Varathron/Ungod/Apocalyptic Mysticism/Iron Bonehead Productions/2022 Split EP Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Greece's  Varathron  and  Germany's  Ungod  called  "Apocalyptic  Mysticism"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Iron  Bonehead  Productions  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Varathron  who  return  with  their  Hellenic  style  of  old  school  occult  black metal.

 

 Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  ritualistic  beats  and  oriental  instruments  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  All  of  the   musical  instruments  on  the  song  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  also  bring  in  more  of  a  growling  style  that  adds  in  some  first  wave  touches.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  when  the  music  speeds  up,  synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Varathron  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  Hellenic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.

  Next  up  is  Ungod  who  return  with  their  raw  and  old  school  style  of  satanic  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  heavy  yet  old  school  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  song  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling,  the  track  also  adds  in a   good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and r aw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  themes.

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

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

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Varathron/1295

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Ungod/4829

Varathron/The Lament Of Gods/Vic Records/2022 EP Re-Issue Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  another  earlier  release  from  Greece's  Varathron  which  was  also  in  the  Hellenic  style  of  occult  black  metal  and  the  ep  was  originally  release d in  1999  and  called  "The  Lament  Of  Gods"  which  will b e  re-issued  in  March,  2022  by  Vic  Records  and  also  consists  of  their  1997  demo  "Sarmutius  Pegorus".

  A  very  ritualistic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  Keyboards  and  ethnic  style  scales  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  that  also get  deep  sounding  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Clean  playing  and  whispers  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  are  also  utilized.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  epic  sounding  along  with  one  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Mercyful  Fate's  "Nuns  have  no  Fun"  which  also  adds  in  some  Gregorian  chants  that  was  not  on  the  original  version  as  well  as  the  ep  sticking  to  mostly  a  mid  tempo  direction.  

The  songs  on  the  demo  bonus  tracks  also  being  in  more  of  a  rawer  and  faster  style  then  the  ep  but  still  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  stringed  instruments  and  acoustic  gutiars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  tracks  also  show  an  influence  of  classical  music  as  well  as  the  closing  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Evil,  Darkness  and  Historical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Varathron  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  Greek  and  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fire  Spell  -Forbidden  lust"  "Beyond  The  Grave"  and  "The  Vision  Of  The  Nameless  Soul".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/GUL5Y5VIM2M              

Varathron/Walpurgisnacht/Vic Records/2022 CD Re-Issue Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  an  earlier  recording  from  Greece's  Varathron  which  was  also  in  the  Hellenic style  of  occult  black  metal  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  1995  and  called  "Walpurgisnacht"  and  will  be  re-issued  with  bonus  tracks  in  April  2022  by  Vic Records.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  keyboards  also  giving  the  songs  more  of  an  epic  atmosphere  when  they  are  utilized.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  whispers  and  spoken  word  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  couple  of  brief  keyboard  and  acoustic  guitar  interludes  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  the  bonus  tracks  also  being  recorded  live.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Egyptian   Mythology  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Varathron  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  occult  and  Greek  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cassiopeia's  Ode"  "Birthrise  Of  The  Graven  Image"  and  "Under  The  Sight  Of  Horus".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/kxStMwnwdYI

       

Rotting Christ/Varathron/Duality Of The Unholy Existence/Hells Headbangers/2019 Split EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Greece's  Rotting  Christ  and  Varathron  called  "Duality  Of  The  Unholy  Existence"  which  will  be  released  on  June  28th  by  Hells  Headbangers  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Rotting  Christ  who  return  with  their  melodic  style  of  occult  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  along  with  the  vocals  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams,  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  as  well  as  some  synths  also  being  added  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  being  more  aggressive  than  previous  releases,  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Rotting  Christ  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.

  Next  up  is  Varathron  who  return  with  their  occult  style  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  synths  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  song  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  song  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  making  a  90's  style  sound  more  modern.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Satanism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Varathron  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  band,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.

