Ainzamkait/was das Lebens nicht went/Purity Through Fire/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Ainzamkait  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  old  school  and  melancholic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2024  album  "Was  das  lebens  nicht  went"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Purity  Through  Fire.

  Rain,  thunder  and  wind  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Synths  and  organs  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  one  of  the  songs  is  also  an  instrumental  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  to  early  2000's  era.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  some  earlier  DSBM  touches   while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melancholic  yet  melodic  style  and  most  of  the  album  also  sticks  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  direction,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  vocals.

  Ainzamkait  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  mid  tempo  and  melancholic  sounding  in  the  classic  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  hated,  melancholy,   death  and  paganism  themes.     

  In  my  opinion  Ainzamkait  are  a  very  great  sounding  melancholic  old  school  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Was  das  lebens  nicht  went"  and  "Schmerz  eines  einst  stolzen  Mannes".  8  out  of  10.

  

ainzamkait.bandcamp.com/music

Ulfarr/Fornetes Folm/His Crown Grows From His Skull/Purity Through Fire/2024 Full Length Review

 

  United  kingdom's  Ulfarr  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  raw,  misanthropic  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Formless  Folm/His  Crown  From  His  Skull"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Purity  Through  Fire.

  Throat  singing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can b e  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  old  school  era  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  Ulfarr  brings  out  a  very  raw  and  misanthropic  style  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  misanthropy  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ulfarr  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  misanthropic  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hildeleoma"  "Moonskin"  "Forn-Jotr"  and  "In  Veneration  Of  The  Corpse  Eater  Star".  8  out  of  10.

  www.facebook.com/ulfarr666

  

Atavistic Passage/Demonstration One/Manifest Of Hate Creations/2024 Demo Review

 

  Atavistic  Passage  are  a  music  project  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  raw  black  metal  and  dungeon  synth  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  demo  "Demonstration  One"  which  will  be  released  on  cassette  by  Manifest  Of  Hate  Creations.

  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  demo  along  with  some  synths  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  bring  in  elements  of  ambient  and  dungeon  synth  before  going  into  a  heavier  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can b e  heard  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  One  of  the  tracks  also  adds  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  synths  also  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  song  before  closing  with  a  dungeon  synth  orientated  outro.

  Atavistic  passage  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  raw  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  ambient  and  dungeon  synth  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  ritualistic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Atavistic  Passage  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  raw  black  metal  and  dungeon  synth  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Ritual  II".  8  out  of  10.

  

https://atavisticpassage.bandcamp.com/album/demonstration-one

  

Blazemth/Gehenna/Negra Nit Distro/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Blazemth  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  primordial  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Gehenna"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Negra  Nit  Distro.

  An  orchestra  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  ads  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  as  well  as  being  very  modern  at  the  same  time.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  clean  playing  and  whispers  also  being  utilized  on  a  couple  of  songs.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  of  the  riffing  also  bringing  in  elements  of  thrash  metal,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clear  pagan  vocals  Death  metal  growls  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  spoken  words  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Mythology,  Occultism,  Death  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Blazemth  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "To  The  Valley'  "Into  The  Crypt  Of  Iggdrasyl"  and  Nifelheim".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568738550586

https://www.instagram.com/blazemth_official/#       

Hesperia/Fra li Monti Sibillini/Hammerheart Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Italy's  solo  project  Hesperia  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  musical  style  going  for  a  winter  medieval  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  album  "Fra  Li  Monti  Sibillini"  which  will  be  released  in  2025  by  Hammerheart  Records.

