Kratornas/God Of The Tribes/Grathila Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Philippines/Canada's  solo  project  Kratornas  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  showed  the  music  going  for  a  progressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2025  album  "God  Of  The  Tribes"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Grathila  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  The  album  also  has  its  technical  and  dissonant  moments  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Chants  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  of  the  music  also  adding  in  atmospheric  and  ritualistic  touches   and  most  of  the  recording  sticks  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  direction,  acoustic  guitars  and  synths  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.

  On  this  recording  Kratornas  continues  the  expand  on  the  progressive  black  metal  style  that  he  introduced  on  his  previous  ep.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  doomsday  themes.     

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Kratornas  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cursed  Sky  Serpent"  and  "Ravaged  By  Hurakaan".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/WcQVU7bvLx8

https://kratornas.bandcamp.com/album/god-of-the-tribes-gcd-2025

https://www.facebook.com/officialkratornas  

Kratornas/Ravaged By Hurakaan/Grathila Records/2025 EP Review

 

  Philippines/Canada's  solo  project  Kratornas  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  progressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2025  ep  "Ravaged  By  Hurakaan"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Grathila  Records.

  A  very  heavy,  melodic  and  progressive  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  A  lot  of  the  tracks  are  also  re-mixes  while  the  newer  material sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  ep  more  of  a  raw  feeling,  a  couple  of  tracks  also  add  in  elements  of  grindcore  and  a  few  songs  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  recording  Kratornas  brings  in  some  new  tracks  that  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  progressive  style  of  black  metal  as  well  as  re-mixing  some  of  his  more  older  fast  and  raw  black  metal  tracks  to  create  a  very  diverse  release.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  blasphemous  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Kratornas  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  black  metal  or  the  more  raw  and  brutal  side  of  the  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ravaged  By  Hurakaan"  and  "Human  Livestock".  8  out  of  10.

  https://kratornas.bandcamp.com/album/ravaged-by-hurakaan-7ep-2025

https://www.facebook.com/officialkratornas

Kratornas 2017 Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band in the past 7 years since the last interview?

Nothing happened after that except putting an end to Kratornas last 2010. I've been busy processing my papers at that time so cutting it all is the only logical thing to do.

2.In December 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 your past material?

All previous releases was recorded with minimal instrument and zero knowledge. That's all I have right there. In this 3rd album, although I only bought what I need, I am still surrounded by unlimited resources. In terms of equipment, the difference is night and day. Aside from that, everything remains the same.

3.I have read in another interview that you refer to your music as 'barbaric death metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

Perhaps a very old interview, but yes, because Death Metal to me means Deicide, Immolation, etc and not those who jumps around. Death Metal, in general, is very important in everything that we do so any 'word' prior to that is just an added literal description.

4.What are some of the things you have explored lyrically with the newer music?

Same thing as the first two albums - I haven't strayed. It's always about what's going on around. They're not written straightforward but twisted by metaphors and mostly inspired by Endtime Prophecies.

5.For years this band was a solo project and now you have a drummer, what was the decision behind adding in another member?

I've already spent a decade doing it all alone, not this time. As you age, it seems that there are not enough time on everything you do. Getting a real drummer is a leap in everything I've done in the past so this is it. I don't even think things will sound like this if I'm alone doing all things again.

6.Between 2012 and 2016 there was no new material, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?

I've been really busy traveling and living from country to country. This is not 'work related' so all expenses were on me. Wasn't easy driving new routes in each of those, etc, but that's the reward of it. After getting used to it, everything was of great experience that will not happen again.

7.Between 2009 and 2016 are there any newer bands that you have discovered or do you feel that extreme metal has lost a lot of power over the years?

To be honest, I don't. When I'm about to left the Philippines, I ripped every album of bands that really matter to me and stored it on a portable drive. As technology sails, several phones went to copy those files and those were the only bands that I always listen to. I started buying music again after I have settled here in Canada in 2014. Of course, I have bought new bands during this time but it seems that every new band I've heard sounded very much alike, I don't know. That's just an opinion 'though...

8.The new album was released on 'Grathila Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

It's an own label taking care of Kratornas releases. There are other people involved so technically, it's not mine per se but I'm the one taking care of everything. The other guys just give extra funds, do couple mailings if needed and that's it.

9,On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the newer music by fans of underground metal?

There are positive reviews around. There are good, there are those who really like it, and there are those who find it too chaotic and left it all hanging in there. If one is expecting mid-tempo stuff to have nice feelings then this is not it. These are new people receiving the promos. I haven't done so much promotion myself. Time runs short doing that.

