A/Oratos/Ecclesia Gnostica/Les Acteurs de L'Ombre Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 

  A/Oratos  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  Gnostic  themed  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Ecclesia  Gnostica"  which  will  be  released  in  2024  by  Les  Acteurs  de  L'Ombre  Productions.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  blast b eats  are  also  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  recording.

  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  shouts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  Acoustic  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  songs  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  when  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  tracks  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  introduced  into  the  music  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  clear  vocals  onto  the  album,  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments,  synths  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  the  ancient  esoteric  traditions  of  Hermeticism, Kaballah  and  Gnosis  of  the  first  centuries.  

  In  my  opinion  A/Oratos  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  Gnostic  themed  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Daath"  and  "Le  Septieme  Sceau".  8  out  of  10.

 

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Uvod/Plamenem proshlogo/Atra Anduin Records/2023 Full length Review

 

  Uvod  are  a  duo  from  Russia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Plamenem  proshlogo"  which  was  released  by  Atra  Anduin  Records.

  A  very  dark y et  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  The  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also b e  heard  briefly

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are finally  utilized. The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  nature  and  sorrow  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Uvod  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sorrowful  Spirit"  and  "Skald".  8 out  of  10.

  

https://uvod.bandcamp.com/album/--2

Chanid/Kerygma/2023 EP Review

 

  Poland's  Chanid  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  old  school  form  of  occult  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their self. released  2023  ep  "Kerygma"  which  will  be  released  in  December.

  Spoken  word  parts  start  of  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  old  school  era  along  with  some  keyboards  also  being  utilized in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  On  this  recording  Chanid  remains  true  to  the  old  school  style  of  occult  black  metal  that  they  have  established  and  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Luciferian,  left  Hand  Path  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Chanid  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Luciferian  Hypostasis".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/chanidofficial   

  

Burial Moon/Self Titled/Signal Rex/2023 EP Review

 

  Burial  Moon  are  a  band  from  somewhere  in  Europe  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  lo-fi  form  of  black  metal  and  this  a  review  of  their  self  released  2023  ep  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Signal  Rex.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  At  times  the  music  also  captures  a  very  lo-fi  atmosphere  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  very  grim  black  metal  style  as  well  as  some  clear  singing  also  being  used  briefly  and  melodies  can  also b e  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  songs  also  add  in a  lot  of  old  school  influences.  High  pitched  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  music  sticking  to  a  heavier  direction  and  the  closing  track  is  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Burial  Moon  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw,  melodic  and lo-fi  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  witchcraft  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Burial  Moon  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  lo-fi  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Her  eyes  are  as  black  as  the  night  sky,  and  her  children  are  as  pale  as moonlight"  and  "Darkness  shines  through  the  mausoleum,  throwing  shadows  on  the  unmarked grave".  8 out  of  10.

  https://burialmoon.bandcamp.com/album/burial-moon    

Yermo Interview

 

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

YERMO is an Extreme Metal project free of boundaries. When the pandemic stopped the world, Sun of the Dying couldn’t rehearse or even meet, so I started developing some ideas I had in my mind for years. Everything started with some simple riffs, but it grew to something different and I added some orchestrations and clean vocals. So the result is kind of eclectic, you can find subtle strings arrangements and pianos mixed with blast beats and Funeral Doom sections.

2.You have your first full length coming out in December, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

I didn’t try to fit in any style with YERMO, so there are a lot of different elements. Of course I pursued some coherence concerning sound, so the guitar tone, the drums, the keyboards… are always the same. And there is a lot of melody, but you can find traces of Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom, Post Metal and even some Folk.

3.A lot of your lyrics cover Castillian Folklore and History, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

The lyrics of the album reflect mostly the nostalgia of simpler times, and the desire of scaping from this jail of smoke and concrete I live in. In Castile we have some of the greatest writers in the Spanish language, and many of them have a style that fits the personality of that land: plain, simple and kind of distant, yet heartful. Those novels and poems, together with the landscapes I grew in, led me to write about this land and the nostalgia of it. Also there is a lot of personal stuff. For example, “El Peso del Sol” (Spanish for The Weight of the Sun) depicts the fall of a land that once was glorious, but also the fall into senile dementia of beloved person of mine.

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

YERMO is Spanish for barren land, like the ones that inspired some of the lyrics of the album.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album?

Masles Roy is an amazing painter from Madrid. I’ve known him for many years, and I always wanted to work with him in some projects. I knew his style and I knew he would do something amazing. I gave him absolute freedom, and he delivered that amazing painting inspired by the song “El Peso del Sol”.

6.Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea in the future?

I think I will keep it as a studio project, but I am open to everything. I play in two more bands and for the moment I have all the concerts activity I need.

7.The new album is going to be released on 'Negre plan Y', how did you get in contact with this label?

Negra Nit has one of the most consistent and honest catalogues in Spain, so I wrote them and they liked the album. It will be released by the sub label Negre Plany because Negra Nit is very focused into Black Metal, which I absolutely love.

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

I’s a little bit soon to talk about it, but the feedback I’m getting is really good, better than I expected.

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

I play keyboards for the Doom/Death Metal band Sun of the Dying and the Melodic Metal Arwen. Two bands that are absolutely different in every possible sense, so I always have a lot of chances to learn something new.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

I love being free of boundaries, so I’d love to keep that open mind setup. I have some ideas, anyway, and most of them sound a little bit more aggressive.

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?

I listen to a lot of different music, so it’s hard for me to tell what really made an impact to my music and which one didn’t. Of course there are some bands like Anathema or The Gathering that made a huge impact on me and they are still among my favorites. Lately, I’m really enjoying the last Ne Obliviscaris album, A.A. Williams and the last album by Symphonic Black Metallers The Circle.

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

Thanks for giving me this space. Keep on supporting underground Metal!!

https://www.facebook.com/yermo.castilla

Fugit/Bury Me Here/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Italy's  solo  project  Fugit  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  post  black  metal,  blackgaze  and  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  album  "Bury  Me  here"  which  will  be  self  released  in  2024.

  Ambient  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  when  the  music  speeds  up  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  clean  sections  of  tracks  also  add  in  elements  of  post  rock.

  Touches  of  shoegaze  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Whispers  and  clear  vocals  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  tremolo  picking  in  the  fast  riffing  also  giving  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling  when  they  are  introduced  into  the  music.

  The  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized  and  some  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  being  instrumentals,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  near  death  experiences.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Fugit  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient,  blackgaze  and  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sonder"  "Inner  Shrine"  and  "Ride  In  the  Ambulance".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/mqFiScAETeM

www.linktr.ee/fugit

https://www.facebook.com/fugitofficial/ 

SYN/Villfarelse/Terratur Possessions/2023 Full Length Review

 

  SYN  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2023  album  "Villfareise"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Terratur  Possessions.

  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams.  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

 Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  era  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  clear  singing  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  introduced  into  the  music  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  closing  track  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing. The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Norwegian  and  cover  dark  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  SYN  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Daudatale"  "Villfarelse"  "Ormekulde"  and  "Drømmen  ved  bålet".  8  out  of  10.

 https://terraturpossessions.bandcamp.com/track/syn-groregn