Ildverden/Thou Not Shalt/Satanath Records/Wine And Fog Productions/More Hate Productions/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Ildverden  are  a  solo  project  from  Ukraine  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  pagan  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2025  album  "Thou  Not  Shalt"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records,  Wine  And  Fog  and  More  Hate  Productions.

  Clean  playing  and  dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  When  synths  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  some  atmospheric  touches  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can be  heard  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  some  clear  pagan  metal  singing  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  spoken  words  also  being  used  on  a  few  songs,  when  guitar  leads  are  finally  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  elements  of  black'n;roll  are  added  into  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  album. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism,  Nihilism,  Existential  Philosophy  and  detachment  from  from  what  is  happening  and  exists,  reflections  and  regrets.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ildverden  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sullen  Enchantment"  "Sewn  Shut"  "The  Storm  Id  Coming"  and  "Fucking  Hell  (Part  II)".  8  out  of  10.

https://satanath.bandcamp.com/album/sat408-ildverden-thou-not-shalt-2025

Ildverden Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with you and your musical project these days?

Now I am working on a new album of my side project called “While They Sleep”. Soon in 2016 I hope I will release first album of this project on Satanath. It’s gonna be a pure black metal with some notes of depressive. It sounds very different then “Ildverden”.
About “Ildverden” – I have some new stuff but it is too soon to tell something about new album.

2.In October you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The sound of “Ildverden” is really dark and raw I think. Actually this is the sound I’ll really wanted to make for many years. It’s more aggressive, more evil or primitive in good sense. I always wish to make sound like some kind of cave recordings. But not just copying old Norwegian black metal.

3.Your lyrics cover a great amount of Paganism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Yes. Previous albums were almost classical pagan black metal at lyrics. I think it will be not necessary to tell more about it. But this album (2015 Black Midnight Follows Me) make step to side of misanthropic lyrics and existentialism as philosophy. This is really hard question cause lyrics are very important side of black metal. But paganism is still important part of my life even now. It transformed nowadays to something more difficult and dark form inside of me. So lyrics are too take form of something more deepest then usual pagan black.

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

Let’s just say that it is personal stuff.

5.In both of your musical projects, you refer to yourself as 'Human Unknown', can you tell us a little bit more about this name?

It is very simple. All of us here are just unknown human. I am a part of this abyss.

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

I am open to working with other people but I prefer tp work alone now. I played many years in technical death metal band called “Contemplation” with many good young musicians. But with good experience it was a hard time too. Nobody can understand whole your mind and too many musicians use music as a hobby. For me it is much more, it’s something like sense of my life. Without music emptiness inside if me feels way deeper. Using music I fill this emptiness with feelings and thoughts.  Also I am a very depressive person an I know that it is hard to other musicians to work with me.

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

I don’t really know yet whole answer on this question. My journey is just begins. But it was a good feeling to know that many people like my music. I red some request and reviews and was really surprised about reaction on my songs. Most of them were positive. And it helps me emotionally to work more and hardest now. But I still will be working not to be pleased by someone. I just do what I do. And when I did something I can’t imagine how listeners will accept it. I don’t know even for my own what’s like it will be when it will ends.

8.What is going on with your other musical project these days?

Just told it in first question.

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

Nobody can tell the answer on questions like this I think. I hope the abyss of usual life will not eat me whole alive.

10.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?

Oh, it is too many bands that influenced me. From old Scandinavian black metal till Ukrainian, Canadian and American. Nowadays I listen very different music styles. Most of them are even not close to metal. I always try to consume something new.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Well, I trying to wrote some prose. Most of it are about life nowadays. About absurd of life in XXI century.
Also I’m shooting amateur horror movies, but I don’t think that it’s can be very interesting to others to know about it.

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

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Ildverden/3540332024

Ildverden/Temnich Black/ Is Me/Satanath Records/Pagan Flames Productions/2015 CD Review

  Ildverden  are  a  solo  project  from  Ukraine   that  plays  a  pagan  form  of  black  metal  and  this   is  a  review  of  his  2015  album  "Temnich  Black  /Is  Me"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  Pagan  Flames  Productions.

  Atmospheric  keyboards  and  firewood  burning  start  off  the  album  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length and  once  the  music  gets  heavy  it goes  into a  very  fast  and  raw  black  metal  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grim  screams  and  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Keyboards  mix  in  with  the  heavier  parts  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  style   being  more  close  to  the  Polish  or  Slavic  style  of  that  era  and  also  brings  in  a  decent  amount  of  melodies  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized briefly  they  are  done  in  a  more  raw  and  melodic  direction and  one  of  the  tracks  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  folk  instruments   and  clean  playing  while  the  album  closes  with a  cover  of  Satyricon's  "The  Wolfpack".

Ildverden  plays   a  style  of  pagan  black  metal   that  is  very  raw  and  atmospheric  as  well  as  bringing  back  some  of  the  mid  90's  Eastern  European  style,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Ukrainian  and  cover   Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ildverden  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan  black  metal  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED   TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dark  Swirl  Dalych"  and  "The  Flash  Of  Lightning  In  Their  Eyes".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Ildverden/3540332024