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

http://hellsheadbangers.bandcamp.com/album/duality-of-the-unholy-existence-2         

Varathron/The Confessional Of The Black Penitents/Agonia Records/2015 EP Review

  Greece's  Varathron  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  continuing  the  occult  black  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2015  "The Confessional Of The Black Penitents" which  consists  of  3  new  tracks  and  4  life  tracks.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  synths  and  a  few  seconds  grim  black  metal  screams  and  deep  growls  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  gets  more  heavy  and  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  they  also  mix  the  clean  and  heavy  parts  together  and all  of  the  musical instruments have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  more  of  a  raw  style  of  black  metal  and  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  and  progressive  at  times and  the  live  tracks  remain  true  to  the  original  versions  and  the  last  track  brings  in  melodic  choirs  that  gives  the  music a  ritualistic  feeling.

   Varathron continues  the  melodic  and  occult  black  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings  with  the  newer  tracks  and  the  live  songs also  continue  the  atmosphere  of  the  original  versions,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  legends,  mythos,  mystery,  horror,  evil  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  from  Varathron  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sinister  Recollections"  and  "Kabalistic  Invocation  Of  Solomon".  8  out  of  10.

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Varathron/Untrodden Corridors Of Hades/Agonia Records/2014 CD Review

  Varathron  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  has  been  interviewed  before  by  this  zine  and  plays  an  occult  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Untrodden  Corridors  Of  Hades"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Agonia  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  chants  and  a  few  seconds  later  grim  whispers  are  shamanistic  beats  are  added  into  the  music  which  leads  up  to  a  more  heavy  and  melodic  musical  direction  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  and  growls  as  well  a s some  guitar  solos  and  leads  that  use  a  great  amount  of  melody,  talent  and  skill.

  All  of  the  musical  instrument s on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  is  very  atmospheric  in  more  of  an  early  90's  way  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  the  ritualistic  sounds  with  the  black  metal  elements  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  on  some  of  these  tracks  you  can  hear  the  band  is  adding  in  more  of  a  modern  sound  while  still  bringing  in  the  old  school  Greek  black  metal  feeling.

  As  the  album  progresses  there  are  some  more  fast  and  raw  parts  that  utilized  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  being  added  into  the  music  at  times  and  when  the  band  uses  synths  the  music  gets  more  epic  and  atmospheric  and  on  some  of  the  tracks  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  very  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  leads,  when  we  get  further  into  the  album  the  band  starts  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Varathron  expand  on  the  occult  black  metal  sound  that  was  present  on  earlier  recordings  while  also  showing  a  great  amount  of  progress  and  moving  wit h the  times  instead  of  writing  the  same  album  over  again  and  the  music  on  this  album  is  very  heavy,  ritualistic  and  progressive,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Kabbalism,  The  Lesser  And  Greater  Kings  Of  Solomon,  Occultism,  and  Left  Hand  Path  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Varathron  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kabalistic  Invocation  Of Solomon"  "Arcane  Conjuring"  and  "Delve  Into  The  Past".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.varathron.com/
https://www.facebook.com/VarathronOfficial    

  

Varathron Interview

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?

HAIL TO EVERY BLACK METAL SOUL BROTHER AROUND THE WORLD! WELL NOW WE’RE WORKING FOR THE NEWEST FULL ALBUM, CALLED “UNTRODDEN CORRIDORS OF HADES”. WE HAVE FIVE NEW TRACKS ALMOST READY, SOME TITLES LIKE “MERCILESS PAIN”, LEPROCIOUS LORD”, “ASTROPHOBOS” AND MORE. WE HAVE A PLAN TO START TO RECORD THIS ALBUM ON THE FIRST DAYS OF JUNE 2011!

ALSO, WE’LL RELEASE A 3-WAY SPLIT WITH TWO ETERNAL BOTHERS, A POLISH BLACK ALTAR AND TEXAN METALHEADS THORNSPAWN! ALSO, A SPLIT-7” WITH NECROMANTIA FOR THE 20 YEARS ANNIVERSARY FROM THE FIRST SPLIT!!!!



2. What is the meaning behind the band's name?

VARATHRON MEANS THE ABSOLUTE CHAOS, EREBUS, DEEPEST ABYSS AND TOTAL DARKNESS! SO, LIKE A SERVANTS OF THE UTTER DARK -STYGIAN FORCES WE MUST SPREADING THIS APOCRYPHAL LUST! WE SPREADING THROUGH OUR OBSCURE PSALMS! TOTAL EVIL PREVAILS!