  Winter  orientated  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  synths  which  also  bring  in  elements  of  ambient  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Clean  playing  is  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  album  also  capture  a  very  medieval  atmosphere  at  times  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can b e  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Throughout  the  recording  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,  choirs  and  chants  can  also  be  heard briefly as  well  as  some  folk  instruments  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  there  are  also  a  few  instrumentals.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  the  legends,  paganism,  folklore  and  history  of  the  Sibylline  Mounts.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hesperia  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  medieval  pagan  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "La  grotta  de  la  sibilla  atto  II: Il  regno  de  la  sibilla"  "Mons  daemoniacus:  Nero paese  de  la  scomunica"  and  "La  leggenda  del  lago  di  pilato"  and  "Solstizio  d’inverno  fra  li monti  sibillini  (Fine)".  8/5  out  of  10.

  https://hesperia.lnk.to/fralimontisibillini

https://www.facebook.com/HesperiaOfficial

https://www.instagram.com/hesperia_official

 

https://youtu.be/IMAi8tGcQyA

    

Jarl Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

Recording was done in a timeframe of about 6 months, so we finished everything in June or July. To be fair, summertime is also time for festivals and vacation, we went a little slower than usual after Trümmerfestung was done.Recently we went back to normal schedule with rehearsals, lots of planning and organizing things. We even started writing new songs.

2. In December you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

First and foremost it finalizes our progress during the last few years. In the past a whole lot of shit was and still is going on in the world. We are some years older and as the the saying goes: With age comes wisdom. In our case is not wisdom, but a general feeling of being more down to earth. This reflects in our music.

3.This is also your first album in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

There was a thing called Covid19, that had a huge impact on our rehearsals and live performances. So feel free to delete around two years from the five years. Besides that we had some really great moment by traveling the German festivals.

4. A lot of your lyrics cover Philosophy, Existentialism and Dystopian themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

As the world is getting towards the bottom of this downward spiral we could also elaborate on the social distortion or other fucked up things. These topics are covered in our lyrics 'cause we see them nearly every day. Existentialism is also a good source of coping mechanisms towards this world without losing once mind. Regarding the dystopian views, just have look around and compare it to fiction or science, there is only one conclusion: "These are the final days of ours." (quoting Primordial here)

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Jarl'?

That's quite simple, it was the salutation for the leader of a northern tribe. That's a little compressed in the whole context, but you get the hang of it. As we are into history it was more or less surprising that no one before used that band name, so it was our part to claim it.

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

It was done by Jan Yrlund and combines a few of the songs in one painting. We wanted to visualize some of the lyrical concepts. Even if it is more of an actual picture of the words and less the meaning, what was also an idea we had. Jan transformed everything we wanted and was a pleasure to work with.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

It would not be fair if i start naming festivals or shows now. Even if it sounds a little romantic, all promoters and festival organizers work their ass off, so heads of to all of you. Regarding our performance we just try to put our hearts on display and create a great time for everyone involved in our fare well to this world. We push ourselves and kick some ass without fancy shit.

8. Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

Right now our focus is set on one release show in January in our hometown. Everything else is just in negotiation.

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

As far as "worldwide" goes in this context, we have met people on tour that come from so many parts of the globe. No one ever hits us up with negative shit. After our gigs we try to be around at the merch or just the locations, so feel free the get over and have a talk.

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

As introduced above it will possibly evolve into something a little less joyful. As we don't try to limit ourselves there could also be a surprise, who knows.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are listening to nowadays?

As we are five individuals, there is a broad range of musical influences and listening habits that come to mind right now. What we all have in common is a taste in Metal in nearly all it's forms. We often talk about new records or songs during rehearsals, we visit shows and festivals together. This ranges from underground Black metal concerts with 30 people showing up to Stadium-tours of the old heroes. Don't want to start name droping on this but I think it is obvious.

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

Trümmerfestung has come a long way and we thank everyone involved. To all the unsung heroes behind and in front of the stage: We thank you.

https://www.facebook.com/JarlBlackMetal

https://www.instagram.com/jarl.official

https://youtu.be/SFpunYatPyU

Aita/I/Earth And Sky Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Aita  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "I"  which  was  released  by  Earth  And  Sky  Productions.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  folk  instruments  and  symphonic  sounding  keyboards  and  orchestration  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  some  choirs  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  keyboards  also  add  in  elements  of  ambient.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Growls  are  also  utilized  at  times as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  female  vocals,   percussions  and  whispers  are  also  utilized  briefly  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  Paganism  and  Nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Aita  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "II  Nome  Del  Vento"  and  "Tages".  8  out of  10.

  https://aita.bandcamp.com/album/i