Beenkerver/Excommunicatio/Mandatum/Vendetta Records/2025 Split Album Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Netherlands's  "Beenkerver  and  Germany's  Excommunicatio  called  "Mandatum"  which  was  released  by  Vendetta  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Excommunicato  a  duo  who  returns  with an  anti  religious  form  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams.  Spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  and  all  of  their  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.  Throughout  their  side  of  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  melodies  also  being  added  into  the  riffing  at  times  and  clean  playing  is  also  added  on  a  later  song.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  anti  religion  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Excommunicatio  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  anti  religious  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Anathema  -  The  Deliberate  Doom".

  Next  up  is  Beenkerver  a  solo  project  that returns  a  very  melodic  form  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  while  all  of  their  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  blast  beats  are  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.  Throughout  his  side  of  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  a  very  melodic  style,  synths  are  also  added  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Dutch  and  cover  Local  Folklore  legends  and  Melancholy  themes.

  In  my  opinion this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Beenkerver  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  melodic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Faustiaans".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  atmospheric,  melodic  and  raw  black  emtal.  8  out  of  110.

 https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Excommunicatio/3540533512#

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Beenkerver/3540510070           

Beenkerver 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?

Since I have finished De Rode Weduwe last summer, I have been mostly preparing for the release by getting new merch ready, and of course just writing music and figuring out what I want to do next with Beenkerver. But the focus is definitely on this release of course. I've been trying several new ways to promote it, like having Instagram livestreams with musical friends as guests, which is a great way to also support other artists.

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

I think the new album (De Rode Weduwe) is a progression in almost every sense; the songwriting, the recording, the drums, the mix, the artwork; it is all a more coherent story. And while my first album 'Ontaard' consisted of several separate musical stories, 'De Rode Weduwe' is a concept album so all the songs form one tragic tale.

3.A lot of the lyrics on the new album are inspired by Dutch Folklore, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

There are many legends surrounding the area I live in, dating back to deep in the middle ages. The relation of man and nature is always prevalent in those folkloric legends and I found that very fascinating. I also really enjoy telling old stories with parallels to current-day issues. It shows us how much society changes and in a lot of cases, sometimes unfortunately, also stays the same.

4.On an earlier recording you also covered Native American lore, how would you compare the lore of these people to the lore of your native country and other European countries?

Yes, the 'Twee Wolven' EP was in part based on a Native American story. And while I took inspiration from it, the context of my lyrics was a bit broader; it dealt with mental health, and how we human beings handle our 'light' and 'dark' sides. I see a lot of similarities between lore of all countries in the world, the theme of good versus evil reappears in all of them. I found it fascinating how the two wolves story focused more on acceptance of having good ánd evil inside all of us, where most European lore accounts evil to an external factor (the devil, for example).

5.You also have mentioned being an animal rights supporter and oppose racism, fascism and discrimination, can you tell us a little bit more about these views?

I don't think it needs much clarification, honestly. Unfortunately there is a lot of misogyny and discrimination in the world in general, and also in black metal. I am not a political musician in any way, though some of the themes of my lyrics do touch upon world issues that I find important. This new album for example, has a basis in the Heroine's Journey (as developed by Maureen Murdock) instead of the typical Hero's Journey, so it focusses more on the feminine perspective and the major prejudice and shaming that women still have to deal with.

And while I understand that extreme music can attract extreme views, I am not one to judge, but I do find it fair to be up front and honest about where I stand. Regarding animal rights, I often donate money I make with Beenkerver to several animal charities. It is a cause I feel very strongly about, so here as well, I want to be transparent about it to people who listen to/buy my music.

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

It was my old nickname when I played in my first band Heidevolk, haha. We all had nicknames that had a character defining trait in them. I just got a leg tattoo the day before our very first live show, so Beenkerver (literal translation is 'bone carver' but could also be 'leg carver') was appropriate. This was ages ago though, and when I started my solo project, the name just popped into my mind again.

