Voodus/Emanating Sparks/Shadow Records/Regain Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Sweden's  Voodus  have  returned  with  a   new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  occult  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Emanating  Sparks"  which  will  be  released  on  February  28th  as  a  joint  effort  between  Shadow  and  Regain  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gibes  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  clean  playing  also  returns  on  later  tracks  and  a  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  Swedish  style  and  keyboards  are  also  used  briefly  towards  the  end.

  On  this  recording  Voodus  goes  for  a  very  aggressive,  melodic  and  traditional  form  of  occult  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Darkness  and  Death  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Voodus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  aggressive  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Emanating  Sparks"  and  "Where  The  Whispering  Wind  Blows".  8 out  of  10.

  http://regainrecords.bandcamp.com/album/emanating-sparks

www.facebook.com/voodus666 

Voodus/Domgard/Ginnungagap/Ljungeld Över Människan/Shadow Records/Regain Records/2021 Split Album Review

 

   This  is  a  review  of  a   split  album  between  Sweden's  Voodus  and  Domagard  called  "Ginnungagap/Ljungeld  Över  Människan"  which  will b e  released  in  September  as  a  joint  effort  between  Shadow  and  Regain  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Voodus  who  return  with  their  melodic  style  of  occult  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  acoustic  guitars  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  melodies  also  being  added  into  the  guitar  riffing  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  Norse  Paganism,  Occultism,  Darkness  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Voodus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Call".

  Next  up  is  Domgard  who  return  with  their  epic  and  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  epic  sounding  intro  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a v ery  melodic  style  while  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  ritualistic  whispers  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  Dark  Germanic  Heathenism  and  Anti  Cosmic  themes.

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

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

https://regainrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ginnungagap-ljungeld-ver-m-nniskan

Voodus/Open The Otherness/Shadow Records/Regain Records/2020 EP Review

  Sweden's  Voodus  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  occult  black  metal  style  of  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "Open  The  Otherness"  which  will  be  released  in  June  as  a  joint  effort  between  Shadow  and  Regain  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  both  of  their  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Clean  playing  and  classical  guitars  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  tracks  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments,  whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  Voodus  remains  true  to  the  melodic  style  of  occult  black  metal  that  they  have  established  on  their  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Dark  and  Sinister  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Voodus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  occult  black  emtal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Open  The  Otherness".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/voodus666/

    

Voodus/Into The Wild/Shadow/2018 CD Review

  Voodus  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays an  occult  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Into  the  Wild"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Shadow.

  Thunder  and  wind  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  faster  sections  of   the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  while  the  tremolo  picking  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  while  a  great  portion  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  they also  bring  in  a  brief  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  two  remaining  tracks.

  On  this  recording  Voodus  plays  more  of  a  melodic  style  of  occult  black  metal  in  the  Swedish  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Occultism  themes.

 In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Voodus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Golden"  "Communion  Amid  The  Graves"  and  "The  Terrian  Of  Moloch".  8  out  of  10.

http://helterskelterproductions.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-wild

Voodus Interview

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

Voodus is blackmetal, both musically and in spirit. Even though we have a little bit more "modern" sound than our "heroes from the old" (Bathory, Dissection, Nifelheim, Mayhem, Vulcano, Sodom, Malign, Ofermod, Mercyful Fate, Arckanum, Morbid Angel etc etc), we do pay 100% respect and devotion to the bands and individuals that once invited the dark, sinister spirits for real into the music of this world.

2.Almost a year ago you had released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

It´s rough! Directly played from our amps and drums directly to the tape. Live. Just like a true demo is meant to be recorded. It was the first recording with Voodus, and just a few days ago we came home from the legendary "Necromorbus Studio" in Stockholm after the recording of our next coming single. That release will not be rough! Tore is a fucking master behind the wheels, and he made us reach new levels with our music! This will be the best release, both musically and by quality, this far. I cant wait to unleash this beast upon the surface of the earth!

3.Your lyrics cover a lot of Occult and Left Hand Path topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the black arts?

Well, as far as i know it´s only me (Tobbe) who is devoted to the occult, or to "Satanism" if you so like, in the band. At least the only one who practice the magic, read, write and explore the dark side in all the ways and angles i can. I can´t speak for the others, but i´m quite sure that they are out there, seeking the truth, or the answers in the dark and consealed labyrinth of the lands beyond the bound!

4.For more than 10 years the band was known as 'Jormundgand', what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Voodus'?

