Skognatt/Afterlife/2025 EP Review

 

  Germany's  solo  project  Skognatt  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  ambient  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2025  ep  "Afterlife".

  Ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  ep  while  also  adding  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  and  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  melodies  are  also added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  all  of t he  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  One  song  is  also  an  instrumental  and  the  whole  recording  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  On  this  recording  Skognatt  goes  for  more  of  a  slow  and  atmospheric  style  of  ambient  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  poetry  of  Edgar  Allan  Poe  and  Chana  Bloch.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Skognatt  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient  and  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Dreamland".  8  out  of  10.

  https://skognatt.bandcamp.com/album/afterlife

Skognatt/Andromeda/2024 EP Review

 

   Germany's  solo  project  Skognatt  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  ambient,  atmospheric  and  cosmic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2024  ep  "Andromeda".

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  bring  i  atmospheric,  ambient  and  cosmic  elements  onto  the  recording  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  tracks.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  A  couple  of  the  songs are  also  instrumentals  along  with  all  of  the  drum  beats  also  being  programmed  along  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  the  heavier  sections  of  the  recording  stick  mostly  to a  faster  direction.

  On  this  recording  Skognatt  brings  in  more  ambient  style  synths  and  cosmic  elements  into  his  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  space  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Skognatt  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient,  atmospheric  and  cosmic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Andromeda"  and  "Alpha  Centauri".  8  out  of  10.

  https://skognatt.bandcamp.com/album/andromeda-2

  

  

Skognatt/Of Mountains, Rivers And The Moon At Night/2023 EP Review

 

  Germany's  solo  project  Skognatt  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  an  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2023  ep  "Of  Mountains,  River  And  The  Moon  At  Night".

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  which  is  more  heavily  rooted  in  the  modern  era  of  the  genre  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length,  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also b e  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  Skognatt  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal  that  he  has  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and r aw  while  the  lyrics  are  based  upon  the  poems  of  Samael  Taylor  Coleridge  and  Percy  Bysshe  Shelley.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Skognatt  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Moon".  8  out  of  10.

  https://skognatt.bandcamp.com/  

Skognatt/Wehmut/2022 Split Album Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  self  released  2022  split  between  Germany's  Skognatt  and  Wehmut  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Skognatt  a  solo  project  that  returns  with  an  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  acoustic  guitar  playing  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  All  of  the  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  to  them  while t he  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  as  well  as  the  music  also   moving  away  from  the  ambient  elements  of  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature  themes.

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

  Next  up  is  Wehmut  a  solo  project  that  plays  an  atmospheric  and  depressive  form  of  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  yet  depressive  black  metal  screams.

  Throughout  his  side  of  the  split  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments.  All  of  his  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  synths  also  being  utilized  at  times,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  substance  abuse,  depression  and  self  loathing  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Wehmut  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  depressive  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Krank". 

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

https://skognatt.bandcamp.com/

https://wehmutbm.bandcamp.com/releases

         

Skognatt/Rain Eternal/2021 EP Review

 

  Germany's  solo  project  Skognatt  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  an  atmospheric  black  metal  direction  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2021  ep  "Rain  Eternal"/

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  sounding  very  powerful.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks.  A  couple  of  the  songs  are  also  brief  instrumentals  along  with  some  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  also  being  added  onto  the  recording  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  On  this  recording  Skognatt  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal  that  he  has  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Skognatt  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rain"  and  "Fog".  8  out  of  10.

 https://skognatt.bandcamp.com/album/rain-eternal    

Skognatt/Autumn Skies/2020 EP Review

  Germany's  Skognatt  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  atmospheric    style  of  black  metal  from  his  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  ep  "Autumn  Skies".

  Ambient style  synths  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams

  One  of  the  tracks  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  atmospheric  direction.  Classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  of  the  slower  riffs  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  doom  metal,  on  the  last  track  deep  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  Skognatt  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal  that  has  established  on  previous  releases  as  well  as  adding  in  a  touch  of  doom  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  winter  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Skognatt  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  black  metal, you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Shadowlands". 8  out  of  10.

https://skognatt.bandcamp.com/

   

Skognatt/Ancient Wisdom/2018 Full Length Review

  Germany's  solo  project  Skognatt  have  returned  with  a new  recording  which  continues  his    atmospheric  and  ambient  style  of  black  emtal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2018  album  "Ancient  Wisdom".

  Dark  ambient  style  synths  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  grim  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  while  the  music  also  mixes  the  atmospheric,  acoustic  and  heavy  parts  together.

  Growls  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the tracks  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  as w ell  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Skognatt  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  and  ambient  style  of  black  metal  from  his  previous  releases  while  also  bringing  in  a  real  drummer  this  time  around  to  take  his  sound  to  another  level,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  mysticism,  occultism  and    the  writings  of  19th  century  poet  Lord  Bryan.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Skognatt  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient  and  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ancient  Wisdom"  and  "Dark  Star".  8  out  of  10.

 https://skognatt.bandcamp.com/
  

Skognatt/Ancient Wisdom/2017 EP Review

  Skognatt  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  ambient  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2017  ep  "Ancient  Wisdom".

