Komandant/Kontack/Planet Metal/ 2010 CD Review

  Kommandant are a band from Chicago. Illinois that plays a very chaotic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2010 album "Kontack" which was released by Planet Metal.

Drums alternate between mid paced and fast playing with some brutal blast beats being thrown in the music, while the bass playing is mixed low in the music and follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are mostly mid paced to fast holocaust black meta; riffs that are very heavy and brutal, and there are little to no lead guitars or solos present on this album.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some deep growls being thrown in on occasion, while the lyrics cover war themes, as for the production it is very raw in the true war/black metal tradition.

In my opinion Kommandant are a very good band that should appeal to all fans of war/black metal. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Anti Human Nemesis" and "Sulphur Chariot". RECOMMENDED BUY.

www.myspace.com/kommandantofficial1

Krieg/The Isolationist/Candlelight Records/2010 CD Review

  Krieg are a band from New Jersey that has been around since the 90's and are one of the most well known US black metal bands and this is a review of their comeback album "The Isolationist" which will be released by Candlelight Records.

Drums are mostly fast with a lot of brutal blast beats with some slow playing being used at times, while the bass playing sounds very powerful with a mixture of slow,fast and distorted riffs that bring a deep sound to the primal music on this recording, as for the synth it is only used briefly the enhance the dark nature of the music mixed in with some avant garde and experimental music influences.

Rhythm guitars are mostly fast primal black metal riffs that slow down at times and bring a doomy edge to the music that contains a small amount of melody at times, and there are no lead guitars or solos present on this album except for maybe a few seconds.

Vocals are all high pitched black metal screams with some deep growls being used at times, while the lyrics touch on the corruptions of religion, hatred, depression and other dark themes, as for the production it is very raw sounding that makes the primal music sound much darker.

In my opinion this is a great comeback album from Krieg and if you are a fan of their previous albums you will not be disappointed. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "No Future" "All Paths To God" "Inhalation Decays" and "Dead Windows". RECOMMENDED BUY.

http://www.myspace.com/officialkrieg

Valdur Interview

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?
L.S. (drums)- We have just completed a tour of the northeastern area of the U.S. as well as a couple of shows down south in the Los Angeles area. We have also recently completed our latest full length titled 'Raven God Amongst Us' and we are promoting that as well. We have some more shows in the future and are also slowly getting prepared for the long winter ahead up here in the mountains….

2. What is the meaning of the band's name?
L.S.- It is a similar name to the god of the winter sky…..where we live, we have very long, cold winters…..so it seemed appropriate.

3. How would you describe your musical sound?
L.S.- Valdur is metal music first and foremost. We are proud to have many extreme metal influences in the creation of Valdur. I personally grew up with Mercyful Fate, Bathory, Venom, old Slayer, etc…..and then got heavily into thrash metal…then heavily into death metal….and then also got into the newer black metal stuff. I also like doom metal as well as the classic heavy metal. It's funny though…..for me, black metal is still Mercyful Fate! hah! None of us in Valdur are confined to one style of metal. I also listen to dark ambient and drone stuff. …..it is all an influence on our music. We do NOT just take one or two bands' styles and then try to copy them!

4. The new album has some lyrics that are written in a different language, what made you decide to use a different language on some songs and how would you describe the lyrical content of the new album?
L.S.- This comes from our vocalist (also guitarist) Thor. He is from Norway and so he chooses to write some of his songs in Norwegian. And no, we are not trying to be Norwegian Black Metal….Valdur would never try to be something that it is not! hey! We all bring our different influences to this band to make it complete. I am quite unclear as far as the lyrical content of the new album…..this is Thor's department.

5. What are some of the best live shows that the band has played so far?
L.S.- Every live show is good for us, as we put all of our energy and spirit into the live setting. It is actually hard for me to look back on the live shows as I typically end up in a very strange state of mind. Our music is very fast and intense and I have to concentrate very hard to keep it all together. I typically am frustrated when a metal band thinks it ok to be 'messy' on stage.

6. Do you have any plans to tour Europe in the future?
L.S.- Well, I must say that to tour Europe would be great. I have traveled all throughout Europe many times including: Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Scandinavia, etc…. -Chamonix, France is like a second home for me, I have spent a lot of time there in the French alps. To be able to travel through some of these countries and be able to play extreme metal music would be really amazing. Also to be able to play some festivals over there would be a dream come true. Maybe someday we will have that privilege, yes?