Jormundgand had lost it´s mystic sense, i guess. We didn´t get any strength or creative atmosphere from Jormundgand anymore. You can hear it very clear if you listen to the "Visions...." cd. The lack of dark atmosphere and to be honest, good music, good creations is just not there! We have struggled so fucking hard with Jormundgand during the past years with almost no response. And finally we decided to kill Jormundgand. Chop his fucking head off! We (me and Ingo) hooked up with Erik once again and we decided to do music like we did in the early days of Jormundgand. Straight from the hart and from the depths of our souls, just like it should be done.  I met Fredrik at the same time and we wanted him to play in the band as well, and he was right on it! We are now for the first time in 10 years a full band with active members who live for the band and is 100% devoted! That's the main reason why we sound so much better today, as Voodus.

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

With Ofermod and Mephorash, no doubt about it. We did a mini-tour together last year and it was fucking awsome! The atmosfear around the "Holy Trinity Tour" was amazing! It´s very special to hang out with "legends" as Mika Belfegor and Jonas Nebiros. They have some kind of dark and sinister aura that surrounds them. And that force-field of dark currents contaminate everything around them! It´s a very creative and inspiring environment to be a part off!
  I guess that the best gig this far was in Stockholm at that tour, or in Gothenburg the first time we played at Belsepub along with Stormdeath.The crowd was fucking excellent, and the power i felt inside of me during those gigs was something extraordinary!
Our stage performance is nothing unique for the scene. With blood,incense,fire,candles,bones and sculls. But i guess that we stick out from the masses because we are for real. All the items brought to the scene is there for a reason, they are loaded with a strong force. And i think that you as a observer in the audience can feel that It´s not just cosmetics. And i´m pretty fucking sure that a big part of the "scene" do bring all their "cool" stuff up on the stage because they think it is - Yeah, you get the point, Cool...... They have no deeper meaning with it.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Just a few smaller things. We are searching for good and serious characters, with a true driving spirit to work with. Who can help us to get tours and gigs both in Sweden and in Europe. But we haven´t find anyone who feels right for us yet...

7.Heathen Tribes re-issued your demo on cd, what are your thoughts on the final product?

I think it was a perfect release for a demo. Not to "bling bling" if you know what i mean. And Nicolas and Teo is fantastic to work with so we are very pleased with Heathen Tribes!

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

On a "worldwide underground level" it has been quite good! We have participated in like 100 fanzines (like Slayer Mag etc) from East to West and North to South, and a few more established mags and radio stations as well. So it´s quite good, i guess?

9.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Fredrik has been in a bunch of different bands, and Erik has been in Sadistic Grimness, Grond, Xul and Vornth. I think he still play in Vornth. Me and Ingo put all of our energy on Voodus.

10.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Hopefully in the beginning of 2017. It depends on the studio, labels,money and time etc etc. If you buy our forth-coming single you will get a taste of what to come!

11.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?
Everything that touch our harts and ignite the fires of the spirit! But i guess that the one band that have had the biggest influence on all of us is - DISSECTION!

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

Listen to Voodus and get drunk. I dont know! I think the questions was very good and covered approximately everything that i wanted to say!
You can listen to Voodus at Spotify or at our bandcamp. If you want us to come and play send me a email at:voodus666@gmail.com
We are cheap, but good ;) Hahaha
Fuck Off!
///TF666

Voodus/Nightqueen/Sliptrick Records/2016 EP Review

  Voodus  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  an  occult  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016 ep  "Nightqueen"  which  was  released  on  Sliptrick  Records.

  A  very  distorted  amp  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  grim  black  metal  screams.

  A  lot  of  the  music  has  a  more  modern  Swedish  style  and  whispers  can  also  be  heard  briefly   and  classical  guitars  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  some  blast  beats.

   Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length   and  there  are  also  some  spoken  vocals  which  also gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  atmosphere  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars  and  as  the  ep  progresses  elements  of  thrash and  first  wave  black  metal  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  a  later  song  is  all  instrumental  before  closing  the  ep  with  a  heavier  track  that  utilizes  vocals.

  Voodus  plays  a style  of  occult  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  melodic  while  being  mostly  rooted  in  the  modern  Swedish  style  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  Lilith  Qlipha,  Sitra Achra  and  Left  Hand  Path  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Voodus  are  a very  great  sounding  occult  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Envoy  From  The  Shores  Of  The  Eternal  Night"  and  "The  Burning  Light  Of  Daath".  8  out  of  10.  

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