Cruelty's Heart/Frostwork/Beyond Bloodied Banners Far And Haunted Winters Graven/UKEM Records 2014 Split Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  United  Kingdom's  Cruelty's  Heart  and  Frostwork,  2  bands  that  have  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  the  album  being  released  in  2014  by  UKEM  Records  and  called  "Beyond  Bloodied  Banners  Far  And  haunted  Winters  Graven"  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Cruelty's  heart  which  continues  their  pagan  black  metal  sound.

  Their  side  of  the  album  starts  up  with  tribal  drumming  and  fast  raw  black  metal  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  screams  and  blast  beats  which  also  leads  to  a  mixture  of  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  they  also  bring  in a  small  amount  of  melody  and  death  metal  growls  and  you  can  also  hear  the  bass  guitars  on  their  side  of  the  recording  and  after  awhile  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  thrash  influences.

  As  their  side  of  the  split  continues  you  can  hear  some  traditional  metal  melodies  being  added  in  along  with  the  vocals  taking  a  more  grim  approach  and  after  awhile  a  small  amount  of  clean  and  acoustic  guitar  playing  is  brought  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  on  the  last  track  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  pagan  choirs.

  Cruelty's  Heart  continue  their  raw  pagan  black  metal  sound  they  are  known  for  on  their  side  of  the  split  and  they  also  bring  in  a  good  amount  of  melody,  thrash  and  traditional  elements  to  create  another  great  release.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Anglo  Saxon/Nordic  Paganism  and  Witchcraft,  while  the  production  has  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  powerful  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Cruelty's  heart  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS   INCLUDE  "The  Witch's  Rune"  and  "The  Triumphant  Death  of  Tiw".

  Next  up  is  Frostwork  a  1  man  band  which  continues  his  raw  and  melodic  approach  to atmospheric  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  up  with  nature  sounds  and  acoustic  guitars  which  bring  a  folk  music  feeling  to  the  recording  along  with  whispers  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  more  raw  and  melodic  depressive  black  metal  direction  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  after  a  minute  melodic  pagan  vocals  become  a  part  of  the  music.

  As  the  music  continues  you  can  hear  a  small  amount  of  pagan  battle  samples  being  added  on  one  of  the  tracks  before  making  a  return  to  a  more  raw  and  melodic  sound  on  the  following  track  while  also  getting  a  bit  faster  along  with  blast  beats  and  an  atmospheric  background  and  after  awhile  acoustic  guitars  make  a  return  to  the  music.

  When  we  get  more  into  the  album  there  is  an  acoustic  song brought  in  which  also  uses  melodic  pagan  chanting  and  singing  and  the  music  gets  heavy  again  on  the  following  song  as  well  as  bringing  in  small  traces of  noise  music  while  also  keeping  around  the  acoustic  guitars  along  with  the  last  track  being  all  acoustical.

  Frostwork  show  a  good  amount  of  variety  with  the  songs  he  brings  to  the  recording  and  you  can  hear  depressive,  pagan,  fast,  raw  and  melodic  elements  throughout  these  songs  along  with  some  atmospheric,  noise  and  folk  music  elements  and  the  sound  is  very  original.

  Song  lyrics  coldness  and  northern  winter  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  his  side  of  the  recording.          

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Frostwork  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  melodic  and  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Through  Frozen  Winds  And  Roots  I  Spoke"  and  "Humanity  Is  Cold".

   In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  pagan  and  atmospheric  black  metal.  8/5  out  of  10.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Cruelty%27s_Heart/3540333985
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Frostwork/122062
  

Cruelty's Heart/Rex Anglorvm Saxonvm/Wodfreca Records/2012 CD Review

  Cruelty's  Heart  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  I  would  describe  as  being  melodic,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  pagan/black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Anglovm  Saxonvm" which  was  released  by  Wodfreca  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black/pagan  metal  riffs  that  are  very  raw  and  primitive  sounding  with  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  traditional  metal  influences  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing  that  gives  the  music  a  progressive  feeling,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  pagan  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  a  brief  use  of  pagan  metal  clean  singing,  whispers  and  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anglo  Saxon  Paganism,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  Cruelty's  Heart  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Blood  Of  The  Wyvern"  and  "King  Hrodgar's  Hall".  RECOMMENDED  BUY

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Cruelty's Heart Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before? 

"Cruelty's Heart was formed initially between myself and original drummer Aske as a drunken idea at Wacken Open Air 2009, Germany. We then found a friend of mine to play bass and then I played guitar and tried to handle the vocals. We developed a couple of songs I had written for a previous band, wrote some completely new ones and learned to play Satyricon - Fuel For Hatred. Fast forward 18 months and we recorded the 'Die For Woden' demo with Simon on bass, me on vocals and guitars and then a drum machine. I had wanted to develop an Anglo-Saxon theme at this point but the tracks we had at that time just dealt with various Germanic and Celtic pagan themes as well as some Wiccan paganism. We were just experimenting with ideas at that point and had not cemented a theme. The overall sound was that of melodic black metal with some thrash involved. The musical influences were vast and ranged from Iron Maiden and Judas Priest to Shining and Immortal. However as I am now working on this project alone, I've pushed forward with the Anglo-Saxon historical theme and I am ready to continue with that period of English history for now."

