isn’t much to tell in the way I can describe with words, I just write lyrics about stuff I’m interested in.


 


 


 


4.You have also mentioned an interest in the writings of J.R.R Tolkien, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his work and also do you have an interest in other fantasy authors?


 


--- Well, I grew up watching Lord of the Rings, and later on, The Hobbit movies, ive read enough about his books surrounding the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to where I became obsessed with the almost neverending lore, the inspiring stories of bravery, duty and honor have also inspired me to do the same in my personal life.  George RR Martin is also a great author and I love Game of Thrones (though I love Tolkien’s work a lot more), The kingdom of the North in Westeros inspired me as much as Forodwaith in middle earth to let the listeners fixate on a frozen cold empire in the north of the world and that’s referenced a lot in my music.


 


 


 


5.You have also mentioned an interest in horror films, which horror films has the biggest influence on your work?


 


--- Id say first and foremost, Nosferatu, the original from 1922 and the newest remake from 2024, Begotten (1990), Headhunter, a handful of others I’d say.


 


 


 


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


 


--- Morningstvr is just Morningstar with a ‘v’ instead of an ‘a’, Morningstar is the nickname of Lucifer, the lightbringer.  I chose the name because many people throughout my life have stated I’ve brought light into their lives, the spelling however was chosen out of the aesthetic of the original genre I was in, which was known as “Witch House Music”.


 


 


 


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


 


--- The art goes along with the title I’d say. As part of my unholy trinity, I was greatly inspired by darkthrone’s unholy trinity.  The photo is of me in a dark field, a sword in my right hand, and my left hand which is significant to my beliefs, is reaching up to my logo.  To me, my music is what I am meant to do in this lifetime, it is my fate.


 


 


 


 


 


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


 


--- With this project, I am strictly solo.  The only way I would be open to Live members is if a major label who signs me asks me to do that.  I have been recently thinking on having a side project for a medieval black metal band, however but I’m on the fence.


 


 


 


9.You have a live show coming up in April, what can we expect from one of your life performances?


 


--- I can say that it is one of the new instances when a one-man black metal band is on stage by themselves, that seems to be happening more and more and I am thrilled.  But one can expect some kind of black metal the audience will be very new to hearing.


 


 


 


10.In the past you also did a 'Moonspell' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?


 


--- Moonspell is the band that got my into metal back in the summer of 2008, I hold them in very high regard and I love their music, but that song specifically was chosen because I was asked to be part of a 90s cover/remix compilation for a witch house channel in 2023.


 


 


 


11.You have also been a part of a couple of splits, can you tell us a little bit more about the artists and bands that you shared these recordings with?


 


--- “Vostok” was fun to do with KsureN, who is a friend of mine in Kazakhstan who makes multiple genres of music, from dark electronic to blackgaze and the other, “Amongst Two Towers of Novgorod” was with a friend of mine here In southern California, Incantations of Cadaver Mutilation which is a black metal noise project which I find fascinating.


 


 


 


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


 


--- I am definitely looking for a label again, but I am very picky of which ones I want to go for.


 


 


 


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


 


--- I see myself doing what I’m doing into my 70s honestly, my music is what I’ve always wanted to do as a career and that will not be ending anytime soon.


 


 


 


14.What are some of the bands or musical styles you are currently listening to nowadays?


 


---  Id say some of the second wave black metal such as Darkthrone and Gorgoroth, but mostly medieval black metal as I’ve become obsessed with the subgenre.


 


 


 


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


https://linktr.ee/morningstvr

Esox/Watery Grave/2025 Full Length Review

 


  Esox  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  atmospheric  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2025  album  "Watery  Grave"  which  will  be  released  in  May.


  Water  sounds  and  field  recordings  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.


  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  are  also  utilzied  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  clear  vocals  also  being  used  at  times  and  the  music  also  adds  in  touches  of  shoegaze  and  post  rock.


  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilzied  they  also  add  in  an  influence  of  neo-folk  as  well  as  one  track  being  an  instrumental and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  a  man  commuting  suicide.  as  he  dies  he  reflects  on  life,  death,  nature  and  the  human  species.  


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Esox  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "As  I  Descend  Above  The  Water"  and  "The  River  Nihilist".  8  out  of  10.


  BANDCAMP: https://esoxblack.bandcamp.com/album/and-the-ocean-will-swallow-us-all

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/esox_black_metal/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551205601670  .