Sunday, January 21, 2024

Wolves Of Perdition/Ultra Violence/Folter Records/2024 Full Length Review

 


  Wolves  Of  Perdition  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Ultra  Violence"   and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Ultra  Violence"  which  will  be  released  on  January  26th  by  Folter  Records.


  A  very  violent  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  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  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.


\  Growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  Scandinavian  style  as  well  as  remaining  very  modern  at  the  same  time  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  Wolves  Of  Perdition  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  fast,  raw,  aggressive  and  melodic  in  the  classic  Scandinavian  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Warfare,  Violence,  Death  and  Anti  Religion  themes.  


  In  my  opinion  Wolves  Of  Perdition  are  a  very  great  sounding  fast,  aggressive  and  melodic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Forest  Of  The  Impaled"  and  "Tuomio".  8  out  of  10.


  https://www.facebook.com/WolvesOfPerdition  

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Azzaya/I Begin/Prophetical Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 


  Azzaya  are  an  international  band  with members  from  Portugal,  Greece  and  Turkey  that  plays  an  aggressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "I  Begin"  which  was  released  by  Prophetical  Productions.


  Synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams.


  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  words  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  interludes  also  adding  acoustic  guitars  and  chanting  vocals,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clear  vocals.  


  Azzaya  plays  a  very  aggressive  style  of  black  metal  which  they  also  mix  with  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Azzaya  are  a  very  great  sounding  aggressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chaos  Reigns"  "Altar  of  The  Black  Flame"  and  "Black  Sun  Torture  Porn".  8  out  of  10.


  Website: https://propheticalproductions.com/

Bandcamp: https://azzaya.bandcamp.com/album/i-begin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PropheticalProductions/

Iarmhairt Interview

 


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


A: Iarmhairt is an atmospheric black metal band from Belfast, Ireland. We formed in 2019 and we consist of two guitarists as the core of our lineup, focusing on the more expansive end of the genre.


2.So far you have released a demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?


A: ‘Demo MMXXIII’ was influenced by similar nature-centric black metal bands such as Panopticon and Altar of Plagues, amongst others. For our initial demo, we’ve ran with a couple of different approaches to our music, from incorporating elements of traditional heavy metal and blackgaze to some passages reminiscent of the dissonant black metal scene. Some of these avenues will be explored further in the future.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?


A: Each track focuses on nature’s re-emergence after humanity’s eventual self destruction, and the challenges both it and humanity’s remnants face. These culminate into sets of lyrical imagery that aim to be both majestic and harrowing.


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


A: ‘Iarmhairt’ loosely translates from Irish to ‘consequence’, inspired by humanity’s self destructive environmental neglect. Iarmhairt imagines a world scarred by centuries of human error, yet one that attempts to thrive amidst its lessened constraints.


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


A: The fundamental premise behind the art is nature’s triumph over ruins; the past exploits of humanity now overgrown and reduced to a fraction of their former majesty.


6.Has the band done any live shows or open to the ide?


A: If both the right occasion and supporting lineup emerges, we’ll consider.


7.So far very little is known about the band, do you prefer to keep a lower profile?


A: This will soon change with the demo release, however we personally prefer to keep a lower profile. We’d much rather our music speak for the band rather than engage in the trappings of modern social media ‘content feeds’ which would be disingenuous for us.


8.Fiadh Productions are re-issuing your demo on physical format, how did you get in contact with this label?


A: I came across Fiadh through both the work that Bariann has done to support underground black metal artists (without some of the typical baggage the genre sadly contains) and the work she’s done to support niche Irish extreme music. It’s important for us to be part of a community that we ethically align with, alongside all of the business elements and quality standards for releases.


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


A: Let’s see what happens!


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


A: We’ve got a full length in the works and we’re finalising how we want it to sound currently. We’ll be expanding our sound further, delving even further into atmospheric passages.


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?


A: Some of the bands I’ve listened to for inspiration for recording Demo MMXXIII include a lot of Panopticon’s work, Svartidaudi’s early releases, along with bands such as Ulver, Urfaust and Weakling. I’m quite selective over what I listen to these days (ever-reducing free time always helps), but recently I’ve got into the later Blut Aus Nord albums, the atmospheric blackened doom that The Ruins of Beverast run with, and the jarring blackened passages of Kostnatění. Koldovstvo’s debut also deserves a mention here, along with some of Tardigrada’s earlier works.


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

A: Thanks to all of you who have took the time to listen to us.


https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/

Friday, January 19, 2024

Niphredil/The FInal Star/Prophetical Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 


  Niphredil  are  a  duo  from  Ecuador  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "The  Final  Star"  which  was  released  by  Prophetical  Productions.


  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into a   lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.


  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  some  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  When  keyboards  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  recording  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  Clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  growls  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  album.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  influence's  of  ambient,  goth  and  progressive  rock  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  inner  struggles  and  ancient  spirituality.


  In  my  opinion  Niphredil  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dreamy  Nowhere"  and  "The  Final  Star".  8  out  of  10.


  Website: https://propheticalproductions.com/

Bandcamp: https://niphredillabel.bandcamp.com/album/the-final-star
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PropheticalProductions/

Halphas/Sermons Of The Black Flame/Folter Records/2024 Full Length Review

 


  Halphas  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  raw,  melodic,    and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Sermons  Of  The  black  Flame"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Folter  Records.


  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.


  The  album  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  old  school  influences  while  angry  shouts  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  a  couple  of  songs  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts.  


  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well as  some  synths  also  being  utilized  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Left  Hand  path  and  Darkness  themes.   


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Halphas  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  melodic  and  old  school  black  emtal,  you  should  check  out  this  album..  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Satan  Speaks"  'Disciples  Of  Dark  Gods"  and  "Into  The  Fires  of  The  Black  Flame".  8  out  of  10.


  https://www.facebook.com/halphasofficial 

Kasm/Lux Obscurata/Northen Shadow/2024 EP Review

 


  Kasm  are  a  band  from  Calgary,  Alberta,  Canada  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  cosmic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  ep  "Lux  Obscurata"  which  will  be  released  on  January  31st,  2024.


  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  ep  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling.


  At  times  the  music  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized,  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.


  Kasm  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  aggressive,  atmospheric  and  cosmic  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  cosmic  despair  and  existentialism  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Kasm  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  cosmic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Light  Of  The  Leviathan"  and  "Cosmic  Enlightenment".  8  OUT  OF  10.


  Bandcamp: https://northernshadow.bandcamp.com/album/lux-obscurata


 

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Amorphous Dominion/A Blaze in The Eastern Sky/2024 EP Review

 


  Amorphous  Dominion  are  a  band  from  Thailand  that  plays  a  very  fast,  atmospheric  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  ep  "A  Blaze  In  The  Eastern  Sky".


  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  an  atmospheric  and  heavier  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams.


  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  era.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  spoken  words ,  clean  playing  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody.


  Amorphous  Dominion  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  fast,  atmospheric  and  old  school  sounding  in  the  90's  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Amorphous  Dominion  are  a  very  great  sounding  fast,  atmospheric  and  old  school  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Summoning  To  Ruin  The  10th  Pillars".  8  out  of  10.


  http://www.facebook.com/amorphousdominion

https://www.youtube.com/@amorphousdominion122

https://amorphousdominion.bandcamp.com/