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

Of course! The cover art as well as 7 illustrations (one per song) were all done by the amazing Belgian artist Bram Bruyneel. He was incredible to work with and really understood what I was trying to tell with De Rode Weduwe. The cover shows the ghost of Sophia, the titular red widow, roaming through the forest of De Veluwe (a nature area where I live). It contains several hints to events that occur during the songs, and in general Bram went for a medieval wood carving style that I in turn put in a layout.

8.With the exception of as couple of session musicians you record most of the music by yourself, do you prefer to work solo?

When the story I want to tell is something personal, I do prefer writing music solo, yes. I can definitely also get inspired by others, but the whole 'six men in a rehearsal room' vibe is just not for me. I can't force creativity. Working alone gives me the freedom to work at my own pace, and I don't have to discuss every detail with someone else.

9.You also have experience playing in bands that are very different from what you are currently doing musically, do you consider yourself a very diverse musician?

Yeah, my 'roots' are mostly in the folk metal scene, which gave me a good base of melody and song structuring. I don't know if I am very diverse though, haha. That is for others to decide. I do try to keep things fresh when I write music/albums. I don't want to create the same album over and over again. So regarding 'De Rode Weduwe', you won't see me writing a story just like that again! A future album will have a very different theme, for sure.

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

I have been really surprised by the positive feedback I have gotten on 'Ontaard' and 'Twee Wolven', and I am very curious how 'De Rode Weduwe' will be received.  One of the first decisions I made when I started writing for Beenkerver was that I wanted my lyrics to be in Dutch, to really stay in touch with the most genuine emotions and being able to voice those as best I could. So it is interesting and flattering how my music has resonated with, for example, the United States. I do hear often that my music is very 'European', which I understand, haha. I think black metal listeners can spot insincerity quite easily. And while I am not the stereotypical corpse paint, spikes-on-my-arms wearing musician, I believe the genre evolved far beyond those clichés.

11.Are you currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

I also play in Plaagdrager, a black metal band I do with my friend CW. We recorded one full length album so far, and we might write another in the future. I did have some other projects here and there, but my primary focus for the moment is 100% on Beenkerver.

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

As I said earlier, I don't like repeating myself as a musician. So I hope to branch out and try different things, while remaining true to the spirit of Beenkerver. In a broader sense, I would really like to give writing songs in an 80's dark wave style a try. That genre is a major influence on me as a musician, it is tempting to give it a go one of these days. As far as specifics; I doubt I'll ever be a fantastic solo-guitarist, and also playing live isn't in the card right now due to my health issues.

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

I'm very into 80's music, bands like Joy Division, The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, and artists not from that era but who carry the same melancholy in them like Lana del Rey. But I also really enjoy contemporary black metal bands that do something different. Bands like Fluisteraars, Hellevaerder, or Iskandr (who moved more towards the atmospheric), and outside of The Netherlands I'm definitely digging bands like Kold, Ildskær, Excommunicatio, Panopticon. So many bands I enjoy, too many to name.

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

Thank you so much for your questions, I hope you will enjoy the story of Sophia, the red widow, once 'De Rode Weduwe' is released on March 1st!

http://www.beenkerver.nl
https://beenkerver.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/beenkerver
https://www.facebook.com/Beenkerver

Beenkerver/De Rode Weduwe/Vendetta Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Beenkerver  are  a  solo  project  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2024  album  "De  Rode  Weduwe"  which  will b e  released  in  March  by  Vendetta  Records.

  A  very  fast,  raw  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.  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  when  they  are  utilized,  clean  playing  and  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  

  Beenkerver  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric  and  old  school  in  the  late  90's  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Dutch  and  cover  dark  themes  and  emotions  influenced  by  Dutch  folklore  and  weather.

  In  my  opinion  Beenkerver  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  old  school  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "De  Rode  Weduwe"  "Vergane  Rozen"  and  "De  Biecht  Van  Een  Blinde".  8  out  of  10.

  http://www.beenkerver.nl

https://beenkerver.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/beenkerver
https://www.facebook.com/Beenkerver