7. Are there any current side projects besides this band if so who are they and what kind of music do they play?
L.S.- I am actually the one with all the side projects as I am always plugging away at music. I play the drums in two other bands: Endless Blizzard as well as Weverin……and I have two of my own solo projects: Sxuperion and SXAP. It is all extreme metal with the exception of SXAP which more ambient stuff.

8. How has your material been received so far by black metal fans worldwide?
L.S.- Very well…

9. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
L.S.- I think that when we first began composing songs, they had some old school death metal mixed into old and modern 'black metal' sounds. Then, I think we had a more traditional and more recent 'black metal' style….this was due to Thor writing so many riffs! I think that we are now slowly re-molding our sound…..but I am not quite sure how to describe it. My aim is to make my drum parts faster and more brutal for every release. I always get pissed when bands' music gets less intense over each release….like they are dumbing down their music. Fuck that…..

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and what are you listening to nowadays?
L.S.- As I said before, I listen to all kinds of metal music as well as ambient music. I despise most other kinds of music like rap or country or pop. Some people may think that I am 'closed minded'…..so be it. This is my choice. I know what I like and I stick with it. I am listening to a lot of Blut Aus Nord, the new Azarath is fucking awesome, Brian Eno (his Ambient series), Lull, the new Urgehal is good….I really like the new 1349, and I am addicted to the new Lightning Swords of Death full length…..it seems to get better and better the more I listen to it. I also am always listening to the good shit from the good old days……Mercyful Fate/King Diamond, Bathory, Morbid Angel, Unleashed, Incantation, etc. I have a huge metal collection!

11. What role does Paganism, Occultism or Satanism play in the music and how would you describe your views on those topics?
L.S.- We are deeply spiritual individuals. I will not going into our specific spiritual preferences though. To me, people who go about trying to prove their spirituality or their religious beliefs onto others are spineless, parasites who just cannot keep their mouths shut. Our spirituality plays a very strong role in our music though……and this is why one does not hear much 'happy', 'feel good' shit in Valdur, hah!…..although I think that our music can be very uplifting at times…..

12. What are some of your interests outside of music?
L.S.- We have many…..as I stated earlier, we live up high in the mountains of the eastern sierras. We have to laugh when people think of California as only being a beach when the state inhabits the highest peak in the lower 48 states (Mt. Whitney at over 14,000 ft.). The small town we live in is at 8,000 ft elevation…..so this means plenty of wandering through the mountains during all seasons of the year. The winters here are long……last winter we had snow on the ground for 9 months straight, and it gets so deep that it typically buries our homes. So this keeps us busy! There are also many other things that I get out of life, but I will keep those things private for now…….all I can say is that we are not stagnant people.

13. Any final words or thoughts?
L.S.- no…..

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Woe/Quietly Undramatically/Candlelight Records/2010 CD Review

  Woe are a band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that plays a raw form of black metal with a depressive feel and this is a review of their 2010 album "Quietly Undramatically which will be released by Candlelight Records.

Drums are mostly mid paced to fast with a lot of brutal blast beats and some slow playing, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the guitar.

Rhythm guitars are mostly mid paced to fast black metal riffs that are a raw and use a depressing tone at times and the occasional thrash sounding riff with some slow riffing as well as soft acoustic guitar playing being used at times, while the lead guitars are primitive sounding black metal guitar solos that have a dark ambient feel at times.

Vocals are all high pitched black metal screams with some deep growls as well as some clean singing being used at times while the lyrics cover depressing and hateful issues, as for the production it is very dark and necro sounding which is the perfect for the primal black metal this music invokes.

In my opinion Woe are a very good band and this a good album from them that should appeal to all fans of raw and depressing sounding black metal. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Road From Recovery" "Without Logic" and "Hatred Is Our Heart".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://www.myspace.com/woeunholy

Stonehaven Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard you before?
S: Stonehaven is a Viking-themed Black Metal band from Midwest America. We've been together for 5 years.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
S: We've been compared to Windir and Enslaved, although I feel our music has taken a stronger turn towards straight black metal in the last couple years. Our previous demo had much more of a viking metal sound, whereas our current full length strays away from that. I would like to keep the perverted and opposite mixture of Einherjer to Sargeist.

3.What is the meaning behind the band's name?
S: Stonehaven, as in the preservation of ancient things, sentiments, etc.

4. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?
S: My lyrics are meant to capture the terror of Viking age Europe. It is about the horror of a Christian man watching his wife get raped. It is about the hot shit streaming down the leg of the man standing in his first shieldwall, cowering at the charge. It is about Nordic-themed atrocities and murder. The unwritten sagas of murderers and killers versus the typical glorification of Viking 'heroism.' While Norse Heathenism and typical Viking-Metal lyrics encompassed our previous music, my lyrics have transitioned to represent the utter blackness of the Old World. From brothers killing brothers, the boast of a rapist to his comrades, to the whispers of dying men as they lay on the pyre, offering their knowledge of the Nine Worlds to those who would listen.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far?
S: Our recent tour brought many impressive shows. Personally, I enjoyed playing LA the best. LA is known for many elitist black metalists, and their large approval of our band and performance was honoring.

6. Are there any plans to tour Europe in the future?
S: I feel that whenever the opportunity presents itself to flatten the Old World, we'll take it.

7. The new album is self released do you have plans to look for a label in the future and if so what kind of label do you think that would be a perfect fit for your music?
S: Being in the MidWest, finding a label would be very helpful for us. There's a deficit of Black Metal in our area. We were very well received on the West Coast, and I believe a label would help us expand our audiences. That being said, many fledgling black metal bands jump at labels too quickly, and the label that gives them their home ends up giving them their grave as well.

8. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
S: N. and I have been playing music for about 8 years now. Originally we had a thrash/black metal sound. At a point, we had an extremely viking metal sound. Now I feel we've combined the best of our past to influence our future. Again, our sound will move towards many black metal bands we respect (Horna, Pagan Hellfire, Kampfar, Marduk, etc), but our most clear influence is ourselves.

9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and what are you listening to nowadays?
S: I can only speak for myself, but Burzum, Infaust, Sargeist, Nordreich, Satanic Warmaster, Horna, Walknut, etc..

10. What role does Paganism or Occultism play in the music and how would you describe your views on these topics?
S: Nordic Heathenism is a central tenant of my music and life, however, I don't feel it's an open table discussion. It disgusts me to no end to see hipsters take up any sort of heathenry. I don't feel explaining my elitist views on the matter would do anything other than possibly motivate a reader to take up the same views. This would be an affront to the purity of my ideals.

11. What are some of your interests outside of music?
S: History, Western Martial Arts, and reenactment.

12. Any final words or thoughts?
S: It excites to me that the rest of the United States that has experienced us is so receiving. We seek to please no one other than ourselves, and the fact that the other blue-bloods of black metal who we've run across in person have favored us so is honoring.

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Wolfshade/When Above/Wraith Productions/2010 CD Review

  Wolfshade are a 1 man band from France that plays a down  tempo  and  depressing form of dark black metal and this is a review of their 2010 "When Above" which was released by Wraith Productions.

Drum beats are mostly slow with no fast playing or blast beats being used, while the keyboards have a depressing ambient feel to them, as for the bass playing it is all slow and primal.

Rhythm guitars are mostly slow depressive sounding black metal riffs with a lot of open strings being used that gives the music a very haunting and tragic feel, while the lead guitars are basic sounding depressive style black metal guitar solos.

Vocals are high pitched suicidal black metal screams with some clean singing being used at times mixed in with some whispered vocals, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of French and English and cover cabalistic occultism with a more left hand path approach as well as some H.P Lovecraft themes, with a dose of dreams, darkness and myths, as for the production it is very dark sounding which is a perfect balance for this depressive ambient black metal sound this album haves.

In my opinion Wolfshade are a very good band that should appeal to fans of depressive black metal with a more occult/esoteric edge. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Bene Elohim" "Le Refugie Des Passions" and "Incipit Vita Nova". RECOMMENDED BUY.

http://www.wolfshade.net

http://www.myspace.com/wolfshade7

Valdur/Raven God Amongst Us/BloodyMountain Records/2010 CD Review

Valdur are a black metal band from Northern California that has been around for a few years and this is a review of their 2010 album "Raven God Amongst Us" which was released by Bloody Mountain Records.

Drums alternate between mid paced and fast drumming with some brutal blast beats being thrown in, while the bass playing seems to follow the riffs that are coming out of the guitars and at times they sound powerful.

Rhythm guitars alternate between mid paced and fast black metal riffs that contain some melodies, and there are little to know lead guitars or solos present on this album except for maybe a few parts.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some deep death metal growls thrown in and on one song there is a small amount of viking chants, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of Norwegian and English which is kind off odd for an American black metal band and cover Norse Paganism and Asataru, as for the production it is very dark and raw sounding that goes over well with this band's primitive approach to black metal.

In my opinion Valdur are a very good black metal bands that should appeal  to any black metal fans that loves the raw pagan style of this genre, and this band also puts on a good live show. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Wound Fires In The Afterlife" "Great Abyss Unfold" "Berserker" and "Creation". RECOMMENDED BUY.

http://www.myspace.com/valdurkult