10.Where do you see 'Kratornas', in the future?

There is no future. Kratornas was long buried in 2010 so it is what it is. It continues to exist only because of my burning enthusiasm on Occultism, Unexplained Mysteries, and Metal. If I'm not writing something about it then I'm 'living it', so to speak. Since you already ask, I want to connect it to this: recently I got several emails asking if I can play live now since Guzzarin is here. I appreciate all the messages but the answer is no.

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

Thank you for having me here again.

WEBSITE * www.kratornas.com
PAGE * facebook.com/officialkratornas
BANDCAMP * kratornas.bandcamp.com
SOUNDCLOUD * soundcloud.com/officialkratornas
YOUTUBE * bit.ly/2gTP04P

Kratornas/Devoured By Damnation/Grathilla Records/2016 CD Review

  Kratornas  are  a  solo  project  from  Philippines  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  brutal  black  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "Devoured By  Damnation"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Grathila  Records.

  A  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  more  of  a  heavy  and  fast  sound  along  with  some  blast  beats  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  bestial  and  war  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  raw  and  chaotic  style  and  deep  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  grindcore  and  old  school  death  metal  influences  throughout  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  whole  album  also  remains  very  heavy,  raw  and  brutal  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Kratornas  creates  another  recording  that  takes  bestial  black  and  war  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  some  death  metal  and  grindcore  elements  to  create  a  very  brutal  sounding  album,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Blasphemous  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Kratornas  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  grindcore  influenced  bestial  war/black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album. RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Spit  On  God"  "Blood  Of  The  Devil" "Cadavers  Of  Gods'  and  "World  Within  Demons".  8  out  of  10. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZMalwP_TlQ

Kratornas Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band, what were your goals in the beginning, and what made you decide to form a brutal black metal band?

Main goal is self improvement. There’s nothing more to expect, especially in making this kind of “selfish music” where only the like-minded individual will appreciate. Spreading the music is next, just to see what others think. Thus, also knowing where I stand as a guitarist. I don’t make music to please others but listening to critics really makes room for improvement. This so-called formation of a “brutal black metal band” is not an intention. That’s just the way it should be, but brainless brutality is very easy to make and we don’t do that here…

02. Were did you get the idea for the band name?

It simply came out, well… yeah, just like that…

03. How would you describe your music style?

Like an Anaconda wrapping around you, breaking your bones and devouring you half-dead!

04. How has the response been for the first 2 albums?

The second album is already gathering positive reactions worldwide but of course, we can’t avoid purists that do nothing but criticize and criticize. Most critics were hobbyists that don’t know shit but talk and talk. On the other hand, if you’re seeking improvement, there’s nothing wrong if you listen to them – so that’s OK. I find it stupid for band members who just can’t accept an insult from a critic – that’s just sad…

05. In the beginning you had more band members, but know are a one man band, what made you decide to go in this direction?

The fact is that I don’t want to be a “one-man-band” but after meddling around with morons’, making a decision like this is easy. Back in ’95, it feels awkward but as the years go by, you’ll realize that it’s better to be alone rather than wasting your time working with someone stupid! Sure that it is easy for a FORUM WANKER to bash a “one man band” since they only record shit in their bedroom computer, etc! How ignorant is that?! I’m using a combination of drum machine and DTX and so what?! Fuck off, I guess…

In my case, I’m investing on the needed equipment and already build a bunker for it, sorry to disappoint you but it’s not in the bedroom, so? The whole thing looks like a real studio only that the walls were tweaked with filth and ugliness to raise an atmosphere! Old flyers from ’89 to early/mid ‘90s, animal skulls, red bulbs, chains and barbed wires were coiled in this bunker! If you’re serious in making an art like this you wouldn’t choose a bedroom, a piece of computer and one guitar to do it, that’s just useless! This doesn’t only involve money but mostly an infinite passion in making this kind of music.

So yes, I prefer things like this. I might already found the right people and put them as members but they’re 90 miles away and that will not help Kratornas at all. Once again, that’s just useless! I work base on my own schedule and NOT adjusting on someone else schedule – that’s pathetic.