  Atmospheric  and  ambient  sounding  synths  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  to  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  that  also  introduces  grim  black  metal  screams  onto  the recording  as  well  as  mixing  the  synths  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  At  times  the  vocals  bring  in  grim  whispers  along  with  a  small  amount  of  growls  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  speeds  up  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  a  more  raw  feeling  along  with  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads  and  spoken  words.

  Skognatt  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal  from  their  previous  release  while  also  adding  in  more  acoustic  guitars  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  esoteric  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Skognatt  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Xibalba". 8  out  of  10.

https://skognatt.bandcamp.com/album/ancient-wisdom
  

Skognatt Interview

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

I started Skognatt in the winter of 2014/15 when i had some riffs for the title song of the EP Landscape of Ice. As I always have been drawn to more atmospheric and mystical music it was quite natural to me to make the songs slower and very atmospheric.

2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Well, I would describe it as atmospheric Black Metal but i'm not one to think in genres. The sound you will find on the recording is very atmospheric and if you listen closely you will hear lots of acoustic guitars underneath the distorted guitars. I always loved that about some recording of the 90s, so i would say it sounds quite old-school as well.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

As I'm very much drawn to nature and try to spend lots of time outside it is a big part of what my music is about. I also tried to show the lost connection most people have towards nature and what it can lead to in my opinion. So, basically it's a mixture of nature romanticism and some modern topics.

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

Well, it is put together of the words Skogen and Natt which mean forest and night both in norwegian and swedish. So, it means something like 'forest at night' in the end. When i was a teenager i listened to lots of skandinavian Black and Death Metal, so these are my main influences when it comes to Skognatt and with the name i wanted to show that. To be honest, i was pretty surprised that nobody had used this name before...

5.With this musical project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians?

Yes, initially i wanted someone else to do the vocals and i had a few people who were interested but as they all have their own bands and families it never really happened. So, a few months ago i gave it a shot and tried to do the vocals myself and i'm quite satisfied how it turned out. On the next recordings i definitely want to record real drums, so generally i'm open to work with other musicians.

6.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Yes, i sent it to a few labels but the interest was not very big, so this is pretty much a DIY project. But i'm a freelance musician and I have been releasing and producing my music for a long time on my own, so this feels very natural to me. Also, with sites like Bandcamp it's pretty easy these days to sell digital as well as physical stuff.

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

The general feedback has been really good I have to say. Of course, this EP is not everyone's cup of tea but the Black Metal community is pretty supportive. It has been shared on some well known Youtube channels shortly after the release which helped a lot. I didn't expect anything so i'm really pleased with the reactions and all the nice reviews.

8.Are you also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Yes, i have a few more solo-projects. Walden is an acoustic folk project i do and it is again rooted in my love for nature (https://waldgefluester.bandcamp.com/). I have put out two EP's and an album with this project as well as a little EP with acoustic covers of mostly Black Metal songs.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

I don't know if there will be a full length album with this project as I don't really enjoy making albums. I really enjoyed making these two songs and it would probably take me many years to come up with an album, so I rather stick to the shorter format and will most probably only release an EP when I have some songs I think are worth being released. There's so much music out there and to me the album is pretty much out of date in this digital age we live in now but that's just my opinion.

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?

I clearly hear some Black Metal from the early 90's in my songs as this is the time when I used to listen to tons of Death and Black Metal. Bands i really loved and still like are Emperor, Gehenna, (early) Dimmu Borgir, Empyrium and the EP Strid put out. But I always loved classical music and Soundtracks very much and i listen to lots of music of all styles. At the moment i listen to Enya a lot, the new Gojira and Coldworld. I really love what Wardruna are doing and i could go on and on here for hours... :)

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I live a pretty simple life so i spend lots of my free time out in nature or with friends. I love to ride my bike and read a good book every now and then but music takes up most of my time as i'm a freelance musician and composer. Since two years or so I have been drawn to meditation and I have to say that it really benefits you when it comes to focusing.

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

Thanks very much for your interest and for taking your time and making this interview.

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Skognatt/Landscape Of Ice/2016 EP Review

 Skognatt  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  ep  "Landscape  Of  Ice".

  Dark  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  ep  and  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  riffs  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  also  making  their  presence  known  in  the  music  and  the  recording  also  starts  going  into  more  of  an  atmospheric  direction  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's.

  Most  of  the  keyboards  gives  the  music  an  epic  feeling  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  and  both  of  the  tracks  stick  either  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Skognatt  plays  a  style  of  atmospheric  black  metal  that  is  very  keyboard  orientated  and  also  brings  back  some  of  the  90's  style,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  winter  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Skognatt  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  black  metal  solo project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Landscape  Of  Ice".  8  out  of  10.

https://skognatt.bandcamp.com/releases