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

"The initial melodic black metal sound that we began with in the 'Die For Woden' demo has now been developed. With the 'Rex Anglorvm Saxonvm' EP (due for release later this year under Wodfreca Records), I've gone for a more epic and atmospheric influence. There are more lead guitar parts and solos, clean vocals and clean guitars. These influences come primarily from Blut Aus Nord and Summoning. These inputs will hopefully push the listener towards song climaxes and the soundscape will build up higher and higher towards this. I don't know how much the music is black metal any more. That will be up for the listener to decide, if they so wish."

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

"As mentioned earlier, some Celtic beliefs were explored in 'Die For Woden' (the song Samhain) as well as some Wiccan rituals (The Pentacle, the Sword, the Wand, the Chalice). But in the new release, I've focussed one hundred percent on Anglo-Saxon history and folklore. I feel this period of English history has been covered very little in metal, with most bands preferring to focus on other themes like Viking Scandinavia or the Second World War."

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

"The name actually comes from a video game. My friend mentioned the words "Cruelty's Heart" to me and it just struck me as a cool idea for a song name or something. I mentioned this to the original band members and they liked it so it stuck."

5. Has the band had any oppurtunities to do any live shows or is this a studio project?

"The band did have some opportunities to perform live in its earlier days but we were unable to do so due to various work and university commitments. For now, this is a studio project but I will be looking to gain members within the next year as I relocate to Denmark."

6. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and pagan metal?

"So far I've had one hundred percent positive feedback from fans of all genres of metal. That said, this project is still in its infancy so it would be foolish to take my small past and current successes as a given."

7. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

"As of 04/09/12, I'm a member of an 80s metal and rock covers band on the South coast of England called Iron Tyger. However as I'm emigrating soon I'll sadly be playing my last show with this band within the next week."

8. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

"I still have many ideas lyrically and musically for playing the same level of melodic black metal with Anglo-Saxon historical and folkloric lyrics. Topping the whole thing off with some melancholic, epic lead interludes to create a really atmospheric and awesome sound. I might move my lyrics forward in time to deal with later medieval English history at some point or other. But that won't be for a while."

9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

" The album 'Memoria Vetusta II - Dialogue With the Stars' by Blut Aus Nord has had a significant impact on my current musical style. I cannot stress enough about how many doors that were sonically opened for me by this album. If you apply this to my old school Judas Priest, Dio and Iron Maiden influences (as well as other black metal ones) then you will begin to see the formation of Cruelty's sound. I still listen to all these bands and I'm always searching for new black, death, pagan, folk, and classic metal for influences."

10. How would you describe your views on Paganism?

"My views on paganism as a religion are the same as my views on all religions and paganism is not treated separately as such. These views do not hold any place within the creative and developmental spheres of Cruelty's Heart. However the religious culture of the Anglo-Saxon English peoples are of great interest to me from historical, cultural and folkloric perspectives. This includes the Germanic paganism of the early Angles, Saxons, Jutish and Frisian peoples that migrated to the British Isles as well as the Christianity that they converted to. Cruelty's Heart's lyrics currently deal with the history of the English during the whole of the Anglo-Saxon period and so to ignore either the pagan or Christian periods of history would create an imbalance."

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

"As you might have guessed by now, history is one of my biggest interests and it has a profound impact upon my music. But it's difficult to separate my music from what I do within the rest of my life. I travel which is usually musically related, I attend festivals which are more obviously musically related. Music is one of the central planks of my life in which most other social and recreational activities stem from, revolve around or are otherwise influenced. Music. Music and beer."

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

"Thanks for your interest in Cruelty's Heart and everyone else who has shown any support during the last three years. Wodfreca Records will be releasing the 'Rex Anglorvm Saxonvm' EP later this year, once I finish recording. In the meantime, you can hear a new track from Wodfreca's compilation album 'Leoþhord I; Hƿit Ƿyrm Ariseeþ ofer Angelcynne' on our youtube channel, www.youtube.com/crueltysheartuk. Download tracks for free and read updates and informtation at www.facebook.com/crueltysheart "

Thanks,

- Bloodletter/Cruelty's Heart

Cruelty's Heart/Die For Woden/Wodfreca Records/2011 EP Review

 Cruelty's  Heart  are  a  band  from  England  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  primitive  form  of  pagan/black metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2011  ep  "Die  For  Woden"  which  was  released  by  Wodfreca  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  primitive  black  metal  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  pagan/black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  raw  and  primitive  sounding  at  times  as  well  as  adding  a  good  amount  of  melody  and  thrash  and  traditional  metal  influences  in  the  riffing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  enhance  the  atmosphere  of  the  music.

  Vocals are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  some  deep  death  metal growls  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  and  Anglo  Saxon  Paganism,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  most  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Cruelty's  Heart  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan/black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep. RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Pentacle,  The  Sword,  The  Wand  And  The  Chalice"  and  "Die  For  Woden".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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