06. When can we expect new material and what direction do you see the music heading into?

I’ve no idea about the ‘new material’. I didn’t even think I am making a second album after the debut CD came out – if you know what I mean. Improvement is the only direction I can think of, otherwise I’ll end up with an ‘oh-so-brutal-monotonous-666-album with 2-riffs-raw-kvlt musick’, bah! Stagnation is useless, though I’m not talking about changing the style kuz that’s just fake and stupid! Just move forward and deliver the goods…

07. What are your main influences as a musician?

It is mostly guitarists that influence me. Satriani, Paul Gilbert, Eric Johnson, Petrucci, etc., just anything by Shrapnel Records actually… Other medium includes Bathory, Mercyful Fate, SWALLOWED IN BLACK and ILLUSIONS respectively, Morbid Angel (with Mike Browning), Brazilian Death Metal, RUST IN PEACE, Somewhere in Time, PAINKILLER, Morbid Saint, and 80s German Thrash!

08. What are you listening to nowadays and what would you recommend new or old?

I can listen from WASP to Bathory and it circulates just in there. I don’t collect a thousand of music (be it CDs/LPs/Tapes). That’s just useless! I only have a few and this is from bands that I really like. The only recommendations I could give to your readers now is the South American DEATH METAL releases. I’m not so thrilled about these ‘retro’, ‘intentionally tweaked to sound dirty recordings’, ‘mega-oh-so-brutal-kaotik-666-blackness’ and all of the clone-tribute bands were utterly useless! I hope someday quality in Metal will regain its strength because quality has been lost since ages and with the kind of bands I’ve just mentioned in dislike, Metal will certainly go down the drain in the next years to come…

09. What role does Satanism or Occultism play in the music?

Nothing. Kratornas is not ‘Satanic’. People just love making up with their own stories like linking Kratornas with Satanism just because they see the word Satan in the lyrics! Makes sense to me!

10. What are some good films or literature that you would recommend?

It is usually about the older films once again. How can I recommend recent films like District 9 when everybody here already saw it and got their own opinions about it? I dig classic horrors, mostly. Other stuff includes Witchcraft, Satanic, UFO/Alien/Orange Apocalyptic Sci-Fi, and Gore Films. I could watch other ‘genre’, but there MUST be interesting to watch in there…

11. How would you describe the extreme metal scene in the Philippines?

Great scene! Check out people who is going crazy with Vampiric Black Metal and when that’s over they’ve went Black Thrash but then again, getting tired on it and now switching to Black n’ Roll but guess what kuz Black n’ Roll didn’t last a year for these flukes so let ‘em dig what’s the most popular on blogspots and there they go again with Bestial Black Metal – who knows what next for these idiots… maybe form a band and praise their own work, now… that’s just typical once again aha! There’s also this crab mentality that’s been existing since ages! Everybody is a critic and wants to be! Nothing gets more exciting seeing Filipinos, who didn’t achieve anything in life, criticize someone else. What a waste…

12. Any final words?

I’ve already said everything above I think…

13. Thanks for the interview?

Many thanks to you for this given chance to share thoughts in your webzine. Anyone can drop by to our website @ WWW.KRATORNAS.COM for cds, shirts and other exclusive merchandise only available direct from us (paypal accepted). If you’re from Europe, you can also get in touch with our label, Kneel Before the Master’s Throne Records from Germany.

WEBSITE : www.kratornas.com
EMAIL : kratornas@gmail.com
STREAM : myspace.com/kratorns

Kratornas/The Corroding Age Of Wounds/Kneel Before The Master's Thrones Records/2009 CD Review

Kratornas is a 1 man black metal band hailing from the Philippines which I was describe as extreme fast war/black/grind/thrash and this is a review of their 2009 album "The Corroding Age Of Wounds".

Drums on this recording are really fast with a lot of blast beats that make Immortal sound like a doom metal band in comparison and they also slow down at times when the music gets slower, to give the music an even edge.

Bass guitars on this recording have a really dark tone that plays the role of a rythym bass., while the guitar rhythms take the heaviest elements of black, death and thrash with some really fast riffs that are very heavy and brutal, as for the guitar leads they are very noisy and chaotic.

Vocals are very high pitched black metal screams that sound very brutal and evil which is what is needed for this music, while the production sounds very professional and reminds me of the sounds of the early to mid 90's Swedish black metal classics, as for the lyrics they seem to cover some dark topics that kind of have a left hand vibe to them judging by the name of the songs.

In my opinion this is a really good album while this recording kind of seems too long for a fast black metal with a time limit of 50 minutes I still feel this band has a lot of potential and the brutality of this album is among the most skull crushing I have heard so far and this is the heaviest one man band I have ever heard.

RECOMMENDED TRACKS ARE "Beasts From The Sea" and "Flood Of Fire" which mixes some effects in with the Heaviness and speed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

http://www.kratornas.com

http://www.myspace.com/kratorns

kratornas@gmail.com