Dark Divination/Wampyric Rites/Finnish Ecuador Alliance/Signal Rex/2026 Split EP Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Finland's  Dark  Divination  and  Ecuador's  Wampyric  Rites  called  "Finnish  Ecuador  Alliance"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Signal  Rex  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Dark  Divination  who  returns  with  a  raw  and  old  school  style  of  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  distorted  sound  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  guitar  leads  are  done  in  a  melodic  style.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams,  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  song  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  which  also  gives  the  track  more  of  a  raw  feeling,  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  Finnish  style.  The  Production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  and  the  lyrics  cover  hatred  and  nihilism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  with  Dark  Divination  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  side  of  the  split.

  Next  up  is  Wampyric  Rites  who  return  with  their  raw,  old  school  and  vampyric  style  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  fast  sound  along  with  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  while  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  a  few  growls,  tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  fast  riffing  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  The  production  sounds  raw  and  old  school  and  the  lyrics  cover  Vampirism  and  Evil  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Wampyric  Rites  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  old  school  and  vampyric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of t h e split.

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

  wampyricrites1.bandcamp.com // darkdivination.bandcamp.com

    

Dark Divination Interview

 

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

Dark Divination is a rawish black metal band hailing from Finland. Dark Divination’s musical outlet can be described as highly melancholic but at the same time purely aggressive. 

2.In December you have your first full length coming out, musically how does it differ from your previous ep's and demo? 

I have developed as a composer a lot from the previous releases and I believe that on this album I have achieved a more unique and satisfactory sound. The synths on this album are in a big role and I started playing keyboard again just a while ago, so the development on synth can be definitely heard. On a few releases including Liitto hengen ja veren i have used an old yamaha psr synth that i got when i was 5 years old. Some could say the album's sound is built around the synth. I have always wanted to make beautiful and purely melancholic soundscapes and I believe that the synths have highlighted the melodies the most effectively.

3.You are also involved with a few other bands and projects, what is it that you bring into the music of 'Dark Divination;, that you have not been able to do with your previous groups? 

In Dark Divination the project's concept, themes and outlet have always been only my vision. Its purpose has always been just to express myself in the most natural way. 

4.A lot of the lyrics on the new album focus on spirituality and death, can you tell us  which aspects of these topics you bring out with your songwriting? 

My lyrics are highly personal and usually discuss my own worldview, how I see things and feel them in a spiritual manner. As for death, I use death mainly as a metaphor for spiritual decay and reconstruction. I see death as purely sacred. Because Dark Divination's lyrics have been focused on death, darkness, nihilism, et cetera, the sound should reflect that. It's also a reflection on how I feel/experience such things, which adds to the necessity of melancholy.

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

Dark Divination’s lyrics can be highly nihilistic and question social structures and norms. The main lyrical source is reflection of my thoughts and mind. Manifesto of my worldview and my ideologies. 

6What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dark Divination'? 

I came up with the name when I was in junior high school. The name back then didn't mean much to me and just sounded cool on paper. As time has passed, the name has started to create a meaning by itself. At this time the name represents to me the age of decay; the time of kali yuga.

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

I wanted the album art to be as simple as possible. The album art includes only the logo, album name and a picture of myself. I think that the music represents the album much better than just a shallow album art. Because the whole project is focused on my thoughts, it is natural that I am present in the album art. No more needs to be added to it. As for the picture, it was taken near my home in a forest which I have visited the entirety of my life. The picture place has a deep emotional connection for me.  

 

8.With this project you record everything by yourself but have worked with musicians in other projects, do you prefer to work solo?

On this project I prefer to work solo because I want to create my own visions and views. On other projects/bands or collaborations, I want to expand upon the musical views, ideas and processes so that it isn't just me but a bigger entity, if you will.

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

I have gotten very much positive feedback. In general, the reception to my music has been really positive. Although it's always good to hear positive feedback, I wouldn't mind constructive criticism at all. 

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that you are a part of? 

I don’t want to spoil too much but new releases are coming but with time and large effort. I am currently writing songs for Valonkantaja's full length album. Songwriting is a long process and it consumes a lot of time. There will probably be a fairly large span of time until another big release. In other projects with other people the process is obviously lengthened because you have to collaborate on ideas together. By myself, it's a much faster process since I don't have to run it by another person.

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

I am trying to develop my composing skills and improve my sound more to my liking. I would never consider music as a career option because I want to make music purely regardless of money or financial concerns. Music should never stem from money. 

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

The first black metal band I ever heard was Burzum. It's a band that I can always come back to and can never really get tired of it. The synths on Hvis lyset tar oss and Filosofem have always fascinated me. Burzum has had a big impact on my music and songwriting. Peste noire is another band that has influenced my songwriting, especially the Peste Noire side project Valfunde. I find the melancholy on their split release with Amesoeurs almost possessing. Outside black metal my biggest influence has been a Finnish goth rock band Varjo. Especially their EP “Ensinäytös” had a really big impact on me when I first heard it. Almost everything on that EP feels perfect to me.     

Recently I have been listening to a lot of neo-folk such as Pyhä Kuolema and Death in June. 

 13.Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music? 

Not directly as ideologies but through metaphors and symbolism. I may use occultism or other various ideologies to represent my own spirituality. Through occultism you can draw spirituality and the ideological concepts which can be adapted into music. 

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

Thank you for this interview and always keep the flame burning!

darkdivination.bandcamp.com

Dark Divination/Litto Hengen Ja Veren/Signal Rex/2025 Full length Review

 

  Dark  Divination  are  a  solo  project  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2025  album  "Litto  Hengen  Ja  Veren"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Signal  Rex.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  old  school  Finnish  style.

  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  synths  are  also  utilized  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  a  lot  of  the  music  sounds  like  it  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  more  then  20  years  ago.

  Dark  Divination  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw,  melodic  and  old  school  in  the  classic  Finnish  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Finnish  and  English  and  cover  spirituality,  hatred,  life  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dark  Divination  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw,  old  school  and  melodic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pride  Of  Victory"  "Hymn  Of  Hate"  and  "Litto  Hengen  Ja  Veren".  8  out  of  10.

  darkdivination.bandcamp.com