3. How would you describe the musical style of your most recent music?

WE HAVE OUR OWN DIFFERENT STYLE THROUGH THE YEARS!!! WE PLAYING OCCULT BLACK METAL WITH OUR PERSONAL STYLE AND THAT ARE OUR STATUS AND REASON WHICH CALLED THIS BAND, A LEGENDARY CULT BAND FROM 1988 UNTIL NOW!!!!!



4. What style of lyrics are you using for the new material?

OUR LYRICS TALK FOR NAMELESS RITUALS, APOCRYPHAL BLACK GATHERINGS, ANCIENT RELIGIONS, BATTLES AND WARS, PAIN AND LAMENTS, OLD LEGENDS AND FORGOTTEN MYTHS, ESOTERIC PARANORMAL HUMAN SITUATIONS, ASTRAL TRIPS AND JOURNEYS BEYOND THE GRAVE!!!!



5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

WELL IN OUR BAND HISTORY, WE PLAYED ONLY A FEW SHOWS. THE BASIC REASON FOR THAT WAS THE LINE-UP CHANGED AND THE OBLIGATORY ARMY-SERVICE. SO, I LIKE THE OLD SHOW IN 1991, WHEN WE WAITING THE MAYHEM WITH MY BROTHER DEAD ON VOCALS FOR TWO DAYS GIG HERE IN ATHENS. WE WERE TOTAL UNLUCKY, BECAUSE MAYHEM WILL NEVER COMES, BECAUSE FUCKING COPS STOPPED THEM IN YUGOSLAVIA FRONTIERS.( AFTER SOME MONTHS MY BROTHER DEAD DIED AND I NEVER SAW HIM!). OTHER GREAT SHOW WAS THE GIG WITH PRIMORDIAL AND MOURNING BELOVETH.

ABOUT OUR STAGE PERFORMANCE I THINK IS GOOD, BUT THE BEST HONEST OPINION BELONGS TO OUR FRIENDS-FANS WHO MAKE ALL OUR SHOWS SOLD-OUT!

6. You have a long history that goes back in the Greek black metal scene, what kind of influence do you feel you have on the younger black metal bands?

VARATHRON IS THE FIRST BAND WHO PLAYED BLACK METAL IN GREEK SCENE, IN 1988! SO, WE HAVE INSPIRED A LOT OF BANDS AROUND THE WORLD AND SOME IN GREECE. REALLY I FEEL GREAT; IT’S A BIG HONOUR FOR US TO HEAR A BAND TO TALK FOR VARATHRON LIKE A BIG INSPIRATION FOR THEIR MUSIC, TO PLAY OUR SONGS ON STAGE, TO WRITE OUR BAND NAME ON THEIR CD- BOOKLET.

IT’S A STRANGE FEELING, A MIX OF PROUD AND PLEASURE. ALSO, THAT GIVES US MORE STRONGLY TO CREATE NEW OCCULT PSALMS!!!



7. Do you have any plans to ever do a US tour?

MY FRIEND, IT’S A BIG DESIRE AND I HOPE TO MAKE IT TRUE ONE DAY! I LIKE TO PLAY THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT FRIENDS, FAITHFUL METAL BROTHERS!!! TOTAL RULES!!!!



8. Out off all the albums that the band has put out so far, which one are you the most satisfied with?

I FEEL THE SAME FOR ALL OUR ALBUMS, BECAUSE WE TRIED SO MUCH FOR EACH RELEASE. I LOVE ALL OUR ALBUMS AND EVERYONE HAVE IT’S OWN STORY. IF I RETURN MY MEMORY TO THE PAST, I LIKE THE FIRST CULT ALBUM “HIS MAJESTY AT THE SWAMP”, WHICH WAS OUR FIRST FULL ALBUM WHO MAKE US SO “FAMOUS” IN UNDERGROUND SCENE. BUT, WHEN I SEE THE PRESENT, I’M TOTAL HEADBANGER- MANIAC WITH OUR LAST OPUS “STYGIAN FORCES OF SCORN”. I CAN’T SEPARATE ANY OF OUR ALBUMS, EACH ONE HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT WHO MAKE IT A GREAT PART OF VARATHRON HISTORY!!!!



9. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

AS I TOLD YOU, WE PLAYING OUR OWN STYLE, AN OCCULT BLACK METAL MUSIC! TOTAL APOCRYPHAL, OBSCURE AND ABYSMAL SOUND AND WE’LL CONTINUE ON THE SAME STYLE AND BACK! BESIDES OUR NEW ALBUM AND THE UPCOMING ALBUM ARE BACK TO THE ROOTS. WE HAVE TWO GUITARS, BASS AND DRUMS WITHOUT SYNTHESIZER, MORE HEAVILY THAN EVER! TOTAL RULES!!!!!!



10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced the music and what are you listening to nowadays?

WELL, OUR INFLUENCES ARE BANDS LIKE HELLHAMMER, (early) SARCOFAGO, VENOM, BATHORY, BLACK SABBATH AND BLACK WIDOW! ALSO, THE MELODY, THE RHYTHM, THE IDEAS AND THE RIFFS OF OUR MUSIC, ALL INCLUDED ELEMENTS FROM THE SOUND OF THE BANDS OF 70’s. THE SOUND OF PROGRESSIVE ART HARD ROCK BANDS WHO INSPIRED THE MOST OF GREAT METAL BANDS AROUND THE WORLD. THAT IS THE UNIQUE ELEMENT WHO HAS THE MOST METAL GREEK BANDS –ESPECIALLY FROM THE FIRST METAL GENERATION OF THE END OF 80’s- AND THEY CREATED THE GREEK BLACK METAL SOUND! A MIX OF OLD –ANCIENT SOUND AND THE SOUND OF TODAY!

SO, NOW I CONTINUE TO LISTEN HEAVY, DEATH AND BLACK METAL BANDS-NEW AND OLD- AND THE NEW ALBUMS FROM THE GREAT BANDS OF 70’s WHO WILL “BORN AGAIN” AND THEY RELEASE PERFECT WORKS!!! I’M A MUSICAL PRODUCER OF A RADIO METAL SHOW, CALLED “TWILIGHT ZONE” 98.7FM ( WWW.DIMOTIKORADIOFONO.GR)

AND I LISTEN A LOT OF NEW BANDS, A NEW RELEASES BUT I STILL HAVE THE STRONG OPINION ABOUT THAT: THE OLD CLASSIC BANDS RELEASED GREAT ALBUMS MORE THAN THE NEW BANDS!!! YOU CAN CHECK THE RETURN OF TOM WARRIOR-TRYPTIKON KILLS, THE LAST ALBUM OF IMMOLATION, THE RETURN OF BURZUM , THE RETURN OF GODLY ARCHGOAT , MY BROTHERS BLASPHEMY AND MANY MANY RETURNS!!!!!!!!!! TOTAL RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



11. What role does Satanism, Occultism or Paganism play in the music?

WELL, THE MUSIC AND THE BELIEVES ARE DIFFERENT THINGS, IN THE FIRST VIEW! ALSO, IF YOU LISTEN DEEPLY IN THIS POINT, YOU CAN SEE THIS: THROUGH YOUR MUSIC, YOU CAN “PASS” YOU’RE BELIEVES, YOU’RE IDEAS, YOUR DREAMS. SO, ALL OF THAT HAVE SOME ROLE IN THE MUSIC, ESPECIALLY ON THE LYRICS! OF COURSE, SOMETIMES WE HAVE A “NEGATIVE” SITUATION. SOME BANDS USING THOSE DARK RELIGIONS ONLY FOR THE “IMAGE” AND THE RESULTS ARE SO FAKE AND STUPID. WELL, IN VARATHRON MUSIC THAT DARK PHILOSOPHIES

HAVE A “STATUS” ROLE IN OUR MUSIC AND ESPECIALLY ON OUR LYRICS!!!!!



12. What are some of your interests outside of music?

WELL, I HAVE A LOT OF HOBBIES, INTERESTS OUTSIDE THE MUSIC.

I LIKE TO READ BOOKS, TO SEE MOVIES, TO TRAINING ON KICK BOXING, TO TRAVEL IN GREECE AND OUTSIDE OF GREECE AND MORE OTHERS!



13. Any final words or thoughts?

METAL BROTHER, THANX FOR YOUR SUPPORT. EMBRACE OUR OCCULT PSALMS AND BEWARE FOR OUR NEWEST ABYSMAL INVASION!!!!!

“UNTRODDEN CORRIDORS OF HADES” IS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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